ã€ŠThe Farmer Mageã€‹


 Prologue

    God for Humanity, a title that once brought him joy, now tied his hands. He was a human who became a god to destroy the enemies of man. A smile mocking the joy he felt in the past marred his face. Not a line covered his face, but his blue eyes looked as old as time.

    His hair was blond and cut short and kept free from his youthful face. The God for Humanity was massive in size standing nearly three meters, a solid slab of muscle. His fists hit like meteors, his feet kicked hard enough to shatter an ancient dragon¡¯s skeleton in a single blow, and his mind was known to unleash powerful strategies and hold secrets of magic unknown to mortal men.

    Despite his power, his children to a one matched him in one area or another. There were many who saw his territory as their inheritance. They would join forces and he couldn¡¯t defend it and his son. If found they would kill the boy rather than spare a future rival. The only way to save his son and give him the time he needed to grow, was to spirit him away to an isolated place free of gods and the worst of monsters.

    There were three places to choose from that were close. Noir the island country controlled by Mind Flayers, Prim Rose the qi capital of the world, and then the Halo Valley a fief in the boy¡¯s mother¡¯s territory. Destined to be given to Lucius his second to youngest son. Perhaps the only son he could trust with the child.

    For that reason, he chose the Halo Valley. Its capital Haven had less than 5 million people living in it. Food was plentiful, and a massive river bisected the valley giving fresh water and game. Monsters grew weak and were often hunted before they could become threatening. The dungeons were farmed for monsters that could be eaten. The greatest reason for the choice was the mountains that isolated the valley.

    The capital was named Haven for its defenses. Early humans sought shelter there and away from the gods. Nowadays, only a few entered or left the valley. Powerful monsters waited for any brave enough to escape. Though perhaps rumors and superstition were greater deterrents than any siege could be.

    He took his son gently in his arms and his body glowed with the light of a thousand suns. In his arms his son looked up at him he was barely a year old and already he held an aura of a god. It rested within him quietly waiting for his own build to awaken it.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    On his waist was a sword made from a holy metal. It was the enemy of demons, undead and dark type monsters. Its power would protect his son from the nastier predators in the air. Holding his son in a bubble of power, he raced for the mountains before his children could intercede. The God for Humanity raced across the land in a streak of gold.

    The dead sprang from the earth at his feet. Millions of arms reached out to grab him and pull him and his child under. Gold light covered his blade, as he began to part the sea of undead. Nothing survived his dance of death. Bursting from the ground, towering behemoths made of thousands of corpses rose out of the hills. With a single glance the giants exploded their collective bodies turning to dust. A flight of bone dragons with lich riders approached from behind.

    The god leapt and began to fly. His aura exploded outward like a golden beacon, he could be seen from miles around. Shadowy figures from the dark flew after him. Spells of lightning, flame, cold, poison, gravity, and death tried in vain to catch up to him. Stars of light shot from his body quickly expanding into miniature suns. They fell like goliaths turning the ground to glass and turning the undead to ash on contact.

    Just as he was about to reach the safety of the mountain range, a silver aura flashed, and a woman wreathed in silver and darkness stood before him. She reached out for the child, but he held the him closer to his chest. Instead of shooting spells at him, she argued. Tears rolled down her eyes and the monsters refused to attack. Perhaps, they were fearful of clashing with beings that shined with silver and gold.

    Eventually, the woman stepped aside. The monsters fled and the man in gold flew towards the mountains. He searched the land until he found a cradle with a still born in a farming village near the city. He removed the dead child and placed his own. He buried the dead child and gave his son the likeness of the dead infant.

    With his child safe, he flew out of the mountains, leaving his child with the new family. His son was safe from his family of gods. Someday when he was older, Lucius would come and Lucifer the God for Humanity would ask his son for forgiveness.

 Spider Relocation

    Northwind Forest was cold early in the morning. Small fairy¡¯s prances about in the growing light. Their frost blue wings fluttered as the rising sun began to take over. If the light touched them they would surely melt and die. As the light covered the landscape orange fairies burst from their flower pods and took over the sunlit world.

    Some of the little blue fairies found cover in snake holes, while others were snatched up by frogs and caught in spider webs. This silent fight for survival happened every morning in Northwind forest. ¡°Boy, life in the forest is often brutal and short. When I was a boy watching this for the first time with my pa, I tried to gather up and raise the little blue fairies.¡± A few of the fairies managed to survive and crawl to safety. The rest were devoured.

    ¡°What happened to the fairies you raised?¡± Markus asked Pa. The man looked like he was looking back on a long off memory.

    ¡°I named them, Anna, Cat, Tinker, Bell, and Nyla they were always happy to see me. I let them out at night and kept them in a cage during the day. They ranked up and turned on me. One managed to kill my dog. Froze it solid then ate its remains. I took an axe and chopped them into bits. They aren¡¯t your friends, boy. Not unless you bond with them.¡± Pa said and scouted ahead.

    ¡°Would this happen to us, if the nobles weren¡¯t here?¡± Markus asked. He looked up at his father for some insight.

    ¡°Boy, let¡¯s find your critters and leave. This forest isn¡¯t safe even during the day.¡± Markus followed the older man as they passed by the larger toads and stopped at a nest of spiders.

    ¡°Rei Widows poisonous type monsters. None get strong except for the queen. Most of the time Night ravens pick the nests clean.¡± His pa took a small cylinder broke it and tossed it under the nest. Pa raised his hand forming a barrier to protect them from the smoke.

    Smoke began to billow out of the cylinder and the spiders began to fall out of the tree. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. We are out here for you. Get the jars and catch them.¡± Markus ran and collected the spiders. The massive body of the queen fell with a thunk. Her legs spasmed as the smoke inhalation knocked her out.

    Markus was quick. His hands snaked out grabbed the stunned spiders by their thoraxes and jammed them in the bottles careful not to break off their legs. The queen when he picked her up showed off an impressive set of fangs each the size of his fingers. He jammed her in a bigger jar.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Once the spiders were gathered Markus placed them in his pack and they made their way out of the forest. Waiting for them was their faithful Chimera Stan. The big goat, lion, and snake was an ornery creature. Markus still remembered the goat head spitting at him when he was eight. Pa said it was to get its scent on him, but Markus still thought it was Stan being grumpy.

    Markus loaded his pack in Stan¡¯s saddle bags only to feel a wet snake tongue in his ear. He leapt back, nearly spilling every spider in his pack on himself. Getting back to his feet he glared at the Chimera only for the creature to chuff at him. Pa grunted and sat on the wagon. He offered a hand for Markus to climb up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally boy, Stan likes to mess around. If he actually meant you harm I would have whipped it out of him.¡± Pa said. Markus calmed down and settled in for the long ride back home. The snake head on Stan¡¯s tail kept winking at him as they rode back.

    Back home ma was outside chopping wood. While his younger brother Tiberius handed her wood and his little sister Joanna played in the grass. ¡°Go see to your spiders, I think the tree over by the tool shed should do.¡± Markus nodded his head and grabbed his pack from Stan running just as the goat was about to lick his head. He heard the lion head growl in disappointment.

    Running through fields of corn and cutting through the Haven Hog pen, he made it to the tall tree in record time. Some of the bark was gone from this morning¡¯s breakfast. Pa had handed him a piece and said this should last us the trip. The Dru Trees were green year-round and had bark that was loaded with calories. The sap inside the tree was sold 1000 points a liter. Nobles would have private orchards of the trees if they could.

    Dru Trees were very choosy of where they grew. Their seeds wouldn¡¯t sprout just anywhere, and it was rare for two to grow in a kilometer of each other. At twelve Markus had only seen 20 of the trees. No one really knew how they chose where they grew.

    Another problem with the trees was pest control. Bugs of all kinds infested the trees eating their nutritious bark and drinking their sap. Markus opened the jar containing the queen and let her crawl out on the new tree. She immediately snatched up a wood beetle.

    Markus began to release every spider until he was at the last one. This one wasn¡¯t going on the tree. The spider was a good size not that it mattered.

    Quest #1 Eat a Poisonous Monster

    Reward +10points

    He tossed the spider out of the jar and kept it from crawling away with his leather boot. The spider chittered and struggled. Markus took a stick and stabbed it through the spider¡¯s abdomen. He waited for the spider to stop twitching. Opening his mouth, he bit off a leg and swallowed it.

    Eating: beginner 98

    +.98% nutrition

    Markus kept eating the spider until it was gone.

    +9Points

    He¡¯d done it. Finally, he had points to spend. That meant he could buy options like an inventory, a trading system, and stat boosts. A whole new world had just opened to him.

 Dont Go Outside At Night

    Night came, and with it a full moon. The dark was no place for weak humans, scaled beasts prowled the night tall and horrible. They were called Draccons, in the stories they were a group of mages rebelling against the nobles. For their folly the gods punished them and stripped them of their forms. Humanoid and devoid of anything resembling rational thought. They hunted anyone caught outside at night.

    Weaker monsters hid in their dens and the strong roared their defiance when the Darccons drew near. One such powerful monster was Stan. Markus stood out in the night, shivering against the chimera¡¯s side. His Pa didn¡¯t know he snuck out. Stan began pacing around him keeping a protective circle around him. The Chimera looked nervous.

    ¡°I have to see what real power is.¡± Stan¡¯s lion head growled. ¡°This isn¡¯t a mistake. They don¡¯t come this close because your stronger right. Show me.¡± Markus said. Stan¡¯s snake head hissed a loud warning.

    A hunting pack of Draccons were getting closer. Now that he could see the dust cloud from their approach, he was having second thoughts. Stan leapt up on his back legs letting out a long, loud roar.

    Markus stumbled back and fell on his butt from Stan¡¯s sudden movement. The dust cloud had turned and began heading for another farm on the edge of Northwind Forest. ¡°What did that teach me?¡± Markus asked no one.

    ¡°It taught you to not go looking for trouble.¡± The old man looked down on him with blood shot eyes. ¡°I thought a Snagger got past Stan and took you in your sleep. There weren¡¯t any signs of struggle. Your Ma thinks I got up for a long piss.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask why I did it?¡± Markus asked shocked. His pa snorted.

    ¡°Boy you''re twelve doesn¡¯t take a team of investigators to figure you out. Every boy starts where you¡¯re at. What do I need to invest in to make myself unstoppable?¡± Markus nodded. ¡°Like every boy you made the stupid mistake of not going to your pa.¡± Markus deflated and heard Stan¡¯s laughing chuffs. The goat head opened its mouth and guffawed at him. Spit covered his face.

    He wiped it away. ¡°I guess I deserve that for stressing Stan out.¡± His pa nodded. Markus could see the wheels in his Pa¡¯s head turning.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you the best advice I can give you. Invest in everything.¡± Markus couldn¡¯t have heard his Pa right.

    The winter fairies swirled around covering the ground with moss. Stan snatched one in his mouth and swallowed the fairy down. The others shrieked and scattered.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°But the heroes in the stories all put their points in strength or something.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Boy, you needed advice and I gave it to you. You can decide if you want to put all your points in strength or not. But if you ever run into anyone stronger, what¡¯s your back up going to be.¡± His Pa said. ¡°I¡¯m heading back, if I don¡¯t your Ma will think I have bladder stones.¡± Pa said with a chuckle.

    His Pa went back in the house leaving him out in the cold with a fairy chasing Stan. He had 9 points when you withheld the Noble¡¯s point tax. Tapping the air, a blue screen shimmered into view. On it was his stats and a buyer¡¯s page.

    Markus could purchase an endless number of skills and abilities. Though when he exited puberty what he bought would be locked. He couldn¡¯t branch out more, but he could increase what he had.

    1point stats

    Stats ¨C Increase known physical limits by 1% per point. If you can lift 100kilograms without a point in Strength, then with one you can lift 101kilos, with 200, you can life 300kilos.

    Strength ¨C Increase muscle mass and physical prowess. Strength minus body mass equals net running speed.

    Agility ¨C Increase the reaction time of muscles. Agility decreases the time needed to reach top speed. The more strength the more agility is required to move quickly.

    Dexterity ¨C Precise movements often weakened by those with high agility. Dexterity allows control over strength.

    Endurance ¨C Increase the amount of time you can maintain peak physical and mental performance.

    Vitality ¨C Increase the quality of your body.

    Intelligence ¨C For mages it increases the number of spells they can use a day without mental exhaustion. When not casting spells it increases mana capacity, memory retention, and memory recall.

    Willpower ¨C For those who wish to battle the Eldritch. Willpower increases mental resistance to madness and morale loss.

    Three Points Abilities

    Abilities ¨C Powers that humans can¡¯t obtain without points. Purchasing these abilites unlocks the skills involved with them. All users have different potential abilities. The cheaper the ability the more Intune the user is.

    Psychic ¨C Allows the user to learn telepathy, telekinesis, and Eldritch arts.

    Ice ¨C Allows the user to learn freeze, shape, and Ice arts.

    Light ¨C Allows the user to learn Pillar, Chain, and Light arts

    Dark ¨C Allows the user to learn tentacles, eyes, and Dark arts

    Markus had no idea how he had so many abilities he was attuned with. So, he bought six of the stats leaving agility out. He felt his muscles bulk up slightly. Then he bought Psychic. Something wet started dripping down his lip. He touched it and saw blood. He pushed his hand against his bleeding nose and felt blood drip down his eyes. His heart began to race hammering against his chest. He needed Pa. Pa would know what to do.

    Blackness overtook him and he felt something warm curl around him.

 Being Psychic is Hard

    Stans thick feathered rump was warm and unmistakably covered in a fire-retardant grease. This wasn¡¯t the first time he fell asleep only for Stan to sit on him. Chimera grease was known to scare away weaker monsters, doubly for creatures of the fire element. It was poor for cooking but for those brave enough to sign up for the fire fighter¡¯s guild, chimera grease saved lives.

    Markus opened his eyes to Stan¡¯s black feathered rump and gaged from the smell of chimera grease. The second he opened his mouth his tongue tasted the overwhelming bitter flavor of the grease. ¡°Get off of me Stan.¡± Stan didn¡¯t answer. Markus fought beating on the monster only to hear steady breathing.

    The boy knew he wasn¡¯t going anywhere for at least a few hours. The sun had just risen, so Stan would snooze for most of the day. How had he gotten out here in the first place?

    It took a few minutes but everything came back. The stats, ability, and Stan sitting on him. He put his hands on the ground and started pushing up, nothing. Stan¡¯s breathing hadn¡¯t changed.

    Markus remembered he had an ability now. He was a psychic in the stories psychics were always throwing around giant monsters and controlling multiple weapons. He was like Hector Sword Rain, Paul of Infinite Winds, and maybe even Brick the Crusher. Like in the stories he put a hand on his temples and concentrated on moving Stan.

    Something happened. Something leapt forward it was like a wave and it shattered when it touched Stan. Whatever power he had was as fragile as a rain drop. He heard a loud whop and Stan rolled over. Ma looked down at him. Her straw like hair was in knots, she was wearing her night gown still, and a looked of annoyance crossed her features. Ma stood two heads taller than Pa and she was all the scarier for it.

    ¡°Markus the jig is up. I knew Pa didn¡¯t have the bladder stones. You are going to march inside and sit at the table. Then you¡¯re going to tell me all about your spending spree.¡± Ma said. Markus nodded his head and got off the hard ground. She put up a hand and had him wait there. ¡°On second thought, I should wave you up here.¡± She walked over to the well and started turning the handle.

    This was all part of the punishment Markus realized. He had to wait there while she got the water and dunked it on him. Markus was already bracing himself for the cold.

    Ma took the bucket and suddenly steam began to rise from it. Markus blinked. ¡°Psychic is ruff, I got it when I was around your age and it scared me pretty good, didn¡¯t buy a new ability for a year afterwards. It¡¯s better for heating water than fire, easier to control too.¡± Markus blinked. Did Ma just heat up the water with telekinesis? How did she do it? Ma giggled a bit.

    ¡°I was your age when my Pa taught me to do it. You just grab the water and shake it good in place. Nothing fancy. Now, I¡¯m teaching it to you.¡± She took a rag, dunked it in the warm water and began to wipe his face down. The water quickly turned red from all the dried blood and grease.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I snuck out. It was dumb.¡± She nodded and continued cleaning him. Anna was outside running after fairies with a small net. The little things were flying for their lives. ¡°When will I be able to boil water?¡± Ma took on a look of deliberation.

    ¡°When your adept you can do it without thinking. For now, just practice moving sand around. Oh, and its your turn to milk the Minoos.¡± Ma said. Markus sighed he hated milking the minoos but nodded and headed inside. He might be able to get some milk from the ice box and some bread from the cabinet. The meal Ma prepared for breakfast was already in the slop bucket heading for the Haven Hogs.

    After his quick meal he trudged his way to the Milking Barn. It was the opposite side of their farm far from the Haven Hogs. Minoos and Haven Hogs don¡¯t get along.

    The minoos stood tall at sixteen hands high and covered in shaggy, knotted fur. Minoos cows have small black horns poking out of their brown furred heads. They were a type of monster that produced a large amount of milk. Farmers of Haven domesticated them ages ago. In the old stories they were a monster race that stood upright like humans. Over generation by feeding them special potions, the righteous humans of Haven were able to put the monsters on all fours where they belonged. They were no longer Minotaurs, they were now minoos.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Markus filled their troughs with fresh feed. A collection of dried nuts chopped fruit, and ground corn. Once the minoos were eating Markus lowered the rails to keep them in place. From there he grabbed their long hanging human like breasts. They weren¡¯t a fancy farm like those down south. Their minoos number in the tens instead of hundreds. The Lioncourt family that owned their farm wouldn¡¯t let them invest in machine operated milkers. So, Markus grabbed the very human feeling breasts and began to milk them.

    It took forever and some of the meaner cows kicked over his buckets a few times, but he finally managed to fill them all. The sun was in the middle of the sky, so it was midday.

    With his chore done for the day he scooped up a handful of sand and ran over to the Dru tree. The spiders had made their nest and it was already filled with several of the worst insects. It was way too early to eat one, Markus wanted them to have a good breeding season before culling their numbers. So, he looked at quest #2.

    Quest #2

    Slay a Rabid Dire Bear

    Reward 100points

    ¡°Might as well ask me to spit on the moon.¡± Markus said. ¡°Dire Bears are 8tons of muscle able to take ten knights on rye bread and still be hungry.¡± They live about 3kilometers in the Northwind woods. There are so many hungry monsters, it isn¡¯t worth thinking about.

    Quest #3

    Hold your breath underwater 10minutes

    Reward 30points

    ¡°It¡¯s been done before. I can hold it for two minutes, I just need another 400 in endurance. Pass.¡± Markus mumbled.

    Quest #4

    Train a skill 100lvls

    Reward 20points

    Markus stared at the new quest. After 4 it was all blank, so he had to do one or all of them to unlock #5. This was like a hero¡¯s quest. The Rabid Dire Bear too but that one was impossible. There was one sure way to level up a skill. Markus began the search.

    It took time, but he found it. A small hill bursting with ants. The little fellas were carrying various grasshoppers and even large spiders towards their hole for the colony to feast on. Burst Ants were their proper name. Once you disturb their mound they burst out by the millions to kill whatever attacked them. A painted orange circle surrounded the mound.

    He sent his will at one of the far away ants it buckled a little then kept crawling. This was going to take longer than he thought. ¡°You know, I would start with moving dust around instead of trying to crush ants.¡± Pa said behind him. ¡°Why the sudden need to kill things with your mind?¡± Markus sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a quest to get more points. I just need to raise a skill 100lvs.¡± Markus said.

    Pa nodded. ¡°Killing stuff with a skill earns more than most training. I had quest once. Every 10,000 pushups gave me 10 points. Let me give you a tip. Don¡¯t go killing yourself if you can¡¯t do it all in one go. There will be other quests, and this one isn¡¯t going anywhere. But if your looking for training swirl water, lift rocks, and don¡¯t sweat it you have plenty of time.¡± Pa said.

    ¡°Thanks Pa.¡± The older man nodded and let him have some space. He focused on a grain of sand and picked it up. When he did it all his focus went to that single grain of sand. Slowly it rose in the air. No one was aware of it more than Markus. That was his grain of sand. It floated up, up, and up his head began to pound from effort as the small grain wobbled. Every little gust of wind threatened to pull it from his control. He looked over to see Pa actively blowing on it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Markus yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m helping you train. The harder it is the better.¡± Pa said and continued blowing on the wobbly grain of sand.

    He began losing control when the first wave of nausea hit him. His tenuous grasp on the grain shattered and he lost track of the small piece of silicon. Markus kept on his feet barely. A blue screen flashed.

    Telekinesis beginner lv3

    +0.03% willpower

    ¡°Beginner, initiate, novice, apprentice, journeyman, adept, expert, master, grandmaster, and lord are the known levels a skill may take. Every step of the way skills gain, new boons and it becomes more difficult to reach the next rung every time. Remember this moment and cherish how easy it was to gain a few levels.¡± Markus nodded and let Pa guide him back home.

    Markus Farmer

    Stats

    Strength 1 dexterity 1 endurance 1

    vitality 1 intelligence 1 willpower 1

    Abilities: psychic

    Skills

    Eating: beginner 98 Movement: Beginner 50 Farming: beginner 20

    Hunting: Beginner 2 Telekinesis: Beginner 3

    Points 0

 To Market

    The sun was high, and the heat was on.  Monsters hid in their cool burrows while the Rei Widows maintained their thick web under the shade of the Dru tree.  The grass around the tree stood straight up perfect for Minoos to munch on.  For those out in the sun everything became more difficult, it was like the sun was sapping their energy.

    Markus was no different.  He sat in the shade munching on three Rei Widows.  They had just bred with the queen and had their dicks ripped off.  They were destined to die anyway, and the queen didn¡¯t bother with eating them like she did the other males she mated with.  Markus tossed the first one in his mouth and a window popped up saying he had 10points.  After the final two he had 27 after the noble¡¯s tax.

    ¡°How do you do that?¡±  Tiberius asked.  The little blonde boy looked in awe at Markus.

    ¡°I just do it.  You shouldn¡¯t, its my quest you probably don¡¯t have it.¡±  Tiberius looked sad before he started digging.  ¡°Why are you doing that?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°Its my quest.  Dig, and I get a point every 100 shovels full.¡±  Markus nodded.  He had higher points than his brother, but Markus had an easier quest.

    He bought agility then looked at the three 20point items.

    PSI Ring ¨C Wear this ring to increase the training speed of all psychic skills by 20%

    Inventory ¨C A empty space that fills with monster drops and can store anything the user can carry.  Basic, this item is upgradable.  10spaces.

    Skill pill ¨C This supplement can be eaten to increase one skill by 5lvs stops at apprentice.

    He bought the PSI ring and put the other 6 points in Willpower.  It was faint, but he felt his telekinetic grip get a little denser.  The ring appeared in his hand.  It was just a simple copper ring.

    One of the spiders fell from a tree over Tiberius.  Markus saw it fall and threw his hand out.  The spider hovered there in the air.  Sweat began to bead down Markus¡¯s face as he concentrated on holding the spider in place as it wiggled trying to break his control.

    This was his brother and his livestock dared to attack him.  Markus began to close his fist.  The spider let out a cry as it was pulped in the air.  Blood began to drip from Markus¡¯ nose as the mental backlash caught up to him.

    Telekinesis: Beginner lv23

    Willpower +0.23%

    The spider¡¯s remains fell and Tiberius stuck out his tongue in disgust as he picked the spider guts from his hair.  Markus thanked his lucky stars that his little brother was safe.  ¡°What was that?¡±  Tiberius said.

    ¡°That was good luck.¡±  Markus said.  His little brother ran off with his little shovel bent on digging up the entire world.  Pa was probably going to twist his ankle in a hole.  He snatched another spider off the tree and shoved it in his mouth.

    Eating: Initiate lv1

    Nourishment +1%

    Vitality +0.01%

    A smile crept over his face.  He had finally increased a skill past beginner.  When it reached Journeyman, it would be like increasing his vitality stat by another point every level.  By adept every point in vitality would be worth 10k.  That and he would need very little food.  Markus just needed to find ever more exotic and powerful monsters.  Like jumping to the moon really.  He wasn¡¯t a noble, a hero, or even a member of the mage academy.  He would always be just another farmer.

    Days passed, Pa had loaded up the wagon and told him to get in.  They loaded it up with milk, cheese, and behind it 20 haven hogs were following the wagon.  It was time to go to Northwind village and sell their goods.  The sun had just risen, and Pa promised him they would spend the night there.

    Markus tossed a small rock up in an ark caught it with telekinesis and tossed another.  It was a struggle, but he managed to keep two in the air.  ¡°You are getting pretty good at that.  I see the shiny ring.  How close are you to initiate?¡±  Pa asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m still 40lvs off.  But it doesn¡¯t hurt my head to toss the rocks anymore.  When I get the 20points I¡¯m going to spend them on a new ability.  Can you believe the next stat is over 100, it¡¯s called light resistance?¡±  Markus said.   Pa nodded his head.

    ¡°Once you get the the basic stats the rest get expensive.  Resistances especially.  Getting a crafting ability is like shooting for the moon.  If you¡¯re not inclined to it.  You have plenty of time just relax and enjoy practicing.¡±  Pa said.

    After hours of juggling rocks, they made it to the village walls.  ¡°Pa I¡¯ve never seen walls so large.¡±  Pa nodded his head.

    ¡°They¡¯re tall but not Haven tall.  Only 10meters by my count.  It¡¯ll keep out the Draccons and the Snaggers but Ogres will just hop them.¡±  Stan¡¯s snake head nodded.  Markus was getting a definite confirmation now.  It was weird feeling things from other creatures.  Even plants gave off a feeling of hunger.  Telepathy was only lv10 and already it was causing problems.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The gate guard let them through.  ¡°I don¡¯t suppose anything gave you trouble with a Chimera leading you.  I don¡¯t need to tell you to be careful Philip, but people will want Stan.  Is your farm safe for the night?¡±  The Guard asked.  Pa looked at the man funny.

    ¡°If they think they can just up and snatch a chimera then they have more than safety issues.  Trust me, I don¡¯t have to worry about Stan.  My home is where Stan sleeps every day.  There is more grease there than anywhere else.  They will be fine trust me.¡±  Pa said.  Markus looked back at the barrels of grease collected from Stan each worth 500 points.

    They pulled up to Old Paul¡¯s.  Markus read the sign and had his doubts.  ¡°Paul has been buying from us for years.  No one gives a fairer price.  Let me tell you boy.¡±  Pa had just opened the door when he turned around.¡±  Start unloading while I talk to Paul.¡±

    Markus picked up the heavy barrels.  He struggled feeling his balance nearly tip.  A pair of dainty hands grasped his back keeping him from spilling 500 points worth of oil.  ¡°Careful both our Pas would tan our hides if we spilled a drop of that oil.¡±  Markus put the barrel down gently.  A pretty girl his age with brown curls in tom boy cloths stood there.

    ¡°You need to brace your legs like this when you lift, see.¡±  She lifted one of the barrels and placed it beside his with ease.  ¡°All in the legs.¡±  She said with a grunt.

    Markus followed her example while the pigs remained tied to the bag of the wagon.  They lifted the milk out of the iced box and then lifted the crate to put the milk back in it.  ¡°I¡¯m Markus by the way.¡±  Markus said after remembering he forgot to introduce himself.

    ¡°Sara Red,¡± she said with a noble¡¯s curtsy.  Markus laughed, and she started giggling.  ¡°Do you have any abilities yet?¡±  Sarah asked.

    Markus levitated the pebbles out of his pocket and juggled them.   Just thirty more levels and he would be an initiate in the skill with 20points extra.  ¡°Neat, I can do this.¡±  She held up her finger and a small spark appeared.  ¡°I was thinking about joining the mages academy if I can get a noble house to give me a grant.  If I can get it up to apprentice I think I have a chance.¡±  She said.

    As Markus recalled Fire was the most common and the most difficult to get a grant for.  Lots of competition.  If you were already an apprentice in a fire skill, then you were doing good.  Journeyman would be a clencher though.  He kept his words to himself to be polite.  ¡°You can do it.¡±  Markus said.  Sara gave him a rosy smile.

    After they finished unloading Pa let him follow her to the quarry.  Sara was bursting with energy.  She grabbed his hand and led him there.  Kids their age and a little older were levitating rocks, tossing fireballs, and making water spouts.

    ¡°Hey Sara, who¡¯s the new kid?¡±  Some boy three years older than Markus asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Markus I¡¯m from a farm.¡±  The other kids laughed.

    ¡°So, a dirty farm boy wanted to know what civilized life is like huh.¡±  The boy said.

    ¡°Tom stop being an ass.  Markus¡¯s dad is friends with my Pa they have a Chimera and everything.¡±  Tom took on a look that Markus didn¡¯t like he felt shifty.

    ¡°Do you hear that; the Farmer has a fancy monster.  Big deal, you will probably die from a monster attack before you hit sixteen.¡±  Some of the boys chuckled at the thought of him dying early.

    Markus began an uproar of laughter until his voice drowned out theirs.  ¡°Dying at sixteen that¡¯s a good one.¡±  One of the boys threw a tiny fire ball at him and it stopped midair.  ¡°Funny thing about fireballs, they have no substance.¡±  He crushed it smothering the flames.  He felt Tom try to grab him with telekinesis, but Markus grouped his grip together and shattered Tom¡¯s.  Tom grabbed his head as blood dripped down his nose.  Markus was in luck the boy had been practicing all day and a single shattered field finished him.  The other boys saw Tom on his knees gripping his head with blood spilling from his nose.  Markus had his hand outstretched and they had the wrong idea and scattered.

    ¡°Stop it Markus, you¡¯re hurting him.¡±  Sara said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything Sara.  This is just his own fault for going beyond his limit.  Happens to me all the time.¡±  Markus said.  For a second, she had the crazy eyes like she wasn¡¯t listening, then it started to sink in, and she calmed a bit.

    ¡°Stupid boys, I invite someone knew and as Pa says they have to measure cocks.¡±  Sara said, with a sigh.  Then glared at Tom.  ¡°Its better to leave him here.  We¡¯re inside the walls and our Pas are probably looking for us anyway.¡±  Sara said.

    ¡°Yea let¡¯s go.¡±  They walked back, and Sara grabbed his hand again.

    ¡°Not mad at you.¡±  She said.  ¡°I know those boys and they fight over me like dogs with a new bone.  Should have known, they would see you as a new dog.¡±  Sara said.  Markus shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad the lot of them were worn out from training and retreated with their tails between their legs.  I wasn¡¯t in any shape for a long fight either.¡±  Markus said.

    Pa had them set up at a tavern.  He had a bowl of a stew spicier than anything he had ever tasted and a mug of sweet ale.  The fire in the hearth warmed the room and Pa was busy reading a book beside him.  It was late in the night and the tavern was empty.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you boy.  You took to that fight quick and dirty using your head.¡±  Pa said.

    ¡°It was luck and the situation, if they had been any fresher they would have steam rolled me.¡±  Markus said.  Pa grinned at that like he wouldn¡¯t mind him getting flattened.

    ¡°No boy, you got them because you were quick and from what I said fierce.  That little girl didn¡¯t brag about you openly, but Paul said she called you a hero right out of the stories defending her honor and such.  Boy you did a good deed standing up for yourself.  Don¡¯t forget that.¡±  Pa said.  Markus nodded his head.  He didn¡¯t feel like he did anything worth being called a hero.  ¡°I bought you a gift to remember your first visit to Northwind.¡±  Pa handed him a heavy bag of iron balls.  They each had a Griffon the official mascot of Northwind on them.

    He levitated the metal balls slowly they were much heavier than the pebbles.  There were five in the bag and he could barely keep three in the air.  ¡°This should get me up to Initiate.¡±  Markus said.  ¡°Thanks Pa.¡±  Markus said.  The older man nodded and smirked.

    ¡°Boy you better be shooting for at least adept if you plan to join the academy in a year.¡±  Markus looked up from his juggling.

    ¡°You serious.  Psychics aren¡¯t exactly common but its still hard to get a grant.¡±  Markus said.  Pa nodded.

    ¡°You can do it boy just keep practicing.¡±  Pa said

    For the rest of the night until nausea finally hit him he juggled the metal balls.

 Vampires Like to Swim?

    It was warm in the inn. The beds had crisp sheets and the ale gave him a buzz. Sounds of crickets and frogs filled the night. They had made over 5,000 points on their goods and were sure to expand the farm if this kept up. Maybe Stan would get a girlfriend. He might have one too, if things worked out with Sara, he liked her brown curls.

    The metal balls clinked in the air, as they rotated gently. There wasn¡¯t much concern about getting worn out, he was already in bed. It was also becoming a nervous tick.

    Markus was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Since night fell he couldn¡¯t shake this feeling of anxiety. When something good happened and everything looked great, something was bound to go wrong. He had 4 cheap abilities lined up, they would probably kill him when he learned them all. It frightened him. What was going to happen? Bandits on the road, a herd of snatchers, or worse one of the great monsters might find its way out of Northwind forest.

    ¡°Boy, stop your clicking your balls and get some sleep, we may have a light wagon, but its going to be a long ride in the morning.¡± Pa said from the other bed. Markus let the balls fall and caught them in the bag.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep, I¡¯m going to go visit Stan.¡± Markus said. Pa turned and slid an extra pillow over his head.

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t go causing any trouble. You can sleep in the wagon on the way if you want.¡± Pa said. Markus nodded and hurried out of the room. Only a man covering the desk was left downstairs. Markus put his hands to the fire and warmed himself up. The man was reading a tome of some sort and didn¡¯t bother looking up.

    After some nervous deliberations Markus opened the door and walked out. The night air was cold bordering on frigid. Even so there was a little heat left on the cobblestone streets. He walked down clinking his metal balls together. Something about it just felt right and calmed his nerves. It didn¡¯t make sense, why did he have this feeling.

    Looking over at the stables, he saw several dark figures and stopped his clinking. The village guard had already made their pass and the figures were moving towards Stan¡¯s stall. Markus nodded this was probably where the feeling came from. He had to save those idiots from Stan.

    Markus crept behind the group and recognized one as Tom. ¡°Come on guys lets get in here fast if we hurry we can sneak out of the gate and sell him in Haven.¡± Tom said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this. Chimera aren¡¯t known to be tame. What if it¡¯s aggressive?¡± One of the boys asked.

    ¡°Its just a dumb animal. If its tame enough to pull a wagon for a few farmers, then it will obey us.¡± Markus knew if he didn¡¯t do something they would wind up in Stan¡¯s stomach. Not one would escape. Maybe this was one of those achievements he heard about in the stories. One-time quests that give a lot of points.

    The best way to do this would be to cause a commotion. The guards would come, and the gang wouldn¡¯t get eaten by Stan. While Markus was planning this out one of the boys opened Stan¡¯s stall.

    Stan moved opened his mouth and bit off the first boy¡¯s head. He pulled it off the boy like Markus would take a bite of Haven bacon. When the boys froze Stan pounced. His front paws fell on the shoulders of the boys in the rear. Stan winked at him and began to rake the boys into the stall.

    Markus was frozen there for a few minutes then walked up. Tom had managed to crawl out, he saw Markus and reached out mouthing help. His back torn to ribbons and his spine exposed. Stan¡¯s snake tail curled around the boy¡¯s neck and dragged him back. With a click Markus closed the stall. The feeling was still there, so he reasoned it wasn¡¯t about saving them from Stan, so what could it be.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The feeling led him through the frigid night air and back to the quarry. He didn¡¯t give those boy¡¯s a second thought. This was what happened when you tried to steal a monster. If you weren¡¯t stronger than the monster, then it wasn¡¯t a good idea. It could be worse. Stan could have been a mind flayer. Those guys were bad news. They liked to play a while before eating.

    Now that he was there, it felt like this was the place the feeling was warning about. This place was the danger for some reason. Listening he heard the splash of a swimmer. A girl was in the water doing a back stroke bare ass naked. She opened a set of red eyes and winked at him and continued. A blush covered his face eating through the anxiety.

    After a few minutes she pulled up to the bank. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Marie isn¡¯t it past your bedtime?¡± Markus turned his head at her.

    ¡°Um, didn¡¯t you call me.¡± Markus asked. Marie got out of the water breasts bouncing. Darkness rapped around her forming into a black dress.

    ¡°No, I would remember calling you.¡± A moment of awkward silence passed between them. ¡°So, maybe you should go get some sleep.¡± Waves of danger washed off her like an avalanche, now that he was there, he could feel his mind get soaked with fear. Sweat ran down his back as fought the urge to run. His steel balls were clicking faster.

    She looked up at the metal balls spinning and slamming into each other. ¡°Oh, a psychic did you misread the signals. You must be new to it. Child go home and remember this is the feeling of your predator. If you ever feel this again then flee.¡± Marie said.

    ¡°My name is Markus and I don¡¯t run.¡± Markus said fervently. Marie giggled, and Markus was transfixed by her bouncing assets.

    ¡°Puberty has hit you hard if even primal fear isn¡¯t enough. No,¡± she took in a deep breath,¡± it might be the smell of goat, lion, and snake on you. You¡¯re Philip¡¯s boy, aren¡¯t you? Good old more balls than brains Philip. Now it makes sense. Buy why did he let you go off alone. That¡¯s not like the man I know.¡± Marie said.

    ¡°How do you know Pa?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°Well Philip was a powerful hero before he became a farmer. We did the tango a few times and he nearly killed me three times. That man has to be one of the toughest mortals out there. That explains you going looking for trouble in even in this dangerous world.¡± Marie said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too broken up about Pa nearly killing you.¡± She shrugged and pulled something out of her inventory.

    ¡°This is a ring that bears my mark. Wear it and none of my kind will bother you.¡± Marie said and back flipped back in the water. Markus put it on and began to undress.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Training,¡± Markus said and leapt in. It was so cold it hurt but he focused on the water and began to vibrate it. He didn¡¯t have the power to boil it, but he could sure heat it up.

    ¡°Izzy¡¯s trick, I should have known.¡± As he began to swim he had to repeatedly heat the water around him.

    Movement: beginner lv60

    Mobility +0.6%

    Markus spent the long hours of the night heating up water with Marie. The black-haired vampire swam circles around him and dove under constantly. They played games of tossing shiny things on the bottom and swimming after it.

    Telekinesis: Initiate lv3

    Willpower +3%

    Intelligence +0.03%

    Quest #4 Complete

    Reward: 20points

    Markus could have bought several things like an inventory or maybe a weapon. Instead he bought the rest of the cheap abilities. Darkness began to cave in on him, a light appeared in his body, and the water didn¡¯t feel so frigid. Marie drug him out of the water and tossed him on the shore. His body began to shake, and she cursed.

    When he woke up he was in a coffin filled with dirt, with a sleeping Marie. He was about to panic when he saw a note. ¡°I sent a note to Philip, go back to sleep, and he will pick you up in the morning. Marie.¡± Markus could see in the dark. He could feel the tendrils of light far above him and felt the cold creeping around him.

    Taking a breath, he noticed that the anxiety from Marie was gone. With that in mind, he decided to continue trusting her and went back to sleep.

 Pas wierd friend

    When the sun sinks below the horizon the night fairies emerge and cover the ground with ice trying to kill their day counterparts. Always the sun returns and melts the poor night fairies. That is the lot in life for those attuned with the night. Weak to sunlight they must find shelter when the sun is high.

    Vampires though much stronger are no different, they are often hunted down by knights, paladins, and heroes as high-ranking quests. Markus knew this for a fact. So, where did a vampire feel safe during the day? Why a dungeon of course. With enough monsters, it could take a band of adventurers all day to reach her.

    When night fell like any creature of the dark, he felt a sense of illation. A giddy energy ran through his body, just was he was saddened by the loss of the sun¡¯s power. This duality confused him. Until the elbow of a stretching vampire popped him in the eye. ¡°Sorry, forgot you were there.¡± Marie said. ¡°Could you read my note?¡±

    ¡°Pa will be here by dawn what does that mean?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°What do you think it means?¡± Marie countered.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to brave the dungeon and should get here by morning.¡± Markus said. Marie shook her head.

    ¡°Yes, but no this dungeon wasn¡¯t made to keep Philip out. If he wanted to, he could just rip through the floors to us. I like my dungeon to be in working order thank you very much. No, I wanted time to teach you a thing or two. Your Pa is just going to take the long way getting here.¡± Marie said.

    ¡°Why would you teach me?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°Well your Pa is one of my friends and I haven¡¯t had a hand in your training. You have a darkness affinity which makes us kin, and I¡¯m bored. Now stay here while I get someone to eat.¡± Markus felt about as affected as when Tom was killed.

    She looked him over then turned her head to the side. ¡°You know I said someone and not something right?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°I know go ahead I¡¯ll do a few stretches before training.¡± Marie opened her mouth and closed it. Then had a contemplative look on her face.

    ¡°You live on a farm right.¡± Markus nodded his head wondering where this was going. ¡°How often are you present when slaughtering livestock?¡± Marie asked.

    He had no idea where this was going but went along with it. ¡°I normally use an axe for killing the hogs. For the chickens, I snap their necks. Then the Rei widows, well I just sort of pop them in my mouth.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Have you ever seen Stan kill anyone?¡± Marie asked. Markus could count around fifty people the chimera had eaten alone.

    ¡°Pa always said witnessing the deaths of the stupid or incompetent builds character.¡± Markus said. Marie opened her mouth and closed it. Instead she patted him on the head.

    ¡°Good for you Markus be above the norm.¡± Marie said and tossed the lid off. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind watching me chow down. I can get you some cheese or something. I don¡¯t have any mino milk in stock but there is some draccon jerky if that interests you.¡± Markus nodded and followed her through rows of prison cells with humans chained to walls staring in fear at them.

    Marie looked back at him and Markus gave her a reassuring smile. He remembered his manners and a need to ask questions. ¡°So, how do you find some many people it must be a challenge to keep your pantry fully stocked?¡± Markus asked. ¡°How do you keep them from escaping using abilities?¡±

    Marie tossed her long black hair to the side and smiled. ¡°Well if your curious, I¡¯m a couple hundred years old. I was born a vampire in haven and that supplied some challenges. My family there had to keep up appearances, so I attended the Mages academy in Haven. Of course, dark, blood, and necromantic magics are forbidden there, so I learned enchanting. Let me tell you, becoming an enchanter is a lengthy process. First you must learn various mathematic formulas to better understand the energy exchange when enchanting. The first practical lesson was disassembling various items and using formulas to determine how much energy the items required to function. Eventually, I mastered enchanting and left Haven after some circumstances. Now, I use what I learned to keep my pantry doors closed.¡± She opened one of the doors.

    ¡°Please help me, don¡¯t just stare help me.¡± The girl shrieked. Markus looked at all the symbols covering the door and how artfully they were chiseled into the iron bars.

    ¡°Incredible, could you start me learning the craft.¡± Marie opened her mouth and clamped down on the woman¡¯s neck. She did manage a nod and Markus pumped his fist in success. Marie opened her mouth and licked the wound clean before tossing the girl back in her cell.

    In dining room, she gave him a mug of ale, a few slices of cheese, and a line of jerky. ¡°Now, stay here while I feed my livestock.¡± Marie said and went back to the cells. Markus quickly downed his mug, devoured his cheese, and bit at the jerky. He hadn¡¯t tried Draccon before, but it was spicy.

    ¡°More ale,¡± Marie asked, as she poured herself a glass of what he assumed was blood.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Yes please,¡± Markus said. Marie had a look of shock on her face.

    ¡°Manners Izzy is doing something right. It must be the end of the world.¡± Marie said. Markus felt his cheeks heat up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have practiced my manners beforehand.¡± Markus said. Marie chuckled and filled his glass.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I was only joking.¡± She took a sip and let out a breath. ¡°How was the jerky?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°It was good, really spicy what kind of peppers did you use.¡± Marie smiled, and Markus was certain he had succeeded in being a good guest.

    ¡°A few clippings from roaming colonies of Venus shrubs. They have peppers and if you¡¯re fast enough they can be picked.¡± Marie said, and if you¡¯re not well a nice acid bath was your fate.

    She took another sip and he finished his jerky and downed his ale. ¡°Alright, lets begin.¡± Marie said. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    They walked past a multitude of rooms until they came open an empty room. It was clean, immaculate even. The dark granite and drains on the floor were a nice touch. Columns covered the room with various hand made pots.

    ¡°I do pottery in the spare time. Its relieves stress and takes up time.¡± Markus walked up the to pots and looked at them with a critical eye. There were no shadows in the room which was strange.

    ¡°Have you noticed the lack of shadows yet?¡± Markus looked at her and nodded. ¡°There is no light in this room Markus. There is no light at all down here in the dining room, the cells, or in my coffin. Those with the dark ability have perfect vision in absolute darkness. When attending the academy you will have to be careful not to expose your prowess.¡±

    ¡°What is this place for?¡± Markus asked. It was so large that using it for pottery seemed pointless. That and the floor drains.

    ¡°This is where I capture new monsters and feed them to my dungeon. It is here where I¡¯m going to summon creature for you to fight to train you psychic and dark abilities. A little-known fact. The best way to train an element is to fight against that element¡¯s weakness. Get ready.¡± She waved her hand and a wolf covered in shadowy tentacles appeared. ¡°Before I forget, any monster slain in the dungeon rewards points. Have fun the dungeon is set to summon ten rounds of progressively stronger monsters to train your psychic, then we will move on to dark.¡±

    The wolf was larger than him. It had no eyes only slimy tentacles and a set of sharp ears. Markus began to pull the metal balls out of his pockets. They clicked, and the wolf pounced Markus threw up a wall of telekinetic force it was as effect as an ice cube in the desert. Long tentacles got int close and ripped long lines in his side.

    Markus¡¯s eyes widened as the monster turned its head to him. Its mouth opened to reveal suckers and a massive red eyeball. It narrows on to him. The creature leapt at him about to finish the job when Markus shot his hand forward and chains of light shot out.

    The worm hound whimpered, and Markus felt his mind was slashed by the sound. The golden chains held the hound in place as Markus caught his breath. Markus narrows his eyes and stood up. The monster struggled and tried to wiggle out of the chains. Markus wanted them to tighten and they did. The worm hound collapsed as the chains forced it down.

    Markus held his hand up and closed his eyes. Time seemed to pass, and the chains weakened. The sounds of something moving at an incredible speed filled the air. One of the chains broke and the creature leapt at Markus.

    He was no longer Markus, he was a metal ball circling the room and picking up speed. Every pass the ball grew faster in a grip of telekinesis. Soon the room was a blur as the ball passed by. Suddenly, the course changed the ball was set to rip through a creature of flesh and slam into the floor.

    The hound fell at his feet. A massive hole in its head. The golden chain vanished returning the world to darkness. With the hound dead. Markus sank back against a pillar holding his wound. Blood dripped down his side and he was scared.

    That fight had taken everything he had. The hound was disintegrating, and he could feel the room was bout to spawn more. Already, he could feel a slight throb at his head.

    Telekinesis: Initiate 10

    Willpower +10%

    Intelligence +0.1%

    It had worked, he had gained seven new lvs from just that one kill.

    Chains: beginner 40

    Willpower +0.4%

    A thought occurred to him. Maybe this wasn¡¯t how he was supposed to fight them with psychic. When he moved the iron ball he felt like he could separate the iron particles that made up the little ball. He thought about using the iron particles as tiny shields to keep the dark from touching his psychic energy.

    Holding up the ball he imagined it as a bunch of little parts and took it apart. What was left of the iron when he disassembled his ball was interesting. It wasn¡¯t quite one with air, it was more like powder.

    His experimenting was interrupted when he saw two worm hounds appear. Feeling for his light chains poured from his hands flowing after the hounds. This time they leapt over the chain and Markus lifted both hands. Instead of fading away, the iron protected his psychic power. Hands of iron sand curled around the hounds¡¯ necks.

    Dark tentacles were able to shatter the excess psychic energy, but what power touched the iron sand was protected. Markus clenched his fists and felt the hounds¡¯ wind pipes tear as iron hands ripped through them.

    Telekinesis: Initiate 30

    Willpower +30%

    Intelligence +0.3%

    Chains: beginner 45

    Willpower +0.45%

    Points: 30

    Markus stared at the pop up. He had over 30 points 10 for every hound killed. He could afford an inventory and more now. There were 8 rounds to go and he would have even more by the end of this. Marie was now his favorite friend of Pa.

    He fell to a knee. The blood loss was getting to him. He knew what he had to do. With no fire to cauterize the wound he would have to freeze it. Using the same hand, he used to keep pressure on the wound he willed it to freeze. A pounding wave of nausea filled his head right before his side lit up in horrible pain.

    There was no turning back, he had to keep going. He wanted this gift, so he had to show that he could handle it. Standing to his feet, he opened his menu and put 30points in intelligence. The pounding in his head quieted but it was still closer than he would like. If he could just use his iron sand from here on out. He should be able to get through this.

    Stats

    Strength 1 Agility 1 Dexterity 1

    Endurance 1 Vitality 1 Intelligence 31(31.09)

    Willpower 7(9.1)

    Skills

    Telekinesis: Initiate 30, Chains: beginner 45, Freeze: Beginner 5, Eating: initiate 4, Farming: Beginner 20, Movement: beginner 60, Hunting: Beginner 10, Mob Slayer: beginner 3, Telepathy: beginner 2, Empath: beginner 1

 Chapter 7 Typing

    Vali, a name that resounds through stories of great heroes.  A secret place in the northwind forest where monsters boast the highest vitality and endurance.  Many aspirant knights, mages, and heroes travel to the dangerous are in hopes of picking black apples, drinking from the streams of life, or finding a talisman of Vali.

    Vali¡¯s Dungeon is a place where the greatness of Vali congregates.  Enchantments and wards curl around the entrance enticing those seeking profit.  It is well known that the more mana leaking from a dungeon the more powerful artefacts naturally exist in a dungeon.  Dungeon cores will often create a piping system to expunge mana in the air to increase the number of fortune seeker.  An artefact lay on the ground where the worm hounds¡¯ corpses fell.

    Markus picked it up and turned the artefact over.  It was a chalice overflowing with a blue liquid.  ¡°I¡¯m the eternal flow of mana spring.  Drink from me ten times and I will disappear.¡±  Putting the chalice to his lips he drank deeply feeling his headache clear, but his body still felt all the familiar aches and pains.  ¡°Nine uses until I disappear.¡±

    Markus bought the inventory and placed the chalice in one of the precious slots.  This time when the darkness swirled a worm hound didn¡¯t appear.  This creature was a snagger.  Markus stared at the figure and felt his heart skip a beat.

    The tall lanky figure had yellow eyes. claws for hands, and tentacles covering its body.  Its mouth opened revealing a long-pointed bone like tongue.  He dove behind a pillar and waited for the monster to snatch him up.

    He knew what they did from the stories.  Snaggers the silent child eaters.  They creep into homes and abduct children without making a sound.  Corpses of children are found later just dried skin and bones.  Markus turned his head and saw the snagger staring at him with its hungry yellow eyes.  Terror came over him.

    Markus began to scurry back away from the creature.  It followed him on all fours cackling.  His hand shot out sending a wave of spiraling chains.  The creature leapt onto a pillar and as the chains failed to stop it.

    He slashed his hands launching lances and slashes of telekinetic power.  New skills popped up as he backtracked from the creature.  They did nothing shattering with no visible damage.  He had left the iron dust on the ground, too far to do any good with this terror clouding his mind.

    When his back hit the nearby wall, a final gallon of adrenaline hit his system.  This was the end.  He was going to end up as another chicken or hog.  The snagger moved slowly.  It was like the stories.  These creature¡¯s savored fear like a noble does fine wine.

    The light of his chain winked out and in the dark his vision cleared.  Something clicked in the rush of adrenaline he did something.  He stepped forward and punched with all his might.  The creature chuckled and held out it hand to catch Markus¡¯ punch.  Bones twisted as a twelve-year old¡¯s fist hit the creature.

    A loud crack resounded and a body thumped against a wall.  Markus stepped forward looking over the broken body of the snagger.  Even with his right arm hanging limply a sense of triumph resounded through him.  ¡°There was one tool I hadn¡¯t used my power on.¡±  His right arm hung limply, and his body was vibrating with adrenaline.  He had done what no child has before him.  Markus defeated the child eater the snagger.

    He looked at his shoulder and yelled as it shot back into place.  ¡°Can I even keep this up?¡±  The adrenaline left his body feeling weak like a band of straw.  ¡°Marie, where are you?¡±  Markus yelled out.

    Markus took the chalice out of his inventory and drank it down.  A black apple appeared when the snagger¡¯s body vanished.  Picking it up, he took out the chalice.  ¡°Do you know what this thing does?¡±  Markus asked the artefact.

    ¡°That is a black apple used to strengthen the body.  If humans eat one their vitality without stats will double.  But after eating three the effects no longer work.  Most humans don¡¯t manage to defeat a snagger by themselves or at your level.  You are a lucky one.¡±  The artefact said.

    ¡°How do you figure?  It died in one punch.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°Snaggers are creatures of the dark.  Silent and cruel most never see them coming.  Those that do with they hadn¡¯t.  They often kill with terror.  Didn¡¯t you feel the fear?¡±  Markus nodded.  If he couldn¡¯t see in the dark clearer than day, he would be dead.  No, he would be dead regardless, if he hadn¡¯t figured out how to use telekinesis to strengthen his body.

    He ate the apple quickly.  It was amazing.  His body buzzed with energy and his skin grew tougher.  When the effects ended Markus felt like he could go another few rounds with the snaggers.

    Two more snaggers appeared.  They locked on to him and ran in opposite directions, one crawling up to the sealing, while the other kept to the floor.  This time, Markus felt he didn¡¯t need to take a sip from the chalice and put it back in his inventory.

    After spotting the ceiling climbing snagger, he leapt up to grab the creature and slam it to the ground.  The other came out of nowhere stabbing its claws into Markus¡¯s side while the other leapt off the ceiling to deliver a punishing bite to Markus¡¯ face.

    Before the other snagger could get him, Markus reached out with his hand grabbed a chunk of the snagger and ripped it off.  Using his hands as shovels he ripped through flesh shearing it from bone.  It was insane and unsustainable.  Without adrenaline pumping through his body, Markus knew he would be unconscious from blood loss.

    He held the snagger that stabbed him by the arm.  The creature yanked and screeched trying to get free.  Markus held its arm in place with his right hand and began ripping it apart with his left.  Joints tore, and pieces of flesh was pulled free.  Black blood that smelled like bile covered the ground slowly sinking into the floor.  As a last-ditch effort to get free the creature began biting chunks out of its shoulder.

    When the creature tried to bite him, Markus punched it or ripped ears or eyes out.  The long tentacles that covered its body were nearly picked clean.  Only when the creature went still did he rip the claws out of his side and freeze the wound stopping the bleeding.  Another black apple appeared on the ground.  Markus picked the fruit up and began eating it keeping his eyes on the final snagger.

    His body became tougher still.  Wounds that felt debilitating were more of an irritation now.  Markus dashed forward collecting momentum.  The creature fled and for its life.  He couldn¡¯t believe how quickly the tables had turned.  What was once a huge threat, was nothing to him now.

    It wasn¡¯t until he drove it into a corner, that he realized how mistaken he was.  The creature opened its mouth and charged at him in a last-ditch effort to kill him.  Markus threw his hands up on instinct and felt the bone spear rip through his hand.  He yelled, pulled, and tore the tongue out of the creature.  He stabbed it repeatedly.  He only stopping when it started dissolving.

    Markus fell against a pillar and let himself slid down.  Sweat and blood covered his body.  This was getting to be too much.  Picking up the final apple he ate it.  The black apple tasted sour like the ones before.  He felt himself become heavier.  This was the third time he doubled his vitality.  This meant every point in vitality was worth eightThe author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Eating:  Novice 1

    Nourishment +100%

    Vitality +1%

    Endurance +0.01%

    Telekinesis: Novice 20

    Willpower +2000%

    Intelligence +20%

    Defense +0.2%

    Points 130

    Markus invested 93 in willpower.  His head began to pulse as his psychic powers became denser.  With 37 points left he invested them in vitality.  Something happened when willpower reached 100.  Each new increase had went up in price to 100points.  That meant just to bring his willpower up another 100 he needed 10,000points.  An unreal number.

    Quest #5

    Collect 100 dungeon drops

    Reward 100points

    Quest #6

    Slay 1 dungeon boss

    Reward 50points

    Quest #7

    Combine 2 skills

    Reward 30points

    They were all possible in here he was in a dungeon.  Is that why the quests didn¡¯t show up before?  Did they need certain locations to appear?  Markus let the thoughts drop as the newest monster appeared.

    It was a large headed 8-year-old with yellow eyes tentacles for hair and black halo hovering over its head.  Markus could call it cute if he didn¡¯t know what it was.  The creature stood up on two ebony legs covered in small tentacles that resembled hair.  She was also naked.  This was a Kaliatama though he preferred their local names squid heads, or brain eaters.  He even heard one story where they were called squeads.

    The second it appeared all the psychic energy outside of Markus¡¯ body vanished.  Tentacles on her head opened revealing a multitude of mouths.  They quickly sucked in what few bits of energy Markus left, the energy in his body was unaffected.

    She dashed at him in a mad hungry charge.  Markus dashed away keeping up a comfortable distance.  Soon there was no energy in the room except for what was within Markus and the Kalitama.  Fun fact about the species.  When they had no source of psychic energy they quickly become dormant.  Even at night they had little energy.  The strongest psychic monsters often kept them as pets.  Feeding them a little psychic energy to keep them moving.  They were frail and often used up their energy quickly.

    When he wouldn¡¯t let her get close she started throwing condensed spears of darkness.  The solid masses of dark mana pierced the wall a few inches but never came close to him.  He wasn¡¯t about to let her get close.  They had an uncanny ability to turn on their psychic masters.  Their mouths were equipped to crack skulls.

    Markus approached her when she slowed down, and her tentacles began to cover her face.  This was what he was waiting for.  They only did that when they were out of power.  Markus got behind the Kalitama and she moved.

    She spun around and opened her maw her back legs sprang, and her tentacles spread to latch on to him.  A chain appeared in Markus¡¯s hand and he quickly wrapped it around the creature¡¯s head.  All dark energy within the monster left her and she went slack as a board.  He looped the chain around and pulled it like he was cutting through a tree limb with wire.  The head came tumbling down.

    ¡°That was too close.¡±  Marie said.  He turned to see the vampire dressed in a red dress with a small rapier at her side.  The mana pouring out of the weapon alone made it a powerful artefact at a level Markus couldn¡¯t imagine.

    ¡°So, what would you have done if I died?¡±  Markus asked.  She tapped her chin like she was really contemplating it.

    ¡°I would have fled to live with my parents.  Though, I doubt that would stop Philip.  You wouldn¡¯t have died.  They were commanded to stop just before killing you.  I¡¯m impressed with your progress.¡±  Markus stuck his chest out in pride.

    ¡°You still have five rounds to go and I think it¡¯s time to teach you a thing or two about how to use psychic against dark types.  Well you basically know how but I need to spell it out.  You need to combine your skills and create a spell.  Two mind flayers are about to appear so better get ready.  Oh, and drink this.¡±  She tossed him a small bottle containing a red liquid.  ¡°It¡¯s a minor healing potion.¡±  Marie said helpfully.

    She was gone from the room in the next instant.  He nodded to himself.  She had forgotten about him completely.  He held out his hand and thought about it for a second.  What would he make to combat the kaliatama or mind flayer as Marie called them?

    He took two lances of psychic power, put freeze on them, and covered them with chains connected to him.  Then threw it once and saw how impractical it was.  He was twelve and this was his first spell cut him some slack.  The smoke was forming, and he would have two Kaliatama to deal with soon. What he was about to do was stupid and it shouldn¡¯t work.

    He made a thick telekinetic shape of a hammer made chains and wrapped them around them hammer.  It was just telekinesis and chains.  It looked stupid, just chains wrapped around a mass of psychic energy in the shape of a hammer.  It was glowing and floated around him.  The chains weren¡¯t dissipating because it had the psychic energy to draw from.  They kaliatama shouldn¡¯t be able to feed off of it because of the chains.

    The second the monster¡¯s appeared Markus ran out them yelling and hit the first one with his hammer.  His body crunched under the force of the hammer.  Chain links clinked as the other Kaliatama turned to see him.  It blinked its yellow eyes saw the other one on the ground bleeding black blood and fell to its knees.  It began to cry and beg in a foreign language.

    ¡°Marie,¡± Markus yelled out.

    She was there in a flash and shying away from him.  ¡°Markus step back and dispel the hammer.  I can¡¯t stand light.¡±  The chains vanish but the Kaliatama remained on the floor not even daring to take in the psychic energy.  Instead, he heard her warble out various pleas.

    ¡°What¡¯s it saying Marie?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°Its begging for its life.  I understand why you called me it must be defective.  Go back I¡¯ll reset it with a new one.¡±  Marie said.

    ¡°What will happen to this one?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll chop her up into bits and feed her to the younger ones.  That way at least she has some use.¡±  Marie said in a calm voice.  Markus didn¡¯t feel right about that.  It had begged for its life.  Sure, he could ignore it and kill it anyway.  That left a bad taste in his mouth.

    He reached for it and grabbed one of her many tentacles.  She didn¡¯t shy away.  They were smooth, cool to the touch, and a bit slimy.  His hand traveled down rubbing her face and he felt her lean into his touch.  ¡°Could I have her?  I promise to feed her other psychic monsters and keep her out of trouble.¡±  Markus said.

    Marie looked at him with one of her funny looks.  ¡°She isn¡¯t a pet Markus, you¡¯re a human and she is a dangerous monster.  Her kind feeds on humans.  The second you bring her home, she would be a danger to your family.  Non-humans can¡¯t be trusted.  I have no idea why I¡¯m arguing with you.  I walked you through my pantry and you wanted a lesson in enchanting.  It¡¯s also Philips problem.¡±  Markus reached down and picked up his new monster.  How a vampire could be so judgmental was beyond him.

    ¡°Look how cute she is I¡¯m going to name her Trixie.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°How much is the monster tamer ability for you?¡±  Marie asked.  Markus flipped open his ability menu and went down until he saw monster tamer.

    ¡°It¡¯s 250points, I should be able to get that easily.¡±  Markus said.  He smiled at the sight of Marie caving.

    Marie looked at the Kaliatama then back to him.  She began to pace around the room.  ¡°Why first your father with that baby chimera now you with the young mind flayer.  Do you have any idea how dangerous a fully grown one can be?  Let me tell you they aren¡¯t pleasant.¡±  The Kaliatama was cutely flailing about as Markus poured psychic energy into her.  ¡°And now she¡¯s high.  Congratulations, you just gave the mind flayer the equivalent to shrooms for her species.¡±  Markus had no idea what shrooms had to do with this.

    Markus tossed her under an arm.  ¡°Can I put her somewhere safe until this is over?¡±  Marie rubbed her temples.  ¡°How did the snaggers terrify you and the mind flayers make you go that is so adorable I must adopt it?¡±  Markus shrugged.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they duel types like psychic and dark?  I¡¯ve always wondered why they seem so weak in the stories.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°They never reach adulthood outside a dungeon.  It takes a powerful psychic to sustain them for years before they become adults.  When they do reach adulthood, they are powerful beyond reason.  Only light or divine ability users can reliably put them down.  The powerful psychic that sustains them until adulthood normally die.¡±  Marie said.  Markus nodded.

    ¡°So, I will be the first to raise one to adulthood and remain alive.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take her to a cell.  Just don¡¯t die Markus.¡±  Marie said.  Markus nodded and tossed her the kaliatama.   Popping the top of the healing potion he drank it down.  The wounds on his sides stopped aching.  They had become passive pains that slowed him down more than he thought.

    He was ready for the last four rounds of this gauntlet.

 Like A Wrecking Ball

    Time was running out. The moon was heavy over the dungeon. Those of the light element could feel their element shrink down to its weakest. Darkness was at its peak and all dark powers rose to their peak.

    Soon, Pa would come, and he would leave this place. His growth would return to what it was before, slow stagnant. Markus leaned on his tip toes focusing.

    Shadows rustled, as a coffin covered in chains of light appeared. Markus moved faster than ever before. The chain¡¯s light began to wink out and they were cracking. Skeletal hands began to peak grip the lid and tentacles of dark began to flow out.

    Markus¡¯ fist impacted the coffin sending it against a pillar, tentacles locked on to him and lashed out. The lid shot off revealing the monster inside. Taking his light psychic hammer in hand he smashed the flying lid away.

    It was worse than he thought. Markus yelled and flew into a powerful blow to the creature¡¯s head. Multiple skeletal arms caught the weapon the chains cracked winking out, and the psychic energy was quickly absorbed. Markus thrust his hand forward covered the creature in chains and flung it against an adjacent marble pillar. He used telekinesis to wrap the creature in layer after layer of chain. It glared at him with its red eyes just like Marie.

    This was leech, not a vampire, they are two branches of an evolutionary tree. It was a collection of leeches bound to a hive mind manipulating dozens of skeletons. The monster stood on sharpened femurs and looked through the eyes of many skulls. Rotting flesh fell off the skulls but the eyes were fresh. The creature expanded, and the chains winked out of existence.

    Markus knew this creature¡¯s attack pattern. His Pa loved telling the story of that time he fought one with Ma. The only part of it that didn¡¯t absorb psychic was the bones. A sweep came, and Markus let himself fall face first on the ground. He felt wind from the creature¡¯s attack pass over him. Not bothering to look up, he pushed himself rolling to the left as a powerful set of femur spikes slammed down where he was. Back to his feet he leapt over a set of tentacles, then closed his eyes just as the creature¡¯s dark eyes opened. Pa had run him through drills like these to prepare for certain creature¡¯s. Markus had to slow himself down. If he moved too quickly the creature would adjust its attack. But it couldn¡¯t adjust when committed due to the hive mind.

    His greatest chance to beat it would have been when it had been condensed in the coffin. At that point its weakness was right there. It was a small red blob the creature¡¯s joint intelligence. An organ that resembled a brain.

    This time Markus upped his speed and gained some distance. He would have to go for broke or lose. He clapped his hands forcing a ton of psychic energy into a single point and wrapped it with light. This was such a simple spell, and yet it held so much power. Light radiated from the the solid sphere his spell formed when he pulled his hands apart it became a long structure that resembled a spear. The creature saw his spell and fled back to the coffin. Markus had reasoned correctly that it was still afraid of the light on some level.

    He held his hand up and the light spear hovered there shining its brilliance. It was already at its limit. The light was losing its connection to the telekinetic energy and soon the spear would dissipate. He threw the weapon with all his might at the coffin. The second it hit Markus ran forward. Leeches exploded when the telekinetic force split open the coffin letting the decaying light in.

    Markus shot his hand into the pit of leeches and pulled out a red ball of mucus covered membrane. He crushed it and the leeches dispersed throughout the room. As the first coffin dissipated the last two coffins appeared. The leeches from the first monster flowed towards the coffins pulling the bones with them.

    In place of the dissipating coffin was a vial filled with water. Snakingly he picked it up. ¡°Chalice is this water of life?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°Drink it and it will increase your vitality by 10 times but you can only drink once.¡± Markus poured it down his throat and felt his body become significantly tougher.

    ¡°So that makes me eighteen times tougher now right?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°No, you should be sixteen times tougher by my count. You ate the apples and drank the water so that makes sixteen times what you had naturally. Though as you grow older you will become 16times sturdier than you normally would have. Once your puberty ends you can go through rituals to increase your base vitality further.¡± Chalice said. Markus took a sip and felt refreshed.

    While he had been chatting the 3 leech, have been communicating with each other. Markus started to increase the amount of psychic energy in his body. Small sparks of electricity bounced off his body from the shear energy pouring from him as he leveled off his power.

    His body was only supported by his psychic power. He didn¡¯t have the physical strength to move himself anymore. When he touched the floor, he could feel it, but his muscles weren¡¯t really in control. This was a problem.

    Markus let his feet leave the floor and floated to the other side of the room. Leeches poured together and gathered up the two coffins.

    Bones of all kinds gathered together as the leeches shrank down into a single powerful body. Markus shot a line of chains at the creature, but they turned to dust before touching it. This was a creature of the dark stronger than any he had ever faced. He kept seeing flashes of telekinesis leveling up faster and faster as the room was filled with a miasma of darkness. Teams of paladins were known to fall to merged leeches.

    Fortunately, he had no reason to fight this enemy straight up. Pa would be disappointed if he let his lust for battle overshadow common sense. Open palmed he sent a wave of freeze via telekinesis. Leeches froze and exploded in bloody gore. Bones were a poor insulator.

    The creature moved erratically grabbing at him and moving at incredible speeds. A coffin was flung at him like a battering ram. Markus had to cross his arms and take the attack. An iron coffin weighed around 400kilos due to the way the coffins are made. Thrown by an eldritch abomination the force of impact was several tons. Markus smashed into the wall like a tennis ball. The second he was hit he began slowing down his momentum hit the wall and hovered back to the ground.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Miasma was getting thicker the longer the creature was alive. He needed to end this quickly. The psychic energy in his body was beginning to deplete. One big attack would take too long so he needed destroy this creature a little at a time.

    Telekinetic lances and slashes covered in freeze lashed out around him. All he had to do was apply the force and the freeze traveled on. He had long since realized that psychic is just a transporter when fighting the dark. His body, freeze, and light were the meat, vegetables, and chimera grease. Leeches froze and shattered as Markus began to move forward.

    None of his senses really worked when fighting the in the miasma. He could see only flashes of bones before the stabbed at him from the purple clouds. But this was the end his victory wasn¡¯t in doubt. With every leech dead the collective weakened. Eventually they had to hide within their coffins.

    He slapped his hands against the lid as one clattered to the ground. He opened the coffin to see the leeches swirling around the large red ball inside of the coffin.

    It was moments like this one, when he knew Pa was right. It was better to have more tools at your disposal than one shiny one. He levitated the red membrane and shattered it. His telekinesis skill went up to 99.

    Shadows swirled, and the final creature appeared. It was massive and covered in spikes. This foe wasn¡¯t technically stronger than the leeches or Kaliatama. Nope not technically. The leeches can merge in their thousands becoming threats to Haven. This creature wasn¡¯t even close to a threat to haven. But it could easily dispatch the leeches in their tens. He still had time before it was fully formed.

    Out of one of the piles of dissipating coffins was a small black ring. Markus picked it up and put it on. The ring added 30points to vitality and endurance. Nothing compared to epic or legendary equipment, but it would do. He slipped it on and felt his power increase by 30% on top of his already high vitality. His vitality increased to 20x, so he added more psychic energy to his body. His already high power went up more. He needed to keep it all in for this one.

    The creature was covered in darkness. It was called a Nightlord locally. Its skin was grey, and it had normal human hands, arms, legs, and a face. The creature¡¯s eyes were yellow, and it moved casually. It did with dark what Markus did with psychic. This creature was considered equal to a noble born in battle potential. The nightlord was around his age, so it had at least 12 years to learn how to use its natural born powers under Marie a vampire.

    Lances and tentacles waged war. Flashes of level up appeared as he fought this war of attrition. Markus knew they wouldn¡¯t settle this from afar. With this guy here, he couldn¡¯t even touch the light in himself. No, this would be a physical battle of blood and bones like the stories, as it should be.

    At some unseen sign they charged at each other. The nightlord had a refined style of fighting. Markus knew it after they first exchange, his right arm went numb. Their attacks were still flying, and Markus began his defensive retreat.

    Every few attacks the nightlord changed patterns. But he always leaned back on his back leg before he changed. A trap or maybe a habit.

    He felt what was wrong with his right arm. The attack had driven dark mana into his arm and disrupted his control. Using what little light, he had left, he drove out the darkness. When he moved his right arm again the nightlord gave him a frustrated look.

    ¡°Well what have you learned boy?¡± Pa¡¯s voice rang out forcing Markus to think. He dodged more debilitating strikes meant to take out his limbs and let his mind handle the issue. Patiently, he watched his opponent move, he was fast, faster than Markus. But his blows were soft, when he couldn¡¯t gather enough velocity. There it was, he realized. It was stupid really.

    His enemy was light as a feather and when he could gather enough speed hit like a freight train. But Markus was sturdier. He needed less speed to deliver more force.

    The nightlord was doing it again. He flew around the room to gather speed for a powerful blow. Markus flew at his side using his body like a wrecking ball. He smashed the nightlord into the wall and threw him down and drove his body down with all the force he could muster. The nightlord rolled out of the way, as Markus drove his feet into the marble floor.

    Cracked marble flew everywhere as he yanked himself out. The floor began to repair itself as Markus continued to move himself like nothing else mattered. The nightlord looked on in terror as Markus ripped through pillar after pillar.

    He managed to clip the nightlord. ¡°Please no more I surrender.¡± The nightlord said and spat up blood. This time was different Markus was out for blood. Power was rolling off of him and the ground crumbled under his feet. The Nightlord scrambled away trying to get as much distance as he could.

    ¡°Enough Markus you won.¡± Markus turned his head to Marie. She waved her hand and the nightlord vanished. ¡°Here take this as a sign of victory.¡± Marie said. She held a small crimson peach in her hand.

    ¡°What does it do?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°It increases base vitality to 50x natural no more no less. It is the ultimate prize of the dark type side of my dungeon. Darkness after all is eternal even after the light winks out the dark shall remain.¡± She handed it over to Markus and he took a bite. The rich juices tasted sweeter than anything he had ever tasted. The peel was perfect and the meat supple. The peach was gone in seconds. Its energy began to echo throughout his body immediately. His body quickly hardened becoming something denser. Even his organs became unbearably heavy. If he was to estimate his weight it would be around 2.25 tons. He couldn¡¯t move and inch without telekinesis now.

    She gave him an odd expression. Like something was off. ¡°Something is bother you Marie.¡± It was a statement that caused her to look even stranger.

    ¡°You can¡¯t move without telekinesis, now right?¡± He nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange moving without relying on my muscles. My body is so strong now that I could break someone, if I hugged them too quickly. I must minimize velocity or risk my momentum destroying them. I can¡¯t even play with Trixie¡¯s tentacles now without ripping her head off by accident. So, now I guess I¡¯m going to need to search for the dexterity, and strength equivalents to boost those stats.¡± Markus said. She gave him a pitying look.

    ¡°Challenging an actual dungeon and what this is could be considered night and day. I would suggest collecting endurance from the light monsters here first then challenging strength in another year. Student in the academy can take sabbaticals to challenge dungeons. I¡¯m sure you could ask some of your classmates for help. Dexterity is another animal entirely strength may be the only way to fight that monster.¡± They were both silent for a few minutes. ¡°How many points do you have?¡± He looked at his menu.

    ¡°Since I didn¡¯t kill that last guy, I have 370.¡± Markus went to his points menu and bought monster tamer then froze. He had just bought another ability. Time passed as he waited for something to happen.

    ¡°It seems you have enough vitality to withstand the transformation.¡± Marie said.

    ¡°Yea,¡± Markus said. He felt like his mind exploded outward. There were small cables shooting out of his head looking for matches. There were light, dark, light blue, and violet colored cables moving about. One even seemed to be flirting up to Marie. Her face was crimson. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be its normal for boys your age to have little control over themselves especially around powerful monsters like me.¡± Marie said with a slight smile.

    ¡°You said, you would teach me how to use darkness.¡± She grew serious and Markus rubbed his hands together in preparation for the lesson.

 ch9 Part1 Lessons From Maria

    Dark things slithered about, and screams echoed through the dungeon.  They were sound from the spirits of Maria¡¯s victims they haunted this place the Vali dungeon.  From legendary knights, to peasants begging on the streets humans from all walks of life found their way into her pantry.  Like a child going at a cookie jar when their Ma isn¡¯t around, she devoured them mercilessly.  As was her right, he wasn¡¯t judging her nor the wails of angry spirits demanding justice.   Markus could only sense them when he touched the dark, he had a feeling he would become more familiar with them.  They waited for him to open the door and let them slither inside his mind.  Once he let them in there would be no restoring his mind to its former purity.

    ¡°Markus pay attention, you looked like you nodded off there.  Is the late-night training getting to you?  We could cut it short.¡±  Maria said in a cheerful voice that twisted his nerves.  He gave her his full attention.  ¡°Good, now, since you¡¯re human there is a danger of the dark souls in this place trying to overwhelm you.  I need you to eat them.¡±  He stared at her for a while and she blinked at him politely.

    ¡°Eat them, like how I eat things normally?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°They are broken pieces of dark chipped away when a soul leaves the body swearing vengeance or worse giving in to despair.  Markus they aren¡¯t really people just shavings from them.  The worst parts.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try, any tips?¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°Once you start keep eating until there¡¯s no room left.  If you don¡¯t then one will slip in and alter you in ways you can¡¯t imagine.¡± Marie said.

    Markus nodded and parted his feet.  He needed a good stance, the waves of darkness around them was thick.

    His will flexed like a powerful creature changing directions.  The ocean of darkness shook around as his movements caused ripples.  Shapes in the darkness couldn¡¯t wait to get inside him and wreck his mind.  He wouldn¡¯t let them.

    He sent all the air out of his lungs gripped the darkness around him with his will and began pulling it in.  Markus pictured his will becoming a meat grinder taking in the screaming spirits in the dark and breaking them down to an easier to consume form.  As the spirits entered him the meat grinder¡¯s crank turned grinding bones with the muscle and tendons.  All of it formed into an easily consumed slurry filling wherever darkness went when he ate it.  Some of the bones were tougher than others.  Before they went through, he added another array of grinders and sent the slurry through another round.

    Minutes passed, and his lungs were full.  If he exhaled it would shake his process and a few of the spirits might really get inside him intact.  Maria had her eyes on him like he was doing something impressive.

    Pa would tell him he was being sloppy.  Why would his lungs have anything to do with eating darkness?  He didn¡¯t know, and Pa would argue that they had nothing to do with one another.  Then Markus would be stubborn and argue his point even if it was losing.

    A wail and a frantic exhale later, Markus let out his breath and went back to breathing.  He was still eating the darkness like Marie told him to.  He was just breathing while doing it.  She still had this impressed look on her face that made him want to swell with pride.  Then it hit him.  He was full.  The grinder was still going but the slurry wasn¡¯t going inside him anymore.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not changed, and you said you would teach me how to use darkness like you do?¡±  She continued to smile in that creepy way Markus was beginning to associate with her when Markus did well.

