《Queen of Devouring》 Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 0 - Another Cycle Volume 1: The Apocalypse Another Cycle The sun was shining brightly. The rays of the sun were penetrating the thick foliage of the green forest. Suddenly, in this peaceful area, Mana started gathering on the outskirts of the forest. It liquefied and turned into a black puddle. That puddle was only a thick, black mass. It was darker than the black. The trees started to wither in its surroundings, the dense foliage wilting and every animal gave out their last calls. A dark wave rushed through the forest, covering an area of a hundred square meters, killing everything in its wake. A rotten stench covered the area as thick fog gathered. The black puddle started roiling like boiling water. The mass abruptly shot upwards, reaching a height of one and half a meters. Instead of falling back down, it stayed there. It looked like a three-dimensional shadow. Its outlines started flickering and it didn¡¯t take long for it to turn into a black egg. The black mass on the ground was nowhere to be seen. Dark winds started swirling around the egg, creating a black, impenetrable dome. Probably, no one on the planet had a chance at breaking through it. Especially considering the state the planet was in. This world went through an apocalypse only two weeks ago. The humans didn¡¯t know what was going on. Monsters started appearing out of nowhere and started killing them indiscriminately. Hot weapons quickly turned ineffective and only enchanted cold weapons worked on the beasts. Ten minutes later, the dark winds turned into intricate patterns and landed on the ground. After shining brightly with a black light, they disappeared. It was a formation, which would help to keep alien beings far away from the egg. It wasn¡¯t an offensive or defensive mechanism. It was tinkering with the target¡¯s mind! They would feel the need to turn to another way if they were to get within a kilometer radius of the egg. Just as those lights dimmed out, the strange black egg started shaking and trembling. A repetitive knocking sound could be heard from its insides. All of a sudden, those knockings turned into loud bangings. Cracks were appearing on the surface of the egg, which started spreading until reaching its bottom. A tiny white hand broke through that thick layer and saw daylight. The fog also dissipated slowly, leaving behind the dry ground, without any life. The thing in the egg started flailing its arms, breaking the egg into pieces in the process. When it felt that the egg was weak enough, it jumped out of its interior. A ten years old looking little girl stood there in the sunshine. Since the trees and leaves withered, the sunlight wasn¡¯t stopped by the thick foliage anymore. With her eyes closed, she spread her arms to enjoy the warmth. Her shadow crept up on her body to cover it, leaving her without a shadow. It turned into a simple, black dress on her body, reaching a little above her knees. The gentle wind brushed through her long, straight, black hair, raising it into the air. Inhaling deeply, she moved her toes, feeling the ground under her feet. But she soon realized that it was very much to her disliking. The ground was hard and dry. The air smelled rotten. With a frown on her face, she opened her shining green eyes to look around. She stood at a hundred and twenty centimeters tall. Snapping her fingers, a part of her dress was torn off and it turned into a cub-sized panther, while her dress recovered in a moment. The girl raised her brows, looking at the cub, questioning it - ¡°How long did you intend to stay in my shadow? Did you think that I wouldn¡¯t notice you? You leecher¡­¡± Its fur was completely black and its eyes were similarly green. The girl was a Shadow Progenitor, while the cub was a Devouring Panther. Both of them were legendary creatures, who came in pairs. If one of them was born, then it was sure that the other one would be there as well. The little panther sat down and meowed like a cute little kitten. The girl frowned slightly, but she couldn¡¯t stop a smile from forming on her face. ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t look at me like that. Come¡­ we need to eat this egg.¡± Knowing what to do, the girl said while reaching towards the cub. She raised it up into her embrace and then sat down in the center of the egg. As a legendary being, she had inborn memories. Although it didn¡¯t help her too much, at least she knew a few things. For example, how to talk¡­ She also knew that there was a formation around her, which would protect here if something were to come towards her. Such being the case, she didn¡¯t leave its area, even though she had to sit in this bad odor. After breaking off a large piece of her egg, she broke it into two halves, giving one-half to the cub, while she ate the other half. Although the shell of the egg was sharp, when it touched her lips, it turned into a jelly-like texture. It also tasted like the finest of meals, making her smile happily. ¡°Mm~ This is so delicious for some reason,¡± she remarked while gulping down another piece. The little panther put its paw on her hand, asking for more, even though she gave the panther¡¯s half to it just a moment ago. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too greedy? I need nutrition just as much as you! Stupid animal¡­ What are you even?¡± She questioned it with curiosity clear on her face as she grabbed its two sides and raised it up. Not seeing anything, she couldn¡¯t help but question the panther. ¡°Are you a gal?¡± Seeing no reaction, she asked if it was a guy, to which it answered with a roar. The girl laughed at his cute roar and then put him down. It didn¡¯t take long for them to eat the whole egg completely. Not even they understood where it went. The cub sprawled out in her lap, feeling content. ¡°What should I call you? And what should I call myself?¡± She asked as she put her hands on the back of the panther and started caressing it. With her hand on her chin, she said with a thoughtful face. ¡°Let¡¯s think¡­ maybe¡­ Elena? Elena as ¡®bright sun¡¯! Haha~ The irony in that. Alright, I¡¯ll be Elena! Now you¡­ I¡¯ll call you Dred, the dreaded!¡± Not thinking long about it, she decided their names in just a few seconds. As she put him down, Dred looked at her and after roaring once, he turned around, ready to sleep. He was actually liking his name. These kinds of legendary creatures were very rare, numbering only around fifteen. Although there were different kinds of legendary beings, each of them was unique and there couldn''t be more than one of them. This meant that Elena was the only Progenitor Shadow alive. Dred was a similarly rare monster, whose abilities were almost the same as Elena¡¯s. The only difference was that Elena had a human body, while Dred was visibly a monster. He was very clever, maybe even more so than an average human, but he couldn¡¯t talk. These legendary creatures were very intelligent when they were born, thanks to their inborn memories, which also contained life experiences. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t too much, so Elena still had a lot to learn and experience in the world. When these creatures were born, they had to eat their own eggs, which would serve them with nutrition. This would be followed by a long sleep. Elena swung her right hand and the shadow of a tree crept up to her. While lying in that shadow, she found the ground to be warm and soft. Like a good bed. In the embrace of Dred and her shadow, she fell asleep. Dred put his head down in front of Elena¡¯s and his left paw on her face. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep. The next day, Elena was woken up by the bothersome rays of the sun. Upon opening her eyes, she found a pair of green slit eyes in front of herself, staring back at her. Not knowing what it was, in the heat of the moment, she jumped up with a shriek and hit the back of her head into a withered tree. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She growled in a low voice, feeling slight pain. ¡°Damn¡­ you scared me for a moment. Even though I should have known that it was you,¡± she said with a long sigh, while looking at Dred and rubbing the back of her head. After going back to her place, she sat down with her legs crossed and shut her eyes. Dred did the same in her lap. Focusing on her surroundings, everything turned dark and silent. A few seconds later, she slowly started sensing colorful specks all around her. This was quite easy, she thought happily, with a smile on her face. Focusing on the gray specks, she started pulling those towards her body. As they entered through her cells and pores, she felt a wonderful feeling spreading through her being. It felt warm and pleasant.
New Skill Acquired: Meditation
A window appeared in front of her, though she didn¡¯t bother herself with it. This was only an indicator of her new knowledge. A proof of it. She would gain stat points and skills after her knowledge, not the other way around. As she turned more and more proficient at meditating, her speed also increased. A few minutes later, opening her eyes, she stood up. Dred jumped out of her lap and landed gracefully on all fours. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Elena questioned Dred with a knowing face. Expecting the answer, Dred roared proudly. ¡°Pfft¡­ S-Sorry, I really don¡¯t want to laugh at you, but your roarings are so cute! Come here and let me hug you~¡± Elena raised him up and started petting him, with a smile on her face. In this game-like world, in truth, nothing was a game. Elena¡¯s kind was one of the rarest, which meant that she played a one-player game. She was a monster, meaning that humans wouldn¡¯t trust her easily. Maybe it was different now since she was still just a little girl. The only partner she could really trust was Dred. Maybe she can find worthy people in the future, who won¡¯t look at her like an enemy, but for now, it is best to be careful. Both the monsters and humans were her enemies. Knowing this all too well, she knew that she had to gain strength as quickly as possible. And although there was ¡®Health¡¯ on everyone¡¯s status screens, they were no more than indicators of people¡¯s current health. A prick on their finger or a bruise wouldn¡¯t decrease people¡¯s health. But a beheading would kill anyone instantly! Health wouldn¡¯t turn zero unless someone really died, so these statuses were very much realistic and they just showed the abilities of each person. Mana was the same. It just showed how much Mana was left in her body, which naturally had a capacity. But like everything else, that too could be increased if people meditated. Having enough of Dred¡¯s soft and silky fur, she put him down and closed her eyes. Focusing on the Mana in her body, she started moving it towards her right palm. After creating a tiny needle, she focused on the brown specks in the air. After pulling a few of them towards her needle-shaped, invisible Mana, she pushed them into it. It instantly took the form of an Earth Needle. It was visibly weak and frail at first sight. Upon pouring more brown specks into her needle, it turned much harder. Thinking of moving it forward, the needle was propelled forward. It flew through the air with a whistle and penetrated a nearby tree. The withered tree was actually blown apart. When using Magical Attacks, people had to use their Mana. That was the frame, the skeleton of their attacks. It gave shape for their attacks! Meanwhile, the elements filled up those hollow skeletons and materialized the magical attack. Naturally, there weren¡¯t just elemental attacks. If people had enough knowledge of how Mana worked, they could create different spells of their own, or learn other people¡¯s spells. It all came down to which path they focused on and how much time and work they poured into them. Learning even the most basic elemental attacks took around two days for the humans, while Elena did it in a few minutes. This had two reasons. Firstly, she was a legendary being and she had inherent memories. Secondly, these humans were new to this whole system.
New Skill Acquired: Earth Magic
¡°Great!¡± Elena shouted out happily. She was still young, easygoing and happy. Trying it another time, she destroyed another tree. This time, it went as easily as breathing and its force was even greater. ¡°*~~Growl~~*¡± Looking down, she realized the origin of the sound. It was none other than her stomach. Slapping her forehead, she murmured - ¡°I should get some food before I die of starvation¡­¡± After deciding on a way randomly, she shouted ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯. Dred raised his right front paw, pointing towards the same place as Elena and ¡®roared¡¯. Elena laughed at the little monster¡¯s antics. They left the dead part of the forest and then both of them closed their eyes for a moment once again. Focusing on their mana, they collected them into a single ball in their chests. Upon discharging it all around them, their Mana rushed through their surroundings and then returned to them. Those specks held information about everything that was around them, though it didn¡¯t go further than a hundred meters.
New Skill Acquired: Sense
Elena smiled brightly upon seeing her newest skill. Both of them were using the same skills usually so that neither of them would get left behind. ¡°Mana!¡± Elena shouted, focusing only on one aspect of her status.
Name: Elena Mana: 30/120
¡°Ugh¡­ quite low. Well, it should be enough to catch a small animal,¡± Elena talked to herself while thinking of her possibilities. Looking down at Dred, who was licking his own leg, she asked - ¡°Are you ready to hunt?¡± Dred roared cutely as he rushed ahead. Elena ran after Dred happily. Her toes submerged in the soft and floppy earth. The ground was almost like sand in this lush forest. Feeling the earth rushing through in between her toes, she felt great. The fragrance of the forest entered her nostrils, while the sun rays penetrated her skin. Her black hair flung in the air, almost flying behind her. She dodged the trees while chasing Dred, with incredible accuracy and fluency. A log appeared in her view, which has fallen over. It was stuck on something in mid-air. Not slowing down, she slid on the ground, right under it and then jumped up. Dred stopped in place to use his Sense and sat down. Elena, who had her legs and her butt completely covered with dirt, landed on the ground and did the same. Their sense caught a rabbit nearby. Elena looked at Dred, hinting for him to attack it. Dred nodded once, understanding her indications. He jumped above a bush and rushed into the lush jungle. Before the rabbit could run anywhere, Elena made Earth Walls appear all around the rabbit. It quickly turned away, ready to escape, but before it could do so, Dred was already on it. An Earth Spike penetrated the rabbit¡¯s head, killing it on the spot. Although more unique and strange monsters also appeared with the apocalypse, not every monster was affected. There were still a few normal animals, just like how there were still humans on the zeroth level. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Nice job! Now we have something to eat. But before that, I have to rest¡­ I¡¯m almost completely out of Mana¡­¡± Elena said with a visibly tired face. She sat down on the ground, with her legs crossed and started meditating. Dred was similarly low on Mana, so he too followed her example. Ten minutes later when they finished filling up their bodies, they¡¯ve got a notification.
Your skill has levelled up: Meditation Lv. 1
Although there were levels, it was working alongside their real advancement. People didn¡¯t just ¡®get more strength¡¯ out of nowhere. When they fought a monster, they used their own energies. This not only made them more proficient, hence possibly gaining a level, but it also widened their Mana Veins. The more Mana they had in their bodies, the more powerful their cells would become. It also helped them in keeping their younger forms for a longer period of time. This time as well, she has got this notification because she could gather Mana much more quickly and proficiently. Both of them focused on the red specks and pulled it towards their Mana. They were slightly startled when a fire lit up in their palms. It wasn¡¯t burning them since the frame of their fire was their own Mana. As long as it wasn¡¯t someone else¡¯s Magic, they wouldn¡¯t get hurt. With a good enough Mana Control, they might be able to ''evade'' friendly fire as well! After burning off the fur from the rabbit and washing it with Water Magic, they started grilling it. About fifteen minutes later, the rabbit was ready to be eaten. Using a knife, made out of hard stone, Elena cut the rabbit into two halves. After eating it heartily, with their bellies full, they climbed up a tree and laid down. Elena hugged Dred into her bosom and they fell asleep, though they didn¡¯t sleep for long. Four hours later, she woke up. Seeing Dred¡¯s sleeping posture, a smile formed on her face. But upon loosening her arms around Dred, and sitting up, she realized that there was something wrong. Dred was as big as a five months old dog. He had grown exponentially in these five hours. Elena put her tiny hand on his back and pulled her fingers alongside it. His fur felt soft, warm and silky to the touch. Liking it, she started caressing his back, with her cherry lips pulled into a smile. It was visible that she would turn into a beauty once she grows up. ¡°*Purrrr~*¡± Dred started purring cutely upon waking up and feeling Elena¡¯s fingers brushing through his fur. ¡°Good Morning. Shall we learn?¡± Elena questioned Dred as she stopped her caressing and stood up. Dred roared unhappily upon not feeling the pleasant movements anymore. He sat up feeling unsatisfied, and then both of them started learning how to use the other elements. They knew earth, water, and fire magic. The remaining ones were wind, nature, lightning, dark, and light magic. These eight elements were the basic ones, and upon combining a few of them, different elements could be created. They also started focusing on random trees, bushes and such, resulting in them not only learning the ¡®Inspect¡¯ skill but even leveling it up to the first level. After seeing seven more notifications, they were happy to see two new ones.
You have learned every elemental magic. New Class Unlocked: Mage
A class which is powerful at using Magical Attacks
New skill acquired: Mana Control
But what they were truly happy for was the second one. They too knew that they could control their own Mana quite proficiently by the time they finished learning, and the notification was only a confirmation. The better they controlled their Mana, the easier it became to use magical attacks and meditate. She knew how the elements worked thanks to her inborn memories. The skill called ¡®Inspect¡¯ was probably the only other lawless thing in this world, besides the classes. A class always provided people with some kind of bonuses and it was said that this was because of the World System. Inspect was similarly mysterious and by all means relied on the World System. People could gain complete descriptions of every single thing they inspected. But this wasn¡¯t the case when it came to living beings. The World System didn¡¯t help them too much when it came to people. Depending on the understanding of their own skills and the level of Inspect, it provided them with a small amount of data. With a too big positive difference in levels, this data could be even a description of their lives or personality. While the other way around, it could mean showing literally nothing or just people¡¯s levels and names. The results could very easily be far away from the truth as well, so relying too much on inspect was one of the worst things to do. Feeling that they didn¡¯t have much Mana left, they meditated for a few minutes. It was more than enough to fill up their small reserves... Closing their eyes, they sensed their surroundings, but they didn¡¯t find anything so they left. After five minutes of walking, they heard the sound of a river. It didn¡¯t take more than a few seconds to get there. Pushing a big leaf aside, she saw a wide and fast flowing river in front of her. They used water magic when they were thirsty, so they didn¡¯t have such problems. They could use Magic to create a bathtub, but since this river was in front of them, they decided to wash their bodies here. Dred rushed to the riverbank with Elena in tow. Their speed could be easily envied by others. Although they preferred backstabbing their enemies, fighting head on wouldn¡¯t cause them a headache either. Knowing that it would be dangerous to go too deeply into the water, they entered only its shallowest parts. Elena¡¯s clothes turned back into shadows and stopped covering her body. She was still covered in dirt, thanks to playing with Dred last time. She sat down and started washing her body. The water turned slightly brownish as it rushed past her dirty feet, cleaning it. A few seconds later, Dred started rolling around in the water, splashing it all over Elena. ¡°Hey! St-Stop! It¡¯s not that warm!¡± Elena shouted while holding up her arms to defend herself. The water was quite warm since the climate was hot. But it still felt bad when it splashed on her body so suddenly. Dred would never do bad things to Elena, so he stopped his rolling. Standing up, his fur was completely sodden. He left the river and after being far enough from Elena, he shook his body causing the water to fly off his body. After combining the fire and the wind element with a ratio of four to six, he created a warm gust to dry himself. When Elena was clean, she followed his example. Her shadow turned back into clothes under her control. They were preparing to leave when a boar walked through the thicket, towards the water. It had a strangely red colored skin, red eyes, and a long pair of thick tusks. Upon noticing them, it stomped on the ground twice and then charged towards them. ¡°Eh? Wait, stop!¡± Elena shouted in her surprise, with her eyes opened widely and her palm held towards the boar. Naturally, it didn¡¯t care about her exclamation. Dred turned into Elena¡¯s shadow, who quickly jumped to the side and rolled through a bush. Turning around, the boar realized that its opponents disappeared. But a pair of green eyes were observing the monster. That shadow behind the bush didn¡¯t have a clear shape. Naturally, it was Elena. She jumped up to the top of a palm tree, next to her. The boar calmed down, thinking that its enemies had disappeared and walked towards the river. Seeing that it started drinking, Elena used Earth Magic to grow two sharp and pointy stone daggers in her hands. The daggers didn¡¯t reflect light because a strange black light was covering them. As she crept towards the top of the palm tree, it slowly started leaning towards the boar. When she was above it, she jumped down silently. The boar didn¡¯t even notice her as she landed on the ground gracefully.
Caused Damage: +150
The boar didn¡¯t move. A few seconds later, blood sprayed out of its neck, and its stomach was split open from below. Its head fell to the ground with a loud thud, and rolled towards the river, dyeing it red. Warm blood trickled down on the stone knife, dripping on the ground, and splashing on Elena¡¯s feet. Dred was the shadow covering Elena¡¯s stone dagger. When she cut off the thick neck of the boar, Dred rushed into the boar¡¯s body and destroyed it from the inside. While Dred was in his shadow form, his strength was added to hers. Thanks to her falling momentum combined with their strength, she managed to perform a clean, beheading strike.A window notified them of their level up. Dred climbed out of the boar¡¯s insides through its stomach, his body covered in its blood. Elena was looking at him with a frown while saying grumpily - ¡°Great¡­ now we can have a bath again¡­¡± Sighing loudly, both of them entered the water and a few minutes later, they were clear and dry once again. She looked at the corpse of the boar and willed her shadow to move. This time her dress didn¡¯t change, but a shadow crept down on her leg and touched the boar¡¯s shadow. It was slowly pulled into the ground. Dred also took out his part and devoured the other half of the boar. She felt her cells moving, her muscles strengthening and thickening.
You have acquired: +2 Strength, +2 Vitality
¡°I guess it¡¯s time to look at our statuses,¡± Elena said as she made a stone appear under her and sat down on it. Dred jumped into her lap and laid down ¡®comfortably¡¯, even though he was starting to be a bit too big for such things¡­ But Elena didn¡¯t feel bothered by it. She thought of the word status in her mind and a window appeared in front of her, which was visible only to her.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 1 EXP: 2 / 20
Class: Unselected Specialization: Not Available Yet
Health: 110 / 110 Mana: 120 / 120
Titles: The Only One
Strength: 17 Vitality: 22
Agility: 20 Will: 25
Intelligence: 30 Wisdom: 20
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.0 (91%); Water Lv.0 (20%); Wind Lv.0 (61%); Lightning Lv.0 (22%); Nature Lv.0 (10%); Earth Lv.0 (99%); Light Lv.0 (5%); Dark Lv.0 (54%); Resistances: Magical Resistance: 20 Physical Resistance: 8.5 Passive: Stamina: 110 Precision: 100
Skills: Inspect Lv. 1 (3%) Mana Control Lv. 0 (66%) Meditation Lv. 1 (89%) Sense Lv. 0 (52%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 1 (25%) ShadowStep Lv. 1 (2%) Shadow Form Lv. 1 (17%) ...
Since she had the ability to look at Dred¡¯s stats as well, she couldn¡¯t help but peek at it.
Name: Dred Race: Devouring Panther (Legendary)
Level: 1 EXP: 2 / 20
Class: Unselected Specialization: Not Available Yet
Health: 110 / 110 Mana: 68 / 68
Titles: The Only One
Strength: 27 Vitality: 22
Agility: 23 Will: 25
Intelligence: 17 Wisdom: 20
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.0 (91%); Water Lv.0 (20%); Wind Lv.0 (75%); Lightning Lv.0 (8%); Nature Lv.0 (10%); Earth Lv.0 (90%); Light Lv.0 (5%); Dark Lv.0 (63%); Resistances: Magical Resistance: 20 Physical Resistance: 13.5 Passive: Stamina: 110 Precision: 115
Skills: Inspect Lv. 1 (3%) Mana Control Lv. 0 (66%) Meditation Lv. 1 (89%) Sense Lv. 0 (52%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 1 (25%) ShadowStep Lv. 1 (2%) Shadow Form Lv. 1 (17%) ...
Their stats were mostly the same. The only real difference was that Dred was more of a physical, while Elena was more of a magical type. But that was only temporarily since Elena didn¡¯t have a real weapon to use. Their Racial skills were also the same and even their Elemental Magic had only a tiny difference. After focusing on those points, a new window appeared.
Strength: The indicator of physical strength. This shows how many kilograms of strength you can punch with. Half of your strength is your physical resistance, which shows how big of a physical attack you can take without getting injured. You can increase this by training your body.
Vitality: The indicator of your health points and stamina. You can increase this by body training or by getting wounded continuously. One vitality means five health points and five stamina.
Intelligence: Shows the Mana capacity of your body. The more you have, the longer you can fight with magical attacks. One point of intelligence means four points of Mana. You can increase this by meditating and learning.
Agility: The indicator of your accuracy. One point of agility means five points on your precision. You can increase this by training or pouring Mana into your body parts for a long time, which can permanently increase your eyesight and the speed of your reflexes.
Wisdom: The indicator of your Magical Strength. Your magical resistance is equal to your wisdom. This can be increased by learning and meditating. One point of wisdom shows how much Magical Strength you have. Damage on physical target will be doubled.
Understanding how it worked and how to increase them, she smiled happily. Her stats were way above the norm at her age and level. Usually, people had so many points only at level three or four. Other legendary beings were even more unfair because they learned very quickly and their bodies evolved easily. In this world, there was no limit on how much people could train their bodies. They would always turn stronger if worked hard! But her real strength didn¡¯t lie in her current statistics. It was her Devouring skill! As long as she kept killing and devouring, she could turn even stronger than any legendary being. This was because when she devoured a corpse, she gained its most useful traits and her body evolved. Dred was exactly the same. But if someone was weaker than them, their Devour didn¡¯t bear any fruits. They left the riverbank and a few minutes of walking later, they saw that the jungle was getting thinner and thinner. Leaving it behind, a few hours later they found themselves in front of a strange place. There were tall stone buildings and asphalted roads. But the city was strangely silent and the occasional roars of monsters only made it even creepier. Not fearing the future, Elena looked down at Dred, with a smile on her face, asking¡­ ¡°Shall we dance?¡± Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 1 - A new bond, a new friend A new bond, a new friend She has never seen a city like the one in front of her. Not even her inherent memories told her of such places. There could be only one of her kind. This meant that the Progenitor Shadow before her died. It might have happened because of old age, or maybe because he or she was killed. Her ancestors always stored the most important memories away, turning them into inherent memories, which would be unraveled once another Progenitor Shadow was born. This was a part of her bloodline. If she were to die, she would do the same. Naturally, she stood far from death as it wasn¡¯t her goal¡­ Stepping forward, she felt something new under her feet. The feeling of asphalt was strange to her. Although she could have turned a part of her shadow into shoes, she took a liking to this new feeling. Suddenly, Dred ran towards an upturned car and came back with a pair of ragged shoes in his mouth. Elena laughed heartily upon seeing it. ¡°Are you serious?¡± She questioned him as she stopped laughing. Dred shook his head sideways and threw away the pair of shoes. ¡°How cruel¡­ you are taunting a little girl,¡± Elena remarked with a frown, and then knocked on Dred¡¯s head. They left towards the city in an unhurried way. Overturned cars and dried patches of blood were littering the roads. As she reached the panel houses, she heard a growling from her right. There were two pairs of cold-blue eyes in an alleyway. Inspect.
Race: Two Headed Dog Rarity: Common
Level: 3 (Threat Level: 4)
A few details appeared about the monster. It started walking towards Elena, but before it could reach out of the shadows, Elena and Dred were already rushing towards it. Seeing their sudden charge, the monster took a defensive position. While running, Elena stomped on the ground and made a stone wall appear in front of the monster, with a small elevation on her side. Dred jumped over it and then disappeared in the darkness. Only the vehement squeaking of the monster could be heard. while Elena also reached the elevation. Jumping up from it, she somersaulted in the air sideways and with a stone sword in her hand, she fell downward. She felt something resisting her sword, but under her falling weight, she soon felt her weapon penetrating its target. The Two Headed Dog started whining in pain. Feeling annoyed by it, Elena shot a bolt of lightning towards its head. While the monster was stunned, her hand turned into a shadow and beheaded both of the monster¡¯s heads.
You have leveled up to Lv. 2!
Its blood would have splashed on her if not for her being in her shadow form. The monster¡¯s blood simply flew through her ethereal form. ¡°At least I won¡¯t have to take a bath after each fight like this. I should learn to cut more cleanly and quickly¡­¡± Elena talked to herself, thinking of ways to stay clean. Her level up wasn¡¯t surprising since both of them learned and experienced something new after this short battle. Looking down, there was something shiny on the ground and after using inspect, she saw the following window.
Name: Kitchen Knife Rarity: Common
Durability: 10 / 10 Effects: Increases your strength output by 3 and transforms your physical attacks into cutting force.
Description
A common kitchen knife of this world. It will wear out quickly on the hard skin of the monsters.
One strength meant one kilogram of punching strength as default. But, with a blade in her hand, that strength turned into cutting force. This number would also increase if she were to kick. So with the knife in her hand, Elena could release twenty kilograms of cutting force. Picking up the knife, she thought of something. Using Nature Magic, a straight bush grew out of the ground with thick branches. She broke off one of them, and then using Earth Magic, she put them together. She just created a stone shell around it. It was a terrible creation but it was better than a simple knife. Using inspect once again, it leveled up to level two and the following window appeared in front of her.
Name: Crude Spear Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 12/12 Effects: Converts your strength into cutting or thrusting force. Increases your strength output by 10.
Description
A crude spear, crafted by a young girl, who was lacking in both material and knowledge to do something better. Tho¡¯ it is uncommon, but it¡¯s only because no one crafted something as terrible as this before.
¡°Fuck you¡­ Am I supposed to know everything immediately? Stupid window,¡± Elena murmured grumpily. After they devoured half-half of the dog¡¯s body, they went through small evolutions and gained two strength and one vitality. She started using sense, every hundred meters since that was how far it reached.
Your skill has leveled up: Sense Lv. 1
As she was getting more and more proficient at discharging her Mana, with less Mana loss, she was able to sense things further than a hundred meters. The first level of Sense meant that she could sense things in a radius of a hundred and fifty meters. Elemental Magic
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.0 (91%); Water Lv.0 (20%); Wind Lv.0 (75%); Lightning Lv.0 (25%); Nature Lv.0 (10%); Earth Lv.1 (6%); Light Lv.0 (5%); Dark Lv.0 (54%);
Willing it, only a part of her status appeared. She put her hand on her chin, thinking - I should use fire magic some more. And the others as well¡­ After walking for a few minutes, she sensed someone in a nearby building. ¡°Should we check it out?¡± Elena asked Dred with her brows raised. He naturally agreed, wishing to have some ¡®fun¡¯. They rushed towards the building. After entering through the doors, she leaned over the corner and saw a corridor with doors in it. But a one meter tall, gray-skinned gnome was hitting the door of a room. It was the room where the human resided in. She pulled back her head and looked back at Dred. The gnome didn¡¯t even notice her. With a grin on her face, she turned into a shadow on the ground and rushed towards her opponent. Naturally, Dred joined her. Their shadows disappeared in the gnome¡¯s. It was still hitting the door when a shady arm reached out of the gnome¡¯s shadow and coiled around its body. It wanted to turn around, but at that time, the shadow gripped its body tightly. When the gnome couldn¡¯t move any longer, a spear thrust out of the shadow and penetrated the monster¡¯s head. With a hole in its head, it fell to the ground lifelessly. After devouring its body, they felt a slight change in their minds. They gained one intelligence and one wisdom... Why after this? This gnome was so stupid¡­ Elena thought, not understanding how was intelligence the forte of this monster. The devour skill always gave them the most specific traits of their opponent. Naturally, if the monster was weaker than them or was at the same level, then they wouldn¡¯t get anything out of it. This didn¡¯t mean that the gnome was cleverer than them. It was just on a higher level and its intelligence and wisdom were the highest. She turned back into her human form and knocked twice on the door gently while shouting, ¡°Pardon me! The monster went away! Could you let me in?¡± She soon heard footsteps, nearing the door. ¡°Who are you?¡± Came the question through the closed door. ¡°I¡¯m called Elena. Please, I¡¯m afraid outside!¡± She said with a sweet voice. while faking her fear. Dred turned into her shadow, disappearing and Elena put down her spear, right behind the door. ¡°Come in¡­¡± Said the guy with a rough voice as he opened the door. He was a sixteen looking teenager, with short, curly, black hair. He was a bit fat, but not overly. Upon seeing Elena¡¯s cute posture, a strange glint flashed in his eyes. Inspect
Name: Alan Coleman Level: 0 - EXP : 0 / 0 (Threat Level: 0)
Race: Human Title: The fearful pervert
Health: 60 / 60 Mana: 40 / 40
Description
A dangerous human. Although he is fearful of powerful foes and even other humans, he doesn¡¯t fear to be ¡®rude¡¯ with those, who are weaker than he.
How the hell did he manage to stay level zero with no experience? Did he hole up himself? And what¡¯s with that title? Elena thought while keeping up her facade and entering the room. Her senses caught a hand moving towards her shoulder, so she quickly stepped forward. Alan wanted to grab her shoulder. He found Elena very cute. He saw her as a beautiful, frail doll. Before the apocalypse, this planet was a peaceful one. The economy was flourishing, the people rarely fought, yet now everything went wrong. He was afraid of fighting these dangerous monsters, but he felt at ease while being in the presence of a little girl. He thought that Elena was as weak as a fly. That she was lost, alone, parentless. The perfect prey for his kind¡­ He didn¡¯t want to abuse her. He just wanted to idolize and handle her as if she would be some kind of doll. ¡°C- Can I ask you something? I- I¡¯m really thirsty,¡± Elena said while sitting down in an armchair, pulling up her knees and looking at Alan with upturned eyes. He felt excited. He had strange delusions, thinking that he will turn super overpowered and that Elena will be his beautiful wife in the future. ¡°Ah! Immediately, my little angel!¡± He exclaimed happily while turning around and rushing towards the kitchen. What he didn¡¯t notice was that Elena¡¯s shadow disappeared, which meant only one thing. Dred was already Alan¡¯s shadow¡­ He stopped in front of a cupboard. After opening it, he started fumbling inside it, not realizing the danger that was lurking behind him. Elena used ShadowStep and appeared behind him without a sound. With a grin on her face, she looked at Dred. After nodding at each other, Elena used Nature Magic, to root him. Dred¡¯s bolt of lightning struck his back, paralyzing him completely. ¡°W- What the hell?¡± He shouted fearfully, while his body kept spasming because of the shock. Since their Lighting Magic was at a low-level, they couldn¡¯t produce powerful lightning, which would burn others to a crisp. ¡°I can see that you like little girls. Do you like me as well?¡± Elena asked with a smile and then swung her arm in an arc. Before Alan could answer, his throat was split open. In Elena¡¯s hand was a sharp stone dagger. His blood sprayed on their bodies, bathing them in blood. ¡°Damned scum¡­ I hope that the other humans aren¡¯t like this. I had high hopes for them at first,¡± Elena said with a sad face. Killing is so sad¡­ Every time you take a life, it¡¯ll leave a mark in you. But, oh well¡­ kill or be killed, that¡¯s the law of the jungle. You had bad luck, human. She thought, still not knowing that these humans were completely new to this whole thing. In her inherent memories, humans knew of many classes, skills, etc. Never in her dream would she think that she was born on a planet, which went through an apocalypse only two weeks before her. They took their way towards the door. After picking up her spear, they entered the bathroom. Using fire and water magic, they poured warm water into it. Ten minutes later, they were once again clean. ¡°Let¡¯s look at these notifications¡­¡± She talked to herself while sitting down in an armchair. Her shadow rushed out and devoured Alan¡¯s corpse. These notifications could be muted, so unless she was free to look at them, she muted them.
You have leveled up to Lv. 3!
New Class Unlocked: Assassin
She didn¡¯t get anything out of Alan because he was too weak¡­ these normal classes didn¡¯t interest her. Naturally, this wasn¡¯t a virtual reality. Although there were classes, all they did was give some bonus on a few stat points, or increase the training speed of certain skills. ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s eat something before training,¡± she told Dred while standing up and going towards the kitchen. Thanks to her Sense, she knew where to find the things she was looking for. After finding some canned meat, they ate it distastefully. It wasn¡¯t that bad, but it wasn¡¯t too good either¡­ With their bellies full, they have got to work. Elena started doing sit ups, push ups and filled her cells with Mana to increase their evolution speed. Dred was pouring Mana into his eyes and nervous system to increase his Agility. When Elena felt too tired to continue, she stopped and sat down on the bed. She started shooting small pieces of stones towards Dred, helping him in training his agility and also increasing her intelligence. Or on its other name, Mana Capacity. When she ran out of that as well, she started meditating and increased her wisdom. Both of them trained everything that was possible through a few cycles. Stat points. She thought and the selected part of her status window appeared in front of her eyes.
Strength: 25 (+10 Crude Spear) Vitality: 25
Agility: 20 Will: 25
Intelligence: 34 Wisdom: 25
Her stats increased by quite a lot. Meanwhile, will was an interesting attribute as it didn¡¯t have a description. She wasn¡¯t sure what it indicated, so she focused on the others, for now. Feeling mentally tired after so much training, they wished to sleep. As they finished inspecting their own stats, Dred meowed once, indicating for Elena to raise up her arm. He wanted to be hugged by Elena. Seeing his pitiful face, she chuckled. Dred crept into her arms, even though he was almost as big as her at this time. After rubbing her face on his soft fur, she fell asleep with a smile on her face. They slept for six hours before waking up. It was nighttime. ¡°Mhm~¡± She woke up while rolling on her side and releasing a pleased voice. Opening her eyes, she was able to see. Although it was completely dark in the room, her race was born of darkness and shadows. Her eyes weren¡¯t the same as the humans¡¯, though that was visible from the outside as well¡­ She sprung up from the bed and found her stomach growling. ¡°Being so young sucks¡­ I have to eat regularly to keep my body full of nutrition,¡± she talked to herself unhappily, knowing that she could go on for days in the future. Stretching her limbs, she looked at Dred, asking - ¡°Where should we go?¡± Dred showed an uncaring attitude as he didn¡¯t even look at her. I guess I¡¯ll decide in that case¡­ Elena thought with a helpless face. Sighing loudly, she looked down at herself and realized that she has grown at least ten centimeters. Shaking her head, she grabbed her spear and left through the door, with Dred in tow. After going through the corridor and leaving the building, they saw a starry night sky. The air was warm and the gently blowing wind felt good on her skin. Sniffing once, she thought that the night smelled nice. Using their senses, they found nothing but monsters. Elena decided to go deeper into the city and find out more about what happened to this planet. They turned into black patches on the ground and rushed forward. They went past numerous monsters, without any of them noticing them. Let¡¯s see what do we have here. Inspect. She thought as they stopped to look at a big, green-skinned humanoid, which had a pair of tusks protruding from its mouth.
Race: Ogre Rarity: Common
Level: 12 (Threat Level: 8)
Your skill has leveled up: Shadow Form Lv. 2
Your skill has leveled up: Mana Control Lv. 1
Since they were using their shadow forms continuously, which needed Mana, they also turned more proficient at using them. The threat level eight meant that she had eighty to ninety percent of chance to die if she were to fight it. This wasn¡¯t because of the World System but because of Elena¡¯s understanding of her own strength. That¡¯s nice¡­ we better leave before it notices us. She thought as she quickly turned away and left. The deeper they went into the city, the more powerful the monsters were. Realizing that it would be wrong to move on, they were about to turn around when they noticed something. Their senses caught a few people¡¯s presence. Humans? But there are three of them! Hmm¡­ I should check it out. After thinking about it for a bit, she decided to pay a visit and maybe stay. They were inside a building. Looking around, she realized that there weren¡¯t any monsters nearby. Elena took up her human form, while Dred stayed as her shadow. After entering the house, she found herself in a corridor. This building was similar to the one from before. Well, it was a city¡­ Wait. But if I just go in, I¡¯d be way too suspicious. Especially considering that my body is still that of a child¡¯s. Though¡­ my mind isn¡¯t that advanced either. Haha~ She chuckled silently upon thinking that far. She was still just a child, who was sometimes more clever or more bloodthirsty than the usual. But she wasn¡¯t a human. Human norms weren¡¯t true when it came to her. Not knowing what to do, she entered the room, which was beside the humans¡¯. Dred turned back into his full form and started meditating along with Elena. They didn¡¯t have much mana left after staying in their shadow forms for such a long period of time.
Your skill has leveled up: Meditation Lv. 2
Not bothering with the notification, they continued on. Their Meditation was at thirteen percent when they felt that they were full. I should check out my own skills a bit more. I also have a few more to unlock. Wah! I can¡¯t wait for Spellsteal! She thought excitedly upon thinking of her next skill. She needed more wisdom to use them. Simply, she wasn¡¯t clever enough yet¡­ Shadow Form.
Shadow Form Lv. 2
This skill shows that the owner has the ability to turn into an ethereal form. Unless attacked with special attacks, the owner can¡¯t be damaged. Consumes 0.5 Mana / Second The owner of this skill also knows how to mask most of her status.
While she was exploring her own abilities, the humans in the other room were taking a rest. There is a school nearby, which has been turned into a fortification. Under these two weeks, the humans learned how to use their powers. There were people who were above the thirtieth level by this time! One such person was also the leader in the school nearby. He was called Jake Hughes. When this apocalypse occurred, the humans were surprised to see that all of them turned young and the limits of their minds and bodies were also taken off. Jake was a fifty years old retired soldier originally, but after the apocalypse, he took good care of his own health. He turned out to be talented at this leveling up and body training. Like most of the soldiers¡­ At the time of chaos, a powerful leader was obviously advantageous. The panicked humans naturally started following him and the number of his followers grew day by day as they kept finding new survivors. At first, they were living in these buildings, but their group quickly overgrew them. So after clearing out the school, they overtook it as their base. It was only one week and two days after the apocalypse when - to Jake¡¯s surprise - a window appeared in front of him, asking if he wanted to turn the school into his territory. After seeing the perks it came with, he naturally agreed, since it made saving the survivors much easier. This was because if they had a territory, the stronger monsters would stay far away. Why was this good? Like this, the new survivors they took in had a chance at killing the weak monsters, which stayed around their territory and then slowly move outwards, killing the more and more powerful ones. In turn, this meant easy experience gaining for the starters and weaker monsters. Although they didn¡¯t know how this worked, in truth, this was because of a powerful formation around the city, which was invisible to them. This was also a possible use of the World System, which had many strange things. In the human¡¯s room, a short teenager guy with brown hair, who was called Krin, asked aloud. ¡°Hey, Raven¡­ shouldn¡¯t you go and check our surroundings? It¡¯s been half an hour. What if something dared coming nearby?¡± A petite looking girl, with raven black hair, laughed upon hearing his words. She was none other than Raven, who was named after her hair... ¡°Haha, what do you mean? We are just patrolling. These low-level ogres have no way to hurt us. I¡¯d burn them to a crisp before they could reach me!¡± She exclaimed flauntingly, with an unbothered face. Still¡­ she used her Sense skill to sense her surroundings. Right after saying those words, her eyes opened widely because she felt a presence in the room, next to theirs. Maybe two¡­ but she wasn¡¯t sure of it. ¡°What now?¡± Krin asked with his brows furrowed, upon seeing Raven¡¯s face. ¡°Ehm¡­ there is someone in the room next to ours. But it¡¯s just a little girl. Her level is also really low. I don¡¯t understand how I didn¡¯t notice her when we arrived,¡± she added while massaging her temples, feeling bad that she missed such an obvious sign. She didn¡¯t believe that a little girl would walk through the dark night and enter the room next to theirs without anyone noticing. She believed that she made a mistake. ¡°Heh¡­ and you were all high and mighty just a moment ago.¡± A beautiful girl with red hair and curvy body didn¡¯t miss the chance to ridicule her. She was called Audrey. Raven made a pouting face, which after she showed her middle finger to Audrey as she opened the door to visit Elena. Realizing that someone was coming, Dred quickly turned into a part of Elena¡¯s clothes. Raven stood in front of the door and knocked twice, asking in a low a voice. ¡°Hello~ Can I come in? We¡¯ll take you to a safer place, alright?¡± Hearing her nice tone - ¡°Come in, Miss!¡± - Elena shouted politely with a happy voice. She was really happy because she felt slightly lonely and bored in this devastated world. Opening the door, the first thing they did was to inspect each other. Elena didn¡¯t see more than Raven¡¯s name¡­ Meanwhile, Raven saw slightly more, but thanks to Elena¡¯s masking abilities, her race was still unidentifiable.
Name: Elena Race: Unidentifiable because of a skill
Level: 3 Threat Level: 0
Type: Weak Magical, Weak Physical Estimated attack power: (12 - 13)You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Since Raven was at the 27th level, she was much more powerful and she saw way more than what Elena ever did. Her inspect skill was also above level ten! She was surprised exactly because of that reason. She couldn¡¯t see everything, even though there was such a huge difference between them. Supposedly, she should have seen a small description as well, similar to the one Elena saw while inspecting Alan. But she saw neither title nor description. Then again, her Inspect skill still helped her in pulling the estimated attack power upward because if it depended on her, then she would have said that Elena had only five at most¡­ And even this amount was way about half of her real strength.This is why the higher level Inspect was, the more they saw and more accurately. If Jake were to inspect Elena, then he would probably see everything. Realizing that she was standing there all mute, with a surprised face, she finally came to and greeted Elena. ¡°Ah! Hello, little girl. How did you get here?¡± She asked with a nice smile on her face. At the same time, Audrey and Krin also stopped in the doorway. ¡°Woah~ Such a cute little girl. And her eyes are so beautiful. I¡¯m envious!¡± Audrey exclaimed upon seeing Elena. She went past Raven, shoving her to the side, and stood in front of Elena. W-What now? What¡¯s with this woman? Elena thought while making a strange face. Realizing that her sudden charge ¡®scared¡¯ the little girl, she stopped. ¡°How may I call you? Little angel?¡± She asked nicely, creeping out Elena. ¡°E-Elena¡­ but you should know it,¡± she mumbled while pulling up her legs and burying her face in her pulled up knees. ¡°S-So cute!¡± Audrey shouted as she coiled her arms around Elena and hugged her into her bosom. What the hell is wrong with this woman? Elena thought while making an annoyed face, even though she actually liked being hugged. But her primal instincts didn¡¯t want to admit it. Noticing her two-sided feelings, Audrey only felt even better. ¡°So? Where did you come from?¡± Raven asked once again with a hopeful face, wishing to know a bit more about Elena. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even know where I am and I don¡¯t know anyone,¡± she replied with a pitiful face. Although she didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way, the girls misunderstood her words and thought that they asked something bad. Feeling bad for doing so, they started apologizing and caressing her back and the top of her head. She was loved a lot. This only made Elena feel even more confused. ¡°We should take her back now, shouldn¡¯t we? Or do you want to wait until morning?¡± Raven asked Krin and Elena if she wanted to move now. ¡°W-We can go now,¡± Elena answered while pulling out her legs from under the blanket and standing up. Upon noticing that her feet were bare, Audrey and Raven made empathic faces as they started weeping, saying that the poor little girl had to walk barefoot. I know that I¡¯m cruel, but I should kill these people¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but think of such things. ¡°Let¡¯s go in that case,¡± Krin said with an unbothered face. He didn¡¯t feel as touched as the girls. Krin was only sixteen years old, while Raven and Audrey were above thirty originally. They had motherly instincts. It¡¯s just that, after the apocalypse, their bodies turned younger. Audrey held out her hand towards Elena, thinking that she would grab her hand. But Elena went past her without being bothered by Audrey¡¯s hand. She still had a lot to learn and reading people¡¯s expression was also one of those¡­ Audrey felt down upon seeing that she was ignored, but after thinking positively, she rushed after Elena with a smile. She just needs time¡­ She thought. On their way, the Ogres noticed them since they were walking in the middle of the roads. But after simple fireballs, which had one meter of diameters, all of them burned into crisps. Ironically, Raven was the one who mostly used fireballs, while Audrey used Dark Magic and Wind Magic. It took only five minutes to reach the school, which didn¡¯t look like one¡­ It had three meters tall, thick stone walls around it, which were glowing with a dim gray light. It was enchanted with Mana. On the walls were a few people, observing the area. Most of them had gloves on their hands, while some of them had staves. There were also people who were barehanded. Although weapons had a chance at increasing some of the attributes, increasing magical attack power wasn¡¯t exclusive to staves and wands. Why would that be the case? Upon noticing that group of four, a guard shouted. ¡°Krin? How come you are back so quick- Ah! You found another one?¡± Noticing Elena, he realized why were they coming back. ¡°Yes, yes. We just brought her back. Now open the gates¡­¡± Krin talked with his usual, uncaring tone. Nodding once, the patrolling guard opened the metal gates. Upon stepping on the doorway, a window appeared in front of Elena and Dred, though it was visible only to them.
The New Human Union
This is the territory of Jake Hughes. Do you wish to enter as a member or as a visitor? If you enter as a visitor, you can¡¯t stay longer than one week. If you enter as a member, then you¡¯ll have to accept him as your major. You can also apply for a guest status.
Visitor. Both of them thought of the same answer at the same time. As unique and rare beasts, it was against their instincts and beliefs to get under the rule of someone. Knowing that Elena had to answer such a question, Krin asked them with a curious face. ¡°What did you decide on? I¡¯d recommend becoming a member as it has a few perks¡­¡± Not wishing to tell him the truth, Elena just made a face as if she didn¡¯t understand what he was talking about. Thinking that she didn¡¯t even notice and probably answered without knowing anything, he just shrugged it off. Her little girl looks helped her a lot at these times, though it can¡¯t be used forever as she too has to grow up. There were smaller stone buildings or tents at the yard of the school. In the tents were the newer members and visitors, who were weak. Meanwhile, the people living in their own stone buildings were the more powerful and important members of the society. This also served as a goal for the others to work hard. If they had a tiny house of their own in this area, that only meant that they were someone. Someone better than the others! Elena noticed that a few people were sparring with weapons or magical attacks. Although the sky was dark, the flickering lights of the magical attacks were lighting it up from time to time. This is¡­ pretty! I should work harder and learn to use my Mana more fluently. Damned Mana Control improves so slowly¡­ She thought with a slight bit of dissatisfaction and a bittersweet taste in her mouth. Even though they were using their Shadow Forms very frequently, her and Dred¡¯s Mana Control was still standing at thirty-two percent. They didn¡¯t know that they had to use more complex skills to make it advance quicker. Noticing the ¡®newcomer¡¯, the older members checked her out, but none of them saw more than Raven or the others. Looking around, Elena saw that almost everyone had some kind of weapon in their hands, be it sword, staff, bow and such. Other than the children, which were very few in number, the other humans were above the tenth level on average. Those who were in possession of a small building were all above the twentieth level. This made her realize who had the rights to have a house of their own. Still¡­ space was limited, so this couldn¡¯t be maintained for long unless they expanded the area. But the smaller hills of stones made her think that the humans were of the same opinion. She was led straight into the school, which was completely remodeled from the inside. Instead of classes were private rooms, which looked quite comfy and luxurious, probably more so than the stone buildings. Though, she couldn¡¯t be sure as the doors were closed. She saw only one of them opened and the view pleased her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel the need to have such a room. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Audrey suddenly started talking after staying silent for a good while. ¡°Hungry? I¡¯m not reall- *growl* -y¡­ I am.¡± Elena wanted to hide the truth because she didn¡¯t want to rely on these humans. Unfortunately, her stomach disobeyed her and sold her off. Hearing it, Audrey chuckled, along with the others and led her towards the canteen. The rows of tables and chairs were unused at such a time since most of the people were sleeping. Only those who were allocated to night shifts were still up and sparring or guarding the walls. Audrey left towards the kitchen and a few seconds later, she came back with a small plate of instant soup. ¡°The food is still a problem of ours, so I can¡¯t give you too much, but considering your small body, you should get by with this.¡± She said with a sorry look on her face while holding it out towards Elena, who still received it with a smile and devoured it heartily. After her body converted the food into nutrition, she didn¡¯t forget to send some into Dred¡¯s body through their shadows, in the form of pure energy. Seeing her eating it so quickly, with a smile on her face, made Raven and Audrey happy. Krin left as he had better things to do, and told them to take care of the necessary things, which were related to Elena. The person in question stood up from her seat and looked at the two teenage looking girls with her head tilted to the side. Why is she so cute? Was what both of them thought. Upon looking at each other, they saw a competitive look in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°She is staying with me!¡± Raven exclaimed with an upturned face while reaching towards Elena. But before she could touch her, Audrey told her that Elena was going to stay with her and literally jumped towards her. Of course, Elena dodged to the side, so Audrey fell head first to the ground. She also stepped back and dodged Raven¡¯s hand, surprising her in the process. Unfortunately, Audrey was right behind her, so she stumbled in her body. Before falling backward, out of reflex, she turned into a line of shadow and landed on her feet, in front of Audrey¡¯s face. ¡°Eh? What was that move? Could it be that you can use magic?¡± Raven immediately questioned her with a surprised face. Not thinking that it was a problem, Elena told her that she had a few tricks. Although Raven felt slightly suspicious, that much was possible. The other children also had some basic moves and some of them also knew how to cast weak fireballs and such. A stable mind was necessary for people to use their Mana as it relied on control, which couldn¡¯t be done without focus! Well¡­ and that was something most children were lacking in. Depending on how much Elena knew, she could be looked at as a monster or a gifted child. It all came down to one thing. And that was how the humans viewed such a child. Envy or the hope for the future? Which one was more powerful? While they were talking, Audrey grabbed Elena¡¯s legs. She slowly stood up and after moving her hands towards Elena¡¯s armpits, she raised her up. She started carrying her like a mother would her child. Sticking out her tongue, she said - ¡°Heh- She is going to stay with me!¡± Raven frowned and then turned around with a ¡®humph¡¯, and left feeling annoyed. What now¡­ I could escape her clutches, but I¡¯d turn too suspicious. It¡¯s better to show more and more slowly and steadily. Elena thought while clicking her tongue. Audrey went towards her own room, which was in the school! Only people who were above the twenty-fifth level had the privilege to stay in the school and Audrey was one such person. Along with Krin and Raven. They were a group of elites, who usually went out in the night to hunt monsters, gather experience and pick up new survivors, who could be turned into useful members in the future. A community couldn¡¯t stand without its legs and arms, which were none other than the members, who took care of the necessary things. Sharing work was the best thing to do, especially in such cases as in this world. Gathering food from far away marketplaces and stores were also one of Audrey¡¯s and her group¡¯s responsibilities. Although she wasn¡¯t supposed to share her room with anyone, especially not with a newcomer, she didn¡¯t have the heart to send Elena out, and make her enter a tent, all alone. Maybe Jake will bring that decision in her place tomorrow, but unless being told, she didn¡¯t intend to send Elena off. Audrey¡¯s room was on the uppermost floor of the school. Opening the door, Elena saw a cushy room, It had a single bed in it, a writing desk, and a wardrobe. Although tiny, there were a bathroom and a kitchen as well, which was a luxury in itself in this safe haven. Of course, if people were to leave, they could find hundreds of such houses, but they wouldn¡¯t have a chance at sleeping or bathing leisurely as they could be attacked anytime. Elena was also lucky that she wasn¡¯t attacked when she slept. It was a mistake on her part, which she didn¡¯t know. But surely, she will learn of it from these humans. Putting down Elena, Audrey asked her with a proud smile and her arms spread widely. ¡°So? How do you like it? I¡¯m the best, am I not?¡± After thinking about it for a short while, Elena decided to be nice to her and answered with a yes. She knew that she wasn¡¯t supposed to stay at such a nice place. Still¡­ she had a slight problem. ¡°And where do I sleep?¡± Furrowing her brows, she asked. ¡°Eh? In the bed, obviously.¡± Not understanding her question, she answered with a confused look on her face. But as her mind kicked in and realized her meaning, Audrey grinned with an evil smile as she added. ¡°With me.¡± I knew it! Stupid woman... though her chest is comfy. I¡¯ll make good use of those melons while sleeping. Perfect for sleeping! Elena planned ahead, not bothering with Audrey anymore. ¡°Shoo~ Shoo~ Let¡¯s go and have a bath!¡± Audrey waved her hands towards Elena, indicating for her to take off her clothes and enter the bathroom. Although slightly unwillingly, she still complied. Naturally, Audrey followed her towards the bathroom and using a mix of Water and Fire Magic, she filled up the bathtub with warm water. As they let their bodies into the hot water, a blissful feeling spread in their minds. Suddenly, Audrey¡¯s always smiling face, turned into a melancholic one as she looked at the bathing Elena. ¡°Do you want to talk about it? I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s hard as a child¡­¡± She asked Elena out of nowhere, who had a black mark coiling around her body. Audrey felt curious both about her past and that black mark. She thought that Elena lost her parents and that she was hurt. Humans weren¡¯t idiots. Although Krin didn¡¯t notice it as he left early and maybe Raven neither, Audrey saw through Elena. She knew that Elena wasn¡¯t an average child. Although she was behaving like one usually, her cleverness was visible. The other kids were always running around and asking stupid things. But Elena didn¡¯t, even if she was new. She was too calm and silent! So Audrey knew that she could ask Elena about her past, probably. ¡°E-Eh? What should I talk about?¡± Since Elen was focusing on clearing her body and the good feeling of the warm water, she didn¡¯t realize the sudden mood switch. Seeing her surprised face, Audrey chuckled as she answered. ¡°I meant your past. And that mark on your body. Were you¡­?¡± She didn¡¯t finish her words, fearing that she would tear up some wounds. Elena bit on her lips, not really knowing what to do. Ugh¡­ Dred should have moved towards my back and turn when I turned my body. Now I have to think of something. Argh! But I have nothing in mind! This came too suddenly¡­ Elena was trying to think of a good reason, but nothing came to her mind. Seeing her thinking face, Audrey furrowed her brows. ¡°Do you have memory loss?¡± She asked, but Elena unconsciously shook her head sideways. Realizing her mistake, she put her head under the water. Audrey was waiting patiently. She was quite sure that things weren¡¯t as they seemed to be. With her nose and eyes out of the water, Elena looked at Audrey. Should I kill her? But she is much stronger than me and Dred. We have no chance. And she doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person either. I¡¯d feel wrong after killing her. Although she didn¡¯t know of this yet, her personality was always changing. Shadows were everywhere. Where were people, rocks, trees, or anything, there were shadows as well. While being among the humans, her personality was also more human-like. While being in the jungle, the law of the jungle ruled over her personality. There was one thing necessary for her to start on her own path. And that was that single attribute she didn¡¯t understand yet. Will. ¡°Do I need to talk about it?¡± Elena asked seriously. Audrey furrowed her brows and crossed her arms in front of her chest, saying that after so much thinking, yes. Groaning once, Elena started. ¡°Hopefully, you won¡¯t kill me. You would be very evil in that case¡­¡± Seeing Audrey¡¯s raised brows, she slumped her shoulders and continued with a sigh. ¡°Well, the truth is that I¡¯m not a human.¡± Waiting for a reaction with her eyes closed, she soon realized that nothing was happening. Opening her right eye, she saw Audrey¡¯s surprised face, but she was still calm and mostly unbothered. ¡°Could you continue, please?¡± Seeing Elena staying mute, Audrey prompted her to talk. ¡°Well, you see, I am a unique creature, but that¡¯s irrelevant at the moment. What truly matters is that I¡¯m a lump of experience and a ¡®monster¡¯ for you humans, and you probably know that as well.¡± At that, Audrey started laughing loudly, which startled Elena. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± She asked feeling annoyed. After finally stopping laughing, Audrey answered. ¡°So you were so silent and afraid of talking because you aren¡¯t a human. Listen, to me, you look like a human. Also, not every human is good and probably not every monster is bad. Although I¡¯ve never seen an intelligent and talking monster in these two weeks and a half, that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯d attack you on the spot.¡± ¡°Especially after talking with you a bit, I know that you aren¡¯t a bad person. Now, this might seem sudden since we met only today evening, but I believe in my experience. I didn¡¯t feel anything wrong while being with you. Now my other question still stands. What is that mark? Because¡­ although I¡¯m not sure, I get the feeling as if it would be something alive. Do you want me to inspect it closely?¡± She said her last question while making a grabbing move in the air. Elena quickly covered her body as she answered. ¡°No! Dred, please save me from this vile monster!¡± Dred slowly slid down from her body and took up his original form. A dog-sized panther appearing in the bathtub not only filled it up but it was also very surprising and scary¡­ ¡°W-What the hell? Where did this mons- Wait.¡± Audrey was startled at first, but after examining the back of Dred, who was facing Elena, she calmed down. She also saw his cute ears and couldn¡¯t help but touch them while asking. ¡°This is¡­ cute! He or she doesn¡¯t bite, right?¡± ¡°He, and no. Unless you attack us, he won¡¯t attack you. He also understands your words and is very clever. Consider him as an intelligent being, who can¡¯t talk.¡± Elena explained the mystery lurking around Dred. He turned around and stood up on his front legs. His soft paws rested on the double melons as he moved forward to lick Audrey¡¯s face. Elena buried her face in her palms, muttering - ¡°Even though I¡¯ve just said that he was like an intelligent being¡­ Dred! What are you doing?¡± Turning around and splashing the water out, he put his legs around Elena¡¯s neck as if he was hugging her. ¡°Haha~ It¡¯s not a problem. I had a cat before the apocalypse¡­ I like animals, so whatever he is, I still find him cute.¡± ¡°But he isn¡¯t just an animal! We have a strong bond as we were born together. I know and feel that he just wants to make fun of me by behaving like an animal. So please don¡¯t believe in his stupidity!¡± Elena quickly explained herself, also blurting out a few things. Dred jumped out of the bath and after making a weird face as if he was smirking¡­ he shook his body and splashed the water all over the place. ¡°Okay~ let¡¯s see. Inspect!¡± Audrey suddenly talked.
Name: Dred Race: Unidentifiable because of a skill
Level: 3 Threat Level: 3
Type: Physical Estimated attack power: (15 - 25)
Audrey also told everything she saw and the difference between Dred and Elena. Upon hearing it, Elena made an unbelieving face, saying - ¡°What the hell? My type is ¡®magical¡¯ and I have eight to nine attack power? Are you serious? You, humans, are looking down on me!¡± Her prideful nature kicked in, but before she would talk more than necessary, she shut her mouth grumpily. ¡°Stupid people¡­¡± She muttered to herself. Audrey just laughed at her, but upon remembering of her movements in the canteen, she too realized that there was truly more to Elena than what met the eye! After seeing her reactions and her playfulness, she was a hundred percent sure that Elena, not being a human wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to sleep. Today I¡¯ll have a long day. And maybe you as well¡­¡± Audrey said while raising her body out of the water. They were past midnight¡­ The water slowly trickled down on her curvy body, while she pressed out the water from her hair, making Elena admire her. ¡°You are really beautiful!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but say. Audrey smiled happily upon hearing her honest compliment. After Elena left the bath, Audrey used her Magic and dried both of them in a moment. Dred was already in the room, completely dry. Opening the door of the bathroom, they found him sitting in front of the bed, with a straight posture. Audrey turned to the left and opened her wardrobe. After fiddling inside it for a few seconds, she pulled out a hot pant, and a belly shirt. Elena didn¡¯t dare to imagine Audrey in that set. She felt happy that she was a girl or her mind would have been destructed. Naturally, on her body, it was still slightly big, but it would be alright. Elena¡¯s shadow turned into undergarments and she could have turned it into pajama as well. She just let Audrey deal with it. ¡°And now, let¡¯s sleep!¡± Audrey said with a smile as she jumped on the bed. Elena quickly followed after her, with Dred in tow. Audrey raised her brows upon seeing it, but she didn¡¯t say anything. After chuckling loudly, she laid down and coiled her arms around Elena, who was showing her back to Audrey. ¡°Audrey¡­ Please don¡¯t tell it to anyone. Supposedly, it is bad enough that you know it¡­ ¡° Elena asked her with a small whisper. Audrey caressed the top of her head while telling her that she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. With a pair of soft cushions behind her head and Dred¡¯s paws on her left side, Elena fell asleep with a smile on her face. Audrey still stayed awake for a bit longer, while making a helpless face. ¡°*Sigh* Your life is still pitiful and sad. You have to fear other living beings because they could kill you anytime. You didn¡¯t have anyone to rely on either, other than this little panther, just because you are from a different race. I believe that you are stronger than humans of your age, but you are still just a pitiful child in my eyes.¡± Sighing loudly, Audrey talked to herself, while looking at the back of Elena¡¯s head, with a sorry look on her face and caressing her hair. Suddenly, she noticed a pair of green eyes looking back at her seriously. It was Dred. He didn¡¯t fall asleep either and he heard everything. Audrey believed in Elena¡¯s words, which only made her feel even stranger. ¡°D-Do you really understand me?¡± She asked curiously. Dred nodded once, which only surprised her. After accepting the truth, Audrey chuckled while asking - ¡°You love her a lot, right?¡± Seeing another nod, she smiled as she said. ¡°Take good care of her. I¡¯ll also help out as much as I can.¡± Dred stuck out his tongue and then closed both of his eyes. At that, Audrey laughed loudly, almost waking up Elena. She found a strange pair, but she found them likable. With a smile on her face, she fell asleep, not knowing, that she just turned into the friend of someone¡­ who will be called the Queen of Devouring! -------- The next day, Elena was the first to wake up, but she couldn¡¯t move. She was used as a pillow for Audrey. She coiled her arms around Elena¡¯s upper body, restricting her arms and put Elena¡¯s legs between hers. Dred was lying right above their heads with his limbs sprawled out. His paws were on top of Audrey¡¯s and Elena¡¯s heads. ¡°This is great!¡± Elena couldn¡¯t help but cry out unhappily. Dred woke up to her voice, but Audrey was still sleeping with a smile on her face and a thin line of saliva on the right side of her mouth. ¡°Hey! Help me out¡­¡± She whispered in a low voice. Dred started pushing away Audrey¡¯s arms and after some trying, he was able to free Elena. Afterward, it was child¡¯s play to free her legs. They noticed a clock on the writing table, which was working with battery. It was only 5 AM. Not wishing to wake Audrey up, she sat down with her legs crossed and started meditating. Dred did the same while lying down. After hours of meditation, they were happy to feel that they could control their Mana better and fill up their bodies more quickly.
Your skill has leveled up: Meditation Lv. 3
Your skill has leveled up: Mana Control Lv. 2
At that time, rubbing her eyes, yawning, Audrey sat up on the bed. ¡°Uh- Where is my little angel? Your body was so soft. You are the perfect pillow!¡± As soon as she woke up, she started talking bullshit. Elena turned her back on Audrey as she stood up from the ground and closed her eyes. Status.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 3 EXP: 2 / 40
Class: Unselected Specialization: Not Available Yet
Health: 125 / 125 Mana: 136 / 136
Titles: The Only One
Strength: 25 Vitality: 25
Agility: 20 Will: 25
Intelligence: 34 Wisdom: 25
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.0 (91%); Water Lv.0 (20%); Wind Lv.0 (75%); Lightning Lv.0 (25%); Nature Lv.0 (73%); Earth Lv.1 (9%); Light Lv.0 (5%); Dark Lv.0 (54%) Resistances: Magical: 25 Physical: 12.5 Passive: Stamina: 125 Precision: 100
Skills: Inspect Lv. 2 (43%) Mana Control Lv. 2 (1%) Meditation Lv. 3 (1%) Sense Lv. 1 (87%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 1 (75%) ShadowStep Lv. 1 (48%) Shadow Form Lv. 2 (53%)...
People could watch their statuses even if they closed their eyes. Realizing what she was doing, Audrey got curious. ¡°W-Won¡¯t you share it with me? I know that it¡¯s bad to ask such things, so¡­ so I¡¯ll also share mine with you. Alright?¡± With her body stiff and a hopeful face, she questioned Elena. She was really curious about her origin and she was dying to find out. Turning around, Elena furrowed her brows. It was really something wrong to ask as these statuses showed everything she was and she knew. ¡°No?¡± Elena half asked and half answered. ¡°But¡­ but this old lady is curious! Pretty please~ Trust me, I won¡¯t tell it to anyone!¡± She started whining, pleading for Elena. Since it would change a lot anyway, Elena just sighed loudly and shared the upper half of her status with Audrey. She didn¡¯t show Audrey her abilities. Seeing Elena¡¯s stats, her eyes opened widely. After observing it for a few minutes, she nodded once and then asked - ¡°You don¡¯t have a surname?¡± Elena shook her head sideways as an answer. ¡°I¡¯ll get one some time¡­ but I haven¡¯t decided on one yet.¡± She added, which to Audrey commented on the spot. ¡°You could use mine¡­ we would become sisters! Haha~¡± Hearing her laughter, Elena also chuckled as she answered. ¡°Nope~ My name will probably bring you a lot of trouble in the future. If you were to have the same name as me, I¡¯m quite sure that you¡¯d be sooner or later hurt. And that¡¯s something I don¡¯t want to happen. Also, you are behaving like a kid!¡± After telling Elena that she was always a playful and friendly woman, she also told her that her hormones were back, thanks to her new, young body. Understanding it, Elena nodded when suddenly, a window appeared in front of her.
Name: Audrey Frost Race: Human
Level: 27 EXP: 497 / 540
Class: High Mage (Unique/Very Rare) Specialization: Not Shared
Health: 335 / 335 Mana: 600 (+30) / 600 (+30)
Titles: None
Strength: 43 Vitality: 67
Agility: 31 Will: 40
Intelligence: 150 (+5%) Wisdom: 180 (+5%)
Although Elena had much more strength than a child of her age, she was still weaker than an adult. Audrey didn¡¯t train her body too much, only a little bit. This was the reason why Elena knew that she would lose miserably. Their strength wasn¡¯t much different, but their magical powers were! Audrey could easily blast Elena into pieces at the moment. Luckily, she didn¡¯t have to fear such things and she also believed that if push came to shove, then she could escape with a few wounds at most. She was sure that these people didn¡¯t have the necessary skills to attack her in her shadow form. Audrey also had bonuses on her stats, which were because of her class. She probably had some abilities as well, but Elena didn¡¯t know of those. ¡°Nice¡­ how¡¯d you get such a rare class?¡± Elena couldn¡¯t help but ask her. After making a thoughtful face, Audrey shrugged her shoulders, saying - ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure. I was just training like usually when this class came up suddenly. Maybe it was because of the understanding I¡¯ve gained at that time.¡± Hearing her last sentence, Elena nodded and told her that it was because of that. ¡°But why are you people at such low levels?¡± Elena asked the most important question. Audrey opened her eyes widely and made an unbelieving face. ¡°L-Low levels? I¡¯ve leveled up this much in just two weeks and a half!¡± Hearing Audrey¡¯s exclamation, even Elena was surprised as it was really a great accomplishment. Seeing Elena¡¯s questioning look, Audrey continued. ¡°Well, you see. Our world was a peaceful one before everything turned for the worse or the better. We had machines, electronics. There were wars and such, but most of them happened in the shadows in the form of politics. Nothing major which threatened our lives. And then suddenly windows started appearing, saying that the world will change in the following day. Most of the people didn¡¯t believe in it, but I did¡­ Windows don¡¯t just appear randomly...¡± ¡°So I went to the stores, packed up many things and since I liked collecting weapons of the old, I had a few swords at home as well. When the catastrophe happened, the monsters attacked us. Many people died and there were lots of blood, but I watched many horror movies and I didn¡¯t have a weak stomach either. So¡­ I survived. When I learned that there was Magic, I even turned excited. Raven hates when I¡¯m saying this, but honestly, this new world isn¡¯t that bad. It¡¯s quite interesting!¡± Hearing her explanation, Elena nodded, and then couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°D-Did you have a¡­ you know¡­ family?¡± She asked fearfully, not knowing if she was about to hurt her. Seeing her worrying look, Audrey smiled as she put her hand on Elena¡¯s head. After ruffling her silky black hair, she answered. ¡°No. You know¡­ I was only fourteen years old when a damned pervert wanted to abuse me¡­ If not for a police passing by, then I¡¯d have been¡­¡± Audrey shut her eyes as a shudder ran through her back. ¡°Anyway, my parents died when I was twelve and I mostly turned into an unuseful person. All I did was work and play games at home and such. A chill broke out on my back whenever a guy came near me. Wait, why am I babbling? You don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m talking about. Haha~¡± Seeing her laughing, Elena felt better, but she still apologized. ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m sorry for making you remember such things. And I do know what you were talking about¡­ There can be only one of my race. I had numerous ancestors and I have a collection of their most important memories and life experiences in my head. That¡¯s their inheritance for the future generation, which in this case is none other than me.¡± Hearing Elena¡¯s latter words, Audrey felt surprised. ¡°So, you actually do have parents!?¡± Shaking her head sideways, Elena answered. ¡°No¡­ Like I said, there can be only one of us. I was born of pure Mana in an egg, along with Dred. There aren¡¯t any more Progenitor Shadows. You should know that I¡¯ll probably turn much stronger than you humans. So if you want to kill me, then do it now~¡± Although Elena said it playfully, but Audrey still frowned as she slapped the back of Elena¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about stupid things. I won¡¯t hurt you unless you betray or attack me and I won¡¯t let the other humans do so either. Now let¡¯s go or we won¡¯t have a chance at getting our hands on some food.¡± Nodding once, both of them changed their clothes. Seeing Dred turn into clothes on Elena¡¯s body, made Audrey realize that Elena wasn¡¯t in need of her clothes. Why did she accept my clothes in that case? Hehe~ Surely, she wanted to wear her big sister¡¯s clothes! Audrey started having delusional thoughts. Not bothering with the perverted old hag, Elena went past her and opened the door. Audrey quickly rushed after her and caught her hand. Walking hand in hand, Elena had only one thing in mind. It is time for some action! Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 2 - Signs of Trouble Signs of Trouble While going down on the stairs, Elena remembered something she wanted to ask. Looking up at Audrey with her head tilted to the side, she questioned - ¡°Audrey! I have a question. You had quite a lot of points on Will. Do you know what does it do?¡± She looked down with a smiling face as she stopped for a moment to answer her question. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know how much you know, but to cast magical attacks, you need to focus on what you are doing. And what do you need to focus on something?¡± Understanding her question, Elena nodded and told her that will was necessary. Without the will to focus, people couldn¡¯t use their Mana! ¡°Right, Will. It also has other uses as it turned out¡­ People have feelings. Now the thing is that¡­ depending on your feelings, and your Willpower, you can make your attacks more powerful. This is especially true when talking about magical attacks. So the stronger your will is, the more your emotions can affect your attacks.¡± ¡°Thirdly, you need the Will to fight, to struggle, to prove your worth, your strength and such. So the more Willpower you have, the more willful person you become. So without a strong will, you can be swayed and affected by others more easily. This can be good and bad at the same time. I¡¯ve been a willful person for all my life, so when our world transformed and these stats appeared, I had forty Will as a default. I guess I can¡¯t increase it without turning into a more Willful person.¡± ¡°Also, considering how young you are and that you have twenty-five is something really good. Believe me. I¡¯ve seen a few people¡¯s stats, but some of them had only ten or fifteen, even though they were adults!¡± Hearing her explanation, Elena felt surprised. Her face suddenly turned into a curious one as she asked. ¡°And what about that Jake you talked about? Have you seen how much Will he has?¡± Audrey made a helpless face as she raised her hands and shook her head sideways, telling her that no one has ever seen his stats up till now. A few seconds later, they arrived at the canteen. Unlike yesterday evening, it was filled to the brim with people, who were eating and chatting loudly. So much noise¡­ I¡¯ll have to find a quieter place. It seems like I don¡¯t like loud things. Elena thought, discovering another aspect of hers. Audrey led her towards the kitchen. After using Inspect, Elena found out that the woman serving the food was only at the second level. Even below her. As a natural born predator, she couldn¡¯t understand how people couldn¡¯t kill and had problems leveling up. In her opinion, it was as easy as breathing. After receiving a plate of instant soup and a loaf of bread, she was sent away. She walked out of the dining hall. Seeing her lonely, small figure, Audrey felt sorry for her. She thought that Elena was a lonely person. Although it was true, she didn¡¯t need more than the presence of other living beings. She was content with living among them, observing them, or maybe killing them. Audrey quickly rushed after her with her food, which didn¡¯t escape a few people¡¯s eyes. Jake was also one of those people. He was always looking out for the most important members, while the less important people didn¡¯t catch his attention that much. But that was natural. I haven¡¯t seen that little girl before. Is she new? He thought to himself as he continued eating his breakfast. Elena found a small mound in the yard and sat down on it. As the soup came in touch with her lips, she realized that it was cold. Using her fire magic, she heated it up in a moment.
Your skill has leveled up: Fire Magic Lv. 1
Interesting. Using Fire Magic outside is easier. I guess it¡¯s because there is more oxygen. She thought, realizing that the environment did affect the use of Elemental Magic. Audrey also arrived at the same time and sat down beside her. ¡°Why are you eating here, alone?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask, even though she understood it herself as she was a loner not too long ago. ¡°I just like it when it¡¯s silent,¡± Elena answered as she continued eating. When they finished their breakfast, Elena stood up and told Audrey that she was going to leave. ¡°B-But why? We just brought you here yesterday! Is something wrong?¡± Audrey exclaimed, feeling sad that her new friend was about to leave. Elena looked at her as if she would be an idiot, not understanding her. After a few seconds, she realized why. She started laughing as she answered. ¡°Haha~ Are you stupid? I¡¯m just going out to hunt¡­ *Chuckle*¡± At that, Audrey slapped her forehead as she started apologizing, telling Elena that it was her bad. ¡°Ugh¡­ I really would like to go with you, but I can¡¯t. I have to go out and gather some food with the others. The nearby stores have been emptied and the monsters are quite dangerous further away. It might take a whole day, depending on how many times we will be stopped,¡± Audrey told Elena with a sorry look on her face. Audrey took a liking to her, maybe even more so than to the other humans. Although she knew that Elena wasn¡¯t a human, she found more relevance to herself in Elena than in the others. Usually, people were looking for others with similar interests to theirs. Despite not knowing what Elena liked, her personality was quite similar to hers, or so she thought. Audrey was similarly dark minded. She was just showing her playful side most of the time. Her past had a big part in her current personality, which was by no means surprising. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll be alright by myself. But I have a question,¡± Elena said and Jake came out of the school exactly at the time when Elena continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just take some seeds and use Nature Magic to grow plantations. You¡¯d have much less problem with food and you could focus more on training and leveling.¡± Both of them heard a clapping sound as she finished her sentence. ¡°Nice! I¡¯ll be honest. I haven¡¯t thought of such a thing before and probably others neither. How should I call you, little one?¡± Jake questioned her with a smile as he stopped in front of them. ¡°Elena.¡± ¡°Elena¡­ You have a nice name. You are really clever for your age. Don¡¯t you want to introduce your little friend to me?¡± Jake asked with a knowing smile, with his hands behind his back. With her face stiff, Elena shook her head sideways. ¡°Ah¡­ is that so? That¡¯s quite sad. Miss Shadow Progenitor,¡± He chuckled as he added. Audrey quickly stood in front of Elena to defend her. ¡°Hey, she is my friend, so don¡¯t hurt her¡­ She has no ill inten-¡± Jake started laughing upon seeing her sudden seriousness. Waving his hands, he said - ¡°I know, I know. You spent a whole night with her as I¡¯ve heard and you are still alive. I¡¯d like to know more about you, though no is no. But I¡¯m still hoping that you¡¯d share a few things with me in the future. Believe me, I¡¯m just serving my own people¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°Actually¡­ I didn¡¯t say no. To be more exact, I didn¡¯t even talk¡­¡± Elena chimed in since these two just started talking to each other, completely ignoring her in the process. After laughing loudly, Jake answered - ¡°Haha, you are right. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have too much time left at the moment. A powerful monster just entered somewhere it shouldn¡¯t have, so I¡¯ll have to leave and teach its place to it¡­¡± Inspect.
Name: Jake Hughes Level: 38
Not too much info¡­ Elena thought while making a helpless face and releasing a sigh. Jake turned around and left the place. Elena looked at Audrey - ¡°By the way, last night I noticed that everyone had weapons. Where can I get my hands on something better than this¡­?¡± She asked while holding up her fabricated spear. ¡°We were lucky because we saved a guy who was smithing weapons as a hobby. A really rare hobby¡­ but it came in handy! Do you see that building with a smoking chimney? That¡¯s his forge. You can go there and ask him for a weapon, but since I still have a little time, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Audrey answered while pointing towards the biggest stone building on the courtyard. They took their ways towards the forge immediately. As they went closer, Elena felt the air turning hotter and hotter and hammerings were resounding in the surroundings of the building. Since the door was closed, they knocked on it and waited patiently. Five minutes later, a petite looking guy opened the doors. Seeing Elena¡¯s surprised face, he talked - ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. My body turned like this after the apocalypse. Everyone is questioning me about this¡­¡± Seeing his annoyance, Elena apologized, winning a good score at him. ¡°Good morning, my name is Elena and I¡¯d like to ask you for a weapon. If possible¡­¡± She requested politely, making the Smith smile. ¡°Good morning to you too. I¡¯m called Triston and I¡¯d like to make you a weapon. I also would like to remark that you are really little to hold a weapon. But this world is kind of crazy and I don¡¯t want you to die because you had nothing to use, so I¡¯ll make you one. Come to me this afternoon. It¡¯ll be ready by then.¡± Triston answered as such, in an equally polite manner, which after he asked what she wanted. After telling him that a spear or two daggers would be fine for now, Triston closed the door. Elena and Audrey looked at each other. Sighing loudly, the latter talked. ¡°Time is up¡­ I¡¯m sorry but I have to go now. I¡¯ll make sure to collect some seeds and try out what you said. Be careful with your hunting, you little monster.¡± With a pouting face, Elena answered. ¡°Why am I called little all the time? Also, you should watch out for yourself instead of reminding me¡­ you rookie!¡± Turning around, she left Audrey, who started laughing loudly. She turned into a shadow behind one of the buildings and went past the gates without anyone noticing her. But there was one person who heard and saw everything, meaning Elena¡¯s race as well! ---- A few hundred meters away from the area of the school were only monsters at the first and the second level, so she had to travel slightly further. ¡°Are you strong enough already?¡± Elena asked while looking at Dred, who shrugged his shoulders as an answer. ¡°Hmm¡­ let me try!¡± But she soon had to find out that her legs were touching the ground. Although Dred didn¡¯t have any problems with standing, carrying her was impossible. Biting her finger, she got off of him, thinking - Only a few days! Hehe. I¡¯ll mount you, no matter what! Shaking his head, Dred turned away. He didn¡¯t mind it even in the least bit. He just found her childish trying to be funny. Finding a park in the city, they entered it. It was nothing like the jungle. Nicely and orderly planted trees and bushes were everywhere and there was a fountain as well, though it wasn¡¯t working. Elena leaned slightly forward and walked silently.
New Skill Acquired: Stealth
After walking in such a manner for a few meters, she has got such a notification. Not bothering with it, she focused on the monster in front of her. Inspect.
Race: Trap Tendrils Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 7 (Threat Level in Stealth: 10| Threat Level while Visible: 4)
It was a plant type monster. It didn¡¯t have a mouth above the ground. Only its tendrils formed a lump of greenery on the ground. People could easily step on it, thinking that it was just a usual tendril. If not for Elena moving carefully and observing her surroundings, then she could have been caught easily! Seeing its threat level, Elena would have surely died if she was to be caught by it. She sneaked up on the monster and focused on the spot where its tendrils were leaving the ground. Its mouth is probably at the center, she thought with her brows furrowed. Raising her right hand, with her spear in hand, she threw it towards the ground. Before it could reach the terrain, Dred made the earth split and a clear path leading to the monster¡¯s mouth opened. It opened its stupid mouth to eat the spear, but its body was penetrated and it was killed on the spot.
Caused Damage: +200 Damage
¡°Yes! Now, that¡¯s what I like!¡± Elena shouted in her mind happily, not making her position clear, for every monster nearby. After devouring the monster, she felt slight changes in her body and surprisingly, something new entered her mind. The pleasant notifications were a proof of her new knowledge.
New Sub-Skill Acquired: Stealth >> Evade Sense
You have gained: +2 Agility; +2 Vitality!
You have leveled up to Lv. 4!
Your skill has leveled up: Devour Lv. 2
Sucking in a breath of fresh air, she talked to herself silently. ¡°Ah~ It¡¯s nice when you get so many notifications at the same time.¡± But while she was happy about her advancement, another creature was waiting for the right moment! Seeing her easing up, the Green Boa attacked immediately. She felt a gust of wind behind her back. Not doubting her senses, she rolled forward on the ground. The Green Boa still managed to graze her back, leaving a shallow wound on her back.
Received Damage: 1 + (Bleeding effect for 5 seconds: 0.1 Damage)
If there was a plus before the number, it meant that the attack was a critical strike, while if there wasn¡¯t, it meant that it was normal damage. Dred jumped towards the side of the snake, while Elena spun on the ground. Her spear flew in an arc, cutting the mouth of the snake. Her lightning-quick spear left the boa¡¯s mouth and she moved it down to evade Dred¡¯s body. He caught the side of the snake and tore out a chunk of meat from its body. It received fifty damage. Knowing that now it would be in a disadvantageous position, it wanted to slither away. ¡°Thinking of running? Little shit¡­¡± Elena said with gritted teeth, feeling angry that she was ambushed. Stomping on the ground, walls of earth appeared in its way. It simply slithered up on it and wanted to leave. But that was the trap! She threw her spear and it pinned the tail of the boa to the thirty centimeters tall earth wall. It quickly turned around and coiled up into a defensive position. Laughing at it, both Dred and Elena shot balls of fire towards the snake. To their surprise, it used water magic to defend itself. Dred turned into a shadow on the ground and entered the boa¡¯s. Shady arms grew out of the ground and coiled around its body. While the snake was focusing on breaking free, Elena made a long, thick, and heavy piece of stone shard, with a diameter of one meter. It fell down and crushed the coiling snake, killing it on the spot. Dred left its shadow and stood alongside Elena as they started devouring its body.
You have gained: +1 Strength; +1 Wisdom; +1 Agility!
Snakes were patient and clever and they weren¡¯t lacking in strength either. On the other hand, the damage notifications and the health points weren¡¯t just random numbers. Elena was only grazed, so she didn¡¯t take more damage than one point. The bleeding effect was also weak and since her bleeding was going to stop in just a few seconds, the effect would also disappear quickly. Using a combination of light, nature, and water magic, Elena healed the wound on her back in but a moment. After using Sense and making sure that her surroundings were clear of threats, they sat down to meditate in turn. When they were once again filled to the brim, they moved forward in the park. But as it was a small one, they soon found themselves on the streets. There were mammoth-like animals, which were pushing the cars aside to find something edible. The poor monsters were really stupid as they didn¡¯t realize that the asphalt wasn¡¯t a plant.
Race: Mammoth Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 7 (Threat Level: 4)
Using ShadowStep, she turned into a black cloud and appeared behind one of the monsters. To her surprise, it welcomed her with a kick. Luckily, she had good reflexes, so she evaded it with a backflip. Using dark magic, Dred shot a ball of darkness towards the side of the animal. It reacted quicker than what its size let others think. But it was a bad move because Dred¡¯s magic struck its face, making it rot. The monster screamed out in pain and it started thrashing around. Seeing the enraged monster, both of them knew that going too close was dangerous. It kept swinging its head and its pointy, long tusks were more than threatening. Dred and Elena looked at each other with helpless faces. Shrugging once, Elena held up her palm, while Dred opened his mouth. Both of them showered the monster¡¯s body in their magical attacks, killing it in a few seconds...
You have gained: +3 Strength!
After devouring its body, their muscles went through an evolution once again. They turned around, only to see the other mammoths encircling them. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Elena couldn¡¯t help but curse out in a low voice. Looking down at Dred, she asked. ¡°Shall we flee?¡± He turned into a shadow and rushed through the monsters, leaving them behind in a moment. Elena followed in his steps. Although the mammoths started attacking them with magic, it was useless when they were in their shadow forms. They didn¡¯t turn around and attack them in the usual way because when they used those shady arms, they could be damaged. To attack, they had to materialize, so unless they wished to die, they had to flee. But this didn¡¯t mean that they wouldn¡¯t return! After disappearing from the monsters¡¯ views, they returned to do their own things. Elena and Dred appeared in a nearby store, which had its shop-window broken in. There was dried blood on the broken glass and the glass shards on the ground were also telling tales of the things that happened here. Not bothering with it, Elena simply squatted down and observed the monsters. What should we do? The forest is too far away and using large-scale nature magic is impossible for me at the moment. She started thinking to herself of possible ways, which would make killing these monsters easier. Spotting a broken building on the road, her eyes sparkled. Turning into their shadow forms, they entered that building. It was a really old edifice and the tremors of the apocalypse shook its foundation, making huge cracks appear on the side of it. Using her Sense skill, she found nothing inside. Feeling happy that she could work freely, she has got to work. Using Earth Magic, she drilled large holes into the walls, at the front of the building. It started creaking as the building turned more and more unstable, but she didn¡¯t care about it. After leaving the construction, she stood in the alleyway behind the apartment complex. Both of them shut their eyes and focused on the earth below their feet. They even used Sense continuously to amplify their senses. Feeling the earth elements, both of them stomped on the ground, making the ground move downwards at the front of the building. As its foundation disappeared, it immediately fell forward. Smoke raised into the air, while loud booming and creaking resounded in the area. Large pieces of stone and iron fell to the ground, along with the rest of the building. The iron rods inside it pulled even its back forward. She knew of the iron inside the walls because metals were a part of Earth Magic, even if it was only a sub-category. The monsters in front of the building were crushed into bloody pulps. They died without any chance to retaliate or defend themselves. Focusing on the wind, she cleared up the huge dust storm from the air. She felt cold sweat pouring down on her back because she felt very tired. Mana.
Mana: 2 / 136
Okay¡­ I need better mana control to use large-scale magic. This sucked me dry even though I should have been able to do it much more easily. She thought to herself, feeling a slight headache. Her body turned devoid of Mana too suddenly. They slowly and carefully walked out of the alleyway and devoured the remnants of a few monsters. Entered a building nearby, they went up to the top floor where they entered a room. Seeing how messy it was, she decided to go to another one¡­ After so much time, she regained a small part of her Mana. Using nature magic, she covered the door in thick greenery and leaves. She jumped onto the comfy bed and sat down with her legs crossed. Allow notifications. She thought, resulting in tens of notifications appearing in front of her. Their Sense jumped to the second level, while Mana Control to the third level. Meditation was also very close to reaching the fourth level, which would be very good at her level. Devouring so many bodies, naturally made it jump to the third level. A few of their elemental magic also stepped into the first or second level. They devoured so many fallen monsters, that their bodies were still evolving. Using that moment, they also started training their bodies and meditating. Feeling tired, Elena opened the upper half of her status window.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 8 EXP: 13 / 90
Class: Unselected Specialization: Not Available Yet
Health: 175 / 175 Mana: 160 / 160
Titles: The Only One
Strength: 70 Vitality: 35
Agility: 25 Will: 35
Intelligence: 40 Wisdom: 36
They mostly gained strength and vitality from devouring these large monsters, so they could focus on increasing their magical strengths. Elena didn¡¯t focus too much on precision at the moment since she didn¡¯t need it. At least, that was what she thought. Considering her speed, correcting the difference wouldn¡¯t be that hard. She was surprised to see that her Will increased, but she didn¡¯t realize that her mind turned more stable. This was because she has grown again. Although her body was taller only by five centimeters, her mind had grown more under her training. On a side note, as long as they caused it, anything counted as experience. For example, this time they didn¡¯t touch the monsters, yet they still leveled up four times consecutively. This was because they caused the building to fall on the monsters, killing them in the process. This system couldn¡¯t be cheated. Even if someone were to steal the last hit of a very powerful monster, the person who would gain the most benefits would be the one who caused the most damage to it. Standing up, her body cracked, along with Dred¡¯s. They felt energized and powerful after such a huge change in their bodies. Their eyes lit up with a strange glint, which was different from the ones before. Since her sense was on the second level, she could sense everything in her surroundings, as long as it was within two hundred meters. And her senses caught fresh meat! There was a group of humans nearby, observing the caused damage. Their senses didn¡¯t catch Elena because they were only around the tenth level. The masking ability of Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s stealth was enough to escape! Evade Sense came in handy at these times! Knowing the reason why they didn¡¯t notice her, she couldn¡¯t help but look at her skills. Listing them one by one, she read the description of each of her skill.
Stealth Lv. 0
The owners of this skill are able to escape the senses of other beings, using their own abilities. Having this skill will increase the chance of not being noticed by 100% Evade Sense is a sub-skill of stealth and it grows along with Stealth. The sub-skill works passively and uses the knowledge of the owner.
Devour Lv. 3
This is an exclusive skill for Shadow Progenitors. They are able to devour the body of the beings they killed, gaining their best aspects. Depending on the specialization, this skill could do much more.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
ShadowStep Lv. 1
Shadows are everywhere and there is a node connecting them. The owners of this skill know how to enter the node and teleport behind their targets, creating a possibility for instant backstabs. Currently, it costs 10 Mana / Use
Inspect Lv. 2
This is a skill, supported by the World System. It helps in identifying anything. Works with 100 % accuracy on non-living things. Depending on the level of this skill and on the owners¡¯ talents at measuring up their opponents, it gives a rough idea about their strengths. Results might be inaccurate.
Mana Control Lv. 3
This skill shows the ability of how much the owners can control their own Mana. This skill has a hundred levels and each level means a percent. Reaching the maximum level of this skill means that the owners can control their Mana perfectly, without any leakage or side effect.
Meditation increased the amount of Mana she could regain per second, while Sense was useful for what its name said¡­ With her newly gained knowledge, she left the room, alongside Dred. She rushed down the stairs silently. Jumping onto the wall, she propelled herself forward and landed on the ground gracefully. Her long black hair flew through the air, leaving behind a nice fragrance because of Audrey¡¯s shampoo from last night. She looked like an angel, but her mind was nothing of the sort. She was thinking of how to kill those people, depending on the kind of people they were. If they weren¡¯t the kind she liked, then she would kill them. Turning into a shadow on the ground, they went through the alleyway and entered the humans¡¯ shadow, without any of them noticing. ¡°What happened here? The whole building collapsed. Could it be that someone was fighting?¡± One of them questioned while walking up and down, carefully. Another guy stopped behind him and grabbed his left shoulder, saying - ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t think that we should stay here for long. We are very close to that damned Jake¡¯s territory. We stole away a week¡¯s worth of food from them and then escaped. I don¡¯t think that staying here is wise. What if this was caused by one of his little servants. They would do anything for him anyway. Tch¡­¡± Clicking his tongue, he finished his sentence. Two girls from behind also beckoned him, wishing to leave the place as quickly as possible. Turning around, he answered. ¡°But listen! After such a fight, maybe someone was seriously wounded. We just have to take the killing blow and level up!¡± Not knowing the truth behind the system - because he was mostly focusing on leeching off of others - he thought that he could level up quickly. That was exactly the reason why all of them were still only at such low levels. They were afraid to fight dangerous battles and they wanted to steal away the kills, instead of doing something. But their bodies couldn¡¯t sense danger and evolve as a process and they wouldn¡¯t turn more experienced either. Jake threatened them that he would send them away if they were to continue with their habits. Having enough of his commanding, they stole away the food they gathered and then ran away. But they had to realize that life outside wasn¡¯t that easy. They had one way to stay alive, and that was to fight the monsters, which weren¡¯t edible in every case. Not attacking, Elena was waiting for the right moment patiently. When the first guy went close to one of the girls, Elena jumped out of his shadow and thrust her spear forward. She felt the feedback through her spear as it slowly penetrated the guy¡¯s skin and pierced through his flesh. She couldn¡¯t help but smile upon feeling it, like a crazy maniac. Her spear left through the chest of the guy, leaving behind a hole in it. His heart was pierced, which was naturally a critical strike. Her spear also entered the chest of the girl, surprising her greatly. Her eyes opened wide and she tried to catch her breath, but her penetrated left lung didn¡¯t help her in that. Dred used Dark Magic and shot the other guy straight in the head, making it rot into nothing more than a skull. He fell to his knees lifelessly. He had a sword on his back, which made it clear that he was the physical type. Both of them picked out the physical fighters at first. Elena used Nature Magic through her spear and vines sprouted in the girl¡¯s body, making it explode from being filled up. The last girl was a magical type, so Dred¡¯s strength was way above hers. He jumped at her throat and tore it out, spraying blood on his face and chest. Although Elena wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, Dred was a monster. Finding it delicious, he ate the entire head of the girl, which was followed by her chest. When Dred finished, both of them used Devour, and they also reached the ninth level. Only one level was separating them from their specialization, which was also an important thing. It was a talent tree where they could select their main specialization, depending on their classes. All of them had their own advantages, so it was important to choose the right ones. She didn¡¯t have a class yet because her race had a unique one, which would be unlocked on the tenth level. She could go for a different one, but that would be stupid as the class her own race has is a legendary and exclusive one. It was even above Audrey¡¯s unique rare class. If it was a common class, then there was no marker beside it. If it was something better, then their status window would show ¡®uncommon¡¯, ¡®rare¡¯, ¡®epic¡¯, or ¡®legendary¡¯. Switching classes wasn¡¯t impossible as these were only bonuses. The world system wouldn¡¯t block a person from evolving and developing as it wasn¡¯t within its ability. It was only there as a guide and a helper. It helped in understanding the people their own strength! Both of them gained four wisdom and four strength from the four humans. Two-two strength from the warriors and two-two wisdom from the Mages. Although it wasn¡¯t much, it was more than cheating¡­ Level and Experience.
