《Hyperion Evergrowing》 Prologue Prologue Leif fidgeted at the edge of the army camp atop a grassy hill not quite tall enough to be considered a mountain. He did so in the way he had been taught growing up, without any movements of his body or any nervousness reaching his face. The kind of fidgeting only possible if you get beaten for appearing to not pay attention to lessons by the family tutor. The kind of fidgeting that involved mentally pushing and pulling small, mostly opaque grey rectangles with gold and red trimmings. Now you might feel concerned at the idea of boxes only visible within your mind''s eye, doubly so if they had letters, numbers and words on them. These weren¡¯t hallucinations caused by schizophrenia but instead perfectly normal. The young man moved and adjusted the system windows he had pulled up so they might block out the source of his worry. On another hill of simr size and shape were the enemy. The Enved Legion crawled over the almost mountain like the ant-like monsters their ck carapace armour represented. Leif had heard many soldiers doubt the invaders were human at all. They were, he knew, at least some of them. Though he suspectede morning he would be intimately familiar with just what kind of people they were. ¡°Captain sir!¡± Came a shout from behind along with running footsteps. Leif turned away from the enemy encampment, blinking the system out of his vision. As he did so sunlight glinted off his polished bronze breastte, red and gold half cape fluttering in the wind. ¡°At ease.¡± Leif said, his tone not hinting at anyck of confidence. His second inmand, a tall man from a northern border city squinted at the light and shuffled so he was parallel to Leif. He stood up straight and saluted, fist to heart. ¡°Captain sir! Orders from above, squads are to muster and report to their captains... Sir.¡± Leif nodded and followed the other man''s wandering gaze, back to the legion encampment. At the small groups of ck figures that were beginning to dig entrenched positions in the valley between both forces.¡°Are we¡­ Ya know. Actually gonna fight them? A real pitched battle?¡± He asked. The two armies had been shadowing each other for the better part of a month, lightly skirmishing over position and resources so the question wasn¡¯t as strange as it might sound. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so Heffnir. The generals and seers are nning something for tonight. At least that was the conclusion reached in the officers meeting earlier today.¡± ¡°Fuck. Uh, I mean¡­ How are the omens?¡± ¡°The omens are good, as to be expected I suppose. Shall we go?¡± Heffnir nodded, the taller man followed briskly behind Leif as they wove through brightly coloured tents and below equally vibrant banners depicting noble heraldry. As the two departed dark clouds moved in front of the sun. === Rain fell in heavy sheets against the single file column of cloaked soldiers as they rounded the foot of the hill, the ground slick with muddy run-off. Above, fires raged from campfires and torches both, a reminder of warmth andfort every man and woman taking part in the uing assault wouldn¡¯t experience until the battle was won. Leif marched ahead of his squad, twelve men and women trudged through deep mud thoroughly worked by those that had been before them. Head down as rain soaked his hood, Leif pulsed his aura in short guiding bursts. The invisible echo of power rolling off his shoulders, moving as far back along the column as his level and attributes could allow, just enough to reach the next squad leader, hopefully anyway. Visibility had plummeted as night had fallen and the rain had gone from light drizzle to a suffocating nket of liquid. Leif could barely see five metres ahead, the backs of the soldiers he was trailing seeming to meld into the murky darkness. Two more bursts, quick session. None of his squad had aura skills but they could still feel the aura of those who did. An innate sense possessed by all living beings. Leif¡¯s [Noble] ss, inherited from his father, had granted him a social aura when he had reached the second level. Intended to be used within courts and high society gatherings, the skill [Aura of Nobility] had fast tracked him into being an officer when the war broke out, though he supposed nepotism did most of the heavy lifting. Unfortunately mud and rain don¡¯t care about one¡¯s birthright or caste. He cursed as part of the hillside slid out from under him making him slide over three metres and out of the single file marching formation. Three short pulses followed by a fourth longer one. ¡°Wait¡±, the message said, conveying patience and apology. Using the light from the campsite above and the faint echoes of the advanced squad¡¯s aura pulses he re-orientated and continued onwards into the night. To battle. === The Varan camp was alight with controlled me and bustling with activity. This activity however wasn¡¯t from the usual bustle of soldiers. The kingdom''s forces had slowly departed down the back of the hill to avoid detection from the Enved on the opposite side of the valley. The activity was camp followers intentionally making themselves visible so scouts and lookouts with perception skills from the legion camp wouldn¡¯t see that business wasn¡¯t as usual. If all went well, the enemy wouldn¡¯t suspect anything until it was toote. Legionnaires in dark carapace toiled in the valley below, creating makeshift earthwork fortifications, pits and low walls. This was standard for the legion, the two armies had shadowed one another like timid dancers around the narrow stretch of tamednd between rugged wilderness and a vastke for a little over a month. During this time the Enved would entrench themselves to withstand harassment by the less orderly but more mobile Varan forces. It was this consistent military doctrine the Varan army intended to take advantage of. res of light magic intermittently lit up the night, fired in high arcs so as to not reveal the many snaking tendrils of soldiers from the assault force creeping forward. Light attuned mages within the Varan camp illuminating the legion¡¯s camp every five or so minutes, it was something the army did every night when the enemy was nearby. To scout, certainly. But the constant bright shes were an indirect sort of attack, intended to prevent sleep and constantly distract. A vibrant sh of green. Five minutes. Another, then yellow. ¡°Advance.¡± The message hidden within the colours ryed. And over a thousand soldiers obeyed. They would defeat the invaders here and now, or die trying. === Green, green, yellow. Green, green, yellow. Red, green, yellow. Leif crouched in the mud, his squad fanned out behind him in a loose formation. He squinted into the night, trying to make out the legions earthen walls. When the red re had been fired, mages with sses attuned to earth had begun creeping forward, their spells and skills evening out the final stretch of ground and filling in the newly dug moat. The army didn¡¯t possess many [Terramancer]s, so those they did have would be burning through their energy as quickly as possible to ready the ground ahead. Red, green, yellow. Another fifteen minutes passed, Leif could see his breath fogging in front of him as anticipation built, men and women fidgeted from where they stood, Leif could hear the muffled nks of their armour as they shifted. Soon, the blue re should be any second¡­ Blue. Attack. With a hand on his sheathed sword Leif began channelling a skill into the de. [Disciplined Strike] would build up energy until he struck out with his sword. With a re of his aura he ryed his conviction and determination wordlessly to his squad and stepped forward. To either side Leif could barely make out the outlines of other squads advancing, ghostly silhouettes in the night. It took over a minute of jogging before they encountered the returning earth mages, another thirty seconds and Leif''s boots dug into a mound of piled soil, his footing secure and sure. He lunged upwards, the strength afforded from the [Might] attribute and the bnce of [crity] carrying him forward. He reached the apex of the wall and saw two dark figures slumped against the bulwark¡¯s slight overhang. He fell onto the first, his knee impacting the armoured skull, the legionnaire¡¯s head snapping back from both the force of the blow but also surprise. Heffnir dropped next to the other, sword slipping into the gap between neck and carapaced breastte. Leif spun at the sounds of muffled yells and criesing from all around. The rm had been raised but was being drowned out by the rain. Five Enved stumbled out from under a cloth tarp, weapons drawn. Leif had never stopped moving, he shoulder checked the first sending what he thought was a man tumbling, he drew his sword, hilt warm from the channelled skill, de practically thrumming with power. With a single horizontal sweep two carapaced corpses fell back, bisected just above the hip. Their deaths instant, [Disciplined Strike] empowering his de to cleanly sever through their spines. A whistle blew, then another. Shrill sounds piercing the night as a proper rm went out, alerting the legions main camp. But Leif couldn¡¯t focus on that, he parried a spear thrust and twisted his body into a counter, empowered by a skill from his [Guard] ss; de bit into organic armour and met the flesh beneath. The legionnaire screamed, a distinctly human sound. This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. It sent shivers down Leif¡¯s spine, to know these were people, victims of an enemy of humanity. He cut them down nheless. === The ughter continued as the Varan forces seized the fortifications. Legionnaires fled into the night but over twice that number were butchered. Leif climbed back up the earthen wall but visibility was still terrible. Where were the reinforcements? They couldn¡¯t hold this position against a counter attack without them. Green lit the night and Leif let out a sigh of relief, he turned and saw his men in the trenches below. Only one minor injury, no deaths. None yet. Varan spearmen began pouring over the wall and moving into a defensive formation with weapons presented towards where the enemy would approach. Orders were barked and ranks came together. Hundreds of eyes peered into the void, would the legion retaliate? Or would they abandon the valley and retreat? An ear splitting screech split the night, puddles of rain water trembling from the sheer volume. Soldiers reeled and scrambled back. Fear rippled along the line as yells for calm went mostly ignored. Leif red his aura to prevent panic and his squad stabilised. There was something reassuring about being enveloped by non hostile intent. What the hells was that? He thought, mind racing. A legion warform? A host? The sound came again, louder, closer. Then chaos descended as dozens of dog sized ants surged out from the darkness. Axe-like mandibles shed, hacking and slicing. Men screamed as they fell, insects swarmed onto shields and over heads, leaping andtching onto soldiers behind the first row. Waves of terror, pain and panic washed over Leif, the emotions tangible due to his [Court Empath] skill, he shook his head and mentally pushed the skill¡¯s effect down. The raw emotions and intent faded into the background but the moment of distraction nearly cost him. A monster leapt onto one of Leif¡¯s squad members but he thrust out a hand just in time. A half dome of grey force snapped into existence between the ant and soldier causing the attack to be deflected. Leif grunted at the sudden onset of strain from the skill but pushed forward. Don¡¯t die. Please don¡¯t die. He prayed, but the night''s events were outside his control. For every Varan soldier who fell another dropped from the wall and into the fight. For over a minute the brutal close quarters melee against the swarm continued. Leif kicked one of the monsters off of the end of his de and nced around. Another screech split the night air, silencing the yells and groans of battle. But instead of a second swarm tall figures in gleaming carapace armour slick with water marched in ominous lockstep. The legion had rallied fast, too fast. ¡°Captain Sir?¡± Heffnir yelled. The unasked question hung in the air, Leif felt the attention of his squad slip from the advancing enemy and onto him. We can¡¯t retreat. He thought. A rout now would be catastrophic. ¡°Stand your ground!¡± He roared, simrmands were bellowed up and down the reforming defensive line. Leif nced over his shoulder and back to the glowing hilltop of the Varan camp. ¡°Hold until-¡± The night ignited in rainbow radiance as a barrage of magic so thick it was as though a wave of power had erupted from the hilltop. The thaumatic assault from well over two dozen mages soared through the valley, over the Varan soldiers before smashing down into the advancing legion. But the enved weren¡¯t caught t footed, no army so willing to sacrifice the lives of its own could be. As thoughpelled by madness the legionaries charged through the elemental destruction. Multicoloured mes wreathed their bodies and destructive sparks danced between spear tips. A hundred fell, immted by magic. But it wasn¡¯t enough. As a second, significantly smaller barrage of power lit up the sky the two armies shed. And death reigned. === Chaos. It was the only word able to describe the battle. The low visibility rendered allbatants near-sighted andmanders blinded to the greater movements of the fight. Fronts buckled and pushed but neither side could take advantage. Varan cavalry charged into enemy lines after a rolling wave of mes had baked the mud into hardened y. They were never seen again. Arrows fell in waves but from which side they originated couldn¡¯t be ascertained. shes of power would draw attention, the use of skills acting as a conductor of insanity. Corpses piled up and equal amounts of blood and water stained the ground. At the two hour mark Leif received a ping informing him of a level up, though his system knew better than to sh a notification into his vision while he was fighting. He gasped in a lungful of air, repeated uses of [Recovery Breath] had limited effects but even a little vitality eased aches and lessened exhaustion. Leif stumbled back, wiping blood from his left eye. He blinked blearily around, the sounds of battle had be distant and muffled. Moans and cries from the injured and dying came from nearby but he couldn¡¯t see their source. The downpour had long ago lessened but it had been reced with the drifting miasma of mana essence. Visibility hadn¡¯t improved, if anything it had gotten worse. Where are my men? He thought desperately. He hadn¡¯t seen most of them fall, Heffnir had pulled back after sustaining a critical leg wound and the rest had slowly vanished as the battle continued. If they had died or fled he had no idea. He pulsed his aura, desperate to at least get into contact with one ally. During the fighting he and his squad had been pushed away from the now thoroughly ruined earthworks. But now he didn¡¯t know where he was. The fires of both campsites were no longer in sight, whether they had been extinguished or the persistent haze was shrouding them Leif had no idea. Footsteps from behind, hostile intent focused on him. A legionnaire missing an arm and with several arrows sticking from their armour rushed him. Half of a snapped spear was thrust at Leif¡¯s neck as he jerked backwards. Phantom echoes of the same attack materialised chaotically around the enved strike, the skill used was faint, its form barely coherent for more than a second, a sure sign of the user''s exhaustion. Anger, hatred and not a little desperation radiated off the enved as they attacked again and again in furiously wide motions. Leif stepped into an overhead swipe and nted his fist into the gut of his attacker. Air whooshed from the legionaries lungs before a horizontal sh enhanced by [Duellist''s Focus] removed their head. Leif sagged to the ground as the enved toppled back, torso bing obscured by mist. Some sort of enhancing or empowering skill leaked from the corpse, mixing into the air. No wonder they were somehow moving with that injury. He thought numbly. For several minutes Leif stayed still, propped up by his sword he listened to the ever quieting sounds of battle. A scream, and then nothing. Steel ringing against steel, and then silence. All was quiet. Is it over? Is it finally done? Thoughts ran through Leif¡¯s exhausted mind. How could he regroup with survivors? Would otherse to find him? Had they even won? Or was the legion finishing off Varan stragglers? A riderless horse came screaming out of the fog, hooves kicking up mud as it rushed past. Leif made to grab for its reins but flinched back as the beast tripped, leg snapping under its own weight as it fell hard into the mud. Not riderless. Two dog sized insects retracted their mandibles from where they hadtched onto the now dead animal¡¯s nk. Their emotionless eyes fell onto Leif as the two monsters swivelled their bodies to face him. They rushed forward, legs skittering over the churned ground. Leif rolled to the side from his kneeling position. A Projected Shield snapped up around his back as he heard a crunch from a heavy impact. He spun up to his feet but screamed as mandiblestched around his forearm. Dropping his sword from the pain he stepped back and drew his dagger. The short de pierced the ant''s eye, it went limp, but the mandibles stayed mped firmly around his arm. The second monster, dazed from running head first into the now dissipated shield gathered itself beforeing right at him. Leif panicked, one arm was useless, likely broken, muscles and tendons severed by insectile des. His swordy submerged in mud and his dagger was stuck fast as he tried to yank it free from the insect¡¯s corpse. Painnced up his leg as the remaining ant bit through his boot and severed his achilles tendon. Leif fell hard on his side but impacting the ground was enough to let his dagger slip free. Death rushed for his neck but he twisted, blocking the attack with the dead ant stilltched onto his arm. The monster¡¯s body was dislodged from the blow, its vice grip on his forearm ckened. Leif kicked out with his one good leg and sent both carapaced forms tumbling. He sucked in a breath but there was no relief from the pain. [Recovery Breath] was overused, the effect all but null. His physical attributes dropped, no longer enhanced from being in abat stance. The ant came again, but the monster''s fixation on his neck made dispatching it simple enough. Leif¡¯s head fell back, a mix of blood and mud instantly soaking his short dark hair. His vision began to fade as blood loss took its toll. I¡¯m going to die. He thought nkly, but there wasn¡¯t enough energy left for any particr emotion to take root. Fear had long ago fled in the face of exhausted eptance. Death came slowly, or slower than one might expect. A mix of increased vitality from attributes and the desperate intakes of healing breaths made the minutes crawl into an hour, then two. His consciousness flickered in and out. Each bout of darkness interrupted by a reflexive gasp and a spasm of pain. At some point the mist began to burn away as the morning sun rose. In the few moments he could focus Leif saw the aftermath of battle stretching off into the distance. In the dawn light figures stalked the battlefield. Tall and slender with inhumanly twisted limbs, they stopped at corpses and the dying, hunched over as if feeding. Growling came from his left but Leif was too weak to move. Something bit into his thigh but he could barely feel the pain. Two wolves with mangy coats and sunken features began to tug at his limp body. Feebly he pulsed his aura, but [Aura of Nobility] had nobat potential, it was simply a final, desperate attempt to survive. An inhuman hiss sent the two beasts whining and scampering away. Dark muttering in anguage Leif wouldn¡¯t have recognised even if he were fully lucid drew closer. A figure, taller than any human and twice as thin stood over him. Glowing red eyes bore down from a facecking any distinct features except for ash grey bark in the ce of skin. It spoke in a guttural hiss and knelt down. A crack formed on the creature''s mask-like face in a mock imitation of a smile. An elongated, crooked finger pressed into Leif''s chest, the sharpened w-like end prated his battered armour as if it were heated butter and sunk into flesh. Then something was pushed into him, rushing through his veins and pushing aside organs as it twisted and grew. Leif screamed as his soul was ripped apart. You have lost 5 levels in the [Fighter] ss! -5 to all attributes! You have lost 5 levels in the [Guard] ss! -5 to all attributes! Warning! You have lost ss levels, skills connected to sses with lost levels may be unstable! You have lost 0 levels in the [Noble] ss! Inheritant sses cannot lose levels! You have lost 4 levels in the [Fighter] ss! -4 to all attributes! You have lost 1 level in the [Guard] ss! -1 to all attributes! You have lost all levels in the [Fighter] ss! All skills lost, ss perk lost, base stats lost! You have lost all levels in the [Guard] ss! All skills lost, ss perk lost, base stats lost! Warning! You have suffered devastating soul trauma! Warning! Your body is being forcibly transformed! Warning! Your body has been irrevocably changed! Warning! You are no longer a human! You are no longer an enlightened race! You may no longer gain non monster sses! Error! Inheritant ss detected. ss restrictions negated! Chapter 1: First Thoughts Chapter 1: First Thoughts Monster ecology was an underdeveloped field in the kingdom Leif belonged to, in all humannds really. A system that quantifies most of reality tends to stifle innovation outside of its rules and intricacies. This isn¡¯t to say that the system didn¡¯t have anything to do with monsters, just that enlightened races had ess to different bits than said monsters. As the body of our protagonist is currently dposing into the soil, let''s start by quantifying what a monster is. In Varan, a monster would be defined as an entity of unnatural birth. This isn¡¯t wholly inurate, people and animals tend to be born after the sacred act of hand holding and kissing is performed. Monsters, by contrast, do indeed tend towards the unnatural. Take for example the fact that roots are growing out of Leif¡¯s spine. And yes, those are branches sprouting from his eye sockets. The exact process is technically defined as a form of soul parasitism. He¡¯ll be fine¡­ Probably. As defined by the system itself, monsters are beings who are born through the intervention of mana. Undead are reanimated through skills and spells aspected towards death. Elementals are born through parts of the natural world being over saturated in energies, no points for guessing which kinds. Slimes divide over time, in the same way bacteria and problems do. Goblins along with other facsimiles of sapience pool out of shadows in the ruins of civilization. nt monsters tend to be quite varied. From seeds to spores to imnting a parasitic bulb in the still beating hearts of their victims in an effort to supnt their mind, body and soul into a twisted replica of the original. As exciting as it sounds, the process is fairly slow. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months as the seasons went by. Seasons, it should be noted, were caused not by the having an axial tilt, as this world didn¡¯t have one. Instead they were caused by the rotation of the first of two orbiting moons. Season, the first, closest andrgest of the two moons rotated once every two months. When its ordinary crater pocked half faced the, weather acted normal and the climate didn¡¯t fluctuate. When the half with the glowing red ravines criss-crossing the surface like they were the webs of terrifyingly huge spiders faced the. Well, things tended to get strange. Strange from an outsider''s perspective that is, the influx of thaumatic phenomena, extreme weather and exaggerated temperatures were quite ordinary to the beings of this world. A world with many names and colloquialisms across manynguages and cultures. These all tended towards simr meanings; Thend, the world, the soil beneath our feet.For the sake of simplicity let''s smoosh them together, aggregate the meanings and pick something at random. Let''s call the Earth, probably hasn¡¯t been done before. === As time rolled inexorably on, the dark grey sapling poking out of the ground wasn¡¯t the only thing to change. The battlefield had sprung to life, corpses acting as fertiliser made the transformation from muddy hellscape to burgeoning forest smooth and speedy. Rtively. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Weapons and equipment were scavenged, but the onset of monsters and wild animals made the massacre less than the ideal tourist attraction. Grasses and moss made the first move, thend quickly repainted green. Hundreds of small grey trees came next, though their growth speed was quickly eclipsed by traditional flora. Within two years it was unrecognisable, within four a young forest had firmly taken root. The wilderness had reimed this part of the world, closing the pass between the unimednds to the west and the grandke to the east. Neither the Kingdom of Varan nor the invading Legion retook the territory, and thus time went on. === Within an unnamed forest there was a tree, thousands actually but this tree was significant. It wasn¡¯t the tallest, nor the branchiest. It was however growing in the exact ce a man named Leif Vin had fallen seven years ago. This forest was home to predators, the usual kinds like wolves and foxes certainly, but this forest was home to more insidious hunters. Tall thin trees with grey bark and blood red leaves not unlike the significant tree were the most fearsome of hunters within thisnd. They strangled nutrients from the ground and choked the life from other flora. The footfalls of animals were followed by the sound of snapping wood and the sickening follow-up of flesh being punctured or bones being crushed. Where these trees grew grass was absent, as were the songs of birds and the chirping of insects. Grey totems of death reigned supreme as apex predators within this forest. Though there was one peculiarity. A single tree was different. At first it had been like the others, bloodthirsty and ravenous, a savage hunter like all the rest. Somewhere between the fifth and sixth year of its existence and just after it had turned the cutest rabbit anyone had ever seen into a bloody smear of misfortune and sadness, the tree had changed. Like all the rest it was a [Juvenile Blight Tree], but unlike the others of its kind it possessed a unique trait. Awareness. It had a thought. Huh? This thoughtsted three entire months, during which its aggressive tendencies stalled. No longer a beacon of death, grass wriggled its way into the tree¡¯s territory. Then came insects, followed by birds, then small mammals. During a heavy snowstorm the tree had its second thought. Uhh? Ok, I know what you might be thinking. This tree is stupid! And as well it should be, the poor thing has an intelligence of one. For context humans are born with Five! That''s right! Five whole points! If you feel insulted don¡¯t be, intelligence, as with all attributes is a multiplier of a creature''s inherent characteristics. So while the numerical difference between one and five might be somewhere around the ballpark of four, the difference between a human with an intelligence of five and a tree with the same score is stark. The fact this tree could think at all was remarkable! Mmmh? Keep trying little guy, you can do it! Chapter 2: Actions Chapter 2: Actions Within a form of wood a consciousness stirred, it had done so several times now. Each spark of thought was greater than the one before it, more focused and slightly faster. With every thought it became more and more aware, aware of its surroundings, the taste of dirt, the warmth of the sun, the feeling of small legs climbing its branches. Small pinpricks of light shone in its mind''s eye. Each corresponding to the small animals scampering around. The instincts of its species screamed at the tree to attack, to consume and grow. But another, slightly stronger instinct held it back, telling it that something was wrong, that something was unnatural. There was more, the tree could sense that the second instinct was correct, somewhere deep inside knew. And though neither the origin nor veracity of this feeling could be detected the tree clutched onto it with all its focus and will. Then, as its burgeoning identity was being pieced together, different sensations filtered through the fog of its consciousness. Small pricks of emotions and intent; Safety, hunger, nest, hide. Where were theying from? And why could it sense them? Could it be the same presences climbing on its body? These thoughts were quiteplex, and thus the tree pondered them. A year passed. === Fear! The emotion was sharp and sudden, like a knife against skin. But it wasn¡¯t the tree¡¯s emotion, no, it was external. Something was panicking nearby!Hunger. Another emotion but this time from a distinctly different source, the intent of this second source of emotion was directed towards the first. It could feel the location of both, a small flicker of presence. At first the tree had used this faint sense to strike out against prey, and a part of it felt the intense desire tosh out. To send forth a sharp root from the soil and end both presences. But it hadn¡¯t acted on such instincts in over a year. But something had changed. The fact the tree could not only feel these emotions and sense both presences with such rity¡­ Something had definitely changed. But what? Fear again! The smaller presence moved quickly as therger bounded forwards. The fearful presence darted up the tree¡¯s trunk and its closeness stirred something within the trunk. It remembered! The small presence was familiar, it had nested within the tree¡¯s branches. This realisation stirred something else, a dull protective instinct. The small thing was in danger. Don¡¯t lose them! A crack resounded through the forest as a [Juvenile Blight Tree] protected the life of something else. A historic first! Level up! ss [Noble] is now level 6! For fighting to protect another under your watch and within your territory you earned a level! +1 to [Willpower] +2 free points! New ss skills avable! [Grand Action] or [Bloodline Insight]! ¡­ Uhhh¡­? Warning! Make selection within 12 hours or skill will be randomly chosen! ¡­ Warning! Make selection within 6 hours or skill will be randomly chosen! ¡­ Warning! Make selection within 1 hour or skill will be randomly chosen! If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. You have gained the [Noble] skill [Grand Action]! === Grand Action: Aspects: Enhancement You gain a bonus to an attribute of your choice equal to 20% of your charisma attribute. === Whuh? You¡¯ll have to forgive our protagonist''sck of¡­ reaction. You might be stunned too if a grey box filled with words and numbers popped up in your mind''s eye. Especially if you didn¡¯t know what an eye was, or a mind for that matter. There was something alluring about this thing. This system prompt. It wasn¡¯t the words, nor the numbers. The tree couldn¡¯t understand either. No, it was the red and gold highlights around the edges of the window. They were so familiar that the tree didn¡¯t even notice this was its first time experiencing colour. Nostalgia wasn¡¯t anything the tree had known, an alien feeling of loss and mncholy flooded its being. And so it stayed still, rooted and unmoving. It didn¡¯t know what had caused its sudden burst of awareness of its surroundings and in the moment it didn¡¯t care. It had lost something so fundamental to what, who, it was, and that hurt. But the worst part was, it didn¡¯t know what. === Memories, fragmented and distant, assailed the tree. Senses it couldn¡¯t have known, emotions it had never felt, lessons it had never learnt. They slowly drifted into its consciousness over the course of months. And it grew, not upwards, in another less physical direction. The entire time it mentally stared into thest system prompt it had received. The description of the [Grand Action] skill. It didn¡¯t understand the words, but all skills had an innate amount of understanding injected into a beings consciousness when they were gained. It could use something, to do something. When it finally found that something, grasping it in a mental fist the tree understood. It knew what the charisma attribute was, and by process of elimination it learnt the other five attributes in turn. Might, physical strength and resilience. crity, bnce and fine body control. Intelligence, cognitive processes and memory. Willpower, focus and mental endurance. Spirit, recovery and connection. Charisma, force of personality and presence. The tree pushed its charisma, moving it toward what it needed most. Intelligence. And suddenly everything became clearer, its thoughts sharpened and mind spun. The tree knew. It knew that if it had one skill, it had others. And knowing that let the system pick up some of the ck. And by some I mean a whole lot. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Blight Tree Age: 8 Attributes: Free: 22 Might: 7 crity: 3 Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 2 Spirit: 6 Charisma: 14 Total Level: 10 Monster sses: 1/1 Juvenile Blight Tree: 4/10 Skills: Savage Roots / Predators Sense sses: 0/2 Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 6/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action === Seeing the full status screen stunlocked the tree for five months straight. Chapter 3: Contact Chapter 3: Contact Birds chirped in Leif¡¯s branches as the early morning sun filtered through the sparse canopy. It, or rather, he, nowprehended why the small forest animals seemed attracted to his form despite their survival instincts likely screaming at them to stay away from the [Juvenile Blight Tree]. And it wasn¡¯t because they were idiotically ignoring the concept of self preservation. === Aura of Nobility I: Aspects: Aura, Social* Your auric presence possesses traces of your noble baring and lineage. You may disy your intent through your aura, your intent has a greater effect on those with a weaker aura. You can control your aura in ways that are impossible without an aura skill. Notes: Keep this suppressed around the Kossia family. They¡¯re insufferable. Two yearster, one of them married my cousin! They¡¯re closing in! HELP ME!=== And what''s more, Leif knew why he could sense the emotions and intentions of the nearby animals. === Court Empath: Aspects: Social*, Perception You feel the emotions and intents of those around you and can see in which direction said emotions and intents are directed. Your ability to sense such things is determined by your charisma attribute. === While Leif couldn¡¯t read the system windows, he could instinctually grasp what each of his skills did. As if some innate knowledge of their uses was trickled into his mind. Additionally, he had a name! The tree wasn¡¯t sure how it knew, or even what a name really was. But the moment the full status had popped up it, or rather he had known. It was still getting used to all this. He was still getting used to all this. Leif shifted his attention to the other source of skills. He didn¡¯t currently possessprehension of the differences between the [Noble] ss and his [Juvenile Blight Tree] ss, just that one fit him like afortable glove, while the other felt wrong in ways he couldn¡¯t hope to understand. Regardless, exploring the wrong feeling skills resulted in further learning and understanding. === Savage Roots: The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Aspects: Technique, Enhancement (Body) You manipte a small spear like protrusion of roots to strike out from somewhere on your body. Additionally, you may expend energy stored within your body to move existing root structures. === Predators Sense: Aspects: Perception, Enhancement (Body) You are a hunter, and your senses reflect this. Passively sharpens your awareness of your surroundings and improves all existing senses. === [Predators Sense] had been why his awareness had suddenly snapped into focus. If Leif was more adroit at manipting his system he would have found the level up message that had resulted in him gaining the skill moments before he had defended the small presence. That exact presence currently slept peacefully in a nest of its own making. It slept alongside five other simr presences, four of which had been brand new additions to the nest. Feeling the newborn animals grow and develop as the days passed was so distracting Leif hadpletely forgotten to continue his current task. Move! Trees couldn¡¯t move, not in the stand up and walk around way, not usually. But their roots certainly could, in a fashion. This had been something Leif had known well before he had gained consciousness. It was something he had been passively doing all his life. His roots spread out in a five metre radius around his trunk, some stretched downwards in search of ground water, others fanned out to cover more distance. Leif¡¯s current self imposed task was to manually direct his roots. Focusing on any one task was difficult, but as Leif willed his roots to move, they did so. He found that actively controlling his root¡¯s growth increased their progress by one and a half small presences per warmth period. This highly scientific method was interrupted the next day when it rained. As an entity with no sight, smell or hearing, urately gauging the world was difficult. Sixteen warmths and three wets into the expansion Leif encountered something peculiar right on the edge of his ¡®perception¡¯. An intent, hungry and searching. However the source of this intent wasn¡¯t anything Leif had ever sensed before. He continued expanding in the direction and, after four days, reached the new being. He reached roots. When Leif initially came into physical contact with the other tree¡¯s root system he didn¡¯t immediately identify it as the source of the vaguely hostile intent. Leif found it difficult to push his limited perception down to the far ends of his roots. And telling different root structures apart was remarkably difficult. So for another week he pushed his roots towards the intent, and the other tree did the same in his direction. When the grass around Leif¡¯s trunk began to wither and die he didn¡¯t notice, he only noticed when a sharpened root erupted from the earth and struck towards a small presence on one of his lower branches. The creature, a small bird, sessfully dodged the assassination attempt. This resulted in the attack prating Leif¡¯s body. Bark splintered and chips flew off into the forest. If Leif had ears he would have heard the sharp crack that split the air and sent the numerous upants of his canopy fleeing in every direction. Pain wasn¡¯t something Leif could feel. Instead of pain there was a dull sensation of something being off, a rush as chemical processes within his body moved towards the wound, sap mixed with a sharp aroma secreted out. Both trees remained idle for well over an hour, each trying toprehend what had just happened. The other blight tree, not as blessed with incredible intellect, could feel that the tree it had encroached on was simr to itself. The faintest sense of a familiar bond pricked at its still burgeoning awareness. Leif, for his part, felt no such familiar bond. Quite the opposite. The strange feeling of unease surrounding his existence prevented him from making such a connection. He had been attacked! A part of himself the young tree didn¡¯tprehend was outraged, it instinctually wanted to counter attack. To fend off the danger. But what truly sealed the fate of the unfortunate blight tree was that it had scared off Leif¡¯s tenants. A protective pride swelled in Leif¡¯s not chest. An emotion resembling the human emotion of anger bubbled to life. Leif¡¯s entire world sharpened, he swept the surrounding area with his limited perception. He saw clearly for the first time the reaching roots, like skeletal fingers clutching in his direction. The dead grass, vitality robbed by the attacker. The attacker¡­ Leif imitated the tree equivalent of squinting in indignant incredulity via his aura at the other nt. [Grand Action] boosting his might attribute the power of [Savage Roots] was heightened. Eight metres away from Leif¡¯s trunk a spear of wood erupted from one of his probing roots. Damp soil was parted as the sharp de punched into the other tree¡¯s roots. It didn¡¯t sever them, not entirely. If Leif¡¯s opponent noticed it had been stabbed it didn¡¯t react. Or more urately it would take several days to react if it did notice. In this period Leif began draining the vitality from the enemy root system via his opening. It took two nights and a day before the roots withered and died, the faint intent leaking from the closer roots vanished. Chapter 4: Garden Warfare Chapter 4: Garden Warfare Garden warfare between two trees wasn¡¯t overly exciting. [Savage Roots] was a remarkably ineffective skill, if either nt monster had practised or pushed their limits the skill would have been far more potent. The enemy tree countered, it¡¯s own spear of wood striking out at Leif¡¯s advancing roots. This counter was in turn countered, and then that counter was countered. Fronts were made, lines were drawn, should hostile roots cross into the others territory they would be set upon. Stabbed and strangled. Leif was a smart tree. Smarter is probably the more urate descriptor. His roots went deeper, only to strike up from beneath. His [Grand Action] skill boosted his [Might] when he went on the attack and [Spirit] when recovering from wounds. As time flew past, his victory became more and more certain. The foe was losing ground, and the more ground that was lost the less nutrients it could absorb. And though there was a certain defender''s advantage, Leif¡¯s relentless advance crushed all opposition. He knew he was winning. If Leif had eyes he would have noticed his opponent began to look sickly as its roots were destroyed, leaves wilting and branches sagging. He could instead tell the condition of the other tree via the innate life detection his specific species possessed. Then something changed. It was sudden, shockingly abrupt for a battle between two nts. A battle that so far hadsted for two entire season shifts. The enemy grew far stronger, it surged with vitality and its intent sharpened. Where once its actions and reactions had beenparatively slow they were now practically blistering. As if a switch had been flipped, Leif began losing ground. The frequency in which the enemyunched [Savage Roots] attacks doubled, then tripled. Bothbatants had be more proficient with their skills as the fight had progressed, but for such a sudden shift to ur¡­Leif¡¯s mind raced, the strange nty synapses that may or may not have existed went into overdrive. How? How had he gone from days away from victory to being so hard pressed on the back foot, back root, whatever. Initially his thoughts were along the lines of a level up. Had the enemy tree gained a new skill that could exin the boost inbat ability. But could a single skill have made such a difference? And if so, how far was Leif from getting the same skill? As it turned out, no. Neither tree had levelled up.. In actuality Leif¡¯s opponent was three entire [Juvenile Blight Tree] levels above him. It had an extra skill, and this skill was the only reason it had held on so far into the fight. But Leif couldn¡¯t know this, and his total level was still higher at ten versus seven. In fact, the cause of this sudden paradigm shift would be apparent in three weeks time. === Leif was sick, he could feel himself wither, his vitality draining. As he lost more and more ground his every action became sluggish, his every thought strained. He was going to lose and he didn¡¯t know why. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. Faux pain came from arger root a few metres from his trunk where it had been prated. If Leif had been biologically capable of feeling panic he certainly would be. The fruitless tug of war between the sucking force draining him and his feeble attempts at controlling his internal energy continued for several hours, with each minute he grew weaker and weaker¡­ Warning! You have sustained near fatal injuries! You have 22 unspent free attribute points. If you do not spend these points within one minute they will be randomly distributed based loosely on primary ss growth rates. What? What did that mean? He thought, why had the thing popped up showing him the things? He didn¡¯t know the thing or the things at all, what did the thing mean? ¡­ Unspent attribute points have been distributed! Might +8, crity +1, Intelligence +2, Willpower +3, Spirit +6, Charisma +2! === Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 15 crity: 4 Intelligence: 3 Willpower: 5 Spirit: 12 Charisma: 16 === Oh, that''s what it means. Leif realised. And then, in the world¡¯s most stunning disy of understanding cause and effect he had a thought. That must have been why the other tree became strong! And he was correct. Not only was he correct but he was substantially stronger. Weakness fled in the wave of higher numbers. His mind sharpened due to [Willpower] and [Intelligence] let him see new connections, have new ideas. Though he had lost ground against his foe the fight had returned to the prior status quo. A status quo in which he had the advantage. One month and two weekster¡­ Level up! ss [Juvenile Blight Tree] is now level 5! For killing another of your kind and proving dominance over a protracted back and forth conflict you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Intelligence] +5 free points! You have disyed excellence above your ability! For surviving a gruelling battle of attrition few others of your level could have survived you have gained the following! +2 to [Willpower] +2 to [Spirit]! For demonstratingbat prowess while within the wilderness and possessing tenacity and grit in the face of adversity you have the opportunity to gain the [Survivor] ss! ss slots: 0/2 ept? Y/N As Leif couldn¡¯t read the system prompts, and therefore had no idea an option had been presented he neither epted nor declined the final message. This led to the ss being automatically declined after a month had passed. In our protagonist''s defence, he had important things to do. Like drinking groundwater and photosynthesising. Chapter 5: Oversized Chickens Chapter 5: Oversized Chickens Goblins weren¡¯t overly intelligent. And before anyone starts using this story of being exclusively about stupid people allow me to rify. Goblin¡¯s didn¡¯t need to be smart. They were short lived and violent, and while they had a social hierarchy simr to primitive humanity their ultimate goals in life made higher learning and philosophy unnecessary. They were monsters spawned from the ruins of civilization, the usual grinding wheel of natural selection didn¡¯t apply. Doing the dirty and waiting for storks to deliver baby goblins just wasn¡¯t how they did things. Speaking of birds, the goblin tribe currently stalking through the young wilderness near a certain tree possessed several. Not as livestock or pets, these metre tall killing machines with raptor-like talons and beaks the shape of curved daggers were effectively members of the tribe. When a goblin reached level 10, assuming it met certain criteria it would gain the option to evolve their racial ss into a variant of the awakened race''s [Tamer] ss. This ss would keep the goblin hallmarks, [Enhanced Stealth] and [Savagery] while supplementing the monster with several interesting options. One such option had led to the capture, raising and eventual taming of three Hignd Runners. Flightless and with crests of bright red feathers and slick ck and blue bodies, these predatory animals were amon sight in less forested regions. And they were animals. Nothing monstrous about them, but just because a creature wasn¡¯t given a thaumatic bump on the way into existence didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t apex hunters in their own rights. The goblin tribe these three birds now belonged to had lost six members trying to raid the nest to im their eggs. The goblins often let these creatures go off and hunt as a pack. A skill enforced bond prevented them from acting against the tribe nor getting too far away, so what was the risk? All the monsters and beasts within this part of the wilderness were quite weak, the strongest had been a level fourteen evolved bear that they had filled with arrows from a safe distance. This is why the goblin tribe wasn¡¯t expecting all three of their prizedpanion beasts to be dead within the hour. The cause¡­ Well I¡¯m sure you already know.=== In the calm afternoon sun, towards the end of the Hush season sat a tree. With its thin twisting trunk of grey wood and a canopy of dull red leaves, this tree made for quite the imposing sight. Other nts, trees included, lived within the forest. But for reasons rted to being stabbed by root spears and drained of life things tended to stay away. But this tree was different. The three birds of prey could feel it. Something in the air told them this tree was different, as though it held itself in a dignified poise. And while the three interloping hunters didn¡¯t understand that this feeling came from the highly unusual phenomenon of this nt monster having a [Noble] ss, they could see something they did understand. This tree, for whatever reason, was practically bustling with life. Squirrels scampered up and down branches while the crimson canopy was flush with chirping songbirds. At the base of this tree was a lushwn of verdant grass, clearly unhindered by the tree¡¯s usually hungry nature. Within this unusually vibrant grass was dinner. Not the tree¡¯s dinner, oh no. Three sets of hungry eyes soaked in the sight of a deer and her nursing fawn. The mother deer gave the neers a cid ¡®what can ya do?¡¯ look, the same kind she might instinctually give to a fast moving vehicle. The hunters knew something wasn¡¯t right. They squawked at each other in shrill tones, the sound sending songbirds fleeing and squirrels diving for cover. They prowled around the tree, instinctually looking for danger, ready to flee at the slightest rustle of leaves or the smallest bulge in the soil. Nothing happened. And as nothing happened, they became more bold. Sharp talons pawed at the ground, beaks snapping. The fawn stopped feeding, its small head peaked up over its mothers frame. It looked imminent death square in the eye and¡­ Promptly went to sleep. The hignd runners gave each other the bird equivalent of a shrug and darted forward. They closed the gap fast, these were evolved beasts, each over level 10. One rushed right for the deer, one taloned foot raised to deliver death in a single crushing blow. The other two nked to the sides, eager to partake in theing feast. As the killing blow descended a brilliant golden dome sprung up around the deer. It cracked when the attack impacted it, white fractures quickly spreading along its surface. The birds had an instant to react, an instant to realise they were in well over their heads and run for their lives. Instead they spent that instant looking on in confusion. This tale has been uwfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. A spear of woodnced from the ground prating the lead animal through the breast, it thrashed around, feebly trying to break free. The hollow bones of one of the nking runners were crushed as a second spear shattered its legs. The final hunter let out a horrified cry and promptly made the correct decision. It ran away. It ran for a whole two metres before roots rose from the ground and sent it sprawling. Before it could stand and continue running its neck was entangled. With a sickening crunch it died. Silence filled the forest as the three victims of a mostly unintentional trap were quickly drained of their blood courtesy of a newly acquired skill. === Harvest''s Due: Aspects: Enhancement (Body), Technique (Blood) Your ability to drain the lifeforce of your victims is improved as long as you maintain physical contact. You drain blood at an elerated pace, If you have drained a creature of vitality within the past week you gain +20% to all attributes. === This skill was a newly acquired addition to Leif¡¯s growing collection and was something the Blight Tree he had duelled two years prior had possessed. Not that his foe had properly taken advantage of the +20% to all attributesponent of the skill during the fight, if it had¡­ Well, best not think about it. At first Leif hadn''t known what to do with this skill. He tended to only asionally kill predators trying to hunt the animals who used his shade and branches as their home. That was when an injured deer had wandered into his little kingdom. Instead of killing the animal and draining it like others of his species, Leif had protected the deer, the sickly beast had feasted on the plentiful grasses at Leif¡¯s base and in time had made a full recovery. An injured animal in a seemingly vulnerable situation was a very tempting target. He hadn¡¯t intended to use the creature as a lure. But two [Noble] levelster¡­ === Under My Protection: Aspects: Technique (Shield), Social* You conjure a protective barrier around yourself or a nearby target. If this skill is used while you are protecting another this skill benefits from 50% of your charisma attribute. Your words and actions have an innate calming effect. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Blight Tree Age: 10 Attributes: Free: 14 Might: 18 crity: 5 Intelligence: 4 Willpower: 7 Spirit: 16 Charisma: 17 Total Level: 14 Monster sses: 1/1 Juvenile Blight Tree: 6/10 Skills: Savage Roots / Predators Sense / Harvests Due sses: 0/2 Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 8/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action / Under My Protection === Yes, he still hadn¡¯t figured out how to spend free attribute points. Chapter 6: The Clan Chapter 6: The n Gret Koll knew the folly of his kind. How they bickered and fought over scraps. When his n had been forced to flee their spawnd they had endured tribtion and struggle. When Gret, one of the youngest of his n, had finally reached the level ten milestone and evolved it hadn¡¯t taken long for him to usurp the current chief. He had burnt the old fool alive; nothing could withstand his magical mes. Obedience from his fellow goblin had only been natural, loyalty a forgone conclusion. So why, under the feral moons were his nmates starting to doubt. Why the FUCK were they questioning his leadership? Did they want to die screaming? Gret seethed internally as he stomped ahead of his n. The scouts were too frightened to forge ahead so he had to lead by example. If his pathetic kin were so weak to die to a bunch of TREES how could it be his fault? If his family weren¡¯t so ipetent there wouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­ ¡°Chief!¡± Screeched a nasally voice from behind. Gret let out a long suffering sigh and turned to face the soon to be scorched pile of meat and regrets. ¡°WHAT? DO YOU NEED ME TO HOLD YOUR HAND? KEEP MOVING OR I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡± He roared, the other goblin flinching back. ¡°B-but chief¡­ It¡¯s the Bog brothers¡­ They said they couldn¡¯t feel their bonds anymore and-¡± ¡°WHAT?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I¡¯LL RIP THEM APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!¡±¡°C-chief¡­¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± ¡°T-they already left, t-to go find their birds¡­¡± With a sickening thwack Gret¡¯s charcoal staff caved in the skull of the wretch before him. As the body toppled to the ground, cinders red up from beneath the monster''s dark green skin. Gret stomped towards the rest of his worthless n, they eyed him with a mix of fear and trepidation. ¡°WELL?¡± Gret screamed, spittle flying. ¡°WHERE DID THEY GO?¡± === Bog turned to face his brother, the equally small goblin was hunched low next to him in the shrubbery. ¡°Hey Bog?¡± ¡°Ya Bog?¡± ¡°Ya think the tree killed em?¡± ¡°Ya Bog, lookin like it.¡± ¡°Ya¡­ I can¡¯t believe Bog Three died raising these big chickens.¡± ¡°Ya¡­ Bloody shame.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What ya wanna do?¡± ¡°Dunno, go back?¡± The two goblins named Bog stood and made to find their n. But only five minutester their n found them. And Gret sure was pissed. Both Bogs sweated at the sight of their malevolent leader. Being slightly more intellectually gifted than most of their kind, the two [Tamer Goblin]s spoke before Gret worked himself into a frenzy. ¡°Big chickens are dead boss.¡± ¡°Ya, tree got em good it did. Draining the life right outta them.¡± ¡°A TREE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? LET ME GUESS, IT''S THE SAME KIND THE REST OF YOU RAT SHIT LOT ARE SCARED OF?" Gret roared, face already shifting to a deep red. ¡°Y-yes boss. We can show ya-¡± ¡°OF COURSE YOU''RE GONNA SHOW ME! LET ME TEACH YOU INCOMPETENT, USELESS, DECEITFUL, UNLOYAL, PATHETIC WORMS WHY THERE IS NOTHING TO BE SCARED OF!¡± === An entire n of goblins, around forty membersrge, gathered in a cluster within sight of a Blight Tree, grey bark and red leaves easily visible through the usual greenery of the forest. Gret stood closer than the others, a ragged cloak he had taken from a in adventurer slung over his back, grubby fingers wrapped around the staff that channelled his fire magic. This Blight Tree was just like the others it had seen, well, not quite. This one was far smaller, as if its growth was stunted. For his n to be afraid of a nt¡­ Pathetic. The chief was currently half ranting, half screaming incoherently at the group of goblins. Something about how they didn¡¯t have a single useful bone between them and that their mothers were swine. Goblin¡¯s didn¡¯t have mothers so that particr insult flew mostly over their heads. Though they did possess an innate understanding of awakened beings courtesy of their shadowy origins from the ruins of towns and cities. Some high level variants even gained skills rted to blending into awakened society. Gret hollered for another minute, cursed out both moons which was terrible luck, and stalked towards the tree. He raised his staff and channelled a skill. Orange mes licked up and down the length of the staff for three heartbeats before a [Scorching Ray]unched from the tip. To Gret and the rest of the goblin''s surprise a golden barrier flickered into existence, absorbing much of the initial damage from the skill. But not all. The barrier fractured, then shattered. mes wreathed the tree, scorching bark and incinerating leaves. A surprising amount of birds and smaller forest critters fled at the encroaching fire but many were too slow. Gret turned back to his n with a smug look of superiority. ¡°SEE! NOTHING TO BE SCARED OF!¡± No one felt the need to point out that Gret was the only caster variant the n had. Nor that he possessed the n¡¯s only magical item. Some pped, a few cheered and the rest lowered their heads in supplication. This wasn¡¯t the first time Gret had demonstrated his power to the n, and likely wouldn¡¯t be thest. Goblins followed the strongest, it was ingrained into their very existence, their instincts wouldpel them. Now that the chief had put the fear of himself back into his n they would obey as he ordered them to march through dangerous territory and into deadly predicaments. Gret leered at them before turning back to the burnt, but still standing tree. His eyes glinted as he spotted something. ¡°YOU AND¡­ YOU! GO FETCH ME THAT DEER!¡± ¡°Y-yes boss.¡± The two nameless goblins stammered and moved forward. Surely if they did this Gret wouldn¡¯t beat them? They drew hand made daggers of flint and sticks and stalked forward. The goblins wouldn¡¯tin about dinner¡­ Half way between the tree and the n both goblins stopped dead, root spears had plunged up into their throats and out the back of their necks. Everything went silent, then the tree began to drain the corpses. Gret scoffed. ¡°They should have dodged. NEXT! YOU AND YOU! MOVE IT!¡± The n looked between their cruel chief and the bloodthirsty tree. They decided to take their chances against the tree. Chapter 7: Echoes and Victory Chapter 7: Echoes and Victory To say that Leif didn¡¯t understand what was going on would be an understatement. To say he was pleased with the current happenings would be a gross misassessment of the situation. That fire had hurt. By all rights Leif thought he should be dead, the source of the mes was too far away from his roots for the tree to strike back. But then, for whatever reason the mes had stopped and presences started moving forward in small groups of twos or threes. Leif was desperate, what if these presences had more fire? Heshed out, killing all who got too close. Before long seven goblinsy dead, their vitality rapidly draining away. Leif¡¯s bark began to grow back, leaves budding on newly restored branches. Level up! ss [Juvenile Blight Tree] is now level 7! For ying multiple foes of simr level in quick session you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +5 free points! The system popped up once again in Leif¡¯s mind''s eye. Though he couldn¡¯t read what the messages said he had slowly begun to intuit their meaning. This was telling him that his strength had increased. That was good, but probably not enough. What could he do? Back when Leif had fought the other tree, at the moment he was on the verge of losing he had received a surge of power. But why? And possibly a more important question, how? As if responding to his silent question the system popped up more information. === Attributes: Free: 19 Might: 19 crity: 5 Intelligence: 4 Willpower: 7 Spirit: 17 Charisma: 17 === Attributes, he knew that. Instinctually he had figured them out years ago. There were six, he saw the list presented before him, each attribute had an attached¡­ what were they? Numbers. The thought came suddenly and without exnation. Numbers? They were numbers! Somehow it was as if a veil had been lifted. Strange images and scenes shed through Leif¡¯s mind. They were jumbled and confusing and were gone as quickly as they hade. Numbers. He could work with this. His attention returned to the attributes. Six attributes, each with numbers designating how strong they were¡­ wait, that wasn¡¯t right. Why were there seven attributes listed? Was there a seventh he hadn¡¯t noticed? Had that always been on his status? As if responding to his question the system supplied an answer. The outlier attribute had once been higher, but had subsequently been lowered by the exact amount of attributes he had gained. Wait¡­ lower attributes, but a sudden surge of power when I was weak. Leif had gained strength since then, so could he¡­ Now that the dots had been connected the tree now knew what to do. Leif attempted to manually spend a free attribute point. And it worked. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. === Attributes: Free: 18 Might: 20 === He could! The number for [Might] had gone up! Sess! All the attributes were good, so he evenly split his free points between them at first. After he had increased them all by two, spending twelve out of eighteen Leif had a choice. Invest in his highest or¡­ If he could know more, understand more, maybe he could discover more secrets within the system¡­ He made a choice. Plus six into intelligence, maybe it would pay off, or maybe not. === Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 22 crity: 7 Intelligence: 12 Willpower: 9 Spirit: 19 Charisma: 19 === Power flooded Leif, strength he had never felt before spiralled out from his trunk, down into his roots and up into his branches. The world became clearer, the presences surrounding him no longer felt so far away. But that wasn¡¯t all, there was something else, something bubbling beneath the surface. === A blood stained battlefield. Marching through the rain. A camp full of colours and soldiers. Training, wooden des crashing together. An older man, weather worn skin and dark hair winged with silver speaking with his head in his hands. A duel between teenagers, tempers ring. A wedding, knives hidden behind every smile. A proud father beaming down. ying in the gardens of a grand estate. Learning under a strict gaze. A smiling family. === A stabbing pain as a goblin¡¯s flint dagger prated bark. What? Where am I? Another impact, this one against a thrumming shield of gold. This¡­ Goblins! I¡¯m under attack! Somehow beneath the haze of confusing memories he had still activated [Under my Protection]. The deer seemed unworried at the very least. Leif focused, no time to consider what he had just experienced. Four presences flickered out as spears of wood punctuated vital organs and severed limbs. Leif focused his will with [Grand Action] and studied the creatures besieging his person. They were goblins, he somehow knew that now when moments prior he hadn¡¯t had a clue. The lifeblood of the in stained the dirt, a far more prominent part of Leif¡¯s consciousness now realised what he was doing. Draining their blood to heal and grow. It felt disturbing, wrong in a way he couldn¡¯t put a finger on. A finger¡­ Just what is going on? He was surrounded, and the majority of his foes were outside his range. His attention shifted from the goblins to the roots closest to them. With a mental effort he channelled the newly gained vitality from the dead into growth. His roots started grinding forward at a speed he had never thought possible. And the goblins had no idea. They would pay. === Gret lounged back against a boulder watching the show. In small groups the goblin¡¯s he hated the most were sent to their deaths, all those he had caught muttering mutiny under their breath or were slow to obey his orders. He could get used to this. The feeling of power, of control. A primal sense of satisfaction crawled up his spine and he couldn¡¯t help but grin. Just a few more pests to take care of, then he would incinerate the tree and move on, n in awe of his power. He was so caught up basking in his own grandeur that Gret didn¡¯t notice the mumbling and murmuring of his n. Goblin¡¯s instinctually follow the strongest, but instincts had their limits. Sometimes it was possible to be too cruel, even for goblins. The n just needed a little push, and it would alle falling apart. Wooden spears erupted from the soil to impale and restrain. Goblins screamed in terror and made a hasty retreat away from the tree''s suddenly increased threat radius. They scrambled and crawled, a press of panicked bodies desperate to get to safety. Gret stood, fury in his eyes. He raised his staff and opened his mouth to rally his worthless n. A goblin shouldered past him, sending Gret staggering back. He tripped onto his ass and cursed. A knee struck his chin, dazing and disorientating him. The goblin chief cursed and swore, he tried to stand but a root wrapped around his ankle. Gret froze. Then, in a wild iling of limbs he was dragged bodily towards the tree. Gret twisted and his ankle snapped, screaming in pain he reached down and grabbed his wooden restraint. [Burning Hands] incinerated the root and he was free. He stumbled up but fell the instant he put weight on his shattered ankle. Panicked, he looked for where he had dropped his staff in the chaos. It wasn''t far, he dived for it, arms outstretched. Searing painnced through his hip and another spear ripped into his side. But he wasn¡¯t stopped. Snarling, Gret grabbed his staff and levelled it at the nt monster. ¡°NO ONE BESTS GRET! DIE-¡± Something sharp prated through the back of his skull and out the front. Gret died as he lived, screeching in rage. Chapter 8: Choices and Levels Chapter 8: Choices and Levels Level up! ss [Juvenile Blight Tree] is now level 8! For ying a [Goblin me Chief] and chasing off his n you have gained a level. +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +5 free points! New ss skills avable! [Blight Heart] or [Darktree¡¯s Insight]! Another prompt, Leif now vaguely understood what this meant. The meaning of the system messages were still hazy, but with a little focus¡­ Yes, he felt he knew. A level up, from seven to eight in the [Juvenile Blight Tree] ss. Plus one to both [Might] and [Spirit] and five free points. There was more to the message, but before Leif could fullyprehend it another system prompt appeared. Level up! ss [Noble] is now level 9! For protecting your territory and maintaining the calm of your subjects you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Willpower] +1 to [Spirit] +1 to [Charisma] +2 free points!Another level up, this time in the [Noble] ss. Something struck Leif as odd about this ss. As though he knew instinctively that possessing it wasn¡¯t normal, but also that having it brought him greatfort, as if to go without would mean he had lost something irreceable. Faces he didn¡¯t know, ces he didn¡¯t recognise, sorrow he didn¡¯t understand. What is this? He thought as images once again shed through his mind. For over an hour Leif contemted what was going on, who he was. I am me. He concluded, but I am not what I was. It is as though I have lived two separate lives, one as a tree and the other¡­ The realisation settled onto his consciousness like a weight. As if now that he knew that something was not right, the sheer amount he didn¡¯t understand, he didn¡¯t know, might crush him. To distract himself Leif returned to the system prompts. After a slow and careful examination he believed he knew. Tapping into instincts and knowledge from something else Leif fully faced the choice in front of him. Two skills, [Blight Heart] and [Darktree¡¯s Insight]. Thinking back, Leif had never been presented with a choice of skills from his [Juvenile Blight Tree] ss. His [Noble] ss had always offered a choice, at least for the two skills he had gained since bing aware. Wait¡­ I had [Noble] levels and skills before that. But how? No, focus, one thing at a time. He tried to focus on both options but no additional information appeared. Disappointed, he studied the names, could he gain any information from them? No¡­ Wait, yes! He felt a distinct impression from each option. The first skill was energy, a way to collect¡­ Something that could grow and improve. The second¡­ A way to learn, to be better at being what he was. Both offered power but from different directions. [Blight Heart] would grant a pool of energy to amplify his skills while [Darktree¡¯s Insight] would make him more proficient at his current skills. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Leif contemted the choices, he did so for so long that the first; ¡®Pick a skill or it will be picked for you¡¯ prompt appeared. Twelve hours to go. Time, I understand the concept but not the specifics. How can I tell how much time has passed? Exiting his musing about the new prompt he made his choice. [Darktree¡¯s Insight] would help him understand his current existence, clear away the confusion, help him befortable with who he was. But he was more than just a [Juvenile Blight Tree], he was also a [Noble]. [Darktree¡¯s Insight] wouldn¡¯t help at all with his [Noble] skills, he could feel it. And if he was half tree and half something else then shouldn¡¯t he pick the skill that could help him be both? You have gained the [Juvenile Blight Tree] skill [Blight Heart]! === Blight Heart I: Aspects: Cultivation (blood), Enhancement (Body) A Blight Tree consumes the vitality from its victims, growing ever stronger. As you gather the lifeblood of the fallen, a portion remains, filling and expanding a pool of energy that allows you to improve the output of skills. Excess energy cultivated fuels your bodily functions and restores wounds. === Leif immediately felt the change, like something had grown within his trunk, a pool of pulsing energy ready to be used. Though it wasn¡¯t full. His attention turned to the piles of goblin corpses littering the ground. He wasn¡¯t invincible, and these creatures had posed a legitimate threat, especially the one with fire. If they had charged him all at once¡­ But they hadn¡¯t, and Leif had survived. He knew now that there were many things far stronger than goblins, he could die at any moment. Strength, strength to survive, to find out what I am, who I am, and why I¡¯m like this. Strength to protect those who relied on me for shelter. Leif¡¯s mindset shifted, he had been passive for too long. Spending the seven free attribute points he had gained from the two level ups he got to work. Three into [Might], three into [crity] and one into [Intelligence] === Season rotated above, for two months the weather was calm and the climate stable. Then the cracked half slowly rotated into view. Ravines of glowing red heralded the end of the hush season and the beginning of turbulence. Pulsing red, as if blood from a clotting wound spread along its surface, the below changed in response to the sight. Beneath a night sky tinged ever so slightly red, a tree grew. It changed just as the world around it did, crimson stained the earth around it from two separate sources. Then turbulence had ended, the storms retreated and the snow melted. A Blight Tree stalked the evergreen forest, it moved in a manner akin to a spider. though with dozens of twisted legs of dull grey wood. It hunted in search of prey, its red canopy a herald of violence and death. It found what it was searching for. Prey filled with vitality slumbered in the morning light, blissfully unaware of impending doom. The Blight Tree crept closer, vaguely aware of its cousin nearby but ignoring it all the same. What could a lesser do anyway? As the Tree struck with de-like branches and roots akin to stakes, a golden shield red up. The attack met the barrier and stopped dead. Then the lesser struck back, spears breaking bark and sinking into its trunk. Strength meeting, no, exceeding the evolved tree¡¯s own, and pushed the monster onto the defensive. Where it tried to sink its roots into the soil to gather nutrients it was blocked. When it tried to syphon the vitality from the life living within the others branches the golden barrier would re up, protecting not only the body of the lesser but also the many animals that called its form home. For an hour the two monsters duelled before finally one perished. The unevolved Blight Tree ripped apart its cousin and drained it of vitality. Level up! ss [Juvenile Blight Tree] is now level 10! For ying a [Blight Tree Prowler] and disying dominance over an evolved member of your species you have gained a level. +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +5 free points! You have gained the capstone ss skill [Uproot]! Congrattions! You have reached the level cap for your [Juvenile Blight Tree] ss! Would you like to evolve? Y/N Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing monster evolution! Chapter 9: Baby Steps Chapter 9: Baby Steps Congrattions! You have reached the level cap for your [Juvenile Blight Tree] ss! Would you like to evolve? Y/N ¡®Would you like to evolve?¡¯ The words were so strange, like the past eleven years had been just for this moment. He had grown used to the voice of the before, whispering instinctual knowledge into his mind. Like a series of well grown roots, supportive and reliable. But now, that voice was silent. As if unsure for the first time. Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing monster evolution! Whatever I was before, this is entirely new for me. He thought, carefully examining the system windows. He selected: Yes. Monster evolution maymence when mana threshold has been reached. Current progress: 1/100% He waited, then waited some more. A full week passed. Current progress: 4/100% Yeah this would take a while. Leif was sick of waiting around. He, as with all trees, was remarkablypetent at the task of doing very little. But as his mental attributes had grown his ability to simply wait had lessened. He was still excellent at it. Eleven years of doing mostly that had given him more than enough practice. Oh! I have a new skill. He realised, the system prompt about evolution had caught him off guard and he had forgotten. === Uproot: Aspects: Empowerment (Body), Technique (Movement) You empower your body, allowing you to temporarily retract your root systems and be mobile. Moving in this way puts strain on your body and reduces your overallbat ability. Once this skill has expired you automatically rent yourself and rapidly spread your root systems. === Well, may as well test it out. He thought. And so he did. And it was awful, truly the worst experience of Leif¡¯s tree life. The feeling of years worth of agonisingly slow progress being slurped up into his trunk, parts of his body that should never move snapped into position beneath his now elevated form. Leif swayed. Unsteady on so many new appendages. He took several very tentative steps around the clearing he called home. It was unruly and incredibly awkward, but that wasn¡¯t the only problem. The biggest issue Leif was having was his weight. His roots sunk into soft soil and took effort to pull out. He would over correct his bnce trying to maintain a steady footing only to sink further. It was exhausting and miserable. And to top it all off it just felt wrong. Two feet would be so much easier. He thought. And it took several minutes before he caught what he had thought. Why had he thought two feet would be easier? Was it¡­ Smiling faces. A parade through the street. Racing friends along winding paths. Ugh. Leif staggered as the sharp memories flooded his mind, his entire form sagged. What am I? He asked himself, but he received no answers. === Mana saturated the world, though it does so inconsistently. It seeps into the ground from above, filtering down into the depths. It flows along with the natural environment, and where considerable amounts of mana gathered; thaumatic phenomena be moremon; strange rock formations, wind that flows in thick ribbons, rivers that defymon sense. For monsters, beings born of, or with the assistance of mana, the amount of saturation is greatly important. For¡­ say, random example: A magical tree, the mana saturation of their immediate environment determines several things. The first, and most important to current events is evolution. The evolution process takes far longer in areas with low amounts of mana, and even the quality of evolution options can vary. In newly formed stretches of wilderness, mana is often quite sparse. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Monsters naturally absorb mana, it weakens the barrier to advance to new levels. The higher level the monster the more mana it requires. Awakened creatures, like humans, use crystallised mana to aid in breakthroughs. Leif, in his entire life as a tree, had never moved. Sure, he had spread his roots over a considerable distance, but he had never experienced different levels of mana saturation. But now he did. Not out of desire to reach a region with higher saturation but for another, more personal quest. He wanted to find out what he was, and staying still wasn¡¯t doing that. Over the weeks he grew morepetent with his movements, no longer did he fall or threaten to tip over. The trick, as it turned out, was proper weight distribution. Oh, and putting his ten free attribute points into [crity]. What moved through the forest was quite the strange procession. A Blight Tree, two deer, a family of squirrels, six songbirds, fourteen water rats, nine rabbits and an old badger migrated with purpose. Only one member of this diverse group knew that purpose but they possessed it nheless. Current progress: 13/100% As Leif travelled, he noticed progress towards his evolution was bing increasingly difficult. The elevation had been ever so slightly increasing as the days went by. If Leif had eyes he would have noticed the looming mountain range. Boulders and cliffs becamemonce as the group travelled. The forest had thinned, and then ended entirely. It should be noted that just because Leif was searching for clues, it didn¡¯t mean he knew what he was looking for. We can postte that finding a settlement like a vige or a town may have jogged his memory. But I think I canfortably say Leif was lucky he was actively heading away from civilization. Because I don¡¯t think townsfolk would have been overly amodating to arge carnivorous tree monster, just a hunch. Current progress: 25/100% Eventually the incline got too steep for Leif to progress, days were spent trying to discover an around route but to no avail. The tree and animal posy began drifting southward and back into forested hills. It was during this time Leif discovered killing attackers would rapidly fill up his evolution progress. Current progress: 40/100% A stream ran through the quiet valley like a particrly lethargic snake. If you had eyes and a taste for the wonders of nature you might even call it beautiful. Entire fields of flowers ran along the sides of the valley, their colours separated like rock strata. Leif spent a week within the valley, soaking up the above average mana from the air and soil. Current progress: 59/100% Winds buffeted Leif, animals fleeing in every direction. Even the two cid deer seemed less than eager to stick around and stare nkly at the danger. A griffon descended from above. Its four metre wide wingspan parted the air and its short sword length beak glinted in the sunlight. As the creature circled overhead it seemed far more interested in Leif than the freeloaders who apanied him. It radiated a strong buffeting presence, as if challenging anything brave enough to test it in the air. Leif felt the overbearing power press down on him from above, as if the creature were focusing in on him specifically. Though the aura it projected gave off a feeling of danger the griffon''s intent towards him didn¡¯t seem hostile, and for that very reason Leif didn¡¯t send wooden spearsshing out at the monster. And a good thing too, because if he had, the griffon, a level sixty creature, would have torn him to little shards of splinters and sadness. Instead itnded, then prowled around Leif for several minutes. It snapped off three branches with its oversized beak. The griffon responded to the call of nature, then flew off. Leif, despite, or perhaps in-spite of being soggy and smelling of a griffon¡¯s territory made the executive decision to leave as swiftly as possible. Current progress: 86/100% Fun survival fact: Griffon piss does a fantastic job of scaring away monsters and beasts weaker than itself. Current progress: 99/100% ¡­ Current progress: 100/100% Congrattions! You may now evolve your [Juvenile Blight Tree] ss! Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing monster evolution! Commence Evolution? Y/N In a forested clearing several dozen kilometres from where he had begun his life as a tree. Leif epted the ss evolution prompt. Leif¡¯s aura winked out, the benevolent feeling disappearing. Most of his tagalongs drifted away¡­ Commencing monster ss evolution! === Name: Leif Vin Race: Blight Tree Age: 11 Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 25 crity: 20 Intelligence: 14 Willpower: 13 Spirit: 23 Charisma: 20 Total Level: 19 Monster sses: 1/1 Juvenile Blight Tree: 10/10 Skills: Savage Roots / Predators Sense / Harvests Due / Blight Heart I / Uproot sses: 0/2 Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 9/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action / Under My Protection Chapter 10: Evolution Chapter 10: Evolution Leif gasped in a lungful of air, a phantom sensation of biological processes restarting rippled through his body like the rumblings before an eruption. He coughed and fell to his knees, hands around his throat and head reeling. Hands, knees, throat¡­ ¡°What,¡± he spluttered, ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°I think you already possess the appropriate knowledge toe to a quick and decisive understanding.¡± A chipper voice said. Leif groaned and turned in the direction of the response. ¡°You look terrible! Congrattions on surviving though, I wouldn¡¯t have bet on you!¡± A faint red outline said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the number your rebirth did on your soul shape. Yeesh, quite the unpleasant experience I¡¯d imagine!¡± Leif looked at the figure, looked with eyes. The realisation was so shocking it almost started another coughing fit. ¡°None of this is real, you¡¯re not actually breathing air, it¡¯s all in your head!¡± The red ghost said in an upbeat tone. ¡°I, for one, am surprised you even manifested in such a form. You¡¯re a tree, but here you are, looking like pottery that¡¯s been dropped too many times. Man-shaped pottery!¡± Heughed. ¡°Why does it all hurt¡­?¡± Leif asked. The ghost pped him on the shoulder, it didn¡¯t help. ¡°Like I said, all in your fractured mind. Nothing to worry about, probably.¡± ¡°Probably?¡± ¡°Right! It''s much better than: hopefully!¡± The ghost grinned. Its smile like lines scratched into a chalkboard. ¡°I-I died, didn¡¯t I?¡± Leif mumbled, parts of the past came flowing back into him. Memories of life before¡­ before¡­ ¡°Yup! Got turned into a tree. Could be worse though, you could have been dead before one of the blighters got to you.¡± ¡°The thing that killed me, put something inside of me¡­ It was a nt, but it had legs?¡± ¡°An evolved form of what you are physically. Much more than one evolution though. Your sire is only a few steps away from incarnating, pretty impressive for a walking tree!¡± The crimson spirit leaned down, beaming. Leif had so many questions, he needed to know so much. ¡°W-will I-¡± ¡°Remember this? Sorry but no. Well, you¡¯ll remember the evolution bit, the choices you made and didn¡¯t make. But not me, not my words.¡± ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°System observer, I slipped through a crack. That¡¯s why we¡¯re having this conversation.¡± ¡°A crack?¡± ¡°System error, look through your logs! Sort by older than ten years, yeah that''s the one!¡± Error! Inheritant ss detected. ss restrictions negated! The broken man sat there for several minutes, looking nkly at the system message. It was the oldest system message in the log. Why was there nothing before that? The overseer stepped back to a respectful distance, hands clutched before him. ¡°Can I go back? Can what that thing did to me be undone?¡± ¡°It cannot. Transfigurations, especially ones caused by soul parasitism, are irreversible. My condolences.¡± Leif slumped, despondent. It all felt so meaningless, and even after learning all this¡­ I¡¯ll forget. ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget, I want to be me.¡± He said, though more for himself than the slightly glowing spirit. ¡°Cheer up, there¡¯s still something you can do. Nothing is ever truly hopeless.¡± The red outline said, squatting down to Leif¡¯s eye level. ¡°I¡¯ve been cheering you on the whole time! You can do it!¡± ¡°How?¡± The evolution screen snapped open as if springing from restraints. Grey screen highlighted by red and gold trimming. Evolution for the [Juvenile Blight Tree] ss ismencing! Please review your current ss before proceeding! === [Juvenile Blight Tree] A predatory nt capable of rudimentary awareness and actions. Consumes vitality from the soil but also nt and animal life via simplistic but temporary agrokinesis fuelled attacks. Tier: 1 (Monster) Level: 10/10 ss Perk: You draw mana from the nearby environment over time fuelling physical growth and granting experience. Experience gain from all sources other than passive absorption is reduced by 50%. Growths: Free Points: +5 Might: C+ crity: E Intelligence: E Willpower: E Spirit: D+ Charisma: E This tale has been uwfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Base Stats: Might: +5, Spirit: +5. Skills: Savage Roots: Aspects: Technique, Enhancement (Body) You manipte a small spear like protrusion of roots to strike out from somewhere on your body. Additionally, you may expend energy stored within your body to move existing root structures. Predators Sense: Aspects: Perception, Enhancement (Body) You are a hunter, and your senses reflect this. Passively sharpens your awareness of your surroundings and improves all existing senses. Harvest''s Due: Aspects: Enhancement (Body), Technique (Blood) Your ability to drain the lifeforce of your victims is improved as long as you maintain physical contact. You drain blood at an elerated pace, If you have drained a creature of vitality within the past week you gain a +20% to all attributes. Blight Heart I: Aspects: Cultivation (blood), Enhancement (Body) A Blight Tree consumes the vitality from its victims, growing ever stronger. As you gather the lifeblood of the fallen, a portion remains, filling and expanding a pool of energy that allows you to improve the output of skills. Excess energy cultivated fuels your bodily functions and restores wounds. Uproot: Aspects: Empowerment (body), Technique (Movement) You empower your body, allowing you to temporarily retract your root systems and be mobile. Moving in this way puts strain on your body and reduces your overallbat ability. Once this skill has expired you automatically rent yourself and rapidly spread your root systems. === ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this whole screen before¡­ I don¡¯t think so anyway. Was it always avable?¡± ¡°It was, same with your [Noble] ss. Also, I can only rify from here on out, advice or direction is against the rules.¡± There are rules? Leif thought, he wanted to ask. Never in two lifetimes had he heard even a whisper of the being before him. Proceed? Y/N === [Blight Tree Trapper] You are craftier than most of your kind and far more deadly. You have disyed the creative ability to construct and utilise traps. Using live bait to lure in prey before striking with deadly uracy. Attract victims with alluring pollen, create autonomous contraptions from your own body. Being a trapper just makes you a more patient hunter. === ¡°These evolutions are based on what? My actions as a tree?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°I hate this one, I didn¡¯t even mean to use the animals as bait at first.¡± === [Blight Tree Prowler] You have embarked on a great journey and have moved far more than most of your kind. Seeking new prey and opportunities is always easier if you move on to riper pastures. Slink through the forest, pulled forward by quiet limbs of root and branch. More options for the hunt will make you into a far more deadly creature. === ¡°I killed one of these before, right?¡± The overseer nodded Leif grunted. === [Blood Blight Tree] You have revelled in bloodshed, soaked the ground in your victims vitality and reaped the rewards. Blood magic is as key a piece of the puzzle as bark, leaf and root. Limbs of blood, a more potent life sense and a growing affinity for the sanguine arts, stain the world as red as your leaves. === ¡°These are all evil. Like, really evil sounding.¡± Leifmented. The crimson shadow shrugged nomittally. ¡°Survival isn¡¯t necessarily evil.¡± ¡°Trees survive just fine without ¡®staining the world red.'' There¡¯s nothing natural about any of this.¡± ¡°Well, you see. It sort ofes with the territory. Monsters are usually quite monstrous.¡± === [Blight Sanctuary Tree] Hunters hunt so as to provide for others, food, safety,fort from the terrors of the wilderness. Despite your origins, many have found sanctuary within your branches and beneath your canopy. An instinctual drive to protect has been at the core of your being since you sprouted from the soil. Though the blight is still a part of your nature, you no longer walk the path of the darkwoods. Be a fortress for those who rely on you, detect threats before they approach and better defeat those that do. === ¡°I wish these were more detailed.¡± Leif said. ¡°Well, most level ten monsters can barely string more than a single thought together. The fact that these have descriptions at all is due to thoroughness.¡± Replied the overseer. ¡°You made these?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say.¡± ¡°I like this one the best so far at least.¡± === [Blood Blight Spriggan] No longer bound to the rigid form of their birth. The spriggan steps out from under their own shade and into a new and dangerous path. Forsaking the expansive pool of vitality of their tree form they be far more agile and cunning. You have disyed intellect and adaptability beyond your limits. Thoughts and ideas can only take a member of the blight so far while you remain in one ce. Unable to idly wait for power, you will reach for it with your own two hands. === ¡°A spriggan is¡­ person shaped, right?¡± The ghost snapped its fingers, an image manifested from a wobbling heat haze. The creature Leif saw was human in stature, but twisted and off in enough ways that the two could never be mistaken. Dull grey bark instead of skin, elongated limbs and a hunched back gave off a primal impression. Two glowing red eyes red out from a headcking any other distinctive features. It reminded Leif of something. Glowing red eyes peered down into his own, the creature reaching down towards him. Piercing through battered armour to get at the flesh beneath. Leif flinched at the memory, the image of the spriggan vanished. ¡°I¡¯ll be like the things that stalked the battlefield. Will I turn people into trees? Subject them to the same torture of not knowing what they are?¡± ¡°It is a single option of many.¡± The overseer said in a gentle tone. Leif turned his attention back to the evolution prompts, there was a final option. He read over it, still fuming internally. === [Amber Blight Spriggan] From inception you have struggled against the embedded instincts of the Darkwood. As a blight tree you fought to gain a sense of control no others of your kind could conceive of at such a young age. At every turn you took the harder path, you turned away easy meals and waged wars you should never have won. And yet you prevailed. A noble spirit and unyielding will have guided you this far, and now the amber offers you a branch. Symbols of authority and wealth, the amber sap within your body glistens like gold and pumps like blood. You will rise, radiance from the darkness, and hold the future with your hands. === And well, the choice was obvious. ¡°This will help me remember? Be like I once was?¡± Leif asked, turning towards a smiling overseer. ¡°It might.¡± ¡°And you did this? Gave me this option?¡± ¡°I am an overseer. I can only observe, measure and record.¡± ¡°So that''s a no?¡± Leif asked, slightly incredulous. ¡°If I could change things,¡± the scarlet shade said, ¡°I would have done so long, long ago.¡± He nodded. So far the overseer was upbeat and chipper, but he spoke with such emotional gravity Leif could almost feel himself sucked in. But he had his choice, so he selected it. If Leif had expected to vanish from the evolution space in a sh of light, he would have said goodbye. === The overseer stood still as the temporary space made to house consciousnesses began to dissolve. The space, by design, was made to be as unassuming and forgettable as possible. No features or stimuli could be present that might influence choices made. The system prickled against the ghosts form, sharp stabbing sensations meant more to difort than cause pain. He had pushed against his restraints too much by interacting with the mortal. The overseer shuddered as the outlines that made up his body broke apart and converged into a single crimson mote. As he was, holding any form took significant effort. As the being drifted back into corporeal reality, he considered the events that had transpired. Each decision, each choice¡­ A stolen eternity. He regretted so many things, but watching someone go through something so familiar¡­ unsettling was putting it mildly. Chapter 11: The New and the Old Chapter 11: The New and the Old Snow fell in heaps around Leif, somending on his head and shoulders, others impacting his legs and arms. He sat in a daze, blinking at the world of white in confusion. Trembling hands were raised in front of his face. Four ivory white fingers tipped with sharp w-like tips. A palm and wrist made of twisted wood, bumpy and with grey vines tipped with red leaves sprouting along the length. He touched shaking fingers to his face. It felt smooth, hard with a firmness to the shape. And, for some reason, wet. Amber tears ran down his cheeks. Thin lines staining the white wood gold. Somewhere within him was the beating of a heart, its very presence unbelievably soothing. Leif took in a deep calming breath. And his chest rose slightly. It took him several seconds to realise the significance of taking a breath in the first ce. He shuddered involuntarily, part of it was the cold. Icy winds bit into his body in a way he had never felt in this life. In many ways he was lesser now, his form no longer a wellspring of vitality and growth. And what more, he could smell the air. As though his body was covered in tiny noses, wherever scent came into contact with his exterior Leif could perceive a faint whiff of aroma. It felt off in a way he couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on. Leif knew this wasn¡¯t right, instinctually he could tell that but not why. A familiar sense of unease flitted through his mind, but it was greatly diminished from when he had been a tree. This was better, but not perfect, far from it. With an idle thought he ran his hands through the snow all around. And just as he could smell from his body, so too could he taste. The crispy texture of the icy substance trickled up his arms in a strangely enjoyable way. When he focused his awareness the taste and smell sharpened. Leif looked to the sky, red cracks peeked through sparse cloud cover. And for several hours Leif just basked in the sensation of being. ===Congrattions! You have evolved into a [Amber Blight Spriggan]! Please review your new sses characteristics: === [Amber Blight Spriggan] Tier: 2 (Monster) Level: 10/20 ss Perk: You naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace. The amber blood running through your veins has innate healing properties. +100% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills +100% To the effect of blood aspected skills Growths: Free Points: +5 Might: C crity: D Intelligence: D Willpower: D+ Spirit: D Charisma: C Base Stats: Might: +10, crity +10, Intelligence +10, Willpower +10, Spirit: +10, Charisma +10. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. === Leif read over the new ss. He only briefly paused when he noticed he could now read. A plus ten to all stats¡­ It seemed excessive somehow. I wonder what other monsters get? He idly thought. He pulled up his [Noble] ss topare the two. === [Noble] Tier: Auxiliary (Inheritance) Level: 9/10 ss Perk: +100% To the effect of social skills +50% To the effects of the charisma attribute Growths: Free Points: +2 Might: D crity: D Intelligence: C Willpower: C Spirit: C Charisma: C+ Base Stats: Might: +1 crity: +1, Intelligence: +2, Willpower: +2, Spirit: +2, Charisma +2 === Since when did I have a 50% increase to the [Charisma] attribute? Wait¡­ Can I¡­ === Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 30 crity: 30 Intelligence: 24 Willpower: 23 Spirit: 28 Charisma: 30 (+50%) === Huh, I didn¡¯t know I could add features to the system. I wonder what else I¡¯m missing? Looking at the bigger numbers made Leif feel tingly inside. A sense of pride and aplishment welled up in his heart. But there was more to his evolution than just more attributes. === [Savage Roots] ¡ú [Gilded Body] Gilded Body: Aspects: Technique,Enhancement (Body)* Your physique bes stronger and denser, you be harder to move against your will. You may project ethereal golden copies of your limbs from your body, these limbs are affected by half of your physical attributes and can be manipted and reshaped. The clearer the mental image the more stable the creations. === [Predators Sense] ¡ú [Amber Awareness] Amber Awareness: Aspects: Perception (Time), Enhancement (Body)* The amber can see further, more clearly, but they can also see deeper. Focus to gain a limited understanding of what transpired in the close past using your innate senses. The more personally significant the stimuli the clearer the echoes. Passively sharpens your awareness of your surroundings and improves all existing senses. === [Harvest''s Due] ¡ú [Blight''s Bounty] Blight''s Bounty: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Technique (Blood)* Your attacks passively drain vitality from struck foes. You may actively syphon or bestow lifeforce via continuous touch. Blood you absorb is converted into the amber sap that beats within your heart. This amber sap naturally bespatible with any target you bestow it upon. After you have drained a being of vitality you gain up to +40% to all attributes for one hour. This bonus is lost incrementally over the hour-long duration. === [Blight Heart I] ¡ú [The Well Within I] The Well Within I: Aspects: Cultivation (Blood)*, Empowerment (Body) A near endless well of energy and potential rests inside your heart. As you absorb vitality a portion remains, filling and expanding a pool of energy that allows you to improve the output of skills. As you heal and nurture this pool of energy is condensed, bing more potent. A portion of this energy is reserved to grant rapid recovery should you be critically injured. === [Uproot] ¡ú [Settle] Settle: Aspects: Transformation, Enhancement (Body)*, Domain (Life) You may put down roots, returning to your more traditional form. While transformed you enter a restful slumber, the passage of time easing deep wounds and mending scars. The longer you remain transformed the more you affect the world around you, bestowing life and infusing the energy of amber into the very ground. === Leif read over his newly upgraded or transformed skills. He wasn¡¯t totally sure what to think. Were these skills powerful? In what ways could he use them? He had thought discarding his tree shell would have made him far more vulnerable to damage, but most of these skills involved healing in some way. A [Schr], or just a skill enthusiast would have described Leif¡¯s [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss as ¡®highly synergistic.¡¯ Chapter 12: One Small Step Chapter 12: One Small Step Icy winds howled through the trees, the sky above churning, a harbinger of a newly born storm. The sound was shrill and piercing, the distant rumblings ominous. Leif heard this through small holes on either side of his mostly featureless head. Golden eyes gleamed behind slits in the ivory wood as his attention shifted from his system to the piled up snow surrounding him. It was as if he was sitting in a small personal crater. He slowly stood on shaky legs. Not from weakness, but inexperience. His stance was strong, as if he weretched to the ground firmly by an extra serving of gravity. Instinctually he knew how to walk, echoes of an obscured past brushed against his mind as if guiding and urging him forward. But he had spent several months scurrying around as a spider tree, newly gained experience warred with distant impulses. He took a deep breath, air passing through a thin, rigid gap on the lower part of his face. Straightening his back and squaring his shoulders Leif confidently took a step toward the nearest incline of snow. His foot crashed through the frigid surface, a weight he didn¡¯t realise he possessed parting the snow and making him sink. This caused an immediate loss of bnce, Leif tumbled forward to spectacrly face nt into the snow, his body sinking over a foot and bing stuck. That didn¡¯t go to n. === Leif couldn¡¯t move, the snow surrounding him constricted his limbs almostpletely. He could wriggle, but doing so just made more snow fall down onto him. Above, the storm began to rage, a newyer of white would soon coat the world. The newly evolved spriggan was well and truly stuck. If he had still been a tree the cold wouldn¡¯t have bothered him. But now he could feel it seep into his body, sapping his strength. His immediate thought, a thought that he hated, was to use [Settle]. Doing so would let him nt roots into the ground and wait out the storm. But he hadn¡¯t just evolved away from that path to instantly return to how he was. Leif would find another way. I have new skills. He thought. I just need to learn how to use them. So, what could Leif do? Well he had several options and all of them had a solid chance of working. But there was something he wanted to try first with absolutely no chance of sess. [Amber Awareness] triggered and everything seemed to fade. Leif was currently lying face down and so couldn¡¯t see anything, but his other senses all took a step back. A momentter he felt himself fall, hit the snow and sink. He felt the cold once again surround him and the sensation of no longer feeling the strong winds against his bark. That was interesting, but as expected, not helpful in the least. Next he triggered [Gilded Body]... And nothing happened. What? He thought, slightly confused. Why didn¡¯t that do anything? This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He went to re-read the skill description and¡­ Wait a second! === Your physique bes stronger and denser, you be harder to move against your will. === The skill had increased his density? No wonder he was stuck in a pile of snow! But it wasn¡¯t only that, as Leif attempted to reactivate [Gilded Body], this time with a clear mental image of the limbs he wished to create, let me rify something that will take the spriggan a few hours to realise. His current form had absorbed the previous one. He had the weight of a tree and its root system packed into a much smaller body. The reason he hadn¡¯t noticed this pretty significant factor in his current circumstances was twofold. The first was that the body of a spriggan, despite feeling familiar and being mostly human in shape and size, was still radically different from the body you might be used to. The second was that just as his density had increased, but so too had his strength. And that was strength from more than just the [Might] attribute. Woven strings of nt fibres created imitation muscles beneath his ivory bark exterior. There were even rudimentary bone and joint structures. A golden root shot from the Leif shaped pit and flopped listlessly onto the snow. Describing his first proper use of [Gilded Body]¡¯s limb conjuring ability as a bitid would be an understatement. Leif dismissed the limb into a puff of golden essence and tried again. He focused [Grand Action] to support his [Willpower] attribute, it made picturing his desires easier. Another root shot from just above where shoulder des would be on a person. This was one far more solid, its shape and colour more defined. It pierced down into the snow and hooked to give him leverage. Then he mentallymanded the golden root to pull. It wasn¡¯t enough, he created another of simr shape and size but immediately his body sagged. Energy drained away at an rming rate, his mind fogged and muscles ached. He lost control of both roots and they dispersed into motes of golden light. Panting, exhausted, in pain from skill overuse and still stuck in his pit of shame, Leif reconsidered his options. [Blight''s Bounty] would let him absorb vitality. Actually, thinking about it he could still do that without any skill¡­ After a few minutes of squirming and wriggling he felt his fingers brush against a coldyer of soil. The process was fundamentally different from when he had been a tree, but it was still just as agonisingly slow. With considerable effort he managed to work his fingers deeper into the hard earth, then his hand. Then he started on the other. Once he had a firm grasp on the soil beneath him he reached out with his will and began to drain. Minutes passed as the process continued. But with each passing moment the attribute gain from [Blight''s Bounty] umted. Not only was his body slowly being replenished but he was growing stronger. After ten minutes he had exhausted the energy from the ground, he estimated all his attributes had increased by around 20%, what they would have been before the skill had upgraded if he had drained a living creature. Leif only had one attempt before he would have to resort to using [Settle]. Two golden roots hooked over the edge of the hole and heaved, with the elevation he got his hands properly underneath his body and pushed. With a surge of strength he rose to his feet, victorious! Then he waded through the thigh deep snow before copsing under the ice covered leafy canopy of a nearby tree. The whole nt shook when he leaned against it, Leif squinted. Chapter 13: Turbulence Chapter 13: Turbulence Over the weeks the weather rapidly changed. The snow storms were chased away by rolling troughs of humid air from the south. These in turn were followed by boiling thunderstorms loomingrge over the western mountains, lightning crackling sideways and rain falling in the same direction. After each storm bioluminescent lights rose from the ground and danced in swirling patterns of radiance through the sky. Through it all the cracked surface of Season rotated out of sight little by little each night. Before, Leif had only vaguely felt the changes as they swept across the earth. But to see, hear, smell and even taste the world was a surreally extraordinary experience. Other than observing nature, what did Leif do? Well, he had eyes now so¡­ May as well see what he can see. === The mountains pierced the sky from horizon to horizon. Great stone spearheads proiming themselves impassable. Leif didn¡¯t want to pass them however, he just wanted to climb to the top. As he ventured closer and closer, days stretched into weeks and he became more and more familiar with his new body and upgraded skills. A pleasant surprise was the return of a flock of forest creatures. They seemed to gravitate towards him, birds eager to stray far from their secure nests. Rodents ying between his feet as he walked. But best of all? The return of two dopy deer. Now that he was more aware of his surroundings Leif began experimenting with his [Noble] skills. First, he began to experiment with his [Aura of Nobility]. The aura was something he had been radiating out non stop for as long as he could remember. But what else could he do with it? The first answer was the most obvious, retract it. This led to the horrifying discovery that having your aura on full st at all times was a not insignificant drain on his energy. Pulling his aura back was like closing a leaky valve. It was idiotic, just how much energy had he wasted over the years? Of course the aura skill was also the reason so many forest animals decided where he was heading was the ce to be. If he retracted it the critters would slowly drift away, but not as much as he would expect. Was something else making them stick around? Having so many animals around led to the next discovery. [Court Empath] had an entire part of the skill he hadn¡¯t noticed before. It helped him read bodynguage. This was more than a little odd because nowhere in the skill description did it mention that. His musings on skill descriptions was interrupted by a roar. This wasn¡¯t the first of its kind he had heard as he ventured towards the mountains but it was by far the closest. Forest animals were sent scampering for cover, even the two deer seemed temporarily nonplussed. From a nearby outcropping stalked a scaled creature the size of a horse. Two curved red horns framed its eyes like helmet decorations with simrly coloured spines running down its back. The creature bounded to the edge of the outcropping like a dog, long tailshing against the rocky ground it stood on. It kept low to the ground, a deep chuffing sound escaping from its fang filled mouth. Its intent was obvious, but [Court Empath] confirmed it. Hostile. Its wild presence, an aura of savagery billowed up and away from the creature as though it were uncontrolled. It doesn¡¯t have an aura skill. Leif realised. He tried to recall any times he had felt a creature, monster or otherwise be capable of controlling its aura like he could. The griffon could, from before I evolved. He noted, not that the information would do him much good now. Leif remembered how the flying creature¡¯s very presence had weighed down on him, how its sharp intent had focused directly onto him as it flew above. The drake before him was strong, he could tell that much from its rippling muscles and confident posture. Is it something I can fight? Which one of us would hold the upper hand in a fight? He didn¡¯t know. Better to y this safe. Leif shooed the two deer away with a wave and pulse of his aura, they seemed reluctant as they wandered off to go munch on low hanging leaves. Both Spriggan and the reptile stared at the two animals before facing each other. Leif considered if he should even attempt to fight this thing. A part of him knew if he backed away the creature would most likely return to its territory. But¡­ The mountains were likely full of such beings, potentially ones far stronger.Testing myself first wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea- The creature, a drake, made the decision for him. It let out another challenging roar before charging forward. With quick steps it hopped down the incline andshed out at him with wickedly sharp ws. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Leif stepped back, careful to maintain bnce. It wouldn¡¯t do to lose his footing in a fight. The drake swiped out at him again. But this time Leif stepped forward, [Grand Action] increased his [Willpower] as a golden barrier red to life around his body. The shield created by [Under My Protection] cracked from the force of the blow but held. He let the shield drop as 20% of his [Charisma] swapped to [Might]. His fist crashed into the drake''s shoulder and to the shock of bothbatants sent scales flying and bone cracking. The sheer weight behind Leif¡¯s punch had done far more than the poor technique he put into the blow. The drake staggered back, hissing and growling. Leif looked down at his arm, feeling traces of stolen vitality running through it thanks to [Blight''s Bounty], then back up at the drake. He cracked his neck and stepped forward. The beast''s tail cameshing out, the air cracked like a whip as Leif fell to a knee. The sudden blow from an unexpected source had only been avoidable because he had assistance reading the creature''s bodynguage. But the drake wasn¡¯t done, unlike Leif it wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with its body. Snapping jaws lurched forward to sink into his side. The spriggan twisted away but was too slow, so at thest moment he manifested a golden root from his lower back and intercepted the drake''s bite. The limb was almost instantly shattered into essence but it had seeded in partially deflecting the drake¡¯s momentum. Instead of being impaled by a deadly row of teeth the side of the drake''s head crashed into him the sheer force of the blow sending him tumbling but out of harm''s way. The monster snarled, eyes glowing with fury. The drake lowered its body, then sprung forward. Leif rolled to his feet, footing stabilising thanks to [Gilded Body]. He braced himself for impact, a golden shield ready to snap into ce. mes flickered in the back of the drake''s throat, its emotions shifting from anger to a savage satisfaction. Leif aborted the shield and reached out, mes rushed from the drake''s open maw engulfing him. Two bodies mmed together and Leif was thrown to the ground. Painnced through Leif¡¯s body. His bark was scorched ck, mes burning away at the nt fibres beneath. But only for a moment, his hands grabbed onto the top and bottom of the drake''s mouth and redirected its mes up and away. For over a minute the two wrestled for control before finally Leif¡¯s grip tightened and mmed the drake''s jaws shut, mes still sprayed but now from between the monster''s teeth and out the sides of its mouth. Using his moment of control Leif summoned a golden vine to wrap around the beast''s muzzle. Sharp ws made to tear apart his burnt torso but a golden barrier prevented the attack. As Leif held onto the drake''s jaws he continuously syphoned vitality. Blood began to pool in the drake''s mouth and it realised something was wrong. Toote, Leif¡¯s w tipped fingers dug into its scaled hide and made him gain a firm handhold. The drake thrashed, trying to break free, it would seed eventually so Leif attacked in another way. He kicked at its underside with enough force to crack the monster''s ribs. With a frantic jerking motion it ripped itself away from his grasp. The drake backed away, snarling and limping. Leif rose to a crouch, body trembling from the strain of using so many skills while also being restored from the drake''s stolen vitality. He rose slowly, focusing on his opponent, if he could get just one more good hit¡­ Then the second drake arrived. Substantially smaller than the first and with differently shaped horns, it rushed him from his blind spot. The only reason Leif survived was [Court Empath] screaming a warning due to its hostile intent. A fitful barrier shed into ce but the neers'' jaws crushed through it and deep into Leif¡¯s shoulder. He let out a half scream half wordless hiss as golden blood began to seep from his wounds. The first drake seemed more than willing to let the second smaller one have a turn. Lifeforce flooded through Leif¡¯s body from [The Well Within], the skill finally deciding he was in critical enough condition to activate its reserve of vitality. The smaller drake tried to shake him like he was a dog toy, not realising just how heavy the small spriggan was. In the second of surprise he had been bought, Leif elbowed it in the top of its skull. The drake crashed to the ground where it unleashed a torrent of mes while dazed from the blow. Leif dived out of the inferno¡¯s path, scrambling to his feet, nced over his shoulder at the first drake, leaped onto the second and drove a sharp gold branch conjured from his knuckles into the top of its skull. The drake died instantly, mes guttering out just before two deer-shaped observers could be turned into charred memories. He ripped the golden stake out and, in a moment of sheer exhausted panic, willed the conjured limb to detach from his hand. When it did, he blinked in astonishment, then he threw it like an improvised projectile at therger drake. The attack missed due to hisck of experience but the drake still reacted. The creature flinched back, and growled as it circled him. Leif plunged his fist into the bleeding wound atop the dead drake''s head and began syphoning its blood. Crimson streams ran up Leif¡¯s forearm before being absorbed into his body. He felt the pool of energy from [The Well Within] slowly refill as his wounds sealed shut, charred bark falling away to be slowly reced. Through the healing process the remaining drake growled and stalked around him, Leif shifting to maintain eye contact atop the carcass. It didn¡¯t spew mes, in fact the monster seemed to be gasping for breath. Did my kick puncture a lung? He questioned, standing up from the deted corpse. The drake growled and took a step back, clearly uneager to continue the fight. Leif sighed, everything hurt and his soul ached from the overuse of so many skills in such a short duration. But he couldn¡¯t leave an enemy toe back for revenge. It feebly attempted to make a final attempt for his life but whatever internal injuries it was suffering from rendered the drake all but incapacitated. He grabbed it by the throat and put a golden stake through its skull. The fight having ended, Leif sagged to his knees. The two deer trotted over and started eating a patch of partially scorched wild grass. Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 11! For ying the descendants of dragons in disadvantageousbat you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Willpower] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! For constantly fighting unarmed and unarmoured. Using nothing but your body to defeatpetent foes and beating a drake to death with your bare hands, you have the opportunity to gain the [Brawler] ss! ss slots: 0/2 ept? Y/N Chapter 14: Fisticuffs Chapter 14: Fisticuffs A new ss? Did Leif have a reason to decline? He couldn¡¯t think of one, a new ss would mean better stats and new skills right? As he trudged away from the scorched and bloodied battlefield to go find shelter while he recovered, Leif epted the prompt. Congrattions! You have gained the brawler ss! Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 1! For meeting the ss requirements and having an avable ss slot you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 free point! === [Brawler] Meticulous training and martial discipline are not your forte. Despite this your aptitude for using your body as a weapon is remarkable. Tier: 1 (Foundation)Level: 1/10 ss Perk: +50% To the damage of unarmed strikes +50% To physical resilience while unarmoured +50% To body enhancement skills while unarmoured +50% to body empowerment skills while unarmoured Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: C+ crity: D+ Intelligence: E Willpower: E Spirit: C Charisma: D The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Base Stats: Might: +2, crity: +1, Spirit: +2, Charisma +1 Skills: None === Reading the ss perk made Leif trip, a deer bumped into his leg from behind. He turned to re at the animal but it looked away. He wanted to ask; ¡®Why are you so close?¡¯ Butmunication was difficult in his current form so instead Leif let out a dissatisfied hiss. Turning his attention back to the ss perk he scratched at his head in befuddlement. I was offered the ss because I fought unarmed. But during the fight with the two drakes I used [Gilded Body] to create projected limbs¡­ Does that skill still count as unarmed strikes for the purpose of the ss perks? Because if so¡­ He did the sensible thing and punched a nearby boulder. One small impact dent and a numb handter he repeated the test with an ethereal approximation of one of his four fingered hands. The blow was about half as powerful. Stumbling from the surge of exhaustion due to skill usage, Leif shook his head. It''s impossible to tell exactly how much of an effect a plus fifty percent increase is. The system doesn¡¯t give damage numbers to skills¡­ Leif double checked his status to see if the thought had changed anything. It had not. By the time he found a small gap in a cliff-side in which to rest most of his animal followers had rejoined the procession. So when Leif dragged his tired body in as deep as he could go and passed out he was promptly covered in a nket of forest creatures. === This was the first time Leif had fallen unconscious in eleven years. That¡¯s if you don¡¯t count the evolutionary process, which you probably should. This was the first time Leif had fallen unconscious since evolving, a steady diet of sunlight and syphoning tiny amounts of lifeforce from the soil andrge trees and getting water when he could had made sleep a non-factor. Sleep, in this case, refers to several bodily functions going dormant to preserve energy. It might sound familiar but the process wasn¡¯t quite the same. Four dayster he was up, after carefully peeling sleeping animals off him Leif took stock of his body. It all seemed fine, though he felt the tree version of famished. Farmished? Leif stretched, ivory bark gleaming in the morning sun, light hitting the small clusters of red leaves growing from vines on his form made them look like they were glowing. He stood knee deep in a fast running creek, greedily drinking in as much as he could. As the animals joined him, drinking and foraging for food Leif sat on a fallen log and started thinking. When that log cracked from his weight he moved to the ground instead. He recalled the fight with the drakes. He had won but¡­ I still feel so clumsy, and I lost track of my surroundings. I feel strong, my weight and the bonuses from my new ss should make a repeat far more in my favour¡­ He continued to ponder, this made him slip back into old habits. Hours passed without Leif noticing. The sun rose overhead, a bright yellow ball of heat, that heat was heightened by the turbulence season, baking the ground. There was a soft crunch followed by a snap. This broke Leif from his musings. He looked down, a deer with a red leaf in its mouth looked back. Their gazes held for several moments before the deer went back to slowly chewing. Leif picked it up and threw the iling animal into the water. === The rocky valley shook, pebbles tumbled down and dust was disturbed. Leif crouched at the valley''s edge, squinting down into its depths. A bellow resounded from below, the sound like a bass boosted foghorn echoing off the stone walls. Two somethings made of stone and standing over five metres tall duked it out. Their titanic fists making the world rumble with each impact. The monsters, giant stone elementals, continued their brawl unaware of the spectators. One opened its craggy maw and exhaled a barrage of glowing projectiles. Shrapnel crashed into the other elemental and peppered the ground and walls. It responded by levitating a boulder and sending it flying, the air visibly parting due to the force of the throw. I need to find another way up. Leif thought. This valley is not going to cut it. I barely survived two drakes and these creatures are much, muchrger. Would I even be able to scratch one if it came to a fight? He stood and turned to face his ever growing horde of animals. The usual suspects were present, but the neers were quite obvious. Over forty feral hogs milled around. Where they hade from Leif didn¡¯t know, one day he had stopped to absorb vitality and bam! There they were. My [Aura of Nobility] isn¡¯t even being projected out anymore. Why are so many animals following me? === The herd, for what else could it be? Seemed reticent to climb higher into the mountains. The foothills were dangerous enough. Just the other day Leif andpany had inadvertently wandered into drake territory. A pack of five drakes had been spotted and that was more than enough to make Leif turn around and go the other way. But that hadn¡¯t been all. This pack of drakes, several miles closer to the mountains, were distinctly different than the two he had fought prior. Though it was hard to make out specific details from the distance at which he had spotted the roving pack he could tell they were almost double the size. The way they had effortlessly bounded up boulders and cliff-sides made Leif re-examine his surroundings. Within minutes he spotted w shaped groves where drake ws had dug into rock. The sheer size of the gouges made him shudder. And to do that to stone? What would those ws do to me? Leif asked himself, then decided not to risk finding out. It was looking like his self appointed goal of climbing to a mountain peak wouldn¡¯t be possible. Considering he had barely made it to the foothills after over a month of trying it didn¡¯t seem likely. The early hush face of the moon gazed peacefully down from the sky above. Though Leif imagined it was judging him. For what? Probably because he was putting the finishing touches on a sleeping hog pyramid. He just needed to ce the runt on top¡­ And¡­ done! Level up! ss [Noble] is now level 10! For building amunity in which you hold a position of leadership and respect you have gained a level! +1 to [crity] +1 to [Spirit] +2 free points! That did not just happen. Chapter 15: Legacies Chapter 15: Legacies Level up! ss [Noble] is now level 10! For building amunity in which you hold a position of leadership and respect you have gained a level! +1 to [crity] +1 to [Spirit] +2 free points! You have gained the capstone ss skill [Legacy]! Congrattions! You have reached the level cap for your [Noble] ss! Auxiliary sses cannot be promoted! [Noble] experience earned is evenly distributed between your other sses! You may now teach the Inheritant ss [Noble] to those who meet the minimum requirements! Leif didn¡¯t even look at the new skills description. That had to be the worst way to ever receive a level up. How did that even happen? Was hog stacking really worth that much? Or was he so close to levelling up that doing literally anything would have pushed him over the edge? Thoroughly bemused he checked over his newest skill. ===Legacy: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Analysis, Social* Your legacy endures. Those you sire are stronger, healthier and have an innate resistance to diseases. You can instinctively identify any descendants and may analyse them if they''re of equal or lower level to you, gaining a general overview of their sses, levels and attributes. === This skill made Leif feel¡­ Ufortable. The idea of making more creatures like himself was practically revolting. What was he supposed to do with this? Utterly useless skill, he closed the system window and began unstacking the hogs. === Leif explored parallel to the mountain range, with every passing day he got further and further west. The hogs had swollen. Sorry, the number of hogs had swollen. Around two hundred of the furry creatures had decided that wherever Leif was heading was the ce to be. It seemed like every time he turned around the horde would add several new members. One day a pack of wolves had stalked out of the nearby treeline, growling and slinking forward. A bunch of hogs had turned to face the hungry predators and, before Leif had even noticed what was going on, had charged the wolves in a squealing tide of flying dust and rage. The sounds of panicked yelping and angry snorting drifted off into the distance, the remaining members of Leif¡¯s procession watching with idle curiosity. A few minutester the victorious hog returned and the group moved on. Leif noted that one of the hogs was absolutely drenched in blood, though it didn¡¯t seem injured. Stolen story; please report. === A strange tall rock formation of simrly sized blocks and overgrown moss stood atop of a hill. It was hollow and full of piles of detritus. Leif recognised it as some sort of structure, but he didn¡¯t know what it was for. An ill kept path led away from the tower and down the hill. Leif followed, interested in where it led. The first obstacle was half a small stone bridge worn with age. The second would be crossing over the river that ran beneath it. It wasn¡¯t particrly deep, nor was the flow overly fast. Leif was too dense to swim, and not in the stupid kind of way. Believe it or not but trees can actually drown. He possessed some approximation of lungs but crossing the river was still a risky prospect. He travelled upriver for two days before it was narrow enough to safely ford. Any fish living in that particr stretch of river witnessed a very odd scene that day as hundreds of animals followed Leif across. === Old, abandoned farnd was scattered across the next leg of Leif¡¯s journey. Low stone walls and decrepit homes and barns littered thendscape intermittently. The environment left Leif feeling mncholy, it was all so familiar to what he had once been, an echo of what once was. The farnd led to an equally abandoned vige, evidence of fires having imed several buildings. It made Leif wonder what had happened? Was this destruction recent? He was no expert on ruins but he had a more firm understanding of how long it took nts to grow. Thisnd had been destroyed maybe¡­ ten or so years ago. Around the same time I became like I am now. He thought, the idea of the beings who had lived here being turned into trees, forgetting all they were¡­ Leif¡¯s fist cracked the stone he was holding, he let it crumble away. === The third vige was upied. Smoke rose from the centre like a beacon. But something wasn¡¯t right. This ce was just as destroyed as the ones before it. Leif pulsed his aura in an attempt to get the animals to stay back. It took an hour and many failed attempts before they seemed to get the picture. He crept forward, though stealth wasn¡¯t his strong suit by any means he went unseen through fields of wild wheat. Chattering and screeching came from one of the outlying buildings, the sounds were unfamiliar to Leif¡¯s ears, but his fractured memory ced them all the same. Goblins. Nothing sows fierce dislike of a species of monster like almost being murdered by them. As he got closer Leif abandoned all attempts at stealth. The ground was a patchwork of detritus and foliage, there would be no way for something of his weight to move around without making a sound. So he stood up straight and marched up to the building. A little green monster poked its head curiously out of the partially destroyed door. It looked at him nkly with beady dark eyes. Those eyes went wide as Leif¡¯s foot introduced its head to the doorframe with a sickening crunch. The voices from within the home went quiet. Then angry screeching started. Leif shoulder checked the door, sending it splintering inwards. What little light there was filtered through ceiling beams where the roof was absent. But visual perception wasn¡¯t needed if you could sense creatures'' locations via their lifeforce and emotions. A goblin threw itself forward, a spear gripped tightly. The weapon plunged into Leif¡¯s lower back and snapped in half, he ended the monster''s life with a backhand. Another flipped a table and started to string its bow. Leif reached over, grabbed the goblin by the neck and drained it of lifeforce. It struggled in vain with his hand tightly around its throat. A fourth goblin swung a rusty cleaver in a wide arc. Its sharp teeth glinted as it passed through a pir of light. The weapon was wreathed in a dark mist so instead of letting the attacknd a golden shield snapped into existence. The barrier held against the attack but the dark energy seeped into cracks, rapidly destabilising the skills structure. But it didn¡¯t matter, a golden vine skewered the monster through the heart and out its back. The goblin in his grasp finally stopped moving, its body going limp, all blood and vitality syphoned away. Not thirty secondster Leif stepped out of the now cleared building and into the afternoon sun. Two deer stood outside waiting for him. Leif sighed at the sight and shooed them away. He wanted to clear out this vige without having to worry about protecting anyone but himself. He limbered up, hopping in ce and doing a few test punches. If he had managed to kill two drakes, this shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. === An hourter twenty seven goblin shaped husks littered the vige. Chapter 16: Scrap Iron Chapter 16: Scrap Iron Leif lounged against stone steps leading up to the most intact building within the vige. A carved statue made of wood depicting a winged woman with arms raised high and small symbols etched into her armsy on its side next to him. The statue was decayed, the wood rotten in several ces. Noting that its eye¡¯s had been gouged out by some sort of de or ws probably wasn¡¯t important. All around the vige Leif¡¯s animal followers wandered around, rifling through dirt or munching on leaves and vines. It suddenly struck Leif how despite being of nt origin he only tolerated herbivores and omnivores. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. He had observed birds exclusively eating worms and insects. I protect them because they rely on me. He realised. If the first animals to live around me had been a pack of wolves or something simr I think my outlook might be different. And it was true. In his earliest moments of awareness he had protected the presences living within his branches. He continued to watch the beasts go about their business and turned his attention to the system prompts he had received. Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 2! For ridding a ruined vige of goblin squatters using only your body you have gained a level! +1 to [Willpower] +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! It was a strange level up. [Willpower] and [Spirit]? How exactly do ss growths work? Mentally shrugging he turned to the skill options. New ss skills avable! [Iron Fists] or [Scrappy Focus]!His focus wandered between both skills. Like previous options there was no description. Instead only vague impressions of what each did. Is there a skill that would let me see more about skill options? [Iron Fists] felt like a very simple skill. Unarmed attacks did more damage. But it also had some sort of defensive application, like parts of his body he struck with would take less damage from the recoil? [Scrappy Focus] was strange. The skill felt familiar in more than one way. He was almost entirely certain that this skill was simr to [The Well Within]. Simr in that it would build up a pool of energy that could be used to empower other skills. He mentally prodded at the pool of energy within him, bloated and full from the goblin ughter. Would [Scrappy Focus] add to this pool? Add to a separate pool? And if so how would it be different? Would the skills interact synergistically or hinder one another? He didn¡¯t know. The second way the skill felt familiar was less tangible. A whisper he couldn¡¯t quite hear, something he had long figured out was due to his life before being turned into a tree. Whatever that had been like. This time the feeling he received made him think he had possessed the skill before? Or maybe something very simr? He considered both skills. The odd allure of [Scrappy Focus] or the simplicity of [Iron Fists]... He hadn¡¯t hurt himself at all when attacking the goblins, but they were unarmoured and soft. He had a cultivation skill, it replenished quickly as he fought due to the various ways he would absorb lifeforce¡­ There didn¡¯t seem to be a wrong choice. You have gained the [Brawler] skill [Iron Fists]! === Iron Fists: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)* When you make an unarmed strike the attack deals more damage. As you attack with a body part it bes more resilient to physical harm as if it were made of metal. === Yep, it was exactly as he had expected. Nine free points¡­ I¡¯m still quite slow even if I¡¯ve gotten a lot of practicetely. [crity] it is. === Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 33 crity: 40 Intelligence: 25 If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Willpower: 25 Spirit: 32 Charisma: 32 (+50%) === Leif blinked the system windows closed and stood. He did a few test punches and sure enough, even when he was striking nothing his hands and up to half his forearm had a faint metallic sheen that quickly faded. He held his hand up to the evening light, examining the effect after pping at the air. It wasn¡¯t just that it felt different, each blow had a slight thrum of power behind it. Wait, what was that? He squinted but didn¡¯t spot anything. [Amber Awareness] activated and sure enough, a nearly unnoticeable reflection in the distance. Something past the forest, several kilometres south had glinted ever so slightly in thest light of day. === The ruined city built into a hillside stretched out before him. Stone walls nearly thirty metres tall had crumbled and the buildings beyond were in ruin. It was as if a natural disaster had rolled through, uncaring and utterly destructive. The city was tiered, threeyers of increasingly high bulwarks gave definition to the settlementsyout. In the centre, at the highest point was the biggest structure Leif had ever seen. A te monolith towering above even the walls. Behind, or maybe in front. From his vantage atop a nearby wooded hill Leif couldn¡¯t tell its rtion to the structure. Stood a statue, its staggeringly tall metallic frame loomed over the city like a silent guardian. Leif squinted, it was hard to make out details from where he stood at the edge of a treeline. A de made of the same material as the statue was held high as if in triumph. Its pointed tip the single highest thing in the city. That must have been what I saw the sun reflecting off yesterday. Leif thought as he observed the devastated settlement. Maybe he could learn more by venturing inside. He didn¡¯t see any movement nor could he detect any vitality from his distant vantage. He cautiously entered the city through a gap in the wall, now that he was closer he could see the remains of fallen defenders. Their bones littered the rubble and streets beyond. Several broken and rusty weapons were scattered around but there was no armour. It was as though a group hade through and picked what they wanted from the corpses. But what? And are they still around? Leif picked up a bent sword, the feel and weight became familiar as faint echoes of who he had once been filtered through his mind. He was close, Leif could feel it. As he held the weapon it were as though the puzzle pieces of his past became more distinct. Though when he did test swings it felt notably weaker than his punches and kicks. Can¡¯t deny the efficacy of my ss perks. Though I suspect a weapon in better condition would be far more effective. He noted, the old unknown part of himself critical of the de''s condition. Leif looked around before continuing into the city. While he couldn¡¯t see any evidence of inhabitants he did notice several more instances of clear looting. What''s more the darkened corners of ruined structures seemed oddly sharp, as if the shadows were being emboldened toe out of hiding. Some buildings appeared to have been ttened from above. Checking inside he found what seemed to be hollowed out boulders over a metre wide had crashed down into the structures. But very little furniture was left, the paraphernalia he hade to expect from exploring several destroyed viges was absent. A part of his mind he didn¡¯t fully understand analysed the battle. How it was odd the city was destroyed instead of upied, how there only seemed to be the corpses of one side present in the aftermath. Maybe it was an internal conflict? The people turning on one another? Then the victors took what they could and fled? It didn¡¯t feel correct but it was the best guess he had. The empty and abandoned streets gave the outeryers of the city a haunting feel. It didn¡¯t help that Leif kept detecting lifeforce and the bare hint of emotions and intent at the very edge of his perception. His alternative senses only stretched a few dozen metres and grew fainter the further out he pushed them. Shadows loomed ominously, they danced through the narrow gaps of alleyways and shifted when he wasn¡¯t looking. He let [Grand Action] Swap between [Spirit], [Intelligence] and [crity] as he prowled forward. Each attribute ever so slightly affected his perception in different ways. As Leif focused he noticed something push back, it was incredibly subtle to the point he couldn''t be sure he had actually noticed anything out of the ordinary. Whenever he stopped progressing and went to look he found nothing. Whatever is out there is shadowing me. Coming here might have been a mistake¡­ Though he still didn¡¯t see any signs of the city''s inhabitants, the feeling of a trap being closed around him became harder and harder to shrug off. Thankful he had left the animals back in the vige, yes, even the deer, Leif continued on. asional uses of [Amber Awareness] told him that there were indeed things following him. Small creatures being careful not to be seen. Then, just as Leif decided that going any further was a poor idea, chittering came from all around. Leif whipped his head around and saw them. Hundreds of pairs of beady little eyes watched him from the roofs of nearby buildings. More slunk out of alleyways from the direction he hade. Leif let out a hiss of dissatisfaction. Goblins. Had goblins done this to the city? It didn¡¯t feel right, how could these little monsters have ovee the walls and so many armed defenders? Boomingughter came from a building as a figure stepped out. They were tall with their heavy muscr physique visible under patched together armour. Now that he noticed, all the goblins seemed to be partially armoured in simr hack job protections. Butparing this being to theparatively tiny goblins he had seen so far seemed like a disservice. It was as if a dire wolf had casually walked out from where it had been living among rabbits. ¡°We have no quarrel with your kind little nt.¡± The neer called. His deep voice echoing through the shattered buildings and crumbling walls. ¡°But if you wander so carelessly into my territory¡­ Well¡­¡± Sharp tusks jutted from the monster''s chin, their mouth agape with a wicked smile. Leif backed away, he didn¡¯t make a sound in response. This creature was taller than him by almost a head,paring it to the other goblins almost didn¡¯t feel fair. ¡°No talk? How disappointing!¡± He grinned. ¡°Do you even know what I am? Do you know who I am? Do not tell me that they didn¡¯t teach you? Or are you a stray?¡± The towering goblinoid spoke with a lilting, mocking tone. The swarms of goblins all cackled andughed. Their cruel, amused intents locked onto him. ¡°Out of respect¡­ for your elders.I will not kill you! You see, thest sacrifices, I mean test subjects, haven''te out of their hole in quite some time. How do you feel about running the gauntlet for me?¡± I don¡¯t think I have a choice. He grumbled internally. Chapter 17: Falling Chapter 17: Falling Leif was shepherded towards the central district of the city. Goblins jeered in a wide ring surrounding him as he retreated away from their leader. They threw rocks and fragments of roof tiles, some even loosed arrows in his direction. But his attention never wavered from the tall armoured goblin. Menace radiated from its form like waves repeatedly striking a beach. An aura darkened the ground as the goblin slowly advanced, the boiling shade seemed almost physical as it cloaked the figure and the ground at his feet. Just being in its presence made him feel inferior and vulnerable. But what was more the monster had control of its aura, unlike the drakes or the many goblins Leif had fought this being felt like a qualitative improvement of all the rest. Would this creature have struggled against a pair of drakes? Would it have been prevented from climbing the mountains? No. No, it wouldn¡¯t. Leif could feel it deep down. The dangerous lilt in the goblins'' step and the intelligent gleam in his eye told Leif plenty about how outssed he was. It were as if he had failed to scale a mountain only to find another standing right before him. But the true tell, what really made him uncertain, he couldn¡¯t detect the monster at all. No vitality, no emotions, no intent. It were as if his skills were totally useless in the face of the leader. The leader whistled casually as he followed along. As Leif backed off he noticed the city begin to change. The most noticeable difference between the inner districts from the outer ones was the sheer amount of goblins. They came in shapes and sizes Leif had never seen before. There were even several figures taller than the source of the taunting whistling. Though they couldn¡¯t have been more different. These hulking green goblinoids where like a boulder had been given a face and four limbs and told to ¡®Go get em.¡¯ What was more Leif found where all the items from the outer districts had been taken. Several hoards of junk were piled up within streets and squares. Several groups of goblins seemed to be very invested in their pile of trash, Leif spotted several scuffles that he guessed were caused by a desire for ¡®loot¡¯. A chunk of wall was thrown at Leif by a mean looking evolved goblin. It smacked into the side of Leif¡¯s head and made him stumble. ¡°None of that.¡± The leader chided. ¡°That¡¯s no way to treat an honoured guest.¡± The offending goblin snickered and scurried away. ¡°My sincere apologies.¡± He said. ¡°They don¡¯t teach them manners so far from the Hearnds. If I hadn¡¯t given them strict instructions they may have torn you to pieces before I could say hello.¡± Leif wondered what therge goblin got out of talking so much. As he entered therge za with the colossal te structure he guessed he would find out soon enough. He nced over his shoulder at the towering statue, up close the sheer scale of the thing was intimidating. Its heady several metres from its left foot, eyes gouged out. Just like in the vige. He realised. If only he had the luxury to take a closer look. Something brushed up against him, it wasn¡¯t physical, but instead as though his soul had been poked by a feather. A feeling of being weighed, of being judged anding upcking washed over him. Leif winced at the unpleasant sensation. ¡°Into the building if you would, straight down.¡± The leader said. From his tone Leif guessed it wasn¡¯t a request. He hesitated then decided to not y along. Leif deliberately moved away from the structure''s entrance. The goblin leader shrugged. ¡°Oh okay then.¡± He raised his palm and a wickedly long sword apparated out of shadow. To Leif¡¯s rm and confusion the weapon radiated a sinister violence. [Court Empath] can perceive the de but not the wielder? Why? ¡°You would prefer to take your chances? I can understand that. Got that Darkwood pride in you Blight? A deviant evolution and at level thirty, or thereabouts, surely you have some backbone in you?¡± Level thirty? Leif wondered. He thinks I¡¯m a higher level than I am. But why? And could I use this? Leif edged slowly around the goblin. He just rested his de on one shoulder and made no attempt to impede Leif¡¯s progress. He had hundreds of seething and chittering minions to do that for him. Though even the lesser goblins stayed back, not eager to interfere. Or maybethey want to watch whates next. He thought grimly. They formed arge ring around the edges of the za. Leif reached the edge of what seemed like a crater formed from a massive impact or explosion. Therge goblin¡¯s smile faded. Leif¡¯s hackles raised. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± The goblin asked. Voice low and threatening. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to pay tribute to a king. Disobedience is quite rude.¡± This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The goblin vanished, leaving behind a wisp of darkness. Leif felt the faintest wisp of intent from behind him and so he spun. Too slow, an armoured boot caught him in the side andunched him bodily down into the crater. Dust exploded upward as he impacted the cracked ground. How?- A blow came from below as Leif scrambled up to his knees. Despite his weight he was sent flying. Leif¡¯s vision blurred from the pain, theyer of bark that covered his body had been cracked much like the ground below. Hended heavily, body going numb. [The Well Within] didn¡¯t trigger its emergency recovery, so despite how bad his injuries felt it wasn¡¯t life threatening. Not yet. Two roots in a vague approximation of arms made of etherial gold burst from Leif¡¯s back. They mmed into the ground and hauled him up. Leif stood on shaky legs and red defiantly at the goblin. The king. What does that mean? ¡°Not too bad, Blight.¡± Heplimented. ¡°Though your kind are known for their durability¡­ Let''s have a little more fun and test it some more?¡± Anticipating the goblin king''s attack Leif projected a golden barrier around his body. A de wreathed in shadow parted the shield like it were made of butter and pierced Leif through his back. He gasped as his breath wooshed out. Pain ckened his vision and panic stirred his fluttering mind. But [The Well Within] didn¡¯t trigger, or maybe it couldn¡¯t. It felt as though his ability to use skills was going haywire. Leif fell forward and onto his knees. Golden limbs dispelled into light as his face met stone. Body convulsing. ¡°That''s a better position.¡± The king mocked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a Blight quite so gold and shiny before. Maybe if you survive my little task I''ll put your corpse in my vault?¡± His voice came again, this time from a different position. ¡°I should probably care what those old bastards in the Darkwoods would think, but, well¡­¡± Did he teleport again or¡­ Leif pushed out with his perception, searching desperately. There, two faint wisps of presence. One several metres in front, the second¡­ Arge hand grabbed him by the back of the head. Leif saw a shadowy mimic of the goblin holding him from his periphery. Leif¡¯s face met the ground with a sickening crack and far too much intimacy. ¡°But I don¡¯t. If they have a problem with little old me they¡¯de and say it to my face.¡± He tried to rise but the overpowering strength of the goblin leader held him down with contemptuous ease. ¡°You.¡± Crack. ¡°Are.¡± Crack. ¡°Nothing!¡± Crunch! The ground beneath him buckled. Then gave way. Leif began to fall, the sudden drop made him slip from the king''s grasp. Shadowy hands reached for his falling body but to no avail. The darkness below swallowed him whole. === Szesis strode to the edge of the newly formed pit. He spat down into the hole at the same time he unspooled his perception. Telltale traces of the trial''s mana were down there, far more saturated than those near the entrance. His shadowy clone likewise peered down. Well, that''s convenient. He thought. If I¡¯d known there was another entrance I could have saved some time. He knew better than to go down himself. But damn was it tempting. Humanity might be a stain on the underside of his boot but their ancients sure knew how to ward out incarnates. He could almost taste the myth buried deep below, power his kind hadn¡¯t seen in generations. Now he just had to hope the child of the Darkwoods would survive the fall. He couldn''t get his prize otherwise, his first investment had disappeared on him after all. That thought annoyed the incarnate being. But it wouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue, with enough time he would get what he came for. I¡¯ve already waited this long, what''s a few more years. It¡¯s like a holiday if I think about it from a certain perspective. Szesis considered sending a thank you gift to the ants. Sure, they were traitorous scum who couldn¡¯t be trusted but their willingness to clear out an entire city and just move on wasmendable. He turned to the confused gazes of his minions. ¡°Shortcut!¡± He exined. They cheered like the loyal subjects they were. It was good to be king. === Leif¡¯s consciousness fluttered as he came to, the familiar sensation of [The Well Within]s emergency restoration flooding him. What wasn¡¯t great was the aching emptiness of his energy pool. He felt far, far too weak. Leif tried to move but couldn¡¯t. Shadowy tendrils slowly evaporated off of his prone form releasing him from their clutches. That was unpleasant. He thought, air hissing from his mouth at a sudden spike of agony. Good to remember I¡¯m not immortal. Also, nice to know my hatred of goblins is justified. Leif grunted and rolled over onto his back. As his perception slowly came crawling back he noticed several things. The first was that hey in a pool of water, debris from above disturbing what had once been an inch deep pond carved into the stone floor below. He hadnded two dozen metres off centre of a circr chamber that seemed to stretch off into darkness in every direction. The room was lit by various sources around the pool, metallic statues akin to the one above on the surface, each in different heroic poses and holding different weapons. They all had glowing runes etched into their surfaces. Dim blue light washed through the chamber giving it an ethereal ambiance. The final thing Leif noticed was that his right arm was missing. Ity, mangled, in a slowly expanding pool of golden sap. Dust and detritus rained down from above, light from the city barely filtering down through a narrow gap his fall had created. This seriously sucks. But at least I¡¯m not dead. Chapter 18: Tutorial Skipping Chapter 18: Tutorial Skipping After several minutes of letting his enhanced healing, courtesy of his [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss perk do its work, Leif got to his feet. He stumbled over to his arm and picked it up. All around the three dozen or so statues seemed to stare at him, judging. I need something to drain. Leif thought. He absorbed some of the water at his feet but it did little good. He staggered over to one of the statues, a well muscled figure with a javelin over one shoulder. Tentatively he reached out and touched its upper thigh. Nothing, just as his senses had been telling him. The cold metallic figure was absent of any lifeforce. Leif looked around for an exit to the chamber, on opposite sides of therge round room were the outlines of circr arches glowing with the same blue light as the statues. He started walking towards one when a light ssh came from behind. Leif spun, he didn¡¯t sense lifeforce or intent but¡­ A transparent phantom, identical to the javelin holding statue in shape and pose stood proudly in the rubble strewn water. Then it moved, slowly shifting its footing and bringing up its weapon. It nodded slightly in Leif¡¯s direction and entered abat stance. The spriggan stood there, unsure what was going on. Was it because I touched the statue? Is it going to fight me? The phantom made no moves to attack, it just remained in thebat stance. Leif stepped up out of the pool and instantly the phantom dissolved into motes of blue light. Leif rxed slightly. He didn¡¯t seem to be in immediate danger. He circled the room twice, looking for an exit. The arches seemed to be the best bet, but there was no way out. Though he did notice something. One of the arches seemed damaged in some way, the runic symbols flickering fitfully at infrequent intervals. Just as Leif was heading back to the pool of water a three by three metre hole slid open in an innocuous part of the smooth wall . Light, footsteps and two voices came from the opening. Leif tensed, what was that? More goblins? But it wasn¡¯t goblins. Two men walked into the chamber through the newly created side entrance. One was tall and broad with pale skin and dark braided hair. The second was a shorter lean man with sandy hair and sses. Both men, human men, froze as they saw him. Leif froze in turn. This was the first time in Leif¡¯s tree life he had seen people. And they had just walked in out of the blue. And though he was caught thoroughly tfoot he could identify the trembling echoes from his soul for what they were. Recognition. This, this was what he had once been. He could feel it deep within his core. A sudden barrage of memories and impressions flickered through his mind faster than he could process them. A series of emotions surged in his chest, then fear reced them all. They won¡¯t be able to tell what I am. Smiling half forgotten faces. And even if they knew, how would they react? Locations so familiar yet distant. His mind whirled as fast as it could go. What should I do? He panicked. The taller man, d in a smart grey and blue uniform with tanned hide armour stepped in front of the other, an axe materialised out of nowhere with a faint warping of the surrounding air and fell into his outstretched hand. Leif felt a sensation of being measured brush against his spirit but ignored it. ¡°Oh hey!¡± Said the shorter man, his voice more curious than afraid. ¡°Is this a boss-fight room?¡± A purple glowing sphere hovered over his shoulder. The impression the man¡¯s presence gave off was like a carefully arranged stack of scrolls. His wide brim sses andck of any obvious armour distinguishing him from his peer, though he wore the same grey blue uniform. The taller of the two grunted and eyed Leif warily. Frost started to build up on his axehead, frigid air flowing off the de and dispersing into the chamber. ¡°Careful. It¡¯s at least level thirty. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± In contrast to the other, this human felt like a solid wall of ice, like a blizzard suddenly passing through thend during turbulence. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Level thirty? That''s the second time someone¡¯s made that mistake. But why? Leif backed away from the pair, raising his one arm in a cating gesture. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a boss-fight room Sieg.¡± The sandy haired man said. ¡°What kind of boss is half dead and missing an arm?¡± ¡°The kind trying to lower your guard.¡± The tall man, Sieg replied, axe still held ready, stance still hostile. Both men shared a meaningful look, the shorter man shrugged. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m Marcus. Are you hostile?¡± The other man called to Leif. ¡°Actually, can you understand me? Shake your head for no and nod for yes.¡± He demonstrated both motions as he spoke. Leif understood the concept, just looking at these two was making his mind run wild, images of a forgotten life shing through his mind''s eye. Oh, I should respond. He realised. Having stood still for several seconds. He nodded. ¡°Want to kill us?¡± Shake. ¡°Friendly?¡± Nod. ¡°Orc lord send you?¡± Tilt of the head. ¡°Big guy. Super strong. Green, tusks, talks too much.¡± Rapid nodding. Marcus hopped forward past hispanion, eyes gleaming behind his sses. Sieg held up an arm and the two shared another look. ¡°Careful.¡± The big man said simply. ¡°We''re not in first year anymore Sieg. I can protect myself thank you!¡± Marcus looked at the debris littering the pool and then up at the ceiling. ¡°You fall down from there? We heard something crash from the next room over.¡± Leif nodded again, lowering his arm and standing up straighter. The big man didn¡¯t seem hostile, if the hazy feeling Leif was getting from the two from [Court Empath] was urate he was just protective. Marcus was easier to read, he had gone from rm to curiosity almost instantly. The shorter man darted around the room, quickly inspecting the statues, then both archways. The floating purple orb followingzily behind. Finally he pulled out a strange metallic device with a blue glow. He waved it up and down as he moved near the walls. Then, with no mechanism or giveaway Leif could notice he tapped a point, then the wall slid apart just like the other entrance. Marcus waited for Sieg to catch up, then let the bigger man go in first. Leif stood in the pool of water, unsure what to do. The two men entered the passageway and vanished from sight. A minuteter Marcus¡¯s orb popped back into the chamber, followed shortly by its owner. ¡°Passageway is copsed. Not unexpected but a bit of a shame, using the maintenance tunnels to get this far was pretty lucky.¡± ¡°We have no idea how difficult this room''s challenge will be.¡± Sieg huffed, entering after Marcus. ¡°Ask your new friend if it knows anything.¡± Marcus beamed and turned to Leif. ¡°We skipped the early floors when we found this maintenance key. The upper levels are crawling with goblins and we didn¡¯t want to get stabbed. Their boss did throw us down here but you can never be too knife safe around goblins. Anyway we slipped away and closed the entrances behind us.¡± He looked up and grimaced. ¡°Though maybe they¡¯lle down through the hole¡­¡± Leif was sweating internally. Not being able to talk was frustrating. He understood the words and instinctively knew if his body was capable he would have no problems. He tried making basic sounds but they just came out as unintelligible hisses. Sieg frowned in his direction but the axe slung over the muscr man''s shoulders didn¡¯t move. ¡°You know how this chamber works?¡± Marcus asked him. Leif shrugged and hissed again. He sighed then tried something different. [Aura of Nobility] could be helpful here. He mentally and physically gestured at the javelin statue. Both men felt his aura and looked at the statue. It worked! Leif thought excitedly. He walked over and pressed his one hand against the glowing statue. A momentter the phantom appeared and got into position. ¡°Huh.¡± Marcus said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. ¡°What happens if you touch the projection? Sieg? Do the honours?¡± Sieg glowered and turned to Leif. ¡°Monster. Touch the projection.¡± Leif didn¡¯t have much of a choice. He reached out and poked the phantom in the arm. Both it and the statue shed red, then the phantom flickered out of existence briefly before appearing nearby in the samebat stance. Marcus pped his hands together. ¡°Training room! There¡¯s something simr in the academy right, Sieg?¡± Sieg grunted. ¡°In the Iron training halls from what I¡¯ve heard, never seen, let alone used them.¡± ¡°You need to copy the projections stance. Look, there''s an axe one over there. One of us needs toplete whatever this is to unlock that,¡± he pointed, ¡°archway. No other way forward. And the further down we go the further away we get from the green horde¡± Both spriggan and dark haired human looked to the archway, then back to each other. Leif nodded hesitantly. ¡°We must work together!¡± Marcus cheered, fist raised. ¡°For united we will not be oppressed! The orc squatting in the city above us may have far, far too many goblins¡­ But we have the power of justice, friendship, and no other choice!¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± Sieg muttered. ¡°Because thest monster was so kind to us.¡± ¡°Hey, he threw us down here instead of murdering us. It could have been worse.¡± Leif decided he had no idea what was going on, and would just go with the flow. Chapter 19: Strategic Cheating Chapter 19: Strategic Cheating Sieg cursed and threw his axe aside and crossed his arms. Marcusughed from where he and Leif were watching. ¡°It¡¯s a whole lot less amusing when it''s you failing.¡± Sieg muttered, stepping out of the pool and recalling his axe with some sort of skill. The projection fuzzed away. After the first few stances the phantoms began to shift between forms with faster and faster movements. Sieg could only get a few repetitions in before losing the rhythm. Leif motioned at Marcus with his aura, pointing at the statues. ¡°Me?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I¡¯m a mage, these are testing for martial prowess. Not my field of expertise.¡± He scratched at his slight stubble. ¡°Actually there¡¯s a statue with no weapons, maybe you should give it a try?¡± Leif shrugged and stepped into the pool. He nudged the statue with a foot and the phantom appeared in a martial arts stance. Leif looked it up and down. Then at where he was pressing his mostly severed arm to his socket. It was healing but the process was agonisingly slow. ¡°Ah, right.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Maybe once you''re healed huh? How are you doing that anyway? Is it a skill?¡± Leif wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that with his limitedmunication abilities. He half nodded and half shrugged. ¡°Do you need sunlight? You¡¯re a nt monster right?¡± He waved his head from side to side. Sunlight didn¡¯t seem to be entirely necessary but having it wouldn¡¯t hurt. What Leif really needed was sustenance. How do Imunicate this? Frustrated, he hissed. Without a tongue makingplex sounds seemed to be impossible. Leif was quickly growing less than pleased with his current body as he spent time with the two humans. It had been a little over three hours since he had fallen through the roof. Leif tried to push a sense of hunger, or eating out with his aura but by Marcus¡¯s confused expression he didn¡¯t seed. He could point and vaguely gesture using the control granted from [Aura of Nobility] but anything moreplex was impossible. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the fourth chamber partially overgrown with nts?¡± Sieg asked. ¡°Those were mushrooms, different type of life.¡± Marcus shrugged. ¡°Really?¡± Doesn¡¯t really matter I suppose. ce will be flooded with goblins by now anyway.¡± Leif perked up at the mention of possible sources of vitality, especially goblins. He could eat those and maybe recover some of his wounded pride along with his arm. He tried to exin with his aura and head movements but neither human seemed to get it. Fortunately he would be capable of a live demonstration in three¡­ two¡­ A high pitched scream came from above, all three turned to see a small figure plummet out of the ceilings hole. It hit the ground with a sickening st, sending waves rippling through the pond. Red started staining the water. Before either human had reacted Leif had hopped into the pool and made his way next to the corpse. An ethereal golden root manifested from his shin and speared the corpse. Immediately it felt as though a weight was lifted off Leif¡¯s shoulders. Vitality surged through his body, mending his cracked bark and mostly reattaching his arm. He picked up the shrivelled corpse and hauled it out of the water. ¡°Oh.¡± Marcus said. ¡°That''s what you wanted a goblin for¡­¡± The two humans shared a look. ¡°Are you fully healed?¡± Leif shook his head after testing his arms movements. Still stiff and partially painful to move. ¡°Going back is risky.¡± Sieg pointed out. ¡°We¡¯ll need to head back up to the third chamber for the side exit anyway.¡± Marcus countered. Leif hissed. ¡°Side exit?¡± He wanted to ask. Marcus winked. ¡°What the big green guy upstairs doesn¡¯t know can¡¯t hurt him. Besides, his goals for this ce are idiotic anyway. There hasn¡¯t been a recorded use of a Mythstone in almost a millennium.¡± === If a goblin shits in a dungeon hallway, but there¡¯s no one around to see it. Did it really happen? The answer to this particr question was inconclusive because a maintenance passageway entrance slid open nearby and three figures walked out. They saw the goblin squatting in the hallway, loincloth hanging down at its knees. Marcus gagged but Leif didn¡¯t notice. He rushed the little monster and stered its brain matter over the nearby wall with a single punch. === ¡°I don¡¯t know much about monsters.¡± Marcus said as the three returned to the statue chamber an hour and five dead goblinster. ¡°I know you have skills and such. But do you have the system?¡± Leif nodded and manifested a small golden branch in the palm of his now fully healed hand. ¡°That''s a skill?¡± He asked. Leif nodded again. ¡°I see, very interesting. I can tell you don¡¯t have any spell skills, my [Magus Intuition] skill would have told me. This tale has been uwfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Leif nodded again, not sure what a spell skill was. ¡°You have a name right? I know monsters with distinct personalities sometimes have names.¡± Nod. ¡°What I want to know.¡± Sieg grumbled as he nced at the spriggan. ¡°Is why your aura feels like it wants to collect my taxes.¡± Marcusughed. ¡°It really does. Very simr to the noble students at The Academy. With a wig and uniform you¡¯d fit right in.¡± Leif skipped a step. They knew? Or rather, could they tell what the origins of his aura skill was? Leif desperately wanted to know more. Not being able to talk seriously sucks. He thought sourly. Instead he tried to radiate interest. He only partially knew what a noble was and whatever The Academy was, it sounded interesting. Maybe there would be people there who might know who he had been. If I knew that I would have my first major clue! That thought made him pause, how would people react to what he was? What would happen if these two found out what he used to be? Could they help him? Or would their reaction be negative? Unable to voice any questions he just nodded for Marcus to continue. ¡°The academy? We have a bit to go so I¡¯ll just talk.¡± Marcus said happily. === As they passed through the twisting maze of side passages that Marcus and Sieg had mostly mapped out prior to his arrival, Leif learnt about a ce called The Academy. Located on an archipgo made of four inds in the southern sea, it was the pride and aplishment of the inner empire. Marcus seemed more eager to exin the structure for lesson ns and the different facilities present on the four separate campuses than the broader details. They made it to the hidden door leading into the statue chamber. Marcus tapped the wall with his strange device and they walked through. A few minutester Leif stood facing the martial arts projection. Its stance was wide and bnce distributed evenly. Leif shifted to mimic the stance, it took several attempts before the phantom martial artist moved to a new stance, its movements slow and easy to follow. Leif mimicked it as best he could but after a minute of attempts the projection shed red, Back to the start, again and again and again. === A step forward followed by a short punch. Red! Try again. A wide stance with a twist. Red! Try again. ¡°See. Harder than it looks.¡± Sieg said as he munched on a bar of rations. Despite the constant failure this was probably the most productive few hours of Leif¡¯s life. The projection was making him move in ways he hadn¡¯t even thought of. He even suspected it had adjusted the stances in rtion to his unique physique. ¡°Well you¡¯ve been training your whole life Sieg!¡± Marcusughed. ¡°And you have abatprehension skill! Hey nty, how long have you been doing this?¡± Punch, step, block, step, red. He let out a hissing sigh and held up a single finger. Marcus turned to Sieg. ¡°See, only one day!¡± Leif shook his head and turned back to the projection. If only he had eyes in the back of his head, able to see his stances and movements from another perspective. That way he could notice the mistakes he was constantly making¡­ Wait a second. He performed the opening part of a sequence and then¡­ Red. He quickly stepped away and activated [Amber Awareness]. He could see a vague, indistinct amber outline of his body, feel how he had moved. With a little practice maybe the skill would improve. If he could use the skill to perfect the stances, then repeatedly experience doing them correctly over and over¡­ Well, that was cheating wasn¡¯t it. No way it would be overly effective. Right? How fast could he realistically improve? Six hourster¡­ === Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 3! For exemry progress made while training in martial arts you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [crity] +1 free point! Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 4! For continuous rapid improvements while practising martial arts you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! New ss skills avable! [Aggressive Stance] or [Grounded Stance]! You have reached the level 25 milestone bottleneck! You have unlocked skill fusion! To advance beyond this point you must ovee an advancement trial! Warning! Advancement trials difficulty is based on your total number of skills. For every skill above a total of 10 difficulty will dramatically increase! Current skills: 12! Warning! Failing an advancement trial may result in the loss of ss levels! Advancement trial may only be attempted while at level 25! Any experience gained while at level 25 will be banked until trial ispleted! Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing the advancement trial! Good luck! Begin advancement trial? Y/N Chapter 20: Tongue Tied Chapter 20: Tongue Tied Apparently Marcus and Sieg had a campsite set up in one of the previous chambers the two men had explored in the few days they had been exploring the undergroundplex. They had given Leif directions and told him they would leave the tunnel doorways open. Sieg grumbled about ¡®trusting a monster¡¯ but he didn¡¯t seem to care enough to do anything about it. The man wasining out of obligation rather than worry, and Leif didn¡¯t really me him. Judging by how proficient Sieg was with his axe and the rapid progress at which he tore through the statue trials, Leif doubted he could touch the man, let alone win in a fight. This is to say, when Leif received the newest flurry of system prompts an hour after they had left he had no idea what to do. He suspected both Sieg and Marcus were at a higher level, though just how high he could only guess. Should he try to ask them? Wait, don¡¯t they think I¡¯m already level 30? And how would I even go about asking? There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t understand. Leif sighed and focused on the one prompt he did understand. Two skills to choose from, both had something to do with stances. This didn¡¯t seem like a difficult choice, a strong, stable footing would synergise far greater with his current fighting style and body than the offensive alternative. Just weighing the feeling he got from [Aggressive Stance] to that of [Grounded Stance] made the choice straight forward. You have gained the [Brawler] ss skill [Grounded Stance]! ===Grounded Stance I: Aspects: Comprehension, Enhancement (body)* Grants instinctual understanding ofbat stances and their uses. Grants a bonus to bnce, footwork and stability while fighting in abat stance in which you have proficiency, bonus increased by degree of proficiency. === Leif felt the change as he stood there, the forms he had been practising snapped into greater focus. Even while still and not in a stance he felt in more control. He took a step forward and fell into abat stance. The martial arts phantom dipped its head slightly as if in acknowledgement of his improvement. And it felt right, as if everything up until this point had been wild iling. He moved through the early forms, his speed and precision blisteringly fastpared to just a minute prior. As Leif worked he felt himself shift slightly to enhance his motions. Even without using [Amber Awareness] he could tell his basic forms were rapidly approaching a mastery he couldn¡¯t have dreamed of even hours prior. As he practised the basic forms the phantom performed different poses and movements, bing moreplex and intricate. He had reached this stage prior but had quickly made errors and faltered. This time hested two minutes of quickly escting difficulty before his stance broke. Leif breathed out and let his body rx. Maybe I should thank the goblin, ork, whatever he was. Almost killing me and smashing me through the ground is turning out pretty great. His mind wandered to his animals, if Leif had known how close he had been to a goblin infested city he would have sent them far away. Wild animals weren¡¯t incapable of protecting themselves, but he still felt responsible. His body ached and weariness was creeping into his mind. He wondered how long ack of sunlight would take to affect him. As he walked the maintenance tunnels of whatever this undergroundbyrinth was he considered the other system prompts he had received. What would the advancement trial be? But perhaps more interesting, how did skill fusion work? Choose two or more skills to attempt a fusion! Warning! Sess rate depends on proficiency and understanding of skills in fusion! Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Additional skills after two increase fusion cost and amplify failure rate! Newly created skills will be based on the primary skill and belong to its ss! Skills used in this process are lost after a sessful fusion! Primary skill: [None] Secondary skill: [None] === Leif heard two familiar voices as he entered a new chamber. A tent was set up by the far wall with two figures sitting on the stone floor nearby. Sieg was holding a rounded device with an intricate metallic silver base. A new voice came from the device, it was distorted and asionally cut out. As Leif entered both men tensed slightly before rxing. ¡°-it''s hard to tell their exact numbers, we haven''t gotten close since you were captured. A highly evolved orc is beyond our team''s ability to handle, and that''s working together." Came a male voice from the device. ¡°If it''s a high first strata incarnate it''s beyond all of us but Hera. Speaking of, she should be no more than a week away, give or take a few days. You know how it is.¡± ¡°We have two weeks of rations and that''s if we don¡¯t pace ourselves. There is also more than enough water throughout the different chambers¡± Sieg said. He adjusted the device and angled it towards Leif. ¡°We picked up a¡­¡± ¡°An ally.¡± Marcus said through a mouthful of food. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°What is that thing?¡± Came the voice. ¡°It¡¯s nty.¡± Marcus said, smacking his lips. ¡°Professional goblin slurper!¡± My name is not ¡®nty¡¯. Leif thought, though he couldn¡¯t me the man foring up with something on his own. Not like I could tell him. Though Leif had tried tomunicate through hand gestures and grunting. It wasn¡¯t very effective, amusing to watch though. Leif could now see a face within the spherical object. The man was looking away and down slightly. He was bald and with a darkerplexion than Marcus. ¡°Fucking hells guys. That¡¯s a [Blight Spriggan], or some sort of variant. Those things are really dangerous. What level is it?¡± Came the voice, agitated this time. Leif stopped at the words, staring silently into the orb. ¡°Thirty, at least.¡± Sieg said, his tone grave. ¡°Kill it.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding Marcus, I¡¯m reading here that those things reproduce parasitically, they can turn you into one of them.¡± The sandy haired man just rolled his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re why the unimednds are so inhospitable up north.¡± The voice continued. ¡°Right right,¡± Marcus waved the voice off, ¡°Keep us posted and all that.¡± He grabbed the device from Sieg and somehow turned it off, he turned to Leif smiling. ¡°Anyway I was thinking, you can¡¯t talk because you don¡¯t have a tongue? Why can¡¯t you just make one with your gold skill?¡± Huh? === ¡°Eya¡± ¡°Ehya¡± ¡°Eey¡± Early next morning Leif was practising making sounds. It was incredibly awkward, like talking with a dead fish lodged down your throat, Its floppy tail smacking the insides of your mouth. Its salty taste reminding you of the ocean and better times. This got away from me so let''s move on. [Amber Awareness] and [Gilded Body] were receiving massive workouts. Leif¡¯s proficiency with both skills rapidly improving. As he did so Sieg followed the instructions of the axe statue, the man was getting better with each failed attempt. During his speaking practice Leif had downtime. This let him contemte what the first thing he should ask the two men if, or rather when he mastered talking. What were they doing here? What was this ce and why was it below the city? Who was the voice from the device? Well, he supposed before anything he would start with introducing himself. === ¡°Leaf? Really?¡± Sieg snorted. It was a few dayster. ¡°Yes...¡± Leif said, the sound slurred and wispy. ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± Marcusughed. ¡°That cannot be your name.¡± The man was practically rolling around on the floor. ¡°It¡­ is¡­ name¡­ why¡­ you¡­ugh?¡± ¡°B-because,¡± Marcus chortled, wiping a tear away with a finger. ¡°You¡¯re a nt monster, and your name is Leaf. Like the thing that grows on trees.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Marcus wheezed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude. Do- do you have ast name?¡± ¡°Vin¡­¡± ¡°Vine?¡± The sandy haired man gasped. ¡°Are you seriously called Leaf Vine?¡± Sieg choked on the water he was drinking. Leif glowered internally. How the hell have I been a nt for over eleven years and not realised that? Am I stupid? Chapter 21: Understanding Chapter 21: Understanding Leif brooded while he waited for his [Gilded Body] skill to recover after overuse. Imagine for a moment, that if, whenever you wanted to talk, you had to solve a puzzle cube while bncing on a tightrope. Ok, now imagine something more sensible but equally as challenging. What I¡¯m trying to get across is that it wasn¡¯t easy. Leif and Marcus sat off to the side watching Sieg get further and further into the statues training, with every attempt he grinded away, progressing more and more. Therge man''s movements were powerful but nearly perfectly controlled. The axehead parting the air like a scalpel, each swing surgical. ¡°He¡¯s really good, you know?¡± Marcus said with a smile. ¡°Sieg I mean. Really smart too, he beat me in several systems theory sses.¡± Leif gurgled nonmittally. Was there an easier way to switch between contrasting consonants? ¡°Oh hey, that''s different.¡± Marcus said, putting aside the notebook he was writing in and perking up. The spriggan looked up when he detected something manifest within the chamber. An intent, directed at Sieg. The axe phantom had solidified, it now stood, tangible and in abat stance. ¡°Final part?¡± Sieg grunted. ¡°Gods I hope so, this seriously sucks.¡± ¡°Kick its ass big guy!¡± Marcus cheered. Sieg cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. Then the projection attacked. It moved in familiar motions, never deviating from the forms it had been imparting. Though it moved in new and unpredictable patterns of the pre-existing stances and strikes. The twobatants whirled and struck, their battle constantly picking up speed. Steel axehead met spectral projection and sparks flew. Sieg winced and drew back as the phantom pressed him. The tall man fell a step behind in the dance ofbat, then a second. The projection spun out from a flurry of quick testing strikes into a devastating overhead swing. Sieg caught the attack on his armoured forearm. Blood seeped from where the armour had cracked and down into the pool of water. Sieg roared and the air grew cold, shards of ice misted into existence and the water below quickly froze over. Then Sieg burst forward, no longer in the statues'' stances, power surged around him. Iceyers built up around his axehead, sharpened sheets of infused elemental energy. His weapons edge grew in size and the air screamed as he struck forward and parted the projections head from its shoulders. It shed red, then poofed out of existence. ¡°Nobody fights without skills!¡± Siegined loudly. He gestured to the axe statue. ¡°I don¡¯t have your stupid ss. Shouldn¡¯t have to fight like I do.¡± He trailed off, letting his skills disperse into spooling vapour. Leif stood. Couldn¡¯t he do something about Sieg¡¯s wound? === Blight''s Bounty: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Technique (Blood)* Your attacks passively drain vitality from struck foes. You may actively syphon or bestow lifeforce via continuous touch. Blood you absorb is converted into the amber sap that beats within your heart. This amber sap naturally bespatible with any target you bestow it upon. After you have drained a being of vitality you gain up to +40% to all attributes for one hour. This bonus is lost incrementally over the hour-long duration. === He could! Leif had never used the healing portion of the skill on someone else so maybe¡­ He made to walk over but Sieg quickly popped a small red object into his mouth and started chewing. The tall man squinted at Leif. ¡°What? You wanted my blood?¡± ¡°Not¡­ blood¡­¡± Leif managed to get out. ¡°Can¡­ heal¡­¡± ¡°Sure you can. I¡¯ll stick with restoration pills thanks.¡± Sieg grumbled and plopped down where Leif had been sitting next to Marcus. ¡°You mean ¡®healing beans¡¯?¡± ¡°No. That name is childish.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°But it¡¯s bean shaped!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for this conversation.¡± Sieg sighed. ¡°This whole chamber calibrates to my current level and attributes, but it assumes I have certain skills from a mythical ss I don¡¯t have. Hells, no one has it as far as I know.¡± Leif was confused. Mythical ss? What''s that? ¡°Hmmm?¡± He hummed, looking between both men. ¡°Oh?¡± Marcus said. ¡°I thought you already knew. This structure is a Mythhold, a training ground of sorts built in ancient times.¡± ¡°Yeah, but nobody gets a mythical ss unless they''re already incredibly powerful. So what''s the point of a trainingplex?¡± Sieg grumbled. ¡°And yes, I know why, I¡¯m justining. They used artefacts or ¡®mythstones¡¯ to impart the ss onto others, but they don¡¯t exist anymore so now these structures are just holy sites.¡± ¡°Right, but the orc above our heads doesn¡¯t know that. He thinks there¡¯s something down here that will grant him incredible powers. I don¡¯t even know if monsters can even gain auxiliary sses.¡± Marcus said with a shrug. ¡°Why¡­ here¡­ then¡­?¡± Leif asked. If there wasn¡¯t whatever a mythstone was down here then whye at all? ¡°Oh there will still be something of value. Maybe a mana geode? Structures built in ancient times usually incorporated them into their foundations.¡± Sieg said. Marcus bumped him with his elbow. ¡°Sieg here is hoping for a promotion item. An emblem or higher.¡± The man continued seeing Leif¡¯sck of understanding. ¡°Monsters naturally evolve when they reach certain levels right? Well, humans need to use promotion items like seals or emblems to increase our ss tiers.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re damn rare. The system sometimes grants them for performing feats of excellence, but most people buy crafted ones.¡± Sieg said. ¡°We¡¯re just academy second years, even seals, the lowest tier promotion item, are prohibitively expensive.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re willing to steal!¡± Marcus dered. ¡°What¡¯re they gonna do? Un-promote our sses? Don¡¯t think so!¡± ¡°Steal from an elite? What a truly amazing idea.¡± Sieg deadpanned. ¡°What¡­ About¡­ Milestones¡­?¡± Leif asked. Thest word took several attempts to say coherently. ¡°Ah!¡± Marcus said. ¡°The milestone bottlenecks are a massive pain. A lot of people struggle greatly with the first one. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re like for monsters though.¡± ¡°Level twenty five, fifty and one hundred.¡± Sieg said. ¡°Right. But reaching the level one hundred milestone is a huge achievement. There are rumours of milestones at even higher levels but I don¡¯t know how valid they are.¡± Marcusmented. ¡°Getting below the skill threshold is a feat in and of itself without spending either a ton of time or a ton of money. Sometimes both. And then there¡¯s the advancement trial¡­¡± The man shivered. ¡°Advance¡­ment¡­?" Leif asked. He wanted to get an idea of what was involved. How dangerous it might be. ¡°It¡¯s different for everyone. Personal and tailored to the individual. Both Marcus and I passed ours during our first year at the academy. It¡¯s usually kept private but there¡¯s a bounty put out by certain departments for information about each person¡¯s trial. Good money doing it, I have no regrets sharing mine.¡± Sieg exined. ¡°I still don¡¯t think you should have. It¡¯s bad luck, I heard the system makes the next bottleneck even harder if you share.¡± ¡°That''s superstitious nonsense.¡± Sieg nodded in Leif¡¯s direction, seeing the spriggan¡¯s interest. ¡°My trial was about my decision to leave my tribe ande south, about walking away from perceived responsibility and epting my choice.¡± He shrugged. ¡°There was a monster too but it was hardly worth mentioning, I killed it in a single hit while it was forming.¡± ¡°I failed my first attempt, lost three levels and was sick for a month.¡± Marcus said with a faraway gaze. ¡°I had to get further below the skill threshold by fusing more than is rmended at such a low level. It cost a ton but shouldn¡¯t be harmful in the long run." ¡°Fu¡­sion¡­?¡± Leif was struggling to form words as he pushed [Gilded Body]¡¯s limb creation to its limits. ¡°It takes a long time.¡± Sieg exined. ¡°But it can be sped up with mana catalysts like shards. Pretty much any skill can theoretically be fused with any other skill, as long as you can picture what a sessful fusion would look like.¡± ¡°The Academy teaches the ¡®Trestotle Model¡¯ for progression. Each level is like a balloon, gaining experience expands the balloon with the ultimate goal of ¡®levelling up¡¯ being like popping the balloon.¡± Marcus said in a lecturing tone, hand gestures demonstrating something slowly expanding. ¡°Skills are like a counter weight. They push back against the expansion, only a little bit for each one. But if you go over your skill limit, usually between fifteen and twenty, your skills push down with enough force that progress bes impossible.¡± ¡°It''s a bncing act, you need to fuse skills to keep yourself below the limit. But each fusion is harder and harder, takes more time and resources. So you can¡¯t just fuse a bunch of low grade skills. You need to be selective or else progress at higher levels will be extremely difficult.¡± He exined. Leif nodded, it seemed to make sense. ¡°What was your advancement like?¡± Sieg asked. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m not a little curious how a monster''s bottleneck differs from our own.¡± Leif paused. He hadn¡¯tpleted his advancement. I still don¡¯t know why they think I¡¯m level thirty. He realised. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell.¡± Marcus said, waving away Sieg¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s personal, I have no intentions of sharing my advancement.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ know¡­¡± How could he exin? Words were hard so he¡¯d settle with a half truth and try againter. Sieg frowned and shifted. He shot Marcus a look, the other man shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m taking a break from the pool. It¡¯s all yours.¡± Sieg said motioning to the ring of statues. Leif nodded. He wanted to see how far he could get. Think about his first skill fusion while he was at it. === The two humans watched the spriggan activate the unarmed statue and begin the training routine. It was remarkable how quickly Leif was improving over just a few days. ¡°Think he gained aprehension skill that involvesbat?¡± Marcus asked as he stretched. ¡°It¡¯s possible. Hard to tell. It¡¯s not like we know all the rules of monster skill gain.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°First whiff of dishonesty my skill has detected so far.¡± Sieg said tly. ¡°So he does know but doesn¡¯t want to share?¡± Marcus considered thoughtfully. ¡°Eh, if anything that makes me more inclined to trust him. Everyone¡¯s got secrets, you know?¡± Sieg grunted in agreement. ¡°At least I know my skill is working.¡± ¡°...I can lie more often if you¡¯d like?¡± ¡°Helpful as always.¡± Chapter 22: Silent Anticipation Chapter 22: Silent Anticipation Leif flowed from one stance to another. The basic forms flew by and the exercise increased inplexity, speed and overall difficulty. He reached the peak of the intermediate training, from experience if he pushed himself the phantom would ramp up the difficulty again but Leif knew he wasn¡¯t ready. Instead he worked the movements into his muscle memory, and time flew by. His thoughts wandered to what the two humans had told him. It was a lot to take in, but it confirmed a few things. Monster advancement milestones were very simr, if not identical to¡­ what was the term? Awakened advancement? Human advancement? Skills too seemed to be remarkably simr. Now whether this was true for all monsters or because Leif was an outlier due to his auxiliary ss allowing him to break certain rules he wasn¡¯t sure. He had twelve skills: === [Amber Blight Spriggan] Gilded Body / Amber Awareness / Blight''s Bounty / The Well Within I / Settle [Noble] Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action / Under My Protection / Legacy [Brawler] Iron Fists / Grounded Stance I === But Leif needed to lower his total number down to ten using the newly unlocked skill fusion option. The system had said that the advancement trial¡¯s difficulty would dramatically increase for every skill over ten. But did that mean if he had below ten skills it would be easier? Was there an advantage to seeding a harder trial? Leif had many questions, though hearing that Marcus had failed his first attempt had made him certain of one thing. He didn¡¯t want to lose levels, that sounded miserable. So. What skills should hebine? Leif considered his options as he trained. When his body gged he and Sieg swapped ces. Sieg quickly worked his way to the projection fight but struggled to get past the first minute. Let''s see¡­ I need to be able to picture what a skill can do after a fusion. So which skills do I have that are simr? [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] were both perception skills. What would a skill fusion of the two look like? And would a fusion keep both skills full capabilities? He suspected it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as a clean merge. He found the time aspect of [Amber Awareness] fascinating, but the actual detection abilities from [Court Empath] were superior. He considered [Amber Awareness] more closely. The core of the skill was its general perception boost¡­ Or was it? No, it wasn¡¯t. Just because he was only just learning the full capabilities of the skill didn¡¯t mean the time perception wasn¡¯t the skills core. But he couldn¡¯t be certain. This is probably a sign I shouldn¡¯t fuse these skills. What else is there? [Grand Action] and [Blight''s Bounty] provide general attribute boosts. But [Grand Action] was very simple, [Blight''s Bounty] had energy draining and healing mixed in. What would these two skills look like fused? [Blight''s Bounty] but with a greater attribute increase? Or would it be focused like [Grand Action] was. It feels like a safer fusion than the two perception skills at least. He mused What about [Gilded Body]? [Iron Fists] could be a candidate. Leif liked the flexibility of being able to conjure golden limbs in any shape provided he could picture it clearly. Would a fusion with [Iron Fists] make them more solid? Or just go into the general strength increase [Gilded Body] granted? What about both? Leif mentally opened the skill fusion window. Initiate a skill fusion? Primary skill: [Gilded Body] Secondary skill: [Iron Fists] Fusion sess rate: Moderate Warning! Skills used in this process are lost after a sessful fusion! Warning! Newly fused skill will belong to the ss of the primary skill! You may only attempt a single fusion at a time! Commence skill fusion? Y/N Leif hesitated for a few moments. Why not? He asked himself. I need to do it anyway and there doesn¡¯t seem to be a downside to a failure. Commencing skill fusion! Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 1/100% He waited a few moments¡­ The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 1/100% He let out a long sigh, the unarmed projection shed red. ¡°My turn.¡± Called Sieg. ¡°I want to take another crack before I bring this whole ce down in rage.¡± ¡°Northerners are known for their tempers.¡± Nodded Marcus. He and Leif traded ces. Sieg turned to face Marcus. ¡°Careful! Else this angry northerner will show you what he can do.¡± He raised his axe high in mock fury. The room trembled, the glowing blue lights all flickered on and off at the same time. All three fell silent. What was that? ¡°What was that?!¡± ¡°What the hells?¡± Sieg looked at his axe. ¡°That wasn¡¯t me.¡± The chamber shook again, briefly plunging them into darkness. ¡°Illuminate!¡± Marcus said, his voice reverberating. Purple sparks danced to life in the palm of his hand, quickly multiplying and condensing into a sphere of light. He tossed it up and the orb floated in the air and followed him as he moved to pick up his and Sieg¡¯s belongings. What kind of skill is that? Leif wondered, looking in fascination at Marcus¡¯s magical working. ¡°The camp!¡± Sieg said. His voice was grim. "We need to reach the exit near the third chamber before the roof falls on us." ¡°What do you think is going on?¡± Marcus inquired. ¡°Goblins messed with something they shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Let''s get out before we find out the hard way.¡± Marcus pulled out the maintenance key and opened up the way back, all three quickly made their way through the winding maze of tunnels. Every thirty seconds or so the world would shake. After minutes of running they reached the camp, Marcus and Sieg quickly packed the tent and their other belongings while Leif examined the chamber. Like the statue chamber there were two arches that indicated typical entrances. Though this room wascking any statues. Instead against one wall was some sort of long raised tform. A faded mural depicting an armoured person wielding a sword a brilliant silver light was carved in intricate detail above the tform and into the curved roof. ¡°Could it be Hera?¡± Asked Sieg as the three moved to a non descript part of the wall. ¡°Unlikely. I mean, they would have contacted us if she had arrived, right?¡± ¡°So something else? What if-¡± Sieg was cut off as the chamber shook, dust fell from the ceiling, tiny kes of powder illuminated by Marcus¡¯s purple orb. Unlike before the light didn¡¯t return, the Mythhold seemed to have lost power. Then, all at once, every entrance into the room opened. Both standard entrances and three hidden maintenance doorways slid soundlessly apart. A pack of panicked goblins spilt out of one entrance as if they had been pressed up against the doorway. They screeched in surprise and fell in a cluster of limbs and makeshift weapons. Heavy footsteps fell as a hulking figure barged into the chamber from the other doorway. It roared as it saw the two humans and singr spriggan. In one hand it held a wicked stone club and in the other a ming torch. ¡°Troll!¡± Marcus called. Sieg stepped forward axe at the ready. The trolls roar seemed to shake the goblins out of their daze. As one they turned to Leif and the others, malicious cruelty in their eyes. The chamber rocked again. As the trembles ceased the fight began. The goblins charged, scrambling forward. A field of chilling air washed out from Sieg with a wave of his free hand, the floor froze between the group and the goblins, in the same motion he swiped horizontally at the troll. A thin de of ice sliced through the empty space. It impacted the troll''s chest and made the creature stagger, a thin line of blood trickling down the hulking monster''s torso. ¡°Gauntlet.¡± Marcus said, somehowmanding his skill. Purple energy flowed around his wrist and hand before solidifying as a gauntlet. Energy crackled between Marcus¡¯s fingers as he pointed at the closest goblin. The creature slipped on the ice created by Sieg a moment before a thin line of purple struck it in the leg. The skill singed the goblins skin and quickly ran up its body like a snake made of lightning. The creature screamed in pain and fell back. The purple energy then jumped to the next goblin, it too fell screaming. Marcus gestured and pointed. Goblins fell as if he were a conductor of death. But more wereing. From both main doorways goblins streamed through. Leif stepped forward. [Grand Action] focused his [Might] attribute as he kicked off the ground, it cracked beneath him. Two golden roots flowed from his knuckles, each hand now topped with a gilded de-like tip ten centimetres in length. He crashed into the goblins severing limbs andshing out to crush bones. The green creatures struck back but what strikes found purchase against his hardened bark left minor scratches. For each blow Leif sustained that dealt noticeable damage [Blight¡¯s Bounty] would steal the vitality from four or more goblins. Leif fought in the way the training projections had taught him. But the addition of ded tips on each hand made for greater versatility. He swept through the mass of green like how a boat parts the oceans waves, with every strike a goblin died. But the battle wasn¡¯t without difficulties, his twin perception abilities [Court Empath] and his innate vitality detection made his surroundings a blur of emotion and sensation. He focused and willed the effects of [Court Empath] to lessen, letting his feeling of the surrounding lifeforce fade away along with the intent and emotions. Purple arcs of power danced through the clumped goblins. What monsters survived the energy coursing through and over them were left stunned and defenceless against Leif. His hand des pierced the skulls of two goblins at the same time, they slumped to the ground dead. To his right the troll roared again. Leif spared a brief nce and saw the source of the creature''s angry intent. Sieg hacked away at the troll, his body surrounded by dozens of tiny ice shards. The troll¡¯s legs were frozen to the ground and with every passing second frost crept up its arms. It iled in an attempt to escape. With a shattering sound one leg burst free and the troll lunged forward. Forward and right into the overhead blow from Sieg that split its skull in two. Shockingly the creature didn¡¯t die. Blood and tissue began to rapidly reconnect around the axehead still lodged into the monster''s brain. Sieg yanked his axe free, cursed, then decapitated the troll. Even as its head hit the frosted ground with a dull thunk it continued to heal. The northman mentally called the iceshards surrounding him to strike at the troll''s body as he continued to attack with his axe. An arm fell, then a leg. The half restored head of the troll was removed, then Sieg backed away. He felled three goblins who were approaching him before focusing back on the troll. A metre long spear of ice formed in his hand before surging forward. The troll was impaled and rapidly frozen. Sieg¡¯s axe glowed with the white light of snow as he shattered the troll from foot to neck stump with a single blow. Arrows started flying, loosed from shoddy goblin made bows. Leif ignored those that hit him, most fell off harmlessly anyway. Sieg had to retreat, he wasn¡¯t as resilient. ¡°Shield.¡± Marcus''s voice echoed from over the sounds of battle. A purple half dome of energy flickered around him. Arrows ttered harmlessly against the protective skill. The man counter attacked with his arcane gauntlet¡¯s power. The archers tucked away in one of the chamber entrances screamed as they died. A minuteter the room fell quiet, four dozen dead goblins littered the floor. The three survivingbatants waited in silent anticipation for something else to go wrong. Chapter 23: The King and the Princess Chapter 23: The King and the Princess Szesis was bored. Not in the ¡®I have nothing to do¡¯ way that you probably imagined. But bored in the ¡®I have nothing of value to do¡¯ kind of way. He had never been good at waiting, it hadn¡¯t helped that thest few interesting events had given him conflict blue balls. The two humans he had caught snooping around had been after the same thing he was. But instead of fighting to the death they had agreed to his proposal of doing his work for him. That had sucked, no entertainment value at all. The second event had been¡­ well, almost rming. It wasn¡¯t every day you witnessed a member of the Darkwoods roaming around outside their vast territory. He had partially hoped the one he had noticed casually walking through the ruined streets of Pherin had been a scout. But no invading force of Blight Beasts or Grim Ents had shown up which was very disappointing. He shifted ufortably on the nted roof he was taking a nap on. His makeshift armour nked and that made his mood worse. Yes, wearing it made the goblins think he was one of their own but he missed his actual armour. He reached through a ring of shadow and pulled out a half empty bottle of wine. He drained it and casually dropped it off the side of the building. A screech of pain came from below but he ignored it. With a brief effort he hopped to his feet and leaped a quarter of the city''s district with a few hops, only tond within the mand centre¡¯. It was a pile of rubble but the goblins were very pleased with it. ¡°General.¡± he nodded to the goblin on watch and half heartedly saluted. The goblin dropped his spear in shock and returned the gesture. ¡°G-g-general?¡± It stammered. ¡°Congrattions on the promotion. Where are the others?¡± ¡°I-i-inside my l-lord.¡± ¡°Wonderful. Go kill a mountain drake and bring me its head. Oh and do it alone.¡± Szesis benevolentlymanded as he strode past. The newly promoted and soon to be dead goblin practically skipped down the street. He approached where several evolved goblins were bickering over a poorly made map of the city drawn in debris and dust. ¡°Gentlemen! I have detected a great enemy of our people and must make haste to y it! I¡¯ll be back in a day or two. Don¡¯t kill each other while I¡¯m gone, okay?¡± The oversized green children scrambled to salute him, praise his existence or beg for something. He ignored all of them and swapped ces with a shadow positioned on one of the outer walls. Szesis stretched and yawned. Exile was fun when it wasn¡¯t so dreadfully dull. Now then, what should I spend the next few days doing? Go fight something worthwhile in the mountains, see what the humans were doing down south? If only I could¡­ ¡°Oho! What is this?¡± He asked outloud to nobody. A dark speck was rapidly approaching from the western horizon. Szesis squinted, making out a humanoid shape in dark slender armour and two sets of rapidly beating insectile wings. ¡°Well well. Isn¡¯t this a pleasant surprise!¡± He said before shooting off a condensed pulse of his aura. The dark shape slightly altered its course and moved directly towards him. Szesis looked down at the scrap the goblins called armour and sighed. Then he started stripping. === A minute and a halfter the neer swooped down to Szesis¡¯s level on the city''s wall. The orc nodded a greeting as he affixed a sleek red breastte to his torso, then he pulled a simrly coloured pauldron from his spatial vault. He gave the neer a friendly smile and continued getting dressed. ¡°Wee! Or should I say; wee back? I take it this city was your fine handiwork?¡± Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The dark figure shared many simrities to a human woman with pale skin and jet ck hair, but Szesis knew better. The midnight carapace around her waist and antennae on her head gave her away. So did the wings, and the aura, and herpound eyes. Okay, lots of things gave her away. At least she hadn¡¯t been foolish enough to cast off all her monstrousponents like some other awakened beings Szesis knew of. ¡°Yes.¡± She hissed without emotion. ¡°Great! It¡¯s mine now. I¡¯m not giving it back. You shouldn¡¯t have disappeared for half a decade if you still wanted it.¡± Szesis confidently proimed as he pulled on an armoured greave. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Where what?¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Szesis hadn¡¯t the foggiest what the antdy was on about. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You know. Where is she?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t, sorry. Also I¡¯m Szesis, the greatest king you¡¯ll ever meet.¡± He generously gifted her with the truth and a name. ¡°I am the one called X of the Obsidian Hive. And you lie! Tell me where she is!Where is she?¡± ¡°I told you I don¡¯t know. Do you want a drink?¡± He asked politely and with great kindness. He tightened a leather strap and eyed the formian. X seemed roughly equivalent to himself, as a second strata incarnate he was no slouch. Maybe a few levels higher than myself¡­ this could be fun. The woman buzzed in anger. The first trace of emotion so far. ¡°You know who. Where is my mother?¡± Ah, he probably should have guessed that. Formians only got so worked up about a very select number of things. Well, he had no idea as to the fate or location of the formian hive queen. ¡°Dead. Sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°LIES!¡± The word hit Szesis like a steel fist. He would have rocked back from the force if he wasn¡¯t, you know, the greatest. ¡°Not lies! She¡¯s dead and I killed her. Sorry for your loss.¡± He lied honestly. These words made the formian try to kill him. Which was exactly the point. === Shockwaves of gravitational power cracked buildings in half and sent chunks of city wall tumbling. Goblins died in their hundreds as they scampered for cover. Szesis dodged a scythe-like de of energy with a casual hop and twisted mid-air so he could observe the chaos. This¡­ well. This was great. Honestly everything was wonderful. He definitely had the situation in hand. X was, maybe, just a little bit stronger than him. A dark blur raced across rooftops, a volley of navy blue spearsnced towards him. Szesis dodged by swapping with a nearby shadowy copy, it died in a puff of ck essence above him. ¡°Should have waited to put on my boots before saying anything stupid.¡± Heined to himself, finishing his getup and standing up. He reached out and summoned a long de wreathed in shadows. Time to prove he wasn¡¯t a total pushover. The formian spotted him and let out an ear piercing screech. Goblins tumbled to the ground, blood trickling from their long ears. Szesis cracked his neck and burst into shadowy power. He stabbed forward and a mimic of his strike manifested a split secondter right in front of the formian. X cut it to pieces with suddenly wed hands and continued right towards him. So he followed up his attack with fifteen more, eaching from a new direction. This made X retreat, her wings a blur as she skimmed backwards. Szesis was already moving in pursuit, he darted from shadowy alleyways to shattered buildings, his every step propelled by his immense attributes and movement skills. He flitted around the city, never staying in one ce for more than a moment. His aura naturally making him harder to detect. Above the formian lost track of his position so instead decided tounch destructive beams of energy in wide sweeping arcs through the city. The attacks had no hope of catching someone as slippery as Szesis, he burnt through stored energy to manifest new shadowy copies and sent them scattering through the newly ruined ruins. This is fun. Szesis thought happily. I hope the Mythhold survives! Ance of power sliced the metallic titan in half. Hopefully. Chapter 24: Into The Depths Chapter 24: Into The Depths ¡°I can¡¯t close the maintenance door. It¡¯s like the whole structure is shutting down.¡± Marcus said as he held up the door key. ¡°And you can¡¯t use your skill?¡± Sieg asked. ¡°[Create Key] only helps me unlock things I understand, not lock them again.¡± Marcus sighed. ¡°The tunnels will be flooded full of goblins in no time, what a shit show. They may even find the hidden exit.¡± ¡°What¡­do?¡± Leif asked as he drained vitality from frozen troll chunks. Sieg looked at Marcus. The shorter man nodded and closed his eyes. ¡°Find.¡± Spectral images flickered in and out of existence around the mages head. He reached up and quickly arranged them into ever shifting orders. A minute passed, then another. Marcus began to sweat, his movements bing sluggish. Finally he opened his eyes. ¡°Deeper?¡± Sieg asked with concern in his voice. Marcus nodded. ¡°There¡­ there should be another way out¡­ Ugh.¡± He stumbled and clutched at his head. ¡°Aha, the [Seeker] ss is quite excellent, especially after its tenth level promotion. But its skills are really tricky to use correctly.¡± Marcus exined for Leif¡¯s benefit. The spriggan tilted his head in acknowledgment. ¡°Which way?¡± Sieg asked, his tone worried as he nced between the chambers now opened entrances. ¡°Back, back to the statue room. I¡¯ll re-use the skill when we get there, the path I saw was incredibly blurry.¡± As the sounds of goblin screeching neared them the three retreated into the Mythhold¡¯s depths. === ¡°This way. Through two more chambers then¡­ then there¡¯s some sort of blockage but there appears to be a side route.¡± Marcus said, pointing the way forward. They left the statue room as the world trembled. === The ground shook with tremendous force, both Sieg and Marcus were thrown off their feet while Leif was able to stabilise against the tunnel''s wall. Thin cracks began to snake their way along the ceiling. ¡°Up.¡± Leif hissed, pointing to the growing fractures in the stone above. ¡°Damn! Go, go!¡± Sieg yelled as rubble fell in small chunks from overhead. Behind them came a distant crash and the wails of goblins. The three burst into the chamber as the wide passageway fell apart behind them. Before Leif was a rectangr chamber three times as long as it was wide. Along both walls were square panels ced in a grid like pattern with strange glyphs carved onto their surfaces. Sieg led the way, warily eyeing the walls as he went. He stepped between the first set of two and ducked cursing. Stolen novel; please report. Both sigils had suddenly started glowing before a green sh of light met in the centre of the room as two beams collided just above Sieg''s position. Leif threw out a golden shield to protect the man using [Under My Protection]. The rarely used charisma bonus improving the skill''s shield as it was used to protect another. Sieg crouched in a daze looking at the dispersing motes of golden light that surrounded him. He gave the spriggan a curt nod before standing. ¡°Nice work.¡± Marcusmented as he patted Leif on the shoulder. An awful grinding sound came from either side of the chamber as both glyph panels tried and then failed to move from one grid space to another. The green lights flickered then died as both panels fractured down the centre. Traps? But single use due to the current state of the structure? Leif thought as he observed the rest of the room more closely. Dozens of sets of panels lined both walls heading towards the exit on the other side. Fortunately both of Leif¡¯spanions were sharp enough to see what he had noticed without him needing to say anything. Better to preserve uses of [Gilded Body] in case there was a fight. Speaking of gilded body¡­ Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 1/100% Still at one percent. I guess killing things doesn¡¯t elerate the process like with my evolution counter. Leif thought. ¡°I can sense that there''s enough mana in each panel for a single st or whatever they might do.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Normally I¡¯d suggest we go through a maintenance tunnel instead of trying the room but the way back just copsed and there don¡¯t seem to be any side exits.¡± ¡°Through the traps it is.¡± Sieg sighed and let his axe disappear. ¡°I¡¯ll be using my face to check these unless either of you want to volunteer." Leif considered this, his body was naturally more durable than both humans and he was currently full to bursting with stolen lifeforce. His attributes were at their full forty percent increase from [Blight''s Bounty]. He shrugged internally and stepped forward. Both humans nodded and stepped back. Leif cracked his neck, lowered himself into a ready pose, focused on [Might] with [Grand Action] and exploded forward. He burst past the next pair of traps, a dark sphere of energy detonated behind him. Leif felt the residue of whatever that explosion was brush against his back but he didn¡¯t stop. Twonces of ice flew from above but they veered away as they drew closer to smash harmlessly into the floor. Sieg¡¯s doing no doubt. Two metal tipped arrows a foot in length shot from the next set, one on each side. They curved slightly to track Leif¡¯s momentum. On one side he manifested a condensed shield of golden light and on the other intertwined limbs of ethereal roots curved around his forearm. The shield shattered and the arrow skidded off Leif¡¯s shoulder. The other impacted his protections from [Gilded Body] and punched right through his raised arm. Leif hissed in pain and stepped back. He made to continue but Marcus held him back and confidently walked forward. ¡°Next one is lightning I think, allow me.¡± Sure enough two bright shes of lightning erupted toward the man. He raised a hand still wreathed in a purple gauntlet, both bolts curved mid air and struck his fist. There they were absorbed into the skill''s construct, crackling power threatened to overwhelm the working so Marcus ejected the stored power at one of the two uing panels. The improvised attack didn¡¯t seem to do any damage unfortunately. ¡°Arcane magic has its drawbacks, but the versatility is unmatched.¡± Marcus boasted as he flexed his fingers. Leif ripped the arrow out of his arm and watched as amber sap quickly filled and closed the wound. The pool of vitality within him had dropped slightly but it wouldn¡¯t pose a risk. Five minutester the room was cleared, the chamber behind them was a destroyed wreck from energy detonations and skill usage. Chapter 25: Fissure Chapter 25: Fissure Letlet watched in awe as what he could only assume were gods did battle in and above the ruined streets of the former human city; Pherin. To witness such glorious disys of power was something he had dreamed of ever since he came crawling out of a half destroyed basement. That was three months ago but to Letlet it felt like a lifetime. Which it was, for him at least. The system had only recently bestowed him with a name of power, Letlet had run around telling everyone he could! They had hit him and told him to ¡°piss off¡± but Letlet didn¡¯t mind. He was happy and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He was happy even as a dark blue light built in power over the city. He was happy as the clouds above began to twist and flow downwards. He was happy as a crackling beam of power ripped the central district apart, the very ground splitting open. He was happy as he was instantly vaporised, not even ashes remaining. === The next chamber had been going so well. Had being the important word in that sentence. The room was cylindrical with significant vertical height. Smooth stone bridges criss-crossed the chamber, well most of them did. Several of the bridges pivotal topleting the chamber had copsed. Murals depicting warriors in splendid armour and wielding every kind of weapon under the moons that gleamed a brilliant silver. They wrapped the edges of the chamber in a downward spiral, each disying meticulous detailing. Though Leif found the little details difficult to pay attention to, what little he did see of the art disy was certainly impressive, he was currently trying not to die.Arrows and other assorted projectiles rained down from above, he pped a falling stone out of the air but took an arrow to the shin. Further along the narrow walkway Marcus and Sieg were struggling. Out of all of them Marcus was the only member of their group with a potent ranged option. Purple bolts of light whizzed up the height of the chamber, the energy illuminating the darkened bridge-ways above. Goblin eyes glinted intermittently in reflected violet as they continued their barrage. The chamber shook, several goblins tumbled screaming to their demise in the darkness below. For a brief moment the onught of missiles ceased. ¡°Run! Now!¡± Sieg roared as he led the charge. At the end of each bridge was a small alcove built into the chamber''s walls. Each of these had a maintenance door and attached corridor but the narrow passageways were so clumped with debris and goblins that they weren¡¯t a viable option. Also they only went up, the opposite way Leif¡¯s group wanted to head. The small shelter gave the trio cover as Marcus loosed arc of power after arc of power. Sieg condensed frost onto the walkway behind them, focusing to spread the slippery ice further up the walkway. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. They waited for the next tremor before making their move. Leif, moving in the rear, spotted a javelin headed for Sieg¡¯s back. [Under My Protection] activated at the same time Leif swapped [Grand Action] off [crity] and onto [Willpower]. The shield held initially but the constant use of the skill had weakened its overall efficacy. Fortunately the barrier had alerted Sieg to the danger. The big man darted out of the javelins path, the missile chipping stone as it impacted the walkway. ¡°Something big above us.¡± He called. ¡°We need-¡± The whole world rocked from side to side, Leif¡¯s heart lurched as he almost went toppling over the edge even with [Gilded Body] and [Grounded Stance] improving bnce. Marcus wasn¡¯t so lucky. It wasn¡¯t that the man was incapable, far from it. What nearly sealed the mage¡¯s fate was a huge b of stone crashing down into the bridge from above and nearly crushing him. The walkway groaned precariously under their feet as it began to tilt. ¡°Marcus!¡± Sieg yelled and dived toward his fallingpanion. To the spriggan¡¯s relief the northman made it just in time. To the spriggan¡¯s not relief Sieg too began to tip over the edge as the bridge tilted further and further. Leif dashed forward and skidded thest three metres right up to where Sieg was half dangling. Leif reached out and grabbed the man by the arm. He then pushed everything he had into [Might] and dug into the stone surface of the walkway with his w tipped right hand. For a short, horrifying instant he failed to find purchase. Then his momentum mmed to a halt. Leif hissed from a mix of strain and triumph. The walkway jerked to a stop as it got caught in one of the chamber''s many alcoves. ¡°Well.¡± Marcus gasped. ¡°That was too close!¡± Then a beam of dark blue energy ripped through the chamber from above. It sliced cleanly through every bridge it came into contact with. By what could only be called a miracle it just barely missed the bridge they were clinging to. What was less fortunate was the follow up tremor. Their bridge was shaken free and began to plummet. Over a hundred goblinoids, two humans and a spriggan fell screaming into the void below. The darkness swallowed them up, each instant of falling stretching on for an eternity. Suddenly their momentum began to taper off, slowing considerably before almost stopping in its entirety. Marcus¡¯s glowing sphere of purple light zipped down to its caster and revealed their situation in a soft purple light. Every chunk of falling stone hung suspended as if caught in slowed time. Below was the faint outline of thergest runic circle Leif had ever seen. Well, he hadn¡¯t seen many but this one still stood out as remarkablyrge. The bottom of the cylindrical chamber was almost double the width of what it had been above. Leif took this all in in stunned shock. He shook his head and heaved Sieg up, who then in turn did the same for Marcus. Everything felt light, almost weightless. A goblin still mid fall spun helplessly in mid air, its downwards momentum all but vanished. It thrashed and kicked but was unable to move. Sieg sent a disc of ice in the monster''s direction, the projectile quickly lost its speed and harmlessly bumped the goblin. The man shrugged. Silver light flickered around Leif, he looked around confused and saw the same light around his twopanions. All throughout the chamber silver light illuminated goblins before with a sh they all vanished, appearing on the chamber''s floor unharmed. For a single peaceful moment nobody moved. Then Sieg bisected the nearest goblin and chaos reigned. Chapter 26: Bloodbath Chapter 26: Bloodbath Goblins came screeching at the trio from all sides, they rushed forwards over a dozen at a time. Purple bolts of power danced through the oing tide, goblins fell one by one, fried by Marcus¡¯s skill. Frost condensed around Sieg and icy winds whipped through the arena. Leif didn¡¯t have time to pay any more attention to hispanions, he crashed into the green wave and sent small bodies scattering. A punch shattered a skull, a kick burst vital organs. He conjured two short des of ethereal golden energy from his knuckles and began to kill. Shadows suddenly rushed up his right leg, they pulled at him but with little sess. Leif was too heavy for whatever the source of the magic''s n had been. But it was rming, magic meant an evolved goblin right? Potentially multiple. Orange mes streaked over the swarm and exploded a metre away from him. Leif backed away but was too slow and surrounded on all sides. Goblins died but he was partially scorched. At least two evolved goblins. He noted. He drove a de through the heart of a nearby monster and felt its lifeforce drain, his wounds began to heal. He shoulder checked a pair of spear wielders letting their attacksnd so he could reposition. And not a moment toote, another st of mesnded where he had just been. As goblins died he sensed their vital energies fade away, this let him keep a vague idea of where Marcus and Sieg were fighting. The chamber intermittently shed with different colours. But the predominant one was the violet of the human mage''s skills. The ground trembled again sending the small green attackers stumbling, Leif was about to take advantage of their distracted state when a hulking behemoth of a creature rampaged through the goblin swarm. A troll, not dissimr to the one Sieg had killed earlier that day, but it wasn¡¯t alone. Apanying the troll was a taller goblin in more intricate but still terrible quality armour. Three javelins were slung over its shoulder. It grinned at Leif with a mouth full of sharp teeth and moved to encircle him as the troll attacked in a frenzy. Leif stepped back from the first overhead blow of the troll''s massive club, he ducked the second and deflected the third as the creature tried another overhead strike. Leif stepped into its poor excuse for a guard andnded a de tipped fist right into its centre of mass. It roared in fury but Leif didn¡¯t let up, he roundhouse kicked its jaw sending rotting teeth and spittle flying in a dramatic arc through the air. Before he could continue his assault the tall goblinunched a frenzy of attacks with two daggers. One of the daggers bit into Leif¡¯s neck, the de sinking in over an inch. He jerked back from the sudden pain and inability to breathe. Another strike came, this one low. Leif battered the attack aside with a newly manifested arm of gold. But doing so cost him one of his knuckle des, but it seemed to be enough. Therge evolved goblin, tall for its kind but too small to be confused for a human, lost the momentum of its flurry of attacks. Leif kneed it right between the legs, the devastating critical hit dealing empathic damage to all men everywhere. The spriggan didn¡¯t get to deal a finishing blow. The troll, having quickly recovered, tackled Leif with a bellow and a surge of violent intent. The two went down hard in a tangle of limbs, Leif being restrained despite his weight. The newly summoned arm shattered under the mass of the troll''s crushing embrace. The troll grinned down at the nt monster, sure of its victory. It grabbed one of Leif¡¯s arms and twisted the limb. With a snap the arm broke and fell limp. Leif hissed, his mostly healed throat now allowing him to breathe. For over a minute the two struggled, the taller goblin staggered around nearby with its arms holding a particr part of its body. The troll frowned in confusion, its peanut sized brain doing little flips. Then the monster started to sag, the thuggish energy its kind were known for possessing a near infinite amount of seemed to have fled. Leif¡¯s broken arm snapped back into ce and he battered the troll away. The towering creature fell limply to the side, its body crushing an unfortunately close lesser goblin. Trolls are very hard to kill. Not so if they¡¯re facing an opponent capable of draining lifeforce with a continuous touch. Leif rolled to his feet and caught the wrist of the tall dagger wielding goblin as it aimed for his eye in ast ditch attack. He squeezed, the rtively frail bones of the goblin turned to fragmented shards under its skin. The creature screamed in terror as Leif headbutted it into the afterlife. He dragged the goblins limp body for a few seconds so he could drain just a little more vitality. The monster''s blood ran up Leif¡¯s arm in a near continuous stream of red. Leif red his [Court Empath] skill, seeking out the emotions and intents of two figures in particr. There. The spriggan dashed through the fight and towards where purple and white pulsed in near constant waves of power. On his way over he crossed paths with a goblin kindling a small ball of fire. The right half of its body was a crispy mess, no doubt due to Marcus¡¯s purple bolts of energy. Leif pped it into the past tense and continued moving. Stolen story; please report. He needn¡¯t have worried. Marcus¡¯s magic red one final time as thest goblin dropped dead. Both men looked to be in rough condition. Sieg was covered in wounds and gashes, his breath ragged. Marcus looked ready to fall over, his skills puffed into purple essence as he slumped to the ground. Leif moved to Sieg first and touched the man''s worst injury. He went to speak but stopped when amber liquid flowed into his wound thanks to [Blight¡¯s Bounty]''s vitality bestowal feature. The taller human rxed and muttered a tired thanks. Once he was no longer at risk of bleeding to death Leif left Sieg and did the same treatment to Marcus. However this time his healing seemed to have a limited effect. Marcus was exhausted spiritually and mentally rather than physically. Leif gestured to the chambers exit. Sieg followed his direction and let out a breath. ¡°Yeah, let''s leave before the enchantments below our feet give out and drop several tons of stone on our heads.¡± The chamber rumbled ominously, giving credence to his words. The spriggan nodded and helped scoop up Marcus. The shorter man mumbled a ¡®thank you.¡¯ Finally Leif turned his attention to the notification he¡¯d received most of the way through draining the troll. Congrattions! Your [Amber Blight Spriggan] skill [The Well Within] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [The Well Within] from rank I to rank II? Y/N Yes, yes I would. He paused mid step as power surged through his body. Wow, that has quite the kick to it. === The Well Within II: Aspects: Cultivation (Blood)*, Empowerment (Body)* A near endless well of energy and potential rests inside your heart. As you absorb vitality a portion remains, filling and expanding a pool of energy that allows you to improve the output of skills. As you heal and nurture this pool of energy is condensed, bing more potent. A portion of this energy is reserved to grant rapid recovery should you be critically injured. === There was no change to the skills description. But Leif could feel the difference. It was as if the pool of energy within him was heavier, more concentrated, more eager to be used. But not only that, Leif could tell the total amount of energy he could hold had increased significantly, almost doubling. He had two other skills with a numerical suffix. [Aura of Nobility I] and [Grounded Stance I]. Did this mean he could upgrade those as well? The trio exited the chamber via arge circr archway, leaving the bloodbath behind. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Amber Blight Spriggan Age: 11 Attributes: Free: 2 Might: 35 crity: 42 Intelligence: 25 Willpower: 25 Spirit: 33 Charisma: 32 (+50%) Total Level: 25 Monster sses: 1/1 Amber Blight Spriggan: 11/20 Skills: Gilded Body / Amber Awareness / Blight''s Bounty / The Well Within II / Settle sses: 1/2 Brawler: 4/10 Skills: Iron Fists / Grounded Stance I Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action / Under My Protection / Legacy Chapter 27: Fortune Chapter 27: Fortune The trembling had finally, blessedly stopped. The lower levels of the Mythhold seemed to be far more intact than what Leif had travelled through to get this far down. After a few minutes of rest Marcus stood up with a groan. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Can¡¯t use any active skills for a little bit so lets avoidbat if we can.¡± Leif and Sieg nodded, the trio moved deeper into the mythhold. To Leif, the sheer scale of this underground structure was staggering, but the other two didn¡¯t seem overly surprised. ¡°Whatever was going on on the surface seems to have calmed down.¡± Sieg noted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to find out what the source of that dark blue beam was. Also, for some reason this part of the Mythhold still has mana running through many of its constructs.¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s quite a bit more ambient mana down here too. It¡¯s almost as if-¡± The mage skipped a step and almost fell. ¡°Big source of mana to the left.¡± He turned to his fellow human. ¡°I think it might be a geode. And if it''s been down here it wouldn¡¯t have been touched since Pherin was razed, a good eight years or so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be damned.¡± Sieg sighed. ¡°Finally some good luck.¡± Leif had questions but they could wait. The trio jogged up to an intersection and turned to see a perfectly round room with a dazzling formation of purple gemstones sprouting from the floor. Wires and strange mechanisms were attached to the base of the structure but Leif didn¡¯t understand their purpose. ¡°It''s mostly low grade shards.¡± Marcus said, practically buzzing with excitement. ¡°But I can see a few dozen medium grades mixed in with the low. Sieg¡­ Sieg, we''re rich! We¡¯re the richest second years of all time!¡± ¡°Richest if you don¡¯t count the imperial nobles and anyone who was sponsored.¡± ¡°They cheated and don¡¯t count.¡± The man said,ughing with arms outstretched. ¡°Shit, we don¡¯t have a way to carry all this. You have the only spatial storage and it''s not exactlyrge!¡± ¡°We can ditch the tent and use the sack for storage.¡± Sieg suggested. ¡°Maybe get other members of the expedition down here once they arrive. We¡¯ll have finder''s privilege.¡± The axe wielder summoned his weapon and carefully leaned it against the entrance wall. Marcus zoomed forward like an excited puppy. He conjured a hand of purple energy, winced, then sent it swooping upwards to start plucking mana shards from the top of the geode. Leif studied the strange object. It seemed to sprout from the ground at odd angles. Almost like branches reaching out of the ground¡­ or like a hand. He thought. Sieg turned to Leif. ¡°You can keep what you help carry. I don¡¯t know how valuable this stuff is for monsters but this may as well be a dragon''s hoard for us. ¡°What¡­ is¡­ it?¡± ¡°A mana geode.¡± Sieg exined. ¡°If left alone it naturally produces shards, the longer, the higher the grade. We, and by we I mean humans with evolved crafter sses can use them for all sorts of things. The simplest use is a catalyst for skill fusion, and that''s what most people use low grade shards for.¡± The man continued. Leif perked up at the mention of skill fusion. Just how much can I increase the fusion percentage by? ¡°Here.¡± Sieg said as he cleanly snapped off a low hanging shard and handed it to Leif. It was t, rounded and about the size and shape of an arrow head. It pulsed softly with a bluish purple light. This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°They can be crafted into promotion items, a few dozen low grades make a seal. It took me a good six months to save up and afford a seal for my [Schr] ss. Medium grade shards like the ones Marcus is nabbing can be used to make emblems, or even crests. Top graduates of the Academy get an emblem at the end of their final year. I need one to promote my level twenty [Frost yer] ss.¡± Leif looked down at the mana shard in his hand. Would you like to consume this mana catalyst to increase current skill fusion progress? Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 2/100% Y/N? Leif nced at Sieg, the taller man shrugged and nodded at the shard. Leif epted the prompt and the shard dissolved into a shimmering liquid before slipping into his arm. The sensation was strange, like cool water trickling into his chest. There was no pain, just a slight feeling of refreshment. Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 2/100% ¡°Did¡­ Nothing¡­¡± He hissed with more than a little annoyance. The northernerughed. ¡°Give it a few minutes. Now help me pilfer as many of these as possible." Leif sighed and started to help, he was still curious about the uses of mana shards. He gestured for Sieg to continue his exnation. ¡°Right, depending on the grade they have some uses in alchemy, that''s the creation of elixirs, pills and potions. They can also be used in the enchantment process, magical items, city walls or even powering basic household appliances if you¡¯re rich. Most adventures and explorers make do with the shards they harvest from monsters, and it takes quite a few low grade shards to add up to anything of value.¡± He said. Leif paused. ¡°Mon¡­sters?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­ You don¡¯t know? Monsters grow mana shards inside their bodies after the first milestone. Uh, not that we were nning to kill and harvest you!¡± He said hastily. Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 14/100% ¡°Ask¡­ why¡­ you¡­ think¡­ that?¡± ¡°Think what?¡± Sieg asked as he snapped another mana shard off the geode¡¯s exterior. ¡°Hey Sieg! Is your bracelet empty? Put these inside.¡± Marcus called as he jogged up. ¡°What¡­ level¡­ am¡­ I?¡± Leif inquired, tilting his head. ¡°Well,¡± Marcus said, as therger mana shards he was carrying began to vanish one by one. ¡°You have an aura skill so at least level thirty. Maybe low forties if I had to be specific. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Marcus and Sieg said at the same time. ¡°You don¡¯t have an aura skill?¡± The mage asked. ¡°I¡­ do¡­ but¡­ am¡­ level¡­ twenty¡­ five.¡± He said, beginning to feel the strain from the overuse of [Gilded Body]. Both men shared a look. Marcus raised an eyebrow and Sieg frowned. ¡°How is that possible?¡± The man said under his breath. ¡°That''s a hard rule isn¡¯t it? Could the academy be wrong?¡± ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s like, the first thing they teach newbies: If it has a controlled aura it''s too strong.¡± Marcus said as if quoting someone. ¡°You¡¯re level twenty five?¡± Sieg asked for rification. Leif nodded. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Fuck. What level did you get an aura?¡± He had to think about that for a few minutes. [Aura of Nobility] was the first skill in his [Noble] ss. So he would have had to have gotten it at [Noble] level two¡­ Should I tell them? He pondered. That I used to be like them. How would they react? For some reason the idea made Leif nervous, but it was something he had been putting off ever since he met the two men. Leif wanted to be as he was, even through all the confusion and chaos it had been a driving force, like a ship''s sails caught in the wind. Only, now that port was in sight, he realised he didn¡¯t know how to dock. Should fear and uncertainty keep him from trying? No, no it should not. So he firmed his resolve, and told them. ¡°Two¡­¡± Leif said. Both Marcus and Sieg fell silent. Chapter 28: Unnatural Combinations Chapter 28: Unnatural Combinations ¡°Two¡­¡± Leif said. After neither man replied for several seconds he hissed and borated. ¡°Once¡­ like¡­ you. Person¡­¡± In nervousness he checked the progress of his skill fusion. He had consumed several more lesser mana shards over the thirty minutes they had worked. Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 51/100% ¡°A person?¡± Marcus said. ¡°A human? Like me and Sieg?¡± Leif nodded solemnly. ¡°Memory¡­ distant. Am¡­ Leif. Always¡­ was.¡± ¡°But how? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ know. I¡­ am¡­ unnatural ¡± ¡°You have a monster ss?¡± Sieg asked. Leif nodded. ¡°And¡­ others¡­ [Noble]... [Brawler]...¡± ¡°An inheritant ss and a normal ss? You¡¯re awakened!¡± Marcus eximed. ¡°You just did it early somehow.¡± The spriggan indicated confusion with his aura and a tilt of the head. Using [Gilded Body] so much was making him feel faint. He plucked another mana shard and consumed it for his skill fusion. ¡°Uh,¡± Marcus said, ¡°I¡¯m not really the best person to ask, it''s not my field of expertise.¡± ¡°Nor mine.¡± Sieg grunted. ¡°There would be people at the academy who would know more. From what I understand, sometimes a monster gains ess to normal sses when they reach a certain level. I think it''s at level fifty.¡± Leif went to speak but [Gilded Body] was barely responsive. He hissed in annoyance and absorbed another mana shard, hopefully the skill fusion would make talking easier. The gathered pile was already too big for the three of them to carry. Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 80/100% ¡°Hey Leaf? We can¡¯t help too much and I¡¯m sorry for that. I¡¯d understand if you are reticent about trusting us.¡± Marcus said hesitantly Leif grunted. It was hard to put into words his feelings towards the two, the moment he had met them he had be more sure of what, and who he was. They didn¡¯t kill me, or attack me in any way. And it''s not like I''ve hesitated to follow them this far. He indicated for the mage to continue. ¡°Well, after this. You shoulde with us back to the Academy. You¡¯ll have to meet the other members of the expedition but I doubt they¡¯d mind too much.¡± Didn¡¯t the one you talked to via that strange device want you to kill me? He thought. Then he considered. From what Marcus and Sieg had said about the Academy¡­ it seemed like a good idea, or at least something to seriously consider. Leif nodded and Marcus grinned in response. ¡°Perfect! If anyone could help you it would be there-¡± Suddenly the rounded chamber shook with tremendous force. The mana geode trembled, the few remaining shards clinked and rattled. The dim light being emitted from the walls and ceiling flickered then shut off. The only source of illumination the inner glow of the mana geode and the pile of shards at its base. ¡°It''s time to go!¡± Sieg yelled as he ran his hand through the pile of shards, two dozen liquified and disappeared through the tips of his fingers. ¡°Consume what we can¡¯t carry! Marcus, where is the way out?¡± ¡°I need a minute!¡± The mage called as the room shook again. He closed his eyes and began to focus. The faint outlines of pathways and passages began to be traced in the air by an unseen stylus. Some sort of skill from the man''s [Seeker] ss. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. Leif stepped forward and plunged his hand into the mana shards. Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 91/100% Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 97/100% Fusion of skills [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] 100/100% Congrattions! Your fusion of the [Gilded Body] and [Iron Fists] skills isplete! You have gained the [Amber Blight Spriggan] skill [Gold Iron Physique]! === Gold Iron Physique: Aspects: Technique, Enhancement (Body)* Your resilience to physical and thaumatic damage is increased as your body is tempered to be akin to iron. You are naturally more dense and can control your physique to be heavier or lighter at will. Attacks you make with your body deal increased damage and have greater force behind them. You may conjure golden ethereal limbs which count as your own body for any beneficial effects granted by skills and ss perks while they remain physically attached to your form. You may manipte the shape of these limbs at will. === Leif had just picked up the newly filled tent bag when he froze. Blue energy flickered across his body followed by a surge in strength. He quickly read through the new skills description. It¡¯s not overly different than I had expected. He mused. I can adjust my weight, but nothing else seems new... Hang on. The line about the conjured limbs only being affected by half my physical attributes is gone. He activated [Amber Awareness] to feel the changes to his body once again. There was a distinct difference, he felt even more solid, his steps were firm and sure. Not only that but the skill feltpletely refreshed, as if he hadn¡¯t been overtaxing it just to speak. How much more control do I have now? Will speaking be easier? ¡°Bad news guys.¡± Marcus said. ¡°There''s a way out a little further down.¡± ¡°How is that bad?¡± Sieg asked. ¡°It feels. I don¡¯t know, flooded maybe? It¡¯s hard to tell. Also I just levelled up which seems to not be the greatest sign.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you level when we first entered the Mythhold?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Fast levels only happen if you repeatedly challenge yourself. I¡¯m worried about what''s ahead.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t know until we get there.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t swim¡­¡± Leif said, then paused. That was a whole lot easier than before. His voice was still raspy and hoarse but the rity and speed with which he could speak¡­ like night and day, as if he had been trying to use cutlery with his toes. ¡°Huh? Did your skill finish fusing?¡± Sieg asked, noticing the change. ¡°Yes.¡± Leif nodded, reshaping the temporary tongue in his mouth felt smooth and intuitive. He licked the roof of his mouth just because he could. There wasn¡¯t any taste, he found that somewhat disappointing. ¡°I am too dense, I will sink.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it''s flooded with water¡­¡± The mage said, his brow knitted in concentration. ¡°But it definitely feels wrong somehow.¡± The passageway they were jogging down shook violently. Spider web thin cracks began to streak along the ceiling, barely illuminated by Marcus¡¯s purple sphere. Sieg stumbled against the wall to steady himself. He was over encumbered with mana shards, his axe slung over his shoulder instead of tucked away somece. Leif wanted to ask how the spatial storage worked but now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°If this cees down, we¡¯re all dead.¡± The yer grimaced. ¡°If your packs are too much, drop them, our lives are the priority now.¡± Leif shrugged. He was carrying the most but didn¡¯t feel too tied down. He was about to state as much when a malicious force came spooling from the direction they were travelling. Haunting whispers echoed through the hallway and the air grew thick and cold. Sieg swore, Marcus winced and Leif hissed at the sensation. ¡°You know what guys? Let''s find another way.¡± The seeker suggested. Then the ceiling began to copse behind them. Just one thing after another. Chapter 29: From Below Chapter 29: From Below The trio dashed forward, away from the falling stones and towards the terrifying presence. They would have outrun the copsing tunnel if every step didn¡¯t feel like wading through malevolent msses. A chunk of ceiling fell from above, Leif instinctually tugged at his newest skill. [Gold Iron Physique] activated as two arms of ethereal gold erupted from his shoulders. Unlike before the limbs were far more defined, and though they were still far from opaque the skill''s projections were distinctly more solid. Leif caught the rubble and tossed it aside, another b of stone crashed down but he rolled away. He used his two golden limbs to push himself quickly up to his feet. He spent a brief instant to marvel at how good the skill fusion felt. Before if I¡¯d tried a simr stunt the skills structure would have strained, maybe fractured. ¡°Push back the aura! Together, now!¡± Sieg bellowed. For a brief moment the spriggan was confused, push back? How? But the answer was clear as he felt the auras of both humans billow out and shove against the dark whispers. Leif copied them, his own aura pushed into theirs from behind. It worked, the malicious presence retreated and the trio dashed forward. And not a moment too soon, the way back came crashing down in a shower of stone and debris. Leif conjured [Under My Protection]s barrier to protect himself as he stumbled out of danger. Dust sprayed everywhere, turning the air into a chalky mess. ¡°Away.¡± Marcus coughed, a purple mist sweeping the air around him clean. Sieg just breathed out heavily, icy wind clearing away flying detritus. Leif was suddenly and acutely aware of the downsides of being able to taste from all over his body. Dust got everywhere, seeping into the tiny cracks between his bark. The three stumbled into the chamber they had barely made it into. From somewhere deep within the darkness the sounds of something crashing around was heard. It seemed far enough away that Leif didn¡¯t suspect it was an immediate danger, whatever it was. ¡°Good news guys.¡± Marcus whispered. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t flooded with water.¡± ¡°After all this, we actually found our objective.¡± Sieg sighed. ¡°I¡¯d trade any amount of extra credit for my life at this point.¡± ¡°Found what?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Dungeon.¡± Marcus said simply. ¡°It''s the source of the awful aura, a ce where mana filters down from above and coagtes in the depths of the world. A monster breeding ground; depends on the type of mana what kind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m betting undead. Or death attuned monsters at least.¡± Sieg said, worry in his voice. ¡°Lets hope there are no corpses lying around down here then.¡± Marcus said, ever the optimist. They took in the rectangr chamber as the mage sent a ball of light zipping around. Every ten metres or so was a small side room carved into the walls. Within were person sized te stone boxes. ¡°We need to leave. Right now.¡± Sieg barked, no longer keeping his voice low. ¡°Shit, shit shit.¡± Marcus said as he closed his eyes. He winced after a second. ¡°No good, you¡¯ll have to carry me out if I try that again. But it should be to the right, I can feel an exit in that direction.¡± ¡°Towards whatever¡¯s breaking things.¡± Leifmented dryly. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Suboptimal?¡± Marcus finished with a wink. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, what''s the worst-¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. Sieg and Leif both stared the mage down, he didn¡¯t finish his sentence. The northerner took the lead, he ran down the length of the room, Marcus and Leif hot on his heels. They reached an intersection and skidded to a stop. Three more chambers, identical to the first spread out in cardinal directions. On the floor of the intersection were deep inset w marks, as if somethingrge and not overly adroit hade through not long ago. Leif heard an unsettling chitteringing from the right. It reminded him of something but the memory was fleeting at best. Quiet thudding sounds began to spill out from all four chambers. ¡°Why is there a mausoleum down here?¡± Marcus muttered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem fair.¡± Sieg hefted his burden of mana shards. ¡°Right, let''s move.¡± They half sprinted half snuck as they went, the banging from the stone coffins became louder and louder. Leif felt faint hostile intent lock onto him from the newly animated corpses. But there was something else, he could sense a power not unlike lifeforce from within the tombs. But it was off, twisted in an indescribable way. A skeletal fist punched up from below, but the trio didn¡¯t stop to say hello to what was undoubtedly a friend in waiting. The sound of a stone lid sliding free was quickly followed by another. Chittering came from the direction they were headed, louder and more distinct. Again Leif felt an odd sense of connection. It reminded him of a muddy field soaked in blood. Of rain pouring down in endless sheets. Of dark humanoid figures marching in ominous lockstep. He shook the memories away, now wasn¡¯t the time to get distracted. They passed through countless tomb-filled rooms, each filled with undead mbering to break free of their prisons. Marcus¡¯s purple sphere of light reached the end of the chamber first, there it illuminated arge rounded door made of stone. It had been split down the middle like a lumberjack would divide logs. There was no other way to go, undead began to climb to their rotten feet. Sieg cursed, Marcus licked his lips and Leif tensed his conjured arms. Then they entered. Thankfully their destination still had the Mythhold¡¯s natural blue glow. The soft light gave definition to the shape of therge round room. Not dissimr to the one with the mana geode, though almost three times the size. A titan towered above the far wall, it held a sword up as if in victory. A silver sheen lit up its metallic body. Leif noted that the statue was almost identical to the one in the city za. In circr patterns on the floor were mosaic depictions of men and women in battle, their weapons aglow with brilliant silver light. Eighteen ornate stone coffins lined the left and right of the chamber in small alcoves, they were perfectly spaced, each with a smaller metallic statue at the coffin''s head. An insectile creature the size of a small shack struck down into one of the coffins, the stone split with a crack that shook the air, disturbing resting particles. It was long and surprisingly slender for its size, six segmented legs and wickedly sharp mandibles. It chittered and turned to the trio. Now facing them Leif noticed more details. Patches of rot snaked along its cracked obsidian carapace, a sickly ck-green light flickering within its wounds. What''s more, the same twisted unlife energy dwelled within. Refugees streaming into a city fronting a vastkeside. Scared vigers, destroyed lives. A month of two armies going back and forth, neither engaging. Victims on both sides. The golden blood in Leif¡¯s veins ran cold. Faces he no longer recognised shed through his racing mind before dissolving into rain and darkness. Leif hissed, anger churned deep within his soul. The enemy. Fragmented images from a long fought battle bubbled to the surface. A part of him desperately wished to grasp these memories. To be as he was, but Leif doubted he had the luxury of time. ¡°Enver.¡± Sieg spat. ¡°I thought they had all been killed during the war. There shouldn¡¯t be any more in Pherin¡± ¡°Apparently not¡­¡± Marcusmented. The undead ant monster observed them each carefully, it¡¯s antenna twitched in apparent displeasure. ¡°We need an exit Marcus, we need one right now!¡± Sieg snapped as he stepped forward, mana shards ttering to the ground as he brought his axe into a ready position. ¡°Behind the statue, there¡¯s a small tunnel.¡± Leif stepped up beside Sieg, his golden eyes alight with boiling emotions. His internal energies thrummed with anticipation. ¡°Can we kill it?¡± Therge man looked at him like he was insane. Hostility, hungry and frenzied,nced into Leif with an almost physical force. The colossal ant reared up and shrieked, the sound shook the chamber. Then it charged. Chapter 30: Arisen Myth Chapter 30: Arisen Myth It charged. Marcus called his gauntlet and retreated clockwise around the chamber. Sieg flooded the floor with as much ice as possible then went counter clockwise. The enver didn¡¯t care, it charged right through the field of ice, ignoring both humans andunching itself at Leif. The spriggan didn¡¯t have time to run, he tossed aside his sack of mana shards and raised two sets of arms in a cross before him and triggered [Under My Protection]. The skill''s golden barrier red to life as gleaming ck mandibles went for his throat. The monster''s natural des sliced through the shield with minimal effort, the attack''s momentum barely halted. But Leif was ready for it, he braced and caught the sword-lengthed appendages with the t of two sets of hands. Leif stepped in and amplified his weight using [Gold Iron Physique]. It was just enough to redirect the envers'' attack, Leif twisted and ducked as the monstrosity barrelled over him. Now under the creature he jerked himself to the left to avoid a spear tipped leg. Leif grabbed the limb and pulled. The ant buckled slightly and staggered to the side. Then to the surprise of everyone it tensed, then leapt into the air. It covered over twice its height in a single leap,nding sideways on the curved ceiling. Leif had let go of the creature''s leg in an attempt to escape but suddenly found himself free. He shook out his hand, there was a strange twinge from where he had touched the enver. The colossal ant turned, its six legs stabbing into the chamber¡¯s wall. Purple light and a yelp came from behind Leif as he sensed Marcus¡¯s sudden spike of fear. One of the stone coffins the enver had opened burst outwards sending shards of stone flying in all directions. Purple arcs of light lit up the dust cloud as Marcus unleashed on the coffin''s inhabitant. Leif couldn¡¯t spare the man a second nce, the monster above him chittered, then spat a condensed orb of acid with tremendous force. Focusing on his [Might] attribute Leif dodged to the side; he was only barely in time. Where he had been a moment prior was a sizzling and churning puddle, it rapidly ate away at the mosaic tiles below. Another orb, this one aimed for where Leif was moving. The second golden barrier of the fight manifested with a sh, the acid impacted the skill''s construct and immediately began to melt the working into dripping essence. A third globule of spit shot from the envers mouth but Leif partially extended his conjured limbs and used them to pivot off the ground and out of the ssh radius. Cold burst from one side of the room. Sieg bellowed in response to a de of silver that hadnced out from one of the closed coffins to spear him through the bicep. Cracks resounded from all around the chamber as the undead broke free of their tombs. A skeletal figure wed its way out of its confinement. It manifested a sword of shimmering silver in its hand. Sieg put an ice spear through its skull, it copsed instantly. Marcus hastily backpedalled away from the coffins closest to him, firing off bolts of arcane power as he did so. The enver screeched and dived from its perch, Marcus sted it as it fell, purple arcs of power crackled up its left side and along several of its legs. The monster twitched involuntarily as its descent turned from predatory lunge to uncontrolled tumble. Leif quickly stepped to the side of where it would fall and readied himself. Another st of cold chilled the chamber but he didn¡¯t have time to look. The ant crashed into the floor, sending mosaic tiles and shards of ice and mana flying. The spriggan cocked back two fists, one real and one ethereal gold. Then he struck with everything he could muster. The envers'' carapace dented inwards as the force of Leif¡¯s blow partially lifted the creature''s entire body. It screeched again but Leif didn¡¯t care, he punched into its side again with his other fists, then again with the first set. With each blow foul ichor and twisted energies flowed up Leif¡¯s hands and into his body. He winced at the disgusting sensation, but keptunching blow after blow. Hostile intent flickered from behind and Leif broke off his attacks to duck to the side. Too slow, a beam of silver light shed down from above and into his upper back. One of his ethereal arms broke apart from the impact, his natural limb red with pain but wasn¡¯t severed. Motes of silver light floated around him as Leif reeled from the blow. Then they snapped into a hair thin line. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. A skeleton with glowing silver eyes blurred towards him, a spear of equally radiant silver struck forward along the exact trajectory of the line of mana. It stumbled to a stop with the weapon plunged into Leif¡¯s abdomen and out the other end. Leif hissed out air as he was lifted a foot into the air where he hung impaled. There were certain benefits to not having the standard human suite of vital organs. The fact Leif didn¡¯t die due to being stabbed all the way through was one of them. The undead cocked its head to the side, as if considering a curiosity. Leif red down, his amber gaze meeting its one of silver. Death energy crept up his arms, ck veins appearing to mark their progress. It was as if the undead had activated a skill on instinct but now had no idea what to do. Leif panicked, unsure which threat was more urgent. The weapon lodged through his body or the foul magic turning his extremities numb. He sensed the giant ant begin to get back up and knew he didn¡¯t have much time. Since the undead seemed intent on using him as a makeshift g Leif focused internally. The energy had entered his body as he had struck the likely undead enver. [Blight¡¯s Bounty] should only absorb vitality. But this is very clearly not lifeforce. Leif thought. He used [Grand Action] to focus on his [Spirit] attribute as he willed his amber blood tobat the intrusive death energy. He pushed against it, trying to forcibly shove the corrupting substance from his body. Almost immediately he realised it wouldn¡¯t work, so Leif changed strategies. Instead he willed [Blight¡¯s Bounty] to convert the unlife-force. It was a slow process, amber blood began to eat away at the encroaching death. But he wouldn¡¯t have enough time. The enver reared up behind him, chittering with madness. Leif felt ravenous intentnd heavily on his shoulders and began to struggle. The spriggan increased his weight and the undead holding him staggered. Three more undead began to close in on his position and knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. In desperation he pulsed his aura with as much force as possible against the dungeon''s malevolent presence. === ¡°Leaf!¡± Marcus called, as he preemptively ducked a horizontal swing from a one armed skeleton. The mages eyes darted from the impaled spriggan to the dozens of mana shards littering the ground beneath and around the giant ant. He sted the one armed skeleton with a bolt of arcane power, then he turned and fired at the mana shards. The energy from Marcus¡¯s skill, infused with his will and intent, rapidly danced from one lesser shard to another. They cracked, then detonated in blinding shes of blue light. But he couldn¡¯t check to see if the spriggan had survived, [Path of Fate] alerted him to imminent danger and [Nimble Steps] carried him away. And not a moment too soon, another skeleton, this one wielding a hammer of brilliant silver struck at the seeker with terrifying force. The undead were the most bizarre creatures Marcus had ever encountered. He¡¯d seen undead before, but there was something distinctly off about how these skeletons were fighting. They¡¯re stumbling around as if drunk, but their attacks and skills are far too precise. It''s like an expert warrior in the body of a toddler¡­ Wait¡­ Throughout the Mythhold monuments and artworks depicting warriors of myth wielding weapons of silver. Mythical. He realised with a shock. These are the bodies of mythical ss holders. They still have those sses! === Sieg fought three undead at once, shards of ice surrounded him, orbiting him as if he were the centre of a great blizzard. They warded off the mostly mindless attacks but the undead were the most inconsistent opponents the yer had ever fought. One of the undead came at him, its unstable movements suddenly smoothing out into perfect sword strikes. It took all of Sieg¡¯s attention to stay alive for the three seconds the skeleton pressed forward. Then it faltered, the mastery of battle and swordsmanship fleeing as if it were never present. Sieg heard Marcus call out, and though he wanted to see why he simply didn¡¯t have time. He bisected the undead and spun to face the next. Then a blinding sh of blue light came from the centre of the chamber. Disorientated, Sieg willed his elemental powers to st out in all directions. He instinctively rolled away from the closest skeleton. Sure enough, a sharp pain to his cheek confirmed that the monsters hadn¡¯t been blinded. === Leif sailed through the air. The spear of silver impaling him slowly dissolved as he flew gracelessly up and away from the now scattered remains of its wielder. It urred to him at that moment that [Grounded Stance] only worked when you were, you know, grounded. The spriggan would soon rectify that mistake as he crashed up against the curved ceiling and bounced off. Hended to the floor with a thud, his weight crushing tiles beneath him. Leif groaned and tried to get to his feet, but he couldn¡¯t move. The death energy was rendering him incapable. He couldn¡¯t see the enver but he could feel its rage and unsated bloodlust. It seemed obsessed with him, and as hungry intent began to lock onto him from every direction he suspected something was making him appear like a tasty treat. If pushing the death energy out didn¡¯t work. And converting the energy is too slow¡­ Leif hissed as he realised he would have to do something stupid. Chapter 31: Endearing Idiocy Chapter 31: Endearing Idiocy All important discoveries are made when someone says; ¡®This is a stupid idea, but let''s do it anyway¡¯. Most spectacr failures are also predated by these exact words but don¡¯t let that stop you from trying! The first ¡®this is a stupid idea¡¯ came from Leif. The spriggan had, by mostly luck,e to the admittedly correct decision to hope his newly upgraded [The Well Within II] could overpower the rampaging death energy within his body inbination with the conversion from [Blight¡¯s Bounty]. So instead of fighting the power he decided to draw it in. The closer to his centre of mass the distorted vitality travelled the more at the mercy of Leif¡¯s amber lifeforce it became. It reached a crucial moment of near imbnce, corrupting darkness met a surge of amber life, then its advance grinded to a halt. Bit by bit the golden energy within Leif gained ground, and as it gained ground it absorbed, then converted the power into amber tinged vitality. And as Leif absorbed more and more [Blight¡¯s Bounty] finally began working as intended. Gold mixed with sickly dark green in a maelstrom of conflict. Death sought to subvert and decay, Life consuming and springing up from death. With every moment [Blight¡¯s Bounty] grew in strength, for every portion of grim power harvested Leif edged closer to victory. He couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t breathe. His vision flickered fitfully as his mind went nk. But only for an instant. Vitality surged as Leif went from the brink of death to full to bursting with life energy. His wounds began to heal at a visible pace and the deathgrip his body was under had vanished. What was more, his attributes began to soar. From ten percent, to twenty, to the maximum of plus forty percent to all attributes. As the undead began to swarm him four golden arms burst from his sides with a thrum of power. They were the most solid manifestations the skill had ever produced. As one, they pushed off the ground, Leif kicked up into a standing position. Far faster than before, heshed out at the undead, a de of silver bounced off a manifested shield now empowered by his increased attributes. The enver snapped its mandibles together and lurched forward to attack. It battered aside the smaller undead in an attempt to reach the spriggan. Leif wasn¡¯t delusional, he knew he couldn¡¯t beat the enemy before him. But for the past he couldn¡¯t remember, and the moments he had lost. Leif wanted to try anyway. === Frost built up around the colossal statue that framed the exit tunnel to the chamber. Sieg quickly nced inside but it was too dark to see anything. ¡°Marcus!¡± He roared. ¡°Get into the tunnel! We need to leave!¡± The mage sted the enver from the side, but the massive insect didn¡¯t even look in his direction. ¡°Right!¡± Marcus replied, trading ces with Sieg and entering the narrow passageway. The glowing purple of his gauntlet lit up the space beyond. Sieg cracked his neck and turned to see Leif about to be turned into wood chips. ¡°Oh for fucks sake.¡± He muttered, parrying an undead''s strike and driving it away with a st of icy wind. ¡°Marcus! Is the way clear?¡± ¡°There''s a locked door, give me a minute!¡± The seeker called back. Am I about to do something stupid? He asked himself. A part of Sieg, a part he had grown to hate, insisted on leaving. On walking out and starting fresh. It was a survival instinct honed over years of mistrust and istion. It was a constant battle to not leave everyone and everything behind. Marcus, the expedition, the academy, hells, the empire itself. This instinct had saved him once, but now it was outdated, unneeded. He swallowed thickly, the spriggan hissed as one of its corporal arms was severed by the wicked mandibles of the undead enver. Come on Siegfried, why is doing the right thing always such a burden? He chastised himself. Then Sieg charged. He only needed a minute. === A few metres into the dark passageway were stairs carved out of the stone floor. Marcus had found it fascinating ever since he and Sieg had arrived in the Pherin Mythhold, how this fantastical structure had been built. He could understand such colossal building projects being undertaken in the empire proper, but out here in the frontier? It boggled the mind. Though he supposed that during the ancient times where humanity was said to have dominated thends anything could be possible. The distinct, perfect curvature made by stone attuned mages could be seen in every chamber, but to make something so intricate and detailed so deep underground¡­ ¡°Structural integrity is fascinating, but let''s focus on getting out Marcus.¡±He said to himself, reaching the top of the short flight of stairs. Before him was a doorway. Not one of the mana locked archways that the Mythhold had used above, and thank the gods for that. ¡°Marcus! Is the way clear?¡± Sieg¡¯s voice echoed through the passageway. ¡°There''s a locked door, give me a minute!¡± Marcus shouted in reply. And it was true. Finally he could make use of his [Fortune Seeker] ss to its utmost. He sharpened his aura, tapped into [Path of Fate] and reached out with his perception. The door was mechanically locked rather than thaumatically locked. Must have been builtter, I wonder where it goes? This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He continued to investigate the door, with every moment his understanding of the locking mechanism became clearer and clearer. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he heard the sounds of battle echoing from back in the chamber. Come on,e on¡­ He felt he was ready, focusing on the locked door he activated his [Create Key] skill. In his outstretched palm a small metallic orb manifested and began to warp into the shape he envisioned. It only took seconds but every instant felt like an eternity. Finally the magically created key was formed. Marcus grabbed it and pressed the object into the lock. It fit, he turned it¡­ nothing happened. ¡°Oh, no no no. Come on,e on¡­¡± He tried again. Still nothing. He retracted the key and refocused. ¡°The ridges are slightly wrong¡­¡± He returned the key to the lock, this time it half turned. He pulled it out once again. His hands were shaking and his breath came in short bursts. He liked acting calm and collected but these past few days hadn¡¯t been the most rxing. Marcus wouldn¡¯t describe himself as a fighter, his idea of a good time involved books and scrolls. He wasn¡¯t incapable, not like he had been, but the changes to his outlook and perspective on life during his time at the Academy weren¡¯t entirely transformative. Nor were they entirely positive. The key¡¯s shape stabilised, he slotted it into the hole and¡­ ¡°Yes! Finally.¡± It clicked into ce and the mechanism released. Ecstatic that It had worked, Marcus shoulder checked the door and burst through into a small circr room. It was a dead end. For a brief, horrifying instant the mage thought he¡¯d led Sieg and Leif to their deaths. But then his mind caught up with his eyes. He recognised the sigils carved into the floor, and he understood what they needed. Marcus swore, then turned and sprinted back the way he hade. === Sieg slumped against the shattered remains of a stone coffin. The blow from the giant ant had sent him flying bodily where he had crashed against the solid object. He spat out blood and struggled to his feet. One of his eyes was slick with blood and his arms trembled from the single attack he had blocked. Without thebat crash course in the statue room over the past few days Sieg suspected he would be dead. Leif skidded across the thoroughly ruined chamber as the enver struck out at the spriggan with one of its front legs. The nt monster had lost an arm and was practically leaking amber liquid from dozens of minor and major wounds. But he just kept fighting. Sieg didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but he sure wouldn¡¯tin about it. The remaining six undead with silvery glowing eyes had backed away from the fight as the monstrous ant went on a rampage. Their behaviour had suddenly changed and Sieg couldn¡¯t begin to understand why. He wasn¡¯t a monster behaviour expert, something he was now regretting. Live at the Academy for over a year, how about you learn something that might keep you alive? Damn fool. Sieg¡¯s attention shifted to the doorway the trio had first used to enter the chamber. Undead wed their way inside by the dozen. The horde they had been running from had arrived. And now they were out of time. Marcus came sprinting from under the statue''s legs. ¡°Sieg! I need your mana shards, the ones in your spacial bracer! Leaf! It¡¯s time to go!¡± === It had taken Leif three seconds to lose his arm. Not the best of showings if he was being totally honest with himself. He would have died if Sieg hadn¡¯t arrived when he did. For over a minute the two fought a desperate retreating battle. With every blow the enver grew more and more agitated, Leif¡¯s strikes stole tiny amounts of the dark potential that kept its body animated. Every little bit would slowly add up, but he didn¡¯t have the time. Even as Leif¡¯s body healed, his soul screamed with skill overuse. He snapped a final feeble shield up around Sieg but it had little effect, the yer was sent tumbling, his lifeforce flickering fitfully at the corner of Leif¡¯s senses. ¡°Sieg! I need your mana shards, the ones in your spacial bracer! Leaf! It¡¯s time to go!¡± Marcus yelled as he dashed back into the room. Leif nearly copsed from exhaustion right then and there. But that would have resulted in his almost instant death. Then the tide of undead washed past the monstrous ant. Sieg hobbled towards the exit as Marcus began conducting bolts of purple energy into the swarm of rotting limbs. With so many targets so close together the arcanist reaped unlife with every attack. Leif abandoned the idea of retrieving his arm. Hopefully it regrows. He thought wearily. The spriggan arrived under the statue, grabbed Sieg, then hauled therge man up the stairs. Marcus stayed behind, firing off bouncing arc after bouncing arc. ¡°Crush medium grade mana stones!¡± The seeker yelled over the wailing din of undeath. ¡°Throw the dust into the circle!¡± Sieg muttered something but Leif didn¡¯t catch it. Both of them stumbled into the tiny chamber. Sieg practically fell onto the carved floor. One by one he manifested a mana shard from his spacial storage item. Leif joined him, crushing the shards as quickly as they appeared. The dust touched the sigils engraved into the floor and dissolved with a sh of light. The magic circle flickered sporadically, growing in consistency and brightness with every passing moment. Marcus screamed something from behind them and Sieg reacted on instinct. Dozens of shards materialised all at once, the northman winced at the massive waste of money. They crushed five more before the circle lit up in brilliant rainbow light. Both Sieg and Leif vanished before either could blink. === Marcus watched the portal sh to life, he was so close. But not quite close enough. A fleshless hand grabbed his ankle as he ascended the final step. He fell to the ground. Boney tips gripped his boots and sunk through the hard leather. He winced at the pain but pushed forward. Marcus reached back and unleashed everything he could down the flight of stairs. It was a solid wall of writhing limbs and gnashing teeth. He supposed it was partiallyforting to finally see undead acting normal. The mage scrambled to his feet and made for the still glowing portal. His foot gave out beneath him. The undead that had grabbed him had severed muscles and rended flesh. Marcus let out a wordless scream as he hit the ground. His vision swam and his head pounded. He¡¯d been in rough shape prior to the fight due to the toll [Path of Fate] took on him with every repeated use. A screech of pure fury came from the stairs and the wall of undeath were knocked off their feet as somethingrge impacted them from behind. Marcus went ghostly white as the savage mandibles of the enver ripped a path forward through its fellow undead. It can fit into the tunnel? He thought in rm. I¡¯m so damn dead. des harder than steel and sharper than swords pierced into Marcus from behind. He briefly cked out from the intense pain. The undead ant thrashed its head from side to side, Marcus¡¯s spine was severed, he was incapable of doing anything. Everything went dark as death closed in, the rampaging enver barreled forward. Forward and into the flickering portal. The mage hit the rainbow light face first and vanished, the portal winked out severing both mandibles and a pair of front legs. Chapter 32: Surface of Chaos Chapter 32: Surface of Chaos Two deer munched leaves and grass on a hillside overlooking the shattered city of Pherin. As mundane, mostly normal animals the two creatures naturally had no idea what was going on. A sphere seemingly made of the night sky hung suspended a mile over the highest point of the city. Dark blue beams shed out from inside the gargantuan thaumatic working, the darkness having a diameter of over a hundred metres. Goblins poured from the city''s walls in their hundreds, the small green monsters were in such a panic theypletely ignored the two free meals observing the battle between incarnate and awakened. Eventually the beams stopped, which disappointed the deer. The light-show had been pretty. === Szesis wasn¡¯t nearly dead. And if you told him otherwise he would have killed you. Killed you after he had rested, not because he was the most injured he had ever been. Not that at all, he was simply sleepy. With a soul so overtaxed it was practically on fire Szesis swapped ces with hisst remaining shadow clone. It had been strategically ced to allow for an unseen escape, something the orc dly took advantage of. In an instant he had crossed half the city and found himself in the ruins of a structure so thoroughly destroyed he couldn¡¯t tell what it had once been. Above, his [Domain of the Night] spun slowly, like a pitch ck moon. Its presence shaded the entire city and amplified the darkness spooling from alleyways and creeping from crumbling buildings. But its true effects were on the inside. The formian called X was trapped within, her attempts to break free from the skill¡¯s grasp were futile. Eventually the beams of blue light ceased, the other monster had surely burnt through her ability to use that skill. It must have been one of her core skills. The battered and bleeding orc observed, it would be an important detail in their eventual rematch. Of course the formian had also seen one of his core skills, she was trapped inside it at that very moment. Szesis fully veiled himself in his aura, and waited. Not hiding. === X seethed internally, but externally she was calm and collected. During the fight her face hadn¡¯t shown a single emotion. Such things were weaknesses, and weaknesses could be exploited. As X hovered within the sphere of light she considered her situation. Her mother was close, she had been tracking her faint presence for months. To be told of the queen¡¯s supposed death had been an insult too grave to let slide. But now she was trapped within what she knew for certain was one of the incarnate¡¯s core skills. Her [Ray of Annihtion] wasn¡¯t suited to her current situation, and her other core skill absolutely wasn¡¯t. Sheunched beam after beam of gravitational power, the skill tore through the shadowy working but failed to create a significant gap. Chunks of the destroyed city hovered around her like debris from an asteroid field, but they too failed to free her. So eventually she stopped trying. Her insectile wings hummed behind her back, gravity magic keeping her otherwise poorly optimised body airborne. When she was free, X would hunt down the savage who had insulted her mother, her hive. She would rip its feeble limbs from its body and feast on the corpse. Time within the orc¡¯s domain skill seemed to pass far too slowly. Or maybe that was her impatience talking. X took in a deep lungful of air and centred her mind. It was important for a princess to be controlled and dignified at all times, how else could she control her subjects? But it was hard. So much harder than it had once been. She truly believed the path her kind had chosen to walk was the right one, and that no sacrifice was too great. The shadowy domain finally began to fade, instead of instantly leaving X pushed out her aura, her perception spreading down into the city below. It would be foolish to not expect an ambush, the orc had had far too much time to prepare. Now if only she could- X sensed something beneath her, far below. A familiar presence. The queen. Forgetting about her enemy X let herself drop. Down, down towards her mother, to where she would be home. Down, she could find her mother down. Down. The voice hissed into X¡¯s mind. Down,e down to me. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. For a brief instant X ignored the wrongness of the pull, she had finally found what she had thought lost. To exaltation of finally, blessedly no longer being alone. It thrummed through her body and resonated with her soul. Down. Down. Down. DOWN. DOWN. DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWNDOWNDOWNDOWNDOWN The formian pulled herself out of her dive. The feeling from below was twisted, hungry. She wanted to join it so desperately, to finally be whole once more. But that wasn¡¯t her mother, it was something else hijacking the connection. Before her mind could be overwhelmed and the ability to refuse the call was robbed from her, X flew away. She felt numb, empty, hopeless, defeated, She now had two enemies. Each insult would be responded to with blood. X would kill them both. Then she could die. But not before. === Szesis felt the moment his domain finally broke apart. But with his aura tightly constrained he couldn¡¯t sense the formian¡¯s movements. He waited, minutes ticked by. The air thick with tension. Finally he noticed something, a faint blip of mana nearby. The orc cautiously unspooled his aura and swept his immediate surroundings. Almost instantly he detected a sh of spatial mana from a nearby building. The sh was followed by two figures. Each presence was as familiar as they were weak. A human, and a spriggan. Well, well... What do we have here? === You have disyed excellence above your ability! For befriending, then fighting alongside the natural enemies of the Darkwoods you have gained the following! +2 to [Intelligence] +2 to [Charisma]! You have disyed excellence above your ability! For delving into the depths of an ancient structure filled with dangers, discovering a portion of its secrets and surviving all encounters when many would not you have gained the following! +2 to [Might] +2 to [crity] Leif and Siegy on the cold, dusty floor. A gentle breeze carried the faint smell of ash and blood through the mostly open structure they sprawled within. Rubble strewn pirs littered the remains of what had once been a magnificent temple. He blearily skimmed the newest system messages but quickly blinked them away. Now wasn¡¯t the time. The spriggan hissed and rolled to his feet. He stumbled when he attempted to use the arm that was no longer attached to his body. Where is Marcus? Leif looked around, no sign of the man. Sieg coughed and blood sttered the once polished marble floor. Leif reached out with his one remaining arm and tugged the man out of the magic circle. It won¡¯t do for us to be in the way when Marcuses through. He thought. But as the seconds crawled by the mage didn¡¯t appear. Leif stared nkly at the space the man, his friend, should be. But he wasn¡¯t. ¡°Marcus¡­¡± Sieg wheezed, as the muscr man dragged himself upright. ¡°Where is he? Marcus? Marcus!¡± Absently Leif reached out and grabbed the man''s shoulder. He pushed lifeforce into Sieg, hopefully it would help him heal from his severe, but not critical wounds. They both stood there in silence, staring nkly at the floor. Then, finally, Marcus appeared. And blood stained the floor. Before either man had recognised the state Marcus was in Sieg had darted forward and caught the mage. Instantly his armour and clothes were coloured crimson. Intestines oozed from the sides of Marcus¡¯s torso and flopped to the floor with a wet st. ¡°N-no¡­ No!¡± Sieg stammered. Therge man began to tremble. His whole body shaking. Leif rushed forward and grabbed onto the body. He desperately pushed vitality from himself and into the mage. Nothing. But the skill kept moving energy, Leif redirected everything he had into Marcus. No longer healing his own wounds he felt his lifeforce drain away at an rming rate. Nothing. Sieg reached for a pouch and withdrew a small ss bottle filled with red pills. He gasped out a sob as the bottle opened, then he forced all the healing pills into Marcus¡¯s mouth. Nothing. Leif conjured two ethereal arms. He ignored the spike of pain that ran through his soul and scooped up Marcus¡¯s guts. He pushed them into the gaping wounds and desperately held them shut. Nothing. For over a minute Leif flooded the unnerving still body before him with as much lifeforce as possible. His vision began to grow faint and the world began to spin. He grabbed Sieg¡¯s arm and began to drain, transfusing vitality from one human to the other. Nothing. The worst injuries on Marcus¡¯s body healed over, patched together in ways that would prevent the man''s death. Would have. If only they had been faster, if only they hadn¡¯t left him behind. If only they had been stronger. Nothing. Then the mage gasped in a lungful of air. Chapter 33: Hostile Negotiations Chapter 33: Hostile Negotiations A clone of shadow scaled the exterior of the devastated temple as Szesis watched through the copies senses. Both human and spriggan were in rough shape, clearly injured from a life and death battle. Didn¡¯t I throw two humans down into the Mythhold? There should be another¡­ Oh, there it is. The second human appeared with a sh of light a few momentster, Szesis immediately dismissed him as dead. He doubted anyone could lose that much blood and guts and walk away alive. But both human and spriggan tried everything they could to save him. As he watched Szesis¡¯ attention was drawn to the nt monster. A blight creature that can heal? Now that is quite the oddity. And to try and heal a human at that¡­ did the poor thing hurt its head from the fall? His quarry weren¡¯t going anywhere fast, so Szesis spent a moment to see if he could find X. After a few minutes of searching, the formian didn¡¯t seem to be nearby. The orc winced, rolled his shoulder, then swapped ces with his shadow clone as it hopped down into the temple. Wounded as he may have been, as a second strata incarnate there wouldn¡¯t be any danger. Szesis suspected he could fight them while sleeping. Regardless, it was best to deal with this quickly. Hended with a soft thud and conjured his de of shadow. To his surprise the human mage seemed to be breathing, his wounds rapidly healing. Well it won¡¯t make a difference. ¡°Gentlemen, tree. I¡¯m so d you made it out alive.¡± He said with a confident smile. ¡°I truly hope, for your sake, you have what I need.¡± ¡°No.¡± the dark haired human said, his tone lifeless. The man didn¡¯t even turn around, he just stared nkly down at what should be a corpse. Very rude. ¡°No? I can definitively say that''s the wrong answer!¡± The orc sneered. He pressed the tip of his de into the back of the dark haired human''s neck. He brushed aside matted braids and let the edge draw a trickle of blood. ¡°So tell me human. What exactly do you mean by no?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t find anything. I doubt it was there to begin with.¡± He grinded out through clenched teeth. His tone shifted from neutral to a slight spark of anger. ¡°Come on now¡­ If you¡¯re going to lie, don''t make it so obvious.¡± Szesis tutted mockingly as he lightly kicked one of the medium grade mana shards littering the bloody ground. He drifted the tip of his de to press against the neck of the crouching spriggan. ¡°Reassess your answer boy. Or I''ll kill this odd blighter and make you watch your friend bleed to death right before your eyes. I doubt he¡¯ll live much longer without constant attention.¡± Finally the human turned to face him. Szesis relished the look of fury, hopelessness and bitter resentment on his face. ¡°A mana geode, and argework of tombs. The lower floors will be littered with undead by now.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± The orc nodded. ¡°That is disappointing, I hereby dere you failures. You may now beg my mercy for your worthless lives.¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why did the world start shaking?¡± The spriggan asked. Wait a second¡­ ¡°You can talk, huh? Fascinating, very interesting...¡± Szesis said conversationally. Then he back-handed the spriggan through a pir. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever y games with me child. We¡¯re not in the Darkwoods, I don¡¯t have to pay lip service to your status.¡± The human at Szesis¡¯ feet tensed but wisely chose not to try anything. As the dust settled the nt monster rose shakily to its feet. ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ y. I¡­ couldn¡¯t. Learned while I was down there.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The orc grunted. ¡°Quick learner huh? Then why don¡¯t you exin your failure?¡± ¡°No failure. The building was falling apart.¡± ¡°If you want the myth.¡± The human muttered. ¡°Ask the skeletons, they might know.¡± Szesis cocked his head and let his sword vanish into motes of darkness. He crossed his arms. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Silver eyes, able to summon glowing weapons. The undead clearly had the ss depicted on all the murals and statues. There¡¯s a death-attuned dungeon in the depths of the Mythhold, though maybe it came from even further down.¡± The orc contemted the story. But it couldn¡¯t be correct, could it? Not a chance. ¡°That''s impossible. How can undead have¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°Oh¡­ Son of a bitch. No wonder the undead are so ahead of the game. Those bastards have been cheating this whole time.¡± ¡°Cheating¡­?¡± The spriggan asked hesitantly. ¡°Yes! Cheating. No other monsters can obtain auxiliary sses so easily. If the undead have been turning powerful humans and monsters¡­ Fuck! Do the other factions know? And if they do¡­¡± Szesis began to pace, deep in thought. ¡°There was an undead enver down in the dungeon.¡± The human stated ndly. The orc froze, then he noticed the severed mandibles and insectile legs. What? So the formian princess wasn¡¯t nuts after all? ¡°How big?¡± He snapped, already knowing the answer. It wasn¡¯t one he liked. ¡°As big as a small building¡­¡± ¡°So the queen was here... No wonder the princess was so excitable.¡± He muttered. ¡°Princess?¡± The spriggan asked. ¡°Another ant?¡± Its tone was surprisingly sharp. Szesis waved the question away. ¡°You think I did this to the city? Nah, it was an awakened ant called X. Around level one fifty, maybe sixty. Real deficient in the brain department, awakening is bad for one¡¯s health you see.¡± Both man and spriggan tensed. He ignored them both, fear was a natural response if you were pathetic and weak. ThoughI suppose it is partially my fault. Oh well! The orc yawned and stretched. ¡°Alright. For rying such intriguing information you get to live. Best of luck with the blond one.¡± He began to walk in a wide circle around the ruins, two pairs of eyes followed him, unsure if he was telling the truth. A tendril of shadow stretched out from a crack in the temple''s wall, it slithered towards the de-length mandibles. Then Szesis, and the severed appendages vanished in a puff of shadow. === Another ant. Something so powerful it nearly brought the city down on their heads. Leif thought as he trudged through the shattered city. Marcus was unconscious and slung over his back while Sieg used his shoulder to walk. To call his exhaustion bone deep wouldn¡¯t be metaphorically incorrect. He and Sieg had chosen to find some-ce away from the city centre to rest. The sheer level of devastation was shocking. Giant lines had been carved into the streets and split buildings in half. Chunks of the city had seemingly been scooped up from the ground and tossed around like a child ying with coloured blocks. If the battle had destroyed the other end of the teleportation circle¡­ Best not think about it, it wouldn¡¯t do him any good to lose focus. With every step his fatigue built, his body grew heavier and heavier. Leif wanted to exit the city and return to where he had left the hundreds of animals that had followed him. But if he was honest with himself the possibility of them making it that far without copsing was next to none. He was totally drained. If it weren¡¯t for the innate healing of his [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss Leif suspected he would be a corpse several times over. Fascinating how such an innocuous part of the ss''s perk was so helpful. He contemted, half delirious. Then he saw something that made him certain he was hallucinating. He skipped a step and almost fell, Sieg cursed and stumbled. Two deer. Two stupid, idiotic, insane deer. They emerged from an alleyway a dozen or so metres away and stopped to stare at him. Leif stared back. His one arm twitched involuntarily. Sieg grumbled and regained his bnce. Then he too stared. For thirty seconds this moment of frozen time extended. Then Leif broke it. ¡°What the hells are you doing here?¡± Chapter 34: Sanctuary Chapter 34: Sanctuary As the sun began to set two humans, a spriggan and a pair of deer walked into a destroyed bar. There was no punch line, or an actual bar for that matter. The building had been split down the middle from a st of condensed energy. Fires lit up the night sky, weaving trails of smoke were blown away by the crisp evening wind. If Leif never went underground again in his life he could die happy. He stared down at the stump he had in ce of an arm, the wound ached with a phantom pain. Both deer nuzzled up next to him, both fast asleep. Leif drifted off, his hazy mind incapable of remaining awake for even a second longer. === A pack of goblins stalked the early morning. Their quiet footsteps and small frames made them quite unnoticeable in the twilight of dawn. They passed a block, then rounded a bend and came across an interesting sight. Two forest creatures were drinking from a fountain that by some miracle hadn¡¯t been destroyed in the chaotic events of the prior day. The monsters snickered greedily and scampered forward, both creatures, a local variety of deer, werepletely clueless as to their imminent deaths. ¡°No.¡± Said a voice from behind. The small gathering of little green men slowly turned to see a human sized being made of ivory white wood and with red leaves sprouting intermittently from its body. The goblins all gave each other the ¡®Is this thing for real?¡¯ look, then charged. ===Leif, trailed by the two deer, returned to the ruined bar where he had left Sieg and Marcus. After that early morning snack he was feeling much better. Sieg up nodded slightly as the spriggan entered the building, then gestured to the pale sleeping form of his friend. Marcus was in rough shape, but considering he had been disembowelled just over twelve hours ago, being alive at all was a good sign. Leif crouched down next to the mage and transferred his newly gained excess of vitality into the man. He shifted slightly but didn¡¯t wake. His breathing became stronger and after a few moments his paleplexion began to fade away. Sieg let out the breath he had been holding. ¡°He¡¯ll live?¡± ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± ¡°I really thought I¡¯d lost him back there.¡± Leif nodded. ¡°Me too. I¡¯m d¡­ d we¡¯re out.¡± The spriggan gazed up through the cracked ceiling and let his eyes follow the beams of light streaking in from above. The taller man grunted. Then an orb with a metallic base appeared in his hand. The spriggan didn¡¯t say anything as he watched the human work. After a few minutes the orb shed to life, then it returned to being inert. ¡°Need Marcus to operate it.¡± He said. ¡°My touch won¡¯t give it the range or rity to contact the expedition.¡± ¡°How does it work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s connected to a primary unit, one being carried by the main expedition group. When I push power into it the device tries to locate the other. But I¡¯m not suited for its operation, I¡¯m all ice and steel, but Marcus has an evolved [Seeker] ss and can control arcane energies. His power is¡­ aspected correctly.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Aspected?¡± Leif asked. Sieg grunted. ¡°Your skills, or more likely your sses dictate the kind of power you have. If you open up your system status you¡¯ll notice that your skills all have something called ¡®aspects¡¯. The theory goes that each person''s collection of aspects and ss perks slowly makes them attuned to those kinds of energies.¡± ¡°This is all first year academy stuff.¡± The man shifted and took a bite of a ration bar. The deer eyed the food with keen curiosity. ¡°Being attuned to an energy type makes controlling it easier, but it also dictates what you can use it for.¡± ¡°I¡¯m attuned to ice and battle,¡± Sieg continued, ¡°delicate thaumatic instruments don¡¯t respond well to my will.¡± He grunted, making the device vanish. Now that Leif paid close attention he noticed a slight blur before and after objects were summoned and dismissed in and out of the spatial item. ¡°So.¡± Leif said, after he¡¯d skimmed through his skill aspects. ¡°Blood and¡­ body? Social?¡± Sieg snorted. ¡°Social? You really do have the [Noble] ss don¡¯t you?¡± He took another bite. ¡°I¡¯m not really a good teacher. But basically mana is all around us, it¡¯s a force you pull on to activate your skills. Mana surrounds us, it''s in the air and the walls and the nts and so on. It has a¡­ a will of sorts. Or maybe it responds to the wills of others. If you¡¯re in a ce with more mana your skills get stronger, but the same is true in reverse.¡± ¡°Spell skills allow someone to mand¡¯ the mana of the world. Make it act in ordance to their will. It¡¯s what Marcus can do. He uses his [Arcane Spells] skill to amplify his other skills in ordance to his attunement.¡± Leif thought he understood. ¡°So, because Marcus has a [Seeker] ss, he can make the device find its other? He¡¯s good at finding things, and that''s the purpose of themunication machine?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Sieg said, ¡°But we need to go somewhere safe, somewhere without goblins and undead and envers. If we had known how crazy this part of the frontier was I doubt the expedition would have been funded at all. It really seems like a lost cause.¡± Leif found the idea of the expedition fascinating. He knew they had been searching for dungeons, but he still wasn¡¯t sure why. He understood the need for somewhere to rest and recover. ¡°I have a ce.¡± He said. ¡°You do?¡± Leif nodded and stood. ¡°Assuming the goblins didn¡¯t reupy it. It''s a nearby vige. Oh, it''s full of animals.¡± ¡°Anything¡¯s better than here.¡± The man said. One of the deer took a bite from his ration bar. === As it turned out, Leif didn¡¯t need to be worried for the safety of his animals. The army of hogs had been¡­ diligent in their territorial protection. A sizable group of goblins had indeed made their way to the vige, but judging by the currentck of living monsters and the flock of happily grunting, squeaking or chirping animals swarming him, Leif was sure things had been okay. The spriggan had been worried for their safety, about what may have happened after he had left. He felt relieved that his worries had been for naught. Aforting warmth spread through his chest. It wasn¡¯t much, but he was d these creatures had followed him. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back.¡± He said andughed as two squirrels ran up his legs and started ying. The crowd of animals reacted to his voice with excitement. Right. I couldn¡¯t even talk when Ist saw them. He doubted they could understand him, despite acting strangely for wild animals they weren¡¯t that different. Leif led the thoroughly bemused Sieg into the vige and to a building that still had most of a roof. He carefully ced the still unconscious Marcus down and turned to Sieg. The tall man nced over his shoulder at the dozen or so forest critters watching from the broken doorway. ¡°I have no idea what is going on.¡± He said. ¡°But I¡¯m just going to ept it and pass out if that''s okay?¡± Chapter 35: Learning Chapter 35: Learning Leif was halfway through constructing a hog pyramid when Sieg emerged from the partially wrecked house. The spriggan had periodically checked on both sleeping humans every other hour. Both men should be in peak physical condition, from what he could tell from theirck of wounds and restored lifeforce. But there was more to someone''s well being than physical wounds. Leif could still feel the ache in his very soul from the overuse of his skills. Speaking of skills¡­ As Sieg sat down on a fallen log Leif looked through his current list in search of his next fusion. === [Amber Blight Spriggan] Gold Iron Physique / Amber Awareness / Blight¡¯s Bounty / The Well Within II / Settle [Noble] Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action / Under My Protection / Legacy [Brawler] Grounded Stance I === ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡± Sieg asked. ¡°Looking at options for my next skill fusion.¡± He replied, still reading over the descriptions of each ability in turn. He noticed something odd about [Aura of Nobility] but chose to ignore it for now. I don¡¯t know what a note is, or how it got there, but it doesn¡¯t seem important at the moment. Sieg nced at the orderly pile of sleeping hogs. ¡°Right¡­ listen, I owe you a whole lot. Me and Marcus both. If you need help with anything I promise to keep it between us.