    ¡°Tell me Markus, why did you consume darkness?  Don¡¯t most humans either materialize and element or manipulate it?¡±  Markus nodded wondering where this was going.  She looked at him pointedly.  Oh, this was where he was supposed to answer. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°To give me a blueprint to work from.  I¡¯m guessing the stronger the darkness I can eat the better form of darkness I can emulate.¡±  She shook her head.

    ¡°As wrong as wrong can be.  You take in the dark because using chaotic darkness is as likely to turn on you as to follow the orders of your will.  With your own darkness, you don¡¯t have to worry about it disobeying you.¡±  Marie said.  That made a sort of sense.  He had so many questions.  ¡°Save it for next time.  Make a tentacle of darkness from the darkness you just absorbed, then draw it out.¡±

    Markus nodded and felt the dark within him it changed already.  It felt like an pet eager to leap at his command.  It didn¡¯t even interfere with his psychic energy.    At the command of his will it leapt out and his skin mutated.  He stared at a growth rising from his forearm.  A long fleshy tentacle shot out staying rigid as a pole.  It itched like a thousand ant bites.

    ¡°Good this is a good example of a tentacle.  This is the bread and butter of darkness.  Tentacles can rip through prey, act as extra limbs, and damage enemy morale.  Vampires don¡¯t often use such techniques because of our inherent vanity.  Even I would rather not use the skill.  That¡¯s why familiars were invented.¡±  A gray shape leapt from her body and formed into a bat.   The thing flapped its wings a few times and flew up to her shoulder.  Glowing red eyes covered the creature.

    ¡°Is this the skill you wanted to show me?  It doesn¡¯t look better than the tentacle.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°Oh, and you are the master of all things dark?¡±  Markus was silent.  ¡°No, ok well bats are an example, the technique is called familiar, bats is just a subskill within it.  What makes my bats an effective weapon is their ability to infect humans and turn them into fledglings.  I can turn an army of knights into a pile of corpses and never lift a finger.  When making familiars remember that when they infect flesh the target will change.  I wonder what your familiars will turn people into?¡±  Marie said.

    This was going into dark territory no puns intended.  Markus didn¡¯t want to become the next dark hero or worse a demon lord.  This skill would be on the don¡¯t use ever list.  But saying that he needed every tool he could get his hands on.

    He withdrew the tentacle back into himself and felt his dark energy was missing a little.  He ground up a bit more darkness.  The screaming bothered him less than the thought of causing a horrible plague.  There was a problem, what would he use for a familiar.  Bats weren¡¯t his style and crows seemed a little used as well.  Every dark lord ever had a crow, bat, or snake fetish of some kind.

    Putting his hands together, he let his thoughts guide him and they led to Stan.  He wasn¡¯t about to unleash a horde of Stans on the world.  But it got him thinking in what he hoped was the right direction.  Conventional, wasn¡¯t really him anyway.  The darkness swirled within his hands creating an egg.  He placed it on the ground and watched the thing hatch.

    ¡°You know that has to be the most disgusting familiar I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±  What stood up 10 inches tall looking around was the cross between a T-rex, a wasp, and a prayingmantice.  The black winged lizard with scythes for arms spit a wad of acid on the ground and flapped its thin black wings spraying dust all over the ground.  Marie stared at it for a full ten minutes.  The creature moved about hissing and scratching.  Occasionally, it fluttered its wings moving with a sound like a hawk fluttering.  It mandibles adjusted as it looked around.  Multiple glowing blue eyes covered the creature.  Markus could see through them.  ¡°Congratulations, your Pa would be so proud.  I¡¯m going to let you fight like before the difficulty is about to go up a bit, hope you¡¯re up for it.

    ¡°One more thing Maria before you go.  Why do I way so much and I¡¯ve never heard of nobles weighing a lot that weren¡¯t fat.¡±  Maria giggled at him for a long time.  When she saw his face she sobered a bit.

    ¡°Markus you ate a dungeon¡¯s treasure.  You know darkness has mutating effects right.  Well instead of growing extra arms or a third nipple, your weight scales to your base vitality.  Hope your future wife is sturdy because its hereditary.¡±  With that Maria vanished in the shadows.

    Skills/spells

    Psychic

    Telekinesis: Apprentice 10, Empathy: beginner 20, Telepathy: beginner 15, Life Support: beginner 30

    Sub skills

    Pierce 12, Slash 15, Crush 20

    Dark

    Familiar: beginner 5, Tentacle: beginner 2, Eye: beginner 1

    Ice

    Freeze: Beginner 80

    Light

    Chains: initiate 10

    Monster tamer

    MISC

    Eating: Initiate 50

    Movement:  Initiate 30

    Brawling: Initiate 19

    Farming: beginner 10

    Hunting: beginner 5

    Spells

    Light Psychic Hammer

    Piercing ice

    Slashing ice

 Chapter 9 part 2 angel slayer

    Light monsters, angels of the wilds.  Fallen angels, when found controlled by a dungeon.  When a monster tamer connects with a light monster they are considered holy.  Most are given an invitation to join a holy order of knights.  They swear off the opposite sex and devote their lives to evolving their monsters and battling the dark.  If Markus chose to connect with any light monster, he could get his academy tuition paid in full.  But with tentacles flowing out from his skin and several familiars littering the ground.  He doubted a light type monster would connect with him.

    A lantern appeared in the center of the room.  A puppet danced around it and fed it scraps of paper.  The small creature ventured out into the dark and retrieved scraps of linen discarded from the coffins.  Markus knew what this creature was.

    The lantern and cloth doll were a dead giveaway.  This was a Lantern Marionette, one of the weakest light monsters found in the wild.  Some considered them one of the bravest.  In the stories when heroes were lost they came to them and offered their light.  Resting under the light of their lanterns could heal a hero or knight¡¯s mind and clear away doubts.  The Marionette fed the flame, but it wasn¡¯t real.  The monster was the lantern itself.

    Markus stood back and studied the lantern.  It let off a soft glow covering the floor with yellow light.  He could destroy it with a flex of his thoughts, but that wasn¡¯t the point.  He needed to destroy it with darkness.  His familiars cornered the marionette and tore the rag golem apart.  It would take years for the lantern to make a new golem.

    He could have let the light go out and smash the empty lantern but that wasn¡¯t his goal.  Strong darkness took out his light skills, so maybe he could do the same.  Tentacles rose from the ground and encircled the monster.  It began to dim even as Markus lost a good bit of his darkness.  When the light did go out he plunged tentacles through the lantern ending the monster.

    Two Lantern marionettes appeared along with a relic collector.  Small glowing amulets covered a white robe.  The robe moved about then locked on him.  It thrust one of its relics at him shining a light ripping away at most of Markus¡¯ darkness and familiars.

    Two quick slams of psychic smashed the lanterns letting their collected light wink out.  The marionettes fell.  Markus used cut away at the cords holding the relics on the monster.  He pulled the last one from the creature¡¯s grasp and ripped it apart with tentacles.

    Two relic collectors and a Star fairy appeared.  Markus noticed the pattern quickly.  There was a bit of an issue.  The Star fairy was from a high evolution line of day fairy.  They could exist at night just as easily as during the day.  The fairy had long golden wings and an alien almost human figure.  Her ears were pointed, and her face was angled differently but she was almost human.  Her size was comparable to the relic collector.  So, she stood nearly four feet tall.

    He didn¡¯t have any lore on them.  This was the sort of reason why lore wardens were brought into dungeons.  The fairy wasted no time launching balls of light giggling the whole time.  The two relic collectors blasted him with powerful light beams.

    They gave him the equivalent to a light sunburn.  The light balls slammed into him and dissipated.  If it was during the day, he would probably be a burnt crisp.  Standing his ground, he began absorbing darkness.   The best way to take on these creatures was to overwhelm their light.

    Once he was full once again, he unleashed a powerful tentacle.  It whipped through the fairy and bisected the cloaks.  From the fairy¡¯s body he found a small golden fig.  Popping it in his mouth, his endurance doubled.  It was just like the apples.

    Two fairies and a walking golem of heavy armor appeared.  That was when Trixie entered the room.  The small mind flayer shrieked and burbled when she saw the Holy Armor lock on to her.  Markus stepped between the suit of armor and the mind flayer.  ¡°Trixie why are you in here, you¡¯re supposed to be safe.¡±  Markus said.  She let out a series of burbles.

    The connections constantly moving about met up with her and popped together with her psychic and darkness elements.  It felt like some monster was about to swallow his mind.  He grabbed his head and let out a yell.  He wouldn¡¯t be devoured he was Markus of Might.  His willpower slammed down like an anchor.  A blackhole was about to swallow him whole but he wouldn¡¯t let it.  The blackhole threatened to swallow his psychic energy.  He struggled against it losing monstrous amounts of psychic power, then finally his willpower kicked in.

    Everything stopped and fell into clarity.  This was the mind of a mind flayer.  No wonder they were never partnered, they must rip the mind of everyone who tries apart.  He felt like shaking his head at the silly creature.  Markus pulled his energy back inside himself.  The blackhole still leeched some away but it was negligent.

    ¡°Save me, I don¡¯t want to fight anymore.¡±  He could finally understand her burbles at least.  His hand reached out stopping the axe of the holy armor.  The two fairies were dead their heads broken open and their brains sucked out.

    ¡°How long was I out?¡±  Markus asked as he picked up the armor and slammed it down.

    ¡°Food, you speak now?¡±  Trixie asked.  Markus stomped the suit of armor until it was a pile of unmoving scrap metal.

    ¡°Who are you calling food?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°You, food, are slow.¡±  Trixie said.  Markus sighed as more holy armor appeared followed by a star dancer.  An androgynous creature that moved with the utmost dexterity and agility.  They are often used by nobles for holy rituals.  Markus snapped its neck and tossed familiars on its body to infest the corpse.  ¡°More light, I hate the light, food save me.¡±  Trixie said. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Markus took the axe from the previous suit of armor.  It felt like a willow wand in his hands.  When you compared their proportional weight, Markus¡¯ was much greater.  His swings had more control than they should, and an axe skill popped up and began having breakthroughs every dead holy armor gained him 25 levels.  When they fell tentacles rose up and speared through them.  He was learning that the only way to put the light down was with copious amounts of darkness.

    He heard a strange slurping sound and turned his head to see Trixie biting through the star dancer¡¯s head to suck out the brain.  ¡°Trixie why are you eating that you already had two?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°Need more food, who Trixie?¡±  He realized belatedly that they were communicating through a mental link.  She was still sucking out the star dancer¡¯s brains.

    ¡°I named you Trixie.  You¡¯re my pet after all.¡±  Markus said.  Two-star dancers appeared and a light bearer.  Markus snapped the star dancers¡¯ necks and they fell on the ground.  The light bearer moved out of his psychic range and formed a spear of light.  Markus yanked Trixie out of range just as the spear stabbed into the ground where she stood.

    ¡°Fellow warrior of light I can sense the powers of light within thee.  Pray tell why assist the abomination.  Does she have some control over you?  I will free you brother.¡±  Light bearers, loyal warriors of light monsters that bear the power to mold and shape light into weapons.  Often high in vitality, endurance, and strength.  They are fast and hard to put down.

    Planted tentacles of darkness shot out, only to melt before the monster¡¯s light weapons.  ¡°I will save you.  I can see the psychic power she is using through you.¡±  Markus was getting tired of having to fight with such a short range.  After three meters, he had no way to effect things with his psychic powers due to life support.

    He moved Trixie behind a column.  ¡°How am I your pet when you¡¯re food?¡±  Markus patted her on the head feeling the slimy squirm of her head tentacles.  She winced a bit as he patted her gently.

    ¡°I will protect you Trixie don¡¯t worry.  Just stay behind here and you will be safe.  She looked up at him with a cute expression on her face.  Her big yellow eyes and tight exotic features made him want to pick her up and hold her.

    ¡°You¡¯re a weird one.  If I¡¯m Trixie now, who are you?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Markus.¡±  She nodded her head and her nose scrunched up.

    ¡°A Markus then, you are a Markus.  A Markus isn¡¯t food it¡¯s a protector.¡±  He nodded.  She turned her head then nodded.  ¡°Protect me my Markus.¡±  Trixie said.

    ¡°I will Trixie.¡±  She nodded understanding and not getting a thing.  He could see the confusion on her face as they entered unfamiliar territory.

    Markus stepped away from the column.  He let his weight fall upon the ground feeling just how heavy he really was.  His feet pounded on the ground as he built up speed.  The light bearer threw a spear of light, and Markus deflected it with his axe.  The Light bearer make a shield and blocked the first blow from the axe.  Markus reached a hand out grabbing the light bearer¡¯s face and threw him up using his superior weight as leverage.

    For that second there was a gap in the light and Markus speared him through with a tentacle.  The skill went up with a constant flash of level up screens.

    Tentacle: initiate 50

    Willpower +50%

    Piercing +0.5%

    His tentacle had a color change.  It was a deep purple now and it was thicker than it was before.  Miasma radiated from it absorbing some of the light.  He picked up a silver apple and bit into it.  His endurance rose by x3.  And he found another axe.  Duel wielding axes sounded like the perfect plan.

    Two light bearers appeared and an Angelus Fragmentus.  The light bearer attacked, and the angelus stood there its white feathers flapping about.  Golden light chains covered the creatures as it hovered over the ground unwilling to step on the ground.  Bells made of light hung from the creature¡¯s chains sending light energy before the thundering sounds.  Waves of light radiated from the creature the bells rang out as it glided towards his battle with he light bearers.

    Markus focused on twisting and chopping.  The light bearers were better with weapons than him and if he tried to focus on telekinesis they became relentless.  His strategy was to get into a grapple with one of them.  Using his superior weight, he should be able to snap them like tooth picks.

    Their weapons clanged against his cutting deep rivets out of the axe blades.  The axes were beginning to resemble clubs more than axes at this point.   The angelus rang its bells unleashing songs to the light.  Any dark being who heard them would surely suffer.  For Markus it was merely annoying.

    He let go of his weapons and dove forward.  Swords stabbed into his body piercing him too shallowly to kill.  With his hands on them they were his and they knew it.  He took to them like rocks between his hands.

    Smash, their bodies collided, and shoulders were dislocated.  He gripped them hard, crunch, bones and tendons popped or snapped.  He lifted them up and began to apply psychic pressure.  Scrunch, he bellowed unleashing a wave of psychic force.  Their bodies were ripped apart.  Gaping wounds covered their bodies from the piercing, slashes, and crushing waves of psychic power.  They were still tougher than any monster he had faced before.  Tentacles shot out of his hands and finished them.  Markus tossed their bodies and ran at the angelus.

    The creature rang its bell sending waves of light energies at him knocking him a few feet back.  He kept his body on the ground with telekinesis and stepped forward.  The bells continued to ring as he stepped closer.  His hand out stretched to grab the monster.  The ringing of bells grew in frequency.  His hand wrapped around the angelus¡¯s ankle.  Putting his body to work.  He slammed the angelus on the ground and sliced it open with a tentacle.

    From the dissolving body, he picked up a feather covered in amber.  It gave a onetime endurance boost of x10.  He crushed it and absorbed the effects.  Markus didn¡¯t feel as tired as he had before.  He walked around the pillar to see Trixie.  Black blood seeped from her nose and her hands covered her ears.  She looked up at him and grinned.  Her teeth were serrated for sawing through skulls, it showed.

    ¡°My Markus, they dead.¡±  He nodded.

    ¡°More are on their way.  Once I kill them and the next two batches we should be good to leave.¡±  He stretched out.  Despite the endurance increase the long night and constant fighting was getting to him.  He needed a break.

    ¡°Can you do it?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°The light is strong, I¡¯m stronger.¡±  Makus said with confidence he didn¡¯t really feel.  She nodded her head and he slumped down resting for a few minutes.

    ¡°Why not make traps?¡±  Trixie asked.  He raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Elaborate on your thoughts.¡±  Markus said.  He said and let her speak.

    ¡°Darkness not instant.  It creeps patient forever, if needed.  Entrench the area make it yours.  Their light will weaken.¡±  Trixie said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown more talkative.  What happened to calling me food?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Markus, not food, protector.  I spare more brain power for you.¡±  She nodded her head like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  He shrugged and decided to give it a try.  After rubbing her head for good luck, he began summoning familiars and covered the room with eyes.  What was the worst that could happen?

 Chapter 9.3 End of a Long Night

    Eyes covered the room in their hundreds. There were no more wailing spirits. They were all devoured to make this room into a battle field dedicated to darkness. Tentacles covered the floor and walls whipping about ready to impale or entangle an enemy on their Markus¡¯ command. Small familiars ran around the place, fluttering on walls, or crawling on the ceiling.

    Markus took a sip from Chalice. He only had three more until she vanished. She and Trixie were all that kept him sane in the later stages of this battle.

    Two Angelus Fragmentus formed, their holy demeaner made them look like angels sent to cleanse a black spot in hell. Then there was the dimmed sentinel. Somewhat immune to the dark it stood nearly ten feet tall. Weighing nearly 4 tons and if not for its damaged appearance Markus would be nervous.

    The normal light from the Angeluses¡¯ failed to pierce the growing fog of miasma in the room. Tentacles moved in the fog quickly wrapping around the angeluses and ripping them away from the sentinel. The massive golem hardly noticed. It was focused only on Markus.

    His familiars leapt upon the angeluses merging with their flesh mutating them. Tentacles shot out of their bodies and their stomachs began expanding. Their wings shed of of their feathers and a dark presence began to consume the light within them. After seconds of mutating a dark pulse expanded through the room. Their stomachs split open.

    Two massive black snakes burst from the Angeluses bodies. These creatures hissed and moved in the shadows like pools of water. They struck at the sentinel, but it hardly noticed their bites. It raised its cannon and fired off a salvo of flares.

    Lights appeared and were snuffed out by the shear amount of darkness in the room. Markus stepped up to the creature and unleashed a barrage of slices and pierces. His blows barely scratched the heavy steel plates covering the creature¡¯s body. It stood firm tanking everything. Markus blasted it with pure psychic force and nothing happened. The Sentinel punched him in the chest sending him sprawling back.

    It stepped forward ignoring the tentacles grappling it. Markus rolled away from a powerful hammer blow and a stomp form the creature. Out of options Markus began to freeze the creature. The giant quickly stopped moving. Whatever powered it stopped cold. Markus knew what he had to do but didn¡¯t like it. Checking his points, he blinked and blinked again. He had 1,085points.

    He put 99points into vitality. In a sudden burst he doubled in weight. His body bulged, and he grew taller. Breathing became difficult. Like the willpower the stat needed a hundred points to increase it further. Markus stomped on the ground and felt the marble floor crack. He added 99points to endurance, strength, dexterity, and agility. They weren¡¯t as impressive as vitality, but he felt a little better. Psychic power gently took over his breathing. It carried his heavy blood through his body and performed other functions he no longer had the strength to.

    With a little over six hundred points left he bought a vitality exclusive ability unlocked when he gained 100 stat points in vitality. 500points later he had a powerful new ability.

    Indestructible

    The world changes oceans cleave through mountains and stars go out, but you survive when all things end. You are the indestructible master of all. +100% vitality after point calculations not including items and armor. Blunt damage is cut by ten percent of vitality.

    His body grew ever stronger soon he weighed over 10 tons. The world around him appeared ever more fragile. He took a step and felt his foot cave in the ground. His breathing was fully taken over by life support and his range of telekinesis shrank to a few feet around him.

    Two dimmed sentinels appeared along with a mirror golem. Markus stepped forward now standing 2meters tall. He raised his hands and punched one of the sentinels. It flew crashing against a pillar. Markus balled his hands together and sent them into the mirror golems mirror shield. It cracked exploding from the pure force. Tentacles moved at his will spearing through the sentinels when he knocked them down or tripping one up as he wailed on them.

    Tentacle: novice 2

    Willpower 200%

    Pierce +2%

    Vitality +0.02%

    Once they fall in battle the next round started immediately. He could feel the light coming, the sun was going to rise soon. 2 mirror golems appeared accompanied by a pointy eared priest. An elf, he was sure of it. The elf cast spells that made the golems glow destroying many of the tentacles. Markus jumped up and grabbed the golem¡¯s shoulders. Under his extreme weight the creature fell, and Markus stomped its head in. Weighing over 10 tons was coming in handy. The elf looked at him in fear just like the nightlord.

    Markus charged the elf with the other golem¡¯s mirror shield in hand. He bashed the other golem into the wall and snatched up the elf. Before the elf could plead Markus threw him hard against the wall. The wards on the golem winked out leaving it at the mercy of tentacles with its mirror shield cracked.

    The elf¡¯s corpse dissolved, and Markus picked up a white fig. This must have been the dungeon treasure for endurance. He tossed it in his mouth and waited for weird transformation. Instead his base endurance increased to 50x he decided to grab the endurance ability. For 500points, he purchased Relentless. The mirror golems went for 150points each and the elf went for 300. So the last five netted him a nice 600points alone.

    Relentless

    While others stop you keep going ever chasing a goal. Though friends and enemies may fall at the wayside you will keep going forever you are relentless. +100% endurance after point calculations not including items and armor life¡¯s necessities have been cut in half.

    Breathing didn¡¯t become easier it came less often. His heart quieted down to a slower drum in his chest. Everything became a bit calmer to him. A smile formed, and he let out a whoop. He survived the challenge and snagged both treasures. He looked down to see his clothes in ruins. Stab wounds and scratches covered his body. His skin was sunburned by the light bells those Angelus Fragmentus used and bits of skull were stuck in his foot. Reaching down, he yanked the pieces out watching his wounds clot quickly before his eyes and began to heal.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He was much bigger, than he was before 2meters by his estimate. Going behind the pillar he scooped Trixie from her hiding place. ¡°We¡¯re going now?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He said. Moving out of the chamber he made his way to find Marie and walked through the pantry. Only there was no more movement. No, it was more like everyone was dead with their throats ripped out. He opened the door to the kitchen to see no one. A note was left on the table with a bowl of soup.

    Dear Markus

    I wanted to stay and see your Pa, I really did. But we had a rough falling out and I don¡¯t want to deal with the Hero of might with his kid in danger. Its bad for my health. So, I left you a bowl of soup and a change of clothes. I enchanted them myself to resize to the wearer and even repair damage. Enjoy, maybe we will see each other again someday. Don¡¯t lose my signet ring, it will protect you in the academy trust me. Be careful with yourself Markus and don¡¯t look for me. Good Bye.

    Forever a Friend

    Marie Dracul

    Dracul, he looked the ring over and sure enough a dragon surrounded the gem in the black ring. This was a noble¡¯s ring one worn by a lady. It resized to fit his pinky. The stone seemed tiny compared to his large fingers. Trixie went through a series of yawns and promptly fell asleep.

    Markus put on the new cloths. The pants resized, they were made of leather and filled with cooling enchantments. The shirt was a bit flowery for his taste, but it was the style now. A smart black vest went over the flowery blouse a straw-hat hand crafted lay next to the cloths. Along with dress socks and riding boots. The hat had black thread running through it but didn¡¯t really go with the outfit. He wore it anyway. His height would already make him stand out with or without the hat.

    He moved about after finishing the soup looking for anything useful. But it seemed she cleaned the place out of any tools. Even the dungeon core was gone. Vali dungeon would surely appear somewhere else. The monsters would remain and with time the mana would congeal into a new dungeon core. That¡¯s what the lore said, anyway.

    Markus found an old umbrella. It would supply Trixie with shade at least. Just as he prepared to venture out of the dungeon, a wall opened revealing Pa. The old man looked him over. ¡°What did she do to you boy? You look fully grown.¡± Pa said and just like that he felt his age again. Embarrassment clouded his words and he stuttered a bit. ¡°Slow down and talk plainly you¡¯re not in trouble.¡± Pa said.

    ¡°I ate the dungeon treasures one of them was dark, so it made me taller and heavier.¡± Pa nodded.

    ¡°Well as long as you didn¡¯t grow extra arms or a third nipple, no harm done.¡± Pa said with a grin. ¡°What do you have under your arm son?¡± Pa asked. This was the moment of truth.

    ¡°This is Trixie my mind flayer.¡± He said almost in challenge.

    ¡°They are dangerous boy. You know that, well where is Marie Dracul haven¡¯t seen that woman in ten years would love to catch up.¡± He handed him the letter.

    Pa shook his head and wiped the sweat away. ¡°That woman and her anxiety. If I wanted to kill her, I would have done it instead of just smacking her around a little. I¡¯ll catch her one of these days and get my reminiscing.¡± Pa looked up at Markus¡¯s new cloths.

    ¡°What your wearing is probably worth 100k points. The enchantments on them will last forever. I bet your great grandkids will inherit them just as fresh looking as now. Multiply it by ten if you let out it¡¯s a Maria Dracul original.¡± Markus blinked he was wearing 1m points worth of enchanted clothing.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we sell it then we could expand the farm and raise anything we wanted.¡± Pa shook his head.

    ¡°Its hard to prove it was hers and most would think you stole them rather than received them as a gift. Better to wear them during the hot summer than get our whole family locked up. Now if you¡¯re done dawdling lets go.¡± They traveled to a blue rune covered circle and after a squeezing sensation appeared near the wagon. Stan sized him up and the goat head spat a wad of flam on Trixie. Then guffawed to himself. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s part of the family now.¡± Pa muttered.

    Trixie was put under an umbrella over in the wagon while Markus jogged beside. He was much too heavy to ride now.

    Full stats and skills 1

    Psychic

    Telekinesis: Apprentice 50   Telepathy: Beginner 20,     Empathy: Beginner 15

    Willpower +500,000%        Intelligence +0.2%         Willpower +0.15%

    Intelligence +5000%

    Defense +50%

    Slash +0.5%

    Life Support: Initiate 2

    Willpower +2%

    Vitality +0.02%

    <hr>

    Dark

    Tentacle: Novice 20,    Eye: Novice 1,         Familiar: Beginner 20

    Willpower +2000%     Perception +100%     Willpower +0.2%

    Pierce +20%          Dark Resist +1%

    Vitality +0.2%         Miasma +0.01%

    <hr>

    Ice

    Freeze: Beginner 80

    Willpower +0.8%

    <hr>

    Light

    Chains: Initiate 10

    Willpower +10%

    Defense +0.1%

    <hr>

    Monster Tamer

    Communicate: Beginner 2

    Charisma +0.02%

    <hr>

    Misc

    Farming: Beginner 20       Mob Slayer: Beginner 90       Hunter: Beginner 10

    Intelligence +0.2%          Intelligence +0.9%            Agility +0.1%

    Movement: Initiate 20       Eating: Initiate 50             Axe Mastery: beginner 75

    Mobility +20%             Nourishment +50%           Strength +0.75%

    Dexterity +0.2%            Vitality +0.5%

    ASI(Abilities/Skills/items)

    Stats        base  points%  ASI%  Net stats

    Vitality       x50   100      130.72  230

    Endurance   x50   100      130    230

    Strength     1     100      0.75    2

    Dexterity    1     100      0.2     2

    Agility      1     100      0.1     2

    Intelligence  1     100      5k     100

    Willpower   1     100      502k   10.04k

 Chapter 10 A Day of Hunting

    The sun raged down, and the day fairies danced absorbing the plentiful sunlight. They sang a light song, as they dug up burrows to burn their night brethren. It was a war of nature. At night the night fairies froze the fragile sun fairies as often as possible. It was a war of evolution. The fairies that slew the most and survived the most days had a chance to evolve into a star or comet fairy. Rarely did the fairies live so long.

    It was a brutal world and Markus was made more aware of it now that he had to spend nights outside. He was too heavy to go inside now. Ten tons was a lot. Every night, he watched the wars between the fairies, rage. Sleep did not come often and when it did, he was often choked awake. His life support skill functioned best when he was awake.

    When he was younger Pa would always tell him don¡¯t interfere with the fairies. Markus was impulsive and age eight he spent a day helping the day fairies dig up the night fairies. When Pa caught him, he was so angry. Markus thought he was getting a strapping for sure, but no father took him and made him watch the aftermath. The night fairies left, and the day fairies changed. Half of them became night fairies and the war started over again. Nature had a way of balancing itself out.

    The day and the night, light and the dark were more similar than most people thought. If all the dark monsters were wiped out, the light monsters would soon become corrupt. It was a law of the world the balance of magic and nature. Who or what made this law is unknown, it is what it is. Researchers of magic have journeyed to various dungeons and always there are two or more opposing types living in the dungeon.

    He learned his lesson. Markus himself was a walking contradiction. A human with opposing elements. After tossing a few dozen spiders in his mouth he felt better. 360points didn¡¯t sound like much anymore. He could increase his vitality by 3% that would be something. Though increasing his willpower would be more effective. Willpower increased the density of magic, his ability to multitask, and his resistance to mind control. He looked over at his monster companion.

    Trixie was another powerful contradiction. Her presence was like a blackhole. His willpower let him resist her mind, if not for it he would have been swallowed up by her consciousness. Every day she doesn¡¯t eat the pull from her mind grows stronger.

    That¡¯s why he stood outside Pa¡¯s shed. His Pa was working on the tilling blades. The metal had bent on a large piece of Ironcite.

    Ironcite is a chunk of iron that absorbed a ton of metal type mana in the ground. When forged ironcite can become something formidable, unforged its an annoying rock that bends tilling blades. Most crops had been harvested already but they had a few that grew year-round. Opening a new field seemed like a good idea. So, Pa bought a crop they haven¡¯t planted before.

    A Valley Pepper it was a hardy plant that grew year-round. While very popular in the south, most cooking in the north didn¡¯t have much spice. Pa wanted to test and see if the northerner villages would jump on it. It was a gamble but they had taken them before.

    Unfortunately, the tiller was bent in a U. Pa could just bend the blade back, but it would likely weaken the steel. So, he was stuck heating and cooling the blade bending it a little at a time and checking for weaknesses in the blade.

    He knocked on the door and heard a mighty crash and a few curses. ¡°Come in boy, what do you need?¡± Pa said.

    Markus opened the door to a blast of heat. Pa was there sweating up a storm covered in Stan¡¯s grease and bending the the metal with his bare hands ignoring the heat from the flames. Stan¡¯s grease cut most of the heat away regardless.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a trip to the woods and find some monsters for Trixie to eat.¡± Pa raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Monster¡¯s for Trixie to eat. Mind flayers eat brains, so you might want to find something that we can either feed the rest to Stan or add to our larders. Waste not want not as the wondering priests used to say before their order was eaten by ogres. Poor bastards them. Better take my hunting bow and a quiver with you.¡± Markus saw Pa¡¯s green bow and a quiver of 24 ironcite broadhead tipped arrows. They were all finely made and perfectly straight. ¡°There are 24 arrows in that quiver I expect you to bring 24 back. The broadheads alone are worth 1000points, I expect to be reimbursed for each one you lose.¡± Markus nodded seriously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful not to lose any. I¡¯ll try to bring something back alive.¡± Markus said. Pa shrugged his shoulder and began heating the blade back up.

    ¡°Better bring back at least two somethings unless you want to take a trip every week.¡± Pa yelled as he ran out of the shop.

    It wasn¡¯t even midday when he saw the trees, bow slung over his back and quiver tied to his belt he jogged north towards the forest. Even with his telekinesis down to a meter in range, he had telepathy searching couldn¡¯t be too hard. His steps kicked up a long trail of dust, as he moved up to his full speed. Reaching his stride wasn¡¯t difficult, he had no good way of stopping ten tons moving carried a lot of momentum.

    He ended up crashing through the woods. Markus¡¯ body carried him like a bulldozer tearing small trees up by their roots and ripping chunks out of larger ones. A massive oak finally stopped his progress. In an act to stop himself, he thrust his hands out and buried them deep in the oak. Pulling his hands out the oak let out a mighty crack.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± He looked down to see a dryad. She came up to his chest and looked at him like he just pissed in her oats. Her skin was a light shade of green and her hair was the color of acorns.

    ¡°Sorry, I have trouble stopping when I get going.¡± Markus muttered.

    ¡°Oh, and that excuses you from destroying my oak. I have half a mind to infect you with every sexual disease known to man and horses.¡± She said with a creepy smile. Markus was past feeling apologetic at that.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to threaten me. I¡¯m sorry about the tree, but if you go around spouting threats I¡¯m going to smash you into your tree, uproot it, and give it a hard toss.¡± She glared at him and he gave a glare right back. After a few minutes of staring off, she snorted.

    ¡°Fine no threats but make this right on your honor as a knight.¡± He wasn¡¯t a knight but ok, he had time still and who knows maybe she knew of a monster type he needed. Markus nodded his head and listened to what she had to say. ¡°This wasn¡¯t my only oak, I had many. Now, this one is all I have left. I need you to hunt down the creature that killed my trees. It¡¯s a massive bug that sucks the nectar out of dryad trees. A dryad¡¯s nectar in low doses can increase the strength of any adventurer. In high doses it can cause a massive increase in strength and mutation.¡± Markus nodded his head.

    ¡°Tell me how to find it and the creature dies today.¡± Markus said. She handed him a wooden bowl filled with water and a leaf in the center.

    ¡°This compass will take you to the creature. My nectar is still digesting in its stomach the leaf is from the last of my oaks it sucked dry. It will lead you to it. Be warned it has strength comparable to any hero. Perhaps, even the hero of might.¡± Markus saw his Pa lift a 5ton bolder and chunk it dozens of kilometers to kill a band of ogres that would have slowed down his trip to town. He doubted this bug could match Pa. There was strong and then there was his Pa.

    ¡°I can handle it. Can I have the nectar in the creature¡¯s stomach?¡± She nodded.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name sir knight?¡± The dryad asked.

    ¡°Markus Son of Philip Might or Markus of Might for short, what¡¯s yours?¡±

    ¡°Delilah of Golden Oaks come back you¡¯re my only hope son of Might.¡± Markus nodded and went farther west where the trees grew smaller and insects were plentiful.

    His nice riding boots crushed dozens of beetles and giant ants on his way. The leaf changed directions and he herd the sounds of buzzing. The water level rose as he began entering the swamp. Using his psychic power, he increased the surface area of his steps and began walking on the black bog water. He sent feelings of danger and risk to the creatures in the bog.

    Life support began leveling up, as he crossed the poisonous gasses in the bog. The rusty armor of fallen knights littered the place. This wasn¡¯t a place for a normal human. A knight in the stories would never die in a bog. These must be the bodies of squires and commoners ill prepared for life as a knight it¡¯s sad but true.

    The leaf changed directions and so did he. His quarry was moving and so was he. If he wasn¡¯t quick the bug might double back and then reach Delilah. Markus quickened his pace.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Large biting insects buzzed close by him only to turn away when they entered his telekinetic range. Most didn¡¯t escape. The corpses of a multitude of biting insects littered the water quickly snapped up by the smaller bog gators.

    He knocked his bow, as one sound began to echo louder than any others. It was his quarry it had to be. A hungry presence brushed across his mind. It was strong, he could feel it in the wind from the monster¡¯s wing beets. The poisonous gasses that naturally covered the bog grew thicker here. The rotting bodies of bog gators floated rotting maggots fell out of the bodies wiggling through the waters eaten by giant bog catfish.

    Then the water began to ripple, and he dove behind a fresher corpse. What he saw was a massive mutated woman with mosquito features.

    A Bog Hag, one of the rare creatures that never traveled outside the region. Her stomach was bloated with sap and her body looked sturdier than the normally frail members of her kind. They were known to feed on men and leave their eggs within women. Their bodies were said to be that of wrinkled old women mixed with a mosquito. This variant was younger than the stories portrayed. Large perky breasts covered by a carapace. Long insectoid legs and her face was positively human. The long needle that stretched and bent from how mouth stabbed down in the water spearing a catfish. She lifted the creature out of the water and it shriveled becoming little more than a sack of skin and bones.

    Markus watched her drink the fish dry while pulling back an arrow. He aimed for her midriff, once it hit, he would leap at her and pop her arms and legs off. He would rip her straw off and open her up for the nectar within. That was his plan. This enemy was an unknown and it made him nervous. Chills traveled up his spine.

    The string was at his cheek, he measured the distance and counted how long it would take for the arrow to hit. They were about 15 meters apart, he marveled at the serrated edge of the broadhead. It was built to do damage and do worse damage coming out, for those enemies that have fast regeneration. He let it go hearing the arrow travel and then the thunk as the arrow embedded itself in the monster.

    Standing out of cover, he leapt at her. The ground left as he traveled towards her then her straw pointed at him and spat out a vast amount of bog catfish blood. The stream covered him from head to toe. His arms closed like a beartrap. He heard her shriek. As he crashed through trees and fell under the water.

    He kept his eyes closed, as the monster smashed into trees and bled everywhere. The bog water washed away the blood and soaked him to the bone. Then he willed the water away from his body and leapt up.

    The Bog Hag left a path of destruction in her wake. Looking at his hands he had some of her leg bent around his arm. Tossing it to the fish he ran following the path of destruction.

    He followed the path of broken dried out monsters to a clearing where the monster waited for him. Her hands were wrapped around the arrow with a powerful yank she pulled the arrow free along with some of her gut. She shrieked in pain and saw him.

    ¡°You did this to me why? I never attack humans I only eat monsters. Why do the humans always attack my kind? You will pay for this.¡± Markus brought up the bow and shot another arrow into her throat. She brought her hands to the arrow. Tears fell down her face. ¡°Why?¡± She said, ¡°I was good why do you forsake me?¡± She wasn¡¯t talking to him, she seemed to be begging god.

    Markus leapt at her with his fist raised. She attacked with her straw, he grabbed it and ripped it out. She choked spitting blood everywhere. ¡°My children I have to protect them if I¡¯m not strong other monsters will eat them.¡± His hands wrapped around her head and he crushed it. This was what knights did they slew monsters that threatened to rise above an ecosystem. He jammed his hand inside her stomach and ripped her open.

    Instead of golden nectar he found golden monster eggs. It seemed that the sap had merged with the eggs creating a new variant of Bog Hag. She was almost ready to lay them. Gently he placed the eggs on the ground. Never trust the words of a monster that eats humans. Marie told him that directly. There were six eggs of a rare bog Hag variant a beautiful one if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. Letting out a sigh, he put them in his inventory. Pa could help with that decision.

    He wiped down Pa¡¯s arrows and put them back in the quiver. It was time to return to the Dryad and collect information.

    ¡°You were successful.¡± Markus tossed the head of the Bog Hag at the Dryad¡¯s tree. ¡°That will teach that bitch to feed off me. It made her beautiful can you believe that? A stupid ugly Hag beautiful disgusting.¡± The Dryad said. ¡°I¡¯m guessing she already digested all the nectar. Well you did me a favor close your eyes.¡± Delilah stood on her tiptoes and kissed him she pushed her tongue in his mouth and nectar fell down his throat. He felt his base strength double. ¡°That¡¯s all I can spare I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    He stumbled back blushing, that had been his first kiss. ¡°Are knights more prudish than I remember. Most men become knights, so they can sleep with beautiful monsters. How old are you to blush like that?¡± Delilah asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m twelve almost thirteen.¡± She crossed her legs and covered her breasts.

    ¡°I just kissed a sapling. You aren¡¯t even ready to breed yet are you. Have you seen a pair of tits before?¡± Delilah said.

    ¡°I milk Minoos all the time and there was Marie.¡± Markus said in more of a mumble.

    ¡°Yet, you blush like a sapling at a mere kiss. So big for twelve too no wonder you came through like a tornado. Only twelve and so powerful. Must be good genes. When you¡¯re older come back here, I¡¯m going to rock your world. Our saplings shall be the mightiest of oaks.¡± Markus blinked.

    ¡°Yea, I need another favor. Could you tell me if there are any psychic type monster¡¯s near here? I came to the woods to hunt one.¡± She nodded her head.

    There is a breed of deer with three eyes. A three eyed stag if I recall. They have kind of precognition. Very difficult to hunt. I¡¯m sure you could handle it if your careful. Travel deeper north and to the east. Most of them live that way.¡± Markus said his good bye and began making his way Northeast.

    The three eyed stags were plentiful in the northeast as Delilah said. He could feel their psychic power. No snare could catch them, and no arrow would hit them. The sun was going down and he had nothing to show for his hunting trip other than a few eggs.

    He was about give up when he saw a group of boars. These large pigs had an empathic presence. They were technically psychic. A few had telepathy and they worked by watching out for each other. Markus witnessed a social hierarchy of the strongest smartest pigs standing at the top the females, and then the piglets. Those boars that fail to become the biggest or smartest don¡¯t get to mate. They are often sacrificed to larger predators.

    They were perfect for what he needed. He had some robe but that wouldn¡¯t be enough. Markus could either come back or use telepathy to alter their thinking. Something Ma was great at Markus not so much. What he needed was a niche a way in.

    He entered the tangled web of their hierarchy. Markus was a foreigner with foreign values. But the problem with chaotic hierarchies like these were the females. They were the breeding power of the society, if you directed them to safety they would go and bring the other with them. He sent thoughts of the farm and sent his very real feelings of safety and food. Markus was selling a pitch and to sweeten it he guaranteed protection there. Like cancer the thoughts of making a pilgrimage to the farm spread. He summoned familiars to follow the boars and keep them safe. The sun had just sunk, and his familiars had nothing to fear.

    He was here for one thing a stag. The boars could find the farm on their own. Markus went farther north. A blue eye appeared in the center of his forehead. Subskills like glamour and hypnosis were available but he chose not to use them. The point of the eye was the hide from premonition.

    Markus waited on the branches of a tall tree as a large Stag with three eyes and a massive rack stepped through. It turned its massive head before going for the pond. Bow pulled back, he aimed and fired.

    His arrow sunk behind the stag¡¯s right shoulder. It legs kicked out and it fell. Markus leapt down and began field dressing the deer. Saving the head and storing the brain in his inventory he made his way out of the woods with a sack of deer meat tied in bloody deer leather hanging on his back.

    It was midnight, Draccon cornered him and he was forced to defend himself. Using his fists like clubs, he fended them off with a few bites and scratches to show for it. His flowery shirt stitched itself back together as his wounds closed.

    He heard the whinny of a horse and turned to see the largest creature of the equine species in the halo mountains. The horse was called a Nightbreed. The mare walked up and sniffed his pouch full of deer meat. The horse had red eyes and fangs instead of normal horse teeth. She was skinny, and her fur was ghostly phantasmal. Nightbreed were known for their power and speed. So long as they kept eating they never stopped growing. This one was under fed her lips were cracked from an over exposure to sunlight, knots filled her tail, and small wounds covered the creature. He took out a bit of his meat and fed the monster.

    She scarfed it down and whinnied for more. He fed her more and continued towards the farm. The path of the boars was clear thanks to all the pig shit. He led her to a stall in the barn and took out more of the meat leaving it there for her. Putting the rest in his inventory, he laid down on the barn floor exhausted.

    The Boars were pinned with the other pigs. The Haven hogs and the Boars slept on opposite sides of the pen. That was good they needed a separate pen anyway.

    Markus fell on the floor feeling like he had been awake for days. His head pounded, and breathing was getting harder. He relaxed and let his telekinetic field sink back beneath his skin. This was important. If he left his field out he would wake up in a few hours gasping for air with a horrible headache. This was his price for power.

    Tears fell down his face as the stress of the day washed over him. The begging Bog Hag got to him, but he couldn¡¯t let it show then. A song of darkness calmed his mind and swept the pain away. It was in a language he held only pieces of in distant memories. A woman who sometimes shown dark and silver her song was sad but hopeful. It mixed with Ma¡¯s songs and memories threaded with his own and training.

    Tears continued to fall in the dark where no one could see him. His eyes closed and eventually he felt his mind rest. He lost himself in memories as only a psychic could. Memories of countless battles floated through a few were not of his parents or the old memories. They were Marie¡¯s. ¡°Markus this is how you fight a Leech. Don¡¯t be afraid Markus you can do it.¡± He watched her go through the steps and he stood with her in her shoes moving through alien forms swinging axes and killing.

    He awoke that morning and every morning for weeks and walked to the corral where the Nightbreed pranced around. ¡°Today I will break you.¡± He said it everyday and for weeks he failed. His weight wasn¡¯t so great to her and she threw him every time. He got up took her aside brushed her and fed her more deer meat.

    A month later it was fall and he was now 13 summers old. When he got on her she didn¡¯t buck or roll on the ground. He rode her around the corral and Pa said he was ready to leave home for the academy.

 Chapter 11 Nobles

    The sun was high, and a nearly seven-foot-tall boy was chopping wood. Sweet Marble was a sturdy tree with logs that burned for days. The forge was always hungry for more and ironcite chunks littered the ground at random. Fall would come to an end soon and it would be winter, but Markus was still hot and sweaty despite the season. His axe came down splitting the heavy logs each weighing a couple hundred kilos.

    It was one of his final chores until he left for 8 years. Unless he failed, if he failed he would come back and become a farmer like Pa. Maybe marry a woman like his mother a mage that wasn¡¯t allowed to succeed. A master telepath was considered a danger to the kingdom. There could only be one master telepath in haven at any time. Only the king could hold dominion over the mind. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to taking the test for psychic anymore. He would rather choose ice than get cast out for being powerful.

    He turned his head to see Trixie levitating the cut logs into a pile. She wore a yellow sun dress and held an umbrella to keep the sun off her. Her black skin was pleasant to the touch and he enjoyed her cold feel. She had grown a bit taller and wore her head of tentacles down in a ponytail. Her presence in his mind was that of a black hole months ago.

    Over time he had gotten used to it. His own mind could touch hers now without any negative effects. Her diet of psychic brains helped. It calmed the darkness within her and made her much stronger. Before lifting firewood would have been a blatant waste of energy.

    ¡°My Markus, there is a group of riders and a carriage heading towards our home.¡± Markus wiped the sweat from his brow and slammed the axe in the stump. He put his shirt and vest back on feeling the cooling enchantments take effect. Despite the enchantments it didn¡¯t self-clean, so he had to wash it with well water.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go say hello. We are tax paying citizens of Haven there is nothing for us to fear.¡± Markus said. Doubts flooded his mind from Trixie. The mind flayer didn¡¯t hide her feelings from him neither did he from her. Not since she found him crying. The embarrassment wouldn¡¯t allow him to be found again.

    Pa was there already Ma too. Ma wore a set of armor that looked so different from her normal brown dress. He mistook her for a mage of the court at first. ¡°Flattery, my son is welcome. It seems, there is a war on the way and you will play the escort for our league lord¡¯s daughter.¡± Ma said.

    Markus didn¡¯t grumble but he felt Trixie mirror his annoyance. Her tentacles wiggled in their ribbon. She looked ready to attack the guards.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Philip hero of Might kept such foul beasts on his farm.¡± A man in golden armor said. His armor had the face of a lion on it. He had blond hair like Pa¡¯s and carried himself similarly.

    ¡°My lord James Leonidas. I mean no disrespect. She is partnered to my son, he is a skilled monster tamer going to take the test.¡± Pa said. Markus blinked. It troubled him seeing his father bow to another and show fealty.

    ¡°Your son shows no respect, maybe I should have him kill his pet, before it becomes a nuisance.¡± The lord of house Leonidas said.

    Quest #14 Kill a Noble house

    Reward 100,000points

    Quest #15 Break a Noble House

    Reward 50,000points

    Quest #16 Replace a Noble House

    Reward 200,000points

    Markus copied Pa and bowed. ¡°Good if you hadn¡¯t obeyed. He would have made you kill Trixie or one of you brothers or sister would have died.¡± Ma said. Her mental voice was cool devoid of emotion.

    She worked over his mind without his control. Memories of etiquette swept through his mind until he could act like a noble or at least a respectable servant. He would just need to put it all into practice. Trixie quickly blocked off Ma and restructured his mind to a more functional state. His mother had a look of displeasure on her face.

    ¡°Rise, taxes have gone up all land workers owe 10,000points to the crown. War is coming and farms like these will likely be lost. Any livestock worth the trip back to haven will be confiscated to pay your taxes. If you can¡¯t come up with a measly 10,000points I will confiscate that horse in the corral. Nightbreed are rare perhaps worth a good 30,000points. I will take it and the army will collect your livestock as they march through.¡± Pa took out the 10,000 and threw the points at the noble.

    ¡°James you push your luck. Leave or I will show you who really holds power here.¡± Pa said.

    ¡°That¡¯s right Might, what you were known for when you were a hero. You are one no longer and your hero rank artefacts were confiscated shortly after you were relived of the title. I have 80 knights at my back. Who really holds power here?¡± The noble man said.

    ¡°Dear, enough posturing you collected your taxes let me talk with Izzy. Go smoke or something over near the barn if you will.¡± James turned to his wife with rage in his eyes.

    ¡°I am you husband and I command you to stay in the carriage. I only let you come with me to see your friends bow and scrape.¡± The noble woman stepped from her carriage.

    ¡°You are my husband that is true. But Philip is my brother and your brother in law. This is not the way a noble treats family.¡± The noble woman said.

    ¡°Captain retrieve the points from the ground and hand them to me.¡± He looked over to the woman. ¡°My lady wife we will discuss this another time. When you¡¯re done talking to these peasants return to the Ironheart castle.¡± The man¡¯s nose practically curled up as he rode off with half the knights.

    ¡°Come Margarette come and meet your cousins.¡± A girl his age with light skin and flowing blond curls stepped out of the carriage. As she walked her curls bounced. She fanned herself constantly to keep the heat back.

    ¡°Children, this is lady Elizabeth Leonidas of the noble house Leonidas and your aunt.¡± Markus bowed like his father had before.

    ¡°That is unnecessary we are family after all.¡± Elizabeth said.

    ¡°Izzy you have certainly had your way with their minds. I¡¯ve never seen faster etiquette lessons. His body moves differently already, is he a psychic like you?¡± Markus shrugged and lifted a few hundred grains of sand and twirled them around. Elizabeth clapped her hands. ¡°Multitasking that is impressive. If you would be a dear and show Margarette around I would be thankful.¡±

    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to look at the farm, I want to go back to castle Ironheart and read my books.¡± A single look from Elizabeth made her stomp over.

    She crossed her arms and looked at Markus expectantly. ¡°Well aren¡¯t you going to bow? I¡¯m not my mother I demand your respect peasant family or no.¡± Markus looked down at the tiny girl. She was his age and little more than an ant to him.

    ¡°Margarette he¡¯s your age go play or something. If you keep pulling this pig shit, I¡¯m burning all your romance novels when I return to the castle.¡± Markus noticed the I and not we.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t returning with you?¡± Markus asked. Elizabeth looked shocked then smiled.

    ¡°You raised a perceptive one. I like that. No, you are both traveling to Redgate to try for the academy. You¡¯re both of age.¡± Elizabeth said.

    ¡°Mother how can he be my age he¡¯s taller than the hero.¡± Margarette said.

    ¡°I ate a dungeon treasure and it did this to me.¡± Markus muttered.

    ¡°See, he¡¯s your age just a bit more capable than most boys at that age.¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to catch up with my friend explore the farm and have some fun. I thought children were supposed to love farms. Didn¡¯t you used to beg me to come here when you were eight. Well better late than never.¡± Elizabeth said.

    ¡°I was eight now I¡¯m thirteen farms are so gross.¡± Margarette said. She turned to him and stomped forward. ¡°Show me to the most interesting thing around here now peasant.¡± Margarette said.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Markus shrugged and Trixie took her hand. She shrieked, and Trixie rolled her eyes burbling. ¡°This is a relative of yours. I¡¯ve met a master psychic who could rip the mountains from the earth, a hero who can crush the mountains with his hands, and you a boy who slew two of my brethren with psychic powers. She is food until proven otherwise.¡± Markus nodded not bothering to disagree with her.

    ¡°You dressed a monster in a yellow dress how sick are you. Mind flayers eat brains why would you keep on around?¡± Margarette yelled.

    ¡°Cousin of mine are you going to scream all the way to Redgate? Markus asked. She blinked at him owlishly. ¡°Come on you said you wanted to see the most interesting thing first. I guess that would be the rei widows.¡±

    They came upon the massive colony that the rei widows have become. The dru tree had grown rapidly since the spiders were added. With more of its sweet sap used as an attractant, more insect ventured into the window¡¯s nests. With the insects being devoured there was nothing draining its sap and the tree grew quickly. It was too large for him to put his arms around now. Soon it would take a few seconds to walk around, then a few minutes, and perhaps even hours someday.

    ¡°This is the most disgusting thing I¡¯ve ever seen. Why can¡¯t I look away?¡± Spiders spun new webs, threw out dried up carcasses, and rolled up new insects. There was even a part of the tree were egg sacs were laid. It had become a fortress of sorts for the spiders. They were growing larger every generation. He snatched on off and devoured it. ¡°That¡¯s horrible why would you eat them.¡±

    ¡°She knows, I eat brains right. I would eat hers but then I may get indigestion.¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°This is a farm, why would we keep them here on a dru tree of all things, if we weren¡¯t going to do something with them?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°Let me ride your nightbreed. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s tame. You seem like a capable horseman.¡± She said while nodding. ¡°Your intelligence is rustic in nature, right. Show me this great stallion of yours.¡±

    ¡°Her name is Windy and she¡¯s a mare. I have no idea if she will let you ride her or not. It took me a few weeks to break her.¡± She nodded her head.

    ¡°Yes, psychics are known for their high willpower and often single mindedness during combat. You probably kept at it until she gave up. A good trait for a horseman to have.¡± Markus thought about his hunting trips. When he went out he would stay out all night if he had to. He wanted to complete what he set out to do. It was the feeling of completeness that he was after.

    ¡°Maybe, but Windy has a temper about her let¡¯s hope she won¡¯t take a bite out of you.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you remove her fangs. Most who tame nightbreed do. Otherwise they can cause a lot of damage during the breaking process.¡± Margarette said.

    ¡°Where did you learn that?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°I read it in a romance novel.¡± Markus raised his shirt up and turned around revealing a purple scar.

    ¡°The process was pretty rough on the both of us. I was relentless, and she bites. I didn¡¯t have the heart to yank her teeth out no matter how mad she got.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°You¡¯re kind hearted, until you¡¯re wielding a light hammer and about to smash a girl in the head.¡± Trixie said helpfully.

    ¡°Shush you,¡± Markus said to the smiling mind flayer.

    ¡°That is frightening. Does she do that often?¡± Margarette asked.

    ¡°Only when she finds a reason to laugh at me.¡± He eased a hand between her head tentacles feeling them squirm between his fingers relaxed him.

    ¡°Was it something embarrassing?¡± Margarette asked, Trixie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the best kind of thing to laugh about. I think we are going to be friends after all. Tell me about other things that embarrass my dear cousin.¡± Margarette said.

    Markus slumped and followed them to the corral where windy galloped to him and pressed her nose against his forehead. He opened the gate and began brushing her down. There was a sack of cooled meat waiting for them in the barn. He froze it this morning and let it thaw. He handed Trixie a brain and she pushed it to her mouth and swallowed it down. Margarette took a step back at the sight.

    ¡°Markus what kind of brain was that? It wasn¡¯t human was it?¡± Margarette asked.

    ¡°Wild boar, a psychic variant we breed to keep Trixie fed. Though, I suspect we will have to hunt something up on our way for her.¡± He handed the rest to Windy, who happily chomped down the meat. She could graze on grass, but meat was her favorite.

    ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t other monster tamers just do that then and partner with mind flayers.¡± Margarette asked.

    ¡°Because if we aren¡¯t completely loyal the master is food just like the pig. I¡¯m having trouble with my definition of a Margarette she seems to fall between family and food that will make me sick. Definitely not a Markus by any stretch of the word.¡± Trixie mumbled in his mind.

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re completely loyal to me now since when?¡± Markus said. She fell into him and looked up at him. He looked down in her big yellow eyes. Brush midway across Windy¡¯s flank. Markus caught her, and her tentacles squirmed between his fingers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass or I won¡¯t let you feel up my tentacles like you like.¡± She said playfully.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would end well for other monster tamers.¡± Markus said.

    Windy nearly bit her neck out when Margarette tried to get in the stirrup. Markus took the bite on the arm. Windy looked sad for the rest of the day after that. Her head was a lower than normal and she looked at him forlornly. He fed her an extra helping of meat that night to cheer her up. Margarette bunked with him.

    Over the months since his change he had gathered stone from a local quarry and carved it into blocks. Some ways away from the house, he built himself a stone cabin with a chimney and a couple of rooms. His own bed was made of stone with a blanket for comfort. The other rooms were a kitchen and Trixie¡¯s room. It was cozy and strong. So long as he stepped carefully he didn¡¯t risk breaking the floor. She had a bed roll which made the floor much more comfortable.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you sleep on a stone slab when the ground is also stone. It seems redundant.¡±

    ¡°I like sleeping above the ground. Now good night we need to leave at first light if we are to make it to the next village before dark.¡± Markus muttered.

    ¡°Fine, but Markus are you sure you want to do this? We will be leaving, and you might never see your family again. It can¡¯t be what you want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see them again. Pa won¡¯t fall to some monster army rising from the north. I doubt any would want to deal with Stan anyway.¡±

    ¡°Markus every order of knight with any renown for combat has been called to the north to fight this threat. A demon lord isn¡¯t a joke!¡± Margarette yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°Sorry, Margarette is losing her shit over a demon lord of all things.¡±

    ¡°They are powerful. There are two powerful dark presences to the north not one. If they are prepared for only one demon lord, they will die pitifully.¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°They are only knights, death was certain regardless.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°If your points of context are Marie, your pa, and your ma. Then yes, they are worthless. Though, I wouldn¡¯t want to fight a knight in single combat.¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you listening to me?¡± Margarette demanded.

    ¡°No, I was talking with Trixie, what were you saying?¡± She let out a deep breath.

    ¡°Nothing important, what did Trixie have to say?¡± Margarette asked.

    ¡°There are two great dark presences not one. The army may charge into a trap. A lot of knights are going to die.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°We have to get to a village immediately and warn them. They need to regroup, this is potentially a dark crusade. The Vis Count needs to know. He is the defender of the realm and he¡¯s riding into a trap.¡± Margarette got up.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t getting anywhere before first light. Go to sleep there is time they are still collecting taxes and gathering forces. Then they will need to organize and decide who goes where. Plenty of time, they won¡¯t invade until they are at the peak of their numbers. The threat is still a demon lord. There just might be two now.¡± Markus said.

    He waited until he heard snoring and got up and crept out. Pa was waiting on him just outside. ¡°You¡¯re leaving at first light. I couldn¡¯t be prouder to see you go, but at the same time, I don¡¯t want you to leave. This isn¡¯t going to be like with Marie boy. The outside world doesn¡¯t give a shit who your pa is it will poison you, slit your throat, and leave you in a ditch if you aren¡¯t careful. I don¡¯t need to tell you that, I shouted it at you since I started running you through drills. No with little Margarette with you every sell sword and bandit will be acting like Ma is ringing the supper bell. Be careful and here.¡± Pa held up an axe shaped package. ¡°Wonder what inside?¡± The old man joked. ¡°Well go on and open it.¡±

    Markus unfolded the cloth to reveal an axe. It was heavy and made of good steel. Maybe of lesser quality than one wielded by holy armors.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a hero level artefact but its sturdy enough and you¡¯re good with an axe. It might scare off a few bandits.¡± The old man turned his back.

    ¡°Pa what will happen will you take Tiberius and the others and head south?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m staying here, they¡¯re going with your Ma and aunt to castle Ironheart. Don¡¯t worry about us. Just go to the academy and make something of yourself. Goodbye son.¡± Markus watched his father walk away. The helping hand was gone now. It was time for him to stand on his own two feet.

 Chapter 12 Return to Northwind Village

    It was a blessedly cool morning. The war between the fairies raged, as with every morning. It didn¡¯t pause in respect for their passing. The war of nature continued uncaring.

    They didn¡¯t join their family for a morning breakfast or tearful goodbyes, it was time to go and the faster they were on the road towards Northwind village the better. It was their first stop.

    Windy nipped at him, as he brushed her down before putting the saddle on her. He fed her the last of the pork he cut that morning. She chomped down the meat quickly and licked the blood from his hand. He enjoyed feeding and brushing Windy, she was a very sweet animal when you got to know her. ¡°Who am I riding with? You or the not food.¡± Trixie said.

    She wore a robe with a hood to shield her face from the harsh sun. Her tentacles eased out of her hood and wrapped around his wrist. They moved about up and down his arm, her big yellow eyes looked up at him pleading.

    ¡°You are going to ride with Margarette. I might need to fight, and I could hurt you if you rode with me. When I¡¯m swinging my axe and beheading the bandits, I can¡¯t be careful.¡± Her tentacles fell off his arm.

    ¡°Fine then.¡± She burbled and walked over to Margarette. Markus shook his head in exasperation. She would be the reason why he¡¯d died of a heart attack at an early age. What was his life expectancy with her around 15 maybe 16 if he was lucky? ¡°Most would say its until I¡¯m an adult.¡± Markus rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m ten tons of no one wants to mess with me. My skull can rip through boulders with a headbutt.¡± Markus muttered telepathically.

    ¡°Skull cracking is an art, they all have weaknesses even yours. Should we roll play. I¡¯m the big bad Mind flayer and you¡¯re my helpless master. Or maybe we can shake it up. You¡¯re my powerful master taking everything he wants from the poor little mind flayer.¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°Did you get into Margarette¡¯s books?¡± Markus asked. She burbled keeping her hood down.

    ¡°She has some good stories of monster tamers trying to tame mighty centaur stallions only for the mighty stallion to turn the tables on his mistress all night long. I thought you humans fantasized about power plays.¡± Trixie said. Markus felt his face heat up and not for the first time, he thought that maybe his cousin was more trouble than she was worth.

    ¡°Ok, first no I¡¯m not into power play fantasies. Second, my dick would rip you in two. And third I enjoy your company too much to need a gimmick to spice things up.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Talking about your dick, how forward of you my naughty master. Shall we go back to my room, so I can show you how stretchy this naughty monster can be?¡± She looked up smiling with all her sharp teeth. He picked the silly mind flayer up and hugged her.

    ¡°Thank you for trying to take my mind off leaving. I appreciate it Trixie.¡± He felt her head tentacles wrap around his face. They were coated in slime and pleasantly cool to the touch.

    ¡°Anytime Markus, but next time stop me before it gets too embarrassing.¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°I knew it you were together. Its just like the centaur and the maiden.¡± They froze, and both turned to look at Margarette. The tentacles retracted back into the hood.

    ¡°Trixie will ride with you. If we get attacked they¡¯re bound to hit me with either magic or arrows. I would prefer to keep you both safe.¡± She mounted her horse and helped Trixie up.

    ¡°Makes sense you look like a knight atop windy. If you were wearing armor some might mistake you for a hero aspirant.¡± Margarette said.

    ¡°You flatter me but we both know I look like an oversized farm boy trying and failing to look like a noble.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°If you would just lose the straw hat you would be fine.¡± Margarette mumbled. Markus gave a mental command and Windy took off.

    He trained her to respond to burst of psychic energy. As a partial dark type, she couldn¡¯t truly be affected by psychic power, but she could still feel it brush her by. That was they key to training her.

    They galloped fast for a while then slowed to a steady trot. Windy wasn¡¯t breathing hard. She was half phantasmal most physical needs were unnecessary. Even his weight was negated by her nature. He might as well be a hat to her. A typing he was interested in. The only problem was the price 10,000,000. More than he was likely to see in his lifetime.

    As they traveled south they met many groups of knights traveling north. They waved a multitude of banners and moved in orderly lines. Wagons of supplies traveled behind them. Black smiths, lore wardens, enchanters, and alchemists followed with the wagons. Even merchants traveled hoping to buy some shiny enchanted artefact off a knight and set themselves for life.

    One group carried a lion banner and stopped them. ¡°Lady Margarette is that you? Who is this man riding with you? Why is he dressed so funnily?¡± One of the knights asked.

    She looked over at Markus then back to the knight. ¡°He is my cousin and my escort, Markus of Might.¡± The knight rode up close and held out a gauntleted hand. It looked more like a metal claw than a hand. He shook it anyway.

    The man pulled trying to knock him off his horse. Markus didn¡¯t move. ¡°I¡¯ve knocked many a squire from their horse that way you¡¯re the first to walk into the trap without falling off their horse. Your skilled and that¡¯s something to be proud of. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re on your way to the academy.¡± Markus nodded his head keeping his face stony. ¡°See that they make something of you then boy. I didn¡¯t know boys could look like men at thirteen.¡± Whispers went through the group of knights. Most were about him being thirteen.

    ¡°Who is that in the robe. A hand maiden of yours Margarette?¡± The knight asked.

    ¡°No Alexander, it¡¯s a mind flayer.¡± The man chuckled.

    ¡°Good humor, something your father lacks. I¡¯m glad you took after your mother. Tell the girl to be warier, when she wakes up.¡± He turned to Markus. ¡°As for you, young man. See that you watch after Margarette. She¡¯s a good girl.¡± Alexander kicked his horse and his men joined him going down the road.

    ¡°But I really am a mind flayer.¡± Trixie said. Markus snorted and nudged Windy back into a trot.

    Northwind came into view midday. The guards let them in easily enough. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn them about the second demon lord?¡± Markus asked. Margarette shook her head.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t have turned tail without looking like deserters. That¡¯s a quick and easy way to meet the headsman. No, its better to send a letter to my father and let the noble council and the king act on the information.¡± He paid the fifty points to have Windy put up and an extra fifty to have fresh meat brought to her.

    ¡°Easy on the points tuition is 20,000. I hope you also have enough for room and board.¡± Margarette said. Markus blinked and blinked again.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of points. I might have to enter a dungeon to pay that off.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°Surely you jest. A dungeon to pay for tuition. You might as well head to fight the demon lord.¡± Margarette said.

    ¡°No, I could probably handle a few floors at least.¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°Unless you have an army at your back I don¡¯t recommend it. Dungeons this close to haven have to be strong to survive. A single floor has a standing army of mobs and a story that the adventurer must play through. Even safe zones that allow them to leave. Not to mention all the unique monsters bred within a dungeon. I heard a set of bog Hag eggs were sold in this very city. They were golden and the hatched bog hags were beautiful. They each went for 10,000 and 100,000 in haven. Those are the type of things you find in a dungeon. The adventurer who got them journeyed through the bog and was quested by a dryad. Do you think you can do something like that?¡± Markus still had three of those eggs in his inventory. He sold off the first three to see what they would go for once they hit haven. He felt screwed over by that deal.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a dungeon and it wasn¡¯t very hard to track down the Bog Hag. The Dryad gave me a compass that tracked the thing. Pa gave me his bow for the hunting trip. It made killing the mother easier.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Your kidding me you¡¯re the one who found the eggs. Do you have any idea how much they¡¯re worth to a monster tamer? 100,000 is low balling it. If I had one, I could host an auction through the merchant¡¯s guild and get 1million easy.¡± Markus took one out of his inventory. Her eyes locked on it.

    ¡°When we get to haven, put it together, we can split the profits fifty fifty.¡± Markus said. She fluttered her eyelashes.

    ¡°Markus you know you¡¯re my favorite cousin, right?¡± Markus crossed his arms and waited for whatever she was going to say. ¡°Well I think we can do business together. Monster eggs, dungeon artefacts, and dungeon treasures. You¡¯re a farmer and I¡¯m a noble. If you farm the dungeons I can move the crops to auction and get the most points for them. Then we split it fifty fifty right.¡± He nodded. She brightened up to the point he feared she may explode. ¡°We need to draw up a business contract, we need an arbiter now.¡± Margarette said.

    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good. I need to pick up a friend for our journey to Redgate. Anyone in town you know that might travel with us. Safety in numbers and all that.¡± Markus said. She nodded.

    ¡°You have a cousin in law that lives here. Tristen my half-brother. One of my father¡¯s many bastards that survived mother¡¯s culling.¡± Margarette said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too broken up about it.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°About what my father screwing every pretty face or my mother killing the resulting avalanche of black marks on the noble name Leonidas?¡± Margarette said. Markus chuckled.

    ¡°Both, though most would have problems with their mother killing their siblings, half or not.¡± Markus said. He felt a knock from Trixie and let her in.

    ¡°They are threats to her claim of heir. Every male is another she will eventually have to kill on her way to the family seat.¡± Trixie said, Markus questioned her words. ¡°Her mind is like an open book to me. I don¡¯t think she can even sense me moving about in her memories.¡±

    ¡°They are just stepping stones that I must eventually crush. I¡¯m glad I have one male relative with no claim on the noble seat.¡± Margarette said. ¡°Let us find Tristen one of the craftiest of my father¡¯s bastards.¡± Markus followed her past the merchant district and into the slums.

    Shit covered the streets and the smell of piss filled the air with its ammonia stench. The streets hadn¡¯t been repaired in years pot holes covered the place. Large slashes covered the rooves.

    ¡°He had a unique mother. Father isn¡¯t always too selective of where to stick it.¡± Margarette said. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. This place is so gross.¡± She said. Markus looked around feeling out the minds around them. Trixie didn¡¯t want to touch her robe to the filthy ground, so she rode on his shoulders.

    They found a house with a door painted rust with blood. The blood had long since chipped away. Bodies of dead knights covered the ground a banner still held in one man¡¯s hand. It was the symbol of a closed fist encircled with flames. Might the mark of the knight order that emulated his Pa.

    ¡°As the Hero of Might¡¯s sister and a noble lady, the knight order swore fealty to my mother. She used them to hunt down my father¡¯s bastards. Am I still your girly cousin or has reality shattered my fa?ade.¡± Markus kicked a rotten body towards her. She yelped and jumped away from it.

    ¡°Just as girly on the inside as the outside then.¡± Markus said. She glared at him and her face turned a shade of pink.

    ¡°You were supposed to accept me as a strong woman. That ruined the moment Markus.¡± He smiled and turned to the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see if he¡¯s in there.¡± She nodded. Markus took a deep breath. ¡°Tristen bastard of James are you in there?¡± His yell sounded out as a mighty bellow that shook the glass windows. Even the door rattled, and he heard a crash inside.

    A few more crashes resounded before the red door slammed open. A boy that looked like them except for black hair and yellow eyes looked between them. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t my half sister and a friend. What do I owe to this visit?¡± The boy muttered before yawning.

    Margarette was about to say something but Markus beat her to it. ¡°We are going to Redgate for the academy auditions. Numbers decrease the likelihood of a bandit attack so, want to join us.¡± The boy yawned and shook a main of hair. Markus soon realized that the boy had the makings of an actual lion¡¯s main.

    ¡°Shocked by my appearance. Dad fucked an actual Leonidas, a proud feline monster with psychic powers. I see why my dear sister had you come here to my den. I¡¯m probably the youngest apprentice rank telekinetic in the halo mountain valley.¡± He paused and blinked when his psychic energy was quickly swallowed up by Trixie. ¡°Is that a mind flayer. Sister do you mean to kill me and doom my mind to eternity in her thoughts? His fangs showed themselves. Markus bent his knees in preparation to subdue him.

    ¡°Knock it off Tristen, if I wanted you dead, I would have had your cousin in law rip through your den after you.¡± Tristen growled.

    ¡°I¡¯m the true heir to the noble house of Leonidas not you.¡± Markus walked to the side and cleared a place for Trixie. Tristen watched as he walked up to him. ¡°You think you can intimidate me with height. I¡¯m half Leonidas not dire bear.¡± Markus snatched the boy by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

    Waves to telekinetic forced crashed down on him with no effect. His own power was more than enough to hold him up and fight off another¡¯s psychic will. After all Markus had reached the next stage in telekinesis already.

    Tristen gurgled and slashed at Markus with his clawed hands. Eventually, he stops. ¡°Fine, I will travel with you to the academy. Release me.¡± Markus dropped him on the ground. ¡°Your tough sister while you have your dog with you. But what will you do when he¡¯s gone?¡± Margarette drew a sword he didn¡¯t know she had. It felt dark in nature.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to poke you with this then.¡± Margarette said holding up a rapier. He looked it over seeing the small amount of darkness enchanted in the steel. The Dracul symbol was placed on the hilt, was it possible Marie could have made it. He didn¡¯t know for sure and it didn¡¯t matter anyway.

    ¡°Right we just need to pick up Anna then we can head out in the morning.¡± Markus said he turned and a slash went down his back. It felt like a five hot iron ripped down scalding the skin as they went. Before he or Margarette could retaliate, Trixie leapt on his back and her tentacles quickly wrapped around him firmly. The look of triumph on Tristen¡¯s face had abruptly shifted.

    ¡°Let him live Trixie.¡± Markus said just before her teeth bit down. Tristen glared at him with all the hate he could muster. ¡°Let him live with this dishonor and the dishonor of knowing he wasn¡¯t worth killing. He¡¯s just a boy like me, just a bit dumber than most.¡±

    ¡°He attacked you from behind if your back wasn¡¯t, so thick you would be paralyzed. Let me eat him and unravel his every memory let me unmake him.¡± Markus made a hushing noise and pulled her off one tentacle at a time.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a stupid boy. Hopefully, he will outgrow his pride and become a man worth something. That¡¯s why he¡¯s going to the academy to outgrow his dumb pride.¡± Markus said in a soothing voice. More tentacles left and slowly Markus took Trixie in his arms. The black hole that represented her mind didn¡¯t frighten him anymore. He often touched it and felt their emotions mix. He looked into her light-yellow eyes. A shade brighter than Tristen¡¯s piss color. Soon they would change to a shade of purple and she would be an adult. He felt worry for him and anger at food for daring to touch her Markus. A deep feeling of possession came over her when she looked at him. He sent his own calm emotions. The pain had already faded replaced with worry for her.

    ¡°So, this isn¡¯t an assassination attempt. You really are taking me with you to Redgate and then the academy.¡± Markus nodded, and Trixie migrated to his shoulder.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Sara Red was at her father¡¯s store. ¡°Markus and Milady,¡± Sara gave a polite curtsy. ¡°What are you doing here, I thought you would be on your way to Redgate?¡± Sara said.

    ¡°I thought you would come with us. You have a strong fire ability.¡± She looked pensive.

    ¡°Markus, I¡¯ve only broken into the initiate stage a weak ago. I¡¯m not cut out for the academy. Father said he found me a descent man a merchant from Haven. Can you believe it, I¡¯m going to live in the capital?¡± Markus didn¡¯t let the confusion touch his face. Tristen snickered.

    ¡°So, this is the girl you wanted to bring with us. She has fire the most common element and hasn¡¯t even reached novice. You wanted to bring her with us. Now that is a joke. Is this one of those sick tricks nobles play on commoners. I didn¡¯t think you had it in you to try and impress my sister.¡± Trixie punched him in the stomach and he grunted.

    ¡°We have some time we could go to Vali. A new core should have regenerated I can maim the monsters and you can finish them with fire. That should get your levels up quickly.¡± Markus said hopefully. Margarette put her hand on his elbow. A look crossed her face like Ma¡¯s. He was missing something he just couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s ok Markus go maybe I¡¯ll see you in the capital after the wedding.¡± He felt a chill run through him. Like this was the last time he would see his childhood friend. He had come here over the months and they talked she would light things on fire. She spoke of subjects she would like to take at the academy. Or maybe she was just humoring him.

    ¡°Alright, he gently hugged his friend. Have a good time at the capital.¡± They left for the inn. He felt a weight on his shoulders, no his shoulders just felt heavy for some reason.

    ¡°Markus, I won¡¯t leave you. I want you to know that.¡± Trixie said. He nodded and gave her a smile and she smiled back. Her mouth full of dangerous teeth didn¡¯t look odd to him anymore.

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Full stats and skills 2

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Psychic

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Telekinesis: Journeyman 1   Telepathy: Initiate 2,     Empathy: Initiate 1

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +1,000,000%        Intelligence +2%         Willpower +1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Intelligence +10,000%????  Charisma +0.02%????Intelligence +0.01%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Defense +100%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Slash +1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Pierce +0.01%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Life Support: Initiate 10??Flesh Puppetry: Initiate 50

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +10%??????Willpower +50%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Vitality +0.1%???????Vigor +0.5%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold"> Dark

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Tentacle: Novice 50,    Eye: Novice 10,         Familiar: Initiate 10

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +5000%     Perception +1000%     Willpower +10%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Pierce +50%          Dark Resist +10%????Dark Resist +0.1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Vitality +0.5%         Miasma +0.1%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Ice

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Freeze: Apprentice 50

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +500,000%

    Ice Resist +5000%

    Spell Damage +50%

    Fire Resist +0.5%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Light

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Chains: Apprentice 10

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +100,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Defense +1,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Light Resiste +10%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Dark Resiste +0.1%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Monster Tamer

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Communicate: Novice 2

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Charisma +200%

    Mental Resist +2%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Spirit Resist +0.02%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Misc

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Farming: Beginner 70       Mob Slayer: Beginner 90       Hunter: Beginner 10

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Intelligence +0.7%          Intelligence +0.9%            Agility +0.1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Movement: Novice 13       Eating: Initiate 50             Axe Mastery: Novice 7

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Mobility +1300%           Nourishment +50%           Strength +700%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Dexterity +13%            Vitality +0.5%?????????Dexterity +7%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Agility +0.13%??????????????????????Vigor +0.07%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">ASI(Abilities/Skills/items)

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Stats        base  points%  ASI%  Net stats

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Vitality       x50   100      131.22  231.22

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Endurance   x50   100      130    230

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Strength     x3     100     700    42

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Dexterity    1     100      20     2.4

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Agility      1     100      0.2     2

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Intelligence  1     100      10k     200

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower   1     100      1605k   32.1k

 Chapter 13 Going to RedGate

    Once more the sun rose, and the clash of fairies began. Everything seemed bitter every death was more finale to Markus¡¯ eyes. Large sand toads rose from the ground and captured the fleeing night fairies. They were always caught out of hiding just as the sun rose. The dark was always strongest before dawn. They grew the most in those times. Two fairies evolved before his eyes.

    A star fairy appeared it was tall and covered with sparkling light. The other became a comet fairy and she flew under a tree to hide from the rising sun. When nothing devoured her, and the sun didn¡¯t burn her like it would have before she walked out in the day light looking around. A solar hound leapt on her and before Markus could stop it, the creature ripped out her throat. He saw the shock on her face.

    ¡°That would have been Sara if she went to the academy. But I could have protected her.¡± Markus said mumbling to himself.