Level: 9 EXP: 23 / 100
¡°Uh. A hundred. It¡¯s going to turn harder from the next level onward. Well, it should be fine,¡± Elena talked to herself upon seeing the results. From the tenth level onward, the necessary experience after each level would increase by twenty. Looking down at herself, she was quite clean. Only her hands were bloody, which was still flowing down on them. Shaking it a few times and after using Water Magic, she was mostly clean once again. She didn¡¯t even dare to look at Dred. Still, after seeing him from the corner of her right eye, she put her hand on her forehead. ¡°Now how am I supposed to clean you? You ruined your nice fur as well! Raise up your head¡­¡± She said with a slightly commanding tone and Dred obeyed. Squatting down, she used Water Magic to clean him and rubbed his neck and face. Surprisingly, his silky fur was very easy to clean as only after a few movements, it was shiny and new-looking once again. After patting his big head, she stood back up. They left the area of the park and only a few patches of blood were left in their places, which sprayed further away. That would stay there for who knows how long, which would turn into no more but a shallow memory of those, who were once walking among the living. They will lie forgotten, as a part of Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s strength. That was the future of everyone they devoured. The concrete jungle in front of her was filled with many monsters, but most of them were in the buildings. Entering them, she started clearing out the ¡®trash¡¯ from those buildings, leaving them empty. Seeing the long-awaited mass of notifications, she smiled happily. The stupid monsters¡¯ classes were selected automatically, but that wasn¡¯t the case with Dred. He could think just as well as a human could, so naturally, he was the one to choose what he wanted. Although they would have loved to start picking their classes, it was likely that they would pass out after it, which would be definitely wrong. Such being the case, they had to restrain themselves and wait before doing it. Their senses picked up on a parking lot underground. After walking down, she felt slightly cold. Using her Mana, she warmed up herself with Fire Magic. Looking at Dred enviously, she couldn¡¯t help but remark on how good his fur was. If he could have answered, he would have said that having two hands and a mouth to talk with would be just as good. But in the next moment, she was surprised to see a window appear in front of her.
The Ogre Vault (Dungeon Level: 13) (Threat Level: 4)
This is the area of a dungeon. If you continue on your path, then you can¡¯t leave it before reaching the first resting room. Do you wish to enter it?
Seeing its threat level, she decided to go through with it and maybe gain something good for herself. In the middle of the parking lot were three ogres. Inspecting one of them, Elena saw the following, other than the level up of her skill.
Race: Ogre Rarity: Common
Level: 11 (Threat Level: 3)
Inspecting another one, she saw a different kind.
Race: Ogre Mage Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 11 (Threat Level: 4)
Knowing what to do, she used ShadowStep and appeared behind it in the air since it was three meters tall. She swung her spear in an arc, cutting off its head with a single move. Her eyes looked cold and devoid of emotion. Nothing like her usual looks. The other two ogres punched forward. Grabbing the wrist of the left ogre, she used her strength to pull her body to the side, evading their attack in mid-air as a result. She landed on the ground, right behind the ogres. The right one quickly turned around to kick her back, but by that time, it was attacked by Dred from the back, with a swipe of his paw. His claws were quite long and really sharp, not to mention his strength. The ogre fell forward, while Elena spun on the ground and kicked out the other ogre¡¯s leg. The two ogres fell at the same time, one of them with its back, while the other one with its face first. But the best was that both of them fell towards the same place. Focusing strongly, she mixed the earth and the fire elements with a ratio of four to six, creating lava right under them. Both ogres jumped up quickly, screaming in pain since they got on fire. Elena punched one of them in the stomach, making it roll into a ball, and causing internal bleeding.
Caused Damage: 5 + (Internal Bleeding effect for 30 minutes: 10 Damage)
Periodic damage was always per second, and even though she knew that it would die by itself soon enough, she didn¡¯t spare its life. She spun her spear and thrust it down while looking ahead. Feeling something warm splashing on her feet, she knew that her attack was successful. Dred jumped on the other ogre, making it fall on its back. But this time, he was waiting for it with a protruding stone spear. The ogre¡¯s head was penetrated, while Dred landed a few meters away, completely clean. He stuck out his tongue upon seeing Elena¡¯s blood covered feet. Her unusually cold face, turned into a smile as she chuckled upon seeing his mockery. Raising her spear, she realized that it wasn¡¯t in the best condition. Inspect.
Name: Crude Spear Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 1/12 Effects: None
The stone shell, which was holding the knife together with the stick was about to break and even the stick has cracked at numerous places. If not for Elena, then it would have broken long ago under her strength. She was pouring her Mana into it, each time she used it. But her strength has outgrown this spear. It was unwise to use it anymore, so after dismantling it, she was left with the kitchen knife. They devoured their bodies, gaining two points to strength and one to intelligence. Their intelligence grew because they learned from the ogres how to store more Mana, in the same place with the same capacity as before. So although their Mana Veins didn¡¯t widen this time, their knowledge of how to store their energies did. They found a hole in the walls and after going through it, they had to kill two more such groups, resulting in four more strength and two more intelligence, before finding the final room. They also level up to the eleventh level. With sixty experience points out of a hundred and forty, she was quite sure that after killing the boss, both of them would level up. Still, with their Mana not even full, they entered last room. There was a throne, made of human bones, and a huge, four meters tall ogre was sitting on it. Strangely enough, the room was spacious enough for its big size. It stood up, hitting its chest and roared loudly. The room echoed with its voice. It felt surprised upon seeing her disappear, not realizing that she turned into its shadow, along with Dred. They jumped out behind it. Elena cut its tendons with her knife, while Dred tore them out with its bite. Screaming out in pain, the ogre jumped forward as much as it could with most of its tendons missing. It also spun in the air and wanted to slap them into bloody pulps, but expecting it, they were already in their shadow forms. The ogre¡¯s big hand went through their shady figures. Right after that, they immediately materialized. Elena kicked the ogre in the stomach, but without any result other than her, falling backward. Dred wanted to attack it differently, but seeing the falling Elena and the extending right hand of the ogre, he quickly pushed her to the side. Before the ogre could catch him, he turned into his Shadow Form. Feeling annoyed that its hand went through its target once again, it roared angrily. Stomping on the ground, long earth spikes grew out of the ground, wounding Elena¡¯s back. Luckily, the spikes went back into the ground as quickly as they came. It would have taken out a lot of Mana from the Ogre King to keep it up. She shut her eyes for a moment upon feeling a slight pain rushing through her back. But her will kicked in. Feeling angry at the monster, her pain went away. Her green eyes turned completely red as she swung her fist forward. A fist-shaped ball of fire shot out of her arm, which had at least half of her remaining Mana in it. It struck the ogre king¡¯s face, making it fall backward. Dred used Nature Magic at that time, to root its legs. He did this because the ogre was about to stomp once again. It shot a ball of water at its own head, extinguishing the fire. But its face turned charred black under the heat of the fire. Elena jumped forward and inserted her knife into the chest of the ogre. But she soon had to find out that its chest was too big, not to mention that the knife was barely able to penetrate it. She jumped back with a surprised face, knowing that its heart was deeper in its chest. Looking at Dred for a moment, both of them nodded. The ogre made a punching move and a dark ball came out of its right fist. Using Light Magic, Elena dispersed the darkness. Dred shot five blades of wind towards the ogre, which was doubled by Elena. Right after doing so, she jumped to the wall behind her and then towards the chest of the Ogre King. The ogre pulled up its arms, and then swung it outwards, dispelling the wind blades. But it was surprised to see Elena appear in front of its eyes, even though she was much smaller than it. With a winning smile on her face, Elena stomped on the knife in its chest and applied some Dark Magic on it to add fuel to the fire. Its chest rotted in a small area, but it was perfectly enough for the knife to enter deeply and penetrate its heart. The ogre had lots of vitality, so it still wanted to take revenge. Catching Elena¡¯s legs, it grinned evilly, ready to smash her into the ground. Feeling panicked, Elena realized that there was no way out for her. Luckily, she had Dred. After this, she will be sure to focus, until seeing the corpse of a monster. The first-hand experience taught the most! Dred¡¯s huge ball of Dark Magic reached its head, making it rot in a single second. With its brain dead, the Ogre King fell to its knees and then collapsed. Elena fell on her back, but that much was nothing. With her breathing ragged, she stood up, while a small cursing left her lips. ¡°Fuck it¡­ I was really stupid. I¡¯ll never in my life let down my guard as long as I¡¯m not alone with Dred! Thank you, really¡­¡± She said as she squatted down in front of him and rubbed her face on his head. Repaying the favor, he also rubbed his head on hers and licked her face, leaving behind a smaller patch of blood. ¡°Ugh¡­ you could have gulped it down before dirtying me, though it doesn¡¯t matter at this point, hahaha. Come, let¡¯s go back to that Jake¡¯s territory for now. I wonder if Audrey is back already,¡± she said while standing up and clearing her face with her wrists and some Water Magic. They sat down to meditate, resulting in one more notification. After allowing it, there were so many of them, that her view was blocked. This was because many of their elemental magic leveled up, along with their racial skills and normal skills. But one of them picked up their interest.
The Ogre Vault (Dungeon Level: 12) (Cleared)
This dungeon was cleared by you. Since this dungeon doesn¡¯t have a core, it is possible to turn into its owner. In case you answer with yes, this will turn into your territory. You¡¯ll be able to spawn ogres at the tenth level, but they can¡¯t leave this area. Serving you will be their duty. You may leave the area. Do you wish to turn into its owner?
¡°... Yes! Why not? If nothing more, then at least I can farm experience through these stupid ogres!¡± She thought happily and answered with a yes. A menu appeared in front of her. She had to spend fifty Mana for a single ogre to appear. Trying it out, Mana started swirling in the air and took the shape of a standard, stupid ogre. After killing it, she realized that she didn¡¯t get experience for it. Feeling downhearted she muttered. ¡°I could have realized it¡­ We get experience after fighting and it is also dependent on how proficiently we do it. My body doesn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of danger and I won¡¯t gain new knowledge from these pieces of shit as they don¡¯t even retaliate. Damn! Useless ogres!¡± Inspecting the dungeon once again, she saw that its name changed to Elena¡¯s Dungeon. After devouring the body of the huge Ogre King, she saw what was under its body. Seeing that it dropped something, she inspected it with a smile on her face, feeling happier.
Name: Bow of Mages Rarity: Rare
Durability: 40 / 40 Effects: Channeling your Mana through this bow will increase the speed and power of your spells. +30 Wisdom to your magical attacks!
Description
A rare bow, which was dropped after a hard-fought battle, against a more powerful monster. Using this bow, the owners can cast magical attacks more easily, with increased strength.
Since this dungeon didn¡¯t have a core, this bow was given by the World System. Picking it up, she put it on her shoulder and left happily. The path back was easier than ever as her strength was way above those trash monsters. She leaned out on a corner and looked at the humans, who were walking on the top of the walls. It was daytime, so going in without being noticed would be harder. Using her sense, she felt most of the humans. Naturally, she didn¡¯t know of those who had disrupting abilities. Turning into patches of shadows, they slowly went from shadow to shadow, until reaching the bottom of the walls. It happened at that time, that the Sense of someone rushed through her body. They started shouting and rushed towards her on the walls. She quickly turned into her humanoid form, before anyone would see her. Seeing a little girl under the walls, surprised the guards, but they didn¡¯t fall head over heels upon seeing her. Furrowing his brows, the guard captain, called Claire, questioned Elena. ¡°Who are you?¡± Scratching the back of her head, she answered. ¡°Well, I am a new¡­¡± not knowing whether to say ''a member'' or ''a visitor''. But after some thinking, she decided against lying. ¡°Visitor. I was taken in yesterday by Miss Audrey and the others.¡± Raising her brows, she asked - ¡°Audrey? Then are you that non-human thing? I¡¯ve heard the news about you¡­ are you sure that we should let you in?¡± She finished her sentence as she started laughing at her small posture. Naturally, she didn''t mean the question. She asked it only to ridicule her. Furrowing her brows, Elena petted Dred¡¯s head as she answered. ¡°Well, you can trust me as long as you don¡¯t attack me. But if I¡¯m not welcomed, then I¡¯ll gladly leave¡­¡± At this time, Krin jumped up to the walls and shouted at Claire. ¡°Hey! Stop bothering her. Whatever she is, she is just a little girl. Open those gates.¡± He was still as unbothered as ever, but he still defended Elena. Although he looked heroic, Claire¡¯s words made Elena suspicious. ¡°Krin? Why would we let her in? You we-¡± ¡°Shut up! She can come in because I said so. You aren¡¯t just a guard captain for nothing. Talk only if I asked you to. Tch¡­¡± Clicking his tongue, he jumped off the walls and went back to the school. He wasn¡¯t always a part of Raven¡¯s and Audrey¡¯s team. They went with two guys this time, who Elena haven¡¯t met yet. Elena entered the area, feeling slightly down. She was unwanted here and she knew it, which only made it even more unpleasant. She decided to leave once Audrey returns. She can always come back to meet her if she feels lonely. If nothing more, then they would at least let her in. Or she could sneak in as well¡­ though she needed to be a little stronger. She entered the school to Claire¡¯s displeasure. Claire didn¡¯t like that a monster was living at a better place than her, even though she herself was a human! She was living in a tent, which was just a tiny hole, not to mention that when it rained, the knocking rain was really loud, making it hard to sleep. Jake didn¡¯t say anything against Elena staying at Audrey¡¯s place either, which only infuriated her even more. Elena started her usual training in Audrey''s room. Dred didn¡¯t like Claire as she hurt his dear Elena. She was very important to him as they were like a set. They were born together, they fought together, and they would die together. Shadow Progenitor¡¯s pets could take many shapes. Elena¡¯s turned into a Devouring Panther, but he could have turned into a snake and other such beings. He really hated Claire and in his heart, he decided to do something against her. A feeling of calmness filled Elena¡¯s mind as she opened her eyes and thought of her class.
ShadowMoor (Legendary, Exclusive)
Description
This class is available only to the Shadow Progenitor race, which has three aspects, Devouring, Stealth, and Demonology. It¡¯s advised to pick this class as it boosts the racial abilities of your race or provides you with other powerful spells/skill/passives. It doesn¡¯t restrict you in learning either spells/skills, rather, itmakes it easier by enhancing your Devour racial trait. This Class mainly deals with your racial traits, assassinating, and summoning techniques, perfectly mixing melee and magical attacks into a perfect form of destruction. Your race was born to destroy. This class was born to be a means to destroy.
Without even thinking about it, she selected it and three choices appeared in front of her. She had to select her specialization!
Lv Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive, Legendary)
Devourer Stealth Demonology
10 Devour Skill: The owner of this skill has a chance at gaining access to the memories of their fallen preys and devour their most powerful skills as well. You can also use your shadow to turn Devour into a curse type of magical attack. Subtlety: Passively increases the effect of stealth by 100% ShadowStep won¡¯t break stealth anymore and you¡¯ll be able to attack in your Shadow Form, without your body materializing. Shadow Pets: Grants you the ability to summon shadow pets, which would serve you for the time being. 1 shadow pet / 1 level 2 Mana / Shadow Pet / sec As your skill and Wisdom grows, its strength and Mana cost will follow.
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This was the last thing that worked illogically. When people picked a specialization, the World System ¡®loaded¡¯ the new knowledge into their minds. Each time she had the possibility to select one of the three, she could choose any of them. But what she picked for the first time would stay her specialization as long as she didn¡¯t switch class. And the most powerful abilities were always the first. When would she gain the next chance, she didn¡¯t know either. Her ancestors were too funny and never added it to their inherent memories¡­ Elena chose the Devourer, while Dred chose the Stealth. After deciding on them, the other two options turned gray and faded away. Elena was truly curious about what was Audrey¡¯s specialization. Unfortunately, since she didn¡¯t show it to her, Audrey didn¡¯t show hers to Elena either. But Elena didn¡¯t have a specialization at that time, so she couldn¡¯t help it. I wonder what does a High Mage have¡­ I¡¯ll pull it out of her! And I still have to ask her about something¡­ I hope that things aren¡¯t as I think them to be. She thought while frowning slightly, feeling sad just upon thinking of that possibility. Devourer.
Devourer
As a true devourer, you can start devouring anything, even if it is still alive and you are fighting with it. Caused damage grows with the skill level. Its effects are similar to Dark Magic as the target will start rotting. Usable through the owner¡¯s shadow. If used in combat, it consumes 2 Mana / Second which will increase along with the strength of this ability.
Checking out Dred¡¯s, she nodded.
Stealth
If not owned, then teaches the skill Stealth. Atop of Subtlety, this once again increases the effects of Stealth by 100% Stealth will feel so natural, that the owner will use it unconsciously, making it hard to notice his/her presence. Unless there is a difference of a hundred levels, neither Senses nor Inspect will work on the owner. Increases agility by 10%
¡°Ooh! That¡¯s also really nice! You¡¯ll turn the shadow, protecting me forever and ever. Hehe~ I¡¯ll cover you back, dear little Dred. Alright?¡± Elena said aloud as she started laughing happily. Especially after what happened today, she couldn¡¯t help but think twice about going near the humans. Depending on what she finds, she might abandon Audrey as well. Dred''s stealth didn''t affect Elena as she could see and sense him perfectly. Naturally, this was because of their Blood Bond. Luckily, she didn¡¯t have to wait for long. With a few shallow wounds and scratches on her body, Audrey entered the room. She looked really tired after a long day. But upon seeing Elena, she felt slightly more energized and greeted her with a smile and a hug. Not feeling Elena¡¯s arms around her back, she frowned, feeling slightly unhappy. Looking up, she saw Elena looking at her seriously. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± Audrey asked nervously. Elena grabbed the sides of Audrey¡¯s head, startling her for a moment, but she didn¡¯t resist her pulling. With their foreheads touching, Elena was looking deeply into her eyes, searching for the truth, asking. ¡°Did you tell anyone what I am?¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes opened wide and instead of guilt or nervousness, a feeling of sadness appeared in her eyes. She said ¡®no¡¯ with a small voice, feeling sad that Elena felt suspicious of her. Suddenly, Elena hugged her, saying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I trusted you, but I had to be sure¡­¡± Opening her eyes wide, she put her hands on her back unconsciously. A smile formed on her face as she started caressing her back. After staying like that for a few seconds, she started frowning, asking what happened. As Elena told her everything, she hit the wall with her fist, causing the walls to tremble and shake. ¡°Who the hell does she think she is to say such things? Stay here. I¡¯ll talk to her and teach her when to shut her mouth!¡± Audrey said as she stood up, wishing to leave, but Elena caught her hand and told her something in a serious way. ¡°Wait. There is still more. It was probably Krin who told my race to everyone, but I¡¯m not sure of it. He was the one who defended me and let me in, but¡­¡± after telling Audrey what happened with Krin and how he interrupted Claire, even Audrey frowned. ¡°Krin? But I didn¡¯t think that he is the type to care about such a thing. But¡­ his mother and father were killed by a monster, in front of his eyes. I could understand if he was to hate you¡­ though it would be still wrong. I¡¯ll try to find out more about this,¡± Audrey answered, trying to go away once again. Stopping her for the second time, Elena asked something after showing their stats to Audrey.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 12 EXP: 10 / 160
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devouring
Health: 195 / 195 Mana: 220 / 220
Titles: The Only One
Strength: 75 Vitality: 39
Agility: 25 Will: 55
Intelligence: 44 Wisdom: 45 (+30 Only for attacks)
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.1 (52%); Water Lv.0 (54%); Wind Lv.1 (23%); Lightning Lv.0 (25%); Nature Lv.1 (5%); Earth Lv.1 (23%); Light Lv.1 (1%); Dark Lv.1 (20%); Resistances: Magical: 45 Physical: 37.5 Passive: Stamina: 195 Precision: 125
Skills: Inspect Lv. 2 (52%) Mana Control Lv. 3 (32%) Meditation Lv. 4 (9%) Sense Lv. 2 (5%) Stealth: Lv. 0 (78%)>>Evade Sense Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 3 (80%) (+Active Skill) ShadowStep Lv. 2 (32%) Shadow Form Lv. 3 (28%) ...
Name: Dred Race: Devouring Panther (Legendary)
Level: 12 EXP: 10 / 160
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Stealth
Health: 200 / 200 Mana: 180 / 180
Titles: The Only One
Strength: 107 Vitality: 40
Agility: 35 (+3.5) Will: 50
Intelligence: 36 Wisdom: 40
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.1 (12%); Water Lv.0 (34%); Wind Lv.1 (32%); Lightning Lv.0 (45%); Nature Lv.1 (43%); Earth Lv.1 (25%); Light Lv.1 (2%); Dark Lv.2 (2%); Resistances: Magical: 40 Physical: 31 Passive: Stamina: 200 Precision: 175 (+17.5)
Skills: Inspect Lv. 3 (7%) Mana Control Lv. 3 (43%) Meditation Lv. 4 (12%) Sense Lv. 2 (5%) (+200%)Stealth: Lv. 0 (78%)>Evade Sense Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 3 (80%) ShadowStep Lv. 2 (3%) Shadow Form Lv. 3 (1%) ...
¡°I have a question. What do you say if I say that I want to kill that Claire?¡± Elena decided to show everything to the only human she believed in. Maybe this was dangerous, but she wanted to know if there was at least a single person, who could accept her as she was. Even if she was to kill someone for as much as discriminating against her. Audrey was left with her mouth opened wide both at what she asked and what she saw. The only question left was¡­ What was she going to do? Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 3 - Unfolding Trouble Unfolding Trouble ¡°K-Killing her? I know that she was in the wrong, but isn¡¯t that too much?¡± Audrey asked with a surprised face upon hearing Elena¡¯s question. ¡°You have to know that I¡¯m not a human. I look at you as a friend and I trust you. But if you want to accept me as I am, then you have to know that I won¡¯t be merciful with such people. I¡¯m quite sure that she will start drilling holes under my feet and not stop before seeing me fall. That is something I don¡¯t wish to wait for,¡± Frowning slightly, Elena answered, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Audrey sat down on the side of the bed, sighing loudly, she hung her head down. ¡°You know¡­ what you said is true. I can understand your reasoning and in the last two weeks, I also experienced how dark humans can be. But still, she just badmouthed you.¡± Elena sat down beside Audrey. With their shoulders touching, she said, ¡°You know, our opinions can differ. What really matters to me is that you won¡¯t turn against me just because I¡¯m different.¡± Audrey looked at her with wonder, saying, ¡°You think much more maturely than your age would lead others to believe, though you have grown a lot¡­ about fifteen centimeters? I¡¯d say¡­¡± leaning back to observe her, she remarked on her height. Taker her original position, she continued, ¡°But what do you expect from me? Honestly, I don¡¯t intend to take part in killing her. Although I¡¯m displeased with her very much, for now, killing her is too much in my opinion.¡± With a smile on her face, Elena stood up, patting Audrey¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I just want you to stay silent about it and I hope that you won¡¯t stop me. I won¡¯t fight you, in case you do, so it is your decision if you will let me kill her or not.¡± Elena was deliberately dragging Audrey into this mess and she too knew it. If she were to stop Elena, then she would ¡®control¡¯ her, but if she were to let her go, then she would also take part in the killing by staying silent. With a mild headache, she laid down on the bed, massaging her temples. Turning around, with her face on the bed, she murmured with a muffled voice. ¡°Why do you have to make it so hard for me? But if you didn¡¯t tell it to me, then I¡¯d feel sad and betrayed afterward¡­ Stupid emotions. Now that I know about it, I have to decide in your place! You are really evil!¡± Raising up her head, she looked at Elena with a frown. Getting that far, she voiced her decision. ¡°You won¡¯t kill her! Maybe later. If she does anything bad once again, I¡¯ll let you. Is that okay with you?¡± Chuckling once, Elena put away the knife from her right hand. It was behind her back, ready to leave and kill her target. ¡°It¡¯s fine by me, but don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be controlled by you. This was a one-time chance. I¡¯ll see if your methods work. If it does, I¡¯ll learn something new. If it doesn¡¯t, then you will learn something new. Let¡¯s see which of us knows humans more.¡± Grumbling once, Audrey stood up and went towards the bathroom. While standing in the door, facing the other way, she said in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure that you will win this little game of yours, but I¡¯ll try to believe in our kind one more time. If you win, then I¡¯ll lean towards your methods from now on. Troublemakers shall die, is it?¡± Finishing her sentence, she closed the door behind her. She knew that Elena took a bath already, so she didn¡¯t invite her. Elena went after her. Opening the door, she surprised Audrey. ¡°I have one more thing to say. Once I kill her, I¡¯m quite sure that most of the people will suspect me. The question is, what will happen at that point? That¡¯s why I said earlier. My name might bring lots of trouble to your neck. I¡¯ll also help you anytime if you need it, but a relationship with me has as many disadvantages as advantages. Decide until morning if you still want to stay my friend.¡± Turning around, she shut the door, but Audrey¡¯s words resounded in her ears. ¡°Friends aren¡¯t decided on. They are made. I won¡¯t change how I look at you unless you change too much.¡± With a happy smile on her face, she went to bed. I won¡¯t change too much, but I¡¯ll change you. Elena thought with a grin on her face, closing her eyes. Audrey didn¡¯t even notice Dred, who was hiding in a corner. She literally forgot about him. Soon, Elena felt a pair of arms coiling around her body from behind. A slight whisper resounded in her ears. ¡°Good night, you lonely little girl.¡± Smiling, she fell asleep. Audrey went through a lot of things in these two weeks. She was attacked by a gang, making her think less about the worth of humans¡¯ lives. After that, she experienced that group of four, who stole away their food, leaving them starving for one and half a day! They had to leave immediately and find some food for the community. These areas had a few other bigger territories and the stores were also targets of other such territories. All of them had a talented leader and numerous powerful members. So Audrey and the others had to fight against the monsters and other powerful humans as well! Luckily, this hasn¡¯t been going on for too long and since the food isn¡¯t a huge problem yet, they just beat the other people. They don¡¯t kill them. It¡¯s like a contest for the food. They were normal humans not long ago, so killing each other for food felt wrong to them. But as time passes by, they will learn of the darkest days. Humans are also animals in their own ways. Experiencing the surface of that darkness almost daily, Audrey wasn¡¯t someone who would cower in fear upon the thought of killing. Humans could evolve quickly when they were in a tight spot. Be it their mind or body. The next day, they woke up almost at the same time. In front of Elena¡¯s eyes were thighs¡­ ¡°How did I turn around? What¡¯s happening here?¡± She questioned herself and Audrey¡¯s answer came from above. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you could pull your feet out of my face¡­¡± Elena pulled up her legs and stood up on the bed. Her shadows turned into her usual dress on her body, leaving Audrey in awe. ¡°Isn¡¯t this like¡­ cheating? I have to be careful if I don¡¯t want to stay naked after a battle, yet here you are. All you have to do is will it and your shadow can take any shape on your body. I bet that you are good at sneaking.¡± Making an envious face, Audrey remarked on her ability. Elena pointed behind Audrey. Turning around, she was surprised to see Dred, sitting right behind her. ¡°The fuck? Ah! I shouldn¡¯t curse in front of children. But I have a feeling that your language is colorful enough¡­¡± Audrey shouted with a surprised face. Shaking her head sideways, Elena said. ¡°It is¡­¡± Standing up, Audrey dressed up and then left towards the canteen. This time, there were fewer people as it was quite late in the morning and most people were gone by this time. After receiving their breakfasts, they sat down at an empty table and started eating. Since Audrey finished it earlier, she left for a moment to give her plate back. But trouble was following Elena since yesterday. Claire stopped behind Elena, with her hands on her hips. There were two guards behind her, looking like her monkeys. ¡°Hey, you! Little bitch. Thanks to you, I was reprimanded by Raven when she heard of the things. Why is it that you can eat our food? I wonder?! What are these people thinking? Seriously! My family was killed by monsters like you! And yet here I am, watching one of them eating and living happily among us!¡± She questioned Elena with a loud voice, catching the attention of many people. Some of them even started nodding. Darkness awaits you, bitch. Elena thought angrily. Her iron will which couldn¡¯t be swayed by Claire¡¯s words came in handy at these times. She knew that she had to take revenge only later and a plan was already forming in her mind! At that time, Audrey also came back. Seeing the shouting Claire, she stopped between Claire and Elena. After a slap on Claire''s face, she said, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? She isn¡¯t a human, yes. And? She didn¡¯t hurt anyone and she even told us of a method to solve our food problem. While you? You are just walking up and down on a wall, doing an unimportant work. A few people would be more than enough to defend the walls.¡± ¡°Do you think that I, Jake, or the others at that don¡¯t know about your cowardice? We know that there are people, who have traumas and such things, making it hard for them to progress,¡± she said while looking at a few people. ¡°But the others are just freeloading, waiting for something miraculous to happen. I¡¯ll tell you something. Nothing is going to happen and if you don¡¯t do anything, then you will also die in the future because you were too weak!¡± ¡°The monsters are turning stronger day by day. Many of them are even stronger than us, humans. And none of us entered the forests. We have no idea what that place is like. What if monsters start attacking these cities from the forests? Do you think that you will be able to defend the walls with your puny strength? Instead of pointing at her - who is working hard to increase her strength and she even helped us - you should focus more on doing something yourself!¡± She finished her perfect speech with another slap on the face, making Elena so happy that she almost jumped up in her happiness. YES! YES! YES! OH MY GOD! AUDREY, YOU ARE THE BEST! HAHAHA~ That¡¯s how you slap a bitch! Elena thought in her mind, while she kept moving around in her chair restlessly, feeling excited upon seeing this fight. Claire was holding her red face, with her mouth and eyes opened widely, feeling surprised upon hearing Audrey¡¯s outburst. Audrey also attacked many of the guards, who were just freeloading. Although this has been annoying many of the powerful members for a long time now, they didn¡¯t want to hurt those guards¡¯ feelings. But after seeing how they behaved around Elena, Audrey couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and berated them. With furious eyes, Claire turned around and left the canteen with loud stomps. Elena looked at Audrey with a huge grin on her face, saying. ¡°Haha, that was great~¡± Switching to a slightly surprised face, she said. ¡°And that was¡­ unexpected. You seemed more of the silent type. Weren¡¯t you a shut in? You said it yourself¡­¡± Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Audrey answered, ¡°Humph! I was. But becoming stronger has its own perks. I turned much more self-confident after feeling my strength and I¡¯m not afraid of arguments anymore! I could kill her with a few moves!¡± Hearing her exclamation, many people made surprised faces. ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t get it over your head. I also had to learn it the hard way just yesterday¡­ also, you lost,¡± Elena¡¯s voice turned into a whispering in the end. She hung her head down and looked at her breakfast. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to eat this anymore. I¡¯m a monster anyway, might as well go and find something outside of this place for myself.¡± She said loudly while standing up. Her words caused a few people to feel bad from those who disagreed with Claire before. Naturally, this wasn¡¯t true when it came to the freeloading guards. Honestly, a few guards would be more than enough, but the walls were usually filled to the brim with them. ¡°I know. Now even I agree with you¡­¡± Audrey whispered as she picked up Elena¡¯s plate and took it towards the kitchen. A few motherly women tore up upon seeing Elena¡¯s pitiful figure leaving. To soothe their pain, they followed in Audrey¡¯s step and reprimanded the guards. When no one could see it, Elena grinned with an evil smile on her face. Audrey also arrived beside her and caught her red handed. ¡°Hahaha, you are such a foul creature. So? How do you want to do it?¡± Audrey laughed upon seeing her face and then asked about Elena¡¯s plans, hoping that she had something in mind. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Triston for now. Alone. We can leave in the afternoon, alright? Rest until then or do whatever you want to,¡± Elena answered as she turned into a dark patch on the ground and disappeared from Audrey¡¯s view. She went straight towards the smith. Knocking twice on the door, he opened it a few seconds later. ¡°Oh, you? Your weapon is done. But I¡¯m not sure if I should give it to you¡­ the guard captain was very much against you. Could you come in to tell me more about yourself? I don¡¯t want to rely on others¡¯ opinions. I¡¯ll decide what to do after seeing you myself!¡± Triston said straightly, stepping aside. Nodding, Elena entered the building, while looking around curiously. She inspected almost everything she found. ¡°These things are¡­ good!¡± She said with an honest smile on her face while looking into Triston¡¯s eyes. Although Elena didn¡¯t know this, there were very few people who praised his weapons. They just thought that it was natural for him to make weapons continuously, without anyone appreciating it. This was annoying him a lot. Seeing Elena¡¯s honest praise, he decided to give the weapons to her. But he couldn¡¯t do it immediately¡­ since he said it otherwise just now. There were four chairs and a wooden table, right beside the window. He pulled out one of the chairs and turned it backward. Sitting down on it, with his chest leaning against its backrest and his arms crossed on top of it, he asked a simple question. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°A monster,¡± Elena answered with a mysterious smile upon seeing his serious face. ¡°What do you want here?¡± Came the next question in the same manner. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d say that I wanted to meet your kind. I also felt slightly lonely. Now, I¡¯ve got a friend as well. But nothing, in particular, I suppose,¡± shrugging her shoulders, she answered. Triston nodded once and then stood up, saying. ¡°I don¡¯t believe the guard captain anymore. I¡¯m sure that you aren¡¯t an angel yourself, but you surely aren¡¯t as bad and terrible as she said. I also heard from the idea you had about food. If you will not use my weapon to fight against us, then I¡¯ll give them to you.¡± Saying the last sentence, he looked at Elena¡¯s face from the corners of his eyes, waiting for a reaction. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a wise choice. I definitely shouldn¡¯t be looked at as a human kid, but yes, I¡¯m not necessarily bad.¡± Elena laughed up upon hearing his reasoning and agreed with him. With a smile on her face, she remarked on his last sentence. ¡°I will use your weapons against humans as well, but only if I dislike them. As you can see, that¡¯s not always the case.¡± Chuckling, Triston went to the back of the building and came back with two shiny daggers in his hands. ¡°After hearing what you are, I was quite sure that daggers would be the best for you. I mean, shadows and all, right?¡± Switching to a curious face, he continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you and your body work, but I was always interested in mysterious things. So what I¡¯m trying to say is that I¡¯d be really happy if you could to tell me about your race. You are like a mystery to me, haha. But I can understand if you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± He said such things while handing over Elena¡¯s new weapons. Inspect.
Name: Iron Daggers Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 50 / 50 Effects: Strength is converted into slashing/piercing when used, increasing it by a few kilograms as these aren¡¯t too heavy.
Description
A common iron dagger, which is uncommon in this new world. It was made by a beginner smith, but its quality is really good. Attacking accurately with these daggers isn¡¯t just a dream for their owner.
Looking at Triston, she tilted her head to the side, saying. ¡°This might seem to be a lot, but if you teach me how to smith weapons, then I¡¯ll tell you a few of those ¡®mysteries¡¯. What do you say?¡± Raising a brow, Triston made a thoughtful face. Feeling his curiosity growing, he nodded with an eager face, saying. ¡°So? When do we start?¡± Elena started laughing. ¡°Haha, anytime. To start things, I¡¯ll tell you a simple thing. What should it be¡­. Ah! My brain works differently than yours. I can use both of my legs and arms as proficiently as the other ones. Although I look human from the outside, there are a few things, which are different when it comes to my insides.¡± Triston felt happy to hear something new, though this felt too little to him. Leaning forward, with his brows furrowed, he asked while pointing downward ¡°You say from the inside. And¡­ do you not have? You know¡­¡± Elena¡¯s face reddened. Shouting, she slapped him across the face, making him spin in the air before falling to the ground. ¡°W-What the hell are you asking me? Of course, I have. Idiot! Pervert!¡± Rubbing his face, he stood up. ¡°Ugh¡­ you are strong. But¡­ I was curious! They never talked about such details when it came to alien movies!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never have a girlfriend with such a personality. How can you ask such a thing from a girl? It¡¯s your lucky day because I¡¯m quite open-minded, but I¡¯m sure that others would have left you after such a question.¡± ¡°N-Never?! Teach me! And I¡¯ll teach you! How is that?¡± The poor Triston bit on the hook and offered up his services. Nodding once, Elena went towards the hot furnace. ¡°So? How do we start this thing?¡± She asked while pointing at the tools. Laughing at her, Triston beckoned her towards the chairs. Sitting down, he explained everything she had to know. With new knowledge in her quick learning mind, they went back to the furnace. Triston showed her an example of how to do things. Although his body was quite frail looking from the outside, his focusing face and the clear lines of muscles showed things differently. Naturally, Elena didn¡¯t even notice it. She was looking at his work with an excited face. When he was done with a small knife, he wiped off the sweat from his forehead. Inspect.
Name: Simple Knife Rarity: Common
Durability: 3 / 3 Effects: None
Description
An unfinished knife, which didn¡¯t go through the tempering process. It¡¯s very weak and could easily break after using it a few times.
Triston told her that if it was left alone, it would break easily, though Elena¡¯s Inspect also warned her to it. He showed her everything in a detailed way. With her newfound knowledge, she took the hammer into her hands and got to work. Her first weapon was quite a big failure¡­ but the second one was much better. She spent the first half of her day in Triston¡¯s house, learning to smith weapons. When she felt that it was enough for one day, she sat down on one of the chairs, with her arms crossed, waiting for Triston¡¯s questioning. Naturally, he immediately got on topic and bombarded her with one stupid question after the other. To Elena¡¯s surprise, he wasn¡¯t asking anything crucial, probably because he didn¡¯t know what to ask! Haha, I got off really cheaply, she thought while laughing in her mind. The knowledge she gained and she could improve in the future was a lot. But Triston didn¡¯t get more than a few basic things, which Elena could tell to anyone. Even she felt bad for him, but he was the one who asked stupid things! Still¡­ there was someone missing. The monster, lurking in Elena¡¯s shadow. Dred was always with her, but this time, he was nowhere to be seen. Elena knew what he was doing¡­ When she entered Triston¡¯s workhouse, he left her shadow and went towards Claire. She was sitting in a camp, along with a few other guards. Dred entered her shadow, without anyone noticing and laid there silently, waiting for the right moment. ¡°Tch¡­ that damned bitch! I was slapped across the face and berated in public! Just who the hell does she think she is?! And why? Because of a monster!?¡± Claire grumbled angrily, telling her problem to the other guards. A figure stepped behind her and put its hand on her shoulder, asking, ¡°Have you done what I asked you?¡± Claire nodded once and told the person how she was scolded by Audrey. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. She can¡¯t do anything other than talking. Take this¡­ it¡¯s a good weapon which I¡¯ve got from a monster at the twenty-fifth level. It¡¯ll be good for you as a reward. Just wait patiently for my next commands.¡± After handing over Claire¡¯s reward, she left the place without anyone noticing her. Feeling slightly better, Claire smiled. But two shining green dots appeared in Claire¡¯s shadow, which looked after the back of that figure. I¡¯ll have you as well, Dred thought, feeling a raging bloodlust in his chest. Yawning, Claire stood up and went towards her tent after saying goodbye. She has been up ever since Elena came back from the city because she was on a night shift. And she had ¡®dinner¡¯ not long before Elena had breakfast.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Just as zipped the entrance of her tent, Dred jumped up behind her and swiped with his paw. He was as big as a normal sized Siberian Tiger at this time, but as the guard captain, Claire¡¯s tent was quite big. She even had some space in it. Feeling a powerful gust of wind behind her head, she wanted to turn around, but Dred¡¯s lightning quick paw reached her head. At first, her skin stretched as her head leaned to the side. The strength in Dred¡¯s paw was huge. Her neckbone broke, her veins were torn, and her blood gushed out as her head was torn off. Before he could be caught, he turned into his shadow form. Since he didn¡¯t intend to leave behind any signs, he devoured her body alone. But he didn¡¯t get anything out of her¡­ Followed by this, he went and devoured every guard he saw. Anyone who was against Elena had to die. That was how he felt. When he finished his assassination, he went back to Elena, who also finished her weapon. What he didn¡¯t notice was the large patches of blood that sprayed on the insides of the tents, leaving behind visible signs. As Elena finished talking with Triston about her own ¡®mysteries¡¯, she stood up and left with a smile on her face. Opening the door, she heard the shouting of other people. ¡°Come! Quickly! Claire disappeared as well! What the hell is happening here?!¡± Standing in the door, Triston raised his brows. There was a clear path from the gates to the school and his house was on the side of that path. Like a blacksmith on the side of the main road¡­ Seeing Elena with Triston, those who felt suspicious of Elena were cleared of their doubts. She was with him, so she couldn¡¯t be the one who caused trouble. Although they didn¡¯t find bodies, there were large patches of blood on the ground. Fresh at that! A few minutes later, Jake also arrived on the scene. Looking at Elena with a frown, he pointed at her and then made a come here motion. Evading trouble, Elena went there on her own accord. With a thoughtful face, with his arms crossed in front of his chest, he said, ¡°Where is your panther?¡± Dred raised out of her shadow and took up a physical shape. Seeing him, many were surprised, while Jake only nodded at this. ¡°It seems like he is with you. Unless you have some weird abilities, you shouldn¡¯t be the killer, right?¡± Hearing his question, Elena shook her head sideways with a trustworthy looking face. One of the guards couldn¡¯t help but talk at this time. ¡°But Jake! It¡¯s not sure that they died or were killed. What if they just-?¡± Cutting into his words, Jake talked. ¡°Don¡¯t talk bullshit. Do you think that people leave behind patches of fresh blood and then just disappear?¡± Frowning, the same guard said. ¡°W-What if our food?!¡± Jake¡¯s pupils contracted as he turned around and leaped towards the back of the school. They stored the things they gathered in its basement. Elena felt slightly bad that she was trusted so much by some people, yet she was the bad one here¡­ But she was surprised in the next second. ¡°AARGH! THE SECOND TIME ALREADY! THEY DARED TO LEAVE ONCE AGAIN?! FOR FUCK¡¯S SAKE!¡± Jake¡¯s shouting resounded from the backyard of the school. Could this be a coincidence? She thought with her brows raised, not knowing what was going on. Audrey came running and stopped beside Elena. Panting slightly, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Shrugging, she told her that she didn¡¯t know. Audrey felt suspicious of Elena, but she didn¡¯t understand why would Elena take away their food. Although there were groups of guards defending their food, all of them were killed by someone. These guards weren¡¯t weak people either. This made Audrey question herself, as neither Elena nor Dred had the ability to kill them silently, yet. She knew that maybe they could kill those guards, but it would result in a long and loud fight. Surely not something that happened. Seeing that Elena really had nothing to do with the food thing, she looked at the people present. Kale, who was the guard talking before, talked at this time. ¡°I think that those bastards made this scene to divert our attention! While we were looking for them and the killer, they backstabbed the guards at the food storage and took what they could!¡± Making a gripping movement, he exclaimed angrily. His daughter was killed by one of the monsters, which made him very sad. He also felt sorry for Elena since she was hated by many. In his eyes, she was still just a little girl. Since he didn¡¯t interact with her, he didn¡¯t know the truth about her. That was the reason why he was no more than a broken man, who decided to protect the children staying in this territory. Seeing Claire and the others¡¯ reactions when meeting Elena, he felt annoyed by them a lot. Hearing his thoughts, Audrey frowned. She wasn¡¯t happy. Now that they were short on food once again, she will have to leave and go on a mission. This was supposed to be her free day! Jake also came back. Standing with his hands on his hips, he said with an angered face. ¡°Those who are members of my territory. You accepted my ruling. Now I call you to go on a hunt! Everyone! A few people can stay to defend our place, but the others should go and find these bastards! I want them to pay for their crime!¡± Jake was the strongest leader in the area, with the largest territory. But the other places were more united, while he had to deal with such cases as this one. Especially since Elena arrived, the number of troubles he had, increased! If only the other humans would be simpler! He thought while holding the sides of his head. At least, Elena¡¯s advice worked. The plantations were made in a nearby park by this time. He was also there and he came back only to see the shouting people and the bloody tents. The plants were growing quickly under the usage of Nature Magic. This meant that their problems would be solved in the near future! Thinking that far, he patted Elena¡¯s shoulders, saying in a low voice, ¡°Thanks for that advice of yours. It¡¯ll help a lot.¡± Smiling, she told him that it was her pleasure. Raven and Krin also came out of the school, along with many other powerful humans. After deciding on the directions, everyone rushed out to find Claire and the others. Naturally, Audrey and Elena went together, with Krin and Raven in tow. Since Dred has grown enough in these two days, Elena was using him as a mount. He was quicker than her since he was stronger¡­ With a hundred and fifteen strength, Elena felt as easy as foam on his back. Thanks to him growing, his strength was increasing by itself. He could have easily left behind everyone other than Krin, though he would be much quicker with the same stats since he had four legs¡­ They arrived in front of the same park, Elena found yesterday. Instead of the trees and the monsters, there were plantations. Jake and a few top-notch people, cleared out everything at night; and using their Mana and Magic, they solved the food problem for the future! They went further away from the park. But something was wrong! Raven was collecting Mana in her hands. Audrey looked at her with her brows raised. ¡°Did you sense something?¡± Nodding, Raven held out her palm. But it was facing the back of Elena. A ball, with a diameter of two meters, which was a swirling mix of Fire and Light Magic, left her palm. Feeling a huge amount of Mana behind her, Elena turned around with a surprised face, at the same time as Krin towards Elena. He charged at her and swung his sword in an arc. Knowing who was the bad girl, Dred was expecting such a move, so he jumped to the side in time. Elena saw Krin¡¯s sword cutting through Raven¡¯s attack. Frowning, he stopped to look at her with a serious face. ¡°What is this supposed to mean?¡± Clicking her tongue, Raven answered. ¡°Tch. You should have let me kill her, you idiot! Guys! Come out!¡± Hearing her shout, a few people came out of the buildings nearby. Seeing them, Raven smiled as she looked at Elena and the others with an evil smile. ¡°See? Inspect her! They are raising a monster in their own territory to attack you, humans! All of them should be eradicated!¡± Raven shouted, feeling enraged. Inspecting Elena, many people didn¡¯t see anything, but there were a few who could. Jumping off of Dred¡¯s back, she asked with a curious face, ¡°Were you the one who stole away the food?¡± Raising her hand, Raven showed her a ring on her finger. Inspect.
Name: Lesser Void Ring Rarity: Rare
Durability: N \ A Effects: +3 cubic meters of storage space.
Description
A very useful storage ring, which is perfect to store smaller items in it.
Seeing it, Elena¡¯s eyes shined with greed. Frowning, Audrey questioned her, ¡°When did you get this?¡± Raven smirked upon hearing her question before answering. ¡°Haha- When we killed that Forest Troll, I found this on the ground and put it away. It¡¯s been with me ever since.¡± Shaking her head sideways, Elena remarked on her stupidity. ¡°Seriously. Why are you telling everything? It¡¯s good for us, but it is bad for you¡­¡± ¡°Nah, dead men tell no tales. All of you will die anyway!¡± Shouting, she shot another ball of fire towards Elena, while the others also encircled them. ¡°Why? What happened to you?¡± Feeling dismayed, Audrey questioned her as she extinguished the fire with water. ¡°Why, you ask? My son was only four! He was killed by some kind of shady monster! And here we are, feeding a similar kind of monster! This thing killed Claire and the others as well. That wasn¡¯t me! But I did tell them to bully her so that she would suffer some more. Unfortunately, you idiot woman was always there for her like a damned mother. Why are you helping this thing?!¡± Raven burst out angrily, pointing at Elena, her spit flying all over the place. Krin, Audrey, Dred, and Elena grouped up. Raising her brows, Elena questioned Krin. ¡°Do you not want to betray me? I¡¯m a monster, you know? Also, I¡¯ll be honest with you. At first, I thought that you were the one who spread the word about my race.¡± Krin chuckled upon hearing Elena¡¯s question. ¡°Haha- no, it wasn¡¯t me. I don¡¯t give a shit about your race. Before this thing happened, I always wanted to turn into a dragon! Although I can¡¯t be one, I won¡¯t hate you just because of such a stupid thing!¡± Audrey put her hand over her mouth, saying - ¡°Oh, my! A harem seeker, male reader? You are one of the lots! Did you turn into a Death Knight for that purpose? You bad boy!¡± Krin facepalmed and shook his head sideways. But there was a tint of red on his face. Seeing it, Audrey realized that she was spot on. As a fellow shut in, she knew what were the young boys thinking¡­ Tugging on her clothes, Elena remarked that they should focus on the matter at hand. Elena turned into a shadow and crept up on Audrey¡¯s back. ¡°Focus on one point and let¡¯s break out. Don¡¯t mind me. I could leave anytime.¡± She whispered into her ears and then left her shadow. Audrey turned around and nodded at Elena, who was standing beside Dred once again. She conveyed her thoughts to Krin, who also nodded. ¡°Hahaha! Look at her movements! Is that something a human can do? But seriously, what are you planning to do? You can¡¯t escape anyway! I know your abilities more than anyone else! I told everything to my new friends. Once I¡¯m done with you, I¡¯ll join their community and destroy those monster loving idiots! That damned Jake as well¡­¡± Raven laughed upon seeing their futile planning and then turned enraged, remembering how they were feeding a monster. Not saying anything, Elena¡¯s shadow extended out and caught Raven¡¯s. Raising her eyebrows, she soon realized that she was in trouble. Tiny patches of her skin started decaying.
You have been afflicted by a curse: 3 Damage / Second
Seeing the window appear in front of her, and feeling the pain of rotting, Raven panicked. She was a mage type with only three hundred health. Her body wasn¡¯t that sturdy and her regeneration wasn¡¯t too good either. She would die quite quickly if this continued! Jumping up from the ground, her shadow moved aside. But she was terrified to see that Elena¡¯s shadow followed her. It was like a glue! Seeing big patches of gray skin on her arms and feeling the pain, she quickly shot a huge ball of fire towards Elena. Turning into her Shadow Form, she evaded it easily. But her Devouring also stopped working. With a smile on her face, she raised out of the ground. ¡°Anyone else wishing to taste it? Hehe~ Did you like my present?¡± Elena asked the others with an evil grin on her face. But her show was more than enough as no one noticed that Dred disappeared. His presence was so thin, that they simply forgot about him. Elena¡¯s shadow turned into a circle under her feet, which extended towards every human around her, meaning ten ¡®arms¡¯. These inexperienced and fearful humans, jumped up to evade her attack, fearing their fates. Meanwhile, others jumped backward. Even the sun was helping Elena. This is why she never cared about the other classes. Why would she? Hers was one of the best, though this was a result of her specialization as well. Seeing Dred jump up behind a guy and bash his back with his paw, Audrey and Krin charged towards him. Reaching her goal, Elena turned into a part of Audrey¡¯s shadow and left with her. As the humans landed, about half of them held out their palms and shot their magical attacks towards the back of Audrey and Krin, while the others rushed towards them. Seeing an incoming fireball, Elena appeared and used Water Magic to stop it. Thanks to her own understanding, her Magic was quite effective, but it was still weak¡­ The fireball, which decreased to the size of a fist, flew through her shady body and struck Audrey¡¯s right foot. ¡°Ah! Sorry! I forgot¡­¡± Elena exclaimed upon realizing her mistake. Audrey screamed out in pain as she stopped for a moment, but she didn¡¯t blame Elena as anyone would evade a deadly attack, reflexively. Elena raised her up and put her on Dred¡¯s back, who then left everyone behind. Seeing the incoming blades of two melee fighters, she turned into her shadow form. Just a second later and she would have been beheaded! There weren¡¯t many warriors in the other communities as they didn¡¯t have a weapon. Shadows were everywhere and connecting to those didn¡¯t cost more to Elena than her Mana. Using ShadowStep, she appeared behind Krin. Reaching a corner, they jumped towards it. After rolling on the ground, Audrey turned around on Dred and used Nature Magic to grow roots on the ground. Elena used Earth Magic to make a thin layer of earth in front of the roots. Since Krin was able to run more quickly, he sped up, along with Dred, while Elena just used her Shadow Form to follow someone. As Raven and the others turned over the corner, they got around the walls, slowing them. But the melee fighters jumped over it and fell on the roots. Their chins and faces smashed into the ground, making it impossible to catch up with their targets. By the time they stood up and were ready to charge towards them again, Elena and the others were nowhere to be seen. ¡°FUCK! IDIOTS!¡± Raven shouted angrily, stomping on the ground. She was nice to children, but her hate for these monster, especially to shady ones¡­ was unbearable. She would never let go of her hate unless something changed her. Not slowing down, Krin and Dred ran straight to the school. Seeing the usual walls appearing, all of them felt happy. Without even stopping, they jumped over it, surprising Audrey in the process. As they landed, Elena raised out of Audrey¡¯s shadow and stood behind Dred. Except for her and Audrey, everyone was panting heavily. They ran a few kilometers in a few seconds¡­ Soon, Jake and the others came back with downhearted and angry faces. But upon seeing that Raven was missing, Jake questioned them. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°What, you ask? Oh, just Raven decided to attack Elena and turn against us as well because we were ¡®helping¡¯ a monster. She probably wants to raid our place in the near future, with Davis¡¯s help. His territory is quite powerful and Raven is a big loss on our side¡­ not to mention the other guards who were killed,¡± Krin explained what happened in a simple way and also forewarned the troubles of their future. ¡°Davis? But why would he help her?¡± Frowning, Jake questioned him. Krin shrugged his shoulders, but after thinking about it for a bit, he said with an enlightened face, hitting his fist on his palm. ¡°When Raven called out to the others, she said something about us, raising a monster to attack them. I don¡¯t know when, but she probably stuffed their heads with her lies.¡± Although the humans were feeling afraid of what was to come, Elena was happy about it. If things went the way they imagined, this would turn into a war between two territories, and grasping that chance, maybe others would join as well. She could gain lots of strength in such a position! In this school and its territory alone, there are around five hundred people. Even if just half of them were to die, the evolution she could go through would be enormous! ¡°In that case, let¡¯s prepare for the worst. Those who don¡¯t wish to stay with us, leave now. Please¡­¡± Jake¡¯s voice turned sad upon getting that far. Quite a lot of people made thoughtful faces. Staying in this territory could turn ugly. They weren¡¯t proud warriors. They were used to the consumer life. One workplace pays more than the other? Let¡¯s go there! Faithfulness and perseverance? That couldn¡¯t be turned into money. They were here because they felt safe. Now that the feeling of safety was perishing, like a fog, they also wanted to leave. But the problem was that they would have to leave this place and walk among the monsters to reach another one. Without the help of a high-level human, none of them dared to step on the path to another territory. Seeing their expressions, Elena felt disgusted by them. Such is the way of the humans, it seems. They are an interesting and colorful bunch, I guess. I¡¯ll have to be careful when I meet new humans in the future¡­ She thought while thinking of her future. Seeing how easy it was to make enemies out of the humans, she knew that they would bring lots of trouble to her head if she were to stay with them. But they were also a good source of experience. Elena turned around and went towards the back of the school, seeing that she was leaving, Audrey frowned. ¡°E-Elena? Do you want to leave?¡± Reaching out towards her back with her right hand, Audrey asked. She would feel sad if that were to be the case. Turning around, Elena laughed. ¡°Haha- yes, but only temporarily. I¡¯ll be back by the evening. You should prepare for them. Expect my arrival when the light fades away.¡± Before waiting for anyone, she left silently, in the blink of an eye. Behind the school was a forest. That was a place no one entered before and that was Elena¡¯s destination. It was likely that even the first monsters would be around the fourteenth level if not higher. The place she was born at was an exception as her race was always born at places with weak monsters. The World System took care of that. Sighing, Jake asked when she left. ¡°So, in the end, what happened to the guards? I mean, Raven was the one who stole away our food, right?¡± ¡°Yes, she had a storage ring she hid away. With the trust people had in her, along with her strength, it was easy for her to ambush those guards and take away everything. It was planned out on the spot, probably. But she couldn¡¯t catch the only person she really wanted! Hehe,¡± Audrey explained with a small laugh escaping her lips and then added. ¡°And I¡¯ll admit that the guards were killed by Elena, but don¡¯t charge her for that. I was the one who let her do it.¡± Raising his brows, Jake asked. ¡°So you were planning behind my back¡­ Such a problematic group of people!¡± He finished as he slapped his palms on the sides of his thighs in an exaggerated way. ¡°B-But I took a liking to her and they were also mean and freeloading people. I didn¡¯t feel too much remorse, even when I learned that they were killed,¡± Audrey said to defend herself. Looking sideways, she remarked on Jake¡¯s personality as well. ¡°Also, I understand that you were a soldier. Defending the people of your country was a duty of yours. But after talking a bit with Elena and seeing the changes humans went through, I¡¯m not sure that you should continue to take your duty too seriously. Honestly, it¡¯s better to just take their lives.¡± Hearing her words, he was surprised. She changed a lot in his eyes. Shaking his head sideways, Jake said. ¡°Since we are labeled as people who are raising monsters, we shall raise a monster! Screw it all! I was trying to build a safe place for the people. As a retired soldier, I thought that it was necessary. But they just kept causing trouble for me and restricting me. If not for you people, then I could have turned even stronger¡­¡± Jake muttered to himself, with small exclamations, which were heard by the people close to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the plantations and build up a few walls. The park will be perfect for traps and we can also use the buildings as covers. Those who don¡¯t want to participate, go and hide in the basement like the cowards you are!¡± Jake shouted as he turned around and went towards the school with loud stomps. He wanted to meditate and stand ready for the forthcoming fight. This girl is really a monster¡­ Ever since her appearance, things turned for the wrong really quickly. He thought, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry. Audrey looked one last time towards the way Elena went, before turning around and doing her own work. That, and she had to heal her leg¡­ ---- After leaving the territory of the school, Elena entered the forest. It was strangely silent. No chirping of the birds. No movements. But Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s steps were just as soundless. Feeling the smell of nature, seeing that greenery, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. These two days felt long to her in that concrete jungle. Using her Sense continuously, she soon found her first opponent. With her bow in her hands, she leaned out from behind a tree to look at her target. It was a deer. But it went through strange mutations as it had sharp teeth and it was eating the corpse of a boar¡­ Fresh blood colored its pointy antlers. Aiming at its head, Elena pulled up her bow, while an invisible Wind Arrow and a bow string formed between her fingers. With her chest stuck out, her shoulders pulled back, and a pair of focusing eyes, she stopped breathing. Upon releasing the Wind Arrow, it whistled as it passed through the air. Although very blanch, the arrow still had a small shadow since it turned into a swirling mass of wind. Dred joined with its shadow, which started thinning as the arrow started losing strength. The deer looked up, only to feel its neck being penetrated. As the shadow disappeared, Dred appeared and bit towards the wound on the Deer¡¯s neck. It wanted to pierce Dred¡¯s chest, but it wasn¡¯t quick enough to do so. Dred caught its throat and tore it out with one swift movement. After devouring its corpse, they were surprised to see the notifications.
You have leveled up to Lv. 13!
You have gained: +3 Strength; +3 Agility!
Well, it is no wonder. This monster was at the seventeenth level¡­ Elena thought as she put her hand on her chin. Squatting down and putting her bow on her shoulder, she used her Sense. Her Mana discharged out of her body and went through the forest, making her feel everything in her surroundings. Thanks to devouring the deer, her body went through another smaller mutation. Her eyesight turned sharper and her senses turned more accurate. Standing up, she jumped onto Dred¡¯s back and went deeper into the forest. By this time she has grown up to be around a hundred and thirty-eight centimeters tall. Her female parts also started budding as small bulges were growing on her chest. Dred was sniffing the air continuously besides using his Sense. At the moment, his nose was much better than his Mana Sense, so he was just using it to increase his proficiency with it. Feeling the smell of another monster, he turned towards his next target. Elena patted his back as she pulled up her bow and poured her Mana into it. It took the shape of a black arrow, which was mixed with a flickering bolt of lightning. Seeing the tree trunk in front of him, Dred stepped onto it and jumped through the air, while Elena was facing to the left. With her eyes focused, she looked at a huge dog, which looked back at her. Releasing the arrow, it flew through the air and penetrated the side of the dog. It wanted to flee, but it wasn¡¯t quick enough, so the arrow struck its side. It cast a wide blade of wind and shot it towards Elena and Dred before dying. Elena¡¯s arrow was Dark Magic. It rarely killed instantly. As the arrow penetrated its side, the rotting effect reached its heart, killing the dog. Dred landed on the other side of the ditch, while the dog¡¯s wind blade attacked only the air. Dred turned around in the forest and while running, they devoured its corpse. Not even stopping, they continued on their way. Since Dred wasn¡¯t using his full speed, he could go on for a longer time. Still, he knew that he needed vitality to keep on running. Feeling numerous smells, he decided on one randomly. They found a river, which had a turtle on its bank. Dred let out his claws while rushing towards the turtle. Jumping up into the air, he landed on its back. Under his weight and strength, the turtle¡¯s body was bashed into the ground. With its body pushed down, the turtle used Magic, trying to defend itself. The water raised out of the river and slapped towards Elena and Dred like a whip. Elena jumped off of Dred¡¯s back with a somersault to the left side, while Dred jumped to the other side of the monster. She formed a black arrow and shot it towards the hard shell of the turtle while in mid-air, and then landed gracefully on the ground, only to see the rotting back of the monster. Dred pounced on it and tore out the turtle¡¯s naked back, killing it on the spot. Devouring it, they gained two intelligence and two wisdom as a result, which was great!
Your skill has leveled up: Devour Lv.4
They followed the river and killed numerous monsters on their way, leveling up and gaining benefits. They soon found themselves in front of a cave, which was on the right side of the river. Dred¡¯s wet paws stomped on the ground as he puffed out a breath of air, like an angered bull. He bellowed out loudly, causing the forest to resound and echo with his roar. They heard a booming coming from the cave in front of them. A huge bear, reaching four meters on all fours, came out of the cave. It roared loudly, making even the ground tremble. Stomping on the ground, it cracked under its strength.
Race: Evolved Giant Bear Rarity: Rare
Level: 25 (Threat Level: 7)
¡°Fuck¡­ that level is so sexy¡­ Can you like¡­ turn around and sleep?¡± Elena talked to the bear with a stiff face. After another roar and lots of spit, she realized that it wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Listen, I have a small scale war to fight today, so it would be really good if you could spare my body. Fighting with heavy wounds on my body is not something I want¡­¡± Seeing its never changing face, she continued. ¡°Hey, but really. What if you turn around, we turn around and everyone can live happily? It¡¯s not like there are no other monsters in our surroundings¡­¡± Though I¡¯ll be sure to come back and kill you in the future, she added her thoughts silently. Standing up, it stood at six hundred and sixty centimeters tall. After roaring and showing its threatening posture, it charged towards Dred and Elena on all fours. Using his superior speed, Dred quickly took Elena to the other side of the river, who shot a Lightning Arrow towards the bear. Her arrow struck its body, and although it had some paralyzing effect, it was nothing serious. Using up her last chance to focus on the monster, she collected her Mana, to make her Lightning Magic advance to the second level. I should have focused more on leveling up these damned elemental kinds of Magic. She thought, feeling wronged. She was about to have a serious fight, which would be a first in her life! Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 4 - A Blood Drinkers Cruelty A Blood Drinker¡¯s Cruelty [Obey Your Blood] This monster was something that Audrey and the others could kill quite easily. But the level difference was huge and it probably hard around six hundred strength if not more. Its defense, vitality and such? Elena didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Releasing her lightning arrow, it sucked away a hundred Mana from her, meaning that she lost one-third of her Mana. It struck the bear, leaving a burned patch on its neck, slowing its movements. While it shook its body to regain its control over its messy nervous system, Dred used Dark Magic. As his magical attack hit the side of the bear, he jumped after it, biting into its side. He knew that his paw strikes wouldn¡¯t work on it anyway¡­ The bear roared out in pain as it regained its control and feelings. Elena¡¯s shadow extended outward and caught the bear¡¯s shadow. Tho¡¯ its fur started drying and falling out, but it was a slow process. Elena knew that she had to prolong this battle to kill it or else they would have to flee. The bear swung its paw towards Dred, who quickly turned into his shadow form, leaving the bear dumbfounded. It roared angrily, hating Dred because he escaped its attack. After shooting her arrow, Elena tried to meditate for a short time to regain some Mana. But at this time, the bear charged towards her. While running, she took out her old kitchen knife and threw it towards the bear. Her knife was coated in Fire as that was one of the most effective kinds of Magic at this moment. Unexpectedly, the bear stomped on the ground and an earth wall raised out of the ground, right in front of the knife. Although Elena¡¯s dagger penetrated the wall, it had little to no strength left in it and her Fire Magic was extinguished as well. ¡°Uh¡­ you are such a problematic monster!¡± She exclaimed as she aimed with her bow to shoot a black arrow towards the bear. Even though the bear used a light barrier to stop it, Dred was waiting for the right moment! As it used its Light Magic, Dred jumped out of its shadow and bit into the hind leg of the bear. Tearing out a few tendons, he quickly turned around and fled. They wanted to harass this monster to the death. Feeling angered and feeling the pain, it bellowed out and stomped on the ground. Feeling it trembling, Elena quickly jumped up. Long vines shot out of the ground and coiled around her body. While using Devour, she can¡¯t turn into her Shadow Form, unless breaking the connection. Dred easily escaped as he had no such restrictions. The vines coiled around her body, holding her in place. The bear charged towards her with incredible speed, considering its size. Dred appeared on time to cut off the vines and jump away from the incoming paw strike of the bear. The whole vine garden it created around Elena was smashed into a green pulp under its strength. That would have been a one-shot attack if not for being saved. Elena stood up on Dred¡¯s back and jumped up to a tree branch. The bear roared angrily, charging at her. It was so tall that it reached even her¡­ before it could bite her legs, she jumped up once more and landed on the back of the bear. Pulling out her daggers, she thrust it into its back. She used one-third of her Mana once again to coat her daggers in powerful Dark Magic. It easily penetrated the bald back of the bear, leaving a large wound on it. Her arms sunk into its back, turning her completely bloody, which she enjoyed a lot. Its blood splashed on her face and she couldn¡¯t help but lick her lips in excitement. She kept thrusting her dagger into its back with a crazed face, leaving a hole in it. Dred used ShadowStep to teleport after Elena and shot magical attacks towards the bear. It couldn¡¯t do anything against Elena since she was in the hole she dug in its huge body. The bear fell on its back and started rolling on the ground, roaring continuously, feeling lots of pain, which only made Elena feel even better. Y-Yes! This is my path! Humans and their stupid morals? HAHAHA! The path of blood! I¡¯ll devour everything that is alive and is my enemy! Their world shall perish before me! I¡¯ll rain hell on anyone who dares to threaten me. Elena thought as she started finding her path. She realized that she loved bloody fights and battles. She felt excited when blood sprayed on her body. The blood of her enemies. Seeing the beating heart of the defenseless bear, she thrust her daggers through it. The muscles in the bear¡¯s body contracted and stiffened up, leaving her space really cramped. Controlling her Mana, she discharged it all around her, in the form of a Dark Wave. Although she was left without any Mana in her body, the bear withered and turned into dust. Feeling tired, they devoured its remnants, gaining a huge boost of strength.
You have gained: +25 Strength; +5 Wisdom; +5 Agility; +15 Vitality!
You have leveled up to Lv. 17!
You have gained a new title: Pathfinder!
You have gained a new title: Blood Drinker!
Your skill has leveled up: Shadow Form Lv. 4!
Elena was leaning on Dred¡¯s side, sleeping peacefully. Dred felt equally tired as he felt the changes in his body. With the last bits of Mana he had, he raised a stone tent around themselves. Falling asleep, the muscles in Elena¡¯s arms transformed, turning stronger and thicker. She looked like a fit, trained woman. Her body had grown by at least fifteen centimeters, reaching a height of a hundred and fifty centimeters. Her female parts have also grown exceptionally, while black fur grew on her body, which soon disappeared. It was because of her new title! Though she didn¡¯t know about it yet. Dred also got these notifications, except for Pathfinder. But he has got something different. A skill!
New Skill Acquired: Shapeshift!
In all honesty, neither Elena nor Dred cared too much about skills as they had quite a lot of racial skills, which were of the best quality. But this one, they will surely like once they awake. ---- About two hours later, they woke up with a mind-splitting headache.They had no Mana left in their bodies, which felt terrible after tasting it. They felt starved. Groaning, Elena sat up with her legs crossed and started meditating. Thanks to spending all her Mana¡­ when her Mana Veins were filled up once again, they went through a transformation, turning twice as wide as before. She was surprised to see that her intelligence grew by another twenty points. Seeing the rows of notifications, she inspected all of them, even Dred¡¯s.
Title: Pathfinder
Those who found their path and learned of their inner darkness know who they are. Those who own this title are more charismatic than the others. Affecting others isn¡¯t just a dream.
Title: Blood Drinker
You drank the blood of your enemy and you enjoyed it more than anything. Even if this changes in the future, you are a monster in the heart. Your bloodlust can affect the thinking of other people, turning them slower or even afraid of you, just by a look. Blood Drinkers tend to inherit a few traits of the opponents they killed and devoured. Hiding or showing these traits is the owner¡¯s own decision.
Title: The Only One
You are the only one alive from your race. People who are alike can easily take a liking to you, while others can start hating you very easily. Those who own this title are usually real troublemakers, causing battles or even wars to break out.
Skill: Shapeshift (Dred)
You are a true monster. Monsters don¡¯t have just one shape. The owner of this skill is able to transform into a few monsters, receiving their best traits. (Currently owned: Bear Form) Possible to take other shapes after devouring and drinking the blood of your enemies. The Blood is your connection with those who fell to your claws and teeth.
Seeing Dred¡¯s skill, Elena felt really happy. He could be the shadow lurking behind her, protecting her when the need arose, or he could be the heavy wall, defending her from the tough monsters. Standing up, their eyes had a different glint in them. They changed. Looking at her arm, black fur grew out on it, similar to Dred¡¯s. ¡°Wanna give some blood? Hehe~¡± She said jokingly to Dred, who rubbed his head on hers as an answer. ¡°Maybe later. Now let¡¯s go and prepare our little present. We also have to level up a few more times and devour more monsters,¡± she added, standing up, getting ready to leave. Looking down, she realized that she has grown a lot¡­ at many places. Grabbing her plump chest, she smiled happily, feeling proud of herself. This girl is a pervert¡­ getting excited by drinking blood and touching herself? Dred thought while looking at Elena. ¡°What¡¯s up? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± She asked, noticing Dred¡¯s strange look. Shrugging, he turned around and waited for her to sit on him. Taking her place, she muttered to Dred. ¡°Just to be clear, I was simply curious¡­¡± Picking up the thing on the ground, which appeared after killing the bear, Elena inspected it.
Rune of Biotic Enhance
Consuming this Rune, your body and mind will evolve quicker than before.
¡°That¡¯s really nice,¡± Elena said and then put it into her mouth. Cutting a wound on her wrist, she leaned forward and put it into Dred¡¯s mouth. They could share anything through their blood. This was also exclusive to their race as they were born together. Dred bellowed out with a huge roar and ran towards a nearby monster he smelled. After spending another three hours in the forest, they left towards the city, evading Jake¡¯s territory. Entering her dungeon, she started spawning monsters in it. She was surprised to see that the level of the dungeon was the same as hers and that its area increased. A dungeon at the twentieth level? It was her pleasure to own it! After filling the parking lot to the brim with ogres, she commanded them to stay there. Leaving it, she noticed the park in front of her. But there were tall walls on the roads and the only way through was the buildings. Do they want to fight here? Is this my lucky day? It couldn¡¯t be any better! She thought happily. Originally, she just wanted to ambush them when they came through these streets and kill a few people. But for them to fight here? This was literally a tactical advantage for them! Seeing that the sky was turning gray, she entered the boss room of the ogres and started training her body, her reflexes by evading Dred¡¯s magical attacks, and her mind by meditating. She also started unfolding the knowledge in her mind about the elements. How did the fire element work, how did the water element work? Those were her questions for each element. Luckily for her, this kind of knowledge was inside her mind. She just had to unravel them and comprehend them. Feeling slightly tired, she took a nap, along with Dred. Leaving the room, she turned into a shadow on the ground and moved towards the walls. The streets were lit up by light magic. When it was night, Elena had the most advantage. Because¡­ if everything was dark, she could be anywhere. This meant that as long as they had Mana, she and Dred could teleport anywhere. Fighting against her in the dark was one of the worst decisions people could make. The only limitation was the range as she couldn¡¯t teleport too far away at once. Her limit was fifty meters, for now. The elements and Elemental Magic were only at the bottom of the ladder. At one point, everyone learned how to use them, even warriors. To these humans, who knew how the elements worked, learning them was easy. They had problems with controlling their Mana at first. Not the elements. That¡¯s why Mages were really powerful here. Davis¡¯s people were mostly Mages. But without any real melee fighter on their side, once someone can get into their ranks, that person can rain hell on them. Elena was waiting for them eagerly since she was exactly such a person. Noticing Audrey on the walls, she appeared behind her without even a sound leaving her lips or body. ¡°WOH!¡± She shouted behind her with her arms spread, scaring the shit out of Audrey. The poor girl jumped off of the walls in her surprise. Luckily for her, Dred caught her and brought her back. Adjusting her hair, with a slightly red face, she said, ¡°Damn¡­ Elena! What if I¡¯ve got a heart attack?¡± ¡°Hahaha~ but you should have seen your face. Also, you are a friend of mine, so don¡¯t fear the night. Embrace it~¡± Elena replied, still laughing at Audrey¡¯s sacred face. ¡°And what about your body? Girl, look at yourself¡­ you have grown up!¡± Frowning, Audrey inspected Elena and remarked on her new sizes. Continuing, ¡°You really aren¡¯t a human¡­ there is no way that we could grow this quickly,¡± switching to whispering, she added, ¡°So? How much did you advance this time?¡± Grabbing her hand, Elena pulled on it and brought Audrey to a nearby building. ¡°I showed you my whole table last time. But you didn¡¯t. So this time, you will have to do it before me!¡± Shrugging her shoulders, Audrey nodded and the awaited table appeared in front of Elena.
Name: Audrey Frost Race: Human
Level: 29 EXP: 457 / 600
Class: High Mage (Unique/Very Rare) Specialization: Affliction
Health: 485 / 485 Mana: 890.4 / 890.4
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.27 (62%); Water Lv.26 (54%); Wind Lv.23 (34%); Lightning Lv.25 (27%); Nature Lv.20 (9%); Earth Lv.30 (53%); Light Lv.20 (3%); Dark Lv.24 (86%); Resistances: Magical Resistance: 230 Physical Resistance: 46.5 Passive: Stamina: 485 Precision: 155
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 15 (91%) Mana Control Lv. 34 (32%) Meditation Lv. 36 (17%) Sense Lv. 30 (44%) Body Enchantment Lv. 10 (23%) Mana Disrupt Lv. 15 (64%) Corruption Lv. 26 (39%) Life Funnel Lv. 31 (54%) Racial Skills: Quick Evolution Lv. 19 (23%) Cornered Lv. 11 (54%)
¡°Eh? You have so many skills? But those are your own skills, right?¡± Elena¡¯s eyes opened widely upon seeing her stats. Audrey has probably grown quite a lot and seeing her Mana and passive stats, Elena had a rough guess about Audrey¡¯s exact strength. She also understood that her own elemental magic was really weak compared to the norm, but she was still a newborn¡­ Although she didn¡¯t have a chance in a magical battle, using her racial skills and her physical attributes, she had! I just need more time to increase the level of my skills¡­ they are really low at the moment. She thought upon realizing her lack of knowledge when it came to Magic.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 20 EXP: 12 / 330
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devouring
Health: 465 / 465 Mana: 640 / 640
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker
Strength: 170 Vitality: 93
Agility: 95 Will: 55
Intelligence: 160 Wisdom: 199
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.2 (62%); Water Lv.2 (54%); Wind Lv.2 (34%); Lightning Lv.2 (27%); Nature Lv.2 (9%); Earth Lv.3 (53%); Light Lv.2 (3%); Dark Lv.3 (86%); Resistances: Magical: 199 Physical: 85 Passive: Stamina: 465 Precision: 475
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 3 (7%) Mana Control Lv. 3 (92%) Meditation Lv. 4 (9%) Sense Lv. 2 (64%) Stealth: Lv. 1 (88%)>>Evade Sense Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 5 (68%) (+Active Skill) ShadowStep Lv. 2 (32%) Shadow Form Lv. 4 (8%) ...
Seeing the evolution Elena went through, Audrey was left dumbfounded. ¡°And you are one to talk!? You damned cheater!¡± She shouted in her surprise, catching the attention of a few people outside. Jake rushed in to see what was going on. ¡°Are you back?¡± He asked Elena as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Visibly no,¡± Elena answered with a smirk on her face, taunting Jake. ¡°.... I should have never let you in. This is all because of you¡­¡± Shaking his head sideways, seeing that Elena was enjoying this whole war thing, he turned around and left. ¡°Hahaha~ Yes,¡± laughing at him, she remarked. Calming down, she questioned Audrey about her skills and learned that Corruption used Audrey¡¯s knowledge about the human body. Shooting an arrow of Mana into her target''s body, she could place a curse effect on them, which would start killing her target from the inside. This could be resisted, but fighting and focusing on resisting her curse at the same time would be surely terrible. Life funnel was a way for her to suck away other people¡¯s life force to heal herself. Hearing the explanations of Audrey¡¯s spells, Elena frowned, remarking on her magical attacks being very dark and evil. Even though she wasn¡¯t any different¡­ ¡°And what does ¡®Affliction¡¯ gives you other than bonus stats?¡± Feeling curious, she questioned her. Frowning slightly, Audrey answered. ¡°Ehm¡­ the effects of my curse type of attacks are increased by ten percent and it makes my mind think about curses more often, resulting in more curse-type skills.¡± ¡°So you are thinking of evil things all the time.¡± Raising a brow, Elena pointed out the truth. Seeing Audrey staying mute, meaning that she agreed with her, she added with a bright smile. ¡°You are my best friend!¡± After patting her back, she also told her what did her specialization give her. Dred entered the dungeon, ready to command the Ogres, while they went up to the rooftop. Noticing the arrival of their enemies, with torches in hands, Audrey laughed at them saying, ¡°Hahaha, like idiot barbarians! You see better in the dark. Do they have forks in hand?¡± Ridiculing them, she questioned Elena. Elena shook her head sideways as an answer, with a smile on her face. Her charisma and her titles were helping her out. Audrey didn¡¯t even notice that Elena barely changed anything, while she was turning worse by the day. ¡°Hey, I have a question,¡± looking at Audrey, Elena said aloud. Raising a brow, waiting for Elena to continue, Elena complied. ¡°Do you know that your personality is being affected by me?¡± ¡°My personality?¡± Audrey was like an echo as she repeated her words. Seeing Elena nod, she asked, ¡°Why so? I didn¡¯t notice anything.¡± Smiling, Elena replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing big. The changes my presence causes are always subtle and small. Unless you are looking for it, you can¡¯t notice it.¡± Hearing her saying that, she started remembering about how she was before meeting Elena. At first, she even stopped her from killing others. While later, she not only slapped the same person across the face but even stayed silent about killing them. This was coupled with her remark on the people, who were supposedly coming here to protect their own future from the monster, which they were feeding. Not to mention, that she wasn¡¯t nervous when thinking about killing those who were coming here. ¡°I-I indeed changed¡­¡± she muttered to herself, realizing the truth. Shrugging once, she added, ¡°Well, our world is changing, so I too should change. Being crueler and monster-like might be the best for me.¡± ¡°You accepted it quite easily,¡± Elena remarked, turning back to look at the incoming waves of people. Not saying anything, Audrey stayed silent, thinking. I know that I am affected by you, stupid girl. But I was never a part of this community. No¡­ maybe not even a part of humans. Since that case, I can¡¯t look at them the way I did before. Maybe you can show me a different lifestyle, I might enjoy. Davis and his entourage stopped in front of the walls to talk. He was still just a human, after all. ¡°Jake! Why do you want to attack us?¡± He shouted while Raven facepalmed in the back. She imagined this differently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to attack you. We had a dispute with one of our members, who lied to you¡­ Why would I care about killing other humans? The World System doesn¡¯t reward us if we kill our own race, so I truly don¡¯t have any reason to attack you. Your brain was stuffed with lies¡­¡± Jake shouted back, feeling annoyed by this whole mess. Turning around to look at Raven, Davis raised a brow, waiting for an explanation. ¡°What are you looking at? They are feeding a monster! We should kill her! I don¡¯t care about the others,¡± Raven shouted, feeling annoyed. ¡°Could you hand over that monster to us?¡± Turning around with a frown on his face, Davis asked. ¡°No¡­ she has helped us. In case you let this go, I¡¯ll tell you how to solve your food problems!¡± Jake replied almost instantly and then threw in the bait. Making a thoughtful face, Davis nodded, very much to Raven¡¯s displeasure. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s talk in priv-¡± Davis shouted once again, but at that time, an arm coiled around his neck and a dagger passed through his heart. With a fraction of a second later, another dagger entered his brain, through his left eye, killing him instantly. His body fell to the ground, lifelessly. In a few seconds, his body disappeared as he turned into a part of Elena¡¯s strength. The humans looked at this with dumbfounded eyes and Jake wasn¡¯t an exception. ¡°Well, that was easy¡­ you helped me a lot by coming here yourself,¡± Elena muttered silently, cleaning the blood from her hands with Water Magic. Raven wanted to shout something, but Dred appeared before she could do so and took away her life as well. Devouring two such powerful humans, gave a lot to Elena and Dred. Their understanding of the elements increased by leaps and bounds. Elena also got a skill from Raven, called Inferno, while she got another one from Davis, called Frost Bolt. Not caring about those stupid skills or the humans around her, she opened her status and quickly hid away those two skills, so that they won¡¯t bother her eyes. Turning into a shadow, she left the place and went towards her dungeon. Naturally, these humans didn¡¯t see where she went as their light bulbs didn¡¯t have a big range.
You have gained: +42 Intelligence; +60 Wisdom!
Your skill has leveled up: Meditation Lv. 10
Your skill has leveled up: Mana Control Lv. 11
Your skill has leveled up: Inspect Lv. 10
Your skill has leveled up: Sense Lv. 13
¡°Now, I¡¯m liking this! Stealing their knowledge was much easier. Teaching Dred won¡¯t be hard either, so you can catch up to me quickly. Hehe~¡± Elena laughed happily upon seeing that her skills leveled up by seven or even more levels. Feeling a slight headache and her body being pressured, she sat down to meditate. Her veins started widening, while the wisdom she has gained started consolidating in her mind. When she felt that everything was done, she cut her finger and put it into Dred¡¯s mouth. Drinking her blood, Dred learned the things Elena knew in a few minutes. Their elemental magic jumped up by ten levels straight! Standing up, she cracked her bones and then sat on Dred, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun with the food.¡± Roaring, Dred ran forward. The humans were visibly looking for someone. Chuckling, they used their Shadow Forms to creep up on the walls of the house they were before and stopped beside Audrey. With her head out of the ground, she talked. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m back.¡± Sighing loudly, Audrey hung her head down, saying. ¡°I¡¯m not really a human anymore, am I? I don¡¯t even feel bad after seeing you kill him. Well, he did want to ¡®trade¡¯ you before learning about the solution of the food problem¡­¡± ¡°And that is exactly why I killed him. And¡­ he was a really easy target. Real Mages have barriers around them all the time. Or so my inborn memories are saying. And the bonus stats were really good as well,¡± Elena cut into her words and explained herself. ¡°Could you climb out of the ground? It¡¯s really creepy to talk with a head¡­¡± Audrey said frowning, as a shudder ran through her body. Noticing Elena¡¯s new sizes, she was greatly surprised. Not knowing why was she looking at her like that, Elena questioned her. ¡°Why do I look like that, you ask? Look at yourself! You have grown again!¡± Audrey exclaimed, pointing at Elena. Her shout also caught the ears of many people, resulting in them, noticing Elena. ¡°Damn¡­ you screwed up¡­ I¡¯ll train you,¡± Elena muttered, turning into a shadow and quickly fleeing. Bolts of lightning and fire were flying towards her position. Audrey quickly stepped back to evade the magical attacks.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The rooftop of the building crumbled down. Luckily, she was quick enough to step onto the rooftop next the house she was standing on before. ¡°Where are you aiming at!?¡± She shouted angrily, but the humans just pointed their palms towards her. She was chatting in a friendly way with their enemy. Why would they look at her differently? Shit¡­ Audrey thought upon realizing this. Seeing her friend in trouble, Elena went back and jumped off of the building. With Audrey in her arms, she ran towards her own dungeon. Using her Sense, she evaded every attack coming from behind. Her body has grown up to be a hundred and sixty centimeters tall by now and Audrey wasn¡¯t much taller either. ¡°Dred¡­ could we switch? I mean, running like this really sucks for me¡­.¡± Elena remarked, panting. Her lazy shadow raised out of the ground and Elena quickly threw Audrey over to his back. ¡°Once we get out, I¡¯ll make you train your damned body¡­¡± Elena threatened Audrey, feeling annoyed that they had to save her ass all the time. ¡°Fine¡­¡± Audrey muttered silently, feeling slightly afraid of her future. They entered the parking lot and Audrey was surprised to see the number of ogres standing there. Not bothering with them, Elena rushed towards the boss room. ¡°Kill anyone who enters after us!¡± She commanded. She pulled Audrey off of Dred¡¯s back and made her sit on the ground. Grabbing the sides of Audrey¡¯s head, she looked into her eyes, saying. ¡°Listen to me. Now I¡¯ll tell you how to use Shadow Step. It¡¯s not exclusive to my race. Any assassin would have it. With the amount of Mana you have, you can follow me easily. Close your eyes and focus on nothing. Just feel your surroundings. It¡¯s very similar to Sense.¡± Doing as told, Audrey followed her leading. ¡°Now fall deeper and deeper until you find a black corridor. When you have it, just enter it. You should feel every shadow there is,¡± Elena continued on with her instructions. A few minutes later she opened her eyes with a smile on her face, saying that she has got it. Using it, she appeared behind Elena, who was already facing her. ¡°Eh? You are no fun. I wanted to sneak up on you,¡± Audrey said, feeling surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t even dream. That node is my domain. I can feel everyone moving through it. Haha~ but congratulations on learning it. Now¡­ we should have some fun. Take this kitchen knife¡­ it¡¯s enough against these weak Mages,¡± Elena said arrogantly while handing over the knife. ¡°What will I become? A Mage Assassin? I¡¯ve never heard of such a class¡­¡± Audrey talked to herself. The battle in the parking lot started by now. The humans were standing outside, raining hell on the ogres, who couldn¡¯t reach them before falling. Jake and the humans who knew Elena didn¡¯t know what to do. They were still standing behind the walls, in a dumbfounded state, not expecting this turn of events. Davis was about to agree to let everyone go peacefully, yet Elena killed him before anything of the sort could happen. Elena used her ShadowStep and appeared in front of Jake, who raised his arms defensively. Stopping in front of him, grabbing his collar, she shouted. ¡°What are you looking at? Weren¡¯t they trying to attack you not long ago? Where is that fire that burned in your heart when you learned about the truth? They were lead by their noses, yes. And what if the next time someone plans things out more carefully. Will they kill all of you while being led around by the nose like some kinds of idiots? I¡¯m not going to wait for that!¡± Finishing her words, she turned around and jumped into the battle. She started devouring everyone, with Dred in tow, while Audrey also killed a few humans here and there. The Ogres ran out of the parking lot and attacked the humans in the back. Under the onslaught of the powerful ogres, the weak Mages had no chance. They should have stayed further away to do something. Frowning, Jake couldn¡¯t help but think about Elena¡¯s words. Seeing her charismatic posture, something clicked in his mind. But not in the right way. This isn¡¯t right. She is way too ruthless and cruel. She isn¡¯t one of us and she is slaughtering the humans. What will she do once she turns stronger and we disagree? Will she kill us as well? She is more like a veteran soldier with psychological problems¡­ her hands are too bloody! He thought upon realizing that they weren¡¯t alike. ¡°JAKE! What should we do?¡± One of the people shouted from the back, not knowing whether to help the other humans or Elena. Seeing that the number of humans was decreasing continuously, Jake clenched his fists, still not coming to a decision. But I can¡¯t kill her, can I? She helped us out of her own accord and didn¡¯t ask for anything. She stayed with us only for the company, meaning that she is still similar to us, isn¡¯t she? The amount of strength she has gained in this short time is way too much! I-I¡¯ll just stay out of this. They were after her life and I don¡¯t wish to turn such a monster into our enemy by helping the others. The people with me are big enough of a burden, I don¡¯t need more. Thinking that far, he looked up and raised his hand, saying in a serious manner, ¡°We will stay out of this. Help her only if she is in danger, otherwise, we will just watch.¡± ¡°Are you sure? She is killing our kind¡­¡± One of the humans shouted, earning a laughter from Elena, who heard it. ¡°Hahaha, no! I¡¯m not killing your kind. I¡¯m killing anyone who wants to kill me or block my path,¡± spinning in the air, she kicked off a human¡¯s head, while she also beheaded another one. Landing on the ground, long spikes rose up under her control, penetrating the remaining few humans. Panting heavily, Audrey thrust her knife through the chest of the last person alive and then wiped off the sweat from her forehead, smiling. ¡°Haah- This was way too tiring¡­. I¡¯m totally wasted. I should have trained my body more¡­.¡± Still panting, she sat down on a corpse and voiced her feelings about her lack of strength. Although she had a lot of stamina, her strength was too little. No matter how much vitality and stamina she had if she was lacking in strength. This was because she had to use her full strength with each strike, which took a lot out of her. Meanwhile, Elena barely had to use her strength to behead someone, resulting in her current state. Even after such a battle, she breathed steadily, though slightly quicker than usual. Looking into Jake¡¯s eyes, she said, ¡°I understand your fear for me. I do grow quickly and this night, I¡¯ll probably turn stronger than you, humans. But unless you turn against me or conspire against me, I won¡¯t hurt any of you.¡± As she finished talking, her shadow that was darker than the night, spread out all around her and devoured the humans in a steady pace. Naturally, Dred followed her example. As the corpse disappeared from under Audrey, she fell on her butt. Elena looked towards the sky with her eyes closed, and breathed out long, feeling great pleasure. She felt like someone who took in some drugs. Small ripples went through her skin, while her eyes shone with a much stronger light. Her Mana Veins collapsed and then rebuilt themselves in a few seconds, numerous times. Her muscles also turned slightly stronger. But not by much as there were only five warriors, who were quickly taken care of by Dred¡¯s sneaky attacks. Great knowledge entered her mind about how the humans usually behaved, about how the elements worked, about how the world around them worked. Even if it was only the understanding of an average human, it was still more than what Elena ever knew. Feeling blissful, she closed her eyes for a few seconds. Beautiful¡­ One of the humans who had a more artistic soul thought upon seeing her. Although there were patches of blood on the ground, all around her body, the way she stood there was mesmerizing. The wind caught her silky black hair, making it fly into the air, while the folds on her clothes fluttered in the wind. ¡°I¡¯ll leave for now. I might visit you in the future, alright?¡± As that feeling went away, Elena looked up and said those words before turning around to leave. She has had enough of the humans for now. Dred stopped right beside her. Seeing Jake nod, she sat on Dred¡¯s back and then looked at Audrey with her brows raised. ¡°What will you do? Do you want to come with me or stay with the humans? But in case you come with me, something will happen to you. I¡¯m not sure if you will like it¡­¡± Hearing Elena¡¯s words, Audrey frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Raising a brow, she questioned Elena. ¡°Haha~ I won¡¯t tell you,¡± laughing, Elena didn¡¯t tell her what were her thoughts. Sighing, Audrey muttered, ¡°You and your stupid mysteries¡­¡± Still, Audrey reached out towards Elena, asking for her hand. Grabbing it, she pulled her up onto Dred¡¯s back. ¡°Just to be clear, this is my place and he won¡¯t allow you up all the time¡­¡± Elena said silently, while Dred roared unhappily. He too liked Audrey, but he was private for Elena¡¯s use. He was unhappy enough that he had to take away Audrey a few times. Elena didn¡¯t like luggage and she wouldn¡¯t have asked Audrey to come with her if not for having a solution. ¡°Y-You are leaving!?¡± Jake shouted with wide opened eyes, feeling surprised. Audrey would be a great loss on their side, but on the other hand, as long as the monsters didn¡¯t attack them, he didn¡¯t need her. They didn¡¯t have food problems anymore, so they could leave peacefully. Nodding, Audrey answered, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry and I thank you for helping me at that time. I really do. If you need my help, just shoot that flashlight - we found - up into the air and I¡¯ll try to help you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really sad¡­ but fine,¡± looking down, he said with a defeated voice. Looking at Elena, he added, ¡±I hope that you will appreciate my efforts in the future. I was ready to fight a battle just to keep you alive.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a generous person! I think¡­¡± Realizing that she didn¡¯t know how she felt about it, she muttered the last words. Not hearing it, Jake took it granted. At this time, Triston jumped up to the walls, shouting, ¡°WAIT! How will you teach me how to¡­ you know¡­ find a girlf-...¡± He didn¡¯t dare to continue his shouting, fearing that others would hear it; not knowing that everyone understood it from that last word, even if cut in half. Raising a brow, Elena turned around, saying. ¡°Well, you can always practice on the girls in Jake¡¯s territory and learn to be gentle. Also, always agree with women! But I¡¯ll visit you later anyway, get by until then.¡± Not saying more, she petted Dred¡¯s shoulders, prompting him to leave. With a force, greater than before, he rushed forward, leaving nothing but a black cloud in his wake. Looking at the spot they were at a moment ago, Jake had mixed feelings. The troublemaker was gone, they didn¡¯t have food problems anymore. As long as everyone worked hard, it was only a matter of time before humanity would rise once again to the apex of this planet. Yet now it felt a little empty. A whole community died tonight and two ¡®elite¡¯ humans left him in the past days. Turning around, he looked at those who remained. Sighing and shaking his head, he put his hands on his hips. ¡°Let¡¯s go back¡­ A new day shall rise on our little territory. Let¡¯s build something great, something better than the other humans!¡± With a newfound courage and enthusiasm, he shouted as he went towards the school. ---- In the dark night, Dred was rushing with the speed of a car on the empty roads. The monsters they found were killed with a few attacks of Audrey and Elena. Allowing the notifications, Elena noticed that she leveled up to the twenty-fifth level, while Audrey reached the thirty-second level. Audrey gained quite a lot of strength, agility, and vitality as she had to rely on those. Meanwhile, Elena had three hundred and forty-six Wisdom. Her Devour skill reached the fifth level, while her ShadowStep reached the fourth level. Their Elemental Magic also advanced to the thirtieth level. They couldn¡¯t go past those levels because none of the humans had more knowledge about the elements. They knew the theory behind them but they didn¡¯t know how to control them. This meant that the theory behind an element took up thirty percent while the experience, control, and handling took up seventy. Except for the dark element, now she knew how did the elements connect to the world, how were they created, how were they built up. The Dark Element was something unknown to humans as well since they never made contact with ¡®The Dark Matter¡¯ in space. Luckily for Elena, her ancestors stored memories of it, so she knew what it was. Audrey was hugging Elena from behind around her waist, with her chin on her shoulder. Feeling the wind blowing on her face, she smiled while asking, ¡°Elena. Where are we going? This is the end of the city. Don¡¯t tell me that you want to enter the forest!¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t stop, she turned slightly afraid. ¡°Haha, we are going to enter it. But it¡¯s not as bad as you humans think it to be. Just stay silent if possible,¡± she replied as such with a smile on her face. ¡°Okay,¡± trusting her, Audrey answered and then stayed silent. Dred sniffed the air and felt the smell of the dead. A rotten smell spread through the air, making Audrey frown and hold her nose in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t whine. It¡¯s just bad smell¡­¡± Not caring about it, Elena remarked on Audrey¡¯s behavior. Although unwillingly, she still let go of her nose and a few tears left the corners of her eyes upon feeling that smell. Elena used her Sense to feel her surroundings and not so surprisingly, she found a presence. There was a graveyard nearby, on the outskirts of the forest. Stopping, Elena talked silently while looking at Audrey, ¡°We have caught an interesting human. Do you want to see the dark side of your kind?¡± Ridiculing her race, Elena pointed towards the graveyard. Audrey¡¯s eyes were quite average, so she didn¡¯t see shit at first. But after a green light shone, she was able to see what was going on. A human was digging up the graves and pouring her Mana into the corpses. She was a blonde bombshell, but her soul was visibly not as bright as her looks¡­ Dred sneaked towards her back, with Elena still on it. Audrey had to step back and watch. She reached behind her back and pulled out her daggers from under her clothes. Coating it in black shadow, the dagger was made completely invisible. Holding their breath, Dred jumped forward without even the slightest bit of sound leaving their mouths. Unexpectedly, the girl leaned forward almost evading her attack accidentally. Reacting quickly, Elena jumped off of Dred¡¯s back and cut across the throat of the girl. Her blood sprayed on Elena¡¯s hands before she turned into her Shadow Form. The girl caught her throat with widely opened eyes, trying to breathe. Smirking, Elena thrust her daggers through her eyes, straight into the girl¡¯s brain. Devouring her body, other than the stat points, she and Dred also gained knowledge of an interesting art, called Necromancy.