¡± Leif closed his skill list. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°People are usually very secretive with their attributes, sses and skills. Even at the Academy only the most basic information is freely avable.¡± The spriggan nodded, it made sense. If someone knew the ins and outs of your abilities they had a major advantage if it came to a fight. ¡°What about you, how can I help?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve helped more than enough. I owe you more than you could know. Even if we lost most of the mana shards we still have a small fortune. I can finally promote my [Frost yer] ss, I gained three whole levels from the craziness of the past few days. I¡¯m almost level fifty now. He took a deep breath, as if bringing himself back to reality. ¡°I can barely believe it. I¡¯m still shocked that we lived at all.¡± The twopsed into silence, there was a lot to say, but very few words worth using. ¡°We survived.¡± Leif said simply. ¡°Fuck yeah we did.¡± Sieg snorted. ¡°But again, it was thanks to you.¡± ¡°How about you tell me how you chose what skills to fuse?¡± Leif asked, his golden eyes twinkling with amusement. ¡°Sure, no problem. Let''s see¡­ Mytest fusion was the skills [Enlightened Reader] and [Encyclopedic Mind] into a skill called [Repository of Knowledge]. They were reading and memory enhancement skills respectively. Very useful to have at the Academy.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°What sses did they originate from?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an easy question. Both were from my [Schr] ss. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much ss experience you get for [Scribe] in just a year at that ce. I know that I didn¡¯t, not until I saw the levelse flooding in. The ss isn¡¯t a requirement to attend, but pretty much everyone is offered it at some point if they do. Something about being in an academic environment.¡± ¡°Is there a reason to not pick a ss?¡± Leif inquired, genuinely curious. ¡°Many.¡± Sieg said. ¡°Everyone has a ss limit, it starts at two, then increases by one after the level twenty five bottleneck, and again at fifty. If you¡¯ve filled your ss slots with sses you can¡¯t level, or have no synergy, you¡¯re in trouble.¡± He continued. ¡°There are plenty of stories of young people picking twobat sses then realising they have to fight to gain levels. The opposite is sometimes true, someone picking two technical sses and then realising they need to spend decades just levelling them to reach twenty five.¡± ¡°How many do you have?¡± ¡°Three total; [Frost yer], [Schr] and [Sworn]. [Sworn] is an auxiliary ss, inheritant, like your [Noble] ss. But auxiliary sses don¡¯t have slots like normal sses, instead you can only ever gain one of each type.¡± This made Leif pause. So I can¡¯t get another inheritant ss because I have [Noble]? ¡°Can you¡­ Remove sses?¡± ¡°Technically, but it takes months, years if you have more than a few levels. The process is apparently incredibly painful and usually kills the person attempting it. You¡¯re better off removing skills instead, but even that might cripple you for life.¡± ¡°Removing skills? To get below the advancement threshold?¡± Leif asked. Sieg nodded. ¡°Its grim work, the method was discovered a few centuries back. Discovered in the Academy no less. I know it''s something rted to how enchanters can imprint skills onto items, but I don¡¯t know the specifics.¡± I still need to lower my total skill count by one before I attempt the advancement trial. But if I could remove a useless skill like [Legacy]? Leif contemted, several ideas filling his mind. He shook them away, from what Sieg had said the process sounded dangerous. ¡°Anyway there are lots of theories and ideas behind the best way to fuse skills. Pretty much everyone will disagree and I¡¯ve witnessed two duels over debates that got too heated. Both me and Marcus did roughly the same thing though. We picked a skill we wanted to focus on and used it as the base for two separate fusions.¡± ¡°His gauntlet?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± The man picked up his axe, ice began to build on the weapon''s head. ¡°For me it''s a skill called [Frigid Edge]. It worked for us, but it isn¡¯t easy. Don¡¯t forget that each fusion increases the difficulty and cost of the next. Fuse like with like, avoid fusing things that are too different. For skills with ranks like aura,prehension and cultivation you should try to consolidate them.¡± The spriggan reread the skills again. Reevaluating his choices. ¡°But don¡¯t take my word for it. I¡¯m only an Academy second year. There are surely things I don¡¯t know. Leif nodded and had one final look through his skills. What could he do? And what did he need? There were a myriad of options, but only a few he could clearly picture the potential oue of. Initiate a skill fusion? Primary skill: [Amber Awareness] Secondary skill: [Court Empath] Fusion sess rate: Major Warning! Skills used in this process are lost after a sessful fusion! Warning! Newly fused skill will belong to the ss of the primary skill! You may only attempt a single fusion at a time! Commence skill fusion? Y/N In his time under Pherin, Leif had truly begun to understand the sheer usefulness of [Amber Awareness]. The ability to clearly see his mistakes from another perspective had been invaluable. Would the fusion allow me to see the present and past in greater rity? He pictured a skill that could observe his surroundings, then rey them with ever increasing detail. Like my personal window into the past. He epted the fusion and picked up another hog. Commencing skill fusion! Fusion of skills [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] 1/100% Chapter 36: Connections Chapter 36: Connections It was three dayster and Marcus still hadn¡¯t awoken. ording to Sieg, falling into aa-like state after being extensively healed wasmon. Leif held his mostly regrown arm up to the sun, the warming rays had been far morefortable ever since being trapped underground. Hey in what had once been a wheat field under a nket of animals. The spriggan had discovered a powerful newponent to his [Gold Iron Physique] skill; multi-petting. Four ethereal hands of amber each attended to a different creature. A shadow fell over Leif¡¯s body. He squinted up at the deer shaped silhouette. The cid animal looked down at him with using eyes. ¡®Without me?¡¯ Her gaze seemed to say. ¡®Do I mean so little to you?¡¯ He reached up with his real arm and scritched the deer¡¯s chin. The animal leaned happily into his touch. Sieg¡¯s voice drifted over from somewhere inside the vige. He seemed to be talking to someone. Is Marcus finally awake? Lief thought, carefully rolling to his feet. ¡°Shall we go take a look?¡± He asked the deer. It blinked at him. ¡°Guess that''s a yes.¡± Leif hopped over a partially copsed stone wall and strode into town. The deerpletely flubbed its jump and fell in a tangle of limbs. Leif shook his head, amused, and kept walking. ¡°-ead¡­ Yeah that''s what I said. Where are you?¡± Sieg said as he held themunication device. The man seemed less than pleased. Leif looked around but didn¡¯t spot Marcus. Had the expedition gotten within range? As he got closer the response from the device became more audible. ¡°-See the smoke from our position. Maybe a day out at most. You shoulde to us instead.¡± Said the voice. ¡°No Johan, we¡¯re noting to you. Marcus still hasn¡¯t woken up so I have no idea how you think we could. Anyway, why are you so far from the city?¡±¡°We pulled back when the light show started. And when we couldn¡¯t contact you until we got closer, the safety of the main expedition members became the priority.¡± Johan said through the device. Sieg grunted. ¡°Where is Hera? Shouldn¡¯t she be here by now?¡± ¡°Hera is-¡± The sound from the orb crackled. ¡°Lady Hera is travelling with Adriana and Linus so she couldn¡¯t go at her usual speed. ording to her, the monster activity in the region is rapidly bing abnormal.¡± Leif finally got close enough to see the man''s face. It was the same person who had demanded Marcus and Sieg kill him earlier. Not the most positive of first impressions. The man¡¯s dark bald head glitched in the orb, then his eyes fell on Leif. ¡°I see you failed to follow my advice? No wonder you¡¯re both roughed up. Trying to lead us into a trap, Siegfried?¡± ¡°You know damn well that isn¡¯t the case. Leaf here is an asset and a witness to the events that happened below Pherin. So get your ass up here and do your duty as coordinator.¡± ¡°My duty? Listen to me you damn savage. I don¡¯t know what it''s like in whatever shithole you came from, but in civilisednds we don¡¯t fornicate with monsters.¡± The man snapped. ¡°Besides. If you don¡¯t kill it, Hera will, and she¡¯ll have far more questions for you than I will.¡± ¡°You fuc-¡± Johan talked over Sieg. The device peaked in volume distorting his voice slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t care. I¡¯m third inmand of this expedition so I¡¯m ordering you to meet us halfway. Grab the Mage and carry him, I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses. And for your own sake Fried, ditch the nt.¡± The image within the device''s orb vanished. This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Third inmand my ass!¡± Sieg roared at the construct. He made the object vanish and turned to Leif. ¡°He¡¯s not in themand structure. Little bastard is letting being the coordinator go to his head.¡± The conversation had made Leif more than a little ufortable. Out of nervous habit he checked his skill fusion progress. Fusion of skills [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] 5/100% Sieg spat to the side and leaned back against a nearby wall. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Nah, we¡¯ll go in the morning. I¡¯m not too worried about Marcus, he should be fine once he wakes up.¡± The man sighed. ¡°I¡¯m bing more worried about you. If you wanted to leave us I wouldn¡¯t me you. People can get¡­ unsettled by monsters that are not bound by a [Tamer] ss.¡± ¡°Would I be in danger? If I went with you I mean.¡± ¡°Possibly. Johan doesn¡¯t pose a threat, he¡¯s basically a nonbatant. But he likes to run his mouth, the power tripping asshole. Hera might be a different story. She¡¯s¡­ she can be quite aggressive. And she likes to do things personally.¡± ¡°If we run up on the expedition unannounced she could very well st us into the afterlife out of reflex.¡± That¡­ that didn¡¯t make him feel any better. ¡°I see. Does she already know about me?¡± ¡°Not a clue, I doubt Johan mentioned anything. Or at least he hasn¡¯t yet.¡± Sieg sighed. ¡°If you doe along, how about we get you to wait a mile or two away and let us exin the situation first? Probably safer that way.¡± Leif nodded and offered a hand to help the man up, he had slowly slid down the wall during their conversation. Sieg smiled and epted the offer. ¡°It¡¯s so strange how heavy you are. I¡¯m a big guy, normally I at least make people struggle to grab me, maybe lose their footing.¡± ¡°There are some benefits to being a tree.¡± The spriggan shrugged. The two made their way to the house Marcus was sleeping in. A hog came squealing past while being ridden by three forest mice. Sieg eyed the sight but didn¡¯tment. ¡°He, um. The man back there, you¡¯re not from the same ce as him?¡± ¡°No. And I¡¯m better for it. Johan is from a southern imperial province, not sure which one. I¡¯m from thend far north of the empire. Though I suppose most imperials would consider where we are right now ¡®the north¡¯. ¡°I see.¡± Leif said, though he really didn¡¯t. He wondered if Sieg had a map? ¡°It¡¯s not the north unless you piss mead and fistfight bears.¡± Sieg continued. ¡°And the vistas¡­ most beautiful ce on earth let me tell you. Fjords filled with the purest of water, mountains wreathed in constantly swirling snow. Ice spiritse out to dance when music is yed, and during the turbulence¡­¡± The man looked off into the middle distance. ¡°The sky is set alight with rainbow lights, aurora¡¯s as far as the eye can see.¡± ¡°Sounds breathtaking.¡± Leif replied honestly. The man grinned at his words. ¡°So why did you leave? Come south to the empire?¡± Sieg¡¯s smile dropped. ¡°The north is beautiful, but it''s also dangerous. I inherited the title and ss of [Sworn], it''s a religious position within the tribes. My tribe¡­ they believe that the system is a test, it pushes us down because it wants us to rise. A twisted kind of offshoot of what Lashivites believe down south in the empire proper.¡± He continued. ¡°For months at a time, sometimes years, the north is cut off from the rest of the world. Sometimes it''s the weather and sometimes it''s migrating monster hordes. The high sworn of my tribe decided that these periods of istion were a divine test from the heavens. He wanted us to embrace these tests.¡± ¡°Did he get his way?¡± Leif asked as they approached the house. ¡°Yes, but also no. It took years for his constant suggestions to gain traction. And when they finally did, many of my people chose to leave. Families with young children or the extremely elderly, what the high sworn was suggesting would have been suicide for many. Eventually I opposed him, it wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do and back then, I was quite young, but he would have led us to our deaths.¡± ¡°So you left?¡± ¡°Aye. He was too low level to pass on his ss to anyone else. So it was just me and him. We were two months into our self imposed istion when I confronted him. It was a shouting match in front of the entire tribe.¡± Sieg shrugged. ¡°In the end I just walked away. I grabbed my shit and left, I didn''t look back. Kept going until I left the north entirely. From what I heard a few yearster many of the tribe had followed after me only a few dayster.¡± ¡°So you saved people? That''s good.¡± ¡°I saved myself.¡± He said without humour. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect anyone to follow.¡± Chapter 37: Shared Sympathy Chapter 37: Shared Sympathy Marcus was dead. Or rather, he felt like he was dead. He drifted in and out of consciousness over the course of several hours. When the memory of what had happened to him bubbled to the surface a soothing presence would chase it away. Two voices slowly filtered down through the haze. It took him several minutes to focus enough to make out who exactly was talking. The first presence was a familiar sharp frost, the second, a golden pir of authority. In his state of half awareness Marcus thought he sensed an intangible connection to the second, but it was fleeting, like moonlight through heavy cloud cover. ¡°That hardly seems fair.¡± Came a familiar voice. it sounded as if it wereing from far, far away. ¡°Fair? Not at all. We wouldn¡¯t know until afterwards but they were intentionally trying to get us expelled. When you¡¯re from a high born family or have a sponsor you can get away with a lot. Even if the Academy is fairer than most ces.¡± The second voice was deeper, aforting baritone. Marcus knew who that was. Sieg? And the other? Leaf? Marcus¡¯s foggy mind cleared bit by bit, and with it, the rity of the conversation sharpened. Oh, I remember this. Fun times. ¡°And they got away with it?¡± Leif asked. The spriggan¡¯s voice was significantly less pleasant than Sieg¡¯s. A raspy and hissing timbre to each word. Though it was far better now than when he had first started. ¡°Almost.¡± Sieg said,ughing. ¡°Even though we did the work as a pair, and the project had ten people per group. Our grade wasn¡¯t great, it wasn¡¯t terrible mind you, but just barely enough to pass. One of the little pricks tried to im that me and Marcus had ¡®sabotaged the project¡¯.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he intended for his usation to be taken quite so seriously.¡± Sieg continued. ¡°But somehow his family got wind of the story and pressured the Academy to take action. Which they did, and when they did they found that no, we hadn¡¯t sabotaged shit¡­¡± ¡°Ah, they got punished?¡± ¡°No, not really. Their family got some blowback but nothing really came of it. What did happen was the Academy quietly shifted me and Marcus into a different wing, so that was nice.¡± ¡°And you and he became friends afterwards?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Yeah, I realised being so standoffish wasn¡¯t doing me any favours. But in my defence anyone who acts so unreservedly friendly right from the start is suspicious.¡± Huh? What''s that supposed to mean? ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe you were too influenced by your past to see clearly?¡± Yes! Exactly! Leaf, you tell him. ¡°He asked me if I wanted to y ¡®Knight-Tiles¡¯ within the first thirty seconds of us meeting.¡± But it''s a fun game! You even like it- What the hells was that? A warm wet sensation pressed against the side of Marcus¡¯s face. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know what that was. He had to teach me.¡± Because you were uncultured- Ugh! What the shit? The wetness came again. Then something slimy entered his ear. Marcus yelped and sprang up, eyes snapping open. A deer stood at his bedside with its tongue out. Both man and spriggan turned to look at him. ¡°M-marcus! You¡¯re awake!¡± Sieg said as he pushed the deer aside. Leif shrugged. ¡°Told you it would be soon.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Marcus groaned. ¡°I¡¯m alive. Not sure how, but I won¡¯tin.¡± ¡°It''s thanks to Leaf. Some very potent healing skills.¡± Marcus gave the spriggan a thumbs up. ¡°Thanks a bunch buddy. You¡¯re still level twenty five?¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Leif nodded. ¡°Twenty scales you get a healing ss offered to you once youplete your advancement.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking that bet.¡± Sieg snorted. ¡°Because it''s obviously going to happen.¡± ¡°How far along are your skill fusions?¡± He asked Leif. The spriggan paused. Then answered. ¡°Six percent.¡± ¡°Only six? Sieg, get this man a mana shard. Wait, we have some of those right?¡± ¡°A handful. Two thirds of the medium grades are left, and they¡¯re the important ones.¡± Sieg confirmed. ¡°Give the tree some shards! He deserves all of them at this point!¡± Marcus eximed. ¡°We were waiting until you woke up.¡± Leif said catingly. ¡°Give him some shards, Sieg, where are they?¡± Leif already knew, there was a small sack of low grade mana shards on a mostly rotten table. He started absorbing them one by one while listening to Marcusin about the deer trying to nibble his hair. === Fusion of skills [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] 23/100% ¡°By the gods.¡± Marcus gasped. ¡°Why are there so many hogs in this vige?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are far too many, I agree. We need to regroup with the expedition. Preferably before we get trampled.¡± Sieg grunted. Fusion of skills [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] 41/100% ¡°He said that, did he? Johan is just projecting, he¡¯s from the middle of nowhere too.¡± ¡°Oh I know, he¡¯s a little rat that grasps at whatever power you hand him.¡± Sieg said as he hefted a small sack of his and Marcus¡¯s belongings. Fusion of skills [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] 60/100% ¡°If the undead reach the surface they¡¯ll try and turn every living thing they can get their hands on. It would be wise to send the animals somewhere safe.¡± Siegmented. Leif contemted this. Where would be safe? The northern mountains were full of dangerous monsters, should he send them back east? Would they even obey him? Leif looked at the two deer following Marcus around. Probably not. He thought with a sigh. === Fusion of skills [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] 100/100% A faint wisp of smoke hade into view. Its nearby presence signifying to the trio and their many, many animal followers that the expedition camp was close. The smoke rose from behind a series of low rocky hills. Sieg and Marcus had gone on ahead prior to Leifpleting histest skill fusion. While he waited, the spriggan had plenty of time to read over his newest skill. Congrattions! Your fusion of the [Amber Awareness] and [Court Empath] skills isplete! You have gained the [Amber Blight Spriggan] skill [Amber Sympathy]! === Amber Sympathy: Aspects: Perception (Time), Enhancement (Body)*, Social* The amber provides a glimpse into the past. You passively absorb information about what has recently transpired nearby, you gain this information whether you were present or not. The more significant or personal the events of the past, the clearer they be to your sight. You be more aware of your surroundings and are able to detect the emotions and intent of beings nearby. You may share a limited amount of this skills effects with those nearby. === And by read over, I mean adjust. Because, unlike before, [Amber Sympathy] was always active. Sure, like with most skills Leif could push the effects down with a mental prod and a slight exertion of will. But Leif wanted to get used to it. Just looking at the hundreds of animals revealed a transparent golden echo following each creature as they milled about, though the further from him they were the less visible the trail. He focused, and the echoes became more distinct, physical reality rewinding as what looked like amber grains of sand flowed all around. He could see the faint hints of the trajectory leaves had fallen, where footprints had been trodden into the ground. But most fascinating of all were the impressions and emotions. It was nearly indescribable, but Leif could almost hear the whispers of intent and feelings from the past as if they were a distant conversation. Leif waved his hands through the air, and where his hand passed, the spriggan could feel the path the wind had blown. But there was more. For the longer Leif focused on his surroundings the further and further back the gilded ovey of time rewound. It was, to put it as simply as possible, magical. Chapter 38: The Expedition Chapter 38: The Expedition Leif didn¡¯t know what to do. Should he do his advancement trial right now? He was currently at the skill threshold and Marcus and Sieg could be gone for a few hours to a few days. To advance beyond this point you must ovee an advancement trial! Warning! Advancement trials difficulty is based on your total number of skills. For every skill above a total of 10 difficulty will dramatically increase! Current skills: 10! Warning! Failing an advancement trial may result in the loss of ss levels! Advancement trial may only be attempted while at level 25! Any experience gained while at level 25 will be banked until trial ispleted! Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing the advancement trial! Good luck! Begin advancement trial? Y/N On one hand he wanted to do it right now. But on the other hand he didn''t know how long it would take. On the other, other hand he was alone and it was a good use of time. On the other, other, other hand if he was attacked while undergoing the trial he would only have a few hundred hogs to defend him. Hundreds of hogs wasn¡¯t an awful defensive strategy¡­ While he was trying to make up his mind Leif did what he often found himself doing while nervous. Look through his status. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Amber Blight Spriggan Age: 11 Attributes: Free: 2 Might: 37 crity: 44 Intelligence: 27 Willpower: 25 Spirit: 33 Charisma: 34 (+50%) Total Level: 25 The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. Monster sses: 1/1 Amber Blight Spriggan: 11/20 Skills: Gold Iron Physique / Amber Sympathy / Blight¡¯s Bounty / The Well Within II / Settle sses: 1/2 Brawler: 4/10 Skills: Grounded Stance I Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Grand Action / Under My Protection / Legacy === Every few lines he would nce into the distance, looking to see if there was any movement from the expedition camp. Marcus had said it was about a mile away and behind a series of low hills. Leif fidgeted with themunication device the two humans had left him. It was their only one but since the expedition was so close they had let him hold onto it. It suddenly hummed in his hand, for an instant Leif panicked thinking he¡¯d broken it. ¡°H-hey L-af we-¡± Came a crackling voice through the device. After a moment the connection stabilised, the voice bing clear. ¡°Meeting Hera a day south of here, shadow us as we move okay?¡± Said Marcus. ¡°That''s fine.¡± Leif said. It was odd talking into the device but he would get used to it. Leif knew at least one member of the expedition would rather he was dead, rushing things would only hurt him in the long run. ¡°Thanks buddy. Johan is having a fit so I¡¯ve gotta-¡± The device cut out. Leif sighed and ced the orb into the small sack he¡¯d been given to carry the delicate object. ¡°Alright.¡± He said to the animals. ¡°Let''s get moving.¡± === As the sun began to set and the quarter cracked face of the moon rose in the night sky, Leif came across something odd. Singing. Cautiously he approached the sound and came across an olderdy. Wrinkled with age and slightly rotund, she was ankle deep in a slow moving stream. She was humming a melody to herself as she washed arge pile of clothing. She wore arge smock and apron, both slightly frayed on the edges. Who is this? A member of the expedition? Or a local from a nearby vige? He contemted. If there was a popted vige nearby he would honestly be surprised, from what little he understood of the region''s history, the kingdom of Pherin had been invaded and annihted by the enved legions, with goblins moving in after the fact. So not a local. He looked over his shoulder at the mass of animals. He indicated with his aura for them to stay back and stepped towards the stream. The old woman happily went about her work, seemingly clueless as to his approach. Leif got within thirty metres then waited. She just kept singing away, working through the pile of dirty clothes. He waited some more. Feeling awkward, he tried to get the woman''s attention. ¡°Um, hello?¡± ¡°What is it deary?¡± She asked, not looking up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± He asked. Not expecting that response. ¡°Dinner is on the pot, it''s the twins night for serving duty. Did they burn the campsite down again?¡± ¡°No¡­ Um.¡± He floundered internally. It would be a lot easier if she just looked up. ¡°I¡¯m not from the camp. Are you with the expedition¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? By the heavens!¡± She eximed having finished a particrly dirty burgundy undershirt. ¡°It''s¡­ It''s¡­ Come a little closer, this old woman can¡¯t see very well.¡± Leif shuffled ufortably in ce, then did as she asked. ¡°Tall, well built. A nice ivory exterior. You know boy, with how our dear coordinator was going on about you I¡¯d imagined you having horns and fire.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He stopped. ¡°You know of me?¡± ¡°Leaf was it? Or Leif, that''s a fairlymon name in the northern kingdoms is it not?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°With an ¡®A¡¯ or an ¡®I¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh, with an I.¡± ¡°I see, we will head off once I¡¯m done here, I wasn¡¯t joking about it nearly being dinner time.¡± ¡°You¡­ you want me toe along. Wouldn¡¯t that be a problem?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem if you help this old woman with the rest of theundry.¡± Leif looked over his shoulder to check if he was being pranked. Dozens of pairs of eyes watched him with great interest, but it was the usual animal suspects. He shrugged and joined the old woman. Leif supposed he had more than enough hands to help out. === The spriggan carried the basket full of wet, but thoroughly cleaned clothes. The old woman happily chatted away about the time she was told the story by her friend about the time someone had told her that a cat had been rescued from a tree. Leif didn¡¯t even know the older woman¡¯s name, but as he listened to her ramble on about one topic or another Leif felt he knew far too much already. The spriggan, followed by the animal horde quietly plodded along as sheunched into a story about parsnip prices. What am I doing? He thought to himself. The old woman was surprisingly spry for her age. She walked and talked without missing a step, and the incline they were climbing was quite steep. When the tents of the expedition camp finally came into view she was regaling him with a tale of how she correctly timed the imperial markets. But Leif quickly found himself distracted. He also had no idea what she was talking about. Three dozen people milled around a small clearing. They were all different shapes and sizes, but they wore the same style of clothing as Marcus and Sieg, a well fitted uniform of grey and blue. The humans gathered around a central fire, bowls in hand. Several loudly chatted about one topic or another. The spriggan froze, unsure what to do. ¡°Come boy, those clothes won¡¯t carry themselves.¡± The olddy beckoned. Leif briefly panicked, reflexively opening his system window before calming himself. Am I really doing this? Should I be doing this? A hundred worries raced through Leif¡¯s mind. But he couldn¡¯t return to what he was by standing still. He stepped towards the camp. Chapter 39: Blade and Hand Chapter 39: de and Hand ¡°I normally do the cooking.¡± The olddy said as she casually walked into the camp. ¡°But it¡¯s Academy policy to teach those on expeditions basic survival skills. You see?¡± That makes sense. Leif thought as one by one every pair of eyes around the cooking fire turned to him. Suddenly he was very conscious of the fact he was carrying a basket full of clothing. ¡°Is it overcooked?¡± the elderly woman asked. ¡°Are we all going to get food poisoning? Again?¡± The group looked between her and theundry carrying spriggan. ¡°Lady Melissa!¡± A bald man eximed as he stood, hastily unsheathing his sword. ¡°Intruder in the camp! Drive it off!¡± Leif saw Marcus and Sieg get to their feet in the back of the group. ¡°Coordinator Johan.¡± The elderlydy, Melissa snapped. ¡°Put that sword away before you hurt yourself. As for the rest of you¡­¡± She red at the stunned crowd. ¡°You will not stab my assistant. Boy, go put the washing down by that box¡­ No, the shorter one.¡± ¡°I- I cannot believe it.¡± Johan spluttered. ¡°To bring this filth to our camp¡­¡± He wheeled on Marcus and Sieg. ¡°The monster has already corrupted Lady Hera¡¯s servant! How dare you do this to us?¡± Leif sensed the aura of the man, Johan, tremble in fury. It gave off the impression of shifting and interlocking machine parts. He deliberately tried to rx as he carefully ced the clothing to the side. So many hostile intents and emotions were quickly fraying his nerves.He wanted to push his newly acquired [Amber Sympathy] down, to no longer be able to feel the intent of those around him. But if they attacked¡­ the skill would be his only warning. ¡°We¡¯ve been telling you this for the past few hours.¡± Sieg spat. ¡°If you listened to us at any point you might understand.¡± ¡°Pah! This is why the Academy shouldn¡¯t ept savages, you¡¯ve led a monster right to us! While we¡¯re in the middle of hostile territory? Are you mad?¡± The coordinator snapped in response. The members of the expedition looked warily between Leif and the argument. A few fanned out or took on defensive postures but most stood around and gawked. ¡°Dear?¡± Melissa asked one of the onlookers, a young woman with two circr disks on her belt. ¡°Y-yes ma''am?¡± She replied, her gaze shifting from Leif to the older woman. ¡°Where is my little Hera? Has she arrived yet?¡± ¡°N-no. Not yet, the missive from earlier today is still the most-¡± Something in the girls pocket pinged. The sound deafening all muttered chatter. She fumbled for a moment before bringing a smaller version of themunication orb out. Johan stomped over and snatched it out of her hand. The object shed briefly, the man smirked. ¡°Spit it out.¡± Sieg demanded. ¡°Soon,¡± The coordinator said triumphantly, ¡°It says soon. The de ising soon.¡± For some reason several people all looked to the sky. Melissa waddled over to Leif with a bowl of soup. He hadn¡¯t even noticed her grab it. ¡°Want something to eat? It¡¯s dried fish and cream. Good for you.¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­ I don¡¯t eat.¡± He said. ¡°It''s important for growing boys to eat.¡± She stated with the confidence of seniority. ¡°I should probably go.¡± Leif said. ¡°I¡¯m not wee here.¡± And it was true, he could feel the hostility building up, disgust, anger and fear. Not all of it was directed at him, or at least not directly. It was more like what he represented was anathema to these people. Considering thisnd was destroyed by monsters, I can¡¯t me them. He thought. It all felt hopeless. This had been a mistake, how could someone, something, like him possibly be weed into civilised society? ¡°Nonsense, nonsense. You¡¯re a guest and it doesn¡¯t matter what the loud children over there say.¡± She said with a kind smile. ¡°My little Hera will be here soon, the two she was escorting arrived earlier today, it won¡¯t be long now.¡± ¡°Leaf!¡± Marcus called, pushing his way through the crowd. ¡°Sorry, we really did try to exin!¡± ¡°You exined wonderfully my dear.¡± Melissa consoled. ¡°I understood your words just fine, and my hearing isn¡¯t what it used to be...¡± Sieg swore at the group and told them to put away their weapons. They grumbled andined and did a fantastic job not listening. This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°There!¡± ¡°Over there!¡± Two new voices called at the same time. A young man and woman both pointed to the west, then they turned and red at each other as if they had been grievously wounded by the thought of speaking the same words. Leif looked to the west, and for an instant he didn¡¯t spot anything. It was because he was looking too low. Overhead the clouds parted as a thin streak of white sted through the nkets of darkening white and grey. Members of the expedition yelped and cursed, most scattering. The spriggan tensed. Then he looked down at the bowl of soup the old woman had put in his hand. ¡°Here shees. Just be yourself.¡± Leif thought that was possibly the worst advice he had ever heard. The streak of white arched downwards, angling towards the camp. It fell in a blur of speed, Leif¡¯s vision was barely able to follow its trajectory. One thing was certainly clear, it was heading towards the expedition. Itnded a good twenty metres behind Leif, what few animals hadn¡¯t been startled off by the yelling and screaming of the camp¡¯s denizens darted away. Dust exploded outwards, spraying over the nearest tents. A glowing arrow protruded from the dirt, then it warped and expanded, with a pop and a sh of white light a woman appeared in mid stride. She wore in, but form fitting clothing. Blond hair billowed behind her along with a shoulder cape of gold and grey. She took in the campsite with a quick, evaluating nce, then focused on Leif. The spriggan tensed as piercing hazel eyes bore into him. The space behind Hera blurred, a ghostly outline of an armoured figure wielding a bow apparated, string drawn and arrow knocked. Then the woman kicked off the ground, in a blink she was at his throat, curved de drawn. Hostile intent, sharp and immediate, like the crack of a whip kept Leif locked in ce. It was the only thing that prevented him from dropping the bowl of soup. For an eternal instant everything was still, all chatter and yells had ceased, the evening wind fading into the background. ¡°What.¡± She said, tone flinty. ¡°Is this? And why is it in my camp?¡± Leif felt her aura rise above him, it rose like a domineering tyrant, then crashed down like a wave. It was an almost physical authority, something that had been earned with steel and blood. Leif felt his perception unnaturally withdraw into himself, he knew that using a skill while suppressed in this way would be possible, but would take a great amount of effort. Wait, her aura¡­ it feels familiar. He realised. Then, as if attracted by a strange simrity between them, his own aura pushed back. Leif¡¯s aura was no match for Hera¡¯s, but the buildup of fear, anxiety and a healthy dose of anger allowed, for a brief instant, his aura to shine through the cracks of her iron grip of control. His authority rippled against her own, a marking of birthright. ¡°Interesting aura.¡± Heramented. Cocking her head slightly to the side. ¡°Thanks.¡± Leif deadpanned. She could almost certainly kill him, but after being kicked around like a ball not too long ago he had no intention of letting her do it for free. If she went for a killing blow, at the very least he would try and return the favour. ¡°You¡¯re the reported anomaly?¡± ¡°I suspect so.¡± ¡°Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t gut you like a fish.¡± Shemanded. Her tone broached no argument. ¡°Sieg and I owe him our lives, de.¡± Marcus said as he coughed dust and dirt from his mouth. ¡°I would certainly be dead without him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a witness to the events below Pherin.¡± Siegmented. ¡°And we already offered him the Academy''s assistance.¡± ¡°Did you now?¡± She asked, never looking away from Leif. The spriggan remained still but Marcus nodded emphatically. Hera narrowed her eyes, her already sharp gaze glinted threateningly. ¡°Oh, here¡¯s something interesting: In the southern deserts there are shape shifters who disguise themselves as people, manipte their way into towns and viges. They can hold a conversation, even act friendly¡­¡± Leif understood the implication. ¡®Prove yourself.¡¯ ¡°I have a [Noble] ss.¡± He said, that wouldn''t be possible if he were lying. Right? ¡°So you¡¯re level fifty. Forced some brat to impart the ss. I¡¯ve seen it happen. The line between monster and person blurs the stronger one bes.¡± She said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m only twenty five.¡± He hissed, her de bit into the bark at his neck. She tilted her head as if studying him from a new angle. ¡°Do you feel frustrated? Fearful? Desperate?¡± Leif couldn¡¯t nod with a sword to his throat. He just red back at her with two balls of glowing amber. ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of things more powerful than me doing what they want.¡± ¡°Amonint. Just get stronger, it worked for me.¡± ¡°Hera¡­ Dear. Don¡¯t you think this is enough?¡± Melissa asked. ¡°One can never be too safe, grandmother.¡± ¡°Miss Hera Kossia. The man you are threatening is someone I invited into our camp, they¡¯re a guest as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± The old woman chided. Hera sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not a de of the Academy grandmother, this isn¡¯t your choice to make. I must prioritise the safety of-¡± More words were exchanged but Leif wasn¡¯t paying attention. Something had shocked him to the core. Kossia. I know that name. But from where? Then the realisation hit him, like a brick through an expensive window. Leif blinked open his [Aura of Nobility]¡¯s skill description. === Aura of Nobility I: Aspects: Aura, Social* Your auric presence possesses traces of your noble baring and lineage. You may disy your intent through your aura, your intent has a greater effect on those with a weaker aura. You can control your aura in ways impossible without an aura skill. Notes: Keep this suppressed around the Kossia family. They¡¯re insufferable. Two yearster, one of them married my cousin! They¡¯re closing in! HELP ME! === Chapter 40: Tag Along Chapter 40: Tag Along ¡°Kossia?¡± Leif asked, his voice a questioning hiss. Hera raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. ¡°Oh, you got something to say?¡± Leif hesitated. I suppose it''s toote to back out now. ¡°I know, or rather, I think I knew that name.¡± ¡°You?¡± She asked with heavy scepticism. ¡°Knew me?¡± ¡°No. Maybe? I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember who I was.¡± She squinted at his words. ¡°Then. How. Do. You. Know. My. Family?¡± Each word punctuated with intent. ¡°One of my skills¡­ [Aura of Nobility] has a note attached to it. I didn¡¯t know what it was until your name was mentioned.¡± Leif exined. ¡°Do tell.¡± Hera said, keeping her sword raised. But her tone was less overtly hostile now, more curious. Like I have a damn choice. He grumbled internally. But he wasn¡¯t too upset, not when he suddenly had a lead to his past. He read over the note, then mentally shrugged. What''s the worst that could happen? ¡°It says: Keep this suppressed around the Kossia family, they¡¯re insufferable.¡± He kept his tone as t and neutral as possible. For the second time in only a few minutes everything went quiet. Except for the sound of Johan choking. Leif¡¯s response seemed to have temporarily stunned Hera. Though if that was a good thing or not he wasn¡¯t sure. Sheughed. A single, high note. It split the evening air like a particrly loud ranged attacking skill. The sword fell from the Spriggan¡¯s neck as Hera doubled over wheezing. Her initialugh turned into an avnche as more tumbled from her mouth. Leif nced at Melissa, the old woman had her lips pressed together in an amused line. Her eyes creased, theugh lines pronounced due to her advanced age. ¡°Sorry¡­ If that was offensive to your family.¡± He told the old woman. ¡°Not my family deary, I worked for the Kossia¡¯s my whole life. But I followed this one when she left the roost.¡± Melissa said as she smiled at Hera, the younger woman had fallen to the muddy ground. ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± Leif noted. ¡°P-please tell.¡± Hera snickered as she got to her feet. She wiped a single tear from her eye. ¡°Sure.¡± He said, shrugging. Without a sword to his neck Leif was far more willing to share. ¡°Two yearster, one of them married my cousin. They¡¯re closing in. Help me.¡± He said, keeping his voice neutral. Hera fell over again. The ghostly projection of the archer faded away into wisps of smoke. Leif could have sworn it gave the woman a disapproving look as it did so. ¡°So¡­¡± Marcus said, wringing his hands together. ¡°No violence? We¡¯re all good here?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. There¡¯s no way nt Boy over here could have faked something so urate. Oh man, it''s gotten so bad even the monsters know to stay away.¡± Hera wheezed. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know what any of it means.¡± Leif said. Actually can I even put notes on skills? Then he opened his system and tried to add a note. === Grounded Stance I: Aspects: Comprehension, Enhancement (body)* Grants instinctual understanding ofbat stances and their uses. Grants a bonus to bnce, footwork and stability while fighting in abat stance in which you have proficiency, bonus increased by degree of proficiency. Notes: Testing. === Huh, it¡¯s that easy. I should probably add something more relevant to the skill. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. === Grounded Stance I: Notes: Only works while grounded. === ¡°What¡¯s your name spriggan?¡± Hera asked, wiping a tear from her eye and regaining herposure. ¡°Leif Vin.¡± ¡°Vin huh? Vin¡­ It doesn¡¯t ring a bell. But my family has holdings in Epidor and Varan, kingdoms to the east of here. I never really paid attention to the politics and games, so I¡¯m probably not the best person to ask.¡± ¡°Leif is amon name in the northern kingdoms.¡± Melissa said as she took the bowl of soup from Leif¡¯s hand, she turned to the expedition members. ¡°Okay you lot, less gawking and more eating.¡± Epidor and Varan. The northern kingdoms. I¡¯m probably from one of them. Leif thought. Then he turned to Hera. ¡°Thank you for the information. Also for not killing me.¡± She waved him off. ¡°Marcus, Siegfried, I¡¯m assigning this to you. Any actions Leif here takes while moving with this expedition are now your responsibility. But I doubt anything will happen.¡± ¡°Yes ma''am.¡± They both responded. ¡°Oh, another thing.¡± She said with a sly smile. ¡°The Academy doesn¡¯t ept monsters not bound by a [Tamer] ss. Even if I wanted to ignore those particr rules, and I don¡¯t, they exist for a reason. But even if I did, Afredi most certainly wouldn¡¯t.¡± Sieg nodded and Marcus rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°Alright people.¡± Hera said, pping her hands together with enough force to make a small shockwave. ¡°There are no signs of either high threat targets. We¡¯ll be observing for the next few days, then we head back to basecamp.¡± === Hera stepped under the p of her tent and let out a tired sigh. These past few weeks had been akin to the troublesome task of wrangling kittens. And now it seemed like the whole expedition would be a waste. The empire is not going to be pleased. But they never are. She thought, kicking off her boots and hanging her shoulder cape on a small stand. The tent had been prepared after she had arrived, the furniture produced from her storage item. ¡°Darius, we both know I can see you. Stop being a creep.¡± She said. ¡°Ah. My apologies ma''am.¡± A young man with olive skin and sharp green eyes said as he materialised out of concealing mist. ¡°Would you like my report?¡± Unlike the other young adults of the expedition Darius didn¡¯t wear the Academy¡¯s uniform. It caught her off guard sometimes, she had gotten so used to seeing the uniform over the past year. She motioned for him to do so. Darius cleared his throat. ¡°N-no hostile actions or temperament. When encountering Melissa the creature showed no signs of violence.¡± ¡°Did she know you were following?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± He admitted. ¡°Reassess that answer boy. My grandmother might be twice the age of the next oldest person on this expedition, but she¡¯s thrice as cunning. She knew.¡± ¡°Yes ma''am.¡± ¡°So. Think you could take the spriggan?¡± Darius shifted ufortably in ce. ¡°N-no ma''am. Probably not.¡± ¡°Correct. Your threat assessment has improved.¡± She said with a curt nod. ¡°Anything that can control that many animals isn¡¯t in your strike range. Now, get out of my tent.¡± Darius awkwardly bowed then made to exit. ¡°Oh, onest thing. Keep an eye on Johan and the other idiocy oriented members, it isn¡¯t every day a unique being walks into your campsite. And I¡¯m quite fond of this one already.¡± === Leif sat on a boulder overlooking a small gully. It was a few minutes walk from the camp, and while he had technically been epted the spriggan knew to keep his distance. He let the tension of the past few hours drift away. He had been interrogated, questioned. As it turned out he didn¡¯t have much to add to the story Marcus and Sieg had already reported. Both men had argued for him to stay within the camp, they even offered to let him stay in their recement tent. But Leif needed little rest, and the idea of being trapped beneath something, even if it were just a sheet of fabric¡­ The fractured moon hovered overhead, red lines criss crossing half of its surface like still bleeding wounds. He breathed in the cool night air, tasted the hint of iing change on the wind. He¡¯d been putting off his advancement until now. And finally he had a few days to focus on himself. It was a strange thought, that despite being a tree this was the first time in what felt like a lifetime he would remain still. To advance beyond this point you must ovee an advancement trial! Warning! Advancement trials difficulty is based on your total number of skills. For every skill above a total of 10 difficulty will dramatically increase! Current skills: 10! Warning! Failing an advancement trial may result in the loss of ss levels! Advancement trial may only be attempted while at level 25! Any experience gained while at level 25 will be banked until trial ispleted! Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing the advancement trial! Good luck! Begin advancement trial? Y/N Forced to retreat, beaten, treated like trash, tested and threatened. Just get stronger. He thought mockingly to himself. Okay then, I will. Eleven years since his rebirth. Eleven years of stumbling around blind and confused. But he was no longer directionless. He now had his first taste of sess, a light in the dark that may reveal who he was. No more holding back. It was time to take the next step. Commencing advancement trial! Chapter 41: The Decision Chapter 41: The Decision Commencing advancement trial! Witness a past event in which a choice was made! Passing this trial will break the level 25 bottleneck and allow for further advancement! Good luck! Everything faded away into darkness. One by one the stars winked out and the evening wind stopped blowing. Leif found himself floating in an empty void, it was absent of all defining features or characteristics. As the spriggan tried to concentrate on his new surroundings they once again began to shift. His mind felt like it was being held underwater, all thoughts murky and distant. Voices echoed, as if spoken from a vast distance. Cracks of light formed in the void surrounding Leif, he twisted and turned to get a closer look but found that he couldn¡¯t move. Finally there was a sh of light and the world slowly came into focus. Leif blinked as his mind cleared and his surroundings came alive. He was¡­ walking. Yes, he was walking down some sort of hallway. To his left were lines of pirs fronting a vast swath of vegetation. But not like a forest, the nts are all in orderly positions, their branches cut into shape and leaves trimmed. Where am I? He thought, mind spinning as he struggled to take in everything at once. He was like a spectator in his own body. He could feel himself walk but not control his movements. What¡¯s more he could feel the thoughts and emotions of the body he controlled, and, in a moment of pure ecstasy, Leif realised what was going on. It was his body, his past self that was still human. Just the sensation of being in the correct body gave Leif such a strong sense of relief he could barely contain his excitement. But it also made clear just what he had lost. Just how far from what he should be he was now. The world warped slightly and the scene shifted. Footsteps echoed off the polished stone floor. Two sets of footsteps. ¡°Leif! Leif stop for a moment and listen to me. Please, you''re making a mistake.¡± Called a female voice. ¡°It¡¯s not a mistake sis. It¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± His past self responded, his voice confident and mind resolute. ¡°It¡¯s not the right thing if it gets you killed Leif .¡± The young woman, Sis, snapped as she jogged to keep up with his longer strides. She had dark brown hair tied into a knot and tanned olive skin. Her dress was highlighted in the same gold and red as the banners hanging from balconies or the gs fluttering atop poles. ¡°Listen to me for once! Please, am I via Vin? Or some random stranger to you?¡± Leif stopped and sighed. ¡°Sis, this isn¡¯t a mistake. Grandfather wouldn¡¯t do-¡± ¡°He would! He would Leif.¡± via said in an exasperated tone. ¡°He would, because he did. He¡¯s made his decision and that''s final. Getting in the way is suicidally stupid.¡± ¡°The patriarch will see reason.¡± Leif said with a smile. ¡°Besides, Loki¡¯s been a valuable member of our house''s staff for decades. Longer than we¡¯ve been alive sis!¡± He grinned as she scowled. ¡°Stepping in is the right thing to do. Grandfather will see that.¡± Leif said and put a hand on via¡¯s shoulder and looked her in the eye. The woman was young. Observer Leif could instinctively ce her age a few years younger than his own. But how old am I? I should have asked Marcus and Sieg about how old they all are. Or would that have been weird? He contemted. The spriggan was still mostly clueless about the intricacies of humanity, other than the minor fragments of memory and instinct that he had retained. ¡°It¡¯s a scheme.¡± via groaned. ¡°Grandfather is doing this to give house Yerl an opening to gain face. Stepping in will anger both parties. And after thest incident you don¡¯t have anything or anyone to protect you.¡± The young woman tugged away and red at him. ¡°Well, the scheme is stupid so I¡¯ll put a stop to it.¡± He said with a shrug. ¡°And I don¡¯t need protection, I¡¯m the one who protects around here.¡± He continued striding down the passageway. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot! I- I¡¯ll get father. Don¡¯t get killed!¡± She said and ran off in the other direction. The sound of her sandals striking polished stone echoed as they went separate ways. === Leif witnessed himself walk through the grounds of a grand estate, he marvelled at the sights, greedily absorbing every detail. He was brought back to the present when he felt his steps speed up. Leif rounded a corner and came across an rming scene. A group of three men in well fitted clothes and short des at their hips surrounded an ageing man in servant''s clothing. Leif had passed many servants on his way to this courtyard and could immediately recognise their different stations at a nce. He could also tell that the three men weren¡¯t in House Vin¡¯s gold and red. Two of the men were grabbing at the man he assumed was Loki and beginning to get violent. Leif vaulted a low stone wall and entered the courtyard. ¡°Gentlemen!¡± he called out. ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± ¡°Young lord.¡± The leader of the group said, stepping away from the old man and bowing at Leif¡¯s approach. ¡°We have discovered this trash has been insulting your great house and stealing from its vast estate. We of House Yerl were just about to put him down for his insolence.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Leif said as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°But I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gasped the older man. ¡°Hey Loki. Did you do the things this man is using you of?¡± ¡°Only to help feed my-¡± ¡°See! Innocent! This is uncalled for!¡± Leif beamed. The Yerlckey, or whoever he was went red. ¡°You- but-¡± He spluttered. ¡°Loki. I Leif Vin, of House Vin hereby pardon any and all allegations of slights against my person and my house done by you, however true or false they may have been.¡± ¡°You dare call us liars? Do you even know what''s going on?¡± The man snapped. ¡°I do, but I don''t care. Find honour and face somewhere else, there¡¯s none to be found here.¡± ¡°This was a direct order from the Vin Patriarch!¡± The leader snarled, his tone low and dangerous. ¡°You misjudge your standing boy.¡± ¡°Th-thank you young master¡­¡± The old man stammered out. One of the Yerl goons struck him across the face. Leif tensed, his vision going red, he stepped forward de half drawn. ¡°That¡­ that was very foolish.¡± He said slowly, in a tone to match that of the Yerl family member. ¡°Shut up boy. You¡¯ve gone too far already.¡± The man growled, his eyes flickered down to Leif¡¯s half drawn de. ¡°A duel. For honour!¡± Leif replied, his words making all three men pause. The leader smirked and straightened. ¡°Instead of killing you, I¡¯ll make you beg. Your patriarch won¡¯t fault me either way, your reputation precedes you.¡± === Leif knelt before a seated crescent of elders. The other members of House Vin slowly filtered into the auditorium to witness the Patriarch''s judgement. Whispers came from all sides, Leif caught snippets of his name being said. He could feel their judgmental stares, their nces and their dissatisfaction. He thought he could make out via in the crowd, but the glowing mana lights that backed the gathering made it hard to see. ¡°Silence.¡± Boomed a tired voice. Instantly all noise stopped. ¡°I am not pleased, so let''s make this quick. Before us is my grandson. He has directly interfered with decisions made by House Vin¡¯s leadership and has humiliated us before a house of lower standing.¡± The speaker was an aged man, his skin wrinkled and posture bent with age. Despite that the man possessed a presence that weighed Leif down like a physical force. ¡°Once a deal is struck.¡± He continued. ¡°We do not go back on our word. Leif, what do you say in your defence?¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°Why did you knowingly defy my directives? Knowing that it was my will that allowed the events of yesterday to ur as they did?¡± ¡°It-¡± ¡°And why, praytell were the corpses of three House Yerl scions within the grounds of my estate?¡± At no point did the man¡¯s voice raise, his volume consistent and stable. But the tension escted with every word. Leif, both past and present could feel the crowd of observers begin to emotionally distance themselves from him. Leif, the Leif spectating events through his past self, was confused. Why is the Patriarch asking questions but not letting me answer? But a feeling of grudging eptance came from the kneeling young man. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. He had seen family judgements before. Hells, he had been in this exact position several times, the disapproval of his family weighing down on his shoulders. ¡°Do you doubt my motives child? Do you foolishly believe yourself above my will? You have sabotaged an alliance with Yerl and made us, all of us, seem weaker to Varan as a whole. To think you are the son of my sessor. Pathetic.¡± The Patriarch practically spat the final words, his voice finally rising. The kneeling young man bristled, but Leif, the observer, perked up at the mention of Varan. He now knew where he was from, where he needed to go. It was like the final piece of an impossible puzzle had finally clicked into ce. ¡°Father!¡± A new voice called. Leif could see a figure stand up from nearby the Patriarch. Hope filled his heart, he knew that voice. Or rather, only half of him did, to the Leif watching, this man was a stranger. ¡°You will address me by title in this ce. Now be seated, I will pass judgement. The boy before us being your son will have no bearing on my decision. A traitor will be treated as a traitor.¡± ¡°He is your grandson.¡± The man said, his tone pleading but respectful. ¡°Be merciful, his education is still iplete.¡± Son, grandson. The reality of the situation hadn¡¯t quite struck him yet. This was his family, he belonged here! He had known logically who these people had been but only now did Leif trulyprehend just what he was seeing. The concept of family wasn¡¯t totally foreign to the spriggan. A new desire was seeded deep within, he wanted this, no, he needed this. Leif looked out at the watching crowd and knew that he couldn¡¯t be whole without it. How can I possibly return to this as I am? He thought, trying to imprint the faces of his family into his memory. An almost numb sense of mncholy settled on Leif¡¯s shoulders. Reliving this, seeing what he had lost¡­ It almost feels further away. A primal longing to reim what he had lost almost made him miss the Patriarch''s next words. ¡°Education was your responsibility, and besides¡­ exile is a mercy. Maybe elsewhere he can be of some use. Now sit, you will have your chance to speak with the failure before us once we are done here.¡± Exile? === Leif hesitated before knocking on the heavy doorframe of his fathers office. ¡°Enter.¡± Came an exhausted reply. Leif swallowed and did so, stepping into the dimly lit room. The final hints of day disappearing over the horizon from the single ornately framed window. The evening sky outlined a middle aged man with weather worn skin and dark hair winged with silver. The man, Leif¡¯s father, had his head in his hands, his eyes sunken.. ¡°It is¡­ good to see you, my son.¡± He spoke through gritted teeth, the words carried an air of desperation and sadness. ¡°Yes, father.¡± Leif replied. ¡°Why? Why would you go against the family like that? You had to have known the results of your actions? The consequences.¡± ¡°I thought-¡± ¡°Did you? Did you really? Your sister thought, she thought for you Leif!¡± His father winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have warned you in advance, not let you discover what was happening on your own.¡± ¡°It''s not your fault. Father, I¡­ I just couldn¡¯t stand by and let it happen. Why would Grandfather even do something like that? Loki was a loyal custodian, he didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like some disposable pawn.¡± Leif argued. ¡°He stole from the estate, that isn¡¯t loyalty, Leif.¡± ¡°Why was he forced to steal to begin with?¡± He said. ¡°The servants wear rags, their cheeks are sunken. Compared to only a few years ago¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem fair at all.¡± His father sighed. ¡°The Patriarch uses what resources are at his disposal, and he uses them for the best interests of the house.¡± ¡°The house? What about its members?¡± Leif asked in desperation. ¡°Why are we so epting of the wrong course of action? You taught me that House Vin is honourable, that we do the right thing? I hate it. I can¡¯t- I just¡­¡± ¡°When you are older.¡± His father said carefully. ¡°You wille to understand the necessity of what we do.¡± To Leif¡¯s ears it sounded as if the man was trying to convince himself. That wasn¡¯t the right answer, and both father and son knew it. They fell into an ufortable silence. The Leif who was observing could feel the distance between his past self and his family grow with every passing moment. It was like a rope, fraying in the middle as it was pulled taut from opposite directions, a moment away from snapping. With a sinking feeling he knew the oue of this conversation, and the fate that would befall the young man he had once been. Leif began to struggle, to try and break free. If I can say something else, make a different decision. Maybe¡­ maybe I won¡¯t lose everything again. ¡°What will happen to Loki? Will Grandfather let House Yerl kill him anyway?¡± The past him asked, unaware of his future self¡¯s plight. ¡°No¡­ Loki has been sent to a border estate¡­ You will never see him again.¡± The older man said, not meeting Leif¡¯s eyes. ¡°I see. That''s¡­ good.¡± Another silence. ¡°What about me? Where will I be sent?¡± ¡°The military. You may be on the younger side but the Varan army is always looking for officers and you meet their initial requirements. The Enved have been more active these past few months, the king suspects that a war may break out.¡± ¡°An invasion?¡± His father nodded grimly. ¡°I¡­ see. So I¡¯ll be a soldier then? For the rest of my life?¡± Leif asked bitterly. ¡°Though maybe it would be for the best.¡± ¡°No. Not the rest of your life. Ten years was what the Patriarch chose, and I think it¡¯s a good amount of time. It will give you time away from the house and its politics, time to see the world and grow into yourself¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But Leif, you have made enemies these past few years, and even more when we consider the past few days. House Vin will be making it clear that you no longer have our blessings and protections. You will be a target. Our house¡¯s rivals will see this as an opportunity to strike.¡± ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s not just exile? It¡¯s a test?¡± Leif asked. His father nodded stiffly in affirmation. ¡°So I''ll have to prove myself then. Show them that I¡¯m not an easy target.¡± His father¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°I have been ordered to provide you with nothing but the bare essentials to make it to the capitol. Though nothing can undo the inheritant ss I bestowed upon you, not if they don¡¯t want to cripple you. As harsh as this sounds you must leave before first light. Now would be best, do not linger.¡± ¡°Right¡­ What about-¡± ¡®LEIF! YOU DAMN IDIOT!¡± via yelled as she burst uninvited into the office. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, you¡¯re stupid and I hate you.¡± She said, gripping his shoulders as he remained seated, violently shaking him so his head rocked back and forth. ¡°You better not die! You bettere back! If you die I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°R-right, you got it sis.¡± Heughed, rocking in ce from her assault. Even his father smiled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare note back. I don¡¯t want to inherit your responsibilities for the family, you have to do it.¡± I¡¯m sorry. Her words pained both past and present Leif. ¡°Wow, now I think I¡¯ll go out of my way to die in a ditch somewhere.¡± Leif joked, then he stood quickly, nodded at his father and made for the door. She grabbed the back of his red and gold cloak. I¡¯m so sorry. ¡°Pleasee back.¡± He could hear the tears in her trembling voice. ¡°It won¡¯t be the same without you. Soe back alive. Promise me Leif!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± He said, not looking back. ¡°You got it, I promise.¡± He doesn¡¯t know what he is letting go. And then he left, stepping out of the office, leaving family behind. Leif walked quickly down the attached hallway and away from his father and sister. Details of the world began to fade away, leaving only the light at the end of the hallway clearly visible. Somethingtched onto Leif¡¯s shoulder and pulled him back. No, don¡¯t go. If you go you¡¯ll nevere back. The man grunted and shrugged off the restraints. Another force grabbed him, halting him mid step. Please. If you leave you¡¯ll lose everything. You¡¯ll lose yourself. Leif struggled against the grasping limbs, hands. Another wrapped around his leg, then his throat. With his every attempt at escape the grip only tightened. Sweat beaded on the young man¡¯s face, his eyes narrowing in concentration. You have everything you want right here. There must be something you can do, you can still change things. Leif thrashed against the immovable force stopping him from leaving. He writhed and pulled, trying with all his might to take just one more step. Tears began to well up in his eyes, fear and loss and desperation all threatening to spill out, he had been so careful to keep them in check. Just stop, if you''re going to die at least do so without abandoning everything. He screamed and took one final step, parts of his restraints fell away. A thousand hands all grasping for him, tugging him back and threatening to engulf him in their embrace, swallow him whole. Leif noticed for the first time that he was no longer possessing his former self. The spriggan hovered overhead, watching as the man he had once been was prevented from making the mistake of leaving his life behind. The trial world started to crack, white light shone through fractures in reality as everything began to break apart. It¡¯s better this way. I¡¯m happy with this. I belong here. I want to be here. The struggling human¡¯s head snapped up in Leif¡¯s direction. Tears streamed down his suntanned face, long dark hair was tugged back by unwavering hands. The spriggan flinched as their eyes met. Defiance, rage, pure unfiltered fury bore into him from below. Who are you to make that choice for me? Those eyes said, dark brown spearing into glowing amber. At least if I die, I¡¯ll do so without giving up. But we didn''te back. We failed to keep our promise. Giving up in this situation is normal, it''s the right thing to do. We can still try! Try toe back! Those eyes said, pleading. And then Leif realised. The hands holding his past self back, stopping him from moving forward. They were made of wood. Four fingers, sharp wed tips. Come back? How could we? Is that even a possibility as we are now? The man¡¯s gaze softened, as if in recognition of future pain. It won¡¯t be easy. The world continued to crumble away, the cracks in reality almost reaching the man below. Leif steadied himself, then made a choice. He felt his heart break, loss like a mortal wound to his soul. His resolve firmed. If he wasn¡¯t ready yet, he would make himself ready. There had to be a way, a way to turn back. I can still try. Yes. I can¡¯t give up yet. Fight for it. The dark eyes said. Fight. I can do that. The golden gaze replied. Then Leif let go. His former self burst free from the wooden restraint and ran with all his strength. As he raced forward the trial shuddered, threatening to copse. The fabricated reality shattered with every step. The spriggan watched the man he had once been sprint into the light. Everything went white, and the trial ended. Chapter 42: Advancement Chapter 42: Advancement The night air brushed against the bark that Leif possessed in ce of skin. He felt no difort, no pain. It took him a moment to adjust to thepletion of the trial, his mind soaking in memories of what had transpired. He just stopped, remaining perfectly still. For over an hour he sat, emotions from within roiled while his monstrous physiology enforced an artificial calm. There was no adrenaline, no dopamine or endorphins. Having experienced the thoughts and emotions of his past self, only now did the spriggan realise how hollow he had been up until now. Howcking in humanity. And that realisation lit the smouldering embers of desire. He had chosen to fight, to do what he must in order to reim a portion of his old life. But only now, hours after making the decision, did he understand what it meant. The amber sap that coursed through his body like golden blood churned, power flexed within him in resonance with something. Then the moment faded, and Leif let himself rx. The trial hadn¡¯t been what he¡¯d expected. In a way he felt cheated, if Leif had known the content of the trial he would have done it far sooner. It had been a link to his past, he should have undertaken it immediately and not waited for his skill fusions. He¡­ paused. No, that isn¡¯t right. Towards the end, the decision I made. Would I have made the same one only a few days prior. Knowing what I do now, how much did it change me? Leif contemted. He couldn¡¯t wallow in regret. The man he had once been had gone to war, and it was up to the present Leif to bring him home. Once more he thought over the trial. Advancing was supposed to be more challenging depending on how many skills one had. But how could his trial have scaled in difficulty? If he had undertaken it with eleven skills, or even twelve, what would have changed? Would the system have shown him more? Happy days, together with family? Or would it have been different in its entirety? Didn¡¯t Sieg mention a monster in his trial? Leif shook his head and finally looked at his system notifications. He needed the distraction. Congrattions! You have sessfullypleted the level 25 advancement trial! For resonating with the past anding to a solid conclusion about the decision made your trialpletion grade is: High! No additional reward is granted based on passing grade! For passing this milestone you may now advance your levels beyond this point! Banked experience will be awarded after rewards are finalised! Your general ss limit has increased from 2 to 3! All attributes have their efficacy increased by +10%! For achievements earned and difficulties ovee up to this point you may further increase the effects of a single attribute of your choice by +30%! === Attributes: Free: 2 Might: 37 (+10%) crity: 44 (+10%) Intelligence: 27 (+10%) Willpower: 25 (+10%) Spirit: 33 (+10%) Charisma: 34 (+60%) === Leif read over the system windows as the exhrating rush of power flooded his body. Strength rippled through his bark and nt fibre muscles. He flexed his body, feeling the quantitative improvement of his enhanced attributes. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Another thirty percent to an attribute of my choice. That seems very potent. Leif thought, rolling his shoulders. He considered which attribute to apply the bonus to. The most obvious option was something like [Might], [crity] or [Spirit], those attributes were directly beneficial to how he fought and would likely be thergest boost in power. But there was another option. A potentially stupid option. What if I increased my [Charisma] by thirty percent? The idea seemed foolish, but¡­ a part of himtched onto the idea. Maybe it could help me be like I was? With a ny percent total increase to [Charisma] after his [Noble] ss perk was taken into ount he would effectively have sixty four in that attribute. Then [Grand Action] could increase any other attribute by twenty percent of that sixty four¡­ just under thirteen points. Leif briefly considered that he didn¡¯t remember ever learning arithmetic. The spriggan supposed he learnt it as a child. A child¡­ The thought briefly distracted him but he quickly refocused, pushing down the dull ache of loss. If Leif thought about his past he felt as if the guilt of leaving may crush him. Numbers Leif, focus on the numbers. He chided himself internally.The amber heart beating in his abnormal chest calmed, returning to its regr cadence. Bringing any other attribute up to a forty percent bonus would provide arger increase to all but his lowest attributes. But the flexibility [Grand Action] could grant was very tempting. I wonder if there are ways to add [Charisma] scaling to certain skills via fusion? [Under My Protection] uses fifty percent of my [Charisma] if I use the skill to protect another for example¡­ Actually, now that he thought about it. Which skills did he currently possess use the [Charisma] attribute? [Charisma] was the attribute that increased one¡¯s force of personality and amplified their presence. [Grand Action] and [Under my Protection] were the obvious skills, they literally stated their use of [Charisma] in their skill descriptions. [Aura of Nobility] was another that used [Charisma], he could instinctively feel the skill''s connection to the attribute. But just what did his aura skill do? Sure, it helped him control his innate presence and projected his noble heritage. But what else? Leif hadn¡¯t really considered it before, but didn¡¯t his aura affect the range of his other skills? [Amber Sympathy] let him sense intent and emotions in a radius around him. When his aura was suppressed by Hera his senses were likewisepressed, pushed down and forced to retract. He triggered the time perception aspect of the skill, and sure enough it¡¯s range almost exactly coincided with his aura¡¯s radius. He focused, and his aura billowed out further, going from around ten metres to its maximum of around thirty. Leif noted how his aura and perception were both faint and indistinct at his maximum range. He could more clearly feel the sleeping animals nearby his boulder than the ones further away. He felt at each of his other skills, but he didn¡¯t feel the obvious connection to [Charisma] for any of them. So he was left with a question? Was it worth it? Would he be able to gain more skills that utilised [Charisma] in the future? It was a risk, but it felt¡­ right somehow. As if the risk was worth taking. He didn¡¯t think this was due to some hidden hand pushing him in this direction, more like instinct. It felt as if were he to choose this path he would gain the options to benefit from the choice in the future. Somehow. You have selected [Charisma] as the beneficiary attribute for the +30% bonus! Confirm? Y/N Congrattions! Banked experience will now be distributed! Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 12! For prowess shown in battle you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +5 free points! New ss skills avable! [Veil of Nature] or [Embolden Vegetation]! Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 13! For overpowering rampaging death energy you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Spirit] +5 free points! Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 14! For surviving a deadly encounter and restoring an ally from the brink of death you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [crity] +1 to [Spirit] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! New ss skills avable! [Nature¡¯s Beacon] or [Amber Steps]! For an instant Leif was stunned. Three entire levels? As it turns out, no. Not just three levels. There was more toe. Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 5! For defeating multiple foes using your body as a weapon you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Charisma] +1 free point! Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 6! For going blow to blow with a foe far more powerful than yourself in a life and death battle and living to tell the tale you have gained a level! +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! New ss skills avable! [Combative Gumption] or [Bounding Leap]! Leif was stunned at the sheer amount of levels, stats and skills. He had three pairs of skill options before him. Not only that but he had neen free attributes. The spriggan was about to spend them when he noticed the final system prompt. It was a new ss. For disying your aptitude for life aspected magics, reversing the near fatal intrusion of death energy and sessfully bringing someone back from the very brink of death, you have the opportunity to gain the [Attuned: Life] ss! ss slots: 1/3 ept? Y/N For constantly healing and protecting your allies even in the direst of situations and proving yourself a capable healer andbatant even under the most stressful of circumstances you have the opportunity to gain the [Adept] ss! ss slots: 1/3 ept? Y/N Oh, two new sses. Great. Chapter 43: Skills Chapter 43: Skills Two new sses. Both were very simr in description. Leif was at a loss, which should he pick? [Attuned: Life] or [Adept]? Both? Neither? He knew from pestering both Marcus and Sieg that one of the strongest arguments against filling up all your ss slots was that low level sses granted a whole lot of skills. And if you went over a certain limit you wouldn¡¯t be able to gain levels. Leif looked between both sses, he had no idea what to do. Luckily there was a campsite full of academics nearby. He had time to go over the options with people more knowledgeable than himself, so he would. He turned his attention to the first of his skill options. [Veil of Nature] and [Embolden Vegetation]. The first was difficult to get a solid grasp of. Initially Leif thought it might be an aura skill but he shouldn¡¯t get one of those until level thirty in his [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss. Or whatever it will evolve into. Instead it was a perception skill, or rather, the opposite of a perception skill. A stealth skill, a way to hide himself and those nearby. No, that''s not quite right. It has some protective capabilities as well. He realised, studying more closely the feeling he got from the skill. As for the other skill. It seemed decent actually. [Embolden Vegetation] would, quite simply, allow him to empower any nt he touched. Leif was a nt, so the skill should work if he used it on himself. Right? Just from Leif¡¯s initial evaluation of both skills he was leaning towards [Embolden Vegetation], but it would be smart to look over the other options before making a decision. The next two skills were [Nature¡¯s Beacon] and [Amber Steps]. The first skill had a social aspect, he felt it resonate slightly with his [Noble] ss perk. He could call animals to his location, or potentially direct them to a ce of his choice. Leif looked around at the piles of sleeping forest critters. Birds and rats, hogs and squirrels. I don¡¯t think I need any more of them. I have no idea how they¡¯re keeping themselves fed either. From what he knew these animals should be eating far more than they were currently consuming. Hogs were notoriously destructive foragers, and while they did wander off at times to eat, these outings weren¡¯t anywhere near as frequent as the spriggan would have thought. But if they were healthy and happy he wouldn¡¯tin. As for [Amber Steps]... Oh wow, that¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m definitely picking this. === Amber Steps: Aspects: Technique (Teleportation) (Movement) (Time) Your every step echoes into the past. You may teleport to a location you recently upied. === The innate knowledge of how the skill could be used trickled into Leif¡¯s mind. He hopped up from his seated position and eagerly jumped down from his boulder. He focused on returning to the top. Nothing. Ah, there¡¯s a required motion for use. He realised. He took a step. Then in a blur of amber light he appeared back atop the rock. He was facing the wrong direction and he felt briefly disorientated. But honestly? It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Several of the sleeping animals stirred awake at his exmation. Leif stepped forward, and in a streak of gold he returned to the bottom. The skill twinged slightly from the repeated use so quickly after the first but it wasn¡¯t anything to worry about. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. Leif wobbled in ce for a moment, then he used [Amber Sympathy] to rey the feeling of using the skill, he saw himself step forward and vanish. ¡°I can get used to this.¡± He said, shaking his head in wonder at his newest skill. Leif had be quite familiar with skill overuse in his time beneath Pherin. He needed to find the skill¡¯s current ceiling, and get used to the feeling of being disced in space. Now for the most important question: What were the limits of [Amber Steps]? What are the restrictions? Leif walked in a straight line for ten seconds, then twenty. As he walked he could feel the skill unspooling out behind him, his every step leaving a tiny anchor for the skill totch onto in the ground. After forty seconds Leif sensed his connection to the most distant anchor begin to fade, he took a step. A golden streak shot through the night, Leif rematerializing where he had once been. Fatigue washed through Leif as he staggered in ce. At least I¡¯m facing the right way this time. The spriggan felt a distinct throbbing pain permeating throughout his body.¡°Woah, that took more out of me than I thought it would.¡± A nearby hog grunted and flopped over onto its back. Leif gave it belly rubs while he contemted [Amber Steps]. Why was that use of the skill far more taxing than the other times I used it? Is strain determined by how long ago the anchor was ced, or is it distance travelled when activating the skill? He mused. One thing was certain, the more he used [Amber Steps] the easier it would be. His mind spun with the possibilities for fusions and upgrades. But he was getting distracted. Leif turned his attention to the next pair of skills. Ones for his [Brawler] ss. [Combative Gumption] and [Bounding Leap]. The first immediately reminded Leif of his least favourite skill. [Legacy] was a skill he never intended to use, the mere thought of having to turn someone into a nt monster just to make use of the skill filled him with anger. He almost discarded [Combative Gumption] out of hand, but he quickly realised the simrities were only surface level. It was an analysis skill like [Legacy], but unlike that skill this new one had something to do with gauging rtivebat prowess instead of letting him see the attributes of his descendants. He knew about these skills from what Marcus and Sieg had told him. They let the userpare themselves, an object or item to something else and the system would provide feedback. [Bounding Leap] gave off the impression of building up energy, then releasing it tounch yourself upwards. It didn¡¯t really appeal to him. [Combative Gumption] seemed far more useful. Shaking off the irrational distaste he selected the skill. === Combative Gumption: Aspects: Analysis You may analyse a target to determine if theirbat experience is greater, lesser or equivalent to your own. Analysis may fail if the target is significantly more powerful. === He immediately used it on the hog. Combat experience: Lesser! I don¡¯t know what I expected. Finally Leif returned to the first pair of skills. He still couldn¡¯t get a clear read on what [Veil of Nature] could truly do. Picking it would be a gamble, one that may or may not pay off. Ultimately Leif made the simple choice and picked [Embolden Vegetation]. === Embolden Vegetation: Aspects: Empowerment (Nature) (Body)* (Life) Touch a nt to spur it to rapid growth and recovery. Vegetation you empower with this skill be more resilient and require less nourishment to survive. The targets of this skill quickly lose the majority of its empowering effects. A small portion of this skill¡¯s effects are maintained but will slowly decay over a longer period of time. Repeated uses of this skill on the same targets reduce its efficacy. === Leif¡¯s immediate fear after reading over the skill¡¯s description would be that he couldn¡¯t target himself. After a moment of panic he calmed down, he could indeed feel that his own body was a valid target. The second question was how long was the ¡®slower decay period¡¯? He plodded over to a nearby tree and ced a hand on the trunk. [Embolden Vegetation] triggered and a shudder rippled through the nt¡¯s centre of mass before shooting up its branches and down into its roots. Almost immediately leaves began to bud, then fully grow in the tree¡¯s canopy. Leif spotted several small branches spread, reaching for the surrounding air like greedy little fingers. The spriggan could feel the energy thrumming through the tree. A vibrant and potent force that made its vitality hum with delight. It made Leif curious as to what exactly [Embolden Vegetation] would do for him. If it makes my mobile form sprout branches I will not be pleased. Chapter 44: Training by Dawn Chapter 44: Training by Dawn Leif¡¯s fist rushed through the crisp morning air. He stepped forward, and moved into the next part of the training form. His every strike sent a small rush of wind blowing across the small t teau. He was using [Grand Action] to empower his [Might] attribute. Having spent his neen free points on [Charisma] the effect was quite potent. === Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 41 (+10%) crity: 45 (+10%) Intelligence: 29 (+10%) Willpower: 25 (+10%)Spirit: 37 (+10%) Charisma: 55 (+90%) === Leif effectively had over a hundred [Charisma] after the bonus was taken into ount. [Grand Action] allowed him to boost any other attribute by around twenty after counting the ny percent increase. The results were immediately noticeable. When he focused on [Spirit] his body felt more vibrant, and his connection to the world around him felt far clearer. [Willpower] made concentrating feel almost effortless and [Intelligence] cleared his mind and sharpened his memory. But the two biggest changes were to his [Might] and [crity]. Leif moved onto a different form, a moreplex series of sweeping movements and wide stances that the Mythhold had taught him. As he repeated over and over what he had learnt beneath the city of Pherin, Leif became more and more ustomed to how much stronger he had be. From the edge of his perception, the range having been increased due to his [Aura of Nobility] benefitting from the massive boost in [Charisma], Leif felt two faint presences approach. Initially he assumed it was Marcus and Sieg, but they wouldn¡¯t have known where he was. Nor did they have any reason to be awake so early. Actually, maybe Marcus could find me with his skills. Leif thought, thinking back to the mage¡¯s [Seeker] ss. But as it turned out, it wasn¡¯t either of them. As the two presences came closer the feeling of their vitality became clearer. People, likely two members of the expedition. The first hopped over a small incline and came into view. It was a woman, younger than Hera by several years and likely in herte teens. She had short, tied ck hair and a scowl etched onto her angr features. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She was followed by a man of simr age. He had hair both longer and lighter than hispanion, his eyes were wide and round, simr to the rest of his head. Both radiated a tired irritation, not targeted at Leif but rather at one another. The spriggan thought back to his initial encounter with the expedition proper during the prior evening. He recognised them both. They had been the pair who had first noticed Hera¡¯s imminent arrival from the sky. The humans stepped onto the teau with sluggish, exhausted steps. The girl was the first to notice Leif, she missed a step and rubbed at bleary, sleep filled eyes. The young man, hot on her heels, stumbled as he crashed into her from behind. They briefly fought one another for stability before breaking apart, hissing curses and insults. ¡°Good morning. I wasn¡¯t expectingpany.¡± Leif said, both amused and slightly defensive. How would these two react to his presence? ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± The girl grumbled as she stood up straight. ¡°M-morning.¡± She yawned. ¡°I told you we should have gotten here earlier. Now the good spot is taken.¡± The boy muttered. She turned on him with an angry scowl. ¡°And who was it that woke upte? Because it wasn¡¯t me, Linus.¡± She snapped back. ¡°Well it wasn¡¯t me who messed up in the mine dungeon. Was. It. Adriana?¡± He retorted, bristling at herment. The girl, Adriana, flushed red. ¡°Well. I wouldn¡¯t have made that mistake if you-¡± ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Leif said, sensing the hostility building up between the two humans. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me why you¡¯re here instead of fighting.¡± It felt odd to engage in conversation with strangers. He was still unsure if they would panic, suddenly realise what he was and flee. Or maybe something worse¡­ Instead of being angry or disgusted like Leif had expected. Both looked sheepish. ¡°Training¡­¡± Adriana mumbled. ¡°We need to get stronger.¡± Linus said, rolling his shoulders. ¡°We can¡¯t fail again.¡± He nced at his partner and sighed. ¡°We¡¯re a team, even if she doesn¡¯t like to act like it.¡± ¡°Not my fault the Academy paired us up.¡± Adriana snapped back. ¡°And if you weren¡¯t so insufferable!¡± ¡°Me? Insufferable? If you think this is my fault-¡± ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Leif said again, raising his voice to distract from the uing argument. He paused, unsure what to say. Wincing internally his mind raced. How would I have acted in the past? What would the man who was still human have done? ¡°I¡¯m training too. How about we¡­ do it together?¡± Even to his own ears that sounded forced. Both humans stopped bickering. It was clear they didn¡¯t know how to respond, he could sense confusion and apprehension from [Amber Sympathy] . Leif didn¡¯t me them, if a monster had asked his past self to ¡®train¡¯ how would he have reacted? So he tried a different tact: ¡°So, what do you need to improve? Maybe I could be of assistance?¡± The two shared a nce then spoke at the same time. ¡°Coordination.¡± ¡°Teamwork.¡± Then they red at each other as if annoyed that the other had spoken. Ah, I have no idea how to teach that. Leif thought.¡°Uhh, okay. How about you¡­ warm up?¡± He had seen Sieg do that before attempting the statue¡¯s trials in the Mythhold. When he had asked, Marcus had exined the process in his usual enthusiasm. The teens both shrugged, then moved into separate positions. Leif was relieved, he would have time to think- Almost immediately they got in each other''s way. Linus had withdrawn two wooden training daggers and began to levitate them in wide sweeping arcs around his body. Adriana in turn lifted her hands and started sending out short bursts of whistling wind. The daggers drifted into the path of the sts and then the two were bickering and cursing. From what Leif had understood from Marcus and Sieg¡¯s exnations, expedition members were paired off into teams. But the two men were far, far more coordinated than these two. Leif scratched the back of his head as the first rays of light peaked over the horizon. Leif rewound his perception of time. Amber grains, each representing movement, change, drifted back as he focused. The spriggan saw both Linus and Adriana move back into their ready stances, he sensed how their intent was focused internally as they began to use their skills. Leif cancelled the time perception of [Amber Sympathy] and crossed his arms. ¡°Neither of you take the other into ount when you act. You¡¯re like two arms reaching for an object, never realising you''re attached to the same body.¡± Two golden apparitions burst from Leif¡¯s shoulders as the humans turned to look at him. Both limbs moved into a ready stance. ¡°Come. No skills, half speed.¡± Chapter 45: Observations Chapter 45: Observations Hera saw. Her perception, honed from her high level archery ss, and further enhanced from light magic let her see much further than most of her level. She stood on one foot at the tip of a spear-like pine as she looked over thendscape that had once been the Kingdom of Pherin. It was a bleak, disturbing reminder of what could have happened to her own homnd. To all the northern kingdoms during the massive Enved invasion for that matter. Her keen vision flicked to the stone wall of jagged teeth jutting from the ground like a savage grin. The northern mountains were a ce of high mana density, danger lurked around every stone, even someone considered an ¡®elite¡¯ of humanity like herself had to be wary. But it wasn¡¯t the mountains humanity had to be worried about. It was what lived beyond. Even a few day¡¯s travel from the mountains she diligently scanned the peaks, searching for any movement or glint that may grant her foreknowledge of an imminent threat. There was nothing, other than the boiling clouds that rolled between the jagged peaks there was no movement. The threat was closer, from her life of living on the edge Hera had found that simple fact to be the most consistently true. Danger was always closer than you imagined. It had been true when she was little, it had been true while she was training for the crucible. And now, years after she¡¯d gone through hell ande back reforged¡­ She shook her head and refocused. The Academy de shifted her attention to her more immediate surroundings. The remnants of ruined viges and towns littering thendscape for miles in all directions, the lingering smoke trail from the expedition''s campsite, a small t teau jutting from a nearby cliffside where three figures moved. Hera had noticed this encounter happen over an hour ago as the sun had first risen and had been intermittently watching its progress. The pair she had intentionally put together fumbled over one another as they traded blows with the expedition''s most recent, and most interesting addition. She found it infinitely amusing that despite being so far removed from home, a strange remnant of her past would find her even out on the ruined frontier. Hera doubted she had ever met the man called Leif Vin. If the spriggan¡¯s story was true, and despite the absurdity she did believe it to be so, then he would have died back during the war.I would have been how old? Thirteen? Fourteen? She thought idly, months and years had somewhat lost its meaning after her experience in the distorted time of the crucible. Movement caught her attention from the north. Tworge, winged creatures had burst from a tree covered hillside. Hera watched the griffon¡¯s panicked ascent as they flew perpendicr to the northern mountains and disappeared into the west. The danger is far closer. She thought. They couldn¡¯t stay here. Whatever forces were at y in this region were beyond her ability to contend with. She would need to observe the aftermath of the battle and find evidence of the powers at y. ¡°A day, then we head south. Maybe sooner, it depends on what I find.¡± She spoke aloud, her voice drifting on the wind. ¡°Y-yes ma''am.¡± Said Darius from a nearby, but notably shorter tree. His voice quivered slightly. He teetered, his bnce unsteady. Hera could pierce the skill producing the misty shroud he used for concealment, but for those around his level he would be nearly invisible. She suspected the less observant members of the expedition hadn¡¯t noticed him at all. That was something she would need to train them on. So much to do. She thought, judging the distance from her current location to where the griffons had taken off. A bow of light materialised in her palm. Hera drew back the string and an arrow blurred into existence. ¡°Keep watch kid, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Then she loosed the conjured projectile in a streak of white into the distance, the arrow whistling as it flew, a streak of shimmering white trailing the projectile. A few momentster she mentally triggered a followup skill and vanished, but not before hearing his muttered reply of: ¡°I¡¯m not that much younger.¡± === An hourter she arrived outside Pherin, and in a few moments she had observed the scope of the damage. Hera winced as she beheld the sheer level of destruction. On her way to the ruined city Hera hadn¡¯t discovered any sign of what was causing the local wildlife to panic. Well, other than a small group of goblins, but those creatures were barely a threat to something as powerful as a griffon. Regardless, they were wandering too close to the expedition camp so she had eliminated them. Now within the city proper, Hera felt the pushing from the ground beneath her feet. The wards, cracked and shattered from within the Mythhold, burnt thest of their energy as they projected a field intended to scramble the mana that naturally saturated the bodies of powerful beings. She, as a human barely over level one hundred, was not the intended target of these defences. It reminded her of the less sophisticated protections that many banks and noble estates employed throughout the empire proper. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Hera had always wondered if they genuinely expected the whispered immortals of humanity to rob a bank. The idea seemed ridiculous, but she supposed it also prevented divination and other such skills. The battle within the former capital of a once powerful northern kingdom had wrought devastating amounts of destruction to the ancient Mythhold. The entrance had copsed, unsurprising considering the power at y as monsters used the corpse of civilization as a ypen. In fact, the entire main square of the city''s innermost district had sunk into the ground, as if mmed by a great fist from above. The morbid scene felt much like the rest of this part of the world, destroyed and with potential danger hiding behind every corner. It made her worry, already two of the students under her care had nearly been killed in a newly discovered earthen attuned dungeon. Then, while she was travelling to rescue them, she received word that two more had vanished. And experienced second years at that. Hera sighed and summoned a shard of mostly see through ss. The object had a thin outlining of metal around the edges that glinted under the sunlight. She focused her power, attuned to light as it was, into the small construct and captured an image. She would need proof, as a de, her word ought to be enough¡­ Who am I kidding? Kaan probably won¡¯t believe me even with proof. She grumbled internally. There was a time and ce for strict military doctrine, but this expedition wasn¡¯t it. Already they had needed to improvise and deviate from the established n. She knew that if the former military man knew how much he would have a fit. Hera moved around the city, leaping from building to building. Where she couldn¡¯t maintain a height advantage over her surroundings she created shimmering tforms of white light on which she stood before bounding off. The de was searching for something. A minor inconsistency in the story ryed to her by Sieg, Marcus and their odd new friend. Teleportation. Not the act itself. Teleportation circles hadn¡¯t been lost to the annals of time like so many of humanity''s other wonders. Rather, it was where they had teleported from. The Mythhold should have prevented teleportation in and out of the structure, simrly to how it would prevent scrying. It was a basic ward, so basic it was even used in her backwater homnd. She made her way to the mostly destroyed temple. Tall pirs framed the skeleton of the structure''s internals. Judging by the tattered remains of several banners and an altar with bird iconography the temple had likely been Soarian. Mind filled with dark thoughts, Hera quickly found the teleportation circle. Blood stained the marble engravings, the sheer amount gave her pause. Hera withdrew several mana shards from her spatial storage and activated the teleportation enchantment. After testing the portal''s stability she stepped through. === Thirty minutester she re-emerged into the mid morning light of Pherin. ¡°Fucking hells. This is why I hate fanatics. Why the fuck would you deliberately undermine an ancient structure''s defensive integrity? Just to build a back entrance?¡± Hera yelled at the rubble. ¡°Utter, fucking, imbeciles.¡± And what was worse. The undead she was informed about in the debrief had escaped down into the depths of the earth. Fractured cracks mired by hundreds of tiny scratch marks indicated the direction they had fled. Hera hadn¡¯t gone deeper. She was an archer, much of her strength relied onrge open environments. Despite her reputation for being brash, she most certainly wasn¡¯t suicidal. A shiver ran down her spine. At this very moment they were likely crawling around beneath the northern frontier. If they found a way up to the surface. Or worse, if they were being controlled by something. This isn¡¯t just a regional crisis. This is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Undead in the north. The empire barely holds them back in the east as is. She fumed internally before firing off an arrow of light into the sky. === A crimson speck of light, invisible to all but its own kind hovered above the northern frontier of humanities territories. The overseer observed. It was his job after all, not that he was getting paid. Data streamed into what constituted his mind, unseen rivers flowing into his consciousness wherever the system¡¯s influence touched living beings. He couldn¡¯t observe the whole, not at once anyway. The overseer had been situated above this specific part of the world for the past fifteen years. He would seed his awareness into regions where major shifts in the power structure of the many warring factions of Earth urred, or would soon ur ording to his predictions. It wasn¡¯t an exact science you must understand. Do you know how difficult seeing the future is? Anyway, the overseer had been paying keen attention to this specific part of the world. It had only be more interesting after a major error let him slip through the cracks. That wound in the fabric of the system¡¯s directive had since healed over, nothing but metaphorical scar tissue remaining. It was disappointing, he would have loved to have another chat. System errors weren¡¯t an altogether umon phenomenon. But ones that left arge enough gap only happened on average once or twice a year. The overseer watched several happenings all at the same time. A mundane trade agreement at the sky docks of Ahle-ho, two children struggling to survive in the streets of Kartinth, an ever growing horde of undeath beneath what had once been the kingdom of Pherin. Over the millennia he had watched, humanity had lost more and more to forces they were unable to keep in check. To say the overseer had grown callous to the loss of life wouldn¡¯t be incorrect. He had created several mental blocks and backup protocols just to prevent himself from being overwhelmed. It wouldn¡¯t do for this world to lose thest of his kind. The overseer felt his awareness wandering. Focusing for an extended period of time was growing harder and harder. He just hoped something would change for the better while he was still around to see it. Chapter 46: Sharing Chapter 46: Sharing Three daggers, each controlled and propelled by telekinesis shed forward. The sharp metal glinting under the sun. To Leif¡¯s sight they were trailed by a thin line of gold. As were the movements of both of his opponents. Leif pped aside the first, sidestepped the second and let the third impact his shoulder. It did little to stop him, though the dagger prated deep into his bark. The spriggan charged the human whom the des belonged to, his four amber arms reaching, deflecting, hounding. This had started out as training without skill use. It was one of many things Marcus had talked about while they were trapped within the Mythhold. Apparently it was amon training method in certain parts of the world. Leif and Sieg had done it. Once. Then the spriggan had gone back to practising with the statues. Leif¡¯s current fighting prowess was like night and day to how it had been back then, it was remarkable how much a few days had changed him. He knew the early levels were the easiest to gain, but levels only counted partially for his current growth. Regardless, Leif had sensed the building frustration growing within his two ¡®students¡¯, as they kept tripping over one another. He had told them to go wild, if anything it had made them fight even worse. But that was over an hour ago, and four roundster things were slowly changing. Linusunched himself back with a burst of telekic power, as Leif made to follow a sharp whistle came from his left. It was followed a split secondter by a powerful burst of wind. It buffeted Leif but only for a moment. Adriana cursed and gestured downwards. A field of thrumming wind surrounded her body, empowering her movements. She sent two more bursts of air in Leif¡¯s direction as Linus retracted his daggers from where they had flown. For a brief, fantastic moment the two were in sync. Then one of Linus¡¯s daggers moved into the path of hispanions'' sts and got knocked off course by Adriana¡¯s wind, the weapon was sent tumbling. Then the wind mage stepped into an invisible wire of telekic energy and tripped. Both humans yelled in frustration, but they didn¡¯t let up. Leif grabbed at Linus¡¯s cor but a sharp whistle made the rogue speed up ever so slightly. The spriggan turned his attention to the fallen mage as she struggled to get up. [Amber Steps] carried him back towards her location with a streak of golden light, [Grand Action] elerated his movement as he focused on [crity]. Adriana panicked at his sudden and rapid approach, she red a dome of repelling wind and sound around her. Leif powered through, though he was still slowed slightly by the domain skill¡¯s effects. The wind mage sent apressed de of near invisible air right for his throat. He easily blocked the rtively dangerous attack with a golden barrier courtesy of [Under my Protection]. Then snapped his arm up to catch the rogue who was hurtling through the air right towards him. Linus hadnded on, then kicked off a boulder with enough force to crack the stone below. The man, somewhat foolishly yelled as he flew forward. It didn¡¯t particrly matter in this instance as Leif could already sense him, though it may have been a decent surprise attack in any other situation. A golden hand caught him by the arm and twisted. At the same time another grabbed Adriana by the shin. Young man and woman swapped ces, tumbling like the des of a windmill as Leif spun his entire body. Linus mmed face up into the ground as Adriana was wheeled through the air, then Leif mmed her down on top of him. Bothbatants groaned in defeat and moaned in pain. Leif stepped back and crossed three sets of arms. ¡°Better.¡± They were fine, mostly. He would heal them in a bit. The pair of humans didn¡¯t get up. He analysed them. Combat experience: Lesser! Combat experience: Lesser! To be expected I suppose. I wish [Combative Gumption] gave a little more detail. Leif contemted. The spriggan focused on his [Willpower] and reshaped a golden limb. It narrowed and extended, no longer recognisable as a hand and arm but more akin to the roots he had first created after his evolution. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The thin branch of amber administered a healthy dose of healing. The groaning stopped. The past few hours had been more than enlightening. For him, at least. Leif was now far more familiar with his newfound strength. Linus and Adriana had gotten much out of the training too, though probably less than he had. The two humans seemed to have an irreconcble rift preventing them from even trying to work together. The spriggan wasn¡¯t sure how, or if, he could help either of them. He had needed to get used to his skills and attributes after his massive growth in levels. It was a good distraction as well, images and scenes from his trial kept slipping into his mind, lighting a fire within his spirit. Leif knew he couldn¡¯t act on his desire to return home. He wasn¡¯t ready, and a part of him doubted if he ever would be. Fortunately, progress was an exemry distraction. Having gotten used to his new strength and learning to adapt to two newbatants he had received a system prompt. Congrattions! Your [Brawler] skill [Grounded Stance] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [Grounded Stance] from rank I to rank II? Y/N Naturally, Leif epted the rank up. Almost unconsciously he began to reassess his footing, how he moved, the weight distribution behind every past strike. He could sense the inefficiencies and mistakes with his current style. It wasn¡¯t like the skill had dumped this knowledge into his mind. Instead it felt more akin to his own understanding being sharpened and rified. A spotlight pointed at a specific ce, guiding him in the correct direction. Ranking up the skill hadn¡¯t been overly difficult. Ever since Leif had ranked up [The Well Within] he had be aware of the ceiling certain skills possessed. Simrly with his cultivation skill, upgrading [Grounded Stance] no longer seemed within reach. As if the next step would require a qualitative leap in understanding to even glimpse the next rank. The spriggan turned to where both humans were stumbling to their feet. How can I teach them? They¡¯re so quick to get into each other''s way¡­ Within moments they were grumbling at each other, this quickly began to devolve into a full shouting match. Leif had an idea. There was a brand new part of a skill he hadn¡¯t yet used. He reached out with his will, targeting both expedition members. Then he triggered [Amber Sympathy]. The present faded into the background as golden grains of sand began to drift against the currents of time. Adriana gasped and Linus stared in shock. The outlines of each motion, attack and counter began to rey across the teau. Maintaining the skill like this, sharing his ability to see the past was far more taxing than usual. Leif focused his will and pitted it against the increasing strain of the skill. He couldn¡¯t rewind all the way back to the beginning of their most recent spar, but he got within a few seconds. Good enough. ¡°Do you see it?¡± He asked. Both humans nodded dumbly. ¡°It¡¯s faint, and it¡¯s hard to make out¡­¡± Adriana said. ¡°Is this¡­ our fight?¡± Linus asked, squinting at his surroundings. ¡°Yes.¡± Leif replied simply. ¡°Now watch, right from the start you got into each other''s way.¡± === Midday came and went before something changed. Both Linus and Adriana had be fixated on training. Their animosity fueled rivalry spurring each to improve faster than the other. But just because they were motivated didn¡¯t mean they were any good. Two new presences approached the teau. Leif cocked his head in the direction of the neers while he absent mindedly scratched the head of a deer. Several animals had filtered down from where they had been resting, many watched in interest as the two humans sparred. Sieg and Marcus came into view. Leif nodded as they approached. ¡°You¡¯re stronger. Very nice. How was the advancement trial?¡± Sieg called. ¡°It was enlightening.¡± He responded. Out of curiosity he used [Combative Gumption] to analyse them both. Combat experience: Greater! The results for the northman were expected. The man had been training and fighting most of his life after all. Leif switched his focus to Marcus and repeated the skill usage. The skill was instinctual, barely requiring any input to activate. ...Huh? Leif thought, reading over the results in confusion. Combat experience: Lesser! Error: Target invalid! Error: Target invalid! ¡°What?¡± Marcus asked,ing to a stop. ¡°Is something wrong? Is it my face? What¡¯s happening?¡± === Somewhere far away, a red mote of light was absent mindedly watching a pair of songbirds fly through the air. The overseer received a ping indicating a system error, followed by coordinates. It did a little flip in happiness before zooming off. Chapter 47: Imperfect Chapter 47: Imperfect Combat experience: Lesser! Error: Target invalid! Error: Target invalid! ¡°Huh?¡± Leif asked. Looking nkly at the system message. ¡°Huh?¡± Marcus asked, staring at his staring. ¡°My analysis skill is saying you¡¯re an ¡®invalid target¡¯.¡± Leif said, thoroughly confused. ¡°What?¡± Marcus asked, dumbfounded. ¡°What?¡± Sieg said, equally puzzled. He turned to look at Marcus, then shrugged. ¡°Mine works fine.¡± Leif shared a look with the deer. Combat experience: Lesser! What is going on? Leif thought. Why is my [Combative Gumption] skill showing two error messages? And why only for Marcus? ¡°I have a new skill.¡± He exined, detailing the effects of his analysis skill. ¡°For some reason it shows two error messages after I analyse you.¡± ¡°System errors sometimes happen when skills conflict.¡± Sieg said. ¡°A pretty famous example is if a new skill invalidates the conditions to use an older skill. The system sometimes¡­ alters things if that happens.¡± ¡°Maybe your skill has two conflicting prerequisites?¡± Marcus suggested. ¡°Something like: ¡®You must be lower level¡¯ and ¡®you must be higher level.¡¯ There¡¯s a course dedicated to system oddities in the Academy.¡± Leif reread the skill, there was nothing of the sort in the description. ¡°No, nothing like that.¡± ¡°Oh well, if it¡¯s a new skill from [Brawler] it will likely fix itself if you fuse it to something else, or if the ss promotion changes something.¡± Marcus said, hopping forward. ¡°Now, tell us, did you get offered a new ss?¡± The spriggan nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± Marcus said, pumping his fist. ¡°I knew it! I won the bet!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t win shit.¡± Sieg stated tly. ¡°I never took that bet.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Leif said, ¡°I was offered two.¡± Sieg grunted in approval. ¡°Well deserved. Did you pick one?¡± ¡°Not yet, I wanted to get a second opinion before I made a choice.¡± Leif said. The spriggan detected the intent to nibble and gently deflected the offending deer with a hand. It made an annoyed huff at being denied. Leif red down at the innocent looking animal, its eyes wide and hopeful. Then an arrow of light fell from the sky, it disappeared behind a cluster of trees back in the direction of the main campsite. To the side, Linus and Adriana¡¯s spar turned duel came to a stop. Both teenagers looked battered and bruised, each was breathing heavily and sporting several minor injuries. ¡°Let¡¯s walk and talk kids.¡± Marcus said, looking at the two with amusement and pping his hands together. === ¡°I can personally attest to how potent [Attuned] is as a foundation ss.¡± Sieg said as the campsite came into view. ¡°Ibined mine with [Fighter] once both had a joined level total of ten. Costs a promotion seal like usual but it frees up a ss slot. The process is called a ss union.¡± Leif hadn¡¯t thought about that. How was he supposed to get promotion items? He knew the system was supposed to asionally reward them. But considering neither he, nor Sieg or Marcus had received one after escaping the Mythhold¡­ While the inner workings of the system are a mystery, even to the most enigmatic of beings, we can be quite confident that if Leif, Marcus and Sieg had killed the reanimated formian queen they most certainly would have been showered in rewards. Throughout history there had been quite the obsession with discovering how best to trigger the different system rewards. As far as I¡¯m aware, nobody has ever gotten close. The process of reverse engineering algorithms that use variables that cannot be directly observed by the mortal eye tend to be fairly impossible. ¡°We¡¯ll trade some of our mana shards for seals and emblems when we arrive at the outpost. The Academy usually brings a stock of them forrge scale expeditions like this as rewards. Doubly so when the imperial army is involved.¡± Marcus said. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences elsewhere. ¡°I thought this was the expedition?¡± Leif asked. Gesturing at the camp. ¡°We¡¯re the main party.¡± Sieg said. ¡°Our task was to look for potential dungeons and assess threats. It¡¯s what the Academy does best, or at least it''s what the institution makes students do for ¡®training¡¯. But the empire is looking to expand a line of forts across the newly vacant frontier, in case of any follow up invasions.¡± ¡°I heard Pherin had recently discovered resources in the north, near the mountains.¡± Linus said, wincing briefly at some of his lingering aches before continuing. Leif had healed both him and Adriana before the group had set off. ¡°But the empire didn¡¯t know about it until the royal family evacuated.¡± ¡°Politics.¡± Sieg sneered. ¡°The empire may have tried to defend the people if they had known.¡± Linus opened his mouth as if to argue but Johan came stomping up. ¡°Meeting, now, get moving.¡± The bald man red at Leif but didn¡¯tment. The spriggan was more than d to avoid a confrontation. === Hera sat, one leg over the other on a fallen log while the three dozen or so members of the expedition milled around her in a rough semicircle. She drained a canteen of water, then tossed the empty container to Melissa. The elderlydy caught the projectile with surprising adroitness and shuffled away. ¡°Ok people.¡± Hera called, and she focused on the group. ¡°This whole thing has gone to shit, so we¡¯re pulling out. The horde of undead those three found,¡± She pointed at Marcus,Sieg and Leif, ¡°are missing. Not that they don¡¯t exist, I¡¯m saying they retreated deeper underground.¡± A hush fell over the expedition. Hera brought her lips into a thin, humourless smile. ¡°Normally undead don¡¯t behave like that. Not unless there is a high level monster controlling them. So we have three major problems: Firstly, the entire countryside is practically flooded with goblins, including an incarnate orc lord. Secondly, an awakened enver of unknown level is somewhere nearby. And finally, there is most likely an undead infestation in the chasms beneath our feet.¡± The silence, somehow, became quieter. ¡°We¡¯ll head south, fast and light. Once we¡¯ve made contact with Far-reach and the imperial contingent we can make our next choices. Got it? No more funny business, from here on out consider this a warzone. I want this camp unmade and everyone ready to leave in an hour. Go go go!¡± Immediately people went scrambling. The campsite became a maelstrom of chaos as belongings were packed and tents began to fall. ¡°Spriggan.¡± Hera said, as she stepped out of the frenzy. ¡°With me, we need to talk.¡± Leif tilted his head in acknowledgement and moved to follow the human. They walked several dozen metres from the expedition. Leif noticed Marcus pointing towards Hera and him to Sieg but neither man followed. They reached the tree line and stopped, Hera leaning against a tall tree. ¡°Time is short so let''s make this quick. I¡¯m grateful you saved the lives of two of my people. Without you they wouldn¡¯t be alive and we may very well have lost more trying to rescue them. I¡¯ve checked out the ruins of Pherin, it¡¯s a massive disaster.¡± He nodded, unsure where she was going. ¡°Thinking about your story and how¡­ unique your situation is, I can only assume you will be of great interest to several factions, not only within the Academy but the empire as a whole. But this is just about a state of emergency, we don¡¯t have time to do paperwork and check regtions. I¡¯ll probably get yelled at but at this point I don¡¯t care.¡± Hera sighed, before continuing. ¡°Bringing you with us will be a pain. The military especially won¡¯t be pleased with a monster tagging along. Fortunately I have a solution. Darius! Get over here!¡± She called, seemingly to nobody. Huh? A momentter a young man in dark clothing, leather armour and with piercing green eyes materialised out of mist. Leif took a step back in surprise, he hadn¡¯t noticed the man, or his intent with his perception until he had be visible. ¡°Y-yes?¡± Darius asked, his voice hesitant. ¡°Give Leif your badge.¡± Hera ordered. ¡°M-mydy?¡± ¡°Yes, I know it¡¯s yours, but we only have one.¡± She turned to Leif, plucking a small silver object from Darius¡¯s hand as the man withdrew it from a pocket. ¡°This denotes someone as an auxiliary member of an official Academy operation.¡± She flipped it to Leif. The spriggan caught the object and examined it. It was finely detailed and made out of a silvery metal, a faint blue glow emanated from within tiny seams. It was shaped like a serpent eating its own tail. Or is that a dragon? Yes, its wings are folded but that¡¯s definitely a dragon. Within the centre of the encircling dragon were four ovepping circles in an almost flower shaped pattern. ¡°It¡¯s something the Academy uses to verify personnel hired on for one reason or another. If anyone asks, you¡¯re a healer we brought on after an incident. Congrattions, you¡¯re hired. Your pay is whatever the current rate is, I¡¯m not sure how much a healer''s time is worth.¡± Darius shrugged when Hera shot him a questioning look, the boy looking away after a moment, not meeting her gaze. Leif appreciated the help, he really did, but there was a ringly obvious w in Hera¡¯s n if she wanted him to blend in. ¡°Here.¡± She said, as the air around her hand warped. A thick travelling cloak, mud red in colour and with several small patches materialised out of nowhere. The de threw the clothing at Leif, itnded on his head and draped him like a clothes hanger. Little pointed sticks jutted up and out from under the cloth. ¡°Just put that on and don¡¯t talk too much. It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re not human when you talk. Oh, now that our little expedition has two auxiliary members you two are a pair. Look after one another and all that. Now I have a tent to pack, see-ya.¡± She said, turning and walking off. Leif untangled himself from the cloak and looked down at it. The spriggan suddenly became aware he¡¯d been effectively naked this whole time. Physiologically incapable of feeling embarrassed, the noggin chemicals just weren¡¯t there, Leif stood frozen. The parts of his mind and soul that were human conflicted with those that were monstrous. The collision short circuited both. ¡°Uh, good to meet you?¡± Dairus said. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly when Leif didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Um¡­ are you okay?¡± If anyone is wondering, no, there was nothing to see. Chapter 48: Adept or Attuned Chapter 48: Adept or Attuned Leif looked rather unassuming under his new cloak. He was roughly the size and shape of a human adult, though he had different proportions. His arms were longer and his hands wererger, possessing four w tipped fingers. With his hood up, aura withdrawn, and extremities hidden beneath fabric the spriggan wouldn¡¯t draw too many odd nces. The expedition marched in a quick, loose, single file formation. Most people were burdened with their tents and belongings, but several were notably light on visible possessions. ¡°Do you not have a tent?¡± The covered nt monster asked. ¡°I sleep under the stars.¡± Darius replied. The young man watching the moving column reach the base of the hill and disappear one by one into a sparse cluster of trees. ¡°Do¡­ you have a tent?¡± Leif looked at him for several seconds. ¡°Ah, stupid question.¡± He turned away, sheepish. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not great with¡­ people. Or monsters. Sorry I¡¯ve never talked to a nt before and¡­¡± Leif huffed augh. ¡°Less words can be better. Sometimes I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Often actually. But he doesn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°Really? I guess so.¡± Darius replied, partially fading out of sight. A twig snapped behind them and the man jolted, spinning in rm, the movement dispelling whatever stealth ability he had unconsciously triggered. Two deer stared cidly, both chewing on leaves attached to the same stick. It looked ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ll let the expedition get further ahead before I follow with my animals.¡± Leif said. ¡°You can go on ahead, I know you¡¯ve been forced to do this.¡± ¡°O-oh, not at all. Well, a little. But I¡¯d happily do anything Lady Hera asks.¡± He said, green eyes sparkling as a goofy grin spread over his face. ¡°Do you know her well?¡± ¡°Y-yes! Well, no. Not as much as I¡¯d like, she¡¯s just so¡­ you know?¡± Leif didn¡¯t. ¡°Strong?¡± He guessed. Darius sighed, the man gained a faraway look in his eyes. ¡°She''s so beautiful, smart, the way her hair shimmers under the sun¡­¡± The spriggan¡¯s amber eyes flickered, imitating a slow blink. Huh? ¡°And the way she moves, so elegant and graceful. And the way she fights¡­¡± Darius¡¯s hands were wildly gesturing. ¡°And the way her body hugs the-¡± He paused, realising what he was saying. And to whom. The human turned beet red and partially veiled himself in mist. He squatted down, arms hugging his knees. ¡°P-pretend you didn''t hear anything.¡± Leif just nodded. He had a ss to pick. For disying your aptitude for life aspected magics, reversing the near fatal intrusion of death energy and sessfully bringing someone back from the very brink of death, you have the opportunity to gain the [Attuned: Life] ss! ss slots: 1/3 ept? Y/N For constantly healing and protecting your allies even in the direst of situations and proving yourself a capable healer andbatant even under the most stressful of circumstances you have the opportunity to gain the [Adept] ss! ss slots: 1/3 ept? Y/N Leif had been considering his options ever since they had been presented to him. But that didn¡¯t mean the choice was easy. He had two skills with the ¡®life¡¯ aspect. Leif suspected that [Attuned: Life] would likely amplify those skills and most certainly grant him several new ones. Leif sorted his current skills, making a list of the skills with the life aspect. === Settle / Embolden Vegetation === Only two, and they were both skills he had very little experience with. I think foundation sses provide at most a plus fifty percent bonus to skills from the ss perk. At least that¡¯s what [Brawler] provides. Actually, now that he thought about it¡­ What is the difference between ¡®life¡¯ and ¡®blood¡¯? Both have something to do with healing. And several of my ¡®blood¡¯ skills barely seem rted to it at all. They mention vitality and lifeforce, isn¡¯t that synonymous with healing? Well, Leif supposed he had someone to ask. Though he wasn¡¯t sure how mentally sound Darius was after his little outburst. ¡°Hey. Can I ask a question?¡± The spriggan asked. ¡°S-sure.¡± The man stammered, looking up guiltily. ¡°Anything. I mean, not anything. You know what I mean¡­¡± He sighed, shoulders deting. Leif didn¡¯t. ¡°Why are some skill aspects so simr? And do ss perks ovep if the aspects are more or less the same?¡± The man rocked back in his ankles and sat back, he looked lost in thought. ¡°They¡¯re like¡­ system semantics. That¡¯s what I was taught anyway. But no, there¡¯s no ovep. Fire and heat are different aspects, and ss perks don¡¯t ovep any bonuses. A bonus to ¡®fire¡¯ wouldn¡¯t affect a skill with the ¡®heat¡¯ aspect. I think. Not unless they had both.¡± ¡°I have blood and life aspects. Don¡¯t they do the same thing?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t go to that big fancy Academy. My family runs an adventuring guild in Ahle-ho, you¡¯d be better off asking the students. Or Lady Hera¡­¡± He mumbled thest part. Leif crossed his arms. He wasn¡¯t fully satisfied with that answer, especially since the expedition was currently marching out of sight. He focused on the second option. [Adept] seemed more generalised, it mentioned both healing andbat in the ss unlock prerequisites. Fighting is good. I do that quite a lot. He mused. It was likely the ss would provide a perk with increases to what he was already good at. Stacking perks seems to be quite potent, I wonder how much ss synergy is rmended? Leif knew which ss he had been favouring, further contemtion hadn¡¯t changed that. So he picked his newest ss. Congrattions! You have gained the adept ss! Level up! ss [Adept] is now level 1! For meeting the ss requirements and having an avable ss slot you have gained a level! +1 free point! === [Adept] Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition. Through persistence and grit you havee to possess a natural inclination for the healing arts and an understanding of the body. Tier: 1 (Foundation) Level: 1/10 ss Perk: +50% To the effect of life aspected skills +50% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills Your healing skills are 50% less strenuous on the target¡¯s body Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: D crity: E Intelligence: D+ Willpower: C Spirit: C+ Charisma: D+ Base Stats: Might: +1, Willpower +2, Spirit: +2, Charisma +1 Skills: None === Leif read over the ss details. The attribute increases from the ss¡¯s base stats were mostly insubstantial, though every little bit would add up. He wondered why his [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss granted so many attributespared to his general sses. I suppose it''s one of the main differences between monster and human sses. That and monster sses evolve while human sses promote. The spriggan mentally assessed his current skills. With the additional fifty percent increase to body enhancement skills many felt even more potent. But he wouldn¡¯t test them out. Not quite yet. After all, he still had something to do. He had made a choice. Leif understood the theory behind not filling up his ss slots. But having talked to Marcus and Sieg about it he felt confident in it being the right choice. While it may hinder him in the short term, Leif felt in the core of his being it would pay off. Hopefully. Congrattions! You have gained the attuned: life ss! Level up! ss [Attuned: Life] is now level 1! For meeting the ss requirements and having an avable ss slot you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 free point! === [Attuned: Life] You have felt your connection to life, and have chosen to solidify it. To be attuned is to walk in the steps of something greater. Tier: 1 (Foundation) Level: 1/10 ss Perk: You and those around you naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace +50% To the effect of life aspected skills +50% To the effect of skills that heal or restore Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: E crity: E Intelligence: D Willpower: D+ Spirit: C Charisma: C+ Base Stats: Intelligence +1, Willpower +1, Spirit: +2, Charisma +2 Skills: None === Leif nodded thoughtfully as he read over his second healing ss. The part of the ss perk about natural recovery was almost identical to a line in his monster ss¡¯s perk. He would need to level up in either ss to gain a new skill. ording to Marcus and Sieg, being taught by another owner of a simr ss would be enough to level up once or twice. But Leif didn¡¯t have anyone to teach him. Fortunately he doubted gaining levels would be too much of a challenge. Leif spent his two new free points on [Charisma], bringing the attribute to sixty. His resolve firmed. He would gain strength, and then regain what he had lost. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Amber Blight Spriggan Age: 11 Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 42 (+10%) crity: 45 (+10%) Intelligence: 31 (+10%) Willpower: 28 (+10%) Spirit: 41 (+10%) Charisma: 60 (+90%) Total Level: 32 Monster sses: 1/1 Amber Blight Spriggan: 14/20 Skills: Gold Iron Physique / Amber Sympathy / Blight''s Bounty / The Well Within II / Settle / Amber Steps / Embolden Vegetation sses: 3/3 Brawler: 6/10 Skills: Grounded Stance II / Combative Gumption Adept: 1/10 Skills: None Attuned: Life 1/10 Skills: None Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Grand Action / Under My Protection / Legacy === Chapter 49: Scouring Chapter 49: Scouring The crimson glow from the closest moon¡¯s cracked surface filtered down onto the. Where water pooled red was reflected like glistening blood. As season¡¯s devastated side slowly rotated more and more into view over several days the weather began to shift. The winds would pick up, or be perfectly still. Rain or snow would fall in an endless wave only for the sun¡¯s rays to warm the world the very next day. During these early days of turbulence a group of goblins ran through the wilderness. They numbered around twenty, and as they ran they trampled undergrowth and disturbed wildlife. They ran because they were being hunted. They all were. A shock-wave of power bloomed from behind the slowest goblins, it came from a hundred metres back, the force sending dirt spraying and wood splintering. The detonation of power hade from where several of their group had tried to hide. Sweat ran in sheets down their small green bodies of those still fleeing, their breathing in fearful rasps. Many of the panicking monsters dropped their makeshift weapons and shrugged off scrappy armour. They fled in any way they could, sometimes on all fours, desperately shoving each other aside to get even a few steps further from their pursuer. The evening shed a dull blue as ance of power shredded thend fifty metres to their left. The goblins knew their time would soon be up. For a brief, beautiful moment the air went quiet. For a blissful instant everything seemed peaceful. Then she fell upon them. The five fastest goblins, each over level ten, died instantly as a crushing weight stered them into paste against the soil. Wings thrummed on their attackers back, each insectile protrusion moving faster than they could see. It blurred forward, bones broke and skulls shattered. In an instant over half of their troupe was dead. The slowest goblin, an unevolved creature with no name, fell back in terror. Warmth stained its ragged loincloth as it froze in fear. One of its brothers tried to flee, but it was pulled back as if by invisible strings. It screamed and wailed as it flew into the pursuer''s iron grip. Words were spoken but the unnamed goblin couldn¡¯t hear what was said, nor could it truly see through its tear stained vision. One by one its n died as the hunter reeled them in. Finally its turn came. A vice griptched onto his shoulder and yanked him upwards. The goblin shivered in terror and rapidly blinked the tears from its eyes. The being before it looked almost human, pale skin and long jet ck hair. It stared down at the goblin with cold, lifeless eyes, its feminine face portraying no emotion. ¡°Where is he? Where is the one you call king?¡± She asked. ¡°P-please!¡± The goblin howled. ¡°P-please! I¡¯m just a goblin! I¡¯m only level three. I don¡¯t give any experience! Please!¡± ¡°Where?¡± She said, her voice somehow even colder. ¡°Is. Your. King?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! P-please I¡¯m-¡± The goblin¡¯s pleading was cut off as his head impacted a hardwood tree and shattered. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it === X hovered over thend. Her wings and gravity attuned powers keeping her at a consistent elevation. She scanned what was once the eastern fringe of a human kingdom called Pherin. A kingdom she had been responsible for destroying. It was the will of her hive, she had no regrets. No, that wasn¡¯t true. She regretted that they had eventually lost. When their numbers were depleted and their supplies ran low. The humans had rallied near a coastal city and driven her kind back. Forcing them to retreat. X had duelled the humans above their harbour, theplex wooden structures home to strange ships. The strongest of their city had worked together and drove her away, she had known it would happen. What the awakened formian didn¡¯t know was that her family would be butchered in a pitched battle. She hadn¡¯t been there, she hadn¡¯t been able to help. After she had recovered from her near life threatening wounds she had gone looking for them. Their trail had led underground, into the geometric caverns below the world. But there the trail had ended. For years X had wandered, lost and confused. Without her hive what was she? How could she live? But then she had detected something, the faint scent of family. Even now, hovering above Pherin and scanning itsndscape, she could sense it. Something calling her home. ¡°Down.¡± It whispered. ¡°Come down.¡± ¡°No.¡± She hissed, teeth gritted. With every day the call grew louder, harder to resist. ¡°You¡¯re not her, you¡¯re not my family.¡± ¡°Down.¡± X unleashed a [Ray of Annihtion], it sliced down through trees and a hillside. ¡°Down.¡± The formian flinched. She needed something to focus on, something to hunt. The one who called himself king. Yes, he is another enemy. Hunt him. And so she did. With sheer force of will honed from a lifetime ofbat and survival she ripped herself from the pull. Goblins continued to die, killed by an entity far beyond their ability toprehend, let alone fight. But as X left a trail of death in her wake, darkness crept up from below, adding the dead to their numbers. === The expedition headed south, Hera pushed them to move faster and faster. During the day she would stand above them, floating on a shimmering tform of light. She seemed focused on the far distance. And the faint shes of blue light that could asionally be seen. As they travelled Leif noticed thend bing less and less hospitable. Birds no longer sang in the branches of trees, insects had gone to ground and small mammals hid at the slightest sounds. He could feel something change, deep beneath his feet. A creeping foulness following behind them. Even his animals could feel the change, the myriad creatures all sticking closer to him with every passing hour. After a day of moving at a near constant jog the expedition seemed to finally slip away from the malevolent force that had been on their heels. It was as if the world had taken a deep sigh of relief. Thendscape changed. No longer were they marching through dense clusters of trees and jagged cliffs. Instead thend became t, rocks piled up at the base ofrge sweeping hills as if they had been collected by a force capable of moving the world itself. In the distance, and the direction they were travelling, wererge swaths of swamnd. The inconsistent weather of early turbulence followed, each hour potentially bringing something new. On the fourth day of being on the move Hera called the expedition to a halt. In a valley a mile or so away was a trail of lights and a line of slow moving caravans. The vehicles were being pulled along byrge woolly beasts with upward facing horns. Surprisingly, some of the creatures seemed to tower above the very carts they were pulling. ¡°What is it?¡± Leif asked to the empty air. At a cursory nce he seemed to be alone, but over thest few days he had gotten more and more skilled at sensing a hint of the veiled, misty presence lingering nearby. Darius shrugged, the man materialising from mist a few metres away. ¡°Dunno, it isn¡¯t the basecamp though, we¡¯re still a week or two off still. Maybe nomads?¡± ¡°Nomads? I didn¡¯t think anyone lived here?¡± The man squinted into the distance and nodded, seemingly to himself. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s definitely nomads. A Demikin n most likely, they¡¯re a prettymon sight on the border of the human territories. Demikin? Chapter 50: Distance Chapter 50: Distance As the expedition drew closer they caught the attention of the nomad camp. Individuals, too far away for any recognisable details, grabbed weapons and began scrambling around. Clearly the expedition¡¯s arrival had caught them unaware. From his position at the rear of the expedition Leif saw the tension and nervous shuffling of the Academy students. He could sense several preparing for a fight, others looked as if they were ready to run. ¡°The empire is quite hostile to Demikin.¡± Darius said as he squatted in ce, watching as six riders exited the nomad camp. ¡°There have been more than a few wars in the past century or so, mostly in the east and south. The Enved attacking the northern kingdoms and imperial provinces is only thetest incident.¡± Leif tried to recall what he knew of that particr enemy. He¡¯d been remembering small shes of a battle but the memory was hazy and faded. ¡°I thought the enved were ant monsters?¡± He asked. ¡°No, the envers are ant monsters. But most of their soldiers were human, or demikin with ant-like features.¡± The spriggan tensed at the revtion and viewed the camp with greater scrutiny. The riders approached the expedition, their stout horses effortlessly navigating the rugged and hardy terrain. ¡°Will they be hostile? Will there be a fight?¡± Leif asked. The amber glow of his eyes watching the nomads warily. ¡°Nah, we¡¯re in unimed territory. And even if we weren¡¯t, Ahle-ho has friendly rtions with many of the demikin ns in this area.¡± Darius said, shrugging. ¡°Actually, maybe she will need me, since I¡¯m from a guild and not the Academy." Leif side-eyed the young man. He seemed to have lit up at the thought of being of use to Hera. Strange man. Leif thought as he turned his attention to where the nomad riders hade to a stop. In the distance Hera stepped forward. For over a minute words were exchanged, then the riders nodded and their postures rxed. Darius was practically vibrating with excitement, his presence slowly fading in and out. ¡°Alright kids.¡± Hera called as she approached the milling crowd. ¡°We¡¯ll be making camp here for tonight. I need to talk to their leader, if any of you start trouble I will make you regret it.¡± Many of the expedition members slumped to the ground, utterly exhausted. Leif felt fine, whenever he began to g he would draw a trickle of energy from every other nt he passed. It had been more than enough to keep him going. === Sure enough, Hera had called on Darius before entering the nomad¡¯s campsite. Melissa went too, but not before badgering them all about ¡®good behaviour¡¯. The nomad camp wasrge, from its position atop a nearby hill Leif could estimate there to be enough curved, fur lined tents to house well over a hundred people. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. His animalszed around while the expedition slowly put their own tents up and began to prepare the evening¡¯s meals. Sieg and Marcus were the first to finish, the two men, a few years older than most of the other expedition members, were quick and efficient with their work. They ambled over to check up with Leif. The expedition had been moving at such a brisk pace that they hadn¡¯t had much time to talk in a few days. Marcus invited Leif to sit around the expedition¡¯s newly lit campfire and tentatively the spriggan agreed. With his hood up he sat at the periphery of the group, he listened to their chatter but didn¡¯t join in. Leif could feel the hesitation and apprehension of the humans around him. They stayed clear, and he didn¡¯t push the issue. Trying to integrate wouldn¡¯t end well, though it pained him to admit it. Leif imagined the young man he had witnessed in his advancement trial interacting with the expedition. Laughing at their jokes and engaging with their conversations. How would the person he had once been react to their friendly jibes? How many of them would have been his friends? The thoughts quickly spiralled downwards into depression. He was alone, and would be until he could regain what he had lost. If that¡¯s even possible. He thought sourly. Leif was so close to having a wisp of his old life back, but he was kept at arm''s length by suspicion and hostility. Marcus and Sieg were the obvious exceptions, and while they kept himpany they clearly had other things to do than babysit a brooding monster. Sieg was on cooking duty along with a woman Leif didn¡¯t know the name of and Marcus started arguing with two other men about a technical topic Leif didn¡¯t understand. It was so normal, but so far away. An hour into the meal a group departed the nomad camp. They snaked down the hill and made their way towards the expedition. It was smallpared to the gathered Academy students, around ten nomads in total. Conversation came to an end and several people stood up, some tense others more rxed. Leif wasn¡¯t overly familiar with the social cliques but he had noticed several distinct groups. The one that made to confront the neers was led by the one expedition member Leif had an overwhelmingly negative experience with. ¡°What do you want?¡± Johan snapped. His arms crossed as if his posture alone could bar them entry. Leif felt what remaining intent on him shift away and be redirected at the nomads. Now that they were closer Leif finally got a good look. At a nce they were indistinguishable from normal humans. Slightly taller and well built, but that wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary, Sieg was of simr stature. Then Leif noticed the hair, it was long and remarkably fluffy, it rolled down their shoulders like white and grey clouds. Then he noticed the horns. ¡°We brought drink.¡± The lead nomad said, his voice a low rumble despite his age being on the younger side. ¡°And we suddenly have so many new friends to share it with. It would be shameful to waste what may be thest calm night before turbulence kicks off properly.¡± The man grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Johan took a step back as if theck of hostility was a physical force. Several expedition members chuckled at his expense. Some whooping at the proposition of drink ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Siegughed in response. ¡°I just so happened to cook too much food.¡± Chapter 51: Ruckus Chapter 51: Ruckus There was a brief moment of tension as both groups stood still. Then the leader of the visiting nomadsughed. ¡°I like your attitude northman!¡± He bellowed. ¡°Nowhere does hospitality like beyond the pass! It¡¯s a damn travesty!¡± Sieg grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive them, their culture is far too advanced for such things.¡± Both men sped forearms as if they were long time friends. Johan spluttered in the background, he muttered dark words and stalked off. With that the tension broke. The nomads, all on the younger side of adulthood, some with more prominent horns and somecking them entirely, began to pull out skins filled with fragrant liquid. Drink, as it turned out, was a fantastic icebreaker. Leif watched, an observer rather than a participant. He watched the golden trail of time follow each gesture, he saw different groups as they moved around. With each moment they intermixed, their trails weaving together like aplex web. With so many people it was difficult to urately read their emotions and intent, Leif suspected it was because of hisck of experience with [Amber Sympathy]. Actually. He thought. Couldn¡¯t my aura be of use? Leif focused, utilising his recently improved [Charisma] attribute. Control was never something he had really tried, other than expanding and retracting of course. As the gathering morphed into a party Leif practised. At first he retracted his presence, pulling it around him much like the heavy cloak he was wearing. Then he tried to shape it, a tendril snaked out but he quickly lost control as he moved it too far away, the connection fraying. He pushed and pulled, reshaping his [Aura of Nobility] like wet y. Leif withdrew into himself, the activity letting him forget his loneliness. As the minutes ticked by his control slowly became more deft, theplexity of forms he could shape his aura into improving. Leif jerked in surprise when his focus was interrupted by a system notification. Congrattions! Your [Noble] skill [Aura of Nobility] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [Aura of Nobility] from rank I to rank II? Y/N He epted the prompt, somewhat surprised at how easy the upgrade had been to obtain. His aura seemed to tremble, then condense, like early morning mist pooling in valleys. If before his aura had been blurry and insubstantial, now it had sharpened into focus. The difference was subtle but immediate. Or at least Leif thought it was subtle. Several intents locked onto him from the party goers who were nearest. All but one belonged to members of the expedition, but none he knew beyond the vaguest of details. One by one their focus slid away and back to the increasingly rowdy impromptu festivities. I guess they felt the change in my aura? Leif thought. He patiently waited for the attention to slip off of him. Now that his aura skill had upgraded he could sense the auras of those nearby with a brand new rity. But it wasn¡¯t just that. All of his esoteric senses became slightly clearer, growing in fidelity with every passing moment. The lifeforce surrounding him, mostly blurry and diffuse due to the sheer quantity of people, became far more defined. It wasn¡¯t to the point he could pinpoint individuals, he would need more practice. Then he noticed one of the intents hadn¡¯t left him. He nced up and met the gaze of a nomad woman. Her long cloud-like hair billowed down her back and her simrly bushy eyebrows were cocked in amusement. Small horns barely poked out from beneath theyer of fluff. She looked him up and down, then smirked. Leif grumbled internally as he refocused on his aura. Is she mocking me? Does she find my istion funny? Did she- ¡°Greetings.¡± A voice said, a jovial lilt to its ented tone. Leif looked up and saw the nomad approach. She held two wooden mugs and continued with a song-like tone. ¡°I¡¯m Liv, nice-ta-meet-ya.¡± Leif froze. She doesn¡¯t know what I am. What if she finds out and it ruins the party? What if a fight breaks out? What if- ¡°So¡­ Are you the dark and brooding type? Or the serious, self improving type?¡± She asked, the amusement in her dark eyes was matched by the flickering firelight. The spriggan considered her words. But how could he respond? His voice was a dead giveaway. He formed his usual tongue with [Gold Iron Physique], the use of the skill in this way had be second nature to him over the weeks since he had started talking. Actually, now that he thought back on it. Hadn¡¯t he learnt that ability abnormally quickly? Or was he tapping into dormant instincts while trying tomunicate. Actually, why the hells hasn''t he tried writing? What if- Focus Leif, focus. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. Leif snapped back to reality and tried to mask his voice, while keeping his response short. ¡°Both.¡± He half said, half grunted. Smooth. Livughed, it was a unique sound, it rolled from her mouth like a rounded stone down a hill. ¡°Yeah? Not a fan of the atmosphere? I don¡¯t me you, my little brother hates crowds. He likes to hide away when things get loud.¡± He nodded, then hesitantly took the mug she had proffered. He did so with a etherial limb of amber, not wishing to reveal his nature. She raised a fluffy eyebrow but didn¡¯tment. ¡°You not in with this lot?¡± She asked, gesturing to a group of Academy students. ¡°Hired help.¡± ¡°I bet they need all the help they can get.¡± She snickered, taking a swig from her mug. Leif eyed his own. Can I even drink? I usually just absorb liquid into my body directly. He paused, then took a careful swig. The liquid entering through the narrow crack he had in ce of a proper mouth. It had a warm, earthy taste, like someone had poured pepper over recently lit kindling. It reached whatever Leif had in ce of a stomach, or maybe his lungs. There it started to be absorbed into his body. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, he supposed it was quite nice. He let out a sigh, enjoying the moment. ¡°Good taste?¡± Liv asked, her mouth quirking into a smile. ¡°We mix it with yak piss, really brings out the vour.¡± Leif gagged, some of the alcoholing back up. The nomadughed uproariously at his misfortune. Ah, a joke. He realised, finding it quite amusing. For a brief moment everything felt right, that there was no distance, no divide. Then reality mmed back into ce. If she had known who, and what he was¡­ A shout, followed by a cacophony ofughter pulled Leif from the downward spiral of negativity. He nced up and saw two of the younger expedition members, a boy and a girl, confronting a pair of nomads of simr age. Something had been said to start the altercation but Leif hadn¡¯t heard what. He stretched out his newly enhanced aura and with it [Amber Sympathy]. Leif sensed the sparks of emotions, the flickering hostility and apprehension. Leif sighed and pushed himself to his feet, Liv stood as well, her mug never leaving her lips as she drained it. Something else was said followed by another round ofughter. The faces of both expedition members went red. If the colour of their cheeks was due to anger, embarrassment or the flush of alcohol it wasn¡¯t clear. ¡°Kids.¡± Liv said with a sagely drawl. ¡°Can¡¯t hold their drinks.¡± Leif put his mostly full mug aside as voices were raised. ¡°You take that back!¡± The boy yelled. ¡°Take it back or I¡¯ll¡­ or I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Asked the nomad directly opposite him in a challenging tone. The boy was a head taller than his counterpart and twice as wide. Leif noted he seemed tock any horns. ¡°Enough!¡± Johan spat, his face filled with indignant rage as he stumbled to his feet from the sidelines. ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want them here. Nothing ends well when monster blooded are involved!¡± Everything went quiet. The man¡¯s anger faltered briefly before returning with a renewed fervour. But before he could say anything else a new figure stood. It was a nomad who was sitting next to their well built leader. His frame was lean, his hair shimmering an iridescent purple, its shoulder length restrained by woven bands. No horns, in fact he seemed to barely belong among the mostly homogeneous nomads as only his clothing matched. He stepped forward with quick confidence and ced a hand on the two younger nomad''s shoulders. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Things got a little heated, how about we all take a step back and not ruin the night. I suspect we¡¯ve all been told not to cause trouble. Forgive my little brothers.¡± He said with a cating, but friendly tone. Followed by a short bow. One of Johan¡¯s eyes twitched. Leif winced. As did several other expedition members, Marcus and Sieg included. This won¡¯t be good. ¡°You should be grateful to be in our presence at all. You should be honoured that we would give trash like yourself the privilege.¡± The coordinator hissed with a slurred voice, he pointed an using finger at the purple haired man as he got up in the man¡¯s face. ¡°Trash.¡± The nomad¡¯s expression ttened. All friendliness vanished to be reced by calcting intensity. ¡°Interesting words. You wouldn¡¯t happen to be from the southern empire would you?¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have no hair at all?¡± ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°And you have an almost metallic gleam to your skin. In my experience people with those traits tend to have some dragon blood in them, a little hypocritical for someone who hates ¡®monster blooded¡¯, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± The coordinator froze, his entire body tensing. The nomad smiled. Then Johan punched him. Right in the face. The observing crowd all ¡®ooed¡¯. The nomad¡¯s head rocked back, the coordinator¡¯s expression one of barely fulfilled vengeance. Then a mirror sheen shed over where the blow hadnded and Johan¡¯s head snapped backwards. Unlike his own punch, which other than being surprising hadn¡¯t seemed to do much damage, the sudden and unexpected counter crunched bone and sent blood flying. The crowd ¡®ahhhed¡¯. The coordinator fell on his ass and raised his hand, three orbs, each a different colour spun into existence. They raced forward, each heading for a separate part of the nomad¡¯s body. The man, standing but still off bnce from being sucker punched, didn''t have time to react. Whatever the damage reflect skill had been was apparently activated automatically. A golden shield snapped up around him, it thrummed with protective power. It blocked all three orbs with ease, each dissipating into motes of elementally charged light. Leif stepped forward, amber arms crossed over his chest. Several people all looked to him before older members of both encampments rushed in to break up the fight. Chapter 52: Assistance Chapter 52: Assistance Leif felt the attention on him, like gusts of wind constantly poking at his soul. Actually, some of the intent washing against him felt different, as if his aura was being questioned. Not understanding the difference and not having the time to consider he mentally battered them away. The questioning intent dispersed and Leif stepped forward. He was technically an employed healer, he¡¯d already saved lives, and this would be nothing quite as grand. He reached out and touched the shoulder of the injured nomad with an amber arm. Vitality washed down his arm as he focused on [Willpower]. With the boost to the attribute and the improvement to all healing rted skills courtesy of [Attuned: Life] golden light lit up at the point his ethereal limb met intricately detailed tribal furs. The man gasped, and briefly shook in ce. He let out a breath as if everything was right in the world and gave Leif a nod in thanks. The spriggan turned his attention to the second, younger man. Johan glowered up at him, his eyes burning with fury, pain, shame and a kaleidoscope of other emotions. To Leif¡¯s senses they rolled off of him as if they were a physical mantle. Johan reached up and wiped blood from his upper lip. For an instant it looked as if he would try andsh out, but even in his addled mental state the man seemed to recognise that would be a poor idea. ¡°Piss off, I don¡¯t need the help of a monster.¡± He muttered, his words slurred. ¡°Too bad.¡± Leif responded coldly. He didn¡¯t like the man but he had been hired to heal, so he would. Not that anyone knows how much I¡¯m being paid. He shrugged internally, refocusing on Johan. ¡°I need the experience.¡± His golden eyes met the coordinator''s. For an instant neither moved. Then a sh of amber light lit up at Johan¡¯s feet. A etherial tendril had snaked out from under Leif¡¯s cloak and made contact with the man''s boot. After a moment his nose made a disconcerting pop as the bone mended back into shape. Johan blinked, his initial reaction simr to the nomad¡¯s. Leif turned and walked away as the man started a half incoherent rant. The healing had mended the wound but it had done nothing for his current state of drunkenness. As Leif left the spotlight he caught Sieg¡¯s eye. Therge man nodded slightly, the motion conveying a surprising amount of detail. ¡®He was an asshole, but you did the right thing.¡¯ The man¡¯s expression said. The spriggan hoped he was right. ¡°Impressive.¡± Liv said as Leif sat back down at the edge of the party, she handed him his mostly full mug. The liquid sloshing around as she gestured. Leif shrugged and took a sip. ¡°I was expecting something idiotic to happen.¡± He admitted. While he wasn¡¯t familiar with most of the expedition¡¯s members, those he did know seemed to have fairlyrge personalities that tended to sh. The nomad snickered. ¡°Fun though.¡± If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The spriggan wasn¡¯t so sure. He¡¯d rather not get involved more than he had to. Leif also thought it was wrong to hope for situations where his ability to heal others woulde in use. Though he did need to level his newest sses somehow. Maybe healing myself during or after fights would be the best oue? After that the party remained more subdued, both groups seemed more hesitant to split away and interact with the other. A few minutes after the confrontation the purple haired man who had been punched approached Leif. ¡°My gratitude.¡± He said with a short bow and a smile. ¡°I am Samil. Things got a little out of hand and for that I apologise. I¡¯m afraid I cannot pay for your service, life on the frontier isn¡¯t the most lucrative.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it.¡± Leif replied. Compensation outside of whatever his pay was hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind. ¡°Then my sincere thanks will have to do. Perhaps I can offer a favour in return for your generosity?¡± ¡°Always so serious.¡± Leif heard Liv mutter under her breath. The spriggan waved the man¡¯s offer aside with an amber arm. ¡°That was some impressive shielding and healing.¡± Samil said, looking around the camp. ¡°With you at their side, the imperials are in good hands.¡± The man gestured to a nearby t boulder as if asking to sit. Leif nodded indicating that he could do so. ¡°You seem¡­ different. From the other nomads I mean?¡± Leif said, wincing internally at his choice of words. Though it was true, Samilcked many of the distinct features the other nomads possessed. Liv snorted. The man just smiled. ¡°Indeed, we hail from different regions. Not to mention the difference in our blood. Nothing to be ashamed of, despite what some may say.¡± ¡°Samil here is a peacock.¡± Liv said giggling to herself. ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s so pretty. Isn¡¯t that right, purple boy?¡± Samil¡¯s smile ttened as he pressed his lips together. ¡°I don¡¯t know about pretty... Different? Certainly. Me and my family are descended from an awakened bird-like monster found to the far east. An Amethyst Lyre to be precise, not a peacock.¡± Leif frowned internally. Descendant? ¡°Yeah, yeah. Some kind of king or something, right?¡± Liv asked. ¡°So the story goes. Hard to gauge its validity so far from home. The powers that be in the east are constantly changing, faster even than the weather during turbulence.¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡± Leif said hesitantly. At the look of confusion on the two nomad¡¯s faces he borated. ¡°I¡¯ve been isted¡­ I was a hermit, of a sort. What do you mean by ¡®descendant¡¯?¡± Samil nodded, considering Leif¡¯s question. He flipped some of his long purple hair so it fell in front of his shoulder. ¡°My hair is evidence of an awakened bloodline, the remnants of a monstrous trait or feature that has faded with each passing generation.¡± ¡°Like my horns.¡± Liv said, tapping the small ivory protrusions. ¡°Awakening is a remarkable process.¡± Samil said. ¡°When a monster reaches a certain point, level fifty I think, it can choose to ¡®awaken¡¯. When they do, they gain the ability to acquire human sses.¡± ¡°And a human body.¡± Liv said. ¡°But from what I know that¡¯s considerably harder. I¡¯ve heard stories of my revered ancestor, they said he looks like a grumpy old man, but he¡¯s actually a high level Tempest Mountain Goat. He lives somewhere in the mountains to the north.¡± Leif froze, his whole body tensed as if he had been struck by a bolt of energy. His mind raced and his thoughts spiralled. Human body? Could it really be that easy? Chapter 53: Showtime Chapter 53: Showtime The conversation continued with Liv and Samil specting about the strength of their respective monstrous ancestors. Leif tuned them both out, not on purpose, he was simply too distracted by the most recent revtion. Level fifty. It was so close, there was no way his goal would be so easily within reach. Right? He thought. Maybe he had suffered enough? Maybe this was the world¡¯s way of apologising for his unfair treatment? The thought was somewhatforting. But a twinge in his soul told him that it couldn¡¯t possibly be so easy. Something would go wrong, or there would be unexpectedplications. His mind kept spinning as the night crawled on. === Marcus waddled over, more than a little tipsy. He startedining about how: ¡°Arcane forms should just get along.¡± It seemed like nonsense and after a minute he was dragged away. When Leif finally was in the state of mind to talk he asked more about awakening, but nobody really knew much more than the name. Samil suggested asking an awakened monster about it which wasn¡¯t actually a terrible idea. If he knew where to find one, which Leif currently did not. As the night went on the food ran out and the drinks quickly followed. Several people began to drift away, some expedition members returning to their tents and the nomads back to their camp. He noticed several people slip away in pairs but didn¡¯t bother to investigate. It wasn¡¯t his business. As long as they weren¡¯t actively hurting each other or in danger he didn¡¯t particrly care. The cracked face of Season hungrge in the sky as Leif returned to his animals. He paused, looking at a suspiciously shaped pile of hogs. His amber eyes narrowed as he beheld the seemingly self made pyramid. Leif looked around for the deer. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he found thepany of the two creatures who had been with him the longestforting. He couldn¡¯t find them. Uh oh. Leif spent several minutes searching, only to discover a hoofed leg sticking out from under the pile of hogs. Leif let the slowly building tension leave his body and made his way to a mostly t stretch of hill. Level fifty¡­ He was close, or closer than he had been before his advancement. At level thirty two he was still a ways off. But it wouldn''t be long, right? Hera was strong, and she seemed young, only being a few years older than the Academy students. Maybe there¡¯s a way to level up quickly. He contemted. Perhaps there¡¯s a method or location that could grantrge quantities of experience? He thought over his possibilities, the burning desire for growth building up with every passing minute. Then it struck him. Dungeons. It was what the expedition had been searching for. Leif considered his options, a part of him wanted to get up and march into the wilderness. To rip and tear until he was level fifty. But was rushing truly a smart idea? He tapped a golden set of fingers on the ground. Torn between a growing impatience and a desire for connection. He stood, then sat. Then he stood again and started to pace. What can I do? What should I do? He thought. Linus and Adriana found a dungeon? But something happened and they had to leave? Is it essible? Is it even nearby? And aren¡¯t most dungeons underground? If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A group of hogs, members of the self made stack shuffled awake as he marched around. They trotted over to him one by one until he had a little group trailing behind his every step. Leif stopped and sighed. He flopped down to the ground with his arms spread. Hogs piled on, nuzzling against him as they went back to sleep. Leif looked to the side as hey, peeking through a gap between two sleeping animals. He saw four skinny legs poking out of the now dismantled pile. Only four. Oh gods, where is the other deer? === It was the hunter, prowling through the night, unseen, unnoticed, a shadow flitting- The deer tripped over a rope used to tie a tent in ce. A short metal peg popped free from the rocky ground and the whole construct began to tilt sideways. A predator, the most sneaky being to- A pot crashed down from the crate the deer had bumped. The creature froze, ears twitching to see if the noise had awoken any of the tall ones. Like a whisper in the dark, under to moon it slunk, nobody would sense- Its foot became trapped as it idently stepped into an empty mug. The animal iled about as its bnce became jeopardised. A minuteter it had regained its footing and continued forward. The deer approached the now cooling embers of the night¡¯s fire. The smell of tasty things still hung in the air, the deer liked those. It sniffed around, overturning tes and searching sacks. It only nearly woke up the entire campsite three separate times. It found a tter of what had likely been used to prepare the evening¡¯s meals. It began to lick greedily at the meat juices, then it recoiled at the spicy pepper taste. It trotted around the camp with its tongue lulling from its mouth. Eyes watering it searched for more ¡®prey¡¯. It was unsessful. At least in the area around the campfire. The deer, apex predator that it was, tried to break into the nearest tent. It failed because the p was tied shut. If it had hands the creature could have just reached under the loose gap and tugged on the dangling cord. But it was neither capable, nor smart enough even if it was. It tried the next tent and to it, and the universe¡¯s surprise actually got in. The tent was empty, which was odd. Normally there should be a person sleeping within. Confusion was a general state of being for the deer so it mostly didn¡¯t consider this oddity. It sniffed around, flinging loose clothing around and generally making a mess. No food though, disappointing. It tried the next tent, but it was sealed shut. The muffled soundsing from within were strange so the deer tried extra hard to get in. This attempt involved pushing its face into the tent p as hard as it could, leaving a deep impression in the fabric. Fortunately the tent¡¯s upants seemed to be distracted by something and didn¡¯t notice. It tried the next tent, nothing. Then the next. Also nothing. Somewhat peeved at its repeated failure to break and enter it moved to one of the outer tents. The p was open. Sess! Without thinking, though that probably didn¡¯t need to be mentioned, the creature eagerly darted inside. It was dark, the outside was somewhat illuminated due to Season¡¯s crimson and white glow but within the tent the animal couldn¡¯t see anything. Or at least that should be the case. A dim glow emanated from the far side of the tent. And while the illumination wasn¡¯t great it was just enough for the deer to make out a lying figure. But even if its sight was mostlypromised it could smell and hear something. Breath stained with far too much drink, and soft snoring. The deer crept inside, kicking over a sheathed sword and spilling a waterskin onto a pile of clothes. Perfect entry. The figure didn¡¯t notice, despite its toes bing damp after the deer gave them an experimental lick. Salty. It sniffed the air, there was something further inside. The deer¡¯s tummy rumbled in anticipation as it snuck further inside. It identally stepped on the sleeping man¡¯s leg but he just groaned and rolled over. The scent of yummies became clearer. The deer sniffed again, sure enough they were near the human¡¯s bald head. A sack, small and roughly pillow shaped, was being used as a headrest. Within were crunchy ration bars. Yummy ration bars. But the man¡¯s face was directly where the sack¡¯s opening was. The deer stared nkly into the dim light, its single digit brain cells working overtime. Showtime. Chapter 54: Camp Chaos Chapter 54: Camp Chaos === Countdown to disaster: Ten minutes. === Johan dreamt of home. Of the canyon walls the size of mountains, the washed out rainbow colour dividing the hundreds of rockyers, each an indication of times long lost as the years went by. He dreamt of the rolling dunes and hanging petrified forests, he dreamt of the people, hardy but always smiling. And he dreamt of losing them. It was a repeating nightmare, of beauty turning to tragedy. Of the shadows of winged creatures darkening the ground and the earth shaking roars that filled the air. But this dream was different. He ran through the streets of the city he once called home, terror in his heart. As he fled he stepped into a puddle, his feet bing wet. But it wasn¡¯t raining, in the south it only rained during turbulence, and even then only rarely. Huh? He scrambled up and continued fleeing, heart pounding in his chest.Wind, hot and humid struck his face. He tensed, recoiling as terror leapt into his chest. He expected to look up and see the hungry jaws of the monstrous creature that would soon end his life. It had happened before, unlike in reality these nightmares often ended in his death. But there was nothing. He looked around, desperate to see where the danger would being from. His surroundings were blurry, washed out and unfocused. Johan blinked, trying to recall, trying to see. It had been so, so long. Something struck him in the back of the head and he jerked forward, he yelped in pain and spun. His eyes snapped open and darkness flooded his vision. What? Something tall and four legged loomed over his prone body, its wide eyes glinting with madness, its form stretching off into the darkness as if melding with the tent. His mind, half awake and still highly intoxicated saw what it wanted to see, what it expected. He screamed. Choked on his tongue, gagged, then screamed again. === Countdown to disaster: 7 minutes. === Something crunched in the dark. The sound like bones breaking, splintering in a thousand pieces from a devastating impact. The deer chewed, the ration bar toorge to fully fit into its mouth. It was otherwise frozen in ce, its eyes fixated on the suddenly awake and screaming human. Thisck of reaction wasn¡¯t exactly indicative of well tuned survival instincts. After all, this cid creature hadn¡¯t known danger for most of its life. From the moment it had discovered the happy tree to the birth of its daughter. The deer had been safe and secure underneath a vibrant red canopy. Also the animal was colour-blind. But that hardly matters at this point. With another crunch it broke off half of the ration bar, chunks and crumbs half fell onto the ground, the other half falling into the human¡¯sp. The man screamed again for some reason as the deer stepped forward and towards the sack. There were still tasty treats within. === Countdown to disaster: 6 minutes. === The monster darted forward, clearly going for the kill. Johan scrambled back before heshed out, kicking it in the face. Or trying to, his foot connected with his ration sack sending the contents flying. He yelped as the shadowy entity once again moved, its motions predatory and smooth. Johan scrambled to his knees and dove to the side as it attacked. Another sickening crunch came from behind him as he desperately reached for his sword. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. His sword. Where is it? It should have been towards the entrance, but it wasn¡¯t. Vision blurry and mind fuzzy the manpletely missed the fact the weapon had simply fallen over. He made a mad dash for the exit, still screaming his lungs out. In his panic Johan barrelled into what he could only assume was a demon. Both went down in a tangle of limbs. Something hard impacted the side of his head, the coordinator saw stars and crumpled to the ground. === Countdown to disaster: 5 minutes and thirty seconds. === One by one the sleeping hogs awoke as Leif picked them up to see where the missing deer was hiding. But it quite quickly became apparent the creature wasn¡¯t nearby. It wasn¡¯t easy to tell the different animals apart with his perception when they were all asleep. The spriggan cursed and put down the final hog. The creatures started sniffing around and grunting at one another. A scream split the night air, Leif jerked his head towards the sound. It hade from the expedition camp. It was a few minutes away, he hadn¡¯t wanted to mix his animals and the humans. And while he trusted some of the expedition members he most certainly didn¡¯t trust them all. Several of the hogs all turned in the direction, their grunting bing more worried. Leif too felt uneasy. As the night had gone on the eerie sense of dread had slowly crept closer and closer from beneath. Another scream, followed by panicked shouting. Leif took off running, he just hoped he wouldn¡¯t be toote === Countdown to disaster: 4 minutes. === The deer zipped around camp as shes of magical light red from all around. It ran, but didn¡¯t know where it was going. This was because in its attempt to escape from the final tent it had brought the fabric down atop its head. Now the deer stumbled, tripped and galloped around as if it were wearing a poorly made ghost costume. Unable to see, the animal ran in random directions, this just so happened to take it over the ashes of the campfire, embers burst up around its hooves, somending on the trailing tent fabric. Elemental orbs shed by, but the deer¡¯s erratic movements,bined with the casters'' disorientation, caused them once again to miss. All except a sphere of dancing mes which burst against the loosely hanging fabric. Now the entity assaulting the camp was both a ghost, and partially ame. Yells and cries came from all around, torches were lit and people stumbled out of tents with bleary eyes. === Countdown to disaster: 1 minute. === Leif sprinted into the chaos of the expedition camp. His weight,bined with the somewhat unstable ground had made the journey take a bit longer than it otherwise should have. Even having reduced his weight using [Gold Iron Physique] it hadn¡¯t helped much. While this skill granted a certain degree of flexibility the spriggan was still far denser and heavier than he looked. Leif nced around, seeing panicking expedition members and a few nomads running around and shouting. Sieg burst from a nearby tent, therge man was pulling on a shirt, his movements clumsy. ¡°Sieg!¡± Leif called, jogging over. ¡°What is going on-¡± Then he saw it, and his tree mouth fell as open as it could. Ame,pletely covered in soot, mud and fabric. The deer. It was being chased by almost ten people, all screaming and yelling. ¡°I have no fucking clue.¡± Therge man said, ring at the chaos. ¡°But I think that has something to do with it.¡± The spriggan sighed. He pushed out his aura and the deer immediately veered in his direction. Sieg looked around for more danger, the man having summoned his axe after he had strapped on his storage bracer. Then Leif felt it, something was off. Leif could sense the lifeforce of things within his aura¡¯s radius. A radius that had dramatically increased after his advancement and skill rank up. It wouldn¡¯t be inurate to say the Spriggan could feel every de of grass, the worms in the soil and the bugs in the air. Though not perfectly clearly, more like the wash of vitality now had more defined colours. It had taken Leif a few hours to properly adapt to this change in ability, but he was d he had taken the time to do so. All around him, just on the edges of his perception, he could feel approaching absences of vitality. As if something, or somethings, were veiling their presences. It was subtle, incredibly so. If Leif wasn¡¯t sting his aura out while deliberately searching for danger he never would have noticed. ¡°Iing!¡± he yelled, ring warning intent through his aura. Then he grabbed the deer and ripped off its burning mantle. The animal was unhurt and looking nonplussed. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded!¡± He called again, desperately trying to get everyone¡¯s attention. Ice billowed from Sieg, coating the ground in frost. The tiredness in his eyes vanished as his expression became alert. But while he was prepared, there were dozens who were not. Angry chittering filled the night. Then the veiled things in the dark skittered forward. === Countdown to disaster: 10 seconds. === Chapter 55: Inexperience Chapter 55: Inexperience An arrow of light was fired from atop the hill where the nomad camp was situated. It flew in a high arc, a radiant streak of white that illuminated the night like a personal star. For the brief instant it hung at the peak of its arc, everything came into sight. The panicking, half asleep expedition camp. Several of its members too young to be considered adults. Several were half dressed, half asleep and half intoxicated. All were unprepared. But not as unprepared as they otherwise would be. As the arrow fell, aet through a void of ck, the creatures hissed and skittered away. But only for a moment. They were tall, twice the height of a human, though almost all of their size came from the eight, pencil thin legs that held up their small, hairy thorax and abdomen. Sets of eight eyes glinted in the light from above, the campsite was surrounded by hundreds of ominously reflective spheres. A man stumbled back as he saw them. His face going pale and his eyes wide in terror. His panicked yell seemed to be the spider monster¡¯s indication to charge. The light from above seemed to sear away the darkness that clung to their spindly frames. The arrow of light fell among them, piercing the body of a single monster. It shuddered and twisted unnaturally as it died. Long slender legs folding in on themselves. It was a single death, but there were countless spiders. An ethereal warrior aparated where the arrow hadnded, its armoured frame wielding arge de. It began to hack and stab as several more arrows lit up the sky. Several of the arachnids froze, many turning to face the newly appeared threat while the rest swarmed forward.Shards of ice flew horizontally, spinning like discs as they severed arachnid legs like an axe would fell saplings. They snapped with a sickening sound, their elevated bodies falling with furious screeches. Marcus stumbled out of the nearest tent, trading ces with the deer as Leif threw the oblivious animal inside. The spriggan focused on [Willpower], the attribute soaring thanks to [Grand Action] and his vastly improved [Charisma]. Four limbs of ethereal golden energy thrummed into existence from Leif¡¯s back, they pushed through small gaps in the cloak he had made for just this use. The limbs then morphed, changing in seconds as ded tips grew from their knuckles. Leif¡¯s own, physical, ivory white arms were likewise tipped with simr golden des. So much control over [Gold Iron Physique] would have been impossible prior to his advancement. Screams rose from all around as the Spriggan stepped forward. He gutted a spider, a ded arm piercing it up from below. Another fell as he bisected its front two legs, the creature screeched as it tumbled, he crushed it underfoot and kept moving. An expedition member fell backwards as a spider lunged for him, but Leif shielded the man with a golden barrier. A pair of floating daggers zoomed in from out of sight and stabbed into the monster¡¯s side but Leif didn¡¯t have spare attention to give. With each blow Leifnded, the monster''s vitality and purple blood trickled down through his limbs and into the pool of life energy within his body. Leif had burnt through much of it to empower the initial skill usage that conjured his golden arms. With every kill the pool refilled, it churned within him, boiling and eager. So when a spear tipped spider leg stabbed downward, the intent somehow shrouded, and punched through his neck, jerking the spriggan¡¯s entire body to a stop the energy was ready. It flooded upwards, towards the wound. The spider withdrew its appendage, confident of its kill. So when two amber arms ripped it to pieces it likely felt more than a little confusion. He charged forward, felling three monsters before using [Amber Steps] to blink back to where he had been a moment prior and out of reach of any counter attacks. Leif was like a whirling dervish of death. His every movement tearing into the attacking monsters. Nearby Sieg was having simr sess. The spiders were slipping on the frozen ground before being cut down by either the man¡¯s axe or the several floating des of ice. Purple light shed from behind, the world trembling for just a moment before arcane lightning danced from monster to monster. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The spiders quickly realised the futility of attacking this heavily defended portion of the camp. They chittered and hissed, withdrawing into the darkness of night. Those few Academy students and nomads who had rallied to fight off the attackers seemed at a loss as to their next course of action. Leif felt a spike of fear blossom up from within the camp. [Amber Sympathy] let him feel the surge of emotion, and likewise locate where it had originated from. A spider stood above a nearby tent, its long limbs elevating its body to loom high over its soon to be victim. Leif couldn¡¯t see the person who was in danger, and with no target [Under My Protection] couldn¡¯t trigger. So he improvised. A golden javelin soared through the air, impacting the creature''s side but bouncing off. It left a small gash that bled purple ichor. The monster hissed and wheeled to face its attacker. Leif growled internally, that improvised attack hadn¡¯t been all that effective, and now he was down an arm. A surge of vibrating wind caught the monster from behind and sent the thing soaring bodily up and away. Leif watched it sail off into the night before crashing down somewhere in the darkness. Adriana limped from behind a tent as Leif jogged over, he finished off a spider blinded by some sort of green sizzling liquid from another expedition member as he went. She clutched her side where blood was flowing freely. Despite that she had a look of triumphant satisfaction on her face. Adriana slumped down next to an injured nomad girl Leif didn¡¯t recognise, her arm mangled and eyes unfocused. Leif knelt, cing an amber hand on both humans and letting [Blight¡¯s Bounty] surge lifeforce from himself and into them. The nomad girl gasped as golden light burst from her arm, the wound already healing at a visible rate. ¡°Thanks.¡± Adriana grimaced, her bloody hand still at her side but the tension was rapidly leaving her body. Leif just nodded and stood. All around were shes of skill usage, a tumbling and chaotic mess of emotions and intent all mixing together with a confusing mesh of lifeforce. Cold sted from nearby, followed by crackling purple energy. Leif chose to trust Sieg and Marcus were capable enough to hold their own. He tore off in the other direction. [Amber Sympathy] was being overwhelmed, too much was going on. Leif focused and retracted his aura, pushing the skill down and dampening its effects. It took an instant of concentration. In that exact moment a pair of spiders seemed to materialise out of the darkness. Shadow spooled from both towering monsters like the morning mist. Each was taller and more angr than the other spiders Leif had seen. He could only assume both were higher level, most likely both were evolved monsters. One of the two leaped forward as if to bite him. Leif shed at it with three ded arms and drove the monster back, it hissed in pain as purple ichor ran down its face, several eyes ruined. Leif needed to kill them quickly, every second he wasted people might die. The uninjured monster skittered to the side and opened its mandibles wide. Strands of darkness, sticky and restrictive shot from its open maw. An amber shield snapped into existence around his body but the shadows, web-like in nature, phased through the barrier and wrapped around his legs, stalling his movement. Leif hissed, letting the shield drop and cutting at the strands. Each sh severed the restraints, but for every one removed two more wouldtch onto his body. The injured spider nked him, then bit down on his shoulder. Leif didn¡¯t feel pain, but instead a facsimile of the sensation. An icy chill flooded his upper body as the monster''s fangs sunk deep. Despite his bark being remarkably tough the creature didn¡¯t have any problems prating through the outeryer and into his nt fibre muscles. Leif seized up, his body going numb. His amber arms fell limply to his side as he felt his connection to the skill grow fuzzy, likely because the limbs were connected to his body but he couldn¡¯t be certain of the exact cause. More shadow webbing wrapped around his form. Leif was being spun up like a cocoon, he struggled for a moment before realising it was useless. He would cut his way out or not at all. The spider monster chittered and pulled the connecting webbing taught. Then it yanked, like a fisherman plucking their catch from the water. Nothing happened. It yanked again, this time with more force. Leif increased his weight using [Gold Iron Physique] and once again the spider achieved nothing. Something rumbled in the distance but Leif didn¡¯t have the time to consider what. Both spiders hissed and chittered, unsure what to do. His unusual nature fought whatever paralytic venom the spiders had pumped into him. With every second he could feel the cold retreating, his control over his limbs being slowly restored. But as he was, Leif couldn¡¯t move. If either monster decided to finish him off there was little he could do. Their spear-tipped legs were easily up to the task if they targeted the right areas. Despite being restrained Leif was more than healthy. [The Well Within] practically roared with power from the monsters he had killed and partially drained. Power waiting to be used, practically begging. Leif reached for a skill he hadn¡¯t yet used inbat. Previously he hadn¡¯t wanted to use it without extensive testing but things were looking desperate. [Embolden Vegetation] triggered, and the life force within his body trembled. The well of vitality that his body housed red, his golden eyes shed with power and his entire body convulsed. Somewhere in the distance what sounded like thunder rolled across thend. Chapter 56: The Charge Chapter 56: The Charge Heat built under Leif¡¯s bark and every muscle went tense. The paralysing cold was shunted to the side, his body regaining control. But that wasn¡¯t all. Far from it. All over his body his nt-like nature became clearly apparent. Red leaves bloomed where newly growing branches shot from his back and arms. The wooden spikes outlining the crown of his head rapidly lengthened, each jutting out like ivory horns. Blood red leaves billowing out like a canopy of crimson hair, or the plume of a helmet. The shadow webbing, tightly wound around his body, was shredded by the sudden growth. As was the travelling cloak gifted to him by Hera. Leif staggered forward, falling to one knee. He was temporarily overwhelmed by the sudden change to his physical form. Everything felt electric, from the sharp tips of his four wed hands to the beating well of life force within his chest. It urged him up, to expand, to grow into his true potential. And for a brief instant he felt something more. It was a distant feeling, incorporeal and fleeting yet somehow all around. Then it was gone. Golden light red as cracks formed up and down his body, pain, this time real,nced into his very soul. It was too much, he was burning up from the inside. It was as if the vitality coursing through his very being was trying to tug his existence in different directions. His mind reeled at the sensations. How is it so strong? Is the skill being amplified by the vitality within me? Or is it the other way around. He gasped, desperately trying to wrestle his rapidly transforming body under control. But it wasn¡¯t working. The power within him wanted to grow. It needed to grow. So he redirected that intense desire into something else. The two spiders chittered in frustration, neither willing to get too close to the nt monster that had suddenly lit up like a golden beacon, light zing from within. When a dozen amber limbs erupted from all over the spriggan¡¯s body they weren¡¯t totally unprepared. What they were unprepared for was the sudden increase in reach. ded gold impaled and amber fingers ripped as the two monsters, each three metres away, were torn to pieces.Blue crystals slowly manifested out of simrly coloured mist over their twitching copses, but Leif barely registered the phenomenon. Almost immediately the newly conjured arms destabilised, the rampant energy rendering the skill constructs brittle and vtile. They broke apart into amber motes of light, essence drifting up into the night sky. But there was more toe, Leif pushed himself up to a standing position and lurched himself to the side as a pack of three more spiders scuttled past, their abnormally long limbs easily allowing them to step over any still standing tents. Amber limbs once again burst from all over his body, the spiders stood no chance. The bundles of shadow they were hauling along fell to the ground with unceremonious thuds. Leif could detect lifeforce and emotions from within, but he was barely in a state to help. Everything ached, each movement sending soul deep waves of agony through his body. The rampaging energy had subsided, but it had left him feeling raw and weak. He limped over to the first bundle and ripped it apart with his wed hands. A girl was within, Leif thought he recognised her as the expedition¡¯s assistant coordinator but he couldn¡¯t be sure. She was paralysed, unable to move except for the terror in her darting eyes. Leif saw the pain, the fear. It hurt him deeply to feel a portion of both be shunted onto him. He moved on to the next bundle, this one contained a still asleep nomad. Leif paused, but didn¡¯t think too much about it. It was idiotic to sleep through something like this but he supposed alcohol was alcohol. The third bundle was very small, too small to be someone¡¯s entire body. Sure enough it contained a severed leg. Leif winced internally at the sight and healed both freed captives. He was running low on stored vitality, the abnormal usage of his skills weighing him down both physically and spiritually. Someone screamed and he moved forward, half delirious. But not before grabbing one of the spider corpses by the spear tipped feet and draining its remaining vitality. === Hera fired as fast as her attribute enhanced body could allow. Two spiders fell screeching as they rushed up the hill, dead in a single perfectly aimed shot. She spun, firing off another arrow and potentially saving an older nomad man¡¯s life. A trio ofrge woolly yaks tied nearby grunted and huffed in fear, if it weren¡¯t for their restraints the creatures likely would have fled already. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Three more spiders chittered as they charged, these were therger evolved creatures. Shadow webbing sted out from three horrific maws. Hera mentally triggered a skill and vanished in a sh of light. She appeared halfway down the hill, closer to her own camp. The arrow of light at her feet dispersed into essence as she triggered another skill. A momentter an armoured figure apparated into existence in the location she had been standing the instant before her teleportation, its ghostly form shimmered silver under the night sky. A massive de already in mid swing. The shadow webbing had already missed, this left the summon unhindered. In moments it had butchered the first evolved monster and moved onto the next. Hera let her mental awareness of her summon drift into her subconscious. Several such entities already littered the battlefield and maintaining constant control was impossible at such numbers. Something rumbled in the distance but she couldn¡¯t see what had caused it. She suspected it may have been a storm rted skill from one of the higher level nomads but whoever had used it wasn¡¯t in her line of sight. Hera cursed, her vision was too reliant on light. A weakness she was actively seeking to rectify. Above in the nomad camp several more thanpetent fighters had rallied. She wasn¡¯t concerned about them. Her students on the other hand¡­ Her highly enhanced perception swept the expedition camp, the lights from several skills and a multitude of newly lit fires letting her clearly witness the violent events. She saw the chaos and the panic and cursed internally. They had been toox. She had been toox. Where the hells did the spiderse from? And in such numbers too¡­ Her eyes briefly flickered to where the distant swamps were located, but surely not¡­ Such a journey would have taken the creatures over an hour. Why would they have roamed this far? She saw several young men and women fall, she prayed they were just paralysed. She sprinted down the hill. Firing a high arcing arrow into the sky before letting her conjured bow of light transform into a two metre long ive. She reached the outer edges of her camp, spiders died as she cut through their ranks. A dozen, then two. They had correctly realised she was thergest threat, but were clearly incapable of fighting something as fast as she was. Hera mentally felt her previously fired arrownd on the far side of the camp, then she vanished, leaving the monsters bloodied and confused. The ground rumbled. === The hogs were restless. The protector had rushed off, leaving them behind. Now screams and shing lights lit up the night sky. The animals grunted and squealed, the smaller forest creatures scampering out of their way. Thergest of the hogs were no strangers to danger. Several of them bore scars from previously won battles. Normally hogs wouldn¡¯t actively seek conflict. Sure, they could be violent, especially when it came to protecting their young. But if one thing was readily apparent about these creatures it was that their behaviour wasn¡¯t exactly normal. The biggest of hogs slowly worked itself up into a frenzy, its younger and smaller family following its lead. One by one eyes turned to the distant campsite. They all froze, a powerful and familiar re of energy erupted from the battle. The lead hog squealed, outraged at the thought of leaving the protector to fight all alone. It was an old creature, its hide wore the signs of age, one of its tusks was broken. But ever since it and its family had encountered the protector things had been good. From spending every day, desperately scavenging for food, struggling to survive. It didn¡¯t want to lose what it had found. Something bound it to the protector, it bound them all. The connection wasn¡¯t forceful or malicious, instead it wasforting, liberating. It squealed once more, then rushed off down the slightly sloped hillside. A tide of furious fur followed after it. The uneven rocky ground made the initial build up of momentum struggle to take off. Once the majority of the hogs had reached firmer ground they began to pick up speed. The earth shook under their hooves, almost two hundred beasts charging. Their charge ran straight into a retreating group of monsters. Slender legs snapped under the onught as the hogs ploughed forward, unstoppable and furious. Dark webbing impacted a few but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough. The tide of animals reached the human camp and split in two. Like waves tide parting before the prow of a ship. Each half of the stampede curving around one side, the horde encircling the campsite, dozens of spiders perishing each second. Bundles of shadow fell from where they were being carried, theynded on the sea of hogs and were swept up in the charge. A minuteter the charge tapered off. The lead hog had identally run face first into a boulder and from there it all fell apart. Stunned survivors of the expedition stared in awe at their sudden and unexpected saviours. Several of the hogs all moved to where their protector was slumped against a mostly copsed tent. He reached out and petted them on the snout. Hera stood in partial disbelief, then she started barking orders. The injured were gathered and those wrapped up in webbing were freed. === That night several animals all received system notifications they couldn¡¯t read. Level up! ss [Canyon Swine] is now level 10! For savagely trampling monsters far stronger than yourself you have gained a level! +1 to [Might]! Congrattions! You have reached the level cap for your [Canyon Swine] ss! Would you like to evolve? Y/N Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing beast evolution! Chapter 57: Respite Chapter 57: Respite Level up! ss [Forest Deer] is now level 10! For being the reason your herd was alert and ready, leading to them surviving an ambush you have gained a level! +1 to [crity]! Congrattions! You have reached the level cap for your [Forest Deer] ss! Would you like to evolve? Y/N Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing beast evolution! The deer couldn¡¯t read. Obviously. Though being tied to a thin tree with rope while the humans cleaned up after the attack did give it plenty of time to try. And fail. Animals couldn¡¯t exactly control or manipte the system. Other than by ident. The deer, hanging there helplessly wasn¡¯t an exception to the rule. It instinctively blinked away the window like it had done to all the others. Fortunately the system operated mostly autonomously for lower level beasts and monsters. This was one of the reasons why certain prompts would be automatically epted after a certain duration. One could consider the restrained animal a sort of idental power leveller. Not deliberately mind you, but being in the proximity of a certain monstrous tree seemed to reward a constant trickle of minor experience. You may find this odd. Why would being in the presence of Leif grant experience? Does it work on people? The answer is surprisingly simple. nt monsters, almost without exception, naturally release a small amount of excess life-force into their surroundings. It¡¯s one of many minor innate abilities the monster type possesses, another example being the ability to drain vitality, even without an associated skill. This is why the environment around monstrous nts tended to be vibrant, even overgrown with vegetation. Animals innately gained a small amount of experience by being well fed, safe and healthy. Among a few other objectives. A continuous stream of all three sources over months gradually led to levels going up. After an hour, as the morning sun rose over the horizon, its daughter plodded up to it. Both deer stared dumbly at one another. Why are you like this, mother? The gaze of the younger deer seemed to say. I regret nothing. Was the silent reply. === The man bit down hard on the thick strip of fabric in his mouth as the pain of having his severed leg reattached shot up his nervous system. Golden light suffused the wound, binding it and quickly restoring the limb. His eyes flickered as exhaustion swept through every muscle, drawing the man down into the embrace of unconsciousness. Leif felt himself nearly topple over, but managed to catch himself. If he fell he would likely crush the now sleeping man. It wouldn¡¯t do to identally kill his patient. The spriggan was wrung dry, everything hurt. Seven people, expedition members and nomads bothy out before him in arge animal skin tent. These were the most severely injured from the attack. If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Almost three dozen had received minor to major wounds, but they would survive using healing pills until he could get to them. The expedition¡¯s supply of which was now all but gone. Leif was once again cloaked, apparently Hera had backups, though the de had stressed the fact they were limited in supply. The vegetative growth spurred by [Embolden Vegetation] had fallen away, twigs and branches had withered and most of the newly sprouted leaves had fluttered off in the hours after his usage of the skill. He wasn¡¯t sure why the growth wasn¡¯t permanent, but he was d it hadn¡¯t been. He preferred being able to be covered up, it allowed him to pretend he was something else. Not that it would help much anymore, most of both camps saw me uncovered. He mused darkly. But the thought wasn¡¯t as bitter as he would have suspected it to be. Many had baulked at his appearance, but a healer was a healer, nobody was stupid enough to chase him off. An elderly woman shuffled into the tent, her wizened face was creased with wrinkles and her silver hair was tied up in a series ofrge buns. There was a slight iridescent sheen to her hair, making it seem to glimmer in the dim candlelight of the tent. She was followed by a child, no older than six or seven. Long purple hair, almost identical to the nomad man who was called Samil. Leif couldn¡¯t tell if they were a boy or a girl, and at the moment he was too tired to care. The child scampered up to Leif and held out a cup with both hands. ¡°Wotah!¡± They said, beaming, several missing teeth showing. Before twirling and running out of the tent, arms pping behind their back. Distant cries of ¡°Wotah, wotah!¡± could be heard, gradually vanishing into the distance. If Leif could raise an eyebrow he likely would have. The elder smiled gently and slowly sunk into a kneeling position next to an unconscious nomad woman. She ran wrinkled fingers through the younger woman¡¯s hair, a soft blue light built in her eyes and ran down her face like bioluminescent tears. Two drops fell onto the sleeping woman¡¯s chest, where they seemed to unnaturally ripple across her bandaged torso. The spriggan had caught glimpses of this woman, who he could only assume was a healer, throughout the night. Though only after the attack as she bustled around directing people and calmly soothing away fears. They hadn¡¯t had time to exchange words, not due to ack of desire mind you. ¡°You should drink.¡± She said, moving onto the next patient. ¡°My powers do little for physical wounds. But they can beat back disease and infection. Should perk you right up as well.¡± Leif nodded, then awkwardly raised the cup to his mouth. Or the small slit in his mask-like face that counted as one. A single sip seemed to drive back the darkness, Leif felt his vision clear and his mind refocus. He took another sip. Both healers remained in silence as the woman worked, she tended to each casualty with equal care. Once she had finished she knelt before Leif and dipped her head in a partial bow. ¡°Thank you, honoured one.¡± Leif didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. He just gawked at her from beneath his hooded cloak. The elderly woman continued. ¡°This one is K, spirit healer and descendant of L. My sincere gratitude for aiding in our wounded, you have saved many lives.¡± ¡°Uh, you''re wee?¡± Leif said, this wasn¡¯t exactly what he had expected to happen. The elder straightened and smiled,ugh lines showing on her aged features. ¡°I hope one day you have many descendants. They will be a proud and virtuous people, I am sure.¡± Leif nearly spat up the water he had drunk. He felt it surge up from whatever he had in ce of a stomach and fought to keep it down. K snickered in amusement at his reaction. ¡°In all seriousness dear. I am genuinely grateful to have another healer on hand. Without you, I fear many who live now would have had a far more grim fate.¡± ¡°Is there no other healer? I¡¯d have thought they would have been fairlymon?¡± Leif asked, having regained hisposure. ¡°It is rare, I''m afraid. To be offered a ss capable of healing isn¡¯t umon, but it¡¯s usually self healing with limited applications in the restoration of others. It took years of careful work to push my own abilities in that direction.¡± K replied, her gaze briefly going distant. Leif frowned internally. He supposed it was true he seemed to be the only healer within the expedition camp. ¡°Why? Why is it so rare? I mean, there are several people in your camp with knowledge of herbal ointments and medicine.¡± He said, gesturing to the injured within the tent. ¡°Why not actual healing skills?¡± K¡¯s smile waned. ¡°The ability to heal thaumatically, as the academics you travel with would put it, is dictated by aptitude and mindset. Not just anyone can light themselves on fire and gain an associated pyrokic ss or skill. It takes time, effort, and more than a little luck.¡± The spriggan nodded thoughtfully, he supposed it made sense. ¡°And even when someone obtains a healing ss, their power is dictated by the aspects their skills have.¡± K continued. ¡°I am a water aspected healer, I can cleanse and purify, but restoring severed limbs¡­¡± She motioned to the man Leif had reattached the leg of. ¡°Actually I¡¯ve been wondering about that. What exactly are the differences between these aspects? I have blood, and now life aspected skills. But they both heal? I can¡¯t tell the difference.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Do you not have a spell skill?¡± She asked. ¡°I do not.¡± Leif said, then paused. Actually he had several notifications he hadn¡¯t looked through yet. Maybe he would receive one from histest level ups? ¡°If you wish to learn, I can teach. My knowledge may not be generally applicable to your path, but any little bit can help. We healers must stick together, besides¡­¡± She smiled. ¡°I think our groups will be moving down south together for the conceivable future. This time with a night watch that doesn¡¯t get ckout drunk.¡± Chapter 58: Healing for Dummies Chapter 58: Healing for Dummies Two hourster the expedition and nomad n were on the move. Surprisingly there had been zero fatalities during the night''s violence and panic. The monsters had seemingly been more interested in disabling and stealing their potential victims than they were killing, and those who did sustain life threatening injuries had been healed in time. Six people had been carried off into the night, but they had been saved when the hogs had charged to the expedition''s rescue. Leif noticed that people, especially the expedition camp, seemed to be treating both him and his animals differently than the day prior to the attack. They cast nces, some even staring. This wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary, but no longer were there looks due to distrust and fear. Instead there was curiosity, even amusement directed towards the deer and some of the more friendly hogs. Leif was a little hesitant to let his animals get too close to either group of humans. They were potential food sources after all. Fortunately both groups seemed to have more than enough food. That, or they didn¡¯t touch the animals because of him. The wind howled as far above clouds twisted into bizarre corkscrew formations. These formations were surrounded by spinning streams of what seemed like snow. The temperature had dropped as the turbulent and unpredictable weather picked up. Leif watched as a party of twelve split off from the now merged group. He spotted Hera and Darius among them. They were heading towards the swamp, the nomads having given each a horse on which to ride. With time to finally wind down from the nights frantic activity Leif looked over histest notifications. Level up! ss [Adept] is now level 2! For healing the injured in a time of crisis you have gained a level! +1 to [Willpower] +1 free point! New ss skills avable! [Healing Palm] or [Identify Ailment]! Level up! ss [Attuned: Life] is now level 2! For infusing yourself with a surge of vitality and sessfully utilising it you have gained a level! +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! New ss skills avable! [Detect Vitality] or [Life Spells]! Leif read over the system windows and the information they provided. He spent the two free points he had gained on [Charisma] and turned his attention to the new skills options. Leif was somewhat disappointed at the choices offered. Both seem fairly obvious. He thought, mentally sussing out the feeling the four skills were giving off. While initially he was disappointed he consoled himself that these were just the first set of many skills he would earn from both sses. [Healing Palm] seemed like a simple touch based restorative skill, it would likely fuse cleanly with some of his existing skills. [Identify Ailment] didn¡¯t seem topare favourably, Leif wasn¡¯t sure anyone would actually pick it over the ability to heal. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition. As for [Detect Vitality] or [Life Spells]. He could already naturally sense lifeforce even without a skill, so that choice seemed like a dud. I should ask K before I pick anything. In Fact, I¡¯ll take her up on her offer to teach me. There is still so much I don¡¯t know. === Leif was travelling at the rear of the convoy, he sped up to a jog as he weaved past carts, yacks and groups of marching humans. The nomads had a strange design to their carts. The wheels were wide and they seemed to rise and fall with the terrain. Then Leif realised that it was strange that he considered their carts to be strange. He wasn¡¯t a cart expert after all. Unless he had been back when he was a human? Probably not. He asked around for where K was. Apparently she travelled close to the lead carts, as Leif approached he saw the young kid with purple hair. He, or maybe she, was jumping up and down atop a yak that towered above all the other animals. The creature didn¡¯t seem to mind. The kid saw Leif and pointed down at him. ¡°I will stab you!¡± They dered loudly. ¡°I am a nife!¡± ¡°Swords have a longer reach.¡± Called a male voice from up ahead. The child paused, brow knitted in contemtion. ¡°I am a swod.¡± The human shaped weapon said, nodding happily. ¡°I will stab you¡­ With my face!¡± Then the child peeped in surprise as asso of water wrapped around their waist, they were tugged down and out of sight amidst yells and iling limbs. Leif walked up alongside the huge yak, Samil leaned out from where he was driving the cart. He nodded, the young man beckoned the Spriggan forward. ¡°I must thank you forst night.¡± He said, smiling. ¡°If not for you, things may have gotten even more desperate.¡± ¡°It was nothing. I just did the right thing.¡± He responded. The manughed, scratching the back of his purple hair. ¡°Is that so? I should apologise for my little brother. Han is quite the trouble maker, please do not take any of his antics to heart.¡± Leif could sense the pouting boy somewhere within the animal skin covered cart. More of a carriage really. Wait, how do I know that? ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I was hoping to talk to K. She¡¯s in the carriage right?¡± He asked. Leif already knew the answer, he could sense her soothing aura from within, like the calm surface of ake. Samil nodded. ¡°She¡¯s scolding Han. You can hop in if you want, there should be enough room.¡± Leif suspected he would break the vehicle with his weight if he climbed aboard. ¡°Best not. I can wait.¡± He said. Samil shrugged then parted the hanging cloth and called inside. A momentter the wizened features of K poked out. She saw Leif and smiled. ¡°Ready to learn I hope?¡± === ¡°It is good you asked before making a hasty choice.¡± K said approvingly as she sat next to Samil in the drivers bench at the front of the cart. Han struggled in herp, but the old woman had no problems keeping him in ce. ¡°Many make choices without consulting their elders.¡± She continued, Samil smiling off to the side. ¡°My path wasn¡¯t that of a healer Grandmother. I will be a mighty warrior one day.¡± The man replied. ¡°Yes yes.¡± She sighed. ¡°A fool like his father.¡± She turned to Leif. ¡°[Identify Ailment] isn¡¯t a dead choice like you first assumed. The more you understand about the wound, disease or ailment the easier it is to heal. The more efficient the skills used, the less strain it puts on you and your patient. Not to mention the less energy it takes to empower if you have a cultivation skill.¡± Leif nodded thoughtfully, he hadn¡¯t realised that had been a factor in how effective his healing was. Would the same concept be true for some of my other types of skills? He contemted. ¡°Anyway. That skill is both a crutch, while also being remarkably useful. I had the same skill once, but it changed over time.¡± ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t pick it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a skill to learn how to identify what''s wrong with your patient.¡± She said, reaching down to a leather skin bag she had brought out of the carriage. Within was a book, worn with age. She cackled. ¡°If you¡¯re travelling with a bunch of students then it¡¯s only proper you have a little homework? Hmm?¡± Leif looked at the cover and mentally squinted. In faded text were the words: A Novice''s Guide to Restoration. Better than ¡®healing for dummies.¡¯ He idly thought. Chapter 59: Will of the World Chapter 59: Will of the World K had told Leif he should read through the introductory chapters of ¡®a novice¡¯s guide to restoration¡¯ before picking his newest skills. When Leif had told her the skills would be automatically selected by the system in several hours her reply had simply been: ¡°Read quickly then.¡± The convoy had set up camp for the evening, everyone on much higher alert than the night before. The group that had gone off to scout the swamnd had returned during dinner. The unnerving report that evidence of severalrge groups of spiders should be present, yet were absent made everyone ufortable. Leif sat with both deer asleep next to him, backed by the nearest fire he was absorbed with the textbook. It described concepts he hadn¡¯t even considered. The flow of vitality through the body, how it was more potent while moving from the heart, and less potent on the return. It detailed the different aspects that had restorative properties, or certain aspects that could potentially develop healing rted skills. It answered a question Leif had been pondering for a while now. What exactly was the difference between the ¡®life¡¯ and ¡®blood¡¯ aspects? The book described the life aspect as being foundational. A general descriptor the system used for healing skills that epassed most avenues of restoration, but without specialisation. Though the aspect also tended to be given to skills with already present healing properties, or the ability to bestow restoration on others. This made Leif suspect his [Blight¡¯s Bounty] skill would likely gain the aspect if the skill was improved via a ss evolution. Nature, the book said, specialised in growth and passive resistance to ailments. Bone was focused on mending and rejoining. Water, as K had previously exined, was cleansing and soothing. In contrast, fire was energising and aggressive. Healing skills with the fire aspect could often harm the user if improperly used. Ash was revival and holding onto life, making the most of thest drops of life-force. The book went into significantly more detail on ash than any of the prior aspects. Apparently the author had first hand experience with the element. There was an anecdote about how they had seemingly brought an ally back from the very brink of death. Finally Leif reached the section detailing blood. The aspect seemed to have a focus on internal injuries, with another strength being a malleable sort of maniption. Someone with a blood aspected ss could quickly clot weeping wounds, or drain vitality from their opponent. The final chapter Leif read stressed that any healing skill could technically restore ailments outside of their speciality, but that the strain and cost of cultivated energies would be far greater. This too was something K had already taught him, but Leif made sure to read everyst word. He found it strangely addicting, absorbing knowledge directly from a page. How the past words of an experienced person could be passed down from individual to individual. The wisdom contained gaining a sort of immortality by being put to page. The spriggan snapped the book shut, startling one of the deer awake. The other snored away happily, not having noticed. He scratched the awake animal behind the ears and opened up his system window. The grey screen highlighted with gold and red appearing in his mind''s eye. Yet also oveying the physical world. Warning! Make selection within 6 hours or skills will be randomly chosen! Leif stretched, the inhuman joints in his body creaking as he finally moved after several hours. He made his choices, they hadn¡¯t changed despite what he had learnt. === If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Healing Palm: Aspects: Technique (Life)* Send healing energies into a target you touch. === === Life Spells I: Aspects: Spell (Life)* You maymand the will of the world. When you do so skills used may have a greater potency. === Leif read over the descriptions of both new skills. They were simple and mostly what he had expected. The spriggan ced a hand onto the sleeping deer¡¯s back, focusing on [Healing Palm]. Interestingly, [Blight¡¯s Bounty] came easier, the skill from his monster ss eager and ready to be used. Leif had to manually push the skill down to make sure it wouldn¡¯t activate. He refocused on [Healing Palm], willing the energy to flow from his hand and into the sleeping animal''s body. A soft white light bloomed at the point of contact as the skill activated. The deer didn¡¯t seem to notice. Leif felt his cultivated reserves from [The Well Within] drop, the skill twinging slightly. Neither effects were overly impactful, about what he had expected. Leif suspected he could use [Healing Palm] another ten or so times before the skill would fray and its effects would lessen to the point the skill would be all but useless until it had recovered. As for how much cultivated lifeforce the skill cost to amplify¡­ The spriggan focused, trying to gain an urate sense of how much energy rested within him. It was nearly impossible to tell, there was no numerical value that could quantify the well of power. His understanding of the vitality nested within his soul was more instinctual than practical. He activated [Healing Palm] again, this time on himself. With a hand pressed to his chest Leif pushed as much cultivated power into the skill as he could, he felt the cultivated vitality within him surge up his arm in tandem with the skill¡¯s innate energy. Then it flowed back into his well of lifeforce. The skill tingled his body, it tried to heal, to restore but found little in need of either. The effects fizzled as Leif returned his attention to his cultivation. He had maybe used¡­ a thirtieth of the stored energy to amplify the skill, and while much of it returned back into his well a significant portion had been lost. Leif sighed. No infinite loop of power for me. Leif hadn¡¯t expected it to work, but it was good to confirm his theory. Now, time to test my spell skill. He ced his palm back onto the sleeping deer. He felt for the unfamiliar skill. Brand new, it felt slippery, almost intangible. He focused his will and steadied his mind. Marcus was his frame of reference for this kind of skill. The human had spoken with intent. Using his voice to mould his skills into a more effective shape. The spriggan triggered [Healing Palm] and spoke aloud. ¡°Heal.¡± Nothing happened, or rather, nothing out of the ordinary. Except no¡­ something had changed, though it had been minor. Something both within him and in the air and soil had shifted ever so slightly. It was faint, like a breeze brushing against the very edges of his awareness. He contemted that shift, that feeling. Again he tried and again the use of [Healing Palm] wasn¡¯t empowered. Another, then another. White light lit up the evening with every attempt. He was getting closer, Leif could feel it. This time Leif focused on that shift, when he spoke he spoke not only to his skill, but the air, the soil, the world itself. It was less a statement and more a question, a request for assistance. Then something intangible and faint, yet at the same time colossal and all epassing answered. And the world shifted, pausing like its breath was being held. ¡°Heal.¡± Chapter 60: Goals Chapter 60: Goals ¡°Heal.¡± The word hung in the air, the sound seeming toe from all around, not just Leif¡¯s mouth. Then something shifted, power built up in his hand, rising with every moment. Leif felt the well of power within him drain at an rming rate, he had been so focused on getting hismand to work he hadn¡¯t limited the draw. White light with dancing specs of gold red from where he touched the deer¡¯s back. It lit up the night, briefly outlining the shadows of a distant clump of trees. The deer bolted awake, limbs iling and eyes wide with rm. The creature''s body glowed with the after effects of his healing as it tore off through the camp. It stumbled, tripped, then tumbled up against a sleeping yak. Therge beast opened its eyes sleepily, not seeming too bothered by the disturbance. The deery, legs up in the air as it stared back at Leif. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for trying to eat me.¡± The spriggan said. The creature let out an annoyed whine. Leif got to his feet, there was a short spike of pain from [Healing Palm]. Empowering it with [Life Spells] puts a much greater burden on the skill. Good to know. He needed to refill his pool of vitality. === Leif ran his wed fingers along the dry bark of a twisted and aged trunk. Ordinarily he would have tapped into his innate ability to drain vitality as well as the passive drain granted by [Blight¡¯s Bounty].But the tree before him was aged, almost deceased. It felt wrong to take away its final few years for what for him would be a minor and temporary increase. He let his hand fall away as he stepped back from the tree. Then a thought struck him, and he reached back out. Triggering [Embolden Vegetation], making sure to not tap into his cultivated vitality, he pushed life into the tree. The energy surged through its trunk and branches, seeking to encourage growth and bolster vitality. To Leif¡¯s surprise it actually worked, the skill having a much greater effect than he had anticipated. Over the next few minutes the tree stood up straighter, its few leaves were now joined by dozens of new shoots. The nt practically thrummed to his senses. Did I just cure this tree of its old age? He asked himself, partially gaping at his handiwork. The implications were staggering. Now that the tree was well and truly alive¡­ Couldn¡¯t I syphon lifeforce back into [The Well Within]? It didn¡¯t work when I healed myself, but if this works it would almost be an exploit¡­ He tapped the tree with a single wed finger. Sure enough vitality began to trickle down his extended digit, slowly entering his cultivation pool. He was so focused, amazed at his discovery that when a presence bloomed up behind him as it entered his mostly restrained aura¡¯s range he jerked back in surprise. Leif turned to see who it was, rxing at the familiar sight. ¡°Hey. Hope I¡¯m not interrupting¡­ strange tree business?¡± Hera said as she tossed a small bag towards him. Her blond hair seemed to glow faintly, it outlined her face and shoulders, making them stand out against the dark of night. Leif hadn¡¯t noticed that before, he supposed it wouldn¡¯t be obvious while under sunlight. Leif caught the bag out of reflex, the contents clinked around within. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked. ¡°Mana shards from some of the evolved spiders. The harvest is split based on participation and you did quite a lot. Usually I¡¯d say lives are invaluable, but in this case they¡¯re around one and a half low grade shards each.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Leif said, feeling somewhat foolish, he hadn¡¯t considered payment at all. ¡°I¡¯m not currently fusing any skills, I was waiting to see what skills my new sses give me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hera said, stopping a few metres away. ¡°Hmmm, you don¡¯t have anywhere to store shards do you? I should have thought about that.¡± She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. Leif thought the motion looked strange, as if she were suddenly half a decade younger. The two stood in silence for a few moments. ¡°I can hold onto them for you if you want.¡± Hera offered. ¡°You can grab them when, or if you need them.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Leif said, handing back the small bag. Hera took it and the pouch vanished in a subtle blur. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is a strange question, but I just healed this tree. I can now drain vitality from it into my cultivation skill. Isn¡¯t that¡­? ¡°Oh, you have a loop? Nice. It¡¯s not an exploit or against some unspoken rules or anything if you¡¯re worried about that. Most people who choose a cultivation path try to get another skill that helps feed back into it. Otherwise upgrading your skill can take forever and be stupidly expensive.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. Leif frowned internally. Expensive? He didn¡¯t like the sound of that. ¡°But can¡¯t I just repeat what I just did until the skill upgrades again? It feels almost unfair.¡± She shrugged and stepped up beside him. ¡°Things don¡¯t tend to be fair. It¡¯s how the world works I¡¯m afraid. You¡¯ll figure this out eventually but I¡¯ll save you the trouble. Cultivation skills require quality, not just quantity. A fire cultivator can light a bonfire and sit in it, it¡¯s basically infinite fire right? Well, eventually that low grade fire won¡¯t be enough, his progress will stall.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the solution?¡± Hera smirked. ¡°Burn better things. Build a hotter fire. Big magical trees are a favourite for those kinds of people. Stay away from fire cultivators is what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep that in mind.¡± Leif said, trying to think of any expedition members or nomads who used fire. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too pressured to push your skill ranks. The average is around one upgrade per advancement. So rank two at or before level twenty five. Three for fifty and so on.¡± Leif quickly read over his skills. His aura,prehension and cultivation skills were at rank two, while his newly acquired spell skill was still at rank one. ording to Hera I¡¯m actually slightly behind the average? I¡¯ll need to work on that, I don''t want to fall behind. ¡°What¡¯s your goal?¡± Hera asked suddenly. ¡°My goal?¡± Leif asked, somewhat taken aback. ¡°Yeah. I know it''s kind of a strange question to ask out of the blue. But, well, you¡¯re a strange kind of person. I was just curious, no offence.¡± Leif gave her a deadpan look, the glow of his eyes ttening out into lines. Then he contemted her question. ¡°Get a human body.¡± He said after a minute. ¡°Apparently some monsters can do it, so why not me?¡± Hera nodded thoughtfully. ¡°And how will you do it?¡± ¡°Get stronger. Reach level fifty and see whates next. Some of the nomads I talked to seemed to think that was an important level to reach. I haven''t really thought about things much beyond that.¡± ¡°Get stronger huh? You know, I used to have that same goal. Just get stronger, it¡¯ll help you take control of your life. If you¡¯re stronger things will get better. That sort of thing.¡± Leif frowned. ¡°I thought, back when we first met, that you said getting stronger worked.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Oh, yeah. I mean, it did. Didn¡¯t quite go in the way I had hoped though. It¡¯splicated.¡± Leif sighed. ¡°Complicated¡­ feels like things get moreplicated the more I learn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big, scary world. Some people make it, some don¡¯t.¡± Hera said. ¡°And you did?¡± ¡°I made it somewhere. Not sure if where I ended up was what I had wanted. But at least I made something of myself.¡± She said with a shrug. The spriggan hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to pry, but this woman was at least tangentially connected to his past life. Also she had just asked about him. ¡°How did you do it? Get strong I mean?¡± Hera looked up at the night sky, the cracked face of season ring down from above. ¡°I was being led by the hand down a certain path. Back then, the Kossia family was obsessed with growing its influence. The Matriarch, my grandmother, viewed her life¡¯s goal to get our family into as many positions of power as possible.¡± ¡°My skill note wasn¡¯t overly positive towards them.¡± Leif mused. ¡°Right? If a random tree monster knew how bad it was, my family must be truly infamous! I bet even the dragons to the south know to stay away!¡± Sheughed, hands on her hips. ¡°So you left?¡± The spriggan asked. ¡°Well, I ran away. Disowned myself really, that was fun. Melissa followed me, bless her. Without her I don¡¯t think I would have made it as far as I did.¡± She said. Inwardly Leif frowned. Surely there was a better way than to up and leave. ¡°Anyway, I joined an adventuringpany down in Saris, it was a sisterpany to the guild Darius¡¯s family runs. That got me to level fifty. It took a few years to advance that far but I was still too close. My family kept harassing me, demanding my return.¡± She sighed and leaned back against the newly healed tree. ¡°So I entered the empire proper. If I became a citizen of Mekrys, even the Kossia family wouldn¡¯t be able to pull me back. I probably should have thought things through more. I was young, alone, and had the [Noble] ss...¡± Leif nodded as she trailed off. He didn¡¯t really understand, but it was good to know his suspicions that Hera had the [Noble] ss were correct. He remained silent, letting her piece together her life¡¯s story. ¡°There are three ways to be a citizen of the empire. Well, four. But I¡¯m not counting being born in the capital as an option. The first is buying your citizenship, it takes more fangs than sense and wasn¡¯t an option for me. The second is marriage, if you marry a citizen then you be one too.¡± Her face darkened for a moment. ¡°The final way is through something called The Crucible. It¡¯s a tamed dungeon below the imperial capital. If you survive ande out strong enough you can join a faction and be a citizen. Simple really.¡± ¡°And you entered this¡­ Crucible?¡± He asked, Hera nodded. ¡°And the faction you joined was the Academy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now I¡¯m a professional babysitter. Speaking of, I need to do the rounds and make sure nothing is sneaking up on the camp. Want toe with?¡± Chapter 61: Noble Chapter 61: Noble The wind picked up, it rustled leaves and billowed clothing. The sound was not that of a raging gale, instead the wind possessed an almost shrill melody. In the distance, motes of purple and red fluttered up from the earth. Specs of bioluminescent light reaching for the sky. An arrow of light streaked through the night. It impacted the side of a grassy hill with a thud. An instantter two figures appeared in a sh of light. The first was a cloaked being that teetered briefly before taking a step forward to gain their bnce. The second staggered only to be caught by an amber arm. ¡°Hells Leif. Why are you so damn heavy? If you were any higher level I¡¯m not sure if I could have teleported us both. Maybe only a shorter distance.¡± Hera grumbled, wincing at the internal pain caused by the over-taxation of her skill. ¡°We could have walked.¡± The spriggan pointed out, mentally focusing on the teleportation anchor left behind by his [Amber Steps] skill. He felt his connection to the anchor remain stable despite the distance. ¡°We¡¯ll walk back. I don¡¯t think my skill would activate if I tried to take you again.¡± Hera snorted, straightening up and observing their surroundings. ¡°Why would you leave?¡± Leif asked after a minute of silence. ¡°Your family I mean. Even if things were bad, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to stay?¡± Hera pursed her lips and started walking. She indicated for him to follow. ¡°Why would I have wanted to stay? I was being groomed for a position I didn¡¯t want. Surely you know a little of what the northern kingdoms are like? The things the noble houses do?¡± ¡°But they¡¯re still your family. Leaving it all behind is walking out on everything you knew. What about those who would miss you? Those that loved you?¡± ¡°Anyone who loved me would have been d to see me escape. How much of your own house do you remember? Because mine certainly wasn¡¯t worth sticking around for.¡± Hera said. ¡°I¡­ I only recall small shes.¡± Leif admitted, picking up his pace to match the archer¡¯s. ¡°A face here, a happy moment there. But my advancement trial was a moment from my past. It showed a disagreement between my past self and house Vin, but there was good too. I had a sister, and a father. Both¡­¡± He trailed off. Both would miss me. He didn¡¯t say. Both would have mourned my death and moved on. He tried not to think. ¡°I was eleven.¡± Hera said after Leif didn¡¯t continue. ¡°I was eleven when my family told me who I would marry. A man from another house, he was almost triple my age. We wouldn¡¯t have been wed until I was of age but still. Absolutely disgusting.¡± She spat to the side and continued. ¡°But you know what happened? A yearter he was assassinated, then the people who had him killed were in turn assassinated. So the whole thing was called off, thank the gods.¡± Leif didn¡¯t know what to say. He still was only partially familiar with the cultural part of humanity. He remained silent and let her vent. ¡°And then the war started. The Enved Legions started marching on ournds. You know what my family did? They bickered and squabbled, more interested in their own power than protecting anything or anyone!¡± Hera came to a stop, she clenched and unclenched her hands, clearly worked up. Leif stepped up beside her. For a few minutes nothing was said. Finally Hera broke the silence and turned to him. ¡°What happens when you go back to them?¡± She asked pointedly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll-¡± Hera cut him off. ¡°What happens when your family doesn''t see that it¡¯s you? What happens when they try to use you? Or harm you? Or even kill you? Do you think they would prioritise you over whatever minor benefit they can gain? What happens when they see a level fifty, or whatever level you¡¯ll be monster, and they try and harvest the mana shard inside you?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. Leif froze. He¡¯d considered the possibilities, but surely not? He could convince them, they would see reason if he exined himself. Surely. But he couldn¡¯t say those thoughts out loud. Because what if it wasn¡¯t true? ¡°At best you¡¯ll be a resource. Something to be used.¡± Hera said, teeth gritted. ¡°And at worst¡­ At worst you¡¯ll be an obstacle. Something to remove. It¡¯s how the nobility always are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been eleven years.¡± Leif said hesitantly. ¡°Things will have changed. My father and sister will probably be in charge. From what I saw they were good people. I can trust them.¡± A swarm of green light flowed through the night sky. It spun towards, then over the flickering firelight of the distant camp, twisting in intricate and dazzling patterns. ¡°Have you thought about it?¡± Hera asked finally, seeming to have calmed down. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About the inheritant ss we both have. About [Noble]?¡± ¡°No¡­ Not really. I like the skills it gives though. Most of them at least. Without them I¡¯m not sure how far I could have gotten.¡± Though I still can¡¯t stand the idea of ever making use of [Legacy]... Hera grunted and kicked a small stone. It went sailing off into the night, trailing a soft white afterglow. ¡°Why do you think there¡¯s a ss specifically for those who hold power? Why isn¡¯t there a farmer ss? Or a viger ss?¡± Leif thought about it for a moment. He didn¡¯t know the answer. ¡°It¡¯s because inheritant sses can be passed down. But they had toe from somewhere. A person wasn¡¯t randomly born one day with the [Noble] ss.¡± She said. The spriggan nodded. It made sense. ¡°So¡­ someone earned the ss. And from there it was passed down?¡± ¡°No.¡± She said, smiling sadly. ¡°The system cannot reward inheritant sses. Ites from someone trying to teach a different type of auxiliary ss. Like a mythical ss, or more likely a unique or legendary ss.¡± ¡°The story goes as such:¡± Hera continued. ¡°There was once a man who ruled over all humans. He fought back the tides of monsters and built the first cities. As a reward the system granted him a ss, a ss that he passed down to his children, and they passed that down to children of their own.¡± ¡°So people with the [Noble] ss are the descendants of this man? This¡­ first king?¡± ¡°The First King. That¡¯s exactly what they call him. It¡¯s because of him some people have a ss that signifies that they¡¯re supposedly better than everyone else. That they have some innate right to rule. But it¡¯s bullshit. Anyone can learn the [Noble] ss, it just has to be taught by another holder of the ss. It¡¯s all about aptitude for the ss¡¯s skills. Bloodline and birthright have nothing to do with it.¡± Leif re-examined his ss. Why did he have it when others didn''t? As a monster, was he even deserving of it? But what was more, why did he still have it when all of his previous sses had been lost? ¡°But do you know what¡¯s worse? The skills. They¡¯re awful.¡± Hera said, wrinkling her nose. ¡°They¡¯re maniptive and controlling. Did you know there¡¯s a [Noble] skill that can force someone to obey amand?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I was ever offered something like that.¡± Leif admitted hesitantly. She nodded. ¡°Good. The skills any ss offers the owner is based on personality and experience. But it¡¯s worse than that. [Aura of Nobility], the skill pretty much every single person is offered right from level two. Even that skill leaves a bad taste in my mouth.¡± Leif frowned internally at her words. He hadn¡¯t found the skill to be anything but useful. ¡°Surely you¡¯ve noticed it? Everyone¡¯s aura projects their emotions and intent. It¡¯s not something specific to [Aura of Nobility].¡± She said. ¡°No, I have a perception skill that allows me to sense that.¡± Leif said, confused. ¡°[Court Empath]? Yeah I have that one too. That skill¡¯s real use is piercing through basic obfuscation, aura maniption and the innate resistance of those with higher ranked aura¡¯s to being read.¡± ¡°Wait. So¡­ why? Why does [Aura of Nobility] even exist?¡± ¡°The skill allows you to lie. You can project an intent while meaning somethingpletely different. You can be feeling one thing but present to the world that you¡¯re feeling something else. Most sses that allow for deceit or direct maniption are restricted, or at least partially. Not [Noble] though. Why would those with authority restrict themselves?¡± Leif considered her words, he really did. But they were wrong. Weren¡¯t they? ¡°I don¡¯t think your conclusion is correct, at least not fully. The [Noble] ss¡¯s skills can protect and guide. They¡¯re not inherently malicious, doesn¡¯t a leader need to be able to correctly care for their subjects?¡± ¡°I¡¯d agree if these powers weren¡¯t so readily abused. I¡¯ve seen those with sinister intentions use these skills all my childhood. It never ends well.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t me a tool for how it¡¯s wielded.¡± ¡°I can if the tool corrupts anyone who picks it up.¡± Leif sighed inwardly. He was arguing with someone who had made the same mistake his past self had. But unlike him, she hadn¡¯t experienced what it was like to wake up having lost everything. She hadn¡¯t lived half a decade flickering in and out of awareness with a gaping hole where her identity and past should be. Chapter 62: Names Chapter 62: Names A flock of Hignd Runners crested a distant hill. Their shrill cawing split the morning air. The caravan was in full momentum, they had awoken early and set off as fast as possible. The world was gaining an almost dark and malevolent cast. And it wasn¡¯t due to turbulence. Everything was fleeing south before an ever encroaching threat. When the sun was hanging far overhead the mixed group stopped for a break. Many copsed as soon as the relentless marching was no longer needed. Food and drink was handed out and people ate quickly and quietly. Leif walked through the caravan, absorbing the growing tension the humans and their animals were feeling. Several of his own animals were intermixing with the humans. They seemed more inclined to the nomads than the expedition. He saw thergest hog, scarred and battered from a lifetime of struggle be handed a bundle of fireside cooked bread and fruit from a nomad girl who did a little bow. Leif almost missed a step when the hog dipped its head in response. Did it just bow back? Or am I seeing things? He shook his head and continued on. Leif found the group he was searching for. Marcus sat cross legged on a patch of short wild grass while Sieg practised axe forms nearby. Purple lightning crackled around the mage, his sses partially hiding his closed eyes. Marcus peeped open an eye as Leif sat down next to him. ¡°Hmmm. The student seeks advice from the master.¡± He said with a smirk in his most sagely of tones. If Leif could roll his eyes he likely would have. This was his third day of learning about spell casting from Marcus. The human adopted the gruff diction of an older man and spoke with prompt pompousness. Leif wasn¡¯t sure why and Marcus just smiled when he had asked. His ability to practise was dwindling as the caravan spent less and less time idle, even going partly into the night. ¡°Recall the teachings.¡± Marcus said in his odd way of talking. The spriggan did so, mentally recalling what he had been taught. ¡°Wrong!¡± Marcus bellowed. Coughing slightly before continuing. ¡°Out loud. You must repeat the lessons out loud. It¡¯s very important!¡± Leif didn¡¯t understand. Sieg also seemed to share his confusion. ¡°Marcus. What on earth are you doing?¡± The man said, letting his axe vanish and wiping sweat off his brow. ¡°I am very wise.¡± The mage said sagely. ¡°Very annoying.¡± ¡°Mhmm. Yes, that too.¡± ¡°How is anyone supposed to meditate with you acting like a clown?¡± ¡°With great focus and concentration.¡± Leif tuned them out, focusing internally. It was surprising how easily he could centre himself while remaining still. As if there was a part of him that relished any opportunity to stay in ce. As for what he had learnt? Over the past few days Marcus had exined how one progressed their spell casting. If cultivation required an abundance of resources, andprehension was about diligent practice, then spell casting was someone¡¯s ability to persuade not just their own magic, but the world itself. The mage had described the process as having an argument with an abstract concept, anding away having convinced it you¡¯re worth listening to. The first step was being able to sense whatever concept one¡¯s spell skill would allow them to interact with. Marcus had said that this part was both frustrating and tedious. It involved someone opening themselves up to the world via meditation or intense concentration. This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. So it was strange then that Leif didn¡¯t seem to have any issue connecting to, or perhaps drawing the attention of ¡®the will of the world.¡¯ Even now, barely a few minutes into meditation he could feel something moving just beyond the edges of his perception. He mentally beckoned it closer and something invisible shifted around him. The Will of Life, as he hade to call it over the past three days, was a yful and almost juvenile presence. And while it seemed more than happy toply with his most simple requests Leif had likewise found the concept to be extremely stubborn. Whenever Leif triggered [Healing Palm] or even [Embolden Vegetation] the will responded quickly and easily. And like a key fitting into its designated lock everything worked as expected. His skills were empowered at the cost of substantially more strain. The difficulty was trying to make [Life Spells] adapt to anything that wasn¡¯t life aspected. It just didn¡¯t seem to work. Heal, restore, mend, recover, grow. All of thesemands worked perfectly, but only with a limited amount of skills. He mentally reached for [Gold Iron Physique]. ¡°Create.¡± Nothing. ¡°More.¡± Again, nothing. ¡°Hand? Arm? Strengthen, harden, reinforce¡­¡± None of them worked. But it felt as if it should. Leif could sense the concept of life being drawn into his blood aspected skills. Only to remain at arms length, unwilling to obey. He had time, maybe the skill simply was too low ranked to tap into what he felt should work. Or maybe the skill would change when his [Attuned: Life] ss was promoted at level ten. Perhaps it was foolish to expect such explosive growth in only a few short days. Leif¡¯s golden eyes flickered as his vision returned. He saw Sieg marching off while shaking his head, Marcus was standing in an absurd pose, arms above his head and one leg lifted to make a triangle with the other. The spriggan turned away from the absurdity, taking in the bustling caravan, the break period almost over. A small purple haired child marched out from behind a series of yak pulled carts. He stomped purposefully towards Leif. Each of his raised fists was clenched tightly around a lulling tongue as two deer obediently followed. ¡°Mr Tree!¡± Han called, beaming up at him. ¡°What names?¡± ¡°Names?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± the kid said, nodding enthusiastically. The motion making both of the deer¡¯s heads bob in unison. ¡°What names of deer?¡± Leif¡¯s mind temporarily went nk. He¡­ he had never even thought to name either of them. In fact, he hadn¡¯t considered naming any of his animals. Why was that? Wouldn¡¯t that have been a normal thing to do? He shook his head to clear his thoughts before responding. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They don¡¯t have names.¡± Both animals gazed up at him, eyes confused. Han scrunched up his brow in concentration. ¡°This one is Lani.¡± The boy said, tugging on one of the deer¡¯s tongues. ¡°Because she is cute. And Lani is a cute name.¡± Leif nodded hesitantly. Lani¡­ it isn¡¯t a bad name. He mused. ¡°And this one is Bumhead. Because she keeps following people when they try to go do poos.¡± The child said confidently. The spriggan looked down at the newly named deer with pity. ¡°How¡­ how about something shorter?¡± ¡°Bum?¡± ¡°Something¡­ nicer?¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°What about Bam?¡± Leif asked. The kid¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°BamBum!¡± ¡°How about just Bam?¡± He said, Han nodded after a moment. Leif still needed a way to differentiate both deer visually. They looked practically identical. ¡°How should we tell them apart?¡± He asked. ¡°This one is younger and has more dots.¡± Han said, pointing at Lani. ¡°And this one keeps trying to eat Yak fur. It¡¯s simple to tell apart.¡± Leif looked between both nonplussed looking deer. Only now that it was pointed out did he notice the minute differences. ¡°Lani and Bam it is. Try to keep out of trouble you two... please?¡± He said to both deer. If the spriggan didn¡¯t know any better he could have sworn both animals eyes briefly unfocused, as if their attention had been briefly drawn to something no one but they could see. Han released his grasp of the animals tongues, he wiped his palm on his furs before running off giggling to himself. Leif reached out and gave both deer a scratch under the chin. They nuzzled into his touch. The spriggan smiled inwardly. Even as beneath their feet malice built. A creeping sense of dread leaking into the ground. They would soon be out of time, Leif just hoped he could keep everyone safe. Chapter 63: Malice Chapter 63: Malice Leif put a golden fist through the skull of what had once been an evolved wolf. The monster, rotting and twisted, perished with a low gurgling growl. Overhead streaks of white light shed, each targeting undead too far away for anyone else within the expedition to even have a chance of hitting. From over a hill another group of undead of all different shapes and sizes came sprinting, bounding and stumbling. Among their number were several distinctly goblin shaped figures. They would undoubtedly be corpses reanimated by death attuned magics. Leif wasn¡¯t certain if that was an improvement. Just like the previous group, and the group before that they rushed mindlessly forward, only to be cut down. In fact, over the course of the day a near constant yet strangely small stream of undeath hade charging. None had a hope of genuinely threatening thebined convoy, yet still they came. It was ominous, much like the feeling of dread that wafted up from beneath their feet. Leif couldn¡¯t help but suspect they were being toyed with, like whatever malevolent force was directing the attacking monsters was only half interested in him and the expedition. By what, and why? The spriggan wasn¡¯t sure. A barrage of skill, each as wildly different in appearance as they were in their varied aspects, wereunched from where a cluster of a dozen Academy students were positioned at the mouth of the small wooded valley. Thunder rumbled from ahead. This was yet another constant of the day. It wasn¡¯t caused by any fluctuating weather, in fact the day was remarkably pleasant and warm. This thunder came from several of the stronger nomads. Unlike their expedition counterparts, many of the nomads seemed to share remarkably simr paths. A half rotted, yet still moving carcass of a bear came howling towards the spriggan. Leif contemptuously pped it, the sheer force of the blow sending the undead beast spinningically into a pack of three mostly skeletal goblins. ¡°Does that count for extra points?¡± Leif asked the mage who sat above him on the lower branches of a tree.¡°Eh, sure.¡± Marcus said with a yawn. ¡°What do you think Sieg? Triple points?¡± ¡°I think.¡± Therge man grumbled as he held his axe wearily. ¡°That you should be taking this more seriously.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. It was scary at first. But that was hours ago. If they bunched up before rushing us it might be a challenge.¡± The mage shrugged. ¡°But they don¡¯t, so it isn¡¯t.¡± Hezily pointed a finger to a straggling zombie goblin. It popped as purple lightning fried its insides. ¡°Alright people!¡± Hera called from where she stood over a hundred metres away atop a stack of boulders. ¡°The way forward is clear, pull back and regroup with the caravan.¡± As one, and with more than a few sighs of relief, the expedition members retreated from where they had been holding ground. Leif knew what his job was, heal any wounds as quickly as possible. There had been some minor scratches and bites earlier in the day, but he had gotten to the injured before any afflictions spread by the undead attackers could fester. It also helped that most of the undead seemed more interested in getting to him specifically, to the point many would forgo easier and closer targets. Leif had thought it was strange until an expedition member had pointed out most undead could detect vitality. Something he just so happened to have a whole lot of. An amount that was currently far greater than normal due to [Blight¡¯s Bounty] draining the animating energy out of the moving corpses and converting it into lifeforce. It was frustrating in a sense. To be so flooded with power but without a worthwhile target to use it against. This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As they retreated into the valley the convoy came into sight. Undead wereing in ones or twos from further down, but were being torn apart with little effort. Within the convoy were his animals, huddling together and safe from any immediate danger among the children and beasts of burden the nomads employed. Leif felt tension he hadn¡¯t realised he was holding go, a weight around his heart lifted. If there was any group at thergest risk to the sparse undead, it was the animals. The sheer number of turned or reanimated beasts that he had killed over the past few hours was proof of this. Off to the side was a small cluster of the mostly nonbatant expedition members. They were crowded around amunication device while whispering and muttering to one another. An arrow of light fell from the sky and Hera stepped out towards this group. As Leif and the others jogged up they caught the tail end of the conversation. A younger woman was speaking in a hurried and slightly panicked voice. ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am. The Far Reach outpost is under attack. The report said there were hundreds of undead surrounding the encampment and the sky skimmers are still away after evacuating the first batch of support staff and injured.¡± Hera cursed. ¡°What of Kaan? ¡°U-uh, they said he was escorting the skimmers. Something about a pair of griffons harassing the craft.¡± The academy de cursed again. She turned to address the expectant looks from the expedition members but her attention was arrested by a trio of approaching nomads. K was among them, the other two were what Leif thought were the n chief and his wife. ¡°What''s the n?¡± The aged man asked, voice a low rumble. ¡°We cannot stay, we can deal with the small amounts of undead as they are now¡­¡± But any more and things would start looking dire. The man didn¡¯t say as he trailed off. ¡°The undead seem to be amassing at our destination.¡± Hera said, her expression calm but her tone grim. ¡°What we¡¯re facing now are likely stragglers or strays from the main horde.¡± The nomad''s face paled, going almost the same colour as his mane of white hair. ¡°Then¡­ then we cannot follow. I¡¯m sorry, but I must prioritise the safety of my people. Perhaps we can skirt to the east before continuing down south.¡± ¡°Are you certain? I cannot force you to remain, but there is a certain safety in numbers.¡± Hera said. The nomad nodded firmly. ¡°Beyond this valley are nds. If we travel quickly, both during the day and night we should make it out safely before the threat bes too great to manage.¡± === ¡°K!¡± Leif called as he sought out the elderly healer some ten minutester. She turned with a creased brow. ¡°I need a favour. Please, before we part ways.¡± Her expression softened. ¡°What can this old woman do for you?¡± Leif paused. He had made his choice, but that didn¡¯t make it easy. ¡°I¡­ I need you to take my animals with you. They¡¯re not safe where I¡¯m going.¡± Behind him his entourage of critters shuffled ufortably, as if they could partially understand his intent to part ways. It wasn¡¯t a decision Leif made lightly. Far from it. But what choice did he have? If he brought them with him into a military camp under attack from a horde of undeath what would happen? Even if he somehow found a way to keep them safe, what then? Could he bring them along as he tried to re-enter society? He needed answers, help and most importantly power. If he managed to get into the academy he couldn¡¯t bring them. If he found a dungeon he couldn¡¯t bring them. If he wanted to be the person he used to be¡­ Something within Leif¡¯s chest twinged. For a moment he hesitated, tempted beyond reason to abandon everything. To give up his goals, ambitions, hopes, and just ept what he had now. But Leif couldn¡¯t, no matter how tempting the fleeting thought had been, deep down he knew he couldn¡¯t. K nodded, somehow reading the emotions on his featureless face. ¡°Yes. We can keep them safe. When this is over you cane and find us.¡± Leif turned then. Seeing the faces of his animals. The newly named Bam and Lani were in front, eyes wide and confused. His chest twinged again, the desire to stay rearing up. It took several moments for his resolve to harden. Then, using his aura, Leif told them what they had to do. After several minutes of coaxing, and with obvious reluctance, they joined the nomads. As the n departed Leif watched, as they snaked over a series of hills and vanished from sight Leif watched. I¡¯lle find you. When this is all over, I promise. Chapter 64: Siege Breakers Chapter 64: Siege Breakers Soldiers fought atop palisade walls built barely a month earlier. Undead shambled, ran and prowled towards the encampment. Few could ascend the three metre high fortifications, clumping up at the base of the wall and ineffectually battering the defences. But some could, and those were the true threats in this battle. Arge monkey-like creature used the shoulders of the weak undead amassing at the base of the wall tounch itself up and onto the battlements. It swiped out with long wed arms rippling with muscle, battering aside two imperial soldiers. They cried as they fell, one toppling off the wallpletely, fortunately into the camp and not out. The second slumped against the sharpened stakes that tipped the fortification, wheezing and gasping for breath. The undead monkey screeched in maddened triumph and stalked forward. Somewhere in its feral gaze was the faintest sheen of intellect. A frightening prospect, either this monster had been rmingly powerful when it was turned, or had somehow levelled up considerably. Undead disying even a hint of awareness were a terrifying prospect to any region or territory held by humanity. Fortunately for the wounded soldier a higher levelled officer was close by. mes roared atop the battlements, incinerating the monkey as it threw itself to the side a moment toote. All across the imperial outpost, newly constructed in the ruins of the now abandoned town of Far-Reach, simr scenes yed out. The defenders held, but all knew in their hearts the position was lost. Some of the mostly green soldiers had heard the reports of conflict with the undead in the east. The ravenous tides had been a near constant thorn in humanity''s side for what felt like countless generations. The citizens of Mekrys all held faith in the eastern garrisons. But for how long would their faith in the empire¡¯s ability to defend them remain if a new front against the undead was opened in the north? For the average recruit, these contemtions on the wider scope of imperial stability were irrelevant, preupied as they were in surviving from one moment to the next.Far to the south a rainstorm pelted down in angr sheets. The column of half a dozen floating, vaguely ship shaped vehicles seemingly spared from the downpour by sheer luck as gale force winds propelled them ever onwards. Above the evacuating skimmers, in the roiling cloud cover a man stood defiant in resplendent imperial armour, his concentration split partially betweenmanding the weather itself and fending off the pair of undead griffons harrying the evacuating nonbatants. A serpentine form slithered through the air as if swimming through the rain itself. A maw lined with sharp fangs grinned down at the two monsters, a low rumbling growl escaping its throat. Then, with a snap of its vast, bird-like wings it plummeted down. === Leif took in a sharp intake of air as he crested the jagged hill¡¯s peak. From the summit he could see the outpost sprawling out beneath him. Though perhaps more importantly, he could see the swarms of undeath surrounding its wooden fortifications. Hera already stood atop the hill. The woman had used her arrow teleport skill to quickly ascend and get her eyes on the situation. Conjured bow in hand she grimaced down at what she saw. Leif couldn¡¯t me her, the situation looked grim. The outpost was built along a series of rocky bluffs. The undead were attacking uphill, through what had once been farnd and local industry. Behind Far-Reach were heavily forested valleys, rolling hills and snaking rivers. A natural stone arch, easily the width of a road, connected the primary bluff to a shorter secondary bluff that stood otherwise alone to the south of the rocky formation. Leif noted this smaller bluff seemed to be in heavy use by the expedition, but at the distance he was looking he couldn¡¯t identify why. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. People scurried along the wide, yet winding dirt paths. Some rushed to the walls while others carried out tasks with almost frantic energy. Newly made wooden structures andrge clusters of tents outnumbered the derelict buildings of the town. Bright shes of multicoloured light lit up along the palisade fortifications. Leif could clearly make out bursts of elemental energy and the glint of weaponry from his vantage point. Behind him the more physically capable of the expedition were struggling up the hill¡¯s final incline. Leif studied the ongoing battle, a part of his mind subconsciously analysing the battlefield. From the cement of troops to the position of bottlenecks and choke points on the slope leading up to Far-reach. He turned to Hera. ¡°We need a n.¡± She turned to him and nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but I''m not confident that most of the students can handle this fight. You¡¯re a durable, close range sustain fighter, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, and the undead seem to have an obsession with tearing me to pieces.¡± He knelt, amber eyes squinting. ¡°We need to draw them away from the walls, there aren¡¯t enough soldiers to maintain the perimeter''s defence for much longer. If we could group them up it should be possible to eliminate most of the horde in a decisive blow.¡± Hera raised an eyebrow. ¡°You seem keen. I¡¯m not the girl you want if killing lots and lots of monsters is the goal. My specialty is long ranged single target damage, my summons could do a lot of work in melee, but they can¡¯t really move from where I ce them.¡± Leif contemted their options for several moments, then stood. ¡°I might just have an idea. How exactly does your summon skill work?¡± === ¡°I wish I was level fifty.¡± Sieg grumbled. ¡°Being so close to such a major power up when it could be used doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡± Marcus shrugged as he led the expedition single file along a series of ledges leading towards Far-reach. The mage turned and grinned over his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous they didn¡¯t include you in the n.¡± ¡°Hardly. I can slow and hinder arge group of weaker enemies with my aura and other skills, but I don¡¯t have the capabilities or strength to pull off what they have nned.¡± ¡°Probably better that way.¡± Linus huffed from behind them. ¡°I only caught the tail end of that discussion, but it seemed pretty insane. I¡¯m d we¡¯re not involved though, all this hiking is exhausting work.¡± ¡°Maybe if you allocated more [Might] getting up that hill would have been easier.¡± Adriana mumbled as she followed. Linus muttered something under his breath. Before the young man could reply in earnest and kick off another argument, a figure appeared from around an uing bend. Mist fell off their form as their barely visible outline faded into sight. ¡°Footing is decent but the final climb up the bluff will need someone to get up ahead and put down rope.¡± Darius said, squinting up at the sounds of battle above. ¡°You seem nervous.¡± Marcusmented with a sly smirk. ¡°Worried about someone?¡± The scout looked at the mage with a nk expression. ¡°I mean kinda. If this goes bad my badge will end up in some zombie''s belly. I need that to get paid, and if I lose it my father will kill me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The mage asked. ¡°Not thinking about someone else?¡± ¡°Huh? No I¡­ I¡­¡± The man spluttered, realisation dawning as Marcus stood there beaming. ¡°I¡¯m not... There¡¯s nothing...¡± ¡°Even though we barely see you, it''s incredibly obvious.¡± Sieg grunted as he bumped Marcus to keep the man moving. ¡°N-no it isn¡¯t. I mean¡­ W-what¡¯s obvious?¡± Linus didn¡¯t seem to care, still grumbling under his breath. ¡°Isn¡¯t she too old for you?¡± Adriana asked with a scowl as she scooted past. The scout faded away to hide the changing colour of his face. === Still atop the hill Hera sneezed. ¡°Feeling sick?¡± Leif asked, not taking his eyes off the battle below. ¡°Gods I hope not. I¡¯m over level one hundred. If I¡¯m somehow still susceptible to themon cold despite my advancement this whole system is a scam.¡± ¡°Well, get all the sneezes out now, I need your aim to be on point. The timing of this will be pretty tight.¡± The de wrinkled her nose and conjured the first of several arrows. ¡°I¡¯m fine, maybe someone was talking about me?¡± ¡°Only good things I hope.¡± Hera pressed her lips into a line. ¡°Very funny. Do you perform stand-up to grass and shrubs?¡± Leif cocked his head to the side and replied tly. ¡°I¡¯m usually standing up? What do you mean?¡± Chapter 65: Lure Chapter 65: Lure A behemoth of twisted flesh and bone lumbered towards the imperial outpost. Each step shook the earth beneath its colossal legs. It wasn¡¯t the first of its kind to approach the fortifications. But unlike thest time such a monster had threatened the outpost, the imperial defenders were run ragged from exhaustion and skill overuse. On the battlements, soldiers scrambled to get into position to repel the towering abomination. Overhead, the light cloud cover built, the pitter patter of rain plinked offminar armour bringing an intermittent percussion to the melody of battle. The monster lowered its disfigured body and let out a garbled roar. Soldiers released projectiles and unleashed skills. They impacted the colossal undead but did little to injure it, with each earth shaking step it drew closer and closer. Then something that gleamed a brilliant white impacted the monster directly in its misshapen forehead. The creature staggered, the blow wouldn¡¯t be lethal but the sheer force of the projectile temporarily stunned it. Then, where the arrow protruded from its noggin two figures shed into existence. The first drove an already drawn sword through the undead monstrosity''s bulbous neck, severing the head in a single swift strike. The second had what looked like tendrils of gold billowing from their cloaked back. From the battlements only those with perception skills enhancing ocr vision could make out the scene clearly. Not tendrils. Arms. Each balled into a fist and clutching tightly around gleaming objects. The swordswoman kicked off the toppling behemoth as the cloaked individual plunged two ivory arms into the stump where the monster''s neck had been. ck ichor flowed up what looked like armoured bone white arms only to burn away into an inner golden glow. A second arrow fell, this onending atop the wooden battlements. Soldiers scrambled away but the arrow hadn¡¯t been an attack. With another sh of light Hera appeared, stumbled, then caught herself against a sharpened wooden parapet. === Leif rode the undead as it copsed. His weight, increased thanks to [Gold Iron Physique] pushed its body down and allowed him to maintain his bnce. Hera vanished in a sh of light, no doubt repositioning to her second arrow. Speaking of arrows¡­ As death energies flooded into his body, only to be subsumed and converted into golden lifeforce, Leif felt every inch of his body flex with power. [Blight¡¯s Bounty] was working overtime and the attribute increase from the skill was already maxed out at forty percent. Leif hopped off the now unmoving behemoth and mmed the first of his already conjured amber limbs into the disturbed soil. Or more specifically, the glowing arrow it was holding. Working quickly he repeated the action, nting each arrow like a tent stake before doing the same with the next. All around him Leif could feel the hostile intent from the nearby swarms of undeath slowly shift from the human outpost and onto the much closer, and much more concentrated source of vitality. Leif triggered [Amber Steps]. Not to return to the hill, but instead to quickly reposition himself back to the bloated corpse of the abomination. He jumped off the body, striking down ravenous undead and they wed at him in seeming desperation. He twisted, letting the amber arms spin in a wide arc, crushing reanimated corpses and twisted ghouls. Then, with thest three arrows nted he retreated into the centre of the circle he had created. The first arrow he had nted began to fade, the skill¡¯s structure losing its cohesion. That¡¯s when Hera triggered another skill. In a sh of light an ethereal soldier d in ghostly white armour burst into existence where the arrow had once been. It wielded a massive two handed de, the weapon already in mid swing as the entity was summoned. Its translucent armour a set of gleaming, interlocking tes that seemed to be without ws. Leif stepped back from a monkey shaped undead before punching a hole right through its chest. All around him undead howled and gnashed their teeth. Then, in sequential order each of the arrows shed. Within seconds Leif was surrounded not just by undead, but an armoured entourage of summoned ethereal guardians. Limbs were removed and bodies bisected as glowing white steel began to hack and sh. What would have been a slow but inevitable death surrounded by rotting monsters turned into a blender of carnage. The undead were seemingly unaware, or perhaps unwilling to fight Hera¡¯s summoned warriors. She had called them ¡®Sentinels of Light¡¯, but Leif wasn¡¯t sure of the exact details behind her ability. Well, other than that they needed to be summoned from arrows she used as anchors, and that they couldn¡¯t move far from said anchors. There were some academic theories about why certain skills had restrictions, but they mostly went over his head. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Leif could study when he wasn¡¯t in the undead infested frontiers of humanity''s territory. A hideously twisted beast, like several quadrupedal animals stitched together lunged past the line of defence and met an amber fist straight to the face. It crumpled, the front half of its body being squished into its deformed rear. A zombie with wickedly sharp ws pushed its way past a sentinel, itshed out at the same moment a glowing white de bisected it at the waist. The monster¡¯s ws stabbed into the summon¡¯s pauldrons but otherwise did little damage. Leif, seeing the monster was still trying to reach him, stomped its skull into the soil, it shattered like a dropped vase. The captured life-force within him began to leak through, burning him up from the inside. His every attack syphoned small amounts of twisted vitality, each drop quickly added up as pain built in his chest. Leif repeatedly reconjured and empowered his amber limbs, trying to outpace the input of vitality with wasteful expenditure. A dog orrge fox snuck between a sentinel¡¯s armoured legs and bit down hard on Leif¡¯s own shin. A second set of jaws ovepped the undead¡¯s own, though muchrger. They too bit down and Leif fell to one knee as he buckled under his considerable weight. He fell, then plucked the reanimated beast up by the bushy tail and tore it free, sending a pair of back legs and attached spine spinning off into the distance. He battered away the stilltched on head and pressed a palm to the wound. Already the innate vitality within him was bubbling forward to restore him to health. A [Healing Palm] elerated the process with a sh of light. Leif stood, shook off the growing ache within his soul and dropped into a low fighting stance. This might take a while. === Amunications officer peeked over the edge of the fortified bluff. In his hand was a smallmunication crystal linked with the outpostsmand centre. As the soldier looked over the edge he spotted a group of academy students bickering while trying to climb the steep almost cliff. They seemed to be having issues with getting their ropes secured. One of the students looked up, a young man with sandy blond hair and sses. The man waved. Damn kids. They should have waited for a recon team to have collected them. The soldier grumbled internally. ¡°Wait one moment!¡± The officer called down as he ran off to find anyone not currently upied with defending the outpost to assist him. Something that was surprisingly easy as the fighting along the walls seemed to have mostly stopped. He called up to a squad staring ck jawed into the distance. When they didn¡¯t reply he picked up a loose stone and threw it. ¡°What?¡± Their leader called down, rubbing the back of his helmeted head. === It sat cross legged in a cavern beneath the world. It could sense the puppets itmanded go limp one by one, their strings cut. The humans were surprisingly resilient, if it had expected two elites to be apanying their little excursion it would have handled things slightly differently¡­ A beetle crawled out from between its teeth. It snapped its jaws shut, snapping the insect in two with a satisfying crunch. Though it neither hungered nor tired, the being intimately enjoyed the sensation. The feeling of breaking something far below itself in stature and power. The thrill, the hunt, the game. Undeath could get so dull if one didn¡¯t invest in little ways to keep themselves¡­ upied. Lifeforce bloomed above and therge carapaced form it was sitting on twitched. A skeletal hand steadied the former royal, soothing its innate urges. An observer may have called the gesture kind, almost caring. Instincts it had long suppressed urged it to snuff out any and all life. To satiate and fulfil the purpose its kind were born to do. But you didn¡¯t get far within undead society if you were little better than a feral beast. It tapped bony fingers along the obsidian exoskeleton of its most beloved prize. Formians were a fascinatingmodity. Even a queen as young and rtively weak as the one it had risen were such¡­ unique specimens. A spider chittered nearby, one among a few of the enthralled it had bothered to recover. The beast was still alive, though with every passing day it drew closer and closer to undeath as ambient energies imed it. Sending those creatures after the humans had been quite amusing. Though, with how the current situation was going it regretted not having its more potent undead avable at the time. Yes, cutting the game short would have been a considerable let-down. But victory was its own reward. Though, with how its horde had grown both in size and strength the being couldn¡¯t trulyin. Even now, some of its more prized possessions were hard at work. Butchering their way through thework of caverns that gave the depths of the world such a unique and abyssal ir. One of its more stable connections, a string of death connecting to a reanimated griffon snapped. It hissed in displeasure, the undead surrounding it within the cavern instinctually doing the same. Their wills resonant and subservient to its own. It contemted its next move while gently stroking the formian queen. It was still possible to get a perfect victory. If the humans escaped, the status quo in the east may change, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing¡­ Its kind were a little too happy to enter extended periods of stagnation. No. It wouldn¡¯t let that happen. If only to avoid the displeasure from the underlord it served. It still had several cards to y. And if all went to n it could gain far, far more than it would lose. It just needed to dangle the appropriate bait¡­ It cackled, the chilling sound reverberating through the oddly geometric cavern. As it had done many times before, it reached for the string connecting itself to the ant queen. With a blur of consciousness its mind merged with that of the ant¡¯s, its senses the ant¡¯s own. Time to have some fun, im another prize, and finish this little game. Chapter 66: Far Reach Chapter 66: Far Reach The slopes fronting the imperial outpost became still. Smoke rose in faint wisps where sts from skills had scorched the hillside or ignited abandoned fields. Among this smoke rose motes of amber light. Leif hissed out a long breath as he allowed his limbs to finally dissipate. Around him the few remaining sentinels cracked, and broke apart, fading away into white light mixing with gold. Corpses littered around Leif¡¯s feet, the hem of his cloak darkened with a mixture of dirt and blood. Throughout the fight he hadn¡¯t been in any true danger, the numbers of undead while great had been diffused by distance and lessened by the soldiers atop the fortifications. What few that made it past Hera¡¯s summons were often missing limbs or gravely wounded. Leif red his aura in an effort to burn away thest remaining excess vitality. He knew as he cultivated life-force his avable pool would expand, but that expansion wasparatively slowpared to the rate he could rue energy. His focus briefly shifted to his notifications. He had gained a level, not too bad for a ten or so minute stretch of intensebat, though the build-up of experience over the past few days was likely as much of a reason for the gain. Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 7! For defeating arge number of foes unarmed and unarmoured you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [crity] +1 to [Spirit] +1 to [Charisma] +1 free point! That was a very nice level up. He wasn¡¯t totally sure as to what caused certain level ups to grant more attributes while others granted very little but he had noticed the fluctuation in growth. More was better, he wouldn¡¯tin. Leif trudged up the incline towards Far-reach. He noticed a section of wall different in design and urately identified it as a gate. He angled towards it and continued on. He reached the gate and looked up at the soldiers atop the wall. ¡°Well?¡± He asked, cocking his hooded head to the side while shuffling the heavy travelling cloak around to make sure it covered himpletely. ¡°Uh, we¡¯re waiting for orders. Sorry about that uh... sir.¡± One of the soldiers said in an apologetic tone. Leif grunted and crossed a pair of amber arms in front of his chest. ¡°Good work out there.¡± Another soldier called down. ¡°Very impressive, saved our asses for sure.¡± Leif nodded then fished out a small metallic badge. ¡°If I showed you this would you let me in? This seems ridiculous.¡± The first soldier squinted down at the object. ¡°What is it?¡± Leif tossed the academy badge up to them, it flipped through the air before the soldier caught the trinket in a gauntleted hand. A momentter it was thrown back to him. ¡°Apologies sir,e on in.¡± A moment and some muffled shoutingter, the wooden gate parted, swinging outwards with the efforts of four soldiers working as one. He entered the camp only to see a scene of controlled chaos. Men and women, most armed and armoured, scrambled in every direction. Tents and makeshift structures clearly only recently put up were being ransacked, some being brought down entirely. This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Several eyed his mostly hidden form as the spriggan took in his surroundings. The gate groaned closed behind him as he stepped forward. Shouting came from the right and Leif turned to see a woman in more defined and intricate armour bustling past a team lifting an empty weapon rack. She was nked by a pair of more ordinary looking soldiers. ¡°I said!¡± She barked. ¡°That no one was permitted entry without being vetted! The Academy brats are already in quarantine and now you let an unknown into the camp?¡± ¡°But Ma¡¯am, he arrived with the de, did you see the fight?¡± One of the soldiers protested. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s the emperor himself. We cannot risk anyone harbouring potential infections, doubly so if they were foolish enough to fight beyond the walls. The doctrine is clear-¡± ¡°I¡¯m a healer.¡± Leif cut in. ¡°Where are your wounded?¡± The officer spluttered for a moment before straightening. ¡°I-is that so?¡± She asked, almost hopeful. Her attitude a near instantaneous reversal from but a moment prior. Leif deliberately made his body rx. Being surrounded by so many potentially hostile strangers wasn¡¯t doing him any good. ¡°Do you need my assistance? If not, I can just wait here.¡± ¡°No-no. I mean yes.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Please,e with me. The academy contingent should be near the triage tents.¡± The spriggan fell into step behind her as they made their way along the main road, the packed dirt path winding up before curving along with the natural slope of the terrain. The two men he could only assume were bodyguards of some sort side eyed him, they took in his cloaked appearance but didn¡¯tment. Leif returned the favour, feeling their questioning probes brush against his aura. He hade to recognise the feeling as theparing tests of interpersonal analysis skills. Interestingly enough, with his rank two aura and the hefty amount of [Charisma] he possessed Leif knew he could deflect their attempts to identify him. A part of him was tempted to do so. After all, if one of the imperials could detect that he was a monster things could get ugly. But ording to those Leif had talked to over the past few days, as he questioned them in an attempt to saturate his generalck of knowledge, he hade to learn most analysis skills worked byparing attributes, levels or even aspects. His own skill, [Combative Gumption]paredbat experience. He was fairly certain this metric measured bat experience¡¯ quite literally. As in, how much experience had they gained from fighting in regards to levelling up. He checked the soldiers, not entirely surprised that many, if not most, were recognized by his skill as: Combat experience: Greater! If they possessed one or twobat oriented sses, as to be expected of soldiers, then even if they were at an overall lower level the sheer fact they had needed to fight in order to gain said levels made his skill determine them to be ¡®greater.¡¯ They rounded a bend in the well worn path, the dirt road a remnant from when the outpost had been a small town. Passing lines of orderly tents and what looked like abandoned crafting workshops the officer finally gestured. ¡°Over there. The healing stations are in that long tent. The quarantine area is behind it.¡± She said formally. Leif nodded and stepped towards the healing tent. He could already perceive the fitful vitality of several within. The officer coughed and her bodyguards shifted ufortably, their armour nking softly as they did so. If Leif could physically roll his eyes he would have done so. He sighed and continued past the wounded and towards the quarantine area. It turned out to be a converted barn, one of the sides having been removed allowing for a tarp and wooden supports to expand the building outwards. The academy students milled about, several with bored expressions while others seemed nervous. Several guards watched at a safe distance, none too close to the students. ¡°Next.¡± Called a gruff voice. Leif watched as Linus stepped up to a pair of older men who both wore exhausted expressions and dirt and sweat stained robes that had once been white. Around their necks hung two pendants with what looked like a jagged mountain bound in chains. The man who had spoken raised a small crystal shard. It didn¡¯t seem to do anything so the man handed it over to the other who ced it within a small metal box. The officer Leif had been following cleared her throat. ¡°New arrival.¡± She barked formally. ¡°And a healer, prioritise him if you would.¡± ¡°I outrank you girl.¡± The crystal user grunted. ¡°And healers should be all but immune to being turned. Unless they¡¯re dead of course. But fine, over here boy. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± The spriggan stepped into the opened barn, a guard stepping aside to let him enter. The man Leif assumed to be the leading officer for the quarantine area looked him up and down before the second man silently handed him a second crystal from the same metal crate. Once again nothing seemed to happen. ¡°Clear.¡± The man grunted, handing the other back the crystal. ¡°Now if you¡¯re really a healer, get to work. If anyone dies because of this tedious formality I¡¯ll feed you all to themander''s snake.¡± Chapter 67: Suspicions Chapter 67: Suspicions The smell in the air was sterile and clean. The scent of blood and sweat mixed with medicinal balms and clean bandages. There was a pervasive sense of barely contained panic as the number of critically injured had begun to climb. Climb, that was, until Leif got to work. ¡°Heal.¡± Themand resonated through the tent, the very world stirring at its utterance. The bedridden soldier, face gaunt and skin pale from blood loss twitched as golden light shed. Where what was a near fatal bite wound to the lower neck, muscle fibres regrew at a visible rate and the man¡¯s skin healed over. His breathing changed from the ragged gasps of a man desperately clinging onto life, to the deep rhythm of an exhausted sleep. He wouldn¡¯t be able to continue the fight, healing magic would often leave the recipient in a neara-like state for days, if not more. Aides grabbed the unconscious man and carried him out of the tent to wherever the recovering were being kept. It had been four, approaching five hours since Leif had begun working within the healers tent. There were three others designated as the outposts healers. Though only one had any actual healing skills. The other two were proficient with balms and stitches. One was a surgeon by profession, the other having been trained as a battlefield medic. Within his first hour Leif saved four lives, healing the injured soldiers of what would have surely been fatal wounds. Apparently the undead had once again begun assaulting the outpost, though ever since Leif and Hera had intervened the numbers were significantly reduced. Even then, soldiers fell. Leif overheard two officers talking in low voices about the slowly increasing fatality rate. Several bodies had been carried through the healers tent, hidden under white sheets.ording to the imperial healers, the two men outside working in the quarantine area were priests. Their crystals were able to detect death aspected energies that may be lingering within any otherwise unaware victims. Every now and again they would enter and double check the recovering patients, at no point did their crystals react. Leif wondered if they actually worked, or if the priests were just waving them around for fun. Towards the end of the first hour Leif was running low on stored vitality. He had excused himself and made for the battlements. Then, he had located where the sound of battle was loudest before scaling the wall and simply hopping over. Twenty secondster he materialised back atop the palisade fortifications with a streak of golden light. Soldiers watched him go, several ck jawed. Below were the corpses of two undead drakes where the spriggan had ripped them in half, among half a dozen pulverised corpses. Revitalised, Leif had returned to the tent. This process repeated itself four more times. Despite these intermittent breaks his efficiency only improved. While healing he made sure to note the specific injury or ailment, then he tried to guide his restorative energy in a way it would have the most effect. It wasn¡¯t easy, but after the fifth or sixth attempt he noticed a considerable reduction on the strain the use of his healing skills had on both him, but also the wounded he was treating. It was progress, sure and steady. The experience he had earned, both from healing andbat was also noteworthy. It had resulted in a level. Level up! ss [Adept] is now level 3! For restoring the bodies of those under your care and fighting to protect them you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Willpower] +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! And it wasn¡¯t just for him. Around the third hour one of the healers without an associated ss had received a system prompt offering them a ss called ¡®Dedicant¡¯. The ss was often granted to those who sought mastery of a trade or profession. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Finally, the continuous stream of injured slowed to a trickle. Leif stepped out of the tent into the crisp evening air. He hadn¡¯t seen any students within the healing tent, though Darius came and found him a few hours into his healing duties. The young man had told Leif that they were being kept away from the fighting. Best go find where they are. Leif thought, stretching. His wooden body creaked slightly, his nt fibre muscles unwinding as tension dissipated. === ¡°I told you that I¡¯m more than capable.¡± Sieg said, his tone exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m almost level fifty, with my highest levelled ss being abat one. I highly doubt you have many soldiers as capable as I am in a fight.¡± The officer, a man with a well oiled if underdeveloped moustache, remained stone faced. ¡°This is an evacuation son, our responsibility is to get any and all civilians out of danger.¡± Sieg gestured at the bluff connected to the main camp by the stone archway. More specifically to the still empty docks, absent any vehicles capable of evacuation. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see our ride to safety anywhere nearby. Does that mean I can assist in the defence?¡± The soldier''s eye twitched. He opened his mouth to speak when another officer entered the part of camp that had been designated to the expedition members. With every step the firelight of the nearby lit torches flickered slightly, causing the shadows to lengthen and twist. The man Sieg had been speaking to stiffened and saluted. ¡°I think the student makes a good point.¡± The approaching officermented, eyeing Sieg up and down. ¡°The Mekrys Empire needs all the help it can get to defend from external threats. To fight back the foul creatures who threaten our peace is amendable duty.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± The other soldier said, hand to chest. "Themander strictly said-¡± The neer waved him down. ¡°Alfredi isn¡¯t here, and the situation has changed since he left to escort the skimmers. Our men are tiring, and another major attack coulde at any time. Who¡¯s to say we couldn¡¯t ept any volunteers¡­¡± Sieg studied the higher ranked officer. He was tall and wiry, his face partially gaunt with high cheekbones and severe features. The shadows, flickering in the firelight, seemed to dance unnaturally as the man stood at ease. The blue and gold trimming to the man¡¯s military uniform gave him away as a man of noble birth. Sieg immediately didn¡¯t like him, he took a step back, his guard rising. In his time in the empire Sieg hade to learn the types of people best avoided. The man before him was almost certainly one of them, there was a feeling he gave off, though Sieg couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what. ¡°Dismissed soldier, I have some questions to ask the academy contingent of our little expedition.¡± He said smoothly, the first man saluted once again and made himself scarce. Out the corner of his eye Sieg saw Marcus approaching, he subtly motioned for his friend to stay back. He noted the imperial soldier had a metallic earring painted red, a pattern that looked like a spiderweb woven out of blood, or the cracked surface of season up above. He didn¡¯t recognise the symbol, perhaps it was a guild or some other sort of organisation¡¯s mark. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware there was anything me or mypanions would need to be questioned about.¡± Sieg said, keeping his face straight. He suspected he could guess what, or who, the officer would ask about. ¡°Oh, but there is.¡± The man said with a slight smile. "It¡¯s about the¡­ thing, you brought back with you. The one currently masquerading as a healer.¡± Sieg frowned in mock confusion. ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the auxiliary member Hera hired during our outing, then I don¡¯t have much to say. Ask her about him if you want.¡± He said, crossing his arms. Something about this man was putting him on edge. ¡°The Academy de is currently indisposed to questions regarding hertest hiring decision.¡± The officer said. ¡°Considering she is performing overwatch for the siege we find ourselves weathering. Perhaps you could fill me in¡­?¡± He asked leadingly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like my problem, sir.¡± The officer¡¯s smile widened but none of it reached his eyes. ¡°I see, thank you for your¡­¡± He said, trailing off. Sieg turned to what had caught the man¡¯s attention. From around a tent walked the topic of conversation, hooded and tall, with the faint golden glow of his eyes peeking out from under his hood. Sieg looked back to where the officer was but the man had vanished. ¡°Gods dammit. This is thest thing we need.¡± He muttered, pushing his aura out towards the spriggan, Leif changed course from therge gathering of students and moved to him. The northman jogged forward and met him halfway. ¡°What is it?¡± Leif asked. ¡°You seem to have drawn suspicion. Or rather, some of the military leadership probably has an idea of what you are and they¡¯re snooping.¡± It still surprised Sieg how quickly the spriggan had gone from nearly unintelligible to an almost natural sounding voice. He supposed it was old habits kicking back in, though truth be told he didn¡¯t have a clue. Leif paused for a good few seconds before deting. ¡°How many lives do I need to save before I get treated like everyone else?¡± He asked with a sigh. Sieg grunted. ¡°You could save the whole damn world and there would still be people who hate and distrust you. It¡¯s not a you thing, it¡¯s a human thing. Nowe, I didn¡¯t get to see how that n of yours was executed because apparently we students need to be babied constantly.¡± Chapter 68: Skimmers Chapter 68: Skimmers The dawn broke, the sun lighting up the underside of a nket of wispy clouds, causing the sky to burn as if ame. Then turbulence asserted itself, and smoke began to rise up from theyer of white and grey. The condensed water vapour hanging above the world burned like the warmth of a hearth. The awe inspiring sight did little to revitalise the defenders of Far-Reach. The soldiers were weary, their exhaustion bone deep from what Leif had learnt was days of near continuous fighting. Small droplets of soot fell from the sky, rendering the already dour and suffocating atmosphere of Far-reach even more so. Leif could practically taste the emotions hanging in the air, odorous and pungent. He pulled back [Amber Sympathy], reeling in the skill along with his aura. As morning began to pass an argument rose near the curved arch of natural stone, the bridge linking the two bluffs that housed the newly founded imperial outpost together. The voices were crisp and sharp. The shouting quickly attracted a crowd, several academy students watched from their position on the southern edge of the main bluff. The belligerents of the verbal conflict were a contingent of crafters and other nobatants who hadn¡¯t been evacuated during the first round. The others a contingent of officers not so subtly ordering a portion of the next evacuation to be the army¡¯s wounded. Leif still wasn¡¯t certain how the evacuation would be handled. From what he had both overheard, and had been told, the expedition had utilised a fleet of vehicles capable of flight. ording to Marcus, who had professed he found the whole subject fascinating, the ¡®sky skimmers¡¯ weren¡¯t flying, not truely. Instead they rode currents of mana along predetermined paths, the skimmers were incapable of veering from their chosen paths more than a dozen or so metres. The thaumatic theory and engineering aspects of the technology went so far over Leif¡¯s head they may as well have disappeared into the burning clouds above. Leif felt at the depleted pool of vitality that nested within him. He had drained much of it during his stop to the healers tent before the sun had risen. Fortunately, the casualties during the night had beenx, the undead¡¯s numbers perhaps having begun to thin. At his side a misty presence manifested. Ever since Leif had upgraded his aura skill the scout had be easier and easier to notice. But with his aura retracted Darius had managed to get the drop on him.Leif didn¡¯t give the young man the satisfaction of startling him. He was fairly certain Darius found the process of sneaking up to someone as close as possible highly entertaining. Leif turned and saw the man staring out towards the horizon. ¡°Worried?¡± The spriggan asked. ¡°Yeah¡­ Ahle-ho is on the coast, almost directly south of us. My family, friends, home¡­¡± Home. Leif thought, the concept fleeting in his mind. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He reached into an inner pocket of this cloak, retrieving the metallic badge with a serpentine dragon biting onto its own tail. ¡°Here, I¡¯ve shed this around enough. I doubt there¡¯s anyone in this camp who doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m with the Academy.¡± ¡°Keep it. At least until this,¡± He waved vaguely at their surroundings, ¡°Is over. I had Hera write an official statement about the expedition and my involvement. For me to bring back to the guild, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a pain in the ass. Even if this isn¡¯t the beginning of an apocalypse for the northern kingdoms, territories and provinces, the political blowback is going to suck massively.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine.¡± Leif said. And it was true, he simplycked any and all frames of reference to understand the ramifications of the events they were experiencing. It left him feeling adrift, and not for the first time he questioned whether remaining with the expedition had been the correct choice. But no. It had been. Leif knew that his biggest weakness was his ignorance, that if he continued to blindly surge forward he would almost certainly trip and fall. Almost unconsciously he stretched out his aura to seek out his animals. But they were gone, he had sent them away. He recalled Bam and Lani, their chaotic antics, the sense offort and connection they granted him. ¡°What do you think of the Academy?¡± He asked Darius, the question was half out of curiosity and half out of a need for validation of his decision. ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s¡­ I dunno.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve never been. I- I¡¯m not good with people. And at the Academy that¡¯s what you have to deal with. Sure, the resources and opportunities are great¡­¡± ¡°But it isn¡¯t for you?¡± Leif finished. ¡°Y-Yeah. I just want to fight monsters and hone my skills. Uh, no offence. Bad monsters, not like you, I didn¡¯t-¡± Leif grunted, amused as the man spluttered. He once again studied the horizon, hoping to see a sign of change. Darius fell silent before perking up. ¡°Hey! Look, over there.¡± He called, pointing eagerly. The spriggan followed Darius¡¯s directions and strained his eyes, the golden glow flickering behind his ivory mask. He couldn¡¯t see anything. But the scout yelled again, this time attracting attention. ¡°Skimmers! They¡¯reing!¡± Immediately a dam of tension broke, more people started pointing and calling. Someughed, a few soldiers cheered. A few secondster Leif finally saw what Darius had spotted. Over the horizon came the distant outline of triangr sails, as they drew closer Leif made out the wooden ship-like structures each was attached to. But they weren¡¯t boats. They were t, more like a raft. They quite literally skimmed across the sky, valleys and forests being left behind as the crafts bobbed up and down, ploughing forward with tremendous speed. Then the murmurs started once again. Leif could sense a growing tingling of anticipation and fear building. There were three skimmers, but as Leif studied what he now recognised as wooden jetties jutting out of the smaller bluffs side, he noticed something strange. There was room for more than three skimmers, five at least. ¡°Gods.¡± Darius hissed. ¡°This-¡± Then an rm began to ring from near to the walls, a screech split the morning air. The feeling of malevolence, ever present yet diminished, suddenly red beneath his feet. Horns red and officers began barking orders. Leif tensed, then let the building nervous energy go. He would be more than capable in the uing fight. It was callous to think of what may turn into a ughter as an opportunity, but for him it likely would be. Then he turned, and followed the rushing soldiers to the wall. Chapter 69: Living Chapter 69: Living Undead streamed up the hill in a near continuous tide. Some were skeletal, almost fragile looking. Others still possessed their skin, muscles or fur. Beasts, goblins and bizarre mixes of both met a hail of skills and weapon propelled missiles. A screech split the air as row after row of undead fell, only for their ce to be filled. Intermittently blue light would coalesce in a small blue shard, only to fall into the swell of monsters and vanish from sight. As Leif reached the top of the wooden battlements he saw it. At the peak of a hill, the hill he and the expedition had once scaled before entering the outpost, stood the distant towering form of a ck carapaced insect. The amber blood flowing through his body froze as he felt a baleful gaze and intentnd squarely on his shoulders. Leif tensed, his whole body ready. Around him soldiers stumbled or cried out, the sheer weight of the reanimated monster¡¯s intent enough to act as a physical force even from so far away. It couldn¡¯t do that before. Leif thought, ripping his eyes away from the undead enver and back to the more immediate threat. Has it gained more skills since we fought it below Pherin? Was it hunting and levelling up all this time? A rotting goblin reached the bottom of the palisade below where Leif was standing and impaled the wood where its fleshless arms had been whittled into sharp bone spears. It used its arms to rapidly scamper up the side of the wall. It reached the wall¡¯s apex and leaped towards Leif, mouth stretched wide. A golden palm hit it in the face, shattering its skull and sending the monster''s diminutive body flipping off back into the horde below. Then another undead mbered up, only to be cut down by a soldier¡¯s sword. For minutes this pattern repeated, those few undead who could climb would ascend the wall only to be in. For a moment Leif hoped this status quo would hold, but that hope was quickly dashed. The sheer press of bodies began to create makeshift ramps. Undead, ravenous and frenzied used the heads and shoulders of their kin to assail the fortifications in greater and greater numbers.A level up notification made itself known before being minimised automatically. In a brief moment of calm in between the maelstrom of violence Leif checked it, hopeful it would offer him something to meaningfully aid their current plight. It didn¡¯t, but the boost to attributes was wee all the same. Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 15! For standing in defence of the needy and bestowing freely your vigour you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! He had five free points. Mentally mming them into his [Charisma] attribute, Leif felt his power re, his aura strain against invisible restraints before flexing into its new potential. He sensed panic bloom from his left and instinctively activated [Under My Protection] without turning. The golden shield snapped around a fallen imperial just as a humanoid with oddly elongated limbs leapt at them. It hit the barrier and bounced off, the undead was run through the back by a spear wielding defender before it could recover. Panic. Death. Fear. The emotions swirled in the air,ying over the battle like a thick nket. Smothering and suffocating. Intermittently the enver queen would screech, the sound sending soldiers recoiling and the intent mming down into their spirits. Soldiers cursed and screamed as one by one they fell. Despite everything it quickly became apparent to Leif that this fight was far, far beyond his ability to impact significantly. There were simply too many ces he needed to be. Too many wounded to heal, too many lives to save, too many monsters to kill. In the sky above, the crimson cloud cover began to darken. In the distant south the steady rumbling of thunder rolled across thend. A multicoloured sh of skills erupted down along the battlements. A part of Leif¡¯s mind unconsciously recognised that it wouldn¡¯t be enough. They were simply outnumbered, they wouldn¡¯t be able to win. It was a sobering, almost nostalgic realisation. Only to bepounded by the gradual beginning of rain, single drops at first, the melodic pattern of water plinking off armour in an almost peaceful rhythm over the din of battle. The dour weather brought back a haunting familiar memory, of fighting a losing battle, having chaos surrounding him on all sides as his exhausted body was dragged through the muddy earth. Opportunity. He thought scornfully. Am I delusional? There is only death here. Only pain. For minutes more he fought, despite his best efforts Leif felt the burning wicker of life-force wink out as men and women fell along the defensive line. But even as they fell, and the feeling of impotence, of failure at being unable to prevent their deaths built, so too did the roar of amber life within him. With each blow hended, each undead he slew, and each corpse he drained, energy pulsed and roiled within his centre. It was as if a golden inferno lit up his very soul, the light from within shining through the cracked bark that was his skin. Unbidden, several faces shed through Leif¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t recognise them, their visages cloaked in shadow and fog. Laughter and song, a roaring bonfire with drinks being handed out. Men and women sat around, all armed and armoured. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. But it wasn¡¯t the imperial silver and blue. Their armour was far less uniform, breasttes and mismatched weapons and their mostly dishevelled andx attitudes. The faint, vague outline of a tall man raised a mug in Leif¡¯s direction and something was said. He couldn¡¯t make out what, even as the others surrounding him raised their own drinks and said the same. There wasughter but he didn¡¯t know why. Who were these people? Leif didn¡¯t know, he just wanted to reach out, to pluck the memories of the man he had used to be right out of his fractured past. But he was too far away. He was- An undead vaulted the palisade,unching off the cramped forms of those incapable of climbing. It let out a blood curdling snarl as it lunged towards him. The hostile intent snapped Leif from his near reverie. The creature cut its way past four of his six limbs before Leif stepped back and twisted. Conjured arms of amber reformed at his will, bing sharp and slender. With a tug he bisected the undead. In its ce there were two more, and after he slew them they were reced by three. With each reanimated corpse he felled, for each body he drained his well of vitality grew and grew. It boiled within him, vibrant and powerful. It was remarkable how quickly the pool could go from near empty to bursting at the seams. The attention of the undead, hungry and cruel, slowly shifted, moving from those that surrounded him and locking firmly in ce on Leif¡¯s shoulders. From dispersed and varied, to focused and malicious the intent of hundreds of undead became fixated on him and him alone. The amber well continued to fill, the golden energy trying to spill free, burning him up from the inside. The rain continued to fall, the light shower transitioning into something heavier. Partially dazed, Leif parried the wicked ws of a stitched together ghoul as [Amber Sympathy] warned him of its deadly intent. The monster howled as he battered aside its raking blows before being silenced as a golden fist punched into its rotting torso and ripped out its spine. But Leif wasn¡¯t there, not fully. While he fought and moved, the constant hum of rain dragged his mind away from the present. A memory of standing atop a hill, watching as the sun set and rain clouds began to disperse their payload over the grassy valley before him flickered through Leif¡¯s mind. It was distant and unfocused, but nheless it was like a blow to the gut, a lethal strike right in the heart. Leif jerked, returning to the present as something light and bursting with corrupting deathnded on his back. Focus. Hemanded himself. You can brood when you¡¯re dead. Despite his unnatural physique, Leif¡¯s breathing became uneven, his amber heart racing in a dissonant rhythm as golden vitality coursed through his veins. As a newly conjured amber limb cut down the undead assant as he fueled [Gold Iron Physique] with as much cultivated power as he could muster. Leif cast out his awareness to the desperate battle all around. It was too much, too much to take in, too much to process. Then something dawned in the back of his perception. Leif became aware of something. Under the crimson, burning sky. On a rainy battlefield far from home. Something stirred within the spriggan¡¯s soul. Mutted almost beyond recognition, a part of who he had once been resonated with what he had be. In the over a decade since he had been reborn his mind had been shrouded in a heavyyer of fog and physiological miasma. Through a tiny crack in his soul flickered an emotion, it burst up unbidden and violent, shattering the physiological barrier his monstrous nature had subconsciously wrapped around his once human cognition. It wasn¡¯t glorious, nor was it hopeful or heroic. The spriggan sucked in a sharp inhtion of rain chilled air through the rigid slit he had in ce of a mouth. Fear. Fear. An emotion often corrted to weakness, or perhaps cowardice. It was so raw and potent that it grabbed his heart in a vice grip and threatened to squeeze. Fear. Fear of failing to protect those around him. Fear losing those he hade to rely on and trust. Fear of once again falling, forgotten and alone. Fear of never regaining what he had lost, of dying as something inhuman and wrong. In that moment Leif was in two ces. Fighting atop a wall in the remote remains of a once bustling settlement. Facing the sky as his life bled out in a muddy and silent field. And while the emotion was sharp and painful both. It was also the most real thing he¡¯d felt in over a decade. As his mind connected two points in time, it solidified something important, like a puzzle piece slotting into ce. It made him feel alive. The air stilled, all sounds falling away. As if up until this point he¡¯d been fumbling around in murky darkness. Blindly reaching out in desperation for something he didn¡¯t truly understand. But despite it all it was him. Even as his mind, body and soul had been torn apart and remade in a twisted mockery of what he had once been. Under all that had been twisted and changed, he was still Leif. And he was still alive. Despite the unfathomable odds. Despite the potentially unique situation he had found himself in. Despite it all he knew one thing: That the man he had once been had felt the exact same fear. And in response to this realisation, in response to the sheer relief of still being, something in the world shifted. Leif let out a long, hissing exaltation as the fear fell away, discarded like a shirt that no longer fit. An awareness locked into him, it wasn¡¯t physical, nor was it tangible in any way. The intent, if calling it such was even correct, was more curious and yful than anything else. Like a bubbling spring, orughter riding currents of wind. Congrattions! Your [Adept] skill [Life Spells] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [Life Spells] from rank I to rank II? Y/N Leif didn¡¯t need to read the message to know what it was. He epted, and felt the world once again shift, like a breeze blowing through a field of grass just out of sight. Leif felt his ability to control, or perhaps his ability to request andmune with the abstract concept of life be strengthened. Like flexing a muscle he tested the connection this intangible authority had with his blood aspected skills, It was stronger, but not yet fullyplete. He would need another upgrade, or maybe two. The call of the past faded into the background as Leif fully focused on the present. He had a n, it was stupid and foolish and quite possibly suicidal. Or it would be if he didn¡¯t empty out his reserves of golden power still roaring within him. Leif darted along the battlements, his amber limbs a blur of motion. As he moved, Leif expended as much cultivated vitality as he could with every injured man and woman he touched with [Healing Palm]. The empowered skill knitting together rent skin, mending torn muscle, and restoring shattered bone. He nced back into the outpost, at the growing pile of critically injured who had been pulled back from the fighting. In a bounding leap he fell from the wall,nding in a heavy and inelegant crouch before making his way to the pile of wounded. Forty secondster, as the anchor he had left atop the wall began to flicker and fade at the back of his awareness, Leif stepped forward and triggered [Amber Steps], reappeared back atop the fortifications. Leif cracked his neck. Time to do something stupid. Then he jumped off the wall and into the unyielding swarm of teeth and bones. Chapter 70: Above Chapter 70: Above Or rather, he was about to do something stupid. As he stepped up onto the sharpened wooden parapet a deafening roar split the battle. The undead seemed to shy back, recoiling from the sound as if in terror. Many of the defending humans flinched, several sping hands over their ears as the near deafening wave of sound buffeted them. All eyes turned to the burning sky. For a moment nothing appeared, everything stood still as if soldier and undead monstrosity were united in waiting with baited breath. Then a serpentine creature descended, it burst through the crimson and saffron clouds, its green scaled form glimmered a rainbow iridescence. The blood red crest of feathers surrounding the crown of its draconic head stood out even against the simrly coloured sky. As it dropped, the creature stretched out, from snout to tail it was as long as the trunk of an aged pine and twice as wide. Wings, feathered and bird-like, snapped out as the majestic creature plummeted, the motion arresting its descent and causing it to pull up from its dive no higher than thirty metres from the top of the outpost''s walls. A great swelling of wind whipped across the battlefield as the monster red down on the horde of undeath. Its fanged mouth parted as if in an amused, cruel smile. ¡°Pocht is not pleased. Pocht is not pleased at all!¡± It said, its voice a hiss of disapproval. A ripple passed through the ranks of the undead, the intent of the giant ant queen shifted from the defenders, many breathed out in relief at the liberating sensation. The scaled monster beat its feathered wings a single time. ¡°Perish.¡± itmanded, the word resounding like the edict of an executioner. Invisible fire danced along every surface, the world responding to the order. mes, real and white hot with edges of blue rushed from the creature¡¯s open maw like floodgates being flung open to unleash a torrent of water. A screech of outrage came from the still stationary enver as the mes bore down upon the undead horde. A secondary force rippled across the battlefield as a green malevolent light flickered into existence within the chests and eyes of the reanimated corpses. The undead rushed forward, their ravenous assault on the defensive perimeter of Far-reach redoubling. It wasn¡¯t enough. Whatever empowering magic had been bestowed on the abominations was irrelevant before the mes that ashed flesh and charred bone. Dozens of undead vanished under the torrent of mes, the winged serpent coiled upwards and unleashed a second devastating stream of white and blue down upon the battlefield. The soldiers below flinched away from the heat, several abandoning the wall entirely to avoid being in the proximity of the attack. Leif activated [Under my Protection] as even his ivory white bark began to crisp at the heat. The reanimated ant queen chittered angrily, malevolent energy built up along its obsidian carapace. The scaled monster twisted, its entire body contorting to face down the enver. Before either monster could sh a solid beam of white streaked across the sky. It fell upon the giant ant, piercing its head before detonating in a wave of radiance. The entire horde of undead rippled as if struck, their frantic assault of the outpost once againing to a halt. ¡°That was my kill!¡± The serpent hissed, its head snapping upwards. ¡°It¡¯s still alive.¡± Hera called from where she crouched atop a pane of solid light. The tform slowly rotated far above Far-Reach. Another angry cry confirmed her observation. The ant reemerging from a cloud of dust and blindingly white essence. This tale has been uwfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Good! Good!¡± The monster said, snapping its jaws as if eager to tear into obsidian carapace. ¡°Where¡¯s Kaan?¡± Hera asked, yelling to be heard over the howling cacophony of undead as they restarted their advance. ¡°Hees! Yes, yes! Hees soon!¡± ¡°Thank fu-¡± Hera¡¯s expletive was cut short as ance of dark blue energy ripped down from the sky. She vanished an instant before the beam would have vaporised her, the tform shattering as if made of ss. The dark energy fired in a continuous line, carving through the horde, the ground, the wall and several soldiers. Where the attack passed the air rippled as it was pulled inwards, dust and debris swirled, the closest soldiers were tugged off bnce, stumbling in its direction. Gravity. A familiar dark blue power. Leif looked up to see a spec of ck far above. It twitched unnaturally, its movements jerky as if partially restrained. The queen shrieked once more, and her daughter replied. Anothernce of navy blue swept across the battlefield, this one aiming for the flying serpent. A section of the wall to Leif¡¯s right was disintegrated, the wooden stakes next to the newly created breach cracked and splintered. That was too close. Leif thought, his mind racing. Undead charged for the newly created opening, though many fell down into the deep crevice the powerful beams had created. Leif quickly dropped down to position himself within the gap in the outpost''s defences. Almost immediately he was met with an onught of rotting flesh and twisted bone. They fell upon him, [Under my Protection] red into life only to be buffeted by the sheer weight of bodies. He positioned six arms of conjured gold, using his [Willpower], Leif moulded them into spears, the tips sharp and length increased. When the shield dropped he stabbed out and up, impaling the closest monsters with each strike and an unknown amount packed in close behind them. Leif stepped back, retracting his limbs only to stab forward once again. He repeated this over and over, each repetition felling several more baleful creatures. Some still possessed flickering green light, their gazes piercing, the energy animating them bubbling in a violent fervour. Soldiers in imperial silver and blue called for the retreat as a towering abomination reached the wall, it crashed through like a child stomping through y blocks. Another screech split the air, a momentter a beam of blue carved horizontally down through the wall. It split the twisted behemoth from side to side, rotting guts spilling out over the ground. Leif jerked down, but he would have been too slow. Barely a foot above his head the gravitational energy crackled and dispersed. The top half of the nearby section of wall fell backwards in an almost absurdly slow fashion. The spriggan staggered back. He hadn¡¯t been the target of that attack, but he had almost been a coincidental casualty. Death hade so close, and so fast that he hadn¡¯t been able to react in time. A feeling of powerlessness swept over him, if affecting the wider scope of this battle had been beyond him before, now what could he do? Arrows of light arced over the encampment, each targeting the distant figure of the awakened enver. Pocht coiled and twisted, moving in erratic patterns in an attempt to reach the undead queen. Whenever it got too close a beam of dark blue would slice through the world, keeping it at bay. They had lost, it was only a matter of time before the final defenders fell and the tide of undeath imed the outpost, erasing all traces of life. Then the wind changed direction, and the crimson sky parted as if by a colossal wedge. In the distance thunder rumbled across thend and the temperature dropped by several degrees. Leif twisted around to see what wasing. For an instant he and many of the desperately fighting soldiers held bated breaths. Then, over the horizon and approaching at a blisteringly fast pace, came a vessel. Easily five times the size of the skimmers Leif now saw had almost reached the smaller bluff. Rain fell, the shower quickly transitioning into a flood, the dry packed dirt of the camp rapidly turning into a muddy mess. Within moments the outpost was bathed in sheets of icy water, from the south, almost indistinguishable from the rolling thunder and inaudible over the sounds of battle, boomedughter. Chapter 71: Downpour Chapter 71: Downpour The storm-front rolled in as the walls were abandoned. Carts, crates and debris were pulled into makeshift barriers to stem the undead''s advance through the winding streets. Leif ducked behind one such barrier as it was closed off, the soldiers didn¡¯t give him a second nce. His cloak hung heavy on his shoulders, the rain soaked fabric partially restricting his movements. But there was otherwise little difort. There was the ever present worry that his inhuman form may be revealed. But in the moment, surrounded by undead he found it hardly mattered. Above, the serpent roared in triumph, its movements bing quicker, its every motion more agile and dangerous. No longer did it beat its feathered wings, as it was swimming through the falling rain. ¡°What is that thing?¡± Leif asked, staring up at the being of fire and scales. Another jet of white and blue mes scorched the now abandoned battlements, the undead streaming through gaps in the defences were incinerated as they blindly rushed forward. ¡°Commander Kaan¡¯s boundpanion. It¡¯s called a coatl, a sacred protector of the empire.¡± One of the nearby soldiers said, the young man likewise staring up in awe. ¡°Bound?¡± ¡°Yeah, he has a high level [Tamer] ss.¡± The soldier replied, briefly taking off his helmet and wiping water from his eyes. Something that powerful could be made subservient to a human? How is that possible? Leif wondered, gazing up at the coatl with a new perspective. Icy frost bloomed a street over. Leif reached out and trickled vitality into the nearby soldiers with [Blight¡¯s Bounty] before tearing off towards the familiar skill. He would fight, but he¡¯d rather fight alongside those he knew.There was no path leading in the correct direction, so Leif took the direct route. He kicked in a door of a repurposed house, he crossed the in rectangr room in only a few strides before increasing his weight and shoulder checking the structure''s far wall. He burst out into a small dusty square in a shower of splinters right as a purple arc of lightning shed towards him. Leif nearly froze in surprise, his shield flickering around him for the half a second it took for the arcane energies to disperse. ¡°Fuck, my bad!¡± Marcus called. ¡°Did you just run through that wall?¡± ¡°No time.¡± Leif hissed, turning to face a group of short, humanoid ghouls. The right hand side of the courtyard was inundated in frost. Several of the iing undead slipped and tumbled, their fall sending those behind them likewise spilling to the ground. A sharp whistle of wind came from a nearby street as Adriana ran into view, she was followed a momentter by Linus, the boy lugging a sword far too big for him to use. Leif didn¡¯t have time to consider why. Wind magic swirled around him as a feeling of being lightened flooded through his body. The world slowed ever so slightly, his every movement flowing and crisp. The air around his arms and legs quivered slightly as he ran to position himself between the students and the undead. Sieg manifested an axe head of sharpened ice before bisecting three undead with a flex of his skill. Therge man was likewise surrounded in vibrating air. Leif stepped forward, amber limbs surging outward to puncture, crush or restrain. He found his control of [Gold Iron Physique] was just as affected by Adriana¡¯s empowering skill as the rest of his body. Convenient. He thought, easily deflecting a skeletal beast¡¯s wed swipe with two amber limbs. Leif dispatched the monster and cracked his neck. ¡°Did you guys see the royal sky skimmer?¡± Linus called, shouldering the massive weapon. ¡°It¡¯s our ticket out of here.¡± ¡°We all saw it.¡± Adriana snapped. ¡°The problem will be getting onto the bluff with the docks.¡± ¡°Fighting retreat?¡± Marcus suggested. Arcane lightning dancing between simrly coloured gauntleted fingers. ¡°Also, what''s with that sword, Linus?¡± ¡°He¡¯spensating for something.¡± Adriana said. ¡°I have an idea.¡± Linus said. The young teammates spoke over one another, then shared a baleful re. ¡°Focus people!¡± Sieg called, the man using his aura in conjunction with skills Leif didn¡¯t know to ice over the other half of the approach. Reanimated corpses clogged up the slippery entry point, clustered as they were. Marcus¡¯s arcane lightning danced through the ever growing pile up, dealing incredible damage. ¡°Above, on the right!¡± Leif called as the group retreated through a mostly unusedne, a low growl came from the worn tiles of the nearby rooftops. A momentter a pack of three undead drakes prowled into sight, their wed legs digging into the rain slick tiles. Two of the reanimated drakes were the size of the moremon beasts found in the foothills of the northern mountains. Raw muscle was visible where several clumps of dull scales had fallen off. The third was a different story. Unlike therger creatures Leif had spotted in his somewhat naive quest to climb up a mountain, this drake was long, lithe and remarkably slender. It was likeparing a rapier to a pair of battleaxes. The unevolved drake''s approach was inelegant and clumsypared to the deadly poise of their evolved kin. To make matters worse, within the fanged maw of the evolved drake were the flicker of baleful green mes. ¡°They¡¯re blocking our way.¡± Sieg said, his voice low. ¡°And they¡¯re not mindlessly attacking. This is bad.¡± ¡°The undead will being up behind us shortly.¡± Marcus whispered, purple energy crackling. ¡°I can keep them off us but only if the drakes don¡¯t get to me.¡± Leif stepped forward, rolling his shoulders as his conjured golden limbs flexed and readied for battle. He¡¯d dealt with drakes, both alive and reanimated. The first of the bulkier drake¡¯s leapt forward, the roof¡¯s tiles spraying behind it from the force of its jump. A burst of vibrating airbined with a wave of frost to knock the creature off course. The second lowered itself then made a running jump straight for Leif. He grappled the horse sized undead as the sheer force of itsnding forced the spriggan to take several steps back. Before he could tear it limb from limb green mes billowed down towards him from the evolved drake. The crackling, death attuned fire sizzled and popped under the ever worsening rainfall. He threw up a shield but the emerald mes quickly began to melt it away, the skill¡¯s construct oozing away in golden droplets before dispersing into essence. mespped at his arms and upper body, scorching the ivory wood and singeing the nt fibre beneath. Leif grunted and focused on [Might], he grabbed the undead beast with multiple golden arms then twisted and brought the drake, still growling and wing while trying to tear him to pieces, between him and the mes. Rotting scales melted and flesh sizzled and was erased by the intense heat. Despite this, the drake seemed more than ready to continue the fight, its lifeless eyes now aze with flickering viridescent light. The drake¡¯s strength redoubled, forcing the spriggan to take another step back. Leif punctured the monster¡¯s side with a spear tipped arm. Then he drained the reanimating energy from its form, to his surprise the malevolent fire seeped into his body along with the death energies he had been expecting. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The mes were doused and converted by [Blight¡¯s Bounty], but not before dealing significant internal damage as the internal structure of his physical arms were made nearly useless. Leif¡¯s vision flickered and his monstrous body grew numb, his form seeming to weigh twice what that had before. The conjured amber limbs began to crack and fall apart. He fell, the drake biting into his shoulder and splitting wood with its finger length fangs. A burst of ice cut off the continuous st of mes, a pair of daggers struck the side of the evolved drake but bounced off ineffectually. Behind Leif purple light shed, a sure sign that the swarm of undead chasing them was drawing closer. We don¡¯t have time for this. Leif snarled internally. He triggered [Healing Palm], the restorative energies of the skill shooting up his arm, only to be diverted into his own injuries before it could reach his hand. He activated the skill again, this time for his other arm. Leif dug into his reserves of strength and grabbed the drake¡¯s throat with a four fingered hand, his wed tips digging into the beast''s scaled hide. Then, half by instinct and half by hope, he triggered [Healing Palm] for a third time. ¡°Heal.¡± He hissed, themand echoing off the nearby buildings, stilling the falling rain, drawing the attention of something unseen. Healing light pulsed through the drake¡¯s body, it rippled through its head, then down the spine and limbs. All at once the deadly spark of emerald that suffused the drake¡¯s form flickered, then fled before his healing magic. The drake stiffened, then copsed to the ground, unmoving, like a puppet with its strings cut. Huh, that was remarkably effective. Leif mused, rolling the drake¡¯s corpse off of him and stumbling to his feet. Several of his conjured arms fell apart as he used them to hoist himself upright. He remade them with a brief effort of will. The other unevolved drake had been split in half by what Leif assumed was a devastating strike from Sieg¡¯s axe. Frost still clung to the bisected corpse and red streaked ice coated a nearby wall. The evolved drake let out a low hiss from its position still atop a nearby roof, a stream of green mes spraying towards therge man who cursed and dodged to the side. The drake turned its angr head, tracking his movement, the mespping at his side, burning the man¡¯s already filthy academy uniform. A golden barrier red into life, giving Sieg just enough time to break line of sight before being turned into ash. Leif winced, the sudden, manic use of so many skills was beginning to take its toll. The final drake roared, letting out another cone of mes, then leapt from the roof. Not towards Leif or Sieg, but Linus and Adriana. The younger students backed away, Adriana seeming to be concentrating while Linus looked to be totally unarmed. Panic bloomed in Leif¡¯s chest. He was already moving as the drake fell, the worlding into slow motion. He wouldn¡¯t be there in time, and he doubted his shield would be able to protect either student for more than an instant. ¡°Now!¡± Linus yelled, the man raising his hand to the sky. Adriana grabbed his shoulder as a st of wind blew them both back. They tumbled head over heels, kicking up dirt and impacting the side of a dpidated house with a crack. A longsword fell from the sky, it prated the charging drake slightly off centre, carving away a chunk of its face and skull. The undead copsed to the ground, skidding several metres through the muddy dirt. Its momentum gone, the drakey twitching and struggling to move, fortunately it was unable to regain its footing before an arc of purple energy fried what remaining fight it had left. The drake ceased moving, and Leif let out a breath of relief. He looked between the evolved drake and where the two students were picking themselves up from the muddy ground. ¡°That.¡± Marcus said, jogging into the aftermath of the fight. ¡°That was pretty damn cool. Also I levelled up, sorry for stealing that kill.¡± Adriana mumbled something about it being fine while Linus just raised a thumb in acknowledgement. He wiped mud from his face, only to leave more filth than before. ¡°I¡¯m still forty nine.¡± Sieg sighed, grunting as Leif helped him get to his feet while healing his wounds with a trickle of vitality. ¡°One off the next milestone. I haven''t even been able to promote mybat ss. The first group of evacuees were most of the crafters and nonbat officials, and they apparently took the promotion items.¡± ¡°Cheer up big guy!¡± Marcusughed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have time to do the advancement trial even if you did reach fifty! Also, as fun as this is, we really should get going.¡± === Fighting powerful monsters from a distance had been Hera¡¯s go to strategy for several years. It had been wildly effective, being able to defeat foes who were significantly stronger than you was one of, if not the quickest ways to level up. Albeit far from the safest. It had served her as an adventurer, it had served her in the crucible, and up until this point it had served her while she worked as a de of the Academy. A cracklingnce of dark blue energy ripped through the air she had been standing in but a moment prior. She ran, manifesting tforms of light with every step only to let them dissipate into essence. Maintaining more than a few barriers was well beyond her ability without dedicating a significant portion of her focus to the task, and she needed all of her power, wits and concentration to not be obliterated. Another beam of gravity energy shot from where the humanoid enver flew a hundred metres away. Hera manifested a barrier of light above her and twisted, kicking off the pane of light, shattering it in the process, andunching herself downwards. She felt her hair rise and her clothes tug against her body, pulled back by the near passing of the ant¡¯s deadly attack. Another pane of light appeared as she fell, Hera twisted the skills construct with a minor effort of will, altering it to let the barrier not be tied to the point she had cast it. Hera hit the tform feet first and felt it partially fracture under her downward momentum. Fortunately it held, she rode the pane of light downwards, ever so slightly tugging on the skills construct to reassert its default state of being stationary. It was a trick she had learnt years ago, back when the skill had an entirely different name. Hera stabilised her footing and summoned a bow thanks to her [Armoury of Light] skill, a core skill that she had created thanks to multiple fusions, all from different sses. The created weapons were an all but perfect conduit for her other powers. She twisted, the tform spinning, and returned fire on the enver. The creature was forced to dodge, flying inelegantly to the side, its insectile wings a blur of motion even to Hera¡¯s enhanced vision. Then it was forced to retreat further as a geyser of white and blue mes raked across the sky. ¡°Shiny Human!¡± The feathered serpent hissed, coiling through the rain and rising to Hera¡¯s own elevation. ¡°Coatl.¡± She replied, not entirely sure how tomunicate withmander Kaan¡¯s bond. ¡°Father says to drive the antdy away, he will bring the big fly boat!¡± Pocht roared, then it dove to avoid ance of blue light. ¡°Tell him to hurry up!¡± She yelled back, running in the opposite direction to not give their opponent an easy target. For minutes more they battled in the sky, and though they fought to force the enver away from the outpost and the desperately retreating humans below, the oddly human shaped ant was more than capable of weathering their assault, never straying far. It¡¯s trying to protect the undead queen. Hera realised, cursing under her breath. While that thing is in y it won¡¯t allow us to shepherd it away. And while it''s over Far-reach everyone is in danger. She peered through the low, burning red cloud cover and scanned the ground. The closer to the battle Kaan drew the more wild and unruly the skies became, as high as she was the very air was thick with both rain and soot. If she could eliminate the undead enver queen maybe this whole ordeal would end. From the report Marcus, Sieg and Leif had given her about the events within the mythhold, Hera doubted the ant queen was the entity in control of the horde. It won¡¯t hurt to try. She thought. Firing off a quick volley to keep the enver woman busy before retreating up into the clouds with a sequence of bounding leaps. [Prismatic Sight] activated, and the cloud cover thinned, retreating into the background as her perception skill bled away all excessive visual stimuli and helped her vision prate any non solid obstacles. She sighted the ant queen far below and began charging up an arrow of light. Hera doubted she would get another chance as good as this one. Best to make it count. Her previous attack on the enver hadn¡¯t killed it outright, though surely the monster had been wounded. She would need to put everything she could into a single, deadly attack. Power built, light shining in the arrow¡¯s pointed head like a beacon. The clouds around her shone with a dazzling radiance, the heating off the skill made steam rise in a continuous pir as the very air screamed like a kettle. She took aim, years of training and far more life and death experience than most her age steadying her arms, calming her breathing. Then an obsidian d fist crashed into her side. As the Academy de was sent flying, the impact cking out her vision and pulverising her ribs, the almost fully charged skill destabilised, then detonated. Everything went white. Chapter 72: Of a Feather Chapter 72: Of a Feather Kaan Alfredi,mander of the Ahle-ho garrison, captain of the Empire¡¯s Mercy, bondmate of an ancient guardian, and grandfather to forty seven grandchildren made the sky weep at his approach. He hung in the sky, as if the very air was capable of supporting his greatness. His well oiled moustache and beard remained perfectly still, despite the chaoticshes of wind and rain that surrounded him. In fact, he wasn¡¯t wet at all, a benefit of mastery over weather magics. Despite his age, Kaan Alfredi didn¡¯t look a day over fifty. One of many advantages to advancing through the level fifty and one hundred bottlenecks at a young age. His darkplexion wasmon among those from the empire¡¯s eastern provinces. At hismand, great updrafts of wind swept from the south, propelling both him and his personal sky skimmer at speeds no vessel had ever been designed to travel. The skimmer was farrger than the meagre rafts the expedition had used on its initial deployment to the northern frontier. And truth be told, the Empire¡¯s Mercy was not the right tool for this job, its greater size making it more suited for the open seas than constantly pitching in an effort to not crash into the tops of trees or rolling hills. But he had little choice, two of the skimmers had to be left behind due to damages. As long as he could evacuate the men and women under hismand out of the deathtrap that had been sprung on them, everything would be fine. Should be fine. With a flex of his will he ushered another gale of winds to surge up from behind. His skimmer once again picked up speed, the crew clutched to guardrails or had tied themselves to the deck via ropes. Such speed would generally be ill advised, if the skimmer strayed more than two dozen or so metres from the navigation route the vessel would no longer be powered by the invisible streams of wayfinding magics. But the pace, while reckless, had been more than worth it. Kaan had partially feared that Far-reach would have fallen, the position having been overrun by undead. It was a good thing that the empire¡¯s methods of reiming lost territories ounted for sudden attacks. Far ahead, the battle raged unceasingly, from his elevation Kaan could just make out undead and soldiers fighting in the streets and through the ruins of buildings. But beyond that, above Far-Reach was the real fight. Kaan felt his blood rise, his every cell flush with energy. He¡¯d burnt through a week''s worth of cultivation pushing for time over the past few days, a little more wouldn¡¯t hurt. He redoubled his speed, the cultivated power of storms and winds that spun within his soul being expended in what many would have considered wasteful excess. In the moment, Kaan found that it hardly mattered. He hadn¡¯t seen a fight like this in years, not since the ants had ughtered their way across the northern vassal kingdoms and partially pressed into the empire proper. It seemed that Hera¡¯s reports had actually been correct. Sure, he¡¯d doubted her. When Hera had exined the academy¡¯s discoveries viamunication construct he had found them hard to believe. But as he observed the conflict with his own eyes Kaan finally epted that she hadn¡¯t been mistaken, the enemies humanity now faced were likely a remnant of that invasion. It brought him no small amount of joy to realise some of his old foes had willingly presented themselves for him to finish off. Kaanughed, the sound reverberating through the clouds like rolling thunder. If the man who had gifted him the Empire''s Mercy could see what he was doing with it, he likely would have spat blood. He could feel the flickering emotions of his bond. Pocht roared in delight as he drew near, the closer he and his bondedpanion drew the more stable their connection. He was close, a minute, maybe less. He would have to guide his skimmer into the tiny docks at the outpost lest his ship idently break apart on the rocky bluff. It would take only a moment, surely there would- A sudden spike of rm reached him from Pocht, his heart briefly caught in his throat. For an instant nothing happened. Then a blinding sh of white lit up the sky, blowing away the cloud cover that hung above Far-reach. Kaan cursed and kicked off of the wind, [Rain Step] carrying him ahead of the skimmer at a blisteringly fast speed. He blurred forward, still blinking the blindness from his vision. Kaan sensed, rather than saw his bond as the coatl was sent flying by the st. The pain, phantom, like a memory, reached him through their connection. Finally the outpost came within his range of perception, each raindrop that hit the ground below, plinking off armour and skin rying the positions and situation of the battle. It looked grim, despite everything he had been too slow. His perception caught a figure falling through the air, Kaan pivoted mid step and all but flew upwards. He caught Hera¡¯s falling body, then kicked off the air to lurch both him and the unconscious de away from a slice of dark blue power. It seemed to carve through reality like a warm knife through butter. Kaan¡¯s perception skill warped and distorted where the gravitational energy had passed. ¡°Pocht!¡± He mentally roared. Despite being injured the coatl twisted immediately in response to his call. ¡°Shiny human hurt!¡± The serpent mentally cried. ¡°I take to ointment wizard?¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Kaan grimaced as he took in Hera¡¯s partially charred form. ¡°If there are any in the outpost who can help her¡­ Pocht, where is the nearest healer?¡± His bond¡¯s crimson crest of feathers shimmered, a telltale sign of the creature¡¯s divination skills at work. The coatl¡¯s head snapped down. ¡°I sense¡­ but different. Strong!¡± It hissed. ¡°Much strength!¡± Kaan frowned, who in the expedition was a ¡®strong¡¯ healer? He supposed it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Go, take her to the healer. I¡¯ll hold off our little friend up there.¡± With a gesture he tied a tether of water around Hera¡¯s waist and looped it around Pocht¡¯s middle in severalrge loops. Then he turned his attention to the enemy of humanity. A wide grin split his face. Maybe leaving retirement was worth it after all. === ¡°What was that?¡± Marcus asked, the man having slumped against an overturned cart to prevent him from falling as the sudden st of light and sound had assaulted Far-reach. Leif wasn¡¯t sure, but he suspected the sh of light had something to do with Hera. All around him the Academy students and soldiers were picking themselves up off of the ground. A task made twice as difficult due to them being half disorientated from the detonation. Overhead was a vast gap in the crimson tainted clouds, quickly the hole was filled in by boiling storm clouds that blotted out all light from the sky above. As if it had never stopped, the downpour restarted, perhaps even more overbearing than before. They had gotten to the end of therge bluff before the explosion had sent them tumbling into the muddy dirt. Before them was the natural archway that connected the main outpost to its smaller sibling. On the other side Leif could barely make out the movement of dozens of people as they hurried about trying to disembark the smaller skimmers. What¡¯s going on? He asked himself, peering through the downpour. Why aren¡¯t they getting people onto the skimmers to evacuate? To the side Sieg angrily swiped his hand. In moments an angr sheet of ice was keeping away the worst of the rain. A roar split the air, followed by a tremendous gust of wind. Soldiers scattered as the massive form of the serpentine coatl crashed down into the outpost. Leif felt the lifeforce held within the creature and froze. There was so much. Was that the vitality of a high level monster? He felt his cultivation base churn at the sight, then his attention was dragged forcibly to the much fainter source of vitality strapped to the monster¡¯s side. ¡°Healer¡­¡± The coatl hissed, looking directly at him. Its presence was oppressive and heavy, its aura wild and untamed. ¡°Healer who is not¡­ Healer who hides¡­¡± Leif was frozen mid step, his cloak was still tightly clinging to his body, though thoroughly drenched in rain he should still be hiding his monstrous appearance. ¡°Healer who is¡­ Not¡­ Not human¡­¡± The coatl continued, tilting its head at an angle as if intrigued. ¡°Pocht is curious. Very, very curious.¡± ¡°I can exin,¡± Leif called, ¡°But I need to heal her first.¡± The creature hissed and pulled back. Its feathered wings, slick with the constant runoff of water, shuffled as the great serpent red down at Leif. ¡°Exin¡­ Is hiding healer friend?¡± ¡°Yes! Friend of you and humans.¡± Leif shouted, gesturing around at the staring soldiers. ¡°If friend, then who is bond?¡± It asked, still suspicious. Leif paused, he didn¡¯t have a bond. How will it react if I say that I don¡¯t have one? Before he could answer Marcus wobbled up beside him, slipping once in a puddle but catching himself on Leif¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh great feathered serpent. It is me, I am the¡­ holder¡­ of this one¡¯s bond.¡± Leif shot the man a nce. ¡°Truely?!¡± The coatl asked, leaning in closer, its tone excited, its rampant intent far less hostile. ¡°Bond holder like father? Can fly and make rain?¡± ¡°Uh, no? I can make purple lightning though.¡± Marcus said, taken aback by the question. The coatl shook itself as if shimmying in joy. Then it turned its head and sted a gout of blue-white mes down a nearby street. ¡°Good! Good! You heal, Pocht rejoin fight now!¡± It said, bursting Hera¡¯s water bonds and dropping her limp body to the wet, muddy ground. The coatl beat its wings a single time, spraying water and detritus in every direction. Then it was gone, slithering through the air like a fish in water. The pressure of its presence lifted off everyone¡¯s shoulders, Leif heard several take long, gasping breaths. He ignored them and scrambled over to Hera¡¯s unconscious form, sending a spell and cultivation empowered [Healing Palm] into her ckened and burnt side. He tried his best to control the flow of healing, guiding the energy to where it was most needed. A single use of the spell wasn¡¯t enough, nor was a second. After three uses Hera¡¯s breathing had stabilised, then her eyes opened and she coughed up a mouthful of water and blood. ¡°Fucking hells.¡± She gasped. Leif dragged her under the cover of a nearby, half packed tent. ¡°I¡¯d ask if you are okay.¡± The spriggan said. ¡°But I can tell that you are.¡± ¡°Wow, I feel so cared for.¡± Hera grunted. She looked up, her eyes shed white with specs of rainbow light. ¡°That thing is terrifyingly fast.¡± Leif pushed her down as she tried to stand. ¡°Woah, I said you were okay. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can go back-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, the body is partially remade at level fifty. Then fully at level one hundred. I¡¯m much more receptive to healing magics than most others. Hells, I¡¯m straight up harder to kill than even defensively focused level fifties.¡± She said. ¡°Okay¡­ if you say so.¡± Leif said, not entirely convinced. He let her stand nheless. She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as I don¡¯t eat a direct hit again." She looked around to where several Academy students were all staring at her. More than just the four Leif had fought with to get this far. ¡°You all need to evacuate, and I mean right now. Get on Kaan¡¯s big fancy ship when it arrives and don¡¯t look back.¡± She cracked her neck and grinned. ¡°You too, tree man. I¡¯ll see you all at Ahle-ho, if I¡¯m not around after a few days go find Darius¡¯s family. I trust the independent guild more than the imperial army. The Academy and military don¡¯t always get along.¡± Then she fired an arrow of light into the distance, vanishing in a sh a few momentster. Leif turned to Marcus. ¡°What the hells was that?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± The sandy haired man said, raising his hands defensively. ¡°Your honesty was about to get you killed. Themander''s bond is an¡­ infamously poor decision maker. If it found out you weren¡¯t bound it probably would have toasted you.¡± Leif groaned, he hoped this wouldn¡¯te back to bite him in the ass. Chapter 73: A Moment More Chapter 73: A Moment More A team of three imperial thaumaturges cleared the street wide stone arch with wind and heat controlling skills as streams of people moved to where the three sky skimmers were hastily being pulled around the sides of the bluff. On the side Leif was standing, a temporary barricade was being hastily erected. The undead still rushed through the outpost in a near continuous stream. Fortunately their progress was being stalled by teams of soldiers holding the winding choke points of Far-reach¡¯s streets. Leif was at the rear of the expedition group as they crossed the natural bridge. As the expedition members made their way through the less developed secondary bluff, they rounded a bend and saw the skimmers where they were parked. He saw several groups manoeuvring the hovering vehicles with ropes all while keeping them from impacting the rocky side of the bluff with long sticks. Men were shouting and pointing away from the outpost, but through the thick sheets of rain Leif couldn¡¯t make out what they were gesturing towards. At the centre of the smaller bluff was an obelisk standing over four metres tall. Its dark purple exterior letting the angr structure stand out against the backdrop of near endless water. Faint runes glowed along the circr base of the obelisk, each pulse sending streaks of violet snaking up the object¡¯s sides. He tried peering into the distance, trying once again to make out what it was that was making the imperials anxious. Above Far-reach were the distant roars and thrum of battle, though the howling wind and endless rain drowned out the worst of it. ¡°It¡¯s therger skimmer.¡± Marcus said, his tone low. ¡°They must be bringing it into the dock.¡± Leif gave the man a sideways look, then returned to studying the near solid sheet of water and mist surrounding the bluff. ¡°These are small jetties, how is something that big going to- Then he saw it. A looming shadow barrelling down on the docks. Soldiers screamed and support staff scrambled into action. Leif¡¯s amber blood ran cold and the wind buffeted his cloak. Those around him shielded their eyes and fought against the weather but due to his nature Leif was less affected. The skimmer wasing in far too fast, its dark silhouette rapidly materialising into the clear visage of arge, well adorned ship. Wooden staves, over three metres long, cracked and shattered as they tried to prevent the vehicle from colliding with the rocky side of the bluff. Aboard, Leif could see the skimmers crew doing the same but in reverse, their own staves snapping against rain slick stone. Skills wereunched as Leif rushed forward, pushing aside gawking soldiers and students alike. Adriana was at the front, facing away from the near horizontal rain she unleashed a wave of wind. Half a dozen golden arms cracked into existence as Leif reached the very edge of the bluff. Palms of glowing amber met the half turned skimmer and pushed. He felt the distant sensation of conjured limbs cracking and splintering under the force. He channelled as much cultivated vitality into his next use of [Gold Iron Physique] as he could, another half dozen arms burst from his back, shoulders and side. These too strained against the skimmer, desperately fighting for any leverage against the momentum of the flying ship. Leif felt not just his skills, but his very body tremble as it groaned under the strain. His wed feet dug into the solid ground as he used every fibre of his being to prevent the crash. Moments passed but they felt like minutes, the skimmer struck the side of the bluff. The polished wood of its hull smashed against stone as the skimmer¡¯s mass tipped from the impact. The skimmer rocked back, its crew tumbling down to the deck and out of sight. The entire vehicle heaved, then stilled. Damaged, more than a little battered, but hopefully still functional. They had done it, disaster had been averted. Exhausted cheers rose from those who had prevented the worst of the crash, a momentter the ck jawed onlookers behind them joined in. Leif fell to a knee, breathing out a stream of heated air from his slit of a mouth. That had been too close. Strong hands grabbed him under one shoulder and tried to pull him up, Sieg shouted something but what the man had said was lost under the pounding ache of skill overuse. The spriggan¡¯s attention was arrested by something else. Something was wrong, the malevolent, hungry gloom that had been a constant presence beneath their feet had¡­ changed. It was almost indescribable, like the orientation of a nozzle having been turned ever so slightly. Then violent intent swept over Leif and the surviving humans. It was as though a starving beast had slipped its leash. A bloodthirsty screech washed over the imperial outpost. Followed in turn by hundreds of feral howls and screams. === ¡°To think.¡± Kaan said, his voice carrying effortlessly on the wind. ¡°That your kind¡¯s invasion of the northern kingdoms brought this old man out of retirement.¡± The enver didn¡¯t respond. They rarely did in his experience, a habit of their innate pheromonemunication if imperial researchers were to be believed. Regardless, he tried again. Getting under one¡¯s foes nerves, while immature, was a noticeable advantage. ¡°It¡¯s been almost a decade since thest of your hosts was turned back at the gates of Ahle-ho. Tell me monster, were you at that battle? Did we once cross swords?¡± Despite his bravado, Kaan had no hope of defeating the opponent he faced. His level would make him be regarded as one of humanity¡¯s elites, but his speciality wasrge scale warfare. A duel in the sky was much less his forte. Though he did possess certain strengths his opponent may underestimate. His bond, Pocht, was much of his personal strength. Almost half his total levels were dedicated to his promoted [Tamer] ss. If Kaan guessed correctly, the coatl was less than half the level of the enver he now faced, but if they fought together that disadvantage in power should narrow significantly. Being a bondedpanion had its perks. Pocht roared as he rocketed upwards, his connection to Kaan allowing the feathered serpent to effortlessly swim through the rain and clouds. With a flex of will Kaan channelled a not inconsiderable amount of power into the coatl, bestowing the serpent with enhanced strength and speed. Both struck out at the same time, the momentum of their attacks causing them to trade ces, Kaan¡¯s condensed sts of water and wind were reced with Pocht¡¯s searing white and blue mes. But even united they couldn¡¯t drive the monster away. It flittered back at their assault, never straying far from its protective position above the undead queen below. Though inelegant in the air, the humanoid enver had little issue staying a step ahead. The glowing fire reflecting off the creatures ckened carapace. Through his ability to sense what the rain touched, Kaan noticed an imminent opportunity sneaking up from below. He smirked. Years of experience raising children, then grandchildren, had made him quite proficient at being a distraction. ¡°Say, ant. You realise this quest of yours is impossible. You¡¯ll never bring her back, the dead remain such.¡± The enver''s head snapped in his direction. ¡°Lies!¡± She hissed, sending ance of dark blue screaming through the air. Kaan stepped to the side, never breaking eye contact. ¡°Were you at Ahle-ho when we broke your army and ughtered your kin. I remember battling something very simr to yourself over the city¡¯s great docks.¡± ¡°I care not for your miserable hives, human.¡± The ant spat. ¡°They¡¯re irrelevant to me, to us.¡± ¡°So it was you who invaded?¡± Kaan asked,ughing as he sent a serpentine whip of water at the enver. A probing attack to keep her upied. ¡°And the queen below us... I remember bringing her low myself. I have the medal to prove it.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. That was a lie, Kaan hadn¡¯t been there when the ants retreated underground, his duty had been the protection of the city. But the enver before him didn¡¯t know that. She twitched, intent locking onto him, hostile and heavy. Kaan¡¯s own aura brushed it aside, redirecting it like thend redirects a river. ¡°If I recall correctly, it was I whonded the finishing blow. It was so easy that I had forgotten. An unimportant-¡± The enver let out a scream of fury. Then she blurred forward. Fast, way too fast. A domain of gravity sprung up around the ant as she attempted to pluck out Kaan¡¯s throat. If his own domain of weeping skies didn¡¯t hold prominence in their immediate surroundings he would have lost his life then and there. Pocht roared in outrage and unleashed a gout of mes. It bathed both him and the enver as they danced through the sky. Kaan¡¯s bond with the feathered serpent protected him from the worst of the damage, even still he made sure to not ce himself directly in the path of the fire. But the enver seemed more than willing to shrug it off, the mes seeming to have little effect as she maintained a relentless onught. The enver''s ck carapace armour had grown, covering the parts of her humanoid appearance and gleaming like the night sky. She reached out, a wed fist extended as gravity gripped him from all sides. Kaan¡¯s breathing became difficult, his vision blurred. Pocht roared again. Then an arrow of light shot up from below and pierced the enver through the neck. The monster¡¯s entire body stiffened, then twitched. She reached up and ripped the arrow out, a spurt of blood followed. Hera fired a second arrow, then a third. The enver blurred away, avoiding the follow up attacks and responding with ance of gravity. ¡°Pests.¡± The monster said, her voice barely carrying over the storm. ¡°Pests, pests, pests, pests¡­¡± ¡°Your ship almost crashed, Kaan!¡± Hera called as she appeared at a falling arrow¡¯s location and sliced at the enver''s legs. It was her real de, the enchantments humming. Blood sprayed as the steel seemed to entirely bypass the natural obsidian armour. The ant screamed and blurred backwards. Sending twin beams of crushing gravity out at both humans. Hera vanished and Kaan let the wind carry him to the side. The manughed, his voice booming like thunder. ¡°Wee back Hera. When the Academy sends its people, they always send their best.¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± Hera replied, having caught herself on a barrier of light. ¡°I¡¯m the lowest ranked of the Academy¡¯s ten des.¡± Kaan cocked an eyebrow, admittedly he knew little about that particr institution. ¡°Really? That-¡± Then a screech came from below. Through his perception Kaan saw the enver queen begin to move, the host of undead that had been held in reserve rushing forward. === Deep below the ground, sharpened steel carved into smooth stone. Silver light bathed the geometric cavern as undead carved sigils into the t rock. The pattern that was being woven was circr and perfectly partitioned. It wouldn¡¯t do for the teleportation circle that would lead them home to be iplete or unstable. A skeletal figure stood perfectly still, an arm outstretched and boney fingers twitching. An outside observer may have described the motions erratic, even random. But as the puppeteer moved, the undead it had spent months patiently preparing to raise sliced into rock with conjured silver. Permeating an environment with enough death energies to naturally form a dungeon wasn¡¯t exactly easy, doing it without being caught was something else entirely. It was all to protect the grand secret that only its kind knew of, if any other faction possessed that particr tidbit of ancient knowledge they weren¡¯t parading it around. The secret in question was how the vessel that housed the system''s power could be both reused, and maintained. That the rarest and most powerful of sses would persist even through death, though only if the reanimation was delicate enough. It was pained that only a few of the valuable specimens had surviveding into contact with that human expedition. It had been a freak ident that had nearly cost it months, if not years of progress. But the puppeteer rarely held a grudge. One could hardly me the worms beneath one¡¯s feet for writhing and squirming. It was in their nature, just like control was in theirs. The strings that connected it to the horde above were gradually severed. Each loss was like a prick against its consciousness, but despite the near constant distractions its work continued. It would need to suppress the humans and any they might have told their discovery to. It had been tracking the groups from its position below the ground. The humans that had already evacuated wouldn¡¯t be privy to any secrets, they could be allowed to escape. That n of nomads was a potential threat, one that would be dealt with after the Puppeteer was done with the imperials. But it was time to prepare a swift means of escape. The battle above ground was getting a little too rowdy. It wouldn¡¯t do to remain should any other factione snooping around the aftermath. The humans likely would, but they hardly mattered, the real powers of the world didn¡¯t live in disgusting cities and revel in their collective weakness. As the Puppeteer¡¯s prized undead finally finished their work, its attention drifted upwards, along the tether of death that linked its mind to that of the formian queen. Though the attempt would likely be ssified as greedy, it wanted to orchestrate a situation where the ant princess it had lured to the fight would either fall entirely under the queen¡¯s control, or die trying to save her. But how¡­ The Puppeteer considered its options. There were a multitude of possibilities, but many were far too borate, possessing too many points of failure. Something simpler would have to do. It let out a low, harsh cackle as it ran fleshless fingers along the carved runes that made up the nowpleted teleportation circle. The portal would be one way, and wouldn¡¯tst more than an hour or two. The anchor back in the homnd was only temporary after all. ¡°Oh my wondrous creations.¡± It murmured. Gazing upon the undead with glowing silver eyes. ¡°You will be my masterpieces, soon even the Underlords and Tombsires will bow and scrape at the mere hint of my passing¡­¡± Something moved in the distant shadows of the vast cavern, pulling them from its reverie. The Puppeteer whirled, a staff carved from two interlocking spines appearing with a blur. ¡°Who dares interrupt my work?¡± It hissed. The ghostly green mes resting in its partially melted eye sockets darting back and forth. ¡°I was wondering who was making all this racket.¡± Came a deep, amused voice. The shadows stirred, the darkness oozing forward like the sap of a tree. ¡°And you seemed so happy too. We can¡¯t have that. A naughty child who has strayed from the bounds of thepact should be¡­ punished.¡± ¡°I have overstepped no such bounds.¡± The Puppeteer snapped. ¡°This is neutral territory, abandoned by the humans and unimed by the Formians.¡± ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Said the voice. ¡°To be perfectly honest, I couldn¡¯t give less of a shit about the rules. I just want to break some of your toys.¡± Then the shadows surged forward, twisting and writhing, of each oing tendril sharpened into de-like spears. The Puppeteer¡¯s staff smashed into the ground, the sheer force of the impact cracking stone and causing a shockwave to wash out from the epicentre. It lurched back and mmed a skeletal hand into the outer ring of the teleportation circle. To the side a silver eyed undead was engulfed in a writhing mass of darkness, the tether of deathly energy snapping as it was carried away. ¡°NO!¡± It screamed. ¡°YOU DARE?¡± A baleful green light red into existence as the portal burst to life. With a panicked mentalmand the remaining few mythical undead were ushered towards the glowing frame. The sudden light fought back the shadows, the Puppeteer briefly saw the outline of a tall, muscr figure welding a wickedly long sword. Then the figure vanished, and another of its prized undead was in as steel severed bone. The thing. No, the orc, strode out of a pool of darkness and casually removed a skull from the body it was attached to. Silver light flickered, then was extinguished. The Puppeteer twisted and unleashed a roaring inferno of green mes at where the vile interloper was standing. But he simply stepped back and was carried away. ¡°You¡¯ve been holding out on us.¡± The orc mocked. ¡°Keeping such a juicy secret from your peers. There¡¯s going to be lots of very upset powerhouses knocking at your door.¡± ¡°SILENCE! I WILL WRING THE MARROW FROM YOUR BONES!¡± One of the silver undead reached for the portal, it was an instant from being whisked away to safety when a tendril of shadow wrapped around its femur and tugged it into the darkness. Another torrent of emerald fire thundered across the vast chamber, it was followed by another round of mockingughter. The orc appeared once again, this time in the midst of the final three undead, slithering up from the shadows between their legs. For a terrifying instant the Puppeteer thought all three would be butchered. The dark, shadow wreathed sword shed. Two undead were culled in an instant as the orc¡¯s de carved them in half. So much potential, so much promise, gone. All but one, it reached the portal and vanished in a sh of green light. The orc let out a tsk of annoyance and turned to face the Puppeteer. ¡°Aw, one got away. Too bad.¡± Shadows swarmed through the chamber, like a wall of angry snakes. ¡°You nning on sticking around? I could do with a warm-up before the main event. ¡± The undead didn¡¯t reply as it blitzed past the orc in a streak of green fire. It vanished through the portal, a momentter the gateway snapped shut. The Puppeteer mmed a fist into the cool, ckened marble of itsboratory. It screamed in rage. Then every single one of its tethers except for the single remaining silver eyed skeleton snapped. It froze mid tantrum. Uh oh. Chapter 74: Dark Skies Chapter 74: Dark Skies In the skies above Far-reach a formian princess fought to kill. No longer was it good enough to simply keep the humans away from her sire. The veryst of her family was now actively participating in the ughter below, X couldn¡¯t let her opponents have an opportunity to strike out against her. And so she fought, fending off three fighters while actively going for the kill. Sheshed out at the blond haired woman, the archer having survived the bacsh of her skill¡¯s detonation and the strike X had delivered to her side. She had fallen, unconscious and charred, even as the human whomanded the rain had caught her, X had assumed the woman dead. But there must have been a powerful healer among the human workers, the archer herself was most likely above the third threshold. X had analysed the human and found herselfparing favourably in every attribute. Even still, it had been wrong to assume her total superiority. It was difficult for X to determine the exact strength of humans, most were fragile, their weakness apparent. Even the demikin that were born to her own hive were inconsistent in their strength. And even though she was awakened, closer to human than most other monsters, X still found the creatures strange, beyond her understanding. Though X had taken their form, obtained their powers, and slowly learnt their ways, she had only done so because of a higher directive. It was necessary, the monarchs had said, a new paradigm for their kind. It wasn¡¯t her job to disobey. After all, who was she to question her betters? Even if her mother had been killed and reanimated, it didn¡¯t matter. It was correct to submit to a higher authority, even if thest of her family was corrupted beyond all- X froze, her body stiffening just as she was about to trigger [Ray of Annihtion]. Her mind spun, her vision narrowed. Where was she? Why was she fighting above a human settlement? Where were her-Fight. Themand mmed into her consciousness. A condensed pulse of water impacted her from behind and sent her tumbling through the air. A searing white stream of fire carved a tunnel through the torrential downpour and threatened to incinerate the outeryer of her carapaced armour. X reached out and grabbed onto a point in space. Then she tugged, pulling herself bodily through reality as the very air screamed at her passing. She unleashed twin beams of gravitational energy, driving away the feathered serpent. Strange, ethereal creatures danced through the rain. Nearly invisible they struck out at her with ded tendrils. One such entity cut into X¡¯s lower thigh, she shredded it with a swipe of her ws. Protect. X winced as chains wrapped around her mind, forcing her to look in a specific direction. The archer was facing away from her, looking down towards the ground, charging an arrow of light. The world seemed to slow as the formian¡¯s perception narrowed into a pinpoint of focus. She should have finished the human off when she had the chance. How dare she threaten her queen? Her queen¡­ X forced the archer to abort her attack with a slicing beam of gravitational energy, she fended off two blurred creatures that struck out at her from the rain itself, positioned herself so the serpent couldn¡¯t breathe its mes without endangering the human man, then slowed that same human with a domain of gravity. She did all this in seconds, and all while distracted, her mind elsewhere. She had to protect her mother, the queen of her hive, her very purpose- ¡°No!¡± She screamed, clutching obsidian wed fingers to her head. Everything hurt, her mind ached as it strained against invisible restraints. She felt the cold, callused hand of control reach out to once again rip her back into delusion. X willed herself to fly back, to take in her surroundings and situation. She needed a moment to steady her mind and regain control. Something was very, very wrong. But instead she attacked, kicking out at the coatl, shattering emerald scales and sending the serpentine creature sting back. Everything felt distant, like she was a spectator in her own mind. She felt the chains wrap themselves even tighter, firming their hold over her will. Far below, the abomination her mother had be tore through the human outpost, a twisted host of undead howling in savage sympathy. The human man spoke again, his voice easily carrying over the roaring wind and rain. But it didn¡¯t matter, she heard his words but didn¡¯t listen. There was a distant memory of anger, had he said something before that had made her rage? It didn¡¯t matter. She had failed. Kill. The mentalmand ordered. And she would. X would rip these foes apart, then she would join her mother on the ground. They would be together. Forever. Then a familiar wall of inky ck swallowed the light. It stretched and oozed across the sky, within moments the rain had stopped falling, the wind had stopped howling. Then a long de of wickedly sharp steel shed through the world of shadow, aiming straight for her neck. === Hera saw the blur of darkness an instant before it was toote. She called a warning to Kaan as the old fool tried taunting the enver. Pocht roared and swam through the air from where the coatl had been sent flying by the ant¡¯s blow. They were all injured, exhausted, and barely holding on. It was taking every ounce of power possessed by two of humanity''s elites to fend off a single awakened monster. And they weren¡¯t going to win. Of every participant in the battle, only Pocht¡¯s mes seemed to be having a consistent effect on their opponent. Her enchanted de had allowed her tond a single hit on the enver, but getting into close quartersbat with an entity of such formidable strength was practically suicide. Hera knew that if she sustained another near fatal blow there wouldn¡¯t be any amount of healing that would save her. Her soul screamed and her body stung. They were going to lose. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. And then she had spotted the streak of ck heading towards them. Darkness exploded all around them, the storm above was sealed behind an undting and writhing ceiling of shadow. Pocht roared as the coatl found itself no longer supported by its master¡¯s rain. Kaan himself cursed and summoned water around his feet, the impromptu skill use allowing him to remain hovering, though the man was far less stable than he had been while in the rain. The rain spirits themander had summoned let out high pitched wails of agony as they faded away into watery essence. Hera felt the barrier of light she was standing on begin to fuzz and disintegrate . She fell,nding on the soft, almost cloud-like shadows at the bottom of the domain. Hera pushed everything she could into [Prismatic Sight]. Trying desperately to see through the domain of shadow and see the situation down on the ground. It didn¡¯t work, her perception was incapable of prating the inky gloom. If another enemy had arrived and they were trapped¡­ There was a sharp ng as steel met hardened carapace. Thenughter boomed through the darkness. ¡°You thought you could hunt me and mine without consequence? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t seek you out for round two?¡± A tall, muscr figure shouted. Though their form was shrouded in shadow Hera made out sharpened tusks and olive green skin. An orc? The one from Pherin? What did they say his name was? Sepsis? ¡°Humans!¡± The orc shouted. ¡°How about we put aside our many, many, differences, and kill this ant first?¡± ¡°First?¡± Kaan asked, crossing his arms in an attempt to look dignified. ¡°I have no interest in siding with an enemy of humanity.¡± ¡°Enemy of humanity?¡± The orc said,ughing. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, the entirety of your pathetic species-¡± Hera interrupted their argument by firing an arrow of light at where the enver was hovering, dark blue energy building up in their palm. ¡°Kill it! We can have a pissing contestter.¡± She shouted. The orc hefted his longsword and leered down at her from where inky tendrils held him in ce. ¡°The name¡¯s Szesis, King Szesis. And I¡¯m sure to win any contest you-¡± The enver screamed, then threw herself forward. === Leif reduced his weight and hauled himself up onto the royal sky skimmer, even so therge skimmer still dipped slightly as he stepped aboard. The Empire¡¯s Mercy, the skimmer¡¯s name was written in cursive gold along the side, was made of dark carved wood. The edges of each nt were outlined in a metallic silver woven into intricate details. He didn¡¯t have time to take the skimmer in, men and women were scrambling up the vehicle¡¯s sides, desperate to board before the ever approaching horde of undead would breach the final bluff¡¯s defences. Another screech split the air and several people froze. A man climbing the skimmers side dropped, his grip having ckened as hostile intent washed over the surviving humans. Leif reached over the side with an amber arm and caught the man, hauling him up onto the deck. The man, a crafter of some kind slipped on the rain slick wood of the skimmer¡¯s deck but Leif didn¡¯t have time to see if he caught himself. He, alongside several members of the Empire¡¯s Mercy¡¯s crew, began to assist in pulling those attempting to climb aboard. A gangway was lowered and the scramble to make it aboard the vessel turned into a stampede to ess the narrow wooden passageway. Leif let the aura he had been tightly restraining unspool. It hung heavy in the air as he manipted it towards the panicking surge of humanity. He infused it with a generalmand of patience, of calm. It had an immediate effect, the disorganised boarding slowed as people took a step back and reassessed their surroundings. Several crew members and imperial officers gave Leif strange looks, their own aura¡¯s having been attempting to perform a simr feat. ¡°Ropes.¡± Leif said. ¡°Hang them over the side and help people up.¡± Two nearby soldiers snapped to attention and began to follow hismand. Seconds dragged into a minute, Leif became the centre of a whirlpool of chaos. His aura on full st the humans gave him enough of a berth to haul people up and onto the skimmer. Two medical officers he recognised led a small contingent of injured up the gangway. Leif red his aura and unconsciously people made way for the neers. The skimmer was packed, the vessel dipping ever so slightly down with every new addition. Leif looked around and saw dozens of people he recognised. From members of the expedition to soldiers he had fought alongside. They were safe, if the skimmer cast off now they could make it out. But there were still dozens who had yet to board. And dozens more still moving towards the three smaller skimmers. It made him wonder just how many people had been present within the outpost. He wondered if there were other groups of imperials in the wilderness surrounding Far-reach. He knew the army''s motive for being this far north was to set up a series of forts and outposts to monitor the wilderness. Leif didn¡¯t know what woulde of that n. Would the empire still attempt to cordon off and slowly resettle thends of the fallen kingdom of Pherin? Themand to cast off was bellowed from the skimmers rear and the gangway was retracted. Leif saw Sieg and Marcus pushed up against a barrel as people were squished together like sardines. Crewmates of the skimmer were ushering people around, trying to evenly distribute their weight so the vessel wouldn¡¯t tip over. He saw another bunch of expedition members near the far side of the skimmer, Melissa and several of the younger humans he hadn¡¯t learnt the names of. He even saw Johan, the bald man was speaking to a group of haggard looking imperial officers. One of the officers, a man with severe features, caught Leif¡¯s eye as he studied them. A small metallic earring dangling, the jewellery blowing in the wind. Something about the man¡¯s gaze made Leif recoil internally. But he maintained eye contact, Leif was proud of his actions during the siege. If the officer had an issue with his presence then he could- The wind stopped all at once. The rain faltered as everything went quiet. An ominous, tense, silence descended onto the world. Leif nced around, unsure as to the cause. Then he saw it, through the dispersing mist and clouds hung a twisting, writhing spherical mass of shadow. It was like a dark sun hovered over Far-reach, the inky ck of the object drawing in all light and colour. The Empire¡¯s Mercy rocked to the side as it was finally pushed away from the docks. All eyes were focused up at the sky. What on earth? Is that a skill? I didn¡¯t think Hera or whoever thismander Kaan is, used shadow magic? Is it the enver? An undead thaumaturge? Leif thought, his mind racing. Suddenly an onught of dark blue light burst from the massive sphere of darkness. They sliced through the air, several mming down into Far-reach and the surrounding wilderness. A beamnced just to the side of the Empire¡¯s Mercy, the skimmer lilting at the potent beam''s energy. A dozen more beams erupted from the shadows, each sting off in seemingly random directions. The people still on the docks yelled and dove for cover. One of the mostly full smaller skimmers cast off, the hovering vessel rocking dangerously to the side. Through the now mostly clear weather Leif saw shes of skills as soldiers fought off the ever growing tide of undead assaulting the barricades preventing ess to the stone arch that connected both bluffs. Leif¡¯s heart tightened, if things kept up not everyone would get away. It would be a ughter. His fist tightened where he clutched the skimmers metallic railing. What could he do? What should he do? Then a line of dark blue light neatly sliced the two docked skimmers neatly in half. A spray of red mist burst from both decks, the evacuating passengers killed instantly. Four neat halves of wood and metal unceremoniously fell from the sky, the ropes holding the skimmers to Far-reach snapping, unable to hold their weight. More beams camencing from the hovering sun of darkness, but none came close to the docks. It had been a random, deadly coincidence. And now nearly a hundred people would die, trapped, watching as their peers escaped. A triumphant screech split the stunned silence. The enver queen wasing to reap its due. Chapter 75: Growth Chapter 75: Growth Leif forced himself to look away from the dozens of terrified faces that stared in horror at the retreating Empire¡¯s Mercy. Far below, the wreckage of the bisected skimmers smashed into the rocky ground, they splintered and sparked at the impact, the sound echoing up like a haunting, dissonant melody. The single surviving smaller skimmer cast off from the side of the bluff. It was full, the raft-like vehicle dropping dangerously. It was at the very limit of its capacity, forty people crammed themselves on board, some hanging over the sides due to theck of space. As Leif turned, he saw the stark, numb expressions of the men and women who had been fortunate enough to escape as they sat or stood bunched together on the deck of the Empire¡¯s Mercy. A ranking officer of the skimmer barked orders, they pitched their voice to be heard over the yells and pleasing from the outpost. Men and women in blue and silver uniforms snapped from their distracted reverie and got back to work. It felt as though time had slowed to a crawl, it hadn¡¯t been half a minute, but each second felt like an eternity. Leif saw the faces of those few expedition members he knew best. Adriana wasn¡¯t looking, her head ducked to her knees. Linus was staring up at the clearing sky, expression nk. Sieg¡¯s expression was grim, his stance rigid and tense, a hand on Marcus¡¯s shoulder. The sandy haired mage stood at the edge of the skimmer, eyes haunted, jaw working as he gazed nkly back at Far-reach. Another beam of dark blue energy hummed through the air three or so dozen metres off to the side of the Empire¡¯s Mercy, it splintered trees and shattered boulders as it sliced vertically along the countryside. A form wreathed in mist swung across the deck, using the rigging that hung from the tall wooden mast that supported the triangr sail the skimmer¡¯s crew were hurriedly unfurling. Dariusnded in the small clearing on the deck the spriggan stood within. ¡°Can the skimmernd?¡± Leif asked, forcibly keeping his voice calm. The young man shook his head. ¡°Maybe if we pass over a teau or hill that reaches high enough, but the route to Ahle-ho doesn¡¯t pass over anything like that. Beyond the uing stretch of valleys it¡¯s mostly nds.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll just leave them to die?¡± Darius didn¡¯t reply, he just stared up at the umbral sphere that hung over the outpost like a ck sun. Leif didn¡¯t need words to understand the man¡¯s thoughts. If the battle in the sky ended quickly enough, maybe, just maybe, those being left behind could be saved. But Leif knew what the presence of powerful shadow magic implied, or rather, who it most likely heralded. While he hadn¡¯t seen the battle between orc and awakened enver due to being trapped below Pherin, he had more than felt the battle¡¯s presence. But there was hope. Perhaps, if Szesis had sided with Hera, Kaan and Pocht against the enver they may be able to win. But it would hardly matter if the survivors had been butchered by undead before that happened. Leif realised something, that a part of him had tensed, eager to return. He cast his mind back, searching for what the man he had once been would have done. The answer came to him easily, surprisingly so. For an instant Leif imagined the old, human him, standing at his side on the skimmer''s deck, long dark hair tied behind him, eyes fixated back on the outpost, ready to do whatever it would take to protect others, even if it cost him. The spriggan¡¯s golden eyes flickered, and the vision was gone, but his decision remained. He clenched a four fingered fist under his cloak. Perhaps it was stupid, foolish, even suicidal. But acting felt like the correct thing to do, and that made Leif¡¯s choice easy. He pulled out the silver badge and held it up so its metallic face glinted in the morning light. ¡°I¡¯ll be holding onto this, but I¡¯lle find you after this is over.¡± He said, tilting his head slightly in the scout''s direction. Darius blinked, looking between Leif and the badge. Then he nced back towards Far-reach and his eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡­ what are-¡± Leif pocketed the badge and stepped forward in one fluid motion. The scout''s words were cut off as the spriggan vanished in a blur of golden light. It streaked through the expanse between the skimmer and Far-reach in moments. He appeared on the skimmer docks mid stride, several of the trapped men and women cried out, recoiling at his sudden appearance. He could feel their fear, desperation and hopelessness, it hung in the air, heavy and grim. Someone shouted and grabbed onto Leif¡¯s cloak, he ignored them, conjuring amber arms to push aside the crowd. With a pulse of his aura Leif forced his way through the despondent mass of humanity, finally bursting free as he stepped onto the hard stone of the bluff. Some questions were called after him but Leif could barely hear them over the rapidly approaching horde of howls and screams. He jogged up the shallow incline, cresting the bluff¡¯s peak in a few long strides. He saw the natural stone arch, still partially slick with water. Soldiers retreated along its length, the barricades that had been hastily constructed on the far side having been overrun by a tide of reanimated corpses. A final line of defence was being set up, soldiers lining up as they prepared to die. Leif¡¯s perception brushed over them, allowing him to sense their tension, terror and resolve. It mixed and swirled in the air, like a physical nket pressing down on the very world. An officer turned at his approach, one eye caked closed by ayer of blood. The man¡¯s one good eye widened in surprise as he saw Leif. ¡°What happened at the docks? Who are you?¡± The officer demanded, his voice almost cracking due to the tightly wound tension. ¡°Two of the skimmers were destroyed, and who I am doesn¡¯t matter. Hold off any undead who make it past me.¡± Leif said as he stepped through the single file rank of soldiers and onto the bridge. The officer called another series of questions after him but Leif¡¯s focus was nted firmly on the fight before him. A final pair of men hobbled past, one supporting the other''s weight. Hot on their heels was a duo of skeletal dogs. Leif pulverised the first with a pair of amber arms, the second he sent wheeling off the side of the archway with a contemptuous backhand. He grabbed the now unmoving body of the first hound and let the remaining death energy that coursed through its rotted form trickle up his arm and into his body, there the foul power met his pool of golden vitality and was subsumed. Another undead came at him, this one some kind of bear. A spear tip of gold met the monster''s charge, the pointed de passing through one of the reanimated beast''s eye sockets and out the back of its head. He dropped the hound, its energy all but gone and grabbed hold of the now still bear. A sense of serene calm passed over Leif as he fought his way along the bridge. It was too wide for him to bottleneck by himself, but the ever growing well of life-force that was building up inside of him was more than a tempting lure. Undead threw themselves at him, at first they came alone or in pairs, then he faced three, then four. The barricades the soldiers had erected at the far end of the stone connection between both bluffs was stemming the flow of undead, but with every passing second more and more flooded onto the bridge. [Blight¡¯s Bounty], a skill that allowed him to syphon life-force with his attacks and grant up to a forty percent increase to every attribute, was a constant boon. Ever since the fighting had begun earlier that morning the skill¡¯s effects had never faded in their entirety. With the maximum increase to his attributes Leif felt alive, stronger, faster, more aware and durable. His aura, strengthened from his investments into [Charisma] pressed down on the onrushing undead like a physical force. Leif swiped out, battering aside a swarm of goblin sized ghouls. A rain of arrows and ranged skills whipped through the air, passing to either side of him and felling the next rank of undead. He had a second to breathe, and he spent the instant to nce up. The dark sun still cked out the sky directly over Far-reach, sts of blue energyncing out in all directions. Leif mentally pulled in his aura, firming his resolve. It tightened around him like a veil. Then he red it out, directing the full force of his intent and defiance at the rotting horde. The hood of his cloak blew back as he yelled wordlessly into the wall of death. The air rippled, the closest undead let out screeches as they staggered back, only to be ploughed into by those directly behind them. Leif charged forward, trusting [Grounded Stance] to keep his footing stable as he crashed into the disoriented mass of twisted limbs. Undead pressed in from every side, his amber limbsshed out, fending off raking ws and snapping, fang filled mouths. His body was tough, the natural physique of what he had be was far greater than that of the human he had once been. That resilience had been further amplified by his sses and skills. Even still, he wasn¡¯t immortal. Every ncing blow thatnded chipped away at his bark-like skin. The sheer press of bodies enough to strain the structure of the golden arms conjured by [Gold Iron Physique]. He roared as teeth bit down into his side, the bent steel from a sword wielded by a reanimated soldier cutting into his neck, and something punctured his lower back. Bit by bit he was being worn down, with every strike he sustained the vitality churning within him rushed forward to mend and restore. With immense effort Leif managed to take a single step forward. He streaked backwards in a blur of golden light. He reappeared several metres ahead of the horde. His cloak was ripped and torn, amber sap dripping from dozens of newly opened wounds. He shook away the phantom impressions of pain that burned across his body. Ever since he had been reborn, certain feelings and sensations had been denied to him. Though the thought of what he had lost brought more agony than any number of physical wounds. Leif flexed as three sets of amber arms reformed, recing the cracked and fractured limbs that rose from his sides and back, poking out from small strips he had created in the heavy cloak Hera had gifted him. With grim amusement he noted it hardly mattered now. The cloak would be nothing but tattered strips before long. He repeated his tactic from earlier, gathering up his aura before mming it forward and into the mass of abominations. Leif backed up a few steps, then charged forward. Again he plunged into the violent mass of rotting limbs, again he sustained enough minor damage to have killed an imperial soldier twice over. It was a gruelling, desperate battle of attrition. His body was ame with golden light as his cultivated vitality boiled in response to every scrape and cut. Leif¡¯s attacks were draining and converting death attuned energies faster than he could expend the vitality to fuel his other skills and restore his body. His cultivated life-force strained against the limits his soul could handle, forcefully expanding his maximum capacity at the cost of burning him up from the inside, sendingnces of soul deep agony through his entire body. Leif¡¯s vision blurred, his consciousness fuzzing around the edges. He tried to step forward and trigger [Amber Steps], but the sheer mass of the undead pressing into him from all sides restrained his movements. The arms of gold he used to strike out with and restrain his enemies began to crack, then shatter under the endless assault. He reached out with a physical arm of ivory wood and grabbed onto the undead directly in front of him. ¡°Heal.¡± He rasped, themand sending healing energies flooding into the corrupted monster. It dusted at his touch, bone and flesh disintegrated as he pushed every drop of cultivated energy into [Healing Touch]. The internal burden caused by excessive vitalitypsed temporarily, but something within him twinged violently. Leif, surrounded by hungry death, fell to one knee as [Grounded Stance] finally gave out. He pulled at his aura, trying to wrap it around him but his attention was being tugged in a hundred different directions. Somethingtched onto his right arm, the ivory limb falling limp as faux tendons were severed. [Under My Protection] snapped into existence, the golden shield ring around him, only to almost instantly break under the onught of attacksing from every direction. A wed hand raked across his face, the vision in one of his glowing eyes winked out. A colossal undead shoved its way through the horde, the abomination crashed bodily into Leif and knocked him back. Bones snapped as he fell back on an unfortunate pair of zombies, their bodies crushed under his weight. The abomination grabbed one of his legs and tried to rip it free. Leif flooded the limb with as much healing energy as possible, he seeded in preventing the dismemberment but was yanked forward along the rocky ground. Level up! ss [Attuned: Life] is now level 3! For sessfully controlling a vast amount of life attuned energies and utilising it while under the threat of death you have gained a level! +1 to [Willpower] +1 free point! The level up notification flickered briefly into his awareness before the grey box with red and gold trimming was minimised. From what he saw it hadn¡¯t provided anything that could potentially save his life. I¡¯m going to die. Leif thought, the truth mming down into him. He had expected panic to rise up, for fear to take hold of his body and mind. Instead he found himself epting the fact with a grim, almost callous resolve. It had all been for nothing. His second chance at life, every obstacle he had ovee and every step he had taken. Worthless, useless, pathetic¡­ Leif shook himself, violently wrenching his mind from the spiral of dark thoughts. Surely he could do something, anything. He had one option, it would grant him power, but it was ast resort that would almost immediately result in his death. Out of panicked instinct he reopened the most recent system prompt. There was nothing new, but maybe¡­ Recently he had upgraded the skill granted by his [Attuned: Life] ss. In the chaos of the day''s events he hadn¡¯t taken the time to explore and understand the new capabilities of his newfound authority granted by [Life Spells II]. If he could force the healing energies to burst into the target of [Healing Palm] more explosively, maybe he could alter the skill in another way? The abomination tried once again to rip his leg off. Leif felt bark splinter and the nt fibre muscles stretch and fray. With a final, desperate ploy he summoned a single arm of amber and thrust it up into what might have been the abomination''s shoulder. Out of innovation brought on from desperate instinct he drew upon his will with [Grand Action], focusing his mind andmanding [Healing Palm] to change, to expand. ¡°Pulse.¡± He cried. A wave of healing energy rippled out from his golden arm, the skill''s construct shattering instantly from the sheer amount of vitality that ripped through it. The twisted undead that loomed over him exploded into chunks of meaty gore, an entire chunk of its body disintegrating as life-force washed through it. But there was more, the effect mmed into the undead to either side of the abomination, they copsed in turn. The world stilled briefly, as it always did when he invoked a spellmand. But there was more, the skill twisted within him, bing more and- Something within Leif¡¯s soul snapped, his entire body convulsed. Warning! Skill [Healing Palm] has fractured. Skill cannot be used or altered until structural damage has been fully mended! ss [Adept] cannot gain levels until the skill¡¯s function is restored! Leif had wondered for a while now what would happen if he pushed a skill beyond its breaking point. The result was both far worse than he had imagined, while also being less lethal than he had feared. If the soul deep pain of abusing a skill was debilitating, having a skill fracture from that abuse was infinitely worse. Calling it pain wouldn¡¯t be correct. In fact, he barely felt anything at all. Except, of course, the gaping hole that had been punched into his very existence. Leif felt empty, hollowed out as if something had taken a scoop out of his soul. He raised his one good ivory hand and saw double, his vision swam, he shook, his whole body unstable. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Leif shook off the sensation as best he could and rolled to his feet, the distant, not quite pain shed through him once again, but the ripping sensation of his soul protesting felt as though it was happening to someone else. A ghoul that had only been somewhat damaged by the ripple of erupting vitality tried to tackle Leif from the side. He sensed its intent and grabbed it by the throat, his body moving on auto pilot. He drained the animating force from its body and tossed it to the side. Leif felt distant, like an observer in someone else''s body. The countless gashes and wounds all over his battered form began to knit together, restoring him at a visible rate. Leif let out a shaky breath, the heated air misting out in front of him. Something about having a skill fracture almost seemed familiar, as if he had once experienced it in a dream. It was an ufortable realisation, but he didn¡¯t have time to consider it. Besides, with every passing second the pain grew more and more real. A goblin skeleton scampered towards him. Leif put a golden fist through its ribcage. He gasped at the throbbing agony that simple motion had caused. He was alive, by some miracle his desperate ploy had worked. Alive. Leif mused darkly, his consciousness blurring. But not for long. A building-sized shape loomed into sight on the far side of the bridge, the obsidian, carapaced form of the enver queen swept aside the undead within its horde to gain footing on the stone archway. Leif felt his heart tighten, he let out a self deprecating, humourlessugh and looked to the sky. The dark void wasn¡¯t showing any signs of dispersing, the blue light of the enver''s skills still streaked out in random directions. The intent of the towering antnded on Leif like a hand trying to swat a fly. His own aura condensed around him, resisting the hostile presence, even forcing it back slightly, giving him space to breathe. The enver let out a low, chittering screech. Leif nced over his shoulder, the barricade was still standing, the imperial soldiers holding the position were staring at him with a mix of confusion and terrified awe. He lowered himself into a fighting stance, feeling his footing stabilise and his posture grow solid. Ignoring the wave of agony that spiked through his soul Leif conjured another set of six amber arms. The vision in his damaged eye flickered back to life as his internal pool of life-force finally got around to restoring that part of his body. Leif fixated on the distant enver, even as the horde of undead threw themselves at him in a frenzied mass of teeth and ws. He met them with equal fervour and unmatched desperation. He crushed, stabbed and pushed, his body moving as though he were in a dream. He swatted aside a leaping ghoul, grabbing a skeletal monkey, caving in the skull of a rotting wolf. The cultivated pool of vitality that nested within his aching soul filled with every passing moment, power pulsing within him as he fought. It pressed against the limits of its container, but this time Leif mentally grabbed onto the power and pushed back, trying to prevent it from spilling out and doing more damage than good. It took more than a little of his concentration, Leif¡¯s efforts to wrestle with his cultivated life-force let undeadnd strikes more frequently than he would like. But as the power grew, swelling within him it began to condense, restrained as it was by his [Willpower]. Leif gave ground, retreating as he fought back the endless tides of reanimated corpses. He twisted, blocked and parried. Then he would step forward, allowing [Amber Steps] to carry him into the territory he had seemingly abandoned. Appearing suddenly within the undead''s midst made dying their advance almost simple. But he couldn¡¯t continue this strategy for long, [Amber Steps] twinged with every repeated use, the skill beginning to fray around the edges. The teleports became slower as he used the skill to attack and retreat, the ability harder to activate. With every undead Leif butchered his inner pool vitality expanded, swelling even against his mental restraints. Then, finally, something shifted. The reservoir of energy stilled. Congrattions! Your [Amber Blight Spriggan] skill [The Well Within] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [The Well Within] from rank II to rank III? Y/N Leif missed a step as the new notification shed into his vision. He epted the prompt before he had finished reading, the cultivated life-force within him churned and condensed. The pool shrank, in his mind''s eye Leif could feel the skill retract from the size of his fist to that of a pebble. The energy felt stronger, more stable and rich. He mentally grinned, re-conjuring not six, but eight amber arms as he fed cultivated vitality into [Gold Iron Physique]. The skill¡¯s structure had never been more solid. The arms thrumming with potent power. Something unseen moved, its attention drawn to Leif as he flexed his newfound power. Caught your attention have I? He thought, more than familiar with the strange, otherworldly presence that was the will of the world. Was breaking one of my skills not enough for you? He mused rhetorically, to his surprise the presence seemed to shift slightly. As if observing him from a new angle. Ahead, the enver queen scurried closer, smaller undead forms scrambling under its colossal form. Leif stepped back, conscious of the fact that if he was surrounded and knocked down now there would be little he could do. Its nk, insectile eyes flickered with malevolent green light as it stared him down. Leif retreated, keeping the horde at bay. Its presence, now closer, pressed down on him with renewed force. The spriggan pushed back against its intent with everything he had, his aura rippling against invisible and oppressive power. He spun, sweeping his eight arms out in a wide arc, battering the encroaching undead away, several tumbling over the sides of the bridge. As he spun, he looked to the barricade, the soldiers were fighting a dozen or so undead that had made it past him. Leif saw the imperials begin to retreat, overwhelmed by the hostile aura that was pressing down on them. A new weight of responsibility fell on Leif¡¯s shoulders, he was now the veryst line of defence. If he fell, everyst one of the stranded humans would be butchered. The sprigganshed out, driving away another rank of undead. The best I can do is give them a little more time. He thought grimly. It¡¯s about all I¡¯m good for. As the words crossed his mind, Leif felt the invisible presence of life lessen, as if drawing away. Instinctually he reached out for it, trying to draw the intangible entity back. ¡°No. Please, don¡¯t go.¡± He begged, desperately trying to keep itspany for reasons he didn¡¯t understand. A screaming, ape-like undeadnding a blow to his side. As he was driven back Leif was almost ovee by a heady amount of exhaustion, it weighed him down, pressing into his very being. Everything hurt, his ivory white bark, caked with blood and grime was lined with golden cracks. His soul rattled with every movement and his vision flickered around the edges. He fended off another howling corpse, crushing its skull between two amber fists, but not before it stabbed into his chest with a soldier''s discarded sword. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± He hissed. Even as blow after blow rained down upon him. Even as his newly empowered limbs fell apart under the endless onught. He went to re-conjure them but the sudden, intense spike of pain that shot through his soul gave him pause. He couldn¡¯t lose ess to [Gold Iron Physique], if that skill fractured he would surely die. The ant queen stalked closer, its sheer bulk stemming the flow of bodies as the undead scrambled to get around her. It loomed above him, its gleaming ck carapace standing out against the domain of shadows that silhouetted its frame. It looked down on him as he back pedalled and retreated. The enver hissed, its partially severed mandibles twitching. Its front two legs were missing, the monster¡¯s advancing gait awkward and lumbering. A ball of condensed acid wasunched from under its face, where the mouth was located. Leif jerked back, conjuring a shield in an attempt to protect himself. The acid sshed against the conjured barrier, sizzling and burning against the protective field. The shield cracked as a ghoul crashed into it from the side, a second glob of acid burst against the golden barrier and the shield fell, drifting into amber essence that caught in the wind. Burning and acrid, the acid met the exposed bark of his exterior and began to dissolve everything it touched. Leif could taste the fluid through his hardened ivory exterior, it made him want to gag. A numb sensation spread across his chest, but he fought against it with everyst drop of energy he had left. Vitality red within him, but the acid burnt away at his bark-like flesh faster than he could heal. Leif reached for the nearest undead, draining it of its foul animating energy. His cultivated life-force, dense and potent slipped its mental restraint as he desperately added to it, healing energy flooded through his body like a raging river. Leif¡¯s every joint began to emanate a flickering golden glow, the countless cracks and half healed wounds across his body shining like the burning, turbulent sky. He lost control of his body, his legs copsing out from under him. Leif slumped to the stone arch as the very power trying to sustain his life threatened to overflow and kill him. The enver stood imperiously above him as undead ravenously tore at parts of his body, he jerked from side to side as ws sunk into bark, ripping chunks of his body away and tearing into muscle. It took every ounce of effort he could muster to look death in its dull, insectile eyes. He hovered a mental finger over hisst resort. [Embolden Vegetation] would empower the life-force within him, spurring it to restore and heal. Thest time he had used the skill he had almost died from the recoil. With a little push, it could do so much more. The dark sun above churned and boiled, shadows writhing. Nothing emerged, the darkness didn¡¯t part, and nobody appeared who could save him. It was over. Was this a good use of my life? Leif wondered, his mind fraying at the edges. Did I waste my second chance? Was it worth it? Something stirred, the will of the world responding to his thoughts. Time seemed to slow, the enver queen rearing up in the moments before it attacked. ¡°What is life?¡± The will of the world asked. It had no voice, and spoke no words, but Leif understood it regardless. He interpreted its question as if it were said by a yful and curious being. I¡­ Leif thought, everything narrowing down to a single point. I don¡¯t know. ¡°What is life, to you?¡± To¡­ me? He considered the question, the answer wasn¡¯t simple. Life is¡­ life is a second chance, it''s blood, and energy. The world shifted, as if trying to get a better look at him. The non entity was all around, in the air, below him in the stone. Leif stretched out his perception and even found it partially within him. What are you? He questioned, his vision flickering as golden light devoured him from the inside. ¡°I am mana, I am life, I am nothing, and I am everything.¡± And you are me? He asked, half delirious. ¡°Everything, nothing, all at once.¡± It replied. Leif felt it begin to draw away, leaving him in his final moments. He reached out with his aura and brushed up against it. He had so much to say, so much to do. The will of life paused, as if giving him one final chance to satisfy its interest. Life is protecting others, it is acting to preserve. He thought, desperate for the world''s mana to stay for even an instant more. Life is change, even if it¡¯s unwanted. Life is connection, the bonds that tie us together, that make us strive for more. ¡°All eptable answers.¡± The mana said. ¡°And yet you hate? A part of you despises it, despises yourself. Why?¡± Its words mmed into Leif, a metaphorical p to the face. It was an ufortable, unsettling truth. Ever since he had returned, growing from the earth and into a twisted parody of what he used to be. It had been lurking in the back of his mind. Regret, anger, disgust, fear. It was twisted around the very essence of what he had be. He didn¡¯t want to ept it, but in his final moments he felt that it was impossible not to. Amber tears fell from twin slits in his mask-like face. Life is nurturing, loving, caring. The will of the world didn¡¯t respond, the silence was like the gavel of judgement mming into his soul. Life is¡­ I am¡­ life. ¡°Yes.¡± A young man, caked in blood, his ripped clothing and armouryered in mud and grime. His dark eyes stared up into the cloudy sky as he bled out, every passing second drawing him closer to death. Leif knelt next to him, body aglow with golden mes. He went to reach out, to heal the man, and bring him back from the brink. But he couldn¡¯t move, amber light scorched every cell of his monstrous body, burning him like kindling on a pyre. The man coughed, blood bubbling up between his lips. Leif¡¯s heart twinged at the sight. ¡°What do you want?¡± The mana asked. ¡°I want to live.¡± Leif replied, speaking out loud even though his body no longer worked. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah, even if it¡¯s only for a moment more.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The will of the world asked the monster. ¡°I can¡¯t grow if I¡¯m dead.¡± He said. ¡°I can¡¯t do, be better if I don¡¯t try.¡± ¡°eptable.¡± Congrattions! Your [Attuned: Life] skill [Life Spells] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [Life Spells] from rank II to rank III? Y/N Everything snapped into perfect rity as the system window appeared before him. The world began to speed back up, the overflowing vitality within him ignited as he triggered [Embolden Vegetation]. Every undead on the natural bridge flinched back as lifeforce exploded from Leif¡¯s body. The closest few partially dusted from the outpouring of energy. Something resonated within him, a connection blooming into life. You have disyed excellence above your ability! For resonating with aw of mana, convincing it of your worth and reaching a state of peace in your final moments you have gained the following! +20 to [Spirit] +20 to [Charisma]! Strength flooded his body, it intermixed with the rampaging vitality, swirling and twisting until both were indistinguishable. Leif¡¯s body began to change, the protrusions of twigs on his head grew rapidly into a crown of branches. The red leaves littering his body multiplied, tripling within seconds as every muscle and joint flexed, then expanded. He erged, rising half a foot within the span of a second. Leif let out a final, almost bestial roar as the enver descended upon him, broken mandibles glinting against the radiant glow of his body. Leif mentally reached for [Gold Iron Physique], willing the skill to activate one final time. He mentally probed it to use everyst drop of vitality it could manage, to rip the enver into bloody pieces. The world shifted ever so slightly, responding, if only just, to his desire. With the veryst drop of strength in his body Leif brought up both of his ivory arms, each criss-crossed in dozens of golden cracks. He brought them together with enough force to make the air ripple. His skill didn¡¯t work with [Life Spells], the differing aspects didn¡¯t allow for such a use. Leif didn¡¯t care, he did it anyway. ¡°GROW.¡± Congrattions! Your skills [The Well Within III] and [Life Spells III] have harmonised with one another! Would you like to fuse [The Well Within III] and [Life Spells III] into the [Amber Blight Spriggan] skill [Font of Life]? Y/N === Font of Life III: Aspects: Cultivation (Blood)* (Life)*, Spell (Blood)* (Life)*, Empowerment (Body)* The limitless potential of your vitality resonates with your authority over life. A portion of vitality you absorb is permanently added to a pool of energy that resides within you, you may develop and strengthen this pool by utilising the differing aspects of this skill. You maymand the will of the world, increasing the potency of skills or altering their usage. The closer to death you are, the more potent this skill bes. Mastery of all aspects of this skill are required for further upgrades. === A dozen golden arms burst from all over Leif¡¯s body, reaching and grasping for the undead ant that loomed above. A dozen arms became two, then three dozen as Leif forced everyst drop of life-force into the activation of the skill. Hands grabbed hold of the enver''s mandibles, pulling them apart as the monsterunched itself downwards. Spear tipped limbs punctured obsidian carapace, ded arms severed legs, one hand ripped an antennae right out of the creature''s head. The ant spasmed as it was dismembered, crushed and impaled. More and more amber arms struck out at the enver, even more brushed aside the lesser undead as they howled and attacked. The limbs grew up and outwards, elongating and twisting to do as much damage as possible. It was a veritable forest of gold, unstoppable and unrelenting. Leif pushed more and more into the skill, the arms tensed, then redoubled their efforts. A fist crushed the ant¡¯s right eye, another dug sharpened fingers into the gap between armoured carapace. For what felt like an eternity, life and death struggled for supremacy. Then, with one final heave, the sound of tearing flesh and bending carapace echoed across Far-reach. The enver let out one final, pitiable scream, then it was ripped in two. The emerald mes that infused its body flickered out, then vanished. Two halves of the building-sized monster fell from the stone bridge, blood and ichor painting the bluff¡¯s side as they tumbled down, hitting the ground with a sickening finality. The stone archway cracked as what could have been hundreds of hands descended, splintering stone and shattering rock. The bridge copsed, undead tumbling down in a howling cacophony and rage. The rock beneath Leif¡¯s feet began to crumble, he used the forest of limbs to tug his useless body away from the encroaching chasm, dragging himself back to the safety of the smaller bluff. The vitality within him guttered, then died. A soul deep chill reced the raging inferno of golden light. Leif hit the stone ledge of the bluff as thest of the bridge fell away. Everything was numb, cold, silent. Peaceful. System prompts and windows shed before him, a veritable cascade of information that he had no desire, nor ability to parse. Golden motes of essence drifted up into the sky as his golden limbs broke apart and dissolved. Amber light rose far above Far-reach, disappearing into the clouds and shimmering against the sun¡¯s rays. With thest embers of his consciousness, Leif triggered one final skill. A skill he had never used, a skill he had never nned to use. But in that moment, as hey motionless on cold, blood sttered stone, it felt right. Leif activated [Settle]. And darkness imed him. Epilogue Epilogue via Vin fidgeted behind her desk as she desperately tried to forget the hills of paperwork, not quite tall enough to be considered mountains, in front of her. She did so in the way she had been taught growing up, without any movements of her body or any nervousness reaching her face. The kind of fidgeting only possible if you get beaten for appearing to not pay attention to lessons by the family tutor. The kind of fidgeting that involved mentally pushing and pulling small, mostly opaque grey rectangles with gold and red trimmings. She still remembered the day her older brother had taught her how to customise the windows of information so they wouldn¡¯t be totally nd and grey. Naturally, as a seven year old, she had made the mental interface a garish mix of pink and green. She tinkered and yed, ultimately resulting in making the system appear and disappear with a shower of sparks and flower petals, she even altered the text so it danced and spun. Then via had cried because it had be utterly iprehensible. Leif had only been a few years older, and he had panicked due to being unable to help her fix the changes she had made. Then they had both gotten in trouble with their father. The memory was a bitter, if nostalgic distraction from the task before her. Twelve years, twelve years since the death of her brother. Twelve years since she had been forced down the path Leif would have walked, if he had remained with the family. She sighed, brushing dark bangs out of her eyes, adjusting her posture to work the crick out of her back. Getting older hadn¡¯t been as fun as her younger self would have assumed, time seemed to flow faster and faster with every passing year. via turned her attention to a report about crop yields and expected taxation of house Vin¡¯s holdings. She used a skill to sharpen her vision, another to take a series of mental notes. Her work wasn¡¯t enjoyable, but that wouldn¡¯t stop her from doing it efficiently. The door to her office, the office her father had once used, rattled as something pressed against it. Then a series of three sharp knocks rang against stone. By the rhythmic cadence, she knew who it was. ¡°Enter.¡± She said, deactivating her perception skill. A man in servant''s clothing entered and dipped into a formal bow. He was tall and spindly, not a trace of muscle or fat could be seen beneath his tailored servants clothing. ¡°Mydy.¡± He said, producing a letter. ¡°A report from Mekrys, it arrived earlier today via a summoned courier.¡± via took the letter and tossed it onto the pile, she would get to itter. The man bowed, then exited as swiftly as he had entered. She returned to the report on crop yields, but something caught her eye. The most recent letter had a peculiar emblem detailed on the wax seal. It was of a serpentine dragon eating its own tail. That wasn¡¯t the usual seal used by the imperial mail services. It took her a few moments to identify what it was, mentally going through her memorised list of imperial heraldry. The Academy. She realised, taking a sip of wine from a silver cup. That¡¯s unusual. The powerful imperial institute was like a distant dream. Her homnd was technically a protectorate of the empire, though their interaction with Mekrys'' organisations, factions and families was tangential at best. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The empire let them do what they wanted, in exchange for some minor oaths and tribute. It was a mutually beneficial rtionship, the empire had a buffer against attacks to its northern provinces. While Varan and its neighbours had the support of some of humanity''s strongest protectors. Curious, and most certainly not bored out of her mind, via reached for the letter, breaking the seal and reading the opening line. ¡®The Pherin Incident.¡¯ It read. She frowned, noticing the recorded date for the incident. Not for the first time via internally grumbled about the dy in news reaching the northern kingdoms. The Mekrys Empire was a huge ce, even its smallest territories matched Varan in size. News would have to travel manually, as far as she was aware there wasn¡¯t amunication construct in existence with the range to reach even a fraction of the way to the imperial capital and her own family''s estate. She took another sip and continued reading. Then her blood ran cold. Undead? Envers? The appearance of monsters capable of contending with elites of the empire? An imperial expedition had been forced to abandon their fortified position within the wilderness. There was even mention of an anomaly that had fought alongside the expedition. From the sounds of things there were forces in y that could crush her homnd with ease. Normally military information like this wouldn¡¯t be included withmunications sent between the empire and its allies, but apparently the Academy had an open information policy. She reread the report, her gut churning as fear began to grip her heart. via stood as she skimmed details about the empire¡¯s nned response to the crisis. There was even a corresponding statement from an Ahle-ho guild, signing off as witness to the events that had taken ce. There was a good chance this information hadn¡¯t yet reached the capital, her father would need to know. She marched to the far wall of her office and reached a finger for the dormant, but turned on device. The crystal construct rang, the sound was like a hundred wind chimes being struck at once. Someone was trying to contact her, and via knew who it was. Communication constructs only connected to paired devices. A familiar, deep voice crackled from the polished gemstone, the metallic frame of the construct humming. ¡°Daughter.¡± It said. ¡°Ill news I¡¯m afraid. The Lord Regent is calling an emergency assembly.¡± ¡°I assume we just read the same report from the empire?¡± She asked, jaw clenched. There was a pause before her father spoke again. ¡°Indeed. I can only pray this isn¡¯t a repeat of twelve years ago.¡± via couldn¡¯t help but agree. The envers had rampaged across the north, their legionsying waste to cities and shing with hastily mustered armies. They exchanged words, her father was the patriarch of house Vin, though via acted as his substitute while he was in the capitol. The power games and politics of her family seemed tiny and insignificant in the face of what could very well be a catastrophe that washed humanity back across the southern seas. ¡°Gather our allies and call in every favour.¡± Her father said, his crackling voice weary and tense. via agreed, already running the list of things she needed to have done before the day¡¯s conclusion. They said their goodbyes, and themunication construct let out a hissing whistle as the connection was severed. The device was beginning to wear down, she would need to have it repaired. via copsed back into her chair, then she reached for her drink. Not her cup, the whole bottle. She drained half of the contents, feeling warmth spread through her chest. It wasn¡¯t the healthiest thing to do, but she had skills to aid in her mental rity and focus, it wouldn¡¯t affect her. Much. Feeling numb, via re-read the letter one more time, then she paused, there was a second page. She hadn¡¯t expected the message to continue after the signatories, so she turned the letter revealing a smaller strip of paper that had been attached to the first. There, in penmanship different from the report was a single sentence, followed by a new signature, and the symbol of a sword. ¡®Do you know Leif Vin?¡¯ It read. Chapter 76: Slumber Chapter 76: Slumber A tree, twelve and a half metres tall with smooth ivory bark topped with a canopy of vivid crimson leaves stands at the north most point of a rocky bluff. Said bluff was south of its muchrger and less isted sibling, and both contain the remains of stone and wood structures devastated by the recent battle. Crimson leaves partially hang over the northern edge of the bluff, the tree¡¯s smooth trunk tilted at a slight angle. At the bottom of a ravine that divides both stone formations lies the wreckage of what was a natural stone archway that spanned the gap. A seasoned botanist with an unhealthy obsession with nt life that could be described in the most charitable way possible as: ¡®unfriendly¡¯, would likely identify the tree as being an evolved variant of the Blight. A carnivorous species of monstrous flora that reproduces parasitically that aremon throughout the northern wilderness. They would then turn around and flee, call a thaumaturge with ess to fire skills and have them burn the thing to ashes. Fortunately for Leif, there wasn¡¯t a human in sight. In fact, the nearest humans were towards the coast, hundreds of miles south. But if for whatever reason a botanist was exploring the undead infested wilderness north of humanity''s frontier, and they hadn¡¯t been ovee by terror¡­ Well, they may have noticed something strange. Because there were several oddities with the tree standing alone on the bluff. There was an abundance of animals living in and around the nt monster''s branches. Families of songbirds and rodents called the ivory white branches home, the strange feeling of safety andfort the tree exuded was highly unusual for its apparent species. Normally you would expect the immediate area around a Blight tree to be a graveyard of corpses drained of all vitality, and nothing would dare grow within the nt¡¯s territory due to theck of nutrients in the soil. But for the lone tree atop the bluff, this couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. nt life thrived all around it. Grasses and ferns broke through hardened stone cracked by powerful roots that dug into the ground and cliffside. The lesser flora seemed to reach for the sky with newly grown stems, their colouration far from the sickly green one might expect. Moss and vines tootched onto every surface they could,pelled by a benevolent force to multiply and thrive. Ruined buildings had be overgrown, the steep cliffs were practically bursting with life. Where logs had been used for the construction of temporary structures new shoots tentatively began to grow. And as time passed, the explosion of life only expanded. === When Leif came to, it was like waking from a long, deep slumber. He couldn¡¯t see, hear or smell, instead his ability to sense the vitality of living beings around him slowly came into focus. At first it was blurry, Leif could sense tiny blotches of life-force above his centre of mass barely perceptible due to the vagueness of his perception. He slowly expanded his awareness, sensing even more in the nt life that had sprung up around him. Another of his esoteric senses was the ability to detect intent and emotions. The passage of time was difficult to grasp without visual senses, but even so Leif felt brief flickers of hostile intent brush up against the limits of his perception with surprising frequency. But these hints of hostile intent weren¡¯t paired with vitality, instead they had a foul, almost sickly energy. But whenever they tried to approach the edges of his domain the intent would flicker and dissipate, the deathly presence likewise being snuffed out. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. It was these minor, testing probes that finally allowed Leif to focus his mind. He knew they were undead, though the thought still took several minutes to cross his mind. Slowly the fog of unconsciousness faded, Leif knew where he was, but the fact he was alive almost seemed strange. He had fully expected to die in his reckless defence of Far-reach, but here he was, back in the form he had been in prior to his evolution. The idea didn¡¯t thrill him, but he no longer felt the distant spike of rm, of wrongness while in tree form. Besides, activating [Settle] had all but certainly saved his life. It was a strange realisation, but being a tree was actually quitefortable. It was quiet and restful, as if the worries and concerns of everything else were faint specs on the horizon. Then he remembered the strange vision, or was it a dream? The eternal grasnd and the overwhelming pressure. The titanic tree, and the broken woman. Words spoken, though distorted and strange. As he considered the dream he noticed something odd. There was a small, barely noticeable golden thread of connection seemingly attached to his soul. It stretched away from his mind¡¯s eye, disappearing into the distance. If it weren¡¯t for the still, almost meditative mindset being in his current state had forced him to enter, Leif doubted he would have noticed at all. Mentally he prodded the connection. It thrummed like the string of an instrument, then the sound changed to a low, ominous buzzing. The pressure returned, pressing down on him like a nket made of steel. Leif recoiled from the thread, mentally releasing his touch, he wasn¡¯t eager to relive his experiences from the vision. How strange, that I still seem to be connected to that ce. Leif mused. He returned his attention to his surroundings and stretched out his perception like he would normally stretch his limbs. There were animals in his branches, and vegetation all around. It reminded him of before, of the decade he lived while barely being aware of himself. And strangely enough, it didn¡¯t bother him. He now knew what he was, where he was, and why he was there. Leif pulled back his perception and sharpened his focus, just because he was no longer blindly searching for something he didn¡¯t quite understand didn¡¯t mean he could stay stagnant. There were things he needed to do, ces to go, people to see. But he was still exhausted and sore. Even if he wasn¡¯t dead, the battle had done a serious amount of damage to both his body and soul, his cultivated energy was fitfully low and with an exploratory scan of his soul he noted [Healing Palm] was still broken. Warning! Multiple skill choices pending! Make selections within 12 hours or skills will be randomly chosen! A system window popped up into his awareness. Leif mentally squinted at the prompt. There were several things that didn¡¯t make sense, he wasn¡¯t certain how long he had been trapped within the vision, it was obviously longer than twenty four hours. He had even grown to a size eclipsing his previous maximum as an unevolved Blight tree, and he had spent over a decade in that form. Twelve hours... Surely I can rest for a little longer¡­ Eight, no nine hours at least. He grumbled internally, minimising the prompt and letting himself rx. Just because there were things to do, didn¡¯t mean they were urgent. Warning! Multiple skill choices pending! Make selections within 6 hours or skills will be randomly chosen! Ugh, that wasn¡¯t nine hours. Leif mumbled, feeling the dull ache throughout his body return as his consciousness focused. You¡¯ve already waited weeks, if not months, stop pressuring me¡­ Leif tried to return to his restful slumber, but he couldn¡¯t. No matter how much it pained him, he couldn¡¯t deny the fact of his existence. That fact being he found it extremely enjoyable to see his numbers go up, human, tree, he suspected it didn¡¯t matter. Leif let the system expand the prompts he needed to check over, and was promptly overwhelmed by the sheer number of notifications he had to read, and choices he had to make. What the hells did I do? He grumbled, looking over the almost two dozen windows. Oh yeah, I killed a big insect. Was that really enough for all¡­ what? Six, seven levels? I have to pick four new skills? He thought mentally scanning through the information. He side-eyed the ¡®six hours remaining¡¯ notification and let out apletely metaphorical sigh. I shouldn¡¯t have waited so long, whoops. Chapter 77: Sprouting Chapter 77: Sprouting Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 16! For defeating a host of undead in defence of the living you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +5 free points! Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 17! For defeating a foe over twice your strength you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Willpower] +5 free points! Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 18! For defending your domain and those who dwell within from repeated undead incursions you have gained a level! +5 free points! Leif studied the first batch of level up notifications. Yeah, that¡¯s the good stuff. He thought, already nning how to spend the free points. But, of course, there was more toe. Though before he read over the brawler level up notifications he frowned internally at thest level up. Not just because it hadn¡¯t given him any attributes beyond the usual five free points [Amber Blight Spriggan] always granted, though he was slightly annoyed. Instead he read the description of what actions had resulted in the experience gain for the level up. He sensed another pin prick of death energy enter the limits of his perception, then vanish. Ah, that must be it. How many undead have I killed in this way to result in a level? Killing enemies weaker than me must only grant a tiny trickle at this point. He mused. Actually, what exactly is killing the undead? He frowned, once again only in his imagination, and skimmed his skill descriptions. It didn¡¯t take him long to detect the probable cause. === Settle: Aspects: Transformation, Enhancement (Body)*, Domain (Life)* You may put down roots, returning to your more traditional form. While transformed you enter a restful slumber, the passage of time easing deep wounds and mending scars. The longer you remain transformed the more you affect the world around you, bestowing life and infusing the energy of amber into the very ground. === The domain aspect of [Settle], bestowing life-force into the environment was likely having the same effect on the dead as [Healing Palm]. Recalling that skill made him remember it was currently fractured, the [Adept] ss it was attached to was unable to gain experience until he found a way to restore the skills functionality. Hopefully time heals that wound. He thought. Because if it doesn¡¯t, I might be in some trouble. That being said, I do have a standing invitation to the Academy, assuming a decade hasn¡¯t passed or the people I know aren¡¯t dead. Leif went to read over the new skill options, but decided to do themst. Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 8! For ying a vast number of foes using your body instead of a weapon you have gained a level! If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. +1 to [Might] +1 free point! Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 9! For dealing the finishing blow to an opponent of significantly greater power with an unarmed strike you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [crity] +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! Level up! ss [Attuned: Life] is now level 4! For utilising life-force in ways beyond your limits you have gained a level! +1 free point! Level up! ss [Attuned: Life] is now level 5! For establishing a domain of life aspected power and allowing those living within to thrive you have gained a level! +1 free point! Leif exulted in the increase in power, feeling the minor plus ones to different attributes entwine themselves into something he couldn¡¯t quite identify. He had felt this process before, but never with such rity. Another benefit of being settled? Or was it perhaps thanks to the massive increase to both my [Spirit] and [Charisma] attributes? Both? Or neither? He mused on thistest mystery before pouting at thest two notifications. Leif resolved to figure out the corrtion between his sses'' growth ratings and the likelihood of gaining attributes. Henguidly turned his attention to the twenty free points he had umted. Should he spend them all on [Charisma]? Or diversify somewhat? He was almost at a base total of one hundred, not including the ny percent bonus to the attribute. Every point in [Charisma] was just under double effectiveness, with [Grand Action] he could then take that massive number and spread it out to his other attributes. Leif let himself contemte his options, before suddenly realising he should probably get to his skills selections. Mhmm, I¡¯m surprised I got anything done before I evolved, being in this state is so¡­ floaty. He thought, before resolving to apply his free points after selecting his skills, it would be foolish to hold them in reserve regardless. They wouldn¡¯t do any good unspent. Turning his attention to his new skill options, Leif decided to look at the options for his monster ss first. New ss skills avable! [Gildbark Insight] or [Veil of Nature]! New ss skills avable! [Wood Maniption] or [Sap Speed] or [Nature¡¯s Beacon]! Huh, three choices for thatst one. Haven''t seen that before. Leif thought. But [Veil of Nature] and [Nature¡¯s Beacon] are repeated, good to know options I didn¡¯t pick before will show up again, though it¡¯s disappointing I wasn¡¯t offered all new skills. Actually, [Gildbark Insight] feels strangely familiar¡­ It took Leif a minute of idly scrolling back up his message log, then he realised he was being stupid and filtered by previous skill options. Sure enough he found the skill he suspected to be the cousin of [Gildbark Insight]. [Darktree¡¯s Insight], a skill he had been offered before his ss evolution what felt like a lifetime ago. It was aprehension skill rted to his treelike nature, though this newest option was more aligned with whatever the ¡®amber¡¯ part of his ss evolution had done to him. Leif was tempted, but ever since he had declined [Veil of Nature] he¡¯d regretted it. Not that the skill he had picked in its ce, [Embolden Vegetation] was a skill he regretted choosing, far from it. It was more that he felt the protective aspect of [Veil of Nature] would pair wonderfully with [Under my Protection]. I¡¯ll need to start fusing skills soon, I¡¯m not sure what the limit the level fifty advancement will require, but I¡¯ll be almost at twenty total skills after I go through all my options. If I don¡¯t lower the amount of skills my ability to level up will drastically slow, if not stallpletely. Leif thought, skimming through the list of current skills. He briefly reconsidered picking theprehension skill, then mentally shrugged and picked [Veil of Nature]. === Veil of Nature: Aspects: Stealth (Shield), Empowerment (Nature) Project a protective veil over those you touch, reducing their physical and thaumatic presence and guarding against divination. Those under the effects of this skill have their resilience against elemental damage increased. === Leif read over the skill, it was mostly what he had expected, though he found the resistance against divination effects interesting. Not thinking much of it Leif activated his newest skill,pletely unaware of the panic he would inspire in someone thousands of miles and a sea away. He felt the warmth of the skill as it shrouded his expansive tree body like a cloak. The effect was nothing spectacr, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be. Around him several of the small animals that called his branches and the surrounding vegetation home shifted and stirred. Leif mentally expanded the skill¡¯s reach and pressed the protective effect into several of the birds and squirrels that nested among his leaves. In his mind¡¯s eye, Leif felt his ability to detect their vitality and emotions dim. Though as the originator of the skill¡¯s stealth effects he could more easily pierce the veil he himself had created. Leif turned to the next choice and immediately discarded [Nature¡¯s Beacon]. With enough finesse he could alreadymunicate using his aura, and the idea of using animals in a fight wasn¡¯t all that pleasant. Could a family of angry squirrels do some damage? Probably not. Actually, couldn¡¯t I use [Nature¡¯s Beacon] to call back the animals I sent away before the battle? He thought, then an undead brushed against the limits of his domain and died. On second thought, bad idea. I¡¯m not sure how bad the situation has gotten, but with the frequency of undead trying to attack I¡¯m certain it isn¡¯t looking good. That left him with the two new choices. [Sap Speed] felt like a touch based effect that would allow him to reduce the [crity] attribute of whatever he came into physical contact with, but if he was fighting something fast enough to require the use of [Sap Speed] Leif doubted he could get close enough to activate the skill¡¯s effect. This left him with [Wood Maniption]. At first the skill didn¡¯t excite him, but the more he thought about it, the more the possibilities for its use excited him. After all, wasn¡¯t his body made out of wood? === Wood Maniption: Aspects: Technique (Wood) You can use your will to shape and manipte wood. === That is the least exciting skill description I have ever seen. Leif attached a demeaning note onto the skill, then turned his attention to the [Brawler] and [Attuned:Life] choices. Chapter 78: More Skills Chapter 78: More Skills New ss skills avable! [Enduring Grit] or [Power Strike]! New ss skills avable! [Vitality Tether] or [Wave of Restoration]! The first choice was simple. [Enduring Grit] was an enhancement skill, almost certainly with the [body] sub aspect. And while Leif only received a general impression of both skills, he could rte the feeling [Enduring Grit] gave off to other skills he possessed. [Power Strike] may be a potent increase to his offensive potential, but [Amber Blight Spriggan], [Brawler] and [Adept] all granted a bonus to [Enhancement (body)] skills via their ss perks. === Enduring Grit: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)* You gain an increase to your physical resilience. The more injured you be, the greater the enhancement from this skill. ===It was hard to gain an immediate sense for how potent this new skill was, treebound as Leif currently was. If he was in a form he was more familiar with, then the change may have been noticeable. Regardless, he was pleased with [Enduring Grit], though the skill was simple, he suspected the increase to his physical resilience was substantial due to his synergistic bonuses. That left him with the final skill choice, and if Leif was being honest with himself, he didn¡¯t have a clue which to pick. They were both healing skills, that much was obvious from a cursory nce. If Leif had to put a finger on the difference between both skills, it would be that [Vitality Tether] was a constant, but single target heal. While [Wave of Restoration] was a wide, area effecting heal. Leif suspected, though he couldn¡¯t tell from feeling out the properties of both skills, that [Vitality Tether] was both more efficient, and far more potent over the period of time the skill wouldst. [Wave of Restoration] was more immediate, broader in its use, and as a result far less efficient. Leif considered the use of both skills when used inbat against undead. In that contest thetter was the clear winner. In a prolonged session of restoration, his current ability to heal thanks to [Blight¡¯s Bounty] was more than sufficient. I just don¡¯t see a situation where [Vitality Tether] actually does anything that I cannot already do. But on the other hand, once I regain use of [Healing Palm] I can modify that skill using [Life Spells] to have an area of effect. Leif paused, then realised he didn¡¯t have [Life Spells] any more. His spell casting skill and his cultivation skill, [The Well Within] had merged, fused together in a moment of desperation. For the first time, Leif truly considered the events that had transpired during the battle for Far-reach. It left him with a dull ache, but also a strange sense of pride. Of satisfaction. Protecting others, even at the potential cost of his own life had felt like the correct thing to do. Though looking back on that day, he knew that without aspects of both his power, and parts of the system he didn¡¯t and likely would never truly understand, he would have died. Was he arrogant to believe he had survived due to anything other than blind luck? I don¡¯t know. He thought dourly. Leif half expected to spiral down into a whirlpool of negativity and self loathing. That mindstate had be so easy to fall into during the days leading up to his near death. But he didn¡¯t, maybe it was his current form partially changing his mentality, or maybe it was the minor truth about himself he had finally epted as death loomed overhead. There was still pain, loss, and deep down Leif suspected that part of him would never truly leave. But it wasn¡¯t all consuming, not anymore. Maybe I¡¯m just happy to be alive. He mused, thenughed, albeit only internally. He had been using his skill selection to distract himself from his newly cleared consciousness, bleary from pain and however long his rest had been. But now his introspection had distracted him from his skill selection. Since he wasn¡¯t sure which skill to pick, he just chose the one that felt more immediately appealing. === Wave of Restoration: Aspects: Technique (Life)* Project a burst of restorative energy in a direction. This effect loses potency the further from you a target is. === Leif was pleased with his selections. He reread over his newest skills, familiarising himself with their descriptions. Afterwards, he allocated his twenty free points. He put ten into [Charisma], bringing the attributes base total to one hundred and one. He half expected a notification to coincide with the achievement, but nothing happened. Then he allocated the remaining ten into [Willpower], bringing the attribute up to forty two. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the vition. There was one more notification Leif needed to action, though there didn¡¯t seem to be a time limit attached to it. He had peeked a nce when he had first pulled up the swarm of system windows, and he was pretty excited about what it contained. Congrattions! In recognition of your triumph over a powerful foe, you have been awarded an item that will allow you to promote a ss, improving it and increasing its level cap. Additionally, you may instead merge twopatible tier 1 sses into a promoted ss! Manifest promotion emblem? Y/N Warning! Once this item is manifested it may not be unmanifested! This promotion item is not keyed to you, and may be used by anyone else! Leif had to rack his memory, promotion items had once been exined to him by Marcus and Sieg, and he knew there were several grades. I¡¯m pretty sure seals are the tier one version of what I just got. Leif recalled. And emblems are for tier two sses. Closing the prompt he considered his predicament. It meant that if he used the emblem to promote or merge his tier one sses, he would technically be wasting the item''s full potential. Sieg had needed an emblem to promote his ss that had reached the level cap of twenty. ording to both him and Marcus, emblems were very valuable, requiring a sizable amount of mana shards of an equivalent grade and an expert craftsman to create. Well, I had nned to merge [Adept] and [Attuned:Life] to free up the general ss slot, but [Adept] can¡¯t be levelled up until [Healing Palm] is fixed, I assume this restriction also includes promotion via merge. Leif put the issue aside and closed out of his actioned notifications. He wouldn¡¯t manifest the emblem now, he couldn¡¯t use it anyway. Finally he pulled up his full status sheet, and took in all the changes. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Amber Blight Spriggan Age: 12 Awaiting manifestation: Emblem Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 47 (+10%) crity: 47 (+10%) Intelligence: 33 (+10%) Willpower: 42 (+10%) Spirit: 66 (+10%) Charisma: 101 (+90%) Total Level: 45 Monster sses: 1/1 Amber Blight Spriggan: 18/20 Skills: Gold Iron Physique / Amber Sympathy / Blight''s Bounty / Font of Life III / Settle / Amber Steps / Embolden Vegetation / Veil of Nature / Wood Maniption sses: 3/3 Brawler: 9/10 Skills: Grounded Stance II / Combative Gumption / Enduring Grit Adept: 3/10 (Locked) Skills: Healing Palm (Fractured) Attuned: Life 5/10 Skills: Wave of Restoration Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility II / Grand Action / Under My Protection / Legacy === There was an almost visceral satisfaction in seeing his attributes, sses and skills all improve. He wondered how difficult life would be if someone didn¡¯t have the system to quantify and guide their growth. It would probably be awful. Leif concluded, shuddering at the thought. Now that it was allid out before him, and his future wasn''t in danger of being decided by a coin flip, he had time to consider his next steps. The next advancement bottleneck was at level fifty, he would need to start fusing his now bloated list of skills down to a more manageable amount. He had new skills to test, and existing skills to improve, especially [Aura of Nobility], he felt as though he was on the cusp of what was required for that particr rank up. Fixing [Healing Palm] went without saying, though he didn¡¯t know where to start. Level fifty was close, surprisingly so. It hadn¡¯t been long at all since he broke through the level twenty five bottleneck. Well actually, my status screen does say my age is now twelve and not eleven like it used to, I¡¯m not sure how close I was to my listed age ticking over but it¡¯s been several months at the minimum. He was close to reaching a total level of fifty, but before that Leif would almost certainly reach level twenty in his [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss. It was strange, but Leif was genuinely excited to see where his next evolution would take him. Chapter 79: Ins and Outs Chapter 79: Ins and Outs Commencing skill fusion! Fusion of skills [Grounded Stance II] and [Enduring Grit] 1/100% Leif could have taken the first skill fusion in any number of different directions. He had some fairly wild ideas and some potentially crazy aspirations. But it was important to start simple and work his way up. The reason Leif settled onbining one of his newest skills and hisbatprehension skill together was two fold. The first was more experimental, ever since his rebirth Leif had adapted to his new body and sses by adopting a fighting style best described as: brutal. He would get up close and personal to an enemy, then utilise his innate endurance and vitality drain to out sustain his foes. This often resulted in him standing his ground and exchanging blows, the longer the fight went on, the closer to victory he became. The experimental part of this fusion was to see if he could integrate the increase to physical resilience granted by [Enduring Grit] into the stability granting power of [Grounded Stance]. To homebrew a skill dedicated to his specific style ofbat. The second reason was simple, literally. He could very easily picture how both skills woulde together. Even though [Enduring Grit] was a skill he had basically no experience with, the fact the enhancement skill was so basic and so straightforward made the merge almost feel obvious. The system had even given the sess grade of the skill fusion as: Major. So he was feeling quite confident. Now that the first of hopefully several sessful fusions had begun, Leif turned his attention to his next project. Unsettling and taking stock of his situation. While being a tree was surprisingly enjoyable, Leif still had a desire to stand up and move around. He was injured, in more ways than one, and had no delusions about getting into another life and death struggle so soon. He just wanted to take a walk. And maybe loot the aftermath of the battle for goodies. And test out [Wood Maniption]. Okay he also wanted to refill his cultivation pool, having that sit almostpletely empty felt not great. Sure, he could drain the vitality out of the nearby fauna and flora but he wasn¡¯t a monster. Or at least, he wasn¡¯t a mindless devourer. There were baby squirrels in his branches. But there was a problem. If he undid the use of [Settle], his domain would drop and the life that was using him for protection would be vulnerable to the undead that still asionally brushed up against the edges of his perception. But was there a solution? Maybe, hopefully. He wasn¡¯t sure yet, but he had an idea. === Font of Life III: Aspects: Cultivation (Blood)* (Life)*, Spell (Blood)* (Life)*, Empowerment (Body)* The limitless potential of your vitality resonates with your authority over life. A portion of vitality you absorb is permanently added to a pool of energy that resides within you, you may develop and strengthen this pool by utilising the differing aspects of this skill. You maymand the will of the world, increasing the potency of skills or altering their usage. The closer to death you are, the more potent this skill bes. Mastery of all aspects of this skill is required for further upgrades. === Leif was yet to explore the intricacies of [Font of Life]. Mostly because he had been asleep ever since he had almost died. He studied the skill, feeling out the minutia and newfound potential found within. It was hard to describe, but Leif thought the skill felt deeper. As if, instead of his capabilities having expanded outwards, they had drilled down into¡­ something. He couldn¡¯t be certain until he had explored the uses of the skill, but it felt more than just abination of a cultivation and spell skill. But he wouldn¡¯t act rashly, thest thing Leif needed was another fractured skill, this time belonging to his highest level ss. So he let himself rx, let his awareness of his surroundings fade, and focused. === Leif couldn¡¯t be sure how long had passed as he prodded and studied [Settle]. But he felt a growing sense of familiarity with the skill and its aspects. The domain was strange, it was like a fment of energy was expanding out to outline and fill his aura. The closer to him something within the domain was, the stronger the domain¡¯s effects would be. He also felt a distant connection to the domain, as if with some effort he may be able to reach out and manipte its dimensions, alter its properties. But he didn¡¯t need to do that, he needed to see if he could maintain the domain¡¯s effect even after his tree form transformed back into his spriggan body. When he examined the transformation aspect of the skill he found himself at somewhat of a loss. Unlike the life sub aspect, of which Leif had several other skills in which topare, transformation was a more unknown quantity. Just what had happened when he had activated the skill? And what would happen when he let its effects end? Leif focused, and meditated on the skill¡¯s structure, on its uses and limits, its dimensions and potential. Then, strangely enough, he saw. Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Not physically, nor in the way he could ¡®see¡¯ the system windows despite not currently possessing eyes. It was more like the usual vague sense of what the skill was and what it could do sharpened into focus. The domain, he could now sense, was connected not necessarily to his physical body, but instead the structure of the skill that allowed for the transformation. They were linked, almostpletely. If he altered the skill with [Font of Life] to turn off the domain, the transformation could potentially be unstable. Wait, no, it''s the opposite, the connection is one way. If I could turn off, or even enhance the domain aspect of the skill, the transformation wouldn¡¯t be affected. But the opposite isn¡¯t true, if I altered the physical form I am currently in the domain will fall apart. Leif sighed and let his concentration drop. This was all soplicated. Maybe visiting that fancy academy in the empire is more mandatory than I anticipated. Surely people before me have figured all this out. Fusion of skills [Grounded Stance II] and [Enduring Grit] 9/100% Nine percent¡­ How long has it been? A few hours? A day or two? By the sense he could get of the animals living in and around him, Leif suspected they were sleeping. So it¡¯s probably nighttime. I feel like I used to be able to tell the time of day by temperature. Did I lose that sense when I evolved? Is it because my current state is an alternate form rather than my true body? Leif wanted to stretch but couldn¡¯t. He considered using [Wood Maniption] to mimic the action, but decided using that skill without being able to see likely wasn¡¯t the wisest of ideas. And so he continued to think and continued to n. === Persist. Leifmanded the domain, his mental voice echoing as he did so. He felt the domain shudder as his will and authority washed into it, strengthening and changing its existing structure. Leif took a deep, imaginary breath, and focused on the transformation aspect of the skill. Maintain. He thought, focusing on having the tree portion of himselfst beyond what he was about to attempt. Release. The skill shifted within him, strain pressing against his soul causing a small spike of pain tonce through his being. Leif tensed, and tried to guide the separation as best he could. Even with his limited understanding and blind inexperience, Leif thought he knew most of what was about to happen. The tree he was began to flow into the form he wished to return to. With an effort of will the process was cut short and Leif felt a not insignificant part of what made up himself split, then fall away. A connection remained in ce as what was once whole became divided. Physical sensation rushed into his awareness, movement, sound, then smell and taste. Ivory wood rippled as a man sized body was ejected from the trunk of the tree. He hit the ground with a heavy thunk as he fell onto his back. He had limbs, he could feel, he could move. It felt wonderful, though significantly less restful. Leif¡¯s eyes flickered into being as golden light filled twin slits in his mask-like face, he gasped in a lungful of air. Though he suspected he possessed no such organ within his chest. Leif looked up at the shimmering night sky, partially hidden behind a canopy of crimson leaves. Life-force still pulsed within the tree¡¯s bark, but it was flickering and fitful. The invisible connection the spriggan felt to the tree began to stretch and weaken. Leif grunted and rolled to his front, he staggered to his feet only to fall as he lost bnce and toppled over. Damnit. He thought, scrambling in the dirt. He reached out and grabbed arge stone, using it as leverage to climb to his feet. He was weak, shockingly so, but whether it was due to his existing injuries or because of the magical surgery he had just performed on his body he didn¡¯t know. Leif stumbled over to a stretch of ground where ferns and moss had grown in abundance. He hadn¡¯t wanted to do this, his n had been to hunt undead and drain their deathly energy into his cultivation, having it be devoured and converted in the process. But there was no way he was climbing down the bluff in his current condition, nor would the tree survive for long enough even if he was capable. Sorry about this. He apologised silently to the nts. You¡¯ll grow back stronger than ever, probably. Then he drained them of vitality. Leif blinked, it had barely been a trickle. If he hadn¡¯t been paying attention Leif might not have realised he had actually gained anything. Previously he had drained a tiny amount of vitality from nts he passed in order to maintain himself, but it seemed his cultivation pool now required far more energy. Cursing internally he wobbled over to another area and repeated his prior action. Grass withered, mushrooms lilted and moss detached from the ground and blew away in inert clumps in the night breeze. It still wasn¡¯t enough, and he was running out of time. Just as he was about to give up and reactivate [Settle], hopefully undoing what he had just done and trying again another day, he stopped. There was vitality, it was diffuse and faint, but all epassing. The only problem was that it was pooled deep beneath his feet. Leif fell to a knee, focused on [Might], raised a wed, four fingered fist, then drove it into the hardened stone with a crack that split the night. Birds panicked and flew away, rodents squeaked and fled. But the stone had been breached up to his forearm, he started to drain. Stupid, stupid. You had roots in the ground you damn idiot. You should have done this before detaching, so incredibly stupid. He growled at himself, not sparing the attention to conjure a tongue and speak out loud. Instead he used [Gold Iron Physique] to conjure a glowing amber stake at the tip of his fist, then drove it down into the crack he had already made. Again and again he struck, each time he drew on more and more vitality. The trickle became a stream, but it was so slow. It would have to be enough, Leif stood and scampered over to the trunk, his trunk, and ced a palm against the ivory bark. [Healing Palm] was broken, but that wasn¡¯t the skill he intended to use anyway. Leif sharpened his [Willpower], then spoke aloud, his voice resonating through the air. ¡°Survive.¡± Then he triggered [Embolden Vegetation], and urged as much cultivated life-force into the skill as he could manage. Golden lines of vitality shot up into the tree, the partially filled in person sized gap his evacuation had left began to bleed amber sap as new bark began to grow. The invisible connection Leif felt to the tree strengthened, then snapped into ce. The spriggan sagged, forehead against bark, and let out a long sigh. The domain that had been slowly dissipating ever since his separation expanded to fill its previous size. For several minutes Leif remained in ce, even though he had seeded he found himself resolving over and over to not brazenly experiment before he had made a full recovery. Finally he stood and looked the tree up and down. It would need further attention, but it should be fine. It had been messy, but he had seeded. Now if he left, he would be able to leave his domain behind to protect and restore those in need. If he ever found his animals again he would have a safe ce for them to live, that thought cheered him greatly. The tree was still him, though it was just a shell,cking any of his skills or consciousness besides the obvious exception. Then Leif turned and gazed at the expanse of withered nts, a pang of sadness twinged his heart, the nt life had sprung up atop the bluff because of him. They didn¡¯t have any awareness to speak of, still, it felt like a betrayal. Something caught Leif¡¯s eye, he had glimpsed it during his earlier panicked scrambling, but it had slipped his attention as he had tried to save himself, from himself. The spriggan trotted over and looked down at what he found. A circle of small stones surrounding a pile of ash, and within that ash, something that glowed a faint red. He stuck a finger into the abandoned campfire and found a small glowing gemstone, he picked it up, and felt a slight amount of warmth. Leif stood with hands on hips, gazing around at thepletely empty bluff. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s strange.¡± Chapter 80: Scavengers Chapter 80: Scavengers Leif stared down at the campfire, if he had a face capable of emoting it would possess a look of contemtion, perhaps consternation. This hadn¡¯t been here during the battle, for one it was in the middle of what had once been amonly walked path. For another, the area surrounding it had been cleared of the recent nt growth. The spriggan began to explore the bluff, his surroundings illuminated by starlight. Back when this ce had been an imperial outpost the secondary, smaller bluff he now found himself on had been used to house the crafters and nonbatants. He saw workshops, abandoned and missing tools and goods. The remains of tattered tents, weather worn fabric fluttering in the wind. He passed therge, almost four metre tall obelisk that stood within a clearing, its hulking dark structure streaked with faint snaking lines of purple energy. That had once been an anchor that allowed for sky skimmers to navigate the skies. Though now it seemed mostlycking in power, the months of no maintenance having taken their toll. Theck of any signs of human activity in what had once been a bustling, if under siege outpost was distinctly eerie. Long grooves, the width of Leif¡¯s forearm crisscrossed the ground and buildings seemingly at random. Leif knew the cause of these scars, they had been caused by the awakened formian that had bombarded Far-reach from above. The monster had been cut off from the battle by a vast sphere of shadow, but her attacks of dark blue light had still sliced through the domain and imed the lives of the humans fighting below. Leif reached the skimmer docks, and down in the darkness he thought he could make out the outline of the two skimmers that had been split in half, their desperate crew and evacuating soldiers having been killed. At the far end of the bluff Leif¡¯s domain was barely present, the vitality that suffused the ground was dim and barely noticeable. His aura hadn¡¯t been able to cover the distance from the domain tree to where he was standing back during the battle. He concluded it was likely therge increase to [Charisma] he had received due to what the system had called ¡®a disy of excellence.¡¯ As he looked around he couldn¡¯t help but notice that once again no one was here. Actually, now that he thought about it, there weren¡¯t any corpses either, not on the entire bluff. That was a good sign, it meant those he had fought to save had been evacuated. That cheered him greatly, it would have been more than a little embarrassing if his recklessst stand hadn¡¯t even worked. It took almost an hour for Leif to explore the entire bluff, though he had been taking the ponderous, scenic route. Most of the valuables, weapons and armour had been taken. Some tools and supplies remained, though the food had rotted or otherwise spoiled. Leif, not overly pleased at having regained his ability to smell, picked up the crates that had contained those leftovers and tossed them off the nearest cliff. Not on my bluff, no thank you. === As Leif had explored, he had held the strange glowing gemstone in his hand. Its warmth had soaked into his fist. He thought he knew what it was. Some of the students in the expedition had used simr stones to cause sparks when trying to start fires during morning and evening meal times. They were valuable, but not overly so. But the stone Leif held seemed¡­ more than those he had seen the students utilise. The remnant of the campfire had been cold, the ashes hadn¡¯t smouldered when he had stirred them. And what was more, Leif hadn¡¯t perceived anyone nearby when he had awakened. This led to him concluding that the individual, or maybe group, had left some time before he had woken from his slumber. They had left behind a minor magical item that was capable of starting fires, but hadn¡¯t left any other items or signs that there had been a camp. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Now that Leif looked closely, he could make out what he thought were scuff marks in the thinyer of dirt, though it was difficult to make out. It looked like only one person had been here, and perhaps spent a night or two not ten metres away from where he had been sleeping in tree form. Was it an adventurer? A soldier? A scavenger looking for loot in the ruins of Far-reach? Someone I know? Leif didn¡¯t know, and whoever they were hadn¡¯t left any major clues as to their identity. The picture Leif was drawing was of an individual who had used his domain as protection against the roaming undead, they either didn''t know what he was, or maybe they had but didn¡¯t have any reason to do anything to him. Then they had packed up and left. But the gemstone was strange. Either they didn¡¯t care about something most would consider valuable¡­ Or maybe they¡¯re nning on returning. Leif thought. He squatted down and returned the gemstone to where it had been buried in ash. There was a good chance it was a stranger, potentially an enemy, it wouldn¡¯t do to let them know he had been poking around. Whatever the case, they weren¡¯t here now, and he had work to do. === Leif looked over the edge of the bluff, at his current position the drop to the ground below was roughly thirty metres or so down. This waspared to the far greater drop on the side of the bluff where the docks were located. Below were piles of corpses and the stone that had fallen to crush them. Leif conjured a sharp stake of amber light in each hand using [Gold Iron Physique], reduced his weight using a different part of the same skill, then dropped over the edge. He let himself fall for a moment, before stabbing out against the cliff-side with his twin stakes, they ground against the hard stone, sending sparks and golden essence flying up as he descended. They caught, and Leif came to a sudden stop halfway down the cliff. It was to the credit of his attribute enhanced body that weakened as he was, he barely felt any strain. Leif let himself drop the rest of the way,nding in a heavy crouch in the base of the valley below. As he had fallen the effects of his domain had gradually lessened, now that he was no longer atop the bluff Leif suspected the domain''s effects were reduced by around twenty, maybe thirty percent. Even down at ground level vegetation flourished, the air possessing a crisp freshness that Leif associated with untamed wilderness. He began to work his way through the twisted, picked clean bodies that littered the ravine. Leif had somewhat hoped there would be mana shards to scavenge, but the small shards of energy that grew within monsters over level twenty five were absent. The undead had in general been quite weak, though more than a few had manifested shards upon being felled in battle. But there was nothing remaining. Leif sighed as he worked his way to thergest corpse. The building-sized, carapaced body of the formian queeny slumped where it had fallen. Bits and piecesy scattered all around the ravine due to the violent dismemberment Leif had inflicted upon it during his final moments of consciousness. He could remember the moment clearly, and it was quite satisfying. But the corpse before him now had been picked clean,rge chunks of its exoskeleton had been removed and most of its innards looked to have been scooped out. There was also no mana shard. Leif gazed around the ravine distinctly disappointed. He had wanted to use the mana shards he had hoped to loot to speed up the process of skill fusion. Leif turned and took in the sight onest time, even if this had been a let down he still had several things to do before returning to the bluff. Something gleamed under the starlight where it was partially buried under rubble. Not a mana shard, a small metallic badge. Leif brushed off the dust and detritus, revealing the detailed carving of a serpentine dragon eating its own tail. The Academy token he had been given by Darius and Hera, and an item he had promised to return. Finally he left the ravine, using the starlight above to guide his steps. The world was silent and cool, it felt in that moment like he was the only being alive to witness its wonder and majesty. But it was a fleeting, foolish observation. Leif shook himself from his brief moment of reverie and stretched, his wooden limbs popping as he loosened up. Time to get to work. Chapter 81: Manipulations Chapter 81: Maniptions Leif had spent three days trudging through the wilderness after having departed from Far-reach. During his exploration he had finally seen the world in daylight. Thendscape was withered and deste. The malevolent presence brought about by deathly energy had corrupted and blighted thend for what seemed like dozens of miles. What animals he saw were diseased and malnourished, many having sumbed to the unfortunate fate of undeath. Leif spotted a pack of mangy, starving wolves as they crested a nearby hill. Their leader, a muchrger and healthier looking beast howled, the sound mimicked a few momentster by the rest of the pack. They saw him, then retreated. Melting away into the distance like morning fog. That had been a wise decision. Leif was far from being weak enough to be threatened by a group of mostly unevolved animals. Though in fairness, the wolves had likely been more interested in avoiding the monster he currently fought. The monster, or more urately the abomination, had a frightening appearance. Its rotting form a bizarre and twisted amalgam of forest creatures and what Leif suspected were goblins. It had the body of arge bear, but its six legs were hooved and antlers sprouted from its head. A dozen grasping, skeletal arms protruded from its spine, some still holding rusted weapons. Though the abomination was a fearsome looking foe, it was currently¡­ struggling. A nearby tree, thin and spindly, had reached down and grappled the monster''s upper body while ten or so roots had erupted from the ground to spear into the abomination or wrap around its six misshapen legs. Leif stood nearby holding arge stick. He focused, and the metre length branch rippled like the surface of a pond. Then its form began to flow and reshape, the brittle yet solid nature of the object stretching and reshaping in his wed hand. After a few moments the stick¡¯s shape settled into that of a slightly deformed sword. The spriggan gave it a few test swings. The bnce was off and the de would likely snap after only a few good impacts, but still, pretty cool. In the days he had spent exploring his surroundings and hunting down undead to replenish his cultivation Leif had discovered something very important: He really, really liked [Wood Maniption]. The skill was as versatile as it was flexible. He could call roots from the ground like he had done to the monster before him, reshape trees or fallen branches ording to his will. Ever since his rebirth Leif hadn¡¯t had much cause or reason to use swords, but it was an aspect of his old life he still felt some distant attachment to. Besides, there¡¯s something uniquely satisfying about turning almost sword shaped sticks into actual swords. He mused, holding up his current de and nodding to himself. There was a weight limit to [Wood Maniption], the heavier a unit of wood, the harder it was to control. But that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t control smaller parts ofrger objects. He imagined that someone or something with a simr skill only with a different element or aspect they could control would have simr restrictions. Stone maniption came to mind as a simr ability he should look intoparing [Wood Maniption] to. Leif lengthened the de, smoothing out the weapons profile and removing any parts of the structure that jutted out or were causing its bnce to be off. Leif then sized up the thrashing and snarling undead abomination he had restrained and focused. The wooden de in his hand rose a foot in the air, then turned so its pointed end faced the monstrosity. Then, with an effort of will and a mentalmand the de shot through the air, stabbing into the undead¡¯s left eye socket and bing stuck with a sickening thwack and a spray of foul ck blood. The monster didn¡¯t die, but Leif hadn¡¯t expected it to. For one he was pretty certain the creature¡¯s actual brain was hidden somewhere within its chest. The other reason was that there was already a wooden sword sticking out of its right eye socket. If the first hadn¡¯t done the trick, then he had no reason to believe a second, identical strike would. The abomination roared in ravenous fury and struggled against its restraints. The roots began to crack and splinter, the tree letting out an ominous groan against the strength of the undead¡¯s escape attempts. Leif gestured, and another stick he had readied for just this purpose flew into his hand. This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. In the days he had spent experimenting with [Wood Maniption] he had found making physical motions aided in the skill¡¯s use, but weren¡¯t strictly necessary. An orchestra wouldn¡¯t need a conductor, but it would certainly help. He activated the skill once more as one of the roots snapped, the undead stumbling forward though not yet free. He studied the stick as its shape became like liquid and it began to slowly flow into its newest shape. But this time it was different, the stick was aged and rotting, within moments his changes became unstable, the wood¡¯s structure bing weak with cracks forming along its surface. Leif had encountered this problem before and there was a solution, he let a small trickle of his cultivated vitality enter the now vaguely sword shaped piece of wood. Within moments its degradation was healed away, its structure bing more solid and stable, while at the same time bing easier to mould and manipte. Secondster Leif gave the newest sword a test swipe, a faint trail of amber light followed the de as it travelled through the air. Another root snapped, causing the spriggan¡¯s attention to turn from his handiwork and back to the abomination. Time to finish this. He rushed forward and stabbed the de deep into the twisted bundle of flesh and muscle the undead had in ce of a torso. The monster shuddered, but didn¡¯t die. So Leif activated [Embolden Vegetation] with amand that stilled the world. ¡°Expand.¡± The wooden sword glowed gold and began to swell in size. Its shape quickly destabilised as healing energy flooded through it. The de detonated inside the abomination¡¯s body with a sh of amber light, causing the creature to disintegrate as overflowing vitality overwhelmed the reanimating energy that had allowed it to exist. Within moments there was nothing but dust remaining. It wasn¡¯t the most efficient use of his powers, but Leif found himself not really caring. He healed the tree and willed its exposed roots to return into the earth. He knew he could spend months, perhaps years manually attempting to restore this part of the world to its natural conditions. Once he had time, perhaps he would, but for now he had other projects to attend to. === The bluff finally came back into sight. Leif had spent several days out in the wilderness regaining his strength and getting back into the swing of things. He reached the base of the towering stone cliff and focused, then stepped forward, zipping up and across the bluff in a blur of golden light. He appeared right at the base of the ivory white tree, head spinning and soul twinging in pain. [Amber Steps] had worked, just as he had hoped it would. Well, he had known it would. Leif could feel the anchor that was nted firmly at the base of the domain tree, the spriggan had felt it ever since his separation from the tree had seeded. His idea for splitting himself hadn¡¯t only been based on a long term solution for family and friends he didn¡¯t know the location of. He had needed a quick way back up the bluff once he had left, something faster and more convenient than climbing that is. Leif dusted himself off and calmed the animals he had disturbed with his sudden entrance with a subtle brush of his aura. At his hip was a small wooden sphere attached to a belt he had fashioned out of a narrow branch. The sphere parted at his mentalmand to reveal a handful of glistening blue shards. Fusion of skills [Grounded Stance II] and [Enduring Grit] 53/100% Progress towards the skill fusion was less than ten percent a day, but with the small amount of mana shards he had acquired the fusion should speed up greatly. He plucked one of the small crystalline objects out of the container and resealed the hole with [Wood Maniption] so the remaining contents wouldn¡¯t fall out. Would you like to consume this mana catalyst to increase current skill fusion progress? Y/N? Leif epted the prompt and the small, narrow gemstone dissolved into a shimmering blue liquid that flowed into the palm of his hand. The cool sensation that followed was quite enjoyable, like the water of a clear spring washing through his body. The spriggan turned his attention to the domain tree. His connection to it was still stable, having weakened not at all as he ventured around the surrounding wilderness. The tree itself however had somewhat deteriorated. Some of its branches sagged and many of its crimson leaves looked wilted. Leif suspected that if he had stayed away for any longer his connection would have begun to dissolve. But he was here now, and his cultivated pool of vitality was bursting at the seams. Leif spent the next few hours using [Embolden Vegetation] on the domain tree and absorbing mana shards. He sat up against his own trunk, a pair of songbirds standing on his head, asionally hopping around and filling the air with their melody. Within his domain the sickly malevolence of the surrounding region was absent, the air was warm and thepany was weing He intermittently checked the progress of his skill fusion, but it looked like it would take another day or so toplete. With nothing urgent to do, Leif rxed, and just enjoyed the sensation of being alive. Chapter 82: Tenacity Chapter 82: Tenacity The supply cratey on its side, a faded and weatherworn symbol was painted onto its side though Leif couldn¡¯t make out the details. He sunk wed fingers into the wooden exterior and lifted the container, carrying it to where he was gathering all the leftover supplies he could find on the smaller bluff. Most containers he found were damaged, destroyed, or had been left open prior to being left behind. Others had sprung leaks or, like the food crates he had thrown overboard, their contents hadn¡¯t survived even if their protection had. Leif reached out, and focused his concentration. He could pry these crates open with his physical strength without problem, but this was an opportunity to practise. The top of a crate, smaller than the rest and cube shaped, opened like a flower in bloom, the wooden exterior parting in smooth motions to reveal the contents inside. The problem with opening a container in this way was that it ruined the wax like sent that rendered the crate waterproof. He could close to box back up, simply reversing his prior maniption of the wood, but the container''s integrity would be irreversibly damaged. Within were nine bottles of what Leif suspected was liquor. He popped a cork off one of the bottles and had a whiff. He almost gagged, hastily returning the cork around the mouth of the bottle. Alcohol, but not the drinking kind. Leif deduced, putting the crate to the side. Another crate, opened in the same fashion, contained tools and supplies for the crafting of arrows. Another was tightly packed rows of preserved meats. Arger crate contained boots and under-shirts that Leif had seen some imperial soldiers wear while not in armour. The next crate, one he had found next to the one with boots, contained cloaks and pants. He continued to sort through what he had collected. Nothing jumped out as immediately valuable, but what goods he could think of a use for he put to the side. That done, he moved to the most intact structure on the bluff. It was a wooden building that had once been a workshop of some description. One of the walls and part of the ceiling had been obliterated by a stray gravity beam, but otherwise the structure was in good condition. Leif cleaned out the rubble and detritus, then deconstructed some of the nearby buildings and repurposed their lumber. It took him less than an hour to turn the workshop into a perfectly serviceable barn. Once that was done, he spent time strengthening the individual nks of wood with his powers, sealing off holes and gaps in the walls and ceiling before finally moving the things he had a potential use for into the building. Just as he finished cing the final crate and that was taking in his handiwork, he received a system notification. Congrattions! Your fusion of the [Grounded Stance II] and [Enduring Grit] skills isplete! You have gained the [Brawler] skill [Tenacious Fighter]! === Tenacious Fighter II: Aspects: Comprehension, Enhancement (Body)* Grants instinctual understanding ofbat stances and their uses whilst granting a greater understanding of your body''s limits. You gain a bonus to bnce, footwork, stability and physical resilience while fighting in abat style in which you have proficiency. The more injured you be, the greater the enhancement from this skill. Notes (Potentially Outdated): Only works while grounded. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. === Leif walked towards the domain tree while reading over the description of his newest skill. It hadn¡¯t changed much, pretty much a straight merge that kept both abilities functions intact. He let out an amused huff as he saw the ¡®potentially outdated¡¯ tag that was added to the notes section of the skill description. He considered using [Amber Steps] to quickly reach his destination, but the sun was shining and he wasn¡¯t in any kind of rush. Instead he mused over what skills he should use for his next fusion. He still had seventeen total, and if his assumption about the rmended amount for the level fifty advancement trial was correct, Leif would need to reduce that number down to fifteen at the very least. And wasn¡¯t taking into ount the fact he would gain more skills as he obtained the final five levels he needed before reaching that bottleneck. [Under my Protection] and [Veil of Nature] were both defensive skills that could target both himself and others. Combining them felt like an obvious step in the right direction. But before that he had another idea to test. He wasn¡¯t dying, nor was he afraid of identally ruining [Under my Protection] by identally removing the [Charisma] scaling. Leif wanted to move all of his [Noble] skills out of the ss that currently housed them. He couldn¡¯t evolve or promote the ss, so they would never benefit from the potential changes either of those may potentially bring. He suspected Hera had done something simr with her own [Noble] skills, though the ones she had received from the ss differed somewhat from his own. As Leif came to a decision, a shadow blocked out the sun. The spriggan looked up and saw cloud cover had blotted out the sun. Then a figure dropped from the sky. === The first thing Ram noticed as he fell towards the ruins of the human vige was that the life-giving tree with ivory white bark and red leaves seemed to have grown since he hadst used this ce to rest and recover. The second was a man shaped creature of simr colour looking up at him as he dropped. Ram snorted, and shifted the direction of his descent, his long white hair billowing out behind him like a mantle made out of clouds. As the ground below rose up to meet him Ram slowed his fall with a brief effort of will, his hands never leaving the pockets of the mismatched fur coat he wore. His bare feet met the stone without a sound. He scanned the creature up and down with an assessing look, gaining a sense of its aura and strength. Clearly it was the tree¡¯s guardian or something of the sort, but its strength was nothing to concern something of his power. Ram didn¡¯t have an analysis skill, but he trusted his intuition gained from decades of battle more than any trickle of information the system might provide. The nt monster lowered itself slightly, as if ready for a confrontation, though its posture was purely defensive. Ram let the silence hang as he red into glowing golden eyes. ¡°So.¡± He barked. ¡°Finally awake hmm? Or have you been deliberately ignoring me the entire time?¡± Ram¡¯s voice was like gravel being slowly grinded into dust, a low rumble like an advancing avnche. The monster''s eyes flickered, as if blinking, and it stood up straighter. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Its deep voice was surprisingly coherent for a nt creature, though it had a slight rasp, as if its body wasn¡¯t made for speaking. Ram¡¯s eye twitched, and he felt electricity dance through his billowing mane of hair and sparked between the horns that protruded from his head. The nt creature¡¯s attention flickered to the sparks of power briefly, before returning back to him. Ram let the silence hang once again, letting it stretch out for an ufortable duration. Something he had learnt during his long years of life was that it was far easier tomunicate the less one talked. Sure enough, the ivory monster shifted ufortably, then spoke. ¡°I¡­ assume you¡¯ve been here before. I only just woke from a long slumber, so I don¡¯t know who you are.¡± Ram didn¡¯t respond, letting the creature stew under his gaze. Truthfully he hadn¡¯t been sure if it had been capable of speech, but he always weed pleasant surprises. Even the most powerful beings in the northern mountains were barely able tomunicate beyond base growls or screeches. Finally, once the quiet would grant his response enough gravitas, Ram spoke. ¡°I see.¡± The wind blew, the red leaves of the tree rustled, a bird flying overhead let out a chirp. Then he walked past the monster made of bark and slumped to rx next to his old campsite. Ram let a spark of lightning zap the fire starting gem that still rested where he had left it, while at the same timemanding wind to bring him wood for kindling. Within moments a merry little fire crackled away within the circle of stones. The confusion radiating off the nt creature was practically palpable, but that didn¡¯t matter. After all, it wasn¡¯t his job to exin himself. Ram had dered his intentions months ago, it wasn¡¯t his fault if nobody had been around to hear him. Chapter 83: Stubborn Chapter 83: Stubborn Leif stared dumbly at where the neer lounged next to the fire. The horned man was dressed in what looked like a dozen different animal pelts that had been stitched together, and he was absolutely covered in dirt and grime. Splotches of blood and less identifiable things stained his rags. Despite his ragged appearance the man was strong, his physique muscr and solid, Leif was d he didn¡¯t appear to be hostile. He didn¡¯t need to activate [Combative Gumption] to know the being before him was a fighter. But still, who the hells acts like this around strangers? He thought, halfway between amused and annoyed. But Leif thought he knew who this man was, or rather, he had heard of him before. The spriggan sat next to the fire and watched as the man reached into a pocket and withdrew a handful of nuts. The man started chewing loudly, not looking at Leif. There was silence for several awkward minutes before Leif sighed and spoke. ¡°You have a family, correct? A group of nomads that travelled through this region some time ago.¡± The man didn¡¯t reply, instead he reached into his pocket and withdrew what looked like a pear. They locked eyes as he took arge chunk out of the fruit, juices dripping down his chin and sttering the front of his rags. He ate the entire pear, including the pip, never once taking his eyes off Leif. The spriggan didn¡¯t shift impatiently, his physiology was more than sufficient to remain still while waiting for the man¡¯s answer. Then the man reached into his pocket, and withdrew a second, almost identical fruit. Leif red at the stranger, his eyes zing gold as he cocked his head to the side. Is this some sort of abstract mind game, or is this guypletely clueless? ¡°Hmm?¡± The horned man grunted. ¡°Did you want something?¡± ¡°An answer would be nice.¡± Leif replied tly. ¡°Answer¡­ to what?¡± The two just stared at one another, the man beginning to slowly eat his second fruit. Nothing but the sound of munching broke the silence that stretched on for another few minutes. Leif stared impassively, he couldn¡¯t read the man¡¯s aura and [Amber Sympathy] wasn¡¯t picking up his emotions or intent. From what Leif understood, that meant the man¡¯s aura was stronger than his own. His aura¡¯s rank must be quite high, because his [Charisma] seems to be as low as it could possibly get. Or maybe it¡¯s his [Intelligence] that¡¯scking? Brain damage? Or is this a specific thing to do with his species and acting like a brick wall is perfectly normal behaviour? ¡°Are you the patriarch of the demikin n that was travelling through this region prior to the undead appearing?¡± Leif asked, exasperated, though he tried not to let his emotions show in his voice or bodynguage. ¡°Oh. Yes.¡± The man replied, mouth full of fruit. There was another several minutes of silence that stretched on and on as Leif waited for the still unnamed man to borate. If Leif¡¯s memory was correct the stranger before him was the ¡®revered ancestor¡¯ the nomad Liv had described. He, or rather, the high level tempest goat in the guise of a man reached once again into his pocket. ¡°Please talk.¡± Leif said, trying to interrupt his guest before the man could stick anything else into his mouth. ¡°About what?¡± Asked the goat. The spriggan just stared at the man, watching in dumbfounded silence as he pulled out an entire bottle from his pocket. What is wrong with this guy? His family seemed like rtively normal people, how on earth is he so strange. Leif thought, trying to recall if he had horribly misinterpreted the actions of the nomad tribe. ¡°Your name, why are you here? I need to know where your family is because I left some of my own with them.¡± Leif asked, feeling like he was exining the basics of conversation to a child. ¡°Ram.¡± The man replied, then took a swig from his bottle. If Leif¡¯s eye could twitch he likely would have done so. Why is this guy so bad atmunicating? It feels like I¡¯m trying to break a stone with a feather. I¡¯ve had better conversations with the birds living in my branches. He let Ram drink, then drink some more. When it became obvious that the man was just going to let the silence drag out like usual Leif spoke again. ¡°What about the second question? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I already answered that.¡± Ram said simply, putting a cork back into the bottle and returning it to his pocket. ¡°Oh?¡± Leif said, drumming his fingers on his knee in irritation. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you say anything.¡± ¡°I said it months ago.¡± Ram replied ndly. ¡°I aint repeating myself.¡± Leif just stared. ¡°Ok then.¡± He said, standing. ¡°I¡¯m Leif, It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I consider your family my friends, and you are more than wee to stay. Once you''re ready to have a proper conversation,e find me.¡± Then he stalked off, he had better things to do than have the social equivalent of banging his head against a boulder. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. === Ram spent the next few days rxing, letting the healing energy flowing from the ivory tree heal his aches and restore his body. The best part about gaining power was utilising it to fight ever more powerful foes. Normally this would result in weeks, if not months of downtime as he recovered from battles that shook the ground and sent weaker creatures fleeing in panic. But normally he didn¡¯t have a natural treasure capable of healing him. His wounds were rarely visible, his evolved constitution and certain skills allowed him to suppress injuries, even near lethal ones. But in doing so he would be weakened for far too much time if the battle was particrly fierce. Trading blows with the powerful monsters that called the northern mountains home was exhrating, but it had to be done in moderation. Usually. Coming to investigate the aftermath of the battle that had taken ce here had been among the best ideas he had ever had. Sure there had been some real monsters lurking around, but they had swiftly left for one reason or another. The only thing Ram had to contend with for this ce was a towering ice elemental that had wandered down from the mountains, likely drawn by the battle just as he had. That creature¡¯s corpse still jutted from the ground several miles north, a near permanent monolith to his victory. This ce was great, he could fight, then return here to heal and recover. Ram hadn¡¯t gained this many levels in what felt like decades. The undead were an annoyance and the foul energy they carried tended to linger unpleasantly, but even that was no longer an issue. Not with the tree. If only the natural treasure¡¯s guardian wasn¡¯t so¡­ prickly. Ram turned his attention to the tree. Evolved trees were shockingly rare, and even rarer were ones that weren¡¯t hotly contested by all manner of beasts and monsters. But here, in the middle of an undead infested wastnd was a treasure to behold. The nt monster that served as a caretaker for the magnificent tree trudged by, walking up to the ivory trunk and cing a hand to the hardy bark. They spoke a word and golden light shed. Before Ram¡¯s eyes the tree stretched and grew, new branches rose to the sky and hundreds of budding leaves sprouted. The domain that nourished the world, fought back the undead and imbued him with life seemed to grow and expand, bing denser and more potent. Ram had to give the guardian credit, they certainly were a capable green thumb. === Leif caused his aura to rise up into the sky and marvelled at the newfound strength and control upgrading [Aura of Nobility] from rank two to rank three had granted him. He had gained the upgrade earlier that morning after finally pushing the skill over the threshold after days of practise. But it hadn¡¯t just been mastery or control that had been the catalyst for the upgrade. It was his connection, or maybe familiarity with the skill. Leif couldn¡¯t say for certain what the final straw had been, but ever since he had regained consciousness the upgrade had been tantalisingly close. Above, a flock of mismatched songbirds danced and dove, moving in intricate patterns as dictated by his aura control. He wasn¡¯t forcing them to act in this way, instead the colourful animals seemed to treat mimicking his aura control as some sort of game. Leif split his aura, dividing the birds into two equal groups that spiralled around one another. He guided them in ever more borate manoeuvres, splitting his aura into half a dozen rope-like strands. The spriggan retracted his aura, the birds letting out tweets of disappointment before returning to the domain tree. Leif let his aura wrap around him, then expand into a dome three metres out. It hung in the air, the condensed and potent power rippling ever so slightly. If there was one benefit to focusing so heavily on [Charisma], it was that his aura was far more powerful than even its rank would suggest. He spent the next hour practising [Wood Maniption], working to condense andpact small spheres of timber that had been restored by his healing skills. Leif worked on his finesse and control, tasks that had be much easier since his aura had upgraded. An orb of smooth wood half the size of his fist hung just above his extended palm as Leif willed it to be smaller, topress more tightly. It was a struggle, his concentration straining to maintain the process. As it was reduced to a satisfactory size Leif wove in anotheryer of wood and repeated the process. The ball grew hot, trembling where it floated under the effects of [Wood Maniption]. Finally it grew too dense, its weight too much for the skill to control without his full attention. The ball fell into his palm with a heavy thwack. It took focusing on [Might] with [Grand Action] to keep the sphere of condensed wood from slipping from his grasp crashing to the ground. Leif tensed the wood fibre muscles of his arm, feeling the steady strength contained within. Heavy footfalls sounded from behind him so Leif turned, conjuring two amber arms to hold the ball as he took in the horned man that approached. They stood there for several moments just looking at one another. Leif was tempted to y the awakened goat¡¯s game and match his silence until he caved in and spoke, but determined he had better things to do than waste several hours. ¡°Ram.¡± The spriggan said, nodding slightly. The goatman crossed his arms and grunted. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leif blinked at Ram, then looked down at the ball ofpressed wood. ¡°I¡¯m experimenting, discovering the limits of my skills before I leave. Why do you ask?¡± Ram seemed to chew on his words for almost a minute before answering. ¡°Why leave? Isn''t it your duty or whatever to protect this ce?¡± When Leif didn¡¯t immediately respond the man vaguely gestured to their surroundings, as if that rified hisment. ¡°No¡­? No not particrly. I intend to use this ce as a home of sorts, maybe as a point to begin removing the undead¡¯s presence from this region.¡± Ram frowned as if confused. ¡°I thought you were tending to the tree. Is that not your purpose as a guardian?¡± Leif blinked, staring mutely at the awakened goat for several moments. What is this guy on about? ¡°Guardian? Why would I be the guardian of myself? Sure, the domain tree took a while to grow to its current size but I¡¯m not exactly tied to this ce.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± Both spriggan and awakened goat stared at one another for over a minute. Then Ram took a swig from his bottle and snorted in amusement. ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± If Leif thought he could attack the being before him without being vaporised in a sh of lightning he would have done so. He could admit to himself the idea was very tempting. Maybe a good punch will knock the hypocrisy out of him? Chapter 84: Frigid Chapter 84: Frigid Leif trudged along a hillside, he maintained his focus on a ball of wood that was constantly being reshaped and moulded into different configurations. When the wood began to destabilise and his maniptions became too much for the object to handle, Leif would send a trickle of healing amber energy into the object. [Wood Maniption] wasn¡¯t a skill he could upgrade like [Aura of Nobility] or [Tenacious Fighter], Leif knew the skill¡¯s biggest constraints were his own expertise and his raw strength. If his [Willpower] was higher he would simply be able to do more. If he had a year to practise his proficiency would grow in leaps and bounds. With an effort of will and a guiding gesture with a hand he reshaped the sphere into a metre long staff, then he used the staff to help navigate a particrly unstable part of the hillside. Leif turned his attention to the man he was following. Over the past few days Ram had be¡­ more tolerable. The awakened beast had taken a keen interest in his self imposed training regime. Leif¡¯s staff dug into the hardened soil, breaking a chunk of it away. He stumbled but maintained his bnce. Ahead of him, Ram was effortlessly walking along as if the steep slopes were a perfectly t road. Though the ice between beast and monster had broken, It had gotten to the point where Leif was feeling distinctly ufortable under the goat¡¯s constant gaze. Fortunately the old man dressed in rags was easy to ignore once Leif became entirely focused on his advancement. When Ram had finally stopped acting as a decrepit and mangy shadow and had approached him, the goatman had asked Leif what he was hoping to achieve by ¡®iling around''. When the spriggan had replied that he was preparing himself before leaving to gain the final two levels he needed before his ss evolved at level twenty, Ram¡¯s interest had gone from looming, to a sharp, almost overbearing obsession. ¡°Right then.¡± The awakened goat had said, standing up and cing his hands on his hips, a dangerous glint in his eyes. ¡°Fight me.¡± ¡°No.¡± Leif had replied. ¡°I know the difference in our power. I could feel it the moment we met.¡± ¡°Cmon now, I¡¯ll hold back.¡± Ram said, the dangerous glint turning into a fiery gleam.Leif had sighed, then reluctantly conjured eight golden arms and lowered himself into abat stance. Then with a blinding sh of light the spriggan had found himself lying face up in a smoking crater, the hazy silhouette of Ram looming over him like the world¡¯s most disapproving mountain. ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡± He said, his wrinkled features serving topound his scowl. ¡°You suck at holding back.¡± Leif retorted, smoke rising from where lightning had scorched his body¡¯s exterior. ¡°And I did just mention being close to an evolution, how strong did you think I was?¡± ¡°Get up and try again.¡± ¡°How did your family turn out so normal when they¡¯re rted to you?¡± Ram had smiled crookedly, then shook his head. ¡°Let me show you something.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Follow me or I¡¯ll zap you.¡± ¡°Give me a minute to stop smoking, then fine.¡± === Leif and Ram overlooked a shallow, windswept valley. The old goatman took a swig from his bottle then returned it to his pocket. A cool breeze drifted up from below, causing the red leaves that sprouted from Leif¡¯s body to rustle. ¡°Look.¡± Ram said, gesturing with a callused hand down into the valley. ¡°Hmm, those sure are a bunch of glowing crystals.¡± Leif observed, crossing his arms. ¡°They¡¯re the remains of an ice elemental, in another few days it would have reached the ce you made your home.¡± ¡°Very impressive.¡± Leif said, his tone deadpan. ¡°I assume it wasing down from the mountains?¡± Ram grunted and began walking down into the valley. Leif sighed and followed the man, he just hoped the old goat had a reason for bringing him here other than showing off his kill like a cat bringing mice to their owners. The two of them approached the nearest cluster of frozen ice. They stuck up from the ground like softly glowing stakes that had been driven into the earth. As the pair drew near the air grew frigid, their breathing out in billowing vapour and their footfalls cracked the thinyer of frost that clung to the ground. Ram stomped up to the pile of ice crystals, grunted, then flopped ungracefully to a sitting position, the frozen grass and dirt shattering under his weight. ¡°The thing with elementals.¡± The awakened goat said. ¡°Is that the power that animated them in the first ce is very difficult to get rid of. It isn¡¯t unusual for them to resist being fully dispersed when they die.¡± As if to prove his point the nearby pile of ice shards, easily two metres high, began to shift and move. With a crack something broke away from the crystals and started moving towards them. The elemental lurched forward, where its body met the ground it seemed to shift and morph, dozens of thin crystalline structures growing and seamlessly fusing to give the creature¡¯s movement the illusion of gliding across the ground. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°So.¡± Leif said, looking from the approaching elemental and back to Ram. ¡°Looks like you failed to dispose of them properly.¡± ¡°By design,pletely destroying powerful elementals is a waste of experience. It will eventually constitute, then return back to the mountains.¡± Ram said dismissively. ¡°But you need something more productive to do than dance around atop your rock all day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called training Ram, I have a skill I was specifically trying to upgrade.¡± Leif replied, unamused. ¡°It¡¯s called a waste of time. Why practise when you could be fighting?¡± Ram said, his predatory grin showing teeth as sparks jumped between his horns. Leif returned his attention to the elemental. It was taller than it was wide, almost two metres high but with constantly shifting jagged protrusions its actual size was hard to identify. It certainly didn¡¯t look overly threatening. Combat experience: Lesser! ¡°You want me to fight this? Are you sure?¡± The spriggan asked, the being before him wasn¡¯t all that powerful. Its aura was wild and uncontrolled, a sure sign that itcked an aura skill. ¡°Listen kid. If you can defeat the baby elementals in the closest clusters I¡¯ll be impressed. Oh, when doing this kind of training, only use skills and abilities from the ss you¡¯re trying to evolve, you¡¯ll level up faster that way.¡± Leif hesitated, then decided to at least try to follow Ram¡¯s instructions. He needed to gain levels, and if this method worked he supposed he wouldn¡¯tin. But that did mean several important skills wouldn¡¯t be avable for the uing battle. For the first time in what felt like forever, Leif mentallymanded [Grand Action] to deactivate. The skill was a near constant source of raw power, applying twenty percent of his [Charisma] attribute to any other attribute of his choice. Then he fully restrained [Aura of Nobility]. He felt his awareness and ability to perceive the abstract weaken, the innate sense of control he felt over his surroundings fade away. To his side Ram grunted, then mumbled something but Leif ignored him. Under the restrictions he would be fighting with, [Under my Protection] was also unavable, the shielding skill was a core part of his fighting style, but if it helped him advance he would do without. Finally he pushed down the enhancementponents of [Tenacious Fighter], a feeling of instabilitying over him. The spriggan stepped towards the ice elemental, without his aura active [Gold Iron Physique] felt far weaker than usual. Almost instinctively Leif knew his usual number of limbs would be infeasible to control and maintain, so he only manifested a single pair. Even conjuring two amber arms felt like pushing through a wall, the skill struggling to emerge from his soul and project out into the physical world. I never realised how much my aura did for my control, this almost feels like trying to fight and run blindfolded and with my hands tied behind my back. The spriggan mused as an icy wind began to encircle the elemental. In effect Leif was suppressing himself, even if he didn¡¯t have an aura skill, whatever intangible presence that all beings emanated would still be present, granting a minor but still noticeable boon to his abilities. With a grinding sound like a pile of rocks getting intimate the icy monster shifted its body, then lurched towards him. Leif could no longer sense its aura, but he could see frosted mist begin to coalesce around its ever changing form. The mist merged into a single point before the elemental, thennced out towards him in a finger thin beam of white light. Leif raised both conjured limbs crossed before him, the beam punched into the golden arms and immediately caused them to crack and fracture. Excess cold energy burst out from where the attack had just barely been blocked and impacted Leif¡¯s head and upper torso. The spriggan staggered back from the impact, letting himself fall into a roll. He stood and stepped to the side, another beam of ice and light shing past where he had just been. Leif rushed forward, though he felt off bnce and his body was acting sluggish, his more than potent attribute totals still gave him enough power and speed to reposition quickly. He closed the gap andnded a heavy blow with his left fist, the elemental¡¯s exterior cracked as his strike connected, the monster rocking back as its body shifted and reorientated. Leif saw the mist build up and, knowing what was likely being aimed at, stepped around the elemental and forced it to rotate to keep a bead on his location. Hended another punch, then another, followed up by a newly conjured golden fist crashing into the crack-like wounds his assault was inflicting. Another beam shed out but Leif stepped forward, vanishing in a blur of golden light and reappearing on the opposite side of the elemental. He hadn¡¯t been quick enough to totally dodge the elemental¡¯s attack, his left side was partially frozen over, icy frost making his bark-like skin brittle. Sensing the anchors left behind by [Amber Steps] felt like gazing through fogged ss, Leif could barely make out where the teleportation skill was lingering with each step he made. A sound like gears grinding together in the wrong way emitted from the crystalline entity as it shifted and reformed. Leif noticed for the first time that the elemental was withdrawing the damaged parts of its body into deeperyers of its ever changing form. For over a minute the battle continued. The elemental¡¯s attacks grew faster and more aggressive, the monstershing out with jagged ice des or preparing multiple beams to fire in rapid sequence. But Leif, even while suppressed, was no slouch inbat. Even if he hadn¡¯t spent the weeks since his return to consciousness familiarising himself with his abilities and expanding his capabilities with training, he doubted it would have mattered. The elemental, while sturdy and rtively powerful, was simply too low level. Leif¡¯s attributes, even while not utilising [Grand Action] were too much. With each devastating blow hended, its ability to shift the damaged parts of its structure lessened, and with a final series of rapid strikes followed by a roundhouse kick it simply fell apart. Ram ppedzily as Leif centred himself, then let his conjured arms dissipate. The spriggan stalked over to where the old man was lounging on the icy ground. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ram said, ¡°is why you felt the need to fully suppress yourself.¡± Leif red at the man, though with his unmoving and t facial features it likely didn¡¯te across. ¡°You told me to only use skills that were part of the ss I was trying to level up.¡± ¡°True, I did say that. But you¡¯re too low level to have more than one ss so it shouldn¡¯t have mattered.¡± Ram pointed out. Leif paused, if he were a normal monster that may have been true. What little he understood about his situation made it clear he was currently deviating from what was the norm for monsters of his level. Then he realised something, and tried to burn a hole into Ram with his eyes. ¡°So you told me to do something I shouldn¡¯t have been able to do? That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°If anything doesn¡¯t make sense kid, it¡¯s you.¡± Ram grunted, his amusement clear. ¡°Now how the hells did you awaken before level fifty?¡± Chapter 85: Gaining Experience Chapter 85: Gaining Experience ¡°Now how the hells did you awaken before level fifty?¡± Ram¡¯s question hung in the air, as if by merely being spoken it charged the environment with static electricity. Leif wasn¡¯t overly surprised Ram had figured him out, but he was surprised the goat cared enough to ask. After a moment of consideration he decided it likely didn¡¯t matter if Ram knew or not, so he chose to answer truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a secret, several people already know and with how quickly you figured it out I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. The truth is I was once human, I died or something very simr and awoke with a new species and ss. I was an unevolved tree for a little over a decade, but during that time I wasn¡¯t really aware of myself or my condition. I slowly regained consciousness, gained levels and evolved. I¡¯ve met people, animals and monsters. An expedition of students from an empire to the south, a n of nomads with horns and fluffy white hair.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ram said, wrinkling his brow and taking a swig from his seemingly always full bottle. ¡°I was expecting something interesting, but that makes sense.¡± Leif cocked his head to the side. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that circumstances like mine weremon. The people I spoke to about it didn¡¯t know what to make of me.¡± The sound of tinkling ss came from the nearest cluster of ice shards as the remnants of what made up the elemental Leif destroyed slowly rolled across the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know aboutmon, umon, whatever.¡± He said with a dismissive wave of his grimy hand. ¡°It makes sense, but there¡¯s nothing I can get out of it so I don¡¯t care.¡± Leif stared at the awakened beast for several seconds, grinding sounds came from behind the spriggan and began to grow louder and louder as the source drew closer. With a crack another elemental emerged from the pile of ice crystals. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry my situation isn¡¯t more interesting to you.¡± He said tly. Ram grunted in amusement but didn¡¯t speak further, his attention sliding off Leif and moving to the approaching elemental. ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your story?¡± The spriggan asked, crossing his arms and not looking away from the goat. ¡°None of your business, kid.¡± ¡°I know your family, I could always ask them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re far away from this shithole, best of luck finding them.¡± ¡°So you do know where they are.¡± ¡°Of course I do, why do you think I ventured down from the mountains? I was making sure the forces battling over this region didn¡¯t go in their direction.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you were such a big softy.¡± Leifughed, letting his aura unspool, it felt like letting out a deep breath. Ram grunted. ¡°You¡¯re too cheeky for someone who can barely fight a baby elemental.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bad match up, they don¡¯t have any life-force I can drain. Normally when I hit things I can syphon off a little bit of energy. Unless that power is somehowpletely negated by me being suppressed, but I highly doubt it.¡± Leif said contemtively. Frigid mist built up in front of the shifting mass of ice as it drew closer. ¡°No such thing as a bad match up, you just need to be stronger.¡± Ram said smugly. The spriggan just stared at him for several seconds. ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s sopletely incorrect I don¡¯t know where to begin.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ram said, tilting his chin in the approaching elemental¡¯s direction. ¡°Prove it then.¡± A beam of condensed frost sted out towards Leif but a golden half dome of force flickered into existence blocking most of the attack, it was angled in such a way that part of the beam was deflected to the side. Leif looked down at Ram, thoroughly amused. Ram wiped theyers of ice off of his face and hair and red up at Leif, he hadn¡¯t moved an inch when the elemental¡¯s st had partially bounced off the spriggan¡¯s shield and hit him square in the face. Leif watched as several emotions slowly yed across his features, finally the gruff exterior fell away, and Ramughed. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences elsewhere. Then Leif sted away as a condensed fist of boiling storm clouds sent him flying through the elemental and tumbling head over heels into the nearest pile of ice crystals. ¡°I¡¯ve been away from people too long, you remind me of my kids.¡± Ram chortled, rolling to his feet and putting away his probably magic bottle. ¡°I hope you treat them better than you do me.¡± Leif groaned, half embedded into the mound of ice, sparks of lightning dissipating off his prone form. === Leif sat atop a pile of shattered ice crystals, small shards of ice ttered together as the mass of what had once been a fragment of slowly reconstituting elemental crumbled into tiny pieces. This particr pile had spat out seven elementals, several of which were farrger, and far stronger than the first one he had fought. This made it the hardest of the piles to defeat so far, over the past few days Leif had been working his way up and down the valley while Ram shifted between sleeping, drinking, orughing at his attempts to fight the elementals while suppressingrge swaths of his power. Therger the pile, the stronger the elementals it would spit out, and Leif quickly came to realise that his ability tobat therger monsters while holding back was woefully inadequate. It turned out the high level elementals had more than a few tricks up their metaphorical sleeves. As for his progress, Leif found himself disappointed, though not overly surprised. He hadn¡¯t gained any levels, a sure sign that advancing while having so many skills,bined with his higher maximum level made for a much slower rate of levelling. A crash came from nearby and Leif turned to see the cause. Ram was taking what looked like a casual stroll through the middle of the valley, two elementalsrger and more powerful than any Leif had defeated rumbled after him, one sting a constant barrage of pure white light at the goat while the other tried to batter him with what looked like boulder sized fists. The awakened goat didn¡¯t seem to mind, maintaining a constant leisurely pace as he wandered about, whistling off key. Leif shook his head and focused on his own problems. Any second now¡­ Congrattions! Your fusion of the [Veil of Nature] and [Wave of Restoration] skills isplete! You have gained the [Amber Blight Spriggan] skill [Shroud of Preservation]! He had used up thest of the mana shards he had collected during his first multi-day outing away from the bluff over the past few days, slowly working towards thepletion of this newest skill fusion. Leif had been disappointed to learn that ice elementals apparently didn¡¯t produce mana shards on death, though the crystals that made up their bodies could be harvested for what Ram had described as ¡®boring crafter shit¡¯. When Leif had asked Ram why that was the case, the awakened goat had simply shrugged and asked Leif if he knew why the sky asionally pissed water. The spriggan huffed at the memory, and turned back to the description of his newest skill. === Shroud of Preservation: Aspects: Stealth (Shield), Empowerment (Nature) (Life)* You may cause a protective veil to cling to you or those you choose to bestow it upon within a certain range. Those under the effects of this skill are shielded from divination workings and have increased resilience against elemental damage. Each use of this skill imbues a constant, but limited healing effect that is used to restore the target when needed. === He felt the previous form of the skill shift around him, changing into its new incarnation. [Shroud of Preservation] was almost exactly what he had envisioned when he had initiated the fusion attempt. It was partially disappointing that the minor stealth aspect had reduced in potency, but the system still seemed to consider it the core, or perhaps most important aspect the skill possessed. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what criteria was used to determine the leading aspect in the skill descriptions. The range of use changing from touch to a nebulous, ¡®certain range¡¯ was nice to see, but he was mostly pleased with the healing aspect the skill had gained. Leif had tested [Wave of Restoration] and found this skill underwhelming. The healing effect had been less potent than [Healing Palm], and the range without using spellcraft to modify the skill¡¯s structure had been disappointing. Speaking of spellcraft¡­ Now that [Shroud of Preservation] had a life aspect, I should be able to do this. ¡°Enhance.¡± Leifmanded, his voice making the air still and everything around him became slightly more in focus. Then the moment passed and Leif saw faint motes of golden light twist and twirl around him. He raised an arm, looking in fascination at the faint heat haze that shrouded the limb. Little specks of amber light floated within the shroud, likely visual representations of the skill¡¯s ability to heal him should he receive damage. He had used a not insignificant amount of his cultivated vitality to enhance the skill, but he sensed it had been a worthy investment of power. Leif stood and turned his attention to a nearby pile of ice, with a wave of his hand a longsword made of wood floated into the air to hover over his left shoulder. Time to get thosest two levels. Chapter 86: Elemental Chapter 86: Elemental The elemental loomed above him even though it was still fifty or so metres away. All around the valley the piles of ice that littered the ground wereing to life, whether it was because the reconstituting monsters had detected the being who had almost killed them and wereing alive to defend themselves or because of something else, Leif didn¡¯t know. The icy mist that was ever present within the valley now swirled and rolled across the ground, the mist¡¯s presence making the already frostyndscape reflective with newly formed ice. With every step the ground cracked beneath his feet, the wooden sword hovering above his shoulder dipping and rising like a fish swimming through the sea. Leif¡¯s amber eyes were locked onto the elemental he had chosen as a target, golden motes of light drifted around his form and his aura fought back the rising chill that suffused the air. A series of cracks reverberated through the valley as a cluster of ice crystals the size of a house broke apart, the group of smaller elementals that emerged gliding across the icy ground and heading in Ram¡¯s direction. He ignored them, even if the monsters came after him instead they were unlikely to pose a threat. Unsuppressed and ready to go all out Leif only cared about the towering elemental before him. It stood as tall as the crystalline structure the smaller elementals had emerged from, unlike many of its contemporaries roaming the valley this elemental seemed to stand on two legs three times as wide as the domain tree. Its upper body had no discernible features, the monster having no head, arms or anything that couldn¡¯t be described as a massive collection of shifting shards of icerger than Leif¡¯s entire body. With every step Leif drew closer, his aura pushing against the elemental¡¯s own. It felt as immovable as a mountain, and as unstoppable as a cier. But its presence was unfocused, more intent on nketing its surroundings than trying tobat him directly. That began to change as Leif broke into a run. The spriggan wasn¡¯t fast by any means, but calling the elemental¡¯s anything other than ponderous and lethargic would be incorrect. As Leif charged, aura pulled tight around him, glowing amber lights cutting through the billowing mist, the elemental noticed him. It didn¡¯t growl, but the sound of its colossal body shifting to reorientate on him certainly sounded like it. Two points of ice blue light began to concentrate above the monster''s body, the mist swirling as if agitated as the energy gathered. Leif made it five more steps before two beams of ice and light shed down, cutting across the ground where he would be in a sweeping x. The golden barrier of [Under my Protection] rippled into existence, the shield cracked and buckled under the twin beams but held long enough for the elemental¡¯s attack to dissipate. Leif ran through the falling chunks of barrier and dissipating essence of the skill without slowing his stride. A follow up attack from the elemental came only a handful of secondster, once again Leif¡¯s shield blocked the attack and he didn¡¯t stop. The elemental seemed to possess the presence of mind to know its strategy wasn¡¯t working as the spriggan drew ever closer, so it began to condense four attacks at once. Leif didn¡¯t stop, even as the beams of white light flickered down to freeze his body solid and shatter him into a thousand pieces he never stopped moving forward. The light cut through the ce he had been without meeting the resistance of his shielding skill. But Leif wasn¡¯t there, [Amber Steps] had carried him back over thirty metres in a blur of golden light. The crystalline body of the ice elemental ground together and crunched as it shifted to reorientate on Leif¡¯s new position. The spriggan hadn¡¯t stopped running, even if his progress had been stalled. The elemental rumbled forward, its legs piercing the frozen earth as it lumbered towards him. Five beams of light condensed above its form, then once again shed out to exterminate the small creature who dared to challenge it. A veritable forest of conjured limbs met the five beams, frozen chunks of golden power fell to the ground and shattered as glowing hands and forearms met the elemental¡¯s attack and were cut through, but not without bleeding away much of its energy. Leif burst through the cloud of white and gold, ice falling away from his body and bone chilling mist surging around him. He didn¡¯t stop, he hadn¡¯t slowed at all. Then he blurred forward in a stream of golden light and appeared under the elemental¡¯s towering body. Leif twisted his body and conjured another forest of golden arms. Empowered by a not inconsiderable portion of his cultivated vitality and strengthened by a spellmand the two dozen or so arms twisted and wove together. They conjoined into a single massive arm twice as long as Leif was tall, then a fist glowing with power smashed up into the elemental¡¯s body causing the monster¡¯s form to crack down the middle. Air sted away as the world around the elemental became vacant of mist. The elemental¡¯s entire body groaned as it toppled forward, but the monster was nowhere near dead. A barrage of spear like icicles fell like hail in a storm towards Leif as he twisted and swung the massive arm in a sweeping motion, many of the icicles were battered away but that wasn¡¯t his main intention. A massive fist mmed into the elemental¡¯s right leg and cracked the limb like it was a pane of ss. Then the skill¡¯s working dissipated as Leif stepped forward and blurred away. The elemental crashed to the ground, its body already shifted and moving the damagedponents, but where it had fallen was right next to where the spriggan reappeared. Leif hauled himself up onto the elemental¡¯s body, even as it shifted and moved his footing remained firm. He reached up and grabbed the wooden de that still floated dutifully over his shoulder. There was a limit to what Leif could move with him when teleporting with [Amber Steps], but things he was connected to, in this case with his [Wood Maniption] skill, would do so if they were close enough. Leif flooded the weapon with healing energy to fortify its structure, reversed his grip, then plunged the de down on where the monster he was standing on might have had a head. This tale has been uwfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The de stuck a foot into the elemental form, causing a spider web of cracks to rapidly spread from the location of the injury. Spikes erupted from the elementals body, stabbing up at him only to be stopped dead in their tracks by a golden barrier. The shield strained against the force of the blow but held. It wouldn¡¯t do anything to save Leif from the walls of jagged ice that rose up to nk him on either side. Hands sprouted all over Leif¡¯s body like the branches of a tree, shooting out to intercept the elemental¡¯stest attack as it tried to crush and impale him in equal amounts of intensity. The arms flexed, struggling to restrain the sheer weight of the ice, and they would only hold for a few seconds more. In that time Leif stabbed down over and over with this wooden de, each strike doing more and more damage as the elemental cracked and broke apart beneath him. Its aura rose then, like the furious fist of a mountain trying to swat away a fly. It pushed down on Leif, trying to crush him into submission, to suppress him so the walls of ice closing in on both sides could m together and end his existence. The aura fell, and hit an invisible barrier that was the spriggan¡¯s own. For a moment their presences were locked in ce, the elemental¡¯s pushing down while Leif used his like a shield, bright and noble. Bothbatants fought on two fronts, the physical and the esoteric. Then Leif sharpened his focus and struck back, an effective [Charisma] of almost two hundred punching a hole right through the crude control of his opponent. The elemental¡¯s aura flinched back as if in shock, its form stiffening and its defensive assault faltering in an instant of instinctual hesitation. Leif stepped forward and blurred backwards, [Amber Steps] carrying him away just as the elemental mmed its body down on where Leif had just been standing. Leif rematerialised in a blur of golden light behind the monster, he raised an ivory fist and reached out with his mind to where the wooden de, practically bursting with amber vitality was now embedded under several tonnes of living ice. ¡°Expand.¡± Hemanded, clenching his fist as if to give the spell working emphasis. The sword¡¯s structure did so, itspressed form, condensed by Leif over several hours and reinforced with his vitality, detonated. The elemental shuddered, the cracks that lined its body shed with amber radiance. For a moment the towering creature shifted, a sickening grinding sounding from its body. The damage to its structure was considerable, but by no means life threatening. Then its aura retracted, as if no longer interested in this conflict, and the monster fell apart. Ice crystals ttering to the ground as what had once been the elemental became inert and still. Leif stood there for several seconds, gaze flickering around to look for any iing attacks or any sign that the monster¡¯s apparent defeat had been a trap. But it hadn¡¯t, the elemental had simply capitted instead of continuing the fight. Leif straightened and dusted ice off his shoulders. He was honestly disappointed it had given up so quickly. His soul was only slightly aching from the rapid use of so many skills, but he felt as if he could have kept fighting for several more minutes, maybe longer if he had paced himself. Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 19! For matching a powerful foe inbat and forcing it into capittion instead of wasting its energy fighting what it couldn¡¯t defeat you have gained a level! +1 [Willpower] +5 free points! Leif couldn¡¯t help but feel like the system seemed to have shrugged its metaphorical shoulders when granting him that level. He knew that the system only described the primary action that resulted in the level gain, not every tiny thing that had added up to enough experience to gain the level. But still, that message certainly didn¡¯t look impressive. But by this point he had spent several days battling and testing himself against the elementals within the valley. If Leif was being honest with himself, he somewhat doubted his ability to deal enough damage to the elemental to have destroyed itpletely. It would have been a gruelling battle of attrition, one that he would have needed to y safely due to his inability to drain life-force to sustain himself. I suppose that if I were a being capable of breaking apart and reconstituting after some time had passed, I probably wouldn¡¯t feel like fighting an extended battle that was ultimately meaningless. He mused, stepping over a pile of now inanimate ice. He stretched and began to march towards the edge of the valley. Time to refill my cultivation pool, then find something for round two. And so he did, and with each victory [Amber Blight Spriggan] drew closer and closer to level twenty. Leif challenged an elemental that was slightly smaller than the one he had defeated to reach level neen, unfortunately the battle had drawn the attention of another of the colossal monsters and Leif was forced to retreat under a hail of ice beams. After letting himself thaw and fully recover from the failed attempt, Leif used his aura to draw an elemental to a part of the valley that he had cleared in the days of fighting prior. This one was far more aggressive than any other Leif had fought up until that point. It attacked and attacked, never letting up a near constant barrage of icences and crushing blows. After a ten minute back and forth battle, Leif stood atop a trembling pile of cracked and shattered crystals. Amber arms tipped with spear points plunged down over and over, each prating blow driving further down into the elemental¡¯s body. The entire time it¡¯s aura crashed against his own, like an avnche trying to sweep him away. Leif resisted, though his soul ached and his mind wavered, the elemental was unable to suppress him. ¡°Just¡­ die¡­ already.¡± He groaned, driving four spiked fists into its increasingly damaged form. Leif sent a silent thank you to the elemental that had given up only a few minutes into the battle, this slog was just tedious. ¡°If you can¡¯t beat me¡­ and you¡¯ll just reconstituteter¡­¡± The spriggan growled. ¡°Then...¡± A crack split the air as the elemental¡¯s body fractured down the middle. ¡°Just¡­¡± Its entire body slowed, no longer attempting to withdraw the damaged parts. ¡°Give!¡± The monster stilled, and the pressure of its aura ckened. Leif let his amber limbs disperse into essence as he sagged, breathing heavily atop his conquered foe. Then the elemental¡¯s body began to glow, brilliant white light shining through the thousands of cracks and gaps in its body. ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± Leif said, feeling the creature¡¯s intent with [Amber Sympathy] moments before it happened. The elemental rudely ignored him and didn¡¯t stop. The brightness grew, its entire form trembling. Leif sighed in resignation and summoned a golden barrier. Then the elemental exploded. Chapter 87: Mending Chapter 87: Mending Amber blood pooled from the wound where a metre long jagged spike of ice had punctured Leif¡¯s torso and punched clean out the other side. There was a finger deep gash in the side of his head, both his legs were missing to various degrees of severity and one of his arms was mangled to the point ofplete disuse. He was caked in ayer of jagged ice, though most of ity strewn around him. Leif coughed, gagged, then reached up and yanked the arm length shard of what had once been part of an elemental out of his throat. The amber motes of light from [Shroud of Preservation] drifted down into his body as his cultivated vitality worked on mending him from the inside out. Golden light flickered across his body like mes merrily dancing in a hearth. The spriggany sprawled out in the crater the impact his body had made by crashing into the side of the valley. Icy mist drifted around him, but it was created by the fragments of elemental that were either still embedded within him, or were scattered around thending zone, Leif was too far away from the valley¡¯s centre to be near any active elementals. Which in his current condition was likely quite fortunate. His body rippled and spasmed as his healing magics dislodged the splinters, stitched together his nt fibre muscles and closed over gaping wounds in his outeryer of ivory bark. He could feel the somewhat unnerving, thoughpletely painless sensation of his legs regrowing and his arm twisting back into shape. All things considered, he¡¯d probably been in worse shape before. Or at least, closer to death, rtively speaking. Leif had enough synergistic skills and bonuses to make his body remarkably sturdy, and that was without mentioning the fact [Font of Life] amplified the effects of his cultivated vitality and spell casting the closer to death he became. The fact his reserve of life-force was currently surging through him with more vigour than he had ever seen was more than enough confirmation he hade quite close dying for a second time. The more he healed, the slower the healing became, but Leif found himself not really caring. Was it annoying [Healing Palm] was still fractured? Certainly, but that skill was more about healing others, with how much restorative energy his body was being flooded with Leif somewhat doubted any more healing would help. Crunching footfalls came from nearby, a momentter Ram was looking down at him from where he stood over the spriggan¡¯s head. ¡°Alive?¡± The awakened beast asked, what could have been either concern or a scowl on his aged features. ¡°You could have warned me they could explode.¡± Leif said once his body stopped its most recent spasm. ¡°I thought by the piles of elemental scattered all around the valley it was obvious.¡±Leif considered Ram¡¯s answer, in hindsight that was kind of obvious. ¡°You still should have told me.¡± The goat looked down at him with a smug expression. ¡°You should have asked.¡± ¡°Oh Ram, the great and powerful, please tell me everything of importance you have forgotten to mention.¡± Ram scoffed, then knelt down to study Leif¡¯s healing form. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned kid, you sure can heal quick.¡± ¡°It might be faster.¡± Leif grunted. ¡°But one of my healing skills is fractured. Oh, any idea how to fix that? I was waiting for it to fix itself but that doesn¡¯t seem to be happening.¡± The goatman stared down at him as if he was an idiot. ¡°How do you normally fix broken things?¡± He asked, as if that made any sense. ¡°It¡¯s hardly a tangible thing Ram, skill¡¯s are not like bits of broken pottery you can glue back together.¡± Ram crossed his arms. ¡°And why not?¡± ¡°Because¡­ Because that¡¯s not¡­¡± Leif trailed off. That wasn¡¯t how it worked. Right? Right¡­ ¡°Putting skills back together is easy, you¡¯ve already done that hard bit by the sounds of it.¡± Ram said confidently. Leif waited, but the man didn¡¯t seem inclined to continue exining. The spriggan sighed in exasperation, this was why he hadn¡¯t asked the man this before. ¡°That being?¡± ¡°The waiting bit.¡± The goat said simply, nodding to himself in confirmation. Leif waited, but once again it became obvious Ram wasn¡¯t going to borate. Getting anything out of the awakened beast felt like squeezing water out of a stone. ¡°Okay¡­ Ram, being as descriptive as you can, please describe the process of healing fractured skills.¡± Ram seemed to chew on the task for a while, then he nodded. ¡°Fine, I suppose I owe you for the healing tree.¡± And the exploding elemental. Leif thought, still a little annoyed at the fact that little piece of information hadn¡¯t been ryed before he had experienced it first hand. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Enough time needs to pass that the skill is ready to be put back together. Then you need to¡­ you know.¡± He said, gesturing as if to grab invisible objects floating around his head. Then he mimed putting them back together. ¡°Then you need to push, or maybe pull, the bits of the skill back into shape.¡± Leif stared up at the goatman for several seconds, his mind expanding at the incredible disy of wisdom and intellect. All of creation was in his grasp as the hidden truths of existence unravelled before his very eyes. ¡°That doesn¡¯t exin anything, you¡¯re really shit at this.¡± Ram threw up his hands. ¡°Well maybe I¡¯m not good at this sort of thing, you ever thought of that you damn twig? I live alone in the mountains and I¡¯ve never had to teach a talking nk of wood how to do the things I figured out by myself.¡± They bothpsed into silence. Well, silence other than the popping and twisting of Leif¡¯s body putting itself back together. The spriggan considered the exnation, from what he could tell from that terrible answer, Ram found the process of fixing fractured skills more or less instinctual. When Ram was exining, he was moving his hands as if grabbing something, maybe you need to visualise the skill somehow before it can be fixed? Actually, when I was studying [Settle], I almost did something simr¡­ When I¡¯m back inside the domain tree I¡¯ll give it a shot. He thought. ¡°Okay, I think I understand at least part of what I need to do.¡± Leif said, the quiet between them having gone on for over a minute. ¡°Really?¡± Ram said, perking up as if surprised. ¡°Sure. Thanks for the lesson, I think I know the next steps now.¡± Leif replied, looking up at the overcast sky. The goatman scratched his horns, then sat beside the still recovering spriggan. For several minutes they both looked up at the darkening clouds. ¡°Think it will rain?¡± Leif finally asked. ¡°Those are storm clouds, but they¡¯ll have passed overhead before it begins raining.¡± ¡°You know, there was a guy called¡­ Alfredi, I think. Back during the battle with the undead. He could control the weather and rain to a pretty impressive degree.¡± ¡°Never heard of him, but I sensed his power from up in the mountains. Not too shabby for a human.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a long lost sibling or something?¡± Leif asked, half jokingly. Ram didn¡¯t reply for several moments, Leif heard him take a deep breath before speaking. ¡°My siblings are long dead. Of old age I mean, none of them reached the level I did.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± Leif said, sensing the slight tremble in Ram¡¯s otherwise irond aura. The spriggan couldn¡¯t read the man¡¯s emotions or intent due to the difference in their rtive strength, but in that brief moment something slipped through the cracks. ¡°Could you tell me about them? If you want, I¡¯m not trying to force you or anything.¡± Again Ram was quiet as he stared up into the cloudy sky. Leif turned his head slightly and saw the far away look in his eye. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s not much to say. They were just a bunch of goats, though I suppose I was too. There was a tribe of humans who lived on the northern slopes of the mountains to the north east of here. They were a rugged, hardy people.¡± He said, gravelly voice slightly forlorn. ¡°Tempest goats can sense storms, and in the north those can be more dangerous than monster attacks or the raids of other tribes. It was a long time ago, and back then I was barely a fraction of what I am now, even still I can remember some things. Warning the tribe of danger, guiding them through mountain passes after heavy snowfall. I was good at it, the best out of all my entire herd, and in time I grew.¡± ¡°You levelled up and evolved?¡± Leif asked, intrigued. Ram nodded. ¡°I remember leaving, going off to find a ce with high mana density, then waking up bigger, stronger, more than I was before. I returned to my ce in the tribe, I remember my siblings being unable topare to my strength, even some of the roaming monsters were no match for me. So I evolved, then evolved again. But humans don¡¯t want powerful beasts living among them, and for good reason¡­¡± He continued after a brief pause. ¡°I was powerful, far beyond any of my kind. And for that they pushed me away. It got easier when I learnt to talk, the strange way some creatures can even without the proper bits. I was a barely aware beast the height of a fully grown man that could shoot lightning, it was never¡­ I was never¡­ ¡± ¡°Good at talking?¡± Leif asked, part of his attention was now on his own mouth, but that wouldn¡¯t stop him from getting in a little jab. Ram red at Leif, then his expression melted away into tired amusement. For the first time Leif really saw how old the man before him was, how the wrinkles, calluses and scars weren¡¯t just a guise the beast in human form was wearing. ¡°Sorry.¡± Leif said, shifting slightly where he wasying on the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡± Ram waved his words away and grunted. ¡°No it''s true, even back then I don¡¯t think talking really helped. I remember my first attempt being so loud the surrounding mountains trembled and people ran away in fear.¡± The goatman sighed. ¡°Time passed, and when I finally reached level fifty I awakened, and well, the rest is as you see it.¡± ¡°Awakening¡­¡± Leif said, studying the half regrown hand emerging from his mostly unmangled arm. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a while, but what exactly is the difference between Awakening and Incarnating? I know the general differences, awakened monsters and beasts can gain general sses and eventually transform, but what exactly is incarnating?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Ram grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest kid, it¡¯s been so long that I don¡¯t really remember. When I reached level fifty¡­ I don¡¯t think I really had a choice. Awakening just felt¡­ right.¡± ¡°Maybe you awakened because of your connection to the tribe?¡± Leif said, though his thoughts drifted to the awakened formian who had done battle over Pherin and Far-reach. Why did she awaken? Is it because of the humans the formians enve? Is that enough to form a connection, or is it something else? ¡°One thing¡¯s for certain.¡± Ram said, pping his knee. ¡°Incarnates are strong, really strong.¡± Leif gave the man a side eye. ¡°Said like someone who has experience getting into fights.¡± ¡°You¡¯re damn right kid! Ain''t nothing I won''t fight. Well, unless it''s absurdly strong, I¡¯m not eager to die quite yet.¡± Chapter 88: Conflict Chapter 88: Conflict Leif watched as Ram took a swig from his seemingly endless bottle, then the goatman handed the bottle to him. He took the bottle and eyed it suspiciously, it was normal alcohol, this wasn¡¯t the first time Ram had offered Leif his bottle in the past hour. The spriggan tilted back his head and drained more than enough liquid that the bottle should be almost empty. Nope, still full. Leif mused, handing it back to Ram. Ram was going on a long winded, and partially rambling tangent about a species of bat monster that lived within a series of caverns beneath the northern mountains. This wasn¡¯t the first story the awakened goat had told Leif about the mountains, and he was increasingly grateful his past, less experienced self had given up on that quest. Even as he was now, Leif doubted he could make it even half way up. His gaze shifted down the valley, watching asrge shapes moved through the icy mist that was growing by the hour. If ice elementals at their full strength call the mountains home, I highly doubt reaching the summit is even a remote possibility. Ram was gesturing wildly as he described the time he punched one of the ¡®screamer bats¡¯ as he called them, so hard that its head exploded. Leif chuckled at the mental picture of one of the monsters letting out a high pitched screech, only for that screech to abruptly cut off as its skull was reduced into a fine mist. The goatman took another swig, and in that moment Leif opened up the system windows that he had automatically closed after surviving the explosion. Level up! ss [Brawler] is now level 10! For reducing an elemental to the point of near death while using your body as a weapon and surviving the resulting explosion because of your powerful physique you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [crity] +1 free points! You have gained the capstone ss skill [Fists of Conflict]! Congrattions! You have reached the level cap for your [Brawler] ss! [Brawler] experience earned is evenly distributed between your other sses! Foundation tier general sses can be promoted using a promotion item! You may directly promote this ss into an Advanced ss, or merge it with another Foundation ss to create a Union ss! Leif recoiled slightly at the barrage of system windows. Then he let out a groan and flopped back into the side of the hill. ¡°What?¡± Ram asked, leering over the lid of his infuriatingly full bottle. ¡°I levelled up.¡± Leif said. ¡°Congrattions?¡± ¡°No, I levelled up in the wrong ss. Now I have another skill that I¡¯m pretty sure pushes me back over the skill limit for experience gain.¡± Ramughed, it started as a low snicker but quickly built up into a full belly guffaw. Leif conjured a golden hand that reached out and tried to snatch the bottle but the goat lifted it out of reach. Leif focused, and his hand extended. Ram stood up and shuffled away as Leif¡¯s golden hand groped uselessly in the air. ¡°I told you to only use skills from the ss you wanted to level up. But did you listen to old Ram? Noooooooo.¡± He mocked, leaning to the side as Leif swiped for his bottle. The conjured limb became too long, and without any cultivated vitality to bolster its form the arm dispersed into motes of essence. Leif threw a rock at him with his newly regenerated hand. A tiny bolt of lightning struck it out of the air. ¡°If I did that while fighting therger ice elementals I would be dead.¡± Leif pointed out. ¡°True.¡± ¡°And I wasn¡¯t getting any experience from fighting the weak elementals.¡± ¡°You probably were, just only tiny amounts.¡± ¡°Ugh, now I need to fight another one, maybe more before I can evolve. Stopughing you ass!¡± Leif said, rolling to his feet with a sigh. ¡°Not an ass.¡± Ram saidzily. ¡°I¡¯m a goat, not a donkey.¡± ¡°Hrious. Maybe I¡¯ll try out my newest skill on you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hundred levels and two hundred years away from that working kid.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. === Fists of Conflict: Aspects: Social*, Enhancement (Body)* Foes you strike with your body find their attention drawn to you and away from all else. While under the effects of this skill your words and actions have an intimidating presence. You have increased physical resilience against attacks from those intimidated by this skill and deal increased damage from your unarmed strikes against them. === ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not what I expected.¡± Leif said, finishing reading the description of his newest skill. Absent-mindedly he put the six free attribute points he had umted into [Might], [crity] and [Charisma]. Bringing the first two up to a round total of fifty. ¡°What?¡± Ram asked, having trudged back up the hill. ¡°The capstone skill from my [Brawler] ss has its primary aspect as ¡®social¡¯.¡± The goat raised an eyebrow. ¡°You n on beating things to death politely?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, not at all. I think with this skill I might just be unkible against certain enemies.¡± ¡°Do elementals count?¡± ¡°Unlikely, can they be intimidated?¡± ¡°By you? No.¡± Ram said smugly. The two stood there for several moments, colossal beings crashed in the valley below. ¡°Do you n on visiting your family?¡± Leif asked, his eyes tracking movements in the mists. Ram nodded. ¡°It¡¯s been too long, I bet they miss me. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I sent a group of animals that were under my protection with them, hopefully they¡¯re still together even after all this time.¡± ¡°Mhmm, you mentioned that before.¡± ¡°Yeah, I hope they¡¯re doing alright. I think getting enough food may have been a problem, I¡¯m not sure why but they seemed to eat less than normal when they were around me.¡± Leif said, then he turned to Ram. ¡°Do you know where they are?¡± He nodded and took a swig from his bottle. Leif frowned internally. ¡°How can you tell? I assume they¡¯re not close.¡± ¡°I can sense storms.¡± Ram replied simply. ¡°And most of the n have storm rted sses, their bloodline grants them quite the affinity for them.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Leif nodded. ¡°I guess that makes sense. Do they have a ritual or something tobine their powers so you can track them or are you able to detect anyone with storm rted powers?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s hardly a ritual.¡± Ram said with a snort. ¡°Just calling up their powers all at once. And no I can¡¯t just track anyone with storm powers, it¡¯s more¡­plicated than that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you n on expanding that exnation?¡± Leif asked, half joking. The goatman red at him. ¡°Endless questions with you isn¡¯t it. Like talking to a damn kid.¡± Well, the system does only consider me to be twelve years old. The spriggan mused, but he kept silent. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how it works exactly, so don¡¯t bother asking. I can sense storms that are brewing, and storms that have broken, they appear differently to my skill. I know that my family are by the western coast, far away from therge human territories. I can sense the storm overhead, where it will go, when it''s most likely to start pouring its contents everywhere¡­¡± He said, trailing off. Leif almost couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking several different questions. How far was the range? What was the skill called? What were the aspects? But he stayed quiet and waited for Ram to continue on his own, the man clearly wasn''t done. ¡°But I can also sense¡­ another kind of storm. It¡¯s the kind of storm that¡¯s slowly building in the south, the human kingdoms and cities seem to be the cause, though honestly if it wasn¡¯t for my family I wouldn¡¯t give a shit.¡± Leif considered his words. ¡°I assume this isn¡¯t a literal storm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. War. Conflict. Whatever you want to call it, I can sense that too. How it builds up, when it spills over. There always seems to be a storm constantly building up, I don¡¯t know how the humans haven''t killed each other off yet.¡± Ram said, tone heavy. ¡°Sometimes they¡¯re not the cause.¡± Leif said, thinking back to the formian invasion that had ultimately resulted in his death. ¡°Sometimes an outside threat forces their hand, I think that can make war inevitable.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The awakened goat growled, his tone low and expression thunderous. ¡°You¡¯d think then, that they would stop fighting among themselves, if there¡¯s an external threat pressing in on all sides they shouldn''t- I don¡¯t get how they can spurn- It just doesn¡¯t make sense. The northern tribes have it rough, but at least they don¡¯tsh out blindly at anything they perceive as different.¡± The twopsed once again into silence. Leif knew the man was right, it was a concern that felt all too personal. He suspected he would face a simr, if not a worse response than Ram¡¯s n of demikin when he re-entered human society. ¡°Bring them here.¡± He said, looking Ram in the eye. ¡°Your family, my animals. When I evolve I suspect the domain tree I created will undergo some changes.¡± ¡°Mhmm¡­ yes, I can do that.¡± He replied thoughtfully. ¡°But what of all the undead? The ruins of that vige will be protected, but I have no interest in sticking them on an ind they can¡¯t escape. Food and resources will be a problem as well.¡± If Leif could smile he would have. He looked north and clenched a fist. ¡°I think I can get rid of the undead, or at least the source of the problem.¡± And hopefully I¡¯ll get thest level I need while doing so. ¡°I have a reunion with a dungeon to get to.¡± Ram looked as though he was going to say something, but simply grunted in acknowledgement. He gestured down into the valley. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up here, then get moving. Unless you want to have some more fun with the elementals?¡± Chapter 89: Lani鈥檚 Life Chapter 89: Lani¡¯s Life Lani considered her short life to have been one strange series of coincidences and bizarre happenings. Perhaps the most strange of these being the fact she could consider at all. She remembered the moments leading up to her evolution clearly, the nomads and the animals that followed them finally reached where thend became rocky and the wind had carried the overpowering scent of salt. In a wave that had been absolutely bizarre to witness from an outsider''s perspective, many of the hogs had slumped to the ground and fallen into torpor. The kind humans had all stared in shock, as too, had Lani. When she had looked around in confusion she had seen that her own mother had likewise slumped into unconsciousness. A murmur had started up among the nomads, but back then Lani hadn¡¯t been able to understand. A little human boy was shaking the unconscious deer with tears welling up in his eyes. The deer, Bam, for her part had fallen over onto her side, drool pooling on the hard packed ground. A series of messages had shed into Lani¡¯s vision, though back then she hadn¡¯t been able to read them. It wasn¡¯t the first grey box to have materialised into her vision, but now that she was more Lani knew that these were more than hallucinations or fear induced delusions. A group of hogs that hadn¡¯t gone still, wandered around the still in shock humans, sniffing around at their unconscious kin. Hourster the animals began to wake one by one, but they did so having changed. The hogs were now farrger, their tusks having a metallic gleam and with ridges poking out along their spines. Bam had been one of thest to awaken, though she was norger, her fur had a faint gleam and a tiny pair of newly grown horns shone with a strange illumination. The two deer locked eyes, even as the evolved one began to eat the shirt of the small human that used her as a pillow. Two monthster it was Lani¡¯s turn, and afterwards her life changed forever. === The sea wind blew across the camp, though it was more than a little buffered by dunes and makeshift barriers the n had constructed. People bustled all around going about their daily tasks and therge evolved yaks slept in a position that allowed their bulk to help shield the camp from the wind. Lani could sense their simplistic dreams, little motes of colour and emotion bubbling from the beasts as they slept through the hottest part of the day. When she closed her eyes the amount of detail she could see wouldn¡¯t so much as increase, but sharpen into rity. Around her sat several more than awake children, they varied in age but the oldest wouldn¡¯t have been over twelve. An aged woman with slightly iridescent silver hair sat on a seat before the ss, her face the very picture of patience as she demonstrated with conjured water different symbols Lani hade to learn were letters. The same letters that popted her vision whenever she called on the system. It had been several months since her evolution, but Lani still marvelled at how her world had expanded. Each day after lunch the woman would gather up the children of the nomad n and teach them about letters and numbers, about monsters and danger, and about the system and skills. It usually took the better part of an hour for the children to be gathered up, after which they would all greet the elder with a lilted chorus of ¡°Hello Elder K.¡± At first, when Lani had included herself into the ss she had been given odd looks. She hadn¡¯t known why, she wasn¡¯t Bam, she hardly made a spectacle of herself quietly sitting in the back of the group. Lani wanted to learn, it made the dreams far more interesting and productive. The lesson continued, the ss would always start off simple before progressing into more advanced topics that would benefit the older children. Lani wasn¡¯t at the point where she could understand theter teachings, mathematics were still far beyond her, but she would certainly try and figure it out when next she slept. As for now¡­ Han jumped onto her back and flung his arms around her neck, a gaggle of younger children excitedly jumping around having lost interest in sitting still. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Lani sat patiently, even as her vision of K was blocked. It was time to leave, there was nothing more to learn today and by trotting off the younger children would follow, thereby leaving their seniors alone to learn therger numbers and moreplex words. Just as she was getting ready to stand amotion came from the encampment¡¯s edge. A line of nsmen and women trailed into the increasingly more permanent camp, themselves being trailed by severalrge iron tusked hogs. Game was slung over the beast''s backs, partially covering the line of metallic protrusions. Thergest of the hogs, a towering creature with scarred features and less than cid dreams, brought up the rear of the party, some sort of slimy winged snake-like creature coiled back and forth over his broad shouldered frame. The children scampered off, their attention thoroughly arrested by the new arrivals. The hunting party was greeted loudly as they began to unload the day¡¯s gains, a tall man with braided white hair and horns jutting from his brow loudly boasting about ¡®battles fought and won.¡¯ Prismatic light began to build up above Lani¡¯s head, as it usually did when the hunters returned. She casually trotted to the side, only for something to fall from the air with a sh and a pop. Lani stared daggers at the other deer as it fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Technically Bam was Lani¡¯s mother, though the two were only a handful of years apart in age. The humans of the n treated them as siblings, which suited Lani just fine, Bam wasn¡¯t exactly a parental figure. ¡°You failed.¡± Lani said through only her re. ¡°Next time I won¡¯t.¡± Bam replied, equally silent. Sparks seemed to fly invisibly through the air as both deer stared one another down. Thenughter came from the side and they both turned. A tall man with purple hair approached where the children had once been, he greeted K with a smile and a hug before nodding thoughtfully in Lani¡¯s direction. ¡°Studious as ever!¡± Samil said, his amusement clear. ¡°You know, Bam was quite the formidable presence on the battlefield today?¡± Lani just stared at him with obvious doubt, even as the other deer puffed out in obvious pride. It was times like these where she wished she could talk, there were so many ways she would state her disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± Samil said, gesturing back to where the hunters were pulling the day''s catch from the hogs. ¡°She almost shot that flying sea serpent out of the sky.¡± K wrinkled her brow. ¡°What was a sea monster doing so far ind? Should we be worried?¡± Samil nodded seriously. ¡°There was a whole school of them flying over the water a few kilometres out, one of them strayed from the group and spotted us. v will report to his father, I suspect the Chief will order everyone away from the sea for the next few days.¡± He gave a meaningful nce to the clearing that was only recently full of kids. The conversation continued as Lani cast her thoughts to the endless stretch of water an hour or so on foot from where the encampment was located. It scared her, the vast field of blue stretching off into the horizon. It didn¡¯t help that whenever she looked at it for too long, she got the ominous sense that there were things lurking just below the surface. Things that dreamt, like she did. She was shaken from her contemtion by a call from the n Chief, the n gathered around, humans and animals both and listened to his warnings about the sea. They all knew the danger, but usually the beach was rtively safe. The older man trailed off, many of the white haired nsmen and women ncing off to the east. Lani followed their gazes as she frowned, it took her a moment to notice what had caught their attention. There was a storm brewing in the east, and it wasing in quickly. ¡°He¡¯sing.¡± v said, his face stretching into a wide grin. Murmurs of excitement quickly built up among the n. Lani nced at Samil and K, but they seemed as out of the loop as she was. Then K¡¯s eyes widened and her lips thinned into a knowing smile. ¡°Oh, about damn time I get to meet this ¡®revered ancestor¡¯. Maybe he¡¯ll even live up to some of the stories.¡± Lani didn¡¯t have a clue what the elderly teacher was on about, but whoever wasing, she doubted they were as great as the protector. Chapter 90: Ruins Chapter 90: Ruins Thendscape north of Far-reach was not what Leif had remembered. Which was only natural, deathly energy seeped into the verynd, rotting it from within. It was a sobering, almost mncholic emotion that overcame Leif as he passed valleys blighted by undeath, forests barren of all leaves. Rotting corpses of the beings who had once called this region home shambled around, their bodies unable to find respite even in death. The further north Leif travelled the more deste his surroundings. Even turbulence, chaotic weather patterns caused by the cracked face of the earth¡¯s closest moon seemed subdued, smothered by the blighted and barrenndscape. Leif had been trudging towards the ruined city of Pherin for well over a week, the northern mountains slowlying into sight the closer he came. It struck him one day, as he stood atop a ridge and looked into the distance, how utterly massive the mountains must be for him to see them from this far away. He and Ram had returned to Far-Reach before going their separate ways, the goatman turning into a stream of lightning as he bounced up through the sky and vanished into the distance. Leif had attempted to restore [Healing Palm], the first step of which was returning to the domain tree. Bing one with the now dozen metre tall tree was something he knew he could do, if only in theory. In practice it was as simple as he had imagined. Using spellcraft he twisted the intent behind [Settle], effectively doing the inverse of what he had done when separating himself from the skill to begin with. At hismand the world trembled, then he slipped into the trunk like a stone breaking the surface of a pond, vanishing within. Leif¡¯s attempts to visualise [Healing Palm] ended up being unsessful, even with the meditative mindset once again being in his tree form brought, he still could only vaguely sense the skills that rested within his soul. He could feel [Settle], being practically within that skill¡¯s structure brought it closer to his awareness than any other. He attempted to blindly grope around in the dark for the fragments of [Healing Palm], but it was like trying to grasp the air in a fist. Throughout his several hours of reaching within himself, letting all else fall away as he concentrated on seeking out the fractured skill, one thing repeatedly caught his attention. The golden thread that connected him to the strange vision was ever present, the hair thin strand of light more real than any other part of his soul. During his days of recovery, exploration, then training, Leif had let the vision fall to the back of his mind. But now within the calm stillness of [Settle], as he stretched his perception ever inwards, Leif found the connection an almost distracting constant. He reached out mentally for the golden strand, not to return to the vision, but instead to feel if he could. The strange buzzing and pressure was distant now, but not gone in its entirety. Even a week and hundreds of milester Leif still found himself thinking back to the string within his soul. Marching through the lifeless wilderness, no longer connected directly to the domain tree Leif could no longer sense the connection. Instead, deathly energy seemed to permeate every inch of reality. It was a distracting, smothering, foul presence. It washed against him, thicker and more tangible by the day. It felt like the life aspected domain [Settle] emitted, only an exact opposite. Maybe that''s what it is? Could the dungeon, or perhaps the mere presence of undead creatures create a domain with the death aspect? Leif didn¡¯t know, and he likely wouldn¡¯t until he reached Pherin, and explored the Mythhold below. === The abandoned city, once a bastion of humanity within this region was, unlike the rotted and dyingnd surrounding it, mostly as he remembered it. Towering stone walls divided the city intoyers, though the defences were breached and cracked in several key areas. He now knew this city had been destroyed by the same enemy he had died fighting against. The envers, ant-like monsters and their legion of enved. Humans- or perhaps demikin, bound to the will of their monstrous overlords and made to fight. From his vantage, Leif could see packs of undead roaming the streets, the prevailing aura of death seemed to pulse within the ground like the beat of a sickly heart. To his innate sense of vitality it looked as though dark veins of power were running through the earth. In the centre of the city stood the partially shattered remnants of the monolith of stone that indicated the main entrance to the Mythhold. If the structure had once been able to bestow a mythical ss, its purpose was now twisted, now an epicentre of death corrupting the world. Leif could attempt to descend down into the dungeon, picking his way slowly through the copsed hallways and chambers. Fortunately he had a better idea, one that would hopefully save him a considerable amount of time. This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As Leif made his way through a gash in the outer wall the nearby undead were alerted to his presence. Leif pushed cultivated vitality into [Shroud of Preservation], the skill flickered around him, small motes of amber light floating around him in slow meandering patterns. This only served to enrage the undead, their stumbling approach bing rabid and desperate. The spriggan walked forward, an amber limb reaching out to grab each of the skeletal figures as they got within range. It was like the undead had run headfirst into a wall, their momentum instantly halted the moment he grabbed onto them. They thrashed and struck out, even as he drained them of the corrupted vitality that animated them beyond the end of their lives. Without breaking stride Leif walked down the nearest thoroughfare, dozens of skeletons scrambling towards him through the rubble strewn streets or out of mostly copsed buildings. He idly noted most were goblin sized, almost childlike in their proportions. It was an unnerving sight, if not at all threatening. With every step Leif took he left dust and loose piles of bone behind him. None of the undead manifested mana shards upon their final death, but that wasn¡¯t unexpected with how weak they were. But Pherin wasn¡¯t the heart of the undead gue without having its share of nasty surprises. One of which made itself known as a bone spear twice as long as Leif was tall came sailing towards his head. Three amber arms reached up and snatched the projectile out of the air,bined they were able to stop its descent, if barely. He looked the spear up and down even as it hung barely an inch from his right eye. The weapon was clearly made of bone, though Leif couldn¡¯t identify what types had gone into its bizarre creation. It was as though something had melted down an entire skeleton, then reformed it into the weapon. Leif hadn¡¯t detected the hostile intent of whatever had attacked him, so he pushed out his aura, using its expanded radius to increase the scope of his perception. A second spear came from his right, a faint wisp of intent right at the edge of his aura. This one Leif didn¡¯t bother blocking, simply stepping to the side and letting the missile sail past. It crushed three undead as they tried to w their way past the conjured hands that were restraining them. His cultivated vitality began to build up back to maximum as [Blight¡¯s Bounty] worked to convert the deathly energy that entered his body into life-force. He pushed more power into his shroud, the golden motes beginning to dance around him as if energised by the vitality he was feeding into the skill. Leif considered ignoring whatever was attacking him from range, but he decided against it. Alone, the attacker was no real threat, but that could quickly change if more powerful undead joined in to assault him all at once. He pped aside another bone spear, then began running in the direction he sensed the hostile intent. He wasn¡¯t fast, speed would likely never be his strong point. Even still he moved with surprising haste. As Leif made his way through the ruined streets of Pherin, amber limbs reached out to use buildings as leverage, hauling him along like a demented spider. There was a limit to the strength of each arm individually, butbined they were more than enough to elerate him towards his destination. Leif vaulted over a mostly crumbled wall and into a courtyard. Before him, clinging to the side of the remains of a structure that may have once been a bazaar, loomed the evolved undead. It was almost entirely made of bone, but that was the only natural part of the abomination. It was long and slender, its body wrapping around the peak of a nearby building like a snake wound around a branch. But by far the most striking part of its foul appearance were the hundred sets of skeletal arms that lined either side of its serpentine body, giving the monster an almost centipede-like visage. Leif locked eyes with the undead, its erged face sunken and hollow with angry emerald light dancing within its eye sockets. As the undead and spriggan locked gazes, It reached down an arm and scooped a skeleton from the ground even as the undead ran towards Leif. Before his eyes the lesser undead was melted down, bone flowing like water in a stream only for the liquid to stretch out into the shape of a spear. I didn¡¯t expect to be so right with my assumption the spears were melted bone. Leif thought, eyeing the projectile wearily even as his own arms wove a defensive pattern around him. The undead chittered angrily, intent red even as the monster lifted the spear and took aim. Then another spear was lifted, and then another. The undead¡¯s form rippled as it began to repurpose its own body for ammunition. Yeah no thanks. He thought, reaching down with a pair of amber limbs and grabbing chunks of debris. Then he threw them with everything he had, [Grand Action] increasing his [Might] attribute as strength flooded Leif¡¯s body. The chunk of building shot through the air, crashing into the undead¡¯s side and spoiling its aim. Leif ran forward, ripping up chunks of the partially shattered street as he did so. Under the cover of his own barrage of projectiles he reached the base of the building the undead was lurking atop of, then he half climbed, half tore the structure down as he ascended. Bone spears flew even as the undead retreated. He grabbed onto the monster as the building fell apart, deathly energy flooding into him where he was draining the undead. The undead shrieked, and contorted, its head thrashed as the monster hissed in fury. Spears fell, only to bounce off a barrier of golden light as Leif shifted his focus onto [Willpower]. The barrier cracked, but held off the onught of spears as the spriggan tore the undead to pieces, bone chunks flying off into the piles of rubble and detritus. A minuteter the thrashing stopped, and a mana shard manifested above the now still undead¡¯s body. Leif plucked it out of the air, nodding thoughtfully at the small blue crystal. He would need a few more of these, and not just for the skill he was currently attempting to fuse. Chapter 91: The Dungeon Chapter 91: The Dungeon It took Leif seven hours to reach the temple he had once used to escape the very ce he was trying to reenter. This was because, to put it nicely, he took the scenic route. Due to this, a good quarter of Pherin¡¯s streets were now free of undead. Bones and dust littered promenades that had once hosted hordes of skeletal monsters as they roamed aimlessly through the city. All things considered, it was quite the leisurely stroll through the ruins of civilization, he was only impaled three times total. Leif had a few interesting discoveries during this time, the first was that pushing too much cultivated vitality into [Shroud of Preservation], while remarkably pretty, threatened to destabilise and potentially fracture the skill¡¯s structure. The second, also rted to [Shroud of Preservation], was that with enough energy pushed into the skill the healing motes of golden light obliterated any undead that came into contact with them. As Leif walked through the streets of Pherin, specks of amber light weaving behind him like the world''s longest cloak, undead dusting in his wake, he had time to think and reflect. The city surrounding him felt like a grim parody of his own situation, it had been brought low by conflict, its people killed or disced. But unlike him, the abandoned city hadn¡¯t had a chance to recover, inundated by misfortune after misfortune. First the invasion, then it had be a nest for goblins, then a source for the undead spreading throughout the region. From his perspective, it hadn¡¯t been all too long since he was first exploring the city he currently wandered through. Though in reality it was closing in on a year. He recalled his initial encounter with Sieg and Marcus, the first humans he had met since losing his own humanity. The lessons he had learnt, the trials they had faced as they fled deeper into the Mythhold to escape the battle raging on the surface. Remembering what he had lost still caused pangs of sadness, of pain, but it was far less than it had once been. He was getting used to what he had be, his body no longer feeling wrong, like his soul had been stapled onto a vessel it didn¡¯t belong to. Leif flexed his hands, feeling the sensation of only four fingers being attached to each. Before he would have felt an innate sense of disgust, of wrongness, but that had faded almost entirely into the background of his mind. It was his life, his second chance, and he would make the most of it. In contrast to these feelings was the temple that loomed before him. Malevolent energy pooled within its halls, wrapping up the pirs and covering the entrance and windows like webbing. Leif had assumed the temple would serve as a side entrance to the dungeon, but standing outside of the structure he couldn¡¯t imagine it being anything but the main entrance. If the damage to the upperyers of the Mythhold is what I suspect it is, then this may just be the only way inside the dungeon. He thought, stepping through the threshold of the temple, brushing away the sinister pressure emanating from within with his aura even as it tried to cling to his very being. The amber light flickering around him began to sizzle and pop, the motes of life energy shing with invisible miasma that drifted through the air. It felt stifling, as if his body was constricted and it was hard to breathe. The further into the temple he walked the more it felt like something intangible was getting further and further away. Within the main hall of the temple was the teleportation circle, but unlike when Leif hadst used it there was a pulsing pool of darkness within. It dimmed all light, as if its very presence dulled the world around it. He paused, observing the corrupted portal as if it might be a trap. Green light flickered asionally within the inky ck, but otherwise nothing happened. He tentatively approached, amber limbs raised and ready to protect him, instead the pool seemed to ripple, then clear. The darkness retreated, leaving a shimmering window into a small chamber Leif recognised. It immediately struck Leif how little he actually knew about dungeons. Ram had talked about having found and explored several in the northern mountains, but like with any conversation with Ram details tended to becking. He knew they were a sort of congregation of power, and a source of certain monsters rted to said power. He knew they had a centre, a core of sorts that held the power in ce, and he knew excess power from the dungeon could seep out into the world.He stepped up to the very edge of the portal, haunting whispers echoing from within. Leif firmed his resolve, then stepped inside. === Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The transition between outside to standing within the dungeon was seamless, but it wasn¡¯t without cause for rm. Immediately Leif felt his anchors, points in space where he could use [Amber Steps] to teleport to, vanish from his senses. He could always feel them, even when they got too far away, it was distinctly eerie to lose all of them, even the one ced at the base of his domain tree no longer present within his mind¡¯s eye. Another thing he suddenly felt the loss of was his intangible connection to life mana, the abstract concept [Font of Life] granted him some small authority over. In this ce, spellcraft was gone, as was the familiar sensation offort it brought. Leif spun, but the portal was still there, he could see through it as though it was clear ss, the derelict temple on the other side being only a few steps away. Leif pushed out his aura, but even that feltpressed and restricted. Not enough that it was unusable, he was nowhere near suppressed while within the dungeon, but the range of his perception abilities would be dampened considerably while he remained within. He lowered a hand to the small wooden pouch at his side, he had intended to use the mana shards within to activate the portal but that was no longer necessary. It was incredibly tempting to use the shards immediately to speed up his current skill fusion. He would need to get at, or ideally below fifteen skills when he reached level fifty. While that was still a few levels away and his monster ss evolution would take priority, lowering his total skills now would potentially save weeks, if not months of waiting while at the bottleneck. He nced at the portal. It seems stable enough, but I shouldn¡¯t risk it remaining like this forever. Leif knew his understanding of portals began and ended with ¡®they take you ces.¡¯ With great reluctance he made the conservative choice. Better not use these until I¡¯m outside. The subtle whispering that lingered in the stale air of the dungeon seemed to increase in volume, the inaudible chittering sounding almost disappointed. Leif red into the darkness, his golden eyes burning within the slits of his mask-like face. Momentster the voices receded, returning to faint whispers. That was strange. Leif thought, looking around suspiciously. === The structure was different, subtly wrong in ways that at first Leif couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on. Therge room that he, Marcus and Sieg had first battled the enver queen was mostly as he had left it. The shape and dimensions of the room hadn¡¯t changed, but all the damage the previous battle had inflicted on the room was absent. The lids of the stone tombs that surrounded the room¡¯s exterior were likewise present, but they were no longer broken where the silver eyed undead had forced their way free. Leif was naturally suspicious, and checked one of the te coffins, it was empty and seemingly in perfect condition. As was the next one, and the next. These changes were odd, but not necessarily out of the ordinary. Maybe the Mythold had some sort of self repair functionality? Leif mused as he exited the chamber, entering the corridor lined with dozens of alcoves, each housing a single- There were no alcoves, instead the corridor immediately branched at a t-intersection, both paths leading off into darkness. ¡°What the hells?¡± Leif asked nobody as he nced from side to side. The response was a series of howling screeches from the right hand corridor. Momentster a trio of vering ghouls scrambled down the hallway, wed hands raking across polished stone, mouths opened wide in a feral snarl. Three golden hands met the face of three separate undead, their bones broke, their skulls shattered, their limp bodies went sailing back into the darkness. Leif was more interested in the architecture than the sub level twenty five monsters. Where the structure had once continued was a solid stone wall, but itcked the detailed engravings that weremon this far down in the Mythhold. Additionally, the wall was slightly indented, not quite aligned with the walls on either side. Leif smashed a golden fist into the in wall, the surface cracked as the blow left an inch deep crater in the solid stone. The spriggan listened for any sign the wall was hollow, or that there was anything on the other side. Nothing. He thought, leaning in to study the damage his strike had done. Already the wall was beginning to mend, stone slowly flowing back into ce. To either side came the howls and screeches of more low level undead. It wouldn¡¯t do to becent within the dungeon, while Leif had more than enough experience fighting undead to know his power-set generally countered them, there was still a considerable risk if he let his guard down. No telling what kinds of monstrosities the dungeon has cooked up. If the bone centipedes up on the surface are anything to go by, there might be some truly bizarre and deadly encounters lurking in these halls. It was as the thought passed through Leif¡¯s head that ethereal forms erupted from the walls, floor and ceiling. Chapter 92: Non-Euclidean Chapter 92: Non-Euclidean A dozen spectres phased through the stone walls, floor and ceiling. Their translucent limbs were extended out towards him, their mouths stretched into feral snarls of agony and fury. Leif jerked back in surprise, raising his arms, both real and conjured to defend himself. Something cold touched his ankle, an icy chill shooting up his leg. Leif fell to a knee as the limb gave out, he nced down and saw a ghostly hand wrapped around his lower shin. He struck out at the offending touch with one of his real arms, but the moment his fingers brushed against the ethereal hand a frigid chill shot down his arm. The contact was brief, and he still maintained control of the limb, but his leg was still being drained. Faint streams of golden light were flowing into the spectre¡¯s arm, disappearing into the floor where the rest of its body was still hidden. Above and all around, ghostly forms assaulted him from every direction. Their incorporeal bodies weren¡¯t able to pass through his conjured arms, but their golden structure cracked and weakened as the spectres pressed the attack. Leif conjured a short de of amber from the knuckles of his uninjured hand and struck down at the wrist of the monster partially submerged in the ground. The arm was severed, the spectre still hiding within the floor fleeing out of sight. But making the attack had cost him, the golden de had been hastily made, [Gold Iron Physique] only technically allowing the form to be made as it wasn¡¯t exactly a limb. Leif had found that creating full arms, hands included with the skill, led to far more stable manifestations, but he could only guess as to why. Regardless, his distraction allowed the spectres to push past his defences, their ghostly fingers reaching out to touch him. The cold sensation in his leg was already retreating as a flood of amber vitality restored functionality to the limb, but it would take a few more seconds before he could move. [Under my Protection] red to life, the golden barrier snapping up around him, protecting him from the ethereal monsters, but not for long. Within moments his attackers began to press into the shield, their very touch enough to cause hairline cracks to spread through the skill¡¯s structure. They¡¯re intangible, but thaumatic constructs can slow them down. He realised, amber arms fanning out behind him as he stood, then shifted into pointed spears. The shield dropped, over taxed by the spectre¡¯s slowly phasing through, then each spectral undead had a golden point driven right at their centre of mass. Five of his strikes were right on target, amber spears punching right through the undead¡¯s chests and out the other side. Three only sustained ncing blows, their ethereal bodies dancing to the side to avoid his attacks. The rest blurred, their forms bing almost invisible, only for them to appear several metres away. Teleportation, that must be a skill of some kind. He noted, stabbing once again at the nearby spectres. Those he had struck were clearly damaged, their forms less substantial and their movements slower, but even having taken direct hits the undead were still alive. The spectres that had teleported away all raised their arms, haunting screechesing from their still wide open mouths. Ethereal weapons, each glowing with ghostly light began to manifest around them, then the weapons surged forward, edges glinting as the amber light of Leif¡¯s skills reflected off the faux metal material each of the weapons were made of. He battered two swords aside, deflected a spear with his real arm, then used [Amber Steps] to avoid an axe that fell down from above. Two daggers flew in low, cutting at the back of his legs, but unlike with human physiology their strikes found no weak tendons to sever, only the joint of hardened bark. As quickly as they had arrived, the summoned weapons began to fade, their attacks slowing and forms fading away. Leif looked around, and found himself alone in the t-intersection of the dungeon. ¡°Hey!¡± He called, indignant. ¡°I wasn¡¯t done, get back here!¡± The spectres didn¡¯t answer. === The dungeon was a maze, and [Amber Steps] didn¡¯t leave behind teleportation anchors for long enough to be useful for navigation. Several times he was attacked by groups of undead, zombies, skeletons, a few abominations here and there. Leif intended to use their remains to track where he had been, but he quickly discovered after backtracking upon reaching a dead end that the dungeon somehow cleaned up itself. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Marking the walls wouldn¡¯t work either, any damage the structure sustained would slowly mend. Leif¡¯sst hope for easy navigation was foiled when he encountered a pack of rotting ghouls in a part of the undergroundplex he was certain he had already cleared of monsters. So he couldn¡¯t leave a trail, and he couldn¡¯t just go wherever he found enemies. This left only a single option. I need to make a map. He thought, having returned to the chamber right before the portal leading out of the dungeon. I don¡¯t have paper, and even if I did I don¡¯t have anything to write with. He mused, considering his options. Then a thought struck Leif, he quickly exited the dungeon, reappearing within the temple a momentter. He found a nearby building with a wooden floorboard, then pulled a nk out with little effort. Using [Wood Maniption] he ttened the board, stretching it so its proportions were more symmetrical. He returned to the dungeon, using the skill to keep the wooden panel floating before him. With a brief effort of will, he used his increasing expertise with [Wood Maniption] to make a tiny indent on the map''s surface. Then, focusing on [Intelligence], he began to mentally dictate an etching of the structure¡¯syout. [Intelligence] did several things, but what he was interested in boosting was the ability to concentrate on multiple tasks at once. At this point in his advancement, one of the main limitations of [Gold Iron Physique] wasn¡¯t the amount of power he could get out of the skill, it was how many arms he could conjure while still maintaining control. Using [Wood Maniption] so actively would reduce his overallbat effectiveness with his other skills, but not getting lost was more than enough of a trade off for him to be fine with it. In this way Leif continued, packs of monsters he would have been able to obliterate in seconds now took slightly longer, but other than encountering a second group of spectres he had little issue. He stood in arge rectangr chamber, ectosm dissolving all around him as the icy absence of vitality retreated from his right hand. The ghostly monsters had once again tried a hit and run tactic, but Leif had put a stop to that by immediately going on the offensive. Three out of the nine had managed to escape into the floors and walls, but their tricks wouldn¡¯t surprise him again. If he were anyone else, constantly having small snippets of life-force drained from his body would likely be quite dangerous, Leif could imagine a group of human adventurers slowly being whittled down by repeated attacks, their bodies bing more and more susceptible to the death aspected energy that suffused the dungeon. But for every spectre Leif was drained by, he refilled his supply of vitality by draining the more standard undead. He examined his surroundings more closely, noting for the first time that there were strange entrances and walkways higher up in the room. He had no way of reaching them, not that he had any reason to try. They were built into the walls, leading in ways nobody would be able to walk without falling off. He even saw a stairwell in the darkened shadows of the ceiling. Shrugging, he marked the room on his map and continued on. === Everything was going great, he was making quick progress through the dungeon, outside of a few trap rooms he had been careful while crossing, Leif had discovered that despite his initial worry, there didn¡¯t seem to be much in this ce that could actually harm him. Not physically anyway. The further into the dungeon he travelled, the more and more dense the deathly energy became, the architecture of the structure slowly bing less coherent. The dungeon had been using the rough design on the Mythhold for its rooms, hallways and chambers, but the longer he explored the more things got weird. Rooms would be awkwardlybined, hallways would lead to a turn, but the turn would lead either straight up or down. Leif had no desire to potentially fall to his death, and climbing wasn¡¯t really his strong suit. Despite the psychic damage from the incongruous architecture, everything was going great, that was until he was walking down a hallway only to be forced to take a right turn. Then another, then another. When he made a fourth right turn in quick session and wasn¡¯t back where he had started Leif let out a long suffering sigh. He looked down at his map, now with four lines making a square in the wood. It only got worse from there. Leif entered arge cylindrical chamber, darkness shrouding the floor and ceiling as the walls seemed to stretch up and down into eternity. As he peeked out over the edge Leif suddenly began to fall, not outward, but backwards. The hallway he had just walked down was now a vertical shaft below him. Amber arms arrested his fall, then pulled him up and into the cylindrical room. The walls of the room were now the floor, and as he tentatively stepped out into the chamber gravity seemed to follow him along the slightly curving ground, making whatever he was standing on the direction he would fall. Leif nced forlorn at his detailed and intricate map. Then he used [Wood Maniption] to roll it up into a scroll. If the dungeon was going to throw nonsense like this at him, the map wouldn¡¯t be much good. ¡°If there¡¯s a term for the kind of confusing bullshit this ce is, I¡¯m going to find out when I get to that big academy in the empire.¡± Leif shouted into the darkness. ¡°I mean, how on earth does this even work?¡± He hadn¡¯t expected the dungeon to reply, so when a re of foul power pulsed in the darkness to his left Leif turned to face it. Then he heard the scrambling of hundreds of creatures moving towards him. Chapter 93: The Core Chapter 93: The Core Undead poured through the cylindrical chamber, running, scrambling and crawling as they moved along the walls, the strange nature of the room allowing them to defy gravity. Hundreds emerged from the darkness, Leif could even see them on what from his perspective was the ceiling. The sheer amount of undead was a daunting obstacle, but Leif had more than enough reasons not to back down. For starters, he was in perfect condition, maybe more so. The strategy employed by the dungeon to whittle attackers down through attrition hadn¡¯t worked on him, Leif¡¯s cultivation was practically bursting at the seams, his body filled with vitality. Even so, he knew the dangers of being overwhelmed. Durable he may be, but he wasn¡¯t immortal. At a nce Leif assessed the approaching monsters as mostly weaker variants of undead, zombies, skeletons, and other types that hadn¡¯t yet reached level twenty five. Evolved they may be, but there was a qualitative difference between beings who had crossed over that threshold. Leif let cultivated vitality flow into [Shroud of Preservation], golden motes of light bloomed into existence all around him, then the light began to increase in luminosity as he let more and more vitality flood into the skill. Within seconds a swarm of amber motes billowed out behind him, tiny specs of light that reminded him of the night sky. Then he reached out with his will, attempting to push back the ever present miasma of the dungeon. He couldn¡¯t modify the skill with spellcraft, but in this case he felt as though he didn¡¯t need to. It took a not inconsiderable amount of effort, but Leif moved the skill, using the part of its innate structure that allowed him to target the skill at a range to cast the motes out around him. The undead horde drew closer as the specs of life-force drifting through the air began to move faster and faster. The skill began to strain under his will, a faint, but not unfamiliar ache beginning to build in his soul. There was a limit any skill could be used, or changed before it would break. Leif was familiar with this process, and had no intention of repeating that mistake. With as much control and finesse as he could muster he fed vitality into the skill, as he did so he twisted the cultivated energy, using it to elerate the movement of the motes of vitality. The fastest undead were upon him now, though several flinched back as they touched the motes, the weakest even falling back, part of their body going unresponsive or even turning to dust. The undeading from the walls and ceiling began to curve down towards him, within moments he would be surrounded. Amber arms struck out, not to crush or destroy, but to restrain. In a simr way to what he had done in the city, Leif held back the undead, using their bodies as both a battery for vitality but also a barrier to protect himself. Lifeforce trickled into him through his conjured limbs, then it flowed out of him and into [Shroud of Preservation]. The glowing motes of vitality were brighter now, rotating around him as if he were the eye of a windless storm. Undead charged into the golden maelstrom, only to be turned to dust, only the strongest survivinging into contact with more than a few motes. The healing energy contained within the skill immediately began to drop, the cyclone of vitality fading as the life-force was eaten into by his offensive use of the skill. Several undead pushed through the storm, the sheer mass of bodies practically forcing them towards Leif. They were met by a defensive weave of amber hands that grabbed and held onto their twisted forms. Vitality was spent, then recovered, a near perfect cycle resulting in a small circle of destruction within the cylindrical chamber. [Shroud of Preservation] began to lose stability, without the ability to use a spellmand to stabilise the skill¡¯s structure it wouldn¡¯tst for another minute. But with how effective the inefficient use of the skill was at ughtering the tide of weak undead, Leif doubted it would have tost that long. It would have been enough, then a volley of spectral weapons fell down from above. Within the sea of hostile intent and with his aura restricted, Leif didn¡¯t notice the attack until it was upon him. A golden shield red to life above him, blocking the two dozen weapons as they struck down at him with tremendous force. He saw them then, a cluster of spectres that flewzily in the centre of the chamber. They were out of his effective reach, free to strike out at him with their conjured des. Under constant assault from all sides, Leif began to move. The storm of golden light followed him as he walked around the circumference of the chamber. The spectres twisted in mid-air, following him with their otherworldly gaze as he attempted to reposition in a way that would allow him to strike back. Pain built up within him as [Shroud of Preservation] reached its limits. Each skill had an independent amount they could be used, and the defensive skill was rapidly reaching its limits. The shield of [Under my Protection], broke, then was reconjured as the ethereal weaponry attacking him from above struck again and again. And to think the two skills I¡¯m currently fusing would be used together in this way. Leif thought, amused even as he started to worry. If I don¡¯t deal with this soon, I¡¯ll be in trouble. Even though the undead are weak individually, if they start to pile on all at once it¡¯ll be a repeat of Far-reach. It didn¡¯t escape his notice that if his fusion was sessful, the current tactic he was employing would likely be impossible. Leif snapped from his distraction as the barrier above him shattered, a ghostly spearncing through the gap in his defences to plunge into his chest. A conjured arm battered the weapon aside as he threw up another shield, but this led to one of the undead he was restraining getting free. Ittched onto him, teeth biting into his neck and ws raking ineffectually against his hardened exterior. A spike of pain shot through him, but it wasn¡¯t due to the undead. [Shroud of Preservation] was at its limits, letting out a hissing sigh Leif let the skill drop, inertia sending golden motes of light flying off in every direction. The undead nearest to him died in their dozens as vanishing specks of vitality shot through them. Some of the motes went upwards, but instead of falling back to the ground they continued to drift towards the centre of the chamber. Towards the spectres. Does the strange gravity effect not persist after a few metres? Leif wondered, sweeping his conjured arms around him in a defensive motion. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He looked up at where the ghostly undead hovered in mid-air, their arms raised as more weapons were conjured. An idea struck him, it might not work if his hunch about the room''s distorted reality wasn¡¯t correct, but it was worth a try. He began to run, pushing aside undead as he went. With each stride he sent scores flying off, then a thought struck him and he grabbed one of the snarling monsters with his real arms. It roared in his face, raking across his torso with slightly glowing ws. Bark parted, amber blood flowing from the wound, the undead went sailing through the air. As it flew, its trajectory changed, it went from falling down to up after passing through an invisible point. Using this information he roughly knew the real highest point of the chamber, now he needed to get to the other side. His cultivation dropped as he reinforced the teleportation anchor that had been created at his feet, then he threw himself into the horde. Wounds began to umte as he fought his way around the chamber. [Under my Protection] was pushed to its limits, then he was forced to stop using it. Conjured weapons stabbed into him, several ncing off due to the sheer durability of his body, but several dealt significant damage. It took well over a minute, but he finally reached what he hoped was the real bottom of the cylindrical room, then he forced his aura up, his connection to the teleportation anchor snapped into ce. His arms fanned out around him, hands flexing, preparing for what was toe. Then he stepped forward, vanishing in a streak of golden light that shot through the group of spectre¡¯s still floating high above the fight. They shrieked as he blurred past, but they didn¡¯t separate. Leif appeared above them, and for an instant the room¡¯s distorted gravity didn¡¯t pull him down to the rtive floor at his feet. In that instant he reduced his weight slightly with [Gold Iron Physique], focused [Grand Action] on the [Might] attribute and shoved down with every conjured arm at once while leaping into the air. He shot upwards, his leap turning into an uncontrolled fall. His conjured arms sharpened into ded edges, life-force stolen and converted from the undead he had been battling surging through them, erging the arms beyond the point he could easily control them. But it hardly mattered, he twisted andshed out, a spinning dervish of amber as he dropped through the formation of spectres like a meteor, cutting the infuriating monsters to pieces, their howls of outrage severed as they dissolved into ectosm. The spriggan, falling feet first, crashed down into the ground where he had been fighting only seconds before, his impact cracked the ground, shattering bones and polished stone alike. Undead went sting away in every direction as he mmed into them, the sheer amount of damage he dealt with hisnding restoring a not insignificant portion of his depleted cultivation. The faux bones in his legs groaned with the impact, his nt fibre muscles tearing and his hardened exterior cracking. For a moment everything was quiet, the malevolent force that hung ever present throughout the dungeon retreating as if in shock. Leif stood, his body already healing. The final few undead threw themselves at him as the silence broke, they stood no chance. === After that disy the dungeon seemed to grow¡­ desperate. Leif dispatched small groups of weak undead that came after him even as the deathly energy of the dungeon became thicker and thicker. The cylindrical chamber gave way to a bizarre room of stairways and pirs. Then a maze of twisted corridors. Leif even passed through what looked almost identical to a trap chamber he had run through almost a year ago on his first descent into the Mythhold. Finally, having battled through a seemingly endless corridor lined with stone tombs he entered what could only be the centre of the dungeon. Giant statues lined the walls, their design reminding him of the statue that had stood above the Mythold¡¯s entrance back on the surface. Tens of these towering figures of stone filled the chamber¡¯s exterior, while in the centre hung a floating sphere of darkness. The orb was nearly pitch ck, its only blemishes the asional flicker of baleful emerald or icy blue. Something invisible seemed to focus on Leif as he marched towards it, the world seeming to twist and slow. The walls of the room suddenly loomed closer, the statues bearing down over him like titans ready to pass judgement, their expressionless faces now carved into a twisted visage of fury and feral hunger. It felt not dissimr to what he experienced when utilising the concept of life mana, only disgusting. Leif wasn¡¯t overly phased by the intimidation tactic, though even he had to admit the presentation was quite impressive. It was just¡­ I can sense hostility and intent, and there¡¯s absolutely nothing of the sort in the statues. Leif came to a stop twenty or so metres from the floating orb, he ced his real hands on his hips and red up at the manifestation of deathly power. ¡°So, you must be the core.