    ¡°She would have been eaten alive the second you turned your back. Only the strong survive. It¡¯s the law of nature.¡± Tristen said. ¡°You would have been torn apart and she would have died after you.¡± Markus pointed at the star fairy. She blasted the Solar Hound with balls of light burning holes through its fur and killing it. The fairy began eating both. ¡°For the strong to live the weak must die or serve some function.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not na?ve, I expected more.¡± The words left his mouth, but he didn¡¯t want to believe them. Was that how he really felt, disappointment. ¡®I will never leave you.¡¯ Trixie said those words, he hoped she meant them. Markus urged Windy on and they traveled south for Redgate.

    Bannermen crowded the road. One man shouted for them to come. ¡°We offer you a place at the academy, food a plenty, meat with every meal, and all the ale you can drink. Your tuition will be paid in full, if you become an aspirant of Might, and swear your vows today.¡± The banner of the fist shown clear and not covered in blood like the last one.

    ¡°Aspirant more like cannon fodder or bait.¡± Margarette muttered.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t send young men to die after they just joined the order. The vanguard is only for the most experienced knights and battle-hardened knights.¡± Margarette and Tristen shared a laugh at his expense.

    ¡°Maybe when your father was the hero and led them himself. Now, no they make sure the aspirants die in droves, so they don¡¯t have to pay them.¡± Margarette said. Markus frowned this was a black mark on his Pa¡¯s name. Like a crooked plow the order needed to be heated and forced straight again. Windy turned, he drove her through the horde of knights. Her speed carried his weight making them into an irresistible force. The speaker had a second to see his doom.

    Taking his axe on the flat side, he smacked the man in the side of the helmet. The chaplain took a tumble, while the knights were tossed like untied straw. They scattered in every direction. None died they were knights tough as nails and followers of Pa¡¯s path of might. He leapt down from Windy and scooped the chaplain up. With a shake the man regained his senses.

    ¡°You will meet the headsman for attacking a knight of the hero might.¡± The chaplain yelled.

    ¡°I am Markus of Might, Philip the hero of might is my father. Your order has slandered his honor with your tactics, do you wish to take this up in an honor duel.¡± Markus said and shook the man. The man¡¯s eyes bulged at Markus¡¯ words. He turned to Margarette as she galloped to them.

    ¡°Lady Margarette Leonidas will you be my second, I¡¯m challenging every knight of the order of might to an honor duel. For the slander of the hero of might¡¯s honor. On behalf of my Pa, I¡¯m challenging them for breaking their oaths to train aspirant knights to the best of their abilities and safeguard them until the are proper knights of might.¡± The Chaplain spluttered.

    ¡°We have not slandered the hero of might¡¯s honor sir. We are merely collecting aspirants to refill our depleted ranks. You would be a welcome addition.¡± Markus shook the man, he needed more help to regain his senses.

    ¡°Are you a fool? Why is Pa¡¯s order marching north? The Lady Margarette just sent a message to her father. There are potentially two demon lords. Going north now will get you all killed. A full party of heroes are needed to spear head the army. Pa wouldn¡¯t walk in there without at least another veteran hero with him. Do you want the order to die sir Knight?¡± Markus demanded. The other knights were beginning to pick themselves up. Markus was pleased that they only received a few broken finders. Even the horses were mostly fine.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Two demon lords impossible, I won¡¯t ask how you know. But did the lord hero tell you.¡± The Chaplain asked. Markus shook his head.

    ¡°Pa knew but my mind flayer informed me of two massive dark presences in the north.¡± The Chaplain spluttered.

    ¡°They never work together. Often when there are no heroes we work their forces against one another. But two working together. That hasn¡¯t happened before.¡± Markus shrugged.

    ¡°Chaplain gather your men and tell the chapter master of the forces. Make whatever excuses you can to stay out of this first battle. If you weren¡¯t already informed, then it¡¯s likely you won¡¯t be informed. The chapter messengers should have received a telepathic message and informed you. Maybe the aspirants should cut their teeth on some dungeons, as many different ones as possible. Two demon lords have the potential for nearly every elemental monster type in their armies.¡± He picked his straw hat up from the ground dusted it off and put it on.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you would have us do not fight. I call you a liar.¡± One night shouted. ¡°I Maximus will accept you honor duel. Even if a liar like you has none.¡± Markus moved bashed the side of his axe into the man¡¯s helmet harder than he had the chaplain. The ironcite steel helmet dented and the man collapsed like a sack of potatoes.

    ¡°Does anyone else want an honor duel with me?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°Thank you for not killing him milord shall we escort your group the rest of the way to Redgate.¡± Markus shook his head.

    ¡°You should get to training your aspirants and increase every skill you have. There is a war on the way. If they manage to get past the farm, then nothing will hold them back. I think Pa has sent the family with aunt Elizabeth to castle Ironheart and he¡¯s staying behind to hold the demon lords and their army at bay.¡±

    He climbed back on Windy and turned around. ¡°That was a stupid thing to do.¡± Tristen said.

    ¡°I thought it was brave. Not everyone has the will to try and right wrongs. It may have bought Haven time to produce a hero.¡± Margarette said.

    ¡°Or lost the capital a few days that could have been bought with their lives. Heroes need to be trained after their found.¡± Tristen said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get strong enough to fight the demon lords before Pa falls to them. I decided it a while ago. When I¡¯m strong enough, I¡¯ll take a sabbatical and head north. By then I should have cleared enough dungeons and have a few hero rank artefacts.¡± Tristen laughed at him.

    ¡°You mistake yourself for your father. I¡¯ve seen him, he isn¡¯t a giant brute like you. He¡¯s fast, precise, and powerful you are brutal, offish, and inefficient. If he can¡¯t win, you can¡¯t.¡± Tristen said. Trixie gave him a dirty look.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not the old man. He and Ma pumped my mind with their experiences and drilled me till I couldn¡¯t move since I could walk. They did that with every one of my brothers and my sister. We are the next generation of heroes. The mantle is ours now.¡± Markus said and looked him in his piss colored eyes. ¡°Make no mistake, I will grow stronger than the old man ever was and pick my teeth with the bones of those demon lords.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Brave words so far away form the battle.¡± Tristen said.

    ¡°Will you both stop, I¡¯m tired of this nonsense. Markus you aren¡¯t a hero or even an aspirant and Tristen shut up your whinny voice annoys me.¡± Margarette said.

    They came upon Redgate just as the sun began to sink. It was surrounded by an army of ogres. Big ugly green creatures. Tough and strong enough to tank catapult stones. ¡°There you go, show me that you¡¯re a hero. I heard that Philip of Might tossed a bolder and killed a clan of ogres near Northwind.¡± Markus nodded.

    ¡°I watched him do it.¡± He wished he had a ranged weapon for this.

    Windy went into a gallop Markus held his axe out. Piles of bones covered the ground from travelers that didn¡¯t get away in time. Ogres can often move as fast as horses. They can also keep pace for over a day without exhaustion. In the fading light Windy¡¯s hooves stopped making a sound. They became a blurring shadow.

    Markus swung his axe and took the head of one of the ogres. He held up up for the others to see. They looked at him with cloths too small for them stitched together. ¡°Get him boys and take his clothes they look big enough and fancy too.¡± He turned and galloped away towards trees where there wasn¡¯t any light.

    As they retreated for the trees Markus began pulling in the darkness and grinding the screaming spirits down to mush. When he was full, they were good and deep in the forest with the Ogres giving chase. They were closing in and one tackled him off of Windy.

    He looked up into the eyes of the ogre chief. The monster¡¯s beady eyes looked down on him with cruel glee. ¡°Take off da cloths I don¡¯t want to get your blood on my new threads.¡± Blue eyes opened all around the forest and on his forehead. Tentacles leapt out of the trees as the scene blurred and the illusion vanished.

    ¡°The eye skill can cast illusions on those weak of will.¡± Three familiars leapt on the ogre chieftain and dove into his flesh. Tentacles whipped out slicing off arms and legs. The eyes trapped the ogres in illusions of battles and they killed one another.

    Quest 21 Save a Village From monsters

    Reward 10kpoints

    Chalice came out of his inventory. ¡°Markus this is your last drink before I return to my mistress.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Tell her I¡¯m looking for her. I need advice.¡± Markus took a swig and felt his mental energy return. He went about taking the heads of the ogres and stacking them in his inventory.

    He rode out of the woods on Windy. Not a drop of blood on him. He had made it finally to Redgate.

 Chapter 14 Trials and Tribulations

    ¡°This is it, we finally get to show our skills and prove that we are worthy of the academy.¡± Tristen said with a sneer. Markus looked at his cousin in law and honestly had no clue why the guy was such an ass.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Markus said easily. He was honestly a bit perturbed by the whole ogre thing. Why didn¡¯t one of the psychic instructors render assistance. Couldn¡¯t they have ripped the ogres to shreds, crushed their joints, or pulverized organs. Were their instructors cowards?

    ¡°My Markus, they are merely food, you can¡¯t expect food to be exceptional. Though there is exceptional tasting food, hmm, what was I talking about?¡± Markus chuckled. ¡°No, I¡¯m really hungry now and all this food is here that I can¡¯t eat.¡± Markus rubbed Trixie¡¯s tentacles. They squirmed around his fingers and she began gnawing on his fingers. It felt ticklish to his tough skin.

    ¡°My lord, that looks painful!¡± Markus looked up to see a man dressed in red silk with a phoenix emblem on his breast Margarette and Tristen were further looked back. ¡°Why is there a mind flayer here, are you insane? It¡¯s already trying to eat you.¡± The man said.

    Markus took his fingers out of Trixie¡¯s mouth. Besides the drool they were fine. He waved them at the man. ¡°She¡¯s just nervous, so I let her gnaw on my fingers. Why are you making such a commotion out of it?¡± He gave the boy a look over. Obviously psychic, red hair with blonde tips, an earring, and the royal signet ring for the phoenix. Top that off with a girlish frame that the royal family is known for and you get the prince.

    ¡°What is the prince of the kingdom doing in Redgate? Doesn¡¯t the crowned heir receive a formal invitation to the academy.¡± The prince blushed heavily.

    ¡°I may be the prince, but I fear it is my sister, the lady Serenity Phoenix is who holds the title of heir. Her psychic powers are greater than mine at an earlier age. Much to my shame.¡± The Prince said. Then focused back on Trixie. ¡°That does not excuse the presence of such a dark creature. With a demon lord to the north the creature could turn at any time.¡±

    ¡°I am a monster tamer and she is my monster. Even a prince doesn¡¯t have the right to execute another¡¯s property. Take it up with the local magistrate. But know this the law is on my side.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°The laws can be bent. My sister is the heir after all, that should be proof even if ancient laws forbid it.¡± The prince said.

    ¡°Markus stop arguing with the royalty, we have to register come on.¡± Markus ignored the prince¡¯s next outburst and they continued. He knew somewhere deep down that this wasn¡¯t over.

    Inside the registration building there were several applications for various abilities. Some Markus didn¡¯t know about. Life magic was a thing. He had almost no knowledge on alchemy or enchanting. He signed up for psychic, ice, monster taming, and hand to hand combat. He didn¡¯t have the skill, but he was confident in his abilities.

    ¡°You have an impressive display of abilities. You do know that skills aren¡¯t everything. It isn¡¯t abnormal for a boy your age to have 1k willpower or more. How you use your power is very important.¡±

    There were 80 psychic applicants and it just so happened to be the first tests of the day. He was taken to a waiting room and names were called. Crowds were gathered around an arena. Tickets were sold, and many wanted to watch the applicants. Markus remembered Tiberius asking Pa if they could watch his tests. He didn¡¯t think they would come. Evacuation and the war came first.

    ¡°Markus of Might your psychic test will begin now.¡± He stepped out to see a prisoner and an inquisitor standing at the ready. A rock that reeked of dark mana was set with a circle painted on the ground. Then there was a boulder.

    ¡°To pass you must complete two of the three tests. You will be judged upon speed of completion, efficiency, and strategy.¡± Markus nodded. ¡°Begin.¡± Markus went to the boulder. The second he was a meter from it his will lifted it up and he chunked it hard. Sand shot up as the boulder rolled around the arena.

    Markus went to the smaller boulder. It radiated with darkness, so psychic power couldn¡¯t directly touch it. The farther it was moved out of the circle the better. The green line a few meters away marked completion. Markus wrapped sand around the boulder and shot it across the arena.

    He ran to the prisoner. Markus glared at the stunned prisoner. ¡°What did you do?¡± He bellowed, and the prisoner¡¯s mind went blank. That was the point. He had no surface thoughts to distract Markus from digging. The prisoner tried to put thoughts in the way, but it was too late. Markus found what he was looking for. ¡°This man cut the throat of a leather worker for 50points. To buy bread for his family.¡± Markus said.

    The Inquisitor nodded. ¡°Time, the instructor called. 3minutes 20seconds, impressive.¡± Markus left to wait for the next round.

    Ice was next, and it was the hottest time of the day. Markus walked out on the arena field to a raging inferno. He was one of 12 ice type users. Their only test was to step through the fires and freeze a phoenix feather.

    At go Markus stepped slowly extending his freeze with psychic, window after window appeared as he walked through the swirling flames. His hands extended around the feather and cold poured out challenging the swirling fire storm directly. Yet no matter how much he fought the flames the feather never froze. He increased the freeze devoting more willpower to the task. ¡°Enough, an announcer yelled. Put the feather down and leave.¡± Markus narrowed his eyes but did as told.

    The next part of the challenge was all about monster tamers. There were hundreds of monster tamers and he walked out with Trixie. The instructor gasped. ¡°You really have a mind flayer as a partner. Are you nuts?¡± The instructor said.

    ¡°What is the challenge?¡± The instructor narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°This test is to determine how well you tamed your monster. A show of trust would do nicely. Put your head in her mouth. If you live, then we can assume she is a loyal monster. If not, well monsters are monsters.¡± Markus shrugged and put up the umbrella. Trixie pulled down her hood and hopped on his back. She opened her mouth and he felt her tongue lick over his scalp.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Is this good? Markus your head tastes like ammonia, when was the last time you washed it?¡± Trixie asked.

    ¡°Are you still intact?¡± The instructor asked. Markus nodded shaking Trixie¡¯s head as well. She got off of him and took the umbrella. ¡°Huh, a tame mind flayer. Well ok, you passed this exam as far as I¡¯m concerned. Not sure if you will get in, there are a lot of passes for this one. We only ever accept 100 monster tamers. But I¡¯ll put in a good word for you.¡± Markus nodded.

    ¡°So, my head tastes like ammonia.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Yea, if we are going to keep role playing, then please, wash your head. Its in my nose.¡± Trixie said. He rubbed her head and went on waiting for hand to hand.

    Over 10,000 hopefuls come to Redgate just for hand to hand. Markus didn¡¯t even have the skill or the ability qi. It was 100kpoints far out of his reach, but he was confident his stats alone would see him through the fights.

    Stepping out in the arena another 100 boys his age stood ready for a fight. Qi users often joined battle monasteries, when they graduated from the academy. There they trained and gathered resistances to every conceivable force. There were three monasteries in haven valley. Markus had no plans to join them but hand to hand was an interesting skill.

    A free for all was announced and he turned away a blow to his head by a kid half his size. He took the boy by the hand and slammed him to the ground. Qi flowed around the boy¡¯s body protecting him from most of the damage. Markus took the boy and used him as a club for the next one.

    Markus continued his strategy. His weight was so great that the other boys were like willow wands to his hands. Grappling shot up as his new hand to hand style. He loved it. This was what he was waiting for. Powers were great but using his hands made him feel powerful.

    When he was down to three opponents he tossed aside his two weapons. The boys tumbled and let go of their qi defense. The three boys surrounded him in a three-way pincer position. They were fast and careful to avoid his hands. If he grabbed one of them it would be over, and they knew it. Markus would use the boy as a club and beat the other two down. Grappling had already reached the initiate stage. Hand to hand was just now one of his skills and deflection also appeared. This was more fun than Markus hoped for. A grin covered his face, as he went up against the three boys who managed to last till now.

    His breathing was as steady as ever. One breath every thirty seconds, his heart beat at a slow pace, and one boy had already given up. Markus was sure to win by endurance alone. But that felt cheap.

    Taking risks, he began throwing punches and taking blows to his elbow joints and one to his throat. The blows were powerful possibly deadly to a normal human. The attacks felt light to the touch and his elbow was only slightly irritated. ¡°Stop,¡± The instructor yelled. Markus stopped confused.

    ¡°Shelden Lee is the winner. Markus of Might is disqualified for using illegal buffs.¡± Markus turned to the instructor. The instructor turned to him. ¡°Call me a liar boy.¡±

    ¡°I call you a liar. I have no buffs.¡± Markus yelled.

    ¡°Those blows should have destroyed your elbow, explain why you felt nothing?¡± Markus held his arms out.

    ¡°See for yourself.¡± Markus said.

    The man walked up and grabbed his arm. Then the other. Each time his eyebrows rose. ¡°This isn¡¯t possible. Some rare ability perhaps you should have entered as a tank instead of hand to hand. You both pass.¡± The instructor yelled.

    Markus nodded his head and walked to the inn where Margarette and Tristen were already eating a fine supper. He joined them ordering the special.

    A massive grilled bug was placed in front of him varnished with all kinds of candied yams and butter. He dug in while Trixie ate a brain she found somewhere. Markus wasn¡¯t in the mood to ask questions.

    ¡°Their talking about you. The boy who can¡¯t be damaged. A tank with no armor.¡± Margarette said. Markus nodded. ¡°We should know, if we will be admitted by morning. Want to do some shopping while we have a chance.¡± Markus stuffed a mouthful of bug meat in his mouth. It was tender and a little flakey. Dipping it in butter helped.

    ¡°Yea, I need to make an order. Pa¡¯s axe is great, but I need something with some heft to it.¡± She blinked at the way he said heft.

    ¡°Most like lighter weapons the speed helps more often than weight does, even with plate mail. Often there is a part that aren¡¯t armored well were a sword can cut.¡± Tristen muttered in a tone of voice Markus was getting used to.

    ¡°If a weapon doesn¡¯t have any weight to it, then I won¡¯t notice it. I would settle for a blade that¡¯s about a quarter ton in weight. That should feel like a normal sword to me.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle this one sis. You go with Trixie and collect you¡¯re romance novels. This is going to take a while.¡± Tristen said. Margarette smiled happily and even hugged Tristen.

    ¡°When did you two start, bonding?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°When you weren¡¯t looking. Let¡¯s go before we lose daylight.¡± Markus nodded.

    The sounds of singing of hammers was beautiful. They came upon a massive forge that swallowed up most of the smith section. An old man hammered away at a forge when they opened the door. Weapons of all shapes and sizes sat on racks. Markus could feel several types and one rare duel type. But that didn¡¯t concern him. He walked over to the black smith¡¯s counter and rang a bell.

    The old man sighed and quenched his work. He put on a smiled and walked over to them. ¡°Hello there, chaps, you most likely passed your exams and are looking for custom swords, axes, spears, and the like. I¡¯m going to tell you right now, no. I have plenty of weapons on the rack. Pick through them and buy something or get out. I have no time for young foolishness.¡± The old man said. Markus saw his by his name tag he was named Smit.

    ¡°Smit, I need a heavy sword. I have my own materials.¡± Markus took out a chunk ok ironcite and placed it on the counter ruining everything and crushing the bell.

    The old man¡¯s face went red then he looked over the rock and took on a curious expression. He started looking over the raw ore. Rubbing his chin, the man looked at Markus then back at the ore. ¡°That is some damn good ore. You can tell by the color. Ironcite is normally black, this is silver. That means it must have been covered by sap from a dru tree and got refined over time. It¡¯s a good fine pricy even maybe 10k points and you want a heavy sword you said.¡± Markus nodded. Tristen looked back and forth like he was seeing something insane.

    ¡°Right,¡± Smit said, and tossed the sword he was working on in a barrel. ¡°You bought the top of the queue with that rock there. Your big for a thirteen-year-old nearly seven feet. I can sense quite a bit of fooling around with psychic power in your steps. What typing do you want?¡± Smit said.

    Markus shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want any typing. What I want is a nice durable sword with a handle I can put both hands on. I need it to be strong enough, so when I swing my hips it doesn¡¯t dent.¡± Smit nodded.

    ¡°Come to the back. I¡¯m going to need the big forge for this one.¡± He did a few measurements and calculated how tall Markus would be as an adult. In the end they stuck with a simple cross guard and a long blade instead of weighing a quarter ton, it would weight about fifty pounds. It would be done in a week. Smit promised to send it to him.

    Markus fell asleep dreaming of mighty swords and swinging them. He fell asleep with Trixie cradled in his arms. Her tentacles wrapped around his face and her drool flowing down his neck. She looked too comfortable for him to move.

    That morning, he went to administration and received a letter of acceptance. They mounted up and begin traveling to Haven the capital that morning.

 Chapter 15 Haven

    The presence of the king expanded around haven like a tattered cloak. Thoughts from the king cascaded over the aura like storms crossing a mighty ocean. This aura was the king¡¯s way of spying on every mind within his territory. An open act of espionage used by kings from the dawn of time.

    Markus had nothing to fear. His mind was safe layers of dark natural weaved through his mind from his bond with Trixie. The king¡¯s attempts to read his mind fell away. Markus was like an air bubble rising from the ocean floor. The waves crash and the storms rage, but he continued to rise.

    The other¡¯s looked uncomfortable their minds were raped. The second they passed into the king¡¯s territory their every secret was exposed. That was what it was rape in its truest form. A dishonorable act to be sure but a necessary evil, Markus was sure.

    It lacked the subtle touch his mother took. No, it was more like a sledge hammer. Slamming into his cousins¡¯ unprotected minds. Even Margarette¡¯s sword of dark gave her no succor.

    They went through checkpoints showing the guards their letters of acceptance. The second they crossed the walls a quest appeared.

    Quest #100 Slay the king

    reward 100,000,000points

    Quest #39 Conquer the Four Apocalypse Dungeons of Haven

    Reward 1,000,000points per dungeon

    Quest #50 Force the Knight Orders to get along

    Reward 100,000 per treaty

    Quest 32 Enter the Pestilence Dungeon

    Reward 10,000points

    Quest 31 Find the Pestilence Dungeon

    Reward 1000points

    Quest #30 Purchase Challenges

    Reward 5000points

    For some reason the only thing that worried him was how much challenges cost and what did they do? He looked it up quickly and found they only cost 1000. Challenges unlocked purchasable abilities that were tied to stats or lowered their cost.

    Gates of bone stood high before them. Towering over a hundred meters high the heads of mighty monsters and traitorous necromancers alike covered the gate. Yet the gate was not full. There was still enough room for the current demon lord or demon lords.

    The guards are dressed in the finest plate. All knights who have conquered lesser dungeons though only a few have ever claimed the treasure. Its rumored that the elite of the elite guards could match a hero. Markus doubted the legitimacy of the rumors. If they were that strong, they wouldn¡¯t be guarding a wall. He chalked it up as inflated rumors to lesson the chances of noble revolts.

    The gates opened to thousands of venders. Thousands upon thousands of stands selling wears of all kinds. Gems to socket into weapons, armor, and spell books. This was Haven¡¯s Bazar

    Merchant families made up the outer most edge of the city. They were the most numerous. Though the least powerful. They crossed to the next rung. The apartment district this would be where they would live. Apartments of all kinds covered this ring of the city. Most would be empty before the year was out. The courses at the academy were said to be brutal. Almost as terrible as the tuition.

    Next year it will be bumped up to 40,000points. With the points from the three eggs and what he could scrape together from his quests he had 1k after this year¡¯s tuition. He needed to find this pestilence dungeon today. The next year¡¯s tuition must be paid in advanced. He might have a month to make the points.

    ¡°How are you feeling after the mind rape?¡± Tristen asked.

    ¡°Tristen the king doesn¡¯t rape anyone. Its his duty to see to the protection of the capital.¡± Margarette said.

    Trixie burbled, and he nodded his head.

    ¡°The king¡¯s mind must be fat with secrets.¡± Markus said. Margarette froze, the Tristen laughed.

    ¡°I like that mind flayer of yours. She has spunk.¡± Tristen said and gave her a look.

    ¡°Tell the food that my vagina is flexible not stab proof.¡± Markus nodded his head and decided to up the ante.

    ¡°She said she would love to peel your skull open with your spiky dick, thanks for the offer.¡± Tristen paled, and Trixie burbled.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that and why would I want to touch his thingy.¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re sharing some mixed signals.¡± Tristen said.

    ¡°No, I think she said exactly what she meant.¡± Margarette said. ¡°Now, lets get to admissions.¡±

    They went through a line showed their letter of admission was assigned a career counselor, an apartment, and went their separate ways. They would have to find a way to meet up after they get scheduled.

    Markus hovered over the stairs and found a room with a cheap bed, running water, and stationary. There was a chair that would shatter under his weight and pencils that would snap in his hands. He would have to use psychic power for nearly everything.

    Markus was getting to the point where he could establish floors of psychic energy. It was all that kept him from falling through the rooms. He swore to himself to learn enchanting and find a way to solve this problem.

    He sat on the bed and it split in half. Realizing he wasn¡¯t getting his security deposit back, he made his way to the career counselor.

    ¡°Please have a seat Mr. Might.¡± Markus nodded and sat down on psychic energy. He never touched the chair. The councilor raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t comment.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve barely had a chance to go over your file but from what I can tell you¡¯re from a disgraced noble family. By law you¡¯re related to house Leonidas and a lesser house of Vitas on your mother¡¯s side. Your father is a hero which came with lands and an honorary noble title. He was later stripped of the title, lands, and works as a farmer. Are you here to reclaim honor for the family name?¡± Markus went from calm to seething in less than sixty seconds. A new record in his opinion. A smile stretched across his face. He was beginning to like this councilor.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m here to learn everything I can get my hands on. I want to learn enchanting, alchemy, ritual circles, inscription, glyphs, and spells to start. How many classes am I allowed to take?¡± The councilor smiled pleasantly.

    ¡°Not one to be bound by family, very well. None of those classes are open to first years. You can acquire books on the subject, request materials, practice, and read journals from student who have taken the classes. Until your fourteen and have passed a year of the academy, you can¡¯t learn from a professor on the subject.¡± The councilor said.

    Markus read her name from the desk. ¡°Ms. Armond are professors masters?¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°Adepts or experts, masters are rare only a handful exist in the capital. Now as for subjects, I¡¯m going to start you on Mathematics of Magic 101, the Formulaic languages of magic, bestiary 101, monster care, economics, history, and Battle Magic.¡± Markus nodded his head.

    ¡°Are there any other classes I can take?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°You have time for two electives and that¡¯s it if you want any time to yourself. These subjects are no joke. Power is one thing you have that in spades. Knowledge and theory, that can set you above the rest. These classes can allow you to branch into the magic crafting subjects quickly.¡± Markus nodded.

    ¡°Can I take potions 101, and phantasms 101.¡± She nodded.

    ¡°Potions is basically a cooking class. No real theory until you get to the professional stuff. Phantasm is just a lore class a little too deep for bestiary 101. Alright, I¡¯m done now get out of here. Classes start in a week. Go explore the city or whatever young boys do.¡± Ms. Armond said.

    Just outside the academy, there were knights of various orders offering to handle student debts in exchange for 10 years of service in a knight order when their out. The order of might was absent so, he let them dishonor themselves.

    ¡°Boy, you look like a powerful warrior. Do you want to join the knights of Gilford?¡± Gilford was an ancient Hero who boasted of loyalty to the king and kingdom. Anything for the kingdom maybe done and honor is kept. They are thieves, assassins, child murderers, and Markus was about a second from pummeling the knight who spoke to him into scrap metal and meat.

    ¡°Sir knight your order is honorable to their cause, but I won¡¯t join a group of scum. No matter how great their honor.¡± The knight was about to draw his mace when another stopped him.

    ¡°He¡¯s the boy who wrecked the Might¡¯s recruiters. Besides he hasn¡¯t said anything untrue.¡± The man looked him in the eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong boy can¡¯t handle getting your hands dirty?¡± The knight said.

    ¡°Ever shall we kill for the kingdom, no lives too many, and no one an innocent for the King and the kingdom. It¡¯s in your motto, if it means wiping out an orphanage you will do it on the king¡¯s order and never second guess the orders. Your honor is unending because you follow every order to the letter. That makes you no more than tools. Something I want no part of.¡± Markus said. The knight spat at his feet and they parted ways.

    ¡°Making friends everywhere you go.¡± Tristen said happily.

    ¡°Do you disagree with me?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°No, those guys scare me to death. But they are a necessary evil to hold the kingdom together.¡± Markus nodded his head.

    ¡°I know, but that doesn¡¯t make them any less filthy, it just gives citizens a reason to turn a blind eye. They are doing the kings work and it is bloody.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Are you saying you are any better? At least they follow a cause.¡± Tristen said.

    ¡°They do what the strings tell them. That¡¯s how puppets work. Its easy when the sins belong to the king and not the man holding the knife. Wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful to be able to always say the king made me do it?¡± Markus said. ¡°When I kill, its my decision. I way the consequences of my actions. That¡¯s what being a man is all about.¡± Markus said. His Pa¡¯s words ring in his ear like bells from Angelus Fragmentus. They don¡¯t just echo through his mind but seem to sear his skin.

    ¡°You hate them.¡± Tristen said, as a statement instead of a question.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t hate knives and swords. You hate their wielder. Weren¡¯t you paying attention. They gave up their free will and became tools. Free will for honor unending it¡¯s a knight¡¯s dream.¡± He glared at the catman. ¡°What I hate is that they exist in the first place. If a member ever rebelled they would be killed for the order¡¯s honor. Let¡¯s go and explore the book stores.¡± Markus said.

    There was only one academy book store. Every book was thousands of points. The books he wanted were even worse. Markus Dracul¡¯s Enchanting For The Beginner, was 15kpoints it was the cheapest book on the subject. He needed to find a dungeon now.

    Markus left Tristen who had money from James his father. The waves of psychic energy from the king were annoying. Markus sat in his room and started meditating. He needed to find a way to find a dungeon.

    As he meditated his mind slowly crept out beneath the king¡¯s waves. After hours of meditation, he found a trickle of mana coming from the sewers. This was it, his hint. Markus ran out of his apartment and followed the sewers to where the mana was strongest.

 chapter 16 Pestilence

    Adulthood for a mind flayer means the acquisition of all stats and powers from their victims. Is it any wonder that the mind they hunger for the most is that of their master¡¯s? The mind that binds them and holds them back is the mind that they crave the most. Memories were downloaded and the brains they devour become nothing more than hard drives and microprocessors containing skills and abilities any that are incompatible are rejected.

    The hair like tentacles of a mind flayer determines how powerful a mind flayer may become. The longer and thicker the tentacles the stronger the mind flayer. Certain mind flayers who have extremely long tentacles can act during the day and even use their psychic powers. If these unique mind flayers reach adulthood, then they may be a match for any hero.

    Trixie knew of the fear mages had for her kind. She brushed her tentacles back in her ribbon. Markus was still asleep, he fought a dungeon for most of the night, he deserved his rest. Often, she played in bed wrapping her tentacles around him. For hours before he awoke his hands moved through her tentacles gently brushing them. An affection that she enjoyed.

    She was growing hungrier lately adulthood was approaching. Markus was in danger of her. It was time to hunt again to relieve her cravings.

    His eyes opened she was gone again. It had been a week since staying here and she left often early in the mornings. The sun wasn¡¯t up, and he didn¡¯t think sleep would come with Trixie gone. Getting up to his feet, he avoided the shower and brushed his teeth.

    Markus bought a book on the life cycles of well known dark monsters. He knew about mind flayers. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to guess what she was doing. It was his choice to act oblivious. It was her honor as his partner to act in his interests.

    Pulling his sword out of his closet, he looked it over. The blade glinted silver and had a heft that no normal man could hope to use. Nearly seven feet long and two inches thick the blade was a monster. In the tight corridors of pestilence dungeon, it was worthless. So, he took his axe and a cheap bow with him.

    The city was quiet in the early hours of the morning. It was considered bad luck to conduct business before the sun was up. The king¡¯s psychic power was absent. Perfect for an assassin after the king¡¯s life. Not that he was one.

    Near the palace he opened a hatch and leapt down a familiar iron ladder. He was almost certain there were three other entrances like this. There was a question of why four dungeons would emerge so close together. Pestilence, death, war, and famine four dungeons that spewed mana tainted with dark.

    What were they for? Four powerful dark dungeons in the same place couldn¡¯t be a coincidence.

    A swinging hammer slammed down, and he rolled to the side. The first time he saw the trap it nearly got him. The walls were covered in a fleshy substance with pustules lining the walls. Get too close and boiling puss will explode covering your body. Melting through your skin and to top it off maggot eggs would infest your wounds.

    Three bands of crawling ghouls spotted him and charged on his location. Markus took his bow and fired on the pustules. They exploded covering the ghouls. After a few minutes of writhing in agony, they charged at him again. Their bodies slowly falling apart from the maggots eating away at their sinews.

    Markus ran around the ghouls letting the maggots do the work. In these tight corridors it was hard to move weapons or no. He let them fall apart and collected the points. Something like fire would be great here. Too bad really. Ice made the fire ability unreachable. Every new breakthrough in ice increased the cost of fire.

    He went over the dissolving bodies and claimed a few amulets. Item drops were the only things disease free. Dungeons wanted victims and making things fair was important. He took a left avoiding the grisly end the right tunnel would provide. Rats covered the ground he never knew if they were alive or dead. Taking a spear from his inventory, he began stabbing his way through the rats.

    A few bites to his ankles was enough to convince him to buy one from one of the local merchant stands. He started hearing screeches, as he went through. That meant this spear had paid for itself. Each rat was worth 2points and killing 20 payed for the spear.

    Another band of ghouls showed up crawling from a hatch in the tunnel. This was the throat if he passed below he would reach the next part of the infested dungeon, the stomach.

    Markus ran up and started kicking them back down. The tunnel squeezed them pulling the ghouls deeper. Markus leapt over the opening behind the throat was a secret boss worth 2000points.

    A sarcophagus burst open revealing a mummy. It was named Imhotep. Named monsters in dungeons were worth far more than unnamed. For bosses that counted even more. For secret bosses it was excellent. There was a trick to the fight.

    Imhotep opened with a salvo of flesh eating scarabs Markus ducked under the wave used freeze on his sword and thrust in Imhotep¡¯s chest. The mummy froze, and Markus took advantage. He sheathed his sword and took a hold of the mummy. He slammed it back in its coffin.

    Picking up the sarcophagus the mummy banged on the lid trying to get out. It was iron and copper, the coffin slid into place rather well. He pushed against the lid until it warped now there was no opening it. Using chains, he wrapped up the coffin for a hand grip.

    Quest 22 Use a Secret Boss to Slay a Boss

    Reward 10kpoints

    Now, the real test was to see if this counted as killing a boss with a secret boss. He went to the throat and jumped through holding the coffin. After a horrible squeezing sensation, he found himself on the second floor. The stomach, massive zombies with skin made of dozens of layers layers charged at him. They had a natural armor that deflected blunt damage. He put the coffin to the side and took out his sword.

    He slashed through the knee of one and split open the neck of another. Putrid black blood rained down as he made his way through the larger zombie variant. When the first room was cleared he took the coffin and made his way through to the next one.

    Fast moving ghouls and slow moving callused zombies trudged towards him. Markus took the coffin and smashed the first ghoul and slammed it through the line chasing him. He put it down took his sword out and spun delivering a horizontal slash that bisected everything in its path. Guts, heads, and the waists of ghouls that tried to get the jump on him littered the ground. Their guts and blood gave the ground the perfect lubrication for something he wanted to try.

    He kicked the coffin forward and leapt on it. Using a leg, he picked up speed sliding on guts with his sword raised for beheading callused zombies. He couldn¡¯t help letting out a whoop as he slid forward.

    Markus held a head on the flat of his blade, as he watched the boss pace. It knew he was coming. The corpses of zombies, giant roaches, and ghouls covered the ground slowly dissolving. He would need to collect the loot later. A few pieces of armor caught his eye. They hadn¡¯t dropped the last few times he walked in. When the giant zombie¡¯s back was turned Markus tossed the head up and hit it with the flat of his blade. The head hit the back of the giant¡¯s head causing the zombie to stumble in shock.

    Sheathing his sword, he ran up mostly crushed coffin in hand. The zombie had enough time to turn to look at him when the coffin hit it in the jaw. The giant zombie stumbled back, and Markus took his sword and slashed through the zombie¡¯s knee caps. A crunching sound echoed, and Markus leapt back as the creature fell catching itself with its hand.

    Setting the coffin aside Markus sliced through one elbow then the other. Arms bigger around than him fell leaving the zombie on stumps. Markus sheathed his blade and took the coffin in hand. The zombie roared at him while Markus slammed the coffin into its head.

    Turning his back on the boss he left it with the coffin inside its head. The sweet 10k was his, just a few more and he would buy a new book. Things were looking up. The next way was open, and he left for the surface. Any deeper and he would have an actual fight on his hands. That would defeat the purpose of farming a dungeon.

    The sun had just risen when he made his way to the merchant district. He had around 30 amulets, 90 sets of disease resistant cloths, 200pairs of fungus resistant socks, hundreds of fungal extracts, 400masks of plague bearers, and 1 ring of misfortune.

    ¡°Ah, Markus what do you have for me.¡± He started piling the merchandise in the stalls. The anti-fungal socks were a hit seller. ¡°I can only give you 1000 points for the lot of it.¡± Cletus said.

    Markus gave the merchant a look.

    ¡°Markus, you have to understand you¡¯ve over saturated the market. 1000 is good for the amount already in circulation.¡± His first haul had gotten him 10k it had grown less with every trip. Markus calculated how much he earned from the dungeon just killing monsters. In a few hours he made 80k, he could afford tuition next year, buy the books he needs, and gather more abilities. He packed his hard-earned loot back up. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 5k for it don¡¯t go.¡± Cletus said.

    ¡°Maybe when the market is less saturated I¡¯ll trade with you again.¡± Markus said and left.

    He went to the admissions office and paid for the next year. Then with 40k remaining he went to the book store and bought what books he could.

    With the day now fully here, he took a shower and went to class. His first class was mathematics of magic. He walked into a pitch-black classroom, except for thousands of white seals covering the walls and ceiling. The seals moved changing exposing their intricacies without conveying their meaning. It was beautiful.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Professor Dracul, and this is mathematics of magic 101. In this class you will explore the mysteries of magic and how it functions. As you can see magic is always in flux and unless you understand the underlying principles of why it changes, you won¡¯t understand magic not truly.¡± The teacher¡¯s red eyes glare into them as he speaks. There is a sadness to the man and strength. Markus has a feeling he¡¯s going to like the class.

    ¡°If magic is always in flux and never static how will we study it?¡± One student asked.

    The teacher looked over a written list. ¡°Mr. Risley right.¡± The student nodded. ¡°Those seals are spells made static. Yet time still passes around them and so they move. In a way magic is like time itself.¡±

    He tapped a blank space on the wall and created an uncomplicated design. It moved much slower than the others. He wrote 73 under it and moved on to others. ¡°Who can tell me what elements make up these seals?¡± Markus drew a blank and waited for someone else to raise their hand. ¡°How about the young of Might.¡± Shit!

    Markus stood up. He starred at the seal. ¡°Well go ahead there is no harm in getting it wrong?¡± He continued glaring at the seal looking for something in his thoughts that might divine the answer.

    ¡°Are there two elements?¡± The teacher nodded.

    ¡°There are in fact only two elements in this seal. But can you guess what they are by the numbers alone. Can you look at the seal and tell me why 7 and 3 where the numbers.

    A large circle stood on the outside with a large triangle and a seven-pointed shape in the center. ¡°Do you read from the center going out?¡± Markus asked. The teacher smiled and nodded his head. The shape in the center changed shape but always held the same number of points.

    ¡°Wind and fire,¡± Markus said unsure.

    ¡°Psychic and fire two very different elements. When combined fire gains direction that it would never normally have. Psychic is one of the elements good with any spell. This spell is commonly referred to as fireball. The psychic element in the spell supplies the explosion.¡± Dracul said.

    Markus nodded his head and sat down. Another student was called, and Markus took what notes he could.

    The next class he didn¡¯t bother learning the teacher¡¯s name. Formulaic language of magic was boring. They went to work writing down the 10 basic seals. There was no darkness seal Markus learned and this class was needed to understand Mathematics of magic.

    Bestiary 101 had gruff former knight as a teacher named George no last name. He monologued about goblins, snatchers, and ogres. He spoke a little about their tribal societies in the forest and how you never want to stumble upon a snatcher tribe.

    Monster care was all about goblins and how to care for them. Markus didn¡¯t have a goblin and when he asked about how to care for a mind flayer the teacher looked at him blankly.

    Economics was interesting. He learned a little about the points system. They were constantly inflating and deflating. When points are used for abilities the market deflates and prices change. The price of gold normally determined how much points were worth.

    History class was about what book we needed to get and to make sure we get the book the teacher wanted because he only taught from that book and sources were only accepted from that book. Mordred¡¯s history of the kingdom went for 2kpoints and Markus would have to by it soon. They had a reading assignment due in three days.

    Battle magic, he walked in class spars were had and he was asked politely to leave. Apparently using the opponent as a club was considered misconduct. The teacher took one look at his light hammer and turned him away.

    Phantasmal beasts 101, was fun. The teacher spoke about visiting castles filled with ghosts and they were going to go on a field trip to study the ghosts up close. No book was required for the course.

    Potions, he was handed a cook book and began mixing health potions. The teacher was selling them to a knight order. They didn¡¯t get a cut. By the end of class Markus had the potions skill up the beginner 50.

    He walked up to his room exhausted. Trixie was asleep in the bed and he scooted right beside her. It was his first real day at the academy and he wasn¡¯t disappointed. If he was right, then he would learn how to identify spells and counter them from mathematics of magic. Language of magic would teach him how to enchant items hopefully. He noticed that a lot of artefacts were tied to life. But there were as many as 20 sided seals on some of the rare drops. They moved constantly just like the ones at the classroom.

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Full stats and skills 3

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Psychic

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Telekinesis: Journeyman 5   Telepathy: Initiate 20,     Empathy: Initiate 50

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +5,000,000%        Intelligence +20%         Willpower +50%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Intelligence +50,000%????  Charisma +0.2%????Intelligence +0.5%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Defense +500%Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Slash +5%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Pierce +0.015%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Life Support: Journeyman 1??Flesh Puppetry: Apprentice 30

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +1,000,000%??????Willpower +30,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Vitality +10,000%???????   Vigor +3000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Recovery +100%?????????Mobility +30%

    Mobility +1%???????? ??Recovery +0.3%

    Phys resistance +0.01%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold"> Dark

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Tentacle: Novice 50,    Eye: Novice 10,         Familiar: Initiate 10

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +5000%     Perception +1000%     Willpower +10%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Pierce +50%          Dark Resist +10%????Dark Resist +0.1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Vitality +0.5%         Miasma +0.1%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Ice

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Freeze: Journeyman 1

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +1,000,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Ice Resist +10,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Spell Damage +100%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Fire Resist +1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Reflect Magic +0.01%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Light

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Chains: Apprentice 10

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower +100,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Defense +1,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Light Resiste +10%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Dark Resiste +0.1%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Monster Tamer

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Communicate: Novice 90

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Charisma +9,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Mental Resist +90%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Spirit Resist +0.9%

    <hr style="cursor: default; font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; border-width: 1px 0px 0px 0px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-style: solid none none none; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px">

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Misc

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Farming: Beginner 70       Mob Slayer: journeyman 1       Hunter: Beginner 10

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Intelligence +0.7%          Intelligence +1,000,000%            Agility +0.1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">??????????????Willpower +10,000%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">??????????????Endurance +100%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">??????????????Vitality +1%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">??????????????Luck +0.01%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Movement: Novice 13       Eating: Initiate 50             Axe Mastery: Novice 7

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Mobility +1300%           Nourishment +50%           Strength +700%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Dexterity +13%            Vitality +0.5%?????????Dexterity +7%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Agility +0.13%??????????????????????Vigor +0.07%

    Sword Mastery: novice 50??Graple Mastery: Beginner 40??Potions: Initiate 1

    Strenth +5,000???????Vitality +0.4%??????????Intelligence +1%

    Dexterity +50%???????????????????????Willpower +0.01%

    Vitality +0.5%

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">ASI(Abilities/Skills/items)

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Stats        base  +points%  +ASI%   =   Net stats

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Vitality       x50   100      10.132k       10.232k

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Endurance   x50   100      230           330

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Strength     x3     100     5700          348

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Dexterity    1     100      70            4.6

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Agility      1     100      0.2            2

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Intelligence  1     100      1.050m        21k

    <strong style="font-weight: bold">Willpower   1     100      6.140m       122.802k

 Ch16.1 Side Chapter Nighty Knight

    The Royal Palace stood in the center of Haven.  Four great spires poured wild mana into the air and four dungeons soaked up the darkness keeping the outside world uncorrupted.

    Those four spires tall and shining with white light were beacons that dispersed the dark.  Most monsters feared approaching the great towers and demon lords were no exception.  They feared the spires that held an aura of light energy unlike any other creature in the Halo valley.

    It was that fear that started the wars.  Demon lords are beings of the highest dark power in the halo valley.  They can allow no rivals to exist.  Perhaps, its instinctual.  Like the night and day fairies.

    Trixie watched the glowing towers outside her window.  They gave off a calm feeling one that didn¡¯t necessary cause her to shudder with fear.  Their light was hollow and artificial, without the intelligence.  She wasn¡¯t under the threat of a great being.  Why then did demon lords feel hate from far away?  Was their perception so much greater than hers that from dozens of kilometers away they saw what she couldn¡¯t from half a kilometer?

    She let out a sigh as her mind quieted and she took to her task of helping Markus sleep.  A smile spread across her face.  It was alien something that humans would be disgusted by.  Markus¡¯s light blue eyes always seemed to glow with kindness when he saw her smile.

    Trixie checked his dreams as she did every night to ensure there were no nightmares.  She slipped in without resistance.  Their bond was formed on trust something alien to others who dare to master her kind.

    He was a strange creature her Markus.  Inhuman and yet when she begged for mercy he granted it.  She had never heard of a human so willing to spare the life of another.  It was a dreadful weakness and she wouldn¡¯t allow it to kill him.

    His breathing became troubled and she found out why.  He was dreaming of slaying the bog hag again.  She begged him for mercy, but his goal was to kill her.  It was his honor and his family¡¯s honor on the line.  If it was only his own, he would have spared her.  But for his family Markus would slay anyone.  He was the son of might and when he accepted a quest his father¡¯s legacy was also on the line.

    In the dream he was a machine she begged, and the faces of her children watched as he did the deed.  They asked him why he did it.  Why did he sell them away to mages who abused them?Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    She had seen enough.  Trixie wiped away the nightmare and filled his mind with dreams of mindless slaughter against inhuman monsters.  She was there with him cheering him on in her yellow sundress and the yellow umbrella he bought her.  His sword moved in deadly arcs and there was no hesitation no moral ambiguity just battle and death.  His body relaxed, as his mind rested in the rhythm of battle.  Memories of combat whirled around in a symphony of comfort and familiarity.

    These were the Markus¡¯s she loved the destroyer and the merciful one.  A blend that was the inhuman being that was her Markus.

    She turned her head to see the window open.  The knight of Gilver thought he was clever.  Waiting until the dead of night to sneak in and slit her Markus¡¯s throat.  He saw her and smiled.  ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would be foolish enough to sleep with a mind flayer in the same room.  Go on little monster, I¡¯ll hold him down do what your kind is known for.¡±  She smiled her teeth made the knight gulp.

    Her tentacles were at her ankles held in a ribbon.  After this one they were sure to touch the ground.  The knight walked up and put his arms on Markus¡¯s shoulders.  Then she struck.

    Her tentacles wrapped around the would-be assassin¡¯s neck and twisted snapping the man¡¯s neck in a fluid motion.  So, caught up in his own delusions, he never noticed the yellow eyes that covered the room.

    In his mind she had been waiting for the perfect time to betray her master and she wouldn¡¯t betray him until after she devoured her master¡¯s mind.  The illusion had been set the second he scouted their room.  He had been caught in the delusion that he was going to get this mission over with easily.  Such an easy illusion the feeling of winning.  It was one of her favorites.

    Her mouth opened, and she let her teeth slide through the soft flesh and found the perfect spot.  ¡°Crack,¡± blood filled the back of her throat she made sure not to spill a drop on Markus.  There was no reason to wake her master now that he was finally having sweet dreams.  Once the skull was cracked she gently pulled the skull off.  The sweet grey matter was underneath.

    She consumed him separating skills, childhood memories, random experiences, and desires.  His ego was chopped into bits and her tentacles reached the floor much to her excitement and disappointment.  Trixie thought about curling them on the sides of her head and letting them cascade down her shoulders.  She would need another ribbon.

    She tossed the body in her inventory.  Later she would feed him to Windy, like she had the others.  The nightbreed needed more bones in her diet anyway.  Trixie spent the rest of the night laying with Markus watching the bodies of horrors pile up from a small hill to a mountain.  Dream her danced upon the corpses while he built them a castle out of bodies.  It was in her opinion a sweet dream.

 chapter 16.2 Your Brain is Ajar

    It was a bright sunny day.  The kind that burned her eyes.  It made her appreciate the yellow umbrella Markus bought for her.   She wore her favorite sundress for the occasion.

    Despite the sun, the air was nice and cool.   An easy breeze blew through her ribbons.  She decided to divide her tentacles to either side of her head, they came back together midway down her back.  Thankfully, they stopped midway down her back now.

    It was irritating knowing that she was only this powerful because the knights of Gilver wanted to kill Markus during the only time he¡¯s vulnerable.  They were cowards deserving of nothing but to be food.  It was her honor to put them down the hatch, where they belonged.

    A knight¡¯s mind was a valuable meal.  Each one gave her an immediate power boost.  She wouldn¡¯t need to eat them, if they attacked during the day.  Markus could kill them and toss their bodies in a ditch.  There would be no need for a cleanup.

    That wasn¡¯t completely true.  She looked over to see her Markus lugging a cart full of artefacts from the pestilence dungeon.  He farmed it everyday now.  Some of the peasantry walked around with fungal proof socks and disease resistant pants.  Markus knew he was destroying the value of the artefacts by flooding the market.  He was doing it out of spite by this point.

    When a point can buy a beggar an entire wardrobe from a dungeon, well there was plenty of finely dressed men and women despite their station.  A smile crossed her face when she saw the nobles.  They had to dress more extravagantly to compensate.  Their hair was up in vastly intricate shapes and their cloths were enchanted to flutter without wind.

    She did wonder what they would do, when Markus collapsed the market with artefacts from other dungeons like war, death, and famine.   Could this market survive such an increase of supply?

    Enchanters had to make more intricate enchantments for less pay.  The quality of enchantments increased because no one would buy them, if they were less than what the beggars wore.  Merchants had to get rid of their supplies and clothiers went out of business.  Markus was oblivious of it all.

    He was a storm and these people could either make use of the rain or drown in it.  Though, most were caught flat footed.

    They circled through the market as Markus looked through various outfits for her.  Why he wanted to dress her in so much yellow, she didn¡¯t understand.  A quirk perhaps, though one she didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we will find anything worthwhile today.¡±  Markus said after their third trip through the clothier merchant district.  Many were packing up shop.  Though, a few remained.  The ones who sold custom jobs and armor were able to survive the market change.

    ¡°If you¡¯re that set on dressing me up.  Why not hire someone?¡±  She asked.  Markus paused.  And took on a look of consideration.  She watched his eyes sweep across the clothier district and spot someone who was busily sketching something.

    She had seen these types before.  Every time they traveled to the market district together one always appeared.  They seemed harmless enough.  Drawing sketches of her and then vanishing before she brought their attention to Markus.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve gained some admirers.¡±  Markus said.  She looked up at him mortified.  A smile crossed his face.  ¡°I know someone who may be able to track them down for us.¡±  He said with a wink.  Oh, no she was dealing with playful Markus.

    They made their way to the academy library.  Great rows of books lined the walls.  Some with a psychic signature strong enough that she felt it long after their deaths.  If Markus recognized this accomplishment he made no mention of it.  He was like that quiet and focused on the next goal.

    After passing by rows of books, two tables full of arguing lore warden, and an adventuring party discussing what group could have filled the market with so many high-grade artefacts, they arrived.  Tristen was sitting at a table writing down sources for a paper on uses of number rating for enchantments and why they were useful. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    She knew for a fact Markus hadn¡¯t started on the paper and looked at him pointedly.  ¡°I¡¯ll get to it when I get to it.  This is more interesting.¡±  More distracting he means.

    ¡°Tristen, I need to know something about a group who sketch Trixie.¡±   Tristen paused and marked his place.  He looked up to see them and frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to learn in peace, not answer inane questions about a cult.¡±    Markus raised an eyebrow then smiled like a mirror of her.  She also smiled for dramatic effect.  Tristen paled, and they had him.

    Tristen took a breath and she could taste the fear in the air.  Just licking her lips made him give into his Leonidas instincts and chuff in exasperation.  ¡°Fine, they meet in the old potions dungeon below the academy.  No, before you ask it isn¡¯t an actual dungeon with monsters and traps.  It¡¯s a really big basement.¡±  Tristen said.

    ¡°Thank you, Tristen, you¡¯re a good friend.  I¡¯ll tell you all about our findings.¡±  Markus said with a shark like smile.  Trixie was feeling excited.   They were on an adventure.  After which she would make sure he did his paper.

    They made it to the academy in record time.  The towering academy building had thousands of rooms.  Students walked about chatting and under a grove of trees some debated on topics of import.  Politics, mathematics, history, and culture were discussed under the trees.

    They made their way down the winding staircase to a hallway labeled club rooms.  Walking through they saw dozens of clubs until they came upon one club.  The Secret Mind Flayer Cult.  No one answered when they knocked, so they went inside.

    The club was filled with drawings of Trixie.  One was a play by play of her when she entered the academy and the growth and changes in her tentacles.  Another part of wall was devoted to a chart detailing her weight.  Through a series of complicated formulas, they were able to judge her weight.   This was disturbing.

    There were life sized clay models of her dressed in assorted styles of clothing.  Even some life like enough to dress her tentacles.  This disturbed her on a personal level.  Markus opened his mouth and let out a loud obnoxious laugh at her expense.  ¡°It isn¡¯t funny.¡±  She said.

    He ruffled her tentacles.  ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very funny.  You have a group of humans worshiping your image and you didn¡¯t have to mess with their minds at all.  This is every mind flayer¡¯s dream, I can imagine.¡±  She looked at him and as humans say the gears in her head moved.

    ¡°This is because of the role play jokes.¡±  Trixie said. A smile crossed his face.  She felt like she was about to explode then he touched his head against hers.  His head was like a boulder in weight and durability.  If they were trapped here he could easily headbutt their way out.

    ¡°Well at least the mind flayer cult wasn¡¯t anything to worry about.¡±  Markus said and put his hand against a wall that caved in.  She ran up and saw what lay beyond the wall.  Markus picked himself up and had a proper human expression.  ¡°What the fuck is that?¡±

    It was an enormous brain in a jar.  Alchemic circles covered this portion of the room.  There was a statue of her the jar was labeled offering.  Candles of were burning in a corner and more provocative artwork of her covered the walls.  Over to the side there were the bodies of the beggars used to make the giant brain.

    Humans, an elf, two goblins, and a lot of rats littered the floor.  Their skulls were ripped off and bloody tools covered the floor.  ¡°Hello there.¡±  They turned to where the psychic presence came from.  The giant brain had talked to them.  ¡°I¡¯m lonely here just being myself here in this jar.¡±  Markus blinked and looked at her.  She shrugged her shoulders.

    Trixie had eaten a lot of brains in her life.  She was a mind flayer its what they did.  But she wasn¡¯t about to eat this thing.  She found herself looking over the alchemic formulas and picking apart memories of certain alchemic dabblers from her memories.  The formulas were simple in how nearly anything could happen.  Normally, nothing would but somehow, this fluid had some synergy with the formulas.

    ¡°Did they take people off the streets, rip their brains out, and make this?¡±  Markus said like he didn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.

    They waited there for quite a while for any of the cult members to show up.  No one did.  The cult was still out there somewhere.  The academy security and the knights of Gilver got involved.  The giant brain was taken for academy research and Markus was given a medal for outstanding assistance to the school.

    Trixie didn¡¯t like that there was a cult out there worshipping her and making some sort of giant mutated brain for her to eat.  Her only solace was making sure Markus finished his paper on time.

    He sat at his desk for most of the night flicking through pages siting sources and writing.  His thoughts were blunt as ever more like hammer blows that the wispy thoughts of most humans.  For a moment she wondered what that big brain would have tasted like.  No matter how human she acted she couldn¡¯t put off her nature.  She could only direct it in as positive a way as possible.

 Chapter 17 A sticky Situation

    Failure, defeat, and obliteration describes the state of events for the joint campaign of knights.  Hundreds of thousands of trained knights, half a million knight aspirants, and millions of merchants, lore wardens, bakers, potion makers, enchanters, artillery mages, warders, stone masons, wood workers, and etc were lost in the battle.  A mere 50,000 knights survived to ride their horses to death escaping the battle.  But a single order stood tall.  The knights of might united under the hero the order swore their fealty to.  They took what craftsman they could and raised a castle on the farm.  They dug up massive deposits of ironcite and the blacksmiths worked constantly to repair and build better weapons.  Stone masons worked to build a keep and the hero stood against the army of the two demon lords.  But still the kingdom did not recognize the possibility of two demon lords working together.  The hero wasn¡¯t given his artefacts back and he wasn¡¯t recognized for his actions.

    In every tavern and inn in haven bards sang of the coming end.  People dropped like flies and Markus saw posters with the sovereign sigil on them.  The time of knights are over the time of the citizen began.  A new army loyal only to the king will be established commanders are needed.

    In the coming days any who couldn¡¯t pay tuition where drafted.  Those who had slipping grades were drafted.  And those who walked the streets alone were drafted.  Groups of women calling themselves the dove club cornered boys not wearing a kingdom uniform with the white feathers of dishonor.

    Markus walked the small intestine that made up the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor of pestilence dungeon.  He carried a small wagon behind him filled with amulets, rings, swords, axes, plate armor, and shields.  Several wrapped bundles of arrows were stacked along with a multitude of bows and crossbows.  All were made to deal disease damage.

    Rashes, boils, and fevers were debilitating in battle.  Markus was confident he could sell his new loot for a decent price.  None of it could resize, so he was unlikely to use any.  He took up one of the bows and wore a quiver of arrows, but they were poorly made.

    He activated a stone of teleportation and appeared back at the entrance with all his stuff.

    The lot of it only sells for 10k but that¡¯s ok.  Farming the dungeon has yielded him quite a bit of points already.  But with tuition increasing to 100kpoints he needed to find a new dungeon if he wanted to really get some points.  Maybe he should go to the war dungeon and play through its story.

    Taking a rest, he showered and went to the academy.  There were less people than ever.  Classes were down to ten people apiece.  Only the nobles were left.  They stared at him as he passed by.  ¡°Mr. Might,¡± Markus turned to see his MoM teacher Dracul.  His red eyes looked him over.

    ¡°I wanted to know if you were having trouble paying tuition.  You wear the ring of a member of my family.  It¡¯s unlikely you took it off her corpse, so I assume she gave it to you for protection.  The Dracul are willing to adopt you into the coven.  You won¡¯t have the rights of a true Dracul, but it will afford you protections.  Can you see through my glamour?¡±  His professor asked him.

    Markus nodded his head.  ¡°I am of the dark.¡±  Markus allowed an eye to appear on his forehead.¡±  His professor covered it quickly.

    ¡°Stupid, arrogant boy, do you want to draw attention from the king.  I can see why Marie would take you in.  Powerful, intelligent, and arrogant to a fault.  But you can¡¯t act as if you¡¯re untouchable someone will eventually show you how wrong you are.¡±  Professor Dracul said.

    ¡°Thank you for the offer but I won¡¯t betray my family.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°If this was a betrayal of family, I wouldn¡¯t suggest it.  Do you think we would take in a betrayer of family?  We haven¡¯t imbedded ourselves in human society by being stupid.  One who betrays without consequence will do so again without pause.  No, we are adopting you and your family.  This is an alliance between the Dracul and the hero.¡±  The Professor said.

    ¡°I need time to think about this.  No, this isn¡¯t my decision to make.  Can you inform Pa?  If it is an alliance with the Dracul I doubt he would say no.  He¡¯s trapped on the front line holding back the demon lords.¡±  The Professors face took a hard line.

    ¡°We want you the new hero not your father.  This deal is between us.¡±  Markus straightened took a breath and let it out.  For a second he was a child talking with Marie.

    ¡°Then I would like to speak with Marie.¡±  Markus said.

    The Professor smiled.  ¡°She has traveled far to the south.  We can¡¯t reach her.  It is believed she saw this invasion coming and prepared you for the battle to come.  A gift to leave her alone.¡±  Markus frowned it didn¡¯t sound like Marie.

    ¡°There are others who she trained in her dungeon.  None of them have that ring.¡±  Markus held up his hand.  Three rings adorned it.  His psychic ring that boosted skill development, the boosting ring that increased endurance and vitality by 30%, and the Dracul ring.

    He towered over the professor.  His weight was closer to 14 tons now than 10.  Puberty had hit, and he was shooting up.  ¡°I will get back to you professor, with my decision.  I need time to think about becoming a hero.¡±  The professor nodded.

    Classes had been going well.  He could identify most spells now with a glance.  They were to begin 4 layered seals spells that had 4 steps in them.  High tier magic was something he had wanted to practice. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Markus had just over 250,000points. It was time to use his points to better himself.  He dumped 90k in strength.  His stat points in strength reached 1000 and he could purchase two abilities.

    Destroyer

    You seek and obliterate everything in your path.  +100% to strength after point calculation 2x physical damage.

    Symphony of Might

    Your muscles sing a song of struggle to the top.  +1000% to strength after point calculation 2x physical damage.

    Markus felt his net strength increase beyond a net 1000, for the first time in a long time, he took a breath and felt his muscles move his chest instead of his mind.  Tears fell down his face.  He did the same with dexterity.

    Machine

    You move with precision like a machine.  No mistakes every movement is calculated.  +100% to dexterity after point calculation x2 aim.

    Deus Ex Machina

    You move like a godly machine.  No mistakes, everything is calculated to a divine degree.  +1000% to dexterity after point calculation x2 aim.

    He moved around the room and balanced telekinetic surface areas with every step.  Markus marveled at the simple act of walking.  His balance was perfect.

    Taking his sword, he went through a few forms and found them smooth, even perfect.  He dashed forward and stepped back.  Dancing on platforms of telekinesis.  He had to get more points and increase his other stats to this level.  If it felt this good with only two stats buffed up.

    It was a shame that every further point in stats over a thousand priced at a thousand.  But if he could increase each stat to a 1000 he was certain the treasures in the four apocalypse dungeons were as good as his.

    ¡°Hey Markus, you seem excited what happened?¡±  Margarette asked.  He stood up proud.

    ¡°I brought my strength and dexterity up by a thousand points and bought both abilities for them.¡±  He flexed his muscles feeling them ripple.  They were large but lean.  He was wiry but not too wiry.  Every movement was so precise, his muscle control was perfect.

    ¡°How do you want to celebrate.  You¡¯re as powerful, as an elite knight.  There is a nice restaurant near the center.  I¡¯ll buy.  You¡¯re probably broke after spending all those points.¡±  Markus smiled sheepishly he was kind of broke now.

    They walked to the center and saw a group of women wearing white.  Markus and Margarette were quickly surrounded.  ¡°Look another one without a uniform.  You sir are a coward and we are here to award you the white feather of cowardice.¡±  One of the women walked over and took his vest and pinned a white feather on it.

    The woman smiled smugly.  ¡°Even if you rip it off it will leave a hole in your cloths showing it was there.¡±  Markus ripped it off and tossed it, his vest quickly patching itself back together.  One of the women was about to pin another one on him when he reached back for his sword.

    Three soldiers walked up.  ¡°Hey, they are ladies you¡¯re not about to pull a sword on them are you.¡±  They put their hands on their weapons.  ¡°That¡¯s right just take the cowards pin and go on.  Or you can sign up and show you¡¯re a real man.¡±

    ¡°Did they just all challenge me to an honor duel Margarette Leonidas?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°So, what if we did there are three of us and only one of you.¡±  One of the soldiers said.

    ¡°Not only did they challenge you they accepted in front of a noble lady.  Their lives are forfeit.¡±  Margarette said.  Before they could utter another word or pull their swords.  Markus bisected the lot of them.  The women in white stood there.  Markus slashed his sword letting air pressure wipe the blood away.  Placing the weapon on his back, he held it there with psychic power.

    One of the women ran off for the local constable.  They spent the rest of the evening dealing with the nonsense of the local arbiters.  Finally, night had fallen, and they made it to the inner ring of the city only to find a closed restaurant.  They returned to the apartments promising to go out again and hopefully make it there on time.

    His room was always devoid of lamps and candles, yet tonight there was a light.  He walked in to see Trixie there lighting candles.  ¡°I heard humans like candles, so I bought some.¡±  She looked up at him and her eyes drank him in.  ¡°You¡¯re breathing without psychic power.¡±  Her tentacles wiggled about in all directions they hung four feet from her head each as big around as his thumb.  He scooped her up and laid gently on the bed with her in his arms.  With a flex from his thoughts the candles went out.

    She laid on him for a while.  Her tentacles wrapped around his face as they enjoyed each other¡¯s company.  Then his stomach gurgled.  ¡°You¡¯re hungry?¡±  She asked.  He nodded.

    Trixie hopped up and lit the wood in the iron stove and grabbed a few eggs from the icebox.  ¡°How long has it been since you ate anything but jerky?¡±  She asked him.  He mumbled out his answer.  ¡°Yes, I already know the answer is months.  The point of the question was to shame you into taking better care of yourself.  If you humans don¡¯t eat your vegies you can¡¯t poop and that causes problems.¡±  She took a head of lettuce out of the fridge.  ¡°Are you sufficiently embarrassed or must I go on?¡±  Trixie said.

    ¡°Please do, it¡¯s cute.¡±  She smiled in an endearing way.  Her tentacles moved to tie her ribbons around themselves but couldn¡¯t quite manage it while she was cooking ham and eggs.

    Markus rose from the bed and gently tied her ribbons how she like the,.  ¡°You are less clumsy.¡±  She said.  Markus nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Enjoy,¡± She said and handed him a plate of mostly burnt eggs, half raw ham, and a seared head of lettuce.  Markus dumped the  all in his mouth and chewed it like a champ.  ¡°I¡¯m cooking your breakfast from now on.  If I don¡¯t you will just eat jerky.¡±  He was about to say something, but she stopped him with a tentacle.  ¡°Human society considers it rude to talk with your mouth full.  Mental conversation counts.¡±  Trixie said and gave him a look.  She was getting ready to become an adult this had to be a sign.  ¡°No, I¡¯m taking care of my Markus.¡±

    She was too cute to be annoying, he stroked her tentacles and pulled her into bed with him.  Her body was stretchy as ever.  Trixie rubbed her slime all over his chest and fell asleep on top of him.  The goopy mess cooled on his chest.  He often used the stuff for hair jell in mornings.  Once is cooled it was like concrete.  His hair never moved once it dried.  It was fortunate the stuff dissolved in water.

    He had dreams of Trixie.  They were strange and exciting.  Together they did things and it felt right in his dreams.  No embarrassment or anxiety, just Trixie and him together.

    ¡°Markus wake up, you gooed everywhere.¡±  His eyes snapped open and he ripped up a section of damp sheets.  ¡°I know how to solve this Markus don¡¯t worry.  There is a place in the slums that take care of this for people.  Its expensive but it should help.¡±  She poked his member much to his embarrassment it wouldn¡¯t go down.

    That was one of the most awkward mornings of his life.

 Chapter 17.1 Trixie Visits a Brothel

    There was a fire lit in Markus¡¯s mind.  Whether he knew it or not, his biological imperative had been activated.  A flaw in the great machine, that perhaps made it perfect.  How could an imperfection make something perfect?

    It made him perfect by making him real.  He was a biological being and not in fact a storm made flesh.  None appreciated this fact more than Trixie.  She watched over her Markus day in and day out.  When he farmed the pestilence dungeon she searched the market district for proper nourishment for Markus.

    Taking a pyramid chart of what the human diet consisted of she felt a tad repetitive.  All she consumed were brains.  They all had a unique perspective, the occasional new twinge of a broken childhood, and delicious dreams that were forever stored inside her tentacles.  She wiped the drool away and continued her thought process.

    He needed berries to keep his brain from swelling, meat for rebuilding muscles, milk to enhance the growth of his strong bones, and sex to relieve his biological needs.  The perfect machine needed its fuel.  That is why while he fought all manner of disease ridden creature, she was hunting for a prostitute.

    The irony wasn¡¯t lost on her.  But there was disease resistant underwear for a reason.  She had eaten enough brains to know what a diseased prostitute looked like.  She easily crossed the boundary separating the wealthy side of the merchant district from the filthy rich side.  Emphasis on the filthy.

    Sex and points went together well enough there were a few prostitutes who were rather powerful.  Most focused strictly on charisma to increase their flow of points.  Trixie would normally eat a few to get a taste for the profession but Markus was beginning to show signs of frustration.  If she was to fulfill her role of partner, then letting his needs go unsatisfied wouldn¡¯t do.

    Why didn¡¯t she do it herself?  It wasn¡¯t a lack of love or desire, it was for safety reasons.  They petted and touched one another but Markus ran into a wall once on his way to the bathroom.  The hole left by his member ended any desire she had for it, until she was a powerful adult.  As an adult her power would be comparable to his own.  Coupling physically was possible but rare.

    She walked past the dilapidated housing and drag addicts.  Only the desperate would live in the buffer.  It was here that cults often snatched their victims.  To offer it to some eldritch god or to make a giant brain collage named Calvin.  The research agency who eventually took over the study of the brain in the jar named it Calvin.  Since meeting Markus, she has never been hungry enough to consider eating Calvin.

    The Lore Wardens labeled Calvin a Brain Chimera.  She felt offended for Stan, that he shared a category with Calvin.

    Back on topic, she didn¡¯t hunt the buffer district, she preferred her meals to be a bit on the smarter side.  Just dumb enough to get caught unaware.  Knights of Gilver were perfect examples.  Skilled in assassination, Martial Skills, Potions, and medicine at times she was confused by the skill sets her meals kept. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    When the buffer section ended she came upon several fancy estate buildings some with hundreds of rooms devoted to orgies, baby making, and pleasure.  This section was responsible for filling many of the state ran orphanages that dotted the surrounding towns.  An honorable role for sure.  Some women had up to 20 children for the kingdom.  If they weren¡¯t criminals taken off the streets, then they would surely be paid handsomely.

    Trixie followed the signs to the exotics section of the district.  A building was labeled the Merchant of Sex.  She walked inside and rang a bell.  A receptionist walked out of the back and sat down.  She was a succubus in a loose suit.  Her horns were filed down to make her look more human.

    ¡°Hello there, not many mind flayers want to take up the job are you down on your luck.  Or just want to have a good time and make money doing it.¡±  The succubus said and smiled.

    ¡°My name is Trixie and I¡¯m here to find a prostitute to take care of my master¡¯s needs.  She needs to be sturdy do you have any capable of taking a war hammer to the womb?¡±  The succubus¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°So, your master is the type to beat up women to get off huh.  Well we do have a few who are into that sort of thing.  But has he done anything to you.  There are laws protecting us monsters in the service of cruel masters.

    ¡°No, his dick thrusts with enough horse power to rip through a marble wall.  I¡¯m not looking for a punching bag, I¡¯m looking for a punching bag.  Do you have anyone who can take blow after blow without effort?¡±  Trixie said.

    The succubus looked troubled.  She turned her head to the side.  ¡°He isn¡¯t really big.  He just has so much strength that a normal girl would be ripped in half.¡±  The succubus tapped her lips for a few seconds.  ¡°What you need is either a hill giantess, a metal slime girl, or a phantasmal creature.¡±  The succubus said.

    Trixie perked up at that.  Progress already, she had hoped for a lead but three, now that was excellent.  ¡°By the way before you help me out does anyone check in on you often.  Its dangerous back here.¡±  Trixie said.

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you to worry, but no I can take care of myself.  Not many men can take on a succubus.¡±  The woman thrust her tits out.

    Trixie smiled, ¡°good.  You know what you said about my Markus wasn¡¯t nice.  It was down right slanderous.¡±  The succubus had an adorable look on her face.  Like she was struggling to process something but wasn¡¯t quite fast enough.

    She struck wrapping her arms and legs around the woman.  Her tentacles rammed down the succubus¡¯s throat to stop her from screaming.  Tentacles rose up and out of the succubus¡¯s nose.  It was a good thing she ground down her horns.  They would have been an obstacle.

    ¡°Your really good at deep throating miss secretary, it must drive the little boys you eat crazy.  I want you to know this isn¡¯t personal or because you besmirched my Markus¡¯s honor with your words.  I¡¯m not silly enough to consider honor when choosing my meals.  I eat when I¡¯m hungry and its your own fault for showing so much skin.  I know you¡¯re afraid and don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll put what skills you have to good use.  And thank you for the tips that was very helpful.  Crack,¡± she sank her teeth through the meaty outer layer of skin and into the skull.  Her tentacles continued moving along the Succubus¡¯s body.  They crept down until she had explored every inch of her prey.

    The brain was spicy with passion and gossip.  The little secretary would have shouted that Markus was a woman beater.  She had killed so many men drank them dry in the prime of their youth.  She loved the evil ones they tasted so interesting.

    Now that she had the Succubus¡¯s memories a tentacle job would probably do the trick.  It seemed she wasted her trip.  Tossing the Succubus¡¯s body to the side, she licked around the inside of the skull to get every bit of grey matter.  She loved the sense of completion it gave her.

 17.2 Dont Give Minoos An Intelligence Potion

    Fields of grassy hills surrounded the capital city Haven.  These grassy hills were unused and often on sale.  Anyone could own land if they had the points to pay taxes every year.  The problem was making use of the land.  The grassy hills surrounding Haven had no rare mineral deposits, weren¡¯t exceptionally fertile, and had plenty dangerous predators.

    Markus had noticed a band or two of goblins living in the hills he inspected.  That wasn¡¯t especially abnormal.  Goblins were a sentient species and made their homes underground.  They were known for being crafty and weak of body.  Not to the confused with the small folk known as hobbits.

    A few centuries there was a war between the goblins and the halflings.  While the hobbits tried to bargain and steal anything that wasn¡¯t nailed down, and then stole the nails.  The goblins prepared for war.  To call it one sided would be kind.  The goblins wiped out the hobbits to a man, killed the children, and took the women as rape slaves.  Every now and then there are goblins with a penchant for thievery and hairy feet.

    Some knights collected hairy goblin feet.  A throw back to the old times when halflings had their feet cut off to prevent them from stealing.

    Markus walked around the the hills counted 7 goblins dens and nodded his head.  He could buy a kilometer of land for a little under 100k.  Cheap compared to normal prices.

    ¡°What are you going to do with a kilometer of hill country and 7 goblin tribes?¡±  Trixie asked out of the blue.  Markus glanced at her noticing how loopy her tentacles have gotten.  When she lets them down, they pile on the floor.  Her yellow eyes glare at him in a way he was sure was supposed to be fearsome.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to make livestock that can care for itself.¡±  Marks said.  ¡°Or I can just flatten the hills and we can farm it naturally.¡±  She glanced at the cascading grassy hills then looked back at him.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m curious.¡±  Trixie said with a slight smile.  For a measly 30k he managed to buy 100head of cattle.  With the war effort cattle prices have increased dramatically.  It was rare for the local restaurants to serve meat.

    He dominated the minds of the cattle.  If he said jump they would try to jump and break their legs.  Minoos weren¡¯t known for their athleticism.  But once upon a time they were as sentient as goblins.  Potions were fed to them while they were enslaved to turn them into the dumb livestock they are today.  So, perhaps potions can be used to reverse the process.

    ¡°He pulled out a potion he made in class.¡±  It was a vile filled with a blue bubbling liquid.  He had to substitute quite a few ingredients.  A few he found in the pestilence dungeon, and others he found in the woods or bought from local merchants.  Markus hoped that when it was applied the bubbling would cease. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°This is going to go right, I can already tell.¡±  No, she didn¡¯t say that, but he was feeling like playing to the bright side.  The cows settled on the only flat surface in the area.  Since he replaced a few ingredients for some better ones.  The potion was a little more concentrated than normal.  He sacrificed one of the ten dungeon treasures he farmed for it.  X50 base disease immunity was nice and he had eaten one.  The other nine went into the potion.

    ¡°Markus this isn¡¯t a good idea.  I have genetic memory, I know what they were like originally.  They were brutes.¡±  She said in burbled in a way that made it hard to take her seriously.

    ¡°Their livestock, I¡¯m just making them a little better at surviving.  This will work out.¡±  He said in his most convincing voice.  She crossed her arms and sighed.

    ¡°We can kill them if they step out of line anyway.  Go for it.  Don¡¯t blame me if this becomes the planet of the cows.¡±  He poured the potion in a nearby stream.  The entire surface became a boiling mass of intelligence potion before settling back to a crystal blue.

    The cows went to the water and began drinking deeply.  He observed their minds with Trixie to see what would happen.  They waited patiently watching the cows continue to drink.  Time ticked away the grass grew, and Markus sensed a tingling sensation move through the cows.  Their heads began to expand, their brains wrinkled with increased brain matter and their skulls cracked in half.

    The brains crawled out and a mouth opened.  They began eating their former bodies.  Tentacles of flesh grew out of the brains as they stood upon them.  Small eyes appeared as the brains upon finishing their meals leapt into the water.

    ¡°Markus that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen, right?¡±  Trixie asked.  He was still mentally linked to the 100 brains.  They were rapidly adapting to their new aquatic environment.  His mind went through a whirlwind of explanations until it stopped on the most likely one.

    ¡°They ranked up.¡±  Markus said it and didn¡¯t know how this happened.  Well better kill them and go back to the drawing board.  He raised his hand to destroy them but decided not to at the last second.  Trixie looked at him then back at the pound of giant tentacled brains swimming and eating fish.  A shell of sorts had begun surrounding the brains.