New Skill Acquired: Necromancy!
She looked at Dred with her brows raised, saying, ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m not that much for necromancy, but it is an interesting kind of Magic. We just have to control the skeletons with Mana threads or place a consciousness into them¡­ The latter isn¡¯t something I can do at the moment, but this might come in handy in the near future.¡± ¡°Ah, yuck¡­ I stepped into it,¡± accidentally stepping into the body of a slimy skeleton, Audrey cried out in disgust. ¡°Haha, you will get used to it,¡± laughing at her, Elena remarked, earning a frown from Audrey. ¡°Eh? What do you mean by ¡®get used to it¡¯? Even if you control them, I won¡¯t have to step on them, will I?¡± Audrey asked with a surprised face. Hearing her words, Elena laughed at her question, telling her that she wouldn¡¯t have to. ¡°Let¡¯s try this out for now¡­¡± Mumbling to herself, Elena connected a thread of her Mana to a skeleton in front of her. Sending her intentions to it, the skeleton slowly raised from the ground, almost falling. ¡°You are such a loser, aren¡¯t you?¡± Stopping in front of it, observing its skull, she said while holding her chin. Let¡¯s see what happens if I pour more Mana into you, she thought. Meat started appearing on its body, while Elena¡¯s level of understanding for Necromancy also increased. Willing it, the corpse made a punching move, resulting in the explosion of the air. She was surprised to see such a scene. Audrey copied Elena¡¯s movements, learning Necromancy in but a moment. After playing a bit with the corpse, she pointed out. ¡°I think that it¡¯s so strong because of our Mana. It works similarly to body enchantment, but it probably takes more Mana as we have to make its body move.¡± Nodding, Elena agreed with her, ¡°Yes, from what I learned from this girl, I have to pour my Mana into every muscle in its body through the thread to control it. It is likely that it also enhances its muscles, resulting in greater strength. So¡­ actually, as long as we know body enchantment, we know Necromancy as well?¡± Realizing that fact, Elena gained a slight enlightenment, resulting in even more Wisdom. ¡°Ah¡­ this makes me remember. I should have learned body enchantment long ago. I¡¯m so stupid,¡± Elena said, cutting off her Mana from the corpse. Its meat still stayed on its bones, but it fell to the ground lifelessly, like a toy. Controlling her Mana, she increased the Mana capacity in her muscles, resulting in her body turning tougher and stronger. But it came with a price. Overloading her muscles tired them out quicker. That was how Body Enchantment worked. She could gain more strength and defense for a set amount of time, but she would also turn weaker afterward. There were very few things in the world without any drawbacks. Her Devour skill was one such thing. As she stopped supplying her body with Mana, she felt a slight stinging in her muscles, but it disappeared in just two seconds. I¡¯ll test how Mana works in the future. It¡¯s so much fun! But¡­ I¡¯ll have to deal with Audrey at first. Let¡¯s see how will she react. Hehe¡­ Conspiring in her mind, she planned out everything. Stopping right beside Dred, he bit the center of her palm, trying to be as gentle as possible, while thinking. Why can¡¯t you wound yourself? I hate hurting you¡­ Cleaning her hand with Water Magic, she walked with her hand behind her back towards Audrey. Her blood was spilling on the ground, making it turn dry and the grass wither. Smiling, she asked Audrey, ¡°Do you trust me?¡± ¡°Haha, I can¡¯t say that I would do it in any case, but I do,¡± she replied with a laugh. ¡°Then open your mouth and close your eyes,¡± Elena answered, still smiling. Although Audrey felt creeped out, she still did as told. At that moment, Elena put her bleeding palm over her opened mouth and made it flow into it. Feeling her mouth being filled up by something hot and irony, she opened her eyes, surprised. Quickly stepping back, she accidentally gulped it down. ¡°W-What the¡­ hell?¡± She said as her voice weakened, before falling to the ground and losing consciousness. ¡°What will become of you? My first friend, aren¡¯t you?¡± Elena mumbled silently as she raised her up from the ground and then sat on Dred¡¯s back. With Audrey in her arms, she felt Audrey¡¯s body going through a mutation. She was changing and evolving. With a bittersweet taste in her mouth, Elena mumbled, ¡°This is shameful¡­ she is going through a true evolution earlier than me¡­¡± Finding a small cave in the mountainous area, she used Earth Magic to create a thin layer of ground. Using Nature Magic, she grew soft and lush moss in the soil. She laid down Audrey on it and then sat beside her, with Dred on her left. With her left hand, she caressed Dred¡¯s head, while with her right hand, she caressed Audrey¡¯s hair. Looking down, she saw that Audrey¡¯s hands turned completely black. If not looked at it carefully, they looked like black gloves. Ancient looking tattoos appeared in a circle on her upper arms. A few of them also appeared on her neck, which slowly crept down towards her back. Turning over her body, the texts formed the shape of black wings. Turning Audrey on her back once again, Elena touched Audrey¡¯s lips and pulled them apart. Her canine teeth turned slightly longer. Not like a vampire¡­ just a few millimeters. A tint of green appeared in her gray eyes, making Audrey¡¯s eyes look unique. Feeling curious, she pulled up Audrey¡¯s tank top, leaving her upper body stark naked. ¡°Your tits are as big as usual...¡° She mumbled to herself as she touched Audrey¡¯s body. Her muscle structure was also reconstructed. Audrey¡¯s tummy stiffened up and layers of muscles appeared. As her evolution finished, she looked like a hot, fit, young girl. Nothing overly muscular¡­ just fit lines covered her body, similar to Elena¡¯s. Audrey¡¯s red hair stayed the same, except for a few locks of black hair. Two thin black lines appeared on Audrey¡¯s navel, reaching towards her crotch, accentuating her hips. ¡°God damn, you turn sexier by the day. Am I going to lose to my familiar?¡± At that time, Dred sat up and nudged Elena¡¯s back with his nose, purring. ¡°Haha, okay, okay. I know that I¡¯m the most beautiful for you. But look at her and tell me if she isn¡¯t a sexy girl¡­¡± Pointing at Audrey¡¯s body, she said. Dred nodded his head and then laid back down on the ground, enjoying Elena¡¯s fingers. Elena and Dred started meditating to regain their lost Mana and to consolidate their evolution. Meditation could replace sleeping as it refreshed the Mind and the Body. ¡°M-Mhhm~¡± The next day, Audrey groaned, but her tone was visibly happy. She behaved like someone who was waking up to a beautiful morning. Rolling on her side, she hugged Elena¡¯s waist, still not realizing her position. Knocking on her head, Audrey opened her eyes with a feeling of displeasure in her mouth. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? This was such a beautiful morning?¡± Knocking once again, Elena replied, ¡°You sleepyhead. Do you remember what did I do to you last night?¡± After making a thoughtful face, Audrey sprung up from the ground and felt surprised to see how light her body felt. Her physical attributes rose to the skies compared to before. Looking at her completely black hands, she made a surprised face. ¡°What is going on? Was that your blood?¡± Unconsciously wiping the sides of her mouth, Audrey sat up and grabbed Elena¡¯s shoulders, questioning her. ¡°Now stay silent and listen to me. This is important to you. I turned you into my blood servant, but I will call you a familiar as I don¡¯t wish to abuse my authority. Once you drink the blood of my kind, you will go through incredible evolutions, gain new abilities, turn super-duper powerful¡­ But everything has a downside.¡± ¡°On one hand, you aren¡¯t a human anymore. Once you look at your race, you¡¯ll see it. On the other hand, you can¡¯t disobey or betray me. I could also command you to do almost anything, though I won¡¯t do such things. Cruel, right? I know that I didn¡¯t ask you about it, but I didn¡¯t want to hear a ¡®no¡¯.¡± Audrey leaned slightly backward, with her mouth opened widely. Slightly stuttering, she said, ¡°W-What the f-fuck!?¡± Sighing loudly, Elena continued, ¡°Don¡¯t go retard on me. I know that you understood my words¡­ I told you that if you come with me, you probably won¡¯t like what was going to happen to you. Now, it¡¯s here. You won¡¯t turn into a burden on me and I can also completely trust you. Although you don¡¯t have a proof, believe me¡­ you were never in need of it. I¡¯m not a human. You can take my words granted.¡± ¡°N-No-¡± Audrey started, but Elena cut into her words. ¡°I understand that you aren¡¯t happy about it. No one would want to turn into a servant unwillingly, but it also has its perks-¡± Audrey raised up her hands and put them over Elena¡¯s mouth, saying, ¡°Wait! I was trying to say that this isn¡¯t bad¡­ I would never accept this position if not for knowing you. I know that this is really ridiculous as we ¡®barely met¡¯ if looked at it from outsiders¡¯ perspective. But I just know it¡­ I know that you are similar to me and that I can trust you.¡± Grabbing her own clothes, Audrey continued. ¡°Not even I understand this. You are just¡­ tugging on my heart, making me move towards you. I find your presence really¡­ pleasant! I think,¡± realizing her own feelings, she replied. ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s my racial trait. Those who were touched by my shadow will think about me more often. This will result in two choices. The person in question will start hating me more and more or will start liking me more and more. Neutral is very rare¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but you were affected by me. At that time when you took me in, you might have made your biggest mistake. Haha,¡± jokingly, Elena finished her explanation. Shaking her head sideways, Audrey answered. ¡°No. I don¡¯t mind my decision at that time. Although I¡¯ll never be looked at as a human anymore, I didn¡¯t belong to them anyway. I know that many people had much darker past than me, but that thing in my past scarred my heart. I couldn¡¯t look at the other people like before anymore. Well¡­ this was mostly true to males only, but still¡­ At least, now I have a place where I belong. Even if that is a one person army.¡± ¡°Two,¡± Elena corrected while pointing at Dred, who was ignored once again. That was the downside of the Stealth specialization¡­ ¡°Right, right. Let me look at my notifications,¡± she said waving her head.
New Skill Acquired: Minor Devour!
New Skill Acquired: Shadow Form!
New Class Unlocked!
Arcane Mage! (Epic) Blade Binder! (Epic)
This class is proficient at using shadows and many different kinds of unique Magic. Any kind of spell is learnable, except for racial skills/spells. This class has powerful escaping abilities. Increases your Wisdom and Mana by ten percent. This class is proficient at using light melee weapons. Using the shadows around them, they can blow deadly strikes to their enemies. This is the kind of enemy you wish to evade in your life. Increases Strength and Agility by ten percent.
Thanks to being her ¡®master¡¯, Elena could look at Audrey¡¯s tables at any time. ¡°Nice! Shall we start training your body? Don¡¯t think that you will slack off, even if you turn into a Mage!¡± Very much to Audrey¡¯s displeasure, Elena said such words. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!? I have to select one of them at first! Also¡­ now I finally understand how your Devour works!¡± Audrey said proudly while sticking out her chest. ¡°No, you don¡¯t¡­¡± Elena ridiculed her, chuckling. Audrey¡¯s devour wasn¡¯t ¡®Minor¡¯ for nothing. To use Devour, she needed perfect connection with the shadows, which helped in transferring the best genetics of the devoured prey. Without that connection, she couldn¡¯t use its full potential, unlike Elena and Dred, who were the rulers of the shadows. Making a thoughtful face, Audrey slumped her shoulders, saying with a sigh. ¡°Haah- Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to choose. Need more Will or what? What do you even need? A supporter or a shady right hand? But¡­ training my mind and meditating would be easier¡­¡± ¡°No, you are terribly wrong. It¡¯s not as easy as you think it to be. The further you go, the less the difference becomes between Mages and Warriors as they too will learn more and more. Unless your understanding goes beyond the norm, you will quickly find yourself useless. It¡¯s best to stay balanced and focus on both your body and mind. Which of the two will be your main isn¡¯t a problem.¡± Elena remarked upon hearing Audrey¡¯s words. ¡°Is it like that?¡± She questioned, surprised. Elena nodded as an answer and then stayed silent, waiting for Audrey¡¯s decision. ¡°W-Why don¡¯t you help? Do you know more about these classes?¡± Audrey questioned Elena with a small stutter, feeling crushed under the weight of these two classes. ¡°Now¡­ really. These are epic classes. Both of them are great. Think about the style that would fit you more and then decide,¡± Elena said while sighing loudly. Although these classes gave more bonus to the stats than hers, the effects Elena¡¯s class provided were much greater than simple stats. Audrey grabbed the sides of her head and shouted. ¡°AARGH! I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll choose¡­ Arcane Mage! I have got used to being a Mage already. It would be weird to switch styles now. But I swear that I¡¯ll work hard on my body as well, okay?¡± Grabbing Elena¡¯s arms, Audrey asked with upturned eyes. Finally noticing it, she made a surprised face. ¡°Wait¡­ what¡¯s going on? You grew again?¡± Elena was a hundred and seventy centimeters tall. Like an average woman. Although Audrey wasn¡¯t smaller, slightly bending her knees, she could look upwards at Elena. Her hair was still the same, but her face turned even more beautiful and her chest has grown largely¡­ She looked to be around sixteen or maybe seventeen by now. Her cherry lips could cause men to have wet nights. Both of them turned into real beauties. Dred felt truly happy that he was a monster, as a guy would struggle to stay sane and in control of himself beside these two¡­ Nodding, Elena replied, ¡°I did. Took you long enough to notice¡­ quickly, let¡¯s see what are your specializations!¡± Feeling excited to find out, she urged Audrey. Thinking of the word specialization, it appeared in front of Audrey.
Lv Class: Arcane Mage (Epic)
Dark Arts Mystic Caster
10 This specialization mostly focuses on the Dark Arts, meaning Necromancy, Curses, Shadow and Dark Magic. Increases your proficiency at these types of Magical Attacks. Unlocks Skill: BaneFire This focuses on the mysteries of Mana and the elements. You have a high chance at unlocking new elements, unknown by others, letting you gain a huge advantage over other people. Learning the basic elements will be easier. Additional 2% to Wisdom. This focuses on casting your magical attacks more quickly. People with this specialization tend to be able to multicast and they are very proficient at spell breaking, spell stealing, Mana disrupting. Unlocks Skill: Sound of Silence
... ... ... ...
¡°God damn it¡­ Dark Arts are surely needless. I have you here - ¡®Master¡¯ - hehe¡­¡± Audrey laughed, instantly deciding on what not to select. Putting her hand on her chin, she continued bickering with herself in her mind. Caster looked really great as speed and the ability to interrupt others would be wonderful. But at the same time, Mystic was similarly interesting and she also liked thinking about how did Mana work. Finding out about new elements wouldn¡¯t be bad either. After thinking of the answer, she also shared her decision with Elena. ¡°I chose Mystic. Maybe I can learn about elements which weren¡¯t a part of even the fictions I have read! Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve got a title as well.¡± Not feeling surprised, Elena asked what was it, which to Audrey replied proudly. ¡°It¡¯s called Blood Servant. It says that I turned into the blood servant of a legendary being, gaining great benefits. And I can¡¯t disobey your commands or turn against you, which sounds really bad¡­¡± ¡°I told you to not to worry about it. I won¡¯t make you do anything weird or suicidal,¡± Elena quickly replied with her hands raised, shaking them. ¡°I know, I was just teasing you. Now, let¡¯s see our stats! You have no idea how much I have gained this time!¡± Audrey exclaimed proudly. ¡°I do know¡­ I was the one who did it. You are probably more than twice as strong as before since your potential and bloodline was way too weak. At least, now you will be able to follow me. Work hard to hold your advantage for as long as you can,¡± Elena replied and then opened their tables.
Name: Audrey Frost Race: Arch Shadow
Level: 32 EXP: 321 / 720
Class: Arcane Mage (Epic) Specialization: Mystic
Health: 810 / 810 Mana: 2398 / 2398
Titles: Blood Servant
Strength: 280 Vitality: 162
Agility: 108 Will: 44
Intelligence(+10%): 599.5 Wisdom(+12%): 478
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.32 (22%); Water Lv.36 (43%); Wind Lv.34 (44%); Lightning Lv.33 (65%); Nature Lv.31 (91%); Earth Lv.38 (57%); Light Lv.30 (3%); Dark Lv.37 (60%); Resistances: Magical: 478 Physical: 135 Passive: Stamina: 810 Precision: 540
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 15 (91%) Mana Control Lv. 35 (32%) Meditation Lv. 36 (17%) Sense Lv. 30 (44%) Body Enchantment Lv. 10 (23%) Mana Disrupt Lv. 15 (64%) Corruption Lv. 26 (39%) Life Funnel Lv. 31 (54%) Necromancy Lv. 1 (1%) Racial Skills: Quick Evolution Lv. 21 (33%) Cornered Lv. 11 (54%) Inherited: Minor Devour Lv. 0 (0%) Shadow Form Lv. 0 (0%) ShadowStep Lv. 1 (21%)
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 25 EXP: 412 / 480
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devourer
Health: 475 / 475 Mana: 1904 / 1904
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker
Strength: 175 Vitality: 95
Agility: 100 Will: 56
Intelligence: 476 Wisdom: 491
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.30 (1%); Water Lv.30 (1%); Wind Lv.30 (1%); Lightning Lv.30 (1%); Nature Lv.30 (1%); Earth Lv.30 (1%); Light Lv.30 (1%); Dark Lv.30 (1%); Resistances: Magical: 491 Physical: 87.5 Passive: Stamina: 475 Precision: 500
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 20 (47%) Mana Control Lv.25 (91%) Meditation Lv. 23 (47%) Sense Lv. 24 (60%) Stealth: Lv. 2 (61%)>Evade Sense Necromancy Lv. 0 (28%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 5 (42%) (+Active Skill) ShadowStep Lv. 4 (19%) Shadow Form Lv. 4 (8%) ...
Name: Dred Race: Devouring Panther (Legendary)
Level: 25 EXP: 412 / 480
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Stealth
Health: 615 / 615 Mana: 1620 / 1620
Titles: The Only One; Blood Drinker
Strength(+20% Bear): 288 Vitality(+20% Bear): 123
Agility(+10% Panther): 142 Will: 50
Intelligence: 405 Wisdom: 375
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.30 (1%); Water Lv.30 (1%); Wind Lv.30 (1%); Lightning Lv.30 (1%); Nature Lv.30 (1%); Earth Lv.30 (1%); Light Lv.30 (1%); Dark Lv.30 (1%); Resistances: Magical(+20% Bear): 230 Physical(+50% Bear): 144 Passive: Stamina: 615 Precision: 588
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 15 (37%) Mana Control Lv.19 (85%) Meditation Lv. 17 (54%) Sense Lv. 21 (65%) (+200%)Stealth: Lv. 6 (53%)>Evade Sense Shapeshift Lv. 0 (0%) (Bear) Necromancy Lv. 0 (15%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 5 (68%) ShadowStep Lv. 3 (89%) Shadow Form Lv. 5 (44%) ...
¡°Those are some nice stats!¡± Elena said with a smile while looking at the flabbergasted Audrey. ¡°N-Nice stats? YOU MONSTER! How the hell did you gain so much strength?¡± Audrey shouted upon seeing the results. ¡°Well¡­ those humans served me a lot. Now I know everything I have to about the elements. But hey, thanks to my blood, you also went past the threshold and thanks to your control, you went even beyond it!¡± Elena soothed Audrey¡¯s mind, adding. ¡°And my strength increased a lot because my body grew. It is natural¡­¡± ¡°Fine¡­ So? Do I have to train my body now? Master~¡± Audrey questioned Elena, with a smirk on her face. Holding her forehead, she replied, ¡°Oh, please¡­ stop calling me master or I¡¯ll blush¡­¡± ¡°Now obey your blood cuz¡¯ I¡¯ll make you work your fat ass, you little, mixed monster!¡± Slapping on Audrey¡¯s butt, Elena shouted. Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 5 - People come in many shapes People come in many shapes Before they could start their training, Dred nudged Elena¡¯s back with his paw. ¡°What is it?¡± Turning around, she asked with her brows raised. Stepping back, Dred threw up the contents of his stomach. Aside from a few bones, there was a finger as well. It was none other than Raven¡¯s. Seeing it, Elena¡¯s eyes sparkled, while Audrey turned around in disgust. Using Water Magic, she quickly cleared away the ¡®waste¡¯ and raised up that melted finger. Pulling off the ring from it, she threw it away and then washed her hands. With the ring between her fingers, she used Inspect. Seeing that it was the same ring as what Raven had, she felt really happy. Looking at its contents, it still had at least half of the stolen food, leaving only one and a half cubic meters of space in it. With the Lesser Void Ring in her possession, now she had a way to store a few things. ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice that you took it away. You are the best!¡± Hugging Dred around his neck, Elena exclaimed happily. Although its space wasn¡¯t big, it was more than enough for her use. ¡°Is that the void ring Raven showed to us?¡± Audrey asked curiously, as she put her hands on her hips. Nodding, Elena put it on her finger without saying anything. She felt thin needles penetrate her finger and a new feeling appeared in her body. It was like an extension of her inner being. A new space, she could access at any time. ¡°Canned food, canned food, and surprisingly, canned food!¡± Looking at its contents more closely, she found nothing but trash. ¡°Why did you even bother with gathering that shit? Killing a few monsters would have been much easier. Like¡­ there were those Mammoths in the park. Krin could have taken care of them and they could have served as food for weeks,¡± shaking her head, Elena remarked on the humans¡¯ stupidity. ¡°Listen, we weren¡¯t idiots. We also thought about it, but a monster we tried eating before was toxic. A few people died as a result. We didn¡¯t want to die as well¡­¡± frowning, Audrey replied. She intentionally talked in past tense as she wasn¡¯t one of them anymore. ¡°Huh? Did you eat a non-animal kind of monster?¡± Elena made a stupid sound upon hearing her words. Seeing Audrey stay silent with an ignorant face, she laughed, saying. ¡°Hahaha, and you said that you weren¡¯t stupid? If you eat animal type monsters, nothing is going to happen to you. Only the other monsters have toxic bodies.¡± ¡°Is it like that?¡± Raising a brow, Audrey questioned, not knowing that there were humans at other places who were eating those kinds of monsters. ¡°Yes, it is. Anyway, it¡¯s time to start with our daily routine and since you are a part of my little group, you shall do it as well,¡± with a smirk on her face, Elena waved her hands, telling Audrey to stand up. ¡°Ugh, fine. But you didn¡¯t mention this when you were among the hum- when we were among the humans¡­¡± Audrey complained, almost referring to herself as a human, out of habit. Laughing at her, Elena told her that she had no such intentions. Stopping in front of a large tree, she used Nature Magic to make it fall and then using wind magic, she cut the tree into a few logs. After enhancing a few vines with her Mana, she coiled them around three logs. ¡°Come here¡­¡± she called over Audrey. ¡°Eh? I have quite a lot of strength but isn¡¯t this a bit too much? These are at least two hundred kilograms¡­ Do you want to kill me?¡± Seeing her new training set, Audrey made a despaired face. Enhancing her body with Mana, Elena raised up the stack of logs and tied them on Audrey¡¯s back with similarly enchanted vines. Audrey fell on her back from the sudden weight on her body. Helping her up, Elena said, ¡°You will have to run two laps in the nearby areas. I couldn¡¯t do these things in the city, but now that we are here, we are going to work hard! Right, Dred?¡± Looking at him, Elena petted his head and put the same stack of logs on his back. Rubbing his face on Elena¡¯s, he licked her and then ran off, catching up with Audrey in a few seconds. Although Audrey had similar strength, she didn¡¯t know how to use it. Meanwhile, Dred was naturally more proficient at it and their continuous training only increased this invisible skill of theirs. Strength was the same as singing voice. Some people had good voices but they couldn¡¯t sing because they didn¡¯t know how to use their voices. People had to learn how to use their strength! Taking upon her shoulders a similar stack, Elena followed after them. With her strength being below the weight she was carrying, she had to use Body Enchantment to keep going and not fall to the ground. But it not only burdened her body and muscles, her Mana Veins were equally being pressured. While running, she focused on controlling her Mana, pouring it into her muscles and meditating at the same time, to regain what she lost. Catching up with Audrey, she left her behind. ¡°*Pant* How the hell *pant* are you so quick? I have more strength than you!¡± Audrey shouted after her frustratedly, upon realizing that Elena was so much better than her. Not answering, she just kept on running. Dred was even quicker than Elena, but that wasn¡¯t surprising as he was more of a physical type. When Elena finished her second lap, Audrey was halfway through her second one. Dred was running his fourth lap relentlessly, wishing to become someone that could protect his partner. Seeing Elena trying to do pull ups on a thick tree branch to train her arm strength, he thought, I shall be the shadow or the wall protecting you. No matter what. Feeling a strange connection between them, Elena felt a slight emotion entering her heart. She didn¡¯t know what was Dred thinking. She just felt that he was thinking about her, which made her happy. When Audrey finished training her leg muscles, she was commanded to do push ups. ¡°A-Are you serious?¡± Feeling her throat dry and her burning lungs, trying to catch her breath, she slumped down. Sitting on her butt, she crossed her legs to use her Mana and stabilize her body. Knowing that it was better to meditate after tiring out your body, Elena said, ¡°Fine¡­ you can meditate. Go and train your mind.¡± Well, she can do it later too, she thought with an evil smile, panting heavily. Feeling that more body training would do more worse than good, she sat down beside Audrey, in the same position. Feeling her breathing stabilize, she looked at Audrey¡¯s concentrating face and chuckled before saying. ¡°I know that it¡¯s tiring to train your body. But believe me, it will do good for you. As my familiar, I have no intentions to harm you. Being playful is fine, but you should never forget that your world isn¡¯t the same anymore. Knowing what is above us, believe me, this is only the beginning. The first hundred levels are just a joke, to say the least¡­¡± Turning silent, she focused on filling up her body and widening her Mana Veins. Before exploring the depths of her Mystic class, Audrey replied, her eyes still closed, ¡°I know. Since I decided to follow you, I shall do it so long as I can and you want me to. I know that I¡¯m being manipulated by you, but you are the only person that I can belong to. It might change in the future, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be able to change by that time. This might be because of my personality and self-understanding, but I prefer quality friends. Knowing that I can completely trust in you is something that I couldn¡¯t do with the humans.¡± Elena¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, feeling emotional upon hearing her words. Turning silent, Audrey focused on exploring new things. Learning from Elena that the Dark Matter was actually Dark Magic, Audrey decided to focus on the mysteries of space, hoping to unlock something new. Mana was everywhere. She just had to make it take a shape and then pour an element into it. But obviously, those eight elements weren¡¯t the only ones as even her Mystic class mentioned other elements. Thinking about the novels she read and the movies she watched, her first thought was space and time¡­ There was once a blog where I read about these things. It said that although this seemed like a stupid theory, everything had energy in it. Not even empty space was different. Wait¡­ if empty space has energy in it¡­ then isn¡¯t it the same as Mana? Mana is everywhere. At least, that¡¯s what Elena said. Can I feel or use that energy? What can I use it for? Pondering, she decided to try something or else she would never find out. Focusing on a gray speck, which was none other than Mana, she tried to see behind it. What was Mana? What made it so mysterious and powerful? It is just a form of energy, isn¡¯t it? She thought as she tried to go beyond it and sense something deeper than Mana. Not finding anything, she kept on trying for about half an hour when she finally felt something. It was truly different. She realized that she couldn¡¯t sense it before because it was black. With her eyes closed, she couldn¡¯t see it in that black world which was all around them when they meditated. But that was her problem. She was trying to see it with her eyes closed, instead of feeling it with her senses! Reaching towards those invisible and barely perceptible black dots, she tried to pull them towards her body. As soon as her body made contact with it, her Mana turned black while she screamed out in pain. Falling forward to the ground, writhing in pain, she gritted her teeth. Those black dots started assaulting her body, devouring her Mana completely. Seeing Audrey lying on the ground, unmoving, not breathing, Elena panicked. Turning Audrey on her back, Elena slapped her face gently, shouting, ¡°Hey! Are you alright? Audrey!? Wake up!¡± But in place of her gray Mana something new took its place. Black Mana. Sucking in a breath of air, Audrey sat up as if she had a nightmare. Hurriedly gripping her chest, she felt her rapidly beating heart. Her clothes turned soaking wet and she kept looking around panicked. Seeing Elena, who quickly leaned to the side to evade Audrey¡¯s head, she calmed down.
New Element: Cosmological Constant
You know one of the biggest mysteries of the universe. Everything is just a bigger or smaller lump of energy and not even space is different. This is usually invisible to most even until dying. People with this knowledge in their hands don¡¯t need Mana. Everything is just a different form of energy, be it alive or dead. You can use this energy to enhance your body, to use magical attacks for as long as you want to. Infinite energy isn¡¯t just a dream.
Seeing the notification in front of her eyes, Audrey was flabbergasted, but Elena was even more so since she could see Audrey¡¯s notifications. Mana! Audrey thought, focusing only on her Mana.
Mana: Cosmological Constant
¡°Eh?! How did you do this!? TELL ME!¡± Grabbing the collars of Audrey¡¯s cloth, shaking her, Elena shouted questioningly. ¡°This is infinite energy! Can you understand that?¡± Elena continued, feeling excited. ¡°Hahaha! It was truly worth taking you away from those people. Your potential would have been wasted there! Now I not only have a good and trusty friend but someone who can teach me a few things as well. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Still shaking her, Elena questioned excitedly. Seeing that Audrey was about to throw up from so many shaking, she let go of her and sat back on her legs, ¡°Ehm¡­ sorry. *Cough* I became too excited. This is you, humans¡¯ fault!¡± Blaming the change in her personality on the humans, she put her hand in front of her mouth, coughing. Looking at Audrey, she grabbed her hair and pulled it to the side. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Raising a brow, Audrey questioned Elena upon seeing her strange behavior. Without saying anything, Elena leaned forward and bit into her neck, surprising her. But what was even more surprising is that she didn¡¯t feel pain. A few seconds later, Elena leaned back with her mouth bloody. Licking her lips, she pointed her finger towards Audrey¡¯s neck and used a combination of Water, Nature, and Light Magic to heal her wound. ¡°W-What have you done?¡± She questioned as she grabbed her own neck, feeling nothing but her smooth skin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I healed you already and it was only a tiny wound anyway. Although I can¡¯t steal away your ability since we aren¡¯t connected like with Dred, I can still devour your concept behind the things you learned. This works with anyone. With hard work and effort, I should be able to learn this in the future.¡± Feeling a new idea forming in her mind, Elena explained herself to Audrey. Hearing her answer, Audrey sighed out of relief. Smirking, with a snap of her finger, a huge fireball, with a diameter of ten meters appeared and shot into the sky. Upon explosion, it spread through the sky, turning everything orange and red. ¡°Hahaha! This is fucking good! I had had to use up all of my Mana to create a fireball of this size before. But now? I can use the Mana in my surroundings. As long as there is energy in my environment, I won¡¯t have to use my own Mana!¡± Laughing happily, Audrey exclaimed, catching the attention of a few monsters nearby. But her firework from before scared them away, so it didn¡¯t matter¡­ Knocking on her head, Elena remarked, ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t have to train your Mana Veins and mind just because of this¡­ You will have to increase the capacity of your body, along with your control and the force of your spells.¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± agreeing with her, Audrey replied. ¡°But hey, look at this~ Since we are nothing more than energy¡­ don¡¯t you think that rebuilding ourselves is easy?¡± She said changing the color of her skin to green and then back again. She didn¡¯t dare to play with her skeleton yet since it was something more sensitive¡­ She believed that she needed better control. ¡°This is¡­ intriguing! If I could learn this, no one could catch me! Can you hide your aura from my senses?¡± Questioning Audrey in her curiosity, Elena leaned close to her face. ¡°Ah¡­ wait, you don¡¯t have to come so close¡­ let me try,¡± holding up her hands, pushing back Elena, Audrey replied. Closing her eyes, she focused on herself. She felt that there was an aura, a mass of energy surrounding her body. Knowing that it was nothing more than energy, she controlled it to enter her body. Elena tried sensing her and she was still able to do so. ¡°I think that just because you pull your energy into your body, your physical presence won¡¯t disappear. You need to cheat the Mana I discharge to hide your presence completely. If that truly happens, you can become the perfect assassin!¡± She remarked thoughtfully with a frown on her face. Nodding, Audrey tried to do something similar to what Elena said but with no results. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It surely has something to do with Evade Sense, but I don¡¯t really know how does that work. Why would others not see us when we use stealth?¡± Muttering to herself, Audrey started thinking. Turning around, Elena decided to train her mind and body instead of watching over Audrey. A few hours later, seeing that the sun was shining down on them through the foliage of the forest, they decided to stop their training and go on an adventure. Feeling drained, Elena made a hole in the ground and hardened the sides of it. Dred filled it with warm water and jumped into it. Elena quickly turned her clothes into shadows, leaving her stark naked. Audrey still had her clothes on, so she had to undress, unlike these two. Placing her toes into the water, feeling that its temperature was perfect, she quickly entered and sat down in front of Elena. The girls¡¯ chests floated atop the water, turning this into a dream-like spot for many men. Luckily or unluckily, Dred had no such feelings. Petting his head, Elena said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little bit too big to fit into this bath? You should widen it or something¡­¡± Feeling that they barely had space to move, she made Dred increase the size of the bath. Turning around, Dred found the comfiest possible place¡­ laying his head on Elena¡¯s chest, he closed his eyes, feeling content. Audrey laughed loudly upon seeing such a scene, asking. ¡°Hahaha~ What are you going to do if you find a boyfriend for yourself? I believe it won¡¯t be hard with your body and I¡¯m sure that he would be jealous of Dred taking away his place~¡± ¡°As if¡­ you wish! I won¡¯t let any guy touch me. They will have to fight really hard if they want my care! And to begin with¡­ my standards are high. Higher than what most could climb and this doesn¡¯t mean only looks and talent but heart as well!¡± Ridiculing Audrey¡¯s naive statement, Elena told her how much she was off, adding. ¡°And if anything were to happen, Dred would be very understanding, believe me.¡± You think¡­ Dred thought evilly. If any man were to go close to Elena, he would bite¡­ With a stiff face, not noticing anything on Dred¡¯s face, Audrey replied, ¡°Alright¡­ Poor guys will never get to your heart. I can already see them falling¡­¡± ¡°Oh? But not just before me. Because I won¡¯t let you turn into the woman of a random guy unless you really find him your type¡­¡± Elena remarked while looking at Audrey seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me¡­ I¡¯m bad with guys anyway. I¡¯ll just stay a single¡­ maybe once in the far future, I¡¯ll find someone good enough. But our road is still long, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tilting her head to the side, Audrey questioned Elena. Nodding, she stayed silent. ¡°Purrr~¡± Dred purred in a deep voice, voicing his feelings and love for Elena. Laughing at his behavior, Elena caressed his head. But what they were truly surprised to see was a group of humans stepping through the thick bushes. By the time they have done so, Elena jumped out of the water, her shadows coiled around her body, in the form of clothes. She was surprised to see that it was Jake and a few powerful members from his territory. Covering her body, Audrey turned her head around to look at Jake with an enraged face. Although the guys were mesmerized by the erotic view, none of these three appreciated it. Growling, Dred stopped behind Audrey¡¯s back, facing the humans. ¡°Step back¡­ NOW!¡± Elena shouted, feeling annoyed. She knew that this was just an accident and that they probably came here because they saw the firework before and heard their voices. But no one wanted to be peeped at, so she still felt angry. Gulping loudly, everyone turned around, except for a girl in the team. Not bothering with her, Elena helped out Audrey from the bath. Now that she had some control over the shadows, she was able to weave clothes out of them, but her speed was much slower. About ten seconds later, she still managed to cover her body. The short, brown haired girl, with blue eyes, turned around to notify the others. With slightly red faces, they came back, not daring to meet the girls¡¯ eyes. ¡°Y-You have grown¡­¡± Looking over Elena¡¯s teenage looking body, Jake couldn¡¯t help but remark. Since humans were once again young, their hormones were back too. It didn¡¯t escape Elena¡¯s eyes when Jake¡¯s eyes stopped for the split of a second on her breasts. Clearing her throat, Elena caught Jake¡¯s wandering eyes. ¡°I did. So? What brings you here? Deep into the forest?¡± Raising a brow, she questioned him. ¡°Uhm¡­ there was a huge explosion a few hours ago and after contemplating on it for a short while, we decided to enter the forest and find out its cause. We were hoping that we would find something good,¡± interrupting him, a guy chimed in, ¡°Which we did, hahaha!¡± - ¡°Shut up!¡± Jake rebuked the guy, continuing, ¡°But as things turned out, it was you and Audrey¡­ Why are you wearing a glove?¡± Noticing Audrey¡¯s black hands, reaching the middle of her forearm, Jake asked out of curiosity. ¡°Gloves? I don¡¯t we-¡± realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself, ¡°Oh, these? Uhm, fashion~ hehe.¡± Shrugging it off, he nodded as he stepped to the side, further away from Dred. He was about a hundred and eighty centimeters tall, which by all means, made Jake feel threatened. Not caring about him, Dred eyed the guy who made that ¡®funny¡¯ remark. Stopping in front of him, he sniffed his neck, scaring the shit out of him. Although he has seen large monsters from nearby, none of them were the kind of apex predators like Dred. Not to mention that he couldn¡¯t use his spells and magical attacks on this monster unless he wanted to die. Knowing this, it was natural that his legs started trembling in fear. Meeting with Dred¡¯s eyes, he almost crapped himself. Feeling Dred¡¯s bloodlust suddenly disappear and seeing him step back to stand beside Elena, he sat down on his butt ¡®dignifiedly¡¯. ¡°Pft~¡± Holding back a laugh, Elena just chuckled at his fearful look. This naturally enraged the guy, but he didn¡¯t dare to voice his emotions. Ah~ Audrey~ You¡¯ll have your first test as my familiar. You shall go and kill this guy for me later, though you don¡¯t know it yet. Planning in her mind, a smirk formed on Elena¡¯s face.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Having better control over her facial expressions, Jake didn¡¯t notice anything from Elena¡¯s evil thoughts. Clearing his throat, he tried to pick up on their conversation, ¡°*Khm* So? How are your days passing by since you left?¡± Feeling strangely pressured by the person in front of him, whom he looked at as a little girl not long ago, he asked with a stiff face. Caressing the fur on Dred¡¯s side, she replied, ¡°Well, we are doing fine as you can see. I¡¯m growing up, turning stronger by the days, leaving behind even the monsters at this low realm. Nothing out of the norm!¡± ¡°L-Low realm? What do you mean?¡± Catching the keywords, he questioned her curiously. Looking up from Dred¡¯s side, straight into his eyes, she said with a smirk on her face, ¡°The world you know is too little. This is only the warm-up. I don¡¯t have too many details in my mind either, but I do know a little. Let¡¯s say that you don¡¯t need to care about it before reaching the hundredth level.¡± ¡°A hundred¡­¡± he muttered silently, feeling slightly excited to focus on leveling up and training. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you something important. When people reach the hundredth level, they should have about thirty-seven thousand stat points on at least one of their aspects. I know that it sounds a lot, but believe me. Once you level up a few more times, you will see genetic enhancing runes, which will help you in evolving,¡± she dropped the bomb on his head, making him happy. Frowning, she put her hands on her hips, saying, ¡°But be careful. As I have noticed, you humans are a greedy bunch. I dare to say that once humans learn about it, you will start killing each other for it¡­ so you should be the first to get your hands on it and improve the people under your rule¡­¡± Making a surprised face, he replied - ¡°Is it like that!? I truly thank you for telling me.¡± - thinking that it was truly a good idea to befriend her at that time and not attack her. Seeing her inquiring look, he continued, ¡°Ah¡­ we too are doing fine. The food is no longer a problem and we also told our methods to a few territories, making them owe us. It is to the point where their people listen more to me than to their original leaders.¡± ¡°I never thought that I would have to manage so many people! Our population has grown to the size of two thousand people!¡± Seeing his enthusiastic speech, Elena just nodded at him when she realized something. How did such a change occur in no more than one and half a day? Furrowing her brows, she asked, ¡°Wait¡­ how many days passed by since we left?¡± ¡°Eh? Eight¡­ how do you not know it?¡± Making a surprised face, Jake replied, not understanding why was she asking such an obvious thing. Playing it off calmly, Elena waved her hand, saying that she was just joking. But in all honesty, Eight? How the hell? What¡¯s wrong with this place? We left only a day ago! Did we go through some kind of weird time travel? Still with a calm face - ¡°Well, sit down and eat if you want to. There is the corpse of an edible boar. We caught it while training and kept it frozen,¡± she said, pointing towards the trunk of a tree. In front of it was the corpse of a three-meters-tall boar. ¡°Oh, thanks for the offer, but we should rush back before my people think that we died, haha,¡± laughing in a good mood, he apologized, asking, ¡°By the way. Will you stay here?¡± Shaking her head sideways, she replied, ¡°Definitely no. We will move deeper into the forest. But I told you that I¡¯ll visit you, people.¡± After saying goodbye and telling them that they would welcome them anytime, Jake left along with his entourage. ¡°We must leave. Something is wrong with the time here¡­¡± Elena said seriously, already storing the corpse of the boar in her storage ring. She threw away the canned food long ago. Audrey also nodded, agreeing with her. Seeing Elena sitting on Dred¡¯s back, Audrey started caressing his left shoulder, with a pleading face, saying, ¡°Won¡¯t you let me on? I¡¯m your master¡¯s servant, am I not?¡± ¡°Hmm~ That explains why you should stay on the ground! Hahaha~¡± Not missing the chance, Elena quickly made fun of Audrey, who just turned into Dred¡¯s shadow grumpily. ¡°It¡¯s not like you have to run after him¡­¡± Elena mumbled to herself, earning a flying piece of stone towards the back of her head. Catching it, she crushed it with her hands. Roaring, Dred rushed forward. Although Jake didn¡¯t know this, Elena was following them for a reason. She wanted to find out what was going on! And she had to change her plans from adventuring to do so. About half an hour later, they arrived at Jake¡¯s territory. Elena was following them from far away. Dred jumped straight onto the rooftop of a building, moving upwards by jumping to taller and taller buildings. Stopping on the tallest rooftop nearby, she had to realize that the old area was nowhere to be seen because in its place was a flourishing village! Stone buildings decorated it and tents were nowhere to be seen. Although the school was still in the center, most people dwelled in the nearby buildings since that too turned into Jake¡¯s territory. They realized that as his level grew, so did the size of his territory. Jake also explored Elena¡¯s dungeon¡­ but he didn¡¯t touch it, wishing to keep a good relationship. He didn¡¯t know that Elena didn¡¯t care about that dungeon, but he will be happy that he left it as it was in the future. ---- Entering his area, people flocked around him, along with the two vice-leaders. ¡°What happened? You went away for one and half a day¡­ it wasn¡¯t that far away!¡± One of them immediately questioned him. ¡°One and a half¡­ what are you talking about? We left only for a few hours!¡± Jake exclaimed, laughing at him. Patting his shoulder, he entered the school. Seeing the scene and hearing their conversation, Elena furrowed her brows. This is wrong. There shouldn¡¯t be different timelines here. That happens only in a single case¡­ but that would be terrible news! She thought with a tinge of fear in her mind. At such a low level as this, time shouldn¡¯t malfunction. If it still does, it means that the given world is dying¡­ At first, the time starts flowing differently at different places, slowing or speeding up. Where it is quicker, space will crack and fall apart earlier. Where it is slower, space will fall apart last. This means that the spot she found in the forest might turn into a key position in the future. This didn¡¯t mean that this planet would fall apart in a few days, but it definitely didn¡¯t have more time left than a few years. In the worst case, only eight to ten months¡­ Such a short time would never be enough for the humans to reach the hundredth level and leave the beginners¡¯ area. They had a way¡­ to collect every Biotic Enhance Rune and work hard! But once word got out, the other territories and tribes would surely not agree with them. Actually¡­ this could turn into something quite funny! Thinking that far, she realized that the problem was by all means not a problem of hers. With her talent, she could reach the desired level in even less time. Telling Audrey the possibilities of her findings, she just laughed at it, saying. ¡°Hahaha! The humans made so many apocalypse movies about incoming meteorites and how Kriton, our planet would stop rotating. Now here we go¡­ it is going to fall apart!¡± Shaking her head, Elena remarked on Audrey¡¯s lack of empathy, ¡°Aren¡¯t you too evil? You were one of them not long ago¡­¡± noticing a strange glint in each other¡¯s eyes, they laughed heartily. Cracking her fingers, Elena sat down on top of the building, saying, ¡°Things are starting to escalate really quickly¡­ but I have a small test for you. You have to kill the guy who remarked on the ¡®good view¡¯.¡± Not even bothering to refuse it, Audrey nodded as she turned into a shadow on the ground. Rushing through the gates, which were way further from the school than when she was here, she moved from shadow to shadow until finding that guy. Waiting for the right moment, when no one was around, she raised out of the ground behind him and beheaded him. Using his Minor Devour, she took care of the corpse and using Water Magic, she cleaned up his blood as well. With nothing but his memory left, she went back to Elena. ¡°Oh, you were quick. Only six minutes and twenty-five seconds,¡± she praised Audrey with a smile. Standing up from her meditating position, she asked with an evil smile on her face. ¡°Now¡­ shall we visit Jake and tell him the bad news?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± hugging Elena¡¯s waist, Audrey replied. Jumping off of the building, the asphalt cracked under the strength in their bodies. Jake and the others felt threatened because of two reasons. Firstly, they couldn¡¯t see shit with Inspect, and secondly, it even corrected the threat level to ten for them¡­ So they knew that the difference was probably huge. Noticing two intruders, the new guards didn¡¯t know who they were. But instead of reacting like idiots, they measured up their strength. Realizing that these ¡®two¡¯ were way above them in strength, they called for help from other guards. Luckily, Kale was also among the ¡®reinforcements¡¯, so he told the others to just let them in. Stomping on the ground, Dred rushed towards the school in a straight line, no one stopping them. Such a big monster rushing through their village freaked out quite a lot of people, but those who knew Elena were calm. Realizing that he was too big to fit in through the doors, Dred turned into Elena¡¯s shadow. People keep lurking behind me¡­ which fills me with a good feeling! In a way¡­ Chuckling, Elena thought to herself. Interrupting Jake¡¯s meditation by barging into his room, Elena sat down in front of him and told him her hypothesis. She wasn¡¯t sure in this, but it was better to prepare than to stay idle, doing nothing. If nothing else, then they would advance sooner than they were supposed to. ¡°S-Such a thing!? This is catastrophic! But we have been living on this planet for such a long time! Do you know why is it happening? Or better, can we stop it?¡± Feeling anxious, Jake questioned Elena, almost grabbing her arms. ¡°We could stop it but not at our levels and since we have no such person, no, we can¡¯t stop it. Why is it happening, you ask? Simple¡­ your planet is too old. I don¡¯t know its history, nor do I care about it, but once a planet and its solar system turn too old, it falls apart, for a new to form. But we would die if we were to stay and wait for it¡­ so you better hurry up. Now I¡¯m taking my leave,¡± finishing her explanation, she stood up to do as said. ¡°Wait! U-Uhm¡­ Why don¡¯t you stay here? At least for a night,¡± Jake shouted after her, stretching out his right arm. After thinking about it for a moment, Elena nodded as a reply and then left him alone. Jake¡¯s heart was still beating rapidly. What¡¯s going on? He couldn¡¯t help but question himself, still not realizing that he was afraid of Elena for some reason. He found her beautiful and attractive, but she generated more fear than lust in his heart. I can¡¯t read this monster¡­ sometimes she acts like a child, while at other times, she feels like a bloodthirsty killer, who is about to take my life away¡­ Realizing how he felt about Elena, he sighed loudly. A few weeks ago, when Elena was still just a little girl, she showed her emotions on her face all the time. But that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Her face was mostly unmoving or the most she did was to smirk and smile. This made Jake feel weird and insecure while being in Elena¡¯s company. Especially if alone¡­ The best I can do is to forget how she was when she was just a child¡­ he thought with another sigh escaping his lips. I¡¯m sighing too much when she is nearby¡­ Entering her dungeon, Elena thought about her options. What can I use this for? I could attack the humans anytime as long as I have this in my possession. It could be used as a threatening trump card. Thanks to knowing more, I can mostly lead around Jake and the others from behind¡­ and this could be used as a security measure. Oh! That¡­ that will work! Most people probably won¡¯t think badly of me enough to realize its true uses, Deciding on what to do with her dungeon, she smiled happily. ¡°Alright! Although it won¡¯t be useful for a long time since this planet will probably die out, we will build up this dungeon into something really good.¡± Clapping her hands, she said aloud. Both Audrey and Dred left her shadow, ready to hear her thoughts. ¡°We will build chambers here, moving downwards and I¡¯ll spawn Ogres with different levels in each chamber. It will help the humans in gaining experience and I can also use it anytime to threaten them! I¡¯ll have to fill it up from time to time, but it should work.¡± Raising a brow, Audrey shrugged. Using her Cosmological Constant, she used the energy around her to destroy the earth, building large chambers, pathways, stairways. It was moving downward continuously, until reaching a few hundreds of meters deep into the ground. Meanwhile, Elena and Dred started filling it up with ogres, starting from level one to level twenty-five since that was their maximum. This was where she realized that a small detail escaped her plans. She was much stronger than others at her level since most people didn¡¯t take in a Rune of Biotic Enhance¡­ Audrey was truly lucky that she drank Elena¡¯s blood afterward, inheriting the same genetic enhancement. Knowing that Audrey was at the thirty-seventh level, she decided to hand over the owner rights to Audrey and make her use her infinite Mana¡­ With her hands on her hips, furrowing her brows, Elena remarked upon seeing Audrey spawning ogres relentlessly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too unfair? People could never finish a dungeon if you truly hid in it.¡± ¡°Nope! I have to use my own Mana! Which I can refill anytime¡­¡± Pointing out the truth, she realized that she turned into a cheater. ¡°Arcane Mages should never own a dungeon,¡± mumbling to herself, Elena waited for her to finish patiently. They couldn¡¯t spawn monsters with the same level as themselves. Elena was at the twenty-eighth level and her strength was much greater. The world system looked at her as if she was above the thirtieth level. This meant that anyone being able to fight her would look at the ogres as trash mobs. The strongest ogre Audrey could spawn was only thirty-four, meaning that she could surely fight someone above the fortieth level. When they were done, they went back to Jake and told him that they could use the dungeon as a training spot from now on. Its area was big enough to reach even the school, so as long as they stayed there, Audrey could keep spawning monsters. But that was definitely not something Elena wished to do. The next day she intended to leave and visit an even deeper part of the forest. If she was really away for ¡®eight¡¯ days, then there should be much stronger monsters by now. She also noticed a new and strange feeling in her body. Her hormones were clearly raging up. Seeing the dark sky, accompanied with a Moon, she entered Audrey¡¯s room. It was still reserved for them, even though they left ¡®long¡¯ ago. Elena sat down on the bed, her legs crossed, trying to understand and comprehend the Cosmological Constant. But she soon had to realize that her hormones were interrupting her thoughts continuously. Leaving Audrey alone, she entered the bathroom. After a nice and long bath, feeling calmer, she sat on top of the bed once again. In the bathroom, she shared her knowledge with Dred as well, so he too followed her example. Trying for a long time, having the same results, she sighed loudly. Even Audrey stopped training by now and entered the bathroom. Not being able to hold back herself, she satisfied herself. Spoiler: A small ero scene. (18+) Touching it¡­ As I sat down on the bed in our room, I felt that tingling feeling in my crotch once again. I didn¡¯t know what it was. Or maybe I just didn¡¯t want to accept it¡­ Looking out at the window in the moonlight, I sighed loudly. S-Should I actually look at it? I thought upon noticing that it just wouldn¡¯t go away. Dred was sleeping on the side of the bed, facing the other way, while Audrey was still having a bath. Feeling curious, I pulled off my leggings and pants. Looking at my private place, I felt slightly weird. I usually don¡¯t touch it unless I have to clear it after peeing. Still, feeling that tingling, I couldn¡¯t help but move my finger towards it. My labia were really plump, but Audrey¡¯s was similar, though a bit smaller, I guess. Touching it, a shudder ran through my whole body. Quickly pulling back my hand, I noticed that my breathing turned a little unstable for a moment. I didn¡¯t like it, but that tingling went away for a moment when I touched it. Adjusting my pants and leggings, I pulled up my legs and buried my face in them. Although I tried resisting it, that thought of wanting to touch it again didn¡¯t go away. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± I said with a muffled voice since my mouth was covered. Turning on my left, I moved my long hair aside, as it was covering my eyes, bothering me. After lying down for a few minutes and still not being able to sleep because of this stupid feeling, I moved my right hand downward. Feeling the side of my plump butt, I caressed it for a moment, without any result. ¡°Haah- L-Let¡¯s touch it again. For a moment¡­¡± I talked to myself, sighing loudly. I sneaked my right hand into my pants, touching my labia. The same tingling feeling only increased in me, but it felt really good. I wanted to feel it more. Panting slightly, I decided to not resist this feeling. Closing my eyes, gritting my teeth, I spread my labia and touched the point where I felt it tingling. An incredible feeling spread through my whole crotch for a moment. ¡°W-What was this? It felt really good¡­¡± Panting even more heavily, I couldn¡¯t help but talk to myself about my exploration. Interesting. Let¡¯s try it another time, I thought before touching my clitoris again. But this time, it didn¡¯t have such a great reaction as before. Still, it felt good. Opening my eyes, I looked down as I started moving my hand in my pants. Rubbing that part, I wanted it more and more. As my movements turned rougher, I also started feeling even better. ¡°A-Ahn~ I-I¡¯m so sensitive¡­ Uhm~¡± Talking to myself, I couldn¡¯t help but moan. A strange feeling started building up in me as I felt a throbbing feeling in my pussy. Strangely enough, even that dirty place of mine started opening and convulsing. But it was always closed before¡­ Could it be that I¡¯m in heat? Isn¡¯t it too early? I thought, not knowing what was going on with my body. Rubbing, sometimes pressing my fingers on it, I felt more and more excited for some reason. Feeling a sudden change, I instinctually pinched my clitoris. ¡°AUHN~~¡± I moaned as I bit into the pillow under my head. An overwhelming warmness flooded my crotch as my back arched and I started grinning and chuckling like an idiot. Shutting my eyes in bliss, I felt really happy. But things turned bad. The same tingling feeling appeared again and this time even my nipples had it. Pulling up my tank top and my bra, I looked at them, only to see something strange. They were standing upward and upon touching it, they not only felt hard but a wonderful feeling spread through my breasts. T-This is strange¡­ but good. I thought as I touched my right nipple. It seems like I really am in heat. Throbbing clitoris, hard nipples¡­ everything is the same as my memories said. But I don¡¯t want any man to touch me. I¡¯d rather not devour them if that was the price¡­ I realized how I felt about this habit of my race. Panting, I decided to not bother myself with it anymore. I shall explore this new side of mine and keep it for myself! Touching my pussy again, I found it wet. I came before¡­ it seems. Moving my finger downward, I felt the edges of my vagina. ¡°Haah-¡± panting heavily, with my left hand still pinching and rubbing my right nipple, I decided to go on. Using my pointing finger, I pushed it into my hole, making me feel great. My vagina convulsed, trying to devour my finger. ¡°O-Oh~ This is even b-better¡­¡± Feeling it hard to talk coherently, I mumbled to myself as I started pulling it out again. I felt even better than when I put it in. Pushing it inside again, that wonderful feeling spread through my crotch, melting my hips. I felt so strange. This was nothing like peeing. Fingering myself, I found out that this feeling was only getting better and better. Turning on my back, I continued on with my movements, under the light of the moon. I-I¡¯m such a pervert! But¡­ it¡¯s so good! Putting in another finger, it felt similar to a thick¡­ cock. I unconsciously started moving my hips, along with my fingers inside me. That warmness from before started building up in me once again. Picking up the pace, it didn¡¯t take long for me to cum once again. I shut my legs as my hole convulsed and tightened up around my fingers. ¡°AHN! UH~¡± I moaned loudly, not being able to hold back my voice. A bolt of electricity ran through my whole body, making my back arch into an arc. I rolled my toes into balls and shut my eyes as my muscles stiffened up. Falling back down to the bed, I felt wonderful. Lying down, enjoying that lingering feeling of pleasure, my whole body eased up. I had no strength left in my legs and I felt truly happy. ¡°T-This was¡­ euphoric!¡± I mumbled silently. ¡°M-Mhm~¡± Pulling out my fingers, I couldn¡¯t help but moan slightly, feeling great. As I pulled out my hand from my pants, I felt something spilling on my stomach. It had a very strong scent and it was similar to water. Moving my fingers to my nose, I sniffed it, but I felt nothing in particular. Wiping my hands on my breasts, I adjusted my pants, leggings, and bra. Pulling down my top, I realized that even my hair turned really messy. Forming a black comb in my right hand, I combed my hair. Feeling content, I turned on my right side, ready to sleep, only to see Dred looking at me. ¡°O-Oh¡­ you were awake. Hehe, I-I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t stop myself,¡± I replied, feeling slightly awkward. Shrugging his shoulders, he put big his paw on my face, making me laugh. ¡°Hahaha, what are you doing?¡± I questioned him as I grabbed his leg and pushed it aside. Turning him around, I put his big head on my right arm and my left leg on his side. Using him as a soft and furry pillow, feeling content, I fell into a half-awake state in a few seconds. A little bit later, I saw the door of the bathroom opening. Audrey walked towards the bed stark naked. Lying down, hugging me from behind, I smiled happily as I fell asleep. The next morning, feeling easier and without burden, she jumped out of the bed, excited to learn more. She was quite sure that she would finally succeed. But considering how much of a cheat this element was, she had to realize that it wouldn¡¯t be as easy for her as well. ¡°*Sigh* I should devour you and learn it easily!¡± Looking at Audrey, she said jokingly. ¡°Oh? Alright, Miss pervert. Do you think that I didn¡¯t hear you? I had to stay in the bathroom for such a long time for you to finish!¡± With an evil smile on her face, Audrey spilled the beans. But her expectations were off. ¡°And? I have my urges now that my body has grown up. There is nothing shameful in that. As long as I won¡¯t be seen by a guy, I don¡¯t mind if you know,¡± with an unbothered face, she said calmly. Over the night, she has grown to look like an eighteen years old girl. Her body was completely developed by this time. As an apex predator, with no one to support her, she had no time to grow up slowly like the humans. There were even weirder creatures, who grew up in just a single day, or maybe hours. ¡°You are no fun¡­ I was hoping to see you embarrassed,¡± admitting what was her wish, Audrey remarked with a disappointed face. ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t even mention this to you¡­ while you were having a bath, I had a breakthrough with my skill~¡± Making a proud face, she continued. ¡°As you know, I was able to recolor my skin, hair, eyes and such simple details. Now¡­ here!¡± Exclaiming, she controlled her Mana and even her facial structure changed. Her hair turned black, her bust grew a bit larger and her body turned more fit looking, though that wasn¡¯t visible through her clothes. She took up Elena¡¯s shape¡­ Standing up, Elena walked around Audrey to observe every detail. Pulling down her pants, even that place was quite accurate¡­ ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Shouting, Audrey covered herself. ¡°What? This is my body. Can you turn into a guy as well?¡± Feeling curious, she questioned Audrey. ¡°Ehm¡­ I don¡¯t know. Reconstructing my whole body would be dangerous with this amount of control. I just changed the fat and muscles in my body and the bones in my face. This is still imperfect¡­ I will have to explore the human body even more! And maybe other body types as well. I could even turn into Dred!¡± Pointing at him, she said with a bright smile. Oh, no you don¡¯t, he thought, turning his back on her. ¡°No¡­¡± thinking the same, Elena refused such a thing, adding, ¡°But this could be used for so many things! We will really have to quickly advance and reach the next place! We could replace even kings and rob them of their possessions! Hahaha~¡± conspiring, she laughed in herself. Looking at Dred, she said, ¡°And it could be used by you as well¡­ your huge body made it a little cramped on the bed. But your fur is so soft! You are the best pillow~¡± Pillow? I¡¯m literally like your half¡­ I too will use you as a pillow in that case¡­ he thought, deciding in his mind. Now, let¡¯s see how much will we advance today, compared to our actual strength. Stats, Audrey¡¯s Stats, Dred¡¯s Stats. She thought, summoning only a part of their tables.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Strength: 832 Vitality: 562
Agility: 752 Will: 64
Intelligence: 1332 Wisdom: 1120
Name: Dred Race: Devouring Panther (Legendary)
Strength(+20% Bear): 1052 Vitality(+20% Bear): 830
Agility(+10% Panther): 1034 Will: 50
Intelligence: 913 Wisdom: 875
Name: Audrey Frost Race: Arch Shadow
Strength: 1263 Vitality: 1011
Agility: 593 Will: 51
Intelligence(+10%): 2351 Wisdom(+12%): 1937
Looking at Audrey with a surprised face, she said, ¡°Eh? Did you advance that much? But I can understand it as this was your first time to truly train your body¡­ Next time you won¡¯t be able to advance that much so easily.¡± Tilting her head to the side, Audrey replied, ¡°And you forgot that I explored a new element! It¡¯s natural that my wisdom increased by a lot as you still don¡¯t know how to use it.¡± Sticking out her tongue, she ridiculed Elena. Grabbing it with lightning quick movements, she pulled on it strongly. ¡°A-Ack! Lelelase it!¡± Audrey tried shouting to release her tongue, but she failed miserably. Releasing it, Audrey rubbed her chin with teary eyes, while Elena said, ¡°I don¡¯t know it yet. But it is only a matter of time, you fool creature! I¡¯m not an Arcane Mage but I can devour you to gain your traits if you want me to.¡± Raising her hands with a stiff face, she pushed Elena away, saying. ¡°Ehm¡­ thanks not.¡± Looking at each other, both of them laughed. ¡°Shall we go to see what lies in the forest? I want to find something big!¡± Elena said, stretching out her arm, for Audrey to hold. Taking it, she nodded with a smile on her face. Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 6 - What is my goal? What is my goal? Finishing their conversation, they left their room and were surprised to see Jake. He woke up not long ago and was about to have breakfast. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned loudly, not noticing the girls leaving their room. But before he could bump into them, they both stepped to the side. Audrey looked at Jake with a flabbergasted face, ¡°Hey! Look what is in front of you¡­¡± she said. He turned around with a stupid look on his face. After the events yesterday, he found it a little hard to sleep. He had stayed up for a long time, thinking about what he should do. On one hand, if he was to follow Elena, he could gain strength far beyond the others. But on the other hand, he was still a soldier in the heart and didn¡¯t wish to abandon his people. The people who needed him. Over the night, he decided to stick with the humans and prove his people¡¯s worth to Elena. He had realized that she didn¡¯t take them seriously, but thought of them more like a bunch of cattle. Considering how she and Audrey left them behind, he felt his pride provoked. He wanted to show that they too could do amazing things. Rubbing his eyes once again, he finally awakened from his half-sleeping state. Raising his hands, he waved them, saying, ¡°Ah! Sorry, sorry. I was too tired and didn¡¯t notice you.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a problem. I just pointed it out,¡± Audrey replied with a shrug of her shoulders, before turning around to leave. Seeing that they were about to jump out through the window, he quickly shouted. ¡°Wait!¡± Turning on their heels, they looked at him, waiting for him to continue. ¡°Where do you intend to go?¡± Raising a brow, he asked curiously, thinking. I should go with them and see how they train so quickly¡­ we, humans, have Quick Evolution yet we still can¡¯t keep up with Elena. And since Audrey left, her strength has grown by a lot. What are her methods? I must learn her ways¡­ As a retired soldier, I know that we must work hard and train our bodies. But the other people are too lazy to do such things. Tilting her head to the side, Elena replied, raising a finger every time. ¡°We will go into the forest and train a little, fight a little, hunt a little¡­ really, nothing much.¡± Laughing, she turned silent. Biting on his lips, he asked, ¡°Do you¡­ Do you mind if I go with you?¡± ¡°You can come with us, but only if you can keep up with our speed,¡± Elena chuckled as she left through the window. Following after her, Audrey and Jake jumped out as well. Dred raised out of the ground between Elena¡¯s legs. Sitting on his back, Audrey turned into their shadow, which surprised Jake a lot. ¡°Is- is that something that we can learn?¡± He asked with a flabbergasted face. Looking up, he realized that Dred was already moving forward. ¡°I¡¯ll come back later!¡± He shouted back, as he quickly sped up and caught up with Dred. Jake knew that he shouldn¡¯t waste his breath with talking, so he didn¡¯t say anything. Elena looked at him from the corners of her eyes, nodding. Jumping over the three meters tall walls, Dred turned towards the forest upon landing. Jake had to balance himself as he had only two legs, while Dred easily moved ahead. Seeing that he was being left behind, he gritted his teeth as he moved every muscle in his body to follow them. Seeing that at least the space between them wasn¡¯t increasing, he felt slightly happy. He still didn¡¯t know that Dred was only jogging¡­ As soon as his paws touched the soil of the forest, he sped up. Jake enchanted his body to keep up, but it was taking a huge toll on him. After running a few kilometers without the sight of Dred, Jake was happy to finally see them stop. Elena took out a black bow and aimed to her left. Jake saw a huge snake jumping towards Elena¡¯s face, but before it could reach her, she released a wind arrow as thick as her arm. The snake was cut into two halves. As it fell to the ground, Audrey left their shadows and grabbed the two halves of the snake. She cleaned its body with a mix of Water and Wind Magic. Catching up with them, Jake leaned forward, holding his knees, panting heavily. The burden of using Body Enchantment had arrived as well. Feeling the stinging pain, he sat down. Using Nature Magic, Elena grew a few branches out of the ground and set them on fire. They cut the snake into many pieces, and pulled them on sticks. The snake was about three meters long, and so it had a lot of meat on its body. Handing over a stick to Jake, Elena sat on her place, grilling her part. When they were done, she pulled out a small bottle of salt from her ring, to give some taste to their food. ¡°I¡¯ll gather lots of spices in the future¡­¡± She mumbled to herself, gulping down a mouthful of her food. ¡°Why did you not ask me? We have lots of spices¡­¡± Jake questioned, still panting slightly. Seeing that his body was already drenched in sweat, Elena knew that he won¡¯t be able to follow them. Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, ¡°Well¡­ I forgot it and I didn¡¯t want to ask anything from you. I don¡¯t like owing people.¡± ¡°Eh? But you can¡¯t do everything alone¡­¡± being a retired soldier, he believed in teamwork. That was also one of the reasons why he still stayed with the humans. He believed that sooner or later, Elena would run into a wall with this kind of thinking. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I have you. Hahaha~ I don¡¯t try impossible things. Only as much as I can do alone. Well¡­ or with Dred and Audrey in this case,¡± laughing at his statement, she replied. Finishing her meal, she stood up to stretch her body. --- ¡°MMM~ Time to work!¡± Feeling great strength and vigor in her body, she exclaimed in an excited voice. Jake was surprised to hear her answer and he was even more surprised to see her smiling, as brightly as when she was just a kid. Elena as in ¡®bright sun¡¯? I can understand your name, haha. He laughed in his mind, standing up, ready to follow Elena¡¯s training. Now I¡¯ll finally see what your methods are¡­ he thought happily. Doing the same as yesterday, Elena cut out two trees this time as their strength increased by a lot. But she soon realized that it wouldn¡¯t work as she would need too many logs to feel a burden on her body¡­ Not to mention, that it wouldn¡¯t fit on her and the vines too would tear. Either way, she had to look for a new method. Instead of thinking about such things, Audrey was training her mind by now. She decided to learn how to control gravity as they needed exactly that. With the help of it, they could train their bodies more easily. Realizing her intentions, Elena felt happy that she had such a useful friend. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use rocks?¡± Jake asked, his head tilted to the side. Slapping her forehead, Elena realized that she never thought of the simplest thing. Feeling proud that he said something Elena didn¡¯t think of, he grinned like an idiot. Noticing it, she just shook her head sideways. Using Earth Magic, she cut out four large rocks from the side of a mountain near them. Dred came back exactly at that time, carrying a monster, which had thick fur covering its body. Tearing off its skin, Elena put it on her back and then tied the rock around herself. Feeling a great weight on her body, she has got to work. Jake was quite surprised by this as this wasn¡¯t that much different from what he was doing before. But then why was it that all of these three gained strength so easily? OH! I¡¯m such an idiot! She surely got her hands on that Rune of Biotic Enhance! Is this what she meant? If it has such great effects¡­ I don¡¯t dare to imagine what will happen to us in the future. Damn! I should have realized sooner. I must quickly get my hands on those! Realizing the answer, he stopped running and grabbed the sides of his head, raging in his mind. Elena¡¯s body evolved much easier. This was a ¡®side-effect¡¯ of Devour as it made her evolve often¡­ Stopping in front of her, he asked with a pleading face. ¡°Elena¡­ please. Where can I find that Rune of-¡± Interrupting him, she replied, ¡°It will appear only above the fiftieth level. Unless you can kill a monster which is high above you in level, the world system won¡¯t reward you with such a thing early on.¡± Sidestepping, she continued running. Two hours later, they finished training. Stats.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Strength: 1357 Vitality: 862
Agility: 1151 Will: 65
Intelligence: 1332 Wisdom: 1120
Oh, that¡¯s nice, Elena thought happily. Packing up the things, she sat on Dred¡¯s back. Jake felt slightly terrified upon seeing it. He was tired after his training, yet if he wanted to follow, he had to use everything he had. Again. Stopping beside Elena, who leaned to the side, Audrey whispered into her ear. ¡°I can control gravity to a small degree, but I¡¯ll have to train more. Do you want to do it now or once we leave him behind?¡± Sitting up straight, Elena shrugged her shoulders, saying that the latter was fine. Although Jake tried to listen in on their conversation, the Wind Magic Audrey used prevented her voice from leaking. Feeling a sudden curiosity, Jake tried to delay their running and find out more about Elena at the same time. ¡°Elena. Could you tell me something?¡± Turning around, tilting her head to the side, she asked what did he want to know. ¡°Even before knowing about this apocalyptic event, your strength grew quickly. I¡¯m sure that you have been working hard ever since you were born. So my question is¡­ what makes you work hard? What motivates you to keep going on and do all these exercises so persistently? As a human, I can¡¯t comprehend it.¡± ¡°I get that you grew up easily¡­ But you are still young in the head. Just why?¡± Not finding the answers to such things, he threw his questions towards Elena. Laughing loudly, she said while looking into his eyes, ¡°To your last question. My mind works differently and my instincts are different than yours. And the most important, I learn very quickly, not to mention my inborn memories. They helped me a lot in maturing. To be honest, this was also one of the reasons why I visited the humans when I was very young.¡± ¡°In a community, my maturing speed increases by a lot. That¡¯s all there is to it. To you first question. I just want to reach the top and live a fulfilling life in the meantime.¡± Looking at her skeptically, Jake knew that her goal had nothing to with such things. ¡°Seriously¡­ what is your goal?¡± ¡°Hahaha~ sharp, are you?¡± Jumping off of Dred, she stopped in front of Jake, only a few centimeters away from him. Her dagger appeared in front of her hands, which were behind her back. Her face suddenly deadly serious, she said, ¡°Now I¡¯ll tell you something. My race is born with a single goal and we have just a single motive. That is something that was clear in me from the moment I was born. So long as I reach the end of my tale, my goal will be finished. And if you want to know what it is, I can tell it to you. But it will cost your life.¡± Feeling a raging bloodlust assaulting his body, Jake stepped back in fear. Realizing that he showed his fear, he felt ashamed as a soldier. What am I doing? Am I someone who would feel afraid of stupid bloodlust and such bullshit? He thought, switching to shouting to encourage himself. ¡°Damn it! I want to know! You can¡¯t threaten me!¡± ¡°Oh? Can''t I? Do you want to turn into my blood servant? I¡¯ll tell you gladly in that case,¡± smirking, she replied adding, ¡°But if you do so, you won¡¯t be able to disobey my commands, to turn against me, or to even fight against me. In return, you will gain strength greater than ever before-¡± Interrupting her, Jake shouted, ¡°No! I won¡¯t serve you! I¡¯ll help the other humans because I¡¯m a human! We are terrible in some cases, but we are still amazing! When it comes to true despair, there is no one who is better in holding together than us! And I want to know if your goal is something¡­ something that threatens us! I want to know what do you want!¡± Elena was left dumbfounded upon seeing his outburst. ¡°I never said that humans weren¡¯t amazing. Along with every other race. All of them have their worth. Do you think that I was killing just mindlessly? Every time I kill someone, I take away what they were and wanted to be. The killing isn¡¯t a joke and I¡¯m clear on that. I just don¡¯t bother myself with it.¡± ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t think that everything is about you, humans. My goal has to do something with everyone! But it is something really far away, so you don¡¯t have to bother yourself with it,¡± she said, feeling slightly affected by Jake¡¯s continuous outbursts. ¡°But I MUST know it! My Cornered racial skill keeps flaring up every time I meet you! Why? Why do I feel cornered in front of you!?¡± He shouted with an even greater vigor, not finding the answers to his own feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand that I can¡¯t tell you!? Even my race is something that I¡¯d be hunted for!¡± Pushing him on the ground, Elena shouted, feeling sad and annoyed at the same time. ¡°W-What is your mission that you can¡¯t tell to anyone?¡± Having a sudden realization, Jake asked with his eyes opened widely. He finally realized that Elena¡¯s race was born with a reason. Is she like some kind of super soldier, with nothing but a single mission in her life? He thought with mixed feelings. Seeing the daggers in Elena¡¯s hands, he didn¡¯t feel threatened this time. Relaxing his body, he laid down on the ground. ¡°You won¡¯t tell it, will you?¡± He muttered silently. ¡°No,¡± she replied, facing the ground. ¡°What if I turned into your enemy in the future?¡± Jake asked curiously, seeing Dred standing beside him, his right paw on his chest. ¡°Then you shall die,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Am I not going to die now?¡± Laughing, he asked as he looked into Dred¡¯s eyes. Dred didn¡¯t like that Jake hurt Elena¡¯s feelings. Their burden was heavy enough even without him. As an Arch Shadow, Audrey naturally learned of Elena¡¯s goal as it turned into hers as well. She understood why they couldn¡¯t tell it to anyone unless they wanted to be killed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This is something I¡¯ll have to carry with me till the end of my life. We all have something to fight for. Why is that not enough for you?¡± Looking up, Elena questioned. ¡°Because I feel insecure and unsafe. You fill my heart with dread, which I don¡¯t want to feel. You make me remember the times when I fought in wars before. Unlike in this new kind of world, everything was unsure. I had to fear a bullet penetrating my brain, every time we fought. I don¡¯t want to feel that anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to this relatively safe combat. But this world is nothing like games or movies! It keeps getting worse and worse! And your kind only makes this feeling grow in me,¡± having mixed feelings, Jake shouted. Sighing loudly, Elena squatted down. ¡°Haah- So you are just afraid¡­ but you are no different than the others. You fear me, don¡¯t you? But now I¡¯ll tell you something. If you don¡¯t want to fight against me, ever in your life, then you could live a long life for all I care. Unfortunately, that is clearly not the case, so you have two choices.¡± ¡°Serve me with your blood, or die.¡± Feeling sad upon seeing the scene, Audrey wiped away her own tears, saying¡­ ¡°You know. She isn¡¯t as much of a monster as you think. You just don¡¯t understand her ways.¡± Raising his head, looking at Audrey, he replied, ¡°You are her blood servant, aren¡¯t you?¡± Seeing Audrey nod, he put down his head. Sighing loudly, Elena remarked, ¡°You know¡­ I respect your bravery. Even though you are afraid, you still keep moving and even now¡­ you dare to ask such things. Although I don¡¯t know where your bravery comes from, I¡¯d gladly teach you my ways. But only if you wish.¡± Raising up his hands, burying his face in them, Jake stayed silent for a few seconds before mumbling, ¡°Just do whatever you want to. If you wish me to, I¡¯ll follow you. I¡¯ve had enough of this.¡± Tearing up, he raised his hands. Squatting down beside him, Elena cut her palm and placed it over his mouth. Not resisting her wish, he drank her blood. Blanking out, he felt everything turn dark. ¡°Eh¡­ great. Let¡¯s see what will become of you. Will you be my left hand, serving me from behind the scenes? Or a broken man who doesn¡¯t know what to do with his life¡­¡± Talking to herself, Elena mumbled silently. Looking up, she asked, ¡°Shall we wait for him here? I don¡¯t want to walk into another time trap¡­¡± replying at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you didn¡¯t kill him. It would have been wasteful. He just needs some guiding and he will find his own path,¡± Audrey commented on the events, turning around to hunt an edible monster. Nodding, Elena stayed silent. Sitting down beside Jake¡¯s body, she thought with a smirk on her face. Hahaha! I¡¯ve just got an idea thanks to you! I had only one goal before. Now I have another¡­ I shall build the biggest Kingdom of Shadows! Closing her eyes, she focused on meditating and learning the ways of Cosmological Constant. A few hours later, both her and Dred started writhing in pain on the ground. Feeling their Mana change, they felt rather happy. Perceiving an infinite amount of energy all around her, she spread her arms widely. Shadows are everywhere, aren¡¯t they? My kingdom shall be the same. We will be everywhere yet nowhere. Haha~ Feeling happy that she found something new to work on, other than her inborn goal, she felt much freer and unrestricted. Is this what my ancestors missed? Something to live for other than their own fates? You are already worth keeping alive since you gave something good to me, looking at Jake, she thought with a smile on her face. Seeing the changes in his body, she just shrugged it off. Remembering a book she read in Audrey¡¯s room, she cited a few words from it. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me. Hahaha, that is so ironic, even though I¡¯m the ¡®evil¡¯. Audrey and Jake? They shall be my rod and staff. Laughing in her mind, she closed out her surroundings to focus on understanding her own self. She believed in this. The key, the answers to our own pain¡­ everything was within us. What she needed the most was self-understanding. Many people were lacking in this simple thing. It was understanding one¡¯s own self. Feeling the warm sunlight on her face, she opened her eyes. Looking at her Will, she saw the number seventy. ¡°Haha. I can finally understand it! This Will is nothing more than an indicator of our self-confidence! If we are self-confident, we are harder to manipulate and making decisions will be just as easy. I bet that the maximum Will is a hundred and this is more like a percentage,¡± realizing the truth behind Will, she laughed loudly. It was indeed as she thought. As she grew and experienced more, her self-confidence increased along the line. Standing up, her bones cracked after sitting in that position for a whole night. With her mind refreshed, she left with Dred to hunt something edible. Coincidentally, Jake woke up a few minutes after they left. Looking down at himself, he didn¡¯t see anything in particular. Tapping his chest, he felt normal. Pulling off his shirt, he saw ancient looking tattoos covering his chest. Understanding why Elena didn¡¯t tell her goal, he laughed loudly. Audrey, who was away to take care of her needs, came back at the same time. ¡°I can see that you like your tattoos, but what are you laughing at?¡± Raising a brow, she questioned him.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Huh? Oh, you are here? I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Picking up his shirt, he quickly wore it. ¡°I don¡¯t know why. I¡¯m just happier now that I know it. But it is better like this. I don¡¯t think that I could have accepted this without turning into her blood servant. But girl, this is amazing!¡± ¡°I can feel a huge difference in my old body and this. And this strength!¡± Clenching his fists, he felt happier than he imagined himself to be. ¡°What now? I thought that you would be depressed or something¡­¡± Audrey commented, not knowing where to put Jake¡¯s sudden change of behavior. Just as she finished her sentence, Dred jumped over a bush, carrying a deer in his mouth. Jumping off of him, Elena looked at Jake closely. ¡°You seem to be much¡­ better?¡± Noticing his smiling face, she asked, her head tilted to the side. Taking away the corpse of the deer, Audrey started cooking. Squatting down in front of Jake, Elena used Wind Magic to cut the clothes on him into pieces. ¡°The shadow with two faces,¡± she said aloud, reading the intrications on his body. Her words caught Audrey¡¯s ears. ¡°What? They have a meaning!? What is mine?¡± Forgetting herself, pulling up her shirt, she questioned. As Jake¡¯s and Audrey¡¯s eyes met, Jake looked at Audrey¡¯s upper body, while Audrey looked down. Their faces turned red as they quickly turned around. ¡°Oo~ How cute. Even I¡¯m going to blush if this goes on,¡± ridiculing them, Elena laughed. Looking at Jake, she said, ¡°Use your shadow.¡± Obeying, simple black trousers and a black T-shirt covered his body. Naturally, he had underwear as well¡­ Standing up, she looked at Audrey. ¡°You don¡¯t have to show it to me. Yours was the shadow who loves and serves. Your type usually stays close to the Shadow Progenitor as you can¡¯t bear to be far away from me for too long. Jake¡¯s type is perfect as a group leader or as a king¡­ showing one face to his subjects and his true face to me.¡± ¡°Why did you not tell this to me before?¡± Audrey asked, raising a brow. Shrugging, Elena replied with a smirk on her face, ¡°Why would I?¡± Sticking out her tongue, Audrey shot a rock towards Elena, with a diameter of one meter. As she stepped sideways, Jake was surprised to see it flying towards his face. Holding up his arms, the rock broke upon contact. Looking at his arms, except for a few shallow wounds, nothing was visible on it. Clenching his fists, he stood up. ¡°Ugh¡­ this is great! Now¡­ I think that now I understand! I was afraid of the unknown! I feared you because I didn¡¯t know you! Now that I do, my fear is gone! But now I feel as if my reasons were retarded¡­¡± ¡°Nope~ Humans were always afraid of the unknown. I had the same problem at first,¡± Audrey remarked honestly. ¡°So? What will be my mission?¡± Cracking his fingers, Jake asked. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ll tell you both an additional thing. Both of you can create blood servants, who will be loyal to you. But! My commands will be always higher than yours and they will be the most loyal to me. Still, if you wish to, you can create blood servants, but be very careful. No one must learn about your race. Train your Shadow Forms as quickly as possible. If it reaches the max level, meaning a hundred, no one will be able to read our races.¡± ¡°Secondly¡­ while you were sleeping and evolving, I¡¯ve got another goal. I¡¯ll build my own kingdom of shadows and you shall help me in doing so. Since you didn¡¯t resist, you will have to serve me. It was your decision, be it good or bad. You can¡¯t escape anymore. For now, just go back to the humans and play human until reaching the threshold.¡± Hearing Elena¡¯s commands, both Audrey and Jake nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to die. I think that¡­ I have a new reason to live. This whole change felt so meaningless to me before. What were we supposed to do? I thought¡­ I never understood. Were we supposed to chase strength? It seemed so much different in the movies we watched. People just took it easy, chased strength and gathered many friends and women.¡± ¡°But it was nothing but a false hope of humanity. Instead of such things, we turned greedy over every fucking thing and we didn¡¯t know what to do. No one had a clear image of our future or a goal at that¡­ we just walked around aimlessly in this crazy world. Maybe that was my biggest problem. Now, I finally have something to work towards, even if it isn¡¯t a nice thing¡­¡± Laughing, he finished explaining himself. ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s much easier to find blood servants if people don¡¯t have a goal¡­ which is quite common in an apocalyptic world! Alright, it will be best if I look for such kind of people in the future as well,¡± realizing why was it so simple, Elena planned ahead. Telling Jake to go back for now, he left them alone and joined the humans as if nothing happened. Except for the inscriptions on his chest, he didn¡¯t have anything visible from the outside. But even if people were to see his tattoos, they would never think that it had any meaning behind them. ----- ¡°We should get going as well,¡± Elena said aloud, ready to leave. Nodding, Audrey jumped towards her, staying in the air much longer than she was supposed to. Noticing it, Elena praised her for it, but as soon as Audrey landed, she bit into her neck. After drinking her blood, she healed the wound on Audrey¡¯s neck. Mounting Dred, they ran towards the unknown. But unlike the humans, she felt excited upon thinking that far. Rushing through the thick of the forest, Elena used Nature Magic to clear a path in front of them. Thanks to the seemingly infinite energy around them, she could control the elements easily and unrestrictedly. Since the time was perfect anyway, she decided to train her Magic and then share her knowledge with Dred. It would be a win-win for both of them. She controlled the trees, the wind, the earth. The ground turned smooth in front of them, the wind blew from behind and the trees, bushes leaned to the side. ¡°Haha, it is much easier to move like this,¡± She chuckled, talking to herself silently. Hoo? Someone is out here!? Interesting¡­ As her senses caught a presence, other than the monsters¡¯ nearby, she felt surprised. Stopping, Dred switched styles and moved silently. Using only very soft movements, they cleared away the dried leaves from the ground. Dred¡¯s movements had no sound. Looking over the bushes, Elena saw a brown haired, fit looking guy, fighting with a tiger. Inspect.
Name: Wick Maynard Race: Human
Level: 45 Threat Level: 6
Unreadable
Oh? That¡¯s quite surprising. I guess he isn¡¯t a big human lover¡­ maybe a social outcast? She thought upon looking at him. His movements were quite accurate and skilled, considering how early it was. His eyes looked serious and confident. This person can¡¯t be manipulated¡­ licking her lips, Elena thought with a grin on her face. Unlike with Audrey, she picked her words with clear intentions when it came to Jake. The end result is being what she wanted, only made things easier for her. Hopefully, this battle will be as anticlimactic as I plan it to be, she thought as she turned into a shadow on the ground. Dred turned into his bear form to increase his defense, in case it was necessary to protect Elena. Audrey stayed where she was and gathered the Mana around her into a thick bolt of lightning. Mixing it with Wind Magic and Dark Magic, her spell turned even more fearsome. Still not noticing anything, Wick continued on battling with the tiger. --- The tiger jumped towards him, with its right paw raised, ready to strike. Rolling backward on the ground, he stopped right in front of Elena. The tiger came from the front with another strike when Dred jumped out from behind the guy. Reacting quickly, he stepped to the right, but Elena was waiting for him. Kicking him in the back, he flew towards the tiger. The tiger¡¯s claws slashed across his chest, leaving a large wound, while Dred bit into the neck of the Tiger. Elena threw her daggers towards Wick, who was lying on the ground. Seeing him rolling away, she switched to her bow and shot a thick fire arrow towards him. Hurriedly swinging his arm, a water blade flew towards Elena¡¯s arrow. But there was a problem. He didn¡¯t spend as much time with spells as Elena. His wisdom being smaller, Elena¡¯s fire turned the water into vapor and struck the side of his face. Following it up with a ball of darkness, Wick screamed out in pain. Dred released the tiger at the same time when Elena¡¯s attack struck. Both of them jumped back and Audrey released her attack. It struck the ground between the tiger and Wick. Her Dark Magic spread out in a circle, making their bodies rot, while the wind blades cut them into mincemeat. The bolts of flickering lightning had nothing left to burn, so they entered the ground. Audrey¡¯s Dark Magic reached the bush she was standing behind, making it wither, along with the trees. The smell of blood mixed with rotten and charred leaves spread through the area, entering their nostrils. Magic had its effects. People didn¡¯t just use Magic and the enemy was gone¡­ they had to watch out for their surroundings if they wanted to keep things in one piece. Not to mention their environment. ¡°At least it doesn¡¯t matter to this world¡­¡± looking at the damage, Audrey mumbled silently. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s best to gain as much experience with the elements here asd we can since we shouldn¡¯t do it in the next world,¡± agreeing with her, Elena remarked. ¡°Won¡¯t you tell me about that other world? Or how does this even work?¡± Feeling really curious, Audrey questioned her again. Showing her white teeth, Elena answered, laughing, ¡°Haha, no.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ meanie¡­¡± throwing her red hair over her shoulders, Audrey mumbled silently as she turned around. When Audrey¡¯s attack struck, all three of them used Devouring to take away the evolved genes of the Tiger and Wick. Looking at her notifications, Elena felt happy.
You have gained: +78 Agility; +92 Strength; +20 Vitality!
Leveling up to thirty-two in one go was only a bonus. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much better my Devour is!¡± Thinking of Dred¡¯s status, she exclaimed.
Name: Dred Race: Devouring Panther (Legendary)
Strength(+20% Bear): 1702 (+340) Vitality(+20% Bear): 1042 (+208)
Agility(+10% Panther): 1124 (-) Will: 62
Intelligence: 1001 Wisdom: 1234
Seeing the change, she was sure that she gained quite a bit more from Devouring them, than Dred. Audrey had only Minor Devour, so she was never a part of the game. Taking her seat on Dred¡¯s back, he rushed forward, only to see something very strange in front of them. It happened about five kilometers later, that they saw a strange village appear in front of them. It was surrounded by tall wooden planks, which were clearly the work of Nature Magic. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Raising a brow, Elena said silently. Audrey appeared beside them, placing her hand on Dred¡¯s side, questioning what was going on. Telling her that she didn¡¯t know either, Elena nudged Dred, prompting him to move forward. Upon getting closer and closer to the village, the noises of a scrimmage could be heard. Stopping in front of the tall fence, Elena stood up on Dred¡¯s back to look over it. Standing on her two meters tall ¡®podium¡¯, she had no problems with seeing what was going on. What!? Beastmen!? How? Opening her eyes widely in her surprise, she thought. Although neither Elena nor the humans knew of this, the most powerful predators, living deep in the forest, went through a huge evolution! On the first week, they just started slaughtering each other, gaining lots of strength over a short time. Since only the strongest animals stayed alive, they divided up their own territories. But as they were able to feel the Mana rushing through their bodies more and more, their minds also evolved. Thinking of such a possibility, Elena realized that higher Intelligence meant higher Wisdom as well. Although not instantly, with thicker Mana Veins, more Mana entered the brain, enhancing it permanently. It was the same as when people trained their agility. The bear she killed a few days ago was also on the path of evolution, with a weak consciousness. That was also the reason why it was able to use Magic. If not for Elena, then it could have come here too. As history has shown it, evolution always followed what was necessary for every creature. Even though these weren¡¯t real beastmen, they were still on their path to reach it. As a result of their evolutions, these powerful animals¡¯ build changed as well. Thanks to those changes in their bodies, they were able to form voices. Although they were clearly bad at it, they were able to talk. If this continued, then maybe a few more years and the animals could turn into humanoid beastmen. The advanced minded animals in this village knew about the humans. They also knew that if they were living alone, they could be killed. Such being the case, they gathered at this place and lived in caves, trying to coexist as much as possible. Maybe more so than the distressed humans, who kept fighting among themselves. But there was one person who felt happy about all of these as she had plans. Naturally, it was Elena. Raising her arms, black fur covered them. Tapping her ears, they slowly shrunk back and cat ears grew out on the top of her head. Her eyes turned into slits and using the energy of the world, she lengthened her spine, growing a tail. Covering it in muscles, skin, and the same kind of black fur, she looked like a complete catgirl. Turning around, she noticed Audrey looking the same, except for her red hair. ¡°Sister, nya~¡± she said jokingly, raising her hands. Seeing her long claws, Elena lengthened hers as well. Sitting on Dred¡¯s back, they entered the village and noticing a tiger stopping in front of them, she used Inspect.
Name: Toruk Mak Race: Bengal Tiger
Level: 53 Threat Level: 8
Now, that is fun. You will be perfect for my plans, she thought with a confident smile on her face. ¡°Hello~¡± still smiling, she said with a slight change in her tone. The wind, generated by the roar of the tiger, blew on her face, brushing through her black hair, raising it into the air. ¡°That¡¯s not a nice welcoming, is it?¡± Clearing her face, she said. Not understanding what she wanted, the tiger shook his head sideways, not knowing what to do. ¡°Why... are you here? Nho. How did shu ghet a humanoid shape?¡± Looking at her, the tiger questioned in a slightly commanding voice. Feeling a little hard to understand his words, Elena had to think a bit before replying. ¡°I have no idea. It just happened after I killed my enemies. Since when did you come to live in this village?¡± She asked in a friendly way, soothing the mind of the tiger. Being in the same ¡®family¡¯ only helped things. ¡°Ablout a week ago. Whe plansh to raidh the neharesth city of the humans! They will be ghreat prey! Hunting our ksind with those... booming weaponsh! Now we will show thems who are the true shunters!¡± Feeling angered upon remembering his past, the Tiger said wrathfully. I have no idea why is he telling this to me, but I¡¯ll help everyone. She thought, holding back her laughter. ¡°You can count on me, in that case,¡± she replied smiling. Not even doubting her, the tiger laughed, accepting them. They looked like beastmen, the form these animals wished to reach. Elena and Audrey were like an example to these monsters. Their self-confident and unbothered behavior only proved that they were one of them. ¡°Do you have a free house left?¡± Stopping beside Toruk, she asked. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m notsh the lheader, but you can bhuild a houshe or cavern for yhourshelf at any free place,¡± laughing, his crispy voice resounded. She was quite pleased by these monsters. They weren¡¯t as cautious as humans. As long as you were one of them, you could get in easily. The downside was that they probably killed everyone else. Both of these types had their advantages and disadvantages. ¡°Aren¡¯t tigers lonely? How come you live in such a community?¡± Feeling curious, Audrey asked. Finding it a little hard to form clear voices - ¡°Thoshe are my inshthincts. Now that I have a chonsciousness, I can control myshelf much better!¡± - he replied, feeling proud of himself. ¡°And how come you know any language?¡± Still feeling curious, she asked another question. ¡°We dhon¡¯t know, the same as you, I¡¯d imagine. At fhirst, we felt as if we were half-awake and after shome time, it turned into a weak chonsciousness. A little bit later, whe were able to think. It was ash if we finally woke up. The blue window appeared in front of ush and we were able to think at the same time. Bhut I¡¯m shure that you knew of this,¡± he replied quickly. Nodding, Audrey told him that she was just curious if all of them were the same. ¡°I thought so. That¡¯s why I sthill exphlained it,¡± nodding, Toruk turned silent and left. Finding a clearing within the village, the three of them used their Magic to make a house of stone. Using Earth Magic, Elena dug a chamber under their house. Now all I need is a hammer and an anvil¡­ placing her hands on her hips, she straightened her body. In the village, there were tigers, bears, giant snakes, wolves, lions, and even panthers. The latter showed great interest in Dred as he still looked like a normal panther, but they knew that it wasn¡¯t the case. Just like before, two monsters were fighting against each other again. When they entered the village, it was a pack of wolves versus a bear. Now it was the wolves against Toruk. The latter wasn¡¯t in a good position as the wolves were no longer restricted in strength by their sizes. They were almost as powerful as Toruk, even alone¡­ not to mention them in a pack. That was exactly the reason why wolves were one of the most dangerous species in these kinds of worlds. Knowing that these were only friendly matches to train their combat abilities, which were top-notch anyway¡­ she left the village. Maybe later she would take part in this, but she was too weak at this time. Leaning over to Audrey, she whispered into her ears, ¡°I have something for you to do if you don¡¯t mind. Could you notify Jake about this?¡± Nodding, Audrey turned around to leave. She understood what she had to do. Once Jake learned of this, he would drive the humans to work hard with the reason of outside threat. So long as it wasn¡¯t in front of them, the humans didn¡¯t bother with future threats. That was their way since the old times and that will never change. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, but generally, this couldn¡¯t be denied. In the form of a shadow, Audrey could jump quite large distances, making her travel easier. Going into the forest, Elena switched to her bow. It was a really good finding in the Ogres¡¯ Dungeon. Using Earth Magic, she looked for signs of iron. After traveling about two kilometers, she found herself on a mountain. Being at the height of a thousand and five meters, she found a cave. Navigating through it, it kept moving deeper and deeper into the ground. Unlike the humans, she was able to see perfectly in the dark. ¡°This cave has really fresh air. I guess it has another entrance,¡± inhaling deeply, she mumbled while enjoying the nice smell of the clear water. A slight breeze rushed past her body, raising her black hair. Seeing the path parting into two ways, she followed the sound of the trickling river. Leaning over a corner, she found something amazing. The ceiling of the cave was covered in small and shiny crystals. There was a small lake under them, reflecting the ceiling, turning the water equally shiny and beautiful to look at. Seeing a small gray colored puddle in the middle of the lake, her eyes opened widely. It was none other than condensed Mana. If she was to drink it, she could widen her Mana Veins and enhance her body at the same time. But there was a slight problem. A huge lizard - standing at three meters tall - was drinking from the water. Feeling full, it laid down on the shore of the lake. Seeing its scale covered body, it looked very similar to a dragon. A pair of wings could be seen on its back, but it was clearly not such a legendary creature. Maybe once it evolved a few more times.