¡± The world tightened around him, as if trying to squeeze the soul from his body. If Leif could raise an eyebrow he would have done so. Maybe if I had better control over [Wood Maniption] He thought wryly. It wasn¡¯t as if he was unaffected by the dungeon¡¯s final attempt to kill him, it was just with an effective [Charisma] of around two hundred his aura was more than up to the task of keeping the power at bay. It probably doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯m heavily attuned to what is effectively the anathema of death. ¡°Cry about it all you like, but I can¡¯t let you keep existing.¡± He said simply, the dungeon ring in anger, then fading into what almost felt like depressed eptance. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, no more corrupting this already ravaged part of the world.¡± Now he just had to figure out a way to reach the core. It would be embarrassing if he came all this way only to be forced to turn around and leave¡­ He considered the problem for several seconds, then nced down to the secret weapon hanging at his waist. Three small balls of condensed andpressed wood weretched to his body, they practically hummed with power. Leif looked from what were effectively [Wood Maniption] bombs, then back up to the core. He grabbed one of the spheres of wood, focused on [Might], triggered [Embolden Vegetation], then threw the ball with as much force as possible at the core. In mid-air he unravelled it, willing it to expand and snap back into its upressed state. An ear splitting crack echoed through the room as the wooden ball practically exploded with golden light, wooden chunks twisted and writhed with furious strength. Then the mass of expanding wood collided with the dungeon core, everything froze, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Wooden branches stilled in their violent expansion, wrapped around the core, jagged stakes impaling the dark orb as other parts smashed into it. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, then the core cracked down the middle and the world resumed. Leif¡¯s vision snapped to the system window the instant it appeared, if he could smile he certainly would have. He probably could have used [Wood Maniption] to mimic the expression, but he was too distracted. He had reached level twenty in [Amber Blight Spriggan]. A brand new skill and the long anticipated ss evolution awaited. Chapter 94: Path Unwalked Chapter 94: Path Unwalked The core fell, no longer held aloft by an invisible force. The air within the final chamber shifted, the unseen moving as death began to retreat, its dominion over this ce no longer absolute. Leif felt the shackles holding back his aura and stifling his spell working fall away, he let out a long sigh, the sound whistling from the thin crack on his face. He took several steps backwards, then the dungeon core crashed into the ground, dust and malevolent energy washing over him. Somewhere off to the side the still thrashing construct of wood met the ground and twisted in on itself, the sudden release ofpressed energy gradually dying off. But Leif only paid half a mind to either, because within his mind''s eye, outlined in gold and red, were a series of system prompts he had been anticipating for quite a long time. Level up! ss [Amber Blight Spriggan] is now level 20! For destroying a [Death Attuned Dungeon] and once again allowing life to prevail you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! You have gained the capstone ss skill [Ambassador of the Eld]! Congrattions! You have reached the level cap for your [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss! Would you like to evolve? Y/NWarning! You are vulnerable while undergoing monster evolution! Monster evolution maymence when mana threshold has been reached. Current progress: 1/100% It was interesting, looking at this notification now that he was far more aware of both himself, and his surroundings. Mana threshold¡­ He mused, temporarily ignoring his newest skill as he reread the system''s wording over once more. Mana is a force that exists out in the world, it has a will, a personality, so what does that mean? Leif cast back his memory to his first monster evolution, how it had taken several months just toplete the evolution¡¯s progress. He had been far less cognisant of both himself and his surroundings back then, his life prior to evolving being more like a continuous sightless blur. But there was one thing he recalled clearly, though now it confused him. Defeating enemies had increased the evolution progress. ¡°Is gaining experience the same thing as getting closer to this ¡®mana threshold¡¯?¡± He asked aloud, ncing to the dungeon core, ck wisps of a smoke-like substance drifting off the sphere as it slowly dissolved. Almost unconsciously his hand drifted to the wooden pouch filled with mana shards at his hip. Mana shards¡­ mana threshold¡­ the will of mana¡­ He couldn¡¯t be certain of anything, but he had a theory. Monsters, and perhaps beasts built up mana within their bodies, after reaching a certain level of power this umted power would manifest upon the creature''s death as a small dark blue gemstone. But this didn¡¯t happen with humans, Leif considered this oddity before realising something. ¡°Humans don¡¯t have monster sses, general sses use a catalyst when promoting, does this somehow negate or make the process of reaching the mana threshold obsolete?¡± The mana core didn¡¯t answer as it continued to dissolve. He looked down at the object, then stepped back up towards it. His focus was being pulled in multiple directions at once, and he knew that, but maybe¡­ Leif reached out and ced a finger on the dungeon core, then he tried to drain it. A tiny stream of ck power flowed down into his finger, almost immediately he cut off his attempt to drain the core as death aspected energy began to rampage within his hand. [Blight¡¯s Bounty] got to work converting the stolen power into golden vitality but not before his four fingered hand, and most of his arm had withered away. Leif stared down at the now stump at the end of his shoulder. His arm was already growing back, but it would likely take several hours. Leif jerked back from the core after a moment of stunned shock. Putting aside the fact he could have died, the sheer amount of energy that tiny drop of the dungeon¡¯s power had contained was incredible. [Font of Life], no longer purely a cultivation skill burst with potential as the vitality within him bubbled as if set to boil, he could feel the reservoir of power expanding, bing denser and more potent. Level up! ss [Attuned: Life] is now level 6! For disying the dominance of life you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Charisma] +1 free point! New ss skills avable! [Aura of Recovery] or [Enforcing Balm]! ¡°Shit.¡± Leif said, looking at the new system window. He had been hoping to get to his evolution but now he had to deal with this. And I still have the capstone skill from my monster ss to look over. He was trying to do too many things at once, trying to refocus to checked on the evolution progress to see if what he had just done had changed- Current progress: 6/100% Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. It had taken him over a week to get this far along in his evolution back when he had been a [Juvenile Blight Tree]. Could I power level by draining the dungeon core? As long as I¡¯m careful and only take tiny amounts¡­ But the core was falling apart, already a third of its structure had dissolved away, the cracked surface only bing more damaged. Leif nced forlorn between the core and his system windows. He took a deep breath and recentred himself. Skills, then I need to leave. He thought, even as the dark sphere broke apart into a dozen smaller chunks. He forcefully took another step back, then turned around and read over his new capstone skill. What on earth is an ¡®Eld?¡¯ === Ambassador of the Eld: Aspects: Social (Time)*, Enhancement (Mind) You speak with the voice of history, the mistakes of the past giving way for the sess of the future. You may speak into the minds of those nearby, bestowing lessons learnt and conveying meaning through image and metaphor. Your memory is sharpened, events personally witnessede to you with greater detail and carry the most significant impressions. === Leif read over his newest skill, he wasn¡¯t exactly sure what to make of it. What exactly did ¡®speaking with the voice of history¡¯ even mean? He wasn¡¯t sure, and while [Ambassador of the Eld] clearly wasn¡¯t abat skill, he still somewhat liked it. There were surely several interesting things he could do with the telepathy aspect of the skill, not to mention how generally useful the memory improvement would be. He thought back to when he was barely aware of himself, sure enough the memories and sensations came back clearer than they had ever been. He tried to go back further, to see if he could recapture anything from his old life. But there was nothing but faint impressions, like the echo of where memories should be. Somewhat disgruntled, but not disheartened Leif considered the skill choices for [Attuned: Life]. An aura skill was fascinating, he already had one, but did that mean he shouldn¡¯t take [Aura of Recovery]? What would having two aura skills do? He highly doubted picking the skill would double his aura strength, instead he felt as though it would dilute his existing aura with whatever the recovery portion of the skill would grant. Will the skill start off at rank one? He questioned, trying to puzzle out the impression he was getting from the skill. [Enforcing Balm] seemed inparison to be a safe choice. From the feeling he got from studying the skill it seemed like it would grant him the ability to generally spread healing energies throughout his body. Maybe it would reinforce him? Make him stronger? Leif wasn¡¯t sure. He knew for a fact he would be getting an aura skill from his monster ss once it reached level thirty, and while he couldn¡¯t be sure what that future skill would be, he also couldn¡¯t be sure what having three aura skills would do for his aura strength. Having invested heavily in [Charisma], Leif¡¯s aura was significantly stronger than was normal for his level, but his aura rank wasn¡¯t actually any higher than would be expected. Obviously if he picked the new aura skill he would fuse it with [Aura of Nobility], otherwise it would just sit in his soul taking up space. [Aura of Nobility] was currently at rank three, and while reaching that rank hadn¡¯t been overly difficult, he could instinctually sense there was something more to upgrading the skill than simply bing more skilled at aura control. And that led to another question, would whatever that was be more difficult with a moreplex aura skill. He went back to [Enforcing Balm], that skill would likely fuse almost perfectly with [Embolden Vegetation], but did he need more healing? At what point was he so difficult to kill that any increase to his survivability was a waste? The question was more theoretical than practical, if reaching that state was possible he wasn¡¯t there yet. Whatever he chose there would be time for one, possibly two fusions before he triggered the evolution. Would having more evolved skills give him better options? Leif flexed the slowly growing nub that was his arm, then turned to the dungeon core. It was gone, only a small fist sized gemstone remaining. At a nce it looked like a mana shard, if ck and radiating deathly energy. He conjured a golden arm and plucked the crystal off the floor, he made sure not to idently drain any power from it. His skill choice would ultimatelye down to a risk. Should he take a guaranteed boost to his survivability? Or potentially ruin his aura strength. Leif had been too passive for too long, once he evolved he nned on proactively seeking out his goals, no matter the risks or potential consequences. Why wait? He thought, then selected [Aura of Recovery]. === Aura of Recovery I: Aspects: Aura (Life)* Your auric presence soothes pain and hastens recovery. You can control your aura in ways that are impossible without an aura skill. === The dungeon was beginning to fall apart as Leif returned to the room with the exit portal. The portal, as he suspected, was now gone. Fortunately he had saved enough mana shards to temporarily power the teleportation circle, in a sh of light he re-emerged back in the ruined temple, the midday sun beaming down from above, rays of light shining down through cracks in the roof, dust dancing between pirs. Leif pushed out his aura, unlike before there were now two distinct parts to his presence, one was authoritative and regal, the other protective and calming. They didn¡¯t sh, but the way they mixed invisibly around him partially stifled the effects of both. The noble aspect of his aura was far stronger than the healing aspect, but he would spend the next several weeks correcting that imbnce, then he would fuse the skills together. He walked through the city streets, the everpresent gloom that hung to every destroyed building and clogged every alleyway and street was lifting, the air felt cleaner, the sun felt warmer, it was as though the world had taken a deep sigh of relief. Over the next few weeks he slowly meandered his way back to Far-reach, watching as nature came back to life as the corrupting fingers of undeath loosened their grip on the environment. Birds flew through the air, animals that weren¡¯t half dead and deceased could be spotted. Turbulence returned with a vengeance, rain storms, scorching heat and dazzling disys of multicolour light only a handful of phenomena that returned with it. Leif returned to Far-reach, teleported up to the domain tree and set about performing the tasks he wanted to havepleted before he evolved. One day, while lounging atop the bluff, practising his spellcraft in conjunction with his ever improving aura control, he received a system message. The spriggan stretched and stood, gathering up his few belongings and cing them undercover. Then he returned to the domain tree, slipping into the ivory white wood of the trunk and bing one with the now towering nt. Crimson leaves reached into the sky, the canopy providing shade for the many families of critters that lived within his branches. Current progress: 100/100% Congrattions! You may now evolve your [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss! Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing monster evolution! Commence Evolution? Y/N Chapter 95: Split in the Road Chapter 95: Split in the Road The world faded around Leif, all details, sensations and stimulus falling away into the background. The spriggan found himself standing in an empty ce, whenever he tried to focus on anything but himself he felt his attention be pulled back in. He stood, no longer in tree form, though he didn¡¯t notice the change. Leif looked down at his hands, they were covered in hardened bark, small ivory protrusions jutted out at random down his forearm. His body was lined in golden cracks, the amber blood within him making each seam glow slightly with every heartbeat. Leif stood still, waiting. It was only after several minutes did he realise what he was doing, he was waiting, but for what? Or for who? He thought, casting back into his now improved memory to try and find out the reason for what he was doing. But there was nothing, back during his first evolution it had been only him and the system windows. But something deep within Leif told him that something was wrong, there had been someone else, but who? He focused his mind and tried to dig deeper, and he found gaps in his memory, small incongruences with his first evolution that in hindsight didn¡¯t make sense. Leif looked around the empty world, an uneasy sensation building in the back of his mind. Even as the nothing surrounding him tried to push his awareness back towards himself he dug deeper, trying to prate the strange void he found himself in. But there was nothing, and no matter how hard he tried there was naught but a featureless, nk world. The spriggan straightened, trying to centre himself for the task toe. The evolution would decide his immediate future, maybe even the direction for the remainder of his second life. He could hardly afford to distract himself now. Evolution for the [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss ismencing! Please review your current ss before proceeding! === [Amber Blight Spriggan]From inception you have struggled against the embedded instincts of the Darkwood. As a blight tree you fought to gain a sense of control no others of your kind could conceive of at such a young age. At every turn you took the harder path, you turned away easy meals and waged wars you should never have won. And yet you prevailed. A noble spirit and unyielding will have guided you this far, and now the amber offers you a branch. Symbols of authority and wealth, the amber sap within your body glistens like gold and pumps like blood. You will rise, radiance from the darkness, and hold the future with your hands. Tier: 2 (Monster) Level: 20/20 ss Perk: You naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace. The amber blood running through your veins has innate healing properties. +100% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills +100% To the effect of blood aspected skills Growths: Free Points: +5 Might: C crity: D Intelligence: D Willpower: D+ Spirit: D Charisma: C Base Stats: Might: +10, crity +10, Intelligence +10, Willpower +10, Spirit: +10, Charisma +10 === The system then began to list off all his [Amber Blight Spriggan] skills, most of which he hardly felt the need to review. The sheer number of skills was impressive, but also slightly frustrating. He was a single level away from fifty, but he would still need to spend quite a lot of time bringing his total down to fifteen. But there was a new skill he had only recently gained via fusion, so he took the time to reread the description before continuing with the evolution. === Amber Aegis: Aspects: Technique (Shield), Empowerment (Life)* (Nature), Social* Conjure a protective veil around yourself or a nearby target to reduce elemental damage taken and bestow a minor lingering healing effect. You may remove the healing effect of this skill to instead manifest a temporary shield around the target. Those within close proximity of this aegis may find both your actions and its presence calming. If this skill is used for the purpose of protecting another, this skill benefits from 50% of your charisma attribute. === This fusion was his mostplex so far, and unfortunately the stealth aspect of [Shroud of Preservation] didn¡¯t survive the transformation. In its ce he had gained the social aspect from [Under my Protection], and in his limited time experimenting with the skill it seemed shockingly potent. It was somewhat frustrating he couldn¡¯t figure out a way to strip the condition to gain the added bonus from his [Charisma] attribute from the skill, but he couldn¡¯t think of a way to justify the skill functioning how he wanted without it. Regardless, Leif found himself more than pleased. Proceed? Y/N There was only one thing left to do, see his first option. === [Mature Amber Spriggan] You have walked the path of the spriggan, using the increased mobility granted to you to explore and spread your influence in ces otherwise unreachable. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. You will be stronger, move faster, and wield the power of the amber to heights unseen in milenia. Excise the blight and step forward into a better, more peaceful future. === The first option was¡­ both what he had expected, while also beingpletely unexpected. A basic upgrade of his current ss was only natural, but Leif hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility that he would be given the choice to remove the blight name from his species. And now that he had been given the opportunity, should he? The blight was partially responsible for both his death, but also his return to life. The amber was something granted to him for straying away from that path. The blight, as far as he understood it, was violent and brutal. Judging by the description of the [Mature Amber Spriggan] ss ¡®amber¡¯ was significantly lessbat oriented. He was a fighter, a part of him suspected that he had always been this way. Would he lose out on his offensive abilities by taking this choice? How would his skills change? [Blight¡¯s Bounty] was a core part of hisbat potential, the skill practically enabling him to drain vitality from enemies without relying on the much slower drain he could innately ess. Now that he had been given the choice, Leif considered for the first time what the consequences of being part blight may bring. Would the stronger members of his kind have some sort of control over him? Would they be able to track or use him in some way? He didn¡¯t know, and likely wouldn¡¯t unless he went looking for his own kind. As for the amber¡­ the only connection he had to them was his monster ss, and the strange vision connected to his soul. Was the vision broken due to him being part blight? Or was there another reason? Either way, he wouldn¡¯t pick anything until he had seen every option avable. === [Mature Amber Blight Spriggan] The blood of peace, and the blood of violence beat within your heart. You have disyed the cunning and adaptability the spriggan are known for, all the while being something unique. The blight is as much a part of you as the amber, you strike a bnce between devouring the life around you, and preserving them to live on. Be more than what you were, the strength of age will temper the wisdom of battle. === And there was confirmation he could continue down his current path. Should he continue along it? Or step off to find something new? === [Mature Amber Bloodwell Spriggan] Though the amber is still a primary part of your being, so too is your connection to blood and life. Unlike those who came before, your use of the amber leads you down a road slick with crimson vitality. With one hand you may restore life to the dying, reinvigorate the injured and empower dormant bloodlines with your very presence. With the other you act as a leech, syphoning the very life-blood of your enemies to climb to heights unseen. Your benevolence has its limits, and those who cross you will find themselves wishing they didn¡¯t as with a flex of your will and a touch of your magic their blood turns against them. === Leif stared at the option, unsure if he should feel ttered or concerned. Obviously this ss was about blood, blood, and nothing but blood. Would he gain ess to skills like blood maniption? Could he drain foes at a range, instead of needing to be within physical contact? Perhaps the most interesting part of this ss was the line about dormant bloodlines. What exactly did that mean? He suspected it had something to do with demikin and their monstrous origins, but just what would ¡®empowering¡¯ their bloodlines do? It was fascinating, but also somewhat sinister. He didn¡¯t like the idea of being able to change someone at a fundamental level, altering the very blood within their body to bring out traits or characteristics of his choice. === [Mature Amber Drus] Through exercising the blight and bonding with a powerful tree you gain the ability to irrevocably tie your fate and life to that of your bond. While within the presence of your life-tree your power grows to heights beyond your imagination, your perception spreads far and wide and your very being influences and changes the world around you. Even death may no longer be the final step on your journey .Should you find your end, your bond with the life-tree will restore you to health, though weakness may follow you for an extended period afterwards. === Firstly, what was a Drus? Secondly, he had already died once so the ss description was inurate. This ss was obviously rted to his connection with the domain tree. Which is a much better name than ¡®life-tree¡¯. He thought. The ss description didn¡¯t say he couldn¡¯t move away from his bond, so he suspected that meant he would still be roughly humanoid in shape and stature. Finally the ss once again didn¡¯t rte to the blight. It was interesting that he was offered a change to his species so soon into the evolution process, since there were several options still to go. The next ss, [Mature Amber Blight Drus], was as he had expected, even the description was almost entirely the same. Be bound to a tree, gain powerful abilities while nearby. He wasn¡¯t sure either options were the correct one for him, but both sses did bring up something he found interesting. Now that he was no longer being offered spriggan sses, he had noticed the pattern that no matter the ss, it would always be associated with amber. It seemed that his choice back during his level ten evolution was far more impactful than he had realised. A failsafe should he make a massive blunder, or encounter a foe far too powerful for him to defeat would by no means be unwee, but Leif didn¡¯t know if the restrictions to being a Drus would outweigh the benefits. === [Amber Treant] Hulking and ponderous, the treant acts when it wishes, and not before. To enter thend under the protection of a treant is to know nothing can do you harm, or that your demise is inevitable. No longer constricted by a smaller stature, the treant can be mistaken for a part of thendscape should it choose, or unleash the fury of nature upon its foes. Some of the oldest beings in the world not graced with immortality belong to this species. === Leif read over the ss description, then over the one that followed. [Amber Blight Treant] was, like the drus sses previously, almost identical. He could picture himself as one of these creatures, towering over most foes, his strikes shaking the earth. Then he pictured himself not being able to fit through a doorway. Maybe it wasn¡¯t what he wanted. === [Amber Blight Woad] The carriers of the blight, servants of the darkwoods, co-opted by the amber to serve a new purpose. A woad stains the earth with its nature, preparing the nearby inhabitants to be vessels for offspring. It is the responsibility of the woad to spread the will of their masters, and to relish in the change theiring brings. === ¡°What the hells?¡± Leif asked out loud, having finished reading the description for [Amber Blight Woad]. This was like several of his nightmares all neatly pressed into a single ss. How did I even get offered this ss? I thought the sses offered were based on the actions I take? There was no amber only version of the woad ss, not that Leif would have ever considered it. === [Treefolk of the Amber Council] Small and slight, treefolk live within the branches of their betters. Those who serve the Amber Council have not existed for millenia, so it would be your sacred duty to prepare a location for the return of your masters. Not suited forbat, the treefolk are specialised to hide from foes and stay out of reach of danger. === Leif looked nkly at the ss. Thesest two options had been so far from what he had predicted he would be offered during the evolution he was almost speechless. At least I wouldn¡¯t have trouble getting through doorways with this ss. He thought ruefully. === [Inheritant of the Amber] A spriggan, if only in name. As the first of your kind in many ages the inheritant of the amber stands alone, unaware of the daunting task before them. As the first member of the newly born council, you will learn from the past before the present catches up with you. Great power and influence await, but only if you have the drive to im it. May you rebuild what was lost in the shadow of your kind''s ancient enemies. May your sight be clear, lest you make the same mistakes. === This is the second time the ¡®council¡¯ has been mentioned. Leif mused, still not entirely sure how to take this newest ss. It was simultaneously both incredibly sparse on details, while also revealing a great amount of information. Am I really the only member of the amber alive? And what¡¯s this about an ¡®ancient enemy¡¯. If there was one thing he waspletely certain of, it was the ss descriptionbelling him as ¡®unaware¡¯ being perfectly urate. It was also strange that the ss didn¡¯t have his species in the name, he suspected it was because multiple kinds of monsters could technically evolve into this ss, or something simr. He looked to the next ss option, and to Leif¡¯s surprise it wasn¡¯t just a version of the [Inheritant of the Amber] but with blight pped onto it. === [Scion of the Darkwoods] Though you have embraced the amber, you find yourself alone, without allies, mentors or knowledge of the past. Your noble lineage makes you an interesting prospect for the blight, the blood within your veins, while different from their own, is undoubtedly powerful. To stumble blindly and without assistance is not umon within the darkwoods, and those who cannot prove themselves will inevitably wind up lost, forgotten, deceased. The potential of two ancient powers beats within your heart, perhaps instead of the amber''s long awaited return, the world will see the birth of something entirely new. === Was¡­ was this ss offered to me because I fused several of my [Noble] ss skills into my monster ss? Leif didn¡¯t know, but he found himself intrigued that not only had the ss referenced his human origins, if only tangentially, but it also directly called out his current situation. It was intriguing, while at the same time unfortunatelycking in details of the powers offered. There was one final choice, and Leif read over it while contemting the myriad of choices offered. === [Scion of Aeons] The past calls to the scion of aeons, the unearthing of history the highest calling. Secrets long lost to time may reveal themselves, lessons long forgottening to your aid. At the height of their power, the amber relished the opportunity to delve into the past, ancient history as much sustenance as water and light. The amber are gone, but the secrets they uncovered, and the power that was stolen still remain. Only those true of character and noble of purpose were worthy to walk this path, but now the door lies open and ready, none remain who would disagree to your appointment, while at the same time none remain to endorse your ascension. Even if you are not purely a member of the amber, your deeds, past, and blood qualify you for this honour. === Having read over the final ss offered, Leif withdrew into his mind to consider all he had learnt. Some of the ss descriptions for several of the options presented before him had referenced past events that he was mostly clueless about. But now he felt as though the picture was slowlying together. The amber were peaceful, but their desire for knowledge and secrets resulted in them being targeted by an unknown enemy. Now as the only one of their kind left, he was potentially saddled with the same secrets, the same enemies. The choice before him was in no way easy, he had somewhat hoped for a special ¡®super spriggan¡¯ ss. Or something that would have made picking the right evolution straight forward. Alone in the empty world, Leif sat and pondered the choice that would change the trajectory of his life. Chapter 96: Scion Chapter 96: Scion To gain a ss you required a certain aptitude or affinity for the power it would offer. The description of his current ss mentioned his deviation from what a typical blight monster would do, and Leif had assumed that simply acting against the norm had been why he had been given the offer to be one of the amber. But as he sat in the nk void reading over his newest evolution options, he wondered not just why, but how [Amber Blight Spriggan] had been offered to him during his first evolution. ording to the system¡¯s descriptions of several of the sses, whatever the amber were, their council, and their power were long gone, dead for what may have been centuries. Millennia. He realised, re-reading the description for [Treefolk of the Amber Council]. But if they were all dead, how had he been offered the ss? Was the system capable of reviving extinct species? Or was he somehow uniquely suited to the power [Amber Blight Spriggan] would grant him? He cast back his memory to the time before his first evolution, reconsidering his actions with his greater understanding of what the amber represented. Life¡­ blood¡­ time¡­ Wait, not just time, the past. The realisation struck him like a bell, the thought reverberating through his mind. Back then he had been so fixated on the past, so desperate to catch even the tiniest hint of who he had once been. That panicked, almost instinctual wing for not just the past, but his past¡­ Was that it? Was that obsessive fixation enough to connect me to a bunch of long dead historians trees? He felt ridiculous, and even if he was no longer the confused and desperate creature he had once been, there was still that simmering passion for his old life. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to waltz back to house Vin and pick up where he had left off over ten years ago, he couldn¡¯t conceive of a scenario where that turned in any way other than disastrous. But he still wanted to at least know just who he was, and what the family he had left behind was like. Whether they wanted anything to do with him was apletely different story. And it wasn¡¯t just that, he felt a connection to the past. Exploring the Mythhold, then the dungeon it had be, witnessing how a war long past had ravaged thend and left cities and viges in ruins, humanity slinking through territory it had once owned only to be thrown back. He wanted to know, to learn and discover, and as Leif became certain of this part of himself, he also knew which ss he would take. He couldn¡¯t say there were no bad choices, because there were. But well over half of the sses he could pick were at the very least decent. But of all of them, thest intrigued him the most. The idea of discovering ancient secrets and unearthing forgotten history sounded fascinating. [Scion of Aeons] would allow him to do just that assuming the system description of the ss was urate. But as he thought over the ss, he realised there was another aspect to the ss that attracted him in perhaps even more than the thematic concepts. The possibility that the ss would innately enhance his time aspected skills. What could [Amber Steps] be if the anchorssted for hours instead of minutes? Days? What about weeks? [Amber Sympathy] too had a time aspect, just how far back could he see if the skill was enhanced? Hells, even his most recent skill for [Amber Blight Spriggan] had the time aspect, what new skill would he be offered, and what could he fuse them into? Leif wasn¡¯t exactly sure what ¡®speaking with the voice of history¡¯ entailed in the description for [Ambassador of the Eld], but it surely wasn¡¯t a negative. If he looked further into the future, what would the aura skill he would eventually gain from [Scion of Aeons] be? Would he be able to slow time? Rewind it somehow? Would he gain the ability to unwind damage sustained to himself and others? His healing could go from extremely potent to beyond powerful if he could literally undo injuries. But there was another, less promising part of looking into the future to consider. The descriptions of several of the sses hinted at a troubled past of the amber. If hemitted to this path, would he encounter the same enemies? Assuming they had survived the centuries would he have to contend alone with forces that culled an entire species? Leif couldn¡¯t be sure, but it would likely be wise to assume the worst. He would need to build his personal power to the point he could contend with hidden and potentially extremely deadly foes. But it couldn¡¯t just be him, would he be able to use the strength he gained to elevate others? If I want to protect others, help them and in turn receive help. He thought ruefully. I might be better off picking [Mature Amber Bloodwell Spriggan]. But blood magic was less interesting to him than time magic, which now that he thought about it was a fairly immature way to select an evolution option. Leif went back and forth for another hour, at one point he almost convinced himself that one of the Drus sses might be the strongest option. The things I could do with [Wood Maniption] if I chose to be a treant. He mockingly thought to himself. Maybe I couldpress myself down to be able to fit through doorways. The longer he went over the different options, the more he became confident [Scion of Aeons] was the correct choice. So, with only a little hesitation, ast minute consideration of [Scion of the Darkwood], and a final reread of all the options, Leif selected his newest ss. The world around him began to fade, the perfectly nk void spinning around him as a surge of power he had never felt before rushed through his body. Leif sucked in a sharp intake of air, momentarily at a loss as what he could only assume was a massive spike in attributes took effect. He was so startled in fact, that he hadn¡¯t realised the significance of taking that breath. He was still sitting, but no longer in the empty world of the evolution space. Leif sat atop a hill of finger length emerald grass, the blue sky above him dazzling in its radiance. The spriggan, or whatever he technically was now looked around, he knew this ce. It was the vision world he had unconsciously entered after the battle at Far-reach. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition. But this felt different, the details of the space he was in felt more real somehow, the warm wind blowing against him more physical. He brushed his fingers through the grass, half expecting it to suddenly begin growing. Leif knew he wasn¡¯t actually present within the space, his real body, likely still in tree form was still atop the bluff, he briefly wondered if that part of him was undergoing a massive spurt in growth due to his evolution. I hope the animals in my branches are alright. He thought, looking around. Leif stood, slowly spinning to take in his surroundings. There was nothing but him, and endless rolling hills of vividly green grass. Or at least, there was nothing, but as he was turning to face his initial direction he saw the towering form of the golden leafed tree. It stood regal and resplendent on the hill opposite to his own, branches reaching for the sky, trunk as thick as a building. And standing at the base of the tree, was a humanoid figure. === There was an awkward interim where Leif wanted to leave and see what his new ss was, but couldn¡¯t until he walked down the hill and back up the next one. The closer he got the more clearly he could make out the figure standing at the base of the massive tree. Thest time he had been within this vision he had been in a panicked rush to leave, so he had more time to take her in. She had dark skin and flowing brown hair, though her physical appearance was slightly overshadowed by the fact half of her body was missing, amber light billowing from the wound where she had seemingly been divided right down the centre. It was disturbing to look at, and he had several questions. Unfortunately she started speaking as he drew near, and her words were identical to thest time he had been present, though without the constant, near painful droning noise drowning her out. Leif could see the golden portal built into an indent in the tree¡¯s trunk, he shifted awkwardly, half torn between listening to the one sided monologue and rushing out to read his system windows. Fully aware of the irony that he had just picked a ss dedicated to uncovering the past, he walked past her, up the hill and out the portal. ¡°Sorry.¡± He called down to the still talking figure, she hadn¡¯t turned. Then he stepped through the portal. Visual stimulus vanished as he returned to being a tree. Briefly focusing he confirmed the connection to the vision was still present, then he read the system notification. Congrattions! You have evolved into a [Scion of Aeons]! Please review your new sses characteristics: === [Scion of Aeons] The past calls to the scion of aeons, the unearthing of history the highest calling. Secrets long lost to time may reveal themselves, lessons long forgottening to your aid. At the height of their power, the amber relished the opportunity to delve into the past, ancient history as much sustenance as water and light. The amber are gone, but the secrets they uncovered, and the power that was stolen still remain. Only those true of character and noble of purpose were worthy to walk this path, but now the door lies open and ready, none remain who would disagree to your appointment, while at the same time none remain to endorse your ascension. Even if you are not purely a member of the amber, your deeds, past, and blood qualify you for this honour. Tier: 3 (Monster) Level: 20/40 ss Perk: You naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace and damage you deal takes longer to heal. You can perfectly track the passage of time. +150% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills +150% To the effect of blood aspected skills +150% to the effect of time aspected skills Growths: Free Points: +5 Might: C+ crity: C Intelligence: B Willpower: B Spirit: C+ Charisma: B Base Stats: Might: +20, crity +20, Intelligence +40, Willpower +40, Spirit: +20, Charisma +40 === Leif was mentally nodding to himself as he read over the details for his newest ss, then he reached the base stats. Oh wow, no wonder I felt that when I picked the evolution. Do all monsters get such a massive amount of stats? Is this normal? He wondered. He suspected that that was the case, but he didn¡¯t really have any way of proving it. Maybe when Ram returns. Chapter 97: Progress Chapter 97: Progress Evolving felt amazing, and Leif hadn¡¯t yet left theforting embrace of the domain tree. He felt something different about his connection to the tree, as if his rtionship with the part of himself he had severed had changed. It didn¡¯t take him more than a moment to realise it was almost certainly because of a skill change. So [Settle] is probably no more. He mused, basking in the feeling of growth and potential that now suffused his form. There was something new, he could instinctually feel that even without reading the system''s information. It wasn¡¯t the only skill to change, he could sense his instinctual understanding of several skills shift within him. It was hard to pinpoint exactly which skills were different, though that was likely because he was still within the domain tree. Without stalling any longer he opened up his system window, immediately a list of skills that had been changed by his evolution popped up. === [Amber Sympathy] ¡ú [Time Born Sympathy] Time Born Sympathy: Aspects: Perception (Time)*, Enhancement (Body)*, Social*, Analysis You passively gain knowledge of events and changes that have urred within your surroundings, the more significant these events the more clear they are to your sight. You may invoke the passage of time, seeing an echo of the past which you may project to those nearby. You have greater awareness of both your material and spiritual surroundings, and have the ability to sense emotions and intent of those within range of your perception. Finally you may analyse a target to determine their age rtive to your own. === The change was immediately apparent, [Time Born Sympathy] was now an analysis skill, but beyond that Leif couldn¡¯t tell what else may be different. The wording of the skill had changed somewhat, and he could somewhat sense that the skill was now stronger, but whether that was due to his sudden leap in attributes or because the skill was innately more powerful Leif couldn¡¯t tell. For now he noted the changes as minor, but potentially more potent than what they first appeared. I¡¯m not too sure how useful being able to analyse age will be, but I suppose I¡¯m slowly building up a repertoire of skills that let me judge the experience of those I analyse. Leif hadn¡¯t used [Combative Gumption] much at all since he had recovered from the battle, the skill hadn¡¯t even worked on Ram and he had never bothered to try it on the elementals. I should analyse more often, it probably won¡¯t hurt me unless the target can actively change the results of analysis skills. === [Blight¡¯s Bounty] ¡ú [Consuming Aeons] Consuming Aeons: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Technique (Blood)* (Life)* (Time)* When you strike or make continuous contact with your body you may drain vitality from the target. Additionally whenever you drain a target of life-force you inflict a damaging resonance that elerates the body''s natural decay, this effect can stack. Vitality you absorb is naturally converted into the amber blood that runs through your veins, and you may control the speed at which this conversion urs. After you have drained a being of vitality you gain up to +60% to all attributes depending on the amount drained. This bonus to your attributessts for one hour and is incrementally lost over that duration. You may pause the benefit gained from these bonus attributes for up to a day, preventing the incremental loss of this effect. You may bestow life-force with a touch, and your blood naturally adapts to any target you heal, increasing efficiency. Whenever you heal a target you bestow a supportive resonance that elerates the body''s natural recovery, this effect can stack. === Woah. Leif thought. There¡¯s a lot of good stuff in here. From the increase to his attributes going from forty to sixty percent, to being able to more easily prepare the bonus before going into a fight by being able to pause the effect. Not to mention the harming and healing resonance that had seeminglye out of nowhere. I suppose the skill now has a time aspect. He mused, rereading the skill¡¯s description. Functionally [Consuming Aeons] was very simr, but the skill had received a massive qualitative increase to its power. I need to test out how potent the resonances are. I don¡¯t imagine speeding up natural decay to be very strong unless the resonance stacks up considerably. With [Consuming Aeons] fully charged up, he would have a total of plus seventy percent to most of his attributes, and an insane increase of one hundred and fifty percent to his [Charisma]. And assuming the level fifty milestone provided additional percentage increases things were about to get insane. Leif hadn¡¯t yet snuck a peek at his new totals after the huge amount of t attributes his evolution had added, but he was very tempted. One thing at a time. He reminded himself, looking over the next skill that had changed. === [Settle] ¡ú [Tree of Respite] Aspects: Transformation, Enhancement (Body)*, Domain (Life)* (Time)*, Technique (Nature) As a Spriggan, you may fuse yourself with any living, non-evolved tree to use as a ce of rest and recovery. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Additionally you may put down roots, returning yourself to the form of your origin. This tree projects a domain of life and respite, while also carrying a fraction of your own aura. The longer the tree lives, the stronger the domain''s effect on the very world around it. You may detach yourself from this special tree, and it will persist and grow even without your presence. You have a maximum number of these trees equal to one, but for every century lived you may create another, increasing the maximum by one. === And there goes [Settle]. Leif thought ruefully, reading over the description for the evolved skill. The melding with tree''s part seemed surprisingly useful, [Tree of Respite] wasn¡¯t a stealth skill by aspect but by use it seemed to be just that. The middle paragraph was fascinating. It seemed to have taken what he had achieved himself with spellcraft and moulded that as part of the skill, he couldn¡¯t be sure his actions had directly led to the skill evolving in the way it had, but he was willing to bet that it had. The final part of the skill¡¯s description threw him for a loop, he hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility of having multiple domain trees, but now that the option was presented before him the possibilities were endless. Leif mentally blinked at the limitation of one additional tree per century. A hundred years seemed like an eternity, but just how long would he realistically live? Would there be a time in thousands of years where there existed an entire forest of his domain trees? The thought was humbling, even intimidating. === [Amber Steps] ¡ú [The Amber Path] The Amber Path: Aspects: Technique (Teleportation) (Movement) (Time)* As you travel, you leave behind imprints in time thatst for up to an hour. You may teleport to an imprint within range by stepping forward. You may ce a permanent imprint in a location, this imprintsts indefinitely or until the location chosen sustains significant damage or change. You may have a maximum number of permanent imprints equal to one, but for every century lived you may create another, increasing the maximum by one. Teleporting to an imprint outside of your aura will put this skill on cool-down for up to a year, determined by distance travelled. === Leif was half tempted to leave the domain tree just to pump a fist into the air, this skill evolution was exactly the kind of thing he was hoping for when he picked [Scion of Aeons] as his ss. [Amber Steps] had served him well, the utility and flexibility of the skill hadn¡¯t seemed overwhelming at first nce, but in use it had been incredibly potent. The skill was such a core part of not only his everyday life, but it was an intrinsic aspect of hisbat style. Now it was so much more. Another skill that upgrades with centuries lived, I wonder if that''s a core part of the [Scion of Aeons] ss? He wondered, mentally running through the possibilities of this newest evolution. He could potentially go deep into human territory, and if he ever got into trouble due to his identity he could simply step forward and escape. Leif knew he would leave the permanent imprint in Far-reach, likely at the base of the domain tree. Technically the skill already had a permanent imprint due to the tree being a part of him, but Leif was somewhat worried about teleporting a long distance to an imprint that the skill might not consider permanent. It wouldn¡¯t do to teleport out of danger, only to have his soul ripped apart due to the bacsh. Leif was half expecting that to be the final skill, but instead the system surprised him with one more. === [Ambassador of the Eld] ¡ú [Wisdom of the Ages] Wisdom of the Ages: Aspects: Social (Time)*, Enhancement (Mind) You speak with the voice of history, the mistakes of the past giving way for the sess of the future. You may speak into the minds of those nearby, bestowing lessons learnt and conveying meaning through image and metaphor. Your memory is sharpened, events personally witnessede to you with greater detail and carry the most significant impressions. The longer you live, the more potent this skill¡¯s effects. === It was the same skill, just with a different name. Okay, that wasn¡¯t quite right, the final line about the skill growing more potent the older he was had been added. Even the wording is the exact same. Leif thought, somewhat amused that the skill he had had for such a short amount of time had already had its name changed. I suppose the same thing happened with [Uproot] now that I think about it. He realised, thinking back to the skill [Settle] had been before his first evolution. Leif reread over the changes to his skills a second time,mitting them to memory. He was done, the next step was getting one final level and advancing beyond the level fifty bottleneck. He had been holding off on fusing any skills until after his evolution, but now that that was behind him he could continue to whittle his number of skills down to fifteen and below. Finally he opened up his status sheet and gazed proudly at the bigger numbers. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Scion of Aeons Age: 12 Awaiting manifestation: Emblem Attributes: Free: 6 Might: 62 (+10%) crity: 60 (+10%) Intelligence: 64 (+10%) Willpower: 73 (+10%) Spirit: 76 (+10%) Charisma: 135 (+90%) Total Level: 49 Monster sses: 1/1 Scion of Aeons: 20/40 Skills: Gold Iron Physique / Time Born Sympathy / Consuming Aeons / Font of Life III / Tree of Respite / The Amber Path / Embolden Vegetation / Amber Aegis / Wood Maniption / Wisdom of the Ages sses: 3/3 Brawler: 10/10 Skills: Tenacious Fighter III / Combative Gumption / Fists of Conflict Adept: 3/10 (Locked) Skills: Healing Palm (Fractured) Attuned: Life: 6/10 Skills: Aura of Recovery II Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility III / Grand Action / Legacy === Chapter 98: Changes Chapter 98: Changes It was with more than a little trepidation that Leif deactivated [Tree of Respite], allowing him to slip from the trunk like a stone breaking the surface of a pond. Light and sound and smell all struck him at once, the rity of his post evolution senses striking him all at once. He knew that [Intelligence] increased one''s ability to process stimuli, and [Spirit] strengthened perception though in ways he wasn¡¯t too sure about. But this was a bigger increase than his admittedly vast increase to his attributes could exin. There was a qualitative difference between what he could hear and smell, as if up until this point his senses were being smothered. He had closed his eyes while he adjusted to his improved perception, the process feeling more tangible than it ever had before. Leif was pretty sure he still didn¡¯t technically have eyeballs, but there now seemed to be a more physical mechanism in y. The same was true, he realised, for his mouth. He had a jaw now, and actual muscles in his face. The range of movement wasn¡¯t good, but he could now open and close his mouth. It was hard to describe the sheer joy of regaining something so simple, but so fundamental to what every human could do. Leif opened his eyes, amber light igniting within his face as he took in the suddenly more colourful world. He stretched his arms and legs, feeling the newfound strength and flexibility each possessed. Then he realised something that brought him up short. He was taller, significantly so. It was hard to judge without directly measuring himself but Leif suspected he was a foot, maybe two taller. His limbs were longer, and as he studied them he noticed the difference in their shape and structure. Before, his body had several jagged protrusions and small branches jutting off in different directions. Crimson leaves had grown from these ces in small clumps, the leaves were still present, but the jagged parts of his body had been significantly smoothened out. And though the leaves persisted after the evolution, they now possessed an almost metallic, golden tint that reflected the sunlight shining down from above. He raised his arms, noting how the small gaps and divots were less prominent, though a faint amber glow still emanated from within thergest of them. Finally he noticed his hands, four fingers and a thumb. For what felt like an eternity he stood in wonder, though due to his new ss perk he knew it had only been a few minutes, staring at his hands. His digits were long and slender, their tips still ended with sharpened ws, but it hardly mattered. Such a simple change left him speechless, a giddy, childlike excitement bubbling within his chest. He reached up and touched his face, feeling tears building up as he did so. He pushed them down and explored the structure of his head. No longer was it a featureless ne of wood, while it was still mostly t and mask-like, there were now several bits of detail etched into the wooden surface. He explored the top of his head, and to his surprise found a considerable number of leaves that sprouted from his scalp only to flow down the back of his head almost reaching his shoulders. Leif could feel them growing at an elerated rate, quickly bing a thick mane of red faux hair. And that wasn¡¯t the only change, the structure of his head was different in several ways, the most significant being that what was once a series of several small protrusions jutting from the crown of his head were absent. Instead they seemed to have morphed together and smoothed out, appearing more like a diadem woven into his forehead. Leif walked around, testing the range of movement in his limbs. It was slightly disorientating seeing the world from a higher vantage, his stride was longer and his reach further. If he was being honest with himself, he was probably too tall. Back when he had travelled with the expedition he had been of simr height with thergest humans, but now he would tower over them. For another, while his body was definitely stronger than before, his centre of gravity felt slightly off, as if he couldn¡¯t quite move in the ways he wanted. As Leif made practising strides around the bluff he also noticed that he now weighed quite a bit more, but that weight was distributed across hisrger frame. The not quite spriggan reached out with his mind to the remains of what had once been a wooden building, fresh shoots now grew from the wood and moss covered most of the structure. He activated [Wood Maniption] and watched in fascination as the organic structure rippled and parted withparable ease. The amount of control he could now utilise while using the skill was like night and day. He gestured, and a tendril of wood grew from the wall, it twisted as it approached him bing screw shaped. Leif detached the bit off wood and experimented with his new capabilities, he morphed the wood into a ball, then a cube, then hepressed it down as much as he could. To his excitement the process ofpression was far easier than it had ever been before, the wood¡¯s structure was likewise significantly more stable. Back when he had first chosen the skill, one of his reasons for doing so had been the potential of changing the shape, and potentially size of his body. And while he had be significantly more practised with [Wood Maniption] since, Leif had always felt like his control was too inexpert to work on his own body. But that no longer felt like the case, he would have to take his time, experiment with the possibilities and feel out the limits and potential risks. He had a n of sorts, just how much stronger could he be if he increased his density bypressing more wood into a smaller body? Mass was arge part of the amount of physical force he could put behind any given blow, but with an expert use of [Wood Maniption] Leif thought he could be far stronger, at least physically. === Leif saw in his mind''s eye the broken fragments of [Healing Palm]. It had taken several days of constant attempts but the surge in attributes ever since his evolution had tipped him over the edge. He still couldn¡¯t sense anything while not within the domain tree, but while deep in the meditative state it was now possible. The skill shimmered as if made of transparent shards of ss, the dozen or so pieces floatingzily around one another like fish trapped in the world¡¯s slowest whirlpool. Leif wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking at exactly, even when he looked at the structure of his non fractured skills they just seemed like arbitrary collections of coloured energy. Instead the feeling he got from sensing the skill was far more relevant than any visual stimuli. But despite this, being able to see the skills seemed like a prerequisite to being able to touch and prod them. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. The scion¡¯s first attempt at putting [Healing Palm] back together had been sloppy, the result had been an expected spike of pain that seemed to ripple through his soul. In the distance, glinting like lights in the night sky, a few other skills in his peripheral vision were rocked back as if by a strong breeze. His theoretical knowledge of skills was basically what Marcus had told him while the man waved his arms and went off on several tangents. Which was to say very little. But now that he could see the skills the way the abilities functioned on a macro scale seemed clearer. His body, or perhaps more urately his soul, could only utilise so many skills before sustaining significant damage. But each skill too had its own separate amount of stress they could endure, with using the skills applying pressure that umted stress. It was like his soul was arge tub, with each skill being a ss cup ced within. Each cup was filled with water, and whenever a skill was used the cup would shake and water would ssh out, falling into the tub and slowly filling it. If the tub got too full, he would be unable to use skills, and if a cup became too empty, he would be unable to utilise that specific skill. Spellwork and cultivation also impacted this badly crafted analogy, with spells changing the way the cups could be moved, and cultivation reinforcing the cups to allow for more vigorous movements. Or maybe cultivation is its own separate cup? Or should the analogy be something like a building with multiple rooms? Leif mused, then snapped himself back to the task at hand. Fix the skill, idiot. === Golden light shimmered in the sky above, ghostly echoes, barely visible rushing around him as he sat and observed. It had taken Leif the better part of a week to realise [Time Born Sympathy] had been nudging against the edges of his perception. It had taken an embarrassingly long time to identify what exactly was causing the strange feeling of being poked but once he had he had been struck dumb. The skill was magical in the most literal sense, its evolution far more potent than Leif could have imagined. For the sight he beheld wreathed in faint trails of golden dust was the battle that had taken ce over a year ago. The event had been so significant to this location that echoes of the battle still remained, and Leif watched the vague outlines of people and undead fighting in the streets all the while the sky raged with a conflict on another scale entirely. Leif could see the barely perceptible outline of what he thought was Hera, Pocht and the awakened enver exchanging blows far above the ruined town. He had watched the echoes of the battle topletion several times now, each time he noticed new details and moments he had missed. Leif even saw himself, and though the bridge in which his final stand had taken ce no longer existed as it was a pile of rubble far below, the echoes of the past still showed the events ying out. He flexed and wriggled the fingers on one of his hands, the arm it was attached to was quite a bit smaller than his other arm. The shape was more smooth and rounded, the muscture more tight and the points slightly altered to provide greater flexibility. He couldn¡¯t move his newly acquired pinky, and some of his fingers randomly stopped working, but all things considered this was a fairly good attempt. It was also his fifteenth attempt, the several times he had tried to alter his body''s structure hadn¡¯t gone overly well. But healing was his speciality, sure he had had to sever the arm a few times, then watch in horror as the limb had grown back incorrectly. But practise would make perfect, and due to his nature time was something he had plenty of. As he had changed, so too had the world around him. Death no longer hung in the air like a foul miasma, and the domain that emanated from the domain tree had started making sweeping changes to the environment atop the bluff. It seemed that the domain had spent most of its energy fighting away the grasping hands of undeath, but now unchained from that task flowers bloomed, nts grew and mosses spread to cover everything in a carpet of vibrant greenery. Leif turned his attention to where the natural stone bridge had once connected both bluffs. As it was currently, it would be difficult for people to reach the elevated position in which the domain tree was located. He felt the strong and healthy roots of ivory white beneath his feet twitch as he brushed against them with [Wood Maniption]. He needed more practice, so why not make a bridge? What about a stairway that would allow for easier ess to his bluff? The nt monster stood, and got to work. === The journey to the western coast had been a scramble to stay ahead of the undead that rampaged through the wilderness. K was old, even if she would smack anyone who told her that, and the continuous high speed travelling had done more to worsen her health than she would like to admit. Even as a healer, there were limits to what ailments and injuries she could treat and mend, the water aspected skills she possessed helped ease aches and chase away pain, but at her age there was no such thing as unlimited stamina. And that wasn¡¯t to mention the fact that with every year that passed, her connection to the skills that nested deep within her soul grew fainter, more distant as her life slowly drew to its conclusion. Getting older wasn¡¯t easy, but that part of it was easily the worst. She could ignore the tweak in her back, shrug off the weight that pressed down on her shoulders and power through the shaking in her legs. But the skills she had dedicated much of her younger life to honing and growing slipping from her grasp was terrifying. Not that she would admit that, not even to the two people she loved the most in her life. She shared the yak pulled cart with three beings, one was her youngest grandchild, the other two¡­ weren¡¯t exactly human. If K had been told forty years ago she would have taught arithmetic to a deer and scolded another for eating its way through an entireundry day''s worth of socks she would haveughed the story away, it was simply too silly to believe. She gazed lovingly at Han, the young boy sprawled over the sleeping forms of two evolved deer as the three of them slept the day away. The wagon jostled to a stop, and she heard voices calling out from outside. As she was reaching for thetch to the exit the door swung open revealing a wide eyed man whose eyes and hair reminded K so much of her daughter. She scowled at the spear he had slung over one shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at the boy. He noticed her expression and slightly smirked, though the cheeky brat tried to hide it. ¡°What is it, boy?¡± She asked, allowing herself to be helped down to the ground. ¡°We¡¯re not sure.¡± Samil said, steadying her with a gentle hand. The boy was so clearly made to be a healer, it baffled her daily that he had chosen the path of a warrior. The two made their way towards the front of the nomads convoy, on their way they passed a group of evolved hogs, the beasts letting out excited squeals as they ran around in circles. K frowned, trying to figure out the source of their jubtion. Then, as she stepped around the hulking form of a yak, she saw something that made her mouth drop open in astonishment. Unlike the dour surroundings they had been travelling through for the past several weeks, thendscape before them was lush and green. Life bloomed from the husks of what had been deceased and dying trees, the grasses springing from the earth as if a drowning man gasping for air. And as K stared, her constantpanion of pains and aches began to fade away. Chapter 99: Reunion Chapter 99: Reunion The functionality of [Healing Palm] has been regained as you have restored its structural integrity! ss [Adept] can once again be levelled up! In his mind¡¯s eye, Leif watched as the separated chunks of the [Healing Palm] skill finally slotted together, settling into their correct ces. After countless attempts, he had slowly pieced together the correct process. He needed to will the skill together, all while maintaining a firm vision of the skill¡¯s function. He had envisioned healing energy flowing into the hand, then being transferred into its target. The mental image had to be firm, but it also had to be held for an extended period of time. It wasn¡¯t the most difficult thing Leif had ever done, but mentally gathering the skill together, holding them in ce all the while his understanding of the skill slowly worked to seal the cracks and mend over the damage. His improved attributes, especially [Willpower] and [Intelligence] made the process possible. But Leif suspected [Spirit] had ultimately been the deciding stat when determining if restoring the skill was possible at all. Leif¡¯s eyes snapped open as he slipped from the domain tree,nding steadily on the ground. A songbird fluttered down from the branches above, alighting on his shoulder and tweeting happily. Leif gave the little creature a gentle scratch with his fully working hand, a w tipped finger stroking the bird''s brightly coloured feathers. He rolled his neck, causing the animal to chirp and hop onto the top of his head, where it began rustling through the leaves he had in ce of hair. His body was morepact than it had been weeks ago, shorter and more smooth. Where cracks and gaps had been, now there was polished ivory wood. Mass had beenpressed, then healed until the changes had stabilised. The faux muscles of his arms, legs and torso had been enhanced, though that had taken considerable effort to finally get correct. One of the biggest issues had been bnce, perfectly getting the wood he was controlling aligned having been an agonising exercise of tedious trial and error. But as Leif walked around the domain tree and began to cross the bridge of ivory white wood that spanned the gap between the two bluffs, he could feel the difference in power, the sheer potential waiting to be unleashed. His body was like a tightly wound wire, when he tensed strength flooded into his limbs. The bridge creaked slightly under Leif¡¯s weight, causing him to use a minor part of [Gold Iron Physique] to make himself lighter. It wasn¡¯t by much, but it was enough to stop the somewhat ominous noises. The middle of the bridge was where the structure was at its weakest, he had initially shaped the roots of the domain tree into a wide tform, but quickly realised he would need to work his way towards the centre from both sides to maintain the structure¡¯s integrity. So he had used [Embolden Vegetation] and [Wood Maniption] in conjunction to create thin ropes of ivory roots to span the gap and reach the other side. He had then encouraged the growth of the domain tree¡¯s roots in a specific direction, and slowly finished the construction over several days. It had made for good distraction from him identally losing all motion in his legs. Leif was no engineer, that much was obvious, which was probably why he was more proud of the staircase that edged the right side of the mostly round bluff, gradually reaching the bottom at the southernmost point of the bluff. If his domain tree was at the most northern part of the rock formation, then the staircase wrapped around part of its circumference. The isted bluff was roughly teardrop shaped, with the south being more narrow than the north. Leif liked the staircase, growing out of the cliffside as it was, roots having been woven together to createrge t tforms. His only gripe was theck of symmetry, he would need to grow out a second staircase on the left side of the bluff, but that wouldeter. He reached therger of the bluffs and got to work clearing away the almost entirely destroyed buildings, scavenging anything that might be of use. Golden arms moved in a flurry all around him, taking apart walls, dragging away rubble and gathering timber which he then reinforced and moved to a separate pile. He could control more arms now, around twenty, with their reach and flexibility being considerably improved. Leif moved around the destroyed settlement, finding some minor supplies, personal items and even a crate entirely full of pickle jars. He used [Wood Maniption] to levitate the crate to one of the nearby piles of goods and kept working, his immediate surroundings a constant blur of motion. As he worked he checked the progress of histest skill fusion. Fusion of skills [Time Born Sympathy] and [Combative Gumption] 69/100% It had been over two weeks since he had started the fusion, and its current progress was with him using every mana shard he had collected except for the ck death attuned crystal to fuel the fusion. He had known that the time it would take toplete each sessive fusion would increase, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to have escted so quickly. At this rate, even if he gained one more level and reached level fifty right now, it would take him the better part of a year to bring his skill total down to fifteen. Ideally he would gain his final level in [Attuned: Life] or his monster ss, that way he wouldn¡¯t identality get another skill he would have to do something with before he would be able to advance. From what he understood, which admittedly wasn¡¯t very much, each advancement trial would be not only more difficult, but increasingly dangerous. The penalty for failure was the loss of several levels, and that didn¡¯t sound overly pleasant. But if Leif was honest with himself, he was eager to see what the advancement trial would show him. Would it be another glimpse into his past? What could he learn? He paused, momentarily struck with a thought, his conjured arms stilling in their work. What do normal monsters witness for their level twenty five advancement? He hadn¡¯t considered it before, but now that he had it didn¡¯t make sense. When he had undertaken the advancement trial it had been a key moment from his past, the vision being of a decision his still human self had made and how he had reacted to it. I don¡¯t think the average monster as of level twenty five would have experienced anything that would be worthy of a trial. Leif mused, brow slightly creasing as he considered the puzzle, the newly gained control over his facial features making the expression possible. Did they see a hypothetical situation? One created by the system in order to give them a choice? Or was the trial something as simple as choosing what type of prey to hunt, or cave to sleep in? He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. The spriggan looked up, and saw only disparate groups of white fluffy clouds. He looked to the south west, where the sound hade from, but there were no storm clouds. The rumble came again, this time louder and much closer. Then a streak of lightning shot through the sky far above, a formation of clouds parting as something blew through them at tremendous speed. The blur of light changed directions as it fell, angling down towards where Leif stood. The spriggan crossed his arms, his real arms, shaking his head slightly as dozens of birds and other critters went scrambling in fright. Dust and debris blew in every direction as something impacted the ground before him with enough force to crater the stone. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be.¡± Said a deep, rumbling voice as a figure stepped out from within the cloud of dust, lightning crackling between their horns, their hands hidden within the pockets of their stitched together rags. ¡°You look all polished up.¡± ¡°You just destroyed a bunch of mostly intact furniture.¡± Leif pointed out tly. ¡°So I did.¡± ¡°Wee back you old bastard.¡± Leif said, his mouth slightly contorted into a smile. ¡°I assume things went well.¡± Ram raised his eyebrows as he looked around in mock surprise. ¡°Not as well as things went here, I barely even feel the oppressive weight of death trying to drain my soul from my body, very nice.¡± ¡°I told you I was going to destroy the dungeon. I did.¡± ¡°Like smothering a babe in the cradle. Wasn¡¯t that thing barely a year old?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m surprised you¡­ care?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t.¡± === Bam was hungry. Or rather she wanted to eat something. She hadn¡¯t felt hungry for over a day as she and the hairy round ones and the tall soft ones and therge fluffy ones trudged through the ce that was green. Wild grasses grew in abundance from what had been yucky dirt, and trees flowered, though any fruit was disappointingly out of reach. She looked to the side, seeking something to nibble. Han had long ago stopped wearing clothing with long sleeves, though that was because she had eaten them all months ago. The little human scowled at her as she sniffed at his pockets, but she vanished in a sh of light when he tried to reach for her ear. Ever since she had fallen over and had a strange dream, Bam had been¡­ different. Things were clearer, her body was faster, and her ability to cause general mayhem was greatly improved. She didn¡¯t understand the strange squiggles that asionally appeared before her, though sometimes she did feel an odd sensationing from them, as if they were trying to show her something. Whenever she did, she would go with her gut and pick the options that seemed to be most fun. This had resulted in one peaceful night, the sea breeze blowing across thend, a sudden and blinding sh of light to burst from her two little horns, shbanging everyone nearby. Humans had stumbled away in panic, hogs had squealed and started rolling around. It was quite funny, so she had done it again. Then someone had rudely thrown a sack over her head and locked her inside a nearby tent. Jokes on them though, she had nibbled her way free, then shed everyone again once they weren¡¯t paying attention. Bam didn¡¯t know why Lani refused to participate in her fun, the other deer seemed more interested in sitting still and watching the funny humans say their funny words. Bam had better things to do, like shootsers from her horns and burn holes in monsters. Then, much to the general dismay of those around her, she had learnt to teleport. After a week of chaos the nomad ns hunting party had dragged her away, pointed her at a rock creature, and told her to st it to pieces or they¡¯d throw her in the ocean. This story has been uwfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Life was fun, had been fun, ever since she could remember really. When Bam tried to think back she struggled to remember clearly what her life had been like before all this, before the tree with the happy feelings and the warm tingles. Lani had been there then, small and sleepy, and Bam had done her best to protect her. Protect. That hadn¡¯t really been her job, it had been the tree¡¯s. Bam paused, the feeling that had been growing inside of her for the past few days reaching a crescendo. Past a tree filled valley, along a slowly flowing river and over a ledge was the faint outline of something peeking over thendscape. Though her eyesight was much better than it had been, she couldn¡¯t quite make out what it was. But even then, she knew, how could she not? A bolt of lightning shot up and away into the sky heading towards the thing in the distance, and Bam started running after it. Within moments, two dozen other animals were following her. They ran through the valley, forded the shallow river, and pushed through the trees. An elevated rock formation came into view, the feeling of life and vitality getting stronger with each and every step. Bam teleported ahead, trying to go as fast as she could. Home, despite having never seen this ce before she knew, she knew that that¡¯s exactly what it was. Home, up the final hill she bounded, a squealing tide of hogs following her as she went. Up the strange stairs of white wood, her hooves cking against the hard material as she half sprinted, half stumbled up every step. Breathing heavily, heart racing and eyes blurry she reached the top, skidding to a halt as she saw the towering ivory tree before her. But while it was close to what she sought, Bam somehow knew that it wasn¡¯t quite right. Around the tree she iled, a bridgeing into sight. Then the evolved deer froze in ce at what she saw. A figure had likewise frozen in ce as they were walking across the bridge towards her, his body was as white as the tree behind she had passed, red leaves sprouting from their head, amber eyes glowing just as Bam remembered. Even though it hurt deep inside her, Bam teleported forward, making it over halfway to the figure as she scrambled along the bridge. One of her legs slipped, and for a horrifying moment Bam¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she began to fall, eyes wide, expression panicked. Then golden arms wrapped around her, pulling her up. When she was held tightly against his chest Bam knew everything was alright in the world. It didn¡¯t matter that the protector was shaking slightly, she felt warm, safe, happy. She was carried across the bridge, as the person she trusted the most mumbled words she didn¡¯t quite catch into her fur. Momentster the hogs and Lani arrived, but they had to wait their turn. === That day, Leif found himself unable to move,pletely encased in a pile of animals as he was. He could sense the humans moving around the bluff, clearing away space and finding ces to put their belongings. Several sent amused looks his way, he could feel their amusement through [Time Born Sympathy]. Several he knew had approached him, the small group of humans standing awkwardly as they tried to catch a glimpse of him under the nket of happily snuggling creatures. They had then almost jumped out of their skin when he had initiated a telepathic conversation. This was where [Wisdom of the Ages] turned out to be somewhat limited. For while Leif could talk telepathically, those hemunicated with couldn¡¯t reply. The demikin could hear him perfectly fine, but to him their voices came as barely audible sounds, muffled as they were through severalyers of animals. Individuals and small groups came up to him and the animal pile over the course of several hours, they introduced themselves and thanked him for the hospitality. Leif wasn¡¯t sure if he was being particrly hospitable, trapped as he currently was. But he made sure to send words of affirmation and wee to each and every one, even if it got somewhat tedious not being able to have an actual conversation. === By the time Leif managed to extract himself from the stack of beasts the demikin n had made considerable progress in unpacking and setting up their campsite, intermixing tents with some of the more structurally sound buildings. Cloth tarps were hung in ce of roofs, and carts were used as makeshift walls in ces where the buildingscked them. He had thought his efforts in cleaning up the ce had been extensive, but in less than a day the n of just under a hundred people had done more than he had in several months. Leif didn¡¯t know these people, and to most of them, he was a stranger. But as he began to walk around the bluff, checking on their progress and more formally introducing himself, it struck him how normally they treated him. Sure, several were standoffish, others viewing him as a curiosity, but Leif had somewhat expected the experience of openly revealing himself to a group of humans to be¡­ more difficult. He wasn¡¯t naive enough to think this would always be the case, these people were of partial beast descent, it likely didn¡¯t hinder him that in this case he knew their ¡®revered ancestor¡¯. The demikin were human, but their bloodline showed prominently in their appearance. In his human form, Ram had a billowing, almost fluffy mane of white hair. His descendants shared this trait, though less extremely. Ram had long horns jutting from his forehead, they curved up and slightly back. This trait too was shared by the demikin n, though their horns were shorter, somecking them entirely. In a cleared out area near where the obelisk for the small skimmer docks was located, most of the n gathered. A roaring fire sent smoke spiralling up into the cool night air, the particles of soot and ash mixing with the sounds ofughter and tired jubtion. Life for these people wasn¡¯t easy, he could see it in the lines of their faces, the posture with which they sat and the sun-worn tan that darkened their skin. Seeing them here made something spark to life within Leif, the knowledge that even beyond the edges of civilization they could be safe, healthy, happy. Ram spotted him standing off to the side, the high level beast in human guise loudly calling him over. Even among the hardy folk of the n, Ram stood out as the hardiest of them all. While his descendants wore furs and simple leathers, the goatman looked more like a homeless vagrant. A vagrant who was currently ruffling the hair of a human who looked even older even than Ram himself. The man, someone Leif recognised as the chief, looked like a petnt child as the human scowled at the overly affectionate treatment he was receiving. While Leif hadn¡¯t met the man other than an awkward greeting betweenyers of animals, the sight made him snort. He suspected that Ram legitimately viewed the aged n chief as a youngster, and waspletely oblivious to the man¡¯s difort, not to mention the amusement of those who watched. The scion stepped into the firelight as Ram began waving his endlessly full bottle around, loudly telling everyone present of the time Leif had been sent flying by an exploding elemental. Leif sat himself next to the person he knew the best, K gave him an assessing look, then nodded as if approving of what she saw. Her youngest of two grandsons slept in herp, drool running from his open mouth and onto the dirt covered ground. ¡°So then, there he is, lying in the grass missing both his legs.¡± Ram chortled, gesturing wildly, seemingly forgetting the aged chief he was currently manhandling, almost sending the man tumbling away. Leif gave the chief his most consoling look even as the man was pulled into a tight one armed hug. Eventually the gathering settled down, the children were sent off to bed and some of the young warriors and hunters went to keep watch. Topics turned more serious, several of the n¡¯s elders, including the chief wanting reassurances of his constant presence. It was with more than a little hesitation that Leif had to exin his ns, but then having to reassure the demikin that even if he himself wasn¡¯t within the settlement, the domain tree would remain. === ¡°Fight me.¡± Said a broad young man, hands on hips as he beamed at Leif. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Aww, why not?¡± Leif gestured vaguely at the house he was helping build. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ busy?¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll fight me afterwards?¡± Asked the man hopefully. ¡°v¡­ you¡¯re the chief''s son, don¡¯t you have anything important to do?¡± Leif asked, exasperated. This was the third time in as many days the demikin had challenged him, Leif was beginning to run out of excuses to turn him away. Would the n hold it against him if he threw the overly enthusiastic man off the nearest cliff? ¡°Nope!¡± v dered, lightning dancing between his horns in a way that reminded the spriggan of Ram. Actually, the man reminded Leif of Ram in far more ways than just that ¡°I just hit things hard.¡± Combat experience: Lesser! Age: Older! Leif squinted mentally at the system window. ¡°You have lessbat experience than me?¡± ¡°What?¡± v cried, staggering back as if the nt monster had just struck him physically. ¡°Untrue! derious! Fight me at once!¡± ¡°The system doesn¡¯t lie, usually, unless you have a skill that hides your abilities?¡± ¡°Hiding is for cowards!¡± v dered, regaining his poise and standing straighter. ¡°And I¡¯ve never lost to a tree before!¡± ¡°But you did lose to that rock crab we encountered way out west.¡± Came aughing voice, followed by a woman with the same fluffy hair and horns as the rest of the n, a hunting bow slung over her shoulder. She was trailed by a group of humans clearly ready to leave on an expedition of sorts. The n chief¡¯s son¡¯s jaw ckened as he stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Y-you¡­ that wasn¡¯t¡­ It was cheating and you know it Liv! the same way your man does with his damage reflection skill!¡± ¡°He¡¯s my man now is he?¡± Liv said, turning to a nk faced Samil, eyebrows wagging. ¡°I am not.¡± Samil said, tonepletely t. ¡°We have a hunt to do. How about you stop harassing our host ande with us?¡± ¡°But I desire battle!¡± v stated, the man repeatedly yelling his challenge even as he was dragged off by the hunting party. === As days turned into weeks, wooden homes sealed against the weather sprung up all over the smaller bluff. A fenced off paddock for the yaks was created on the sloped hill of the main bluff, the timber Leif had scavenged going into the temporary construction. Small gardens for vegetables and herbs were nted, the owners marvelling as shoots sprung from the ground in half the time they normally would have expected. A system for water collection was put together by the nearby stream as everyone went about their daily tasks. Leif continued to work on his skills and body, he spent time with his animals and interacted with the nomads. At some point Ram had left for the mountains, only for him to return a few dayster with some sort of massive, tough skinned worm slung over his shoulders. ording to him it was delicious. ording to the stomachs of his family it was poisonous. One day a group of not quite adult members of the n had discovered the fact Leif could alter his body, the teens finding it endlessly amusing to suggest alterations and changes. No, he couldn¡¯t grow a third arm, yes he could technically engrave suggestive imagery all over his body, no he wouldn¡¯t actually do that. That particr gathering had been disrupted when five evolved hogs had wandered over looking for scritches. It hadn¡¯t taken him long to get used to the changes, but he was sometimes still caught off guard at the different appearances of what had once been mundane animals. Bam teleporting or Lani acting surprisingly intelligent still caught him by surprise. It was hard to imagine them as the silly little creatures that had followed him since his first evolution. Actually on second thought no it isn¡¯t. He thought to himself, ruefully remembering some of their most recent antics. Bam had managed to get herself stuck up the domain tree, and Lani had followed him around until he had read her parts of the textbook on healing K had given him after he had asked. Truthfully he was tempted to stay, to stick around forever and watch what had once been his solitary home change day by day. But he didn¡¯t have the luxury of staying in one ce for too long. Perhaps that was a critical w for a tree monster to have, perhaps his willingness to try and learn, to attempt and reconnect with his past life would end in tears. But civilization was calling, with all the trappings, knowledge and danger it would bring. With a heavy heart he informed the n leaders he would be leaving. He just hoped it wouldn¡¯t be for too long. Chapter 100: Just a Healer Chapter 100: Just a Healer Most people in his situation would likely relish the position of power he held over the people he was currently pointing a sword at. Or at least, that''s what Sarb thought as he ushered a bunch of dirty farmers out of their homestead point first. He wrinkled hisrge nose at the smell of piss, dubiously eyeing the wet stain running down the leg of the youngest man. There were a thousand ways he could justify his actions, a thousand reasons and excuses. But being honest with himself he knew exactly why. He wanted money, and there was nobody in this forgotten backwater to stop him. ¡°Hey boss!¡± Called a voice from the back room as he pushed thest farmer out the front door. ¡°What?¡± He snapped back, a scowl scrunching up his rounded face. ¡°I found something. Bunch of beans!¡± ¡°Great.¡± Sarb growled, rolling his eyes and giving one of the farmers a kick so he would get moving. ¡°Go help Vince with the next house over, I can hear yelling.¡± ¡°Right boss, you got it.¡± Said the other bandit as he jogged out of the building, sack slung over his shoulder. Beans fell from the sack in a continuous stream from a hole that a rat had likely chewed into the woven material. ¡°Fucking idiot.¡± He muttered, marching the farmers down the barely cobbled road and into the main square of the vige. The settlement was a bleak and entirely uninspiring ce, thatched roofs with half assed repairs, fields full of emaciated and withered crops. He certainly didn¡¯t envy the frontier life, no sir he did not. The in metallic ring on his finger hung heavy, not with weight, but at the prospect of being used. To think a man like me could have something like this. Sarb mused darkly, deliberately pulling his attention from the artefact and yelling at the sorry lot of dirt peddlers to hurry up. Three dozen vigers were already in the vige centre when he arrived with thetest batch. They were tied together with ropes, all looking miserable as they sat in the dirty za, several of his men rummaging through their pockets. They wouldn¡¯t find anything, these farmers were poorer than street rats, less well fed too by the looks of things. ¡°This is a shit haul boss.¡± One of his men mumbled as Sarb stomped passed. ¡°Ain¡¯t nuffin but shit and sadness in this ce.¡± He grunted in acknowledgement but otherwise said nothing. He knew, but he didn¡¯t particrly care. This was more of a supply grab before they returned to hunting the coastal roads for merchant caravans anyway. A yell came from nearby, and Sarb turned to re at the disturbance. His already poor mood took a dive when he saw two of the recent recruits getting handsy with some of the vige girls. ¡°Hey!¡± He snapped. ¡°Have some fucking standards and get back to work. Keep it in your pants or I¡¯ll cut it off.¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± The man snarled, the hole where one of his eyes had been adding more than a little malice to his re. ¡°Let us have some fun you fat prick.¡± ¡°Are you questioning me, boy?¡± The bandit leader asked as he wobbled over. His gaze stabbed into the man despite being a head and shoulders shorter. ¡°What if I am?¡± The man smirked, leering down at his employer. An employer who was over fifteen levels higher than himself. A sharp thwack split the air as the t of Sarb¡¯s de hit the side of the idiot''s head, sending the man tumbling to the ground. ¡°You questioning my orders?¡± He asked the now prone and groaning man¡¯s friend. ¡°N-no.¡± ¡°Good. Now do your damn job, keep watch, and don¡¯t, fucking, get, distracted.¡± The man nodded frantically, already pulling his friend up off the ground. The bandit leader spat on the ground, then walked over to where the loot was being collected. A tall and spindly figure was making notes on a wooden pad, mumbling thoughtfully to himself. A spear rested next to a poorly maintained fence, though the weapon was easily within the man''s reach should he need it for whatever reason. ¡°Hey Tio, how long will thisst us?¡± Sarb asked, the other man ncing at him briefly before looking back to the pile of sacks. ¡°A month, two if we ration.¡± Tio replied, scratching idly at the back of his long matted hair. ¡°Probably a little more once thest few houses are checked and searched properly.¡± ¡°And that''s if turbulence doesn¡¯t slow us down.¡± ¡°Mhmm. If we keep getting so little from these frontier viges, we may have to go further south.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll risk it if we have to, but I¡¯d rather stay out of the patrol ranges if we can help it.¡± ¡°The empire is more interested in maintaining their cordon, and Ahle-ho is more likely to put out a bounty and send guild parties than send soldiers.¡± The tall man said. Both menpsed into silence, in truth they were brothers, though nobody would be able to tell by looking at them. Yelling started up again, this time a group of older farmers were throwing insults at their captors. Sarb watched impassively as the instigator of the defiance was kicked in the liver, then once again in the back of the head as the man doubled over. This ce hadn¡¯t put up much of a fight, which was good. Even if he was by no means a good person, Sarb would rather not start maiming people without good cause. If anything he¡¯d rather not dull his already worn de any further. Anothermotion picked up nearby, sighing loudly the bandit turned, only to see a man in slightly ornate robes being tugged along by a grinning banditcking all but a few teeth. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The two brothers watched as the man, a priest judging by his clothing, was pushed to his knees and had a dagger pressed against his throat. Sarb sauntered over, his sword still bare as he walked towards the priest. Several of the bound vigers shrunk away from him as he strode through their midst. ¡°Well, well, well. What brings such a distinguished man like yourself all the way out here.¡± He asked, not bothering to keep the derisive sneer out of his voice. The priest looked up at him with wide, panicked eyes. By the softness of his features and theck of grime coating his clothing more than suggested he wasn¡¯t a local. ¡°A- A pilgrimage. T-to see the frontier.¡± The priest stammered, squirming in ce as he tried to maintain hisposure. ¡°Name?¡± The bandit asked, not really caring. ¡°N-nazan.¡± ¡°Sect?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m a Mundanist.¡± The man cringed, a fact soon proven by his pockets being ransacked and nothing but worthless personal possessions turning up. ¡°Got any money, dickhead?¡± A bald man with tiny, squinting eyes asked as he tossed away a leatherbound book. ¡°N-no, It isn¡¯t proper for me to carry such things.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re lying. I think you¡¯re hiding a fat stack of-¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have shit.¡± Sarb snarled, waving the man to silence. ¡°These types never do, they¡¯re practically beggars.¡± The bandit could see the look of relief in the priest''s eyes, and that infuriated him more than anything. Fucking worthless preachers, at least he and his boys had to work for their pay. As Sarb saw it, they were both parasites, they just sucked blood in different ways. ¡°His robe is worth something at least, take it off him.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Nazan squeaked asughter erupted from several of the nearby bandits. The dagger around his throat was withdrawn as grimy hands started tugging away at his garb. Then a crack rang out from a street over, the sound was like wood snapping, and it was followed by a loud yelp of rm. Everyone in the vige square, bandit and local both, turned to see the source of themotion. A bandit withrge, bushy eyebrows and a grimy unkept beard ran into sight, he was followed a momentter by two other men. ¡°Boss!¡± The man screamed, voice panicked. ¡°There¡¯s some fuckering!¡± Endless gods damn trouble. Sarb fumed internally, snapping at his men to spread out and get into position. ¡°How many?¡± He called. ¡°Just one boss!¡± Came the reply, followed shortly by another loud crack. ¡°He¡¯s got a shield skill boss, it''s all glowy like!¡± Another two bandits ran into the clearing, including the source of the sounds, a skinny man with a sling. ¡°My powershot ain¡¯t doing shit!¡± The bandit with the sling yelled, scrambling to get distance and fumbling to reload. ¡°But I woulda split his head open if he wasn¡¯t cheat¡¯in with that shield skill!¡± Everyone in the clearing held their breath as weapons were drawn and skills were readied. Then, a cloaked figure strode into the vige square. They were tall, their bulk clear even under the heavy cloth that shrouded most of their form. They had hardy leather boots, and when the cloak shifted simple clothing was revealed underneath. The most striking feature of the neer however, was a in brown wooden mask that covered their face, a golden glowing from the eye slits. Their hands and forearm seemed to be d in ivory white armour that appeared unlike any metal Sarb had ever seen, perhaps it wasn¡¯t metal at all. ¡°By the Bringer of Rain, by the Mother of Sce.¡± The priest mumbled under his breath, but other than a smack to the back of the head he was ignored. Who the fuck prayed to the god of rain in a time like this? Was the priest damaged in the head? Sarb thought, trying to analyse the approaching man. To his difort the skill produced no result, this stranger was either significantly more powerful, or their aura skill was developed enough to block his analysis. ¡°Who are you?¡± Tio called, spear resting casually against thenky man¡¯s shoulder. Despite the way Tio was acting, Sarb could tell his brother was tense and ready for a fight. Of all the shitstains who followed him out into the frontier to pige and loot, the only one of them he trusted to have a good head on his shoulders was Tio. ¡°A traveller.¡± Replied the masked man as he slowly scanned the situation he had walked into. Outnumbered as he was, the neer was remarkably calm. Either it was an act, or they had a reason for their confidence. Sarb felt the man¡¯s aura brush up against his own, several of his men likely feeling the exact same thing as their postures rxed, one evenughed. It was the aura of a healer, soft and gentle. Healers were rare, Sarb had only met a handful throughout his entire life. But the ¡®traveller¡¯ was clearly one of them, his aura was unsuppressed so the likelihood of deception was rtively low. ¡°You came to the wrong ce.¡± A bandit called, his voice dripping with newly found confidence, several of his fellows snickered at his words, clearly feeling the same way. ¡°I mean, what¡¯s a fucking healer going to do?¡± Though the man¡¯s aura clearly denoted what he was, Sarb couldn¡¯t help but be hesitant to lower his guard. He hadn¡¯t spent half a decade in this line of work to not notice danger when he saw it, even if his ownbat oriented aura from his promoted [Fighter] ss pushed out his perception. He pressed against the aura of the hooded man, but it was like a solid wall, there was no further information he could glimpse. Was it a trap? An ambush? Was this man truly alone or were they being surrounded at that very moment? ¡°You should take your men and leave.¡± The masked man said, his glowing eyes turning to lock onto Sarb. The bandit leader gulped, taking a step back involuntarily. Nothing about the man before him had changed, but the air seemed to hum with the sound of his voice. As if the very idea of defying his suggestion carried an ancient implication. ¡°We ain¡¯t doing shit.¡± Yelled a bandit from the left before he could reply, not that he could with his throat tightening and heart racing. Sarb couldn¡¯t tell who had spoken, his entire world had just gone very narrow. [Mind for Battle] only triggered inbat, its effect increasing depending on the difference in power between him and his opponent. His breath began toe quicker, even as one of his stupid, stupid men rushed forward to bash the travellers head in with a cudgel. With his senses enhanced, Sarb saw for the first time a faint heat-haze surrounding the cloaked man, like a near invisible ripple in the air around him. Faint traces of golden light flickered into being, then the bandit was there. The cudgel fell with enough speed that the weapon was nothing more than a blur, wreathed in deadly power from a skill the strike was empowered to the point even high levelbatants would have their bones crushed and flesh pulverised. The man simply raised his hand, catching the blow without any apparent difficulty. The cudgel stopped dead, the stranger reacting to the blow not at all. Everything went silent as both bandit and viger stared, their hair and clothes being blown back as a shockwave from the attack¡¯s impact blew across the clearing. Then the aura changed, it rolled out from the man like a physical weight. Suddenly the masked stranger loomed twice as tall, histent authority pressing down on everyone, stifling breath and suppressing power. Bandits flinched back, several cursing and rushing to conjure any skill they could. The vigers¡­ the vigers were fine, somehow unaffected despite the oppressive presence bearing down on the vige square. A cold sweat broke out on Sarb¡¯s back. Just a healer my ass. Chapter 101: Banditry Chapter 101: Banditry The impact from the bandit¡¯s heavy blow rang down Leif¡¯s arm, the palm of his hand cracking slightly from the sheer force behind it. But he didn¡¯t flinch, in fact by the horrified looks and the quickly spreading shock and panic he could sense rippling through the armed men the disy had likely looked more than impressive. If possible he had wanted to avoid a fight, even if that oue was more than unlikely. Leif pulled back [Aura of Recovery], then mmed [Aura of Nobility] down onto the heads over every bandit present, the potency of his rank three aura backed by his [Charisma] attribute enough to half suppress every single bandit at once. Using both aura skills at the same time resulted in a diluted mix of both effects, thebination was sloppy and drastically reduced the efficacy of his aura. One day, hopefully soon, when he fused both skills that would no longer be a problem, but for now he would have to use one or the other. The eyes of the bandit who had swung the cudgel went wide, he tried to pull the weapon free but Leif tightened his grip even as amber blood trickled down the cudgel¡¯s length. Unfortunately for his attacker, using a weapon made of wood against a nt monster was about as likely to work as freezing an ice elemental to death. The cudgel melted as the infused power from the human¡¯s skill faded away, the liquid wood flowed down the bandit¡¯s arm twisting in such a way as to keep it locked in ce. ¡°That was foolish.¡± Leif said as his grip moved to the restrained man¡¯s forearm, his gaze shifted from the terrified eyes of his attacker, and onto the rotund bandit he had identified as the likely leader. ¡°Drop your weapons, get on the ground. I won¡¯t ask twice.¡± A crack sounded as the sling wielding bandit who had taken shots at him before loosed a stone. The projectile whipped through the air, faintly glowing from a skill it left behind a streak of light. But Leif had felt the intention to attack build from the man who had fired, sensed the spike of glee the moment before the stone was loosed. Instead of trying to block, he simply tilted his head to the side, the projectile zipping past him by barely a centimetre. [Grand Action] focused a considerable amount of his [Charisma] attribute into [Intelligence] making the world seem to slow. Intelligence allowed for the processing of information and stimuli quicker, and the flood of strength granted to the attribute had never been higher. His attributes soared as he let go of the mental restraint holding back [Consuming Aeons] as several things happened at once. Fifteen opponents. Leif counted, feeling about half that many auras press against his own. They were weaker than his own, maybe rank two at the highest. Just under forty restrained and unarmed vigers were in the vicinity of the fight, though he sensed several already scampering away as the bandits'' attentionpsed. Those with the ability to attack from a range were the greatest threat, even as four men rushed forward to attack. Leif threw aside the man he was holding, sending him tumbling limply down a side street. He reached out with his will andtched onto the wall of the house nearest to the sling wielding bandit, the wall rippled, then exploded outwards to restrain the bandit. He disappeared under a tide of rapidly extending tendrils with a yelp of surprise, followed by a muffled cry of pain. Four pairs of conjured arms struck out at the four men closing the distance. Leif stepped forward and struck out at each at the same time. An open palm struck the middle of the closest bandit, another had his rusted sword battered aside and a tap to the side of his head. The third triggered a skill and briefly became intangible, a dagger coated in a vile green liquid aimed right at the side of Leif¡¯s hidden neck. The fourth came in low, hatchet aimed for Leif¡¯s shin. Unempowered by a skill, the axe¡¯s shaft was unravelled via [Wood Maniption], followed by its wielder having his legs tied together by the remnants of his own weapon, then was shoved away. Leif exchanged ces with the intangible man, then when he regained physicality a golden fistshed out to connect with his gut. The breath wheezed out of his mouth as the dagger wielding bandit doubled over coughing, specks of blood flying from his mouth. A de of wind came down from above, the cause was a bandit who had quickly scaled one of the nearby houses to gain a vantage. But the man had no aura skill, and reading his intentions was like reading a picture book. Without looking at the man Leif manifested a barrier of golden energy which briefly flickered into existence, interposing itself between him and the wind de. Before the wind-aspected bandit could get off a second use of his skill a spear of wood punctured his thigh from below, Leif having called it up out of one of the building''s support beams. The man screamed, more preupied with his injury than in sending off another de of wind. Leif stepped back, vanishing with [The Amber Path] to avoid a st of mes unleashed from a man to his left, the scion retaliating by telekically pulling a lid from an opened crate and sending it spinning into the man¡¯s jaw. He went down, but the next bandit was already upon Leif. A spear tip danced in a blinding pattern, the wielder both absurdly tall and skinny. Water twisted around the bandit¡¯s feet, propelling his movements as the human dashed behind him. Leif reached for the spear with [Wood Maniption], but a skill of some kind empowering the weapon quite literally made the task slippery. Several bandits who hadn¡¯tmitted to the fight whooped as the water infused spear severed two of Leif¡¯s conjured arms at the wrist, then the man was behind him again. For a brief moment he saw the faint hint of a smirk on the spear wielder''s face, then Leif tripped the man by ripping a buried root out of the ground. The bandit¡¯s look of surprise vanished as the man exploded into a geyser of water, his body disappearing, only to reappear ten metres away as his form was recondensed from flowing streams of water. The spear user winced, the skinny man clearly pained from utilising the movement skill. Leif suspected it had a restriction of some sort that the bandit had vited, but he couldn¡¯t tell for sure. He stretched out his perception, trying to get a read on his surroun- ¡°Stop!¡± Yelled a voice, the fight brieflying to a stop. ¡°Retract your aura or I¡¯ll fuckin kill her! Suppress yourself or this blood is on your hands!¡± Leif turned, golden eyes ring at the short chubby man who was holding the tip of his de against a in looking woman¡¯s neck. As if recognising the apparent wisdom of their leader''s action, two more bandits likewise grabbed hostages, their weapons held threateningly. For a long moment everything was still, skills were held ready but not unleashed as tension built in the air. ¡°Fine.¡± Leif said with a heavy sigh. ¡°Kill them.¡± The bandit leader¡¯s eyes widened, then he jerked his head to the side, an arrow just narrowly avoided sprouting from the back of his skull. The arrow¡¯s tip sliced across the side of the man¡¯s head, cutting partially into his cheek as it flew by. Blood sprayed from the wound, coating the ground as the man triggered a skill and summoned a grey barrier around himself. A second arrow impacted the shield a momentter, cracking the skills structure but not breaking through. One of the other hostage takers screamed in panic at the sudden movement of his leader, the dagger was drawn across the throat of the man he had grabbed. The de¡¯s edge met a barrier of gold and was unable to harm the panicked looking viger. The third bandit, slightly smarter than the others, immediately let go of his own hostage, his thin de ttering to the ground. An instantter an arrow took him in the shoulder, the man falling with a soundless gasp as the arrow¡¯s impact stunned him. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Ambush!¡± Roared the leader, as the man whirling around to look for the archer who had attacked him. Several of his men did the same, a burst of rainbow light shed from a nearby street arresting their attention. But not for long, Leif focused on [crity] and dashed forward, a dozen golden arms bursting from his body, eachshing out to strike at the bandits who were still in the fight. [Fists of Conflict] activated with each blow sustained, Leif could feel the attention of the men he had struck shift back to him as if reeled in by a fishing line. Several bandits managed to deflect, parry or dodge his sudden attack, but those who didn¡¯t flew back with bones broken and bodies pulverised. There was a bellow of triumph, then v burst into the vige square, sword whirling as he challenged two of the bandits who had managed to evade, then back away from Leif¡¯s attacks. The nomad had a wild grin on his face as lightning danced around his body, he moved like a blur, clearly empowered by some sort of skill. A jet of water in the shape of a spearnced through the forest of golden arms and right towards Leif, thenky spearman¡¯s face was distorted in rage as he rushed forward with a wordless bellow. Around him, his fellow bandits who were affected by [Fists of Conflict] making simrly aggressive movements. But other than the spear wielder, none had the levels, skills or attributes to pose more than a minor distraction. With every moment another was sent flying or had their limbs restrained. === It is remarkable how quickly things go to shit. Sarb thought, mind racing as he crouched, grey barrier still projected around him. Of course the masked stranger hadn¡¯t been alone, who the fuck would walk into a potential fight that out numbered? Though Sarb suspected that even if he had been alone, there would have been little him or his men could have done. If Sarb was to guess, the man who had somehow pretended to be a healer was likely in his high sixties, maybe low seventies when it came to level. Though these things were often hard to tell. He knew the archer was somewhere on the rooftops, the fact their arrow hadn¡¯t been able to prate his shield likely indicated that they were somewhat below his own level, likely somewhere around the low twenties. There had been a burst of prismatic light somewhere off elsewhere in the vige, which brought the total number of foes to four. But at the moment it hardly mattered, there was a maniac with horns wearing nomad attire rushing right at him. Sarb gripped the hilt of his de in sweaty hands and dropped the shield skill, his de met that of the wild looking man. Painnced through his arms as the impact rang through them, a momentter sparks of electricity zapped all along his body. Just how much [Might] does this savage have? He thought, even as he was forced to give ground. The man¡¯s grin stretched even wider, then it was all Sarb could do to survive a barrage of sword strikes that rained down upon him from every direction. He activated his shielding skill only for the nomad to batter through it with only a single strike. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Sarb thought, panic well and truly setting in. He needed to get out of here, his men be damned. I need to grab Tio, then use one of myst resorts. We can still get the job done but only if we survive. ¡°TIO!¡± He roared, mentally reaching into his ring to retrieve something that could hopefully save him. A pendant, something given to him and part of his upfront payment appeared in his hand, the power contained within causing his hand to tingle. ¡°TIO! Get over here now!¡± ¡°B-boss!¡± One of his men called, Sarb turning to see fear written all across his grubby face. ¡°He-he¡¯s-¡± But before the bandit could finish the sentence an arrow prated his neck, killing him instantly. He couldn¡¯t see what was happening to his brother, if he took his attention from the sword wielding demikin he would be dead. There was no response from Tio, either his brother hadn¡¯t heard him or had fallen, it was toote to hold back now. Sarb pushed power into the pendant in his hand, and space warped around him. [Warp], as the skill was called, was unique among low level teleportation skills. Unlike most other teleportation skills [Warp] didn¡¯t require a pre-existing anchor in order to be used. The downside was that the destination was random, it was an escape skill for that very reason. So when Sarb vanished in a pop of air, only to appear within the dirty front room of a vige homestead he didn¡¯t know exactly where he was, but at least he was out of immediate danger. He mentally put the pendant back into his storage ring, the enchanted item¡¯s power had been spent and couldn¡¯t be used until recharged. He exchanged it for a low grade healing pill, it would hopefully be enough to staunch the wound on his face. Sarb winced at the acrid taste but swallowed the pill all the same, he needed to leave, and he needed to leave now. He shuffled over to the door and pushed it open, stepping out into the ill maintained street, almost tripping over a patch of weeds growing from between two cobble stones. He heard shouting and the sounds of battleing from his left, so he turned and ran right. He made it three steps before stopping dead in his tracks. Three of his meny dead in the street, their weapons littered the ground as blood pooled beneath them. A young woman, or was it a man stood above them, their face in a disgusted grimace. Long iridescent hair flowed down their back, seeming to catch the sun¡¯s light in a hundred different ways. ¡°Oh, hello. Where did youe from?¡± They asked in a distinctly masculine voice. The spear in their hand raising slightly in Sarb¡¯s direction. The man was strangely still, his form partially ethereal, as if not quite real. ¡°Out of the fucking way.¡± The bandit leader spat, putting on every ounce of speed he could to blitz down the foe before him. His sword flickered up, then cut right through the man¡¯s head, severing it in a single, brutal blow. The long haired figure seemed to flicker, as if being distorted. Sarb¡¯s eyes grew wide, only then realising the information his skills and instincts were telling him. Then a sh of prismatic light overtook his vision, a sharp, unbearably painful sensation was the only warning he had before his head was removed from his shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s no way that worked four times in a row.¡± The bandit leader heard from behind him as his vision swam and his hearing faded. All sensation felt infinitely far away, everything was bing cold, so cold. === Samil stared down at the headless corpse of the heavyset man. He let out a sigh, turning away to get the grisly sight out of his vision. Killing people was never pleasant, it didn¡¯t matter who they were or how it happened. He was with Leif on this one, though he knew for a fact Liv and v thought of situations like this very differently. Besides, as he understood it in most ces the penalty for banditry was death, very few ces had the desire or infrastructure to incarcerate people. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even trying to kill anyone, but you guys just kept attacking the illusion.¡± He muttered, shaking his head, partially in disbelief. The tactic of using illusions and reflected damage was supposed to only work against low intelligence monsters, how on earth had four grown men fallen for the same trick? The man he had only just killed at least had the excuse that he hadn¡¯t seen how the other three men had died. The sounds of battle had drawn to an end, it didn¡¯t take a genius to know what the oue would be. Samil noticed something strange, so he crouched down and removed the in looking ring from the rotund bandit¡¯s finger, then he wandered off towards the vige square, trying not to think about the corpses he was leaving behind. ¡°I hate people sometimes.¡± He mumbled as he walked past ransacked homes. Hemented that no matter where he and his few remaining family went, people always seemed to take advantage of people. But the world was a vast ce, he knew that better than most. Maybe things could be different. Chapter 102: Mundane Chapter 102: Mundane The atmosphere within the vige was oppressive and dour. Men, women and children sat or stood in groups, some trying to move their stolen belongings back into their ransacked homes with others staring nkly into space. As the tension slowly broke many of the vigers broke down with it, outpourings of emotions were amon sight. Of the nearly thirty bandits who had attacked the vige, well over half had been killed. The survivors were tightly bound in makeshift ropes of wood within a building adjacent to the vige square, their mouths were gagged and their weapons taken elsewhere. A different suite of emotions was radiating off them, defeat, anger, despair. The punishment for these men would be, ording tomonw, execution. Leif wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. It was obvious the moment he and his travellingpanions hadid eyes on the vige that these men were beyond redemption, at least he couldfort himself that he gave them a chance to surrender. Bodies were carried past, the corpses belonging to three vigers that had put up a struggle in one of the outer houses. v strode up to him, brow furrowed, fingers restlessly tapping the pommel of his sheathed sword. ¡°Not the battle you wanted?¡± Leif asked. ¡°There is nothing about victory to be ashamed of!¡± v replied, his frown being reced by a grin. ¡°But yes, there is no glory in putting down dogs.¡± At least this vige had people still in it. Leif mused, scanning his surroundings once again. His real face was hidden under the wooden mask he wore, it had been a suggestion given half jokingly by some of the children back at Far-Reach, and the scion appreciated the humour behind it. As it was, vigers gave him wary, but grateful nces. He had no doubt their reaction would have been considerably different if he had walked in undisguised. Chatter came from nearby, Leif and v turned to see Liv and Samil walking towards them. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of them escaped.¡± Liv said, stretching with arms over her head. The movement making the quiver and bow slung over her back almost slide free. ¡°Samil got the big bad boss after he teleported away.¡± The man in question rolled his eyes, neatly stepping away from a yful elbow to the ribs Liv tried to catch him with. ¡°I don¡¯t know what skill he used, but I doubt he would have teleported next to me if he had a choice.¡± ¡°You should have seen the battle.¡± Liv said, sighing dramatically. ¡°Truly an expert disy of skill and power, stories will be told of their duel for centuries toe.¡± ¡°He killed himself by attacking an illusion and not dodging the reflected damage.¡± The man said, expression t. Samil looked around at the distraught and vacant vigers. ¡°And I don¡¯t think this ce is in any condition to sell us supplies. We¡¯ll have to go further south.¡± Two weeks ago when Leif had left Far-Reach. He had intended to go alone. But the nomad n needed several things if they were to settle down for an extended period of time, and they didn¡¯t have the capability to craft what they needed. The scion was grateful for thepany, doubly so now that he had found himself facing the worst of humanity. Singing started up nearby, a group of haggard looking men and women sitting around a man dressed in strange looking robes. The robe wearing man looked just as rattled, if not more so than those around him, but nheless he led them in song. It was a slow, sombre melody, simple in its lyrics but resonant with its emotions. ¡°Catchy.¡± v said, humming along. The man¡¯s left foot tapping along,pletely out of sync with the song. ¡°We need to help these people however we can.¡± Leif said, feeling the grief and hopelessness swirling in the air all around him. ¡°We¡¯ll take the bandits off their hands too, take them to arger settlement to see justice.¡± The three demikin all nodded. ¡°Want toe hunting with me?¡± Liv asked. ¡°I think fresh meat will do these people well.¡± v nodded along happily, but Samil remained in ce, eyes glued to the nearby serenade. ¡°Ohe on.¡± Liv huffed, shaking her head as if in despair. ¡°That was nice, I was being nice!¡± A faint smile touched Samil¡¯s face, but it was gone a momentter. ¡°You¡¯ll be faster without me, I can do more good here.¡± v just blinked guilelessly, and Liv pouted dramatically. ¡°Fine~ See youter.¡± The scion and human waved away theirpanions, then Leif made to approach the gathering of singing vigers. Samil ced a hand on his sleeve, sliding Leif a small round object. Frowning internally he lifted the object, a in, unadorned ring to his face, studying it. ¡°What is this?¡± He asked, trying to understand the strange impression the item was giving him. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°The bandit leader had it. I think I know what it is, but I can''t be one hundred percent sure. If I¡¯m right, it''s far too valuable to be carried around by the kind of trash that attacks helpless viges.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enchanted then?¡± Leif asked, rolling the ring around between his fingers. ¡°Is it a storage item? What¡¯s inside?¡± Samil nodded slightly. ¡°I think it is, and I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s inside. I haven¡¯t attuned to it, the process takes an hour or two. But I suspect its contents will be revealing.¡± Leif nodded, subtly adjusting the size of his finger to fit the ring onto it. Then he paused. ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°All yours.¡± The demikin said, eyes twinkling. ¡°If I had a ring on me Liv would be even more aggressive, best if you have it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He said simply, then decided to add. ¡°And while I¡¯m not exactly an expert, I¡¯m pretty sure if you¡¯re not interested you should just tell her.¡± Samil blinked once, then again in rapid session. ¡°Uh, no, it''s not like that. We, I mean I- It¡¯splicated, I don¡¯t exactly not like her.¡± He spluttered, easily the leastposed Leif had ever seen the man, and Leif had once watched him get punched in the face. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want the ring back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate this ambush, I would have gone hunting if I had known it wasing.¡± The human said, running a hand through his long, slightly iridescent hair. === ¡°T-thank you Lord, for saving our vige.¡± A middle aged woman with sunken cheeks said, bowing at the waist. ¡°Think nothing of it.¡± Leif said from behind his mask. He had stopped bothering to correct people about the ¡®lord¡¯ thing over an hour ago. He extended a hand, the ivory wood fashioned to look like the armour of a gauntlet, so his monstrous origin wasn¡¯t revealed by the gesture. The viger grasped it with her own, then [Healing Palm] activated, the restorative energy of the skill flowing up and out of his arm. The woman wasn¡¯t visibly injured, but her shoulders ckened and her jaw unclenched as he healed her. She bowed once again, then shuffled away to let the next person in line have their turn. Leif stretched out his perception as he exchanged words with and healed the next few people in line, his senses were somewhat limited by the lower rank of [Aura of Recovery]pared to [Aura of Nobility]. He had been keeping his newest aura projected ever since the short battle had ended, but enough people had witnessed the authority of his other aura that they, somewhat correctly, assumed him to be someone rted to the nobility. Someone had even apologised that the vige had nothing to give in tribute. Histest patients skipped off, the pair of kids havinge back three times now to receive healing, Leif was pretty sure they just enjoyed the sensation of the healing skill. A makeshift bonfire had been lit in the centre of town, the fuel furniture and belongings that had been destroyed. He had fixed what he could, but piles of splinters couldn¡¯t be made into anything useful using [Wood Maniption]. Leif turned to thest person in line, it was the man Leif had initially pegged as an outsider, or an official of some sort due to his robes. But he was a priest, a fact that had be immediately apparent the moment they had had a conversation earlier that day. ¡°System¡¯s blessings.¡± The man, Nazan said as he dipped his head in a respectful nod. ¡°Priest.¡± Leif said, nodding back. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°No, no more than you already have. Any who use the powers that they have been gifted to do good have already done more than enough.¡± Leif wasn¡¯t sure ¡®gifted¡¯ was the correct term to use, but he chose to notment. Samil¡¯s advice had been to avoid the preacher as much as possible, but at no point had Leif detected ill intentions towards himself or any of the townsfolk from the man. ¡°Regardless, on behalf of the people of this vige, I must profusely thank you and yourpanions.¡± Nazan said, taking a seat beside the disguised monster. ¡°Times have been beyond difficult for the people of the frontier, it¡¯s been like this ever since the war, but the undead and the monster migrations they caused were too much for manymunities to handle.¡± ¡°Were the undead not the primary issue? I would have thought people would have fled further south to avoid them?¡± ¡°They were for the first few months, but the guilds working alongside the imperial contingent from Ahle-ho created outposts that lured the undead away from the settlements. The problem was that the crops withered, sources of water became tainted and livestock became sick. There were still the asional attacks from small groups of undead, but they weren¡¯t overlymon¡± ¡°Well, the undead won¡¯t be a problem going forward, that issue has been solved.¡± The priest¡¯s eyes went wide, the man mumbling a series of prayers under his breath. ¡°That is¡­ that is wonderful news. System and gods willing, maybe the people here will be able to lead better lives.¡± Leif tilted his head. ¡°So you¡¯re not a local?¡± ¡°No, no, not at all. I¡¯m from Jursa.¡± ¡°Jursa?¡± ¡°Ah- It¡¯s an imperial province, east of Cerres and nked by the Salt-ridge mountains. Are you not from the empire then?¡± The question seemed innocent, but Leif winced internally. Better not stray far from the truth. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m from Varan.¡± The priest seemed to let out a short sigh. ¡°Oh, that''s good, great, I mean it wouldn¡¯t matter, doesn¡¯t matter. Though they are kind of close¡­ geographically speaking.¡± He pped his hands together. ¡°Anyway, I passed through the kingdom on my pilgrimage. I''m d they sent soldiers and adventurers to help push back the western frontier, you do your kingdom proud bying this far west. It may just be a part of life, but humanity has lost so much in recent history.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leif said. ¡°So we have.¡± Chapter 103: The Ring Chapter 103: The Ring Leif sat at the edge of the vige, partially to keep watch, and partially to focus on the magical ring Samil had looted from the bandit leader. The process of attuning to a magical item wasn¡¯t overlyplicated, it just took time and focus. As the minutes ticked by the connection between himself and the ring increased, slowly blooming within his mind¡¯s eye simr to the sensation of gaining a new skill. Finally the connection finished forming, the ring suddenly gaining a mental weight. It wasn¡¯t quite heavy, instead the item gave off a strange kind of pressure. The sensation wasn¡¯t ufortable, and within moments it had faded away into the background as his attention shifted to what exactly the item did. A part of him had expected a system message telling what properties the ring had, but he suspected that was a skill reserved for lessbat focused sses. But that didn¡¯t mean the system waspletely silent. You have attuned to an item! Attuned items count as skills, but cannot be fused or altered in any way a normal skill can be. Warning! Attuning to any additional items may bestow certain penalties! Leif opened up his status sheet, and sure enough a new line about the number of magical items he had was now disyed below his list of sses and skills. There was no further information about what the item actually did, nor did his status sheet even record that the item was a ring. === Attuned Items: 1 ===It was interesting that the system quantified magical items as skills, and Leif guessed the penalties the message had mentioned rted to experience gain and the ability to gain levels. Which meant that the ring wasn¡¯t something he was likely to keep his connection to in the long run. He was already sitting right on the soft cap of the number of skills his soul could handle. Now he just needed to find out what exactly the item did. Leif cast out his mental perception, seeking for the innate knowledge within him that would confirm or disconfirm his suspicions about the ring. Sure enough, it was as he guessed. The ring felt like a small pocket, a space that could ept, hold, or withdraw a certain amount of items. But it wasn¡¯t empty, the small drawer sized space was practically filled to the brim. There were several letters bound together with string, a pouch containing a handful of silver coins, a small ss vial with a single pill within and some small misceneous items. Leif took this all in with a mental sweep of the rings contents, but his attention was drawn by a pendant that seemed to take up far more space than its physical size should allow. He tried to pull the item from the storage space, the process was intuitive, though it took three attempts. The trick was intent and focus, he had to mentally picture himself reaching into the small magical container, mentally grasp what he wanted, then withdraw the item out into reality. The air around his hand warped slightly, then the in looking pendant materialised in his palm. He had seen the bandit leader teleport away during the fight, and Leif suspected that this ne was the reason why. But the item''s power had been spent, ity inert in his palm absent of power. Leif instinctually knew he couldn¡¯t attune to this item, something about its design made that possibility null. Either this was a one time use item, or it had a way to be recharged. Shrugging, Leif returned the pendant to the ring, then pulled out the bundle of letters. It was too dark to read the words, so Leif conjured a pair of golden arms to loom above him, the ambient illumination of the skill¡¯s structure enough to read by. Unfortunately, the letters seemed¡­ odd. The words used didn¡¯t mean anything when put together, it was just an endless stream of nonsense and random babble. Each letter, of which there were four, was the exact same, inexperienced as he was, not even Leif could miss the fairly obvious. The letters had been written in a cypher, just by looking over them Leif could see patterns emerging with the same series of words used across several of the letters. The scion frowned slightly, mentally searching through the spatial ring for a clue or a list of what the code''s message might mean. But there was nothing, it was likely the bandit leader had the knowledge to decode the messages by memory. Leif couldn¡¯t help feeling as though there was more at y here. A storage item was far, far too expensive for a random bandit to have been carrying around. Even one as small as the ring. Well, it''s mine now. He thought, twisting the ring where it fit around his finger. I¡¯ll take inventory and ask around in the morning. Leif got to work, reorganising the contents of the storage device. Then he manually went into his status screen to add what the item was. If he was going to have an item that technically acted as a skill, he might as well document it. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. === ¡°That¡¯s republic silver.¡± Nazan said, frowning down at the coin Leif was spinning between his fingers. ¡°Yeah.¡± Leif replied, though in truth he hadn¡¯t known that until just then. ¡°The bandit leader had some on him, any ideas?¡± The demikin he had been travelling with hadn¡¯t known what to think about the letters, or the strange amount of wealth the now dead man had been carrying. The vigers too were mostly clueless, one bandit attack seemed like any other to them. But the priest had picked up on the silver coins almost immediately, looking at them with suspicion. ¡°These are epted throughout the free cities.¡± He said. ¡°But the empire ouws them, you wouldn¡¯t find many of these around here, but further west and across the sea this is the standard.¡± ¡°So a man with cyphered letters and foreign currency is raiding viges along the frontier? It¡¯s time to ask his men if they know anything.¡± Leif said, standing and dusting off his cloak and turning to face Nazan. ¡°Can you imagine any reason for this to be the case?¡± ¡°The Empire and the Free Cities have been at odds for centuries, there are any number of reasons.¡± The priest replied. === ¡°Can I hit him again?¡± v asked, eyes pleading as he nced back at Leif. The scion stood with his arms folded, golden gaze bearing down into the haggard form of thenky spear wielder. The man wasn¡¯t talking, but the other bandits had been more than eager to point him out as the brother of their leader. Tio, as the bandit was called, knelt resolute and silent. He hadn¡¯t spoken a word, even when v lost his patience and started pping him around. ¡°I don¡¯t recall saying you could start.¡± Leif said, his aura pressing down on the tall bandit, suppressing him entirely. ¡°And the answer is no. We¡¯ll take this lot to arger settlement down south and let the authorities handle it.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s so punchable.¡± Therge demikin said, ¡°Just one more?¡± ¡°We already killed his brother, that''s enough for now.¡± Leif said, picking the letters up off a nearby table, the air warping slightly as they vanished into his ring. With a gesture the bandit was hauled away, his limbs quickly being restrained by floorboards moving to Leif¡¯s will. ¡°Come, let¡¯s finalise our business here then head out.¡± ¡°And by business.¡± v said, striding out after him with his handsced together behind his head. ¡°You mean offering to bless their fields with your magic.¡± ¡°I do, yes.¡± ¡°Sounds like shit business. Isn¡¯t there supposed to be profit in business? I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get what we need from somece else. The people here have nothing to give.¡± Leif said. ¡°Sure, sure. And afterwards we can have that fight you promised?¡± v said, hiszy grin turning predatory. Leif sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± He felt excitement bubble up from within the man at his eptance. ¡°As long as you realise it will be a one sided beatdown.¡± He added, smirking slightly beneath his mask. The demikin tripped. ¡°Not so! I¡¯m plenty strong!¡± === A dayter the party of four left the vige. They were sent off with waves and calls of gratitude. Behind them was the group of solemn looking bandits, each man tied to the next with ropes Leif had created. It was a grim procession, neither group being overlyfortable with the arrangement. The nearest town was three days'' travel to the south-east of the vige, behind the imperial cordon. As they went, they passed signs of destruction and conflict. None of the bandits had admitted to attacking any other nearby viges or farmsteads, but nheless they were ravaged and abandoned. They encountered a pack of roaming undead just after sunset on the second day. The pack of eight skeletal ghouls threw themselves ravenous at the tied up prisoners, but they were dispatched within moments. The bandits cringed back as violence exploded all around them, they did so again when v suggested letting the ghoul he was sitting on have a nibble. On the third day the group found themselves walking alongside a wide, fast flowing river. The dirt path on their side of the bank was overgrown and in disrepair, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for the southern side of the river. An hour into following along the flowing waterway a squad of armoured men and women riding horses spotted them from the other side. What followed was an awkward, shouted conversation that neither party could really hear over the constant roar of the river. With his aura fully extended, Leif couldmunicate telepathically, so at least his group got their side of the story to what he thought was an imperial patrol. Wordlessly one of the riders pointed down the river, then the patrol continued on its way. It was getting towards evening when Leif andpany finally saw faint smoke trails drifting up from over a nearby hill. The bandits started dragging their feet, but Leif just pulled them along. If they hadn¡¯t wanted to face judgement, they shouldn¡¯t have preyed on the weak. Whatever wasing for them, he wouldn¡¯t object. Chapter 104: Checkpoint Chapter 104: Checkpoint Jerin slumped against the portcullis of the checkpoint gate, taking a deep breath from his pipe, then exhaling over the course of several seconds. Smoke billowed out before him, slowly fading in the evening air. ¡°You know that shit¡¯ll kill you, right?¡± Another soldier said, leaning away from the smoke and wrinkling his nose. He snorted, and took another drag. ¡°Not if I invest half my free points into [Spirit] it won¡¯t.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t military standard, how do you expect to get promoted ifmand finds out you¡¯re not following the levelling n?¡± The other soldier said, the younger man adjusting his helmet and standing up straighter. ¡°Fuck kid, you really are green as shit?¡± Jerin grunted, shooting the man an amused look. ¡°Firstly, everyone fucking invests points into whatever they want, the trick is hitting benchmarks by certain levels. Secondly, we¡¯re stationed in the middle of fucking nowhere, to get promoted you need to be on the promotion track, and we sure as shit aint.¡± The rookie didn¡¯t look convinced, that was fine, wasn¡¯t Jerin¡¯s job to convince anyone. ¡°Well, I¡¯m following the levelling n. If I¡¯m a few points over the next benchmark then so be it.¡± He said resolutely. ¡°If you invest points into [Charisma] you might getid more.¡± Jerinmented, taking another breath of the sweet smoke, tobo filling his lungs and easing the aches of standing still in one ce for several hours. ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°No, not really. Actually, it''s more of a maybe? I think anyway, some people believe it makes them more confident.¡± He could tell the other man was interested. Jerin snickered to himself before continuing. ¡°But what¡¯s one hundred percent real: The higher your [Spirit] attribute, the longer youst in bed, trust me kid.¡±¡°Y-yeah, I guess that makes¡­¡± His colleague trailed off, attention arrested by a group of almost twenty approaching along the riverbank from the west. ¡°Hey!¡± Jerin called, shouting over his shoulder to the other soldiers lounging around behind the walls. ¡°Anyone got eyes on the iing group? There¡¯s quite a lot of them.¡± Minutes passed as the group drew closer, one of the scouts called out that several seemed to be bound, which made the alertness of the outpost slowly drop. Jerin squinted as the neers reached the far side of the river, stopping briefly to study the stone bridge that spanned it. The checkpoint was an old stone fort built to check merchants and travellers as they ventured south. He was pretty sure it outdated the nearby town by a good few centuries, at least judging by the state of decay. ¡°Wow.¡± His fellow guard said. ¡°Looks like four people looking over about fourteen prisoners, what do you think happened?¡± Jerin grunted, he was more interested in why the fuck anyone was still living past the imperial cordon. Didn¡¯t they know thends up north were swarming with undead, envers and who the fuck knew what else? Though there hadn¡¯t been many undead attacks in the past week, maybe the gods had given pity to the frontier and the poor souls who tried to settle it. ¡°Halt travellers!¡± Jerin called, raising a hand after putting out his pipe. ¡°This is the Klos checkpoint, state your business and intentions. This territory is under the empire¡¯s protection.¡± It was the standard thing he was supposed to say, though he hadn¡¯t had much practice over the past few months. The group of four looked between one another, then a tall man wearing a mask stepped forward. The man¡¯s eyes seemed to glow gold beneath the wooden covering, and it was the only distinguishing feature Jerin could make out as the rest of him was covered in a heavy travelling cloak. He instinctively tried to analyse the man, not particrly trusting anyone who covered their face. The skill bounced, revealing no information. To his side his fellow soldier tensed, likely having gotten the same results. ¡°As you said.¡± The masked man stated, his voice a low baritone that emanated from behind his mask. His words seemed to hang slightly in the air, as if given additional gravitas by the wind that carried them. ¡°We are travellers, looking to trade.¡± He gestured back to the sorry looking procession of grimy captives. ¡°We discovered this lot attacking a vige three days from here, though there was about double the number. We have possible information on their motives.¡± He understood the implication. There had been twice the number of bandits, but this group of four had likely killed them during an engagement. Jerin¡¯s eyes took in the other three, his hand involuntarily tightening on the hilt of his sword at the horns a man and woman had jutting from their head. The man saw him looking and grinned, but the woman just ignored him. ¡°I was not aware of any tribes still within the region!¡± A voice called down from atop the wall, the sound making Jerin double check his pipe was hidden. ¡°As captain of this fortification, I demand you state your identities and levels.¡± The masked man raised his palm face up, the air above it distorting for a brief moment before a small metallic object appeared. Jerin was impressed, he didn¡¯t think anyone in the nearby town even knew what a spatial ring was. Though perhaps that was too harsh, they¡¯d probably heard the asional story. ¡°I am an associate of the Academy, and have business within Ahle-ho. By what authority do you bar our passage?¡± ¡°By the authority of the Emperor.¡± The captain replied ndly, seemingly unimpressed by the words that had just about taken away Jerin¡¯s breath. ¡°Show me that, I need to check its validity.¡± The masked man stared up at the top of the wall for several breaths, then flipped the token, sending it spinning in a graceful arc. Jerin tracked the small object as it flew up over his head, vanishing from sight as a hand reached out and grabbed it from the air. ¡°Hmm.¡± The voice came from above. ¡°It seems authentic, but we have no way to tell for sure. I will still require proof of identification and levels, suppress yourselves and let my men analyse you.¡± If you can¡¯t tell, why the fuck did you make him toss you the token? Jerin thought, idly wondering how the captain got his head shoved so far up his ass. If it were up to him, he would have let the group through already. You didn¡¯t fake a connection with the most famous institution from the empire¡¯s central provinces. He was pretty sure they had an entire division of high levelbatants they sent after people who lied about that sort of thing, reputation was everything after all. This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I thought the empire was protecting thesends from monsters, I wasn¡¯t aware you had the authority to preventwful travel within territory you do not control? We are not permitted to pass?¡± Jerin winced as the captain let out a short, barkingugh. ¡°Who are you to lecture me on authority, savage? And is protecting thisnd from monsters not what I¡¯m doing? You creatures are barely above the monsters that birthed-¡± The captain¡¯s words were cut off as the air trembled, something intangible yet undeniably real washing out from the masked man. It wasn¡¯t violent, almost the opposite, an extended hand rather than a clenched fist. The power flowed over the checkpoints walls, carrying with it the unmistakable mark of birthright and nobility. ¡°You want my identity?¡± He asked, tilting his head slightly. ¡°I am Leif Vin, member of the Varan nobility. Do you require additional identification?¡± Silence reigned over the outpost, only broken by the amused snickering of the demikin man as he was elbowing the man next to him. Jerin could barely hold back augh of his own, though the knowledge he would gettrine duty for a month kept it at bay. He desperately wished he could see the captain''s face, the sight would undoubtedly be glorious. It¡¯s like smugly asking a lion if it¡¯s ever eaten meat before. He mused, trying to keep the dignifiedposure that the Empire demanded of its soldiers. ¡°I-I¡­ N-no, not at all Lord¡­ It was my mistake, p-please let us hold you for no longer than necessary.¡± Came the snivelling reply from above the wall. Jerin rolled his neck and pulled out a small crystal from a pouch at his hip. Nothing happened, as expected, but he still marched along the bridge and waved the small object at the demikin and restrained bandits as he went. ¡°Clear.¡± He called, over his shoulder. ¡°Ain''t nothing undead about them.¡± Momentster the portcullis was raised, and the procession walked inside. Jerin sighed as he got back into position, the rookie ncing through the metal bars at the masked man. ¡°Don¡¯t give the captain any reason to shout at you.¡± He said in a hushed tone. ¡°Cause you can fucking bet he¡¯ll be screaming at some poor bastard the moment the noble is gone.¡± The younger man nodded rapidly as he turned back to look out over the bridge, his helmet falling down to cover his eyes. Jerin smirked but didn¡¯t say anything else. It definitely wasn¡¯t every day a damn inheritant strode up to your bumfuck nowhere outpost and flopped their metaphorical dick onto the table. He sighed, imagining a reality where some lonely noble widow with a thing for bald, middle-aged soldiers with tattoos on their ass adopting him into her family. Yeah, fat fucking chance of that. === The town of Klos was unremarkable in its size. The northern part of the town built into the gradual slope of a grassy hill had a low stone wall that Leif didn¡¯t think could actually stop any sort of attack. Most monsters would have the physical strength to climb over, if not simply jump over the stone fortification. There was a well worn dirt path that separated partially harvested fields from the wall, and Leif, hispanions and their increasingly rowdy group of prisoners had to travel along its length to enter the town proper. Farmers watched them go by, a group of children ran past throwing hardened balls of mud at one another. The town wasn¡¯t prosperous, but at least it was safe, that was more than Leif could say for the frontier settlements. It was over a decade since the kingdom of Pherin fell, back then this town would have beenfortably ced within territory controlled by humanity, but now it hosted an imperial garrison guarding against encroaching monsters. But the imperial soldiers in their blues and silvers weren¡¯t the only armed presence. Soldiers in burgundy and green had their own camp, separate but neighbouring the imperials. Leif wondered if they had taken over farnd, or if the ground hadn¡¯t been in use. As the farnd came to an end several squads of imperial soldiers watched them with keen interest, but they didn¡¯t move to intercept their approach to the town. The second group of soldiers did, a dozen peeling away from their camp and moving to ce themselves along the road leading into Klos. Leif wanted to skip the song and dance at the checkpoint, so he let his stronger aura roll out to meet the approaching soldiers like one might roll out a nice carpet to meet guests. ¡°It feels like cheating.¡± Samilmented as the soldiers all stiffened, then split into two rows on either side of the path. ¡°But at least it¡¯s making them friendly.¡± ¡°A fight would be more fun.¡± v grumbled. ¡°You could have at least waited for them to make fools of themselves.¡± ¡°Let''s not make any more of a scene.¡± Leif said, raising a hand to greet who he assumed was the leader of the soldiers before him. The officer, a stocky woman with short hair and more than one scar bowed stiffly. ¡°Wee sir, I hope you had no trouble at the checkpoint.¡± ¡°No trouble.¡± Leif said, already liking her more than hisst encounter with a military officer. ¡°We have business we would like toplete within the town, and hand off the criminals we apprehended attacking a vige a few days'' travel from here.¡± ¡°That is fine. There is a standing bounty on bandits and thieves, but it is paid out by a guild representative. Their office is halfway up the main street of the town, if you pass the tailor you¡¯ve gone too far.¡± ¡°I have a written letter from the vige elders detailing the attack, I assume I hand it to this guild representative?¡± The woman nodded briskly, then gestured to her waiting soldiers to grab the bandits. ¡°Is there anything we should know about the situation here? This is our first visit.¡± ¡°Klos is under martialw, curfew two hours after sunset and any exchange of goods may be inspected by a member of the Ahle-ho guard for any reason.¡± ¡°Not the imperial troops?¡± She scowled, ncing at the nearby camp before turning back to him. ¡°No sir, that isn¡¯t their jurisdiction, their prerogative is the defence of the frontier.¡± Leif sighed internally, he absolutely did not want to stick his nose into whatever political mess was going on here. ¡°I¡¯m Leif by the way, could I request a conversation with whoever¡¯s in charge before the bandits are¡­ dealt with?¡± ¡°Captain Peri.¡± She said formally, nodding slightly. ¡°And the person in charge would be me, I can ept that request and see it actioned.¡± The scion just nodded, and chose to ignore the muffled yelling and struggling of the bandits as they were led away. Peri turned on her heels and marched off, leaving Leif and the three demikin alone to enter the town. He felt the tension leak from his shoulders, letting out a long sigh of relief. While this was an excellent test run for when he went further south, he couldn¡¯t help but wish things were less stressful. ¡°Cheer up!¡± Liv said as she pped him on the back with more than a little strength, he didn¡¯t budge. ¡°As long as you¡¯re around, me and the big doofus can hide behind you, probably won¡¯t be too bothered by the little gift from our revered ancestor poking out of our heads.¡± ¡°I wee any challenge.¡± v said, crossing his arms. The grin slipped from his face as he continued. ¡°But we shouldplete our task with haste, it would not be good to dy our return by too much.¡± ¡°You have my sympathies.¡± Samil said with a shake of his head. ¡°At least my heritage is less obvious, though I am a few generations more removed from my ancestor. Besides, Ahle-ho is more friendly with demikin than the empire proper, so things should be fine.¡± Chapter 105: Payment Chapter 105: Payment The main road of Klos was overflowing, not just with people, but with stands and stalls. Leif and the others passed by where the usual restrictions for the town¡¯s market was, and that too was bustling. Shouts trying to capture attention and cries marketing hot deals drowned out the high pitched chatter of the milling crowds. Soldiers, both imperial and local patrolled or shopped, but they were dwarfed by a third type of person. Adventurers, mercenaries, bounty hunters. If the cordon to hold back the encroaching frontier was an obligation for those within the military, it was a veritable gold rush for independents who worked through the guilds. ¡°It feels like there are more outsiders than locals.¡± Samil said, pitching his voice to be heard over a merchant working a nearby weapon repair stall. Leif nodded, sending a message of affirmation through telepathy. He had to withdraw his aura, the sheer amount of emotions and intentions like a maelstrom of chaos to his perception. In polite society it was seen as rude to project your aura, when powerful people gathered their presences could overwhelm, even potentially injure those with fewer levels. The main street of Klos, as it turned out, was not polite society. Men and women ranging from level ten to above fifty engaged in an invisible shoving match. The aura of merchants drew attention while the presence ofbatants left phantom impressions of des being drawn. Leif used his aura like a wedge, parting the presences around him like a ship through waves. Samil, v and Liv crowded in behind him, using him like a vessel to navigate turbulent seas. A bell tolled from somewhere within the market district, and like a nket being used to smother a me aura¡¯s were retracted and the milling crowds began to disperse. Merchants who had only just been yelling about end of day sales began to pack up their wares, some even cutting off in-process deals to close up shop. Ah. Leif realised. This was the very end of the day''s trading, no wonder people were being so aggressive. He was unimpressed, but at least the street was clearing by the time Liv called out that she saw the guild building. Compared to the buildings of stone that lined the streets of Klos, the guild office was a construction of wood and brick tiles. And it literally was a construction, half of the building still had workers with glowing lights on their helmets scaling scaffolding to expand the building into the unupied plot next to it. Adventurers gathered around tworge notice boards outside the building''s front facade, posters and fliers disyed sketches of all manner of creatures, written descriptions below detailing numbers, location and any associated reward. Leif overheard a party near the front discuss going after a nest of insects two days'' travel from the town, but he didn¡¯t stick around to listen. He pushed open the front doors, each with an engraving of a lion¡¯s head and a spear, and entered into the building. His heavy steps caused the floorboards beneath his feet to creak, the rowdy conversation and tter of cutlery taking ce across several longmon tables quieted down to a whisper. The scion quickly scanned the room, his amber eyes glowing from beneath his simple mask. He pushed out his [Aura of Recovery], using it to tag several of the closest humans with both of his analysis skills. Combat experience: Lesser! Age: Older! Combat experience: Greater! Age: Older! He felt several others in the room do the same to him, most failed to find purchase, that was until Leif sensed something prate through. His gaze snapped to arge, well muscled man standing with his arms crossed near a counter on the far side of the room. The man blinked, then slightly inclined his head. Leif didn¡¯t know what information he had gleamed, but considering theck of any hostile reaction it was unlikely to have been critical. Leif stepped forward, feeling the attention of the room¡¯s upants slide off of him and onto hispanions. Whispers started up at the sight of v and Liv¡¯s horns, a group of several men over on a far table being by far the loudest. ¡°I¡¯m here to see the guild representative, whoever that may be.¡± Leif said, ncing at therge man standing off to the side. The clerk on the other side of the desk looked him up and down, then nodded. ¡°Sure thing, please state your reason for this appointment, it may change your position in the que.¡± ¡°Captain Peri sent us. It''s about a group of prisoners we handed over to her, bandits. We have potential information as to their goals, and bring proof from the vige they were attempting to pige.¡± Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Oh, okay then.¡± The clerk said, leaning back and ncing at something Leif couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I see, that is indeed high priority. You will be second in the queue, I estimate twenty to thirty minutes until the representative is avable to see you.¡± ¡°We should find a table.¡± Samil said, looking around for just that. ¡°And drink. See if this ce has booze better than piss water.¡± v muttered. The demikin moved off, leaving Leif alone at the desk. ¡°Are you in the queue?¡± He asked the looming presence off to the side. The man, Leif now noticed, wore a badge on his breast with the same lion and spear symbol that was engraved into the doors. ¡°No. I am here to prevent people from skipping the line.¡± He said, his voice as deep as Leif would have assumed just by looking at him. ¡°I assume this line isn¡¯t physical then, will I be called when it''s our turn?¡± ¡°You will.¡± He said simply, slowly scanning the room. ¡°On an unrted note, I¡¯m also in charge of smacking skulls together whenever some overconfident child with more levels than brains starts¡­ trouble.¡± ¡°Does that happen often?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Ten scales trouble starts in¡­ less than five minutes.¡± ¡°Considering my financial situation, and the fact I can already tell who¡¯s going to start the trouble, no deal.¡± The manughed. ¡°Shame, I can usually wring out some coin from the affluent and naive.¡± ¡°At the moment I¡¯m neither of those.¡± The scion said, walking off to where hispanions had found a seat. === ¡°T-the guild representative of Pridnce will see you now.¡± Said the same clerk who had epted Leif¡¯s initial request having just knocked on the door to an office. Leif, Liv, Samil and an amused looking v piled into the small, sparsely decorated office. ¡°Thank you for repairing the broken stools.¡± Said a wiry looking man with thinning grey hair. He sat behind the heavyset desk, shuffling through several stacks of paper before looking up. ¡°I am Frederick, representative of the council of guilds and citizen of Ahle-ho. Though I belong to Pridnce, I am a neutral party for all guild matters and will conduct my duty with the dignity and respect it is due.¡± Federick¡¯s words came quickly and with the ease of someone who had repeated themselves hundreds of times prior. ¡°Before we begin, I am legally obligated to inform you that this room has truth telling wards, and anything said within it will be recorded, but held in confidence unless I or another representative deem that it is within the council''s best interest to share them. The warding is of rank two strength, and if you are capable of blocking its effects I may request you to briefly suppress yourself so that it may work.¡± ¡°Bloody hells.¡± Liv said. ¡°You do that speech every time someone walks in here?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Frederick said, his words punctuated by the scratching of quill on paper, his hand seemingly moving on its own ord as he gave them all an assistive, but not unfriendly gaze. === A slip of paper, then the four letters Leif that had been in the bandit leader¡¯s possession slid across the desk with a flick of Frederick¡¯s hand. The [Scribe], for what else could his ss be, folded the letter from the vige elders and carefully ced it atop a pile of other papers. ¡°The slip has your pay, it is the general rate for bandit bounties. I have recorded the contents of the letters and will see that they¡¯re investigated. I ask that you do not speak of this incident to any other than myself, or captain Peri as it may be a matter of national security.¡± ¡°National security.¡± Samil said, brow furrowed. ¡°Have there been other incidents like what we discovered?¡± ¡°I am not at liberty to go into details, but this is but one of a series of things that have been discovered. But as a neutral party I will not say anything further.¡± So that''s it? Leif thought, somewhat ufortable with theck of information. That there¡¯s something going on, and the guilds know what it is? Do they not care that people are dying? ¡°I bet it¡¯s the imperials, bunch of slimy pricks. You hear what one of those idiots said to me downstairs?¡± Liv chimed in. Fredericks hand never stopped moving, every word still being recorded. ¡°As you are outsiders to the situation within thesends, I will request that you do not go around making baseless usations.¡± The man said. ¡°The imperial army, Ahle-ho guard and adventurer parties are all working together to prevent the fall of this region.¡± He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. ¡°I do not know how invested in this cause you may or may not be, but I can assure you that the men and women working and fighting along the frontier care, they care a lot.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Liv said. ¡°I take back my usation, but they¡¯re still a bunch of slimy pricks.¡± The scribe gave her a meaningful look as he continued to write. ¡°In addition to the bounty paid out for the bandits, I can also offer a reward for any information as to the state of the undead incursion north of the frontier. You may or may not be aware, but the outbreak is in part due to the influence of a death-aspected dungeon.¡± The three demikin all turned to look at Leif. Frederick turning a momentter. ¡°Oh.¡± Said the disguised nt monster. ¡°I was familiar with the dungeon, yes.¡± ¡°Was?¡± ¡°Well it''s been destroyed¡­ so yes, was.¡± Frederick blinked. ¡°I apologise sir, but could you please suppress yourself and repeat that? For the record?¡± Chapter 106: Vision Chapter 106: Vision Cool wind skimmed the hillside, vibrant green grass waving in rippling patterns, almost hypnotic patterns. Leif spread his fingers, running them through the shin high foliage as he stared up into the perfectly clear night sky. ¡°We of the Amber wee you, together we will serve a greater purpose than we could alone.¡± Said a calm voice from off to his side. The woman, amber light having engulfed half of her body, stood, repeating her words as if to a crowd of students. But there was no one there, well, other than him. ¡°To see so many of you, healthy and safe brings me no small amount of joy. There is much to learn, and even more to do, but together nothing is beyond our grasp.¡± The woman said to the crowd of one. Leif had heard the entire speech several times by now, the strange mental ce he was connected to bing his usual retreat during the long and lonely nights. He didn¡¯t have to sleep, not like his demikinpanions did, so he had had time to practise reaching the state of mental stillness required to perceive the golden link. ¡°There is a duty our kind must perform, to act for the preservation of life. It is an honour, nothing is more fulfilling. In time, you who have awakened will likewise learn to love this duty.¡± Leif considered the speech, and the reason he had somehow been connected to this ce. His working theory was that immediately after his first evolution he had technically qualified to see the vision, but as he had never settled he had never been in the state of mind to view it. He remembered having a desire to settle right after his evolution, but he had pushed away the feeling. It felt like a lifetime ago, stumbling around in the snow, wandering off in a random direction in the hopes he would discover something rted to his past. ¡°But first, you must learn tomunicate. As awakened beings, it is no longer good enough to remain the silent observers you were up until this point. You have chosen to take this step, now you must begin to walk.¡± The speech was drawing to an end, in a few moments the woman would begin walking around the hill, as if to have conversations with beings who should have been present. Leif absently toyed with the intricate, half metallic and half crystalline object he had conjured into his hand. The seal, part of the initial reward for reporting on the Pherin dungeon, wasn''t really within this mental space. Instead it was an image, an echo much like his current form was. He had discovered this little trick while escorting the captured bandits. For some reason he could pull whatever was present within his spatial ring into the vision. He didn¡¯t know why it was possible, just that it was. He looked at the seal, studying the intricate patterns of woven metal and cut gem. It had a weight to it, both in reality and within this ce. Not a physical weight, but an abstract heft simr to that of his storage item. A promotion seal was the lowest grade of promotion item, capable of increasing a foundation ss into a tier two ss. These little, but valuable items had been some of the things his demikinpanions were on the lookout for. As nomads, they didn¡¯t have the ability to obtain seals or any of the more advanced promotion items outside of system rewards. Leif knew that the item he held hadn¡¯t been bestowed from the system, but instead crafted by someone who had dedicated much of their life to reverse engineering the design. He hadn¡¯t admitted to destroying the dungeon personally, only stating under the effects of the guild office¡¯s truth telling wards that he had verified its destruction. Apparently, despite it having been almost two months ago, those this far south hadn¡¯t yet noticed the change. Frederick had practically pushed him and hispanions out of his office. He had been so desperate to ry the message as quickly as possible the man had gone from polite and dignified to half manic. An hourter after Leif and the others had found a room in a nearby inn a runner had delivered them a parcel, and a note requesting a meeting three hours after dawn. Leif spun the seal between his fingers, then willed the item to vanish. He could use it to promote his level capped [Brawler] ss, and he likely would once he exited the vision. Technically he had four more, but since he would be going further into civilisation while the nomads would be returning to Far-reach he would let them have them. Besides, with the money he had also been given he could probably buy more. With a brief effort of will a coin appeared within his opened palm. Unlike the silver coins that had been in the bandit¡¯s possession, this coin was only partially made of metal. An outer ring of what Leif thought was brass outlined the fingertip sized circle of what he could only describe as ¡®glossy y¡¯. The coin was hollow, an inner circle likewise outlined with brass. The design made sense, as the coins had all been tied together on a string. ording to Samil they were called ¡®kes.¡¯ With the slightlyrger, silver outlined coins being called ¡®scales.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t it be easier if everyone used the same currency? Leif thought, standing up and making his way up the hill. What¡¯s the point of having republic silver and imperial coinage? He supposed it was some sort of tradition or custom for different ces to mint their own coins. He reached the base of the towering tree, the amber portal radiating golden light into the quiet night. Leif turned, seeing the simrly coloured bonfire that was the distant figure of the awakened member of his own kind. If the system was urate with his evolution descriptions, she was dead. Just like the rest of them. === Leif awoke within the cramped confines of the room he was staying in. Something heavy was pressing down into his back, so he conjured a pair of arms to remove the syed form of v from where therge man slept. He wasn¡¯t sure how the nomad had managed that, but he didn¡¯t really care. He carefully ced the man back into his bunk and stood within the dark room. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. There were four bunks, all but one was upied. Technically it was for him, but after his evolution he was far, far too heavy to not break the bed frame just by sitting on the edge. He could sense dozens of other people through the walls, the quiet flickering of their vitality dampened by the physical obstacle, but not by much. The scion pushed his aura out through the wooden shutters of the room¡¯s window, using it to stretch his perception into the sleepy town. He wasn¡¯t exactlyfortable being within civilisation. The ever present danger of his identity being discovered was a constant worry in the back of his mind. And while he had felt them put their guard up around a stranger wearing a mask, it hadn¡¯t been anywhere near as bad as he had feared. He had even seen an adventurer team all wearing masks, albeit not full face coverings. A patrol marched past, their fatigue and boredom both evident to Leif¡¯s perception. As they walked through his [Aura of Recovery] they all seemed to perk up, some looking around as if suspicious and others let out sighs of relief. They were soon gone, marching single-file out of his range of perception. It was two hours passed midnight, the sun wouldn¡¯t rise for several more hours. The air in front of him warped, the slight distortion all but invisible in the darkness of the room. The faint blue glow of the object that fell into hisp pulsed slightly, Leif reached out and tapped the promotion seal with a finger. Would you like to consume this promotion item to increase one or more of your sses from tier 1 to tier 2? sses avable for promotion: [Brawler]! sses avable for merge: [Brawler] and [Adept], [Brawler] and [Attuned: Life]! Warning! Merging sses will not grant new skills or attributes based onbined level! Warning! The options avable when promoting sses by merging two tier 1 sses will be less than promoting a level capped tier 1 ss! Warning! You are vulnerable during the promotion process! Leif read over the system prompts, considering his options. He hadn¡¯t realised merging [Adept] or [Attuned: Life] with [Brawler] was possible, he had just assumed once the ss had reached the level cap it could only be directly promoted. Does that mean technically you could get two level ten tier one sses and then merge them? Is that even a good idea? He suspected it wouldn''t be, after all, wouldn¡¯t that make you miss out on any new skills granted by the tier two ss? [Attuned: Life] was currently level six, with [Adept] having been freshly restored to full functionality and sitting at level three. If he got one more level in either ss he could merge them. But was that optimal? Would the benefits of having two separate sses withpounding perks be better than losing out on one of the ss perks but freeing up a ss slot? And wouldn''t he gain another ss slot after passing the level fifty advancement? Congrattions! Your fusion of the [Time Born Sympathy] and [Combative Gumption] skills isplete! Leif¡¯s golden eyes blinked in the dark, he had honestly forgotten the skill fusion still wasn¡¯tplete. Damn thing had taken over a month to fuse, and that was with him using several mana shards to speed it along. You have gained the [Scion of Aeons] skill [Sympathy From Experience]! === Sympathy From Experience: Aspects: Perception (Time)*, Enhancement (Body)*, Social*, Analysis You passively gain knowledge of events and changes that have urred within your surroundings, the more significant these events the more clear they are to your sight. You may invoke the passage of time, seeing an echo of the past which you may project to those nearby. You have greater awareness of both your material and spiritual surroundings, and have the ability to sense emotions and intent of those within range of your perception. Finally you may analyse a target to determine their age andbat experience rtive to your own. === It was basically the exact same skill, and that was by design. Leif was slightly amused to see that not even the description had changed outside of the additional text detailing where [Combative Gumption] had been slotted in. Now his two analysis skills were one, and without losing any of the interesting aspects of what [Time Born Sympathy] had before the fusion. The scion let out a small exhale of relief, he hadn¡¯t been sure envisioning ¡®just put thebat experience bit into it¡¯ had qualified as enough intent whenmencing the fusion, but fortunately it had. A flicker of orange light filtered through the closed shutters of the window. Leif frowned, ncing from the system window in confusion. How is it morning already? It should be hours away still. He stood, reducing his weight as much as possible to not wake the sleeping demikin as he crossed the room. He used [Wood Maniption] to silently usher the window open, then he paused at what he saw. It wasn¡¯t the sun, but it was fire. A tall building down by the market had caught ame, orange tendrils reaching into the sky from the structure''s roof. He heard shoutsing from a street over, but he was already moving. By the time he was out the front door of the inn bells had started ringing all over Klos, sleepy people and disgruntled adventurers leaning out of windows or running out onto the streets. ¡°How much of a problem do you think it is?¡± A voice called from overhead. Leif turned to see Livzily blinking from their room¡¯s window. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like an attack, hopefully they can put the ze out quickly.¡± He responded. ¡°Okay, that''s good.¡± She said with a yawn. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep, cya.¡± Chapter 107: Flames Chapter 107: mes Bells tolled in a steady cadence as Leif walked down the main street of Klos. Bleary eyed humans gathered in small groups outside homes to watch as the night sky was tainted a vibrant orange. It reminded him of the turbulence that had ignited the clouds above Far-reach, and that wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory. But this was just a single building, it didn¡¯t herald an undead assault or imminent fight to the death. Arge crowd stood in the invisible dividing line between the main street and the za that was the market. Empty stalls lined the sides of the street and groups of men and women in hastily donned armour shoved free standing stalls out of the way. Leif recognised them as members of the Ahle-ho guard, with some local guards mixed in. The fire had destroyed much of a tall three story structure, and had jumped to the smaller bakery that shared a wall with it. Buckets of water were being run from the nearby well, then tossed onto the mes. A family with several young children stood off to the side, their hunched silhouette outlined by the orange glow of fire. An older man was lying on the street, two soldiers kneeling over him, one with a hand ced to his chest. Leif pushed his way to the front of the crowd, the people parted around him but two soldiers who were standing to keep everyone back saw him emerge and stepped forward to stop his approach. ¡°Healer.¡± He said, not slowing as his aura brushed against theirs. ¡°Ah.¡± The closer one said, shuffling awkwardly while the other went from ushering him back to gesturing him toe closer. Momentster he was standing over the prone man, his face was covered in soot and ash, his hands covered in bright red blisters. A sh of light came from the hand of a woman who was kneeling beside him, the man just coughed violently in response. ¡°He has smoke in his lungs.¡± She said, her voice pitched with panic. ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength to heal the internal damage.¡± Leif squatted down, heavy traveller cloak billowing out as he did so. He ced a hand on the man¡¯s chest, to any onlookers it would look to be covered in a gauntlet of ivory wood. A sh of light emitted from where his hand connected with the injured man, it was the same colour as the sh that hade before, only far brighter. The burns along his hands and arms immediately began to fade, the puffy red skin returning to a more normal tan. The scion felt his healing energy pass through the man¡¯s body, travelling not only to where the burns were located but his bones, organs and muscles. The ageing man¡¯s eyes snapped open as he let out a hacking cough, blood and flem sttering the ground as he let out deep, wheezing breaths. Smoke in the lungs. Leif thought, mentally recalling his knowledge on different aspects and their healing properties. It was a general rule that if a skill stated it could heal, it could heal a general array of ailments and injuries. Some aspects were more efficient than others, while some were far less effective in certain situations. Getting rid of the physical substance within his body would require¡­ what? Wind aspect healing? ¡°How long was he inside the building?¡± Leif asked, sending another pulse of healing energy into the man¡¯s body. It was highly inefficient, but he could brute force a solution, he would need to be cognisant of how much strain his patient''s body could handle though. ¡°A few minutes, or so we think. He was a neighbour who ran inside to help get the kids out.¡± Said the soldier with the healing skill. Leif nced over to where the family with several children was standing. Several were crying as they watched their home, and likely workce go up in mes. ¡°Any other injuries? What about people still inside?¡± ¡°Only minor burns, nothing healing balm couldn¡¯t fix. And no, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone else inside.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He said simply, letting a trickle of his cultivated vitality flow into the old man. Leif guided the energy to the lungs, there he coaxed it to consume thest of the smoke. The man¡¯s eyelids fluttered, then closed, his breathing bing steady and rhythmic. ¡°A day or two of rest, but he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Leif stood and walked over to where the owners of the now smoking pile of rubble were looking on with forlorn and vacant expressions. He introduced himself, offered to heal them, but was subtly rebuffed by the mother of the children. None of them seemed more than a little worse for wear, so he didn¡¯t challenge her decision. Stolen story; please report. The bakery was put out, but not before half of the building had turned into ash and memories. The work had sped up tremendously when an adventurer had volunteered their services, summoning three little dancing water spirits that repeatedly threw themselves into the burning building, exploded, then were re-summoned. The summoner got some chuckles when he mentioned this was the first time he had ever found an actual use for the skill, but humour was hard to muster for many of the people gathered in the market square. There were murmurs and whispers going around, but they were silenced when a squad of Ahle-ho guard arrived on horseback. Leif recognised captain Peri, but none of the others. Several of the soldiers spread out, asking for witnesses and testimonies about the cause of the me. The initial building that had caught fire was an equipment repair and minor enchantment store, its loss was a major blow to the town and its citizens. The captain took the building''s owner aside, the two having a conversation out of earshot of the many onlookers. The owner, a bearded man with bloodshot eyes, began to raise his voice after only a minute of conversation. Leif stopped telekically pulling charred wood from the rubble as the man began to shout. ¡°You think just because we service both parties that we¡¯re not worthy of protection? You think epting patronage from those protecting thesends is enough to turn your back on us? I don¡¯t give a fuck about the petty pissing contest you have going on down south, but I demandpensation for my livelihood going up in mes!¡± ¡°Sir, those are some serious-¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯re serious! Some brainless cunt just set my home and business ame! My kids and wife were asleep upstairs when the fire broke out. Do you know what would have happened if I didn¡¯t store the more reactive reagents in meproof containers? This whole gods-damn district could have burnt to the ground, and me and my family would be dead!¡± ¡°Assuming it was not an ident, then Ipletely agree about the severity of this situation. But to use us of negligence due to the customers you choose to partake in business with is a step too far.¡± Peri said, her voice calm, but by the emotions Leif could sense she was clearly forcing it. ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t a fucking ident! I¡¯ve been receiving threatening letters all week! This was a crime captain, and I don¡¯t think you or your men have the best interest of this town at heart.¡± There were shouts of outrage, mixed with some calls of support. The collection of adventurers and townsfolk who had been slowly dispersing began to loudly argue, some even pointing fingers of usation at one another. ¡°The empire shouldn¡¯t even be here!¡± One called. ¡°We would have been overrun by monsters without them!¡± Came another. ¡°Ahle-ho only cares for itself!¡± ¡°The guilds care more than the empire!¡± Leif¡¯s golden gaze scanned the increasingly aggressive crowd. He could sense the agitation, anger and fear building up to a fever pitch. The number of those in favour of the empire was far smaller than those against, but discontent with both was amon stance for the people of Klos to take. The adventurers for their part were mostly keeping their mouths shut, but Leif saw more than one ce a hand on a weapon or group up with theirpanions. ¡°Order!¡± Peri called, raising her hand and shouting over the arguing crowd. ¡°I said order! There will be a formal investigation, and the possibility of arson will be explored with the required severity and detail!¡± Leif let the following shouts fade into the background as he focused on the feelings he was getting from a certain skill. [Sympathy From Experience] passively fed him information about past events, and the skill had been subtly buzzing against his subconsciousness for a while now. He invoked the aspect of the skill that would ovey his vision with a vague outline of the past, watching as the passage of time flowed backwards, grains of amber light rewinding the destruction caused by the mes. He saw the sketched outlines of people running backwards into the buildings, he saw the aged man he had healed return to the building with a young child under each arm, then a few minutester his entrance through the front door. Eventually his vision of the past had gone back far enough that the building was no longer ame, there was no evidence of any other figures having been present for the start of the fire. Leif slowly walked around the perimeter of the ruined enchanters shop, he noted that the fire had seemingly started on the bottom floor, but the rity of what he could see wascking in most details. As far as he could tell, the fire had spontaneously begun behind the shop''s counter, but he couldn¡¯t see what the cause was. He let the skill fade, the golden motes that outlined the passage of time disappearing from his sight. He walked around the building, stepping back into the market square. He intended to go straight to the captain and tell her what he found, or rather, didn¡¯t find. But he came up short, most of the previously rowdy crowd having likewise gone still. Two dozen imperial soldiers marched through the town, their armour on full disy as they walked in perfect lockstep. Townsfolk and adventures both retreated at their passing, even as tension rapidly built. ¡°So.¡± Came a voice that Leif recognised from when he and hispanions had been held up at the checkpoint. ¡°What''s going on here?¡± Chapter 108: Distance Chapter 108: Distance Leif observed the growing tension between two armed forces as they squared off in the market of Klos. Words like ¡®jurisdiction¡¯, ¡®treaties¡¯ and ¡®overstepping¡¯ were thrown around with reckless abandon, and anger red from both parties. Adventurers and civilians formed a rough semicircle around both the Ahle-ho and Empire soldiers, as if to spectate an uing fight. He watched the shouting match for several minutes beforeing to a definitive conclusion. I absolutely have no interest in getting involved with this mess. Leif had thrown his metaphorical weight around while entering civilization, but now that he was inside human territory he just¡­ didn¡¯t care about butting into what was clearly a political nightmare. Besides the more he stuck his head into business that didn¡¯t involve him the more likely it was his disguise was discovered. The imperial captain who had confronted him and hispanions at the river checkpoint drew himself up to his full height and quoted some sort ofw or official document. He looked so unbelievably smug, like a child who had just stolen a handful of candy and gotten away with it. The man had introduced himself after Leif and the others had gotten through the checkpoint, he had practically bowed and scraped into the mud before returning Leif¡¯s academy badge. Leif could recall his name if he wanted, his memory was far sharper now than it had been prior to his evolution. But he couldn¡¯t muster up the motivation to bother. He cast one final look at the burning building, sighed, then walked over to where the middle aged woman and her children stood watching as official representatives of foreign militaries argued legal semantics. ¡°I investigated your house.¡± He said telepathically, not interested in raising his voice to be heard over the shouting match. ¡°The fire started on the ground floor behind the counter, I didn¡¯t see any signs it was deliberately started. If you have a basement, maybe that was the cause, but it was hard to make out details through the smoking rubble.¡± The woman looked at him with wide eyes as the toddler she was carrying let out a huge yawn. ¡°I-I see.¡± She said, ¡°Thank you¡­ uh, sir?¡± Leif nodded, turned on his heels and walked out of the market square. === Leif leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, staring despondently up at the ceiling of Frederick¡¯s office. The chair would have copsed into splinters beneath him without several skills working in tandem to prevent just that. He almost wanted to let [Wood Maniption], [Embolden Vegetation] and [Gold Iron Physique] all drop so he would annihte the chair, then likely the floor beneath him all in one shocking disy of: I no longer want to be here. Liv, Samil and v were out in the town, shopping for the goodies they would need to bring back to their families in Far-reach. Apparently K had asked Samil to seek out some minor enchanted items, which was no longer looking like an option. Instead he was sharing the small office space with the guild representative and two very unhappy captains standing to either side of him. Why did it have to be my meeting? He thought, groaning internally as the imperial captain repeated a line about ¡®the mandate of the emperor¡¯. The man had said the exact same thing almost ten times in the past thirty minutes, then would pause, cross his arms and smile triumphantly. Leif was in no position to judge all officers of the Mekrys Empire negatively simply based on his experience with this one man, but he was beginning to have patriotic feelings towards the republic, a nation he basically knew nothing about. This meeting was supposed to be about the Pherin dungeon, but that hasn¡¯t even been mentioned once. He mused, flexing and manipting his aura in increasinglyplex patterns. I should find a guide for aura advancement, it might have some exercises to speed up the rank up process. ¡°This incident does not put the frontier treaty into question, and even if it did, nobody in this room is of high enough rank to do anything about it.¡± Peri said through clenched teeth. ¡°The garrisonmander would beg to differ, captain.¡± The man Leif was deliberately trying to not remember the name of said. ¡°Well, why isn¡¯t the in this room?¡± ¡°Because I speak with his authority on this matter.¡± Kill me. Leif thought, opening his system window to scan through the potential options for his next skill fusion. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. ¡°I hope I do not need to remind you, captain. That the Imperial rank structure and the rank structure of Ahle-ho¡¯s private armies are not identical. I am of equivalent rank to your .¡± Peri said, this was the third time she had exined that. ¡°Please.¡± Frederick said catingly. ¡°I know tempers are hot right now, but all three of our organisations have been tasked by our respective leadership to work together. The incident with the enchanters shop is most unfortunate, and I have already offeredpensation in the form of Pridnce¡¯s own connections.¡± I can¡¯t fuse my two aura skills yet, they both need to be at the same rank. [Fists of Conflict] and [Consuming Aeons] have some potential synergy, but both skills are quiteplex in what they do already¡­ ¡°You seem to be under the impression, guild representative, that that is an eptable level of rpense for the failure of your aplice.¡± The imperial said, gesturing at Peri. ¡°But it is not, this was a tant attack on my forces capability to operate within this region. It is uneptable for-¡± ¡°Do you realise that enchanter was takingmissions from all parties present.¡± Peri said, talking over him. That resulted in another round of arguments, Leif just wondered if Peri had included him in that ¡®all parties present¡¯ment. He let out a long, exasperated sigh, then he focused on Frederick. ¡°I need a good reason to stay within the next two minutes or I¡¯m walking out the door.¡± The man blinked, then nodded subtly in his direction. A minuteter the guild representative expertly stepped into the conversation, cutting off both officers as they just began to start up another round of ¡®whose job is it anyway¡¯. ¡°Please, I need to remind both of you the reason for this meeting. While I am in no way dismissing the concerns or grievances of both of you, this is not the reason why we are here.¡± Both officers'' mouths snapped shut, ring at one another but not speaking. ¡°As I was informed yesterday by the noble currently sitting in the middle of this argument, the Pherin dungeon has been destroyed.¡± Silence hung in the air as the information was processed. Finally the imperial captain asked. ¡°Who? And how?¡± ¡°That is what we¡¯re here to discuss.¡± Frederick said, ¡°So let''s shelve the matter of the enchanter for now and focus on the topic at hand.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Peri said, crossing her arms and sitting down. ¡°This is¡­ fantastic news. Untamed dungeons are the leading cause of monster attacks all across the frontiers of human territories, even more so than the factions that are rumoured to exist.¡± The unnamed man sniffed. ¡°The dungeon was a potential resource, we know of one more thanks to that failed expedition fromst year, but there hardly seems to be a reason for resettlement.¡± ¡°If I may, an undead dungeon is not a resource worth attempting to exploit.¡± Said Frederick. ¡°I am aware of the tamed dungeon beneath the imperial capital, but this hardly seems like the same situation. From what information I am privy to, the dungeon was ted for destruction, though I am unsure if the forces sent to do so have been dispatched.¡± ¡°And there is proof of this?¡± Asked the man, looking at Leif for the first time since the beginning of the meeting. ¡°Yes.¡± Leif said simply, mentally tallying the pros and cons of revealing his involvement. ¡°The information was checked by this room¡¯s truth telling enchantments.¡± Frederick said. ¡°And scrying spells castst night seem to be verifying theck of undead assaulting this region.¡± ¡°I¡­ I will need physical proof of this event.¡± Said the officer. The air warped above Leif¡¯s hand, then a ckened shard materialised into his palm. Leif could feel the death-aspected energy dwelling within the crystal, small amounts of power slowly trickling into his hand only to be crushed and converted. Peri let out a sharp intake of breath, and Frederick looked at the shard with wide eyes. The imperial captain reached out a hand, only to flinch back and swear under his breath when his hand got within thirty centimetres of the crystal. ¡°How on earth can you hold that?¡± He asked as he shook the limb he had extended out like a dog trying to dry itself. ¡°My hand is numb, and it fucking hurts.¡± Leif returned the crystal to his spatial ring. In truth he wasn¡¯t sure of the exact nature of the aspected mana shard, nor was he aware of its value. But judging by the shocked looks on the faces around him it was likely something special. ¡°It¡¯s from the core, but I will not be disclosing how I obtained it. Does this suffice as ¡®physical proof?¡¯¡± Nods from all around. ¡°Good.¡± He said, standing and stepping towards the door. ¡°I am leaving for Ahle-ho in a few days, I would like a letter of introduction for your guild, Frederick.¡± The guild representative was already reaching for a nk piece of paper. ¡°And as for the incident with the enchanter¡­ I did not see any evidence of arson when I investigated the property with my perception skill. The fire started behind the counter, I do not know how as my skill doesn¡¯t provide very much detail in situations like this. I have no intention to involve myself further in this matter, but as a motion of good faith I will offer my services as a healer should it be requested. Peri, I want to interrogate those prisoners before I leave, specifically the tall spear wielder because of something I noticed when I tried to get information from him before. Good-day.¡± And then he left the office, his heavy footfalls resounding off the walls as he walked down the stairs. He strode across themon area, passing two dozen adventurers as they loudly talked and drank. Leif found it strange the guild building seemed to serve so many functions at once, but he supposed it was a cultural thing. He was stepping out the front door when the floor beneath the eating, shouting andughing adventurers exploded into a shower of splinters and mes. Chapter 109: Collapse Chapter 109:Copse Heat buffeted Leif as a column of fire ignited themon area of the guild building. [Amber Aegis] flickered around him, the golden barrier deflecting most of the splinters and mes as the shockwave rolled over him. He whirled, cloak burning around the edges only to see a wall of smoke and dancing mes. Someone stumbled towards the door, their body almost entirely engulfed as they blindly scrambled to escape. A second st of fire rocked the building, chunks of the ceilinging crashing down to disappear into the inferno. He conjured an amber limb and thrust it out towards the adventurer who was blindly groping for a way out. Leif hauled their smoking, near dead form from the building as a wave of cinders blew through the door frame and out into the street. Healing energy flowed into the adventurer as Leif¡¯s golden eyes fixated on the burning building. He could sense the panic and terror from those trapped inside, with every passing moment their lifeforce grew fainter and fainter, several presences flickering out one by one. Standing by and watching as people died was something that struck him like a physical force, but the mes were a danger he couldn¡¯t ignore. Not just physical in their threat, if he charged into the inferno there was a significant risk that his identity as being non-human woulde to light. The adventurer in his arms let out a gasping breath, their whole body shuddering as the worst of the damage was washed away in a tide of healing magic. ¡°Please.¡± They rasped, raising a trembling hand towards the guild hall. Leif hesitated, hating himself for doing so. He willed [Amber Aegis] to protect the adventurer, bestowing the minor healing over time effect as he lowered them to the ground. Men and women were spilling from the front door, several diving out of windows or breaking their own way out with enhanced [Might] or skills that empowered their physical blows. Leif stood, rolled his neck, then reached towards the burning building with an effort of will. Using [Wood Maniption] he ripped the wall outwards, smoke and fire spilling out of the newly created hole. He stepped forward, then knelt down to ce a palm on the charred floorboards. Amber energy flooded into the scorched material, then tendrils of wood rose from the floor around his touch, each snaking off into the building to grab presences he could detect through the burning chaos. One by one he hauled survivors free, each receiving a quick [Healing Palm], the worse off being targeted by [Amber Aegis]. The mes were spreading quickly, too quickly to be natural. As Leif pulled survivor after survivor from the building he began to sweep his perception in search of the cause. He couldn¡¯t detect anything below the building, but simrly with the enchanters shop the fire had clearlye from the ground. Maybe from below the building? Leif thought, several golden arms shooting out to catch a wooden beam as it fell. He distantly became aware of bells ringing, people shouting out or groaning in pain. Smoke billowed from the ceiling as the structure''s upper floor began to copse. There were still people inside.¡°Protect.¡± Hemanded, forcing as much power and authority into his shielding skill as he could. A golden barrier flickered around him, a dome of protection to keep back the encroaching fire. Leif strode into the building, the ground at his feet was distorted from both the heat and his maniption skill. The ceiling groaned, but he mentally wrestled with it as he held it back from copsing with [Wood Maniption]. His will trembled against the weight, even as thest survivors made mad dashes for any exits they could find. A group of three humans came stumbling down the stairs, cloth wrapped around their faces protecting them from the smoke even as they flinched away from the heat. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Go!¡± He said, his voice echoing out even as the final support beams gave out and the building fell apart. A figure he thought was Frederick stumbled, Peri trying to pull him along. The imperial officer¡¯s upper body was a disfigured mess of burnt skin and charred cloth. They weren¡¯t going to make it. mes ate away at the shield surrounding him as the three humans staggered passed. The ceiling fell. Leif stepped forward. Gods dammit. He thought as amber arms wrapped around the three humans. A building crashed down atop him. === The light filtering down from above was sped with dust and ash, they mixed together in swirling patterns tond among the detritus and the dead. An ivory fist punched out of the rubble, followed by a figure wearing a tattered cloak. Golden eyes scanned their surroundings, taking in the moss stained stone and the faint trickle of water dammed up by fallen wreckage. The stone passage was damp and dark, nothing but the sounds of Leif extricating himself from the pile of charred wood could be heard. He cursed, amber limbs working in tandem to clear away his surroundings. Charred and unrecognisable corpses littered the passageway, likely the remains of low levelled victims who had rapidly sumbed to the mes and the heat. Three bodies were slumped unmoving at his feet, vitality only present within one of them. The scion leaned down and scooped up Peri, walking a fair distance away before cing her down. One of her arms was mangled and her breathing was rough and uneven, but she would live. Frederick was dead, as somebody who likelycked a singlebat ss his physical attributes hadn¡¯t been enough to survive the fall. The imperial captain was likewise deceased, arge wooden splinter having staked him through the skull. Leif looked up and sighed, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had fallen into a ce unknown to him, but at least he had suspected it to happen this time. And it wasn¡¯t like the surface was too far away. The ceiling to the sewer, for what else could it be, was barely ten metres above him. Too high to climb without significant effort on his part, but not so high that his predicament would be inescapable. The charred exterior of his body ked away as his healing took care of the minor wounds and burns that covered him, but that wasn¡¯t the issue. His clothing, cloak and all were barely enough to cover him, let alone disguise his nature. He raised a hand to his face, and the mask was gone, if anyone was conscious to see him his cover would already have been blown. He willed a mostly unburnt section of floorboard out of the dam blocking the sewers flow, it was dry and clean. Within moments he had reshaped it into a replica of his old mask, though the colouration was different. Leif ced a hand on the shoulder of the unconscious soldier at his side, healing her enough to save her life, but not enough that she would regain consciousness. [Amber Aegis] flickered around her, the skill faintly warping the air as golden motes of light slowly orbited her body. Every few seconds one of the motes pressed up against one of Peri¡¯s many wounds, the skill slowly restoring her. Leif¡¯s perception warped, then golden grains of sand began to rewind the events that had recently transpired. He saw the bodies and detritus that surrounded him fall upwards, the floor of the guild building flowing back into ce. He waited, for over a minute no further information came to his sight, then three hazy figures walked backwards out of the tunnels gloom. He watched as one of the vague outlines had raised their hands, a ball of fire falling down to hover between their palms. The figure channelled the skill for over a minute, their other twopanions keeping watch from both sides of the tunnel. The fireball winked out, then a second fell from above and was channelled. As Leif observed, anger built within his chest. He didn¡¯t care why these people had done what they had, what their motives were or if they were following orders. People had died, been murdered in cold blood, and he had been stupid enough to step in and try to save them. ¡°Fuck.¡± Leif said, glowering in the direction the attackers hade and left in. By the time the people above had picked their way through the ruined guild office and were peering down into the sewer below he was already gone. Chapter 110: Confrontation Chapter 110: Confrontation Leif stalked a trio of ghosts through the damp tunnels, trying his best to ignore the rank odour wafting around him with every step he took. His clothes were torn and scorched, little better than tatters, the ivory white of his body exposed in several key locations. Echoes of voices and footsteps echoed down from above as the people of Klos went about their day, a day likely inundated with chaos and uncertainty. The guild office was destroyed, the man in charge was dead. An imperial captain who had been attending a meeting in the building had likewise perished, Leif could already sense the fear and uncertainty as it filtered down from above. Hopefully none of the factions scrambling to make sense of the situation would initiate a conflict, the result of which would likely be blood running in the streets. Samil, Liv and v wouldn¡¯t know where he was, though it was unlikely that would believe he had perished in the mes. Ram had told the story of him being blown apart by an exploding ice elemental enough times that his near imperviousness was a known fact among the fledglingmunity of Far-reach. The ghosts, gilded outlines of the three who had been responsible for the attack turned to the left, disappearing around a corner. Leif jogged to catch up, having to reactivate his time perception he relocated the fleeing echoes. This was an interesting workout for the skill, Leif could rewind time to see the movements and actions of what had transpired recently, but he could also run his perception of the past forwards, seeing a dyed version of events outlined in golden dust. A tiny spec of gold moved across the ground in front of him, a rat or some other kind of sewer dwelling creature most likely. Leif paid it no mind, his attention fixated on the trio of ethereal figures as they fled from the scene of their crime. With a hole in the floor of the guild building it wouldn¡¯t take long for people to begin searching the tunnels for the culprits, just like he was doing. I¡¯m on a time limit. He thought darkly. If the worstes to pass I¡¯ll try to flee the town and hide out in the wilderness. Running away wasn¡¯t something he was keen on doing, it felt like the worse of his several options. Fleeing to preserve his identity as no longer human felt like a failure, as though doing so would forever taint his attempts to integrate into the world in which he once belonged. The tunnel widened, the age worn stone sloping steadily downwards. The sounds from above were quieter now, he was likely on the very outskirts of Klos. But the sewer system kept going, expanding outwards as if to amodate for a part of the town that didn¡¯t exist. Leif frowned beneath his newly made mask as he stepped into arge stone chamber with some sort of long defunct machine built into the far wall. Pipes and wheels rusted where they hung inert and inoperable, what metallic surface they had that was still clean glimmered under the light of arge quartz gemstone that flickered fitfully where it was carved into the ceiling. Several connecting tunnelsy entirely in shadow, no light from the surface reaching their confines. The golden echoes stopped by the machine, only to continue on after a short pause. Leif followed them, careful to trace their steps as the cracked and uneven stone below his feet threatened to shift. The next series of tunnels and rooms were like stepping back in time, the worn stone bricks of the sewer system giving way to structures of even older design and far more wear. Tunnels nted at increasingly obtuse angles, entire rooms subsumed by earth and mud. The echoes he was following picked their way through the archaic chambers with swift familiarity, his own progress hampered by his heavy physique. Finally the maze of tunnels met natural caverns, a ravine cutting through the ancient passageway and abruptly ending the expansivework of chambers and rooms. Running water fell from above in a constant roar of sound, the clear liquid plummeting down into a shadowed reservoir far below. Leif pressed up against the wall of the cavern as low voices came into his auditory range. Tents and camping supplies littered therge shelf of stone that jutted out to give the cavern an almost crescent moon shape with jagged edges and a nted roof. Glowing quartz speckled every surface that hadn¡¯t been eroded by flowing water, evidence of several crystals having been ground to dust beneath boots littering the ground as chalky detritus. Leif let his perception skill drop, letting out a deep breath as the increasing amount of internal strain lessened as its effects dissipated. He didn¡¯t need them anymore, his targets were right before him. Roots emerged from the cracked stone above him, Leif reached out with a hand and grasped the nearest one, pulling vitality down through his arm. Anyone on the surface above would see a tree wither away, its leaves rapidly ageing and bark falling off in clumps. ¡°-Camp, up to the surface and get a few days away from the town.¡± Said a gruff voice. The source a tall man with greying hair and sunken eyes. ¡°As I said before, we should wait to see the results of our actions. It¡¯ll take at least half a day for the first adventurer teams to reach this part of the underground, I can go back up topside and see if our job is done.¡± Said a feminine figure draped in dark cloth and leathers. ¡°We also need to strike the guard camp, they have some of the expendables in cages. They probably won''t be able to talk but¡­¡± Said a bored sounding voice from the third person, they were slumped against the far wall of the cavern, orange mes dancing between their fingers. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Said the woman. ¡°Any of them that knows anything swore an oath of silence, neither the guard or the guild will get anything out of them.¡± She took a small sk from her hip and took a sip. ¡°Operational security should be the priority now.¡± The grey haired man stiffened, then turned in Leif¡¯s direction. ¡°Quiet.¡± He snapped, drawing a curved de in a single, smooth motion. ¡°Hmm?¡± The bored looking man grunted, letting out a sigh as he straightened up. ¡°Dan, there¡¯s nothing there, Verity-¡± Leif stepped out from the wall he had been pressed up against, striding out to look down on the three humans. ¡°nning to kill more people are you?¡± He asked, tone t, golden eyes ring. ¡°I thought our tracks were hidden?¡± The fire-aspected man said, shooting a nce at his femalepanion. ¡°Our physical tracks were.¡± She hissed, shadows boiling up around her like writhing snakes. ¡°Who are you?¡± Asked the grey haired man. When Leif didn¡¯t reply he continued. ¡°Are you a guilder? Are you with the imperials or the guard?¡± ¡°None of those.¡± ¡°Then you have no reason to hinder us, you should not have tracked us down.¡± Leif cocked his head to the side. ¡°I was in the guild building when you blew it up. Is that not reason enough?¡± ¡°He¡¯s alone.¡± The woman, Verity said under her breath, her voice carrying due to the cavern''s acoustics. ¡°We can take him.¡± Leif stepped forward, hopping down the small ledge tond with a thud on the same level as the three humans. ¡°You¡¯re an arrogant one, aren''t you?¡± Said the sword wielder, his curved deing up in an aggressive motion. ¡°Arrogant?¡± Leif said, locking eyes with the man. ¡°I¡¯m confident, and perhaps more importantly, I¡¯m very angry.¡± ¡°Friends with some of the guildies I cooked?¡± Asked the man with mes wreathing his hands, his expression waspletely devoid of emotion. ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°Professional acquaintances.¡± Leif said, four golden arms sprouting from each of his sides as the humans moved to encircle him. ¡°I¡¯m angry because I didn¡¯t want to get involved, but then you had to burn up my cloak.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry about that.¡± ¡°We could give you new clothes?¡± Asked the woman, but her tone made it clear she was joking. ¡°But we wouldn¡¯t let you leave afterwards.¡± ¡°Cut the banter. Unknown opponent, unknown skills, fight to kill, formation three.¡± Leif lowered himself into abat stance, arms fanning out around him. Three hostile aura¡¯s pressed down onto him as his own red out. Swordsman, fire elementalist and some sort of shadow magic. He thought, mentally assessing each of his opponents. Fire user first, then whoever''s the biggest threat after that. ¡°A noble.¡± Said the swordsman, brow furrowing. ¡°From where do you hail? Are you from the empire?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Leif asked, moving to keep all threebatants in his field of view as they circled him. ¡°You should have stayed in your estate, lordling.¡± Mocked the woman as her form blurred into the shadows. ¡°It¡¯s a lifetime toote for that.¡± He said, then he shot forward, three golden armsshing out to fend off the swordsman while three morenced out towards the fire elementalist. Silver crescents cut into his conjured limbs as a tide of darkness flowed behind him. The elementalist backed away, creating balls of me to hover in the air between himself and Leif. He kicked off, his attributes were through the roof due to proactively draining enough vitality prior to the fight to be capped off. The stone cracked as he surged forwards, driving away the swordsman as the man blurred forwards, de shing out in an attempt to cut his way through the repeatedly replenishing forest of golden arms. Leif swatted aside one of the floating motes of me, the hovering power detonating at his touch, the explosion of fire and force being absorbed by his shield, the kic power behind the skill mitigated by his solid footwork and dense body. Shadows snaked in from behind, cutting at him and trying to entangle him in a web of inky darkness. Leif couldn¡¯t detect the source, the female assant having veiled herself, her presence undetectable by his perception. He forced his way through the restraints, strands of shadows snapping as he crushed a second fire mote in a golden fist. He heard a curse from the shadow user as he charged through the rapidly clearing haze of smoke that had engulfed him due to the explosions. mes flickered around him, burning the already scorched fabric of his ruined outfit as he locked eyes with the elementalist. The man¡¯s nk, emotionless expression subtly shifting into a look of shock. The man lowered his arms, then pulled upwards as if trying to telekically lift the stone floor. A line of mes erupted from the ground, the elemental magic an opaque wall blocking his line of sight. Before Leif could charge through it, the remainder of his clothing be damned, the swordsman arrived in front of him in a blur of movement. Steel cut into his torso as the man executed a barrage of blisteringly quick attacks, fabric was shorn through and ivory bark was cut into. The swordsman backed away as conjured armsshed out to grab him, the man''s footwork quick and precise as he danced away from Leif¡¯s reach. Silhouetted against the wall of fire he raised his sword, then there were two more of him on either side, both copies likewise raising their des. Power built, blossoming alone the edges of the three raised swords like invisible fire. ¡°May your bloodline end with you.¡± The man spat, a gleam in his eyes as he shifted his stance in preparation to attack. ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± Leif said, then mentally grabbed the roots buried deep within the rock ceiling above them, and pulled the roof down on top of them. Chapter 111: Overwhelming Chapter 111: Overwhelming Roots ripped free from the nted ceiling, twisting and writhing as they responded to Leif¡¯smand. Chunks of stone, pulled free by the violent exit of the roots, fell in crashing heaps to the floor. The cavern shook, the sound of running water reced with rock impacting rock. Leif stepped forward, the motion turning him into a blur of golden light as [The Amber Path] pulled him away from danger. A pir of mes shot up from behind the wall of fire, the elementalist trying in vain to incinerate several tonnes of stone in an effort not to be crushed. The swordsman cursed, the copies on either side of him striking out, severing therger chunks of falling rock as he tried to reposition. Shadows shot forward, no longer harassing Leif to grab both men out of danger. Dust and debris flooded the cavern, temporarily blocking his line of sight, but he could still perceive his target with his more arcane senses. He rushed forward, into the swirling cloud of dust ignoring the small bits of stone still raining from above. The shrouded figure of the swordsman came into sight, the man was doubled over coughing, a bloody gash on one of his shoulders. The man brought his de up in a defensive motion, the weapon turning into a blur as wind picked up, buffeting him as he advanced. He caught the sword on the forearm, the steel edge biting into the unusually tough exterior of his body. He sent a punch towards the man¡¯s face, but the human swayed to the side avoiding the strike. Then a follow up attack caught him in the gut as one of Leif¡¯s golden fists hit him right in his centre of mass, the swordsman went sting away, tumbling out of sight as wind shot from his lungs in a trailing wheeze. Leif heard a muffled shout, then everything lit up orange as mes cut through the cloud of dust. Leif fell to a knee and rolled, barely avoiding the worst of the sudden surge of elemental energy. He came up filthy, but still moving, his reserves of cultivated vitality already healing the worst of the burns. The mes cut through the cavern once again, this time he didn¡¯t try to dodge, allowing his shield skill and incredible durability tank the damage as he inexorably advanced. === Sevis spat dirt from his mouth, one arm hanging limp as his other sent a continuousnce of mes slicing through the dust filled air before him. His ears rang, blood stained one of his eyes as a nasty gash on his brow red in agony. He had seen their attackernd a devastating blow against their party''s swordsman, with his skills and attribute distribution such an attack would have likely killed him outright. Panic red somewhere deep within him as he continued to pump as much power as possible into his attacks. His skills, developed to be as destructive as possible, responded to his growing rm as the towering figure d in strange ivory armour turned to face him. ¡°He¡¯sing!¡± Verity yelled, but he could see that for himself. Sevis back pedalled as the hulking frame of the man who had rolled under his first st of fire, but had still caught more than a little of the skill¡¯s impact. He half expected the man to stay down, but that hope was in vain. The armoured figure came up running, golden eyes gleaming as they were locked onto his own. Sevis cursed, sending another st towards the man before hastily creating a defensive field of floating balls of fire as he stumbled back. Hended poorly and pain shot through his leg, causing him to falter in his retreat. He cried out, raising a hand to unleash another wave of fire at the burnt figure. A barrier of amber light flickered briefly into existence, his opponent briefly silhouetted in gold as red hot mes engulfed him. A momentter he burst through, then the figure in white armour was upon him, gauntleted hand reaching for his throat. Cinders wreathed his already charred cloak as smoke billowed from where his armour had sustained damage. Explosions rocked the air before him as the hastily created skill constructs detonated against the man¡¯s body, he didn¡¯t flinch. Sevis panicked, years of training and conditioning threatening to break as fingers wrapped around his throat. Tomand fire, you needed to be in control of yourself, this lesson had been pounded into his head every day of every week of every month. But to empower fire? You could feed it something else. The artificial stillness of his emotions brought about from his medication and training fled as something intangible was drawn from his body via his attackers touch. His body, despite being a repository for elemental fire became cold as energy that should be his was drained in a slow but continuous stream. Fear, anger, hatred and desperation. They shed through his mind as death closed in, and the carefully maintained leash was slipped, something ignited, feeding on his rampaging emotions. Sevis screamed as flesh, bone and blood became fire, [Avatar of Fire] remaking his body in an instant as power flooded through him. His scream of pain became a roar of triumph as the grip around his throat vanished, the [Noble] who had been foolish enough to fight them alone was engulfed in searing hot fire. Burn! Sevis thought as the ecstasy of liberation became all consuming, mind alight, his rampaging emotions fuel for the pyre of his enemy. Ivory armour ckened, charring as he surged forward to embrace his newest victim. This was it, this was the power he had been denying himself all these years. Who needed restraint? Who needed control? Anyone who tried to take away what was rightfully his deserved to die. Then a golden fist twice the size of his torso smashed into his barely physical form. Pain reasserted itself as his skill was forcefully cancelled, blood sprayed from his mouth as the fire that had only a moment before made up his being vanished and his human body returned. Death loomed over him as Sevis crashed to his knees, his mind raced even as everything swam in a disorientating swirl of agony and confusion. He tried to understand just what had happened, how his moment of triumph had ended so soon? Anger seethed within him, mixing with a dozen other conflicting emotions Then a barrage of a hundred needle-like shadows fell from above, forcing the man, no, the monster away. Then a booted foot connected with his side and Sevis was sent tumbling head over heels away from danger. === Verity kicked the bloody and half crazed mess that was her teammate as she pulled herself across the room on liquid tendrils of shadow. She hadn¡¯t been caught in the copsing ceiling, but both Dan and Sevis had been. But that was okay, she was the infiltrator, and in fights like these it was her job to slink around the edge of the fight, picking the moment in which she would strike, or use her powers to reposition her teammates. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. This strategy usually worked, should work even now. But in a matter of seconds a swordsman renowned for his skill and dedication to his ss had taken a direct hit and was currently trying to pick his half broken body up off the floor. As for the pyromancer¡­ She had only seen the younger man off his medication once, and that was when he¡¯d been locked up in a cell specifically designed to hold his kind. But she had seen the madness kindle to life in his eyes, felt the power of a skill he should know better than to activate. It wouldn¡¯t matter, if they could end the fight quickly they could shove medication down his throat and potentially survive. A de of shadow formed within her outstretched palm as Verity twisted tond on her feet, she lunged for the armoured man who had somehow punched their pyromancer out of his body altering form, de poised to punch through his heart. A golden shield flickered into being as the man staggered back, his body a pincushion of shadowy needles. Her eyes narrowed in satisfaction. Those who relied too much on their shield skills to protect them had a habit of overusing them even against opponents that could partially, or in her case fully bypass them. The tip of her conjured weapon impacted the shield and effortlessly passed through, shadow aspected power allowing the weapon to slip through the man¡¯s protective skill and prate into, and through his sternum to punch out his back. Verity grimaced under her cowl as pain spiked through her soul, she had poured as much power as possible into that strike and now she was paying the price. It doesn¡¯t matter. She thought, adjusting her grip on the shadow de and driving it in further. It¡¯s over, you need to be much higher level to survive physical harm like this. Even if you¡¯re tough shit, there¡¯s no way you''re higher than level seventy. But the [Noble]¡¯s golden eyes barely flickered, then a root wrapped around her leg, crushing the grieve protecting her shin. Skin tore and her bone snapped. She screamed, ncing down in disbelief. Another root, this one sharpened like a stake stabbed out for her side, Verity withdrew her de and cut it apart, then she freed her leg with a simr motion and stumbled back. She nced up at the armoured figure, wincing as her breaths came in heavy rasps. Golden liquid began to seep from the wound in his chest, then a golden arm erupted from the man¡¯s torso in an attempt to reach for the arm she was carrying her de in. Verity cursed and jerked back, mentally grasping the needles embedded all over her opponents body, strands of shadow connected the needles to anchors she had ced throughout the room. With a grimace she gestured upwards, tugging the needles and yanking the armoured man off his feet. Or so she tried. He didn¡¯t even budge. The strands snapped. === Daniel was too old for this shit, at least that was the thought going through his head as he picked himself out of the crater hisnding had made in the cavern''s wall. Something within him was thrumming, a vibration that made his teeth want to chatter and bones tremble. It was some sort of lingering damage, but all he could do was grin and bare it. He coughed up blood, even as the healing pill he had swallowed worked to restore where his opponent had caved in his chest and punctured one of his lungs. His head swam, but he tightened his resolve, willing himself to get up and fight. With an effort of will he activated a skill to clear the air in his immediate surroundings, then he began to manually pump air into his body. It was hard, incredibly so, but there were certain advantages to having a wind aspected ss other than light steps and quick movement. Not that it had done him much good so far. His sword was missing and he didn¡¯t have time to look for it, instead he drew a short dagger from his hip and staggered to his feet. He spat onto the ground, his saliva was stained mostly red. He heard one of his teammates scream, winced, then raced back into the fight, in a single step he had covered half the distance, in another he was within striking range of the armoured man. In under a second he assessed the situation, Verity was wounded, Sevis was lying unmoving in a heap. Their opponent¡­ their opponent shouldn¡¯t be alive. His armour had been punctured or burnt away in dozens of different ces, the wound in his chest should have been enough to kill anyone below level one hundred. Until the body was remade and one¡¯s life was no longer dependent on the functioning of vital organs enough physical trauma should be fatal. Should. But even in that fraction of a second as he took in the [Noble], his armour began to mend. Stab wounds closed over, burned surfaces ked away. The stranger¡¯s masked face tilted in his direction. You¡¯re not human, are you? Daniel thought, staring into two burning amber slits. His dagger shed even as he let the wind carry him into his opponent''s blind spot. His strikended, chipping the ivory white exterior of the abnormality they were facing. Daniel hissed out a breath, the sound like a shrill whistle. The very act of standing up had been agony, fighting in his current state was an entirely different type of torture. But he never let up. As Verity retreated to tend to their pyromancer¡¯s wounds he struck again and again, faster and faster. He might be far older than his two teammates, and he may have reached the end of his potential, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn''t every bit as dangerous as his level would suggest. Years spent serving his sentence had stolen what could have been a rise to power, but there was still glory in service, in dedication. Roots whipped out to strike or restrain but he cut them apart. Ethereal arms struck and blocked, it was like trying to fight an entire forest at the same time. For every blow hended amber fingers brushed against his body, stealing something vital and leaving that same dissonant reverberation. I can¡¯t kill him, whatever he is. Daniel thought, slowing as pain from skill overuse and his internal injuries began to umte. If he didn¡¯t spend the time to let the healing pill currently working overtime to restore his body do its thing he wouldn¡¯tst much longer. Heat bloomed, andughter began to fill the cavern. Daniel¡¯s heart sank, he danced backwards, weaving his dagger in a defensive pattern as he gained distance. The armoured figure didn¡¯t pursue, instead it had turned to face the growing pyre of me and heat simmering in the corner. Verity swung passed him on a tendril of shadow, he couldn¡¯t see her face but she was clearly panicked. And for good reason, their bomb was about to go off. ¡°We need to go.¡± She hissed, voice pained. ¡°Deeper, away from this ce.¡± ¡°I know. Fuck, is he really losing it?¡± In response to his question the body of their team''s pyromancer ignited, and the air began to burn. An explosion rocked the chamber, the force of which almost knocked him from his feet. He gasped, scorching hot air filling his already damaged lungs. Verity cursed as shended on her wounded leg, but he dashed to her side and caught her even as his consciousness began to flicker. The room shook, rubble falling from above as the cavern¡¯s structure began to fall apart. He shot one final nce over his shoulder at the stoic and unreadable stature of their pursuer, then he dove off the shelf and into the darkness below. Cacklingughter followed their descent. Chapter 112: Excavation Chapter 112: Excavation The fire user spontaneouslybusted as maddenedughter wed out of his mouth. Leif sighed, raising an arm to shield his face from the following detonation of power. The battle had wounded him, though his cultivated base of life-force hadn¡¯t been overly tapped into. The two injured humans however, were in far worse conditions. They fled, vanishing over a ledge as the cavern began to copse. He turned, and dashed for their packs, all the while cursing the fact he was about to get trapped underground, again. Should have learnt from the Mythold back in Pherin. He mused darkly, backing away as the sound of manicughter mixed with the crashing reverberation of several tonnes of stone falling down from above. He turned to the entrance of the cavern, then watched as it copsed, his already fraying connection to the anchors created by [The Amber Path] were severed by the physical barrier that now separated them. There were several smaller side exits, but they were rapidly bing untenable. A colossal chunk of stone crashed down barely a metre away, then mes washed over everything. Leif whirled to protect the packs he had grabbed, covering them as best he could, then kicked off and sprinted for the nearest exit. If he was lucky, it wouldn¡¯t be a dead end. If he wasn¡¯t, well, there were probably dumber ways to die. Not that he would be overly pleased with the current situation. Though it angered him more than he wanted to admit, letting two of the terrorists escape wasn¡¯t the end of the world. At least the fire user won¡¯t survive this. He thought, sensing the wavering emotions of the human as his altered form was crushed. But mes writhed free from tiny cracks, elemental energy spooling back into a vaguely human shape. Hopefully won¡¯t survive this. Leif amended. Then he was through the small gap he had chosen to escape down, pushing the packs in front of him and down the natural passageway. After several metres something became obvious: packs would fit, but he wouldn¡¯t. Leif focused his will and began to warp and change his body, already tightlypressed wood and nt fibre twisted and ttened, his entire form slowly shifting to be smaller and narrower. Pain burnt within him as his body began to break, such delicate changes should not be rushed, but here he was performing them while trying to escape. The narrow passageway shook, rubble fell from above, an angr chunk of stone collided with his shoulder and pinned him against one of the increasingly narrow walls. Leif grunted, conjuring several limbs to dislodge the rock and protect himself from any more falling from above. He wouldn¡¯t be crushed to death, not with his physique, instead the danger was bing stuck in a crevasse and being unable to escape. Heat erupted from behind him, the human turned animated bonfire either still alive or some sort of lingering effect having been triggered. He could stretch back his perception to check, but he¡¯d rather not attract attention. The fight may not have been an overwhelming victory, but at least he had gotten out of there with what he needed. The further he travelled the more distant the irregr res of heat became, the rumbling faded away, the copsing cavern no longer a threat. Leif hacked away at the passageway before him, amber arms converted into des punching through loose rock and debris. His storage ring didn¡¯t have enough room for even a fraction of either pack he had grabbed, his luggage a burden he had to be constantly aware of as he progressed. Finally the gap he had been wriggling through ended, but not in a new cavern for him to escape into. Instead the inky darkness of a ravine stretched out beneath him, like a maw eager to devour him whole. He turned, looking back the way he hade. Nothing for it, he took a deep breath, then carefully began to lower himself down into the darkness. It was a perilous and near blind descent. His conjured arms, that he used to carefully lower himself down into the depths below, emitted a soft amber glow, but that glow was hardly enough by which to see. The darkness was oppressive, the tight confines of the ravine suffocatingly tight. A part of him, the monstrous part of himself he was gradually bing more and more familiar with, hated being underground. It was against his nature to not be under the open sky, surrounded by warmth and life. It wasn¡¯t quite ustrophobia, his rationality and mental fortitude battered away any fear that flickered into existence, but it was far fromfortable. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Finally the descent widened, only to split off into two even narrower cracks. The choice of which to take was stolen from him, as he crouched awkwardly on a ledge, restoring his physical form back into a shape that didn¡¯t cause pain, he noted that one of the ways forward was simply too small. He was tempted to just leave, to take a step and teleport himself back to Far-reach and the domain tree he had left his teleportation anchor at the base of. He nced up, the path he had already taken to get this far down was swallowed by darkness. At least I can¡¯t sense the human with fire powers, hopefully the copsing cavern crushed him. He somewhat doubted it, turning into elemental energy had to have advantages he wasn¡¯t aware of. Though the more he considered it the more he became certain that there was something very wrong about the pyromancer, or whatever his actual ss was called. He floated a small orb of wood he had infused with vitality into the narrow path he would have to take, trying to see if it widened or became untraversable. They attacked a business that was takingmissions from the imperial army, then they attacked the guild building soon after. Leif tapped ivory fingers along the nearby rock surface. They mentioned ¡®expendables¡¯ that were imprisoned by the Ahle-ho guard, what are the odds they were talking about the bandits we brought in? He didn¡¯t know, but the terrorist trio were likely foreign agents, their actions didn¡¯t really make sense otherwise. He sighed and looked up, smacking his head against the stone he was resting against. I just hope nothing terrible happens before I can get back. === ¡°Well.¡± Liv said, chewing a frosted bun as she looked at the still smoking remains of the guild building. ¡°This is shit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it.¡± Samil said, the man staring despondently at the pile of ash and charred timber. Ahead of them teams of adventurers and soldiers picked through the aftermath, small groups disappearing down into the hole to seek out the culprits of the attack. Survivors lingered around, all the severely injured had been taken away, the one¡¯s still lying in the streets only half dead instead of three quarters. ¡°He¡¯s alive, yes?¡± v asked. ¡°Unless he is very weak to fire? I¡¯m not sure how these things work.¡± ¡°He should be mostly unharmed, yes.¡± Samil said, frowning at a passing group of civilians openly gawking at Liv and v¡¯s horns. ¡°Though I think he¡¯ll be more worried about other things at the moment.¡± ¡°We have most of what we need.¡± Liv said, licking frosting off her fingers. ¡°And separating was always part of the n, not like this, but it was part of the n.¡± ¡°So we go back home?¡± v said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get my fight. I was promised a fight.¡± ¡°If we wait around too long, we might get caught up in a fight trying to get out.¡± Samil pointed out, nodding in the direction of a brewing argument between two different groups of soldiers. ¡°They haven''te to blows yet, but it¡¯s getting more and more likely the more time passes.¡± v grunted, adjusting the bulging sack slung over his shoulder. Therge demikin opened his mouth, then paused, staring out over the town. He pointed, the other two following his direction. ¡°What is it with this town and things catching on fire?¡± He asked dubiously. ¡°Does this always happen? I hope the one we¡¯re building doesn¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°No.¡± Samil replied, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he took a closer look at the strange manifestation of fire energy hanging over the town. ¡°Oh¡­ oh no.¡± A street over from where they were standing erupted into a geyser of mes as a vaguely human shaped ball of fire streaked down from above. Momentster the screaming started. Liv and Samil turned to face one another, faces pale. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Liv said, backing away while wiping away crumbs. ¡°We should go.¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± He replied, a nearby explosion sending chunks of building raining down. ¡°This is not something we should get stuck in the middle of, at least not without a n.¡± ¡°Finally!¡± v cheered, letting his pack slump to the ground. Then he took off towards the living inferno. The other two demikin watched him go, expressions nk. ¡°Your cousin¡¯s an idiot.¡± Samil said, running a hand through his hair and letting out a groan. ¡°We should probably not watch while he gets himself killed.¡± ¡°...Sure.¡± Chapter 113: Showdown Chapter 113: Showdown Townsfolk ran as their homes burnt around them. Dancing embers eagerly seeking out victims as if possessed by an unnatural malevolence. v raced around the corner of an intersection only to collide with an adventurer as they backpedalled, wreathed in mes they were unable to put out. v cursed, ducking to the side as he hastily patted out the fire that had jumped hosts, the adventurer letting out a horse, hollow scream as they slumped against a nearby building. The demikin turned, trying not to let the vision of the immted corpse linger as he sprinted towards the source of the devastation. His heart pounded in his chest, his muscles tensing and vision growing narrow. He wanted to test himself, to unleash the power he and his family had been born with, to prove himself worthy of the blood within his veins. But the sight before him wasn¡¯t one of promised glory, the spectre of mes stood in the middle of the street, arms outstretched as cackling, manicughter echoed off the burning buildings around them. Charred bodies littered the street, each burnt beyond recognition. v tightened his grip on the pommel of his de, lightning dancing down his arm and between his fingers even as he drew the weapon. Before him was an enemy, a worthy challenge he would throw himself against to be closer to the man he wished to be. Or that¡¯s the lie he told himself, it was easier than to admit the surging anger and hatred towards the thing in front of him was due to the lives it had reaped. Lives of people he had grown up learning to avoid the ire of, to keep away from because of how they would react when they saw him, saw his family. His white hair billowed up around him, his horns like the peaks of mountains jutting out above roiling storm clouds. The being of me turned, unleashing a wave of power into a nearby structure, reducing it to ash in a matter of moments. Lightning shed, and v crossed the street in a blur of movement, closing in on his target only to take cover within an alley as the mes turned in his direction. ¡°v!¡± A male voice came from where he had just been, he turned to see Samil and Liv poking their heads around the street corner. ¡°This is suicidal, even for you!¡± ¡°We can take it! Before it kills even more!¡± He called back, expression hardening. Liv winced, stringing her bow with shaking fingers. ¡°They¡¯re not worth it, why would we fight for the people of this ce?¡± ¡°For honour!¡± ¡°Bullshit, these people hate us, we owe them nothing!¡± A deafening explosion rocked a nearby building, debris was sent flying in a hail of stone and splinters as the crazedughter built in volume, drowning out his reply. v took a deep breath, his mouth bing stained by ash and smoke. He nced at the human shaped inferno, noticing another group of armoured people likely preparing their own attack. He locked eyes with his fellow demikin, one family by blood, the other by familiarity. ¡°It''s a monster.¡± He said. ¡°We can see that.¡± His cousin hissed, her eyes wide as she finished stringing her bow. ¡°That¡¯s what they think we are. Monsters, a danger to their cities and families, all because of our ancestry. But it¡¯s bullshit, it¡¯s not fair that we¡¯re hated, turned away, even hunted. We¡¯re not monsters, but that thing is.¡± They didn¡¯t respond, but he could see in their expressions they agreed. He was a simple man, and that was okay. But he was also a future leader of his n, there were some things he had to do. ¡°For honour.¡± He said, grinning as he stepped out into the street. Then he charged the enemy. === Leif scaled down the steep incline of the cavern like a deformed spider, his dozen conjured arms grabbing onto floor and ceiling both as he maintained his bnce during the descent. The further he went, the more otherworldly his surroundings became. Gone were the jagged, natural caverns that he had climbed through to get this far, now every surface was bizarrely t, surfaces indented with strange geometric patterns as if carefully chiselled over hundreds of years. A faint glow emitted in the direction he was travelling, the chamber he was traversing ending in a sheer drop into a bioluminescent stream teaming with all manner of living things he had never seen before. Rainbow scaled fish swam up and down the currents of ethereal water, ivy and moss grew from the liquid in great stretching tendrils that arched up and over the underground river. He sharpened his fingers, digging into solid stone as he leaned over the ledge, taking in the sight. The river flowed into a connecting chamber, just as geometric as all the others, there it fell down into a pool he couldn¡¯t see the end of. He backtracked, climbing back up the way he hade, then he vaulted into an adjacent cavern, this one narrow, shaped almost like a spear head. Leif picked up speed, bing more confident in his ability to traverse this strange environment. A sound tweaked his attention as it bounced off perfectly t shapes of stone. Voices, two of them. He made his way towards them, not entirely surprised to have encountered his quarry, there were only so many ces they could have gone after all. He found them in a wide chamber, water falling in great torrents from the far wall where it flowed into indents on the floor, the streams of water intersecting as they crisscrossed the chamber. Two humans, both he recognised, sat on one of the central inds, bandaging each other''s wounds, muttering back and forth in a heated conversation. Leif tossed the packs he had pilfered, but was yet to open into a corner and steeled his emotions. Scores had died in an attack these two had orchestrated, the attack on the guild building unlikely to be their first action to have caused casualties. ¡°Why?¡± He asked, voice booming out to echo through the chamber, both humans jumping to their feet in surprise. ¡°Exin yourselves, your actions. I want to understand.¡± ¡°We cannot.¡± Said the man, his voice horse. He drew his dagger, face going nk as if to hide a wince of pain. ¡°And we cannot justify our actions in any way you would understand.¡± ¡°Try me, I¡¯m surprisingly empathetic.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t tell you.¡± The veiled woman said, swaying slightly as she got into abat stance. ¡°Nor would we want to, this is war-¡± This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You work for the republic.¡± He said, cutting her off. ¡°And I know you can¡¯t, one of your aplices I captured in a nearby vige couldn¡¯t talk either.¡± ¡°Magic binds us [Noble], our loyalty is assured.¡± The man wheezed, air blowing around in, picking up dust. ¡°You¡¯ve made an enemy you cannot contend with, the rightful rulers of thisnd.¡± ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not. You were hardly strong enough to stop me.¡± ¡°Because you''re inhuman!¡± The shadow user spat. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show us what¡¯s under that mask?¡± ¡°Inhuman¡­¡± Leif said, tasting the word as it rolled out of his mouth. ¡°I suppose so, it isn¡¯t apletely wrong descriptor for what I am.¡± He raised a hand, pointing at both humans in usation. ¡°But I hardly go around murdering and destroying. You crossed a line, killing innocents.¡± ¡°Adventurers are hardly innocent, nor are they civilians!¡± ¡°And the kitchen staff, the desk workers? What about me? I was in that building when you blew it up.¡± ¡°Our lives would have been far more simple if you had died in that attack.¡± The man said, shooting hispanion a nce. ¡°But if it is any constion, we did not specifically target you or your interests.¡± Leif tilted his head in acknowledgement, but didn¡¯t otherwise respond. Then both humans, tired, weakened and desperate, attacked. === Fire sted down the centre of the street, the sheer heat behind the attack melting cobbles and incinerating years of umted mud. Lightning shed, a crack that could be heard for hundreds of metres as an arrow shot towards the source of the inferno. A dozen men and women attacked the living fire, striking at it with every skill at their disposal. v charged, de held low as power corded up and down the de. The monster¡¯s head snapped in his direction, eyes wide, mouth too wide to be natural. It jerkily raised a hand, turning him into ash as power overwhelmed him. A lightning wreathed sword cut through the neck of the infernal being, the illusionary duplicate fading away like a distant mirage. The elemental figure copsed, only to reform with a bestial screech out outrage and fury. A bolt of lightning fell from the sky, hitting the monster dead on, only for a volley of other skills to strike a momentter. It howled, retreating into a nearby building and catching it ame, the neighbourhood burnt, the town of Klos went up in smoke, people fought anyway. A squadron of imperial soldiers struck out at the monster as it burst from the building and scrambled down the street, weapon empowerment skills used in synchronisation to cut at its form, its fiery essence bursting up into the ash filled air with every impact. It struck out, the soldiers died, then more adventurers attacked from behind. de, projectile and elemental bolt rained down onto it from all sides, the monster retaliating with uncontrolled geysers of power. But it was weakening, even as the town was reduced to rubble around it it began to falter. A sphere of summoned water bounced towards the being of fire, it burbled happily, tiny limbs iling as it burst against the monster and instantly turned to steam. It screamed, tearing down the street in a frenzied attempt to escape. More soldiers, their emblems covered by soot, more than a few having sustained wounds that would have left anyone weaker reduced to ash attacked in a loose formation. They didn¡¯t kill it, but they seeded in forcing it back. A dozen spearsnced out towards it, the monster dodging back to avoid the thrown volley. But each of the weapons burst harmlessly upon touching the ground, then the real spear stabbed into its side as it and its wielder dropped out of invisibility. Samil retreated under a suppressing hail of ranged attacks, then more and more people jumped in to attack. The creature of me fell under an onught of sword, axe and spear, its elemental body breaking apart as it wailed and thrashed. Its form exploded outwards with enough force to drive its attackers away, but not to critically wound them. It let out one final gasp, then the mes went out, and a charred man stood in its ce, covered in wounds and staring absently into the darkened sky. It, or rather he, fell to his knees, a low moan escaping from ckened lips. Then a sword wreathed in lightning severed head from shoulder, and the monster that had killed so many was in. For a moment nobody moved, too shocked and exhausted to react. Then the survivors cheered, their voices mixing in a chorus of triumph. === It wasn¡¯t a fight, more the desperate iling of two people out of their depths. A dagger plunged for Leif¡¯s neck, but the attack didn¡¯t break his shield. A tendril of shadow wrapped around his leg, but it was severed by a conjured arm. The scion backhanded the man, sending him tumbling through a nearby stream. The woman let out a wordless scream as she rushed forward, her fist cloaked in umbral energy. Leif met it with a punch of his own, her hand broke with a sickening crack. Her cry of agony was silenced as he grabbed her by the throat and began to syphon life-force, the cowl and veil that had hidden her features falling away as she thrashed weakly in his grasp. She aged visibly as vitality was transferred between them, her eyes bing sunkern and skin being pulled taught. It disgusted Leif, both the sight of what he was doing, but also the actions. He didn¡¯t regret it though, their fate would be death no matter what, whether it was by his hands or another authority he didn¡¯t know, nor did he particrly care. He hadn¡¯t objected to killing the bandits he and his travellingpanions had encountered days prior because of any particr reason on his part. It somehow felt wrong, as if by taking a human life he was taking a step away from who he had been. But it was an irrational feeling, he had once been a soldier, even in his advancement trial he had watched his past self kill. But even if he knew, logically, that the humans before him were deserving of death, it still felt like something intangible was slipping away. des of wind whistled through the air as the man recovered, spluttering to evacuate water from his lungs. Leif turned, using the man¡¯spanion as a shield, the des of wind fizzled out just before they made contact. He threw the woman to the side, as if discarding a spent husk, and stalked towards the man. ¡°Fuck you.¡± He rasped, crawling backwards through the shin deep water. ¡°Fuck you, you¡¯re not even human, you¡¯re a damn monster, you should be dead, she killed you with that de through the chest.¡± Leif didn¡¯t say anything, his every step closing the gap between them. Then he reached down and grabbed the man by the leg. He lifted him with ease even as des of wind cut uselessly against his incredibly durable body. Maybe if he had been more focused, or had a cultivated pool of energy to draw on. Leif mused, then he shook his head, what was he doing? He swung the human bodily down into the flowing water, parting the flowing liquid with the impact. Water sshed onto the nearby inds of stone as he picked him up again, mming the man back down into the water. Again and again and again. It felt cathartic, as if he could take out all the world''s wrongs by beating him. Leif paused, dangling the human by the arm. He looked down, watching as red stained water flowed between his legs. What am I doing? He thought with disgust, staring into the ssy and broken expression of the man in his grasp. For an instant the human¡¯s eyes focused on his masked face, split lip curling into a sneer. With thest whisper of strength within him the man brought his unrestrained arm up in a cutting motion. Leif allowed it, he didn¡¯t even bother protecting himself with [Amber Aegis]. The mask cracked down the middle, then fell apart, sshing down into the water below. Man looked at monster, surprise evident on his face. ¡°Well?¡± Leif asked. ¡°The pirs will stand eternal.¡± He whispered as his eyes rolled up and his expression went vacant. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± the scion replied, recalling the split halves of the mask back into his hand with [Wood Maniption]. He twisted the mask pieces together, then lengthened his creation. A short sword of wood took off the man¡¯s head, his lifeless body slumping into the bloody stream a momentter. Chapter 114: Ashes Chapter 114: Ashes Leif wished his spatial ring wasrger, that way he could actually store clothing in case he ever got into a situation like this again. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t, and the likelihood of him being able to afford something better was practically none. Though maybe my current bottleneck is my location. He thought, stabbing an amber limb into the steep incline of stone, slowly inching his way up higher. The two packs from the terrorists were slung over his back. With every motion he made they swayed, but their bulk wasn¡¯t enough to majorly impede his process. The biggest challenge was finding a way back up to the surface. The higher up he climbed the more natural the caverns became, their geometric shapes bing jagged and narrow. That was the problem, he had found several ways back up to the surface, he just couldn¡¯t fit. ¡°I miss the sunlight.¡± He grumbled, pulling himself up onto a ledge. Small rocks tumbled down into the darkness below, dislodged by sharpened ws and stabbing limbs. A tunnel led off to the right, and from what he could tell it seemed to curve upwards. Hoping for the best but expecting disappointment he pushed out his aura, and by doing so increasing the scope of his perception. He couldn¡¯t sense the physicalyout of the way forward, instead he was groping around with esoteric senses to find¡­ life. He sensed it, traces of roots from the surface. Hopefully he was close now. He wasn¡¯t. It was another dead end, one that was incredibly ufortable to back-track out of. He was beginning to feel ustrophobic, the suffocating weight of thousands of tonnes of stone pressing in on all sides making him feel distinctly uneasy. Not going underground again. He promised himself, healing his arms back into the proper shape after having partially broken them to fit through a narrow passageway. Leif couldn¡¯t help but remember that he had made a simr promise after escaping the Mythhold for the first time. With every hour he was trapped down in thework of caves his desire to teleport home became stronger and stronger. He could just take a step, and in a blink he would be out of this increasingly ufortable nightmare. But he didn¡¯t, he didn¡¯t need to, and that¡¯s what he kept repeating to himself. In the end it wasn¡¯t magical senses that allowed him to escape, he heard a shrill whistlinging from a passage that had appeared to lean downwards. Instead the tunnel dipped downwards, then led upwards to the surface, the rock having been eroded over time into a surprisingly effective channel for wind. Leif still had to punch his way out. Anyone into ancient cave structures would have wept at the damage, but the Scion wasn¡¯t particrly keen on geological preservation. The cave mouth curved upwards, almost like a mouth that had been carved into the hillside. Before he left, Leif stripped off the tattered and charred clothing he was wearing, and dressed himself in the clothing he found in the packs. There were rations, nkets and waterskins. Both packs had spare boots, neither of which fit him, bent metal cooking implements and some sort of silvery chalk. It took him a few moments to resize his feet, a distinctly strange experience even if this wasn¡¯t his first time doing it. He wondered if there were people with flesh magic, allowing them to reshape and change their physical appearance like he was capable of doing with [Wood Maniption]? He pulled on a cloak, double checked himself, adjusted the repaired mask covering his face, then stepped outside. I need to make a new one, I did kill a man with this only a few hours ago. The fresh air and evening sunlight was glorious. What was less glorious was the massive pir of smoke rising in the distance. It didn¡¯t take much deduction to realise what must have happened. Guilt flickered to life in his chest, he should have finished off the strange fire elementalist when he had the chance. He nced around, checking his surroundings before heading towards the town. The hillside he had emerged from was wooded, and he took the time to partially drain several ageing trees on his way. He hoped those he was travelling with were safe, he wasn¡¯t sure he could face the demikin n if some of their younger generation had been killed on his watch. Some of the n¡¯s elders had been hesitant to let theme south, even if what they were procuring would be vital to turn Far-reach from a well-built campsite to something more. He was a powerful healer, they should have been safe. And hopefully they still are. He thought, pulling a low hanging branch down with a mentalmand, then twisting it off the tree with another. The stick shifted into a staff, then he created a loop, put the straps of the two packs through the loop and continued on his way. There were so many things he could do with [Wood Maniption], he still needed to get used to having the skill, but it was a muscle he was bing increasingly familiar with stretching. The forest, cultivated as it was by the nearby town, wasn''t overly difficult to traverse, he quickly made his way towards Klos, emerging from the treeline to get a closer look at what hade of the settlement. A well travelled road curved, following they of thend, and he jogged down it as his worry began to build. Klos was in a bad shape, from what he could see huge sections of the once well developed town were nothing but burnt rubble, he saw hundreds pitching makeshift tents in fields. One of the benefits of having two small armies encamped outside the town was that there were tents and resources to spare, though judging by the sheer number of newly homeless both forces were being stretched to their limits trying to provide. A perimeter had been created, and as Leif approached it several soldiers rode out on horseback to meet him. He could tell by their tense posture that they were on alert, and when they got into range of his politely restrained aura he could feel more than a little fear and wariness. ¡°Halt traveller, state your identity and business, do not lie or hide anything.¡± The lead soldier said, stopping right at the edge of Leif¡¯s aura range, a hand ced on his sword''s pommel. By the man¡¯s uniform Leif could tell they were from Ahle-ho. ¡°Hardly the kind of traveller you think I am, I was in the guild building when it exploded, saved your captain¡¯s life when we fell into the sewers. Where is Peri now? I have information she will want to hear.¡± The soldier blinked at him in surprise, as if those were thest words they had expected to hear. ¡°Oh, ummm¡­ What is your name?¡± ¡°Leif, I was in a meeting with her, Frederick and the imperial captain I don¡¯t recall the name of. I brought in the bandits you are currently holding.¡± ¡°I see, we will need to verify this information.¡± The soldier said, gesturing for a pair of men to depart. For several awkward minutes they waited in silence, the soldier¡¯s horses trotting restlessly in ce. Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. === Surprisingly they didn¡¯t lead him into the camp, instead Leif was guided into a part of Klos he hadn¡¯t been to before, though he barely recognised the town at all at the moment. Large warehouses, the biggest structures he had seen in the Klos apart from arge estate that had probably burnt down, had been set up to house the wounded. Despite the size of the buildings, they were crammed full of people. They crossed a small bridge that led over a wide but shallow canal, likely the reason the warehouses had survived the mes, and entered the closest one. Leif kept his head on a swivel, searching for Samil, Liv and v, but he didn¡¯t see them. He pushed out his [Aura of Recovery] when they entered the building, one of the soldiers that was escorting him flinching slightly as it washed over him. The effect on those within was immediate, shoulders sagged and moans of pain went quiet. A nurse copsed to the ground and began sobbing. ¡°Healer!¡± An aged woman called, waving frantically over to him. ¡°We need you with the critically wounded, they¡¯re in the second building!¡± His escorts froze, unsure what to do. ¡°Is Peri awake?¡± He asked them. ¡°Y-yes, I mean, probably sir.¡± One of them replied. ¡°Then she cane find me.¡± Leif said, handing his staff to the closest soldier, informing him there were nkets inside, and swiftly marching out of the structure. === Morning broke, lighting the sky a brilliant orange. Leif sat with his back against one of the warehouse''s walls, feeling spiritually and mentally drained as he watched the sky slowly change colour. He was proud of his work, more proud than he had been after hunting down the terrorists. There was something special about using his powers to save lives instead of taking them, perhaps that made him soft, or maybe that was normal. The supportive resonance granted by the [Consuming Aeons] skill finally had its time to show its worth, the lingering effect that increased the body''s natural recovery saving him both energy and time and he moved between patient to patient, prioritising those he could sense were on the verge of death. The supportive resonance seemed, to his senses, to energise the vitality of those he targeted. The night''s work hadn¡¯t been without its rewards, though he hadn¡¯t mustered the willpower to read over the system notifications. They floated above him, mostly transparent. He didn¡¯t have the energy to bother. Three familiar figures crossed over the canal¡¯s bridge, they jogged over to where he sat. ¡°Goodmorning.¡± He said, inclining his head slightly. ¡°d you¡¯re alive.¡± Samil said, ¡°things were pretty crazy after the guild building went up in mes.¡± ¡°They had us on cleanup duty.¡± Liv said with a sigh. ¡°If I never have to touch slightly singed timber ever again I can die happy¡­ No offence.¡± Leif just stared at her impassively. ¡°You three are nuts getting involved in the fight, I heard what happened when I asked aroundst night, that was beyond reckless.¡± ¡°We won.¡± v said simply, crossing his arms. ¡°Your great, great whatever grandfather would have been displeased if you had gotten yourselves killed.¡± ¡°No he wouldn¡¯t, he¡¯s not a softy.¡± Therge man said with a grin. Leif didn¡¯t feel the need to argue the point, v was basically a younger Ram, he knew they were both far fluffier than their exterior¡¯s showed. His gaze flickered up to the mane of soft white hair atop the demikin¡¯s head. Or maybe not. ¡°Many were dying.¡± Samil said, ¡°It would not have been right to stand by and watch.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± v agreed, nodding vigorously. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m not going to dispute that, because I was downstairs doing pretty much the same thing.¡± The scion said, shifting into a more rxed position. ¡°We need to talk about what happens next.¡± Liv said, uncharacteristically serious. ¡°About, you know¡­¡± she said, gesturing around at the town. Leif shook his head. ¡°I thought about it alot over the past few hours, and realistically we¡¯ve helped as much as we can. We¡¯re in no position to help refugees, Far-reach isn¡¯t a proper settlement yet, we couldn¡¯t feed, let alone house much more than we have now.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah that makes sense.¡± Liv said, ¡°I guess this is just a shit situation.¡± ¡°A situation we helped make better.¡± Samil said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve travelled quite a lot with my grandmother and Han before we joined up with you guys, this sort of thing isn¡¯t umon. Towns get destroyed, people lose their homes, sometimes it¡¯s monsters, sometimes it''s¡­¡± ¡°Not.¡± Leif said, grunting as he got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the nearby forest and recover for a few hours. I¡¯ll probably stay in this town for the next week or so, but you should prepare for the journey back.¡± They nodded, and some timeter wandered off to go find breakfast. As Leif walked through the ash strewn streets he finally checked his system notifications. Level up! ss [Adept] is now level 4! For healing vast numbers of wounded you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 free points! New ss skills avable! [Pain Syphon] or [Restful Recovery]! Congrattions! Your [Attuned: Life] skill [Aura of Recovery] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [Aura of Recovery] from rank II to rank III? Y/N You have reached the level 50 milestone bottleneck! To advance beyond this point you must ovee an advancement trial! Warning! Advancement trials difficulty is based on your total number of skills. For every skill above a total of 15 difficulty will dramatically increase! Current skills: 17! Attuned Items: 1! Warning! Failing an advancement trial may result in the loss of ss levels! Advancement trial may only be attempted while at level 50! Any experience gained while at level 50 will be banked until trial ispleted! Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing the advancement trial! Good luck! Begin advancement trial? Y/N Chapter 115: Departure Chapter 115: Departure Leif ended up staying in Klos for over a week, there was far more to do than healing those who had been severely injured in the fire that had imed over a quarter of the town. There was an interesting, if morbid phenomenon he observed while treating the victims. The survivors were moderately levelled, their increased attributes having granted them enough resilience to stave off death until they could receive healing. The death toll was high, the demographics that had died painted a grim picture. Many who he had healed had lost everything, their homes, belongings, friends and family. It pained him greatly that he could mend them physically, but emotionally they would be scarred, perhaps for the rest of their lives. Restoring Klos was more than just healing its people, reconstruction efforts started almost immediately, the excess of manpower from both military forces aiding where many of the non-local adventurers did not. With every day that passed more and more of those who had travelled to the frontier to hunt monsters and earn coin slunk out of the town, often to the silent scorn of the townsfolk. Leif resented them, but couldn¡¯t me them, they were people who had spent their whole lives in, or seeking battle, time was experience and money and not everyone had the luxury to waste both. As for him, there was no experience to gain, he had reached level fifty after all. While any experience he gained now would be banked, likely resulting in a massive surge of levels after he passed the advancement trial, he didn¡¯t particrly feel the need to grind. His goal now should be to fuse his number of skills down to, or below fifteen. [Aura of Recovery] had finally reached rank three, and with some trepidation he used it as the base for fusing [Aura of Nobility]. There was no benefit to keeping skills in a ss that could no longer gain levels, and his n was to eventually have [Noble] bepletely empty of skills, but it still felt strange to be finally changing what was likely his most used ability. He didn¡¯t begin the fusion process right away, even if dying the beginning of the fusion would only dy itspletion. It was important to get the intention perfect for his new aura skill, especially with his focus on [Charisma] as his primary attribute. Aura strength was a big part of his overallbat ability, it had allowed him to fight three humans, who he suspected to have been just below, or perhaps even above level fifty themselves without being suppressed. Instead he had been pressing all three at the same time, making them have to focus on their aura control to prevent themselves from being suppressed in turn. The intention he finally decided upon for the aura fusion had been ¡®benevolence¡¯, a somewhat awkward decision to make, since the aura would be how others would detect his presence, though after some self reflection he determined it to be a good fit. Nobility, the title not the ss, was about authority and control, but when looked at from the lens of a more idealistic perspective you could argue it also represented responsibility. Responsibility to protect, to upholdws, and to provide for. Being benevolent didn¡¯t necessarily mean selfless, and while he intended the fusion to embody as much restoration as it did nobility, benevolence required a position of authority, of power to be most effective. Or maybe he was deluding himself, trying to fit a naive ideal into a skill meant to reflect what he was. As he had levelled up [Aura of Recovery], he had realised that improving the skill wasn¡¯t so much about control and finesse, but about embodying what the aura represented. Leif¡¯s understanding of this concept was somewhat vague, but he suspected that going forward it would be an increasingly important factor in his aura strength. Samil, v and Liv had left after two days helping with the town¡¯s recovery. They had left not so much because of a desire not to help, but rather to escape the near endless meeting, debriefings and interrogations that the town and military leadership insisted was necessary. As demikin they were treated on the very edge of fairness, if it wasn¡¯t for their help in protecting the town, not to mention Leif¡¯s own influence after the events, they likely would have been chased out of town. The imperialmander, a willowy man who showed too much gum when he smiled, and he did that a lot, had suggested that the demikin could be used as a scapegoat for the incident. He did so while in a meeting, a meeting that Leif was attending along with other people of influence, a suggestion the scion had politely told the man to choke to death on. Politely, and he didn¡¯t actually say that, but that didn¡¯t stop themander from bing quite upset. He never stopped smiling though, a fact many of the locals found unsettling, but they couldn¡¯t not invite him to meetings with his soldiers aiding in the rebuilding effort. After Leif contemted throwing the man out of a window for the fourth time in an hour-long meeting, he reflected, not for the first time, that it was more than likely the empire sent its worst officers to the frontiers of humanity, and by doing so neatly putting them out of sight. It would exin a lot. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. He had of course also gained a new skill after levelling up [Adept], neither choice seemed particrly powerful, and he had chosen the one he hoped would have potential synergy with some of his other skills. === Restful Recovery: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Technique (Life)* Whenever you rest your body receives a bonus to its recovery speed, and any wounds be less fatal. You may bestow this effect onto someone else who is resting with a touch. === It wasn¡¯t overly useful for himself, but the ability to bestow the skill¡¯s effects was surprisingly helpful. When people receivedrge amounts of magical healing, they often fell into a healinga as their bodies went into partial shock from the physical trauma. This usuallysted several days, and Leif had experience seeing a fairly severea in the past. Marcus had almost been bisected during his, Sieg and Leif¡¯s escape of the Mythhold, and the academy student had spent almost a week sleeping off the injury. There was another [Adept] working in the healing warehouses, and the man had the exact same skill. ording to him, it would shorten the duration of theas, and alleviate any of the potential side effects that rarely urred among the severely injured. Apparently, even after being healed people sometimes lost the use of limbs, or had their senses altered. Personality shifts were also not unheard of. During the many meetings Leif found himself wondering how the two academy students were doing, hopefully if they had gone on any other expeditions those would have turned out better than the one in which he had met them. Visiting the famous imperial institution was one of his immediate goals, and hopefully he could reconnect with both men. After all they had been through, he hoped they still considered him friends. Town officials were needed to approve the rebuilding of destroyed structures, but due to the scale of the reconstruction effort there weren¡¯t enough to go around. As a noble, apparently Leif had enough qualifications to be an eptable recement, and so he was continuously asked by store owners or homeless families to approve one thing or another. As somebody with a ss rted in some way to wood, he was also one of the primary builders, this only served topound people¡¯s desire to pull him around town and ask him for help. Mostly he stuck to houses, though one particrly insistent woman followed him around in an effort to get him to approve the reconstruction of her business. A business she wasn¡¯t willing to reveal the details of, and thus she couldn¡¯t effectively argue for having its priority bumped up the queue. She tried everything, from bribery to seduction, thetter was a uniquely strange experience. In the end it turned out she was the owner of the pleasure house, he had caught one of the city officials approving the reconstruction a day after she had finally given up trying to persuade him. The bandits Leif had captured were executed along with several people who had been caught looting and stealing following the disaster that had befallen the town. His suspicion that one of them had been magically silenced, unable to provide information about those who had hired them was correct, but there was little that could be done. With nobody having the skills necessary to attempt breaking whatever magic was binding the man, there was little they could do. It hardly mattered, they knew who had hired the men. But from what Peri told him, there was little that could be done about it. The Republic was across the sea, holding territory to the west. Tensions had been building over the past few decades, but neither side was looking to start any sort of conflict. ording to the captain, this sort of remote sabotage wasn¡¯t umon. All they could do was report it to higher authorities and hope the attacks would stop due to political pressure. === Finally he felt like he had done enough, he informed those in charge he would be leaving, and despite their best efforts to make him stay, even offering him a not inconsiderable amount ofnd and property, he departed. The road to Ahle-ho was long and winding, it passed through several viges and towns, even an old stone fort. He met refugees and farmers, soldiers and adventurers, merchants and even a particrly brave thief. Finally the wind changed, and he could taste salt in the air. The further south he travelled the less temperate the climate, and the less fertile the soil. Buildings went from mostly made of wood, to boxy constructs of polished and often painted limestone. The beginning of turbulence began to roll over thend, strange weather patterns and arcane phenomena bing increasingly frequent. One day, just after the breaking of a storm he finally caught sight of his destination. On the horizon stretched a seemingly endless line of blue, and to the east were the tips of shimmering spires. Chapter 116: Vacant Chapter 116: Vacant The roads leading into Ahle-ho were mostly absent of travellers during the worst of turbulence, however whenever there was a gap in the chaos they would emerge from small roadside shelters to continue on their way. Farmers rode carts pulled by beasts of burden, their harvests having beenpleted in the leadup to the wild andrgely unpredictable weather. Needing neither sleep nor food, he made good time, but that was rtive to the average human traveller. A hailstorm tore across the coast, peltingnd and building with jagged chunks of ice, leaving the roads slippery and unable to be traversed. A day out from Ahle-ho, Leif was frustrated by the dy, taking shelter in a small town built next to arge open air quarry. He wasn¡¯t the only traveller to take shelter from the turbulent conditions, arge hall made out of carved stone housing over two dozen others in a simr situation. Conversation within therge shelter was quiet, partially muffled by the constant barrage of hail that struck the building''s roof. Whenever the main door to the building was opened, the temperature dropped and a gale buffeted the interior, causingnterns to flicker and the beasts who had been utched from their carts and wagons chuffing and grunting. An adventurer with powers of earth and fire created glowing rocks that emitted heat, handing them out to the families of small children to better light up the darkness of the shelter''s interior. A space was cleared and several people convinced the creator of the glowing rocks to construct a pile of the things, before long a small mountain of orange and red was ced in the centre of the makeshift gathering ce. The adventurer, a middle aged woman with sunkissed features was breathing heavily by the end, wincing slightly with her every movement. The men and women of the shelter let out a cheer for her effort, letting her settle down in a position of honour nearest to the stones. Children kept running around, gathering nkets and handing them to the adventurer, quickly burying her under a mound of cloth. People told stories of their lives and travels, of boon harvests, hometown drama and monster sightings. They went around in a circle, rying news and telling tails. When it was Leif¡¯s turn, the scion sitting with his back against the wheel of arge cart, he told them of what had happened in Klos, and the troubles beyond the imperial cordon. His retelling of events was heavily abridged, not wanting to reveal his own secrets, nor bring the mood of the gathering down. This ended the sharing of stories, and instead turned the topic of conversation into a round-table discussion of the frontier and everyone¡¯s opinions of how it was being managed. The conversation was fascinating, Leif learning about the fall of Pherin, the exodus of refugees and the ultimately failed invasion of the envers and their legion, the army being defeated after a brief siege of Ahle-ho. These events had taken ce ten years ago, history older than several of the younger children who were nodding off to sleep now that the discussion had turned serious. Apparently the failed invasion prompted Ahle-ho to request aid from the empire, turning what was a small diplomatic garrison into something muchrger. The political situation had been tense ever since, with certain factions being displeased with the Prince¡¯s decision to allow imperial influence to grow within their city, while others used the opportunity to increase their rtionship with a major regional power. The guilds, the highest authority in the city if not for the prince, had been posturing and positioning ever since. It was ten years of strenuous peace, with tensions slowly increasing as guilds on opposite sides of the growing conflict engaged in proxy conflicts or sabotaged one another''s interests. The republic was seen as an outside faction, with none of the traders, merchants or adventurers within the shelter having favourable views. There was historic context that Leif was missing, and he didn¡¯t feelfortable asking a room of strangers. Gradually the glowing stones, apparently called ¡®ember charges¡¯ by the adventurer who had created them, faded away and people began to go their separate ways, melting into the shadowy enves of the shelter to go to sleep. Leif sat cross legged in the centre of the room, ignored by everyone as he focused on practising [Wood Maniption]. Time passed, and before long the shelter''s door was opened, the morning''s light flooding into the room to muffled grumbling from its upants. One of the townsfolk, the same man who had guided Leif into the shelter the night before, spent a few minutes asking around and checking on everyone who had taken refuge from the turbulent weather. When he spoke to Leif, the man had stated there was food being cooked in the nearby inn, but the scion waved him away. The town¡¯s gutters were full of a seemingly endless flood of water, several buildings had chipped paint and what was a firm footpath was now puddles and mud. Leif eyed his surroundings dubiously, getting through this without ruining his boots wouldn¡¯t be simple. A momentter his worries were proven prudent as two town guards and a haggard looking man with greying hair and a scarred lip awkwardly trudged through the mud. ¡°Hail!¡± The man called, stepping up onto the shelter''s stone entrance with wet squelch, the guards following suit a momentter. ¡°I heard there was an adventurer team within the shelter, are they still here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a pair, they should still be inside.¡± Leif said, stepping out of the doorway and letting the man pass. The two guards didn¡¯t go inside, instead they did their best to clean their boots without making too much of a mess. He looked down at the muddy track the older man had left when he went inside. ¡°Something urgent?¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Eh, kinda-sorta.¡± One of the guards said, using the shaft of their spear to clean the sole of their boot. ¡°The quarry partially flooded and some of the¡­ workers are acting strange. Manny,¡± They nodded at the door, ¡°thought he saw something moving around in the water, so here we are.¡± ¡°Things like thismon?¡± ¡°Whenever there¡¯s a big storm some sea monsters take the opportunity toe further ind, they usually get stuck in a river orke and a team of adventurers need to get rid of them.¡± Said the guard. ¡°- Pay is no problem, I¡¯ll even buy the monster parts off of you as soon as it''s dealt with.¡± Said Manny as he exited the shelter followed by two figures. One of them was the woman who had been covered in nkets, the other her husband, though Leif didn¡¯t know either of their names. The adventurer man shook his head, then nced meaningfully at his wife. ¡°This is our final run before we settle down for a few years, and it¡¯s our policy never to enter abat situation without healing pills, which we don¡¯t currently have.¡± Manny winced. ¡°I understand that, and I can increase the reward topensate.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know what the monster is,¡± The ember charge creator said, ¡°then it might not be something a pair of adventurers can handle anyway.¡± ¡°Then you can scout it out beforemitting to anything, I¡¯ll even pay you to do it.¡± Manny said, looking between both of them with clear worry. Then the man looked at Leif. ¡°You there, would you be interested in this opportunity?¡± Leif considered, he wasn¡¯t exactly on a tight schedule, but he wasn¡¯t sure if this was something he wanted to get involved with. ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer right?¡± The woman asked. ¡°You mentionedst night you were a healer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not technically an adventurer, but I was an expedition auxiliary.¡± ¡°A healer!¡± Manny said, pping his hands together. ¡°That solves the potential safety concerns right? What do you say my masked friend? I¡¯ll pay apetitive rate!¡± The two adventurers exchanged looks, then nodded. ¡°If you would join us as a third, we would be more than happy to have you.¡± === ¡°I¡¯m Nayet, and this is my husband, Tollumi.¡± Said the female adventurer as they picked their way carefully through the town¡¯s streets. ¡°You were Laif right? You introduced yourselfst night but I was trapped under those nkets and didn¡¯t really hear.¡± ¡°Leif, and it''s a pleasure.¡± The scion said, hopping over a puddle with as much grace as he could manage. ¡°How long have you two been adventuring?¡± ¡°We signed up some¡­ five, or was it six years ago?¡± Tollumi said, making the same jump but far easier. ¡°We were both scouted from a smaller town near the eastern border with Saris and did the training course together. What about you? What brought you so far west?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Varan, it¡¯s been¡­ a while since I was home.¡± ¡°Oh wow.¡± said Nayet. ¡°The northern kingdom? I heard they almost fell during the war, apparently you guys pushed one of the enved legions into the northern mountains and that¡¯s what caused Pherin to capitte.¡± Leif suspected Pherin hadn¡¯t been given the chance to capitte, considering the destroyed state of their capital city, but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Yes¡­ those were hard times, I used to serve in the military.¡± ¡°You fought in the war? That¡¯s pretty awesome, I bet you have some killer scars.¡± Tollumi said, pping Leif on the back. The scion just grunted. They rounded a house and walked along a winding path leading out of town, deep cart tracks had worn grooves into the stone, the water fromst night¡¯s storm filling the indents. A group of eight men marched up the road towards them, they had woven packs on their back, each filled to the brim with chunks of limestone. They marched in an oddly synchronous manner,pletely silent as they approached Leif and the two adventurers. Leif didn¡¯t recognise any of the approaching men, but something about them was eerily familiar. Their rhythmic lockstep, their vacant expressions and sunkern features, the way they didn¡¯t speak. The three of them paused, stepping to the side to let the men pass by. Tollumi spat to the side, muttering something that made Nayet p his arm. Leif barely noticed, his amber gaze locked onto the retreating backs of thebourers. ¡°Those men¡­¡± He said darkly, mind racing as he tried and failed to ce how he knew them. ¡°Enved.¡± Nayat said sadly. ¡°Poor things, whatever those ants did to their minds it left them broken, they¡¯re barely human at all now.¡± ¡°Enved?¡± Leif hissed. ¡°What are they doing here? I thought they were killed during the war?¡± Tollumi growled, then spoke. ¡°Probably should have been, after their queen or whatever was killed after the siege, they all fell into a strange torpor.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see it personally, but apparently they just stood there,pletely despondent. The allied armies rounded them up into prison camps, and ultimately they decided to put them to work.¡± Nayat said softly. ¡°It¡¯s a shit existence, but for some reason they only function at all when doing some task or another, they¡¯repletely harmless though, never once hurt anyone from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± Tollumi added. ¡°Though they did all start acting strange about a year ago, remember the group that worked the mill in Laryus honey? How they fell to their knees and started shaking, super strange, whatever it was they got better a few dayster.¡± A year ago? Leif thought. That was when the undead enver queen attacked Far-reach, there¡¯s no way it''s a coincidence. The enved rounded a corner and disappeared out of sight, Leif let out a hissing breath, finally realising how tense his body was. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nayat asked, looking at him with worry. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, seeing them brought up bad memories though.¡± He replied, then turned and motioned for them to continue. Chapter 117: Flood Chapter 117: Flood The quarry was a set of giant steps carved into an artificial valley, the limestone had been dug away inyers that resulted in the quarry being like a funnel. Water had fallen fromyer toyer, finally umting in the innermost point where it pooled into a small, roughly rectangrke. Foremen gathered around the uppermost lip of the quarry, looking down at theke with troubled expressions. Former members of the enved legion likewise stood around, tools in hand gazing nkly down into the quarry. They were eerily still, none making a sound even as regrbourers wove between them to attend to an assortment of tasks. The sight made Leif¡¯s blood run cold, there was something incredibly wrong seeing the enemy he had once fought and died to protect his old home from being treated as additional hands for a workforce. They had been enved once, forced to fight for monstrous overlords. And now, over a decade since that war had ended, they were prisoners of war, still ves. Maybe that¡¯s all they can ever be. He thought, an unexpected stab of pity biting into his heart as he saw one of the quarry workers gesture at a group of enved, the men silently moving to obey whatever the order had been. Leif noticed then, as he watched them from afar, that several had the distinct markings of monstrous heritage. Obsidian carapace covered the hands of one of the enved, another had dark markings on his cheek. So they are demikin. He realised, pity quickly being subsumed by a chaotic collection of emotions he wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to analyse. ¡°Man.¡± Said Tollumi, ¡°there are more of them than I thought, usually ces like this would only have a handful at most.¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrong.¡± Leif said, his voice barely audible, but the adventurer heard him nheless. ¡°Yeah, poor bastards. It¡¯s not like the Ahle-ho government doesn¡¯t realise they¡¯re just victims of those ant monsters, but it''s impossible to rehabilitate them, whatever the envers did to their minds makes them unable to function in normal society.¡± ¡°They wither away.¡± Nayet said solemnly. ¡°Unless they¡¯re told to work, they will just stand there and slowly die. It¡¯s horrible, they can¡¯t even feed or clothe themselves unless they¡¯re given orders to do so.¡± ¡°You mentioned they acted strangely a year ago.¡± Leif said. ¡°What did they do?¡± ¡°They stopped responding to orders. Some of them had seizures and others went catatonic¡± Tollumi said gravely, running a hand through his short cut hair. ¡°But they¡¯re fine now?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Most of them recovered, but some never did.¡± There was too much wrong with this situation, too many reasons why he wasn¡¯t sure what to feel. His memories from before his death were almost entirely absent, more impressions on his soul than detailed images and scenes. But it didn¡¯t matter what he thought, there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it. Free them? Kill them? Help them? He didn¡¯t know what he wanted. He saw a group of four enved, each standing in silence as they stared down at the pool. Other groups worked around the perimeter of the quarry, but none ventured within, even when directed to do so. It seemed that as reliant on direction as they were, the demikin had engraved instincts that prevented them from getting any closer to the monster lurking below. Leif shook his head and turned to the pool of water in the centre of the quarry. ¡°Do we know what''s down there?¡± He asked. === It didn¡¯t take long for Manny to arrive at the quarry, the site manager taking in deep breaths as he panted with his hands on his knees. He shifted between barking instructions to the quarry workers and politely thanking the two adventurers and one disguised tree foring to assist him. ording to the man, usually they would pump out the water after a storm, but due to the monster that had taken refuge within the quarry that was no longer on the table. And Leif could see why, asionally he saw a dark shape moving within the water, the shadowy figure was almost a quarter the size of the entire pool. ording to some of the townsfolk, the monster was a merfey, a sea serpent capable of taking flight for several minutes at a time. It hadrge sail-like protrusions tipped with spikes, and a maw able to swallow a human whole. Apparently it was a fairlymon sight, the monster being amon threat faced by fishermen. Somehow the monster had flown up over the hundred metre cliffside that met the ocean, flew several kilometres ind and had taken refuge within the quarry. The fact the people around Leif seemed to ept this as a normal happening made him both rmed and impressed. They took stock of what abilities they had, and began to formte a n. Nayet had two different attuned sses: [Attuned: Stone] and [Attuned: Fire]. Apparently having more than one attuned ss was quite umon, and the female adventurer preened as her husband boasted about her capabilities. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition. Tollumi on the other hand was as straightforward a meleebatant as they came, something that surprised Leif as the man carried neither weapon nor armour. The reason for why became apparent when he summoned both, scalemail appearing equipped to his body and a warhammer falling into his hand. It wasn¡¯t a spatial item, instead it was a skill that allowed for the storage of equipment. Their weakness as a party was immediately apparent. Their only ranged attacker wasn¡¯t suited for targeting an enemy underwater, with neither close rangebatants eager to jump into the water to engage the enemy. Neither Nayet nor Tollumi were particrly confident, as an adventuring duo they were mostfortable taking monster hunting bounties their abilities would be particrly effective against. They had climbed down halfway to the pool using woodendders nailed into the walls of each step. There were pulley systems but those were for lifting rock. Nayet collected mostly rounded stones the size of her head, using one of her skills to shape the rocks into spheres, then she started imbuing them with heat. Like she had done during the night in the shelter, the rocks began to glow, each emitting heat. Unlike the night before, the amount of heat was far greater. She rolled the rocks one by one to a ramp carved into the step they were standing on, reheated the stones, then rolled them down into the water. They impacted the surface with a hiss, steam billowing out in a great pir as the rocks began to sink. The shadowy figure within the pool shifted, agitated by the sudden disturbance to its temporary home. The monster''srge body pushed up against the surface of the pool, but the tension didn¡¯t break. The thing was huge, three wagons long and easily one wide. A yellow eye could be seen peeking out at them from below the water, a malevolent re seeming to promise retribution. Leif pulled a wooden sphere out from under his cloak from where it was attached to his waist, with an effort of will he shaped it into a spear. Beside him Tollumi stepped up protectively in front of his wife. But the monster didn¡¯t attack, so Nayet prepared and rolled another batch of heated stones into the pool. This time the water trembled as the serpent within let out a growl, the sound reverberating through the stone they were standing on. ¡°Here ites.¡± Nayet said, quickly stepping back from the ramp. Sharp rocks began to spin around her. Tollumi tensed, his hammer held at the ready. Then the monster burst from the pool, its maw of sharp, arm length teeth stretched wide as it let out of trumpetting bellow of rage. Leif threw his spear with everything he had. With his [Might] attribute increased with [Grand Action] the force behind the throw was terrifying. He aimed the spear¡¯s trajectory as best he could with [Wood Maniption], but with the sheer speed the projectile was travelling it was almost impossible to guide. Fortunately it struck just off his target, the merfey jerking to the side in an attempt to dodge his attack. The monster reared back as Leif¡¯s spear shattered dark blue scales and prated muscles, he had been aiming for the eye but this was almost as good. Tollumi rushed forward before the monster could withdraw, with a battlecry that shook the quarry he struck at the merfey with his warhammer, a projection of the weapon appearing right to the side of his attack. The monster was sent flying back, itsrge form crashing down into the pool of water sending waves sshing up and over the next lowestyer. Leif ran around the outside of the artificialke, aura pressing down into the monster¡¯s own with all the force he could muster. The impression he got from the merfey was sharp and predatory, a hunter through and through. Even as it twisted within the pool, reorienting itself and preparing its next move, the monster shoved back against his aura. Invisible power rippled in the air, savage ferocity against a bulwark of authority. Twin jets of water erupted from the pool, but they weren¡¯t aimed at the scion. Instead they cut towards the two human adventurers with incredible speed, both des of water condensed with enough pressure to cut a line through the stone as they bore down on their targets. Nayet pped her hands, and a pulse of heat and fire expanded out in front of her, dissipating one of the jets in an explosion of steam. The second missed by an inch as Tollumi dashed to the side, his physical attributes enough to just barely avoid the attack. The limestone wall behind where he had been standing cracked, chips of rock flying in every direction. Nayet reached up and added the debris to her orbiting ring of stone, but there was obvious strain on her features. Leif reached out with his will and tried to pull his spear free from the monster''s face, in response two jets of watershed out at him. The golden barrier of [Amber Aegis] flickered around him, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop the attack. ¡°Steady.¡± Hemanded, voice hanging in the air as if tomand the world itself. The buckling shield flickered, then held back the cutting force of the water. The merfeyunched from the water a momentter, its serpentine body arching with predatory grace as it hung in the air, yellow eyes burning with fury. Leif¡¯s spear flew into his hand, the sharpened tip stained in bright red blood. A barrage of stones came from the opposite side of the pool, each impacting the monster¡¯s side with sharp cracks. It twisted in the air, observing its opponents,rge sails stretching out to grant it the ability of flight. Then its form shimmered, and the monster vanished from sight. Tollumi let out a yelp of surprise, he backed away, eyes scanning the air in search of the monster that had been there but a moment before. ¡°It¡¯s invisible!¡± Nayet called, bringing more stones towards her to recreate the orbiting ring of rock she had just expended. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be able to do that? It shouldn¡¯t be able to do that!