    ¡°They are still under your control, right?¡±  Trixie said.  Markus nodded and caught on.  He dominated them.  So, they were loyal to him even in this new form.  It was more than that though.  He could feel a well spring of mana coming from them.  It would take longer to get to him the farther he got from this area but standing next to the pond his mana supply was around 8times normal.  So, the brains were already comparable to him.

    ¡°Maybe the potion was too much of a success.¡±  Markus said.  She nodded.

    ¡°Their brains went from dumber than dirt to lets ascend beyond this meat suit.  Better yet once we know their spawning rate, I have a new source of brains.¡±  Trixie said in a better mood.

    ¡°But now I¡¯m out 130k.¡±  He checked his point balance and blinked.  ¡°Huh, it seems they aren¡¯t useless after all.¡±  Like a noble he gained one tenth of every point they gained.  He gained 1000 points in the last ten minutes.  So, he had a passive income now.

    Unfortunately, when they returned to the city, he remembered that he needed to put up a fence to prevent the goblins from getting into the pond.

 Chapter 17.3 Adulthood part 1

    Within her mind she stood upon an island.  This island held her and all the possibilities her stolen memories held.  There was a forge, a training area, and all the water she could drink.  To her this island was a paradise her place a peace.  Wild flowers grew around the island and the temperature was perfect.

    Below her island existed writhing pit.  It was made of the individuality of those she devoured.  Small pieces of them merged together and crawled for the surface.  Its face was made of the grinning knights that enjoyed their conquests of female monsters in dungeons.  Its armor a collaboration of leather and steel.  Various heads of pigs hung loosely from it.

    Their eyes empty as this beast piled up the refuse of her meals to bring itself to her consciousness.  It took parts that meshed together with it and climbed higher.  This monster was the vengeance of her victim¡¯s, her penance for her gluttony.  Yellow eyes covered the beast as tendrils ripped lesser individualities apart and made its way up from the depths.

    It looked at her and she looked back.  The more she consumed the closer it would get to her and the longer reaching adulthood would take.  It was a balancing act, a curse from the gods to limit her strength.  As a descendent of a great monster, perhaps she deserved it.

    ¡°I will keep up.¡±  It was her mantra.  As fearsome as the monster was, her guilt would be far worse if she abandoned her path.  If she was to stand beside her Markus, then balancing on a knife¡¯s edge wouldn¡¯t do.  She needed to jump over and embrace what she was.  Trixie turned her back on the monster and declared it inconsequential.

    It roared and squealed to gain her attention.  But she couldn¡¯t be bothered with something like fear.  1000 minds existed within her.  More than any mind flayer recorded.  It wasn¡¯t enough.  So, she decided to start trimming the fat.

    Her goal was to be Markus¡¯s assassin, lover, healer, and priestess.  Any skills or memory that didn¡¯t help with her class was useless.  Memories and knowledge were ejected and torn asunder.  Anything that didn¡¯t look useful was discarded.

    Once the first culling was finished, it was time to go over it all with a fine comb and illuminate the rest.

    Other mind flayers prided themselves with the variance in their skills.  A skill for every situation that was their modo.  It was the safest path for them to tread.

    Safe was weakness.  A bunch of skills that couldn¡¯t go together would give you plenty of options but little direction.  Anatomy, bestiary, knowledge of herbs, surgery, charming, and political maneuvering were kept.  Abilities like fire, water, earth, metal, life, and qi were kept.  Every weapon training skill was kept.  How to correctly spit a water melon seed wasn¡¯t kept.  She tossed out knowledge on how to bait a trot line in favor of knowing how to clean the fish.  Trixie learned several buffing spells and forgot the recipe for cake.  Child hood memories were thrown away.  She had no use for the smell of truffles.  The social networking of the wild psychic boars was kept. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    When she finished, she stood taller than before.  Her tentacles were shorter, and the monster had gained enough enough trash to rise to her level.  It roared at her and charged like an animal.

    She was a mind flayer and had the flexibility of one who¡¯s bones were made of cartilage.  Trixie could see the beasts moves before it made them.  It was chaos darkness itself and that was its weakness.  With no direction it would never be able to touch her. Pillars of black flames chased her, and she leapt between them.

    Holding up her hand a rapier appeared made of her memories of Markus.  It was darkness directed and sharpened to a destructive point.  The beast shot out whipping tendrils and Trixie cartwheeled behind it, casting illusions on the beast.

    It turned around and struck with all its might.  Then it slammed its head down to devour something.  Trixie aimed her rapier and stabbed it forward.  Her weapon pierced through the beast¡¯s back striking at the heart of the monster.  It crumpled in a mess of tentacles trying to put the body back together.

    She held a hand up and focused on creating a single fireball.  Once formed, she launched it at the creature.  It caught fire and screeched as it burned alive.  Trixie grinned at the noise.

    Trixie watched the chaos around her little island of consciousness.  Other monsters were watching they were craftier than this one.  They waited to see if it could beat her.  She tossed a fireball on the pile of refuse.  It caught fire and soon spread.  Once it was gone only the strongest of the beasts remained.  The first stage was complete

    She opened her eyes to the waking world.  There were char marks all over the walls, she tasted blood I her mouth.  No, her teeth were sunk into something.  It was Markus¡¯s arm.  She opened her mouth to see the wounds from her teeth healing quickly.  Light snoring from Markus told her all she needed to know.

    He hadn¡¯t woken up through the whole debacle.  Most likely he trained to exhaustion again.  Trixie go up and stretched.  Walking past the hole covered wall she visited the restroom shortly.  She was hungry again and she knew the cause.  The beasts within her were irritating her hunger to get more garbage to increase their power and climb to make their way to her.

    Trixie looked herself in the mirror.  She had grown a foot and her tentacles were off the ground again.  Not only that but her hips were wider.  She wasn¡¯t a mammal so no tits thankfully.  Her frame was so small they would look silly.

    Two more of those episodes and she would be an adult.  She would need to eat even more to find the skills she would need as an adult.

 Chapter 17.4 The Princess of Famine dungeon

    A crowd of students huddled around a floating orb. It was a device called a Vid orb. Normally, they were manufactured by the league of enchanters. Often sold for a hundred thousand points. The academy owned three and with a smaller device called a recorder. Vids can be recorded and later viewed by others. The orb was 4meters in radius and when viewed showed an image as if the user was looking down on the recording.

    This recording was called the highlights. Every student with the funds to purchase a recorder could send in their exploits in dungeons and have the other students view them. Bets were taken, and dungeons were assigned. Several students and drafted soldiers submitted their ventures in the famine dungeon.

    Markus sat across from the crowd glancing between a practice enchantment and the vid. It was impressive, Food was stacked on high tables and various monsters served the tables. Valkyrie with bouncing busts and succubi with hungry eyes served with joy. They waited for the illusion of hunger cast by the dungeon to bring an adventurer to the tables. When the adventurer feasted until their stomachs were ready to burst the monsters attacked. The Valkyrie stabbed holes in the adventurers and roasted them over the various cook fires. When the adventurers were cooked sufficiently, they tore pieces of meat off and fed.

    The succubi were kinder. They simply kissed the adventurer and sucked, until the adventurer was a husk. Then they rolled up the adventurer and have his skin made into new leather for the chairs. None had made it to the second floor yet, all the survivors turned back shortly before the floor boss or just after.

    ¡°Mine is coming up, why don¡¯t you get closer and watch the show.¡± A tall raven-haired girl said. She dressed in a red robe that was covered in phoenixes. He looked her over, sighed took his work and got up.

    ¡°Did you pass by the first floor at least?¡± He asked her. She said nothing.

    Her entrance began attentively. The princess¡¯s eyes moved constantly looking for traps and avoiding looking directly at the other adventurers eating themselves to death.

    She held a recurve bow and shot the succubi in the back. Next the Valkyrie leapt into their own cook fires. Afterwards the princess left the adventurers to eat themselves to death. Markus nodded his head at her decision.

    She passed multiple rooms filled with gold and jewels. Stacks of points rose to the ceiling around her, but she wasn¡¯t fooled. She moved to the end where the boss stood. An incubus was a long shlong and a happy smile. She froze, and Markus could tell a mental battle was going on. The princess raised her bow and put two arrows one in each of the incubus¡¯s eyes. Markus nodded his head. This dungeon didn¡¯t seem difficult. Maybe he would skip it.

    ¡°This dungeon alters the boss to fit the adventurer. Against a man it sends a succubus and against a woman it sends an incubus. I wonder what the next level looks like.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem impressed with my display, too boring for you. I know you¡¯re the type of adventurer that uses power instead of finesse, but can¡¯t you appreciate my skill.¡± The princess said, Markus rubbed his chin.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Why are you trying to impress me?¡± Markus asked.

    On the vid she made her way to the second floor. Demons of all kinds and all forms were devouring each other. Sex and hunger mixed together, as they fucked and consumed equally. Eggs were laid, and new demons were hatched only to devour the mother. A few adventures were there added to the mix. Those were the ones who hadn¡¯t made it. Beasts made of tentacles pleasured female demons before drawing them in to be devoured. New demons with strange appearances were born, mated, and were devoured in turn.

    A succubus with a single horn poking out of her head was the boss. They locked eyes and battled once more in the realm of thought. For 30 minutes they locked eyes. Markus focused back on his work and the princess glared at him. ¡°Tell me when its almost over. An interesting floor, but not one I¡¯m interested in.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°I heard you preferred pestilence. That dungeon is unrefined. There is no finesse only battle.¡± She said. Markus rolled his eyes and stared at the screen they were still locked in a mental battle. Because of the dark typing of the succubus. Princess Raven had to invite the creature in her own mind. A dangerous work around.

    ¡°Dungeons aren¡¯t about preference they are a means to an end. I¡¯ve beaten pestilence, so I¡¯ll move on the war. I doubt this dungeon would be a challenge. Death will be the finally for the capital dungeon tour.¡± She looked shocked the smiled.

    ¡°If you had beaten a dungeon then you would shout it to the heavens and declare yourself an aspirant hero. You are a farm boy after all.¡± Markus opened his inventory and began placing inoculation omegas on the table by his work. He had farmed them relentlessly and had around 50. Each was a dungeon treasure that boosted the base stat disease resistance to 50x. They didn¡¯t stack but he collected them for fun now. The dungeon didn¡¯t seem to mind, it enjoyed the attention. He had an amulet that declared him a friend of the dungeon in his inventory somewhere. If he wanted to, he could walk around the place free from monster attacks. It was currently developing its fourth floor and Markus planned on trying it out once it was completed.

    He looked over at the vid. She took the succubus boss as her monster and left the dungeon. Markus saw the succubus peaking out from another room. A very dead male student falling over.

    ¡°Are you planning on killing your brother with her to ensure there are no challengers to the throne?¡± She looked shocked and he realized that may have been crossing the line.

    ¡°The knights of Gilver have declared you an arch enemy. Every assassin they send after you dies. I wanted to talk to you to offer a truce. Declare your loyalty to the throne and you will be pardoned.¡± Markus was taken aback by her words. Not because his loyalty to the throne was in doubt. But that he was declared an arch enemy to an order of knights. All he did was talk about their ideology a little.

    Then it hit him, where all the knights have been going. ¡°I haven¡¯t been killing your knights. I had no idea you had been sending them after me.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°Then where have the knights gone?¡± She asked him with a pointed glare.

    ¡°Eaten by my monster Trixie. She is the type to let them come only to eat them one after another. I¡¯m impressed with their persistence.¡± He said, the princess slapped herself on the forehead. ¡°If its any consolation, I think I know why my nightbreed windy has looks so happy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for assisting the crown in this confusion. We had thought you tossed them to the pestilence dungeon.¡± She left, and he was left to continue his enchanting practice.

    He took a deep breath and collected her scent along with the succubus. The princess was a lesbian and has made love recently. He saved that information. Maybe he would add to the rumor mill. A smile stretched across his face. It was about time to shake things up.

 Chapter 17.5 Holy War

    A new species was created by a god.  They were the society.  A species linked with interlocking chains of neural networks woven through seeding.

    Numbering at 98 the society had a relatively high intelligence.  98 drones made for a good amount of hardware.  98 points of view dueled asking questions and praising their god.  They had no other word for the higher being that created them other than Markus.

    The society felt its powerful link to the Markus.  Its many drones buzzed in pleasure at the word.  They waited patiently for their purpose.

    Information was traded, as waves of psychic energy mapped out their world.  And a creature they hadn¡¯t encountered before came into view.  They had catalogued every fish, snake, and eel in their habitat.  But never had they seen this small green humanoid that flung a curved metal hook in the blue depths.

    Flickers of thought droved the fish away from the tool.  Their stock was low, they would need to increase the size of their pound to encourage a higher population.  But this green creature intrigued them.  Its form was a blasphemous almost comical attempt at their creator¡¯s form.  Its mind was unguarded and farm simpler than the drones.

    A tug from the society knocked the goblin into the pound.   Drones swarmed it opening their shell covered maws and tasting the creature.  It thrashed as the drones teased and played with the creature.  Then something interesting happened.

    One of the drones drove its tentacles into the creature.  The society felt a connection to the creature¡¯s mind form a backdoor of sorts.  It used it and absorbed the creature¡¯s consciousness.

    Information traveled through the societies collective intelligence and it knew the goblin.  Goblins lived much like the society, when it was a group of separate entities.  They followed instinct and fought constantly.  There were several tribes of the creatures and they didn¡¯t worship the creator.

    This information confused the others.  With their tentacles those drones within the society had begun carving out a statue to their creator.  Yet, these strange comical creatures seemed to worship a god named Shrumish.  The goblin god of conquest. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    The drone that integrated with the goblin made its way to shore sprouting its tentacles through the goblin¡¯s flesh to better navigate the waters.  Once back on dry land.  The drone stumbled a few times practicing with the goblin¡¯s limbs.  They weren¡¯t a dexterous as tentacles.  Parts of the goblin had to be removed to accommodate the drone.  Its brain, heart, stomach and liver were gone.  The drone had taken over all functions and the devoured brain was added to the drone¡¯s hardware.

    A thought swept through them from their creator.  ¡°Like a hermit crab finding a new shell.¡±  Pleasure filled them from the Markus¡¯s mental voice.  Its shear power swept through them.  The goblins were renamed Goblin grade shells.  They needed more 98 drones required many shells.

    Many declared that they would acquire the elk and minoos shells.  The land drone made its way to the minoos that the master acquired.  They were not evolved like the society.  But they would serve a purpose.

    The goblin shell made its way to the fenced in minoos pen and took one.  Once the minoos was dragged in it was even easier to connect to the creature.  Its mind was devoured and the minoos shell was renamed minotaur.  The drone that took over the minotaur shell stood up and flexed its muscles its spine cracked as it moved to a new position.

    With its new shell the drone made its way to one of the goblin holes.  It used its superior strength to knock away the goblin guards and took them back to the society.  This continued until the goblins stopped coming out of their holes.

    The society had already used the thoughts of the taken goblins to map out their holes.  A strike force of drone driven goblin shells entered the holes and began finding goblins and taking them.  In less than a day the society took their steps on land.  It focused on increasing its intelligence using its hosts to do heavier work.  The society itself only needed intelligence, willpower, and focus.  It had no body to call its own as a collective intelligence.

    Soon they had taken over the goblin tribe.  They had killed a single goblin after all the minds were added to the collective.

    Some of the goblins had a cellular disease that replicated its cells without end.  Teams of drones devoted themselves to researching the cause of it.  Weapons were found, and a team was constructed to learn and perfect the art of blacksmithing.  The artistic groups brought up complaints of the hideous nature of their shells.  It was decided to mix the goblins with the minotaur they captured.  Plans to acquire more shell models to mix traits were made.

    An alter to Shrumish was found.  The priestess was taken to be used as the first shell to mix with the minotaur shell.  Society ordered the minotaur drone to destroy the alter and the statue of Markus was under construction to put in its place.

    This was only the beginning their gods holy land would soon be united.  Already new drones were spawned in the pound.  A crop of well over 300 of them.  They would need shells and meat.

 Chapter 18 The War Dungoen

    The sky was a light red, spires dedicated to evils dotted across the black ash covered ground.  Trees with human bodies screaming just under the crimson bark grouped together in moving forests, their purple leaves forming a sea of lavender.  A single keep separated what amounted to a demon¡¯s homeland from the blue sky representing the peace of angels and light.

    This keep stood defiant of constant rains from light arrows.  Darkness poured from the keep fueled by sacrifices of angels stolen from the other side¡¯s raids.  More arrows fell upon the keep and more angels were thrown into the keep¡¯s great furnace to fuel its corrupting energies.

    Within the keep, a red skinned demon lined up several younger demons some tall and lanky others developing voluptuous features.  ¡°Adventurer my children are ready to be partnered to a champion of the dark.  Please choose one and help us, you¡¯re our only hope.¡±  Markus looked over the Succubus¡¯s children.  He had chosen the dark storyline of the war dungeon.

    In this world demons and angels fought in constant war.  Adventurers could join in at any point until a side wins then it all reset.  This was a tactic by the dungeon to have adventurers kill one another.  The other side had whittled the dark forces down until only a single keep stood between the light and victory.  Markus liked the dark, he enjoyed the skills the abilities it provided.  Besides, if the light won then half the angels would fall, and a civil war would soon begin.  This world was little more than a constant cycle no different than the night and day fairies.

    ¡°These are squire succubi aren¡¯t they?¡±  Markus asked.  The red skinned succubus preened at his question.

    ¡°Yes, adventurer a rare type bred from a pure blood succubi and a demon knight.  Rare on the surface though down here they are not uncommon.¡±  Markus had a test in mind, to see which one he would select.

    ¡°Whoever can deepthroat my sword will join me on my quest.¡±  Markus said and pulled his sword from his back.

    ¡°Children line up and show this nice adventurer your skills.¡±  Markus walked up to the first one.  A purple skinned boy with bat wings and small black metal boots on his feet, opened his mouth.  Markus plunged his sword down the boy¡¯s throat until it stopped a quarter of the way.  He pulled it out and went to the next one.  ¡°Too bad my little boy maybe the next one will have a smaller sword for you to swallow.¡±  Markus stopped at a green girl with dragon scales.  She opened her mouth wide and he plunged his sword down her throat.  This time he managed to get half way before it would travel no further.

    Markus moved on to the next one.  He had no more capacity as a sword sheath than the last.  He passed by every single squire succubi none could swallow his sword completely.  ¡°Do you have no others?  I¡¯ve read up on squire succubi they have stomachs like wet stones and develop abilities to improve weapons.  Should I start with no squire?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°That is against the rules and I have a final daughter, but she is dangerous adventurer.  She can surely fit your sword, but she has devoured every adventurer before you.¡±  A small girl walked out from the shadows wearing a black dress.  Horns curled on the side of her head and her stomach was nearly to her spine.  She looked ravenous.  ¡°This is my daughter Lilium.¡±  She had a look of mischievousness in her eyes.

    She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.  Her throat was purple ringed, and her tongue was black.  Her skin was a smooth shade of white showing off her purple lips.  Small lavender colored wings fluttered at her back and her small purple tail swished showing off the pointed end.  He pushed his sword forward filling her mouth, as she took every inch of the blade.  Her stomach began to poke out as he felt his fingers brush her tongue.  She looked at him with wide purple eyes.  He pushed his handle in until his hand was halfway down her throat.  He let go and took his hand out, as she curled her tongue over the pommel of his sword.

    ¡°Lilium right?¡±  She nodded gulping as his sword settled inside her.  A smile graced his face as he looked at a smiling Lilith.  The red skinned succubus looked ecstatic.

    ¡°You handled my daughter well with no fear or disgust.  Take care of her adventurer.  Your first target is a Valkyrie, she is the lieutenant to the general of the angel army an arch angel.  If you can slay her it will buy time for our forces to gather.

    He left the keep with Lilium.  Markus took up the story missions for the war dungeon because of the point rewards for completing the objectives.  He could expect 100k points from this fight.  After this mission the squire succubus was his.  That was how it worked.  He could expect to gain 1million points before the day was done with all the common mobs he would have to fight.

    ¡°You¡¯re a strange adventurer.  Most freak out with their hand inside my mouth.  Aren¡¯t you scared I will swallow you down?¡±  Markus shook his head, as he let his psychic power flex about as he searched for the strongest presence of light.

    Holy armors appeared and Lilium opened her mouth to him.  Markus smiled and raised her chin to shut it.  ¡°This isn¡¯t a battle I¡¯ll need my sword for.¡±  Markus waited for the armors to make the first move and smashed his fist into one.  The armor crumpled, and the light spirit fled it.  He dodged the axe swing from the other one and delivered another debilitating blow.  Both light spirits fled only for Lilium to open her mouth and swallow them down.  Markus raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s a part of the story.  Any weapon you put in me absorbs the light energy I take in and my dark power increases to compensate.  All part of the balancing act my adventurer.¡±  Markus reached a hand down her throat and grabbed the pommel of his sword pulling it out he inspected it.  There was a bit of light energy to it.  He swung it once feeling the light energy in the weapon extend the weapon¡¯s cutting power.  He nodded and sheathed it.

    ¡°You have an interesting anatomy.¡±  Markus said.  He admired her elasticity.  Her stomach bulged a bit from ingesting his blade.  Her curled horns and purple hair were exotic, he shook his head banishing sexual thoughts away.

    ¡°Thank you, sir knight.  I admire the weight of your conscience.  Is honor worth the deaths?¡±  Lilium asked. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Absolutely, honor for myself and my family is worth any number of deaths.  For honor, I will rip the angels from the sky and drown this world of blue red.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°That¡¯s an admirable trait but what if to maintain honor you had to kill your family or wipe out humanity?  Could you make that choice?¡±  She asked and gave him an evil grin.  He rubbed her horns.

    ¡°You¡¯re cute when you think you¡¯re taken seriously.  Honor ends when my family is in danger.  Honor ends when the species is in danger.  Or if honor doesn¡¯t protect them then the morale code is flawed and must be changed.¡±  Markus said.  She laughed.

    ¡°You won¡¯t keep yourself pure around here, if you are so willing to change your morale code.  But your consciousness is still heavy why.  Your code should relieve it.  That¡¯s how most knights function.¡±  Lilium said.  Markus froze a line of holy armored archers.  With a swing of his hand a telekinetic impact shattered them.  Lilium opened her mouth sucking in the light spirits.  He saw her horn grow a shade darker.  ¡°Delicious, I¡¯m glad to be partnered to such a powerful knight.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m a knight?¡±  She looked him up and down and took a thinking pose.

    ¡°You look the part.  A sword that large must belong to a powerful knight.  I thought you were at least an elite knight, too young to be a chapter master.¡±  Lilium said.

    They began to sneak behind rows of tents the Valkyrie¡¯s tent lay ahead.  Markus felt waves of light energy erupt from the tent.  This would be more than the easy scrimmages he had with the armors.

    Placing a hand in her mouth he pulled his blade free.  It glowed fiercely with light energy.  Though nothing compared to what it would have after this fight.  ¡°Stay here.¡±  Markus said and Lilium nodded in agreement.

    Markus sauntered over to the tent and threw the flap open.  A naked woman with breasts the size of his head and a figure to match it rose from a bath.  White feathered wings adorned her back, her armor was off to the side.  She was defenseless her eyes wide in fear.  Markus covered his eyes and fought to keep himself from blushing.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the light would be so sneaky.  Forcing me to fight with my eyes covered.  A clever tactic to be sure.  How dishonorable would you do anything to win?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°No adventurer even if you fight for the dark this is not a tactic of mine.  I was merely bathing my forces were to hold you off long enough for me to wash myself properly.  A battle with such a powerful adventurer shouldn¡¯t be fought smelling of 12 days marching.  A boon please step outside and allow me to dress.  You show honor by turning your eyes away, I shall show you honor by fighting you at my full might.¡±  Markus nodded and stepped out of the tent.

    ¡°Did you catch an eyeful?  Were the Valkyrie¡¯s tits as immaculate as the rumors say.¡±  Markus placed his blade on his back and waited for the Valkyrie to get dressed.  He heard humming and the singing of a song in a language he was unfamiliar with.

    After half an hour they were still waiting, and she was still singing.  ¡°We should ask if she¡¯s ready yet.¡±  Lilium said.  Markus sighed took off his hat and placed it on Lilium¡¯s head.  She tipped the brim up and looked at him.

    ¡°That would be rude.  We will wait until she¡¯s ready.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°You¡¯re still fantasying about her tits aren¡¯t you.¡±  Lilium said.  Markus shook his head.  ¡°They were nice but I¡¯m not going to try and ogle them.  That would be rude.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain you¡¯re not a knight?  Etiquette is something they are supposed to practice.   When they aren¡¯t raping and pillaging dungeons.  You must not be a knight after all.¡±  Liliums said.

    ¡°I have no intention of raping anyone.  Though pillaging is another matter.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°This is a war dungeon raping and pillaging are considered more of a sport.  Heck there are even points assigned for it in certain events.¡±  The tent flap burst open.  Her tits were held in thick breast plate that covered her neck down to her femoral artery.  Her grieves had only small gaps around the knees to allow the freedom of movement.  Her wings were unarmored covered in various amulets that protected them from ranged weapons.  A large tower shield was held in her left hand and a long spear in her right.  Her helmet was a silver work of art enhancing the exotic curve of her brow and adorned with metallic wings on the sides.  Her face was powdered, and red lipstick covered her lips.  Her eyelashes were curled and even her eyebrows were manicured.

    ¡°Sir knight, our duel will now commence let the one with the greatest skill win.  Have at thee.¡±  She cried and lunged at him.  He let the flat of his blade catch the side of the spear and ran forward.  When they were close a spike shot from her shield and he broke off the evade getting impaled.

    Her armor gave off the feeling of dark.  It was most likely immune to direct psychic attacks.  Clever on her part.  She flapped her wings and charged him.  He took a step back and grinned catching her shield charge with the flat of his blade slipped a hand between her thighs and fell back.  She spread her legs and twisted before he could piledrive her into the ground.  Markus leapt summersaulting and landing back to his feet in time to catch a slice from the spear to the side of his ribs.

    ¡°You¡¯re a tricky opponent adventurer.  Not many would grabble this close to my spear.  But it will cost you my spear of of the dark element.  It will poison your body.¡±  Markus flared a bit of light to the wound and negated the darkness on instinct.  Life support had already closed the wound.  It was fully healed before she finished her sentence.

    He charged and thrust his sword ripping through the shield and knocking her across the ground like a child would skip a pebble.  She got up covered in dirt and bruised.  Blood seeped out of her armor and rained steadily on the ground.

    ¡°Sorry about that.  I wanted to beat you with skill alone.  I¡¯m still getting used to the power behind my attacks.¡±  The Valkyrie smiled.

    ¡°Perhaps, I would have rather been pillaged by you rather than fight you in open combat.  A man with your might must be something.¡±  She chuckled girlishly.  ¡°I guess it¡¯s my time to be eaten.  I¡¯ll be respawned as a newborn Valkyrie and must work my way back up.  Let¡¯s unleash our full power I want to go out with a bang.¡±  Markus held his blade and channeled all the light he could muster into it.  The sword lit up extending the blade even further.  She tossed her shield aside and held her spear forward.  It lit up with darkness and they charged.

    Markus swung his blade in an arc.  The spear hit him in the shoulder while his sword cut into the side of her armor.  It gave to the sword and her mouth opened in a scream as his sword continued cutting through her ribs, slicing through her spine, and rupturing every organ on its way through.  Tit flesh sizzled, and fat boiled out of the wound as her body fell.

    His shoulder was ripped through.  She was held there by her hand still clasping her spear and the flat of his blade.  ¡°I¡¯m Fay find me again.¡±  He read from her thoughts as she died.  He watched a massive ball of light rise and most of it was absorbed by Lilium but a spark of it escaped her hunger.

    ¡°Sheath your sword in me now Markus, I need to add the light to the weapon.¡±  Markus complied and slid the blade down her throat.  He felt massive amounts of light energy move.  He saved the story and they left for the real world.

    ¡°Your consciousness grows ever heavier.  Do you regret killing her?¡±  Markus nodded.  Lilium cupped her larger breasts.  ¡°Is it because she had these.  They are nice but no reason to hold back.  Markus you should be more callus.  Dungeons are meant to kill adventurers to collect their lives, skills, and points.  Feeling guilty for any dungeon born is a mistake.

    They made their way to his apartment.  The second they walked in the room Trixie froze.

    ¡°Markus who is this demon bitch and why is she bound to you?¡±  Trixie asked.  Markus rubbed his face, this was going to be a long night.

 ch19 Resetting War

    Mind flayers are sexual dimorphic. Like hyena amazonians they are matriarchal. The males are considered stunted psychics. Their brains do not develop the same way females do in adulthood. They lack brain mass and are much smaller. Because of their lack of size and mental powers they are protected by the females of the species for beneficial traits.

    Wild mind flayers aren¡¯t territorial when mating. Female mind flayers eat the brains of their mates. It lowers the chance of inbreeding and saves knowledge. In a female mind flayer¡¯s lifetime, they can consume anywhere between 10 to 10,000 males, dependent on male scarcity. They produce thousands of fertilized eggs after a single mating season and once matured the newborn mind flayers begin the cycle anew. As far as mothering instincts, they don¡¯t have one in the wild they abandon their children just before the eggs hatch.

    Civilized mind flayers rarely consume the mind of their male partners. They are extremely territorial and often have harems of males fighting over them. In preparation for adulthood females will collect the most powerful males of their society. Instinctually, they will go after the strongest minds they can gather. They will care for their eggs and raise their young often killing the weakest members of their clutch and feeding them to the stronger members.

    Trixie was a mix of the two types. This was not a mind flayer society and she wasn¡¯t interested in attracting others of her species. Though, if looks could kill, Lilium would be dead. Markus didn¡¯t think she was sexually attracted to him but there were times when she lingered on him long after he would wake up. Her tentacles sometimes found themselves in more private places.

    ¡°Markus the hell is this thing doing in our room.¡± He looked her over and saw she had her tentacles tied in her ribbon and wore a red dress in the human fashion. Her species was without breasts, but she held her self in a very human way. She wore a bra where they would be on a human. Her sunhat was tipped to the side, yellow and wide brimmed. She wore some makeup to make her yellow eyes pop.

    When did she get so tall? She was nearly to his chest. Her small feet touched the stone floor wiggling small toe like tentacles. Trixie¡¯s hips had gotten a little wider and she moved them about as the milliseconds ticked by as he studied her.

    He knew what she was doing, his mind was beyond a normal human but when did he use it except in class or in a dungeon? When faced with her his thoughts quieted down to a hum and he was static she was like the tree sap to his fly. She trapped him in moments that stood out despite the experiences he had before. Even his collection of gifted experiences was in the background. But he couldn¡¯t say it. She knew his feelings, ¡®I will never leave you.¡¯ Her words meant so much, but he wasn¡¯t about to have a jealous woman. He focused, and his willpower shifted with titanic force.

    ¡°She¡¯s my sheath. Get along with her.¡± Markus said and snatched the two. She struggled, and he barely noticed.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain anything. I don¡¯t want to share you with anyone, your mine. You¡¯re my Markus.¡± He placed a finger to her lips and she bit it. Her teeth gnashed at his finger trying to find purchase on skin tougher than steel. He let his other hand glide down and grabbed at her. She stopped biting and looked at him.

    He felt her emotions wash over him. The black hole that was her mind, was something he rarely let separate from him. Her thoughts were a safe place to his weary mind. Some nights, he wondered the dark corridors of her mind just the two of them intermingled.

    Like then, he let himself get swallowed up by her anxiety, sorrow, and fears. It was a storm and like all storms it would pass. He held her and Lilium in his arms. Knowing that after the storm a rivalry between the two would spring up. She bit slapped and attacked until she was worn out.

    ¡°Interesting, not many are as strong as you. But this has increased your guilt. How long until its too much to bear?¡± Lilium asked.

    He looked the demon in the eyes. Purple met blue as Trixie fell asleep chewing on his arm. Markus could feel strange demonic emotions trickle from Lilium. She wanted to try ripping them apart and felt pleasure from him thwarting her. She wanted to leave him a broken shell of a man and at the same time, if she got what she wanted, she would be disappointed.

    ¡°You can try all you like Lilium. But, you won¡¯t succeed.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°You¡¯re tired Markus go to sleep. We will journey to the dungeon again tomorrow the three of us. Rest and regain your power. Thwarting me will take a lot of energy.¡± Lilium said.

    He woke up to feeling tentacles hands rubbing up and down his chest while a blade slowly made its way across. Markus opened his eyes to see Trixie shaving his chest. For a good fifteen minutes she made her way removing every little hair.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°Grooming you, I heard that¡¯s what some humans do to show affection. Your skin is dry because you don¡¯t produce your own slime, I¡¯m compensating for you but if I don¡¯t shave you first then my mucus won¡¯t help.¡± She blew on his chest removing excess hair then spat on his chest and rubbed it in. She was using Fay¡¯s spear head. He had kept it after ripping the thing out of his shoulder. Now it was just a razor.

    ¡°So why do I need to be covered in slime?¡± Markus asked. She continued rubbing it in after she shaved him for a few more seconds.

    ¡°Lilium thinks she can take you from me. Well let¡¯s see how she likes you covered in my slime.¡± Markus sighed and sat up sending Trixie down to his lap.

    ¡°I need to shower, we¡¯re going to the dungeon again today. Do you want to come? I¡¯m going to fight some angels.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°No shower you have slime, that should make you smell like me, so no need for showers.¡± Markus shook his head picked her up and walked to the shower.

    He took off her yellow dress and ditched his underwear. ¡°Come on let¡¯s go get a shower.¡± She nodded, and they took a long hot shower.

    Clean with his cloths back on, he was nearly ready to go back to the dungeon. Taking his bow and quiver he put them on his belt. He ate a quick breakfast of sausage and eggs and half a head of lettuce. Because Trixie thought every meal needed lettuce. ¡°You¡¯ll think me when you¡¯re not dying of constipation.¡± Trixie mumbled in his thoughts.

    Lilium was laying in the bed her wings and tail twitching occasionally. ¡°Isn¡¯t she just annoying. Wouldn¡¯t you rather have someone cook for you, who knows how human food should taste. I could take over cooking.¡± Trixie looked about ready to throw a fit when Markus finished his meal.

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s get out of here.¡± He looked over to see Trixie armed with a crossbow and a spear on her back. Markus nodded to her choice of weaponry.

    The Keep in the War dungeon was under attack. Hundreds of adventurers were fighting their way into the keep, to get at the keep¡¯s furnace. ¡°What are you going to do Markus? Will you give up on completing the story or will you kill your fellow humans to go further.¡± Markus closed his eyes and thought for a second. They were soldiers by their uniforms. If he went up and started killing them, some would flee, and he would get arrested. No amount of honor dueling would save him from the Knights of Gilver¡¯s elite knights.

    ¡°It must be a hard decision between power and morality.¡± Lilium said.

    ¡°Will you shut up. Markus isn¡¯t shaken, he¡¯s trying to find a way to do it without getting caught. Markus isn¡¯t food you shouldn¡¯t treat him like it.¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a demon messing with humans and their moral systems is part of the story mode. I¡¯m doing what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± She turned back to Markus and regained her posture. ¡°Now, what will you do Markus, will you really kill your fellow man to fight for the dark.¡± Lilium said.

    It wasn¡¯t a matter of siding with them or others. This was a dungeon. The adventurers for the light would kill him without a second thought. They were basically mercenaries on the side their contractors. Well he did have a black bed sheet he bought. His current one was covered in blood.

    He took it out of his inventory, wrapped it, and folded a hood over his head. He used the eye skill to cover where his face should be with hundreds of eyes. Markus looked at Trixie and then Lilium.

    ¡°Do I look like a monster that might be in this dungeon?¡± Markus asked. Trixie smiled at him and looked to be on the verge of hysterical giggles. Lilium took on a thinking pose.

    ¡°Honestly, you look ridiculous but in the right atmosphere, you might fool those power-hungry adventurers into thinking you¡¯re a monster. Just don¡¯t let them get a good look at you.¡± Lilium said.

    Markus made his way down to the furnace the demons took one look at him snickered then let him through. Lilium skipped behind him, as the adventures battled the demonic hordes swapping out for fresh troops.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Once in the furnace the glow from the black flames and screaming angels was more than enough to set the atmosphere. He began casting eye and tentacles. His familiars appeared though he chose the form of fleas. Last time he used them most were stomped to death by ogres.

    After his preparations were set three adventurers with black swords burst through. Sheath Maidens at their sides were ready to soak in the darkness. They took one look at him and charged before the shield maidens could warn them. Seeing the eye¡¯s caused them to be possessed by the dark.

    ¡°For the sake of fairness dungeons don¡¯t use that ability. You aren¡¯t a boss of our dungeon.¡± One of the sheath maidens said. Markus took control of the illusion and manipulated them into seeing their fellow adventurers and shield maidens as demons. ¡°Fuck.¡± The shield maiden said as one of the adventurers went berserk and attacked her. The chase was on as the shield maidens ran for a while but eventually they grew tired and the adventurer¡¯s butchered them.

    Lilium collected the light and empowered his sword further. ¡°The dungeon doesn¡¯t consider your actions a betrayal of the rules. And will allow you to use your skill for this day only.¡± Lilium said. Markus nodded and walked out of the room.

    They traveled some distance back through the keep. In every shadow Markus placed another eye. Hopefully they would last long enough to capture more adventurers. There were bound to be a few with dark resistance, so this wouldn¡¯t work forever. For now, Markus was glad to collect the light from shield maidens.

    Walking by the army of adventurers eating itself was fun they made their way north to a city covered in white marble. Spires reached up into the golden clouds and blue light fought against the red. Guardians of the gate stood fast as he approached.

    He thrust his sword down and thirty adventurers mutated into bloated giants rushed the guards. Angels with swords of fire and shields that boasted the dark element were immune to psychic attacks and he wanted to save his strength for the archangel in the city. With the adventurers guiding them back to the Archangels keep, he was able to go through most of the toles.

    They were left in fiery ruins and the red sky had swallowed huge chunks of the blue. Markus made a point to avoid the other keeps and go for the main fortress.

    When the two angles fell Markus pulled open the doors and unleashed his forces on the city. Angels and Valkyrie citizens moved about the city. Holy armors took up an arbiter position and Angulus fragmentus rang bells on the streets. The bloated mutated adventurers exploded into masses of familiars. Bells were ringing to get rid of the familiars, but they numbered in the trillions. Angels were infected and quickly mutated into corrupted versions of themselves.

    Markus walked through the bloodbath, as his points went up rapidly along with his familiar skill. He climbed the stairs of seven stars to the fortress of high heavens. The light was so great here that his dark skills failed half way up the steps. A single spear of light crashed down below and rendered the once great city of light into nothing more than a barren wasteland.

    Spears shot at him, as he climbed up the steps. Trixie hid in his shadow with Lilium. They didn¡¯t dare leave his protection.

    His deflection skill increased, as he batted the spears away. His own light powers allowed him to make something of a barrier. All he had to do was think happy thoughts.

    The top of the stairs led to a single throne. Upon it sat a mighty being in blue armor. His twelve golden wings glowed with a light brighter than anything he had ever seen. Seven pillars of light stood connecting to his throne by chains. While he sat here what was left of his forces were protected by his light. The second he got off his throne for a fight the dark would creep in on what was left of light territory.

    ¡°You are an abomination a being of light fighting for the dark, ridiculous. Kneel and pledge yourself to the light and confess your sins. Only then can you be forgiven. I sense your guilt surely you want to repent.¡± Markus rolled his eyes.

    ¡°There is no difference between you or the demons so drop the act. You were probably a dark lord a couple of times. I understand the need for a story to shake things up, but this is ridiculous.¡± The angel chuckled.

    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve been an archdemon, as many times as an archangel. I¡¯m a product of war for the sake of war. This dungeon is my god and I due as it commands. Let us do battle then and end this cycle.¡± Markus let out a huff and balled up his fist.

    The archangel stood up and darkness crept in and blasted away the blue. The archangel threw a spear just as Markus moved to the left. Still the shear speed was amazing. It ripped through his right shoulder leaving a massive burnt gash. Pain shot through him as a grin split his face.

    The wound healed over in seconds not even scaring. The angel pulled a sword of darkness and brandished its spear. He led with a stab from the spear, twisted, and slashed his sword. Markus took a step back and ducked below another stab from the spear. ¡°Draw your blade from that bitch and fight me.¡± The Archangel yelled.

    Though powerful the archangel had weaknesses. There was no darkness in his armor. In every light being there was just enough darkness to protect from a telekinetic pull.

    Markus missed a step and instead of using a pull on the archangel, he received a slashed across the chest and barely missed a follow up spear thrust through the throat. Another slash at his right leg nearly separated it at the joint and he had to take pressure off it with his left and jumped to avoid another slash.

    That was when the archangel over extended, he was in a rush to get this fight over with. Markus ducked and grabbed the hand holding the light spear, and then took hold of the hand holding the dark sword.

    The archangel bore down on him with all its strength. Markus unleashed his full strength and marveled at how strong the archangel really was. He was losing the archangel was stronger than him. A kick and stab from the spear nearly did him in missing his heart by millimeters. Ribs were shattered, and flesh was seared.

    Markus thrust his hand forward and resumed use of Flesh Puppeteer. His strength and his psychic power worked off each other. Multiplying for a scant few seconds. His left hand flashed forward he ripped through the archangel¡¯s armor and shook the water molecules within its body. One second the archangel was whole and alive the next all the organs in its body ruptured.

    Trixie quickly ripped off the angel¡¯s helmet and bit through the boss monster¡¯s skull. He heard a loud slurping sound and then saw Trixie¡¯s tongue pushing the archangel¡¯s eyeballs through. The light from the archangel went into Liliums. Her horns grew much larger and her bust filled out.

    ¡°Your sword now has as much potential light energy as an archangel.¡± Markus stood up.

    ¡°We both know dungeon mobs are limited by dungeon law. Otherwise it would have been utter chaos.¡±

    ¡°Markus in the Archangel¡¯s thoughts there are rumors of a dungeon in south that gifts strength and agility enhancements as the dungeon prize. Something not of the dungeon has taken it over and infected it. I think we should go there and investigate.¡± Markus stood up and walked over to the drop.

    A golden tear sat there in a vial. He picked it up and drank it. His light resistance increases by 50x. He bought the stat immediately.

    ¡°Save story and exit.¡± Markus said, and they appeared back at the entrance. Hundreds of soldiers were there ready to go in.

    ¡°Hey who are you, what are you doing here. This is a crown sanctioned exercise.¡± A sergeant said.

    ¡°I was already in the dungeon. Too many people, I decided to quit.¡± The man nodded.

    ¡°Well citizen, if that¡¯s the case then you may leave. After we see your face.¡± He counted around 500 soldiers. But the soldier had no dark items on him of any kind. Nor did he have any light amulets to protect from the dark.

    He flashed eye and hypnotized the soldier. ¡°You may go citizen.¡± The Sergeant said in a monotone.

    Markus nodded and left with Trixie and Lilium. It would take about a month to find the place and make plans and get supplies. He decided to start it off by biting the bullet and buying enough points to reach 1000, in intelligence and willpower. Then the bought both of the lv 1000 abilities.

    Obelisk

    You are a pillar, an avatar of will. Nothing shakes you and thousands of years of hardships can¡¯t break your purpose. +100% to willpower after calculations. Mana density x2.

    Lord of Will

    You are the master of your will and direct it towards your goals with extreme self-determination. +1000% mana density x2

    Scholar

    You are dedicated to knowing more than those around you, you know that knowledge is the one true source of power. +100% to intelligence after calculations. X2 mana capacity.

    My Domain

    Your mind is your sanctum you¡¯re domain. You have truly made it a force to be reckoned with. +1000% to intelligence after calculations. X2 mana capacity.

    Full stats and skills 3

    Psychic

    Telekinesis: Journeyman 5 Telepathy: Initiate 20, Empathy: Initiate 50

    Willpower +5,000,000% Intelligence +20% Willpower +50%

    Intelligence +50,000%???? Charisma +0.2%????Intelligence +0.5%

    Defense +500%

    Slash +5%

    Pierce +0.015%

    Life Support: Journeyman 7? Flesh Puppetry: Journeyman 1

    Willpower +7,000,000%??????Willpower +1,000,000%

    Vitality +70,000%??????? Vigor +10,000%

    Recovery +700%????????? Mobility +100%

    Mobility +7%???????? ??Recovery +1%

    Phys resistance +0.07% Phys resistance +0.01%

    Dark

    Tentacle: Novice 60, Eye: Apprentice 20, Familiar: Initiate 10

    Willpower +6000% Perception 20,000% Willpower +90%

    Pierce +60% Dark Resist +2000%????Dark Resist +0.9%

    Vitality +0.6% Miasma +20%

    Domain +0.2%

    Ice

    Freeze: Journeyman 1

    Willpower +1,000,000%

    Ice Resist +10,000%

    Spell Damage +100%

    Fire Resist +1%

    Reflect Magic +0.01%

    Light

    Chains: Apprentice 10

    Willpower +100,000%

    Defense +1,000%

    Light Resistance +10%

    Dark Resistance +0.1%

    Monster Tamer

    Communicate: Novice 90

    Charisma +9,000%

    Mental Resist +90%

    Spirit Resist +0.9%

    Misc

    Farming: Beginner 70, Mob Slayer: journeyman 5, Hunter: Beginner 10

    Intelligence +0.7%    Intelligence +5,000,000%     Agility +0.1%

    Willpower +50,000%

    Endurance +500%

    Vitality +5%

    Luck +0.05%

    Movement: Novice 13 ??Eating: Initiate 50 ????Axe Mastery: Novice 7

    Mobility +1300% ????Nourishment +50%??   Strength +700%

    Dexterity +13% ???? Vitality +0.5%?????? Dexterity +7%

    Agility +0.13%????????????????? Vigor +0.07%

    Sword Mastery: apprentice 10?  Grapple Mastery: Beginner 40?     Potions: Initiate 50

    Strength +100,000???????Vitality +0.4%??????????Intelligence +50%

    Dexterity +1000%??????????????????????? Willpower +0.5%

    Vitality +10%

    Agility +0.1%

    ASI(Abilities/Skills/items)

    Stats base ????+points% ??+ASI% ????= ????Net stats

    Vitality x50 ????100 ????70.132k ?????????70.232k

    Endurance x50 ??100 ????230 ???????????330

    Strength x3 ???  1000 ???100,700(+1.1k%)????? 399k

    Dexterity 1 ????1000 ???1,070(+1.1k%) ?????? 1.5k

    Agility 1 ?????100 ????0.2 ??????????? 2

    Intelligence 1 ???1000 ???5.050m(+1.1k%)????? 6.666m

    Willpower 1 ????1000 ???14.140m(+1.1k%) ???? 18.664m

    Resistances

    Elements Base ??+points% ??= ??Net Resistance

    Light 50x ????1 ??????= ????????50.5

    Disease 50x ?? 1 ??????= ????????50.5

 Chapter 19.1 Lets Have a Threesome

    The sounds of heavy grunting filled the room as Markus unleashed a heavy haymaker into a chunk of reflective ironcite.  Lilium watched the man who became her master beat on a slab of metal hanging from a chain.  The reflective properties the ironcite held could make an impressive suit of armor, a legendary shield, or it could have even been used as an ingredient in a ritual to give her master its reflective nature.  He could alter his build slightly and auto reflect the damage his enemies inflicted.  That ability was something worthy of a hero.

    Instead he turned it into a punching bag and took out his frustrations upon it.  Every blow nearly shattered her eardrum.  He took the backlash in stride healing from minor wounds that would kill anyone else between the blows.  She knew what he needed as only his demon could.

    Markus, her dear master, needed to get laid.  His virginity needed to be taken and soon.  Sexual frustration is bad for the mind.  The more she watched him pummel a chunk of mirrored ironcite the more certain she was of his overwhelming needs.

    The story was over and her need to rock the boat with it.  It was time to smooth things over and getting the boss laid wasn¡¯t a bad start.  She left him to his own devices to find Trixie.

    Trixie slept in their master¡¯s bed covered up and snoozing.  Her tentacles flickered, and her grinding teeth were terrifying.

    This mind flayer devoured the mind of an arch angel.  Unlike the archangel she wasn¡¯t limited by the dungeon.  All the powers of an archangel were now her power.

    Lilium thrust her butt in the air and worked her skimpy skirt and panties off.  Lilium left her bra on to let her partner have something to take off.  It was time to mend some bridges.

    Sneaking under the covers she pulled down Trixie¡¯s panties to see what she was working with.  There was only one hole with three tunnels.  Below she saw where Trixie¡¯s poop came out of.  Followed by her tiny urethra.  Her love tunnel was sealed up tight, by four powerful tentacles.

    She gave the four obsidian tentacles a poke and they opened slightly letting out a drop of moisture.  Lilium jumped on in and slipped her long black tongue inside.  In the blink of the eye simultaneously her tongue exploded with the strangest flavor she ever tasted, and tentacles wrapped around her body with a pair of lips wrapping around her skull.

    ¡°That was the last thing I thought would wake me.¡±  Trixie shift driving Lilium¡¯s tongue in deeper, while Trixie gently touched her teeth to Lilium¡¯s skull.  ¡°You know I needed a hell of an excuse to get rid of you.  But after this, I doubt my Markus will get mad.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I wasn¡¯t trying to do anything, nefarious.  I wanted to get you in the mood.  Markus needs both of us.¡±  Lilium said.  If Trixie had one person she cared for it was Markus.  A rare chink in a mind flayers defenses to be sure. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I would sooner share him with Windy than you.¡±  Instead of feeling Trixie¡¯s jaws crack open her skull, then her tongue scooping out her brain, and then consciousness picked apart and scattered, Trixie released her head.  ¡°But my Markus¡¯s needs come before my contempt.¡±  She looked up to see Trixie¡¯s yellow eyes glaring at her.  ¡°Continue,¡± She said and Lilium got to work.  Trixie was a rare mind flayer.  Most would never think of another before satisfying their wrath.

    Lilium worked her tongue like never.  Using her empathic abilities, she sensed for what felt good and what didn¡¯t.  She rolled and twisted her tongue feeling thousands of tiny tentacles inside Trixie¡¯s love tunnel grind against her tongue.  It was full of slime and it dripped down her throat at a constant rate.  She targeted the places that built with the most pressure and began to build it up.

    Markus was coming closer and if she didn¡¯t finish Trixie off then the mind flayer may decide to eat her after all.  She released an aphrodisiac in Trixie¡¯s system.  Chemical warfare was common in a succubi¡¯s bag of tricks.  Explosions, Trixie reached the big O.

    Trixie fell backwards wracked with convulsions, just as Lilium felt her tongue cramp.  Quickly withdrawing it, she turned in time to see Markus walk in with an erection.   Markus was covered in sweat; his shirt was off showing off muscles corded like steel cables, a set of abs that belonged on a heroic statue, and a jaw that looked indestructible.

    Lilium leapt up and ripped the sheets off Trixie.  On her part, Trixie managed to blush at seeing the state Markus was in.  For his part Markus looked seconds away with using them.  ¡°I need to go take a cold shower.¡±  He muttered.

    Lilium thought her plan had failed right then.  ¡°Wait, Markus I need your help.¡±  He froze and looked back.  She followed his eyes to see Trixie there spreading herself.  All four tentacles were extended in opposite directions.

    ¡°Are you sure?  Its dangerous I¡¯m stronger than ever now.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°I¡¯m stretchy and durable, so be rough.¡±  Lilium wasn¡¯t ashamed to say she leapt away as Markus seemed to teleport upon her.  The second he fumbled his member and his pants off, she lunged.  Her four tentacles wrapped around him and pulled him in.

    Markus thrust and the building shook.  Instead of ripping Trixie apart, she looked ecstatic.  Then he started to really hammer down into her and Trixie began burbling her version of laughter.  Then Markus started laughing too.

    Lilium concluded this as a failure as a threesome, but a success as far as mending bridges went.  She could feel the tension that knotted inside of Markus vanish as he plunged into the mind flayer.  It was like seeing a war hammer and shield have intercourse.  Lilium saw sparks pour off them.  Parts of the bed were burned, and Trixie kept biting Markus¡¯s shoulders not drawing blood.

    Later she heard Markus snoring like a thousand war drums.  He was out and happy.  Even sleeping he¡¯s happy.  Trixie opened an eye.  ¡°Thank you for this.  Next time you can have him, and I¡¯ll watch.  We can take turns.¡±  Lilium opened her mouth to protest.  ¡°You had better work on vitality, if you want to survive.  Even holding back he¡¯s powerful.¡±  Trixie chuckled in her mind and went back to sleep.

    Lilium could only wonder, had she made a mistake getting them laid.

 Chapter 19.2 Light Training

    It was late, the moon was full, and the academy was quiet.  The massive towers that surrounded the academy felt comforting in the dark of night.  They kept him hidden from the moon, in the shadows he was out of prying eyes.

    The moon naturally filled him was light energy.  A new skill store allowed him to absorb natural light energy and mix it with his own light mana.  He had spent the day before absorbing as much power as his body could hold.  At times he glowed with golden light.

    He had to be careful otherwise his fellow students might mistake him from an angel that escaped the massacre at war dungeon.  Jokes aside he was here for a reason.

    Light was a tool he hadn¡¯t used often.  When psychic, dark, or ice could work, he used them and avoided light.  He did this on purpose.  Light was his one defense against dark.  Without it, he would gain weight until he leveled out with his vitality.  Weighing hundreds of tons would stand out.  If his every step shook the world then, he might as well be a monster.

    Light was his first and last defense against the mutations dungeon treasures constantly force upon his body.  Store was a great boon to his preventative measures.  It allowed him to hold a large stock of light energy and constantly restore light mana.  He let it trickle through his body manipulated by his life support skill.

    More light skills could improve his defense against the dark further.  If he was going to maintain some level of control over his mutations, then more tools couldn¡¯t hurt.

    That¡¯s why he was moving around the academy in the dead of night.  There was a machine in the practice area in the academy that detected how much power a skill or spell had.  It was only available to older students in the spell creation class.

    He made his way to the room and found a lock on the door.  It was enchanted to bar the way for those under a certain level of power.  When he walked close to its detection it didn¡¯t react.  He was around an elite knight¡¯s level of strength.  That was far stronger than a graduate.

    He stepped through the threshold of the practice area.  A small black sphere controlled the room.  It was a dungeon core, one that was obedient to the academy.  ¡°Hello, what simulation would you like today.¡±  The dungeon core asked.

    Markus smiled at the friendly greeting.  ¡°I need to develop my light skills Alice.  Would you create a simulation to assist me?¡±  Markus asked. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The room flashed, and he stood in a graveyard.  All around him the ground burst open and zombies crawled out of the ground.  Skeletons crawled out of nearby crypts and he felt the chilly power of a ghost nearby.

    All magic was a combination of willpower and intelligence.  Intelligence supplied the mana while willpower sculpted the energy.  Most don¡¯t train telekinesis very far normally the skill is slow to level.  Fighting dark type monsters with telekinesis is considered suicidal.  Even fewer develop multiple skills that are grounded in telekinesis.  His willpower was well into the tens of millions.  Most never reach a million willpower.

    Ice needles appeared around his body.  By using freeze and manipulating the moisture in the air with his psychic power, he was able to gather hundreds of thousands of tiny needles.  He infused them with light energy and they went through a change.  Glowing with incredible light the frozen water magnified the light mana in the needles.  Creating the new spell crystal needle armor.  The zombies were beginning to shy away from the armor.  He fired them with his telekinesis gaining the skill repulse.  A psychic skill that scattered everything around him an explosion.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult.  He killed over 50 zombies with that single spell.  But it wasn¡¯t enough.  He needed more light skills.  Markus continued using different spells.  Sometimes using needles, balls of light, and crystal balls.  Skills made up spells.  Maybe what he needed was something simple.

    Markus held his hands together and made a star out of the light.  It was just a four-pointed mass of light energy, but he gained a skill.  Star, it was simple and utterly weak now.   Holding out a hand he focused his will and blasted a line of light mana.  It was focused just enough to hold some cohesion.  Blast, like star it was simple but this time utterly devastating.  If he wasn¡¯t careful, he might destroy the pseudo dungeon.

    He saw a cross on the tomb stone.  A symbol of insanity.  It is written in ancient history that those who came from across the worlds used this symbol with light mana to create their ultimate skills, it was also the symbol of the flesh and blood drinking religion.  Cannibalism is frowned upon even in this world.  But it was known to be a powerful skill.

    He created a cross and it shot away from him and landed on the ground shining before vanishing.  It seemed light skills were more complicated than he thought.

    Opening his hand up at the sky light shot out and crosses made of light landed all around him each homing in on the dark within the zombies.  It was like the skill had a mind of its own.  He blasted the ghost with a beam of light causing its free floating dark core to disperse.  The simulation ended, and he returned to his apartment.  He kept around 20% of his reserves stored away.

    It took him too long to use his skills.  They weren¡¯t combat ready.  If he fought an enemy anywhere near his own power, he¡¯d be dead.

    He walked in and fell into bed.  Markus felt the girls messing with him, but he didn¡¯t have the mental energy left to pay much attention.  That is until he looked to see Trixie giving him a deep throating blow job.  The fact she had no gag reflex may have had something to do with his sudden excitement.  Half of him wanted to stop her, so he could have continued thinking about his skill, but his teenage hormones wouldn¡¯t allow him to entertain such thoughts.

 19.3

    The sun was high, and everyone was out and about.  Despite the heat there was always something to do in Haven.  Whether that was paying taxes, selling goods, or paying taxes on sold goods.  Everyone was out and doing things.  Soldiers wondered the streets by the thousands.  Strangely, they never seemed to get deployed.  They were just stored here in the city in barracks near the palace.

    ¡°You know I¡¯ve rarely seen the same soldier twice.¡±  Trixie said.

    ¡°Are you worried about them?  They have been nothing but a thorn in your side before.¡±  Lilium said.

    ¡°Yea, but if Markus doesn¡¯t find what¡¯s eating them, it might become a bigger problem later.  Virgin slut,¡± Trixie said.  Lilium blushed violet and looked between them.  Markus sighed and rubbed her horns.

    ¡°Just keep improving your vitality and endurance you¡¯ll be able to handle me eventually.¡±  Markus said.  This was not the right thing to say and she looked seconds from tearing up.

    ¡°If you were human, I would swear you were on your period.¡±  Trixie said.  Markus shifted his head to the side and devoted more of his brain power to Lilium and compared her emotions from a month ago to now.

    ¡°Your emotions have become erratic.  You jump at the slightest comment and your emotions have been on the heavier spectrum.¡±  Lilium¡¯s blush grew a deeper shade of violet.

    ¡°Sir you¡¯re next.¡±  Markus looked up and saw an assistant of the head of land administration.  They were at the land administration building to determine the price of land around the block Markus purchased.  Markus nodded to the man and followed behind him.  He looked around seeing portraits of other heads of land administration and a portrait of the current king.

    The king¡¯s portrait showed a young man with auburn hair tied back.  He wore a red robe with Phoenix symbols covering it.  A simple crown graced his head.  Haven¡¯s king wasn¡¯t a fighter, he was a well-known tactician and strategist.

    Markus couldn¡¯t discern his current tactics.  Why recruit most of the male population and make no use of them?  They went into the occasional dungeon but only to collect food to support the massive army.  He put his bet on a grand sacrifice.  Speaking his mind would be treason.  But his gut said that was their purpose.

    Lilium grabbed ahold of his sleeve and pulled him into a deep kiss.  ¡°Don¡¯t do anything just buy land and that¡¯s it.  They are just humans let them be sacrificed.¡±  Lilium said and that was her honest opinion.  Even Trixie was shocked by her callus words.

    She looked at Trixie and silently they had an intense argument.  Markus was unable to listen in.  Trixie was a better telepath than him.  That was surprising.  He could force his way through but that would kill his two lovers.

    They were sat down outside the head of administration¡¯s office.  The man made them wait as a form of posturing.  People like him liked to feel important. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    His mind quickly turned inward.  When had he thought of them as lovers?  It was when he started having sex with them.  Lilium can¡¯t handle anything too rough but they were both always open to his needs.  He was getting closer to fifteen and everyday they became more important to him.

    ¡°You may enter.¡±  A staff member said.  Markus walked into the office to see a portrait of the Walter the head of land administration.  The aging man stood tall for a man who devoted his every skill to bureaucracy.  His hair was salt, and pepper colored, and his nose was long and pointed.  There was a respectable sternness to the man.

    The man offered a friendly smile.  ¡°Mr. Might, I heard you have made something of the land you purchased.  Taxes are coming in steadily and your neighbors had to sell their land back to the government.  They complained heavily of local elves attacking local merchant caravans and the dungeons on the land didn¡¯t play by the rules, horrible luck I¡¯m sure.  Have you had any problems?¡±  Walter asked.

    ¡°No, points are coming in at a steady rate and I couldn¡¯t be more satisfied with my purchase.  I¡¯m here to buy more land preferably closer to the forest and connected to my current lot.¡±  The old bureaucrat nodded his head satisfied.

    ¡°Most don¡¯t put in the work to make their land work for them and they come back here unsatisfied.  They ask for more time and I can do nothing for them.  Taxes are needed we have a war to fight and keeping troops fed is expensive.¡±  Walter said.  Markus nodded and waited for the old man to go on.  ¡°We do have two blocks available connected to your lot.  But they both have elven colonies on them.  The elves don¡¯t like humans claiming the plot of land they¡¯ve lived on for centuries is now theirs.  Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±  Markus nodded.  If he had to get rid of a few elven tribes then he would.

    ¡°They won¡¯t be a problem.  Our ancestors dealt with them in the past and we have a prosperous civilization because of it.¡±  Markus said.

    The man nodded.  ¡°That will be 300,000points.  Some would call this price a steal.¡±  Walter said with a slight smile.

    Markus nodded and forked over the points.  If he could multiply his points production by 3 then all the better.  He would have Society expand.  The elves would undoubtedly make excellent shells.

    ¡°You should give the elves a chance to swear fealty to you.¡±  Lilium said.

    ¡°Why would I do that?  It would be easier to destroy them and create something new.¡±  Markus said and stared at her waiting for her to say the inevitable.

    ¡°Please Markus, give them a chance.¡±  Lilim asked.

    Markus turned to Trixie.  Her yellow eyes watched their encounter with pleasure.  He rubbed her head causing her to let out an involuntary burble.  ¡°Fine, give them one-real shot.  Demonstrate how powerful you are and if they bow down then good.  Maybe they can be used.  If not, well elves have tasty brains.¡±  Trixie said.

    He looked between his two girls.  ¡°One chance, if they step out of line then, I will destroy them.¡±  Markus said in a voice that he was sure sounded edgy.  It was just business.

    That night as he was getting ready for bed, Lilium walked out of the bathroom naked.  Her full breasts bounced showing off perky violet nipples.  Her hips swayed showing off her small purple bush.  She put her hands on her paper white hips.  ¡°Markus, Trixie will be gone for an hour.  She caught the scent of something interesting.  We have the place to ourselves.¡±  She said and spun and flexed her butt cheeks.  Her tail swished showing off its pointy tip.  Her little bat wings fluttered, and she leaned back placed her hands on the ground and push up summersaulting on to his lap.  Markus let himself roll with the impact to cushion her.

    She pushed, and he laid back.  Her tail pulled his erect member from his pants and she bent her knees plunging it in herself.   She grabbed his hands and placed them on her soft breasts.  Her hard nipples stood out and he squeezed them.  She tightened and began to work her legs.

 Chapter 19.4 Elves are Annoying

    Massive finger like structures reaching for the heavens stood in exalted worship.  They absorbed excess mana from various creatures on Markus¡¯s land and stored the energy.  The structures glowed blue and small ring like halos of enchantment script covered them.  Society called them fingers of god.

    Markus liked the name and couldn¡¯t help but enjoy the ego boost.  5sqaure miles or 8 kilometers of land stretched with the various fingers of god.  They stayed within the border of his territory.  At any time, Markus could make use of the massive mana batteries within the structures.  Now that he had over 10 times this territory, well Society would undoubtedly expand its reach.

    He stole a glance at Lilium then Trixie.  Trixie looked up her eyes easy to read.  ¡®Let¡¯s have some fun.¡¯  She had no skin in the game.  She knew that if he did nothing Society would make the elves into shells.

    Lilium had an air of determination about her.  He sensed something was amiss.  Lilium wouldn¡¯t hesitate to drain a human or any other creature dry if she was hungry.  Why were elves suddenly important?  This mystery ate away at his patience.

    As they traveled north atop Windy, he felt his distance from the answer close.  Soon he would know why the elves were special.

    In preparation for this act of diplomacy.  He studied elf lore.  He picked up on a little of their language and their habits.  Though, it wasn¡¯t enough to hold a conversation.  Something was better than nothing.

    Soon the sun vanished, and his companions took a breath.  Under the cover of the tree tops the suns discomfort wore away.  Even Windy relaxed as she galloped through the forest at a brisk pace.  Markus concentrated on the various monsters eyeing them in the forest.

    They were being watched not just by the animals but by the minds of others.  A type of scouting perhaps.  He thought to flare his dark mana and wash away the spying but decided against the action.  Markus would play the part of a human diplomat.

    That didn¡¯t stop him from triangulating the mental signatures and turning Windy towards their direction.  For a time, nothing happened they were watched, and they drew ever closer to the presences.  The birds stopped chirping and the sounds from insects cut off.  Sweat beaded down Windy¡¯s coat as they approached the presences.

    They came upon a clearing and Markus stopped Windy.   She eyed the stranger who stood in the clearing.  A man with pointed ears and a timeless face.  He was naked and wore various white painted markings that symbolized wolves.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your kind.  Druids those who gave the dru trees their names or was it the other way around?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°That lore has been lost, even to our story tellers.  Human are you passing through or are you here for a purpose.¡±  The elf said in a musical accent.  The elf smiled at him an expression that hinted at mischief.  ¡°Not many are brave enough to come to our forest alone.  Fewer in such exotic company.¡±  The smile grew wider.  ¡°Though men are well known for their lusts.  Are all three your lovers or just the horse and the succubus?¡±  The elf cackled, and Markus made no movement.  He looked at Lilium who stared at the elf afraid.

    Confusion crossed Markus¡¯s features.  This elf didn¡¯t look particularly dangerous.  Or was she afraid for the elf.  The first part he could understand but the second was depressing.  He rubbed her horns and looked back at the elf. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    He dismounted Windy and stood straight and pushed his right hand out and up 15degrees above his shoulder.  ¡°Hale the elvish nation, I seek an audience with your leader.¡±  Lilium gasped and Trixie giggled.

    ¡°If this fails, then they are all going to die for this embarrassment alone, aren¡¯t they?¡±  Markus didn¡¯t break his pose but gave the feeling of affirmation.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be, we taught that salute as a joke.  The ambassadors looked hilarious haling us.  In a thousand years it hasn¡¯t gotten old.¡±  The elf man stepped behind a tree and pulled on his leather pants.  ¡°If your serious enough about peace to make a fool of yourself, we can hear you out.  At least the queen will get to see you make a fool of yourself.  I¡¯m sure that will put her in a good mood for the next century.¡±

    He considered that to be strike one.  ¡°Leave the nightbreed here.  Can¡¯t have something so dangerous roaming around the village.¡±  The elf said with a chuckle.  ¡°Keep up,¡± the elf said with a wink and sprinted away.

    Markus picked up Trixie and Lilium, before picking up speed.  With a few strides Markus caught up and followed closely behind the elf.  They passed by some guards and entered the elven village.

    Tiny elves sang songs at him and giggled.  They cartwheeled away, while burly male elves poked their spears at him much to the pleasure of wondering female elves.  The druid that guided him made no way to keep the molesters off him.  They fortunately stayed clear of Trixie and Lilium.  He counted the incident as half a strike.

    They approached a youthful figure sitting on a throne.  She saw Lilium and squealed running down and hugging the sheath sucubi.  A cough from the druid quickly brought the elvish queen from her childish display.

    ¡°Please human show me you are serious about diplomacy.¡±  Markus sighed straightened and held his hand out.

    ¡°Hale the elvish nation.¡±  Markus said in a monotone voice and the queen clapped her hands.  By this point Markus was a step away from slaughtering them all.

    ¡°Please Tsarra this is my master Markus of Might.  He is the current owner of this property.  I asked him to treat you softly.  Don¡¯t take advantage of his mercy.¡±  Lilium said and bowed.

    ¡°I am the ruler of this land not some human.  What is he going to do?  He clearly isn¡¯t an elite knight, I don¡¯t see any armor on him.  His sword is in your stomach.  While I have my grand wizard, the Grand Druid, and I am skilled in life magic myself.  What do you have?¡±

    ¡°Alright, there is nothing we can do.  It seems there will be no treaties between us.  We will leave you in peace.¡±  Markus said.  Lilium looked up surprised.  Markus smiled gently rubbed her horns and turned to leave.

    Lilium dropped to her knees.  ¡°Please, Tsarra I don¡¯t want you to die.  Sign a treaty to Markus, do something, if you don¡¯t then you and your people will die or worse.¡±  Lilium begged.

    ¡°There is no danger and I would rather die than prostrate myself to a human.¡±  Markus nodded his head.  There was no point in dealing with her.

    The druid led them back to Windy.  ¡°Well human it didn¡¯t turn out how you wanted but it could be worse.  You could be dead, right.¡±  Markus smiled as they galloped through the forest.  Minotaurs carrying massive axes in full plate armor, some hauled cannons, and one carried a staff and wore a wizard¡¯s hat.  They continued galloping as thousands of goblin archers marched behind the minotaurs.

    ¡°Thank you, Markus, I wish my friend was like she used to be.  She wasn¡¯t such a brat 20years ago.  When we were girls, before I settled with my mother in war dungeon.  We played together.  Before the demon lord sacrificed the succubus village.  She¡¯s been in power for too long and elves aren¡¯t quick to change their opinions.¡±  The sounds of screaming filled their ears as they left the forest.

    The sounds of cannons boomed through the night as they traveled back to Haven.  The clear blue pool was filled with drones growing large then splitting in two.  The two identical minds developed differently from there.  Cancerous factories poured out bars of food from various processes.  This was a war of expansion.  It could have been settled through a treaty.  Trixie was smiling from ear to ear.

    He rubbed her tentacles and she giggled in his head.  ¡°I actually expected you to lose your temper.  I¡¯m proud of you.  You¡¯re growing up.¡±  Markus enjoyed the cool sensation of her tentacles and felt them pleasantly squeeze between his fingers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put the elves back together myself Lilium.  If Tsarra survives, I¡¯ll make sure she lives comfortably.¡±  Markus promised.

 Chapter 20 Storm Dungeon

    The dungeon of storms.  A clash between air and sea, a tale as old as tales of the ancient great monsters Uranus and Oceanus.  The two great monsters were rivals, who often stole each other¡¯s mates.  Their battles changed the landscape and killed millions.  When the gods eventually slew them, the world let out a collective sigh.  To this day there is no peace between the sea and sky monsters.

    Darkness doesn¡¯t belong in this dungeon it has unbalanced it.  Without light, darkness runs without control mutating and corrupting everything in its path.  The mutations in this dungeon is different than a simple change in ecosystem.  But this dungeon did have light.  The mutations were cleaner than they should be under rampant mutations.

    It seems to have been adjusted and light was used several times to control the mutations.  Some believe it to be the work of a cult trying to craft new more terrifying monsters.  Others say it¡¯s the work of the king looking for new ways to save his kingdom from the demon lord.

    Additional information from the front lines revealed a new threat.  A dark hero has emerged siding with the demon lord.  This was the reason why dark was forbidden.  Immune to the king¡¯s psychic powers a dark hero could take the capital city with little difficulty.  Fully equipped nothing but a light hero could stop a hero of the dark.

    Still, the king hasn¡¯t given Pa back his hero level artefacts.  Markus held his sword in hand.  The blade shines with a light of its own, the steel has gained a blue color.  The blade itself increased his light damage by 5x.  The fact the blade dealt light damage increased its value even more.  If he classed in light damage it would be even better.  Perhaps he should pick up the faith, pride, or Providence stat and increase his light damage further.

    Lilium was messing with her now flat stomach.  They were camped just outside the dungeon it was midnight, when the dark is at its strongest.  ¡°You should give into your primal urges and mate with us.  We¡¯ll enjoy it as much as you will.¡±  He ignored her and checked over his equipment.  Soon he would need to buy armor and purchase Vigor along with it.  His body was tank like, but armor couldn¡¯t hurt.

    ¡°You might not get another chance, leaving us with something of you would be nice.  Not like you¡¯re going to marry us.  I mean we are a brain eating monster and a demon sheath.  Can¡¯t get any more scandalous than that.  I guess taking us both as brides would top it off.  I can hear it now did you hear about the son of Might.  He¡¯s mating with a monster and a demon his half breed children are everywhere.  Could it be he¡¯s trying to take over the world with his dick.¡±  Markus continued going over his equipment checking his daggers for nicks and strapping them to his thigh.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just take us both?  Forget about this war and pound us to putty and wear us on your dick like trophies.¡±  It was important to keep up with maintenance.  He poured some oil over the knives to ensure their free of moisture.

    Markus rolled his eyes at her attempts to mess with him.  ¡°Lilium when its time to pound the two of you raw, I will let you know.  Right now, the world needs a hero focused on more than his dick.  If I let my focus shift now, well I might stop my development here.¡±  Markus said.  She frowned but stopped talking, much to Markus¡¯s pleasure.

    Trixie returned, and he hugged her.  ¡°We¡¯re staying, behind, aren¡¯t we?¡±   Markus nodded.

    ¡°There is something down in this dungeon much stronger than an archangel.¡±  Markus held his sword on his back and entered the dungeon.

    ¡°Come back Markus.  Don¡¯t let the dungeon kill you.¡±  Markus nodded his head.

    He walks through the dungeon¡¯s doors and they close behind him locking him in the dungeon.  The air is humid, and the sounds of crawling insects fill his ears.  Sweet honeyed sap fell from thousands of trees roots down onto piles of writhing insects.

    Markus takes up a run, more of trot.  Bats fall from above scooping up piles of the insects.  The darkness wraps around Markus hiding him from the monsters.  Blue eyes cover his body casting illusions keeping him hidden.

    He dodged a massive tongue, just before a massive frog snatches up a bat and drags it into it mouth.  The squirming mass fills the frog¡¯s maw and it hops under a lily pad in several massive ponds that cover the place.

    Dashing across the pounds, Markus uses his psychic power to expand his surface area and travel atop the water.  Massive spiders try the same tactic his blue eyes fool them, and he passes them by as they capture large minnows and suck their insides out.  Sometimes the giant frogs will fall victim, or the giant frogs devour the spiders.

    A frog covered in blue eyes leapt from the depths just as he reached the middle of the pound.  It opened its mouth revealing a throat filled with tentacles.  Markus slashed a vertical line through the monster and continued forward.  The fish quickly attacked the sinking corpse ripping apart the remains and becoming infected with dark. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The dark didn¡¯t just disrupt this ecosystem, it was a virus infecting the healthy and turning them into carriers.  Markus thrust his sword into the pond and unleashed a massive blast of light.  The water boiled, and the corpses of fish, frogs, and spiders rose.  Bats fly down and begin taking off with various fish and frogs.

    Markus left the scene and continued further into the dungeon.  There was something so wrong about this place.  The dark eyes had the same color as his own.  Did that mean their power came from the same place?  Was the dark mage performing experiments in this place related to him?

    There was only one way to find out, he increased his speed.   His feet barely made a ripple as he increased his speed.  Every few steps he increased his speed and moved just a little bit faster.  He needed to get to the next floor.

    Half a kilometer later he came upon a Lamia.  She was beautiful, if your in to the snake women.  Her mouth was expanding over one of the giant frogs in this place.  She was just over 10meters long from tail to head.  Her head was about as big around as his chest.  She was almost perfect.  Dark olive colored skin and slanted eyes just the picture of exotic.

    Her scales made a diamond pattern.  A large trident was in her hand.  He stepped out of cover just as the frog passed her human stomach and began sinking into the snake half.

    ¡°Hello adventurer I¡¯m called Clarise.  I am too full to fight are you willing to trade sex for my life.¡±  She said with a beautiful smile.

    ¡°I would settle for directions.¡±  The lamia turned her head.

    ¡°Gay then, alright if you want to go deeper just continue that way past my kin¡¯s village and you should reach the next place after battling the Severus the giant squid.  His weakness is his tentacles sever them all and you kill him easily.¡±  Clarise said.

    ¡°Not gay and I don¡¯t see a human vagina on you anyway.¡±  She slithered around him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that darling.  I have no gag reflex.¡±  She said in a whisper.  Markus rubbed his face and gently unwrapped her.

    ¡°The Lamia village are there any good weapons there.¡±  She crossed her arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±  Markus paused.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±  He asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you aren¡¯t gay.  I¡¯ve never been turned down, after I said I don¡¯t have a gag reflex.¡±  Markus sighed.  Honor killings were so much more effective than talking.  Maybe he should purchase the charisma stat or something.

    ¡°Clarise, I¡¯m in a hurry to take care of the dark cult that has infected the dungeon.  Please if you show me the right way I¡¯ll take care of it and save your home.¡±  She raised a brow.

    ¡°I¡¯ve blown enough adventurers to know you guys can¡¯t save the dungeon.  You are all, just talk.  The only thing left to us is debauchery until the end.  If you¡¯re not going to mate with me then get lost so I can digest my meal in peace.¡±  Markus sighed and made his way deeper into the dungeon.

    He passed by more lamia and they seemed the same.  They asked if he wanted a good time, when he said no they accused him of being gay.  When he also rejected the male lamia, they were utterly confused.

    After entering the village, he came upon a scene of debauchery.  Lamia were in the streets mating in giant coiled balls.  Males were being eaten alive by the lamia females.  He could see them squirm.  He walked unimpeded toward the palace.

    A single lamia guard stood in his path.  ¡°Don¡¯t go any further stranger inside the queen has been driven mad by darkness.  She will eat anyone who enters.  If none of the others meet your fancy, I can mate with you.¡±  Markus shook his head.