Name: Cyndraim, the Clean Race: Half-blood Wyvern
Level: 67 Threat Level: 10
Using inspect, she saw a few things about the monster in front of her. Yuck¡­ that level is disgusting! What am I supposed to do with that? I bet that my daggers could barely penetrate its scales. Not to mention, that I can¡¯t prepare a large-scale Magical Attack. Its senses would surely pick up on the changes of the flow of Mana¡­ she thought, trying to find a method to dispatch the wyvern before it would drink her condensed Mana. Tapping the wall, she sensed iron in it. Not too much, but if she could extract it, then it would be enough for a few weapons. But what¡¯s the point of weapons if I don¡¯t have enough strength to penetrate its scales? Unless¡­ I use my devour, along with Dark Magic. ARGH! But it is surely quicker than me! Grabbing the sides of her head, she screamed in her mind. Dred nudged her back with his nose, showing her another pathway. Following him, she was surprised by his next move. Using his vocal cords and a combination of Wind Magic, he talked with a crispy voice. ¡°Wh-at if I, divert¡­ its atten...tion?¡± ¡°You can talk now!? Well, but you will need better control over Wind Magic to speak fluently. Unlike those rudimentary beastmen, your jaws didn¡¯t change,¡± looking at him, she remarked. After thinking about his offer for a bit, she nodded. ¡°But don¡¯t get hurt for me,¡± patting his head, she embraced him around his neck. Nodding, Dred left the little anchor he found and rushed through wyvern¡¯s cavern. Ambushing it from behind, the wyvern turned enraged. Roaring, it ran after him. Although his paw strike caused a few scales to break on its back, it was nothing serious. This showed how little chance they had against the wyvern. If they didn¡¯t do anything in their shadow forms, they couldn¡¯t be hurt. But that wasn¡¯t the case if they wished to steal away the condensed Mana. They would have to materialize to do that. They could attack in their shadow forms, but they too could be hurt at the same time. That was one of the reasons why they didn¡¯t just take it away. The other being that this wyvern was very powerful. And it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it had a skill, which would be effective even against their shadow forms. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t as quick as they imagined, showing that this monster was mostly built on strength and vitality. This was truly good news for them. Although it started catching up with Dred, it didn¡¯t go as easily as it wished. Elena quickly rushed towards the water and entered it in her Shadow Form. Teleporting to the bottom of it, she just cut out that piece of earth, as if it was a bowl. Storing it in her storage ring, she jumped out of the water. But she was surprised to see the wyvern standing in front of her. ¡°*Growl* Did you take me for a fool? I wouldn¡¯t chase the Panther since my body would be too big to fit into the pathways. But now you are going to die for trying to-¡± seeing that Elena was fleeing instead of listening to its speech, the wyvern quickly stopped talking and rushed after her. But it had a serious problem. Elena could teleport from shadow to shadow. Considering that the cave was completely dark¡­ she was able to jump forward thirty meters with each step. Spouting flames from its mouth, Elena had to jump to the side. Finding herself in the other bifurcation, she didn¡¯t hesitate to move downward in it. Knowing that it would just lose sight of her if it were to follow, it sat down there. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here! I¡¯ll see if you dare to come out!¡± it shouted after her. Losing sight of Elena¡¯s back, it turned around to leave. Not knowing this, Elena rushed towards the other entrance of the cave. It was stupid of her to think that only she knew about the other entrance¡­ Using Wind Magic, she clearly knew where to go. Seeing Dred waiting for her there, she almost shouted in happiness. But feeling her instincts screaming at her, she turned silent. Come here! Shouting in her mind, she called Dred with her hand. Just as he stepped away, a huge ball of flame struck the place where he stood. The flame melted the ground, turning it into a world of fire and hell. The magma slowly started flowing towards them. The wyvern landed in front of the entrance, laughing upon seeing Elena and Dred being cornered. Looking at the lava, her eyes turned cold. Fine, you want to play!? Gritting her teeth, she started planning in her mind. As her eyes met with the wyvern¡¯s, she turned her back on it and rushed the other way. The wyvern flew around the mountain, to welcome them on the other side. But it didn¡¯t know of a crucial thing. These two could use the energy of the world! Turning towards the walls, Elena extracted the iron and stored it beside the condensed Mana. Although she didn¡¯t have much space left, it was worth it. Meanwhile, Dred drilled a long hole, leading to the surface. The wyvern was still waiting for them on the other side, thinking that they would appear sooner or later. Cyndraim didn¡¯t realize that they left through the newly formed hole, on the side of the mountain, and ran away with its treasured condensed Mana. The best was that¡­ they used their human forms when Cyndraim saw them. Switching back to their beastmen forms, they entered the village once again. ¡°They¡­ aren¡¯t coming!¡± it said angrily, flying towards the other side of the mountain. It realized that something was wrong. Noticing a large hole which wasn¡¯t there before, it roared angrily, causing even the ground to tremble. If they used their own Mana, it would have sensed it. But they just ¡®changed the properties¡¯ of the earth into nothing. In reality, this was similar to transmutation. ----- Seeing the village in front of them, Dred jumped over the fence and stopped in front of their house. Entering it, they went down to the basement. Dred sat down in a corner and closed his eyes to meditate. Taking out the iron they gathered, she noticed that it wasn¡¯t the same as what Triston used. This metal had a tint of blue in it! ¡°Now¡­ how do I turn this into a weapon? And I need an anvil as well!¡± Placing her hands on her hips, she talked to herself upon seeing the strange metal. Sighing loudly, she realized that she had to gather more metals or steal away Triston¡¯s anvil¡­ Sitting down in front Dred, she closed her eyes and started meditating. But her efforts were short lived as she was interrupted twice. At first, Audrey came back, telling that Jake was making the humans work hard. Since hearing about the incoming threat, they finally realized that their lives were in danger, and started training seriously. The Cornered and Quick Evolution wasn¡¯t a racial of theirs without a reason. Just as Elena was about to continue her training, she was surprised to hear a loud roar. Cyndraim landed in the middle of the village, shouting, ¡°Come out! All of you!¡± Although it was the strongest monster, the others weren¡¯t much weaker either. Toruk Mak wasn¡¯t the strongest in the village¡­ Feeling annoyed by Cyndraim¡¯s commanding voice, a giant bear questioned it. ¡°What do you want?¡± It was clearly much better at controlling the elements, making its speech much cleaner and understandable. ¡°There was a human! She stole my treasure! We must wage war on them as soon as possible!¡± It shouted angrily, stomping on the ground, making it crack. Luckily for Elena, it never mentioned Dred¡­ or so she wanted to believe. Making a thoughtful face, Cyndraim added, ¡°Oh, right. And there was a black panther with her as well!¡± Volume 1: The Apocalypse: Chapter 7 - I am the Devourer I am the Devourer Hearing Cyndraim¡¯s last words, telling that the girl had a panther, the monsters present thought of something. Something that would be dangerous for Elena. Feeling worried, she pulled off her storage ring and buried it under the ground, in the basement. This should do it. I should change my face too, but that would surely catch the attention of the monsters. Maybe I should go with something simpler¡­ which isn¡¯t too obvious, she thought, a serious face on. Looking down, she decided to switch to a petite looking body. The monsters surely wouldn¡¯t notice it. Unlike Cyndraim, who had her looks imprinted into its memories. It would never forget Elena. But the real problem was Dred. ¡°How am I supposed to hide you? Can you do something about your looks?¡± She whispered silently. Raising a finger, Audrey whispered calmly, ¡°He should switch to another race. Although he would look almost the same, there is a difference between a huge black cat and a panther. I¡¯m sure that the others wouldn¡¯t even notice it, but Cyndraim would think that they aren¡¯t the same.¡± ¡°Great! Thanks for the idea,¡± Elena whispered as she hugged Audrey. By the time they separated, Dred was looking differently. His head was smaller, his legs thinner, his tail shorter and furrier. He looked more like an oversized simple, black, housecat. They left the house with calm faces, acting as if they had nothing to do with this. ¡°Woah! A dragon?!¡± Elena exclaimed loudly, with wonder on her face. Noticing them, Cyndraim rushed towards them. ¡°You¡­ you look very similar¡­ but you aren¡¯t the same. Even your smell is different. But how did you get a humanoid shape, cat?¡± It questioned, growling in a low voice. ¡°Oh, both of us were stray cats. We just spent our time together when we were animals! After killing a strange monster, I ate it. That was the time when my body changed completely!¡± Elena exclaimed proudly, with a calm face. Although Cyndraim was a little envious, it replied with a snort, ¡°Hah- you are just a cat beastman. I¡¯ll turn into a dragon!¡± ¡°Ah, right! You are so lucky,¡± she replied with an envious tone, her head hung down. Cyndraim nodded its head, feeling proud of itself. ¡°Haha, you aren¡¯t like these idiots! You understand who is on the top! Once I can have a humanoid form, I might make you into my concubine. You should feel proud of yourself for achieving this position,¡± it said with unshakeable self-confidence. Elena felt like puking when she replied with a smile on her face, saying that she was happy. ¡°Remember. We must attack the humans soon!¡± Flapping its wings, Cyndraim shouted as it took off and flew away. Looking after Cyndraim for a few seconds, Elena and Dred turned around, to go back to their house. I¡¯ll gut this shit. A few days at most¡­ damn it. If only my birth would have been at the same time as this ¡®apocalypse¡¯ started¡­ I could go around, killing everyone. Ugh¡­ but this will be bad for my future. I shouldn¡¯t get used to a super easy life. These people are just new to everything, she thought with, frowning in dissatisfaction. Seeing Audrey waiting for them, she nodded, showing that things went smoothly. Just as she was about to dig out the ring, she heard knockings on her door. Or more like¡­ someone was trying to break in¡­ Stupid animals. Can¡¯t even knock with their paws, she thought as a feeling of annoyance filled her heart. She was being interrupted continuously. ¡°You open the door, with my looks,¡± Elena whispered to Audrey. Nodding, she transformed to look like Elena. Meanwhile, the real Elena hid in Audrey¡¯s shadow. Opening the door, the wind blew on her face. She found Toruk Mak, the Tiger in front of it. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± Audrey asked, her head tilted to the side. ¡°Khen I come in?¡± He asked with a low voice. Nodding, she stepped aside and closed the door after him. Turning to look at her, it growled, ¡°Yhou lied. Buth khey¡­ if you hland over its tleasule, I¡¯ll kheep you alive.¡± Audrey said nothing, just eyed Toruk silently. Seeing that he just wouldn¡¯t budge, she questioned him, her brows raised. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hahaha, dhon¡¯t thake me for a fhool. I was the one who talked to you. I rhemember your looks and both of you changled since then,¡± he replied with a laugh, still terrible when it came to at talking. Feeling annoyed to even hear it, Audrey replied hurriedly, ¡°Come after me. I hid it in the forest. But we will share it. You won¡¯t take it all away from me! It¡¯s a win-win for you as well. Or else, I can just tell Cyndraim and both of us will die¡­¡± Finishing her sentence, she threw her black hair over her shoulders and waited for Toruk¡¯s reply. Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Toruk nodded and followed after her. It never noticed the real Elena. Leaving the tribe, Dred changed back to his normal form. Sitting on his back, they ran far away from the forest, in Toruk¡¯s company. He never noticed Elena, entering his shadow. Turning around, Audrey smiled, waving her hand. Feeling surprised, Toruk listened to his instincts and stopped running. A huge Wind Blade cut into the ground in front of his face. Just one more step and he would have died. It wanted to roar, but it didn¡¯t have time. Seeing two huge stone walls flying towards him, it used Nature Magic to block the walls. Just as he finished, he turned forward, only to see Dred¡¯s paw, which was about to strike his face. Stepping back hurriedly, Audrey¡¯s fireball struck his face, burning him. What was even weirder was that he kept losing strength for some reason and he was rotting away. But before he could realize anything, Elena jumped out from his shadow and thrust her daggers through his eye sockets. With its brain penetrated, he fell to the ground lifelessly. Kicking his corpse, Elena said with disdain, ¡°Heh¡­ greedy shit. You should have stayed silent.¡± The shadows extended towards Toruk¡¯s corpse, devouring it in a few seconds.
You have gained: +133 Strength; +101 Agility!
You have leveled up to Lv. 37!
New Skill Acquired: Ambush (Passive Skill)
You killed your targets with surprise attacks, numerous times. This shows your ability at assassinating. This skill will increase your chance at a successful finishing strike if it is a surprise attack. Your target will suffer from a passive debuff in your presence, meaning a lower level of awareness.
¡°Oh! That¡¯s great!¡± Elena exclaimed upon seeing a new skill. Not surprisingly, Dred acquired this skill at the same time. A few more such attacks and maybe Audrey would get it as well. Although this wasn¡¯t an active skill, it was even better than many of those! She was sure that this skill will come in handy in the future. Cleaning her daggers, she put them back into their scabbards, which were strapped to her waist. ¡°I¡¯ll need stronger weapons. These are getting weaker and this bow is in the way! Unless I put it into my storage ring,¡± she pondered in herself. Looking at Audrey, who just changed back to her real form, ¡°Do you need it?¡± she asked. ¡°Nah, not really. Its stats are weak as well. It wouldn¡¯t be worth the trouble for me,¡± sticking out her tongue, she didn¡¯t take away the trash. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯ll just dump it on a human when we get back. They can be very thankful as I¡¯ve noticed,¡± frowning, Elena said with a stiff face. Shrugging her shoulders, Audrey agreed with her on that. Passing by the monsters¡¯ village, Elena dug out her ring and then left with it on her finger. They moved towards the city once again. Finding a clearing, they conjured a small stone building and sat down in it. Taking out the condensed Mana, they looked at the contents of the dug out earth with wonder. ¡°Well then¡­ this should be enough for three to share. Who wants to start?¡± Elena asked, raising a brow. Audrey raised her hands in front of her chest, saying, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t drink from it. You were the ones who risked your lives for it. So¡­ just drink it without me.¡± How nice. She doesn¡¯t want to hold us back. But I¡¯d feel bad if I were to drink it without her. I¡¯ll just leave a cup of it for her, she thought, eyeing Audrey. Leaning forward, she slurped out about two-fifths of it. Gulping it down, she ran out of the stone house. ¡°Use that gravity zone!¡± She shouted at Audrey. Doing as told, Elena started doing push ups, sit ups, and squats. Under the pressure of the gravity, her body felt much heavier. Since it was still not enough, Audrey sat on her back. The condensed Mana burned through her veins, causing their collapse. She kept using her own Mana continuously, to enhance her body and senses. At the same time, she also used Wind Magic to push herself towards the ground. As the burning feeling was slowly dissipating in her body, she sat down on the ground and started meditating. Ten minutes later, her Mana Veins were back to their glorious form, much thicker than before. Her muscles turned stronger and thicker, while her senses turned acuter. Thanks to the quickly rotating Mana in her brain, she was able to comprehend more about how to use her own skills and the elements. After her, it was the other''s rounds. Going through the same things, everyone powered up by quite a lot. Status.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 46 EXP: 920 / 1350
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devourer
Health: 7415 / 7415 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker
Strength: 2686 Vitality: 1483
Agility: 2024 Will: 72
Intelligence: 2732 Wisdom: 3194
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.42 (23%); Water Lv.44 (93%); Wind Lv.45 (34%); Lightning Lv.44 (82%); Nature Lv.41 (89%); Earth Lv.49 (64%); Light Lv.43 (17%); Dark Lv.50 (11%); Cosmological Constant: Lv.2 (12%) Resistances: Magical: 3194 Physical: 1093 Passive: Stamina: 7415 Precision: 10 120
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 36 (33%) Mana Control Lv.32 (32%) Meditation Lv. 43 (64%) Sense Lv. 34 (41%) Stealth: Lv. 6 (61%)>Evade Sense Necromancy Lv. 0 (48%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 21 (82%) (+Active Skill) ShadowStep Lv. 17 (59%) Shadow Form Lv. 26 (8%) ¡­ Passive Skills: Ambush Lv.0 (1%)
¡°Ugh¡­ I should use Necromancy some more. Especially now that I can fill the dead bodies with almost infinite energy¡­ unless I use up everything in the area,¡± Elena muttered to herself, looking at her stats. Nodding, they turned around to leave. Entering the city, they made their way towards the school and were surprised to see the humans nicely ordered. The yard in front of the school was cleared and a huge mass of people were training there orderly. Some of them went even as far as to fist fight or to use their magical attacks. Inspecting a few of them, Elena was surprised to see them being around the thirtieth level generally. But in fact, it was no surprise. Quick Evolution and Cornered wasn¡¯t a trait of humans without a reason. Other races were stronger, better at magic, quicker, cleverer. What was left for the humans? The answer to the question was their racial traits. No matter how deep they were, when it came to real trouble, they crept out of it, with the combination of these skills. This was also the reason why it was the worst decision to delay a declared war when it came to the humans. Under the pressure, they could gain unbelievable strength in a short time, overturning the original outcome. If they could delay the monsters with a few more days, then they might be able to have a chance against the monsters. Their numbers were limited as well. Just a few noteworthy members would be enough to hold back the monsters, while the others could easily bombard them to death. Jake was standing on a podium, training the same way the humans did. Interestingly enough, even the kids¡¯ bodies started growing at a rapid pace, along with their strength. Seeing that things were going smoothly, after making Jake drink her blood, she went back to the monsters¡¯ village. It took two days for the battle maniac monsters, to stop their practice group fight against each other. Naturally, this happened only because of Cyndraim¡¯s presence, who came in growling angrily, saying that they forgot its command. It¡¯s not like it ever specified what it wanted¡­ Although a few monsters noticed that Toruk Mak was missing, they just shrugged it off, saying that he probably went deeper into the forest to hunt. Curse these bastards! It¡¯s good that I got off so easily¡­ but I¡¯ll get too used to these idiots. No sane person would shrug these things off so simply, Elena cursed in her mind. Fearing that she would get used to this easy lifestyle. These are just stupid animals, yeah¡­ they can¡¯t see beyond these things, she added, trying to force back her superiority complex. That was a problem every legendary being had to deal with. The pride seeping through their bones. Who wouldn¡¯t be proud of its race if it was one of a kind? Especially if it was this powerful. But what was truly interesting was that Elena¡¯s race was a weird one, even among the legendary beings. Every other such race had kins, like dragonkins, bearkins, and the others¡­ But this wasn¡¯t true when it came to Elena and Dred. Maybe they could control ghosts, zombies, or such kinds of shady, ¡®evil¡¯ monsters, but those weren¡¯t sentient beings. This reason was why her kind was the loneliest. And just because the people here had no idea what her race meant, it didn¡¯t mean that the other people above wouldn¡¯t know it either. If word were to get out, it could bring catastrophic events on her head. Grouping up, the monsters left towards the humans¡¯ city, with the trio in tow. After two days of continuous training and dueling, Elena and Dred leveled up to the fifty-second level and gained great deals of power. At this point, there were only about two thousand stat points of difference between Audrey and Elena. It was only a question of time for them to turn even stronger than her. Stepping on the asphalt of the city, the air seemed to be heavy from the pressure. Walking for a few more minutes, the two sides were met face to face. Large groups of humans were standing on the walls, ready to defend their homes. Without anyone noticing, Audrey went through the backdoors and soon returned with weapons in her hands. When Elena visited two days ago, she didn¡¯t forget to ask Triston to make new daggers for her. And as it turned out, it was enough for a spear as well. Wearing a black cape, the scabbards of the daggers were under it, on the top of her forearms. Throwing her old daggers into her storage ring, she replaced them with the new ones. With her new spear in hand, she stood ready to fight against the humans. Without any prior declaration or talking, the monsters rushed forward. But it was natural. They were just animals, going on a hunt. Why would they declare it? It was surprising enough for them that the humans were waiting in such an organized manner. Using their Shadow Forms, they crept into Cyndraim¡¯s shadow to evade the incoming attacks. Holding up their palms, the humans started shooting all kinds of Magical Attacks towards the monsters. Huge balls of rocks rolled on the ground. Using a high level of Fire Magic, Jake lit them on fire, turning them into Magma Balls. Sprawling out on the ground, the monsters were met with a wide shallow of lava. Using their superior strength, they easily jumped over it but were surprised to see a sudden change. The humans in the second line stomped on the ground and punched forward. The ground opened up after the lava shallow, leaving a few meters deep hole. Being in the air, they had no chance to escape. Although most of them managed to land safely with the use of Wind Magic, about five out of the forty fell to their death. This was because at the bottom of the hole was lava. As they burned to the death, Elena¡¯s shadow rushed out of Cyndraim¡¯s and devoured the monsters. Flying in the air, Cyndraim didn¡¯t care about this. In its opinion, they would win this easily anyway. There were five other bird type monsters, who were circling above the humans by now. Nose-diving, they flew towards the humans on the walls. Coincidentally, Cyndraim targeted Jake, sensing that he was the most powerful. Before its claws could touch him, Jake jumped down from the five meters tall wall. Cyndraim¡¯s claws crushed the spot he was standing at before. Roaring loudly, it swung its tail around, killing a few humans who weren¡¯t quick enough to retreat. Using a mix of Fire and Wind Magic, it shot a huge ball of fire towards the nearest group of humans. Combining their Mana, they built up a mix of thick Earth and Water Wall. Meeting the water, the fireball greatly decreased in size, while the Earth Wall easily defended them against the remaining mix of Wind and Fire. Growling angrily, Cyndraim felt ashamed of itself, since the weaklings stopped its attack. Switching to Dark Magic, it spat out another ball and then charged at them. Jake jumped towards the side of Cyndraim, kicking it. Although it was pushed away, except for a few deep cracks on its side, nothing happened to it. High physical resistance came in handy at these times. The other monsters finally reached the walls. Jumping over it, they were met with thousands of humans, their palms held towards the top of the walls. While in the air, they had no chance to dodge the incoming attacks. Their Wisdom wasn¡¯t too high either as they were mostly focused on physical strength. Swinging its tail, Cyndraim used Wind Magic to push the other monsters towards the ground. But six of the monsters still died as a result of the humans¡¯ bombardment. Twenty-eight groups of four stood in the front, ready to hold back the remaining monsters. The bird types flew towards the back of the small human army and used Wind Magic to slice them into pieces. Although their understanding of the winds was low, their control over it was much better. But this also led to huge Mana consumption, so the monsters didn¡¯t have many shots to fire. Killing a few hundred humans from the two thousand, the birds started using their claws to attack. But with such large masses firing at them, they soon lost their lives. Seeing the monsters quickly losing, Elena left Cyndraim¡¯s shadow and used her Devour on the warrior humans. They looked at her with flabbergasted faces as they felt their bodies rotting and their strength slipping away. She charged towards the Mages, spear in hand. Using her Devour, the humans slowly started rotting away. Their Magical Resistance helped them a lot at these times. But they had no chance against Dred and Elena¡¯s physical strength. Each time they swung their spear or paws, a head rolled. Blood littered the ground of the once peaceful school yard.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Elena spun her spear in a circle, to stop an incoming fireball. Dispersing it, she saw a guy looking at her with a despaired face. ¡°WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING AGAINST US?!¡± He shouted questioningly. Rushing forward, she thrust her spear through his heart. As he spat out his blood, with widely opened eyes, he saw Elena leaning over to his ears. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal. You just know something you shouldn¡¯t. Blame it on those who told you, people, my race. If not for that, I would have let you go peacefully. No one can stay alive and know my race, who isn¡¯t my blood servant. If you want to turn into that, you can drink my blood. It might save your life, you know?¡± Leaning back, she looked into his eyes. Shaking his head sideways with a smirk on his face, he fell on his knees. Pulling out her spear, Elena saw his corpse falling to the ground, lifelessly. ¡°Haah¡­ Such a waste. I feel sorry for you people, but this is a must.¡± Feeling a gust of wind behind her head, she ducked down. A sword flew past her, slicing nothing but air. Spinning on the ground, she kicked out the leg of the person behind him. Turning around, she swung her spear and sliced the person into two halves. ¡°Oh! You were one of the co-leaders before, right?¡± She said with a smile on her face, as the guy fell to the ground. His corpse disappeared in but a moment. It happened at that time, that she saw a kid in the middle of the crowd, looking at her fearfully. He ran out of the basement of the school. Whether he would get out of this or not was a question of fate. Elena just turned away, not having the time to care about him. Her blood splattered face would surely leave an eternal mark in the boy¡¯s heart. She knew that she was ¡®evil¡¯ at the moment, but this was necessary if she wanted to live. And she was turning more into a real monster as she grew up. Not just a superficial humanoid. If something or someone threatened her life, she would take care of it. Seeing that the strength of the two sides was starting to be equal, she ran towards Cyndraim, who was still chasing Jake, killing large groups of humans in the process. Looking at Dred, both of them nodded. Audrey wasn¡¯t doing anything, except for preparing a huge spell. Thanks to the effect of Ambush, Cyndraim didn¡¯t even notice her running towards its back. Just as Cyndraim moved its jaws towards Jake¡¯s back, trying to bite him, Elena and Dred jumped towards its neck. Dred turned into his bear form when he was flying past above its head. With twenty percent additional strength, he smacked the back of Cyndraim¡¯s head. With more than four thousand two hundred strength in his paw strike, Cyndraim¡¯s skull cracked. Not even its huge physical resistance and scales helped it this time. At the same time, Elena landed on the back of its long neck, her spear in her storage ring. Pulling out her new daggers, she thrust them into Cyndraim¡¯s neck. With her current strength, it entered quite smoothly. Cutting across its neck, the Wyvern was beheaded and killed. Devouring its body, Elena felt a huge change in her body. Seeing a Rune of Biotic Enhance on the ground, she picked it up and shared it through their blood. Jumping through the walls, they left the area of the school. Audrey finished her spell perfectly on time. A huge wave of Mana transformed into a true inferno. The fire started rotating, burning everything to the ground. Joining their side, Jake stopped beside them, to look at the devastation. Their shadows extended towards those who were still alive and started devouring their DNA. Soon, the fire dissipated, as there was nothing to burn and Audrey stopped pouring her Mana into the spell. Feeling their bodies turning weaker, they left the area and entered a house nearby. Laying on the bed like a pile of dead bodies, they fell asleep. Small scales grew out on Elena¡¯s forearms, on the outer halves of her legs, and on her sides. But considering how many cat-type animals she just devoured, it wasn¡¯t surprising to see a black, furry tail growing out of her spine. Her claws and canine teeth lengthened, giving a more bestial look to her. They woke up a few hours later, groaning. Their bodies felt sore after such a change. Standing up, Elena examined her body. ¡°What? This time my original looks have changed!?¡± She mumbled to herself, feeling surprised. Dred¡¯s body was so big, that not only the roof but even a few walls fell. This was because¡­ he has got a new form to his transformation ability. A wyvern. He looked the same as Cyndraim from before, except for his scales, which were completely black. Flapping his wings, the top floor was smashed into pieces. After moving their bodies for a few seconds, Elena jumped on Dred¡¯s back. Jumping off of the rooftop, they sailed through the air, towards the school. As they landed, Elena jumped off of Dred¡¯s back, grinning like an idiot. ¡°W-We will test this out soon enough. I need more of this!¡± She said, feeling excited to fly some more. ¡°Ugh¡­ but we will need a saddle. It was painful enough to sit on your back even before¡­ now it is even worse,¡± rubbing her buttocks, she remarked with a stiff face. ¡°Okay,¡± Dred replied, surprising Elena to no end. ¡°Eh?¡± Turning to look at him, she gave out a stupid sound. ¡°What is it?¡± He replied, looking at her with a smug-looking face. That face¡­ it must be my imagination. Wyverns can¡¯t make such facial expressions, can they? She thought, trying to deny the truth. ¡°N-Nothing¡­ so you can talk,¡± she replied with a stiff face, feeling slightly awkward. ¡°Yes. But I prefer staying silent. Of course, you can ask me anything,¡± he replied with strangely gentle-looking eyes. Seeing his behavior, Elena smiled as she stepped closer to him and rubbed her head on his. She was just surprised to hear him talking. No matter what, even if she knew that he always understood her words, after seeing him staying silent for so long, an ¡®animal¡¯ feeling formed in her when it came to Dred. But this was only a temporary feeling. If Dred talked some more, her emotions would naturally change. A no matter what, she knew that she could always trust Dred. That feeling of safety and comfort Dred provided was irreplaceable to her. He was like a loving big brother. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s look around. There should be a few humans left, along with the kids,¡± letting go of him, she said as she turned around. Dred kept looking at her with loving eyes, thinking, I¡¯ll protect you. Searching the remaining buildings, which had their roofs melted by the inferno, they found a few people, Triston being one of them. Audrey and Jake looked for survivors in the basement of the school and soon returned with a group of kids. Ugh¡­ troublesome. What should I do with them? Oh¡­ there is that possibility, thinking of something good, she turned happier. ¡°W-What have you done?! Weren¡¯t you all nice and friendly before?¡± Triston asked, looking at Elena with a mix of disappointment and despair on his face. ¡°Where did your soul go?¡± Falling to his knees, he shouted. Squatting down in front of him, Elena put her finger under his chin and raised up his head. Looking deeply into his eyes, she replied, ¡°My soul is still here. You just didn¡¯t know me. To be honest, I had no intention to hurt any of you. I do feel a little sad about killing the others, but I had no other way. I believe that two thousand people wouldn¡¯t have made an oath to keep my secret and to not attack me¡­ some of them would have snuck out anyway. And that could have resulted in a potential threat to my life.¡± ¡°I had no intention to leave loose threads. As you see it¡­ Jake turned into my familiar. He didn¡¯t know what was he getting into at that time. But after drinking my blood, his thinking naturally changed. Now he too is looking at the humans like me. A different race, which is interesting, but is a potential threat to our lives.¡± Stepping back, she stood up to look at the kids and children present. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she said loudly, ¡°I know that you have nowhere to go and no one to rely on. If more monster communities were to be born in the future, your chance to stay alive would be zero. But I know something you don¡¯t. This world will die out in at most a year and you have no future to speak of.¡± ¡°Unless¡­ you have a tragic childhood and mature quickly enough. You will have to be strong and fight for your lives. This doesn¡¯t mean that I did all this for you. You might don¡¯t even understand the weight of my words. This turn of events was just a secondary thing. Maybe you will live. Maybe you will die. It all depends on your own mind and hard work from this point.¡± ¡°I killed your parents, your loved ones, only to keep myself alive. To reach my goal. I¡¯m sure that you kids have noticed that¡­ your parents and every other adult did the same. They showed their true colors in a time of need, to stay alive. If you don¡¯t want to die, then you will have to do the same.¡± ¡°But in case you wish to stay alive, you will have to do something very simple. Take an oath,¡± she finished her speech, looking at the kids present. Many of them had stupid faces, showing that they clearly didn¡¯t understand the situation they were in. Some of them were just sobbing silently or loudly¡­ while the others were looking at Elena seriously. It came in handy when the parents weren¡¯t sheltering their children too much. That was something utterly stupid. Hearing her speech, Triston and the other people did think a little differently about Elena, but they still hated her. Just because of holding a stupid emotional speech, they wouldn¡¯t forget what has she done. She killed many of them just to save her own life. ¡°Wait¡­ Did you bring the monsters on our necks?!¡± Triston shouted, as an idea formed in his mind. ¡°Huh? No¡­ I didn¡¯t even know that there was a monster village. And there might be more. It was a complete accident. Originally, I planned to leave you in the dust and use the Ogres and my strength to force you into taking an oath. It was just your bad luck¡­ as when I stole the treasure, the Wyvern noticed me. Since I was in my human form, Cyndraim satisfied its wrath on you¡­¡± Hearing the truth, Triston felt like choking himself. They had to die because of such a stupid reason? He could have accepted the other method very easily. It wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal. Just a simple oath! ¡°Now, repeat my words if you want to live¡­ I swear upon my life that I won¡¯t try to tell your secret, meaning your race and abilities to anyone. I won¡¯t try to make others learn the truth. I won¡¯t try to kill you or even attempt to attack you unless you do so to me.¡± Seeing her looking at them with deadly serious eyes, the remaining humans repeated her words, along with the kids. Though they needed a little help.
The following list of people, took an oath, with the following pledge. The penalty was set to be death. You didn¡¯t take an oath, resulting in a one-sided pledge.
Seeing the notification, Elena nodded with a smile. If she was to focus on the list or pledge, she could look at the details anytime. But there were two people who didn¡¯t repeat her words. One of them being Triston, the other one being a woman. Looking at them, Elena raised a brow, asking if they wanted to turn into familiars instead. Naturally, the reaction was unpleasant¡­ ¡°No! I won¡¯t throw myself towards someone, who just killed our whole community! For what? A secret?! You could have sided with us and then ask us to do this oath of yours! I¡¯m sure that none of us would have refused it,¡± the woman shouted, her face visibly full of anger and hate. Not wasting her breath pointlessly, Elena pulled out her spear. Swinging it in an arc, she beheaded the woman and devoured her body. In no more than a second, there was nobody left to speak of. Sighing loudly, she stopped in front of Triston. ¡°Would you do it, please? I don¡¯t want to kill you. As a payment for teaching me something useful. You even made me these,¡± showing her weapons, she made him face the truth. The killer weapon, which served her in killing the humans was made by him. He was the one who gave a weapon to the enemy. She was hoping that she could crush his will. ¡°I should have killed you when you were so small and weak,¡± he mumbled silently, as a feeling of regret filled up his heart. ¡°Yeah¡­ but my race is very good at changing personality when in the presence of stronger people. You couldn¡¯t have known it,¡± she replied. ¡°So if I drank your blood, my viewpoint would change enough, to think of this as a good thing?¡± He asked, looking at her with hopeful eyes. Seeing her nod, he stood up. ¡°Then help me! I can¡¯t bear this anymore!¡± He shouted with a crazed face. As Elena looked down to cut her palm, she was surprised to see a knife moving towards her chest. Flexing her muscles, she covered her body in scales. The knife had no way to penetrate her body. Seeing that his ambush didn¡¯t work, Triston assaulted her with a mad face. He kept trying to penetrate her chest and pierce her heart, but it had no effect. There was too much big of a difference between his strength and Elena¡¯s physical resistance. The knife never passed her scales. Elena looked at from the corners of her eyes. Sighing loudly, she caught Triston¡¯s wrist and called Dred with a movement of her head. Dred jumped towards Triston, his paw fly through the air. Elena was looking into Triston¡¯s eyes, with a sorry look in hers. As Dred¡¯s paw struck his head, it flew away, killing him. Looking down at the dead body on the ground, and the red blood slowly spreading into a puddle, Elena sighed loudly. His body was devoured by Elena¡¯s shadow. Turning around, she looked at Krin, who was one of the survivors. ¡°Look after them. I¡¯ll leave the dungeon in your care. They can safely train there and gain strength. Fight if you wish to live because the end of this world is nearing,¡± she said, looking at Krin with a serious face. ¡°Just taking care of their food problem will be enough,¡± she added. Seeing him nod, she jumped onto Dred¡¯s back. Flapping his wings, he took off into the air. Sighing, both Jake and Audrey entered Elena¡¯s shadow. Reaching a great height, Dred roared loudly, as the new king of the air. They were at the top. They had no opponent left at this point, which made things much weirder. Flying through the air, a strong gust of wind was blowing against Elena¡¯s face, making her furrow her brows. Seeing the tiny trees, the tiny buildings below them, she felt free of burden. Dred¡¯s shadow formed into a saddle under her, making her place feel comfier. Leaning forward, she hugged Dred¡¯s neck and continued to look towards the ground. It was a beautiful sight to see. Seeing a mountain nearby, Elena shouted against the strong current of wind, ¡°Go there!¡± Roaring loudly, Dred took his way to the mountain. Landing on it, the four of them built a big house by using the elements. They spent their days with training and looking for new metals. Elena brought away Triston¡¯s anvil, and when Audrey and Jake were working hard to catch up with her, she learned how to smith better weapons. She made one new weapon after the other, going as far as piling them up in a corner. Their quality was quite good, being a little above average. As time passed, better and better-graded metals started appearing, leaving her with a wide range of metals to use. They also visited a few other cities, to look how the other humans were doing. Sometimes they sided with the monsters, taking down a whole city. Sometimes they sided with the humans, killing a whole community of monsters. It didn¡¯t matter where they went, they were looked at like gods. This was bothering her a lot. But thanks to her Will, she didn¡¯t let her own pride get to her head. Going back to their house, after a little journey, they started training. All of them were quite proficient at using Cosmological Constant and Gravity. While visiting other cities, they used their necromancy too, making humans and monsters return to the living. In body¡­ Sitting down, her legs crossed, Audrey decided to learn something new. After using Cosmological Constant for such a long time, they all realized that it was much deeper than simple energy. This not only meant the size of their spells but the shape of the energy. They could transmute matters to make them take different shapes. This, of course, needed a high level of control. It was the same when it came to changing their looks. But this first element Audrey discovered, held other secrets in it as well. Every element was connected in one way or the other. It was the same with the hidden elements. After discovering one, it could turn into many others! Closing her eyes, she focused on space. We still can¡¯t hide our auras like that stealth skill does. We tried pulling it back, transforming it, but nothing worked. Should we try it in a completely different way? When we use Sense, our Mana discharges and returns. Modifying another person¡¯s returning Mana, which holds the data about every object it touched, would be impossible. We tried it. So instead of hiding it or transforming it, we should do it differently. What if we try to cut ourselves off from the world? Like a separate space or entity? Her eyes still closed, she reached forward to try out her thoughts. Controlling the Mana in her surroundings, she tried to make them split, creating a separate space around herself. Although she never noticed it, it took two days straight, for her to finally manage to do it. When the Mana split into two halves, the energy structure collapsed around her. When she supplied the split Mana with her own Mana, two halves stayed separated, resulting in two dimensions! No matter how Elena or anyone else tried from that point on, no one could sense Audrey. Although she had to supply it with a small amount of Mana, to keep the two halves separately, the amount it took was very minuscule. Even her body sucked in more Mana than what it needed. If she poured more Mana into the same area, then not only her aura but even her body ceased existing.
You have discovered a new element: Void!
The void is an element, perfect for creating new dimensions. Although these are temporary, if the creator supplies the new dimensions with Mana, they could be Eternal as well. It can be used for storing items, hiding auras, blinking, and this element is a dreaded one when it comes to combat as well. It may be slow, but if used, it is hard to dodge.
You have gained a new title: Space & Energy Elementalist!
This is a title for those who have discovered the first two units of Space and Energy related hidden elements. But these are just the Basics. With this title, your chance to understand and discover a new such element will increase. Additionally, this increases your control over them and quickens your training speed.
Seeing the descriptions, and the new title, Audrey jumped up happily. Opening her eyes in her happiness, she looked around, only to see Elena, Dred, and Jake standing around her in a circle. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, can you? Hey¡­ I just broke through. Can¡¯t you wait? It is really unfair and Jake¡¯s teeth are more painful as well. So I¡¯d really appreciate it if-¡± She said, holding up her arms, standing in a defensive position. But Elena put her hand over Audrey¡¯s mouth, sealing it. Leaning forward, she bit into Audrey¡¯s bare shoulder. Her rose-red blood flowed down on her porcelain white skin. Finding it tasty, Elena licked the flowing blood. Stepping back, it was Dred¡¯s round. Seeing that a few drops flowed out, he licked them and then left. It was only Jake and Audrey left, making it all the worse. ¡°D-Don¡¯t look at me, for heaven¡¯s sake! Just do it already,¡± seeing him looking at her silently, she couldn¡¯t help but shout, feeling annoyed. ¡°O-okay. I¡¯m sorry. I was just mesmerized by your looks,¡± he replied with a smirk on his face. ¡°Oh? You are out of your element. When did you learn how to compliment a woman?¡± She said, faking a smug face. But in truth, she felt happy to hear his words. Seeing their bantering, Elena just smiled, shaking her head. Jake placed his lips on Audrey¡¯s shoulder and sucked out a few drops of blood. Using Healing Magic, the wound on her shoulder disappeared. ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait much longer, Elena. Only a few weeks at most!¡± Audrey shouted, looking at Elena with a sorry look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you snails. Haha,¡± Elena replied, waving her hand. She was at the ninety-ninth level, but Audrey and Jake were still only at the ninetieth level. Nudging her back, Dred stood behind her. ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± Scratching him behind his ears, Elena asked. ¡°What do you want to eat for dinner?¡± He asked. After making a thoughtful look, she smiled happily, saying, ¡°I want a tusker! Or a bird type. Your choice. They are the most delicious~¡± ¡°Alright. And I¡¯m not just an animal¡­¡± he replied, pushing her hand away. ¡°Haha~ but you do like when I pet you. Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Elena remarked laughing, scratching his neck. Seeing him closing his eyes in bliss, she knew that she won. ¡°Look at yourself. Why is it so good at your neck?¡± Still continuing, she asked. ¡°O-Oh, a little to the left. OOOh~¡± His deep voice resounded, filled with pleasure. As Elena stopped her hand, Dred licked the sides of his mouth, as a feeling of dissatisfaction filled his heart. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but that spot is just too good. Whenever you scratch me there, I feel my strength slipping away,¡± he replied, while Elena straightened his black fur on his neck. Even while sitting, he was a hundred and forty centimeters tall. Standing up, he ran down the mountain, towards the forest. No monster dared to come nearby at this point, as all of them knew that there were powerful predators on it. About ten minutes later, Dred returned with the sought meat. Audrey cut up two onions, into tiny cubes and put them into the melted fat of a boar from before. After braising it, Elena put the nicely sliced up meat on it. When the meat turned white, she put dried, ground red pepper on it. Pouring some water on it, mixing it with salt, deli, and ground black pepper, they just had to wait for it to be done. They had big shelves of sacks of pasta stored in their house. Cooking two sacks of them and mixing it with the stew, a wonderful fragrance permeated the air. No living creature should stand between Elena, Dred, and their food. Charging at the large pot, they devoured all of it. Especially Dred¡­ I¡¯ll watch out for you. You eat a lot with that big body of yours! Elena thought, eyeing Dred. Seeing only a little amount left for them, Audrey and Jake left to hunt for themselves, their stomachs growling. After all of them had dinner, they went to bed. Jake was a little envious sometimes since he was the only one sleeping in a different room. Waking up, they decided to go on a little journey, towards a city. Elena had no intention to keep watching how Audrey and Jake were training. Dred transformed into his Wyvern form, and his skill also leveled up at the same time. Taking off, he flew towards a big city. It was about a hundred kilometers away, but with his speed, their travel didn¡¯t take more than twenty-five minutes. Flying among the skyscrapers, their shadows fell on the buildings. The sun shone brightly, but the wind was cooling her down perfectly. Using her Sense, it spread out in every way, finding numerous groups of humans. But all of them hid in houses and official buildings. This was because of Dred, naturally. When they saw a huge dragon-like creature flying towards them, they naturally felt afraid. Not bothering with any of them, they just flew over the city, back and forth. They just came to play around, but suddenly, ¡°Thanks for being here with me!¡± Elena shouted, surprising Dred a little. ¡°Haha, where else would I be?¡± He asked laughing. ¡°Haha, true. We are like brother and sister,¡± Elena replied, laughing happily. Just because she was a monster, it didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t enjoy the small things of life. Even if a monster, she was a humanoid type. The reason why she still had emotions. What did it even mean to be a monster? Was that all it took to be a monster that you had a monster body and killed mindlessly? The same with humans. In Elena¡¯s opinion, you could be a monster or a human as well. The only thing that mattered was¡­ how did you look at yourself? She called herself a monster for a reason. And it was related to her main goal. But she would never tell that to anyone unless she was strong enough to kill the same person. Dred nodded upon hearing her sentence, agreeing with her. ¡°We will finish what we were born for. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Dred said with a calm voice, soothing Elena. They had no idea what exactly was waiting for them after this place. Although it made them worry a little, they felt excited to find out. Spinning in the air, causing joy to Elena, Dred turned around and flew towards the mountain. The kids and those few people who she left alive were training seriously. She also told them about the area with a slower time-flow, so they still had a small place to retreat to if push came to shove. Their racial traits didn¡¯t work unless they knew of the threat. Those people would hate, despise and fear her eternally. But at the same time, at least they had a chance to live a life, unlike the other humans and monsters on this planet. They were working towards a broken future. Just as Elena predicted, they fought wars against each other, after getting to know the Rune of Biotic Enhance. Even though it was completely meaningless since they would die like that anyway. Landing on the mountain top, they spent another two days, before Audrey and Jake finally reached the peak of the ninety-ninth level. Having mostly the same amount of experience, Elena used Status to look at her stats for the last time, before stepping into the new world.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 99 EXP: 5967 / 6000
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devourer
Health: 172 175 / 172 175 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker
Strength: 36 023 Vitality: 34 435
Agility: 35 329 Will: 78
Intelligence: 37 231 Wisdom: 39 326
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.62 (21%); Water Lv.64 (33%); Wind Lv.65 (54%); Lightning Lv.64 (82%); Nature Lv.66 (69%); Earth Lv.68 (64%); Light Lv.63 (57%); Dark Lv.70 (61%); Cosmological Constant Lv.35 (42%) Resistances: Magical: 39 326 Physical: 18 011.5 Passive: Stamina: 172 175 Precision: 176 645
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 78 (83%) Mana Control Lv.55 (72%) Meditation Lv. 83 (94%) Sense Lv. 64 (32%) Stealth: Lv. 67 (32%) Necromancy Lv. 32 (41%) Gravity Lv. 30 (43%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 56 (32%) (+Active Skill) ShadowStep Lv. 100 Shadow Form Lv. 100 ¡­ Passive Skills: Ambush Lv.23 (43%)
Looking at her stats, she nodded before using Gravity to train their bodies. They kept looking at the experience continuously and timed it to reach six thousand at the same time. A black hole opened up below their feet and sucked them in. They had no chance to resist it. They entered, the real world¡­. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 8 - A new world Volume 2:Rebellion A new world Elena, Dred, Audrey, and Jake, appeared a few meters above an ocean. They barely had time to look around, before they fell into the water. Mixing the water and the wind element, Elena created a small land of ice. Jumping onto it, she helped up Audrey. Instead of shaking his body, Dred used Water Magic to dry himself. Looking around, they saw nothing but water. ¡°Ugh¡­ Why is this happening to us? How does this teleporting even work?¡± Frowning, Audrey whined with a dissatisfied face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Normally you don¡¯t get to these worlds in this manner. People are born¡­¡± Elena replied, pointing out the obvious. ¡°I should have been born here in that case!¡± Audrey exclaimed her hands on her hips. ¡°But then you wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to have me leeching on you,¡± Elena remarked with a grin on her face, adding, ¡°But fear not. Now that I reached the hundredth level, I can start my real training. My kind tends to do nothing but steal in our childhood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen that,¡± tying her red hair into a ponytail, Audrey remarked. ¡°This is such a wonderful sight!¡± Jake shouted out of nowhere, surprising them. He was looking at Elena and Audrey, one after the other. Looking down, they realized that their clothes were see-through. Elena kicked him in the stomach, making him fall back into the water. Using Water Magic, the girls dried themselves. A hand shot out of the water, grabbing the side of the land of ice. ¡°Haaah- Damn it, Elena! Is this how you treat your familiars?¡± Jake shouted, trying to catch his breath. Looking around, Elena sat down and allowed her notifications.
Lv Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive, Legendary)
Devourer Stealth Demonology
10 ... ... ...
100 Devour Skill Upgrade: Increases your devouring speed by 50% and the stats you gain by 20%. Poison: Poison will flow in your veins, turning you toxic. All of your attacks will have a dreadful effect. This is a passive skill. Demon: Allows you to transform into a demon. It increases your control over minions and summoned beings. Summoning related experiments will have a higher chance to succeed.
Without any thinking, Elena selected Demon, while Dred selected Poison. A black light shone on their bodies, as they started transforming. Elena grew wings on her back and horns on her forehead, with long claws on her hands. Pulling them back, she looked like before. She didn¡¯t find it necessary to change her looks when she just came here. Dred made a painful face as the toxic energy rushed through his veins. Tints of green appeared on his claws, adding to his ferocity, and the tip of his black fur turned green at a few places. As his transformation finished, he coughed out a dark green cloud. Grabbing his jaws, opening his mouth, Elena said, ¡°Oh, look at your teeth,¡± as she formed a water screen in front of him, showing the green color in his teeth. Releasing his jaws, Elena looked at Audrey and Jake with inquiring eyes, asking, ¡°What kind of specializations do you have?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything,¡± both of them said at the same time, shrugging their shoulders. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll surely get something soon,¡± Elena soothed them with a smile on her face. Since her race and class was a legendary one, she could pick an additional bonus to her class more often. Clapping her hands, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± she said as she activated her Demon form. Cutting her hand, she used her blood to draw a simple circle on the ice, with two triangles in them. If she wanted to know more, she had to learn more. This was just the most basic one. Sitting down, her legs crossed, she imagined a big fish in her mind. Pouring her Mana into the summoning circle, it started shining and soon took the shape of a rather big shark. It slipped into the water and circled around the Iceland. ¡°Great, now we won¡¯t have to use Wind Magic for who knows how long to reach the ground. Take us to a populated land,¡± Elena commanded. Since it had her blood, it had similar traits. After devouring a few fishes, it came back with knowledge in its mind. Using Nature Magic, Elena conjured a vine. The summoned shark bit on it, while Elena tied its other end on a few centimeters tall tower of ice. The shark swam towards their destination. ¡°That¡¯s really handy,¡± Audrey remarked with an envious look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you can learn it as well. You saw the basic circle. The specialization I picked on this level only increased the chance of my success. It was nothing new. With your class, I¡¯m sure that you have a high chance of succeeding,¡± Elena explained as she sat down and closed her eyes. It¡¯s time to use this brain of mine. If I can devour corpses and steal their strength, then why can¡¯t I do the same with the living? And if I can steal their genes, then why can¡¯t I take up their forms? There should be something blocking me from devouring the genes of living creatures. Which should be none other than the immune system. In that case, I should do something about that, Elena started pondering on her Devour, to upgrade it by herself. Opening her eyes, she used Sense to find a few fishes. Using her Devour, she started experimenting on them by creating tiny lifeforms of shadows, which entered the fishes¡¯ bodies and fought against their immune system. After hours of trying, she finally had a breakthrough and beat down a fish. She didn¡¯t make the fish rot. Instead, she stole away its strength, even though it was alive. As its strength faded, its lungs stopped moving, along with its whole body. Using Water Magic, Elena beheaded the fish and pulled it towards herself. Handing over the fish to Dred, ¡°Here, some food,¡± she said.
New Passive Skill Acquired: Shadow Bacteria
This is a newly invented skill, used alongside Devour. As this skill levels up, you can draw out more and more strength from living creatures, balancing your evolution speed, and decreasing the burden on your body.
Nodding, she fell back into her thoughts. If she was able to steal genes, then what made her stop from stealing spells? Although controlling other people¡¯s Mana is impossible, as it has their consciousness, I should be able to steal it. This will need a lot of control¡­ but I should be able to dismantle a spell and then propel it backward. But since I can¡¯t control it, I can¡¯t dismantle it¡­ Ugh, I¡¯ll have to give a consciousness for my shadow, otherwise, it won¡¯t work. This will take lots of experimentation, she thought as she stood up, sighing loudly. ¡°What¡¯s up? Did you learn something new?¡± Audrey asked, hugging Elena from behind, her chin on Elena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I did, but Spellsteal won¡¯t work for the time being. I¡¯ll need to play with intelligent beings for that,¡± she replied, looking at the land in front of them. ¡°Damn it, Dred! How can you bear with this? Look at them!¡± Jake shouted, pointing at Audrey and Elena. They looked rather erotic¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t have those kinds of feelings, but touch Elena if you dare,¡± Dred replied, showing his teeth, growling. Holding up his arms, his eyes opened widely in surprise, ¡°Eh? I wouldn¡¯t dare to,¡± Jake remarked. ¡°They are just a nice sight. If only I¡¯d be as old as I was¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have to mind these kinds of things,¡± he mumbled silently, pouting. --- Fifteen minutes later, their little Iceland was stuck on the sand-covered beach. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was clear of clouds. There were quite a lot of people, sunbathing and playing in the water, taking it easy and enjoying their lives. The arrival of these four was weird, to say the least. Many people were looking at them with raised brows as if they were seeing clowns. Not bothering with the strange looks, the four of them left the beach and took their ways towards the city in front of them. There were clean roads, white buildings, and twenty meters tall, white walls were surrounding the city. The walls were made up of three cubic meters stones, stuck together with an unknown material. Arriving in front of the gate, they found a long line of people, who were waiting patiently. The guards were asking for identity cards, making Elena realize that they had nothing of the sort. ¡°What do you say? Should we just sneak in?¡± Leaning closer to Dred, Elena whispered into his right ear. Chuckling, ¡°if you want to stay here for a longer time, then no,¡± he replied. ¡°Hmm, you are right. We should gather some information and this city is really big. We should enter for now. I might just find some experiment material as well,¡± she said, eyeing the people in front of her. Spotting a pair of hooded people, she inspected them. Seeing that they weren¡¯t too powerful, her shadow snuck forward, until reaching the pair¡¯s shadow. I¡¯ll plant some bacteria into you and leave them dividing silently. I¡¯ll find you later, she thought with a grin on her face. Ten minutes later, she sighed loudly, seeing that only a few people were left in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m new here. I don¡¯t have an Identification Card¡±, a young boy said, catching Elena¡¯s ears. ¡°In that case, follow me,¡± one of the guards said with a smile on his face. Seeing the kind treatment, Elena eased up a little. When it was their turn, the same happened. Following behind the same guard as the boy did, Elena found herself in a circular room. The boy was standing in the middle, sucking on his finger. ¡°Are you new too? What¡¯s up? So many of you have come today. Come here and let me prick your finger,¡± the guard standing beside the boy, mumbled silently, and then called the four of them over. The boy stepped back, looking curiously at Elena. He had short, black hair, with brown eyes and a fit body. Feeling his gaze, Elena inspected him. He too was at the hundredth level and his class was a hunter. He looked over Audrey¡¯s body as well, not minding his surroundings. Elena held out her finger and watched as the needle penetrated her skin. As her blood flowed out, she held it above a card. Upon contact, her blood spread through the card, showing her name and a small image of her. Interesting. The person doing these must be strong, she thought with a smile on her face. When it was Dred¡¯s turn, he held up his paw. ¡°Hahaha, are you kidding me? ID card for monsters? You can take in your pet, as long as you can control it,¡± the guard explained, laughing loudly. Dred isn¡¯t just a monster¡­ Elena thought with a grin on her face, nodding. ¡°El-en-a~ So you are called Elena,¡± the boy said, leaning a little closer to read the text on her card. ¡°You better not do this again. It is not only rude but many would kill you for it,¡± the guard said, looking at the boy with his brows raised. Turning on her heel, Elena kicked him in the stomach with a sudden move. His eyes bulged out as he fell to the ground, coughing. Taking away his ID card, she read his name aloud. ¡°Shaw Derrel, the hunter,¡± she said with a smirk on her face, throwing back Derrel''s ID card. Rubbing his stomach, standing up, ¡°Ugh¡­ you are strong and quick. I just wanted to be friendly! Why did you kick me?¡± he asked. ¡°I too asked for your name kindly,¡± she replied with a smile on her face, her head tilted to the side. Audrey and Jake sighed at the same time, shaking their heads sideways. Before the Derrel could refute, the guard present talked. ¡°Alright. Enough of playing around. You are filling up this room¡­ Also, make sure that you will behave in the city unless you want to be punished.¡± ¡°What kind of punishment?¡± Audrey asked in her curiosity, her brows raised. ¡°The least you get is fine, then there is the prison for one day, one week, or you can get closed up for years. The worst is death, obviously. See this?¡± Showing his card to them, he pointed in the bottom right corner. ¡°This is the date of creation. This shows that you are new here. You better behave or else you can get in trouble more easily. And most importantly, respect the nobles,¡± he explained in a serious manner. ¡°Now leave. Nobles have golden cards, while you have iron cards. Make sure to remember that,¡± he added, pointing towards the door on his left. Turning the handle, pushing on the old wooden door, the five of them entered the city. ¡°Why are you following us?¡± Elena asked with an unbothered face, patting Dred¡¯s side. ¡°You too are new here. I just thought about tagging along,¡± he replied with a smile on his face. Tilting his head to the side, ¡°Should I leave?¡± he asked. Looking at the bag on his back, Elena saw that it had a bow in it. Shrugging her shoulders, she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Great! But aren¡¯t you too silent? Are you the cool beauty type?¡± Derrel asked with a grin on his face. Stopping beside Elena, he was about to put his elbow on her shoulder when Dred slapped him on the back, growling angrily. Derrel flew through the air, crashing into a wall. Sliding down on it, he stood up and looked at Dred with teary eyes, rubbing his nose. ¡°Damn it! What the hell? My nose might have broken,¡± he shouted, hearing the cracking sounds. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to touch my master~¡± Audrey said with a smile on her face, hugging Elena from behind. ¡°I¡¯m not your master. We are friends,¡± Elena corrected her, flicking her forehead as she turned around. ¡°But you are my master¡­ Am I not your friend?¡± Jake said in a low voice, feeling down. Waving her hand, ¡°you are, you are,¡± Elena said with a tired face, sighing loudly. Turning to look at the building on her right, she nodded saying, ¡°I¡¯ll ask for information here. You shall stay and wait.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± Audrey said with a bright smile, her hands behind her back. ¡°Her fingers are crossed,¡± Jake pointed out, betraying Audrey. ¡°Whatever, I just don¡¯t want all of you to come in,¡± Elena said, closing the door behind her. Derrel and Audrey rushed after her and found themselves in a nice inn. The interior was decorated with shiny, dark brown wooden planks, mixing well with the white stone. There were well-organised tables and chairs, and a bar on the other side of the building. Stopping in front of the counter, Elena sat down on the chair in front of it, placing her hand on the bar. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± A petite girl with short brown hair asked her with a slightly tired looking smile. Audrey and Derrel sat down beside Elena, who said, ¡°I need information. We are new here, as you can see,¡± showing the date on her ID card. ¡°Could you help?¡± She asked, her head tilted to the side. Seeing the girl¡¯s nod, she talked. ¡°Firstly, how can we earn money here? Secondly, how much is a night here. Thirdly, the leading powers here or something that I should watch out for?¡± After thinking about it for a few seconds, the girl replied, ¡°To your first question, you can do hard labor, run errands, or hunt monsters for ingredients. To your second question, one night is two silver coins per person in the common rooms. It¡¯s a little expensive, but the food and stay we provide is superb! The rooms are clean and we have baths.¡± Seeing that she was getting out of hand, Elena raised her hand, stopping her. ¡°Ah, sorry. Work habit,¡± the girl said, scratching the back of her head. To your last question, the villa in the middle of the city isthe Mayor¡¯s house. He is the one, managing the taxes and the main leader of the city. You better not be impolite or disrespectful to him or the least of your worries will be the prison. He isn¡¯t a bad man, but he doesn¡¯t like unruly people.¡± ¡°Once he stayed here for a night and sent a guy to the prison, for eating like a pig¡­ To be honest, I agreed with him on that¡­ But the major rarely leaves his villa, except when he goes to the forest to fight against powerful monsters. Who you should be more careful of is a rich merchant, called Rhoderick. He owns thirty percent of the stores in the city and he is really greedy.¡± ¡°He came even here to buy this Inn. But the owner sent him away. He blackmailed many stores and bribed many guards before. Be careful with him, or you might end in a prison for a few weeks or years,¡± she explained, whispering towards the end. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll pay you back for the information,¡± Elena replied with a smile, standing up to leave. ¡°No need. Just come here to sleep!¡± She said, waving her hand. Leaving the inn, Elena looked at Dred and Jake. They were sitting in a straight posture, at the corner of the building, looking at the ground. ¡°Ah! You are out. You should hide Dred. People keep looking at him fearfully. His body is too big for any person to handle his presence as normal,¡± Jake said, standing up. Dred went into the alleyway and crept back into Elena¡¯s shadow. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t coming back, Derrel scratched the back of his head. ¡°Did you just send him away?¡± He asked, his head tilted to the side. ¡°No, he is with me,¡± Elena said with a smirk on her face, looking at Derrel. ¡°But I can¡¯t see it anywhere¡­ Now that I think about it, you don¡¯t have presences either! Just who are you?¡± he asked, dying of curiosity. Not saying anything, Elena jumped onto the nearest rooftop, rushing through the city like a shadow. Seeing it, Audrey and Jake sighed loudly, knowing that they had to catch up now. ¡°If only we could have used our ShadowForm,¡± Jake mumbled silently. ¡°This is your fault!¡± He shouted, pointing at Derrel. ¡°Eh? What? Me? Why?¡± He asked, pointing at himself, not understanding anything. Seeing Jake and Audrey leave as well, he ran after them. Leaving the city behind, Dred raised up between her legs. Sitting on his back, she waited for Audrey and Jake to catch up. ¡°Boing, boing, boing,¡± Elena ridiculed Audrey, looking at her chest. Showing her middle finger, she entered Dred¡¯s shadow, along with Jake, who sneaked glances at Audrey every so often. Dred ran towards the forest, leaving even sportscars in shame. As Dred¡¯s paws touched the ground, Elena looked around. The forest was tremendous, dark, and thriving. The canopy was demanded by Oak trees, with barely any openings left. There wasn¡¯t much grass on the ground, and only the roars of the animals far away could be heard.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. They didn¡¯t stop until feeling numerous presences. Pulling out her spear, Elena stood ready to one shot her opponents. Seeing a few green skinned, humanoid monsters, Elena used Inspect.
Name: None Race: Goblin
Level: 103 Threat Level: 1
Feeling confident of their strength and their abilities, Dred jumped into the middle of the group of goblins. He landed right on top of a goblin, which was about to use some kind of magical attack. Tearing off its head, he turned towards the two on his left. Thrusting her spear forward, Elena killed one of them instantly, while her shadow started devouring the other one. Not wishing to leave the fun to her, Jake jumped out of Dred¡¯s shadow, punching the goblin in the face. His huge strength broke its skull, turning it into a bloody mist. Rising out of the ground, Audrey snapped her fingers, as two huge fireballs flew towards the goblins on the right. Quickly turning around, they jumped to the side. Waiting for them on both sides, Elena and Dred swung their spear and paw, killing the remaining goblins. Spinning her spear to shake off the blood, Elena looked at Audrey with a smirk on her face, saying, ¡°Were you not too flashy? Haha.¡± ¡°Uh. You are such a bully,¡± she replied with a pout, squatting down beside the goblin, poking its rotten skin. Devouring their bodies, they barely gained anything. Sensing a presence behind them and hearing the rustling leaves, they pointed their weapons towards the incoming person. Derrel rushed through the thicket, a short sword in hand. ¡°God!¡± He shouted in his surprise, feeling the tip of Elena¡¯s spear on his face. ¡°How did you find us?¡± Elena asked, pointing her spear on his throat. ¡°A-Although you don¡¯t have presences, you have tracks and smell,¡± he replied, leaning backward to get further away from the spear. Sniffing herself, ¡°A-Are you saying that we smell?¡± Audrey asked with a despaired face. Elena raised a brow, seeing Audrey¡¯s behavior, before she started chuckling, and then broke out in a laughter. Raising his hands, waving them, ¡°N-No! I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I meant that you have a nice smell! Especially you girls! I can¡¯t help but sniff you! Right!¡± he shouted with an anxious face. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, ¡°Now, that is weird,¡± Jake said with a smirk on his face. ¡°Audrey, please don¡¯t bully random people. Look at his anxious face, he might just die of embarrassment,¡± Elena said, sighing loudly. Sticking out her tongue, Audrey hugged Elena from behind. Seeing Audrey¡¯s napewith the tight-fitting clothes on the girls, Derrel gulped loudly. ¡°Haha, now there is someone who understands my pain!¡± Jake laughed with a blissful face, pointing at Derrel. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Elena said, separating from Audrey. Sitting on top of Dred, they moved forward. ¡°Ah, wait!¡± Realizing that he was being left behind, Derrel shouted after them. Raising out of Elena¡¯s shadow, ¡°What do you want to do with him?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°If he keeps following us, he will pay the price. Death or servitude,¡± Dred replied in a low growl, surprising both of the girls. ¡°Yeah, I thought the same,¡± Elena added. ¡°You are so cruel. He is just a boy~ Hahaha. Seriously though, do you want to devour the city?¡± Audrey asked with a curious face, tilting her head to the side. Grabbing her red hair, tied into a ponytail, pulling her head closer, ¡°I might do. I¡¯m not sure about it yet,¡± Elena whispered into her ears silently. ¡°Alright. There is a monster in front of us, be careful,¡± Audrey warned with a serious face, ready to attack anytime. Seeing a lion in front of them, they killed it in a few moves. Considering that it was a stronger monster, they watched out for its fur. Looking at its corpse, Elena smirked as she said, ¡°Now look at the power of the shadows!¡± As the corpse of the lion was covered in her shadow, it separated the skin from the muscles and fat. She skinned the two meters tall lion in no more than two seconds. Followed by this, she devoured its muscles, leaving the whole skin of the lion in one piece. After using Water Magic to clean it, she folded it and put it into her storage space. Derrel caught up, only to see them leaving. Running after them, he was left dumbfounded upon seeing the next scene. Elena and Audrey were using all kinds of elements to attack the hordes of goblins. Even if the goblins used some kind of Magic, those two were destroying them. Meanwhile, Jake and Dred were piling up the corpses in melee combat, combined with their enchanted bodies and quick elemental magic. The hobgoblin in the middle stood up. Roaring, it charged towards Elena and Audrey. But before it could do anything, Dred appeared behind it. Swiping with his paw, his claws bore their ways into the hobgoblin¡¯s back, leaving five, deep wounds in its back. A green liquid spread through its wound as it fell forward. Standing up, it was met with a ball of Dark Magic. Its body rotted in just two seconds. ¡°W-What the hell?! You can use so many elements?!¡± Derrel shouted with a flabbergasted face. Leaning closer to Elena¡¯s ears, Audrey whispered, ¡°What does he mean? Is it not normal to know all of them?¡± Doing the same, ¡°No. People shouldn¡¯t know anything about the elements. It was supposed to be an advantage of mine. Many people don¡¯t know more than one or two elements for a long time and learn about their secrets only later on. Usually, only people with powerful masters have the luck to know how to use every element,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°Do you have a master or what?¡± Derrel pushed on, not sparing effort to learn about the truth. ¡°No, this is a common thing in the world we came from,¡± Audrey replied with a proud face, her chest stuck out. Blushing, Derrel turned away, looking at her only from the corners of his eyes. ¡°Damn it! I can¡¯t believe this! I was working hard to learn Dark Magic and Nature Magic. I thought that I was really good¡­ yet you can control all of them at this level!¡± Derrel mumbled silently, turning around, kicking into a small rock. It bounced back from the tree in front of him, hitting his forehead. Falling on his back, he looked up, only to see the part between Audrey¡¯s legs. ¡°Black,¡± he muttered, rubbing his forehead, looking at her long, slim and well-toned legs. ¡°LET ME KILL HIM!¡± Jake shouted at Elena, almost begging. Raising her right leg, Audrey stomped on Derrel¡¯s face, knocking him out. Although she didn¡¯t show it on her face, she felt even more annoyed. With higher wisdom, people had better control over their emotions and they showed less of it. They turned more and more introverted as they grew and shut out new relationships. Opening her red lips, ¡°Hmph, you won¡¯t remember anything after this,¡± she said with a snort. Long and thick vines grew out of the ground under her control, coiling around his body, pulling him towards a tree. Tying it around the trunk, they sat down and started meditating. ¡°This is your fault¡­ I wanted to talk to him and now you knocked him off,¡± Elena said, sitting down with an unhappy face. Twenty minutes later, Derrel started regaining his consciousness. Slowly raising his head, he looked around, his eyes hazy. Seeing Elena squatting in front of him, his eyes opened wide in his surprise. ¡°Yo~ It seems like you woke up,¡± she remarked, waving her hand in front of him. Trying to touch his aching head, he realized that he couldn¡¯t move. ¡°What are you doing? Release me!¡± he shouted with an angry face. Elena put her finger on his chin, turning his head towards her. ¡°You¡¯ll reply to a few of my questions, else I¡¯ll let Audrey take out her wrath on you,¡± she said, pointing at Audrey, who was cracking her fingers. In fact, she wasn¡¯t even angry with him. They were just playing a game with him. Feeling the hot flames coming from Audrey¡¯s palms, only a few centimeters away from his face, ¡°Eh? I¡¯m sorry! It was just an accident! What do you want to know?¡± he said with a hurried face, trying to back away as much as possible. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you want to talk~ You see, you too are new to the city. At your age, that is really weird. Do we have to register every time we go into a city?¡± Releasing his chin, she asked with a smile on her face. Making a surprised face, ¡°What? How would I know? I came from another planet! I wasn¡¯t born at this place,¡± he replied. Furrowing her brows, Elena made a thoughtful face. Not being able to hold his mouth, ¡°Did you come from Kriton by any chance? But that shouldn¡¯t be possible. You can¡¯t be that quick unless¡­¡± Jake inquired, making the same face as Elena. ¡°Kriton? What is that place? Another planet?¡± Seeing them nod, he continued, ¡°No. Where I came from, I count as a normal person. After being born, my parents brought me up and tutored me. My father was proficient at Dark Magic, while my mother taught me how to use Nature Magic. I learned a little of this and that since then¡­ Anyway, I just reached the hundredth level and was teleported here. Just like how it had to be.¡± Hearing Derrel¡¯s words, Elena mumbled silently, ¡°It seems like there are different planets connected to this one. Hmm~ Interesting,¡± looking at Derrel, she asked, ¡°What about technology?¡± ¡°Technology? What about it? Do you mean Magic?¡± Seeing his confused face, Elena was clear of doubts. He didn¡¯t even know what did it mean. She was curious if the other planet was like Kriton, but it wasn¡¯t like that. Tilting her head to the side, ¡°Do you want strength? The kind of strength we have? If you do, then sell me your soul,¡± Elena said with a smirk on her face. His eyes passionate, ¡°Strength¡­ Can you really make me that strong?¡± he asked with a serious face. Seeing Elena nod, he gulped loudly, but he still felt wrong to accept the deal. ¡°No. I won¡¯t do it. Even if I¡¯m young and wild, I¡¯m not as stupid as you think.¡± Smiling, Elena stood up saying, ¡°Oh, well. Although it is a little sad, it is your choice. But you will have to stop following us in that case unless you want to die~¡± Without him even noticing how or when did it appear, he felt the tip of Elena¡¯s dagger on his throat. Gulping loudly, he said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± she replied, her dagger disappearing just as mysteriously as it appeared. Elena swung her palm towards Derrel¡¯s face, who closed his eyes reflexively. Not feeling anything, he opened his right eye, only to see nothing but the gloomy forest. Gulping loudly, he raised his hands. ¡°Damn it¡­ these people are dangerous. I better be careful of them in the future. But this Elena is the worst. I have goosebumps on my back whenever I think about her,¡± he muttered silently, rubbing the goosebumps on the skin on his arms. -------------- When Elena moved her hand, Audrey used Nature Magic to release Derrel, while all of them used their Shadow Forms to leave. Stopping a few kilometers away, Audrey asked, ¡°What do you plan to do with him? It¡¯s not like you to let go of your prey so easily.¡± Tilting her head to the side, looking at Audrey with an amused face, she asked, ¡°Am I not like that? Who knows~¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ such a vile character. If I wouldn¡¯t be on your side, I¡¯d advise everyone to avoid you in an area of a hundred kilometers,¡± Jake remarked with a stiff face, shaking his head sideways. ¡°Eh? I¡¯m not that bad. Also, he is the real evil,¡± Elena said, pointing at Dred. ¡°Hahaha, Dred does nothing but protect you. If not for his obsession with you, I¡¯d say that he is normal. But you¡­ You picked your words so nicely for me to fall into your trap. Well, I don¡¯t mind it. I have a clear goal and a reason to live. Our lives will be long and fulfilling. I can also do many things freely and maybe have a family in the future. Anyway, do you want to make him serve you? I¡¯d rather hug you girls to myself-¡± Jake started his usual bullshitting, but was interrupted by Dred¡¯s paw. ¡°Hey, hey! No need to attack me, I was just kidding!¡± Jake replied, raising his arms to defend himself. ¡°He too is just joking, else you would be dead by now,¡± Elena remarked with a chuckle. They hunted down numerous monsters throughout the day, storing their skins, horns, fangs, claws, or anything that seemed usable. With backpacks on their backs, they went back to the city. The sky was gray as the weather was turning for the worse. Considering that it was dawn and the clouds were coming, they didn¡¯t have to stand in line to enter the city. The streets were turning emptier by the minutes. Stopping a girl who looked fifteen years of age, Elena asked, ¡°Hi. Could you tell me where can I sell these?¡± showing the pelts on her back. ¡°Follow this road and turn to the right at the first opportunity. Not the slums, obviously. If you want to sell these as luxury items, then look for the crossed needles sign. If you want to sell them as armor, then look for a shop which has armors in the show-window,¡± she replied with a smile. As Elena thanked the girl for her help, she ran away, holding her food-filled basket over her head. Feeling a few drops of rain falling on her chin, Elena followed the girl''s example. Finding the luxury store, all of them entered. Shaking her wet, black hair, the water drops splashed on the ground. ¡°What are you doing in my shop?! This isn¡¯t a place to clean yourself!¡± The shopkeeper shouted with an angry face. He was about a hundred and seventy centimeters tall, wearing a white shirt and trousers, fixed with a black belt around his waist. He looked around forty years of age and he had a slim body, blue eyes, and a small mustache, with short, brown hair. ¡°Ah, pardon me. We came to sell these,¡± not wasting each other¡¯s time, Elena replied, rolling out the intact pelts of the monsters they killed. ¡°T-This is! How did you do this?!¡± The shopkeeper asked with a flabbergasted face, his eyes bulged. Raising a finger, Elena said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s Magic!¡± Smelling business, the shopkeeper turned much more polite. ¡°Ah, pardon for my rudeness. Miss must be from a good family. You surely had a long travel and my eyes couldn¡¯t see the truth! My name is Vetranio Urias,¡± he introduced himself with a bow, not forgetting to drop in another boot-licking, ¡°Miss must be a Master of Magic.¡± Audrey turned around chuckling, while Jake coughed, trying to hold back their laughter. They found Vetranio to be ridiculous. Clearing her throat, Elena acted as if she didn¡¯t have such feelings. ¡°Yes. I had a long travel and killed these trash monsters on the way. How much would you give for them? Don¡¯t try to scam me, I know the prices clearly,¡± she replied with a threatening face. His forehead sweaty, ¡°I w-wouldn¡¯t dare to,¡± Vetranio replied, wiping it with a white handkerchief. ¡°Let me see them,¡± stepping out from behind the counter, he observed the pelts. ¡°Although these are weak monsters, their furs are truly soft and clean. You even managed to keep all of these in one piece. It isn¡¯t smelling from dirt and isn¡¯t bloody. Definitely a high-grade luxury item,¡± he muttered silently. Standing up, he made a thoughtful face before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll give you two golds for each of them.¡± ¡°Three,¡± Elena said with a smile on her face. As her memories told it, money was the same everywhere. A hundred bronze meant one silver and a hundred silver meant one gold. ¡°Two gold and twenty silver,¡± Vetranio said, stomping on the ground. ¡°Two gold and seventy-five silver.¡± Stomping on the ground again, rolling his mustache, he said, ¡°Two gold and fifty silver. No more!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Elena replied with a smile, nodding her head. After paying them, the shopkeeper quickly packed up the monster''s pelts and carried them to the back of the shop with a bright smile on his face. He could sell each of them for four gold, which means that he would almost double the money he spent. Not being greedy, Elena didn¡¯t care how much the guy just earned. She just wanted to have it easy in the inn. After selling the remaining items to the armor shop, Elena had twelve gold coins and ninety silver coins in her little bag. ¡°We made it big with trash. Luxury is nice,¡± Audrey laughed at the people, who wasted their money on these kinds of things. ¡°Oh, well. Why would they not do it? They can afford it and these pelts look good in their houses. It¡¯s good for everyone,¡± Jake remarked, disagreeing with Audrey. ¡°You are interesting as a retired soldier,¡± Dred chimed in, surprising everyone. It was a rare event for them to hear his voice. Raising a brow, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Jake asked. ¡°I meant that you seem to appreciate such things like art and comfort,¡± Dred replied, looking at him. Chuckling, Audrey and Elena nodded. Scratching the back of his head, he said, ¡°After spending twenty years in the army, of course, I like comfort, though I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m for art¡­¡± ¡°Alright, enough chatting. Let¡¯s run,¡± Elena said, stepping out from under the terrace of the armor shop, running towards the inn. Reaching the inn in the downpour, they rushed through the door, catching the attention of the people inside. Pulling off her hood, coated from shadows, Elena touched her hair. Feeling that it was quite dry, she nodded with a satisfied smile on her face. Stopping in front of the counter, there was another girl this time. ¡°Good evening. What can I help you with?¡± she asked with a polite smile on her face. ¡°Two common rooms for three nights. I¡¯ll extend our stay if necessary,¡± Elena replied, leaning on the counter. After counting in her head, ¡°It will be thirteen silver and fifty bronze coins for the three of you,¡± the girl said. She didn¡¯t know about Dred, who was lurking in Elena¡¯s shadow. ¡°Eh? The girl before you said that it was two silver coins per person per night,¡± Elena pointed out with a surprised face, thinking that the other girl wanted to scam her. ¡°Yes, it is like that if you spend your nights in different rooms. But one of you will stay in the same room, so I counted only the price of the food, meaning fifty bronze coins per night.¡± the girl explained with a smile. ¡°Oh, alright. Here it is,¡± she said with a nod of her head, pulling out a gold coin. Giving them two keys, the innkeeper received the money and told them that they could have dinner until ten o¡¯clock. Saying that they would come back in a moment, all three of them rushed up the stairs. Finding their rooms, Jake looked at Elena and Audrey with a dissatisfied look on his face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep with me? Or I could sleep on the ground as well!¡± he shouted after them, seeing the door being closed. Sighing loudly, he stepped into his room. ¡°Haah- I miss the old days. Elena should hurry up with her kingdom. I want to get laid with nice girls!¡± He mumbled silently, talking to himself, dreaming of the day he would be the king of Elena¡¯s kingdom. That was his purpose since Elena wouldn¡¯t bother with things like managing a kingdom. Seeing a bathtub in the corner of the room, Jake decided to clean his body. ¡°Haah- other girls¡­ I¡¯m interested in a single one,¡± he muttered to himself. Meanwhile, in the other room¡­ ¡°This is too little for the two of us¡­ get out!¡± Elena exclaimed, pushing Audrey, who was trying to rub her face on Elena¡¯s body. Raising a brow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she asked. ¡°I want your blood! I feel thirsty for some reason!¡± Audrey replied with a serious face. ¡°Oh¡­ Is it that time already? You are the only type of the blood servants, who need to drink my blood regularly, else you will die,¡± Elena said with a calm face, spilling the truth about Audrey¡¯s tattoos. ¡°Eh? Seriously? Why would I die?¡± Pulling her red hair behind her ears, she said with a surprised face. ¡°My blood is necessary for your type because if I give you my blood, it means that you are still favored by me. If let¡¯s say, I¡¯m unsatisfied with you and don¡¯t like you anymore, then I don¡¯t even have to do anything. If I don¡¯t let you drink my blood, then you will die in a few months. This is because your type is usually close to the Shadow Progenitor, which means that you know most of my secrets,¡± Elena replied with a smile, flicking Audrey¡¯s nose. Pulling her hair to the side, she held her neck for Audrey. Feeling a sudden urge, she jumped at her, biting into her neck. A hot feeling filled her body as she drank Elena¡¯s blood, refreshing the old one in her. Unless refreshed, the old blood would devour her body. Pulling out her lengthened canine teeth, she used Cosmological Constant to make them look the same as before. Licking the sides of her lips, she smiled at Elena. ¡°What about Jake?¡± Elena asked with a smile on her face, looking at Audrey. ¡°What do you mean?¡± the latter replied as if she didn¡¯t understand her meaning. ¡°It seems like girls like to keep secrets,¡± Dred remarked, lying on the bed, his eyes closed. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that it would feel weird to talk about it. But I guess he is likable,¡± Audrey replied, pulling her head under the water. Chuckling at her shy reaction, Elena got out of the bathtub, drying her body with Magic. ¡°Hmm~ What sort of clothing should I wear?¡± she talked to herself. Shrugging her shoulders, her shadows turned into a black shirt and hotpants on her body. ¡°Are you trying to seduce someone?¡± Audrey questioned, standing up. ¡°Huh? Why? I have everything covered,¡± Elena replied, not really understanding. ¡°Dred, tell her that she is inexperienced with men!¡± Audrey said, looking at Dred and pointing at Elena. ¡°She is, but I¡¯ll bite either way,¡± he replied, showing his sharp teeth. As Audrey finished, they left the room and knocked on Jake¡¯s door. Opening it, he gulped loudly upon seeing Audrey wearing the same set as Elena. ¡°Damn it, you are making it hard for me on purpose,¡± he cursed while looking at the girls. Laughing at him, they turned around saying,¡°Let¡¯s go and eat.¡± Looking at their backs, he gulped once again before closing the door behind him, following them. As they entered the first floor, they caught the attention of the hungry wolves. Dred stayed in the room to meditate and improve Shadow Bacteria. Sitting down at an empty table, they waited for the serving girl to come. But instead of the girl, a teenager guy who looked the age of twenty came out. Stopping beside the table, ¡°What can I serve you with, ladies?¡± he asked with a smile. His brows twitching, ¡°Am I not going to get food?¡± Jake asked with a smirk on his face. Realizing that there was someone else as well, the guy bowed saying, ¡°I apologize for my mistake.¡± Clicking his tongue, Meh, I could have bullied you if you would have reacted differently. But look at your drooling face, though I understand your feelings, Jake thought. After ordering their food, everyone ate and went back to their rooms. Dred filled himself with the monsters they hunted, so he wasn¡¯t in need of nutrients either. As usual, Elena put her legs on Dred¡¯s back, using him as a soft and furry pillow, while Audrey hugged her from behind. ¡°Wait, how come Dred isn¡¯t too big?¡± Realizing something strange, Audrey questioned him. ¡°I can change my shape. Rebuilding my whole body would be risky, but decreasing the size is child¡¯s play,¡± he replied, closing his eyes to sleep. Not caring about the matter anymore, everyone fell asleep. The next day they turned their shadows into their usual clothes. Black leggings with boots, a vest over their shirts and a black cape over all of these. Jake left his room, almost at the same times as Elena and Audrey. ¡°Yo!¡± He said, raising his hand. ¡°Morning~¡± they greeted him in a sweet tone. As they were having breakfast, a few people gulped loudly from those who have seen what were those capes hiding. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you try to talk to them?¡± ¡°No, you go.¡± ¡°Like hell, I¡¯d get destroyed. I¡¯m shy.¡± Such whisperings resounded in the room. In the middle of everything, the doors were swung open as a boy came in. He seemed to be really beat down as there was dirt in his short black hair and his clothes were dirty. With long steps, he walked towards the counter. ¡°One cheap room for one night please,¡± he said in a tired voice, dropping a few silver coins in front of the innkeeper. She was the same who Elena asked for information. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Derrel?¡± Audrey whispered into Elena¡¯s right ear, gulping down her food. Although it was nothing fancy, it was tasty and fulfilling. Nodding her head, Elena didn¡¯t say anything. But the evil smile that appeared at the corners of her mouth didn¡¯t escape Audrey¡¯s eyes. Audrey shook her head sideways, continuing with her meal. Elena looked at Derrel from the corners of her eyes as she pulled off her hood. I¡¯ll make you face your weakness. I bet that he worked hard to earn that much money, while we had it really easy. He made the mistake of looking at us like rivals. Anyone doing such a thing is doomed to end as my servant or a corpse. After he keeps losing in comparison to us for a long time, he will lose hope and fall into my hands. It¡¯s only a question of time. I¡¯ll see if three days are enough, she thought, not showing anything on her face. Turning around, Derrel noticed them. They were clean and fresh-looking and the bag of coins on the table didn¡¯t escape his eyes either. Elena intentionally placed it there when nobody was looking. His lips quivering, he waved at them. Smiling back, Elena did the same. As they finished, they took their plates to the counter. ¡°Hi~ How was your day?¡± Audrey asked him with a smile, leaning slightly forward. Even if Elena didn¡¯t tell her plans, she wasn¡¯t stupid and understood it after the events this morning. ¡°Ahh, good morning. It was¡­ tiring. But I made quite a lot. And you?¡± he asked, looking at the bag of coins on Elena¡¯s hips. ¡°I guess you have more silver than me, hehe. Well, I was alone,¡± he said with an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Silver? No. We have gold,¡± Audrey said with a bright smile, crushing Derrel¡¯s confidence. ¡°Ugh¡­ it must be good to be strong. Now I¡¯ll go and sleep if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Derrel remarked with an envious face, turning around to go towards his room. Looking at Elena one last time, her words resounded in his ears. ¡°Do you want strength? The kind of strength we have? If you do, then sell me your soul.¡± Shaking his head sideways, he fought against the idea. ¡°Mhh~ Let¡¯s go,¡± Elena said, stretching her body. Leaving the inn, they went towards the slums. ¡°What do you want in such a creepy place?¡± Audrey asked, feeling goosebumps on her skin as the wind rushed through between the buildings, blowing against them. Dred raised out of Elena¡¯s shadow, replying to her question with a growl, ¡°We will take over the underworld. So we shall find the gangs.¡± ¡°Eh? Why do you want to control these gangs?¡± Audrey asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Why, you ask? To devour them all of course.¡± Elena replied with a smile, licking her cherry lips. ¡°You are worse than a snake¡­¡± Jake remarked, earning a sudden slap on the back of his head. Turning around, there was nobody but Dred¡­ Her eyes turning into slits, Elena looked at Jake with a savage smile. ¡°Of course I am~¡± Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 9 - Taking the first steps Taking the first steps Treading through the alleyways, the group found a shady, old-looking, wooden door. Unlike the other parts of the city, there were no stone pathways here. The ground was dirty and filled with trash. Rats were running back and forth from time to time and the disgusting smell made people think twice about staying here for even one more second. But there were still people who lived in these parts of the city. The people who didn¡¯t wish to live in the dangerous forests and didn¡¯t want to be controlled by the law. Although killing in the city was against the law, as long as the guards didn¡¯t notice it, anyone could be killed. There were people who didn¡¯t have a big family or were living alone. Gangs blackmailed those people. Since no one wanted to die and were afraid of reporting these gangs, they could move around unrestricted. Naturally, the guards weren¡¯t idiots. As the size of these shady groups grew, they too caught wind of their infamous behavior. But in fact, they didn¡¯t make a move and purge these bands. Elena knew this. She knew that this had only one meaning. There was an influential person leading the gangs, who bribed the guards. Her current goal was to find this mysterious leader and take his place. She didn¡¯t want to control these people, but the leader must be truly powerful to control so many people. If she could kill that person, she could get stronger in a much shorter time. The city being cleared of the trash would be nothing but a side effect. In the best case scenario, she would be rewarded for it in the future. At least, that was what she was hoping for. But to get there, she had to get into the gang. Using her Sense, she found a few people behind the door. The problem was that she had no way to gauge their powers. ¡°I¡¯ll go in,¡± Dred whispered in a low voice, turning into his Shadow Form. With his stealth abilities, he easily got through the door, without anyone noticing. The interior was similar to a pub, except for the old wooden chairs and tables. The tidiness of the room was definitely not the best point of the place either. Inspecting a few people, Dred noticed that there wasn¡¯t a big difference of power among the members.