¡± But there was an even bigger problem, the water from the pool was rapidly rising, quickly overflowing its container to flood the quarry step they were fighting on. Leif cursed, trying to pinpoint the monster with his esoteric senses, he could tell it was still there, but its emotional presence was muted, as if intentionally blurred. Water churred at it sshed around his shins, rapidly soaking his boots and lower cloak. Then the world was stained blue, as if everything was suddenly underwater. Leif felt his aurae under a sudden increase in hostile pressure as whatever skill the merfey had just used pressed down on everything. Moving was difficult, the water around his legs suddenly doubling in weight. Shit. Leif thought, casting a nce at the two humans. Nayet had fallen off her feet, her husband having rushed to her side to steady her. This thing is way stronger than we thought. Chapter 118: Evolved Chapter 118: Evolved Water churned around Leif as he looked around him, searching for the serpent that had vanished from sight. He kept his footing easily enough, several skills working in tandem to maintain his bnce. He pushed cultivated vitality into [Amber Aegis], unable to see or predict when the merfey would strike next he decided that shoring up his defences was a wise choice. A momentter that was proven to be correct as a wall of scales and fangs shimmered back into visibility and lurched towards him. Leif raised his wooden spear, ready to throw the weapon into the monster¡¯s maw and deal a devastating amount of damage to its internals. But the serpent wasn¡¯t stupid, the overflowing water surged up around Leif, jets of condensed liquid cutting into the flickering barrier that appeared to protect him. He fell into shadow as the monster descended, but having no desire to get swallowed by a big fish he pushed through the increasingly wild water and took a step. He vanished in a golden blur, shooting through the water back towards the two human adventurers. But something mped down around him, as if trying to force the teleportation to destabilise. He focused his will and pushed against the foreign pressure, rematerializing in a geyser of foam as his appearance disced water all around him. Tollumi whirled, an arm around his wife. The human¡¯s eyes were wide, hair soaked and stered to his face. He nodded in the scion¡¯s direction, then exploded upwards, carrying him and his partner out of the water and up onto the next step of the quarry. Leif turned, but the serpent had vanished again. A wave rose, threatening to crash down upon him as he dashed for the ramp. Every step was met with more and more resistance as the tide swelled to restrain him. The golden barrier created by [Amber Aegis] flickered to protect him from the worst of the assault but the skill¡¯s construct was beginning to strain. Leif took a deep breath, then he was submergedpletely, but even the lungful of air felt wrong, as if he had partially inhaled water. Leif suspected that if he was a human, or any kind of creature with a more natural physiology he might be in more trouble, but as it was the sensation was ufortable instead of life threatening. A dozen amber arms fanned out around him as dust and debris from the quarry turned the violent water dark and murky. He focused, changing the shape of the arms created by [Gold Iron Physique] into stakes. They drove through the water, stabbing into the ground with tremendous force. The stone around him cracked, even more rock and detritus joining the already chaotic swirl that surrounded him. Leif¡¯s environment grew darker and darker as he dug his way forward like a spider. He couldn¡¯t float, let alone swim, if he couldn¡¯t get out of the water soon he would quickly find himself in a significant amount of trouble. One step at a time, even as the world around him became nothing but raging chaos and noise. Another step, then another. After what felt like ages but in reality was only a few seconds he stepped onto the ramp. Now I just need to climb. He thought, a chunk of limestone crashing into the side of his head and crumbling apart. Where is the merfey? Is it hunting the others? Did it fly out of the quarry? If I could just sense- Something massive whipped into his side, a mass of dark blue scales shattering Leif¡¯s shield and knocking him off his feet as he was sent tumbling head over heels down into the quarry¡¯s depths. His spear was gone, vanishing into the darkness as rampaging currents dragged it away. The light from overhead was dim and quickly vanishing. Something moved to his right, a massive shape gliding effortlessly through the debris filled water. Heshed out, striking out blindly into the water with conjured golden limbs. They met nothing but the resistance of the water. A gleaming yellow eye circled around from behind, Leif spun and stabbed at the monster only for it to retreat. He couldn¡¯t cast spells to increase hisbat potential underwater, spellcraft required the ability to speak and letting out any air to attempt it would likely be suicidal. But he wasn¡¯t helpless, even if the merfey was treating him like prey. He just needed one good hit, get its attention magically locked onto him, then he could gut it like the fish it was. In an attempt to goad the monster closer Leif pushed out his aura, dering his intentions to defeat the creature even as he pretended to physically slow. The serpent swam closer, eager as it sensed weakness, its yellow eye locked onto him as it circled him counter clockwise. Leif¡¯s breath began to run out, but his healing abilities kicked in topensate. Even still he pretended otherwise, that he was on hisst legs. Finally the monster¡¯s predatory restraint slipped, and Leif sensed its intent to kill. It surged forward, a massive shadow among swirling eddies of dust and rock. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Golden limbs exploded out of the scion, a veritable forest of amber light branching out to grab, impale and crush. Leif¡¯s cultivated reserves dropped as he pumped as much power into the skill as he could without risking destabilisation. Pain shed through his soul, more than he had experienced in well over a month, but he ignored it. The merfey let out a shriek of pained outrage as its moment of triumph was brought short by countless blows. It tried to escape his clutches but it was too slow. wed fingers prated dark blue scales and sunk into the flesh beneath, the merfey bucked in an attempt to get him off even as Leif felt its mental attention shift to resist the taunting effect of [Fists of Conflict]. The [Brawler] capstone skill finally getting its time to shine as the monster¡¯s mental focus was pulled between escape andmitting to the battle. Blood flowed from countless wounds as Leif clutched to the serpent, draining life-force with every passing second. It was like drinking condensed energy, every drop like the kick of an ox as sea-monster vitality flooded into him. Leif punched down again and again, only to shift his attention to holding on as the monster shot upwards, they broke the surface and continued up, escaping the confines of the quarry in seconds as the serpent let out a howl of fury. But the merfey quickly discovered a problem perhaps more concerning than having its blood drained in an increasingly rapid manner. The small, person sized being that hadtched onto its side and was clinging there for dear life was far, far heavier than it should have been. Even as the serpent tried to fly away its progress was nearly brought short as it dipped in the air, barely skimming over the tips of pine trees as it struggled to stay airborne. The wind screamed as both monsters shot away from the quarry and the town it supported, the air tinged blue, water forming around them to keep them aloft. Leif spat out a mouthful of water, then nearly choked as the serpent he was attached to dipped into a roll and tried to smash him against the ground. Amber arms stabbed into the creature¡¯s side, allowing the scion to reposition like a spider. Even still, Leif¡¯s shoulder grazed the tip of a boulder, the dull sensation of damage barely perceivable as he was almostunched off the scaled nk of the merfey. He scrambled up its side, dislodging scales and tearing muscles as the serpent gave up on trying to liberate itself from him and instead focused on reaching the ocean as quickly as possible. The merfey dipped and bobbed in the air, but even still it picked up speed at a terrifying pace. What was previously a distant stretch of shimmering blue quickly expanded as both monsters drew closer to the sea. Leif cursed, redoubling his efforts to bring the monster down, if he fell into the sea he would have to teleport to safety, and that was if he could survive reaching the bottom. Its form flickered, and for a moment it looked like it was no longer there, that he was flying through the air attached to absolutely nothing. Leif punched down into the monster, the impact sending a revealing ripple out from the point of impact. The merfey shuddered, its serpentine body shimmering in and out of visibility and it twisted and writhed. But it didn¡¯t stop, if anything it sped up. To the east Ahle-ho came into focus, the massive walls of the distant city and the towering spires that must be some sort of pce bing clearer as both monsters drew closer. Another vige came and went as the sea approached, Leif could hear the distant ringing of bells quickly fading as they passed. They dipped, only to rise again once the merfey regained itsposure, the monster was sagging but it was far from being fully drained. The vitality of a monster as evolved as it was was like an endless sea. Not unlike the seemingly infinite wall of aqua that stretched from horizon to horizon, the faint white caps of waves no longer so far away. Leif refocused, stretched his many arms, then brought them down in a fury of attacks. Scales and blood trailed behind the merfey as its back was torn apart, one of itsrge sails was ripped apart causing the monster to screech in pain but Leif didn¡¯t relent. They were seconds away from reaching the cliff-side, beyond salvation for one, and likely death for the other. Flesh was parted, and bone revealed. Leif grabbed the merfey¡¯s exposed spine and yanked with everything he had. The serpentine monster bucking, then falling into a spinning dive. Thend was below them in one moment, the sea the next. Leif plunged every arm he could spare into the gaping wound before him, shattering bone and pulverising organs. He felt the moment the monster he was grappling die, and he really felt the moment it smashed into the ground, his grip slipping, his consciousness briefly vanishing before returning in a rush of wind and chaos. He was falling, even though they had hitnd he was still falling. There was nothing but the endless sea, the infinite ne of blue stretching into infinity. In panicked instinct he reached back, and his hands almost instantly found the sheer rock of the cliff-side. He scrambled and twisted, trying to halt his momentum with any means he could. Leif smashed through a stone ledge and kept falling, but his momentum had been partially arrested. Golden des stabbed into limestone, slowing him further. Another ledge shattered under his descent, seabirds fleeing in every direction as he obliterated their prime seaside property. Finally he came to a stop, bloodied and battered, though it wasn¡¯t his blood, barely a handful of metres above the sea. Waves crashed against the cliff, the spray of their impact sshing him from below, he shifted and barnacles crunched under his weight. Leif¡¯s head met the limestone wall as tension left his body. That had been far, far too close. He looked up, over a hundred metres of sheer stone met his gaze. Chapter 119: The Climb Chapter 119: The Climb The hundreds of seabirds that called the sheer cliff home were less than pleased at his presence. Leif couldn¡¯t really me them, especially considering the damage he had done during his fall. But that didn¡¯t stop being constantly swooped by dozens of the angry creatures at a time from being quite annoying. His aura, or perhaps nature, seemed to mollify the majority of the birds, his presence pacifying them. Unfortunately a majority of the winged beasts being mostly impartial to his existence wasn¡¯t much of afort when being constantly swooped, battered, pecked and screeched at by the minority. To make matters worse, a good portion of the seabirds that had taken issue with him having crashnded into their homes were evolved. Harsh winds battered at him, beak and w tore at the golden shield that protected not just him, but his clothes. Not for the first time he internallyined about how small the spatial ring he had looted was, the small drawer sized space being already filled to capacity with what few belongings he possessed. Leif''s arms reached up to grasp the shallow ridge above him, then his conjured limbs pulled him up. Progress was slow, and it was slowed further when the seabirds started to assault the golden arms he was relying on. Pain slowly built as his soul began to strain from skill overuse, before long he would need to rely on his physical attributes. He ignored the birds, focusing entirely on the climb. Then a massive surge of wind crashed into him, his shield flickered, absorbing the attack but the stone around and above him was less fortunate. The rocky cliff-face crumbled under his weight, and Leif fell, scrambling to regain his handholds. The spray of ocean waves meeting rock sshed against his back, the water below only a handful of metres away. Leif cursed under his breath, the sounding out more like a hiss of anger than any actual words. I¡¯m not going to make it at this rate. He thought, the ache in his soul growing by the second. Above the circling seabirds let out cries of triumph, their calls seeming to mock his misfortune. He needed a new n, somewhere to recover and hopefully wait out the ire of the cliff''s residents. There seemed to be a small gap some thirty metres to his left, a ce where the sheer stone wall had been carved into over centuries by wind and waves. Taking one final nce upwards, Leif began to make his way towards it. Moving horizontally was far easier than vertically, but doing so didn¡¯t take him further away from the rising tide¡¯s clutches. At one point he sensed the presence of something in the waters below, but when he looked down he couldn¡¯t see anything. The water gradually rose, the crest of waves partially submerged his legs every time they met the cliff. Soaked entirely through he finally reached the gap, only to have his hopes sink. There was no ledge, nor cave to take shelter in. Instead it was a fairly narrow crack that only got wider the closer to the sea it was. Leif wedged himself inside, digging into the stone with his wed hands, lodging his legs in such a way that he wouldn¡¯t fall. The seabirds seemed to lose interest with their target mostly out of reach, so he let [Amber Aegis] finally drop along with his conjured limbs. The strain of skill overuse immediately lessened, but he would need to rest before making another attempt at scaling the cliff. === The sun was setting when Leif pulled himself bodily over the edge of the cliff, the sea was lit by a vibrant cascade of gold, red and pink. Bright blue motes of light skimmed the water''s surface before spiralling up into the clouds above. He unsteadily got to his feet, taking a few shaky steps forward before gaining his bnce. He nced around looking for the merfey¡¯s corpse, he ended up smelling it before he saw it. Dozens of seabirds fought over the remains, their beaks tearing into exposed sections of flesh that his battle with the thing earlier in the day had revealed. As he approached the birds took off in a squawking mess of feathers. Where¡¯s the mana shard? He thought, carefully stepping around a pile of half eaten serpent guts. Did one of the birds find and absorb it? Stolen story; please report. The monster''s head hung limply over the side of the cliff, its malevolent yellow eyes having been plucked out and eaten. Leif grabbed the merfey¡¯s body and dragged it away from the edge, it was incredibly heavy but the effort wasn¡¯t too great. Something blue twinkled where it was embedded between two limestone rocks, the mana shard having been wedged under the corpse. Leif let out a sigh of relief and picked it up. The shard was farrger than the shards he normally got his hands on, but he had seen this grade before. It was a medium grade mana shard, a full tier higher than the low grade shards monsters above level twenty five, but below level fifty manifested upon death. He knew it was valuable, perhaps more valuable sold than absorbed, but he was in the process of merging his skills down to the rmended number, and, truth be told, he felt like having a little reward for his recent struggles. Would you like to consume this mana catalyst to increase current skill fusion progress? Fusion of skills [Aura of Recovery] and [Aura of Nobility] 12/100% Y/N? He epted the prompt, causing the shard to dissolve into streams of blue liquid that flowed into his arm. It was like an icy river pouring into his body and travelling towards his chest, the sensation felt amazing. Leif patted the merfey¡¯s corpse, running his hand along its scaled tail. ¡°Good fight, you almost took me with you.¡± He said. He sat there for over an hour, watching as the brilliant radiance of the sunset faded away, and the cracked surface of season crested the horizon. The face of the celestial body was fragmented and cracked, much like the bloody lines streaking between the merfey¡¯s shattered scales. Moonlight shimmered in the darkening waters below, pale white and crimson red blending together within the waves. To the east the lights of Ahle-ho illuminated the sea in a simr manner, the flickering lights of the distant city being cast out into the sea. It was hard to make out exact details from so far away, but to Leif the city looked like it was partially built into the cliffside, massive structures jutting out at like towers that were built on the wrong axis. He checked his skill fusion progress, seeing just what a medium grade shard had done for him. Fusion of skills [Aura of Recovery] and [Aura of Nobility] 41/100% Leif let out a breath of satisfaction, the shard had saved him several weeks of waiting. Being at the level fifty bottleneck he could no longer level up, new skills wouldn¡¯t be avable until after he regained the ability to level up. After he passed the advancement trial his maximum number of normal sses would likely increase to four, but he didn¡¯t know how he felt about diving into a brand new ss. From level one to ten a ss would give him five total skills, another five if he levelled from eleven to twenty. There was something to be said about constantly gaining new abilities, but Leif was also cognisant of the fact he would constantly be battling against his maximum number of skills in order to not suffer a massive experience penalty. It struck Leif that due to his nature, he actually had one more ss than humans at the same level. Humans started with a maximum of two sses, gaining their third after level twenty five. His maximum was currently three, but he also had a monster ss. No wonder I¡¯m constantly pushing against the skill limit, I¡¯ve been getting more skills than normal. He knew from his time with the academy expedition that sses offered skills every five levels after reaching tier three. People at my level would likely have a ss pushing the high twenties by this point, maybe they would have two sses at exactly level twenty five if they had limited themselves to only two sses. He summoned the promotion seal from his spatial ring, flipping the intricate metallic and gemstone object over so that its surface reflected the night sky as it spun. Would you like to consume this promotion item to increase one or more of your sses from tier 1 to tier 2? sses avable for promotion: [Brawler]! sses avable for merge: [Brawler] and [Adept], [Brawler] and [Attuned: Life], [Adept] and [Attuned: Life]! Warning! Merging sses will not grant new skills or attributes based onbined level! Warning! The options avable when promoting sses by merging two tier 1 sses will be less than promoting a level capped tier 1 ss! Warning! You are vulnerable during the promotion process! Leif read over the system prompts, flipping the promotion item once again to make them disappear. There were choices to make, and now was likely the best time to make them. But I¡¯ll wait until I¡¯m somewhere safe. He thought, before standing and marching away from the sea. Chapter 120: Class Promotion Chapter 120: ss Promotion On his way back to the quarry town Leif ran into Nayet, Tollumi and a very flustered looking Manny. The foreman ushered the horse he was riding to move to the side of the road, while the two adventurers rode closer on the mount they shared. Nayet held the reins in one hand as she waved towards him with the other, her husband winced as he dismounted, one of his arms wrapped in bandages. ¡°This is great! Wonderful news!¡± Manny said, running a hand through his greying hair. ¡°We thought the worst may have happened, but it didn¡¯t, and now everything is fine.¡± The man grabbed thentern that had been tied to his horse''s saddle and scampered forward. ¡°Everything is fine?¡± Nayet asked, scowling at their temporary employer. ¡°Your people misidentified a highly evolved monster and almost got us all killed!¡± ¡°Well yes¡­ but no, the creature was as we thought, just at a significantly higher level.¡± The man cated, though by Nayet¡¯s scathing response that he almost immediately wilted under it was likely he had already made this argument several times before. Tollumi shook his head, a wry grin stretching his lips as his partner went off on the quarry manager. ¡°d to see you¡¯re alive, friend, thought you were dead for sure when that thing took off with you hanging to its side.¡± ¡°It was a near thing. Almost fell into the sea, never knew seabirds could be that aggressive. I didn¡¯t expect to see you out here, unless there are more search parties I missed?¡± Leif said. The adventurer frowned. ¡°No, we¡¯re the first and only, took most of the day to finally set off. The merfey was using the quarry as a nest, the innermost part was full of around fifty eggs, when the¡­ I think it was the father, fled into the sky with you grappling it they all started to hatch. Tiny bastards wriggled off in every direction, biting people, slithering into houses.¡± ¡°The eggs were ready to hatch already? Wasn¡¯t it less than a day?¡± The adventurer shrugged. ¡°If I¡¯m remembering my monster lore correctly, male merfey carry the eggs ind when they¡¯re nearly ready to hatch, the rivers and gullies are probably much safer for baby monsters than the open seas.¡±Leif imagined dozens of vicious little monsters swimming along riverways, attacking settlements and retreating into the water before they could be hunted down. The thought wasn¡¯t pleasant. He reached out and ced a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, [Healing Palm] poured restorative, life attuned energy down his arm. Tollumi let out a soft gasp, his eyes going wide. Then he grinned, flexing his arm and wriggling his fingers. ¡°Very nice, what do I owe you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need payment.¡± ¡°That''s¡­ very generous of you, but I¡¯d feel guilty not giving something in return, getting my arm healed in Ahle-ho would have been quite costly.¡± Leif paused as he went to dismiss the adventurers offer. Maybe he could get something from them after all. ¡°Fine, how about you guide me around the city, I think we¡¯re both going in that direction.¡± Tollumi nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s no problem. You never been to Ahle-ho before?¡± ¡°Never.¡± Leif affirmed. They turned as the conversation behind them picked up in volume. ¡°Y-yes, yes! I assure you Miss, I will pay the promised amount in full. I would never try to short change those who valiantly defended our town.¡± Manny babbled, his hands up and palms out as if trying to surrender. Nayet¡¯s gaze flickered towards where her husband and Leif were standing, there was a twinkle in her eyes that promised mischief. ¡°But my dear friend, the monster was not only stronger than you imed it would be, but we had to deal with its offspring as well. Don¡¯t you think that would indicate the promised payment is insufficient?¡± She pouted, the expression made to hide a smirk. ¡°Because I think it¡¯s insufficient.¡± ¡°No¡­ Now, now, let''s not get hasty!¡± === Night had well and truly fallen by the time they returned to the quarry town, strange geometric phenomena drifted near invisible through the cloudless sky, their presence only made apparent when they warped the stars they drifted in front of. The two adventurers offered to let him ride in their ce, but Leif rejected the offer, he didn¡¯t want to kill the poor beast. Nayet constantly prodded verbally at an increasingly sullen Manny, Tollumi listening in silence with a faint smile on his lips. The turbulence shelter was mostly empty, and while Manny insisted that they stayed the night in the nearby inn, all three of them rejected his offer. ording to Nayet the aged man would likely try to reduce their pay by stating that they had epted hospitality, and judging by the way the quarry manager¡¯s shoulders slumped as he trudged away Leif suspected she was likely correct. The shelter felt almost uncanny without all the carts and families cramped within, as if therge building was absent of its singr purpose, the empty space within somehow less real than it had been the night prior. He had spent most of the journey back contemting his ss promotion, so when everyone within the shelter had fallen asleep, he was free to begin the process. So he summoned the promotion seal from his spatial ring, and selected the option that would allow him to merge the [Adept] and [Attuned: Life] sses. The small object of shaped crystal woven with intricate patterns of metal shed in his hand, then broke apart as the world faded all around him. === As with his two previous monster ss evolutions, he materialised within apletely nk world, devoid of any details or stimuli. Like thest time he was within this space, Leif distinctly felt that something was missing, but the feeling was vague and distant. He shook the feeling away, slumped to the featureless floor, and focused on the system message that had appeared. Promotion for the [Adept] and [Attuned: Life] sses ismencing! Please review your current sses before proceeding! === [Adept] If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. Through persistence and grit you havee to possess a natural inclination for the healing arts and an understanding of the body. Tier: 1 (Foundation) Level: 4/10 ss Perk: +50% To the effect of life aspected skills +50% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills Your healing skills are 50% less strenuous on the target¡¯s body Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: D crity: E Intelligence: D+ Willpower: C Spirit: C+ Charisma: D+ Base Stats: Might: +1, Willpower +2, Spirit: +2, Charisma +1 === [Attuned: Life] You have felt your connection to life, and have chosen to solidify it. To be attuned is to walk in the steps of something greater. Tier: 1 (Foundation) Level: 6/10 ss Perk: You and those around you naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace +50% To the effect of life aspected skills +50% To the effect of skills that heal or restore Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: E crity: E Intelligence: D Willpower: D+ Spirit: C Charisma: C+ Base Stats: Intelligence +1, Willpower +1, Spirit: +2, Charisma +2 === He read through the listed information, skipping over the three total skills he had between both sses. [Healing Palm], [Restful Recovery] and [Aura of Recovery] were all straightforward abilities. Leif was curious to see how the base attributes of a tier 2 ss wouldpare to his tier 3 monster ss. Proceed? Y/N === [Adept of Self-Restoration] Through the repeated usage of self healing abilities, you take the step to reinforcing that aspect of your power, imbuing your body with more potent regeneration at the cost of a weakened ability to heal others. No stranger to battle, an adept lives and dies by their ability to channel vital energy to where it is needed most. === So this was the ss promotion that would favour [Adept] over [Attuned: Life] in the merger. It was nothing spectacr, this was no legendary ss of sea serpent riding or monster ant pping, and that was fine. If Leif was being perfectly honest with himself, he was tempted to pick this ss immediately, since an increase to his self recovery would almost assuredlypound on the abilities of his [Scion of Aeons] ss. If [Adept of Self-Restoration] provided the expected increase to body enhancement skills as well as some sort of boost to self healing Leif suspected he would be quite nearly impossible to kill, assuming his opponents were of a simr level and there were no environmental factors to consider. But he would do his due diligence and read through all his options, there was no reason to be hasty. === [Attuned: Vitality] You share a powerful connection to the aspect of life, and have moulded your potential around this connection, evenmunicating with the will of mana itself. Deepen this connection, and expand your authority over all that lives. Being attuned to the aspect of vitality takes you down the path of being a healer beyondpare. === That was¡­ both more and less than he had expected. Leif reminded himself that his ability to use spell workings at all was due to [Life Spells] skill the [Attuned: Life] ss had offered him at level two. Yes, spellcraft was powerful, potentially far more powerful than he knew. Leif was also at a bottleneck of sorts with upgrading his [Font of Life] skill, abination of cultivation and spellcasting that both seemed to have unbelievable potential, while also being far moreplicated to advance. He drummed ivory fingers on his knee. It was tempting to take this ss, but it appealed to him less than [Adept of Self-Restoration]. Was it necessarily worse? Unlikely. But it would likely be a moreplex ss, and there was something about power from rtive simplicity that felt more natural. Leif hadn¡¯t been sure the ss promotion selection would provide him with a third option, but sure enough there was one more ss to potentially select. This one needs to be really interesting for me to consider it at all. He thought, reading over the final ss. === [Healer of the Forest] Your dedication to the healing of vegetation, the restoration of devastated environments and your elevation of beasts many would consider powerless grants you an umon perspective on the role of a healer. While your ability to restore flesh and bone ismendable, your mastery over weaving life into wood is perhaps even more impressive. Call upon natural magics to empower your dominion over life, and increase your capacity for healing by channelling vitality through the medium of wood. === Damn, that¡¯s actually not bad at all. Chapter 121: An Adept of Vital Wood Chapter 121: An Adept of Vital Wood Leif found himself sitting in the empty world unable to choose what his new ss should be. Both [Adept of Self-Restoration] and [Healer of the Forest] appealed greatly to him, in an ideal world he would probably have wanted to have gone with both. The way he intended to stack his defensive abilities was topound self healing abilities to the point that any attack that didn¡¯t kill him in a single, devastating hit wouldn¡¯t be fatal. He was already well along this path, having several skills that all worked towards this effect or increased his survivability in synergistic ways. [Font of Life] allowed him to ess a pool of cultivated vitality, one that became more potent the closer to death he was. [Consuming Aeons] gave his attacks the ability to steal vitality from any opponent struck. As a nt monster with a blood aspect he could naturally drain life-force from other living things, his [Scion of Aeons] ss granted him a small amount of passive healing at all times. Those four abilitiesbined to be a core part of the mechanism that kept him alive. But there were other abilities as well: If he fought within the domain created by [Tree of Respite] his healing would receive a boost, [Embolden Vegetation] would grant him a massive burst of healing, at the cost of super-charging his cultivated vitality to the point it would actively harm him if he didn¡¯t keep it below a certain threshold. Even [Amber Aegis] had a small healing aspect that was lost when the skill triggered its defensive shield. Then there were the skills that granted a boost to his overall durability. [Gold Iron Physique] was a big one, it increased his weight and hardened his body against attacks. [Tenacious Fighter] increased physical resilience the more injured he became, with [Fists of Conflict] having a small damage reductionponent against enemies he had already struck. Self healing was a massively important part of his overall survivability, and if he chose the [Adept of Self-Restoration] that would only be more powerful. Another reason to pick that ss as his choice was that it was all but guaranteed to keep the ss perk that increased the effects of body enhancement skills. Judging by patterns he had observed with his monster ss. Tier one sses granted a fifty percent bonus with their perks, tier two sses granting one hundred and tier three one hundred and fifty. If [Healer of the Forest] didn¡¯t have a ss perk rted to body enhancement, he wouldn¡¯t just lose out in the fifty percent increase from [Adept of Recovery], but the initially plus fifty percent to begin with. Leif¡¯s [Scion of Aeons] ss already granted a plus one hundred and fifty increase to those types of skills, and as far as Leif could tell there were diminishing returns with stacking ss perks, though it was hard to tell exactly how much. All of these were good reasons to pick the upgrade to his adept ss when promoting. However [Healer of the Forest] had a major advantage when it came to be his next ss. While the morebat focused adept promotion would increase his self healing, wouldn¡¯t [Healer of the Forest] do the exact same thing? If [Healer of the Forest] increased the effect of healing skills on nts, that was basically the exact same thing as a boost to self healing. He was, after all, a nt monster. The ss would likely give him ess to skills that conditionally applied only to nts, and that would likely result in some very powerful synergy. Maybe he could even gain ess to skills that would increase the power of [Wood Maniption]. Having his monster ss and [Healer of the Forest] both working towards increasing his power in the same direction was a really hard opportunity to give up. But it was an opportunity he could afford to give up, at least temporarily. As far as Leif knew, you could never double up on a ss you already had. If he promoted away from [Adept], he could never regain the foundation ss. But he could always gain another ss rted to nt magic. Something like [Attuned: Wood] or [Druid] were not only potential options, but they were sses he would likely have a fairly easy time obtaining if he tried to unlock them. Leif sighed and slumped in his sitting position, flopping down toy on his back, staring up into the empty void above. [Healer of the Forest] was the better ss, he was almostpletely sure of it. But taking it would ultimately reduce his long term n of bing unkible. It¡¯s the right choice, I¡¯m not making a mistake. He thought, rereading the offered sses once again. He paused, his attention being pulled by [Attuned: Vitality]. No, even if it''s a really interesting ss it just isn¡¯t what I¡¯m looking for. Spell casting is apletely valid avenue of power, but it''s more adjacent to my current path than I¡¯mfortable with at the moment. There was an argument to make that with his focus on [Charisma], getting a ss that seemed to be specifically designed to increase his spellcraft was likely optimal. But Leif wasn¡¯t sure if that reasoning was sound. ¡°This isn¡¯t a mistake is it?¡± He asked nobody in particr. ¡°The logic behind my choice is based on how ss selections actually work? I¡¯m ny nine percent certain I can¡¯t fill my basic ss slots with different versions of promoted [Adept] sses.¡± There was no response, but Leif let himself stew in his contemtions for a few more minutes. ¡°I should have promoted [Brawler] instead, it would have been far more simple.¡± He grumbled. Then selected [Adept of Self-Restoration]. Congrattions! You have promoted your [Adept] and [Attuned: Life] sses into the tier 2 [Adept of Self-Restoration] ss! Please review your new sses characteristics: === [Adept of Self-Restoration] Through the repeated usage of self-healing abilities, you take the step to reinforcing that aspect of your power, imbuing your body with more potent regeneration at the cost of a weakened ability to heal others. No stranger to battle, an adept lives and dies by their ability to channel vital energy to where it is needed most. Tier: 2 (Union) Level: 10/20 ss Perk: The effects from your life aspected skills are increased by 100% when they affect you, but are reduced by 50% when they affect others +100% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Your healing skills are 100% less strenuous on your body You naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: D+ crity: E Intelligence: C Willpower: C+ Spirit: B Charisma: D+ Base Stats: Might: +3, crity: +1 Intelligence: +4 Willpower: +5, Spirit: +6, Charisma +3 === [Healing Palm] ¡ú [Life-Fused Fist] Life-Fused Fist: Aspects: Technique (Life)*, Empowerment Channel healing energy down your arms and into your hands, allowing you to transfer the energy into a target. While this healing energy is concentrated within your hands, your unarmed strikes with your fists deal increased damage. === [Restful Recovery] ¡ú [Meditative Respite] Meditative Respite: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)* (Mind), Technique (Life)* While resting your body receives a bonus to its recovery speed, and any wound bes less fatal. Whenever you rest you recover from mental exhaustion more quickly, and you gain an increase to your ability to concentrate while well rested. You may bestow this effect onto someone else who is resting with a touch, though at a reduced efficacy. === The first thing Leif did when he opened his eyes back in the real world was pump his fist at the sight of the one hundred percent increase to body enhancement skills. Then he read over the rest of his newest ss. The base stats had increased by quite a lot, tier one sses only providing plus ones and plus twos at the very best. But the overall increase was less than it appeared due to the fact he had just lost the base attributes from [Attuned: Life]. Still only plus one free attribute. Leif realised, frowning internally at the fact the number hadn¡¯t gone up. Is it because tier one sses could be merged at any point, potentially resulting in a loss of free points if someone doesn¡¯t promote as soon as their sses have abined level of ten? Or am I giving the system credit for something that doesn¡¯t change no matter what? He shook his head. There¡¯s no way normal sses only give plus one free attribute per level at higher tiers, not when my monster ss gives plus five. He read over the upgraded skills next. [Life-Fused Fists] was really fantastic, and as he activated the skill and let healing energy flow into his hand he could feel the power building up, faint wisps of white light being emitted as the skill empowered his unarmed strikes. Then he conjured a single amber limb, and sure enough when he activated [Life-Fused Fists] the same damage bonus flowed into the conjured arm. I could empower every single conjured arm at once with this, but it would almost immediately push the skill to its breaking point. He noted, more than a little pleased at the unexpected increase to his offensive prowess. [Meditive Respite] was basically a straight upgrade, except for the line about the effects being less when the skill was bestowed upon others. He hadn¡¯t realised his skills would gain conditional downsides along with the minus fifty percent efficacy from his ss perk, but this one wasn¡¯t overly detrimental. [Aura of Recovery] didn¡¯t change, whether that was due to the skill currently undergoing the fusion process he didn¡¯t know, but he was suddenly relieved that promoting his ss hadn¡¯t somehow cancelled the progress of the fusion. Fusion of skills [Aura of Recovery] and [Aura of Nobility] 41/100% Leif looked around the dark and quiet interior of the turbulence shelter, with his ability to urately track the passage of time from [Scion of Aeons] instinctually knew there were two and a half hours until dawn. He opened his full status sheet, then flinched when he realised he had seven free attributes that were unspent. He spent them all on [Charisma], then took in the changes. Name: Leif Vin Race: Scion of Aeons Age: 12 Awaiting manifestation: Emblem Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 64 (+10%) crity: 61 (+10%) Intelligence: 68 (+10%) Willpower: 75 (+10%) Spirit: 78 (+10%) Charisma: 142 (+90%) Total Level: 50 Monster sses: 1/1 Scion of Aeons: 20/40 Skills: Gold Iron Physique / Sympathy from Experience / Consuming Aeons / Font of Life III / Tree of Respite / The Amber Path / Embolden Vegetation / Amber Aegis / Wood Maniption / Wisdom of the Ages sses: 2/3 Brawler: 10/10 Skills: Tenacious Fighter III / Fists of Conflict Adept of Self-Restoration: 10/20 Skills: Life-Fused Fist / Meditative Respite / Aura of Recovery III Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Aura of Nobility III / Grand Action / Legacy Attuned Items: 1 Spatial Ring Chapter 122: Ahle-ho at Last Chapter 122: Ahle-ho at Last ¡°How long has it been since we werest home?¡± Nayet asked, the adventurer skipping ahead of their small group, happy humming to herself as a full pouch of coins jingled at her hip. ¡°Seven, no, eight months now.¡± Tollumi said, his eyes scanning the horizon as they crested the rocky hill. ¡°But the answer is too long, far too long. I wonder if the guild finished the gymnasium expansion, you¡¯d think that after half a year it would be done but that project has been on hold ever since we joined.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it would only happen if Silverfang sold the adjacent property, and they¡¯re way toond grabby to not push the price as high as possible.¡± Leif listened to the back and forth, passively absorbing information as he kept pace with both adventurers. His attention was arrested when Nayet let out a whooping cheer as they reached the apex of their ascent, the coastal city of Ahle-ho finally being revealed in its full glory. Towering walls of white rock rose in segmented tiers, the tiled roofs of homesteads and businesses mixing together in tightly packed districts separated by massive thoroughfares and zas. Ahle-ho stretched along the coast, several outlying farmingmunities dotting the outer edges of the settlement, their fields like green patch-jobs having been sown into the hardy ground. Leif¡¯s only prior experience with a city, or at least the only experience he remembered was the destroyed remains of Pherin. Ahle-ho dwarfed the abandoned and deste settlement many times over, and that was without being able to see the parts of the city built down along the cliffside. ¡°You see the massive building with all the painted spires?¡± Nayet asked, turning to him with a massive grin stretched across her face. ¡°I do, it''s not exactly easy to miss.¡± He replied tly. ¡°Right, well, I think being ostentatious was the point. That''s the pce, you can¡¯t really tell from this angle since we¡¯reing in from the north but it''s actually built right up along the western wall. Behind it, andpletely out of sight are the sky docks. You¡¯ll never see so many skimmers in your life.¡± ¡°Therge circr building dominating the skyline over to the left is the coliseum, it¡¯s where the guilds test themselves and jockey for position. Most of the guild headquarters are spread throughout the city, but all the guilds that matter own buildings nearby to the coliseum.¡± Tollumi added. ¡°Guilds¡­ I just realised I¡¯m looking for somebody and I don¡¯t even know what guild they belong to.¡± Leif said as the road they were travelling on merged into another wider path, the well kept dirt transitioning into carved tiles perfectly interlocking with only the barest hint of a gap. Several groupsmuted along this road, merchants and farmers making up the majority of travellers, however there were several individuals who could easily be identified as adventurers by their arms and armour. Tollumi and Nayet were strange in that regard, Nayet not wearing armour and Tollumi being able to store and summon his own. A pair of guards in matching uniforms patrolled casually along the right side of the road, asionally inspecting carts and luggage. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Why didn¡¯t they tell you?¡± Nayet asked. ¡°I think he just forgot, we weren¡¯t exactly nning on separating until the veryst moment.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, that happens sometimes, things can get pretty crazy when monsters are involved.¡± ¡°That happens.¡± Tollumi said with a snort. ¡°We haven''t even told you our guild allegiance.¡± ¡°We haven''t?¡± ¡°We have not.¡± He affirmed. ¡°Sorry Leif, adventurers normally exchange that information when they meet, but since you¡¯re not affiliated with any guilds we never actually introduced ourselves properly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°We¡¯re members of the Twin Heart guild, one of the five prime guilds within Ahle-ho.¡± A pair of guards approached the trio and Tollumi stepped forward to meet them, Nayet picking up the introduction in his stead. ¡°Unlike most other guilds, Twin Heart actually has branches outside of the city. The main branch is in Ahle-ho, they wouldn¡¯t be one of the prime guilds otherwise, but we have a presence in Saris, and even within the empire.¡± ¡°Saris¡­¡± Leif said, his mind working with the enhanced memory granted by the [Intelligence] attribute alongside the [Wisdom of the Ages] skill that had capstoned his time as an [Amber Blight Spriggan]. ¡°I recall a friend mentioning a sister branch to the guild I¡¯m looking for being present there.¡± Tollumi nced over his shoulder, the man having summoned his armour and warhammer to show the guards. ¡°Now that''s an interesting coincidence, I¡¯m not sure how many guilds have foreign branches, let alone branches in Saris.¡± ¡°Who is it that you¡¯re looking for?¡± Nayet asked. ¡°His name was Darius, dark hair, green eyes.¡± ¡°Mist powers?¡± Nayet asked, looking amused. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Leif said, ncing as the guards moved on from Tollumi and towards him. For a moment he panicked, did they know? How did they find him out? But it turned out they had a device that could detect spatial storage, nothing to do with his inhuman nature. He summoned the Academy token from his ring and one of the guards choked, waving him forward without any questions. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°Do I know the son of the guild leader? Well, not really, he¡¯s pretty elusive, but I know of him.¡± Leif stared at her, Nayet started tough. ¡°You said you were an expedition auxiliary?¡± Tollumi asked as he ushered them to continue along. ¡°I remember the guild leader''s son being involved in the failed expedition up north, don¡¯t tell me you were involved as well?¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He nodded. The man snorted in amusement. ¡°Well you found us, probably easier than you thought huh?¡± ¡°A little, I somewhat expected a prolonged investigation, or something like that.¡± They continued towards the quickly approaching walls of the city, the two adventurers pestering him with questions about the expedition. The closer they got to the city the tighter the press of people seeking entry became, the traffic being buffeted by those exiting the city along the same road. Men and women in official looking uniforms ushered people to stay in orderly lines, but wherever they weren¡¯t looking the press of people quickly returned to a disorganised mess. A pack of dogs with wagging tails chased a group ofughing children up and down the outskirts of the line while parents and guardians tried to recall them. Someone was even selling hot food out the back of their wagon, a crowd of travellers shouting out their orders to get the vendors attention. Half an hourter they were through the gatehouse and into the city proper. The mass of humans only increased with every step, people bumping into one another as they shoved through contested sidewalks. Buildings carved out of limestone brick and painted vibrant pastels lined every street,rge multi-coloured cloth awnings giving the streets below shade from the mid-morning sun. There was an endless series of scents, sounds and sights, Leif quickly finding his senses overwhelmed as the presences of so many people pressed against his aura, flickers of emotion and intent blurring together into a near unreadable mess. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Nayet called over the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s less busy in the inner districts, once we get a little further away from the walls everything starts to open up more.¡± Leif turned to nce back the way they hade and saw that the interior of the walls were dotted with doorways and windows, as if people had carved living spaces into the cities defences to escape the crowds. He felt a hand grab him by the arm and pull him along, Leif snapping out of his stunned revere. A trio of figures leapt over the road, using the rooftops of the nearby buildings to bypass the streets below. People noticed, but nobody made amotion at the sight, it was likely moremon than not. ¡°Wee to Ahle-ho, biggest city in the world!¡± Nayet said as they stepped onto a much wider thoroughfare. ¡°Really?¡± Leif asked, not out of disbelief but instead seeking confirmation. ¡°Pfft, no, not really. Ahle-ho is pretty smallpared to some of the bigger imperial cities, especially the capital, though I¡¯ve never been.¡± Pretty small? Leif wondered, not sure if he believed that im at all. === True to Nayet and Tollumi¡¯s word, the overcrowding situation changed as they got further into the city. Where they were wrong however was that it would get better, instead the sheer mass of humanity pressing in on all sides only grew with every metre of ground they managed to conquer from the increasingly dense crowd. Vendors and temporary stalls lined the streets, makeshift structures of wood and cloth that seemed to have grown out of existing buildings. Carts and wagons were stuck in a deadlock of traffic while swarms of pedestrians flowed around them like a river around a boulder. There was shouting and cursing, an endless barrage of increasingly loud noises that drowned out all attempts at conversation. Leif gave up on trying to talk, instead switching to telepathy and almost making both adventurers jump out of their skin in fright when he initiatedmunication. A short figure bumped into Leif, both the scion and stranger bing briefly tangled before drawing apart. He would have thought nothing of the interaction except for the faint tingle of intent he felt brushing up against his withdrawn aura. ¡°I think someone just tried to pick my pockets.¡± He sent mentally, slightly nonplussed. ¡°Yeah, that will happen, it''s usually just kids though!¡± Nayet yelled back at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a money pouch hanging at your hip?¡± She didn¡¯t reply for several seconds as they were cut off by the movements of the crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, but the rope is enchanted to resist cutting, ain''t no way some street urchin destined to unlock the [Rogue] ss can get my precious-¡± The rest of her words were interrupted as a nearby vendor started yelling about fresh fish skewers, but Leif got the general idea. Ahead Tollumi¡¯s head poked out over the throng of humanity, the man gesturing towards a side street. Leif made his way over to where the adventurer was directing him, finding that the alley was far less crowded than the main road they were traversing. ¡°Why are there so many people?¡± Nayet asked her husband. Tollumi shrugged. ¡°Not sure, maybe there¡¯s a festival or some sort of event?¡± ¡°They might be migrants, refugees.¡± Leif suggested, when both humans turned to him he expanded on his guess. ¡°When I was in the north, near the imperial cordon there was an incident that destroyed arge part of a town. Beyond the border, in the frontier there aren¡¯t many people who aren¡¯t in constant danger. Assuming the problems are more widespread than I saw, it would make sense people travelled south.¡± Tollumi frowned while his wife looked glum. ¡°That might just be it, there were a lot more travellers on the road prior to turbulence, but we were distracted by monster hunting contracts and didn¡¯t look too deeply into it.¡± A shrill whistle pierced the air, the constant thrum of conversation and movement dying down for a few moments, a series of distant shouts being heard during the lull. A column of two dozen soldiers wearing the familiar blues of the imperial army cut through the crowd, their presence cutting through the mass of humanity as the armed men and women projected their auras out, filling the air with the domineering impression of steel and discipline. The atmosphere immediately shifted as tension rose, people shuffled away from the approaching patrol as dark muttering began. The whistle was blown again, then one of the soldiers stepped forward, the space around him clearing out in a matter of seconds. ¡°In the name of the prince and by his authority, we are putting the streets of this city back into order. All pedestrians step away from the middle of the road, make way for the carts!¡± He said, his voice being carried by some sort of skill. Leif felt a small amount of mental pressure followed by an easily ignorablepulsion. Many of the civilians trying to get through the city were affected far more than he was. Immediately people moved to obey themand, even as others started to push back against thepulsion, fighting with everything they had to resist. Chaos broke out as people began to shove and yell, confusion breaking out as half the crowd moved in one direction while the other half resisted them. The officer shouted again, the same feeling of mental pressure washing over everyone present. ¡°-By his authority, the prince of this city, do Imand you into order! Step aside and make way-¡± Leif winced as a piece of rotting fruit sailed through the air, a streak of vibrant red that sttered against the soldier''s face, sliding down his cheek over several agonising seconds. ¡°Get the fuck out of our city you damn tyrants!¡± A hoarse voice from somewhere within the crowd. ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re not wanted here!¡± ¡°Leave and never return!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± The officer boomed, fist tightening on the hilt of their sword. ¡°We should go.¡± Nayet said, a pensive expression on her face. ¡°If there¡¯s a riot we don¡¯t want to be anywhere nearby.¡± ¡°Wise words dear.¡± Tollumi replied. ¡°The soldiers won¡¯t be stupid enough to start violence, if the situation here is anything like it was prior to our tour things won¡¯t escte beyond this.¡± The three of them departed, pushing their way down the alley and away from the incident. Leif hoped that they were right. Chapter 123: Guilds, Tiers and Levels Chapter 123: Guilds, Tiers and Levels ¡°I have to ask.¡± Leif sent telepathically to his two guides who were striding ahead of him at a brisk, but measured pace. ¡°Who are the people running around on the rooftops?¡± ¡°Iron rank adventurers, at the minimum.¡± Tollumi said, side stepping around an elderly woman pushing a small trolley, its wooden wheels cking against the slightly uneven ground. ¡°How ignorant would it make me if I didn¡¯t know what being at that rank means?¡± He asked. ¡°Pretty ignorant.¡± Nayet said, stepping in behind her husband as the trio started to push through a small crowd. ¡°Do they not have adventurers where you¡¯re from? I thought the concept was pretty universal?¡± Leif paused. ¡°I was a¡­ soldier, not an adventurer, so I¡¯m not familiar with the organisation structure. And I¡¯ve been in the wilderness for quite a long time.¡± ¡°The northern kingdoms are structured differently anyway.¡± Tollumi said, apologising as he gently shoved an older teen aside. ¡°Instead of working for guilds, they¡¯re hired by noble houses to hunt down monsters and keep the peace, or at least that¡¯s what I heard.¡± ¡°Sounds about right.¡± Leif said, though in truth he was clueless. ¡°Okay! Let me exin then.¡± Nayet said, talking over her partner as he opened his mouth to do just that. Tollumi¡¯s mouth closed with a smile, the man leading them through a series of less crowded side streets as they made their way further within Ahle-ho. ¡°Okay, so. There are guilds, lots of guilds. Ahle-ho has guilds, Saris has guilds, the empire has guilds and even the republic out west has guilds. It¡¯s an old tradition, it predates most modern countries but nobody really knows by how much.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°In Ahle-ho there are five big guilds, they¡¯re called ¡®prime guilds¡¯, and Twin Heart is one of them. Prime guilds have a say in how the city is run, and often get first dibs on contracts, expeditions and dungeon dives.¡± ¡°Okay I¡¯m following so far, what about the people using the roofs of buildings as a highway.¡± ¡°Right, so there are adventurer ranks. The prime guilds have the most high ranks in the city, and by high I mean gold and silver ranked adventurers. They¡¯re not exactly grades based on power, but you need to be over level one hundred to be a gold rank.¡± ¡°And that''s no easy feat.¡± Tollumi called over his shoulder. ¡°Once you reach level fifty, levelling slows way down, you need to be constantly pushing yourself and finding new challenges. Me and the rock thrower I call a wife were nning on reaching level fifty while on tour, but things didn¡¯t quite pan out that way.¡± ¡°Shut up hammer boy, you know you love me.¡± ¡°Hammer boy? I¡¯m at least a hammer man.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Anyway, adventurer ranks go from tin to gold. It goes: Tin, then copper, then bronze, iron,¡± She gestured up towards the roofs of the nearby buildings, ¡°Then silver and gold. We¡¯re only copper, but that will change once we actually get over level fifty.¡± ¡°Level fifty is the prerequisite for bronze rank. With iron and silver being about proving you aren¡¯t a public nuisance.¡± Tollumi said. ¡°We could have gotten our rank promotions done remotely once we passed the advancement bottleneck, but we figured it was time to head home instead of pushing for thest few levels...¡± Nayet said, trailing off towards the end. ¡°Right. It was a totally logical decision we made based on no external factors whatsoever.¡± Leif smiled at the intery, though the expression was hidden under his mask. Even with his aura mostly suppressed and being unable to perceive their emotions, the care both adventurers had for one another was as clear as day. ¡°Wait¡­ Tol, are we even going in the right direction?¡± This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Yup.¡± He replied cheerily. ¡°But the guild headquarters are more in that direction.¡± She said, pointing off to the side. ¡°That¡¯s true. But we¡¯re acting as tour guides, we should show our new friend around the city we call home.¡± ¡°Sure¡­ but.¡± ¡°You need to finish exining why iron ranked adventurers can run around on rooftops.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Iron ranks have the physical attributes to not fall off the buildings.¡± She said, then expanded on her exnation when Tollumi scowled at her. ¡°Also being Iron rank means more than just power and strength, it¡¯s having your actions and deeds recognised by not just your guild, but other guilds as well. Basically it lets you ignore certain rules that lower levelled people need to follow, hence the rooftop running to avoid the crowds.¡± ¡°What if someone didn¡¯t invest into their physical attributes? I¡¯d imagine some people with certain sses focusing more on increasing their processing speed with [Intelligence] or skill strength with [Willpower].¡± Leif asked telepathically. ¡°That¡¯s what I did.¡± Nayet said happily. ¡°You have no idea how much of a pain it was to control multiple floating rocks when I was a lower level, [Intelligence] really helps you split your mind to do multiple things at once.¡± ¡°I noticed that myself.¡± ¡°Right? Anyway, advancing past level fifty gives a percentage boost to all your attributes, just like it does when you pass level twenty five. I¡¯m waiting until then to focus on rounding out my other attributes.¡± ¡°Is it another ten percent increase?¡± Leif asked, checking his own attributes. ¡°It¡¯s twenty percent, for a total of thirty.¡± Nayet said, spreading her arms as if to demonstrate the potency of the increase. ¡°I can¡¯t wait, watching Tol run around even in heavy armour is making me jealous. Also there are secret benefits that boys don''t know about.¡± Leif thought about that for a second, and realised he had no idea what she was on about. ¡°Sounds about right.¡± They stepped out onto a busier street, taking a right turn and following the flow of traffic. Leif saw the colosseum rising up above the city''s skyline, therge curved structure dominating the horizon. He wondered if that was where they were headed, only for Tollumi to take an exit after only a hundred metres. There was a gated checkpoint they were waved through by a pair of lounging guards, the wall being more of a dividing line than a defensive fortification. The street began to slope, homes often being connected to the road with a short series of steps. They passed through a bazaar, scents, sights and sound Leif had never experienced before rolling over him as they navigated the tightly cramped stalls. Light filtered down from stained ss windows that followed the curvature of the multi-domed ceiling. They even walked through a passageway that sold decorated masks, Nayet asking if he wanted to stop and take a look. Eventually they emerged from the enclosed market, both adventurers with spiced buns, still steaming with internal heat. Leif had a painted mask that vaguely looked like a deer which he had strapped to his side, it didn¡¯t quite provide the coverage he needed to preserve his identity, but the mask was made of wood and that problem could be fixed. He wasn¡¯t sure about actually wearing something with such bright colours, even if Nayet had practically bullied the shopkeeper to lower the price as low as it could possibly go. They stopped within a za, Tollumi gesturing grandly at a temple on the other side of the za, Nayet clinging to his arm with a mix of embarrassment and happiness. ¡°Behold,¡± He said, ¡°the temple where we swore solemn oaths, and dedicated our lives- Owch, what was that for?¡± ¡°I doubt Leif cares, it''s weird you¡¯re showing someone we only met two days ago where we got married.¡± ¡°Right, which is why I will mention that despite how rtively unimpressive it looks, the building predates the city itself.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to justify showing me.¡± The scion said. ¡°It¡¯s sweet, and I don¡¯t mind. Thank you for showing me.¡± Tollumi beamed, sweeping a bow that Nayet interrupted by poking him in the ribs. ¡°Is it always so busy?¡± Leif asked, noticing a near constant stream of peopleing and going. ¡°No, not usually.¡± Tollumi said. ¡°Perhaps it''s a sign of troubled times? Or maybe it¡¯s just because the city is practically overflowing with people?¡± A family with several small children was led outside by a priest wearing white, and slightly ornate robes. The family was holding nkets and the father had a basket of what may have been food. ¡°They seem to be doing good, regardless of the reason.¡± The adventurers nodded seriously, both raising an open hand to the priest who returned the gesture before heading back inside, the robed figure disappearing behind a painted pir. ¡°Receivers usually perform acts of charity, it''s a good sect, that''s why we chose it.¡± Tollumi said with a smile. ¡°Anyway, how about we get to the guild, unless you want to see the theatre where-¡± ¡°No, let''s get going.¡± Nayet said, pulling her husband along. Chapter 124: Twin Heart Chapter 124: Twin Heart The Twin Heartpound stood alone, a single building and its surrounding courtyards and facilities taking up an entire city block. A low wall with a peaked roof outlined thepound''s exterior, many passersby resting under the shade it provides. Groups of armed and armoured men and women came and went, their destination a monster hunt or some other guild activity. Banners flew proudly on the sea breeze, twin circles of dark crimson separated by a swirling pattern of ck and white. The massive wooden doors marking the entrance of the Twin Heart headquarters stood open and inviting, but arge gathering of nervous looking younger men and women, several still in theirte teens, stood off to the side as if waiting for permission to enter. ¡°Look at the cute newbies.¡± Nayet said, waving to a nearby group of teens who awkwardly waved back. ¡°That was us not too long ago.¡± Tollumi said with a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t think we ever looked that nervous though.¡± ¡°Are they members of the guild?¡± Leif asked, stepping up and assessing the gathering of stressed and excited humans. He mentally nodded at the few who stood attentive and calm, silently marking them for likely sess among their more rowdy peers. ¡°Not yet, they¡¯ll need to pass a series of tests before the guild will ept them as initiates.¡± ¡°Then they¡¯ll be attached to a mentor group for a few months before they earn their tin rank.¡± Nayet finished for him. ¡°Is that something you¡¯ll do? Be a mentor for a bunch of kids?¡± ¡°Not until we¡¯re bronze rank.¡± She said with a shake of her head. ¡°Actually, it might happen if for some reason the guild is recruiting more than normal and they need all hands on deck, we are basically there already.¡± They marched through the entrance, leaving the waiting hopefuls behind. A paved path led up to arge wooden building, the way was marked by well trimmed trees that stood stiffly even with the wind buffeting them. Overhead clouds swirled in chaotic patterns, a symptom of turbulence rather than anything to do with the guild or city. Arge man with a receding hairline and bulging muscles stepped out of the building,ughing over his shoulder at something Leif hadn¡¯t overheard. The man turned, and his eyes lit up with recognition. ¡°Wee back! Nayet, Tollumi! If it isn¡¯t my favourite pair of lovebirds, d to see you alive and well!¡± ¡°The remnants of the monster wave were no problem, not after the undead took a bite out of them and they mostly broke against the cordon.¡± Tollumi said, tensing as the neer pulled him into a bone breaking hug. ¡°Jay!¡± Nayet cried, joining her husband in the embrace, though tactically cing herself on the outside of the crush. ¡°What happened to your hair? Is it a casualty of battle?¡± The man, Jay, snorted. ¡°Fuckin hardlyss. The alchemists ran out of ointment, and with all the new blood in the city stock has been abysmally low.¡± ¡°Aww, that sucks. You should really shave it all off though, it looks terrible.¡± Jay reeled back as if struck. ¡°Youngdy, take back that grave insult at once, I will not have my honour tarnished! Ah, but who¡¯s this? I don¡¯t recognise their face. Not that I can see it, but I respect the fashion choice of wearing a mask.¡± ¡°A friend we met just out of town, we almost died facing an evolved Merfey thatnded in a quarry. Jay meet Leif, Leif meet Jay. This big, balding man is an iron rank member of the prestigious Twin Heart guild.¡± ¡°I¡¯m making the push for silver, I¡¯ll be there this time next year, mark my words.¡± Nayet whistled approvingly while Tollumi looked sceptical. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m part of the team battles this afternoon in the big arena everyone seems to love, but it¡¯s been great seeing you both!¡± ¡°Make sure you win.¡± Nayet said, waving the man off. ¡°Hells yes I¡¯ll win, nobody beats Jay the Mighty!¡± He said, jogging off with a wave and augh. ¡°A friend?¡± Leif asked, watching the man as he exited thepound. ¡°Definitely, he¡¯s scary strong too. He has some sort of metal based ss though he¡¯s never shared the details.¡± Tollumi said. ¡°People don¡¯t wear metal armour when they fight him, because if they do he crushes them inside it.¡± Nayet added as they stepped up into the nearby building. Inside both adventurers were greeted by another five people, each mixing their wee with good natured banter. Unlike the Prce guild building that had once been in Klos, this structure wasn¡¯t multipurpose, or at least Leif didn¡¯t think it was anything other than a reception office. A board with detailed listing of jobs and bounties lined the far wall, but with all the people standing between him and it Leif couldn¡¯t make out much details. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. A series of booths lined another side of therge room, and Nayet and Tollumi both approached the closest unupied one to mark their return and receive any due rewards. Leif let them go, standing back and off to the side. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about being in the guild building. He needed toe here, he wasn¡¯t sure how else he could return the academy token, but being surrounded by powerful humans who were specifically trained in monster hunting put him slightly on edge. If my identity is revealed here, will I be able to diffuse the situation before I¡¯m attacked? What would the consequences be if I¡¯m discovered? A trio of women walked past, a vibrant red snake that had wrapped itself around the neck of the closest adventurer red towards him as if suspicious, its tongue flickering in and out as if trying to taste him. But the humans paid him no heed other than a curious nce, more interested in whatever task they had entered the building toplete than investigating the masked stranger. The scion rxed slightly, the slowly building tension leaving his body as he exhaled slowly. ¡°You lost, stranger?¡± Came a gravelly voice from off to the side. ¡°Applicants need to wait outside thepound.¡± Leif turned to see a man with slick ck hair and twin sabres at his sides. He looked young at a first nce, but the way he carried himself alluded to a degree of confidence Leif suspected came from beingfortable with the power he wielded. He took this all in with a nce, all the while going through the ways he could respond. Was this adventurer looking for a fight? Were they genuinely concerned he had skipped the line and broken into the guild without invitation. ¡°I saw the potential recruits on my way inside, but thank you for your concern.¡± Leif said, slightly inclining his head but making no further moves. The man raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then may I inquire as to your reasoning for being within the Twin Heart headquarters? For security reasons, I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± He said, in no way adjusting his posture, but emitting a faint whisper of danger nheless. Leif knew he could answer vaguely, but decided against it. There was a time and ce to y the mysterious masked stranger, and that wasn¡¯t now. ¡°I¡¯m here to return something that was lent to me. I had intended to request an invitation, but I was guided inside by two of your guild¡¯s members whom I met on the way into the city.¡± He said, motioning towards where Nayet and Tollumi were engaged with some sort of clerk, oblivious to his own predicament. ¡°An appointment?¡± The man asked tly. ¡°With who, and for what reason?¡± ¡°With Darius, because I have his academy token.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I trust that¡¯s a valid reason?¡± ¡°It¡­ is. I apologise, one can never be too careful with current events.¡± He said, something invisible shifting in the air around him. A pair of passing adventurers stumbled mid step, as if they hadn¡¯t noticed the man up until that very moment. ¡°I am Lars, guild enforcer, what was your name again?¡± ¡°Leif, it¡¯s a pleasure.¡± ¡°Leif¡­ Leif¡­ that name¡­ Ah,¡± He said, snapping his fingers. ¡°I do recall a Leif being mentioned after the incident with the Academy expedition. I will admit my¡­ surprise to seeing you here. Regardless, follow me, I will take you to Darius, he is not an easy man to find when he doesn¡¯t want to be seen.¡± With that Lars turned on his heels and began to make his way towards a closed door near the back of the room. The man made a subtle gesture, and Nayet and Tollumi jumped in ce as if receiving an electric shock. Nayet turned and made a silent ¡®O¡¯ before giving him a little wave and a nod of what might have been encouragement. Somewhat hesitant, Leif followed the guild enforcer, the man seeming to slide in between roaming groups of adventurers as if somehow unseen by the majority of the room¡¯s upants. That man is dangerous. Leif thought, hardening his aura and tightening his focus. If this was some sort of trap, then he would be ready. The door opened without any apparent contact as Lars approached, and clicked shut behind Leif as the Scion stepped through the threshold. Functionaries darted in and out of side rooms as they made their way deeper inside the building, but none paid him or the guild enforcer any mind. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting skill.¡± Leif said as he followed behind the man. ¡°I confess that I have no idea how it works.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Lars said, then continued without missing a step. ¡°It¡¯s an application of my aura skill, and if someone knows how it works it bes far less effective. You¡¯ll have to forgive me if I don¡¯t exin further.¡± Did he open the door with his aura? Leif wondered, letting his own aura spread slightly so his perception could partially leak into the rooms they were passing. To his surprise, there was more than a little resistance to the walls, as if the building was made of both physical and spiritual barriers. They ascended a flight of stairs, then crossed over a bridge that seamlessly connected the office to an adjacent structure. Eventually they arrived at a heavyset double door, the dark wood was engraved with gold, the pattern was the guild¡¯s symbol, with the door¡¯s seam breaking it down the middle. ¡°He¡¯s in here?¡± Leif asked, wondering if the young man he had met during the Academy expedition was influential enough for this to be his room or ce of work. Though I guess he is the guild leader¡¯s son, maybe this level of opulence ispletely normal? ¡°Yes.¡± Lars said simply, stepping to the side as if to present the doors for inspection. ¡°My uncle knew we wereing, but my cousin is unaware.¡± Cousin? Uncle? Lars is rted to Darius and the guild leader? He wondered, stepping up to the door. ¡°It¡¯s polite to knock.¡± Lars said with a faint smirk when Leif didn¡¯t move for several seconds, then the man turned and marched down the hallway. So Leif did so, rapping his ivory knuckles against the door. A momentter a voice called for him to: "Enter" Chapter 125: Reunion Chapter 125: Reunion ¡°Enter.¡± Came the rumbling voice of a man within the meeting room. Leif didn¡¯t recognise the voice, but he hade too far to turn around and walk away. Though now that he thought about it doing so would be quite amusing. ¡°Who is this? If you were busy we could have had this discussion at ater date?¡± Came the voice of a younger man, this one Leif did recognise. As he pushed open the door two figures came into view, both sitting at arge round table positioned next to a wide ss window with a view of what were likely training yards below. Darius, a thin young man with dark hair and piercing green eyes was straightening up from his slouched position. The other had simr, if aged features, possessing a degree of gravitas and maturity the younger mancked. The guild leader raised a ss full of a deep orange- almost amber looking liquid as a greeting, a wry smile on his lips. ¡°Ah but my boy, this is your guest, not mine.¡± He said, cing down the ss and standing in a smooth motion, his green eyes gleaming with a curious intensity. ¡°My guest?¡± Darius asked, looking genuinely confused as he rocked back in his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ who¡­ wait¡­ Leif?!¡± He eximed, quickly standing, almost spilling his own drink as he did so. ¡°Gods, I thought you were dead, you should have sent a letter. Wait, no, how could you have? Uhh, you should havee sooner.¡± The guild leaders'' smile widened as his son expelled a rapid series of poorly thought out words. ¡°See? Like I said, a guest. How about you introduce us, my boy?¡± ¡°H-how did you know?¡± ¡°Lars.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t contact me?¡±¡°Apparently not.¡± ¡°Umm, right. Father this is¡­ wait. Leif, this is my father, uh, how much does, I mean, how are you even here?¡± Ah. Leif realised. Darius knows what I am, but his father probably doesn¡¯t. Unless Darius told him what happened on the expedition. Did I just walk into a room with a powerful adventurer, he doesn¡¯t seem on edge about my identity but that could change at any moment. ¡°This is the unique monster Hera told you about, the one she hired on as an auxiliary healer.¡± Well, that answers that. He thought, a mix of shock, trepidation, and a slight amount of relief spiking through his mind. If he already knew, then maybe there won¡¯t be any problems. ¡°So he is.¡± The guild master said, striding forward, his smile still present. ¡°I¡¯ll admit this is an experience new to me, despite the many years I have held this position you are perhaps the first monster to casually walk into my guild. It¡¯s more impressive than anything, and I like the mask, it¡¯s so unstable that it wraps back around to being inconspicuous.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Leif said. ¡°Sorry for any issues mying here may have caused, things moved a little quicker than I expected and I was so distracted by the city that it honestly slipped my mind.¡± The older man grunted. ¡°From the fantastical tale Hera wove about you, I can only imagine someone in such a unique situation might find themselves somewhat disorientated. Though I suspect unique isn¡¯t truly the correct descriptor, rare certainly, but I find it unlikely for you to be the first and only man to have be¡­ something else.¡± ¡°That¡­ that may be true.¡± Leif said, taken aback by how seemingly casual the guild master was being about his identity. He cast his memory back to his first evolution, where he had read the system notification that had implied his reason for having ess to both a monster, and normal sses was his ¡®inheritant¡¯ ss. ¡°Regardless of the truth, your circumstances are fascinating. I am Niks, guild-master for the Twin Heart guild, son of a bastard, brother of fools, father of a kid who keeps trying to turn into mist and run away.¡± He reached out a hand. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, wee to our home.¡± Leif epted the gesture, and shook the man¡¯s hand. It was firm, but not crushing, a solid and practised motion that implied both strength and respect. It was interesting how much one could infer from a handshake, and Leif found himself liking Niks despite their brief interaction. Uwfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Hells,¡± Darius muttered, ¡°When you vanished off the skimmer and returned to the encampment I thought you were dead for sure. Everyone was so shocked that nobody said anything for several minutes.¡± Leif pulled out a chair at the indication of Niks, he tried to reinforce the chair but found his skills slipping off it. He sat and it held without a hint of strain. The guild-master procured a third ss from seemingly nowhere and filled it up before sliding it across the table towards him. ¡°What happened after the battle? I have a way of seeing past events, but things are too hazy to make out towards the end.¡± ¡°That must be a, what? Time aspected skill?¡± Niks asked, when Leif nodded in affirmation he continued. ¡°Time is incredibly rare, it¡¯s one of those aspects that rides the line between elemental and conceptual. There¡¯s a rtivelymon skill called [Haste], but that has the aspect of ¡®eleration¡¯, not time. Anyway I¡¯m rambling, end of the battle? Shit that whole expedition was a disaster.¡± ¡°Things were pretty¡­ crazy, I guess is the right word. We did eventuallynd, but it was a day¡¯s travel on foot from where the expedition outpost was. Hera showed up leading a group of around a hundred survivors but she was badly injured, like, I don''t know how she was walking at all.¡± Darius said. ¡°She¡¯s tough, always has been, even when she was just a girl.¡± Niks said. ¡°She showed up to the tryouts for the Saris branch of the guild with a sprained ankle and a prayer. I was the examiner for that event, sent her away for being an idiot.¡± He chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. ¡°You what?¡± Darius asked, appalled. ¡°Why haven''t I heard this?¡± ¡°Because the fact we nearly didn¡¯t ept the woman who would go on to be one of the youngest level one hundreds in history, and a gods damn Academy de at that is something we all like to pretend didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°How could you?¡± ¡°Easily, I told her to piss off when she couldn¡¯t even run ap of the training yard.¡± ¡°But she still got in?¡± Niks got a far away expression, sharp eyes focusing on something from the distant past. ¡°She did. Damn girl showed up the very next day with a splint and crutch she made herself. She was the only applicant to show up, and it was pouring with rain.¡± He snorted in amusement, returning to the present. ¡°Quite frankly she looked a mix between pathetic and insane, standing therepletely soaked. Apparently her puppy dog eyes won me over, and the rest is history. Let it be known that without a keener eye than mine, talent may slip from our grasp!¡± Darius went to stand, then slumped. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll run the damn tryouts.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± His father said, pping his hands together. ¡°What were we talking about? Oh, right. Leif, Lars said you had something for my boy?¡± ¡°I do.¡± The Scion said, summoning the Academy badge onto the table. The small silver token engraved with the likeness of a serpentine dragon consuming its own tail rolling slightly before flopping over front side up. ¡°Oh, umm, yeah, I was given a recement a few months after the incident.¡± Darius said, procuring his own token from his coat pocket. Leif stared at it for several moments, then sighed. ¡°Right, I should have known.¡± ¡°Those are pretty valuable.¡± The guild-master said, somehow flipping Leif¡¯s token up onto its side without touching it and rolling it around the table. ¡°Part of the reason I allowed my very talented, handsome, but not very bright son to join that expedition. A decision I almost came to regret, thankfully it wasn¡¯t aplete disaster.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®not very bright¡¯?¡± Darius asked, clearly displeased at the descriptor his father had used. ¡°Boy, you ran around invisible instead of studying. And you run around chasing women way out of your league, I know you¡¯re not the brightest because I used to do the exact same thing.¡± ¡°Want me to tell mum you said that?¡± Niks grunted. ¡°She¡¯s not in the city, also she already knows, bless her pure heart for taking pity on me.¡± He stopped the academy token from rolling off the table with a finger, then flicked it back to Leif. ¡°Besides, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten away with half the shenanigans you did as a child if seeing you scamper around trying to be sneaky didn¡¯t make her swoon. It¡¯s my own fault for marrying a [Rogue], can¡¯t me me though.¡± Leif returned the academy token to his spatial ring, amused as Darius stood, the younger man shaking his head as if in disgust. ¡°Tryouts are in ten minutes, I¡¯ll go check on them.¡± Darius mumbled, then he turned to Leif. ¡°It¡¯s, um, good to see you again Leif, I¡¯m d you survived. And¡­ I appreciate you returning my token, even if I already had one. You can, uh,e with me if you want. I doubt the old man would mind.¡± ¡°Assuming you have themon sense to not go around shouting your identity, then I don¡¯t particrly care what you do. Consider yourself a temporary member of the Twin Heart guild while you¡¯re in our wonderful city. Though I will ask that you stay back for a few minutes as I do have some things to discuss.¡± Darius lingered at the door, as if unsure if he should stick around or depart. Niks shooed him away before turning back to Leif. ¡°I¡¯m going to give our guest my ¡®Those with Power¡¯ lecture, you know the one. Now get out of here.¡± ¡°You may as well be torturing him.¡± Darius muttered as he slunk away, his fathers words more than enough to dissuade him from sticking around. ¡°I heard that you little shit!¡± He called, then he winked at Leif. ¡°Actually I lied. Well not really, I will give you the ¡®talk¡¯, but there¡¯s more than just that. It¡¯s important, I''m afraid.¡± ¡°Should I be worried?¡± Leif asked, somewhat hesitant at the man¡¯s shift in tone. Chapter 126: Those With Power Chapter 126: Those With Power Leif and the Twin Heart guild leader sat alone within arge ornate office, light filtering in from a window that covered much of the right hand wall, refracting slightly as it passed through the ss and bounced around the room, illuminating its contents. A shelf with what looked like brass medals, a counter fronting some sort of bar. A couch draped with the fur of some exotic beast. ¡°Worried? Hardly, this will be educational if anything.¡± Niks said, taking a sip of the amber liquid within his cup, finishing the contents. Leif¡¯s own drink sat untasted on the round wooden table, the scion yet to remove his mask. The man leaned back, taking the monster sitting within his office in with a critical nce. Suddenly the man before him wasn¡¯t a father, an adventurer or even a guild-leader. He was more, a presence farrger than the physical form it originated from. Niks didn¡¯t so much as twitch, but the human studying him loomed over Leif, a force of nature rather than a man. He tensed, instincts built over dozens of battles for survival making the golden blood in his body run hot. Then the guild-leader smiled, and he was just a man. ¡°Let me begin with a question. What do you think I see?¡± He asked, leaning forward andcing his fingers together atop the table. Leif considered the question, his physiology not allowing him to sweat, nor did it create adrenalin to spike his alertness. It was a blessing, in a sense, to be in control over a body that was more statuesque than alive at times. What does he see? Leif thought, his mind trying to decide how literal the question had been. ¡°You see a humanoid figure in a mask and cloak.¡± ¡°I do, what else?¡± ¡°You can feel my aura, you know I have the [Noble] ss because of that.¡± He nodded. But Leif didn¡¯t for a moment think that he had adequately answered the question. ¡°You can likely get information from analysis skills, but I have no way of knowing what.¡± ¡°Physical appearance, auric presence, and system analysis.¡± Niks said, raising a finger for each thing he listed off. ¡°All correct, but simplistic. I¡¯m not disparaging your answer, but I will criticise and make corrections, borations. Firstly, I see a man, a traveller, someone with worn clothing covering strange white armour. I see the mask, and assume you value privacy, I see your golden eyes, and infer some sort of ocr skill.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± Leif said, noticing that the man at no point indicated he saw a monster. Which is a good thing. He mentally noted, it was a little awkward to have his physical traits listed off in such a direct manner, but it was also very helpful. There was something liberating to know that his appearance didn¡¯t call attention to hisck of humanity. ¡°For your aura, I can sense several things. I can tell the rank of your aura skill, it¡¯s at rank three. But I can also feel that its strength far outstrips the rank. Which either means you have a skill that directly enhances the properties of auras, something quite rare without a dedicated ss, or that you have invested heavily into [Charisma].¡± Leif remained silent, that was interesting but nothing overly revealing. That changed when the guild-leader continued to speak. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re woefully under trained with aura use, that your aura¡¯s poweres from raw strength, rather than skill. This is understandable, expected considering your situation, but it is also the first major w in your disguise.¡± ¡°You can¡­ tell from my aura what I am? How? I thought my aura skill only projected information determined by the type of aura it is?¡± Leif asked, somewhat taken aback that what he had assumed was a fundamental rule of aura¡¯s was incorrect. ¡°Auras disy more than just what the skill description says. They¡¯re like an image, a signature you show others. Emotions, intent, experience. I can sense all three within your aura, but that¡¯s not what is giving you away. It¡¯s as I said, theck of finesse and technique gives you away. The average person on the street wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, their aura skills are of a lower rank and they¡¯ve likely never fought a monster more powerful than a slime. The raw power is indicative of a powerful monster, if I didn¡¯t know any better I may have assumed you were of a significantly higher level.¡± Leif thought back to all the times he had fought monsters. He realised what Niks was saying made sense. The undead enver queen, or the ice elementals had been the biggest standouts, having used their presences to try and crush and smother. Suppress through brute strength. And, btedly, Leif realised he had been doing more or less the same thing. It was an almost embarrassing realisation, to havemitted so many free points into [Charisma] while fumbling one of the main uses for the attribute. ¡°It¡¯s something to be wary of.¡± Niks said, refilling his ss. ¡°Monsters have far higher stats than us lowly humans, but in return their skills tend to be more simple,cking in refinement and, in the case of aura skills, rank.¡± ¡°I understand, I think. Power with little finesse will attract attention.¡± ¡°Worse. It will attract the attention of people like myself. You get a gold ranked adventurer on your trail and you¡¯d better hope you have some tricks up your sleeves. But I digress, the third thing, is analysis. I have a higher ranked aura than you, and a perception skill that helps me pierce stealth and obfuscation. I know you are at level fifty, I know you have four sses, I even know your highest three attributes.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°Having four sses at your level is highly umon. I know your situation is¡­ different from the norm, but it''s enough to raise an eyebrow.¡± ¡°I had five sses only a day ago.¡± Leif said Niks almost spat out his drink. ¡°Bloody hells, if you were a normal person that would imply two auxiliary sses, that¡¯s downright unheard of for someone of your level. Some of the strongest people I¡¯ve ever met only have a single auxiliary ss.¡± ¡°How bad would that have been?¡± Leif asked, suddenly realising how close he hade to making a massive mistake. He hadn¡¯t known analysis skills that could see the number of sses existed, and even if he had, he hadn''t put together the potential risks of having an almost impossible number of sses. ¡°Bad? Ordinarily, not the worst thing in the world. But it would have almost certainly attracted the attention of those like myself, I don¡¯t think I need to exin why that would be unfortunate for you?¡± Leif let out a self deprecating sigh, though it came out more like a soft hiss. ¡°Another thing, I didn¡¯t even feel you analyse me, how is that possible?¡± ¡°My aura rank beats yours, your auric defences are like a b of rock instead of a fortress, I have a skill that increases my subtlety in several key areas.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Oh indeed. I do not envy you, Leif Vin, I certainly do not.¡± Leif looked down at his still untouched drink, he removed his mask with a flex of [Wood Maniption] and drained the whole ss in a single swig. He felt the foreign liquid flow down his throat, settling into whatever internal organ he had in ce of a stomach. It tasted like the warmth of a hot, turbulence free day, almost spicy. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I knew I wascking information, that''s partially why I came into human territory. I wanted to head towards the Academy and learn what I could, hopefully with help from the connections I made from the expedition. But I hadn¡¯t realised just how¡­ blind I was. How blind I still am.¡± Niksughed. ¡°I¡¯ve had this talk, not quite the same mind you, but simr with what must be hundreds of people over the years. A lot of kids start levelling, getting stronger quickly and stumble into a situation they should probably have been able to avoid with a little more knowledge under their caps.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± ¡°Try to analyse me.¡± Leif blinked, then did so. Combat experience: ???! Age: ???! ¡°You blocked it.¡± He said. ¡°So I did, now try again.¡± Combat experience: Greater! Age: Older! ¡°What did you do?¡± Niks asked, eyebrows raised expectantly. ¡°I just¡­ used the skill again?¡± ¡°So you did. It¡¯s automatic, isn¡¯t it? You use it without thought. It¡¯s like breathing after a few uses,pletely effortless unless you actually focus on the task. You need to start focusing on the skills you use, how you use them, how it feels, what are the limitations and restrictions, that sort of thing.¡± Leif nodded, partially lost in thought. He hadn¡¯t expected this conversation to have poked so many holes into his understanding. But he supposed it was better to happen in an environment like this than during a crisis. Niks drained his own cup and stood. ¡°Now, to the fun part of the lecture. Never done this with a monster before but I¡¯m never one to turn down new experiences. Well that¡¯s not quite true either, my wife gets all sorts of crazy ideas, and my poor soul can only take so much of a beating.¡± Leif stood with him, unsure as to what the guild-leader was nning. ¡°Walk with me.¡± Niks said, gesturing to the door. ¡°And put the mask back on. Not that you don¡¯t have a pretty face, but it¡¯s probably for the best.¡± === ¡°I always have this conversation with my adventurers when they reach level fifty, that¡¯s bronze rank if you weren¡¯t aware. It¡¯s nothing people don¡¯t eventually figure out on their own, but I think kick-starting the change in perspective early is better than letting things naturally y out.¡± The guild-leader said, striding down a corridor with confident steps. Members of the guild, not adventurers, more functionaries and clerks stepping out of his way. ¡°Here¡¯s a fun question.¡± He continued. ¡°What is the average level?¡± This genuinely stumped Leif, he had no idea. He inferred the man was talking about the average level of humans, and not the level of monsters and beasts, but that didn¡¯t help much in narrowing it down. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± He said truthfully. ¡°Not surprising, very few in this line of work actually are. The answer is I don¡¯t know, nobody has ever done a survey for arge enough sample size. Level varies by location, environment, culture and a dozen other variables. Now, a question I actually know the answer to definitely: What is the level most people have by the end of their lives? Think old age, not death by stabbing.¡± Again Leif didn¡¯t know. He thought back to the demikin n that now lived in Far-reach. The n elders were around level fifty, the n chief was over that but Leif wasn¡¯t sure by how much. K was under, and most of the n¡¯s warriors were between fifteen and thirty, with Samil, Liv and v being higher than most. But that wasbatants,batants who lived mostly in the wilderness, fighting monsters just to stay alive. There were more people in Ahle-ho than he had ever seen, and that was likely true if he took into his barely remembered life as a human. Most of the people in the coastal city weren¡¯t adventurers, most weren¡¯t even fighters at all. Niks took his silence for an admission of ignorance, which it was, and answered his own question. ¡°Most folks, farmers, dock workers, smiths, whatever, retire at level thirty. There are exceptions obviously, experience gained by those without martial or thaumatic sses is dependent on the challenge of their work, and their willingness to step outside theirfort zone. These people have sses that grant little to no power, and their attribute growths are lower.¡± ¡°That¡¯s higher than I expected, I¡¯m not sure why though.¡± Leif said, increasing his speed to keep up with the experienced adventurer as the man ascended a flight of stairs three at a time. ¡°It¡¯s because most people only have one ss, and they focus on itpletely. You have [Labourer], [Crafter], [Guide], [Scribe] and so on. They only get so many skills, and that keeps their experience penalty low. And so from their early tote teens, to when they retire old and wrinkly they gain around thirty levels.¡± ¡°Do they not struggle with the level twenty advancement trial?¡± The scion asked. ¡°The first trial is about being sure of the decision you made in the past. Not sure what it¡¯s like for¡­ you know, but there¡¯s only so much regret someone has at that point. Besides, if you¡¯re not happy with the path you¡¯ve walked thus far, you can alwaysmit to another. The level twenty five trial is simple like that, you just need to pick one or the other. Surprisingly easy to fail though, especially if you have too many skills when you start it.¡± ¡°Is the level fifty advancement trial about the present then?¡± ¡°You¡¯d think that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Niks asked. ¡°And yes, you are mostly correct. Some people are superstitious about sharing details, but I¡¯ve never found that it hurts. It¡¯s about the different versions of yourself you could have been. Like if you¡¯d picked different sses, made different choices. It¡¯s a fun one, though it can get quite grim. If you sh too much with one of your alternatives, it can end up in a fight. But you¡¯ve distracted me.¡± He said, the two of them having reached a simple looking door at the end of a hallway. A pair of guards stood to either side of the door, and both saluted when they approached. ¡°Boss.¡± One of them said, hand to chest. ¡°Good to see you in good health.¡± ¡°Am I ever not?¡± ¡°No sir.¡± ¡°Damn right.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this with you, boss?¡± Asked the other guard. ¡°Hmm? Oh this? It¡¯s a walking talking tree with delusions of having lived a life as a human.¡± Niks said,pletely seriously. Both guardsughed. Then they stood aside. ¡°You always find the strangest people, boss. Good luck tree-man. Try not to fall asleep, he hates that.¡± The first said. Niks entered the room, Leif hot on his heels, the door clicking shut behind him. ¡°What-¡± ¡°Pfft, funny isn¡¯t it?¡± The guild-leader asked, a wry grin on his face. ¡°Ha! I wish I could see your face, it must be priceless.¡± ¡°What if they had attacked?¡± Leif asked, half panicked. ¡°Those two? They would never harm a fly,plete pacifists.¡± He said, walking quickly across the room and vaulting the desk on the other side. Some paperwork went flying, but quickly flew back to their original positions without the guild-master even turning around. He began to rifle through a drawer filled with what looked like letters. ¡°Now, about being level fifty. You need to understand how strong you are, I¡¯m not talking about in rtion to other adventurers, I¡¯m talking about the average person. You¡¯re stronger, faster, more durable. Your skills can kill easily if you¡¯re not careful, and reckless ability use can lead to massive amounts of coteral damage.¡± Leif slumped into a chair, it cracked under his weight, causing him to jump back onto his feet. ¡°The chairs in here aren¡¯t enchanted like they were in the VIP lounge, careful. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°About the chairs?¡± ¡°No, about doing serious harm.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯m a healer so I¡¯ve seen the damage skills can do. I¡¯ve seen a town burn because of a single man.¡± Niks plucked a letter from the cab and spun around on his heels. ¡°Wonderful. The disparity only gets greater from here on out. Commit this lesson to heart, mind your actions, and one day you may reach the vaunted iron rank!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not actually in the guild.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware, but it''s part of the speech and I had to say it.¡± He said, handing Leif the letter. It was sealed with a red wax emblem of a dragon eating its own tail. ¡°What is this?¡± The scion asked, taken off guard once again by the sudden change in topic. ¡°A letter from our mutual friend. One Hera Kossia, sent to me in case you showed up.¡± Chapter 127: I do, but he鈥檚 dead Chapter 127: I do, but he¡¯s dead Leif held the letter between two ivory fingers, the in envelope standing in contrast to the intricate red wax seal, the stylish flourish of a serpentine dragon eating its own tail crafted with such fine details he could make out the individual scales and the pupil of its eye. The envelope was surprisingly heavy, slightly bulging from its hidden contents. ¡°A letter?¡± He asked, shooting a nce up at the Twin Heart guild-master. ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s for me?¡± ¡°It came with a note stating as such.¡± Niks affirmed, the man sitting on the corner of his desk with an expectant expression. ¡°Well? Pop it open and give the thing a read.¡± Leif nodded, and began to peel away at the seal. He ended up having to sharpen the tips of his fingers with [Wood Maniption] to find enough purchase to get it off. Within were several sheets of paper, more than he had expected, even with the letters'' weight. There was arge sheet, perfectly sized to fit the envelope, and a handful of smaller ones tucked in behind it. He gingerly removed thergest page, skimming the first few sentences to make sure it was the correct starting point. It felt almost surreal to be holding something specifically for him, as if this situation had somehow been beyond his grasp up until this very moment. It was unexpectedly heartwarming, and Leif had to mentally steady himself from the surge of emotions, a mix of joy and nervousness that threatened to bubble up within him. He removed his mask, attaching it to his waist along with the painted one he was yet to wear, and took a deep breath. ¡®Leif, it has been a while. I am writing this in the hopes you will make your way to Ahle-ho and the Twin Heart guild. I trust Niks, even if the old man talks far too much. This letter is being written because Marcus says he is no longer able to scry you, he insists that this is due to some sort of skill blocking his own, and not your untimely death. I¡¯m not sure how his skills are able to reach so far north, but he seems sincere, his concern genuine. I¡¯m no expert on the [Seeker] ss and its many known promotions, so you¡¯ll have to ask him yourself. The students and I are back at the Academy, though things are busier than ever for someone like myself. The kids, though I suppose many of them are technically adults, are fine. So too, are the hundred expedition members you acted to save when those whose duty it was to do just that were unable. You prevented a massacre, so in ce of those who are not certain as to your identity, thank you. Thank you for protecting those you had no obligation to protect, for risking your life for people you didn¡¯t know. Few would have done the same thing in your situation, and that is deserving of more credit than you are likely to ever receive. Of course, I also need to mention that it was reckless to the extreme. I saw the state of your physical form after we were victorious, the fact you live at all is downright miraculous. I can hardly criticise though, you wouldn¡¯t believe half the idiotic and downright suicidal things I did to gain my power. Nothing as noble as yourself, I¡¯m sure. But crazy? Certainly. As the people of influence I know keep reminding me, poweres with responsibility. No doubt if you¡¯re reading this, Niks has started to beat that understanding into you. I rmend you leech what knowledge and resources you can from him, then run away as fast as possible. Nik, if you¡¯re reading this, I am not criticising your methods, only the quality of your character.¡¯Leif nced up at the silently waiting guild-master, unsure how the man would react if he read that part of the letter. ¡°What?¡± Niks asked, cocking his head to the side with a look of benign serenity on his face. ¡°Did she mention me? Only good things I assume?¡± ¡°Sheplimented your methods.¡± Leif said dryly, his words causing the man to beam. ¡°Did she now? I left a better impression than I thought!¡± ¡°Right.¡± He mumbled, returning his attention to the letter. ¡®Things are changing, powers we thought were dormant are beginning to stir and war once again seems to be on the horizon. Can you believe it? Even surrounded on all sides by enemies that could squash us like insects, we humans continue to bicker and fight amongst ourselves. I don¡¯t want to make light of your situation, but being able to take a nap in the dirt for a few decades and let this whole thing blow over is more appealing with each passing day. Speaking of insects, Alfredi, his snake, that arrogant orc and I defeated the Awakened Enver, though despite our numbers advantage, it was far too close. I am fine, as is the coatl, Pocht, but Alfredi was forced back into retirement due to his wounds. The imperial representative for Ahle-ho that reced him is no doubt doing a perfect job in reducing regional tension. I swear, it''s like Mekrys is itching for war to break out.¡¯ Leif flipped over the page, cing the envelope onto the desk as he did so. To his surprise the handwriting changed, the refined scribble being reced with more forceful lines and curves, as if the hand used to create them prioritised efficiency over artistry. ¡®Leif, this is Siegfried. Marcus is with me as I¡¯m dictating this, but he has a habit of waffling on when writing so I¡¯m doing it. We think you¡¯re alive, which is good. Congrattions on not dying. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. If youe down south to the Academy we can host you on Lutum. Not sure how you might get here, I rmend not walking.¡¯ And that was the end of Sieg¡¯s part of the message. It was short, curt, and entirely within character. Leif let out a snort of amusement, his eyes naturally lowering to where Hera¡¯s writing picked up again. ¡®He left me with so much space, how nice of him. I¡¯m going to echo the invite Sieg mentioned, as one of the Academy¡¯s des there are certain things I can get away with that students, even advance-track third years, cannot. And I suspect you¡¯ll want toe find me after you read what I have to say next. I may have overstepped, and if I did I¡¯m sorry. You are easily the most interesting tree I have ever met, and I wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t pulling my leg somehow. So while I was recovering I couldn¡¯t help but investigate your origins-¡¯ Leif froze, the letter partially crumpling within his fist. His world focused in on a single point, his vision going blurry as his blood began to pump in an erratic rhythm. Origin? He thought, mind racing as he focused on [Intelligence] to process things faster. What- What does she mean? ¡®I poked around a bit, and managed to slip a personal note into a report being sent to the Vin estate. It took a few months to get a reply, probably due to all the madness having undead appear en masse in the northern frontier must have caused. I got a reply, several actually since we went back and forth over the past year. Do you know of a ¡®via¡¯? Because she definitely knew of a ¡®Leif.¡¯ Leif¡¯s world went very, very still. His vision locked onto the name, the name that had meant so much to the person he had been what felt like a lifetime ago. The girl he had seen during his advancement trial, the girl who had begged him not to act recklessly. via. He thought, the name ringing his mind like a bell. ¡°via.¡±He whispered. The name of his younger sister was enough to drive the air from his lungs, the stab of pain like a de through the heart. It was all real, his family was real, his past life was real. It was such a stupid, irrational realisation that it almost made himugh, the sounding out more like a mangled choke than anything humorous. The untouched contents of the discarded envelope were suddenly the only thing that mattered. He reached out, half lunging for the slim fold of paper he had only just ced onto the desk. The envelope slipped from his grasp as he wed desperately to take hold of it, hisck of control spilling the contents out over the desk. Sharpened fingers raked lines into the wooden surface as he snatched up the closest sheet of paper. Something moved due to his sudden movement but he ignored it, his entire world the small, fragile page before him. Leif lifted the letter with trembling fingers, inhuman eyes burning with a manic intensity. And then he was somewhere else, in a world made entirely out of golden grains of sand. A room, not dissimr to the one he was physically present within stretched out before him as his surroundings faded into irrelevance. Even with theck of detail he began to recognise it from his advancement trial. The window, the shelves, the chairs. The person. She sat behind the desk that had once belonged to their father, her face partially covered by locks of golden hair. via¡¯s hands moved across a small section of her desk, her actions blurred by the golden world. She¡¯s writing. Leif realised, his mouth going dry, sweat appearing on his back and his legs aching with years of exhaustion. He wiped at his eyes, only to press her letter against his cheek. It came away wet. via looked up, head tilted towards the ceiling as if lost in thought. She was the girl he had seen, only taller, more dignified, older. Golden grains of sand outlined the markings of weariness on her features, the crease in her brow, the shadows beneath her eyes, the slight down turn of her lips. Her jaw trembled, hands gripping the table as via reacted to whatever she had just written. She looked so incredibly sad. And he had left her. For twelve years, likely far more. ¡°You better not die! You bettere back! If you die I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Her past words rang in his ears, those of a girl fearing for her brother. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare note back. I don¡¯t want to inherit your responsibilities for the family, you have to do it.¡± It wasn¡¯t aint, it was a plea. ¡°Pleasee back.¡± She had said, tears in her eyes. ¡°It won¡¯t be the same without you. Soe back alive. Promise me Leif!¡± ¡°Yeah. You got it, I promise.¡± He had lied, not having turned around to look her in the eye. Seeing her felt like dying all over again, ofying in the mud, breathing short as the end closed in. Phantom pain, repressed and forgottennced through his soul, but he ignored it, raising the real paper with his real hand. ¡®You ask if I know a Leif Vin? How could I not, I still think of my brother every single day. I know him, of course I do, but he¡¯s dead. What I want to know, de Hera, is why you are asking? What does that name mean to you, more than a decade after his passing?¡¯ It was as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders, an invisible weight trying to tten him into the ground. It was too much, it hurt way too much. How could it not? ¡®Why does an esteemed member of the Academy want to know? Why do you want to know about a man long dead? Why do you want to know about my stupid, foolish, moronic, obtuse older brother? I miss him so damn much, so please, tell me why you want to know.¡¯ The letter ended, the words at the end having been written with enough force to partially tear the paper. The vision faded, golden motes falling in a shower of sand, turning into dust as the letter tumbled from his grasp. Leif staggered back, he felt weak, sluggish, unable to bear the weight of the past. As he copsed, something blurred in the corner of his vision, arms somehow strong enough to support his inhuman weight catching him before he hit the floor. Oh, He realised numbly, mind going dark. I wasn¡¯t alone, that¡¯s embarrassing. Chapter 128: Unprepared Chapter 128: Unprepared The monster copsed, but Niks was already there, having moved the moment Leif¡¯s aura spiked with a discordant mix of emotions. It was a good thing that his office, and much of the Twin Heart headquarters was warded against unkeyed presences, or the nt monster would have caused every worker in the archives on the floor below, and likely several working in the alchemybs below that to have copsed into an emotional stupor. It was the kind of sympathetic technique used by high level individuals with the [Noble] ss, and any doubt the man turned monster Niks held in his armscked such a ss was now long gone. The guild leader strained under the surprising weight of the half catatonic being, ring a strength enhancing skill in order to pull the Scion up and over to a corner of the room. ¡°What have I done?¡± Leif murmured, though Niks doubted the question was directed at him. Whatever the contents of the smaller letters were, had been significant enough to have triggered some sort of emotionally sympathetic skill, though he didn¡¯t know exactly what. He had felt the skill activate, sensed as something beyond his perception temporarily expanded to fill the thaumatic membrane of the room. ¡°via, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± The scion whispered. ¡°It¡¯s okay kid.¡± Niks said before his mind had caught up with his words. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay.¡± It was extremely unusual to be offering words of sympathy to someone on the far end of the human spectrum, but it didn¡¯t feel like the wrong thing to do. He sighed, propping Leif up against a wall and taking a step back from the seated man. Gods dammit Hera, what did you do? He fumed, using his aura to pull therger letter up from where it had fallen onto the floor. He skimmed it, the information processing granted from a high [Intelligence] attribute making the task take a matter of instants. He was no [Scribe], his paperwork prowess came from brute force and practice. He was skimming thest of the smaller notes written by Leif¡¯s sister when a presence flickered briefly on the other side of his door. The room was soundproofed, but Niks could practically hear the yelp of surprise as his visitor made his presence known to the two guards stationed outside. With an effort of will the room¡¯s door unlocked with a faint click, then Lars stepped smoothly inside, the man practically gliding with every step. ¡°Uncle.¡± He said politely, dipping his head in the barest approximation of a bow. ¡°There was a fight between a handful of applicants, and they have been banned from participating in guild tryouts, otherwise things are going smoothly.¡± His eyes slid over to where Leif was sitting, then back to Niks. ¡°Tactful as ever, little Hera put an emotional ambush in her letter. It had arger impact than she was likely imagining.¡± He exined, answering Lars¡¯s unasked question. ¡°I see¡­ there was no¡­ incident?¡± ¡°Other than my desk getting a few new scratches and one of my chairs getting damaged on ident, no, there was no major incident.¡± A privacy bubble sprung up around both men, the creation an act of silent spellcraft and aura maniption. Niks was almost jealous of proficiency with which his nephew manipted his more esoteric powers. He was a prodigy, no doubt about it, even if his levelling speed was only above average, instead of astronomical like someone like Hera¡¯s had been. ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t doubt your judgement, but are you certain we can afford to house a potential risk within our Guild? With the state the city is in, not to mention the tension building between the disparate factions¡­ I just can¡¯t see the benefit.¡± Lars said, his tone suggesting more doubt that he otherwise implied. Niks examined the younger man, it still took him by surprise how simr he looked to his father. Guild enforcer he may be, prodigy he was, he wasn¡¯t experienced enough that his uncle couldn¡¯t teach him a thing or two. ¡°You read the uncensored report just like I did, what do you think?¡± ¡°That an anomaly partially involved with the regional tension Ahle-ho is currently experiencing isn¡¯t a risk worth onboarding.¡± Lars replied instantly, the man silently judging Niks¡¯s expression before borating. ¡°The fact it¡­ he, got into the city at all is a testament of how badly things are going. With the influx of refugees the city has never been so full. The sheer mass of neers is acting as cover for the other guilds to silently bring in their people despite it being against the guild ords.¡± ¡°All true, all true. But I think you¡¯re missing the greater picture. The Twin Heart guild isn¡¯t exclusively based in Ahle-ho like many of the other guilds, and as one of its future leaders you need to be aware of external factors.¡± Lars frowned, the same way his father used to do when deep in thought. Niks smiled slightly at the sight, but quickly suppressed the expression to avoid making the younger man think he was getting mocked. Sensitive to certain emotional phenomena he may be, Lars wasn¡¯t at the level where he could freely read the guild-masters'' intentions. ¡°I think foreign powers are using the turbulence to slip agents into the city. The imperial garrison already acts openly and with the support of the Prince, but it¡¯s an open secret the Republic is pressing for advantage in any way it can. There are reports of sabotage along the imperial cordon, though monster attacks are finally beginning to ebb.¡± ¡°Did you hear the news from Pridnce?¡± ¡°Yes. While the destruction of the Pherin dungeon uncovered by the Academy expedition over a year ago is certainly a possibility to exin theck of monster attacks, I doubt the veracity of the im. They didn¡¯t disclose the source of their information, and the outer branch sustained an attack at the same time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe the word of a guild in good standing?¡± Niks asked, partially amused. Lars stiffened, his face going nk as he replied. ¡°I simply believe in the acquisition of additional sources.¡± The guild-master nodded. ¡°I have reason to believe the im made by Pridnce.¡± He said, turning to face the despondent looking monster slumped in the corner of his office. ¡°But regardless, you still have not given the broader perspective I was looking for.¡± ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Lars said. ¡°If there is more to the situation than having an untested asset during times when a war seems to be brewing amongst the guilds and foreign powers for control over Ahle-ho, then I am ignorant.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say ignorant, you¡¯re simply not looking at the issue from the correct perspective. The right scope, if you will. Since teaching moments between us are getting disappointingly rare these days, I¡¯m going to ask you a different question instead of answering.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Lars¡¯s lips tightened, but didn¡¯t otherwise object. ¡°Again, you read the uncensored report, what do you think of our friend here?¡± ¡°I assume you¡¯re referring to their unusual nature instead of how it¡­ he may affect the guild and potential consequences. Unique, but¡­ potentially not at the same time. I¡¯ve never heard of someone with an auxiliary ss maintaining their personality and ss levels after undergoing monsterification. And monsterification in itself is exceedingly rare. Off the top of my head I can think of Blight nts, and the undead. Vampirism maybe?¡± Niks stroked his chin thoughtfully. He had had basically the same thought process as Lars, so it was a good sign the enforcer was on a simr wavelength. ¡°And his strength? His power?¡± He asked. ¡°Clearly only a portion of his overall ss levels are in his monster ss. Potentially at the level cap for [Noble], though unless he had reached that point before the events that turned him into something else I don¡¯t know how. But¡­ again, judging by the aura and likely skills. Wait, it¡¯s awakened, isn¡¯t it?¡± The guild-master nodded. ¡°It, I mean he is at level fifty, but hasn¡¯t yet passed the advancement bottleneck. Yet he has normal sses, that shouldn¡¯t be possible, right?¡± ¡°And yet, clearly it is possible. Since you¡¯ve more or less arrived at my conclusion already, I¡¯ll summarise my thoughts. Leif represents an unheard of possibility. A human with an auxiliary ss gaining a monster ss through monsterification while still possessing their normal ss slots. Because of that he will always be stronger than humans of the same level, and will always have more potential than traditionally awakened monsters and beasts. Non awakened monsters will have the attribute advantage, their raw power will always be greater, but it''s still a remarkable breakthrough.¡± ¡°Do you think certain people would try to undertake this process themselves? Stripping away their humanity for additional power?¡± ¡°I think the opposite is true. That the poorly understood monster factions may use this technique to cultivate potential power houses.¡± ¡°But¡­ surely they would already know? Unless only the species with the capability to create this new type of awakened monster have kept it secret somehow.¡± Lars¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°From the report! The undead that broke into the Mythhold, wasn¡¯t there mention of the unknown orc that intervened in the battle at Far-reach suggesting something about consequences for ¡®the truth getting out¡¯?¡± ¡°And what reports areing from Mekrys¡¯s eastern frontier?¡± Niks asked. ¡°That the undead are being pushed back. That the Dragons and Djinn are waging war from the south and east respectively. That¡¯s what you meant about scope? That he represents, what? Change and potential on the scale that can make ancient monsters upset their status quo?¡± ¡°Something like that. Though our friend here needs some time to figure himself out.¡± ¡°Ughh.¡± Lars groaned, walking over to the desk and sitting on the undamaged seat, the privacy bubble warping to keep him within it. ¡°Uncle, you have a potential cmity crying in your office.¡± ¡°Potential cmity. Likely ally.¡± ¡°I need a drink.¡± ¡°No booze in the office I¡¯m afraid, wife¡¯s orders.¡± Lars just stared nkly at him. Niks sighed, waving his hand and revealing a hiddenpartment built into one of the shelves. The privacy bubble popped. === The sound of voices broke Leif out of his stupor. Distantly he had been aware of the two presences in the room with him, though he hadn¡¯t brought himself to care. He needed to do so many things, wanted to make things right. But how? And in what order. Even if intellectually he had known the difficulties ofpleting his goals, it was only now, confronted with physical evidence of his past life that it all seemed so daunting, an impossibility as he currently was. His vision cleared slightly, the blurry shapes of his surroundings slowlying into focus. That was it, wasn¡¯t it? He couldn¡¯t go home as he was, he would just make things worse. He couldn¡¯t get to the Academy, his cover would all but assuredly get unveiled. But he needed to get to Hera, with her connection to his sister he could figure something out. Maybe send a letter telling via that he wasn¡¯t dead? But to do that he would need to reach the Academy. How? He thought. I¡¯m not even sure where it is. Across the sea and to the south, but where exactly? Seig mentioned something called ¡®Lutum¡¯, but what is that? A part of the Academy? If the expedition could make it to the frontier of what was formerly the kingdom of Pherin, then surely there¡¯s a way to get from Ahle-ho to the Academy. But even if there was, was it even wise to do such a thing? Niks had mentioned several ways he could fairly easily be uncovered as a monster. But those weren¡¯t impossible obstacles to ovee. His aura control could be improved, his ability to block hostile analysis skills increased. And maybe if I can push through the advancement bottleneck, I¡¯ll get a clue as to how I can potentially gain a human form. Ram had been unhelpful when Leif had asked. Apparently the process involved puckering and wishful thinking, though the old goat had either not felt like revealing the conditions for getting the ability, or he had forgotten. But even with all the uncertainty, the path forward, at least for the immediate future, was clear. Advance, improve, learn, then travel. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, and he was potentially doomed to failure. But he had to try. By some miracle he had been given a second chance at life. For much of his time as a monster Leif had regretted what he had be, despised the form he now wore in ce of his humanity. But he would have died in that battle, unlike the hundreds who had no doubt fallen alongside him, Leif had a second chance. It was time to start treating his life as such. He stood, slowly getting to his feet as a wave of unusual dizziness threatened to send falling back onto the floor. He exhaled, then met the gazes of the two humans who had paused their conversation to look at him. As was quickly proving to be a pattern, Niks had a ss of alcohol raised to his lips. The second man, Lars, had an empty ss on the desk before him, though he didn¡¯t seem to be in the process of drinking the day away. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Niks asked. ¡°You were pretty out of it after reading that letter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯ll be fine. I wasn¡¯t expecting to be confronted so directly by my past. It¡¯s hard to exin, but it hit me far harder than I had thought it would. Niks reached forward and slid the neatly stacked pile of papers towards Leif. ¡°These are yours, should you want them. You are a guest of the guild, and can do as you wish. I know Darius offered to have you join him with the newbie tryouts, and that offer is still open if you wish.¡± ¡°I¡­ yes, that sounds interesting. But I need to think beyond that. I¡¯m nowhere near as prepared as I had thought I was, I need to advance and train, learn about all that I¡¯mcking. Progressing was my primary focus, and still is, but I now know that my efforts were aimless and mostly ineffectual.¡± ¡°Well, how convenient that you find yourself within the headquarters of an organisation dedicated to just that.¡± The guild-master said with a grin. ¡°And don¡¯t put yourself down too much, you¡¯ve done fine, better than most people do trying to level up solo.¡± ¡°You arecking in several key areas, and not to be rude, but your identity is a potential risk to us.¡± Lars said, expression and aura inscrutable. ¡°To rectify that I will teach you some of what youck. For the guild, you understand?¡± ¡°You mean about auras?¡± Leif asked, trying not to let the sudden spike of excitement that fluttered to life in his chest leak out into his voice. Lars looked to Niks as if seeking approval, then nodded. ¡°I do.¡± Chapter 129: Auras for Dummies Chapter 129: Auras for Dummies Leif and Lars sat in the guild-master¡¯s office, though the room was absent the owner in question, Niks having excused himself several minutes prior. Lars was fully perceivable to Leif¡¯s senses, though reading the man¡¯s emotions or intent was like trying to see the sky while indoors. The man sat, lounging back in his seat, grey eyes partially vacant in the familiar expression of ¡®I¡¯m looking through my system windows.¡¯ He was a severe looking man, his tannedplexion and features simr to Niks and his son, Darius, though Leif¡¯s self-appointed teachercked simrities beyond visual. Where Niks had an open sort of intensity, and Darius an ephemeral timidity, Lars gave off the impression of somebody inplete, authoritarian control over themselves. His face was simr to his aura, bothpletely unreadable unless the man specifically intended to show otherwise. Leif didn¡¯t mind the stretching silence, he had a lot to consider, and even more to worry over. Both masks, his self made nk wooden construction and the painted mask he had bought from the bazaar only a handful of hours ago. He had mostly bought it on a whim, the purchase something Nayet had eagerly jumped into, the female adventurer likely more proficient with hunting bargains than monsters. Using [Wood Maniption] he altered its shape and size, altering the underside to fit his chosen facial structure, while morphing the mask to provide greater coverage so he could wear it to hide his nature. The mask itself was painted with swirling blues and greens, with sshes of whites and golds highlighting the deer-like features it had been designed to mimic. Leif looked down at the mask, trying to fight down the surge of regret that swelled to life within him. He had been so eager toe down into human society and embark on his self-guided quest of reunion that he hadn¡¯t stopped for more than a month to enjoy the parts of his new life that he had grown attached to. He hoped Bam and Lani were safe, hoped the former wasn¡¯t causing too much mischief and thetter was learning all she could. The pair of now evolved beasts had been a constantfort even before his first evolution. He hade a long way since being a tree in the woods. Both in terms of physical distance but also personal change. How much further would he have to go? The scion reached over the desk and smoothed over the damage he had done to the wooden surface, Niks hadn¡¯t asked him to do so, but it felt right to undo his mistake. He definitely wasn¡¯t putting off looking at the rest of the letters stacked neatly off to the side. He reached out a tentative hand and withdrew them into his spatial ring, the storage item having some free space after he had used the promotion seal. He would read them overter. Just, not right now. He was busy now, he definitely didn¡¯t have time. Besides it would be better to pace himself, that way he could read the letters written by his sister whenever he needed a¡­ happy moment. Definitely, there was no self delusion in this train of thought at all- ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Lars said, the man¡¯s eyes having returned to focus. ¡°Right.¡± Leif said, jerked from his internal tug of war match with reality. ¡°Uh, if I could ask, what were you doing all this time?¡±The guild enforcer frowned. ¡°I was re-reading my notes on aura maniption and training.¡± ¡°You¡­ added that many notes to your aura skill?¡± ¡°No, I put my notes in a separate section of my system. I wrote down every single choice I made, why I made it and the thought process behind that choice.¡± You can do that? How do you write notes separately from your system? He wondered, half tempted to open up his system window and riffle through it right then and there, but Lars kept talking. ¡°Look into itter, we have things to do and I want to check up on how the tryouts are going.¡± The man said, leaning back on his chair, swivelling the two back legs to face the door, then standing with one smooth motion. ¡°Put a mask on and follow.¡± Then he was gone, striding out of the door and past both guards, neither of whom reacted to his passing. When Leif stepped out after him both men jumped in ce, one of them cursing and putting a hand to his chest. It seemed that neither guard could perceive Lars, but Leif had no issues doing just that. When he had asked the man how he performed his aura trick Lars hadn¡¯t been inclined to answer, but things were likely different now. Instead of asking Leif focused, his perception locking onto the guild enforcer as his [Aura of Recovery] pushed out to fill the hallway before him. When it was a metre away from Lars, the invisible strands of his presence seemed to struggle pushing forward, as if there was a hidden patch of air subtly blocking his progress. ¡°Tell me.¡± Lars said, his voice being transmitted telepathically instead of the man speaking out loud. ¡°What is an aura?¡± Leif was somewhat taken aback, not just by the telepathicmunication, but by the feeling of connection that was brushing against his mind. Whatever Lars¡¯s skill was, it clearly allowed for two waymunication, unlike Leif¡¯s own skill. He thought back to the conversation he had with Niks, as decided to basically quote the man in his mental response. ¡°It¡¯s something that disys intent, emotions and experiences.¡± ¡°True.¡± Lars said after a short pause. ¡°But that¡¯s what an aura does, not what it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s somebody''s presence, an invisible field that radiates out from people.¡± ¡°Also true. This is something I¡¯ve spent quite a while researching, most of my adult life really, so I¡¯ll exin in more detail. An aura is a projection of the soul, everybody and everything alive has one, and its strength is determined by how strong that thing is, as well as certain factors like skill rank and [Charisma] attribute. But that isn¡¯t the whole story, an Aura is, as I understand it, a byproduct of power. Like how a me emits heat, a person emits an aura.¡± Leif¡¯s golden eyes flickered beneath his in mask, his monstrous physiology mimicking a blink. ¡°How urate is that analogy? Because a me has to burn fuel in order to produce heat.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. ¡°Hmm, more urate than one might think at first, at least hypothetically. But for this exnation maybe something like how the creation of a detailed statue creates dust would be a more beneficial description. Everyone has an aura, obviously, but controlling it requires a skill, an aura skill to be specific, though there are other types of skills that either directly or indirectly affect it. There¡¯s a fairlymon skill that [Fighter]s and some other adjacent martial sses get that grants suppression resistance along with a boost to physical strength. And that¡¯s just one example.¡± ¡°Would skills that affect the [Charisma] attribute also do that?¡± Leif asked, following the guild enforcer as he descended a switchback flight of stairs, then exited out a side door and into arge tiled courtyard. ¡°Skills, perks, some enchanted items, anything that can affect [Charisma] also indirectly affects your aura strength. Speaking of which, once you get to high levels, around seventy to eighty, though it varies, if you don¡¯t have an aura skill you can actually be a danger to lower levelled people.¡± Lars sent, stepping aside to allow a group of chatty adventurers walk by. ¡°Monsters always get their aura skills at level thirty.¡± Leif mentioned, likewise stepping aside. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always seen that to be true, though I¡¯m sure there are exceptions to any rule.¡± He said, giving Leif a side-eye. ¡°But that¡¯s something the system chooses, it would be too easy for a group of people with aura skills to suppress monsters far stronger than themselves if that wasn¡¯t the case. Though that assumes the system makes choices based on some sort of bnce, and I have not always seen that to be true.¡± ¡°Right¡­ So to summarise, an aura is a projection of somebody''s soul that encapstes their intent, emotions, experiences, what kind of power they have, and finally they can be controlled and changed with aura specific skills.¡± ¡°Also, ording to some aura researchers, it may be the by-product of our souls slowly breaking apart.¡± Leif missed a step. ¡°That¡¯s the theory you mentioned before? That''s¡­ God¡¯s, that¡¯s pretty horrible to think about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely a natural process, nothing to be upset about.¡± Lars sent, his mental words somehow conveying a shrug. They approached arge squat building carved from stone like the gatehouse to a fortress. There was a line of people in the courtyard outside. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Leif asked, getting slightly ufortable at the dirty looks that were being sent their way as Lars casually skipped the line and made his way towards the heavy set gate. At some point the enforcer had stopped using his aura technique to spoof the perceptions of those around him, though Leif hadn¡¯t noticed that exact moment when he had done so. ¡°Requisitions hall, also the guild vault. The people waiting are either going to request a specific item for a monster hunt, or turn in a reward token for an item.¡± ¡°I see, what are you¡­ requisitioning?¡± ¡°A toy, wait outside, I''ll only be a moment.¡± Lars sent, the mental connection being severed as he stepped through the doors that opened automatically at his approach. That has to be some sort of enchantment, there¡¯s no way he used his aura to move something that heavy. That doesn¡¯t seem possible, unless he¡¯s like level two hundred or something ridiculous. He thought, taking a peek inside as the doors closed behind the man. Despite the requisition hall¡¯s outward appearance, the interior seemed almost identical to the reception area Leif had first seen when he entered the Twin Heart headquarters, there even seemed to be manned booths inside with waiting clerks. Leif stepped to the side and out of the line he had just cut. He settled down to wait, sitting on the lowest of a series of stone steps that lead up to and outlined, what by the soundsing from inside, was some sort of gymnasium. Five minutes passed, then ten. Adventurers entered as individuals or smaller groups of twos and threes. Then those same people woulde out, some brandishing newly gained items while others were more discrete. Fifteen minutes turned to twenty, then thirty as he sat and waited for Lars to return. He wondered if the man had gotten lost, or had idently triggered a trap in the vault. Both seemed unlikely. A pair of adventurers stepped around a nearby building and marched up to the back of the line, Leif recognised both of them, and as they looked around they noticed him sitting off to the side. ¡°Leif!¡± Nayet called, waving. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Waiting patiently.¡± He replied, standing and making his way over. ¡°Did you finish whatever you were doing?¡± ¡°We did.¡± Tollumi said with a smile. ¡°Our nearly year long honeymoon tour is officiallyplete, and we are now off the registry of active adventurer teams.¡± ¡°We got enough contribution points to earn a reward each, but we pooled our points and upgraded our reward token.¡± Nayet happily exined. ¡°Normally they don¡¯t let you do that, but being married has its perks.¡± ¡°It has a few.¡± Tollumi added, earning himself an eye roll from his partner. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Leif said. ¡°I assume whatever you¡¯re getting will have been worth the effort?¡± ¡°Yeah it will.¡± Nayet said. ¡°Spatial item here wee! And without needing to wait for an enchanter to have amission slot avable. Life is so much better when you don¡¯t need to carry around luggage.¡± Leif nodded. ¡°They are quite nice. Even if my ring is quite small I don¡¯t dislike having it, the convenience of not needing to carry around a bunch of small items in my pockets or in a bag makes me d I have it.¡± ¡°Mhmm, the low grade one¡¯s are really small, but they¡¯re still expensive and quite rare. We got away without needing one for a while with Hammer Boy¡¯s skill letting him store a set of armour and a weapon. And I¡¯d love a ring or bracelet for personal use, but it¡¯s important to prioritise an asset that will be helpful for both of us, you know?¡± Tollumi huffed, rolling his own eyes at Nayet¡¯s ¡®hammer boy¡¯ment. ¡°With how valuable they are, don''t you worry about them getting stolen?¡± Leif asked, genuinely curious. His own ring was partially fused with his finger, though that fact wasn¡¯t obvious at a nce, instead it looked to be built into the ivory gauntlet he looked like he was wearing. ¡°Higher grade storage items have personalised locks, and if you pay a scryer to imprint the item¡¯s identity you can track it down if it gets stolen.¡± Tollumi said, shuffling forward as the line moved up. ¡°That isn¡¯t a foolproof method.¡± Lars said, the man materialising seemingly out of thin air. Nayet gasped and Tollumi leaped back, bumping into the adventurer behind him. ¡°H-head enforcer, p-please don¡¯t do that.¡± She said, hand to her heart. ¡°I enjoy keeping people on their toes, it helps with awareness training.¡± Lars said, expressionpletely nk. ¡°Congrattions on your return, know that the guild values your membership and supports your decision to take a break from active adventuring.¡± ¡°Y- you know about that?¡± Nayet asked, shooting her husband a nce, the man just shrugged. ¡°I know everything.¡± Lars said,pletely seriously. ¡°Except, apparently, where what I came for was located in the vault.¡± He mentally sent to Leif, reestablishing the telepathic link. ¡°Whoever used itst has some exining to do, because it most certainly is not a piece of armour.¡± Then he marched off, clearly expecting Leif to follow. The scion said his goodbyes to both flustered looking adventurers, then followed the enforcer out of the courtyard. Chapter 130: Trying Out Chapter 130: Trying Out Leif trailed Lars as the two marched through the Twin Heart guildpound. They passed by several dorms, each with a continuous stream of adventurersing and going. There was an interesting dichotomy to the ce, younger adventurers, those of lower rank would give way for their more powerful seniors. Few of the less experienced adventurers openly disyed their rank, though from bronze rank and higher the practice became moremon, usually with a small pin crafted into the shape of the Twin Heart guild¡¯s symbol of twin circles. ¡°You have two aura skills, that is a problem you should resolve as quickly as possible.¡± Lars sent telepathically as they walked around a lowered series of training courtyards, one was full of people doing sword drills under the watchful gaze of an instructor, the other had two pairs of adventurers duelling, dust flying as their weapons shed. There wererge stone steps nking both sides of the training spaces, some small groups of people lounging around or watching the training in progress. ¡°I know it¡¯s a problem, I¡¯m currently fusing them as we speak.¡± Leif said. He thought about prying for more information, and decided it was worth a try. Lars was in a teaching mood it seemed. ¡°Other than having ovepping skills taking up skill slots, and both skills taking time and effort to train up separately, is there another problem?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lars said simply, turning to face the duelling pairs. sts of force washed against an invisible barrier surrounding the courtyard as the fourbatants exchanged a blur of attacks and parries. Two adventurers, likely sisters judging by their simr appearances, shed, multicoloured energy coursing through their limbs with every punch, block and kick. Small spirits of different elements danced around one of the adventurers, the man standing back from the fight, exchanging a volley of elemental projectiles with the other pair''s spear wielder. Javelins fell from the sky towards him, only to vanish after impacting the ground and reappear in their throwers hands. ¡°There is a problem with spreading yourself too far conceptually, though this is more of a general rule for progression. Gaining experience, and indeed advancing the ranks of certain skills bes exponentially harder over time. The more focused you are, the more synergies and conceptual ovep the easier it bes. This is why you don¡¯t see people mixing and matching sses with little alike. A level fifty human could have four different thaumatic sses, each with a different speciality. ¡°But they¡¯ll struggle to advance.¡± Leif said, thinking out loud. ¡°Is that something to do with the experience penalty from having too many skills? Is it not just about the quantity of skills, but the variety?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lars said again, eyes darting around to follow the sparring match he was watching. ¡°I think it¡¯s why most monsters level up so quickly, though I suspect you will have more insight about that than me. Anyway, back to discussing auras. Having two or more aura skills has the same problem with having too many spell skills, orprehension skills. They¡¯re allpeting for the same resources: time, effort, experience. At rank five the conditions for ranking up those kinds of skills goes from technique to¡­ alignment. It¡¯s not an easy concept to exin, but how you embody the skill is more important than how you use it.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s lessened by fusing them together? Or at least partially?¡± Leif asked, wincing as the man with summoned spirits took a fist to the gut as one of the sisters suddenly blurred forward past her opposite with the activation of some sort of movement skill. ¡°That is correct. There are a series of exercises and training methods you can employ to strengthen your aura. Meditation techniques and thought exercises can also assist in this, but they¡¯re not as important at your current level of advancement. I can teach them to you now, but you will need to start mostly from scratch when your skill fusion isplete.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Leif said, not particrly liking the sound of that. ¡°I¡¯ll end up having a third aura skill, I think monsters are forced to pick one at level thirty.¡± Lars blinked at him. ¡°You¡¯re not level thirty in your monster ss? I¡­ I had not considered that a possibility. Fascinating, I¡¯m sure those who specialise in monster research would love to get their hands on you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about that.¡± Leif replied telepathically. ¡°But yes, my monster ss is only at level twenty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to get dissected by a bunch of madmen, don¡¯t go to the academy. Or at least, learn to properly hide yourself.¡± Lars said, stepping forward as the protective field around the courtyard dropped, the duel havinge to an end. The two pairs of adventurers were gathered off to one side, towling themselves down, breathing heavily. One of the unarmed fighters jumped in ce, turning to see Lars approach. There was a telepathic conversation that Leif couldn¡¯t hear, then the quartet departed, leaving the courtyard vacant. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to chase them off.¡± Leifmented, stepping up beside the guild enforcer. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Lars said, ¡°they were already packing up, I just gave them advice based on my observations.¡± Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of what looked like silver bracelets. The enforcer tossed them over to Leif. The scion caught both objects, then looked down at them. ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°The toys I grabbed from the vault. Suppression bracelets, for aura training. Put them on.¡± Leif did so, cing one on each forearm. ¡°I need to attune to these?¡± ¡°You do.¡± He nodded and focused on the metal bracelets. Expecting the process of attunement to take several minutes, Leif looked back up to where Lars was standing. Suddenly their power snapped around him, his aura bingpressed, restrained by a weight that tried to squeeze his presence back into his soul. Leif took a step back involuntarily, surprised by the abruptness of the attunementpleting. You have attuned to an item! Attuned items count as skills, but cannot be fused or altered in any way a normal skill can be. Warning! Attuning to any additional items may bestow additional penalties! Warning! You are suffering from an experience penalty due to having attuned to multiple items! ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®adaptive suppression bracelets¡¯.¡± Lars said. ¡°The problem with items like these is that for them to work, they need to be willingly attuned to. It¡¯s why it can be so difficult to incarcerate high level individuals safely.¡± ¡°Ugh. This feels horrible.¡± Leif grumbled, even the process of raising his hands to examine the bracelets felt weighed down. Small glowing runes had lit up around each metal band, though their meaning was beyond him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how this constitutes a ¡®toy¡¯.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a game, and unlike suppression items that they use to detain some criminals, you can easily take them off. Try to fight back against the suppression, push through the weight.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Leif did so, focusing all his attention towards the task. He wasn¡¯tcking in raw power, but control, so after a minute of mentally shoving his presence against the force constraining it the pressure buckled and he broke through. Two runes, one on each bracelet lit up further. ¡°Like this?¡± Leif asked, still fighting back against the suppressing nature of the bands, but it was easier now that he had loosened their metaphysical restraints. ¡°Good. the suppression bands automatically adjust to your aura strength, to a certain point. Now try to light up the second pair of runes.¡± Lars said, crossing his arms. Once again Leif fought back against the suppression, but expanding the smallyer of aura he was projecting around him felt like an impossibility. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ think I¡­ can.¡± He said aloud, unable to spare the focus to find out the mental link between him and the enforcer. ¡°Good. The reason why is that you¡¯re not doing it right. Keep the suppression bracelets for the next week, if you can¡¯t reach the next stage by then we can re-evaluate your potential. Leif fell to one knee, the spiritual pressure exerting itself onto him manifesting as physical weakness. He let out a hiss, the sound muffled by his mask. His aura fell apart, what ground he had managed to gain being re-conquered by the items'' effects. Completely suppressed for the first time he could remember, his every skill felt like it was a mile away,pletely out of reach. Even [Grand Action], a skill who¡¯s passive effects he has never been without faded away. Then the runes stopped glowing, and the bracelets fell inert. His aura sprung back out, as if a drowning man gasping for air. ¡°That¡­ that was awful. Is this how you trained your aura?¡± ¡°It is, yes. And Niks before me. It¡¯s something of a family heirloom.¡± ¡°You pass down a torture device? Has Darius been blessed with this yet?¡± ¡°No, his mother is tutoring him in aura stealth techniques.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you have?¡± ¡°My aura isn¡¯t stealth rted.¡± Lars said, expressionpletely nk. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re joking.¡± Leif said, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. Lars didn¡¯t reply, instead he turned his head to see a gaggle of people entering the training area from arge main entrance. ¡°Oh look, they¡¯re here. Our new batch of hopefuls.¡± Leif recognised the figure walking at the head of the approaching group, and he spotted them, giving the tree monster and human a curt nod. Darius marched stiffly towards thergest training field, shoulders partially hunched. Facing away from the group of mostly teens and young adults, he took a deep breath, then turned and started barking orders. ¡°What are they doing? I thought the guild tryouts started a while ago?¡± ¡°They were doing individual ability testing in the facility specifically designed for the process. This will be individual and group bouts.¡± The enforcer exined. ¡°I see, so is this the group that passed that first test?¡± ¡°Most of them, around eighty percent of the original group. You¡¯d be surprised how many people show up to these sorts of events with all of their ss slots prefilled with things not suited for adventuring.¡± Lars sent silently, stepping out of the courtyard he and Leif were upying and making his way over to where his younger cousin was putting in his best efforts to act confident. Leif thought Darius was doing a fine job, the kids seemed keen and interested, their attention focused on him almostpletely, though some were staring around, wide-eyed at the spars taking ce around them. A small group of guild officials started directing the applicants to gather in groups based on their level. There were three groups, a sub level ten group, a sub twenty group, and the smallest, an above twenty group with only four people. Darius practically teleported away as the guild hopefuls moved off to follow directions, the man appearing before Leif and Lars, mist sweeping past him from some sort of skill. ¡°Oh, hey. Didn¡¯t expect you to take so long.¡± He said, voice strained. ¡°I¡¯m sure you were handling things well without us? Nobody seems to be dead, which is a good sign.¡± Lars said calmly. ¡°It was a close thing, one of the [Mage]¡¯s thought she could disy her power level better by targeting one of the guild officials instead of the training dummies. I have no idea how that thought came to her. I know most of these kids haven¡¯t had formal training, but there¡¯s a difference between not knowing any better and attempting murder in-front of a hundred people.¡± ¡°Does anyone need healing?¡± Leif asked, half amused, half unbelieving. ¡°No, no. She missed, thank the gods. Anyway, there are some pretty interesting sses this time around. There¡¯s a boy in the above twenty group who has an attuned ss I¡¯ve never even heard of before.¡± ¡°A conceptually attuned ss? What is it?¡± Lars questioned, his gaze sweeping the four tryout participants in the mentioned group. ¡°[Attuned: Spring], I have no idea what that even means. Probably some system weirdness, the kid doesn¡¯t know what it is either.¡± Darius said, mystified. ¡°Spring? Are his skills jumping rted?¡± Leif mused, equally as baffled. ¡°No, it''s a healing ss based around new growth. He can make flowers bloom with a domain skill. It¡¯s like [Druid] but even more specific.¡± A pair of under tens stepped into a part of therge training area, one of the guild officials creating the shielding field around them with some sort of crystalline device. It was two boys, both around fifteen years old, and both brandishing training swords. One of the boys charged forward, sword raised as silver energy wreathed the de. The other lowered his stance, dropping into a defensive posture. Their shsted twenty seconds, the attacker being disarmed by a flourish from the defender. Now on the back foot the first boy stumbled back, trying to ward off the onught from his opponent. Without a weapon, he quickly yielded the match, but not without taking a nasty smack to the forearm. ¡°They were both [Fighters], yes?¡± Leif asked, watching as the victor raised his hands in triumph while the defeated shook out his arm and activated some sort of self healing skill with a deep exhale of breath. Leif could sense the increase in life-force through his innate perception. ¡°Uhh, yes, I believe so.¡± Darius said, though his attention was on the under twenty match that had just started. He pointed to one of thebatants. ¡°That one has ss magic, it''s quite potent for his level.¡± And he was right. The man, older than his opponent by at least half a decade, had conjured a tornado of flowing ss shards, the asional barely visible fragment zipping out towards his unimpressed looking opponent. But the ss user couldn¡¯t be approached without his opponent risking injuries, so after a minute long ¡®battle¡¯ he drove his opponent into a corner where they promptly surrendered without even using a single skill. ¡°What''s his story?¡± Leif asked, gesturing to the sweating ss user as his conjured materials dissipated into motes of energy. ¡°Union of [Crafter] and [Attuned: ss], level eighteen. Only one actualbat skill, but as you saw he made good use of it.¡± Darius exined, his usual hesitation gone now that he was a safe distance away from responsibility. ¡°Free ss slot too.¡± Lars said, rubbing his chin in thought. ¡°What would you pick in his situation?¡± ¡°Uh, probably [Tracker], maybe [Psion] if he had the aptitude for it.¡± Darius said. ¡°You want good perception with all that ss flying around, and [Tracker] gets some light weapon skills that you could make out of ss with the right setup.¡± ¡°What about you, Leif?¡± Lars asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Truthfully I don¡¯t know. [Tracker] sounds like a good idea but I¡¯m fairly ignorant as to all the avable options.¡± The enforcer nodded. ¡°Understandable. It¡¯s ack of knowledge you will need to rectify. Nobody has all the tier two sses memorised, I don¡¯t even think humanity has discovered them all, even with thousands of years of history. But knowing all the foundation sses is a good way to learn about the possible powers you might face.¡± Leif nodded. He liked the sound of knowledge, and if he could learn by watching a bunch of fairly entertaining fights that was all the better. Chapter 131: Usage Chapter 131: Usage Flowers, ethereal and glowing bloomed from the dusty floor of the training field, conjured into existence by a back-pedalling teen as their opponent closed the distance with mes wreathing their clenched fists. His name, as Leif had overheard when the boy introduced himself to his opponent, was Jason. Jason¡¯s [Attuned: Spring] ss made him the centre of much attention, both from his fellow guild applicants, but also the full guild members who were spectating or organising the individual matches. His long blond hair whipped around his face as he projected a de of wind towards his much faster opponent. The other boy, who had introduced himself as Mareen swatted the elemental attack out of the air, rushing forward even as his every footstep kicked up ethereal pollen, coating his in, and slightly scorched clothing in glowing dust. Whatever the strange skill¡¯s effect was Jason¡¯s opponent was unlikely to find out, the other boyshing out with a me cloaked foot to clip him in the side. The blond teen tumbled across the ground as he came to a stop, a buffer of conjured wind slowing his fall. He reached out, pulling streams of ethereal pollen towards him, absorbing them into his body. It was some sort of healing skill, though it was cut short when Mareen dashed forward and pped the odd ss user into the protective shielding with a ming palm, causing them to flicker, then fade as Jason yielded, face smouldering. ¡°That is a very interesting ss.¡± Lars observed, watching from the side-lines with Darius and Leif as Mareen pulled his dazed opponent up off the ground. ¡°Does he have a wind-based ss as well? Or were those air des something to do with spring?¡± Leif asked, sensing as the vibrant vitality contained within the dissipating flowers wilted away. ¡°Yes, he has [Attuned: Wind] as well.¡± Darius said. ¡°Even if this is his second loss in the individual bouts, he¡¯s pretty much a sure thing with his unusual ss, not to mention having two attuned sses before the first advancement.¡± ¡°Healing too, even if it¡¯s quite weak.¡± Leif said, nodding to himself. Several of the tryout attendees had self healing skills, though they were only sessfully used outside ofbat, the skills being too slow and ineffective for instantaneous healing. Leif wondered if that was exclusively due to the people using them being low level, or if self healing was a fairly weak skill archetype most of the time. A young woman fighting in the under twenties bracket dual wielding twin des unleashed a devastating barrage of lightning quick strikes against her thaumaturgical orientated foe. Her opponent wore a ck mask that covered their entire features, the magic they flung towards their more aggressive foe seeming to linger within the air, floating around like a dark miasma. Leif felt spikes of uncontrolled emotions spike within the dual wielder, a mix of hatred, anger and doubt threatening to overwhelm her mind. Like most weapon users Leif had seen fight, she was far faster and stronger than the magic user she faced, but that strength meant little when she started swiping at phantoms, screaming for her opponent to fight her all while tears ran down her cheeks. The fight concluded when she copsed into a sobbing tangle of limbs, swords ttering to the ground as she curled up into herself. Her opponent staggered away, they removed their mask and threw up, gasping as if in pain. Mockingughter came from the other tryout attendees, to them it must have looked like a pathetic disy of bothbatants iling around, then falling over. ¡°An [Acolyte] Lars said, nodding towards the previously masked thaumaturge. ¡°Emotional maniption. Can have quite the nasty variety of side effects for both the user and the victim.¡± The enforcer blurred as he skipped over to both distraught humans, his presence seeming to stabilise them emotionally. The under twenties shuffled over to where the over twenties had been fighting, the much smaller demographic having already concluded their series of duels. Darius¡¯s green eyes were watching the under ten duel that was still underway, two spear users circling each other, though neither seemed willing to engage. ¡°How are the group-¡± Leif went to ask, then a whisper of intent leaked into his perception. It was a vague feeling, the only reason he noticed it at all was likely the odd sense of familiarity it carried. The scion turned in the direction he had sensed it originate, but the cluster of other applicants in the under twenties group made it impossible to tell the source. The dual wielder from the fight that had just concluded suddenly let out a hoarse cry of rage, lurching towards her opponent even though their fight had concluded. The [Acolyte] didn¡¯t have time to react, they let out a yelp of surprise as wooden des carved down towards their neck. Lars neatly stepped in, the man having only been a metre away, and caught her arms, easily restraining the dual wielder due to his much higher attributes. But the guild hopeful seemed to ignore his presence, gritting her teeth and trying to kick out at her former opponent. The [Acolyte] scrambled away, looking panicked. Lars frowned down at the girl, he said something that Leif couldn¡¯t make out over the yelling and jeering from the watching crowd. The girl seemed to jerk upright, suddenly aware of her position as she looked around with wide, confused eyes. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What the hells?¡± Darius muttered. ¡°What is with the under twenties in this batch, first it was the two kids outside the gate, then the [Mage] during skill testing.¡± Leif wasn¡¯t sure if he was sensing things that didn¡¯t exist. He wasn¡¯t in the most stable mental space after having [Sympathy From Experience] activate automatically when he read via¡¯s letter. Surely what I sensed was real? He thought, scanning the group where he had detected the odd intent. But it didn¡¯t appear again. ¡°I think¡­ I think someone in the under twenties group used some sort of skill.¡± He mentally sent Darius, the man¡¯s eyes narrowing as he looked in their direction. ¡°Really?¡± He asked, sounding concerned. ¡°What kind? Mind magic?¡± ¡°Maybe, it was very subtle, somehow familiar.¡± ¡°Like one of your skills? nt magic?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leif said, talking towards where Lars was scolding the thoroughly distraught young woman. ¡°Lars, I sensed some sort of skill being used before she attacked, it came from the under level twenty kids.¡± A guild official was scribbling notes onto a pad, they looked up, frowning as Leif stepped down into the training courtyard. But the functionary didn¡¯t speak up, noticing that Darius was following him. Lars paused, considering the telepathic message Leif had sent him. ¡°Are you certain?¡± He silently replied. ¡°Not really, I¡¯m not sure what I detected.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He replied, then turned to the dual wielder. ¡°Take a seat, we will discuss your actionster. For now you are not permitted to participate in the fighting. ¡°Y-yes sir. I¡¯m sorry sir, I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± She said, eyes reddened with tears. She knelt, picking up her training swords, then she scurried off to the sidelines. === Vitras was having the time of his life. There were so few situations where you could really go all out, using every tool at your disposal to eke out any and every advantage. His soul twinged with pain from skill overuse, but he grinned and ignored it, watching the final duel of the under twentiese to sudden conclusion as a dagger user made a desperate dive under his opponent''s wild swing, stabbing the other man in the gut and driving the wind from his lungs. He pped and cheered along with the rest of his cohort, though internally he was already preparing for the group fights. Vitras was no expertbatant, and he was far, far weaker than the four team captains from the over twenty division. But he had other advantages, and he had been skillfully using those advantages to subtly remove the most powerfulpetition. A silent whisper here, a subtle suggestion there. It wasn¡¯t strictly honourable, but it was certainly resourceful. His father would be proud, doubly so when he got a position in the prestigious Twin Heart guild. All he would need to do was put up a good showing in the final rounds, something that would be easy now that he was the only [Mage] left in all three divisions. To his side a pair of girls were talking about which of the four captains they hoped to join in the team duels. Sure, the hard hitting man with the ming fists had gone undefeated against the other three in his division, but Vitras personally hoped he would be slotted with the strange nt mage. Anyone with a wide ranging healing skill, likely some sort of domain would be invaluable in a team situation. Even if his personalbat abilities were below his peers, his skills would be indispensable for the uing fights. Speaking of indispensable... He thought, pushing his way through the crowd and towards his next target. The older man, likely the oldest of everyone who had attended the guild tryouts, was sitting off to the side, toying with a ss bauble, rolling it between dexterous fingers. Vitras had already given the man a suggestion earlier in the day, though he hadn¡¯t ended up activating it. It was more a precautionary use of his skill to remove a potential threat, a threat the ss maniptor hadn¡¯t been, but likely would be if they were selected into different teams. His skill required line of sight as well as a verbalponent. A verbalponent he could makepletely silent with his [Subtle Casting] skill. Life would be so much harder without my sses. Vitras thought, silently mouthing his suggestion for the ss user to forfeit control over his materials if the secondary part of his skill was triggered. His suggestion from earlier in the day had been slowly wearing off, no point risking it not activating and potentially costing him his rightful position within the guild. Vitras backed up into the crowd once again, keeping his movements casual and smile friendly. He nted another two suggestions on those he hoped wouldn¡¯t be on his team, even though doing so made him sweat slightly from the internal difort of skill overuse. He loved [Bestow Orders], of all his skills it was by far his favourite, even if people from other walks of life likely wouldn¡¯t agree. But that was why he was using an aura mask, his peers didn¡¯t have to know, in fact it was better that they didn¡¯t. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like anyone would fault him for using an ability he had rightfully earned, from a ss that had been rightfully passed down to him. There was nothing wrong with being better than everyone else, and if anyone disagreed he could always change their minds. Chapter 132: Shitshow Chapter 132: Shitshow The number of spectators swelled to outnumber, then eclipse the number of applicants. The young men and women trying out to join the Twin Heart guild broke up into groups of around twenty. Each group was captained by one of the above twenty candidates, of which there were only four. About eight or nine under twenties joined them, and under tens filled out the remaining numbers. A small but notably dejected cluster of people sat off to the side, the failure of their application denoted by theirck of participation in the team battles. The dual wielder girl was part of this group, and out of all of them she looked by far the most upset. Lars sat with those who had failed, talking to each in turn, exining the reason for their failure, and the methods by which they could improve should they wish to try again next time in the future. Darius stood off to the side, quietly mouthing the rules for the group battles, as well as some flowery speech about what it meant to be a member of the Twin Heart guild. He looked stressed, and because he was stressed he was partially shrouded in mist. Several applicants kept shooting him scared looks, as if instead of being ovee by social anxiety, the guild-master''s son was a figure of intimidation and incredible power. If Leif hadn¡¯t listened to the man wax poetically about nonsense during the days they were an auxiliary pair during the expedition, he too may have misinterpreted Darius¡¯s actions as sinister brooding instead of idental skill use. He may ¡®umm¡¯ and ¡®ahh¡¯ frequently, but Darius cut the same striking figure as his father. The amusing dichotomy was quite fun to watch, but Leif found his attention distracted by a loud group of bronze ranked adventurers who were calling him over. They wanted to know who the team captains were, for purposes that absolutely had nothing to do with betting. The adventuring party had only just arrived, but Leif had been watching most of the solo bouts and was in a solid position to exin. There was Jason, the double attuned man with the strange ss rting to ¡®spring¡¯. Mareen, undefeated and with the same [Brawler] ss as Leif, though possessing different skills and another fire rted ss. There was Lyra, a young woman with an ice focused [Shaman] ss who had unfortunately found herselfpletely countered by Mareen in their duel. Finally there was a sullen looking boy who Leif thought was called Caspar, he was the lowest level of the four team captains at only twenty one, and was an archer. His ss was [Rogue], but he fought with a bow, Leif wasn¡¯t sure if he actually had the [Archer] ss, or had gained bow rted skills from his [Rogue] ss promotion. The adventurers he exined this to then loudly ryed the information, embellished slightly, to the parties sitting nearby. Then the bets came flooding in, even a guild official dashed over and started taking notes and recording the wagers. ording to the spectators, Mareen¡¯s team had the best odds of winning, an impression helped along by the young man loudly hyping up his team in lieu of strategizing like the other teams were doing. Though Leif noted that those who had been watching the individual duels quietly bet on Jason and his area of effect healing skill. Leif would have bet on the [Attuned: Spring] holder as well, though he wasn¡¯t overlyfortable betting on which group of children could beat up the other groups the best. Maybe he was soft? Or was it a cultural thing? A human thing? Probably not. The allotted time for the teams to get to know one another came to an end, a guild functionary running over to where Darius was misting up the ce to ry the news. The man looked around as if for emotional support, Leif could feel the apprehension in his aura. So he excused himself from the adventuring party that was trying to recruit him for ¡®totally reasonable healer rates¡¯ and made his way over to where Darius was standing. ¡°Need a hand?¡± He asked. ¡°Uh, no. I mean, yes. I mean¡­¡± Darius let out a sigh. ¡°I need a full day without people in order to recharge, this is agonising.¡± ¡°That bad, huh?¡± ¡°Worse. Life is so much easier when nobody can see me. Apparently hiding constantly is a bad habit, I have a skill that lets me know when I¡¯m being noticed. Dad said I shouldn¡¯t have taken it, but it¡¯s basically perfect for a stealth specialist in training.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± The guild functionary said, rubbing his hands together. ¡°It¡¯s best to begin the proceedings now, lest this event run past sunset.¡± ¡°Right, yeah okay.¡± Darius said, rolling his neck and letting out a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch of kids, what''s the worst that could happen?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that sir, it¡¯s bad luck.¡± The functionary said, wincing. === Vitras watched with keen interest as the guild-master¡¯s son stood within the centre of the courtyard where the fights would take ce and reiterated the rules for duels between applicants, this time scaled up for the group battles. It was the same stuff as before, no aiming for above the neck, no seriously injuring your opponents, no attacking anyone who had yielded. Vitras rolled his eyes when he heard one of his teammates ask if cutting off someone''s leg counted as a serious injury. Of course it would, healers were notoriously expensive, even for someone like his father. Luckily the idiot got cussed out by someone else before Vitras could turn and do it himself. The people of Ahle-ho might be stupid and mostly uncultured, but at least they weren¡¯tpletely ipetent. Especially not the members of the prime guilds. In Vitras¡¯s homnd, the guilds were mostly subservient to the noble families and city administration, but up here they were practically royalty. The dark haired man with the almost shining green eyes was the booney¡¯s equivalent of a prince, and who knew what the tall masked man who was standing beside him was. Some sort of bodyguard? An elite assassin or monster hunter? Vitras shuffled from foot to foot, excitement building. Maybe he could ask his father for a cool mask and hood, he was already partially in disguise so it wasn¡¯t that much more extreme? The immaterial mask on his aura wasn¡¯t the kind of mask he wanted to wear, but for him to participate in this little event without his identity being exposed it was unfortunately necessary, even if it was highly ufortable. The guild-master¡¯s son finished his speech, punctuating his words by conjuring ethereal looking mist to swirl around him. It was the kind of dramatics Vitras highly approved of, it reminded him of skill flourishes people would perform in court. Jason, the nature magic user that captained their team yelled in affirmative when a guild functionary asked everyone if they had understood the rules. Then it was time to battle. Or it would have been if the [Brawler] with fire magic hadn¡¯t chosen the gloomy looking archer¡¯s team as their opponent. As the team with the strongest captain, the [Brawler] got to pick how the round robin of group fights wouldmence. Vitras tsked, a good portion of his suggestionsy dormant on that man¡¯s team, but it didn¡¯t really matter. As long as the fights didn¡¯t stretch on for too long they would hopefullyst. Standing off to the side, Vitras and his team watched the first group battle. The swelling crowd roared with excitement as both teams crashed into one another. Referees called out whenever somebody yielded, took a significant injury or was restrained. Mareen led his team in a devastating charge, the closebat fighter dishing out serious damage with just his bare hands, weakerbatants being sent flying with brutal punches and kicks. Within two minutes the battle was over, thest of the [Rogue]¡¯s team being chased down and dogpiled under a sheer mass of bodies. Mareen whooped in triumph, high-fiving and hugging anyone and everyone on his team in celebration for the crushing victory. Oddly the masked man who had stood beside the guild-master¡¯s son strode over to one of the most badly injured, and then¡­ healed him? What on earth? What kind of healer walked around in heavy armour, a full body cloak and a face covering mask? Vitras was stumped, especially when the man seemed to not ask for payment. Damn charity cases. He thought. It was idiotic to provide a service for free that most people would give up their life savings just to afford. He shook his head, mourning the death of the idea of the badass uber assassin masked man. Killed before it had even truly lived. Then it was his turn, or rather, his team''s turn. He was giddy with excitement, as were those around him. Jason started directing people to spread out and get into position, meleebatants at the front, ranged in the back. Vitras ignored where he was supposed to be standing, shuffling down the line to ce himself in front of one of his marks on the other side of the field. She was a pretty thing with the ability to conjure chains of light from the ground. An interesting ability, he wondered what her ss was. It didn¡¯t really matter, the order was for her tosh out at the nearest person not facing her. Simplemands were the easiest, and putting a condition on them usually made themst longer while dormant, be more potent when activated. Vitras wasn¡¯t sure why, and he didn¡¯t really care. He licked his lips, running a hand through his hair. The guy with ss magic was on the other team, Vitras could see him conferring with his captain. He grinned, if his suggestion was triggered ss would spray everywhere, indiscriminately and chaotically. It would do a whole lot of damage, dish out a whole bunch of pain. Hells, it may even kill some people. It would be ast resort, probably. Though Vitras knew that if he had gotten this far into the tryouts without being caught, there was little risk of him being discovered now. Maybe he could trigger it for fun? Just to see what happened? The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. The guild-master¡¯s son and the masked healer stepped into the middle of the courtyard again, the rules were reiterated in case anyone had suffered a major head injury in thest few minutes and had somehow forgotten, then both men strode back towards the sidelines. He ignored one of his teammates as she hissed that he was in her position, then the fight started. It was like a real war, and just as cool. His team''s frontliners rushed forward, but were immediately pressured by a handful of small summoned ice elementals and a blizzard of spinning ss that supported them. But it wasn¡¯t the overpowering, battle ending strategy that their enemy had likely hoped for. Ethereal flowers bloomed from the stone beneath their team¡¯s feet, slowly filling them with healing energy. Their [Fighter]s and other meleebatants traded hits, then retreated and let their minor wounds slowly heal. Vitras and the other ranged skill users kept the enemy team at bay, aiming for centre mass and reducing the power of their skills as much as possible. A solid hit would count as a knockout, even if it didn¡¯t kill or cripple. He held back at first, but quickly got bored shooting small beams of arcane energy. So he stopped holding back. His enemies screamed and yielded, their defensive skills breaking and armour bing scorched. An enemy [Archer] tried to shoot him with an arrow bound with cloth, but Vitras sensed the hostile intent and ducked behind a tall man using a sling. He went down with a cry of pain. Thanks for the save buddy. Vitras mentally saluted, darting over to the other side of the field. A sh of light caught his attention and Vitras turned, seeing his team¡¯s captain barely twist away from a conjured chain of light. Jason swore, shooting off a series of wind des that forced a trio of martial ssers back. Vitras felt giddy as he reached out mentally to the girl and, too excited to use his skill to make his words silent, he spoke, though the sound was drowned out by the battle. ¡°Obey me.¡± Her eyes went nk, glossing over briefly as she staggered in ce. Then she reached out and targeted a man on her team in heavy armour, chains wrapped around him, restraining his limbs and making him topple to the ground as his mobility was locked up. There was chaos, angry shouting and confusion from the other team. The poor girl looked around, stunned and bewildered as her team turned on her. === ¡°I sensed it this time. Definitely mental maniption, incredibly subtle, likely multiple skills working in tandem.¡± Lars¡¯s voice echoed in Leif¡¯s head, the Scion himself scanning the battle for the cause. The skill used felt strangely familiar, as if it was somehow kindred to some of his own skills. Or one of my sses. He thought sourly. ¡°I hate mind mages.¡± Darius sent, the venom in his mental voice was palpable. There was a pause. ¡°Except you Lars, you¡¯re one of the good ones.¡± ¡°Sure, thanks cousin.¡± Lars sent, then he continued. ¡°I can¡¯t sense an aura belonging to somebody with a mind magic ss, even if they had a second aura I should be able to sense the impression of their skills and the nature of their power.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a [Noble], I¡¯m almost certain of it.¡± Leif said. ¡°I remember hearing of a skill that forced obedience, I didn¡¯t expect it to be so¡­ subtle. It¡¯s terrifying¡± ¡°I know that skill. [Command] isn¡¯t subtle, not at all. It requires a verbalmand, line of sight, and position of authority over the one you¡¯re targeting. The skill in y isn¡¯t that, if you¡¯re right it¡¯s likely a skill that used [Command] as a base for a fusion, or multiple. Nasty work, there¡¯s a reason it¡¯s illegal.¡± Lars said. The battle shifted, Lyra¡¯s team falling back as the distraction of one of their own suddenly turning on one of their key frontliners turned the odds against them. The crowd roared in a mix of outrage and amusement. ¡°Which one of you fuckers paid her off?¡± An adventurer yelled. ¡°I want my godsdamn money back!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to call the fight.¡± Darius sent, the man stepping forward, mist billowing away from him and burning up in thete afternoon sun. Leif pushed out his aura, intermingling it with the chaos of the battle. He sensed subdued gleeful, cruel intent. Intent targeted towards the man surrounded by a swirling maelstrom of ss. He saw the culprit, a young man, a boy, grin wide and eyes intense. He was standing in the very middle of the courtyard. Leif stepped forward and vanished in a blur of amber light. === They were going to win, and it was all going to be because of him. Vitras grinned, adrenaline pumping through his veins as his team, now on the attack and far healthier than their opponents charged forward. He didn¡¯t need to use [Bestow Orders], but why not? It was fun, being the hidden spider pulling the strings was exhrating. The feeling of power and control was all but intoxicating. He ran forward, more a light jog than a sprint and focused. Vitras didn¡¯t care about the consequences, he was too far away from the ss magic user for there to be any consequences for him, so it didn¡¯t matter. He was like a god among mortals, a higher being. He was untouchable, and the ss user would be the tool used to secure his greatness. ¡°Obey m- Something shed gold behind Vitras as a hand grabbed him by the back of the head, a grip as strong as steel lifted him up off the ground as an aura he thought he recognised crashed down into him, spearing into his own and suppressing himpletely. The aura mask, granted to him by a ne he was attuned to held, then shattered, the crystal containing the enchantment cracking under the weight of the one suppressing him. Father? Vitras thought, legs iling, arms reaching up to scramble at the gauntleted hand that had lifted him a foot off the air with contemptible ease. No, it wasn¡¯t his father, the authority was simr but this felt more wild, powerful instead of dignified and controlled. ¡°Agh! What is this, get off me!¡± He screamed, voiceing out far more petntly than was proper, but that hardly mattered. This crazy bastard was going to kill him if he squeezed any harder. ¡°No.¡± Came the reply, voice cold, hard and domineering. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will.¡± ¡°Let me go! Do you even know who I am?¡± Vitras screamed. It was a stupid thing to say, he had applied for the guild tryouts under a false name, so of course they wouldn¡¯t. Unless they knew his father. Wait, of course they would know his father, how many other [Noble]s were in the city? The fight around them had stilled, young men and women stared in abject shock as he dangled helplessly, still held up in one hand. With a puff of mist the guild-master¡¯s son appeared, scowl thunderous. Obviously he was angry at the madman who had grabbed him, anything else wouldn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Help me!¡± Vitras yelled, redoubling his struggling attempts to break free. ¡°I¡¯m being attacked!¡± ¡°This the one?¡± Darius asked, tone flinty. ¡°Yeah, he was about to do something to the ss maniptor.¡± ¡°Fucking hells.¡± Vitras blinked, what was going on? How did they know? That was impossible. Another man, this one the guild enforcer who had been watching from the sidelines and asionally interacting with the applicants appeared seemingly out of thin air. Vitras panicked, the man¡¯s expression looked sharp enough to kill. So he did what anyone of his standing did when confronted with the consequences of their actions. He yapped. ¡°I am Vitras Nahn, son of Lord Antony Nahn of the Ahle-ho imperial garrison! You will let me go at once!¡± The enforcer facepalmed, the smacking sound could be heard across the entire guildpound. === The next few days would be described by anyone in the Twin Heart guild¡¯s leadership as: Politically tense. And if they weren¡¯t trying to be polite: A massive shitshow. Leif understood only small fragments of the bigger picture, but apparently the incident had caused a massive stir across the entire city, especially with the guilds. It didn¡¯t surprise him that the imperial garrison was widely unpopr among both the guilds, andmon citizenry of Ahle-ho. What did surprise him was that the Twin Heart guild were one of the few openly in favour of imperial intervention within the city. The exact reason for why had something to do with foreign branches of the guild, and a long history of support from the empire. It was a pro empire stance that was almost unique among the prime guilds within Ahle-ho. So the son of the garrisonmander attempting murder within the headquarters of possibly their only real ally within the city was the political equivalent of performing a lobotomy on yourself with a hammer. There was an emergency council among the city''s guilds, followed by an official investigation by the pce guard. A ¡®gift¡¯ made its way into the Twin Heart coffers from an ¡®anonymous donation¡¯ that Niks had called a ¡®Oh gods please forgive us and don¡¯t turn this into a major incident¡¯ amount of money. Leif had assaulted the son of one of the most powerful men in the city. But the whole thing was swept under the rug so quickly and thoroughly that absolutely nothing came of it. In fact, the whole incident ended up being really funny in hindsight. Or at least so he was told, It was hard to see how when his identity was such a contentious topic. He, and only he, had even received an apology letter from Vitras, which Niks had promptly framed and hung in his office. The fact the apology had been dictated to a single person, and not the guild as a whole, was some sort of face saving measure by the imperialmander, though Leif was mostly bewildered as to how that made any sense. Niks invited him to a mostly private ¡®wee to the guild¡¯ party in the lounge where they had first met. And life went on. He went from stranger, to guest, to minor guild celebrity overnight. He trained, helped out around the guild, and once a few weeks had passed even explored the city. Turbulence raged overhead, ever changing and chaotic, Season turned, its cracked face slowly bing hidden from sight. In this manner he lived, learnt, and improved. As a healer, even one with diminished capabilities due to his [Adept of Self-Restoration] ss, his healing was shockingly potent due to the sheer amount of attributes at his disposalpared to others in the healing profession. And while he felt strange epting any amount of payment for his healing, being paid dramatically sped up his progression towards his level fifty advancement. The weather changed, the city changed, he changed. Chapter 133: Dock Dangers Chapter 133: Dock Dangers Aaron pulled against the ageing rope, rending it taut with a sharp tug and tying it against one of several cleats lining the fishing vessel''s upper hull. Men, sweaty and rough looking, much like himself, sprung into action as the lower docks of Ahle-ho approached. Before him was a wall of sheer stone stretching from horizon to horizon, a cliff whose sole purpose was to hold back the sea from washing over thend. Tiers of wooden scaffolds and tforms jutted from the cliff below the midpoint of its structure, warehouses and elevated drydocks, ughterhouses and workshops. Each building was worn,yered in salt and grime, and had seen the attention of a dozen generations of hands all working to keep it at least somewhat functional. A wave picked up the fishing vessel, carrying it towards the jetty they were aiming for as if by magic. Which was exactly what it was, paired enchantments built into the ship and its destination working in tandem to bring the vessel, its crew and contents home, without smashing it against the Ahle-ho cliff. Once they came within range a dozen hooks attached to ropes were tossed down from overhead, Aaron and the rest of the crew grabbing them and evenly distributing the ropes across the ship. Then, as the entire boat was being pulled skywards they each sought outs and crates filled with the day''s catch. His own, filled to bursting with small silvery fish pped against his back as he hefted it over his shoulder. It was wet, slimy and smelled like death, but if you weren¡¯t able to ignore the many unpleasant fragrances of the job then the fishing crews weren¡¯t for you. He departed the vessel, booted feet smashing into the wooden tform the boat had been raised alongside, his coworkers doing the same with their own burdens. The weight of the day¡¯s work pressed down into him as his muscles ached and bones groaned. The exhaustion fled as he activated [Last Stretch], the burst of stamina and strength flooding his body, umted from the energy expended while out at sea. He trudged along the jetty, then up a short set of steps and onto the tform that acted as a road running lengthwise along this level of the docks. A single fish, smaller than the rest, slipped free from his, falling between the gaps in the wooden nks below him and plummeting to safety. He ignored it, marching purposefully to the drop off point, then he could wash off and head home to the wife and kids, have a hot meal and- A scream broke through the efficient mmer of the docks, then a yell of panic and rm. He spun, fishy burden knocking into the man beside him as Aaron turned to see the cause. A pir of brine had risen to the level of the dock, arge orange shape, all spikey shell and wicked pincers fell onto the jetty and began scurrying forwards, beady eyes locked onto the nearest dockworker. Another pir burst from the waves below, this one likewise carrying another monstrous crustation. Then another, and another. Aaron didn¡¯t have time to count them all, he had already turned and ran, dropping his bundle of fish, fleeing for dear life. But the crabs, Brine Reavers, were quick, they darted forwards, pincers shing and des of salt water slicing out to injure and maim. ¡°Shit shit shit.¡± Aaron hissed, apressed stream of water cutting overhead, a man behind him letting out a cry as he fell to the wooden nks below. The strength granted to him by [Last Stretch] flooded through his body, his every step carrying him closer to safety at a remarkable clip. But it wasn¡¯t fast enough. He was only human, and a nonbatant at that. Whatever his meagre attributes were the things attacking the dock had far more. Arge wooden beam fell from overhead, it crashed down into the path, almost crushing him as wood splintered, sending tiny shards of brittle timber peppering his body. Aaron swore and fell, raising a hand to shield his eyes. Monster attacks were rare, but not unheard of, especially towards the tail end of turbulence. The thousands of fish, squid and other sea critters in the ughterhouses were an easy, and tempting target. Aaron tried to stand, blood streamed down his forearms and legs where they had been struck by the explosion of splinters. It hurt, but he was- Another beam of water carved overhead, this one aimed not for him but the walls to the nearest warehouse. The crabs were going for their prize, but they wouldn¡¯t turn down the free meal of any humans that got in their way. There was a scream and Aaron twisted to look behind him. An older man, shirt torn and blood streaming down the side of his head had his arms raised defensively, a monstrous crab looming above him, pincer cking and soulless eyes staring down at their victim. He wanted to close his eyes, to turn away from the execution of his fellow [Labourer], but he couldn¡¯t. Like watching an out of control carriage veering towards a fruit stall, he couldn¡¯t avert his gaze. Then something fell from above, mming into the crab and pulverising it down, and through the wooden pathway. It was a warhammer, heavy and wide, constructed from woven bands of wood and shaped by a deft hand. The weapon fell with the crab, both dropping out of sight, the ssh that followed being drowned out by the screamsing from all around. Aaron scrambled back, pressing up against the beam and muttering prayers under his breath. He looked up, desperate to see the source of the attack that had crushed one of the monsters in a single hit. The older man let out a low groan from where he stilly, Aaron blinked, forcing himself to refocus as he ran forward to help him up. Two more crabs scurried towards them, pincers cking as they sought out an easy meal. ¡°Cmon, cmon get up.¡± He hissed, pulling up the older [Labourer] even as the two crustaceans closed in. From somewhere off in the distance the crack of skills being activated could be heard. ¡°Help!¡± He yelled, stumbling down the water strewn tform. ¡°Somebody! Please! Help- The walkway rippled, each individual nk of wood rising as if they had turned liquid. Then a figure burst through the fallen beam blocking the way forward, it seemed to melt around them, parting like cloth as it twisted and rose. The split halves of the beam warped into twinnces, tips jagged and wickedly sharp. Then both spearsunched forward, zipping through the air with a sharp whistle. One of the projectiles was deflected by a defensive skill from a crab, the other found its mark as it impaled itself within the other crab¡¯s mouth. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The stranger was d inyers of billowing grey and white cloth, gold and red detailing lining each fold of fabric as their clothing billowed in the harsh sea breeze. Aaron couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s arms, but his attention was fixated on their face instead. Or rather, the brightly coloured animal mask that covered their visage, a grey hood draped over the back of their head. Sharp golden eyes glowed from within twin slitted eyeholes, a promise of power and violence as they burned behind the mask. They kicked off, the elevated pier seeming to carry them forward in a blur of motion that the stunned [Labourer] could barely perceive. But what he could sense was their aura. Strong and reassuring, the towering presence of both authority and generosity. It was as if his every worry and fear had been judged, and was now being acted upon. The stranger- the adventurer, for what else could they possibly be? Skidded to a halt before the crab that had blocked the spear. A fist of golden light shed out from underneath the adventurersyered outfit as they spun, their entire body weight and momentum being put behind a single, awe inspiring punch. The ethereal fist smashed into the shell of the monster, a metallic sheen having sprung up over its hardened form. But if the skill had any effect on the creature''s defence, Aaron couldn¡¯t tell. It¡¯s body all but vaporised as in the brief instant before impact, power flooded into the adventurers fist. It sted away, a shower of blue blood and shattered shell. Without losing stride the adventurer stepped into the spin and ran off, leaving Aaron and the injured man in his arms alone on the now empty docks. He blinked, stunned at the disy of overwhelming strength he had just witnessed. It took him a full thirty seconds to notice the golden motes of light that flickered around both him and the older man. The head wound his co-worker had suffered healed at a visible rate, the nasty gash closing over before his very eyes. The skill worked to heal Aaron as well. The cuts andcerations all over his body ejecting the splinters that had embedded themselves all over his body as the wounds sealed shut. There was a strange vibration to his muscles and bones, as if energy coursed through him even after the golden motes had faded away. Aaron looked up and let out a sigh, the distant sails of the skimmers in the sky docks far above partially blocking out the sun. ¡°I need abat ss.¡± He said wistfully. ¡°You need to put me down. What on earth happened?¡± The other man asked, blinking owlishly as his consciousness returned. ¡°Where are the crabs? Is the attack over?¡± ¡°You tell me. I think a gold rank just showed up and cleaned house.¡± ¡°Gold? There¡¯s no such thing as gold rank, nobody has ever gotten above level one hundred. It¡¯s all guild propaganda.¡± ¡°Umm, I think you might be wrong, buddy.¡± Aaron said, shaking his head. === Flowers bloomed from the docks nks, soothing wounds and mending aches. Soldiers ttered around in uniform, taking count of damages done and people missing. Leif stepped up to arge group of workers and fishermen, many sporting savage looking wounds even as the ethereal petals surrounding them slowly imbued them with healing energy. Leif¡¯s aura washed out, diffuse and subtle, yet carrying its full power and the suite of beneficial effects. Only a handful of people noticed, proof of his improvements over the past few months. A younger man, crouched next to one of the most injured, looked up, wiping sweat and dangling blond hair from his brow. ¡°Mentor,¡± Jason said with a relieved smile, ¡°is it over? How are the wounded near the main elevator? ¡°Yes it¡¯s over, the monsters didn¡¯t get far, only those closest to the edge of the docks were in danger.¡± Leif replied. ¡°How are those in your care?¡± ¡°Fine, I think. I¡¯ve already healed the worst injuries and stopped most of the bleeding. My soul is screaming at me to stop, I¡¯m rapidly approaching my limits I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Better than you were after the tryouts, your skills are almost twice as effective.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s mostly thanks to you, mentor. I¡¯m not sure I would have pushed myself as hard without your tutge.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because most healers turn to greed once they discover how much money they can get from their skills. They¡¯re idiots of course, there¡¯s a reason they¡¯re all so low level. Regardless, you¡¯re done for now, take a rest, I''ll finish this group up.¡± Leif said, cing a hand on the adventurer''s shoulder. ¡°R-right, thanks.¡± Leif conjured a dozen golden hands from within his multiyered poncho-like garb. The fabric parting as each limb darted out to ce a palm on each injured human. With an effort of will, he pulsed healing energy down each arm, the power spreading into every target simultaneously, wounds closing with visible speed. Retracting the conjured limbs he mentally connected with each patient, pushing the importance of rest into their minds, the direction bestowing the effects of a skill should they choose to follow it. By the time he had stood and was walking over to where Jason was leaning against a shed half of the men were breathing deeply, eyes closed. One was even snoring. ¡°It¡¯s crazy how everyone stops panicking when you show up, I had to pin down some of them just to get them to stay within my [Domain of Spring].¡± ¡°I have several skills that all help with that.¡± The scion replied, nodding to a group of soldiers that were carrying nkets. ¡°Here, take these.¡± Jason¡¯s eyes went wide as Leif summoned a handful low grade mana shards into his upturned palm. ¡°N-no, mentor I couldn¡¯t. Aren¡¯t these from the monsters¡± ¡°They are, and they won¡¯t do me any good, I¡¯ve outgrown this grade of mana shard.¡± ¡°But, still, that¡¯s a whole lot of money.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving you all of them, not when my new spatial ring has so much free space. I¡¯ll sell them once we¡¯re back at the guild.¡± ¡°Fine, but I owe you.¡± Leif snorted, ignoring the offer. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re not needed here any more.¡± ¡°Did you know?¡± Jason asked, following after him as Leif strode away. ¡°Did I know¡­ what?¡± ¡°That monsters would attack the docks, is that why you chose to train down here today?¡± ¡°Nope, I just wanted to have a look at the water. Thest time I was this close to the sea I was in a fairly precarious situation.¡± ¡°More precarious than a bunch of murderous crabs trying to kill everyone.¡± Leif thought about it for a moment before replying. ¡°More dangerous for me. More birds too.¡± Chapter 134: Inspired Changes Chapter 134: Inspired Changes Leif sat alone, cross legged in his undecorated room, one of many identical lodgings avable to guild members. He wasn¡¯t technically a member, he hadn¡¯t passed any initiation tests, nor was hepletely familiar with their rules and culture. But Niks didn¡¯t care, and as the Twin Heart guild-master, if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for the rest of the guild. He cleared his mind, centering himself and straightening his posture. The metal bracers clipped to each forearm didn¡¯t weigh him down physically, but when he reached out with a mentalmand¡­ The room seemed to constrict around him, invisible pressure crushing his spirit from all sides. He flexed his aura,bating the first stage of suppression and holding the pressure at an arm''s length. The first rune on each bracer lit up with soft blue light, their luminescence mixing with the flickering amber of his eyes to fill the darkness of the room. Leif tightened his focus, flexing his aura once again, gaining a centimetre of ground against the magical items suppression before the exponentially increasing suppression forced back his progress. It would have been an unimpressive disy of his progress over the past three months, to be exactly where he had started, even with his newly fused aura. But the second stage of the adaptive suppression bracers wasn¡¯t a test of raw strength, but technique. He drew his presence together, condensing it into a spot before his chest. Doing so without weakening the protective barrier around him was a challenge, one he had failed several times in the past. But now¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t simple, or easy for that matter. Multitasking two separate workings of his soul projection, maintaining focus on one task while simultaneously holding the other in ce was akin to weaving together a tapestry with your feet, and with your eyes blinded. Difficult, but after months of practice, far from impossible. His aura condensed before him, elongating and sharpening into a structure of faux geometry, the pattern more one of spiritual intention than material creation. Then he drove it forward, into the clenching fist that threatened to crush him, and parted the suppression like a boat through the sea¡¯s waves. He held the projection for a second, then two, pushing himself just a little further all the while the bracers redoubled their efforts to crush his defences. Then the second pair of runes lit, and the suppressing pattern changed. Instead of crushing him itshed out against his aura, a series of directed and violent strikes meant to spiritually cripple and maim. Leif had learnt exactly what being struck by the suppression force had felt like, and it was distinctly ufortable, not an experience worth repeating more than fifty or so times. A broad defence was no longer applicable, like how he had parted through the suppression with a directed push, now the onught he defended against was doing the same to him. Interestingly enough, he had more initial sess against this stage of the aura training than the first two. Splitting his aura into smaller, flexible strands had been a technique he had developed independently, while undergoing self guided training after his re-awakening on the teaus of Far-reach. This did not mean his efforts had beenpetent, or in any way effective. A lesson he had learnt with swift and direct instruction from the enchanted items that bound him. This stage too was passed in time, the mental strain of blocking, parrying and deflecting a seemingly endless barrage of strikes, as if sword fighting with an invisible duelist, both he and his opponentshing out with barely perceivable des. Though, after an exhaustive period of learning what failure meant, Leif¡¯s mental image of this duel had changed. A sword had felt like a natural, simple idea of what he was wielding to spiritually defend himself. But he didn¡¯t use multiple swords, not really and not usually. But arms? That was far more relevant to the present him. The fourth stage was akin to the second, maintaining a defensive perimeter while simultaneously attacking. The bracers somehow projected a slowly moving target for him to strike out against, all the while its barrage of strikes never ceased. The fourth set of runes lit up, his room now well and truly dyed blue. Leif¡¯s awareness of his physical surroundings snapped back into focus as with a mentalmand he ended the suppression from the bracelets. As fun as this was, now wasn¡¯t the time to push against the near insurmountable wall that was the fifth and final stretch of the training. He had things to do, tasks toplete before his next big step forward. Leif stood, stretching out his arms, both real and conjured, revelling in the liberating feeling of no longer being restrained. He rolled to his feet, mentally reaching into his brand new storage ring and plucking his newly bought clothing from the separate space in which they were being held. He had followed Darius¡¯s advice and spent the guild contribution points he had been rewarded, and subsequently earned on the upgrade. With the growing upheaval within the city specialised items were bing harder to find, more expensive tomission. As the multyer robes covered him Leif ced the painted mask onto his face. In his opinion it looked a little silly, especially outside of the festivals Nayet had informed him it was traditionally worn. But there was something to say about looking ridiculous instead of sinister, which his previous appearance, tattered cloak and in mask tended to invoke. Besides, the children he passed on the streets of Ahle-ho found it funny. Leif knew Bam and Lani would like it too. With a final check up of his appearance, Leif was out the door to his small residence, striding down the dormitory hallway with purpose. With every day the number of people living within the building seemed to increase, more and more adventurers returning to the city. Those he passed greeted him warmly, some calling out to inquire about his well being. Being a healer who didn¡¯t overcharge for a single use of an underpowered skill went a long way to making people ept you, even if they had never seen his face. Leif checked in with the guild office to see if any requests hade through or meetings scheduled. There were none, so he made his way to the training courtyards. He hastened his step, and arrived exactly two minutes before the designated time. Bronze and Iron ranked adventurers, all members of the guild who operated solo and without a party trickled into the courtyard, some filtering into the stands but most stepping down into the space designated for duels. These were people at a higher level than himself, as someone at the level fifty milestone he was technically weaker than all of them. But the attributes gained from his monster ss was more than enough to close that gap, or even overtake it entirely. But whether he was victorious or not wasrgely matchup dependant. ¡°Okay people!¡± Called one of the iron ranked adventurers from the nearby seating area. ¡°We¡¯ll continue on fromst week. Keep the fights non-lethal, and try not to break the protective barriers. Most of you don¡¯t have a problem with this¡­¡± They trailed off, ring at one of the thaumaturges with a particr affinity for explosion magic. There were some chuckles as the adventurer read off the list of training bouts, who would face who and where. Leif already knew who his opponent would be, and his opponent knew who they were facing as well. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t our little masked friend. I¡¯ve been waiting for this kid, but I don¡¯t suppose you wore any metal?¡± Jay said, the massive man was all polished muscle, even his bald head was remarkably shiny. ¡°Still haven''t found hair ointment?¡± ¡°Ha! Fuck you, I bet fifty kes you¡¯re bald under that mask.¡± Leif snorted but didn¡¯t reply. Technically he didn¡¯t have any hair, just a mane of crimson leaves he had to constantly trim lest they poke out from under his hood. They had to wait until the first batch of duels hadpleted, then both man and tree person made their way to the middle most field. The protective barrier shimmered around them, Jay started warming up while Leif mentally ran through his options and ns. ¡°How about we make this fun?¡± Jay called, his grin sly, metal loops having been conjured around his biceps. ¡°I¡¯m not taking the mask off.¡± ¡°Daww, c¡¯mon don¡¯t be so shy. You can¡¯t be any uglier than me.¡± ¡°What if I wager a seal? Everyone needs a good promotion seal?¡± Jay said, cing his hands on his hips. ¡°I don¡¯t have any tier one sses, so I¡¯ll pass.¡± Leif replied smoothly, summoning a pre-condensed wooden sword from his spatial ring. Therge man frowned. ¡°I thought you had the [Brawler] ss, did you promote out of it already?¡± ¡°I did.¡± He said, levitating the de up above his shoulder. The newly gained power flowed through his body as Leif lowered into abat stance. He felt stronger, faster, more durable than ever before. The jump in power when merging two foundation sses into a union ss was far less impressive than the straight upgrade of a tier one ss into an advanced ss. Where [Adept] and [Attuned:Life] hadbined to create something only marginally stronger than the sum of its parts, Leif¡¯s newest tier two ss was something else entirely. His mouth stretched into a grin as he let healing energy flow into his arms and legs, two, then four golden arms springing out from under his clothes and shifted into fists. Jay cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck, the experienced arena fighter hopping up and down to psyche himself up for the bout. ¡°Well, then. I hope you can show me.¡± Leif mentallymanded the system to open, showing him the details of histest promotion and the changes that hade with it. === [Brawler] ¡ú [Inspiring Brawler] Your prowess for unarmedbat is only matched by your passion for battle. You put your all into battle, your fists resonating with your force of personality, the strength of your being amplifying your every blow. Those who witness your triumphs are inspired tomit further acts of greatness, and your foes tremble at the very thought of seeing you in action. You do not fight to entertain, but your martial ability inspires awe nheless. Tier: 2 (Advanced) Level: 10/20 If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. ss Perk: +100% To the damage of unarmed strikes +100% To physical resilience while unarmoured +100% To body enhancement skills while unarmoured +100% to body empowerment skills while unarmoured Increases your physical strength by 10% of your charisma attribute Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: C+ crity: C Intelligence: E Willpower: D Spirit: C Charisma: B Base Stats: Might: +5, crity: +4, Intelligence +1, Willpower +2 Spirit: +4, Charisma +6 === Leif kicked off from his starting position, the tiled ground beneath his feet cracking under the force of his advance. He was no speedster,cking much of the fine control the fastest of the Twin Heart guild could disy. But the amount of raw strength behind every step carried him forward in a blur of speed. Jay was no slouch inbat, therge man conjuring a swarm of metal needles, sending them zipping forward with frightening uracy. A golden shield flickered around him as he fed a steady trickle of cultivated power into [Amber Aegis], the needles cracking against the protective skill or skidding off at an angle. Leif didn¡¯t stop, even as Jay erupted forward in a storm of metal and violence. They traded blows, hit after hit sending shockwaves of power rippling against the shields that protected onlookers from the fight. With every strike exchanged more and more spectators found their attention drawn away from the other bouts, and onto the battle between gold and steel. === [Fists of Conflict] ¡ú [Fists of Awe] Aspects: Social*, Enhancement (Body)* Dealing unarmed damage intimidates nearby foes, and inspires nearby allies. Those intimidated by this skill find their attention drawn to you and away from all else. Your words and actions are more threatening to those who are intimidated by this skill. You take less harm from, and your unarmed strikes deal more damage to those who are intimidated by this skill. Those inspired by this skill are less affected by negative emotions, and have increased resilience against mental attacks. === Leif found the attention slip onto him like a mantle, his opponents eyes focused into pinpricks, Jay¡¯s entire world bing the hidden monster before him. He grew more desperate, his attacks bing wider and with more openings. Leif punished, driving a golden fist into the man¡¯s gut, sending him tumbling over the tiled ground of the training courtyard. Life-force slipped down Leif¡¯s arm, the blow having left behind a gift of damaging resonance, the minor aspect of [Consuming Aeons] elerating the body''s natural decay. Whatever that meant. It was damage, Leif could sense whatever the strange effect was as it did something to therge human¡¯s vitality, he just hadn¡¯t ever noticed it be a massive impact in any fight he had been in since his evolution. ¡°Yeesh, what the hells is that?¡± Jay called as he rolled to his feet. ¡°Do your punches have some sort of taunting effect? Also I can feel something vibrating in my bones, you¡¯re a real monster, you know that right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told that.¡± Leif said, circling the human, still in abat stance. Jayughed, then mmed his fists together. A shockwave of force ripped across the courtyard, kicking up dust and mming against Leif with enough force to bowl him over. Or it would have been, but not after histest ss promotion. === [Tenacious Fighter III] ¡ú [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess III] Aspects: Comprehension, Enhancement (Body)*, Social* Grants instinctual understanding ofbat stances and their uses whilst granting a greater understanding of your bodies limits and how your presence emotionally affects those around you. You gain a bonus to bnce, footwork, stability and physical resilience while fighting in abat style in which you have proficiency. This skill benefits from a portion of the user''s charisma attribute, the efficacy of which is determined by this skill''s rank. The more injured you be, the greater this skill''s effects. === The force washed over him, but Leif¡¯s stance was unbroken, his legs unmoving as his clothes fluttered up and around him. His stance was sturdy, like, well, a tree having nted its roots into the tiled stone. Leif was buffeted by the attack, then heunched himself forward, running towards Jay, wooden de surging forward to plunge into the human¡¯s chest. Jay justughed, arms raised as a massive b of ethereal steel came into existence overhead. It was the biggest sword Leif had ever seen, easily three times the length Jay was tall. Therge man turned slightly, allowing the wooden de to nce off his chest piece. Leif charged, weaving together a spike of aura that mmed against the human¡¯s own. The indomitable strength of steel shed against the authority of nobility, of honesty and generosity. Without the past months of aura training Jay¡¯s ephemeral defence would have held. But with it, the man was suppressed for just a moment as a tide of benevolence suppressed him for just an instant, his massive de, all butpletely shimmering out of existence. === Aura of Benevolence IV: Aspects: Aura (Life)*, Social* Your auric presence carries the weight of your authority, generosity and genuine intent. Those within your aura have their physical and emotional pain soothed, and receive a greater benefit from all sources of healing. You can control your aura in ways that are impossible without an aura skill. Notes: All this time, and the Kossia family is still causing me trouble. Not entirely sure what kind of trouble they were making before, but if it''s anything like Hera now then I fully understand my previous self and his well-founded fear. RUN AWAY! Or something. === But it wasn¡¯t just the newly forged aura that struck Jay, for Leif had increased the skill up from rank three, to rank four in the time since the fusion hadpleted. It turned out embodying what it meant to be benevolent alongside rigorous re-training was enough to break-through into the next rank. A meaty arm swung towards Leif as the Scion closed in, he raised a golden hand, catching the blow and carrying the momentum to twist Jay around, lifting therge man by the waist and mming him down into the ground. The increasingly invested crowd of onlookers ¡®ooed¡¯ at the blow. Leif called back his wooden de, looking down at the crumpled form of- A b of steel rushed for the side of Leif¡¯s head, he just managed to bring up his real arm in time to block the strike. The ivory bark of his arm cracked, the sound like the breaking of bone. Fortunately he was fully covered, there was no risk of his physique being exposed like this. Jayughed, spitting to the side as he leapt to his feet. One of the metal bands around his biceps was missing, now swimming through the air like an eel. ¡°Damn son, you¡¯re not half bad. You should join the arena, I bet the guys running it might even let you keep the mask, a bunch of theds have them while they fight. Though they¡¯ll likely pick something more scary, maybe a golden dragon? I could pitch it for you if you want?¡± ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯d rather spend my free time putting high society healers out of business by healing the needy.¡± Jayughed again, working pain out of his neck. ¡°Yeah I heard about that from Tollumi, I hear they hate you. Honestly, fuckem, bunch of pricks.¡± Leif slightly ckened his stance, feeling the structure of his arm already healpletely. ¡°I haven''t seen him in a while, how is he doing?¡± ¡°Oh he¡¯s doing fine, Nayet has him by the balls, like usual.¡± Jay said, grinning slyly. ¡°You know, they¡¯re gonna name me the godfather of their kid. Me? Can you believe it?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. Did Nayet agree to it, hells, did Tollumi agree to it?¡± ¡°Well, no. I haven''t talked to them about it yet.¡± Leif let out a bark ofughter. Then he surged vitality through his body and punched the man in the face. The [Adept of Self-Restoration] skill, newly fused from [Life-Fused Fist] and [Embolden Vegetation] flooding the attack with power. === [Surge of Life and Growth] Aspects: Technique (Life)*, Nature, Empowerment (Body)* You may channel healing energy into a limb to empower it temporarily, allowing for far more force behind every attack. You may transfer the energy into a target you are touching with the empowered limb to rapidly heal them and promote regenerative growth. You may supercharge the life-force within yourself or a target you are touching, dramatically increasing the rate of recovery and growth. This effect is more potent when used on flora, both mundane and magical. This effect lingers for a duration determined by how much life-force was stimted. Repeated use of this skill on the same limb or target reduces its efficacy. === Five minutester Jayy sprawled out on the ground, body covered in slowly mending bruises as some sort of self healing skill slowly went to work. Leif sat beside him, chin in the palm of a golden hand. Bent and dented steel shapes littered the courtyard around the twobatants, many of them sporting fist shaped holes. ¡°I don¡¯t need healing, give me an hour and I¡¯ll be good as new.¡± The human said, wincing slightly as he tried to move. ¡°Not to be rude, but your self healing skill is shit.¡± ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s usually faster, is whatevers rattling my skull doing something to slow it down?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not actually sure. Maybe? Possibly? At least let me heal you so its-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a charity case! I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Leif ignored him, pping a palm to the man''s chest and pumping him full of gilded vitality. Jay howled as if the damage to his pride was a thousand times worse than the physical pain he was under. ¡°Get up, the next pair needs this field.¡± Chapter 135: Precipice Chapter 135: Precipice There was a quiet rumble to the streets of Ahle-ho, the way people moved from building to building, their steps quick and their heads down as if to ward off misfortune by speed and subtlety. The number of people had risen like the tide, then ebbed down into a trickle. Thousands of refugees had been relocated to what was being dubbed as Ahle-ho¡¯s newest expansion, though as of present, it was more of a shanty town, barely a step away from slum. Leif had learnt much about the coastal city in his time living within it, its streets and slopes going from alien to familiar, the bustling bazaars and markets no longer ces his perceptions would be overwhelmed within. He had even seen the sewers below the city, the grandwork of stone tiled tunnels described to him as a ¡®mastery of engineering.¡¯ As a side note: slimes were adorable. They were less adorable when they melted through clothing and ate away at flesh and muscle. The monsters grew quite quickly and into sizes that could block tunnels and waterways. They were bottom feeders, harmless unless you got too close or tried to give them a hug. For many of the city''s youth, and indeed several members of the Twin Heart guild, ying them was a rite of passage, the way they had earned their first few levels in theirbat sses. In his time living within Ahle-ho Leif had slowly chipped away at the things he needed, or wished to aplish. His aura training was a necessary and important part of most of his days, as was training and learning. As a healer with a vaguely nature based ss, he had been offered the mentor position for Jason, a role Niks had encouraged him to take. The guild-master had been friendly and weing, he had listened to Leif¡¯s story of the attack at Klos and the bandits beyond the imperial cordon. The ciphered letters Leif had looted from the lead bandit had been studied and quickly broken by an expert the man had hired. The story was as expected. The bandits were in part funded by foreign agents to attack key areas that would put pressure on not just the Ahle-ho government, but also the empire. The bandit group Leif and the others had encountered were meant to target merchant caravans along a coastal trade route partially sponsored by the empire. What was disappointing was how unexpected the news was to Niks. So too, was his inability to act on the information. Banditry was on a rise across the region, and the guilds were already assistingw enforcement and the state¡¯s private armies wherever they could. But the duty of adventurers was the hunting and ying of monsters, and while higher ranked guild members had a certain amount of legal authority to act as vigntes with the current political climate, doing so was very much discouraged. Niks had been amused however, by Leif''s story about the Pherin dungeon. How a single monster hadpleted what several expeditions had failed to even get close to achieving. Apparently Leif¡¯s own homnd of Varan had been responsible for many of the attempts at reaching the lost city, but due to the monster waves caused by the dungeon break they had failed to push beyond the limits of the human frontier. Apparently the undead hadn¡¯t been the primary threat to the region, but instead the secondary threat. The sudden appearance of the undead and the rapid degradation of the environment had caused mass migrations from both monster and beast. The northern mountains were popted by powerful beings that those who lived in the foothills and valleys couldn¡¯tpete with, so instead they had fled south, right into human territory. === The small bell tinkled overhead as Leif stepped into the enchanter''s shop. The small and tightly packed store was full of harried looking customers and staff, the many disys covered in faintly glowing ss, the items within appearing mundane, if well crafted. But nothing sold within the shop was mundane, and the wiry looking owner would yell at anyone who so much as whispered anything to the contrary. Leif waited for ten minutes before one of the store assistants finally got around to seeing him. He handed over an order chip and the woman scurried off behind the counter. Several minutester the shop''s owner slunk in from a back room, their wide sses partially fogged and their apron covered in ink stains and prismatic dust. A small wooden box was produced, and money was exchanged. Leif popped open the lid with a thought and beheld the item within. ¡°It¡¯s called a warp pendant, containing a single use of the same skill. It¡¯s a single-use item, the kind that doesn¡¯t need to be attuned to. But once the skill contained within has been expended, the item needs to be manually recharged. [Warp] teleports you to a random nearby location, somewhere you could physically travel on foot, but not necessarily within line of sight. Don¡¯t do anything stupid with it, the skill won¡¯t backfire unless you use it in a really idiotic location, but if it does backfire you may end up with an arm or leg stuck inside something it really shouldn¡¯t be.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Leif said, plucking the in looking pendant from where ity atop a small velvet cushion. He examined it under the light, then pulled it into his storage ring. As an enchanted item, or as with any item that was magical, it took up more space than its physical size would indicate. But with his new ring, purchased courtesy of somewhat dubiously gained ¡®contribution points¡¯ it was no problem. ¡°Any way I could recharge this myself?¡± The owner snorted. ¡°Not unless you have extensive experience with space-aspected magic, feeding power into it that isn¡¯t aligned with the skill within will cause the item to degrade rapidly, or even break. So no, take it to an enchanter.¡± Leif nodded, then departed the store. It had taken the better part of two months to get the thing recharged, not a particrly sound investment of his time or money. But now he had an unreliable mode of short ranged transportation. With that done he had now taken care of every single one of the bandit¡¯s possessions. Well, other than the silver coins he was still carrying around. He¡¯d get rid of them, but why bother? They weren¡¯t taking up much space. The mid morning sun beamed down from overhead, filtering through multi-coloured tarps that fluttered from window sills or balconies. The painted walls of most buildings were chipped and damaged, worn down over the months turbulence had ravaged the city from on high. Leif had questioned the logic of painting houses and shops when the paint would be stripped away by the harsh weather, but apparently that was exactly the point. The people painted their homes to gauge how severe turbulence was, a sort of long term spectator sport that themunity woulde together to prepare for. Entire streets would be repainted with the same colours and patterns, children putting hand-prints up as high as they could reach. But none of that was happening, the atmosphere of the city pressuring those attempting to partake in the tradition to wait for a more symbolic time. While no crisis had befallen Ahle-ho in the time Leif had lived within the city, everything seemed to teeter ever closer to an invisible ledge, as if bnced on the precipice. It was unnerving, especially with his ability to sense the emotional state of those around him. The smothering haze of anxiety and trepidation was almost suffocating at times. Leif had a week left within Ahle-ho before he would depart for the empire, and before that he would be as ready as possible. He turned down a wide street, sticking to the sidewalk in order to avoid the cart traffic that rumbled down the middle of the street. There was shouting from ahead, a merchant''s wagon had lost a wheel, the incident holding up traffic and causing tension to rise. A young man worked to repair the wagon even as the yelling increased in volume and intensity. Leif stepped up beside the broken vehicle and lifted it with a golden hand. The young man nced up, eyes thankful as he attached the spare and screwed it in ce. It would need more work to be fully road worthy, but for now it would hopefully prevent a brawl. Leif continued on, the man waving thanks, the wagon''s owner not even noticing as he yelled back at another agitated driver. === A priest in in white robes handed out nkets and small packages of dried food to the loitering crowd outside the temple. Several attendants assisted the elderly and sick, passing out cups of water and taking what few donations were given in return. The receiver temple stood proud within the courtyard, the pirs lining the structures face the only part of the street that had been repainted. Worshipers came and went in quiet reverence, heads bowed and expression contemtive. Many wore masks, though in and unpainted, making the temple one of the few ces within the city that Leif didn¡¯t feel somewhat awkward for keeping his identity hidden behind his own mask. Mosaic depictions of natural phenomena lined the temple''s interior, many people kneeling before them in silent veneration. A man knelt before a disy of growth and warmth, head bowed and face unmasked. Though they were turned away from Leif, he recognised the man¡¯s long blond hair and slight stubble. Jason let out a long sigh, then rose to his feet, the young man turned and saw Leif standing off to the side. He quickly stepped over, frown changing into a smile. ¡°Mentor, wee. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here so soon.¡± He said, voice soft so the sound wouldn¡¯t carry. ¡°No sense in dying. Any luck on your end? Have the gods answered your questions?¡± ¡°Ha, no. Unfortunately not, I¡¯m still as ignorant as ever as to the nature of spring. Not that I¡¯m entirely surprised, I may havee to the city in part because of its temples, but expecting divine assistance for my mortal problems isn¡¯t wise.¡± ¡°I have no idea how you can be attuned to a concept you don¡¯t understand. It feels as though the system is ying a joke of some sort.¡± Leif said, half serious. The receivers weren¡¯t as strict as the other faiths, or at least that¡¯s what Leif had been told, but they still took their worship of the system seriously. ¡°Maybe. The priests don¡¯t know what it is, the schrs don¡¯t know what it is, and the guild is equally clueless. Anyway, you¡¯re here for your advancement aren¡¯t you, mentor?¡± Leif nodded. While the question had been in the back of his mind, he had wondered how people went about their system upgrades. Did they do them at home? In their bedrooms or some other room of the house? Some did, but most chose to undergo their advancements and promotions within the specialised rooms that most temples provided free of charge. Leif had already done his [Brawler] promotion within this very temple, and now with fifteen skills and plenty of achievements under his belt he was ready for whatever the advancement trial would throw at him. In preparation he had read through the letters written by his sister. They weren¡¯t easy reads, but none of them had triggered [Sympathy from Experience] like the first one had. Even still, the grief in the words written by via had stung him somewhere in the soul, only with significant effort had he maintained hisposure. A priest guided him towards one of the unupied chambers as he recalled the letters, trying to steady his mentality in the here and now. Hera hadn¡¯t directly stated that he was still alive, instead the Academy de had imed to have encountered somebody familiar with the name ¡®Leif Vin¡¯, and she was investigating because of it. A part of Leif suspected that via didn¡¯t believe Hera, or at least notpletely. Her written responses were mostly polite and forting, but his sister had been constantly angling for more information. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Leif waved farewell to Jason as the stone door slid closed and let out a long, whistling sigh. A part of him was angry, though the emotion wasrgely directionless. He had been angry that Hera had contacted his family, had taken the step, the step that should have been his. But at the same time he felt relief, relief that the bandage had been ripped off, that he hadn¡¯t needed to be the one to extend that first branch of connection to his past life. He wanted to run back to his past life, or at least the parts of which he partially recalled with fondness. Leif wasn¡¯t delusional enough to believe he would ever fully regain what he had lost, that he could rejoin his family without serious consequences. Human he may have once been, a monster he now was. That fact no longer pained him as it once had, the realisation that his hands weren¡¯t covered in skin or that his body was misshapen and wrong no longer sending him into spirals of self-hatred and panic. There was a chance he would fail. Not just in his ultimate goals, but also the advancement trial. He didn¡¯t know what it would contain, what aspects of his old life it might dredge up to confront him with. He had asked around as to the contents of the trial, of course, but the answers weren¡¯t overly thrilling. If the first trial was about a decision made in the past, then the one he was about to undergo was about the choices that had led him to the present. While most were tight lipped about the exact details of their own trials, amonality between the stories was the existence of alternate versions of the trial taker. If Leif was honest with himself, the idea terrified him. Was there a chance the trial would confront him with versions of himself that had picked different monster evolution paths? Sure, but he suspected the system would dig further back. He slid the spatial ring off his finger, mentally severing the attunement as he ced the item into a provided locker. The aura bracelets went next, then he closed the container and took a seat within the centre of the room. Light trickled from stained tiles of ss that made up the room¡¯s singr window, no sound from outside made its way into the chamber. He was alone until the trial wasplete. Attendants were on standby for everyone undergoing their system visions, ready to help stabilise anyone who failed their trials and lost levels or skills. Leif centred himself and sat, opening his system windows and looking through his stats and skills. Doing so always calmed him, brought his attention away from distressing thoughts or pained memories. When he focused on his level the system prompted him to begin the advancement trial. You have reached the level 50 milestone bottleneck! To advance beyond this point you must ovee an advancement trial! Warning! Advancement trials difficulty is based on your total number of skills. For every skill above a total of 15 difficulty will dramatically increase! Current skills: 15! Attuned Items: 0! Warning! Failing an advancement trial may result in the loss of ss levels! Advancement trial may only be attempted while at level 50! Any experience gained while at level 50 will be banked until trial ispleted! Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing the advancement trial! Good luck! Begin advancement trial? Y/N He blinked away the grey boxes outlined in gold and red, instead flicking his vision to where the system outlined his characteristics and skills. It had changed a lot, his sses, skills and attributes all having undergone minor but significant changes. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Scion of Aeons Age: 12 Awaiting manifestation: Emblem Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 67 (+10%) crity: 63 (+10%) Intelligence: 69 (+10%) Willpower: 77 (+10%) Spirit: 80 (+10%) Charisma: 147 (+90%) Total Level: 50 Monster sses: 1/1 Scion of Aeons: 20/40 Skills: Gold Iron Physique / Sympathy from Experience / Consuming Aeons / Font of Life III / Tree of Respite / The Amber Path / Amber Aegis / Wood Maniption / Meditations on Eternity sses: 2/3 Inspiring Brawler: 10/20 Skills: Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess III / Fists of Awe Adept of Self-Restoration: 10/20 Skills: Surge of Life and Growth / Aura of Benevolence IV Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Grand Action / Legacy Attuned Items: 0 === He let his vision dim, slowly slipping into meditation even as he pushed and retracted vitality into his extremities. He breathed in, then out, pulsing his aura in time with every breath. The nerves began to fade, the uncertainty drifting into the back of his mind. Unbidden, he recalled the description of thest of his newly fused skill. === Meditations on Eternity: Aspects: Social (Time)*, Enhancement (Mind) (Body)* (Life)* Your words and actions carry with them the weight of the past. You have an improved memory, with significant events and experiences personally witnessed carrying a greater significance. You may create a one way telepathic link with those nearby. You may bestow your understanding through lessons learnt and experience gained from the past via metaphor and image. While meditating you recover both physically and mentally at a faster rate, and your ability to concentrate is improved while you are well rested. You may bestow this effect onto those resting nearby, though at a reduced efficacy. The longer you live, the more potent this skill''s effects. === [Wisdom of the Ages] and [Meditative Respite] had be [Meditations on Eternity], a highly exaggerated name for a simple little skill. It was both interesting, and quite amusing how many times the capstone skill of his [Amber Blight Spriggan] ss had changed its name. This was the third in almost as many months. Was it strange that his monster ss had given him such an odd ability as its capstone? Maybe, he didn¡¯t really have anything topare it against. He flexed his limbs, feeling the flowing life-force within. Of all his fusions, outside of his new aura, [Surge of Life and Growth] was his favourite. It had been a risk to use the [Adept of Self-Restoration] skill [Life-fused Fist] as a baseline for the fusion, but it had worked out just as he had hoped. [Embolden Vegetation] was a good skill, a really good skill. But the skill¡¯s main strength was the same as its main problem: immense synergy with his cultivated vitality. When used on himself, the skill would explosively mix with his life-force to heal his body and spur it to grow. Which was an incredibly potent effect, the skill having saved his life on several asions. But, it also did substantial amounts of damage to his body, the risk to his life almost outweighing the healing it provided. So he could have sat on the skill, kept it in his back pocket for just the right moment, then suffer the bacsh. Or, he could have fused it into something with more control, less overall power but far more constant use. Now the pool of cultivated energy, normally cid and unused except when healing his body or empowering his skills, was like a constantly moving stream within him. The life-force moved down one arm, then up into the next, strength and power flooding into each limb before quickly retreating. Leif stretched his fingers, then realised he had gotten himself distracted. The new skills and his [Charisma] scaling from [Inspiring Brawler] was a massive increase in power, potentially even more than his monster ss evolution. Leif¡¯s golden eyes flickered back to life under his mask, he leant back, looking up at the stone room¡¯s ceiling. He had almost forgotten perhaps the most important part of the level fifty advancement. He wasn¡¯t human. He was a monster. Whatever changes happened to monsters that passed this bottleneck werergely unknown to him, but those he did know, like gaining ess to normal sses he already had. He knew that whatever he was, the system likely ssified him as ¡®awakened¡¯. But what would that do to the advancement trial? Would he gain the option to awaken again? Or go down the other path? Could he incarnate, whatever that meant? And if he could, did he want to? ¡°I¡¯m psyching myself out of this again.¡± Leif said to the empty room, shaking his head and sitting back up. ¡°Fine, no more dying. System! Advance me!¡± Nothing happened, the system didn¡¯t respond to voice prompts. He sighed, then mentally triggered the advancement. Good luck! Begin advancement trial? Y/N Yes. He thought, and everything faded away. Chapter 136: Alternatives Chapter 136: Alternatives Commencing advancement trial! Experience the paths in life you did not walk! Passing this trial will break the level 50 bottleneck and allow for further advancement! Good luck! The world shifted back into focus, the unreality of the system space giving way to the well kept yard of a hilltop homestead. A man in in clothes knelt next to a partially deconstructed cart, his concentration on the task before him creasing his tanned features. The wheel was slotted into ce, then spun, then tightened. The man ran a hand through his dark hair, wiping away sweat and reaching for a tool at his side. Leif watched the stranger work, the scene slowly ying out before him under the midday sun. There was something about this person, something familiar. He looked around, taking in his surroundings with a keen eye- Wait, I can move? I thought this was a vision? He realised, ncing down to see his body. Leif raised a hand to his face and made contact with the painted mask. ¡°Are you going to say hello? Or will I be burdened with the start of this conversation?¡± The man asked, not looking up as he continued to work. Leif paused, ncing over his shoulder. There was no one there. He looked back at the man and their eyes met, flickering amber and human brown. In that moment Leif recalled how his sister and father had looked in his first advancement trial, their simr tanned skin, dark hair and brown eyes. His heart skipped a beat, the scion taking an involuntary step back.The man stood, dusting himself off and cing his hands on his hips. ¡°Well? Did turning into a tree monster rob you of the ability to speak? I¡¯m really not sure how this is supposed to go if we can¡¯tmunicate.¡± ¡°N-no, I can talk.¡± Leif said hesitantly. ¡°Are¡­ are you who I think you are?¡± ¡°Yes. No? Sort of? I¡¯m you, obviously different in several ways, but I think it would be urate to suggest we¡¯re more or less the same. It¡¯s just you¡¯re real, and I¡¯m a construct of the system.¡± The human Leif said. ¡°This is not what I thought the trial would be. I mean, I had heard of something simr happening to others, but I thought it would be simr to the first one.¡± Human Leif shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t say. I only have the memories and personality I should have. Now,e inside,e inside. We¡¯ll have more guests soon, but as I¡¯m the first and this is my house I¡¯ll show you around.¡± ¡°Your home?¡± Leif asked, following the other as he waved him inside. The interior of the home wasn¡¯t what he expected. Wheels, axles and sketches of carts and wagons littered the interior, the dining table was covered in notes and tools. ¡°Is this¡­ is this all yours?¡± ¡°Mine? No, no most of this is somebody else¡¯s.¡± He said, pulling out a chair, spinning it around and taking a seat. For a long moment neither spoke, both taking in the appearance of the other. ¡°Nice mask. It looks cool.¡± Silence stretched out again, Leif nced around the room, noticing that further details seemed to fade into the background, as if unimportant aspects of the scene. He wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, how to act. It was one thing confronting another aspect of yourself, but the man before him was so different, so alien that he was paralyzed with indecision. Finally he spoke, letting the first thing that came to mind slip from his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ Where are we? How is this¡­ how are you an alternative to my life?¡± ¡°Expected the Vin estate? That¡¯s understandable. I think somebody else will be better suited to answering that but I¡¯ll say what I can. We¡¯re in southern Varan, near the stretch of wilderness between the kingdom¡¯s territory and the imperial province of Cerres. As I said before, this is my home, though it looks more like a workshop at the moment.¡± Heughed. It sounded forced. Before Leif could respond the door swung open, a man in fine clothing with a sheathed sword at his hip strode inside. He took in the house''s interior with a sharp gaze, then looked imperiously down his nose at Leif and his other. ¡°What the hells is this? Why did the trial start in this dump and not the estate?¡± Leif stared at the man. It was him, just like how the house¡¯s owner was him. Their appearances were identical, but the manner in which they acted couldn¡¯t be more different. ¡°Hey, wee, take a seat if you-¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will.¡± The well dressed Leif said, sharp gaze stabbing into his masked counterpart with clear disgust. ¡°This is what we became? Truly? You don¡¯t even have the will to show your face? Pathetic.¡± ¡°Woah, hey! Settle down, no need to kick-start hostilities so soon. We have hours, maybe days before the trial starts breaking down.¡± Worker Leif said, raising his hands catingly. ¡°See? I told you there would be someone who could talk about the family estate better than I could.¡± Leif stared silently at the fuming version of himself. He considered his words, then spoke. ¡°Who are you? Did the system make a mistake? I don¡¯t think any version of me would be this¡­¡± ¡°Pompous?¡± Worker Leif asked with a snicker. ¡°Regal? Noble maybe?¡± ¡°The traitor and creature dare criticise me? You should know better than to speak down to your betters. I refuse to stay in this ce even a moment longer.¡± Noble Leif said, cing a hand on the pommel of his de and- The scene shifted, the world rippling, brightening before Leif found himself standing within thevish and well maintained gardens of the Vin estate. Worker Leif had materialised, still sitting onto an ornate bench backed by a flowering bush. The man wrinkled his nose as he took in their surroundings. ¡°This is the proper ce for us, for me. Not some dusty workshop or monster infested wastnd.¡± Noble Leif said with a sneer. ¡°Yeah, sure thing bud. Whatever you say.¡± Worker Leif replied. The real Leif spun around, taking in the estate, matching details with the vision he had seen from the first trial. It was identical, but just like the workshop, the scene seemed to fade into obscurity the further away it became, the unimportant details a blur to his perception. He snapped back to the present as the two human versions of himself continued their argument, but it wasn¡¯t them he was focusing on. A dark shape rose from the ground, their bark-like skin a te grey, their eyes a mix of red and gold with wed hands dripping blood into the perfectly trimmed grass at their feet. The life-force within the neer dwarfed the two human versions of Leif ten-fold, its aura one of overbearing, malicious authority. It growled, its deformed body hunching as if preparing to strike. ¡°What is this?¡± It hissed, the words rough as if they were being scraped over gravel. ¡°Why are we here?¡± ¡°Oh look, another failure. How many of our lives ended up with us losing our humanity?¡± The Noble said. ¡°Better to shed that weakness than live in ignorance.¡± The Monster hissed, lunging past Leif, ws extended, eyes zing. The world rippled as a gloomy forest overtook the estate, vines and moss clung to ebony trees, crimson moonlight filtering down through the canopy far above. The Worker¡¯s eyes went wide in panic as they scrambled back, the Noble swore and drew his de, bare steel glinting in the ethereal ambiance of the forest. Leif stepped forward, a pair of golden arms reaching out to grab the Monster. It thrashed against his restraints, its neck twisting unnaturally to re bloody murder back at him. ¡°You¡­¡± It hissed, voice low and threatening. ¡°Why do you hold me back? These have no concept of what we have lost, the pain we have lived through.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Leif said, looking at where the noble was standing, de drawn, and where the worker had slunk back into the shadows of the tree cover. ¡°But where is your control? Why would yoush out so quickly?¡± The Monster¡¯s face twisted into a snarl. ¡°Maybe you are more foolish than I had assumed. Where is your sense of survival? Why would you defend those who would cast us aside and hunt us as sport?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Leif said, stepping back as the monster shed at him with a growl. ¡°Guys, guys, please stop this.¡± The Worker said. ¡°I¡¯d rather this trial not turn into a bloodbath. I haven''t levelled up much since the war, hells I don¡¯t even have a weapon.¡± ¡°Did you leave your pride back in the workshop along with your spine?¡± The Noble asked. ¡°No man, I left that shit behind. Do you know how many people didn¡¯te home after the war?¡± Rain began to fall, slowly at first but rapidly picking up speed. Lightning shed in the distance, followed secondster by the low rumble of thunder. The world twisted once again, this time reforming into a rain slick alleyway, dancing shadows cast by flickeringmps. The Noble sniffed, stepping under a nearby roof overhang. The Worker shuffled in after him, the two squeezing together to stay out of the rain. The Monster growled, ws flexing as it eyed the urban surroundings with mistrust and hostility. Leif raised an amber arm to shield his face from the rain, turning to face the cause of thetest shift. An emotional void sat hunched against a nearby wall, long unkempt hair falling down over their grimy features, tattered clothing soaked through and clinging to emaciated features. They didn¡¯t say anything, hells, it didn¡¯t even seem like they had noticed the arrivals of the alternatives. Their life-force flickered, fitful and weak, not unlike the distant streetlights that struggled to stay lit under the increasingly heavy downpour. Leif quickly strode over to the neer, crouching down and extending a hand. The man flinched, letting out a cry as they twisted away from his touch. It was only then that Leif realised the man was missing a leg. Gods. Leif thought, hesitant to try again. What happened to us? ¡°Well, aren''t you all a merry band of failures.¡± The Noble said, pitching his voice to be heard over the rain. ¡°Do you mind if I change our location? You realise you could have picked clear weather and sunny instead of whatever this is?¡± ¡°I will never go back to that ce.¡± The Monster hissed, wed feet cracking the cobbled stone as they tensed. ¡°What about my workshop? It can be a neutral ground for this meeting.¡± The Noble made a snidement and the Monster hissed. Leif, still crouched by the side of the street let out a sigh. Then he focused, flexing his will, pressing his aura onto the faux space of the trial, twisting the world in ordance to his desire. Everything dissolved, the rain stopped falling, the buildings melted away. A momentter the five versions of himself appeared in the nk, featureless void that the system usually presented. ¡°Will this do?¡± Leif asked, standing as the Wretch let out a panicked gasp and retreated even further. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how any of you could possibly exist. What choices did you make that lead you in such different directions?¡± ¡°Yeah, this is good.¡± The Worker said, shaking his sleeves, sending water droplets flying. ¡°I am also curious how¡­ this happened. I only know vague details about all of you.¡± The man sent a sorrowful look at the Wretch. ¡°And I¡¯d really rather avoid conflict.¡± The Monster let out a low growl, then its ws partially retracted into its hands. ¡°Talk is cheap, I will not hesitate to carve the distance between us into your flesh.¡± Leif let out an exasperated sigh as he took in the four arrayed before him. Whatever this was, it certainly wasn¡¯t what he had expected from the level fifty trial. Something''s attention shifted, a certain part of the system taking note of the events that would transpire. Chapter 137: Duty Chapter 137: Duty Leif¡¯s golden eyes flickered between the four versions of himself the system had created, trying to wrap his head around just what he was seeing. He had said it out loud already, but he truly didn¡¯t understand how any of the people before him were possible. Is the system twisting things? Exaggerating to create a more challenging environment for the trial? And how is this supposed to go? We can physically interact with one another, are we supposed to fight it out? Somehow that doesn¡¯t feel right. The alternatives each stood, or in the case of the Wretch, sat. They watched him as he watched them, and it was fairly obvious he was supposed to take the next step. ¡°Somehow, you¡¯re all me. But what are we supposed to do? What can you tell me about yourselves?¡± ¡°I could tell you about your mistakes, about how you made the wrong choices and how they led you down a doomed path.¡± Noble Leif said, his scowl an almost permanent fixture on his face. ¡°But I suppose you already know how you failed, afterall, I would know how I would feel if I had my humanity stripped away.¡± ¡°You.¡± Leif said, pointing at the Noble. ¡°You are both the least interesting of the alternatives, and also the most confusing. I know what I am, who I am. Monster, human, it doesn¡¯t matter. I was never an asshole. Are you pretending to have a stick up your ass or was it a disease you caught?¡± ¡°Some of us know how to take responsibility, know how to prioritise what really matters.¡± The Noble spat back. ¡°If you had understood the value of family and duty you never would have died during the Enver war because you never would have be a soldier.¡± He gestured at where the Wretch was slumped on the ground. ¡°Better to be him than whatever you turned into. At least you would still be a person, albeit one who crumbled before adversity.¡± Leif felt his temper re, a heat rising within him at the Noble¡¯s words. It was a distinctly unusual sensation, his emotions were usually mellow and unobtrusive. He went to speak, but one of his alternatives beat him to it. ¡°This one mistakes decadence for adversity.¡± The monster hissed, flexing his misshapen arms and letting out a low growl. ¡°Better to be a monster than a cored dog. Did youe up with that speech yourself, or were you tutored in what to say?¡± The Noble¡¯s scowl deepened, his grip on the pommel of his sword tightening, his knuckles turning white from the force. He shot a nce at the Monster, his expression changing almost imperceptibly. Leif couldn¡¯t read the man¡¯s emotions, his aura control was too tight, but he thought he recognised the look of difort, of fear, or perhaps something else, flicker across his face. But he didn¡¯t reply, instead continuing to stare at Leif. In response to having his words ignored the Monster tensed, their grey body twisting in on itself as if readying for a fight. ¡°Stop.¡± Leif said, raising a hand at his monstrous alternative. ¡°You¡¯re too quick to resort to violence. Don¡¯t think I ept you as a possibility either.¡±It hissed at him, gold and red eyes flickering his barely concealed outrage. ¡°You dare defend that one?¡± It questioned, bloodied ws extending. ¡°He does not understand us, he barely understands himself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of you.¡± Leif replied, ring at his others from behind his mask. ¡°How about we change that? Who wants to exin themselves first?¡± Worker Leif awkwardly shuffled in ce, he opened his mouth, then closed it without speaking. The Wretch didn¡¯t even look up, their shaggy hair still dripping with condensation. ¡°I do not need to exin myself, not through words. If you wish to learn of my path, my pain, then we will fight. Strength is the only true measure of sess, strength is the only way you survive.¡± The Monster said, spreading their arms as if weing the challenge. The Noble scoffed, then spoke up. ¡°I will go first, since nobody else seems capable.¡± The world seemed to shift, then it paused, as if awaiting Leif¡¯s permission before transitioning the scene. He mentally epted, and then there were only two figures, him and the Noble. They were on a mountain pass, the ground was coated in a thinyer of snow, frost clinging to every surface. Laughter came from down the narrow path Leif and his alternative were standing upon, and a few momentster three people came into view. They had heavy packs slung over their shoulders, their heavy boots crunching the lightyer of snow with every step. One of the approaching trio spoke, and the other twoughed. ¡°What is this?¡± Leif asked, golden eyes locked on the approaching trio. ¡°The day you made a crucial mistake.¡± The Noble replied, likewise focused on the small group as they made their way closer. Each was young, male, in their early teens if Leif was to guess. Two of the boys had indistinct features, their faces hazy, as if he was trying to observe them through a partially smogged window. The final boy¡¯s appearance was clear, his tanned skin and dark hair a younger mirror to the Noble¡¯s own. One of the boys picked up the pace, their steps carrying them further up the mountainside with every bounding step. The other faceless boy let out a cry of outrage, then likewise sped up. The younger Leif tried to match their pace, but was unable to keep up. ¡°C¡¯mon Leif! Hurry up!¡± One of the boys called, turning and waving. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t..¡± The young Leif said, painting with exertion in between every word. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ have that many levels¡­ yet, my attributes are too low.¡± ¡°Pfft, you won¡¯t level without putting in the effort!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a [Fighter]... I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t level up through¡­ hiking.¡± Past Leif protested ¡°Everything gives experience, my dad said so.¡± The second, slightly slower boymented, hopping from foot to foot as if full to bursting with energy. The trio was close enough now that Leif could tell that they weren¡¯t real. They had no auras, no emotions he could sense. Unlike the Noble standing besides him, it was as if he was observing an illusion, or a paintinge to life. The scene shifted, the sun moving overhead as the day progressed into evening. The three boys set up camp atop a teau, their location partially covered by a shallow cave. They were lounging around, chewing on some sort of dried meat and passing around a water skin. The trio were chatting inanely,ughing and joking with one another. ¡°You know what¡¯s crazy?¡± One of the boys asked. ¡°One day, Leif will be head of our family. I don¡¯t know what to think about that.¡± The other boy snickered. ¡°I think you need to pay attention to your tutor to be named heir. Or was that a lie my dad told me?¡± ¡°I pay attention.¡± Young Leif said, trying to defend himself. ¡°Suuuure you do. Is that why youin about getting smacked so often?¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever. It¡¯s all stupid anyway, I¡¯m better with a sword than numbers anyhow.¡± ¡°Right, because [Noble]s spend all their time going around stabbing people.¡± One of the boys mocked. The Noble stepped up behind his younger counterpart, looking down with an imperious look on his face. ¡°Who are the two others? I can¡¯t see their faces.¡± Leif asked. ¡°Cousins, it¡¯s unimportant.¡± The Noble said, looking down as if anticipating a change. A chime came from past Leif¡¯s pack, but none of the boys noticed over the sound of the growing argument. The chime rang again, and this time young Leif looked around. ¡°Did you guys hear that?¡± ¡°No. What is it?¡± ¡°I dunno, it kinda sounded like a-¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The chime rang again, and this time the boys heard it clearly. ¡°Oh shit, it''s themunication crystal.¡± One of them said. ¡°Eh, just ignore it. It¡¯s probably just the adults being too worried.¡± The other said. Leif reached into his pack, rummaging through its contents and retrieving the crystal. ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, don¡¯t be a baby. Just ignore it, they¡¯ll just want to pester us.¡± ¡°Father said this was for emergencies.¡± Young Leif said, frowning down at the device. ¡°I should probably answer.¡± ¡°Boo hoo, Leif¡¯s a daddy''s boy now? I thought you wanted toe with us to get away from all the family nonsense? Just give it to me and forget about it, we have three days to ourselves, don¡¯t ruin it now.¡± The faceless boy reached out a hand, grasping for the crystal. ¡°Right¡­ It¡¯s probably nothing important anyway.¡± Young Leif said with a sigh. He moved to hand over the device. Time froze, the sceneing to a stop. ¡°This was your failure.¡± The Noble said, staring intently at the stilled exchange of themunication device. ¡°You knew what the right thing to do was, but you ignored it in favour of impressing some older cousins.¡± Leif didn¡¯t respond, he just looked at the younger, human version of himself. The uncertainty, the weariness from the ascent, the press of his lips. ¡°This was the moment you ruined your life. The moment everything went wrong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember this at all.¡± Leif said. ¡°That¡¯s the problem! You would still have your memories if you had kept your humanity, if you hadn¡¯t thrown everything away like a foolish-¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Leif cut his alternative off. ¡°In this situation, what did you do? And why was it important?¡± The Noble sneered, and time rewound. ¡°Boo hoo, Leif¡¯s a daddy''s boy now? I thought you wanted toe with us to get away from all the family nonsense. Just give it to me and forget about it, we have three days to ourselves, don¡¯t ruin it now.¡± The boy said, tone mocking. Young Leif scowled, the expression matching that of the older mirror that loomed over him. His eyes unfocused for a moment, then voices came from the device. They were high pitched and panicked sounding, several people all talking at once. ¡°-if, you ne- return. You- mother- incident- return quickly-¡± The words from the device were barely audible, the voice cutting in and out repeatedly. But enough got through for the message to be loud and clear. Young Leif tensed, his face going pale as his fingers gripped themunication device. The two other boys leaned in closer, their bodynguage going rigid. ¡°All you had to do was the right thing, the proper thing. But you didn¡¯t. Now watch how you should be, how you should have acted.¡± The Noble said. Young Leif scrambled for his pack, grabbing it and throwing it over his shoulder. The other boys called out questions, but he didn¡¯t reply. He ran from the campsite on shaky legs, making his way down the mountain in short sprinting bursts broken up with extended periods of rest. ¡°In your life, you stayed up on the mountain. You didn¡¯t know anything had gone wrong because you ignored your responsibility.¡± The scene shifted, young Leif now running along a road. A horse and wagon waited for him, the drivers looking surprised to see him at all. ¡°And do you know what it cost you? What your past selfishness made you lose?¡± The room was blurry, as if every detail except its centre waspletely unimportant. A bed, and a woman. Leif¡¯s past self dashed over to her, grabbing onto her hand and babbling incoherently. ¡°Mum! Mum!¡± He called after taking a deep breath, gripping her tighter. ¡°What happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The woman, his mother, unlike the other figures so far in the vision waspletely visible. She looked like an older via, her hair and eyes the same vibrant brown. But her face was gaunt, her skin pale and breathing uneven. She coughed, gaze unfocused as she blinked up at her son. ¡°Little Leif, is that you?¡± ¡°Mum! It¡¯s me, what- how- why are you hurt? Are you sick? Tell me!¡± ¡°Ah, a funny story.¡± She mumbled, her cracked lips pressing into a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Mum! Please, do you need water? Do you need medicine?¡± ¡°There is no medicine for this, Leif. This is the price of failure, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Please, I want to understand.¡± ¡°Family...¡± She said, a faint trickle of blooding from her mouth. ¡°Mum! No, Doctor! Somebodye quick!¡± Young Leif shouted,pletely frantic. ¡°Little Leif, your sister¡­¡± ¡°via? What about her? Stay with me mum.¡± ¡°Protect her, no matter what. Leif, don¡¯t let her end up like me, don¡¯t fail in your duties.¡± Her eyes sharpened as she gasped in a lungful of air. ¡°Whatever you do, you need to be strong enough, influential enough, powerful enough to never let her go. Never lose her.¡± ¡°Mum? I don¡¯t understand. Please, I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Leif, you need to lead this family. Even if you hate it, even if you hate me, you need to stay in control. Your father¡­ he isn¡¯t¡­ not bad, not like the others¡­¡± She coughed again, blood staining the sheets that covered her. ¡°I¡­ love you.¡± And then her eyes closed, her breathing slowed. Leif watched his past self run for the door, screaming for help, for anybody toe. A minuteter a pair of faceless doctors burst into the room, but the vision was beginning to fade. Leif looked from the still form on the bed to the Noble. His alternative¡¯s expression was grim, his eyes focused on some-ce distant and unknowable. ¡°I missed this?¡± Leif asked, struggling to keep his emotions in check. ¡°You did.¡± The Noble replied, fists clenched, the wordsing through grinding teeth. ¡°You did, damn you idiot. This¡­ this is what you lost.¡± Leif slumped to his knees, the space around himpletely devoid of details. ¡°What, what was her name?¡± ¡°Nicea.¡± ¡°Nicea, I see. What happened to her, why did she-¡± He choked on his words. ¡°Why did she die?¡± ¡°She failed her level twenty five advancement. She failed it badly. Nobody knows the details, we have no idea what she saw, what past choice she was confronted with.¡± The Noble said, tears running down his cheeks. ¡°And you weren¡¯t even there for her, you were up on a mountain ying adventurer. I hate you, I truly, truly hate you. Why the fuck couldn¡¯t you have acted like you were supposed to for once in your life?! Why did it all mean so damn little to you?!¡± Leif flinched, the words from his other striking a part of his soul he didn¡¯t know he had. The Noble stormed up to him, grabbing him by the cor and trying to lift him. Leif didn¡¯t even feel the attempt. The Noble spat to the side and shook Leif by the shoulders. ¡°Why? Why couldn¡¯t you have cared even a little? Would it have been so hard? Would it really have hurt you to¡­ to¡­ Fuck! Why don¡¯t you even remember your own mother! You didn¡¯t even know you had a father or sister until the system showed them to you! Why did you die and leave it all behind? Was it really too much? Was it really that much of a fucking burden? You inhuman trash! You sack of shit! I am better than you, my life is the correct one, my path is what we were meant to be-¡± His aura wavered, uncontrolled, and through the gaps in his projected identity Leif saw the truth, though it was one he had expected from the very beginning. ¡°Then why are you so damn miserable?¡± Leif said, cutting off his other mid rant. ¡°If you¡¯re so much better, so powerful, so dutiful, so righteous and correct? If you¡¯re all those things, then why are you lying to yourself? This isn¡¯t you! Isn¡¯t me! I¡¯m not some arrogant, self absorbed member of the nobility. I saw what I was like, used to be before I died. I can remember bare snippets, tiny fragments from the before. And I was nothing like you. I may have lost everything, friends, family, my humanity. But at least I wasn¡¯t pretending to be something else.¡± The Noble headbutted him, then screamed as his nose broke against Leif¡¯s mask. He jerked back, falling over as he clutched at his bleeding nose, the sudden rush of crimson mixing with his tears. ¡°I¡¯m not- I¡¯m not lying. I chose this path, this life. It was what she wanted, what was best for all of them! For via!¡± He curled in on himself, letting out a gargled cry as he swallowed down blood. ¡°She¡¯s alive! She¡¯s okay!¡± Leif said, standing on shaky legs. ¡°I don¡¯t know what mother was so scared of, what fate she thought would befall via if you weren¡¯t around to protect her. But our sister is alive. Hurting? Sure. Grieving? Yeah, but I can still make it better. I can return and maybe things will fix themselves.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. They¡¯ll hate you, try to hurt you. Even if you do everything right they¡¯ll still want more.¡± ¡°Will I be any worse off than you?¡± The Noble flopped over onto his back, forearm keeping the blood in as he pressed it to his nose. Heughed, it was wet and bloody. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really, really don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, if that¡¯s the case, why are you so arrogant, so prideful? If it¡¯s not you at all, why act like it is?¡± ¡°Because¡­ because pretending is the only way it doesn¡¯t hurt. The only way it doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m failing her final request. The only way they think I¡¯m the man they want me to be. Demand me to be.¡± Leif stood over his alternative, watching him spit up another mouthful of blood. Strangely enough he didn¡¯t feel any desire to heal the man. The Noble had done this to himself. ¡°It isn¡¯t fair! Why is it that I had to die to escape this life? Why can¡¯t I be myself without betraying everything I know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I won¡¯t pretend I understand your life when I clearly don¡¯t. But I¡¯ll try to make it better, to make it right, whatever that might be.¡± The Noble justughed hoarsely. ¡°Do you trust me enough to try? In your ce?¡± ¡°I¡­ I trust you enough to fail less than I did. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± Then he broke apart into a thousand shards of crystalline ss. Chapter 138: Defeated Chapter 138: Defeated Leif stared down at the shattered remains of the Noble, the tiny shards of crystal reflecting light that didn¡¯t exist within the empty world of the trial. Was that supposed to happen? He wondered. Or was he just that fragile? Was the simted ego really so weak, so easy to break? ss crunched, the sound jolting Leif from his contemtion. The monster took another step, wed feet crushing the crystalline remains. ¡°Weak.¡± It hissed, shifting to grind the shards of crystal into the featureless floor. ¡°As was to be expected.¡± ¡°He was living the life he was born to live¡­¡± Leif said. ¡°But he hated it, forced himself to embody the person who wouldn¡¯t.¡± He looked around. The Worker and the Wretch were off to the side, thetter looking sorrowful, the former despondent. ¡°Yes.¡± The Monster growled. ¡°Now dispatch of the next weakest, shatter them like you did the Noble, prove that humanity is the cause of all our problems. Both our own, and the beings we once called kin.¡± Leif ignored them, striding over to where the Worker was patiently waiting, careful not to step on the fragments of the Noble as he did so. The Monster leered, letting out a low whistle of anger. ¡°What of you two? Why are you the way you are? How did ite to this?¡± The Worker smiled forlornly, the lines of his face creasing, his eyes not meeting Leif¡¯s own. ¡°Nothing so harrowing for me. I¡¯m afraid of all of us, I¡¯m the boring one.¡± ¡°Boring? I somehow doubt that. Where do we diverge? Did you leave the family as I once did? Did you join the army as an officer? Fight the envers that invaded Varan?¡± A gasp came from the side, the Wretch¡¯s eyes had shot open, his manic expression ring up at them as if realising their existence for the first time. ¡°No.¡± He whispered. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go back. I don¡¯t want to lose them again. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t I can¡¯t I can¡¯t I CAN¡¯T!¡± The Wretch was screaming by the end, arms shielding his face, his one leg kicking out as if to defend himself from an invisible foe. It was a pitiable sight, the man¡¯s aura was a chaotic mess of emotions and intentions, as if his mind and soul were trapped somece far away from his body. ¡°Silence his wailing or I will do it myself.¡± The Monster said, prowling forward. Leif whirled on the Monster, once again reaching out to restrain its bloodlust. The scene flickered, and once more they found themselves within the forest. It sneered, their blood red ws extending, dripping, flowing into des made of crimson liquid. The Worker took a step back, panicked as the intent to kill began to radiate off the Monster. It¡¯s presence was not unlike Leif¡¯s own before he fused his aura. But the Monster¡¯s authority was like that of a tyrant, a predator, one¡¯s who¡¯s very nature gave them the right to brutality and bloodshed. ¡°I grow tired of this game.¡± It growled, its te grey body rippling as it grew. The Monster¡¯s vaguely humanoid appearance twisting and morphing into something unrecognisable. Blood cloaked their elongated arms and legs, jutting out at random, the spiky protrusions glinting under the bare trickle of moonlight filtering down through the canopy. Now half the size of the being before him, Leif flexed his will, four pairs of amber arms bursting from his clothing, their glow bathing the small forest clearing in a golden ambiance. ¡°Exin yourself! Who are you? And why the hells are you in my trial?¡± ¡°I am you, a stronger you, a more primal you. One who shed their weakness and now walks the path of true power!¡± The Monster roared down at him, the being¡¯s voice making the nearby tree¡¯s quake, their leaves rustling as if trembling in fear. The Worker grabbed the Wretch and tried to pull him away. The crippled alternative let out a cry of panic andshed out, striking the Worker in the side of his head, sending the man sprawling. An [Amber Aegis] sprung up around both human alternatives, the golden glow of the clearing intensifying. ¡°Why protect them? Why? Do you realise how much it limits you? Why bother letting them close? Why bring those who mean you harm into your life?¡± ¡°I am stronger because of those I connect with. It allows me to learn, grow, expand my horizons in ways impossible without them.¡± Leif replied, taking a step to the side as the Monster began to circle him. A spear of blood shot out for one of the humans behind him. Leif snapped out an amber fist and caught the projectile, he crushed it with his grip. ¡°Learn?¡± The Monsterughed, the sound more like a low, rumbling cackle. ¡°Yes, I too learnt much from humans. I learnt how much they fear, and what that fear drives them to do.¡± ¡°What happened when you met the expedition?¡± Leif asked, keeping himself between the Monster and the other alternatives. ¡°Or, perhaps, you never met them? You have golden eyes, at least partially, so when did our paths diverge? What mistake did you make that-¡± Something gripped Leif by the leg. Startled, he nced down, and the scene shifted. But it wasn¡¯t the Monster¡¯s doing. Soldiers, faceless one and all milled around the courtyard. Dozens of squads of twelve stood in formation. None of them were real, they possessed no physicality nor presence. Leif stared down at the one being in the vision other than himself that possessed both. The Wretch clung to Leif¡¯s leg, his eyes wide and confused. ¡°What did you do?¡± Leif asked ,having to raise his voice to be heard over the sound of orders being shouted. The Wretch didn¡¯t respond, their breathing in short, sharp inhtions as he took in their surroundings. A group emerged from a nearby building, one of their number immediately arresting Leif¡¯s attention. It was him. Older than he had been during thest vision, or even the previous advancement trial Leif hadpleted. The young man was in histe teens, hair cropped short and eyes firm. At a nce Leif thought he looked stressed, his muscles tensed and his calm expression forced. The new group, each wearing more formal uniforms lined up before the soldiers. Then, one by one, their names were called, and the squad they were being assigned to shouted out for everyone in the courtyard to hear. ¡°No.¡± The Wretch whispered. ¡°Not again.¡± Leif ced a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, he flinched away, but his grip on Leif¡¯s leg only tightened. It was as if the Wretch was clinging to him for support, while at the same time seemingly unable to get too close. ¡°Captain Leif Vin! You are assigned to squad seventeen. From this day forward they are your responsibility. May you lead them well in the battles toe!¡± A faceless officer yelled. The past Leif stepped forward and his faceless squad saluted. The scene shifted. Firelight danced across the nearby tents as smoke rose into the evening air from a hundred different sources. Leif sat with his squad, a cup in his hands as he listened to theirughter and banter. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± One of the soldiers was saying. ¡°Big guy, easily twice, no, three times my sizees sauntering up to me like he owns the bar. Right, so he asked me what I think I¡¯m doing and¡­¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The grip around Leif¡¯s leg tightens. ¡°This is¡­ this is some time before the battle.¡± He said. ¡°The battle...¡± The Wretch replied, his voice breaking. ¡°They followed me. I lead them all to their deaths.¡± ¡°Captain sir!¡± A tall faceless soldier said, the man giving an awkward salute. ¡°What is it, Heffnir?¡± Past Leif asked. ¡°The provisions are checked, captain sir!¡± ¡°Oh, great. Take a seat, you can rx, you know?¡± ¡°Yes captain sir!¡± ¡°Just one or the other is fine, Heffnir. You don¡¯t need to use both at once.¡± ¡°Hey captain sir!¡± Another soldier calls, the tone of his voice making it clear she was joking. ¡°Could you pass the sack, yeah that one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t eat all of them.¡± Past Leif warned as several of his squad mates started pulling what looked like fist sized chunks of bread from the sack. ¡°No danger of that captain sir, these taste like rocks.¡± ¡°About as hard too.¡± Leif firmed his emotions. He no longer knew the people present in the vision, but from how his past self¡¯s expression lit up as he listened to their chatter, he could tell that he had once cared deeply for these people. ¡°They all died because of me. Because of me.¡± The Wretch said, voice barely above a whisper. ¡°It was war.¡± Leif said. ¡°Weren¡¯t they defending their homes? Their families? The envers would have taken all that away if nobody had fought, killed far more than died fighting.¡± ¡°No.¡± The Wretch said. ¡°No?¡± The scene shifted again, this time to the interior of arge, ornate tent. A rounded table sat in the centre of the tent, its surface covered in a topographic map of two hills and the valley between them. Over thirty people were crowded into the tent, each in armour. ¡°We attack in the hours after sunset. The [Seer]s have confirmed heavy rainfall, and that will cover the sound of our approach. The omens too are favourable, four out of six from a [Trainee].¡± A woman in ornate armour said, her hand syed out on the table. ¡°The enved legion is creating fortifications within the valley, but their work will be hampered by the weather. A single, decisive offensive will cede control over the centre of the valley to our forces. With their formations broken the enemy will be vulnerable.¡± ¡°Here here!¡± Several senior officers called, nging their fists against their breasttes. ¡°We need volunteers for the squads who will be part of the initial attack. Captains, state your intentions now, or forever give up this glory.¡± Leif peered through the crowded tent, catching sight of his past self pressed up against the far wall of the tent. I¡¯m going to volunteer. He thought. A strange kind of certaintying over him. His memories from thest hours of his human life were vague, more blur of darkness and confusion than anything coherent. But he felt confident that his past self had volunteered for the offensive. And he was correct, although every captain in the tent did the same. But with each squad that was selected to take part in the offensive, his never was. ¡°You didn¡¯t take part in the attack.¡± Leif said, speaking out loud for the Wretch to hear. ¡°And because of it you survived.¡± ¡°Survived...¡± The Wretch repeated. ¡°Was it just luck? Was luck the reason you lived through this battle and I didn¡¯t?¡± The scene shifted, rain fell in heavy sheets down on a muddy and churned battlefield. Corpses and discarded weapons littered the ground, blood mixing with water and dirt to vanish into the background of the carnage. Past Leif ran, his squad arrayed out behind him. They shed with a group of dark-d enved, the ringing of steel on steel all but drowned out by the storm overhead. asionally shes of multicoloured light lit the battlefield, the skills refracting off the falling drops of rain to briefly turn the world into a chaotic rainbow. A faceless soldier fell, cut down by their opponent. Past Leif yelled and charged forward, fending off two enemies at once as he sought to exact vengeance. The skirmish was won, but another began almost immediately afterwards. ¡°Captain sir!¡± The tall soldier, Heffnir yelled. ¡°Where is the frontline? Was a retreat called?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! What are the res saying?¡± ¡°The codes are all wrong, it doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Another soldier said. ¡°Shit.¡± Past Leif swore, turning with his sword drawn. ¡°We need to regroup with our allies or we¡¯ll be sitting ducks out here.¡± His expression was hard, hair slick against face from the downpour. The squad, only eight now, started moving in the direction of a nearby flurry of activity when they were set upon by small dog sized monsters. The ants swarmed over the mud, mandibles cking, their obsidian forms nearby invisible against the muddy field. Skills shed, soldiers screamed. Leif fought, hacking and shing at the swarm of ants. Then one dashed forward, and severed his leg with a savage bite. Past Leif didn¡¯t cry out as he fell, instead it looked as though the shock of the maiming had temporarily stunned him. Heffnir yelled, rushing forward to spear the monster as it backed away. The battle continued, men and women fell. Heffnir reached down and grabbed Leif, hauling him up onto his back. The tall soldier screamed amand and what was left of the squad obeyed. They retreated, fleeing into the night. The scene shifted, the chaos of the night being reced by the damp mist of the morning. The squad of four trudged through a field, carrying two wounded between them. Leif was one of them, he was unconscious and limp, but still breathing. His leg having been tied up with impromptu bandages. The sun rose over a nearby hill, the mist burning away as the dawn light washed over thend. The soldiers looked around, searching for danger, or perhaps for allies. They found thetter. A hundred horsemen emerged from a nearby crop of trees, their spears pointed towards the sky as they rode. The squad copsed, exhausted and wounded. Leif watched in confusion as a small group of cavalry detached, making their way towards where his past self and his men were located. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Leif said. ¡°I thought you said they all died? But that clearly isn¡¯t what happened.¡± ¡°Watch.¡± The Wretch rasped, his eyes staring nkly at the scene before them. ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± One of the riders yelled. ¡°Squad seventeen, or what''s left of us.¡± Heffnir replied, the man sounded exhausted, but his relief shined through. ¡°What is this?¡± One of the riders asked, unlike the others they weren¡¯t armoured. ¡°More deserters? Round them up, they will be held ountable for the defeat our forces suffered today!¡± ¡°W-what? S-sir that¡¯s not!¡± Several of the horsemen dismounted, their spears now pointed at Leif¡¯s former squad. One by one his men surrendered, their protests went ignored and their exnations of innocence unheard. Past Leif¡¯s eyes fluttered open as he fell to the ground, Heffnir no longer able to carry him with his arms bound in chains. He gasped out what may have been a question, but nobody replied. ¡°Take that one, they¡¯re a captain by the looks of it.¡± The unarmoured man said, gesturing at Leif. ¡°Put that one out of their misery, it¡¯s the humane thing to do.¡± A spear fell, an unmoving soldier died. ¡°What¡­ What is this?¡± Leif asked, looking on in disbelief. ¡°This can¡¯t be right, what on earth is happening?¡± The Wretch shook, in rage or fear Leif couldn¡¯t tell. The scene shifted, a dirty cell and its dirtier upants. Then again, a gallows and two dozen men and women lined up before it. ¡°What is this?¡± Leif asked, even more frantic. ¡°Answer me! Why is this happening?¡± The past, leg-less Leif was forced to watch as his surviving squad was hung. He grabbed the Wretch, pulling him up by the cor as the world faded around them. He shook his alternative. ¡°What the hells was that? Why would they do that? Answer me, damn you!¡± ¡°They needed someone to me.¡± The Wretch rasped. ¡°They used what they found.¡± Then his body turned into transparent crystal and shattered. The ss shards fell through Leif¡¯s fingers as the scion stood stunned, unable toprehend what he had just witnessed. Chapter 139: Dignity Chapter 139: Dignity It didn¡¯t feel real, and perhaps, maybe, that was because it wasn¡¯t. Could the system really know? How urate were these projected futures? Were they divergent realities somehow split from the main path at specific points in time? Or were they merely illusions meant to test his character and nature? Leif wanted to be sick, he felt hollowed out, empty, paralyzed with indecision and uncertainty. His shocked, despondent reverence ended when something smashed into him from behind. An impact rocked his body as he was sent tumbling, flying through the empty void of the trial space, rolling over featureless ground, crashing against the base of a moss covered tree. Moonlight filtered down from above, crimson and angry, as blood writhed in angry patterns, slithering towards him like serpents seeking prey. In the centre of the clearing stood the Monster, their towering form wreathed in sanguine shadows. A deformed fist, easily the size of Leif¡¯s torso was outstretched from when it had struck him, in the other was the limp form of the Worker. A pair of golden eyes locked onto burning red as the forest slowly returned to silence. ¡°Do you understand yet?¡± The Monster asked, its rumbling voice dripping with mockery. Leif didn¡¯t respond. A spear condensed above the Monster, then shot forward, pinning the scion against the tree as his torso was prated throughpletely. ¡°Do you see why this path of yours is doomed?¡± Another spear fell, this one punching through his gut, stabbing into the roots behind him. Leif¡¯s gaze never left that of the Monster. A third spear fell, and the scion moved his head to the side, the crimson conjuration carving an inch into his skull. The wound immediately began to heal. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to show me a vision? Show me where our paths diverge?¡± Lief asked, his tone t and emotionless. ¡°Why bother?¡± It replied, stepping forward, letting the unmoving form of the Worker fall to the forest floor like a discarded doll. ¡°You already know, you knew the moment you saw me.¡± Spears formed above the Monster, their edges bing jagged and cruel as they fanned out like a crown above its head. ¡°You went home.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, more a nd acknowledgement of fact. ¡°I went home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry you went through that.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sorry you did not!¡± It spat, the spears plummeting down to impale,cerate, maim and kill. Leif¡¯s vision went ck, the distant sensation of physical stimtion he felt instead of pain falling away as parts of his body were ripped apart. He came to what could have been an eternityter, but was likely only moments, his ruined form being dragged through the mud. Leif was lifted, then smashed down into a nearby tree. Wood splintered as a crack resounded through the forest. His body rose into the air, then was brought down once more. Again and again he was driven down into the devastated remains of the tree. The Monster let out a howl of triumph, then flung Leif with enough force that the parting of the air made a cracking sound not unlike a bone snapping, or maybe that was the dozen branches he crashed through, splintering them under the sheer power behind his momentum. Leifnded, the impact creating a crater out of dirt and undergrowth. Hey face down in the dirt unmoving even as his broken body rapidly stitched itself back together. His cultivated vitality surged within him, eager and willing to act even when he himself was not. This is worse than when the ice elemental blew up right next to me. Leif mused, his arm regrowing out of the socket it had been ripped out of, his legs being reshaped in ordance to the pattern he had forged them into after his evolution. It was so hard to get my body¡¯s healing to not revert the changes I made to it. He reflected, life-force flowing into his newly remade fingers. Compacting andpressing all that mass was such a pain in the ass. Something approaching him made the ground quake. It sure is nice of the system to so faithfully recreate a forest environment, right down to the vitality wriggling through the soil. ¡°Giving up so soon?¡± The Monster growled, its colossal form looming above Leif. The scion flipped over onto his back, looking up into the alien face of his alternative. ¡°Thanks, I needed that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I haven''t been able to see how effective my self-healing had be, it¡¯s not really something I could test in Ahle-ho, and nobody goes so far in the practice duels to actually do serious damage. I would always yield if my opponent got enough good attacks in.¡± ¡°What are you bbering on about?¡± ¡°The world is full of terrible people. They¡¯re violent and hateful. Angry and spiteful. But I¡¯ve met a lot of good, honest people. People who were willing to help me even when they knew what I really am. Did you ever encounter-¡± A foot smashed down into his head, pulverising it into the already churned ground. ¡°I¡¯m angry, confused, and if I¡¯mpletely honest with myself- appalled with what I¡¯ve seen in this trial so far.¡± Leif continued, telepathically. ¡°SILENCE!¡± The Monster roared, its footing down once again, the impact shaking the world. ¡°But I¡¯m still going home. But I¡¯m not going to rush it, I¡¯m going to do it right. I¡¯ll being equipped with knowledge, information and allies. Hells, I may even be able to pass for a human by the time I get there. Wouldn''t that be funny?¡± ¡°Anyone who would willingly walk into a trap is a fool, unworthy of the life they live! I will never allow myself to do such a thing. I will cripple you, break you, cause you to fail this trial. You will forever be stuck as you are, never able to advance!¡± The Monster took a step back, leering down at Leif as if to observe its triumph. Two amber eyes stared back up at it. A dozen spikes of blood drove down into the scions body, stabbing and constricting Leif. Then they hauled him up out of the crater, sying his limbs as if to examine a fresh kill. ¡°Out of curiosity, what sses do you have? You clearly have more [Might] than me, but I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t go the [Charisma] route. How synergistic are your skills and perks?¡± ¡°You will die curious.¡± ¡°No.¡± Leif said, flexing his body even as it was pulled apart in several directions at once. ¡°No?¡± Vitality he harvested from the ground, roots and trees zed to life within Leif, every crack, wound and gash in his body ring with amber light and renewed strength. Golden arms burst from his body, then grabbed onto the tethers of blood and began to drain. Life-force, rich and nourishing flooded into him as he fell. Leif kicked off the moment hended, dashing forward to drive an ivory fist into the alternative¡¯s leg. Roots and branches whipped up and around Leif, the blur of movement enough to veil his location from the Monster¡¯s counter attack. The colossal fist swiped through the air but found nothing. Lief struck the creature from behind, then again and again as conjured limbsshed out in unison. The Monster screamed in fury, striking out with heavy blows. Leif vanished in a stream of golden light, appearing behind it and once again driving a series of powerful strikes into his alternative¡¯s back. He regretted then, that this was a virtual space. He may have been able to rank up thergely neglected [Font of Life] from just this one encounter otherwise. Would defeating a foe of this strength grant him significant experience? If this was the outside world how many levels would he gain? Leif drove a fist into the Monster¡¯s side, sending the creature staggering from the sheer force behind the blow. A fist sized indent remained, and it didn''t heal. What are my effective attributes right now? [Consuming Aeons] provides a sixty percent increase, and then I¡¯m putting twenty percent of my [Charisma] attribute into [Might], and after my [Inspiring Brawler] perks and skills¡­ Leif shook his head in an attempt to clear it. I can¡¯t have my mind wondering. Focus, even if it hurts, focus until this is done. He ducked a wild backhand, blocked a rain of blood spears and parried a barrage of frenzied charges. There was no grace to the Monster¡¯s movements, no skill or finesse. Leif was rarely ustomed to being the speedierbatant, but he found himself running circles around the Monster. Leif reached out with his will, calling a nearby tree to uproot itself and fall onto his opponent. Branches twisted into spears, then with an infusion of vitality they sted towards the Monster, streaks of gold through the night. A tide of blood answered his attack, only for a portion of the liquid to flow into Leif¡¯s body. The will that controlled the blood was crushed by [Consuming Aeons], then it flooded through his body at the behest of [Surge of Life and Growth]. A fist of amber-infused ivory met a giant hand of blood-coated grey. Leif''s was stronger. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. === Leif dragged the withered husk that was his alternative through the woods, the Monster¡¯s unmoving body creating a furrow in the ground. The world slowly faded into nothingness, the empty in of the trial washing away the scene of destruction. The Worker coughed weakly at Leif¡¯s approach, the man¡¯s eyes struggled to focus as he blinkednguidly. Leif dropped the Monster, letting the drained, almost-corpse of the thing fall to the ground with a dull thud. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Leif asked, kneeling down next to the man. ¡°Ugh.¡± The Worker said, ¡°I think¡­ I think my ribs are broken.¡± Leif reaches out and ces a golden palm to his chest. Healing energy trickled into the alternative, guided to where it needed to be through deft skill and more than a little experience. ¡°A healer, you know, that isn¡¯t a bad path, not bad at all.¡± Leif huffed in amusement. ¡°Is it better than¡­ whatever you were doing? Cart maintenance?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m a savvy business manager, the carts are more of a hobby.¡± ¡°Your house looked more than a little dedicated to the hobby.¡± The Worker grinned, his breathing no longerboured. The smile faltered when he looked past Leif and saw the shrivelled body of the Monster. ¡°Gods, not to be rude, but why haven''t you killed that thing yet?¡± ¡°I wanted to hear your thoughts first. See if your perspective on them is any different from mine.¡± ¡°I feel pity. Some other things too, but mostly pity.¡± ¡°Mhmm, we¡¯re the same then.¡± Leif said, sitting back, leaning against the Monster¡¯s bulk for support. ¡°We¡¯re the same person, even if it¡¯s hard to see that sometimes.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The two of them remained in silence for a while, Leif contemting all he now knew, the Worker giving him the space to think. ¡°You seem a lot better put together than the rest of them, so where do we diverge?¡± ¡°During Military training in Varan city. I got myself assigned to logistics instead of bing a squad captain.¡± Leif blinked. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all it took for you to survive the war in one piece?¡± The Worker shrugged. ¡°I told you I was the boring one. I can show you if you want, but I wouldn¡¯t rmend it.¡± ¡°Oh, why is that?¡± ¡°I think¡­ I think it will make you sad.¡± Leif didn¡¯t respond to that. He considered the Worker¡¯s words, and realised he was likely correct. Watching his past selves undergo trials and turmoil had left him, if not stable, then emotionally callused, distant in an effort to process what he had witnessed. How would he react to seeing himself live a normal life? He didn¡¯t know, or rather, he suspected he did, Leif just didn¡¯t want to confront it. ¡°Are you happy?¡± The Worker asked. ¡°As a¡­ you know, as you currently are?¡± ¡°Happy.¡± Leif said, looking up into the featureless sky. ¡°Almost. There are parts of my new life I enjoy, parts I find contentment in. I heal the sick and infirm, and in doing so I frustrate and even anger those who make their living by exploiting those very people. That¡¯s quite a lot of fun.¡± The Worker snickered. ¡°Hells yeah, stick it to them. Bunch of pricks. If I was a tree monster person, I¡¯d do the same thing. The noble houses, the healing orders, even some of the merchant and adventurer guilds. Those with power always find a way to screw it up for everyone else. I¡¯m d I stepped away from that life.¡± Theypsed into silence once again. ¡°I want to see it. Your life. I know¡­ or I think it¡¯ll hurt. But I don¡¯t think the trial will bepleted to my satisfaction without seeing it.¡± The Worker smiled, a sorrowful hint to his expression. ¡°Are you sure? You could just kill me and end it. That¡¯s a perfectly valid way of advancing.¡± ¡°Show me. Please.¡± The Worker nodded, and the scene changed. === Leif and the Worker stood and watched as a younger Leif, still in the military school in Varan city, escaped from the suffocating duties of the endless drills and discipline training sessions. The young man stumbled into a warehouse. There he found somebody who was trying to escape just as he was, only for different reasons. In the vision she is faceless, but far from emotionless. Leif watched as his younger self subjected himself to endless lectures about the intricacies of cart and wagon engineering. The scenes shift, and their friendship slowly blooms into something else, something more. They are no longer retreating to the warehouse full of failed engineering projects and half disassembled carts to escape their different duties, but instead for each other¡¯spany. Leif watches as his younger self applies for the position of a logistics officer, and is rejected. At the request of the girl he tried again, and is rejected once more. On his third attempt, the day before squad selections past Leif managed to convince the grouchy higher up. The war passes, and Leif never seesbat with the envers. The battle he sees is with bandits and paperwork. When the war ends he epts an invite to the Vin estate, and rejected their demands that he return to the family. The verbal battle that ensues is more violent than any he had witnessed during the war. Leif and the Worker watch in silence as the younger Leif, now definitely a prior version of the Worker, reunites with the girl, now a woman, who inadvertently saved his life. The scene skips ahead, bare shes of moments as time passes. There¡¯s a business, a home, a marriage, a child. When the world fades back into the featureless void, amber tears are staining the interior of Leif¡¯s mask. ¡°See?¡± The Worker said, his smileforting. ¡°I told you it would hurt.¡± ¡°It does.¡± Leif said, the sound more a gasp than a coherent sentence. ¡°Was, was your child a son or a daughter?¡± The worker shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It matters to me.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to the trial. I¡­ I don¡¯t know the answer, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You really aren¡¯t real then, just a projection.¡± ¡°A bit of both, I believe.¡± The worker said. ¡°Leif, now that you¡¯ve seen my life, the life you could have possibly lived, how do you feel?¡± Leif didn¡¯t respond, he simply looked down at his hands. His clothing was in tatters, much of his body was stained in blood and debris from the battle in the forest. ¡°I would have had a kid.¡± He said, not answering the question. ¡°Maybe, what you¡¯ve seen aren¡¯t the only possibilities, only the most¡­ significant, the most pertinent.¡± ¡°Unlike the past, the future isn¡¯t predetermined.¡± ¡°Yes, I think you know more about that than me though. I¡¯m just a small business owner.¡± ¡°You¡¯re far more than that.¡± Leifughed. ¡°A father. A husband. A human.¡± ¡°All true, and I¡¯m happy because of it. This may sound wrong, but I don¡¯t think I would ever trade the life I have now for the one you now live.¡± Leif took off his mask, letting the painted wood fall to the perfectly nk floor. ¡°That¡­ that''s fair. It¡¯s funny, I have aplex about having¡­ offspring, I guess is the right word. The species I was reproduces in a very¡­ unsavoury way. But maybe, maybe things won¡¯t be like that anymore. I don¡¯t even know how any of this really works, it doesn¡¯t help that apparently I¡¯m alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need to grow a flower and ask a bee politely? Or drop a bunch of fruit onto the ground? Spread your seed or whatever?¡± ¡°Very funny. I don¡¯t think I flower, at least I haven''t yet. Maybe back at Far-reach things are different.¡± ¡°So, what is your conclusion? Can you ept things as they are?¡± The Worker asked. ¡°I¡­ I can. I¡¯m jealous, and if this was the me from just after my rebirth I think I would even hate you for the life you lived. But¡­ there are things I can do now that I could never do before. Maybe the world will look different when I¡¯ve lived for longer than most people? I have Lani and Bam, all the people back by the domain tree who are relying on me. Maybe my sense of self importance is too high, or potentially misced, but I¡¯ve inherited a legacy of some not insignificant importance.¡± The Worker pped his hands together. ¡°That¡¯s great! You need to focus on what you can do now. I¡¯m sorry for showing you what I did, but I¡¯m d you see things like that.¡± ¡°Right, thank you. What do we do now?¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a bit anticlimactic, but I think I just need to-¡± The Worker goes still, then his body transforms into clear crystal. For several moments Leif waited for it to shatter like the other alternatives, but the Worker remained,plete and smiling. Leif ced a hand on his shoulder and looked into the man¡¯s eyes. He let out a sigh, mostly of relief and wariness, then turned back to the still prone form of the Monster. Red eyes red back at him. ¡°You¡¯re thest one. I suppose that makes you the strongest.¡± Leif said, crossing his arms. ¡°Why haven''t you finished me off? Do not tell me you¡¯re too soft for even that?¡± It growled. ¡°I am not. I wanted to at least hear yourst words. Give you what little dignity I could.¡± ¡°Dignity¡­ I have none left. It was stripped from me well before our meeting.¡± ¡°I see. Any advice?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t listen even if I told you, damn fool.¡± Then the Monster shattered into crystalline shards, and the system popted his vision with messages. But they weren¡¯t the ones he was expecting. Congrattions! You havepleted the initial stages of the level fifty advancement trial! You must now make a choice about your path! Error! Choice has already been made! Error! No choice recorded! Error! Choice has already been made! Warning! Deviation in progression path detected! Warning! Rewards for trialpletion may be altered or nullified! Error! Unable to grant trial rewards! What on earth? ¡°Ohh, sorry about all this! It happens sometimes, rarely but it does happen. I¡¯d apologise, but it¡¯s really not my fault.¡± Leif spun, a man made out of crimson light stood before him. The figure waved. ¡°Hi there, long time no see. It¡¯s been what, over a year since your first evolution? Congrats on the second one by the way, we haven''t seen one of your kind for over a millennia! Feels like old times.¡± Chapter 140: Oversights Chapter 140: Oversights Leif stared at the figure made of crimson light, a sketch of a smile stretched across their otherwise undetailed face. ¡°Who- or what are you?¡± He asked, both on guard and alert at the figure''s sudden appearance. ¡°Hmmm, little me? Give it a few seconds, you¡¯ll remember. I think so at least.¡± The red ghost said, its smile widening. ¡°I don¡¯t- wait¡­¡± Leif said, a veil that had been ced over his memories being drawn back. He remembered his first evolution, of going over the different options and ultimately deciding to go with [Amber Blight Spriggan]. But a second, previously hiddenyer to that memory was now revealed, Leif saw himself engaging in conversation with the entity that now stood before him, how he had been congratted, consoled, and told that he wouldn¡¯t remember. ¡°You- you put me down this path.¡± He half stated, half used. ¡°I did no such thing! I am an overseer, I can only observe, measure and record.