    ¡°I have the power of light, I¡¯m going to cure the darkness.  Step aside.¡±  She nodded her head and let him pass.  A hand gripped his shoulder.

    ¡°If this works no sexual deviancy will be too much, we will fulfill you every desire.¡±  She said.  Markus walked through choosing to focus on the task at hand.

    The throne room was a pillow chamber.  The queen a massive lamia was curled up, a single eye opened filled with hundred of blue eyes.  She was over a hundred meters long from tail tip to head.  Her breathing was hitched, and she slowly slithered towards him.

    Markus didn¡¯t draw his sword, it wouldn¡¯t have helped this situation.  The giant lamia opened her maw and lunged at him.  A quick roll saved him from an untimely death.  Charging up a ray of light he blinded her, and she shook smashing into the nearby walls.

    While she was distracted he created stars of light.  She grabbed him picking him up until he was eye level she threw him against a nearby wall.  Markus got up and brushed himself off.  An aura of darkness surrounded her, as Markus made more stars of light.

    Her tail swept over the floor.  Markus grabbed her tail and dragged her over to the floating stars.  She tried to smash her hand into him only for a quick flash of light to blind her.  The queen of the Lamia shook and resisted as he dragged her into the light.

    More stars covered the floor holding her in place.  Her tail shatter some, so he made more.  Taking his sword out he charged up a mighty light blade.  Cutting it into her aura caused it to flee and still she struggled.

    Markus decided on a course of action.  The darkness felt like his, it looked like his, so why not make it his?  He put his hand to the aura and began drawing it in.  Blue eyes appeared on his body as the darkness left the lamia queen and filled him.

    Once the darkness was inside of him, it fell in line and merged with his own darkness.  It was so seamless, if Markus didn¡¯t know better he would think he had cursed the lamias.

    The queen opened her eyes slit and purely her own.  Markus smiled, and she picked him up.  She pulled him into her massive breasts and crushing him into more cleavage than any man had experienced prior.  ¡°My hero,¡± the lamia queen said.

    Markus waited until her grip was at its weakest and dropped.  A heavy thud resounded throughout the room followed by him running for his dignity.  A massive hand reached out for him and he ducked under it as he flew through the doors.

    ¡°Come back hero, I haven¡¯t rewarded you yet.¡±  The lamia queen called out.  He dodged the guard that tried to wrap him up in her tail.

    ¡°You cured our queen let me be the first to show you my gratitude.¡±  The guard said, while chasing him.   Markus ran with all his might as the lamias began chasing him in a concentrated effort to thank him.

 Chapter 21 Killer Crabs in the Ocean

    An old sign half buried in sand rattled, as he stepped foot on a beach.   He waved his hand and the sand fell away revealing the words.  ¡°Warning killer crabs in the ocean.  Don¡¯t step on the crabs on the beach.¡±  Markus nodded and took a step only to look down to see a crushed crab.  There were blue tentacles covered crabs all over the beach.

    Water exploded as hundreds of massive crabs rose from the ocean and hermit crabs the size of wagons exposed themselves to dive under the sand.  Markus glared at the army of crabs scuttling his way.  It was almost comical, if there weren¡¯t thousands of soldier and knight uniforms washed up on shore.

    Markus stepped forward the sounds of crabs crunching loud and clear.  He was still pissed off after the lamia city and this was clearly what remained of the crustacean city.  Massive tentacled claws lunged for him to slice him in two.

    Ice covered the crabs, as the wind picked up.  The once warm beach rapidly dropped in temperature. as all the heat was forced up.  The crabs moved showing the jointed weaknesses in their armored shells.  Frozen slashes ripped through them as Markus stepped towards the ocean.

    His sword waved glowing blue with channeled ice mana.  Light from the blade made it glow brighter as ice crystals magnified the light mana.  It was no wonder slashes from his sword carried over hundreds of feet.

    Waves of mist shot up as the warm and frozen air battled for supremacy.  He found a small encampment covered in giant crab shells.  Five soldiers stood at the ready with a large man who seemed to be their leader.

    He thrust his hand out in greeting.  ¡°I¡¯m sergeant Memphis of the Kingdom¡¯s army.  Are you a part of the scouting party?  We called for reinforcements days ago.¡±  Markus shook his head negative.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I didn¡¯t see anyone heading this way.  I came here because it¡¯s a strong dungeon.  My name¡¯s Markus, I¡¯m an academy student and adventurer.¡±  He smelled something cooking in their pot.

    ¡°What do you have there, Sergeant?¡±  Markus asked.  The Sergeant relaxed.

    ¡°Crab meat with the last of our butter.  The bastards have been attacking us every day.  There are always more of them.  We thought our last meal should be a grand one.¡±  A large cast iron pot was sitting atop a hastily made fire pit.  They had charcoal for kindling.

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way to clear the dungeon and kill whatever is doing this to it.  Your group is welcome to come with me if you want.¡±  The Sergeant shook his head.

    ¡°We won¡¯t survive, and you know it.  We¡¯ve fought for a week with little sleep and less food.  The crabs will be back soon.  Or the hermits will begin their assault.  Either way, we¡¯re dead without reinforcements.¡±  Sergeant Memphis whispered.  The rest of his men stared at the pot or slept.

    ¡°I froze the ground pretty good.  The Hermits will have a tough time getting through it.  I have quite a collection of heavy armor.  If you won¡¯t go with me then guard me while I change.  More than a few have died in the middle of changing armor in a dungeon.¡±  The sergeant nodded his head.

    Markus had a set of crab chitin armor.  It was light strong and best of all had 25% resistance to water-based attacks.  The only down side was the 25% increased weakness to lightning.  When he put it on he looked like some warrior god that stepped from the sea to slay all the land dwellers.

    The helmet was a crab claw.  He moved around in the armor feeling it.  He needed more vigor if he was to use it to its highest caliber.  Going into the stat menu he bought vigor for 20k and dropped 99.999k to bring it to 1000 and bought both abilities that went with it.

    Atlas

    Like the great Titan who once held the world you can now wear greater weight without an endurance penalty.  +100% vigor after damage calculation and double item carry weight.

    Jormundur

    You have become like the great world serpent an ocean can rest upon you, and you will grow stronger because of it.  +1000% Vigor after damage calculation and +1/10 Vigor to Strength when armor weighs over 1000kilos.

    The armor felt better than wearing nothing.  He hopped around feeling how good the armor felt.  Markus wanted to take his sword out and try a few moves but remembered he had company.

    ¡°You must be someone special to throw around points like that.  That was more than most of us will likely see in a year.¡±  The Sergeant said.  He put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it with a tiny fireball.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go with you, but my men follow my orders.  I don¡¯t want you to give orders unless its life or death.¡±  Sergeant Memphis said.  Markus nodded his head.

    ¡°Well if I were a betting man, the next floor is beyond that ocean.¡±  The Sergeant nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s where the most mana is pouring out but how are we going to get there.  There isn¡¯t exactly much kindling out here.¡±  Markus gave the man a look.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±  He placed his hands in the water and froze a good amount of it.  A massive ice burg shot out of the water.  Using form, he shifted the ice forming a close approximation of a ship.  He made sure to make the hull as thick as he could. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The squad of soldiers followed him up the stairs and they sat at the top.  Markus waved his hands and the ice berg began moving with the current.

    There was a cabin in the ship where the men stayed.  It was the only warm place on the ice berg.  Markus had to continually freeze the ice berg while the warm water wared again his efforts.  He watched his journeyman freeze slowly creep from four to five.

    ¡°Sir do you need to see this.¡±  Markus got up from his meditation and walked to the bow.  Hundreds of thousands of seas creatures followed behind them.  Crabs, sharks, wales, sea serpents, and was that a water dragon?

    They were all covered in the same shadowy aura as the lamia queen.  Markus wasn¡¯t sure if he could absorb that much darkness all at once.

    This aura felt familiar, like he knew it in his bones.  He knew it he could sense how familiar the darkness was to his own.  Now he couldn¡¯t act with the men around.  Not that he could pull in this much darkness at once.  He had literal tons of ammunition at his disposal, then the iceberg shook.  In the middle of this ocean a whirlpool appeared.

    Something was rising from the ocean something big.  Markus stood at the ready, but it seemed confident to let them sink in the whirlpool.  He let out a sigh and walked over to the edge.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±  Sergeant Memphis said.  Markus jumped and hit warm water.  He shot through the water spinning around with the current.   He didn¡¯t know how far down this ocean went but once there was no light and his vision cleared he saw the creature.

    He expected some sort of great leviathan or perhaps a phantasmal beast of some type.   What he didn¡¯t expect was a group of mermaids dancing and singing under hypnosis.  He calmly took the darkness out of them.  They sang a beautiful song once freed.  He listened for half an hour before his need for breath over took his enjoyment of the song.

    Markus shot out of the water and back to the ice berg.  They began traveling back on course.  ¡°What caused the whirlpool some monster?¡±  One of the men asked.

    ¡°No, it was the darkness that caused it.  It casts illusions and bends the will of people.  The dark is powerful and easily misused.¡±  Markus said.

    They reach an island where the currents lead.  A cave is the source of the increased mana.  Walking through it they came to the boss chamber of floor one.  Massive tentacles shot up out of the water fleshy and thicker than a man.  A beast with a single eye rose up.  It opened its mouth and covered the ground with bone spikes.  Markus put his sword in front of himself, but the men weren¡¯t so lucky.  Bone spikes ripped through them.

    Markus ran forward sword raised ready to slay the beast.  It caught him in its tentacles before he could strike it down.  From its mouth it shot him with a water laser.  It tore a hole through his armor exposing his bare chest.  Then it turned its head for a second attack.  Markus felt the flesh around his chest peel away until it hit his bones.  It felt like a pinch.  The flesh peeled away so quickly he barely felt it.

    The monster threw him against the cave wall with such force that the cave began to shake.  Part of the cave fell covering him with rubble.  Stones weighing tons shattered on his shoulders.

    <hr>

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t him either.  I had hoped finally, I had found him.¡±  A figure said.  He wore a white coat covered with medallions and enchantments that moved like drops of black rain.  In his hand was a sword of oriental make shimmering with darkness.

    ¡°Are you sure?  He was strong, in a few years he could have become a hero or more.¡±  An entity that danced between physical and phantasmal said.  She wore a robe of red silk and had a set of horns that were trimmed.  Her dark skin contrasted with the man¡¯s lily white.

    He shook his head.  If that was his brother, then there was no reason to take him back.  The family would just eat him alive.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay for a few more days.  Before returning the the north.  It isn¡¯t time to take the king.  The four seals still prevent me from finding the name of the great monster below the palace.¡±  The woman vanished, and he crossed his arms.  ¡°If you are my brother prove it.¡±

    <hr>

    Markus¡¯s eyes burst open and he took a breath.  Slowly, he rose the rubble continued to collapse and his psychic might stopped the falling boulders.  His hand reached out and his sword returned.

    He pulled the boulders behind him and launched them at the boss monster.  Its squishy flesh took the impacts and where were the soldier¡¯s bodies?  The dungeon must have already absorbed them he reasoned.  How long had he been out?

    Feeling his chest, the muscle and flesh had regrown.  The effects of having high vitality.  The creature opened its mouth and unleashed a storm of bone spears.  It was time to stop playing around.

    In a burst of speed, he made his way to the edge of the monster¡¯s pool of water and froze it solid.  Then leapt up to drive his sword in the creature¡¯s head.  There was a flash of light and five swords stabbed him in the back.

    It was the soldiers.  Their bodies were half rotten with tentacles and eyes sticking out of him.  They pulled their swords out of him and stabbed him in the chest.  ¡°Wow you are hard to put down no wonder you survived and let us die.  But now we are stronger.¡±

    Markus lost his cool for a second seeing this dungeon use fallen adventurers against him wasn¡¯t in this dungeons playbook.  So, he didn¡¯t have to play either.  He stood up to his full height the pain from the swords in his chest was ridiculous.  Another water laser shot at him, but he deflected it with a psychic barrier.

    He pulled the swords out of his chest one by one.  Fire balls and lightning bolts rained down on his barrier as he worked.  But they all worked with psychic power he could turn them away in the creation process.  Before they were ever fired they were off target.

    With the swords gone his wounds began to heal.  Indiscriminate pierce, slash, and blunt ice spells shot out around him.   He walked towards the boss monster, as the reanimated corpses fired upon him.  They were well within his psychic range.

    Markus funneled his light mana into his sword and it grew brighter and brighter.  ¡°Star Break Down,¡± Markus called and slashed his blade carrying its light mana and physical cutting power with psychic to increase its range.  A line attack swept across the ground and into the boss monster.

    Its body was split open, but its tentacles still moved to put itself back together.  Given time the dark energy would heal it.  He wasn¡¯t about to let that happen.  He pointed his sword at the monster.  More light energy built up in it and he thrust it forward.  ¡°Star Break Point,¡± a concentrated beam of light carrying piercing damage through his psychic energy ripped fully through the boss monster.  It fell away as the dark energy in it was finally extinguished.  He slashed his blade finishing the soldiers off.

    Markus didn¡¯t know what was down there but he would face it without holding back.

 21.1 Negotiating with Elves

    Horrible abominations, terrible beasts, rapists, monsters, and slaves.  Any number of insult could describe how the elves felt about them.  Most members of the collective could sense it from the elves.  One drone could feel the hate more accurately than the others.  His name was Phileas Phileas.

    Phileas Phileas often just Phileas was a drone who favored the Minotaur shell.  A class M to those in the know or shell breeders.  They were a favored among the collective and Phileas¡¯s choice of shell was no surprise.  It was what he did with the class M shell that was unique.

    Like the others, he boosted Vitality, Strength, and Endurance, using the shells quest earned points.  Phileas used some of his own points to purchase charisma.  A stat considered useless by most class M shell users.

    When Phileas reached 100points in the charisma class he purchased the stat ability and was surprised when the Class M no longer looked like the others.  There were several aesthetic changes.

    His horns had gained a golden luster, his snout was less pronounced, his eyes gained a slight slant to them, and it was more difficult to make his body fat.  With every point he added to charisma his voice became deeper and carried further.  Public Speaking, Crowd Control, Glamour, Bartering, and Dealing were some of the skills that he gained thanks to the new stat.

    Not long after that he was made an ambassador to the elves.  It was up to him to sweet talk the queen and her rebels to surrender.  The rebels number in the lower 200s by reports.

    Their military General Bison had chosen to collect the spoils of war after the initial battle and consolidated the territory.  While they worked the land, the elves licked their wounds and regrouped.

    Soon after the battle supply lines were attacked by hit and run operatives.  Weapons, tomes, and bars of food were stolen.  As a class M, he could live off the local foliage and add a few of the local animals to his diet.  Class Gs dug in and created burrows while the class Ms worked to improve the defenses.

    A cathedral was to be built, one to honor their god.  Shipments of building materials have been stolen along with a sacred idol.  The points on this side weren¡¯t coming in enough to pay for the land tax, this was a problem.

    So, he dressed in a set of white robes and walked out into the forest with a team of class Gs with apprentice rank archery and survival skills.  He stood an impressive 8ft and due to the youth of his body, he may well reach 10ft before this shell ceases growing. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    They set up camp and hung a flag for a truce.  Then they waited for the queen to meet with them.  Hours passed and eventually a dirt covered elf and her retinue showed themselves.  They were missing the druid werebear who met with their god in the forest.

    Said druid was captured and mated to many goblin females to produce a line of class B shells.  Whether the elves knew of his fate or not was up to debate.

    Phileas stood much to the elves displeasure and gave a low bow.  His horns dipped horizontal and he waited for the elves to return the bow.  The elf queen reluctantly bowed back.  He gave her a kind smile and her face colored involuntarily.

    The male elves looked affronted by the display.  ¡°We have had a misunderstanding queen Tsarra.  Please let¡¯s end this war in peace.  It was never our intentions to destroy your people.  We have no animosity towards your kind.  We merely do what we¡¯re told.¡±  Phileas said confidently.

    ¡°My people have not been destroyed beast!  We are tactically retreating.  I bet it hurts being hungry and without shelter.  Surrender and we will show you that rule under the elves is tranquil.¡±  Through the society¡¯s chatroom, Bison sent him a message describing just how many soldiers he had ready to march back down there and destroy them once again.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have something of a cultural exchange.  You give us two of your elven maidens to teach us your culture and we will give you two of ours.  Let us exchange cultures and find a middle ground.  We can share this territory.  It is too big for either of us alone.¡±  She shook her head.  Phileas wasn¡¯t surprised.  That happens when you¡¯re dealing with stubborn people.

    ¡°No if your calling for a truce then you¡¯re unable to fight for much longer.  Those in the strong don¡¯t stop picking on the weak.  Surrender and we will be merciful masters continued holding our sacred ground and we will continue bleeding you.¡±  The class Gs looked at each other and asked if they could begin shooting now.  He shook his head to both the queen and them.

    ¡°This is your only chance.  Join us and remain autonomous keep your queendom and let us work within your lands or we can really destroy you.  Your culture will be gone eaten by us.  The only elves remaining will be shells.  You will be farmed for your traits.¡±  Phileas said in his saddest voice.  He could sense the effect his words were having.  Perhaps, for a second he got through to them.

    ¡°We would rather die than join you willingly.¡±  Two of the elves turned into massive humanoid bear elf hybrids.  They slashed with claws like meat hooks backed by a ton of muscle.  The queen ran into a tree and Phileas watched the tree connect to another and she swam through the bark to the next one.  Society saw it through his eyes and Bison was already creating tactics to deal with it.

    He looked over at the after math of the battle.  The class Gs had used grappling lines to bind the werebears¡¯ limbs and one of his fellow drones opened the elven woman¡¯s mouth for the transfer.  He watched grey brain matter transfer and the druid¡¯s body began to writhe on the ground.

    The other class Gs cut the binds on the drone¡¯s class B shell and he began eating his class G.  Leaving behind nutrients wasn¡¯t in the cards.  Society added all the elf¡¯s memories to the data on elves.

    Phileas chalked this meeting up as a failure and made his way back to camp.

 21.2 Centaur Auction part 1

    Great monuments built to the worship of the god Markus stood out surrounding the small track of land under Society¡¯s rule.  They were surrounded by a sheen of blue wisps.  The wisps were attracted to the mana stored in the great staves.  Like moths to the flame they flew too close and the staves¡¯ enchantments sucked in the loose collections of mana.

    To one Gig, a human who joined Society it was beautiful.  It was a sight rarely enjoyed by those not of Society.  Even the great spires in Haven lacked a real purpose.  After all power without purpose was mere potential energy.  It did not matter how great the strain behind the arrow it was worthless if it never had a target.

    Gig was a strange mage.  His types were steel, life, and electricity.  He had no psychic power until he joined Society.  ¡°You were missing that part of the brain.  Gaining the ability would have killed you.¡±  That was Society the ever vigilant overmind.  It allowed the freedom of communication with anyone within the society and then some.  Gig just had to go through a process to turn him into a drone.  He still got to keep his body.  Or class H shell as his brothers called it.

    Yea, he was a brain now.  Society was able to use a blank drone and after an unpleasant process of having his organs mostly devoured, he became the drone.  There was some debate of whether he was really the drone or if the drone simply thought it was him.

    Society assured him that his brain was directly merged with the drone instead of being devoured and absorbed.  A good thing, he had psychic powers now along with all his other abilities.  Drones are duplicated with psychic power and all the hardware that comes with it.  So, he was a drone with psychic, steel, life, and electricity.

    He worked as a craftsman here in the holy land.  That¡¯s what they called Markus¡¯s land.  He remembered meeting the guy once.  Sort of quiet, likes to keep to himself, and powerful to a ridiculous degree.  Gig understood why Markus was worshipped.

    A far as worship goes, they were only allowed to pray up to five times a day.  Anymore and their god might get annoyed.  Apparently, hearing the wants and desires of your followers can be distracting.

    Gig was a craftsman.  His craftsman skills included leatherworking, armorer, blacksmith, plasterer, chemist, alchemy, potions, chimeralogy, chimeratry, metalworking, and his favorite arteficer.   These skills gave him a bountiful amount of perception, intelligence, willpower, and pride.  He was a long way off from purchasing the stats pride and perception, but he would eventually.

    Right now, his only skill at journeyman was metalworking.  He made cannons for Society.  Their military needed some long-range artillery and it helped a lot against the elves.  Every kill with his creations earned him several points.   A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    He was on his way to Haven for the slave actions.  There was a rumor that a centaur was going on the market.  Such a rare creature had to be his.  Gig had a quirk not a big one or even a bad one in his opinion.  He was obsessed with centaurs.  Every one of his fellow drones and Society knew it.  Their god had no opinion, so for once he wasn¡¯t judged for his desire.

    There was something about a beautiful woman with a powerful steed for a lower half that turned him on.  He remembered meeting one when he was younger on his way to the academy.  She looked at him like dirt and treated his advances with contempt.  He couldn¡¯t help but follow her around and like a fool he asked her to marry him.  She told him that it wasn¡¯t personal, but he was unworthy of her.  She was powerful and beautiful, and he was inexperienced.

    He was different now and even Society cheered him on.  The hivemind wouldn¡¯t mind another sequence of traits and if it calmed him down enough to get back to work all the better.  He promised Society that if he got his centaur bride, he would build Markus their god an Artefact worthy of a god something beyond a mere hero artefact.  There was a feeling of pride from the rest of the hivemind.  They wanted him to succeed.

    While his fellows impregnated their herds of cows and new shells were birthed in the flesh pits below the great cathedral, he was making himself a spot among the crowd of buyers.  A giant spider was hauled out, and Society urged him to bid.  He complied confident that he could do something with the silk.

    ¡°We are starting the bid at 500.¡±  The announcer said.

    Gig raised his hand.  ¡°600,¡± He called out only for 700, then 800, and 900.  ¡°1000,¡± Gig yelled out.

    ¡°1000, going once, twice,¡± no one wanted to raise their hands, more than likely they just wanted to raise the bid.  ¡°Sold, to the new comer.  Pay your dues and collect her at the end.¡±  A few more monsters were taken out and then she stepped out.  It had been years, her hair blonde like hay was in knots.  There were scars on her haunches from a whip and still she held her head up high.  If he still had a heart it would have stopped.

    ¡°We will start the bid at 10,000.¡±  He looked around for any takers.  The buyers were eyeing her, and Gig wanted to get her at a lower price.  Though he would proudly pay 10million for her.  Society asked him to not let it come to that.  ¡°500,¡± Gig raised his hand.  The other buys looked at the wounds as part of a disobedient slave and didn¡¯t want her.  But one guy raises his hand.  ¡°1000,¡± The guy said.

    ¡°Going once do I hear 1,100,¡± Gig raised his hand.

    ¡°1,200,¡± the guys said.

    ¡°Gig raised his hand.  ¡°3,000,¡± The guy had bought a lot of monsters today already.  He even purchased a half lizard girl.  Society wanted him to bid on it, but they lost it in the end.  The guy lowered his hand and shrugged.

    ¡°Sold to Sparky.¡±  The actioner said.

    Gig payed for his purchases and began marching them back to the holy land.  The hard part was after the action.  He had to win her over and hope she didn¡¯t try to escape.

 Chapter 21.2 Centaur Auction Part 2 and 3

    It was a sunny day, the grass was a beautiful shade of green, the sky was blue, and he was with the woman he had dreamed of being with for years.  They stopped at a stream.  The giant spider was out hunting.  It was one of them, already taken over by Society and it wouldn¡¯t go far.  His eyes weren¡¯t on the giant spider catching equally large grass hoppers and locusts.  They were settled on the many wounds that covered her, the woman that filled his thoughts.

    He approached her as she drank from the stream.  One of her hooves pounded the ground warning him of her mood.  An involuntary action that centaurs did.  Something close to a stress reliever and a form of bodily communication.  Much like the sound made by a rattling hydra¡¯s many tails.

    There were open wounds that hadn¡¯t healed on her rump.  Large ugly red lines covered her back and rope burns covered her legs just above her hooves.  ¡°They treated you horribly.¡±  Gig said.  She snorted and continued drinking.  An eye was on him and her tail flicked back revealing a pair of panties.  They were torn in places and dirty.  Her once beautiful tail was covered in rat tails.

    ¡°From my experience with humans, I was treated well.  It could have been worse.  There are stories of my kind being ground up and fed to dogs.  I¡¯m lucky to have been bought by a human who fancies me.  What are you waiting for, rip off the last scrap of clothing and take me?  Isn¡¯t it what you desire?¡±  Gig walked beside her and filled his canteen.  Runes on the item flared boiling the water as it passed through a small filtration system.  More runes moved into a new pattern.  The water was quickly cooled.  He took two small foldable wooden cups and poured them each a cup.

    Holding out one she took it.  ¡°How is this better than the river?¡±  She took a sip and raised a golden eyebrow.  ¡°This water tastes sweeter than any water I¡¯ve ever drank.  You learned something useful at that academy after all.¡±  He shrugged and took a drink.  This trinket was something he made to impress her.  She talked about how the streams near the village she was born were sweet.  He wanted to bring that back to her.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t all I learned.  May I see one of your hooves?¡±  Gig said.  She nodded her head but when he picked up one of them her blonde horse ears went back.

    ¡°Be careful I¡¯m sore.¡±  Gig smiled gently and took out a knife and began picking small pebbled out of her hoof.  Using the knife, he trimmed the hard hoof.  The knife was very sharp and took little effort to shear through bone.

    Placing a hand on the rope burns he used life.  He used Auto Heal and watched the wound slowly stitch itself before his eyes.  Gig pulled the hairs away and poured water on the wound to clean it.   She watched him carefully as he repeated the action on every hoof.  With all four of her hooves properly trimmed and cleaned she walked around with greater ease.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±  He asked her.  The move had taken 90% of his reserves, it would be a few hours before he could continue healing her.

    ¡°Good, Gig not that I don¡¯t appreciate what you¡¯re doing, I¡¯m a centaur and you¡¯re a human.  We can¡¯t be together.¡±  She said.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name? I just realized, I have been thinking about you for so long and never had the courage to ask.¡± Gig said in shame.  She snorted at him and paced about her tail swishing and her eyes keeping him in her peripheral.

    ¡°My name is Dyneroth, Gig by my people¡¯s laws if you can mount me and I can¡¯t throw you off, then I¡¯m yours.  If you can take me then we can be together, and my people won¡¯t be able to argue your claim.  But Gig, I could kill you by accident.  What will the other human¡¯s think of our union?¡±  Gig stood wasn¡¯t even as high as her horse half.  It was easily 20hands high.  She towered over him.

    ¡°They will think nothing.  I¡¯m an artificer now my value is in what I make.  My eccentric behavior isn¡¯t worth batting an eye over.  We can wed and live in a human village if you want to.¡±  She looked at him with eyes slightly larger than a human, they were a lovely shade of blue more vibrant than his own.  Her coat was a chestnut color.

    ¡°If that is the case then you need an incentive my stallion.¡±   She pushed down the last scrap of clothing that protected her modesty.  Only her bra remained.  Her tail swished showing him a set of large black lips and a round horsey donut just below the tail.  ¡°Do you like what you see or are you having second thoughts?  After all, to most humans I¡¯m no better than a farm animal.  Have you lost your nerve?¡±  Dyneroth said in a chilly tone.

    Gig watched the dirty pair of panties drop and couldn¡¯t control his heart.  The swishing of the tail and her deep blue eyes were so entrancing he couldn¡¯t decide which to look at.  He took a step closer and Dyneroth leapt up and kicked him in the solar plexus.  All the air in his lungs left him but he didn¡¯t really breath out of them anymore. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Slowly he rose back to his feet with only the imprint of a horse hoof on his shirt for his troubles.  He saw her lips peel up in a smile.  She turned her rear back towards him and shook it in his directions.  ¡°Come on little human you can¡¯t let this big bad centaur get the best of you.¡±  She said and galloped around him.  He got up to his feet and ran at her only to stop just before a hoof would have hit his head.

    The second her hoof was at the half way point he leapt.  His arms wrapped around her belly as his legs gripped her withers.  That was when she started to really run and throw her backside up.  She laughed the whole time kicking up dust, kicking, and making sharp turns.  This was a different side to her he hadn¡¯t seen when he was younger.

    She ran towards the stream and splashed water up getting him soaked.  He continued holding on her her wet fur as they moved around faster and faster.  Eventually his hands began to slip he was losing his grip and the next buck would throw him off and get him a painful kick as well.  Just before he would have fallen she slowed down.  Dyneroth tossed her rump to the side knocking him off.

    ¡°You passed about an hour ago.¡±  She said in a sing song voice.  Gig laid on the ground huffing and puffing.

    ¡°Your shitting me.  Then why didn¡¯t you stop?¡±  He yelled.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get mad at me.  You¡¯re the one who decided to make it fun.  Mount me again, its tradition.¡±  Gig crawled off the ground and took off his wet cloths.  He was naked as the day he was born in the open with his centauress bride.  She said it counted, so it counted.

    ¡°Why were you so cold to me when I was younger?¡±  He asked, he wanted to know.

    ¡°You were a horny little boy that ran around trying to get peaks at what was under my tail.  Why would I give you the time of day?  Then you bugged me and constantly declared you would marry me.  Oh, and you never asked me my name.¡±  She said with a smile knowing he felt like a dick.

    ¡°I remember it differently.¡±  Gig mumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do.  I bet you laid awake every night thinking about it and embellishing it.¡±  She said and winked at him.  ¡°Do I meet the standards of your dreams?¡±  Dyneroth said.

    ¡°You surpass them.¡±  He let a smile cover his face.  ¡°The real thing is better than any fantasy could be.  But you seemed eager enough to Marry me.  Why?¡±

    ¡°You saved me from slavery, healed my wounds, and followed my cultures rituals.  Anyone willing to put in that much effort for me is more than worthy of what¡¯s under my tail.¡±  She turned around again and swished her tail to him.  This time it was dripping with fluids.  ¡°The ritual has made me hot get back here and tame my fire.¡±  Gig got up and walked slowly forward.  Instead of kicking him she spread her legs out and curled her tail to the side.

    He placed a shaky hand on her black lips and felt how soft they were.  Slowly he rubbed her up and down and just as he reached the apex of her lips, her clit came out and winked at him.  Reaching his other hand forward he grabbed both of her lips and pulled them apart.

    The hole he had wanted to sink for so long was cavernous and red.  He eased a finger in and felt her cunt swallow it hole.  Two, three, and four she took his hand up to the wrist and she pushed back.  ¡°Maybe you should just fist me this time.  I don¡¯t think your member will be too, filling.¡±

    He knew she didn¡¯t mean it like that and normally she would be right.  But he had an ace for her hole.  His member extended from its human appearance and rose up.  It became a large tentacle with the head of his penis as the tip.  His balls hung at the base large as a Minotaur¡¯s.  His tentacled member was bigger around than both of his fists side by side.

    She turned her head back and leapt forward barely stopping herself from kicking him.  ¡°What is that?¡±  Dyneroth asked.

    ¡°Well I had some work done to better please you.  It vibrates and has mini tentacles to enhance pleasure.¡±  Gig said in a subdued voice.

    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have knocked your human penis.¡±  She mumbled and lifted her tail again.  Her black lips quivered from anticipation.  Whether she thought it would hurt or feel unbelievably good was up to debate.

    He opened her lips looking into her deep red flower.  His member slid into it along with two feet of tentacle.  Her shoulders flexed as the vibrations started.  He could taste inside of her.  The mini tentacles acted as tongue letting him lick and prod her walls.  The head of his penis pushed again her cervix.  Then she tightened as pressure began to build.

    Her tongue fell out of her mouth as their eyes met.  ¡°Ok its good keep going.¡±  She said mid moan.  He grabbed ahold of her rump and pushed forward.  The muscular tentacle that was him member coiled inside of her stretching her walls as her juices began to fill up.  Pressure was building as the sensations were getting to him.  The massive tube that was his genitals was filling up.

    She let out a whinny as a 3ft tube of cum shot into her in massive bursts.  ¡°This is my favorite part.¡±  She said as him member retracted leaving behind a liter of cum.  She stepped forward squatted and peed.  ¡°This is my second favorite part.  Nothing beets pissing afterwards.¡±  Gig was breathing heavy.

    ¡°I thought you were never mounted before?¡±  Gig said his jealousy bubbling up.

    ¡°I have my needs.  I had a dildo that squirted fake seed when I came.¡±  She said in a reassuring voice.  ¡°Though, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this but you¡¯re better.¡±

    Gig thrust his hands in the air.  ¡°Yes!¡±  She laughed at him and lifted her tail.  Her clit continued winking as her tail slowly lowered.  She let out a huff and galloped around shaking her wet fur.

    ¡°We should get back on the road.  We are expected back in a few days and I have a lot of work ahead of me.¡±  Gig said.  The giant spider came back weighing a few kilograms more and they made their way for the holy land.

 Chapter 22 The Meeting

    He swam down through the blood-filled water for half an hour and fell when the water ended.  Through the air for hundred of feet he fell like a stone, hundreds of thousands of bird like monsters flew around him.  They formed a cyclone around his descent.  Like a meteor he continued to descend.

    Just as he would have made a big splat, he thrust his hands out and unleashed a wave of psychic power.  Slowly his descent halted, and he remained there among the cyclone of bird like monsters.  Harpies, giant ravens, rocs, gryphons, and sky dragons circled around him.  Unlike the other monsters in this dungeon they were unaffected by the darkness.

    As he hovered there his eyes beheld a thing of beauty and hideous destruction.  Half of the world was a mountainous zone filled with storm clouds and nests of the creatures that made up the flying portion of the dungeon.  The other half was an ocean of bogs that spewed forth tentacled monstrosities.  Largest of all was a leviathan.   Even this high in the air, he could see the massive creature.  Its great fins allowed it to move about the bog with incredible speeds.

    It had adapted to the darkness its mutations were smooth and streamline.  The extra blue eyes looked like they were part of the creature.  It used its new tentacles to snatch prey and maneuver through difficult areas.

    Turning away from the beast, he saw a massive harpy woman.  She had red feathers and a kind face.  Banking and flying around him she gave him a series of chirps in greetings.

    ¡°My name is Glory of Mountains.  I wish to parley.¡±  She said in a series of hoots and caws.  Markus had to read her mind to get it all.  He nodded and floated towards her.  She flew down to the mountains.  They landed, and he felt his feet touch the ground cracking it.

    He was glad his weight didn¡¯t increase rapidly with vitality anymore.  By cycling light through his body, he was able to cancel out mutations or direct them in helpful ways.  A practice he should have been taught as a child.  But neither Pa nor Ma had light or dark abilities.  Normally, such abilities should be hereditary.

    ¡°Glory where are we going?¡±  He followed behind her to a cave.

    ¡°We are going to mate, then I will show you where you are needed.¡±  She said as if it were obvious.  He shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the practice of taking advantage of others.  What do you need from me?¡±  He asked her.  She turned her head in an alien fashion.

    ¡°You are powerful like the one who corrupted this place.  I want to mate with you, so you will drive out the other male.¡±  She said easily enough.  He shook his head.

    ¡°The one who is like me, where is he?  Let me drive him out then we can mate in peace.¡±  Markus said.  He had no intention of having sex with them.  Some adventurers went to dungeons only for sex, they died a lot.

    ¡°No, if you die my chicks may succeed.  If you die without chicks no one else can drive him away.  Come sit have a drink.¡±  They placed a red bowl in front of him.  It was filled with a juice of some kind.  ¡°Fermented juice from the cheery trees that grow near the spring of life.  Drink deeply.¡±  Her voice was echoing through his defenses.  He held up the concoction and took a gulp hoping his body could handle it.

    A heat unlike any he felt before swept through him.  He blushed deeply and felt like he had just entered a trap.  But he didn¡¯t have the usual feeling of alarm.  Was this hypnosis of some kind?

    ¡°Most who drink deeply die but you are strong.  So strong.¡±  His body froze up paralyzed.  Many harpies, a dragon, rocs, and gryphons entered the room his clothes were ripped from his body.

    ¡°We need your power in case you fail.¡±  He remembered her thrusting herself onto him a pleasant feeling then time ran at an accelerated pace.  Faces, feather patterns, and scales blurred as his body was taken again and again.  His mind was too clouded for him to gather his psychic will.  Even rage was too distant an emotion to grasp.

    They continued to couple with him as his body began to sweat.  A fever overtook him as the potion ran its course.  How had she done this to him?  Why did he drink it?  His mind should be resistant to hypnosis.  Slowly his mind was beginning to return.  Just as they prepared another dose he felt a moment of clarity come upon him.

    The potion exploded, as he made his way back to his feet.  A hand reached out and his sword returned to his grasp.  How long has he been here?  It felt like days had passed.  ¡°Please we need your power.  Lay back down an accept us.¡±  The harpy said, and he felt the illusion.  It was sound based.  Now that he was aware, it had no power over him.

    There was never a reason for him to summon the full force of his mind.  Even against the boss in the other floor.  He was going maybe 1 to 2% output as far as his psychic might went.  Now he brought his full power to bare.

    He sheared the cave system from the cliff with a wave of his hand.  The flying monsters made to flee but he caved in all the exits.  He turned his back on them and with his mind alone tossed the cliff face off a mountain down on the bog below.

    They panicked and scrambled to find a way out.  He crossed his arms and let it fall confident that he would be the only survivor.

    ¡°Mercy,¡± One yelled.  ¡°For our chicks.¡±  The harpy pleaded still it tried to use hypnosis.  Just before the mass of stone impacted, and his body shot through as the tunnels collapsed.  He flew through the stone letting his barrier rip through the stone.

    In the rubble he found an agility drop.  It was from the harpy.  Eating it increased his Agility by x50.  She was the holder of the dungeon treasure.  There was no dark mutation leading him to believe she wasn¡¯t under control of the dark.  This was her choice; his guilt was alleviated.

    He sensed for the dark presence and flew towards it.  All manner of monsters burst from the bog to attack him.  They froze and shattered, they were sliced to ribbons, or were impaled by ice spikes.  Markus was in a poor mood and didn¡¯t feel like giving anything a chance anymore.

    Water rose around him as he flew.  Monsters rose with it impacting the stone walls around them.  Markus found the stairs leading to the bottom floor.  He leapt down and crossed the distance in seconds.  Finally, he reached the end.  Various black orbs showed him walking towards the end. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    A man in white held a wet stone sharpening his sword.  Sparks flew off the blade as he concentrated on his task.  ¡°There aren¡¯t many in this valley with they power to rip off a cliff face.  Though, there are always anomalies.¡±  Markus ran forward intent on burying his sword into the man¡¯s chest.

    His blade sunk through to the hilt the man coughed up a mouth full of blood and died.  Markus leapt to the side just before a sword could slice open his stomach and spilled his guts all over the floor.  ¡°Impressive not many see through my initial illusion.  But that doesn¡¯t mean anything.  Come let me show you the power of a god.¡±  Markus ran forward like an enraged bull slashing and unleashing beams of light.

    The figure dodged and blocked but he couldn¡¯t quite keep up.  He was on the back foot any second now Markus would win.  He shot light through his body canceling the illusion.  The man was still sitting where he began sharpening his sword.  He never got up.

    Taking his sword, he held it up checking the blade to ensure the edge was straight.  ¡°I like to sharpen the blade myself.  It¡¯s good to work with your hands instead of doing everything with powers.  I think its why some are easily caught in illusions, while others are never fooled.¡±    Markus thought quickly.  This guy was obviously an illusionist and a powerful one.  If he was to have any chance he needed to use light constantly.

    Markus focused and let light mana flow through his body in a constant cycling flow.  The dark room became difficult to see in as he removed his own night vision ability.  ¡°Not bad you don¡¯t have much dark resistance, so you take it off the table.  Like a spoiled child kicking the chess set away.  Alright let me show you power.¡±  The man got up from his chair and moved faster than anything Markus had ever seen.

    Bringing his sword up he tried to parry a swing only for it to be a feint a quick back track was all that prevented the attack from skewering him.  ¡°This isn¡¯t a dance.¡±  The figure drove his sword forward Markus brought his own blade up only for the figure to duck sparks shot off the smaller blade as it cut through the granite floor on its way to slice upward.  Markus dove to the side and rolled to get some distance.

    Putting a foot to the wall he launched himself off it and threw himself like a spear.  His opponent stepped aside and slashed him on the back after every pass.  The cuts were shallow, and the darkness resisted his light.

    Markus flew forward slashed used Star break down, Star break point, and Star break out.  Light slashed through the room, as his opponent danced around the attacks.  It was like fighting a shadow or an illusion.  Had he really added light to his body or was that an illusion.  If he listened intently he could still hear the sharpening of a blade but that could be a trick too.

    ¡°Second guessing yourself.  Can you even tell the difference between what is real and what is fake?  Well let met tell you your death will be very real.¡±  Markus focused on the dark creeping into his wounds and let go of the light.  The dark creeped in and he welcomed it.  There was no difference in their darkness both were similar enough to be brothers.

    The figure was still there not in his chair but fighting him.  The sounds of sharpening blades were gone.  Markus calmed himself and took up a stance.

    ¡°I¡¯m Markus of Might what¡¯s your name.¡±  He asked his opponent.  The man in white¡¯s frown turned into a bit of a smirk.

    ¡°My given name is Lucius.  Well Markus shall we continue this fight.¡±  Lucius said and put a second hand on his sword there was a look in his eye.  Something that Markus didn¡¯t recognize.  They moved, and Lucius didn¡¯t use any further illusions.  He seemed to teleport slashing, stabbing, and slicing up bits of granite to toss in his eyes.

    Markus slashed his sword and moved with everything he had.  They never clashed no Lucius was careful to keep Markus from using his weight advantage.  Sweat poured from his face as the battle raged on Lucius looked as calm and collected as ever.  Markus could feel the injuries mounting.

    Lucius put his sword away.  ¡°It seems you¡¯ve reached your limit.  I¡¯m not surprised this valley is full of weaklings, despite your bloodline a weak environment breeds a weak god.¡±  Lucius moved and slashed at Markus.  Markus managed to bring his sword up only for Lucius¡¯s sword to cut through it.  The hilt of his opponent¡¯s weapon slammed into his solar plexus knocking the wind out of him, just before he felt unimaginable pain as the blade passed through his chest.

    ¡°Your stats are lower than they should be.  10% of my power should be nothing to you.  Yet here you are on the ground bleeding out.  Father and mother would be ashamed.¡±  He began walking away.  Something in Markus wouldn¡¯t allow him to quit.  His body may be damaged, but his mind ran this flesh puppet.

    He rose to his feet broken sword up and at the ready.  Blood oozed down his shirt as life support struggled to close it.  Markus could feel his mind pound as he gathered everything he had for a final attack.  ¡°Star Break Flare.¡±  He yelled as a truly massive slash of light and psychic energy exploded outward.

    Just before it hit Lucius a giant made of darkness rose up and blocked the attack.  Markus felt blood seep from his eyes, nose, and ears as he bottomed out of energy.  He collapsed to a knee.

    ¡°I see so you¡¯re a DPS type.  Then why did you fight like a swordsman.¡±  Lucius shook his head.  ¡°Brother rest and maybe you will be useful after all.  But remember you lost and I only used 10 percent and an avatar of darkness against you.¡±  Markus collapsed and wondered if he was adopted.  He had so many questions.

    Full stats and skills 4

    Psychic

    Telekinesis: Journeyman 10 Telepathy: Initiate 20,   Empathy: Initiate 50

    Willpower +10,000,000%              Intelligence +20%             Willpower +50%

    Intelligence +100,000%???? Charisma +0.2%????Intelligence +0.5%

    Life Support: Journeyman 7? Flesh Puppetry: Journeyman 5

    Willpower +7,000,000%??????Willpower +5,000,000%

    Vitality +70,000%??????? Vigor +50,000%

    Repulse: Journeyman 1                 Barrier: Journeyman 5

    Willpower +1,000,000%                 Willpower +1,000,000%

    Defense +10,000%                           Defense +10,000%

    Dark

    Tentacle: Novice 60,        Eye: Apprentice 20,                         Familiar: Initiate 10

    Willpower +6000%          Perception +20,000%                     +Willpower +90%

    Pierce +60%                        Dark Resist +2000%????        +Dark Resist +0.9%

    Ice

    Freeze: Journeyman 1

    Willpower +1,000,000%

    Ice Resist +10,000%

    Light

    Chains: Apprentice 10

    Willpower +100,000%

    Defense +1,000%

    Monster Tamer

    Communicate: Novice 90

    Charisma +9,000%

    Mental Resist +90%

    Misc

    Farming: Beginner 70, Mob Slayer: journeyman 5, Hunter: Beginner 10

    Intelligence +0.7%       Intelligence +5,000,000%         Agility +0.1%

    Willpower +50,000%

    Movement: Novice 13 ????Eating: Initiate 50 ??????Axe Mastery: Novice 7

    Mobility +1300% ?????? Nourishment +50%??      ??Strength +700%

    Dexterity +13% ???? ??  Vitality +0.5%?????? ??Dexterity +7%

    Sword Mastery: apprentice 10?    Grapple Mastery: Beginner 40?          Potions: Initiate 50

    Strength +100,000???????Vitality +0.4%??????????Intelligence +50%

    Dexterity +1000%???????????????????????  Willpower +0.5%

    Grappling: Apprentice 1

    Strength +10,000%

    Force +100%

    ASI(Abilities/Skills/items)

    Stats base ????+points% ????+ASI% ????= ????Net stats

    Vitality x50 ????100 ??????70k ?????????      70.232k

    Vigor 1                      1000                50k(+1.1k%)????????66k

    Endurance x50 ?? 100 ??????230 ??????????  330

    Strength x3 ???   1000 ?????100,700(+1.1k%)????? 399k

    Dexterity 1 ????1000 ?????1,070(+1.1k%) ?????? 1.5k

    Agility  x50 ????100 ????  ?0.2 ??????????? 100.2

    Intelligence 1 ???1000 ?????5.050m(+1.1k%)?????  6.6m

    Willpower 1 ???   1000 ?????25.1m(+1.1k%) ????      33m

    Resistances

    Elements Base ??+points% ????= ??????Net Resistance

    Light 50x ??????1 ?????? = ????????50.5

    Disease 50x ??  ??1 ?????? = ????????50.5

 Chapter 23 Leviathan

    While he was knocked out, he went over the fight repeatedly. A simulation of the fight repeated in his head. A movement out of place would have killed him in several exchanges. He was slower, his reaction time wasn¡¯t enough. He needed more agility. But that would have to wait until he woke up.

    He felt a familiar presence. It was Trixie, she was trying to make her way to him. His eyes snapped open. And his body felt wrecked. Every nerve was on fire and his head felt like a red-hot fire poker had ripped through it.

    The dungeon core was rolling across the floor. Markus got up and looked in a mirror. He looked different. More like the Lucius. His jaw was a little manlier, his cheek bones were trimmed, and his forehead was more prominent. Then there was his hair. It went from a light blond to midnight black. He looked himself over and found that his muscles were a bit more compact.

    Streamlined was one way to describe his body. If they saw his head, there would be a lot of questions. His face was near enough that he could claim battle wounds altered him. Taking Fay¡¯s spear tip, he shaved his hair off. He could just tell them he wanted helmets to fit better.

    ¡°Hey, buddy over here.¡± Markus finished looking himself over checked for any imperfections. With none found he gave the dungeon core his attention.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked it in as civil a tone, as his headache would allow.

    ¡°Yea, that crazy guy took over and I still have a ton of dark type monsters in here. I can get rid of the little guys on my own, but Leviathan is growing stronger by eating the other dark monsters. I don¡¯t think I can kill it.¡± Markus shrugged his shoulders. He needed more power.

    He reviewed power levels. A peasant max 20kans (average net stats), a knight 100kans, a chapter master 1m ans, and a hero 10m ans. With Markus¡¯s flesh puppeteer, weight and physical strength he should be around 1,200k in average power. But he could tell his opponent was 6 to 10 times faster if that ten percent was true, he could expect stats in the hundreds of millions averaged. Chuckling, he picked the dungeon core.

    ¡°Alright what are you going to give me to kill this thing?¡± He asked the orb. The sphere tried to invade his mind only to crumble under his dark power. ¡°Nice try.¡±

    ¡°I will give you the storm ability.¡± Markus raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t herd of this storm ability. What does it do?¡± The orb hummed as if gathering its thoughts.

    ¡°Throughout my time as a dungeon core, I¡¯ve developed an ability through monster breeding to conjure oceanic and aerial powers. Storm is a combination of all my research. With it you can use fluctuations of high and low-pressure systems to control large bodies of water, construct massive storms, and lightning. Its my pet project though not perfect, I think with your body it can be used.¡± Markus wouldn¡¯t mind a new power by this point it was like putting a feather in his cap. But before he even touched that power, he needed to up his tier in freeze and telekinesis.

    Markus snatched the dungeon core off the ground. ¡°Are you returning me to my pedestal? That is very kind of you.¡± Storm said. Markus laughed at that.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m taking you with me to ensure you uphold your end of the bargain. A smart woman once told me not to trust monsters that feed on humans.¡± Markus said. The core let out a feeling of depression and Markus enjoyed the feeling. He was feeling very salty after the loss.

    After making his way out of the third floor he surveyed the scene. The cliff side had collapsed again after he took it down. Fun but nothing too impressive. No what he planned to do to the leviathan would be impressive. He could see himself breaking into the adept with both freeze and telekinesis.

    He let himself rise from the ground and he flew to where the leviathan waged a war on the other monsters. Lightning struck it from various sky dragons to little effect. He made a mental note to acquire one before this was over. ¡°Once you have the storm ability monsters of both sea and air will be compatible to you.¡± The dungeon core said helpfully. Not that he didn¡¯t appreciate it, but Markus was about to stress his mind to the limit.

    Ever since he woke up he could feel his body heal itself stronger. His vitality had increased by about 2% and his endurance by 5%. Not much in the grand scheme of things but a few bonuses helped. He tossed the dungeon core and spared a bit of focus to keep it afloat orbiting around him. Crossing his legs, he gripped the energies within himself.

    Opening his meat grinder, he ground down the dark spirits of this place and collected as much dark power as he could. Eyes opened all around the Leviathan. He needed to see it from every angle just in case. Blue eyes appeared all around the small ocean. Markus let his breathing settle, this was about to get brutal.

    Using the ocean as a glove he wrapped it around the leviathan and every monster that happened to be in the way. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to kill them, they were distracting it.¡± Markus shushed the dungeon core and began spinning the mass of water freezing parts of it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Oh, I see what you¡¯re doing. The water by itself won¡¯t do much to it but add a lot of sharp ice to the mix and its like adding razor blades to bath water.¡± He shushed the noisy dungeon core and sharpened his focus. Freeze was basically a psychic power when you got down to it. You¡¯re willing molecules to slow down to a crawl.

    This was like mixing a potion. His ingredients were an ocean, monsters and a leviathan. His tools were telekinesis, ice, and his imagination.

    Water moved in cyclones going up to the ball of spinning salt water and ice. He spun it in hundreds of different directions. In a sense this ball was the epitome of dark mana, chaos. The Leviathan tried to move one way only to be thrown another way from the side. When he swam down he was forced up. Ice shards shredded its scales and solid pieces bruised it. The creature wasn¡¯t close to death, but it was getting tired and that was what Markus wanted.

    His head began to throb, as he began to expend more power. He had to hold on a little longer, if he didn¡¯t then this would all be pointless. All the water was collected, and his focus was only on the upkeep of the construct, his chaos. A work of art devoted to the dark. He let his will back off until he was just keeping the ball together.

    Taking his hand, he pointed it at the construct. Blood fell from his nose and ears like rain. He felt it, this could destroy him if he slipped up and touched the dark directly with psychic it could wreck his mind. It excited him like nothing else.

    He closed his hand around the orb and it began to shrink. Water pressure increased rapidly chunks of ice exploded and the water refroze. This was the Leviathan¡¯s chance to escape. With the area of its prison shrinking this was its chance to escape.

    The water pressure increased to unprecedented levels and the ice moving through it impacted like freight trains. He felt it when the leviathan tried its last escape attempt. A chunk of ice smashed into its side and the pain made it flinch for just a second too long. It lost ground and the speed of the currents within the chaos accelerated. The smaller the chaos the faster the currents. Its armored hide was pulled off and its body was ripped apart. But he didn¡¯t stop.

    This was a trial to increase his power. Once the now crimson ball was shrunk down to the size of a basketball. He shot it away and let the pressure explode releasing water moving at insane speeds. The area where the ball hit was gone the dungeon shook to the extreme and a hole was missing. The rubble blown far away from the impact. He was only a few kilometers away and felt the explosion.

    Freeze only increased to journeyman 10. But telekinesis increased adept 15. He held his head and laughed. He could feel it his mind was healing rapidly, and his mana was becoming denser. What was it like to be a master, if this was what an adept felt like? That¡¯s right no one put much stock in telekinesis alone. It was great for getting elemental attacks from point a to b but horrible for direct attacks.

    A smile ripped across his face as he hovered there. His body was so easy to maneuver now it weighed nothing to his mind. He broke off a chunk of rock divided it into a thousand stones and flung them rapid fire at a sky dragon. The monster was obliterated torn giant holes appeared in its body and it fell. Yet, this power was nothing compared to Lucius, his father, mother, Marie, or the king. Just like that the thought brought him back down to the realization he was only 13 going on 14 and the reason he was doing this was to protect his world and live happily with his partners Trixie and Lilium.

    In his hand was the drop from the leviathan. A black grape that was filled with dark power. ¡°Don¡¯t eat it, that drop will mutate you into something like the leviathan.¡± Markus tossed it in his mouth and it tasted sweet like how Trixie described brains. He made sure to flood his body with light energy.

    He was glad he did. Tendrils of dark flooded his body and the light barely guided them to improving his body rather than turning him into demon. He felt tendrils like steel cables wrap around his bones and merge with his own muscles. They dug into his organs and he yelled as his heart was reinforced. It beat with more force than anything he had every felt.

    Markus stood up and felt like his flesh puppeteer was more of a buff than a necessity. He threw a few punches and felt how smooth they were. ¡°You said you would give me the storm ability.¡± Markus said between punches.

    ¡°Here take it.¡± Markus held up a disk and it turned into a crawling mass of microorganisms. They entered his skin and flooded his bloodstream. They soon reached his brain and the knowledge entered him and his body adapted to it. He gained the ability to use lightning through his psychic powers. It was more of a replication by agitating ions. But it was a start. Other powers were currently out of his knowledge to use.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you.¡± Markus said and planned to never return to the dungeon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger.¡± It said, as Markus dropped it. ¡°You bastard,¡± he heard it shout just before it landed in water.

    Markus flew up the waterfall and found came upon Trixie and Lilium under siege by lamias of all things. He landed and picked them both up. Trixie¡¯s mind crashed into his and emotions traveled between them at the speed of thought. Lilium joined in and all was well again. He rose up created a barrier and flew towards the exit.

    ¡°When could you fly like this it¡¯s incredible? We won¡¯t need to ride a Windy ever again.¡± Trixie said and laughed at his feelings of disapproval. He enjoyed riding Windy.

    He soon flew out of the dungeon entrance and Windy galloped up to greet him. ¡°So why did you endanger yourselves to come save me?¡± Markus asked.

    ¡°This creepy guy who looks like you do now, said you were in danger and needed our help.¡± Lilium said.

    ¡°Trixie was like we have to save you now, but I had faith in you boss.¡± Lilium said. Markus smiled and rubbed Trixie¡¯s tentacles.

    ¡°I was in trouble, but I got out of it. My fast recovery time came in handy.¡± Markus said.

    ¡°You seem so much stronger how did that happen?¡± Trixie asked.

    ¡°I had a break through. I¡¯ve been focusing so much on becoming a strong warrior like Pa, I stopped paying attention to who I was. I¡¯m damn strong and my body is a powerful weapon. But my mind was always my best weapon, neglecting it was a mistake.¡± Trixie gave him this conversation isn¡¯t over look and he began brushing Windy down in preparation to saddle her.

    He was just glad to finally be out of that dungeon. Markus wanted to train his telekinesis to the next tier soon. Losing like he had was disgraceful.

 Chapter 23.1 Hard Training

    The capitol city had become a ghost town.  Many merchants have had to leave or else face taxes they couldn¡¯t afford.  Once boasting 5million people the city had roughly 50,000 men still roaming the streets.  Nobles, their bastards, and their cousins were the only ones immune to the draft.  Markus was coming close to turning 15.  Soon, he would have to march North and face his brother.

    He had acquired many skills, abilities, and consumables from the various dungeons he had conquered over the years.  Many have fallen to his tactics and with every victory he grew a little stronger, sometimes much stronger.  The dungeons were his monastery.  They were the lock and key to his power.  Without them it would have taken hundreds of years to reach his current power.  Yet still, he wasn¡¯t satisfied.

    His brother was stronger and had abilities that may make him stronger still.  Time was against him.  His brother was growing stronger as the war waged on.  His father held the line but that didn¡¯t stop Lucius from crossing.   No, if Lucius wanted to take the capital he could have already while Pa was distracted in the north.  That led him to the conclusion that the capital isn¡¯t his brother¡¯s aim.  But what was?

    For nights while traveling he had pondered it.  Society itself was given the task to divine the motive of Markus¡¯s brother god.  His worshipers took the task and have given him a scenario he didn¡¯t like.  He hoped it was wrong but what if it wasn¡¯t.

    He could be forcing the king to do something.  No soldier has marched north.  They were all sent to various barracks around the kingdom.  There was no army being amassed and the training the recruits faced was built to enhance their bodies and increase their durability.  But never were they to work on abilities or war tactics.  Society had spies everywhere.

    Markus stepped through a doorway and found himself in pestilence dungeon.  ¡°My lord the special room has been completed.¡±  Pestilence said.  Markus nodded and took an elevator down to the new floor.

    He stepped out in a dojo built unlike anything else in the dungeon.  Sure, the floor was solid bone the pillars were angled like bones from a ribcage, and skulls decorated the walls, but this place had an order to it unlike the other floors.

    ¡°Pestilence, why have you built this for me?¡±  Markus asked.  A massive creature stepped in the room.  It was 3 meters tall and dressed in rags.  Its face was mummified, and its body ravaged by plagues.   But there was a strength within the creature that couldn¡¯t be denied.

    ¡°My lord, you have helped me grow, expand, and learn.  The brutal way you tore through my body has strengthened me beyond compare.  Even my brother death needs to be weary of me now.¡±  Pestilence said with pride.  The dungeon core sat in the Flesh Baron¡¯s chest.  The creature was a construct of life and dark.  It felt powerful, stronger than a normal knight and nearly as powerful as an elite.

    ¡°There are no more people for you to devour.  The king has taken everyone who can fight and hid them a thief¡¯s copper collection.  It will be a long time before you have anyone to feed from.¡±  Markus said.  Pestilence waved its hand showing off the magnificent, macabre dojo.

    ¡°This room can feed me just fine with the blood and sweat of your training.  It can supply you with any tools you may need, and it is linked to the surface.  Best of all any mana you use here I can absorb.  I hope you expend a lot of mana.¡±  Pestilence said and nodded his head at Markus¡¯s worried looks.  ¡°I¡¯m an old well-fed dungeon.  I¡¯ve eaten better than most have for a thousand years.  I¡¯m allowed to be as dark as I want.  The royal family installed towers of light to balance me.  I¡¯ve prepared myself when food became scarce.  Many of the monsters in my dungeon reproduce naturally now.  I have found a way to become perpetual.¡±  The face of the Flesh Baron smiled revealing black teeth.  ¡°I don¡¯t need adventurers anymore, but I like you Markus.  You are the brutality of nature given form.  This is your ultimate prize for defeating me.  Enjoy.¡±  Pestilence said and turned to leave.

    ¡°Thank you, I enjoyed challenging you, it was the highlight of the capital.¡±  Markus called at the dungeon core¡¯s back.

    ¡°Bah, I know that to be a lie.  But an acceptable one all the same.  Train and become stronger Markus.¡±  Pestilence said and walked out.

    He walked up to a pedestal with glowing a series of screens.  He flicked through them seeing various weapons and armor he could summon.  Monsters of all kinds were at his disposal if he wanted to spar.  Most interesting of all was the training gear.  He could summon rocks that were enchanted with an element.  He realized quickly that the best way to train was to train.

    That sounded stupid because it was at face value.  But fighting a dark type monster was good and all, it certainly helped to get telekinesis to where its at.  To move further, he felt that enlightenment was the way to go.  Slaying the Leviathan was an interesting battle.  But it would take a hundred leviathans to bring adept 1 to adept 2.  No what he needed was training not a battle.

    He pressed a few buttons and in a flash of light a stone enchanted with dark appeared in the middle of the dojo.  Markus sat down in front of the block of dark stone and crossed his legs.  He made no motions only closing his eyes and looking at the rock. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    To say he was looking at it wasn¡¯t correct.  He was feeling it, but that wasn¡¯t entirely correct either.  His telekinesis let him touch things and he knew when he touched them.  His power could move through them without touching unless they tried to force him away with their own power.  Another interesting thing about psychic power was distance.

    The further something was from his person the harder it was to affect.  Multiple items increased the drain exponentially.  He could narrow his field from a sphere of volume to a line and extend his reach by his total area.  Let¡¯s say his radius is 50m then his volume would be 523,598m by turning all of that into range, he could easily have 523,598m of rang.  He could easily sense beyond the mountains with that.  But he would only be able to feel around a 1m diameter circle.  Very limiting, with his body open to all forms of attack.  He would be left blinded to all manner of attacks.  The king would be alerted immediately.

    But if he attacked with that technique he could hit an enemy hundreds of kilometers away.  It was rather devastating magic.  Psychic power was considered one of the most versatile and dangerous of all the types.  Even dark fails to compare to the shear number of options for attack that psychic granted.  That may be why dark was the ultimate weakness of all other types.

    Dark could absorb any other type and assimilate it.  Necromancy was merely life altered with darkness.  Light when merged with dark becomes a faux light.  Deadly to many for its shear destructive power.  Markus wasn¡¯t after any new skill from this training session.  He wanted to do something thought to be impossible.  He was hell bent on using psychic to defend against dark directly.

    Markus sent a fist of will hurtling at the block of stone.  He felt a rush of air and the fist met stone.  For a second the fist of telekinesis-maintained cohesion, then it scattered like smoke, and the stone remined untouched.  The force became potential and the mana was sucked into the room.

    Holding up his hand he unleashed a powerful beam of psychic energy seeing a new skill pop up.  He made no move to acknowledge it.  The beam hit the stone and the energy was ripped apart at an exponentially faster rate.  The darkness found more energy to feed from and grew more efficient at feeding.  He could feel the force behind the darkness increase at a drastic rate.  After a few moments of this he cut off the beam.  Markus sat down with a plop thinking about what he Observed.

    The darkness sent the psychic energy no matter how much, to the four winds scattering it like a loose bundle of straw.  He had an idea.

    Taking his power, he made long strands out of it, lines really.  They were too stiff inflexible due to his willpower.  He needed adaptability to bend the strands.  But no matter it wouldn¡¯t affect his plans.

    Most spells needed to be said for them to have a true effect.  Once a spell is used multiple times it becomes a part of the user.  Users could only have 5 spells.  Some who were very powerful had 10.  The hero Mundus of lightning had over 13.  More steps can be added to a spell, it can evolve naturally with use, and over time it grew stronger.  But once a spell was learned it couldn¡¯t be unlearned.  Basic skills weren¡¯t spells.  Markus had a feeling that he was about to create a spell and use it enough to take up one of his precious slots.

    Markus held his hands in the form of a triangle to better focus his attack.  Lines created triangles and through triangles any number of shapes could be created.  Just making strings out of telekinesis and forming triangular shapes felt like a spell.  There was a force behind what he was doing that was unmistakable.  It felt like his light psychic hammer.

    Sitting in the chamber he could feel his power ebb.  Sweat began to pour down his face as the triangles created gears that sat on strings and locked and moved with other gears.  What Markus was creating could only be described as a complex machine in the form of a spell.  The gears spun, and the spell condensed by its own power.  Heat radiated off his spell shooting out of a hastily made exhaust port.   The outer shell of the spell turned revealing hundreds of thousands of triangular shapes melded into a sphere.  They moved constantly in a way reminiscent of chaos.  The sphere changed to an algorithm that was always changing.  The sphere was solid made of many triangular pyramids.

    His spell reformed as a square, then a whole triangular pyramid, and finally the head of a spear.  Exhaust poured from the back of the spell heating the room.  Sweat covered his shirt and dripped on the floor.  His mind was fully dedicated to keeping up this strange contraption he created.  It was moving even when the outside was seemingly still.  It was altering its shape compacting itself to become more devastating or harder to break.  Markus could feel a mechanical will from the spell.  Not self-awareness but it was more than a collection of mana and mental fortitude.

    He thrust his hands forward and thought of a name.  Nothing really came to mind other than artillery battery or engine of war.  Well it was built for war, long range fighting, and he could feel it pulling ahead trying to break from his will and power forward.  ¡°War Head,¡± Markus yelled, and the spell smashed into the dark stone.

    The spell smashed through the stone without pause.  He felt no resistance.  The spell kept going until it hit the wall.  A multitude of dark enchantments materialized around the wall.  The spell was half way in the wall before Markus canceled it.  The wall began to pull itself back together, but the damage was done.

    He had done it, a psychic spell that could best darkness.  A shame it took him around 6 hours to form it.  Maybe it would get shorter with time.  A screen flashed.  It asked if he would like to add the spell War Head to his spell slots.  He hit yes, and knowledge of the spell flooded him like never.  Sure, he created it, but now he could form it at an insane rate.

    He looked at the damage the spell was supposed to do.

    War Head Mark I

    Description:  A complicated spell crafted by a mad god to fight the element darkness with an inferior type.  Only this time it worked.  War Head is a complicated machine in the form of a spell.  The longer it is active the denser the spell becomes and the more damage it can inflict.

    Damage = Willpower x (1 +1/min)

    Physical 50%      132m

    Mental 25%          66m

    Heat 25%             66m

 Chapter 23.2 Lightning Training or How to Fake Rage

    He was relaxing in his dojo with his thoughts on a single subject lightning.  A ability he managed to snag from his storm ability.  It wasn¡¯t true lightning.  No, it was just a variant of psychic power one that emulated lightning.  But that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t use natural lightning.

    Lightning fluctuated over his fingers illuminating the room with its constant stream.  Points of positive and negative appeared and were altered by his psychic powers.  It allowed him to use real lightning in a way, but he couldn¡¯t grasp the phantasmal side of it.  There is more to lightning after all than a reaction.  For magic there was a lot of lore concerning lightning.  Tales of great heroes spoke of a great loss that insights a rage that grants their lightning abilities their true power.

    Even using natural lightning as a reaction took a heavy tole on his concentration.  He couldn¡¯t use it and fight at the same time.  No, this power required a great deal of preparation and even then, it was only good for a glass cannon type approach.  To truly use this power to its full potential, he needed wrath.

    Markus wasn¡¯t an angry person by nature.  Sure, he was prone to short bursts of rage like the next guy, but he didn¡¯t hate anyone.  No, hatred of those weaker than him was pointless.  He pitied them.  This made his lightning weak it popped and struck where he told it to, but it lacked the bite of his normal skills.

    Wrath was the fuel of lightning.  Without it, his bolts would be useless against powerful foes.  A fodder cleaning spell and nothing more.  It was pitiful.  He laid down on the hard bone floor and soaked in the darkness.

    He chewed on dark spirits and swallowed mouthfuls of them, as he thought on his problem.  Markus scrolled through his menu looking through potions that had anything to do with emotions.  Wrath, anger, and hate were some of the cheapest potions to buy.  They wouldn¡¯t be his wrath.

    Working with a crutch seemed like a bad idea.  Something that might make the anger permanent was a great idea, if he wanted to dissolve into a rage monster.  So, he grabbed a demon summoning potion, there wasn¡¯t always a happy medium but, in this case, there might be.

    The potion appeared in his inventory and he popped the cork drinking it down.  This wasn¡¯t one of those rituals that happened in a day.  It would take a few months for it to be ready.  Until then he would need to make a few preparations.

    The knowledge from the potion swam through his mind giving him exact instructions.  He had a new room built in exchange for 400,000untis of mana.  Not even a hundredth of his mana supply.  The room moved, and a ritual room appeared at the side.  Another pedestal stood in the room with interactive monitors.

    He flipped through the options and came upon candles.  Markus bought them at a steep price of 1000mana a candle.  Why the dungeon didn¡¯t demand point Markus didn¡¯t know but he was glad to use something renewable.

    He ended up spending 100,000mana on the candles making sure he had enough for the ritual.  Placing them in a five-pointed star he lit them with friction.  The flames glowed purple, he guessed that was demonic.  Summoning a demon directly from a hell was considered heresy.

    Not that he cared, the monks of the monasteries considered the belief in any god or devil to be heretical to human supremacy.  They are known to declare crusades in the name of cleansing those who would dare call upon such powers. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    What Markus needed now was the emotion of outrage to send powerful emotions of anger into the space between the physical plane and the hell of wrath.  That wasn¡¯t difficult.  He just had to kill a few criminals.  Those with the balls to feel outraged for being punished for their crimes.

    Hours pass, and Markus entered the room holding a noble.  ¡°Let me go you pauper.  When my father hears about this he¡¯s going to murder you and your whole family.¡±  He tossed him in the room and the door sealed behind them.

    The noble was named Francis a member of the Leonidas family.  A distant cousin to Margarette.  Now for this experiment, its very important to make this guy as angry as he could before killing him.  What did Francis do?

    Well to many nobles, he wasn¡¯t considered terrible.  He took pleasure in the abuse and beating of his maids.  When he was bored he raped them.  Nothing out of the ordinary when you consider the power gap between the nobility and the commoner.  No what is out of the ordinary was getting punished for it.

    Markus stared at the boy he looked ready to attack or cower in a corner.  His flight or fight instincts were running overtime looking at Markus and the room.

    He turned and saw the ritual candles.  ¡°Don¡¯t look at the aesthetics look at me.¡±  Markus said.  Francis stabbed a finger at him.

    ¡°You took me from my bed.  What have I ever done to you?¡±  Francis yelled.  He was tall for his age and a little over weight an oddity among the powerful nobles.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t what you¡¯ve done to me, it¡¯s your actions, they are beyond forgiveness.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°I have the right to do as I please.  I¡¯m a noble without me my subjects wouldn¡¯t eat, they would have no shelter, or direction in life.  A few beatings when I get angry is a small price to pay for succor.¡±  Francis said, in an indignant tone.

    Markus paced around the noble like a jungle cat.  ¡°I have observed your actions and weighed what you give and what you take.  You owe a steep debt.¡±  Markus said.  The noble looked angry but took on a shrewd look.

    ¡°Then tell me how many points I owe, and I¡¯ll pay them.¡±  The noble said.

    ¡°Pay, yes you¡¯ll pay but not in points.  You shattered a girl¡¯s spine.  Another lost half the teeth in her mouth when you smacked her because you failed another test.  You forced your male servants to fight for your entertainment.  When they died their families went out on the streets.  You did not compensate them.  How much interest do you think you incurred?¡±  Markus asked.

    Chains of light shot out and captured his arms.  They pulled him to the center of the pentagram.  He struggled but no matter how he pulled, he couldn¡¯t break the chains.  ¡°I¡¯ll pay them back.  I¡¯ll find them all and ensure my debts are payed.  Just let me go.¡±  He yelled.  His anger quickly turned to fear, just as Markus ironically feared.  So, it was plan B.

    Taking potions of rage out of his inventory, he placed them in his right hand.  Taking a hastily bought syringe he filled one with the most potent concoction he had.  ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t about your crimes.  I don¡¯t care.  I wanted you to be angry for your sacrifice, but it seems that failed.¡±  Markus said casually.

    Francis¡¯s face went red then purple.  ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡±  Whips of flame shot out of his fingertips and slashed ineffectively against Markus¡¯s barrier.  They proved ineffective much to the noble¡¯s rage.  ¡°Curse you for your falsehoods.  Curse you for those who suffer, and you pretend to care about.  I may have hurt many, but you are the real evil you only pretend to care.¡±  Markus jabbed the potion in Francis¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Hate, Hate, Hate,¡± Francis yelled as foam began to cover his mouth and his eyes bulged out.  Markus put a hand on either side of the man¡¯s face.  Taking his thumbs, he pushed them against Francis¡¯s eyes.  They sank in quickly and Francis yelled.  Markus gripped the head tighter.  He felt a crack then forced his hands together.  The skull collapsed under the force of his grip and brain matter exploded.

    Blood soaked into the pentagram and it flickered red.  ¡°One down a four to go.  For the record.¡±  Markus thrust his hand forward and fried the remains with an intense bolt of lightning.  ¡°I do care.¡±  Markus said.

 Chapter 23.3 All of the Poll

    Flash Back 5 years ago

    Lucien stepped upon the upon the road leading to the capital city of Umbra. A place where dark gods and powerful monsters called home. The air was thick was dark mana it would kill the so-called heroes of the Halo Mountains. Thinking of that placed made his blood boil with excitement. It was to be his fief, his territory, his domain. It was there he would acquire worshipers and feed upon their belief. He was confident his position as a low tier god was temporary now.

    Necromancy, hemomancy, and umbramancy were skills that could be freely purchased in the local Bazar. With the skills ingredients for rituals and battle tactics for your chosen field could be bought in turn. There was no dark knowledge here that couldn¡¯t be purchased for the right price.

    Massive flying craft miracles of enchantment flew over head going to and from the capital merchant vessels mostly. Here to sell slaves taken from conquered lands. Soon those lands would be reconquered a thousand times. The lands between the light and dark capitals were always in flux.

    He had come here to the capital of the dark to seek out his mother. She had sent him a letter asking him to make a visit. It had been decades since he had last seen her. So, he made the journey on foot viewing the country side and doing what he could to enjoy the journey.

    Standing at the city gates, he waited his turn as the guards checked citizens for contraband. Certain holy artefacts were considered blasphemous here. Those with an amulet from the city of light run the danger of being executed on the spot. Though there are some exceptions. Paladins who worshipped a god from the holy city could be granted entry despite the god they served, if the situation demanded it. Rarely had that happened but it was a change of pace.

    When it was his turn to enter the inspection line he held up a badge of the royal house. Without another word they let him in through the gate and he was on his way to greet his mother. His mother had a reputation.

    Of the nine unholy gods who resided over this city his mother was the most chaotic. A simple mood swing could mean the deaths of thousands. She was dangerous, unpredictable, and she scared his elder siblings to death. A small smile crept upon his face at the memory of Samos¡¯s face when Lucien asked if she wanted to join him to see their dear mother. He was not ashamed to admit their fear brought him pleasure. Few of his siblings were as close to their mother as himself.

    Lucien climbed their mother¡¯s tower carefully, within it was steeped in the darkest magic. Mad ravings covered every inch of the walls enchantments everyone. An attacker would face unending demons from the dark, if they stepped foot here. They would find doors that led nowhere, hallways that extended for thousands of kilometers, and points where the body ceases to be all together. Glitches his mother called them. Terrifying was what Lucien called them.

    Don¡¯t get him wrong, he loves his mother, she was the one who brought him into this world, and this tower protected him from the worst his siblings had to offer. As he approached the double doors leading to his mother¡¯s study he felt the tower quake. That couldn¡¯t be good. He kicked the door open sword drawn ready to attack.

    His mother was sitting and tapping the floor shaking the tower. ¡°Lucien you¡¯re here thank goodness. I would like to introduce you to your brother Markus.¡± She cradled a baby doll in her hands. It was given to her by father, a way to hold her fleeting sanity in check for a few more decades until his brother could return.

    ¡°Mother he¡¯s beautiful. He looks just like you and father. He has your black hair.¡± Lucien said without missing a beat.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he though. I think he will be a looker. I¡¯ll have to beat the little tramps off him with a stick. A very sturdy stick.¡± She said and chuckled to herself. Then she turned to him.

    ¡°Your father said its time for you to get a domain. I have one it wasn¡¯t easy and its crap but maybe you can turn Atheists into Agnostics.¡± She said with a light chuckle. Lucien frowned.

    ¡°Dear mother, please why don¡¯t you put Markus down and let me cut and style your hair. Its been a long time since we had a day together.¡± Her head rocked to the side.

    ¡°Yes, my hair a mother shouldn¡¯t have such long hair. Please Lucien fix it for me.¡± He took a special set of scissors and got to work cutting raven black hair that covered the floor. His mother hadn¡¯t left this tower since father sent his little brother away. Markus from what he could recall was what the mortals that adopted him called the boy.

    Once cut he styled his mother¡¯s hair up in a bun. In his opinion it made her look smart. Not that his mother wasn¡¯t intelligent. But she looked like a spirit of some kind with her hair long and covering the floor.

    ¡°Its time you brought him home. You¡¯re the only son I can trust. Bring your brother home.¡± She said and then he heard a baby crying. She rushed to the baby doll and started cradling it.

    ¡°Mother when we come back we will save you from this place, I promise.¡± The tower shook, and his mother yelled.

    ¡°Get out of here Lucien and save your brother. Then get far away from here. I can¡¯t be saved.¡± She said before his mother¡¯s eyes glazed over and she was over taken by the madness of this place again.

    Present

    Markus walked back and forth waiting for the princess to get to the library. They were partnered to the same project. They had a use a series of runes to make an enchantment that controls heat. Markus wanted to gather heat in the room and she wanted to go the annoying rout and gather mana, then transform that collected mana into fire, and then gather the heat from the fire letting it out at a steady rate. Markus didn¡¯t care at this point it was late at night and he had a gentlelady tied up and ready to have her blood spilled in his ritual circle. The fact that some people thought that rank allowed them to waste his time, rankled his nerves.

    The door burst open an hour later her raven black hair was disheveled, and it looked like she had been asleep. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, I thought I was going to get an hour nap and it turned into 3hours.¡± Raven said. ¡°Well Markus you look like you could use some rest. Should we call it a day and meet again tomorrow. It would fit my schedule better.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow is no better than tonight, lets get this over with.¡± Markus said. She sighed and pulled herself a seat.

    ¡°Fine, alright the first step is to gather mana.¡± She raised her hand to halt his objection. ¡°I know you just want to get on with the final step and collect heat from a room. But I like to go above and beyond the norm. I already have the mana collection figured out.¡± She drew three symbols and they immediately started to move about. He could feel a slight amount of energy flow into them.