Name: Frank Race: Human
Level: 142 Threat Level: 5
Class: Brawler Allegiance: Blue Thorns
Leaving the building, ¡°Their threat levels are five, only two of them being above the hundred and the fortieth level, with threat levels of five,¡± Dred said. Thanks to the high level of his inspect skill, he was able to see the guy¡¯s class. Meanwhile, Blue Thorns was the name of the group. ¡°Hmm~ A frontal attack definitely wouldn¡¯t work. We will have to get one of those two. Once I can transform into their looks and gain their memories, I might find out everything!¡± Elena whispered with hopeful eyes, clenching her fists. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to use Cosmological Constant? It would be easier,¡± Audrey remarked, raising a brow. ¡°Huh? How would it be easier? I can¡¯t control it as well as you¡­ Also, if I were to simply turn into our target¡¯s looks, we would be found out. I have to kill him and take his place, not to mention that I can¡¯t steal his memories if he is alive,¡± Elena answered, talking a bit louder than necessary. Hearing hurried steps nearing the doors, they quickly turned into their Shadow Forms and fled. Two thugs swung open the door and looked around. After using their senses without any results, they went back to the shady pub, shrugging their shoulders. Stepping on the main street, Elena said, ¡°We should get some weapons. Any ideas? I could try smithing, but we not only lack materials but even my skills are mediocre. I need more experience.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You can always try. But there is a problem. I don¡¯t think that Veranio would buy the monster pelts for the second time. He has to sell the ones we sold him yesterday. So earning money might be harder than before for the time being. We should get by with what we have for now,¡± Audrey remarked upon hearing her words. Furrowing her brows, Elena put her hand on her chin as she muttered, ¡°You¡¯re right, though we can still sell the monster parts. Let¡¯s go and earn some money!¡± They left the city and spent a few hours in the forest, hunting monsters. They gained experience and strength at the same time. The days were the same as on Kriton. Twenty-four hours long. Going back to the city, they looked up at the brightly shining sun. It was only 2:00 p.m. After selling everything they¡¯ve got, they earned another two gold coins. It was nowhere near the amount they earned yesterday, but it was still a lot, their current levels considered. But thanks to working together and fighting as a team, they managed to hunt much stronger monsters, which were worth more. It happened by chance that they came across Derrel, who was following a woman, who looked to be the age of thirty. ¡°Hello,¡± he said, waving his hand. The woman stopped and followed Derrel¡¯s sight. ¡°Who are they? Do you know them?¡± she asked, raising a brow. ¡°Hi. We don¡¯t really know each other, but we did meet a few times,¡± Elena replied before Derrel could, stopping in front of them. After introducing themselves, they asked for the woman¡¯s name. ¡°I¡¯m called Sal Horner. This boy is helping me with my matters. You could join if you want to,¡± she said, offering a job. ¡°It depends. What should we do and what do we get?¡± Elena questioned her. ¡°I lost my dog! I was looking for hunters with tracking ability. If you have anything of the sort, then you are welcome to join the search. The one who finds it will earn one silver coin as a reward¡± she explained, adding with a worried face. ¡°You know, I really need help with this. My daughter has got it for her birthday. If I don¡¯t find him now, then she will cry for days!¡± After making a thoughtful face, Elena said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t wish to leave Derrel with an empty stomach. This must be very important to him.¡± Derrel''s brows twitched upon hearing her words. Feeling his pride hurt once again, he exclaimed with a proud face, ¡°Hah! As if you could find that dog earlier than me.¡± Hearing his words, ¡°What? Do you want to sleep outside?¡± Elena asked with a provocative face. A feeling of foreboding welled up in his heart, but he believed that he shouldn¡¯t back away at such a moment. Gulping loudly, he confirmed Elena¡¯s doubts. ¡°Oh? In that case, we will help. But I need information or smithing material, instead of money,¡± Elena replied. ¡°Great! But why the smithing material? Could it be that you can smith? At such a young age?¡± Sal questioned her. It was a win for her. There would be a boy and a whole group looking for the dog, while she would have to pay only for one person. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I am good at it, but yes, I have the basics down,¡± Elena replied, shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s still a great performance! If you can control three elements, then you could easily get into a school,¡± she remarked, patting Elena¡¯s shoulder. Hahaha, why the hell would I go to a school? We have to create our own spells and I know every element there is. The most I could do there is devour people, but I don¡¯t have to join to do that. Hm~ I might visit that place and kill a few people in it. Alright, one more thing added to my to-do list, she thought as an evil smile formed on her face. ¡°Do you have anything that your dog touched?¡± Audrey asked, seeing that Elena was lost in her thoughts. ¡°Yes. I thought that hunters would need it. This is a bone toy of his. He is about fifty centimeters tall and has dark brown fur. I¡¯m sure that you can find him,¡± Sal mentioned the details, holding a bone in front of Elena. Taking it, Dred rushed up from Elena¡¯s shadow and took the shape of a black light on her hand. Sniffing the bone, he went back to Elena¡¯s shadow. ¡°You can have this. Wait in Woodland Hotel. That¡¯s where we reside for the time being,¡± she said, giving back the bone. Turning around, she threw her long, black hair over her shoulders. All four of them disappeared in a flash. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t waste his time, Derrel too got to work. But he soon realized his problem. He was in a city and tracking didn¡¯t mean that he could track anything and anywhere. He had to find tracks to do so¡­ Feeling lost, he started asking around. Meanwhile¡­ ¡°Can you smell it?¡± Elena asked, stopping at a corner. Dred turned towards her saying, ¡°It¡¯s very hard since there are too many odors, but I do. Let me focus on it.¡± Thanks to his guidance, they found the dog in ten minutes. He looked exactly the same as the woman described. Jake had the luck to throw the dog over his shoulder and carry him back to his owner. Opening the door to Woodland Inn, they found Sal sitting at a table, drinking and chatting with a few guys of her age. Noticing her dog on Jake¡¯s shoulder, she sprung up from her seat with a dog collar in hand. As she put it around his neck, Jake put him on the ground. ¡°Thank you for helping me out! And you were so quick! So do you need information?¡± She asked, trying to get off without paying. Seeing her behavior, Elena changed her mind and lied. ¡°In the meantime, I learned about what I wanted, so no. But you see, we are a little short on money and we haven¡¯t been here for long. What about five silver coins? We were really quick, you know?¡± she asked with a bright smile. ¡°Ah, fine. You are right. Here it is,¡± Sal said as she held out the money, her brows twitching. ¡°I thank you for the business,¡± Elena replied, pulling out her gold filled pouch. Showing it to Sal, she put away the coins. It would be enough for an additional night. It was quite a lot of money, but Sal didn¡¯t dare to refuse. She felt that it would cause more trouble than good if she was to deny Elena. ¡°Five silvers for finding a dog? This is daylight robbery,¡± someone whispered, hearing their conversation. Elena almost laughed upon hearing those words. Turning around to leave, she was met with Derrel, who came rushing in. ¡°Haah- did you really find him?¡± he asked, panting. The last person he asked, told him that a group was carrying a similar dog. He ran back to check if the guy¡¯s words were true and was shocked to see the truth. Elena¡¯s lips turned into a grin for the split of a second. Controlling her emotions and her face, she poked Derrel¡¯s face to catch his attention. ¡°I told you that you shouldn¡¯t do it. But I don¡¯t want to see you on the streets because of your pride. It¡¯s nice to have some backbone,¡± she said with a smile, holding the money towards him. What will you do now? You will feel rage, right? Am I being terrible to you? Well, I surely am. But you changed your life for the worse when you turned so friendly with us. Show me what you have. Will you be my servant or just another corpse? She thought with an unmoving face. Clenching his fists, Derrel turned around and went towards the streets. ¡°I¡¯ll find a work and sleep here. I don¡¯t need your help,¡± he said with a stubborn face. ¡°Okay~ Just don¡¯t race with us,¡± Audrey chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. She still held a grudge against him, for such a childish thing as looking between her legs. His body twitched as he stepped forward. You have two days left. Count your blessings, Elena thought, leaving the Inn. They went towards the training grounds they had heard about not long ago. Since people couldn¡¯t walk around with huge stones and logs to train their bodies, there were training grounds for this reason. All they had to do was pay some money and work hard. The training ground was only a few minutes walk away from the Inn. There were three meters tall and thirty centimeters thick walls surrounding it. Two muscular guys were standing in the gate, but Elena sensed another two behind it. They had stronger Magical Presences, meaning that they were Mage types. ¡°Welcome. Do you wish to enter?¡± The bald headed one on the left asked in a polite tone. ¡°Yes, but we are new here. How much does it cost?¡± Elena asked, stopping in front of them. ¡°Please enter first, Miss. We have a receptionist for this exact reason,¡± he said with a kind smile. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± she muttered in a low voice. Then why the hell did you even stop me to ask such a stupid question? Of course, I came here to enter¡­ What did you think? Idiot monkeys, she thought, feeling annoyed by the stupid conversation she just had. As they closed the doors behind them, they were met with a ten square meter room. The walls were made of some kind of metal. ¡°Do you want to know why they stopped you?¡± Jake asked, raising a brow. Turning around, Elena looked at him with inquiring eyes ¡°Do tell me.¡± ¡°You should be more self-conscious¡­¡± he said with a chuckle. Understanding his meaning, she shook her head and made her way towards the reception booth on their right. ¡°Good afternoon. Can I ask about the prices?¡± she asked the woman behind the reception booth. ¡°Welcome to the training grounds. Our service is ten bronze coins per person per hour. If you wish to have a coach too, then it will be fifty bronze coins per person per hour. I¡¯d advise the latter since they know the best how to not overwork your body and gain a lot of strength at the same time. It is important to train every part of your body, you know?¡± She explained everything politely, advertising their company at the same time. ¡°Thanks, but the simple ones are enough. We need four hours for the four of us,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Alright,¡± the receptionist said. After counting the price, she gave Elena four black wristbands. ¡°Put them on your wrists and then come here. An employee on the other side will use a spell on it and the wristband will turn completely white in four hours. Make sure to arrive here before that happens, else there will be a fine for breaking the regulations,¡± the woman explained how it worked. Doing as told, they left the room and opened the doors on the other side. It was quite funny to see a panther with a wristband¡­ They were met with a multitude of environments. There was a forest covered part, a sand covered part, and a lake covered part and a stone covered part. On their right was a smaller building, which looked like a storage house. In front of it was a roofed terrace, with chairs and tables. A few people were sitting there, drinking cold drinks in the hot weather and chatting. Some of them were like gorillas, while others had leaner bodies. Before any of the guys could come over, a fit looking, well-toned blondie came over. Her fit body only added to her charm, leaving many men with bulges in their pants. ¡°Welcome! My name is Beatrice. Let me see¡­ Oh, you have black wristbands. You know, it might be better to don¡¯t mind the money and ask for a professional¡¯s help,¡± she said with a kind face. She truly didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives in mind surprisingly. Seeing them staying silent, she sighed before getting to the important things. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you here, so I will suppose that you are new to this. We have a few tools, which have a spell inscribed into them. This is thanks to the owner of this place. Come with me and I¡¯ll hand over your tools. You can decide on the kind of exercise for yourself afterward.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± they said at the same time, following in her steps. ¡°Beatrice! You fished nice ones! Why would you take them away? You are always doing this!¡± ¡°Yeah! You are so cruel!¡± A few of the guys shouted after her. Beatrice raised her hand and showed her middle finger as she said, ¡°They are free runners.¡± ¡°Oh, then I might just help them out. I was bored anyway¡± a guy with bulging muscles said with a smirk on his face. Beatrice frowned upon hearing his words. ¡°No. This place is fair. If you help them while they have black wristbands, then why would anyone pay fifty bronze coins per hour? Sit back on your ass,¡± she shouted at him. Standing there with a stupid face, scratching his head, the muscular guy sighed before sitting down. ¡°Could we move already? Please don¡¯t waste our time with idiots,¡± Audrey remarked with an annoyed face, her hands on her hips. ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience,¡± Beatrice said, bowing slightly. As she opened the storage house, a long row of circular metal bands appeared in front of them. There was a door on the left and on the right. ¡°The left is the dressing room for women, the right is for men. Please, put these on your wrists, ankles and wear this shirt,¡± she explained, pointing at a box, filled with nicely folded, simple-looking, white T-shirts. Entering the dressing room, they wore the outfits as Beatrice said. They turned their shadows into tight-fitting, leather clothing. As they left the dressing room, Beatrice explained the remaining. ¡°Now. These wristbands and your T-shirt too have a gravity spell inscribed onto them. The more Mana you pour into them, the stronger the gravity will become.¡± Looking at Dred, who was wearing a T-shirt, her brows twitched. ¡°Can this panther use these things? You might be just wasting money¡­¡± she remarked with a stiff face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Use that Magic and let¡¯s go,¡± Elena said, her face unbothered. Sighing loudly, Beatrice used a strange spell on their wristbands. Looking at them with a smile on her face, ¡°Alright. Go and work hard¡± Beatrice said. There were many people jogging, doing push-ups and sit-ups. Some were sparring with each other and some were doing strange exercises. But many of them had a coach beside them. This place was much more crowded and active in the morning. In fact, the mayor was the owner of this place. At this kind of place, without any technology, knowing Gravity Magic was a big deal. Following in Elena¡¯s steps, the group started jogging on the sand covered part, which made running harder and more tiring. After jogging, they swam in the water covered part, and fought on the stone covered part. Under the weight of the metal bands, they were tired out in just two hours. Considering that they used their Mana to train their agility at the same time, a few of the coaches were left with wide opened mouth. They should have run out of Mana long ago at their current levels. But thanks to Cosmological Constant, they didn¡¯t have to care about such a thing. But these four came here with a reason. For one, Audrey was trying to decipher the inscribed spell in the tools to increase her expertise with Gravity Magic. Secondly, they came to steal¡­ Although no one noticed it, they always ran close to other people and their shadows were a little longer than they were supposed to. Every time they passed a person and their shadows touched, these four stole a little bit of the person¡¯s energy. Not their DNA as they would have to attack the person for that. They stole the pure energy to keep up their training through the hours. Thanks to this, many people were getting tired more and more quickly than usual. The coaches thought that their training load was too much.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. --- They were jogging once again and their time was running out. About nine-tenths of their wristbands were white. Although he felt tired, Jake was occupied with something else than training. He was busy looking at Audrey¡¯s chest. The T-shirts coiled tightly around their bodies when they poured Mana into them pulled them downward, making running much harder. Seeing her boggling breasts, he couldn¡¯t help but gulp loudly every now and then, thinking, I¡¯ll have those in the future¡­ Noticing his burning gaze, both Elena and Audrey just chuckled at his reaction. ¡°How come you don¡¯t get angry now? You were so enraged when Derrel saw your panties. What are you, a kid?¡± Elena whispered to Audrey, teasing her so that Jake wouldn¡¯t hear them. Blushing a little, she replied, ¡°You are such a bastard. Derrel was an outsider and he was a pervert. He checked us out all the time. Jake is a part of our little group and¡­¡± ¡°And what?¡± Elena asked with a smirk on her face, teasing Audrey. ¡°Ah! Damn you! I¡¯m not going to say anything to you!¡± she shouted this time, catching Jake¡¯s attention. ¡°About what?¡± he asked raising a brow. Looking at him from the corners of her eyes, Audrey stuck out her tongue and stayed silent. ¡°Huh?¡± Jake gave out a stupid sound, feeling surprised by her reaction. Falling into melancholy, Audrey started thinking, unconsciously puffing out her cheeks. How could I talk about these kinds of things? I just like his looks and we have the same goal too. I also like that he has his eyes on me and that he doesn¡¯t look at you. I don¡¯t think that many men would be able to do that¡­ I also like his playful side, though I can¡¯t say that I have serious feelings for him. Maybe in the future¡­ ¡°Ah, let¡¯s go. Our time is up and the sun is going down. We should train our minds as well. Did you get to anything?¡± Elena notified them, questioning Audrey at the same time. ¡°Yeah. I think that if we were to come here a few more times, I could recreate this inscription,¡± she said with a nod of her head. Running back to the storage room, they saw Beatrice walking up to them. ¡°You¡¯ve had a nice round there. I¡¯m honestly surprised by your performance and your panther is really clever¡­¡± she praised them with a smile on her face. ¡°Thanks. We will visit this place tomorrow as well,¡± Elena replied with a similar expression. Entering the dressing rooms, they took off their clothes and used Water Magic to clean their bodies. Coming out they gave back the tools. ¡°You had a shower this quickly?¡± Beatrice couldn¡¯t help but question them, not feeling any smell. ¡°There was a shower!? Haha, we used Water Magic,¡± Jake exclaimed, laughing loudly. ¡°You are a strange bunch¡­ Ah! But I meant it in a good way,¡± Beatrice muttered, quickly correcting herself. Waving it off, they said goodbye and left the place. Yawning loudly, Elena stretched her body. ¡°Haah~ Let¡¯s look how much strength I¡¯ve gained. Strength and Agility!¡±
Strength: 273 843 Agility: 262 139
Whistling loudly, she said, ¡°Now, that¡¯s something. It¡¯s truly much better at these levels. The monsters drop Rune of Biotic Enhance quite often. Well, this is still just the beginning.¡± Looking at a random person in front of her, I¡¯ll devour you all, she thought. Placing her chin on Elena¡¯s shoulder, Audrey said, ¡°Hmm. You have quite a bit more than me. But I¡¯m still beating you when it comes to Magic!¡± ¡°Haha, dream on! I can rob you anytime because I¡¯m a bastard. Remember?¡± She replied in a playful tone. Turning to look at the three of them, she added with a serious face. ¡°I thank you for following me around. It would be boring alone.¡± ¡°Aww~ you are so cute. Let me cuddle you,¡± Audrey said, hugging Elena and rubbing her face on her chest. ¡°Oh, let us join,¡± Jake said, stopping beside them. When he was about to succeed, Dred bit into his shirt from behind and pulled him back. ¡°You are such a party killer,¡± Jake mumbled with a pouting face. Audrey looked at him with a smile. Winking, she sent him a kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll have sweet dreams tonight. Thanks!¡± he exclaimed with a bright smile. ¡°Shameless perverts. Flirting in front of me¡­¡± Elena remarked, shaking her head. But in fact, she liked to watch them. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Woodland for now¡± she added. Following her, they entered the Inn ten minutes later and went straight back to their rooms. While sitting in the bath, washing Elena¡¯s back, Audrey said, ¡°I have an idea for a new spell. To be exact, I¡¯d just steal an idea, but my homeworld is dead either way. You know, even if I train my body, I¡¯d be at a huge disadvantage against any real physical type.¡± ¡°So I thought of a spell which would push away my opponents. I could either use Wind Magic or pure Mana for it. But Wind Magic would work only for a limited time. What do you think?¡± Making a thoughtful face, Elena replied, ¡°It sounds good. But why don¡¯t you use Cosmological Constant? That would make your spell much stronger and harder to defend against. This is a really good one!¡± she exclaimed, as she started realizing the implications and the possible uses of this spell. ¡°Great. Tomorrow I¡¯ll test it on you,¡± Audrey said with a smile, biting Elena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ah! Damn you, you dog!¡± she shouted, rubbing her aching shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that your type tends to have vampiric habits¡­¡± she added. ¡°Haha, let¡¯s go and meditate,¡± Audrey said with a chuckle, standing up in the bathtub. Sitting down on the bed, facing each other, they shut out the world and focused on their thoughts. Dred was training Cosmological Constant all this time. ¡°Audrey, wait! Before you get into it¡­ I¡¯ve just realized something about your spell. If you use Mana, then it will be useless. And the wind won¡¯t be useful in the future either. I¡¯d advise you to try going along the line of Mana splitting,¡± Elena exclaimed, stopping Audrey. ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve just remembered something! This¡­ this leads to numerous things! The Cosmological Constant is the basis of everything!¡± She exclaimed in realization. Her mouth like a gun kept spitting out words one after the other. ¡°Thanks to our technology, we knew that everything was made up of atoms.¡± ¡°If I think about it, it is like a bigger form of Mana. When we hide our aura and split the Mana, it always produces a smaller explosion. This leads me to the thought of explosion. If I were to split a few billion of Mana particles, it could lead to an explosion. It could work as a pushing skill, just like I thought.¡± ¡°And the best is¡­ that I can control the size of destruction!¡± She exclaimed. Just as she finished, windows appeared in front all three of them. This was because everyone understood her implications.
You have discovered a new element: Eon!
Many fail to understand that Mana itself is an element. But be careful when using it to attack, as it is very dangerous. Once you start splitting Mana in large quantities, it could very well lead to the devastation of a whole planet. Not advised to use without a high level of Mana control. The level of this element equals Mana Control.
¡°Fancy! Nice job there. Now I¡¯ve got to improve my Shadow Bacterias. I realized that might be useful for attacking the mind,¡± Elena said in an excited voice. ¡°Do you mean mind control?¡± Audrey asked to make sure. ¡°Yes. Now that I think about it, we should put some workload on Jake too. There is Void, Gravity. Dred has to learn his Poison Magic. I have to learn more about Shadow Bacteria, while you have those two. He could focus on Void and give us his knowledge later,¡± Elena replied, prompting Audrey to go. ¡°Why me?¡± she asked with an unhappy face. ¡°Visit him as you are~ Haha,¡± Elena remarked, laughing loudly as she ran her eyes down on Audrey¡¯s naked body. Showing her middle finger, she turned her shadows into clothes and visited Jake. As Audrey closed the door, Dred spoke. ¡°Why are you shipping them so much?¡± After making a thoughtful face, ¡°Hmm~ It¡¯s fun to tease them and they could be a nice couple,¡± she said. Clapping her hands, she added, ¡°What about your body?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t overdo it. To your question, I still don¡¯t get it. Why can I turn into a bear and a wyvern and not a human? Well, I don¡¯t want that form, it¡¯s just that it is weird. Even after devouring a few humans back on Kriton, I couldn¡¯t transform into a humanoid shape. It might be some kind of restriction from the World System. I estimate that I need to reach the sixtieth level of Cosmological Constant before I can even attempt to take up different shapes. It¡¯s still nineteen levels away¡­¡± he replied. Scratching the top of his head, Elena said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You need a humanoid body only to move around easier in the city. If monsters are allowed, then you don¡¯t even have to care about it. OH! Something came to mind! Tonight is so productive~¡± Turning into her Demon form, long horns grew out on her forehead and black scales covered her body. Since this was a human city, she kept her cat tail and ears hidden, along with her scales. But there was no outsider in the room, so she could take any shapes. ¡°Cut my wrist. Your claw is sharp enough,¡± she said, holding her arm towards Dred. Although he wasn¡¯t happy about it, he did as told. ¡°It¡¯s good that your Poison has no effect on me. It¡¯s good to be born together,¡± she said with a wink. Her blood spilled out and fell onto the ground. She drew two triangles one of them standing upside down, right on top of the other. Seeing the wound closing on her wrist, she clenched her upper arm one last time, to push out a little more blood. After drawing a circle around the triangles, she poured her Mana into it. ¡°Being of the darkness, sucker of blood. I summon you to take over my Shadow Bacterias and devour my enemies¡¯ minds!¡± As she finished her chanting, the circle lit up with a red light and took the shape of a patch of liquid on the ground. It turned black in the next few seconds and shot towards Elena¡¯s chest. Inspect, Elena thought before it entered her body and melded with her.
Name: Ekilsta Race: Shadow Slime
¡°Oh? Do you want to use a summoned demon to control your Shadow Bacterias? It¡¯s a good idea,¡± Dred said, his voice conveying his surprise. ¡°I imagined Ekilsta as a demon that can¡¯t talk and follows my commands till death. He is like a parasite. Sometimes I question why it¡¯s called Summoning Magic. We don¡¯t summon creatures but create them,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Although we use our blood, it is just a catalyst. We don¡¯t create life ourselves, so I think that must be the reason behind its name,¡± Dred replied. Seeing the door open, both of them turned silent. Naturally, it was Audrey. After coming back and seeing Elena¡¯s current looks, Audrey questioned her. Sitting down on the bed, they meditated through the whole night. With more wisdom, intelligence, and vitality they had to sleep less. This was because their metabolism was better and meditation worked as a replacement for sleep. The next morning, Elena stood up from the bed and walked towards the window. Opening it, the warm wind blew on her face, bringing in the fresh air and a feeling of life into the room. The sun radiated a bright light, filling the room with it. ¡°Sometimes I believe that the meaning of your name matches you. Miss Sunny. Haha,¡± Audrey said with a chuckle, joking with her. Elena closed her eyes and controlled her Mana. It rushed through her unmoving body like an ocean. Her muscles flexed and constricted as she clenched her fists. ¡°This is awesome, no matter how many times I feel it,¡± she said, turning around to look at her friend with a smile. Status.
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 120 EXP: 4336 / 11 400
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devourer
Health: 1 292 055 / 1 292 055 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker
Strength: 273 843 Vitality: 258 411
Agility: 262 139 Will: 78
Intelligence: 272 312 Wisdom: 275 999
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.64 (21%); Water Lv.67 (33%); Wind Lv.66 (54%); Lightning Lv.65 (82%); Nature Lv.66 (69%); Earth Lv.68 (14%); Light Lv.65 (57%); Dark Lv.71 (61%); Cosmological Constant: Lv.38 (43%) Void Lv. 12 (31%); Eon Lv. 56 (35%) Resistances: Magical: 275 999 Physical: 137 999.5 Passive: Stamina: 1 292 055 Precision: 1 310 695
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 80 (81%) Mana Control Lv.56 (35%) Meditation Lv. 84 (11%) Sense Lv. 70 (31%) Stealth: Lv. 69 (34%) Necromancy Lv. 32 (41%) Gravity Lv. 36 (44%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 56 (32%) (+Active Skill) Passive Skills: Ambush Lv.25 (43%) Demon Lv. 6 (23%) Shadow Bacteria Lv. 4 (8%)
She hid Shadow Form and Shadow Step from her table since both of them were at the maximum level. There was no need to look at something she knew. Once the other skills, such as Inspect reached the maximum level, she would hide them. Nodding her head upon seeing her stats, she walked towards the door as Dred turned into her shadow and crept up on her body, taking the shape of clothes. Her green eyes shone with a strange glint. Anyone seeing her at the moment would be freaked out. It escaped her attention that her Will increased by another two, reaching eighty. It was a very high number. There were very few people who could even attempt to control her or affect her thinking. At her age, such a number was more than a miracle. But it was no wonder, as she was a monster and a legendary one at that. She could never reach the top if she was a simple-minded human. After eating their breakfast, they spent one hour in the forest and then sold their earnings for three gold coins. Thanks to their current strength, it was much easier to get by in the dangerous forest. Entering the training grounds, they spent two hours there and then trained their minds for one hour. It was only half past eleven. They made their way towards the alleyway. Audrey waited on the main street, in case their target was to escape. Elena and Dred turned into their Shadow Forms and snuck into the shady pub. Entering Frank¡¯s shadow, who was the lowest ranked boss of the gang, they stayed silent and waited patiently. Last time they came here, Elena placed her shadow bacterias into the shadow of a few gang members. They provided her with information about Frank. He had a habit of leaving the building at lunchtime and picking up a few prostitutes before eating. In these two days, he went alone every time. The problem was that this time he didn¡¯t¡­ He had a good time with a guy he was chatting with, so he invited him, saying that he would pay his round. Of course, the guy accepted. Elena planned to attack with Dred, but her plans had to be adjusted. ¡°Who will you pick, boss? Aliz is really hot. I¡¯m always picking her, though she is a little pricey¡­¡± the guy said as they turned on a corner. Seeing that their focus was on low, Dred jumped up and swiped his paw across Frank¡¯s back. Thanks to the effect of Ambush, they successfully took in their first strike. Frank flew through the air, crashing into a wall in front of him. The guy beside him was frozen unmoving in his surprise. Elena appeared behind him and slit his throat with her dagger. His blood spilled on her hand, exciting her. Using her other hand, she thrust it through his back and grabbed his heart. ¡°Be a good boy,¡± she whispered into his ears, crushing his heart. Her shadow was connected with Frank¡¯s all this time, along with Dred¡¯s. They were stealing his strength continuously. Time to test you, Elena thought, licking her dagger with a euphoric face. ¡°Your blood is dirty but delicious,¡± she said, rushing towards him. As Dred¡¯s poison spread through his body, Frank was getting weaker and weaker, not to mention Devour. Elena and Dred jumped towards Frank. He stood up with great effort and coughed a mouthful of blood. Holding his arms in a defensive position, he received Elena¡¯s kick towards his head. But thanks to Elena¡¯s training, her legs were much stronger than what Frank expected, not to mention his weakened state. His arms gave out a cracking sound as he slid backward on the ground. Using Shadowstep, Dred appeared behind him and bit into the back of his head, tearing out his brain. Elena devoured Frank¡¯s body, accessing his DNA. Her bones cracked, her chest fell, and her face changed as she transformed into Frank¡¯s looks in a few minutes. Looking down at her hands, she clenched her fists. ¡°Hmm- It¡¯s not quite as I imagined it. This body structure is very much different compared to mine. It¡¯s more massive and less flexible. I am not as strong as him either. I guess I¡¯ll have to go for intimidation if anything comes up. And this part¡­ is strange,¡± she said with Frank¡¯s masculine voice, grabbing her crotch. ¡°For some reason, I feel unhappy that you grabbed it,¡± Dred remarked, sitting down in front of Elena. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again, believe me. This is gross and this body is dirty! Ugh, I¡¯ll be sure to shape shift as rarely as possible,¡± she said with a disgusted face, frowning. Using Water Magic, she cleaned her body. ¡°He should have had baths more often,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but complain for the second time. ¡°How lucky I am. This guy knew quite a lot. There are quite a lot of low ranked bosses like Frank through the city. We have seen only a little part of it, to begin with¡­ The city is divided into nine territories, controlled by nine mid-ranked bosses and unsurprisingly there are three leaders, controlling three territories each.¡± ¡°Those three leaders are controlling the illegal business in the city. But this Frank had heard of a rumor saying that there was a Main Leader, who was above those three. The mid-ranked boss of this territory is called Clementine and she is the wife of a rich merchant. Her husband has a store at the center part of the city where only nobles have the money to buy anything,¡± Elena explained to Dred her findings. Gulping down the last slices of meat from the boy who was following Frank, he licked his blood covered mouth as he said, ¡°Okay. I suppose you want to meet this Clementine and steal her DNA too.¡± Nodding her head, ¡°Yes. But I need a reason to do that,¡± she replied. Making a thoughtful face, she added, ¡°I wonder who is the true leader of this gang. Either way, I¡¯ll use them to beat the mayor and have some fun in the city. The only problem is that these mid-ranked leaders are at about the hundred and eightieth level. Go back to Audrey and tell them to wait-¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll follow you. We will go back together,¡± Dred interrupted her, refusing to leave. ¡°As you wish,¡± she said with a smile. Dred turned into her shadow as she went back to the pub with Frank¡¯s looks. ---- ¡°Oh, boss. How come you are already back? Were the girls too good?¡± The gangsters asked with cheeky smiles on their faces, annoying Elena. ¡°No, we were ambushed on our way there. I left to take a piss and when I came back, I found only a few drops of Mitchell¡¯s blood on the ground and a letter,¡± she said, throwing the letter she wrote towards the people. ¡°This is just the beginning. There will be more,¡± one of them read aloud, making everyone restless. ¡°We should be careful. If the person was strong enough to kill Mitchell without any sound while the boss was away, this person must be quite strong. Do you have any plans?¡± the same gangster with short, brown hair and freckles on his face asked. ¡°I should meet with Clementine at some time. Just make sure to stay in groups of two to five until then. I¡¯ll give further instructions in the future. I¡¯ll take my leave now and try to find some clues,¡± Elena said with a serious face. ¡°Be careful boss! I¡¯m sure that this little shit can¡¯t kill you,¡± they shouted after her as she turned around to leave the pub. ¡°Haha, of course! Otherwise, he or she would have attacked me instead of Mitchell,¡± she chuckled, flexing her arms. Or Frank¡¯s arms to be exact¡­ After closing the doors, she went back to Audrey and Jake. By the time she reached them, she was back to her original body. She used Ekilsta to store the DNA, so she could turn into Frank any time. ¡°Are you done?¡± Jake asked upon seeing her. Nodding her head, she went towards Woodland Inn. ¡°You know, there is something I¡¯d like to ask you,¡± she looked at Jake with a serious look on her face. ¡°Please, do tell me,¡± he smiled back. ¡°To be honest, you won¡¯t be happy about this, but everyone will have their work to do. Yours is to go the Mayor and make him hire you as a guard. As I¡¯ve heard it from the gang members, thanks to my bacterias, the guards have to work six hours a day and the rest of the day is free. This is because there are many of them¡­ You won¡¯t have a high salary, but that doesn¡¯t matter. You can come and sleep at Woodland Inn, just like up till now.¡± ¡°I need you to get higher up on the ladder. I¡¯ll use my bacterias to gather information about the system. After you have your shift decided, tell us about it and we will adjust our time at the Training Grounds to your free-time. Oh! I almost forgot the most important. You can have your sweet time with Audrey for the rest of the day,¡± Elena explained with a serious face, not leaving out some teasing. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine by me,¡± he replied with a smile, shrugging off Elena¡¯s teasing. Seeing that this time Audrey too had a plain look on her face, she couldn¡¯t help but remark on them. ¡°You are no fun¡­¡± They went back to Woodland Inn and spent the rest of the day with chatting about their pasts. After having dinner, Audrey and Elena entered their room, followed by Dred. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me in? I won¡¯t bite, I swear,¡± Jake begged with a sad face. ¡°Hahaha, you fox. You won¡¯t get yourself beyond this door. But I¡¯ll tell you something else, just so that you will have nice dreams. I plan to have some ¡®fun¡¯ with Audrey. But only girls are allowed,¡± Elena whispered into his ears and then quickly closed the door. Jake stood there, frozen in place. Gulping loudly, he jumped at the door, hitting it. ¡°Hey! But what about Dred! He isn¡¯t a girl!¡± he shouted, catching the attention of a few people. Seeing the doors opening and a few heads sticking out, he quickly apologized and ran back to his room. ---- Elena jumped onto the bed and laid down on it. Pulling up her legs, the room resounded with her hearty laughter. ¡°Hahaha, his expression was priceless. Those wide opened eyes and mouth, mixed with his frozen expression. It¡¯s good to have you, Audrey. I can always tease him.¡± Pouting, Audrey crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked at Elena. ¡°You are such a bully. I¡¯m sure that he will have a bone-¡± realizing what she was about to say, she closed her red lips and stayed silent. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go and help him out? Haha,¡± Elena chuckled, looking into her eyes. Audrey¡¯s face turned red as she shouted at her, ¡°Are you an idiot? I¡¯d never do such a thing! You are a pervert!¡± ¡°Hmm~ Am I? Dred?¡± Elena questioned him, trying to prolong her time of fun. Sighing loudly, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into this. I have nothing to do with your self-satisfying habits. But I do know that you wake up when Audrey sleeps and do it on every second day.¡± Elena¡¯s face turned more and more panicked as Dred continued to speak, her face like a tomato in the end. ¡°Pfft- Hahaha! There you go! The truth of the day has been revealed!¡± Audrey laughed at Elena¡¯s face, feeling happy that someone finally had a card against her. Elena was always teasing and bullying them yet they had nothing against her. ¡°Y-You foul beast! I¡¯ll never ask for your opinion again! Now she will come up with this all the time,¡± smacking the back of Dred¡¯s head, Elena shouted with a frown on her face, gritting her teeth. ¡°But now the game is fair,¡± Dred replied, sticking out his tongue. He decreased the size of his body to that of a cub panther¡¯s, and jumped onto Elena¡¯s face and laid down on it. ¡°You are a cat in heart, aren¡¯t you?¡± Elena¡¯s muffled voice came from under him. ¡°Fufu, surely he is. Cats like to lay down in places they shouldn¡¯t,¡± Audrey chimed in, sitting down on the side of the bed. Elena grabbed Dred¡¯s back and raised him up. Sitting up on the bed, they started meditating. The next day the three of them went hunting, while Jake went towards the Mayor¡¯s house. Walking through the streets, his hands in his pockets, he thought back to his past. It hasn¡¯t been long that everything changed so abruptly, but I feel as if it has been years¡­ Haah- all those people I fought for. I watched out for their backs and they did the same in turn. But after the apocalypse, that changed a lot. Everyone was trying to stab the other one in the back, just like Elena does¡­ but Audrey was the only one who I could feel at ease with. She didn¡¯t care about controlling others and she wasn¡¯t as stupid as the other people. Why would they fight among themselves when we could have worked together and reached new heights! If not for being with those idiots, my life might have turned out differently. I could have turned into a simple soldier, a squad of the other soldiers. But I¡¯m glad that I turned into an Arch Shadow. I am not only able to get closer to Audrey but I can taste that feeling of teamwork once again! I don¡¯t have to worry about other idiot humans either¡­ Ah~ This is the best. I guess I prefer being controlled a little over being the one in control. Ugh, but this damned Elena. I was left fantasizing the whole night and now I¡¯m sleepy as fuck! He finished his thoughts, gritting his teeth. Bumping into someone, he quickly apologized. ¡°No problem bro, but watch out cuz¡¯ others might not react like me, hahaha,¡± the guy laughed, shrugging it off. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do so. I was just lost in my thoughts, haha,¡± Jake replied with a chuckle, nodding his head. He reached the Mayor¡¯s villa in an hour. He was surprised to see that there were monsters used as pets or mounts. The houses were much bigger and luxurious and everyone was wearing luxurious clothes. As a chariot went past him, he was surprised to see one of the monster pelts they sold, tied to the back of it in a roll. Hmm- I¡¯ll tell Elena that they should get a few more of those pelts. They might be able to earn some more money, though it¡¯s not like we are short of it. This is so nice~ She doesn¡¯t handle us like some sort of slaves. More like teammates, and she shares everything with us if we need something, he thought with a bright smile on his face. Stopping in front of the huge metal gates, he was questioned by a few guards. ¡°Halt! What are your reasons for coming here?¡± ¡°Good morning! I came to join the guards. Could you point me towards the right direction?¡± he asked with a smile on his face, acting polite. ¡°Ah, morning. Go to the left and stop when you see a big, orange colored stone building in front of you. That¡¯s the main guard office. They will tell you what to do and what is necessary to get in,¡± the guard replied, feeling happy that he was talked to with respect. Elena¡¯s methods work just fine. Showing a little respect and people all get friendly and nice. Let¡¯s see what this place has in store for me and let¡¯s see what Elena makes of this place! Recap Hello guys! I finished my other novel, so this will be restarted, naturally! I''m sorry about the wait. >.< I can''t guarantee a chapter this week, but if I won''t manage to finish the 10th, then I''ll post it around Monday. (I''ll finish it anyway, knowing myself...) I''m working on the 10th chapter, but you surely have forgotten quite a lot. In case you don''t want to reread about 80k words, here is a short recap of who is who and what happened:
Derrel (Elena''s next target to become her familiar.) Rhoderick (The richest merchant in the city, who tends to force others into selling their business to him.) Kriton (The planet they came from) Vetranio(Luxury shop owner.) WoodlandInn (They reside in this Inn.) Ekilsta (Elena summoned a creature, which turned into the controller of her Shadow. Currently, Frank''s DNA is stored in it, so Elena can shapeshift into Frank''s looks.) Frank (The Smallest gang boss Elena and Dred assassinated.) Blue Thorns (The name of the gang.) Clementine (The mid-boss of the gang. Elena plans to assassinate her, but she is around the 180th level, along with every other mid-ranked boss.) Sal(She lost her dog and Dred found him for her, beating Derrel.) Beatrice(A beautiful personal trainer on the training grounds.) Audrey (The monster who loves and serves. She was Elena''s first friend and ''victim'' at the same time. She is focused on Magical Attacks, but she can''t be called a loser when she has to grab a dagger either.) Jake(The monster with two faces. Heis Elena''s second ''victim''. XD They are good friends nonetheless. He was a 40 some... soldier in the past,but thanks to regaining his young body, hetends to behave a little more like a teenage boy. He is mainly strength type.)
They went throughthe Apocalypse... In the new world, they were taken to, they earned a few gold coins. 1000 bronze=100 silver = 1 gold as u know... simple af. Elena and Dred killed Frank, the smallest gang-leader and now Elena can transform into his body, though she doesn''t like to do it... Derrel is slowly being pushed towards more and more failure, making him fall into darkness.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Audrey''s and Jake''s relationshipis in the beginner phase. XD Currently what you know about the world. It''s a medeivalish... and unlike on Kriton planet, people don''t know every element since they don''t have such advanced technologies. In the end of the last chapter, Jake went towards the guard house to become a guard after Elena''s request. He is supposed to climb up the ladder and get closer to the city Lord. Elena and Audrey are climbing the Gang''s side while taking care of other matters, like earning money, bullying Derrel and create spells of their own. They seem OP and stuff, but you don''t know the norm or the whole world, so don''t take anything as granted. They are definitely strong tho'' since I like strong/op lead... As they climb the ladder, stuff will escalate more. Oh right, and Elena''s current stats (the 10th chapter not counted yet.) IDK if you remember, but she hid ShadowForm and ShadowStep from her status window since she reached the max level (100th).
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 125 EXP: 7876 / 13 400
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devourer
Health: 1 507 710 / 1 507 710 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker
Strength: 336 756 Vitality: 301 542
Agility: 312 542 Will: 80
Intelligence: 342 652 Wisdom: 355 864
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.64 (21%); Water Lv.67 (33%); Wind Lv.66 (54%); Lightning Lv.65 (82%); Nature Lv.66 (69%); Earth Lv.68 (14%); Light Lv.65 (57%); Dark Lv.71 (61%); Cosmological Constant: Lv.38 (43%) Void Lv. 12 (31%); Eon Lv. 56 (35%) Resistances: Magical: 177 932 Physical: 168 378 Passive: Stamina: 1 507 710 Precision: 1 562 710
Skills/Spells: Inspect Lv. 82 (81%) Mana Control Lv.57 (35%) Meditation Lv. 85 (11%) Sense Lv. 72 (31%) Stealth: Lv. 70 (34%) Necromancy Lv. 32 (41%) Gravity Lv. 36 (44%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 56 (32%) (+Active Skill) Passive Skills: Ambush Lv.25 (43%) Demon Lv. 6 (23%) Shadow Bacteria Lv. 4 (8%)
Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 10 - Trouble Trouble Entering the orange colored building, Jake saw a tidy interior, made up of white tiles. There were two guards standing beside the doors, wearing shining, gray colored metal armors. Both of them had halberds in their hands, which were of good quality. The darker shade of gray and the strange engravings on the weapons showed this quite clearly. The guards stood unmoving. After looking at them from the corners of his eyes, Jake stepped forward and went towards the receptionist desk. A girl with short, brown hair was sitting behind it, who looked to be around the age of thirty-five. She had a few freckles on her face and she had a petite body. But the clear lines of muscles showed her prowess. She was a real tomboy. She is quite cute, but she is nowhere near my Audrey! If only I could call her mine¡­ Jake thought as he stopped in front of the desk and waited patiently. The girl was filling up some kind of forms. As she raised her head, Jake greeted her with a smile. Her face not changing, she said as she turned to the paper, ¡°Hello. Write your name here. Underline the type of your class here and your level here. Then write the number on your ID card here and sign it here.¡± Jake followed her finger with his eyes, nodding his head. Seeing that she too filled out a few things, he realized that she knew that he was coming. Tilting his head to the side, ¡°How?¡± he asked in his surprise. ¡°Hmm? You are just weak. I was able to sense you coming here, so I filled out everything on my part,¡± she replied, her face still the same. Inspect, Jake thought in his mind.
Name: -- Race: Human
Level: -- Threat Level: 10
¡°It¡¯s not nice to peek at other people. You have bad manners. I guess I¡¯ll have to educate you later. But if you want to know me that much, I¡¯ll tell you my name. I¡¯m called Sally Felicita,¡± she introduced herself, a smile forming on her face. This is bad. This woman is dangerous! I must be very careful, Jake thought, using Magic to wipe off the beads of sweat on his forehead. ¡°Oh? Your control over your Mana is superb! Do you have a Master? But you don¡¯t look like a Mage type. Hmm¡­ fill that document already!¡± she remarked upon sensing Jake¡¯s flow of Mana. His eyes serious, he looked into her eyes one last time before filling out the paper, reading the types in his mind. Mage, Strength, Agility, Unique, Hybrid. ¡°What is unique?¡± He asked Sally, raising a brow. Seeing that he calmed down so quickly, she felt pleased. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you don¡¯t know about it, but you are unique when you have your own spell or skill. Something you created. It can be physical or magical. It doesn¡¯t matter, but it shows great potential. Obviously, the hybrid is a mix of at least two types, which is also great,¡± she explained everything, sitting in her chair with a straight back. Nodding his head, Jake thought about it for a moment. Let¡¯s think¡­ I could underline all of them, though Devour wasn¡¯t created by me, it is a unique spell by all means. Elena has been training me into a hybrid. Although strength is my forte, I¡¯m at least on an average level when it comes to the other classes. But I shouldn¡¯t give away too much of my abilities, especially not a unique Magic. I¡¯ll just go with Strength and Mage. That obviously makes me a hybrid too¡­ Filling out the rest of the form, he gave it back to Sally. She stood up from her seat, her face serious, ¡°Come with me.¡± Opening a door on the left side of the room, they stepped into a long corridor. ¡°These are all the offices of high-ranked guards. But with your current level, you will be put in the outer circles of the city. In case you level up enough, we will make your life much better, so work hard!¡± she said, looking at the door at the end of the corridor. ¡°But before that, you¡¯ll be tested. I hope that you didn¡¯t lie about the type of your class else you will feel sorry. I don¡¯t like liars,¡± she said with a cold smile on her face, tapping her finger on the handle of her sword. Opening the door, Jake saw a circular metal room appearing in front of him. As he stepped through the door, Sally closed it behind him. She started warming up. Not being stupid, Jake followed in tow, surprising her slightly. Oh? Most of them just stand around with stupid faces. This one is talented, she thought as a smile formed on her face, feeling pleased by Jake. Jumping into the middle of the room, she said, ¡°Show me your abilities. Attack me seriously. If you can¡¯t do that much, you have no place here.¡± Just as she stopped talking, she was surprised to see a fireball flying towards her, with a diameter of two meters. Using Water Magic, she countered his spell. The sudden mix of fire and water left behind vapor in the air, clouding her sight. She felt Jake¡¯s presence rushing towards her with great speed. Strength was necessary for speed, no matter what. There were no weak people when their forte was agility. But his speed was still great for his current level, which once again surprised her. She was about to step back with her left leg and take up a defensive position when she found the ground slimy. ¡°Hahaha, so that¡¯s why I felt a slight flow of Mana under my feet!¡± she laughed, her excitement clear in her voice. Jake moved the vapor towards the ground, making it condense into water. She looked into his eyes as his right fist flew towards her head. Unlike what she believed would happen, his eyes didn¡¯t move or flinch as his fist was about to touch her face. Even until the last moment, he had a serious face on. Unleashing her true strength, she raised her right with a speed that escaped Jake¡¯s perception. Pushing his wrist sideways, she tilted her head to the side. Even though Jake¡¯s fist was only three centimeters away, he couldn¡¯t hit her. But her eyes almost bulged out in the next moment upon seeing him pulling up his left leg. Jake wanted to knee her in the stomach. Haha, this guy is fun! He reacts quickly and knows how to fight. But I should do my job and not bully the weak. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing this guy grow, she thought as she straightened her posture. As Jake¡¯s knee struck her stomach, she was pushed back by a few centimeters, thanks to the water on the ground. Jake landed on the ground, taking up a defensive position. His face serious, his mind was still working quickly. Even though I have come to a new world and the way people fight have changed, I still remember the movements from the military. That¡¯s in my body! I won¡¯t forget it! he thought, feeling proud of his past achievements. Sally nodded her head as she looked at him, thinking, His posture is stable and there are no gaps for me to attack. I¡¯ll recommend this guy to the academy later on. ¡°Alright. You pass. I¡¯d have tested your mind too, but after seeing your reaction when you realized the difference between us, I didn¡¯t feel the need anymore. You have a cool head, I can see that. Let me introduce myself formally. I¡¯m the Vice-Captain of the guards in Tanema city, called Sally Felicita. As I¡¯ve said it before.¡± ¡°Today was a supervision day, so I was the one to test you, haha. I can¡¯t put you at a too good place with your current level, else the others would start whining about my unfairness. Such being the case, you will be a guard in the third district. You will work two hours as a gatekeeper and four hours as a patrol. If you see anything weird, then make sure to put people in their places. The captain in the third district will explain the regulations to you.¡± ¡°You will get your salary on the first day of each week, here. With your current abilities, I believe that you are worth some additional expenses, so you will earn one gold coin and thirty silver coins per week,¡± she explained everything in a detailed way. After talking the official matters over, Jake left the building and went towards the third district. He almost laughed when he heard, that he will have to be a guard in the third district since Elena and the others were exactly there. Although he didn¡¯t know this, others were happy to earn forty silver coins a week and most of it went to food, clothes and maintaining their weapons, armors. But feeling the amount he was promised to be a little high, he decided to admit less if someone was to ask. After asking around, he found the guard post. It was a simple building, made up of white marble blocks. Knocking on the dark brown, thick wooden door, he waited patiently. A few seconds later, footsteps neared the door. ¡°Why are you standing outside? You are making me work!¡± an old man complained as he opened the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know if I could come in or not,¡± Jake scratched the back of his head. ¡°Who are you? I haven¡¯t seen you before,¡± the old man tilted his head to the side in wonder. Reaching behind his back, Jake pulled out the roll of paper from his pocket Sally gave him. Unrolling it, he held it in front of the white haired old man, ¡°I am a new guard, recruited by Miss Sally Felicita. I was told to come here for further directions.¡± The old man ran his eyes down on the paper. Nodding his head, he said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m the captain of this guard post and you can call me Captain Abrax. You must be talented if you have such a high salary from the get go¡­ Since you are here so early, you will be on the early shift, from eight a.m. till two p.m.¡± "Go to the gate for now and after two hours, you can go on a patrol. Once you are done, come back here and give this back to me,¡± he said, showing an emblem. It was made of iron and on it were two axes crossed in front of a shield. ¡°This identifies you as a guard, so make sure to keep it with you. The closer you are to the center, the stronger the people are, so I¡¯d recommend you not to leave the outer area and hit your nose into the powerful people¡¯s things. Stronger guards will take care of those people. Right, and make sure to ignore the gangs,¡± he winked at him, rubbing his fingers. ¡°A-Alright¡­¡± Jake replied with a stiff face, trying hard to ignore how openly the captain admitted his bribe. Taking the emblem, he put it on his chest. It used Magnetic Energy, so once he bought an armor, it would easily stick to it. I¡¯ll have to look for something simple, he thought. After meeting up with the guards at the gate, he introduced himself and got closer to everyone. While checking people¡¯s ID cards, he focused his attention on his Mana and rotated it in his body. I won¡¯t fall behind this way and still do my job. Everything is going as planned up till now! He smiled at a random person as he thought. Ten minutes later, he was surprised to see Derrel coming back to the city. ¡°Oh? Yo! Were you out on a hunt? ¡° he asked when it was Derrel¡¯s turn. ¡°Yes. I can see that things are going well for you, as always,¡± he replied with puffed cheeks, furrowing his brows. It¡¯s not really my style, but if it will help advance Elena¡¯s plans¡­ I¡¯ll try to get a reward from her later! Maybe I could ask for a romantic dinner with Audrey! Jake thought, before saying, ¡°Envious, huh? Why don¡¯t you try to become a guard? Oh, but wait. I don¡¯t think that you will get in without Elena¡¯s help. You should have accepted her offer.¡± ¡°... I really feel like deleting that smirk from your face. I¡¯ll get in without her help! Just you wait! Thanks for the idea! I should have tried getting in before going through all this shit¡­¡± Derrel replied to his provocation as expected. ¡°Haha, good luck,¡± he replied, knowing that Sally would test him today. Maybe he would get in at other times, but he was quite sure that Sally was much stricter and wouldn¡¯t accept just anyone. At least, that was what he thought about her after trading blows. Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know much about Sally yet, but she shouldn¡¯t know about the bribing. She seems to be a just person, who values strength over money. Well, I¡¯ll find out more about her when I get closer to her, he thought, looking at Derrel¡¯s back with a dazed look on his face. ¡°Hey! Return to your job,¡± a guard elbowed him, laughing at his surprised face. ¡°You bastard,¡± Jake laughed with him and got to work. His shift at the gate was almost up when he saw Elena and Audrey nearing the gate. ¡°Yo! How did it go today? You must have struggled without your ace,¡± he joked with them, patting Audrey¡¯s shoulder. He would have done the same with Elena if not for the wavering shadow under her legs, connecting with his. Get away, Dred! he screamed in his mind fearfully. Raising a brow, Audrey replied, ¡°Yes, we couldn¡¯t kill a single monster without you.¡± ¡°Your smile is so cold, honey. I was just joking,¡± he said, showing a long face, giving back their ID cards. ¡°Me too~¡± Audrey whispered into his right ear as she passed by him, making him shudder. ¡°This felt erotic,¡± he mumbled, looking at her back. ¡°Oh, Elena, wait. I¡¯ll ask for a reward in the afternoon! I not only became a guard, but I helped you with Derrel. The vice-captain is on supervision today and she seems to be strict. The test took only a few minutes for me and he left more than an hour ago. If he didn¡¯t come back to throw his words at me, he must have failed!¡± he whispered into Elena¡¯s right ear. ¡°Hmm~ Good job, but if he got in that will backfire. If he really failed, I¡¯ll organize something for you with your little love~¡± she smirked upon hearing his words, elbowing him in the side. ¡°Man, I planned to ask something like that!¡± Jake said happily, having a sudden realization. ¡°Since when do I behave like a teenager? It must be my hormones¡­¡± he mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m a woman,¡± Elena mumbled, leaving him be. ¡°Ah! I forgot to mention the animal pelts¡­ Whatever, I¡¯ll do it afternoon,¡± he talked to himself, his hand on his chin. The rest of his shift passed by peacefully, except for a brawling he had to stop. He also fined them on the spot. ---- ¡°What did you mean by organizing something with me? I¡¯m not an item!¡± Audrey shouted at Elena when they left, her brows furrowed in displeasure. ¡°Haha, I know, I know. But you wouldn¡¯t be as evil as to deny a dinner or something with him, would you? He is trying hard for your sake~¡± she said with a chuckle, making Audrey slightly embarrassed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, I think. Haah- what should we do now? Should we go to the training ground, do you want to find out more about the thugs, or do you want to bully Derrel?¡± she sighed loudly, shaking her head. ¡°We will go and buy some armor for Jake later. For now, I planned to advance our plans with Derrel and the thugs,¡± Elena replied, closing her eyes for a moment. Tilting her head to the side, Audrey asked, ¡°Where are they?¡± She knew that Elena used her bacterias to sense a few thugs. ¡°There is a group of three not far away, but they might be a little troublesome. I¡¯ll need your help,¡± she replied, walking towards the alleyways. Activating her shadow form, she teleported from corner to corner, until finding her targets. Audrey took shape behind her. Holding her shoulders from behind, she whispered into Elena¡¯s left ear, ¡°What are your plans?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take out the guy on the left, Dred, you take care of the guy on the right. The black haired in the middle is the strongest. Distract him and we will finish him,¡± she whispered as her body dissolved and disappeared from sight. Doing the exact opposite of it, Audrey materialized and used inspect on the black haired guy.
Name: Huch Race: Human
Level: 136 Threat Level: 2
Class: Black Mage Allegiance: Blue Thorns
Ho~ You have bad luck today, she thought, as she used Cosmological Constant to cut off space around them. Noticing the sudden change, all of them turned around. ¡°Woah, such a hottie¡± the guys on the side laughed, while Huch swung his arm in an arc. A black blade flew towards Audrey¡¯s chest when she dissolved, disappearing from sight. Dred and Elena jumped up behind the two guys on the side and beheaded them with a single cut. ¡°Damn it!¡± the black haired guy stomped on the ground and a bubble of darkness appeared around him, exploding in the next moment. Elena and Dred created a wall of light in front of them, stopping the black mass, while the rest of it splashed on the walls. The walls started sizzling and melting upon contact. Stomping on the ground, Elena jumped forward, thrusting her dagger towards Huch¡¯s side. He made a serious face as he spun to evade her attack. Seeing Dred in front of her, they understood each other¡¯s intention just from a look. She spun her dagger in her hand, holding it to the left. Dred¡¯s paw came from her right, slapping her hand, making it fly towards Huch¡¯s stomach. ¡°Fuck!¡± He shouted with a despaired face, moving his hand downward, but he wasn¡¯t quick enough. Elena¡¯s dagger penetrated his stomach, infecting him with her bacteria directly. Combined with Dred¡¯s poison, he threw up, spilling the contents of his stomach onto the ground, a mouthful of blood following it. ¡°Yhou¡­ whill bhe shorry fhor¡­ this¡± he muttered, knowing that he was cornered. With such a wound he had no chance in a three versus one. Elena put her finger on his chin as she whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think so~¡± Sensing that he started collecting his mana, Dred hit him in the stomach, making him fly through the air. Landing a few meters away, he coughed up another mouthful of blood. Looking down, he saw his guts spilling out, his dark red blood mixed with a strange green liquid. Looking up, he saw the same color covering Dred¡¯s claws. In the next moment, he screamed out in pain, but Audrey used Earth Magic to create a big rock above his head. As it fell down, his life faded out. But before the rock could crush his head, he blasted his body into pieces by overcharging it with Dark attributed Mana. A dark wave rushed out, melting the walls of the houses nearby. Thanks to their shadow forms and high agility, they got off without any injuries.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! As Elena¡¯s body raised out of the ground, she looked up, ¡°We better leave quickly. The buildings will collapse and bury us otherwise. We don¡¯t have good enough Mana Control to move under the debris in our Shadow Forms.¡± After using Devour, they quickly fled the area, leaving only the blood littered ground. As they were about to leave the alleyway, they were surprised to see Jake entering it. Thanks to his unsuppressed connection with Elena, he noticed them, even though they were in their shadow forms. ¡°I just started my shift,¡± he explained himself, not stopping to run towards the loud rumbling sound. A group of armed guards turned over the corner in the next second, running the same way as Jake. Good. He will take care of everything, I suppose Elena thought as they left the alleyway, and came out on the other side in their human forms, Dred staying in her shadow. Throwing her silky black hair over her shoulders, Elena acted as if nothing happened and took her way towards Woodland Inn. ¡°Ah~ I can¡¯t wait to try out this shampoo you know about,¡± Audrey said with a bright smile, showing her white teeth. ¡°I know, right? Your world was much better in this aspect. The empty houses had so many bottles of shampoo and I¡¯ve got used to it. It¡¯s good that I¡¯ve overheard this recipe from that Old Lady. Mixing it with the Sodium Bicarbonate you were talking about, I¡¯m sure that it will just as good as the shampoo on Kriton¡± she agreed with her, feeling just as happy. They¡¯ve heard of a refreshing shampoo early in the morning and since Audrey knew how home-made Shampoo and Sodium Bicarbonate was made, they could even make it better. ¡°Wait¡­ we can¡¯t be this stupid! Why would we stay so short sighted! Let¡¯s open a business! I bet that the nobles will go crazy over it!¡± Audrey stopped in place upon realization and shouted, catching a few people¡¯s attention. Covering her mouth, they ran towards the Inn, chuckling. Elena shut the door behind her and sat down on the side of the bed. Pulling out a few leaves from her storage ring, a powerful fragrance filled the room. ¡°Puwah~ It has such a nice smell. Let¡¯s get started and make a few bottles¡± Audrey said, not waiting any longer. Using Earth Magic, Elena created sand and with the help of Fire Magic, she created one glass bottle after the other. Meanwhile, Audrey made the necessary components for Sodium Bicarbonate. When she was done, she mixed it with water and stirred it until it became creamy. Elena grounded the leaves into fine dust and threw it into the glass pot, Audrey used to mix everything. Once everything was done, they filled up the bottles. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s good that I knew some basic stuff from Chemistry¡± Audrey laughed happily, holding one bottle in front of her face. ¡°Did you have glasses too? Go and teach Jake too~ he would surely appreciate such a sexy teacher¡± Elena teased her. A smirk formed on Audrey¡¯s face as she brought up her new weapon, ¡°self-satisfying every second day, is it?¡± ¡°... Damn you, Dred¡± Elena hung her head, looking at Dred with a clear sign of grudge in her eyes. After trying out the shampoo they made, both of them were satisfied with the results. ¡°We can still improve it, but it¡¯s definitely good,¡± Audrey mumbled. ¡°Yeah, and the best is that we can make it in a few minutes. All we need are these Trion Grasses. They even have different fragrances, which will help us in making different products. I smell money in this! It will make everything easier. We might be able to help Jake to climb that ladder more quickly if we give him some bribing money,¡± Elena said, having sudden ideas. ¡°Yes, but we need to buy a store at a good place to start, and that won¡¯t be cheap. The rich men and women don¡¯t even visit the shops in the outer areas, so we have no way to get rich for now. Unless you wish to sell it cheap to the masses,¡± Audrey remarked, tilting her head to the side. Furrowing her brows, Elena didn¡¯t say a word, while Dred spoke, ¡°Dead men tell no tales.¡± Understanding his meaning, Audrey sighed loudly. ¡°Have you made up your mind? Well, it would happen sooner or later. We might as well gain something from it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that I¡¯m not an outsider. I¡¯d be left wondering what¡¯s going on otherwise,¡± Dred remarked, looking back and forth between them. ¡°I never thought that I¡¯d become a villain in my life¡­ I wasn¡¯t such a bad person. This is clearly your fault. Destroying a city¡­¡± Audrey shook her head, poking Elena¡¯s chest. ¡°Well, you could have stayed with the humans back then. I¡¯d have left you alive and you could have slowly reached this world with your old talent and efforts,¡± Elena replied, crossing one leg over the other, rolling her wet hair around her finger. ¡°Bah, that would have turned into a life of struggling, though¡­ this might turn into the same later,¡± Audrey mumbled, dressing up. ¡°Dry your body, we should ask about the prices in the inner circles of the city.¡± Nodding her head, Elena followed in her steps, while Dred disappeared from sight. Before walking down the stairs, their shadows took up the shape of elegant dresses. ¡°Talking about being practical. But we are in black all the time. Let¡¯s add some Elemental Energy to our clothes and color them,¡± Audrey said, turning around. Her black, tight dress turned sand colored, while Elena¡¯s remained the same. Seeing the look on Audrey¡¯s face, she shrugged her shoulders, ¡°What? I like black.¡± Shaking her head sideways, she looked ahead and then went towards the inner circles of the city. They¡¯ve caught the attention of many single men, but seeing them chatting heartily, nobody bothered or stopped them. Finding a slightly old-looking building, they entered it. Looking around, there were tailored clothes all around, both for men and women. ¡°Greetings. What can I help you with?¡± an old-looking woman with gray hair asked. Her skin was wrinkled and there was baggage under her gray colored eyes. ¡°Good day to you too. We are here to ask about something. Obviously, it¡¯s not a problem if you refuse. We will look for another place. We would like to open a new store around these parts. Do you plan to sell this store? We would be interested in it,¡± Audrey asked kindly, showing all of their cards to make the old lady feel more at ease. But the reaction was unexpected. As her head turned red from the blood that rushed into it, ¡°GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!¡± she shouted, using some strange spell to push the out of the store. Both of them flew out of the store and after a flip in the air, they landed on their feet, in defensive positions. ¡°W-What the hell? I was so kind too¡­¡± Audrey mumbled with wide opened eyes, not believing what happened. Furrowing her brows, Elena turned around, ¡°She was above the two-hundredth level. Leave her be.¡± After asking around at other places too, they¡¯ve got a few offers, and a few storekeepers even pointed them towards other places where they could try. Time passed by with walking around, checking every place. The best and cheapest place they found was a two square meters tiny store, which cost sixty gold coins. It was a huge amount, but over time, it would return. The only real problem was that they were far away from that sum. But there was a solution. While wandering around, they found out that there was a Bank where they could take out a loan. After going inside, they didn¡¯t have to wait for long before a member of staff came over and led them to a private room. He was a handsome guy with short, blonde hair, and brown eyes, seemingly very friendly. He didn¡¯t have a muscular body. He was rather slim instead. ¡°How may I help you?¡± his soothing voice resounded in the small room. Leaning back in her comfy armchair, Elena crossed her arms over her chest. Rolling a lock of hair around her finger, she said, ¡°We would like to take out a loan of sixty gold coins and please explain the rules and conditions.¡± Nodding his head, the man called Christian, started his explanation, ¡°As you wish, ladies. There are no conditions. Anyone can take out a loan¡± he said with a smile, but the girl''s reaction wasn¡¯t as happy. ¡°The rule is that you have to pay it back or you will be deprived of all of your possession. Depending on the amount you owe, you might lose your freedom, so make sure to pay it back. Other than that, it goes the following way. If you take out a loan, you will have to pay back ten percent more in the next two days. Twenty percent more in the next four days, thirty percent more in the next six days, and fifty percent more afterward.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t pay back the loan and the interest even after one and half a week, the interest will increase by ten percent each day. Another thing is that unless you have a regular customer card, you can¡¯t leave the city. The guards will stop you after seeing your ID card. If you were to take out loans regularly, we would naturally leave you more time for repaying and there would be different discounts too.¡± It¡¯s not a friendly company, that¡¯s for sure. But their policy is understandable and relatable, I guess, Audrey thought with a stiff face, remembering to his words about losing their freedom. Her face straight and unflinching, Elena answered, ¡°I¡¯m good with that. Do we have to wait or anything? This is the first time that I am as low on money as to come to a Bank, haha.¡± ¡°Miss must come from a really rich family,¡± Christian just smiled upon hearing her words. ¡°If I may ask you, stay here and wait for a few minutes. I¡¯ll be back with the money. The documents are here. If you could fill them out, please,¡± he said, pulling out a drawer and placing the documents in front of them. Standing up, he left the room and came back a few minutes later. After both sides signed the papers, Elena and Audrey left the bank and went towards the store they looked out for themselves. The transaction went on without any troubles. They had to sign documents of ownerships too, and then focus on upgrading the building. Using Nature Magic, they renewed its interior to a luxurious look. Since the place was a baker before, with few customers only, there was a long bar from wall to wall, while the entrance was at the back of the building, in an alleyway. But unlike in the outer parts of the city, the alleyway way was much cleaner and there were no thugs. ¡°This will do. How much should we ask for a bottle?¡± Elena asked her hands on her hips. ¡°Considering that there isn¡¯t much in a bottle, it shouldn¡¯t hold out for too long, which means that we can¡¯t ask for too much. But at the same time, even after asking around, we haven¡¯t heard of this kind of product, which means that we can set our own price! I think that we should sell a bottle for two gold coins and fifty silver coins. To have some change,¡± Audrey winked at her. ¡°Haha, that would be enough for more than a week for a single person. I¡¯m fine with that, but I don¡¯t plan to sit in this store for the rest of my life. We will have to look for a storekeeper and advertise these shampoos. We will also have to post a quest in that Trade Guild we have heard of. Unless you want to go and look for Trion Grasses, Dred?¡± Elena offered up with a smirk on her face, looking towards the ground. ¡°Dream on, dear. If not for knowing that it¡¯s all for your plans, I¡¯d laugh at you for running a store with the title of Shadow Progenitor,¡± he replied with a snort. ¡°Geh, fine. Derrel would come in handy now. He could be our handyman¡­¡± Elena mumbled in a low voice. Furrowing her brows, Audrey said, ¡°I don¡¯t like him and I¡¯m not happy when I imagine him being one of us. I know that he will change once he drinks your blood, but still¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Are you stupid? Do you think that I¡¯d let him drink my blood and turn him into an Arch Shadow like you two? He will drink your or Jake¡¯s blood. You are wrong if you think that I¡¯ll give my blood to just anyone. Count yourself lucky!¡± she exclaimed, opening the door and leaving to the alleyway. ¡°Take care till I¡¯m off!¡± she shouted back. ¡°Okay~¡± Audrey said, sitting down on a chair. Closing her eyes, she started meditating. Not long after, a slightly chubby girl came in, sniffing around like a dog. ¡°Hello~ What happened to the bakery? I was in the mood to eat some cake again,¡± she said, looking around tirelessly. ¡°Ah! We forgot the signs. I welcome you and I¡¯m sorry about the mistake. We forgot to take off the sign. This is a new store and we sell beautification products. Would you like to try one out? For the first time, it will be free, though I¡¯d be happy if you could tell about it to other people too,¡± seeing the girl¡¯s curiosity, Audrey explained everything. I¡¯m not too good with strangers, but this much is manageable even for me, she thought, looking sideways. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is like, so I¡¯ll give you one silver coin for it, just to not take it for free. If it¡¯s really good, I hope that you will give me discounts! How much does it cost originally?¡± the girl asked, running her finger across the surface of the glass bottle. ¡°Two gold coins and fifty silver coins. It will be two gold coins for your kind lady if you indeed come back,¡± Audrey replied with a wink, already feeling tired of smiling continuously. This isn¡¯t my forte. I can¡¯t go on like this¡­ My social skills suck, along with my acting! At least, they suck when I¡¯m not helping Elena in manipulating others¡­ I guess it is because she puts my mind at ease for some reason, she thought as a sigh left her red lips. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got off really cheap this time!¡± the girl laughed as she put a silver coin on the counter and left with the shampoo. Audrey went out and took off the old sign, replacing it with something she made in a few minutes afterward. Three hours passed by when Elena finally came back, Jake in her steps. ¡°Woah! You look stunning,¡± was the first thing he said upon seeing Audrey¡¯s dress. ¡°... Thanks,¡± Audrey mumbled, feeling a little unsure of how to respond, though she did feel somewhat happy about it. ¡°No probs! Elena told me everything-¡± Jake started, but he was interrupted by Audrey in the next moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but rather¡­ Where the hell were you for so long?! If not for meditating, I¡¯d have been bored out of my mind. A few people came in and I sold five bottles on half of the full price as a sample. Maybe we won''t have to mind advertising ourselves since four of them were women. If women are the same as on our planet, then they should be interested in buying more.¡± ¡°And what about the remaining one?¡± Jake asked with furrowed brows. ¡°What? He was a guy, of course. He was the only one who bought it on the full price and told me that he would come back¡­¡± she replied. ¡°Hahaha, too bad, little shit! He will never see you here again!¡± Jake laughed happily, opening the door. A girl who looked to be at the age of twenty-five stood behind it, waiting silently. Audrey looked at Elena, raising a brow. ¡°We can hire shopkeepers in the Trading Guild! I couldn¡¯t miss the chance! Her starting salary will be sixty silver coins a week. Depending on how business goes, we might raise it much higher,¡± Elena replied, patting the girl¡¯s back. ¡°Greetings. My name is Felicia and I thank you very much for the chance,¡± she replied with a smile on her face, bowing her head. Placing her fingers on the sides of her mouth, Audrey pulled them upwards. ¡°I¡¯m not good with this all-time smiling,¡± she mumbled in a low voice, trying a few more times. Jake and Elena laughed at her and left the tiny store to their employee. Elena took care of every paper and also commissioned a mission for a hundred Trion Grasses, the reward one gold coin. ¡°Knowing humans, they will definitely storm our store since it is new. Even if it dies down later, I¡¯m sure that we should be able to earn enough to pay back the loan. Once that¡¯s done, we can expect a steady income, even if it won¡¯t be much,¡± Audrey imagined their future. ¡°Geh, I still can¡¯t believe how easily you¡¯ve got an employee and stuff. But won¡¯t she steal?¡± Jake remarked, feeling a little suspicious of Felicia. ¡°I dare her to do it. Her body is full of my bacterias. I¡¯ll know about coin penny she takes!¡± Elena exclaimed, going towards the training grounds. After training their bodies, they went back to Woodland Inn and after taking another bath and going through a mental training, they went to bed. But before they could sleep, they heard knocks on the door. ¡°Can I come in?¡± Jake asked. Using Nature Magic, a vine grew out of Elena¡¯s fingertip and opened the door. With the help of Dark Magic, the vine was erased from existence. Audrey and Elena sat up on the bed, while Dred was still showing his back to everyone, sleeping in the corner. ¡°What brings you here? Could it be that you want to play with Aud-¡± Elena started, but Audrey¡¯s words shut her up. ¡°Every second day Elena-¡± ¡°Wait, okay, okay! I¡¯ll stay quiet¡­¡± she said with a panicked face, flailing her arms. ¡°Every second day what?¡± Jake asked, raising a brow. ¡°Delete it from your memories or I¡¯ll kill you. Don¡¯t ask it!¡± Elena said unhappily, kicking Dred¡¯s back at the same time, but all he did was laugh at her forceless kick. Raising a brow, not understanding them, Jake shrugged his shoulders as he said, ¡°So I¡¯ll tell you what happened today.¡± After he told everything about Sally, the vice-captain, he told the rest. ¡°Other than her, I¡¯ve got to know a few other guards. The guard captain openly admitted that he is bribed by the gangs and after asking a few guards¡­ it seems like all of them slips a few more coins into their pockets.¡± ¡°When we went to the place where you killed the gang members, the group leader made us remove the debris. After finding the blood littered, dust covered ground, his face changed for the worse and he ran off, saying that he had to notify the captain. Later that they, we were called in and asked to patrol the alleyways too.¡± ¡°And guess what?! I ran into Derrel for the second time today! He was sitting in front of a cheaper in, his legs pulled up. I felt a little bit sorry for him, but I gave him another kick. After asking what happened, it turned out that he didn¡¯t pass since the minimum level limit was a hundred and twenty. Not to mention, that his strength was nothing out of the norm. He wouldn¡¯t be able to stop even the weakest people in the city without getting into a serious fight.¡± ¡°Good job. So? Would you go on a date with him? Look, he is working so hard for you,¡± Elena praised him, asking Audrey in the next moment. ¡°What? But why? And he is working for you and himself¡­¡± Audrey said with a confused face, hearing the sudden escalation of the events. ¡°Am I not good enough?¡± Jake asked with a disappointed face. Elena almost laughed upon seeing how fake it was but stayed silent nonetheless. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I just didn¡¯t want to haste this. I mean, I knew you quite well in the past, but after both of us received Elena¡¯s blood, both of us have changed. I don¡¯t know you as much as before and I have no clear feelings for you at the moment. But fine. A date will help with this problem anyway¡­¡± she explained herself, still agreeing in the end. A smile formed on Jake¡¯s face, even after hearing that she had no feelings for him. He felt rather happy about the fact that Audrey took him so seriously. ¡°By the way, we have been talking about me, but what about you? Why do you like me? In case you do,¡± Audrey asked out of nowhere, surprising Jake. ¡°I could reply now too, but I¡¯d rather make it into a part of our date,¡± he scratched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it, but I want to hear your answer,¡± Audrey pressed on. ¡°Oh, my. I won¡¯t be able to see your progression! How sad this is¡­ Hahaha,¡± Elena laughed with a bright smile on her face, showing her white teeth. ¡°By the way, your pajama looks really sexy,¡± Jake remarked, pointing at Audrey¡¯s body, who wasn¡¯t wearing anything other than her bra and panties. Looking down, Audrey held in her voice. Clenching her fists, she held it in front of Jake¡¯s face. ¡°I so want to punch you right now¡­ We will see about the time of that date after tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all good~¡± Jake replied, visibly unhappy about the new layer of clothing on Audrey¡¯s body. ¡°Your Shadow thingy is way too useful sometimes¡­¡± he remarked, looking at Elena begrudgingly. Saying goodbye, he left the room and took his way towards his own. After using Dred as a pillow, Elena quickly felt tiredness overtake her body. ¡°Today was quite good. Derrel is getting closer to falling into our trap. We have learned more about the guards and their hierarchy. We have opened a store of our own too and we might be able to meet Clementine in the near future. We should gain strength quickly,¡± Elena mumbled as a smile formed on her face. ¡°Mmm~ you big baby. Go to sleep now. I¡¯ll be here for you,¡± Audrey whispered into Elena¡¯s ears. Closing their eyes, both of them fell asleep. --- The next morning, Jake started at the gate, while Elena and Audrey took their ways towards the alleyways. Audrey hid her presence and joined Dred in Elena¡¯s shadow, who took up Frank¡¯s looks. As she opened the door to the pub, she earned a few surprised looks. ¡°Boss! We haven¡¯t seen you a lot lately, what happened?¡± a man with a scar on his face asked. ¡°Ya¡¯ bet! I¡¯ve been looking for the bastards who dared to attack us! Even yesterday, they killed another group¡± she spoke with emotion in her voice, showing her anger. ¡°But worry not, I¡¯ll talk to Clementine today. She should be able to do something about it. Make sure to stay in groups of five. No less!¡± she advised, knowing that they could take care even of such a group. They were getting stronger and stronger by devouring the monsters in the forests and working hard. They were close to reaching the hundred and thirtieth level, which would mean that there would be no big difference in strength. She knew that these common thugs would never be her opponents. Turning around, she left the pub and after returning to her original looks, they decided to visit their store. Entering through the back door, they were surprised to see three people inside, looking at their products. Considering how early it was, three people were quite a lot. Their employee sold five bottles to each of them, in front of their eyes. Seeing that there were only a few bottles left, they looked at each other. ¡°It¡¯s going better than expected,¡± Elena mumbled, noticing a small bag on the bar. ¡°Felicia? What is that?¡± she asked, pointing at the bag. ¡°Oh, good morning, Master. A boy came rushing in with this, telling me that he finished some kind of quest. I was hoping to meet you to ask about this. He said that he will come again soon and bring more of this Trion Grass¡± she replied, explaining the course of events. ¡°That¡¯s great! We will be back in a moment,¡± Elena said, grabbing the bag and leaving the store. They¡¯ve got to work in the alleyway and made another set of shampoo. ¡°There, all good! A hundred and thirteen bottles. That should be enough for now, I think¡­¡± ¡°We will see. Take in these, I¡¯ll use up the remaining Trion Grass. It should be enough for a few more bottles¡± Audrey said. Entering the store, Elena sat down and used Nature Magic to control the vines she grew to put the bottles in their places. ¡°Miss has wonderful control,¡± Felicia remarked with glimmering eyes as a new kind of respect formed in her mind towards Elena. Audrey came in a few minutes later and did the same. After waiting for forty minutes, the boy finally appeared. Elena and Felicia were counting the money they earned up till now when they heard a few knocks on the door. Audrey opened it, only to see Derrel standing in it. ¡°Eighty-seven gold coins and fifty silver coins! We have struck it big again!¡± Elena exclaimed, catching Derrel¡¯s attention. Turning to the side, her eyes met with Derrel¡¯s. Raising a brow, she waited for him to talk. Stepping to the side, Audrey said, ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked, not understanding why were they here. ¡°I should be the one asking that. This is our store and we came to collect our income. But why did you come here?¡± she asked, looking for answers in his eyes. Audrey pointed towards his hands. Following her finger, Elena saw a similar bag. ¡°Ah! I understand everything now. So you accepted my quest! How delightful to see you working for me~¡± she said in a playful tone. Hanging his head down, gritting his teeth, he asked, ¡°Why? Why does everything go so smoothly for you? Damn it, I don¡¯t care anymore. I¡¯ll just accept my defeat¡­¡± A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face, feeling happy to hear his words. But her expectations were betrayed in the next moment. ¡°I understand that you are much more talented. It was stupid of me to try to compare myself to you or any of your friends. You are all freaks instead¡­ I¡¯ll live my life the way I can¡± he said with a long sigh. Looking into her eyes, he added, ¡°Will you approve of me? I finished your mission after all. Could you prove it so that I can take my payment in the Trading Guild?¡± Clicking her tongue, she took out two seals from her storage ring and gave it to him. Of course, she hid her hand behind her back to hide her treasure. ¡°Take these and go. Good luck in the future,¡± she said, showing her white teeth. Smiling back, ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. After handing over the bag, he turned around and left the store. ¡°Did you know him, Miss?¡± Felicia asked, her head tilted to the side. ¡°Mhm. Not that much. We met only a few days ago,¡± she replied with a nod of her head. ¡°If I may be as rude as to say this, but you seem to have an awkward relationship with him. Did anything bad happen?¡± she asked, raising a brow. Waving her hand, Elena went out of the store as she said, ¡°Nah. Nothing special.¡± After making another pack of shampoo, they took them to the store and left towards the Bank. Christian was surprised to see them back so soon. ¡°Greetings, ladies. How may I help you?¡± he asked with a kind smile. This guy is just too creepy, Audrey thought, shaking her head. As her eyes met with Elena¡¯s they found the same opinion in each other¡¯s eyes. Chuckling lightly, Elena replied, ¡°No, we just came to pay back.¡± ¡°Already? Miss is really quick¡± Christian praised her. After going through the procedures, Elena decided to attack another gang too or else it would be suspicious. She appeared with Frank¡¯s looks only twice in the last few days and the only gang that was attacked was the Blue Rose. Knowing the location of other gangs too, they went towards the alleyways. Finding a few thugs, they killed all six of them with a few attacks. Devouring their bodies, she wrote a short message on a paper and threw it on the ground. But as they turned around, they realized that someone was standing behind them. It was a guard, who saw everything from the beginning to the end. ¡°So it was you three¡­¡± he mumbled, pulling out his sword. Inspecting him, Elena broke out in cold sweat.
Name: Al Gonsio Race: Human
Level: 182 Threat Level: 8
¡°Shit¡­¡± she mumbled, reaching towards her dagger, while Audrey collected her Mana. ¡°Boss, what did you find?¡± a familiar voice resounded from the streets. In the next moment, Jake appeared behind him. ¡°I found the rats,¡± Al replied with a smirk on his face, tapping his finger on the handle of his sword. ¡°Oh! Boss is great!¡± he shouted, winking at Elena as a dagger appeared in his right hand and flew towards Al¡¯s back. Elena¡¯s face remained unmoving until the end... Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 11 - Cutting the Loose Ends Cutting the Loose Ends ¡°Huh?!¡± escaped from Al¡¯s lips as he tried to look at Jake from the corners of his eyes. He felt a powerful gust of wind behind his back. ¡°GUARDS! HELP!¡± he yelled out, trying to dodge to the left at the same time. Thanks to moving to the left, the knife missed his heart and entered right beside his spine instead. A shocking pain rushed through his body, followed by a spasm. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists and the muscles in his body stiffened up. ¡°Guh¡­¡± he grumbled, falling forward. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve struck a nerve point, it seems¡± Jake mumbled with a surprised face. Dred jumped out of Elena¡¯s shadow and bit into Al¡¯s clothes. Turning around, the three of them fled. Right when they turned around the corner, the guards appeared behind Jake. As he turned around, he used a Wind Blade to thrust it into his right side and break one of his ribs. Holding his wound, gritting his teeth, he turned around, still pointing towards where Elena left. ¡°They¡­ went that way,¡± he said with a gasp. The guards, who saw only the tip of Dred¡¯s black tail nodded their heads and rushed after them. Only one person stayed back to check on Jake. ¡°Are you alright? That¡¯s a nice wound you¡¯ve got. I¡¯m sure the captain will question you later. You should take a rest for now,¡± he asked, looking at Jake¡¯s wound. ¡°Yeah. But thank the Lord, their dagger hit my rib. I think that it broke, but I¡¯ll be fine. Unlike Al¡­ I¡¯m quite sure that he is done for,¡± he gasped another time. ¡°Go back to the guard post, I¡¯ll go after them,¡± the guard said, patting his back and going after the others. Holding his wound, Jake left the scene. --- ¡°Why are we dragging him? His blood is leaving traces-¡± Audrey started as she turned her head, only to realize that Dred¡¯s shadow was devouring every drop. ¡°He is slowing us down, but considering how things turned out, we might as well use this chance to get our hands on a guinea pig. We will have to flee the city for now. Use those sexy legs or you will be left behind!¡± Elena replied, picking up her running speed. ¡°Gwet on my bwack,¡± Dred grunted, his mouth stuffed with Al¡¯s clothes. ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t escape¡± Al mumbled, his body completely paralytic. Elena and Audrey did as told. With Dred¡¯s running speed, they trod through the alleyways with incredible speed, leaving behind every guard. Thanks to using their Shadow Forms, all people had seen were shady outlines of their bodies. Seeing the thick, white stone wall in front of them, Elena and Audrey shot two huge black balls towards it, followed by two thick, long vines, which crushed the remaining stone blocks. Clicking her tongue, Elena said, ¡°There had to be a plain here¡­ damn it.¡± But thanks to Dred¡¯s speed, by the time the guards reached the breach on the wall, they didn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°Fuck it, they got away!¡± a guard shouted, seeing the empty plain in front of him. He had a well-toned body and purple hair, his eyes having the same color. He was a hundred and ninety centimeters tall, and also had a ten centimeters long scar on his left arm. A young girl caught up in the next second and looked at the man in front of her, respect clear in her eyes. Panting heavily ¡°Haah- Lord Gautama is really incredible. Even though I¡¯m an agility type, you always leave me behind¡± she said, leaning on her slender legs, waving her long, red hair. Looking at her small posture from the corners of his eyes, he pointed towards the plain, ¡°Then what about those killers? They left me behind. I was supposed to catch them and the worst is that they have no traces. Can you see any footprints?¡± ¡°No¡­ but the Lord has surely seen that black tail. At least, we have some clue,¡± the girl replied, standing up with a smile on her face, her breasts jiggling slightly. She was no more than a hundred and sixty-five centimeters tall. Turning around, Gautama put his hand on her beautiful face, ¡°Hoa, you are always so optimistic. It¡¯s worth the money to hire you in my mansion. You can always bring a smile to my face.¡± ¡°Lord Gautama is too kind to me,¡± she replied with a blush. Waving his hand, he walked away as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and question that guard. I should take over that old fool¡¯s position too. He has been doing nothing but piling up his bribes. I¡¯ll increase the security level in the city. Trouble is brewing.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hoa exclaimed, following in his steps. --- ¡°Won¡¯t they follow us?¡± Audrey asked, turning around with a worried look on her face. The forest was only a few meters away. As Dred entered it, he stopped to turn around. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If they couldn¡¯t catch up with us even after running through half of the city, they won¡¯t do it in the future either. Considering that we hid our tracks, they would be stupid if they followed us. Can you see him?¡± she asked, pointing towards the purple haired guy, who stood in front of the breach on the wall. After standing there for a few seconds, they saw as he turned around, along with the beauty, who arrived only a second later. ¡°They really left. Heh, they left you to your fate,¡± Audrey snorted, looking at Al. ¡°L-Laugh all you want. GUH- don¡¯t shake me¡­ They will catch you,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°Yeah, Dred. Don¡¯t shake him or else the knife might come out of his back and then we will have to kill him. I have better plans than that,¡± Elena agreed with Al, asking, ¡°And how should we call you?¡± ¡°Your Father, haha,¡± he laughed with a smile on his face, ignoring the pain. ¡°I have never had such a thing,¡± she replied with a kick. ¡°Perfect! I can be your Father in that case!¡± he ridiculed for the second time, his voice whistling while laughing. ¡°His lungs must be punctured¡­ let¡¯s hurry up before he dies on us,¡± Elena urged her partner to run. ¡°Owkay,¡± he obeyed and ran further into the forest. Using Earth Magic, they created a simple house with a large table in the middle. Dropping Al on top of it, Elena cracked her fingers, while Audrey sat down in a corner, Dred beside her. Feeling his soft fur, she couldn¡¯t help but start caressing his side. A smile formed on her face when she heard him purring like a cat. ¡°Heh~ this is fun,¡± she mumbled with a smug look on her face. ¡°Ah, wait! Will Jake be alright?¡± she raised her head with a worried look on her face, looking at Elena with raised brows. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He isn¡¯t stupid. If not for my aura, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen into my trap either. Which makes me remember¡­ we must kill Derrel since he could be a potential threat. He is the only one who knows about Dred and¡­ damn it, we will have to kill a few guards too. They¡¯ll definitely look for us if they remember Dred. It¡¯s good that you always stayed in my shadow when we walked around in the city,¡± Elena explained, realizing another important problem. ¡°What do you mean? Have they seen Dred?¡± Audrey asked, not understanding Elena¡¯s worry. ¡°No. They saw nothing but a black tail. I heard of it through my bacteria. Before you ask, I cut my Mana with them, so they died out. They have no way to sense them and find us. My point is, they might think that we were some kind of cat-people. We better prepare for the worst case scenario. How things turn out will heavily depend on Jake¡¯s creativity¡± Elena replied, pulling out a knife from the hilt on her right thigh. Spinning it on her palm, she grabbed its handle and thrust it into the hard, earth table beside Al¡¯s head. Thick earth shackles rose up and covered his arms, legs, waist, and neck. Under the control of her Mana, they slowly tightened around Al¡¯s body. ¡°I cu-rse yhou¡­¡± he whispered, his head starting to be purple. ¡°Oh, too much¡± she mumbled, slightly loosening up the shackles. There was a hole right under the wound on his back, so she left the knife in his back. It would continue to suppress whatever nerve point it suppressed up till now, which would paralyze Al. It was perfect for her. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± his worried voice echoing in the small and empty earth house. ¡°You¡¯ll see it soon enough,¡± she replied, taking out a strange herb from her storage ring. Rolling it between her fingers, she held it in front of Al¡¯s eyes. ¡°You see, this is a herb called Nettlion. We ran into it when Jake accidentally stepped into a whole bush. It numbed his body and he didn¡¯t feel even when I pinched him with all my strength. Since I¡¯m not a sadist, I¡¯ll use this on you,¡± she replied, forming an earth-glove around her hand to grind it on his body. ¡°Whlat¡­ tlis is leally--¡± he couldn¡¯t finish his words as even his jaws went numb. Burning the herb with Fire Magic, she dissolved the earth-glove and took her knife into her hands. She cut his forehead and used a tiny bit of Dark Magic to create a hole in his skull. ¡°I¡¯ll need something to stop his blood. The biggest part of blood is Water and Oxygen. Use Water and Wind Magic to control those,¡± she looked at Audrey. ¡°This is creepy¡­¡± she jumped up and grunted upon seeing Al¡¯s current state. ¡°Oh, it is. Dred, if you please,¡± she replied, asking for Dred¡¯s help too. He sat down right above Al¡¯s head, his head still above the stone table. His whiskers turned into round, black threads of shadows and crept through the newly formed hole. Connecting to Al¡¯s brain he felt a sudden resistance. ¡°GET OUT OF MY MIND!¡± Al shouted at him in his mind. Ignoring it, he went further in. ¡°I can¡¯t move his body since it is paralyzed, but I can use his Mana. Use Ekilsta and try to take over the Spell I¡¯ll use,¡± Dred mumbled with his eyes closed. Nodding her head, Elena focused on the forming ball of water in the air. As her Mana touched the water ball, it was repelled. ¡°DON¡¯T USE ME AS A SPELL CATALYST¡± Al shouted in Dred¡¯s mind, further annoying him. Elena controlled her bacterium and moved them towards Al¡¯s brain. Using Ekilsta, she tried to copy Al¡¯s mind into it, removing Frank¡¯s DNA at the same time. ¡°Tch¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have used him after the current events anyway¡± she said with annoyance. As Ekilsta copied more and more of Al¡¯s mind, her Mana was slowly entering the water ball, until finally taking it over. She was surprised to see that it moved as she willed it. ¡°He is dying here¡­¡± Audrey remarked, seeing his face turning paler. ¡°It¡¯s as I thought. Consciousness is nothing but a collection of our memories. Our brains only relate everything to our memories. Let¡¯s say I put my hand into a bowl of cold water. My brain will know what it is by comparing it to my memory and the feeling of cold receptors. Since Dred cast the water ball through Al¡¯s mind, it had his consciousness. As I slowly took over his memories, I became able to turn my consciousness into the same as his and on the expense of some additional Mana, control his spell¡± Elena explained everything to Audrey. ¡°That¡¯s a really useful thing to have. The only problem is that unless I want to destroy my own consciousness by copying others¡¯ into mine and let them take over me, I can¡¯t do this. Maybe if I learn Summoning Magic and summon a creature akin to Ekilsta. Ekilsta is just like a sheet of blank paper. You can draw anything onto it and then erase it later,¡± Audrey replied, understanding her own shortcomings. ¡°I can see that you understand. Well, we will get you something in the future. Let¡¯s devour him, I¡¯ve pulled back Ekilsta,¡± Elena said with a smile, her shadow shooting towards Al¡¯s body. He disappeared from the world of the living in the next second.
New Skill Acquired: Spell Steal
¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Well, it¡¯s a great spell, the only problem with it is that it is slow. A real fight is decided in a few attacks, but if I use this more in the future, I might be able to use it more actively. Imagine your spell suddenly turning against you, haha. For now, this will be something like a trump card. I¡¯ll use Ekilsta to copy other people¡¯s consciousness over the course of battles and surprise my opponents. I won¡¯t have to stuff my mind with other people¡¯s memories that way either,¡± Elena got into a comprehensive mood, and couldn¡¯t stop thinking. ¡°Yes, yes. My question is, why did you not try this on us before? It¡¯s nothing dangerous, it seems. Other people won¡¯t even notice it unless they can sense their inner selves to a perfect degree,¡± Audrey asked, raising a brow. Tilting his head to the side, Dred replied, ¡°That¡¯s simple. For one, we weren¡¯t sure if it had any bad effects or not, she didn¡¯t wish to test it on you. On the other hand, neither she nor I would steal your private memories for a spell. If you want to share your life with us, then do so through talking. You are off if you think that drinking Elena¡¯s blood is something everyone can do.¡± ¡°If you were to die, she would take a heavy blow to her mind and heart, resulting in serious wounds. Those with the blood of the Shadow Progenitor will be closely related to us. To Elena in your case. Although we are born in pairs, we could be called strangers too. We might be together all the time, but she is still a different entity. Your death won¡¯t strike my mind.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t misunderstand me, I¡¯d be sad to see you die, haha,¡± he chuckled upon seeing her face saddening and then brightening up. ¡°I understand. Now I feel better and it was a surprise to hear you talk so much,¡± Audrey nodded her head, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m just not as talkative as you lot. After entering Al¡¯s mind, I might have improved a bit on that part¡­¡± he replied, shaking a bug off of his right ear. ¡°When you do this, you rather resemble a dog¡­¡± Elena remarked, patting his head. ¡°... I feel like biting your ass,¡± he growled with an annoyed voice. ¡°Don¡¯t do that because I won¡¯t be able to sit,¡± she puffed out her cheeks, rubbing her buttocks upon imagining the pain. Dred stomped on the ground and made the earth fall back into its place. Using Devour, he cleaned up every spot of blood and with the help of Earth Magic, he evened out the ground. ¡°Get on, let¡¯s sneak back to the city,¡± he said, beckoning with his head. Audrey and Elena gladly jumped on and enjoyed the ride through the forest. Unfortunately for them, they had to rush through the plain in their Shadow Forms and to get into the city. They walked back to Woodland Inn, making curious looks when seeing groups of guards running back and forth. Sitting down on the side of the bed, Elena sighed loudly. ¡°We should catch Derrel as quickly as possible. I never thought that he would react so differently.¡± Placing her hand on Elena¡¯s back, Audrey came up with an idea, ¡°It¡¯s understandable. Although Jake was a soldier, he grew up in a civilized society. But Derrel came from another planet. I¡¯m sure that he grew up facing much harder problems than we, who grew up on Kriton. It¡¯s not surprising that he reacted differently to the methods you used on our planet. I think that you will have to give more time to these people or they will just ignore you, like Derrel. People change over longer periods of time. Not from one to two.¡± ¡°You are right. I¡¯ll be more careful in the future. But how the hell did we not sense him? We will have to ask Jake when we meet. Derrel isn¡¯t far away. We can¡¯t kill him in the middle of the city. This might be the perfect time to kill the guards at the gate, though. Jake isn¡¯t on a shift and we can kill everyone. Let¡¯s go. Hopefully, there won¡¯t be any bypassers.¡± Nodding her head, Audrey followed her, while Dred stayed in the room. If a powerful guard was to spot him, that would be their end. It was better to let him stay in the room and cultivate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dred. But I¡¯m not as stupid as to tempt fate for the second time on the same day¡­¡± Elena turned around and made an apologetic face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just make sure that you don¡¯t get caught¡­¡± he replied, closing his eyes. Turning around, they made their way towards the gate but were sad to see that different people were on shift. ¡°We first arrived at this city at around 1 p.m. but it is only eleven o¡¯clock. We will have to wait, it seems,¡± Elena mumbled, randomly entering a restaurant, followed by clothing stores and such places. The whole time, she kept her eyes on the gate. Five minutes before midday, she was happy to see the same people walking through the main street, towards the gate. After spending another ten minutes with shopping and looking around, they walked towards the gate. Most people entered their houses and the stores temporarily closed too. ¡°It¡¯s good that they have the same habits as people on Kriton,¡± Audrey remarked with a grin on her face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a question of habit. People get hungry¡­ no matter where they live,¡± Elena replied with a chuckle, seeing that the number of guards decreased in the area. She didn¡¯t know that most of them were called to the guard post. Seeing that there were only three people in the gate, they waited for them to enter the city. When there was nobody left, they slipped into an alleyway and used their Shadow Forms to charge towards the guards. At first, they went towards the room where they¡¯ve got their ID cards and found the same person. Not delaying even for a second, she jumped up behind him. Reacting quickly, he turned around his sword in hand. ¡°Tch. I need to train more. Everyone is stronger than me¡­¡± Elena clicked her tongue, her eyes meeting with the guard¡¯s. ¡°You? WAS IT YOU?!¡± he shouted upon realization but was surprised to see a thick earth spike sticking out of his chest. Turning around, he saw Audrey standing behind him, her palms held towards him. Coughing out a mouthful of blood, he asked as he fell to his knees, ¡°Why?¡± They used Devour to erase his body and blood. ¡°What happened, Uriel?¡± a guard from the gate came rushing in. Not seeing anyone, he raised his brows and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Huh? Where would he go while being on shift?¡± Elena jumped up in front of him and sliced her dagger across his chest, cutting off his right arm. His blood sprayed onto her body and face. Licking her lips, she kicked him in the stomach. An earth spike raised out of the ground behind him and skewered him. ¡°This is enjoyable after all. Doing business and other shit isn¡¯t as fun,¡± she mumbled, spinning her dagger on her palm. Audrey came from the other side of the corridor, dragging the corpse of the other guard. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± Elena remarked, thrusting her dagger into the hilt on her right thigh. ¡°You can have him all to yourself. I¡¯ll devour this guy. Oh, and make sure to clean that up¡­¡± she added, pointing at the long path of blood behind the corpse in Audrey¡¯s hand. ¡°...¡± Not saying anything, her shadow spread out and devoured the blood, along with the body. Elena did the same and then both of them left the gate. ¡°I¡¯d have prepared more for this, but we don¡¯t have the time. We must cut the loose ends as quickly as possible,¡± she said, turning back into her human form in an alleyway. After looking around on the corner, not seeing anyone looking towards them, they left the scene. Closing her eyes for a moment, she followed the location of the bacteria on Derrel¡¯s body. Upon arriving at his location, Elena furrowed her brows before turning around to leave. ¡°This is bad,¡± she mumbled, looking back one last time at the guard post...A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. --- The guard post had an office room, a storage room, a nurse room, and a big hall with a few tables and chairs. But in fact, the nurse room didn¡¯t have any nurses. It was just a room with a few beds where people could take a rest. Sitting down on the side of a bed, Jake took off his T-shirt and looked at the wound he made. The white haired captain flung open the door and walked towards Jake. He was about to speak when the door opened once again and a purple haired man came in. ¡°I¡¯ll take over from here on. Captain Sigil should take a rest for a few months,¡± he said with a loud voice. The white haired old man¡¯s body shuddered. Turning around, he bowed his head as he said, ¡°As you wish, Lord Gautama,¡± Gritting his teeth, he left the room. When Sigil opened the door, he was surprised to see the vice-captain, Sally in front of him. Stepping to the side with a bow of his head, he let her in and then left silently. ¡°You have come. You react as quickly as ever¡­¡± Gautama remarked with a nod of his head. ¡°Hoa? And here I was wondering where you were,¡± he added, noticing his employee walking behind Sally. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Gautama. I just met my Master and couldn¡¯t help but recap with her,¡± she answered, coiling her arms around Sally¡¯s right arm. ¡°Let go of me, you silly girl. AH! You?¡± she tried shaking her off and made a surprised face upon noticing Jake. ¡°What? Do you two know each other?¡± Gautama asked, looking back and forth between Jake and Sally. ¡°No, I was his examiner when he entered the ranks of the guards. It wasn¡¯t long ago and he is already here, wounded¡­ What happened? This city is turning crazier by each day!¡± she explained herself, waving her left hand in her annoyance. Seeing Jake looking back and forth, not understanding anything, she introduced everyone. ¡°You surely remember me, so I won¡¯t introduce myself. This here is Hoa, my first apprentice. She learned the way of the sword from me! I¡¯d be glad to see you two have a go at it. And he is called Lord Gautama, the fifth strongest person in the city. He is at the four hundred and twenty-sixth level. Make sure to respect him!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jake couldn¡¯t help but shout like a soldier, finding himself in the feelings of the old times when his commander shouted at him. ¡°Haha, there is no need for such things. This is the third biggest city in the kingdom. There are plenty of talented people if you visit the inner circles. You seem to have a bright future if you don¡¯t get yourself killed,¡± he replied, looking at Jake. Great¡­ a nice-guy fucker¡­ I hate these types of people. There are no nice people. I wonder what you are hiding. And how did you decide that I can have a bright future? Do you have a crystal ball in your eyes or what? They have golden ID cards on their chests¡­ it seems like both Sally and Gautama are nobles, Jake thought with annoyance, his face unmoving. Forcing a smile on his face, he said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Sally stopped beside Jake and leaned forward. Her hand on his muscular chest, she looked into the wound on his side. ¡°This will hurt,¡± she said as she stuck her finger into the wound. ¡°Guh-¡± Jake grunted, but he was surprised to feel it the pain easing. She slowly started pulling out her finger and by the time her finger was out, his wound closed. ¡°There you go. You were lucky since it hit your rib and didn¡¯t puncture your lung. Now tell me what happened. The other guards didn¡¯t see anything, other than a black tail. I hope that you can tell me more,¡± she said, pulling back her hand and stand up straight. I was surprised by her hand. Her palm was rather soft and her skin felt smooth¡­ wait, what am I thinking about? I shouldn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t see anything. That would be suspicious and unbelievable. Elena has a cat tail and scales in her true form. In that case¡­ Jake quickly thought about his possibilities and then spoke aloud. ¡°I was patrolling the city when I ran into Al, who was the strongest among us in the outer parts of the city. I started chatting with him when he said that he saw a person rushing into the alleyway behind me. He pushed me to the side and ran after the possible suspects. I quickly followed him, but something terrible happened. He was facing a¡­ cat-woman if I remember correctly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but my mind turned hazier and Al couldn¡¯t move either. In the next second, I saw a dagger entering his back. A shady something ran towards us and struck my side and ran away with the captain. I think that it was some kind of monster. It definitely had a tail and four legs. I didn¡¯t know Al for too long, so I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m worried about him, but the idea of his death saddens me. As a fellow guard. Did I help Miss by any chance?¡± Staying silent, she made a thoughtful face. Looking at Jake from the corners of her eyes, she waved her hand as she said, ¡°I thank you for your cooperation. It was somewhat useful. You may leave.¡± Nodding his head, Jake got up from the bed and after saying goodbye, he left the nurse room. Standing in the door, he turned around. Moving his right arm, a smile formed on his face as he said, ¡°I thank Captain again for healing me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it,¡± she smiled back. As Jake closed the door behind him, Gautama asked, ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°We will see it now,¡± she smirked as a tiny red crystal formed on her palm. It was a simple crystal, called Truth. Originally, it was a translucent crystal, with red liquid at the bottom of it. When it made contact with Jake¡¯s body, the red liquid started lifting up, filling the crystal. But if the person¡¯s body heat raised, the red liquid turned darker. If somebody was lying, their body heat would rise and a layer of the red liquid would be darker. This effect was usable only for twenty seconds and it had to be in contact with the body the whole time. When she stuck her finger into Jake¡¯s wound, she implanted it into his body and questioned him. She counted the seconds and noted each of his words in the same second, in her mind. Even Audrey could do that much with her current Wisdom, not to mention Sally. Looking at the crystal, she saw a single line where the crystal was darker. ¡°... Guess what? He lied when he said that ¡®the idea of his death saddens me.¡¯ So we learned that his words were true, based on this crystal, and he doesn¡¯t care about a person¡¯s death, he met probably a day ago. Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting anything, so it¡¯s all good. I just wanted to make sure he was telling the truth,¡± she explained herself to Gautama. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. I know that you just wish to uphold peace in the city, but if he was to realize it, his feelings could have been hurt and you could have lost a talent. You keep being suspicious of everyone¡­ Please take no offense as this is just my personal opinion. But just because your husband betrayed you in that dungeon years ago, you shouldn¡¯t be suspicious of everyone,¡± he waved his hand, sighing loudly. ¡°Hahaha, does Lord Gautama really think that I¡¯m suspicious because of the past events? There is something much bigger going on in this city. The lord should take defensive measurements in the near future. This city will never be the same,¡± she laughed at his naive words as she turned towards the door and left. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gautama shouted after her, but all he got as a reply was a wave of her hand. ¡°Lord, if I may be so rude¡­ it was terrible of you to say such words. I talked about this when she trained me and she has really left behind her past. The betrayal of her husband has left its mark in her heart, and she is indeed more cautious, but she isn¡¯t doing this because of that. I¡¯ll go back to the Lord''s mansion now,¡± Hoa remarked with her head hung down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she added upon seeing Gautama¡¯s saddened face as she closed the door. ¡°Heh- Hahaha, you two naive girls~¡± a smirk formed on his face as he walked towards the door, his hands behind his back, whistling. ---- When Jake left the nurse room, he was surprised to see Derrel in the guard post. This is bad. I should take him away from this place, he thought with a frown on his face. ¡°Hey, Derrel! What¡¯s up?¡± he shouted, catching his attention. Walking up to him, Derrel said, ¡°Oh, hi! I was looking for you. I¡¯ve heard that there was some trouble in the city and that a guard called Jake was hurt. I thought that I might visit you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice of you. I was indeed hurt, but the vice-captain healed me already and it was nothing serious. I¡¯ve got lucky and the knife stopped upon breaking my ribs. At least, it should be a knife¡­ I don¡¯t know what it was since they used some kind of spell, which made us numb. I barely saw anything. How are things going for you?¡± Jake replied with a smile on his face, slowly walking towards the entrance of the guard post. Following beside him, Derrel replied, ¡°Nothing much. But I realized that I¡¯m not fit to be Elena¡¯s rival. It was bad of me to try to compare myself with her or any of you. You people are just freaks, haha,¡± he laughed, scratching the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s not nice to say such things¡­ And where do you stay nowadays? We didn¡¯t see you in Woodland Inn yesterday,¡± Jake asked, leading the conversation back to Derrel and picking up his walking pace at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m staying in a cheaper Inn. It¡¯s not as good as Woodland Inn and the food is worse too, but it¡¯s good enough for me. I¡¯m too weak currently. Once I train enough and become stronger, I can manage real missions and earn some more money. I also bought better weapons and armor from the money Elena gave me for my mission. Hehe. In the end, she still helped me with such an easy quest. Give her my thanks and regards when you meet her,¡± he patted Jake¡¯s back and walked towards the door. Seeing that he was leaving, he was about to follow him when Sally came out of the nurse room and declared a meeting. Turning around, Jake realized that the hall was filled to the brim with guards. After looking around for a few seconds, Sally spoke. ¡°As you have heard of it, there has been a series of events in these last few days. Numerous people have been killed and the last victim was a guard. Another guard was also wounded. The worst is that we have no clear information about these criminals. Killing in the city is prohibited unless you are a noble and we shall uphold that law. The only clue we have is a black tail. I know that it sounds ridiculous, but anything you can relate with a black tail might be an evidence. Make sure to report it if you know something.¡± In the middle of the murmurings, Jake turned around and walked towards the door as if he didn¡¯t know anything. As his eyes met with Derrel, he whispered, ¡°I¡¯d be happy if you wouldn¡¯t screw up our lives. The world we came from is dying. We don¡¯t need more shit to fall on our necks.¡± Seeing Jake¡¯s concerned eyes, a smug grin formed on Derrel¡¯s face. ¡°Well, this is turning really interesting. I could tell them about Dred, but it could turn out that you have nothing to do with it and I wouldn¡¯t get anything out of it, even if you are the people in question. But you have something to lose. I have an idea. You share fifty percent of your earnings with me and you will help me if I need it. You shall take an oath to prove your servitude. Or¡­ I can shout now,¡± he whispered into Jake¡¯s right ear. Clenching his fists, he said that it was okay through gritted teeth. ¡°But let¡¯s go out or people might hear it,¡± he advised. ¡°No-no. What if you wanted to kill me? You will do it here. Add a line to your oath, stating that you won¡¯t try to kill me and you will try to protect me even if it costs you your life,¡± Derrel replied, denying his words. ARGH! I will tear this shit into pieces! We should have killed him at that time in the forest. What should I do? If I take that oath, I will have to fight against Elena and Audrey unless I want to die from the backlash of breaking the oath. Hopefully, he won¡¯t tell me that I can¡¯t say anything about this to them. He is still quite young and inexperienced, he raged on in his mind, trying to think of ideas. If only I had those Shadow bacteria. I could fill his body and blackmail him in the same manner, with his life! I should have bitten Elena! Well¡­ she would send me to Dred¡­ but that¡¯s totally not good. He is furry! He tried to ease his mind by thinking of stupid things. Not finding a way out, he nodded his head and took the oath.