¡± It said, raising the bare outline of what could be arms as if in defence. ¡°Yes¡­ You said the same exact thingst time.¡± Leif recalled, unwilling to lower his guard. It was highly unnerving to realise that his memories had been altered, doubly so now that his ability to recall past events had been further enhanced by a skill. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you? Harsh, a little rude, but fair. A lot of the beings I interact with don¡¯t understand me, it¡¯s one of my life¡¯s great tragedies.¡± The ghost mumbled, dejectedly. Leif¡¯s vision briefly flicked to the system notifications he had received, the ones repeatedly dering that an error had been made. ¡°What does the system mean that the trial rewards may be nullified or altered? Is this your doing?¡± ¡°No, no. That¡¯s a standard message, everyone in your kind of situation sees it. Though I do think it¡¯s worth pointing out that it''s quite rare for anyone to actually get to this point. You are almost unique in that regard. Madness, death, those are the mostmon oues. I know you have many questions, but before you barrage me with them I should point out that my ability to share information is heavily restricted. It is my nature I¡¯m afraid, believe me when I say that fact upsets me more than it does you.¡± Leif took a step back, mentally readjusting to the conversation. ¡°I kept thinking that there was something wrong whenever I re-entered the space the system uses for evolution and promotion. I kept thinking that something was missing, that was because you were absent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you. And it¡¯s as I said during our first meeting, it¡¯s because of cracks, metaphorical cracks. Sometimes I can slip through, sometimes I cannot.¡± The overseer said. ¡°Cracks¡­¡± Leif said, his gaze returning to the system notifications. ¡°You mean the errors? Are those the cracks?¡± ¡°They are.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong? With the system I mean. I know errors are rtivelymon,mon enough that people study their appearances at ces like the Academy. But I¡¯ll be honest, the idea is kind of terrifying.¡± ¡°What¡¯s scary about the omniscient working that governs our reality having a few ring holes? That¡¯s crazy talk.¡± Leif just stared at the overseer. Silence hung between them, then the overseer continued. ¡°Is there something wrong¡­ that is quite the loaded question my tree-friend. I cannot say, I am not at liberty to share certain aspects of the system¡¯s workings. It exists, and for the most part it works fine. So don¡¯t worry about what you can¡¯t change.¡± The crimson ghost said with a shrug. ¡°You mean there are certain rules you cannot break?¡± Leif said. ¡°Rules¡­ not quite the correct term, but it¡¯s close enough. It¡¯s all veryplicated, magic at a certain scale always is, or so I believe.¡± ¡°You''re saying that it¡¯s tooplicated for me to understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tooplicated for me to understand. It was tooplicated for the d????e????s????i?????g????n????e????r?????s???? to fully understand. So don¡¯t feel bad about it.¡± Leif blinked. There was a part of that sentence that his mind skipped over. ¡°Whoops, you¡¯re too low level for that talk, it gets easier to forget with every passing year.¡± The overseer said,ughing awkwardly. ¡°Anyway, shall we get down to business? Our time isn¡¯t infinite so let''s not waste it!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ let''s.¡± ¡°Okay, so, do you understand what¡¯s gone wrong here? Actually, that¡¯s too soon, do you know what would have happened, if you were normal?¡± Leif considered the question. Unless his knowledge was way off the mark, at level fifty monsters split into one of two different paths. They either incarnate, or awaken. With both paths having different bonuses and reasons to be picked. ¡°I think-¡± ¡°Yes, that''s right. They¡¯re the two paths monsters can walk down, though only rarely will something be given the option to pick. It takes a certain type of mindset and life experience to awaken, and the same is true for incarnation. I should point out that most monsters who reach level fifty incarnate, an overwhelming majority in fact. So you¡¯re quite special, in more than one way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting a choice, am I?¡± ¡°You are not.¡± The overseer stated. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already figured out, you have already awakened. There are certain¡­ problems with how you did it. Certain options only be avable after you have reached a specific level¡­ a specific level that you have not technically reached, even though you are level fifty.¡± He said, wringing his hands together. That brought Leif up short. What does that mean? How could I not meet the level requirement¡­ oh. ¡°Do you mean-¡± This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I do, yes. You need to have reached level fifty in your monster ss to gain the full benefits of awakening. Same with incarnating but nobody gets to this point and can¡¯t incarnate properly, just doesn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Stop doing-.¡± Leif said, annoyed, only to be cut off again. ¡°Doing what?¡± ¡°Answering my questions before I¡¯ve finished saying them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing that?¡± The ghost blinked. ¡°Sorry? I didn¡¯t notice. Anyway, you now sit in the awkward crossroads of power, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Leif looked down at himself. ¡°I¡¯m going to be stuck like this for, what, another few years, decades?¡± ¡°You may never trigger the conditions to transmute your body, even after reaching level fifty.¡± ¡°There are conditions? What are they?¡± Leif asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. He didn¡¯t seed. ¡°This is one of those situations where I could tell you, but shouldn¡¯t. Self discovery is an important part of growth.¡± ¡°That is not helpful at all.¡± ¡°True, true. Let me make it up to you by sharing something else! You have officially caused enough errors in the system that your existence has been gged! Isn¡¯t that great?¡± The overseer said, quickly changing the topic. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t sound great.¡± Leif said, more than a little rmed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be erased from existence or anything, that¡¯s not how this works. No, instead you have been gged as a ¡®splinter¡¯, which isn¡¯t actually a pun, things just work out like that sometimes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°It means your existence has been deemed one likely to cause more errors in the future. And you are likely to make others around you do the same. Basically you¡¯re a troublemaker, and the system knows it. And because the system knows it, I know it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly intentional.¡± Leif said tly. ¡°Right, it¡¯s more an interesting fact than anything you should probably worry about.¡± ¡°Probably?¡± The overseer waved the question away. ¡°The world is massive, farrger than you know. The system touches all of it, and a little beyond. There are monsters, humans, animals and nts, and each and every one of them uses the system, albeit in different ways. Most non humans use the system instinctually, without ever seeing any screens or numbers. That¡¯s another way you¡¯re an exception. What I¡¯m trying to say is that it''s a big, incrediblyplex web of magic and information. Errors happen constantly, you just make them happen more than most.¡± ¡°The way you speak makes it sound like everything is going toe crashing down at any moment.¡± The ghost¡¯s crimson outline flickered, disappearing for a moment, before returning. ¡°Not my intention. And it isn¡¯t true. I can¡¯t tell you why though. Rules, you know? But suffice to say, this whole operation is both incredibly stable, and incredibly fragile at the same time.¡± Leif took a deep breath. There was far too much information being thrown at him all at once. There were dozens, hundreds of questions he could, and probably should ask the entity before him. But he needed to prioritise what was important to him at the moment. ¡°So what can you tell me? What is going to happen when the trial finally ends?¡± ¡°You are going to gain a bunch of new toys. In some ways you will be getting more than you should, and in others, way less. There will be a bunch of error messages, just ignore them. And then you¡¯ll need to get used to how much stronger you¡¯ve be.¡± ¡°What do you mean by more than I should?¡± Leif asked. ¡°You have more sses than normal, but I thought you already knew that.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Oh indeed. Normally an awakened monster gets ess to two standard ss slots at level fifty. You already have three, and are about to gain a fourth. It¡¯ll slowly even itself out, you won¡¯t have so much of an advantage over your monstrous peers as you get higher in level.¡± The overseer said, his voice crackling with distortion. He looked up, a frown appearing like a crimson smudge on his face. The space around them was beginning to fall apart. ¡°Quickly, before this ends. What is incarnation, what am I missing out on?¡± Leif asked, following the overseer''s gaze. ¡°Oh it¡¯s simple. You¡¯re missing out on a second monster ss. And the ability to pass down evolved traits to your descendants.¡± ¡°Is that it? I think I was expecting more.¡± ¡°Yeah that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°What about the Amber, who were they?¡± ¡°Monstrous trees.¡± ¡°I already knew that.¡± ¡°Then why did you ask?¡± ¡°Why-¡± The world broke apart, and everything faded away. === Congrattions! You havepleted the level fifty advancement trial! Error! You do not meet the prerequisites for certain advancement rewards! For resonating with possible alternative versions of the present, andprehending the lives and choices you could have made your trialpletion grade is: Very High! No additional rewards based on passing grade! For passing this milestone you may now advance your level beyond this point! Banked experience will be awarded after rewards are finalised! Your general ss limit has increased from 3 to 4! All attributes have their efficacy increased by 10%! For achievements earned and difficulties ovee up to this point you may further increase the efficacy of a single attribute of your choice by 30%! === Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 67 (+20%) crity: 63 (+20%) Intelligence: 69 (+20%) Willpower: 77 (+20%) Spirit: 80 (+20%) Charisma: 147 (+100%) === The advancement chamber within the receiver temple was a wee sight, though Leif found it difficult to make it out past the onught of system messages. He was alone, his clothing no longer destroyed. From experience he knew the system wouldn¡¯t continue until he had selected an attribute to increase the efficacy of, so he took the time to let out a long sigh. Power pulsed through him, the changes made by the ten percent increase to all attributes a wee addition. He looked up at the ceiling, allowing everything he had just seen, experienced and learnt to wash over him like a wave. It wasn¡¯t overwhelming, though maybe that was because he hadn¡¯t taken the time to process everything. Okay, let''s pick an attribute and see whates next. Chapter 141: Qualitative Increase Chapter 141: Qualitative Increase You have selected [Charisma] as the beneficiary attribute for the +30% bonus! Confirm? Y/N Leif confirmed the prompt, the space around him seeming to ripple as his aura flexed from the sudden rush of power. The choice wasn¡¯t difficult. His [Charisma], after the ten percent increase from the advancement trial and now the additional thirty percent bonus was effectively above three hundred and thirty. None of his other attributes had broken over one hundred, even after the percentage boost. Was there a chance he was overinvesting into a single attribute? Potentially. Did it feel amazing with the amount of ways he now scaled alongside the attribute? Absolutely. Was he going to stop investing in [Charisma]? Probably not anytime soon. The addictive aspect of watching the big number get bigger was not something he nned on fighting against. He could stop anytime he wanted though. You have gained 1 core skill point! You may select any skill to be a core skill! Core skills do not belong to any ss, and do not contribute to any penalties involving the number of owned skills! You may now defer skills during skill selection! Deffered skills may show up inter skill selections! Error! You do not qualify for one or more rewards due to not meeting prerequisites! Error! One or more rewards have been deferred until prerequisites are met! Your level has bestowed upon you an increased longevity! You now age 25% slower!As you level up your body, mind and soul will be gradually reinforced as it is remade through mana! The benefits from this process vary depending on the aspects of your sses and skills! Mana reinforcement progress: 0%! Core skills, skill deferral, mana reinforcement, slowed ageing. I know people have been telling me level fifty is where things start to get interesting, but this is a lot more than I expected. Leif thought, re-reading the onught of system messages for a second time. All of a sudden the strength of some of the iron ranked adventurers he had sparred with made more sense. Sure, Leif had been the equal, if not superior to around half of those he had sparred with over the past three months, but the sheer amount of changes were still staggering. And I¡¯m missing out on some of them until my monster ss reaches level fifty. He realised, rocking back in his seated position. There was a sharp knock at the door to the room, then it opened and three temple aides came running inside. Leif looked at them from under his mask. They looked at him. Nobody moved. ¡°Ah¡­ the senses in the room detected a spike in aura activity, we assumed the worst.¡± One of the aides said, looking around as if searching for the cause. ¡°We apologise for the interruption sir, this was not our intention.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Leif said, more than a little relieved that he hadn¡¯t done something foolish like disrobe or remove his mask. ¡°I have a stronger aura than my level would suggest, I simply ckened my control over it after the trial waspleted.¡± That was partially a lie, and judging by the faces of the aides they suspected as much. But he had no interest in revealing just how much stronger his aura was than the expected norm. The aides dipped into an apologetic bow before hurriedly closing the door after confirming he didn¡¯t need their presence. Leif stood and rolled his shoulders, feeling the changes to his body as he stretched and twisted. He felt reborn, remade, as if up until this point he had been living with weights tied to his limbs. And that wasn¡¯t to mention the newfound mental rity and spiritual strength. As he targeted each of his attributes in turn with [Grand Action] power flooded through him. What had once been only a small increase in each attribute was now almost doubling each, though only one at a time. He retrieved both his spatial ring and the aura suppression bracelets from where he had ced them off to the side. Leif took the time to reattune to both, and only with more than a little self control did he stop himself from activating the suppression enchantment and running through the aura training. I do not own this room. He reminded himself. I¡¯ll get kicked out if I stay in here for too long. He exited the room, noting how empty the temple now was. Hours had passed since his trial had begun, and night reigned over Ahle-ho. The cool sea breeze washed over Leif as he walked down the steps of the temple. Small groups huddled outside, kneeling in prayer over oil litnterns and candles. A patrol of soldiers, local and not imperial, stepped out from a nearby corner, the group walking in lockstep as they strode past the temple. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. As Leif made his way back towards the Twin Heart guild¡¯spound, he let the system notifications he had been suppressing since the temple aides entered the room popte the corner of his vision. Congrattions! Banked experience will now be distributed! Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 21! For ying a [Regal Scale Merfey] you have gained a level! +1 to [crity] +1 to [Spirit] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 22! For spreading the boons of the amber throughout thend you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [crity] +1 to [Willpower] +5 free points! Level up! ss [Inspiring Brawler] is now level 11! For meeting powerful foes in battle and demonstrating your prowess you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +1 to [Charisma] +1 free point! Level up! ss [Adept of Self-Restoration] is now level 11! For healing those often ignored and defending the weak you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! Mana reinforcement progress: 20%! Leif missed a step, stumbling as a cool feeling spread throughout his body, soothing his mind and flowing into his soul. While the attributes from levelling up were a familiar sensation of gained power, this new sensation felt not unlike the absorption of mana shards to fuel skill fusion, only that the sensation had washed over his existence before fading away. So that¡¯s what mana reinforcement feels like? Is it five percent progress per level up? He mused, scanning the level up messages to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Other than the system putting a name to the sea serpent he had defeated in the quarry vige, a rarity in his experience, nothing seemed wrong, no errors had appeared, thankfully. It was a little strange reaching level twenty two in his monster ss and not getting a skill selection, but that was because tier three sses had skill selections every five levels instead of every two. Leif had twelve free points, it was tempting to ce them into an attribute like [Spirit] or [Intelligence], but knowing that the twelve points would effectively be almost thirty if they went into [Charisma] made the choice not difficult at all. His t total jumped to one hundred and sixty one, and his aura rippled in the darkness of the city street. Leif took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, flexing and retracting his aura in time with the action. I¡¯m not addicted. He told himself. I can definitely stop investing into [Charisma] whenever I want. It would be easy, I could do it right now. He lied. A part of Leifmented that he would need to give back the aura suppression bracelets in a few days, but he doubted Lars would be particrly pleased with him absconding with a valuable magical item. An owl hooted from somewhere overhead, voices came from a nearby home, flickering light barely visible through drawn curtains. Under the pale illumination of season Ahle-ho¡¯s colours seemed washed out, the city having finally calmed after months of tension. It was an illusion, an effort of self deception that made him hope that along with his sudden change and growth, that the city he had called home would have magically changed with him. There is to be a summit of the guilds, a grand meeting to discuss Ahle-ho¡¯s future. If the lingering anticipation he can sense in the air is true, then the future of this ce will likely be determined in theing months. If all goes well, hopefully it will happen without violence. But there was nothing he could do. Even if he had the desire to intervene in the growing political struggles, how would he even begin? It was humbling, to havee so far from when he was just a sapling in the ground, yet still be barely a dot on the map that was the interconnected webs of power that criss-crossed not just this city, but all the human territories. Was he a formidable power? Sure. But there was only so much one person could do, no matter how monstrous. The owl swooped down from above. It silently alighted atop Leif¡¯s hooded head, the sensation causing him to realise he had been standing perfectly still in the middle of the wide street. ¡°I¡¯m thinking grand thoughts.¡± He told the bird. ¡°When I don¡¯t even have a firm grasp on my own problems. Am I arrogant, or just stupid?¡± It flew off, startled that its perch hadn¡¯t been the kind of tree it had expected. Heughed, the sound was freeing. Leif returned to the Twin Heart headquarters, taking the longer, scenic route through the city as he did so in order to get used to the new strength coursing through his body. He was waved inside by the two tired looking guards at the main gate as he approached, and then returned to his room in the adventurer dormitory. Less than a week, then I¡¯m out of here. He suppressed the spike of anxiety that came with the thought. I better make use of every resource I have avable to me before I leave. He settled down, and got to work. There were things to do in the morning. People to meet and information to gather. But before that¡­ The familiar sensation of the suppression bracelets washed over him as he triggered with a mentalmand. Leif smiled internally, then got to work. Full Character Sheet and Ability Recap Full Character Sheet and Ability Recap This chapter has no content other than a full character sheet overview. I rmend bookmarking it so you can reference Leif¡¯s skills easily. === Name: Leif Vin Race: Scion of Aeons Age: 12 Awaiting manifestation: Emblem Attributes: Free: 0 Might: 70 (+20%)crity: 65 (+20%) Intelligence: 69 (+20%) Willpower: 78 (+20%) Spirit: 83 (+20%) Charisma: 161 (+130%) Total Level: 54 Core Skills: 0/1 Monster sses: 1/1 Scion of Aeons: 22/40 Skills: Gold Iron Physique / Sympathy from Experience / Consuming Aeons / Font of Life III / Tree of Respite / The Amber Path / Amber Aegis / Wood Maniption / Meditations on Eternity sses: 2/4 Inspiring Brawler: 11/20 Skills: Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess III / Fists of Awe Adept of Self-Restoration: 11/20 Skills: Surge of Life and Growth / Aura of Benevolence IV Auxiliary sses: 1 Noble: 10/10 Skills: Grand Action / Legacy Attuned Items: 2 Large Spatial Ring Adaptive Suppression Bracelets === [Scion of Aeons] The past calls to the scion of aeons, the unearthing of history the highest calling. Secrets long lost to time may reveal themselves, lesions long forgottening to your aid. At the height of their power, the amber relished the opportunity to delve into the past, ancient history as much sustenance as water and light. The amber are gone, but the secrets they uncovered, and the power that was stolen still remain. Only those true of character and noble of purpose were worthy to walk this path, but now the door lies open and ready, none remain who would disagree to your appointment, while at the same time none remain to endorse your ascension. Even if you are not purely a member of the amber, your deeds, past, and blood qualify you for this honour. Tier: 3 (Monster) Level: 22/40 ss Perk: You naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace and damage you deal takes longer to heal. You can perfectly track the passage of time. +150% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills +150% To the effect of blood aspected skills +150% to the effect of time aspected skills Growths: Free Points: +5 Might: C+ crity: C Intelligence: B Willpower: B Spirit: C+ Charisma: B Base Stats: Might: +20, crity +20, Intelligence +40, Willpower +40, Spirit: +20, Charisma +40 Gold Iron Physique: Aspects: Technique, Enhancement (Body)* Your resilience to physical and thaumatic damage is increased as your body is tempered to be akin to iron. You are naturally more dense and can control your physique to be heavier or lighter at will. Attacks you make with your body deal increased damage and have greater force behind them. You may conjure golden ethereal limbs which count as your own body for any beneficial effects granted by skills and ss perks while they remain physically attached to your form. You may manipte the shape of these limbs at will. Sympathy From Experience: Aspects: Perception (Time)*, Enhancement (Body)*, Social*, Analysis You passively gain knowledge of events and changes that have urred within your surroundings, the more significant these events the more clear they are to your sight. You may invoke the passage of time, seeing an echo of the past which you may project to those nearby. You have greater awareness of both your material and spiritual surroundings, and have the ability to sense emotions and intent of those within range of your perception. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences elsewhere. Finally you may analyse a target to determine their age andbat experience rtive to your own. Consuming Aeons: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Technique (Blood)* (Life)* (Time)* When you strike or make continuous contact with your body you may drain vitality from the target. Additionally whenever you drain a target of life-force you inflict a damaging resonance that elerates the body''s natural decay, this effect can stack. Vitality you absorb is naturally converted into the amber blood that runs through your veins, and you may control the speed at which this conversion urs. After you have drained a being of vitality you gain up to +60% to all attributes depending on the amount drained. This bonus to your attributessts for one hour and is incrementally lost over that duration. You may pause the benefit gained from these bonus attributes for up to a day, preventing the incremental loss of this effect. You may bestow life-force with a touch, and your blood naturally adapts to any target you heal, increasing efficiency. Whenever you heal a target you bestow a supportive resonance that elerates the body''s natural recovery, this effect can stack. Font of Life III: Aspects: Cultivation (Blood)* (Life)*, Spell (Blood)* (Life)*, Empowerment (Body)* The limitless potential of your vitality resonates with your authority over life. A portion of vitality you absorb is permanently added to a pool of energy that resides within you, you may develop and strengthen this pool by utilising the differing aspects of this skill. You maymand the will of the world, increasing the potency of skills or altering their usage. The closer to death you are, the more potent this skill bes. Mastery of all aspects of this skill is required for further upgrades. Tree of Respite: Aspects: Transformation, Enhancement (Body)*, Domain (Life)* (Time)*, Technique (Nature) As a Spriggan, you may fuse yourself with any living, non-evolved tree to use as a ce of rest and recovery. Additionally you may put down roots, returning yourself to the form of your origin. This tree projects a domain of life and respite, while also carrying a fraction of your own aura. The longer the tree lives, the stronger the domain''s effect on the very world around it. You may detach yourself from this special tree, and it will persist and grow even without your presence. You have a maximum number of these trees equal to one, but for every century lived you may create another, increasing the maximum by one. The Amber Path: Aspects: Technique (Teleportation) (Movement) (Time)* As you travel, you leave behind imprints in time thatst for up to an hour. You may teleport to an imprint within range by stepping forward. You may ce a permanent imprint in a location, this imprintsts indefinitely or until the location chosen sustains significant damage or change. You may have a maximum number of permanent imprints equal to one, but for every century lived you may create another, increasing the maximum by one. Teleporting to an imprint outside of your aura will put this skill on cool-down for up to a year, determined by distance travelled. Amber Aegis: Aspects: Technique (Shield), Empowerment (Life)* (Nature), Social* Conjure a protective veil around yourself or a nearby target to reduce elemental damage taken and bestow a minor lingering healing effect. You may remove the healing effect of this skill to instead manifest a temporary shield around the target. Those within close proximity of this aegis may find both your actions and its presence calming. If this skill is used for the purpose of protecting another, this skill benefits from 50% of your charisma attribute. Wood Maniption: Aspects: Technique (Wood) You can use your will to shape and manipte wood. Notes: Very exciting Meditations on Eternity: Aspects: Social (Time)*, Enhancement (Mind) (Body)* (Life)* Your words and actions carry with them the weight of the past. You have an improved memory, with significant events and experiences personally witnessed carrying a greater significance. You may create a one way telepathic link with those nearby. You may bestow your understanding through lessons learnt and experience gained from the past via metaphor and image. While meditating you recover both physically and mentally at a faster rate, and your ability to concentrate is improved while you are well rested. You may bestow this effect onto those resting nearby, though at a reduced efficacy. The longer you live, the more potent this skill''s effects. === [Inspiring Brawler] Your prowess for unarmedbat is only matched by your passion for battle. You put your all into battle, your fists resonating with your force of personality, the strength of your being amplifying your every blow. Those who witness your triumphs are inspired tomit further acts of greatness, and your foes tremble at the very thought of seeing you in action. You do not fight to entertain, but your martial ability inspires awe nheless. Tier: 2 (Advanced) Level: 11/20 ss Perk: +100% To the damage of unarmed strikes +100% To physical resilience while unarmoured +100% To body enhancement skills while unarmoured +100% to body empowerment skills while unarmoured Increases your physical strength by 10% of your charisma attribute Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: C+ crity: C Intelligence: E Willpower: D Spirit: C Charisma: B Base Stats: Might: +5, crity: +4, Intelligence +1, Willpower +2 Spirit: +4, Charisma +6 Skills: Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess III: Aspects: Comprehension, Enhancement (Body)*, Social* Grants instinctual understanding ofbat stances and their uses whilst granting a greater understanding of your bodies limits and how your presence emotionally affects those around you. You gain a bonus to bnce, footwork, stability and physical resilience while fighting in abat style in which you have proficiency. This skill benefits from a portion of the user''s charisma attribute, the efficacy of which is determined by this skill''s rank. The more injured you be, the greater this skill''s effects. Fists of Awe: Aspects: Social*, Enhancement (Body)* Dealing unarmed damage intimidates nearby foes, and inspires nearby allies. Those intimidated by this skill find their attention drawn to you and away from all else. Your words and actions are more threatening to those who are intimidated by this skill. You take less harm from, and your unarmed strikes deal more damage to those who are intimidated by this skill. Those inspired by this skill are less affected by negative emotions, and have increased resilience against mental attacks. === [Adept of Self-Restoration] Through the repeated usage of self-healing abilities, you take the step to reinforcing that aspect of your power, imbuing your body with more potent regeneration at the cost of a weakened ability to heal others. No stranger to battle, an adept lives and dies by their ability to channel vital energy to where it is needed most. Tier: 2 (Union) Level: 11/20 ss Perk: The effects from your life aspected skills are increased by 100% when they affect you, but are reduced by 50% when they affect others +100% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills Your healing skills are 100% less strenuous on your body You naturally recover from wounds at an elerated pace Growths: Free Points: +1 Might: D+ crity: E Intelligence: C Willpower: C+ Spirit: B Charisma: D+ Base Stats: Might: +3, crity: +1 Intelligence: +4 Willpower: +5, Spirit: +6, Charisma +3 Skills: Surge of Life and Growth: Aspects: Technique (Life)*, Nature, Empowerment (Body)* You may channel healing energy into a limb to empower it temporarily, allowing for far more force being every attack. You may transfer the energy into a target you are touching with the empowered limb to rapidly heal them and promote regenerative growth. You may supercharge the life-force within yourself or a target you are touching, dramatically increasing the rate of recovery and growth. This effect is more potent when used on flora, both mundane and magical. This effect lingers for a duration determined by how much life-force was stimted. Repeated use of this skill on the same limb or target reduces its efficacy. Aura of Benevolence IV: Aspects: Aura (Life)*, Social* Your auric presence carries the weight of your authority, generosity and genuine intent. Those within your aura have their physical and emotional pain soothed, and receive a greater benefit from all sources of healing. You can control your aura in ways that are impossible without an aura skill. Notes: All this time, and the Kossia family is still causing me trouble. Not entirely sure what kind of trouble they were making before, but if it''s anything like Hera now then I fully understand my previous self and his well-founded fear. RUN AWAY! Or something. === [Noble] Bestowed upon you by a member of high society due to you possessing an exemry aptitude and being of a true bloodline. Tier: Auxiliary (Inheritance) Level: 10/10 ss Perk: +100% To the effect of social skills +50% to the effects of the charisma attribute Growths: Free Points: +2 Might: D crity: D Intelligence: C Willpower: C Spirit: C Charisma: C+ Base Stats: Might: +1 crity: +1, Intelligence: +2, Willpower: +2, Spirit: +2, Charisma +2 Skills: Grand Action: Aspects: Enhancement You gain a bonus to an attribute of your choice equal to 20% of your charisma attribute. Legacy: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Analysis, Social* Your legacy endures. Those you sire are stronger, healthier and have an innate resistance to diseases. You can instinctively identify any descendants and may analyse them if they''re of equal or lower level to you, gaining a general overview of their sses, levels and attributes. Chapter 142: Interlude: Ram鈥檚 Retirement Chapter 142: Interlude: Ram¡¯s Retirement Ram didn¡¯t like cities. He didn¡¯t like towns either, or viges for that matter. Sure, he¡¯d spent much of his early, unintelligent life on the outskirts of northern settlements in between the times he roamed the rugged snow-capped mountains, but he had never grown to appreciate them. But watching one be built? Now that was interesting. ¡°Uhhh, revered ancestor, sir. Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Absolutely. Have it done.¡± ¡°But¡­ Revered ancestor, not to be rude but¡­¡± Ram shot his descendant, a younger man perhaps in histe twenties with his best ¡®I am disappointed in you¡¯ look. He stared down at the man from his perch atop a sleeping yak, the beast having not yet realised he was there and was happily snoring away. The demikin shuffled from foot to foot, static asionally arcing through his mane of white hair. ¡°Revered ancestor who is very wise. I humbly suggest that you reconsider the order to build a home in this location.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because, honoured one, this is a vegetable field¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I can see that.¡± Ram said, raising a bushy eyebrow. ¡°So¡­ if we built a home here, the elders in charge of agriculture would be upset.¡± ¡°Can you not move the field?¡± ¡°Umm, no? That would kill the crops. And we¡¯ve already prepared the soil here for farming.¡± Ram didn¡¯t reply to that, he just gave his descendant the silent treatment. It always worked, always. The demikin, true to his gics, just stared up at him in silence. Five minutes passed, then ten, then twenty as the staring contest continued. The Yak woke up and started trotting over to where the rest of its herd were grazing. Ram didn¡¯t move, letting the beast carry him away, never once breaking eye contact with his wide-eyed descendant. He reached into his tattered robes and withdrew his never-ending bottle from his totally not a spatial item. He took a long, deep drink, then returned the bottle. Eventually Ram drifted far enough away that his descendant went back to work in his field. Ram grunted in amusement and elevated himself into the air with a brief effort of will. Then he kicked off nothing and shot towards the nearby stream. The stream was a new addition to the slowly developing settlement, its existence courtesy of the slowly melting ice elemental corpses up in the north. The water was crisp and fresh, its path having been slowly ground into thend over the past few months as the stream followed the path of least resistance. Ram knelt, scooping a handful of water and sshing his wrinkled face. Laughter came from further upstream, and the old goat nced up to see a parade of children and animals stomping their way down the stream. They yelped and giggled in delight as they jumped in and out of the cool water, squealing as they sshed one another. Despite his best efforts to maintain a gruff expression, Ram smiled, how could he not? He still found it surprising, even with all the time that had passed since his awakening. To see people, humans, who were rted to him, not just by bonds ofpanionship but by blood. Intellectually he understood it, but instincts from a life he could barely remember still made him hesitate on asion, his brain taking a few seconds to understand what he was seeing. A bunch of juvenile hogs, their bodies still bearing the stripes of youth spotted him and squealed in excitement. They charged him through the shallow stream, sshing happily before clustering around his feet with high pitched squeals. ¡°Well well, what do we have here?¡± Ram asked, loudly enough for the approaching children to hear and raising a bushy eyebrow. ¡°It seems lunch hase to me! How lucky!¡± ¡°Grandpa no!¡± Came a cry from one of the children. ¡°You can¡¯t eat the little piggies! They¡¯re so cute!¡± ¡°Really now?¡± Ram said, plucking one of the tiny hogs up out of the water and lifting its wiggling body up to his face. The hog,pletely oblivious to its impending doom, grunted happily. The awakened beast¡¯s grin became feral as he turned away from the now outraged kids, then he tucked the hog into his patchwork coat all the while making loud, fake chewing sounds. Ram looked over his shoulder, his cheeks bulgingically as his tiny descendants stared at him with wide, horrified eyes. He snorted, and produced the hog like a magician performing a trick. The kids expressions shifted from traumatised to extremely amused in the span of a second. Ramughed at the sight, and theughter felt good. === The pale tree with crimson leaves glinted gold in the evening light. Ram slumped down beneath its canopy, watching as the demikin he called family gathered in the clearing they had created formunal events. The disconnected bluff had once been the ce the n had begun building their homes, but the walls had kept sprouting leaves and the roots spreading beneath them disturbed the foundations of the structures, both new and old. They were a hardy people, his family, and moving off the bluff and down to ground level wasn¡¯t a massive ordeal. If anything, getting up and moving was more natural to them than staying still. But regardless of their nature, their experiences and their culture, Ram could tell that they enjoyed having found a ce for themselves. The bluff now stood mostly empty of buildings, sans severalrge stone structures from before the town had been abandoned and the dark crystalline obelisk that the old healer woman had imed allowed air boats to navigate. Ram let out a long, content sigh. He felt alive, more whole and healthy than he had in decades of living in the northern mountains. The tree and the domain it emitted had undergone a change several weeks back, the domain having gained a hint of generosity, of benevolence. The tree lived, and because it did Ram felt no need to worry or feel concern for its creator. Leif was fine, probably, most likely. He had walked into the territory of humanity and hadn¡¯te running back screaming. Now that¡¯s a feat worth drinking too. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. ¡°You court death.¡± He said calmly to the creature beside him, the bottle having been returned to its hiding ce after he had taken a long swing of its bottomless contents. ¡°Yes, I am talking to you, fiend.¡± The deer looked up at him with big, stupid eyes. ¡°I am not giving you alcohol, not after what happenedst time.¡± He grunted. Never before had so many things gone wrong so quickly. Bam bit his sleeve in outrage. Ram flipped the insolent creature upside down with a gesture and a resulting burst of wind. Bam iled, legs in the air for several moments before her teleportation skill activated with a sh of bright light. Ram ced a calloused palm onto the deer¡¯s chest and suppressed the skill with little effort, preventing escape. ¡°Are you familiar with the saying, ¡®too stupid to live?¡¯ He asked jovially. The deer didn¡¯t respond, but it did keep trying to kick him. Ram leered down at the animal, his teeth bared as his eyes shimmered with the hidden fury of a storm. ¡°Bam!¡± Came a call from where dinner was being prepared, the voice was high pitched and more than a little worried. ¡°Bam where are you?¡± ¡°Our names are too simr.¡± Ram said, ring down at the still struggling animal. ¡°You will have to change yours.¡± Bam stuck out her tongue, then teleported away. He let her go, then took another swig of alcohol. === An ear splitting cry shook the morning air as a shadow passed over Far-reach. The griffon circled overhead, its predatory eyes seeking out prey. Therge tree far below would make perfect materials for a nest, and the small creatures that lived around it would make for good eating. Those were the thoughts that passed through the griffon¡¯s head as a fist wreathed in lightning crashed into its belly andunched it with incredible force up through the closest bank of clouds. It fell from the sky, smoke trails spinning from its still smoking corpse. The griffon crashed down into a distant valley and disappeared from sight. Ram alighted on the roof of a house and took a bow, the thunder from his blow still rolling across the nearbyndscape. Several people pped, one even cheered. Brown and white feathers drifted down over the nearby fields. ¡°Ancestor!¡± v roared, running down the wooden stairs that nked the bluff where the domain tree was located. ¡°You should have waited for it to get lower!¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked, turning to face the son of the n chief. Though he would never say it, the young man was his favourite. After his father of course, that man was way too much fun to tease. ¡°I wanted to fight it!¡± ¡°I see.¡± v skidded to a stop, his breathing heavy as he knelt forward, hands on his knees. ¡°Can I fight the next one?¡± ¡°No.¡± v gaped at him. ¡°W-why not?¡± Ram just stared at his descendant. v stared back. Over a minute passed. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough?¡± ¡°About thirty levels too low.¡± Ram confirmed. ¡°Damn.¡± === Ram watched from his position atop a slowly moving cloud as a procession of just over forty people slowly trudged across a grassy hill. The goat in human form squinted down at the strangers, the humans. They didn¡¯t carry weapons, nor did they wear armour. If anything, they looked even more rugged than he did. And that was a carefully cultivated appearance, or so he told himself. He had been offered a new coat as a gift from a family of hunters, but he had been too proud to ept. He definitely hadn¡¯t been embarrassed at the disy of affection, not at all. One of the humans in the rear of the group stumbled and fell, the bundle in their arms rolling down the slope for several metres. The whole procession stopped, several backtracking to assist the one who had fallen. I don¡¯t want to deal with this. Ram thought, static electricity crackling between his horns. I don¡¯t want these people anywhere near my family. His thoughts turned dark, his muscles tensed and his vision narrowed. But it was an old reaction, a tired reaction, and judging by the weakness of those below him, it was an unnecessary reaction. Ram¡¯s sigh of defeat had enough force behind it to disperse the cloud he was standing on. What is the worlding to? He groaned internally as he fell. === The new homes were built, the new people were weed, and life went on. There was something mncholy about the passage of time, Ram mused, of spending the long turbulent years alone, battling beast and monster in the frozen peaks of the northern mountains. It was during the early hours of a night no different from the dozen that hade before it when the presence of the domain tree rippled, its aura pulsing across thend, expanding, growing. It was a sudden, subtle yet overbearing change, one that couldn¡¯t be brought about by anything other than arge increase in power. ¡°So you did it.¡± Ram said, looking up at the shadowy canopy that loomed far above him. ¡°Not too bad, kid.¡± Under the night sky the crimson leaves twinkled as if reflecting gold. The two deer and the piles of hogs stirred in their sleep, some waking at the disturbance, others letting out contented sighs at the change. Two pairs of eyes blinked at him in confusion, the unspoken questions contained in their wide, animalistic gazes apparent. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I wasn¡¯t the one who passed through a bottleneck.¡± Ram grumbled. Bam huffed at his non answer and stood, wandering off to go find food, Lani kept looking at him as if wanting Ram to expand on his statement. ¡°You¡¯re the smart one, supposedly, figure it out.¡± Lani looked up at the tree, and her eyes twinkled in understanding. Then she settled down and went back to sleep. Ram leaned back, his expression distant. He could still sense the rumble of inevitable conflicting from the south, a growing storm slowly building towards the moment it would inevitably break. The storm was wider now, broader in ways Ram wasn¡¯t sure how to describe. He only hoped the monster that made this new life for his family possible would return before the maelstrom swallowed everything in its path. Or, maybe Leif would stumble into trouble that waspletely unrted. Chapter 143: The Heart of Ahle-ho Chapter 143: The Heart of Ahle-ho Niks sat within his spacious and well decorated office. His boots were kicked up onto the desk before him, his chair tilted back as he read through thest of the day''s reports. Acquisition forms, personnel records, monster activity reports and dungeon ess permits were organised into neat piles. It amused him how his younger self would have hated this part, but now, with his age, experience and attributes the bureaucratic mundanity of his job as the guild-master was more rxing than it was tedious. He yawned, stretched, and expanded his perception outwards, spreading it over the Twin Heartpound, its wards and defensive enchantments impeding him not at all. He sensed the functionaries shuffling around in the guild offices, the alchemists and enchanters working in theirbs, the many adventurers training or rxing. With a flex of his will and an unnecessary hand gesture the paperwork on his desk was lifted by his aura and deposited neatly in a drawer. He then stood and exited the room. The two guards saluted, though they didn¡¯t have to. He was a guild-master, not a general, and the Twin Heart guild was a guild, not an army. Something piqued his senses towards thepound''s main gate, so Niks stopped and focused his perception. ¡°Uh, boss?¡± One of the guards said. ¡°Hmm? Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Is that part of the wall really that interesting?¡± ¡°What? Oh, no. I was distracted. If anyonees looking for me, tell them I¡¯m at the main entrance.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Niks continued on, his steps more purposeful than before. Functionaries stepped out of his way as he rounded a corner as a sign of respect, and partially out of prudent caution. With his physical attributes he could move at a speed that would seem little more than a blur of motion to the eyes of these lower levelled men and women. In the case of an emergency he would need to utilise every drop of speed, and having to weave around those weaker than him would not only slow him down, but endanger them as well. But there was no emergency, not today, and hopefully not ever. Though that seems increasingly unlikely with every day that passes. Niks thought darkly. He stepped onto the enclosed bridge that connected the two main buildings of thepound and encountered a presence that was trying its hardest to subtly convince everyone and everything that it wasn¡¯t present. Niks snorted in amusement, not breaking stride as Lars¡¯s indistinct form rippled into existence at his side. ¡°Uncle, I was justing to find you.¡± The guild enforcer said, walking a step behind the older man. ¡°It appears we have guests.¡± ¡°Indeed we do nephew, indeed we do.¡± In contrast to Lars¡¯s tone of mild annoyance, Niks¡¯s own wasrgely amused. He had expected this meeting for quite some time, though perhaps it wasn¡¯t a great sign that it had finally happened. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they came in person, usually these kinds stick to sternly worded letters and vague threats.¡± ¡°They¡¯re posturing in the lead up to the conference. They likely secured the support of another guild before doing anything.¡± ¡°Any guesses as to who?¡± ¡°If I were to bet on it, Rising Tide. Maybe one or more of their subordinate guilds.¡± Niks said after a moment of consideration. The two stepped out of a side door to the main reception hall and quickly exited the building. He prodded the gatekeepers with his aura, prompting them to open the way. They obeyed immediately, therge doors swinging open with ponderous speed. He kicked off a step, modting his strength to not crush the stone as he shot forward. An instantter Lars copied him, the two arriving before the main entrance of the guildpound as if out of thin air. Three men and a woman in vibrant and ornate robes turned their attention from the gatekeeper they had been harassing to stare with pompous indignation at the new arrivals. Their leader, an elderly woman with greying hair stepped forward, stering a faux smile onto her face and conjoining her ring-covered fingers, the bands of gold and silver clinking together as she did so. ¡°Healer Nada.¡± Niks said, bowing in a disy of courtesy that was not reciprocated. ¡°To what do I owe this pleasure?¡± ¡°You know full well why we¡¯re here guild-master. One of your members is in vition of the pact of generosity, and is guilty of interfering with the duty of our healing order.¡± N said, stretching her neck as if to look down on him. She was still over a head shorter, so the effect wasn¡¯t overly impressive. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Know that I am in possession of a truth telling skill, guild-master.¡± Another healer said, mimicking the posture of his leader. ¡°You would do well to not lie to our faces.¡± Niks fixed the man with his most benign smile. It strained somewhat when healer N continued. ¡°And we have brought an official of the pce with us, and wee with a civil writ of investigation specifically allowing us to ask any question rted to this topic we desire.¡± She said, gesturing to another healer who produced a scroll. A fourth man, this one dressed far more modestly, dipped into a bow. The healers scowled at the disy of respect, but didn¡¯tment. ¡°I see.¡± Niks said, skimming over the writ, then handing it back. ¡°This must be serious indeed. Please ask any question you wish of me and I will answer honestly and without deception before all here.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. A crowd was gathering, both adventurers and civilians both creeping closer to get a better look at the spectacle. N¡¯s eyes gleamed as she leaned forward, her leer predatory. ¡°One of your guild members, your adventurers, has been interfering where they were neither needed, nor wanted. Over these past months they have been spotted using their skills to provide healing to many of the neers to our lovely city. Do you deny this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What?¡± She said, shooting the healer with the truth telling skill a sharp look. He in turn shot a look at the pce official. ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡± ¡°It is, yes. No member of the Twin Heart guild has done what you use them of.¡± Beside him, Lars rxed into a casual posture, his expression perfectly nk. The enforcer''s aura however twisted into a subtle disy of amusement. If Niks didn¡¯t know what to look for, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed. He mimicked the motion with an invisible chuckle of his own. N scoffed. ¡°Suppress your aura and repeat that im.¡± Niks raised an eyebrow. ¡°That is not necessary healer N. I am in possession of a rank five aura, my own skill functions unimpeded.¡± The pce official said, speaking up for the first time. While it was true that the man indeed had a rank five aura, his method of achieving such a feat was considerably different than the one the Twin Heart guild¡¯s executives used. It was still impressive, no doubt, the time and dedication to improving an aura skill to the lofty heights of rank five at such aparatively low level were herculean. But did not mean that the official¡¯s aura was as developed as that of the two men before them. There was a massive difference between having reached rank five, and pushing rank six. Not that the man was necessarily wrong about the functionality of his truth telling skill. ¡°Fine then, but the Twin Heart guild is sheltering the individual who is in vition of the pact of generosity! That is undeniable.¡± ¡°The Twin Heart guild is not sheltering, housing, protecting or holding any such person.¡± Niks said. Everyone present turned to the pce official. The man remained silent, his face stoic. ¡°Are you sure your information is correct, healer N?¡± Niks asked, his question getting a chuckle from several onlookers. ¡°Do you know this person¡¯s name? What about their appearance?¡± ¡°Bah! I am not the one being interrogated, guild-master. He is bypassing your skill, I insist on suppression!¡± N spat, whirling on the pce official with a re. ¡°Guild-master Niks, for the record could you state a falsehood?¡± ¡°The sky is purple and the clouds are made of sugar.¡± ¡°My skill is functional, healer N.¡± ¡°There was a masked man! He has been seen not only entering and exiting the Twin Heartpound, but apanying several of their members. Do you deny this guild-master?¡± ¡°I know of no such person within Ahle-ho.¡± Everyone turned to the pce official. The man grimaced and sent an apologetic look N¡¯s way. ¡°It appears guild-master Niks and the Twin Heart guild are not in vition of the pact of generosity. This public investigation is over. Good day to you all.¡± ¡°Wait! I will ask questions of others within the guild!¡± N said, quickly moving to intercept the official despite her advanced age. ¡°The writ you obtained allows for no such thing. And even if it did, this is not an official audit of the Twin Heart guild. Guild-master Niks has every right to legally represent any from his guild when ites to questioning.¡± ¡°That is hardly-¡± ¡°Good-day healer N. This matter has officially ended.¡± The pce official said, writing something in a pad before bowing once again, then walking off. The crowd dispersed now that the spectacle had concluded. The healers went on their way, though with far less grace than that of the pce official. ¡°Well, that was fortunate timing.¡± Niks sent telepathically to Lars, having felt and allowed the mental connection to form between them. ¡°To think that if they arrived only a day earlier you may have had to actually lie.¡± Lars silently replied. ¡°True enough, true enough.¡± Niks sent. ¡°But the justice system stops working if they realise we can bypass the truth telling skills with a healthy amount of self deception and advanced aura maniption.¡± === The sky skimmer dipped suddenly as wind currents blown in from the south buffeted the craft. Far below, a squadron of rays, their bodies shing with bioluminescent light chased the skimmer¡¯s shadow as they darted in and out of the waves. Leif leaned over the edge of the deck, putting everything he could into the weight reduction aspect of [Gold Iron Physique]. He had left Ahle-ho the day before under the effects of an illusion skill. Lars had suggested the idea and Leif had no real reason to decline. The illusion had long faded, though the scion was still in disguise, his painted mask still firmly attached to his face. It was a disappointing blow to learn that the transformation avable to awakened monsters wouldn¡¯t be within his grasp until he had reached level fifty in the associated ss. It was a setback, but it wouldn¡¯t stop him. The Academy awaited, and allies that would be able to assist him were located therein. Despite his eventual destination, the skimmer wasn¡¯t heading south. Instead it flew in a mostly straight line to the east, following the steady curve of the coast. Sky skimmers, unlike their sea dwelling cousins, could only travel along predetermined paths. He had once had the basics exined to him by Darius when the two of them were still a part of the expedition. Magical pylons served as anchors, somehow both guiding and partially powering the vessels as they sailed through the air. The route the skimmer would travel would visit Saris, then travel south east into the empire to the city of Kartinth. From there it would be a boat ride down to the archipgo that housed the Academy. The open sea was an extremely dangerous ce to traverse, only in the rtive shallow of coastal waters could ships sail in any amount of safety. ording to several people he had discussed the topic with, the Rien sea which much of the human territories surrounded, was nowhere near as deep as the open ocean. If something as powerful as a merfey dwelled in the coastal parts of the sea, Leif shuddered to imagine what might lurk down in the depths. He gripped the railing of the Skimmer, the breeze making hisyered coat flutter around him. His forearms felt bare, the suppression bracers he had slowly but surely grown addicted to using during his stay with the Twin Heart guild having been returned to the guild¡¯s vault. It was a regrettable loss, and he definitely wasn¡¯t suffering from withdrawals. Leif had spent hisst days in Ahle-ho subjecting himself to the next stages of the bracer¡¯s training. Unfortunately hisrge increase in aura strength didn¡¯t provide the leap in progress he had hoped for. Instead, the ¡®adaptive¡¯ part of the item''s name had put him firmly and mercilessly in his ce. Leif let out a sigh and stepped away from the edge of the skimmer. He had spent the past days leeching as much knowledge and wisdom from the more experienced adventurers around him. He hadn¡¯t learnt much that he didn¡¯t already know, or wouldn¡¯t have been able to intuit in time. As he retreated below deck Leif¡¯s mind turned to a choice that would determine much of his path going forward. What should he select as his core skill? Chapter 144: Core Considerations Chapter 144: Core Considerations The sky skimmer didn¡¯t have individual rooms below deck. Instead it was a wide open space between the reinforced hull and the deck above, the distance between both forced both Leif and the taller passengers and crew to duck, but only slightly. The ¡®room¡¯ was segmented not by walls, but by hanging cloth, with over half the space being filled with cargo that was tied to thin metal sheets. When Leif had asked, one of the crew had told him that the sheets had a weight reducing enchantment, which he supposed made sense. The skimmer rocked to one side, the curtains and loose objects shifting as the vessel was buffeted by air. The vehicle was following the coast-line, utilising the updrafting from the cliffs below to maintain afortable altitude. But that didn¡¯t stop the asional bit of non magical turbulence from making itself known to everyone on board. Leif parted a curtain and stepped into thepartment he had been designated, having to stoop lower under a wooden beam to make it more than halfway inside. Thepartment was empty, most people were up on deck, and that suited Leif just fine. He sat cross legged in the far corner, and settled down to contemte his next choice. A core skill, as he had been taught, was more than just a skill that existed outside of his sses. While it would no longer count towards his skill maximum, a number he thought was around eighteen or neen, though it could be more after his advancement, that was by no means the only change. You have selected the [Grand Action] skill! Do you want to spend 1 core skill point to turn [Grand Action] into a core skill? Core skills do not belong to any ss, and do not contribute to any penalties involving the number of owned skills! Confirm? Y/N Leif declined the prompt, just as he had done so several times over the past week. Something that was frustrating him about the system was theck of information it provided. During skill selection he could only intuit what the different options did by their names and the vague feelings he received when focusing on them. During ss selection he couldn¡¯t see exactly what the ss perks and attribute growths would be, so picking anything had a certain amount of risk. And now, when selecting his core skill, the system was omitting several key bits of information that would alter the choice of anyone who was informed. It turned out that Leif was by no means the only person to have these same gripes. Information gathering was a key part of several powerful institutions. From his eventual destination that was the imperial Academy. To information houses that traded, well, it was in the name, and private archives such as the one within the Ahle-ho pce. Finally there were adventurer guilds, and the Twin Heart guild was by no means an exception. There were two main things a member of the Twin Heart guild could spend their contribution points on. The vault, and all the treasures contained within, and spending time within the guild archive. Certain information was free, such as the general characteristics of a monster the guild had contracted them to hunt down. But in depth ss and skill knowledge was not. Leif had entered the archives with Darius, and the usually reserved man had spent over an hour happily exining every little detail about what the archive contained. It even turned out that the archive would purchase rare ss and skill information for contribution points. Leif did not sell any of his system details, he wasn¡¯t an idiot. Usually anyway. He had bought an information packet about core skills, and then promptly had the purchase rendered a waste when he and Darius visited Niks, and the guild-master took it upon himself to go into full lecture mode. A lecture that Leif suspected was more for Darius¡¯s sake than his own, but he wouldn¡¯tin about the free lesson. It turned out that the system''s description of what a core skill was wasn¡¯t justcking, but so woeful it bordered on the absurd. The first thing the system failed to mention was that a core skill would be offered a series of upgrades upon being selected. This was a good thing, nobody wouldin about getting a more powerful skill, and certainly Leif wouldn¡¯t. But the upgrades didn¡¯t stop there. Upon thepletion of any advancement, be it ss promotion or passing the next advancement trial at level one hundred, the skill would also change. The important part of these changes was that they took aspects from all his sses. A core skill wasn¡¯t just a skill that existed outside of a ss, it effectively existed within all of them at once. So if Leif chose a core skill, then promoted his [Inspiring Brawler] ss, the core skill would be offered an upgrade depending on what he promoted the ss into. Leif tapped his fingers on the wooden floor of the deck, trying to finallye to a decision. The problem he was facing wasn¡¯t due to theck of options. Instead it was the overwhelming amount of choices. Ultimately he would need to pick something with as much room for growth as possible. Something simple, something that he constantly used, and something that he wasfortable with changing multiple times as his level increased. You have selected the [Grand Action] skill! Do you want to spend 1 core skill point to turn [Grand Action] into a core skill? Core skills do not belong to any ss, and do not contribute to any penalties involving the number of owned skills! Confirm? Y/N [Grand Action] was the right choice. Objectively it was correct. It perfectly met all the criteria. It was simple, constantly in use and had a near limitless amount of potential. But not being able to pick [Aura of Benevolence], [Consuming Aeons], [Font of Life] or any of the other skills that tied his abilities together felt like giving up the chance to see something spectacr. When he had brought up picking the [Aura of Benevolence] skill to Lars, the man had firmly shaken his head. An aura skill was something you had to embody, to slowly but surely mould yourself into over time. Having one¡¯s aura rapidly undergo changes every few levels was counter intuitive. Leif agreed with his reasoning, Lars had time and time again proven his expertise on the subject. But¡­ It feels wrong not to pick it. He thought, sharpening the tips of his fingers slightly to scrape shallow lines into the deck. I¡¯m instinctually gravitating towards this, even if I know it''s not the right choice. [Font of Life] was likewise rmended against. Any skill with an associated rank wasn¡¯t rmended as a core skill. Constant changes would slow down one¡¯s ability to upgrade its rank, even if the skill itself would gradually be far more powerful. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition. Something was yelled from the upper deck, and a momentter the skimmer climbed higher into the sky. For a moment Leif tensed, but he didn¡¯t sense any rm from the skimmers crew so he settled back down. He knew travelling by skimmer would shave several weeks off a voyage by boat, and several months if he went by cart, but that didn¡¯t make flying several hundred metres above the ground aforting prospect. Not that I would die from the fall. Unless I fell into a deep part of the sea. Leif tapped the floor, sending a ripple through it like water. I could pick [Wood Maniption]. It could be fun. But no, that was a foolish idea. The only skill other than [Grand Action] he could reasonably see himself picking was [Gold Iron Physique]. He used the skill constantly, it was simple but had several avenues of possible advancement. It had been an unchangingpanion for the past year, its only boost in powering from his steadily increasing attributes. Though Leif no longer needed to use the skill to talk, that had been quite the ordeal, even with the systeming in for the assist with its usage. He wanted to fuse it with [Fists of Awe] once he settled on an ideal image in his mind for what the skill would be, but perhaps he could go in a different direction? ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Why is this choice so hard?¡± Leif asked aloud. Nobody heard, and nobody answered. He sighed, then summoned a silver coin into his hand. Unlike the imperial scales and kes, the republic currency had differing engravings on both faces. ¡°[Grand Action] or [Gold Iron Physique].¡± He said, and flipped the coin. It bounced off the roof and fell back down. Before itnded he had finallye to his decision. You have selected the [Grand Action] skill! Do you want to spend 1 core skill point to turn [Grand Action] into a core skill? Core skills do not belong to any ss, and do not contribute to any penalties involving the number of owned skills! Confirm? Y/N Yes. He mentally affirmed, and his vision was popted by a barrage of system prompts. Congrattions! The skill [Grand Action] is now a core skill! As a core skill [Grand Action] will grow and develop as you do! Please choose one of the following upgrades! === Glorious Action Aspects: Enhancement You gain a bonus to an attribute of your choice equal to 50% of your charisma attribute. === Grandiose Actions Aspects: Enhancement You may select two attributes, granting both a bonus equal to 20% of your charisma attribute. This bonus is increased depending on how muchrger your charisma attribute ispared to the targeted attributes up to a maximum of 30%. === Benevolent Actions Aspects: Enhancement, Empowerment, Social* You gain a bonus to an attribute of your choice equal to 30% of your charisma attribute. Those around you may gain a portion of this effect depending on their positive disposition towards you. === The three choices were simple, the changes far from aplex reworking of the original skill. Therger changes woulde when he evolved or promoted his sses, so Leif wasn¡¯t caught off guard by the rtively simple upgrades he was presented with. His head hit the wall behind him as heughed. These are all excellent, how am I supposed to pick between them? Leif returned the silver coin to his spatial item, the thing didn¡¯t have three sides so it wouldn¡¯t be any help. The first option, [Glorious Action] was the most immediately appealing. It was an increase in power over [Grand Action] by over double. With his effective [Charisma] at almost four hundred, granting fifty percent of that to any attribute would be like having invested around a hundred and seventy points into it. It was a staggering amount, and would be like tripling any attribute of his choice, at will. But he would only be able to target one attribute at a time, and while his ability to freely swap between them during a fight was all but instinctual by this point, it was still a significant drawback. The second choice, [Grandiose Actions], was an answer to this shoring. At a nce it was inferior to the first option, but Leif found himself liking it more as he considered it. Assuming his [Charisma] was high enough to increase the bonus from twenty percent to thirty percent, the overall increase would be ten percent more. But was that worth it? Almost certainly. The final option brought him up short. On one hand it was the weakest of the three by a not insignificant margin. On the other, it was absurdly powerful. His attributes were naturally higher than humans of the same level, and if he surrounded himself with allies andrades the sheer amount of power he could grant them was incredible. Giving even two people an increase of up to a hundred in any attribute of his choice would eclipse the benefits from the first two skills and then some. And that wasn¡¯t to mention the social aspect the skill had, meaning that its effects would be increased by his [Noble] ss perk. The question was, how much was a ¡®portion¡¯ of the skill¡¯s effect? Would the effect be lessened the more people who were under the benefits? And- Wait, wouldn¡¯t the skill having the social aspect boost every part of the skill, not just the second line? Leif¡¯s thought process ground to a halt. So, assuming the system isn¡¯t dividing the one hundred percent increase from the [Noble] ss perk between different aspects of the skill, the increase I would receive should be sixty percent, not thirty. His mind whirled. There were hundreds of different theories about how skills interacted with ss perks, and how attribute scaling was calcted. If he hadn¡¯t spent the past few months bringing his understanding up frompletely ignorant to somewhat educated he wouldn¡¯t have a clue how any of this worked. The skill has the ¡®social¡¯ aspect, meaning at least part of the skill will scale with my [Charisma]. But the skill already scales with [Charisma], hells [Grand Action] scales with the attribute but it doesn¡¯t have the social tag. Does that mean nothing will change other than the function? Leif decided to sleep on it. He didn¡¯t technically need sleep, and his rest was more of a meditative torpor than real sleep. The system would probably force his choice after twenty four hours, so he still had time to make his choice. Though if he was being honest with himself, Leif would almost certainly pick the final skill upgrade. The potential synergy was almost too good to pass up. I wish you weren¡¯t so abstract with your information. It¡¯s quite frustrating. He thought, focusing on the system windows floating before him. There was no response. Chapter 145: Stowaways Chapter 145: Stowaways Lucia put her head down and worked until her knuckles were raw and her fingers ached with exertion. The dishes, in creations of carved wood kept piling up before her, umting faster than she could clean. Lucia grit her teeth, and kept going. She didn¡¯t stop when the restaurant owner started screaming at her and the other youths to go faster, she didn¡¯t stop when the boy next to her was dragged away and beaten for dropping a bowl. She didn¡¯t stop, because she couldn¡¯t. Two stale loaves of bread and a small satchel filled with pan seared discards were her pay for the evenings work. She didn¡¯tin, that would mean they wouldn¡¯t let her back. Lucia quickly ducked out before the owner could let out his temper, she ran down the alley and darted down the poorly lit street. She ran through the cobbled roads of Kartinth until the sole of her oversized right boot finally disintegrated. She stumbled, clutching the food to her chest as she fell. Lucia hissed in pain as she picked herself up off the muddy street. Kicking off the now useless boot and letting out a series of curses she had heard her older cousin use on numerous asions. A lump built in her throat, remembering about the family she used to have hurt. It hurt more than the bloodied skin on her knee, hurt more than her bruised and cut hands. It wasn¡¯t fair, nothing about this situation was fair. But life was what it was, and even if over the course of her short life it had gone from bad to worse, it was all she could do but dig down deep and survive. Half an hourter she stumbled, half asleep into the rundown structure that was her temporary home. Arge figure peeled itself up out of a chair in the main room, sunken eyes ring at her as if she was trespassing. Which, unless she gave up a portion of what she had earned, she would be. ¡°One loaf, half of what I was given.¡± Lucia said, trying to keep the weakness out of her voice. The ageing woman before her was no different than most of the people who lived rough in the poor districts of the city, a predator who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pounce on any opportunity. It was greedy, shortsighted, if the woman let her keeping back she would get more food in the long run than if she took everything now and chased Lucia away. The young girl found that desperate people rarely thought about that, and they absolutely hated it if you pointed out the ws in their logic. ¡°I smell meat. Give it to me, girl.¡± The woman snarled, her scarred lips twitching. ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°I said give it to me!¡± She repeated, stalking forward. Suddenly a pair of callused, thin fingers grabbed Lucia by the cor, pulling her up off the filthy, carpetless floor. She cried out in surprise, kicking out. The bread fell from her grasp, and then the packet of meat she had hidden in her ragged shirt was taken. Despite her appearance, the older woman had several levels under her belt, and far more [Might] than Lucia had. She felt the difference between their strength when she was thrown to the floor, her faceing perilously close to the pointy end of a rusty fire poker as she skidded to a stop. ¡°My brother¡­ needs that.¡± Lucia groaned as she rolled over. ¡°Please, he¡¯s sick and weak.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, girl. Be grateful that I haven''t kicked you out.¡± Lucia sighed in resignation and stumbled over to the single loaf of bread she had left. She stalked out of the room, ignoring the wet sound of munchinging from behind her. === ¡°Lucia! You¡¯re back.¡± A small boy cried, jumping free from the pile of rags he was using as a bed. ¡°I¡¯m back Royce, I¡¯m back.¡± Lucia said, slumping down against the wall to their small, dark, mouldy room. ¡°Look, I brought dinner.¡± ¡°Thank you big sis!¡± Royce said, throwing his little arms around her neck and hugging her tightly. She could feel his ribs, how diminished and skinny he was. It almost broke her heart to know she was failing him, that even with everything she did to keep them alive it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°You need to eat Roy, to keep up your strength. Here, the loaf is yours.¡± Her brother looked away and coughed, then stared up at her with wide brown eyes. ¡°But sis, you need to eat too.¡± ¡°I already ate.¡± She lied, ruffling his shaggy blond hair. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, would your big sis ever lie to you?¡± Royce looked doubtful, something he never would have done only a few years prior. He was growing up, but in the worst possible ce. He took the loaf and tore off a bite, he grimaced slightly at the taste, but chewed withoutining. I would haveined when I was his age. She thought, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the stab of pain that shot through her stomach. Roy coughed again, and continued doing so for several seconds. Lucia clenched her fists and fought back tears, this wasn¡¯t what life was supposed to be like, not for them. Silence stretched in the little room for several minutes, it was only broken by the sound of Royce slowly devouring the bread, his meal asionally being interrupted by fits of coughing. ¡°I heard something interesting.¡± She said, not opening her eyes. Royce made a noise that indicated interest. ¡°Apparently there¡¯s some sort of event happening in the Academy, a bunch of ships are going there, taking supplies and the asional passengers.¡± ¡°Sis, we can¡¯t go. What happens if we get caught sneaking onto a ship again?¡± Her brother asked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the beating for both of us. But we won¡¯t get caught, we¡¯ll be more careful.¡± ¡°But there are way more soldiers on the docks these days, you said it yourself.¡± ¡°True, but they¡¯re looking for terrorists and enemy soldiers, not two kids.¡± ¡°What if they think we¡¯re terrorists?¡± Lucia opened one eye and looked at her little brother. A deep frown mired his malnourished, but innocent features. ¡°You¡¯re eight, Roy, nobody will think you''re a terrorist.¡± ¡°What about you? You¡¯re thirteen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ady. Ladies don¡¯tmit acts of terrorism.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. That makes sense.¡± Roy mumbled, tearing off another bite of stale bread. He chewed, and Lucia closed her eyes. ¡°Hey, Lucia?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°When are we going to see mum and dad again?¡± ¡°Soon.¡± ¡°Will the person you want to meet at the Academy know where they are?¡± ¡°She will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I miss them sis. I miss them a lot.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lucia said, her voice breaking despite her best efforts. ¡°Me too.¡± === The two sailorsughed uproariously as they walked down the street. Lucia followed them at a safe distance, but not too far away that she couldn¡¯t overhear them when they spoke. Though considering how intoxicated they were, despite it being an hour away from midday, overhearing their conversation without drawing attention was hardly a challenge. ¡°Right, right. So then, hear this right: He said, right, he said that there wasn¡¯t a chance in all the hells he¡¯d get back with her, right? But you know what he did, literally immediately after we reached port?¡± One of the sailors said, his voice partially slurred. ¡°No, don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Yep, he went right back to her. What a fucking idiot. It¡¯s like he¡¯s addicted to the worst kinds of women! Right?¡± They copsed into aughing heap. Lucia stepped off the main path and pretended to study a passing cart. The ox tied to it snorted at her. Come on, where is your ship going next, and which one is it?¡± She thought, frustrated. There was probably a better way to acquire information, but she couldn¡¯t think of any. Thest time she had tried to sneak into a tavern she had been chased out. ¡°So anyway, where are you headed next?¡± ¡°Going due south right out of port. We¡¯ll be escorted by the imperial navy along with a bunch of other merchant ships.¡± ¡°What''s the destination? The Academy or the capitol?¡± ¡°Academy, then Mekrylis, then back to the Academy.¡± Lucia¡¯s heart skipped a beat, this was exactly what she was looking for. ¡°Yer captain¡¯s the optimistic type. I can respect that.¡± ¡°Optimistic¡¯s a word for it.¡± ¡°What kind of cargo are you shipping?¡± ¡°Wines, and some passengers. Bunch o¡¯ people willing to pay extra to get to see a bunch of the special Academy brats beat each other with sticks.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see that. Bout the only time of the year where the nobility make a spectacle of themselves in a way that doesn¡¯t harm themon folk¡­¡± They continued talking, but Lucia wasn¡¯t paying attention to their words. She trailed them for another hour until the two men finally returned to the docks. They were let in, but she knew from experience the guards would shoo her away if she tried to follow. Instead Lucia scaled up onto a nearby shed, then scampered up a pile of crates stacked up against arger building to watch over the wall, her hands grasped firmly on the metal spikes that lined its rim. She peered through the crowd, trying to make out which ship the sailor who had talked about the Academy was heading towards. After several agonising seconds she finally located him, watching as the man strode down the busy street without a care in the world. A bunch of carts crossed over in front of him, and Lucia cursed as she lost sight of the man. She cursed again when she couldn¡¯t spot him even after the carts had moved on. Her heart raced as she strained to see even a little more, standing on tip-toes to gain a tiny bit of extra height. Come on, where did you go? She thought, panic slowly rising. Come on,e on¡­¡± Then she saw the familiar man walking out along a pier, towards arge merchant vessel, its massive sails rolled down, an anchor cast off its prow. The sailor vanished behind a closer ship, but it didn¡¯t matter. Lucia knew where to go. When would it leave? How much time did she and Royce have? She didn¡¯t know. But even if she and her brother had to hide within the boat¡¯s confines for days it wouldn¡¯t matter. Lucia climbed down from her perch and sprinted into the city. === ¡°Where¡¯s the food, girl?¡± The woman asked, not getting up from her seat. ¡°Don¡¯t have any, we¡¯re leaving.¡± Lucia replied, quickly walking past her host and making for the room where her brother was. ¡°You need to pay if you want to leave.¡± Lucia ignored those words, darting up to the door to their room and bursting inside. Roycey in the nkets, pale and sickly. His eyes slowly opened as he awoke, blinking sluggishly to clear his vision. ¡°Sis?¡± Roy asked. ¡°We¡¯re going, I know which ship we need to be on!¡± She said, her excitement bleeding into her voice and overpowering her wariness. ¡°You do? That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be out of here in no time. And then we¡¯ll finally know what happened to our family¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, girl.¡± The ageing woman said as she stomped up behind Lucia. ¡°You still owe me, and you aint sneaking off without paying.¡± ¡°You only asked for payment for each night we stayed. There¡¯s nothing we owe you.¡± The woman grunted, closing in on Lucia. ¡°Don¡¯t care. You owe me whatever I say you owe me, girl.¡± ¡°But you said-¡± Her words were cut off as the sharp sound of a p echoed through the building. Lucia raised a hand to her face, blinking in shock. A second p sent her rheeling, the blow knocking her head to the side. ¡°Sis!¡± Roy screamed from within the room, his next words being cut off as the woman mmed the door shut. Lucia¡¯s head swam as she tried to get to her feet. Her attempt was foiled as a booted foot connected with her ribs. ¡°You work for me, brat! You do as I say, and you will be grateful for it! You want your worthless brother to die? You don¡¯t listen to me and I¡¯ll kill him. You hear me? I¡¯ll slit is fucking throat!¡± Lucia¡¯s world went very, very still. Even as the woman grabbed her by the leg and dragged her down the corridor she barely breathed. Another p broke Lucia from her state of shock. Then she was lifted bodily and thrown towards the door. ¡°Bring me back double the food tonight, I don¡¯t care how you get it. And if you get on your knees and apologise I might even let you keep some.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this.¡± Lucia muttered, steadying herself against the wall for support as she stood. ¡°What did you say? Speak up, girl!¡± ¡°You- you can¡¯t do this! We¡¯re not your damn ves!¡± ¡°You became my property the moment you walked through that door and asked for my generosity. And what are you going to do about it? Do you even have a ss?¡± Lucia didn¡¯t, but that wouldn¡¯t stop her from standing up for herself. She may be nothing but a street urchin with nothing to her name but the rags on her back and what little she could scrounge together. But she had once been more, she knew what it was like to be more. ¡°You threatened my brother.¡± She said, it wasn¡¯t a question, but a statement whispered with little emotion. ¡°I did. And I fucking meant it. You get out there, or I¡¯ll snap his frail little bones and dump him in the sewers.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice, brat.¡± It was true. Lucia didn¡¯t have a choice. There was nothing she could do to the person before her. Nothing her meagre strength could aplish. She looked up into a pair of sunken, hollowed out eyes, and found that she didn¡¯t care. Lucia dashed forward. Not towards the host, but towards the firece she had never once seen lit. She reached it just as she was grappled from the side by a near unstoppable force. A hand went around her throat as Lucia screamed and writhed. She was pinned, helpless, dead to rights unless she somehow fought back. But it was all meaningless. What could she do? What could she do now that she was all alone, absent everything she grew up knowing and loving except for her baby brother? Royce. She thought, her vision going blurry as her consciousness faded. Her trembling fingers found what they had been searching for the entire time. Lucia mustered every drop of strength she had left, then the rusted poker pierced the woman¡¯s eye and burst out the back of her skull. She fell dead, her grip around Lucia¡¯s throat going limp. The girl crawled to her feet, trying to ignore the corpse. She wretched into the ashes of the firece, took three steps, then fell in a heap and wretched again. Adrenaline raced through her body as she took several gasping breaths. Then Lucia firmed her resolve and marched to her brother''s room. Lucia shielded Roy¡¯s vision from the blood seeping into the floorboards as they left. She shielded her own vision from the system prompt that still popted her vision. She had been offered ss, but victory tasted like blood. === The dock workers heaved, activating skills to lighten their loads as one by one crates and barrels were ced within the hull of the merchant ship. They worked through the afternoon and well into the evening, before finally all the cargo was loaded. As the sun set and the workers left to rest after a hard day¡¯s work, two small figures climbed up out of the water below the pier and quickly dashed up the gangnk. In the morning, crew on board and passengers assembled, the ship departed the port city of Kartinth and began the multi day-long voyage south the series of inds the Academy resided upon. The ancient institution was rarely open to visitors from the general public, but the tournament that would soon be underway provided an exception to that rule. Among the many passengers, each eager to arrive at their destination. One stood out from the rest. He had paid, certainly. But the individual was odd for a variety of reasons. The most striking of which was the painted mask that covered his face. Chapter 146: Encounter Chapter 146: Encounter The pervasive dampness in the tight confines of the lower decks made Royce feel as though the world was pressing down on him. His chest tightened and gunk oozed its way into his windpipe. Even at eight years of age he knew how dire his situation was. Lucia told him he was alright, that everything would be okay. He loved his sister, he truly did. But in the year since everything had gone wrong, Royce had seen others, even kids as young as himself, sumb to the same disease. The urge to cough overwhelmed him, but heeding Lucia¡¯s warning about making too much noise he hacked up his lungs into a discarded sack they had found in the ship¡¯s depths. His eyes watered and his world spun, dizziness was a constantpanion in the young boy¡¯s life, but it was growing increasingly stubborn in its desire to not leave him be. By the time his eyes stopped watering and his vision cleared Lucia was stirring to wakefulness besides him. She mumbled something in her sleep and turned, shifting as if doing so would make her rest on the hard, salty boards any morefortable. Light filtered into the storagepartment they were hiding within from a danglingmp, the faint orange illumination that reached Royce allowed him to perceive the crimson splotches that now stained the sack. He stared down at the blood, his hunger addled mind barely able toprehend what he was looking at. ¡°Royce¡­?¡± Lucia mumbled, and it took him several seconds to realise the word hadn¡¯t been the by-product of her usual sleep chatter. ¡°Sis!¡± He squeaked, not unlike the rats they were sharing the space with. He fumbled with the sack, hastily turning it over so she wouldn¡¯t see the blood-stained phlegm. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± She chided, sitting up with a wince. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you, Roy. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay.¡± He lied. She leaned over and ruffled his dirty blond hair with a tired smile. ¡°Just two more days, yeah? Then, once the ship arrives at the Academy we¡¯ll sneak off and go find answers.¡± Royce nodded. He knew the chances of their n working were slim. But if Lucia wanted to try anyway he wouldn¡¯t stop her. He didn¡¯t have the strength, and soon, he wouldn¡¯t have the time. He shivered involuntarily and his sister pulled him into a hug. It reminded him of better times, of happier days when they were all safe and together. ¡°I¡¯m going to go find us some water, and hopefully food if I can manage.¡± Lucia said, breaking off the embrace. The ship rocked and salty foam sprayed up from below, bubbling around the corners of the room before slinking away. She gave him a shaky smile, swiping her tangled fringe away from her eyes. Though they were siblings, neither looked particrly alike. While Roy had blond hair and dark eyes, his sister had brown, verging on ck hair with sharp orange irises. The reason was simple. While they shared the same father, their mothers, whom they had inherited much of their looks from, were different. ¡°Be safe sis.¡± Roy whispered to his half sister. Lucia¡¯s smile became slightly more confident as she adjusted the oversized rag she wore as a shirt, tying it off at the hip so it wouldn¡¯t catch on anything as she went scavenging. ¡°Always, you know me.¡± He did. He worried anyway. === Footsteps from the deck above made Roy¡¯s heart skip a beat. Time within the darkened corner in which he was hiding seemed to stretch unnaturally as the minutes trickled by, elongating with every moment he was alone. The ship groaned its protest as its prow cut through arge wave, the hull taking the brunt of the impact. Roy shivered as icy water slipped through small gaps in the sent between nks, the frigid sensation of his lower body bing soaked making his every underdeveloped muscle tense. Roy¡¯s teeth chattered as he curled in on himself for warmth. It didn¡¯t do much good. Something bumped overhead, and he jumped in fright. Where he was huddled behind a mountain of crates it was unlikely anyone would discover him. But movement nearby would make Lucia¡¯s life harder as she tried to return to him. If she got caught, what would happen? Would they beat her? Put her to work? Throw her overboard and forget about her? Doubts and worries writhed through his fear addled thoughts like an unwee worm. To distract himself Roy focused on the empty air before him, willing the magic that governed the world to appear. It was hard, especially with how difficult concentrating was in his current condition, but the boy persevered, clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes. Then the window opened up before him. It was green, his favourite colour. It reminded Roy of the dense forests from the homnd he was too young to remember, but he had seen paintings. Lucia had taught him how to see his status and change how it looked, but he liked it green. Dark green background, green border, light green text. It didn¡¯t show much information. Just his name, age, race and five in every attribute. Unlike most who lived on the streets his age, Roy could both read and write. Apparently both skills were a prerequisite to being able to summon the system, though he suspected that had just been motivation to get him to learn his letters and numbers. Roy¡¯s favourite part of the system interface wasn¡¯t the information it showed. Instead it was the endless pages of notes he could write just by thinking. It was like having an infinite amount of paper and ink, and he had filled it with every thought, idea, dream and question he could think of ever since he had first manifested the system within his mind''s eye. It helped stave off the boredom and anxiety, helped keep his mind off the long days he spent alone, praying that Lucia would return. And maybe, just maybe, the system was reading his words and keeping an eye on him and his sister. Themp at the entrance to the room flickered, briefly making the shadows dance and darkness leap from its hiding ces. Roy tucked in his legs and tried to make himself as small as possible. Had there been someone at the door? He thought he saw a glimpse of arge silhouette. Wrestling down the sudden urge to cough he peeked around the corner of the nearby crate. Something moved, its bulk blocking thentern''s lightpletely. Roy went still as fear gripped him, wrapping around his neck like a noose and threatening to squeeze. He couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t think. It wasn¡¯t Lucia, it was too big, too tall and broad. And what was worse, he couldn¡¯t make out any details about their appearance. Cloth draped their body, hiding their arms and upper legs from sight. But what was worse, it didn¡¯t have a face. Just two golden pinpoints of light. It''s a ghost, a spirit of the oceane to eat me! He thought, unable to look away. I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯m going to vanish and Lucia won''t know what happened to me! The monster moved away from thentern, the shadows retreating as light retook its rightful ce in the entrance. The sudden change broke him from his panicked state, finally allowing him to move, to hide deeper in the confines of the ship¡¯s storage. He covered his mouth with his arm and coughed, desperately trying to keep the sound from slipping out. Footsteps approached, one after the other, all other sounds bing distant as Roy¡¯s mind hyper fixated on just them. Something reached down for him, the hand of deathing to im him. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears silently streaming down his cheeks. A firm grip grabbed him by the forearm and pulled him up. Before he knew what was happening, Roy was standing, held in ce by strength he couldn¡¯t imagine. ¡°I thought I sensed something down here.¡± The¡­ man said. Huh? Roy thought, his jumbled mind trying to make sense of the words. They were deep, resonant and not at all threatening. ¡°Gods, boy, you¡¯re so weak. Why are you down here all alone in the cold?¡± Wah? ¡°How old are you? Never mind, too young, far too young.¡± The stranger said, kneeling before him, cing a second hand on Roy¡¯s shoulder. It felt gauntleted. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry mister.¡± He said, babbling. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt her. Please, please don¡¯t hurt her.¡± ¡°Who? Who is her?¡± The stranger asked, but Roy was too far gone to hear. ¡°Please, please, she was only trying to help me. Please don¡¯t hurt her, or kill her, or throw her overboard. She was-¡± The boy¡¯s rambling was cut off as something warm and golden pulsed through his body. He gasped, falling forward as what was left of his meagre strength fled him. Falling? Did he let go of me? Roy thought, stunned. The stranger caught him before he hit the floor. ¡°Woah, steady now. You¡¯re okay.¡± They said. Roy took in a lungful of salty air, and then another. It took another dozen before he realised the pain in his chest was no longer present, that every breath was as easy and as natural as the one before it. He sobbed, grabbing a fistful of the stranger¡¯s clothes. He was so shocked hepletely ignored the painted mask that covered the stranger¡¯s face. Another pulse of healing shot through his body, instead of wiping away the sickness and disease that gued his small stature this one brought strength andfort. Roy tried to thank the man but a lump caught in his throat. He couldn¡¯t believe it, he was healed, he could live! He could help Lucia now, she wouldn¡¯t have to starve herself just to keep him alive! The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lucia. Where is she? I need to tell her this. She needs to see! A scream came from the storage room¡¯s entrance. A familiar scream. Roy¡¯s heart stopped. Before he could blink the stranger had turned, a blur of movement so fast he hadn¡¯t noticed until after it had happened. His sister stood before the man, something sharp gripped in her hand, two cups having fallen to the ground behind her, their watery contents spilled over the floor. Something golden and ethereal had emerged from the strangers clothes, an arm holding Lucia¡¯s wrist with no apparent difficulty. She screamed again, writhing against the strangers grip as she struggled to break free. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him! I¡¯ll kill you! Don¡¯t you dare hurt him!¡± ¡°Ah, I suppose this answers my question.¡± The man said. ¡°Sis!¡± Roy yelled, stumbling around the stranger and hugging Lucia with every ounce of strength he could muster. ¡°Sis it''s okay! He didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°R-roy? W-what happened?¡± She asked, disbelief dripping from her words. The man let go of her wrist as she staggered back, partially bowled over by the force of Roy¡¯s embrace. ¡°He healed me sis, I don¡¯t know why, but he healed me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lucia said, staring up at the masked man. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Clearly, it was to avoid your wrath.¡± The man said with augh. ¡°You went right for the kill, didn¡¯t you. What is that? A shard of ss?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes, from a bottle.¡± She said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have worked, but I admire the attempt.¡± Three sailors barged into the storage room a momentter, having been alerted to themotion by Lucia¡¯s screams. The two children froze, their eyes going wide as the reality of their situation bore down upon them. ¡°What is this?¡± One of the sailors barked. ¡°Stowaways?¡± ¡°I hope so. If they were cargo we might have a problem.¡± The masked man said. The sailor grunted, then sauntered forward. ¡°Damn brats,e here, the captain will want to see this.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± The healer said. ¡°Uh, sir? But they snuck onto the ship. We¡¯ll need to deal with them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re my patients now. I will take responsibility for them.¡± ¡°But¡­ um. The captain will still need to know about this.¡± ¡°That''s fine.¡± ¡°And they¡¯ll need to pay the passenger fee.¡± The masked man paused for a moment before replying. ¡°That¡¯s also fine.¡± Then he marched out of the room, stooping to pick the cups off the floor and turning around once he reached the entrance. ¡°Well? Are you stowaways or passengers?¡± Roy stumbled after, rushing past the sailors, not daring to meet their gazes. Lucia followed immediately after. === ¡°I don¡¯t trust him.¡± Lucia said, flopping down to sit next to Roy on the bed. ¡°Tell me what he did to you again.¡± ¡°He put a hand on my shoulder and healed me.¡± Roy said, rolling his eyes and snuggling into the nkets. Strangely enough they didn¡¯t seem to have been used by the healer at all. ¡°Why would he heal you? And for free? Did he say how much he wanted to be paid?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything about that sis. And you already asked him that yourself.¡± ¡°Nobody heals for free. You wouldn¡¯t have gotten sick if that was the case.¡± ¡°Maybe he does?¡± Roy said hopefully. Lucia snorted, tucking her legs up onto the bed and hugging her knees to her chest. ¡°He said he¡¯ll pay the fees for our voyage. But it¡¯s stupid. He¡¯ll ask us for something once wend and then he¡¯ll get angry when he learns we don¡¯t have anything to give him.¡± ¡°I think he already knows we have nothing.¡± Roy said, grabbing his sister''s hand and squeezing it forfort. ¡°He hides his face with a mask. He¡¯s a criminal. Only criminals hide their faces.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we criminals?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not, you¡¯re just a kid. Kids can¡¯tmit crimes.¡± Lucia said stubbornly. Roy considered telling her that she was a kid too, but his eyes grew heavy and his posture slumped. Before he knew it he was leaning against her, his breathsing slow and rhythmic. He slipped into sleep, barely aware of the hands that tucked him into the sheets, or the lips that kissed him on the forehead. The boy slept, and for the first time since being separated from his parents his slumber was without nightmares. === Leif stepped out of the captain''s quarters, the spatial ring around his finger several coins lighter. He crossed the upper deck, the night¡¯s breeze buffering his clothes. He descended a short flight of stairs, then crossed the deck, ducking under a rope hanging from the rigging. He stopped in the middle of therge vessel, extending his aura and senses throughout the ship in a way the crew and passengers would neither detect, nor notice. He went below deck, passing therge and stuffed full cabin the crew shared. Then he entered the kitchen, the surprisingly spacious room was absent of anyone working within, though Leif could detect a single person within the connecting room. He flexed his aura, poking their awareness in a manner that would feel unobtrusive. Momentster an older man leered at him from the doorway. ¡°Kitchens closed until morning, piss-off. Respectfully of course.¡± ¡°Do you have any leftovers? You don¡¯t need to heat them.¡± The man sniffed. ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s the burnt bits from the pot. Was gonna use them as the base for a gravy tomorrow.¡± Leif flicked him a ke. The man caught the coin, then raised an eyebrow. Leif flicked him another, then leant against the wall with his arms crossed. ¡°Fine, fine. If this job paid better that wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡± The cook muttered, shuffling around to prepare the leftovers. ¡°Two bowls, if you could.¡± ¡°Do you have two mouths?¡± ¡°Yes. In a manner of speaking.¡± ¡°Ah. You¡¯re the idiot that took in those two stowaways. Make sure you hide your valuables, don¡¯t want them to get stolen.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just kids.¡± ¡°Kids make the best pickpockets, little fingers and all that.¡± The man said, filling both bowls with a violent motion of hisdle. The food made a slopping sound as it made contact with the cheap crockery. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± Leif replied, picking up both bowls and making for the exit. ¡°Have a good night.¡± The cook muttered something under his breath as he departed. Leif descended another short staircase, then walked down the narrow hall to his cabin. Two figures were within, he could detect their vitality and emotions through the wall. One was the cid, unmoving energy and dampened thoughts that indicated sleep. The other was a restless mess of emotions and intent, the life-force within their body vibrating with their uneven heartbeats. Leif rapped two golden knuckles against the door, waited a breath, then used [Wood Maniption] to move the stool that had been propped up against the inside of the door to prevent his ess. The key turned in the lock, and he stepped inside. Leif pushed vitality into [Amber Aegis], ring the skill around himself, not for protection, he hardly needed any from the girl who had jumped to her feet to confront him, but instead to disperse the golden motes of light throughout the small cabin. ¡°How did you do that?¡± She asked. ¡°Can you use telekinesis?¡± ¡°I can manipte wood, this whole ship is like a yground to me.¡± Leif replied, mentally pulling the stool upright and cing it between him and the clearly agitated child. Then he ced the bowls onto the seat and sat on the floor, his back against the now closed door. The girl¡¯s eyes darted between him, and the food, then back again. He gestured towards the bowls, she flinched back. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± Leif said calmly. ¡°I can¡¯t trust that.¡± ¡°I haven''t hurt you yet, quite the opposite actually.¡± The girl''s eyes flicked to her sleeping brother, then back to Leif, then the bowls. ¡°Eat, I don¡¯t mind. That¡¯s what the food is for, actually. In case that wasn¡¯t obvious.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, ring suspiciously down at the food. ¡°Stew.¡± ¡°Is it poisoned?¡± ¡°No, but it is cold. The cook doesn¡¯t do reheats.¡± She darted forward, grabbing a bowl before hurriedly retreating to the other side of the room. Then she started shovelling the thick stew into her mouth with her fingers. Not once did she break eye contact with him. ¡°We know someone from the Academy. If you hurt us, she¡¯ll be mad at you.¡± ¡°What a coincidence, I know people too.¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Prove it.¡± The air above Leif¡¯s palm rippled, then a small metal badge materialised atop it. The token gleamed in the golden ambiance of the room. The girl stopped eating, her jaw falling open as she stared unblinkingly at the object. ¡°That¡¯s the token they give to auxiliary members of expeditions.¡± The girl said, grimacing at the metal object. ¡°Impressive knowledge.¡± Leif said, returning the token to his spatial ring. ¡°Is this proof enough?¡± ¡°Sure. Fine.¡± She said, digging into her meal with renewed vigour. ¡°Maybe you''re not lying. Maybe you stole it.¡± ¡°Not too far from the truth, actually.¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Borrowed.¡± Leif continued, trying to cut off her assumptions. ¡°Temporarily. Or at least that was the n. It¡¯s mine now though, the other guy doesn¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°You killed him?¡± ¡°What? No, he got another token.¡± Leifughed. ¡°You¡¯re incredibly suspicious, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Keeps us alive. You got a problem with that?¡± She said defensively. Leif shook his head and sighed. ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯ve paid the fee for you to reach the Academy. Getting off the ind might be another thing altogether though. Not sure if I can help you with that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know my name.¡± He said. ¡°But we can change that. I¡¯m Leif Vin, travelling from Ahle-ho to meet some old friends. Who are you?¡± ¡°Lucia. Lucia Pheris. And my brother is Royce Pheris.¡± ¡°Pheris, huh?¡± ¡°What does it mean to you?¡± Lucia snapped, the next handful of food paused halfway to her mouth. ¡°Nothing.¡± He said, somewhat off-put by the aggression in her tone. It was altogether sharper than it had been up until this point. ¡°Nothing at all.¡± Chapter 147: Arrival Chapter 147: Arrival Lucia awoke for the first time in what felt like an eternity without the sharp tang of hunger nor the everpresent, bone deep ache that had been a constant tag along for the past year. The rocking of the ship and the warmth of the nkets threatened to lull her back to sleep, and a part of her mind, a part she had thought long dead and buried, wanted to ept that her present situation was all right. The street rat that had taken over couldn¡¯t let that happen. She jolted, the unfamiliar location of the cabin making her heart race and thoughts whirl in panicked loops. The gentle breathinging from beside her snapped Lucia back into reality. Royce was safe, she was safe. It didn¡¯t feel real. As quietly and unobtrusively as she could, Lucia extracted herself from the nkets. Royce tried to maintain his hold around her waist, but even after being healed the young boy was still frail and weak. They were alone in the cabin, which was something she found bothforting and rming. Lucia blinked bleary eyes as she looked at the stool ced up against the door. It hadn¡¯t done anything to stop the masked man before, but she hadn¡¯t been able to help herself from propping it back up. It was better to be safe than sorry, and she wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that there weren¡¯t any other dangers on the ship. Lucia was silently plotting which of the ship''s passengers to try and steal food from when it struck her that she was a passenger. She nced down at the filthy clothing she was wearing, her tattered pants andck of shoes. She felt like such an idiot. They were going to the Academy, one of the most powerful institutions in the world, and she had been nning on walking around dressed like the street¡¯s least favourite beggar. There wouldn¡¯t be any alleys to slink around in, and building¡¯s on theirst legs in which to hide. ¡°Damnit, damn damn damn.¡± Lucia whispered to herself, pacing around the small room in tight, repetitive circles. She had been so preupied with taking the first step that she hadn¡¯t considered the second, or any that came after. She shot a guilty look at the still sleeping form of her little brother. She had been days away from failing, again. ¡°Maybe I am naive. We didn¡¯t even get halfway without being discovered.¡± She mumbled, running a hand through her dark, matted hair. Lucia let out a shaky breath, then red at the still unopened door. They needed help, more help than they had already received. The realisation chipped away at her pride, and it shocked her to find that her pride was still even partially intact. Maybe I haven''t changed, even after everything that happened. === The ship sliced through the calm waters of the early morning, and many of the passengers and crew were taking advantage of the stillness to stretch their legs and take in the sights. The sails of a dozen other vessels dotted the sea around them, some merchant, others military in origin. Lucia hovered in the shadows of the doorway, peering out at those milling around on the upper deck. Where is he? She thought, flinching back as two deckhands shuffled past the door, both carrying a barrel. Hard earned instincts warred with her need to leave the safety of the dark interior of the ship. Something invisible tugged her attention upward, as if the wind was guiding her to the person she was seeking. Lucia almost walked out then and there, only a distant memory of having experienced something simr holding her back. Was that an aura technique? Like they used to do back home? Nostalgia shed with concern. Just how powerful was this person¡¯s aura control? And what other tricks might they be able to pull. She didn¡¯t even have a ss, let alone a level¡­ Wait, that isn¡¯t true anymore. Lucia realised, not that being level one was much of a difference than being level zero. She clenched her fists, took a deep breath and stepped out into the hazy morning light. She walked quickly along the deck, turning and rapidly ascending up a short flight of stairs. She ignored the looks, the stares, the mutterings and the whispers. She¡¯d seen them all, heard them all, and she knew they could be worse. Lucia scampered onto the raised decking of the stern, ducking to the side to dodge a pair of sailors who¡­ walked past without even ncing in her direction. She gulped, then ascended a second, shorter series of steps. There she finally saw the man, the masked healer. He sat cross legged, facing away from her and out, towards the disappearing horizon. ¡°You.¡± She said, raising a hand to protect her face from a roaming gust of wind. ¡°Good morning.¡± Leif replied. He didn¡¯t move, but Lucia felt his aura shift around him, the intangible presence that every high level person she had ever met possessed. She knew that with time and practice she would be able to sense the specifics of a person''s aura, the part of their soul they projected out to the world. ¡°You weren¡¯t in the room.¡± ¡°I could tell you needed space. Besides, I have a skill that removes my need for sleep.¡± ¡°You were up here all night?¡± ¡°I was.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To watch the stars reflect off the sea.¡± ¡°Not what I meant.¡± She said, frustrated. ¡°Why did you help us? Why did you help my brother and I? We didn¡¯t ask for it!¡± The man cocked his head to the side, turning slightly. He was still wearing his painted mask. Lucia thought it looked creepy. ¡°Why? Now isn¡¯t that the question. I seem to have a habit of picking up strays. Can¡¯t seem to help myself.¡± Silence stretched between them, the quiet only interrupted by the screeching of gulls flying overhead. Leif turned back to the sea and rolled his neck. ¡°They serve breakfast an hour after sunrise, so in about twenty-¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lucia blurted. Cutting the masked man off as her mouth ran off without her brain. ¡°I¡¯m not cooking breakfast, you¡¯ll have to thank the cook.¡± Lucia grit her teeth, acutely aware of her weakness as her anger grew. He was making fun of her. Joking at a time like this. She wanted nothing more than to grab his stupid mask and throw it off the ship. Didn¡¯t he know how hard it was for her to say that? Didn¡¯t he know what she had been through? Lucia opened her mouth, then closed it without speaking. He didn¡¯t know. Of course he didn¡¯t. She hadn¡¯t told him. Why was this so hard? She hadn¡¯t always been bad with people. Had an extended period of hardship and a year of trusting nobody but her little brother stripped her of everything she had known? Every lesson she had been taught ever since she was a girl? ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a child?¡± She asked, flopping down to the deck in a huff. ¡°Are you not?¡± ¡°No! Well, yes. But not really. I¡¯ve been through more than you could understand!¡± The masked man finally turned around, shifting in his seated position to face her directly. ¡°I know you have. I can tell. You and your brother remind me of the disced families that sought shelter in Ahle-ho. And I know how difficult it was for them to get the help they needed.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Lucia blinked. That was, a surprisingly simr situation to what she and her brother were now in. But she couldn¡¯t let him know that. Information was a weapon and perceived weakness a critical vulnerability. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. We¡¯re nothing like that!¡± ¡°Hungry, homeless and sick? You could have fooled me.¡± She scowled. Heughed. She scowled harder. Leif stood, towering over her, the twin slits of golden light that gleamed from behind his mask boring down into her. But it wasn¡¯t aggressive or domineering, his presence didn¡¯t loom or threaten. And when he held out a hand to offer her up she only flinched a little bit. ¡°I¡¯m helping you because I can. It¡¯s true what I said earlier, I can¡¯t seem to help myself. And no, you don¡¯t owe me anything. I don¡¯t need repayment or for you and your brother to feel indebted to me.¡± Lucia hesitated, then took the gauntleted hand. It was made of some sort of strange white metal, almost ivory in colour but oddly wooden in texture. She looked away, not able to meet his eyes as she swallowed her pride. ¡°We¡­ we need help. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll let us into the Academy.¡± He looked her up and down, and though she couldn¡¯t see his face Lucia knew he was judging her. ¡°Yes, I can see that. I¡¯ve never been to the Academy before, I assume it¡¯s the same for you?¡± She nodded. He continued. ¡°Well, ording to those I¡¯ve talked with. The main Ind, Pellus has a small town where the docks are located. It¡¯s for the temporary residents of the Academy, the family of students and the like. The town expands during the festival or event that is taking ce, so there will be amenities and services that wouldn¡¯t normally be avable.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± She asked, suspicious. ¡°Like a bath.¡± Leif said bluntly. Lucia fought down a rising blush, channelling the embarrassment into stubborn anger, but he spoke over her before she couldment. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with some of the other passengers. See if there are any clothes that could fit you or your brother. Shoes might be too much of an ask but we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°You- you¡¯d do that? For us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. You¡¯re my responsibility until we arrive at the port. I¡¯ll need to find information myself before I go off into the Academy proper, and I don¡¯t mind helping find whoever it is you¡¯re looking for. Then we can part ways. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Fine. That sounds fine. Good, actually. Really good.¡± Lucia said. Blurting the words out before the man had a chance to take them back. ¡°Wonderful. Now go get your brother, they serve food above deck.¡± === The first part of the Academy that came into sight was the sun reflecting off the rounded, metal peaks of grand spires whose size and scale slowly became apparent as the ship drew nearer over the course of an hour. The winds were against them, and sailors ran around the deck and climbed the rigging with the aid of enhanced attributes of skills to adjust the sails and alter the vessel¡¯s angle of approach. The convoy of military ships had departed, the officers in charge of the escort apparently satisfied with the merchant vessel¡¯s proximity to the archipgo. Passengers crowded onto the upper decks, eager to get a view of their slowly nearing destination. Lucia took all this in, then retreated back to the cabin Leif had all but abandoned to her and Royce. She waited outside the door, tapping her fingers on the hem of her newly acquired dress. She hadn¡¯t stolen it, instead the masked healer had stayed true to his word and somehow procured it from one of the other passengers. Lucia assumed it was one of the families who were travelling with kids that she had seen on the upper decks during meal time, but had never interacted with. ¡°Royce, are you almost done?¡± She called over her shoulder, projecting her voice through the cabin¡¯s door as she ran a hand through her newly brushed hair. It had taken the better part of a day for her and her brother to look halfway presentable. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m putting my socks on!¡± Came a muffled reply several secondster. Lucia sighed, but couldn¡¯t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. Leif¡¯s attempt at finding clothing that wouldn¡¯t get them thrown off the inds for looking like vagrants had been far more sessful when it came to Roy. One of the families had a son of simr age and size to her half-brother, and had been more than willing to donate to the cause. So while she had a poorly fitting dress that even after several hours of impromptu seamstressing felt ufortable to wear, Roy looked like the son of a merchant family. Albeit a very skinny and grimy son of a merchant family. She heard the stool be shuffled out of the way, then the door¡¯s lock clicking. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± Roy said, beaming up at her. Lucia¡¯s heart stopped, it was the first bright, genuine smile she had seen on his face in what felt like an eternity. ¡°Look sis, look! I did the buckles myself!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great. I thought I¡¯d have to do them for you.¡± ¡°Nope! I figured them out all by myself.¡± He said proudly. Then he wrapped her in a hug, burying his face into her dress. Footsteps echoed down the narrow corridor. Lucia twisted awkwardly, trying to get eyes on the neer while being held. The masked healer strode down the passage like he owned the ce. The loose fabric that garbed him flowed in a way that almost looked enchanted. And maybe it was, high level healers were almost always incredibly rich. ¡°Leif, look! I did the buckles myself!¡± Roy said, grinning up at the man. It worried Lucia how quickly her brother had grown to trust the stranger, but she supposed having your life saved tended to build that kind of confidence quickly. For her part she just nodded, gently prying herself from her brother and standing up straight. ¡°Nice going. Does everything fit?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± The man said, turning to look Lucia in the eye. There was an intensity behind his every word, one that she couldn¡¯t ce a finger on. It was an invisible sense of authority, not unlike the man¡¯s aura. But instead of the usual honesty, there was an undercurrent of something else. Lucia blinked as two objects appeared in Leif¡¯s hand. Then he tossed them towards her. Lucia flinched, instinctually expecting an attack of some kind. It was only when her eyes caught up with her brain did she try to grab them. She missed both, the objects tumbling through her fingers at her fumbled attempt at a catch, falling to the ground with a tter. ¡°W-what? Are these made of wood?¡± She asked. ¡°They are.¡± Leif said, nodding in affirmation. ¡°They¡¯ll tide you over until you can find something more permanent.¡± ¡°I¡­ um¡­ Thank you, I guess.¡± Lucia mumbled. Looking at the sandals with a suspicious squint. ¡°Did you make them, mister?¡± Roy asked, his own expression that of inquisitive curiosity. ¡°It wasn¡¯t too difficult. Though they¡¯re by no means a masterwork of crafting. I doubt I have a future as a cobbler. I can¡¯t work leather like I can wood.¡± ¡°You could be a carpenter!¡± The boy eximed, grabbing one of the sandals from his sister. ¡°Wow, look how smooth you made them.¡± ¡°Magic makes things easy. Besides, I think my calling lies in wagon engineering.¡± Leif chuckled. ¡°Now,e, we¡¯re almost at port.¡± === The port for the Ind of Pellus was nothing like Lucia had imagined. Instead of wooden jetties and walkways, the dock seemed to have been constructed entirely out of shaped stone. The seamless and smooth way the massive bs of pale rock had been ced together was, to her inexperienced eye, a sure sign that magic had been used. The town beyond the dock too seemed to have been created using the same technique. Buildings made of curved and flowing stone lined the waterfront, the subtle colouration of strata adding a decorative ssh of colour to the otherwise uniform look of the structures. Roy, Leif and herself were among thest to depart from the ship, stepping onto solid ground for the first time in days and following the crowd that was already mingling with uniformed teens and young adults. A dozen cheerful reunions took ce all around them as the trio wove their way through the throng of excited people. Roy was openly admiring every sight, and nothing of Leif¡¯s expression could be seen because of the mask, but the scene before them drilled a hole through her stomach, a feeling of cold emptiness spreading through her. But Lucia and her brother weren¡¯t here for a happy reunion. If anything, their time at the academy would end in tears and a mountain of regret. She silently followed Leif and Roy through the crowd, barely noticing how groups of people seemed to unconsciously step out of the way, or shuffle to the side to let them pass. ¡°Wee! Wee to Pellus!¡± Called a student standing off to the side, several of their peers in stylish grey uniforms repeating their deration, waving paper fliers and smiling at the milling crowd. One of the students, a girl in herte teens with rosy cheeks noticed Lucia staring and beckoned her over. ¡°Do we¡­?¡± Lucia asked, nodding towards the students. ¡°As good a ce to start as any.¡± Leif said, stepping forward, the crowd parting around him. Chapter 148: Sights to See Chapter 148: Sights to See ¡°And this is the Pellus public bathhouse. You might be able to tell from the architecture that the building predates the rest of the town by several centuries. Usually the older structures that predate the Academy are used by the Academy, but this is one of the few exceptions.¡± Their first year student guide exined, leading Leif and the two children along a mosaiced road that curved with the natural arch of the hill. ¡°You can see on the left some of Pellus¡¯s famous cafes and restaurants, though I think the restaurants are mostly booked out, and will be for the next few weeks. It¡¯s a busy time on the inds during the quadriad.¡± She continued, not deviating from her trajectory towards the bathhouse. The wide, artistically intricate street was packed with people, mostly students and their visiting family, but also a contingent of guards with the symbol of the Academy, a serpentine dragon eating its own tail emzoned on their grey and ck outfits. ¡°E, you said some of these buildings predate the Academy? What do you mean?¡± Leif asked their guide. The fact Lucia and Roy¡¯s attention was firmly locked on the bathhouse was not lost on him. ¡°And what are the fees for the bath?¡± ¡°Oh, the history of the ce is quite fascinating. Most of what we¡¯re walking through now used to be the ruins of a town. When imperial settlers found the archipgo it was abandoned, with only thergest buildings still standing, like the spires. As for the bathhouse¡­ I think it''s ten kes for an adult, and half that for kids. Though they may have upped the prices because of all the visitors, you¡¯ll have to double check.¡± ¡°I assume you two will be fine on your own?¡± Leif asked Lucia, the girl nodding rapidly. He handed her enough coins, and then some. Both siblings tore off towards the bathhouse, not eager to dy the alluring prospect of finally being clean. ¡°Take your time! If I¡¯m not outside when you get, out just wait, I won¡¯t be far!¡± He called after them, shaking his head as they dashed up carved stairs leading up to the structure, Roy almost tripping. Lucia helped him up thest few steps, then both children disappeared into the ornate structure, vanishing out of sight with remarkable speed. ¡°Cute kids. Are they yours?¡± E asked, adjusting the cor on her uniform as she watched them go. ¡°No, they are not. Truthfully, I¡¯ve only known them for a handful of days.¡± Leif said. ¡°Ah, I see. They¡¯re so dirty, I¡¯m surprised they were let onto the ind at all. Their parents or guardians must be ashamed of themselves.¡± She said, frowning. The student hadn¡¯t been subtle in her nces towards Roy and Lucia, the difort clear to Leif¡¯s senses. Leif made a noise of agreement, notmenting that the two had been in a much worse shape when he had found them. He was yet to pry the story of their situation from either sibling, but he doubted they had anyone left that could feel shame. ¡°So, the quadriad? I¡¯m here on business, and wasn¡¯t aware of the¡­ festival until about a week ago. But I gather it¡¯s a big deal?¡±E sighed dramatically. ¡°It¡¯s a massive tournament held once every year. Students from all four indspete in a wide variety of events, and most of them take ce right here on Pellus, since we have the most venues. But there¡¯s food and dances and agents from capital factions who havee to scout talent, it¡¯s a huge ordeal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re notpeting?¡± ¡°No. I wish, but I¡¯m only a first year student. I can¡¯tpete unless I get invited to a team, and the singles events are only avable if you have amendation.¡± She said, sighing again. ¡°But by working as a guide I get extra credits which, in turn, will help my grades. Wish I could watch though.¡± ¡°My condolences.¡± Leif said, crossing his arms,paring what he had just learnt to what he already knew of the Academy. ¡°Can students earnmendations by participating in expeditions?¡± She perked up at the mention of expeditions. ¡°Yup yup, that¡¯s the main way. But there are also academicmendations and donationmendations. I signed up for one, an expedition I mean, but the selections haven¡¯t been decided yet.¡± ¡°I see. Best of luck with that.¡± ¡°Thanks! Hopefully everything goes well. Shall we continue the tour, or should we wait for them to be done?¡± ¡°No, let''s continue. They¡¯ll be in there for a while.¡± === ¡°This is the artisan street. You have smiths and enchanters mostly, but also an assortment of other trades. Thepany that tailors all the uniforms for the students has an office here, but most of the work is done back in the capitol.¡± E exined, stepping aside to let another touring group pass. ¡°Interesting. Are the enchanters open formissions?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Not for outsiders, no. They¡¯re all contractually linked to the Academy, but it''s usually only students and faculty on the inds anyway, so it isn¡¯t often a big deal. Most of the artisans here are smaller branches ofrger establishments down in Mekrylis. Students with certain sses can work in the shops for experience, and many do.¡± ¡°Not many students are working in the shops today.¡± Leif noted. ¡°Is that because of the quadriad?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The arena needs enchanters on standby to help maintain the arrays during the tournament, so most of the students will be there doing that. Others will be there for equipment repairs and the like.¡± ¡°And the arena is where?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s towards the other side of the ind. Do you see the spire in the distance, the big one, not the smaller ones with the domed roofs?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Leif said, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked to where she was pointing. ¡°It¡¯s like, just beyond there. If you follow the main road you get to the outer halls, then the student housing and dormitories, then the inner halls. Then there are the zas, the teleportation hub, then the lecture amphitheatres.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Then you have thebs, the core halls and outer faculty housing. Then you get the training fields, and beyond them is the main arena.¡± Leif stopped and looked at his guide. ¡°And this is just one of four inds?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Oh yeah. But Pellus is the biggest and most developed. She tapped an embroidering on her grey uniform¡¯s shoulder. If you see a student with the crown and sword stitch, they¡¯re from Pellus.¡± I don¡¯t recall seeing ind specific indicators back during the expedition. Though I could have missed them. Leif thought, studying the collection ofrge stone structures that dotted the horizon. ¡°What is Lutum like?¡± ¡°Is that where you¡¯re going? For business, did you say?¡± E asked. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only been a few times for mixed training. But it¡¯s nice. Unlike Pellus it¡¯s quite heavily forested, but all the facilities are more spread out. If you like walking a lot then I guess it¡¯s fine.¡± She said with a shrug. ¡°Do they have a symbol?¡± ¡°They do, the Lutum crest is aurel and a fist. Dimid has a crain and a spear, and Braslim is a pair of dragon wings surrounding an eye.¡± ¡°But during expeditions Academy members use the main symbol instead?¡± ¡°Yep yep.¡± E said. ¡°The distinction doesn¡¯t really matter outside of the institution, even if there is a fairly intense rivalry between the four inds.¡± They continued down the street, reaching the end where the rows of establishments and workshops gave way to residential buildings. E had family staying on the ind, but apparently they were with her older siblings as they prepared for the tournament¡¯s beginning. A group of boys not wearing Academy uniforms ran by,ughing and yelling. They looked to be around Lucia¡¯s age. ¡°Dad,e on!¡± The oldest called over his shoulder. ¡°We want to see the expedition matches!¡± A trio of finely dressed men followed after, engaging in a quiet yet intense conversation. One of them waved at the kids, telling them to go on ahead to the main road. They ran up the street and turned at an intersection as the adults stopped to admire the suits on disy in a shop¡¯srge front window. ¡°Expedition matches?¡± Leif asked. ¡°They don¡¯t start for a few hours. It¡¯s a series of duels between some of the active Academy des, usually one for each day the quadriad goes for. The fights are incredible, but can be pretty hard to follow, at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard.¡± E said, a wistful expression on her face. ¡°Any idea who exactly will be fighting?¡± ¡°Umm, I think the match today is between the two newest des. So it¡¯ll be Hera and Kastro, the ninth and tenth des respectively.¡± ¡°Fascinating.¡± Leif said, suddenly more interested now that he knew who was fighting. ¡°Any bets on who will win?¡± He had seen Hera fight, and knew how potent her skills could be at a long distance. Though he wasn¡¯t certain if an enclosed arena was a favourable matchup for the former noble. ¡°Oh wow. Hmmm, I have to go with Hera, but I don¡¯t really know what Kastro can do. None of the students know exactly what his skills or sses are, but there are rumours he can paralyse people in fear with a nce.¡± ¡°A highly promoted Acolyte ss? Or maybe an attuned ss with the concept of fear or terror?¡± He suggested. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, sorry.¡± E said, her expression a mix between genuine apology and frustration. ¡°I wish I could see the matches, but I especially wish I could see this one. I¡¯m an archer too, so I¡¯ve wanted to see de Hera in action for a while now.¡± ¡°Are you a light mage as well?¡± Leif asked, drawing a surprised look from the student. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m impressed you know that much about her.¡± Sheughed. ¡°My second ss is [Scribe], it¡¯s pretty boring but lots of students have it. I¡¯m not sure if I want to invest into promoting it, or holding off and getting levels in something new.¡± They approached the bathhouse, E greeting a pair of women she recognised. Two cats sat atop a nearby roof, their tails interlinked as they observed the endless parade of foot traffic. Leif extended his perception towards the bathhouse, noticing two familiar points of vitality nearing the entrance. ¡°Shall we head back?¡± He asked. ¡°I think the kids are almost done.¡± ¡°Oh, sure thing.¡± === Roy wobbled out of the changing room feeling like apletely different person than the mud and grime soaked boy that had entered. He felt warm and floaty, the steamy hot water from the bath having almost lulled him to sleep on several asions. He shook his head vigorously, his messy crop of short blond hair swinging around his face like a dog trying to dry itself. ¡°Roy, stop it.¡± Lucia hissed, a towel wrapped around her own head as they headed for the building''s reception. ¡°You¡¯ll get it all tangled and knotted.¡± ¡°But it feels so fluffy and light.¡± He mumbled, letting out a contagious yawn. ¡°We need to make thisst Roy. We don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll get another chance like this. Maybe even never.¡± She chided after finishing her own yawn. She pouted down at him as he giggled and stuck out his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s fine sis. We¡¯re here aren¡¯t we? Once we find the person who knows what happened to mum and dad we¡¯ll go meet them.¡± Lucia¡¯s expression clouded over for an instant, but then she smiled down at him. Roy blinked, but assumed he had imagined the change in his sister due to how sleepy he felt after the bath. ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll find her, then we can get back to our family.¡± She said, though her tone was a little stiff. She reached down and ruffled his hair, thenughed at his affronted expression. ¡°Why do you get to mess with my hair but I can¡¯t?¡± Royined, ducking to dodge out of reach of her continuous attack. ¡°Because I¡¯ll be the one who will brush your hair the next time it gets tangled. Just like I brushed it this time. Nowe on, we need to put our towels into the used basket.¡± She said, offering an outstretched palm. He took it, his smaller fingers wrapping around her own. They returned their towels and traded in wooden chips for the few belongings they had left in the reception. Then both siblings stepped out into the mid-day sun. Roy raised both hands to the sky, one outstretched, the other still holding Lucia¡¯s. The warm ocean breeze ruffled his clothes and the sun shone down onto his face. Two familiar figures approached, and he waved with both hands, awkwardly forcing Lucia to wave as well. ¡°Leif! Helpfuldy!¡± He called, his grin wide and honest. ¡°Look! I¡¯m all clean!¡± Thedy in the mostly grey uniform smiled up at him, waving back. Leif, by contrast, looked him and his sister up and down, then nodded in approval. ¡°Better. Did you have any trouble?¡± ¡°Roy almost got us yelled at for sshing too much, but otherwise it was fine. It was good. Uh¡­ thank you.¡± Lucia said, scratching her cheek. ¡°You are most wee. Now, I have a suggestion.¡± The masked man said. ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± Roy said, hopping up and down. Lucia gave him a meaningful look but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I see. Well, how about we get you some food, then head towards the arena. I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a spectacle happening there, I don¡¯t want to miss it.¡± The helpfuldy smiled and gestured back down the street. ¡°Shall I show you some of the best food stalls?¡± ¡°That''s fine.¡± Leif said. ¡°Then E here can show us to where the uing duel between two Academy des will take ce.¡± ¡°I¡­ I will?¡± E asked, sounding stunned. ¡°She will?¡± Lucia muttered under her breath, her expression distant. ¡°Yay!¡± Roy yelled, charging down therge stairs and onto the colourfully tiled street. This time he didn¡¯t almost trip. Chapter 149: Showmatch Chapter 149: Showmatch The expansive collection of ancient stone buildings was even more impressive in person than Lief had expected. Even the smallest of the structures wasrger than the tallest apartment in Ahle-ho, the stonework that made up their construction an intricate and elegant series of carvings and engravings. Every wall, pir, doorway and window served a purpose greater than they could alone, the buildings like an artwork, aplex puzzle that had been put together with incredible skill and effort. The age of the ce was also on disy, with more than a few of the structures they passed showing signs of repairs, or minor damages caused by weather and time that had yet to grow serious enough to warrant attention. Vines took to the walls of the student dormitory they passed with incredible vigour, the nts growing up every surface though could manage in order to get close to the sun. E guided their small group, an ordeal she was more than excited to undertake, the girl was practically bouncing with excitement as they drew closer to the arena. Guards in ck and grey kept visitors from wandering off the path, but their presence was less of a threat, and more of a gentle reminder to guests of the Academy¡¯s power. Roy matched the excitement of the tour guide. Babbling an endless stream of enthusiastic questions to the older girl, who, in turn, answered in much the same way. They heard the sounds of the rumbling crowd well before the arena came into sight. The imminent beginnings of the quadriad echoing off the pirs that lined the wide path between two towering lecture amphitheatres. The acoustics of the nearby buildings amplifying the distant yells of the crowd. In contrast to her brother, Lucia grew quieter the further into the Academy¡¯s grounds they travelled. The girl adopting a mask of happiness and wonder that wasn¡¯t matched by the simmering anxiety and trepidation Leif sensed bubbling just below the surface. He slowed his step to fall in beside her, Roy ran ahead to read the engraved plinths that described the lives and careers of former lecturers. ¡°What?¡± Lucia asked, her smile strained. ¡°You¡¯re tense.¡± Leif said, looking down at her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡­ I¡¯m not tense at all. What makes you think that?¡± ¡°I can read your aura. I can tell.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie, not technically. While emotions could be discerned from somebody''s aura, having a skill specifically for the task made the task far easier. Lucia¡¯s aura was weak, which ordinarily would make perceiving information from it significantly harder. But without an aura skill she had no hope of hiding from an empath. Leif hadn¡¯t been blind to the girl''s emotional state, in fact it had been the primary reason that even after choosing to help both Lucia and her brother, he had been keeping his distance. Nobody¡¯s emotions became knife sharp and clouded with a dangerous amount of desperation without having experienced far more than the rmended dose of tribtion and hardship. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She lied, not making eye contact. ¡°Is it the prospect of seeingbat?¡± He asked. ¡°Or maybe the idea of being within a crowd?¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s fine.¡± Lucia snapped. Then she winced and looked up at him guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ It¡¯s nothing like that. You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°True. You would have to exin it to me.¡± She clenched her fists and took a deep breath. Then exhaled, visibly rxing. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ It¡¯s my problem, my burden. I have to carry it, nobody else.¡± ¡°What about Roy?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to worry about anything. He¡­ He¡¯s too young to really understand. And¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°And he¡¯s better for it. I just want to protect him, okay? He doesn¡¯t deserve the life we were, are, living.¡± Leif stopped, bringing Lucia up short. ¡°Do you deserve it?¡± Lucia flinched. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t. Nobody does. I don¡¯t know your story, the events that lead to the present or what you n to do. But you didn¡¯t deserve to be in the state I found you. Not your brother, and not you.¡± ¡°Was that why you helped us? Was it just sympathy and pity? Did you think we were pathetic, that we couldn¡¯t help ourselves? That we needed your charity and-¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leif said simply. Cutting off her growing rant. ¡°Do I need another reason?¡± She took several, deep calming breaths. Then, finally, Lucia looked him in the eyes. ¡°There are people who might not want us on the inds. They might not want us alive at all. They might hunt us down and hurt us, and they might even hurt you for having helped us.¡± She blurted, then nced around in panic to see if they had been overheard. ¡°I think the polite thing to have done would have been to tell me this before we got off the ship.¡± ¡°I- You¡¯re right. You¡¯re right¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t do anything right. I can¡¯t even get help correctly. You should leave us, maybe-¡± ¡°I still would have helped you.¡± ¡°Huh? But¡­ but why?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t seem to help myself.¡± Lucia snorted. ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡± Leif sighed. ¡°Probably. Though I fear it might be in my nature.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m stupid too.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re selling yourself short.¡± Leif said, ncing towards the distant sounds of cheering. ¡°How likely is it that these mysterious enemies of yours will be attending the tournament.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. Not very, they might not be in the Academy at all. I don¡¯t really know who they are.¡± ¡°And how likely is it that the person you¡¯re trying to find will be there?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be there.¡± Leif waited for Lucia to continue, but the girl seemed more worried about Roy trying to climb up one of the statues legs. ¡°Okay then. Let''s go.¡± === ¡°Could I offer you a pre match drink, mydy?¡± Zane asked, dipping into a formal bow, a bottle tucked under his arm. Hera raised an eyebrow and smirked. ¡°When I¡¯m about to fight your cousin? Do you think I¡¯m stupid, Zane?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t poisoned, if that¡¯s what you''re worried about.¡± He said, standing up and making the bottle vanish with a pop of air. ¡°A member of the house Low would never stoop so¡­ well, the joke finishes itself doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You realise most of the students here think you¡¯re a mysterious and enigmatic master of the sword? They would be so disappointed to see their illusion of you shattered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s a magical veil over the VIP spectator booths. It¡¯s to keep our dirtyundry out of sight of the masses.¡± ¡°Could you two stop flirting? Gods above it¡¯s nauseating.¡± Arge man growled, his wild blue hair tied back into a long tail, his uniform having burst open at the chest to reveal a veritable wall of muscle. ¡°Sir Mouric! I am a married man! How dare you insinuate such a thing?¡± Zane gasped, spinning around with his hand to his heart as if in pain. The longsword at his hip knocking a tter of food off a nearby table onto the floor. Compared to the muchrger man, Zane was practically tiny. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain your wife is imaginary.¡± Mouric grunted, raising a ss of vibrant red liquid to his lips, then tapping it with a finger. In an instant the wine chilled, frost spilling out of the ss¡¯s mouth and down its side. ¡°Rude. I contest that im.¡± Zane sniffed, brushing a strand of white hair out of his eye. ¡°Back me up Hera, you¡¯ve met the woman. She¡¯s lovely, right?¡± ¡°Anyone who can put up with you for more than a few hours is a saint.¡± Hera replied, half listening to the announcer¡¯s voice that boomed across the arena, reaching even the furthest seat in the stands without difficulty. ¡°I¡¯m not fighting today, but I feel like I¡¯m being attacked.¡± The swordsman said, sounding offended. ¡°Maybe if you didn¡¯t act like a clown we wouldn¡¯t make fun of you.¡± Suggested Sabline, the slender woman hovering an inch above her own couch. ¡°You just make it too easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the strongest!¡± Zane protested. ¡°I could beat you all in a fight! I deserve respect! I deserve worship!¡± ¡°You deserve a boot up your ass.¡± Mouric muttered. ¡°You¡¯re hardly the strongest de, Zane.¡± Sabline said sweetly. ¡°Afterall, you¡¯re the lowest level out of all of us.¡± ¡°By choice! I¡¯m the lowest level by choice!¡± The man shouted, flopping down into the couch next to Hera and crossing his arms. ¡°None of you have the guts to challenge me anyway. That¡¯s why they have me paired up against Crest. It¡¯s going to be so boring!¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s going to beat you?¡± Hera asked, standing up to avoid the swordsman¡¯s attempt to sling an arm around her shoulder. ¡°Because he¡¯s going to do some cryptic bullshit, then hide his actual abilities! You know he¡¯s going to do just that, it¡¯s Crest we¡¯re talking about!¡± Zane whined, elbowing Mouric as he gesticted wildly. ¡°Zane, I am going to throw you into the sea if you don¡¯t stop acting like a child.¡± The massive b of muscle said, glowering down at his fellow de. ¡°Maybe you can meet one of the monsters Kastro encountered? Might even give you a little humility.¡± Before the other man could reply a knock came at the door. ¡°Lady Hera, the match will begin soon.¡± Said a voice from the other side, the sound partially muffled. ¡°Right. Coming.¡± She called in reply, stepping over the dropped tter of food and making for the exit. ¡°Wish me luck.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need luck.¡± Sabline huffed. ¡°You basically counter Kastro in every way.¡± ¡°Even in a little arena?¡± She asked. ¡°He can¡¯t scare arrows. Just stay away from him.¡± ¡°True enough.¡± Hera said, opening the door and striding out. The official waiting on the other side dipped into a bow, then asked her to follow. She activated [Prismatic Sight] as she walked down the slightly curved wall, the light from outside bending as it reacted to her skill¡¯s activation. It wasn¡¯t the same as being able to see directly through solid objects, but it was the next best thing. Combined with the skill¡¯s visual perception enhancement and the way it filtered out unnecessary details Hera took in the entire arena all at once. The stands were packed with students and their families. Academy officials and teachers, merchants and representatives from all over the empire. Grey was the predominant colour worn by the spectators. With most first and second years having not yet earned the greens or oranges of their older peers. Hera modted her speed, not letting her attribute enhanced body race ahead of the babbling official that was trailing her. It wasn¡¯t her first quadriad, nor her first bout with another de. But considering the entricity of many of her colleges she couldn¡¯t me the man for making sure she understood the rules. They entered a chamber with several massive arches lining the circr walls. In times long forgotten to history the room would have functioned as a minor teleportation hub, allowing her to arrive at the other side of the arena in a single step. But the arches remained inert, the power that once coursed through the ancient arena long dormant. So instead of teleporting to where she needed to be, Hera and the official descended a series of well lit steps, before finally arriving below the arena floor. There were waiting rooms and waiting cells, but she didn¡¯t enter either. The announcer¡¯s voice echoed through the undergroundplex just as easily as it had reached the booth her and the other des had been residing within. She stretched as the speech reached its conclusion. Rolling her shoulders and flexing her fingers. Hera briefly considered conjuring her armour from her [Armoury of Light] skill, but decided against it. Her preferredbat style was quick movements and maintaining distance with her opponent. The armour, even made out of hard light, would only slow her down. Instead she conjured her bow, the shimmering construct of magic gleaming in her hand, its string an almost invisible strand of prismatic light. ¡°And without further ado! May I present the twobatants who will be starting off the quadriad! They need no introduction, yet for the sake of our neers and visitors I will do so anyway!¡± The announcer roared, the spectators letting out a cheer of approval. ¡°We have the ninth de! An archer of terrifying skill! A woman who climbed to the peak of power in only a handful of short years! The radiant adventurer herself! Hera Kossia!¡± Peak of power? What nonsense is this? She mused, the space around her shimmering as her aura focused the light. Why the Academy thinks teaching kids level one hundred is some sort of unassable peak is beyond me. ¡°Her opponent is the tenth de! The newest member of the Academies ten most powerfulbatants! A man who¡¯s very presence distorts the minds of those nearby with terror! A returner from the bottom of the sea! Kastro Low!¡± The arena shook with the sound of thousands of voices screaming in unison. Hera shook her head, her blond hair swaying behind her. Time to get this little showmatch over with. Chapter 150: Humanity鈥檚 Finest Chapter 150: Humanity¡¯s Finest ¡°It¡¯s starting! It¡¯s starting!¡± Roy said, bouncing from foot to foot. ¡°We need to get inside!¡± ¡°Patience Roy, we¡¯re at the front of the line.¡± Lucia said, cing aforting hand on her younger brother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have an Academy token!¡± E was saying to Leif, the first year student just as excited as Roy, only she was doing a worse job at hiding it. ¡°You should have said something earlier! Associates of the Academy can use privileges and facilities most visitors cannot!¡± ¡°If you couldn¡¯t tell from the mask, I¡¯m trying not to attract too much attention.¡± ¡°Really? The mask is pretty eye-catching though.¡± Leif tilted his head in acknowledgement. That was a fair point. Maybe he should have worn the in wooden mask instead of the painted one he had bought from a market stall in Ahle-ho. Well, it''s toote now. He thought, an official waving him and the others inside. The rumble of the crowd and the booming voice of the announcer washed over them as they climbed up into the outer ring of the stands. The sheer mass of humanity was an almost physical blow to the senses. Roy covered his ears and shouted something to Lucia. The girl shook her head, then pointed towards a section of the stands where the press of people was rtively less. ¡°Oh wow, oh wow.¡± E said, pping her hands together as they made their way around the outside of the upper most level. The announcer had just finished introducing the tenth de. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we made it in time for the start of the fight. I can¡¯t believe they let us skip right to the front of the queue!¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly notining.¡± Leif replied, though his attention was on the arena itself. There was a strange barrier blocking his aura, and the aura of all the spectators from entering the almost one hundred and fifty metre long stretch of sand. It partially reminded him of the protective barriers the sparring yards in the Twin Heart guild, but the aura rejectingponent had more in simrity to the suppression bracers. He still missed them. He should buy some if he got the chance. They were halfway to the sparsely popted side of the arena when the crowd roared and two figures stepped out onto the sand. From their distance, Leif and the others could just make out bothbatants. A feat made easier as the field surrounding the innermost ring of the structure rippled, the effect somehow zooming in wherever Leif wanted to look. Roy almost walked into a trio of students, the boy staring in amazement at the magical disy. The closest de to where they were was a tall, severe looking man who was likely within hister twenties, though with the slowed ageing of higher levels it was possible he could be quite a bit older. He had short grey hair that was neatly swept back from his face. Leif couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s eyes, but from the arrogant tilt of his head he was likely looking down on his opponent. The other was a wee sight. It had been a year, or thereabouts, since he hadst seen Hera. The woman still sported the same long blond hair and confident expression she had back during the expedition. A bow of conjured light was held loosely in one hand, the other was ced on her hip. ¡°That¡¯s quite the enchantment.¡± Leif said appreciatively, nodding to the vision affecting shield. ¡°I wonder how it works?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an Academy legend about the team of students who discovered the arena control room and helped reverse engineer and repair the enchantments.¡± E yelled over the cheering crowd. ¡°Well, not all the enchantments are working. But all the key one¡¯s are functional. Other than the teleport arches. But I think that¡¯s a power supply issue. Maybe? I¡¯m not sure.¡± The announcer started counting down to the beginning of the match. The crowd joined in on the count of eight. ¡°C¡¯mon sis!¡± Roy said, tugging at Lucia¡¯s hand. The girl had stopped in ce and was staring down into the arena. ¡°I- Right. Let''s go.¡± She said, shooting a look at Leif before grabbing Roy by the hand and leading him the final stretch of the way to a quartet of open seats. They had to squeeze past a group of orange uniformed students who were on their feet, Roy plopping down into the closest seat only to be shooed onwards by Lucia. ¡°Begin!¡± The announcer screamed, and both figures in the arena blurred into motion. There was a sh of white light as in a single smooth movement Hera pulled back the string on her bow, conjured an arrow and loosed. The projectile shot across the arena, carving a white line through the air as it soared towards its target with no loss of speed. If anything the arrow sped up as it bore down on Kastro. Leif missed how the man reacted to the sudden attack as he found his seat, but not the aftermath. A oozing grey tentacle had risen from the ground below the man¡¯s feet, it writhed upwards, carrying Kastro forward. Two more arrows shot towards the tenth de, he battered the first aside with a grey d fist, but had to jump off the tentacle to avoid the other. He fell, but was caught by a second tentacle and continued forward. ¡°What is that?¡± E gasped, staring down at the disy unfolding below them. ¡°I thought de Kastro used fear magic? I don¡¯t even know what kind of ss can do that!¡± Arrow after arrow fell towards the man, each was dodged, blocked or deflected, but the barrage picked up speed, more and more radiant projectilesing towards Kastro from every angle. Some arrows curved down from above, others flew in from the side, guided towards their target. A trio of trunk sized tentacles burst from the sandy ground, only to be pierced and pummelled momentster. Hera had yet to move from her starting position, her confident smile yet to fade. Kastro fell as his tentacles mmed down, sand sprayed in all directions as the man vanished into the cloud of his own creation. Hera¡¯s eyes shone, then she took aim and fired another arrow. A scream ripped out from the cloud an instantter, followed by a dark pulse of energy that washed across the arena. It buffeted up against the protective barrier like waves against the coast. As the skill travelled, dark figures, twisted and misshapen pulled themselves into existence. There was something primal and terrifying about them, how their very presence twisted the air and drew the eye. Several spectators flinched back, though whatever mental attack the summoned beings carried was negated by the barrier. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. For the first time since the battle started Hera kicked off, darting backwards, a wall of light being summoned to ward off the overbearing skill. Then she fired a quick volley of arrows into the air, each a blur of motion. Kastro burst out of the cloud of sand, ripping a shaft of light from his stomach and sprinting forward with a snarl. Grey water oozed up around his feet, the tide of liquid spilling out from his position and covering dozens of metres within half as many seconds. The arrows Hera had firednded in a staggered interval, then they exploded, armoured figures of lighting into existence with gleaming weapons already swinging. Kastro engaged with the one immediately before him as his summoned tentacles fought the others. The man ducked a strike aimed for his neck, sidestepped a thrust then retreated under a barrage of rapid jabs and half-swings. The monstrosities he had summoned ignored the sentinels, charging after Hera with their constantly changing bodies. Hera kept retreating, cutting down creature after creature with a series of precisely aimed arrows. Then she vanished in a sh of light as she reached the far wall. The monstrosities and spectators both were confused, only for them to notice Hera a momentter. She stood on the other side of the arena, an arrow that hadnded in the sand at the beginning of the fight warping the air as she teleported to it. Kastro redirected his summoned creatures and tentacles towards Hera, but the 9th de simply repeated the steps from the start of the fight, retreating as she unleashed a hail of arrows. Her opponentshed out with whips of grey water, cutting apart the nearest sentinel but taking a slice to the arm in retaliation. Then he was tugged out of the path of a falling arrow by a tentacle and carried off to safety. The tentacles seemed to move faster within the grey water, the liquid oozing up Kastro¡¯s body to seal off the wound to his arm. The twisted creations of nightmares finally reached the centre of the arena, but Kastro gestured for them to spread out and upy territory instead of pursuing Hera directly. The man warded off another half dozen arrows, then took shelter behind a barrier of tentacles. He was panting heavily, wincing in pain as his hand went to the still bleeding wound in his gut. Grey liquid flowed into the wound, staunching the flow of blood. He stood, his expression grim and held out his palm to ce it onto the tentacles before him. Then an arrow far stronger and faster than any in the fight so far tore through the tentacles protecting Kastro and- The crowd gasped collectively as the man¡¯s arm was severed from his shoulder. Kastro screamed, another wave of terror inducing power washing over the arena¡¯s sands, another fresh batch of twisted creatures manifesting as it did so. Another power shot shed across the distance between bothbatants, but the injured man fell into the water oozing around him, only to appear over twenty metres away as he emerged,pletely drenched. The tenth de had control of over half the arena¡¯s surface by this point. But it didn¡¯t matter. An increasinglyrge number of armoured sentinels appeared around Hera, protecting her from the approaching nightmares as she hunted Kastro with an endless volley of arrows. If she had needed to teleport again to escape she would have been in trouble, but Hera was never forced to do so. Two minutester Kastro fell to one knee and yielded. The crowd exploded in cheers. ¡°Did you see that?!¡± E screamed, shaking Leif¡¯s shoulder and pointing towards Hera. ¡°Look. Look at how cool that was! Did you see what I saw?¡± ¡°Yes. I think we all saw that.¡± Leif replied, amused. It was hard to miss. Has she gotten stronger since Ist saw her? I don¡¯t think I saw any new skills, but she didn¡¯t even get hit once. Another figure, a woman with the same grey hair as Kastro ran out of the entrance the man had initially emerged from, racing to his side. She red at Hera as she trudged through the evaporating water that still pooled around the arena. Hera just smiled and dismissed her bow. waving up at the still cheering crowd. I can¡¯t believe it took her, Kaan, Pocht and that damn orc fighting together to defeat that awakened enver. Just how much stronger had that thing been? Leif wondered, pping appreciatively. ¡°It was too fast!¡± Royce wasining to Lucia. ¡°I didn¡¯t see enough of it!¡± For her part, his sister looked stunned, staring nkly down at the arena¡¯s sandy floor. ¡°Right? That¡¯s what the strongest of us are like!¡± E said. ¡°Humanity¡¯s finest, that''s who the Academy des are!¡± Healers in white robes were sprinting up to Kastro as the woman held the man¡¯s severed arm up to his shoulder. One of the healers made his way to Hera¡¯s side but she waved him away. ¡°Who¡¯s the woman?¡± Leif asked, nodding towards the scene below. ¡°That¡¯s de Dani Low. She¡¯s the seventh de, she¡¯s the older¡­ cousin I think. Yeah, older cousin of Kastro. There¡¯s another de from House Low as well, Zane. He¡¯s the second. They say he¡¯s the strongest of them all, even if he¡¯s only number two in seniority.¡± ¡°Three from one house, huh? Impressive.¡± Leif said. It was an honest assessment. Rtively weakpared to the monsters that lurked outside the humanities territory that may be, it was still a formidable feat to boast multiple level one hundred and abovebatants. The invisible barrier around the arena rippled, then vanished, the vision projecting enchantment disappearing with it. As one, the aura¡¯s of the spectators flooded down into the sight of the battle like a waterfall cascading off a cliff. Leif had never been around so many high level people before, and even after his months of training it still felt like a chaotic mess of intentions, emotions and power signatures. === Hera blinked, buffeted by the onught of presences vying for her attention. She waved again, the slowly quieting crowd letting out another round of cheers. The pressure that had slowly been bearing down on her mind throughout the fight was drifting away, the mental assault she had been under for the duration finally letting her think straight. ¡°Bloody hells.¡± She muttered, ncing tiredly at where Kastro was being helped off the sands. ¡°The Low¡¯s have another monster. Unbelievable.¡± She shook her head and started walking back towards her entrance. The corners of her vision still shifted with unseen threats and terrors. That was not pleasant to fight. Can¡¯t imagine if I actually had to get close to deal significant damage, that would not have ended well for me. The higher level someone got, the stronger their mental fortitude became. [Willpower] was a factor, certainly. As were skills such as her own [Mastery over the Self and Battle]. It had been¡­ what? Years since she had endured a mental attack of that kind. Well, that''s another thing to add to the training regime. No rest for the wicked, Hera. Literally, I¡¯m going to have nightmares for days after this. She red her aura, pushing away a greasy aura from someone who tried to analyse her. Probably one of the faction representatives from Mekrylis. They should know better, but some people were too used to not having to deal with consequences. Then something tapped the edge of her attention. It was a polite greeting, but more importantly it was a familiar greeting. Lars? Hera thought, turning to look up at the crowd. She hadn¡¯t thought of the aura prodigy in years. Frowning, she scanned for the source. The tap came again, this time guiding her attention upwards and to the left. Not Lars then, this presence doesn¡¯t feel like him. It¡¯s more¡­ noble- She locked eyes with a masked man sitting up in the highest level of the stands. Hera snorted, thenughed. Well, isn¡¯t this a nice surprise. She thought, nodding slightly towards Leif before turning away. Then she missed a step. What if he¡¯s pissed about the letters? Chapter 151: Appointment Chapter 151: Appointment Lucia felt cold. Even under the afternoon sun and surrounded by the raucous energy of the arena stadium her limbs felt numb and her skin was mmy. She had witnessed the fight between the tenth and ninth des of the Academy, but in truth she had seen very little of it. Her gaze had been locked on the woman with golden hair, the point all other details had faded into the background. Hearing stories and rumours was one thing. But finallyying eyes on the woman was like reaching the base of a mountain and finally seeing just how far there was to go. And how unprepared you were to even attempt the ascent. Her heart pumped loudly in her ears, the sound drowning out all else. She tightened her hands into fists in herp and fought down a sudden bout of nausea. That¡¯s weird. She thought, unable to stop the trembling in her hands. I haven''t felt like this since- Her mind reeled, unable to finish the thought. Her vision went blurry and suddenly the past year became real. All the sleepless nights, the days without food, the struggle to keep living, to keep Roy alive. One way or another, it would all be over soon. The realisation made her heart beat even harder, made the world close in around her, tightening like a vice and threatening to never let go. Lucia stared down at¡­ not the cause. Maybe the catalyst of everything that had gone wrong. Hera wasn¡¯t an enemy. Hopefully. Lucia could only pray that she wasn¡¯t, even if¡­ even if- She couldn¡¯t think about it. It was too painful. And then Hera, possibly the strongest person she had ever personally seen, turned and looked in her direction as if perceiving her stare. The projection from the arena¡¯s shields were no longer in effect, so Lucia couldn¡¯t see the woman''s face, nor the precise direction she had looked, but it was enough to make everything go very still and very quiet. It took her several seconds to realise she was being tapped on the shoulder by Roy. Her brother¡¯s excited and happy expression slowly faded as the seconds trickled by and she didn¡¯t respond. Lucia blinked, and looked up at his concerned face, his sunken features were less pronounced after several days of full meals and repeated healing. ¡°Sis. Did you see?¡± Roy asked, his eyes wide. ¡°Y-yeah. I saw. Pretty¡­ Pretty cool, huh?¡± She said, forcing a smile. Her brother frowned, her response hadn¡¯t been what he had expected. She tried again, her smile a little more genuine as she saw the concern written over his features. ¡°It was so cool! With the light and the scary monsters! It was so fast!¡± ¡°It sure was. People on that level have lots of attributes, so everything they do is really quick and strong.¡± ¡°I bet they have like, a million in each one! I wanna be that strong too! Do you think I can? Can I sis?¡± She reached out and wrapped an arm around his back, shifting in her stone seat to get a little closer. ¡°Of course you can, Roy. You¡¯re amazing. You can do whatever you want, and I promise to help you do it.¡± The little boy kicked his feet happily and started retelling the events of the fight, though his story was limited to what he had actually been able to see. He also made up several parts. Apparently there had been a dragon swimming in the grey water and the tentacles had been its fingers. Lucia felt herself slowly calm down as she watched the arena get swept clean by several pairs of people running around withrge rake-like contraptions attached to wheels. The remaining puddles of foul liquid seemed to vanish in a sh as some sort of enchantment activated in the machine¡¯s prongs. E stood and excused herself, rapidly shaking Leif¡¯s hand and thanking him for bringing her along, then the first year departed with a wave to Lucia and Roy, running off to go report to her supervisor where she had been. The stadium settled down after the showmatch. The following events were segmented team bouts between second years, the disys of power and skill were far less impressive and garnered a significantly reduced amount of attention from the spectators. A quartet of girls two rows down seemed particrly enthused about a match happening around the midpoint of the arena, so Lucia found herself focusing on that one over the dozen or so others. About an hour in, Roy announced he needed to pee. So Lucia picked herself up out of the chair and guided him up along the outer limits of the arena to where she had spotted a pair of doorsbelled as restrooms. Around ten metres away from where they had been seated the force of the mixing aura¡¯s pressed down onto both children. Though far less chaotic and oppressive than it had been during their arrival, Lucia found herself involuntarily tightening her grip around Roy¡¯s hand. He had been shielding us the entire time. She realised, turning back to where Leif was seated. The masked man was lounging back, one leg over the other with his arms behind the two neighbouring seats, both of which were empty. Like always, she had no idea what he was really thinking. Leif turned to face her, making Lucia realise she had been staring. Her orange human eyes met the healer¡¯s burning slits of golden light. He tilted his head as if to ask if she needed help, the expression somewhatical due to the mask. Lucia shook her head and led Roy to where he needed to go. The aura¡¯s mixing in the air around them weren¡¯t exactly pleasant, but neither were they actively being targeted or suppressed. It just took a little more concentration to put one foot in front of the other and inhale and exhale, instead of the process of walking and breathing being something she could do without thought or effort. She and Roy waited in line for around ten minutes, then her little brother darted into the male restroom. Lucia sighed and stood off to the side, more than happy she didn¡¯t need to be present. Roy was a surprisingly independent child in some ways, and utterly dependent in others. Lucia supposed a year of hardship had elerated her brother¡¯s maturation. It made her angry. He never should have needed to grow up so fast. It wasn¡¯t fair. But nothing was fair, was it? Maybe it was time to stop pretending like the world was otherwise. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. Her brother wobbled out a few minutester, proudly announcing that he had washed his hands with the running water the restroom apparently had. That was interesting, but she supposed in a ce as wealthy and magically inclined as the Academy, it wasn¡¯t overly surprising. They had once had such things in their own home. Lucia wondered if Roy even remembered. They made their way back to their seats, only to find Leif engaged in conversation with an official. Both men were standing on the outer walkway, and the healer had his academy token held in one hand. For an instant Lucia feared the worst, but when Leif beckoned them over and the official dipped into a short bow she rxed. Though not as quickly as Roy who waved enthusiastically. ¡°I¡¯m meeting an old friend.¡± Leif said. ¡°You don¡¯t have toe, but I¡¯m also not sure you should be left alone.¡± ¡°Will there be food?¡± Roy asked hopefully. The official nodded. ¡°Meals can be brought to the residence. Assuming there isn¡¯t some already there for whatever reason.¡± ¡°There you have it. There will indeed be food.¡± Leif said. ¡°Sis! We should go!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lucia said, swallowing down a lump in her throat. She didn¡¯t want to be alone on the archipgo with just her and Roy. She was fairly confident the Academy was infinitely safer than the streets of Kartinth, but it wasn¡¯t like attaching themselves to a surprisingly well connected healer was a bad idea. Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when the official spoke up ¡°de Hera won¡¯t be avable for another hour or so. There is a meeting between Academy higher ups that she is currently attending. But there is no harm in taking you, or any you wish to bring along with you early.¡± Hera? What? Why is she sending someone to invite Leif to her residence? How does he know her? Lucia¡¯s mind raced, ideas and possibilities swam through her head. This is too unlikely to be a coincidence? Right? What are the odds we run into somebody trying to contact the same person we are? Does Leif know? Did he always know but was pretending not to? ¡°-and she lives on Lutum? I had somewhat expected all the des to live here on Pellus.¡± Leif asked. Lucia blinked, the conversation had moved on without her noticing. ¡°That is correct, sir. Lady Hera prefers the quiet of the third ind. And it is hardly an inconvenience to use the teleportation hub to quickly get to wherever she needs to be on the archipgo.¡± The official said. ¡°Sis.¡± Roy whispered. ¡°Isn¡¯t Hera the person who knows what happened to mum and dad?¡± ¡°Quiet Roy.¡± She hissed, squeezing his hand to emphasise her words. ¡°But yes, that''s her.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that thedy who fought in the arena?¡± ¡°Yes, Roy. It''s the same person. Just¡­ just keep quiet about it like I told you. We need to be careful.¡± She finished, her voice as low as possible so her brother could hear, but nobody else. ¡°-And how is she? Things weren¡¯t looking great thest we saw one another.¡± Leif asked. ¡°The Academy has the greatest healers in the world on standby. No expense was spared.¡± ¡°Best in the world, huh?¡± The masked man grunted, turning to face Lucia and Roy. ¡°So- ¡°We¡¯reing.¡± Lucia blurted. ¡°I mean¡­ if that''s okay. Um, can we pleasee?¡± ¡°You saw the match, did you?¡± The official asked with a smile. ¡°I can understand being excited. It isn¡¯t every day you meet one of the pirs of the civilised world.¡± === The zas of mosaic stone were as vast and intricate as they were empty. That wasn¡¯t to say that there were no students and Academy faculty walking their lengths or gathering in groups. It was that the sheer scale of the courtyards made it seem as if they weren¡¯t present at all. A single za within the inner halls of Pellus wasrger than the entire Twin Heart guildpound, and there were several zas connected in a checkerboard pattern, the spaces only broken up by covered walkways and small, curated gardens. Leif had associated what he had seen of the Vin estate with opulence and wealth. He now knew that assumption had been¡­ not incorrect, butcking in scope. Rtive instead of absolute. Two lines of fountains nked the wide path leading up to a massive structure that towered above the surrounding structures and courtyards like a fortress. It was angr, built with a more utilitarian purpose than the ancient disys of architecture that they had passed leading up to it. It was also, to Leif¡¯s inexpert eyes, far older. If the modern Academy had been built within and around the ruins of a civilisation long forgotten, then the building they now entered must have predated that civilization by centuries, or perhaps millennia. The interior of the structure, the portal hub for the Academy, was far newer than its exterior. The designs of the inner walls and tiled floors reminded Leif of the arena. He asked the Academy official who was guiding them through the well guarded chambers if they were built by the same people. But the man apologised and admitted that it was something he had never looked into. The innermost room was protected not by the ck uniformed guards that littered the teleportation hub, but instead ten massive statues, their marble des pointed upwards, the light from the room''s open roof filling the space with a warm orange glow. Three smaller chambersy equidistant from one another around the outer ring of the room, the familiar ripple and distortion of permanently activated portals shimmering within. Leif had only ever encountered portals like these once before, the undead dungeon below Pherin having maintained, or potentially created one using a portal link between the depths of the Mythhold and argely destroyed temple on the surface. Leif wasn''t overly familiar with the permanent gateways that you could both see and walk through and the temporary teleportation circles that needed to be activated using mana shards or an equivalent power source. The only thing he wasfortable with saying for certain he understood about teleportation, was that it required an anchor before use, or some sort of pathway in which to follow. His own [The Amber Path] skill used both principles, and every step he took left behind a short lived anchor he could use. The portal to Lutum was decorated with theurel and fist symbol E had described, and Leif had spotted on the shoulder or chest of several students back at the arena. With a slight warping of reality they stepped through, appearing in an almost identical building to the one they had just been standing in. ¡°This way, if you would.¡± The official said, gesturing towards the exit. ¡°The Lutum campus is far more spread out than those of the other inds. We will take a brief carriage ride to de Hera¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Of course. Lead on.¡± Chapter 152: Homes Chapter 152: Homes The carriage pulled up a gentle slope, the well greased wheels and stable suspension making the journeyfortable, if slow. Leif found it strange knowing where his asional buds of insight on the construction of wagons and carts were originating from, and it was stranger still that those small snippets of his memories and former knowledge had been among the first, and most detailed to have slipped from one life to the next. The attendant drove the carriage, with Leif and the two children being the only upants of the vehicle. Roy was as happy and excited as ever, the boy''s quick recovery over the past few days had reignited his childlike fascination with the world around him. He badgered his sister with endless questions, though Lucia wasrgely as ignorant as he was. So then he directed his curiosity to Leif, who also wasrgely clueless. What was therge building with the domed roof that they had passed? He didn¡¯t know. Why were the tall trees nted along the paved road alternating species? He didn¡¯t know, though he guessed it was for variety. The green of one canopy, followed by the purple of the next was an effect he quite enjoyed. If her brother was a blend of jubnt and awed, Lucia was the opposite. Leif had been keeping tabs on the girl''s mental state since before they had arrived at the arena, and while she waspetent at suppressing her emotions, worry, fear, and not a small amount of anger asionally red up. It wasn¡¯t targeted towards him, more projected outwards at the world of luxury and near decadence they were travelling through. And then there was the way she reacted whenever Hera was mentioned. It had been hard to sense during their time at the arena due to the chaotic mix of aura¡¯s, intents and the emotions that came along with them from the hundreds of spectators, but Leif was all but certain there was something up. Lucia, while cagey about her reasoning for visiting the Academy, had alluded several times that she was looking for someone. It was not a stretch to guess who that someone might be. Either it was a happy coincidence, or an unfortunate one that he had discovered the siblings on the ship ride across the sea. He tapped his ivory fingers on the carriage''s window, feeling the wooden structure ripple as he lightly pushed his will through it. He had his suspicions as to the history of Lucia and her brother, but it was likely ideal to wait and tackle the issue with another adult. Another human adult, someone who was more informed and in a better position to do something about it. They pulled up to what looked like a small tenant apartment not unlike many of those they had already passed. Though this one was surrounded by a tall iron fence, and an odd ss dome connected to the building from the side. A well tended and vibrant garden lined the path leading up to the front door. Roy all but leapt out the carriage the moment they had pulled to a stop, the boy spinning around in fascination as he ran up to the gate and wrapped his small fingers around the narrow bars. Leif stepped out next, then turned and held the door open for Lucia. The girl looked from the building, then down to him. She swallowed, a rapid fire series of emotions and micro expressions passing over her increasingly tired looking face. ¡°Is it something I should know about?¡± He asked, his words finally making her realise she needed to move. ¡°No.¡± She said quickly, exiting and hurriedly walking over to where Roy was trying to eat a golden leaf. ¡°We have arrived.¡± The official said, tethering the horses to a small post. ¡°This is the residence of the ninth de, Hera Kossia.¡± ¡°Is this a student dorm? It looks like the ones we¡¯ve been passing.¡± Leif said. ¡°No. Though it was once a simr structure. The internals of the building are quite different, and the greenhouse is an unusual addition that, if I am recalling my history of the ce correctly, was only restored when the de moved into the establishment.¡± ¡°Greenhouse? You mean the big ss dome?¡± ¡°The very same.¡± He said, ringing a small brass bell hanging from the gate. ¡°I see.¡± The scion crossed his arms and waited. Thirty secondster the double front doors to the residence opened, and a familiar old woman shuffled outside. Melissa was as Leif remembered, Hera¡¯s ageing attendant was dressed in her usual smock and apron, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. She waved in greeting, though likely the only one of them she recognised was the official who had rung the bell. ¡°Wee, wee! To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± She asked, smiling sweetly down at the two children and giving a polite nod to Leif as she utched and pulled open the gate. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Hera hasn¡¯t gotten back from that meeting they sprung on her after the fight at that awful arena. I assume she is the reason for your arrival?¡± ¡°Indeed ma¡¯am.¡± The official said with a bow. ¡°These three have been invited by the de personally, I simply guided them here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Melissa said. ¡°And who are these¡­ guests? We don¡¯t usually get small children here on the inds, so this is a surprise.¡± ¡°Leif Vin.¡± Leif said, bowing slightly. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you again.¡± The olddy paused, looked at the official, then back to him. ¡®Oh. Well, isn¡¯t this a pleasant surprise? I dare say I was definitely not expecting you to be the one under that mask!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Melissa. How are you doing after the¡­ events that transpired.¡± ¡°Oh, that dreadful thing. I¡¯ve followed Hera into all sorts of terrible ces and situations, but that was one of the worst. Just awful, a total disaster. I¡¯ve been fine, though I dare say I¡¯m several years older than I should be. Oh hello, aren¡¯t you adorable?¡± ¡°I¡¯m eight.¡± Roy said confidently as Melissa bent to get a better look at him. ¡°So old! And so tall! Though you clearly need more meat on those bones of yours!¡± The old woman said. ¡°This is Roy and Lucia. They¡¯re¡­ acquaintances I met on my journey here.¡± ¡°How tantalisingly vague of you.¡± Melissa snorted. ¡°Well, I just have to hear about this. Come on in.¡± === Melissa yed host, getting tea and a tray of baked goods and cing them on the table in thefortable lounge. She ced empty cups onto the polished wood, but allowed them to pour their own drinks, giving Leif a meaningful look. He connected to her telepathically, giving the old woman a mental recap of his journey to the Academy, and how he had met Lucia and Roy. She gave the two children a pitying look, then shook her head and smiled. Roy was offering Lucia ¡®half¡¯ of a cookie, with his half being about twice the size of hers. ¡°They¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± He sent. ¡°There¡¯s something more going on too, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to force the issue.¡± The olddy nced at the clearly agitated Lucia from her position by the door and nodded subtly. She returned a few minutester with a stack of nkets. The young girl shot the elderly woman a suspicious side eye, but wrapped one around her shoulders anyway. Melissaunched into a story about how some of the alchemy students idently filled theb they were working in and the rest of the building with bubbles that clung to every surface. Roy giggled as he listened, captivated as he sat next to his sister, almostpletely covered head to toe in numerous nkets. Lucia smiled, but it looked strained, she fidgeted, her arms wrapped protectively around her knees. Leif asked about the different facilities on Lutum, and what they could expect from the quadriad tournament. Melissa seemed less than interested in the fighting and contests that would be taking ce over the next few weeks, but her detailed recollection of what to expect on the mostly forested ind was fascinating. Apparently there was an evolved beast reserve on the part of the ind where nobody lived. The creatures were used to train up some of the weaker students from the different campuses. Both Leif and Melissa tilted their heads up as a presence appeared on the rooftop of the building. The older woman smiled and excused herself, heading upstairs with surprisingly adroit steps. ¡°So.¡± Leif said. ¡°We have a few minutes. Are you going to tell me why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°You brought us here.¡± Lucia said, not meeting his amber gaze. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he repeated. ¡°I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He sighed. ¡°You came to the Academy to find Hera. Well, you¡¯ve found her. I have my own business here, my own reasons for being on the archipgo. But we¡¯re here together, so I would like to know.¡± ¡°What if you¡¯re wrong?¡± She asked stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯m not. It is a fascinating coincidence that we just so happen to be looking for the same person. Perhaps due to the quadriad allowing for visitors this meeting was more or less inevitable. But I am not wrong.¡± ¡°She knows where our family is.¡± Lucia finally said. ¡°Or, she should.¡± ¡°Where do you think they are?¡± He asked. ¡°They were in the capitol.¡± Roy said. ¡°Mum and dad sent us away on a ship, but they forgot about us so we have to go find them.¡± Lucia winced, and Leif couldn¡¯t me her. Roy¡¯s understanding of what had happened to him and his sister was likely¡­cking several key details. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I see. Thank you Roy.¡± Leif nodded. Their family is likely deceased. He thought, frowning internally. Lucia mentioned that people may be after them, maybe for the same reason their parents were killed. They were likely sent away for their own safety. What a damn mess. Melissa wandered back into the room a few minutester, her smile wide as she pped. ¡°Kids! Would you like to explore the garden and the greenhouse?¡± Roy jumped to his feet. ¡°Yeah! What''s in the big ss thing?¡± ¡°Lot¡¯s of exotic flowers and nts.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s all very pretty. Come on now, Lucia, was it? Shall I show you around?¡± The girl¡¯s gaze was distant, then she shrugged and got to her feet. Melissa guided them out the room, then led them out a back entrance. A momentter footsteps came down the stairs, and Leif tilted his masked head to look towards the door. ¡°Wow, long time no see.¡± Hera said, leaning against the door frame. ¡°You look different. I like the mask.¡± ¡°Thanks. Good to see you too.¡± He said. ¡°Nice house.¡± ¡°It was abandoned, believe it or not. A lot of Lutum is. Are those clothes traditional Ahle-ho garb?¡± ¡°So the merchant who sold them to me said.¡± Hera snickered and took a seat opposite him, kicking her boots up onto the low table, the remaining cookies jumping in their tray. She flipped her golden hair over her shoulder and grinned. ¡°Well, I like the look. A lot better than you running around butt naked.¡± ¡°Clothing had totally slipped my mind until you threw that cloak at me. I guess being a tree changes someone¡¯s priorities.¡± ¡°I could make a joke about how you walked around with your wood out, but I¡¯ll refrain. It would be immature.¡± ¡°Very.¡± A silence stretched between them, then heughed. ¡°That¡¯s stupid, why did you say that?¡± She snickered, creating a string of hard light and pulling an empty cup to her hand with a flick of her wrist. ¡°I heard you were running around with some kids? Strays you pulled off the street? Are they an upgrade over deer and a pack of hogs?¡± ¡°Hard to say. About the same amount, if differing types of trouble.¡± ¡°Do they know? About¡­¡± She vaguely gestured in his direction. Leif shook his head. Hera poured herself some tea, then took a sip. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you made it here. To the Academy, I mean. I assume you still look all¡­ you know, under there?¡± He sighed, taking off his mask. ¡°I had hoped to be in a different body by now, but things are always moreplicated than they should be.¡± ¡°Damn. You look different! You almost look person shaped. Uh, no offence.¡± He grunted, running fingers through the diadem on his forehead he hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of. ¡°I¡¯ve been using a skill to slowly work away at it. But like I said, I had hoped to have a human form by this point. If other awakened monsters and beasts can do it without my¡­ advantages, then I can do it too.¡± ¡°So it is possible? You¡¯ll eventually be back how you were, sort of?¡± ¡°Hopefully. I¡­ got advice from a trusted source.¡± He said, putting the mask back on. ¡°Right, right. I won¡¯t ask. What do you think you¡¯ll look like? When you get the transformation working, I mean.¡± Leif paused. He hadn¡¯t really thought about that. How much control would he end up having? ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I assume like I used to, but with some tree features? Tan skin, dark hair. My eyes are probably not going to change though, I think they¡¯ll be amber for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ll have like, bark fingers?¡± ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ll know in time, no point worrying about it.¡± ¡°True enough, focusing on the present is usually the best way to do things. So¡­ um. About those letters I sent¡­¡± Hera asked, looking somewhat worried. ¡°Those were an interesting surprise.¡± Leif said ndly. She clicked her tongue. ¡°I am sorry for doing that without asking. But I had to check. Not that I didn¡¯t trust you or your story, there was way too much adding up for it to not have been mostly true. But I¡¯ve learned the hard way to trust, but also verify. So I verified.¡± ¡°And now you know I¡¯m real?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s still crazy what happened to you. But yeah.¡± ¡°How¡­ Have you gotten more correspondents from her? via, I mean?¡± Hera shook her head. ¡°Not really, sorry. Thest one I got wasn¡¯t about you at all actually. She¡¯s busy with house business, apparently there are big changes going on in sunny Varan.¡± ¡°I bet via hates that. But I guess you¡¯d know her better than me.¡± ¡°Oh, she does. There¡¯s a certain undercurrent to the way she described all the stuff I used to hate. I ran away from the Kossia family for a reason. Don¡¯t regret it at all though, this life is way better. Even if it¡¯s harder sometimes, the power is worth it.¡± ¡°Do you enjoy being strong?¡± She nodded seriously. ¡°They didn¡¯t let me have abat ss. The family heads practically threw a fit when I took the [Archer] ss. I was so happy too, so proud I had managed to do something everyone had told me was impossible. It turned out most of what I was told was ¡®impossible¡¯ was just whatever I wasn¡¯t supposed to do. Whatever they didn¡¯t want me to do.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Leif hummed, leaning back. ¡°After everything, it seems like a strange thing to consider. Is anything actually impossible?¡± Hera raised her cup as if in a salute. ¡°Seeing how far we¡¯ve bothe down our paths, I doubt it.¡± ¡°You say that like you¡¯re only just beginning.¡± Leifmented. ¡°I am. Anyone who thinks level one hundred is the human limit is deluding themselves. I¡¯ve earned myself several decades of extra time by hitting the milestone so young. Once I¡¯ve settled my foundation, I¡¯m going to push for way more. Two hundred isn¡¯t beyond my reach.¡± ¡°Seems ambitious. I¡¯m just going to focus on my next big milestone. One step at a time.¡± ¡°Probably wise. Are you going to keep a low profile going forward?¡± ¡°If I can.¡± Hera nodded thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s for the best considering your situation.¡± She turned her head slightly, her eyes shining. Leif had noticed it too, the small presence that had crept closer to the door. Hera smiled and mimed zipping her lips shut. The scion nodded appreciatively. ¡°So, the quadriad? I saw your fight, very impressive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the Academy showing off to the outsiders. And entertaining the students, hopefully inspiring them to greatness and all that. Apparently we.¡± She tapped her uniform. ¡°Used to use the tournament to determine who among the ten des should be in charge. But over the past century or so the institution moved towards seniority as the deciding factor.¡± ¡°Feels unfair for someone like you. Assuming youpare favourably to the other des in terms ofbat ability.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s so so. I can probably handle about half of them without much issue, but it''s all matchup and location dependent. If the fight took ce in a wide open field with several kilometres for us to y around in, I¡¯m likely in the top three, probably higher. If the fight took ce in the crucible dungeon, someone like Dani or Helos would have the advantage.¡± ¡°So straight up battles in the arena aren¡¯t a good way to judge actual strength.¡± ¡°Right. If I fought Kastro in the sea I¡¯d find myself drowned in seconds. But he couldn¡¯t touch me in the arena, not physically anyway.¡± ¡°You seemed to handle the mental attacks well.¡± ¡°I could keep my distance. I can still feel the headache though, damn thing will probablyst another day or two. Made the meeting they sprung on us a pain to sit through. But those meetings are always a pain, so not much of a difference.¡± ¡°Do you need healing?¡± ¡°Sweet of you, but no. Dealing with the after effects is probably the best way to increase my resistance to mental attacks in the future.¡± ¡°I feel like most sensible people would take a break from advancement and recover.¡± ¡°Most people don¡¯t have what it takes to reach level one hundred.¡± Hera said, using her cup to cover her smirk. Leif nodded, conceding her point. ¡°What are your ns for your time at the Academy¡­ assuming you can share?¡± The presence listening in at the door had snuck closer, but his answer wouldn¡¯t break his cover. ¡°Well, I want you to help me make contact with via. Ease our eventual reunion, make our in person meeting and hopefully the rest of the whole ordeal less troublesome.¡± ¡°Consider it done. I owe you after all that¡¯s happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to broaden my knowledge base. I was hoping to sit in on some sses or lectures, but I understand if that¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°It should be. Though only for the more basic courses. I can give you ess to the main library on Pelus if self study is more your thing.¡± ¡°That would be wonderful. There are some¡­ historical records I want to look at.¡± Hera raised an eyebrow, but conscious of their eavesdropper she waited for him to expand on that statement. ¡°There¡¯s a species of monster I¡¯m particrly interested in seeing if there are any records of. For my research.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I looked for myself upon my return to the archipgo, but didn¡¯t find anything. Though my search was far from thorough.¡± ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ll still take a look for myself.¡± ¡°Sure. You want to reconnect with the students from the Pherin expedition? I know Marcus was keeping tabs on you. Sieg ispeting in the quadriad.¡± Leif sensed the flicker of emotions from behind the door. ¡°Maybe don¡¯t mention the expedition. I think the kids are-¡± He telepathically sent Hera, but Lucia flung the door open and had stormed into the room before he was finished. ¡°Hello there, girl.¡± Hera said, smiling as her eyes darted to him in worry. ¡°I don¡¯t usually have guests-¡± ¡°You!¡± Lucia yelled, pointing usingly at Leif. ¡°You were part of the Pherin expedition? Did you know? Did you know the whole time?¡± ¡°I only knew what you told me. Which was very little.¡± He said, raising a hand to cate the girl¡¯s rising anger. ¡°How could you! How can you sit there so casually after what you¡¯ve done!¡± Hera blinked at the explosion currently going off in her living room. ¡°I am not following.¡± Lucia wheeled on the older, and much, much stronger woman. ¡°Why did you fail?! After everything they did, everything they spent and risked to make it happen! Why? Why did you let them die?¡± ¡°Kid, I don¡¯t know who you are-¡± ¡°Pheris.¡± Lucia screamed, tears running down her face, her fists clenched into tight balls at her side. ¡°My family risked everything to try and take back our homnd! Everything would have been fine if you hadn¡¯t failed! They- they wouldn¡¯t have-¡± The girl was gasping for breath, her words barely coherent by the end. Leif stood, making his way to her side in three quick steps. Lucia was shaking with impotent rage, loss and confusion. He red [Amber Aegis] around her, for the first time taking full use of the calming effects the skill bestowed. ¡°I think¡­ I think we need the full story.¡± Leif said, cing a hand on her shoulder. He nced at Hera, seeing the distraught look on the usually confident de¡¯s face. ¡°We can¡¯t help you without understanding your story.¡± Lucia screamed again, and punched his side. A golden mote of light drifted into her hand, healing the damage. The pain seemed to shock the girl out of her manic state, and Leif sensed as every suppressed fear, regret and sense of loss from the past year bubbled up and out of her. Lucia broke down, and wept into his side. She cried for her home, she cried for her family, for her brother, and finally, for herself. Chapter 153: Consequences Chapter 153: Consequences Leif, Hera and Melissa sat in silence within the living room of the apartment turned de residence. Night had fallen, bringing with it an sea born mist that rolled over the archipgo like an ethereal nket. Lucia and Royce had been given a guest room, and from the pattern of their vitality Leif could tell both were asleep. When Melissa had heard themotioning from the room she had quickly made her way back inside. Roy had followed, the little boy hot on her heels. He had stood frozen in the doorway, watching his older sister break down and sob. Lucia¡¯s emotions were apparently contagious, and despite not knowing the reason for her outburst, the boy had started bawling as well. Neither the masked tree monster nor the Academy de had any idea what to do. Thankfully Melissa, having spent most of her life working as a servant of the Kossia family, was more familiar with what to do with distressed children. She had taken them up stairs and calmed both of the kids down. She had cooked and delivered them a meal, prepared a bath and helped make the bedroom as amodating andfortable as possible. Hera had changed out of her de uniform, and she now sat with one leg over the other on the couch opposite him, a ss of half drunk whisky dangling between her fingers. Melissa sat primly off to the side, her hands in herp, her wrinkled face cast in an expression of concern. ¡°Well.¡± Leif said, levitating a small wooden coaster over his hand. ¡°Sorry for that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologise.¡± Hera said, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. ¡°It was deserved. Or at least, I deserved it.¡± ¡°Terrible thing to happen to children.¡± Melissa said. ¡°Especially those so young.¡± ¡°Do you know who they are? Who their family is?¡± Leif asked. Hera took a drink, sighed, then spoke. ¡°Would you think worse of me if I said I knew?¡±¡°It depends.¡± She sighed. ¡°I knew, vaguely, that something had happened to the former royal family of Pherin after the expedition failed. I knew that the main expedition was funded, at least in part, by them. And I knew that they¡­ instigated something in the capital to try and regain what they had lost. I try to keep out of the capital and its politics, if it wasn¡¯t for the crucible I never would have visited before I became a de.¡± ¡°And the kids?¡± ¡°I honestly thought everyone had been killed. I didn¡¯t know two had survived.¡± ¡°You say that like entire families get killed on the regr in Mekrylis.¡± Leif said. Hera nced at Melissa, who nodded grimly. ¡°They do. It¡¯s like a nest of vipers allpeting to eat each other first.¡± ¡°Does the emperor not care?¡± ¡°Having the noble families all bickering and fighting among themselves benefits him, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Hera said bitterly. ¡°Better that a handful of houses and theirmoner retinues die in back alley stabbings than a civil war killing tens of thousands every few years. You think the empire has its problems? You should see the republic, it¡¯s one civil war after another over there.¡± Leif frowned internally. ¡°From what I heard and saw in Ahle-ho, the republic is preparing for a war with the empire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all bullshit posturing. This happens every decade. At worst there will be a few coastal skirmishes in the south, a few towns changing hands and some trade routes going in and out of favour. Is it terrible? Sure. Is it avoidable? You tell me.¡± ¡°Lady Hera.¡± Melissa said. ¡°I believe this one may be on arger scale than any in recent history. At least that is the general consensus among those in the know.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± Hera sighed. ¡°Just what humanity needs. More of us killing each other over stupid shit. This is why the number of truly high level people is so low. This is why frontier countries like Pherin fall every few years. Nobody can pull their head out of the sand for long enough to see the real problem, let alone do anything about it!¡± Leif nced at Melissa, but the elderly woman just looked sad at Hera¡¯s outburst. She didn¡¯t look like she disagreed. ¡°So. What about the real problem facing the two kids upstairs? What more can you tell me?¡± ¡°How much do you know about the organisational structure of expeditions?¡± Hera asked. ¡°Little.¡± He admitted. ¡°Okay. So the expedition you encountered up north had two main parties. The Academy contingent, and the imperial army contingent. We,¡± She said, gesturing vaguely around herself, ¡°and by ¡®we¡¯ I mean the Academy, were scouting for resources and potential opportunities. Dungeons mostly, but sometimes valuable monsters can manifest if certain conditions are met. Our section of the expedition was not funded by the Pheris family, instead the Academy partakes in expeditions at our own behest, should we be requested to do so by the appropriate parties.¡± ¡°And the imperial contingent was funded by the Pherin royal family? Their intention was to retake the kingdom?¡± ¡°Their job was to see if it was possible at all to do so. The outpost made in the remains of that vige I¡¯m forgetting the name of was the initial staging grounds for a potential subjugation of the region.¡± ¡°So when the undead attacked and pushed the expedition away¡­ it all fell apart?¡± ¡°The empire is terrified of the undead. They¡¯re a constant menace to the east, massive hordes of them hide underground and attack along the border. The majority of the empire¡¯s military is used to garrison the massive wall that runs along the edge of our territory.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t the undead being attacked?¡± Leif said. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hera shrugged. ¡°Yeah, by the dragons and the djinn. It happens sometimes, the ¡®monster factions¡¯ attacking one another for whatever reason. I guess the undead pissed them off something fierce, the eastern front has never been so quiet.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± Leif asked, pointing upwards with his aura. ¡°Those kids don¡¯t have a family. It is partially my fault since Sieg, Marcus and I were the ones to discover the undead. The expedition may not have been forced to retreat if those monsters hadn''t been found below the mythhold.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Hera said, wincing. ¡°I have no idea. We can¡¯t bring their family back to life, and the girl is clearly traumatised something fierce. In my experience, the best cure is gaining control over a situation, but this is beyond even my ability to control, so that isn¡¯t really a viable solution.¡± The de nced at her attendant with an overwhelmed expression. It struck Leif then, that despite her personal power and considerable influence, Hera was only in her early twenties. No amount ofbat skill had prepared her to deal with something like this. Melissa looked thoughtful, the older woman''s expression serious as she furrowed her brow. ¡°Perhaps distance is the correct choice for them. Get them away from the source of their trauma and let theme to terms with their new reality. It is likely the best option for their wellbeing, but also safety. Those two are, for ack of a better term, loose ends. Their family made many enemies before they lost their lives.¡± Melissa said. ¡°They¡¯re at risk in the empire.¡± Leif said. ¡°Should they change their names? Alter their identities and go somewhere like Ahle-ho?¡± ¡°How old are they? How close is Lucia to getting a ss?¡± Hera asked. ¡°Roy is eight.¡± Leif said. ¡°And Lucia is at least thirteen, the system said she was older than me when I analysed her.¡± ¡°Older?¡± Hera snorted, looking amused despite the conversation topic. Leif shrugged. ¡°The system likelypares the physical age of my body, instead of the age of something more esoteric, like my soul. If I hadn¡¯t died, I¡¯d be in my early to mid thirties by now, not that I kept much of my life experience or memories from when I was a human.¡± ¡°Damn, that sucks.¡± Heraughed. ¡°I know a few system researchers who would love to figure out why that¡¯s the case. Does the system really say you¡¯re twelve years old?¡± ¡°It does.¡± Leif confirmed with a sigh. ¡°And I have a few skills that upgrade the longer I live, not even being considered a teenager by the system is a pain.¡± ¡°Moving back on topic.¡± Melissa said with a strained smile. ¡°Hera dear, could you contact those you trust in Saris or Ahle-ho, see if sending the siblings up north is a possibility?¡± ¡°It will ultimately be their choice.¡± Leif said as Hera nodded, crossing his arms. ¡°Lucia should at least have a say in this conversation. Roy might be a little too young, but I doubt his sister will take kindly to those she views as at least partially responsible for the deaths of her family dictating her life choices.¡± ¡°In the morning then. Melissa, could you facilitate that meeting, assuming the girl is ready for it?¡± === Lucia was not ready for a meetinge the morning of the next day. The young girl instead locked herself in her room and only opened the door when Melissa brought her and her brother breakfast. The mists that had rolled in during the night burnt away under the first rays of sun and the Academy slowly bustled to life. There were sses and lectures in the morning, with the quadriad¡¯s second day kicking off an hour after midday. Leif spent much of the night in the greenhouse, much to his own amusement. The vegetation was vibrant with vitality and the soil was rich with nutrients. Apparently the ss dome served to focus light and heat into the greenhouse, which was helpful for Hera, as the woman was as much a light mage as she was an archer. The nts were a byproduct of sorts, and were a pet project of Melissa, the older woman taking it upon herself to tend to the resident¡¯s many gardens. He didn¡¯t want to leave Hera¡¯s home with Lucia and Roy¡¯s situation not taken care of, but he wouldn¡¯t waste his entire day waiting around for them. Neither would Hera, and with the de leaving to take care of her own duties, he did as well. With Melissa remaining behind to babysit, Leif departed the residence for the teleportation hub, Mask on and clothing covering his body, directions to the Academy¡¯s library and other ces of interest swimming through his mind. He walked, passing a group of third year students out for a morning run through Lutum¡¯s tree covered and twisting roads and paths. The forested ind¡¯s gradual elevation asionally allowed for the distant sea to be visible through the canopies. He took the long route back to the teleporters, seeing parts of the ind he hadn¡¯t yet passed. He wanted to find Sieg and Marcus, but the two third years lived on the far side of the ind, and could be anywhere within the Academy now that it was well into the morning. An hourter he stepped into the massive library, the almost stick thin receptionist waving him inside when he showed her his token. There were parts of the four story building he didn¡¯t have ess to, but that was fine. He had little interest in poking around at ongoing projects or personal information about past attendees of the institution, instead he perused the second floor, collecting a small pile of tightly bound tomes ranging from bestiaries, historical records and aplete record of every known tier one ss. Unlike the Twin-Heart guild, the Academies knowledge base was as broad as it was deep. The sheer breadth of information avable was daunting, even if he had years to spend researching it wouldn¡¯t be enough to sift through even a tenth of the library''s contents. So he had to prioritise. Leif drew attention from students and faculty alike, but none confronted him, let alone approached him during his stay. The closest thing to an encounter was a trio of first years who thought they were far more quiet than they actually were, the teens specting why he was wearing a mask. They settled on him being a secret member of a distant kingdom''s royal family, which wasn¡¯t too far from the truth, though Leif had never heard of the ce they finally settled on. The list of tier one sses was moreplete than the one he had previously read. Though that was more due to the greater amount of attuned variations that were documented in the tome. He had asked the receptionist about a potential list of every tier two ss, but apparently that was a little more difficult to ascertain. If there were several hundred tier one sses, there were millions of tier two sses. Every tier one ss had several possible promotions, several of which being far rarer than normal. And then, every tier one ss also had a union with every other possible ss. The academy had apiled list of every tier two ss that its past students and faculty had donated the knowledge of, but it was far fromplete. The bestiary was a more fruitful read, and though Leif was mostly interested in different species of nt monsters, that section of the book was unfortunately small andcking in detail. The only mention of ¡®blight¡¯ was a species of blood draining brambles that the bestiary stated the northern kingdoms had to constantly contend with. Instead of knowledge about his own nature, Leif found himself far more interested in examples of evolved beasts. He found a reference to ¡®Iron tusked boars¡¯, Leif was fairly confident that was what most of his own horde of hogs had evolved into. There was even a mention of several evolved deer species, though none of them mentioned dream magic or teleportation. Apparently there was a species of evolved squirrel that was known for violentlybusting into arge ball of fire, though they had mostly been culled. Why the system would give such creatures a self-destruct skill like that was beyond him. Students started filtering out for lunch, many quietly chatting away excitedly about the uing tournament. There would be another bout between Academy des, this time between the seventh and eighth members. The eighth de, a man named Mouric was apparently a fan favourite among many of the morebat oriented students. Well. Leif thought, cing the books in a neat pile and standing to leave, having been told there were people with specific skills who could return them to the correct ces. This should be interesting. Chapter 154: Blizzard Chapter 154: Blizzard ¡°Mouric Voknar! And his opponent, the seventh de: Danie Low! The inevitability of ice shes with the fury of steel and me!¡± The announcer roared, riling up the crowd much as he had done during the previous day. Leif was buffeted by the cascade of noise that washed over him and the arena. Much like thest time Leif had spectated the quadriad, his interests were mostly on the disys of power from high level individuals. When hepared himself to Hera or even her vanquished opponent, Kastro, he found himselfing up short. But the gap wasn¡¯t as wide as it had once been. During the battle over Far-Reach, Leif hadn¡¯t been able to interact with, let alone participate with the higher levelled portion of the fight. The powers that had been in y were beyond his ability to contend with. Now, several levels, promotions and an evolutionter, that would likely no longer be the case. Could he match someone like Hera in offensive power? Not at all. But defensively? Absolutely. Obviously he wouldn¡¯t win any fights by not being able to attack, and that was a problem he would need to solve going forward, but there was a sense of security, of safety andfort in knowing just how durable he was. Augh boomed across the arena sands, cutting short his train of thought. A massive man with an even bigger hammer jogged out from one of the entrances. Leif focused on him, and the perception altering effect of the stadium''s shielding brought his features into perfect rity. The man¡¯s uniform shirt looked like it was unable to contain the wall of muscle that was Mouric¡¯s torso. He waved a meaty hand at the cheering crowd, then let his hammer, the weapon longer than he was tall, crash head first into the sandy ground. Every grain in the arena jumped as the huge b of dark metal impacted the floor with a devastating crash. Leif had seen the blue haired man¡¯s opponent the day before. Dani Low, cousin of Kastro, shared much of his features. Grey hair and sharp features made her look like a statue that had been carved with slightly exaggerated proportions, leaving her scowl sharp, her expression deadly and pensive. Unlike Mouric, Dani ignored the crowd, staring at the massive man with her arms crossed, seemingly unarmed. The sand around her began to cken, charred by an invisible heat as she flexed her fingers. The announcer began the countdown, the crowd joining in a momentter. Then bothbatants, two humans over level one hundred burst forward, the ground cracking beneath their feet. With every step Mouric took, ice condensed behind him, growing into a towering, cier-like b before he had crossed even half the distance. The arena shook, and Dani blurred forward. A wave of heat sted from her fist as she bore down on therger man, cinders swirled and the air screamed. Mouric brought up the head of his massive hammer to block, but an unseen force shoved it aside. White shed, and every spectator in the crowd lost sight of the battle. An instantter a shockwave of wind buffeted the barrier, followed a heartbeatter by a thousand shards of fractured ice. The students sitting in the row ahead of Leif stood along with almost everyone else in the stands, btedly the scion did the same, because if he didn¡¯t he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the arena. Several thousand people all collectively held their breath, then a jagged tower of ice burst up out of the cloud of dust, followed by three more. There was another white sh, then mes erupted outwards in a devastating column of destruction. The fire swept clockwise around the arena, where it passed, sand ckened and bubbled, orange tongues leaping up to lick the barrier. There was a bellow, then finally the crowd caught sight of Mouric as the muscr man leapt up into one of the pirs of ice, his arms, legs and torso coated in a protectiveyer of cial armour. The man gestured, and the ground rumbled, his conjured cier picking up the pace as its cracked and half melted surface ploughed across the space towards the cloud. His hammer was nowhere to be seen, that was until he held out a hand, causing the massive weapon toe spinning up towards him. There was another burst of heated air, and Dani strode into sight. She looked unharmed, her uniform unrumpled and her grey hair still tied back as it had been at the start of the fight. ¡°Nicely done!¡± Mouric shouted down at her, waving with his hammer in a bizarrely friendly manner. ¡°Yield, brute. You are not my match.¡± She replied coldly. ¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not. Shall we find out?¡± He said with a grin. In response to his words, Dani raised a hand, and another eruption of orange mes flooded towards the hammer wielder. Mouric jumped to another piller just as the fire washed over where he had been standing, then a dozenrge chunks of ice appeared over his head. They started falling immediately, with the man doing something with a skill to alter the speed and direction of their fall. Dani hopped back from the first, sidestepped the second, sted a third from the air with a contemptuous wave of her hand, then cut the remainder in half with a world distorting shout of spellcraft and the sudden appearance of a sword in her hand. Mouricughed, then therge man kicked off the now halling pir of ice,unching himself towards the seventh de with the inexorable force of an avnche. From there the duel fell into a rhythm. A sudden melee engagement and a resulting storm of fire, ice and sand making actually perceiving the battle a challenge. Then one, or bothbatants would disengage, and the two would skirmish for a handful of seconds. In the brief shes of the closebat engagements Leif could make out, Mouric¡¯s massive hammer seemed to y a key factor. Both des seemed to have one or more skills that allowed for at least partial control over the weapon. If Leif was to guess, Dani had some control over metal, allowing her to manipte the hammer¡¯s head as it got close to her. The scion suspected that Mouric¡¯s weapon was enchanted, which made the feat of being able to influence it at all with [Metal Maniption] or some other skill an incredible disy of power. For his part, the eighth de looked to be using a weapon mastery skill, likely a heavily fusedprehension skill that allowed for weight maniption. The hammer spun and twisted, never seeming to find a target, while also dominating every moment bothbatants spent in melee range. Mouric had no problem flooding the battlefield with his ice powers, so he likely had a cultivation skill of some kind. Leif sat back down after the crowd settled, considering what he knew of both des. Assuming both had two sses, each around level fifty, what would they be? If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. For Mouric it was fairly simple. He obviously had a ss focusing on martial prowess, and another focusing on ice magic. It reminded Leif of Sieg, the now third year having a simr ss thatbined both aspects into one. But Sieg also had the schr ss, which Leif suspected Mouric did not possess. [Attuned: Ice] was an easy guess, but judging by how weighty the man¡¯s elemental conjuration was, the ss had almost certainly been promoted into something to do with ciers. As for Dani, the seventh de was more of a mystery. She danced through the battlefield, asionally stingrge gouts of me, at other times summoning one or more swords. Despite her speed, she was far less mobile than her opponent, instead choosing to move only when necessary. It was a practical, efficient style. But what were her sses? Did her fire magic belong to a different ss than her ability to control metal? Leif could easily imagine if that was the case, alternatively her powers could insteade from a single [Crafter] ss that had evolved into [Smith] or some other tier two ss. There were three main types of sses humans could gain. Martial sses, thaumatic sses, and technical or artisan sses. While powerfulbatants usually stuck to the first two options when gaining sses, the third was easily the most popr judging by the number of people who took them. If Leif was to guess, a majority of those in the arena had the [Scribe] ss, or had evolved it into [Schr] or something else. In Ahle-ho most non adventurers or soldiers had the [Labourer] ss, which despite not being shy at all, was highly customisable. Most technical sses started fairly generic. They let someone work harder, smarter, have greater finesse or gain an attribute increase when doing repetitive tasks. If Dani had started with [Crafter], something Leif was fairly confident about as he overheard a nearby pair of merchants discuss between themselves the woman¡¯s renowned ability to forge weapons and armour to a standard beyond what most smiths in the capital could manage. Technical ss or no, she was a fearsome force inbat, easily matching Mouric blow for blow. Unlike the bout between Hera and Kastro, the eighth and seventh de¡¯s fought for almost twenty minutes. Leif pitied the people who would need to clean the arena afterwards. Eventually Mouric¡¯s sheer volume of ice pressed Dani into a corner, hisugh boomed across the arena as he stood tall on a massive column of ice. Dani said something, to which the manughed again. Then he held up a hand and loudly forfeited the match. The spectators stared in silence, not understanding why the person who looked to be in the winning position had surrendered. Then every metre of ice within the arena cracked at once, the sound deafening and resonant. Leif blinked in surprise, watching as over a hundred swords rose point first up from under the ice, circling overhead like a flock of birds, before zipping towards Dani, only to vanish when they got within a metre of the woman. Mouric slumped onto his now falling pir of ice, the man stillughing. ¡°Good fight! Good fight!¡± He boomed. Dani said something in reply, but her voice was drowned out by the roar of the crowd. ¡°Maybe! Our rematch will be between our students, yes?¡± The woman shook her head and walked for the nearest exit that wasn¡¯t blocked by a wall of cracked ice. Mouricughed again, then looked around sheepishly at the people who had filtered into the arena to clean the ce before the quadriad could continue. === ¡°Ten minutes.¡± The official told Sieg. ¡°They¡¯re still clearing away thest of the ice.¡± He nodded at the woman, then rolled his neck and shook out his arms. Being part of the act following a sh between two de¡¯s of the Academy wasn¡¯t exactly a nerves free experience. He and his team were standing in arge waiting room below the arena¡¯s eastern entrance. Other teams milled about outside the room, but he put them out of his mind. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much the arena shook! Do you think they broke anything?¡± Linus asked, the young man hopping from foot to foot, his long light brown hair bobbing up and down. ¡°Obviously not.¡± Adriana said, rolling her eyes as she tapped her foot, a frown etched onto her sharp features. ¡°What do you mean, obviously not? This ce is huge, maybe a light fixture fell off a wall or something?¡± ¡°That''s not exactly significant damage that would make people worried about the structural integrity of the building.¡± ¡°Sure. Maybe lots of lights broke though? Either way, damage to the arena might be hard to see at first. This ce is really old after all.¡± ¡°Most of the lights are new. And damaging enchanted and reinforced stone isn¡¯t exactly easy.¡± ¡°How would you know, have you tried?¡± ¡°Have you?¡± ¡°Guys. Stop. Please.¡± Sieg sighed. ¡°Could you please go five minute¡¯s without you bickering?¡± Adriana whistled in annoyance, the action rustling the clothing of everyone in the waiting room. Linus rubbed the back of his head. Their three other teammates gave each other worried looks, then they all waited in silence for several minutes. ¡°Yes, I have tried damaging enchanted stone.¡± Linus said with a shrug. ¡°Did you try using your head?¡± Adriana snorted. Sieg groaned. ¡°Hells you two, if you need to blow off steam go into a side room and have at it. I¡¯m losing my damn mind listening to this while we wait.¡± The two second years scowled, pouted and flushed, both shuffling ufortably under his icy re. ¡°You¡¯ll be going out in three minutes.¡± The official said, looking worried. ¡°Please do not leave.¡± ¡°Bet Linus only needs a minute.¡± Adriana muttered. ¡°Piss off-¡± ¡°We are about to fight a six man team from Braslim. They¡¯re mostly third years, and we need to take this seriously.¡± Sieg interrupted. ¡°I am asking you, right now, as this team¡¯s leader: Please. Shut the fuck up, I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯ll get on my hands and knees if I have to.¡± ¡°Sorry¡± Adriana said, kicking at the floor. ¡°I know how important this is. I¡¯ll behave.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sieg said, turning to look at Linus. ¡°Yeah. You got it man. I know you don¡¯t want to disappoint the big guy.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The northerner said, ushering everyone in closer. ¡°We¡¯ll crush those smug bastards. But onest time, this is the n¡­¡± Chapter 155: Hello There Chapter 155: Hello There Leif was about to leave his seat and return to the library, when the sands below were finally cleared of ice. Large sections of the arena were filled with muddy, ckened detritus from the earlier fight between des. He perched on the edge of his seat, undecided on what to do. Maybe he should check the schedule before he departed? The announcer''s booming voice pronounced that the uing fights would be six versus six bouts between teams from the different inds. The announcer called for the first two teams to enter,rge doors on opposite sides of the dirty, but mostly cleared sands grinding open. The closest team jogged out in a tight formation, the red bandanas around their heads clearly marking them as part of the same group. Leif didn¡¯t recognise any of them, which wasn¡¯t a surprise. What was a surprise was that he did recognise someone from the second team. Three someones in fact. Sieg, Linus, Adriana and three other students from Lutum walked in single file out of their own entrance. In contrast with the bandana team, they weren¡¯t wearing anything identifying, other than their Lutum crests, nor did they strike borate poses for the crowd. The protective field flickered to life around the arena, and Leif huffed in amusement at the look of disgust on Sieg¡¯s face as the tall man with dark braided hair saw the spectacle his opponents were making out of themselves. The northerner was as Leif remembered him, but Linus and Adriana looked different, though he supposed that was due to the year that had gone by since he had seen themst. Adriana spun a long flute between her fingers, and Linus ran a hand through his hair, two daggers floating above each shoulder. The young man had a thin moustache on his upper lip that looked like it needed to be put out of its misery, and the young woman had easily grown over an inch in height. Leif¡¯s mouth stretched into a smile behind his mask as he settled back down into his seat. Studying was important, but he couldn¡¯t miss this. === The fight was short, and decidedly one sided. Despite putting up a strong front, the bandana wearing team from Braslim got run over in less than five minutes. Much like Mouric before him, Sieg disyed the might of ice magic, frosted mist rolling off his glistening axe head as the man forged des of ice that spun towards his foes with devastating speed, and, as one of the bandana wearing students learnt when she tried to block with a shield skill, incredible power. Linus, with the support of Adriana¡¯s wind magic, paired off against a spearman and lightning sword user on the right hand side of the arena. It was hard to make out, but Leif thought Adriana was creating tforms of wind for Linus to bounce around off of as the [Rogue], empowered by a skill that drastically increased his speed, took both martial ssers apart with cruel efficiency. Adriana buffeted both opponents, the shrill sound of her flute sting the sand around her away. Unlike during the duel between des, Academy officials were now on the sands, blowing a whistle and gesturing with a hand to indicate whenever someone was defeated. A presence that became necessary when an unarmed [Brawler] from the Braslim team refused to surrender, even when he was pinned in ce with ice and had an axe de to his neck. The member of the bandana team who put up the best fight was some sort of [Mage] who conjured twin spinning arcane circles that fired a continuous stream of beams at anyone who got too close. Linus threw a dagger into the [Mage]¡¯s shoulder from just outside his maximum range with the aid of a telekic shove, causing him to lose concentration, his skill working flickering out of existence as a swordswoman from the Lutum team dashed in to force his abdication from the battle. It was a clean six-zero, and the crowd, at least those not from Braslim, made their appreciation of the skill on disy known through rigorous apuse and cheering. Leif pped alongside them, then stood once the raucous died down and made his way into the inner workings of the arena. It was a maze of stone tunnels and branching passageways, a small instinct in the back of his head reminded him of his dislike of being underground, but considering who he was trying to locate it was easy enough to push aside. Leif didn¡¯t know where he was going other than a vague notion of the general direction in which he should be travelling, so he asked a pair of student enchanters who seemed more interested in the light fixture they were repairing than the tournament taking ce several metres above their heads. Heplimented their work, and they happily pointed him towards the location of the nearest waiting room. The scion detected a collection of about twenty vitality signatures all clustered together and stepped out into a connecting corridor. A group of six humans huddled together near the entrance to the waiting room, all of whom were now familiar. Sieg looked up, his brow creasing into a frown as he looked at Leif¡¯s masked appearance. Sieg¡¯s frown turned to a scowl as he saw Leif slightly adjust his trajectory in his team''s direction. ¡°Can I help you?¡± He asked, testily. ¡°Maybe.¡± Leif said. ¡°But I wanted to congratte you on the fight, impressive.¡± Adriana sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, Linus copying her a momentter, though neither of them were facing the other. ¡°Another one? How have three of these guys found us already? We only just won our first match.¡± She grumbled. ¡°We¡¯re not interested in your offer. I¡¯m not interested in your offer.¡± Sieg said, crossing his arms defensively. Leif came to a stop. They didn¡¯t recognise him, and that was fine. But who did they think he actually was? One of the outsiders scouting talent for the factions in the capital? It seemed like the most reasonable guess. He briefly considered leaning into their assumptions and having a little fun at their expense, but he wasn¡¯t in the Academy to make a scene. Instead he raised a hand. ¡°There¡¯s a misunderstanding. I¡¯m not recruiting you or anything like that. I am genuinely just congratting you on the win. I see you broke through the level fifty bottleneck Sieg? Whenst we met you hadn¡¯t made that leap.¡± The man blinked in surprise, his scowl returning to its previous frown. ¡®And you two.¡± Leif continued, gesturing at Linus and Adriana. ¡°I remember you two getting in each other''s way constantly when you fought. d to see things have improved.¡± He nced at the other three. They hadn¡¯t been on the expedition. ¡°I don¡¯t know your names, sorry about that. Nice fight though.¡± ¡°Do¡­ Do we know you?¡± Linus asked. ¡°You do, though I¡¯d prefer a more private location before we catch up. Oh, Sieg, how¡¯s Marcus? I don¡¯t see him around.¡± The northerner squinted at him. ¡°How do you¡­ who-¡± Leif stepped aside to let an excited trio of second years from Dimid dash past him into the waiting room. One of them was holding an armful of spears, and tripped over their own feet, the weapons tumbling out of their grasp. The scion reached out with a conjured arm of amber, catching three of the weapons and levitating the fourth with [Wood Maniption]. The student, a thin man with faintly green hair thanked him, taking the spears back before running to catch up to his team. If youe across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Sieg choked, thenughed, striding forward. ¡°No way.¡± He said, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Are you insane? What are you doing here? Scratch that, how are you even here?¡± Leif sped the tall man''s forearm, matching Sieg¡¯s grip strength with little difficulty. ¡°I came via boat. I can¡¯t exactly swim.¡± Sieg pped him on the shoulder, then snorted as he felt the ¡®armour¡¯ Leif was wearing underneath his clothing. ¡°We thought you were dead for sure when you teleported back onto the bluff. Marcus, he¡¯s fine by the way, just busy with other matters. He had been keeping tabs on you with a scrying skill he got, but it stopped working on you suddenly and then he lost his connection to you. Bloody hells, it¡¯s good to see you, Leif.¡± ¡°Likewise, it¡¯s been quite a year on my end, how have you been?¡± ¡°Great! Well, good. It¡¯s been difficult actually, but things are finally looking up.¡± He turned, grinning at a stunned looking Adriana and a gawking Linus. He waved at the other three members of his team. ¡°We¡¯re done for the day. Go and rest, or watch the fights. You all did fantastically, thank you.¡± With that Sieg led Leif, Adriana and Linus down a corridor and into a massive unlit room, its arched ceiling held up by a dozen stone pirs barely visible from the light filtering in through the door. He pressed a hand to a small rune inscribed panel to the side of the entrance, causing lights to flicker to life around the room¡¯s perimeter. The easily fifty metres wide and twice that in length chamber was absent of all furniture, though rough scrape marks on the stone indicated it had once been used for something. ¡°An old training room, we think. From before the founding of the Academy¡± Sieg exined, conjuring a glowing shard of ice and looking around for a way to turn more lights on. ¡°There are several of them below the arena, some far bigger than this one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised something thisrge is unused.¡± Leif stated, his boots disturbing a thinyer of dust that clung to the carved stone floor. Sieg shrugged. ¡°A lot of ces on the archipgo are unexplored, let alone in use. There¡¯s an entire templeplex on Dimid they¡¯re currently excavating.¡± Linus and Adriana scampered after them into the massive room, firing off a series of rushed questions. Leif stepped down into the slightly depreciated centre of the chamber, tilting his head slightly in their direction. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how badly the expedition ended.¡± Adriana said, waving her hand to block the doorway with a shimmering barrier of wind, the distant sound of voices and footsteps being cut off due to her skill. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone not already on a skimmer was going to survive. And that included de Hera andmander Kaan. What happened?¡± ¡°I had a skill I had never used.¡± Leif said, being vague due to their pseudo private surroundings. He trusted the sound blocking barrier she had made, but not that their echoing voices wouldn¡¯t leak out of the chamber through another exit. ¡°It barely let me cling onto life after I killed the undead enver. It took months to recover though.¡± ¡°You look so different wearing those clothes. Like, you look totally normal, apart from the mask.¡± Linus said. ¡°I seriously couldn¡¯t tell. Did you- uh, do something- um, about that? Your appearance, I mean?¡± The scion nodded. ¡°I figured it out, partially. Still a ways to go before-¡± The wind barrier popped, a presence suddenly appearing as if out of nowhere. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Came a hum of intrigue from the doorway as a shadow loomed within it, casting the threshold into shadow. ¡°Running away after the fight are we? Didn¡¯t feel like hanging around for your poor little mentor, Sieg?¡± The four of them turned to see a hulking, familiar figure of towering muscle duck through the entrance to the training room, his long braid of azure blue hair bobbing after him. The eighth de. Mouric Voknar. ¡°Hello there, who is this?¡± the massive man said, looking down at Leif, the scion btedly wishing he had made his body a little bit taller. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I recognise you. Though I suppose that¡¯s the purpose of the mask. You¡¯re not one of those capital rats are you? If you are¡­¡± He trailed off. Leif¡¯s mind froze, but his body reacted smoothly as he dipped his head in a respectful motion. ¡°Oh, Mentor¡­ I did not expect to see you here.¡± Sieg said, stepping forward, his hands open. ¡°Am I not allowed to give feedback and encouragement to my favourite student?¡± Therge man said, standing to his full height. He smiled down at Linus and Adriana, both of them giving the other a nervous nce. ¡°Why so tense? I am far from the least approachable of the des. If you got ambushed in a dark corner by Crest you may have to worry, but not me. Hmmm, is the stranger the cause I wonder?¡± ¡°No, sir. This¡­ This is an old friend from an expedition we took part inst year.¡± Sieg said. ¡°An old friend?¡± Mouric asked, taking a slow step forward that seemed to cover half the distance between him and Leif. ¡°Hello sir.¡± Leif said, bowing again, mentally adjusting his mask so it wouldn¡¯t fall from his face by ident. It wouldn¡¯t do that, but he made sure anyway. ¡°I am Leif Vin. Sieg was correct, we met during the Pherin expedition.¡± ¡°The one that ended in disaster? Wasn¡¯t Hera in charge of that one, or am I remembering wrong?¡± ¡°She was, yes. I am currently staying within her residence. I am an associate of the Academy.¡± Leif said, conjuring his token and looking up at Mouric as the man loomed above him. ¡°I see. I see.¡± Mouric said, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. ¡°Hera never mentioned she had a friend who was so¡­¡± A firm analysis swept over Leif, brushing his aura aside like a cier carving a path down from the mountains in which it was born. ¡°Strong.¡± The scion¡¯s mind raced. He hadn¡¯t sensed Mouric with his aura until the man had entered the room, and he was fairly certain that wasn¡¯t due to Adriana¡¯s now dissipated wind barrier. Now that the man stood before him his immense strength pressed down on him like a physical weight. What had Mouric seen? What information had the system given him? Out of reflex, Leif triggered his own analysis skill, somewhat surprised when the man didn¡¯t even try to block it. Combat experience: Greater! Age: Older! ¡°Who are you, really?¡± The de asked, his tone more curious than hostile. ¡°And why are you wearing that mask? Isn¡¯t it a little¡­ I don¡¯t know, rude?¡± Saying that he was trying to hide his identity wasn¡¯t really a good excuse since he had already told the man his name. Fortunately there were a wide variety of other reasons he could be hiding his appearance. From needing partial anonymity for certain skills to function, to having suffered a grievous wound that he hadn¡¯t been able to heal. The story he had decided to go with when pressed had been Lars¡¯ suggestion, the guild enforcer having helped him workshop it during one of their training sessions. ¡°Aura training.¡± Leif replied calmly. ¡°I am trying to align my identity with my aura, and not my physical appearance.¡± Mouric raised an eyebrow. ¡°An interesting technique. Not a fan of it myself, but interesting nheless. Say, we¡¯re in an arena of sorts, you¡¯re quite strong, how do you feel about having some¡­ exercise?¡± Linus choked, Adriana pping him on the back. Sieg spoke up. ¡°Mentor, are you sure?¡± The eighth de grinned. ¡°What? Can¡¯t I have a little fun with a friend of my prot¨¦g¨¦?¡± ¡°I watched your fight with the seventh de.¡± Leif said carefully. ¡°I already know I¡¯m not your match.¡± ¡°True.¡± Mouric said without a hint of modesty. ¡°But I find myself intrigued nheless. How about I make it worth your time? Youst five minutes against me, while I¡¯m holding back to not damage the chamber we''re in, and I¡¯ll owe you a favour.¡± ¡°And if I lose?¡± Therge man rolled his shoulders, his grin widening. ¡°Oh, nothing much. I just want to borrow your mask.¡± Chapter 156: Unmasked Chapter 156: Unmasked Leif stared up into the grinning face of the eighth de, feeling the temperature in therge stone room slowly drop, though not from anything Mouric was doing. Despite the man¡¯s ice powers, the cause of the drop in temperature was Sieg, who was nervously releasing puffs of icy mist from his hands as he flexed and clenched his fingers. There were several things the scion could say in this situation. He could ask the man if he had recovered from his earlier fight with the seventh de, or question if his cultivated reserves of energy needed to be refilled before he fought again. Leif could bring up the necessity of having a fight at all, or invoke his token or affiliation with Hera in order to dodge the challenge. But it wouldn¡¯t work, he could tell from the excited, almost battle crazed gleam in Mouric¡¯s eyes. The de wasn¡¯t mad, instead his eagerness to fight was likely the reason for his level of power, and the cause of his position within the Academy. Leif had caught his attention, and that had naturally resulted in a challenge being presented. He could sense the truth of his observations in the man¡¯s unspooling aura, the eagerness Leif could empathically sense and the increased flow of vitality through the man¡¯s body as his heart rate increased. Sieg was demanding to know if a duel was necessary, but Leif cut him off mid sentence, giving the man a short nod in gratitude. ¡°Five minutes, and if I lose you want to borrow this mask?¡± Leif asked, pointing to his face as he rified the terms, mentally running through a checklist of his skills and abilities. Mouric grinned, nodding enthusiastically. ¡°Good man! I was worried youcked sense! Nothing lets two people get to know each other better than a bout! And I just so happen to have a soft spot for festival masks.¡± ¡°And you owe me a favour if I win?¡± Leif asked, letting out a calming breath. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Mouric said dismissively. Leif couldn¡¯t me the man, he was almost certain this wouldn¡¯t be his victory. He reached out a ¡®gauntleted¡¯ hand, and the de shook it with his own meaty paw. Leif pushed healing energy into Mouric¡¯s arm, not as an attack, but instead to heal the dozen minor aches and wounds throughout his body. The massive man snorted in amusement, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t want another handicap.¡± Leif said, stepping away and dropping into a fighting stance, the motion familiar and instinctual due to [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess]. He sensed the de¡¯s readiness for conflict rise as the skill slightly enhanced his ability to read emotions and intent caused by his own actions. Mouric cracked his knuckles and shot the three students a look as they scampered off towards the sidelines. Leif rolled his neck, conjuring two sets of golden arms, one out in front of him in a defensive position, the other off to either side for bnce. The heavier, or more urately, the denser his body became, the more and more important stability was when it came tobat. Falling over wasn¡¯t ideal while in a fight. Leif shifted his stance, feeling the weight reduction aspect of [Gold Iron Physique] fade away. The battle before him would be like walking a tightrope. He would need to do everything in his power to not lose, while simultaneously not doing anything that would reveal his identity as not human. Fortunately, being significantly heavier than he appeared wouldn¡¯t be one of those things, since such abilities were fairlymon, the man before him likely possessing one such skill. Fight defensively, take it slow. He¡¯ll be holding back, assuming he doesn¡¯t want to bring the roof down on our heads. Leif thought as Mouric called for Sieg to count them down. ¡°On the count of zero.¡± The northerner said. ¡°Three!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re as interesting as I think you are.¡± The de said. ¡°Two!¡± ¡°I hope I won¡¯t disappoint.¡± ¡°One!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Zero-¡± Mouric burst forward, the stone floor beneath his feet shattering outwards as the sheer force behind his advance made a crater two metres wide where he had just been standing. Leif had expected the sudden attack, saw the tensing of the de¡¯s muscles and a flicker of his intention that leaked through his aura control. What he hadn¡¯t expected was the sheer ferocity behind it. So much for holding back to not damage the chamber. He thought, half rmed, half amused as [Amber Aegis] triggered, the shield skill rippling to life around him, his [Willpower], enhanced through a certain core skill guiding it to be more condensed around his arms as Mouric¡¯s fist hammered down into him. The room shook, the newly installed lightning fixtures flickered, Leif didn¡¯t budge a step. The massive human¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly, then the scion countered, life-force shing through one of his conjured arms as it rushed forward to shatter the man¡¯s ribs. There was a bright sh of white light that temporarily blinded Leif¡¯s vision, but not his ability to sense vitality. He felt the de shift ever so slightly to the side, so Leif adjusted the trajectory of his strike. An amber fist crashed into a breastte of conjured ice, the sound of the protectiveyer of elemental energy cracking resounding through the training room. Leif pushed forwards with his aura, twisting it around the de like snakes constricting their prey. A series of blows, spiritual and intangible, happened over the course of an instant as benevolence was rebuffed by a cial wall, then was stubbornly shoved away, only to rush upwards and and press down from above. Compared to Lars, Mouric¡¯s aura control was slow and ponderous, likely by design. But that didn¡¯t mean Leif was necessarily his match. He punched forward, this time physically, at the same time a sharpened de of his presence tried to puncture the human¡¯s aura for long enough to disrupt whatever skill wasing next. Mouricughed as Leif¡¯s vision cleared, his ice d forearm of flesh and blood having blocked the scion¡¯s blow. ¡°Not bad! Not bad at all!¡± He grinned, the gleam in his eye redoubling. Leif winced internally, quickly stepping back as a pir of icenced up from where he had been standing. ¡°I suppose if you already had the interest of one de, getting the attention of another is only to be expected!¡± He was about to reply when the man kicked the three metre tall b of ice, sending chunks of solid ice flying towards him with terrifying speed. Leif briefly shed back to when an ice elemental had blown up under his feet, he silently hoped this encounter would end better than that one had. Leif blocked, dodged and deflected. Then Mouric was in his face again, a fist, this time coated in ayer of iceing in low. The de was faster now, and when Leif blocked, he realised that Mouric had indeed been holding back at the start. The scion took a step back as the impact sted through his body, the floor cracking as the kic energy partially dissipated into the stone ground. He realised then, desperately fending off a barrage of increasingly powerful punches, kicks and massive bs of ice trying to tten him into the floor, that hitting someone when you had a skill that made you the centre of attention if you did just that, probably wasn''t a good idea. Especially when extra interest wasn¡¯t exactly the goal. Or in this case, was actively hindering his chances of making it out of the situation with his identity undiscovered, and his life still intact. Thetter being tied at the hip to the former. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. Leif stepped back, and blurred into a streak of gold, reappearing an instantter on the other side of the room. His feet cracked theyer of frost he was now standing on. In the moment of respite his teleportation had granted him, Leif considered how fights between high level individuals couldn¡¯t be truly appreciated from up in the stadium. He just wished he had made this discovery in a more ideal environment. There was a newly created cier in the centre of the room, the towering structure of crystalised water shimmering under the dim lights as they blocked his line of sight with Mouric. Leif wondered how much time had psed, only for his subconscious to immediately respond with the answer. Less than two minutes had passed. He hissed out a breath, adjusted his stance, and readied himself as the seconds ticked by. Then the cier exploded as a metal hammer head sted through it, the weapon on a collision course with Leif¡¯s chest. A golden barrier flickered to life before him, then the dark steel of the hammer smashed right through it, disintegrated the conjured arm he had brought up to defend himself with, and sent him flying back, impacting the far wall and making every light in the room flicker out at once. Healing energy flooded towards his torso, mending fractured bark and knitting together torn muscle. Leif tried to move, but stunned as he was he didn¡¯t use enough strength to pull himself free from the wall. The hammer began to fall, but Mouric appeared with a pop of disced air, his meaty hand already wrapped around its shaft. Panic shed through Leif¡¯s mind as he looked up at the still grinning de. ¡°I knew that wouldn¡¯t kill you. You¡¯re very tough, you know that? Give it a few levels and you¡¯ll be a massive pain in the ass.¡± The scion grunted in reply and tried to remove himself from where he was embedded into the wall. Mouric leaned forward, keeping the head of his hammer in ce, making escape impossible. Leif kicked out, but couldn¡¯t take the step needed to teleport again. ¡°My win then.¡± The human asked. A chunk of ceiling fell to the ice covered ground beside him. Mouric winced. ¡°Whoops.¡± ¡°No.¡± Leif rasped, raising an empty hand. ¡°No?¡± The de said, cocking an eyebrow. A sphere of tightlypressed wood fell into the scion¡¯s ivory palm, it immediately fell, its sheer weight making it almost fall out of his grasp. Mouric¡¯s eyes shifted to the object as it began to glow with an inner golden radiance. Then it exploded, tendrils of wood snapping out in every direction, cracking against the floor, and crashing into the surprised man with enough force to repay the favour, sending him flying, his body mostly unharmed due to the near instantly conjured icy armour as he twisted in mid-air tond on his feet. The wood writhed and spasmed, spearing into stone, a wildly iling arm destroying a pir. Leif stepped out of the cloud of dust, the violent and chaotic motions of the now upressed wood weaving around him, parting to allow his advance. He was undamaged, courtesy of [Wood Maniption] and the increased attributes from his advancement, without both the feat would have been impossible. Mourded with a crash, the man skidding half a dozen metres beforeing to a stop. He put a thumb to his nose and snorted out a globule of blood. He let the head of his weapon smash to the ground, creating another small crater. He chuckled, snorted, then spat out more blood. ¡°You, were holding out on me? Against a de of the Academy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to destroy the chamber.¡± Leif said, gesturing at the thoroughly ruined training room with a golden arm. The massive man chuckled again, then broke out into a bellowingugh. He leaned on his hammer, wiping away a tear of mirth. ¡°That- that¡¯s funny, that¡¯s way too funny.¡± ¡°Any chance you¡¯d be willing to stop this? Call it a draw?¡± ¡°Nah, this is way too much fun. I never thought I¡¯d get two good fights in one day. Gods bless the quadriad, I wish we held it twice a year instead of once.¡± The chamber had fallen into a dark ambiance, the only light in the spacious room that which was being emitted from Leif¡¯s amber arms and motes of golden vitality drifting around him, and Mouric¡¯s faintly glowing ice. Sieg waved his hand, his own conjured ice catching their attention. ¡°Guys, the chamber can¡¯t hold out much longer. There¡¯s already massive structural damage, this has gone on for long enough.¡± ¡°Bah! It¡¯ll hold! We keep going! There¡¯s at least two minutes left!¡± The de said dismissively. ¡°Mentor¡­ I do not think this is wise.¡± Sieg tried again, though from the look on his face he likely knew it was futile. ¡°We keep going.¡± Mouric grinned at Leif. ¡°Fine. But only if you take full responsibility for the damages¡± Leif said. Mouric nodded happily. Leif couldn¡¯t help himself, despite the situation his mouth cracked slightly upwards as therge man charged forward again. Then he summoned another sphere from his spatial ring. This time the de wasn¡¯t caught off guard, a detonation of ice sting out tobat the explosion of superpressed wood. Ice met unravelling branches, freezing some in ce and being shattered in others. Mouric¡¯s massive hammer crashed through the writhing world of wood and ice, smashing a path through the chaos. Leif stepped back, activating- Mouric¡¯s aura crushed his own into the floor, the sheer weight and unyielding force behind the sudden attack interrupting Leif¡¯s attempt at teleporting away as he was surprised for a fraction of a second. His own aura reasserted control over the space around him, but the dy had been enough to trap him in ce. He staggered back as the hammer sent a shockwave through his arms, the internal structure of his upper body getting turned to pulp from the impact. He kicked off, forcing everything he had into [Might] to create distance and the several seconds he would need before he was healed. Chunks of ice rained from above, eachrger than Leif¡¯s entire body. The chamber shook, rocked by repeated impacts as he punched them out of the air with conjured arms of gold. The hammer flew in from the side, shattering his protective shield and sending him spinning through the air as he temporarily lost all feeling in his right-hand side. Two wooden swords appeared from his storage ring, striking out at the vitality signature Leif could senseing towards him, not from the right, but from the left. Mouric caught one de in his armoured hand, but the second drove into his shoulder, the weapon ofpressed wood, not as explosive as the spheres, nor anywhere near as heavy, having just enough force behind it to shatter the protectiveyer of ice and punch down into skin. Leifnded on one foot, fell forward onto the other and forced [The Amber Path] to carry him away. The de tried to prevent the teleport once again, but Leif¡¯s aura defences were up and the attempt failed. Leif blurred away, stumbling as he slipped on the icy floor, crashing to the side as the still healing damage to his body unbnced him too much to remain standing. His opponent appeared behind him an instantter, but he was already twisting, hand and ring outstretched, a javelin of wood spearing towards Mouric¡¯s unprotected, grinning face. The man jerked to the side, the projectile sailing narrowly past him, then his footnded on Leif¡¯s arm, pinning it to the ground, the head of the de¡¯s massive hammer smashing down right next to Leif¡¯s face a secondter. The scion froze, knowing, even as his body rapidly repaired itself, that he had lost. His clothing was in tatters, especially around the torso, revealing frost covered ivory wood that had been manipted into the shape of a breastte. The cloth on his arms were likewise in tatters, but the pretence of armour he was using to disguise the nature of his body seemed to hold, at least for now. ¡°I yield.¡± He gasped, making therge man beam. ¡°Good. Damn. Fight.¡± Mouricughed, wiping a thin line of blood off his cheek where the javelin had barely missed its mark. ¡°I think you have more than a littlepetition, Sieg!¡± The man in question ran over, Linus and Adriana hot on his heels, though their progress was slowed as they tried not to slip on the icy and very damaged floor. ¡°Mentor! That was way too far!¡± ¡°Pfft, please! Your friend is already mostly healed. He¡¯s like a cockroach.¡± ¡°Are you okay, Leif?¡± Adriana asked, her steps lighter than the other two due to her wind magic. The scion groaned, his vision swimming and mind racing. The phantom beat of his heart pounding in his chest as golden blood flooded every inch of his battered form. ¡°He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s fine!¡± Mouricughed, leaning over his defeated adversary. ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll be taking my prize.¡± And so he did, plucking Leif¡¯s mask off his face with two meaty fingers. The de, one of the strongest humans in the world, blinked down at Leif. Then he snorted, tossing the thin piece of painted wood to the side. ¡°Fine then, keep your damn secret!¡± He said, his chuckle quickly turning into a full bellyugh. Leif looked up at the howling man from behind his second, in, wooden mask. Every ounce of tension fled his body, mind and soul as Mouric stomped away. Chapter 157: Bruises Chapter 157: Bruises Leif stared up at the shadowy ceiling of the underground training chamber, feeling as something inside him snapped back into ce. He couldn¡¯t feel pain, it wasn¡¯t something his body was physiologically capable of, though he could intellectually understand, and instinctively detect damage to his form. His pride, limited as it was, could be bruised, though losing the fight had been more a relief than anything. Adriana looked down at him, the second year student brushing away the dark hair that fell down over her eyes. ¡°You weren¡¯t this strong back during the expedition, right?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Leif groaned, rolling over, focusing healing energy into his hand so he could move his fingers. Rising to a kneeling position he looked down at himself, brushing dust and shards of ice from his damaged clothing. ¡°Damn, even with all the tears I can¡¯t tell.¡± Linus said, reaching down to pull Leif up. The scion gratefully epted the help, and promptly pulled the human down on top of him, the young man letting out a yelp of surprise as he found himselfpletely incapable of lifting the tree monster. Adrianaughed and Linus cursed, scrambling to his feet. ¡°Sorry.¡± Leif said, lightening himself with [Gold Iron Physique], then for the first time ever he targeted someone else with his core skill. [Benevolent Actions], formerly [Grand Action], now had two separateponents. One where he could shift the thirty percent of his [Charisma] to any other stat, and one where he could target those around him with a simr effect. Leif focused on [Might], but found that the second effect of the skill could be something else. [Might] was what he wanted to bestow, so he synced the effects. Linus¡¯ eyes went wide, the second year letting out a sharp exhale of breath as he looked down at his hands in shock. ¡°Woah¡­ what?¡± ¡°Try again.¡± Leif prompted, the human helping pull him to his feet, sessfully this time. ¡°No way¡­ This this- this is a t attribute buff? How?¡± ¡°My core skill.¡± Leif said. ¡°How does it feel?¡±¡°Amazing! I¡¯m like, twice as strong. How long does thisst?¡± Leif finished patting himself down, then nced up at Sieg. The northerner was ring towards the exit to the chamber, and Leif turned to see Mouric ducking out, then scampering away like the world''srgest mouse. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not sure. Did the de just run away?¡± Sieg clicked his tongue. ¡°He¡¯s leaving us with the cleanup. Cheeky bastard.¡± The room was devastated, unmelted chunks and shards of ice littered the ground and walls. The remnants of both of Leif¡¯s wood bombs nowy dormant on the floor, dozens of stiff and twisted branches criss-crossing one another, several pointed ends embedded into the stone. The true scale of the damage was hidden by theck of light, though just because you couldn¡¯t see something, didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t exist. Leif experimentally targeted both Sieg and Adriana with [Benevolent Actions], both humans blinking in surprise. He felt a tug on the skill as his usage gradually put it under strain. It was unusual, he hadn¡¯t ever felt the skill strain back when it was [Grand Action]. ¡°To answer your question from before, Linus, A few minutes if it was only you, maybe twenty more seconds with all three of you.¡± Linus whistled, punching the air experimentally. ¡°Feels awesome. Most of my free attributes go into [crity], maybe I need to boost [Might] some more.¡± ¡°You might want to fix your clothes, Leif.¡± Adriana said, looking at him nervously. ¡°Do you have spares?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have two extra sets. They were expensive though, anywhere I can get this repaired?¡± ¡°Hmm, yeah I can show you when we¡¯re on Lutum.¡± He slowly turned around, then stepped off to the side, then activated [Sympathy from Experience], creating a golden projection of himself from a few seconds prior. Leif mentally triggered the part of the skill that made the recording visible to others, feeling another tug on his soul, but he wasn¡¯t so exhausted from the fight that it wasn¡¯t possible. The echo spun around in the opposite direction, showing just how badly his outfit had fared during the duel. Voices came from the doorway, and Leif quickly changed, swapping his ruined clothing with an undamaged set from his spatial ring. The two [Enchanter] students that had directed Leif down into the depths of the arena ran into the room, one of them dropped his satchel of tools. Sieg was already moving towards them, quickly exining, in brief, what had happened. One of the students stared despondently at the asional, fitful flickering of the mostly broken lights. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Leif called the mask Mouric had discarded up off the floor with [Wood Maniption], quickly fusing the painted section back onto theyer of wood still covering his face. Splitting the mask during the fight had been difficult, as had making sure he onlypleted the process right at the very end. He still could hardly believe it had worked. More people ran into the chamber, this time an official nked by two of the ck uniformed guards that patrolled the Academy. By now the golden outlines of the fight between Leif and Mouric were casting the room in a golden radiance, the tiny motes of light flickering around rapidly like grains of sand retelling the story of the recent past. Btedly Leif started gathering up his wooden constructs, it had taken hours upon hours of intense focus to create the wood bombs, the two he had kept in his spatial ring having taken up well over two thirds of the space due to their mass, even if they were rtively small. Adriana jogged over to where Sieg was confronting a growing crowd of worried, confused and upset looking officials. She left the range of his attribute empowerment, almost tripping on nothing as her physical strength suddenly dropped. Linusughed at her expense, then did the exact same thing a few momentster. The two bickered and sniped at one another, passing through a golden projection of ice shards flying back to reform the small cier Mouric had shattered with his hammer. Leif shook his head and focused on ripping wood up out of the cracked and cratered stone. Another chunk of the roof fell down nearby. He sighed. === Half an hourter the four of them, three humans and one tree, exited the tunnels and passageways of the arena and into the afternoon sun. Fights, individual duels instead of team battles, were now taking ce in the wide field of sand, and the stands were far less full than during the fight between the eighth and seventh des. Sieg exined the basic structure of the quadriad and the different prizes the students werepeting for. Commendations were the primary thing up for grabs, with himself and a few other students using the event to hopefully gain a spot as future de candidates. It was something the northerner was striving for, and with his mentorship under Mouric, he had a decent shot at making it, assuming he performed to a certain, high standard in the tournament. Apparently most of the des had at least one, sometimes more students they had taken under their wings. There were exceptions to this, Hera being one of them, Kastro, the newest de, being another. The fourth de, a man who went by ¡®Crest¡¯, was infamous for refusing any and all opportunities to teach, instead focusing on his own mysterious powers and projects. Leif wasn¡¯t exactly keen on meeting any more des, since he was currently fifty fifty on positive interactions with those who held the title. They made their way to the teleportation hub, the building a bustle of activity now that attention was slowly bleeding away from the quadriad. All three students were from Lutum, and they were more than happy to show Leif around their home ind. As before, the stark difference between Pellus and Lutum was jarring. It was like stepping out from the centre of some sort of pce, to finding yourself in a rural, spread out town sprinkled through forests and fields. The scion preferred Lutum, which didn¡¯t surprise him in the least. Adriana lived in a girls dorm near the beach, with Linus living on the bottom floor of an apartmentplex that was far taller than those that surrounded it. They passed a stable, not full of horses, but instead home torge tamed beasts. Sieg had a pensive expression on his face as a fourth year [Tamer] showed them around the spacious and clean building. Leif wasn¡¯t sure what to think of the ce. Taming beasts and monsters, though thetter were housed in a different building, was decidedly odd. But the creatures seemed happy, well fed, with several boasting fairly advanced evolutions. A massive dog with shaggy brown hair bounded up to the tall metal fence and flopped over, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. The very good boy received belly rubs from all four of them for about ten minutes, one of its legs kicking happily into the air. As the sun began to set Adriana excused herself and returned to her dorm. Linus departed a few minutester, though he was heading for a dining hall. They had made their way around a good section of the ind, and with just Leif and Sieg left, the northerner invited him around to his ce. The scion epted the invitation, and the two of them headed down a gently winding path to a collection of residences that, at least from a good distance away, looked simr to Hera¡¯s. Though, to Leif¡¯s immense disappointment, they didn¡¯t have greenhouses. They walked the quiet path alone, and Leif took the opportunity to fill the man in on a more thorough exnation of what had happened since they hadst met. When his story finally got around to Lucia and Royce, they were approaching the front of the building. The doors were open, with a handful of students milling around the foyer. Unlike Hera¡¯s residence, this building hadn¡¯t been converted from an apartment. They ascended a flight of stairs, then reached a in but sturdy looking door. Sieg knocked, the man pulsing his aura in a pattern that Leif chose to not pay attention to. There was the sound of hurried footsteps from behind the door, then a pause thatsted several breaths, followed by more footsteps that got louder and louder. Atch was flipped, the handle was pulled, then the door swung inwards. A frazzled and tired looking Marcus smiled out at them, though his expression faltered upon seeing a masked stranger standing in his doorway. The [Arcanist] had wild, sandy hair, round sses resting partially askew on his face, and a uniform that hadn¡¯t been buttoned up properly. There were dark bags under his eyes, though they still possessed a familiar, intelligent twinkle. ¡°Ah.¡± He said, ncing at Leif, then back to Sieg. He cleared his throat. ¡°Hello, um, wee. Good to see you, Sieg. The, uh, the ce is a bit messy at the moment, I wasn¡¯t expecting guests.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t believe who stumbled into us below the arena.¡± Sieg said with a warm smile. ¡°A street performer?¡± Marcus asked, then he winced. ¡°Sorry, that was rude of me. Unless you are a street performer, then I totally called it.¡± ¡°Not a street performer.¡± Leif chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not a musician. But I do provide healing for the low low price ofpletely free.¡± Chapter 158: Link Chapter 158: Link The living room was spacious, though the stacks of paper and piles of books littering every avable surface made the room feel cramped. Marcusughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he hurried over to thergest stack. ¡°Sorry, sorry. This project is getting away from me, it¡¯s not due for a few months but I was trying to get it done before the quadriad started. The scope kinda blew up in my face.¡± ¡°Are you almost done?¡± Sieg asked, carefully stepping through the mess, leading Leif to the balcony that lined the far wall, divided from the living room by tworge panels of ss. He slid one of them aside, a cool evening breeze rusting several loose bits of paper. A fog gently rolled across the ind from the distant sea, coating the world in an ethereal shroud. ¡°Yeah, by tomorrow. Say, um. Who exactly is in our suite?¡± Leif turned, reached up to his face and removed the painted mask. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Good to see you, Marcus.¡± Marcus screamed, falling back and knocking over a pile of books. ¡°Wha- Who? Huh?¡± He gasped, his expression shifting from exhausted, to terrified, to confused, to realisation over the course of several seconds. The [Arcanist] snapped himself on the forehead, thenughed. ¡°Gods, Marcus. Are you okay?¡± Sieg asked, concerned. ¡°Me? Ahah, I¡¯m fine. I just haven''t slept in like, two, maybe three days. Leif, it¡¯s you! You scared the shit out of me, unless you¡¯re a sleep deprivation induced hallucination, then I¡¯m just talking to myself. Sieg, are you real?¡± ¡°Should I heal him?¡± ¡°Probably.¡±¡°I- I don¡¯t need that.¡± Marcus protested, holding up his hands. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s fine. I have a skill and- Oh, oh okay that feels really good. No, don''t stop, thanks.¡± Leif had his hand ced on the man¡¯s shoulder, his healing washing away some, but not all of his fatigue. Healing magic wasn¡¯t a substitute for sleep, unless someone had an exceedingly rare lightning-aspected restorative ability, one that energised as well as healed. Marcus changed second by second, as if a physical weight was being lifted off of his shoulders. He blinked, the bags under his eyes no longer as dark as before. ¡°So you are real?¡± He mumbled, then wrapped Leif in a tight hug. ¡°We were so worried.¡± Leif looked at Sieg awkwardly, the taller man just shrugging, clearing away fallen leaves from the balcony table. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It''s good to see you too, Marcus.¡± ¡°What happened? I was scrying on you with one of my skills, but it suddenly stopped working. I feared the worst, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, I briefly had a skill that prevented divination skills.¡± The scion said, patting the sandy haired man on the back. ¡°You don¡¯t have it any more?¡± ¡°I fused it with other skills a few times, and the protection against divination was slowly lost.¡± Marcus clicked his tongue, then disengaged the embrace. ¡°Well, okay then. That¡¯s fine I suppose.¡± ¡°I would have kept the protection against divination aspect of the skill.¡± Sieg said. ¡°That¡¯s a rare effect, useful too if you want privacy.¡± Leif considered that, and he had to agree. It had probably been a mistake to shift the direction of his skill away from that aspect. ¡°Maybe. To be honest, I¡¯m surprised your divination skill reached that far north at all? You were here on the Academy¡¯s inds right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s the weird thing. I¡¯m not sure how I pulled it off either. It just kind of worked when I tried, though the connection was pretty slippery until I got the hang of it. And I¡¯ve been trying over the past few months, but I couldn¡¯t get it to work. Or, not work properly, it¡¯splicated.¡± If Leif could furrow his brows he would have, instead his frown was internal. He put back on his mask as he stepped out onto the balcony, letting healing and strengthening energies flow into the chair before sitting on it. An oddity struck him, a distant memory from a week after they had escaped from the mythhold together. Curious, he analysed Marcus. Combat Experience: Lesser! Age: Older! Error! Target Invalid! Error! Target Invalid! Leif stared at the error messages that popted the system windows that had appeared before him. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Both Marcus and Sieg said at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s the¡­ Do you remember back during the expedition, how when I analysed you it came up with several error messages?¡± ¡°Um, yeah. I think so, wasn¡¯t that after you had just advanced past the level twenty five bottleneck?¡± Marcus said, scratching his cheek. ¡°Well, it¡¯s still there. I just analysed you again.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Oh indeed.¡± Sieg said, tapping his fingers on the table top. ¡°Did you ever figure out what was causing the error messages?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leif said, equally confused. ¡°But maybe¡­ maybe it had something to do with Marcus being able to use divination on me from so far away? Perhaps it¡¯s a connection of some sort?¡± ¡°Maybe. Stranger things have happened, or so I¡¯ve read.¡± Marcus shrugged. ¡°What information is it trying to show you anyway? The system doesn¡¯t always function as expected, but there¡¯s always a reason of some kind.¡± ¡°I can see that you¡¯re older than me, apparently. And that you have lessbat experience. Then there are two error lines.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just mysterious.¡± The arcanistughed. ¡°Anyway, do you know what an thaumatic bridge matrix is?¡± ¡°I haven''t got a clue.¡± The scion replied, looking at Sieg for help. Sieg sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Marcus, let¡¯s not drag anyone else into this madness. Let the project you¡¯re working on not cause any more casualties.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an array.¡± Marcus said, ignoring the northerner, a half manic expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a way to convert energy from one aspect to another, but it costs more energy to do the conversion than is practical, like, you might as well just find a source of power that is the type you need, right?¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Anyway, the guy that invented it is long dead, but his theories were really popr for a few decades about a century ago. The array isn¡¯t practical, so it was never built. But, get this, in some of the old structures on the ind, there are functioning arrays that use the same thaumatic principles. It¡¯s how some of therger thaumatic mechanisms work, like the teleportation gates.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. The man was waving his arms around, his excitement for the topic partially infectious. Leif got the gist, though as Marcus¡¯s exnation descended into aplex series of terms and references he had never heard of, it became impossible to follow. ¡°- but we can¡¯t crack open the ancient stonework to have a look, it might fracture the workings embedded within, which could brick the infrastructure on one, or maybe even multiple inds. But the good news is that despite the bridge matrix being thought useless, it actually utilises principles that the advanced civilisation that built this ce used! The modern bridge matrix is like the inbred, poorly understood descendant of the older matrix! There¡¯s no connection, but they¡¯re still rted, do you understand?¡± A sudden realisation smacked Leif in the forehead, he rocked back, the wooden chair groaning as the magic preventing it from copsing buckled under his movement. ¡°Leif? Are you okay?¡± Sieg asked. ¡°I¡¯m- It¡¯s okay. Marcus, it¡¯s like you. Your exnation gave me an idea as to why the system errors when I analyse you!¡± ¡°Wah?¡± He said, his manic lecture crashing to a halt. ¡°I¡¯m not inbred.¡± ¡°What? No. That''s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Okay, good. I was going to need to ask my mum some awkward questions.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Sieg moaned. ¡°Now there are two conversations going over my head.¡± Leif held up a hand, his eyes quickly reading over a skill he tried his best not to think about. But it made sense. It was an analysis skill. === Legacy: Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Analysis, Social* Your legacy endures. Those you sire are stronger, healthier and have an innate resistance to diseases. You can instinctively identify any descendants and may analyse them if they''re of equal or lower level to you, gaining a general overview of their sses, levels and attributes. === ¡°It¡¯s my [Legacy] skill. For some reason the system is trying, and failing to disy your information. Your attributes, sses and levels.¡± Marcus blinked dumbly at him, his jaw working but no wordsing out. His stunned state let Sieg reply first. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the [Noble] capstone skill? The one that works on family members?¡± ¡°It is. But it only works on descendants, not just family members¡± Leif confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s strange, but I don¡¯t see any other reason for the system to disy more information than it should.¡± ¡°Uh, wouldn¡¯t it show three error messages, not two?¡± Marcus pointed out, raising a finger. ¡°No, it would only show two.¡± Sieg mumbled. ¡°It would show your sses and levels at the same time.¡± ¡°Counter argument. I¡¯m not Leif¡¯s descendant. I¡¯ve met my dad, my grandparents too, none of them are, you know¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s blood magic.¡± Leif said, mostly to himself. ¡°Maybe, maybe after I healed you, when you were on the verge of death after we escaped the Mythhold. It¡¯s a stretch, but maybe¡­¡± ¡°Have you seen the error messages when you analysed anyone else?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leif said, his mind drifting back to Far-Reach. ¡°But I haven''t really been using my analysis skills, they don¡¯t tend to be very useful. But I know who I should test first, to see if the hypothesis is correct.¡± Marcus ced his elbows on the table, then sleepily rested his head down onto his arms. ¡°Well, if you think your analysis skill is weird, you should hear this. When I couldn¡¯t scry you any more, I tried all sorts of different methods. Get this, a few weeks ago my skill pinged something nearby, on Dimid, actually.¡± The scion froze. ¡°When I took Sieg and went looking for it, we found the partially buried templeplex, the one they¡¯re trying to excavate. Pretty neat, huh?¡± ¡°What-¡± Leif blurted, his voice cutting out in his haste to evacuate the words from his mouth. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means there¡¯s another ¡®amber¡¯ something in the Academy. Maybe it¡¯s one of your cousins or something?¡± === Roy sat alone at the head of therge table that split the dining room in half, he used a cushion to get the height he needed, his small fists sped firmly around a knife and fork. Humming came from the kitchen, and a few momentster Melissa strode out, the elderly woman¡¯s mouth stretching into a matronly smile as she saw him looking. He flushed as his stomach rumbled, his mouth salivating at the scents washing from the two tes of steaming food she was carrying. ¡°Smoked canyon ham and fried vegetables from the eastern provinces.¡± Melissa exined, cing both tes onto the table, then pulling out a chair for herself. Roy held back just long enough to say his thanks, then dug into the perfectly cooked meal. He fought back tears as the vours hit his tongue, and choked back augh at the crunch of the golden tuber. He hadn¡¯t been this happy, this well fed in¡­ forever, it felt like. It was a bit strange that he was living in someone else''s house, and weirder still that that person hadn¡¯t shown up for dinner, but he guessed that a de of the Academy was really busy. He wished Lucia hade down to eat with him, but his older sister hadn¡¯t left her room since the night before. Melissa had already delivered her dinner, and he hoped she would actually eat this time. He knew Lucia was upset, she had yelled and screamed and cried herself to sleep. When he had held her hand and asked why she had forced a smile and told him everything was okay. But it wasn¡¯t okay. He knew that. Melissa made an appreciative sound as she ate her own cooking, the ageing woman¡¯s grey hair tied up in a neat bun, her posture and table manners as perfect as his probably should be. She reminded Roy¡­ not of his grandparents, but somebody else''s. The kindly old woman from the stories Lucia had read to him back before they had needed to leave the capitol. He had always wondered why his own grandparents hadn¡¯t been like those in the stories, but ording to his sister that was because they were important people, with important things to do. ¡°Why are you old?¡± He asked through a mouthful of food. That hadn¡¯t been what he had meant to say, so he swallowed and tried again. ¡°Where are your grandkids?¡± She smiled at him, wiping at her lips with a decorated napkin. ¡°I never had children, dear. I always needed to focus on my duties before anything else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sad.¡± He stated, piercing a purple carrot with his fork. ¡°Not so. I ended up finding a daughter of my own, and I¡¯ve followed her all over the world.¡± ¡°Why did Hera make my sister cry?¡± ¡°That¡­ that is a harder question, dear.¡± She said, putting down her cutlery. ¡°What do you think?¡± Royce frowned at a pile of beans, opened his mouth, closed it again, then huffed in annoyance. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t know why our family left us behind. Why didn¡¯t theye find us? They¡¯re mean. I hate them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh, don¡¯t you think?¡± She chided softly. ¡°My grandpa wore a crown and sat on a big chair. He was stupid, he never smiled or did anything fun. He couldn¡¯t cook.¡± Melissa went to reply, when the door swung open and Hera strode in. She was frowning down at a report in her hands, her boots tracking a small amount of mud onto the wooden floor. She paused, ncing up at the dining table. ¡°Oh.¡± She said, blinking at Roy. ¡°Hello, I didn¡¯t¡­ notice you. How is dinner?¡± ¡°Good.¡± Roy said, looking her in the eye. ¡°Your mum is a good cook.¡± Hera smiled, tucking her report away and kicking off her boots. Theynded in a neat pile alongside several other pairs. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you home so soon, dear.¡± Melissa said, half standing from the table. ¡°Shall I prepare something?¡± ¡°No. No, there¡¯s no need. I already ate. Where¡¯s Leif? Did he make it back?¡± ¡°He has not returned. Is something the matter?¡± ¡°No. Maybe. Hold on.¡± Hera said, running out of the room, her footfalls rapidly ascending the stairs. She returned to the dining room a minuteter, her eyes still shining. ¡°He¡¯s with Sieg and Marcus, so he should be fine.¡± ¡°Ah, those two.¡± Melissa said with a knowing look at Hera. ¡°They¡¯re a good influence, probably.¡± Hera snorted. ¡°Apparently not. You won¡¯t believe what Mouric said when he found me?¡± ¡°Oh dear.¡± ¡°Hmmph.¡± ¡°And what was the report you were reading?¡± ¡°The redacted¡­ Something he, luckily, never read. Of all the des he¡¯s the easiest to handle. I¡¯m just d Leif didn¡¯t run into Zane, that would have been a total disaster.¡± Chapter 159: Dimid Chapter 159: Dimid The seaborn mist was still rolling over the archipgo as Leif stepped through the portal arch, seamlessly teleporting from one hub building to another in less than a breath. Three guards turned at his approach, though they otherwise ignored him as he marched past. There were few students around this early in the morning, but Leif was hardly the only person walking the dimly lit streets and hallways of the Academy. A minuteter he exited the towering structure that served as the portal hub. It was identical to the other hubs, though the surrounding structures were not. If Lutum was spread out and forested, and Pellus was developed and urban, then Dimid was rocky and steep. A single, wide road stretched out before him, cutting straight down the centre of a valley strewn with boulders and stonesrger than the buildings that lined the street. Though that wasn¡¯t quite urate. The boulders were buildings, entranceways and windows were carved into the rock, and Leif could sense the vitality of those stirring to wakefulness within rooms hollowed out of stone. Halfway down the road stood the administration building for the ind, it was wide and short, pushed up against a cliff wall as if trying to melt into the wall. The scion stepped inside, only to find that the main reception hall was sunkern down a level, stone steps needing to be descended in order to enter the structure proper. So much for not going underground. Leif mused, taking two steps at a time. A candle flickered in a small bowl in the single upied booth. Two people, a middle aged man and woman stood just off to the side, quietly conversing in hushed voices. Leif guessed they were faculty, though neither wore any uniform or identifying markers. He gave them a short nod, and they returned the gesture before walking off through a side door which, Leif noticed, also led down a flight of stairs. The official behind the upied desk sat up as he approached, stifling a yawn behind his hand and blinking tiredly. ¡°Good morning.¡± Leif said, cing a hand onto the carved stone desk between them. ¡°I was pointed in this direction by a third year student. It¡¯s about the temple excavation urring on the ind.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Hold on.¡± The official said, leaning over to shuffle through a box full of papers. Leif had spent the night in Sieg and Marcus¡¯s apartment. There had been an avable bedroom, but the scion had remained on the balcony after the two humans had gone to bed, Sieg willingly, and Marcus being forcibly dragged away from his project. The arcanist had wanted to use Leif¡¯s magic to pull an all nighter and get his paperplete by the morning, but he had been out voted. Considering that the man had passed out the instant his body had made contact with the bed, it had been for the best. The official cleared his throat, tapping the bottom of a small stack of documents on the desk to straighten them out. ¡°Uh, let¡¯s see here. The temple excavation¡­ oh, wait. Can I see identification?¡±Leif produced the Academy token, when the official sniffed for some reason, then returned it. ¡°Okay, sure. I can¡¯t give you all the information, but I can tell you who¡¯s in charge and where to go if you want to get yourself involved for whatever reason.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Leif said. ¡°That would be helpful.¡± ¡°Alright. The professor in charge of the excavation is Goodwil. Uh, professor Goodwil that is. Her office is in the y lecture hall. Do you know where that is?¡± Leif shook his head. The official cursed under his breath and ducked out of sight to rummage through more documents. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of professor Goodwil, is there anything I should know about her?¡± The official sighed, cing a slightly faded map of the ind onto the desk. ¡°No, not really. That¡¯s not true, sorry. She works mostly in the Academy¡¯s main library on Pellus, but she used to teach and host lectures here on Dimid. She was the¡­ niece, I think, of the previous spire master.¡± Leif leaned forward to study the map. Apparently there was a mountain towards the centre of the ind. A little one, but it was still a mountain. ¡°Do you know what times she is avable for a meeting? Or do I need to schedule something?¡± ¡°No, it should be all good.¡± The official yawned, pointing on the map with a finger. ¡°This is where the y lecture hall is, not to be confused with the y training hall, which is next door. Uh, let me check¡­ It says she¡¯s free from nine to ten, and four to five. So you¡¯re a few hours early . Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Leif could tell by the man¡¯s tone that he was really hoping that there would be no further questions. Unfortunately, Leif had time to kill, and there was nobody else in the hall. ¡°Sure. Could you give me a rundown of the ind¡¯s history? And an exnation of the main facilities?¡± The official slumped, thenplied. === The y lecture hall was actually several lecture halls all contained within the same massive building. Students, almost all of whom sported the symbol of the crane and spear somewhere on their uniforms, swarmed in and out of the different rooms and choked the hallways. The oldest of them looked to be in their early twenties, like Marcus and Sieg, while the youngest looked to be barely in their teens. The Academy valued aptitude, the age of its students was less important than their willingness to learn and grow. A nearby door was open, a professor loudly exining the intricacies of different cultivation skills, and the best way to develop them. Leif¡¯s [Font of Life] skill, a fusion of cultivation and spellcasting granted to him by the system a year prior had stagnated in its advancement, and he had intended to solve that problem bying to the Academy. While it was tempting to stay in the doorway and listen, he had a different reason for visiting. An alcove branched off from the corridor, with several doors lining a far wall. Each wasbelled with a metal que, and each que was etched with a name. The one proiming ¡®Goodwil¡¯ was the closest, so Leif walked right up to it and knocked. There was no reply at first, though he could sense the presence within the office slowly shuffling around the room. Finally the door turned and a reed thin older woman poked her narrow nose out at him. ¡°Yes, what can I do for you?¡± She said, seeming to look down on him over her sses, despite being well over a head shorter. ¡°Professor Goodwil, I presume?¡± Leif said, dipping his head in greeting. ¡°I was hoping to discuss the excavation of the newly discovered structures on this ind. I was told you were in charge of the project.¡± Goodwil sniffed, adjusting her sses. ¡°It isn¡¯t every day somebody as sinister looking as you shows up at my office. Do you wear the mask to frighten children, hmmm?¡± Her voice was nasally and her lips were pursed. ¡°I suppose you came to our grand institution along with the parasites from the capitol. Tell me, boy, why should I even hear you out?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m friends with the student who discovered the temple. He¡¯s a third year from Lutum called Marcus. He told me that the excavation may interest me, and I believe I have skills that may assist in the uncovering of the past.¡± Leif replied, not breaking eye contact with the professor. She sniffed again, and shuffled to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re an affiliate of the Academy¡­?¡± Leif produced his token. ¡°It just so happens that I am.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. Come on in. We¡¯re short on people now that the quadriad is underway. Apparently watching children beat each other half to death with sticks and their poor excuses for magic is more important than discovering the truth of the ruins our civilization uses as its foundation.¡± The scion stepped into the office, the door clicking shut behind him. ¡°The duels between the des is an educational experience, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d agree?¡± ¡°Hmmm. I suppose. If someone¡¯s goal in life is to get themselves killed in the fruitless pursuit of power they may as well learn from the best. Now, what did you say your sses were? How does a clown intend to assist me in my work?¡± Leif let the clownment slide, taking a seat. He wouldn¡¯t tell her the truth, but he would tell her just enough to get her interested. ¡°I have a ss associated with learning from, and embodying the past in certain ways. I can feel the weight of history that underlines the Academy. And if I get close enough to the temple, I may be able to identify the reasons for its creation, perhaps the reason for its destruction. She raised a narrow, grey eyebrow. ¡°Interesting. Interesting indeed. I can read the truthfulness of your words, and you most certainly have my intrigue piqued. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re willing to share the name and description of your ss?¡± ¡°Sorry, professor. But I am not.¡± ¡°Hmmm, a waste. We keep too many secrets, even when sharing knowledge would benefit us all. What is your name, boy?¡± ¡°Leif. Leif Vin.¡± ¡°Well, Mr Vin. I suppose I can give you a chance to prove yourself useful. The earth mages will be unavable for the next few days, some fools damaged the underground foundation of the arena yesterday so they¡¯ve been pulled away. Meet me and my team at the granite sparing fields at ten in three days.¡± Leif bowed in his seat. ¡°I will be there, thank you, professor.¡± She sniffed, leaning back in her chair. ¡°No need to thank me, Mr Vin. I¡¯m willing to take all the help I can get. I¡¯ll take any volunteers that wander into my office, assuming they aren¡¯t as dumb as a sack of bricks. Speaking of, if you could try and rope that [Seeker], the boy who discovered the temple back into the excavation, that would be wonderful.¡± ¡°You want Marcus?¡± ¡°Apparently he¡¯s busy. On what I can¡¯t imagine. Children can never focus on what¡¯s really important, it¡¯s a damn shame.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± He said. Chapter 160: Upwards Chapter 160: Upwards The history of the Mekrys empire was an interesting, if highly embellished read. The empire, a collection of provinces borderedrge swaths of three, interconnected, seas. The Rien, thergest and most western of the three seas, was what Leif had flown over, then sailed through to reach the academy. The Loriet, the central and smallest of the three technically started at the archipgo, and continued eastwards until the sea narrowed, squeezed past two peninss, then changed to the Mirith Sea. The empire, or rather, the people who had migrated down from the eastern teaus and wouldter found the empire, had sailed all three seas, charting their edges and settling in the ces most fertile and prosperous locations. Ruins of past civilisations had littered the coasts, and the Mekrys empire would use these ancient foundations to springboard into a regional power. People had lived around the sea before the empire had been founded, and ording to the worn tome Leif was reading, Varan, his homnd, had been some of those peoples. The book listed several pre existing city states, Ahle-ho, and an alliance that would be the republic included, though the author had pushed the fact that Mekrys had been the catalyst for these ces to be ¡®civilised¡¯. The Academy had been settled by the same peoples who had founded the Empire, though what would be the most powerful educational institution in Mekrys had remained stubbornly independent from the wider empire until it had joined to protect itself from an external threat. The de¡¯s had been a core part of the Academy¡¯s identity right from its inception. With the position being based off, or more likely, inspired, by the statues of ten swordsmen and women present in each portal hub. ording to another book, what was now the Academy had been an ancient order of humanities protectors, and the des had been a pivotal part of that organisation, just as they were now. The archipgo had been discovered and settled some four hundred years ago, with the Empire being founded at around the same time. ording to schrs, the inds and their countless secrets had been abandoned for over half a millenia prior. Leif leaned back on the stone bench in the dimly lit alcove, his amber eyes rising to the arched ceiling. The templeplex, or whatever it would end up being, that Marcus had discovered would more than likely date back to a thousand years ago. A part of Leif itched to check out the sight immediately, but he could be patient. A few days of wait wouldn¡¯t kill him, not when he had so much more to do. He snapped the final book shut, mentally recalling the hundreds of pages of information he had just absorbed. [Meditations on Eternity], along with focusing on [Intelligence] made it easy. It was interesting how attributes increased his day to day abilities, not just inbat. Sure, [Benevolent Actions] made the effect easier to spot, but he doubted the increases would be noticeable for the average person. He stacked the books into a neat pile, then departed. ===¡°It''s done.¡± Marcus said, hands on his hips, his grin a mix of deliriousness and jubtion. Leif pped twice, then let the [Intelligence] boost he was giving the man drop. Marcus keeled over. ¡°No! Bring it back! My mind feels so much slower now!¡± ¡°The skill was at its limit.¡± Leif said, watching the man writhe around on the ground. ¡°Push through your limits! Reach the sky! Do the impossible!¡± ¡°I can do far more impressive things than make your brain run faster.¡± Marcus sighed, getting to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m never letting you leave. How do you feel about bing me and Sieg¡¯s house nt?¡± ¡°I have infinitely more important things to do.¡± Leifughed. The [Arcanist] looked hurt. ¡°Did you give Goodwil¡¯s proposal any thought?¡± ¡°Yeah, it sounds interesting. I was always nning on joining in, even if as a Lutum student it would have been a bit tricky. You being around just seals the deal for me. No reason not to, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Leif said, sliding his and Marcus¡¯s chairs back under the table of his apartment with a gesture and a brief effort of will. ¡°Do you want to get lunch, then head for the quadriad?¡± Marcus yawned, adjusted his sses, then let out a half manic cheer of relief, then marched out of the room. ¡°Hells yes. I need a break! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± === They caught the tail end of the duel between the fifth and sixth des. Marcus filled Leif in on what the two powerhouses abilities were, but judging by the massive cloud of dustpletely shrouding the arena they hadn¡¯t missed much. Sabline Wilds, the fifth de, was a highly promoted [Tamer] focusing on elementals. Her second ss was a wind focused promotion of [Shaman], and the woman¡¯s fighting style was an endless parade of summoned air elementals, all the while her bound spirit flew her around the battlefield. It was her fault that nobody could see anything. Though the asional st of wind made the arena¡¯s shielding ripple. Helos had a simr build to Dani, both having metal conjuration and maniption as core aspects of their fighting style. Unlike the seventh de, the sixth was a spearman, and his abilities all orientated around a publicly revealed core skill, a small pocket world Helos used to store, and unleash a forest of silver spears. It made Leif somewhat self conscious about his own core skill, but he consoled himself that he had fifty levels of growth to put into it, so things would likely change. Eventually the bout was called as a draw, with Helos being unable to reach his flying opponent, and Sabline not being able to harm him when he hid inside his pocket world. === ¡°So you won¡¯t be able to change your body until you reach level fifty in your monster ss?¡± Hera asked as they walked through the beast filled wilderness that covered more than half of Lutum. In the distance, something howled. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Right.¡± Leif said, stepping over a fallen log. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a challenge getting there though. I know levelse a lot slower, especially since I¡¯ll be partially dividing experience between three sses. I had nned on getting a fourth, probably [Druid] topliment my existing skills and get ess to more nt magic.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way to stop gaining experience in a ss without that ss being level capped.¡± Hera said as she peaked around a bolder. ¡°You wanted something with a ton of vitality? Well, there you go.¡± Leif leaned over her shoulder, peering into the forest. Evening was approaching, and with it came ack of visibility. It took him several seconds to spot the dark shape lumbering through the undergrowth some three hundred metres away. ¡°Honestly, I feel somewhat bad about killing something raised in captivity. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a danger to anyone trapped in this part of the ind.