    Markus drew the four symbols. Each one would stop another if there wasn¡¯t enough heat. If there was too much it was stopped by the third symbol. His enchantment basically said, if there is heat gather it, once collected concentrate it here, if too much let out this much, or stop enchantment. Yes, it was basic and stupidly simple, but it worked. Already the area around the paper heated up but the paper itself didn¡¯t burn. Certainly, parts of the library were colder, but he was moving the heat around.

    ¡°What if you¡¯re in a blizzard that won¡¯t work?¡± Raven said.

    ¡°We are not preparing for a Blizzard. We are harnessing heat. How we do it doesn¡¯t matter so long as we prove we can use it. Situational issues can wait until we have assigned them for the situation.¡± Markus said as calmly as possible. He sent a mental message through his link to Lilium to taunt the bitch then kill her on the summoning circle. Markus was certain it would devolve into something sexual.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t good enough it has to be functional in the real world. Just obey your princess and do the job Markus.¡± He was not in the mood to give in and wouldn¡¯t budge on the issue.

    ¡°Lets just make both of them and use which ever one based on what Professor Dracul deems a successful project.¡± Markus said. She glared at him even more. He knew the class project was to harness heat. As anal as Professor Dracul was, it was likely he would throw out her side of the project.

    ¡°Fine! Since you have that under control we will work on my project.¡± Just as she said that the paper crumbled. ¡°I seem to have forgotten to put a stop function when it gathers too much mana.¡± Markus took a sip of something that tasted of blood. It was one of the meals Trixie cooked him in a thermos.

    It took them four hours to come up with a stop function that could coincide with fire creation. Another two hours to put the enchantments together without them failing, and then they had to add functions that fed off the second array. The whole project took until class the next day and they skipped some classes to work on this one.

    As it turned out, he canceled the project the next day, though he was still somewhat impressed by both enchantments. Raven glared at him for the rest of the week. Every time their eyes met her face heated in embarrassment. It seemed her pride was damaged.

    Trixie

    Markus took her on a date and she bet Lilium was green with envy. They went to this fancy place that had so many delectable creatures. The customers could point at one and request the whole monster. It was a dream come true. She pointed at a troll and saw the look of shock in the ugly creature¡¯s eyes. She loved that look impending doom was exciting. It made her mouth water and her loins hot.

    Markus let out a grunt on snapped the troll¡¯s neck like popping a chicken wing. One of her favorite parts of a meal was the initial skull crack. The crunch was something that set the meal.

    She felt her teeth sink through and found the right point on a troll to crack. The other customers looked over fearful as she made to suck the troll¡¯s brains out. Markus cut off an arm and stripped it of meat.

    He tossed it on the grill and let it sizzle. She ate slowly to prologue her meal. Markus leaned down behind her and rubbed her stomach. It was the single most annoying and sweetest gesture she had ever felt. Annoying because it made her want to eat faster. It was sweet because it felt nice.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    His powerful hands squished into her body and kneaded it like dough. Never has a meal been so comfortable. ¡°I¡¯m glad we went out.¡± She said to him in a lazy voice.

    ¡°I am too.¡± His mental voice was always on high. Like he couldn¡¯t whisper if he tried. That¡¯s one of the reason¡¯s why the king couldn¡¯t intercept the messages between them. His voice was like a blaring trumpet and if you weren¡¯t ready it was gone before you understood what was said.

    ¡°I tried looking for Fey, she hasn¡¯t been respawned yet.¡± He said to open conversation. She knew that¡¯s all it was, and she already agreed to let Fey join Markus¡¯s little Harem. It was fun dominating them with her tentacles. Lilium especially could be cute when properly tentacle raped. A big tittied Valkyrie sounded like fun.

    ¡°Well sometimes dungeon born take longer to respawn when dungeons reset. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll appear when you least expect it. You just need to keep looking.¡± Trixie said. She made sure to look as devoted as she could. He couldn¡¯t know that she enjoyed the bitches as much as he did. There is a reason she waited until he was gone or asleep.

    The arm meat caught fire and Markus turned it over. He licked the grease from his fingers much to the disgust of watching guests. Trixie smiled at the nobles who ate with a knife and a thousand forks. They quickly paid a large amount of attention to their meals.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you agreed to allowing Fey to join. Aren¡¯t you normally territorial?¡± Trixie smiled, and she saw the moment when his heart melted and felt happy.

    ¡°Its not that I¡¯m no longer territorial. Bring in an unworthy slut and their brain will be out of their heads the second you turn your back.¡± She glared at him for a long time. He smiled and tossed a chunk of troll in his mouth. Her glare softened at his antics. Not like it was getting to him anyway.

    ¡°As it just so happens anyone unworthy wouldn¡¯t survive mating with me.¡± Markus said with brazen confidence. It made her feel so hot when he said things like that. It wasn¡¯t fair her hormones were acting up. She was almost to adulthood and he was getting satisfied by Lilium and her daily. He could relax instead of being controlled by chemicals in his brain.

    ¡°Good, I would hate to eat one of them.¡± Trixie said in a way that meant the opposite.

    They made it home and she leapt in his lap in his favorite chair. He had just put on a pair of reading glasses and took them off in exasperation. She was happy to help.

    She wrapped her tentacles around him in a hug that she was sure he would never forget. Their eyes met, and she gave him the look. Trixie was feeling hot and ready Markus couldn¡¯t deny her and by the look in his eyes he knew it.

    She forced the tiny tentacles around her love tunnel apart and grasped with them for her prize. She never broke eye contact as she ripped open his pants and pulled his pink head up to her cleft. She made to put it in and froze. ¡°Do you want it?¡± Trixie said. She smiled when his eyes formed a glare. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want it.¡± She said.

    She made to get up and his hands smacked her ass. It hurt in a pleasant way. ¡°I want it now.¡± Markus said in a heavy voice. She eased it down and he rocked his hips forward only for her to pull back. She raised a hand and wagged her finger at him.

    ¡°You were bad slapping my rear like that. Bad boys have to wait.¡± She saw him fight the desire to use his superior strength to take her, if he did that she won. Slowly, she backed up and lowered her hips letting her tentacles grasp at his member pulling on it but never taking it all the way. Trixie smiled feeling him spasm and could clearly see the frustration in his eyes.

    She edged closer and kissed him. His lips met her lipless face. Just as he probed her opening she opened her mouth and forced her tongue in his mouth. Troll meat and brain made an interesting combination in his mouth she was certain he was enjoying it. The flavors were bursting in her mouth.

    ¡°Do the trick.¡± She told him and waited for it. She glared at him when nothing happened. ¡°Please,¡± that was the magic word. Tentacles rose from his tongue and wrapped around hers. She like the way they cocooned her tongue and danced in her mouth. Small shocks played across her taste buds making her mouth pop. It was fun and odd at the same time.

    The whole time she dripped up and down his length coating him in enough slime to slip through the eye of a needle. Her mucus membranes were working overtime to drip as much on him as possible. It was funny how his skin has acclimated to her mucus. He was shiny often.

    There was as look in his eyes of rising lust. She took a breath and let it out realizing her fun was coming to an end. You don¡¯t tease a beast, without consequences. He rose from the chair gripping her hips and aligning himself in a single motion. She tried to alter the angle, but he was too fast. He pushed her against a wall and pushed himself inside of her.

    She opened her mouth to scream. It was too sudden, and she had been building so slowly. The change was too much, and he could easily sense it. Markus looked down was eyes fixated on one thing. He held her up with one arm pushing his fingers through the concrete wall on accident. He was stunned she realized. He was on the edge already from her teasing.

    Trixie used her tentacles and pulled herself down impaling herself further. It shocked his system and she felt his engorge. He grabbed her roughly and slammed into her in a series of small powerful motions trying to keep himself as deep as possible.

    Instead of dropping her after his member started shrinking, he took her to the shower. The water turned on and they took a long shower.

    Gig

    ¡°Gig, you have to look presentable, we are trying to impress the fillies of my tribe. You want a stable of Mares don¡¯t you.¡± Gig nodded his head letting her shape his member like clay until it looked like a stallion¡¯s prick. ¡°There this should impress them; your balls just need a little adjusting. Can you make them a little bigger?¡± Gig grumbled and used life manipulation to make his testicles a little plumper. They kept growing until they were each the size of a fist before Dyneroth gave him the ok to stop.

    He felt too big. They were uncomfortable and would sag given enough time. ¡°Can¡¯t we just go and let me mount them like I, did you?¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°You have to prove that you have an asset that is desirable.¡± Being a parasite that is a little more difficult that you might think. I wasn¡¯t too keen on the idea of remaining with you until we mated.

    ¡°We mated several times a day, you can¡¯t tell me that was me bargaining with you.¡± She blinked at him in a way that said it all. Fuck!

    Society gave them its blessing as they made their way far to the south to the centaur territory. It was one of the few places safe from werewolves and roaming haunts of ghosts this far from the capital.

    The second they entered the territory. 300centaur stallions came out of the woods galloping in full armor. They approached, and Gig noticed the occasional mare in the group. Huge boob plates were hard to miss. All of them were armored to keep their soft human bits covered. They grunted and one of the larger stallions approached him and sniffed him.

    Gig was an admirer of a stallion¡¯s shape, but he wasn¡¯t into dicks. The way this Stallion was sniffing him was borderline disturbing. Worst of all the top half of the stallion was female. Gig had no idea how her hormones worked or was she a he with boobs. Gig was confused.

    A sharp elbow from Dyneroth knocked him from his thoughts. ¡°She wants to know if you would like to feast with them tonight.¡± The raven-haired centaur looked at him and let loose her massive dong. After turning around Gig realized she had a vagina as well. How that worked, well Society was screaming in his ear about interesting traits.

    Gig nodded his head and they galloped deeper through the woods. Until they came to a large camp. Various stables and sheds made up the living spaces of most centaurs. They were built in haste clearly meant to be abandoned at a moments notice. The male centaurs looked at him and chuckled to each other and spoke in deep whiney filled voices.

    ¡°They are saying that you are welcome to suck them off anytime two leg. Not an invitation an insult. Though one unworthy of a challenge. I¡¯ll let you know when you are issued a true declaration of war.

    Dyneroth chatted up some centaur mares and Gig decided it was time to go investigate that odd one he saw. He was barely noticed. Centaurs kept several human slaves in their camps. They worked to fetch them water, crafted their clothing, or oiled their armor. A few were used by stallions as sex toys.

    He made his way to the silver armor the centauress wore. She was busy washing her hair and combing it. Gig had snuck up on Dyneroth enough times to know not to spook a centaur. Their kicks were no joke. ¡°Hello there,¡± Gig yelled out getting her attention. She looked at him with her ears back a clear sign that he had annoyed her.

    ¡°I wanted to speak with you. I guess I guess I already am.¡± She snorted and tossed her comb at him. He caught it easily enough and she motioned him over. He held her wet hair pulled up a section and slowly brushed it to keep it from knotting.

    She let out a sigh. ¡°I understand common. Most of my kind do we just don¡¯t speak it when we are home.¡± He paused and continued brushing her hair. ¡°Most are turned off by my extra appendage. I can feel you have life magic like I do. That¡¯s how I gained this sheath. I was curious, and I have no plans on removing it for teats.

    ¡°I like it, but I¡¯m here for a diplomatic mission. I represent the people of the hills. To guarantee peace I need to take one of your tribe¡¯s mare¡¯s as a mate. Who I represent believes they can allow your tribe to remain here in peace if I take one of you.¡± Gig said.

    ¡°Well there is one way I¡¯ll take you as a mate.¡± Gig raised an eyebrow to show he was listening. ¡°Suck my cock and I¡¯ll be yours.¡± That put a break on his train quickly.

    ¡°Come again,¡± Gig said.

    ¡°I still need to the first time, and you heard me. If its peace you want suck my cock and fuck my cunt raw. Isn¡¯t that how you humans like to talk when you¡¯re in heat.¡± She said and blinked at him innocently.

    ¡°Lay on your back if we are going to do this then I¡¯m going to have fun too.¡± Gig said. To be frank he was an asexual brain monster inhabiting a shell. But at the same time as he saw the crust peel off her he was beginning to have second thoughts.

    She trotted in her stable and laid down on a blanket. She propped her human half on a set of pillows looking relaxed as a huge set of pink balls slunk over her thick pussy just above her donut. Her coat was painted and unlike Dyneroth, her cunt and ass were pink.

    Gig walked up and picked a set of surprisingly soft balls up and positioned himself at her entrance. Her pearl appeared winked at him and hid behind thick folds. He held his hardening member in his hand waiting for it to finish filling with blood. It was growing out of control and the longer he waited the more time this was going to take.

    Dyneroth had shaped his penis to make it look like a horse¡¯s. He pushed the flat tip against her meaty lips and pushed in feeling unimaginable pleasure as she squeezed him hard. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me.¡± She said.

    Gig sighed and grabbed ahold of her member. Big didn¡¯t describe it. The monster in his hands had a flat tip and a pee hole he could slip his pinky in. Just holding it he could feel a liter of blood and her heart beat making it flare more.

    ¡°Well it seems silly to ask now but what¡¯s your name?¡± Gig asked.

    ¡°Mary, your Gig now suck my dick.¡± Mary yelled and thrust it against Gig¡¯s chin dripping lube all over his face. He opened his mouth as wide as he could and smooshed the tip in.

    What could he say about the spongey prick of a centaur with both genitals. It was salty and less terrible than he thought. He started thrusting his hips and she grunted as he felt himself stretch her satin walls. It was so odd. The feeling of sucking her off and fucking her at the same time.

    He rocked his hips into her and she gave him a look sticking her tongue out and he felt spurts of pre-shoot in his mouth. Her tips were pulsing in his mouth and he knew what it meant. Society better thank him for this.

    ¡°Get ready I¡¯ve been pent up forever.¡± Her satin cunt turned into a vice as it crushed his member and bitter musky spunk shot in his mouth in torrents. Why god, why did I have to get curious about the painted centaur with a dick?

    A massive presence that wasn¡¯t Society brought its attention to him and he felt like an ant. ¡°I¡¯d say because you wanted it. Have fun sucking dicks. Couldn¡¯t ask for a better man for the job.¡± Markus said and lost interest.

    He pulled his member out of her and stepped back. She rolled back to her feet and got up. She trotted over to him with happy grin on her face. She pulled him close and open mouth kissed him. She wiggled her tongue about moving tasting herself. ¡°I taste delicious.¡± She gripped his member and dove down on it. He felt his dick go between her teeth and down her throat without stopping. She just kept going and the she grabbed his balls as he started feeling the pressure in his member. Suddenly, he exploded directly in her stomach. ¡°We both do. I can¡¯t wait to fuck Dyneroth while you fuck me. Maybe I can put my member somewhere else in you.¡± Gig shivered in fear and backed away from the sex crazed centaur. This is what his obsession has brought him.

 Chapter 24 Getting Ready

    The world hadn¡¯t changed but to him it felt different.  Food tasted better, casual conversations with Trixie and Lilium were more entertaining, and every fight drove his excitement higher.  He lost a fight against his brother and it felt great.  A weight felt lifted from his shoulders the untouchable feeling of invincibility he had was gone and it never felt better.  He was here, he was human, and he was alive.

    In the center of the pestilence dungeon¡¯s fourth floor was a training hall dedicated to him.  The dungeon core sat in a corner reading a tome  It hummed with its dark power as it fed off its every multiplying population.  Markus¡¯s exploits had garnered a few emulators.  They attempted to match his feat and most fell short.

    This place in the center of floor four was his dojo.  A place built by the dungeon core for his personal use.  He meditated here and trained his telekinesis further.  Boulders enchanted with dark mana circled around him.  He held them up with psychic power alone.

    This feat was possible because of his level of willpower.  His willpower was thick enough to survive eroding against dark mana at a constant rate.  He had risen to 7 boulders each weighting 20tons.  His telekinesis was up to adept 10.  It took him three months in the dojo to reach this level.  But, he was beginning to plateau.  He needed more willpower.  Tossing points into the problem was possible.  He could purchase more rings that multiplied skill experience for psychic.

    Right now, he wore eight rings that increased his technique gain speed by 50% each.  He gained 4x normal experience and still it has been a month since he reached lv10.  If he was to reach expert soon he needed more willpower.  That would allow him to go after more difficult training techniques.

    He made his way back to his apartment after visiting administration and paying his tuition for the next year.

    Markus was 14, approaching 15, soon the academy would no longer be an excuse.  There were no boys left over the age of 15 that weren¡¯t noble.  They were all fighting on the front, though there were no troop movements going north.  The girls were held back for repopulation purposes.  Children were being produced practically in a chicken coop.

    A knight showed up took as many girls as he wanted and left with them.  Markus could have signed up for the breeding program and escaped the draft.  He refused, there was something he kept secret.  Markus was contagious.

    It was something he knew without any evidence.  The Omega inoculation, the Vitality prize, and the strength prize had mutated him.  His body contained a virus that would mutate another human until they resembled him.  Only monsters were immune.

    He opened the door to his apartment to see a feast waiting for him.  Trixie and Lilium had set a table full of chopped pork loin covered in dripped honey, a plate full of asparagus covered in cheese, mashed potatoes, and massive peach pie.  To drink, Lilium pressed a goblet to his hand filled with wine from Raven.  The princess had given him some of her stock as an apology for the knights of Gilver.  It took her a few weeks to work up the courage to tell him.

    It was all poisoned which gave the wine a delicious pallet cleanser at the end.  Though trying to poison someone who ate rei widows one of the more poisonous species of spider archetype monsters.  He didn¡¯t know if someone was trying to poison the princess and she accidently gave him the wine that was poisoned.  She may have poisoned them herself and thought he hadn¡¯t had a chance to drink any yet.  Or the knights of Gilver were still trying to kill him covertly.  They were still trying to do it overtly too.  The pardon from the princess didn¡¯t stop them from declaring a blood feud.  Trixie and Windy ate well.

    ¡°Who cooked the loin, it is very tinder?  What was the marinade?¡±  Markus asked.  Trixie smiled at him.

    ¡°Guess,¡± He cut a bite and ate it off his knife.

    ¡°Poppy blossoms from the third floor of Famine dungeon.  You know you didn¡¯t have to conquer the dungeon for me.  I would have gotten around to it eventually.¡±  Markus said between bites.  Lilium chuckled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry master, it¡¯s a near endless market for ingredients.  We can safely travel through it without the dungeon¡¯s tricks messing with us.  Though I¡¯m sure you would be able to conquer it.¡±  Lilium said and fluttered her eyelashes.

    He took a bite of the asparagus and was overwhelmed by how spicy it was.  That was the best kind of asparagus in his opinion.  Lilium beamed at the sweat beading down his forehead.  She was getting a bit of a sadistic streak to her cooking.

    ¡°Excellent asparagus as always Lilium.  Fresh and tender, just as I like.¡±  He said, and she beamed.  Her pointed tail flickered about.  Trixie poured him another glass of wine as he finished off the entr¨¦e and sides before slicing off a piece of pie.  They poured him a glass of mino milk from his lands and he drank it with the pie.

    This had become the norm.  When he came home they always had a meal prepared for him.  Often, they went to famine for the ingredients.  They wanted to enjoy as much of their time in the capital as they could before they had to leave for war.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to declare you the new hero at the gathering in ironheart castle.  That¡¯s what Fanny said.  She said some things about the princess¡¯s bedroom habits but that¡¯s just gossip between we succubi.¡±  Lilium said with a smirk.

    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s going to bite.  You aren¡¯t ready my Markus.  You¡¯re powerful but you¡¯re not in any hurry to fight Lucius.  He¡¯s damn fast and your sword still isn¡¯t fixed is it?¡±  Trixie said and glared pointedly at Lilium, who blushed heavily.

    ¡°I need a lot of light to fix it.  Maybe you should boost your willpower.  I can feel your anxiety there, so let¡¯s work on that.¡±  Lilium said.   Well there was a source of light available, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy.  There were four dragons that balanced out the darkness in the dungeons. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Hey Lilium, why don¡¯t you ask Fanny about the four holy dragons.  If we can find them, then maybe Star Break can be restored.¡±  Lilium sighed walked into the bathroom and did her makeup.  She put on a sexy dress and Markus kissed her deeply.  He could feel her resist the urge to suck out his life force.  When they broke the kiss, Markus could feel the red lipstick covering his face.  ¡°Do I look like a fool?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°Yes, but a scary one.¡±  Lilium said and leapt from the window to go wine and dine Fanny.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s in love with you, in her own way.¡±  Trixie said.  Markus nodded his head.  ¡°She¡¯s too dangerous to sleep with right now.  You need to keep up your strength.¡±  Trixie said.  He slept with both constantly when he was home.  This was their game to warn him off to the other to have him to themselves.   He let them play it but never took them seriously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go check out the library.¡±  Markus said.

    The streets of the capital were filled with drafters and members of the white feather club.  They chased down the few men who escaped the draft so far.  When the white feather club caught you, they tared and feathered the man and if he fought back soldiers would show up and beat the man nearly to death.  Once the offenders were tar and feathered they were placed on a donkey and paraded through town.  They were mocked and jeered.  Most committed suicide.

    Markus had taken up a tactic he called scorched earth.  If a group came after him and stood in the way of any task he had, he destroyed them utterly.  Any soldiers that appeared received the same treatment.

    That¡¯s why when he traveled through the streets he was given a wide berth.  They were so far away that he could have driven two carts side by side without bumping into anyone.  He smiled like monster at them.  It made for an entertaining walk.  To see them stumble and panic when they came too close to him.

    The massive clock of the library stood tall.  It glowed even surrounded by the towers of light.  This was a place of knowledge and those of the white feather club weren¡¯t allowed entry.

    Inside lore wardens worked tirelessly to come up with reliable tactics against training dungeons and the demon lord¡¯s armies.  They didn¡¯t seem to notice him, and he liked it that way.  There was no reason to talk to one of the wardens.  They were all wrecks at this point.  Their workloads have destroyed their sleep cycles.

    Markus perused the dungeon section along with Trixie.  ¡°So, we are looking for a dungeon with both willpower and intelligence.  Shouldn¡¯t we ask one of the wardens.  It would make things simpler.¡±  Markus nodded his head and yelled for assistance.  The lore wardens didn¡¯t even look up.

    ¡°They are on so many potions to boost their intelligence and avoid sleep, that they are unaware of our presence.¡±  He doubted they could even remember what they read.  It was fortunate that photographic memories were a must for the job.  They would just have to sort through everything after they had a rest.

    He picked up an ancient tome of dungeons and their locations.  It was there he found what he was looking for, far to the south.  Markus put the book down and grabbed a newer copy.  The dungeon was still in the same spot.  Three more copies held the dungeon until he had the last 2000 years¡¯ worth of maps.  On them the dungeon didn¡¯t exist.  There was nothing in that area.

    Just 2000 years ago the dungeon and everything around it ceased to be recorded.  Taking up an ancient book of history.  He searched back 2000 years and found the reason.  The dungeon had ranked up to a dungeon lord.  An entity akin to a demon lord that is the dungeon.  Basically, the dungeon has risen and become a monster.  As he read the report, he learned why it didn¡¯t go north.  It needed to stay close to the mountains to maintain its balance.

    It was everything he wanted from a dungeon.  Intelligence and willpower drops aplenty.  It was a dungeon built on the principle of all out battle.  There was a story of romance.  Though much of the information was censored.

    He couldn¡¯t find an exact location other than south.  He would have to check it out.  Trixie looked up from her book on dragons of all things.  He rubbed her tentacles and she nipped at his fingers.

    ¡°Oh, my Markus shall we have each other right here since they wouldn¡¯t notice.¡±  Markus rolled his eyes, grabbed her hands, and pulled a giggling Trixie out with him.

    ¡°So, what did you learn about dragons?¡±  Markus said.  Her giggling cut off and a tension rose through their connection.

    ¡°They are the monster equivalence to a flying city of adventurers.  Their breath attacks could allow them to destroy Haven in a single sweep.  Their wing beats sweep up storms and their bodies are armored against magic and physical attacks.  That is just the common dragon.  When you get into the special dragon¡¯s things get worse.  Iron dragons cut off 75% of all physical damage and 50% magic damage.  Crystal dragons reflect damage, and some reflect the damage up to 10 times the original attack.  Golden dragons have the mightiest breath attacks.  They can strip a country of life.¡±  She looked at him seriously.  ¡°Are you sure you can handle them?¡±  Markus closed his eyes and felt his strength.  Lighting sparked off his body as he used flesh puppeteer.  His strength and vitality made his body into a physical weapon of incredible powers.  There was nothing in this city that could take him on in a physical battle.

    ¡°There is no doubt.  I will destroy them.¡±  Markus said.

    ¡°If you slay a dragon and bathe in its blood you can gain their dragon ability.  Slaying one could make you incredible powerful.  Even more so than now.¡±  Trixie said.

    ¡°What would happen if you ate its brain?¡±  Markus asked.  She shook her head.

    ¡°That hasn¡¯t happened in the history of my kind.  My ancestral memories have no information on it.  But I would become something beyond what I am now.  We are a scary pair, aren¡¯t we?¡±  Trixie said.  Markus chuckled and nodded his head.  We are indeed.

    ¡°Then you consider Lilium will gain darkness equal to their light.  That makes us a trio of scary people.  I just have to kill them and Lilium has to get us their locations.¡±  Markus said, and Trixie nodded.

    He fell into bed feeling the enchantments use phantasmal laws to support his weight.  It took months but finally he could lay in bed without using psychic power to support himself.

    Lilium walked in her make up tossed about her tail dripping with fluid and a pair of panties hanging from her horns.  ¡°How was the information gathering?¡±  Markus asked.

    ¡°That bitch takes forever to cum.  I had to use my tail for so long it cramped.  But, I got two of them.  Apparently, the demon lord¡¯s forces have been looking for the locations and the dragons have gotten fussy.  They are getting ready to join to offensive against the demon lord and the dark hero.¡±  Markus nodded.  She leapt on him and straddled him.  Trixie woke up and wrapped her tentacles around Lilium.

    ¡°Fine, I need a shower before I have sex that I don¡¯t have to be on my guard.  I would like to enjoy it instead of making a dumb slut cum up her information.¡±  Markus kissed the irritated monster quickly, easing the girl¡¯s irritation.

    ¡°Well that should help fix the sword.¡±  Markus said.  There was a lot of dark mana around where the weapon was sliced in two.  If not for that he could just have it forged anew.

    He laid awake well after the sun rose and his two monsters fell asleep.  He felt the light energy in his body rise with the sun like all beings that had light mana.  There were four light dragons in this land and he was going to kill them.  Why, did he want their power.

    There was a feeling of competition.  He wanted to beat his brother and even the score.  That was a good enough reason in his book.

 Lore Lightning Knights

    Compendium of Knightly Orders:  Lightning Knights

    Description: A order of knights who immolate the Hero of Lightning Mundus.  Their armor looks like a collection of metallic feathers enchanted to electrocute the user.  They pride themselves for waiting for the perfect time to strike and destroying their foes utterly.  Sometimes these knights are referred to as moon knights referencing the now childless Lunar house Mundus hailed from.

    Aspirants ¨C When a man enters the chapter of Lightning they are given a single piece of armor.  This piece shocks them constantly.  They are trained to resist the pain and over time they gain skills that increase their resistance to shock damage.  With every dead they commit for the chapter they are given another piece of armor.  Only when they have a complete set are they allowed to attempt the trials to become a full knight.

    Trials to become a knight ¨C Every chapter has their own set of rituals dedicated to raising an aspirant to a brother knight.  In the case of the Moon knights may only raise an Aspirant to a full knight during the full moon.  It is believed that during this time Mundus is watching.  A full knight strikes the Aspirant 12 times once for every wound Mundus took when fighting the demon lord of his time.  All electrical burns are left untreated the scares are considered marks of honor.  If the Aspirant manages to survive all twelve bolts and remain on their feet, they are full knights by the next morning.

    Moon Knights ¨C These knights are patrollers and bounty hunters during times of peace.  No thief feels safe knowing a Moon Knight has visited their village.  They often change out of their aspirant armor and wear a set made from the metallic feathers of a thunder bird.  Like a aspirant their armor is enchanted to shock the user.  There are no knights in the kingdom with a shock resistance equal to a Moon knight.  The hero of lightning would be proud.

    Squad Captains ¨C Depending on the number of knights available they will divide into squads mixing veterans with neophytes to train the new recruits quickly.  The captain plays a role of both a teacher and a commander.  Though not always an elite knight they are always experienced in combat many having fought in a demon lord war or in a minor war against another chapter over land. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Elite Knights ¨C They aren¡¯t always leaders, but they hold a special place within the order.  Chapter masters must always be an elite knight often having conquered a dungeon and claimed the treasure for the chapter or themselves.  They are the most powerful units within a chapter and embody the best of the chapter.  They are the closest thing in this world to the ancient heroes of old.  They train most of their lives to achieve their power and emulate the journeys of their hero often making pilgrimages to the ancient battle of their hero and the demon lord of the time.

    Support Unit Medic ¨C Some aspirants have some training in medicine and are trained as medics in the chapter.  They are just as well trained as any knight.  They are the first knights killed in combat.  The red they wear on their uniform might as well be a bullseye.

    Support Unit Moon Warden ¨C Some knights go back to the academy and are trained as lore wardens.  These knights have critical knowledge of monster lore and tactics that can improve a squad¡¯s survivability in a dungeon.  Dungeons often single them out and kill them.  Squads take great pains to keep their support units safe.

    Chapter Masters ¨C The head of the chapter and an elite knight.  They choose who leads the squads organize the men and runs the day to day of the chapter.  When war occurs, they wield the sacred artefacts of their hero into battle.  Some believe they become the hero for a short time while wearing their artefacts.

    Priorities ¨C The Lightning or Moon Knights will pick out elite units of enemy squads and slay them in a synchronized attack with other squads.  They leave the fodder for lesser chapters.  They have a rivalry with the Dracul knights and hate the Leonidas knights.  They often check children for blood relations to house Lunar.  They aspire to find a long-lost member and reinstate the ancient house.

    Allies ¨C Dracul, Might, Dragon, and Pheonix they may have few allies, but they are strong.

    Enemies ¨C Leonidas, Moles, Horsemen, and Sun

    Fortress Locations ¨C They are stationed in the far east in the ancient Lunar citadel.  Once a ruined stone castle destroyed by the Sun Knights during the assassination of the Lunar family.  They live there waiting for the day they can guard a member of the House Lunar.

    Now ¨C It is said they located a member of the house and they live there in the Lunar Citadel.  No one has seen the descendant of the great house.  Some claim it¡¯s a myth while others claim the Moon Knights are up to something.  Either way lightning bolts constantly strike around the fortress.  Colored Purple just like the ancient hero Mundus.

 Chapter 1 rewrite

    ¡°This child is a failure as a god. He can¡¯t learn dark or light god classes. If he stays here, he will die.¡± The child they are talking about is me. This happened, and I¡¯ve dreamt it every other night since I can remember. Sometimes things happen differently. In the dream there are occasions where my father in the dream is doing this to protect me from dangerous family members. There are times when he is despises my nature and can¡¯t trust himself near me. And there are times he¡¯s merely worried I might grow up as a spoiled little shit. Either way it plays out the same.

    ¡°Your holiness, he is your son, you can¡¯t mean you will murder the child.¡± It starts with a man glowing in holy light and ends with a woman with hair black as the void crying. The man has a head of blond hair too yellow to be natural. He always looks so stern but hopeful. Half of me finds it endearing the other half is sickened. Sometimes, I think that is why I was left here. I¡¯m of two minds two halves that shouldn¡¯t get along. But they do, I¡¯m evil and good. That sounds ridiculous.

    ¡°I know of a place where he will be safe to grow and maybe, he will find his way back to us as a man.¡± This part is fill in the blank. I don¡¯t know if he said the last part or if my mind added it. The place where I ended up was safe as a farm in the north with a faster family can get but that is later.

    ¡°Are you saying he can never be a god?¡± The dark-haired woman asked. Tears running down her eyes.

    The reason why I couldn¡¯t stay was my nature. I¡¯m neither light or dark. That doesn¡¯t make me not of them I¡¯m just complicated. Neither the light or the dark will tolerate fence sitters. While my mind is in dream mode, I¡¯m still conscious and that isn¡¯t normal. I¡¯ve found that in life things get easier when you catalogue what is and isn¡¯t normal. So, next time I can play on expectations.

    ¡°Our son, if you can¡¯t raise him then give him to me. I¡¯ll protect him no one will get to our son.¡± My mother said. She is desperate to keep me almost obsessive. In this part of the dream, sometimes she holds me one last time and I won¡¯t lie it feels good that final feeling of closeness. Some nights I couldn¡¯t wait to sleep just so I could get back to that feeling.

    ¡°The tower would destroy him. He doesn¡¯t have a godly class, if we keep him our very natures will kill him. He needs to be away for us, so he can grow into his own person.¡± Sometimes, I want her to run away with me to that tower wherever it is, any risk to remain here in the warmth. She doesn¡¯t ever no matter how much I beg. My dreams move on a track taking out some pieces and filling in others. I¡¯m just a member of the audience in a tourney. What is to happen will happen always.

    I¡¯m taken to a farm village in the Halo mountain valley. Population of the capital estimated 5million. 200kilometers of land of various climates. Filled with dungeon, roaming monsters, dragons, bogs, and wild raid monsters filled with unholy power closer to the mountains. Compared to the rest of the world it is a sandbox. To a young godling like me it is my only hope. I am a godling without a class, monsters are naturally drawn to me more than normal humans.

    ¡°Boy wake up.¡± Pa, the man who raised me and my father in this world. He insists I call him Pa. He knows I¡¯m adopted, he even told me they found me on the porch one night. A good honest man my father.

    I rose like a zombie and waved my hand creating a ball of light. He grunted in reply not bothering to shield his eyes. ¡°Pa, its still dark out.¡± I opened my mouth to say something then I burst from my bed feeling pure unending giddiness take over me. ¡°Is today they day I get a plot of land like Toomas and Thaddeus.¡± I stopped and straitened up. ¡°I mean, where will I start my field Pa?¡± The old man gave one of his rare smiles and pulled a hoe out from behind his back.

    ¡°East of Toomas¡¯s I made a place for you. Didn¡¯t you notice the down trees?¡± Pa said. I took the hoe in hand and felt the slight boost to tilling it gave. How can I describe the hypnotic suggestions of magic? If I didn¡¯t think about it the most natural thing I could do while holding the hoe was tilling soil.

    Putting on a wool tunic and tying the rope belt on my slacks, I put my sandals on and ran out the door. The area pa described was covered in stumps and filled to the brim with roots, it would take a week maybe a month to get it ready for tilling.

    ¡°I thought we would train your light orbs while they¡¯re at their weakest. Try not to kill too many night fairies. In this world everyone had access to series of screens we call the menu. From this menu we can see our statistics, what skills we have and how they affect us, our classes, and even perks that we inherited or gathered over time. I opened the menu to look at how much damage my light orbs should be able to do with average light.

    Perks

    Godling ¨C This perk grants the Divine stat. Faith energy from followers can be processed and turned into divine points. +1 class slot. Every 1000 insight add another class slot.

    Child of Twilight ¨C This perk is due to your parentage. You are the son of a light and a dark god. This has given you access to both light and dark type magic. Due to this perk you are not eligible for light or dark classes. Only twilight classes can be learned.

    Malnourished Godling ¨C You were denied breast feeding from your mother. This has caused an adverse effect on your growth. -20% damage from divine skills until Malnourishment is rectified. Acquire 100 divine before age 15 to remove this perk.

    Abandoned ¨C Any faith-based energy meant for your parent deities is now toxic. +200% damage from family members with divine power. This perk is permanent and will never go away.

    Perfect Night Vision ¨C The user can see in the dark perfectly due to the dark nature of one of his godly parents. When Dark reaches lv10 the user¡¯s influence increases by 50%

    Solar Powered ¨C The user can absorb and synthesis solar radiation into nutrients to stave off hunger. When light reaches lv10 the user regenerates 50% more MPM

    My perks said it all and they were shit. Access to light and darkness should have given me an awesome class. They didn¡¯t I¡¯m incapable of getting one and I don¡¯t have a way to find a twilight class. If I did, I would have already gotten it.

    Classes

    Empty Slot 1

    Empty Slot 2

    Empty like I said, if I can get the farmer class soon, that would be something. I didn¡¯t have a way up; my mind isn¡¯t that of a human¡¯s. I¡¯m built to search out ways to move forward. Not having a way forward makes me nervous. That is considered very human unless you factor in the fact I¡¯m eight.

    Magic Types

    Light lv1 next level 0/15 small white crystals

    Dark lv1 next level 0/15 small black crystals

    Psychic lv1 next level 0/15 small purple crystals

    To increase magic a user needed to kill something and pick up mana crystals that naturally dropped. Since I obviously haven¡¯t fought any monsters yet, well I¡¯m stuck with lv one magic.

    Skills

    Orb lv2 time to next lv 60s

    Cost 5MPS

    Description: Manipulate a single point where a specific element is drawn. This skill follows the gravitation of mana. The more mana in the original point the more power behind the attack. 1MPS is needed to maintain the point and 4MPS is needed to gather and maintain the collected mana. Start with more mana to increase the power of the attack. Gathering MPS and Maintenance MPS scale up with starting MPS.

    (RAW MANA) MAG DAM (40) = Insight (20) x Skill lv (2)

    (LIGHT MANA) L DAM (20) = Willpower (10) x Skill lv (2) x light (1)

    Class at lv10 Mage

    Telekinesis lv1 lift 100objects to next lv

    Cost 5MPS

    Description: Control physical matter with your mind.

    Phys DAM (50) = Strength (25) x Willpower (10) x skill lv (1) x psychic (1)

    Class at lv10 Psycher

    My skills left much to be desired. But there were two very important parts to them. Light doesn¡¯t way much, and it doesn¡¯t need a lot of time to get going. That and telekinesis is a broken skill. It scales off willpower and strength because it deals straight physical damage. That means if Pa wielded this, he could probably rip mountains out of the ground. Too bad Pa has no psychic potential.

    Ma does she was supposed to be a master of telepathy. But I haven¡¯t seen any sign of that.

    Stats

    Markus lv8 (800xp next lv)

    Race: Godling

    Sex: Male

    HP 250/250 +17.5HPM

    MP 100/100 +23.2MPM

    SP 150/150 +29SPM

    Constitution 25

    Endurance 15

    Perception 15

    Strength 25

    Dexterity 15

    Insight 20

    Willpower 10

    Charisma 15

    Luck 15

    Divinity 16

    Thus far I could hold a light orb for 24 seconds straight before I ran out of mana and if I pushed it my stamina would go. Then if I somehow surpassed my exhaustion it would eat away at my health. But I did as Pa wanted and gathered light from what few sources existed, the stars, the moon and Pa¡¯s lantern. The small orb floating above my hand was draining mana like crazy and in seconds I would be out for the count. I targeted one of the stumps and let it fly.

    New skill!

    Light Shot lv1 100dps next lv

    L Dam (70) = (Telekinesis (50) + L orb (20)) x skill lv (1)

    Description: A orb of light fired by telekinesis it has no impact but explodes ferociously. This skill is only the beginning of the powerful and fast casting light magic line. Light is all about hitting fast hard and continuously. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Cost 10MPS

    Light Mage class unlocked lv10

    It stood there as the light orb hit a stump and exploded spreading bright light. The stump blackened then caught fire. Eight more quick shots quickly brought the skill up to lv3. When my mana was drained completely. I slumped down feeling it dip into my stamina.

    Light Shot lv up x4

    ¡°Impressive, you took to maging like a fish to water. Well, till what you can and in a few hours finish the stumps. If Toomas or Thad has anything for you to do they¡¯ll find you.¡± Pa turned to leave then stopped. ¡°Before I forget, here take these.¡± He tossed me a packet of seeds. ¡°You can gain the mana manipulation skill if you pour mana into them. It¡¯ll teach you how to control it.¡± Pa walked off to begin working the main field.

    I did as I was told and ignored the feeling of power blasting things with light gave me. After a few hours a window popped up.

    New skill!

    Till lv1 till 5m to next lv

    Utility physical damage (375) = Endurance x Strength x Skill lv

    60SPM

    I had this in the bag. My hoe stabbed into the ground causing the tough ground to break up and I hit it again for good measure. Every smack with the hoe pulled it closer to leveling up and with it the damage would double. Sweat beaded down my face as my stamina was quickly eaten away. Being 8 and only level 8, I only had so many stats.

    Like any normal human I was born with a flat rate of 5 stat points per attribute. Except for divine that one was 1. As I grew older, I naturally leveled up. Every year a human will gain a level on their date of birth. Until they are 11. At 11 we are considered men and old enough to join the academy.

    I want to be a kingdom mage or maybe a lore warden. Thad says I would have better luck joining a knight¡¯s chapter, and Toomas says I would have better luck grafting wings on a pig and teaching it to fly.

    The sun was rising, and the night fairies swarmed me. They dove into the loose dirt I made and froze it solid. They dove down and ruined all the work I had done. Then the sun¡¯s rays began to spread across the ground and the fairies panicked. A few hid under my shirt and began making things cold.

    As you can imagine, I wasn¡¯t still like a statue. I ran around in circles smacking my shirt feeling solid lumps and when I hit them they bit me. ¡°Expose them to the sun, that will get rid of them.¡± Thad said chuckling as he walked up. I was so busy trying to get the vermin off me I hadn¡¯t heard Thad.

    ¡°Or you could give them succor until night. Doesn¡¯t matter what you do, they will probably die soon anyway.¡± We turned our heads at the humming chirping sounds of day fairies waking from their sleep within flowers and tree blossoms. Swarming death Ma called them. They made up for lost time and began finding the hidey holes the night fairies made and dragged the blue skin critters into the sun. Where they melted.

    Cold damage 100DPs

    New skill!

    Warm Body lv1 Endure cold for 3 hours next lv

    Passive

    Description: In response to the cold your body burns energy to increase your body temperature. Explore this skill and you may gain more than you thought possible.

    Cold damage negated (25) = constitution (25) x skill lv

    There was no choice, I pulled my shirt up and showed the little critters the sun. They all bit me again getting in a final blow.

    Cold Damage 100

    Cold Resistance 25

    Cold Damage taken 75

    It seemed the only time I took damage was when they bit me. That¡¯s probably why I wasn¡¯t dead yet. I fell down shivering. Waiting for something worse to happen. Hypothermia was normal from a night fairy attack. That normally only happened to those foolish enough to attack one of their underground hives.

    ¡°Get up Markus you aren¡¯t going to die from a couple of bites. Hitting them wasn¡¯t the smartest thing to do.¡± Thaddeus said in irritation. My eldest brother Thaddeus stood at six foot ten inches tall only two feet shorter to than Pa¡¯s 9ft 10inch. Thad had a heavy build from working hard and hunting local mobs in the forest. He was 15, old enough to be called to war. Thad decided not to join the academy in the capital.

    Toomas was 13 and failed his exam. He was a qi user and a powerful one at that. Unfortunately, he was disqualified for killing his opponent. That happens when they don¡¯t surrender. Toomas would have to wait another year before he could try out again. There was still the option of joining one of the temple monasteries, but it was unlikely Toomas would join one. Swearing off women for a few techniques and power wasn¡¯t his idea of a good bargain.

    ¡°Easy for you to say that was half my health.¡± I said and spat out a wad of flam.

    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m sure it was, Pa told us to help you with your first planting. We would help, but the ground is frozen. It would take a pickaxe to break through. So, we aren¡¯t going to bother with planting until you till the ground over again. Instead, Toomas volunteered to teach you the bow.¡± Thad said.

    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t volunteer to teach the runt the bow.¡± Thad smacked Toomas on the back making him stumble forward. ¡°What was that for?¡± Toomas yelled.

    ¡°Be nice Toomas and teach our little brother how to use the bow. You have nothing but time until you check your traps, right.¡± Thad said. Toomas grumbled but nodded his agreement.

    Taking an old bow out of his inventory and quiver of arrows he tossed them to me. ¡°Come on over to the hay bail. We painted a target on it. If you can hit the yellow, I¡¯ll let you keep the bow and quiver.¡± Toomas said and looked to our eldest brother. Thad gave a nod to us as we headed behind the pig pin.

    We were about twenty yards from a big hay bell half picked at by Stan. The chimera liked to eat at things just to mess with us. I remember once I left my good sandals outside, because I stepped in some pig shit and Stan ate them, with his goat half. The goat kept huffing at me knowing what its breath smelled like.

    ¡°Well your target it a bit smaller than it was. So, good luck. Let me see what you think an archer should stand like.¡± I put my left foot forward held my left arm straight towards my target and stood up straight. ¡°Bend you knees or you might pass out.¡± He tapped my right foot until it was where he wanted it. He rotated my shoulders and bent my left elbow. ¡°Good, this is how you should stand when your trying to kill something. Now knock an arrow.¡± I took an arrow out of the quiver and held it on my fingers. ¡°Pull back,¡± Toomas said, and I pulled back until the broadhead nearly touched my fingers. ¡°Take aim,¡± I lined the broadhead with the target the increasing light played havoc with my night vision.

    For a few heart beats I waited for the command. I kept my form as close to what he told me as possible. My muscles struggled to keep the string pulled back. I sensed it coming the order that would drive my arrow towards the target. Hit or miss it would determine whether I kept the bow or not.

    ¡°Fire,¡± I released the arrow and watched it zoom out bending and shifting in the air until it hit. The arrows duck feather fletching showed itself amongst the yellow. Toomas had a satisfied smile on his face. ¡°Markus you did good. Go get the bow and let¡¯s do some shooting.

    New Skill!

    Archery lv1 deal 100dam to next lv

    Description: Fire an arrow, bolt, or even a sword from a bow and hit a target.

    Long Range Phys Dam (375) = Dexterity (15) x Strength (25) x skill lv (1)

    Arrow damage 1x (375) ¨C 10x (375)

    While I walked down range to get the arrow, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was a frail glass cannon. Any gust of wind could end me, and my brothers knew it. They were always watching for signs of monsters. Even Stan was wary to let me get too far away from him.

    I quickly did as my brother said and came back up range with a full quiver of arrows. Toomas had his personal bow out. A white wood enchanted weapon he had made from a dru wood branch, strung with silk from a Midra a lv100 black funnel web drider. She was a powerful drider that lived near the bog. Toomas had given her several animals he trapped to woo her into giving him a fresh spool of her silk. The shaft of his arrows was of a vampire willow lv50, the fletching roc feathers, and the broadhead taken from a lv 150 flint giant. His brother pulled back on the black silk bow string and the weapon pulled without a sound. The blood red shaft of the arrow looked heavy. ¡°What are you waiting for Markus pull back and stop admiring my bow.¡± Toomas said lightly.

    I quickly notched an arrow and pulled back aiming for my target. ¡°Are you still seeing Midra?¡± I asked him. He fumbled and released his shot. The arrow hit the dirt and exploded in a massive crater. The shaft stood out and the ground where the arrow hit was glassed. I could feel the sudden release of heat and wondered why he was shooting at a hay bail with that. Taking the initiative, I carefully shot and hit the small white of the bullseye.

    Archery lv up x2

    ¡°Nice shot and yea, we are getting close. What do you think, I should introduce her to Ma? Hey Ma, I know how you dislike mixed breeds and condemn their existence, but this is my girlfriend Midra, she¡¯s a drider and I plan to have a bunch of mixed breeds with her. When¡¯s lunch my spider girlfriend wants to know. She tied up the Jones family from the farm over. You know that lovely couple that you have tea with on occasion. Well they¡¯re her dinner. What are we having, oh what¡¯s that. I¡¯m no son of yours, and your disowning me. Why mother I had no idea you would react this way.¡± Toomas said and winked at me. ¡°Markus, I know you don¡¯t care that I¡¯m dating a monster, but Ma does. If you follow in my footsteps, I¡¯m sure she will disown you. She thinks my relationship with Midra was just to get string for my bow.¡±

    ¡°She sounds nice, you always come home with that stupid smile on your face, so she makes you happy.¡± I said. He narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°You think my smile is stupid huh. Just wait until you find a girl, I¡¯m going to tell her about all the times you wet the bed and that time you caught the barn on fire. Oh, that one time you thought that our eggs needed to be salted with all the salt.¡± Toomas said.

    ¡°Hey, I was four and Pa said salt was good for you.¡± I said, trying to save some manner of face for my past.

    ¡°Go back and work on tilling I¡¯ll find some dirt to fill the hole I made.¡± He said, and I made to go only for him to stop me. ¡°When you plant something just focus on your mana and try to force it out into the seed. Having an idea for what its supposed to do is important. If grown correctly some plants can boost a stat or two for a while.¡± Toomas said. ¡°Don¡¯t put mana into it without a plan.¡±

    I made my way back to the stump filled plot and prepared myself to get rid of the stumps. Despite the breather returning my mana to 100%, I still only had 10 shots to work with. The skill was level 5 after destroying the other stumps. If this kept up I would have one over powered ability. Skills weren¡¯t like classes they didn¡¯t stop leveling after 5stars. My skill could keep going up the more I practiced it. That¡¯s whey you didn¡¯t underestimate anyone. If your throw skill is lv100 and you had only 5 Strength and 5 dexterity you would still deal 2,500 damage minimal if the object was heavy or was meant to be thrown, it could increase the damage further. 2,500 damage could rip through the side of a brick wall with ease. Now let¡¯s say the thrower was like Pa with 10,000Strength and 8,000Dexterity. You end up with 8,000,000,000 physical damage minimal. 20,000,000,000,000,000 damage is needed to level throw up to 50 much less 100. So, most won¡¯t turn throw into something like that. High level skills were easier to lv into the hundreds than simple skills like throw. Men could fight for life times and never raise a skill beyond 30. Much less reach 100.

    I raised my hand. ¡°LLLLLLLLLLight Shot,¡± I called firing my full pay load in rapid succession. Powerfully condensed balls of light fired at incredible speeds smacking into the stumps and expanding encompassing them and leaving behind ash filled holes. That¡¯s just how light damage worked, it basically burned things to ash.

    My head pounded as my mana drained to nothing. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t allowed near a dungeon yet, or even allowed to hunt in the forest like my brothers. I don¡¯t have the mana for long drawn out battles or the mana regen for regaining MP in time to be of any use. I didn¡¯t have the defensive skills needed to compete with anyone alive. Other farmer children already have earthen skin the most basic defensive skill. Constitution needs to be 30 before the skill can be learned. It¡¯s the simplest defense skill in existence.

    The sun rose, and I felt my mana regenerate a little faster. There were so many skills I needed that I just didn¡¯t have access to yet. It would be a year before I could get them. I tilled for a few hours letting my mana recover and gained several levels in the skill.

    Hours passed, and the sun was high in the sky when I finished tilling. Tilling was lv 10 and I was reimbursed for every lv I¡¯ve gained. I had 20 class points to spend. And the Farmer class was unlocked. I payed the 10 class points it took to unlock the class and suddenly felt invigorated.

    Farmer lv1 0 of 5 class points to next

    Class rank 1star

    +5Endurance x class lv

    Farmer Skill

    Growth lv1 Grow 1 plant to maturity to next level

    Passive

    Utility faster growth time (1/20) = Endurance x Skill lv (1)

    Hidden effect

    Divine Influence

    Description ¨C Adds a bonus effect through divine power. This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator. Warning grow things at your own risk.

    Increased Lifespan (x16) = Divine (16) x skill lv

    Classes were important. They determined what a user would be when they grew up. Farmer was one of the most common classes on the planet. With it I could get an easy 25Endurance before I maxed the class out and took on its evolved form. Every odd number star would give a passive skill and every even number would give an active one. This was what he needed but I didn¡¯t like the idea of carrots living for 16 times longer. Did it mean that the carrots would grow larger? My malnourished perk didn¡¯t interfere with the increased life span because it wasn¡¯t a damaging skill.

    With my mana at max I decided to try out planting some carrots. Yea, it was the month of Broli one of the five spring months. In 19 more days, it would be the next month. Pa was probably waiting to see if I grew anything worth selling at the market.

    I jammed the seeds in the ground far enough apart to keep from accidently killing each other from overcrowding. Once they were far enough apart I placed my hand on the damp ground of the first hole. Concentrating on my mana, I began to pull it from my body and pushed it into the soil. There the seed began to take the mana in at an alarming rate.

    In the blink of the eye massive green roots shot out and spread through the soil. The ground shook a bit as I fled for my life. A green top shot up. While green vines covered the ground.

    New skill!

    Mana Manipulation lv1 Create 1 pure mana skill to next lv

    Passive

    Description ¨C This is the beginning of a whole new world of mana control. All pure mana skills are made from this original practice.

    mana DMS (20) = Insight (20) x skill lv (1)

    MPRM (+20%) = Insight (20) x skill lv (1)

    I was going to get my brother Thad to teach me so many skills. This was the step I needed to learn barrier. 20 insight wasn¡¯t enough for that either but maybe I could create a more primitive version of it. I didn¡¯t let myself get distracted for long. A rumbling soon gathered my attention. Water was seeping up from the ground around the carrot.

    Growth lv up x1

    I looked at the carrot and a vertical yellow eye opened to stare at me. The monster blinked twice, and I leapt back falling on my back before a series of vines could catch me and wrap me up.

    Divine Carrot lv20

    HP 1000/1000

    MP 0/0

    Constitution 100

    Strength 100

    Perception 100

    Description ¨C This newborn plant type monster has found a underground creak and is using it to increase its lv further. If given enough time it will grow to incredible strength. Kill it while you can, or the world is doomed.

    I ran back until I was sure it couldn¡¯t get me with its vines. They were extending and coming for me. This monster wanted my divine essence to finish its evolution. The carrot was growing bigger by the second. Earth like shielding was covering it. It had earth armor before it did, and it hasn¡¯t been grown for more than 30minutes.

    Divine Carrot lv40

    HP 3000/3000

    MP 10/10

    Constitution 300

    Strength 100

    Dexterity 100

    Perception 100

    Willpower 1

    Description ¨C This carrot has begun drinking deeply of water and sunlight and will soon gain a godly class. If it isn¡¯t stopped carrotgeddon is sure to come.

    It had the skill, but it most likely didn¡¯t have much else. Earth armor was constitution based and gave the user steady defense. Against most damage. But at lv 1 that was just 300Defense and once broken it would have to be cast again. It was now or never.

    I raised my hand and fired off a light shot. The skill impacted the carrot and its armor shattered. Its vines ripped up from the ground and wrapped around me curling and dragging me towards the monster. A vertical slit appeared in the monster¡¯s side filled with nasty looking teeth. Raising my hand, I fired off nine rounds. The creature dropped me in the dirt and I rolled over on my side. It roared burnt all over and slowly regenerating.

    Taking out my bow, I knocked an arrow and fired. The shaft exploded against the monster¡¯s side and it stopped moving. The monster sagged, and water shot up from it drenching my plot and ruining the tilled soil.

    Divine Carrot slain

    Xp calculations

    Divine x100 carrot (1) x lv40 =400xp

    I trudged through the mud of my plot knowing that I had nothing to show for today¡¯s work. My brothers would jeer me, and Ma would be upset about half the farm getting flooded. I could only find Pa and hope he would go easy on me.

    He was on the hill next to my plot he had watched the whole thing. ¡°Well it looks like you found the perfect place for a well. A good first day.¡± Pa said with a half-smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think carrots are your thing. Let¡¯s try cabbages, those are less aggressive.¡± Pa said with a chuckle.

    Next chapter age 9

 Chapter 2 Rewrite

    Month Broliy/ day 8/ Year 3200

    Markus Age 8

    Lv10 1,100xp to next

    HP 300/300         +29HPM

    MP 150/150        +34.8 (35.8) MPM

    SP 250/250          +34.8SPM

    Constitution 30

    Endurance 15(25)

    Perception 15

    Strength 35

    Dexterity 15

    Insight 30

    Willpower 15

    Charisma 15

    Luck 15

    Divinity 16

    Class

    Farmer lv2 0 of 20 to next

    1 star

    +5Endurance per lv

    Skills

    Growth lv4 Grow 8 plants to maturity to next level

    Passive

    Utility Plants require (1/100th) normal growing time = Endurance (25) x Skill lv (4)

    Hidden effect

    Divine Influence

    Description ¨C Adds a bonus effect through divine power.  This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator.  Warning grow things at your own risk.

    Increased Lifespan (x16) = Divine (16) x skill lv

    Harvest lv1 pick 1 plant next lv

    Description ¨C Gather the bounty you have planted with greater fortune increases the odds of a plant growing more than originally able.

    Active

    Cost 60SPM

    Utility Increased bounty +25% =% Endurance (25) x Luck (15) x skill lv (1)

    Class slot 2 open

    Types

    Light 1 0/15 small white crystals

    Dark 1 0/15 small black crystals

    Psychic 1 0/15 small purple crystals

    skills

    Archery lv5 Damage to next lv 3200

    Phys DPS (2625) = STR (35) x DEX (15) x skill lv (5)

    Till lv11 10kilometers to next lv

    Utility phys DPS (9k) = END (25) x STR (35) x skill lv 11

    Orb lv5 8min to next lv

    L orb DPS (75) = WIL (15) x Light (1) x skill lv (5)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mana Manipulation lv1 create one pure mana skill to next

    passive

    MAG DPS (30) = (INS (30) x skill lv (1)

    MPRM (+3%) = ((INS (30) x skill lv (1))/10

    Telekinesis lv3 lift 400objects next level

    Phys DPS (1.575k) = STR (35) x Wil (15) Psychic (1) x skill lv (3)

    Cost 5MPS

    Light Shot lv9 25,600DPS to next lv

    Light DPS (14.85k) = (Telekinesis (1.575k) + L orb (75)) x 9

    Cost 10MPS

    Warm Body lv1 endure cold damage for 3hours to next

    Cold RPS (30) = CON (30) x skill lv (1)

    Today was the day I would finally earn the earth armor skill.  This would be my first step in becoming defensively sound and I might even get the earth element in the process.  Adding another element type to my arsenal wasn¡¯t a bad thing.  If I could find a way to snag ice that would boost my cold RPS to a new level.  Right now, I could resist 30 in cold damage every second.  I was thinking about snagging a night fairy, just one and force it to bite me all day.  They do about 25 cold DPS each so one wouldn¡¯t do enough to kill me no matter how long it bit me.

    I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about resistances.  Ever since I started growing monsters that I always put down later, I¡¯ve started looking into gaining some defense.  I¡¯m not talking about type resistance.  That is more about ignoring damage rather than tanking it.  Standing in my plot on the farmland I¡¯m busily feeding my mana into the dirt waiting for something to burst from the ground and try to eat me.  Nothing¡¯s happening yet.

    That hasn¡¯t happened before.  Every time I grow something, it always comes up and goes on the attack.  Normally, I blast it with light until it either stops moving or turns to ash.  Pa says its good for the soil to have so many monsters return to it.  He takes some the other day and grew several high-quality squashes.  They took less than a day to grow and look perfect.  Not a hint of monster in them at all.

    Small sprouts of green begin to rise from the ground.  I get back while I can.  But nothing violent happens, it doesn¡¯t suddenly go on the offensive, it just stays there.

    Markus¡¯s Divine Broccoli lv3

    HP 600/600

    MP 75/75

    SP 7.5/7.5

    Perks

    Divine Earth ¨C This monster can eventually learn earth god type classes.

    Divine soil ¨C Though the deaths of many divine beings this soil has been increased to divine grade.  +50% HP/MP/SP to plants grown in this soil.

    Docile ¨C This monster has no desire to eat living creatures to gain strength.

    I knew right away that this one was a keeper.  But I probably couldn¡¯t grow that many of them.  It had already began spreading.  The underground river will probably be used next to increase the monster¡¯s maturation.  Killing it would only earn me about 30xp nothing in the long run.

    Now that I really looked at my plot, I realized something.  An orchard might be a better plan than a rotating field.  If I can give a tree my divine status and get it to grow year-round that could make some profit.

    While my latest crop was growing, I couldn¡¯t just kill it and waste the docile perk.  I grew another 8 of the same crops with it.  Hopefully, it would give me a better turn out.  I had some time before Thad or Toomas came to teach me.

    Mana manipulation was a skill I earned a few days ago.  While I was waiting I sat back against a stump that escaped my destruction and thought about what I would do with it.  I read that when mana is dense enough or enough of it is concentrated it can have a liquid characteristic.  When liquid mana is condensed further it becomes clay like.  There was something in that between clay and liquid that I could use.  I¡¯ve been thinking about using it like string.

    For what I really want there is someone I needed to interrogate.  There was still time to visit her and no one would have time to teach me until midday.  The bog wasn¡¯t that far away and there was a road.

    I stared at the road leaving the farm.  The same one that Toomas took to visit her.  The forest between is dangerous and full of monsters of varying power.  The strongest around by far is stan a lv 5000 chimera stronger than anything in this side of the valley.  Pa is lv5400 and they both have classes that boost their stats by a high margin.  Basically, my likelihood of escaping and visiting my brother¡¯s girlfriend was zero percent.

    ¡°Hey Markus, want to come with me to visit Midra.  Pa told me to teach you earth armor because I¡¯ve been good at teaching you so far.  I guess Pa is tired of having to repeat himself over and over.¡±  I gave him a half-hearted glare.  This was exactly what I needed.  ¡°Hey, you can just stay here, and I can leave you a note explaining how to use the skill, or we can go together.  I¡¯m sure Midra would give you one of her underlings as a pet.  She¡¯s been complaining about having too many recently.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I wanted to ask your girlfriend for some tips anyway.¡±  I said.  Toomas cracked a smiled and slung his bow over his shoulder.

    ¡°Get your bow our and string it.  Better be ready for anything in the forest.  A child at your level will agro the whole forest.¡±  I wanted to tell him I wasn¡¯t a child, but he had a point.  With one of my brothers with me I had nothing to fear in the woods.

    Toomas sat at a comfortable lv345 his dexterity was nearly 2000.  Bonuses from skills, classes, and consumables have increased his dexterity to shocking levels.  His archery skill alone was 25, his sniper skill was 40, and his barrage skill was 20 all three could be used in a single attack.  All of them relied on dexterity and built off one another.  His strength was a shocking 800 still excellent for his lv.  A single arrow from my brother¡¯s bow deals 40m damage.  If you added his sniper skill which negates a targets defense by at least 40m and barrage which allows a user to fire 400arrows a minute, then you see what my brother can really do.  Those are only the skills I know about.  When you add in my brothers bow, the quality of his arrows, and his qi abilities well I would multiply ever one of his arrow¡¯s damage by 10x at least.

    My brother was good at what he did.  He was an elite sniper and archer.  Against opponents that are far away, he has nothing to fear.  He can glass them with his arrows.  No what made my brother the best was his hand to hand skills.  He was a qi user after all.  In the right light his aura was visible even when he tried to keep it suppressed.

    ¡°Markus, I was thinking about teaching you how to use qi while we¡¯re out here.  Would you be interested in learning it?  I¡¯ll only teach you if you can raise earth armor to lv5 before we reach Midra¡¯s territory.¡±  I nodded but, on the inside, I wasn¡¯t sure.  Earth armor was a new skill one I didn¡¯t have yet.  I¡¯ve never worked with the earth unless you count tilling.  My face must have been obvious.  ¡°I¡¯ve seen that look before.  I¡¯ve worn it several times.  Don¡¯t worry about failing, just focus on one skill at a time and try to get the most you can out of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never used earth before I can barely use the types I have now.¡±  I said letting out some of my insecurities.  I was about to start spilling my guts when he gave me a nod.

    ¡°Yea, my first type was earth and I haven¡¯t gotten another one since.  It must be difficult having so many choices to when others have to specialize in what they have.¡±  My shoulders slumped I began feeling like the worst.  ¡°I¡¯m joking, you can¡¯t pick your lot in life and trust me, I would rather be a sniper close range mix than a spell flinging softy.  Now earth armor, you don¡¯t have the type because you haven¡¯t finished the farmer class.  That can be fixed by finishing the class.  But I can teach you a lesser version of the skill.  It¡¯s more mana costly but it¡¯ll help you in the long run.  Most call it mana armor.  How you use it is simple.  You take mana and stick it to your body like armored plates.  Then you have someone poke at you with a stick and adapt the armor as you go.  Same with most defense skills.  This one is just all mana.¡±  That was the vaguest form of instruction I¡¯ve ever gotten.  Pa¡¯s grunts are more descriptive then that.  I looked up for more guidance.  But Toomas smiled like he had just given the best instructions ever.  ¡°Well get too it just grab a stick or something and hit yourself until you can¡¯t feel it.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Well, I had mana manipulation and it requires more pure mana skills to increase.  But what he described was really complicated.  I took a deep breath and remembered something from a math book Ma had us study.  When something seems complicated divide it into steps.  Armor was just a bunch of solid shapes strapped to the body to protect it from damage.  Not exactly right but I¡¯ve had all the guidance I¡¯m likely to get.

    I picked up two rocks, they looked basically the same.  Using one I concentrated on my mana and formed a bubble.  A blue gas like cloud expanded from my body and formed around the rock.  I forced it to shrink and thicken.  Then taking the other rock I slammed it against the first one.  I tore a hole in the first cloud of mana and it dispersed in the air.  Just like that, I was out 30MP.

    New skill

    Mana Shield lv1 tank 100DPS to next lv

    Active

    Description ¨C Using your mana manipulation you have begun the long journey of becoming a buffer.  Knight¡¯s pay out the nose to afford a powerful buffing mage.  Adventuring parties will adore you and other mages will want to be you.

    Defense (930) = CON (30) x INS (30) x skill lv (1) + Mana manipulation (30)

    Cost 10MPS

    Class unlock at lv 10 tank mage

    Apparently, mana manipulation worked on all pure mana skills.  That was impressive and probably the reason why shielding was so expensive.  To hold the shield always I needed 600MPM or a ton of perks.  When I used it next the defense rating on the rock was 930, improvement.  The mana wasn¡¯t quite as cloud like it was more flowing.

    I tossed the rock in the air and blasted it with a L shot.  A highly condensed orb of light smashed into the rock and obliterated it.

    Mana Shield lv up x1

    I picked up another rock and applied mana shield to it.  This time the defense of the shield was 1,860.  Tossing it up I blasted it again.

    Mana Shield lv up x1

    We were in a field about half an hour our from the bog.  Spiders were everywhere, and I couldn¡¯t quite focus on them when I finally found a way to gain defense.  2,790 defense, was nothing to sneeze at in my humble eight year old opinion.  The fact that I was slowly wearing down the amount of DPS my light shot needed to get to the next level may have had something to do with it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you here for now, come on into the next if you want to talk or just run out of mana.  Midna¡¯s spiders will keep you safe from wondering monsters.¡±  Toomas said.  I looked to my left to see a massive spider larger than I was.  Its armored carapace looked sturdy.  It chittered to the equally large and deadly looking spiders around it. Venom dripped from its fangs and melted the grass below.

    I tossed two rocks in the air and blasted them with two L shots for double the score.  The stunt cost me 40MP and would take a full minute to recover.  But I was getting closer to what I needed.  My shield wasn¡¯t so cloudy anymore.  It wasn¡¯t perfect by any means, but it was getting there.

    Mana Shield lv up x1

    I tossed another two and destroyed them earning my fourth level up.  Now I needed to tank 1600DPS to get to the next level. It was only getting harder from here.  The spiders paced about as I worked two hours pass and my level is 7 my total defense is only 8,100 with mana manipulation.  Now mana manipulation requires double the skills to reach its next level.

    I wait five minutes to let my mana recover fully.  I toss five shielded stones up and blast each one with L shot.  They are dusted, and I get another pop up.  A limb crashes and I turn at the sound.  The massive spiders around me are already moving from their posts preparing for an attack.  I¡¯m down to 50MP and I¡¯m recovering slowly.  I prepare to shield myself and raise my bow.  Arrow knocked I prepare for whatever is coming this way.

    More crashes, whatever is heading this way is large and there is a lot of them.  Ten more massive spiders with dark elf riders creep from the nest.  They are mounted on the massive arachnids¡¯, spears in hand ready to kill.  They take one took at me and turn their heads ignoring me.

    ¡°Human are you really the other human¡¯s kin?  Why would a youngling be so far from home?¡±  One of the dark elves asked.

    ¡°He promised to teach me some defensive skills.¡±  I said lamely.

    ¡°We are at war with the orc tribe.  I hope you are as great a fighter as him.¡±  The elf woman says.  I prepare for a battle I¡¯m unprepared for.  But there is also a chance I¡¯ll get a lv in light shot and snag a new class.  That does change the situation.

    Warg riders burst through the clearing.  Their clubs smash into the nearest spider splattering its brains, it crumples down in a heap.  The nearest dark elf stabs her spear into the warrior and I fire my arrow into the a warg¡¯s eye.

    I string another arrow as I was trained and shoot at one as it breaks the tree line.  The arrow bounces off it armor.  My hand flies up and I launch all 5 of my remaining L shots.  Five white orbs smash into the rider before exploding.  I see the earth armor covering the orc begin to flake away as the light eats away at his defense.

    My heart is beating a mile a minute.  One of the elves stabs through the remainder of the armor and rips through the warg rider¡¯s chest.  The warg snaps its jaws around the giant spider mount¡¯s head and tears it away.  More wargs are appearing with orcs riding them.  All of them are lv50 and above.  I couldn¡¯t even break one of the lv 20 warg rider¡¯s shields.

    Toomas stepped through the clearing from behind me.  He placed hand on my shoulder then raised his bow.  His hands moved like lightning.  Arrows flew so quickly they created booms.  When one hit a warg rider, the rider¡¯s body seemed to disintegrate.  In less than ten seconds the orc raiding party was no more.  Only broken bodies and half melted orcs remained.  Toomas calmly walked up and started retrieving his arrows.

    Enemies defeated Warg lv40

    Warg(40) x lv30 = 1,200xp

    Lv up

    Markus lv11 1,100 next

    +5stat points

    Light shot lv up x1

    Light Shot lv10 51,200DPS to next

    Class unlocked Light Mage

    Archery lv up

    Archery Lv6

    I had 30 class points from my skills.  Light Mage was a 2star skill, so it took 20class points to unlock and 10 to level up.  I purchased it immediately

    Light Mage lv1 0/10 to next

    Star x 2

    Willpower 10 x class lv

    Description ¨C A powerful wielder of light magic.  This user will learn every foundation skill in the light magic type.  Higher forms of this mortal class are Light Battle Mage, Light Sage, Star Light, and Light Seeker.

    New skill

    Light Seed lv3 Learn 3 light skills to next

    Description ¨C a seed from the eternal light tree has taken root within you.  Despite your inability to learn light or dark god classes the mortal, knight, and hero classes are available to you.  With this seed your journey into light magic has truly begun.  It shall sprout and become the power behind your light.

    Passive

    MPRM when using light skills (+75) = Willpower (25) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    Hidden ability

    Description ¨C Due to the divine nature of your power the the farmer growth ability a new passive ability has been obtained.

    Defense when using Light shield skills (2,250) = WIL (25) x CON (30) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    That was perhaps the best class for me.  My mana pool alone nearly doubled, and I had enough to lv up in the class and gain another skill.  This time something with teeth.  As I was dealing with my screens Toomas picked me up and dragged me into the nest.

    ¡°I know you probably have more skills now or stats than you thought possible.  I¡¯ve been there.  But your life is in danger so wake the fuck up.  The orc warband a few kilometers away has more raiders than its had in a century.  We were just hit by a wing of the invasion force.  The real threat is heading for the goblin tribe west of here and the skeleton dungeon even farther west.  I¡¯m going to take care of it.  You stay with Midra while I take care of business.¡±  Toomas said and threw me in the arms of a dark elf.

    ¡°I want to go with you I¡¯m stronger now, I can help.¡±  He looked at me like I had said the stupidest thing ever.  Then shook his head.  ¡°Knock him out and make sure he doesn¡¯t follow me.¡±  The dark elf didn¡¯t waste any time.  An orb of darkness fell on us and then I looked into a large purple eye.

    I was out like a candle seconds later.  As I came to I was laying in a web of black silk.  I looked over to see Midra weaving something with the silk.  Thinking I was being sneaky I eased up and tried to fall between strands in her web.  ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.  There are dozens of nests under my own.  Some won¡¯t hesitate to sink their fangs into you.¡±  Midra said without turning away from what she was working on.

    ¡°Yea, I guess it was stupid thinking I could help Toomas.  He¡¯s so much stronger than me.¡±  Midra was beautiful in a fatalistic way.  Her spider body was sleek and clean, clearly built for moving at high speeds.  Its black carapace looked to be covered in small scars from various battles.  A crisscrossed pattern of black mana covered her body in the mana spectrum.  Channeling mana to his eyes was still a challenge the the skill hadn¡¯t appeared yet.  But the more he looked the more he was sure she was heavily shielded.  Several layers were always kept up.  Her mana reserves must be extensive, or she has a bunch of perks that help or skills that lower the upkeep.  Her human half has light purple skin and she has four arms.  Two wands sat holstered on her waist.  Instead of hair she had dreads of a chitinous material.  Her eyes, she had six of them and they were purple.

    ¡°I heard you wanted some help with something.  What was it?¡±  Midra asked.  Right to the point, he liked that it saved time.

    ¡°I want to make strings with mana, but I don¡¯t know where to begin.  I know that mana can be condensed to liquid and then clay, but how do I begin.¡±  I asked.  Midra tilted her head to the side.  She stopped what she was doing and skittered across her web to him.  Two powerful hand gripped his face.

    ¡°You look nothing like your brother, but I can still see similarities in the two of you.  Always searching for a way to rise above.  I¡¯ve helped him, and he has helped me in return ten times over.  I will help you and maybe you will do the same.¡±  My eyes were wide open, I was ready for her instruction.

    She moved and shot a line of sticky black web upon me.  I didn¡¯t have time to move before she started to spin wrapping me in a cocoon.  Then she placed me on the web.  ¡°Use your mana to break my web and I will show you how to make it with mana alone.  If you can¡¯t before your brother returns, then I won¡¯t teach you.¡±  I was in shock, I didn¡¯t have a chance she snatched me up and now I was in a cocoon.  ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to continued making your brother¡¯s new pants.¡±  Midra said with a huff.  ¡°Don¡¯t make too much noise I have to concentrate on my stitching.¡±

    To start things off, I needed more mana.  This cocoon was dark, but my vision was perfect in the dark.  There was nothing to fear.  But I needed something that cut.  My five points had already gone to Insight.  I used the last of my class points to purchase lv2 in light mage.

    Light Mage lv2 0/20 to next

    Description ¨C The seed of light within you has begun to sprout and with it comes new powers.  Never are you more vulnerable than when you take your first steps on this path.   A way to damage your enemies is needed.

    Light Thorns lv1 1000DPS to next

    Active

    Description ¨C A light orb is made sharp to pierce the darkness in the world.  Those that would seek to devour you must contend with wounds.  Fire these thorns to cause maximum damage.  Using mana manipulation and light shot.

    DPS (28k) = Light Shot (28k) + Mana Manipulation (70) x Skill lv (1)

    Cost 15MPS

    This skill sounded op.  It wasn¡¯t, while the web covered my body I couldn¡¯t fire them and gain max velocity with my Light thorns.  No max velocity no high damage.  It was a nice skill but I¡¯m no further to getting out of the cocoon than I was moments ago.

    The 350MP was awesome though.  No, I had to make something that cuts, if I wanted out.  Or I could just unravel the various strands.  I focused on my psychic powers and touched the silk.

    New skill

    Mind sight lv1 1min to next

    Description ¨C Use your telekinesis as something more than force.  Feel the objects you touch and get a feel for the world around you on a new level.

    Range (5.25m) = Willpower (35) x Perception (15) x type (1) x skill lv (1) x 1 cm

    Cost 5MPS

    The second the skill activated, I knew the individual strings were made of smaller strands of silk.  Was that the secret.  Make something small and easy then wrap them in the hundreds of thousands.  Even the weakest skill could be made strong in high enough numbers.  But there were diminishing returns.  For instance, my Light thorn skill was much 10x harder to lv than my light shot skill.  Thought skills before it was the same.  Honestly the silk reminded me of wood fibers in a way.

    Insight increase increase x5

    It hit me so quickly I barely noticed the pop up that said I had only 5 more stat points to put in this lv.  Normally I like these things in strength.  I could do something like chop through the strands but where was the fun in that.  I needed to increase telekinesis anyway.

    Closing my eyes, I used Mind Sight.  I took every stand in my telekinetic fingers and began unraveling all of them.

    Telekinesis lv up x3

    Telekinesis lv6 lift 3200 objects to next

    Phys DPS (7,359) = STR (35) x WIL (35) x Type (1) x skill lv (6)

    Cost 5MPS

    Telekinesis was one of the strongest powers I had, and it was rare for it to rise above lv 10 for some reason.  There were so many ways to complete the levels too.  She looked up at me her purple eyes blinking in unison.

    ¡°Well, I guess you earned a lesson.  Let me see your hands.¡±  I held them up and she held them.  I felt her take hold of some of my mana out of my control.  ¡°Relax this is normal when someone with far more mana manipulation or a higher skill like mana control.  If you don¡¯t like when it happens to you then increase your mana manipulation or gain a new skill.¡±  She took what mana I had, condensed and separated it into tiny strands, and then she wound them together in a way that made them like silk.¡±  This is all you need to learn it.  But it will never be like true spider silk.  I nodded my head and continued to think about the subject.

    Toomas returned, and I went back to the clearing to experiment with my mana shield skill.  The last 25k hump was difficult to get through but I did.  With the shield skill at lv 10 I began changing it into a crisscross pattern on my body like chainmail.  It was a blatant copy of Midra¡¯s skill.

    New skill

    Mana Chainmail lv 1 Tank 1000 DPS next

    Description ¨C The user made a new skill out of an old one.  Slightly more advanced than mana shields it will defend best against slashing damage.

    Defense (13,500) = ((CON (30) x INS (40)) + Mana Shield (12,300)) x skill lv

    Cost 10MPS

    Just like that I had another toy to play with.  Toomas showed up and we left to head back home.  Where I still didn¡¯t have mana armor but that was ok, I would get it and earth armor eventually.  To truly increase the power of armor you had to take damage and adapt to it.  Getting a powerful elemental protective skill would just make me lazy.