You have taken an oath!
You will have to protect Shawn Derrel with everything you¡¯ve got, even if it costs you your life. You will have to help him when he requests it. Breaking this oath will result in your death.
¡°Now follow me. When there are fewer people, hand over all your earnings,¡± he whispered, walking through the entrance. When they found an empty street, Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out five gold coins, and a few silver and bronze coins. ¡°Oh! And this is just yours. If I could make Elena and Audrey serve me¡­ hehe, my life is getting better after all! Well, if they won¡¯t agree with me, I can always tell the guards that it was only them and keep you as my servant,¡± Derrel laughed, his spit flying all over the street. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Jake asked, knowing that Derrel¡¯s plans would never work on Elena and Audrey. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Why? It¡¯s simple. On my home planet, I was the son of an average family. After coming here, life turned super hard and you people kept ridiculing and taunting me for the same reason. What can I say, I turned envious of you. Now that I have something to use against you, I shall use it. I know that this is evil and I really feel a bit bad about it, but if it makes my life easier¡­¡± ¡°Once I can live on my own, I¡¯ll release you after making you take an oath, stating that you won¡¯t ever try to hurt or kill me in any way. Enjoy your time until then! If you have any methods to increase my training speed, then spit it out. It would decrease your time of servitude!¡± Seeing Jake staying silent, he repeated his words in a commanding tone, ¡°I request you to share all you know about training with me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it thanks to the blood running through my veins,¡± he said through gritted teeth. He had to be honest under the effect of the oath. ¡°Oh? This sounds interesting. Tell me more about this!¡± he changed his mind. Jake shook his head, showing that he couldn¡¯t talk about it. Anyone with Elena¡¯s blood in his or her veins would stay silent about such things till their death. Training methods, spells, skills, her origin. Neither of those could be discussed. ¡°Meh, fine. Let¡¯s go to Woodland Inn. I want to visit Elena¡¯s room and see her answer. I¡¯m sure that I can get away with you beside me and the help of the masses!¡± Derrel¡¯s voice crackled. Feeling death starting to loom over him, Jake quickly remarked on his thoughts, ¡°She will kill you without anyone noticing.¡± Making a surprised face, he put his hand on his chin, ¡°Is that so? Thanks for telling. Let¡¯s meet her in a public place in that case. Go and invite her to the main street in that case.¡± ¡°She is coming towards us at the moment,¡± Jake replied. ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s go back to the main street in that case. There are so many people,¡± he answered, slapping his own thighs with a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead,¡± Jake mumbled, leaving him slightly behind. Not seeing any problem with that, Derrel walked towards the main streets, whistling a tune. ---- After leaving the guard post, Elena and Audrey visited their store since they had nothing better to do. Seeing that they earned another fifty gold coins, they decided to raise Felicia¡¯s salary to five gold coins, earning her eternal love and respect. Leaving the store, Elena stopped in place as she realized a crucial problem. Covering her face, she mumbled, ¡°This is bad. This is very bad. Everyone on the training grounds knows about Dred. Shit just got real this time. You might have to use this Eon Element of yours and blow up everything. But I need to devour these people, not just kill them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that we could just kill them anyway. There are much older people than us. It would be stupid of us to think that they can¡¯t use the same spell or have some defensive measurement,¡± Audrey corrected Elena¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You are right. I still need to learn a lot¡­ ARGH! I was too stupid! Oh, Derrel left the guild post, it seems. Let me sense my bacteria. But I get an enraged feeling from my blood in Jake¡¯s body. Something bad must have happened. Let¡¯s hurry up,¡± she replied, charging towards Derrel¡¯s location. Upon entering the main street, they notice Jake running towards them. Before they could say anything, Jake started sprouting the beans. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, this is more urgent. Derrel blackmailed me into taking an oath. I must protect him with my life or I¡¯ll die and I also have to obey his requests. If I won¡¯t obey, he will tell the guards that it was only you two and they will catch you.¡± ¡°Enough chatting, I guess he told everything to you. I didn¡¯t want to destroy your relationship or anything of the sort, so I let him tell it to you. I¡¯d be happy to work with you two too. What do you say?¡± Derrel asked, holding out his hand. Elena looked around before showing her back and walking towards a restaurant nearby. ¡°Follow me,¡± she said with a serious voice. Seeing that she didn¡¯t intend to leave the public area, he had no problems with it. Sitting down at a table, Jake and Derrel was on one side, while Audrey and Elena were on the other side. Both of them looked at the Menu silently, ignoring his offer. A waitress stopped beside their table and took their orders. ¡°Please take this until then,¡± she said with a smile on her face, coming back a few seconds later, placing four glasses of drinks on the table. ¡°Thanks,¡± all four of them said at the same time, surprising the waitress. Shaking her head, she turned around and left. What Derrel didn¡¯t know was that Ekilsta was inside his brain, copying his memories. Jake was sweating non-stop, trying to find a solution to their problem. Circling her finger around the rim of the glass, a smile formed on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°You are cornered. But I can let you off if you take an oath, stating that you won¡¯t bother me. I¡¯m fine with that too,¡± Derrel remarked upon seeing her smile, thinking that she felt lost. ¡°That¡¯s really generous of you after blackmailing my friend into serving you, don¡¯t you think?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Look, I left quite a lot of room for you people. If you could help me with training, then he would be set free sooner. It¡¯s nothing much if you ask me. Not for a friend, so dear to you,¡± Derrel smirked upon seeing her annoyance. But he was terribly wrong. When somebody took an oath, people obeyed to save their own lives. Jake could ignore Derrel¡¯s requests and die, but that wasn¡¯t something he or his friends wanted. Elena knew that if things stayed too calm, the guards¡¯ focus would reach them soon enough. So she planned to use Derrel¡¯s oath to make him appear as some kind of Dark Mage. Jake knew about Ekilsta and that she could control Derrel¡¯s Mana to some degree. If she used Ekilsta to make Derrel say a few strange things, the onlookers would believe that Jake was being controlled. If the guards were to question the onlookers and hear their replies, they would think that there was something strange brewing in the city. It could potentially draw their attention from the recent murdering events and make them look for a something bigger. Sighing loudly, Audrey said as a grin formed on her face, ¡°You are done for, now.¡± ¡°Huh? Why would I be done for, are you stupid?¡± Derrel laughed upon hearing her words. His right hand raised up with the help of his own Mana. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you for not obeying me!¡± Ekilsta shouted through Derrel¡¯s lips, under Elena¡¯s control, using Wind Magic to generate voices. ¡°What?¡± Derrel mumbled with a surprised face, hearing his own voice, even though he didn¡¯t wish to speak. A fireball flew out of his palm, almost hitting Elena¡¯s face. Tilting her head to the side, she dodged it and jumped up, shouting, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Jake stood up and shouted, looking at Derrel, attacking Elena ¡°What¡¯s happening!? My body is moving on it¡¯s own! Are you controlling my body?!¡± Seeing that Jake understood her plans, Elena felt happy. ¡°W-What? No! What¡¯s happ-¡± Derrel started but he interrupted himself by using a Wind Blade to attack Elena. ¡°Why won¡¯t you obey me?!¡± Ekilsta shouted through Derrel¡¯s body once again, while the other people present, looked at the scene with interest. ¡°I- I can¡¯t stop him! Do something! I¡¯ll tell about this to the vice-captain later! Kill him!¡± Jake shouted, his hand moving towards his own throat. That was definitely not a part of his oath, but nobody knew that. Elena shot an Earth Spike towards Derrel when Jake suddenly jumped forward and smashed it with his fist. It escaped the onlookers¡¯ attention, that tiny scales covered his knuckles for a moment. ¡°This¡­ no!¡± Derrel shouted, seeing how things were unfolding. ¡°Screw you! Attack those bitches!¡± he shouted at Jake, pointing at Elena and Audrey. ¡°Guh, I can¡¯t resist! What is this?!¡± Jake shouted, charging at Elena. As the girls¡¯ eyes met, they nodded their heads. Elena pulled out her dagger and prepared to take on Jake. Although he had to obey his command to attack Elena if he didn¡¯t want to die, Derrel never stated that he should use his full strength. ¡°Be gentle with me,¡± Jake whispered in a low voice, seeing Elena dodging his punch, her left leg flying towards his left side. He felt a great force striking his body yet it didn¡¯t feel painful at all. He flew through the air and crashed into a wall. In the meantime, Audrey used Nature Magic to paralyze Derrel with vines. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Derrel shouted, using Dark Magic to dissolve the vines restricting him. Looking up, he was surprised to see an Earth Spike in front of his face. Ducking down, it penetrated the wall on the other side of the restaurant. ¡°Jake! Protect me! These two are-¡± he was about to reveal the truth when Elena appeared behind him like a shadow and struck her left dagger into his heart. Turning it, Derrel screamed out in agony. Pulling it sideways, she slit his back, and cut his spine into two halves. Before Derrel could fall to the ground, she slit his throat with her right dagger. His blood spilled onto the ground, dirtying it. The light in his eyes dimmed out, as a pool of blood formed under his body. ¡°Yuck, this guy was disgusting,¡± Elena said, trying to rid her hands of his blood. Jake¡¯s hand shot through the debris and he slowly crawled out. ¡°It¡¯s working again¡­ I have regained my control over my body. What the hell was that? Let¡¯s call the guards. We will have to investigate this. Just what the hell is happening?! I was attacked twice in a single day. I¡¯m just a freshman for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± he shouted, clenching his fists. Before either of them could leave the restaurant, a group of guards arrived on the scene, surrounding them. Sally walked out from behind the guards and was surprised to see Jake. ¡°You again? Explain yourself,¡± she commanded, furrowing her brows. ¡°Captain, this person must have been some evildoer. I lost control over my body and I attacked my own friends! He tried to kill us,¡± he blabbered, his eyes darting around. Stepping closer, Sally grabbed the sides of his head and looked into his eyes. ¡°Calm. Down. Explain everything,¡± she repeated her words. Breathing out long, Jake explained the turn of events about how he was being controlled by Derrel and forced into attacking Elena and Audrey. Hearing his words, she couldn¡¯t help but look at him with suspicion. ¡°Let¡¯s see what are the people present thinking?¡± she asked, looking at the guests in the restaurant. Seeing that nobody wanted to talk, she stopped before a young man and questioned him. ¡°Did he tell the truth?¡± Standing up with a salute, the young man replied, ¡°No, Miss! I didn¡¯t even notice them when they came in, but they caught my attention when the dead boy shouted something about why weren¡¯t they obeying him. In the next second, he shot a fireball towards the black haired girl, while that guy with brown hair¡­ what was your name?¡± he asked, looking at Jake. ¡°Jake.¡± ¡°Yes, he followed up the fireball and tried to hit the girls. He was shouting all the time how he couldn¡¯t control his body, while the dead boy even commanded him once to attack the girls. Jake did as told without any delay. When they killed the boy, he no longer tried to attack the girls.¡± Hearing the man¡¯s reply, Sally nodded her head, believing Jake. Knowing that Jake wasn¡¯t a spy, her body eased up a little. ¡°Good. Now we have another lead. You said that your sight turned hazy before and that your mind was jumbled. It might be that you were the one who stabbed Al and that shadow just took him away. I can¡¯t blame you for that, even if that was the case.¡± ¡°This would also explain the recent unrest in the city. Who knows if there are more such people as him. Are you two his friends?¡± she looked at Elena and Audrey. ¡°Yes. How should we call Miss?¡± Audrey asked with a smile on her face. ¡°My name is Sally Felicita, the vice-captain of the guards. I can¡¯t read your stats, the same as Jake, hehe. Could it be that you are as talented as him?¡± she tilted her head to the side. Hearing Jake chuckling loudly, she turned to look at him with her brows raised. Standing up straight, his face unmoving, he did as if nothing happened. Looking at him for a few seconds, tapping her finger on the hilt of her swords, she turned to back. ¡°Given your friend¡¯s reaction, I¡¯m quite sure that you are. Don¡¯t you want to become guards? There aren¡¯t many women in our ranks¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to refuse as we have other plans. We want to have more time to train beside running our business and to move around freely,¡± Elena replied this time, refusing her offer. ¡°That¡¯s sad. Alright, let¡¯s clean up and leave! I¡¯ve had enough of today¡­ so many things happening and trouble keeps piling up!¡± she shook her head. Two guards came rushing at the same moment, shouting, ¡°Captain! The guards at the gate disappeared. We were about to change shifts when we realized that there weren¡¯t any guards at the gate. All of them disappeared without any sign and people kept coming in, not even bothering with notifying us.¡± ¡°Screw this shit!¡± Sally couldn¡¯t help but curse upon hearing the news. The guards jumped back in their surprise, visibly startled at the eruption of energy that came out of her body. Clearing her throat, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My rage got out the better of me for a moment. You can take the day off. I don¡¯t want to see you on the streets or I might have to deal with something again.¡± Hearing her words, a smile formed on Jake¡¯s face. Nodding his head, he said goodbye and went towards Woodland Inn, followed by Audrey and Elena. He was about to go towards his own room when Elena grabbed the T-shirt on his back and threw him into their room. ¡°You¡¯ll stay here this time. Tell me what happened today since I¡¯m quite lost on a few things,¡± she said, sitting down beside Audrey. Seeing Dred lying down on the bed behind them, Jake mumbled, ¡°And here I was wondering where he was all this time. So after-¡± he explained everything. When he was done, Elena did the same. ¡°Things are turning messier and messier by the days. I¡¯ll leave you two alone now,¡± Elena remarked with a smirk on her face. Jake and Audrey turned around, only to see the place Dred was sitting at empty. Turning back around, they saw them standing on the other side of the door. Elena shut it and locked it. ¡°Have some fun~¡± she said jokingly. Leaning forward, she whispered into Dred¡¯s left ear, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Jake¡¯s room. Show me what you¡¯ve learned.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 12 - Walking Corpses Walking Corpses Silence loomed in the room. Jake kept looking back and forth between Audrey¡¯s eyes and a corner of the room. Scratching the back of his head, he said, ¡°This came as a surprise.¡± ¡°It did.¡± Hearing her reply, he couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°She doesn¡¯t understand romance, it seems.¡± ¡°She definitely doesn¡¯t,¡± she agreed with a chuckle. Seeing her reactions, Jake eased up somewhat. ¡°Thanks, and sorry for making this situation look more awkward than it is.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± she waved her hand. Walking over, Jake sat down beside Audrey, his shoulder touching hers. Fiddling with his fingers, he started, ¡°When we were occupying the school and didn¡¯t know Elena, I always found interest in you. I find you really charming. But there are many beauties, so that isn¡¯t the reason I¡¯m interested in you. Well, it¡¯s definitely a good part of it¡± he admitted, seeing her raising a brow. ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± she nodded her head. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be honest with you. Anyway, you were always alone when you weren¡¯t out with Krin and Raven to get some food, which I found weird at first. All you did was shut yourself in your room, though that¡¯s nothing bad in my eyes. My feelings changed when Elena appeared. You didn¡¯t have that deadpan face all the time and you started smiling. I found it fabulous-¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for being having a deadpan face,¡± she interrupted him, turning towards the windows. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Please, stop pouting. Back to the point. When I saw you smiling from day to day, an emotion erupted in me. I wanted you to smile at me the way you do at Elena,¡± Jake explained himself. ¡°Eh? Were you jealous of a little girl or what?¡± Audrey ridiculed him. Clenching his fists, Jake continued, ¡°No¡­ It just came to me. After that, I couldn¡¯t help but watch you whenever I saw you. I liked how you seemed to be so caring about Elena, who seemed to be your only friend. I wanted to receive the same kind of attention from you. I saw as you worked hard to get better. I saw as you got along so well with Elena and I was even happier to see your somewhat tomboyish side. This is, by all means, a good thing, please don¡¯t misunderstand it.¡± ¡°I mean that you don¡¯t whine all day, you don¡¯t break out in hysteria. You make me remember the time I was a soldier. I can work as a team with you and stuff¡­ and I find this very enjoyable.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m a guy to you,¡± she chuckled, interrupting him again. ¡°Damn it, Audrey! I¡¯m trying to be serious here!¡± he shouted, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her down on the bed. ¡°Why do you keep joking around when I¡¯m being honest here? I can¡¯t hear your thoughts, I can¡¯t hear you whining, but you surely have your troubles. Let me be the person who hears you out,¡± he followed up. Audrey¡¯s eyes opened wide upon experiencing his forcefulness. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m terribly sorry. It was my bad,¡± Jake pulled back his hands upon noticing her reaction, still sitting over her. ¡°No, it was my bad. I appreciate your honesty. I¡¯m just bad with these kinds of things. I don¡¯t know what to do, to be honest. Do you really want to hear me out?¡± she asked, looking into his eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± Sighing loudly, she closed her eyes. ¡°Okay. Please, get off of me first¡­¡± she mumbled. Realizing their position, Jake got off. Sitting up, she told him her past, something only Elena knew. Learning the reason behind her introverted personality, that she was almost raped, Jake felt both angry and terrible at the same time. Covering his face, he mumbled, ¡°And here I was, pushing you down. I¡¯m really sorry about that. How could I make up with you?¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t mind it. It happened a long time ago. I¡¯m not afraid of such things anymore. It¡¯s just that it happened when I was young and so, I was afraid to leave the house. Even in classes, I didn¡¯t speak to anyone. It hit me like a trauma. Every day, I just went back home, shut the door to my room and spent my time with playing games or reading fantasy stuff. My mind was weak and I couldn¡¯t process the idea of ¡®what could have happened¡¯.¡± ¡°I also lack social skills thanks to that, though after being with Elena, I learned quite a lot about it. Well, and I¡¯d be quite old if not for the Apocalypse. It would be terrible of me if I was still living in my past, even after so many years.¡± Showing an honest, bright smile to Jake, she added, ¡°Your words made my heart beat faster for a few seconds. Haha~ I like how you kept telling me what you liked in me. Since you wish to make up with me and I want to reward you, I¡¯ll¡­¡± she started thinking. ¡°Go on a date with me?¡± Jake cut into her thoughts, having an idea of his own. ¡°Sheesh, fine. You keep asking me to go on a date, but I don¡¯t even know what to do there¡± she waved her hand, still agreeing with him. ¡°Great! Well, it¡¯s just a day when we have fun together, make memories together and¡­ don¡¯t care about money!¡± He pointed his index finger towards the ceiling. Shit. I don¡¯t have the face to ask money from Elena, even if it is common in our little group. And I forgot what I had in Derrel¡¯s pocket! Damn it! The guards have surely taken it away and stuffed their own pockets¡­ I¡¯ll have to push that date further away in time. To weekend when I get my salary, Jake¡¯s mind stormed about his money problem. ¡°You seem to be troubled. Did you lose your money? It¡¯s not a problem, Elena gave me half of what we earned from the store. She told me to share it with you anyway. It¡¯s just that I forgot in the middle of our talk-¡± Audrey said, taking out a pouch, stuffed to the brim with gold coins. ¡°Hmm¡­ we will have to find a way to store it. We can¡¯t walk around with so much money,¡± she added. ¡°Absolutely no. I don¡¯t need money, haha. I have my own, after all. Haha,¡± Jake laughed in an awkward way, catching Audrey¡¯s attention. ¡°You lost it, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s good to see that you are as terrible when it comes to communication as me,¡± she laughed at him, holding out the pouch. ¡°No.¡± Jake refused to take it. ¡°You said that you would carry my burden. This pouch is really heavy for my weak arms. Would you make a lady carry such a heavy bag?¡± she covered her red lips with her hands, gasping loudly. ¡°...I¡¯ll carry it, but I won¡¯t use it!¡± he grabbed the pouch and proceeded to tie it around his waist. Puffing out her cheeks, Audrey thrust her right hand forward and tore out the bag from his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind! Go and suffer if you won¡¯t accept my help! No, it¡¯s not even my help. We explained to you when you became Elena¡¯s familiar that we will share everything!¡± ¡°Eh? Why are you getting angry?¡± he made a surprised face. ¡°Well, you wanted to carry my troubles. I¡¯m just letting you in. This side of mine is something only Elena has seen!¡± she exclaimed, throwing her red hair over her shoulders, crossing her right leg over the left. ¡°This sounded arousing for some reason,¡± Jake mumbled, shaking his head. ¡°... You are just a pervert,¡± she remarked. Laughing at her words, Jake leaned forward, grabbed the back of her head and kissed her on the lips. ¡°You will be mine,¡± he said as he pulled back. Standing up, he went towards the door and tried wanted to leave, only to remember that the door was closed. He tried to open the door, but the handle didn¡¯t budge. Turning around, he looked at Audrey with an awkward smile on his face. Raising her hand, Audrey touched her own lips and then looked at Jake strangely. ¡°You are an idiot¡­¡± she remarked, seeing him trying to open the door with his hand behind his back. ¡°This totally screwed up my cool scene¡± he laughed, while Audrey only shook her head as she said, ¡°It did. Use your head instead!¡± she pointed towards her temple with a smirk on her face. Reaching forward, she pointed at the door. Hearing a clicking sound, Jake quickly left, knowing that he would feel too awkward to speak, after such a failure. THIS WAS SO SHAMEFUL! He screamed in his mind, walking down the stairs. Sitting down at a table, he asked the waitress to bring him some drinks. He forgot that he had no money¡­ Audrey laid down on the bed, looking at the ceiling. Touching her chest, she felt her heart beating rapidly. ¡°Stupid¡­¡± she mumbled with a red face, touching her lips. ¡°Just you wait, I¡¯ll get back on you for this!¡± Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on meditating, with little to no success. Raising a pillow, she threw it towards the wall before rolling up into a ball on the bed. Feeling somewhat tired, she fell asleep. --- ¡°What have you learned?¡± Elena questioned Dred, her hands on her hips. ¡°You seem like a mother questioning her child¡­¡± Dred¡¯s chuckle resounded in the room. ¡°...¡± ¡°Status,¡± he said aloud, seeing her unmoving.
Name: Dred Race: Devouring Panther (Legendary)
Level: 133 EXP: 9 215 / 17 000
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Stealth
Health: 1 982 745 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Blood Drinker
Strength: 413 575 Vitality: 396 549
Agility(+10% Panther): 398 347 (+39 834) Will: 71
Intelligence: 365 436 Wisdom: 392 747
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.70 (91%); Water Lv.65 (93%); Wind Lv.73 (71%); Lightning Lv.65 (99%); Nature Lv.63 (59%); Earth Lv.69 (47%); Light Lv.57 (75%); Dark Lv.71 (41%); Cosmological Constant: Lv.51 (76%) Void Lv. 22 (37%); Eon Lv. 66 (25%) Resistances: Magical: 392 747 Physical: 206 787.5 Poison: 18 453 / 100 000 Passive: Stamina: 1 982 745 Precision: 2 190 908.5
Skills/Spells: Mana Control Lv. 66 (25%) Sense Lv. 83 (69%) Stealth: Lv. 92 (47%) Shapeshift Lv. 42 (32%) (Bear; Wyvern) Necromancy Lv. 31 (15%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 56 (12%) Passive Skills: Ambush Lv. 42 (91%) Poison Lv. 18 (45%)
¡°Hmm~ Cosmological Constant reached the fifty-first level for you. That¡¯s some nice progress you made. Did you hide Inspect and Meditation?¡± she asked. Nodding his head, he replied, ¡°Yes, since they reached the max level. There is no need to look at something I know¡­ By the way, I just thought of something while staying back and after hearing your explanations about the current turn of events, I find my idea even better. Nobody knows anything exact, other than a black tail and that people keep being murdered. What if we used Necromancy instead of devouring the thugs?¡± ¡°I know that we our advancement will be slower, but we could lead them towards the idea of some evil cult building its foundation in the city. The series of murdering events would also make more sense. I don¡¯t know if necromancy is prohibited here or not, but it would definitely help us in the current situation.¡± Elena¡¯s eyes glimmered in the dark room upon hearing his idea. ¡°This sounds great! We could make Jake catch the corpses we create and help him climb the ladder. The suspicion about cat-people would also divert and the usage of Mind Magic would make more sense. But I¡¯ll have to be careful of using Ekilsta,¡± she exclaimed, showing her white teeth. Placing her hand on her chin, she mumbled, ¡°But we should get somebody useable. Do you remember to that pair of hooded people who entered the city with us? I mean, when we came here for the first time. I can still sense my bacteria on them. They weren¡¯t too weak but too strong either. Shall we visit them?¡± ¡°You are screwing up the life of every person you meet¡­¡± Dred remarked, shaking his head. Sighing loudly, she hung her head as she muttered, ¡°I know. But I have nothing in my inborn memories other than the common language people speak, some basic information about the universe, and the knowledge of my own abilities and mission. I was born to destroy and devour. I know nothing else. Audrey and Jake don¡¯t even know¡­ that no matter where I am born, that world will collapse and die out. Since I came to life on their planet, it changed everything and again, since I have to climb up the ladder of strength, monsters appeared probably because of me. This planet shall be no different. I¡¯ll devour it.¡± Hearing her words, Dred couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Haha, you are telling this to the wrong person. I mean, I am the same, in case you forgot¡­ But seeing you enjoy your life with our friends, I¡¯d advise you to sometimes just take it easy and have some fun too. It¡¯s not like all you have to do is destroy. I know that we will be hunted soon enough, but our abilities aren¡¯t something to be trifled with.¡± ¡°We are the best when it comes to hiding, so we should use that aspect and gather more information about a place before getting into anything. This whole thing was a little hurried as we didn¡¯t even know enough about the local powerhouses. Now they keep popping up one after the other. And that Gautama guy Jake told us about. He was the same person who was looking towards the forest through the breached wall. He felt truly powerful and-¡± ¡°Wait, wait! Okay! Fine! I get it now. I was hot-headed,¡± Elena interrupted him, holding up her hands. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you understand. I didn¡¯t say anything when you got into this mess. I¡¯ll protect you as much as I can, but I can¡¯t do it if you get yourself killed. Don¡¯t die on me, you silly girl,¡± he said, hitting her forehead with his huge paw. ¡°This felt rather soft,¡± she chuckled, grabbing his paw. ¡°I¡¯m not a pet¡­¡± he remarked, pulling it back. ¡°Are you thinking about our main goal?¡± Dred muttered, resting his head on his front legs. She looked at him from the corners of her eyes, staying mute for a few minutes. Not minding it, Dred waited for her to speak. ¡°Even silence is enjoyable, haha,¡± she chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s up? Did our goal become a sore spot for you?¡± Dred asked, snuggling up to her. ¡°You see, I have to decide for myself if the universe should be reset or not. Our goal is to reset the Universe into a blank sheet and let new life grow in it. It would mean the end of the current civilization, but I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s such a bad thing. Life and death walk hand in hand. They come and go. Short-sighted people would call this evil, but in every bad, there is something good, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°I mean, look at people. The place I was born at, people fought over everything. It¡¯s the same here. Although I haven¡¯t seen too much of them, there are signs of evil everywhere. I wonder how will people turn out¡­ I think that there is something going on in this city, other than our little game. I bet my neck on it that they want to overthrow the mayor or something. Everywhere I go, I see backstabbing.¡± ¡°But there is one problem with all this. We were born for this reason, but it¡¯s not something I decided on. Such being the case, I¡¯ll change it to fit how I want things to be. If my words are true, and there is something bad going on, I¡¯ll devour this city. If not, I¡¯ll leave it be. That¡¯s how I¡¯ll proceed from now on. I¡¯ll count the number of places where I¡¯ll leave without devouring and where I¡¯ll devour! Once I reach the top, I¡¯ll see where the scale tips. If there will be more places I had to devour, that shall mean the end of this Universe. I can take it easy at the better places. How does that sound?¡± Showing his teeth, Dred replied, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you finding your path. It¡¯s not necessary to kill everyone you see. We were born to destroy those who we deem unworthy of life. Collateral damage is inevitable, especially with the number of people who will hunt us. I bet that they will be here in a few weeks or months. You can play around until then. I¡¯ll take over the leadership at that time.¡± ¡°Muh- fine. What? Wait, no! We will work together, not just me or you!¡± Elena agreed with him instantly, only to realize his meaning. Seeing the sudden change of her facial expressions, Dred laughed at her as he said, ¡°That is the best choice, obviously. Two halves become one, as the Ancestor says!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag it into this¡­ who knows if it would appear!¡± Elena rebuked him. Sitting down on the side of the bed, a comb formed in her hand. As she started to comb her hair, she mumbled in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s really bad of us to be the ones to decide who is worthy of life and who isn¡¯t?¡± Sitting down in front of him, swaying his tail, Dred replied, ¡°We weren¡¯t the ones who decided this. It was the Ancestor. We have to do as we see fit. But hey, it¡¯s not like anyone can control us. Not even it.¡± Looking at him from the corners of her eyes, ¡°Am I not a terrible person for deciding the fate of others? Am I not evil? Someone, to be hated and cursed at? That¡¯s all people do with me,¡± she asked, a few tears appearing in her eyes. ¡°Haha, you might be more human inside than the humans. Unless we look at your murderous behavior¡­ but to reply to your questions. No. You might be evil or cruel in other people¡¯s eyes, but not for me. You are an angel with black wings, for me. It might not be enough but then look at Audrey and Jake. They surely like you and I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s because of your blood.¡± ¡°Come here, you big crybaby,¡± he said with a chuckle as his fur-covered legs turned into human arms with hands. Seeing her turning her head to the side, he stepped forward and hugged her. Hugging him back, she enjoyed the touch of his soft fur. ¡°You are still like a pet¡­¡± she remarked, freezing Dred. ¡°And you look way too weird now. A panther with hairless human arms¡­¡± ¡°You little!¡± he grumbled, smacking her forehead. ¡°Ouch¡­ that wasn¡¯t soft,¡± she rubbed the stinging spot. Turning back into his normal form, he decreased his size to that of a cat. Jumping onto her lap, he coiled up into a ball and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you feeling better now. Your smile is really bright, Miss Sunshine. Elena bright sun, huh? Your name matches you, after all,¡± he said, trying to pull up the skin on the sides of his mouth, with no success. ¡°You can¡¯t smile in your monster form¡­¡± she remarked, patting his back.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°You don¡¯t say?!¡± he snapped at her, his fur standing up. Feeling her hand reaching a good spot, his whole body trembled in pleasure. ¡°Nyah~ scratch it a bit above,¡± he cried out. In the next moment, he opened his mouth and eyes wide as he cursed aloud, ¡°Damn it! This was totally shameful! But it felt good¡­¡± Seeing his inner quarrel, Elena couldn¡¯t help but let out a heart filled laughter. Hugging him into her bosom, she said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be there if something similar happens to you. Count on me and I¡¯ll count on you. Both of us are lonely, in a way. Being unique isn¡¯t as fun as people think¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, but we aren¡¯t unique, are we? It¡¯s just that we see the world in a different way than others,¡± Dred remarked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Yep, though there is one thing we are unique in. We can take any oath we want since it won¡¯t have any effects on us! Haha~¡± Elena said with a chuckle, feeling happy about the only real advantage they had, other than their quick training speed. ¡°Well, what do you expect? Powerful people could walk around and make everyone take an oath, stating that they aren¡¯t devourers. We would be caught quickly¡­ Such a thing would be unfair to us.¡± Hearing his words, Elena nodded her head. ¡°Oh, right. We should tell this to Audrey and Jake too. If they were to fall into such a situation as Jake before, this piece of information could help them a lot. Now that I think about it, if he knew this, he could have ignored Derrel and kill him on the spot¡­ Although those who drink Audrey¡¯s or Jake¡¯s blood wouldn¡¯t be immune to oaths, those who drink our blood are,¡± Dread advised, purring in the meantime. ¡°You big cat¡­ Haha. I¡¯ll tell them, but it came in handy this time. I mean, we were able to get the better of our situation. Now we have some room to work with. Shall we train? Who knows what will those two do,¡± she threw her hair over her shoulders, throwing the comb back to her storage ring. ¡°Now I¡¯ll focus on you with two hands!¡± she chuckled as she started scratching Dred¡¯s neck, chest, and the part behind his ears. ¡°Purr~¡± he closed his eyes. Realizing what he did, he snapped, ¡°Damn it! I did it again! I¡¯m not a pet! I am a Devouring Panther for fuck¡¯s sake! Just you wait¡­ we will see about this in a few days!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elena asked, her head tilted to the side. ¡°You shall see,¡± he replied, sticking out his tongue. Calming down, he picked up on the conversation, ¡°Also, I don¡¯t think that anything would happen between those two. I¡¯d say that Jake will leave when he could go for it, thinking that it was best to let Audrey think. She definitely won¡¯t make the first move either¡­¡± Snorting, Elena remarked, ¡°What are you? Love guru? They-¡± ¡°Why are you trying so hard to make them into a couple?¡± Dred asked the most crucial question, interrupting Elena. ¡°Why¡­¡± she mumbled with a thoughtful face before giving an answer, ¡°It¡¯s because I find pleasure in teasing them and if they were a couple, they could work even better in a team.¡± ¡°And what if they quarrel in the future?¡± he asked, making Elena realize a problem. ¡°Ehm¡­ they can quarrel as friends too. Well, I didn¡¯t pick them based on their looks. I¡¯m quite sure that they would be able to handle such things. Not to mention that Audrey isn¡¯t too emotional. She has her times, but most of the time she is collected. I don¡¯t think that they would have anything big going on in the future, even if they became a couple.¡± ¡°You just thought of your own reasons¡­ how stupid of you. I hope that your words are true. Make sure to stay out of their relationship at this point or you might screw things up. It¡¯s for them to solve what they want.¡± Scratching the back of her head, she laughed in an awkward way, ¡°Leave me be¡­ stupid cat. I¡¯ll reflect on my actions.¡± ¡°Good to hear.¡± Ignoring him, Elena continued, ¡°Let¡¯s train in the meantime!¡± ¡°...¡± --------- A few hours later, Elena got up from the bed and walked towards the door, Dred following in her wake. Before leaving the room, she sighed loudly as she slapped her cheeks. Although it felt sore afterward, she didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°This woke me up. I thank you again for your talkativeness. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die¡± she chuckled, rubbing her cheeks. Looking at the handle of the door, her eyes shone with a new light and a tinge of seriousness as she said, ¡°I shall change that kind of thinking if I see a person fit.¡± Looking at her back, Dred chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll obviously help you in doing so. Also, no problem. Now go through that door and kick some asses. I don¡¯t want to stand, looking at your back the whole day¡­¡± ¡°Haha, okay.¡± Slightly opening the door to her own room, she peeked in through the gap. Seeing Audrey lying down and sleeping, she took out an empty sheet of paper from her storage ring and left a note by using Dark Magic. It read, ¡°I went out with Dred to advance our plans. I might be back only in the morning. Meet you soon, be good.¡± Feeling satisfied, a smile formed on her face before turning around to leave. Walking down the stairs, the dimly lit dining room was right in front of her, while the counter was on her right. There were only a few people downstairs, who were having dinner. Ignoring them, she was about to leave when Dred bit into the black cape on her back and pulled her back. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, raising a brow. ¡°Think,¡± he said, tilting his head to the side with signs of expectation in his eyes. Squatting down, she whispered into his right ear, so as to not let others listen in on her words. ¡°I understand. I was being rash again. If big things were to happen this night too, people seeing me leaving the Inn could report me. Being a suspect equals failure with my current power.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the toilet anymore? Let¡¯s go back in that case,¡± she said with her normal voice as she stood up, looking at Dred. ¡°I curse you,¡± he grumbled through gritted teeth, wishing to knock her over. Seeing the look in his eyes, she was barely able to hold back her laughter. Not even hearing Dred, the people eating chuckled, while some laughed. ¡°What¡¯s so funny about taking out your pet? You guys are so rude. I apologize in their stead,¡± the innkeeper rebuked them, waving her finger, and then apologized to Elena. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. It just shows their own lack of courtesy,¡± Elena replied with a smile before turning back and walking up the stairs. Everyone laughing turned quiet. Although some of them felt somewhat angry, they didn¡¯t utter a word. ¡°I swear that I¡¯ll bite your ass in the future,¡± Dred muttered on the top of the stairs, before turning into his Shadow Form and rushing out of the building, down the stairs, through the door on the left. I shouldn¡¯t have said such a thing, Elena rubbed her buttocks, already imagining the pain. Will it hurt? It definitely will¡­ she thought, following him in the same manner. Two shadows rushed through the streets, passing through anything that blocked their sight, for the night was their domain. The elements were only the basics of the basics. It wasn¡¯t surprising that she knew how to use Light Magic since Shadow Progenitor never meant that she was some kind of Dark Magic related being. But it was understandable if people thought it otherwise upon the first sight. Their shadow seemed to be darker than the barely visible stone roads. ¡°Five hundred meters.¡± ¡°Four.¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°One.¡± ¡°We are here~¡± Dred counted back, sensing Elena¡¯s Shadow Bacteria on the hooded people, who arrived at the city with them, a few days ago. As they arrived at a tidy park, they saw huge mansions and villas all around it. The one in front of them was no different. Both Dred and Elena raised out of the ground and looked at the magnificent building. From the outside, the mansion looked luxurious. It had been built with spruce wood and had tan brick decorations. Tall, half rounded windows added to the overall style of the house and had been added to the house in a mostly symmetric way. With the help of Magic Crystals, a blue light lit up the entirety of the building, irradiating even the streets and the circular park. ¡°Are you sure about this? This might be the mansion of somebody really powerful and we have no idea who those two are. Black capes, hoodies, no backpacks. They seemed too strange for travelers to me,¡± Dred questioned Elena, waiting if she would reconsider her idea. ¡°Well, that was also one of the reasons I put my bacteria on them. And if it still wasn¡¯t noticed, the people living in this Mansion aren¡¯t all that strong or have bad sensing abilities. Either of the two it is, we are good to go. The only bad possibility is that they know about it and are waiting for the preparators. In this case, us,¡± she explained herself, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Good insight. Let¡¯s go in that case,¡± Dred chuckled, pushing her forward with a paw. Although she didn¡¯t say it, Elena was startled for a moment when she felt his paw on her buttocks. She turned a little paranoid after hearing his latest threat. Since it was night, even if the person in question was really powerful, they could leave at any moment. Seeing two guards in front of the door, both Dred and Elena used Inspect on them.
Name: Unidentifiable because of a spell Race: Unidentifiable because of a spell
Level: Unidentifiable because of a spell Threat Level: 4
Seeing his threat level, she looked at Dred for confirmation if the other person was just as powerful. ¡°The question is, how much can we trust Inspect this time? I¡¯ll leave it to my instincts. I¡¯m not such a creature for nothing!¡± she whispered as she closed her eyes and focused her senses on the guards. ¡°Clear Mana Veins, but they aren¡¯t that thick. The left one is built as a physical type, while the one on the right seems to be a Magical type instead. They are chatting about whores¡­¡± she mumbled, sensing everything she could. ¡°Is the last one something your instincts are telling you?¡± Dred was barely able to hold back his laughter. ¡°No¡­ you can hear them too, so don¡¯t play such pranks on me,¡± she replied, opening her eyes and looking at Dred with a frown. ¡°Haha, sorry, but your reaction was just too funny. You should have seen your face,¡± he chuckled, almost screwing up. The guards looked their way but saw nothing so they went back to chatting. ¡°I¡¯ll believe in myself. That¡¯s all I can do!¡± Elena muttered before rushing forward. ¡°Poor guys. Well, she isn¡¯t killing you because of your topic. Having sexual desires isn¡¯t a crime. I wonder how it feels,¡± Dred mumbled to himself before following his partner in crime. Without even noticing her, she raised out of the ground behind the Mage type and coiled her arms around his neck from behind. ¡°Do you need some help with your lust?¡± she whispered into his ears with her gentle voice, her cherry lips catching the guy¡¯s attention from the corners of his eyes. Feeling mesmerized for a moment, he didn¡¯t react in time to the dagger that penetrated his heart. She covered his mouth with her hand. The other guard was strangely silent, even after seeing all that happening. Elena looked at him with a smile as she let go of the guy, letting him fall face first towards the ground. The eyes of the other guard bulged as he did the same. There were three large gashes on his back and a green liquid was filling up the wounds. A greenish foam came out of his mouth as the light in his eyes faded out. Looking at their corpses, Elena frowned. ¡°Now that I think about it, what would have it mattered if people saw us leaving the Inn? If we are going to use Necromancy on these two, those claw marks on his back will make everything clear, considering that people have seen you not only in the Inn but on the training grounds too. What are you- Oooh!¡± ¡°Have you realized it yet? They will definitely connect the dots with me, sooner or later. I haven¡¯t seen any pet in this city with a black tail, which means that I¡¯ll become a suspect sooner than later. It will be the same with you. But these people are at the lower levels. They surely don¡¯t know the meaning behind the sudden death of a whole Planet, the new connection with it, and the basics of the basics about our race.¡± ¡°As long as we take an oath, stating that we weren¡¯t the ones killing or doing anything of the sort, these people will believe it and we will be clear of any suspicion. It¡¯s a really stupid solution, but since these people don¡¯t know this exclusive ability of ours, we can use it. This shall be our first playground where we can learn the basics about intelligent races. It will be harder in the future, but we should be fine for now,¡± Dred explained his plan. ¡°And here I was wondering why you didn¡¯t hide and walked around in your full size instead. By the way, you should train your shape-shifting ability. That Wyvern form of yours is pretty enjoyable to me¡­¡± she said with a chuckle, squatting down in front of the corpses. ¡°Other than being able to transform more quickly, I didn¡¯t find anything worthwhile reason. But I¡¯ll give it another try. Maybe I can have more forms than two or I don¡¯t know¡­¡± he replied, looking at the green light that covered Elena¡¯s hands. Looking down at his paw, the same thing happened with him. Putting it on the corpse of the guard he killed, he closed his eyes as he started to pour his Mana into the dead body. The guards¡¯ fingers started twitching, followed by their whole arms and every muscle in their bodies. Opening their eyes, they sat up and looked around, under Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s control. ¡°This is pretty fun, but we can¡¯t control them forever. We need to give them some kind of consciousness¡­ Ekilsta still has Derrel¡¯s knowledge. Maybe if I¡­¡± Elena muttered to herself, her hand on her chin. Sending Ekilsta into the Mage type guard¡¯s body, she controlled it to load what it knew into the brain of the corpse. ¡°Since we have consciousness only if we have memories and knowledge, this should work. Ekilsta is spreading through blood cells, and we have blood at every part of our bodies. It takes some time, but it¡¯s worth the trouble. It seems like we can¡¯t use necromancy without a spell, that can give some basic consciousness for a corpse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that necromancers are seeking living beings and are hated by most. Well, it¡¯s not like I have a clear idea about their standing in society, but I¡¯m pretty sure that they are at least frowned upon,¡± Dred concluded the matter at hand, failing at giving the corpse real life. ¡°Haha, imagine yourself walking around in a city, dragging corpses behind you so that you could control them when it comes to a battle. That¡¯s definitely not something normal. But considering how though corpses can be, I¡¯m pretty amazed by the true power of necromancers. If they meditate enough and have big enough Mana Pools, they could very well destroy a smaller city!¡± Elena said with a chuckle, seeing the guard she used necromancy on, looking around with an observant face. ¡°Welcome, little one. Can you speak? What do you know?¡± she asked, looking into his eyes. He looked down at his hands before his eyes met with Elena¡¯s. ¡°W-What the hell?! Elena? You killed me you bitch! How come I¡¯m alive? N-Necromancy!?¡± his voice started getting louder and louder, so Elena cut her supply of Mana. The body fell back to the ground, lifeless. ¡°This was creepy¡­¡± she mumbled, but her eyes almost bulged in the next second. ¡°Huh? Strange. I have to supply my body with my Mana!¡± Derrel spoke through the body once again. Elena frowned as she controlled Ekilsta to kill him, this time for real. ¡°N-No! Don¡¯t suck it out!¡± Derrel exclaimed, feeling his memories fading away. He wasn¡¯t a real, living being, so he had nothing to protect his mind. He had no soul! He was just a collection of memories, who reacted based on what were his original emotions. A few seconds later, he slumped his shoulders and hung his head. ¡°Okay. We definitely can¡¯t use the full copy of his brain. It will just make him come alive, which I don¡¯t want. Let¡¯s try doing only a part of it, but we should go further away before we get caught,¡± Elena mumbled, grabbing the guard¡¯s collar and dragging him out of the light. After another round of testing, she finally succeeded in giving it some basic consciousness. It did nothing but listen to her commands, which was good enough for her. She didn¡¯t wish to surround herself with creepy corpses as servants unless it was really necessary. ¡°Dred, try commanding it. I wonder if it will do anything people say,¡± she said, looking at Dred. ¡°Lick Elena¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Yuck! You idiot,¡± she exclaimed, slapping the back of his head. But the corpse stood on his hands, unmoving. That was what Elena commanded. ¡°Get on all fours and shake your hips,¡± she said in a low voice, but the corpse obeyed. Seeing such a strange sight, she didn¡¯t feel like laughing. It felt rather humiliating, even for a dead person¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, you poor guard. I won¡¯t do such things anymore. Just walk there and sit down in a dark corner. We will bring you more friends!¡± she commanded this time, pointing towards a small building. It looked like a storage house of some kind. The corpse stood up and did as told. ¡°Great. Now, let¡¯s go and do what we came here for,¡± Elena said, rushing towards the front door. Thanks to her great eyesight, she was able to spot a tiny hole on the door, which seemed to have the shape of some kind of crystal. People were supposed to insert a unique crystal and pour their Mana into the formation on the door to open it. It was a powerful defense system. The only problem was that it was night and her racial traits were at their best. Jumping towards the door, she turned into a thin, black line of shadow and entered through the hole. She found herself in a corridor, with a pathway on the left and on the right too. ¡°Go left,¡± Dred whispered, smelling somebody from that way. Nodding her head, Elena followed Dred, who was already ahead of her. Since he was more of a physical type, it was best if he was the one leading. Hearing footsteps, they stopped in the shadow of a nice piece of furniture. It was just a shelf, but it seemed to be made of some kind of ancient, dark brown tree. A guard slowly passed by them, looking at the pictures on the walls, sometimes sneaking a look outside of the mansion through the windows. Elena promptly checked him and realized that he wasn¡¯t any stronger than the guards outside. She controlled Ekilsta and started to copy his mind, slowly following him a from a few meters behind. Sensing that Ekilsta was done, she jumped up in front of him like a flash of lightning. Reacting quickly, he was about to thrust his spear forward, but Dred¡¯s paw struck his side. He crashed into the wall with a loud bang, his bones giving out cracking sounds. Spitting out three mouthfuls of blood, he fell unconscious. ¡°Shit¡­ this guy was completely focused on Magic. Ah, his staff has a Magic Crystal in it. He just used it as a catalyst. I¡¯m sure that somebody heard this,¡± Dred whispered in a low voice, looking at Elena with an apologetic face. A smirk formed on her face as she kept rolling a lock of her hair around her finger. Looking around, Dred realized that she created a Wind Barrier, stopping any sound. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t bite your ass anymore. Nice one,¡± he praised her, looking at the dark red blood, slowly trickling down on the wall. Sighing loudly, Elena used Necromancy on the corpse, along with some Healing Magic. Although the guard was still in a terrible shape, it was good enough. ¡°Should I look at his memories? My head will be jumbled up for a few minutes, which doesn¡¯t sound fun in our current situation. But I should get some information about this area of the city. As a guard in the house, he should know quite a lot about the residents too.¡± ¡°No. In the middle of breaking into a house, not knowing anything about the residents, I can¡¯t have you lose your mind. I could cover you, but devouring somebody¡¯s mind would have a much longer effect on you than you think. Although you didn¡¯t notice it, Frank¡¯s simple-minded stupidity came out on you. Thanks to your will, you got back to normal quite quickly, but it was still a bad move.¡± ¡°You should gather information in a different way. Just summon some other kind of demon or something like that. We will think about it later. I know that it sucks to do these kinds of things without information, but it¡¯s still better than having you lose your mind for a few weeks,¡± Dred disapproved of her idea. Thinking back, Elena couldn¡¯t help but agree with him. Nodding her head, she made a normal zombie out of the guard¡¯s corpse. A black mass flowed out of the nostrils of the corpse, going back to Elena¡¯s feet before disappearing. Tilting his head to the side, seeing that nobody was coming, Dred asked, ¡°I never asked before. How does Ekilsta enter other people? I¡¯ve never seen it leaving your body before, and I rarely see it coming back this way.¡± ¡°I can turn it into something very similar to Mana. People won¡¯t even notice this thing entering through their pores. It¡¯s akin to air. They can breathe it in, they can simply use their Mana and suck it in. Anything is possible for this little, translucent creature. The only problem with it is that it sucks out a lot of Mana from my body. I can¡¯t thank Audrey enough for learning about Cosmological Constant,¡± she replied, intriguing Dred. ¡°That¡¯s really neat. But we have been chatting too much. Let¡¯s go,¡± he nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, but we haven¡¯t had our alone time for a good while now, and this is the first time that you are so talkative. You were more responsive when you were a cute little cub,¡± she mumbled as she followed him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just spent my time with observing our surroundings. I think that those two were some kind of spies and the person owning this mansion invited them to gather information. If that¡¯s really true, we should be careful since they might have good senses,¡± he apologized, stopping before another group of guards. But this time, it was a group of three, all standing in front of a huge, thick, metal door. Inspect.
Name: Unidentifiable because of a Spell Race: Unidentifiable because of a Spell
Level: Unidentifiable because of a Spell Threat Level: 6
The one on the middle was a man, who had a threat level of six, whilst the other two were females with threat levels of four. All of them stood silently, but the man had a dangerous aura surrounding him. You are nothing but intruders here, for the night is my domain, Elena thought as she used ShadowStep to teleport behind them, going through the door without any trouble. Sensing a slight disruption in the flow of Mana, the man in the middle furrowed his brows as he looked around. Not seeing anything, he used Sense, but it didn¡¯t catch any signs, other than the location of the other guards. Elena commanded all of them to walk around, except for those two at the entrance. Sensing that they weren¡¯t too far away, the man thought, they must be taking a piss¡­ I¡¯ll rebuke them tomorrow. With strength came confidence. He was confident that he would have sensed an intruder. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Elena looked into Dred¡¯s eyes with a meaningful look. She wanted to kill those three. As long as she stayed unmoving, not using anything other than her Shadow Form, nobody could sense her at these levels. Even if the man in the middle was above the two-hundredth level. Leaving her Shadow Form, she stood behind the door. It was kind of ridiculous to see her in the prohibited area, even though there were three guards who were supposed to stop her. The fact that I can¡¯t read anyone¡¯s stats means that there is a global spell in the Mansion. It must be some kind of formation, with only a few people added. If I was to knock now, he should think that I am the owner since he wasn¡¯t able to sense me. When he opens the door, we will strike! She thought with emotion as a feeling of excitement and worry filled her heart. *Knock - Knock* ¡°Huh? Is that you, Milord?¡± the man in the middle asked, turning halfway towards the door. Clearing his throat, Dred told him to open the door. ¡°Haha, Milord¡¯s voice is a little cracky-¡± he chuckled with his eyes almost completely shut, his hand moving at the same time. As he opened the door, a paw, the size of his head, flew towards his face. His eyes bulged out in surprise. Ekilsta, who entered his body long ago, delayed his mind for the split of a second. Combined with their Ambush abilities, his awareness was lowered to bottom rock. Dred¡¯s paw tore off the front of his face, splashing his brain matters onto the walls. Broken splinters of his skulls penetrated the wall, cutting the faces of the two pretty girls too. Using their initial surprise, Elena appeared behind one of the girls with ShadowStep, and slit her throat. She tried to scream, but all that came out was her blood and the low whistling of the air, leaving her lungs. Grabbing her forehead from behind, Elena broke her neck and used her Mana to clean off her fingerprints. She didn¡¯t know if it was a thing here or not, but she heard of it from Audrey, so she made sure to leave as few clues as possible. The last girl immediately wanted to draw her short-sword, but she failed to do so, thanks to the thick Vine, Elena grew around their hilts when Dred first stricken. Although she tore it off in the split of a second, Dred was already flying towards her head. Sensing that Elena set up another Wind Barrier, he roared loudly to scare the girl. Seeing his long, sharp, white teeth, with tints of green, her mind almost blanked out. She wasn¡¯t used to real combat and nobody dared to attack their Lord anyway. Seeing that he had a choice, he bit into her left shoulder instead and tore off her arm. Before she could scream out in pain, a ball of cold water hit her face, drowning her voice. Using Devour, Elena started to draw strength from the girl, followed by the other two. ¡°It¡¯s inside you,¡± she said with a smile, pointing at her own head. The girl made a confused face before she felt as if something was lurking inside her head. Raising her right hand, she shot a ball of fire towards Elena, but it turned around in the next second. Her mouth and eyes were opened wide when it hit her face, burning her brain in a moment. The smell of burnt flesh and hair filled the corridor as she fell to the ground, lifeless. The irony smell of blood and the burnt odor mixed together, creating a disgusting scent. ¡°Forgive me,¡± Dred said before leaning forward and tearing out a good chunk of fresh meat from the girl¡¯s body. Chewing as silently as he could, he grounded her meat, along with her ribs. Nothing was able to stop his jaws. ¡°I don¡¯t care, but is it tasty to you? No matter how I look at it, it looks very disgusting to even touch these corpses,¡± Elena remarked in a low voice, frowning. ¡°You are right, but she is fresh and young! Her meat is really good,¡± he replied, licking the blood sides of his mouth. Shrugging her shoulders, Elena devoured half of their power, leaving the rest to Dred. After making two steps, she felt a sudden feeling of pain flooding her body. ¡°Shit. Were they this strong? It¡¯s good that we surprised them,¡± she said through gritted teeth, feeling her cells collapsing and rebuilding themselves. Her strength raised, the processing capacity of her brain increased, her Mana Veins turned thicker, and her senses turned sharper. Looking at her status window, she saw her stats continuously increasing, until reaching an average of seven hundred thousand. ¡°Straight to the seven-hundredth level, huh? That¡¯s really nice. This guy must have been somewhere around two hundred and fifty levels. This is why assassination rules the world~ And we didn¡¯t even have information about him!¡± Elena whispered in a low voice, visibly excited over the sudden increase of her capabilities. She also learned a few skills from these people, but none of those was good enough for her, so she simply hid them from her status. Things like Meteor, Fire Dragon, Earth Elephant, Icicles¡­ they were surely powerful, but nothing over the top. She didn¡¯t want to be a jack of all trades, master of none. Time was pressing more people than fewer and she was one of the first. She didn¡¯t have the time to pile up stupid skills and spells and learn all of them. But even if she had the time, she wouldn¡¯t do it. The only thing that caught her interest came from the man.
New Skill Acquired: Second Skin
Allocating a kind of Attribute to your Mana, you can cover your body with a thin layer of Element. Either of the elements can be used, but it¡¯s advised to use the one you have the most efficiency in. It¡¯s also good to protect your body from different types of climates.
It¡¯s nothing great and I won¡¯t keep it on my status board, but I¡¯ll definitely remember to use it and train it. It¡¯s a useful skill. I guess I can¡¯t call it a spell since it has physical effects on my body¡­ she thought, trying to decide the type of this skill. Dismissing the message, she thought about moving forward, but she heard the door clicking. Jumping into a shadow in the corner, she waited silently. A girl with long, red hair came out of her room, rubbing her eyes. Her white robe accentuated the curves of her body. After trying to inspect her, she had the same result as before. Except for the fact that this girl¡¯s threat level was ten, even after such a huge boost in her strength. It meant that she had no chance, even if she tried to assassinate her. It was likely that she would react way much quicker than her or Dred. She looked exactly the same as how Jake described Hoa, the employee of Gautama. Raising her head, she looked around as she muttered. ¡°Why the hell are there corpses, walking in our yard? What happened to the guards?¡± Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 13 - The corpses are lining The corpses are lining Hoa laid on her bed in her dark room, feeling annoyed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have drunk that last bottle of juice¡­ Damn it,¡± she muttered, standing up from the bed and making her way towards the toilet. Opening the door, she looked at the dimly lit corridor in the Mansion. She didn¡¯t see anyone, but a strange feeling filled her heart. The area she was in was the part where the Lord lived, along with her. Every important discussion happened at this part of the mansion and there was only one way to get in. A thick door and three guards. Normally, there were only two guards at the front door and one at the aforementioned door. But her employer, Gautama had guests this time and he was dealing with some shady business. He told her almost everything, but she didn¡¯t even see the guests this time. Her Lord¡¯s secrecy intrigued her even more. ¡°This is so cold~¡± she talked to herself, feeling the cold tiles under her feet. Using some fire attributed Mana, she comforted herself. But as she neared the door on her right, a dreadful feeling started to fill her heart. Listening to her instincts, she used her Sense. She sensed not only the presences of people but even the shapes of their bodies. Sensing that all of them had some kind of wound at their vitals, she realized that her night would turn troublesome. What made it even worse was that most of them were walking around as if nothing bad happened. They seem to suck in Mana to keep their bodies strengthened and moving. Their cells are being nurtured in the same manner. But those holes in their hearts, throats and other such places¡­ This must be Necromancy. Damn it, what have I gotten myself into by going to the toilet? She thought with a frown on her face. ¡°Why are there walking corpses in our yard? What happened to the guards?¡± she questioned the air, trying to pick up on the presence of the intruder. But even after trying five times, she couldn¡¯t sense anyone. Looking at the slightly opened door, she walked closer and stuck out her head through the gap. There were patches of blood on the ground, recoloring the white tiles to dark red. The disgusting smell of burned hair and blood mixed together filled the corridor. Pinching her nose, she pulled her head back. ¡°I¡¯ll notify Gautama. This must be dealt with carefully since I have no idea what his plans are¡± she mumbled, making her way towards Gautama¡¯s bedroom. --- Hearing her last words, Elena and Dred were sure that she left. When she went further away, they slipped out of the mansion and entered the next one. After making a few more zombies, they then commanded them to go to the city and attack any adult they see. Seeing that there were a few hours left from the night, they attacked a few weaker gangs with their newfound strength, adding to the number of walking corpses. ¡°It¡¯s around 6 a.m. Let¡¯s go to bed. I¡¯m quite tired after staying up for so long¡­¡± Elena said in a dark alleyway. Agreeing with her, Dred nodded his head and took the lead. Although many guards were notified, it was still dark, so nothing big happened. They had no problems escaping the normal guards¡¯ senses. Without anyone noticing, she followed Dred into their room, finding Audrey sitting in the middle of the bed, meditating. Not minding her, she got onto the bed and laid down in the corner, while Dred stayed on the ground this time. Although it wasn¡¯t as comfy as a bed, his standards weren¡¯t high since his fur provided him with a good enough place anywhere. Closing their eyes, both of them fall asleep in a few seconds. Audrey stopped rotating her Mana and opened her eyes, about to talk, only to realize that both of them were sleeping. Falling asleep instantly¡­ what the hell were they doing to get this tired? Well, I can question them when they wake up too. It¡¯s best if I continue my training until then, she thought, shaking her head, a strange smile forming on her face upon seeing Elena¡¯s peaceful expression. ¡°You must have had some kind of talk with Dred. You seemed to be troubled in these last few days. I guess I won¡¯t have to find my chance to talk to you about your problems,¡± she muttered, caressing her face one last time before going back to training. Hearing her voice, Dred woke up for a moment before falling back asleep, with a feeling of comfort in his heart. It¡¯s not just me who is liking you as you are, it seems, he thought. --- Elena woke up a few hours later. Sitting up on the bed, her long, black hair fell down on her shoulder, sprawling out on the bed. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned loudly. ¡°We should cut your hair,¡± a female voice resounded in the room. ¡°Ah, leave me be, Audrey. It¡¯s not that long yet and it¡¯s not annoying thanks to my race. I can just turn it into a shadow when I¡¯m fighting. In fact, I don¡¯t even need the shampoo we produce since my hair won¡¯t turn greasy. I¡¯ll take a nap before your questions,¡± Elena replied, pushing her face into the soft pillow under her head. Audrey was sitting on a chair, in the middle of the room, her right leg crossed over the left, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Raising a brow, she waited for a few seconds, thinking that Elena was just joking. Hearing her breathing turn stable, she realized that she really meant her words. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything in her place,¡± Dred said as he sat up on the ground, swaying his tail. ¡°Can I touch it?¡± Audrey asked, her eyes following the tip of his tail. ¡°I¡¯m not a cat for fuck¡¯s sake. You can¡¯t just pet me! Do you want me to bite you?¡± Dred replied, his voice conveying his anger. ¡°Yet you let Elena do anything with you?¡± Audrey asked, raising a brow. ¡°W-Well, she is a different case,¡± he muttered, turning his head to the side. Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t budge, Audrey ignored their short conversation and got to the point. As Dred told everything to her, she had a surprised face on the whole time. ¡°You¡¯ve had your adventure, it seems. And the fact that it¡¯s good that I wasn¡¯t there saddens me. Hoa could have caught me since my stealth isn¡¯t as good as yours. Especially not as yours,¡± she said, her head hung. ¡°Why the long face? Do you even realize the possibilities you have opened up for us up till now? There will be times when you can¡¯t follow us and even I¡¯ll have to go alone since I can hide even better than Elena. But that won¡¯t make her useless-¡± Dred tried to soothe her, misunderstanding her words. ¡°Wait, wait. I¡¯m not sad over that. It¡¯s obvious, haha. Don¡¯t you dare think that I don¡¯t know even this much! I was just sad over the fact that my stealth is shitty compared to yours. I¡¯ll need a spell that can hide my presence even better. The way we have been using Cosmological Constant is great. But if somebody had some clues about this element, even if we split Mana Cells to put us into a different space, he or she will notice it.¡± ¡°I just realized that even such a good hiding skill has weak points. I¡¯ll have to upgrade it so that it won¡¯t have any!¡± she decided in herself. Dred continued to look at her with his mouth slightly open. After a few seconds of staring, he nodded his head, ¡°You are amazing. We need people like you,¡± he praised her. ¡°You sounded like some kind of agent¡­¡± she replied with a chuckle. ¡°Are we waiting for somebody or something to happen?¡± Audrey asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ll explain these things to Jake. It would be useful if he knew about the oath too. Well, it came in handy since his acting was believable this way. He thought that he would die if he broke his oath,¡± Dred laughed upon thinking that far. ¡°Anyway, once I¡¯m done with explaining everything to him, I¡¯ll be back here. We are waiting for the guards to connect the dots and come to us. Once news spread some more, somebody will definitely report our group for being suspicious. People can¡¯t be ignorant enough to not do it.¡± Nodding her head, Audrey closed her eyes and started to meditate. Dred came back a few minutes later, Jake behind him. ¡°You guys are having a separate room and here I am, staying alone. It¡¯s really lonely¡­¡± he grumbled as he closed the door behind him. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he asked with a frown on his face, seeing Audrey sitting in the middle of the room. ¡°Haha, just ignore it. She was ready for some serious questionnaire, but I told her everything. I guess she forgot to sit on the bed instead,¡± Dred laughed upon hearing his question. ¡°I can hear you crystal clear, but don¡¯t mind me. Keep chatting about me,¡± she said, furrowing her brows, her eyes still closed. Without even looking at anyone, Jake sat down on the ground beside Audrey, his left shoulder touching her thigh. Elena raised her head and turned to her side, her right hand under her head. She kept looking back and forth between Audrey and Jake before asking, ¡°Did you get anywhere?¡± ¡°Who?¡± both Audrey and Jake asked at the same time. ¡°Haha, isn¡¯t it obvious? Well, it is not my business so you don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± she said with a chuckle upon hearing their synchronized reply. ¡°They seem to be closer to each other. I guess they had a good talk,¡± Dred joined in on the fun. ¡°We can¡¯t deny that, can we?¡± Jake asked, grinning from ear to ear, looking up at Audrey. The girl in question only chuckled as a smile formed on her face. ¡°Suspicious,¡± Elena muttered. Seeing that nobody said anything, Elena brought up a topic, that still felt strange to Audrey and Jake. ¡°Since all of us are here, it¡¯s time to share our blood and knowledge, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Audrey asked, opening her eyes to look at her friend. ¡°Yes, come here or I¡¯ll go~¡± she replied, almost singing. ¡°I won¡¯t go. I don¡¯t know what came to me at that time. I won¡¯t drink your blood unless it is necessary. I¡¯m not a vampire! The thought of drinking blood in larger amount is disgusting! Licking my wounds is fine, but¡­ No!¡± Audrey refused to do anything of the sort, shaking her head vehemently. ¡°I¡¯ll do it in that case,¡± Elena said as she appeared behind her. Pulling Audrey¡¯s blouse and bra strap sideways, she leaned forward and bit into her bare shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m always surprised how I don¡¯t feel anything. Does your race have some kind of poison on their teeth?¡± Audrey asked, wiping her shoulder with her hand. But she was surprised to see that her wound was still opened unlike at other times. ¡°Jake, it¡¯s your turn. Stop gazing at her breasts. You will bore a hole into them this way,¡± Elena ignored Audrey¡¯s question and interrupted Jake. Since Elena pulled Audrey¡¯s blouse to the side, he was able to peek through the unbuttoned part of her cloth in his sitting position and see more than what could be called appropriate. ¡°Huh? Wait, no! I wasn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Move already or do you want her to bleed to the death?¡± Elena urged him, seeing that Audrey¡¯s blood was starting to overspill. ¡°R-right¡­¡± Jake stuttered upon realizing what he was about to do. He didn¡¯t drink anyone¡¯s blood yet and the thought of it felt quite disgusting to him as a human from the past. But he believed that it wouldn¡¯t be terrible. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now,¡± he stated his intention, asking for permission from Audrey. Seeing that she didn¡¯t say anything, he slowly put his lips on her shoulder. Opening his jaws, he sucked out a mouthful of blood before moving back. ¡°Let me seal it for you~¡± Elena said as she gave a kiss on Audrey¡¯s shoulder and the wound closed in the next second. ¡°What was it like?¡± she asked, looking at Jake. ¡°It¡¯s terrible to know that it wasn¡¯t bad, actually¡­¡± he replied, gulping down Audrey¡¯s blood. Her knowledge about her spells filled his mind. ¡°You knew such things? Now I feel stupid¡­¡± Jake muttered as new concepts formed in his mind, which he had to unfold in the future if he wanted to use them. ¡°You still didn¡¯t reply to my question,¡± Audrey pressed on, looking at Elena with her brows raised. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing much. The truth is that we are nothing like Vampires. If you were to drink a human¡¯s blood, you would be disgusted. It works only among creatures, who are blood-related to me or Dred. But there are no such people other than you two. As long as we drink each other¡¯s blood, it will be tasteless, odorless, and wounds caused by our teeth will heal quickly.¡± Elena explained everything, asking, ¡°Are you happy now?¡± ¡°I am. But then why did you kiss my shoulder?¡± Audrey asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Well, that was for the fun. Look at him,¡± Elena chuckled, pointing at Jake. Turning to her right, Audrey saw a mesmerized look on his face. ¡°Why are you fantasizing about perverted things? I¡¯m not lesbian¡­¡± Audrey rebuked him, flicking his forehead. ¡°What? But it was fun,¡± he laughed, feeling happy to see her simple reaction. Biting her own finger, Elena stuck it into Audrey¡¯s mouth. The latter gulped in surprise, earning Elena¡¯s in-depth knowledge about Shadow Bacteria and Spellsteal. ¡°That still looked erotic,¡± Jake mumbled, squatting beside them. ¡°Sure,¡± Elena replied, wiping spit covered finger into her simple, black skirt. ¡°You really let go of yourself today. A skirt and a vest. Aren¡¯t you waiting for the guards? Do you want to seduce them or what?¡± Audrey frowned upon seeing her showing so much skin. ¡°No, but it is easy to move around in this and I can just change my clothes when they arrive. It doesn¡¯t take even a second for me. Also, there is nobody other than us here and if Jake¡¯s eyes are wandering at the wrong place, he isn¡¯t worthy of you. But hey, he has been looking at you all this time!¡± Elena replied, giving Jake a thumbs up. A smile formed on his face as he did the same, thinking, Nice job, Elena! But I didn¡¯t know that I was being tested by her¡­ I must be careful in the future. It¡¯s good that I didn¡¯t dare to look at her after being threatened by Dred so many times. Even now¡­ I bet that he is looking at me! Hii! He does! What¡¯s with those murderous eyes? ¡°Haha, I really would like to know what is going on in your head now,¡± Elena laughed upon seeing his ever changing facial expressions. In the next few hours, they have spent their time with chatting, planning, and training. *Knock* *Knock* Before anyone could say anything, two knocks on the door interrupted them, followed by a shout, ¡°Please open the door, we came from the guard post and wish to ask a few questions!¡± A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face upon hearing the guard¡¯s words. Her light clothes changed into her usual leather leggings and vest, with a T-shirt under it. Straps formed on the sides of her thighs. Pulling out her daggers from her storage ring, she pulled them out of their hilt and looked at their dull edges with a frown before strapping them to her thighs. ¡°We really have to upgrade our shitty equipment. This dagger is no good at this point¡­¡± she muttered. Stopping in front of the door, she opened it and stuck out her head to ask, ¡°What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Could you let us in?¡± the same female guard asked, placing her hand on the door, gently pressing it. Why asking if you are going to be forceful in the next second? Elena thought, feeling the door slowly moving in her hand. ¡°Of course¡± she replied, not showing anything on her face other than a simple smile. When the guards entered the room, they looked around and spotted Dred instantly. Elena moved her hand like lightning and grabbed the woman¡¯s hair with two fingers. Rubbing it, she said, ¡°Miss¡¯ hair is quite dry. We have a great product to handle it. Would you like to try it out? It would be free of charge!¡± I¡¯ll act like a powerful merchant as we planned, she thought, taking out a few bottles of shampoo from a drawer. Holding up her hand, the female guard stopped her, ¡°Miss! Stop trying to make business. Although I could be interested in it when I¡¯m not working, I have my duties to take care of currently. One of them is that I have to take you to the main guard post, to see the vice-captain. Do you have anything against this?¡± she said, pointing at everyone in the room, one by one. ¡°No? We can go anytime. Our storekeeper can take care of our business anyway,¡± Elena replied with a smile, while the others stood up, ready to go. ¡°But could you tell me why we have to go? It¡¯s really annoying when people just intrude and then make you go to places, don¡¯t you think?¡± Audrey asked with a frown, making it more troublesome for the guards. If they just went along without even uttering a word, that would have made them suspicious. Sighing loudly, the male guard muttered, ¡°It¡¯s beginning,¡± wiping his sweaty forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything myself. We have been told to stay silent. I¡¯m sure that the vice-captain will tell you everything,¡± the woman replied, thinking that Audrey would start an argument like most people. Audrey replied to her thoughts as ¡®expected¡¯, ¡°Why? We didn¡¯t do anything other than selling our wares. Is that against the laws?¡± she stomped on the ground. ¡°Miss, no¡­ it¡¯s just that we aren¡¯t allowed to say-¡± Interrupting the female guard, Elena rebuked her friend, ¡°Audrey! I am also annoyed but you must learn how to be a good merchant! You should take the better of your emotions and exercise some control over them! We will learn about everything in due time.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± she grumbled, throwing her red hair over her shoulders, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you understand,¡± the male guard said with a sigh, earning a glare from Audrey. The guards were above the two-hundredth level, so they surely didn¡¯t meet Jake yet. Without saying anything, he too followed after them. ¡°Call that monster too,¡± the woman pointed at Dred with a frown on her face, seeing that he wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Dred? I don¡¯t get why you need him, but fine. He is very tame as long as you don¡¯t try to hurt me, so please don¡¯t be forceful with me or I won¡¯t be able to control him,¡± Elena explained, beckoning Dred with her finger. He jumped up from the bed and pressed his body through the door, being much bigger than usual. With his current size, even if they took measures of his paw and claws, it would never match the wound on the dead guard¡¯s back. ¡°He is really scary from up close,¡± the man whispered into the woman¡¯s left ear, which didn¡¯t escape Elena¡¯s ears. ¡°He is, isn¡¯t he? Haha, but as I said, he is very tame. He helps a lot when I have to hunt for the ingredients,¡± Elena replied with a chuckle, rolling her black hair around her finger and caressing Dred¡¯s side. ¡°I see,¡± the man muttered as he left the building. When they left the Inn, the guards led the way and also left them behind by a few steps, seeing how obedient they were. If Elena wanted, she could have run away anytime, not to mention with this much of a gap. But that wasn¡¯t her intention. Turning slightly to the left, she focused her senses on the two guards.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Hey, Sandra. What the hell were you thinking? Why did you let her catch your hair? I thought that you were done for, for a moment. You should watch out for your surroundings more,¡± the man rebuked the female guard, looking at Elena from the corners of his eyes. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m an idiot? I sensed her movements, but my body reacted slower than usual and I couldn¡¯t move before she reached my hair. She must have some kind of passive skill that slows other people¡¯s movements. We should report this to Captain Sally,¡± Sandra elbowed him, feeling annoyed by the man¡¯s belittling thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry in that case, and yes. We will tell her everything. Who knew if it would help somehow?¡± he apologized, bowing his head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you understand. We use this line too much¡­ I guess it is because people are always questioning us. Anyway, let¡¯s get closer to them. What if they tried to escape?¡± she nodded her head, looking at Dred from the corners of her eyes. ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°Are you done chatting about us?¡± Elena asked with a smile, her hands behind her back. The guards¡¯ bodies twitched at the same time. Not saying anything, they picked up their pace as the man said, ¡°Let¡¯s walk quicker.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sad to see you being so suspicious of me,¡± Elena sighed, following him. Seeing the orange colored building, Jake ran ahead, surprising the guards. Opening the door, he saw a different woman than Sally, sitting at the receptionist desk. ¡°Hello. Where can I find the Vice-Captain?¡± he asked, leaning on the corner of the desk. ¡°Hello¡­ Do you have a time appointment? You can¡¯t just bother-¡± ¡°I¡¯m a guard too,¡± he replied to the woman¡¯s questioning, showing his emblem. ¡°That¡¯s nice but your rank isn¡¯t high enough to meet her as you please,¡± she said with a smile, looking towards the guards in the doors. Clicking his tongue, he turned towards the corridor and charged in. Running towards the testing ground, he looked at the nameplates on the doors. But before he could take another step, he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, pulling him back. It was one of the guards, who originally stood in the door. ¡°Let go of me!¡± he shouted, but his strength wasn¡¯t enough to break free and he didn¡¯t want to use any techniques. When he was almost dragged out of the corridor, the door on the other side of the corridor opened and Sally stuck out her head. ¡°What is this ruckus? Also¡­ if you want to break free, your movements are really shitty,¡± she remarked, pointing at Jake. ¡°I don¡¯t want to attack him¡­ Wait, don¡¯t ignore me, vice-captain!¡± he shouted, seeing her almost closing the door. ¡°Haha, I was just kidding. Let him through,¡± she waved her hand and the guard let him through. ¡°Your receptionist sucks,¡± he grumbled, sitting down in front of Sally. ¡°Is that so? But she is just doing her job. Why did you come here?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Captain. I have something to tell you. One of my friends, the black haired girl you met is called Elena and she has a black panther. But I¡¯ve known her for a long time and the four of us have lived together for just as long. I am telling you this because of her black panther. Today two guards came to bring us here. They will be here in a moment. I just wanted to tell you that we have nothing to do with these recent murders. I know that Dred, Elena¡¯s panther will be suspicious, but believe me!¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to talk about him since I knew that we would become suspects. Once that happens, people will frown at us, along with the other guards. If my friends can¡¯t do business, we will have to leave the city, which we don¡¯t want to do!¡± Hearing his sudden outburst, Sally was left in a dumbfounded state. Rubbing her eyes, she was about to reply when somebody knocked on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked, expecting the answer after Jake¡¯s explanation. ¡°I¡¯m Sandra. We brought in a few suspects related to the recent murdering events,¡± she replied. ¡°What?!¡± Audrey¡¯s surprised exclamation resounded in the building. Before a ruckus could happen, Sally told them to come in. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make them worried,¡± Jake explained why he didn¡¯t tell his friends about the fact that they could become suspects. Understanding his reasons, Sally nodded her head. Stopping beside her, the male guard leaned forward and whispered into Sally¡¯s right ear, telling everything that happened to her. Elena heard it this time too, which almost made her laugh. ¡°Why are we here?¡± Audrey asked with a frown on her face, sitting down beside Jake. ¡°Calm down, the captain will explain everything,¡± Jake soothed her, coiling his left arm around her back. That bastard is using our acting scheme to get closer to me¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ do something later. But his arm is really warm, she thought as a smile formed on her face without her knowledge. Clearing her throat, Sally said, ¡°Enough of flirting. Let¡¯s get to the point. There have been many murders in these last few days and a few of the victims had claw marks on their backs. We also know that the murderer or his or her partner or pet has a black tail. I initiated a search for anything or anyone with such features. Your panther happens to have both claws and a black tail, which makes you into possible suspects and crime partners.¡± ¡°You are the fifth group today, so you aren¡¯t alone if that makes you happier. I¡¯m sorry for this inconvenience, but we will have to make sure that you have nothing to do with the mentioned crimes. Jake told me about your circumstances, so I understand your problems, but I have good news for you.¡± ¡°I too visited your store and I didn¡¯t even know that you were the ones making that shampoo, so as long as you don¡¯t make a scene, I don¡¯t think that anyone would realize. By the way, it¡¯s really good,¡± she praised their wares, winking. ¡°We¡¯re glad to hear that,¡± Elena replied, showing a smile. ¡°And how could we prove our innocence?¡± Jake asked as he leaned forward, his face serious. Crossing her fingers, Sally made a thoughtful face before saying, ¡°For one, we could take a measure of your Panther''s claws and compare it to the wounds. If you don¡¯t mind, we could also ask a mind specialist to look into your memories. The latter would prove your innocence instantly, while the former would lift some suspicion. Of course, I understand that you have things wouldn¡¯t want others to know, not to mention your training methods. It¡¯s up to you.¡± They can do such a thing too!? That¡¯s rather surprising. Mind Magic is very rare¡­ but it wouldn¡¯t work on me, which could not only make me more suspicious, it wouldn¡¯t lead them anywhere. Let¡¯s take that oath before my plan blows up, Elena quickly thought over her possibilities. ¡°I have another offer. You can see the result yourself. I swear that I have nothing and won¡¯t have anything to do with the recent murders and that I didn¡¯t kill anyone in this city. Death shall take me if I lie!¡±
You have taken an Oath! (Elena)
Seeing the window in front of her, she shared it with Sally. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m still standing here, alive and walking,¡± she said with a smile. Sally closed her wide opened mouth and nodded her head. ¡°That was rather daring and surprising, but I believe you. Right, there is this method too, but I didn¡¯t want to kill the criminal, so I didn¡¯t use it. I need answers!¡± ¡°I understand, but I can¡¯t help you with that, unfortunately,¡± Elena made a disappointed face as she grumbled, ¡°I could earn a lot with such a piece of information!¡± Sally¡¯s brows twitched when she heard her words. Looking at Jake with a strange face, she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Ha-ha, she can be a little greedy sometimes, but she is a good girl,¡± he laughed in an awkward way, scratching the back of his head. After all three of them took the oath, only Dred stayed silent. ¡°And how do you plan to prove his innocence?¡± Sally asked, pointing at Dred. ¡°Simple. I swear that Dred spent all his time with me and didn¡¯t kill anyone in the city. I also swear that unless being attacked, neither of us will kill anyone¡± Elena answered her question. ¡°I accept,¡± Audrey and Jake accepted the oath, while Sally thought that it was automatic for Dred since Elena was his owner.
You have taken an Oath! (Elena, Dred, Audrey Frost, Jake Hughes)
After showing the window to Sally, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh loudly. ¡°Alright. You four are clear. Oaths are managed by the Ancestor. There is no way to cheat it. If you had anything to do with the recent cases, you would be dead by now. Argh! This makes me happy yet sad since I still don¡¯t know anything!¡± ¡°Captain, don¡¯t hit your head,¡± Jake stood up, trying to soothe Sally. ¡°Just leave already. I have this shitty paperwork to do,¡± she waved her hand. ¡°Alright, goodbye~¡± Elena almost sang in her happiness. Seeing her good mood, a smile formed on Sally¡¯s face as she thought, She is a rather cheerful person, even though she is wearing only black. Such contradictions¡­ But before they could leave the room, somebody barely knocked before opening the door. It was a simple guard. ¡°Captain! You have to see this! There are more than fifty zombies walking around in the city! They are destroying the stores, attacking people. Some of them are people who got lost last evening and I¡¯m quite sure that the remaining people¡­ zombies are similar.¡± ¡°They are fighting without any regard to their bodies and they are very strong! We have trouble dealing with them!¡± ¡°Fuck this shit!¡± Sally shouted, smashing her fist on the table, breaking the table into smithereens. She didn¡¯t even wait for Elena and the others to leave before rushing out of the building. A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°You foul creature¡­¡± Jake muttered, shaking his head. When they found an area without anyone on the streets, they used their Shadow Forms to get to Gautama¡¯s mansion. ¡°Let¡¯s get in and find out more about his plans. Something''s fishy around him. We might be able to take control of the situation and lead Sally towards him,¡± Elena said, stopping behind a bush in the garden at the front of the house. Nodding their heads, Dred took the lead. Seeing the empty corridors, Elena whispered in a surprised tone, ¡°I thought that they would reinforce their defenses after we broke in. This is quite worrisome.¡± ¡°Well, you attacked numerous places, so they might think that they were just one from the many,¡± Jake remarked, turning a corner. ¡°Don¡¯t be so naive. What kind of person would loosen his defense after somebody broke in? You should take an example of Audrey¡­¡± Elena rebuked him for saying such stupid things. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Reaching the thick, wooden door, the smell of blood and iron was nowhere to be found. Grabbing the handle of the door, Elena slowly turned it and poked her head through the gap. Strangely enough, the corridor was completely dark, as if night befell the mansion. ¡°This is getting stranger and stranger,¡± Audrey muttered, looking at the goosebumps on her arms. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we turn around?¡± Elena questioned Dred, feeling unsure of her idea. ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll look around,¡± he replied, making his way towards Gautama¡¯s room. There wasn¡¯t even a shred of light, but he saw everything. The vases with the flowers, the pictures on the walls, the blinds on the windows. His body raised out of the ground. Raising his front right paw, he pushed on the door, opening it. He didn¡¯t see anyone inside. There were two corpses on the ground, both of them wearing black capes. Sniffing their bodies, he realized that they were the people their group was looking for. ¡°What¡¯s going on? This has nothing to do with us¡­¡± he muttered, looking around. ¡°H-Her...e¡± a hoarse voice resounded in the room, though it was barely audible. Picking up on it, Dred got around the bed and noticed Gautama, who was in a sitting position between the bed and a small cabinet, leaning on the wall. His eyes were hollowed out and there was a terrible wound on his chest. His lungs were penetrated and blood littered the ground under him. ¡°W-Who¡­ you?¡± he tried asking who Dred was. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dred asked with a calm voice. ¡°You¡­ from the kingdom? Or¡­ rebel?¡± Gautama said, coughing up a mouthful of blood. After thinking about it for a moment, he placed his bet on the kingdom. Hearing his answer, Gautama showed a slight smile as he muttered, ¡°Finally.¡± ¡°What happened here?¡± Dred asked, making it sounds as if he knew something. ¡°Rebels. It¡¯s the¡­ city Lord. He found *cough* me out. Damn! I don¡¯t have... time. Notify the kingdom,¡± he struggled to utter his last words. As the last bits of air left his lungs, his heart stopped beating, his cells suffocated and his Mana left his body. ¡°Elena!¡± Dred shouted. In the next moment, she appeared beside him. ¡°What should we do? If we devour his body, it could give us a huge boost of strength but Audrey and Jake would stay too far behind.¡± Placing her hand on her chin, Elena furrowed her brows. Let them reach our current power level and we will devour the rest,¡± she replied, looking at Audrey and Jake, who were standing behind them by now. ¡°It will hurt for a few minutes, but it will slowly disappear. But don¡¯t be surprised since you will gain a huge deal of strength in a very short amount of time,¡± Elena warned them as she stepped to the side. ¡°Tell me what happened here until then,¡± she said, looking at Dred. --- After hearing his explanation, she realized that there was a rebellious group and Gautama was probably an agent of the kingdom. ¡°It¡¯s likely that the kingdom didn¡¯t know more than that there was a rebellious group. After finding out about it, they sent Gautama to investigate. I think that he wasn¡¯t able to deal with something alone, so he called for two helpers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely that the leader of the rebels is the city lord, which means that the guards are his force. Does this mean that Sally is a part of his force? He told you to notify the kingdom, which means that they still don¡¯t know the leader¡¯s origin. I don¡¯t know the structure of this kingdom¡­ we must visit some kind of library if there is anything of the sort.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll always look for such things at first from now on. How could I jump into this thing without any background knowledge? You should have told me¡­¡± she thought everything over and couldn¡¯t help but point a finger at Dred too. ¡°Haha, but if I just said it, you wouldn¡¯t learn and¡­ I too am newborn, I¡¯m just more silent since I think more. We are the same, why should I know more than you?¡± he questioned her, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Why, you said it just now! You are more silent so you have the time to think more! Haha. Talking seriously, it¡¯s good that I can learn about the process of things in this kind of environment,¡± she said as a smile formed on her face. Seeing that Jake and Audrey stood up from the ground, she shared the remaining DNA with Dred. As her shadow processed it, her body started evolving and turning stronger. Reaching the two-hundredth level, a new table appeared in front of her.
Lv Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive, Legendary)
Devourer Stealth Demonology
10 - 100 ... ... ...
200 Allocation: Once devouring a creature, you will be able to unlock their DNA and modify aspects. You can control your evolution and strengthen any aspect of yours. Penetration: You will learn a muscle skill, which will help you increase your strength by a great deal for a moment before each of your attacks. Combined with your accuracy, you can deal devastating surprise blows. High-Demon: You can transform into a High-demon and summon three mid-ranked demons or many lesser demons, who will obey your commands.
¡°It¡¯s definitely Allocation to me,¡± she muttered, deciding right after reading all three choices. ¡°Which one should I go for? Penetration would just increase the force of my attacks, which would be great. But if we plan to stay active among humans, I should get an ability that could mass produce disposable creatures. While people would kill my minions, I could disappear from sight and attack once again!¡± Dred reasoned beside High-Demon. ¡°Then go for it. I think that it would be good to have a Mass Summoner in our team,¡± she replied, leaning on his side. ¡°Elena, we have something to show you,¡± Audrey said, showing a bright smile. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked with a frown on her face, feeling suspicious. ¡°This!¡±
Lv Class: Arcane Mage (Epic)
Dark Arts Mystic Caster
10 ... ... ...
180 Necro: For a real mage, nothing is taboo. Dead bodies are just a way to gain more power. But creating clever corpses is a hard thing to do, even for the Necromancer Class. But you are a True Mage. This ability will help you creating intelligent and obedient undead creatures. Elementals: Anyone can learn to control the elements, but how deep of a connection can they experience? As an Arcane Mage, you truly want to connect with them. The Elementals can help you in this. This will boost the power of your element related attacks. Split: A proficient Mage can split his or her attention and focus on numerous things. Casting one spell might be the last thing you do, so why not make it two? With this specialization aspect, you will be able to divide your attention and focus both on attack and defense!
¡°Oh! So Epic ranked classes can pick a specialization on level ten and a hundred and eighty. I wonder what level is necessary for Rare ranked classes. Anyway, have you decided yet?¡± Elena asked, showing her white teeth. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t need Necro since you can mostly take care of that and I know necromancy as well. I think that it should be possible to gain the same ability by myself. Although split is a great one, it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do by training hard. Let¡¯s train when we are done with this city. So I thought about the second aspect of Mystic specialization, Elementals. I can¡¯t deny that I¡¯m interested in them, not to mention that I¡¯ll have something to use, other than Eon Element and such. It would be bad if I blew up everything, every time I fought,¡± she replied, shaking her head with a wry smile on her face. ¡°Haha, you are right. And what about you?¡± Elena questioned Jake. Stepping forward, he showed her his table.
Lv Class: Twin Crescent Moon (Epic)
Swordmaster Elementalist Void Master
10 You seek to become one with the sword. Even if you had problems comprehending how to use any kind of sword, it will be nothing but a fleeting memory with this specialization. It increases your Weapon Mastery. You know both dual wielding weapons and Magic too. With this, you can apply your knowledge of the elements to your weapons. Gives the ability Elemental Wielding. There are huge spaces separating cosmical bodies yet they are so close to each other. A small step for you might mean ten to many. This specialization will help you understand the Void Element.
180 Extension: Weapons are but extensions of your arms. It would be surprising if your weapons could reach further than their original length. Elemancer: Your class originally wields a Physically buffed and a Magically buffed weapon. This will make it possible to use both kinds of buffs on both of your weapons. Blink: As a master of the Void Element, you can blink through short spaces to surprise your opponents. Every attack starts with one step, this is especially true in your case. Limited to a range of one centimeter every three hundred seconds. -1 sec cooldown and +10 centimeter range per level.