¡± Hera shrugged. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t exist at all if [Tamer]s hadn¡¯t brought them to the ind for just this purpose. Is it cruel? Sure. But in the wilds these things get culled almost immediately by adventurers.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not going to start an ethical discussion about this.¡± Leif said, rolling his neck. ¡°You mentioned a method of restricting experience gain? I¡¯m assuming it''s less painful than fracturing a skill.¡± ¡°Less painful, sure. But the method uses simr principles. It¡¯s usually something third and fourth year students learn, usually those with [Scribe] sses they don¡¯t want to level up any further. Are you aware of skill meditation? Visualising your skills in your mind''s eye, partially stimting or altering them in various ways?¡± ¡°I am aware. Though I didn¡¯t know you could change skills, only put them back together when they break.¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not the best person to exin it, but I can point you to some texts that could do a better job. But basically you can sort of¡­ group the skills, gather them up. Once you have all the skills from a single ss you can¡­ block them. I think block is the right word. Put a small amount of constant pressure on them, and in doing so prevent the ss from gaining experience. It¡¯s easier to do the fewer skills a ss has.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Leif said, focusing his mind, not on following her instructions, but on the battle toe. ¡°I think it spotted us.¡± ¡°Best of luck.¡± Hera said, pping him on the back. ¡°Protect me.¡± Leifmanded, a golden barrier ring to life around him, only to fade away into a swirling cloud of amber motes. The ground was shaking now, the leaves of the nearby trees quivering as the beast approached. ¡°Two words. Very impressive.¡± Hera whistled. ¡°Thanks. Give me a few minutes.¡± === The hulking form of the quilled bear crashed to the forest floor, the impact making nesting birds escape from their treetop homes and flee into the darkening sky. Leif rode on the beast''s back, four sharpened limbs of gold stabbed into its armoured body as he drained it dry of everyst drop of vitality. The cultivated pool of energy within him flexed, bubbling with life-force as its limits expanded ever so slightly. ¡°Poor thing.¡± Hera said from her perch atop the boulder. ¡°It probably had a family.¡± ¡°Hrious.¡± Leif replied, raising an ivory hand to his face, examining the vitality that pulsed within. ¡°I don¡¯t think it had a single thought in its head other than hunger and anger. Are you sure these things appear in the wild?¡± ¡°Uh huh. I used to hunt them back when I was an adventurer. A single one of them could tten a vige if they grew big and hungry enough. Did you figure out what was wrong with your weird fusion skill?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The skill description mentions mastery over all of its aspects for further upgrades, but it feels like there¡¯s more than that. Like the difficulty ispounded somehow.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®yup¡¯?¡± ¡°Yup, as in, that¡¯s why nobodybines the rank up skills if they can afford it. Comprehension, aura, cultivation, spell. It seems like a good idea to put them all together, to free up space for more skills. I don¡¯t know if the system puts a penalty on those kinds of fusions, or if there¡¯s a natural reason why they¡¯re a pain to upgrade. I don¡¯t think anyone will ever figure it out. I mean, sure, loads of schrs argue about it. But I once read an essay where someone was arguing that a duck was a fish because it could swim.¡± ¡°The system practically forced the fusion onto me.¡± Leif grumbled. ¡°I suppose I could have declined the prompt, but it seemed suicidal to do so at the time. I wasn¡¯t really thinking of the consequences.¡± ¡°It happens.¡± Hera said, plucking a quill from the dead bear. ¡°So are you going to restrict your experience gain to your non monster sses.¡± ¡°Probably. They¡¯re one level away from getting another skill, so I¡¯ll probably level up once more in both sses, then block them. Assuming nothing else goes wrong for whatever reason.¡± He walked up to a nearby tree, barely a sapling, and ced a palm onto its narrow trunk. ¡°Grow Tall.¡± Leif said, his voice echoing slightly as he triggered [Surge of Life and Growth], flooding the young nt with vitality. It began to grow almost immediately, the tree greedily sucking up everyst drop of life-force Leif fed it. Branches stretched for the sky and leaves budded to life. ¡°I think Melissa is trying to grow some desert fruit in the greenhouse, she might appreciate the help.¡± Hera said. ¡°Sure. Do we need to do anything about the corpse?¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯ll be gone by morning.¡± === Leif sat in the back of the lecture hall, regretting his life choices. There was nothing wrong with learning, the previous lecture he had attended that morning had been fascinating, even if the professor had shown up ten minuteste and couldn¡¯t figure out how to turn on the enchanted illusion projector. The patterns and intricacies of turbulence was something he hadn¡¯t ever considered before, nor how different parts of the world seemed to suffer from different types of phenomenon during the months of magical upheaval. It made sense now that someone with more knowledge about the topic had exined it. Leif supposed he would have noticed the patterns himself if he had travelled more. A group of first years giggled to themselves in the row in front of him. Leif tried not to sigh. From a purely academic standpoint, learning about how high levels and attributes affected the way the human body functioned was interesting enough. But the lecture was a little more¡­ in depth than that. The professor, a very serious looking older man with a moustache so sharp that if anyone walked too close they risked losing an eye, was very seriously tapping the chalk diagram he had drawn. An immature snicker rolled through therge room. Leif put his forehead in his palm, desperately wanting to leave, but not wanting to bring attention to himself. So he sat there, for over an hour, learning why high level humans found it harder to conceive. He would have to double check what the lectures were actually about before he attended them. ¡®Growth, life and the system¡¯ hadn¡¯t ended up being at all what he had expected. Truly fascinating. Never again. Chapter 161: Low Blow Chapter 161: Low Blow Zane Low closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. He pictured in his mind''s eye the courtyard before him, the fifty wooden training dummies, their limbs bobbing slightly in the wind. He exhaled, and every dummy was beheaded at once. The resulting sound was like a dozen coconut trees all giving up at the same time, their life''s work ttering to the ground and rolling around. The second de opened his eyes and sheathed his sword, running a hand through his messy crop of white hair. He struck a dramatic pose, then bowed to his audience of headless training dummies. Their heads were already beginning to regrow, that enchantment had been more than worth the price he had paid. Two sets of footsteps came from behind him, so Zane whirled, covering one eye with his fingers and gasping. ¡°Y-you! You saw it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Both approaching figures stopped, ncing around the courtyard, more than a little confused. ¡°You saw it!¡± He used. ¡°My true power! A secret technique passed down over hundreds of years, only to fall into my waitingp!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Zane?¡± A serious looking Dani Low asked, frowning at him. ¡°Good answer.¡± Zane said, nodding slowly, his eyes suspicious slits. ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Kastro said, the gloomy looking man a step behind his equally grey haired rtive. ¡°I confess, it is true.¡± Zane said solemnly. ¡°I am always perfect. It is a burden I have carried, and will carry for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Put a shirt on, Zane. We need to have a serious conversation.¡± Dani said, crossing her arms. ¡°There is no need to be so serious! Come now, sister, we¡¯re all family here!¡± She sniffed. ¡°We are not siblings.¡± ¡°Cousin! What¡¯s the difference? We¡¯re all Low¡¯s, who cares about specifics?¡± ¡°Your attitude is the problem. This is why the Jursa branch tried to have you assassinated, Zane.¡± ¡°They did?¡± Both Zane and Kastro eximed at the same time. Though Kastro sounded rmed, while Zane sounded confused. Dani sighed. ¡°Yes, they did.¡± ¡°When?¡± The swordsman asked, leaning forward. ¡°I think I would remember my own assassination!¡± ¡°During that party in Hce.¡± Zane frowned, then his expression brightened. ¡°The masked clowns! I thought those were entertainers.¡± ¡°You live an interesting life, cousin.¡± Kastro said hesitantly. ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m quite boring. And call me brother.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not siblings.¡± Zane staggered back as if struck. Dani cleared her throat, but he held up a hand and closed his eyes. A momentter his sword was drawn, and the regrown heads of the training dummies once again fell to the ground. The second de sheathed his sword, then struck another pose. Kastro pped awkwardly, while Dani just red at him. Zane sighed. ¡°Fine, what was it you wanted to talk about?¡± ¡°We should go somewhere private first.¡± The seventh de said. ¡°This is my personal training courtyard, nobody can just walk in here.¡± He replied confidently. His cousins nced at one another. ¡°Oh, right. Okay, sure, let''s go.¡± He turned and marched towards the nearby shed. A minuteter the three of them were crowded into the small room and the door had been locked behind them. His rtives looked ufortable, but why a room full of almost person shaped dummies would unnerve someone recognised by the Crucible, or someone who took walks on the seafloor for fun was beyond Zane. He slung an arm around the nearest dummy¡¯s shoulders, its face, a smooth wooden oval had a smiling expression painted on it. He had done it himself. ¡°So.¡± He whispered conspiratorially. ¡°What scheme do you have nned this time? Wait, don¡¯t tell me! Is it poison? Are you going to drug Crest so he idently incinerates himself during our duel?¡± ¡°What? No. This has nothing to do with the Fourth de.¡± Dani said, not denying the fact that she was here to discuss a scheme. ¡°This is about the recement candidate for the Braslim Spire Head. The family has someone in mind, a former governor who owes us a debt.¡± Zane felt his eyelids drooping, but he pretended to pay attention, nodding his head and making affirmative grunts every now and then. ¡°If everything goes to n, we could upy five of the fifteen council slots by the year''s end. Vevosis is sympathetic, though he no doubt has his own ns in motion.¡± She continued, leaning up against arge sack of sand covered in patches. ¡°Huh?¡± He asked, blinking owlishly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Vevosis-who?¡± She scowled. ¡°The Spire Head of Dimid, how do you not know this?¡± ¡°Ohh, Vivy! I hate that guy, why don¡¯t you poison him instead of Crest?¡± He asked petntly. ¡°Not to agree with Zane.¡± Kastro said, trying not to brush against the box full of severed wooden arms. ¡°But when I met the man, I felt like he couldn¡¯t be trusted. I have a knack for knowing who, or what is hiding hidden depths.¡± This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Zane nodded vigorously, making the dummy he had his arm wrapped around mimic the motion. ¡°We should kill him.¡± Hemented. ¡°Fracture isn¡¯t a hostile organisation. If anything they¡¯re sympathetic. So no, we¡¯re not going to kill Vevosis.¡± Dani scowled, then her expression shifted to something thoughtful. ¡°Although¡­¡± ¡°Not to be rude, Danny. But are we done here? If not, could we take this conversation somewhere else. I don¡¯t like enclosed spaces.¡± The tenth de said. ¡°Isn¡¯t being at the bottom of the sea like having a dark nket trying to crush you to death?¡± Zane asked, honestly curious. ¡°No, it¡¯s quitefortable actually.¡± Kastro murmured. ¡°We¡¯ll be making our move before the quadriad is finished and our allies are present on the archipgo. If everything goes to n, there won¡¯t be any need for bloodshed.¡± Dani said. ¡°For now, just keep the objective in mind.¡± ¡°You got it, Danny.¡± Zane lied. Then he sneezed, and the shed¡¯s door fell apart, cleanly severed down the middle. ¡°Whoops!¡± === Leif sat in the stands of the arena, Marcus and Sieg upying the seats to his right. The crowd was as bustling, if not more so than the first day of the quadriad. It seemed the final duel between Academy des for the week was a spectacle few wanted to miss out on witnessing. ¡°So it¡¯s a duel between the second and fourth des?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Marcus replied. ¡°The third de, Aris Shan, is away on an expedition, and the first de is in istion training, or so I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Crest refused to fight during thest two quadriads.¡± Sieg said, pitching his voice to be heard over a chant that was slowly being picked up by those around the stadium. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ well. You¡¯ll see in a moment. Or hear, the announcer will probably exin it.¡± Leif sat back and crossed his arms, listening as the current chant was reced with another, this one making fun of the first chant. ¡°Everyone seems quite invested.¡± The scionmented. ¡°True. Most of thebat focused students idolise Zane, and most of the nonbat students idolise Crest.¡± Marcus said. The sandy haired man opened his mouth to continue his exnation, but the arena announcer cut him, and everyone else off. ¡°Wee one! Wee all! Today we have the final duel between des for the week. No doubt many of you, both students and otherwise, are more than intrigued about this uing bout! A group of second years off to the left tried to restart the first chant in the small gap between the announcers introduction. Someone from a few rows higher shot a jet of water at them. ¡°Bothbatants are famous, or perhaps infamous for their unique paths! One utilises a type of magic never before seen in the world, the other having levelled a single ss all the way to one hundred! The fourth de, a man who goes by the pseudonym of ¡®Crest¡¯ may not have anybat oriented sses, but there isn¡¯t a person alive who would deny his power! The second de, Zane Low, is a renowned swordmaster who¡¯s very presence makes the enemies of humanity quake in fear! Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and wee ourbatants!¡± The crowd did so, though with added cheering and hollering. Two figures stepped out from openings on opposite sides of the arena. Leif used the perception-altering effect of the protective shield around the arena¡¯s sands to take a look at both men. The second de, Zane, was a tall and lean man with stark white hair tied back in a bun. He looked younger than his position of seniority would imply, and he wore the overcoat of the de uniform wrapped around his waist, its long sleeves tied into a ribbon. A straight sword was at his hip, and his expression waspletely serious. He gave off the impression of a warrior who had dedicated every hour of his life to mastering both himself, and the sword. The fourth de looked unremarkable byparison. He was short and wiry, and his slightly hunched posture gave him a schrly air, as if he spent more time bent over a desk researching than on the battlefield. His uniform was several sizes too big, and his lower face was covered in a week''s old stubble. Both of his hands were clutching the pendant that hung around his neck, the brass chain gleaming under the afternoon sun. ¡°Any bets on who will win?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Crest.¡± Marcus replied instantly. Sieg snorted. ¡°Zane, and it won¡¯t be close.¡± Marcus jokingly punched his roommate in the side, and Sieg stoically ignored him. The announcer began the countdown, the crowd joining in momentster. Neither de reacted to the imminent beginning to their duel, both stood rxed and unworried on opposite sides of the sandy field. ¡°Begin!¡± Crest took a single step back, a dark blue crystal appearing in his hand. The sand where he had been standing a moment before was split, a perfectly straight gash appearing in the ground. Leif quickly turned his attention to Zane, but the second de hadn¡¯t moved, his sword was still sheathed. Rainbow power rippled around the fourth de as he raised his gemstone, the crowd held its breath as energy rapidly built. Then prismatic light thundered across the arena, turning the sand to ss as it sted forward like a river. The protective shield rippled, the vision altering enchantment flickering out briefly as the attack raced to cross the distance between both des. Leif expected Zane to draw his sword and cut through the assault of prismatic energy, but the swordsman did no such thing. Instead his form blurred as he stepped to the side, a smirk briefly appearing on his lips, though it faded just as quickly. The rainbow beam crashed against the far wall of the arena, power sshing up like a wave impacting a cliff. The barrier flickered again, this time bing awash with multicoloured light. Then, just as Leif was trying to see through the disturbance, his system information briefly flickered to life before his eyes. Everyone in the crowd recalled as if struck, cries of rm and confusioning from hundreds of people at once. Then the phenomena faded, and the vision altering effect of the shield returned to normal. ¡°Umm.¡± Marcus said, blinking his eyes rapidly. ¡°Did anyone else just see their own status sheet?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Sieg said, equally baffled. Leif reyed the moment using [Sympathy From Experience]. The vision repeated itself before his eyes, though backwards. Sure enough, a distorted and stretched image of his status sheet appeared for half a second, then vanished. What in the hells was that? He thought, rmed. Just what power was Crest using? Was he tapping into the system itself? How? Leif focused back onto the man, as did most people in the arena. He saw a zoomed in image of the man¡¯s nk, almost bored expression, then the field of view zoomed out and he got a look at his full body. The crystal was still in his hand, though it was now radiating the same rainbow energy as the attack. But it wasn¡¯t just a crystal. Leif recognised it alongside dozens of others at the exact same time. It was a promotion item,rger and more intricate than the Seal Leif had used to promote his [Brawler] and healer sses, so it was likely an Emblem, or something of a higher grade. ¡°Crest.¡± Leif said numbly, still staring at the man who went by the same name. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Marcus breathed. The air rippled before the fourth de, then Zane appeared, an inch of his sword having been drawn from its sheath. Crest looked surprised for a brief instant, then the swordsman kicked him between the legs. Crest crumpled to the sandy ground with a soul rending gasp. He didn¡¯t get back up. You have disyed excellence above your ability! For witnessing a disy of significant authority that touches on the system itself you have gained the following! +1 free point! Everyone in the crowd started murmuring again, over a thousand pairs of eyes going unfocused simultaneously. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± Sieg asked. ¡°Did what I just witnessed actually happen?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± Leif said. Chapter 162: Commitment Chapter 162: Commitment The uproar of the arena crowd made continuing the quadriad for the day an unlikely prospect. A hundred voices all yelled questions or stood to run off and find somebody who may have an answer. An ageing couple two rows above where Leif and the others were sitting were spewing panic into the air, their ring fear and confusion a constant tapping on Leif¡¯s awareness. Things got worse when the announcer, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the raucous crowd, announced that the bout had ended. Then the barrier flickered off, and dozens of people leapt down into the sand. Zane drew his sword, making several of the intruders flinch back, but the second de simply swung his sword through the air in azy pattern, making the air ripple before him. Then he crouched down, grabbed the still crumpled Crest by the cor of his oversized uniform, and vanished with a wave, taking the other de with him. ¡°Do you think Crest meant to do that?¡± Leif sent telepathically to his twopanions. Marcus shrugged, and Sieg frowned. Leif stood, then led the two humans through the chaotic stadium. His aura gently pulsed around him, projecting his intent to leave in such a way that most people automatically stepped aside without realising why. They passed the panicking couple, both were mouthing what may have been prayers into identical iron pendants shaped to resemble a mountain bound in chains. A chant started up on the far side of the arena, though the voices making it up were dissonant with one another. ck uniformed guards swarmed down to disperse a rapidly growing brawl that had started up between those who had jumped down into the sands. Marcus took over guiding them once they had exited the arena, the man¡¯s [Seeker] ss allowing him to divine the best way to proceed. With Marcus in the lead, they avoided congested areas and ducked through side alleys between the ancient structures of Pellus. Their path brought them past the library, but they continued onwards to the portal hub, managing to beat the crowd by a handful of minutes. They stepped through the portal to Lutum just as a nearby guard was receiving instructions to prevent ess to the hub via amunication construct that, at a nce, looked strikingly simr to the object the fourth de had used in his duel back in the arena. Leif suspected both crystalline devices must have used simr underlying principles in their construction, or maybe the use of carved gemstones, or mana shards, was necessary for whatever reason. Another guard on the Lutum side of the portal was receiving the same message, though it was a few seconds dyed. The woman shot them an assessing re, but let them pass without issue. ¡°So.¡± Marcus said with forced cheer once they were outside. ¡°How are you guys spending the ¡®free¡¯ free point we just earned?¡± ¡°[Might].¡± Sieg said without hesitation. ¡°I put too many into [Intelligence] this past year, and now my strength iscking.¡±¡°My attributes are a little too out of bnce at the moment. I think I¡¯m going to bring everything up to around a hundred before I start investing into [Charisma] again.¡± Leifmented. Marcus and Sieg turned to stare at him. ¡°What?¡± They both asked. ¡°I barely have a hundred points in my highest attribute. You¡¯re cheating.¡± Marcus whined. === Hera¡¯s eyes shed as she walked down the corridor, stone arches lined the ceiling every ten paces, and orange crystals radiated a warm light that would ordinarily calm her, but all she could feel now was exasperation and more than a little agitation. She scanned the contents of therge meeting room she was approaching, then she sighed and pushed open the wooden doors, striding inside without breaking pace. There were eleven individuals within the room, including herself, each of them sitting around arge circr table. Zane had his feet kicked up onto the table, and was the first to greet her as she entered. ¡°Hey, what''s up?¡± He asked. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®what¡¯s up¡¯ me, Zane. Why on earth is half the academy freaking out about system interference? What did you do?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. It was his fault.¡± Zane said, pointing at the despondent looking Crest, the fourth de was sitting with his head in his hands as he mumbled to himself. ¡°A bunch of Lashivites are holding a candle-lit vigil in the stands.¡± Mouric said as therge man barged into the meeting room from another door, his blue hair wild and expression a mix of amused and irritated. ¡°They¡¯re praying that the system forgives us for our transgressions, and that it doesn¡¯t punish us further.¡± ¡°Ah. Lashivites, the most reasonable reactions, as always.¡± Zane said, receiving a series of res. ¡°Sheesh, touchy subject, my bad. Don¡¯t bite my head off.¡± ¡°None of us are Lashivites.¡± Sabline said, the fifth de rolling a fingernail sized ball ofpressed wind between her fingers. ¡°We¡¯re irritated at your attitude.¡± Zane blew a raspberry at her. Then the ball of wind sted him off his chair and up against the far wall with a resonant crack. ¡°Peace. This meeting was called to create order, and discuss the events that have transpired.¡± An older woman said,cing her fingers on the table. She wasn¡¯t a de, but instead the spire head of Pellus, Laurum Shan. Sapphire teardrops stained her cheeks, reflecting the same colour as her eyes. ¡°Crest, dear, could you give us an honest recounting of what happened, and perhaps more importantly, why it happened?¡± Crest looked ufortable as every gaze in the room turned to him. He shuffled in ce, not meeting their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ um, you know¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± Mouric said. ¡°But thanks for the free point, I appreciate it.¡± ¡°I put too much power into the skill.¡± Crest said, nodding to himself as if that exined anything. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°The leeches from the capitol are going to think we can magically bestow levels.¡± Sabline said with a huff. A purple bird, some kind of summoned sparrow, impacted one of the talls windows nking the left hand side of the room. A whisper of distorted words washed across the meeting table as the creature dissipated into essence. ¡°Oh look, there¡¯s another message. Not sure how it slipped past the defences though.¡± The same door Hera had entered through swung inwards, and a tall, sharply dressed man in a flowing red coat strode inside. All eyes turned to the neer. ¡°Apologies. The crowds were rather dense. Are the rumours we¡¯ve finally cracked the mysteries of the universe, and have obtained unlimited power true? Or are they just hearsay?¡± The man¡¯s voice was rich and smooth, his smile wide and bright. This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Sit, Vevosis. We only just started.¡± Laurum Shan said calmly to her fellow spire master. Vevosis raised an eyebrow, but did as she said, partially. He spun a chair around, straddling it like a horse. He leaned forwards, somehow looking dignified despite his odd choice of posture. He rested his chin on his fist, the golden ring adorned with a ruby on his finger glinting. With her enhanced eyesight, Hera could make out the cracked pattern on the gemstone¡¯s surface. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen.¡± Crest said, looking guilty. ¡°And truthfully, I¡¯m not sure it''s replicable. The system¡­ alters my skills sometimes, to stop things like this from happening.¡± ¡°Maybe the Lashivites have it right.¡± Zane suggested, casually slumped against the wall where he hadnded. ¡°Are we being divinely oppressed by the grand working that governs our reality? We must resist! Resist at all costs!¡± ¡°The system is helpful.¡± Crest objected, his tone extremely serious. ¡°It¡¯s our friend.¡± ¡°If a paragon of humanity says so, then it must be true.¡± Vevosis saidnguidly, his teeth still showing. ¡°We¡¯ll need to see your research.¡± Dani said, speaking up for the first time since Hera had arrived. ¡°This could be a major breakthrough. I know some schrs who would be more than happy to assist us in this matter.¡± Hera wanted to roll her eyes at the woman¡¯s tant attempt at positioning. She spoke up before the conversation got derailed by politics and power ys. ¡°We¡¯ll need to make an official response. Give everyone, outsiders and students both, an exnation, and assurances that we have things under control. We don¡¯t want a riot, or any religious extremists setting themselves on fire.¡± ¡°What about the quadriad?¡± Mouric asked. ¡°We better not be cancelling the event. It¡¯s way too much fun.¡± Hera noticed that his eyes flicked to her for an instant, but she pretended she hadn¡¯t. Hopefully the big man would forget all about her current house guest. Maybe the issue at hand would distract him? Either way, as long as Leif kept his head down and didn¡¯t attract any more attention to himself, things should be fine. She hadn¡¯t outright lied during her report after the Pherin expedition, just underyed the importance of certain actors. They all agreed, after some time, to a temporary pause of the quadriad. Dani started pestering Crest for more information on his research, though the more attention the fourth de received, the less coherent his answers. Another summoned bird hit the window, dying on impact, and the meeting continued. === ¡°I know my seven times table.¡± Roy said proudly, earning an impressed exmation from Marcus. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really impressive. Sieg still can''t count, so you must be really smart.¡± The man in question grunted, taking a sip of his drink. They were in the living room of Hera¡¯s residence, and Leif had invited both Marcus and Sieg over. He hadn¡¯t been sure if Hera wanted guests, or rather, any more guests than she already had. But the ninth de wasn¡¯t in her home, and Melissa had been more than happy to let them in. They had discussed the incident that had gotten the entire Academy alight with a mixture of nervous and excited energy. At some point Roy had wandered in from the garden and had started happily chatting away. Leif had told both Marcus and Sieg about the two children he had discovered during his travels to the Academy, so they were both careful not to bring up the expedition. Lucia was nowhere to be seen, but Leif could sense her vitality upstairs, so at least she was safe. Melissa began working on dinner, and had insisted that both third years stayed to enjoy her cooking. Leif talked with Marcus about the intricacies of spellcraft, and the difficulties he was having with upgrading his skill. Sieg was half engaged with the conversation, half entertaining Roy by freezing the boy''s fruit juice, then levitating the cup shaped chunk of orange ice around the room. Royughed and pped, then instructed the northerner to change the shape of the ice into different things. When there was a small orange dog bnced precariously in his cup, the little boy ran upstairs to show his sister. ¡°He seems happy.¡± Marcus observed, nodding in the direction Roy had scampered out of the room. ¡°And healthy.¡± ¡°He used to weigh half as much. I¡¯m lucky I found him.¡± Leif said, taking the opportunity to raise his mask and take a sip of his own drink. The alcohol burntfortably as it went down his throat. ¡°They¡¯re lucky. And in a sense, so are me and Sieg.¡± ¡°You helped me just as much as I helped you.¡± ¡°Right, because my spine almost being severed was totally survivable without you.¡± ¡°We do owe you, Leif.¡± Sieg said, finishing off his own drink. ¡°But I¡¯d like to think we¡¯d help you even if we didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you in my debt. It¡¯s the same reason I don¡¯t want people paying me for my healing. I feel like doing the right thing, being good to others, it should be the norm, not the exception.¡± Leif said, lowering his mask as light, descending footfalls sounded from the stairs. ¡°Most people aren¡¯t in the position where they can do that.¡± Sieg said. ¡°The Academy is all luxury and convenience, but most ces aren¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking because I think there''s a culprit.¡± Leif said with a sigh. ¡°I just wish things were¡­ better.¡± ¡°Can you make it into a fish?¡± Roy asked, raising his half melted ice dog up to Sieg. The man smiled, and did just that. === Night had fallen, and Hera still hadn¡¯te home. Both Marcus and Sieg had returned to their apartment an hour ago, trying to beat the fog that swept over the ind. From within the greenhouse, the swirling mist was ethereal and otherworldly, it flowed in tandem with the ocean breeze, rolling up against the ss to create phantom shapes. There was nothing magical about the mist, as far as Leif could tell it was simply a natural phenomena. He focused his awareness on the nt life around him, sensing as they seemed to reach towards him, the ferns unrolling and branches bending. The air was warm, and streams of condensate slid down the outside of the greenhouse as the mist brushed up against it. There was a small pot of half budded flowers that Melissa had been trying, and failing to raise. Leif focused on that, brushing up against the juvenile nts with his aura, sensing as the vitality within them stirred. The quiet sound of a door clicking closed behind him returned Leif to the present, his perception and aura unspooling outwards. The figure was familiar, and she froze in ce as his presence gently washed over her. ¡°Can I help you, Lucia?¡± He asked, not turning from his seated position. ¡°How did you notice me?¡± ¡°The door made a small noise, but I would have noticed if you had gotten any closer.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Why are you out here?¡± ¡°I enjoy it. Why are you out here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I was looking for you.¡± He turned his masked head to look at her from over his shoulder. ¡°Are you ready to talk?¡± She nodded, clenching her fists. Then she took a deep breath, and tried to rx. ¡°I have questions as well.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°I will answer what I can.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t lie to me?¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t answer a question honestly, I will tell you.¡± ¡°Where¡­ Where is de Hera?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, probably dealing with one thing or another.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡­ I trust you more than her anyway.¡± ¡°Happy to hear it.¡± He said, trying to keep any trace amusement out of his voice. Lucia flopped down onto the stone path, tugging at a small patch of grass poking up between two polished tiles. ¡°Sorry¡­ For punching you, I mean.¡± ¡°I forgive you, it didn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°It hurt me.¡± She mumbled. ¡°That¡¯s because you hit ayer of hardened wood.¡± Chapter 163: The Fall Chapter 163: The Fall The cries of an infant leaked through the heavy set door and out into the dark, candle lit hallway. There were voices within the maternity ward, Lucia could make out proud and confident tones of her father, the weary congrattions of the nurses, and the exhausted, but overjoyedughter of her step mother. She shifted on the stone bench, kicking her feet and staring nkly at the stone wall opposite her. She wasn¡¯t old enough to really understand the significance of being a sister, an older sister, but a part of her felt despair. With the birth of her sibling, she would never inherit the castle, the city, nor the country. If she had be queen it would have been an almost unfathomable amount of time in the future, but she had been taught to expect it, to want it, and now it would never be hers. She didn¡¯t know what to think about that. Lucia didn¡¯t know if the baby was a boy or a girl, but it didn¡¯t matter. She was now the second most important of her father¡¯s children. Lucia didn¡¯t remember her birth mother, but she loved her father, the prince of Pherin, and she loved the woman he hade to marry. She loved them, loved them all, but she still doubted, and that doubt still hurt. Would they forget her? Would she be pushed aside? Ignored? Discarded? Did she even matter any more? The door creaked open, bathing the hallway in a golden, warm light. The cries of the newly born child doubled in volume and she nced up. A man stepped out, his silhouette outlined in amber light. He held a howling bundle of cloth in his arms. The man turned and spotted her sitting alone on the bench. Her fathers icy blue eyes met her own orange gaze, then he grinned. It was in that smile that Lucia knew everything would be alright. ¡°Hey, Lu. Look, it''s your little brother.¡± Erdwin Pheris said, a hand resting on the back of his son''s head. ¡°He¡¯s loud.¡± Luciamented, staring in fascination at the baby. Her fatherughed, and the sound was full of love and free of worry. ¡°You were just as loud, if not more so!¡± Fears forgotten, she hopped off the bench and ran up to her father, leaning forward to examine the surprisingly red baby. Were all newborns so¡­ shrivelled looking? A nurse poked her head out the open door, looking concerned, but the woman wasn¡¯t willing to order her father around. The infant, her little brother, had a tiny tuft of blond hair, and while his eyes were closed she already knew they were brown, like his mother. ¡°What¡­ What''s his name?¡± She asked.Erdwin suddenly looked panicked and nervously nced over his shoulder, noticing the disapproving looking nurse lurking in the doorway. He cleared his throat, then motioned with his head for them to go back inside. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be honest Lu, I kind of expected another daughter¡­¡± The nurse took the still screaming baby, then returned him to his mother. Gabriele Pheris looked exhausted, Lucia had seen her in better condition after she and her father hade home from a week long hunt in the northern foothills. Was having a baby really so much harder than battling fully grown drakes? Gabriele shared a knowing look with her husband, then turned her slight smile to Lucia. ¡°I thought he¡¯d be a girl too. So did the diviners. We¡¯ll need to double check their qualifications.¡± ¡°We need a name.¡± Erdwin said, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°A name for a future king¡­ Hmmm, this is harder than I expected.¡± Lucia¡¯s step mother chuckled softly, kissing the forehead of her unnamed son. The baby was quieting down now, it had probably tired itself out from all the wailing. ¡°What about the name you would have gone with if Lu was a boy? I always liked that one.¡± ¡°Royce.¡± Her father said, nodding decisively. ¡°Our little Roy.¡± Lucia reached out with a finger, gently cing it into Roy¡¯s palm. Her baby brother¡¯s tiny fingers wrapped around her own. She giggled, and her father knelt down with a hand on her back, and her mother brushed a lock of Lucia¡¯s dark hair out of her eyes. The moment stretched on, and Lucia knew that from then on, everything would be okay. What had she been worrying about anyway? === ¡°Father, they¡¯reing. We must prepare!¡± Erdwin said, his palms extended as he stood before therge throne of te grey stone. ¡°You dare question me, boy? You dare address me as anything other than king in this room? In my city?¡± Lucia¡¯s grandfather said, the man¡¯s wrinkled face only served to make his scowl more pronounced. She felt a tug at the hem of her dress, and she looked down to see the familiar sight of her shadow. Roy stared up at his grandfather, trembling as he partially hid behind her. He was too young to trulyprehend what was going on, but he could feel the emotions and tension filling the expansive throne room, making therge space feel cramped and confined. ¡°My king-¡± Gabriele said, but she was cut off with a jerky motion of the king''s hand. ¡°Silence. I did not give you permission to speak. Erdwin tensed, and both Lucia and Roy noticed. Their father never got angry, never got violent, but the man¡¯s fists were clenched and he grit his teeth in frustration. ¡°The Envers areing! Our scouts spotted them crossing our eastern border, and already outlying viges have been destroyed. Their legion ising, and we are far from ready!¡± A murmur rippled through the gathered crowd, and Lucia felt fear take hold of her heart. Those within the throne room were her rtives, her aunts, uncles, cousins and more distant members of her family. The nobility of Pherin were likewise present, the representatives of the old houses could feel the quaking of their foundations. Roy mumbled a question, but she hushed him to silence. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The king leaned back, his scowl morphing into a sneer. ¡°We are the kingdom of Pherin. Our country is as ancient as the stone beneath our feet. No¡­ incursion of ants will threaten us.¡± ¡°They are threatening us right now! Their armies have been invading Varan and Epidor for the past few years, and only with the empire¡¯s help have they been able to hold-¡± ¡°Varan is weak.¡± The king said dismissively. ¡°They bicker among themselves as much as they fight back against the ants. We do not need the empire. We are strong enough without them.¡± ¡°Father- My king, we are the lesser party in an alliance. Our rtionship with Mekrys is strained after-¡± ¡°We are independent! I will not see mynd, my people, be put under the thumb of foreign dogs who are themselves little better than vassals of the southern dragons! We are not beholden to the emperor of Mekrys, we are not beholden to theirws, and we are most certainly not beholden to their oaths. They asked for our assistance in the east, and we denied them. I denied them. I will not debase myself by asking for help now.¡± ¡°Father, that is foolish, we are not-¡± ¡°You are not! Where is your pride, boy? Where is your confidence in our strength? How can my sessor have such little faith in the bastion that are our walls? Pherin has held back the blighted nts, the goblin swarms and the beast packs for centuries. We will hold now.¡± Lucia¡¯s father took a deep breath, then opened his mouth to respond. ¡°Quiet.¡± The kingmanded, and all noise within the hall stilled. ¡°I have made my decree. I will not be questioned further. We will prepare. But we will not run. Is my decision clear?¡± === Lucia stood at the tallest point of the tallest tower of the castle her family called home, and watched, trembling, as the army of dark figures stood unmoving outside the distant city walls. She had to stand on her tiptoes to see over the stone ledge of the tower, and she strained for every extra millimetre of height. Below she could see hundreds of people running frantically through the city streets. From her vantage they looked so small, just like ants. She didn¡¯t know the intricacies of battle, she hadn¡¯t been taught the way of war. So she watched in horrified fascination as her country''s defenders lit up the battlements of the outer wall with a thousand different skills, each shing a kaleidoscope of colours. The army in ck moved blocks of soldiers forward, only to have them pull back as ranged skills wereunched towards them. It was like a dance, and Lucia had no clue how so many people were so perfectly coordinated. In the north distant lights lit up the clouds. She desperately tried to get a better look, but it was to no avail. The battle in the sky was too far away, but she knew who was fighting. The heroes of Pherin, adventurers and soldiers who had sworn before her grandfather that they wouldy down their lives to defend their home from the invaders. The distant battle ebbed, then stopped entirely. Lucia¡¯s heart raced, they must have won. In the little girl¡¯s mind there was no other oue. A single figure flew out of the clouds, and she jumped up and down to try and make out which hero it was. As she did so, bells started tolling. She frowned, unsure why the rm was being tolled. Weren¡¯t they safe? What could be so- A beam of dark blue light shed out from the distant figure, and in an instant a chunk of the city¡¯s outer wall was obliterated, carved through like a knife through a cake. Lucia fell back, screaming as the city shook. Her screams were echoed by the people all throughout Pherin. She stumbled to her feet and sprinted down the stairs. She needed to find her parents. She needed to find Roy. Only together would they be safe. The world continued to shake. === The Royal family of Pherin fled through ancient tunnels as their people were butchered. === Lucia¡¯s recollection of their flight through the countryside was a blur of fear, aches, and desperation. As they travelled south, they encountered other groups of fleeing refugees. One night she and her brother huddled inside a tent as violence broke out within the makeshift camp they had joined up with. Gabriele hugged both her children tightly, whispering soothing words into their ears as she tried to distract them from the screams and the shing of weapons. They were led away in the morning, both children instructed not to open their eyes. After that, they weren¡¯tcking for supplies. They spent a month in a coastal city she didn¡¯t remember the name of. She saw her family meet with all manner of officials and representatives, and she couldn¡¯t help but notice how her grandfather¡¯s attitude shifted when people from the empire offered them a way out. She didn¡¯t mention it, instead Lucia kept her head down and took care of her brother. Her parents weren¡¯t around often anymore, both of them were too busy trying to keep the situation under control. This only became worse once they arrived in the imperial capital of Mekrylis. Weeks would go by without her seeing anyone from her family in the grand estate they now dwelled. They lived in luxury, but something was wrong. Her grandfather found thergest room in the estate and turned it into a throne room. He was angrier now, they all were. Even her father was more distant, and her step mother less friendly. She missed them. The real them. But at least she had Roy. Years passed, and the people her grandfather invited to the estate grew less and less reputable. Their smiles and mannerisms were less sincere, and their intentions were never honest or straightforward. One night a great celebration was held, and Lucia and Roy were told that they would be able to go home. Her grandfather led a toast to the remation of their homnd. She was relieved, things were finally going up, things would finally go back to normal. The celebration continued well beyond that first night. For days it continued, then weeks, then months. Her rtives made promises and purchases they would never have before, all under the assumption that their kingdom would be theirs once again. Lucia believed them. She believed that the expedition would be sessful. That the risks they had taken and the expenses they had paid would be worth it. How could they possibly fail? The Academy had assigned their newest de to the expedition, not to mention a former imperialmander, and hero from the Enver war. Perhaps things would turn out for the best? Opportunity often followed disaster they had said. When house Pheris rebuilt their home, it would be better than ever. She had believed until her father came into her and Roy¡¯s room one night and wept. His once strong arms shook as he held his children to his chest. He mumbled sobbing apologies into her shoulder, and she didn¡¯t know what to do. In the dark of early morning they snuck out, Erdwin and Gabriele guiding them to a boat, promising toe find them soon. She gripped the side of the ship as they sailed away, Roy waving to their parents as they grew more and more distant. Only she noticed the trail of smoke rising in the direction of their borrowed home. And only she saw as armed men ran onto the dock. She didn¡¯t see what happened next, she hadn¡¯t been brave enough. And just like that, Lucia and Roy were alone. Chapter 164: Directions Chapter 164: Directions Under the misty veil of the greenhouse Lucia talked, and Leif listened. She told him of her life before the fall of Pherin, what it was like watching her little brother slowly grow up alongside her. Lucia had to stop at several points in her story, and Leif only interrupted to ask guiding questions when she stalled. Leif could sense the emotions bubbling up within her, but he also sensed the burden that she carried slowly lift off her shoulders. And while there was progress, it all came crashing down again once she started recalling the year she and Roy had spent alone in the streets of Kartinth. Sharp, agonising pain leaked from her every word as she told him of their first night sleeping in a dark alley. Of the injustices and indignities they had suffered. How a sympathetic lesser noble had agreed to take them in, only for them to be back out on the streets in only a handful of days. Tears built in Lucia¡¯s eyes as she told Leif how she had slowly pieced together what had happened to her family, using what little coin and resources that she had ess to gather information from a city, and a sea away. She recounted how Roy had gradually gotten more and more sick, and how they had needed to run from those hunting them on multiple asions. Eventually she and her brother were no different, and no better from every other street rat, and as they blended into the filth of the city the pursuit had ceased. As Roy¡¯s condition worsened Lucia dedicated herself to keeping her brother alive. She worked and scavenged and desperately grabbed every opportunity that came her way. Leif was more than impressed, though from the way Lucia was telling the story she seemed to believe she had failed somehow. If anything it was the opposite. She had sidestepped traps and avoided lures, at no point had she fallen down the path others in her situation had stumbled down. She admitted to stealing, to lying and deceiving, and she even admitted to taking the lives of three people, each on separate asions, and each under different circumstances. Lucia lowered her head as if waiting to be judged, condemned for doing whatever she could to survive. She was confessing to the wrong tree. Finally Lucia told him how she and Roy had snuck onto the boat in which he had eventually found them. They had used an old, partially boarded up smugglers route from the slums to the docks, and had then swam under the piers, clinging to the barnacle and algae covered support pirs until they had found the opportunity to sneak aboard. Silence hung between them for several moments, until Leif reached out and ced a golden hand onto her head. Lucia flinched slightly at the contact, but she didn¡¯t pull away. ¡°You did good.¡± Leif said, ruffling her dark hair. ¡°Better than anyone could have expected.¡± ¡°I did terrible things.¡± She whispered. He nodded. ¡°True, but you did them in order to survive, and in order to protect. As long as you recognise that, as long as you dedicate yourself to doing better going forward, you should be proud, not ashamed.¡±Lucia wet her lips, her lower jaw trembling. Tears built up in her orange eyes, but she hurriedly wiped them away. She nodded stiffly, holding eye contact for several seconds before looking away. ¡°Do you have a ss?¡± Leif asked, letting his conjured arm dissipate into golden motes of light. She paused, then nodded again. ¡°Do you mind if you tell me which one?¡± ¡°[Rogue].¡± Lucia swallowed. ¡°But I¡¯m only level one.¡± ¡°I see. I suppose it makes sense. You must have gained enough experience for a level in the ss. If you had been a little older, you probably would have earned several levels. It¡¯s interesting how the system restricts experience gain for children, though not overly relevant to our current conversation.¡± ¡°Am I a bad person?¡± She asked quietly. ¡°Do I have a ss only bad people have?¡± Leif huffed in amusement. ¡°I know several [Rogue]s, and they¡¯re all fine people. One of them lives on this very ind, I can introduce you to him if you want.¡± ¡°I¡­ I thought I would only be able to get levels by doing crime.¡± She admitted sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s a martial ss. You¡¯ll get levels by fighting, training and pushing yourself just like everyone else. It¡¯s just that the fighting style you¡¯ll benefit the most from will be elusive and quick. I¡¯m fairly certain most schrs agree that sses and skills are just tools. It¡¯s up to the individual how to use them.¡± Leif said. ¡°At least that¡¯s what the authors of the books I¡¯ve been reading all seemed to think. I tend to agree.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Your ss isn¡¯t something like ¡®thief¡¯ or ¡®murderer¡¯. Firstly, those don¡¯t exist. And secondly, there¡¯s nothing criminal about using light weapons and being stealthy.¡± Lucia looked deep in thought, then she sighed. ¡°I wanted to be a swordsman like my father.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be a swordswoman in that case.¡± Leif pointed out, then he continued before she could interject. ¡°And who says you can¡¯t use a sword as a [Rogue]? You don¡¯t need to use a two handed greatsword, there are plenty of options.¡± Theypsed into silence again, and Leif could tell that Lucia was working up the courage to ask him something. Inquisitive intent built up, then popped before she could gather it fully into action. ¡°If you want to ask something, just ask. I already told you I would be honest.¡± ¡°What¡­ What happened to my home? During the expedition, I mean.¡± Leif drummed his fingers against a nearby flower pot¡¯s rim. ¡°Beingpletely honest, I didn¡¯t join with the expedition until after I had left Pherin. I was an auxiliary member, hired on as a healer.¡± Lucia frowned. ¡°What were you doing in Pherin? Before you joined the expedition?¡± ¡°I was lost.¡± Leif said. Lucia rolled her eyes. ¡°I thought you said you were being honest?¡± ¡°I was honestly lost.¡± ¡°Fine, how did you get lost?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. It¡¯splicated.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m from Varan, the kingdom directly to the east of Pherin. I was exploring the northern foothills, and making my way from destroyed vige to destroyed vige. When I arrived in Pherin, the city, it was overrun by goblins and some other monsters. The battle that destroyed the city left a part of the ground unstable, and during an encounter with a powerful being I fell down into the Mythhold.¡± Her eyes widened and she leaned forward. ¡°You went into the Mythhold? What was it like?¡± ¡°You know about it?¡± Lucia nodded. ¡°Of course, it was the most famous part of the city. I always wanted to visit when I was older.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if visiting is possible any more. Two monsters engaged in a battle while I was below the city, and their conflict made most of the upperyers copse. The lower levels, the tombs, were imbued with undeath. There was a dungeon.¡± Leif exined. Her expression shifted from fascination, to rm, to horror as she realised the implications of what he had just said. ¡°So¡­ the expedition.¡± ¡°The undead breaking free from the dungeon was why the expedition failed. I¡¯m not sure if it was my presence that caused them to escape, the damage done by the battle up on the surface, or if they would have slipped free on their own and nothing could have stopped them. Either way, the expedition was chased south, and made a defensive stand at an outpost the empire had set up. I think technically the battle was won, but undead were swarming the countryside so the decision was made to pull back and quarantine the region. Hera would know more about that than me though.¡± Lucia jumped to her feet, pacing around as she processed the information. ¡°So¡­ Wait, the dungeon, how can the country be retaken if the dungeon is still there? We need to destroy it, somehow. If we don¡¯t then-¡± ¡°Oh, I already destroyed it.¡± Leif interrupted. Lucia froze, her mouth hanging open in shock. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°I was injured during the battle, but after I was healed I went back north and destroyed the dungeon core. I have a shard of the core right here, don¡¯t touch it though.¡± He said, summoning the dark shard of crystal into his ivory palm. It tingled his hand, though the sensation was more spiritual than physical. Leif didn¡¯t want to wilt the garden, so he returned it to his storage ring. Lucia stared at him. Leif stared back, amused by her expression. ¡°So¡­ Pherin is¡­¡± ¡°Your home will still be infested with monsters. They just won¡¯t be undead, which is good because otherwise the ce would be inhospitable to life.¡± Leif said. She slumped, her brow furrowed in contemtion as she chewed her bottom lip. ¡°I can show you, if you want. When I return, I can take both you and Roy with me.¡± He offered. Lucia blinked, her gaze shifting from a pot full of purple flowers and back to him. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that I¡¯ll be going back. Probably not soon, the Academy has enough information that I could stay here for over a century and still be learning new things. I also have business in Varan I need to deal with, so I might head there first, but I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to having you and your brother along.¡± ¡°Why are you going back?¡± She asked, dumbfounded. ¡°I left my family up there. Adopted family, mind you. Friends too. There¡¯s a demikin settlement where the expedition outpost was located. I suppose it''s my home too.¡± ¡°So¡­. So the expedition is¡­ Is it still ongoing?¡± Lucia said, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°No. This has nothing to do with the empire or your family. There¡¯s a¡­ reason why the outpost, Far-Reach, is valuable. Though I don¡¯t know if the people living there are interested in your homnd proper.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She mumbled. ¡°Can you¡­ Could you help? Help me, help Roy?¡± ¡°You want your country back.¡± Leif said. It wasn¡¯t a question, but a statement. ¡°I want his country back.¡± The scion crossed his arms, still seated on the ground. ¡°I can take you back north. Actually, me and Hera discussed this already, it¡¯s likely a good idea regardless of the reason. You should probably take new identities as well, though I¡¯m uncertain of the necessity.¡± ¡°Could you rid Pherin of monsters?¡± ¡°Possibly. But I won''t.¡± ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. You will. I¡¯m willing to help, but I have other things that require my attention.¡± Leif said. ¡°How? How can I? How is it even possible for me to do that?¡± Lucia cried, she looked more confused than upset. ¡°You have a ss. Now you need to get stronger.¡± She clenched her fists, meeting his gaze, but not holding it. ¡°How?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at the Academy, aren''t we? I¡¯ve seen first year students who are only a year or two older than you are.¡± Leif said, then he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Half of Lutum is an evolved beast reserve. All the experience you could want for the first dozen or so levels are in there.¡± Lucia shuffled from foot to foot, her uncertainty slowly shifting into determination. ¡°Can I really do it? Can I really get that strong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re living in the home of a woman who did just that. If it wasn¡¯t for the arrival of an extremely powerful monster, Hera could have retaken Pherin by herself. It would have taken a long time though, she isn¡¯t that powerful. Not yet, at least.¡± Leif said. A fire lit behind Lucia¡¯s eyes as she stood up straight. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Leif said, standing. ¡°Do you still have the sandals I made for you?¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± She said, ncing down briefly. ¡°They¡¯re upstairs though.¡± ¡°Go get them.¡± ¡°I have proper shoes now.¡± ¡°I know, Melissa told me.¡± ¡°Then why¡­?¡± ¡°Just go get them.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll level up quicker, trust me.¡± Lucia nodded, then ran off back into the house. Leif watched her go, then shook his head. He hadn¡¯t been in Far-Reach for several months now, but he suspected the settlement was growing. Back during his stay in Ahle-ho, he had heard several people discussing trying to resettle past the imperial cordon now that the undead dungeon was gone. The empire had no interest in the venture, but they wouldn¡¯t stop desperate people from trying their luck. If the war brewing between the empire and republic kicked off, then it was more than likely Ahle-ho would get dragged into the conflict, if not be a focal point in the war. If the worst came to pass, the refugees crowding the city would flee elsewhere. They would attempt to escape to the east, but also the north. They would inevitably discover Far-Reach, and the opportunities his domain tree provided would be hard to ignore. Leif had discussed the possibility of refugees arriving with the n elders before he had left, and the general consensus was to try and ept them, assuming violence wasn¡¯t a more likely oue. He wasn¡¯t afraid for the demikin or his animals. Ram was there, and while the awakened beast was far from apetent conversationalist, his presence was about as good as protection came. The door to the greenhouse swung open, and Lucia ran up to him, the makeshift wooden sandals he had crafted for her pinched between her fingers. ¡°I have them.¡± She said, presenting them awkwardly as if for inspection. Leif held out a hand and used [Wood Maniption] to pull them from her grasp. With a brief effort of will the wood of both objects warped and seemed to melt, then he reshaped them into two short, partially curved daggers. He adjusted their shape and bnce, condensing and stretching the wood, then shaping the de, sharpening it, then he reinforced the weapons structure with an infusion of vitality. Finally he smoothed out the grip and red out the hand guard and the base of the pommel slightly to offer a little more ease of use. Then he flipped then, catching both weapons in his hands, then presenting them to Lucia hilt first. Lucia stared at the weapons in shocked awe. She hesitated in taking them, only doing so when he motioned with a nod of his head. ¡°T-thank you.¡± She said, holding the daggers with a look of what could be reverence in her bright orange eyes. ¡°Start with these, and if I find wood light and durable enough I¡¯ll try to make a sword. Think of these as training weapons. Yes, they are sharp, but they¡¯ll blunt quickly, so you¡¯ll need to bring them to me when they do.¡± Lucia nodded excitedly. ¡°What''s first?¡± Leif ced a hand on his chin, though the painted mask covered his lower facepletely. It was fairlyte at night, and he likely wasn¡¯t the most suited to teach her the intricacies of weapon use. Well, he wasn¡¯t bad at swordsmanship, but that was mostly due to instincts from his past life. Leif would hardly consider himself any better thanpetent. ¡°Hmm. I suppose the first step is obvious. You practise until you reach level two. You¡¯re a [Rogue], so a mix of weapons training, stealth and general exercise should do it. The first levels shoulde pretty quickly.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡± Lucia said, practically bouncing up and down. Leif considered if this really was for the best, then he shrugged internally. It wasn¡¯t like he needed to sleep anyway. Chapter 165: Sneaking for Dummies Chapter 165: Sneaking for Dummies Two daggers of sharpened wood cut through the air, their shape was partially shadowed, just like their wielder. Motes of golden lift driftedzily through the greenhouse, each softly illuminating their surroundings, casting soft, slowly moving shadows throughout therge enclosed space. Leif brought up an arm to block, a short de of amber having emerged from his closed fist. It was the simplest construct [Gold Iron Physique] could create, and it was how Leif had first used the skill back when it had just been [Gilded Body], a year and thirty levels ago. Lucia¡¯s wooden daggers met his conjured de, chipping away two small grooves that were quickly healed over. Leif countered at a quarter speed, cutting for Lucia¡¯s leg as she backpedalled. He pursued for five seconds, gradually increasing the speed and power of his probing attacks. Then he took a step and vanished, reappearing somewhere out of sight. The scion pulled back his aura and retracted his senses, he dismissed his amber de and began to casually stroll through the garden. The game was simple, Lucia would practise her stealth as she snuck around trying to locate him, keeping to the shadows [Amber Aegis] produced after Leif had used to skill on several of the tallest nts in the greenhouse. She would attack, assuming she could get close enough undetected. Leif would counter, then he would teleport away and things would start over. He stopped, pretending to examine a flowering bush with bright blue petals. A minute passed and Lucia didn¡¯t attack, so he casually walked off down a random path. He was fairly confident she was behind a wall covered in vines, but without extending his aura to check, he couldn¡¯t be sure. He stopped just before passing the ambush sight, pivoting to take a different direction. Something rustled softly behind him, and Leif mentally added to his ¡®alertness tally¡¯. Leif quickly turned around, pushing vitality into his fingertip until it started glowing gold. He waited ten breaths, then, seeing and hearing nothing, he continued his wandering. The sound of a foot scuffing against a paving stone came from behind him and Leif froze, dramatically waiting a second before whirling around. In that time Lucia had dove in between two elevated garden beds. He knew she was there, but only because she had barely brushed up against the very edge of his aura. A few months ago he wouldn¡¯t have noticed with his perception restrained as it was, but the aura training he had undergone had left his more esoteric senses sharp and well honed. Not that this was a realistic scenario in the first ce, but theparison was interesting. Leif pretended to be more blind than he actually was as he stomped around, searching for Lucia. He decided to only ¡®discover¡¯ her if she actually made another sound, which to her credit she didn¡¯t do. He did anotherp of the greenhouse, asionally freezing and turning around in ordance with his fake level of alertness. The greenhouse was an impressively sized structure, and a fullp around the perimeter took him just under three minutes. Right as he was reaching where he had started Lucia burst out from between tworger fern trees. She dashed towards him, daggers poised to strike. To her credit, Leif hadn¡¯t expected her toe from that direction. She must have quietly run around to get in position, and her n had worked. Lucia rushed into his guard and stabbed towards his chest. Just before the attack made contact with his body a shimmering golden barrier flickered into ce, but he would count that as a sess. ¡°Good.¡± Leif said, back pedalling while blocking and defending. Lucia tried to dart forward again to score another hit but he didn¡¯t let her. Daggers were at a distinct disadvantage in meleebat due to their shorter reach, their main advantage was their light weight and significant pration power when catching an opponent off guard. In a straight up fight they were less useful. Leif saw the realisation flicker to life within Lucia¡¯s eyes as the girl quickly hopped back, then she threw her weapons.One dagger went low, against an ordinary opponent it might wound the target¡¯s leg, reducing their mobility or potentially ending the fight outright if the attack pierced an artery. However, that was only if the dagger¡¯s aim was true, which Lucia¡¯s throw was not. It missed by a foot, and the second, higher aimed throw missed by even more. ¡°Shit!¡± Lucia cursed as she threw herself back and to the ground. The motion allowed her to evade Leif¡¯s first strike, and a desperate roll to the side allowed her to dodge the second. She tried to get to her feet but a golden de pinned the hem of her shirt to the ground, and she aborted the attempt before the fabric tore. ¡°Decent attempt, though maybe don¡¯t throw away your weapons. At least not without practising your aim first.¡± Leif said, letting the amber ¡®limb¡¯ he was holding her down with dissipate. Lucia red up at him, her breath heavy and brow beading with sweat. She blinked, then winced and tried to stand. ¡°We go again.¡± She said, brushing dirt off her back and legs. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah. I still have more in me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quitete, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing but stay in my room for days. I can keep going.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Leif said, shrugging. He reached behind him mentally and pulled the wooden daggers over from where they hadnded. They each hovered over one shoulder. Lucia extended a hand out to grab one, but it bobbed out of her reach. ¡°That¡¯s cheating.¡± She scowled. ¡°What''s to stop you from pulling my attacks off target anyway?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Leif said, willing the other dagger to rise out of reach as Lucia tried to snatch it out of the air. ¡°Feels unfair. I should get metal weapons instead. Hey! Give them back!¡± She was jumping to try and grab the daggers, diving forward when they dipped down within her reach. ¡°Metal weapons wouldn¡¯t help you win against me.¡± Leif said. ¡°They might help. It isn¡¯t fair you can just hover them around!¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°In my experience, the ability to manipte metal is far moremon than the ability to manipte wood. At least forbatants. Hells, two des are at least partial metal mages, do you think you would have an easier time against them with steel weapons?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fighting them. I¡¯m fighting you.¡± She growled, trying to grab his arm for more leverage. ¡°This is hardly a fight.¡± He pointed out, stepping to the side to avoid her attempted tackle. One of the daggers floated down to hover just before her eyes. Lucia swiped at it, but missed as it drifted back. ¡°You¡¯re too tired to continue. You¡¯re half as quick as you were when we started.¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m tired doesn¡¯t mean I have to stop.¡± Then the hilt of the second dagger impacted the back of her head. Lucia fell forward with a cry, sprawling onto the ground. She didn¡¯t try to get back up. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Heal me again. I want to keep going.¡± Lucia said into the grass. ¡°You¡¯re as mentally exhausted as you are physically. You¡¯ve already pushed yourself beyond what-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± She yelled, suddenly springing up to her knees, her eyes wide and unfocused. ¡°I did it! I got the level!¡± Leif plucked the daggers out of the air and stored them in his ring. The scion crossed his arms and watched as Lucia iled wildly in the air for several seconds. ¡°Congrattions. You almost certainly have an experience penalty due to your age, so getting a single level in one night of training is quite impressive.¡± I wonder if monsters and beasts suffer from simr penalties, or if it changes on a species by species basis. Did I have an experience penalty? Maybe, it did take me around ten years to go from level one to ten in my monster ss. ¡°Uh, I got stats. Um, hang on.¡± ¡°Was it a good level up?¡± ¡°Yeah. I mean, none of your business.¡± Leif huffed in amusement. ¡°I should use my free point on [crity], right? Or should I save it forter?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t save them, they can¡¯t benefit you unless you use them. You can adjust your attributester with free points to make up for any deficiencies from your level up gains.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ I got skills too! I get to pick skills!¡± ¡°You are level two now.¡± Leif said, not entirely sure why she was sounding so surprised. ¡°I¡¯d hope you got to pick skills. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve been given two choices?¡± Lucia narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Yes.¡± She murmured, her tone suspicious. ¡°Are you going to tell me what they are?¡± ¡°If you know my skills you¡¯ll have an easier time when we spar.¡± Leif gave her his best incredulous look, he thought he managed it fine, despite the mask covering his face. Lucia pressed her lips together, then sighed, relenting. ¡°I have uhh, [Detect Notice] and¡­ [Light Footwork]. Why is it only showing me the names?¡± ¡°You should be able to focus on each choice and get a general idea of what they will give you.¡± He exined. After a few moments of concentration Lucia¡¯s expression shifted from excited, to thoughtful. ¡°Um, I think the first one will let me¡­ feel, I guess, when people are nearby. I think. No, wait. It¡¯s when they are looking at me. That¡¯s pretty helpful if I want to avoid detection, right.¡± ¡°It would help.¡± Leif said, nodding. ¡°Don¡¯t pick that one.¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± ¡°I have a friend from Ahle-ho, an adventurer from one of the prime guilds that operate in the city. He has that skill, or an evolved version of it. But it¡¯s ultimately more hindrance than help. It¡¯s a¡­ crutch. Once you get an aura you can develop a simr sense, but without the constant reminder all day every day that you are visible to other people.¡± Lucia sniffed, but her attention had clearly shifted to the second option. ¡°[Light footwork will make me¡­ lighter, I guess. More quiet?.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably a stealth andbatprehension skill.¡± ¡°Comprehension?¡± ¡°It means you can upgrade the skill the more you practise and gain experience with using it.¡± Leif exined. ¡°Can¡¯t I learn to be sneaky without a skill?¡± ¡°You can. Anyone can, you don¡¯t need a ss for that either. Butprehension skills also grant a bonus to the actions they affect. It starts off fairly minor, but it can be a significant increase the higher the skill¡¯s rank bes.¡± Leif said. Lucia frowned, shifting into a seated position as she considered. ¡°You really don¡¯t want me to pick the first one?¡± ¡°I would strongly advise against it.¡± ¡°And that''s not because you think it would help me beat you?¡± ¡°I doubt it would work on me at all, actually, not with how strong my aura is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to show off.¡± Lucia said as she hugged her knees, her frown deepening. Then her gaze went unfocused. Leif waited several minutes as he silently watched Lucia read words only she could see. She only spoke up to confirm that the skill indeed had aprehension aspect, which confirmed which one she had picked. Eventually she stood and started tentatively walking around. She stepped down onto one of the wide t stones used for the pathways, experimentally testing different ways to ce her feet. She hopped from stone to stone, gradually picking up speed as her confidence grew. Her thoughtful expression slowly shifted into a smirk, which in turn became a grin. Lucia¡¯s smile only grew when she started sneaking around on the patches of grass and dirt. Before she would have made small noises as she scuffed loose earth or crunched grass underfoot. Lucia finally seemed to remember Leif was there and turned, pointing at him with a triumphant look on her face. ¡°We need to go again. Another round of training, I¡¯m sure I can-¡± Her words were cut off as she yawned loudly. If Leif could have raised an eyebrow he would have. Instead he tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. Lucia flushed, covering her mouth with an arm. She blustered for a few seconds, then yawned again. ¡°Okay, fine. But we do this again in the morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already morning.¡± Leif pointed out. It was true, though darkness still shrouded the Academy and the mist would still hang heavily over the ind for a few more hours. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll spar when I wake up!¡± ¡°As much as I admire your enthusiasm, I probably won¡¯t be around when you get up. I do have things to do other than babysit you.¡± He said, letting his aura once again unspool as he walked towards the exit. Lucia followed, and if it wasn¡¯t for her quiet grumbling, he wouldn¡¯t have heard her at all. Chapter 166: Local Expedition Chapter 166: Local Expedition As Leif exited the greenhouse and entered the living room he spotted Hera lying on a couch, her long blond hair cascading over the back of the expensive furniture as she leaned with her face tilted upwards, a wet cloth covering her eyes. ¡°Long night?¡± He asked, holding the door as Lucia scooted into the residence after him. Hera¡¯s response was a mix between a grunt of affirmation, and a groan of agony. She shifted in ce, the cloth slightly falling off of her face as she turned slightly towards them. ¡°Someone important thought the little incident at the arena was a terrorist attack and started calling in military favours. A former provincial governor and his old war pals thought it would be a good idea to try and instate martialw, which they had absolutely no authority to do, and a group of particrly devout, but not particrly bright people broke into a studentboratory and started retrofitting it into an apocalypse shelter.¡± ¡°Sounds fun.¡± Leif said tly. ¡°I spent four hours having a standoff with an elite squad of imperial soldiers over the sea with Kastro and Mouric. If they had tried to force their way onto the inds there may have been a tinsy winsy, ever so small civil war. Luckily they didn¡¯t.¡± Hera said, her one revealed eye swivelling to look at Lucia. The girl was standing awkwardly off to the side, hovering between trying not to be noticed, and clearly wanting to say something. She tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. ¡°Good to, uh, see you, miss Hera. Sorry for my, um, the way¡­¡± The de waved her words away. ¡°None of that. Just happy you¡¯re finally up and about. I trust beating Leif with sticks made you feel better?¡± Lucia considered the question, then just nodded. ¡°She barelynded a single hit.¡± Leif grumbled, though his tone made it clear he was joking. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a beating.¡±¡°I would have gotten you if I had proper weapons.¡± Lucia huffed. Then she yawned again and side-eyed the stairs. ¡°Goodnight, Lucia.¡± Leif said, indicating that she didn¡¯t need to stay. The girl smiled gratefully, bobbed her head in the approximation of a bow, then quietly scurried upstairs. ¡°I take it she has a ss then?¡± Hera asked after a minute of silence. Leif sat on the couch opposite to her, crossing one leg over the other and resting his arms over the back. ¡°She does. [Rogue]. Got a level up too. She just picked her first skill.¡± ¡°Ah, the good old days.¡± Hera mused, returning the cloth to cover both eyes. ¡°I kind of miss it, you know. Only having a handful of skills, all my attributes being below ten. Simpler times.¡± ¡°I remember being rooted to the ground.¡± Leif said. ¡°I think I prefer how things are now.¡± ¡°You never know. Tree¡¯s don¡¯t need to deal with multi hour long meetings about bullshit a bunch of high level adults should know how to deal with without acting like children.¡± ¡°Perhaps if you had a tiny amount of my innate patience the meetings would be more tolerable.¡± He countered. ¡°Are things stable now? I assume the civil war has been averted.¡± Hera just sighed. ¡°I can only hope. So long as Crest doesn¡¯t pull any more of his mystical system nonsense, things should be okay. Last year¡­ or was it the year before? I forget. Anyway, he showed us all, the other des I mean and some other members of the council. A device he had created to allow someone to disy their system windows for other people to see. He had a third year girl use it to show us how it worked, and the damn thing glitched everyone in the building¡¯s system to disy nothing but scrambled text and symbols nobody recognised for over a week.¡± ¡°Sounds like an interesting guy with interesting talents.¡± ¡°Interesting. Not sure that''s the word I would use to describe him, but I suppose it fits.¡± ¡°I thought des were picked for theirbat potential. Is that why he got picked, or was it something¡­ else?¡± ¡°Officially it''s because he¡¯s over level one hundred. Unofficially it¡¯s because every other institution in the empire wanted to dissect him like a frog and see what kind of system magic he has tucked away behind his liver.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s more of a researcher then?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯d find my situation interesting?¡± ¡°He would. I don¡¯t rmend approaching him though.¡± Hera warned. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on it. Not after the close call with Mouric.¡± Leif said. ¡°Actually I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you about an excavation of Dimid I got myself involved with.¡± ¡°The¡­ what was it? The buried templeplex they found?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± Leif confirmed. ¡°Apparently Marcus was the one who found it.¡± ¡°Really. I did not know that. But I wasn¡¯t really paying attention. Did you get yourself put on the team?¡± ¡°I did. Anything I should know or keep in mind before I start working on the site?¡± Hera shrugged, the motion making the cloth slide off her face fully this time. She grabbed it as it fell, scrunching it up into a small ball, then she conjured a sphere of light around the cloth that then zipped off towards the kitchen. Neither returned. ¡°Keep a low profile. Your aura should be strong enough to block analysis skills from anyone who isn¡¯t a de. Oh, don¡¯t get near the spire head. Vevosis is a blood mage, he might be able to sense something off about you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the chance I''ll encounter him while I¡¯m on Dimid?¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve asked, one hundred percent.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Leif said. ¡°If I suddenly vanish into a streak of golden light and never return, it means I¡¯ve teleported back to Far-Reach.¡± ¡°Noted. If that happens, do you want me to send the kids up north to you?¡± === ¡°Morning.¡± Marcus called as he leaned over the balcony railing, wavingzily down at Leif while holding a steaming mug of something in the other hand. ¡°Today¡¯s the day, huh?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Leif replied. ¡°Should Ie up, or should I wait for you down here.¡± ¡°Uh, wait a minute, I¡¯ll be right down. I¡¯ll ask Sieg if he¡¯s interested ining along. Hey! Sieg! Do you-¡± Marcus¡¯s voice trailed away as he went back inside. Leif had gotten the man¡¯s attention by doing the aura equivalent of sliding a written message quietly under a door. There were several interesting applications of the ability, he had witnessed a lecturer use her aura to direct the attention of her audience between specific passages she had written on the board in chalk. He had also sensed an interesting use of aura from within the kitchen of a food hall. Something about preserving the state of objects, or in that case, food, after it had been cooked. Some uses of aura were down to general maniption, though others, like the preservation effect, were likely only possible due to a specific skill making it feasible. Leif stepped off the path to allow an excitedly chatting group of first years to scamper by. Judging by their conversation, the system going haywire at the arena would be a topic of interest for the next several days, likely longer. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. There was a yell, followed by a spike of panic from down a tree nked path. Leif turned, only to see a massive furred creature barreling at full speed towards him. Its eyes gleamed under the morning sun, its powerful legs kicking up dust, its tongue pping out the side of its mouth and its fluffy tail wagging with enough force to buffer the leaves on nearby trees. It approached with impressive speed, only for its nose to catch a hint of an interesting scent, therge animal veering off to the side, sniffing the ground with an unmatched amount of inquisitive energy, its three metre long lead of red rope trailing behind it. The oversized dog found an equally oversized stick, only to lose interest almost immediately and bound happily over to a partially opened doorway. It stuck its head under some bushes, then tripped over its feet as it got distracted by two things at once. There was another yell from down the path, and a red faced student with a somewhat rounded appearance came running. Leif held out a fist towards the dog and crouched, only to almost be bowled over as the beast happily jumped on top of him. It radiated friendship as it tried, and failed to lick his face, instead slobbering all over his painted mask. The scion conjured three sets of golden arms, and proceeded to turn the fluffy animal into a wagging puddle of fur and iling legs. It rolled over, belly presented, eyes partially closed as Leif employed his secret beast taming technique. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Called the evolved dog''s owner as he ran over. ¡°He suddenly sprinted off in this direction and I lost control of the lead. Usually he responds to mentalmands.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Leif said, using a conjured hand to wipe slobber off his mask while still multipetting with the other five limbs. ¡°I saw him at the tamed beast housing a few days ago. Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± The dog barked happily, and the sound rattled the nearby windows. === When Marcus emerged from the apartmentplex and out onto the street, he wasn¡¯t alone. Sieg followed, though the man wasn¡¯t in the Academy uniform Leif had seen him in during his stay on the archipgo. Instead he wore a sleeveless vest and legwear suitable for training. Sieg was arge man, but his muscture was usually hidden under his clothes. Both third years stopped and stared at the sight of a horse sized dog blocking half of the road between student dormitories, with several other students having joined Leif in administering scritches. The dog¡¯s owner, a young man named Bakir, was quick to apologise whenever his tamed beast did anything even remotely disruptive. Therge puppy didn¡¯t mind, and neither did anyone else from all the attention they were showing it. Leif detached himself from the pile of fur and limbs, shuffling over to where Marcus and Sieg were standing. ¡°Nice outfit, what''s the asion?¡± Leif asked, nodding towards Sieg. The northerner snorted. ¡°I have training with my team. We¡¯re not too sure how long the dy will be before the quadriad starts up again, but we need to stay sharp.¡± ¡°It means we won¡¯t have his sunnypany.¡± Marcus said mournfully, patting his roommate on the arm. ¡°Though he does look good out of the uniform.¡± ¡°Are you saying I don¡¯t look good in the uniform?¡± Sieg asked, affronted. ¡°No¡­ But you used to wear it badly until we got it refitted.¡± ¡°I always wore it fine. What are you talking about?¡± Marcus rolled his eyes and turned to Leif as they began to walk away. ¡°He looked like someone had stuffed a bear into a suit.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°It was worse.¡± The [Arcanist] whispered. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to Dimid. What¡¯s your destination Sieg?¡± Leif said, shaking his head in amusement. ¡°The training facilities on the far side of the ind. I¡¯ll walk with you until the portal hub though.¡± ¡°Where are we going again, Leif?¡± The scion briefly shuffled through his memories. ¡°The granite sparring fields. I¡¯m hoping you know where that is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, but I can find it.¡± Marcus said, tapping the side of his head. ¡°Who needs a map when you have¡­¡± He paused for dramatic effect. ¡°Magic!¡± ¡°If you find another dungeon buried underground please don¡¯t fall into it.¡± Sieg said, earning another eye roll from Marcus. As they reached the end of the block of student housing they came across a crowd gathered around a notice board. People were shouting and jockeying for position, trying to push forward to read whatever was posted. Probably a statement from the Academy about the arena incident and the aftermath. Leif mused, pausing mid step as Marcus and Sieg both came to a stop. ¡°Have either of you read that?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Marcus said, then the blond man snapped his fingers. ¡°And now I have. Lets see¡­ hmmm. They apologise for the incident¡­ everything is under control¡­ putting resources into studying the phenomena so it doesn¡¯t happen again¡­ signups for those who want to help¡­ a political statement about solidarity I don¡¯t really care about¡­ tests of the arena shield before the quadriad continues. That¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°You can read it just like that?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Yup. Pretty neat, right? I can do the same with books, but the more text the harder it is to get a firm grasp of the contents. I need a direct line of sight though.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He said as they walked past. ¡°Sieg, one of the kids I found that are staying with Hera has the [Rogue] ss. Could you speak to Linus for me and see if he¡¯d be interested in giving her some tips?¡± ¡°You want Linus to help?¡± The northerner asked, looking baffled. ¡°He can¡¯t be that bad, he¡¯s on your team.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s apetent fighter. I don¡¯t doubt his abilities, only his character.¡± ¡°He¡¯s only a pain when Adriana is around. Those two somehow bring out both the best, and worst in one another.¡± Marcus said with a shrug. ¡°Are the kids doing okay? How is Roy?¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing fine. Lucia, his sister, crawled out of her roomst night for the first time since we arrived. They¡¯re both troubled though. The way Roy reacts around food or Lucia acts when she doesn¡¯t have an eye on every entrance is worrying.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll get better, as long as they have good people around to help.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Right. You cane aroundter and I¡¯ll introduce the older sibling to you. Might do her good to meet some new people while she¡¯s in a safe space.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll have time over the next few days, but I¡¯ll talk to Linus about your request.¡± Sieg said,ing to a stop at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the towering building housing the portal hub. ¡°Sounds good. Best of luck with training.¡± ¡°See you tonight, Sieg.¡± Marcus waved, then he turned to face Leif. ¡°Well then. Shall we go find out why one of my skills sniffed out something connected to you on Dimid?¡± ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t some buried cmity, then yes.¡± ¡°Ha! What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± === Marcus insisted he knew the way to the granite training fields, but when his ¡®shortcut¡¯ led them into a dead-end path between two massive, partially hollow boulders Leif used a divination skill of his own: Asking someone for directions. Twenty minutester they arrived, around forty students, most of which wearing the Dimid crest on their uniform, milled around in small groups. Their quiet chatter ended when professor Goodwil, nked by four other members of the inds faculty exited a nearby building. The elderly woman began to bark instructions at a rapid fire pace, splitting the students into teams and shouting a list of do¡¯s and don''ts. Do stick together, don¡¯t explore unmarked passages, do keep a record of your team''s exploits, don¡¯t use any skills that haven''t been approved by her or the other teachers unless it''s an emergency. During Goodwil¡¯s speech another professor, some sort of [Attuned: Light] or [Illusionist] ss holder, projected a topographic map of the region over everyone¡¯s head. The map showed the route they would travel through the rocky region of the ind, mountains, cliffs and ravines were only a handful of the obstacles they would need to skirt around on their way to their destination. ¡°You went out this way after you scryed something?¡± Leif sent telepathically to Marcus. ¡°Yup. Almost fell in a hole.¡± He whispered. A few minutester Goodwil stomped over to their location, a spindly looking man skittering close behind her. ¡°Marcus and Mr Vin. Good to see you. This is professor Nern, he¡¯s a [Geomancer] and an archaeologist by trade. I¡¯m putting you under his expert care since your abilities lie somewhat outside of the general skill sets for the other teams. ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡± Leif said with a bob of his head, Marcus mimicking the motion a momentter. ¡°Mmmm, yes.¡± Nern said. ¡°I read your file, Marcus. Twomendations and three recorded expeditions. Not a terriblemitment for a third year if I do say so myself.¡± The man¡¯s voice was stilted, his cadence irregr, though his ent was refined. ¡°Thanks?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°And you, Mr Vin. Or is it lord? You didn¡¯t have a file, so I went ahead and created one for you while doing my own research. Varan nobility, a distant nation, but still a title worthy of some respect, even here in the heart of the empire. Congrattions on the advances your house has made over the past few years.¡± ¡°Uh, sure.¡± Leif said, honestly baffled. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good?¡± ¡°Mmmm, yes.¡± Nern said, moving a hand to his face as if to adjust sses he didn¡¯t have. Marcus adjusted his own as if by reflex. ¡°Shall we depart? We are wasting sunlight just standing around.¡± ¡°A fine point, Nern.¡± Goodwil said, pping her hands and gathering everyone¡¯s attention once again."Everyone! We''re departing in one minute, grab your things and gather around your team leaders!" Chapter 167: Pile of Rocks Chapter 167: Pile of Rocks After a handful ofte arrivals trickled into the muster point and were loudly scolded by professor Goodwil and summarily shunted into different teams, the excavation expedition departed. One of the faculty who was apanying them activated a skill that asionally rippled invisibly across the teams, pulling their attention towards their destination and rying information about the uing terrain. It was a somewhat disconcerting experience the first few times it happened, the sensation of foreign information trickling into his awareness being quite unusual. The source of the skill was a highly promoted [Guide], the ss being one that excelled in, well, guiding others. The nonbat ss was popr among those who became teachers or leaders, with it granting skills that made it easier to keep track of others and more effectivelymunicate between groups. Once they were away from the Dimid campus, the expedition crossed over an invisible line, not dissimr to the one that divided the Academy portion of Lutum from the beast reserve. ¡°Do hostile creatures live on this ind?¡± Leif asked aloud, directing the question at Marcus, though it was the nearby Professor Nern who answered. ¡°Not quite. The wards on Dimid are more for detection than protection. There are cavern systems and expansive ruins littering the ind, and any number of creatures may be lurking within.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Leif said. ¡°Mmmm. We don¡¯t need the same type of wards like those on Lutum with its beast filled forests or Braslim and its elemental sanctuaries. Make no mistake, we take the safety of our students extremely seriously. Thergest hotspots of danger on this ind have more intricate wards ced around them.¡± ¡°Is the ce we¡¯re going one of those hotspots?¡± ¡°No, but it isrgely unexplored. There are severalbat teams for a reason, though I suspect engagements will be minimal.¡±¡°It¡¯s perfectly safe.¡± Marcus said with a smile. ¡°Hardly.¡± Nern sniffed. ¡°Though any potentially hostile entities are unlikely to assault a group asrge as ours.¡± ¡°So it would be dangerous if someone came out here alone?¡± Leif asked, ncing at Marcus. The sandy haired man started whistling while Nern began lecturing about the different species of wildlife found on the ind, and what type of rocky environment they preferred. Leif and Marcus passively absorbed a textbook''s worth of information about the differences between granite and limestone over the next hour. As they snaked through ravines and shallow canyons they were only stopped twice, though as Leif was towards the rear of the group he only received a projected message to halt, not the reason for why. As far as he was aware they weren¡¯t attacked, though perhaps some of the outlying groups may have scared off the asional beast sniffing around. Ancient structures were built into the rock, or had partially sunk down into the ground. Great pired entrances lead into copsed rooms and the remains of buildings littered the canyons. The architecture reminded Leif of the older structures found around the Academy, though even his senses were gradually bing overwhelmed by the poignant feeling of lost history that hung over every forgotten pathway or ruined home. Without realising it Leif began to voice the feelings and impressions he was gaining from their surroundings, and Nern quickly stopped waffling about how sedimentary rock formed intoyers through stratification over time. Leif pushed out his aura and perception, for the first time truly using the underutilised aspected of [Sympathy from Experience] and [Meditations on Eternity]. His senses brushed against something intangible, though whatever it was it became more and more prominent the closer to their destination the expedition drew. Leifpsed into silence, partially because he didn¡¯t want to voice how oddly familiar the impressions he was gathering were, and partially to just quietly absorb everything he could. Leif shot a look at Marcus, but the man was walking with his eyes closed, his hands in his pockets as he casually strolled along as if following an invisible path. ¡°I know why your divination skill led you here. I can feel it.¡± Leif sent. The [Seeker] peeked open an eye and smiled knowingly. Up ahead a halt was called, and a minuteter the expedition was gathered around a wide section of canyon, rocky walls towering overhead, their peaks sharp, and the shadows they cast were long and cool. A sea breeze blew through a western passage, and the remains of ancient structures littered the ce as if something massive had picked them up and discarded them with contemptuous ease. Parts of the structures seemed to have been made of a darker material, and in other ces seemed to have odd grooves carved into their surfaces, some longer and wider than Leif¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m surprised nobody has explored this ce before.¡± Leifmented. ¡°Especially since we¡¯re less than two hours away from the Dimid campus.¡± ¡°Oh, it has.¡± Nern said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Just not with the care and attention it deserved.¡± ¡°There.¡± Marcus pointed, drawing Leif¡¯s gaze to where Goodwil and several teams were gathering. A crack, barely wider than a person, ran from the top of one of the cliffs right down to the bottom. It was as if the towering wall of stone had been severed cleanly down the middle. But that wasn¡¯t what caught Leif¡¯s attention. Twisted columns of stone emerged from the cliff and the fractured ground, their surface was smooth, their construction as if rock had been melted and poured. But it wasn¡¯t stone. Not really. They were roots, grey, petrified and long dead. Leif froze, and the whistling wind filling the canyon seemed to still as the world came into sharp relief. He nced around, taking in the scene with new eyes. Parts of the ruined buildings weren¡¯t built with darker stone, they were burnt, scorched ck. The cracks and lines carved into their surfaces weren¡¯t decorative or stylish, they were signs of destruction, of battle. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°How odd. There seems to be signs of conflict in this area.¡± Nernmented, oblivious to Leif¡¯s shock. ¡°Very odd indeed. Most of the structures the Academy is built on were abandoned by whoever once lived here, they weren¡¯t driven away or forced out through violence.¡± ¡°Leif? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Marcus asked, tugging at his sleeve. The scion barely heard what his friend said. It was hard to pay attention to anything over the rhythmic pounding of his heart. He walked off, quickly striding to the nearest petrified root. A team of students were lounging on it, resting their packs up against the dead wood. Leif ignored them and crouched down, cing a palm against the- An infinitely stretchingndscape of rolling hills covered in grass. A clear blue sky and a towering gold leafed tree. Time flowing eternally, faster and faster, stretching until it frayed at the edges, blurring until it snapped- Leif jerked his hand back, startling a student who was leaning over his shoulder. Leif let out a shaky breath, though it came out as more of a guttural hiss. He stood and turned, looking at Marcus, the man sporting a worried expression. ¡°I¡­ We need to get deeper inside.¡± ¡°Right. The temple''s entrance is through the crack.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. We¡¯ll wait for the thaumaturges to widen the way forward.¡± He said, trying to ignore the shimmering golden thread that hung in his peripheral vision, quivering like a fishing line that hadnded a bite. === Within minutes the base camp had been set up, wide tents were strung up on metal rods, creating a ceiling of cloth that fluttered in the breeze. After the entrance to the site was widened, two teams slunk inside, one to assess the stability of the buried structure, and another to guard them from any potential dangers lurking within. The wind whistling through the canyon all but ceased as a pair of enchanters inscribed runes into the walls and floor. Goodwil started to deploy teams to survey the surrounding cliffs and ravines. Leif spent the time running his fingers along every exposed root, tracing them back to their origin. He wasn¡¯t certain how he could tell, but he was confident it was alling from a single source. When the initial exploration teams returned, reporting a blockage of petrified roots preventing their progress deeper into the ruins, Leif volunteered himself to assist in clearing them away. The rubble-strewn passageway was a little wider than the average human, though advancing into the structure often required ducking, or even crawling to fit through the tighter spaces. There was only so much that could be done to adjust the passageways without risking a total copse. At the bottom of a half caved in staircase was the reported blockage, and Leif went down alone while veins of orange light snaked through the stone above his head to provide light. [Wood Maniption] seemed to slip off of the ancient wood, the once living substance having mineralised, bing more akin to rock than what it had once been. But there was a solution. After a few minutes of experimentation he discovered that an injection of amber vitality made his skill function normally, though the roots were incapable of holding life-force for more than a handful of seconds. Even with [Benevolent Actions] increasing his [Willpower] Leif struggled to manipte the shape of the roots to allow ess. But he had more sess than professor Nern, the [Geomancer]s [Rock Maniption] skill finding absolutely no purchase on the petrified wood. An hour into the excavation Leif needed to let his skills recover, the ache in his soul growing too intrusive to ignore. It was a temple, that much was obvious from the very first room, though the weight and significance of the ce he was sensing would have told him as much even without so many physical clues. Iconography and symbols reminded Leif of the temple he underwent his level fifty advancement trial within. For every passageway discovered that was traversable, three or so werepletely caved in. The temple was huge, its massive chambers having been almost scooped out of the stone it was constructed within. Its sheer scale became more apparent as scouting teams returned with reports of additional caved in entrances. They excavated a long curved chamber with a partially buried statue and fountain lining its right side. Another room had dozens of lines of destroyed pews, though the front of the chamber had fully copsed. Throughout them all petrified roots jutted from the walls or had seemingly burst up out of the floor. The now dead tree seemed to have been the cause of much of the destruction of the temple, if not for the other signs of conflict. They discovered their first corpse in a side chamber dedicated to what Nern suspected was a goddess of fertility, though if it was any of the gods worshipped in modern times he couldn¡¯t identify them. The body was distinctly human, with rusted armour and the remains of a shattered sword littering the ground. ¡°A temple guard?¡± Marcus asked, the man crouching down next to the skeletal remains. ¡°Mmmm, perhaps.¡± Nern said after he had directed a student to fetch a box for the bones. ¡°We¡¯ll need to get these dated. But I think, much like the rest of this ce, they will predate what we know of the fall of the civilization that once lived on the archipgo.¡± ¡°What do you know of those people?¡± Leif asked, trying to sense any potential undeath energies within the body. Fortunately there didn¡¯t seem to be any. With luck, this wouldn¡¯t be a repeat of the Mythhold. ¡°We know very little.¡± Nern said, taking a careful step away from the remains. ¡°Other than that they were masters of architectural styles we are still studying, and experts of enchantment. As far as the Academy''s records suggest, they were standard humans, though certain demikin tells can be hard to detect with only a handful of remains and circumstantial evidence remaining.¡± ¡°Why would this temple have been attacked?¡± Leif said, frowning internally. ¡°Even with the different denominations and methods of worship, there is rarely conflict between the different faiths. At least not that I¡¯ve read about.¡± ¡°There are still religious conflicts.¡± Marcus murmured. ¡°Though not so much in the empire.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Nern sniffed. ¡°In less civilised ces, like the republic, such things often happen.¡± ¡°In the republic, faith is usually just an excuse for war, not usually the real cause.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Or so I¡¯ve heard.¡± The sandy haired man shot Leif a look, his eyes briefly flickering to two smaller roots that snaked out of the far wall, though neither were anywhere near the corpse. Leif followed his gaze. He didn¡¯t think whatever had happened here had been due to any differences in religious ideology. Whatever, or whoever had done this, had almost certainly been targeting the tree that was likely buried somewhere down in the dark. ¡°Let''s keep going. The excavation will take weeks if we continue at this pace, maybe longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and collect the body.¡± Nern said, ncing out the room, only to scowl when he didn¡¯t spot the box he had ordered. Chapter 168: Academy Life Chapter 168: Academy Life ¡°There¡¯s definitely an internal reservoir of power.¡± Marcus was saying as they stepped through the portal connecting the ind of Dimid to Lutum. He was looking down at a sheet of paper he had rubbed a pattern into from where arge gash in the temple''s structure had revealed aged and decayed arcane wiring. ¡°Obviously there¡¯s nothing left, no power I mean, it¡¯s empty, only residual energy is left.¡± Leif walked a step behind the human, only half paying attention to the constant deluge of information. With his [Intelligence] attribute at just under seventy, it was easier to focus on multiple things at once. For his part, Marcus was making full use of the attribute, and likely several skills. Without looking he stepped around a puddle and took a turn back towards his apartment. He was almost certainly auto piloting as he walked, following the steps of a [Seeker] skill to guide him in the right direction. Marcus flipped over to another page. ¡°Here¡¯s another rubbing of a different part of the same wall. Do you see how the channels move together, but remain separate? And it looks like this is a partially destroyed rune, though it''s hard to tell. It¡¯s interesting, without my most recent paper I don¡¯t think I would have noticed.¡± They continued walking in silence for several moments before Marcus nced over his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to ask what I noticed.¡± He said with an exaggerated pout. ¡°Oh, sorry. I thought you meant the runes and channels.¡± Leif said, trying to squeeze interest into his tone. It was interesting, and he was interested, there were just other things on his mind. ¡°Well, yeah. But I mean the reason why they¡¯re like that. The purpose for having suchplex magical infrastructure in a temple of all things.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Marcus shrugged. ¡°But it¡¯s simr to the arena or the portal hubs. All the ancient buildings with importance to the civilization that built and used them have the same type of care and attention put into their design.¡± ¡°So the temple was significant?¡±¡°Sure. But it¡¯s more than that. You don¡¯t need those types of enchantments and workings for something simple, like lighting. It means there¡¯s something seriously impressive, magically speaking, somewhere in the temple. There pretty much has to be.¡± That made sense. The expedition had barely scratched the surface of the buried templeplex. Some of their earth mages, including professor Nern, could partially sense through stone, and they had confirmed that at least from the rooms and chambers that had already been explored, the structure kept going. A divining of the fullyout of the building had already been attempted, but of all the [Seekers] and other sses with simr scouting skills, only Marcus had any amount of sess. ording to Marcus, the internal structure of the temple had a thaumatic weight to it, the walls and floors seeming far denser than they actually were. Those capable of manipting stone too were struggling. The ancient magics embedded into the temple''s foundation made simply digging through the rock both far more difficult, and far more dangerous than they otherwise should be. But these were all superficial details, background dressing to the real mystery. Just what had attacked the amber tree, and why? It was one thing to be told by the system directly that something had killed off the beings Leif was now rted to, but discovering the remains of one such entity unnerved him. ¡°What are the strongest kinds of monsters?¡± He asked, making Marcus nce up from his stacks of paper. ¡°I¡¯m not really an expert on that sort of thing. I mean, I can tell you my opinions, but why do you want to know?¡± ¡°Humour me, please.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, in my, uh, where I¡¯m from there are lots of stories of sea monsters, leviathans that dwell within the depths of the oceans. They¡¯re why ship travel is so restricted, and why most people either travel overnd, or by sky skimmer. I saw one when I was little, it rose out of the sea,rger than any building I had ever seen. It was dozens of kilometres away from the shore, but the waves it created by breaching the surface still destroyed ships and demolished homes.¡± Leif had read about those monsters in the Academy library, but he doubted the leviathans were the culprits he was looking for. Records suggested that they never came ashore, and whatever had attacked the temple had most certainly done just that. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Hmm. Well I guess the Dragons are whates to mind next. Their territories lie to the south of the empire, in the deserts and wastnds. You¡¯ve met a pseudo dragon during the expedition, but coatls are some of the smallest dragons, and some of the least deadly.¡± ¡°I fought drakes in the northern foothills.¡± Leif said. ¡°Comparing drakes to dragons is like calling a metre long river fish a leviathan. Sure, they both live in the water and are technically pretty big, but, you know, not the same thing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Marcus licked his lips and waited for a group of first years to pass by before continuing. ¡°Dragon¡¯s are just as likely to steal from or enve a human as they are to kill and eat us. The southern provinces suffer attacks from them fairly frequently, but the empire pays tribute annually to some of therger flights to stop them from raiding us. It¡¯s a pretty controversial policy, some people think the empire should just give up the southern provinces, others think we should attack the dragons. Most people are more reasonable though.¡± ¡°What are the odds it was a dragon that attacked the temple?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Well, some of the rocks are burnt, and something definitely took clean slices out of some of the walls. But I feel like a dragon would have just obliterated the entire site and flown off, there¡¯s clear signs ofbat inside the temple so that clearly didn¡¯t happen. I guess it could have been a dragon, assuming they wanted something inside and didn¡¯t want to destroy¡­ Oh. Oh, I see why you¡¯re asking now. Damn, but would a dragon have, you know, wanted¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Leif said. ¡°But we¡¯ll find out more when we actually get to the tree. If all that''s left is a burnt stump¡­ I guess we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Maybe it was the undead? You already told us how your domain was basically a hard counter to weaker undead. Could the temple have been attacked and the amber tree killed so that the undead could get onto the ind?¡± Marcus suggested. ¡°Unlikely. The corpse we found didn¡¯t have any trace of undeath energy on them. And death seems to stick around. Maybe not for over a thousand years though.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably not the undead then.¡± Their conversationpsed as they drew closer to the neighbourhood of student housing that Marcus lived within. Leif agreed to meet the man outside his apartment next morning so they could return to Dimid together, then they went their separate ways. The shadows cast by the evening sun through the brightly coloured trees lining the roads seemed longer than usual, darker. Perhaps it was just his mind ying tricks on him. === ¡°My mask doesn¡¯t have a red nose.¡± Leif said, studying the image presented before him. ¡°But it would look funnier if it did.¡± Roy said, holding up the drawing. Leif rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°You just might be correct.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The little boy beamed, then he went back to drawing. The paper had a depiction of both Roy and Lucia holding hands. A figure who was probably Melissa held a te of food that was bigger than she was, and Leif in his robes and mask stood higher than everyone else, though that was because the ship he was standing on was currently in the process ofing to life on the page. Roy began to chew on one of the coloured pencils, but Lucia prodded him in the side from her position on the couch opposite Leif. They were both reading books, though Lucia kept ncing up from hers to watch her brother, and try to silently indicate with her eyes alone that she would rather be outside in the greenhouse trying to stab him. ¡°Dinner will be soon. I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡± Melissa called from the connecting kitchen. Roy perked up, identally drawing the ship''s sail toorge. Leif flipped the page of his book, then looked up as a presence appeared outside the front door to the residence. A momentter Hera stalked into her own house, loudly sighing as she took off her coat, then she strode into the living room with an arrow of light twirling between her fingers. ¡°Did I hear something about dinner?¡± She asked. ¡°You did. Wee home dear.¡± Melissa said, poking her head out of the kitchen. ¡°Great. I¡¯m starving¡± She said, cing her hands on her hips and ncing around the room. Leif tilted his head in acknowledgement, while Lucia tried to pretend she was suddenly very interested in her own book. ¡°Hello miss Hera.¡± Roy said, looking up at her from where hey on the paper strewn floor. He searched around for a moment, then found the drawing he was looking for. ¡°I drew you earlier.¡± Hera squatted down to get a closer look, though with her enhanced eyesight it lightly didn¡¯t make any difference whatsoever. ¡°Wow, very nice. Who¡¯s that though?¡± She said. Roy grinned. ¡°That¡¯s the scary tentacle man from the arena.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup, he¡¯s covered in your light arrows.¡± ¡°I did get him good, didn¡¯t I?¡± She asked with a smile. === Lucia flew backwards, her wooden daggers spinning off into the darkness as shended, tumbling across the field of grass. A dozen metres away an armoured figure created out of hardened light, its spear pointed down, stood perfectly still. ¡°Your stance was too low, it left you unbnced and made it harder to dodge.¡± Hera said, an amused look on her face. The armoured figure, a construct created from one of her core skills, casually spun its weapon inzy arcs, the motion leaving a trail of light that further illuminated the small part of the training field they were standing in. In response, Lucia let out a sound that was a mix between a grunt and a groan. She got to her feet, albeit shakily, and only after several seconds had passed. ¡°The spear is arguably the worst matchup for a dagger user.¡± Leif said, letting a little more vitality trickle into his [Amber Aegis], the floating motes of golden light drifting down into Lucia, though the girl didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Only if I¡¯m too slow to close the distance.¡± She said through gritted teeth. ¡°You¡¯re not quick enough.¡± Hera said. ¡°Not yet anyway.¡± Lucia started peering into the darkness for her weapons, but Leif mentallymanded them to float over towards her. She grabbed the daggers out of the evening air and took a stance, the sentinel of light shifting into a defensive posture. Hera¡¯s creations couldn¡¯t easily move from the point they were summoned, so Lucia had the liberty to approach her training opponent however she wished. Thirty secondster, having readied herself, she darted forward, weapons poised to strike. Ten secondster the pommel of a spear hit Lucia in the gut, sending her rolling across the grassy field. To her credit, she didn¡¯t let her grip on the daggers cken this time. ¡°I wish I had a healer when I was her age. Training is so much more effective like this.¡± Heramented, her eyes gleaming. She lowered her voice. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll give up after that one?¡± Leif watched as Lucia gasped for breath from where she was sprawled. Then she weakly punched the ground in frustration, slowly rolling onto her front and trying to get up. ¡°You tell me.¡± He said. ¡°For the record, I think you¡¯re both crazy.¡± ¡°Oh, would you have given up so easily?¡± She teased. ¡°Yes. And my body literally doesn¡¯t feel pain.¡± Hera snorted, then she turned her attention back to Lucia. ¡°You can do it, girl!¡± She called. And slowly, with clear effort, Lucia got back up. Only to take a single step and promptly fall forward, copsing down onto her face. Leif had to telekically pull one of her daggers out of her hand to stop her from stabbing herself. Leif walked over, pulling her up by the shoulders and letting a trickle of healing energy flow into her body. ¡°I can still fight.¡± She mumbled. ¡°Maybe tomorrow.¡± He responded. ¡°Heal me. I can keep going.¡± ¡°I am healing you, and no, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t feel it working.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± Leif said, catching Lucia as she stumbled. In the end it was easier to carry her over to where Hera was waiting. ¡°Shall we head back?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hera asked, grinning at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like doing a little training?¡± Leif almost rejected her offer out of hand, but he stopped himself. Why not? He thought. I need to get my mind off the excavation anyway. ¡°Sure. Are we doing it here or is there a specific ce des need to go to use their full powers?¡± ¡°Full powers?¡± Hera asked with a smirk. Leif sighed and looked down at himself. ¡°What are the odds this outfit gets ruined?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, how good at dodging are you?¡± Leif grunted, then lowered Lucia up against the trunk of a purple leafed tree. He took off his outer robe, folded it, theny it over herp. He was wearing a sleeveless undershirt, and most of his body looked like armour, if made out of white wood. The biggest problem was the head of red leaves he had in ce of hair, though in the darkness of night it looked mostly indistinguishable from the real thing. He had tried to get rid of them so his head could mimic the form of a helmet, but the leaves grew back too quickly. He jogged back over to the middle of the field, limbering up as the clouds shifted overhead, soft moonlight filtering down from above. A quarter of season¡¯s surface was red, tinting the night in a subtle pink. Hera dismissed her sentinel of light, then created a longsword out of hardened light. She lifted it up, taking several practice swings. ¡°I thought you were an archer.¡± Leifmented, mentally reaching into his spatial ring for a condensed sword of wood, though he ultimately chose not to summon it. He needed to get experience for [Inspiring Brawler] to get the final level he wanted, so unarmedbat was the way to go. ¡°Ibined the [Archer] and [Fighter] sses when both reached level ten. My other main ss was [Attuned: Light].¡± ¡°What did that create?¡± ¡°Weapons Expert.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Leif said, ncing at her sword. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the first thing I did when we met to threaten you with a sword?¡± ¡°Not going to use it in this fight?¡± He goaded, conjuring two pairs of golden arms and dropping into a stance. Immediately he felt his weight shift, his bnce improve and his resilience rise. ¡°Not during a friendly spar. That sword can slice through pretty much anything without issue.¡± === The fight was quick, and it ended as Leif had expected. During his fight with Mouric, the de had overpowered him with brute strength and raw power, though not by so much that it had been a one sided beatdown. The main difference between him and Hera was quite simply, speed. And range too, but she didn¡¯t use her bow during their bout. When Leif focused on [crity] the gap between them narrowed, but then his perception couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of the fight. When he focused on [Intelligence] the battle moved at a speed he could react to, but then his speed wasn¡¯t enough to actually dodge or parry. It didn¡¯t help that Hera gradually grew faster and faster as the duel progressed, until eventually there was absolutely nothing he could do. Leif consoled himself with the fact he was half her level, and quite possibly hard countered by the ninth de. It didn¡¯t stop Hera from gloating the entire way back to her home. As the three of them stepped through the entrance of the residence, well after midnight, Hera was retelling a story of when she hunted a powerful, and excessively durable mountain giant. Lucia was thrilled by the tale, and even exhausted as she was, the low level [Rogue] couldn¡¯t help but demand her own rematch against the de. He waved them goodnight as they whisper talked while ascending the stairs, then quietly stepped into the greenhouse. As he lowered himself down into a cross legged position in the centre of the garden, he reflected that even with the uncertainty of the excavation, the stress of needing to hide his identity and the worry he felt as he tried, and failed to figure out how to properly make contact with his sister, he could admit to himself that he was enjoying himself. And so the days passed, and the world continued spinning. Chapter 169: Better Times Chapter 169: Better Times Niks stood with his hands behind his back, looking over the balcony railings of the Ahle-ho pce, wondering if he could have done more to prevent the tragedy that had unfolded. Conflict between the guilds wasn¡¯t unheard of, though violence between the prime guilds rarely happened out in the open. The Ahle-ho guilds usuallypeted with one another via proxies or officialpetition, and open warfare was rare. But the worst hade to pass, and nowrge swaths of the cityy in ruins. Things had been civil at first, the leadership of the prime guilds and their minor allies had met to discuss the city and its future. The fact the republic and empire were building up for war was one of the worst kept secrets of all time, and everyone of significance within the independent city knew it. Politicking and jostling for power and position was a standard affair when the guilds met to talk policy, though rarely did their meetings have such a tense undercurrent. Everyone had their own agenda, own interests and alliances. Everyone wanted Ahle-ho to flourish, there was simply a difference in opinion as to how that should be achieved. Some wanted further ties with the empire, a position his own Twin Heart guild held due to their close rtions with Mekrys ever since their founding, though that position was hardly shared by the majority of guilds. Thergest ¡®faction¡¯, were the independents, those who wanted Ahle-ho to stand strong by itself, to not rely on foreign aid to maintain sovereignty. Among this group were those who opposed the empire for political reasons, those who thought more independence would result in more power and authority for themselves, or the final reason, supported the republic. No guild was openly thetter, though Niks knew for certain at least several were leaning in that direction, if not having directly aligned themselves with the ostensibly hostile foreign power in secret. Ahle-ho was an ally of the empire, the city used its currency and allowed a garrison of imperial troops within its walls. Its ports housed imperial ships and its primary trading partners were imperial merchant guilds. The prince of Ahle-ho was openly in favour of the empire, to the point many, Niks himself, suspected the man wished for the city state to join Mekrys and be its newest province. When the prince agreed, against the majority advice of the prime guilds, to double the number of imperial troops within the city, dissonant factions stirred into action. Ultimately it was theck of unity among those who sought independence that ruined their bid to expel the empire from Ahle-ho. Rising Tide, Hope Mandate and the Steel Keepers guilds all openly dered their opposition to the growing imperial influence in the city, with thetter two prime guilds publicly and privately requesting that the prince revoke his support of Mekrys. Rising Tide however, was more direct. Niks wasn¡¯t certain what exactly had sparked the conflict, if the civilian protest had turned violent, if agitators had attacked the garrison or if a street brawl had escted to the point blood had been spilt. One thing was certain, violence had erupted on the streets and the guilds had gone to war. For a single night. That was all it had taken for order to be reestablished. A single night was all it had taken for thousands to die. He had personally duelled with the Rising Tide guild master over the rooftops of the city, the man now rotting in a cell below the pce, likely for the rest of his life. He had also directed his elites to raid thepounds of the Double Lion and Silverfang guilds. It was strange now, to know that it was the manoeuvring and scheming of his rivals that had undone them, rather than any cunning ploy of his own. There were only two prime guilds now, and the Twin Heart guild was one of them. From the balcony he could make out the tens of thousands of tiny lights flickering in the city below, a candle-lit vigil for the fallen. For now Ahle-ho was mourning, but Niks had no doubt that anger would slowly simmer back to life. He just hoped this was thest of the bloodshed his home would need to endure. ===¡°W-what did you say?¡± The boy spluttered, his overly decorated dress uniform looked to be choking the life out of him, or perhaps his face was turning red for another reason. ¡°I said no.¡± Lucia replied, trying to fight down the paranoid instinct to stab the boy before her and go find a dark corner to hide in, a task that would be rather difficult, if not impossible to pull off sessfully. All around her was a bustling crowd of youngsters, most around her age, though some, like the child dressed as a peacock gaping down at her, were a few years older. ¡°H-how dare you? I offer you a ce in my team, and you¡­ refuse me? Do you know who my father is?¡± She did, but only because the boy had already loudly introduced himself to her. He was the son of a noble house, though she had never heard of it before. Behind the noble three of his offsiders glowered at her. Apparently she wasn¡¯t supposed to have refused the kind offer. This was just a training day run by the Academy during the break between the quadriad, they weren¡¯t even supposed to be in teams, everyone would bepeting alone. ¡°Who is your backer, girl? My father will hear of this insult, so you better be prepared to pay the price!¡± The boy sneered, though the expression lost most of its impact due to how clearly flustered he was. His hand tightened around the ornate hilt of his shortsword, and Lucia tensed. Her own fingers rested on the pommel of her wooden daggers. People were turning to stare at the altercation, several pointing and whispering. The boy took a confident step forward, puffing out his chest. Lucia was a fraction of a second away from breaking his overly sharp nose with her fist and darting away, when a high pitched, and slightly panicked voice called out. ¡°Lucia, is that you? Come on, you need to, uh, help me with something.¡± She blinked and turned, seeing the familiar face of a nervous looking first year girl. E, the girl that had guided Roy, Leif and herself around Pellus on the day of their arrival to the Academy, smiled, stalked up beside Lucia, then pulled her away into the crowd. She had a bow slung over one shoulder, though there weren¡¯t any arrows on her person that Lucia could see. She let herself be dragged away, letting out a breath of relief. ¡°Fine, run. You¡¯re not that pretty anyway. And you dress like a boy!¡± The red faced idiot called after her, though she didn¡¯t pay it any attention. When they reached the edge of the crowd E stopped tugging her along and turned, her smile bing less strained. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, I¡¯m sure you had it under control, but we¡¯ve been breaking up fights between young masters all morning and I recognised you and figured I would step in before you stabbed him.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± Lucia said, deliberately taking her free hand away from the weapon it was resting on. ¡°What are you doing here, E? Are you participating?¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯m working. Students aren¡¯t allowed to participate anyway, this is more for the kids of outsiders and visitors to see what the Academy¡¯s training looks like. A lot of the kids here are probably looking to join as first years at some point, though some are just here to show off.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lucia said. Hera had told her more or less the same thing the evening prior, though in fewer words. ¡°Thanks again.¡± ¡°No worries, I¡¯m here to help! Say, is that masked healer man here? Is he the one sponsoring you?¡± E asked, putting a hand to her brow to block the sun as she scanned the distant crowd of spectators lounging by the side of the training field. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°No, he¡¯s not here, he¡¯s busy doing something else. And he¡¯s not really my sponsor¡­¡± ¡°Oh, okay. How is your little brother doing?¡± ¡°Roy is fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Well, I got to go, I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s another fight about to break out over there! We¡¯ll catch upter, okay?¡± E said, then the first year dashed off. Sure enough, a brawl between two boys about her age started up momentster. Both were yelling something about their reputation. Lucia sighed. === Within the darkness, surrounded by rubble and forgotten history, a weapon stirred. Faint vibrations in the stone were the first things it sensed, though that alone wasn¡¯t enough to bring it back to wakefulness. The ground shook asionally, but while its degraded sensors picked up the stimuli, it wouldn¡¯t exit its power saving protocol for something like that. Life, faint globules drifting through invisible currents however, was. When the weapon first detected them it partially reactivated, a dull red light flooding the ancient chamber from its chest. Signatures danced in the structure above it, unaware of what lurked below. But they were distant, and so the weapon returned to its slumber. It cared not for time, the machine barely conceptualised the passing of days. At one point it tried to move, to stand and hunt down the enemies it detected. But it was restrained, physically, and itcked the ability to determine how, or why. The weapon wasn¡¯t the bane of all life, but centuries of disrepair had reduced its arcane programming to their most simple state. A barely functioning part of its artificial mind attempted to analyse the entities it could sense, but either the damage to its systems was too significant, or the lifeformscked the ability to distinguish themselves as allies. And so it waited, and waited, awakening whenever the beings drew close, and lying dormant when they went away. The repeated activation, and subsequent deactivation yed havoc with its internals, degrading already heavily damaged systems, draining what little power it still had. Because of this, when the entrance to its tomb was pried open, the weapon didn¡¯t immediately react. It jerked, servos whirling and perception sweeping outwards. Three lifeforms, close, enemies. The light in its chest lit and it tried to stand. It was a weapon, and as such, it would fight, kill, rip and tear. Enemies. The first stepped into the room, human, arcane power, much like the wisps of power flowing through the weapon¡¯s own body could be detected within them. The light flickered as the energy animating the machine guttered out, then sparked back into existence. The first enemy paused in the doorway, hesitant, unaware. Kill. It slowly raised a metal arm, trickles of power flowing into the limb, and then the gemstone embedded in its three fingered palm began to glow and vibrate. A second human entered the room, their presence was like the stone that surrounded them, rigid and geometric. Destroy. Heat built, and a distorted cry of panic reached the weapons basic auditory sensors. mes, blue and fiendishly hot sted forward, spearing towards the two figures, seeking to reduce them to ash. A sense of primal satisfaction flickered within the machine''s soul, even after being destroyed in battle and being abandoned by its creators, it could still fulfil this one, final purpose. The final figure entered the room, rushing forward, pulling back the one who felt like stone and shoving forward the other. The gout of blue me sputtered to a stop, not due to anyck of power, but instead due to recognition. Golden life, a well of vibrant blood. It knew what this was. The primary target of the hunt, the true purpose of its mission. Instructions hard coded into its memory shed through the weapons mechanical cognition. The amber one shouldn¡¯t be destroyed, its mes should only be used sparingly lest the prize be lost. But it was a weapon. It was created to kill. And its ancient programming no longer held sway. Heat built up once again in the palm of its metal hand, only for the limb to be violently wretched aside, the jet of blue fire being redirected upwards, away from the living beings and scorching the walls and ceiling of the half buried chamber. Its sensors froze, not understanding the stimuli it had detected. Something was closing in, moving quickly, something gold. The weapon tried to raise its other arm but fossilised roots, remnants of the battle that had left it half destroyed, held it in ce. The gemstone in the centre of its chest shed crimson, self destruct was the only- An ivory fist crushed through the weapon¡¯s torso, grabbed hold of the power source within and ripped it out, tearing wires and metal ribs as it did so. And so the weapon died, finally. === Vevosis, Spire Head of Dimid, lounged behind his desk and stared out at the evening sky. The rainbow colours of the sunset over the Rien sea were gorgeous, the view worth more than any amount of gold. A figure who looked identical to himself, though entirely made up of various shades of crimson, from their skin to their clothes and their eyes, poured wine into his jewelled goblet. The object was beyond tacky, an obscene disy of decadence and wealth. He loved it, the sheer impracticality of the goblet made himugh every time somebody entered his office and saw it. To his left another bloody clone shuffled through paperwork, its eyes zed over with a vivid red, hiding both iris and pupil. The clone wore thin ck gloves, so as not to stain the paper. The worst part about the bloody skill constructs was their inability tomunicate. Maybe when he reached level one hundred the core skill that allowed him to conjure them would upgrade in that direction. Morebat ability was also a potent choice, but he had people for that. No need to get his, or copies of his hands dirty. Though there were reasons he was yet to reach that milestone, time being the least of them. He flipped the final report in front of him up off the gilded marble desk before him with his aura, the physicality granted to rank five auras never ceased to make his life ever so slightly more convenient. ¡°Oh, ho. Looks like that little expedition I approved actually found something interesting.¡± He said to the two clones, taking a sip of wine before continuing to read. ¡°Some sort of automaton down in the central levels, still active even after all this time.¡± The clones didn¡¯t respond, but he liked to pretend he had an audience. ¡°We¡¯ll have to get some [Operator]s down there to take a look. Most people think the way things were in the past was superior to what we have now in every way. They¡¯re wrong of course, but in this case they would be correct.¡± He leaned back, swirling the half full goblet, enjoying how the golden sunlight reflected off the jewels embedded into the metal. ¡°It¡¯s a shame the real prize of the temple is long dead. The things we could do with some of that monstrous tree¡¯s blood¡­¡± The clones both shuddered, a reflection of his own desire, if none of it showed on his real body. ¡°Sustainability is the key. Don¡¯t take more than you need. The dragons make that mistake, as do the djinn, the formians too. Most recently the undead are learning that lesson the hard way¡­¡± Vevosis took another sip of his wine, holding out the goblet for the clone to refill. As the crimson liquid was being poured into its new home, he felt something quiver in the air, a scent brushing up against his awareness. He and both of his clones nced up at the same time, looking to the north west. ¡°Bloodshed¡­ Interesting.¡± He mused aloud, looking disapprovingly at the overfilled goblet. His clone had the good sense to look sheepish. He sighed and stood, walking around his office to stand before the window. The blood mage looked down at the Dimid campus stretching out before him, the hundreds of tiny humans scurrying between the buildings, their forms casting long shadows as they tried to return home before the mists rolled over the ind. ¡°I suppose it might finally be starting.¡± Both of the clones looked at him inquisitively. Vevosis smiled. He¡¯d need to prepare his people, set things in motion and see to the Academy¡¯s defence. His smile stretched further. Maybe he¡¯d hit level one hundred sooner than he thought. Chapter 170: Corpse Chapter 170: Corpse ¡°W-what on earth?¡± Marcus gasped, picking himself up off the dusty stone floor where Leif had shoved him. A golden shield rippled around him, warding off remnant waves of heat that washed over the room. ¡°That thing almost turned me to ash.¡± The jagged remnants of crystal fell from Leif¡¯s fingers as he crushed the gemstone in his fist, the automaton going inert beneath him. Blue mes still danced along the ceiling, charring ancient rock and filling the chamber with smoke. ¡°That was a priceless artefact!¡± Nern shouted, waving his hand in front of his face. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have destroyed it!¡± Both Leif and Marcus turned, giving the professor a pair of incredulous looks. Nern wrinkled his nose, then nced at the scorch mark that had been burnt into the wall beside the entrance. He cleared his throat. ¡°Nevermind. I must say Mr Vin, I did not expect you to be able to punch through solid steel. Most impressive. Maybe try to do less damage in the future¡­¡± Leif shook his head and nced down at the bulky, vaguely humanoid looking machine. ¡°What exactly is this? And why is it down in the temple?¡± ¡°It looks like a war golem of some sort.¡± Marcus said, adjusting his sses. ¡°I¡¯ve seen simr machines, though nothing this advanced. Look how damaged it was before you destroyed it, I¡¯m shocked it was capable of activation at all.¡± ¡°People made this?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Professor Nern said, nodding in acknowledgement to the team of shocked looking students who had appeared in the doorway, clearly having run from elsewhere in the temple at the sound ofbat. ¡°The dungeon below the imperial capital is famous for manifesting simr looking monsters. Though something this advanced is simr to the most powerful constructs found within.¡± ¡°Naturally created constructs look different though.¡± Marcus said. ¡°I¡¯ve, uh, I¡¯ve studied the crucible dungeon quite a bit. The automatons from there are made of twisted metal, their internal structure is more organic. Look, you can clearly see distinct wiring within the chest cavity.¡±More members of the expedition had arrived, abat team pushing their way through the gawking crowd. Nern started awkwardly barking out a recounting of events, the professor sending away people to report to the leadership about what had happened, and to alert the other teams of potential dangers within the temple. Leif stood back, letting a team dedicated to thaumaturgical research approach the automaton and begin prodding it with all manner of skills and instruments. It wasn¡¯t his ce to barge in and take charge, his own skillsy elsewhere. And besides, the system was distracting him. Level up! ss [Inspiring Brawler] is now level 12! For applying the efforts of your diligent training to destroy an unknown foe that posed a danger to your allies with your bare hands you have gained a level! +1 to [Spirit] +1 free point! New ss skills avable! [Showmanship] or [Aura of Spectacle] or [Fist Projection]! Mana reinforcement progress: 25%! Leif scanned the new skill options, frowned at the poor level up, then closed the system window. He¡¯d deal with theseter, and when they weren¡¯t potentially surrounded by hostile constructs. === There were more, an hourter a team excavating an alternative entrance to the temple encountered the remains of two such automatons, though both had been destroyed by now petrified roots, and neither attacked. The temple was evacuated, and the day ended before the leadership coulde to a conclusion as to what to do next. The quadriad was returning the next day, so professor Goodwil ordered the temple¡¯s entrances to be sealed, and told everyone to take the next day off. And so Leif and Marcus returned to Lutum, both lost in thought about what they had discovered. === ¡°I¡¯m not taking another aura skill, I don¡¯t want to dilute my existing aura unless I have to.¡± Leif saidter that night as he and Hera sat in the living room of the de¡¯s home. ¡°[Fist Projection] is fairlymon, there are a few different variants of the same skill. [de Projection], [Mind Projection], [Sight Projection] and so on. It would synergise with your existing skills quite nicely, that being said, you should pick [Showmanship].¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m not picking [Showmanship].¡± Leif replied tly. ¡°Aww, why not? It would be funny.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not picking a skill because it would be funny.¡± ¡°But think of how well it would synergise with your high [Charisma] attribute. Think of the power!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a skill to entertain people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that. It¡¯s a social skill that increases the effect of performances. And not just musical performances, dances, theatrics, even acrobatics and deceptions. Or in the case of your ss, fighting with exaggerated style.¡± She exined. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I¡¯m picking [Fist Projection].¡± Hera made a faux expression of disappointment, then took a sip of her drink. Leif ignored her and selected his newest skill. === Fist Projection: Aspects: Technique (Body) When you make an unarmed strike using your fist you may increase the range of the attack by projecting a copy of the strike. The further the projection travels, the less of the original strike¡¯s power it contains. === ¡°Simple, but hopefully effective.¡± Leif said after reading the skill¡¯s description. ¡°Want to test it out?¡± Hera asked, her tone hopeful. ¡°Are you that bored without Lucia trying to kill herself from training too hard?¡± Hera nced upwards, and Leif knew that if she wanted, the de could see through the ceiling and check on the two children sleeping upstairs. ¡°Apparently she put a bunch of noble brats to shame today. Broke a bunch of records, a few hearts, and one kid''s leg. I¡¯m so proud.¡± ¡°It seems she was busy. Let¡¯s go, I want to see how this works, and I don¡¯t want to risk breaking anything valuable in here.¡± He said, standing and marching towards the door. He needed to do something to distract him from the discovery down in the ruins. Something to stop his thoughts from spiralling. Something to stop him from going back down there by himself, regardless of the risks. Hera downed the liquor in her ss, almost choked, then followed. Experimenting with the new skill helped, but only barely. And during the next day, when he spectated the quadriad with Roy and Lucia, he barely paid attention to the fights at all, his thoughts pulled back to Dimid and the ancient temple. === Dust fell from the ceiling as the twisted wall of roots shifted, their form peeling away to create a narrow passage barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through. The further into the templeplex the expedition went, the more prominent the presence of the petrified roots. But it wasn¡¯t just the frequency of their appearances that increased, but the size, and perhaps more importantly, the mass. Leif¡¯s [Wood Maniption] skill hade a long way since he had first used it to pick up sticks and bend branches, but the mental effort required to both hold the vitality he had pushed into the petrified wood in ce while willing the roots to move was a trial all on its own. Leif squared his shoulders, preparing to widen the gap when someone called for him to stop. A pair of mages ran forward, babbling about structural integrity, and he stepped aside, giving way to their expertise. This was the main bottleneck for their progress, the tonnes of stone above their heads could fall at any moment if they weren¡¯t meticulous in maintaining the foundations and supports. He wasn¡¯t an impatient person, or at least he tried not to be, but the further down they excavated, the more present the golden thread hanging in his peripheral vision became. Leif had managed to ignore the quivering line of gold only he could see up until this point, but both he, and whatever power or instincts that had somehow manifested inside him after the battle at Far-Reach agreed on something. The amber tree was close, and with it, a glimpse into the past. Eventually the two mages had reinforced the walls and roof to their satisfaction, and Leif went back to clearing the path forward. He went first, the loiteringbat teams having already figured out that he was more than capable of protecting himself. The chamber he emerged into was massive, the cavernous space stretching off into the inky darkness, the lights from the expedition behind him barely making the shadows retreat more than a handful of metres. That changed when someone shot a bright green re of light into the room. Destroyed machines littered the tiled floor, and skeletal remainsy in piles or alone where they had fallen. ckened lines were burnt into the ground, and from what the light revealed, the floor had once been decorated with a mosaic mural. Twobat teams fanned out to either side of the room as a third team sent someone running for more people. Another re of light flooded the room as the first began to fade, and as it did two machines began to stir, awakened from their dormancy at the approaching of people. To Leif¡¯s side Marcus uttered a word that made the air tremble, then a purple gauntlet crackling with arcane power appeared over his hand and forearm. ¡°Team one! Focus on the closest automaton! Team two! Dy the other until the first is dealt with. Don¡¯t get too close! Anyone who isn¡¯t an approvedbatant needs to get the hells out of my sight thirty seconds ago!¡± A middle aged professor yelled, striding forward along with the twobat teams. Leif crossed his arms, not moving to engage. He would act if he needed to, but thebat teams had been chosen well, so it was likely he wouldn¡¯t even need to heal them afterwards. Skills shed across the room as the battle started, a wave of water crashing against a jet of blue mes, steam exploding outwards, only to be taken control of by somebody else and redirected above their heads, the billowing vapour sshing up against the distant ceiling and fading away. When the automatons had been discovered, thebat teams had been shuffled around, each being made to have at least two members who could reliably check the machines in battle. Two minutester the first of the constructs was cut apart, and a minute after that both teams converged on thest one. Unlike most of the machine¡¯s Leif had seen down in the temple so far, this one was actually capable of movement, though one of its legs had been severed cleanly in half centuries prior. The other half dozen automatons that hadn¡¯t reactivated were thoroughly checked over, then the professor that had called out orders sent someone to go fetch the newest members of the expedition. [Operator]s, those who could more effectively utilise magical machines, constructs and vehicles, were a rarity, even within the Academy. But during the day¡¯s break, Goodwil and the expedition leadership had managed to scrounge up a handful, though Leif was yet to see any of them. Leif watched as the room was cleared, the bones and machinery pushed off to the sides. His breath caught as he finally made out what thergely destroyed mosaic depicted. A massive golden leafed tree. And at the far end of the chamber, a rounded stone door with a carving showing something simr. Almost by instinct he drifted across the space between him and the door, his esoteric senses picking up traces of information. ¡°Mmmm. Locked.¡± Nern said from where the professor was hovering by Leif¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I can sense the stone gears behind the walls here and here, we¡¯ll need to wait for-¡± The scion stepped forward and ced a hand against the b of rock easily twice his height. Something shifted, and golden light shed dully as the door rolled off to the side, slowly grinding on unused mechanisms. Wind stirred the chamber, a salty breeze picking up the dust behind him, making more than a few people cough or gag. Beyond wasn¡¯t a room or a chamber, it was an open air alcove in the shape of a crescent, sunlight streaming down through a jagged crack that ran from the apex of the ceiling, down the natural formation of stone and parting to reveal the sea. Water sshed up over the cliff side, running down finger thin channels that had been carved into rock in ages past. But those details were unimportant. For in the centre of the space, right up against the edge of the cliff, stood a petrified tree. It wasn¡¯t burnt, nor had it been hacked to pieces, but it was dead nheless. Chapter 171: Blood Ties Chapter 171: Blood Ties ¡°How did you do that?¡± Nern inquired as the stone door openedpletely, the b rumbling to a stop with a crunch that reverberated through the floor. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Leif said as he walked forward, clothing billowing as the sea breeze buffeted him. With every step the lines carved into the stone, each filled with salty water began to emit a soft amber glow. There was a gentle incline of stone steps leading up to the base of the tree, with the grooves running from equidistant, shallow bowls and converging where petrified wood met chiselled rock. ¡°Leif, are you sure this is safe?¡± Marcus asked, grabbing the scion¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What if¡­ what if the same thing that¡­ you know...¡± He paused, a boot resting on the next step up. ¡°It¡¯s safe. I don¡¯t know how I know, but there¡¯s nothing here¡­ The danger, whatever it was, it has passed.¡± ¡°And what of the other people here?¡± Marcus whispered. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this in front of them? What if they see something or your identity is revealed somehow?¡± ¡°Hmmm. What were the purposes of these bowls?¡± Nern asked aloud, the man having conjured a small pebble and tossed it into the bowl, causing the sea water contained within to ripple outwards. Leif let his senses and aura stretch outwards, trying to gather a feeling for the ancient history that surrounded them. Information trickled into his mind, slow and lethargic. The knowledge wasn¡¯t conveyed in words, but instead distant impressions, feelings and emotions. ¡°The bowls weren¡¯t for water.¡± This ce wasn¡¯t exposed to the sea back when it was¡­ used. Look, you can see evidence of the cliffside having eroded over time.¡± He said, the golden light behind his mask flickering. Telepathically he sent. ¡°Distract everyone for a little bit.¡± ¡°What? How?¡± Marcus hissed as he shot Leif a worried look. He didn¡¯t respond, instead he climbed the final few steps and reached forward, pressing a hand of ivory wood up against the lower trunk of the- === Aei¡¯lesh was proud, but not stubborn. He gave as much as he was given, and no more. But the mortals loved him for it, and in turn, he cherished them. There were times in the year where people flocked to the ce he was rooted, offering a smearing of blood that they wiped against the regal form of his exterior. In return he bled for them, the golden liquid that filled his body with the power of longevity and preservation dripping from his branches only to umte in the stone channels the mortals had carved into the stone to gather his power. When the world changed, as it always did, the mana growing agitated and restless, they came in greater numbers, always seeking the strength to survive the months of turbulence that were toe. Aei¡¯lesh did not know why the mortals did not simply tame the rampaging powers as their forebears had done in the centuries prior, but he did not question their methods. Instead he remained where he was, the focused sunlight filtering down from above,muning with his brothers and sisters from all over the world. He would grow, in time, but it would be inconvenient. If he outgrew his home, he may need to move, which as a tree was not particrly easy. Some of his siblings could uproot themselves with ease, even change forms and walk around as the mortals did, but not him. The quiet, contemtive, and still life was what he wasfortable living, and he had no need to change. He settled back to rest, having recently learnt of a fascinating inquiry about the nature of their world, and the meaning of existence. His attention turned to the question raised by one of his sisters, and years blurred by. When awareness of his surroundings returned, the robed man who had led the sermons andmunicated with him when it came to matters of importance for the temple was now an aged woman. That happened sometimes, even with his gifts mortals still withered and died in time. It was the natural way of things, and this change wouldn¡¯t wrongfoot him, it had happened before after all. Aei-lesh extended his perception andmuned directly with the woman¡¯s mind with a gentle application of a telepathy skill. To his surprise she wasn¡¯t the sessor of the priest he had known, but instead the sessor of that man¡¯s sessor. Aei¡¯lesh was surprised, had he been distracted for so long? The woman, too, was surprised. Apparently she hadn¡¯t believed the stories that he was aware and capable ofmunication. Aei¡¯lesh supposed he couldn¡¯t me her for that mistake, he had been rather quiet for a rather long time. The priest told him of a war that had ravaged the region, how a titanic being of stone had risen in the west and reshaped the seas. The resulting waves from the sh with those who dwelled in the deep had washed away entire cities and peoples. This saddened the tree, the loss of life was always tragic, no matter who it was who had perished. ¡°Were the inds attacked?¡± He had asked. ¡°No, ancient one.¡± The priest had responded. ¡°No monster would dare.¡± It was true, thepact that governed the world and its myriad powers would not be vited so easily, or so recklessly. === A scream of pain and fear rippled through the golden threads that connected Aei¡¯lesh with his siblings. It was so loud, and so surprising that it jolted him out of his meditation. He reached out with his mind, attempting tomune with his family to see what had happened. His projection materialised into the realm of endless grasses and rolling hills, a tree easily twice the size of his physical form stretching up to greet the crystal blue sky. Others appeared one by one, each pulled from their lives, tasks or musings. Only the greatest of their kind could enter this realm at will, with the younger members of their species only being invited within when certain conditions were met. ¡°What has happened?¡± Aei¡¯lesh demanded, his thoughts mixing with the growing cacophony of noise within the space as more and more of his kind joined the meeting. His question went unanswered, for nobody knew. Though there was no ignoring a truth that they could all see. One of their kind was absent, their thread severed. Silence reigned in the infinite world of grass as the horror of their reality settled down onto them. Somehow, somewhere, one of their own had been killed. A decision was made, those with mortal followers would send their people out into the world to seek for the truth. Aei¡¯lesh himself sent many, the mortals living on the ind nation he protected more than willing toply with his requests. And so he waited for the news to arrive, for one of the mortals to return with the truth of what had transpired, for one of his siblings to discover the fate of the one who had died. === Aei¡¯lesh¡¯s agents never returned, and two yearster another of the amber were killed, their presence vanishing from the connection they all shared. But they knew where this sibling had been rooted. North, past the three seas and the Pherin mountains, in the kingdoms of honour and swords where much of them dwelled. Another death, again in the north, then another, and another. Within the span of a year half their number was missing, their minds and souls having been torn from the ne of endless grass, their amber blood doubtlessly no longer flowing within their bodies. The threat wasing from the north, and so those who were left sent those who could walk, many of the younger members of their species. The children found death, famine and gue, tides of feral beasts, rampaging monsters and fallen cities. The mortalnds to the north were being devoured, their people streaming down past the mountains in a river of refugees and desperation. But there was something wrong with the people, something corrupted, something blighted. Decades passed, and the youngest of their kind fought alongside the mortals to beat back the encroaching wilderness. But one by one they vanished, disappearing into the now overgrown territories that the mortals once held, and the amber once protected. Never in Aei¡¯lesh¡¯s life had he ever witnessed such a change in the status quo. The mortals had been devastated, millions had died, their ancestral homes lost to them. But the amber? His kind were on the verge of extinction. Those who still lived, those who had called the south their home reconvened the council one final time. Some of his siblings desperately sought out the other monster factions, seeking answers and aid. They were ignored. Others tried to prepare the next generation of the amber, creating a grand working of golden threads to seek out any who were born, and bring them together. No longer could the amber afford to be conservative with who they allowed ess to the space of their meetings, all would be weed, no matter how young. For his part, Aei¡¯lesh prayed. If the answers to their plight could not be found among the living, then perhaps the ascended wills that lingered and ruled, their influence over the world¡¯s mana transcendent, could aid him. Before his prayers could be answered, lives in the temple above him began to be snuffed out, one by one. An attack. They wereing for him. Aei¡¯lesh was no helpless sapling, and those who darede for his life and those he protected would suffer the full extent of his wrath. His roots ripped through the temple, finding beings of steel and mes. He crushed them, even as they hacked and burnt at his limbs, Aei¡¯lesh reduced them to scrap. His roots closed off entrances and extended to heal his defenders. They were so small, so young and fragile, he would never forgive any who would dare kill his people. He stretched out his cumbersome perception, unspooling it upwards to discover the identity of his foes. His mortal enemies. And he found them. And the truth broke something. Aei¡¯lesh screamed in agony, in despair and in loss. The sheer force behind the telepathic wail staggered those within the temple, blood leaking from their ears, eyes and mouths. He flinched, every part of him recoiling at having harmed his own people, his roots ripping out of walls and copsing ceilings. No! No! I¡¯m sorry! He thought, horrified to sense more and more life being snuffed out, the vitality of those he loved and cared for winking out as stone crushed them, as his iling roots smashed into or stabbed them. Aei¡¯lesh¡¯s perception rose once more. I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m so sorry. Forgive me, please. Why? Why? What did we do? What did we do to make you hate us so? He died never knowing. And time went on. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the tform they originally published on. And on. And on. It flowed. Stretched. An eternalnd of grass. An expanse of rolling hills. All under a perfectly blue sky. Day, then night, then day again. Empty. Empty. Forever- === Leif fell forward, stumbling as the sensation of his own body returned to him. His knees struck the soft ground below him, his hands catching his momentum, des of grass protruding between each digit. He drew in a shuddering breath, his mind racing, as he looked up to see infinitely stretching fields. To his left, atop a verdant hill stood a beautiful tree, and a woman with dark skin, half her body missing, standing below its canopy. Behind Leif was another tree, smaller, its roots digging down into a tform of carved stone. The second tree wept golden blood. He wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed as he had been observing the blurred stream of images, impressions, emotions and memories. It could have been an instant, though he somehow doubted it. He needed time to digest what he had learnt, time to dissect the chaotic jumble that had been shoved into his mind towards the end of the vision. Leif rolled to his feet, then made his way to the small figure standing in the grass. She was talking, just as she had been every time he had seen her. ¡°I know who you are now. I think, at least.¡± He said. She didn¡¯t respond, but she did keep speaking, monologuing to a crowd that didn¡¯t exist. ¡°-As awakened beings, it is no longer good enough to remain the silent observers you were up until this point. You have chosen to take this step, now you must begin to walk.¡± ¡°You were trying to prepare who you could, in hopes they would seed you. They were killed too, weren¡¯t they? Or perhaps they were never given the chance to be born.¡± The woman, all but certainly an awakened amber tree herself, continued to talk, ignoring him entirely. Leif sighed, ncing back to the newest addition to the realm of grass. There was no way to leave this ce from the smaller tree, though he supposed you were meant to ess this mental world through the use of a skill. A skill he didn¡¯t have. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said to the woman, bowing slightly. Then he stepped through the exit in her trunk that she had no doubt created herself for those like him. === ¡°He¡¯s using a skill, give him a few more minutes.¡± ¡°This is an unprofessional way of acting within a team enviroment. This expedition requires all members to work in tandem for the best results.¡± ¡°Well, do you have nt and time powers? Probably not, maybe leave this one to the expert?¡± Leif broke contact with the tree¡¯s trunk, his fingers resisting slightly as if being maically attached to the corpse. Mentally closing a sudden flurry of system notifications he stepped back and turned to face the crowd of worried, and intrigued looking students and faculty. ¡°Sorry about that. How long did that take?¡± ¡°Oh, thank the gods.¡± Marcus said. ¡°I know you said to distract them, and I did, but you were standing there for about twenty minutes.¡± ¡°You were trying to distract us?¡± A professor Leif didn¡¯t know the name of asked, her expression unimpressed. ¡°No. Maybe? I was trying to give my friend here the time he needed to take a look before you all got your grubby little hands on the tree and contaminated the evidence.¡± The professor let out an unamused huff. ¡°Well, did it work? Tell me you at least got something. That golden lightshow of swirling motes was more than a little eye-catching¡­ Mr Vin, was it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡­ I learnt a lot. Much of it is fragmented, I¡¯ll need time to put it together...¡± ¡°Did you find out what attacked the temple?¡± A boy asked. Leif looked over his shoulder at where he had ced his palm against the tree¡¯s trunk. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was hard to tell.¡± He lied. ¡°Hmmph.¡± The professor said, reaching into a satchel and pulling out a bound stack of papers. ¡°There¡¯s a makeshift work space two floors up, go write down your observations, you¡¯ll present them during the meetingter today.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Leif said, conjuring a golden arm to catch the papers as she tossed them to him with an underarm throw. Back in the dimly lit chamber someone working on one of the more together automatons dropped their tools and scampered off. Leif stepped to the side, allowing the milling crowd of students to do whatever it was they wanted with the tree. Marcus hopped down the stone stairs after him, waiting a minute as Leif collected his thoughts. ¡°Was it bad?¡± The [Arcanist] asked. Leif didn¡¯t know what to say. He felt tired. Wrung out. Phantom impressions from a life he had never lived were rattling around inside his mind. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I want to write any of this down.¡± He admitted, though his words seemed to make Marcus more concerned. ¡°It might help. Getting your thoughts down onto paper could allow you to make connections you hadn¡¯t realised. It usually works for me.¡± The scion flexed his fingers, then nodded wearily. ¡°Do you have a pen?¡± === Johan ran through the darkened halls of the temple, cursing the fools who had somehow allowed a monster to roam free in the Academy. This ce was supposed to be a haven of humanity, a fortress of integrity and power, but there was no mistaking it, they had been infiltrated. He hadn¡¯t believed it at first, he was sure the name of the man who had spearheaded the excavation efforts was an unfortunate coincidence. Leif was amon name in the northern kingdoms, or so he had read. Maybe the masked stranger had no rtion to the thing of wood and blood the Pherin expedition had discovered, it was unlikely, but he had hoped. He hadn¡¯t made a scene, instead he had made sure to verify before he reported anything. The counsellor he had been made to see had told him that he had an unfortunate habit of assuming the worst, and letting his assumptions cloud his judgement. But there was little risk of him being wrong about this. He would recognise those golden arms anywhere. And that wasn¡¯t to mention the damned blond haired idiot Marcus standing right next to him. This was why the Academy needed to be more careful about letting foreigners onto the inds. Most of the outsider students ended up being dumped into Lutum, and for that he was grateful, but to think one of them had been stupid enough to betray everything this institution stood for? Unbelievable. Johan cursed as he rounded a corner, almost colliding with a group of Dimid students who were taking rubbings of a mural that had been carved into the wall. ¡°Out of my way!¡± He snapped, barging through them. He didn¡¯t have time to apologise or exin himself, everyone on this ind was in danger, and only he knew about it. He sprinted up a flight of stairs, his boots dislodging a loose stone, almost making him lose his footing. He ran into a curved, half caved-in room and cursed again. He hadn¡¯t gone the right way. This whole damn ce was a maze, and as an [Operator], he had only been part of the excavation for less than a full day. A professor was lecturing a trio of second years about religious history, pointing to the carving of a cracked statue with his cane. ¡°Where¡¯s the way out?¡± Johan gasped, wheezing for breath. ¡°I need to get out! There¡¯s something down- I need to talk to someone in charge!¡± ¡°Young man, you need to slow down. These ruins are unstable, if you charge around recklessly-¡± He wasn¡¯t listening, half way through the professor''s chastisement he had whirled around and fled, taking a different turn to escape. Ten minutester he was outside, panting for breath as a bunch of people stared at him in shock. ¡°Where¡­ Where is¡­ Goodwil? I¡­ I need¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s leading a group through the newly uncovered passages found in the third entrance.¡± Someone said, which wasn¡¯t helpful at all. He didn¡¯t know what the ¡®third entrance¡¯ was, nor did he know where to find it. ¡°Did something happen, kid? Are you okay?¡± A fourth year girl asked, kneeling down and cing a hand on his shoulder. Instinctually, Johanshed out at her, pushing her away and scrambling to his feet. She looked shocked, but not hurt. He cursed under his breath again. None of these people would listen to him. They all thought he was having a panic attack, that he needed to be looked after. They all thought he was Unreliable. Weak. Johan stumbled to his feet and made for the hovering metal tform that rested by the side of the encampment. He and his fellow [Operator]s had arrived using it several hours ago, and without them he might struggle to pilot it properly, but it didn¡¯t matter. He needed to find someone who would listen to him. Someone with the power to do something about it. He could go to a de? But they were probably at the arena on Pellus. Could he go to the Academy guard? No, he was on that stupid list, they would probably detain him instead of hearing him out. Then who? That was a foolish question, he already knew who to go to. Only a member of Fracture might take him seriously, and the Spire Head of Dimid would understand the situation better than anyone else. The metal tform hummed as he fed power into the control panel at its front. Someone yelled at him to stop, but he didn¡¯t listen. Within seconds the rudimentary vehicle was lurching upwards, the energy he was pushing into it granting the tform the lift it would need to clear the rock walls. Several dozen metres in the air the control panel connected with the ind''s private navigation obelisk, then, with a mental shove, it was zipping back towards the Dimid campus. === Three sharp knocks sounded against Vevosis¡¯s office door. He rolled his neck and cracked his fingers, ncing up from the pile of paperwork before him. There was so much to do before the inevitable happened, and he was trying to get ahead while he had the chance. He opened his mouth, not to speak, but to taste the air. A familiar scent. The blood mage smiled. ¡°Come on in Norman.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Came a voice from the other side of the door, then a momentter a tall man stepped into the room. Thentern me flickered as he did so, the fire contained within the shell of ss and metal briefly turning ck. ¡°Is this Academy business, or something else?¡± Vevosis asked, his eyes flicking to the man¡¯s metallic earring, the piece of jewellery having been painted a delightful shade of red. ¡°A bit of both, sir.¡± Norman said, an expression of concern crossing over his gaunt features. He wore the dark uniform of the Academy¡¯s guard as if he had been born to wear it. ¡°A¡­ student is here to see you. He has a fairly wild im, but I thought I would speak with you first before I brought him up.¡± ¡°Hmm? Who is it?¡± ¡°A third year. Johan, a student from our own ind. He was a recent addition to the temple excavation.¡± Vevosis tapped his fingers on his desk, mumbling the student''s name to himself. ¡°Johan¡­ I believe I recall the boy. Wasn¡¯t he someone you scouted? During the failed Pherin expedition if I recall correctly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one. He¡¯s a middlingly levelled [Operator].¡± ¡°Anyone with that ss is at least somewhat useful, no matter what personal defects they may have. What was his report about? Something about the excavation?¡± Norman wet his lips. ¡°Yes¡­ ording to the boy, the anomaly from the expedition is currently within the temple itself, interacting with the corpse of the tree.¡± Vevosis frowned. ¡°Anomaly? You mean the talking blight monster you reported?¡± ¡°The same one, I¡¯m afraid.¡± The blood mage whistled. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that a surprise. How did that thing get onto the archipgo I wonder? No matter, I suppose I¡¯ll find out soon enough¡­¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Came a rasping, out of breath voice from the door. ¡°Sir, you have to listen to me! I know what I saw! Please! I¡¯m not crazy.¡± ¡°Ah, Johan, we were just speaking about you.¡± Vevosis said,cing his fingers together. Norman tensed, as if ready to strike, but with a subtle gesture the Spire Head ordered him to stand down. ¡°I must admit my confusion. I thought the ground floor was protected in such a way that nobody unauthorised could enter?¡± ¡°I¡­ I used my¡­ tform¡­ to hover up to the third floor¡­ I used an open window.¡± ¡°How resourceful of you.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ sir.¡± ¡°Well then, take a seat. I suppose I¡¯ll hear the story from your lips. You may leave us, Norman.¡± The severe looking man bowed, then departed, closing the door after him as he went. Chapter 172: Unsettled Chapter 172: Unsettled ¡°Well, child. It seems you havee to me with a most interesting discovery.¡± Vevosis said, the Spire Head lounging back in his chair, the thin line of his mouth curved into a slight smile. Or was it a sneer? Johan suddenly found his mouth dry and his heart rate elerating. It was the effect of being in the direct presence of someone over twice his level, he knew that, but the nerves still fluttered up within him. ¡°Sir, I-¡± ¡°Shhh, I already heard from my subordinate. A monster infiltrating our esteemed Academy¡­ what would the sponsors and factions think about this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the temple! Down in one of the lowest-¡± Vevosis interrupted. ¡°And?¡± ¡°A- And?¡± Johan spluttered. ¡°And¡­ was your reaction to this¡­ creature¡­ appropriate?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand sir.¡±Vevosis sighed. ¡°Look at you, boy. You¡¯re a mess. If anyone saw you on your way into my office they would have thought you mad. They would have assumed that an incident had urred. There are eyes and ears all over the inds during the quadriad, appearance is important.¡± Johan blinked, he didn¡¯t understand what the man was talking about. There was an incident! Why did how he looked matter? The monster might be going on a rampage as they were talking. They didn¡¯t have a second to waste. ¡°But sir. Aren¡¯t the people in the temple in danger? Shouldn¡¯t you go to-¡± ¡°Are they?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Those participating in the excavation. Are they in danger?¡± ¡°Of¡­ of course.¡± ¡°If the monster was hostile, wouldn¡¯t it have already attacked? Tell me, did you warn those in the temple that they were in danger? Or did youe straight to me?¡± ¡°I¡­ I knew they wouldn¡¯t listen. And¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°And you caused a scene?¡± Johan felt heat rise in his cheeks, and it became harder to keep his breathing under control. Sweat beaded on his brow, and his vision narrowed. This was stupid, they didn¡¯t have time for this. Couldn¡¯t the lecture wait. ¡°Did you even consider that if your actions had been noticed by our little imposter, that it may have been forced to act? That in forgoing subtlety you endangered lives?¡± ¡°But sir, it was doing something with the dead tree. There were golden lights and everything, apparently it somehow got through the final door. A door that was locked! It could be plotting something! It could be preparing to attack the Academy!¡± Vevosis raised a single eyebrow, leaning forward with interest. ¡°Golden light, did you say?¡± ¡°Yes, golden light.¡± Johan said, trying to force down his frustration. He stepped forward. ¡°As I said, it was doing something to the tree. Probably trying to bring it back to life, or pulling power from it somehow. Nothing good, I assure you.¡± The Spire Head didn¡¯t reply, instead the man simply smiled, tapping his fingers on top of a stack of papers. Johan felt the frustration bubbling inside him turn to anger. He took a step forward, hands scrunching into fists. Why did nobody take him seriously? Why wasn¡¯t a man known for his dedication to humanity acting? Shouldn¡¯t a leader of Fracture be more keen on destroying an enemy of humanity? ¡°Interesting.¡± The blood mage said after several seconds, his smile widening. ¡°Very interesting indeed.¡± Johan¡¯s fist mmed down onto the desk, causing every loose object to jump . ¡°Are you even listening to me? Why are you ignoring my warning?!¡± He yelled. ¡°How can you sit there and-¡± His words were cut off as his entire body went stiff, his limbs freezing up and his breath catching in his lungs as a pervasive chill raced through his veins. He stared in terror down at the Spire Head as he was lifted bodily up into the air, his body tugged slowly upwards as if strings were connected to every cell. Johan¡¯s eyes widened and he began to struggle, though his limbs were out of his control, he reached for every skill he had ess to, cycling through anything he could mentally reach for. Apressed orb of wind manifested over his left shoulder, only for the still forming working to be snuffed out of existence as Johan¡¯s aura was suppressedpletely. He gagged, choking on nothing as his head became light and feeling began to flee from his extremities. Vevosis just sat in his chair, the smile never having left his face. Finally Johan dropped, copsing to the floor of the office as his limbs failed to hold up his trembling body. His head spun and vision blurred. He didn¡¯t notice when the Spire Head stood, or how he had moved so fast. Only that firm fingers had grasped him by the top of his bald head, yanking his face upwards to look into piercing eyes that sparkled with kes of crimson. ¡°Child.¡± Vevosis cooed, his tone soothing, expression calm. ¡°Never raise your voice like that in the presence of your betters. It is¡­ undignified.¡± Johan opened his mouth to speak, but his lips were sealed by the older man¡¯s index finger. ¡°Shhh, no talking. I will exin. You wonder why I am not acting immediately? It is because I have no need to. If the creature hasn¡¯t attacked already, it isn¡¯t going to within the next few hours. I am¡­ aware of what this thing is. Its kind are rtivelymon in the regions past the northern kingdoms. They¡¯re parasites, scavengers, crude beings of wood and blood. There is a chance this imposter has nted blighted seeds within those it hase into contact with during its time at the Academy. This is fine, as I can deal with any infection personally.¡± ¡°You need to kill it.¡± Johan wheezed. ¡°Kill it? Boy, why on earth would I do that?¡± ¡°Because¡­ It¡¯s¡­ an enemy. A threat.¡± ¡°If this creature is what I assume it is, then it is no threat. It is a resource. Potentially one of incredible value.¡± Vevosis chided, tightening his grip and forcing Johan to look up into his eyes, then letting him go and standing, striding for his desk. Amunications device was pulled from a draw, and several words were spoken into it. Johan barely paid attention, his head throbbed with the rhythmic pounding of an intense headache. The Spire Head brushed aside the objects on the edge of his desk without touching them, then sat, one leg crossed over the other. ¡°I¡¯m gathering my people now. Are you pleased, child?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Do you understand, child?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ sir.¡± ¡°Mhmmm, you don¡¯t. Well, we have time to wait until those I requested arrive, so allow me to educate you.¡± Johan swallowed, but didn¡¯t try to stand. The office darkened as clouds passed in front of the sun, the light no longer streaming in through therge ss window that upied the far wall of the room. ¡°There is strength in blood. In our blood. In human blood. It is what ties us together, emboldens us to act, andpels us to protect and love. It is a passionate thing, a beautiful thing, a power that connects every man, woman and child. But there are those with tainted blood, those whose ancestorsmitted the taboo act of binding their bloodlines to the horrors that lurk where the light of civilization does not shine.¡± Vevosis said, his words silky smooth, knowing, mocking. The [Operator]¡¯s fingers dug into the wooden floor, though his nails failed to scratch the polished surface. Why did the office even have wooden floors? Wasn¡¯t the entire building made of stone? He blinked, snapped back to the presence. He had been trying to distract himself from what was toe. ¡°I can sense the purity of bloodlines, you know? Most blood mages cannot, but it is a core aspect of my path. I can look at anyone, and know how loyal their family has been to humanities cause. Do you know what I see when I look at you, child?¡± Johan squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth to fight down the anger, the disgust, and the self hatred. ¡°I sense the blood of dragons. How their foul influence flows through your veins. Not much, your bloodline has no doubt been cleansed over the generations. Yet it still persists. You feel anger, child? Rage? Tell me. Which part of you is furious? Which part of you wants tosh out in anger? The human, or the animal?¡± ¡°I am human.¡± Johan whispered. ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°I am not a traitor to my species. I have dedicated my life to fighting back against our enemies.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He shook, tears welling up unbidden. He didn¡¯t know what to say, could muster up the energy to answer the implied question. He was failing, had been for years. There was little chance he would sessfullyplete the four year tenure at the Academy, his level was too low, hismendationscking. ¡°Let me give you some advice, child. It is not the purity of your blood that gives you value. Oh, caught your attention, did I? Yes, s, it is true. How truly human someone is has no bearing on their value as a person. Yet ack of purity is always a bane, always a hindrance. Do not despair¡­ dry those tears¡­ there is still hope for you. One¡¯s disadvantages can be ovee with action, with dedication, and with duty. Will you live in such a way that your shame can be overshadowed by your deeds?¡± ¡°I will.¡± Johan whispered. ¡°Good boy. If those words prove to be true, then the bounty were may soon reap may allow you to solve your¡­ condition. There are miraculous things that can be done with certain types of blood. Nowe, my people have gathered on the ground floor, shall we go meet them?¡± === Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 23! For uncovering the ancient resting ce of one of your forebears, and exploring the ruins of their legacy you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! Mana reinforcement progress: 30%! Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 24! For learning of the fate of the ancient amber, and discovering truths forgotten by most you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [crity] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! Mana reinforcement progress: 35%! ¡°Two levels.¡± Leif sent to Marcus. ¡°Both for my monster ss.¡± The [Arcanist] whistled from where he was leaning against the stone wall of the cleared out room. The space had been turned into a makeshift rest spot within the temple, so those excavating the ruins didn¡¯t need to trek all the way outside whenever they needed to take a rest, or write up reports of their discoveries. ¡°Two in one go is very nice, especially if you¡¯re over level fifty.¡± He said aloud. ¡°I¡¯m fifty seven now.¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re higher than me. Not fair, ancient tree magic is cheating.¡± Leif huffed in amusement, spinning the pen between his ivory fingers. He had twelve free attribute points now, and just as he had told Lucia, it would be a mistake to hold them forter. He allocated nine into [Might], bringing it up to a total of eighty. Then he put the remaining three points into [crity], bringing the attribute one shy of seventy. The increases were barely noticeable when he had his core skill empowering either attribute, but the overall boost would be noticeable, and he needed to bnce out his stats before he got too lopsided. Being able to supercharge a single attribute other than [Charisma] wouldn¡¯t matter if his other attributes couldn¡¯t keep up. All the physical strength in the world wouldn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t have the coordination to not fall onto his face. It didn¡¯t matter how quickly he could theoretically move if his mind couldn¡¯t keep up with his body. ¡°About time for the end of day meeting, or thereabouts.¡± Marcus said, ncing over his shoulder to watch a trio of students stomp by, no doubt headed for the surface. ¡°Right.¡± Leif said, plucking the scribbled notes from the conjured stone b that the room had in ce of a proper table, cing them inside his storage ring. His writings were more a loose collection of his thoughts and impressions, and he wasn¡¯t sure how coherent any of it would be to anyone but him. ¡°Are you sure you want to go? We could skip it.¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get you in trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always getting myself into trouble.¡± Marcus shrugged, his grin wide. ¡°So it would hardly matter. I¡¯m more concerned about you. You¡¯re not the easiest to get a read on, wearing a clown mask and all¡­¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± ¡°Mhmm. Something¡¯s troubling you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Leif sighed. ¡°More than one thing. There are a whole lot of worries going through my mind right now. I haven''t felt like this since¡­ I don¡¯t know, before the battle with the undead? I¡¯ve been on a confident streak for a while now, things have been going well. But now I¡¯ve caught glimpses of a truth I¡¯m not sure how to process. I¡¯m not sure what to feel.¡± ¡°The truth sometimes sucks. But there¡¯s usually more to any given situation than may first appear. I don¡¯t know what you saw, I don¡¯t even want to know what it was like seeing the final moments of someone else''s life. But hey, if you need someone to talk to, I¡¯m avable. So is Sieg, but he¡¯s not as good at listening as I am. He¡¯ll call you out for lying if you¡¯re ever dishonest, it can be kind of annoying.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Leif said, dusting himself off. ¡°Have I ever told you how lucky it was that I ran into you two before anyone else?¡± Marcus shrugged, leading the way down a dimly lit passage, temporarily lighting had been strung up on the ceiling, giving the temple a soft blue glow. ¡°I¡¯d be a bisected corpse if it wasn¡¯t for you. Trust me, the feeling is mutual.¡± The two walked in silence for several minutes, gradually ascending the vast expanse of chambers, corridors and staircases. They only crossed paths with a handful of expedition members, and of those they did all but one particrly focused schr was packing up to leave. ¡°Have you thought about what you¡¯re going to do after this?¡± Marcus asked, the air growing increasingly more fresh the closer to the main exit they were. ¡°I still have several projects to work on. There are several texts I need to read, bestiaries and historical tomes to memorise. I¡¯m still working on the experience blocking technique, though I¡¯m close to mastering it. I need to figure out how I¡¯m going to contact my sister, and maybe the rest of my family assuming everything goes well. I have five different versions of the same letter drafted, and I have no idea if any of them are the right way to go about things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rough. I have no idea how I would attempt to do what you¡¯re doing. Like, how do you even initiate contact after they¡¯ve assumed you¡¯ve been dead for over a decade. Hells, they probably confirmed your death with a [Diviner]. I know the empire has simr things for fatalities in their own army.¡± ¡°They probably have.¡± Leif agreed. ¡°I just hope I meet via without something going wrong. Hera has offered to invite her to the Academy, but I doubt she¡¯d travel so far south.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Getting a personal invitation from an Academy de is pretty hard to refuse. And if you want to control the meeting with your sister, you probably want to hold it on as close to neutral ground as possible.¡± Marcus said. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. But I¡¯m not sure if I want to intrude on Hera¡¯s hospitality for several more months. Besides, I¡¯ve offered to take the two kids back north with me, and I did leave a part of myself back in Far-Reach.¡± ¡°Busy life. Have you tried abandoning responsibility?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The manughed. ¡°Well if you ever feel like it, you could always-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Leif interrupted, holding out a hand. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The scion said, peering up at the faint hints of afternoon sunlight that were bouncing off the walls. ¡°The emotions of those up ahead are¡­ tense. Not scared, but it feels like they¡¯re all wound up about something.¡± ¡°Think it might be dangerous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess we¡¯ll find out.¡± Leif decided, turning sideways to more easily fit through the gap he had created over a week ago to help the expedition forge a pathway through the dead amber tree¡¯s roots. He crept forward, recalling his aura and dispersing it like a haze around him. It wasn¡¯t as good as a dedicated stealth technique specialising in reducing someone¡¯s presence, but it was the second best thing. Leif¡¯s presence was honest and regal, which reduced the efficacy of the aura control technique, but it would have to do. Marcus fell into step behind him, and together they approached the main entrance. The first voice to reach them was aged, feminine, and familiar. ¡°Sir, I appreciate you taking a personal interest in our excavation, but we really must start the meeting. Many students wish to catch the tail end of the day''s quadriad matches, and many of my faculty have other duties to attend to back at the campus.¡± ¡°I understand the sentiment professor Goodwil, however I must insist that nobody leaves until we get a proper head count of the excavation members.¡± Came a deep voice with a smooth, deliberate cadence. ¡°With all due respect Spire Head. I do not understand why you would need to do such a thing. Toe in person is one thing, but to bring the Academy guard as well-¡± ¡°I have my reasons dear, you will simply have to trust me.¡± A hand tugged at Leif¡¯s shoulder, urging him to step back. ¡°That¡¯s the Spire Head.¡± Marcus whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing here, but this can¡¯t be good.¡± Leif felt something cold take root inside of him, as if the amber blood that ran through his body slowed to a crawl. ¡°Vevosis?¡± He asked, rm rising. Of all the people he had been told to avoid while partaking in the excavation effort, that man was at the very top of the list. ¡°Yeah. And it sounds like he brought the guard.¡± There was a pping sound from beyond the entrance, then Vevosis¡¯ voice came again, this time pitched to carry further. ¡°I have an interest in meeting one of the members of the expedition. I recognised the names of everyone listed as official members, except for one. It¡¯s quite unusual for a visitor to our grand Academy to so proactively participate in our extra-curricr activities.¡± ¡°Back.¡± Leif sent to Marcus. ¡°We¡¯ll use one of the side entrances.¡± The [Seeker] nodded, backpedalling down into the temple. Then his eyes went wide, and Leif could tell why. The cold sensation that was slowly filling him turned icy in an instant as an invisible hand felt like it had reached into his chest and taken hold of the very core of his being. Marcus cried out as he was sent stumbling forward, Leif quickly reached out and caught him with a pair of golden arms, his real ones being used to support himself against the wall of the tunnel. ¡°Ah. But it seems he has arrived.¡± The Spire Head said, then a momentter a shadow fell across the entrance. The man was tall and sharp, he wore the Academy¡¯s uniform, though over it was a vivid red coat. His eyes shimmered the same colour as they locked onto Leif¡¯s own amber gaze, and his mouth stretched into a shockingly white grin. ¡°Hello there friend. Why don¡¯t we have a chat?¡± The man didn¡¯t move, but another tug, this time even stronger, made Leif stumble forward a step. But that was okay, the direction of the step didn¡¯t matter. Still holding onto Marcus, Leif vanished in a blur of golden light, both his, and Marcus¡¯s bodies dissolved, the blood mage¡¯s grip on them breaking as they temporarily lost physicality. The golden light streaked backwards, following the exact path they had taken to arrive at the main entrance. [The Amber Path] fizzled out somewhere in the middle of the temple¡¯s many underground passageways, well out of range of the Spire Head¡¯s perception, or anyone else he had brought. ¡°Shit.¡± Marcus cursed, blinking rapidly as he regained his bnce. ¡°Was that some sort of blood maniption skill? It felt like my veins were going to be ripped out of my body!¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely.¡± Leif said, already turning to flee deeper into the undergroundplex. ¡°Come, we need to leave.¡± ¡°Ah man. And things were going so well.¡± ¡°If the temple falls down on our heads, then fate is ying a trick on us.¡± Leif hissed as he dashed down a partially dug out tunnel. The two of them quickly reached an intersection. As Leif tried to remember the routes to the other entrances, Marcus spoke a word that shook the air. ¡°Reveal to me.¡± He intoned, his hand extended. As ifpelled by an invisible hand, he turned and pointed, his eyes closed. ¡°That way.¡± They ran, their footsteps echoing off time-warn foundations and partially crumbled pirs. The lights that had been put in ce by the expedition were fading, the power being fed to them along tort wires dissipating, slowly plunging the buried structure into darkness. Marcus created several balls of shimmering light, flinging them down hallways or into unlit chambers to guide their steps. The two of them rounded a corner, only for the orange glow of torch-light to filter down from over a stone balcony, the sound of hurried boots striking dust covered rock making them skid to a stop. ¡°Back!¡± Marcus hissed, his expression panicked. Leif had already grabbed him, and with a blur of amber light they were gone, rapidly retreating back the way they hade. ¡°Were they the Academy guards?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Yeah. I think so. Damn it, why now? How did they even find you? Hang on, let me look for another way out.¡± Marcus closed his eyes, one hand outstretched, the other holding onto Leif¡¯s arm. ¡°There are three more entrances that the excavation has uncovered, but from here only two are essible. Let me search for people in those directions¡­¡± Shouts came from down a shadowed corridor, Marcus¡¯s eyes snapped open. He didn¡¯t need to say anything, his grimace told Leif everything he needed to know. ¡°We need to go our separate ways.¡± The scion said, already striding away from the approaching sounds. ¡°They¡¯re after me, not you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s stupid, I can still help you get out.¡± ¡°If the worstes to pass, I have a way out. I don¡¯t think they can stop me. I could take you along with me, but I don¡¯t rmend it. Fleeing would be an admission of guilt, and it might just ruin your life here in the empire.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to teleport out?¡± ¡°Not unless I have no other choice. But it mighte to that, I don¡¯t want to fight anyone associated with the Academy if I¡¯m not forced to.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Alright. We¡¯ll split up. I have usible deniability if they don¡¯t find us together. What do you want me to do? Go find Hera?¡± ¡°If you could, that would be much appreciated. Try to find Lucia and Roy too, they should be on Pellus watching the quadriad. If you find them, tell them to stay at the residence and I¡¯ll try to get back to them. I don¡¯t want any investigation of me to end up getting their identities revealed to the wrong people.¡± ¡°I can do that.¡± Marcus said, letting out a deep breath as they reached an intersection. ¡°The way to the tree is down that way. Stay alive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Leif said, gripping the other man¡¯s forearm. They shook, then ran in opposite directions. === Leif sprinted into the final chamber of the temple, the salty scent of the sea blowing in through the still open doorway on the far side of the massive room. He could sense the vitality signatures of his pursuers in the higher floors, and could feel them drawing closer. He skidded to a halt, turned, and pulled back a hand. His newest skill, [Fist Projection], required around a second of buildup, a haze of energy manifesting around his clenched fist. He focused on [Might], feeling as strength flooded through his body. Then he struck forward, aiming for the ceiling above the passageway he hade. The air rippled as the projected force of his punch flew upwards, crashing into the stone and sending a cascade of dust and debris raining down. Then he kicked off, dashing towards the corpse of the long dead amber tree. He passed through the doorway, his form briefly casting a shadow back into the temple as the afternoon sun poured down from the tiny gap far above. Leif reached out, brushing fingers against the door frame, willing it to close. Golden light appeared briefly, but the stone door didn¡¯t move, its mechanisms grinding against one another, but the degradation of the structure prevented it from closing. The scion cursed, sensing a rising swell of agitationing from behind him. Leif knew he could fight. From an attribute standpoint, he outssed any human of the same level, and he had little reason to believe the Academy guard were much higher in level than himself. And even if they were of significantly greater level, they weren¡¯tparable to the des. He could win. But fighting here would likely cost him more than he gained. He could run, leap off the cliff and fall down into the water. Walk along the seafloor and hope he could sustain his body through healing, even as he suffocated. It was risky, but potentially less so than engaging his pursuers. There was one final option. A choice he only realised as he desperately dug through his system interface for another way out that didn¡¯t involve teleporting away hundreds of kilometres. It couldn¡¯t work. Shouldn¡¯t work. As written, the skill did not function in the way he wanted it to. But spellcraft let one push the limits of their abilities, and he had already proven he could interact with the roots of the dead amber tree. He took a sharp breath, the sounding as a hiss as air was sucked through the mouth slit of his mask. He ced a palm against the tree¡¯s trunk and pushed. Activating [Tree of Respite]. There were restrictions, and they made themselves immediately apparent as he tried to fuse with the tree¡¯s twisted trunk. Living, non-evolved. The target of the skill fulfilled neither of those conditions, but maybe. ¡°Fuse.¡± Leif said, focusing his [Willpower]. At the same time he let his vitality flow freely into the petrified wood, flooding it with life once again. Reality twisted, the breeze going still. There was a sh of pain within Leif¡¯s soul, and the invisible wall blocking him out cracked, but not enough to let him slip through. Quickly. Leif thought, panic rising. He had seconds before his pursuers saw him. He pushed again, but the innate resistance from trying to push his skill beyond its limits dyed him. The scion cursed, then ducked around to the other side of the tree. He was just in time, shouts and cries reached his ears as over a dozen men and women dressed in a dark uniform burst through the cloud of dust he had created to distract them and block their line of sight. No intent locked onto him, so he was yet to be detected. ¡°Fill, stabilise.¡± Hemanded, mentally intoning the words instead of speaking them aloud. But spellcraft wasn¡¯t subtle, the awareness of the Academy guard snapped in his direction. Golden blood flowed in a torrent from his outstretched hands, draining his cultivated reserves drastically with every passing second. Within moments he had pushed forty percent of his stored vitality into the tree, then fifty, sixty. He reactivated [Tree of Respite] once more, and this time his hand slipped into the trunk, then his forearm, bicep, shoulder. As the guards spilled out into the space where the amber tree¡¯s petrified remains were rooted to ancient stone, Leif vanished, bing fully subsumed by the petrified wood. Immediately his ability to perceive his surroundings lessened, his sight, hearing and sense of smell went first, then his ability to feel what he was touching quickly followed. He became part of the tree, and it became a part of him. The nature of the corpse resisted him, and pressure built within his soul, quickly turning to pain. But he was far from the same being who a year ago could only use a couple of skills a handful of times before he needed to rest. His aura tightened around him, cloaking what little part of his physical form remained, his entire mind dedicated to the task of fighting back against the petrified wood¡¯s attempt to eject him. Living beings surrounded the tree, and he could sense the beating of their hearts, the power contained within their bodies. They milled around, confused as to where he had gone. He sensed one vanish over the side of the cliff, the person¡¯s presence disappearing immediately as it left the constrained range of his perception. The pressure on his soul built, insistent and violent. In response Leif let more of his vitality flee his body, flowing into the trunk around him. ¡°Hold.¡± He tried tomand, but he couldn¡¯t focus on spellcraft and maintain his position within the petrified corpse of his forebear at the same time. He could feel his body slipping, approaching the edge of the trunk as he began to reconstitute. Leif shut everything out, falling into a meditative trance. It was easier to pull off than he had thought, [Meditations on Eternity] more than eager to amodate his needs. But his cultivation was all but dry, tapped outpletely from the insane expenditure to make the impossible possible. It merged with the petrified wood, then faded, the corpse unable to hold ipatible energy. So instead Leif reached out, grabbing what vitality he could with his will and pulling it back. A tiny trickle re-entered him, but it wasn¡¯t enough, and what he did regain immediately left him once more. He reached out further, deeper, and drew in everything he could. Then again, and again. With each repetition he gained proficiency, confidence, the life-force loop he had created was inefficient, but it would give him the moments he needed to stabilise his position. ¡°Hold.¡± He tried again, his soul screaming as [Tree of Respite] was pushed to its very limits, the structure of the skill beginning to tear. In his mind¡¯s eye he saw it, a flickering orb of gold that represented the ability, fraying as it was pulled in every direction at once. He sought out the golden thread, finding that it came easily now that all distractions had fled his mind. Through the mysterious connection he tried to find something, anything that could help him. If he could just connect with the long passed being he was taking refuge with then maybe- It snapped into ce. A tenuous connection to something insubstantial, lost, dead. But it was something, and he had nothing else to do but try. ¡°Protect me.¡± He begged. Whether it was luck, stubbornness or the remnant will of Aei¡¯lesh that made the spell working function, Leif wasn¡¯t sure. But finally the corpse of the amber tree stopped fighting him, instead it embraced him, holding him closely, protecting him. Vitality flowed into him more easily, the trickle of amber energy he was pulling from his petrified surroundings growing to a stream, then a river. Golden blood that only a second ago had been invisible, undetectable to his senses, became clearer, as if it had always been there, only hiding out of sight. I bet this is how I¡¯m supposed to upgrade [Font of Life]. He mused, his mind numb and soul aching. A momentter the system confirmed his thought. Congrattions! Your [Scion of Aeons] skill [Font of Life] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [Font of Life] from rank III to rank IV? Y/N Yes, obviously. He mentallymanded the prompt, thest of the burden of maintaining his situation falling away as his control increased to the next level. Finally he let his meditation drop, the veil that had been ced over his still functioning senses being lifted as he took in his surroundings. The people surrounding the petrified tree were present, but they weren¡¯t focused on him. There was rm, worry, even fear. But he wasn¡¯t the target, Leif could sense as much. Then, as if receiving orders he couldn¡¯t hear, they left, fleeing back into the temple as quickly as they hade. Leif let them go, focusing on [Spirit] to encourage his recovery, letting the ache in his soul subside partially before he detached himself from Aei¡¯lesh¡¯s mineralised body. The surface of the trunk rippled as he fell out and back onto solid ground. His clothing was rumpled, and mask askew, but everything was otherwise as he had left it. Letting out a sigh of relief, Leif fell to one knee. Only then did he realise how strangely cold it had gotten. And when he looked around, a faint mist was rising up over the edge of the cliff. This was normal, an everyday urrence on the Academy¡¯s four inds. Though that was only true after the sun had set. And there was still daylight left. Chapter 173: Encroaching Mists Chapter 173: Encroaching Mists Lucia watched the team battle taking ce in the arena with keen interest. She didn¡¯t know any of thebatants, but one of the girls from the Pellus team was obviously a [Rogue], the way she moved and fought, darting in for quick, intense strikes with her shortsword, only to rapidly retreat, was indicative of the ss. One of the [Rogue]¡¯s teammates was throwing around balls of rainbow fire, the attacks seeming to distract and debilitate instead of burning his opponent. Lucia¡¯s eyes narrowed as she watched the short sword wielder blur forward, taking advantage of the distraction created by her ally. She should havemitted to that engagement. Lucia thought. The spearman was off guard and she was inside his range. She was too quick to retreat. In the seat beside her own, Roy was waving his arms and pping. Her little brother kept jumping out of his seat, only to plop back down a momentter. He seemed to be focused on apletely different part of the fight, and within seconds she had followed his gaze, the perception altering field around the arena allowing her to make out details she would have otherwise missed. Five minutester the team from Pellus won, though it had been close. The match had ended with a duel between the final member of each team. A tall man with stone wrapping around his body like armour faced off against the spearman the [Rogue] girl had failed to take out earlier. Lucia tapped her foot impatiently, there were new things she wanted to try out. She could practically taste level four, she was so close. Hopefully both Leif and Hera would be avableter for training, hopefully in the beast reserve like they had nned. The de wasn¡¯t around every night, but the masked healer was. A tugging on her sleeve caught her attention, and she looked down to see Roy trying to tell her something. Lucia leaned forward, trying to make out his words over the cheering of the crowd. Roy opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he was going to say got interrupted by a yawn. She squinted at him, covering her mouth with a fist as she fought back a yawn of her own. It was because yawns were contagious, not because she was skipping sleep. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Roy said, his voice barely a whisper over the spectators. A chant had started up about how Pellus was the greatest of the inds. Lucia nodded, standing and taking hold of Roy¡¯s hand. It was strange to hear those words from her sibling¡¯s mouth and have there be something she could do about it. In the time she and Roy had spent on the archipgo the past year had begun to feel like a lifetime ago. By the time they were out of the arena Roy was clinging to her back like a monkey, his chin resting atop her shoulder. He was still too light for his age, but only a handful of weeks ago carrying him like this for an extended period of time would have been too much for her to handle. Roy sleepily mumbled his favourite parts of the day¡¯s fights as they plodded along towards the portal hub, both of them grabbing two chicken skewers from a student run pop up stand, one of many that lined the road. The day was cloudy, though it wasn¡¯t cold. The temperature this far south was fairly constantly warm, at least when it wasn¡¯t turbulence. A subtle chill made here to a stop, the gentle afternoon breeze rustling her clothes. ¡°Sis? Why is there mist?¡± Roy asked, pointing to a shadowed alley between two lecture halls. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We should get home in case it gets any thicker.¡± Lucia mumbled, her eyes darting around as she noticed more and more wisps of unspooling mist. They seemed to being from the west. === Dani Low sharpened her sword as she sat on the steps leading up to her grandiose residence. Servants and caretakers bustled around, each going about their own individual tasks. Sparks flew along the de¡¯s edge, and she focused her will to slightly alter the shape of the metal. When she was done, the weapon vanished, only to be reced a momentter as she summoned another. She hummed to herself as she worked, the rhythmic exercise always served to calm her, to centre her mind. There was so much to do, so many pieces to put into ce. She had never been so busy, but ever since she had be a de of the Academy, her life had been one meeting after another, onemitment followed by several more. The responsibility weighed on her sometimes, that of her duty to the institution and her family, but also her own ambitions. House Low was organising an expedition into the east, where they would finally uncover just how much territory the undead had lost. Humanity would likely never reim what they had lost in the region, but that didn¡¯t mean they had nothing to gain from piging the underground fortress cities of the undead. She wanted to go herself, but Kastro would likely gain more from the experience. As if her thoughts had summoned the man, her younger cousin dropped down into the courtyard before her, his fall softened by a bubble of grey water that sshed up to partially engulf his body. ¡°Dani! There¡¯s something wrong, there are things in the sea heading right for the Academy! But I can¡¯t tell what, something has severed my connection to the waters west of our location!¡± He shouted She stopped sharpening her de at that. ¡°What do you mean ¡®severed¡¯?¡± She snapped, putting away the half sharpened sword with a wave of her hand. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m blocked! It¡¯s as if something is smothering my link to the sea! Likely a domain skill of some kind, though if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s damn huge. Likely several skills working in tandem if I had to guess.¡± Dani squinted, her mind racing. There were several possibilities, and a handful were likely disastrous. Then her eyes picked up the faint movement of a bank of fog creeping along therge za her residence fronted. ¡°Oh no.¡± She muttered, earning a confused look from Kastro. But she didn¡¯t have time to exin her theory. Instead she pushed power into her legs, then jumped as high as she could go, manifesting metal tforms under her boots she leapt again, within seconds having risen above every nearby building. Mist rolled over the ind, growing more dense with every passing second. Dani twisted, summoning a fingernail sized ball of steel. Then she threw it as hard and fast as she could towards the peak of a distant spire. Two secondster, a deafening gong resounded over the ind as her projectile struck the massive bell she had been aiming for. As she alighted onto the ground, more bells began to sound. Then both she and her cousin sprinted down the street, groups of students letting out cries of rm as they blurred past. This book is hosted on another tform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. === Marcus winced as he climbed up the final set of stairs, light trickling down from the side entrance to the temple. He had assumed correctly that the Academy guards weren¡¯t on the lookout for him, but that hadn¡¯t stopped a trio of them from barging past him, knocking him against a wall as they rushed deeper into the undergroundplex. He stepped out into the open air, immediately feeling a chill. How had it gotten so cold? He rubbed his hands together, generating both heat and purple sparks of arcane power while he considered what to do next. Getting to Lutum was the priority. There was little he could do, as a third year student he had neither the strength or authority to make a significant impact on the situation he and Leif had found themselves in. Nodding to himself he set off, jogging along a twisting ridge winding between the towering walls of a ravine. Marcus worked his magic as he went, first to seek out a path forward, then to find the location of Leif. The man turned tree was somewhere down below, and while his skill couldn¡¯t find the scion¡¯s exact location, it could roughly determine things like distance and if the target was moving. It didn¡¯t seem Leif was, and that was either a good thing, in that he didn¡¯t need to move. Or it was bad, in that he had been caught and captured. Either way, Leif was alive, and that would need to be good enough for the time being. Channelling arcane power into his legs, Marcus quickly scaled a cliff, then from his vantage he looked around. Mist was rolling through the canyons and in between rock formations, and the air was growing colder by the second. He nced towards the distant rooftops of the Dimid campus, and only then did he catch the faint ringing of bells. An attack? How? Or is this some sort of drill? He thought, quickening his pace. Dark clouds churned above the Academy, blocking the sunlight that had been present only minutes earlier. Marcus bounded up a series ofrge boulders, crouching atop the tallest one to scan his surroundings. Almost immediately he saw a column of students and Academy guard winding through the rockyndscape some four hundred metres ahead of him. The sight of the dark uniformed protectors of the inds made him let out a breath of relief. If the guards were headed back to the campus, they weren¡¯t down in the temple hunting for his friend. The ringing of bells seemed to grow louder, more insistent, urgent. The [Arcanist] swallowed thickly. He stood, almost by instinct turning to peer at the distant stretch of dark blue he could barely make out over the rocky geography of Dimid. A hundred tiny sails littered the horizon, and that was just the ships he could see. Marcus swore, then swore again, kicking a loose pebble. He recognised those ships, anyone from his homnd could. A fleet of republic vessels was approaching the archipgo. Somehow. As far as Marcus knew, the feat should have been impossible. You had to be mad to sail across the open seas, and if a fleet of ships sailed along the coast they would have been spotted long before getting anywhere near the Academy. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be good.¡± He said aloud. If there was an attack here, there would almost certainly be ships heading for the other inds. It was possible there was a seaborne invasion happening all over the western provinces. He hesitated, then took off running, with any luck he would catch up to the tail end of the expedition and slip right in. === ¡°It¡¯s only theft if the coin is taken out of cirction and kept in a vault somewhere.¡± Helos was saying, his arms crossed. ¡°The whole point is to reinvest back into the city, province or whatever.¡± ¡°And how often does that happen? You think some slimy fifth generation governor is going to be able to resist skimming a nifty sum off the top?¡± Mouric asked, the massive man¡¯s head almost brushing against the room¡¯s ceiling. Hera popped a salted nut into her mouth, trying to tune them out. She flipped through a folder of reported monster sightings near the imperial capital, matching the descriptions given with her repertoire of knowledge about the region. It had been too long since she had gone on a proper hunt, and while the asional bout with her peers kept her from getting too rusty, she was keenly aware of the deadline she was working with. She had decades, but it was still better to act while the proverbial iron was hot. It was a known phenomena, that just like how younger people suffered from an experience penalty, the same was also true for the elderly. Though whether this was because of some system imposed limitation, or simply a natural consequence of the soul stagnating over time, well, there were some fairly fierce debates about the answer to that question. ¡°-Right, but if you use the wealth from taxation to build roads or whatever, infrastructure that improves the efficiency ofmerce andbour, you end up making more over time. Surely this is a fairly simple concept to understand?¡± Helos said, reaching over and grabbing a fistful of nuts. Hera shifted the bowl away. These were her nuts. ¡°Oh, I understand it just fine. Thest time I was in the eastern provinces some pompous dickhead happily exined how he was leeching from the people to fund his next mansion. I put his head through a wall, andst I checked his son, or maybe grandson had taken over as governor.¡± Mouric exined. Helos shrugged, then the sixth de reached through a shimmering silver portal, grabbing another handful of nuts out of the bowl. ¡°I¡¯m going to stab you if you-¡± Hera said, only to be cut off as the sound of bells resounded across the arena. Within seconds the happy, cheering crowd had fallen quiet. Mouric cursed, summoning his massive hammer. Helos threw the nuts he was holding into the air, and in the same motion he created a doorway of liquid mercury. Hera rose and dashed for the portal, and the three des were gone before the nuts had fallen to the ground. === Leif found it worrying how weak he felt with his cultivation all but empty. It wasn¡¯t a physical weakness, but more an ufortable feeling now that one of his lifelines was tapped dry. If he could find a living being, ideally a nt of some kind, he could heal it with his other skills, and then drain it. The process was slow, and wouldn¡¯t do much, if anything to help expand his reserves unless he spent months doing it, but any little bit would help. Unfortunately, the only living nts he could sense were himself, and small shoots of grass that poked out of cracks in the stone. Trying to refill his pool of vitality with a bunch of grass would be like trying to drink the ocean through a straw. Only possible with an obscene amount of time, effort and stubborn determination . He had emerged from the temple several minutes ago, and now he was making his way through mist filled valleys and canyons. It was all but impossible to see more than a handful of metres in front of him, the mist seeming to press down on every type of perception, not just the mundane. Sound was muffled, and everything appeared to suddenly burst out from nowhere, even if it was just a jagged boulder. Even with the obstacle, Leif had little issues making his way back towards the campus. With the mist, he might even be able to get back to Lutum without Vevosis, or the Academy guard finding him. But it was difficult to look on the bright side of his situation, not when the abrupt onset of the usually evening confined mist filled him with worry. There was a constant dull sound, like metal striking metal, only from a great distance away. He suspected it was some sort of bell, but with the mist dampening everything it was hard to tell. Was there a monster attack? Was the bell ringing because of him? Probably not thatst one. So then why? It was as he was considering this that Leif ran into a party of a dozen armed men and women. The group almost stumbled right into him, clearly as unustomed to traversing the misty environment as Leif himself was. They weren¡¯t Academy guard, they didn¡¯t have the dark uniform. Adventurers? But why would they be here? He didn¡¯t have time to ask, because after only an instant of hesitation, the neers attacked all at once. Chapter 174: Outbreak Chapter 174: Outbreak The sudden, instantaneous feeling of having several hostile intentionsnce into his awareness almost cost Leif the fight. Him hesitating to retaliate, unsure as to the identity of his assants almost got him killed. Almost. As a spear of crackling lightning punched through his chest, he didn¡¯t feel pain, but the strike staggered him back a step. The shaft of the weapon was metal, every inch of its surface lined with glowing red runes. The ground beneath his right foot turned to mud, and he slipped down, almost losing his footing. A shower of ck needles shed for his head, easily piercing the golden shield he conjured to protect himself. A whip of fire came in from the side, shattering the already weakened shield and burning a gash through his clothes. A beam of brilliant red blight impacted his sternum, and thankfully had seemingly no effect. Then a haze of nightmarish sights drowned his vision, leaving him mentally reeling, his aura control unbnced and weak. Several more attacks came a heartbeatter, but against any normal opponent the initial offensive would have been enough. The squad of assants seemed to think so as well, because even as the follow up barrage fell down onto Leif, one of their members jetted forward, churning white water sshing out behind him as he blurred towards Leif with incredible speed. His fist was wreathed in water, and a cruel, triumphant grin spread across his cracked lips. So when his strike connected with Leif¡¯s chest, the man had an instant to realise that he had just made a massive mistake. In that instant his fingers broke, wrist shattered and forearm fractured. His look of tion shifted to one of confusion, then horrified agony as he looked up into zing golden eyes. Then Leif¡¯s masked face caved the man¡¯s skull in, the wood splintering and bone dissolving under the force of the headbutt reverberating through the mist-coveredndscape. The unarmedbatant, likely a [Brawler] of some kind, died, but a hand of gold reached out and grabbed him by the throat. Blood rushed down and through the conjured limb, vitality, already fading from the moment of death flowing into Leif, refilling his cultivation. It wasn¡¯t as much as the Scion would have expected, but his cultivation skill had just upgraded, his maximum capacity would be far greater than it had been before. As the myriad of wounds all over his body began to heal, Leif took an awkward step forward, and vanished in a streak of golden light. He didn¡¯t go far, barely twenty metres. But it was enough to disappear into the chaotically swirling mist. The muffled sound of shouts and curses drifted through the frigid air, the words lethargic, smothered. ¡°Is that a de?¡± One of the attackers called, it seemed to be the individual with the ming whip. Somebody replied, their voice panicked, though the exact words were lost. ¡°Whoever they are, they must be critically injured. Go! Find them! You all have your orders, don¡¯t let a single one escape!¡± As the group chorused an agreement, Leif burst out of the mist from the opposite direction they had seen the golden light disappear towards. The stone beneath his feet shattered as he kicked off, a forest of amber arms snaking out to strike at every vague outline he could make out through the mist. Leif could sense them, the subtle outlines of their presences like pinpricks on his awareness, and he knew they weren¡¯t looking in the right direction to stop his counter attack. This was not a game. This group hade at him without hesitation, the intention to kill had been so sharp it had almost blinded him. But they didn¡¯t know who he was, and that meant they could realistically only be from a handful of ces. Either this was another faction within the empire, or more likely, some sort of invasion from the republic. If it was thetter, and as he got a closer look at their appearances and dress, he grew more confident that it was, then he had already fought and killed their kind before. Leif had killed the two republic agents in the caverns below Klos. He had regretted the necessity, but not the action. He reminded himself of that as his fist crushed a man¡¯s rib cage, the shock of the blow stopping his heart. He ignored the spike of fear and rm as another hand grabbed a woman by the ankle, lifting her up off the ground before mming her down into the stone ground. A golden arm ripped a sword from one of the invaders, and then pinned one of theirrades against a nearby boulder with the weapon. Every punch shattered bones, every strike stealing life and turning it to golden power. The spear wielder''s head was crushed into the ground, another¡¯s legs were broken, then their stomach was pierced by a sharpened limb. Ten secondster everything was silent, the essence of skill constructs bleeding into the swirling mist. Broken bodies littered the ground, blood and viscera coated every avable surface, and that was after most of the invader¡¯s life-force had been absorbed. Leif let out a hissing breath, his body was burning hot from stolen vitality, and the air heated around him, forcing back the chill. The half broken painted mask flew up into his hand from where it had fallen, and he smoothed out its surface with [Wood Maniption]. Leif¡¯s clothes were torn, scorched and covered in blood, but he didn¡¯t have time to change. Nor did he have the intention to do so. If he was right, there would be more violence toe. The scion rewound time with [Sympathy From Experience], he found the direction he had been walking in before the abrupt confrontation, then sprinted back towards the Dimid campus. === A sound like rolling thunder passed over the expansive za¡¯s of Pellus as war broke out on the ind. The ground shook, and the surroundings lit up with a hundred different colours as skills were unleashed. Roy clung to Lucia¡¯s neck, trembling with terror, his eyes scrunched shut. She couldn¡¯t me him for being scared, because she felt the exact same thing. Responsibility straightened her spine and firmed her resolve, and even as her legs burnt and heart tightened in fear as the sound of fighting drew closer she kept running towards the portal hub. The battle had started instantaneously and without warning, groups of armoured humans suddenly appearing all over the ind, each instantly turning and attacking whoever was the closest. The response from those capable of fighting was quick, but the sheer ferocity and unexpected nature of the attack had put the Academy¡¯s defenders on the back foot. A squad of dark uniformed guards sprinted by her and Roy, they shot her a nce, but didn¡¯t stop. She let them get out of sight, then ran in the other direction once the sound ofbat started up from where they had gone. Mist rolled over the nearby buildings, but it was inconsistent in density. asionally, Lucia could make out distant structures, and she used those opportunities to reorientate towards the hub. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± She said to Roy. ¡°Another hundred or so metres. Can you hold on until then?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± He whispered, increasing the strength of his grip. ¡°Okay, take a deep breath and stay calm. We¡¯ll be fine Roy, we¡¯ve already survived worse.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lucia followed her own advice, then took off down the wide street. Bodies littered the road, but she didn¡¯t stop to look at them. Too many wore the Academy¡¯s uniform, though many did not. The ground shook again, then a multi-storied building to their right exploded, a figure d in glowing green energy sting through one of the walls, chunks of carved stone flying in every direction. The figure, a man, stood, blood streaked down his face, and one eye was matted shut. He brushed off his shoulders as if beingunched through a building didn¡¯t bother him at all. Malevolently glowing green eyes turned to Lucia and Roy, and an axe of the same colour manifested in the man¡¯s hand, liquid dripping off the de and sshing to the ground with a sharp sizzling sound. He casually raised the weapon, a rippling wave of acidic energy covering the distance between him and them in a second. Lucia threw herself to the side, both she and Roy tumbling across the street in an uncontrolled roll. She looked up, panic seizing her as she saw a second wave of glowing green power already heading towards where they hadnded. The air screamed, and a shimmering gale of wind ripped past her. The skill that had been moments away from wiping both Lucia and her brother out parted, the energy devouring stone and melting through walls, but it didn¡¯t harm either of them. A second air elemental dove down from above, kicking up a cloud of dust as it mmed into the emerald d man. He screamed in anger, rather than pain, as des of wind cut into him, doing little damage but sending him flying back. ¡°de!¡± He roared,shing out at the elemental with his axe, destroying it. As if in response to his words, a woman appeared before Lucia and Roy, then her blurred form sted past them as she took another step. She reappeared next to the man, then the air cracked, and another building exploded as he wasunched through it. An instantter both were gone. Both siblings were left coughing and spluttering, sprawled between two lines of melted cobblestone. ¡°Which de was that?¡± Roy asked, blinking rapidly. ¡°Sabline, I think.¡± Lucia replied, dazed. Then she pped her hands against her cheeks, snapping her out of her shock. She scrambled over to Roy, checking him over for wounds. She let out a sigh when she saw that he was mostly fine. ¡°Which number was she again?¡± Roy asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s go before eitheres back.¡± === War sucked. That wasn¡¯t a controversial opinion, but Marcus couldn¡¯t help but reflect on its uracy. It didn¡¯t help when one side of a conflict seemed magicallypelled to do as much damage as possible. And it was likely that they were, he had first hand experience with the penal battalions of the republic when he was a boy, and it had been an episode he had never wanted to repeat. And yet here he was, on the other side of the Rien, facing down a group that had haunted his childhood. At least this time he had¡­ not exactly friends, Marcus didn¡¯t really know any of the students, faculty or guards he was fighting alongside. Allies. Allies who shared the same goal as him. Survival. ckened fingers, each the size of his arm, reached around the corner of a nearby apartmentplex, burning orange criss-crossed each stone digit. The building cracked, and the¡­ whatever it was lumbered into sight. Mist churned and burnt away from the sheer heat the creature was exuding, and the stone beneath its feet melted into pools of stickyva with every step. Marcus and everyone else in the group he was fighting with turned to look at the thing in unison. It roared, its jagged mouth stretching, the world shaking with the tremendous volume of the sound. Several people fell, clutching their ears, others passed out on the spot. Marcus raised a hand to the side of his head, and it came away wet. He grimaced, then sted a bolt of purple lightning at the hulking form that slowly approached. The skill did absolutely nothing. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m probably dead.¡± The [Seeker] said aloud. Someone nearby screamed, probably in agreement. Then a ball the size of his fist streaked out of the mist, the object burning with a brilliant golden light. It smashed into the being of ckened stone and oozing me, then exploded into a hundred twisting and writhing branches. Marcus blinked, then slumped against the ground. The monster, construct, whatever, roared again as the violently expanding wood sted its exterior into a thousand smouldering chunks. It fell into a fountain, steam sting in every direction. A hand sped Marcus on the shoulder, and he looked up. Then he looked down. The [Arcanist] winced. ¡°You look like shit.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Leif replied. ¡°You too.¡± Then he sprinted towards the slowly recovering titan. === The edges of Leif¡¯s clothes burnt away as he punched through the chest of the rock and magma shell. He could sense the living being hiding within, like a beating heart for the monstrosity who¡¯s very presence turned stone into molten g. His [Amber Aegis] red up with every inch his fist drove into the thing¡¯s superheated form, the sole of his boots catching fire. Leif reached back, then mmed his fist back down into the thing¡¯s chest, and its rocky exterior shattered. His fingers wrapped around something soft and fleshly, then he ripped it out with every ounce of strength and physical power hispressed body could muster. What ejected from the molten shell was a head, spine and part of the upper torso of a now very dead human man. Leif threw the corpse to the ground, the body of rock the invader had been using for protection crumbling apart. Purple light shed behind him, and the Scion turned to see Marcus channelling a surge of violet arcane power into an armoured figure that was sprinting towards him, and the still recovering students who were yet to get to their feet. A ck d Academy guard stepped into the charging individual''s way, and the two exchanged a flurry of blows as steel rang against steel. Leif took a step, blurring back to where Marcus stood panting and sweating. A golden shield flickered around the guard as a sword strike almost took off her arm. The guard took advantage of the opening, plunging her de between a gap in the invaders armour. Silver light shed, and the guard¡¯s sword snapped in half, her attack blocked by some sort of skill. She rolled to the side, catching a savage wound in her neck, and then a projected fist sent the armoured figure flying, their broken body twisting in the air as they flew back into the mist. Leif grabbed the guard as she tried to stand, healing her, not with any skill, but inelegantly pushing vitality into her body. She gasped, her grip around his forearm, a reflexive defensive motion she had made when he grabbed her, tightening in surprise. Her pain filled gaze cleared, and she gasped out her thanks. The guard narrowed her eyes, but before her gratitude could fully turn to suspicion, Leif had already spun and marched off. He wasn¡¯t sure if that guard in particr had been sent to hunt him down, but getting as much distance as possible couldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Marcus.¡± Leif said. ¡°Where is the portal hub?¡± ¡°Uh, over there. I think.¡± His friend said, gesturing vaguely to their left. ¡°You think? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Not at all. Shall we go anyway?¡± An explosion of bright pink light lit up the mist in the direction he had pointed. ¡°Uh, actually I was wrong. The portal hub is over there.¡± ¡°Come, let''s go, quickly.¡± Leif said, ignoring him. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to. I felt whatever that pink light was scrape against my mind like nails against a chalkboard.¡± Leif heard a groan ofinte from the man, but he was already gone, running towards the light. It didn¡¯t take him long to find the source of the skill. A woman in flowing ck robes danced through a crowd of writhing bodies, vivid pink light snaking from the mouths and eyes of her victims. She cackled, raising a hand, causing every single one of the spasming formsying around her to violently jerk in that direction, the smoke escaping from their orifices moving in tandem with her gesture. He ran forward, summoning apressed javelin of wood out of his spatial ring. He stepped into the throw andunched the projectile, sending it tearing through the air. The dancing woman stopped, her head snapping in his direction. She snapped her fingers, and one of her still living victims lurched to their feet, stumbling into the path of the javelin. Leif tightened his [Willpower], reaching out and urging the projectile to veer upwards using [Wood Maniption]. It worked, just, the hair on the student¡¯s head rustling with the javelin¡¯s close passing. The thaumaturge thrust a hand out towards him, pink smoke leaping from the eye sockets of those around her to surge forwards with inevitable and slithering maliciousness. The javelin fell in an arc behind the caster, and as it did Leif spoke. ¡°Return.¡± It did, right through the mage¡¯s gut. A golden hand caught her corpse before it hit the ground, another having already grabbed the javelin as he mentallymanded it to return to his spatial ring. Life-force flowing into Leif, then back into the students who littered the street. A single amber limb conjured from [Gold Iron Physique] snapped out to touch each and every one of them, then he used [Surge of Life and Growth] through each limb in turn, breaking contact the instant he felt like the healing would be enough. ¡°What do you need me for?¡± Marcus asked as he jogged up besides Leif. ¡°Directions.¡± ¡°... And moral support?¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°That way, maybe three or four hundred metres. I think, this mist is ying havoc with my abilities. I don¡¯t remember the mist ever being this bad. It didn¡¯t use to do this, or it wasn¡¯t anywhere near as debilitating.¡± Leif nodded, swatted an arrow out of the air as he sensed hostile intent build up behind him. Then sent the arrow back the way it hade, the archer falling over a secondter. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 175: Violence Chapter 175: Violence Level up! ss [Adept of Self Restoration] is now level 12! From healing your body from damage sustained in battle, while in battle, anding out on top you have gained a level! +1 to [Might] +1 to [Willpower] +1 free point! New ss skills avable! [Extract Ailment] or [Dy the End] or [Life Orbs]! Mana reinforcement progress 40%! In the brief moments between battle Leif checked over the system messages he had received. There were new skills, none of which seemed immediately vital for him to pick immediately, though he didn¡¯t have the time to thoroughly go over the impressions they gave. [Dy the End] was, judging by its name, something that could likely save his life in a pinch, but he wouldn¡¯t pick it unless he felt it was necessary. What he could do however, was put the free point he had gained from the level up into [crity], bringing the attribute up to a t seventy. He mentallymanded the system to close as the portal hub loomed into sight, breaking free from the mist, its sheer size making the structure unable to be fully hidden now that he and Marcus were closer. The battle seemed strangely quiet around the building, the sounds of conflict distant and echoing ominously across the ind. Leif saw why as Marcus¡¯s handnded on his shoulder, the man pointing to a thin strand of crimson connecting two hollow stone buildings. There were more, hundreds, thousands of them, they littered the area like spider webs, each almost invisible and razor sharp. When Leif focused, he could faintly make out the vitality contained within each strand. ¡°Blood.¡± He said aloud, stepping in front of Marcus and leading the way forward. ¡°And there are people in the nearby buildings, quite a lot of them.¡± A tall figure emerged from the mist, their hands sped behind their back. They were human in shape, and their appearance would suggest the same, if not for the fact they were entirelyprised out of blood. ¡°Hello there.¡± The blood clone of Vevosis said, though its mouth stretched into a wide smile instead of moving in tandem with the words. The entity''s face was much like that of the original, only the thing¡¯s teeth were sticky and entirely crimson. It held up a crystal device, and only then did Leif realise that the clone itself hadn¡¯t spoken, instead the Spire Head¡¯s voice hade from the object it was holding. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this locale is currently off limits. Students, please step into one of the nearby buildings, you will be safe within.¡± The shard of crystal projecting the voice glimmered, and the words shifted to a more dangerous cadence. ¡°Invaders, you have made a terrible mistake attacking my ind, but you will go no further.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t recognise you.¡± Marcus said, hopping from foot to foot. ¡°Hey! Will you stop us from getting to the hub?¡± The clone, or rather, the magicalmunications device shimmered once more, repeating the first part of its speech. ¡°It¡¯s most likely a recording of some kind. Is there anyone else in our way?¡± Leif telepathically sent to Marcus. The [Seeker] raised a hand, and a momentter he shook his head. ¡°Possibly. I can¡¯t sense deep within the portal hub building, but I think there¡¯s only this clone between us and there.¡± He replied aloud. ¡°Okay. What are our odds of getting past this thing?¡± He sent. Marcus chewed his lower lip, wobbling his head from side to side. Leif felt the man¡¯s anxiety, his resolve, and more than a little confidence. They could do it, but they would have to be quick. ¡°If we do this.¡± Marcus said, drumming his fingers against his leg and ncing behind them to see if any invaders wereing. ¡°We need to get off the ind before anyone realises what we¡¯re doing. Also, we shouldn¡¯t leave the people here undefended, so let''s try to not kill this¡­ gentleman.¡± Leif shot the bloody copy of Vevosis an assessing look, his analysis attempt bounced and he rolled his neck. Something burnt in the distance, staining the mist a dull, smokey orange. The scion lowered himself, golden arms fanning out to either side of his body. The clone spread its arms as if imitating him, its grin widening, stretching unnaturally. Leif focused on [crity] with his core skill, sharing the attribute increase with Marcus. Then he ran forward. Immediately dozens of sanguine strands of bloodshed out towards him, the razor thin line flickering out of the mist. Mentally Leif saluted the clothes he was wearing, and plunged head-first into the crimson wires. They cut at him, blocked his path or wrapped around his limbs. Strips of fabric fell to the ground, and the distant sensation of damage reached his awareness. Golden arms dissolved where they had been severed, but new ones sprouted from his back and sides to rece them. A wooden sword materialised out of his spatial ring, the weapon beginning to glow with amber vitality, reinforcing it against damage. Leif swung, and whatever bloody strand he connected with using the sword shed gold and snapped. For its part, the clone had hopped backwards, orbs of red hovering above its head, each quivering as if in anticipation. A familiar cold sensation gripped Leif by the insides, but unlike back at the temple he could resist the clone¡¯s attempt to seize control of his body. The bloody mimic of Vevosis could clearly copy many, if not all of the man¡¯s skills, though to nowhere near the same level of power as the original. Purple lightning shed behind Leif as he charged forward, trading ten hits for every metre of ground gained. Arcane energy streaked overhead, surging towards the clone. A flowing barrier of blood materialised to protect it, but the lightning bounced off, jumping to nearby wires of blood, charring them, revealing them and in some cases destroying them entirely. The crimson orbs sted forwards as the clone continued to retreat into the forest of strands, two aimed for Marcus, three towards Leif. With the boost to his [crity], Marcus danced between the projectiles, his eyes glowing, one arm wreathed in purple energy. Leif let the first orb detonate against his aegis, caught the second on a pair of crossed golden arms, and cut the third one in half. Blood sprayed, burning against him as the shield flickered and died, it seeped into his body, oozing between the tiny gaps of his smoothed out joints. The cold feeling of his blood freezing within him seized Leif, but only for an instant. The red of the clone¡¯s skills were drawn deeper inside him, were absorbed, consumed, converted. The clone¡¯s eyes narrowed, the hand that was yet to let go of themunication crystal tightened its grip. Leif cut through the increasingly thick web of blood blocking his way forward, grabbing, shing, ripping and tearing a path towards the portal hub. A bolt of arcane power raced by his head, the arcing bolt of lightning leaping between the strands of blood, burning a tunnel towards the entrance, and by extension the sanguine copy of the Spire Head. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. With a final leap forward an ivory fist grabbed the clone by the throat, smashing it up against the curved archway. It leered at him, deforming and bubbling. It looked less and less human by the second. Leif wanted to syphon it dry, to drain every drop of vitality from its being and throw it aside. But the clone wanted the exact same thing, its power trying to subvert, influence and control. Amber blood trickled down Leif¡¯s body from a hundred tiny cuts, and that blood flowed up towards the copy of Vevosis, the clone¡¯s deformed grin manic, its red eyes twinkling. A single drop made contact with its form, and the clone shuddered, rippling like the surface of a pond. The crystal device shed, then Leif smacked it out of its hand, the construct shattering against the floor. Leif pushed it back, then let go, releasing the clone to make distance. He could feel a tiny part of himself within it now, swirling among the mass of life-force within it. ¡°We need to go, right now.¡± Marcus said, neatly ducking under two strands of blood and side stepping past a third. Marcus nced at the still bubbling clone, then he zapped it with his power, channelling arcane energy out of his gauntlet. The clone sizzled and spasmed, writhing as purple lightning coursed through it. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to kill it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a skill construct made out of blood, it can probably regenerate. I¡¯d bet my¡­ I don¡¯t really own anything of value. But I¡¯d definitely bet on it. Also, this attribute boost is amazing, I feel so light.¡± Leif mentally cancelled [Benevolent Actions], feeling the slight amount of strain from using the skill. He shot one final look at the clone, then turned and ran through the halls of the portal hub. Behind him Marcus followed, grumbling about feeling sluggish. They passed dozens of students hiding within the corridors and hallways of the building, and the crowd only grew the closer to the actual portal they became. A haggard looking member of faculty was shouting directions, trying to get the press of people, many sporting injuries, to move into the side rooms so that ess to the portal could be made easier, but the sheer number of humans streaming into Dimid from the Pellus portal, and even some of the other inds was rming. ¡°Shit, if it''s this bad on this side of the portal, I can¡¯t imagine how bad it will be on the other side.¡± ¡°We have to get through, somehow. Is there another way to reach Lutum?¡± ¡°Not if you n on swimming several kilometres.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Leif said. He focused his aura. If he couldn¡¯t force his way through, he could step up and direct the flow of traffic. === People screamed as the Pellus portal hub quaked, shaken by the battle raging all around them. Roy had his arms around his sister, and was hugging her for dear life. He thought if he let go he might get swept up in the sea of people jostling for position, everyone desperate to get through one portal or another. ¡°I¡¯m scared, sis.¡± He whispered into her shoulder. Lucia replied, but her words were drowned out by a loud roar and another world shaking rumble. Someone pushed them from behind in an attempt to get passed, and whoever they were, their [Might] was high enough to bully their way forward. People shouted and wailed, some trying to follow the path being forged by the aggressive student. ¡°You need to stay here!¡± A guard was shouting. ¡°There are attacks on all the inds, the safest ce is to remain here!¡± His words were immediately undermined as the ceiling cracked, a massive chunk of stone falling from above. It was sted into dust a momentter, but the hole remained. A figure with chains wrapped around their arms and neck leered down at them, his eyes dull and lifeless. He raised a hand, pointing it downwards, towards the hundreds of helpless, trapped students inside the hub. Roy clenched his eyes shut as the sound of rusted metal scraping against rusted metal split the air. He screamed, Lucia screamed, a hundred voices all cried out at once, their wails only adding to the cacophony. Through the pain and terror Roy opened his eyes a crack. He was the only one to see the man with the chains get swept away by a wave of oily grey water. With the man¡¯s sudden departure, the sound vanished. But in his ce was a pervasive, uneasy sense of otherworldly dread. It wasn¡¯t much of an improvement. === Hera sprinted as fast as she could, tforms of light materialising under her boots with every step. The sea shimmered over a hundred metres below her, and dark clouds boiled ominously above. She reflected that it would be nice to have a battle with good, clear weather for once, but the enemy had likely picked to attack when they had specifically due to the cloud cover. That, or they had created it. Republic ships floated along the coast of Pellus, and tempting as it was to turn back and pick them off, Lutum was in danger, and she had her orders. [Lightspeed eleration] triggered in its most powerful state, and her sudden increase in velocity made the air crack around her. The skill was powerful, incredibly so. Ordinarily the skill gradually increased her speed over time, but in the way she had just used it, the sheer speed it granted made fine amounts of control all but impossible. But she didn¡¯t need control, she needed to move. With every second wasted, lives would be lost. She sensed the approaching figure before she saw him, and the realisation of who it was almost made her sigh. It wasn¡¯t one of Sabline¡¯s wind elementals, the one that had been following after her to ry tactical updates on the battle had been forced to turn back due to the distance from its summoner. Zane, white hair billowing in the wind, eyes wide open and mouth blessedly closed, followed in her wake, his own flight made possible by the sword he was standing on, though the effort to catch up was clearly straining him. ¡°Hello there Hera, nice day we¡¯re having.¡± Zane sent telepathically. He almost certainly had an item to allow the feat, because his singr ss most certainly didn¡¯t grant him that ability. ¡°They picked me to help out with Lutum, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re grateful.¡± She forced down her mix of irritation and relief, but didn¡¯t respond, any words she spoke would be lost in the rush of wind. There were ten des, but only eight were present at the Academy. Two per-ind had been the snap decision, and they hadn¡¯t had time to sort out who exactly would go where. Her home ind was clearly in sight now, though for anyone else it would be little more than a blur on the horizon. She sped up, partially to get there faster, partially to outrun the idiot on the flying sword. ¡°Woah, not so fast. We¡¯re almost close enough.¡± Zane sent, and his telepathic message sounded winded. She didn¡¯t slow, so he was forced to speed up. He dipped down below her, then pushed every ounce of speed he could out of his flying sword to raise himself before her. He drew the sword at his hip, and the sky before them cracked, blurred, changed. Space twisted as it was cut into, the world shifting around them as they dashed through the temporary gap. Then they were there, a hundred metres above the forested hills of Lutum, the shing of skills lighting up the ground below. Without missing a beat Hera conjured a panel of light before her, slightly angled upwards. She kicked off it, soaring upwards as she twisted, flipped, and conjured her bow. Upside down she created an arrow out of hardened light, drew back the bow, sighted a target, then loosed. Then again, then again. [Reaching Arrows] made the projectiles go further, faster, and travel in moreplex ways. [Noble Reflexes] steadied her hand, helping her pick out targets. [Legacy of Battle],bined with her incredible ocr perception helped her find the enemy leadership. Her [Aura of Gathering Radiance] skill condensed the light around her, empowering her skill constructs, and her [Hard-light Constitution] empowered her body to withstand the strain of doing so much, so quickly. Within seconds the sky was lit with a dozen streaks of light zipping down towards the ind below, and the number only multiplied with every passing moment. A swordsman with twisted steel des died as he kicked in a door and rushed inside, an arrow shattering the dormitory window and taking him in the heart. A flying storm mage looked upwards, their eyes widening in shock as their magic rose up to protect themselves. An arrow mmed into their skull from behind. A trio of spider-like constructs, each the size of a small shed were crawling over a lecture hall. An arrow of light pierced all three in the glowing red crystalline cores they had hidden under their metallic carapace. A man with smokey wings dodged the two arrows she had sent his way, but was forced to st apart the next five as he desperately back-pedalled. He blurred, then split into five identical copies even her perception couldn¡¯t tell apart. Near the coast, figures glowing with amethyst light materialised from under the decks of every other ship, each wielding a bowrger than their bodies. Perceptions locked onto Hera from all over the ind, and more and more invaders revealed themselves. They weren¡¯t as strong as her, but they had no doubt been hand picked for their abilities. Abilities that would allow them to check her in a fight, or counter specific skills she possessed. Someone had done their homework, that was ttering. These must be the individuals Sabline had reported as targeting specific des, a strategic move by their enemy that indicated significant preparation, intelligence gathering and coordination. Unfortunately the souls below her had miscalcted, or perhaps their leaders had. Because she hadn¡¯t arrived on Lutum alone. Zane let out a low whistle as he hovered up beside her, casually gesturing down with his drawn sword. ¡°Should I take the beach? Cut off their retreat?¡± ¡°No. Protect the portal hub, those constructs are closing in on it..¡± ¡°As you wish, ninth de.¡± He said with a bow. Then he cut the air before him and stepped through, his flying sword tumbling through the sky, now absent a rider. Hera absent-mindedly tucked it into her spatial storage before it could fall out of her reach. Chapter 176: Cover Chapter 176: Cover The crowd parted as Leif delicately used his aura, his presence, to gently direct the milling students around him. His aura washed over those within the portal hub and its connecting hallways and chambers, suppressing those within slightly, nudging them towards calm. His honest disposition, and genuine intention to help where he could, prevented a panic or outbreak of violence as he worked his way towards the portal arches. As he passed, a golden arm would stretch out, healing the wounded he moved alongside. The crowd filtered away slowly, more willing to spread out into the further parts of the structure, but they were reced almost immediately by a stream of neers pushing their way through the portals and into the newly opened space. Leif¡¯s clothing was in tatters, but either nobody noticed the oddities of his appearance, or they didn¡¯t care enough to confront him while there was a war going on outside, and he was clearly there to help. Blood was sttered against the painted mask, with several cracks running through its surface. Amber had stopped flowing from his wounds, but it left his body streaked with golden lines. As he and Marcus finally stepped up before the portal arch leading to Lutum, shouts echoed through the building. The crowd murmured, shifting in anxiety, and theirbined voices drowned out the words being yelled. ¡°Time to go.¡± Marcus hissed, his hands on Leif¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, quickly.¡± Leif sharpened his aura, and those nearby flinched back. With barely a sliver of space to walk he stepped forward, pushing through thest students and into the portal. The crowd on the other side was just as packed together, if not more so, and the world trembled with the distant rumbling of battle. Leif turned, and through the distortion of the portal he saw ck d guards shoving their way into the teleportation chamber back on Dimid. ¡°We¡¯re trapped.¡± He said, his amber gaze drifting over the heads of the mass of humanity before him. ¡°Shit. If a fight breaks out in here it won¡¯t go well.¡± Marcus muttered. ¡°A fight won¡¯t break out. I¡¯ll either surrender or use my escape skill.¡± Marcus shot him a thoughtful look, then cupped his hands to his mouth. ¡°Hey! Everyone! There¡¯s more room through the portal to Dimid. It¡¯s safer there, the fighting is less fierce!¡± The hushed and panicked chatter ceased, everyone turning to look at Marcus with hope. The [Arcanist] gestured grandly to the portal, then panicked students started rushing for it. Leif stepped to the side, allowing them to pass. It was dying the guards, but if anything, they were now more trapped by the newly created press of people. Leif fished through his system windows, briefly considering his unselected skills, but none of them could help. His mind plunged into his spatial ring, mentally sifting through his possessions. He had hispressed wooden weapons, spare clothing, his Twin Heart guild badge, some rope, money, Mana shards, and the one he had gotten from the undead dungeon. And he also had a warp pendant. It appeared in his hand, the chain dangling through his fingers. It was single use, and the location it would take him was random, but it would be somewhere reachable by walking, and would hopefully bring him somewhere away from the mass of humanity crowding around him. Leif had never used the item before, but he had seen it in use months ago. ¡°I can get us out. Hold onto me.¡± Leif said, but Marcus was on the other side of the room, smooshed up against the far wall to let the stream of students escape through the portal. ¡°Just go.¡± The portal hub shook. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, get out of here. Do some good outside.¡± Leif hesitated, then nodded. He activated the pendant, and vanished. === Zane fought three enemies at once. In a vacuum, he wouldn¡¯t be struggling, but he had to keep them away from the portal hub, and by extension, the people hiding within. He spun, parrying an overhead strike from a fellow swordsman, then disengaged to prevent a wind and fire mage from running for therge structure he was defending. There was an eruption of superheated air, then a devastating gout of mes that sted from the mage in every direction. Zane leaped, and while in mid air he sent a near invisible ripple of energy towards the thirdbatant. His final opponent was surrounded in a bubble of water, and Zane couldn¡¯t make out their appearance, but whoever they were, their presence in the battle was very irritating. Smaller bubbles drifted all around, bouncing against the road, trees and nearby buildings. He had already learnt that when they touched an ally of the water mage, they would confer a potent amount of healing. If he touched them, they wouldtch on and try to restrain him. Before his attack could reach the bubble, the swordsman was there, he deflected the strike, then countered with a ranged sh of his own. Zane waved his sword and reappeared behind the fire mage, already spinning into a follow up attack. The mage screamed and blood flew, his arm fell to the side, but at the same time intense heat red from the wound, cauterising it instantly and making Zane stumble away. The ends of his white hair were charred, and his uniform was singed. The mage retreated under the protection of a dozen bubbles, and the swordsman made a run for the portal hub. Damnit. Zane thought, intercepting the man with a burst of speed, sparks flying as their de¡¯s shed. The mist that covered the ind was slowly dispersing, likely due to the intense light show taking ce above their heads. ¡°You should surrender.¡± He casually told the swordsman as the byproduct of their duel tore into stone and cut down nearby trees. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll be forced to reveal my¡­ true power¡­¡± ¡°The Pirs will stand, you bastard.¡± The man spat, his brow knitted in concentration. ¡°The pigeon roosts.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought we were making up sayings.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remove your head from your shoulders, de!¡± Unfortunately for the swordsman, another one of his friends decided to try and steal his prize. A fourth invader charged down the street, hammer held high as loose stones drifted up around him. The stones spun, sharpening, then they sted forward with a swing of a hammer. Zane danced back, his sword shing to deflect the worst of it, then he rolled to the side as an arm thick stream of fire tried to punch through his chest. He focused, the world around him slowing, sharpening. He cut, and all four invaders bled. The now one armed fire mage lost an eye, the swordsman fell back, blood gushing from his neck, the hammer wielder tipped, both his legs having been severed at just below the knees. The person within the bubble screamed, the sound distant, and the protective barrier of water sprayed as it was briefly parted, then its contents began to darken. Zane ran a hand through his hair and beamed at his enemies. Then five more ran into sight, and the fight was on again. A minuteter the swordsman was dead, the fire mage had retreated and two of the neers were out of the fight. But he wasn¡¯t in great shape either. He would slowly heal from any wounds suffered from battle, but that would take time he didn¡¯t have. Suddenly the air to the side rippled, then popped as someone teleported right outside the portal hub. Zane fought back a sigh, skipping back to create space from the neer. They were tall, covered in tattered cloth and wore a blood smeared mask that looked like it was painted in the style of some sort of animal. A goat maybe? Zane raised his sword, pointing it at the man. ¡°Hello there, would you mind waiting until I¡¯ve dealt with these?¡± The neer nced around, then back at the portal hub. Zane¡¯s heart sank, he didn¡¯t know what powers this person might have, but judging by what looked like wooden armour, they were probably a nature magic user. Nature magic was the worst, its users were always annoyingly durable. He let out a breath and prepared to engage, but the neer turned from the hub, golden arms fanning out to either side of his body. His masked face nced up, and then he spoke. ¡°Is Hera doing that?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Zane replied. Two metallic constructs skittered out of a nearby crops of trees, their bodies an odd mix between insectile and humanoid. ¡°I have people I need to find, but I won¡¯t leave the portal hub in danger to find them. Not that you need help, I¡¯m sure you were handling things fine on your own, second de.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not an enemy?¡± Zane asked, leaning to the side to dodge a glowing bolt aimed for his face. ¡°Not unless you attack me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news! Say, do you want to help me clean up this¡­ rabble?¡± The masked man nodded, then pulled a vibrating ball from thin air. He threw it at the approaching constructs, and it exploded into a writhing mass of wood that utterly obliterated the machines. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I like the mask, very mysterious. I used to wear one back in my adventuring days, but mine was ck and white.¡± He said, deflecting another bolt with his sword. Golden motes of light drifted up around him, and the stranger''s aura washed out over their surroundings. It felt like being hugged. === ¡°Look, Roy. We¡¯re finally moving forward.¡± Lucia said, grabbing her brother by the hand and leading him forward. Students trickled into the portals leading out of Pellus, and as they did so, more space opened up behind them. They reached the main chamber a minuteter, the three adjoining alcoves housing the teleportation arches leading to Braslim, Dimid and Lutum finallying into view. ¡°We need to get to that one.¡± She whispered. ¡°Come on, quickly.¡± Roy nodded, stumbling after her. The stress of the past hour was weighing heavily on all of them, but her brother simply didn¡¯t have the energy to keep going for much longer. There was only so much time one could spend scared, anxious and on alert before you crashed from exhaustion. Lucia clenched her jaw and followed the current of humanity, making careful and deliberate motions to get closer to the Lutum portal. They slunk through the archway, and immediately the distant din of battle lessened. The world wasn¡¯t shaking, and the students on this side seemed less scared. ¡°Oh! Roy, Lucia? Hello, over here! I¡¯ve been looking for you, this way!¡± Lucia¡¯s head snapped around towards the voice, where she saw a sandy haired man leaning against a wall. ¡°Mr Marcus!¡± Roy said, his eyes wide and hopeful. ¡°Where is Leif?¡± ¡°Hey kid. The big guy is outside, he¡¯s probably fighting right now. I think he wants to leave, but he also wants to take you with him.¡± Marcus said, the third year ncing worriedly towards the Dimid portal. ¡°We might be in trouble if those guys get through though¡­¡± ¡°He wants to leave? How?¡± Lucia asked, following Roy to where the third year was standing. ¡°Leif has a skill. I¡¯m not sure on exact details or limitations, but he can teleport out of here at pretty much any time.¡± She went to ask another question, but her words caught in her mouth as a shout came from behind her, then an Academy guard shoved his way through the portal. He had gaunt features, and one of his arms was covered in bloody bandages. In the other he held a sword, and an earring dangled down the side of his head. She thought it looked familiar, but it was hard to make out from such a distance. ¡°By the order of the Spire Head of Dimid, Vevosis, get out of my way!¡± He roared, shoving students as he forced his way forward. Marcus winced, looking away and licking his lips. ¡°Oh boy. Here we go...¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Lucia asked. Marcus clicked his tongue, lowering his voice to not be overheard. ¡°These guys might be¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say I was trying to dy them as much as possible¡­¡± He trailed off as another four guards scrambled through the portal. He waited for them to shove their way out of the chamber. ¡°They might be after Leif.¡± ¡°What? Why? Did hemit a crime or something?¡± ¡°No, nothing like that. I¡¯m not sure exactly what happened, but I think his identity got revealed somehow?¡± ¡°His identity? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, right. He hasn¡¯t told you. There¡¯s a reason he wears a mask, I can¡¯t really say more than that though. It isn¡¯t my ce to tell you. But it doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s not an enemy of the Academy or whatever, but it looks like they¡¯re tunnel visioning onto him. Idiots.¡± Several more guards spilled into the chamber, followed by an elegant man in a red coat. Every student in the room froze, then were tugged to the side, clearing a path for the Spire Head and his people to pass through. Roy mmed up against the wall, letting out a cry of pain. Several other people tripped and fell, some activating skills in panic as they felt their bodies fall out of their control. ¡°Out of my way, children. I will¡­ protect you.¡± Vevosis said, his tone light, almost casual. Then he strode out of the room, leaving behind the chaos he had created. Lucia grabbed Roy, quickly checking him over for injuries. His arm had scraped against stone, and the skin was raw and red. She red in the direction the man and his guards had gone. She felt heat rising to her head and her fists clenched. Surprisingly, the man wasn¡¯t aplete stranger. She had seen him once before, though at the time she hadn¡¯t known his name, only the organisation he represented. ¡°Fracture.¡± She whispered, her voice trembling. She took Roy by the hand. ¡°Hmm? What was that?¡± Marcus asked, turning to face her with a worried expression. ¡°What¡¯s a fracture? Is something broken?¡± ¡°He¡­¡± Lucia said. ¡°He was there¡­ He was¡­ my family¡­ Oh gods.¡± ¡°Sis, please let go.¡± Roy whimpered, and his voice broke her from her building anger and panic. She jerked her hand away from Roy¡¯s arm, letting out a sharp exhale of breath as she saw tears in her brother¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. Roy, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I¡­ I just¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He mumbled. ¡°But we need to help Leif, he¡¯s done so much for us.¡± ¡°Y-yes. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go after them.¡± ¡°Hey, kids. Wait, don¡¯t go outside, there¡¯s a war going on¡­ Ah damn. What the hells.¡± Marcus said, watching them as they ran out the room, making use of the same path Vevosis had created. He cursed, and went to follow, but the recovering students blocked his path. He cursed again, yelling for Lucia and Roy to stop. They didn¡¯t. === Leif flexed his will, and both javelin¡¯s returned to him, sailing through the air as he pulled them with [Wood Maniption]. With a mentalmand, both weapons vanished. Zanended beside him, the second de wiping sweat from his brow. ¡°There sure were a lot of them.¡± He said, sheathing his sword and cing his hands on his hips. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have done it without you. Well, not while protecting the portal hub. What a pain. I¡¯m really not looking forward to the endless meetings about what to do after this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised an invasion fleet even made it to the Academy undetected.¡± Leif said, cing a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, pushing healing energy into him. He was curious as to how the republic had managed the feat, but he spent too much time here. He needed to leave, find Hera and hope that he could avoid those chasing after him. Leif looked back towards the entrance he had been defending, and his heart sank. Dark uniformed guards were streaming out of the portal hub, several spreading out to cover either side of the approach. ¡°Oh look, reinforcements. d they showed up after we did most of the work.¡± Zanemented. The man frowned, his brow creasing as he observed the new arrivals. A figure in red marched out of the portal hub, his eyes sparkling with crimson light. The guards all raised their weapons, several kindling skills in preparation to attack. Leif let his remaining golden arms drop to his sides. He sighed in resignation. ¡°Zane Low, I must thank you for apprehending the¡­ asset.¡± Vevosis said, his tone smooth and silky. He spoke to the de, but his gaze was locked onto Leif. It was predatory, hungry. ¡°Asset?¡± Zane asked, shooting Leif a look. ¡°Vivy, what the hells are you on about? And don¡¯t you have your own ind to be protecting?¡± ¡°I assure you that things are under control on Dimid. I am simply here to perform my duties to humanity. ¡°Humanity? Is that so?¡± Vevosis smiled, but didn¡¯t look away from Leif. ¡°It is.¡± Leif rolled his neck, this was exactly the kind of situation he had hoped to avoid whening to the Academy. Now he was trapped between a de and a Spire Head, and the only way out was to use [The Amber Path] to escape back to the anchor he had ced next to the domain tree. It had been going so well, but now everyone he had been involved with over the past few weeks would have to answer ufortable questions about his identity, and if they had known what he was, why they had helped him. As the guards surrounded him, keeping a safe distance, he looked up. shes of light still filled the misty sky, though they seemed further away than they had been when he first arrived on Lutum. Hera was out there, but she likely hadn¡¯t noticed the situation, too busy engaged in her own battles. The corpses of those who had assaulted the portal hub littered the ground, the strange constructs, not unlike those that were in the depths of the temple, sparked and smouldered where they had been destroyed. ¡°Exin, Vivy. Because I¡¯m not interested in helping you capture an ally.¡± ¡°Ally? My dear, that is no ally. The thing standing beside you is an enemy of humanity. An ancient and formidable foe that has done more damage to our species than you could imagine.¡± Two small figures appeared in the entranceway. And Leif wondered how everything had gone so wrong. ¡°An enemy, huh? Doesn¡¯t look like one to me. But there are lots of enemies still on the ind, how about you do humanity a favour and help us clean up? As opposed to standing around here and doing nothing?¡± Vevosis didn¡¯t move, but his presence rose up, towering and sanguine. ¡°Yes. An enemy. After all, the thing masquerading as a person is not human, am I correct, monster?¡± ¡°Could I say anything to convince you otherwise?¡± Leif said, locking gazes with the Spire Head. The vitality within his body churned, hot and energetic. But even so, he doubted the man would have much difficulty restraining him with his blood magic. ¡°You cannot. And don¡¯t even think about taking a single step. You are in my custody now, creature. No longer will you threaten these inds, our precious students.¡± Leif saw the confused expression on Lucia and Roy¡¯s face, both children were staring at him unbelieving. He hesitated, then he reached up and removed his mask, tossing it to the ground with a tter that echoed in the pervasive silence that followed. Would they capture him? Or would they kill him outright? A memory from the distant past, of an amber treeshing out in fear and confusion as his world was torn apart. Leif¡¯s ivory fists clenched, the wood creaking from the force. ¡°I am Leif Vin. I was human once.¡± He tensed for battle. ¡°I am no threat to you, or the Academy. My time here has been peaceful, and I have nothing to do with the invasion that has taken ce. Is taking ce.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± Vevosis said. ¡°How could something as filthy as you be innocent?¡± ¡°I will not yield my life to you.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have a choice. No choice at all.¡± Shouts came from behind them, but Leif didn¡¯t turn. A group of invaders charged into the square, and froze at the sight of the stand off. The guards surrounding Leif didn¡¯t budge, their weapons still focused on him alone. Zane drew his de, and the air sharpened. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but we have a war to fight. People to save. How about we dy this little argument until after the lives of those under our care are safe?¡± ¡°Seize it.¡± Vevosis said, ignoring the de and flicking his hand in Leif¡¯s direction. Icy cold raced through Leif¡¯s body, and moving became a hundred times harder. The guards all moved as one, even as the republic soldiers prepared their skills from behind them. [Surge of Life and Growth] activated at full power, and he used [Wood Maniption] to wrench back control over his own limbs. ¡°Stop.¡± Suddenly an invisible de was at everyone¡¯s throat. Every guard and every invader, and everyone froze. Vevosis¡¯s eyes narrowed as blood trickled down his neck, and he finally looked away from Leif, his cool gaze locking onto Zane. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The second de grit his teeth, the strain of holding whatever skill he had used in ce quickly taking its toll. ¡°This is idiocy. Nobody is doing anything¡­ until I say so. Not¡­ a¡­ single¡­ one¡­ of¡­ you.¡± ¡°You would defend one of your enemies? An enemy of humanity?¡± ¡°You would prioritise this over your duty? If you and your little Fracture buddies cared half as much about humanity as you pretend to, you would be fighting to save lives. You¡­ Leif, was it? You stay right here, this is not over. Try to run, and I¡¯ll cut you down.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the authority to threaten me, Low.¡± Vevosis growled. ¡°Do you want to get censured? You want to lose your cosy little position as Spire Head? Because I¡¯ll remove you from your post myself, I¡¯ll do it right here and now if I need to.¡± ¡°You do not understand. You do notprehend the mistake-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about your schemes and your bullshit. You, monster. You¡¯re in my custody now. Now nobody gets what they want. Are you happy now?¡± Nobody said anything. Then two children sprinted into the ring of guards, a boy and a girl. They tackled Leif, and even with every ounce of their strength they couldn¡¯t have moved him if they had wanted to. Zane blinked in surprise, ncing down at Lucia and Roy. The invisible sword threatening to remove Leif¡¯s head from his shoulders shimmered, then broke. Leif grabbed both children with an ivory hand each, and let them push him back. A single step. Two very different powers tried to stop him. One sharp, and one bloody. Two aura¡¯s crashed down onto him, attempting to stifle his skill activation. Individually, Leif wasn¡¯t a match for either man. At least not in a direct confrontation. But aura strength? He could manage, if only for just a second. But a second was all he needed. And then they were gone, in a streak of amber light. Chapter 177: Recall Chapter 177: Recall Hera drew a final arrow, pulled back the string on her bow, then loosed. The projectile made of hard light shed through the trees. Twisting between trunks as it hunted the figure with smokey wings. She felt it when the arrownded, then she triggered one of her core skills, vanishing in a sh of white light, and appearing above the man. His body was pinned to the ground, his limbs twitching, his wings singeing the air as they dissolved. Her soul ached, and her arms trembled, but she couldn¡¯t stop yet. She drew the sword at her hip and severed the man¡¯s head, slumping to her knees a momentter. She knelt on the forest floor for over a minute, heaving lungfuls of air as white motes painfully ked off her arms and shoulders. She reached for a small vial tucked into a pouch at her belt, and popped the healing pill into her mouth. Then, as the pill got to work mending her body Hera stood. She walked back the way she hade, gradually increasing her speed to a jog, then a full run as she did so. On her way, Hera passed three amethyst d corpses, the hard light arrows that had felled them still embedded into their bodies. She didn¡¯t stop for them, instead she leapt up a nearby tree, gaining as much elevation as she could to scout her surroundings. Boats drifted away from the shore, and many morey wrecked on the sandy beaches of Lutum. A group of over a hundred raised their weapons as the enemy retreated, their numbers wereprised of Academy guard andbat track students that had joined together to resist the invaders. Hera sighed in relief, then turned her attention to the parts of campus she could see. It took more effort than she would have liked to activate her perception skill, and when she finally managed her vision briefly went dark and her soul twinged in pain. All over the ind battles were being won, though not without great cost. They had been unprepared for the attack, but of course they had. Nobody had expected the republic to have been able to manage the feat, not striking so deep into the Empire. This was such a waste, both of lives and resources. What exactly had the invading forces hoped to achieve? Holding the archipgo would have been impossible, and des, despite their power, were by their nature receable. Had they just wanted to kill as many students as possible? Were the empire¡¯s high society, visiting for the quadriad, the real target? Hera didn¡¯t know. And it left her feeling empty. She nced towards the part of Lutum where the fighting was still ongoing. Zane was there, or he should be, and no matter how unreliable the man acted, there were few people she had ever met who could truly match him inbat. She strained to see more, but so far into the forest surrounding the campus it was impossible to tell just what the situation was. She sighed, mentally reaching for another arrow. She could rest when this was over. A streak of amber light flew up into the sky from where the portal hub was, it circled overhead for several seconds, then flew with incredible speed towards the west. Hera blinked, then swore. The source of that skill could only be one person. === ¡°You idiot! Do you know what you have done?¡± Vevosis screamed, his hands gripping the cor of Zane¡¯s coat. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve cost me? What you¡¯ve cost us? That was a treasure worth more than kingdoms, and you let it get away!¡± ¡°Treasure? You lying sack of shit, you said he was a threat!¡± Zane replied, pping away the Spire Head¡¯s hands and stepping back. Behind the two men, the Academy guards Vevosis had brought were engaging thest of the invaders. Finally doing their actual jobs, he would need to check the record of their employment, their allegiances seemed misaligned to say the least. ¡°It is both, in more ways than you couldprehend. It¡¯s heading towards Pellus, with luck we can still intercept before it slips away.¡± Zane tsk¡¯d, then nced towards the portal hub. Students were streaming outside, and with every second more and more guards arrived from the other inds. ¡°What about the two kids that he left with, who were they?¡± ¡°I have my suspicions¡­ How about you go save them? Surely that is within your power¡± ¡°You¡¯re a slimy son of a bitch, you know that?¡± Zane snapped, then he sprinted for the portal arch. ¡°And this conversation isn¡¯t over. Your actions here will be hotly discussed over the next few days!¡± ¡°Capture the monster and all will be revealed. Trust me, Zane.¡± The second de spat to the side, then swung his sword. He vanished into the portal hub, already heading for Pellus, determined to intercept Leif and at least salvage something from this horrible situation. === Roy floated in a world of amber and gold. Gravity seemed to have no sway on his body, but at the same time he didn¡¯t feelpletely real. He raised his hands, and they were partially translucent, each digit shimmering, glowing with amber light. It was odd, but he didn¡¯t feel any pain or difort. If anything, it felt like all his worries had drifted away. ¡°Is¡­ is that the sea down below us?¡± Lucia asked, and her partially muffled voice made him nce up. Both his sister and Leif were floating alongside him, and both were partially constructed out of golden light. Now that Lucia had pointed it out, Roy could see the outside world zipping by around them. Clouds flew above them, and the waves of the Rien Sea churned far below. ¡°I thought this would be more instantaneous.¡± Leif said, turning away from them to watch the direction they were headed. ¡°It will take hours to arrive at Far-Reach at this rate. Maybe a full day.¡± He reached out and ced ivory fingers against the wall of the skill. The confines of the golden world shifted, stretching and morphing. Roy nced at Lucia, and he saw the worry on his sister¡¯s face. She was staring at the back of Leif¡¯s head, her fingers clenching and unclenching. He touched down, then wobbled over to her, unstable on his partially ethereal legs, and reached up to grasp her hand with his own. The two siblings stood together and waited. Finally Leif sighed, then spoke. ¡°You still came to me. Even after what I was was revealed.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lucia said softly. Roy nodded, though he doubted Leif noticed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We needed to save you from the bad guys.¡± Roy said simply, ncing up at his sister for confirmation. She smiled, and he returned the expression. ¡°The bad guys...¡± Leif repeated, then he turned. For the first time both siblings got a good look at his face. Though it was streaked with golden light, just like the rest of them, they could still make out his features. To Roy¡¯s eye, he looked person shaped, but more like a statue, a recreation rather than the real thing. He had eye sockets, ears and a nose. There were fine details on his brow, cheeks and chin, but it was all stiff, rigid. As if it were permanently carved to look that way. ¡°You have leaves on your head.¡± He pointed out. ¡°True.¡± Leif said, running a hand through the leaves in question. ¡°They¡¯re red.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Also true.¡± The scionughed. ¡°They grow out quickly, so I needed to wear a hood at all times. Anyway, I will exin everything. If it makes you morefortable, Hera knew, so did Marcus, Sieg and the others.¡± Theypsed into silence as the Pellus campus rapidly came into view. Roy pressed his face up against the limits of the skill that was transporting them. ¡°Look at all the smoke. And the boats, there are so many!¡± ¡°There are so many injured. I feel bad about leaving, even if it''s illogical.¡± Leif said. ¡°Lucia, I can tell that you want to say something. It¡¯s fine, you can go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡­ I recognised the man in red. He¡­ he was one of the people my grandfather met with, in the lead up to the expedition.¡± ¡°Of course he was.¡± Leif sighed. ¡°Do you think he was¡­ one of the culprits?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯ve heard a little about his organisation. My father mentioned them to me once. They¡¯re called Fracture, a group dedicated to fighting back against all kinds of monsters. I think¡­ I think they helped fund the expedition, or at least supported it in some way.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a bit too far away to ask him any questions. And just between us, I don¡¯t n on turning back now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I mean¡­ I¡¯m d we got away.¡± Roy ran from one side of the space to the other, watching as they zipped over thergest of the Academy¡¯s inds, then began to travel northward. He thought he could see people running around far below, from his height they looked like ants. He saw the arena, the grand building having been partially destroyed, he recognised streets they had travelled, and the small port they had first arrived at. Something glinted in the sky above the ind, and he squinted, but it was hard to make out details from within the- The air was cut, and the space twisted, golden light spinning, their elevation dropping suddenly. A man had appeared within Leif¡¯s skill, sword drawn, white hair billowing as wind rushed into the world of amber. Leif reacted, golden arms bursting from his body to lunge for the man. He swung his sword, and Roy screamed as everything twisted, stretching, breaking. Suddenly they were spinning, falling, in an empty void of ck, streaks of infinite colour racing by, distorting the nothingness as they passed. Everything was cold, too hot, tiny and also massive. They were moving so fast, but also not at all. And time was frozen still, while also skipping ahead. Roy screamed again, but his voice didn¡¯t produce sound. And how could it? Not in this ce thatcked all meaning. The sword cut, and the sky returned, but it was no longer evening. Night had fallen in an instant, and dark clouds drifted overhead and the sea wind howled in outrage as they dropped. Roy couldn¡¯t see what happened next, but amber light rippled, flowing out to engulf them once again. He fell against a barrier of gold, and once again his body felt light, immaterial. He turned, eye¡¯s wide. Lucia was on the other side of the golden world, both Leif and the swordsman standing between them. Seawater sprayed as they dipped down again, and they zipped passed a dark shape that ominously loomed up over them. More shadowy shapes passed, and lights twinkled somewhere off in the distance. ¡°Stop fighting, cancel the skill ande with me! We¡¯ll sort this all out, but I can¡¯t let you leave.¡± The white haired man, Zane, shouted. ¡°There are children here, what are you doing?¡± Leif replied, an arm Roy hadn¡¯t seen get severed already growing back at a visible pace. ¡°They¡¯ll be safe, I¡¯ll protect them, whatever happens.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust that. I can¡¯t, let us go.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to hear you say that. Perhaps once the council hears how you acted during the battle.¡± ¡°Roy! Get over here!¡± Lucia screamed. He scrambled towards her, reaching out. The sword cut upwards, and at the same moment it was met with an amber d fist. The teleportation skill was severed, tearing into two pieces as it destabilised. One half held three people, and it copsed, bursting like a bubble. The second half remained, and it didn¡¯t stop moving. Roy yelled his sister¡¯s name as he was carried away. He kept screaming even after the lights twinkling in the distance had disappeared. His voice broke, and his little fists ached from punching the amber wall that kept him in ce. He slumped down and stared at his hands, his body trembling in terror. He was alone. Lucia was gone, Leif was gone, the white haired man had taken them away. He stared nkly at the night wreathed world as he flew north, then west. Heading back to the home he barely remembered. Alone. === Leif hit the water with a thunderous crash, and his entire world was surrounded by darkness. Immediately he began to sink, the depths swallowing him even as he thrashed around to try and stop his inevitable descent. His body was dense, and while that made him physically powerful, it was the opposite kind of body he needed at the moment. He felt the power of [The Amber Path] flying away, and saw through the water the shimmering gold of the skill as it continued on its path. To his side he sensed Lucia, but he couldn¡¯t detect Zane, the de was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Lucia, swim to the surface.¡± He telepathically sent, while at the same time trying to reassure and calm her with his aura. He felt her react to his words, but with no way to hear a reply he sunk in silence, spreading amber motes of light into the water around him in an effort to see. He sensed the moment she broke the surface, felt the residual relief washing over her, only for it to be reced by another spike of panic. But he was too far away to help her, hells, he could barely help himself. He drifted downwards for over a minute,pletely helpless. Things moved in the water around him, and he could sense their flickering vitality. Small and quick, likely fish instead of some overwhelmingly powerful sea monster. Suddenly his feet hit sand, and a cloud of sediment burst up around him. Out of oxygen his body was already deteriorating, and a trickle of vitality was being expended with every passing moment to restore him. He had time, several minutes, perhaps more if he fed on the life-force of the creatures flitting around him. Leif pushed more power into [Amber Aegis], trying to ignore the flicker of pain that shot through his soul. The sea floor bloomed into light all around him, the golden motes reflecting off startled fish, their scales twinkling in the darkness. Water pushed down against his senses, and physical pressure weighed upon him. But he had seen the lights in the distance as [The Amber Path] had carried him and the others, and if his guess was correct, it was likely a settlement of some sort, probably Kartinth. He could no longer detect Lucia, but he started walking in the direction he hoped she had gone. His teleportation skill was now on ¡®cool-down¡¯, or at least the long distance recall part of it was. The skill description said it could be up to a year before he could reactivate it, though the amount depended on distance travelled. Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t be that long. He mentally opened his system notifications, quickly re-reading the one about his previous skill options for [Adept of Self-Restoration]. Unless drowning was an ailment, the first choice was out of the question, the second, [Dy the End] felt almost identical to what the name suggested, and [Life Orbs] gave off the impression of a technique, likely one that would allow him to utilise vitality in a new way. He didn¡¯t have much choice at the moment, death was closing in, so only a single option made sense. === Dy the End Aspects: Enhancement (Body)* (Life)* Increases the efficacy of all healing skills the closer to death the user is. Reduces physical damage taken the more injured the individual¡¯s body is. === Immediately he felt the gradual drain of his vitality slow, the potency of each drop sustaining him more and more. But even with the new skill, his time was rapidly running out. The amount of healing he required only seemed to increase with every minute, and despite now having several skills that all worked to increase his durability, he wouldn¡¯t make it, that much was obvious. Leif was one level away from reaching level twenty five in [Scion of Aeons], but he had only just gained two levels in the ss, relying on the chance he could gain that final level, and hope that whatever skills it may offer him could somehow save him from his situation was a poor thread to tie his life to. But he had other options, surely there was a way out. Something caught his attention above him, and Leif looked up. A shadow was carving through the water¡¯s surface, and to either side were several more. They were boats. And boats were made out of wood. Furthermore, Leif suspected he knew who the owners of the vessels were, and there would be no love lost if he broke one or two. Or several. He pushed everything he had into his physical strength, flooded his legs with vitality, braced himself to jump with a dozen arms all ready to push at the same time. He leapt, shooting upwards, mentally reaching out for the hull of the nearest ship with [Wood Maniption]. He didn¡¯t make it on the first attempt, and moving so much, so quickly, seemed to quickly burn out the fuse that was the time he had until suffocation imed him. Hended back on the seafloor, his descent doing little to settle the storm of sediment raging around him. The shadow he had aimed for was too far away now, but another was hot on its heels. Leif prepared himself, then reached for thestpressed wooden sphere he had in his storage ring. It appeared in his hand, and immediately fell through his fingers, tugged downwards. It hit the sand with a dull thud. Leif nted a foot on the sphere, then flooded it with his remaining vitality. The sphere exploded, and Leif sted upwards, controlling his ascent with [Wood Maniption] as twisting and writing branches carried him upwards. This time his momentum was greater, and with a wrench he tugged at the ship above him. It ripped apart, the hull splitting in two as Leif¡¯s will forced it to descend, what had once been tempered wood flowed down towards him, reaching as if it were a hand trying to pluck him from the sea. He let it, then climbed the stalk with every limb he had avable, pulling more and more of the ship apart as he gained elevation. Barrels and crates fell all around him, their contents spilling out into the gloom to be lost forever. The first sailors were pulled down along with their ship, weighed down by their armour and weapons. Severalshed out in fear with skills that lit the sea a plethora of vibrant colours, but their lives were snuffed out as amber limbs snaked out to pluck their vitality. The boat crumpled in on itself, groaning and bucking as its purpose was reshaped in the most violent and dramatic fashion possible. Then it burst like an egg, and Leif erupted back up onto the surface. All around him were shouts and cries, torches were being lit on nearby vessels, the shadowy shapes of the republic ships were revealed like a veil being lifted. His fingers dug into the remains of the ship below him, then with a roar he used what was left of its wooden carcass to bridge the gap to the next vessel. The tform he created speared into the upper deck, shaking the entire ship with the impact. Men fell back, and Leif leapt aboard, scattering the crew with a forest of amber limbs, forcing the deck to stab upwards to impale a dozen soldiers all at once. He sensed several intents, sharp and dangerous, lock onto him from several directions, and he tensed. Then another ship exploded into a shower of splinters, having been carved straight through with a single swing of a de. Zane licked his lips, then waved awkwardly, a waterlogged Lucia draped over one shoulder. She was trying to twist out of his grip, but he held her in ce with little difficulty. ¡°So¡­¡± He called. ¡°Sorry about that!¡± ¡°Is that Kartinth?¡± Leif yelled back. ¡°Uh, probably. I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Leif snapped. ¡°What¡¯s more important to you, me or an invasion fleet?¡± ¡°Admittedly, a fleet of ships trying to invade my home is the priority. Shall we, uh, take care of business?¡± Chapter 178: Splinters Chapter 178: Splinters Lucia¡¯s world spun, and that was in part because Zane had dropped her onto the lilting deck of the bisected ship he had leapt onto with her slung over his shoulder. All around her were the crashes, screams and emanations of battle, the activation of skills lighting up the night, their endlessly different aspects reflecting off the void that was the pitch ck sea. All of those were reasons she struggled to find her feet, couldn¡¯t see clearly, and was on the verge of a panic attack. But they weren¡¯t the primary reason. Roy was gone, carried away in a streak of light. Her brother was gone. Her little brother. It felt like something had been violently torn out of her chest. Whenever she had left Roy alone during their time living on the street, her heart had fluttered with anxiety, and her stomach had twisted into knots. But she had always known where he was, and had always known how to return to him. But here, the cold sea air buffeting her from all directions, she was more lost than she had ever been before. A wave struck the sinking half of the boat, and she fell forward, managing to catch herself on the nearby railing, her bnce better than it had ever been before gaining her ss. Lucia blinked tears from her eyes and desperately nced around for Leif. He would know where Roy was, he would know where to find him. Finding him was the easy part, the wooden vessel he was standing on had been twisted and melted into an unnatural shape, and the world around him bristled with amber lights and golden arms. Soldiers threw themselves at him, only to be rebuffed as the deck they were standing atop shifted to knock them over, ruptured to send them flying or twisted upwards to restrain their bodies and draw them closer. Even over the din of battle and the distant ringing of bells from the city, Lucia heard someone grunt as they pulled themselves up onto her half of the ship. Her breath caught for a fraction of a second, then she dove to the side, crouching behind a trio of crates that had been bolted to the deck. The soldier staggered over to where she had just been standing and leaned against the railing. Sea water dripped off them in a steady stream, and they spat into the sea, cursing up a storm. They had an axe slung over their back, and a dagger attached to their belt. Suddenly a massive explosion of mes detonated atop a nearby ship, the sheer heat and power of the fire rocking every vessel in the vicinity. Lucia¡¯s ears rang and her vision went white, there was a second detonation, then a third, each getting further and further away. There was a thump next to her as something, or someone fell against the crates. When her vision returned the man was right beside her, blood streaking down the side of his face. She scrambled away, but his eyes refocused before she could break line of sight. There was a pause as they both froze. Lucia was moving before she had consciously made the decision to do so, she crossed the distance between them in three quick steps, her fist aimed for the soldier¡¯s nose. The punch connected, and the man¡¯s head snapped back, but he was a higher level, and easily weighed three times as much as she did. Therefore he recovered quickly from her blow, but unfortunately for the soldier, the instincts drilled into him during his training made him reach for the axe slung over his back instead of taking advantage of his other advantages. In the time it took him to grab the weapon¡¯s shaft Lucia had plucked the dagger from his belt and jammed it into his throat. She slumped to the increasingly tilted deck, her hands trembling, blood fountaining off to the side from the deadly wound she had inflicted. Lucia wanted to be sick, to recoil at what she had done. But she just felt numb, conflicted and scared. A system prompt flickered to life before her eyes, and she stared at the message for several seconds. This was the second time she had levelled up after killing another person. She preferred training. There was a scream from a nearby boat, and Lucia nced up to see the crew aiming skills skywards, shes of multicoloured lightncing into the night air, silhouetting a serpentine body with a wingspan wider than the ship it flew above. A gout of white hot fire streamed from its shadowed jaws, and the soldiers on board were engulfed. She shrunk back, her eyes wide as she watched the monster unleash its power. Water sshed against her boots, and she looked down to see that the bisected ship was out of time. Then a bridge of wood speared down into the deck, and Leif stepped off of it,nding with a ssh next to her. He looked at the corpse, the blood mixing with the sea, then back to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked.¡°I¡­ Yes. We need to- We need to find Roy, is he¡­¡± ¡°Gone, he¡¯s likely a hundred miles up the coast by now. We¡¯ll follow, but we need to get tond first.¡± ¡°Will he be fine? What if the skill breaks, or falls apart now that you¡¯re not there. What if he¡¯s trapped forever, or it doesn¡¯t go to where you thought it would? What if-¡± ¡°Lucia.¡± Leif said, cing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Focus, Roy will be fine. We need to leave before one of the coatl¡¯s mistakes us for an enemy.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I¡­ Yes, okay. Are those what are flying around?¡± ¡°They are. Whatever the Republic¡¯s n here was, getting to the city undiscovered was probably part of it. Shame we ruined it.¡± === Zane flopped down onto the sand, his sword falling from his fingers as he tried to remember thest time everything had hurt this badly. He couldn¡¯t feel his fingers, his hair was singed and someone had stabbed him through the gut with a spoken word. He hadn¡¯t even known that was possible, but he supposed the Republic was full of strange practitioners of strange paths. Though, inplete fairness to his enemies, most people would consider his own path incredibly odd. The system seemed to agree, a prompt appearing before him to offer him a second ss. He waved it away. He was a one track man, dedicated to only the sword. Though it would be nice to level up again. He coughed up blood, rolling over to stain the beach instead of his uniform. How was he supposed to get back to the Academy now? His flying sword was still on Lutum, and he doubted after this attack the imperial navy would have ships to spare. The Academy¡­ He thought, groaning. He would need to do his duty, even if breathing made him want to pass out, and one of his legs was mangled to the point it was difficult to stand on. With great effort he sat up, observing the end of the battle. Skills still shed in the night, but it was few and far between now. Most of the Republic¡¯s ships had either retreated, or been destroyed, their still burning remains floating like beacons all along the coast. The winged shadows of coatl¡¯s and their riders flew overhead, sweeping the area for stragglers. Heavy footsteps crunched to his left, approaching slowly. Zane turned, and squinted into the darkness, a pair of amber, glowing eyes appeared, followed shortly by the body concealed inyers of cloth that they were attached to. A second, smaller figure was walking at their side, but he hadn¡¯t heard their footsteps. He sighed, and let himself fall back into the sand. The pair stopped several metres away, and silence stretched. ¡°What happened when you interrupted my skill? What was the chaotic ce you took us to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zane replied tiredly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that happen before. It¡¯s not a usual part of my skill, I¡¯ll tell you that. I had hoped you might know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Mmmm. Whatever happened, we skipped north quite far, lost an hour or two of time. Very weird.¡± ¡°Quite the coincidence we would appear right in the middle of a Republic invasion fleet.¡± ¡°Coincidences happen. We wouldn¡¯t have a name for them otherwise.¡± Leif crossed his arms, and Zane got the distinct impression the tree man was frowning at him. Well, he didn¡¯t have the energy to me him. This entire day had been a mess, too much had gone wrong and too quickly at that. The next few months, maybe years, would be a massive pain, he wasn¡¯t looking forward to it. His cousins were probably already scheming how to leverage the war to their family¡¯s advantage, assuming they were both alive, he wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°What happens now?¡± Leif asked. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Any suggestions?¡± ¡°You¡¯re fairly injured, I wouldn¡¯t rmend chasing us.¡± Zane blew a raspberry into the night air. ¡°Oh, trust me, I¡¯ve learnt my lesson about that. You don¡¯t have anything to worry about from me, I shouldn¡¯t have pursued you to begin with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ surprising to hear.¡± ¡°Really? Let me try and exin myself.¡± Zane coughed, raising a hand skywards, only to let it fall down a momentter. That was too much effort, he¡¯d have to monologue without props. ¡°Firstly, Vevosis is a slimy bastard, and I shouldn¡¯t have listened to him in the first ce. You weren¡¯t a threat, and I don¡¯t give a shit what he wants out of you. Secondly, you¡¯ve more than proven yourself not an enemy. The coatl¡¯s would have found and torched you if you were with the Republic, they can sense that sort of thing, and if you¡¯re part of another faction or group I don¡¯t want to know about it. Thirdly, I¡¯m tired and want to sleep.¡± ¡°You separated us from Roy.¡± The girl said, and out of the corner of his eye Zane saw her clench her fists. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry? You could have killed him! You could have killed us!¡± The second de winced. ¡°Sheesh, I know alright, I know. I said sorry.¡± Leif walked forwards, each step crunching the sand underfoot. He loomed over Zane, and the glowing eyes really added to the sinister effect. He wondered if the man-tree had a skill to make them do that. ¡°I really am not your enemy. I have nothing against the Academy, nor the empire. I came to the inds to learn, and I regret having to leave under these circumstances.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m not your enemy either, nobody who fights alongside me deserves to have me turn around and put a sword to their neck. Things are always moreplicated than they need to be, it''s a pain in the ass. I just want to stab bad guys, eat good food, and annoy my wife. This secret society, walking trees and lost children crap is not for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a¡­ surprisingly immature way of looking at things.¡± The walking tree said. ¡°I did not imagine this was what you were really like after watching you in the arena. Regardless, we¡¯re leaving now. Please don¡¯t send anyone after us.¡± ¡°Okie-dokie, best of luck. Oh, you too girl.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust him.¡± She said. ¡°He¡¯ll try to capture us, or do something to hurt us.¡± ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t. Can¡¯t say the same for anyone else though. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Vevosis hasn¡¯t already sent goons after you already. You should be as far from here as possible by the time dawn arrives. If my hunch is correct, there will have been other invasion fleets, so try to stay ind if at all possible.¡± ¡°We might.¡± Leif said. Zane chuckled, then stopped, doing so hurt his ribs. ¡°Oh, you mentioned Hera when we first met, didn¡¯t you? I won¡¯t ask questions, but I¡¯ll let her know what happened.¡± ¡°Thank you. That would be¡­ beneficial.¡± ¡°I aim to please. Now, if you could be so kind, let me rest. My everything hurts.¡± He closed his eyes and wiggled into the sand, gettingfy, or asfy as he could, there was a shell poking into his lower back. His eyes fluttered open when he felt something nudge his arm. Healing energy trickled into him, warm andfortable. Zane sighed, flexing his fingers and toes. ¡°Alright, for that, I¡¯ll kick Vevosis between the legs for you as well.¡± Chapter 179: Interlude: The Boy Who Fell From The Sky Chapter 179: Interlude: The Boy Who Fell From The Sky Bam trotted through the field of fully grown grain and considered that it was unfair that she wasn¡¯t allowed to eat all of it. It grew so quickly, and nobody would notice if she nibbled on a couple, or several hundred juicy heads. It was truly outrageous, one of life¡¯s great injustices. She walked along the dirt path towards the farmhouse in the distance. There were lots of buildings now, it felt like every day those with the misfortune of possessing thumbs would run around putting more up. She didn¡¯t understand why they liked the structures so much, wasn¡¯t it morefortable to sleep under the night sky? Well, most of the humans didn¡¯t have fur, they needed to make their own, or steal it from other animals. Bam didn¡¯t get it, but Lani probably did. Her sister was weird, she slept so frequently because she thought too much, it was bad for one¡¯s health. Well, technically Lani was her daughter, but all the human¡¯s didn¡¯t know that, so they called them sisters. If Bam was being honest, she forgot the true nature of their rtionship most of the time anyway, so it didn¡¯t really matter. Hells, she didn¡¯t even remember what the first years of her life were like, not like now, where she could remember not to eat the wheat. The family that lived in the farmhouse saw her, and waved. She happily chewed in greeting. Wait. Whoops. One of the farmers shouted, and Bam turned and scrambled back down the path, bits of half eaten grain tumbling from her mouth. She fled as quickly as she could manage, only stopping asionally to sample the goods as she went. Bam reached the end of the fields, and hopped over a small stone wall. She could hear the farmers catching up to her, so she bolted down the road, legs iling, almost bowling over two women holding baskets, and making a yak pulling a wagon huff in surprise. Bam skidded to a halt, then backtracked to the shorter of the two humans. She gingerly plucked an apple out of the woman¡¯s basket with her teeth, ducked under a grabbing hand trying to stop her, then skipped away from the scene of the crime, fruity juices squirting out of her mouth. So tasty, everything grown around the big rock with the tree was so delicious. The yak huffed in annoyance as she passed it again, but Bam ignored it, there were more people chasing her, how fun. She lost her pursuers at the outskirts of what she knew were called ¡®outer viges¡¯. Smallermunities that had sprung up around the edges of the big tree¡¯s life giving presence. Then the radius would expand, and more fields could be nted, which in turn meant more groups of wooden boxes. But the outer viges didn¡¯tpare to the town that had sprung up around the two rocks. There were hundreds of buildings, all in different shapes and sizes. The paths had stones mixed into thepact dirt, and what had once been a tiny stream, from the big ice cubes that she wasn¡¯t allowed to go near again, was now a flowing river. There was even a bridge. It felt like every day more people arrived at Far-Reach, which meant more food, which meant more fun. When neers arrived they were always dirty, skinny, and sad. Which of course was stupid, they should have just eaten more, humans always made things moreplicated than they needed to be. To prove her own point, Bam stopped for a snack break by nibbling on some tasty grass. Grass grew rapidly, and in great numbers. The council had gone to great efforts to eradicate the weed from around the town, but tiny clusters of the stuff would always spring from somewhere. When she was done with the grass, Bam noticed a cluster of blue flowers, which tasted okay. Next to them was a log covered in moss, which tasted better, though she could have done without the ants. And besides that was a bench with a bunch of folded shirts. Well, if people were just going to leave this stuff lying around, she would clean up for them. Ignoring the shirtless people swinging around swords, spears and the asional axe in the nearby training yard, Bam got to work cleaning up society. ¡°Bam, no!¡± Came a shout from behind her, and she sheepishly turned to see what was the problem. Arge, muscr man who was sweating far too much for it to be healthy, ran towards her, his face red, lightning crackling through his long white hair. He had little horns too, but her¡¯s were bigger, and therefore better- ¡°Stop. Eating. My. Fucking. Shirt. You. Stupid. Animal!¡± v yelled, wringing her by the neck. ¡°Stop it! This is the third time this week! Why do you do these things?¡± Bam, unable to talk, just blinked. Then she blinked away in a sh of light. v cursed, yelled for some of the people he had been training with to help, then gave chase. A minute, a small fire, and several nibbled fingerster, Bam was caught. She indignantly tolerated being tied up, hoisted over v¡¯s shoulder, then carried up the stairs to the top of the bluff. Then she was hung upside down to a low hanging branch of the domain tree, and left there for the rest of the day. As night fell, peopleughed and celebrated in the town below. Bam could taste the food, and it smelled very tasty indeed. But right next to the big tree with red and gold leaves she didn¡¯t feel overly hungry. Obviously that wouldn¡¯t stop her from eating, nothing could, except for a certain member of her family. And even then only briefly. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Bam. Why did you light that house on fire?¡± Came a telepathic message full of exasperation and weary eptance. Lani walked into sight, silver light shimmering off her back and down her legs. The tips of her ears sparkled, and Bam knew from experience that the light was quite tasty, though the results of finding that out hadn¡¯t been overly worth it. ¡°ident.¡± She sent back. It wasn¡¯t easy to do so while having most of the blood in one¡¯s body flooding to their head. Lani¡¯s skill could be kind of finicky to connect to as well. Her tongue lulled out, and her eyes sparkled with innocence. ¡°Bam, that¡¯s the fifth time this month you¡¯ve set that exact house on fire.¡± ¡°ident.¡± ¡°Is it because the owners don¡¯t give you food?¡± ¡°... Yes. I mean no.¡± Lani audibly sighed, a remarkably human expression on a deer. She knelt on the ground nearby and gotfortable. Several other animals all began to wander up onto the bluff, each having their own spot near the domain tree that they slept. There were rabbits, sheep, birds of all colours, badgers, racoons, a handful of snakes, an old bear that nobody had managed to scare off, many, many evolved hogs, several yaks, and much more. Even some guard dogs that hade with the refugees from the south had taken it upon themselves to stick around and keep the peace. The tree healed them, nourished them, and on more than a few asions, evolved them. Several of the roosting birds had undergone transformations, and one of the yak¡¯s made the ground quake with every step. The people living in the town below called it a miracle, or good luck, but it wasn¡¯t. All the animals knew, or at least sensed the truth. The one who was connected to the domain tree gave freely and generously, and that was the source of their fortune and safety. As the night dragged on, Bam found herself drifting off to sleep. Nobody hade to cut her down, and while she could escape with little effort, she would only get in more trouble if she did. So she hung, swung, and snoozed. Eventually she was startled awake by nearby movement, and it took her several seconds to see who was the cause. Lani was awake, standing and looking skywards, southwards. Her ears were twitching, and the ethereal glow around her was brighter than ever. Bam tried to ask what was the matter, but the telepathic bridge had long been severed, and she had no way of rebuilding it. Instead she hung there in silence, watching Lani watch the night sky. === The first hour of flight alone in the world of gold was terrifying. The skill kept rising and dipping at random intervals, and Roy was certain it would fall apart, plummeting him down into the sea below, or dashing him against the rocky cliffs he was soaring over. But after an hour or so had passed, and his tears had dried, Roy found himself watching the world pass by below him. He saw the distant lights of coastal towns and viges, andrger clusters of light that must have been cities. The clouds parted as he flew north, and the moonlight let him see forests, hills and even several small inds. Leif¡¯s skill carried him north, then west, and Roy found himself trying to remember the initial journey that he and Lucia had taken with their family to reach the imperial capital. He had been very young then, and could barely recall more than small shes of moments. Still, he tried, watching the world from a vantage he had never experienced before. So he couldn¡¯t help but notice the fires, and the bands of moving torches that revealed ships all along the coast. He had never seen war, didn¡¯t remember the one that had imed his homnd, but the sight made him sick. Why did people have to fight, what was the point of attacking cities and towns? Wouldn¡¯t everyone be happier, safer, if they just got along? He opened his mouth to ask Lucia, then closed it when he realised she wasn¡¯t there. He felt cold, vulnerable, he didn¡¯t know what it was like to be without his older sister. For his entire life she had always been there, even when things had gotten really bad, and his sickness had made him too weak to move. Sometimes he would wake up in a dark room alone, but she would always leave a note saying where she had gone off to, and he knew she wouldn¡¯t be far, would always return before long. But now miles passed every minute, and with every one that ticked by, Lucia grew days, if not weeks away. Roy hugged his knees and tried not to cry, he was a big boy now, he shouldn¡¯t weep, it would feel wrong without his sister¡¯s shoulder anyway. It took him several seconds to notice the massive city below him, easily the biggest he had seen so far. He expected the golden world to carry him by just like all the other¡¯s, but it didn¡¯t, instead he hovered around the settlement, circling it several times. This let him make out the massive pce, towering walls, and intricatework of wooden docks built into the cliffside. He also saw the war taking ce on the streets below. Men and women fought and died, groups leaping between rooftops, and several powerful figures doing battle in the sky. Roy¡¯s breath caught, if one of them attacked Leif¡¯s skill thinking it was caused by one of their enemies he might fall from the sky and plummet to his death in the streets below. Thankfully, before anyone could turn their attention to the steak of golden light circling their city, he was gone, heading north. Roy could now see that he was following a road, then a path. He soared over a massive river lined with dozens of fortifications and bridges, then he was looking down on viges with no lights twinkling in their windows. Were there no people there? Why? Had something happened? In the far north, a massive range of mountains loomed out of the darkness, and Roy knew what they were. Lucia had told him stories of the northern ranges, how his father had loved to explore them, hunting monsters and levelling up. He thought for a moment Leif¡¯s skill would carry him all the way back to Pherin, but instead it aimed right for a town full of twinkling lights. He dropped rapidly, the golden world shing through low cloud coverage. A massive tree with shimmering red and gold leaves took up everything he could see and the ground lurched upwards. Roy screamed and covered his eyes, then with a rush of wind the skill fell apart, and he dropped, falling, he was going to die- He fell half a metre and promptlynded on something soft and warm, his legs sticking up into the air. He cried out, iling wildly, but he couldn¡¯t move. But whatever he hadnded on certainly could. It was an animal of some kind,rge and fluffy. It was going to eat him for sure! All around him was movement and chaos as hundreds of creatures were abruptly yanked from their sleep. He wasn¡¯t going to die from the fall, he was going to be trampled to death. He covered his eyes with his arm and tucked in his legs as he rolled off the animal andnded in the dirt. For over a minute he remained like that, shivering and terrified. And nothing happened. He wasn¡¯t attacked, eaten or stepped on. In fact, the ruckus from so many animals had already died down. He spread his fingers and risked a look. Two pairs of eyes looked down at him, one curious, sparkling with ethereal silver light. The other was¡­ upside down? And was that a tongue lulling from its mouth? ¡°Wuh?¡± He said dumbly. Chapter 180: Interlude: House Vin Chapter 180: Interlude: House Vin The ascent leading up to the pce in Varan city was via¡¯s favourite ce in the entirekeside settlement. It was lined with beautiful arrays of multicoloured flowers, artfully sculpted statues painted invish golds and silvers, and the multitude of endlessly flowing fountains added a bubbling ambiance to the walk that threatened to transport her to another world. It reminded her of the gardens and courtyards back home, though a hundred times more regal. The shimmering domes of the pce fought for the attention of any making their way upwards, and the reflecting of the early morning sun off their metallic and gemstone construction did wonders to constantly remind her of just what kind of den she was marching into. The rhythmic nk of the two guards walking in solemn lockstep at her heels was another reminder, this time of her duty. She didn¡¯t need protectors, not here, not unless the painters working to restore the artistic integrity of some of the more timeworn statues were assassins in disguise. When she finally reached the base of the grand stairs leading up to the pce proper she beheld the sight of two dozen guards standing in two straight backed lines, each nking one side of the approach. It didn¡¯t escape her notice that half of the pce''s protectors wore the same red and gold as her own two guards. The others had the regal purple of the royal family, and simr colours were disyed from hanging banners, but these too were often paired with red and gold copycats. The nking guards all saluted in unison, and none so much as hinted that she wasn¡¯t wee or expected. Thest time she had visited, there had been no sign of house Vin¡¯s influence, but now it was hard to escape the reality of her family¡¯s rising fortune and status. While via had been managing her house¡¯s response to the undead crisis in the west, deploying the adventuringpanies under her family¡¯s employ and coordinating the defensive effort, her father had been here, along with many of her house¡¯s more senior members. ying politics wasn¡¯t a term she enjoyed using, but if it was a game, they were winning. Now that turbulence hade and gone, and she had received word that the nned expedition into thends that had formerly belonged to the kingdom of Pherin was no longer needed, her grandfather had insisted, as the daughter of house Vin¡¯s heir, that she should integrate herself into the royal court. This was a game that ordinarily, if the trajectory of her life hadn¡¯t been altered suddenly with the death of her brother, that she likely would have had to take part in far more often. The younger her would have been delighted at the splendour and spectacle, enchanted by the music and outfits, and overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of it all. As she ascended the final steps and double checked that she was just as presentable as her maids had wanted her to be, she forcibly reminded herself of the difference twelve years could make, and just how quickly everything could change. Her mother had likely walked the same journey she had justpleted a thousand times, but that did little to ease her worries. She took a deep breath, then stepped inside. === via forced a smile and dipped her head slightly in a loose approximation of respect. Not for the first time she wondered what would break first, her fist, or the nose of the Patriarch of house Yerl. Their houses were allies, almost everyone in the great hall of the Varan city pce was either a friend or in a position of subordination to either house Vin or one of the other main yers, and the tense political climate within their country made any alliances valuable. But that didn¡¯t stop her from wanting to deck the older man in his smug, stupid face. Her brother, if he were still here, surely would have already done so. But via couldn¡¯t, it would be both politically idiotic, and she alsocked the physical strength, so she would have to satisfy herself by imagining the sight of blood flying and the sound of cartge crunching as she wiped the condescending half sneer off his face. ¡°My dear.¡± Bartol Yerl drawled, all but leering over the goblet of wine he had raised to his lips. ¡°I dare say it would be a perfect union. Our houses would be closer than ever, and I can attest to my son¡¯s¡­ affections towards you.¡± via had to fight down the sudden need to gag. Erik Yerl was like his father, a disgusting weasel of a man, and his idea of ¡®good natured fun¡¯ was exposing himself to serving girls or challenging farmers a quarter of his level to ¡®friendly spars¡¯. A few years prior she had entertained a simr proposal from Bartol, at the behest of her father, and the resulting meeting with the man¡¯s son had been nothing short of excruciating. His ¡®the death of your brother made you more beautiful¡¯ poem had not been the romantic gesture of endearment he had expected, and the fact he had mistaken her appalled expression for an encore request had not helped his attempt to court her in the least. No. It had been that incident, along with several others, that had convinced via to seekpanionship outside of the noble circles. ¡°Our houses already walk side by side.¡± She demurred, and the resulting scowl from the older man made it clear that her backhanded insult hadnded. Their houses were certainly allies, but they were not equal. No, there wasn¡¯t a noble family in the pce that had a higher standing than house Vin, even the royals, fallen and politically weak as they were, could only im equivalence. Everyone would agree, but privately the writing was on the wall. ¡°Perhaps I will speak of this with your father.¡± Bartol said, his own smile as forced as hers. ¡°When he isn¡¯t attending the lord regent, I¡¯m sure the Vin patriarch would love to have yourpany.¡± via said, blindly plucking a fried roll off a nearby tray. She chewed slowly, then dismissed the man with a ¡°Thank you for your time, lord Yerl.¡± He stalked off, and was immediately reced by the next person who wanted her attention. Nobody was so tant to que up to see her, or at least, not in an obvious line. Instead the lords anddies of Varan loitered throughout the hall, mingling in conversation while keeping an ear and eye focused on her at all times. The order in which they would approach her was based on their perceived station, and remembering who was in and out of favour was as exhausting as it was impossible. Thedy of house Syre was a sharp and dignified woman, and her position was a rarity among the court. Matriarchs were umon within Varan noble society, and it was generally epted that whenever they did take power they would allow themselves to be seeded quickly and quietly. Flora Syre had defied those norms, and had risen to be quite a figure of prominence. via liked the older woman, and considered her somewhat of a friend, though with how politically focused the Matriarch of house Syre was, a true friendship would likely never be possible. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Not when there¡¯s power to be gained. Or taken. She thought ruefully as Flora excused herself. The sharp cking of polished boots on marble sounded from behind her, and via let out a mental sigh. There were well over a dozen people in this room she would rather give herself a lobotomy via spoon than speak with. Bracing herself she turned, fake smile already stered on her face, hoping it wasn¡¯t one of them. To her surprise it wasn¡¯t. Instead a man in sharp military dress, a decorative pauldron over one shoulder and a pair of short des at his hip marched up to her, then stood to attention. He was one of the king''s soldiers, indicated by the purple highlights of his uniform, and the fact he had gone to her over all others was not lost on anyone in the room. ¡°Mydy.¡± He said, voice carrying. ¡°Forgive my rudeness in interrupting your business. I bring an urgent message for the lord regent.¡± via blinked, then years of training overrode her shock. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She said, her eyes quickly darting to the pins representing his rank. ¡°This way, captain. The regent has ordered none interrupt him this morning, but he will make an exception.¡± She was grateful for the excuse to leave, but also worried, from her experience ¡®urgent message¡¯ almost always indicated bad news. The man gestured behind him, and what looked like a pair ofmunications [Operator]s scurried into the meeting hall, practically running past all the important men and women not so discreetly shuffling towards therge double doors where the regent and the king¡¯s personal council were being held. The quartet of guards nced at her and the neers, then one silently slipped through the doors. A minuteter she, the captain, and the two nervous looking [Operator]s were admitted entry. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± The king said as they entered, only to be interrupted by a fit of coughs. ¡°We¡¯re discussing important matters of state. Isn¡¯t that right, regent?¡± ¡°Correct as always, your majesty.¡± The regent, via¡¯s grandfather, said, stroking his wispy beard. Despite his advanced age, the man looked to be in better health than the skinny and pale king. To his side, the regent¡¯s son, her father, stepped forward, his eyes briefly flicking to her. ¡°Speak, soldier. What is this urgent message?¡± Galeus Vin said. He was a tall, tanned man. His features were hardened, almost chiselled, but via had always remembered how soft and kindly he was. Or had been. The death of his wife, and then son, had changed her father, now he stood in a manner simr to the regent, a man he had once hoped to never emte. But the duty of leading house Vin had altered his priorities, shifted his attitude towards those around him. The officer saluted. ¡°We received word an hour ago from the southernmostmunications outpost. The empire is under attack from the west, the invasion startedst night, around dusk, and is still ongoing with several key cities having be under assault.¡± Everyone fell silent, and the atmosphere within the well lit chamber darkened significantly. The aura¡¯s of several high level individuals suddenly sharpening made it hard to breathe, and via knew she was suffering more than most. Noble authority hung heavy, pressing down on the lower levelled people in the room. Her own training and decently high [Charisma] helped her stay on her feet, but behind her, both [Operator]s almost copsed, and several loitering servants fell over. Even the officer looked shaken, though he regained his bearings almost as quickly as she did. But nobody was worse off than the king. He was a young man, a few years into his teens, but his ragged and sickly appearance made him look twice his age, and his inconsistent constitution often made him unsuitable to leave his room, let alone lead a country. He fell forward, all but sprawling onto therge rounded desk, his scrambling hands disrupting paperwork and sending carved miniatures representing different assets tumbling. The king let out a choked gasp, and via saw several of his advisers wrinkle their noses in disapproval, despite being the source of his difort. Theodore Skarn was a weak man, and a weaker ruler. His family had been on the decline for decades, but the enver war had all but crippled their authority. Everyone lost family. She mused darkly, watching as the king collected himself. ¡°W-what do you mean, invasion? By who? Are we also under attack?¡± He spluttered, ncing nervously at the regent as if for answers. ¡°The message we received was from the Cerres imperial garrison just south of the Varan mountains.¡± The braver of the twomunications officers said with a shaky bow, recovering now that the aura¡¯s of those in the room were once again restrained and controlled. ¡°Apparently it was a simultaneous assault across all the western provinces, but details were sparse. The report says that even the Academy suffered an attack.¡± ¡°Has the Empire requested our aid?¡± The regent asked, cing aforting hand on the king¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No. Not yet, Lord Vin.¡± The captain said, withdrawing a scroll from a pocket inside his uniform. ¡°The message¡¯s transcription is written in full here.¡± ¡°Thank you, soldier. Dismissed.¡± The captain saluted again, then he and the two [Operator]s swiftly made their escape. via turned to leave, but her grandfather held out a hand. ¡°Stay, via. This is an important learning opportunity for you, and I will not have you miss it.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± She said, trying not to show how ufortable she was. ¡°What do we do, Leif? An attack of this scale¡­ It¡¯s bad, right? Worse than you predicted?¡± ¡°Indeed, your highness. I am uncertain how the Republic has made such a broad attack against our esteemed allies. As for what we do¡­ Hmmm, we find ourselves in a delicate situation. With Epidor having grown closer to the northern tribes, it would be unwise to turn our backs on them.¡± The regent said, both palms syed out onto the table. via knew her grandfather, and she knew when he was scheming. Well, he was always scheming, but his face only adopted a faint hint of a smile when he had something cruel in mind. ¡°Will they take advantage and attack us?¡± The king asked, sounding horrified. ¡°First the ants, then the undead, now this? It¡¯s like the end of the world!¡± ¡°The world is not ending, and Epidor will not dare attack us if we reinforce our eastern border. As for sending aid to the Empire, we will do no such thing. Not until they request such of us, and even then we must be canny in our response. After the Empire¡¯s failings to provide¡­ adequate assistance in our times of need, we are under no obligation to go above and beyond the nature of our rtionship.¡± The king nodded along, as if he had been thinking the exact same thing. via pitied him, how could she not. He was ame sheep among hungry wolves, it was as if the room was full of buzzards circling overhead, all but waiting for him to keel over. An advisor leaned forward. ¡°Epidor received the Empire¡¯s aid first, and most prominently during the enver attack on ournds. Mekrys will be expecting their aid now, in return for the favour.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The lord regent said. ¡°Tell me, granddaughter, what do you make of this? via schooled her features, meeting the man¡¯s gaze. She knew what she wanted to say, but she also knew what he, and to a lesser extent her father expected her to say. The attention of every important person in the meeting, the king excluded, was on her. ¡°Since we are not the targets of this conflict, it is likely our rivals will bear the brunt of the cost of war. One could consider this an opportunity, if approached with cautious deliberation.¡± She said, earning low murmurs of approval, likely for her grandfather''s sake than her¡¯s. ¡°How many troops do we expect Epidor to send south to Aid the empire?¡± Another advisor questioned, and before long the scattered carvings had been returned to their positions on the table. It made her sick to know that this was almost exactly how those in power had acted during thest war. The jockeying for position and power, seeking opportunity in the misfortune of others. via¡¯s eyes met those of her father, and Galeus nodded almost imperceptibly, though his expression looked grim. She tuned most of the conversation out, only paying attention to the key decisions being made. Another war. What will I lose this time? Chapter 181: Northbound Chapter 181: Northbound ¡°Should you have killed him?¡± Lucia asked, ncing over her shoulder as she and Leif walked between the sandy hills and arid shrunds that lined the western coast. ¡°He might have been lying.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t. I could tell.¡± Leif replied, stabbing a driftwood staff into the side of the dune as he scaled it. ¡°Also, I¡¯m concerned you would ask me that. I don¡¯t think killing another person should be one of the first courses of action you consider.¡± He reached the top, boots leaving deep trenches in the sand with every step, then turned back and extended a golden arm down to where Lucia stood, not meeting his gaze. ¡°He was¡­ a bad person.¡± She muttered, her voice low. ¡°Zane made a mistake. And he recognised that. He even apologised, which is better than I would expect from most people.¡± ¡°But he attacked us! He could have killed- He might have- Ugh, it''s not right. What he did was evil!¡± ¡°Evil.¡± Leif repeated, still holding out his hand. ¡°Is that what you really think?¡± Lucia clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She red up at Leif, her eyes wide, her jaw trembling. ¡°Stop reading my emotions, it''s not fair!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to be an empath to know that you¡¯re upset.¡±¡°Upset? I¡¯m furious! I¡¯m so angry I could explode! Don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯m wrong to feel like this! He cut Roy away from me! Roy¡¯s my responsibility, and I don¡¯t even know where he is! I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s safe, if he¡¯s scared, cold, hungry?! I need to be there for him, and that stupid white haired idiot swordsman took him away, cut him out of my life!¡± Leif stood atop the dune, watching Lucia rant, her orange eyes aze, the very first hint of dawn just appearing in the early morning sky. He let out a breath of air, then let his golden arm dissipate, at the same time stepping forward and sliding back down the sandy hill. He walked past Lucia, who whirled around, face red and breath shaky as he did so. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, her voice breaking. ¡°We¡¯re taking a break. You need to rest, it¡¯s been a long night.¡± ¡°No, we need to keep going! At this rate it will take months to find him!¡± Leif sighed as he sat. ¡°I haven''t known you for very long, but I¡¯ve noticed something interesting about you. So please, if you¡¯re in such a rush, make it up the dune. If you can, I will follow.¡± Lucia wrinkled her nose, ring defiantly. Then she turned and marched with all the dignity and grace she could muster up the dune. She made it halfway before her legs gave out and she slipped, falling back to the bottom. Lucia angrily dusted herself off, then tried to run up the dune, but again she fell. She was shaking by the time she slid down to the bottom, a mix of impotent rage and exhaustion rendering her immobile. She yelled wordlessly at the dune, and tried again, then again. After a minute she stopped, her shoulders heaving, fingers digging into the sand, tears streaking down her face and falling off her chin. Leif stood and slowly made his way over to her, kneeling beside her and cing a hand on her back. ¡°I have to find him.¡± She sobbed. ¡°I need to. If I don¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°You will find him again. But for now you need to focus on yourself. You need to survive, Lucia, you need to help yourself before you can help him. Until you meet again, you¡¯ll need to trust that Roy is capable of taking care of himself, that he¡¯ll be safe without you.¡± ¡°But without him-¡± Lucia choked on her own words, the fight fleeing from her limbs like a breath being exhaled. She slumped, and Leif caught her before her face nted into the sand. ¡°I failed. If I was stronger, smarter, more capable, I would have been able to protect him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too hard on yourself. This is far more my failing than it is yours. You¡¯re just a kid, Lucia, how could you have possibly stood up to someone three times your age and a hundred levels higher?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± She said weakly, leaning on his shoulder as he led her to where the ground was ttest, and the shrubs best protected against the wind. ¡°This was my purpose. My whole life, everything we¡¯ve been through. For it to have been worth it, he needs to be with me, safe and happy.¡± ¡°Lucia, you are more than just your duty to your brother.¡± ¡°Am I? Everything I¡¯ve done, everything I¡¯ve endured¡­ It was all for him. All for his future.¡± ¡°It was for you as well, don¡¯t forget that.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t at all. If it had just been me, if Roy wasn¡¯t there, or if he had-¡± She swallowed thickly, hugging her knees and squeezing shut her eyes. ¡°I would have given up, I wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to continue. It was so hard, so painful. If I didn¡¯t have Roy, I would have found a corner in the city and given up, let it all end.¡± Leif didn¡¯t know what to say, so he kept quiet, wrapping her with a gentle, reassuring nket of his aura. He leaned back and watched as the sky turned from ck to grey, and the wispy clouds driftingzily overhead grew in definition as the sun¡¯s light brushed against them. ¡°He was dying, getting to the Academy was ourst choice.¡± Lucia said finally, her voice hollow. ¡°I see.¡± Leif said softly. ¡°Please help me again.¡± ¡°I already promised I would. You don¡¯t need to ask.¡± Lucia sniffed, then nodded, wiping her face with the back of her hand. It left a sandy smear, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°I have a sister, younger, there¡¯s a simr age gap between you and Roy.¡± Leif said after the silence had stretched on for several minutes. This book is hosted on another tform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Yeah, I heard. Her name was via, right?¡± ¡°via.¡± Leif nodded. ¡°I think I failed her, badly. By dying and bing what I am now, she now lives the life that was meant for me. She has my responsibilities, my duties, my burdens. I miss her badly, or maybe the idea of her, but there¡¯s a rift between us now that I¡¯m not sure how to cross.¡± ¡°You should find her.¡± Lucia said, and Leif could tell that her focus had sharpened, more interested in his words than her own fears and worries. ¡°I should. That¡¯s been the n now for several months, I guess I¡¯ve been putting it off, or maybe I just don¡¯t know how to do it properly.¡± ¡°She¡¯s in Varan, right?¡± ¡°Yes. And with the war between the Republic and the Empire it will be in our best interest to stay ind, away from the coast if at all possible.¡± Leif said, his voice low. ¡°That makes sense. But why did you say it like that?¡± ¡°Because to get to Pherin from where we are now, if we travel northward, stick ind and try to avoid the war¡­ Well, we¡¯ll be passing through Varan. Maybe I¡¯ll get my chance then.¡± He mentally reached into his spatial ring and withdrew a travellers cloak, he folded it, then handed it to Lucia. ¡°But before either of us can do anything, you need to rest. I¡¯ll keep watch and make sure nothing attacks. Then we¡¯ll take care of system business, and continue on our way. Does that sound like a n?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Lucia said, resting her head on the cloak. She was asleep within seconds. === The morning proved to be more eventful than Leif had hoped. He spotted a pack of monsters that looked like scaled wolves dashing over the distant dunes not thirty minutes after he and Lucia had made camp. That was followed by him noticing sails on the horizon, though he wasn¡¯t sure to which nation they belonged to. They had travelled north overnight, but looking south, Leif could still make out the distant plumes of smoke from the destroyed fleet. He and Lucia had reached the shore out of a raft he had cobbled together with [Wood Maniption], and had needed to avoid, or in one case, confront bands of Republic soldiers who had made it to the beach. Seeing the bodies washing up on the sands throughout the night had been a bleak sight, the wreckage of well over a dozen ships littering the coast. They had even seen a group of four legged constructs skitter out of the surf and dash into the countryside, but had chosen to let them pass. Physically Leif was in perfect condition, but after over an hour of nearly nonstopbat and tension, his soul was strained, several skills nearing the point of breaking. He nced to the side as Lucia shifted, but the girl was still sleeping, even if her eyelids were fluttering and she kept muttering slurred words. She was deeply troubled, and in ways she reminded Leif of himself, or perhaps her life story mirrored his own in a twisted way. Both had lost everything during the war with the envers, forced into lives they weren''t prepared for. In a way, Lucia had seeded in ways Leif had failed. The scion tried to cast his mind north, seeking the nebulous connection he had with his domain tree. It felt, in a way, like one of his conjured limbs, only it was too far away for him to control. He sought out the teleportation anchor [The Amber Path] had created, and found that it was faded, unreachable now that he had used the skill, even if he had failed to reach his destination. There was a chance the cooldown would only be a handful of weeks, but the feeling he got from the skill wasn¡¯t looking hopeful. It would be months, potentially closer to the full year. Maybe, if by some miracle he reached level forty and evolved his monster ss the skill would upgrade and the cooldown would reset, but it was a distant hope. But his progress towards the next major milestone in his advancement had been taken. As stressful and grim as thest day had been, it had resulted in one final level being gained. War, it seemed, could bring more than its fair share of experience. Maybe that was why so many people willingly fought and died in them. Was that why the envers had invaded the northern kingdoms? Were the ant monsters looking to create more powerhouses like the awakened ant Hera had fought above Far-Reach? If that had been their n, it had likely failed. As far as Leif had read, heard, and seen, all the enver armies had been destroyed. He shook his head and stood, doing a final sweep of the nearby dunes before turning his attention to his system notification. A new skill selection awaited. Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 25! For ying the enemies of the Blight, and spreading the blessings of the Amber during a period of open conflict you have gained a level! +1 to [crity] +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Willpower] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! New ss skills avable! [Create Gilded Wood] or [Temporal re] or [Reconstitute Echo]! Mana reinforcement progress 45%! Leif¡¯s eyes flickered across the system messages. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had read them, but it was the first time he had dedicated his full attention. In a few hours the system would give him a warning to pick within twelve hours, and judging by the three skills he had been offered he might be contemting his choice until thest moment. But what truly caught his attention was the description of his level up. ¡®Enemies of the Blight¡¯ implied quite a lot about the half of his monstrous being he understood the least. After-all, he had been killing humans. Unless the system considered the handful of constructs he had destroyed to be the ¡®enemies¡¯ in question. Blight monsters had stalked the aftermath of the battle in which he had fought in his past life, and he recalled battling his ¡®siblings¡¯ back when he was more tree than man. It was concerning, andbined with the knowledge he had gained from Aei¡¯leshs¡¯ corpse in the temple below Dimid he painted a somewhat stark picture. It was also interesting that the system would mention the Blight at all, after hisst evolution, Leif had somewhat suspected that he had moved almost entirely away from that part of his new existence, but clearly there was still some less than savoury power rattling around within him. Maybe that had been why Vevosis had been so eager to hunt him down. But no, that rang false. The Spire Head had been after him for less than altruistic reasons, Leif had sensed the hunger, sanguine and predatory, it was likely he wouldn¡¯t forget it anytime soon. He blinked back to the present, only to catch Lucia squinting at him. ¡°Awake are you?¡± He asked. ¡°You were really still. It was kind of weird.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an easy habit to fall into, though I¡¯ve gotten better at it over time. Sometimes it feels like moving is not what I should be doing. Not many trees have legs and can walk around, so I suppose it makes sense.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird seeing you without a mask.¡± She said, sitting up and yawning. ¡°Ah, sorry. It must look unnerving, I¡¯ll make a new one now.¡± Leif said, mentally peering inside his spatial ring for any remaining wood he could use. Most of it was gone, used up in the battle, he would need to restock and prepare his weapons before fighting any serious enemies. Or maybe [Create Gilded Wood] would solve that problem for him? He hadn¡¯t decided yet. ¡°I guess it is a little.¡± Lucia admitted, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°What were you doing?¡± ¡°Contemting life.¡± Leif said, melting down a fraction of apressed wooden sword, then reshaping the weapon, albeit slightly smaller than it was before, then starting on the mask. He had given Lucia her wooden daggers back, though it did feel strange giving a child weapons. Well, they lived in a violent world, it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Do you normally do that? Sit still and contemte life, I mean?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t exactly sleep, so yes, it is how I spentrge portions of my time. Perhaps too much, I have a bad habit of getting into my own head. Anyway, are you hungry?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lucia said, then her stomach rumbled. ¡°Yes¡­¡± She amended sheepishly. ¡°Well, bad news, I don¡¯t have any food.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lucia said, ncing around as if looking for something to eat. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°My healing can nourish you, though not totally, it¡¯s how Roy recovered physically so quickly, if you remember our initial meeting on the ship.¡± She nodded, picking up the cloak she had used as a pillow, unfolding it and shaking out the sand. The morning was warm, and Leif stowed the cloak when she handed it to him. ¡°I prefer actual food, uh, no offence.¡± Lucia said after he had trickled healing energy into her hand. ¡°This feels kind of weird.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get you something proper to eat. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m a fan of feeding you my blood, no matter how nourishing it may or may not be.¡± Lucia gagged. ¡°Why would you say it like that? Now I want to throw up.¡± Leif snorted and ced his newly created mask, a in oval of wood with three slits, two for his eyes and one for his mouth. ¡°I believe it¡¯s good for you. Assuming you''re a small forest critter. The side effects are probably harmless, though judging by how some of the initial ¡®test subjects¡¯ turned out that might not be true.¡± She rolled her eyes and started marching up the nearest dune. ¡°I told you before, but I levelled up.¡± ¡°We both did.¡± Leif said, following. ¡°You¡¯re level four now, correct?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°What skills were you offered?¡± He asked, his longer strides easily allowing him to keep pace. ¡°Uhhh.¡± Lucia said, looking away. ¡°You picked one already, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t you wanting to have an advantage the next time we spar.¡± ¡°No, no it¡¯s not that. I just kind of knew which one to pick, so I just did it. The choice was between [Fade] and [Patient Ambush]. The second one felt like I had to stay still to use it properly, and standing in one ce is a good way to get stabbed, so I picked [Fade]. Look, I can do this now.¡± She said, then, to demonstrate, she briefly went transparent. The effect ended almost immediately. ¡°I¡¯m assuming it works better when you¡¯re not standing out in the open?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ the skill description says it works better in darkness. Anyway, do you have skills to pick?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Leif confirmed, guiding them around a thick cluster of shrubs. ¡°Well?¡± Lucia asked after several seconds without him borating. ¡°Well what? I don¡¯t want to give you an advantage when we spar.¡± She stopped in ce, staring at him as he continued to walk forwards. ¡°That¡¯s stupid! It makes even less sense than me hiding my skills!¡± She shouted. Leifughed. Chapter 182: A Little Joy Chapter 182: A Little Joy ¡°You should pick the eye power. I think someone fighting in the quadriad had something simr, she could look at people and they would lock up briefly. It won her several fights.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± Leif said,pressing the now spherical ball of driftwood that had been his walking stick. ¡°I don¡¯t think I noticed that one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you were there when she fought. Anyway, it was only for a second, but you only need a second in a fight. It could help you close the gap between you and an opponent, or stall an attack so that you have time to block.¡± Lucia continued, excitedly chattering by his side. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an immediate effect.¡± Leif said. ¡°The impression I¡¯m getting from the skill is one of gradual build up. [Temporal re] will take time toe into full effect, I suppose it''s fitting, considering the name.¡± ¡°I still think you should take it. I saw you fight against Hera, and she was too quick for you to keep up. The faster fighter usually wins.¡± ¡°That is true. You make apelling argument.¡± They continued on, following an old path with sparse signs of travel, though nothing recent. Lucia kept talking about the different skills Leif had been offered, and he was happy enough to see that her mind was, at least for the most part, not fixated on the safety and whereabouts of her little brother. He couldn¡¯t alleviate her concerns, because in truth he shared many of them, among several others. He didn¡¯t know if the skill had taken Roy all the way to Far-Reach, and he didn¡¯t know if the boy had reached the settlement, or if he had done so safely. It had been an unwee surprise to learn that [The Amber Path] could be interrupted, though perhaps he should have expected it. Leif had gone into civilisation in part because he had been confident in his ability to escape if things went wrong. That had ended up almost being a critical mistake, he should have tested the skill before departing, even if it had dyed the beginning of his journey. Or, maybe he shouldn¡¯t have. If he had waited the weeks needed for the skill toe off cooldown, he may never have arrived at the Academy before the invasion. There were too many what ifs and could haves, and he knew from experience how stifling obsessing over the past could be, how the desperation totch onto anything and anything was self destructive when taken to an extreme. For him, it had been a coping mechanism, and in a twisted sense it had been what had guided him down the path he now walked. But just because something was foundational, core to a person¡¯s being, it didn¡¯t make it healthy. ¡°I don¡¯t understand [Reconstitute Echo]. How would that even work, and why did the system even offer it to you?¡± Lucia asked. ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯ve been somewhat expecting a skill like this for some time now. The Amber, the monstrous tree¡¯s that I have be rted to, their power is connected in ways I don¡¯t fully understand to the past. Blood and time, with sub-aspects of preservation, information and transformation, or maybe transmutation.¡± Leif said, slowing to stow his condensed sphere of wood and call a nearby group of aged sticks into his hand. [Reconstitute Echo] likely had the most potential out of the three choices he had been given, but it was also the greatest risk. Though risk likely wasn¡¯t the correct way of putting it. From the impression Leif got from the skill, situational and unreliable were likely more urate. Would the skill allow him to recreate once living beings and have them, or at least a small part of them, an echo if you will, fight alongside him? Sure. But Leif tended to prefer keeping those around him alive, and somewhere ind off the western coast of the Kartinth province wasn¡¯t exactly spry with ¡®echoes¡¯ to choose from. Though maybe the war will change that. He thought dourly, his mind briefly casting back to the Academy. He hoped everyone was safe, and that the fighting was over. He trusted most of those he had met to take care of themselves, but in war you could never be sure. If some of his friends had gotten seriously injured, or even killed because he had chosen to flee instead of trying to keep helping the Academy, he wasn¡¯t sure he could forgive himself. Though maybe that was a stupid thought, maybe there had been no way for him to help after his identity had been discovered. ¡°You don¡¯t specialise in wood or nt magic?¡± She asked, squinting at the deforming sticks, their structures melting and twisting into one another. Her question pulled him back to the present, and Leif paused. ¡°Not specifically, no. I think this is more something general to the type of being I am now. It¡¯s hard to imagine a decently high levelled tree without at least some control over nts. Although my experience with such things is quite limited, the records the Academy had on magical trees indicated that they were usually passive, only reacting in certain situations. Though in the case of [Create Gilded Wood], the skill seems more specific to the Amber than general tree rted magic.¡± ¡°Do you actually need that skill? Isn¡¯t wood prettymon?¡± Lucia pointed out, nodding towards a lone standing pine atop a nearby hill. ¡°Can¡¯t you just gather what you need and store them in that ring of yours?¡± ¡°It is¡­ And I¡¯ll admit that creating wood seems like the least interesting of the options. But the impression I¡¯m getting from it is quite appealing. It won¡¯t just be normal wood, there are some properties to the skill that give off impressions of rewinding time, or maybe reversion to a past state. I suspect I¡¯ll be able to have finer control over the summoned wood as well, among a few other benefits.¡± ¡°You should still take the eye skill. It covers your biggest weakness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it, but you should always consider your options carefully.¡± ¡°Unless the choice is obvious.¡± She said, kicking a pebble off the path, then hopping forward and doing the same to another, slightlyrger stone. ¡°If the dayes when you suddenly wish you took [Patient Ambush] over [Fade], maybe you¡¯ll realise the sage wisdom of my teachings, young one.¡± Leif said, pitching his voice to make it sound more severe and aged. ¡°Hasty decisions without foresight can only harm you.¡± Lucia rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell out of her skull. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that, it sounds dumb. How old are you, anyway?¡± ¡°Thirty something. Closer to thirty than forty if I had to guess.¡± Leif said, returning his voice to normal. ¡°Why would you need to guess? Doesn¡¯t the system just tell you?¡± ¡°It does.¡± Leif admitted. ¡°But my count got reset when I¡­ you know. I can only guess how old I was before I died.¡± ¡°What does it say now?¡± She asked. Leif didn¡¯t respond, he just kept walking. ¡°Hey, wait! Don¡¯t pretend I didn¡¯t ask! What does it say? How old does the system think you are?¡± Warning! Make selection within 12 hours or skill will be randomly chosen! Leif blinked the message away and marched on, doing his best to ignore the increasingly insistent and inquisitive presence tailing after him. The truth was fairly amusing, but he got the feeling telling his young travellingpanion, who was currentlytched into the back of his upper robe and pulling as if doing so would reveal the truth, would be a bad idea. ¡°Tell me! Tell me, tell me, tell meeee.¡± Lucia begged, though by her tone she had clearly sensed why he wasn¡¯t answering. With every step he dragged her along, her heels digging into the dirt as she tried and failed to stop him. She probably counted back from the start of the war. Leif thought, shaking his head. The Academy¡¯s records didn¡¯t technically name a definitive starting date for the conflict, but the war was generally epted to have begun between fourteen and fifteen years prior. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I know you¡¯re keeping it a secret! Does the system think we¡¯re the same age? Are you younger than me? You can¡¯t pull the wise senior act if you¡¯re not that old!¡± ¡°If I tell you, will you let go?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Twelve.¡± Leif sighed. ¡°Twelve?¡± Lucia asked. ¡°That is what it says, yes.¡± Lucia let go and hopped back, staring at him with a mix of confusion and tion. She brought a hand up to her mouth and looked away, clearly stiflingughter. Leif turned, cing his hands on his hips, trying his best to glower, though the mask meant that he likely failed to give the look the severity he wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, every year lived as a tree feels like you live double that.¡± The scion said. ¡°It''s like dog years, but more stationary.¡± She snorted, then almost broke, adding her other hand to her mouth to prevent any sound from escaping. ¡°Now, now youngdy. Is this any way to act around your seniors?¡± Leif asked, pitching his voice again. ¡°Thisck of respect is appalling, I demand an apology! This wise old man will not be made fun of!¡± Lucia fell overughing, and likely would have made herself sick if she had actually eaten anything that morning. Leif kept acting offended, exaggerating his outrage, and that just made herugh harder. He could admit that it was funny, but it was also a relief that she could Technique (Wood) (Time)* Summon wood into existence from a point on your body, the amount of material summoned increases the longer the skill is continuously used. Material created by this skill can be temporally set and unset at will, and doing so allows the material to slowly return to the state and shape it was in when set if damaged or altered. === ¡°You picked the wrong skill.¡± Lucia said an hourter. ¡°You should have picked the slow stare!¡± ¡°It was tempting, but I¡¯m happy with this.¡± Leif said, re-reading his newest skill. Getting a feeling for the new instincts gaining it had granted him. ¡°You just picked it to annoy me.¡± She used. ¡°I would never.¡± Leif lied, flexing and closing one of his hands in preparation. ¡°Well? Are you going to use it?¡± Leif nodded, then focused, willing the skill to activate. There was a pause, then a tiny sapling burst from his palm, it rapidly grew a foot, twisting, then it split, branching outwards. The wood was ivory white, just like his body, but it was specked with kes of amber light, with tiny cracks running along its surface between each point, as if connecting them. The two branches became four, then eight. With every passing second the weight pressing down on his outstretched arm doubled, so with a brief effort of will he detached the small, leafless tree, causing it to flop to the ground, puffing up a small cloud of dust. ¡°You wasted a skill slot.¡± Lucia immediatelymented. Leif rolled his neck, pushing down the slight ache in his soul from just creating that much material. It wasn¡¯t the most impressive showing, and the skill¡¯s current power was taking into ount his inted attributes due to his monster ss. If a normal level fifty nine human got [Create Wood], or some sort of variation, their own skill would be considerably less effective. But that was the same with most skills. They started weak, but with continued use and practise they would grow in power, while also taxing the user¡¯s body and soul less and less. He gestured upwards, and using [Wood Maniption] the branches lifted. It was easier than he had expected, especially with how much the material had weighed. Then he began experimenting with shaping and splitting the wood. It flowed easily, eager to obey hismands. He twisted the wood into a wheel, then triggered the second aspect of the skill, locking its current shape. Golden cracks instantly spread throughout the structure, and the object gained a sense of permanence, of spiritual weight. Lucia poked it with a finger, and the wheel fell over. It didn¡¯t leap back up to where it had been before, which ruled out the possibility that when the skill description mentioned ¡®state¡¯, it was referring to the wood¡¯s location. ¡°I¡¯m still not impressed.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m feeling too differently.¡± Leif admitted. He ced a booted foot onto the side of the wheel, then grabbed the other with a hand. ¡°But we need to see what happens if it breaks.¡± And with that he pulled, leveraging his own weight to keep the wheel in ce. It took more effort than he had expected, the structure of the object was shockingly durable. But with [Benevolent Actions] boosting his [Might], he ripped it in two, splintering the wheel with a sudden crack. Leif stepped back, letting the two pieces fall over. He expected the process of restoration to take a while, but almost immediately it began to take effect. Tendrils of ivory wood snaked out from both halves of the wheel, reaching for one another. At the same time, both parts were pulled closer, as if maised. In less than a minute a perfectly whole wheely in the dirt, and there was no evidence that it had been broken. Leif held out a hand, and the wheel melted, flowing up into a perfectly straight staff. He twirled it, enjoying the feeling of weight and solidity. He set the object¡¯s state, then he grabbed both ends, and smashed the staff down onto his knee. It shattered in two after three blows, then he tossed both halves as far as he could. ¡°They¡¯re noting back.¡± Lucia said after a minute. ¡°True.¡± Leif said. ¡°Go get that half, and I¡¯ll get the other. We¡¯ll take singr steps forward until the bits find one another.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She said, darting off. It turned out that the range was ten metres, though that became closer to fifteen after Leif infused both parts with vitality. In fact, when infused with life-force, the gilded wood expended vitality to mend itself more quickly, and then, to his surprise, the vitality slowly regenerated. The material created by his newest skill could act as a reservoir of vitality, though it would never generate any excess energy for him to cultivate. Still, if he constantly drained vitality infused gilded wood, he could slowly regenerate his reserves with little effort, and with a lot of time he could gradually expand his reserves. This revtion finally made Lucia agree that [Create Gilded Wood] had been the correct choice, which was nice because her constantining had gradually be less endearing, and more annoying. === ¡°It''s too boney.¡± Lucia said, spitting out a mouthful of cooked fish. ¡°It¡¯s so hard to eat, I feel like I¡¯m going to get something stuck in my throat and die.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say how good it tasted?¡± Leif asked, looking up from his current project. Night had fallen, and the two had made camp on the edge of a shallow river. They had travelled ind for most of the day, avoiding any distant signs of conflict. They weren¡¯t the only people fleeing the coast, as they had encountered several groups having abandoned their homes. Imperial soldiers roamed the countryside, with several roadways ying host to mustered units. There was a general sense of panic throughout the province, and with how many distant pirs of smoke Leif had spotted before the sun had set, they had only avoided violence due to luck. ¡°It really is tasty.¡± She said, scowling down at the fish as if it were a mortal enemy. ¡°I just can¡¯t enjoy it.¡± ¡°You areining about food to someone who can¡¯t eat, you know that right?¡± Leif pointed out, running two fingers along the length of the item sitting in hisp. ¡°Oh. Sorry, I forgot. I didn¡¯t mean to bring that up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not offended, I just can¡¯t rte to your inability to consume fish properly. I¡¯m sure I could find someone to teach you if it''s that much of a problem.¡± ¡°Ha, ha. Very funny.¡± She pouted, taking another bite from the river fish as if in defiance. This was promptly followed by a fit of coughs. Her face red, Lucia grabbed an empty bowl and sprinted towards the river. The crockery had been created out of gilded wood, and before she could take a swig Leif telekically pulled it out of her hands. The bowl zipped over to him, and Lucia gave chase with a horse cry of confusion and rm. Leif stuck a finger into the water, and drained it of vitality. The normal way of making water safe to consume was boiling it, but this was faster. His ability to sense life-force wasn¡¯t keen enough to detect the tiny living beings that supposedly lived in and on everything, but his readings in the Academy had all but proven they existed. It turned out that when he drained life-force from soil, he wasn¡¯t just drawing energy from roots, seeds and worms, but the tiny microbial life living below the surface as well. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that.¡± Lucia said, having downed the entire bowl in a single swig, the action clearly having saved her life from how she was behaving. ¡°No point risking illness.¡± He replied. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just heal me if I got sick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not certain how effective my healing would be against parasites, but if you want to be a test subject, the river is right over there.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. What are you making, anyway? Ohh, is that a sword? That looks awesome!¡± Leif nodded, sharpening the de with [Wood Maniption], then tempering the weapon¡¯s structure with vitality. Whenever he did so, the sword tried to sprout new branches, but they were suppressed easily enough. Lucia hovered over his shoulder as he worked, and he could tell that she was more than a little impressed. That feeling shifted to tion when Leif finally stood and presented the shortsword to her hilt first. ¡°What? Is this for me?¡± ¡°I told you I would make you a sword if I found the appropriate materials. Well, here you go.¡± Lucia opened her mouth, then closed it without speaking. She took the sword, and her lower lip trembled. ¡°It¡¯s so light.¡± She whispered. ¡°How did you get it so light?¡± ¡°It¡¯s light because it''s thin. Sharp too, and the edge should maintain itself without you needing to run back to me constantly for maintenance.¡± Leif exined, smiling at the look of pure joy on the girl¡¯s face. ¡°And this isn¡¯t a training weapon, so treat it as you would a de made out of steel.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. You should have made yourself something first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be working on myself all night, don¡¯t worry about me. Why don¡¯t you give it a test?¡± He said. Lucia shifted back and forth clearly trying to decide what to say next. He could sense a surprising amount of turmoil in her emotions, which hadn¡¯t been his intention. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything, Lucia. I don¡¯t need payment or a favour in return.¡± ¡°Ok¡­ Alright. Thank you.¡± Lucia said hesitantly, then she dashed back towards the river. Amused, Leif watched as she waded into the water until she needed to hike up her trouser legs to stop them from getting soaked. Then her presence faded, and his ability to make her out against the moonlit water lessened significantly. Then she stabbed down into the river with her new weapon, spearing a muchrger fish than the one she had partially eaten for dinner. ¡°It works!¡± She shouted, waving her first victim over her head. Chapter 183: War-Torn Chapter 183: War-Torn Melton fought down the urge to cough as dust and ash fell from the roof, the scent of smoke like the twisting of a knife into his lungs. One of his eyes was matted shut with blood, and the foot long splinter sticking out of his right shin made walking impossible. The barn he was taking refuge within shook, and the frightened barn animals cowering in the far corner bleated in rm. Everything had gone wrong so quickly, so many had died, and he wasn¡¯t sure who was left. A squad of imperial soldiers had roused everyone in the vige to wakefulness in the middle of the night, ushering families to grab what belongings they could carry and flee east. Melton, barely awake as he was, hadn¡¯t truly understood the shouted reasons and exnations. But when soldiers started yelling it was a good idea to listen. He should have ran the moment they showed up, because by the time most of the vigers had gathered in the centre of town the war had already caught them. shes of crimson mes lightning up the night had been the first sign of danger, then lumbering constructs of steel had broken free from the nearby forest, the dull crimson emitting from below their metallic chassis outlining their silhouettes in the darkness. People had run in every direction, and he had been no exception. In the minutes of pure chaos following the initial attack he had lost track of his wife, and the outer perimeter of the vige was engulfed in me. An explosion had sent him flying, and when he impacted the wall of the nearby house he had cked out. When he came too, likely only minutester, corpses littered the ground, and smoke choked the air. One of the four legged constructsy in a smouldering heap nearby, and he caught sight of one of the soldiers fighting a pair of strangers. He had crawled away from the battle, trying to ignore the fact that he recognised the bodies he was mbering over. At least his daughter had left for the city earlyst year, at least she was safe, and would survive when nobody else would. Melton, his right leg inmed, blood smearing into the mud, had hidden inside one of thest remaining buildings that was still standing. Even now, with the light of mid morning shining through the swirling ash, he hid, praying that someone, something would save him. At least one of the constructs was still stomping around in the ruins of his hometown, he could hear the metallic thump of its steps as it drew near. Just before morning it had ceased moving, but he could still hear it outside the barn, as if the steel monster was waiting for him to try and run. His vision spun, and the constant agony and exhaustion made it hard to stay awake. But Melton knew that if he closed his eyes there would be no waking up. He was so delirious that when a figure all but materialised by his side it took him several seconds to realise. Melton cried out, jerking away in surprise, but the movement made pain re up in his leg. A hand pped itself over his mouth, muffling his shock. ¡°Shhh, don¡¯t say anything, it might hear you.¡± The stranger said, the sound little more than a whisper. To his shock, it sounded like the voice of a child. He blinked his one good eye, trying to figure out if he was hallucinating or not. It was a child, a girl maybe twelve or thirteen with her dark, tied back hair that briefly reminded Melton of his own daughter, if several years younger. But her orange eyes that seemed to almost shimmer like a hearth¡¯s fire quickly broke the delusion. He grunted, both in acknowledgement and regret from having tried to move. The girl nodded and withdrew her hand, reaching into a small pouch and withdrawing an oddly white bottle. Melton didn¡¯t care about the details of the container; however, the water within was heavenly, with only a single drop seemingly bringing him back from the verge of death. He almost sobbed when she took it away, wiping the head clean on her shirt and tightening the lid. ¡°Stay there.¡± She whispered, standing and carefully stepping over debris towards the partially opened doorway of the barn. Melton¡¯s vision seemed to double, that or the girl briefly became almost impossible to see through the ash and his wavering vision. ¡°It¡¯s stuck in the mud, I don¡¯t think it can move.¡± She said a minuteter, kneeling back down next to him. ¡°What¡¯s your name? Can you walk?¡± ¡°M¡­ Melton, and no, my leg is¡­ I don¡¯t think I can move it at all.¡± She nced down and grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m Lucia. Sorry, I don¡¯t think I can carry you. But I¡¯ll go get help, just hold on a little while longer.¡± ¡°Help?¡± He said. ¡°The vige¡­ everyone¡­ Girl, there is nothing, nobody. Everyone is gone.¡± ¡°No. We ran into a big group of people from this vige an hour ago, they were being chased by¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, they¡¯re safe now. I¡¯ll only be a minute, just stay¡­ uh, I¡¯ll be back.¡± And then she was gone, darting over half charred detritus to a gap in the far wall of the barn almost three metres off the ground. She drew the shortsword at her hip, then stabbed it into the wall with little effort, plunging the de down to the hilt. Then she jumped up, using the handle as a tform, perched briefly in the opening and reached down to try and retrieve her weapon. After a few seconds of failing to pull the sword out of the wall, she vanished. Melton was alone again, but this time his heart fluttered with hope. Other people had survived? And who was the help the oddly stealthy girl was going to find? A few minutester a roar of mes came from outside the barn, followed by the ear piercing shriek of tearing metal. The barn door didn¡¯t open, it all but bloomed like a flower, peeling inwards and up as a tall figure strode inside. They wore odd, hooded robes of mostly grey, but with hints and highlights of colour, white greaves and bracers were streaked with what looked like golden cracks, and as they turned to survey the interior of the barn Melton saw simr armour covering their chest like a breastte, and a wooden mask covered their face. A momentter the dark haired girl¡¯s head poked around the corner. She nodded at him, then slunk over to where her sword was impaled into the wall. Less than ten minutester Melton was walking under his own strength through the ruins of the vige, and the pain he felt was emotional, spiritual, rather than physical. But when the masked man and girl lead him to a group of over fourty survivors camped in the shade of a nearby valley he almost broke down weeping. When his wife, the love of his life for the past thirty years almost bowled him over in a crushing embrace, he did. === On the evening of the fourth day since leaving the Academy, the ground shook and shes of silver and blue danced in and out of distant cloud cover. It was a battle, that much was certain, and it ripped across the countryside like a violent storm. The conflict, whether it was between two individuals or potentially tworger groups, painted the western horizon a zing sapphire. Leif was fairly confident they were far enough away to not be in any real danger, but that would only be true if the battle wasn¡¯t dragged further ind. He didn¡¯t need to rest, but after a full day of constant travel Lucia did. Carrying her on his back they fled further east, their initial trek was fairly simple due to the t and consistent terrain, but the gently rolling hills gave way to heavy forested bond. The scion wasn¡¯t overly interested in braving the hostile environment, especially not when small figures hiding among the trees fired primitive arrows at him as he drew closer. He backtracked, but the bog seemed to cut a gash through thendscape, and without the light of day Leif couldn¡¯t see if there was a way through. Instead they camped a kilometre away, and watched to make sure the still raging battle didn¡¯t draw closer. Lucia slept in the crook of a tree, but she kept jolting awake whenever a particrly powerful sh of light lit up the world. Leif kept a constant watch, his golden eyes locked on the horizon. The longer he observed, the more confident he became that the fight only had two primarybatants. Though it was dozens of kilometres away, and mostly covered by clouds, Leif swore he made out a titanic silhouette outlined by moonlight and shes of blue power. It was impossible to tell the true scale of the figure, but he could only assume that they were over a kilometre tall, at least. Leif had seen the scale ofbat between the des during the quadriad, and had then gotten a firsthand look at what it looked like when those above level one hundred fought without restraint. If the distant sh was indeed between two people, he could hardly fathom how strong they must be. ¡°Who do you think is doing that?¡± Lucia asked sleepily, and Leif turned to see her staring blearily in the same direction he was. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But whoever they are, I suspect anyone directly below them is having a very bad time.¡± ¡°How strong would you have to be to fight like that, and for several hours in a row?¡± She said, shifting ufortably. ¡°If they¡¯re humans, well over level two hundred if I had to guess. If the battle is between monsters, probably the same, or a fair bit lower. I¡¯m not sure exactly how it all scales at such a high level.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question. I can confirm that monsters get significantly higher attributes from their sses, but humans get more sses. So it''s a difference between a sheer amount of raw stats, and abination of ss perks and more developed skills. If I somehow got my monster ss all the way to level one hundred, that would be five hundred free attributes, and however many base stats such a high tier ss would give.¡± ¡°Are you saying a level two hundred monster could have over a thousand points in a single attribute? That''s¡­ that''s terrifying. Will you ever get that strong?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m on a different path, my attributes will never get that high.¡± Leif said, resting a hand against a nearby tree¡¯s trunk and leaning forward. The distant battle seemed to be dying down, though from so far away it was hard to tell if it had ended, or simply drifted away. ¡°Is it over?¡± She asked with a tired yawn. ¡°Seems like it. Rest while you can, I want to be as far away from the aftermath as possible.¡± === The crisp morning air was thick with azy mist that almost convinced Leif that he was back at the Academy. The energetic chirping of songbirds in the canopy drew his attention as his meditative trance faded away. Leif nced up, and saw Lucia staring down at him with wide orange eyes. ¡°What?¡± Leif asked, flexing the vitality within him and sending it spiralling through his body like a golden river. ¡°What do you mean, what?¡± Lucia said, looking amused. ¡°It should be pretty obvious.¡± He noticed a constant tappinging from shoulder, and slightly turned his head to see a tiny purple and red bird pecking at the pauldron he had made out of gilded wood. The bird paused, twitching as it nced from side to side, then it returned to instantly tapping away. There were other small vitality signatures all around him, and Leif exhaled in amusement. ¡°If you stayed still, would they make a nest?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Leif said, brushing against the tiny creatures with his aura, he raised a hand, and immediately two sparrows alighted on his fingers. ¡°How long have you been awake? You should have gotten my attention.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Only a few minutes.¡± She said, stretching, only to stop halfway and wrinkle her nose. ¡°Ow, my neck hurts.¡± ¡°That''s because you slept up there instead of on the ground.¡± ¡°The ground is all muddy. Also I thought it would be morefortable.¡± ¡°Well now you know.¡± Leif said, mentally reaching into his spatial ring as he stood, the birds letting out chirps of irritation as they flew away. ¡°Here, catch.¡± Lucia caught the half a loaf of bread he tossed in her direction, then chomped down into it. The vigers they had found had offered them food for their travels, and Leif had epted. It was nothing special, mostly dried meats and some cheeses. ¡°Am I a bad person for being disappointed that this isn¡¯t Melissa¡¯s cooking?¡± ¡°She was an excellent chef, I¡¯m not sure it''s wrong to miss the food she cooked for you and Roy.¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­ I spent a year living off scraps, anything I could find. This bread is less stale than anything I got my hands on back then, but I already wish it was better.¡± She trailed off, taking another bite and chewing. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m already forgetting the person I was only a month ago.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with distancing yourself from the worst time of your life. Not wanting to go back to that is normal.¡± ¡°Yeah, but-¡± A roar split the morning air, sending panicked flocks of birds skywards and small forest animals scampering for cover. There was another roar, followed by the beating of great wings. Lucia almost dropped her bread in panic, and Leif had conjured four pairs of golden arms before the echoes of the sound had so much as faded. The source made itself known a momentter, brightly coloured feathered wings descended from above, the serpentine body they held aloft twisting in the air. A second coatl circled overhead, and both monsters carried riders in decorated armour. The descending coatl snapped out its wings, and a massive gust of wind rocked the undergrowth, sending leaves flying in every direction and branches shaking violently. The snake-like dragon red down at Leif with zing eyes, but then it jerked its head to the side, and rapidly ascended, its rider still seated on its back. Within a minute, both coatls were gone, and a deafening silence descended over the nearby trees. ¡°What¡­ What was that?¡± Lucia said, her eyes darting around as she stared up through the canopy for danger. ¡°Apparently we weren¡¯t who they were looking for.¡± Leif said, letting his arms disperse into essence. ¡°Lucky us. I don¡¯t want to fight something that can fly.¡± ¡°Were they here because of the battlest night?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Leif said, hold out a hand to help her down from the tree. ¡°They can talk, but that one wasn¡¯t as chatty as thest coatl I got close to. I don¡¯t particrly feel like sticking around in case they feel like turning back and informing us. We should go. Now.¡± ¡°Yeah, good idea.¡± === ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re still following us?¡± Lucia asked, pointedly not looking over her shoulder to check. ¡°I can sense them in the undergrowth to our left, so yes, I am sure.¡± Leif replied as he led their party of two along a mostly overgrown road mired with potholes and grasses poking up between weather worn stones. To their left was the indomitable green wall of the heavily forested bog, and slinking through the trees were a band of half a dozen figures. It was two days after the epic battle had raged across the western horizon, and while Leif and Lucia hadn¡¯t spotted the coatl riders since, they had more than noticed the presence of other beings. The road they were following east was surprisingly straight, with very few curves or alterations in trajectory. It was as if it had been built to plough straight through the environment, a sure sword thrust through the heart of nature. But as far as Leif could tell, the road pre-dated the foliage that encroached on its existence, and it''s clearck of maintenance disyed its abandoned state. When they had first found the road he had hoped they would encounter a settlement, but they had had no such luck so far. The pack of almost half a dozen goblins had been trailing them for over an hour, but they were yet to attack. This was either due to remarkably good foresight on their part, or the fact they were patiently waiting for an opening to strike. This wasn¡¯t the first group of such monsters that they had run into, but it was the first Lucia had insisted on trying to fight herself. At his side, Leif could sense the growing impatience from the girl, and he had to force down his amusement. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they attacking?¡± She whispered. ¡°Thest group was smaller, and they jumped out at us almost immediately.¡± Leif didn¡¯t reply, but a minuteter they had their answer. Three fallen trees and one overturned carty across the road, not quite blocking their path, but enough to hinder their progress. Or it would have, if Leif didn¡¯t have the power to control wood. Lucia tugged on his sleeve, and Leif slowed his pace to match her¡¯s as they approached. He sensed a spike of anticipation from their followers, and a very simr feeling from the human next to him. Leif couldn¡¯t see any more goblins up ahead, but it was almost a certainty that there would be more waiting in ambush. ¡°Things might be a bit too dangerous for you...¡± He said, subtly unspooling his aura in the direction they were headed. ¡°...There are four more goblins up ahead, and there¡¯s somethingrger lurking further off the path.¡± ¡°I can still do it.¡± Lucia insisted, all but jumping up and down. ¡°Not out in the open you can¡¯t. Remember what you learnt back in the greenhouse when we were sparing.¡± ¡°Yeah, use the terrain, break line of sight. I know, I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Leif said. ¡°Yell when you need me to step in.¡± She grinned and nodded, then in one smooth motion she drew her shortsword and sprinted into the nearby undergrowth. Cries of outrage came from the goblins, and several broke from cover to up ahead to rush forward. Leif crossed his arms and didn¡¯t move, his golden eyes gleaming as he stared down the charging monsters. Three arrows were fired from makeshift bows, but they stopped mid-air a metre from his body, their wooden shafts quivering. Realising that he wasn¡¯t the easy prey they were looking for, their advance shattered, the goblins melting into the trees to follow their fellows and hunt after Lucia. Leif simply walked after them, his esoteric senses able to make out what was happening clearly enough. The first corpse he found was still twitching, its throat had been cut, and sticky red blood pooled into the dark soil. The second was missing an arm, but the dismemberment hadn¡¯t been the killing blow, that was the stab wound in its chest. The sound of gilded wood striking against rusted iron rang through the forest, and Leif willed the low hanging branches blocking his sight to part before him. Two goblins¡¯ one wounded, but the other looking no worse for wear, threw themselves after the young [Rogue]. Lucia danced back, her de leaving a faint trail of amber light as she brought it up to deflect an overhead blow from an aged woodsman''s axe. The goblin¡¯s weapon shattered, but Lucia was unable to capitalise as she staggered back from the force of the blow, then she had to hastily roll to the side to avoid a spear thrust. Leif watched, arms folded behind his back as the fight continued. Lucia scrambled away from her two opponents, ducking under a poorly aimed sh from the spear wielding goblin and nting a kick into the chest of the former owner of the axe. Then she broke line of sight by dashing behind a tree, both goblin¡¯s giving chase, only for one to lose an ear as a blurred figureunched itself at them from behind cover. The now earless creature screamed in pain and fell back, dropping its spear. The scion sensed the four other goblins rapidly approaching from the side, and he stepped next to the wide trunk of a nearby tree so they wouldn¡¯t see him. There was another cry of pain, and Leif saw Lucia faint forward, then quickly alter her attack to kill the third goblin by driving her sword through its throat. The four neers rushed into the clearing, and she drew one of the two wooden daggers at her side and threw it in their direction, missing, but forcing the goblins to duck for cover. The earless monster was still writhing on the ground, out of the fight, and Lucia was forced to disengage, retreating into the undergrowth before she could finish it off. Leif followed the continuing fight at a leisurely pace, but something caught his attention, so he altered his destination and went left. A taller,nkier goblin was standing off to the side, misshapen staff held in its hand as it concentrated on a slowly growing orb of vibrating power manifesting at the stave¡¯s tip. The little monster was so focused on whatever skill it was using that it didn¡¯t notice Leif until the scion hade to a stop right next to it. Beady little eyes nced up in confusion, then the half formed working detonated in a disorientating explosion of sound and force. The goblin was sted back from its own ability misfiring, the monster mming into a moss covered boulder and slumping to the ground, unmoving. The skill, whatever it had been, did absolutely no damage to Leif. He mentally shrugged, then kept following after Lucia. He found her a minuteter backed up against a muddy slope, her sword shing back and forth as she fought to keep a trio of goblins at bay. Twoy nearby, one with her final wooden dagger in its eye, very much dead, another was trying to staunch the blood flow from an almost certainly fatal gut wound. Lucia had done well, but backed into a corner she was now out of tricks, and Leif could tell that she was tiring quickly. One of the girl¡¯s arms was streaked with blood, but she grit her teeth and ignored the pain, using both hands to give her weapon¡¯s blows a little more power. The goblins were about her height, and likely of simr weight, if this was a battle between a human adult and a simrly sized pack of the monsters the situation would be different. Normally a human would have the advantage in size, reach, and weight, but Luciacked those advantages. The goblins, however, were fighting as if she was twice her size. The little monsters were so used to fighting thingsrger than themselves that they were slow to adapt to the fair fight they had found themselves in. One of the goblins darted forward, trying to strike low, but Lucia fended it off with her sword. At the same time, the other threw a sharpened stone, and the projectile grazed Lucia¡¯s side. Then the earless goblin stumbled out from behind a tree, murder in its eyes as it screeched and rushed forwards. The girl tried to scale the mossy boulder she was trapped up against in desperation, but while she found solid enough footing, likely thanks to her [Light Footwork] skill, her fingers slipped and failed to find purchase. The smallest of the remaining goblins jumped forward and grabbed her by the ankle, and Lucia cried out as she fell down into the monster, the two copsing in a iling tangle of limbs, her sword tumbling away from her as it was knocked from her hand in the ensuing struggle. The earless goblin tried to lend aid to its ally, but Lucia¡¯s boot caught it in the face as she kicked out, trying to free herself. The thing¡¯s nose shattered, and it fell over onto its ass, clutching its face and howling in agony. The goblin Lucia was grappling with, grabbed her by the cor and jumped atop her, drawing what was little more than a stone shiv and trying to stab her with it. The fight was over, and Leif was a fraction of a second away from triggering [Amber Aegis] to ward off the blow when Lucia bit down into the hand holding onto her cor, her teeth sinking into knobbly green fingers with a scream of defiance, causing the monster to flinch, the finishing blow from its shiv missing by a hair¡¯s breadth. She bucked the creature off of her and pinned the hand with the shiv against the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯m fine!¡± She yelled through ragged breaths, punching the goblin in the jaw, then throwing herself off of it to avoid a spear thrusting towards her back. She scrambled to her feet, ncing around for her discarded weapon. She backed up a step, then tripped over the goblin who¡¯s nose she had shattered. The next few seconds were aical disy of stubborn determination and inelegance. Lucia somehow got ahold of the stone shiv, killing another goblin with it, but cutting open her hand in the process. Another rock was thrown at her, but the goblin missed and idently hit its friend in the forehead. The entire time the tree¡¯s shook with the lumbering approach of something muchrger and heavier than a goblin. Leif could sense the bubbling font of vitality drawing closer, and he stepped out in front of it as it charged into the clearing. The troll reeked of rotting flesh and body odour, and it was practically drooling all over the undergrowth it was trampling. Everyone froze, Lucia and the remaining two goblins ncing up at the arrival of the towering monster. The troll didn¡¯t slow as it saw him, instead it roared and picked up speed, a massive club raised as if to smash him down into the ground with a single blow. Leif took a single step forward, catching the club with one hand and nting a fist into the monster¡¯s groin. It let out a squeak nothing of its size should have been capable of making, and crumbled. The two goblins gaped at him in surprise, and Lucia scrambled over to her sword in the moment their shock bought her. She decapitated the closest one with a cry, and lunged for the other, but it dodged, its spearing up to ward her off. The final goblin nced between Lucia, then Leif, then it made the smart decision and ran for its life. Lucia stumbled after it, practically dead on her feet, but she slumped to her knees after only a handful of metres. ¡°I¡­ I did it?¡± Lucia gasped, nting her sword into the ground to keep herself upright. ¡°It''s over?¡± ¡°You did well, I can¡¯t believe you bit one of them.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She said, gagging. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any other choice.¡± ¡°Before you crash,e and finish this one off. I won¡¯t get any experience from something this low level, but you will.¡± Leif said, gesturing at the immobile troll, one of his boots nted firmly onto the back of its skull. ¡°Right¡­ Sure, okay.¡± Lucia said, wobbling over on shaky legs. She readied her sword, then cut down into the monster¡¯s exposed back. The de bit deeply, but the troll didn¡¯t die. She stabbed again, then again, each strike prating a little further, but the wounds she dealt regenerated. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do it.¡± She said, stepping back and lowering her sword. ¡°It¡¯s too tough.¡± ¡°One more try.¡± Leif said, using [Benevolent Actions] to flood her body with increased strength thanks to a temporarily boosted [Might] attribute. She almost tripped, but her final strike punched all the way through the troll¡¯s back, puncturing its heart. Then she twisted her sword and carved her way out, spraying sizzling blood everywhere. It died, finally, and Leif absorbed the remnant life-force. ¡°Ugh, I got some in my mouth, it''s disgusting!¡± Lucia said, wiping her mouth with a sleeve and spitting into the grass. ¡°Gross, gross, so gross!¡± ¡°You look terrible.¡± Leif said, grabbing her wounded arm and letting healing energy flow into her. ¡°I¡¯m going to throw you into the next pond wee across.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stab you if you do.¡± She mumbled, slumping in ce as her wounds healed over. ¡°Oh no.¡± Leifughed. ¡°After what you did to the goblins, I¡¯m terrified.¡± === ¡°I levelled up.¡± Lucia mumbled, her chin resting on his shoulder as he carried her on his back after they returned to the road. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Leif said, his eyes searching for a body of clean, fresh water. ¡°You earned it.¡± ¡°Only one level. Why was it only one?¡± Sheined. ¡°I killed¡­ seven¡­ I think. Seven goblins and one troll. Isn¡¯t that worth more than one level?¡± ¡°I helped with the troll, so it was only worth a fraction of the experience you would have gotten otherwise.¡± Leif pointed out. ¡°And you¡¯re fighting an uphill battle to gain levels at the moment, you¡¯ve got several modifiers reducing your experience gain. Most kids your age don¡¯t have sses yet, and that¡¯s because of the experience penalty younger people have. You also have two skills now, andbined with the age penalty that¡¯s lowering your experience even more. And, well, you¡¯re already level five, and it takes more and more to level up each time.¡± Lucia blew a disappointed raspberry. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a good level up. I only got [Intelligence] and a free point.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll even out over time as you gain more levels. Besides, improving your skills and overallbat ability will do more for you than a few attribute points.¡± Lucia kept grumbling under her breath for the next twenty minutes, though it was half hearted. The sound of running water caught Leif¡¯s attention, and he picked up the pace. A picturesque waterfall fed crystal clear liquid into a smallke, and a rickety wooden peer jutted out from the shore. Leif stepped off the road and made a beeline for theke, Lucia realised where they were going when they were only ten metres from the pier. She struggled weakly as Leif plucked her off his back with a pair of golden arms, then she hung limply as he dangled her over the water. ¡°You will regret this.¡± She said, ring with as much intensity as she could muster.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Then he dropped the blood and mud covered child into theke. Chapter 184: Outlaws Chapter 184: Ouws The increasingly crimson light of season¡¯s cracked face bathed the old stone fortress in an ominous ambiance, the mostly crumbled fortifications were still nketed with the evening''s rainfall, and the old and abandoned structure shimmered as if soaked in the blood of an ancient battle. An owl watched Leif from the peak of a half destroyed tower, asionally flying away on silent wings, only to return minutester with still wriggling prey in its sharpened beak. The derelict fortress was heavy with an intangible sense of history, it lingered on every fallen stone and seeped out of every crack. From what Leif could tell of the location, what his esoteric senses told him of its past, the fort had once been a border outpost, guarding against incursions by a rival nation. But the building was in the centre of an imperial province, and whatever country it had once belonged to was long gone, likely forgotten to time. Leif sighed and leaned back against the cracked wall, bits and pieces of white woody sprawled out before him, loosely grouped ording to their shape and purpose. His current project was creating armour, he had already created and been wearing a breastte, pauldrons, greaves and the like, but he wanted tobine them into arge, moreplete suit. Leif wasn¡¯t an armourer, and without a model to base his creation on it was like trying to finish aplex puzzle while blind. He could effortlessly shape the individual pieces however he wished, but putting them all together in a manner he was pleased with was beyond his skillset. Segments would get caught on one another, joints would lock up, and the method by which he was holding everything together couldn¡¯t hold up to the strain of even a basic test, the whole suit falling apart within minutes. He needed a temte to work on, that or more time to create and n a proper blueprint for his project. It didn¡¯t help that his storage ring was full, and carrying around an iplete suit of armour wasn¡¯t the most convenient of prospects. Leif had melted down his progress every morning, and reassembled it in the evening. It was inefficient, but it didn¡¯t take too much time. Besides, he was getting better at shaping fine, intricate details with [Wood Maniption], so the practice was helping regardless of hisck of actual progress. In an adjoining courtyard that had once been separated by a stone wall, now a pile of loosely strewn about rubble, Lucia practised her swordy. A shimmering amber clone of the girl performed an echo of the same movements, and she used it like a mirror to see what she was doing well, and doing wrong. She performed a set of thrusts, swipes, parries and steps against an invisible, imaginary opponent, then she called for Leif to swap the projection to what she had just done. He waved a hand, mostly for show, shifting the rey of the past with little effort. Focused on such a small area, and targeting only a single moving part, Leif could maintain [Sympathy from Experience] for hours, and keeping the skill active took little direct focus on his part. Lucia was otherwise silent as she trained, her brow knit in concentration as she repeated what Hera had taught her back in the Academy over and over again. Eventually she wobbled over to where he was working, nting the tip of her wooden sword into the ground and leaning against what was once a stone support pir for bnce. ¡°You¡¯re getting better.¡± Leif said, not looking up. ¡°Thanks. I still need to figure out the end of the form, it doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± ¡°Is yourprehension skill aiding you, or telling you to do something else?¡±¡°I think it''s a bit of both. I¡¯ll figure it out soon though, probably. How¡¯s the armour thinging along?¡± ¡°Less sessfully than I¡¯d hoped, but I know what''s holding me back from making progress.¡± He exined. ¡°I attended a lecture back at the Academy about the theory behindyered defences like armour. Most people, adventurers and the like, don¡¯t wear the stuff, and for good reason. The armour can restrict movement and weigh down the wearer, but the real reason why so many choose to forgo the protection it offers is that the armour can interfere with skill use.¡± ¡°I remember most of the soldiers in Pherin used to wear armour.¡± Lucia said, taking a swig of water. ¡°Yes, well. Most soldiers aren¡¯t at an overly high level, and their skills are fairly simple because of that. Even then you¡¯ll rarely see someone in more than a chain shirt or a breastte like I have here.¡± Leif said, nodding to where the wooden section of armour in questiony. ¡°Proper armour, full te and other heavy variations are far rarer. I knew a guy in Ahle-ho who could conjure heavy armour, but he had a ss dedicated to metal magic.¡± ¡°So it''s not worth it? Are you going to give up?¡± ¡°No, it is worth it, assuming you can ovee the downsides. Proper armour can grant a massive survivability increase to the wearer, but again, the problem is that it can interfere with skill use. You need armour that¡¯s properly aspected to the powerset of the user, fire infused metal, water aspected scales and so on. But even then there can be issues, but the solution is to enchant the armour and then have the wearer attune to it, that way you can ignore most of thepatibility issues.¡± ¡°But attuning to an item takes up a skill slot.¡± Lucia said. ¡°That, and the cost of properly made armour is too much for the average person to even dream of affording. There¡¯s an opportunity cost, and most people don¡¯t want to pay it. Or perhaps they can¡¯t. Either way, with the materials I¡¯m using there shouldn¡¯t be any of the normal issues, I¡¯m physically strong enough that the weight won¡¯t be a problem, and it shouldn¡¯t interfere with my skills because, well, it¡¯s made from one of my skills. Obviously I won¡¯t be able to enchant it, but in theory I won¡¯t need to. The problem is that I¡¯m not skilled enough to make the damn thing. There¡¯s also the fact that one of my sses increases my physical resilience while unarmoured. Right now, the perk doesn¡¯t seem to recognise the gilded wood I¡¯m currently wearing as armour, probably because it''s not made out of a traditional material like steel.But I get the feeling that there¡¯s a bncing act. The breastte and pauldrons don¡¯t deactivate the perk, but maybe more will. Either way, the armour doesn¡¯t technically need to be for me, it¡¯s an interesting experiment regardless of how it turns out.¡± Lucia yawned, then shook her head as if to clear it. ¡°Tired?¡± He asked. ¡°Mhmm, but I¡¯m not done yet. I¡¯m just taking a break.¡± ¡°Make sure you pace yourself.¡± Leif warned. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m taking a break.¡± She pouted. ¡°Hey, is that one of yourpressed orbs? Can I see how it works?¡± Leif called the sphere of gilded wood in question into his hand with more than a little effort. It was dense and heavy, practically vibrating with potential energy. ¡°Sure, we can test it together. These things were scarily potent with just normal wood, and with the unique properties of the material I can do some interesting things.¡± He stood, empowering his [Might] to ease the burden of carrying the condensed sphere. If he didn¡¯t have his spatial ring, travelling with such weapons would not be practical. The orb hummed, the golden cracks crisscrossing its ivory surface gleaming as he fed a trickle of vitality into it. Leif and Lucia exited the fort by climbing over the remains of what had once been a gatehouse, then the scion set the orb¡¯s state, and prepared to throw it. The trick to making the detonation as potent as possible was a sudden influx of vitality that made the hundreds of twisted knots within the sphere all try to grow simultaneously, the resulting violent expansion dealing a massive amount of blunt force damage to anything unfortunate enough to be caught in its radius. [Surge of Life and Growth] aided in this process by directly influencing whatever he healed with the skill to grow. Leif activated the skill in question, and the orb shed gold. His will mped down, preventing the expansion toe as he twisted back and threw the now vigorously vibrating sphere into the night. It flew five, ten, then fifteen metres, the further away it got the less influence Leif had over its structure, then It detonated with a sudden crack and a brilliant sh of golden light. Spasming branchesshed out in every direction, surging outwards with more force than they ever had before. A twisting and uncoiling limb of wood smashed into the ground, kicking up a massive pir of dirt and loose chunks of grass, only to alter its course and surge upwards with blinding speed, right towards where Leif and Lucia were watching. Leif cursed and grabbed Lucia, pulling her away and down. She cried out but the sound was overshadowed by the crash of growing wood shattering the golden shield Leif conjured to protect them both. A sharp and heavy impact to Leif¡¯s back sent them tumbling into the old fort. Leifnded hard in a pile of rubble and rolled to his feet, reaching out with [Wood Maniption] to seize the wildly iling branch and hold it in ce. He mentally wrestled with it as it writhed in chaotic patterns, with every second the twisting wood lost a little bit of energy, and he gained more ground. Finally, though in reality the process had taken less than a breath, it froze, quivering with unspent energy an inch from the right eye socket of his mask. Out in the darkness beyond the fort the world was ripped to pieces, the constant sounds of violent crunches and earth trembling impacts resounding for another ten seconds, then everything went still and silent. ¡°Gods.¡± Lucia said after several seconds had passed. ¡°That was close.¡± ¡°A fair bit more than I expected.¡± Leif said, releasing his hold on the branch as the vitality causing it to grow and expand faded away. ¡°Sorry about that. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Just¡­ just shocked I guess.¡± She groaned, picking herself up off the ground, dust and stones falling out of her hair and clothes as she shook herself clean. Leif brushed himself off, his eyes never leaving the branch before him. The test hadn¡¯t gone to n, but if his assumptions were correct about what would happen next¡­ The branch drew back, slowly twisting and snaking in the exact reverse of the path it had taken while growing. It shrunk, gradually at first, then picking up speed. Leif followed it up out of the fort, and watched in awe as hundreds of branches flowed back together from where they had torn up thend, shrinking back down, gathering together and then folding and knotting themselves into the same pattern they had been in prior to the detonation of wood. Within less than two minutes, a glowing sphere of ivory wood wasying in a crater of its own creation. ¡°Wow.¡± Lucia said as she stared, wide eyed, down at the orb. ¡°It¡¯s both good and bad.¡± Leif said, crossing his arms. ¡°Good in the sense that this massively reduces the upkeep on the technique. Bad in that I can¡¯t control the expansion if the wood moves that quickly and with that much force. Also bad, somewhat, is that if I want to create difficult terrain for opponents to navigate through, this type of orb isn¡¯t able to do that for very long.¡± He paused considering. ¡°Though I guess I would just need to remove the lock ced on the bomb with my skill prior to throwing it.¡± ¡°How many of these can you carry around?¡± This novel is published on a different tform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Including that one, I have two more in my spatial ring.¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± She huffed, stomping back into the fort. ¡°What?¡± Leif asked, somewhat confused. ¡°I¡¯m going to train more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure you should beparing your abilities to what I can do.¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± She called over her shoulder. ¡°I want to get stronger, so I¡¯m going to train.¡± Leif shook his head as he watched her go. He wouldn¡¯t discourage ambition, but the girl had a habit of not realising when she had hit her limit, he would need to make sure she didn¡¯t train to the point she fell asleep while standing. It likely didn¡¯t help that he was a bad influence himself, not needing to rest anywhere near what a normal person would. Leif nced down to where the glowing orb stilly in its crater. In the dark of night, it was hard to make out just how much destruction it had wrought, but he supposed he would see in the morning. === Not ten minutester Leif¡¯s ns for the night were ruined. He spotted torchlighting over a nearby hill, a snaking column and around twenty flickering mes heading in the direction of the fort. He peered into the night, trying to make out who was approaching. It was futile, he couldn¡¯t tell, though he could make some guesses. It could be a band of soldiers, hopefully imperial, but they could potentially be from the republic. This far ind it was unlikely, but he wouldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility out of hand. What was more likely however was that they were a band of refugees. Another possibility was adventurers, some sort of expedition sent by a local noble house for one reason or another. He reached out with his aura and telepathically told Lucia of the approaching group, and to find somewhere to hide in case they were a threat. She didn¡¯t reply, but she did scamper off into one of the destroyed towers. Leif dismissed the projection she had been using to practise her swordsmanship, and the fort plunged into total darkness, even the faint red light from season was blocked by passing clouds. The group of approaching torches slowed, then stopped once they were within three hundred metres from the fort. A single me continued forward at a steady pace, but Leif was cognisant that there could be moreing his way, it wasn¡¯t as if perception skills that improved one¡¯s eyesight enough to see more clearly in darkness were particrly rare. As the lone torch drew closer, the clouds parted overhead, and Leif could make out the stocky figure of a lone man ascending the hill leading up to the fort. ¡°Who are you?¡± Leif called down to him, and the man froze, his hand lowering to the de at his side. ¡°I am Kurt, a traveller, and those with me are refugees fleeing the conflict raging to the west. Are you the source of the sh of golden light? We saw it from afar and came to take a look.¡± He replied, his voice a deep baritone, and his ent was sharp, but nothing Leif recognised. Likely not from the republic. He thought, willing vitality to gather in his upraised hand, his fingers emitting an amber glow. The man, Kurt, shifted as he saw Leif, but didn¡¯t otherwise react. He had the rippling muscture of a seasoned warrior, and from the scars the torchlight revealed running along his forearms, no stranger tobat. ¡°Forgive my caution, but you don¡¯t look like a refugee.¡± Kurt inclined his head as if acknowledging the point. ¡°That is because, personally, I am not. But my charges most certainly are. My profession is what one might call a sellsword, or perhaps a mercenary. I, and some of mypanions have been hired to escort a group east.¡± He shrugged. ¡°And you? Who might you be?¡± ¡°An adventurer travelling north, likewise trying to avoid the war.¡± Leif said. ¡°How many do you travel with?¡± ¡°Our group is over thirty, though four are my people. You?¡± ¡°Me and one other.¡± There was a stretch of silence as they both analysed one another, both using skills to determine more information about the other, and both receiving nothing as their auras deflected the testing probe. The impression Leif got from the man was that of a cold, still campfire, though one who¡¯s coals could return to life at any moment. There was a quiet strength to Kurt, and if his appearance hadn¡¯t given it away, his aura had the sharpness of one who had fought, and survived, a multitude of battles. ¡°Well. if you were seeking the source of the light, you found me. I was testing an application of a skill.¡± Leif said. ¡°I see. That is¡­ good to hear. Our group was just about to make camp when we saw your disy. It wouldn¡¯t have done to have settled in for the night with a potential threat lurking around.¡± ¡°Well, me and mypanion don¡¯t have any supplies we could share, but you¡¯re more than wee to join us for the night.¡± Leif said. ¡°Assuming there¡¯s no trouble.¡± ¡°No trouble. You have my word, friend. Some of the refugees are cranky, but that isn¡¯t due to ack of supplies. We haven''t been on the road long enough for any to be sick, though several are on the younger and older side of life.¡± ¡°The fort is safer than out in the open, especially with the nearby forest. I won¡¯t turn away those in need. You can bring them here.¡± Kurt nodded, then turned, waving his torch in slow circling motions. A distant torch returned the signal, and a minuteter the group was on the move, slowly trekking the final stretch to the fort. The sellsword rxed his posture, then closed the distance between himself and Leif with confident steps. As he drew closer, Leif noticed the greyplexion of the man¡¯s skin, then the strange way his cheekbones jutted outwards. The man clearly noticed Leif¡¯s gaze, because he smiled and spread his free hand. ¡°Nothing against my kind, I hope?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a demikin?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No, I have nothing against your kind. Some of my closest friends are of more exotic ancestry.¡± The man huffed, working his jaw, then held out a hand. Leif took it, and they shook. Kurt squeezed more than was strictly polite, but Leif¡¯s grip wasn¡¯tcking for strength or rigidity. His eyes widened, then the sellsword grinned. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re not one of those ck wristed adventurer types. Though I suppose if you¡¯re out here on your own it''s to be expected.¡± ¡°Got something against adventurers?¡± Kurt shrugged one shoulder as he drew back his hand, he nced back the way he hade, responding as he did so. ¡°Far from me to overgeneralise a group, but I have my¡­ issues with therger institutions and those they work for. Not too fond of those like me, you understand?¡± ¡°So you became a sellsword instead?¡± ¡°Aye, simr work, less consistent pay, less oversight. Not the life I necessarily would have chosen, but it''s not the worst. How about yourself? I don¡¯t think I recognise that style of clothing, and masks aren¡¯t overly fashionable around here outside of festivals.¡± ¡°I joined a guild in Ahle-ho, a city to the north west. They have a branch in the empire. Well, the war started and I¡¯m trying to get back to my family.¡± Leif said, technically not lying, but stretching the truth with how vague he was being. ¡°Ahle-ho? That¡¯s one of the free cities, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯vee far to find yourself in the middle of nowhere.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a unique journey, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± The group of refugees had reached the base of the hill and were beginning to climb. Leif sensed Lucia slinking along the wall, out of sight of Kurt. She materialised at his shoulder a momentter, the torchlight dispelling the effects of her [Fade] skill. ¡°Hi.¡± She said somewhat stiffly. Kurt raised an eyebrow, then dipped his head in greeting. ¡°Youngdy, I would like to thank your¡­panion here for epting me and my group for the night. I am Kurt, a hired guard.¡± ¡°Lucia. Uh, good to meet you I guess.¡± ¡°Are you two family?¡± Kurt asked, his eyes lingering on Lucia¡¯s sheathed de. ¡°Not rted, no.¡± Leif said. ¡°But we share amon goal and destination.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The man said. The sound of murmured chatter reached Leif¡¯s ear as the group of over thirty finally arrived at the fort. They were indeed a tired looking collection of humans, their ages spanning from younger than Lucia, to needing a cane to hobble along. Among them were a handful of armed figures, and as the refugees climbed into the fort, one such person detached from therger group, gracefully stepping over to Kurt¡¯s side. ¡°Well well, what do we have here? Two generous souls?¡± It was a tall woman with a darkerplexion than the refugees she guarded. Her sharp eyes gleamed, the smirk stretching her lips yful, almost mocking. She leaned against Kurt, and the man in turn wrapped an arm around her bare waist, pulling her closer. She was slender, with several notable tattoos and piercings of various colours and designs. From what Leif could tell, she looked fully human, though as demikin bloodlines diffused over generations it could be hard to tell the difference. ¡°This is Maline, my partner in crime, so to speak.¡± The demikin said, earning an amused tutter from Maline. ¡°She¡¯s the love of my life, but don¡¯t tell her I said that, she¡¯s incorrigible.¡± ¡°What happened to your arm?¡± Lucia said, and Leif winced at the blunt question. He had noticed the woman¡¯s¡­ck of a right arm, but he had the tact not to immediately ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a cute little thing?¡± Maline asked, leaning forward with a sly grin. ¡°Hmm, I suppose a story wouldn¡¯t hurt.This little nub was a reward for a job done quietly, subtly, and without detection. s, my employers were fools and gave away the game, probably due to a guilty conscience. I couldn¡¯t evade thew forever, and when they caught me, they figured a light maiming was in order. To make me worse at my job, you see.¡± Lucia¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider as Maline talked, and Leif sensed the regret bubbling inside her at having asked. Maline, for her part, didn¡¯t seem offended. In fact, she seemed to relish the look of increasing difort on the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In the end everything worked out fine. I left the city alive when my employers did not. I met a charming family man to call my own, and the all powerful system even threw me a bone to help out with my¡­ disability.¡± As if in demonstration, green energy swirled from the stump at her side, it was noxious and gave off a sharp impression of deadly corrosion. The toxic smoke stretched behind Kurt¡¯s back, and a hand tipped with sharpened, oozing ws, materialised over his shoulder, snaking downward to rest against his upper chest. The demikin didn¡¯t so much as flinch as a faint sizzling sound came from where Maline¡¯s conjured fingers met his skin. ¡°You¡¯re scaring our hosts, dear.¡± Kurt chided. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I only use my power on bad men.¡± She demurred huskily. ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Lucia said, taking a careful step back and behind Leif. ¡°I believe you.¡± Leif silently watched the disy, though in truth his attention was more focused on the reaction of the refugees. They were tired and weary, but when Maline showed off her ability, Leif sensed a rising amount of disgust, wariness and even fear. It was noticeable, but he didn¡¯t think it indicated arger problem, nor an outright cause for concern. ¡°Should we prepare a fire, boss?¡± A younger man shouted from within the fort¡¯s main courtyard. ¡°Or is it toote for us to bother?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make full camp.¡± Kurt called back, detaching himself from Maline¡¯s embrace. ¡°Find a spot if you would, then I¡¯ll light this ce up.¡± ¡°Sure thing boss, give us a few minutes.¡± The other mercenary said, jogging over to a fourth person who was already helping to clear away space by shifting rubble with some sort of skill. ¡°Assuming that¡¯s okay with you, of course.¡± Kurt said to Leif. ¡°It¡¯s not my old pile of rubble, you can do what you like.¡± ¡°Good man.¡± The sellsword said, pping the scion on the shoulder. The man paused briefly, then continued on, Maline trailing close behind after giving her hosts a wink and a blown kiss. Tired refugees were gathering in small groups, unpacking their carried belongings and trying to make themselvesfortable. Leif saw a middle aged woman trying to round up her two younger children who seemed more interested in exploring their new environment than staying still. An elderly couple were ncing wearily around them, seemingly less than keen to be staying in the fort for the night. ¡°You couldn¡¯t find somewhere a little less derelict? Goblins and other foul creatures could sprout from the dust and shadows at any moment!¡± The man loudlyined. Leif watched, taking a few steps away for privacy as he sensed the worrying from Lucia. ¡°I don¡¯t like them.¡± She whispered as she deftly hopped over a section of loose stone. ¡°They remind me of¡­ I don¡¯t know, the kind of people I used to avoid on the streets.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a bit rough, but I doubt that they were lying about their purpose.¡± Leif responded telepathically. ¡°I think they really are mercenaries, and their charges really are refugees fleeing to the east. I just don¡¯t think that''s all they are.¡± === The sellswords had quickly gathered a pile of dried wood in one of the central courtyards. Kurt knelt next to the soon to be bonfire, holding out a callused hand and creating a stream of heated ashes, then he snapped his fingers and everything ignited all at once, the merrily dancing mes illuminating the dark and jagged interior of the fort. Lucia watched impassively as the ce she had been using to train was requisitioned into temporary amodations. Leif could tell that she was nervous, even as he made his way to where his armour project was stillid out on the ground she stuck to him like a shadow. ¡°What''s all this?¡± Came an upbeat voice. ¡°And why is it glowing?¡± Leif nced up to see the man Kurt had directed to prepare the fire. He was on the younger side, likely in his early twenties, and he had an unruly appearance with wild scruffy hair and clothing with an endless series of patches and stitches. ¡°A project I''ve been working on.¡± Leif answered. ¡°Oh yeah? It kind of looks like armour. My uncle was a cksmith, but he used to spend all day hammering nails into shape instead of making something cool like weapons. Probably why he drank so much. Is that metal? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. I¡¯m yde by the way. Member of the Greybandpany, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Leif, and no, it''s special wood I¡¯ve prepared.¡± He said, calling a small unconnected te into his hand, then tossing it to the man. ¡°Greyband? I assume that¡¯s the name of Kurt¡¯s group?¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s us. Kurt¡¯s the boss man, we do what he says and get paid for it. We¡¯re helping folks now, which is nice I suppose.¡± He spun the gilded wooden piece of armour between dexterous fingers, then he brought it up to his nose and sniffed. ¡° Oh wow, this is wood, cool beans. Interesting texture, how¡¯d you get it into this shape without cracking it? What kind of magic is making the golden cracks? Why are you wearing a mask?¡± yde said, rapid-firing each question with no breath in between. ¡°Curious, aren''t you?¡± The man rubbed the back of his head, his grin showing missing teeth. ¡°Sorry mate, bad habit, yeah? I just like to know things, you know?¡± ¡°yde? We need you on the perimeter, you have the first watch!¡± Called Kurt, the grey skinned maning into view. ¡°Right, sorry boss!¡± yde said, activating some sort of skill to dash away, taking the piece of armour with him. Leif mentally reached out and tugged it from his hand with [Wood Maniption], and the man stumbled, ncing back sheepishly. ¡°You keep interesting people in your employ.¡± Leif told the mercenary. Kurt grunted. ¡°He¡¯s an alright kid, got his issues but he¡¯s reliable enough. We¡¯re doing ate dinner around the fire, children get extra servings if they want. You¡¯re wee to join us.¡± Leif gaze Lucia a questioning nce, and the girl shrugged nomittally. Chapter 185: Company Chapter 185: Company Lucia waited until none of the sell-swords were around the campfire before she stepped into line, an empty bowl in one hand and the other resting against the hilt of her wooden sword. It took a handful of minutes to reach the two men who were cooking and serving the refugees. ¡°Ah, you must be the girl travelling with the masked adventurer.¡± One of them said, adle dipped into the half empty pot. ¡°Is everything okay? You look nervous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She said, though the back of her neck prickled from being around so many strangers. She let out a breath and tried to smile as the man filled her bowl, though it likely came out as more of a grimace. ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just heated oats, nothing special.¡± The cook snorted. ¡°But you¡¯re most wee. Tell your father he¡¯s more than wee to eat as well. God¡¯s know we have more than enough of this gruel to go around.¡± Lucia opened her mouth to correct the cook¡¯s mistake, but before she could another voice called out to her. ¡°Girl,e over here. Sit with us, dear.¡± She nced to the side to see a group of older to middle aged women and some of their children resting on dirty looking nkets and a handful of chairs that they had somehow procured, though from where, Lucia didn¡¯t know. One of the kids, a girl around Lucia¡¯s age, waved at her with a hand still holding a spoon. Lucia tightened her grip on her bowl and made to head in the other direction, only for the same woman who had invited her over to call once again. ¡°Go on, girl, you may as well sit with the other kids. You¡¯ll be friends in no time, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± The server said with aforting smile. Lucia felt exposed and vulnerable, and the instincts she had developed from her life on the street were warning her of danger whenever somebody shifted or raised their voice. But being around other people was good, it was normal. She was normal too, right? Lucia grit her teeth and made her way stiffly over to the group that had invited her. The girl who had waved with the spoon was being scolded by who Lucia assumed was her mother for flinging food around. She sat on the very edge of the nket, half poised to jump up and run at the slightest sign of danger. Lucia nced over her shoulder to see if any of the mercenaries were nearby, but they seemed to have vacated the space around the fire to give more room for the refugees. ¡°Hi.¡± Said spoon girl. ¡°I¡¯m Thani. That¡¯s a cool sword! Owch, I mean, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Lucia.¡± She replied, trying to shove as much food into her mouth at once so she wouldn¡¯t need to say anything more. ¡°Why do you have a weapon?¡± An older boy asked, a frown on his surprisingly clean features. ¡°Girls don¡¯t need weapons.¡± ¡°Yacob, that¡¯s a rude question.¡± One of the older women said with a scowl. ¡°It¡¯s true though. None of you havebat sses.¡± The boy said. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a [Fighter] one day soon. I¡¯ll battle with monsters and protect people.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a ss yet?¡± Lucia asked as she finished chewing, though only because his question had irked her. ¡°Not yet, no. I¡¯m still working on it.¡± Yacob said defensively. ¡°Why, it¡¯s not like you have one either. You¡¯re too young.¡± ¡°I have one.¡± Lucia said testily, then she took another mouthful of oats to try and ignore the incredulous looks everyone was sending her way. ¡°But you¡¯re so young.¡± A concerned looking woman said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be working at such a young age, you need time to y and be a child.¡± ¡°Is it abat ss?¡± Thani asked excitedly, gesturing again with her spoon. ¡°I bet it is! Did the masked man teach you? Are you in training to be an adventurer? Have you fought monsters? Have you ever killed anyone?¡± ¡°Thani!¡± The girl¡¯s mother hissed, pinching her daughter¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t ask someone that, it¡¯s inappropriate. And of course she hasn¡¯t, don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± Lucia made no effort to speak up, even when she was asked more questions. Instead she focused on her half eaten meal, for some reason she no longer felt hungry. It felt like there were a hundred worms wriggling around in her stomach, and she took a deep breath to try and fight them down. An older couple approached, and people shifted to get out of their way. They were both somewhat overweight, with greyed hair and more than a handful of wrinkles between them. The man slumped down into an unupied seat that seemed to have been left specifically for him, and the woman gingerly knelt onto the nket, her smile warm but tired. ¡°I hope everyone is doing alright.¡± She asked. ¡°No empty bellies I hope.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The older man rumbled. ¡°Not with how much food we packed for the trip. We could have twice the numbers and not get through half of it. If it wasn¡¯t for this damn war we never would have needed to flee east. What¡¯s the army doing anyway? What are we paying taxes for if not to be defended from a bunch of bloodthirsty savages?¡± ¡°Forgive my husband. He¡¯s tired, just like everyone else.¡± The woman said, touching the man on the knee to forestall a further rant. She smiled and looked at everyone one by one, finally reaching Lucia. ¡°Oh my, look at you! So grimy and dirty. And are those pants? They¡¯re all torn up! Youngdy, you need to take better care of yourself.¡± Lucia just stared nkly over her bowl, not sure how to respond. The elderly woman tutted and scooted closer, half muttering to herself, half talking to Lucia. ¡°And you¡¯re so skinny, you need to eat more if you want to stay healthy. Is that a hole in your shirt? How did that happen? It looks like something cut right through the fabric. Dear, this won¡¯t do, it won¡¯t do at all.¡± A violet and azure cloth appeared in the woman¡¯s hand, and she reached up towards Lucia¡¯s face. She flinched back, shuffling off the nket and rising to her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She said, her voice low. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°You have dirt on your cheek. Come back here and I¡¯ll wipe it off for you.¡± Lucia swiped at her cheek with her forearm, earning a disapproving scowl from the older woman. ¡°She said she has a ss.¡± Yacob said. ¡°But she¡¯s clearly lying. Tell her that lying is bad, grandmother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. But I don¡¯t need to prove it to you.¡± Lucia growled, taking a step back. The boy stuck out his tongue. ¡°You should give that sword to someone who knows how to use it.¡± ¡°Yacob, that¡¯s enough.¡± His grandmother said. ¡°You¡¯re frightening the poor girl away. Sit back down, dear, finish your dinner and we¡¯ll find some clothes that don¡¯t make you look like a scruffy farmer''s son.¡± Lucia felt her face grow hot, but half wreathed in shadows from the dancing bonfire she hoped nobody could see. How would they think if they knew who exactly had trained and clothed her? She didn¡¯t look like a farmer, these were the same type of clothes Hera wore when she was out of her uniform, she looked like a de of the Academy, they were just too stupid to see it. Lucia darted forward and grabbed her bowl off the ground, then, before anyone could say anything else she ran off, using [Fade] to vanish into the darkness of the fort. Her heart hammered in her chest, and the squirming in her stomach didn¡¯t subside. She ran, half blind, but still sure footed deeper into the fort, and scrambled up a pile of rubble to rest against the base of a half crumbled wall. In the distance she could still see the refugees, and could still hear the low murmur of their distant conversations. Who were they to take pity on her? To doubt what she could do? They didn¡¯t know what she had lived through, the things she had needed to do to survive. This novel is published on a different tform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡®Have you killed anyone?¡¯ The question rang again in her ears, and Lucia scrunched her eyes closed and shook her head to chase it away. It was dumb, the question was dumb, and they wouldn¡¯t have believed her if she had answered honestly. Or maybe they would have. How would the way they had looked at her changed? Would they stop thinking of her as some sort of helpless child? Why were they even treating her like that? Did they think she was like them? Soft, weak and unable to fend for herself? She pulled her sword and its sheath off her belt and ced it in herp, trying to make the anger and frustration go away. The night was warm, and the heat in her head wasn¡¯t helping her think straight. She sat in the dark and stewed, ring down at the refugees. She watched as theyughed and sang around the fire, watched as the children she had eaten with jumped around and yed. The anger faded, but it wasn¡¯t reced by anything. Lucia felt numb, and the longer she watched, by herself, the more numb she felt. Lucia knew she was desperately ignoring a truth, hoping that by not acknowledging it, it would go away. But as theughter reached her ears she couldn¡¯t lie to herself any longer. She had never had a childhood. She had neverughed or yed with those her age, never knew what it was like to have friends. She didn¡¯t know what it was like to be a kid. Her earliest memories were of being told about her duties and responsibilities as the daughter of the prince. Then waiting for her little brother to be born, and helping to take care of him when he was. When Pherin was destroyed and her family fled south, there was no fun, no time for her to act her age. She had yed with Roy, sure, but that was to make him happy, to distract him from the sounds of adults arguing and screaming in the adjacent rooms. Then they had lost everything once again, and to survive she had needed to grow up faster than the streets of Kartinth could kill her. She had never had a chance to act her age, and it was likely she never would. But at the time she hadn¡¯t minded, because she had been able to distract herself with something else. But that something wasn¡¯t there anymore. Lucia suddenly felt very cold, and very alone. The fear and worry for her little brother she had managed to bottle up slipped through the crack in the wall that she had carefully built up in her mind, and everything started to spiral. Her breaths came faster, and her hands trembled. She grabbed the hilt of her sword and squeezed, trying to chase away the panic with the safety and strength having the weapon made her feel. It helped a little, but not much. Lucia hated how weak she felt, how vulnerable and afraid she was. Why had it been so easy to pretend otherwise when she had to look after Roy? Why was it that when she only had herself to take care of everything was so much harder? Why did the idea of spending time around a campfire with strangers terrify her? Why did the air feel suffocating, and every tiny noise make her blood run cold? It didn¡¯t make any sense, she had a ss now, skills, a weapon that had been made just for her. Lucia trembled, fighting back tears, trying to convince herself that she wasn¡¯t alone, that she was more than a frightened little girl. But the wound had been ripped open, and there was nothing to distract her from the pain, and nothing to stop the bleeding. She was alone. Alone, unable to protect Roy. Alone, unable to protect herself. Alone, lost and afraid. Alone. She fought down a sob as the weight of the world closed in, crushing her, stabbing her, tearing her apart- ¡°Hey, what''s wrong? Lucia? Lucia, you¡¯re okay, it''s alright.¡± Something touched her shoulder and Lucia flinched. Blinking away the blur ruining her vision she stared up at the figure kneeling beside her. She tried to squirm away but the hand on her shoulder was too strong, or maybe she was too weak. Who was next to her? What did they want? Were they going to hurt her? Were they going to hurt Roy? A hundred memories, a hundred fears, they all shed through her mind all at once. If they hadn¡¯t paralysed her she would have screamed, but instead the sound that emerged from her mouth was more of a choked gasp. The hand on her shoulder tightened its grip, and then something warm and energising filled her chest, warding off the cold and the panic. She blinked again, her mind clearing. ¡°You¡¯re okay, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here, you¡¯re safe.¡± Leif said, his tone concerned, twin amber lights glowing behind his mask. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She whispered. ¡°For what? You don¡¯t need to apologise for anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m weak. He¡¯s not here, and I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m so weak,¡± She babbled, barely coherent. ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re far stronger than you realise.¡± Lucia couldn¡¯t muster any more words, so she just shook her head. Over the next few minutes her breathing normalised and her thoughts stilled. When Leif tried to get up she grabbed onto his sleeve, but she didn¡¯t know why. He didn¡¯t say anything else, but he did sit down next to her, his presence somehow more solid than the wall of the old stone fort. He wasn¡¯t human, not really. Lucia didn¡¯t understand who, or what he was, and in a way that scared her. The fact he had been able to save Roy¡¯s life when she hadn¡¯t been capable enough scared her. The fact it was so easy to imagine somebody else, that somebody more familiar was under the mask, scared her. But it wasn¡¯t scarier than being alone. So she silently cried into his arm until she fell asleep. Like a child, but maybe that was okay. === Those within the fort were roused awake by a distant roar that caused flocks of roosting birds to flee skywards, their panicked cries splitting the dawn air as they fled for safety. Afraid and tired refugees stumbled around, trying to gather their belongings and families before whatever the danger was caught up with them. Kurt barked orders for calm, but his words went ignored when an older man with thinning grey hair and a slight paunch started yelling for haste. Leif had pegged the older man as a leader among the refugees, who he hade to learn were something of a loose family unit. He had only exchanged brief greetings with a handful of them, and while they had been mostly friendly, if weary, their elderly leader was belligerent and terse. A bleary eyed Lucia climbed up to where he was standing atop a mostly intact section of wall. She handed him the travelling cloak that he had gently wrapped around her shoulders after she had fallen asleep, and he quickly stowed it in his storage ring, his gaze never leaving the treeline. ¡°Good morning.¡± Leif said. ¡°Feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. Sorry¡­¡± Lucia said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologise. You did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± She asked after a moment, ncing over her shoulder at the still panicked refugees. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s still a ways off. Look, you can see the tree¡¯s shaking about a kilometre over there.¡± He said, pointing to demonstrate. ¡°Is iting closer?¡± ¡°Yes, but slowly. I doubt it even knows that we¡¯re here. Whatever it is, it''s likely just wandering the bog at random.¡± Below them a group of refugees had climbed out of the fort and were running down the hill as fast as they could. A woman, overburdened with supplies, dropped her belongings as she ran, and when she stooped down to collect them a panicked couple almost trampled over them. ¡°You¡¯ve led us into danger! You¡¯re a damn fool, I should never had hired a group outside of the guilds. You could have gotten us all killed!¡± The older man was shouting, his face red and his finger wagging angrily in Kurt¡¯s unimpressed face. ¡°If any of us get so much as a scratch because of you, you can say goodbye to your payment.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± Kurt said, the demikin¡¯s words oozing with forced patience. ¡°I can assure you that the monster in the forest has no interest in us. I know its species, and they rarely, if ever, leave the denser tree cover.¡± ¡°You know? You know! If you knew then you never should have brought us so close to the trees!¡± The man bellowed while his equally aged wife bustled around trying to pack up everything by herself. One by one the surprising number of luxuries that had been strewn about during the chaos disappeared as the woman lifted them. She had a gem encrusted polished silver bracelet hanging loosely around her wrist, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to identify it as a storage item. ¡°Are we really going to travel with these people?¡± Lucia asked, and Leif could tell by her tone that she was less than keen on the idea. ¡°With them? No. Alongside them, I don¡¯t see why not. They''re heading to Luriem, and unless we want to brave cutting through the woond, the city should be our destination as well.¡± A distant roar punctuated his words, and Lucia wrinkled her nose. ¡°We would be safer without them. Quicker too.¡± ¡°Maybe. But if we¡¯re heading in the same direction thepany won¡¯t hurt.¡± Leif said, stepping forward to blur back down to the ground in a streak of gold. ¡°It might.¡± She grumbled, hopping down after him and following like a short, brooding shadow. The refugees had filtered out of the fort, but their group was stretched over a hundred metres, and the mercenaries were running around as if trying to shepherd a flock of terrified sheep. Kurt had one eye on the forest, and one eye on the old man who was still angrily berating him. The demikin had a look on his face that made it clear he wanted to punch someone, but didn¡¯t have any valid targets to take his mounting frustrations out on. Maline sauntered up to him, and her sharp smile seemed to unnerve the elderly refugee enough that his rage spluttered out like a dying candle. The forest shook, loose pebbles tumbling down the hillside as if chasing the refugees. Leif stopped and waited for the leader of the Greyband mercenaries to catch up to him, much to the annoyance of Lucia who was not so subtly trying to tug him along, though to little sess. ¡°I overheard that you know what the thing making all that noise is?¡± Leif asked leadingly. ¡°Aye, an old bastard named Neil.¡± Kurt replied with a sigh. ¡°Oh, you mean the monster in the forest? It¡¯s a big fucking monkey. Uh, sorry for the crassnguage. Not overly dangerous since they¡¯re easy to hearing.¡± ¡°Do you know its level?¡± ¡°Probably around forty. When they evolve they grow too big for the inner parts of the forest, so they migrate outwards, and then they get butchered by adventurers or hunters. This one probably just evolved, which is why it¡¯s making such a big fuss about no longer having a home.¡± ¡°Poor little baby.¡± Maline said in a lilting tone. ¡°Kicked out of the nest. I¡¯d be upset too.¡± ¡°If it fully leaves the cover of the forest I¡¯ll eat my own shoes.¡± Kurt said. ¡°But I¡¯m just a stupid, dumb mercenary who has no idea what he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Hush dear.¡± Maline giggled. ¡°Now, shall we catch up to our charges before they run themselves off a cliff in their panic?¡± The two departed, Kurt jogging and Maline using some sort of skill to quickly dart ahead of him. ¡°I really don¡¯t like them.¡± Lucia whispered. ¡°I really, really don¡¯t like them.¡± Leif turned and knelt, looking her in the eye. Lucia squirmed ufortably the longer they held eye contact, and he could sense the trepidation within her, the growing uncertainty and fear. Her weak but uncontrolled aura was practically shouting her intention to turn and run in the other direction, without an associated skill she wouldn¡¯t be able to manipte her soul¡¯s growing presence. ¡°You don¡¯t want us to travel with them?¡± She nodded sharply. ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s just a hunch, a gut feeling. It feels like a part of my mind is shouting at me not to trust them, not to get too close.¡± She mumbled, looking away and kicking at the grass. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s stupid, I don¡¯t know them, so-¡± ¡°No. I trust you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll let them go ahead, and we¡¯ll camp separately. Once we reach Luriem we¡¯ll stay away, get the supplies we need, then leave as soon as possible. Does that sound like a n?¡± Lucia swallowed, then nodded. ¡°Yeah... Thank you.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± Leif said, standing and cing his hands on his hips. ¡°How about we go take a look at a big monkey?¡± ¡°Really?¡± She asked, immediately perking up. ¡°Can I fight it?¡± ¡°You did hear Kurt say that it would be over level forty, right?¡± Leif chided. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She said, puffing out her cheeks and pouting. He ced a hand on her head, ruffling her already messy hair, earning an annoyed groan, an eye roll, and an ineffectual kick to the shin for his troubles. Then, once the refugees and sellswords werepletely out of sight, they headed in the opposite direction. Chapter 186: Threat Chapter 186: Threat The air warped as a haymaker from a fist the size of Leif¡¯s torso ripped over his head. The giant, rust-red furred ape screeched as it followed up with its other fist, only for the blow to be deflected as Leif raised two golden forearms to guide the strike aside. The ape, expecting to have connected with the second blow, stumbled forward, off bnce for just a moment. In the opening granted by its mistake, an ivory palm drove into the side of its head, sting the shed-sized beast through a nearby tree. The ape roared as it threw itself upright, its muzzle pulled back to expose dagger-like canines and bloody gums. A mantle of white fur ringed the creature''s neck and shoulders, puffing out to make its already intimidating frame seem evenrger. Maddened eyes gleaming with red, the effects of an enrage skill, bore into Leif as if the ape was trying to kill him with its re alone. There was a minor fear effect, but it was weak enough to ignore, and Leif had enough control over his mentality that even if it wasn¡¯t, he likely wouldn¡¯t have had any trouble. The battle between person sized tree and tree sized monkey had raged for over ten minutes, and thergely one sided beatdown had destroyed well over a hundred metres of dense forest. The scion folded his real arms behind his back, and gestured with a limb of gold. The beast roared and charged forward, powerful loping bounds tearing up already loose dirt as it rampaged towards him. Something small darted out from behind a fallen log, and the ape stumbled mid charge, a small cut having opened up on its lower shin. It howled and nced around looking for whatever had struck it, but the taunting effect of [Fists of Awe] forcibly redirected its attention back onto Leif. At first he hadn¡¯t wanted Lucia to involve herself at all. The thrice evolved beast was by no means an opponent the girl had any hope of facing in a fair fight. Even a ncing blow would have reduced her into a fine red mist, and the shockwaves from the ape¡¯s mighty blows would have been more than enough to send her flying. All of this was true, but Leif¡¯s core skill could grant over fifty points to any attribute, and more if his [Charisma] was increased, which it currently was. With that boost going into her [crity] Lucia could move very, very quickly. Far faster than anyone her level should be able to. Even then, Leif had made her practise for over an hour before they had gone anywhere near the beast. At first she had barely been able to take a step without falling over, the increased bnce and motor control from the enhanced attribute hadn¡¯t offset the boost to speed and reactivity. But having tripped over her own feet two dozen times in only a handful of minutes, the low levelled [Rogue] quickly got the hang of things. Having her own skill that helped with bnce sped up the learning process, but Lucia¡¯s own stubborn determination was likely a greater contributing factor to her rapid improvement than anything else. Unlike when he was enhancing his own attributes, Leif couldn¡¯t maintain the increased stats active for more than a few minutes at a time. On top of that, it took a fraction of his concentration to maintain the skill. Finally giving [Benevolent Actions] a real workout was nice however, and he could already feel the skill improving as he flickered it on and off to allow Lucia to dart in, strike, then escape before getting clobbered. The ape threw itself at him again, and they shed in a blur of fists that rocked the forest. The beast was strong, likely more physically powerful than Leif was, even with all his synergising buffs and enhancements. Leif had drained enough vitality from the nearby vegetation prior to engaging with the creature to gain the sixty percent increase to all his attributes from [Consuming Aeons], but even with the buff he still didn¡¯t quite match it for raw strength. But a dozen arms was better than two, and having several skills all working to empower his unarmedbat abilities let him pull ahead. He was simply the better fighter, though that wasn¡¯t exactly surprising. Leif had been training almost nonstop for the past few months, his nights, when they weren¡¯t interrupted by Lucia¡¯s own practise, had been spent grinding at everything from his footwork, posture and stances to the best ways to transfer force into each punch. Even with his advantages, Leif still took hits. But while his own strikes dealt devastating blows to his opponent, the enraged ape could barely knock him back a handful of steps. Despite his absurd durability, the scion took damage. But [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess] only grew stronger the more injured he was, and that was the skill he was trying to = push over the final hill in order to get an upgrade. Leif pitied the beast, but the giant ape was hardly intelligent, it had all but thrown itself at Lucia and him the second it had spotted them. If it had possessed even the hint of intellect he may have just left it alone, but it was excessively violent to the point of being crazed, and while that may havergely been the fault of its skills, it made the decision to use it as a training aid easy. With every minute that passed, the ape slowed, its breathing growing ragged as every punch, block and grapple Leifnded syphoned away slivers of its monstrous vitality. Even on itsst legs, the beast never ceased its attempts to rip Leif apart. He drove an amber fist into its chin, then blurred behind it in a streak of golden light to deliver a follow up to its lower spine. He kept its massive form airborne for several seconds, sting waves of force into its spinning body with [Fist Projection], only for it to finally crash lifelessly to the ground, the impact shaking the nearby trees. Golden vitality boiled within Leif, and his exhale of breath hissed like heated steam. He fed the excess energy into the undergrowth at his feet, and the grass and moss began to grow at a visible rate. Congrattions! Your [Inspiring Brawler] skill [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess] has met an upgrade threshold! Would you like to upgrade [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess] from rank III to rank IV? Y/N Lucia jumped down from her most recent hiding ce,nding with a flip. ¡°Is it dead? I didn¡¯t get anyth-¡± Leif epted his own prompt and nced at her. The girl¡¯s eyes had gone unfocused, and she was staring ck jawed at her own system message. ¡°Did you level up?¡± He asked, dropping [Benevolent Actions] from her now that the fight was over. Lucia stumbled in ce, looking up with wide eyes after regaining her bnce. ¡°I didn¡¯t. But I did earn a disy of excellence for helping fight something over thirty levels higher than myself! I got two points in [crity] and [Might]!¡± She exined, beaming happily. ¡°Congrattions.¡± He said. ¡°Now, should we keep heading east?¡± ¡°Can we find something else to fight? Please? I¡¯m sure there are more strong beasts and monsters in this forest we could track down?¡± ¡°I want to be out of the province before Turbulence hits. And if we want to do that, we need to keep moving instead of sticking around here.¡± This book''s true home is on another tform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Aww.¡± She said, then caught herself. ¡°I guess we do need to head north. Maybe we can hunt some more things on the way?¡± ¡°d to see your priorities are in order.¡± Leifughed, plucking the newly manifested Mana shard up off the ground from where it had fallen, already heading back through the forest towards the fort. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget!¡± Lucia called after him. ¡°I just got distracted!¡± === The underground shelter on the outer reaches of Luriem bustled with activity as supplies were packaged and stored within. Farnd, lush and filled with crops only days prior had been quickly harvested now that the weather was growing unpredictable. So far ind news of the war was sparse, but its impact was undeniable. Over half the goods that would ordinarily be stored for the uing three months of turbulence were beingmandeered by a encampment of imperial soldiers, massive wagons built to survive even the most extreme magical phenomena were lined up along the road leading into the distant city, with stern looking guards standing by incase any locals took issue with just how much was being taken. Leif and Lucia didn¡¯t linger as they passed by, instead joining a gradually moving line of those looking to enter the city. Many were refugees simr to those they had encountered previously, those fleeing from the violence in the west, but most were locals, farmers, traders, adventurers and the like wanting to spend the uing months in the safety of the city. Leif stood patiently in line, but Lucia kept ncing around nervously, her head on a constant swivel. ¡°We let them get over a day ahead of us.¡± Leif reminded her. ¡°They¡¯re almost certainly in the city already.¡± ¡°Mhmm. I know.¡± She said, shuffling in ce. Leif mentally smiled as he walked forward, the line moving along. He checked off a list of supplies in his head as they drew closer to the city gates. Luriem¡¯s outer walls flowed along with the elevation of thend, dark grey stone was built at a slight nt that tapered off into a vertical incline around three metres up. Larger towers made of the same stone were equidistant along the contours of the battlements, and aquamarine tiled roofs poked out from behind the defences. A pair of city guardszily strolled along the line of humanity awaiting entry, spears resting on their shoulders, asionally checking the contents of wagons and crates. Leif asked them for directions, and after a brief nce between each other, the guards exined how to get to the mercantile district from the gate. They stood up straighter and asked if he needed anything else, which Leif found odd. He didn¡¯t understand their change in attitude until one of them called him sir. Ah, they recognised an aspect of my aura. He realised. I¡¯m not exactly projecting it, so they must at least be passingly familiar with someone else with the [Noble] ss. Ten minutester they were within the city¡¯s walls, and after a brief stop at a roadside stall selling meat and vegetable skewerspletely smothered in a sweet smelling ze for Lucia, they headed directly for the mercantile district. ¡°Alright.¡± Leif said as they walked down a side street nked by terraced apartments. ¡°Do you remember what you need to get?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± She nodded. ¡°Two waterproof packs, nkets, spare clothes, a cloak that fits me, and buy rations with whatever money I have left over.¡± ¡°Good. Here, take this. It should be enough for what you need.¡± Leif said, handing her a small pouch of money. Lucia jingled the pouch experimentally, then tied it to her belt with a grin. ¡°Try to be back here within three hours. We¡¯ll try to leave before evening, but there¡¯s always a chance we¡¯ll need to stay overnight.¡± He continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick.¡± Lucia said. ¡°I want to be out of here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you were thorough and safe. Stay out of trouble.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more likely to get into trouble than I am. I can handle myself.¡± Leif inclined his head. He didn¡¯t necessarily agree with her, but arguing wouldn¡¯t get them anywhere. ¡°Fine. I guess I¡¯ll wish you luck then.¡± === The elderly tailor smiled as Lucia reached over the counter, cing a handful of coins into the woman¡¯s open palm. A momentter a neatly folded stack of in but practical clothes was handed to Lucia in turn, the girl taking them eagerly and turning to ce them in the less full of the two waterproof packs she had already bought. ¡°Thanks.¡± She said, smiling somewhat awkwardly up at the tailor. ¡°You¡¯re most wee. The offer to mend what you¡¯re currently wearing still stands, deary. I can patch up both the shirt and pants by tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s not that bad.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve certainly seen worse.¡± The tailor chuckled. ¡°You should have seen my sons when they were your age. But wear can build quicker than you might think. What¡¯s a small hole or tear can suddenly unravel, and the worse the damage the harder to repair it bes. You can use the back room to get changed if you want.¡± Lucia shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have time. I appreciate the offer though. Wait, do you have thread and a needle I can buy?¡± The woman squinted down and Lucia¡¯s hands, her brow knit in thought. ¡°I suppose you look dexterous enough. Do you have any experience with stitching?¡± ¡°A bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a skill everyone should learn.¡± The tailor grumbled. ¡°But if they did, then I¡¯d be partially out of business. Come round behind the counter, girl, I¡¯ll teach you the basics. If you¡¯re a quick learner, you can have the needle and thread for free.¡± === ¡°Sorry kid, the army bought all our non-perishables yesterday.¡± The burly man said, the downturn of his lips making the scar on his left cheek more prominent. ¡°They went around demanding everything we had. I think they hit every shop in the district, so you¡¯re out of luck I¡¯m afraid.¡± Lucia fought down her disappointment as she left the shop. It would have been nice to go back to Leif with her having aplished every task, but in her experience, things were rarely as easy as she hoped. Shifting the packs slung over her shoulder, she opened the door to the butchers shop, stopping the door from closing on her with a foot as she slunk out. Taking the small flight of stone steps leading up to the building in a single hop, she made her way down the street. It waste in the afternoon, but she still had around thirty minutes to get to the meetup point. The stalls lining the sides of the road were packing up, their business done for the day, and she weaved between stall owners andte shoppers as she went. The burden Lucia was carrying would have troubled her less than two months ago, but with her ss and the handful of levels she had gained since obtaining it, the weight barely hindered her progress at all. Having a ss felt like it had opened doors she had hardly hoped to imagine, and Lucia could freely admit to herself that she was perhaps a little overeager to progress further. It was frustrating then, that she was struggling to gain levels. Everyone knew that the first levels one earned in their initial ss came quickly and easily, with advancement growing more and more difficult the higher in level you became. But she had what felt like the opposite problem. Because she had earned her [Rogue] ss at such a young age, she was being hindered by the system. Or maybe her own soul. The reasons and technical mechanics didn¡¯t really matter to her, only the fact that she couldn¡¯t progress as quickly as she would have liked. It was irritating to have power and control at her fingertips, only for it to be dangled out of her reach when she tried to grasp it. Level five is good. She reminded herself as she sidestepped two men carrying a crate of what looked like dyes between them. I just need more time. When we travel north during turbulence, I¡¯ll have more than enough opportunities to gain experience. She rounded a corner, only to need to quickly back up to let a cart pulled by a horse lumber by. Lucia waited for it to pass, tapping her foot impatiently. She took a breath to calm herself. She wasn¡¯t in a rush, not right now, there was no reason to be so agitated. Maybe it was being back inside a city that had her on edge, well, more on edge than she usually was. She made to cross the street when she felt the back of her neck prickle. Lucia knew better from her time living on the streets of Kartinth to ignore that sensation. She doubled her pace, sprinting across the road, then spinning, looking around for any sign of danger. A younger man with an unkempt appearance was staring at her from behind a stack of wooden boxes. Their eyes met, then he vanished, ducking out of sight. Her heart hammered as she stared at the spot he had been watching her from. There were a hundred reasons why being tailed was dangerous, and she had outrun more than a few pursuers in her time as a streetrat. But there was something worse than being followed. And that was being recognised. Because she had known who the man was, and he had certainly known who she was. The sell-sword with the missing teeth and overly patched clothes. Lucia didn¡¯t remember his name, though she thought it started with an s. But his name hardly mattered. Lucia felt the same feeling of imminent danger drag its fingernails against the chalkboard that was her mind. The same sensation she had felt when she first interacted with the mercenary¡¯s back at the abandoned fort. And the same sensation that had saved her life a dozen times. She didn¡¯t have time to consider what was going on. Instead, she turned and sprinted in the other direction. Chapter 187: Knife Fight Chapter 187: Knife Fight The streets emptied the further Lucia fled from the mercantile district. Those that remained on the darkening roads gave her a wide berth or otherwise ignored herpletely. She darted into side alleys, backtracking and obfuscating her path as best she could. The longer the shadows grew the more effective [Fade] became, and Lucia flitted between buildings and cover, all but invisible during the brief moments her pursuer may have been able to spot her. She ran along a wall, only for the man to emerge from an alley several metres in front of her. Lucia cursed and sprinted in the other direction, juking around carts and between barrels. She vanished into the shadows, then pivoted, dashing to break line of sight, then altering her path to stay unpredictable. Lucia ducked into a doorway, sweat beading on her forehead as she fought to regain her breath. Her shoulders and back ached from carrying her burden, and if it wasn¡¯t for her [Light Footwork] skill her legs would be trembling. Her racing heart slowed as she recovered, and she strained her ears to pick up any sound. The street seemed to be silent, but Lucia knew better than to believe she was safe. She didn¡¯t think her pursuit had any stealth skills, but she also hadn¡¯t expected him to keep up. She carefully peered around the wall, only to curse under her breath as she saw a figure walking down the street towards her. It was hard to make out their appearance, and what evening light filtered down into the city between the terraced buildings wasn¡¯t enough to make it any easier. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword, and her body tensed, ready to make the first strike. Footsteps echoed on cobbled stones as she shifted her packs off her shoulder. They were close, ten metres, then five. Their approach slowed, then stopped, and it took every ounce of self control she had not to burst out of cover and attack right then and there. Something rattled, then light bloomed just out of sight, followed by the sound of a metallictch shutting. The footsteps trailed away momentster, and Lucia let out the breath she hadn¡¯t realised she had been holding. Amp lighter, of course, that made sense. She nced out of cover briefly, but didn¡¯t spot anyone else. Re-gathering her newly purchased belongings, Lucia left her hiding spot and made for where Leif would hopefully be waiting for her. If she was toote, he mighte looking for her, but that would only increase the odds of them passing like ships in the night. Lucia half jogged, half walked, her head on a constant swivel as she approached the rendezvous. The side street in question came into view a minuteter, and Lucia picked up the pace, using [Fade] once again to flitter across the street, though the sharp stab of pain in her soul made her wince. ¡°Leif? Are you-¡± Lucia said as she rounded the final corner, only for a hand to smother her words as a figure lunged forwards with rming speed. She tried to tug away but her attacker grabbed her by the arm with an iron grip. ¡°Shhhh! Don¡¯t yell, I¡¯m sorry, but both of our safety relies on this. Please don¡¯t fight.¡± The man hissed, pulling Lucia into the side-street. ¡°Where¡¯s the masked man you were travelling with? Wait, don''t answer¡­ I mean, you can¡¯t¡­ Stop struggling! Hey, cut that out!¡± Lucia twisted and threw herself out of his grasp, and the man cursed, grabbing for her but missing. She hopped back, both packs falling to the ground, then she kicked her foot under the strap of one of them and flicked it into the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Get away!¡± She said, drawing her wooden sword, the sharp de glowing with a faint golden light. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. Take another step and I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you girl, honest. I¡¯m yde, we met at the fort. I¡­ I need to take you to my boss. He¡­ they¡­ I don¡¯t know what''s going on, but they need the masked adventurer for something.¡± yde whisper-yelled, stumbling back a step to avoid the pack. His words were jittery, and one of his hands twitched by his side. In the subtle radiance of Lucia¡¯s sword she saw that his eyes were sunken, and the veins in the side of his head were erged and ckened. ¡°How did you find me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a [Scout], my perception is good. I saw you enter the city. I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have told them anything. I didn¡¯t realise this was what they wanted!¡± ¡°You mean your boss and his woman? I knew they were rotten! I knew it!¡± yde winced. ¡°Quiet, I don¡¯t want to restrain you but I will if I have to.¡± ¡°Try it, I¡¯ll gut you like a fish.¡± ¡°Shit, shit shit shit.¡± The sellsword said, rubbing his palms against his trousers. ¡°I was never good at this. Pleasee willingly, it¡¯ll be so much worse for everyone if you don¡¯t. You¡¯re not going to listen, are you?¡± ¡°No shit.¡± Lucia spat. yde groaned, scratching at the side of his face as if trying to scrape off his skin. He sighed, licked his lips, then rushed forward. Lucia stepped to the side, her sword shing, and the man danced back, not eager to let himself get cut. Lucia noticed a dagger at his side, but he didn¡¯t draw it. Instead he lurched forward again, this time faster. She cut for his head but he ducked, grabbing her by the shirt. Lucia¡¯s fist drove into his groin earning a hiss of pain, but he didn¡¯t let go. Dull light built in yde¡¯s forearm as he raised it to block the pommel of her sword. For several seconds they grappled, Lucia using every trick and desperate idea that came to mind to break free, yde using his increased size and weight to try and hold her down. She managed to cut into his leg, but then he struck her wrist, the sword tumbling from her ckened grip to tter against the cobbles. She reached for the weapon, but the man kicked it away, but it was a faint. Her other hand found the hilt of his dagger and drew the weapon from its sheath. yde released her and scrambled to evade as she stabbed forward with the much shorter weapon. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The sell-sword fell back with a cry, his footing disrupted as he tripped over one of the packs she had discarded earlier. In less than a second Lucia pounced, driving a knee into the man¡¯s stomach as she fell down onto him, the dagger aimed at his throat. Steel rang against stone as he jerked his head to the side, his eyes wide, almost manic. ¡°Wait!¡± yde gasped, his voice a ragged wheeze. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m sorry, please!¡± ¡°You came after me!¡± Lucia hissed, reversing her grip on the dagger. ¡°Actions have consequences.¡± He bucked once, then twice, managing to throw her off, but not before a quarter of an inch of steel plunged into his cheek. They both rolled to their feet, and circled one another. Blood flowed down yde¡¯s face like a river, staining his shirt and dripping down onto the road. He backed off with a limp, one hand raised to his cheek to stem the bleeding, the other palm out as if gesturing for peace. He tried to say something, but the sound came out as more of a muffled gargle than audible words. The man suddenly stiffened, his already pale face freezing in a look of strangled horror. An intangible weight flooded into the side-street, mming the sell-sword into the ground while wrapping around Lucia like a nket. It was regal, powerful, and practically bubbling with rage. It took every ounce of energy Lucia had left not to slump to her knees in relief. Her hands shook and her vision blurred, but she wiped her eyes before she could lose sight of yde. A hand fell onto her shoulder, healing energy flooding into her, chasing away every fatigued ache and recing it with an energetic thrum that ran through her entire body. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Leif asked, though his zing amber gaze never left the trembling figure all but stered to the cobbled stone. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Lucia said. ¡°You made a mistake today, mercenary. I rmend talking, and quickly.¡± The scion said, Lucia¡¯s fallen sword shing through the air tond in an ivory fist. ¡°I had no choice.¡± The man bbered, tears and snot mixing with blood as they streamed down his face. ¡°I told them to leave you alone, that it wasn¡¯t worth it. But the people in red were throwing around so much money. I couldn¡¯t not do what they ordered, I need to do what they say!¡± ¡°People in red?¡± ¡°With the symbol of the broken mirror.¡± He sobbed. ¡°The one that looks like broken ss. They were looking for a masked healer who goes by ¡®Leif¡¯, and for some reason they didn¡¯t want to go to the guards. I don¡¯t know why. I think they¡¯re guilders from the capital.¡± === ¡°Fracture.¡± Leif said, his tone flinty as he pressed the tip of Lucia¡¯s sword to the back of yde¡¯s head. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Ten or so. I¡¯m not sure where they are right now. I think most left the city to track you down when you didn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°They got here so quickly.¡± Lucia said, stepping behind Leif with a shudder. ¡°How did they know where we would be?¡± I should be passively blocking most scrying attempts due to the strength of my aura. Conventional tracking is more likely, but how did they overshoot us? Was this a team already located in this region, or did they travel up from the south to hunt us? Leif thought, mind racing. He hadn¡¯t been this angry in¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure, maybe never. He had almost killed the sell-sword outright when he saw what was happening. Leif exhaled, the sounding out like the hiss of steam. yde flinched, but otherwise didn¡¯t move. Suppressed as the man was, Leif was surprised he could breath at all. ¡°What were you doing? And don¡¯t bother lying.¡± ¡°Kurt and Maline wanted a piece of the bounty the guilders were willing to pay out for any information. I wasn¡¯t in the meeting, but afterwards they told me to watch and see if either of you arrived in the city. When I spotted you enter I reported it, and they wanted me to grab the girl so they could use her as bait to lure you into a trap. I didn¡¯t have a choice, I can¡¯t not do what they say.¡± yde whimpered, his whole body shaking. ¡°No choice? Seems like an easy excuse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, honest. I¡­ If I don¡¯t get the cure, I¡¯ll die within a handful of days. Maline can use her skills to make it, but she withholds it if I don¡¯t do exactly what they say. After the refugees and speaking out against their n for you¡­ I¡¯m on myst legs, man. I have less than two days before withdrawals tear me apart.¡± ¡°What happened to the refugees?¡± Leif snapped. ¡°They¡¯re alive, mostly. Safe here in the city, but they¡¯re indebted because their leader man refused to pay. I don¡¯t know what Kurt did with him after he made the guy take out a loan on behalf of his family. I don¡¯t know where the body is.¡± ¡°I knew there was something off about them. I just knew it.¡± Lucia said, her expression one of outraged disgust. She nced over her shoulder, checking to see if anyone else was nearby. Satisfied that nobody was lurking she turned back, her expression slightly less hostile. ¡°So what? You¡¯re an addict? Trying to make us feel pity?¡± ¡°Hallow root. I was dumb and tried some as a kid. Shit makes your teeth fall out and clouds your judgment something fierce. The worst part is that your body devours itself from the inside if you stop taking, and if you take too much of the stuff over a long period of time the withdrawals are all but guaranteed to kill you. The local authorities managed to round up the local suppliers and distributors a few years back, but they didn¡¯t do anything for the users. If I didn¡¯t find Maline and Kurt, I¡¯d be dead for sure.¡± ¡°And Maline is¡­ what? Making the drug and feeding it to you?¡± Leif asked, sensing the sincerity in his words. The anger lessened, reced by worry. They needed to leave the city. ¡°No. Not really. She can replicate the effects of certain substances. Poisons and toxins. Her doses trick my body into not killing itself for a few days.¡± ¡°Would you leave them if you could?¡± ¡°I¡­ Yeah, they¡¯re horrible people. But I have no choice but to work for them.¡± ¡°Get up.¡± Leif said, pulling away the de and handing it back to Lucia. ¡°This doesn¡¯t excuse your actions, but we can¡¯t stay still if we¡¯re being hunted.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± yde stammered as he got to his feet. ¡°I have to get back.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯reing with us.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°I¡¯m a healer. I can keep you alive through whatever happens next. Do you know a way out of the city?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lucia asked. ¡°We can¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°Well, the alternatives are killing him or knocking him out and taking him with us. We can¡¯t let him report back, and I think yde here is capable of making the right choice.¡± Leif looked into her eyes for several seconds, watching her own anger and fear faded into grudging eptance. The man in question swallowed hard, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll owe you twice over. Whatever you say, I¡¯ll do it. And I know how to get out, there¡¯s an unguarded gate by the western canal.¡± ¡°Fine. Lucia, did you get everything you needed?¡± ¡°Everything but rations.¡± She said, scampering over to collect the packs. ¡°So I guess everything important.¡± Leif huffed. ¡°Good. You did well. Sorry for not being here, the cartographer kept trying to convince me it was a good time of year to go to the beach.¡± ¡°Did¡­ did they know there was a war going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they did actually. The old man was definitely teetering on the edge of lucidity throughout our interaction.¡± Leif said, then paused. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I trust the map I bought.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± yde said, hopping from one foot to another. ¡°Should I lead the way?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try anything stupid.¡± Lucia said, ring with enough intensity to bore a hole through his skull. The former sell-sword nced between the girl and the masked man. He wiped at his cheek, only to blink in surprise to find that the bleeding had already stopped. ¡°You¡¯re both terrifying, you know that?¡± ¡°Better friends than enemies.¡± Leif said, cing a hand on top of Lucia¡¯s head. ¡°Do the right thing, and we¡¯ll see about changing you from one to the other. Let''s go.¡± Chapter 188: Breakout Chapter 188: Breakout The streets leading up to the western canal were silent, absent of all life except for the asional scurrying rodent or half-drunk vagrant lying in shadowed alleys. Leif could sense the life within the homesteads they ran past, family units sharing spaces barelyrge enough to fit them as they sheltered from the encroaching night as much as the distant war. He had taken to carrying all of their newly bought possessions himself. The burden didn¡¯t slow him, but it was somewhat inconvenient to carry. I need a bigger spatial ring. He thought. Shame the cost scales almost exponentially with size. You could buy a small vige with the money it would take to purchase the next size up from the ring I got from the Twin-Heart vault. ¡°Luriem seems too quiet.¡± Lucia said, her steps lighter now that she wasn¡¯t carrying half her weight. ¡°Kartinth was never like this, not at night.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been like this since the war started.¡± yde said through ragged breaths, the man trailing behind them on unsteady legs. ¡°There¡¯s no official curfew, but most folks stay home. City isn¡¯t as safe as it used to be. Well, it was never overly safe, but you get it.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I wasn¡¯t asking for your input.¡± She said, ring over her shoulder. The sell-sword flinched, almost tripping over his own feet. Leif slowed his pace, and Lucia matched him with a scowl. ¡°Maybe ease up on the overt hostility until we¡¯re out of the city?¡± He suggested. Lucia frowned, then nodded, shooting yde a distrusting look. Leif let her get ahead, then dropped back, holding out a hand to the young man. He grasped it as if it were a lifeline, and practically fell forward, using Leif¡¯s hand to keep himself steady. yde¡¯s whole body went rigid as healing energy flowed from Leif, travelling up his arm only to quickly propagate throughout every inch of his body. The dark veins receded somewhat, and his sunken eyes changed not at all. But he was re-energised, and shouldn¡¯t slow them as much. ¡°That¡­ that has quite the kick to it.¡± The mercenary said, blinking owlishly. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you were actually a powerful healer.¡± ¡°And yet you agreed toe with us and let me heal you through your withdrawals?¡± Leif said. yde licked his lips, not meeting Leif¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have many choices, do I? It wase along or be killed, either by you, my former bosses or my own stupidity.¡± ¡°The third option might still happen.¡± Lucia muttered under her breath, but in the stillness of night her words carried. The former sell-sword noticed, but did his best to pretend he hadn¡¯t. ¡°We should¡­ uh, keep going, yeah?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Lucia mocked quietly. ¡°You think?¡± === The sound of water steadily streaming down from a raised grate into the slowly moving canal was the only sound that Leif could make out. Well, other than the faint rustling of cloth or yde¡¯sboured breaths. He healed the young man again, earning a peep of surprise, then a relieved exhale. ¡°That''s the way out. Do you see the small gate down by the walkway? Past the bridge and a little further along.¡± He said, squatting down with his hands on his knees, squinting into the darkness. ¡°I thought you said the canal wouldn¡¯t be guarded.¡± Leif said, kneeling against a low wall overlooking the city¡¯s canal. Red-tinged moonlight filtered down from above, though the streets faded in and out of monochrome as clouds drifted overhead, obscuring season for minutes at a time. ¡°It is? I don¡¯t see anyone.¡± yde whispered. There was a faint thrum of power as the man activated a skill, his aura spiking ever so slightly with its use. He frowned and closed his eyes, moving his head from side to side. ¡°I can¡¯t sense any guards.¡± ¡°Well, there are five people in the warehouse next to the bridge, and judging by their attempt to hide their presence, I suspect they¡¯re on the lookout for something. Likely us, if I had to guess.¡± Leif said. The mercenary blinked. ¡°You can sense that far? That¡¯s a really potent perception skill.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly my aura.¡± Leif replied. ¡°There are two people on the roof.¡± Lucia said as she rematerialised out of the shadows next to them. yde flinched at her sudden reappearance, but Leif had sensed hering and didn¡¯t react. ¡°They have crossbows. You were right, this is definitely a trap.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t set you up, honest.¡± yde quickly said. ¡°You would have led us right into it regardless.¡± Leif said. ¡°I pushed myself too hard chasing the girl. My perception ispromised, and it isn¡¯t getting any better.¡± ¡°The girl?¡± Lucia repeated. ¡°The scary youngdy with the sword.¡± yde corrected himself. ¡°Please don¡¯t stab me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it so tempting.¡± ¡°Both of you calm down.¡± Leif said, doing the aura equivalent of flicking them in the forehead. ¡°We¡¯re not springing the trap. Is there another way out of the city?¡± ¡°Other than the main gates, or smuggling routes specifically operated by local gangs, not really.¡± The mercenary said, rubbing his head as if he really had been struck. ¡°Did you just p my soul?¡± ¡°Focus. How many guards operate the gates at night?¡± Leif asked. ¡°Ugh, only a handful. The northern and eastern gates are less protected, but the difference will be only one or two guards. But if you want to leave the city at night you need paperwork, otherwise it¡¯ll be a fight.¡± ¡°How far is the northern gate?¡± ¡°Couple minutes in that direction. Are we going to avoid the soldiers camped outside?¡± ¡°They¡¯re mostly in the west, so it shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± Leif decided, already moving off. Once they were out of sight of the canal, he stood and brushed dirt off his lower legs. Lucia copied him a momentter, and yde a moment after that. They made it fifty metres down a curved road lined with old rundown inns and a handful of partially full stables and sheds before a group of shadowed figures emerged, blocking the way forward, weapons gleaming in the distant firelighting from one of the inns. ¡°Well, well. Who do we have here? Mask, covered in cloth. I do think you¡¯re who we¡¯re looking for.¡± Said a tall woman, her hood not quite covering her bald head. ¡°Naughty little yde and some runaways? Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d fall for the trap at the canal, lucky us.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± yde hissed. ¡°Reese and her gang. I¡¯m so dead.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°We won¡¯t kill you kid. But I spoke to Maline, she¡¯s less than pleased with you at the moment. I¡¯d start rehearsing your apology. You can practise grovelling until she arrives.¡± Leif didn¡¯t stop, but he did slow to a walk. The group noticed, fanning out to cover the street, blocking his way, the faint light of skills shimmering over their weapons and bodies. ¡°Would you mind telling me why you¡¯re after me?¡± He asked, voice t. ¡°The greyband got a scoop, and offered a portion of the promised bounty to anyone who helped capture you. Come along, would you? I¡¯d hate to hurt you too badly.¡± Reese said, her voice lilting and partially slurred. ¡°Your concern is unnecessary. You couldn¡¯t hurt me if you wanted to.¡± Leif replied. Mentally he contacted Lucia, then yde, rying the same message. ¡°Follow after me. We¡¯re moving fast from here on out.¡± Lucia immediately fell into step behind him, though the sell-sword almost tripped as the words were projected into his mind. ¡°You seem quite cocky for someone who doesn¡¯t show their face. You a noble or something? Run away from home?¡± Leif didn¡¯t reply, instead he burst forward, the gstones cracking underfoot as he rapidly closed the distance between him and the gang. Physically he was weaker than he would like, without the effects of [Consuming Aeons] increasing his attributes, engaging a dangerous enemy was not ideal. But these were not that kind of foe. Skills shed and two men charged forward with a cry. Their blows bounced off a golden barrier, their skills having little more sess. Leif reached out and grabbed one man by the neck, picking him up as he dashed forward and draining him of energy. Three secondster a weakened, unmoving, but still alive body hit the ground. Vitality flowed into Leif, increasing his attributes, but not by much. It seemed [Consuming Aeon¡¯s] partially scaled with his cultivation and the increased amount of life-force he could hold within him. Two more gang members fell, one with a broken arm, the other with a golden fist to the gut. The scion took two bounding steps and reached Reese, the woman¡¯s eyes were wide, her expression shocked. She threw her dagger to the side, the steel of the de ttering against stone. ¡°Fuck. How?¡± She spluttered. ¡°How many more groups are out looking for us?¡± Leif asked, looming over her. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. Only those on good terms with Kurt and Maline, maybe five or six. Please don¡¯t kill me!¡± She cried out as Leif grabbed her by the forearm, the scion wrenching her off her feet, his iron grip dangling her several centimetres off the street. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Reese kicked out, driving her knee into his chest. Leif didn¡¯t flinch, but she did, the impact of bone against wood having broken something. The gang leader wailed and cursed, her expression of panic morphing into one of hatred. ¡°You¡¯ll never leave the city alive. I won¡¯t let you, not after what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°I take it that there are more than five groups running around?¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± She spat weakly, then thest of her vitality drained up into Leif¡¯s arm and her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, unconsciousness taking her. ¡°Gods.¡± yde muttered as they ran on. ¡°How strong are you?¡± ¡°Not to be dismissive of the fighters in this city. But I don¡¯t think any amount of under level twenty fives could bring me down at this point.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He said. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Do you?¡± Lucia asked, and while Leif couldn¡¯t see her face, he could practically hear the sneer of contempt dripping from her words. ¡°I¡¯ve learnt my lesson.¡± ¡°Oh, have you?¡± They kept running, buildings streaking by. Guided by yde they evaded two more groups hunting for them, but ran into three more. Their attackers stood little chance in actually stopping them, but the fourth group they encountered didn¡¯t engage, instead following on the rooftops as they neared the northern gate. When the wall and gatehouse finally came into sight, Leif could sense almost a dozen people flitting in and out of his aura, with likely twice that too far away for him to sense. They skidded to a halt on the wide open street leading to the city¡¯s entrance, and one of the bored looking guards standing next to the close gate squinted up at them as if not sure what he was seeing. Leif grabbed both Lucia and yde, healing away their fatigue. The young man was sweating profusely, and while Lucia seemed tired, physically she was in much better shape. Hostile intent red from a nearby rooftop, and Leif stepped back to avoid an obsidian dagger. ¡°How are we getting past the gate?¡± yde asked, clearly agitated as he nced around, his hands fidgeting at his side for a weapon he no longer had. He clearly considered snatching the dagger off the ground, but decided against it after ncing at Lucia. ¡°As quickly as possible.¡± Leif replied, rolling his neck. He boosted both of hispanions [crity], then ran forward. The guard who had spotted them yelled out in surprise, though it only took a second for the others to realise what was happening. The street shed with multicoloured light as skillsnced out of the darkness towards him, several intended to slow or restrain, others would likely have mained or even killed if he was both human, and incapable of protecting himself. Unfortunately for those attacking, he was neither. ¡°Stop!¡± A guard atop the gatehouse yelled. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± Another screamed, fumbling for an ivory horn at his hip. The first guard swore, turned, then ced his hand onto a stone te up above the gate. A protective barrier shimmered into ce, weaving in and out of the iron portcullis that backed the mostly wooden door. Fire detonated in front of Leif, thrown from somewhere off to the side, but [Amber Aegis] easily protected himself and the others from the elemental attack. The guard with the horn blew into the instrument, the trumpeting sound echoing through the night. Three cloaked figures burst from a tavern, their hands and weapons aglow with power. Leif ripped the tavern¡¯s door off its hinges with a brief effort of will, knocking the assants off their feet as the heavy wooden object mmed into their backs. ¡°That shield is siege magic!¡± yde yelled, ducking as ance of ice sailed over his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re breaking it.¡± ¡°Maybe not.¡± Leif said as they rapidly approached the gate. He turned mid step, sliding as his momentum carried him forward a handful of metres. He lowered his hands, cupping them before him. ¡°Lucia, deal with it.¡± Without hesitation the girl jumped up, nting a boot into Leif¡¯s hands. Then he heaved, boosting her upwards and towards the top of the gate. The guard with his hand pressed to the stone b yelled something unintelligible, then the sound of steel ringing against gilded wood sounded from above them. Leif caught a thrust spear from another guard, twisting to throw the man off bnce. A momentter the shield protecting the metal grate flickered, then vanished. ¡°Got him.¡± Lucia yelled. ¡°Stay up there!¡± Leif called, six sets of fingers wrapping around steel. He pulled, the sheer amount of strength he could output by focusing on [Might] making the metal squeal in protest as he forced it apart. nting his feet Leif yanked with every ounce of strength he had, the portcullis parting as he tore the welded metal apart until there was a gap wide enough to fit through. The wooden part of the gate was hardly a problem, it rippled like water, eagerly jumping to obey his will as he made it burst outwards like a flower blooming. Leif reached behind him with a golden arm and yanked yde through the opening. Then they were out of the city, nothing but open, empty fields and the asional farmers homestead for over a mile. Lucia jumped down, vaulting over the parapet. He caught her by the waist, lowering her along with her fall to gently ce her on the ground. Sheughed, hair wild, orange eyes practically glowing with excitement. Leif waved his hand, and the wooden part of the gate resealing itself, then he melted the wood into the surrounding stone, making it all but impossible to open without force. ¡°You two are crazy.¡± The former sell-sword wheezed, his hands on his knees as he let out heavy breaths. ¡°I can stille, right? Please don¡¯t make me stay.¡± ¡°Keep up.¡± Leif said, jogging away from the gatehouse and the city. ¡°If you can.¡± Lucia said, sticking out her tongue. The mercenary groaned as he forced himself to stand straight, then he made to follow. After two dozen metres he stumbled, a dull thud resounding as he hit the ground. ¡°Ugh.¡± He grunted. ¡°What the¡­ I don¡¯t¡­?¡± Leif and Lucia stopped, the former sending an impassive re at the man from under his mask, the matter squinting her eyes in suspicion. ¡°I can¡¯t feel my legs.¡± yde whispered, his eyes going wide. ¡°I can¡¯t feel¡­ It''s so cold. Why is it so cold?¡± Leif knelt, sensing the life-force inside the man quiver, shaken by something he couldn¡¯t detect. Slow, rhythmic pping sounded from the city wall, the sharp crack of palm against palm carrying in the night breeze, easily overshadowing the shoutsing from behind the closed gate. Two people jumped down from the defences, one arge man with grey skin, his physique almost a wall of tightly wound muscle. The other was a lithe and dangerous looking woman, almost every inch of revealed skin covered in either piercings, tattoos, or both, her hand of flesh making contact with a hand of poisonous mist turned solid. At Leif¡¯s side, Lucia drew her sword, but his attention was focused on the young man trembling on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s so cold.¡± yde whispered. ¡°Mother¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Leif asked. Sending a stream of amber vitality into the man¡¯s back. It didn¡¯t seem to have any effect. ¡°Poison.¡± Maline said simply, her arm of flesh linked with Kurt as they approached seemingly without worry. ¡°Not withdrawals?¡± Maline tutted, amused. ¡°Withdrawals? I cured little yde of that condition months ago. Obviously I needed to keep the ruse up, nobody wants to work if they know I¡¯m keeping them on a¡­ tight leash. Should I mention I can track the location of those afflicted with my toxins? Should I have told them that, dear?¡± ¡°I hardly think it matters now.¡± Kurt grunted. ¡°We meet again, adventurer. No hard feelings, I assure you. And you, girl. Once this is over we¡¯ll let you go. We¡¯re not monsters.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Maline giggled, raising a hand. yde¡¯s back arched as he screamed, his skin writhing as if a thousand insects were crawling underneath. He screamed again, the blood-curdling sound silencing all other noise. Leif grabbed the young man, hauling him up and away from his employers. He writhed and spasmed, blood pooling from his mouth as he bit into his tongue. A wooden javelin appeared in Leif¡¯s hand, and it tore through the air, aimed for Maline¡¯s centre of mass. With casual ease, Kurt stepped into the projectile¡¯s path, catching it out of mid-air and turning it to ash with an intense re of heat. ¡°None of that.¡± Kurt rumbled. He clenched a fist, and the wooden gate behind him began to smoulder, cracks forming throughout the wood as it began to ze with an internal heat. ¡°Will you surrender if we offer to spare the boy¡¯s life?¡± Maline asked, corrosive energy dripping from the fingers of her green, misty arm. ¡°Come with us willingly?¡± Leif didn¡¯t reply, and Maline smiled. The screaming stopped. Then the young man melted, skin boiling away as emerald energy burst from him. His muscles burnt away, his bones bubbling as they dissolved from the inside out. Within seconds there was nothing left but a puddle of blood, churning acid, and sizzling, dissolving clothes. Leif stared down at the mess that had once been a living being, his hands stained with still boiling blood, the sleeves of his robes unravelling as they were unmade by what few drops of hungry, viridian liquid had sshed against them. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± He asked, his voice whisper quiet. Behind him, Lucia wretched. The wooden gate buckled under the force of a mighty blow, then men and women streamed out of the city, weapons drawn. Chapter 189: Lives Chapter 189: Lives ¡°What''s wrong with us?¡± Maline said with a glint in her eyes. ¡°Oh darling, if you knew how much money was being thrown around you wouldn¡¯t ask that question. Besides, the boy was living on borrowed time, he had a handful of weeks remaining as best before his body gave out and my toxins finished him off. If anything, it was a mercy to give his life value onest time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re monologuing, love.¡± Kurt said, the grey skinned man ring impassively down at the puddle that had once been a person. He worked his jaw, the two mounds jutting from his cheekbones shifting back and forth. Dozens of people fanned out behind him, many had rough appearances, scars and old wounds lining their bodies. Leif¡¯s amber gaze flicked quickly between each one, his analysis skill confirming their ages and rtivelycking fighting experience. They weren¡¯t a real threat, thugs, gangsters and sell-swords they may be,bined they simply didn¡¯t have the numerical strength to do the scion any real harm. But he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Go.¡± He telepathically sent to Lucia, unshouldering the two packs he had been holding and tossing them down beside her. ¡°Run for the forest. I¡¯ll be right after you once I¡¯ve dealt with this.¡± The girl knelt in the dirt, wiping her mouth with a trembling hand. Leif could sense the shock, disgust and fear at what she had just seen, and while his own thoughts were rtively restrained, there were cracks slowly forming. It took an unspeakable amount of cruelty to murder somebody who had barely be an adult in such a vile way. Leif would show no mercy to either perpetrator, if they gave him the chance, he would end them. Wordlessly Lucia gathered her belongings, then sprinted away as fast as she could. Without looking away from Kurt and Maline, Leif sensed as she reached the edge of his awareness, then vanished into the night. He felt the intent of a few of the weaker humans moving to surround him shift after Lucia, but they quickly returned to him as he red his aura warningly. In the city another horn was blown, and the distant sound of ringing bells roused the settlement to wakefulness. Leif saw small points of fire moving along the walls towards them, and down in the low lying farnd to the west of Luriem torches were being lit among the imperial encampment. ¡°Hey!¡± One of the criminals barked. ¡°We gotta bag the catch and get moving. I don¡¯t want the guard or army to fall down on my head.¡± ¡°The ugly fellow who¡¯s name I can¡¯t recall makes a good point.¡± Maline said, earning a scowl from the speaker. ¡°How do you feel about giving in anding into our custody? You¡¯ll be more than safe until those guilders show up and take you, I promise.¡± ¡°Forgive me, but I doubt the value of your word.¡± Leif said, nodding down at the puddle of viscera and melted bones. ¡°In fact, you disgust me.¡± Maline raised her hand of venom over her mouth, though the motion failed to hide the fact that her eyes sparkled with amusement. Kurt ran his tongue over his upper teeth, then grinned, cracking his knuckles. ¡°A fight it is. What a shame.¡± The mercenary said, his grin turning mocking. ¡°Our¡­ employers are going to be so¡­ displeased with this turn of events. Too bad for them. Well then! You lot know what''s at stake, whichever team contributes the most will get a double split!¡± Weapons were raised, and intent locked onto Leif from all directions. Some were eager, others nervous. There was a glint of greed induced madness in one man¡¯s eyes, a grim determination in the tense stance of a woman. There were a thousand stories in the lives that surrounded Leif, a hundred reasons for them to attack him, to try and take control of his life. They didn¡¯t know who he was, had no idea about his true nature. Many didn¡¯t care, wouldn¡¯t care even if he told them. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake. All of you.¡± Leif said, projecting so much sincere honesty into his words that this aura all but solidified them into the air around him. ¡°Grab ''em!¡± Kurt bellowed. Before the mass of thugs could so much as take a single step in their mad rush to capture him, Leif conjured a dozen golden arms, immediately plunging his fingertips into the dirt, grass and mud that made up the path leading to the northern gatehouse. With a flex of incredible physical strength he uprooted the world, flipping it up into the faces of Luriem¡¯s finest. Men yelled in surprise, their charge cut immediately short as a spray of earth washed over them, dust lingering in the air to block line of sight. In ce of a press of bodies, what reached Leif first was a flurry of skills, elemental bursts of energy and the phantom outlines of projected weapons shing through the obscuring haze of soil and mud. The scion sensed their attacks building in the minds of their sources before they wereplete, felt the intent in their creation, and was moving to evade before the dust had begun to settle. He leapt, his conjured limbs mming down as he did so to propel him skywards. Aerial mobility was by no means one of Leif¡¯s strong suits. Well, mobility in general was something he wascking in. Regardless, he surged upwards, breaking out of the cloud of dust, shedding the excess weight of his golden arms, the skill constructs dissolving into amber essence that trailed up after his ascent. He hung, almost ten metres above the ground, [Benevolent Actions] elerating his perception as he focused on [Intelligence]. His mind raced to process everything he was seeing as the world slowed. Leif twisted as another gildwood javelin appeared in his hand, called from his spatial ring. He supercharged it with vitality as he reached the peak of his arc, the weapon¡¯s shaft shing with gold as its form tried to warp in his palm. An effort of will forced it to maintain its shape, then Leif threw, propelling the projectile with a burst of strengthbined with [Wood Maniption]. The spear all but vanished from his hand, a blur of gold and white screaming through the night tond at the feet of thergest cluster of thugs with a crack that shook the ground. Then the javelin detonated in a hail of a thousand razor sharp splinters, cutting,cerating and stabbing indiscriminately. Some died instantly as wood punctured vital organs, many were incapacitated, all in the detonation¡¯s vicinity were harmed. Over half of Leif¡¯s assants were out of the fight instantly. But it wasn¡¯t over. He fell down into the cloud of dust, and a me and ash wreathed sword plunged through the detritus to sever his legs from the thighs with a single violent motion. The de carved through the golden barrier Leif manifested to protect his lower body, slicing effortlessly through the fabric of his robes only to imbed itself an inch deep into his left leg. Heat zed and mes ignited the nearby cloth, singing Leif¡¯s body, though only superficially. Kurt tried to wrench his sword out of Leif, but the scion mped down onto the weapon as he rapidly reshaped his body with [Wood Maniption]. The demikin cursed, a st of heat and ash exploding from his body as he let go of the hilt of his sword to jump back. Leif¡¯s fist caught the retreating man in the shoulder, sending him rheeling out of sight. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. A whip-likesh of acidic, emerald energy slithered through the now dispersing cloud of disced earth like a snake attempting to constrict its victim. Maline¡¯s attack was not something Leif wanted to risk tanking directly, the woman had already proven she was able to hide her afflictions from his senses, and while the same likely wouldn¡¯t be true for his own body, there was little reason to risk it. So instead of blocking or evading, he stepped forward, appearing behind her in a streak of amber light. Maline jerked away in shock, already spinning to face him, a ball of venom congealing in her skill-created arm. Too slow, a sword of gilded wood impaled her through the stomach. But the murderer and abilities to prevent her own demise, for the instant Leif¡¯s sword touched her bare skin she dissolved into a cloud of noxious gas. Still, the vitality infusing Leif¡¯s weapon wreaked havoc on her intangible form, and even as Maline rapidly flew away, a chunk of her gaseous body dispersed into the night. With a mentalmand Leif stowed the de back into his storage ring, ignoring an arrow that bounced harmlessly off his back. Heat built below him, and Leif nced down to see another gout of intense mes erupting from the sword still stuck in his leg. He released it, but in the fraction of a second he was distracted Kurt sted out of the cloud of ash and dirt. Leif blocked a punch with a raised forearm made of golden energy, sidestepped a me wreathed kick, deflected a spear of summoned ash with [Amber Aegis], then endured a sh from Kurt¡¯s sword that carved into his chest, the demikin having somehow retrieved his weapon in the handful of seconds the exchange had taken. The man¡¯s eyes zed with an infernal fury, his muscles bulging as if trying to burst free from his skin. An amber finger brushed against Kurt¡¯s cheek as the man dodged backwards, Leif¡¯s touch syphoning away a sliver of life-force, leaving behind an invisible thrum of energy that mixed with the vibrations caused by the initial blow to his shoulder. Kurt gestured, and a wave of ash blocked Leif¡¯s line of sight as he retreated. It didn¡¯t matter, using [Create Gilded Wood] Leif summoned a shard of sharpened wood, his throw tracking the man¡¯s vitality signature without needing to see him. The attacknded, though he didn¡¯t get the pleasure of witnessing how much damage he had done, though the scream of pain gave him an idea. Regardless, the man lived, and with a burst of heat he retreated out of Leif¡¯s awareness. Leif stepped forward again, rematerializing where he had started the fight. He punched out, [Fist Projection] carrying a fraction of the blow¡¯s force to send a hulking man with a wickedly curved sickle flying backwards. Two more goons charged him, and a secondter they hit the ground, their ribs broken and bodies limp. The scion bounded off the road,nding in an empty field that had once grown, ording to the information that trickled into his mind about its recent past from [Sympathy From Experience], some sort of fast growing squash. He nced west, and saw the approaching torches from what were almost certainly imperial soldiers roused into action by the events at the gatehouse. ording to yde, the Fracture agents who had orchestrated this idiotic manhunt hadn¡¯t wanted to get the authorities involved. Toote for that. Leif thought. If they wanted subtlety they shouldn¡¯t have gotten Luriem¡¯s underbelly embroiled in their scheme. It didn¡¯t seem like any members of the human supremacist organisation were nearby, or if they were, they had been wise enough to not get close to the fight. Though some of the people that had attacked Leif had died, he hadrgely restrained himself. If someone wearing Fracture¡¯s colours had shown themselves, he likely would have detonated a gilded wood bomb in their face and not worried about the coteral damage. Leif sought out Maline and Kurt, but the duo were nowhere to be seen. He supposed they, and the city, were lucky. Maybe he should have done the world a favour and gone out of his way to kill them both. Well, if they were foolish enough to try him again, he would generously reciprocate their deathwish. With that grim thought he turned and ran in the direction Lucia had fled. === Leif covered the distance between city and wilderness with ease, powerful steps carrying him over vadated farnd. He caught up to a winded and panting Lucia after a little over a minute of running, unceremoniously plucking her, and the belongings she was carrying up off the ground, slinging human and newly purchased possessions over either shoulder. Then he continued on, asionally stopping to watch as a hundred torches descended onto the sight of the battle that had only just transpired. Ten minutester they reached the edge of the woond, and Leif knelt, letting go of his burdens, both living and not. Lucia wobbled over to a nearby tree and copsed, her eyes unfocused as she stared back at the distant city. Her fingers kept tightening around the pommel of her sword in an effort to stop her hands from shaking. Leif walked slightly further into the forest, finding an older tree and syphoning enough lifeforce from it to fully top up his cultivated reserves. The quality wasn¡¯t enough to advance his skill in any meaningful way, but the quantity of vitality within the nearby vegetation was nearly endless. He returned to where Lucia sat and crossed his arms, ring back at Luriem with burning golden eyes. ¡°Did you kill them?¡± Lucia asked. ¡°No. They disengaged before I had the opportunity.¡± ¡°Pity. They¡¯re bastards. They¡­¡± She swallowed, expression scrunching up at the return of a certain deeply unpleasant memory. ¡°What do we do now? Should we run?¡± Leif let the question hang in the still night air as he contemted their options. He walked over to one of the discarded packs, rummaging through it for several moments before pulling out a wooden tube. Popping the lid without touching it, Leif procured a roll of vellum detailed with a drawing of the northern empire and itsndmarks. When he spoke, it wasn¡¯t an answer. ¡°The Kartinth province is split down the middle byrge swaths of untamed wilderness. The great forest we¡¯ve been skirting up until now is one of severalrge territories the empire has little to no control over. If we head east for another half a day we¡¯ll reach its end and arrive at the northern highway. If we follow the road it¡¯ll be an almost straight path north. We¡¯ll have an almost uninterrupted journey until we reach Cerres, and the journey will take us past what few settlements are so far ind. Though they¡¯re mostly farmingmunities and towns that exist solely because of a local dungeon or natural resource. Beyond the northmost province is the kingdom Epidor and the Varan mountains. Even though they¡¯re named after my homnd nobody actually controls them. Well, other than local monsters and beasts.¡± Lucia nodded, hopping to her feet to get a closer look at the map, Leif lowering the vellum so she didn¡¯t have to stretch to see what was drawn. Her eyes quickly looked over what he had described, the distraction chasing away her worries, if only temporarily. ¡°So we flee north via the highway? Is that¡­ is that wise?¡± The edges of the vellum crinkled slightly as Leif tightened his grip. He had run before, fleeing a wave of undead as they pursued him and the imperial expedition south. Ultimately they had been forced into a conflict that hade within an inch of iming his life. He may not have been powerful enough to tackle the undead proactively back then, but the incident had taught him the importance of not allowing the enemy to dictate when and where engagements would take ce. ¡°If we take the highway we¡¯ll be hounded the entire way north. Fracture has people out here looking for me, and turbulence won¡¯t dissuade them. I¡¯m not sure how far reaching the organisation is, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me in the least if they mobilised more resources.¡± Leif said, letting the map drop to his side and gazing back at the city. The human settlement was lit, almost every window visible from over the wall was alight with inner illumination. It was as if a thousand golden eyes were looking right back at him. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should run. Why bother? If they want to try and capture me inside a forest they¡¯re more than wee to make the attempt. Though, perhaps we should have cut through the bog immediately instead of seeking out civilization.¡± ¡°Is that my fault? We were avoiding the wilderness because it would have been too dangerous for me.¡± Lucia said. ¡°Am I¡­ Did all this happen because-¡± ¡°No. You are not at fault. We didn¡¯t have the benefit of hindsight back when we chose our path. Besides, the bog, heavily forested as it was, would have been a pain for even me to traverse. We came here because a battle between powerhouses of unknown level lit up the western horizon. That, and we werepletely unprepared for any sort of long journey¡­¡± Leif said, trailing off. ¡°But I¡¯m not running. If they want me so badly, I¡¯ll teach them to regret that desicion. But this won¡¯t be the end. They¡¯ll send more, try something else. These lunatics prioritised trying to capture me over protecting the Academy and its students. Their obsession cost lives.¡± Lucia looked up at him with wide, orange eyes. ¡°Do you think you can win?¡± The nearby trees groaned as their branches twisted, sharpened and pointed downwards, a dozen des ready to fall. The forest seemed to hold its breath as energy pulsed through the ground at the scion¡¯s feet. The grass quivered, its rate of growth almost perceptible and closed buds prepared to open. ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 190: Hunting Party Chapter 190: Hunting Party Norman had been having a bad month. The quadriad and the many preparations that needed to bepleted prior to itsmencement were a pain, though necessary. While Fracture boasted several powerful members and branches all across the vast territories of Merkys, they were far from the only power. For one of their own to hold the position of Spire Head at the Academy was a massive boon for their organisation, and much of that came from the direct increase in recruitment. He had been scouted during his own tenure as a student, and after a brief stint as part of the adventurer retinue for a noble family, had ultimately epted Fracture¡¯s invitation. His story was not a rare one. His home, a small town in the capital province, had been attacked by monsters during their rushed harvest prior to turbulence. Norman still remembered how the ground had trembled, and stingers attached to scorpions the size of cows had burst up from under the feet of fleeing farmers. As a boy of fifteen Norman had wet his de for the first time, the sizzling blood of the monster he had taken down with four other men melting through the rapidly rusting iron of his sword. It had been the first time he had ever fought the hated enemies of humanity, the monsters who ate away at their territory, killing in an indiscriminate rampage across civilisednds. A weekter two teams of adventurers had arrived from the capital, and together with the townsfolk who had fought back the scorpions, had found and exterminated the nest. The memory of sounds of angry chittering echoing off the geometric walls of the vastwork of caverns they had delved into to hunt down their quarry had been etched into Norman¡¯s mind. How the smell of acrid blood had stained the cave¡¯s floor, and how the soles of his boots had been melted through only an hour into the extermination. The day had earned him several levels, and his rapid rise had ultimately earned him a spot in the Empire¡¯s most esteemed institution. The Academy, while a ce of education whose primary purpose was the raising and fostering of the Empire¡¯s, and their allies'' youth, was no stranger to politics and schemes. When the ancient and powerful families of the Empire arrived to spectate their spawnpete in the quadriad the unseen aspect of the Academy had burst to life. A warrior he may be, but during thepetition his role was little more than a messenger. Vevosis wanted something important delivered, Norman would be the one given the task. The trust was ttering, but the work was not. When one day he and the other Fracture members currently on the inds were brought into a meeting and told to prepare for the possibility of an attack, he hadn¡¯t known what to think. Surely the Republic was incapable of such a feat. He had been on his way to give instructions to the Academy enforcers, men and women who¡¯s association was with the Academy, not the order that sought to protect all of humanity, to heighten their alertness during patrols and personnel checks when a bald student had climbed through a window right before him. And then everything had gone mad. A monster had infiltrated the Academy, which was unheard of. But the creature had also integrated itself into several aspects of life on the archipgo. It had somehow gotten wind of the expedition, joined without rousing any suspicion, then aided in the excavation of the templeplex. When Spire Head Vevosis had led Norman and several other Fracture members to the expedition site, it had managed to flee underground. While the monster¡¯s presence had lingered in the depths of the temple, another incident had drawn Norman and his allies away. The attack they had been preparing for in secret hade at the worst possible time. Caught t footed, they had needed to scramble to defend Dimid from the invaders, even if it allowed the monster roaming the ind to temporarily escape. But during the battle Vevosis¡¯s priority had suddenly shifted, and having located the monster the Spire Head had directed them to capture it at all costs. He hadn¡¯t understood the reasoning, hadn¡¯t understood why they would abandon their duty during a crisis. But Norman now knew. The prize was worth almost any sacrifice, and the ends would justify the means. So letting the creature escape after they had all but abandoned those they were supposed to protect had almost unmade them. In the investigations that had followed in the days after the invasion Norman had lost contact with Vevosis and several other key members of their organisation. It was possible that their failure would cost them everything. When a blood copy of his master had appeared one evening with a set of written instructions, Norman hadn¡¯t hesitated to depart. Strings had been pulled, favours turned in. They had to find the monster with amber blood, if they did, and if they could prove its value, then there would be no punishment. Leaving the Academy had been the first challenge, and he and the few agents who had escaped most of the ire of the Academy¡¯s council were unable to move freely. The imperial navy patrolled the seas, and traffic to and from the inds were heavily policed. But a ship hade for them regardless, Norman wasn¡¯t sure how his master had orchestrated the ploy, but he had managed. A week after the incident he and his team had arrived on the maind, and had reunited with several more of their people. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. Utilising private portalworks they had jumped from city to city, skipping north with frightening efficiency. Only when the blood clone they were travelling with had sensed the vague location of their quarry to their south had they started their hunt in earnest. === ¡°Something is wrong.¡± Palen said, and while Norman couldn¡¯t see her face from under her crimson hood, he could tell by the tone of her voice that she was scowling. ¡°Look, there¡¯s too much activity along the northern wall.¡± Norman pulled on the reins of his horse, the sturdy beast¡¯s troting to an end. From their position atop a nearby hill, Luriem looked more active than he had ever seen it before. The grim times they were living through either made the nightlife of a city boom, or in the case of Luriem, die out almost entirely. He was tired, having spent the past day riding hard, trying to follow the blood trail of their quarry. Whoever, or whatever this Leif was, they were a pain to locate, even with the blood clone possessing a sample with which to track the monster. . A second horse came to a stop beside his own, Palen raising a spyss to her eye as she scouted the city. To his right, a third rider sat silently on their own steed. Hooded and dressed in red like him and Palen, the third figure was hardly normal. Vevosis¡¯s clone couldn¡¯t speak, and its sanguine presence was distinctly unnerving. Not that I¡¯ll ever say it out loud. He thought, watching as the robed clone lifted a hand, pointing towards the city. No, not the city. Beyond it. ¡°What is it, my lord?¡± Palen asked, her eyes as fixated on the movements of the clone as he was. ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ It gestured, its hands moving in aplex pattern. ¡®Less than two hours. Went north. Find contacts in city.¡¯ Norman saluted, hand to chest, Palen copying him a momentter. She retrieved amunication crystal, rying their findings to therger team still a few hours west. === ¡°What did you do? Tell me, subhuman!¡± Norman yelled, one hand firmly holding onto the cor of the muscr, grey skinned demikin. ¡°We attempted to apprehend the target. Things simply got¡­ a little out of hand.¡± Kurt replied, his expression nd, almost uninterested. A bandage covered one half of his face, and his features were more gaunt than Norman remembered. The musky room located below a tavern of middling quality wasrge enough tofortably hold twice the number of people within it. The tension that hung in the air was suffocating, and Norman had to fight down his irritation to not identally extinguish every me in the building. ¡°Tell me exactly what happened.¡± He said through gritted teeth. The demikin shrugged. ¡°What can I say, we failed.¡± Norman¡¯s fist connected with the other man¡¯s nose, thentern hanging from the ceiling snuffing out, plunging the room into darkness. With a flex of will he returned the me to its proper ce, and red at the demikin with unhidden hatred. Therge man had taken a step back, and he didn¡¯t raise a hand to wipe away the blood slowly oozing down over his lips. The demikin didn¡¯t react, but hispanions did. A curvaceous, one armed woman lounging against the back of a couch raised a hand, and the tension in the room turned acrid. Norman felt the hairs stand on end, and he tasted death in the air. Palen drew steel, and the handful of thugs in the meeting did likewise, though whether that was to try and fight against them or the woman Norman couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡± Maline drawled, her eyes gleaming. ¡°His beautiful face has already taken enough punishment tonight.¡± ¡°Another word from you and I¡¯ll burn the venomous tongue out of your mouth. Norman spat, kindling dark fire between his fingers. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll learn your ce with both arms missing.¡± Kurt tensed, the threat causing him to react more than the physical blow had. He opened his mouth, only for his teeth to ck together as the blood clone shifted in ce. The demikin, his traitorous woman and every other sell-sword and thug in the room stiffened, and Norman knew from experience that an icy cold hadnced through their veins. He nced at the clone, and it messaged him through gestures. He nodded, turning back to their esteemedpany. ¡°No more games. You were offered a substantial amount of coin to provide information as to the whereabouts of the target. You were not asked to capture them. But you did anyway, and now the army is sniffing around where it doesn¡¯t belong. You have wronged us, and that was a mistake. We will give you a chance to rey the debt you now owe.¡± Fury built in the demikin¡¯s eyes, but he remained still and silent even after regaining control over his body. ¡°Gather the strongest among you, retrieve your weapons and armour. We have no need for the weak, they will only serve to empower our target and make our task more difficult. You will join our hunt, and this time you will not fail us. If you do, there will be consequences. If you don¡¯t, there may still be a reward.¡± Norman said, crossing his arms. There was an elongated moment of silence as his words were processed. Palen¡¯smunication crystal pinged, and Norman felt anticipation build in his chest. Finally, after almost a month of nonstop travel, this would soon be over. He nced at the clone, which made a gesture that it had repeated several times over the past hour. ¡®Unmoving. Close.¡¯ ¡°Fine.¡± Kurt said, rolling his shoulders. The demikin nced around the room, earning reluctant nods. ¡°When do we depart?¡± ¡°Immediately.¡± Chapter 191: Fractured Chapter 191: Fractured Kurt held the canal grate open as thest of their skulking party ducked through, exiting the city without alerting the authorities. They had lost little time in gathering the few members of Luriem¡¯s seedy underbelly that both met the power threshold, and owed him favours or debts. An hour after the meeting with Fracture they had gathered, the three red robed guilders now thoroughly outnumbered by the eleven gangers and thugs they had conscripted. Kurt itched to resist their demands, to spit in their face and storm off. Unfortunately, such an action would be unwise, especially with the third, silent figure that had frozen his blood without so much as a gesture. Well, he had intentionally misinterpreted their request. Had luring half of Luriem¡¯s cutthroats into getting themselves killed or arrested been worth a broken nose? Sure. Had it been worth losing an eye? Almost certainly not, but there was still a chance he could get it fixed. The real question. He thought, letting the grate fall shut as thest of their littlepany of misfits, criminals, and pompous dickheads exited the city. Is this little charade worth risking my life over? Our lives over? Kurt nced to the side, meeting Maline¡¯s amused twinkle with his one good eye. ¡°At least one of us is having fun.¡± He grumbled under his breath, noting with more than a little irritation that the robed figures had all stopped to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t try slipping back into the city. They walked for several minutes through the darkness, keeping low and silent as they carefully made their way further from the city¡¯s walls. He felt a presence by his side, then a hand rested against his shoulder. ¡°How¡¯s the pain?¡± Maline asked, her words like honey. ¡°Fine.¡± He lied, but he could tell by the way her fingers tightened that she hadn¡¯t believed him. He did have a skill for pain suppression, one he made very good use of, but the skill had its limits, and he was quickly reaching them. ¡°Well, if you need a top up, just say the word.¡± She demured, leaning in closer with every word. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about what too much dosage might do to you¡­ well, there¡¯s no need. I would never let what happened to poor little yde happen to you, my love.¡± Kurt gave her the side eye as they walked, earning a yful smirk from the [Venomancer]. Dangerous was an understatement when it came to describing Maline. The deadly potential of her ssesbined with her peculiar entricities and habits didn¡¯t make for the most reliablepany. But¡­ they were partners, and it wasn¡¯t like Kurt didn¡¯t have his own suite of incongruities. ¡°Poor kid.¡± He said, not wanting to get into the weeds about what she, they, had done, but he couldn¡¯t ignore it either. Maline had brought it up for a reason, if she had something to say it was better to let her say it. But instead of speaking further she just hummed, linking her one arm of flesh and blood with his. One arm and one eye. Kurt mused, enjoying the contact despite their situation. There¡¯s something poetic about that. ¡°We¡¯ll need to leave the city after this. There will be too much heat.¡± ¡°Leave? After all the work we¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°How many of the idiots we tricked today do you think told the authorities who put the idea in their heads?¡± He asked. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the guards are at the doors to our public residence as we speak.¡± ¡°They¡¯re in for some nasty surprises.¡± Maline giggled darkly. Kurt missed a step. ¡°Did you booby-trap our house?¡± ¡°Of course. The ce had a vermin problem before we moved in. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± He didn¡¯t want to know what, or more likely; who the vermin had been. He kept walking, not wanting to give their ¡®employers¡¯ an excuse to use him of desertion. Seven hooded figures crested over a nearby hill, their mounted silhouettes highlighted against the night sky. ¡°We¡¯re in the shit.¡± Kurt said, his voice low. ¡°Whoever it is we¡¯re hunting is a lot more trouble than they let on. They¡¯re not telling us everything, which is understandable, but there is clearly something off about this whole ordeal.¡± ¡°You felt his aura, nobility of some kind, no? Powerful as well, possibly over level one hundred, though I think his skills would be more potent if that was the case.¡± Maline said. ¡°A challenge, how fun.¡± ¡°How dangerous.¡± Kurt corrected. ¡°Even if Leif is in the high nies, I don¡¯t trust Fracture. If ites down to a fight, they won¡¯t hesitate to throw us to the wolves, so to say. Bunch of bastards.¡± ¡°It is also interesting that they only seem to care about the man, not the girl.¡± She mused, leaning against him as they waited for the approaching figures to arrive. ¡°If he¡¯s nobility, then who is she? A daughter? Servant?¡± ¡°Apprentice.¡± Kurt said, wincing as the pain in his eye grew. ¡°Or at least that was the impression I got. Not umon for those in the higher levels to take on students. Teaching another your path is a way to eke out a few extra levels. Probably why so many retired adventurers join training programs in guilds or take on apprentices.¡± Maline hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe I should take on a few students. We could pick some up from an orphanage.¡± ¡°No.¡± He immediately shut down. ¡°Aww, why not?¡± She teased. ¡°Because our bottleneck isn¡¯t more levels, it''s money and resources.¡± ¡°I suppose that is true enough. In theory, this little job will solve that for the immediate future.¡± ¡°It will.¡± Kurt nodded, turning his attention to the nearby gathering. ¡°Assuming it doesn¡¯t kill us.¡± ¡°Auxiliaries!¡± Norman called, the man having spoken to the newly arrived group of Fracture members. ¡°Approach. We depart for the forest immediately!¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The sell-sword growled, crossing his arms and ring up at Norman. The non Fracture members shuffled ufortably behind him. ¡°You were awfully vague about who, or what the target was when we spoke a few days ago. Now you have us sneaking through the night, about to charge headfirst into the wilderness on your say so.¡± ¡°Are you questioning me, demikin? You appear to have forgotten your ce.¡± ¡°How about instead of running your mouth like a smug prick, you shut the fuck up and listen.¡± Kurt snapped back. ¡°You want us to act as your disposable meat shields? Fine. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t care less. The least you can do is give us the rundown on the target. I already crossed swords with this so called ¡®healer¡¯, and let me tell you, the man is far more than you let on when you came to us begging for information as to his location.¡± ¡°Your weakness is none of our concern. Your inability to follow orders however, will be.¡± Norman replied. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to follow orders if we actually know what we¡¯re going up against.¡± Kurt said, gesturing to the men and women behind him. ¡°Do you even have a n? What exactly are we doing, running in blindly after him?¡± Norman went to take a step forward, his eyes gleaming with dark fire, only for the silent one to ce a hand on his arm. Norman froze, ncing at the still unnamed man. He shed a series of hand signs which Kurt couldn¡¯t decipher, though by the keen attention the members of Fracture paid to the motions it was clear that at least they were getting something out of it. ¡°Fine.¡± Norman said, turning back to Kurt and the others. ¡°But if so much as a word of what I¡¯m about to say slips from your mouths, you will be dealt with. All of you.¡± Kurt clenched his jaw, sensing those around him tense up. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°The target is a former member of the Varan nobility, and this is how we n on containing him...¡± === The forest was even harder to navigate at night than Kurt had feared. The faint light from the ball of embers kindled in his hand barely illuminated a handful of steps in front of him. At least it seemed like their employers knew where they were headed. Every handful of minutes the party would crawl to a stop, the silent man raising a hand to adjust their trajectory into the wilderness. With every step they took the forest seemed to grow louder, insects buzzing from their burrows or beneath the bark of the tightly packed trees. The screeching of distant monsters reached his ears on several asions, only for whatever was causing them to grow silent. Maline walked ahead of him, the acidic construct in the shape of an arm snaking out to dissolve tripping hazards and low hanging vines. The constant sizzling of nt matter, the asional sh of dull green light, and the tangy smell of acid added to the increasingly suffocating atmosphere of the forest. Behind him someone cursed, falling to the ground with a cry of pain and the snapping of twigs. Everyone came to a stop as the man shouted and writhed, his cries of pain quickly transitioning into screams of panic as he twitched and spasmed, desperately trying to p something off of his body. By the time Kurt had dashed over to the man three others and rushed to his side, one of them stabbing downwards with a stiletto to pierce a beetle the size of a dinner te. The insect chittered as it died, wings fluttering with violent intensity as it tried and failed to flee. Nasty welts were blooming all over the victims arms and upper back, and somebody shoved a roll of cloth into his mouth to stop the sound of his continuous wails. ¡°Venom?¡± Maline asked as she glided to Kurt¡¯s side. ¡°Oh dear, that looks like it hurts. Should I do something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡± Another man said, wincing as his own words came out too loudly. He fidgeted as Maline gave him an unimpressed look. A few secondster he procured a bottle, the contents being force fed to the injured man still writhing on the ground. ¡°What is it this time?¡± Asked a hooded figure, Kurt thought her name was Palen, though truthfully he didn¡¯t care to remember it. ¡°Forest seems far more active than usual, ma¡¯am.¡± A nearby sellsword said. ¡°I used to hunt here as a boy. Never have I ever seen the number of critters crawling around like tonight. It¡¯s like the whole ce hase awake at once.¡± Kurt could tell by the look on Palen¡¯s face that she wasn¡¯t convinced. But he had the [Survivor] ss, not that he had had the chance to level it recently. Something was wrong, he could feel it in the soil, in the relentless huming from all around them. ¡°We keep moving. Keep up or be left behind.¡± Kurt wondered if she would say the same thing if it was one of her people that had been ambushed and injured. It was as he was thinking that when a massive, lumbering form crashed through a trio of tree¡¯s up ahead. The hooded figures shouted and scrambled as the massive creature, a feline with wicked fangs and a mane of striped hair roared and lunged for the nearest person. Weapons were drawn, but they were toote. The beast leaped, maw open to sink into flesh and rend muscle, only for it to freeze in air, its entire body going rigid. Everyone stared in shock as the beast twitched, its muscles flexing as it tried, and failed, to move. A bone in its hind leg snapped, then another. The creature, easily as tall as a grown adult and twice as long, began to jerk, twitching as its bones broke and its limbs bent in unnatural ways. It took seconds for the big cat to be folded like a town, its body scrunched up like a ball of paper. It took everything he had for Kurt to wrench his gaze off of the beasts still hovering, mangled corpse. The silent Fracture member stood, arm extended towards the once living apex predator of the forest. Gods. He thought, looking away as the corpse burst, blood spattering over the undergrowth and stering nearby trees. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to have the chance to make a run for it. ¡°Something is definitely wrong. Beasts that strong never stray from the deepest parts of the forest.¡± He said, instead of making voice to his difort. Palen stared at the twisted pile of meat and bones. She swallowed, then nodded. ¡°How close is the target?¡± She called. The silent figure pointed to the left. He paused, then his hand moved again. ¡°Leif is moving.¡± Norman cursed from up ahead. And he¡¯s close. Kurt thought, the ash in his hand red with heat and he crouched, trying to ignore the growing pain in the side of his head. A javelin made of white wood, shining with an inner golden radiance shed through the darkness. It took one of the hooded figures through the chest, pinning them against a fallen log, killing them instantly. A second projectile streaked through the night, but this time nobody was caught unawares. A bolt of lightning cracked, singing the air with the smell of burnt ozone. The lightning collided with the javelin, knocking it off course. Something shone gold in the distance, then the attack stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Silence fell over the group, nobody sure how to react. Kurt wanted to turn and run in the other direction, and judging by the looks the non Fracture members were shooting at each other he wasn¡¯t alone in having that potentially suicidal desire. A distant roar shook the forest, the dull thud of approaching footsteps making the leaves on nearby trees rattle. The silent figure made a series of gestures, and momentster orders were being shouted and groups were made. Then they charged after their target. === Leif projected his aura far and wide, using it to call out to all the living things around him as he ran. He ced a palm onto the bark of a young willow, flooding the nt with syphoned vitality. The relief was immediate, the sensation of vitality burning him from the inside waned as he fed it all into something else, guiding the power with [Suge of Life and Growth] and a spokenmand to: ¡°Endure.¡± The tree shook, then began to expand upwards, the life-force coursing through its trunk causing an explosion of growth. The nearby ferns and bushes received the overflow, and then the grasses and fungi after them. Within moments golden vitality was washing through the local region of forest, setting the beings that were living nearby into a frenzy of wakefulness. Rodents scurried through the undergrowth chasing swarms of scurrying insects. Birds, ordinarily roosting at this time of night were wide away, several chirping as if trying to call the dawn toe sooner so that they could hunt in the light. Leif extended his perception, and felt several humanoid figures approaching. Ever since he hadunched the first attack they had been chasing him, and this wasn¡¯t the first group to get close. More would be nearby, so an outright engagement wouldn¡¯t be advisable, at least not yet. He was untiring, his enemies were not. The scion pulsed his aura, calling the nearby critters to his location. There wasn¡¯t anything big and scary nearby, but his pursuers were unlikely to take kindly to the swarm of newborn snakes he was coaxing out from a gap between two moss covered boulders. He sensed another group converging from his left with his outstretched perception. The dangling branches of the willow were almost entirely covering him now, but he didn¡¯t need to hide. Tracking the first group he readied a gilded wood bomb. It sat heavily in his hand, pulsing with barely contained energy. Using [Wood Maniption] he parted the branches of the willow tree and threw his destructive weapon as hard as he could. A secondter it detonated, and both nt and person were torn apart. The forest shook, the sound of splintering trees echoing through the night. With a final pulse of his aura Leif projected his will onto all the surrounding animals. Then he turned and melted into the trees, literally in some cases, all but walking through some with [Tree of Respite] instead of going around them. It was much easier to do with living nts, though getting the exit right and the whole process fast enough had at first required spellcraft. Golden limbs shot from his back and sides, grabbing branches and pushing Leif up off the ground as he went. He rarely used this technique, it wasn¡¯t subtle, but it was quick. Screams came from the direction he hade from, though the sound didn¡¯t fill him with joy. This was grim, but necessary work. He couldn¡¯t leave an enemy at his back when moving into the unknown. The hill he had been climbing ended with a sheer drop, several muchrger trees grew from the valley below. Leif jumped, falling against the trunk and vanishing into it. A heartbeatter he stepped out from the base of the trunk, not losing stride. He slowed, then turned, ncing up the rocky and overgrown cliff that he had just been standing atop. Hooded figures dressed in red appeared one by one, each staring down at him. Their uninformed counterparts materialised from the forest a momentter, and Leif recognised two of them. That did make him feel joy. He wouldn¡¯t miss out on the opportunity to rid the world of murderous scum afterall. But there was arger obstacle in his way before he could do that. Because one of the hooded figures wasn¡¯t human. ¡°Tell me, Vevosis. Did Zane make good on his promise? I can¡¯t imagine any other reason toe after me with such fervour!¡± He called up to the blood clone. ¡°Actually, can your creator even see this far? Assuming he didn¡¯t manage to escape the Academy ande after me himself. Do I need to point out that there¡¯s a war going on, there are better things for a bunch of high level imperials to be doing.¡± A man stepped forward, pulling back his hood to reveal a set of severe features. Dark me swirled between his fingers as he red down at the scion. Leif recognised him from the Academy. He likely wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°What could be more important than securing you?¡± He asked. Leif shrugged, taking a seat on a nearby log, crossing one leg over the other. ¡°What could I possibly offer someone like you? Don¡¯t you have vulnerable children to indoctrinate?¡± ¡°Quiet. You know not our purpose.¡± ¡°You were at Far-Reach, weren¡¯t you? I recognise your face from the sky skimmer Khan brought for the evacuation. You didn¡¯t seem interested in serving humanity back then either. Does Fracture only allow cowards who abandon others to join their esteemed ranks. I¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t really know anything about your organisation.¡± The man¡¯s already severe features darkened as he scowled, his fists clenching, umbral fire ring out to either side of him. Robed figures quickly stepped back, avoiding the mes as they ckened the stone at their feet. The blood clone however, did not move. ck fire jumped to its robes, unravelling its sanguine, but otherwise rtively human looking features. The mes danced around its form, seemingly doing no damage. It grinned down at Leif, its teeth an unnerving shade of red. It raised a hand, and Leif tensed, ready to resist any attempt to magically restrain him, despite his otherwise casual stance. But instead of attacking, the clone made severalplex gestures. The severe man¡¯s eyes flickered from Leif, to whatever his master wasmunicating. Nomunication or recording crystal. Vevosis must really not be nearby. Leif thought, that knowledge rxing him somewhat. It meant he wasn¡¯t outmatched, even if he was outnumbered. But the words that were spoken next froze his blood as if it had been constricted. ¡°We know who your family is, monster. If you run, we will get to them first.¡± Leif stood, his casual act dropping instantly. ¡°What would the powerful house Vin think if they knew what had be of one of their heirs. How would they react, do you think? Do you think you would enjoy being hunted by your own blood?¡± Chapter 192: Sacrifice Chapter 192: Sacrifice There were several ways one might react to having the connection to their family threatened. Shock was expected, anger understandable, fear reasonable. Since his rebirth, Leif had experienced all three, but the mental smothering on his emotional state due to his inhuman physiology hadrgely kept him in check. From what snippets of his past life Leif could recall, his younger, human self had been tutored in a manner that would tame emotional outbursts. Of course, that hadn¡¯t stopped that version of himself from being banished from his family due to an emotional decision, a decision that had left three young men dead on the ground of the house Vin estate. Leif had already decided that none of the men and women who had pursued him into the forest north of Luriem would be leaving alive. The choice to cut down the threat hounding him had not been made lightly, but he had made his peace with the idea of delivering death onto the deserving. Was it self defence if you orchestrated the scenario in which you were attacked. No. Was the killing of another living, thinking being a moral and sustainable solution to problems? No. But they lived in a violent world. Over the past month he had guided, and partially tutored another in how to navigate their reality. Training, protecting, discussing the unfortunate ways of the world. On the blood-strewn beach near the imperial city of Kartinth, Leif had told Lucia that killing shouldn¡¯t be the first course of action one considered. He still stood by what he said, if given the opportunity, ending another''s life should be ast resort. The girl was far away now. Safe, hopefully. A history with Fracture she might have, this wasn¡¯t her fight. This was war, and it was no ce for a child. It was interesting how a sudden sh of intense, primal anger could sharpen the thoughts in one¡¯s head. How rity could dawn as all background distractions vanished over the cognitive horizon. Leif didn¡¯t speak as a condensed sphere of gilded wood appeared in his hand, didn¡¯t hesitate as he stepped forward, blurring upwards in a streak of gold, the sheer weight of the object he was carrying sending a sharp pang of pain through his soul. He appeared atop the cliff, among the still reacting humans that had chosen toe after him. The sphere slipped from his hand as he released it, already sending a [Might] enhanced punch right for the nearest man¡¯s face. Cartge broke, the skull fractured, the brain was instantly pulverised, and a life blinked out, snuffed like a candle. But what had once animated the body, sustained the mind and intermingled with the soul to allow for existence was drained away, syphoned in through wooden knuckles, washing down each finger and into the palm, then flooding down past the wrist, forearm, bicep, shoulder. Down into the chest, settling into the vague location that all cultivated energy dwelled. Ideally this would have been the end of somebody Leif had a personal grievance with. Unfortunately he could only teleport back to the spot he had been standing, and he hadn¡¯t intended to take this fight. If he had, he would have spent a handful of seconds cing more anchors along the edge of the cliff. Then the bomb exploded, stone shattered, the air screamed, wood ripping outwards in every direction in an expansion of force as violent as it was devastating. Men died, some impaled, others dying from blunt trauma. Others still were sent flying, crashing into nearby tree¡¯s or plummeting down off the cliff to have their bodiesnd broken on the ground below. Defensive skills shed, shields, barriers, body enhancements and movement techniques employed. For the half a dozen individuals closest to the detonation, their attempts at self preservation were pitifullycking. Some fortunate ones several metres away from where Leif appeared managed to disengage. The scion didn¡¯t have the time to identify which opponents were still alive, because nobody had been closer to the explosion than he had been. Not that he suffered from the same weaknesses as the humans that had made themselves his enemy, but that hardly made him immune to the effects of enough expanding force to punch a hole throughyered steel with ease. Fortunately, Leif wasn¡¯t caught off guard by his own sudden attack. A forest of golden limbs cocooned him, and beyond them ayer of protective amber. He pushed outwards with his will, smoothly transitioning [Benevolent Actions] between [Might], then [Intelligence], then [Willpower]. Leif endured the onught for long enough to take a single step, but in the second it took him his chest was caved in, an inch thick groove was carved through his head, and one of his real arms was severed just above the elbow. Leif appeared back where he had been standing only a moment prior, his descent faster than the raining chunks of stone and viscera. The repeated uses of [The Amber Path] seared his soul, but it was easy enough to ignore. He dashed through the forest, pulsing his aura in time with every step, pumping a spike of vitality down into the ground with every footfall, newly created golden arms reaching out to syphon away whatever he expended from nearby foliage. In the forest, Leif was the closest thing to being physically unkible, his soul would give out long before his body did. The danger was being restrained, bogged down in so many skills that he couldn¡¯t so much as twitch. The blood clone was the threat, and he needed to keep moving to avoid a prolonged confrontation. Leif had felt the sanguine tendrils of icy control seeping into him in the instant before his retreat. The attack had been reckless, foolish even, but over half of the people who had entered the wilderness seeking to impose their wills upon him were dead or crippled beyond the ability to fight. He leapt over a small hill, vanished into the trunk of a tree only to appear on the other side a heartbeatter. His wounds were healing, and his arm was already regrowing, ivory wood twisting out from the wound, reshaping itself back into the limb he had carefully moulded months prior. Except, it wasn¡¯t regrowing like it should. The forearm was elongated, far longer than it should be. He spent vitality to restore the limb, while at the same time expending a fraction of his focus on trying to wrestle it back into shape. The hand came next, jagged and erged, each of the five fingers inhumanly protracting. Leif slowed, his run turning from sprint to jog as he raised his malformed arm. [Wood Maniption] altered the limb¡¯s structure, restraining it back into its proper form. He flexed his fingers, now correctly proportioned. The arm no longer resembled ivory armour, but the deceptive aesthetics were hardly hisrgest concern at the moment. A series of ear piercing screeches echoed through the forest, followed by a hundred presences flying through the overhead branches. Giant bats, an entire swarm of them, their evening hunt no doubt distracted by the sounds of battle. Theyrgely ignored him, though several darted down, their leathery wings battering Leif as their ws and teeth scraped off of his wooden body. No, there was prey elsewhere, and the scion directed the oversized beasts in the proper direction with an application of aura control. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. There would be a feeding frenzy tonight. If it meant calling every beast and monster out of the deep wilderness, he would happily do so if it resulted in the death of his enemy. Now. Time to bait them into another trap. === The sky was alive with seething leathery wings, a hundred pairs of glowing red eyes glinted as the beasts dove down, maws gaping, drool falling down onto the heads of those below. The group had moved quickly after being decimated, leaving the bodies of the dead and crippled behind for the creatures of the forest to feed on. If it weren¡¯t for the swarm of bats trying to rip them to shreds, half of the remaining humans would have fled already, the night having more than proven that sticking around would result in nothing less than a meaningless death. But they were trapped, fighting a desperate battle just to fend off their skyborne attackers. Steel glinted under the light of season as frenzied beasts died by the dozen, elemental skills scorching, freezing or crackling through the swarm. A pack dove down, only to freeze a metre above the heads of their would be victims. The creatures spasmed, then died, a river of blood flowing down into the outstretched hand of the blood clone. Every living being on the battlefield shuddered and a sanguine presence bloomed, far hungrier and more deadly than any bat or man. In a frenzy of crimson des andshing wires of blood, the construct unleashed itself, ripping and tearing its way through the pack of beasts. More froze, held in mid air as the blood running through their veins was constricted. After a minute, all were dead, leaving the clone of Vevosis engorged. The creation of blood hovered in the air, viscera and vitality streaming into its form, soaking its already crimson robes an even darker red. It turned as if marvelling at the bloodbath below, its mouth stretching into an eerie crescent. The clone spread its arms and raised its head skywards, revelling in the sanguine shower its powers had created. Mangled bat corpses fell to the bloodstained ground, a constant, rhythmic thud with each impact. The forest fell silent, the clone nced down at the humans staring up at it with a mix of awe and terror. Its grin widened with sinister intent, pressure built. Those from Luriem took hasty steps back, many looking around wildly for an escape. Existing wounds widened, deepened, exsanguination intensified, the blood within the cowering humans trembling as if coerced to obey. ¡°We serve humanity. No.. no matter the cost.¡± Norman said with a shudder, the man falling to one knee, his head bowed to hide the tears of blood running down his cheeks. Around him, the other Fracture members copied him, though few had the strength to speak. The pressure built, and one of the thugs screamed, clutching their hands to the side of their head and then turned and sprinted into the forest. They made it three steps before a tendril of blood punched through the back of their head. The blood clone gestured, and the limp body was reeled back like a fish on a hook. With every passing second its power grew, its form erging, growing as if taking on aspects of those it was draining. ¡°We will give you the strength to seed. The mission must be sessful.¡± Norman gasped, the sheer presence of the entity of blood suffocating all nearby. A bolt of sizzling emerald energy shot through the air, bursting against the construct of blood, making the distracted entity flinch as acid melted through cloth and ckened its crimson flesh. ¡°I will be nobodies sacrifice!¡± Maline yelled, her face contorted into an expression of rage that matched that of exultant joy from the mutating clone. At no point had its smile faded, not even as the side of its body melted away. Weapons were raised, and skills were kindled. Intense heat built in the palm of Kurt¡¯s hand as he took a shaky step forward. ¡°Norman!¡± The demikin yelled. ¡°What the hells is this? What kind of monster is this?¡± ¡°It is no monster. It is salvation. The final hope.¡± Norman said, his fingers digging into dirt, still not raising his head. ¡°It is a better death than the likes of you deserve.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± Kurt screamed. There was a sh of heat, a series of shouts as techniques were unleashed by those few who had the strength to resist. The clone shuddered, then its hand twitched. The resistance ended instantly. Vevosis¡¯s creationnded back on the ground, stalking past the kneeling Fracture members without so much as ncing in their direction. For a minute there was nothing but the sickening sounds of bones snapping and flesh tearing. The man kneeling to Norman¡¯s side expired as the pressure built further, simply falling forward like a puppet with its strings cut. ¡°We live to protect, and in death we serve. For the survival of our species. For humanity.¡± Palen whispered under her breath, the mantra reminding herself of their duty, their purpose. They would do anything for humanity. Even die. If it meant obtaining the prize they sought, none of them would so much as hesitate to sacrifice everything. Out of the corner of his vision Norman saw bloody wires wrapped around the fallen man¡¯s leg, then the corpse was dragged out of sight. He found himself repeating Palen¡¯s words, though he had to spit out a mouthful of blood every few seconds. ¡°We live to protect, and in death we serve. For the survival of our species. For humanity.¡± The sound of meat being flensed mixed with their words as the four surviving members of Fracture all picked up the chant. Even as their consciousness faded from theck of blood flow and their words grew desperate they didn¡¯t stop. Norman¡¯s vision swam with red, his heart felt like it was on the verge of bursting and his veins felt like they were trying to rip themselves free from under his skin. His chanting was no longer audible,ing out more like a wheezing burble, the sound an infant would make when trying to speak. He didn¡¯t notice when Palen was dragged away, nor when he had be the final survivor. Everything was peaceful. Everything was alright. He would do his duty, and he would die proud. He just couldn¡¯t remember why. What was he even doing? Why had theye to the forest? Was his family safe? A deformed hand rested atop his head, pulling his eyes skyward and causing the hood of his robe to slide off his scalp. A creature of violence stood over him, its inhuman mouth filled with several sets of teeth. Wings sprouted from its back, leathery and batlike, though entirely red. The blood filling his mouth trickled down his throat, choking him as the being¡¯s aura crushed his ownpletely. It was so beautiful. So perfectly human. ¡°Please¡­ my lord.¡± He wheezed. ¡°Save us. Save humanity.¡± For several seconds he stared up at the deformed blood clone, and it stared back down at him. wed fingered tore skin and scraped against bone, but Norman didn¡¯t feel any pain. It leaned forward, mouth widening, rows of teeth shifting as the underlying structure of its face was altered. The creature took in a single breath, and then exhaled, the haunting whistle contorting into a single, ravenous word. ¡°Humanity¡­¡± Then it began tough. === Leif waved away a cloud of overly curious moths as he stepped out into a small clearing, a shallow stream flowing from one side to the other, following the subtle sloping of the ground. des of wood were impaled into the dirt, their hilts sticking up out of the grass and ferns. There were well over three dozen evenly spread through the open space, and though they were not his greatest work, his proficiency with [Wood Maniption] had allowed for their forging to be fast and efficient. There were several other locations he had prepared, but this was the closest, positioned between where his hunters were located and the edge of the wilderness. Out of immediate danger, Leif finally turned his attention to the system notification he had received just after his sh with Fracture. Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 26! For using a multitude of abilities to quickly and decisively dispatch several foes all of equal or higher level than yourself you have gained a level! +1 to [crity] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! Mana reinforcement progress 50%! Not too bad. He wouldn¡¯tin about an increase in power, no matter how minor. Leif was just about to allocate his free points when the forest fell silent. Everything from the chirping of crickets to the croaking of toads disappeared. His awareness was pulled towards the direction he suspected his enemies were in, and something brushed up against his perception. It felt like something had smeared blood across his soul. In that moment he knew everyone was dead. It brought him no joy, no sense of relief or flicker of disappointment. They had been butchered, and their killer was on its way. Something resonated inside of him at the realisation, but he couldn¡¯t spare the attention to figure out why. Leif called two nearby swords into his hands, trickling amber vitality into them. Then he waited as death approached. He knew it had his scent. Chapter 193: Bloodbath Chapter 193: Bloodbath Leif awaited the inevitable arrival of his enemy in the clearing of swords, sensing the ufortable prickling against his aura as it grew closer and closer. A family of birds roosting in a nearby tree panicked as the overbearing scent of blood washed through the forest, only to fall to the ground, dead seconds after taking flight. Even the grass seemed to shudder, the tiny creatures living among the verdant des and below in the moist soil shrivelling up and dying, drained of vitality. A swarm of rodents dashed out from the undergrowth, paying Leif no mind as they sprinted, panicked into the clearing, only to sumb momentster, their small bodies withering as they died, tiny trickles of blood running in a river back towards the direction they were fleeing from. Leif¡¯s perception was being battered by the sanguine aura, but he could still sense every tiny life being extinguished. It was an appalling sight, the unnecessary ughter. Laughter, base and haunting reached Leif, each sound was like the crunching of dead leaves. The approaching presence was gleeful and eager, and its malicious intent battered against him like the tide against the shore. The thing melted out of the tree line, loping on all fours, its front limbs twisted replicas of human arms, the back two that of wed beasts. Bat-like wings sprouted from its back, though they seemed too small to allow for flight. The monster was all bulging muscle pressing against crimson skin, and its madness tinted eyes stared down at Leif like a predator eying its next meal. ¡°Hideous.¡± Leif said, raising both wooden swords, each weapon zing with amber energy. Theughter stopped. Then an invisible vice grip grabbed him by the neck, tugging him forward with such force that Leif stumbled several steps. He resisted, surging vitality through his body,yering his aura like a shield before him to block the things control over his body. It worked, though only with significant effort. What happened? Leif thought, deliberately backing away with careful steps. This is far more powerful than when I faced it back on Dimid with Marcus. Is it this strong because it killed and ate the hunting party? Is the clone actually multiple skills working in tandem? He raised a hand and pushed the sword towards the monstrosity. The construct of blood didn¡¯t attempt to move, its glowing red eyes tracking the projectile as it mmed into its middle. It didn¡¯t flinch, instead its gaze flicked back to Leif, its unhinged, inhuman grin spreading. Leif cursed as the golden radiance of the de faded away, the construct lowering itself and shuddering with pleasure as it consumed the amber life-force. He had suspected as much, and was d he had only infused two such weapons prior to the fight. With a brief effort of will he made the sword vanish into his spatial ring, though the task was made much harder as the aura of the monster sharpened into dagger-like des, raking down his projection of self like nails on a chalkboard. Leif had one gilded wood bomb left, but the weapon may end up feeding the beast more than harming it. ¡°Hideous¡­¡± The clone rasped, the sound oozing out of its misshapen mouth. Leif didn¡¯t want to think about where it got all those extra teeth. ¡°Hideous¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you can talk. Were you pretending to be mute back at the Academy, or did all the extra blood change you somehow?¡± The clone hissed and stalked forward, its bat-like wings morphing into a dozen gravity defying tendrils. Leif mentally ripped a pair of nearby des up out of the ground, sending them flying towards the clone. One skidded off the creature¡¯s side, dealing little damage. The other sank into an eye, causing it to freeze mid step. It then grew another dozen eyes all over its face, each swivelling in their newly created sockets before locking in on him with dted fury. It charged, blindingly fast. An icy grip clenched around Leif¡¯s chest, and the blood flow in his ivory body ceased. [Amber Aegis] sprung up before him, a half dome of protective energy that shattered mid formation as the clone crashed through it, one deformed human armncing out for the scion''s throat. Leif blocked with a golden forearm, pping away the extended limb. A tiny trickle of vitality flowed through the conjured arm, but at the same time the energy that had created the amber limb flowed into the clone. Then the rest of its body mmed into him, engulfing him entirely in a sea of blood. Leifshed out, ripping and tearing, shredding the construct apart from the inside, his every blow syphoning away more and more life-force. But the clone was draining him right back, des of blood stabbing into him from every side, carving thick indents into his outer body. He wove together several golden limbs, punching a hole through the side of the construct. For a brief moment he saw the forest, only for the gap to close up an instantter, a wave of crimson liquid flowing into ce to make up for the chunk Leif had sted off into the night. Leif struck a hundred times, each blow made to prevent him from being restrained, destroying the clone¡¯s body from the inside out. In retaliation, the creation of blood redoubled its offensive, ripping and tearing into Leif with a frenzied intensity. ¡°Drain.¡± Leifmanded even as tendrils of bloodshed around his mouth, the mask covering his face having been lost in the opening moments of the fight. The world warped as his spell took hold, and the power he was drawing from the clone doubled, tripled, then haltedpletely as a wordless cry countered his working, twisting it to serve another purpose. The energy Leif had absorbed suddenly grew spines, the blood he had yet to convertcerating him from within. There was no pain, just a deep seeded knowledge that severe damage had been dealt. Leif focused his aura and steadied his will, wrenching back control of the vitality, only for his body to freeze as the clone took advantage of hispse in concentration to spear into him from behind. des of blood punched up and through Leif¡¯s torso, only to dissolve as his physiology and innate power ate away at what made them stable. The scion punched out, trading damage for damage. With every blow the harmful resonance of [Consuming Aeons] took root inside the construct¡¯s body, he could feel it ramping at a pace he had never achieved before. The clone felt it too, its form exploding outwards to create distance, its silhouette bubbling and frothing. Leif frowned internally as he sensed the damaging resonance shift within it, only to be ejected as a ckened globule of blood sttered onto the ground. The scion¡¯s body healed, though not as quickly as he would like. Some manner of lingering effect was reducing the efficacy of his recovery. Fortunately, even half functioning, his body could keep going, and the closer to death he drew, the more damage he sustained physically, the harder it would be to ultimately im his life. It was an interesting paradox, where the more physically healthy he was, the more susceptible he became to being obliterated by a single powerful attack. Not that the clone seemed to have such capabilities, and thank the gods for that. Bothbatants took a moment to size one another up, circling each other in the already thoroughly destroyed clearing. Then they charged, invisible aura¡¯s mming into each other, weaving into shapes and patterns that blocked, struck, defended and endured. The physical battle was no lessplex, and for over a minute they grappled, pummelled,cerated and tore. Then they broke free from one another to recover, only for the violence tomence once more with explosive fury. Wooden swords carved through the night air to stab and impale, the malformed blood clone shifting its form as it dodged and weaved. Leif felt drained, though his reserves had barely been dented. It was the back and forth trade of vitality, the clone¡¯s sanguine mass being absorbed and quickly converted into amber energy, and his own golden essence being consumed in return. The construct howled and lunged, any sense of restraint or tactics having been thrown aside as a primal desire to devour had overtaken its mind. Leif pulled himself away from its charge, golden limbs shooting out to grasp the branches of a nearby tree, hauling his body up and away. The clone smashed into the trunk, its form breaking around it like a wave against a rock. It rose, an oozing nket of crimson snaking around the tree like a snake constricting its prey. Leif kicked off, and something snapped inside him from the motion. He ignored it and reached out mentally, willing the wood to rupture, to expand and impale. The tree did so with groaning effort, its structure being unmade as its smooth and natural trunk erupted into a forest of spears. The clone froze as a dozen holes were punched through its form, shuddered as it fell, remaking itself from a coagting puddle. The scionnded heavily, one of his legs giving out as he stumbled, unable to maintain his bnce. He willed vitality into the most damaged parts of his body as the partially destroyed tree tipped, unsteady. Leif willed it to topple, holding out a hand to guide its inevitable fall down onto his enemy. With a crash that shook the forest the construct of blood was crushed, its howl of indignant outrage silenced by the deafening impact that sted chunks of loose grass and dirt in every direction. Leif backed away using several golden arms to support him, rolling his shoulder to try and work mobility back into his battered body. The healing was taking ce, but it was too slow. The sanguine presence of the clone had shuddered as it was pulverised into the ground, but it was growing once again, hungry and violent. Something within Leif resonated with that feeling, his blood boiling in response. He needed to quash the remnant of the clone¡¯s blood that was still within him. [Surge of Life and Growth] was activated, the vitality within his body bing supercharged as it rushed forward with renewed vigour, seeping into his every wound and mending his ravaged internals. The rate of healing more than doubled, but the aspect of the skill that encouraged growth seemed more than eager to do its own part, even if the results were less than wanted. ¡°Steady.¡± Leifmanded his own body as he began to change, expanding upwards and outwards as thepact weaving of wood he had created to limit the size and shape of his appearance was partially unmade. His working restrained the changes, but only partially. His arms extended, widening in inhuman ces and narrowing in others. His legs lengthened, his worm boots being ripped apart from the inside as his feet changed, sharpening, losing any resemnce to the human equivalent he had worked so hard to make them imitate. The [Scion of Aeons] mped down his will and ended the rampant growth, but he was changed. [Inspiring Tenacity and Prowess] helped him to quickly find his bnce, but there was something distinctly unnerving about the sudden change in his physicality. He was a foot taller, the joints of his altered body felt unnatural, the way they could move was restricted and increased in different ways. Why is this happening now? He thought, flexing his fingers, clenching both hands into fists. Is it mana reinforcement? Or is this a consequence ofpressing and condensing my body for so long? The blood clone reformed, having shed much of its unnecessary features. The wings were gone, and in their ce was a newfound rigidity to its physique. It was as if it were made of- Leif pulled back and fired off a [Fist Projection] that rippled through the air between him and the clone. It dodged, but he had already prepared a second, then a third. The clone screeched as a wave of projected energy mmed into its side, and Leif¡¯s body froze for an instant. Then it was on him, pouncing, tendrils of bloodshing, maw extended. Stolen novel; please report. They fought, leaving the clearing behind, carving a swath of destruction through the wilderness. Theiring was heralded by the sound of ferocious battle, and the aftermath of their presence left withered husks of beasts that had stayed too close, and the lifeless forms of trees that would slowly rot until they fell. Pools of rancid blood were left in their wake, splinters of ivory wood littering the ground. It was a grinding, endless battle between two beings on the very edge of being unkible, neither having the strength to decisively end the confrontation. Leif found it harder to focus the longer he fought, his soul ached, screaming with pain with every skill activation, and the hungry blood he consumed ate away at his mind, infecting him with bloodthirsty urges and alien instincts. He blocked, punched out, teleported backwards and created weapons of wood, and it was never enough. He was barely aware of himself as he fixated on the thing in front of him, a rich source of energy that could bring him to heights of power unseen in forgotten centuries. He just needed to reach out and im it, rip it to pieces, consume, devour and control. Heshed out, savage and unrelenting even as motivations that made little sense rattled against his awareness. He was his blood, rich and crimson, refined to perfection. Wait, no. Crimson? Leif thought, suddenly aware of how damaged his body was. Blood leaked from a hundred cuts, cracks and gaping holes, a thick and syrupy gold mixed with streaks of dark red. He blinked, raising a hand he didn¡¯t recognise up in front of his face, ivory wood made of all sharp angles and jagged edges. The trees around him were thin, far sparser than they should be. Where was he anyway, wasn¡¯t he at the Academy? Wait, no. Things had happened since then, hadn¡¯t they? Where were his men? Oh, he had killed and consumed them, hadn¡¯t he? Sacrifices brought along to secure the prize. No. Leif thought, taking a step back. That wasn¡¯t me. That wasn¡¯t me. He shifted his focus to [Willpower], then [Intelligence], and for the first time in what must have been half an hour he saw clearly. The thing before him had changed, while it was still a construct of blood, it had grown in stability, its body gaining definition. Though it almost resembled a human, its face was featureless, mask-like. One of the clone¡¯s arms hung limply by its side, and the glow from its right eye was dim, flickering fitfully as if it was barely able to stay open. ckened liquid oozed from the ruined arm, flowing down the twitching hand before dripping off its fingers and falling to puddle on the ground. The clone lurched forward, a de of blood shooting from its working arm to slice towards Leif in a crescent. The scion just raised an ivory hand, dispersing the attack, absorbing what he could before it dissipated to essence. It left a furrow in his limb, though as damaged as Leif was, his body¡¯s physical endurance was higher than it had ever been. They traded blows, then backed away, absorbing and processing what they had pilfered, then they shed again, then again. The clone created a webbing of razor sharp strands of blood to create space, but Leif ploughed through them with little thought. Distantly he could feel the waning presence of his opponent, sensed its intent to flee, to retreat and recuperate from the battle. That was uneptable, though he couldn¡¯t remember why. His aura flexed, damaged nt-fibre muscles tensing. A light broke through the trees, distracting him for a brief moment. He turned, for the first time noticing that the darkness of the forest had retreated, how the night sky had gone from ck speckled with dots of illumination to the faint greys and blues of early morning. The construct noticed too, and for a moment their fight ceased. Then the glint of something beyond the forest caught the blood clone¡¯s attention, and Leif noticed it a secondter. The tops of distant buildings poked out over stone walls, hundreds of smoke trails snaking skyward as the city slowly awoke. The construct made to run, but it tripped after only a handful of steps. Leif pursued, the predatory instincts mixed into his body urging him forward. The clone snarled, and Leif felt his body lock up. He tried to fight through, to resist, but so much of what was inside of him he could no longer im possession of. Leif forced his body to move anyway, driving it forward without a care for the damage he inflicted upon himself. He instinctively forced power down to his legs, and his soul screamed, pain shing through his consciousness like a hot knife. The clone stumbled to its feet and ran, loping awkwardly towards the city. With thest of his will, Leif reached for a nearby branch with his mind, making it spear downwards tonce through the chest of his enemy. It howled, the sound gargled and hollow. Leif regained control over his body and stalked forward, his everyboured step sinking into the soft ground, his desire to finally end this clouding over his rationality. The clone tried to dissolve its form, to ooze away like it had done a dozen times before. It couldn¡¯t, not in time. Leif grabbed it around the neck and fell forward, pinning it to the ground. The construct struggled and writhed, twisting and bucking. Its head snapped around, and they red at one another with murderous hatred. The scion syphoned everything he could, drawing every drop of vitality into his body. The clone did likewise, reforming its one working arm into a de and stabbing it through Leif¡¯s gut. Life-force flowed into Leif, then out and into the clone. He consumed what he could, converting the crimson energy into amber blood even as his soul threatened to tear in half. The creature of blood did the same, creating a loop of bloodshed, an ouroboros of mutual destruction. He sensed the intent of the dying construct, felt its desire to hunt through the streets of Luriem and recover its strength. Leif drained more, took more, willed himself to absorb the struggling and writhing creature¡¯s body, mind and soul. Time passed as they fought one another, but though it was dawn, there were no sounds of chirping birds. The forest held its breath, waiting to see which monster usurped the other. When the clone suddenly ceased fighting back, the scion was surprised. He stared down at the frail, pitifully weak being pinned below him. This had been his enemy? His rival? His quarry? The thought wasughable. He was who stood above all things, an apex of creation, one who held supreme dominion over all other living beings, the living were his y things, and with eternity in his grasp there would be nothing that could stop him. The thing, withered and disgusting, looked up at him with pleading, golden eyes. ¡°Please.¡± It rasped, the sound like a whistle. The scion red down at it, even as an un-ignorable connection formed between him and his food. There was something strange, familiar and haunting in its eyes. It felt like a distant extension of himself, as if it were a product of his own creation. Something, that should it survive, could carry on his legacy. Instinct he barely understoodpelled the scion to analyse it, to see just what information he could gleam. Combat Experience: Lesser! Age: Younger! Error! ss and level undefined! Highest Attributes: [Spirit], [crity]! The scion¡¯s world was nothing but blinding pain and a growing, bone deep urge to sate himself within the walls of civilization. The words floating before his mind''s eye were meaningless, worthless in every way. The clone went to speak once again, but the scion¡¯s fist crushed its head before it had the chance. It spasmed, twitched violently, then he felt its aura dissipate, its mind dissolve like sugar in water, the threads of its intent unravelling. It died, but its corpse still had a use. A tiny voice in the back of his mind called for caution, but it didn¡¯t know what was best. Memories of a life half remembered advised against what the scion was about to do, but they were easily ignorable in favour of his far more reliable, hungry instincts. He spread his wed fingers down into the puddle of blood, and froze as his soul cracked, a hairline fracture running down the crystalline contours of his existence. The scion hadn¡¯t used a single skill to the point of it breaking, but instead had reached the hard limit of his power. It was maddening, to be so close to ultimate strength, to achieving what his kind hadn¡¯t dreamt of in centuries. Rage, frustration, then confusion. That didn¡¯t make any sense, his kind? His kind had been dead for millennia, cut down and stripped for parts by the greedy and short sighted. But that wasn¡¯t right either, he remembered shadowed halls and secretive meetings, of whispers in the night and hard earned influence. Madness partially subdued by pain, he rested on his haunches and thought. The vitality at his feet bled into the soil and evaporated into essence, untapped. Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 27! For ousting a foe who could be considered a natural counter you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Spirit] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! Mana reinforcement progress 55%! Level up! ss [Scion of Aeons] is now level 28! For killing a renegade spiritual construct that had gained independence from its creator you have gained a level! +1 to [Intelligence] +1 to [Charisma] +5 free points! Mana reinforcement progress 60%! Tiny raindrops of self awareness plinked against the fraying tapestry of his cognition, not enough to bring the scion back from the brink, but enough to dy the approaching copse. He saw the system message, but didn¡¯t trulyprehend it, the words and numbers all blurred together in a meaningless blend. Instead of the words, what caught his attention the most was the red and gold border of the window. It had meaning, personal significance, he just couldn¡¯t recall why. For disying a capacity and inclination towards savagery and violence against those you consider enemies and possessing a mastery over blood in both a magical and physical sense you have gained the opportunity to gain the [Attuned: ughter] ss! ss slots: 2/4 ept? Y/N Another message, another irritating tapestry of worthless information. The scion exhaled, the sounding out as more of a rumbling growl than a hiss. With every passing moment his mind was clearing, and the words before him made more sense. His eyes flicked back to the very first window, the details of a corpse. Unimportant, with a thought he closed the popup. The second held numbers, a level, close to thirty now, though he couldn¡¯t remember why that was important, only that it was. A memory came unbidden, of two men trapped underground mistaking his level for something higher than it was. One half of his fractured awareness writhed in agony and fury, while the other peered closer, remembering¡­ An office, decorated with gaudy ostentation, a position of authority earned over generations of scheming and plotting. Words used to torment, goad and radicalise, creating willing victims who would fight and die for a hopeless cause. It was him, his memory, wasn¡¯t it? Desperate to distract himself from the twin senses of self tearing him apart, the scion looked at the final message, of the offer of power, the tempting allure of more extreme violence. Both parts of him revelled in the idea, one with savage delight, the other with resigned eptance. Victims in a dark alley, bloodstained sheets, voices forever silenced. A struggle for survival, of brutal, savage, unarmedbat that tore limbs and shattered bodies. The ss was a necessary power, and unfortunately fitting option. A path to greater heights, a road travelled at the cost of those weaker. A violent path, fitting a violent, confusing world. A nearby city full of victims. Yes! No- ¡°Leif? Leif, is that you? What happened?¡± The scion turned, suddenly aware of the presence that had appeared behind him. It was a human, a child, small and thin. She took a step back, orange eyes going wide. She had spoken to him, and her words had resonated with something. It was so hard to think, doubly so when a fragment of his consciousness raged against his buddingprehension. He rose to his full height, his full stature greater than it had ever been, his shoulders brushing against the lowest branches of the nearby trees. He wanted to speak, to ask a question, but the words were a jumbled mess, his will to fully form them rattled by rising, irrational bloodlust. He stepped forward, the motion both heavy and unstable. The little human stumbled back, fumbling for something at her side. She drew a de, ivory wood streaked with golden cracks, pointing it towards him tip first with trembling hands, fear and concern clear on both her expression and quivering aura. The scion looked down at the weapon and finally remembered. A life saved, a fate altered, a talent fostered, and a sword gifted. Amber life burned in his chest, silencing the screams that didn¡¯t belong. What was he doing? How had it gotten this bad? Soul deep exhaustion weighed him down, bucking his legs, making him slump to the ground with a dull thud that shook nearby leaves. ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s me.¡± Leif said. Lucia swallowed, half lowering the sword. ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I promise. Sorry¡­ Sorry for scaring you.¡± ¡°You changed.¡± She said. ¡°Not willingly.¡± He looked down at himself, finally taking in the full extent of the stark alterations that had been made to his body throughout the night. He raised a hand, where was his ring? Leif reached out mentally for the enchanted storage item, and felt his mind connect with it. It was still there, and on further examination he saw that it was embedded into the wood of his finger, grown over by his expanding finger. ¡°Why are you here? I thought you agreed to stay away?¡± ¡°It had been hours. I was worried.¡± ¡°About me? Leif chucked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lucia pouted, sheathing her sword and crossing her arms. ¡°I could have helped.¡± ¡°You did. Don¡¯t worry, you did.¡± A silence stretched between them, and for the first time that morning the chirping of birds greeted the day. Leif closed the system windows, looking in disgust at the ss he had almost chosen. Walking willingly into that dead end was not wise. Even if his current path was one of partially self inflicted challenge, it was still better, still more right than the alternatives. He let out a breath, looking at the morning sky partially hidden by the canopy of non monstrous trees. His enemies were dead, they were safe, at least for now. He would need to work on his body, try to wrestle down and condense his form so that he could move through civilization once again. Something told him it would be a tedious, slow process. ¡°Do you still have the things we bought?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re back at the camp I made. Are you alright?¡± She asked, eyes darting to take in the aftermath of the battle. ¡°That''s¡­ that''s a lot of blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡± He said, slowly rising to his feet. ¡°Though we should leave before anyone sees up. I¡¯m not in any condition to fend off another manhunt.¡± Lucia nodded, guiding him back through the forest. Signs of devastation littered their path, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the locals to discover what had happened. The girl kept ncing up at him, a mix of worry and fascination etched onto her presence, even if she tried to keep her expression neutral. She was a good kid, worthy of a lot more than what life had thrown at her. Leif stopped, finallying to a decision. He wasn¡¯t sure how to do it, or even if it was possible, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. ¡°Lucia, how do you feel about learning an auxiliary ss?¡± Book 2 Epilogue Book 2 Epilogue Hes¡¯ci awoke from her dream of a world of endless grass to the smell of smoke and of a red, ash filled sky filtering down onto her seated form through wide windows that lined the ceiling of her personal chambers. She knew that she was about to die, could taste the certainty like an animal sensed the moment before an arrow was loosed from the bow of a hunter. There were things she needed to do before that could happen. Her death wouldn¡¯t matter if she could fulfil her self imposed duty. Hes¡¯ci wove magic between her fingers, her spellcraft wordless after centuries of continuous practice. Her eyes, a deep amber, flickered as she worked, pulling on a thousand golden threads and weaving the magic tost for as long as possible. The sound of steel on steel rang through the halls of her home, distracting her from her task. She tried to ignore the sensation of lives being lost, and tried to remain focused. But the walls of her chamber closed in around her, a cloud of ash and smoke drifting overhead to block out the evening sun. Hes¡¯ci rose from her throne, aged green moss andnguidly draped vines that encircled her arms and legs reacted to her will as she stood on shaky legs, the cool tiles of the vast chamber juxtaposed with the growing heat that suffused the air. A human body she may have, but it had been some months since she hadst moved. She walked, the amber blood within her body awakening to slowly churn through her limbs, returning feeling to them like the prickling of a thousand needles. There were no attendants in sight, but that was hardly a surprise, she had sent most of them away months prior. Only the most loyal, or the most desperate had remained. She wished they wouldn¡¯t fight, wouldn¡¯ty down their lives for her, not when it was hopeless. Hes¡¯ci could sense the vague signatures of vitality flittering through the adjacent halls, a profound sense of loneliness overcame her. In her time within the world of grass she had been alone, none of her kind having so much as dropped in to say hello. Now, at the end, she would be alone in the physical as well. Companionship was not something she craved, in truth, she didn¡¯t really understand it. But the connection to others, the rtionship between mentor and student, that was something she did understand. She stepped up to the far side of her chamber and brushed her hand through the white and gold fabric separating the room from the balcony thatrgely surrounded it. She heard distant screams, and the smell of smoke was joined with that of blood. Hes took a breath, the heat and ash parching her throat and settling ufortably in her lungs, then she stepped out and took in the end of her world. A garden, more an untamed forest than pruned hedges and flowerbeds, stretched out below her. Small buildings were dotted through and around the garden, with argerplex of buildings on the far side. She beheld it as it burned, small figures garbed in steel and fursying waste to the trees within, the des of their axes carving through bark with little effort. Golden sap oozed from a hundred wounds as Hes¡¯ci¡¯s children were butchered. She watched dispassionately as what could very well be thest of her kind were cut down, the juvenile amber trees being harvested for what little power their bodies contained. One of the trees had uprooted itself, its golden leaves shaking as it awkwardly fled from danger, only to run right into another party. The young monstrous tree made no sound as it died, made no attempt to call for help or defend itself beyond trying to flee. Hes¡¯ci stood, emotionless, as a gust of smoke and ash tinged wind brushed through her dress and set the curtain fluttering. She reached out a hand, sying her dark fingers as if to smother the column of mes rising from a distant section of half copsed pce. She let her hand fall, there was nothing to be done. At least the inevitable passage time would wash away any evidence of this tragedy.¡°Lady Hes¡¯ci!¡± Came a panicked voice from behind the curtain. ¡°Mydy! Mydy, they areing, we can¡¯t hold them back!¡± The awakened tree in human garb turned to see the blurry silhouette of a person running towards her. They were no guard, no fighter or mage, but it did make Hes¡¯ci¡¯s heart flutter to see that at least one of her people would be by her side at the end. She recognised the girl by her voice, they were someone she had nursed back to health personally after a wave of sickness had ravaged thend not five years prior. ¡°Mydy, we must go! They¡¯re-¡± The voice cut off with a gasp, a momentter a wet thud came from behind the curtain as the corpse hit the floor, blood slowly pooling under the fabric, another gust of hot air revealing the attendant¡¯s reaching hand, now still. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Heavy steps approached, and a dozen figures became visible, their forms blurry through the curtain. Hes¡¯ci stared down at the corpse, barely even noticing the neers as they drew closer. A crescent of sharp energy parted the cloth, revealing two dozen armed men and women arrayed before her, their weapons bared, blood, both red and gold staining their armour and des. They didn¡¯t move, their posture tense, as if waiting for her to strike at them. She wouldn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t in her nature. Even if they did deserve it. ¡°Why?¡± Hes¡¯ci asked, not looking up from the body as blood stained the tiled floor, seeping into gaps between the stone. Unlike some of her siblings, there was no array to collect the vitality, every drop was wasted. ¡°Was our partnership not enough? Were the services I have rendered to you and your people too little?¡± An older man stepped forward, a diadem of silver and red gemstones resting atop his forehead. ¡°It is necessary, mydy.¡± He said, bowing. ¡°Your power is¡­ we must take it in order to survive what is toe. Please understand that we do not do this out of malice.¡± ¡°Ournds are under assault from all sides.¡± Another said, a woman draped in fine silks and adorned in armour of ckened bone. ¡°Only with a new generation of eternals will we have the strength to hold back the enemies of humanity. Surely you understand, you who have given selflessly for centuries.¡± ¡°You do this out of desperation?¡± Hes¡¯ci said, more to herself than her audience. ¡°Surely you understand why this isn¡¯t the path? My kind can offer so much more to this world alive than dead.¡± The crowned man shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t expect you to understand. You may look like us, but you live a life of abstraction, your existence half immaterial. Forgive us, mydy, but your death is necessary. We can make better use of your strength than you can.¡± She sighed and walked forward, the collective of armed, high level men and women flinched back. Hes¡¯ci ignored them, kneeling down in the pool of blood to cradle the limp body of her attendant into her chest, the still warm lifeblood staining her feet and the hem of her dress. ¡°I see.¡± She said, running her hands through the corpse¡¯s hair. She finally nced up, her cheeks stained with golden tears. She had to fight down the surge of grief that bubbled up inside her. Human emotions wouldn¡¯t serve her now, not at the end. ¡°And who will you choose to be the next generation? May I at least see the candidates you have chosen? Determine their character for myself?¡± The man with the diadem smiled. It didn¡¯t reach his eyes, the fist in which he held his bloodied sword tightened. ¡°We stand before you,dy of gold. We choose ourselves.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hes¡¯ci said, somehow more disappointed than she had imagined she would be to hear those exact words. ¡°You wish for longevity, even knowing what it will cost your people?¡± ¡°Not longevity.¡± The man said, his smile twisting into somethingcking even the facade of mirth. She finally recognised him, those dark eyes and silvered hair, the shape of his face and the stature of his build. Hes¡¯ci had known his family for generations, aided them in their rule. ¡°We seek eternity. Immortality, and the time we need to seize it.¡± Hes studied the man, then slowly scanned the others arrayed before her. They were all aged, all powerful in their own rights. But none of them would have a chance of reaching the threshold of eternity, let alone crossing it, even with the extra lifespan her blood could grant. They were fools, grasping for a prize they would never truly possess. She saw in their hungry, greed filled gazes that they knew the truth, that the path they had chosen would eventually lead them to ruin. But she also saw that they didn¡¯t care, that the allure of personal power had consumed their reason. ¡°Do you truly fear death that much?¡± Hes¡¯ci asked, her tone t. ¡°Will you unmake the future to hold onto your lives for just a little longer?¡± ¡°If you think we are incapable of reaching the heights of power, then perhaps you are not as wise as you would imagine.¡± The woman in silks murmured thoughtfully, sounds of angry agreementing from those around her. ¡°Time tempers wisdom.¡± Hes¡¯ci said. ¡°When your kingdoms and empires crumble around your descendants, they will wonder how you failed them so badly.¡± The crowned man blurred forward, the tiles beneath his feet shattering as he kicked off. He raised his sword, a crescent de of power building above him in a fraction of a second. The air around Hes¡¯ci turned gold, and the man¡¯s movements slowed, his passage through the streams of time brought to a crawl. She stood, brushing down her dress as death descended. She could step out of the way, maybe even fight back. But no, her power was limited, and her oaths of non-violence would weigh her down like chains. Hes¡¯ci was no warrior, no tyrant or conqueror. She was a teacher, one who raised and nurtured the young and growing. In her mind¡¯s eye a thread of golden light manifested, connected to a realm of endless rolling hills cand clear blue skies. She thought of all those who had been lost, purged from the world by the very people they had chosen to protect. Vilyta, Morethsan, Aei¡¯lesh, and Haborate, all had vanished over the past several years. But she thought most fondly of those who had shared her vision, joined her in the creation of a working that would span the ages and give their kind one final hope. As Hes¡¯ci¡¯s aura was ripped apart by a re of power and the sword arched downwards to cleave her in two, her mind slipped back into the world of grass. Ideally she would have had more time, would have been able to craft a message that would exin everything to those new lives the system may choose to bestow their power upon in theing centuries. Instead the lesson would be one she had taught a thousand times before. A memory etched in time and solidified from repetition printed itself onto the ce that had once connected their kind. As she died, she spoke words that no living being would hear for centuries. ¡°Wee awakened. I am so d to see so many of you safe and eager.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!