    Weeks passed

    Month Califlery/ Day 1/ Year 3200

    My broccoli was finally coming in.  I watched massive heads of the vegetable poke from the ground.  All nine heads were massive in size easily a meter in diameter.  I was level 12 now.  Today was my birthday.  I¡¯m finally nine.  Pa said if I can increase my mana regen to allow me to hold a defense full time I could leave the farm whenever my chores were done.

    So, I had a new plan to ensure I could finally travel.  After watering the broccoli, I was going to go to our book shelf and get one of the books on mana siphoning.  If I could find a source to drain mana from, I could practically hold my skill forever right.

    Right now, I had a map out and was staring at a dungeon nearby.  The skeletal hall, a dungeon that hosted thousands skeleton enemies.  Dungeons were if nothing else full of xp.  If I could kill a few hundred of them, my power would increase to insane levels.

    I looked up to see Pa looking over my shoulder.  ¡°Well I was wondering what you wanted to do for you name day.  It looks like I don¡¯t have to wonder anymore.  Load the wagon I¡¯m sure Thad will come too.

    ¡°You mean it?¡±  I asked Pa, he nodded his head and I ran out the door.

 Chapter 3 rewrite

    Month Califla/ day 2/ Year 3200

    Markus Age 9

    Lv12 1,300xp to next

    HP 300/300         +29HPM

    MP 350/350        +50 (65.5) MPM

    SP 250/250          +34.8SPM

    Constitution 30

    Endurance 15(25)

    Perception 15

    Strength 35

    Dexterity 15

    Insight 50

    Willpower 15(35)

    Charisma 15

    Luck 15

    Divinity 16

    Class

    Farmer lv2 0 of 20 to next

    1 star

    +5Endurance per lv

    Skills

    Growth lv4 Grow 8 plants to maturity to next level

    Passive

    Utility Plants require (1/100th) normal growing time = Endurance (25) x Skill lv (4)

    Hidden effect

    Divine Influence

    Description ¨C Adds a bonus effect through divine power.  This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator.  Warning grow things at your own risk.

    Increased Lifespan (x16) = Divine (16) x skill lv

    Harvest lv1 pick 1 plant next lv

    Description ¨C Gather the bounty you have planted with greater fortune increases the odds of a plant growing more than originally able.

    Active

    Cost 60SPM

    Utility Increased bounty +37.5% =% (Endurance (25) x Luck (15) x skill lv (1))/10

    Light Mage lv2 0 of 20 to next

    2star

    +10Willpower per lv

    skills

    Light Seed lv3 Learn 3 light skills to next

    Description ¨C a seed from the eternal light tree has taken root within you.  Despite your inability to learn light or dark god classes the mortal, knight, and hero classes are available to you.  With this seed your journey into light magic has truly begun.  It shall sprout and become the power behind your light.

    Passive

    MPRM when using light skills (+75) = Willpower (25) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    Hidden ability

    Description ¨C Due to the divine nature of your power the the farmer growth ability, a new passive ability has been obtained.

    Defense when using Light shield skills (2,250) = WIL (25) x CON (30) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    Light Thorns lv1 1000DPS to next

    Active

    Description ¨C A light orb is made sharp to pierce the darkness in the world.  Those that would seek to devour you must contend with wounds.  Fire these thorns to cause maximum damage.  Using mana manipulation and light shot.

    DPS (73.1k) = Light Shot (73k) + Mana Manipulation (150) x Skill lv (1)

    Cost 15MPS

    Types

    Light 1 0/15 small white crystals

    Dark 1 0/15 small black crystals

    Psychic 1 0/15 small purple crystals

    skills

    Archery lv5 Damage to next lv 3200

    Phys DPS (2625) = STR (35) x DEX (15) x skill lv (5)

    Till lv11 10kilometers to next lv

    Utility PHYS DPS (9k) = END (25) x STR (35) x skill lv 11

    Cost 60SPM

    Orb lv5 8min to next lv

    L orb DPS (175) = WIL (35) x Light (1) x skill lv (5)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mana Manipulation lv3 create 3 pure mana skill to next

    passive

    MAG DPS (150) = (INS (50) x skill lv (3)

    MPRM (+15%) = ((INS (50) x skill lv (3))/10

    Telekinesis lv6 lift 3200objects next level

    Phys DPS (7.35k) = STR (35) x Wil (35) Psychic (1) x skill lv (6)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mind sight lv1 1min to next

    Range (5.25m) = Willpower (35) x Perception (15) x type (1) x skill lv (1) x 1 cm

    Cost 5MPS

    Light Shot lv10 51,200DPS to next lv

    Light DPS (73k) = (Telekinesis (7.35k) + L orb (175)) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 10MPS

    Warm Body lv1 endure cold damage for 3hours to next

    Cold RPS (30) = CON (30) x skill lv (1)

    Mana Shield lv10 tank 51,200DPS to next lv

    Defense (15.1k) = CON (30) x INS (50) x skill lv (10) + Mana manipulation (150)

    Cost 10MPS

    Mana Chainmail lv 1 Tank 1000 DPS next

    Defense (16.6k) = ((CON (30) x INS (50)) + Mana Shield (15.1k)) x skill lv

    Cost 15MPS

    I channeled a light shot, as I walked up to my farming plot.  Heads of broccoli stood up to greet the sun along with wondering vines.  They looked at me and stopped paying attention.  Each of the heads of broccoli were lv 70.  Stronger than the warg riders from weeks ago.  They seemed to value constitution more than any other stat.  With a lot of health and more than a few bonuses, they were beyond durable, at a comfortable 100k.  Don¡¯t get me wrong, I can destroy them whole sale.  But it was impressive, so long as they can be harvested, this round would have been a success.

    Keeping my light shot at the ready was a challenge.  It soaked in mana like a sponge and even with regenerating more than 1MP a second I couldn¡¯t keep up with the drain.  Pa said I needed a perk to help with my regeneration.  The only way to get those is to raise a stat to 100 or to find a consumable in a dungeon.  Well I was a long way from getting insight to 100.  I¡¯ve started investing in it every lv.

    Perks work like this.  At 100 you get your first stat perk.  Then you get your next one at 1000.  After that you get the next at 10,000 and so on.  Its theorized that at 100k you can get another perk.  Not even a hero can reach that level.  If I wanted to know then it was best to ask a great dragon.  Those guys disliked company and questions in equal parts.  It wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    I rubbed the sweat from my face and dispersed my attack.  Taking some clippers from the barn, I returned to the plot and decided to just go with it.  Easing my shears against the green stalks of the broccoli I clipped.  When nothing happened, no vines rose to smack me, and no great maws opened to devour me, I concluded that docile was the best perk.

    I clipped off most of the head and watched it begin to grow anew.  Watching it, I decided to give it a week before harvesting again.  After clipping all nine of my broccoli plants I watered them and left.  There was no reason to bother them while they tried to grow.  Pa was getting the wagon ready; today was the day we were going to the skeleton dungeon.

    My mana was already regenerating from the light shot episode earlier.  Though they were still too weak to make much of a difference against stronger enemies.  Still 35 shots were nothing to sneeze at.  Stan was hooked up to the cart and we sat together, my brothers and I.

    ¡°So, why did you want to challenge the skeletal dungeon.  Its not weak you know, not that strong either, but the weakest monster is lv30 and your 12.¡±  Thad said.  His oldest brother was a level maniac.  He didn¡¯t really care for skills as much as he did raw stats.

    ¡°He killed a warg with a bow a few weeks ago.  I think it was 30lvs above him, a few skeletons aren¡¯t going to mean much.¡±  Toomas said. Only for Thad to snort.

    ¡°A warg is hardly setting the bar.  They are animals, stupid, and incapable of using the system to its fullest.  Were they even shielded?¡±  Thad asked.

    ¡°No, they weren¡¯t.¡±  I said, maybe this wasn¡¯t such a good idea after all.

    ¡°Did I send him to the dungeon by himself?¡±  Pa asked, looking Thad in the eye.

    ¡°No, sir.¡±  Thad replied.  ¡°But,¡±

    ¡°No buts Thad, we are going with him. Because dungeons are dangerous no matter how prepared you think you are.  If you go in there thinking your going to smash through floor after floor, well your going to find out quickly life doesn¡¯t work that way.  This is Markus¡¯s first taste we¡¯re here to make sure it isn¡¯t his last.¡±  Pa looked me in the eye.  ¡°Boy, happy birthday.¡±  Pa handed me a book covered in enchantments.

    Do you want to install the Quest Log app?

    Y/N

    I hit yes, and my screens altered.  The book vanished, and I had a new tab.  ¡°Wait till we¡¯re in the dungeon.  Quests are the best part of the dungeon experience besides the story.¡±  I opened my mouth to ask about the story, but Pa put a finger to his lips.  ¡°I¡¯m not spoiling the story before we get there.  Didn¡¯t I just say that¡¯s one of the best parts.¡±  Pa said.

    I quieted while listening to Stan¡¯s hoof beats.  We would arrive soon.  The trees around the dungeon lost their leaves and looked dead.  Skeletons hung from nooses covering the trees.  It was one of the greatest things I¡¯ve ever seen.  The aesthetics, the attention to detail, they really looked like people were hung here.  Pa took off his helm and held it across his chest.  I got up and joined him along with my brothers.

    It only hit me after we sat down that the skeletons were of adventurers that failed to survive the dungeon.  ¡°Dungeons don¡¯t like to kill their adventurers.  Its wasteful, they can get far more by draining you of life, heal you with magic, and drain you again.  That is if they don¡¯t use your corpse to breed new monsters.¡±  Thad said.  ¡°Markus it isn¡¯t too late to leave, you don¡¯t have to face this.  You can be a farmer.¡±  I stepped towards the dungeon.

    ¡°Come on, I want to see the story.¡±  I said, and they followed me in.

    Two massive doors opened to greet us.  In the far end of the room was a woman with hair spun from moon beams.  She wore a brown robe and her face was covered in dirt.  Hidden under her robes were protrusions of some kind.  A hand grabbed my shoulder to stop me from getting closer.

    ¡°Brave adventurers I¡¯m glad you made it.  A calamity has struck and the great priests of the sun god Ral have gone to quell the spirits of the catacombs, but they haven¡¯t returned.  The black bell rings and the time of Ral is coming to an end.  Please go and find the priests before the time of Ral is over.  If you don¡¯t then the spirits will surely escape.¡±  The priestess said before the door to the catacombs burst open revealing a half rotten skeleton.  It moved slowly drawing closer to them.  Its bones looked to have been knawed clean of meat.  Bite marks covered it along with tiny cracks.  It opened its mouth and let out a sad cry. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A hand patted me on the back and I jumped.  It was Pa.  ¡°This is your birthday present, you get the first kill.¡±  Pa said.  I controlled myself and raised my hand.  The creature moved as if it was in pain but couldn¡¯t stop itself from moving closer to living flesh.  An orb of mana appeared in my hand, turned to a bright light, and my telekinesis took over from there.  The ball of light weighed next to nothing and my telekinetic influence reached 15meters.  That meant for 15meters, I could accelerate the light orb as much as I wanted creating my signature move Light Shot.

    The shot ended in less than a second.  It hit the skeleton in the chest and exploded releasing all the energy it had gathered between its creation, acceleration, and impact.  The skeleton¡¯s body shattered and parts of it turned to ash.

    Decaying Skeleton lv20 slain

    Skeleton (10) x lv 20 = 200xp

    Item found Ral Amulet

    I pulled the amulet out of my inventory and looked at it.  The NPC reacted to it.  ¡°That amulet, it belonged to one of the faithful of Ral maybe you should wear it.  Its magic should help you against the enemies ahead.¡±

    Pa grabbed it and looked.  ¡°It isn¡¯t cursed but its only effect is +10Willpower.  There isn¡¯t a level limit that I can see.  Good equipment for now.¡±  He handed it back to me and I put it on.  The copper amulet was heavy around my neck, but I felt energetic like it could do anything I set my mind to.  My mana pool quickly increased to its new 450.  But I felt how artificial it was, the second I took off the amulet I would be back to 350.

    Equipped Ral Amulet

    +10Willpower

    ¡°How did you like your first taste?¡±  Thad asked.  I looked over at my eldest brother.  He was taller than me by a lot.  Though he wasn¡¯t as imposing as Pa could be.  Thad preferred a strength build much like Pa.  He used psychic power instead of qi to strengthen himself beyond normal limits.  A skill I admired and wanted to add to my arsenal as well as qi.  Well I wanted every power and ability I could get.

    ¡°I want to build an insight armor set or maybe a MPR set.  But the willpower is nice.  I like it!¡±  I yelled, and Pa put a finger to his lips to calm me down and pointed to the priestess.

    ¡°As I feared, the dead have risen in the catacombs.  This area won¡¯t be safe much longer and if the alter of Ral is desecrated the dark of the goddess Nu will never end.  Please gather the artefacts from the priests of Ral and bring them to the alter.  It will create a barrier protecting this area from Nu¡¯s undead.¡±  The priestess said.  Pa tapped my shoulder.

    Oh, yea the quest tab.  I opened it up.

    Area Skeleton Dungeon

    Main quests

    Chapter 1 The priest¡¯s artefacts.

    Description ¨C Collect the artefacts from the Priests of Ral and place them on the alter.  Artefacts 0 of 5.

    Chapter 2???

    Self-imposed challenges

    <ol>

    <li>Gather an insight set from dungeon drops.   </li>

    </ol>

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t list any rewards for either the self-imposed or the main quest.¡±  I whined much to my brothers¡¯ amusement.  Thad shook his head and Pa smiled slightly.  ¡°Rewards aren¡¯t the point of quests, are they?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°Nope, they are more like handy goals to keep you focused on something besides mob hunting and drop gathering.  But there is a reward if you complete the entire quest line.  Sometimes you get a rare dungeon treasure.  If you find all the side quests and complete the quest line, you get a big reward.  If you manage to do all that and beat the secret bosses, you get the ultimate dungeon treasure.  But that takes a lot of dedication and training.¡±  Pa said.  At my sad expression he patted my shoulder.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get more than a few drops today.  I would stash all the luck-based drops in my inventory if I were you for safe keeping.  When you¡¯re stronger you can come in and score all the rare loot you want.¡±

    Thad and Toomas chuckled at Pa¡¯s words.  They obviously did the same at some point.  We left the main room down the stairs following the winding staircase that the decaying skeleton found its way up from.  The entire time my mind sight was flickering on and off.  Each time I looked of the stone and the stairs below searching for traps or any other danger.  I knew Pa, would spot anything before it could get to me, but I wanted the practice and the levels.

    We arrived at a cobweb filled stone floor that felt like a coffin.  Rows upon rows of wooden coffins filled the alcoves lit by prayer candles.  The second we stepped down the coffins began to open in sets of ten.  Until forty were slowly beginning to emerge.

    ¡°If you think you can handle it, you can have them all.  But any we must kill, you can¡¯t have the loot, unless you trade, or we don¡¯t want it.¡±  Pa proclaimed.  I nodded my head and raised my hands.  My MPR was around 1MP a second which was excellent.  I had 450MP if I used light shot then that gave me 45 shots if they died in a single hit like the one up the stairs, then I had room for mistakes.  That is until I looked at the finer coffins as saw shields appear around the lv60 decaying skeleton.  Then at the end an ebony iron coffin held a lv80 skeleton mage.  It had a massive dark shield covering its body that held 500k defense over its health bar.  But the other skeletons were defenseless.

    A plan was quickly forming as I shot the first skeletons before they left their coffins.  Light shots burned through their coffins and killed them no problem.  They were unshielded and had less than 500 health.  I ran through the catacombs as loot filled up my vision.  30 skeletons died before they could get out of their coffins and prepare.  They netted me a quick 7,500xp and just like that my lv went from 12 to 17.

    Markus lv17 1,800xp to next lv

    HP 300/300         +29HPM

    MP 450/350        +75 (102.4) MPM

    SP 250/250          +34.8SPM

    Constitution 30

    Endurance 15(25)

    Perception 15

    Strength 35

    Dexterity 15

    Insight 75

    Willpower 15(35) (45)

    Charisma 15

    Luck 15

    Divinity 16

    The skeletons in their 60s were getting ready to burst from their coffins.  Either the dungeon was telling the to get the led out or this was just what they did when over half their number died.  I opened my inventory and filtered for anything that increased willpower from my drops.  Two rings of the Ral each increasing my willpower by 5 and a robe of Nu increased my willpower by 25 and increased MPR by 100%.  Then there were the boots of Nu that increased willpower by 10 and the wand of heretics which increased my willpower by 20 and increased elemental damage by 50%.  I quickly equipped everything.

    Markus lv17 1,800xp to next lv

    HP 300/300         +29HPM

    MP 1,100/350    +75 (102.4) (178.8) MPM

    SP 250/250          +34.8SPM

    Constitution 30

    Endurance 15(25)

    Perception 15

    Strength 35

    Dexterity 15

    Insight 75

    Willpower 15(35) (110)

    Charisma 15

    Luck 15

    Divinity 16

    At this moment my light shot with my gear could unleash a devastating 233k light damage, thanks to how powerful my telekinesis was.  It would still take three shots to get through the shield of the lv80.  I could move on to using Light thorns, but that skill took around 5seconds to prepare.  It would be much stronger afterwards, but I didn¡¯t know if I had an afterwards.  My attacks had a lot of punch, but I had no defense.  A single blow from one of the skeletons would destroy me.  I was a glass cannon.

    Still I fired away at the nine shielded decaying skeletons.  Nine shots gathered and accelerated from my influence hastily made and moving at incredible speeds.  One of the lv60 decaying skeletons freed itself from its coffin and brought a shield up tanking one of the blasts.  The shield held out for a heartbeat before the light expanded and released all its energy.  Two level ups later I was lv20 nearly 21 and finally the lv80 skeleton mage shot out from its coffin covered in its decaying robes.

    Light shot lv up x5

    This wasn¡¯t a boss or even a mini boss.  This was just a mob from the first part of the dungeon.  A creature designed to test a party of adventurers but not to really kill a party.  This was a taste to see if the party was ready for the dungeon.  A taste to send the unprepared parties back up the stairs and out of the dungeon.

    Three light shots blasted one after the other.  A triangular barrier of dark mana appeared in front of the skeleton mage with a flick of its wrist.  The shield took all three shots with no effect.  My eyes widened, as I concluded that the 500k shield the skeleton mage had was passive.  This towering black triangular shield was its true defense.

    This was the perfect time to take advantage of the mob and mass lv my light shot.  I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was one of those skills with a hidden cap or not.  Would it stop at 20 or 20k?

    I held out my hand and channeled 1005MP into a single Light shot.  200MP was the base, 800MP was the gathered light mana around it, and 5mp was the amount of psychic energy I needed to smash it into the shield.  The attack was massive rays of light flashed at random illuminating parts of the catacombs as I tried to rein in this massive amount of energy.  The skeleton mage raised its arm and charged a black globe of energy and I launched my attack.  The last thing I needed was to let a stronger more refined mage get off an attack.  My attack despite its massive scale only had about 1.6m damage to its name.  Most of Light shot¡¯s damage wasn¡¯t in the light energy it was in how much velocity my attack could gather before it hit.  A 15m length of full acceleration doubling its speed every meter was what gave my attack its massive damage.  Without that my attack would be nothing.  Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t increase telekinesis even if I added more mana to it, it wouldn¡¯t increase the acceleration rate any more.  So, I had to increase the power of the shot itself.

    Pa stepped in put a hand on my shoulder just as my light shot was absorbed by the skeleton mage¡¯s dark shield.  He picked up a rock and flicked it.  The rock shattered the shield and ripped through the skeleton mage¡¯s head.  Shards of the skeleton mage¡¯s head landed on the ground.  The rock slammed into the stone wall behind the mob cracking it in places.

    ¡°No shame in failing to damage a stronger opponent.  Though, you should have asked for help instead of being reckless.¡±  Pa muttered as I fell to my knees completely out of mana.  He pulled a small blue potion out of his inventory and placed it in from of me.  ¡°A pick me up.¡±  I pulled the cork and drank down the concoction.  My mana recovered back to 200.  ¡°Keep the bottle I¡¯ll teach you how to make the stuff later.  You took 39 of the the kills, if you want anything else from them before we move on well now is the time.¡±  I had all their drops but well I had a plan for the bodies.  I picked up every skeleton of the same name and put it in my inventory.  Parts of them were missing, but together I had a few skeletons worth of parts.

    Pa grabbed a cape from the skeleton mage and tucked it in his inventory.  We moved down to the next level.  This part of the dungeon didn¡¯t play, skeleton soldiers patrolled the hallways and skeleton mages gathered in circles casting spells and summoning imps.  The imps ran about the halls in hoards ready to rip anything apart they came upon.  Every single one of them seemed to be in the 50s or higher.

    ¡°If your thinking about practicing necromancy, well that isn¡¯t illegal but its highly frowned upon.¡±  Thad said.  I blinked between unleashing a barrage of light shot wiping out a group of imps.  Now I was lv22 and invested all my points in Insight bringing it to 85.

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m up to practicing necromancy as my profession, but I did want to use it to make my first monster.¡±  Monster summoning and taming worked through charisma.  Most makes either went into the stat or chose perception.  Charisma was great for monster crafting, but I planned on dipping into both.  That was highly frowned up on because it made mediocre mages, but I wanted my death T-Rex.  That¡¯s why I was picking up the still wiggling bodies of the imps I didn¡¯t quite kill and stuffed them in my inventory.  ¡°I¡¯m going to make what I want, you can either stand there disapprovingly or help.¡±  I said.

    ¡°Does it have something to do with that wingless dragon you keep drawing in the dirt instead of tending to your crops?¡±  Pa asked with a half-smile.  I opened my mouth to lie but thought better of it while my brothers snickered.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do, take a bunch of half alive imp parts and attach some very dead skeleton parts and say now work?¡±  Thad jeered.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s going to sew it together with mana and ask the heavens nicely to shoot lightning at it while chanting its alive.¡±  Toomas said.  I felt my face heat up and thought about how I would really get it working.  Imps were basically lizards, they had scales after all.  I just needed to reshape them, I remembered seeing some lizards by the well.  So, my plan was a little abstract, it would come together when its time.

    I pulled up my equipment section of my inventory and filtered for Insight.  I had 8rings that each gave +5, an amulet gave +10, a Nu robe that gave +25, slacks that gave +10, boots that gave +10, and ear rings that each gave +5 insight.  If I equipped the set my insight would increase to 230, with skills easily 400.  That¡¯s well over 6MP a second.  I could hold my telekinesis permanently and still recover 1MP a second.  It¡¯s a shame all the items I¡¯m getting are common.  Despite their effects I wouldn¡¯t get an item that increased a stat by +50 until I reached uncommon supplies.  Though, I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to an experience multiplier.

    Personal quest complete create an insight set

    New Personal Quest

    Create an Experience set

    We continued through the floor killing everything in sight.  Whole bands of imps, skeletons, and an occasional wraith fell to my Light shot.

    Markus lv25

    Insight 100

    New Perk

    Obsessive Compulsion ¨C When something interests you there is nothing that will stop you from going after it.  Be it a skill, a familiar, or hidden knowledge.  +200% learning speed in fields of interest.  -200% learning speed in fields of disinterest.

    New skill

    Mana Regeneration lv1 recover 100MP to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Through powerful insight you have wrestled some control over your ability to regain lost mana.  The higher this skill the faster mana will recover.

    MPM (100) = INS (100) x skill lv (1)

    Class unlocked at lv10 magus

    New Class Slot acquired

    Light shot lv20 (MAX)

    DPS (473k)

    Just like that a lot hit me all at once.  My mind went through an extreme change.  All at once my interests became my whole world and my disinterests became the bane of my existence.  My head pulsed with mana pouring in making me feel like a magnet.  Then there was the new class slot.  Potentially, it could be a massive boon, but I already had a lot on my plate.

    We were getting closer to the boss room.  I had a feeling after this we were heading back.  I steeled myself for an encounter that would test me to my very limits.  The presence beyond the gate coming up was pouring with miasma.  I couldn¡¯t see its HP, but I could see its shield.  Passive it had 3million.  There was no way I could damage it.

    ¡°Well this is it, we¡¯re turning back.¡±  Pa said much to my shock.

    ¡°But the boss it right there together it can¡¯t possibly fight us.¡±  I reasoned, Pa looked at me with a curious expression.  My brothers chuckled.

    ¡°A boss isn¡¯t something to take on lightly.  Your brothers and I aren¡¯t even wearing our armor.  This wasn¡¯t supposed to be a hard fight, or we wouldn¡¯t have brought you.  Now, enough of this being greedy, we¡¯re heading back.¡±  Pa firmly argued.  I couldn¡¯t find a reason not press on that made any logical sense.  Only, I wanted to go further and see the next part of the story.  But at the same time, I knew without Pa and my brothers I wouldn¡¯t last a second down here.

    I had around 125 stat points I could get from training because I was lv 25.  Just through exercise, I could gain a lot of power.  If I increased my insight more and really worked on leveling mana regeneration, then I could clear the first two floors by myself soon.  But I wasn¡¯t there yet.

    The ride back was relaxing and quiet, I tried to raise telekinesis by lifting a lot of sand.  Each grain counted as an object, it was a way for me to cheat the system.  As my mana drained and recovered I quickly gained levels in mana regeneration.  If I kept this up for 14 hours, then my mana regeneration will reach lv10.  That is an absolute fact.

    Unlike fusion skills normal skills had no level cap.  I could increase telekinesis to 1m if I felt like it.  It would take a long time, but it was possible.  Though fusion skills were much stronger because they were made up of normal skills.

    ¡°Wake up we¡¯re here.¡±  I opened my eyes to see our farm in all its glory.  I leapt off the wagon and let myself land lightly with telekinesis.  If there was one thing I¡¯m grateful for its full access to that skill.  I swapped to my insight gear to enjoy the maximum amount of MPM I could.  13,996MPM was currently my max or 233MP every second.  It really was amazing what a little bit of earnest training could do, and I wasn¡¯t even at the 14-hour mark yet.  I was gaining more than half of my max MP every second.  It was amazing.  I covered my body with Mana Chainmail and felt the links of banded mana cover my body, before leaving the visible spectrum.  I needed to max out my skills ASAP and return to the dungeon for vengeance.

    Califa Day 5

    I wasn¡¯t allowed back to the dungeon until my attack potency was in the 10s of millions.  Pa was strict, and Ma wouldn¡¯t budge.  When they found out I was trying to play them against each other, they laughed in my face and Pa said better make that 100millon.  Either way I wasn¡¯t getting there quickly.

    Currently, I was doing my best to do push ups and squats to put my 125 free points into strength or constitution.  The points could be acquired through training or special actions.  Gambling could get me luck, but I never win against my brothers, I suspect their cheating.  There are only 4 aces in a deck and they always have more.

    Califa Day 6

    Well I have an inventory filled with half dead imps and dead imps.  Skeleton parts and who knows what else.  Its time I made use of them while I still could.

    Sewing living and dead tissue together doesn¡¯t work.  I thought something would happen, I would gain a new skill and I would make it work.  That isn¡¯t how it works, maybe if I use necromancy to bring the parts back before attaching them it will work.

    Califa Day 7

    Necromancy is more difficult than preciously thought.  I have no affinity for the dead and the closest I can come to true necromancy is using mana strings to move the limbs.  I read the dark tombs in the book shelf and nothing, maybe I need more power.

    For the rest of the day I trained my constitution and strength.  Still I haven¡¯t lost hope.  I believe its possible to get what I want.  But I¡¯m probably going about it at the wrong angle.  There are plenty of lizards and frogs to work with.

    Dark causes mutations, I didn¡¯t know until the frog¡¯s guts came alive and sought freedom form the body.  The last I saw of them, they were slithering into a snake hole.  The Dark is showing a lot of promising utility but its unpredictable.

    Radizt Day 15

    Its been a month and progress.

    New skill

    Chimerafication lv1 0.0%xp to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C A skill swathed in darkness designed to unbalance creation and cause controlled mutations.  The dark mana infused within a monster the faster it will mutate and the less stable they become.

    Chance of Success (3.5%) = (WIL (35) x skill lv (1) x Dark (1))/10

    Class Chimerologist unlocked lv10

    It¡¯s a completely unreliable random skill that happens to cause a stable mutation 3 in every 100 uses.  Then if I try to use it on something that has already been mutated, it has a 0% chance of success.  Most of the time things explode.

    Karrotery day 10

    This skill is completely overpowered.  Its use based, the more I use it, the more it levels.  I¡¯ve gained 15 levels in it so far and its still rapidly increasing.  I have a nearly 50% survival rate when I mutate the lizards.  I still can¡¯t use more than one mutation on a single creature.

    New information, thinking about what I want increases the probability of getting the mutation right.  Toomas says I¡¯ve destroyed the local lizard population and its causing bug problems.  Spring is nearly over summer is coming.

    Argulery day 2

    I¡¯ve come to a startling conclusion.  I have no way to control any monster I create.  It sucks but, back to the drawing board.  I¡¯m going to train telekinesis for a while.

    I can fly, but I¡¯m not allowed to, something about low oxygen and altitude sickness.  More training is needed.

    Chapter 4

    Year 10 and off to Market.

 Chapter 4 rewrite

    Month Argulery/ day 15/ Year 3200

    Markus Age 9

    Lv12 1,300xp to next

    HP 400/400         +29HPM

    MP 600/600        +255 (10.3k) MPM

    SP 250/250          +46.4SPM

    Constitution 40

    Endurance 15(25)

    Perception 25

    Strength 65

    Dexterity 15

    Insight 150 (255)

    Willpower 40(60)

    Charisma 15

    Luck 15

    Divinity 16

    Class

    Farmer lv2 0 of 20 to next

    1 star

    +5Endurance per lv

    Skills

    Growth lv5 Grow 16 plants to maturity to next level

    Passive

    Utility Plants require (1/125th) normal growing time = Endurance (25) x Skill lv (5)

    Hidden effect

    Divine Influence

    Description ¨C Adds a bonus effect through divine power.  This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator.  Warning grow things at your own risk.

    Increased Lifespan (x80) = Divine (16) x skill lv (5)

    Harvest lv1 pick 1 plant next lv

    Description ¨C Gather the bounty you have planted with greater fortune increases the odds of a plant growing more than originally able.

    Active

    Cost 60SPM

    Utility Increased bounty +37.5% =% (Endurance (25) x Luck (15) x skill lv (1))/10

    Light Mage lv2 0 of 20 to next

    2star

    +10Willpower per lv

    skills

    Light Seed lv3 Learn 3 light skills to next

    Description ¨C a seed from the eternal light tree has taken root within you.  Despite your inability to learn light or dark god classes the mortal, knight, and hero classes are available to you.  With this seed your journey into light magic has truly begun.  It shall sprout and become the power behind your light.

    Passive

    MPRM when using light skills (+180) = Willpower (60) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    Hidden ability

    Description ¨C Due to the divine nature of your power the the farmer growth ability, a new passive ability has been obtained.

    Defense when using Light shield skills (2,400) = WIL (60) x CON (40) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    Light Thorns lv10 (Max)

    Active

    Description ¨C Light shot is twisted with mana manipulation in a skill fusion to unleash a piercing attack.  This attack is built to punch through shields and once it reaches max level it deals double damage to defense and triple damage to dark defense.

    DPS (8.047m) = (Light Shot (805k) + Mana Manipulation (765)) x Skill lv (10)

    Cost 15MPS

    Types

    Light 1 0/15 small white crystals

    Dark 1 0/15 small black crystals

    Psychic 1 0/15 small purple crystals

    skills

    Archery lv5 Damage to next lv 3200

    Phys DPS (2625) = STR (35) x DEX (15) x skill lv (5)

    Till lv11 10kilometers to next lv

    Utility PHYS DPS (17k) = END (25) x STR (65) x skill lv 11

    Cost 60SPM

    Orb lv20 182days to next lv

    L orb DPS (1,200) = WIL (60) x Light (1) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mana Manipulation lv3 create 3 pure mana skill to next

    passive

    MAG DPS (765) = (INS (255) x skill lv (3)

    MPRM (+76.5%) = ((INS (255) x skill lv (3))/10

    Telekinesis lv10 lift 51,200objects next level

    Phys DPS (39k) = STR (65) x Wil (60) Psychic (1) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mind sight lv1 1min to next

    Range (15m) = Willpower (60) x Perception (25) x type (1) x skill lv (1) x 1 cm

    Cost 5MPS

    Light Shot lv20 (max)

    Light DPS (804k) = (Telekinesis (39k) + L orb (1.2k)) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 10MPS

    Warm Body lv1 endure cold damage for 3hours to next

    Cold RPS (30) = CON (30) x skill lv (1)

    Mana Shield lv30 tank 53.6bDPS to next lv

    Defense (306k) = CON (40) x INS (255) x skill lv (30)

    Cost 10MPS

    Mana Chainmail lv20 524mDPS to next

    Defense (204k) = CON (40) x INS (255) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 15MPS

    Mana Plate lv10 5.1mDPS

    Defense (102k) = CON (40) x INS (255) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 20MPS

    Mana Full Armor lv5 2mDPS to next lv

    Defense (3m) = (Mana Shield (306k) + Mana Chainmail (204k) + Mana Plate (102k)) = 612 x skill lv (5)

    Cost 50MPS

    Mana Regeneration lv20 104m mana recovered to next

    Passive

    MPM (5.1k) = INS (255) x skill lv (20)

    Chimerafication lv9 60.9%xp to next

    Passive

    Chance of Success (54%) = (WIL (60) x skill lv (9) x Dark (1))/10

    I never hesitated when using my dark mana even with the stigma.  Some of the nastiest monsters around are dark type, and so humans who use dark type are said to be only a step above those monsters.  I would argue the most genocidal monsters belong to the light family.  There is just something about light and pride that leads to the destruction of everything different.  Dark on the other hand can be prideful but is too diverse in appearance to hold the racial group preferences that lead to an us vs them mindset.

    Dark is more about the individual and their struggles. It will always find a way to help the individual survive and thrive.  That¡¯s what I love about the dark.  It isn¡¯t picky about how it gets something done, it gives me plenty of options to go from A to B.  That¡¯s great because it and light are all I have that can cause observable mutations.

    When going after something you must use what you have and what you know.  I could have asked Pa for a skill that could give me life, or I could max out farmer for earth.  Instead, I went after the low hanging fruit.  A little skill called chimerification.  This skill used dark mana to cause mutations and light to halt those mutations.  It was what I had.

    That¡¯s how I came upon my first successful monster.  It was in the early morning before the sun rose when my first chimera took its first steps.  Using ground up bones fused with a lizard¡¯s scales a hide of bone had fused with the monster.  To create this mutation alone had taken the lives of hundreds of frogs and tens of lizards were sacrificed.

    My chimera¡¯s face was long like that of a lizard and wide like a frog.  It had the frog¡¯s long sticky tongue and the lizards tiny serrated teeth.  It leapt on four powerful legs and crawled at extreme speeds.  It scales were white almost blue from the mutations.  Best of all, it was stable this chimera could breed.

    Using my psychic power, I did something I hadn¡¯t before, I brushed against the mind of another.  From the books I¡¯ve read this is the first skill any psychic gains.  But I chose the route of telekinesis.  Most magic skills move about on their own accord forced out by mana pressure.  My use of telekinesis was uncommon.

    Psychic power was rare enough, and most couldn¡¯t move objects with their mind at all until they grew in power.  You could say my approach stunted me in ways.  My telepathy was nonexistent, and empathy was impossible for me.  I had always planned on learning the skills, but it never became valuable until now.   So, after pouring over the three books we had on the subject and I tentatively reached out with my mind.

    New skill

    Telepathy lv1 0.0% to next

    Active

    Description ¨C A power that allows the invasion of the minds around them this power is built to gather information and, in some cases, plant it.  Due to circumstances such as the class farmer this skill has been affected by the growth skill.  All planted ideas take 1/125 to infect the mind.  High powered telepaths can negate this skill and block your planting skill

    Mental DPS (15k) = INS (255) x WIL (60) x skill lv (1)

    Passive

    Gather the thoughts of those around you when they are unguarded.

    So, I did what came naturally, I implanted loyalty within the frogzard.  It turned to face me, and a new message came up.

    New skill

    Monster Master lv1 0.0% to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Rule over a wide variety of monsters taking care of their needs and force them to go to war in your name.  It only takes the first step to begin one¡¯s journey into the exciting and cut-throat world of monster lords.  Your Monster Master skill determines if your monsters will follow you to their doom or betray you for a new master.  Higher lv or ranked monsters have a higher chance to betray you.

    Morale and loyalty (60%) = (CAR (15) x DIV (16) x lv (25) x skill lv (1)) / (100 + monster lv)

    For now, the lv1 Frogzard was obedient but if it gained even 10 levels its loyalty would drop to 54 percent.  Then further until it no longer obeyed my commands.  Well there was only one way to improve, by raising the skill¡¯s level.

    Argulery day 20

    Commanding a Frogzard is like making a three-year-old on a sugar rush sit still.  Everything I say is ignored or just flat out forgotten minutes later.  I have three of the little bastards and making them eat bugs by my command is a challenge.  The only way to make sure its by my command is to order them to not eat the bug and that takes some doing.  2 levels in Monster Master and they still act like my commands don¡¯t matter.  Its going to be an uphill battle to get them to obey.

    Pa¡¯s been taking some of my broccoli to the market maybe he¡¯ll budge and take me with him to town.  Any day now, I¡¯m sure he will let me load up with him.  Its lonely and ordering lizards around and growing homicidal plants is annoying.  I want people my own age to talk to.  My brothers are more concerned about their own stuff rather than entertaining my questioning.  Pa hasn¡¯t budged on his rules.  I¡¯m not going to a dungeon until my attack potency reaches the 100s of millions.

    At the same time, I¡¯m allowed more freedoms.  I can go beyond the farm and explore.  If I go too far Stan finds me.

    Not that I have much to worry about around here.  I normally use mana full armor now.  It doesn¡¯t even take half of my MPM to maintain forever.  The best part about it is the fact that it levels all four skills at once.  That gives me around 3m defense.  I¡¯ve finally surpassed my attack potency months ago.  I could probably make hamburger meat out of those orcs now, if I wanted to.

    Squashuary day 4

    It¡¯s the first month of summer the month of the squash.  Most people plant them around this time.  I¡¯m still growing my Broccoli not that I have any room for squash.  A full year is 400 days and every month holds exactly 20 days.  Every season is exactly 100days.  This world despite the chaos of monsters and the occasional demon lord, is orderly and balanced.  There will never be a snow in the summer or a hot day in winter.

    This world is balanced that¡¯s why I can¡¯t seem to make an intelligent Frogzard.  I stood beside the pile of the pseudo monsters my dumping ground.  They never seem to surpass lv5, stronger monsters often kill them in the night, so I tossed their remains in a pit.

    Squashuary day 5

    I¡¯ve been so busy changing their appearance and attaching parts of one entity to another I never focused on stats.  Reading their minds, I can feel a sense of frailty to all my creations.  They need mutations that benefit them instead of making them look cool.  This was Ma¡¯s idea, she¡¯s thrilled that I finally started using telepathy.

    I can¡¯t yet make them sturdier or divulge any meaningful trait yet.  I believe it¡¯s a willpower problem.  I have no xp income besides the occasional bug my frogzards eat.  Our xp is split to 80% goes to them while I tax 20%.  1xp out of 5 isn¡¯t what I would call rolling in income.

    The frogzards have changed my menu.  There is a monster tab now.  I can pull any monster I¡¯ve forced to be loyal.  I can look at their stats and even apply stat points.  Though most only have the bite skill.

    ¡°Hey, are you still working on those things.  Do you want to come with me to see Midra again?  I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind testing your little monsters with some of hers.¡±  Toomas asked.  I wasn¡¯t up to it but seeing how well they can do in combat would be awesome.

    We made our way with no sign of an orc attack this time, much to my disappointment.  ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t think the orcs will be up to another attack for a while.¡±  Toomas said.  I nodded and walked with him until the world was surrounded by thread and silently crawling spiders.  One large spider dropped down and I sent all five of my current Frogzard.

    The large spider leaned back and covered them in sticky web before they could get close.  It then casually walked over to each one and cocooned them, before carrying them off.  My shoulders slumped at the quick battle.  ¡°Back to the drawing board.¡±  I mumbled as we continued.  Like before I was left to my own devices as my brother had his date with his dryder girlfriend.

    Squashuary day 8

    Snakes, frogs, and lizards I took all three for my experiment.  I¡¯ve been working on a new trait for a while.  I¡¯ve slowly turned bone skin into a trait that¡¯s also a perk.  It may even pass on to the next generation.  Thus far the frog reproduction process has been kept.  The current Frogzard is bone white weighs 5kilograms and can drag a large rat into its mouth, where it crushes and swallows its prey whole.  The bone skin gives a +5constitution.  It isn¡¯t a lot but it¡¯s better than nothing.

    Picking one of them off the sandy ground I dust it off as it gives off a strange noise.  Its between a ribbit and a hiss.  The skin is cold and rough.  While holding it, the monster reaches out with its tongue and rubs its eyeball.  Like a snake they are always open and incapable of closing.

    I¡¯ve started debating whether to add turtle to the mix or not.  A hard shell may be just what the little monster needs or maybe I should begin creating a trait like faster healing.

    Squashuary day 15

    I had a dream of creating a wingless dragon that I could ride around on.  It was to have a snarky attitude and crack jokes at my expense.  I have yet to succeed but upon my travels across the Northwind forest, I¡¯ve come upon a young dungeon.

    The mana pouring from the dungeon entrance was weak almost faltering.  This wasn¡¯t the mana of an experienced dungeon.  The area around it hadn¡¯t even changed yet.  The lv1 slimes inside said everything.  Slimes were well known for being the beginner monster for newborn dungeons.

    This place was perfect for my Frogzards.  In a few days I created 9 model 3s.  This model is the one with snake mixed in and +5CON off the bat.  Staying outside like I was supposed to, I ordered them to go inside and ransack the dungeon, while I observed through their eyes.

    From the perspective of my lv3 Frogzard I watched. He had a yellow stripe on its head, I called him Scar unlike the others his strength stat was 6 compared to their 5.  40xp and he would go up a level.

    They hopped through the opening and came upon the first monster.  It was a small slime with a glowing green core in the middle of its body.  Standing back they struck with their tongues ripping through the slime¡¯s gelatinous mass and catching the core.  They dragged it in killing the slime.  The slime splattered on the ground and they divided the 8xp between the nine of them.

    This dungeon was just a hole in the ground.  The slime it had guarding the first room didn¡¯t drop anything.  The frogs went further in and more slimes dropped from the ceiling falling on one of the Frogzard¡¯s.  Five gathered around the single zard melting away at its HP.  In seconds it was bones.  The zards countered with their tongues killing the slimes but it was much too late.  The dungeon had eaten one of the zards and now knew how to make more of them.

    They entered the next room finding a carbon copy of the zard that just died.  It attacked them with its tongue dragging one in its mouth and began trying to crush it.  The other zards attacked with clawed arms gouging out the enemy zard¡¯s eyes out.  Both died granting the party 12 xp to divide between them.  But they all gained the gouge skill.

    The next room was several zards but mine were better.  They each fought a zard and only 4 survived the battle.  The other three died dividing 84xp between the 4 of them.  They were all only 16 to the next lv.  They refused to go any further and instead devoured the monsters on the floor.  For each one they consumed some of the fallen monster¡¯s stat went into them.  They each gained 1DEX for the slimes they consumed.

    Their fellow Frogzards gave them +1CON they were all looking a little hardier.  Over all I could have called it quits and ordered them back.  But instead I ordered them forward.  Once their enemies were consumed they obeyed.

    The enemy zards were much stronger on this floor but so were my own.  They were outnumbered 3 to one.  Twelve zards attacked in mass using their tongues to get a quick kill.  But something had changed with my zards.  Their bodies began excreting mucus that deflected the tongues.  Their armored scales deflected cuts from the enemy zards and mine were faster.

    The battle ended with all 4 surviving.  They all gained a level, and I jammed all their points in strength making them bulk out.  Now their bite and slash attacks would do much more damage.  I withdrew them knowing that I could always come back to this place.

    Squashuary day 20

    My chimerification rarely killed a subject now when I made the frogzard.  These little guys were growing on me.  I had 20 4.0s and my 4 veteran 3.0s.  I ended up adding turtle to the mix after all and I can¡¯t say I¡¯m dissatisfied.  They look bulkier than ever and are fully capable of hiding in their shells.

    I divide my army 5 unblooded with one veteran.  This dungeon is still young, and nothing was above lv3.  The slimes are quickly taken out with coordinated tongue strikes led by the veteran zards.  They have developed low level telepathy due to my meddling.  One of the opposing frogzards get lucky and catches one of the new zard¡¯s shell with its tongue.  Fortunately, this time its bite strength isn¡¯t enough to break through it.

    The veteran zards are keeping their eyes on the ceiling for slimes.  Occasionally, they snag the core of one with their tongue as it falls.  Still their DEX increases by one with every core they consume.  Eventually they come upon the final room.  Only 5 of the new recruits have died so far mostly from blood loss.

    In the boss room is a three headed Zard at lv5.  It uses all three of its tongues and tries to swallow down the turtles this time instead of crushing their shells.  It just swallows them down.  I watched the bulges slip past the zard¡¯s throats.

    I had them bite the zard in mass.  Three more died before the boss zard was brought to the ground.  From there my zards began ripping it apart and swallowing down chunks of it.  When it died they gained 500xp divided between the survivors?  The veterans each leveled up to lv5 and their points went into CON making them larger and hardier.  Every chunk of flesh from the giant zard increased their CON.

    24 went in the dungeon, 12 walked out but they were all stronger for it.  Plans to begin increasing my monsters¡¯ offensive abilities were beginning to form in my head.

    Beanumer day 1

    It was a hot summer¡¯s day and a storm was brewing.  Rain pelted the ground and plant type monsters soaked in as much moisture as possible.  The underground springs refilled giving the deep-rooted trees more water to drink.  I stood out standing before a massive boulder.

    Lightning crackled as I prepared to train my physical skills.  Even though I work with my magic for my main offensive, close range combat always necessary.  I hit the rock with all the power I could muster.

    New skill

    Brawl lv1 0.0%xp

    Description ¨C You punch, kick, and fight like hell.  This is street fighting anything that works goes.  This skill can drain heavy amounts of stamina.

    Phys DPS (65) = STR (65) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 2SPS

    I wailed on the boulder, my 3m defense kept me from feeling the damage slamming my fists against a boulder should do.  Pieces of the boulder chipped away as I worked on raising the skill.  My joints felt the pounding that my armor protected my skin from.  It was wearing me down.  My body was covered in sweat despite the rain cooling me down.  Though, I managed to get 5lvs from the skill. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Once my stamina drained all the way I stopped and took a break.  This was all I needed for today, my Zards were watching me.  Their buggy eyes saw the way I was moving and something of a gleam came over their eyes.  Some of the original four have taken to walking on two legs.  I¡¯ve been adjusting their skeletal structure little by little.

    I had some fishing to do.  There were several pounds near the farm and if you were willing to walk some distance you could find the bog.  The bog was home to gators, giant catfish, venomous snakes, and giant poisonous spiders.  Not to mention several breeds of turtle.  I was currently after one of the bog¡¯s catfish.  They have poisonous fins.

    I cast my pole and noticed my fishing skill go up by one.  Sitting under an umbrella, I waited for something to bite.  Hours later, I yanked my pole and hooked something.  I cheated grabbing the monster with telekinesis and pulling it to the shore.  This monster was a rare fresh water breed of sea serpent.  I¡¯ve read about them.

    New Born Sea Serpent lv23

    10,000,000/100,000HP

    Special skills: Rain Storm lv50, Water Palace lv20, and Atlantis lv20

    The second it hit the ground, it attacked with a water beam lv20.  It sucked in a vast amount of water and spat out a continuous stream with enough power to shatter rock.  My armor flashed in the visible spectrum when it before it hit.  With telekinesis, I was able to disperse most of the skill before it hit me.  Halving its damage, the monster¡¯s water beam 2m DPS to my armor.

    New skill

    Psychic barrier lv1 1000DPS to next

    Description ¨C A barrier formed from psychic power to shield the user from deadly attacks.  It is reactive to what the user can perceive, it will not activate to a surprise attack.  When blocking a dangerous attack, the shield will remain up until the user runs out of mana or the attack stops.  Can only use 3 times a day.

    Defense = STR (65) x PER (25) x WIL (60) x Mana (1-Max) x skill lv (1)

    Cost Situational Dependent limit 3every 24hours

    Psychic barrier lv up x12

    I just gained the strongest skill I¡¯ve every seen because a over powered snake nearly killed me.  Perspective was annoying just like the serpent.  It seemed smug well it was unfortunate, it was within my telekinetic range.

    The serpent had no defense, but it had a ton of HP especially for a lv23.  I opened with a volley of Light shots to test how well I handled punishment.  My initial shots brought its HP down to half and which quickly healed.  My eyes bulged when I saw it regen 5m HP in a second.  This thing was beyond powerful, it was the dragon of the ocean.  My telekinesis reacted dragging it through the air to me.

    I couldn¡¯t help myself, this was the perfect creature to dissect.  Before it could react, it was already in pieces.  I ripped it apart and studied every organ system, organ, and cell.  Then I chunked the remains in my inventory.  There was a lot I needed to try.

    Beanumer day 4

    The storms passed leaving behind their gifts.  The trees were greener, the grass was higher, and the animals were happily grazing and sunning.  For my monsters and I it was time to explore the dungeon again and try out some new tricks.  I managed to incorporate gills in every one of my monsters.  That and the water element.  Yes, every one of my monsters had the water typing now.  Well except for Scar he has psychic and dark.  Of all my monsters, he has changed the most.  Lv10 with dark bite, and crunch along with his psychic powers, it made scar a devastating opponent at his level.

    At lv26 I put my points in charisma.  I needed some more in that area.  But nothing would ever be enough.  Monsters could gain bonus stats just by eating another monster.  My brothers had tons of classes that each gave them bonus stats.  I had plenty to class points to start doing the same, but it wasn¡¯t enough to bridge the gap between human and god.

    I had a dream last night.  There was this dungeon within it were air and sea monsters of all kinds and they were controlled by darkness.  This wasn¡¯t some type of random dark monster moving in.  It was a god.  I was there too. fighting him.

    In the dream he moves like smoke, I¡¯m nearly ten feet tall and a mountain of muscle but I can¡¯t beat him.  There aren¡¯t skills in the way I know them.  They seem to increase by percentages based off base and net stats.  The me in the dream had stats so high that he seemed invincible, he was beyond anything human.  Yet, it wasn¡¯t enough no matter how fast the me in the dream moved he couldn¡¯t match the god of darkness.  My brother was smaller, he didn¡¯t have massive muscles, or a body that most would call godly, but he was better regardless.  He had something that the me in the dream didn¡¯t have.  He stabbed me in the chest turned around and didn¡¯t look back.

    This wasn¡¯t a dream it had to be a possibility.  If I trained and only increased my power in one direction, I¡¯ll lose.  What I needed was a second avenue of power.  There happened to be one close by.  I wasn¡¯t a blue mage, those don¡¯t happen but once in a generation and I¡¯m not the one.  No, I need to gain the same power monsters hold, the power to consume my enemies and make their strength my own.

    I had 148 class points from all the skill levels I¡¯ve gained.  I decided to use light mage, if I could get the next class rank up I would.

    128 light mage lv3

    98, light mage lv4

    58 light mage lv5

    8 light mage lv6

    Endure Light lv1 100DPS to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Your body have begun to acclimate to the damaging effects of light mana.  Through struggle light will soon become your greatest ally.

    Resistance (400) = WIL (100) x CON (40) x light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Light Wave lv1 100DPS to next

    Description ¨C A wave of light that emits from the palm.  It has a high chance of blinding opponents.  Its range is short.

    DPS (100) = WIL (100) x Light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 5MPS

    Solar Powered lv1 0.0% to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Light has blessed you and given you greater life force.  While under the sun¡¯s light you heal more quickly increasing HPR to new heights.  Due to divine power this skill has been improved, CON, STR, DEX, PER, and END increase when sun light has been absorbed within the last 12hours.  If sunlight isn¡¯t absorbed stats return to normal.

    Percent increase (160%) = (WIL (100) x DIV (16) x skill lv (1) x Light (1)) / 10

    At class lv6 Light mage doesn¡¯t get any more skills until 10.  Its one of those wait to see.  Solar powered is a skill that can make anyone seem like a tank.  My muscles were already bulging and shrinking due to the stat increase.  In a few hours when my new strength leveled out I would be a beast.  All I must do now is raise Willpower and Div and my other stats will rise with it.  And if id do choose to raise a physical stat, then it will receive a massive boost.  The only problem is sunlight, if I don¡¯t get enough of the stuff, then I lose all my power.

    The next form of light mage is light wizard.  It¡¯s a ranked-up version with only 2 skills.  Willpower increases by 20 each level even though the class is a 2.5star. The final form of Light mage is light sage.  There aren¡¯t many of those at one time.  There is only 1 skill the class learns and its jumped to 25points in willpower every level.  That one skill is considered all the class needs.  Once Light sage is mastered, the user can get the Hero of Light class.  There hasn¡¯t been one of those in centuries.  That and mastering a sage class to get a hero class is considered ridiculous.

    I felt like a hedge mage.  Most who go after the mage class learn dozens of skills in their element and combine them to form a single skill.  Their custom skill is considered their signature.  Hedge mages learn very few skills and never amount to much.

    I spent all my class points because I was scared and thought a bunch of new skills and more willpower would make me feel better.  It was comfort power.  Like a vampire that tasted virgins¡¯ blood I drank everything and have nothing to show for it.  Of course, I didn¡¯t kill anyone to get this power and don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m bulging with more physical power than I know what to do with.  I¡¯m scared, and this shaking isn¡¯t just from the power up.

    Because my strength was greater so too was my psychic power.  A body that is strong naturally houses more psychic power.  With my personal power boosted, I decided to work on my monsters again.

    Beanumber day 10

    Toomas and Thad were with me to watch a miracle of life.  ¡°If they actually crawl out of the water, you would have created a successful monster species.¡±  Thad muttered as we watched thousands of zards with small legs began to swim closer to land.  Finally, one stepped from the pound and walked up on the shore.  Its green skin was slowly changing in pigment to a hard white.  More were swimming out of the pound.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible, I mean even Stan isn¡¯t fertile, yet a few frogs, snakes, and lizards mashed together are.¡±  Toomas said.  I closed my eyes at the jab at my credibility.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t that Stan isn¡¯t able to produce offspring, its that the demon lord didn¡¯t want such a powerful creature reproducing.  Think about it, if there were 100 like Stan nothing in this world could stand up to them.¡±  I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s just a hypothesis, you would have to make Stan a girlfriend to see.  Do you guys ever look at his balls they are the size of grapefruits?¡±  Thad said and licked his lips.

    ¡°You would say that.¡±  I muttered.  Thad chuckled at my words.

    ¡°Women are for babies and men are for pleasure.  So long as I don¡¯t make babies, I can fuck whatever I want little brother.¡±  Thad said.  I covered my ears trying not to listen to my hedonistic eldest brother.

    ¡°Stop it Thad, you¡¯ll make him blush with your scandalous ways.¡±  Toomas said.  ¡°I find quite a bit of pleasure from Midna thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of scandalous have you told mother about her soon to be monster daughter in law.  Have you found a Judge that will marry the two of you?  One brave enough to venture out of a city I mean.  Then again, we are both living in sin one way or another right brother.  Though none of use have anything on you do we little brother.¡±  Thad said.  Just like that our eldest brother snapped back at both of us.

    ¡°I¡¯ve merely begun my long process of creating a monster to serve me in battle.  A bit of evolution is needed to create its true form.¡±  I defended.

    ¡°So, sending in armies against a dungeon only for over half to die is all a part of the plan.  I would hate to be under your command, are they even alive to you or do you only see what they could become.  Your Great White Rex, or whatever your calling it now.¡±  Toomas said.  In my opinion they were a means to an end.  The species Frogzard¡¯s main function was to birth a powerful warrior monster.  The designs have been changing it now has human arms and legs.  In my dreams its intelligent, strong, and proud.  Best of all it¡¯s a being that is self-aware.

    ¡°They are alive.  But to consider them anything but a step in the process is foolish.  They will become something greater than their parts.  Their desires have no weight until they become complete.¡±  I said resolutely.

    ¡°Very cold little brother but you could have denied my words.  Why didn¡¯t you?¡±  He asked pointedly.

    ¡°Because, our little brother doesn¡¯t believe in limiting himself to the morals of humanitarians.  In the end they are frogs, snakes, lizards and turtles that he has molded into something greater.  Its as the saying goes great men are almost always considered bad by society.¡±  Thad said and paused.  ¡°Not that I¡¯m calling you great Markus.  You¡¯re far from me calling you that.  Stick with it and finish making this grand monster warrior of yours and I¡¯ll consider calling you great.  Now if the two of you are done, I¡¯m going to go fuck some random monster woman in the forest or maybe I¡¯ll make a burly ogre blow me.  Who knows,¡± Thad winked and stepped deeper in the woods.

    ¡°I swear he¡¯s going to end up with a million bastards just like Ma always said.¡±  Toomas muttered.  I shrugged, and we dropped into silence watching the adolescent Frogzards crawl onto land.  They immediately formed into marching lines going to the little frogzard barrack I built out of wood.

    ¡°Do you think he really blew Stan?¡±  I asked.  Toomas looked at me as if seeing me for the first time.  His eyes were wide.  He blew Stan.  I realized that there was a reason why Stan was always so buddy buddy with Thad more than even Pa.  Where they secret lovers?  I shook the thoughts off for being ridiculous.

    ¡°Our brother has a powerful libido.  His constitution and endurance are nearly at Pa¡¯s level.  He literally can¡¯t control himself sometimes.  Instead of going crazy or turning into a rapist, he just started having sex with everything that gave consent.  Stan¡¯s basically a demon and very lonely.  We don¡¯t normally talk about it when Ma or Pa is in earshot.  Do you think any less of him for it?¡±  I honestly didn¡¯t know Thad had it so bad, he was always so moody, it never occurred to ask about it.  Did I think less of him for making do with what he had?  No, Stan while messed up needed companionship too.  If they didn¡¯t cause any harm, then live and let live.

    ¡°I think its his business and I¡¯m not going to judge him because its not my place.  Nothing has changed.¡±  I said and decided to stick to my principles.

    ¡°Well maybe you are maturing.  Have fun with your little army.  I¡¯m going to go get laid in my woman¡¯s web.¡±  Toomas said and walked off.  I rubbed my temples.  The filter was apparently gone.  I opened Pandora¡¯s box and I can never put all the evils back in.

    Beanumber day 15

    In five days, I turned the adolescent zards into lv5s with every skill the adults had when they entered the dungeon.  With twelve veteran zards leading them I broke the numbers up into groups of 20 led by one veteran.  Scar had the largest group of 30.  The dungeon went through a change.  A large black slime waited at the entrance.  It had the shape of a human and lizard like scale shape throughout its form.

    ¡°Welcome brave adventurers to the dungeon of shapes.  If you manage to find any magic stones inside, give them to me and I will reward you with a skill book.¡±  The black slime said.  It moved about with a confidence I haven¡¯t seen in slimes.  The single eye it had and the voice box floating in its throat were new.

    ¡°Will you attack if I lead my army inside?¡±  I asked.  It was a lv30 black slime.  It had no shield and only 20k health, but slimes were known for their extreme regeneration and damage resistances.  It turned to look at me with no expression.

    ¡°You have a unique face, if you attack me, I would enjoy adding it to my body.  But no, send in as many as you like, I don¡¯t mind.¡±  The slime said.  I was unfazed.  Monsters were called so for a reason.  But now I wanted to kill the creature.  Instead, I focused on the dungeon.  Thrusting my hand forward, my army entered the dungeon.

    Sitting down where I could get plenty of sunlight, I focused on looking through the eyes of my zards.  Half of me wanted to buy a crystal ball to ease the process, but those cost quite a bit of coin.  Maybe this dungeon would drop some copper pieces.

    Our money system worked like this.  25copper made 1silver, 60silver made 1gold, and 100gold made 1Uranium coin.  This system changes depending on the dungeon drops in each area.  As an example, gold to Uranium down south can be 5 to 1 or even 2 to 1 in some areas.  Some money barons like to take large amounts of uranium exchange it for gold and then increase their uranium supply.  This causes the exchange rates to shift depending on the area.  It¡¯s a real problem for merchants and the economy.  Then again being a money baron has a lot of risks.  Markets change, and mints do as well.  Coins that haven¡¯t been minted by the kingdom are worthless.  They can be sold to a minter, but the amount of return isn¡¯t worth it.  Many families have gone under from the process.

    In a short time, a drop fell and entered my inventory.  It was a small magic stone.  Nothing too special about it and I doubted that the dungeon had any skill books worth a look.  I held on to it.  My monsters were dying in droves.  The dungeon forced them to climb up hills, investigate sealed off rooms, and there were traps everywhere.   Due to the telepathic link, I was able to implant recognition of traps and ambushes in mass.  The likelihood of one of my zards falling into a trap greatly diminished.  But that didn¡¯t mean they were out of the woods.  As my soldiers marched forward uphill the enemy zards could snipe them with their tongues.  Well placed water beams killed many of the old model zards the enemy used.  But it would only be a matter of time before the dungeon implemented my new models.

    The first boss room had a similar boss as last time with three heads and a shell this time.  It was met with a volley of water beams.  When one group ran out of mana the next attacked.  For now, the dungeon didn¡¯t have a counter to this tactic.  Scar used the distraction to climb on the three headed turtle zard¡¯s shell.  The second the water beams stopped the heads emerged and Scar attacked.  He latched onto the back of one¡¯s head and bit down hard pumping snake venom and dark mana into the monster.  The others swarmed it.  Two were devoured while the others bit into the turtle zard¡¯s long necks.  The boss monster¡¯s flesh was ripped from the shell while Scar ate the shell.  He received +20CON for his troubles.  He had over 100CON now and well over 1000HP thanks to his efforts.  His scales were much harder than a normal zard.

    The next floor opened, and I sent in my army.  They weren¡¯t even down a quarter of their number.  Slimes covered the second floor some variants.  My monsters used their former tactics and ate every monster core they could find.  The problem was the sheer number of slimes.  Hundreds upon hundreds of them piled in.  All were over lv10.  The zards were gaining DEX by the 10s until they ate 5 cores of the same variant and the increase stopped.  I had them change targets and let fresh soldiers take over.  My zards were tough and quick.  The water types used water beams to keep the majority at bay while others sniped out cores.  The numbers kept coming in and I ordered a withdrawal.  The water beam variants were to remain and give the other cover to escape.  They didn¡¯t fight my order as they made their retreat.

    I lost over 50 of my water type zards.  The shear mass of slimes over took them.  Water could hold a slime back, slimes were highly resistant, so they weren¡¯t put down by it.

    All zards that escaped the cave had maxed out their lv at 20.  The xp I gained made me lv32, I had 30 stat points and 60 for training.  My zards were ready to rank up into a new form.  What that form would look like was anyone¡¯s guess.

    Most had DEX over 50 they were fast little guys and built like tanks.

    Eggplantistan day 2

    Every single one of the zards that escaped the dungeon ranked up and became what I call Zaroids.  They were intelligent thanks to the psychic typing.  Every one of them seemed take to soldiering, there was something of a warrior class to them.  A new skill was shared between them.  Ki.

    Ki lv1 0.0% to next

    Description ¨C When qi and psychic power mix ki is created.  Mana, stamina, and health have merged into a single bar.  When ki runs out health is sacrificed to use skills.  This power is shared by most psychic warriors.

    Ki capacity(18m) = CON (100) x STR (60)x END x WIL (15) x INS (20)x skill lv (1) x 10

    That was just the average.  Scar had ki of 40m.  He stood tall much taller than me.  Over 6ft and brisling with muscles.  His hands were white with three fingers and one thumb.  He had a round head perfectly spherical and a long whip like tail.  He looked at me and nodded.  I nodded back amazed at what he has become.

    ¡°How did this happen, you were just mindless lizards just a few months ago.  I¡¯ve never heard of monsters like you before.¡±  I said, and I was amazed at just how powerful they were and weak.  They could kill themselves by using too much power.  There was no safety for them.  This was something of a weakness if they remained only at this strength.  Now that I had a good look at all of them, I realized that they weren¡¯t as powerful as I thought.

    ¡°Creator we were made from your divine power and will.  We are ready to fuck shit up.  Let us go back to the place of battle and crush them.¡±  Scar said.  My gaze went over the amassed army of zaroids.  They looked prepared for war.

    A quick mind sight allowed me to find the organ that made ki within them.  Plans to make one of my own came to mind but mana alone was an excellent skill.  I quickly calculated how powerful I would be if I had ki.  Well into the billions thanks to my Solar Powered ability, with out it around 700m.  Still they were impressive.  The water type zaroids had white scales with blue patches.  All of them held themselves like warriors which was the best.  Their faces were still a little lizardlike their throats were thick, and their teeth were sharp, but I admired their features.  Scar was becoming my grand warrior.  They had changed a lot from my vision but I¡¯m not unsatisfied.

    I had a lot of weapons from the skeleton dungeon and armor that boosted constitution.  I tossed them a pile of what I had.  Most of the common drops in the skeleton dungeon either increased strength or constitution.  Once all 80 of my warriors were properly dressed, I had them form up.  With this change in form, I needed to drill them into the ground.

    Eggplantistan Day 5

    I put every point I had in INS and purchased another lv in Light Mage.  With 1100MP I felt stronger than ever.  Once my class is fully mastered that WIL it gives me will become permanent and I¡¯ll get a skill for it.  Pa says that skill will probably be mana capacitor.  My mana will increase by leaps and bounds.

    It¡¯s a beautiful day.  My Solar Powered is already lv8 just from standing out in sunlight.  My physical power is growing steadily.  When I finally face my brother it will be with an army of giant burly Zaroids with bad attitudes.

    Today we were entering the slime dungeon again.  We came upon the black slime and I stabbed it through the core.  Light covered my had and the slime exploded.

    Light Blade lv1 1000DPS to next

    Description ¨C Conjure a beam of light around your arm and make it sharp.  Great in fusion skill with close range attacks.

    DPS (110) = WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 5MPS

    We entered the dungeon and were assaulted by a legion of slimes and hundreds of zards with water beams.  The water zaroids manipulated the water away from me, as I extended my light blades to snipe the zards.  The dungeon was trying to do away with us with numbers.

    Lv up x8

    I had another 40 points and I put 20 in CON and 20 in DIV.  Immediately I felt my bones and skin harden to extreme levels and all my regenerations increased.  There were no more drops the dungeon disabled that function and went on a full offensive.  Slimes were peaking out from drain pipes that covered the place and leaping out for ambushes.

    Axes, spears, and long swords were wielded with devastating effects against the slimes.  Their cores were destroyed ending their threat.  The Ki that all my Zaroids ran on gave them immense health.  We were making our way to the next floor one a giant version of the boss stepped out of the boss chamber.  It¡¯s three heads fired both water and electricity to a devastating effect.  Everyone ducked for cover using pillars and pipes to hide from the giant zard.

    I jumped from cover and shot it full of light thorns and ran at it light blades on each arm.  Its third head opened its mouth and a long sticky tongue shot out sticking to my armor.  Pulled off my feet I moved quickly raising my light blades and piercing the monster¡¯s maw.  Hot breath brushed my face as this big behemoth tried to shove me in its mouth, so it could crush me.  Scar jumped from cover and smashed his Warhammer into the turtle¡¯s shell.  The other two heads bent down to unleash their water beams on the brave Zaroid.  In five seconds, the damage my blades did doubled.  Then in another five seconds they doubled again.

    My light blades were slowly leveling up even as I held them in place.  After I took a second to evaluate my situation, I shot the turtles mouth with a volley of light thorns.  The head exploded, and the turtle fell down dead.  I leveled up to 41.

    From the amount of mana that just increased the dungeon is just absorbing more mana and getting ready to pour more slimes and zards out.  It was for nothing.  My army out classed this dungeon by a wide margin now.  If they had active skills to go along with ki they would be even stronger.

    ¡°Master why are we doing this?¡±  Scar asked.  He was uncertain of my ability to lead them.

    ¡°This is all in preparation for an enemy that will soon attack us.  If we don¡¯t use our time and grow strong quickly, then we won¡¯t be prepared for battles to come.  If we can take the dungeon, we will have a place for the Zaroids that is safe.  My father won¡¯t abide your presence for much longer.¡±  Pa saw them as pets and he wasn¡¯t going to allow too many.  This was a good compromise.

    ¡°We are to make this place our den.¡±  Scar said and looked around.  ¡°It is plentiful with prey but dangerous.¡±  Scar noted.

    ¡°Once the core is taken this place will no longer try to kill you.  This den will instead use its forces to keep you safe.¡±  Scar nodded his head still unconvinced.  I sighed and walked down the stairs to the next floor followed by my army.

    They were still incomplete.  There was a further evolution and I could sense it.  But for now, I needed their population to grow.  A dungeon is the perfect place for them to expand.  They can have living quarters in this dungeon and run it for me.  It would give me some xp constantly.  Those who want to be powerful often do the same.  Its said the king has 4 dungeons under his control.

    This was the first step of my plan to become strong enough to fight a god.  But my next step would be harder.  I needed to several resistances against darkness.  Every dungeon with dark monsters happened to be danger rank S.  Dungeons that normally had guards on standby to keep under leveled adventures away.  It was time that I went to the village with Pa.  I needed to get away from home for a while.  I needed to see something new.

    A river of slimes coalesced and formed into a single slime woman.  1000 slimes formed this slime queen.  Her kind were one of the most dangerous forms of slime.  Slimes were normally unintelligent and with the right amount of preparation easy to kill.  Slime Queens were intelligent, aware of their weaknesses they hid their core behind thick metallic slime.  Their bodies were pressurized, able to unleash high speed slime tendrils at a moments notice.  And their acid was able to bypass most shields.  A slime queen wasn¡¯t something that he or his forces were ready for.

    Even as a newborn, I could see awareness behind its eyes.  In less than a second it took stock of the situation and its body rippled.  A line of zaroids ran towards it yelling with spears ready.  It happened in less than a second.  The slime queen turned her head to the side and before my eyes it absorbed the remains of 10 of my warriors.  Structures within the slime queen changed as the new stats made it stronger.

    It bent down on itself and yelled out as it leapt at us.  Raising my hand, I blasted 20 well placed light thorns all misses.  In this situation I need an area effect.  More of my forces leapt into action to avenge their fallen brethren.  They attacked in waves getting in each other¡¯s way as they fought.  With such a large crowd there was nothing I could do.

    There were millions of skills out there and I only had a hand full of them.  Light is considered one of the most damaging types for its special abilities.  I haven¡¯t even begun to tap into lights real power and I was paying for my lack of preparation.  I didn¡¯t deserve this army or to take this dungeon.

    The monster continued to rip through my forces there were only 20 left including scar.  The slime queen had already ripped through them and devoured their remains.  If it had ki it would be invincible at this point.

    Scar held up his hand and unleashed a powerful blast of energy.  The detonation ripped holes out of the concrete floor of the dungeon and tore apart the zaroids holding back the slime queen.

    The slime queen quickly began to reform.  Even thought the attack had enough power to kill several zaroids, the slime queen had eaten more than enough to regenerate itself.  The power of light was to reduce anything to its most base parts.  Holding out my hand I forced 300MP into a single attack.  I had no idea what would happen.  My attack had no form and it kept eating mana, condensing, and heating up.  Even through the millions of defenses, I could feel heat forming at the palms of my hands.

    When the slime reformed, it looked up at me, opened its mouth, and shrieked before bending its legs down and preparing to leap.  Time was running out and my attack just swallowed more mana as something began to take form.  A sound began to echo from the mass of light in my palms it sounded beautiful and horrible.  1000MP was gone and my own MPM was draining away to fuel this mighty spell.  Scar and three of the surviving Zaroids charged blasts and pummeled it with energy attacks.

    Ten seconds passed, and my attack finished forming.  It had shifted becoming a tiny golden light with a set of wings and a halo.  My Zaroids got some distance as I waved my hand and unleashed my strongest skill.  My arm broke from the telekinetic force needed to unleash the spell.  Pain shot through me as the spell rushed after the enemy.  Pieces of slime evaporated as it approached.  The slime queen turned into metal and attempted to block the approaching light with its arms.  It didn¡¯t stop the attack even for a second.

    Slime queen lv60 Slain

    100 x 60 = 6000xp

    Level up x1

    Lv 42

    New Perk

    Avatar ¨C You have realized the secret; your body is just a puppet that you manipulate.  Now with psychic power you can manipulate that puppet far more efficiently.  Stamina has integrated into your mana you no longer require stamina when using psychical skills.  It is understood that telekinesis will cover all your physical needs.

    New skill

    Holy lv3 100,000 to next

    Description ¨C Power incomparable haloed and winged it contains the power to reduce complex molecules to their basic structures.  During the time of the great beasts this power was feared for its destructive power.

    DPS ¨C WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (3) x 10k x MP after 3000MP

    Cost 3000MP

    Job unlocked at lv10 Avenging Angel

    I walked through the destruction from my attack and found what I was looking for.  A small orb of blue sat on a pedestal.  It was scared.  My Zaroids were here with me of the 80 that came in here only 4 lived.  All to take this little thing.

    Do you want to take control of this Dungoen.

    Y/N

    I hit yes and felt connected to this place.  I made Scar the admin of the dungeon and left.  This place killed my army and now I wasn¡¯t sure about using them as a force anymore.  They were powerful warriors but not what I needed to fight someone like a god.  No, not yet.  I needed to add some cunning into their species and maybe a bit of dragon for luck.

    Even as I returned home I felt the dungeon and what effect it already had.  My xp bar was slowly filling even at rest.  Scar would protect the dungeon.  He had living quarters and females of his species.  Heck if he needed to, he could have the dungeon make more of his kind.

    I sensed resentment from him and the others.  How long would it be before they rebelled against me?  A day, a month, or maybe a year.  I needed to get craftier if I wanted to keep them under thumb.

    ¡°Boy, pack up the cart, your coming to town with me.¡±  Pa said as I walked in the house.  He looked at me with a serious expression.  I nodded to him and left to begin preparing the wagon.

    Markus Age 9

    Lv12 1,300xp to next

    HP 23k/600         +975HPM

    MP 10,75k/1350 +255 (17.5k) MPM

    Constitution 60 (2,340)

    Endurance 15(25) (975)

    Perception 25 (975)

    Strength 65 (2,565)

    Dexterity 15 (975)

    Insight 160 (265)

    Willpower 40(110)

    Charisma 15

    Luck 15

    Divinity 36

    Class

    Farmer lv2 0 of 20 to next

    1 star

    +5Endurance per lv

    Skills

    Growth lv5 Grow 16 plants to maturity to next level

    Passive

    Utility Plants require (1/125th) normal growing time = Endurance (25) x Skill lv (5)

    Hidden effect

    Divine Influence

    Description ¨C Adds a bonus effect through divine power.  This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator.  Warning grow things at your own risk.

    Increased Lifespan (x80) = Divine (16) x skill lv (5)

    Harvest lv1 pick 1 plant next lv

    Description ¨C Gather the bounty you have planted with greater fortune increases the odds of a plant growing more than originally able.

    Active

    Cost 60SPM

    Utility Increased bounty +37.5% =% (Endurance (25) x Luck (15) x skill lv (1))/10

    Light Mage lv6 0 of 20 to next

    2star

    +10Willpower per lv

    skills

    Light Seed lv4 Learn 4 light skills to next

    Description ¨C a seed from the eternal light tree has taken root within you.  Despite your inability to learn light or dark god classes the mortal, knight, and hero classes are available to you.  With this seed your journey into light magic has truly begun.  It shall sprout and become the power behind your light.

    Passive

    MPRM when using light skills (+180) = Willpower (110) x skill lv (4) x light (1)

    Hidden ability

    Description ¨C Due to the divine nature of your power the the farmer growth ability, a new passive ability has been obtained.

    Defense when using Light shield skills (2,400) = WIL (60) x CON (40) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    Light Thorns lv10 (Max)

    Active

    Description ¨C Light shot is twisted with mana manipulation in a skill fusion to unleash a piercing attack.  This attack is built to punch through shields and once it reaches max level it deals double damage to defense and triple damage to dark defense.

    DPS (8.047m) = (Light Shot (805k) + Mana Manipulation (765)) x Skill lv (10)

    Cost 15MPS

    Endure Light lv1 100DPS to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Your body have begun to acclimate to the damaging effects of light mana.  Through struggle light will soon become your greatest ally.

    Resistance (400) = WIL (100) x CON (40) x light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Light Wave lv1 100DPS to next

    Description ¨C A wave of light that emits from the palm.  It has a high chance of blinding opponents.  Its range is short.

    DPS (110) = WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 5MPS

    Solar Powered lv10 4.0% to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Light has blessed you and given you greater life force.  While under the sun¡¯s light you heal more quickly increasing HPR to new heights.  Due to divine power this skill has been improved, CON, STR, DEX, PER, and END increase when sun light has been absorbed within the last 12hours.  If sunlight isn¡¯t absorbed stats return to normal.