¡°You see, when I drank your blood for the first time, this class came up not long after. As you know, this class is a dual wielder. The only restriction is that I have to use curved blades to use the full potential of this class.¡± ¡°I can place enchantments on both blades, one being Physical, the other one being Magical. At first, I picked Void Master. Although I never told you about it, I have some really good tricks, which I haven¡¯t used. But a weapon would be really nice¡­ Elemancer would be really cool, but Audrey has picked an Element related specialization just now, so it would be pointless.¡± ¡°To increase the diversity of our team, I think that Blink would be for the best. I can feel that I should be able to use it, there is just a little bit of the necessary knowledge that I¡¯m missing. I know that it looks like a shitty skill at the moment, but even one centimeter could turn the tides, not to mention how much this skill will grow as I level it up!¡± Jake explained his choice in a roundabout way, almost tiring out Elena with his long explanation. ¡°Jake¡­ I¡¯m your ¡®Master¡¯ in a way, I know. But you don¡¯t have to report why you want to pick something you are interested in. You can ask for bits of advice, but how you train with such a powerful class is up to you. If I was to force on you some kind of route you don¡¯t like, it would not only slow you down, but it could possibly make you weaker too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll always let you decide for yourself unless it is related to our mission or it is a terribly stupid choice you made. I¡¯m not your mother, after all,¡± she replied with a smile, patting his shoulder. ¡°But you rather feel like that to me sometimes. It might be because of your blood,¡± Jake uttered such words, not realizing their weight. ¡°Guh¡­ Do I look that old or what? I didn¡¯t even guide you. This, this is terrible¡­¡± Elena mumbled as she turned around, grabbing her chest. ¡°I think my heart is aching after hearing such words,¡± she continued her muttering, shaking her head. Realizing his mistake, he laughed awkwardly as he corrected himself, ¡°Hey, I meant it in a good way! You just have a motherly feel to you. It just shows your maturity. I didn¡¯t mean your looks and such, obviously¡­ You look very young and beautiful- Ah! But I like Audrey more!¡± he corrected himself upon noticing Audrey¡¯s gaze. ¡°Hahaha, you are too easy,¡± Audrey laughed, waving her hand. Turning around, she left the room, followed by Elena. Both of them were grinning from ear to ear as they locked arms. ¡°What?¡± Jake muttered, feeling somewhat lost. ¡°They were playing with you,¡± Dred enlightened him as he left the room. ¡°Screw you, girls!¡± Jake shouted, following them with loud stomps. --- The mansion was devoid of life and light. ¡°Let¡¯s set this mansion on fire. Dred, go and look for Hoa. We haven¡¯t seen her corpse yet. Once you are back, we will proceed with our plan and leave this place for now. We will have to rethink our tactic with this new piece of information in our hands,¡± Elena told her current plans. Nodding their heads, everyone left to do their job. Audrey set fire to the curtains, wooden furniture, anything that was flammable. Jake and Elena did the same, all around the mansion. Dred rushed towards Hoa¡¯s room and broke through the closed door. ¡°Where the hell is that girl?¡± he grumbled in a low voice, not seeing her anywhere. ¡°There is another door¡­¡± Walking closer, he put his ear on the door. ¡°It¡¯s as if a wind was blowing,¡± he whispered. Using his strength, he broke the door and saw a dark tunnel behind it. After entering it, he barely had to walk for a few meters before seeing it branching, one way leading somewhere far, the other leading back towards the mansion. ¡°Let¡¯s check the other entrance,¡± he muttered as he turned to the right. Smashing the small trap door at the end of it, he found himself in Gautama¡¯s room. ¡°Haha, the entrance was right behind the cabinet! Is that why he laid here? I guess Hoa escaped, which means that she should be rushing towards the main city of the kingdom. Dang it, we need more information. But the night is creeping closer. We had to wait for quite a long time before the guards came for us¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll go back for now. I¡¯m sure that Hoa got away,¡± Dred talked to himself before going back to Hoa¡¯s room. Leaving towards the corridor, he saw Elena, Audrey, and Jake, waiting for him. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he said, rushing past them. They didn¡¯t stop until reaching the Inn. They were about to go up to their room when the Innkeeper stopped them. ¡°Miss! I¡¯m sorry to ask, but why did you have to go with the guards? Did you¡­¡± she asked with a wry smile, looking towards the door. Her indication was clear. If they did something bad, they would have to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You surely know about the recent murders. A few of the people had claw marks on their backs. After taking an oath, we were found innocent. It has nothing to do with us or we wouldn¡¯t be here, don¡¯t you think?¡± Elena replied with a smile. ¡°Haah- Indeed, your words make sense. That¡¯s good to hear. The owner has told us to kick out any criminal we see. It would have been really troublesome if I had to force you to leave,¡± she heaved out a sigh of relief, her hand over her chest. Inspecting her, Elena almost laughed. Tilting her head to the side, Elena said with a smile on her face, ¡°Your courage is really good with your current strength. I¡¯m a nice person, but be careful since some people could be offended by such a remark. It¡¯s enough if you stop after ¡®troublesome¡¯ the next time. Your words sound a little belittling.¡± After making a thoughtful face, realization dawned on the Innkeeper. Showing her white teeth, she said, ¡°Thanks for your guidance! I¡¯ve never realized it before!¡± Waving her hand, Elena went towards their room, where Dred explained to them what he found. ¡°So she is probably alive. In that case, we should learn who is the leader of the gangs. If the guards aren¡¯t taking them out, they might have a purpose in this city. There is this Rhoderick too. Supposedly, he is some kind of super merchant who buys every business with force if necessary. He should know a lot. Maybe I¡¯ll visit him later,¡± Elena talked to herself, ignoring her environment. ¡°You can do that later. Go and ask if there is some kind of library or archive. We need to find out more about how the kingdom works or we will be screwed,¡± Dred interrupted her, using a serious tone. Looking at him, Elena nodded her head. Jumping up from the bed, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, in that case~¡± Placing his paw on her shoulder, Dred stopped her, "Aren''t you forgetting something?" Turning around, Elena looked towards the way he was pointing at. Seeing that the sky was darkening and the moon was crawling up, she scratched the back of her head. "Haha, we have slept in the morning so my sleeping habit is a bit messed up now. Then... let''s visit a weapon and armor store and then go to bed!" "That sounds better," Dred replied with a nod. Hearing the words ''weapon'' and ''armor'', Jake''s eyes glimmered with interest. He left the room ahead of everyone else, almost knocking over everyone, "Move your legs! You are slow!" "Make sure to teach him how to behave in the future," Elena said with a chuckle, looking at Audrey. Sighing loudly, Audrey shook her head as she said, "I will." Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 14.1 - The piles are growing The piles are growing Elena made her way towards their own store, knowing that Felicia is probably about to close it. Seeing her locking the back door, she stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡± Noticing her boss, Felicia let go of the key and bowed her head, ¡°Good evening, Miss. You have earned quite a lot today too. I decided to order a safe from the money you earned. I apologize if you don¡¯t like it and I¡¯ll definitely pay it back. But considering the amount you earn, I found it a necessity. Your money is inside it this time too.¡± Waving her hand, Elena said, ¡°I know about it. You did well. I¡¯ll give you some bonus at the end of this week, but I¡¯ll withdraw most of the money when I give you a visit since I have a really good way to store it~ Do I need to leave some change?¡± ¡°No, Miss. I always take it home and back tomorrow. The amount you find in the safe is free to use. To be honest, at other stores, there was somebody who managed the income, turned some of it towards payments, manufacturing fees and such. But since Miss don¡¯t have to do anything of the sort, I can take care of everything myself. I¡¯ll just have to hope that I won¡¯t be attacked so late in the evenings,¡± she replied with a smile, complaining at the same time. ¡°Haha, you are too roundabout, but fine. You can close at four p.m. from tomorrow onwards. It¡¯s not like many people would come after five p.m. You can go home now. My panther will accompany you,¡± she said with a chuckle as Dred turned the corner. ¡°I¡¯m not your panther¡­¡± he whispered when he passed by her. ¡°A-Are you sure? He is a little¡­ scary,¡± Felicia muttered with a stiff face, visibly afraid of Dred. ¡°Yes. Get on, this is a once in a lifetime offer!¡± Elena pressed on. With much delay, she finally got onto Dred¡¯s back. He turned his head towards Elena and showed a baleful look. Since he had to act as an ¡®obedient panther¡¯, he had no way to refuse. ¡°Just tell him where to go!¡± Elena shouted after Felicia. Audrey and Jake appeared behind her when they got out of sight. ¡°You are evil. Dred will hold a grudge for this,¡± Jake remarked, shaking his head. ¡°Haha, he won¡¯t. And friends are always there to fuck you up!¡± Elena replied, laughing loudly. Entering the store, she counted the money. ¡°A hundred and fifty-three gold coins! Adding it to our earnings from before, I think that we should be able to buy some really good armor!¡± she exclaimed when a guy appeared behind him. Gripping her waist, he raised her into the air and pressed her against the wall. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Audrey questioned him, holding her palm towards the man¡¯s back. Using Dark Magic, Jake created a knife and pointed it towards the man¡¯s back as he said, ¡°Let go of her.¡± Ignoring their words, the man kept looking into Elena¡¯s eyes. He had a pair of long horns protruding from his forehead, and his spine ended in a blade-like, one and half a meter long tail. Just a swing of it could cause serious damage to anyone. He was about a hundred and ninety centimeters tall and he had a well-toned, lean but muscular body. He had black hair covering the top of his head and the same kind of shining green eyes as Elena. His two centimeter long, pointy claws prickled Elena¡¯s side, but they didn¡¯t cause her any harm. ¡°You dirty woman! I told you last time that I will take my words back and that I won¡¯t bite you! I¡¯ll do it now!¡± he exclaimed, surprising Audrey and Jake. ¡°No! Let go of me! Damn it, Dred! Why are you so strong?¡± Elena wailed in his grip, trying to get free. Turning her around, he leaned forward and bit into her right butt. ¡°Hiii! You bastard! I won¡¯t forget this!¡± Elena shouted as her body stiffened up from the slight feeling of pain. After sucking out a bit of blood, he pulled back his head and put her on the ground. The wound healed in the next second, but Elena still found her butt sore. ¡°Why not my shoulder? I won¡¯t even feel that. Grrr¡­ I¡¯ll definitely pay back for this!¡± she exclaimed, pointing at his face. ¡°Heh- I¡¯m waiting for it!¡± he laughed upon hearing her threat. ¡°Dang it, there is a hole in my leggings too! Well, I can fix it easily¡­¡± she said as it regrew in a moment. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked over Dred¡¯s body from head to toe. ¡°You look great! But¡­¡± pointing downward with a slightly red face, she continued, ¡°you should get some clothes.¡± ¡°Oh, right. I need such things in this form,¡± he said as his shadow coiled around his body and turned into simple looking black clothes. ¡°Disregarding the fact that I just saw a male ass, WHAT THE FUCK?¡± Jake started with an unbothered face before suddenly screaming out. ¡°Shh-- My ears! Don¡¯t scream into my ears, you idiot,¡± Audrey rebuked him, smacking the back of his head. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. But look, Inspect!¡±
Name: Dred Race: Devouring Panther (Legendary) / Arch Fiend (Epic)
Level: 200 EXP: 345 / 72 400
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Stealth
Health: 5 500 000 / 5 500 000 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Blood Drinker
Strength(+3% Demon): 1 152 043 (+34 561) Vitality: 1 100 000
Agility: 1 130 910The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Will: 86
Intelligence: 1 090 437 Wisdom(+3% Demon): 1 110 943 (+33 328)
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.80 (91%); Water Lv.81 (93%); Wind Lv.83 (71%); Lightning Lv.75 (99%); Nature Lv.83 (59%); Earth Lv.80 (47%); Light Lv.67 (75%); Dark Lv.90 (41%); Cosmological Constant: Lv.56 (76%) Void Lv. 23 (37%); Eon Lv. 68 (65%) Resistances: Magical: 1 144 271 Physical: 593 302 Poison: 18 453 / 100 000 Passive: Stamina: 2 693 745 Precision: 5 654 550
Skills/Spells: Mana Control Lv. 68 (65%) Sense Lv. 84 (69%) Stealth: Lv. 93 (47%) Shapeshift Lv. 42 (32%) (Bear; Wyvern; High-Demon) Necromancy Lv. 70 (42%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 62 (26%) Summon (Max Level) Passive Skills: Ambush Lv. 42 (91%) Poison Lv. 26 (93%)
Stopping behind Audrey, Elena put chin on her shoulder and looked at Dred¡¯s table. Since they were his close alleys, he let them look at everything. ¡°Oh? You can switch races and you¡¯ve got a new racial skill. Try summoning something, quickly!¡± Elena urged him, finding it interesting. Turning around, Dred looked at the group of three. Seeing all of them looking at him with glimmering eyes, he sighed before raising his right hand. Showing his palm, he explained, ¡°As you can see, I have this pentagram on my palm. As long as I pour Mana into it, demons will appear. If I use the one on my left hand, stronger demons will appear, but I can¡¯t summon more than three and once they die, I won¡¯t be able to summon them for a whole day. Of course, they can go back themselves once they finished my orders. I can resummon them anytime that way.¡± ¡°Here is a weaker one and a stronger one!¡± he said as he poured his Mana into the pentagrams on both of his palms. A one and half a meter tall imp formed under his right hand, while a human sized, dark red skinned demon grew under his left hand. Inspect, all of them thought at the same time.
Name: Male Imp Race: Imp
Level: 100 Allegiance: Dred
Name: Unnamed Race: Alp
Level: 140 Allegiance: Dred
¡°A hundred and forty?! Are you kidding me? This summoning is really good, but well, considering that we usually fight against stronger opponents, they are perfect for distraction. But if they are clever enough, then they could be very useful!¡± Elena exclaimed after reading their tables. Their strength was the same as a normal person at the hundred and fortieth level, meaning around four hundred thousand and eighty-seven points on each of their stats. ¡°Kick Elena¡¯s leg,¡± Dred commanded the imp. Rushing over, he kicked into her leg and then ran back to its master. Not even bothering with his weak attack, Elena chuckled, ¡°Why hold a grudge? Haha.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll enlighten you. I¡¯m not holding a grudge against you, but here is how it is! I¡¯m not a pet or a mount. I¡¯m letting you sit on my back since we are very close to each other. But imagine yourself walking on four legs, while some stranger is sitting on your back. It is humiliating. When you sit on my back, I always imagine ourselves as if I was carrying you on my back with a human body.¡± ¡°But when others sit on my back, I imagine myself as a man, crawling on the ground on all fours, carrying someone. Do you get the difference between those two? I¡¯d be happy if you wouldn¡¯t force me into doing such things from now on.¡± Elena¡¯s face turned sadder and sadder by each word he said. Stepping forward, her head hung, she hugged him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think that you thought that deeply about this. I swear that I won¡¯t do it anymore.¡± Patting her head, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear your words. Now, let¡¯s see something harder. Fight against Jake to the death!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jake gave out a surprised sound upon seeing the Imp jumping towards his face, its ten centimeters long claws, ready to strike him. Raising his hand, Jake grabbed the Imp¡¯s. The imp put its feet on Jake¡¯s chest and pushed himself away. Landing on the ground after a somersault, he ran towards Jake¡¯s legs. Seeing that it was fighting quite well, Dred called him back. ¡°Now¡­ sneak behind one of the people here, steal a lock of their hair, and bring it back to me. Both of you,¡± he commanded the other demon too this time. The Imp ran towards Audrey. Grabbing a lock of her hair, he was about to tear it out when Audrey¡¯s shadow spread out and devoured the Imp in a moment. ¡°I feel quite sad about our loss,¡± Jake joked, placing his hand on Audrey¡¯s shoulder, showing a sad face. ¡°You people are terrible! He was just doing his duty!¡± Dred remarked, shaking his head. The other demon bowed his head and left the building. ¡°I¡¯m curious what will happen if I go out,¡± Elena whispered, going towards the door. As she opened it, a hand thrust down from above, trying to grab her hair. Leaning her head to the side, the hand missed its target. ¡°I¡¯ve got you~¡± Elena said, thrusting her hand upward, catching the demon¡¯s hand. It used Nature Magic to grow a vine out of the ground. It coiled around her hands and the demon used its free hand to try to grab her hair for the second time. Seeing Elena breaking the vine in the next moment, it jumped off of the wall and ran back to Dred. Bowing his head, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master. My target is too powerful. I¡¯ll need preparations if I wish to succeed.¡± ¡°He talked!¡± Audrey exclaimed, her hand in front of her mouth. ¡°Yes, I can talk,¡± the demon replied, bowing his head. ¡°Why did you bow to her?¡± Dred asked with curiosity. ¡°Miss seems to be a friend of Master. I deeply apologize if I was wrong,¡± he replied. ¡°Are you afraid of death?¡± Dred pressed on with his questions. The demon¡¯s face didn¡¯t even do as much as a twitch. With a straight face, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m born of your Mana. Once I die, it will dissolve, along with my consciousness, which was born from your knowledge. When you summon me again, I¡¯ll be reborn. Death is but a fleeting state for me.¡± ¡°Good. You may leave now,¡± Dred nodded his head. The demon dissolved and returned into Dred¡¯s body in the form of Mana. ¡°It seems like he will return to me unless he is killed. I also learned something new. When he is out of my body, a part of my Mana can¡¯t be restored. If I didn¡¯t have Cosmological Constant, it would be a big drawback for this skill,¡± Dred said, looking at his own palm. ¡°So the more Imp you summon, the less Mana you can use. Their level is lower by a hundred compared to yours and they aren¡¯t too clever but can fight. Perfect for cannon fodder,¡± Elena concluded the matter, leaning on the doorway, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Having a strange feeling, Dred walked closer to Elena. After sniffing her hair, he hugged her body. ¡°Eh? What are you doing?¡± Elena asked with wide opened eyes. ¡°Strange. This body has some kind of reaction to you. Is this, lust?¡± he asked, stepping back and transforming into his Panther form. ¡°The softness and the warmth of your body. Your curves, all of them felt appealing, whilst I don¡¯t think anything about them in this form. Or to be more exact, I know that you have captivating looks, but I don¡¯t feel anything in particular about it,¡± Dred pondered over his new experience. ¡°...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, to be honest. Should I feel offended or just ignore it or what?¡± Elena questioned Audrey, raising a brow. Shrugging her shoulders, Audrey replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess you should just ignore it. Also, if we want to buy weapons, we should hurry up.¡± ¡°Ah! Damn it, I almost forgot about it!¡± Elena shouted, rushing out the door. When everyone left, Jake locked the door behind them and followed in their steps. Illustrations I know that many of you are lazy, so you probably didn''t check the author note and the link I added.... As I said before, you can find more here: https://corpsedead.neocities.org/index.htmlin the Illustrations menu, but it''s up to you if u want to see more. ^.^ So here are a few of them. (I have much more awesome pics on the site.) I don''t own either of these pictures. Just googled a lot... XD They are quite alike compared to how I imagine my characters.I didn''t delete watermarks since I didn''t wish to steal credit. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Elena with older looks: Elena in her armor and current looks: (but long hair, hanging down on her right shoulder. see pic on my site)
Jake:
Sally:
Audrey:
For size comparison (Elena and Dred), though Dred is as tall as Elena: Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 14.2 - The piles are growing They arrived at a weapon store, which was well-known in the area. It was also in the noble district, so it was likely to have some really good wares. But the owner was locking the when Elena arrived. ¡°Please wait! We would like to buy weapons and armors!¡± Elena shouted. Stopping two meters behind him, she panted slightly. The owner looked like somebody at the age of forty. He had a short, brown beard and hair. His eyes were dark blue and he had bulging muscles. He was about a hundred and seventy centimeters tall, only a few centimeters longer than Elena. ¡°A good Assassin can wait for the best time. Tonight is definitely not one such time. You should come back tomorrow,¡± he replied, turning around to leave. Laughing at his words, Elena said ¡®ok¡¯ as she turned around to leave. After spending a night with training their mental capabilities and their new spells, they came back the next morning. It was only seven a.m. and most people were still sleeping or opening their stores. They waited only ten minutes when the man from yesterday appeared. A smile formed on his face upon seeing Elena and her group. ¡°Miss woke up early just to see me,¡± he said, unlocking the door. ¡°Did I?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. After fumbling in a drawer behind the counter for a few seconds, the man stood up straight as he said, ¡°Welcome to Xen¡¯s Metal Store! I¡¯m Xen. So? What can I help you with and how much money do you wish to spend?¡± ¡°We have two hundred gold coins to spend,¡± Elena replied, having a bad feeling. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not much. This is a high-end store, you know? The materials I use to craft weapons and armors are expensive. The cheapest piece of armor I have is fifty gold coins, while the most expensive are five hundred gold coins. But an armor is a part of your body. It can save your life, which is the most precious, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the same with weapons,¡± the owner replied. ¡°Could you craft weapons for us, if we gave you materials to work with?¡± Elena asked with a smile. ¡°Everything will be much cheaper, obviously. But if you want me to craft the best kinds of armors and weapons, it will still cost you at least a hundred gold coins per person,¡± Xen reasoned. ¡°Elena, just let me pay instead,¡± Jake said with a mysterious smile, pulling out a huge bag of gold coins. Her face froze in surprise upon seeing the money he just pulled out, out of nowhere. ¡°When did you-¡± she started but decided to stay silent in front of Xen. Jake kept grinning like an idiot. Stepping closer to Audrey, he put his arm around her waist. ¡°What do you want, dear?¡± ¡°Haha, stop joking,¡± she laughed at his playfulness as she pushed his face away. ¡°I suppose the amount of money you can spend just grew by a huge amount?¡± Xen questioned, rubbing his palms. His sudden change of character left everyone dumbfounded. Seeing them staying silent, he laughed loudly, ¡°Did you believe that? Aye, let¡¯s start with your weapons. What do you need?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it¡­ I need two long daggers, Jake wants two Uchigatana, and Audrey is in need of a short sword,¡± Elena replied, based on their prior agreement. ¡°I know long dagger and short sword, but what is Uchigatana? I¡¯ve never heard of it,¡± Xen asked, scratching the back of his head, feeling ashamed of his lack of knowledge as a Master Smith. Making a thoughtful face, Elena stayed silent, pondering on how to show it. Jake snapped his fingers and a wooden stick grew out of the wooden floor, having the shape of an Uchigatana. ¡°This is what it looks like.¡± ¡°Oh! This is called Chikan here. Are you from another country?¡± he said with realization, looking back and forth between the wooden weapon and the group. ¡°You could say that we are village bumpkins,¡± Elena replied with a smile, not telling him their exact origin. After trying a few weapons and liking their stats too, Jake paid for them. ¡°Now¡­ I don¡¯t really need metal armor. I need something lighter, which is easy to move around in. Audrey needs something for a Mage, which will still let her move freely, and Jake needs metal armor,¡± Elena explained what they need. It took only ten minutes for them to find something that fit them and was good for their classes. ¡°It will cost one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five gold coins unless you need something else?¡± Xen asked, receiving the money in the meantime. ¡°No, thanks. I found your crafting abilities good. I hope that my eyes weren¡¯t wrong or I¡¯ll have to come back and complain,¡± she said with a meaningful smile. ¡°Miss is a dangerous person, but I¡¯m confident in my abilities,¡± Xen replied with a chuckle. They left the store and went back to their room. Before anyone could wear their new set, Elena caught Jake by his collar and asked with a happy smile, ¡°Dang it, where did you get that money from?¡± ¡°Haha, when we went to set Gautama¡¯s mansion on fire, I happened to come across his safe too. Devour is a really useful skill. It corroded the metal in no time and I was able to store the money in my Void Space,¡± Jake replied. Raising his hand, he quickly covered his mouth. ¡°Your what?!¡± both of the girls asked at the same time. ¡°Well, you know that my Specialization is Void Master. Although I never told you, I¡¯ve learned a few things. And why are you so surprised? You too know the Void element!¡± Jake replied, knowing that he was busted. ¡°Yes, but not on a level where we can create storage spaces¡­¡± Dred remarked, lying down in the middle of the bed, closing his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s true. Anyway, you were always looking at Audrey¡¯s tables, how she progressed and such, but you never checked mine¡­ and I decided that I won¡¯t tell you either!¡± Jake replied, puffing out his cheeks. Letting go of his collars, Elena stepped back, holding her forehead. Looking at Audrey, she laughed as she said, ¡°Is he a kid? Who would have thought that he is jealous of my attention? And jealous of his love interest, no less!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you had such a side. I always learn something new,¡± Audrey said with wonder, her hand covering her mouth. Turning away, a slight blush on her face, she muttered, ¡°You are cute.¡± ¡°Bwhahaha, I didn¡¯t expect this turn of events,¡± Elena laughed, holding her stomach. ¡°Wh-What?! I¡¯m not cute! I¡¯m a man, damn it! Men aren¡¯t cute! You girls are always playing an unfair game. It¡¯s two against one! Dred, you should take my side! I¡¯m being bullied here!¡± Jake shouted at Dred. ¡°Could it be that you are into younger men?¡± Elena asked, looking at Audrey with her brows raised. ¡°What? No¡­ It¡¯s just that they have a more innocent feel to them. I guess I¡¯m liking that,¡± she replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡°Hmm~ this is an interesting piece of information. Do you have anything to say, Jake?¡± Elena said with a smirk on her face, looking back and forth between Audrey and Jake. ¡°No¡­¡± he replied, visibly lost. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to see that you have such a side to you, so don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Audrey soothed Jake, meaning it. ¡°At least Dred isn¡¯t saying anything,¡± Jake remarked, shaking his head as he thought, At least, I know that she has something she likes in me¡­ even if it is something that¡¯s not real! I¡¯m not cute! I wanted to show her my manly side, but now I feel unsure¡­ I¡¯ll just behave normally. She would see through my acting anyway and it would only make her trust me less.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Haah- but it can be hard to show your true self even in a small group, not to mention somebody you love. Well, but this feeling is slowly leaving me as time passes by. It must be because I¡¯m outgrowing my humanoid instincts. ¡°I won¡¯t state something that is obvious,¡± Dred remarked, turning on his side. At that, both Audrey and Elena laughed at Jake. ¡°...¡± Calming down, ¡°Alright, enough of you. Though next time you could really tell me such things since your abilities can change how we proceed with our plans. Now, let me check these armors and weapons once more!¡± Elena said with a clear sign of excitement in her voice. Changing their shadows into simple clothes, they wore their armors and weapons. Audrey had a dark purple vest, with a skirt. The vest was made of a strong leather, which was the hide of a powerful monster at around the two hundred and eightieth level. It was a strange kind of leather since it was made up of very tiny scales. Her skirt had metal plates in it, adding some defense but still making it easy for her to move around. The dark purple color accentuated her red hair and unique gray-green eyes. Looking at her armor and the black short sword in her hands, Elena inspected them.
Name: Dark Spellblade Rarity: Rare
Durability: 680 / 680 Effects: Any spell channeled through this blade will have an increased Magical effect, meaning (+3%) to Wisdom. The blade devours light, due to its material. Strength output can grow by 2 to 20 percent, dependent on the type of physical movement
Name: Light Leather Armor of the Prion Rarity: Rare
Durability: 650 / 650 Effects: Due to its strong fabric, it could easily stop a few deadly strikes before tearing. If Mana is channeled through the armor, it can turn as hard as a metal armor and take on even more attacks.
Jake had a dark gray metal armor. Instead of wearing full-body armor, he had arm guards, leg guards, metal boots, leather gloves with the same kind of metal on their knuckles. His chest was protected by a thick armor, which had the shape of a wolf¡¯s head. Optionally, he had the possibility of wearing a hoodie, which was made of the same kind of leather as Audrey¡¯s armor. Although he wouldn¡¯t want to bet his head on such an armor, it could save his life. At least, that was what he believed in.
Name: Uchigatana (2x) Rarity: Rare
Durability: 680 / 680 Effects: Increases your strength output by 5 to 32 percent, dependent on the type of your movement.
Name: Armor of the Wolf King Rarity: Rare
Durability: 1500 / 1500 Effects: Thanks to its design, this armor is easy to move around in, but provides great protection. The armor is thicker at your vital points, giving you more defense. When you channel Mana through the armor, it partly merges with your body and increases your Vitality.
There were only two things left. Elena had two daggers with the same aspects, just like Jake¡¯s Uchigatana. Her daggers were made from the same kind of material as Audrey¡¯s short sword and they were forty centimeters long. Her daggers were called Sica, but instead of a curve towards the end, the whole dagger was slightly curved.
Name: Sica (2x) Rarity: Rare
Durability: 700 / 700 Effects: This blade devours light, making it the perfect weapon for Assassin type classes. When Mana is channeled through the blade, the inscribed runes will stop the Wind around it, making it a soundless weapon. It increases your strength output by two to fifteen percent, but it is very easy to use, due to it¡¯s light weight.
Name: Leather Armor of the Aosaginohi Rarity: Epic
Durability: 1200 / 1200 Effects: When Mana is channeled through the leather, black feathers will cover the owner¡¯s body, adding a powerful layer of defense. The feathers can regrow unless the armor is torn. There will be two layers of feathers at the vital points, making this armor even more of a lifesaver.
She had a thick, black, leather armor covering her upper and lower half, accentuating her black hair and making her green eyes stand out even more. It draped tightly around her body, showing her appeal. Her boots ended a little below her knees, and they were easy to move around in, on any terrain, thanks to an enchantment, which evened out the ground under her feet. Of course, only if she used her Mana. There were a few black feathers standing upward behind her head, which was able to cover her head in case somebody attacked her. A few, thin metal threads were weaved into the leather collar, covering her neck, which might be enough to defend her neck against a weaker strike. She had dark gray colored gloves covering her hands, which extended up to her shoulders, adding another thin layer of defense. Since Xen knew from a look that she had something to do with assassins, the pair of boots he offered had a hidden sheath in it too, which Elena used to hide a serrated knife. Her armor was Epic ranked, which was truly great. That alone cost five hundred gold coins, and it was one of the best leather armors in the store. Elena didn¡¯t want to spend so much money on herself, but Jake and Audrey pressed on. If she died, they could very well throw in the towel too, so it was in their best interest to keep her alive. If all it took was money, then none of them minded it. Not to mention, that she wasn¡¯t just somebody they had to keep alive. She was their friend and they wouldn¡¯t bother with petty things like gold coins. There were lots of it, but there was only one Elena. After telling this to her, she couldn¡¯t help but accept their choice. Noticing the gentle smile on Elena¡¯s face as she kept looking at her armor, Audrey stopped behind her and coiled her arms around her friend. Placing her chin on Elena¡¯s shoulder, she said, ¡°What¡¯s up? Did you fall in love with us?¡± ¡°Haha, I did. Thanks¡­¡± she replied, showing her white teeth, brushing her hand through her black hair. Smiling back at her, Audrey let go of her and stepped back, only to notice Jake¡¯s burning gaze. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah! Nothing¡­¡± he replied, almost stuttering in his surprise. ¡°Suspicious.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± he scratched the back of his head. ¡°I told you that I¡¯m not lesbian. I didn¡¯t know that you were such a pervert, always looking for something strange to happen,¡± she replied, throwing her red hair over her shoulders. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think of such a thing! I was just-¡± ¡°Listen, just because I¡¯m quite old and didn¡¯t have a relationship, it doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m dense. I¡¯m sensitive to lustful looks and I know what a male thinks just from a look¡­ You should cover it up better,¡± she interrupted Jake, waving her finger. ¡°I¡¯ll reflect on my actions¡­¡± he muttered, his head hung. ¡°You are like his mom,¡± Elena said with a chuckle, freezing Audrey on the spot. ¡°Could you repeat it again?¡± she asked, showing a dreadful smile on her face. ¡°I said that you are the perfect wife material. You are young, and beautiful, and clever, and¡­ voluptuous!¡± Elena ¡®repeated¡¯ her words, smiling all the time. ¡°I don¡¯t think that the last was necessary¡­ Haah- but it¡¯s true that I¡¯m old. I guess I wasted my life in my room, all because of something in the past. It¡¯s strange how one thing can change your whole life. But I met you thanks to the same thing and now I¡¯m here! Who knows? It is possible that I¡¯d have died long before your birth if I lived a normal life,¡± Audrey sighed as she slightly hung her head. ¡°How old are you, again?¡± Elena asked, sitting down on the side of the bed, looking out the window. ¡°I will be forty-four years old this September, taking that this planet has the same Months and days. But that¡¯s definitely not the case, even if one day is twenty-four hours. We should really visit that library, let¡¯s go there,¡± Audrey admitted her age, not bothering with Jake. If he really loved her, he wouldn¡¯t care about such a thing. ¡°Huh? You are one year older than me!? Hehe~ but your body is another case,¡± Jake remarked, making a fantasizing face. Audrey shook her head and chuckled upon seeing the stupid face he made. ¡°I¡¯ll take your words as a compliment.¡± ¡°They were,¡± he said with a serious face, surprising her. ¡°When you finished flirting, we could go and do our thing too,¡± Elena interrupted the heating mood. ¡°You know, it is broad daylight and we are in the room too. You can do anything when we aren¡¯t but¡­¡± ¡°Damn you, Elena,¡± both of them said at the same time, for different reasons. Jake was unhappy with her interruption, while Audrey disliked what she referred to. ¡°You will make a great couple nonetheless,¡± Elena shook her head, chuckling. Standing up, she made her way towards the door, Dred in her shadow. Opening the door slightly, she turned around and smirked, ¡°Will you come?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ---- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 14.3 - The piles are growing After questioning the Innkeeper, they learned that there was a library in the city, though it was quite pricey since it contained Magical Spells, Skill Books, and such things. Of course, it was divided into sections so unless they were looking for spells, they had a good chance at getting off with a cheap price. The library was in the middle of the city, showing the owner¡¯s wealth and glory. But in fact, the owner was none other than Rhoderick, the greedy merchant. Or so they had heard. Without looking up, Elena kept dodging the people coming her way as she counted the coins in her hands. ¡°It¡¯s getting quite busy here. Carriages everywhere, youngsters with guards behind them. I guess this must be a place for the rich,¡± Jake said in a low voice. Turning around, Elena placed fifty gold coins and a few silver coins in his hand. A smile formed on her face as she said, ¡°That¡¯s definitely the case. Take this. We have two hundred gold coins plus a few more and five gold coins worth of silver coins. Although we don¡¯t have bronze coins, it isn¡¯t necessary since our lodging in Woodland Inn costs silver coins anyway.¡± After looking around carefully, a tiny black hole appeared in front of Jake. Sticking his hand into it, the coins disappeared when he pulled out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m a fabulous illusionist!¡± he chuckled, sticking out his chest. Laughing at his one-man play, Audrey said, ¡°You are, but try not to show off your skills in such a crowded place. Also, we have arrived,¡± she tapped Elena¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°I know,¡± she mumbled, looking up at the white and circular building. It had a large and expansive dome shaped roof, with vertical grooves in it. Under the roof was an open hall and people could look inside from the streets. There were long shelves of books, but a tiny layer of barely visible Magical Wall was separating it from the outside world. Long pillars held up the roof, made from the same kind of white stone as the rest of the building. There were carvings covering each pillar, showing one person in different stances. Her hand on her chin, Elena muttered,¡°That¡¯s interesting. It must be some kind of Martial Art, but we should get our hands on the full list of moves if we wanted to do something with it. Unless it¡¯s as simple as those twelve stances but is hard to understand.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, my movements are really simple and shitty¡­ I should learn to use my dagger. Jake knows the most among us when it comes to a fight of skills, which is surprising.¡± ¡°What? Why would that be surprising? I wasn¡¯t a soldier for nothing. Although the only old-style weapons we used were knives, the knowledge I have of them will definitely help me understand how to utilize my Uchigatana. I could teach you, girls, if you want to become better. I am definitely not a master, but I know more than you,¡± Jake said with a serious face, offering his services. ¡°We will do so in the near future, but I have a bad feeling. It might have to wait,¡± she replied, brushing her black hair to the side. ¡°Why so?¡± Audrey tilted her head to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just have a bad feeling for some reason. My instincts are sharp. I¡¯m not a simple creature like humans. Let¡¯s hurry up before something bad happens,¡± Elena answered, picking up her pace. There was a huge doorway connecting the library to the streets. On its two sides were two statues, portraying the same person as the twelve pillars. It was a person wearing seemingly fine clothes, a high-end sword in his hands. Not caring about such things, Elena just walked through the doorway. She noticed an old man sitting on her left, reading a book. ¡°Good afternoon. I¡¯m new in the city, so can I ask you where and how can I get my hands on some history books?¡± she asked, stopping in front of the desk. Taking his legs off the table, the old man furrowed his brows as he looked at the new faces. Clearing his throat, he leaned back as he said, ¡°Welcome to Atelon¡¯s Archive. The scrolls you are looking for are on the ground floor. Since there is nothing important on this level, it will cost only twenty bronze coins per person per hour. Knowledge is still worth money, after all,¡± he winked at the group. ¡°I agree with you on that,¡± Elena replied, giving him one silver coin. It¡¯s really handy that not even this monster can sense Dred, she thought, looking at his level, which was above three hundred. ¡°The shelves are organized alphabetically. Look for H as History of Atelon. It is what you are looking for,¡± he said when they started walking, realizing that he almost forgot to point them towards the right way. ¡°I¡¯ll count those minutes, so don¡¯t overstay your welcome,¡± he warned. ¡°Thanks,¡± Elena said without turning around. Thanks to his guiding, all it took was one minute to get to the scroll. Unrolling it, her shadows crept up and covered the scroll. Knowledge about the kingdom entered her mind. As she finished, she opened her eyes to look around, only to see Audrey and Jake copying her. Although they were a few seconds slower, they too read everything. ¡°Now, this clarifies what¡¯s going on here,¡± Elena said with a smile on her face. ¡°Since we have the time, why not going through everything? Everyone is going to the upper floors anyway. I wonder what kind of spells are on those floors,¡± Audrey made a mischievous face and rubbed her palms together. ¡°I like the way you think.¡± After going through hundreds of scrolls, they felt their heads starting to hurt. There were twenty-two minutes left from their time, but they couldn¡¯t go on this way. It was too much information in a short amount of time. Even if their brains were way better than simple humans¡¯, it was impossible to process.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. They learned that this kingdom was called Atelon, which is the name of the current king too. This was an old kingdom with a long history, but that didn¡¯t really matter to Elena or her plans. The only thing that mattered that this new king was at the four-hundred and thirty-sixth level, which was the highest in this kingdom. The only problem was that he got drunk on his power and started abusing it more and more as time passed by. He made rules which made it possible for him to legally take anything from anyone. Elena almost laughed when she read such a thing since it made no sense to her. Worst off was that nobody was strong enough to fight him, so he continued his rule up to this day, renaming the libraries, schools, and everything that was a commonplace. She also learned that there was a Magical School in the capital, which focused on leading the new generation of talented children. Only the best of the best had a chance to enter the school where they could freely learn powerful spells and techniques. There were both Physical and Magical classes, preparing every student to any environment they could meet. Most of the nobles resided in the capital, along with the best craftsmen, masters, and teachers. People had Epic ranked weapons and armors, while some of them managed to get their hands on a few pieces of Legendary equipment. Even the Magical School was renamed to Atelon¡¯s Academy two years ago. Rolling up the last scroll she had read, Elena rested her forehead on the table, while the others leaned on it. Closing her eyes, she thought, So the City Lord probably wants to rebel against the king. Gautama was probably Atelon¡¯s spy, along with those two black clothed people, who died. Based on what Jake told me, Hoa seems to have no place in the picture, but we don¡¯t know enough about her. Supposedly, she was just an employee and her master was none other than the vice-captain of the guards, Sally Felicita. I assume that the gang should be some kind of secret force, considering that the guards don¡¯t attack them. If that¡¯s the case, the City Lord sacrificed a few of the common people and their money for a greater good, which could be counted as a good deed, based on how I look at it. I guess if they robbed the powerful nobles, it would have been too obvious. In this country, there are five huge cities, all ranked based on their most powerful members. These ranking matches are held every five years. So Gautama has been here for such a long time yet he found out what was the City Lord planning only now. There is another vice-captain and there is also the guard captain, whom I¡¯ve never seen or met before. Sally is the only well-known captain, at least, that¡¯s the case for us what? But considering how the guards revered her, I¡¯m quite sure that such has been the case in the last few years if not for even longer. Anyone who manages to get into the Magical School will have a bright future unless the other ¡®geniuses¡¯ crush them. They have a high standing in this society since all of them get a noble rank to their school badge again, what?. The better they are, the higher they get. The king keeps them close to his feet by petty rewards, he steals from other people with his retarded rule. Of course, he would force himself on women too since why not¡­ I imagine that place as something I should eradicate by all means, along with the shitty geniuses. Well, I shouldn¡¯t make assumptions, I¡¯ll try to meet a few of them to see how they behave. But I ain¡¯t gonna enter that place as a student. I don¡¯t need schools. Although the idea of learning martial arts is good, I¡¯d rather find a normal person. I have a feeling that even the teachers think highly of themselves. I hope that I¡¯m off, but based on what I¡¯ve experienced when greed, money, glory, and humans were combined¡­ I wouldn¡¯t bet my neck on the opposite of my thoughts. Strange, I wanted to destroy this city originally, but it might be the only place I¡¯ll leave intact in this shithole. I hope that I¡¯m right. It will come with a few casualties, but I¡¯ll have to get to the top-dog of these gangs to find out the exact truth. These scrolls could have been modified or replaced for all I know. In case I find my points correct, I¡¯ll destroy that king and help these people. If I was wrong, I¡¯ll have to rethink my course of actions. Not to mention that I don¡¯t even know what the City Lord looks like, what¡¯s his name, what kind of person he is, and such. I shouldn¡¯t let a similar person get on the throne in such a kingdom or my efforts would turn pointless. Haha, my original mission was to simply devour everything. But not even the ancestor can control me! I know that there are many bad things in the world, but I¡¯ve found good things too. It would be bad to devour all of those. Such was my decision and I¡¯ll keep it as long as I see fit. If the ancestor disagrees with it, it will come down and do whatever it wants. Can you hear me?! Meh, it won¡¯t answer so early in my life. I have to get stronger, it seems. Anyway, it¡¯s good that I¡¯ve read those history books on Kriton. They help me a lot in connecting the dots, though maybe I shouldn¡¯t have read those erotic things¡­ damn it, they polluted my mind. B-But I shouldn¡¯t let any man touch me. I¡¯m still interested¡­ ARGH! I should just abandon my human body and look for something less perverted. I was too young to read such things and this is all Audrey¡¯s fault. Why did she have such books in her room?! I¡¯ll question her when we will be alone. She should reflect on her actions. ¡°ena¡± ¡°lena¡± ¡°Elena!¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± she raised her head from the desk, hearing Audrey repeating her name. ¡°Finally. You passed out. Even after shaking you, you didn¡¯t move or respond. You really scared me. You shouldn¡¯t have read this last scroll. What was it about?¡± Audrey asked, holding Elena¡¯s forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have such things as fevers. My body looks like humans¡¯ only on the outside and now yours is the same. By the way, the last scroll contained information about the Magical School, its location, its tutoring system and such. It was helpful, so I don¡¯t mind this short pass-out for such a good thing. But we should really go now. That bad feeling is getting stronger in me. The shadows are restless. They protect me and they want to tell me that something bad is coming for me,¡± Elena whispered in a low voice as she stood up and made her way towards the exit. Audrey stood up with a dumbfounded face and followed her as she mumbled, ¡°I never knew that she had such an ability.¡± ¡°Maybe because she never needed it before,¡± Dred commented on her words, going back into Elena¡¯s shadow. Thinking back, she realized that his words were indeed true. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the city for now. I think that we shouldn¡¯t stay here any longer. We will visit Clementine at night,¡± Elena commanded, rushing towards the gate through the alleyway, as soon as she left the library, surprising the librarian. It¡¯s beginning. I have no place at either side. I don¡¯t want to partake the side of an evildoer, such as Atelon, and I definitely can¡¯t join this side either. Not in public. I¡¯ll lead them from behind. That¡¯s what my kind is the best at. It was way too boring nowadays anyway. I¡¯ll show them the capabilities of my evil race. The Devourer! She thought with excitement, a grin splattered on her face. ¡°Your bloodlust is so strong that you are panting¡­¡± Audrey remarked as she too transformed into her shadow form. Straightening up her back, Elena shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I''m a bit of a hypocrite, haha." "...." ---------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 14.4 - The piles are growing When Sally heard the news about the walking corpses, she left the guard post and started killing them. Thanks to the huge difference in levels, she had no problems finishing the zombies. Thanks to doing everything carefully, there were no casualties other than the zombies, only a few broken arms or legs at most. She was glad to see such a result since such wounds could be healed easily. She knew about the City Lord and his plans and she was one of the key figures, while the other vice-captain and the real captain were doing dangerous missions in the capital city. They were playing along with the king, behaving like obedient dogs. She felt sad every time she thought of them. She knew that they had to kill innocent people if it was necessary, just for the greater good. She didn¡¯t have the willpower to do such a thing, so she stayed in the city to manage control. The where-being of the City Lord was something even she didn¡¯t know most of the time. When she finished cleaning up the corpses, she made her way towards the gate. Saluting, the guards stepped to the side and let her go towards the ID card room. Stopping in front of the guard, she said, ¡°Step back. I need to check who made new ID cards in these last few weeks. All these things started not long ago, so it must be connected with the appearance of somebody. Did you see anyone suspicious?¡± ¡°No, captain,¡± the guard replied, standing next to the wall. Although most people didn¡¯t know it, the crystal ball stored the dates when new ID cards were made. ¡°I hope that they registered or we will be in for a good show,¡± she muttered as she put her hands on the crystal. Closing her eyes, she channeled her Mana into it. Dates started pouring into her head, along with the basic information each person¡¯s ID card had. Opening her eyes, she stepped back and swung her arm in an arc. A blue blade of Mana flew out of her arm and crashed into the wall. Six ID cards appeared, containing each person¡¯s name. ¡°These people came not long before these crazy events started. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡°Elena, Audrey Frost, Jake Hughes. I know those three, but they should be fine. The other three are¡­ Derrel Shawk! He was the person who tried to use Mind Control on Jake. And the rest is Victoria and Albert Gurwen. Gurwen¡­ why is that name so familiar?¡± she pondered, furrowing her brows. Stomping on the ground, she snapped her fingers as she said, ¡°Ah! That¡¯s the name of a noble family in the capital city! What were they good at again? You, go and look for the Gurwen family in the library. There should be something noted related to them.¡± Hearing her command, the guard saluted and ran off with full speed. He came back running with the same speed, fifteen minutes later. ¡°Haah- they are haah- experts in assassination techniques!¡± the guard told her, breathing heavily. ¡°Assassination, spying, those two things walk hand in hand! Could it be?¡± she talked to herself, continuing in her mind, are they spies? I must notify the City Lord somehow. But before she could think any further, two guards came rushing in, panting heavily. ¡°Captain! The mansion of Lord Gautama was¡­ set on fire!¡± Hearing his words, Sally punched the wall, leaving a huge hole in it. ¡°Shit keeps happening! When will it come to an end?!¡± She left the gates with loud stomps and made her way to Gautama¡¯s mansion. She soon learned that a man noticed the burning building and extinguished the fire. She also learned that all that was left were ID cards. Seeing three names she didn¡¯t expect, her eyes almost popped out since they were none other than Gautama, Albert Gurwen, and Victoria Gurwen. The Gurwen family had great concealing skills and spells, which made them look weak. But everyone in the capital knew of the fearsome twins¡¯ prowess. Elena didn¡¯t know how lucky she was that she arrived late.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. If somebody managed to kill three such powerful people, that person must have been above the four-hundredth level. Those are only the City Lords, which means that Bethor, the City Lord, learned about them. Damn it! This bastard was a spy all along and I never noticed it?! I¡¯m really not cut out for these schemes. And here I believed that he was a nice person. My father always told me that I was too naive¡­ I should reconcile with him. He told me that my husband was a bad person too¡­ yet I didn¡¯t believe him. But I won¡¯t make that mistake again! Let¡¯s think, what am I missing here? Who is making this mess? Not even one guard noticed that person, even though he or she kept killing gang members. The only clue we have is a black tail. They also came at the right time¡­ but they took an oath! That can¡¯t be! Ah, and now I have to worry about Hoa too. I don¡¯t even know what is Hoa¡¯s true Job. I mean, he wanted her by all means as a bodyguard, but for what reason? With his strength, it makes no sense¡­ Where did she go? What¡¯s going on!? Let¡¯s assume that I¡¯m Gautama. Why would I need Hoa? Definitely not to protect me. She would be close to me, and keeping secrets would be harder too. Then what good do I get from her? Could it be¡­ that he wanted to use her as a hostage?! A hostage against me! Damn it, I¡¯ve just realized something! Jake, Elena, and Audrey made an oath, stating that they didn¡¯t kill anyone in the city. I know that it¡¯s impossible to find people who never killed anyone, but they never said that they didn¡¯t kill any of the gang members and such. As long as they knocked out people and killed them outside¡­ could it be that Elena¡¯s panther was carrying the corpses back to leave traces? And while we started focusing on such things, Gautama finally found out what¡¯s going on here. But he was killed by Bethor, so he can¡¯t spill the beans now. We aren¡¯t ready for a war with the capital yet. Jake, Elena, Audrey, all of them were very powerful and talented. Could it be that they were from the Magical School? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised by that. I finally realized who is the origin of this mess! They were leading me around by my nose all this time! Jake collected information about the guards, while Elena and Audrey drew our attention. Gautama found out the truth thanks to their little scheme, but before he could leave¡­ his plan failed. But Hoa doesn¡¯t know anything and Gautama probably sent her off to tell the king that Bethor wants to rebel! And who knows where Elena and the others are?! I must find them! Connecting the dots in her own way, she felt both enraged and sad over her lack of capabilities. She thought that she should have seen through these tricks long ago, but she had been focusing on training all her life and missed the chance to learn about such things. Although she didn¡¯t notice that if such a thing was to happen again, she would be likely to notice everything sooner, which was thanks to Elena. She unconsciously helped Sally overcome one of her weak points, at the cost of earning her hate and wrath. But that was the kind of fate Devourers had. Unless the person in question is better than the ones before her. ¡°Issue a search for Elena, Audrey Frost, Jake Hughes, and Dred. Elena has long, black hair-¡± she started describing their looks and commanded every guard, even those who weren¡¯t on their shift, to spread her words and find her targets. She was about to go on her way when she felt a familiar presence rushing towards her. It was none other than Hoa. ¡°Master! You are alright!¡± she shouted, hugging her. ¡°Hoa! You aren¡¯t hurt, are you? Alright, you look good,¡± she laughed happily, touching her body all over the place, her hands stopping on her face. Hugging her one last time, she asked what happened. ¡°The City Lord, Bethor, broke into Lord Gautama¡¯s house and killed him, along with his guests. I know that I didn¡¯t see him in the last few years, but I still remember his face. It was him. Then Lord Gautama told me that he will go and kill everyone if I don¡¯t go to the capital and tell the king that he is planning to rebel! But I felt too worried for Master and I turned around. We should leave this city as quickly as-¡± Interrupting Hoa, Sally decided to not hold back their plans and briefly told her. Upon hearing her master¡¯s words, she saw everything in a new light. ¡°Let¡¯s find those evildoers! Elena, right?¡± she asked with a smirk on her face, cracking her fingers. ---- Everyone was fighting for something they believed to be the truth. But who will get out on the top? A little group? A whole city? A kingdom? It was something only the future knew. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 15.1 - The Blood is Flowing (Has 18+) The Blood is Flowing Sally and Hoa started looking for Elena and her friends. Woodland Inn was the first place they checked, but they had to leave with disappointment since they weren¡¯t in their rooms. After asking the innkeeper, she told them that they were talking about the library when they left. Sally and Hoa ran as quickly as possible to reach the library, not caring about how inelegant they were. But even after reaching their destination, they were sad to hear the librarian saying that they left not too long ago. Hearing the news, Sally left the library with loud stomps, gritting her teeth. She knew that her targets were very quick and good at hiding. ¡°Damn it!¡± Sally stomped on the ground, startling Hoa. Clenching her fists, she continued, ¡°If only I realized things earlier! Let¡¯s go. They surely left the city by now. We should start searching the forests. They might have stopped somewhere to take a rest.¡± Raising her right hand to her chest, Hoa pointed out a problem, ¡°But Master. If they were able to hide their presences even from you, it means that we have no chance to find them. They will sense us before we could catch them, and considering how quick they are, I don¡¯t think that we can catch them.¡± Raising a brow, Sally asked, ¡°Your point is?¡± Hoa¡¯s yellow eyes darted around as she stuttered her first words. ¡°Ehm¡­ M-Master knows that I¡¯m not the kind of person to give up, but I find it pointless to chase them in this case. We should rather focus on preparing for what is to come. It might be a part of their plan to draw us out of the city so that other forces could get in. In my opinion, it would be a wrong choice to chase that group.¡± Sally kept looking at her with a serious face, staying silent. ¡°Master?¡± Hoa looked at her with upturned eyes, waiting for a scolding. She knew that her Master hated cowards and those who gave up. A smile formed on Sally¡¯s face as she raised her hand to pat Hoa¡¯s head. ¡°You are right. Maybe I was wrong all this time. I saw many people giving up many things through their lives, but maybe I misunderstood them. They gave up to chase something bigger and better. I could stay stubborn and chase Jake, Elena and the rest of those bastards, which could result in a catastrophic event. I mean, imagine if a group really raided the city while I was gone?¡± ¡°In that case, it¡¯s definitely better if I stay here and prepare as much as possible, tighten the security, eradicate possible spies, and support others. I stubbornly kept saying not to give up, but it is better to give up in a few cases. It might be the case this time too. You are better when it comes to scheming and politics¡­ so I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hoa exclaimed with a bright smile on her face, hugging Sally. ¡°I always found Master too stubborn. I¡¯m glad to see you finally realize your mis-¡± her sudden revelation faded into the air as she realized what she was about to say. Feeling Sally¡¯s arms tightening around her back, she turned mute in the middle of her sentence. ¡°What? Could you repeat it? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly,¡± Sally showed a creepy smile on her face, gripping Hoa¡¯s right arm. Turning her head to the side, she mumbled, ¡°N-Nothing, Master. I apologize!¡± Shrugging her off, Sally turned around and made her way towards the main guard post, her brain storming with ideas of strengthening the defence in the city. Seeing her thinking so hard, a smile formed on Hoa¡¯s face as she ran after her. --- Elena and her friends left the city in a hurry, not bothering with their store or anything of the sort. They had armors, weapons, some spare money and their lives. Thanks to their Shadow Step, the twenty meters tall walls weren¡¯t a problem. Without anyone noticing them, they easily left the city behind and went towards the thick forest. Seeing that the monsters¡¯ levels were reaching a hundred and seventy, they stopped. Dark brown colored trees filled the forest, which created a thick canopy over the group, combined with the tall bushes. There was a huge lake in front of them, an opening to a cavern on the other side, and a small clearing on their left. The lake was about three hundred meters wide and two hundred and eighty meters long. The area was quite silent, thanks to a powerful monster which resided in the cavern. Dred ran ahead and entered the cavern. Only the wailing of a beast could be heard for a few seconds before the voice faded into nothingness. ¡°This place is beautiful,¡± a smile formed on Elena¡¯s face as she put her hands together. ¡°But not as much as you,¡± Audrey said with a chuckle, slapping her back. ¡°Ugh¡­ you devil. It¡¯s good that I barely felt anything from it. This armor is indeed great,¡± she shrugged Audrey¡¯s slap off as if it was nothing, even though she used quite a lot of strength. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you protected. It was worth the money, after all,¡± Jake said with a chuckle, going after Dred. ¡°Don¡¯t go after him. Let¡¯s share the work. We need wood to make a cottage, we need meat to eat, and we should explore the nearby areas. Audrey, you will stay here and use your great Senses. If they won¡¯t follow us, we can stay here for the time being. If they will try to catch us, we will have to leave¡­¡± Elena stopped him and divided the things they had to do. Turning around, Jake raised a brow, ¡°But isn¡¯t it pointless? I mean, if they will come after us and we will have to run, it¡¯s meaningless to make a lodging.¡± ¡°It might be pointless, but it¡¯s better than sitting in one place, doing nothing. I left my bacteria at a few places in the forest. If they were to come nearby, I¡¯ll notice them and we can leave without any trouble,¡± she replied, feeling confident. ¡°Then why did you ask me to stay here and use my senses¡­?¡± Audrey interrupted her boasting, realizing that she got a useless role. ¡°Well¡­ you can come with me or Jake too if you wish. I¡¯ll go and cut out a few trees. Dred will explore the area and you two can hunt for food. Now go,¡± she repeated her commands, this time giving a clear role for everyone. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll take care of the food. They are two, so they can cover a larger area,¡± Dred came out naked from the cavern, using his demon form. ¡°Damn it! Dred! Wear some clothes if you change form!¡± Elena shouted at him, her face slightly red. Audrey couldn¡¯t help but turn away silently.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°You bastard! You keep showing off!¡± Jake shouted at him, seeing the girls¡¯ reactions. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I had no such intentions. I¡¯m just not used to it, so I forgot about it. I¡¯ll make sure to remember it, I swear,¡± Dred apologized as his shadows crept up on his body, covering it up to his neck. Audrey and Elena sighed out of relief, which reason of was unknown, even to them. ¡°Hmph, poser,¡± Jake grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest, looking towards the lush forest. ¡°You are cute,¡± Audrey giggled as she grabbed his hand and pulled on it. ¡°I¡¯m not cute¡­¡± he growled, following behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t you go and tear our food into pieces. We won¡¯t be able to eat it that way,¡± Elena remarked as she left Dred alone. ¡°I know¡­ but I can¡¯t kill cleanly in my monster form,¡± he replied as he left the place. His words were only barely audible whisperings in Elena¡¯s ears by the time he finished speaking. The wind was blowing against her face and her black hair fluttered behind her as she was running through the forest. Using Nature Magic, she made the bushes open up in front of her. Finding a good spot, she stopped. The trees looked quite old yet strong. They were perfect for her plans. With the help of Wind Blades, she easily cut out a few trees. She started slicing them into logs when she felt something rushing towards her. Turning around with her dagger in her hand, she welcomed the daring guest. She saw some kind of tiny creature, which was only around forty centimeters tall. It had green hair, eyes, and skin, mixed with some pink at a few spots. A strange flower was growing on the top of its head, which looked like its hair. She used Inspect on it, right before her dagger sliced through its neck, beheading the creature. She quickly devoured it and sat on the ground, covering her nose.
Name: Dryond Race: Dryond
Level: 153 Threat Level: 0
Thanks to visiting the library, she learned about the monsters residing in this kingdom. She knew that this creature was a subspecies of Dryads. They were dead silent in the forests and always ambushed people. The flower on the top of their head was a dangerous weapon since it contained a kind of dust, which had aphrodisiacal effects. In the middle of the fight, losing one¡¯s mind was very dangerous. When she cut off its head, the flower released its spores, covering Elena. She was a little too late to stop breathing and inhaled some of it. Waving her hand, strong winds blew away the spore cloud. Sighing out of relief, she stood up. ¡°Fuck this shitty creature. Now I¡¯ll have to go on like this,¡± she grumbled, feeling a slight tingling in her lower half. Ignoring it, she continued to slice the trunks into logs. (AN:\ The part in the spoiler has no relation to the story. It¡¯s just for self-enjoyment and for those who like it. Ignore it if you don¡¯t like erotic scenes/parts) Spoiler: ¡±18+ scene¡± She sliced one tree after the other, but her tingling pussy continued to bother her. ¡°ARGH! I¡¯ve had enough of this!¡± she stomped on the ground, making long cracks appear in it. I might be able to ignore it now, but I don¡¯t want to go back to the others in this state. Who the hell decided that it would be fun to give my race sensual feelings? Well, I¡¯m supposed to devour but¡­ Though, what can I say? Dred¡¯s body looked nice. NO! What am I thinking about! Damned aphrodisiac. He just had to appear naked right before this happened. I¡¯ll have to find some kind of immunity to these things in the future. Ah~ I think that I¡¯m wet, she rubbed her slender thighs together. Looking down, she slowly sneaked her right hand into her tight-fitting leather leggings, and got into her lacy, black panties. ¡°Ahn,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but give out a muffled sound as the tip of her pointing finger touched her clitoris. ¡°I-It¡¯s been a long time ago that I did it¡­. Ah, who am I lying to?¡± she talked to herself. Breathing heavily, she looked into her panties. Her legs stiff, she stood in place as she moved her hand towards her private place. She felt a slightly sticky liquid covering her hand. She felt the lines of her labia. As her fingers circled around their edges, a shudder ran through her back. Using her pointing finger and her ring finger, she spread her labia and pushed her middle finger into her hole. It felt hot and sticky inside. Her folds coiled around the tip of her middle finger. ¡°Mhh-¡± she moaned as she started rubbing her own insides. Her folds continued to move with each of her movements, covering her fingers in even more liquid. She never noticed how her hips started ringing back and forth. Her eyes hazy, her legs slightly weak in the knees, she decided to stop for a moment and find something to lean on. Stopping beside a thick tree trunk, she rested her back on it. Closing her eyes, she grabbed her own breasts and slowly moved her hands downward. She felt her slender waist, her wider hips, her round thighs. Pulling her hand back up, she entered into her panties for the second time. As her left hand touched her private place, it got covered in her fluids. Moving her right hand, she inserted three fingers into herself, making sure not to go too deep. Her pussy gave out squelching sounds as her fingers moved inside it. Feeling that even the top of her hands and her panties were soaking wet, she got even more excited. ¡°Haah- this feels so good,¡± she whispered in a low voice, falling to her knees, her back still leaning on the tree. Spreading her legs, even more, she got as deeply into her pussy as she could. Feeling her middle finger hitting something, she hurried to pull it back. I don¡¯t want to tear my hymen, I¡¯ve got to be more careful¡­ she thought, focusing only on the outer parts. Leaning forward, she rested her chest and her head on the ground. Not bothering with the leaves that got stuck in her hair, she continued to pleasure herself. ¡°Ah, this is in the way,¡± she muttered, pulling off her leggings. As her fingers excited her insides and her clitoris, she felt something building up in her. Turning on her back, she rested her head on a log. Pulling up her top, she saw her erect nipples. ¡°Haah- I want to touch them too, but then my clitoris¡­¡± she debated with herself, knowing that she doesn¡¯t have a third hand. Coming to a decision, she pulled out her left hand from her panties and traced it up to her breasts. She circled her pointing finger around her pink colored nipples before pinching the left one. She felt how hard it was. A strong feeling of pleasure rushed through her body, increasing the pent up feeling in her body. Her eyes hazy, she continued to rub her nipples and her pussy. ¡°Haah- this feels great. I- I want more,¡± she mumbled as she turned on her left side and pulled her body into a ball. Her pussy gave out squelching sounds each time her right hand in her panties moved. ¡°Ahh¡­ it would be nice to have a strong male organ,¡± she mumbled, feeling slightly lost. ¡°Dred seemed to have¡­ Ahh~ No¡­ I mustn¡¯t! Oh, but it would be fun to dominate him. Haah- I want him to kneel in front of me and eat me up. I want to sit on his face. His demon form is really handsome. Haah- Dred~ I¡¯ll make you serve me!¡± she exclaimed, reaching her limit at the same time. Her pent up emotions broke out of her body, covering her right hand and panties. Her toes rolled into balls in her boots, and her muscles turned stiff. Moaning loudly, she came. Turning back on her back, panting heavily, she looked towards the blue sky through the holes in the foliage. Pulling out her right hand, a long line of liquid connected her pussy and her fingers. Flicking her hands, her fluids shot towards the grass covered ground. ¡°Ah~ This felt great. But¡­ what the hell was I talking about? This aphrodisiac is strange. I¡¯ll have to look for immunity. Dred is like my brother, I can¡¯t think of those kinds of things for fuck¡¯s sake. Geh, let¡¯s clean up,¡± she jumped up from the ground. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m a mess,¡± she mumbled as she realized the problem at hand. ¡°Let¡¯s use water,¡± she talked to herself. She used Water Magic to clean her slopping wet private parts. With a combination of the fire and the wind element, she blew warm air towards her private parts, drying them. Pulling down her top and up her leggings, she used the same method to dry them. ¡°God, my nipples are still protruding a bit, even through this thick leather¡­¡± gently slapping her face with her hands, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s calm down. Composure, composure! Haah- okay. I think that now it¡¯s better. I¡¯ll eradicate these stupid creatures¡­ they have no place in the Universe! Why would they cause troubles for me?¡± Grumbling loudly, cleaned up her scent in the area by using Fire Magic. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 15.2 - The Blood is Flowing It didn¡¯t take long for her to be done with it. Instead of running back and forth, she made a sleigh out of thick sticks and fastened them with vines. Poking it with her hand, she knew that it was bad, but she believed that it would be enough to do her bidding. Placing the logs on it, she ran back and forth between their place. After six turns, she managed to carry over every log. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she looked at the plain on the right side of the lake, looked at from the cave¡¯s side. ¡°How should I do it? I¡¯ve never built a house before¡­ I guess I should make some kind of foundation at first,¡± she mumbled. Stomping on the ground, a three square meters thick block of earth raised out of the ground. Hot flames shot out of her palms and turned the ground into a block of lava. Seeing that it was about to fall apart, she poured cold water on it. But she was still too late. The result of her work was a wide, flat, and black patch of rock Thick mist covered the area, thanks to the sudden evaporation of a high amount of water. ¡°Great, now I can¡¯t see anything from this place,¡± she grumbled, waving her hand. A strong gust of wind blew the mist away, still making her hair and leather armor wet on the outside. ¡°You condensed at the wrong place!¡± she waved her hand, using Water Magic to control the water drops and remove them from her hair. Stretching her arms, she talked to herself in the silent forest, ¡°Hmmh~ Let¡¯s try it again. I won¡¯t clear what I screwed up. I¡¯ll just reuse it!¡± she waved her hand, shooting numerous fireballs at the black rock. After a repeating her movements ten times, the surface broke and the hot lava flooded out. ¡°Awawaawaaa! What am I doing?! I¡¯ll burn down the forest this way!¡± she shouted, seeing a blob of lava shoot out of the mass, landing on a tree. It started sizzling and caught fire in the blink of an eye, covering her mouth, her face white, she quickly shot a huge ball of water towards the tree. Although the fire was extinguished, other trees got on fire, along with the bushes nearby. Smelling burnt tree and leaves, she sighed as she closed her eyes. Clearing her mind, she clapped her hands and summoned a small rain cloud, right above the area that got on fire. The heavy downpour cancelled out the fire in a few seconds since it just barely started. Dred, Jake, and Audrey jumped out from behind a bush at the same time and looked around with worry in their eyes. ¡°What happened? Were you attacked?!¡± Audrey asked, looking for wounds on Elena¡¯s body, touching her body all over the place. ¡°...¡± Damn it, I wanted to lie, but I can¡¯t do it after seeing her being so worried. But¡­ nooo! Everyone will think of me as an idiot! How the hell did I think of using lava in the middle of a forest? I¡¯m so stupid! She thought, staying silent as she kept looking back and forth between her friends and the burnt trees. Raising her hands, Elena started tapping her index fingers against each other, turning her head away. ¡°You see¡­ I was stupid enough to use lava and... ¡° coughing once, she continued, ¡°this is the result,¡± she pointed at the blackened tree trunks, with only a few leaves left on them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Hahaha, you are ridiculous,¡± Audrey laughed at her. Waving her hand, new leaves grew on the trees and their barks returned to their original colors. ¡°Nature Magic is amazing, after all,¡± Elena praised her. ¡°And why were you trying to use lava?¡± she asked, throwing her red hair over her shoulders. ¡°A foundation of our cabin.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t need that kind of big foundation¡­ not to mention that we don¡¯t plan to stay here for that long, do we?¡± Audrey inquired, furrowing her brows. ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then compressed earth is more than enough,¡± Audrey replied, pushing the black rock to the side with an earth wall and made a four square meters block rise out of the ground. It took only a few hours of work with their combined efforts to build a simple cabin with two rooms. Placing a few logs beside each other, Elena fastened them with a few vines to make a door. After fixing a wooden handle to it, she put the door in a polished wooden rail. It required a lot of strength to move the three hundred kilograms heavy door she made, but considering their lack of materials, like iron, they couldn¡¯t afford to be picky. Not to mention, that with their strengths, the weight of the door wasn¡¯t all that heavy. ¡°Do we even need two rooms? I mean, we don¡¯t have another door and we ran out of logs,¡± Jake pointed at the doorway, connecting two rooms, which were separated by a wall, made up of logs. There were only two rooms in the cabin and both of them intended to serve as a place for their beds. They could bath in the lake and cook outside, so everything was simple. Sighing loudly, shaking her head, Elena replied, ¡°Fine. We won¡¯t put a door, but you will sleep in a different bed!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask for more,¡± he jumped in happiness. After Audrey created a Gravity Field around everyone, they started to train their bodies. While they ran in circles around the big lake, Elena started cooking the meat Dred brought. With the help of a few spices they¡¯ve got in the city, she was able to make everything more delicious.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. When Dred smelled the meat in the air, he couldn¡¯t help but stop running. Coiling his right arm around Elena¡¯s neck, he looked into the pot. ¡°How is it going? What will you cook?¡± he asked, licking his lips subconsciously. ¡°The food will be nothing else than the snake meat you brought back, obviously. I also made some side dish to it from this tasty grass, Pastion, we found in the city. It¡¯s really great with meat. I never thought that this green grass could have such a good taste,¡± Elena replied, stirring the contents of the pot. ¡°You smell bad,¡± she complained as her nose caught the smell of his sweat covered body. ¡°Oh, sorry. But I won¡¯t leave before tasting it!¡± Dred moved his finger towards the pot. Elena used the polished staff in her hand to hit Dred¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. We will eat when it is done. Now go and train.¡± ¡°Ah, fine¡­ but you¡¯ve got to cook delicious food in that case!¡± he whispered into her left ear before stepping back. Turning into his panther form, he started running. ¡°Haah- and here I thought that I should stop for a moment and have a taste of it!¡± Jake panted as he ran past Elena. ¡°Hungry men,¡± she chuckled. A few minutes later, she extinguished the fire under the pot and called for the others. Dred used his demon form to taste Elena¡¯s cooking. Gulping down a mouthful of it, he said with a nod of his head, ¡°It was worth waiting for.¡± A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face without her notice. After the others tasted it, they too agreed with Dred, much to Elena¡¯s happiness. Noticing her innocent happiness, Audrey said with a chuckle, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a cute little girl? The person who is supposed to destroy the universe is feeling happy after her friends praised her cooking. Who would believe that?¡± ¡°Why the long face?¡± she asked, noticing Elena¡¯s change of expression. Sighing loudly, she replied, ¡°I know that you didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way, but just because that is the reason of my and Dred¡¯s birth, it doesn¡¯t mean that we are just mindless murderers. I always find it strange how people call many other races monsters, but I have another theory. Everyone is selfish. I¡¯m no different. I have a different text written beside my race, and even though I look the same as humans from the outside, I¡¯m a monster.¡± ¡°What makes us monsters? In my opinion, every intelligent creature is a monster, and every unintelligent creature is an animal. So just like other monsters, I too can feel happy when I see or hear good things and I too can be sad when I see someone close to me die or when I fail at something.¡± ¡°And I forgot to tell you one thing. When I talked with Dred, I decided something important. I won¡¯t destroy every city and universe. Since I¡¯m a selfish monster, I¡¯ll relate people with my own personality. Anybody who is worse than me is a monster that should be eradicated. Who decides it? Me. I made a selfish decision.¡± ¡°An if there are people who betray others to get higher, I¡¯ll kill those people too. If there are more unreliable people in a city than trustworthy, I¡¯ll destroy that city, kingdom, empire, or whatever it is. If it¡¯s the other way around, I¡¯ll leave that place intact.¡± Audrey was left with open mouth upon hearing her sudden outburst. ¡°O-Okay. So, you are saying that you are going to base the life of the universe on the people you meet?¡± she asked for confirmation. Nodding her head, Elena replied with a yes. ¡°Won¡¯t it be a problem that you aren¡¯t doing what you were born for?¡± Jake asked, raising a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It shouldn¡¯t be since the Ancestor hasn''t appeared yet. Do you mind it? It could endanger your life too,¡± Elena asked, circling her finger on the edge of her wooden plate, looking into Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°When I drank your blood, I became your blood servant. Just because you are calling us ¡®familiars¡¯ and ¡®friends¡¯, that won¡¯t change. But to clarify my meaning, both Audrey and I understand that you know this. And you have to live with the fact that we are ¡®yours¡¯. We will always have the same goal as you and Dred.¡± ¡°You know, it¡¯s strange to say this, but I understand how bad this feels. You are no different than the other ¡®monsters¡¯, yet you are still bound to stay alone with Dred, metaphorically. As a normal human, I¡¯d definitely call you evil. Maybe I¡¯d call you a hypocrite too. I mean, you have friends and all the stuff. You are beautiful, you are talented, then why being so ¡®lonely¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s is always strange to see how wretched your beautiful looking life is, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked with a smirk, swallowing the last spoonful of food from his plate. ¡°Haha, is that what you think?¡± Elena asked with a chuckle. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Well, my life is nothing bad, as you said, but it¡¯s still a bit wretched. It will be fun to be the most wanted group in the universe, so enjoy your time,¡± she chuckled. ¡°You turned my small joke into a big talk, huh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that, but whatever. Let¡¯s wash the dishes,¡± Audrey said with a blank face. ¡°Is there a problem with it? You know that I like it better when you are honest with me,¡± Elena asked as she stood up from the wooden table they made before. ¡°No,¡± Audrey smiled back. ¡°However childish Jake might be from time to time, he isn¡¯t an idiot, which I¡¯m happy to see. I agree with him. I also agree with you. Talking things over is better than leaving them piling up. That might be the case why I can trust all of you without any problem. We are a small group, so trust is key. Go and train. I¡¯ll do the dishes. I can slack off a bit.¡± A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face upon hearing Audrey¡¯s words. ¡°Haha, okay.¡± While Dred and Elena were jogging, Jake and Audrey washed four plates with the help of water Magic. Cleaning the last one, Audrey talked, ¡°What do you think about her change of plan? We became her blood servants when she still had her original plans. Now I feel a little confused since I don¡¯t know what to believe. My mind tells me to listen to her, while my blood tells me to just destroy everything.¡± ¡°I know what you are talking about. It¡¯s like our bodies and minds want two different things. But I find her current plan much better, as a human in the past. She surely has the same problem. Since we are ¡®hers¡¯ anyway, let¡¯s help her as much as we can,¡± he replied, drying the last plate with a gust of hot wind. Chuckling, Audrey smiled as she said, ¡°You are right. We¡¯ve got to gather more information to help her if we don¡¯t want to see her killing innocent people. I mean, the guards in the gates didn¡¯t do anything bad either, but it was a must to kill them. If she wants to find out something, she will kill good people too. If we can gather information instead, then she won¡¯t have to do it.¡± ¡°Geh, you are caring so much about her. What will happen to my little heart? What about me?¡± Jake elbowed her. ¡°This,¡± Audrey kissed his face before making her way towards the lake to join Elena and Dred. Touching his face with a blank face, Jake asked, ¡°Why did I get this? Did I do something good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret~¡± Audrey whispered as she turned around for a moment. Looking at Audrey¡¯s swaying hips, Jake grumbled, ¡°Ugh¡­ hot.¡± "Hahaha~" Hearing Audrey¡¯s laughter, he realized that she heard him. ¡°You red haired succubus! You demon!¡± ---------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 15.3 - The Blood is Flowing Under the pressure of Gravity Magic, running was much more tiring than usual. Every step Elena and Dred took felt like a thousand steps. While they were running, Audrey and Jake were testing their new specializations. Jake stopped in front of Audrey and said with a serious face, ¡°Hit me.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± she opened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Like I said, hit me.¡± ¡°Eh? But I was trying to use those spirits. Why do I have to hit you? Are you¡­ into that?¡± she covered her mouth. ¡°...¡± ¡°God, damn. No. What the hell are you thinking? I want to test my Blink ability-¡± he started explaining himself but was interrupted by a slap in the face. Pulling back her hand, Audrey covered her mouth, ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry! But you said that-¡± Raising his hand, rubbing his face, he stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ I just didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d suddenly change your mind, in the middle of my sentence. Did you want to hit me after all?¡± ¡°No, I was just-¡± ¡°Ah, you surely wanted to. I¡¯m really hurt now. How will you make up for it?¡± Jake pressed on, cornering Audrey. ¡°You are taking advantage of me. I didn¡¯t know that you are such a bad guy. But fine. I¡¯ll do something simple,¡± she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Then kiss me. Your lips felt good last time,¡± he said with a smirk on his face. Seeing Audrey¡¯s hand flying towards his head, he leaned back. Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge it completely, he closed his eyes and felt space around him. A black outline of his body extended backwards by one centimeter. With his control over the Void element, he easily escaped her slap. The void was a part of space. Everything was empty yet full. The void was emptiness. Jake got the idea of Void from his emotions when he was a soldier. The emptiness he felt every time a comrade of his died. The void was everywhere, just like how those memories always loomed over his head. He was quite surprised when he realized that he was able to create small voids. After practising it behind Elena¡¯s back, he was able to create bigger and bigger Void Zones. As his ability to create bigger and bigger Void Zones grew, the range of his Blink would increase too. If there were matters at his destination, he could easily replace them with his body. Of course, teleporting into a wall or a mountain would be risky. The void wasn¡¯t a destructive element. It was something similar to Devour. It was able to swallow everything, but unlike Devour, it didn¡¯t destroy anything it swallowed. The void element just stored it. ¡°I was sure that I¡¯d be able to hit you from this close,¡± Audrey muttered as she stomped on the ground. ¡°Hehe, this skill will be a lifesaver in the future. But at the moment, space turns unstable after my blink, thanks to my shitty control over it. It takes three hundred seconds for space to be stable again. If I tried using it before that, I could easily lose a limb. The least would be a finger or an eye,¡± Jake got into explaining his skill with great excitement. He knew that both of them had a common interest in Magic and just experiencing her attention made him feel happy. ¡°That¡¯s a great skill. You know what? I¡¯ll learn it by drinking your blood when I fulfil your wish, but you will have to make me fall for you. I won¡¯t kiss you otherwise,¡± she said with a wink. ¡°And don¡¯t try what you did last time. I was caught off guard. That¡¯s all.¡± Leaning closer, his forehead almost touching hers, he asked, ¡°Is that so?¡± Looking into his eyes without blinking, she said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are getting better at it. It¡¯s Elena¡¯s fault¡­ argh! Now I don¡¯t know where I stand! I thought that I was closer to you!¡± he squatted down, holding the sides of his head. ¡°Haha, who knows. You might be~¡± she hummed. Looking up, Jake muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t push me or I¡¯ll take the lead! You are getting too much into playing around with me:¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have even a single card against me. How could you dominate me?¡± she asked, raising a brow. Sighing loudly, Jake stood up, ¡°You see, this is your problem. I¡¯m trying to build a relationship with you. This isn¡¯t a card game. I don¡¯t want winning and losing sides. I just want to be with you as we are.¡± Turning around, he walked away and sat down under a tree. Closing his eyes, he started meditating. Audrey was left with her eyes opened wide. ¡°Now, that got my heart beating a bit quicker. Stupid,¡± she pouted. Looking at his unmoving posture under the tree, a smile formed on her face without her knowledge. Realizing it, she touched her face. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she mumbled as she tried to pull her face back to its normal position. ¡°... He must have done something to me,¡± she grumbled, sitting down in the same position as Jake, her face flushed. She didn¡¯t notice two pairs of eyes looking at her and Jake. Both Elena and Dred sat down on the other side of the lake to take a rest. They were surprised to see Jake getting so close to her and being as rude as she was, Elena used Ekilsta to spread her bacteria and spy on them. When Elena heard Audrey¡¯s last words, ¡°Hahaha, that was great. She is so cute, don¡¯t you think? She doesn¡¯t even understand what¡¯s happening to her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you should leave them with some privacy?¡± Dred asked, raising his brows, resting his feet in the water. Sitting down beside him, Elena pulled off her boots and tuck up her leggings. ¡°Hiii, it¡¯s a bit cold, but it¡¯s autumn, so it¡¯s no wonder. It will be winter soon, huh. I wonder what snow is like. I know about it only from the books I had read on Kriton. What do you think?¡± she asked, soaking her legs up to her knees in the cold water. ¡°It must look good, but you didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Dred leaned forward and looked into her downcast eyes. ¡°Muh, you move less in your monster form. But fine. I know that it¡¯s bad, but I don¡¯t look at them as if I was seeing something private. I don¡¯t judge them when I do this. It¡¯s just a way of entertainment for me. I like to see how they react, how their emotions and faces change. I know that it¡¯s bad to spy on them, but¡­ that¡¯s what¡¯s helping me in growing. I don¡¯t intend to give up on this, which you might dislike,¡± she confessed how she felt. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t say that I had any problems with it. I just asked why were you doing it. I asked because I was curious, like you,¡± Dred replied. ¡°You damned beast! Why is it always me who has to talk about herself? What about you?¡± Elena leaned on his shoulder and questioned him. ¡°What about me? Nothing you don¡¯t know, I guess. I have the same burdens as you, but I have fewer emotions. It might be because of my race as a Devouring Panther-¡± ¡°Or you just haven¡¯t learned it. But you have to do it because emotions are important factors when it comes to decisions and reactions. You can¡¯t make good plans without taking those into account. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to experience and learn as many of them as possible. I can¡¯t act without them either. I can¡¯t show something I don¡¯t know, can I?¡± Elena interrupted him. ¡°Wise words from a little girl,¡± Dred elbowed her with a chuckle. ¡°Haha, your ass is little, not me,¡± she returned the favour. Standing on all fours, Dred shook his bottom, ¡°What? Look at this. It¡¯s not small! It¡¯s round and big like yours.¡± ¡°Haa? Are you saying that my ass is big?¡± Elena made an offended face. ¡°I don¡¯t know, is it? It looks good, I guess,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± she hummed, resting her head on his shoulder. After staying like that for a few minutes without saying anything, Elena stood up. Holding out her right hand, she helped up Dred as she said ¡°Let¡¯s work hard. We should go towards the capital city. It would be bad to travel if winter hit us. The scrolls stated that winters were really cold and dangerous.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± --- Meanwhile, Audrey¡­ It took a few minutes for her to finally clear her mind. Breathing out long, her eyes closed, she felt those colourful dots in the dark space, all around her body. A few meters further, she saw many dark purple dots, which were Void elements. They were gathering at one place. Opening her eyes, she saw Jake. ¡°...¡± Focusing on the normal elements, she started collecting them. Elena told her earlier that the first two hundred levels were only the foundation of their future power. They were supposed to build the elements into their bodies, but that required a strong vessel. Although she didn¡¯t reach the two-hundredth level, twenty levels weren¡¯t that big of a difference with their powerful bodies. But after pulling a few dots of elementals into her body, she felt filled up. Any more than this and I¡¯d blow up¡­ I better stop, she thought. Collecting a huge amount of Nature Element into one spot, it took the shape of a round ball. Its bottom became longer, making it look like a ghost. Opening her eyes, she saw the same creature in front of her. It was see-through and light green. ¡°Was it a success?¡± she asked the creature. It flew towards her and made a few circles around her body to show its intimacy and happiness. With her specialization, as long as she collected a big amount of an element in one place, it would come to life as a spirit. Inspect.