    Percent increase (3.9k%) = (WIL (110) x DIV (16) x skill lv (10) x Light (1)) / 10

    Types

    Light 1 0/15 small white crystals

    Dark 1 0/15 small black crystals

    Psychic 1 0/15 small purple crystals

    skills

    Archery lv5 Damage to next lv 3200

    Phys DPS (2625) = STR (35) x DEX (15) x skill lv (5)

    Till lv11 10kilometers to next lv

    Utility PHYS DPS (17k) = END (25) x STR (65) x skill lv 11

    Cost 60SPM

    Orb lv20 182days to next lv

    L orb DPS (2,200) = WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mana Manipulation lv4 create 4 pure mana skill to next

    passive

    MAG DPS (1060) = (INS (265) x skill lv (4)

    MPRM (+106%) = ((INS (265) x skill lv (4))/10

    Telekinesis lv10 lift 51,200objects next level

    Phys DPS (2.7m) = STR (2.5k) x Wil (110) Psychic (1) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mind sight lv1 1min to next

    Range (15m) = Willpower (60) x Perception (25) x type (1) x skill lv (1) x 1 cm

    Cost 5MPS

    Light Shot lv20

    Light DPS (54m) = (Telekinesis (2,7mk) + L orb (2.2k)) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 10MPS

    Holy lv3 600,000 to next

    DPS (3.3m) ¨C WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (3) x 10k x MP after 3000MP

    Cost 3000MP

    Light Blade lv1 1000DPS to next

    DPS (110) = WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 5MPS

    Warm Body lv1 endure cold damage for 3hours to next

    Cold RPS (2.3k) = CON (2.3k) x skill lv (1)

    Mana Shield lv30 tank 53.6bDPS to next lv

    Defense (17.6m) = CON (2.3k) x INS (255) x skill lv (30)

    Cost 10MPS

    Mana Chainmail lv20 524mDPS to next

    Defense (11.7m) = CON (2.3k) x INS (255) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 15MPS

    Mana Plate lv10 5.1mDPS

    Defense (5m) = CON (2.3k) x INS (255) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 20MPS

    Mana Full Armor lv5 2mDPS to next lv

    Defense (171mm) = (Mana Shield (17.6m) + Mana Chainmail (11.7m) + Mana Plate (5m)) = 34m x skill lv (5)

    Cost 50MPS

    Mana Regeneration lv23 104m mana recovered to next

    Passive

    MPM (6.1k) = INS (265) x skill lv (23)

    Chimerafication lv40 12%xp to next

    Passive

    Chance of Success (440%) = (WIL (110) x skill lv (40) x Dark (1))/10

 Chapter 5 rewrite

    Eggplantistan day6

    Markus Age 9

    Lv42 2,300xp to next

    HP 23k/600         +975HPM

    MP 22,495/1350 +255 (17.5k) MPM

    Constitution 60 (2,340)

    Endurance 45(55) (2145)

    Perception 25 (975)

    Strength 65 (2,565)

    Dexterity 15 (975)

    Insight 160 (265)

    Willpower 60(120)

    Charisma 35

    Luck 15

    Divinity 36

    Trainable points remaining 180

    Class

    Farmer lv2 0 of 20 to next

    1 star

    +5Endurance per lv

    Skills

    Growth lv5 Grow 16 plants to maturity to next level

    Passive

    Utility Plants require (1/125th) normal growing time = Endurance (25) x Skill lv (5)

    Hidden effect

    Divine Influence

    Description ¨C Adds a bonus effect through divine power.  This can cause plants to gain intelligence and seek to devour their creator.  Warning grow things at your own risk.

    Increased Lifespan (x80) = Divine (16) x skill lv (5)

    Harvest lv1 pick 1 plant next lv

    Description ¨C Gather the bounty you have planted with greater fortune increases the odds of a plant growing more than originally able.

    Active

    Cost 60MPM

    Utility Increased bounty +3.21k% =% (Endurance (2145) x Luck (15) x skill lv (1))/10

    Light Mage lv6 0 of 70 to next

    2star

    +10Willpower per lv

    skills

    Light Seed lv4 Learn 4 light skills to next

    Description ¨C a seed from the eternal light tree has taken root within you.  Despite your inability to learn light or dark god classes the mortal, knight, and hero classes are available to you.  With this seed your journey into light magic has truly begun.  It shall sprout and become the power behind your light.

    Passive

    MPRM when using light skills (+180) = Willpower (110) x skill lv (4) x light (1)

    Hidden ability

    Description ¨C Due to the divine nature of your power the the farmer growth ability, a new passive ability has been obtained.

    Defense when using Light shield skills (2,400) = WIL (60) x CON (40) x skill lv (3) x light (1)

    Light Thorns lv10 (Max)

    Active

    Description ¨C Light shot is twisted with mana manipulation in a skill fusion to unleash a piercing attack.  This attack is built to punch through shields and once it reaches max level it deals double damage to defense and triple damage to dark defense.

    DPS (8.047m) = (Light Shot (805k) + Mana Manipulation (765)) x Skill lv (10)

    Cost 15MPS

    Endure Light lv1 100DPS to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Your body have begun to acclimate to the damaging effects of light mana.  Through struggle light will soon become your greatest ally.

    Resistance (400) = WIL (100) x CON (40) x light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Light Wave lv1 100DPS to next

    Description ¨C A wave of light that emits from the palm.  It has a high chance of blinding opponents.  Its range is short.

    DPS (110) = WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 5MPS

    Solar Powered lv10 4.0% to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C Light has blessed you and given you greater life force.  While under the sun¡¯s light you heal more quickly increasing HPR to new heights.  Due to divine power this skill has been improved, CON, STR, DEX, PER, and END increase when sun light has been absorbed within the last 12hours.  If sunlight isn¡¯t absorbed stats return to normal.

    Percent increase (3.9k%) = (WIL (110) x DIV (36) x skill lv (10) x Light (1)) / 10

    Types

    Light 1 0/15 small white crystals

    Dark 1 0/15 small black crystals

    Psychic 1 0/15 small purple crystals

    skills

    Archery lv5 Damage to next lv 3200

    Phys DPS (2625) = STR (35) x DEX (15) x skill lv (5)

    Till lv11 10kilometers to next lv

    Utility PHYS DPS (17k) = END (25) x STR (65) x skill lv 11

    Cost 60SPM

    Brawl lv10 0.0%xp

    Phys DPS (25.6k) = STR (2565) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 2MPS

    Orb lv20 182days to next lv

    L orb DPS (2,200) = WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mana Manipulation lv4 create 4 pure mana skill to next

    passive

    MAG DPS (1060) = (INS (265) x skill lv (4)

    MPRM (+106%) = ((INS (265) x skill lv (4))/10

    Telekinesis lv10 lift 51,200objects next level

    Phys DPS (2.7m) = STR (2.5k) x Wil (110) Psychic (1) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 5MPS

    Mind sight lv1 1min to next

    Range (15m) = Willpower (60) x Perception (25) x type (1) x skill lv (1) x 1 cm

    Cost 5MPS

    Light Shot lv20

    Light DPS (54m) = (Telekinesis (2,7mk) + L orb (2.2k)) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 10MPS

    Holy lv3 600,000 to next

    DPS (3.3m) ¨C WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (3) x 10k x MP after 3000MP

    Cost 3000MP

    Light Blade lv1 1000DPS to next

    DPS (110) = WIL (110) x Light (1) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 5MPS

    Martial Light lv1 30,000DPS to next

    DPS = (Brawl (25.6k) + Light Blade (110) + Light Wave (110)) x skills fused (3) x skill lv (1)

    COST 30MPS

    Warm Body lv1 endure cold damage for 3hours to next

    Cold RPS (2.3k) = CON (2.3k) x skill lv (1)

    Mana Shield lv30 tank 53.6bDPS to next lv

    Defense (17.6m) = CON (2.3k) x INS (255) x skill lv (30)

    Cost 10MPS

    Mana Chainmail lv20 524mDPS to next

    Defense (11.7m) = CON (2.3k) x INS (255) x skill lv (20)

    Cost 15MPS

    Mana Plate lv10 5.1mDPS

    Defense (5m) = CON (2.3k) x INS (255) x skill lv (10)

    Cost 20MPS

    Mana Full Armor lv5 2mDPS to next lv

    Defense (171m) = (Mana Shield (17.6m) + Mana Chainmail (11.7m) + Mana Plate (5m)) = 34m x skill lv (5)

    Cost 50MPS

    Mana Regeneration lv23 104m mana recovered to next

    Passive

    MPM (6.1k) = INS (265) x skill lv (23)

    Chimerafication lv40 12%xp to next

    Passive

    Chance of Success (440%) = (WIL (110) x skill lv (40) x Dark (1))/10

    I did pushups all night last night and never got tired.  Why should I sleep when there is training to do?  How did I achieve this astounding feat?  Well my stamina and MP have fused together.  I no longer run off stamina, now I¡¯m a magical being.  This supernatural fact has made me resistant to fatigue.  It didn¡¯t make me immune to sleep but I needed less of it.

    Why did I test it before a long trip?  I needed more endurance.  Since endurance is basically free mana and the more mana I have the less my body feels fatigued, well it¡¯s no wonder I chose to do pushups instead of sleep.  No sleep also means no dreaming, I don¡¯t have to feel myself get stabbed through the chest all night.

    Facing a future like that made me realize that my power wasn¡¯t enough.  No matter how hard I tried to improve my monsters or farm a dungeon, it wasn¡¯t enough to change fate.  So, I¡¯m going with Pa to town, to get my mind off dying.

    We were riding in the wagon pulled by Stan.  Stan the demon who pretends to be a chimera.  Now that I really look at him his lv5000 is way too much for a classic model chimera.  Why is he popping a boner?

    ¡°You might want to keep your eyes off him.  He¡¯s liable to give you the gay if you let him.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  Tiberius is 5 so, maybe he will be the one to give your Ma some nice human grandchildren.¡±  Pa drawled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in dick.  I like the feminine form too much.  But let me guess Thad said the same.¡±  I muttered.  Pa nodded.  I let out a breath and stan turned our way to wink.  I am 9 with the mind of an adult.  This wasn¡¯t due to my abilities as a godling, it was simply how stats work.  Once you get so much insight the mysteries of the world seem to speak to you.  Reading and writing become second nature.  Books spill their secrets and life experience floods the mind.  Some go mad others grow up.

    ¡°Boy, I know you are smarter than kids your age.  Your brothers were, Ma was, and I was too.  This isn¡¯t so for children of other folk.  They never train until their much older.  Their trainable points rot until they find someone to train them.  Or it goes into something like luck, enough said.  You¡¯ll find girls with rocks for brains and more points in charisma than anything else.  They will look like angels and say the dumbest nonsense.  You¡¯ll meet young boys your age with their points in luck or sometimes strength.  But they all have one thing in common.¡±  Pa said.  I got the hint.

    ¡°They are all dumb as stone.  How can that be?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°It used to be different, young men were trained at an early age taught philosophy, literature, lore, science, magic, and mathematics to make a well-rounded future citizen of the kingdom.  The last of that is on the farm and in the noble houses.  Insight allows you to gain life experience faster than what is humanly possible.  It bolsters the mind and enhances your desire to gain knowledge.  Without a lot of it, a person is still smart, but they reach their potential much later if ever.  There is no place of learning in a village besides a library.  There was an attempt to build schools to ensure insight was prioritized but, they turned into brainwashing centers, so I destroyed them.¡±  Pa said.

    I didn¡¯t get it.  How can people be allowed to remain ignorant?  What was I missing?  ¡°What of the girls?  Did they also learn?¡±  I asked.

    Pa took a drink of some honey whisky in the back and offered me some.  With my high constitution the alcohol would have little effect.  Taking a swig, it was a breath of honey then fire all the way down.  ¡°You get used to it.  To answer your question.  They were taught separately boys and girls develop and learn differently biology and all that.  Most put everything into insight, charisma, constitution, endurance, and luck.  You¡¯ll find most woman don¡¯t want careers.  When they finally figure things out, they want children 9 out of 10.  So, they use luck and charisma to find the strongest, richest, and most influenceable man who is also the most established.  You won¡¯t find the smarter women in this kingdom settling down for boys in their 20s.  If you want children boy, then join one of the knight chapters and retire in your 40s rich.  Your fellow knights will be offering their daughters and paying you to take them.¡±  Pa ranted.  I had a feeling politics was touchy, something I hadn¡¯t really asked about before.  Would Ma agree, that was the question.  Then again, I¡¯ve seen the pile of gold coins Ma likes to roll on like a dragon with her hoard.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I could follow Pa¡¯s advice or not but there was more to learn during this trip than the male and female social contract.  ¡°Should I expect to see beautiful girls, knuckle dragging apes, and merchants that can charm the scales off a snake?¡±  I said.  Pa grinned and nodded taking another swig from the leather jug.

    ¡°Those bees made some great honey this year.  Mixing it in with the corn whiskey was a grand idea.¡±  Pa said and grinned.  ¡°Yes, expect them to be at their best and worst.  Every girl will want you because your strong, bright, and from a wealthy family.  Every merchant will want to trade you out of everything you own.  I¡¯m sure the boys your age will want to pick a fight with you.  You won¡¯t find a worthy woman in a village like this.  But you¡¯re a bit young for that, despite what your brother¡¯s think.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard in some villages they outlaw gear from dungeons.¡±  I said.

    ¡°Thad or Toomas must have told you.  Yea, its getting bad in some of the towns near the capital.  The king is off his rocker and passing laws to remove what rights people have left.  It might be a few decades before they really hit us.  But if you want to see them first hand, then go to the academy.¡±  Pa said, and I couldn¡¯t help wondering if my desire to go there was really his doing.  I owned a dungeon.  That is worth more than a gold mine.  If I got my hands on a uranium coin and let my dungeon kill enough monsters, then I could mass produce uranium coins and become a baron.

    We arrived at the village just before the sunset.  The guards were tall burley men in their late teens early twenties.  I took one look at their large muscles, tough skin, and their weaknesses were range attacks.  Fully equipped their armor gave them 50k defense.  Everything they wore was uncommon and built to increase their physical strength even further by the mana flows and runes.  Their full sets gave only 200 bonus stats in all.  Nearly double the bonuses of what I wore. I was much stronger than them.

    ¡°You come in peacefully, yes.¡±  I looked over at Pa and everything I heard was right.  This was freaking me out and I had no way to cope.  Pa nodded to the man and Stan walked our cart in.

    ¡°Pa, what was that?¡±  I asked.

    ¡°He was drunk from what I could tell.  A bit of snake venom in his mead the locals really like it.  The brands are viper, Red and Black, and widow maker.  I¡¯ve been looking forward to this trip for a while.  One more keg of widow maker and I¡¯ll get one free.¡±  I shook my head at what I was hearing.  ¡°I know what your going to say boy.  What do you want me to do report him to the governor or worse my sister?  She would have the whole lot of the hanged.  They haven¡¯t caused any problems that warrant their lives.¡±  Pa said.  My aunt was the duchess Leonidas she wielded considerable power in the north.

    I let out a sigh as we turned in to the merchant hall.  It was a large old mead hall turned administration building.  This was a remnant of the time when men would gather in such halls tell stories of battle and drink.  On the logs were eulogies, names of beasts and heroes, and unfinished quests to slay long forgotten monsters.  We stopped our wagon beside the building and I leapt off to go read some of the quests, before a large hand stopped me.

    ¡°Do your part and help me unload the wagon.¡±  I sighed and turned on my heel.  I grabbed ten barrels of honeyed whiskey, 11 bushels of broccoli, and 10 cured hogs.  They floated up by my psychic power and I grabbed another keg with my free hands.  Pa grabbed the rest and a sweaty looking merchant dressed in fine clothes ran out to us.

    ¡°Philip of Might, we weren¡¯t expecting you for another day.  Please sign your name and we will begin separating the taxed from your net profit.  Would you like to invest in one of the up and coming businesses our fair village offers?  We guarantee a 50/50 profit line.  My daughter has started selling jars of your broccoli, pickled.  Its not quite a business yet, but with some start up income she could expand and turn it into something.¡±  Pa waved the man off and began stacking the barrels of mead.

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine there is much of a market for pickled broccoli no matter how good.  What extra effect does the pickling process gain.¡±  The merchant looked like someone slapped him across the face.

    ¡°It exchanges three trainable stats as appointable stats.  So long as you eat it, you can place 8 stats every level.¡±  That was worth a lot.  Pa didn¡¯t look shocked, but it was odd that a plant could cause such a boon.  Divine properties didn¡¯t always equal a useful effect.  Besides, there was nothing in it for me.  I had a dungeon, just by planting them there along with other crops, I could recreate the same feat and bribe adventuring parties with it.  It was useless giving it to a merchant family to set its value.

    ¡°How long have you known about this before telling us?  I¡¯m sure you probably tried to plant the same seeds to no effect. ¡°I accused.  The merchant held his positive expression.  Nothing about his features changed but I could sense darkness from his thoughts.

    ¡°Do you want to continue selling to them and partner with the business or we can cut them off go to other merchants?¡±  Pa said.  The merchant looked worried his fa?ade dropped and for the first time since meeting him, he looked worried.

    This could be just what I need to put adventurers in my dungeon.  Free advertisement for my dungeon¡¯s drops.  I would have to adjust a few of my zaroids and give them alchemy skills, but this was possible.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll continue supplying the broccoli just pay 50% and tell everyone who buys where the broccoli came from.¡±  I said.  The merchant took on an interesting expression.

    ¡°You can supply more than one vegetable of the same quality.  The Might Farms brand is something I¡¯ve been working on.  Philip if you sign off on it, we can turn this into something much more official.¡±  The merchant said.

    ¡°Ronny, you haven¡¯t offered anything like this before.  No matter how much we farmed before.  Why the sudden interest in a brand?¡±  Pa asked.  Ronny the merchant took on a devilish persona.  He turned on all the charisma and I could tell several skills were stacked.  This was the power of a merchant.  Still, the guy was only lv30.  I barely felt the hypnotic suggestion most merchants are said to have.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°This is different, this broccoli needs to be put through a process and once finished, its practically Uranium.  Tell me how many nobles would kill to get their hands on it.¡±   Ronny said.  Kill, was the key word.  They would kill the merchant, his family, the town, and possibly nearby towns to monopolize this new source of stat points.

    ¡°You need Pa¡¯s name for protection against nobles.  If not for that, you would have never told us about the benefits of my refined broccoli.  You might have paid a bit more to incentivize an excess of the plant until you figured out how to grow your own.¡±  I said and looked at Pa to see how close I was to the mark.  He nodded in approval.

    Ronny took out a contract and an arbiter came out of the woodwork.  ¡°Now if you will just sign here, we can begin making profit together.¡±  It took the contract and began reading over it rapidly.  Pa did the same over my shoulder.  I took the offered pen and began removing lines from it.  The merchant looked confused.

    Once all the nonsense was cut out and the little power plays removed, we signed it.  After we went through it only about 4 lines of the contract remained untouched.  The merchant had a strained expression on his face.  The arbiter looked rather pleased.  ¡°Now if that is all I will take this to the king¡¯s bank and have it notarized.¡±  The arbiter said.

    Night fell on the village and I was out wondering about.  Sleep hadn¡¯t taken me at the inn we stayed at and Pa was already asleep.  Stan had shapeshifted into a buxom woman and taken several young men into a room for the night.  It was a coin toss if they would ever leave that room.

    Stan became a dark skinned six-foot-tall amazon with massive breasts and an oval face.  Her eye lashes were long, and she had a smile to die for.  Her hair looked like a black curtain under a moon lit waterfall.  But it was still Stan beneath the human fa?ade.  Those guys wouldn¡¯t be on top or if they were it wouldn¡¯t be for long.

    Something drew me away from the inn and to a small pond in the village.  It was normally well guarded but tonight the guards were absent.  The torch fires were put out only an hour ago.  Someone made them leave.  I felt a chill and pulled my coat tighter.  There was someone dangerous here, someone powerful.

    Stepping onto the bank, I saw a woman with pale skin and raven black hair swimming in the river.

    ???lv 4500

    DEF 666t

    Unique skills: Black Sabbathlv300, Hungry Nocturnal lv200, Empire Night lv500, Blood Foundation lv350, Beasts Plenty lv200, Blood Ascend lv1000

    Highest Stat Perception 20m

    This was the single strongest person I¡¯ve ever seen, and I¡¯m staring at her mound.  There was no point leaving because she already knew I was here.  With perception like that, there was nothing that could escape her.  Worst of all, I knew it was trouble when the guards were gone.  No sense pissing her off by running.  I found a place and sat down to wait for her.

    She made several passes before stopping.  The vampiress stepped out of the water and looked at me.  Raised an eyebrow and began drying off.  Running was pointless even if I managed to get to Pa, there was no guarantee he could stop her from killing me.  Sure, he could beat her, especially if Stan joined in the fight, but I would still die as collateral along with the village.

    I looked up and she was there inches from my face.  A powerful hand gripped my chin and tilted my head to the side.  I saw a flash of fangs and felt my blood run cold.  This was it, my first trip to town and I die on the fangs of a vampire.  She scraped against my neck and I felt her tongue scrape against my artery.  Her fangs slowly moved into position and she pulled away.

    My body was shaking, and she had a smile on her perfect face.  Well perfect if you didn¡¯t notice the small scar on her forehead hidden behind her silky raven hair.  I forced control over my body through psychic powers.  My avatar perk came in handy.  She was still naked and that made me shake more.  I heard of some older women interested in young defenseless men.  It was something like a power fantasy to them.  Then again, I couldn¡¯t imagine anyone stronger than her except for Pa, Stan, Ma, and maybe Thad.  Well that was four people.  She wasn¡¯t that terrifying except I¡¯m too close.

    Her body was lithe and muscular, up close I could tell her hips were made for child birth and their sway was hypnotic.  She still wore no cloths and her feet didn¡¯t quite touch the ground.  I wanted that trick even if I could already do it with telekinesis.  Her legs were milky white smooth and without blemish except for a tiny scar behind her leg.  Its said holy weapons can scar all but the strongest undead.  Silver works well enough for the low levels.  This lovely creature was perhaps the strongest specimen of vampire in the valley.  A true marvel but still I wasn¡¯t impressed.

    ¡°Your mind is running so fast from flattery to lying about your own opinions.  Are you alright young man?  I planned on scaring you but not so terribly you develop a split personality.  I have over 10,000 stat points devoted to charisma and a four-page list of skills on the subject.  You may look I¡¯m not bothered by the gaze of a child.¡±  She said.  I took a breath and felt blistering cold enter my lungs.

    I choked and spluttered much to the vampire¡¯s amusement.  Taking a deep breath heating the air by literally making heat through psychic power.  I was able to calm down some.  ¡°I apologize if I offended you my lady.  I¡¯ve not met many with your presence and when I stumbled upon you, I knew I couldn¡¯t escape being reprimanded.¡±  I spluttered.  She tilted her head and showed a bit of fang.  I shivered involuntarily.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, not starving, but hungry.  Swimming isn¡¯t something every undead enjoys and it leaves me hungry.  Drinking from you would be dangerous, children¡¯s blood is too sweet, most can¡¯t stop.  Even I would have trouble.  Find for me someone to eat and I will forgive your intrusion.  That will serve as your reprimand.¡±  For my own goal yea, I¡¯ll do some sketchy shit.  To survive fighting my brother I¡¯ll do nearly anything, learn any number of forbidden skills.  But this world is dangerous enough without bitches like this killing for a meal.  But if I attacked, it could mean the deaths of everyone here.  Better to make the threat known and summon the knights chapters.

    I attacked with everything I had.  My fists were coated in light blade, and when I blocked waves of light came to my defense.  Our hands met twice before I felt cold spread throughout my chest.  Her hand stabbed through my chest my ribs were cracked open and she was clutching my heart.  ¡°Now why did you do something stupid like that?  Do you have any idea what your father will do to me if I accidently kill you?¡±  My hand grasped at hers, I knew all along that I had no chance.  But I couldn¡¯t let her take my heart out.  I had one final move and it would cost me everything.

    ¡°Holy,¡± The skill activated instantly with 22kMP 62,000,000 damage.  She let go of my heart and caught me as my skill winked out.  Blood fell down my chest like a waterfall.  She picked me up cradling me like a child.

    Holy lv up x6

    New skill

    Light Infusion lv1 1000HPR to next

    Passive

    Description ¨C The light stored from Solar Powered is drained to heal the user.  6 hours to heal 50% damage.  12 hours to heal from near death.  The user can now store more than 12 hours of solar energy.

    Healing rate (110/min of solar powered) = WIL (110) x Light (1) skill lv (1) x 1min

    Light Infusion lv up x 5

    The wound glowed brightly and in the illumination the bone, muscle, and flesh knit back together.  Long ropes of light glided between my bones and pulled them back into place.  Even the blood that dripped down my chest retreated into my chest.

    My chest healed right before my eyes and I was back to 100%.  Though with no mana and less power than ever, it was unlikely I would survive much longer.  I looked up to see the vampire licking her fingers.  ¡°Interesting most don¡¯t survive that.  You must be destined to become a hero or at least a renowned knight.¡±  Her defense was already back to 666t it had only dropped to 665t when I used my holy skill.  ¡°Pack your bags I¡¯m taking you to my dungeon to soup you up.  I can¡¯t have such a powerful light user running around with such unsuitable gear.  The others of my clan would try to get rid of you.  Someone like you, will be a legitimate threat when your older.¡±  She grabbed a hand full of my coat and hoisted me up.  ¡°Don¡¯t melt your brain trying to figure out why I¡¯m doing this.  I¡¯m your eccentric aunt Marie and I¡¯m taking you home tonight.  Now, sleep.¡±  Darkness crept into my mind like a thief in the night.  Before I could put up a defense I was out of it.

    Eggplantistan day 7

    I slowly opened my eyes to complete darkness.  My sight was perfect.  I was in a coffin because reasons.  Maybe it was a prank.  Like the woman said, I couldn¡¯t possibly understand her.  She could be straight forward, doubtful.  The name Marie sounded familiar, I heard Pa mention a Marie before and Ma gave him a disapproving look for it.  It couldn¡¯t be the same though a lv4,500 vampire was relevant.

    I pushed open the lid and had a look around.  The room was full of coffins with various people stuffed inside of them.  Some had the turned icon hanging over their head.  Marie must not have been lying about being hungry.  Though what was the point of putting us together.

    My legs buckled and I had less than a second to brace for impact.  My solar powered was running out.  I had maybe an hour left before my stats drop down to normal.  A pity, I like being powerful.

    Level up x 25

    Markus lv 68

    Stat points: 125

    I put 40 in Willpower

    New skill

    Mana Fold lv1 0.0% next

    Description ¨C Your capacity for containing mana hasn¡¯t increased, you¡¯ve grown more efficient at storing it away. Every point of MP now counts for more.

    Mana Increased (+25.5%) ¨C (INS (255) x skill lv (1)) / 10

    New Perk

    Apprentice Mana ¨C you are a true disciple of the way of mana.  Double current mana capacity.

    Just like that my current MP with Solar powered is 57k.  Blue lines appear around my body and I feel my mana begin to integrate deeper into my body.  Before my mana had always been insubstantial like a cloudy mist.  Now it felt like dense fog was moving through my body and it had an effect.  My mana was becoming more reactive.  Moving myself with telekinesis took less concentration.

    I threw in 40 points to CON and 35 to STR

    Before I felt my body go through a change.  My skin became harder and my bones cracked and healed becoming stronger.  My muscles expanded as they were torn and healed repeatedly.  It was my own psychic power that did it.  My body knew that it was just housing my power and tool for my psychic energy.  It was becoming better at its job.

    New Perks

    Squire¡¯s build ¨C Your body has become stronger and is ready to ascend to the next level.  Double all physical attacks.

    Foundation ¨C Your body has grown tougher through surviving extreme forces.  X2MPR

    New skill locked

    God Form Grade 1 lv1 0.0% to next

    Description ¨C How you use your power shapes this ultimate form.  The more classes and skills you learn the more this form will change.  Grade 1 is the barest transformation.

    Cost: Awakening

    Malice Aura lv1 1000DPS to next

    Description ¨C Unleash an aura of Wrath that causes physical damage.  This aura gathers around the user like a fog and slowly spreads out.

    Terror Chance (63%) = (1% x lv (63) x Skill lv (1)) ¨C enemy lv

    DPS (39k) = STR (39k) x skill lv (1)

    Cost: 10MPS

    Troll skin lv1 0.0 to next lv

    Description ¨C You have acquired the same ability that most trolls are born with to a lesser degree.  While active fire does 10x damage.  Injuries heal at an alarming rate.  So long as you have the injury even brain damage can be repaired.   You are not your body.

    HPR (3,900) = (STR (39k) x skill lv (1)) / 10

    Cost: 50HPS

    It seemed, I had a little bit more god in me than I thought.  Troll skin would be useful, I doubted any undead had fire.  An area effect skill like Malice aura would come in handy.

    One of the coffins burst open and out stepped a red eyed girl around my age.  Unlike what most myths and folklore would say, vampires do age until they fully develop then they stop.  This is achieved by feeding on the youthful blood of humans and monsters.  By replacing their decaying cells, they can extend their life indefinitely.  If the blood they obtain is of a particularly high quality, they will grow stronger.

    With mind sight, I could look through the coffin lids and gather information.  I wasn¡¯t he only human.  Over half the coffins are filled with humans.  The pessimist in me concluded they are food for the vampires.  The optimist believes there may be an alternate goal.  Everyone in a coffin were above lv 30.  That isn¡¯t normal at all.  More importantly, they were around my age.

    When my power drops I¡¯ll be at the mercy of the vampires.  There is a choice that I must make.  Do I stay here or go out on my own?  ¡°Hello, my name is Ariel what¡¯s yours.¡±  The vampire girl called out.  I looked over to her and she smiled innocently enough.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing Lady Marie snatched you like the rest of us.  I¡¯ll keep talking so you can find me.  Human¡¯s can¡¯t see well in the dark.¡±  Ariel said.  I walked over to her calmly making a point to show I knew where everything was.  ¡°Then do some humans have night vision like my kin?¡±  She asked confused by my ability.

    ¡°I see without my eyes.  My name is Markus.¡±  I said.  ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±  She smiled brightly.

    ¡°Markus is a strong name.  Its nice to meet you, do you know what we¡¯re doing here in Lady Marie¡¯s dungeon?¡±  I shook my head and pointed at the only exit.

    ¡°How long has it been since you fed?¡±  I asked directly.

    ¡°Are you offering?¡±  She said with a bright smile.  I took a step back causing her smile to fade.  ¡°Its been a day, don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m not quite hungry enough to jump you, yet.  Want to touch my fangs?¡±  She opened her mouth and I almost went for it only to come to my senses.

    ¡°No, how did you get here, how did everyone else get here for that matter?¡±  I asked.  She tapped her chin for a second eating at my patients and time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get grumpy.  Three of my coven members and I have been here for a year, other humans and vampires are cycled out as one dies.  To be clear we don¡¯t eat our human companions if we can find a substitute.  The only common monsters with blood are light type and it takes a human to acquire one safely.¡±  Ariel said and shrugged apologetically.

    I took a deep breath and lost it.  I kicked my coffin up and hit it with all my might.  The wooden box shattered in splinters as a random burst of telekinesis shattered the rest of it.  ¡°Was that really necessary?  Now where will you sleep?¡±  I took a breath calming myself down.  Clenching and unclenching my fist felt good.  My body was still moving smoothly.  I closed my eyes and opened them again feeling the small amount of light energy still in my body slowly enter my cells.  When it was gone I didn¡¯t know what would happen.

    ¡°Yea, it was.  So, what kind of monsters are out there.  If there are light monsters roaming the dungeon, there should be dark monsters here too.¡±  I said.  Then glanced at ten coffins opening.  They were vampires.  I could kill them all without breaking a sweat.

    The strongest was a lv100 that looked to be nearly 19 once he hit 21 he would stop aging completely.  ¡°I guess Lady Marie captured a strong one.  Let¡¯s go to the study.  No sense in remaining in the sleeping chamber.¡±  The vampire said.

    I shrugged and let them lead me to a room lit by a few flickering candles.  ¡°Sorry about the low light.  Candles are rare here as it is, and we prefer to save them.  I would like to start, my name is Luther and I¡¯m of the libertarian or Raven coven.  We believe in coexisting with humanity and in vampire society we handle contracts and ambassador efforts.  You¡¯ve met Ariel of the anarchy capitalist or Beowulf coven their beliefs are different but respected.  I¡¯m sure you met our captor Lady Marie of the Imperial or Dracul coven.  She is well known for her practices.  Stealing vampire and human children and forcing us to cooperate is new.  It seems to be a social experiment of some kind.  It would be quite interesting if we weren¡¯t the test subjects.¡±  He crossed his hands and smiled.  ¡°Any questions before you are assigned a role?¡±  I raised an eyebrow at the assigned part.

    ¡°Where is the entrance to the dungeon proper and is there anywhere that is touched by natural sunlight.¡±  I asked.  He nodded.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll personally show you to the dungeon.  A human as strong as you could easily take down a light type monster.  As for the natural light, there is the farm section.  A series of magic mirrors take in light from the upper levels of the dungeon and spreads it over the farm.  For obvious reasons, we prefer to stay far away from that place during the day.¡±  Luther said with smile.

    ¡°Then I need to enter that room in order to recharge, show it to me.¡±  I said.  He shook his head.

    ¡°None of us want to be anywhere near it.  But if there is a volunteer I won¡¯t stop you from recharging.¡±   Luther said.

    I gave Ariel a look.  She sighed and conceded.  Getting up she wrapped her hand around mine.  The others watched as we left and journeyed down a series of tunnels.  We approached a door, and she was shaking.

    ¡°Luther talks a big game, but he¡¯s terrified of this door.  For a vampire the sun is our anathema.  Those who wield light are dangerous.  Just be sure I¡¯m far away before you open the door.¡±  I nodded my head and ran away from the door.  Once she turned a corner I opened it and stepped inside.

    What can I say about solar energy and the way my body seemed to take pleasure in devouring it.  My psychic power actively gathered the light and brought it to me.  For a moment the room went dark.  All the light that entered the room was absorbed by me.  I was full, and I still wanted more.  When I stopped, and light returned to the room, I had absorbed 22 hours¡¯ worth of light energy in minutes.  I felt full, overstuffed like I was sloshing light around with every step.  When the door closed behind me I knew I had no reason to be afraid.

    New skill

    Luxakinesis lv1 100DPS to next

    Description ¨C Manipulation, control, and creation of light through psychic power.  Hand to mouth this skill has been used to gather and absorb light energy at a faster rate.  This skill may create light, but it isn¡¯t true light.  It is an imperfect imitation.  The most basic form of attack with this skill is a concentrated laser.

    DPS (160) = WIL (160) x light (1) x psychic (1) x skill lv (1)

    Cost: 5MPS

    My feet hovered off the floor and my mind left my old worries of being powerless and found new worries.  I was trapped with a group of vampires below the earth in a foreign dungeon.  I was far from anyone I could trust and any reliable resources.  Even with my body full of light, it didn¡¯t take away the need to eat.  Then there was Ariel.

    When the doors closed the cute red head peaked from around the corner.  Her body was shaking and there was an almost feral look about her.  ¡°I thought sunlight couldn¡¯t hurt a vampire, it only halted their healing processes.¡±  I said.

    ¡°Your uninformed, only the older vampires can walk around in the sun freely.  When we¡¯re children its poisonous.  A minute in sunlight could leave me bed ridden for a month.  Any longer and its fatal.  Did you get what you wanted?¡±  I nodded, feeling bad.  I didn¡¯t know a little sunlight could be so dangerous.

    ¡°Ariel I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡±  I said, she shook her head.

    ¡°If you want to prove it then bring something back for me to eat.¡±  She said.  I nodded and opened my quest log.

    Short term quest

    Bring back food for vampires

    It was a simple to the point quest and that¡¯s how I liked it.  ¡°What kind of monsters are out there?¡±  I asked.  She looked at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t read.  It was between, do you want a list, and see for yourself.

    ¡°Just party with the other hunters and stay on your toes.  There are a lot of traps out there and some monsters are nearly as intelligent as us.¡±  Ariel said.

    For the next hour, it was a waiting game.  Coffin lids popped up and I couldn¡¯t help but question why, everyone slept in a coffin.  Was this some type of cultural exchange?  Was it a law Marie created?  Or were conditions too poor to even create a bed.  I didn¡¯t directly ask Ariel, maybe I should have.

    ¡°Hey Markus right.  Luther informed me that you¡¯re our new DPS.  I¡¯m Arthur a tank, the big guy beside me is Rob our archer, that¡¯s Gwen our healer, and Uther our other tank.  I shook their hands in turn.  I could tell they were from the southern region of the kingdom.  It was their names and accent.  Though Gwen¡¯s orange hair was a shade different from Ariel¡¯s less red and more orange.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re moving out now.  Anything I should be ready for.¡±  I asked.

    ¡°There are three undead bosses between here and the third floor.  A lv68 shouldn¡¯t have any trouble.¡±  Arthur said with a smile.  The tanks were dressed in light plate while the archer and mage wore leathers.  Their gear all matched, and they even had a sword insignia on their shoulders.  It was like they were their own order of knights.

    ¡°What kind of gear is that?¡±  I asked.

    Gwen perked up.  ¡°Merlin our mage smith made it.  He isn¡¯t up right now.  This place plays havoc with the senses.  If not for the green room, we wouldn¡¯t know when it was day or night.¡±  Gwen said.  She smiled, and I could tell she had a chipper personality.  I nodded, and relaxed.

    A large set of rolling doors began to creak open pulled by four vampires on each side.  The doors were heavy and made of iron.  There were dozens of runes covering the doors hidden within the runes were meanings, and enchantments alien to me.  My insight did me no good at deciphering them.

    Once the doors were open, fresh air gushed in revealing a jungle.  There was a path leading through the dense foliage immaculately free of a single vine.  Vents high in the air opened blasting a dense stream of mana straight down.  When it did some of the plants moved closer to the vent.  Then the vent closed, and the jungle halted its motion.

    The doors closed behind us just as eyes filled with blue fire peaked out of the foliage.  Bushes rustled as skeletal monsters all below lv10 poured out and dashed at us.  They were the skeletons of birds, squirrels, rabbits, cats, rats, snakes, lizards, and dogs.  This would be the perfect time to use my new area effect skill.  Rob knocked an arrow and I was tempted to just let him take care of it.  But that would waste time.  There were hundreds of enemy skeletons with no defense at all.

    My telekinesis lifted them all.  That¡¯s the thing about a good DPS, they can make or break a team.  ¡°That is so overpowered.¡±  Uther muttered as the army of skeleton animals hovered above the ground restrained.  I needed to level up my light blade, so I aligned them all.  Pushing my arm forward a blade of light formed around my right arm.  It was a waste of time, but I managed to skewer all of them in one go.  The xp was divided evenly by the party.  So, we each gained 2000xp.  A good amount but not enough for me to lv up once.  What was great was how light blade leveled.

    Light blade lv up x 8

    Light blade lv9 111kDPS to next

    DPS (1,440) = WIL (160) x light (1) x Skill lv (9)

    After the levels my light blade was more prominent.  The light was brighter around my arm and my control over it increased.  I could extend it further now, if I wanted to.  ¡°Let¡¯s go that just put us ahead of schedule.  But if we don¡¯t make it back in time, you know what will happen.¡±  Uther said.  A grim aura blanketed the party.

    ¡°So, how is it done, do we humans draw lots or do the vampires just snatch people at random.  I can¡¯t imagine there are volunteers.¡±  I said.  Gwen let a tear fall.

    ¡°The group before us were much stronger in the 80s even nearly strong enough to challenge the vampires.  But when they failed to get back with anything the vampires did something that stole their ability to resist.¡±  Gwen explained.  It sounded like glamour a well-known ability among vampires.  ¡°They took the tanks first and drained them dry.  Towards the end, whatever they did to them stopped working and they tried to get away.  We heard them scream.¡±  Gwen said crying.

    ¡°It sounds like they like to talk about getting along with humans up until they¡¯re hungry.¡±  I said.  Then smirked.  ¡°Well you have me now, so let¡¯s get the vampires something to eat.¡±  They perked up and even Uther nodded his head.

    ¡°The town of undead is next then the first boss.¡±  Rob said.  I nodded and let them lead the way.  There were parts of the forest that were brown.  The closer to the village the browner the jungle became until it turned into a barren wasteland.  The only light out here was from the ceiling.  Rays of light slowly swept through the area.

    What they told me earlier, it sounded like foul play.  I wrote in my log to confront Ariel later.  A signal from Rob had us ducking behind some rocks as a group of skeleton knights passed by.  They were coming in droves.  Lined up in formations of twenty armored with chainmail, armed with medium spears, or swords, and led by a skeleton mage of lesser rank.  A part of me wanted one.  A skeleton mage could be useful for all sorts of things.  But there was xp to collect.  None of them were above lv20 and the mages only had mana shields that protected with 20k.

    Leaping from cover, I raised my hands and began firing light thorns rapid fire.  I targeted the skeleton mages first then moved to the other soldiers.   There were less than 300 of them and my light thorns didn¡¯t stop at a single casualty.  We each received 9kxp for the kills and my inventory was filling with small dark crystals form the skeletal mages.  They all leveled up twice being lv40s.  I gained a level as well.  It was the dark crystals that I enjoyed the most.  With just 15 lesser skeletal mages slain I had 45 small dark mana crystals.  Flicking to my crystal screen I tapped dark lv up twice.

    Dark lv3 17 to next

    The crystals were concentrated chunks of dark mana.  With their sudden addition to my system, I felt stronger than ever before.  My experiments would get a boost too.

    We entered the village to find it empty.  The skeletons that attacked were the villagers that normally ran the fa?ade of a village.  We journeyed to the tower and it stood just behind the village.  This village was a sore on the ground.  Far off from the village more jungle covered the ground.  Perhaps there were other groups out there.  But a monster was there as well.

    Far in the forest was a lv200 dryad.  Something I had no intention of dealing with right now.  It was not the strongest monster, a lv 400 even farther away peered up.  But it made no move to approach.

    We entered the tower.  After traveling up a column of stairs we stood before the boss door.   ¡°This is it, Markus thank you I think we would be on the menu soon if not for you.¡±  Arthur said.  Rob nodded his head, Uther sulked, and Gwen smiled.

    I prepared to use holy the second we entered the room.  This was a boss room and Pa would skin my hide if I entered one unprepared.  Within wasn¡¯t a disappointment.  A lich at lv35 sat on a throne.  It was reading over something and looked up only when we entered.  It let out a sigh and put the book down.

    ¡°Adventurers, I am the lich Vander do not be fooled by my level, I¡¯m more powerful than I appear.¡±  The lich said and summoned a staff with a huge dark crystal in embedded in its head.  Raising my hand, a fully formed holy appeared in front of my hand.  Its wings fluttered and the halo above the skill seemed to spin.  ¡°Oh, shit.¡±  The spell shot out at terminal speeds.  The lich waved its staff summoning a powerful barrier that shattered when the ball of holy neared.  The spell hit the lich and it was erased along with most of the room when the skill exploded.

    ¡°Well alright then.¡±  Arthur said, and the group walked up the tower.  It wasn¡¯t fair by any means and it wasn¡¯t supposed to be.  If the lich could kill us, it would have.  Unlike us, it could respawn.

    When we arrive on the second floor, I noticed the difference immediately.  It was pitch black except for the wondering spirits.  These spirits were phantasmal in nature, which meant the only way to kill them was with light.  Just like that the tanks and archer were useless.  If they had silver weapons it would be another thing.  The lich gave enough xp for them to level up which was a good thing.

    Everything on this floor was between lv25 and 40 from what I could tell.  Ghosts were wondering towards us and the lv 40 monster too.  It was the floor¡¯s boss.  ¡°Hello there, play with me.¡±  The spirit said.  It looked to be my age but that didn¡¯t mean anything for ghosts.  Normally, I would launch a holy, but I needed time to recharge.  Holy hurt to use.  It burned my body when I used it.

    A sudden force lifted me off the ground.  The second it touched me, I went to work fighting it.  ¡°I¡¯ll play with you first.  I call this game land.  So, land over there.¡±  The force threw me through the air at break neck speeds.  Even with my defense it would hurt to a lot.  I fought against the force with all my might to break free.  Unfortunately, this spirit was better at telekinesis than me.  Something like a dark barrier would negate telekinesis but I don¡¯t have one or do I.

    Time was moving at a crawl as I forced dark into my shield. Chainmail, and full plate skills.  Even full armor was affected.  The telekinesis ebbed away, and I regained control over my body.  But for the first-time wielded dark for defense.  Dark mana shrouded my body creating a powerful defense.

    My current armor is so much stronger than normal its insane.

    Dark Shield lv1 1000DPS to next

    Cost 10MPS

    DEF (1.8m) = CON (3.9k) x WIL (160) x Dark (3) x skill lv (1)

    Dark Chainmail 10,000DPS to next

    DEF (1.8m) = CON (3.9k) x WIL (160) x Dark (3) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 10MPS

    Dark Full Plate 100,000DPS to next

    DEF (1.8m) = CON (3.9k) x WIL (160) x Dark (3) x skill lv (1)

    Cost 10MPS

    Dark Armor 1,000,000 to next

    DEF (16.8m) = Dark Shield (1.8m) + Dark Chainmail (1.8m) x Dark Full Plate (1.8m) x skills fused (3) x skill lv (1)

    Cost: 50MPS

    Class unlocked at lv10 Dark knight

    Then I traveled through a ghost town.  The first house exploded scattering wood and metal everywhere.  An ancient water tower lost most of its support beams and came crashing down.  Finally, an ancient saloon exploded when I finally landed.

    Total Damage 10million

    I got back up immediately.  Despite what I thought my armor took every bit of damage without issue.  As my mana drained it was healing and growing stronger.  That was the end of todays good news.  My party was dying.  Uther and Arthur were already dead.  Gwen had half her health, and Rob was slowly dropping to 0.

    Leaping to my feet I sped for the battle.  Ghosts emerged around the town and began shooting dark bolts at my back.  Each attack was in the 3k range so nothing.  Even when they gathered in hundreds they could still only do 300k a second.  I couldn¡¯t see a thing through the curtain of dark their endless attacks created.

    My mind sight was wonky to say the least and my mini map¡¯s compass kept changing direction.  Despite the force of my steps they were turning me as I moved.  So, I did the only thing I could.  Raising my hand, I used another holy.  World exploded as heavenly light bathed the area and for one second, I could use mind sight to locate Gwen.  Rob currently had half of his body missing.

    I ignored the level up as I made me was to Gwen.  She was missing her skin.  Her health slowly dropped down and hit zero.  Then magic surrounded her restoring her flesh and hair.  ¡°I can do this forever.  I finally have a living body of my own to play with.¡±  The floor boss said.

    ¡°Your going to cease to exist soon, how can you claim that.¡±  Holy was already charged in my hand as I unleashed it into the world.  The ghost faded out of existence before the attack hit.  She reappeared wearing Gwen¡¯s skin.

    ¡°So smooth and luxurious.  The perks are what make being a dungeon boss livable.  So, to speak.  What¡¯s wrong, don¡¯t you humans do the same to pigs and cows.¡±  My body burned from over using holy.  There was no way I could use it again without heavy consequences.

    ¡°I¡¯m in no mood for philosophy.¡±  I said and fired light shots at her.  When she reappeared a shot finally hit.  Her skin was ripped apart and her unholy essence was struck directly by my light.  This wasn¡¯t a five-party mission.  When I returned things were going to change.

    The dark cloud of her essence appeared over Gwen and flew into her mouth.  Gwen struggled for a second giving me the time I needed for a final Holy.  20k of my MP went into the powerful skill.  When it hit a pillar of holy shot up lightning up the world.  For 4 seconds I held it to ensure nothing of the floor boss remained.

    This is what Pa taught me.  I would party with a lot of people in my life.  Don¡¯t get attached and don¡¯t party with anyone you¡¯re not willing to lose.  Dungeons are made to devour adventurers.

    When the xp from the floor boss and a unique item appeared in my inventory I canceled the spell.  It was a skill book drain life.  This was were my party died.  What could I say except, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you died.  But you would have eventually if I joined you or not.¡±

    I just had to go to the next floor and acquire a few animals.  If I didn¡¯t then their lives would have been spent for nothing.

    Markus Age 9

    Lv70 2,300xp to next

    Type

    Light 1 0/15

    Dark 3 0/17

    Psychic 0/15

    HP 39k/1000       +975HPM

    MP 44,990/2700 +510 (35k) MPM

    Constitution 100 (3,900)

    Endurance 45(55) (2145)

    Perception 35 (1,365)

    Strength 100 (3,900)

    Dexterity 15 (975)

    Insight 160 (265)

    Willpower 100(160)

    Charisma 35

    Luck 15

    Divinity 36

    Trainable points remaining 255

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    Philip POV

    Laying in a comfortable room at the Inn hours before sunrise, Philip was awoken by the call of a murder. His eyes opened and for a second, he thought about ignoring it. A few more caws from the group of crows outside threw that option out. Well it would be a good learning experience for the boy.

    He walked over to his room and knocked on the door. Silence, he opened the door, it was unlocked. ¡°What have I told you about leaving your door unlocked?¡± Philip said, before he stopped, the covers were upturned, and Markus was gone. He knew the boy was a bit of a night owl. But didn¡¯t he stress enough that the city was dangerous?

    Philip rubbed at his jaw, his mind was slowly returning to its normal efficiency. In the blink of the eye, he was dressed in his strongest gear. It wasn¡¯t hero ranked but it was powerful. Everything he wore, was legendary for lv5000s. Every piece of equipment had at least 10 effects and it boosted his defense into the quintillions. Not even a thousandth of what hero gear can do.

    Marching out of the inn he approached the murder and the man that commanded the crows. ¡°Murdock, where is my boy?¡± Murdock was the leader of the Raven coven. A noble among vampires and a baron in the kingdom. He was a tall skinny man that looked to be in his twenties. Black hair and a goatee, the man often wore a top hat and a cape. He loved to appear a gentleman.

    ¡°Philip it has been a long time. Quick with the accusations as always. Why would I want to anger the great hero of might? I spoke out against your banishment. What the king did to you and your family was heinous.¡± Murdock said. The ground began to shake, as Philip struggled to get a handle on his anger. ¡°There is no need to direct your wrath to me. I will of course give you the location of young Markus.¡± The vampire said with a smile.

    ¡°Tell me who would dare take one of my boys. Has your kind forgotten who I am or what I will do?¡± Philip said. Murdock had an ugly smile on his face that pissed Philip off more. It meant he was going to tell Philip the truth and it would be the most damaging for it.

    ¡°Marie Dracul took your son for her social experiment down south. The poor boy spotted her swimming naked and wanted to the do the honorable thing. A shame he seemed like a nice boy. I¡¯ve never seen a boy of 9 use holy.¡± Murdock said. Philip snorted, he had seen the boy take a bunch of lizards and frogs and make monsters out of them.

    ¡°So, she¡¯s in that damn dungeon of intangible and tangible.¡± Philip turned and began walking back to the inn.

    ¡°My coven will expect a favor for this information.¡± Philip nodded.

    ¡°Only Marie will receive my wrath for this attack. The rest of you will be spared.¡± Philip said.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant. When we need something from you, we expect you to do it.¡± Murdock said. Philip stared at the vampire and Murdock took an involuntary step back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mistake me for a human you can bully. You¡¯re what a level 2000, my first born is stronger than you.¡± Philip replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help figuring out Marie took my boy. Her presence is thick even here.¡± He turned towards South and began to walk.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Murdock shouted.

    ¡°To find my boy. He¡¯s trapped in a dungeon, one of the worst ones. Time flows differently there. Every day I wait its another 20 in there.¡± Philip said. He didn¡¯t think much of the Raven. The vampire seemed a bit new to the position.

    ¡°To do something like that the dungeon must be old and powerful. But it should have already gained sentience and become a higher monster.¡± Murdock said.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t which should tell you something about Marie.¡± Philip said and walked south.

    Gravedigging wasn¡¯t one of my skills. Every scoop of the shovel filled my mind with darker thoughts. I should have been faster. The second I sensed any psychic energy I should have used a dark skill to protect myself. I wasn¡¯t just some farm boy, I learned from a hero for kingdom¡¯s sake. It was proof that no matter how skilled I became, I was green. There was only one way to fix that.

    What I thought was sand on the ground was ashes. Another funny fact about the second floor. Ash storms surrounded and isolated various places. They separated and sectioned off various towns around the second floor. This phenomenon was caused by the psychic power of various spirits.

    I held up a medium purple crystal, it dropped from what I thought was the floor boss. I was foolish, it led to the deaths of my party something that shouldn¡¯t have happened. It was a lv 40 for king¡¯s sake. By the queen¡¯s bloody cunt and her daughter virgin hymen this shouldn¡¯t have happened. I took a deep breath and shouted at the top of my lungs.

    Psychic power amped my yell sending out waves of devastating power. It earned me a few equipment drops and some xp, but it didn¡¯t bring back my party.

    I equipped every scrap of equipment that enhanced insight. Now that I really looked, I had some decent equipment. Like Rare Lich robes +200INS +20% Light resist, Dark Staff +50INS -10% MP cost, and Rare Black Eye Amulet +100INS +20%xp to name a few items. I equipped the staff, robe, and amulet and felt a major increase in insight. Then I equipped Rare Black archers leggings +100DEX +10%range DPS, Rare Black gauntlets +50STR +15%PHY DPS.

    My total equipment bonuses ended up being. +350INS, +100DEX, and +50STR.

    STR 5850

    DEX 4,485

    INS 510

    MPM 95k

    MPS 1.61k

    I had more mana now than I ever thought about using. Taking a breath, I unleashed Malice Aura, Troll Regeneration, and Full Dark Armor. Black steam shot out of pours all over my skin and a green tint began to cover me.

    There was only one clear way to the next floor. A tower just like the one before. It was surrounded by storms of ash. Whatever up there was undoubtedly powerful.

    My mindsight couldn¡¯t penetrate the tower, but it could the storms. At the center of each storm was an object. They were massive purple crystals attached to runic arrays. Then there were the spirits in the storms. Great colonies of ghosts, headless, banshees, phantoms, and poltergeists fed off the psychic energies within the storms.

    Opening my eyes told a different tale. Great clouds of swirling darkness filled my vision imposing upon me a feeling that was too human. So, instead of going in blind, I closed my eyes and walked in using my enhanced senses.

    100kPHY DPS

    Forces assaulted my armor from all sides. Only through telekinesis could I keep the ash out of my mouth. This would have suffocated a normal adventurer. My party wouldn¡¯t have survived this so my conscious should be clear. Why wouldn¡¯t this feeling go away, I¡¯m over it, so why won¡¯t the rest of me get the message.

    Feelings that I never felt before assaulted me like I was human. It wasn¡¯t right, this had to be an attack of some sort. Gods didn¡¯t think like humans, we didn¡¯t morn like humans. This had to be an attack. Perhaps, it was the storm itself doing this to me. Points in my mental vision went down as the ghosts pelted me with their dark beams, blasts, waves, and pulses. My armor was made to soak up such attacks.

    200kPHY DPS

    The closer to the source the storms I came the stronger they became and the more this feeling assaulted me. It seemed the harder I pushed away this feeling the stronger it became. Malice aura did nothing against the ghosts. My hand was still burned from the earlier holy spell and I wasn¡¯t about to push my luck further. So, I added light to Malice Aura.

    New Skill

    Judgement Aura lv1 1000DPS to next

    Description ¨C An aura of light and a disposition of destruction. A power used by angels of judgmental and bigoted gods. It rips apart the souls of your enemies based on where their ideals differ from your own. The more you disagree with your opponent the more damage this skill can do.

    DIV L M DPS (57k) = WIL (160) x Light (1) x skill lv (1) x DIV (36) x (1 to 10)

    Cost 100MPS

    The steam like aura that covered me was replaced by waves of light. The bright mist invaded the storm was I could hear the ghosts shriek. The xp really started to roll in as my Judgment was added to their colonies. Ghosts exploded into dark particles that were quickly devoured by my light. Did it relieve the feeling, no it only made it worse? This pain I felt in my chest wasn¡¯t going away, it only grew stronger with he knowledge that this could have saved them. I should have just made them remain while I took on this place. It was no place for humans.

    1m PHY DPS

    I entered the eye of the storm and the damage went away. My hand wrapped around the purple crystal that powered the storm and fed the former colonies of ghosts. Once I yanked it out, the storm began to dissipate. The way to the tower opened. The real question was how I could bring something living back through here.

    The stones of the tower were unaffected by my aura. Due to their lack of disposition. Though the blank space ahead seemed unaffected by my aura. Opening my eyes, I was taken aback.

    It was me, or something that wore my face. The feeling of self-loathing increased a hundred-fold when I neared him. His black aura met mine and they canceled each other out.

    Markus lv150

    Ki 10Trillion

    He was covered in scales and even had a long lizard like tail. Though his body was streamline he clearly had imperfections. His head was crested like some sort of bird or lizard and two horns curved out from his head like a bull. On his back was a long sword and on both arms were crossbows of models I have never seen before. There was a grim smile on his face.

    ¡°Hello fake.¡± It shouted with a smile on its face. I stood up and began preparing for a fight. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to get it, I¡¯m the real Markus you are just a creation of the dungeon that thinks your him. I can prove it. My father is Philip of Might. My brothers are Toomas, Thaddeus, and Tiberius I even have a sister names Joanna. Think back do you remember even a second with them.¡± I blinked then clapped my hands.

    ¡°Wow, you are a fucked-up monster. I wonder how many adventurers fail to win against you.¡± The double glared at me and raised a wrist to fire a steam of crossbow bolts. Waves of ash knocked them off course and they fell to the wayside. The double grabbed his sword and slashed unleashing a crescent wave of darkness.

    ¡°I see what you are, your me under another¡¯s point of view.¡± I danced around his attack and came in close. My robe billowed as I slashed a weak point in his armor with a light blade and parried his sword with a wave. He tried to drive his powerful aura into mine, but the more our auras battled the more mine leveled up. I had something that he couldn¡¯t replicate, divine power.

    Judgement Aura lv up x10

    DIV L M DPS (63k-633k) = (WIL (160) x Light (1) x skill lv (11) x DIV (36) x (1 to 10)

    This guy was like an animal. He swung his sword and unleashed several blades of dark, but they never hit anything. He was fast and powerful, but he wasn¡¯t that fast or powerful. His mouth opened to spill out another line of nonsense and I filled it with ash. While he was choking, I stabbed him through the joints in his armor. When his own telekinesis shot the ash out he unleashed a powerful blast of darkness forcing me back.

    ¡°You have to be a monster, only monster could be as strong as you at a low level. You stole my life from me and trapped me here in this hell.¡± I was getting closer to finding the part where he implanted thoughts in my head. Separating them from my mind and restoring what I could on the fly was difficult. Fighting this guy was easy. Another crescent slash and I spun around to get to his back. Two back stabs later and he was on the ground. His ki was bleeding to heal the wound. My light arts were lv20 now, so it wasn¡¯t all back.

    ¡°I¡¯m on a schedule, if your done pretending to be me, can we end this?¡± The monster pulled itself to its feet.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the pretender you are. It¡¯s obvious by my form. I always wanted to be a monster that¡¯s why I started making the Zards.¡± The double said. I rubbed my temples trying no have an aneurism.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t even close to perfection, only half way at most. Why would I zard myself with a defective product? Wouldn¡¯t I rather wait for the final stage before corrupting my body with it?¡± I said, and the double looked furious.

    ¡°I did what I had to do to destroy you. I lost everything. Behold the ultimate power of dark. Damnation,¡± The double yelled as a black orb appeared in his hands. It crackled with malicious energy I could sense billions of ki going into the attack. It was easily stronger than any attack I¡¯ve every used. If it hit, I would die. It excited me.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong you aren¡¯t going to use holy? Are you too weak?¡± The double said. I stepped back and started blasting him with light shots. When they hit him, they exploded tearing apart his armor and digging deep wounds into his flesh. His ki quickly drained to heal the injuries. ¡°Have it.¡± The ball of hell fired.

    Time slowed for me, as my perception took over. The ball of damnation slowed until it stopped and for the first time ever I used my amped perception to its full power. My body moved normally relative to the way I saw the world. If I focused I might be able to slow things down even more.

    The ball was still moving, and I ducked around it careful to keep my aura back. The slightest impact could destabilize the attack and unleash its payload. The best course of action was to reach the next floor. This dungeon didn¡¯t really look it but, it was a collection of floors as large as planets. What I was using was raw perception activating mind sight extended my range for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Eventually two points of my view touched each other. In a sense we have been kept to specific areas isolated from the real mobs on the floors. Step out of that boundary and things change.

    Dashing forward a light blade covered my hand and I ripped through my double¡¯s chest cutting his spine. As I did so, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the skill that went into this creature¡¯s creation. It had a faint amount of my blood, a human body, and some type of reptile mob mixed in. Though it had access to many of my skills, I was betting its memories were created from someone who knew a lot about me but didn¡¯t know me. Looking behind me the ball of damnation continued to travel on beginning to destabilize. My double was only just beginning to show his shock. Even my perception had its limits, I needed him to talk. I snatched him and carried him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

    Drops of his blood fell slowly to the ground to my eyes. To my point of view, it could be minutes before they touched the ground. Perception was one hell of a dangerous stat.

    I kicked open the door to the tower and blasted anything inside. It seemed that my attacks followed my new level of relativity. Did that mean that my light moved faster, or did it mean that I was warping reality itself in some way? Perhaps, my next stat to reach 100 should be perception after all. Jumping up using the walls of the tower as a baseboard to launch myself higher, I made it to the boss chamber.

    Grim Reaper lv80

    Shield 200k Dark

    HP 30k

    Skills: Tormentor Chains lv20 Soul Reave lv10, Reverse Fortune lv5

    Highest Stat: 300INS

    Description: In ancient times the king of the intangible world was the Grim Reaper a ghost that destroys the souls of others and devours their essence. These cannibalistic souls gain great power in exchange for losing their humanity. Due to their sins they can never know peace.

    A simple light shot reduced the Reaper to ash and the skill book Soul Reave dropped. I opened the door to the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor just as the damnation ball destabilized. Even at my enhanced speed the blast radius of the skill was catching up to me as I entered the doorway.

    The door behind me rocked and quaked as the door closed behind me and exploded. My armor took the worst of the shrapnel like a champ, tanking PHY damage in the millions. My double wasn¡¯t so lucky. Rock and metal super-heated by the sudden explosion of heat and pressure ripped through his unarmored body shattering bones and ripping through blood vessels. Some of his organs were pulped. But he still lived and his ki was increasing.

    I stood still as my perception returned to normal and I observed the world around me. Flowing waterfalls, glowing butterflies, fields of grass, and massive glowing figures grazing. Compared to the last two floors this might as well be heaven. Then again, it¡¯s a dungeon. I opened my new skill book and learned soul reave.

    New skill

    Soul Reave lv1 1 soul collected to next

    Passive

    Description: A skill derived from cannibalistic souls used to harvest others for power. Only the bitter and desperate, those who seek to escape just punishment for the sins in life would use this skill. It rips apart the energy a soul gained from life and feeds it to the user. Instead of soul you will gain divine power.

    Divinity absorbed (28.8) = (DIV (36) x skill lv (1) - 20%) / enemy lv x Spirit

    Class at lv10 Lesser Demon

    It was interesting, and it offered free DIV with little effort on my part, so I was keeping it. As for another class. I equipped dark knight in my third slot.

    New Class

    Dark Knight lv1 0 of 10

    2star +5CON x lv

    Description: A knight that favors the dark mana type. This class is well known for its quantity of skills from debuffs to striking attacks this class is known for a little of everything.

    New skill

    Bind lv1 0.0% next This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Description: Use shadows to bind one object to another for a short period of time.

    Cost: 5MP

    Sunder lv1 100DPS next

    Description: The bread and butter of the dark knight. This skill allows the user to weaken the binding of objects and cause weaknesses where there were none.

    DPS (480) = WIL (160) x Dark (3) x skill lv (1)

    Cost: 5MP

    Blunt lv1 0.0%

    Description: A well made debuff. This skill reduces the maximum damage of any blade weapon by a level. The higher the skill lv the more maximum damage is stripped.

    Cost: 5MP

    They were all awesome skills and I could spam them endlessly with my level of power but that wasn¡¯t the point of gaining them. It was the Constitution. I had around 70 class points to spend and spend them I did.

    Dark Knight lv5 10 of 15 to next

    New skills

    Blur lv1 0.0 to next

    Description: Reduce the perception of enemies by 1 each level.

    Cost: 5MPS

    Shade lv1 0.0 to next

    Description: Use mana to reduce visibility within a given area +1meter of area per leve.

    Cost: 5MPS

    Blackout lv1 0.0 to next

    Description: Remove all light in an are Instantly to total darkness. Increase the time 1s per lv

    Cost: 5MP

    Blind lv1 0.0 to next

    Description: Steal the light from your opponent¡¯s eyes for a short time. +1s per lv

    Cost: 5MP

    Spikes lv1 0.0

    Description: Cover the ground with spikes made of darkness to pierce your opponent¡¯s feet. +1m area per lv

    Cost: 5MP

    Snare lv1 0.0 to next

    Description: Dark hands reach out to trip your opponent¡¯s feet. +1 second of hold ever lv

    Cost: 5MP

    This class was all about being unfair. Every skill was made to make the enemies life miserable nothing really increased the user¡¯s ability to defeat the enemy, but it was good for me. I could easily think of a hundred uses for blur.

    So, I activated every single one of them and kept them going. The animals around me began to fall out of the sky. Birds rammed into the ground and the massive creatures in the distance tripped over their long legs and fell. Utter chaos erupted on the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor. I made my way through it and found one of the more powerful mobs on the ground stuck. It was something I had only seen out of the mob encyclopedias a Giraffe or to be more specific a man eater. It looked up at me with its massive eyes and its horns sparked with electricity. They like to stun adventurers and then devour them whole. Their long necks gave them a great deal of pleasure when consuming something. Stretching their esophagus gave them a feeling of ecstasy. Particularly, messed up nobles are said to keep them in their prisons where they feed them criminals.

    They weren¡¯t the main monsters of this level nor were the small birds ramming into the ground. The third floor had something big, and rather dangerous. Out from the brush stepped a hunting party of lionesses. Their coats were golden in color and matched well with the grass that covered the roaming hills. The grass that rose well above my head only came up to their shoulders.

    Particle Lioness lv120

    Light Shield 5m

    Health 50k

    Skills: Light claws lv23, Triangulation lv40, killing blow lv40

    Highest Stat: 150DEX

    Description: At home in any savanna the Particle lion is well known for its appetite of light type monsters. Males have absorbed so much light crystal that their mains glow brightly. They can use the light crystals they consume to fuel light-based skills. Dangerous and coordinated these females have killed many with levels higher than your own.

    This wasn¡¯t going to work, not the lionesses they weren¡¯t much of a threat. The reason why I spotted them at all was due to the debilitating effects of my debuffs. Constant blackouts were messing with their vision causing them to panic and trip over hands reaching out to grab their paws. No what wasn¡¯t working was how I saw my enemies. I went into settings and altered how I saw my enemies. From now on I would see lv, DEF, and maximum DPS. That simplified things. In a real battle I couldn¡¯t take my time and scan through walls of information.

    It was time to do what I came here to do. From my inventory I took out several wooden barrels. I walked under one of the few taller trees and placed the barrel right where I wanted it. Going back to the mutant Giraffe or Man Eater as they are normally called, I began dragging to to the tree. It panicked and attempted to get free. Its horns lit with electricity and it rammed its head at me using its long neck as a lever. I¡¯ll tell you right now, that shit doesn¡¯t fly with me. Using Light Blade, I pierced its tough hide and severed its spine. The creature¡¯s bottom half started to spasm as the monster¡¯s head collapsed.

    Copying Midra I began making silk from black mana. It wasn¡¯t near her quality, but it could handle the job.

    New skill

    Black Silk lv1 1m to next

    Description: The creation of many mana strings woven together to create a stronger substance. Used by spider, silk worm, and some eel type monsters it greatly enhances organic substances.

    Durability (480) = (WIL (160) x Dark (3) x skill lv (1))

    Cost: 100MP/m

    Taking out a hunting knife, I ripped a hole behind the tendons in the man eater¡¯s legs. It couldn¡¯t feel the wound its back half was flailing about helplessly. The monsters were trying to retreat now only to trip and get stuck. When I looped the silk through the wounds I hoisted the monster up the tree until its head was just above the barrel.

    I was too focused trying to get the lid off the barrel to notice its head was swinging at me. Blur messed up its aim and it missed me by a hair. A second later I slit its throat and let the blood fall in the barrel. I was going to eat this mob kosher. It didn¡¯t sit still with its throat cut the mob flailed the whole time. Fortunately, my steady hand kept it on point and all its valuable blood landed in the barrel.

    Going into my log, I marked my latest quest as completed. There really wasn¡¯t any need to go much farther from here, once I finished filling up the barrels. I kept 4 spares. Once this one was down, it was the lionesses¡¯ turn.

    Taking a few branches. I sparked a fire using a little lux. The false light generated by my mind had plenty of heat. Riffling through my inventory I found something rare, a lance. It was a metallic beast of a weapon built for someone riding horseback. After gutting the mob, I had up the tree and ripping the hide off, I stuck the lance through it and sat it over the fire. Using small light blades, I finished off the particle lions by cutting their spins like the Man Eater Giraffe.

    The Lionesses had a barrel all to themselves. Once their throats were cut and the barrel filled they joined the giraffe on the fire. Small white crystals dropped from them after they died, the dungeon still recognized what I did as a great deed and gave me full drops. The lionesses¡¯ coats were in my inventory along with he giraffe. I enjoyed the spots. Hopefully someone back at the living quarters knows how to cure hides and possibly make a bed spread.

    Fat popped and sizzled off the carcasses. It felt like I hadn¡¯t eaten in days. The branches were rather green, and a lot of smoke hit the meat. A few hours later, I ripped off a chunk from the giraffe. Popping it in my mouth, it was dry but feeling something hit my stomach for the first time in a while was amazing. I kept ripping more and more from the carcass and never really felt full.

    Every bite made me feel more energized my mind felt like it was getting quicker. Ripping off a chunk from one of the lioness¡¯s, I took a bite. It was tough with almost no fat to it. It would have been great if I had some salt. The most important thing to remember about eating monsters is the outside system increase. Eating the meat of strong monsters would naturally make me stronger, I just couldn¡¯t use the system to calculate it. Its one of the reasons why vampires were dangerous at all levels, especially nobles. They could consume blood from powerful monsters and have the physical attributes of a lv1000 at lv5. The system wouldn¡¯t warn me. Because the system is passive.

    So, I ate every bite of the lionesses and the giraffe. I felt my body become just a little stronger from the meals. This wasn¡¯t a secret by any means. Nobles often used this to their advantage and fed their children high level monster meat. Though the fresher the better. Even plant mobs can help.

    I tossed the bones of the mobs in the woods along with the guts and organs. The full barrels were in my inventory and would keep until I returned. The double was gone, there was a trail of blood leading int the woods but no sign of a struggle. Either something dragged him off and killed him or he escaped.

    Holding my debuffs for hours had rapidly raised their levels. Each was around lv16 now giving me more than enough points to finish evolving my dark knight class.

    Dark knight lv10 max

    2Star CON +50

    New skills

    Slick lv1

    Headache lv1

    Stomachache lv1

    Fever lv1

    Earache lv1

    Hysteria lv1

    Shoulder Tap lv1

    Arthritis lv1

    Joint Decay lv1

    Mind Decay lv1

    Muscle Decay lv1

    Only the last three skill cost more than 5MP they stacked at 20MPS every stack. The fact that I could keep using them was amazing. At this rate, I could spam these skills and master my other classes quickly. Dark Knight had an evolution called Nightmare Soldier and Dark Paladin. I could have both I would just need to master one then the other. Its not like any of these skills would go away. The world around me was covered by a black haze as my dark mana stretched its wings and caused all manor of ailment to infect the inhabitants of the floor. My xp was still increasing and I kept getting drops from far away. Something tells me that Dark Knight wasn¡¯t meant to be abused like this.

    Nightmare Soldier seemed like a fun class to I selected that one first and let the new energies enter my body.

    Nightmare Soldier lv1 0 of 25

    2.5 star +10CON x lv

    New Perk

    Dark Ambition

    Description ¨C A dark soldier has only one desire to become the strongest. Whether that be in fighting, mating, or cooking it doesn¡¯t matter. By acquiring dark ambition being second best will never be enough. +200%Learning Speed for every rival defeated on the road to greatness.

    New Skill

    Dark Arrow lv1 100DPS to next

    Description ¨C The most basic dark type ranged attack in existence it is used to build a foundation for later skills.

    DPS (480) = Arrow number (1) x WIL (160) x Dark (3) x Skill lv (1)

    Cost: 5MP per arrow

    I didn¡¯t feel it yet, at the time dark ambition hadn¡¯t taken root in my mind, so I thought it wouldn¡¯t matter. But it changed me in the end. If I could have gone back and never gained the class I wouldn¡¯t.

    Far from Markus just outside the range of his area of influence stood an ominous group. Each of them wore his face. Some had long hair and a vagina, others had multiple arms, and one looked like a zaroid.

    ¡°You failed number 9 the progenitor still lives. Mother will be displeased by your weakness.¡± Number 9 or double as Markus saw him looked at number 3 the leader of their group and the strongest Markus. With a level at a frightening 1,500 and a powerful third eye with a pink cross pattern within, he was a wielder of both light and psychic power. The closest to their progenitor. He bowed his head trying to show his subservience to the 3<sup>rd</sup>.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want excuses, but he was stronger than me. I may have more energy, but he is simply better than me.¡± 9 blubbered, he was embarrassed not only did he lose after using his final trump card, but he was saved by the progenitor in the process.

    ¡°And now look, at what the original has done, he¡¯s grown more powerful in hours after the battle. It isn¡¯t stopping he has made himself unassailable by any save myself. Mother will be displeased to hear of our inadequacies.¡± 3<sup>rd</sup> said. 9 glared at his brother clone. The lower their number the more of the progenitor went into the clone¡¯s creation. At 9 he was the weakest of their group. He was forced to mutate his body to compensate. Those like 8 and 7 decided they wanted to be girls like their mother and changed their sexes with chimeratization.

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter when 2 and 1 awaken, they will handle the progenitor no problem.¡± 5 said. He looked the most like Markus always chuckling and using damnation. Unlike 9¡¯s use of the powerful dark skill 5 had refined it. Compared to him 9 was just an ape playing with sticks and stones.

    ¡°Should I try again, he won¡¯t get lucky this time?¡± 9 suggested.

    3<sup>rd</sup> looked at him like he would an ant. ¡°No, you had your chance to steal the glory alone, next time we will confront him together as a group. Mother¡¯s engineering has made us powerful in a short time but don¡¯t ever forget Markus is our foundation.¡± 3<sup>rd</sup> said and paused thinking. ¡°We will set our ambush on the 1<sup>st</sup> floor.¡±

    I drove myself hard back the the first door. My level was now 200 and I had Nightmare Soldier nearly maxed out. It only had 2 skills the dark arrow and one at lv10. I had 650 stats to put in and 1,555 trainable stats. Once I was safely out of harm¡¯s way I would train every point I could into insight and willpower.

    Just for the hell of it, I put 64 points in DIV just to see what it would give me.

    DIV has reached 100

    New Perk

    Minor God¡¯s Will

    Description ¨C Godly power in its essence is a collection of willpower from multiple sources whether it be given freely through faith or artificially created through skill points. DIV and WIL are linked every 5 points in WIL add 1 point in DIV. When willpower reaches 1000 this perk evolves into Lesser God¡¯s WILL.

    That was the best perk I could have hoped for and it evolved without having to put more points in DIV that was the best. But what I really wanted, what I absolutely desired the most was a divine skill with a divine job attached to it. Since it was my own divine energy pushing for the skill, the class will be my own as well. The first true divine skill was always what sets the paradigm.

    New Skill

    Create AI lv1 0.0 to next

    Description ¨C A divine power cultivated within the godling Markus. With this power minds with potential to learn and interact with their environment can be created. This skill has never been created before. But follows the laws of divine skills

    Ranked Mortal to Omniscient each mind is limited by the time its alive and the energy used to make it.

    DIV E (105.6) = (DIV (132) x skill lv (1)) ¨C 20% (26.4)

    Rank  (DIVER) divine energy required

    Mortal  100

    Group  10,000

    Village 1m

    Town 100m

    City  10b

    Country  1t

    Continent 100t

    World City  10Qu

    World  1Qi

    Multi World  100Qi

    Star system  10Si

    Multi system  1Sp

    Galaxy  100Sp

    Multi Galaxy  10O

    Universe  1N

    Multiverse  100N

    Omniverse  10D

    Omniscient  1U

    Class at lv10 Mystery Seeker

    In a single power up, I was just as strong physically as my Pa when he didn¡¯t use any boosts to further increase his power. It was incredible and frightening, because I didn¡¯t know how far my power could really go. If I gained my god form somehow, I could become my Pa¡¯s equal.

    I wanted to laugh and to cry, that was the single most overpowered skill I¡¯ve ever seen. The class wasn¡¯t one I recognized but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t godly. It came from a divine skill, so it had to be at least a 4star. The only problem was my lack of offense. I didn¡¯t get a powerful skill like divine meteor, apocalypse, or Nuclear Creation. No those were skills that I could expect my brother to have and use against me. I was still in deep shit as far as that went. It was just less of it now.

    With my body brimming with power that I couldn¡¯t fully grasp let alone use, it sent my thoughts down a dark path. This wasn¡¯t my own hard work alone it was biology. I was a godling even if I was thrown out and malnourished this power came from what I was not my own power. Though what could I call power I was born with anything but my own. Still, it bothered me no matter how far I climbed, I had a head start on the shoulders of a giant. Will it be the same for my children? What do I have to leave them? That might be something I should start on sooner than later. Opening my quest log, I flipped over to a personal quest line. It didn¡¯t have anything written on it.

    Personal quest #1

    Create a revolutionary item to pass down to my descendants to help them grow stronger quicker than I ever did.

    I was feeling sentimental. Flipping through my inventory I used up all the small white crystals and brought light up to 3. Now dark and light were equal again in my body.

    I still had 586 assignable skills left and couldn¡¯t wait to boost my stats further. Willpower could stand to reach 200 and maybe I should try out my divine skill and see how it worked.

    Markus Age 9

    Lv200 210k xp to next

    Type

    Light 3 0/17

    Dark 3 0/17

    Psychic 0/15

    HP 189.6k/1600 +6.51kHPM

    MP 13k/2700 +510 (75k) MPM

    Constitution 160 (18.9k)

    Endurance 45(55) (6.51k)

    Perception 35 (4.14k)

    Strength 100 (11.85k)

    Dexterity 15 (1.77k)

    Insight 160 (265)

    Willpower 200(260)

    Charisma 35

    Luck 15

    Divinity 152

    Skill points 486

    Trainable points remaining 1555