Allegiance: Audrey Frost Race: Nature Spirit
Level: 168 Class: Nature Magician
¡°Can you understand me, little one?¡± she asked, poking its ethereal body. It flew up and down after hearing her question, to show its agreement. ¡°Then, could you show me what you can do?¡± The spirit flew around her body once more before stopping. Four vines, as thick as Dred¡¯s waist grew out of the ground in front of Audrey. Turning towards Jake, she planned to play a prank, but seeing his serious face and his lack of reaction to the sound the growing vines made, she decided to let him concentrate. ¡°Elena¡­ Although it was late, I noticed your bacteria. Do you think I don¡¯t know what kind of person you are? Hehe, I¡¯ll surprise you this time! Spirit, could you use your vines to tie her up? Don¡¯t hurt her, just tie her up!¡± she commanded the spirit. It spun in the air once before disappearing. Closing her eyes, Audrey felt a mass of Nature Element going towards Elena¡¯s location on the other side of the lake. Just as she stood up and helped up Dred from the shore, four thick vines shot out of the ground and almost coiled around her body. But she reacted quickly enough to jump back with a somersault and evade the vines, leaving her boots on the shore of the lake. Under Audrey¡¯s control, the vines thinned and coiled around her boots. Seeing how they were going towards Audrey, Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°You can¡¯t spy on me since I know your methods!¡± Audrey shouted from the other side of the three hundred meters wide lake. Raising her hand, Elena showed her middle finger. The vines leaned back and then shot Elena¡¯s boots towards her head. Leaning to the side, they hit Dred¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Audrey shouted while Elena started laughing, only to feel the left of the pair hitting the back of her head. ¡°...¡± ¡°Haha, you shouldn¡¯t laugh at other people¡¯s misfortune,¡± Dred said with a chuckle, patting her head. Without saying anything, she picked up her boots and wore them. Seeing her smiling face, Dred turned around and started running. An hour later, both of them stopped. Audrey was still experimenting with the spirits on the other side. She tried creating more types at the same time, but when she created counterparts, both spirits disappeared. She wasn¡¯t able to have both Fire and Water spirits beside her. When she summoned a spirit, her status window showed plus ten percent beside the kind of spirit element she created. ¡°Let¡¯s have a bath. Although my armour is really great since my sweat doesn¡¯t even bother me, I still know that it¡¯s there and I¡¯d rather be clean than dirty,¡± Elena said as she started to take off her armour.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°...¡± ¡°What are you looking at? Jake has his eyes closed and I don¡¯t mind Audrey either and you¡­ oh. I forgot about it, hehe. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore,¡± Elena questioned Dred, only to realize that she was standing stark naked in front of him. ¡°You are like a brother to me anyway, so get on with it!¡± she added. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied. You might think of me as a brother, but this body reacts differently. You¡¯ve got a really nice body¡­ Wait. I shouldn¡¯t stare. But now that I think about it, they wanted me to wear clothes, but now she is asking me to take them off? Their rule makes no sense to me! Dred stormed in his mind. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Elena asked as she turned around, the water reaching her thighs. As she was walking backwards, the water slowly reached her crotch, her stomach, her chest, her neck. Shudders ran through her body each time the cold water touched sensitive spots. ¡°Haah- it¡¯s good that I can use Fire Magic. This water would be way too cold otherwise,¡± she said with a smile before ducking her head under the water. Ah! She wants me to get in the water while wearing clothes! That must be it, Dred had a sudden epiphany. Without thinking any further, he walked into the water. By the time Elena decided to swim up, he was beside her. Her black hair floated atop the blue water of the lake, creating a nice contrast. ¡°Why are you wearing clothes?¡± ¡°You girls told me to. Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡± he asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Haha, we did, but if you are going to wash your body or go swimming, you should take them off,¡± she chuckled. In the next moment, she saw his clothes dissolving like patches of shadows. ¡°Good. Shall we find out what¡¯s in the middle of this lake?¡± she winked. ¡°Mhm. Let¡¯s go,¡± Dred agreed with her. Going under the water, they swam towards the center. But the closer they got, the darker the lake became. With the strength they had, it took only a few seconds to reach the center. Going towards the bottom, they felt a powerful suction. Using light Magic, they lit up the bottom of the lake. There was a circular hole in it, reaching a diameter of seven meters. Looking at Dred, she raised her brows. He nodded his head and got into the hole, his left hand touching the wall the whole time. The stream was so powerful that they had to swim backwards instead. When they saw a sharp turn in the tunnel, a horizontal green light shone, and everything turned upside down. They swam ¡®up¡¯ towards the sharp turn in the tunnel and down on the other side. It took only three meters, which was nothing. But when they came to the surface, the fell down at least seventy meters with a speed that shouldn¡¯t be possible on the planet they came from. Elena¡¯s left leg fell on a protruding stone. But in the next second, Dred fell on it. ¡°Ouch!¡± she shouted, her voice resounding in the cavern. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Dred jumped up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Ehm¡­ I think that it broke. But the stone wasn¡¯t pointy, so it will be fine,¡± she replied through gritted teeth. Burying his face in his palms, Dred started muttering how it was his fault and kept apologising. ¡°Haha, why the long face? You couldn¡¯t have known and the same is true when it comes to me. Accidents happen. Pick me up instead,¡± she said with a chuckle, waving her hand. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you wear something before?¡± Dred asked, pointing downward. ¡°Oh, you are right,¡± following his fingers, Elena agreed with him. Her shadows crept up on her body and formed a black dress around her. Dred grabbed her waist and put her in his neck. ¡°It¡¯s hot,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Did you say something?¡± Elena asked. ¡°No¡­ Now hold onto my horns,¡± he answered as he thought, I can¡¯t tell her that her crotch and thighs feel hot. Let¡¯s put her leg in a splint. A stick grew in his right hand. After placing it beside her shin, he used vines to fasten the stick to her leg. ¡°Is it alright?¡± he asked, showing his concern. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fine. I told you not to mind it. Let¡¯s go instead. I want to see what¡¯s at the end of this cave. This place feels strange,¡± she laughed upon seeing him worrying so much. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll use Healing Magic on it in the meantime,¡± he muttered, grabbing her left leg. ¡°Ah~ It feels good. Even my pain subsided,¡± she felt relieved upon feeling Dred¡¯s Healing Magic, which was a combination of Water, Light, and Nature elements. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± he said, looking around in the cavern. It wasn¡¯t dark inside, thanks to many tiny holes on the ground. The walls of the cavern were made up of dark grey coloured rocks. ¡°Smooth,¡± Dred muttered. ¡°For how long do you plan to caress my thighs?¡± Elena interrupted him. ¡°Oh, sorry. It felt good to touch. I guess you didn¡¯t like it,¡± he apologised. Rubbing her eyes, sighing loudly, she replied, ¡°No. It did feel good, but it¡¯s a sensitive spot. It¡¯s rather suggestive in that way.¡± ¡°Is it? I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sorry about that. Duck down.¡± ¡°I can see it~¡± she hummed. A few minutes later, he stopped walking because in front of him was a hole¡­ ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Elena asked with an excited voice, leaning forward on Dred¡¯s head. They are soft as always, he thought, feeling her breasts. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Should I put you down?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course! I want to look around!¡± she shouted, seeing that there was a whole world below them. The hole had a diameter of at least fifty meters. When Dred placed Elena on the edge of it, she leaned forward and put her head through the huge hole in the floor of the cavern. The world was covered in a dim, yellow sunlight. There was a forest right under them and the trees had yellowish and brownish colours. But what was stranger was the flying ships and huge explosions in the area. She saw a round object with small protrusions on it crashing into the ground, a kilometer under them. The forest she saw before turned into nothing but ashes. On both sides were trenches, filled to the brim with people. Many of them were wearing strange looking armours and guns in their hands. If not for being born on Kriton, she wouldn¡¯t have had any idea about what those things were. Closing her eyes for a moment, her shadows spread out, turning the dark grey stone black. It went further and further until finally stopping. ¡°Captain, they are breaking through the left side! We have to kill those snipers!¡± ¡°Damn it! We can¡¯t lose this mining field too. This damned Sliton Empire is too powerful! Reorganize! Withdraw one group from our right flank and send them to the left front! The forest was a good cover before, now it¡¯s gone. We must defend this place until reinforcements come,¡± the captain replied to the report of the soldier. ¡°My shadow bacteria are really useful, hehe,¡± Elena chuckled, her face suddenly turning serious. ¡°But I didn¡¯t understand even a single word¡­ they are using another language, which is strange,¡± she furrowed her brows. The area looked like a mountain, with a long canyon in place of its basement. Only the two sides of the mountain were still there. On the two sides, there were holes carved into the rock of the mountain where snipers laid on the ground. Elena was surprised to see a flickering white light, blinding her. Holding out her hand, she blocked the light. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked when she felt a pair of hands grabbing the back of her dress and pulling her up. ¡°That must have been the reflecting light of their rifles. I¡¯m sure that they covered them, but from this angle, we can see them. Stay up here. It wouldn¡¯t do any good if they noticed you,¡± Dred warned her, dusting off her sides. ¡°This place is dangerous, let¡¯s go back. That tunnel is likely to be connected to another planet, which is none other than this place under us,¡± Dred advised. ¡°We could do that or we could gather some intelligence. Please, just a bit! Let¡¯s capture one soldier and get some info out of him!¡± Elena begged as she made a sudden move, forgetting that she had only one leg to support her. Stumbling on a rock, she almost fell through the hole, but Dred caught her waist and pulled her back. ¡°You are terribly helpless when you have only one leg¡­ Be more careful,¡± he warned her as he put her in his neck. Puffing out her cheeks, she mumbled, ¡°Thanks and I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m used to using two legs, not one. I forgot that I can¡¯t use the other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my fault¡­¡± ¡°Nah, stop being a sore spot. I told you that it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± she rebuked him for saying the same thing all the time. ¡°Okay, but we won¡¯t visit them. It would be dangerous. Let¡¯s go!¡± he accepted her feelings. Turning around, he ran towards the tunnel. ¡°But I wanted to! You are no fun¡­¡± she hit the back of his head playfully. The left wall of the cavern started trembling. Stopping for a moment, both of them looked at the same spot. A metal grey pointy tip came through the hard stone, followed by five men. ¡°Woohoo! We finally reached this place! The commander will be happy. We can easily snipe every soldier in the trenches from this spot!¡±A blond haired, muscular guy looked around the cavern and shouted with an excited voice, placing his sniper rifle on his back. ¡°Shut up. Do your job. People are dying while you are talking,¡± a scar-faced man shouted at the blonde guy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized as he took his weapon back into his hands and laid down on the edge of the hole, Elena used to look down. Elena and Dred were using their Shadow Forms to hide. ¡°Hahaha, look, we can see their snipers too! So that¡¯s where you have been hiding! One, two!¡± the scar-faced man laughed, shooting twice before reloading. ¡°Damn it, I didn¡¯t have the time to reload,¡± he muttered before taking out a black box. After pressing a button, he said, ¡°Captain, we secured the dark zone! I repeat, we secured the dark zone. Our people can start advancing after five minutes.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± a creaky voice responded. ¡°They are using another language. That¡¯s strange since the whole universe has a common language,¡± Elena whispered, her strange language catching the guys¡¯ attention. ¡°Who is there?!¡± the blonde haired guy jumped up, his weapon in hand. Haha, I wanna play with him! Elena thought before going to the other side of the hole, getting behind everyone. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± she whispered. Everyone turned around and looked at her. A small droid flew through the hole and looked around. ¡°Damn it! We have been spotted!¡± the scar-faced man shouted, seeing the unfamiliar drone. A bolt of lightning flew out of his palm and struck the drone. It blew up and fell to the ground in pieces. But the group was sad to see another three entering the hole. Now that they left their original sniping positions, the drones easily entered this place. ¡°Elena¡­ just what are you doing again?¡± Dred asked as he appeared behind the soldiers. She too appeared in a sitting position on the other side of the cave. ¡°What the hell is going on here?!¡± the scar-faced man shouted, pointing his rifle at Dred¡¯s head. ¡°Are you with the Drung Kingdom or the Sliton Empire?¡± he questioned. Dred pointed downward. The scar-faced man couldn¡¯t help but look down for a moment, only to see shady hands creeping up on his body, catching his gun and taking it from him. ¡°Huh?¡± he made a surprised face. ¡°Magicians! Kill them, quickly!¡± he shouted at his comrades, but they were tied up by Elena¡¯s shadows. ¡°They won¡¯t move,¡± she hummed, but the real problem was that neither of the two sides understood even a single word. ¡°It¡¯s no good this way. I know that it¡¯s bad, but let me devour one of them,¡± Elena said, sending Ekilsta into the blonde haired guy¡¯s body. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Dred stopped her as he put her on his shoulder. ¡°What? But we need information!¡± she raised a brow and grabbed his horn. ¡°Yes, but not this way. I told you not to devour their minds. I won¡¯t allow it before you learn how to use Ekilsta to give you only selected memories. If you live his life, your personality will change again. It was dangerous enough last time, we don¡¯t need another one. I think that you should focus more on Devour. We know how to use it. We are masters of the skill, but it¡¯s something that has a life of its own. We don¡¯t know how Devour works.¡± ¡°Once we learn its true secrets, we might be able to drain selected information from anyone. Our control over Devour isn¡¯t around level sixty for nothing. I won¡¯t let you devour their minds. Absolutely not,¡± Dred rebuked her. Seeing his seriousness and knowing the risk herself, she stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°Fine. I will never try doing it again. I swear and not as an oath. I swear it as a friend, a sister, or whatever I am to you.¡± Looking downward, Dred whispered in a barely audible voice, ¡°You are everything.¡± Her ears caught his words. Her hands loosened around his horns. Caressing the top of his head, she leaned forward and closed her eyes. ¡°That felt strange,¡± she whispered with a chuckle. ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± Dred laughed upon hearing her reply. ¡°Yep. Now could you put me on the ground?¡± she asked. ¡°No. You will do something stupid if I do. We have no idea what these people are here for or who is the ¡®good¡¯ or ¡®bad¡¯ side if there is anything of the sort. We don¡¯t know anything about these people. If you made a decision, then keep to it,¡± he said as he started walking towards the tunnel. ¡°But¡­ but it¡¯s hard! And this blondie has been ogling my body,¡± she pointed at the blonde haired guy, who laid on the ground and tried to look up her dress. ¡°... You can kick him,¡± he grabbed her at her armpits and held her in front of the blonde haired guy, not letting Elena¡¯s feet touch the ground. ¡°Are you for real?¡± she questioned Dred, still kicking the guy¡¯s face, breaking his nose. In the next second, a ball flew up through the hole and exploded in front of them. Reacting quickly, Dred made a wall of earth in front of them. The explosion blasted the snipers into pieces, along with Dred¡¯s earth wall. But thanks to their powerful bodies, they just landed on their butts a few meters away. Picking up Elena, he ran towards the tunnel. She held onto Dred¡¯s shoulders as he swam back up through the tunnel. After the turn, he started swimming downward, but upon reaching a spot, the world turned upside down once again. Swimming up to the surface of the lake, they looked around. Both Audrey and Jake were sitting on the ground, meditating. Dred swam to the shore and got out of the water. While they explained everything to them, saying one surprising thing after the other, a soldier at another place finished drilling through a wall¡­ --- The right wall of the cavern trembled and one person came out of the new hole. Throwing the high-tech driller to the side, he looked around. ¡°It¡¯s good that I prepared with a surveillance system here,¡± he muttered. ¡°Haha, those bastards from the Sliton Empire screwed up. I have no idea who those two were, but they did great. If not for them, we would have lost this battle and got enslaved by these bastards. You like young girls, right? You bastard paedophile,¡± he kicked the remnants of the blonde haired guy. Squatting down on the edge of the hole, he looked at the snipers of the enemy empire. After reloading his gun, he laid on the ground and took aim. ¡°One... two... three... four... five... six!¡± One group is done! He started picking off the snipers one after the other. His teammates reached the cave a moment later. One person covered the hole the enemy made and started picking off those who tried to get into their position. ¡°Captain Acton, did you find those two?¡± one of them asked as he laid down beside him, preparing to shoot. ¡°No. They are nowhere to see and they left nothing behind. It seems like they lived through the explosion without any wounds, which is amazing. It was the General¡¯s decision. I¡¯m just hoping that those two won¡¯t hold a grudge against us. I don¡¯t want Magicians to turn against us in such dire times. They are rare in the world and the powerful ones even more so. These two seemed to be the latter,¡± he replied, starting to unload his second round into the enemy snipers. The killing continued the whole day. Some of Acton¡¯s comrades were shot, but more than half of their group of fifteen stayed alive. Since the sky turned dark, both sides ceased fire and took a rest. Acton leaned on the wall behind him and closed his eyes to sleep a few hours, but a soldier rushed through the tunnel he made before. ¡°Captain! I have a message to relay from the General! The king approved of this too, here, see the message,¡± he shouted, pushing a metal rod into his hand. ¡°Acton. I have a mission for you. Go after the Mages you saw this afternoon and try to recruit them. Don¡¯t be forceful or aggressive by any means. These are the orders of the king. Return next morning. After taking a short rest, you will lead your group once again. Be quick! Remember, don¡¯t anger the Mages!¡± Giving back the metal rod, he stood up from the ground, pulling his Ghillie Suit behind him. Saying goodbye, Acton left through the hole. With the help of his equipment, he managed to swim through the tunnel without drowning. He happened to come ashore in front of the cave. Thanks to his Ghillie Suit, he looked like a patch of grass on the ground. With slow and careful movements, he got out the water and went into the forest, his gun in hand. Squatting down in a bush, he looked around. ¡°There is a house. Let¡¯s see what kind of place this is. That tunnel was really strange, though¡­ Whatever, I¡¯ll finish my mission with success!¡± he encouraged himself. Looking once more at the star-covered black sky, he mumbled, ¡°I should get closer.¡± But nobody noticed that the blood of the deceased soldiers didn¡¯t dry in the cavern. It was still as fluent as before and their blood was slowly filling up¡­ a formation --------------------------------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 16.1 - The Dark is Extending The Dark is Extending Acton walked through the dark forest and got closer to the cabin. He tried to be as silent and careful as his abilities let him. People in this world mainly relied on technology and very few people were talented enough to use Mana. Some smaller tricks were the norm in the military, but real Magicians casting spells were looked up to. The scar-faced man who died in the cave was the captain of the squad, due to his ability to control lightning to some degree. Acton had the same position thanks to his ability to hide with Dark Magic. But he had no idea who he was going up against. --- Elena sat on the bed that Audrey and Jake had made the previous afternoon from the pelts of monsters. Kneeling beside the bed, Audrey held her hand over Elena¡¯s broken leg. ¡°Really, you go on a trip alone just for a few minutes and this is what happens. How can you be a troublemaker of this caliber? Is it a talent of your race or what?¡± Audrey shook her head. ¡°You racist! It¡¯s not my fault! How could I know that a tunnel at the bottom of a random lake in a random forest leads to another planet? This was just¡­ luck or bad luck, call it whatever you want,¡± she puffed out her cheeks. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter at this point. Except for a few drones, there was nobody left who saw you, right?¡± Jake asked, raising a brow. ¡°Yes, nobody we know of,¡± Dred replied, raising his right paw. ¡°Well, one side will definitely like you. The other will probably hate you if they ever find out, though I don¡¯t know what you plan to do with this new planet,¡± Jake crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking out the window. ¡°I don¡¯t have any plan. I intend to go towards the capital as I said before. I am chased by the guard captain and a whole city already. I don¡¯t need a whole empire right off the bat. Once I get into the ranks of King Atelon I can easily kill the bad guys,¡± she reasoned beside leaving. ¡°We will stay here for a few days and make a carriage, pile up food and materials. Once we are done, we can leave and move towards the capital city.¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± Jake said with a smile on his face. Elena was about to continue explaining when she felt somebody using Dark Magic in her surroundings. ¡°We¡¯ve got a stupid rat who doesn¡¯t know who darkness belongs to,¡± she said with a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t move around,¡± Audrey rebuked her, grabbing her left leg. Thanks to continuous healing, her broken leg almost healed. It would hurt for a few days if not treated, but she should be able to walk on it. ¡°Ouch¡­ okay.¡± Acton crept to the wall of the cabin and rested his back on it. Closing his eyes, he focused on his control over his Mana and his targets¡¯ conversation. Elena was barely able to hold back her laughter since she clearly felt everything Acton did. ¡°Hahaha, Ancestor, save this guy. It¡¯s ridiculous! I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t hold it back. He is using Dark Magic to hide from me, a being of darkness. It¡¯s like trying to convince a mouse that the cat is her best friend!¡± she broke out in laughter, sensing how he was trying to move around the cabin to get a view on them. Elena stood up from the bed and leaned out of the window. She waved at Acton, showing a bright smile on her face. The blood froze in Acton when he realized that he had been noticed. Standing up, he scratched the back of his head as he thought, How the hell should I speak to them? Is she a maniac? Does she have a high position? Does she care about hierarchy? I don¡¯t know anything about these people, it¡¯s no good this way, but I can¡¯t just run away. ¡°I can see that you are from the other planet. What brought you here?¡± Jake asked as he used Shadow Step to appear behind him. Grabbing his arms, he threw him into the room through the window. Elena quickly leaned to the side and sat on the side of the bed. Lighting started flickering and running up and down on Audrey¡¯s right hand. Holding it towards Acton¡¯s head, she said, ¡°Answer his question.¡± Jake appeared behind him for the second time and used thick vines to tie him up. Pulling out his Uchigatana, he held its edge against Acton¡¯s throat. ¡°Speak,¡± he said with a firm tone. Acton¡¯s eyes were darting all over the room in his panic. He not only didn¡¯t understand their words, he was also captured and tied up in the blink of an eye, even though he was supposed to be an elite soldier. ¡°Hey, hey. Stop being so pushy with him. They are using a different language,¡± Elena stopped her friends, seeing that Acton was starting to lose his cool. ¡°That¡¯s a good point...¡± Audrey replied, furrowing her brows. ¡°I won¡¯t risk him doing something funny,¡± Jake replied, tying up his hands and legs too, restricting his movements completely. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Acton spasmed on the ground, trying to break free. ¡°I think that he wants us to release him,¡± Audrey muttered in a low voice as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Woah, you must be a genius!¡± Elena teased her. ¡°...¡± After jumping up from the bed, she squatted down in front of Acton to look into his eyes. ¡°Fear, impatience, longing. That¡¯s what I was feeling when I was looking into his eyes,¡± she said as she stood up. Looking into Jake¡¯s eyes, she continued, ¡°He doesn¡¯t feel like somebody with bad intentions. You can free his arms.¡± ¡°As you wish, Elena. He doesn¡¯t have his weapon either, so he isn¡¯t dangerous based on what we know,¡± Jake replied, doing as told. ¡°You can object me, you know?¡± she remarked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°I know, but I trust your instincts. This isn¡¯t because of your ¡®position¡¯. You shouldn¡¯t bother with it anymore or it will just alienate us. Trust us as we trust you,¡± he answered, showing his white teeth. Nodding her head, Elena apologized.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°So why would he be impatient if he was trying to sneak up on us?¡± Audrey raised a brow. ¡°He might have a task to do, which is related to us,¡± Dred chimed in, catching Acton¡¯s attention. A talking panther wasn¡¯t a usual sight to see. Sighing loudly, Elena hung her head, ¡°This will be long. We¡¯ve got to find out what he wants.¡± From that point on, it turned into a game of using hand signs¡­ Acton pointed at his tongue and the lake to show that he wanted to take them to translators, while the others tried to tell him to wait until morning by pointing at the dark sky, their bed, and mimicking sleep. It took about one hour to finally get over what each side wanted, even though they were simple things. Still not trusting him, Jake made an earth tent outside and used stone cuffs to fix Acton in place. He started shouting when that happened, but he wasn¡¯t strong enough to break free, though he was happy to finally sleep¡­ The next morning everyone took a bath in the lake separately. As Elena stomped on the ground, the stone tent went back into the earth. The light shone onto Acton¡¯s face and woke him up. ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere with this guy. They can do their own stuff. We will do the same,¡± Elena remarked as she grabbed Acton¡¯s right arm and pulled him to his feet. Untying him, she pointed towards the lake and waved her left hand, indicating that he should leave. Knowing that it would be pointless to stay this way, he nodded his head and left. ¡°That was pretty easy¡­¡± Audrey remarked, seeing him swimming towards the bottom of the lake. Shrugging her shoulders, Elena divided the work, and everyone left to do their tasks. ------ Acton swam through the tunnel and returned to his own planet. He was happy to see that his squad was still in position, defending one of the most important spots on this battlefield. Seeing him waving his hand, nobody asked anything. It was still early in the morning, but people were already preparing for the next battle. He reached the General¡¯s tent in a few minutes, thanks to finding a free vehicle. After getting through the sentries, he reported everything that happened to the General. Although he felt ashamed of himself, he knew that telling everything was for the best. Just as he thought, the General reconsidered his original command and decided to invest more into the unknown Mages. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s decided. We will send two of the best translators from the capital with you. Two of them can not only write but speak the ancient language too. The third one knows another ancient language. Hopefully, one of them will be able to communicate with these people. Help in preparing for the battle, and I¡¯ll notify you when they have arrived. The king will surely agree with my decision,¡± he shouted, slamming on the table out of habit. Nodding his head, Acton turned around and left the tent. Half an hour later, he was notified of the translators¡¯ arrival. After giving them oxygen filters, they left towards the tunnel. With the help of a thick rope, which Acton prepared beforehand, they just had to climb up. Swimming to the shore with his new gun in hand, Acton looked around. But the area was devoid of souls. ¡°Follow me,¡± he whispered, walking towards the cabin Elena and her friends had built. He looked through the window, but couldn¡¯t find them. ¡°Wait here,¡± he said as he jumped into the small wooden house. ¡°Last time I didn¡¯t have the chance to look around, but there is nothing here¡­ They didn¡¯t leave, did they?¡± he muttered in a low voice and left through the window. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the time being. If they won¡¯t come back in an hour-¡± he started planning but was interrupted by a huge paw, touching his right shoulder. He rolled back on the ground and pointed his weapon at his ¡®attacker¡¯. Dred was sitting in front of him, calmly looking back and forth among the three new people. Seeing that it was the well-behaving panther, Acton eased up. ¡°You understand me?¡± the brown-haired, skinny guy asked aloud. ¡°You are strange. Trying to talk to a panther,¡± Dred joked with him, showing his sharp teeth, which were covered in blood¡­ ¡°It talked!¡± all three of the translators exclaimed in their native language, feeling surprised. ¡°But only you can understand this language¡­ so we are useless here. Damn it! And we thought that the Triniton language would be useful in the future!¡± one of them exclaimed, slapping his forehead. ¡°Heh- I told you guys that you were learning the wrong language!¡± the skinny guy stuck out his chest. Pointing towards the lake, he said, ¡°Go back to the palace. I have my notes on my computer and I have papers too in my desk. Ask the king to get access to the archives and learn it. I¡¯m quite sure that one person won¡¯t be enough in the future.¡± Although unhappy, they did as told and left. They knew that it was best to leave before the battle would start on the other side. ¡°Are you done chatting?¡± Dred interrupted the skinny guy¡¯s thoughts, feeling annoyed by the fact, that he had no idea what they were talking about. ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m sorry,¡± the skinny guy replied slowly, trying to pronounce each word. ¡°You suck at it, but I can understand you so it¡¯s fine,¡± Dred said with a chuckle. ¡°Now then, my name is Dred. Why are you two here again?¡± Before replying, the skinny man confirmed everything with Acton. ¡°My name Vince, and he Acton. We here to invite your- group! I don¡¯t know what kind of¡­ place this or how big it, and I don¡¯t know your standings? either, so please pardon me¡­¡± ¡°Firstly, just speak freely. Secondly, use auxiliary verbs. Your vocabulary seems to be okay, but you will surely get into it,¡± Dred advised, speaking slowly so that Vince would understand it. He also added a brief introduction, hoping that Vince would remember. ¡°Where are? the others,¡± Vince asked, his brown eyes darting around. ¡°Good, you are learning quickly, and they will be here soon,¡± Dred raised his huge paw and patted Vince¡¯s left shoulder, freaking him out. Although he used only a tiny bit of his strength, it still felt painful to Vince¡¯s shoulder. I¡¯m starting to enjoy this. His fearful face is funny, Dred thought, looking at the blue sky and the leaves, which were slowly turning orange and brown colored. ¡°So, you looked like mercenaries or travelers and we thought, do you want to work for us?¡± Vince asked hurriedly, knowing that time was pressing on the other side. ¡°We could be, but we don¡¯t plan to stay here or get mixed up in the matters of your planet,¡± Dred replied, tilting his head to the side. ¡°P-Planet? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, this is another planet and the tunnel connects our planet and your planet,¡± Dred replied, lying down on the ground, still reaching two-third of Vince¡¯s height. ¡°Who do we have here?¡± Elena asked as she appeared behind Vince and ruffled his shoulder-length brown hair. Audrey and Jake came through the thick bushes in the next second, dragging big corpses of monsters behind them. ¡°Why are you not helping?¡± Audrey shouted, feeling pissed off. ¡°Well, your strength stat is a bit low compared to ours¡­¡± Elena thought of an excuse on the spot. ¡°I¡¯m a Mage¡­¡± she pouted. Jake grabbed the vine that was tied around the monster and took it over from her. ¡°Let me,¡± he said with a smile on his face. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t turn stronger from this since it¡¯s not hard to drag this corpse even with my strength, so¡­ thanks,¡± she explained herself as she handed it over. Elena turned into a shadow and appeared beside Dred in a flash. Coiling her arm around his neck, she started to caress his soft fur. It took time for Vince to calm down and comprehend the new information he had got. Shaking his head, he focused on his task, ¡°Please, we request you to come and help our kingdom. We give money, house, rank in turn.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need those, but¡­ you?¡± Elena asked, looking at the others. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± Audrey replied, followed by Jake, ¡°Same here. Well, if they can make Audrey into my-¡± his lips got covered by Audrey¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about that kind of thing now,¡± she said. ¡°Lovebirds,¡± Elena shook her head as she chuckled. ¡°Why? We-¡± before Vince could continue, a crack appeared under Dred and Elena. Jumping back by a few meters, they landed on the ground and looked at the ground with furrowed brows. Panicking, Acton and Vince jumped over the spreading crack. The ground started trembling and an earthquake shook the whole forest. The crack spread in a circle, surrounding the whole lake. The water slowly started to drain, leaving a huge, hollowed out area. ---- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 16.2 - The Dark is Extending On the other side, the battle had started once again. Thanks to the sniper¡¯s position, it was possible to hold back the enemy, but there were spots where the enemy snipers had a clear view of Drung Kingdom¡¯s soldiers. From time to time, a few snipers were shot. Their blood flowed on the ground in the dimly lit cave, until it finally completed the ancient formation. A red light covered the cavern when the formation was completed. Long cracks appeared on the floor, scaring the shit out of everyone. They got up from the ground and ran towards the passage, which took them to the foot of the mountain, their base. Soon after, they saw the cavern crumble and fall to the ground, at the center of the battlefield. At the same time, the top of the mountain crumbled, leaving a perfect, circular tunnel in the middle of the mountain, with a diameter of two hundred and fifty meters. A red pillar of light shot towards the sky, covering the world in a strange red light. Some people shouted that the world was ending, while others were standing silently. Many soldiers died on both sides from the falling mass of earth and stone. The same kind of light reached the sky on Elena¡¯s side too. ¡°Shit, this is visible from far away. People will definitely come here. We should leave as soon as possible,¡± she shouted, jumping onto Dred¡¯s back. As the light started dimming, Dred noticed a strange object in the middle of the air. Looking around, he noticed that both Acton and Vince were looking out of their heads. ¡°Don¡¯t follow us,¡± he said as he appeared in front of them and headbutted both of them. They fell to the ground, out cold. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill them, did you?¡± Elena asked with a chuckle. ¡°Of course not, I just knocked them out. Let¡¯s get that thing!¡± he roared as he turned around and jumped over the huge hole after a running a few meters. As they flew over the hole, both of them looked down, only to see dust and debris covered ground of the other planet. They even managed to spot one of the camps. ¡°Gotcha!¡± Elena said as she gripped the object in midair. Dred landed on the other side and got back to Audrey and Jake. Elena stored the small item in her storage ring. ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± Audrey asked, slowly sinking into Dred¡¯s shadow. ¡°Not really, but thanks to this sudden change, we will have to leave now. Jake, can you store at least one of the monsters we caught?¡± Elena asked, checking their surroundings with her Sense. ¡°Maye two thirds of it¡­ If only we had the time to cut them into pieces,¡± he replied, shaking his head. ¡°Damn it, we are surrounded. A strong group is coming from the city and a group of three is coming from the capital city, I think,¡± Elena cursed. ¡°What? How could anyone come here from the capital so quickly?¡± Audrey asked with wide opened eyes. ¡°I think that they were on the way and made a detour after seeing this red pillar of light,¡± Elena clicked her tongue. Sighing loudly, she grabbed the back of Acton¡¯s ghillie suit as she said, ¡°It¡¯s best if we go to the other planet, though I really don¡¯t want to. This must be fate. I found this hole and now I have to enter it.¡± ¡°Do you like holes?¡± Jake asked with a smirk on his face as he patted her right thigh and picked up Vince. ¡°Aren¡¯t you funny?¡± she grumbled, ¡®gently¡¯ kicking his left side. ¡°It¡¯s good that Dred is so tall. I can kick you from his back real easy!¡± ¡°Ouch! I was just joking¡­¡± Jake mumbled as he jumped down the huge hole, Dred behind him. When they got through, Elena used Earth Magic to create a protruding cliff from the side of the mountain. They had to repeat this a few times until they reached the ground in one piece. The sky was still orange colored, though most of the red light dissolved. Looking around, they saw that both sides were occupied with clearing the debris and reorganizing their forces. Considering that Acton¡¯s kingdom seemed to have friendly intentions, they moved towards the Drung Kingdom rather than the Sliton Empire, which was unknown to them. ¡°We will turn into their puppets this way. I bet that they will keep pestering us with rewards to join their side in the war,¡± Audrey remarked when they stopped in the middle of a huge desert. Her red hair fluttered in the strong wind and she couldn¡¯t help but shut her eyes when sand grains reached her eyes. ¡°This place is no good. With this kind of wind, there might be a sandstorm nearby. We could rely on our senses, but this planet might have more dangerous sandstorms than what we know. Also, they can¡¯t pester us if they can¡¯t find us,¡± Elena said with a chuckle, winking at Audrey. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she nodded her head as she chuckled. ¡°So? Where do you plan to go?¡± Jake asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t know, ask Dred,¡± Elena replied, pointing at Dred¡¯s nose, which moved non-stop. ¡°He is quite cute when he is sniffing,¡± Audrey mumbled. ¡°Haha, he makes me remember to stuffed animals!¡± Of course, Dred didn¡¯t appreciate her remark, but let it slide this time. Mostly. Turning around, he looked at the rising sun behind them before saying, ¡°We will go towards the West. Run because you won¡¯t enter my shadow!¡± ¡°What?!¡± she stood in place with wide opened mouth upon seeing Dred speeding off. Sighing loudly, Jake shook his head, ¡°You¡¯ve done it now. Let¡¯s go or we will be left behind.¡± ¡°But¡­ uww I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mumbled, biting her lower lips. After leaving the desert, they arrived at a dark forest, filled with withering trees. The ground was dark brown, the sky was covered by thick, depressing, gray clouds. The trees had no leaves and were full of tiny holes. The occasional roars of some strange beasts made anyone think twice about entering the dead forest, but Dred didn¡¯t mind it even in the slightest.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Elena raised a brow as she leaned forward to rest her body on Dred¡¯s back. ¡°Hey, you will drag Acton on the ground this way,¡± Dred alerted her. ¡°Do we even need him? I suppose Vince can help us in worldly matters too, and he is the only one who speaks our language,¡± she grumbled, finding it a chore to carry him any longer. ¡°Don¡¯t be so lazy, he might be helpful in the future. We can tell him that there was an explosion on the other side and that we saved him,¡± he rebuked her with a chuckle. ¡°I should use my Wyvern form. We are too slow this way,¡± he mumbled. ¡°You are really evil. You traveled in this form just to make Audrey and Jake run after us. But at least you didn¡¯t use your full speed. Hmm, they will catch up with us soon. Let¡¯s see what that item was,¡± Elena said as she pulled out the strange object from her storage ring. A key with a red crystal in its head appeared in her right hand. She rotated it to look at it closely, but it didn¡¯t feel any different than a normal key. ¡°What is this good for? I wonder,¡± she muttered, her hand on her chin. Audrey and Jake arrived in the next moment, panting heavily. After taking a short rest, they too looked at the key but found nothing strange. ¡°Well, there is only one option left¡­ Inspect!¡±
Name: First Ring of Calamity Rarity: Legendary
Durability: N/A Effects: #?-@-##@?>#?@
Description
This is the first piece of the ring of calamity from a set of eight. This ring is usable only once, just like the other pieces. It¡¯s the legacy of a king who had immense knowledge and control over space and nature. These eight rings were his last creations, along with a formation that connected his home planet, ¡®Dink¡¯ to another planet which was renamed to ¡®Dunk¡¯ under his rule. There are seven more rings hidden within each gateway. When the formation is filled to the brim with blood, the gateway will open and the planets will be connected once again. Each ring has a different effect when Mana is channeled through them. See the effect above. When you collect every ring, they will merge into a single one, which will be the true legacy of the late king, called ¡®Hector¡¯.
¡°... Thanks, but I can¡¯t see its effect! But at least now I have some idea about what this is. Should we check its effects?¡± Elena cursed and then asked with a smirk. ¡°It would disappear that way¡­ and I don¡¯t think that we want to know anytime soon,¡± Audrey remarked with a frown on her face. ¡°Haha, I know, I was just joking,¡± Elena laughed upon hearing Audrey¡¯s words. Placing her hand on her chin, she made a thoughtful face for a few seconds. Raising her head, she said, ¡°But there are eight of them and there are eight elements everyone knows of too. In our tables, Fire is listed first under the Elemental Magic, which makes me think that the rest of the rings are all related to an element. Could you try using the spirits? We might find out something.¡± Closing her eyes, Audrey focused on the fire elements. A translucent Fire Spirit appeared in front of her. It covered her head, increasing her control over the fire element. They had to build the elements into their bodies to reach maximum control and their fusion was related to this. ¡°There is nothing strange about this ring, though it does attract fire elements. It could help us in training,¡± she concluded as she opened her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing too. But now we should visit the place of each kingdom. Some of them might have information related to this¡­¡± Elena sighed loudly upon realizing that she would have to visit the capital of a few kingdoms on this planet too. ¡°Or you could just ignore this ring too?¡± Jake remarked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Only an idiot would ignore something that has ¡®legendary¡¯ besides its rarity attribute,¡± she replied, puffing out her big chest. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot¡­ I just¡­ never mind,¡± Jake mumbled to himself in a barely audible voice. ¡°Get on my back,¡± Dred said as he transformed into his Wyvern form. ¡°Could this be¡­ will we fly?!¡± Audrey exclaimed, her eyes glimmering from the happiness she felt. Elena crawled up on his back, onto his neck. ¡°The view is the best from here. Your body won¡¯t cover my sight this way and your lower body is too wide,¡± Elena explained herself, seeing Dred looking at her. ¡°Whatever. Come closer and let me carry you,¡± Dred said with a chuckle, raising his front paws. ¡°Huh? What do you mean? You are big enough to carry us so¡­ let us up, please?¡± Audrey pleaded, her cheeks puffed out. ¡°But I¡¯m a cute pet. I can¡¯t let so many people sit on my back, can I? My spine might snap under the weight. Hold onto my legs instead,¡± he replied. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even bothered by Audrey¡¯s words and he got used to the fact that even outsiders thought that he was just a pet. But he had fun seeing their reactions, so he always screwed up their plans¡­ ¡°Haah? Are you telling me that I¡¯m fat? Just so you know, I worked out every day to keep my body in shape. I¡¯m-¡± ¡°Audrey, I don¡¯t think that he had anything of the sort in mind,¡± Elena interrupted her with a chuckle. ¡°Who knew that you had such a side? Are you sensitive when it comes to your weight? Let Jake hold those melons for you, you will be lighter,¡± she said with a smirk on her face, breaking into a fit of laughter. Audrey was left with her mouth opened wide when she heard her ¡®insulting¡¯ words, ¡°Such insults! You damned monster¡­ I¡¯ll remember this!¡± hearing her words, Elena laughed even harder. Turning to her right, Audrey looked at Jake, ¡°What are you looking at? You won¡¯t touch my breasts.¡± ¡°Eh? I was just-¡± ¡°Shut up. You didn¡¯t even help me out,¡± Audrey humphed as she hugged Dred¡¯s left leg, waiting for him to fly off. While looking at a random rock on the ground, she thought, What am I doing? It¡¯s all Jake¡¯s fault. He must have done something with me at the lake¡­ Scratching the back of his head, Jake hugged Dred¡¯s other leg. Leaning to the side, Elena whispered into Jake¡¯s left ear, ¡°Be a bit pushier. She is thick headed. Corner her and she will fall like a sand castle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say¡­¡± he shook his head. ¡°You know, it¡¯s nice to see you getting ready, but Acton and Vince are still here. So we will have to wait,¡± Dred interrupted the trio, seeing that he was completely ignored and used as a mount. ¡°I know, but I didn¡¯t plan to get off of your back,¡± Elena said as she patted his neck. ¡°Your scales feel hard and rough to the touch,¡± she mumbled as she started drawing circles on his scales. Seeing that she was engorged and amused by her ¡®toy¡¯, Dred didn¡¯t bother her. It actually feels good on my neck, he thought as a shudder ran through his body. Audrey and Jake stepped back in an awkward way. Seeing that Acton and Vince weren¡¯t moving, Audrey sprinkled water on their faces. Both of them sat up, trying to catch their breath. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pour a waterfall on their faces¡­¡± Jake remarked with a chuckle. ¡°W-Where are we? Ugh, my head hurts,¡± Acton grunted as he sat up, holding his forehead. As his memories rushed through his head, he looked for a black panther with wide opened eyes. ¡°Where is Dred?¡± he said, though nobody understood anything other than Dred. Vince looked around before asking, ¡°Did Dred really hit us earlier? Where is he and why did he do it?¡± Since Dred was behind him when he turned around¡­ ¡°AAAH What¡­ huh?¡± Vince shouted, his face pale. But seeing that the huge Wyvern wasn¡¯t moving, he closed his mouth. ¡°This silent reaction¡­ Dred?¡± he asked, tilting his head to the side. Showing his huge teeth, Dred replied with a grin, ¡°I was found out.¡± *tap* *tap* But at that time, footsteps resounded in the forest, alerting the group... Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 16.3 - The Dark is Extending Elena turned around with furrowed brows upon realizing that somebody was coming. Meanwhile, Acton and Vince were looking at the forest with panicked faces. ¡°This¡­ Did you bring us here?¡± Vince asked with a dark face. ¡°We did bring you here. Is something wrong with this place?¡± Dred asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Is there a desert nearby?¡± Vince asked for confirmation, his body shuddering all along. ¡°Yes, we came through the edge of it.¡± By the time he stopped speaking, Vince¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. Wiping it, he said, ¡°This forest is called the Forest of the Lost. Nobody who dared to enter this forest returned. Legends say that Death dwells in it. There were rumors about walking corpses on the edge of the forest. But such things are impossible. We don¡¯t know what-¡± ¡°Impossible? Haha, you are wrong. Even I can make corpses walk. It¡¯s nothing hard. Once you can control Mana, it¡¯s as simple as snapping your fingers. Now that you are saying this, I¡¯ve noticed that the dark and the fire element is much denser here. It¡¯s getting closer,¡± Elena interrupted and enlightened him by facts, showing excitement. Vince¡¯s common sense cracked when he heard the words of a ¡®powerful Mage¡¯, though he couldn¡¯t help but question her words in his mind. ¡°W-Why the hell are you grinning? This isn¡¯t fun!¡± Vince shouted, starting to lose it. He never took part in a real battle or fight. The thought of meeting something truly dangerous, scared him a lot. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I need you and although cowardly, you don¡¯t seem to be a bad person. Well, not for now. So I¡¯ll protect your puny life,¡± Elena said as she jumped off of Dred¡¯s back and stood in front of Vince and Acton. Such arrogant words¡­ but I have to keep up a face, she thought with a chuckle. ¡°Thank you!¡± Vince shouted. Seeing his vehement reaction, Elena and her friends too thought the same thing, he would definitely do bad things to save his life¡­ ¡°Maybe I should kill him, after all,¡± she mumbled in a low voice. ¡°Well, I shouldn¡¯t make assumptions. He might be different.¡± The trees started creaking as the gentle wind was swaying them. A bad odor hit everyone¡¯s nose, turning the humans¡¯ expressions into disgusted ones. As beings of darkness, Elena and her friends had no problems with it. The footsteps disappeared long ago since the person in question has been looking at them without doing anything for a good while. Raising her right hand, showing a smile, Elena waved at the long, black haired guy. Inspect.
Name: O¡¯ Sru Ha Race: Human
Level: 102 Threat Level: 0
Class: Necromancer Specialization: Creator
¡°Oh! Your level is really high, considering the standards of your planet¡­¡± Elena said in a delighted tone before looking at Acton and Vince with a frown. Shrugging them off, she focused back at Sru. ¡°What brings you to us?¡± she asked with a smile. A grin spread on his face upon hearing her question. Grabbing his hair, he tied it into a ponytail. ¡°I haven¡¯t had any visitors in a long time thanks to the rumors. Now so many of you came here by yourselves. This is just amazing if you ask me! I didn¡¯t want to leave this forest, but the lack of humans started to screw with my tests. You know, it¡¯s hard to learn necromancy without practice, and I need corpses to do it. What do you say?¡± ¡°That you are an idiot,¡± Audrey laughed at him. ¡°Who are you, redhead? I¡¯ll give you special treatment,¡± Sru pointed at her, visibly angered by her remark. ¡°Why so angry? She just said the truth, right? Sis?¡± Jake asked with a chuckle, giving a new nickname to Elena. ¡°Sis¡­ that is actually good! Yeah! Let¡¯s call her Sis from now on,¡± Audrey caught his words, just as Jake planned. ¡°And we can call Dred big bro! No¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound right from my mouth¡­ I¡¯ll stay with brother or Dred, I guess,¡± she muttered, looking at Dred from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Now I¡¯ve got a Bro! Woah! It feels nice-¡± Jake started but when two huge paws coiled around his body, he froze on the spot. ¡°W-Why are you hugging me, in your bear form? Though this is nice, I¡¯d rather be hugged by Audrey.¡± ¡°Brothers should love each other!¡± Dred said with a chuckle, squeezing Jake¡¯s body. ¡°A- Ah! Let go of me! You are no brother to me, you are killing me!¡± Jake shouted. Elena just shook her head, not minding what she was called. It feels rather nice, she thought, looking at a crack in the dry ground. ¡°You people are really shameless. Ignoring me, huh? Fine, I¡¯ll give all of you a painful death!¡± Sru shouted, his face red. Lines of corpses ran towards them from the forest, completely encircling them. Cleaning her nails, Elena ignored him. Her shadow spread out in a circle and connected with the corpses. Ekilsta finished its job at the same time, giving her access. ¡°Kill him,¡± she commanded the corpses. Like the obedient toys they were, they charged towards Sru, very much to his surprise. ¡°What the hell? No! Attack them!¡± he shouted, but was overrun by the corpses. They bit into his arms, his legs, tearing off large chunks of meat. His blood dyed the ground red and covered the corpses¡¯ mouth too. He kept screaming, trying to get back his control over his minions, but it was for naught. Sighing loudly, Elena walked towards him. Standing over him, she sighed loudly, ¡°We could have gotten along if not for your wrong decision. In your next life, learn to measure up your opponents.¡± The light in his eyes slowly faded out. Feeling a corpse reaching his gut, tearing it out to drag it away and another reaching his heart, he felt rather happy to die after so much pain. A strange smile spread on his face in his last moment, just like most people, who died while seeing Elena. It was a strange effect of her race. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Dred took the lead and went ahead of everyone. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Audrey tilted her head to the side, having a better mood after seeing that she had one more common thing with Jake. ¡°To the necromancer¡¯s base. Dred can smell it,¡± Elena replied, throwing her black hair over her shoulders. ¡°What about them?¡± Jake asked, pointing at Vince and Acton. Acton looked fine, but Vince seemed to be a complete mess. The contents of his stomach decorated the ground, leaving his stomach empty. ¡°Follow us or stay here alone,¡± Elena remarked, waiting for an answer. After telling Acton what she said, he agreed to follow her before Acton could do as much as utter a word. They had to walk for a few hundred meters before reaching a black door, which had a stair behind it. ¡°We are going underground,¡± Dred said, scaring Vince. Opening the door with his bear paw, he tried to get through the door, but he was too big. Switching to his panther form in front of everyone, he continued without any trouble. Changing his size was impossible in other forms. They walked through the long and dark corridor until reaching an iron door. Seeing that it had a keyhole, Dred raised his right paw and used his full strength to smash it. The door broke out of its case and crashed against the wall. ¡°Amazing,¡± Acton mumbled in his language.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. There was one path on the left and one on the right. Turning around, Elena looked at the corpses that were following her without her command. ¡°Where should we go?¡± she asked, flicking the chin of one of them. It stood unmoving, not reacting to her question. ¡°Meh, you are too stupid. He surely had better zombies than you,¡± she turned around. ¡°I feel stronger presences on the left, so that might be his laboratory, while the rooms on the right are his living quarter. Let¡¯s check if he has something good at first,¡± Dred advised. Nodding her head, Elena followed him. But even after checking everything, they didn¡¯t find anything good, other than the pieces of equipment the victims had. But that was useless to Elena, so she just ignored them. On the left, they found another iron door, which seemed to be much thicker than the one before. Dred opened it in the same manner, ignoring the possibility of an opened door for the second time. Seeing Elena¡¯s stare, he said, ¡°What? It¡¯s quicker than trying to open it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Shaking her head, she entered the circular room. Audrey was so focused on the twelve metal doors in front of them, that she bumped into Elena and stepped on her right heel. ¡°Ah, sorry. Sister~¡± ¡°I see that you are trying to annoy me with it, but I don¡¯t mind if you call me sister, so it won¡¯t work,¡± Elena clarified her thoughts about Audrey¡¯s teasing. ¡°How sad and happy at the same time. Here I thought that you would be annoyed by it, but it¡¯s good to know that you consider me a sister,¡± she commented, rolling a lock of her red hair around her finger. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me that way, brother~¡± Elena said with a chuckle, looking at Jake. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking,¡± he denied the truth. Shrugging her shoulders, Elena closed her eyes and used her sense, ignoring the scenery in front of them. There were twelve doors in the circular room, which had a diameter of fifty meters. In the middle of it was a stone table where the corpse of a female laid. Its chest was cut open. Stepping closer, Elena saw two hearts in its chest, one of them only half connected to the late woman¡¯s veins. ¡°What kind of messy creature was this guy building? I feel a bit sorry for those who died here,¡± Elena mumbled with furrowed brows. ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand why people don¡¯t like necromancers, though¡­ it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never done bad things,¡± she laughed. Bones were thrown on the ground, along with rotten organs and limbs. Stepping over them, Elena broke through the first door and found a short corridor. At the end of it was a cell where a few walking corpses resided. Thanks to their low levels, she was able to sense even their body structure. She went through another ten of the rooms where she found different types of corpses. ¡°Let¡¯s see what is in this last odd room. This has got a much thicker door and I feel a strange flow of Mana too,¡± Dred mumbled, leading the others towards it. After breaking through the door, they found a huge ice block with a formation around carved into the ground around it. A corpse was in the middle of it, its eyes closed and its body chained to a stone bed. The first thing Dred did was to stomp on the ground and break the formation. Using Fire Magic, he started to melt the ice. ¡°What are you doing?! Don¡¯t free it!¡± Vince shouted, seeing what they were trying to do. ¡°You can leave if you don¡¯t like it, but I am curious, so I¡¯m going to free this thing,¡± he replied, placing his other paw too on the ice. Seeing that it was slowly melting, Vince turned more and more nervous. Touching his shoulder, Acton said, ¡°I think that you can calm down. They are truly powerful. We won¡¯t be in danger and I have my gun too.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Elena asked, raising a brow. ¡°He just soothed me,¡± Vince replied, visibly calmer than before. ¡°You don¡¯t really trust us, it seems,¡± she shrugged, seeing that Acton managed to calm him down with just a few words. ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that, I just-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to look for excuses. You don¡¯t know us, so it is natural,¡± she cut off his words. Knowing that it was pointless to speak any further, he left it at that. When the ice melted around the corpse¡¯s head, it opened its eyes to look around. ¡°Haaah, I¡¯m back,¡± it whispered. Shaking its body, the ice broke around it, but the chains seemed to be too much for it. ¡°Hello, little one. Do you know anything? What is your name, if you have any?¡± Dred asked as he broke the chains, his shadow looming over the corpse¡¯s head. Raising its hands, it looked at its fingers. Scratching the top of its head, it made a thoughtful face. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t remember anything. Who am I?¡± ¡°What is strange is that it speaks our language,¡± Elena remarked. Sitting up, the corpse suddenly shouted, ¡°AH! I know it! That guy called me Cor! I¡¯m Cor! Yes, yes I am! Hahaha! Who am I?¡± it asked again in the next second, forgetting everything. ¡°...¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m Cor! I was a¡­ man. Was I? What was I? What am I now?¡± he broke his neck, tilting his head too much to the side. ¡°So, you are Cor, a man in the past and possibly a human. You are an undead zombie now,¡± Dred enlightened the creature. Inspect.
Name: Cor Race: Zombie
Level: 82 Threat Level: 0
Class: None Specialization: None
He has quite a high level. He was surely free before. I wonder what happened. Tch, Elena killed the guy too quickly. I should have stopped her, after all, Dred thought, growling in a low voice. ¡°Why are you unhappy?¡± knowing what his growling meant, Elena asked. ¡°You screwed up! We should have dragged that guy here and ask questions about this world and he could have told us about this corpse too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she hung her head and apologized ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯m called Dred. She is Elena, she is Audrey, and he is Jake. You don¡¯t have to remember the other two,¡± he quickly introduced themselves to Cor. This guy is completely empty headed at the moment. If we can manipulate him to join us, he might be useful in the future. Even if as Audrey¡¯s or Jake¡¯s underling, Dred planned ahead. ¡°Dred, Elena, Audrey, Jake. I remember! Haha. Okay¡­ and? What should I do now? I had to eat those who were introduced to me by¡­ by who? Do I have to eat you four?¡± he asked, tilting his head even further to the side. ¡°No. We freed you so you are indebted to us. The one who told you to eat others was called Sru. Do you remember anything?¡± Dred reasoned, seeing that Cor¡¯s mind was still unstable. ¡°What do I do if I¡¯m indebted?¡± ¡°You work hard until you repay it,¡± Dred said with a chuckle. Cor jumped up from the stone table. He had a few patches of white hair on the top of his head tied into a ponytail. The whites of his eyes and his pupils were completely red. There was a long scar running through from the middle of his forehead to his left cheek, and another one that went from his left cheek to his chin, across his dry lips. His skin was dry and a bit wrinkly, but fine otherwise. Unlike the other corpses, he didn¡¯t have such a strong odor. He had a black ring on his left hand and a dark green cloth covering his top half. Metal armor covered his shoulders, which seemed to be of high quality. He also had dark brown pants and knee-high metal boots, with skulls carved into the part that protected his knees. There was a big, round shield tied onto his back, which was as big as his upper body. He had a necklace around his neck, with a skull shaped emblem. His dark green shirt had a few emblems on it, showing his ranks, probably in some kind of military. Behind his shield was a mace, which ended in a pointy blade. Undead creatures and zombies couldn¡¯t use Magic since they consumed the Mana of the world to keep moving and in better cases, thinking. In turn, they had great Magical Resistances and Physical Resistances, making it hard to kill them. The better types of zombies were able to regenerate too and the quicker it was, the more dangerous they were. The only well-known spell they were able to use was Body Enchantment since it stayed within their bodies. Reaching towards his right pocket, he pulled out a black glove and put it on his right hand. ¡°What is that for?¡± Dred asked in his curiosity. ¡°What? Oh? What is this for? Wait¡­ where did this come from?¡± Cor asked with an equally curious and surprised face. ¡°You pulled it out of your pocket just now,¡± Jake remarked, catching Cor¡¯s attention. Stepping closer, Cor smelled him and then moved towards Audrey. His lips being only a few centimeters away from her face, he licked his lips as he said, ¡°Your scent. You seem to be delicious-¡± before he could say any more, Jake kicked him in the side, making him crash into the wall. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to touch her.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she mumbled, her head hung down. The uprising corners of her lips didn¡¯t escape Jake¡¯s attention. ¡°That was quite enjoyable,¡± Cor said as he crawled out of the hole in the wall, his body smoking. When the thick smoke dispersed around him, everyone was left with dumbfounded faces. His body was covered in a thick, gray colored texture from head to toe, which looked like an armor from the outside. The texture covering his head looked like a skull and his eyes were missing. Looking down, he made a surprised face. Is his armor moving along with his body? That¡¯s strange, Elena thought with a frown. Appearing in front of him, she knocked on his chest. A metallic clicking sound echoed in the room. Using a quarter of her strength, she punched Cor in the chest. Although he crashed into the wall, he had no wounds or cracks on his body, which was a great feat, considering the difference in strength. ¡°Cool! You are great!¡± she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, feeling happy to see such a thing. ¡°Why are you hitting me?¡± Cor asked with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we had to test your armor,¡± she replied with a bright smile on her face. ¡°Oh, okay then,¡± Cor simply agreed, not minding it. He had a past which he didn¡¯t remember. Who was he or where he came from was a question he wanted to find out. After stating this, Elena told him that she could help him, but in turn, he would have to sell his soul. ¡°Soul? What is it? Do I have it?¡± ¡°You have,¡± Elena replied with a chuckle. Looking at Dred, she raised a brow. ¡°Shall we?¡± Transforming into his demon form, a grin formed on Dred¡¯s face¡­ Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 17.1 - The Light is Fading The Light is Fading Leaning closer to Elena, Dred whispered, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do it in front of them. All of our spells can be explained, but if they saw us making Cor drink our blood¡­¡± ¡°You are right,¡± she nodded her head. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at a later time. I hope that he won¡¯t remember too much and change his mind.¡± ¡°We can always force Cor to drink it, though¡­¡± Dred reminded her. ¡°We could, but that wouldn¡¯t be any good. If they don¡¯t accept their fate, they won¡¯t evolve as much as Audrey and Jake did. He would stay a weakling, not to mention that he might be able to betray us, unlike Audrey and Jake. It¡¯s dangerous to share our blood, you know. I wonder what will become of him,¡± she said, disagreeing with Dred¡¯s method. ¡°True. Then let¡¯s hope,¡± he said with a chuckle. Since Audrey and Jake were both very weak when she gave them her blood, their evolution was powerful. Cor was different since he had some foundation. The higher level somebody reached, the smaller their evolution would be. On the other hand, if they didn¡¯t drink and accept Elena¡¯s or Dred¡¯s blood willingly, it could have different results. It would be possible for them to betray the Shadow Progenitor, which would have negative effects on Elena or Dred, depending on whose blood they drank. Once the absorption was complete, neither of them would be endangered, but if the ¡®victim¡¯ fought against it, he or she could keep his or her personality and way of thinking. ¡°Follow us,¡± Elena said as she turned around and made her way towards the exit. Vince and Acton stepped to the side to let her leave. Cor scratched his head before a huge amount of steam covered the room and he turned back to his normal look. When everyone left the underground laboratory, Dred transformed into a Wyvern, surprising everyone. ¡°I still can¡¯t get used to this sight,¡± Vince mumbled with an amazed face, sizing up Dred¡¯s huge body. ¡°Hold onto my legs tightly,¡± he said, looking at each of the people present. ¡°W-what?! But that¡¯s¡­¡± Vince stuttered and told Dred¡¯s words to Acton. But when the latter heard it, he grabbed his shoulder and pulled him towards Dred. ¡°Stop stuttering. If we can¡¯t go with them, we might die of hunger. The desert is dangerous, even if we travel through the edge of it. Who knows how far we are from our base, not to mention the monsters. We don¡¯t have the defensive mechanics of our cities on us. We would be dead meat in a few hours, at best. If they leave us here, we are doomed,¡± Acton rebuked Vince. Hearing his words, he was the first to hug Dred¡¯s front left leg. ¡°But why can she sit on you?¡± Vince couldn¡¯t help but ask, feeling bittersweet over his position. ¡°It¡¯s because he is mine~¡± Elena replied with a bright smile, hugging Dred¡¯s neck and caressing his scales. ¡°I¡¯m not yours¡­ but let¡¯s say that we are very close,¡± Dred corrected her words to save some face. Stopping beside him, Cor knocked on his scales before sticking out his long tongue to lick Dred¡¯s side. ¡°This texture is great! It¡¯s perfect food! It¡¯s full of Magical Energy!¡± Cor exclaimed, ready to bite him. Flicking his tail, Dred smashed Cor¡¯s side, making him crash into a tree. Jumping up from the ground, he looked around. ¡°What was this? Ah! My skin tore! Who hit me?!¡± Cor shouted. ¡°It was me. Don¡¯t try to have a taste of me ever again,¡± Dred growled back. Raising his hands, Cor shook his head, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to.¡± ¡°Haha, such a liar,¡± Elena chuckled. After everyone got on, Dred flapped his wings and flew into the air. While enjoying the wind blowing against her face, Elena noticed a strange, clicking sound. Leaning to the right side of Dred, she almost fell off from the laughter that came upon her. Cor was trying bite Dred¡¯s leg, but his teeth and jaws weren¡¯t strong enough. She spent a few more minutes of the travel by chuckling every now and then when she heard the clicking sound again. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t stop him, would you?¡± Dred asked, visibly annoyed. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m sorry. I will do it. I can¡¯t be an asshole, can I? You are always nice to me, after all,¡± she mused with a smile on her face. Stepping on Cor¡¯s head, she said, ¡°Stop trying to chew Dred or I¡¯ll push you down. I believe you¡¯d splash on the ground and your bones would break into smithereens from this height. If you will follow us, you won¡¯t lack Mana.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± he asked, wiping Dred¡¯s leg with his hand. ¡°Yes. Please behave,¡± she nodded her head.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°We¡¯ve got some company,¡± Dred interrupted them. Two huge shadows encompassed them, hiding the sun from view. They grew smaller and smaller as they neared them. Turning around, Elena saw two monsters. They had two pairs of feathery wings, two pairs of red eyes. Their bodies were covered in two layers of sky-blue feathers. They had red beaks and forked tails, which seemed to be just as dangerous as their long and sharp talons. Inspect.
Race: Skydiving Hawk Rarity: Common
Level: 124 (Threat Level: 2)
¡°We are in big trouble! These are very powerful monsters!¡± Vince shouted, losing his cool again. ¡°Hold on tight,¡± Dred warned them. When the Hawks got over Dred, they made a sudden turn in the air and dived towards his back. Their pointy beaks threatened to skewer both Elena and Dred. The bigger one on the right reached them before the other one could. Dred pulled back his wings and spun in the air like a drill. Elena pulled out her long dagger at the same time and raised it towards the sky. As the hawk missed Dred¡¯s back and dived towards the ground on his right, Elena¡¯s dagger sliced across the monster¡¯s side, opening a long wound on it and tearing off its left wing. Its blood spilled onto Elena¡¯s face and arms. Grabbing its back, she used her monstrous strength to pull it back up. With the help of some Dark Magic, she pierced the monster¡¯s chest with her bare hand, her other hand following. Gripping its juicy, blood covered insides, and its ribs, she tore the hawk into two halves, showering everyone in blood. Feeling it spilling on her body, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh like a maniac. ¡°Come!¡± she shouted as she threw the halves towards the ground and looked at the other hawk that stopped midway. After screeching once, it turned around. ¡°As if you could leave,¡± Elena mumbled as she raised her hand. A bolt of electricity, the size of a football, started flickering in front of her palm. The sound of a thunderbolt cracked in the air as it shot towards the hawk. Upon contact, the monster¡¯s feathers turned charred, along with its skin and organs. Its heart had stopped beating, its brain fried to a crisp. As it fell towards the ground, Elena shot a ball of fire to burn it to a crisp. ¡°You will be tasty food for the others,¡± she humphed, licking her blood covered lips. ¡°Ah~ This was wonderful. I haven¡¯t had the chance to enjoy myself for a long time,¡± she mumbled as tints of reds appeared in her green eyes, Dred having the same reaction. ¡°You are crazy, woman! I love you!¡± Cor shouted, licking his own face. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, laughing loudly. ¡°Who the hell are we paired up with?¡± Vince asked Acton in their own language. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but their powers are amazing. This is what we need. I must report this to the General or the King. But I have to meet one of them at first. The Sliton Empire is too powerful for us to beat alone and the other idiot Kingdoms won¡¯t respond, thinking that the Empire would stop after our Drung Kingdom. We need crazy people like these,¡± he responded, seeing Elena and co. in a different light. ¡°S-Sure¡­¡± Vince said with an awkward laugh. They flew over the desert, a big forest, and a few cities before reaching the capital city of Drung Kingdom. ¡°This totally screwed up our plans on our Dunk planet. I wonder what¡¯s going on there,¡± Dred remarked as he landed not far away from the city, in a clearing in a forest. When they landed, Acton told something to Vince, who translated it in the next moment, ¡°He asking- he is asking what happened to us.¡± Tilting her head to the side, Elena replied, ¡°There was a huge explosion so we grabbed you and ran. You¡¯d be dead meat otherwise. You were what I¡¯d call pieces of baggage.¡± After translating it, both of them thanked for everyone. ¡°Alright, we should split up here,¡± Elena said with a serious face. ¡°What? Why?¡± Audrey asked, raising a brow, visibly disliking her idea. ¡°I don¡¯t think that they would appreciate a zombie in the city. So somebody will have to stay outside and wait here. This forest is lush so nobody would notice him. When we are done with our quick tour here, we can leave,¡± she replied with a wink, brushing her hands through her black hair. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with him. I¡¯m a monster anyway,¡± Dred added. Understanding her meaning, Audrey said no more. ¡°Let¡¯s go in that case,¡± Vince was the first to walk towards the city, visibly happy to be back again. Everyone but Dred and Cor left with them. ¡°So it¡¯s only the two of us,¡± Cor tilted his head to the side. ¡°What did you want to make me do?¡± Closing his eyes, Dred checked his surroundings with his Sense. ¡°Alright, there is nobody around. I ask you again. Do you want to become a member of our team and earn our help in turn to find your past? If you do, there will be a few simple rules, but you will be mostly free. We don¡¯t need a slave, we need somebody who can fight alongside us,¡± he said in a serious tone as he transformed into his original form. Tapping his chin, Cor made a thoughtful face, I don¡¯t remember who I am, which I would like to find out. I assume that they will leave me alone in case I don¡¯t follow them and the outside world might be more dangerous than I think. My race seems to be something others don¡¯t like either and I¡¯m far away from the forest I felt cozy in. Keke, they didn¡¯t even leave me any other choice. I like these bastards! ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± Cor said with a chuckle. Nodding his head, Dred walked closer and raised up his right leg. Understanding his meaning, Cor hurried to bite him, but it took three tries before he got through his thick fur and tasted his flesh. ¡°Ylou ale too flully... but your blood is amazing!¡± Cor exclaimed, trying to wipe off his fur covered tongue. ¡°What did you expect when you bit into a fur covered monster? Either way, good night,¡± he said with a chuckle, seeing Cor¡¯s eyes drooping down. Noticing that he was trying to stay awake, Dred warned him, ¡°Don¡¯t fight it. Just go to sleep and I¡¯ll keep you company.¡± Nodding his head, Cor fell to the ground.
You have caught the Necro disease!
If not cured, this disease will make you sick and kill you in a short period of time.
¡°Great¡­ ¡° Dred growled in a low voice as he bit the back of Cor¡¯s shirt and dragged him towards the forest, leaving the plain. --- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 17.2 - The Light is Fading Elena and her friends followed Vince and Acton in the city. They were led towards a towering silver palace, standing at a height of two hundred meters in the middle of the city. Of course, the silver was only a thin layer on the surface of the building. A hundred meters tall walls surrounded its area of five square kilometers. From ten to two hundred meters tall buildings with trees and bushes on the top of them made up the city. There were levitating cars all around the city and everyone had some kind of gun on their bodies. Walking closer to Audrey, Elena snorted, ¡°Haha, their guns might be dangerous for others, but not for us. They can¡¯t even damage us in our Shadow Forms and there are people with similar skills even on Dunk planet. They could pose a threat to common Warriors and Mages, but the stronger ones could obliterate this whole planet.¡± Nodding her head, Audrey remarked, ¡°The level of technology on Dunk is probably so much lower than here because there is no need for it.¡± ¡°You are very clever for pointing out the obvious,¡± Elena laughed loudly and teased Audrey. ¡°You started a conversation just to make a fool out of me? I want to hit you now, but really. Come here,¡± Audrey waved her hand at Elena. Understanding their words, Vince laughed, ¡°Hahaha, she is very lively, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She is, but it can get on my nerves sometimes,¡± Audrey sighed loudly and hung her head, slumping her shoulders. ¡°Aww~ don¡¯t be mad, but your face is always so funny,¡± she hugged Audrey from behind. ¡°If only Dred was here¡­ he would definitely rebuke you,¡± Audrey grumbled. Leaning very close to Audrey¡¯s right ear, Elena whispered, ¡°I have some plans. I¡¯m quite sure that Sally mistook us as members of the King¡¯s faction on Dunk. But we could change that if we became affiliated with the Kingdom here, on Dink. But I don¡¯t want to be a ¡®servant¡¯ of anyone, so¡­ the King has to go.¡± ¡°Huh? Do you want to kill him and take his place?¡± Audrey whispered with furrowed brows, using Wind Magic to block their voices. ¡°I should. But I can¡¯t make people accept me as a Queen when they know nothing about me and I come out of nowhere. But if I could meet with Sally or the City Lord as the Queen of this Kingdom from Dink¡­ we could form a treaty and help them out. It would also clear their suspicion of us,¡± Elena muttered. ¡°Well, that sounds like a great plan, but if we don¡¯t even know the name of ¡®your¡¯ Kingdom, then this plan is pointless,¡± Audrey chuckled. ¡°Erm, I¡¯ll try to change on that in a moment. Also, we will have to be quick. As I¡¯ve noticed it, Mages are respected and revered here. Our abilities might help us and these people definitely don¡¯t know anything about my race and its abilities. This is basically a free-ground for me! We may use Eon Element for the first time. It would be for the best if we increased our control. It wouldn¡¯t be good if we blew up the planet,¡± Elena replied, her hand on her chin. ¡°Hey, Vince. What was this Kingdom called again?¡± Jake asked at the best moment. ¡°It¡¯s called the Drung Kingdom and you are on our planet, which is called Dink. Legends say that there was another planet connected to this one in the past, which was called Dunk. I suppose you came from that planet and that gate connects us with your world,¡± he replied with a frown on his face, lost in his thoughts. ¡°Is that so? Is there some sort of archive where you have ancient relics or anything of the sort? It could help us find out more about our current situation. Our world has many Magic-¡± he said, but Audrey covered his mouth after hearing Elena¡¯s plans. If she wanted to be a Queen, it was for the best if people didn¡¯t know that her current abilities weren¡¯t all that great in their world. ¡°Come here, I have to tell you something,¡± she said as he pulled him closer to her body, showing a smile to Vince, all the while forgetting their budding relationship. ¡°Ah, okay,¡± Jake muttered, feeling happy to feel Audrey¡¯s arm around his back. Without her notice, he too embraced her, while she told him Elena¡¯s plans. ¡°So, how does this Kingdom work, what about cultures, selections, and such? If you really want me to help you, I want information,¡± Elena started talking to Vince in the meantime, using her cards to gather intelligence. A strange glint appeared in Vince¡¯s eyes when he heard her questions, visibly happy to see her interest. ¡°Our King is called Hector XII, a descendant of the legendary King from the past. He is a wise King, but unfortunately, his forefathers handled the ancient, huge empire in the wrong way and the size and power of our Kingdom fell to its current state as a result. We lost many valuable areas and treasures because of the whimsical Kings in the past.¡± ¡°Our current King is loved by everyone. He also decided that instead of continuing the lineage, the next King should be selected by twelve electors, and only the best candidate could become the next King. This might be because he doesn''t have a son yet, but it''s still a wise decision. Anyone can become a King, as long as they are talented enough. Until his death, our King, Hector, would stay on the throne.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°He makes the most important decisions all by himself, though the electors can share their opinions. We have a magic academy for talented magicians, and each and every member of it is highly revered in the Kingdom. Our King is a powerful Magician too,¡± he said proudly, sticking out his chest. ¡°That¡¯s all about politics¡­ Culture. Hmm, it¡¯s common to train as a soldier since every Kingdom and empire is a threat and wars are commonplace here. Normal people use weapons, which you can see in Acton¡¯s hands too. The higher up you are in the rankings, the more money you earn and the more respect you receive.¡± ¡°When you finish the Magician Academy, you will earn a Noble status and an area of your own. I¡¯d tell you to respect them and be careful with them, but your Magic is above anything I¡¯ve ever seen before. Still, please be understanding with them in the future. Some of them are a bit narcissistic, but they are still good people and protect the Kingdom.¡± ¡°Most of our technologies are machine handled, so we don¡¯t need any workforce. A few people who failed at the military courses can maintain the machines.¡± ¡°Oh? And what about you?¡± Elena asked, raising a brow, knowing all too well that he had nothing to do with the military. Scratching the back of his head, his face slightly red, he responded, ¡°You see, I was never good when it came to fighting, and even now, I¡¯m really bad at it. I had to take the military exam at the age of twelve, but I failed, which is a big shame. That¡¯s when I started searching for ways to increase my strength with ancient methods. I found a few relics, which turned out to be valuable and brought in a lot of money for me.¡± ¡°I used it to learn even more and started expeditions with a few soldiers. I found parts of your language and I started to decipher and learn it, leading to my current knowledge. It turned out that I had talent when it came to languages since I learned it really quickly. I think that I¡¯m quite good, am I not?¡± ¡°Haha, you are, you are,¡± Elena laughed, elbowing his side. Seeing her friendly side, a smile formed on his face, ¡°I¡¯ve been working as a Historian, Linguist, and Translator for the King for five years now. I know eight languages!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice. I¡¯ll see what I can do for your little Kingdom, though I might just leave so don¡¯t get your hopes up,¡± she replied, patting Vince¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Miss Elena, that would be really bad. I request you, to help our Kingdom. I know that it would be dangerous and that I¡¯m asking too much, but please. The Sliton Empire is still new but too powerful. Their Emperor is a maniac, a barbarian! Although their technology is only a little bit ahead of the technology of other Kingdoms and Empires, their population is much greater. When they win a war, they enslave the defeated Kingdoms.¡± ¡°They rape women, kill fathers, literally anything. If they defeat our Kingdom, our cities¡­ our people¡­ I beg you to help us!¡± he bowed down and begged once again. ¡°Hey, hey, you are making a ruckus. People are watching¡­ just stand up. I¡¯ll decide once I heard everything and gathered some more information, but don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s likely that I¡¯ll help you out a bit if nothing else,¡± she replied, waving her hand. ¡°Ah! May the King bless you!¡± Vince shouted, catching everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Haah- let me talk to my friends for a moment. My plans changed a bit,¡± she sighed, turning around. Entering into Audrey¡¯s invisible Wind Barrier, she spoke, ¡°So, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard Vince¡¯s words?¡± ¡°We did. My barrier is one way,¡± Audrey smiled. ¡°Good. His words were honest and it seems like they are liking this King. I can¡¯t just kill a good leader when I decided that I¡¯d kill only bad people. It would go against the morals I¡¯ve set for myself. A few smaller mice can be sacrificed for the greater good, but not the main leader, a King. It would do much more harm than good,¡± Elena said with furrowed brows. ¡°So what¡¯s your point? I have an idea for you,¡± Audrey asked, looking at Jake with a knowing smile. ¡°What? I too have a plan, but I¡¯ll hear you out,¡± she replied, brushing her hand through her black hair. ¡°Jake said that this place seems to be too good to mess up. These people are desperate and are holding together like a big family or clan. So after thinking about it, we thought that this Sliton Empire sounded really vicious instead. What if you changed your playground?¡± Audrey asked, raising her brows, her hands on her hips. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll tell you something. I thought the same thing. I¡¯ll gather some intelligence about that empire and if Vince¡¯s words were really true¡­ I might turn into an evil legend in the future. I have no qualms about killing good people either. I¡¯m a monster, after all. But it¡¯s a fact that I enjoy killing bad people~¡± ¡°Hehe, shall we spank them?¡± Jake asked with a chuckle, raising his fist. ¡°Of course!¡± Elena and Audrey exclaimed, bumping their fists with his. ¡°Ah~ Mass genocide will find its true meaning in my hands. I¡¯ll murder the ¡®Trash¡¯ race,¡± Elena said with an evil smile, licking her lips. ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve just got an idea. I¡¯m sure that this place isn¡¯t the best to learn blade handling, but it¡¯s likely to be better than what I or Audrey know. If we really do help this Kingdom, we could ask for a few professionals to teach us,¡± Elena stomped on the ground, already planning her rewards. ¡°You¡¯ve decided everything, haven¡¯t you? I pity that empire, they¡¯ll die anyway¡­¡± Audrey remarked, shaking her head. ¡°N-No¡­ if Vince didn¡¯t say the truth, which he did, then I won¡¯t attack Sliton Empire, I think.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t sound too convincing,¡± Jake said with a chuckle. Furrowing her brows, Elena looked back and forth between Jake and Audrey. Noticing that Jake was embracing Audrey¡¯s back, a grin splattered on her face. ¡°How lovey-dovey you are. I don¡¯t watch over you only for a minute and you are hugging each other. In the next minute, you¡¯d definitely kiss and in the next, you would have sex, hahaha,¡± she laughed, teasing the both of them. Looking down, Audrey noticed that Jake was holding her all this time. ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t even notice, well, it would be pointless to act all surprised and blushy now, isn¡¯t it? Get over it,¡± Audrey shrugged her shoulders. Seeing Elena¡¯s surprised face, she embraced Jake. Elena didn¡¯t even know that her continuous teasing only made them feel closer to each other as victims of the same person. ¡°Eh? Okay,¡± Elena hung her head, feeling childish upon seeing Audrey¡¯s reaction. I should stop this or I¡¯ll look like an idiot in the future¡­ maybe I look like an idiot now too?! She thought as a feeling of worry welled up in her. --- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 17.3 - The Light is Fading As they were walking through the castle, many guards stopped them and questioned them, but thanks to Vince¡¯s presence, they got through easily. At least, until reaching the innermost area where the King lived and the twelve selectors. The inner-palace was divided into thirteen living quarters, the biggest one in the middle, which was the King¡¯s, and the rest surrounding it. Of course, these living quarters were well separated and each elector had to take care of his or her own safety, though the King set a minimum of five guards per elector as the standard. They stopped numerous assassination attempts before, so the King¡¯s decision proved to be useful. Each living quarter had an area of five hundred square meters, featuring the most advanced technologies, so nobody was lacking in luxury either. A young man who had a smooth face, golden eyes, and golden hair stopped them when they were only a few meters away from the throne room where the King was holding a meeting. Although he too had combat clothes on as the other guards, his suit seemed to be made from much better materials than the guards¡¯. ¡°Stop right there!¡± he shouted, raising his right hand. Elena sensed a bit of his Mana flowing towards his palm, which was pointed at them. ¡°He is the son of one of the electors. Pleases, as I said before¡­¡± Vince whispered into Elena¡¯s ear before stepping forward and bowing his head, ¡°Good day to you, Lord Xander. I brought the Magicians of the other world to the King as per his orders.¡± Easing up, he let down his hand and measured up Elena and her friends, one by one. Furrowing his brows, he said, ¡°I understand that it was his Majesty¡¯s orders, but we should check them at least. What if they planned to attack-¡± before he could continue, Elena used Shadow Step and appeared behind him in a flash. Grabbing his throat from behind, she said with a chuckle, ¡°Oh, dear. I don¡¯t need weapons to kill either of you. Don¡¯t make this scene any bigger than it is or I¡¯ll just walk away. I don¡¯t care about your King even in the slightest.¡± Letting go of him, she appeared beside Audrey once again, and Vince translated her words. Although she didn¡¯t squeeze his throat, the fact that she was able to get behind him in just a moment terrified Xander. He realized that if she had a blade in her hand, even if he knew special movements and had fighting experience, he would be dead by now. Regaining his composure, his frozen face turned into a serious one. ¡°I apologize,¡± he said and stepped to the side. A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face as she patted his shoulder, and walked towards the throne room, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it.¡± As Vince knocked on the door, the servant pulled the plate to the side, which was covering the peephole in the door. ¡°What is it? There is an important conference at the moment,¡± he whispered. ¡°I brought the Mages from the other world,¡± Vince replied shortly. ¡°I¡¯ll notify the King, please wait for the time being,¡± he answered before pulling back the plate. He edged around the circular room and got behind the King¡¯s back to whisper into his ear. After hearing the servant¡¯s words, the King told him to call everyone related inside. Since Acton was the first person who made contact with them, he too was allowed in, even though he couldn¡¯t even talk with them. When entering the room, Elena saw the King on a platform, sitting in his luxurious and comfortable throne. He looked like someone at the age of thirty-five and he had a well-built body, showing that he wasn¡¯t a good for nothing. The top of his head was bald and he had a smooth, hairless face, and he had deep blue eyes. There were twelve other chairs in the throne room and an Elector was sitting in each of them. Some of them had one or two teenagers standing beside them. ¡°I suppose they are their children, then why is that blondie staying outside?¡± Elena whispered as she turned to look at Vince. ¡°It¡¯s because Lord Xander hasn¡¯t earned the right to be present at important conferences since he is a bit hot headed. Once he successfully takes the psychological exam, he too can join,¡± Vince replied as he knelt down in front of the King. ¡°Well said,¡± the King remarked with a smile, surprising everyone. ¡°Surprised? Although I didn¡¯t... tell? it to you, I declared that every Elector and King should learn the Ancient languages in the future. But I¡¯m a bit lacking in that¡­ department, so please translate just in case,¡± the King said with a loud voice, sometimes stopping to think about his next words. A few of the Electors were angry with Elena and the rest of the group since they didn¡¯t kneel, but they didn¡¯t want to make a fool out of themselves by stuttering to pronounce each word and think for seconds, so they stayed silent. Let¡¯s see. Should I show my carefree side or my disciplined side? The first would show my strength and self-confidence, especially if I show them something, while the second would make me look more dependable. If I want business the second would be better, if I just want a temporary relationship, then the first is better. The only problem is that they might try to rely more on me in the future.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Well, I can just turn them down, Elena thought over her possibilities and the possible results, her eyes measuring up everyone in the room. I¡¯ll go the middle way and use the benefit of the doubt. Straightening her back, she crossed her arms in front of her chest as her shadows spread out and connected with every people. Shady arms ran up on their bodies and grabbed their throats, the King no exception. The guards in the back jumped forward and pointed their guns at Elena. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve got a few interesting spells. Don¡¯t get offended since I have no intention of harming you, it was just an example,¡± she said with a smile as her shadow returned to its normal shape. ¡°Before we start any kind of discussion, I¡¯d like to share my standpoints. I and my group are self-proclaimed trash cleaners. It is definitely arrogant, but anyone I find unworthy of life, we will kill, even if other people are telling me that he or she is a good person. Based on what I¡¯ve heard, this Sliton Empire is full of such people, which happens to be a good thing for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d take care of them either way, but since our goals are overlapping, I¡¯d request a few simple rewards. One. I need a tutor who can help me train my skills with blades. Let¡¯s add the weapons of your world to the list as well. Two. I need all of you present to make an Oath, stating that if anyone asks, you will say that I¡¯ve come from this planet and from this Kingdom. Good or bad, you can think of any kind of backstory. I also need information about Sliton Empire, so I request you to share what you know with me.¡± As she finished talking, only Vince¡¯s murmuring could be heard as he translated her last words. Silence hit the throne room as everyone looked at Elena. Furrowing his brows, the King said, ¡°So you are telling me that you want the things you mentioned before, and in turn, you will take care of the Sliton Empire, whatever that means. But if we don¡¯t do anything, you will still take care of our enemies, right?¡± After Vince translated his words, Elena nodded her head, ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course, I¡¯d advise you to accept my request,¡± she replied, showing a bright smile, which filled the King¡¯s heart with a feeling of dread. Clearing his throat, he said, ¡°I won¡¯t blame you for your little showcase beforehand, but I can¡¯t reward you when there is nothing done. If you can really help us out, I intend to reward you with much more than those simple things you requested. Since you are looking for vicious people, I can give you a list, which would also happen to contain the names of numerous Generals and even the King. I¡¯ll also add a list of their wrongdoings if that¡¯s what you are desiring.¡± Clapping her hand, Elena exclaimed, ¡°That would be great! Where should I stay until that list is finished? Oh, but note that I don¡¯t take anything for granted. If I find out that your list contains names of people who aren¡¯t my targets, you will have to pay a heavy price. You, don¡¯t jump the gun. I don¡¯t care whether he is a King or a peasant. I don¡¯t care about your ranks either,¡± she pointed at the Electors upon seeing them standing up with enraged faces. ¡°You- you called his majesty a peasant?!¡± One of them cried out, clenching his fists. ¡°You are loved so much, how intriguing,¡± she said with a smile, looking at the King. ¡°Haha, I can¡¯t complain,¡± he replied, wearing an amused expression. After making a thoughtful face, he said, ¡°You can stay in a guest room in the palace or I can send a servant to reserve a hotel room for you.¡± Placing her hand on her chin, Elena said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the palace. I haven¡¯t had the chance to see this kind of place before.¡± ¡°You may leav-¡± before he could finish his sentence, he noticed that they were nowhere to be seen. Looking around he noticed the Electors¡¯ gazes. Feeling a little embarrassed, he cleared his throat as he said to the servant beside him, ¡°Send a servant after them who will lead them to a free room.¡± Bowing his head, the servant quickly left the throne room. ¡°Your Majesty, isn¡¯t your decision a bit rash?¡± one of the Electors asked, with a tinge of worry in his voice. ¡°I understand your worry, Vadim, but if you think about it, I didn¡¯t offer them anything other than three guest rooms. If they manage to kill even just a few key figures, they will do us a huge favor. If they lose their generals, there will be nobody to control that animalistic Empire and we can easily wipe out their forces.¡± ¡°Cutting off the head of the snake, haha. I understand,¡± Vadim replied. ¡°Yes. In case they stay alive and return, I won¡¯t mind rewarding them and I¡¯m sure that neither of you is against it. But to be honest, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t control these people, no matter how hard we tried. Their abilities seem to be overwhelming. Acton and Vince, could you fill us on in this matter? Also, why are you bloody?¡± Nodding his head, Vince stepped forward. ¡°I had the luck to communicate with them quite a lot. The power they showed us could be a devastating force against the Sliton Empire and I¡¯m afraid our guns wouldn¡¯t work against them. The good news is that they are quite easy to get along with and I believe that unless provoked, they wouldn¡¯t attack our Kingdom.¡± ¡°I got covered in blood when she killed two Skydiving Hawks with a simple dagger and their blood splattered on us, though they cleaned themselves with their Magic! On a side note, I¡¯d like to remark that this isn¡¯t the full group. They can use Necromancy too, which seems to be a normal thing for them, and they have a black panther as their company.¡± ¡°He can speak¡­ and he has numerous forms. In fact, he is intelligent and I¡¯m afraid, he might be one of the most dangerous member of the group. The black haired girl, Elena, tends to listen to his words, so I¡¯m not sure about the true leader of their group. That¡¯s all I know. If your Majesty wishes, I¡¯ll write a detailed explanation of the events.¡± Nodding his head, Hector said with a smile, ¡°That would be great. You may leave. I¡¯ll reward you later for your services.¡± Bowing down, Vince turned around and left the throne room. --- When the servant left the throne room, he saw Elena and co. standing right in front of the door. She wanted to leave before the King could finish his sentence, just to show that she was doing whatever she wanted. Realizing this, the servant shook his head and led them towards three neighboring guest rooms. Elena entered her room and jumped on the huge bed. She bounced on the soft mattress before slumping into it. ¡°Ah~ this is really great. I¡¯ve never laid on a bed this good. I¡¯ll definitely push this into my storage ring, one way or the other!¡± Hearing the door creaking, she looked up, only to see Audrey and Jake. ¡°We should go and check on Dred,¡± Elena said as she jumped up and walked past them. ¡°We were about to tell you that,¡± Jake said with a chuckle and followed her. Turning into their shadow forms, they left the city in a short time. After finding the clearing, they didn¡¯t see even a single soul. Using her Sense, Elena found Dred¡¯s presence. There was a big rock in the forest. ¡°Yo!¡± Elena said as she got on its other side, but her face turned white in the next moment¡­ Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 17.4 - The Light is Fading Dred¡¯s mouth was covered in blood and Cor was lying on the ground beside him, unmoving. There was barely any light in Dred¡¯s eyes as he looked up at Elena. Elena got on her knees and leaned closer to Dred to examine his condition. ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asked, her voice and hands shaking. After using Inspect on him, her mouth opened wide. ¡°Curse of Necro? Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± her face turned even paler as her eyes turned blurred. Standing up, she kicked Dred¡¯s side. ¡°Fuck you! And here I was worrying myself to the death!¡± she shouted. The curse of the necro was a very weak curse, though nasty. It was dangerous only if there was nobody who knew how to use Light Magic else it could be cured in the blink of an eye. Since Dred knew Light Magic, she realized that he wasn¡¯t in danger, even for a moment. As soon as Elena realized that Dred was playing a prank on her, she looked around, only to notice the corpse of an animal not far behind him. ¡°It¡¯s not even your blood, is it?¡± she asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°Ouch¡­ no, I used the blood of that animal. I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t think that you would take it so much to your heart. But I was in the wrong,¡± he replied as he transformed into his demon form and rubbed his aching side. Resting her forehead on the big rock beside Dred, she closed her eyes and sighed loudly, holding her chest. Raising her head, she looked at Dred with anger in her eyes, ¡°Screw you, idiot!¡± she shouted, kicking the big rock with full strength, making it crumble and shatter into splinters. Pointing at Dred, her lips opened but no words came out. Stomping on the ground, she turned around and walked away, cursing at Dred. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that¡­¡± Audrey remarked, furrowing her brows and shaking her head. Dred looked at Jake, who just confirmed Audrey¡¯s words with his eyes, but said nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll go and apologize again,¡± Dred hung his head. ¡°You should,¡± Jake sighed loudly, adding, ¡°You really scared her¡­ or to be more exact, not just her but everyone. You are a part of our team. Better said, you are a leader of our team, so you shouldn¡¯t do these kinds of things in the future. If not for knowing you, I¡¯d have lost a bit of my trust in you after this.¡± ¡°When I was in the military back on Kriton, not one soldier did something like this and it¡¯s not without a reason. Pranks like these can easily make people lose their trust in you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you understand, but I also understand that I screwed up real bad this time. Elena will probably hold a grudge against me for this and so will you. I can¡¯t say anything other than sorry,¡± Dred muttered as he left. ¡°Haah- I won¡¯t hold it against you, but Elena might be different. We haven¡¯t had any arguments before this, so I don¡¯t know how she handles them,¡± he commented in a low voice, the wind taking his words into Dred¡¯s ears. After walking for a few minutes, he found her sitting beside a small puddle, throwing small rocks into it. Sitting down beside Elena, he stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°I deeply apologize for my prank. It was utterly stupid, but I can¡¯t undo it. I swear that I¡¯ll never do this again.¡± She looked at him from the corner of her eyes before turning back to the puddle. Dred looked around with more care, only to notice the upturned trees, which were broken in half. ¡°You must hate me now,¡± he sighed loudly. Turning to look at him, Elena punched one of his horns, almost breaking it off. As the energy of her punch rushed through his whole body, his muscles stiffened up from the pain he felt for a moment. ¡°Ugh¡­ I deserved that.¡± Elena stayed silent for several long minutes, but seeing that Dred wasn¡¯t leaving and was trying to make up for his mistake, she thought, I shouldn¡¯t make this any bigger. Not just for me but for our team either. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± she muttered. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me. You aren¡¯t like this, are you? Tell me why you did it!¡± she asked once again, turning even angrier after hearing his reply. ¡°I¡­ Haah- okay,¡± he sighed loudly as he looked at the sky. ¡°You know, whatever I¡¯m blabbering, this group is perfectly fine without me too. I felt a bit needless beside you, so I wanted to see your reaction. I had that ¡®What if¡¯ feeling. I mean, we were born together and stuff, but we know each other the least. We only understand each other. I don¡¯t even know what I am to you or what you are to me. We were just dumped in some random forest and we were supposed to destroy the fucking Universe! Isn¡¯t that questionable? Our reason to live?¡± he questioned, turning to look into her eyes. ¡°It is, and so what? Even if it sounds evil or questionable, I am interested in it. I want to see the real concept beyond this ¡®mission¡¯ we have. I want to experience and realize why it is a good thing to ¡®reset¡¯ everything. And do you think that it was a good idea to find out if we cared about you in this way?¡± she asked, her voice somewhat calmer, but still angry. Dred¡¯s eyes opened wide as realization dawned on him. ¡°It wasn¡¯t and I wasn¡¯t thinking, I¡¯m sorry. I shut out everyone and kept my troubles to myself, while you shared them with me. Now I feel as if I betrayed you¡­¡± ¡°Is that why you have been so silent for such a long time?¡± she asked, raising a brow. ¡°Yes. I saw you getting along with the humans, then turning two people into your blood servants, then we destroyed the same community. It made no sense! Everything felt questionable!¡± he shouted, flailing his arms. Calming down, he slumped his shoulders as he continued, ¡°But I didn¡¯t want to bother you with my thoughts, so I kept silent and just did what you said. You made a decision and changed our mission for the better. I took a liking to your concept since it made more sense to me, but I was still just a puppet who followed you. I was born to be your shadow.¡± ¡°Then do something to change it. Look at the sun, it casts its light on me. And do you see the shadow behind my back? You can join it if you feel like it, but be your own lord. You don''t have to be what you were born for. At least, that¡¯s what I believe in,¡± she replied with a smile. Dred hung his head, his mind filled with Elena¡¯s words, his thoughts swirling in his mind. Looking at the puddle, Elena continued, ¡°You know, this prank of yours made me realize something. We were born together and we have been together ever since. We took that for granted, but either you or I could die in the future, which I really don¡¯t want to experience. Do you have any idea how scared I felt when I found you? My chest cramped and my heart was beating in my ears!¡± ¡°From now on, please think about our emotions too and try to understand us and our motives. Pranks like these will destroy the good mood and change our convergence for the worse. I too am at fault for not noticing how you felt-¡± Raising his hand, Dred interrupted her, ¡°No. You shouldn¡¯t watch out for everyone¡¯s emotional state alone. I should have done this differently. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Fine then, but let me continue. Why did you even think that we don¡¯t need you?¡± she asked with her brows raised, tilting her head to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t- Okay, I know just don¡¯t look at me like that. Mention just one moment to me when you really needed my help.¡± ¡°There is none, but it¡¯s true to Audrey and Jake too. I could have done everything alone, but it¡¯s easier if we do it together, isn¡¯t it? It took much less time this way,¡± she replied, furrowing her brows. ¡°You have a point there. I guess I¡¯m just an asshole,¡± he sighed loudly. Elena chuckled upon hearing his words. Tilting his head to the side, he said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry? You don¡¯t seem to be angry anymore. I thought for sure that you would hold a grudge.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still a bit angry, but I¡¯ll get over it. You see, it¡¯s really interesting that we knew each other the least from our group of four since you rarely talked or shared your thoughts and emotions with us. I know much more about you after this conversation we had,¡± she replied with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°I know, you are more active nowadays,¡± she nodded her head. ¡°Haah- don¡¯t you dare to scare me so much ever again. You are the only person who can understand me completely. What would I do without you? Stupid,¡± she asked, flicking his scale covered forehead. Looking into his eyes, she said, ¡°I should have kicked you much harder.¡± ¡°You should have.¡± ¡°I should have punched your face instead.¡± ¡°Yes, you should have,¡± Dred agreed with everything. ¡°Do you want to?¡± he asked, showing the side of his face to her. ¡°No.¡± Hearing her reply, Dred didn¡¯t say anything and just looked into her eyes for a few seconds. Leaning forward, he embraced her and pulled her into his bosom. He felt her arms coiling around his back. ¡°You are utterly stupid,¡± she said. Chuckling, Dred replied, ¡°I am. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°You should be. I won¡¯t forgive this, so make sure to make up for it in the future.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± he mumbled as he caressed the back of Elena¡¯s head. After staying that way for a minute, Elena pushed him away and stood up, dusting off her butt. Holding out her hand. As Dred took it and stood up, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, bro. We have a few things to discuss and I want to see Cor¡¯s evolution too.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°...¡± What the hell? Why did it feel so wrong from her lips? It¡¯s just¡­ strange, Dred thought. ¡°No, it¡¯s just no good. I can¡¯t call you bro, haha,¡± Elena shook her head, thinking the same as Dred. ¡°I guess we will need more time to find out what kind of relation there is between the two of us.¡± ¡°Yeah. Also, I¡¯ll apologize to Audrey and Jake first,¡± Dred agreed with her. When they returned to their original position, he saw them sitting on the ground, resting their backs on the trunk of a tree, strangely silent and unmoving. Stopping in front of them, he bowed down and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Audrey and Jake made surprised faces, along with Elena. Seeing that the mood was tense, Elena said, ¡°You bowed down to them but not to me? Haah?¡± ¡°You are a special case, so I-¡± Dred started but Elena interrupted him. ¡°No. I want you to bow down to me, you peasant!¡± she exclaimed, sticking out her chest and pointing at the ground in front of him. Everyone laughed at her words, knowing that she was just joking. Seeing that everyone felt better, Jake said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel angry anymore, but please refrain from doing this in the future. I¡¯ll get angry with you if you get hurt! Haha.¡± ¡°You seem to be strangely understanding with me. What about you, Audrey?¡± Dred asked with furrowed brows, feeling suspicious. ¡°N-nothing¡­¡± she replied. ¡°Oh, they were listening in on our conversation,¡± Elena answered Dred¡¯s confusion. ¡°...¡± ¡°Hahaha, what are you talking about? Anyway, let¡¯s talk about more serious things,¡± Jake said with an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. ¡°...¡± Dred stayed silent and shook his head, but he couldn¡¯t hide the grin splattered on his face. --- ¡°Right. When we entered the palace-¡± Elena explained everything to Dred from the beginning till the end. When she finished, Dred agreed with her and a few minutes later, Cor showed signs of awakening too. With the help of Dark Magic, she tried to turn Cor¡¯s clothes into dust, but her Magic didn¡¯t have any effect, which surprised her a great deal. ¡°Now, that¡¯s what I call strange. I don¡¯t think that his resistance is so powerful, considering how weak he is compared to us. It must be his clothes,¡± she muttered. Cor sat up with wide opened eyes, panting heavily. ¡°Huh? This felt way too alive,¡± he said as he calmed down and returned to his original state. Not. The whites of his eyes, which were red before, turned black. His irises stayed red as before and he kept his white hair too. Grabbing his shirt, Elena pulled it up and looked at his chest. ¡°Hey, hey, lady, I understand that your heart is beating rapidly for me, but I don¡¯t have such feelings. But I could have a taste of your Mana filled body~¡± Cor said with a chuckle. ¡°Shaddap, I was just checking what kind of role you¡¯ve got. You are the monster who dances, which is what I needed.¡± ¡°A dancer?¡± Jake asked, raising a brow. Audrey looked at him, holding her forehead, ¡°It obviously doesn''t mean a real dancer, don¡¯t be stupid.¡± ¡°I- I knew it¡­¡± he said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Hahaha, you are so silly. Anyway, this type has great defensive methods, but weak when it comes to attacking. In short, he is similar to a training dummy, very durable¡­ Once we upgrade your level and abilities, you¡¯ll make a great tank with that skinny body of yours,¡± Elena patted his shoulders. ¡°Eh? This doesn¡¯t sound too good for some reason. But I hope that you will still help me find my past, though I don¡¯t care as much about it as before for some reason,¡± he muttered at the end, his hand under his chin. ¡°It¡¯s because you became Dred¡¯s blood servant. You¡¯ll be more interested in him and his goals than in your own from now on. But we made a deal, so we¡¯ll definitely help you,¡± she replied, helping him up. ¡°That¡¯s really nasty. You didn¡¯t tell this to me before,¡± he said with furrowed brows, looking at Dred. ¡°I don¡¯t think that it would have changed anything. You just accepted your role easier this way,¡± Dred said, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Wait, who are you? Where is that panther?¡± ¡°I¡¯m that panther, but I didn¡¯t show you this form of mine before,¡± Dred answered as he turned into his true form. ¡°Oh! I understand.¡± ¡°When you finished chatting, could we talk about your classes?¡± Elena asked, her voice barely hiding how excited she was. ¡°A-Alright, there is no need to get overexcited,¡± Cor held up his hands. Thanks to drinking Dred¡¯s blood, he understood much more about how the world worked. ¡°Classes.¡±
Classes
Necromancer (Common) This class uses undead creatures to fight, combined with Dark Magic. In your case, it would increase the power of your body.
Guardian (Common) This class excels in defensive spells and skills and is good at melee combat too.
Forsaken (Epic) This class needs unique conditions to be unlocked. It focuses on defensive methods.
¡°The Forsaken one protects those who found his lonely soul,¡± Elena muttered as she looked at Cor¡¯s frozen face. ¡°Did you remember something?¡± she asked. ¡°No, but that word fills my heart with a sad feeling. I- I don¡¯t know who I am,¡± Cor replied with a small stutter, picking the Forsaken class without waiting for anyone¡¯s recommendation. In normal cases, people unlocked Common classes at first and as they grew in power, they unlocked more powerful Uncommon, Epic, or in some rare cases Legendary classes. But thanks to being a blood servant of Elena, it wasn¡¯t strange to see an Epic ranked class in his list. If not for his unknown past, Cor surely would have got another Epic ranked class, instead of Forsaken. ¡°Specialization,¡± he muttered, his voice devoid of emotion, unlike before.
Untouchable Hollow Shell
You have been Forsaken once and you don¡¯t want anyone to touch you. This specialization will help you in escaping any kind of attack. Additional Skill: Ethereal. You are empty, why not make everyone and everything else empty? Additional Spell: Absolute Zero. Like a turtle and its shell, you can protect yourself and those who you deem important. Additional Spell: Shell.
¡°I have a shell already, I don¡¯t need another one. You said that you need somebody who is good at defensive methods and Untouchable sounds like something a coward would use. Hollow it is,¡± Cor quickly thought over his possibilities and picked Hollow. Elena didn¡¯t say anything since she not only wanted to leave it to him, she also agreed with him. The weirdest thing was that skills and spells given by classes and specializations weren¡¯t necessarily logical. It was an odd thing, considering that any spell or skill people created made sense. So in some cases, the system provided people with illogical and questionable skills and spells.
Forsaken (Epic)
Lv. Untouchable Hollow Shell
10 Ethereal: This skill can turn your body into a non-material form for five seconds every thirty seconds. Nothing can damage you while in this state. Absolute Zero: This spell can nullify one Spell or Skill every ten minutes. If a Skill was nullified, it won¡¯t be usable again for five minutes. Shell: You can form a Shell around your whole body, increasing your defense a great deal. This Spell can be cast on other targets too, but only one can be active at a time.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s a really handy spell. Now then, show me your status,¡± Elena said. Nodding his head, Cor showed his table to everyone.
Name: Cor Race: Wraith King
Level: 92 EXP: 4567 / 4800
Class: Forsaken (Epic) Specialization: Hollow
Health: 164 770 / 164 770 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: Blood Servant; The Forsaken One
Strength: 29 853 Vitality: 32 954
Agility: 25 679 Will: 60
Intelligence: 25 689 Wisdom: 27 853
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.28 (23%); Water Lv.26 (43%); Wind Lv.34 (41%); Lightning Lv.33 (61%); Nature Lv.31 (51%); Earth Lv.30 (7%); Light Lv.10 (3%); Dark Lv.43 (6%); Cosmological Constant: Lv. 1 (5%) Resistances: Magical: 27 853 (+3033) Physical: 14 926 (+1625) Passive: Stamina: 164 770 Precision: 128 395
Skills/Spells: Mana Control Lv. 40 (32%) Meditation Lv. 43 (17%) Sense Lv. 41 (74%) Body Enchantment Lv. 35 (25%) Necromancy Lv. 30 (63%) Absolute Zero Lv. 0 (1%) Racial Skills: Resistant Lv. 10 (89%) Necro Bite Lv. 5 (32%) Inherited: Minor Devour Lv. 7 (55%) Shadow Form Lv. 52 (23%) ShadowStep Lv. 31 (20%)
¡°Oh? Your race has a great resistance ability. That will come in handy,¡± she said with a smirk, filling Cor¡¯s heart with a feeling of dread. ¡°I think that it¡¯s for the best that I don¡¯t have a sense of pain¡­¡± he gulped loudly. ¡°Definitely,¡± Elena replied with a smile. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back to the castle for now. Who will stay out of this mission and train Cor while we take care of the other Empire?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like beating up a dead person,¡± Audrey said with a shrug of her shoulders. Elena, Dred, and Audrey looked at Jake. ¡°Fine¡­ but don¡¯t you dare to die,¡± he hung his head. ¡°I think that I¡¯ll hate you in the future,¡± Cor remarked, looking at Jake. ¡°What? But it¡¯s not like I want to beat you up or anything. It¡¯s for your sake and for the team!¡± he exclaimed, feeling wronged. ¡°Like anyone would believe that¡­¡± everyone said at the same time. Dred transformed into his Wyvern form and flew towards the city to get the list they requested. Cracking his fingers, Jake walked towards Cor. ¡°Let¡¯s increase that resistance of yours. We will go in cycles. Beating up, meditation, body training, meditation, beating up.¡± ¡°What about resting?¡± ¡°Dead people don¡¯t rest.¡± ¡°... Fuck this shit,¡± Cor cursed out loud before crashing into a tree. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 18.1 - The Weapons are Inspiring The Weapons are Inspiring Dred flew towards the palace, ignoring the artilleries that were pointed at him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move on the ground instead?¡± Elena asked with a frown, feeling a little threatened. ¡°No, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Dred replied as he flapped his wing and picked up his pace. ¡°Don¡¯t become hot-headed after our taaaalk!¡± Elena shouted, but the strong wind blew her voice away. ¡°Haha, I won¡¯t. Are you really not angry with me anymore? I wouldn¡¯t want that,¡± he asked as he spun in the air and evaded a rocket. It blew up in the air, covering a large area in fire, but since it wasn¡¯t controlled by anything but nature, Elena easily took control over it. ¡°I¡¯m not because you had your own reasons. Luckily for you, I¡¯m a very understanding woman, though your prank still makes me annoyed whenever I think about it,¡± she replied as Dred slowed down and flew only a few meters above the tall buildings. ¡°This feels very dangerous¡­¡± Audrey whispered, her face pale. ¡°But I can sit on your back!¡± she added, patting Dred¡¯s scales. ¡°It¡¯s a gift of apology,¡± Dred commented, his eyes checking his surroundings in every moment. His instincts screamed at him, so he raised his height. A blue line of laser went past his original position and shot far away. ¡°This will be a rough landing!¡± he shouted with a chuckle, transforming into his panther form when only a few meters away from the wall of the palace. They somersaulted in the air and Dred was the first to land on the top of the wall. Elena fell on his back and caught Audrey in a Princess Carry. ¡°No, I¡¯m dropping this wife,¡± Elena said as she let go of her, making her slide down from Dred¡¯s back. ¡°Ouch! You bitch!¡± she cursed out as she landed on her buttocks. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you off when I rejoin with Jake! Damn it, you are bullying me every time we are alone!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re just so cute,¡± Elena held her face, ignoring the gathering guards around them. ¡°Muh!¡± Audrey stomped on the ground and climbed back up onto Dred¡¯s back and pinched Elena¡¯s back. Her back arched as she hissed from the sudden pain. Feeling satisfied with the result, Audrey repeated her movement two times. ¡°Ah! Stop already! My back will be black and blue! I¡¯m sorry, okay? Ugh¡­¡± Elena pleaded, rubbing her sore spots. ¡°I¡¯ll pinch you three times after every prank you make from now on!¡± Audrey announced her decision. ---- Hector was in his office talking with the General, called Salem. ¡°Report on every front, how is the battle going and where should I go?¡± Hector asked with furrowed brows as he leaned forward in his throne-like, dark brown armchair and crossed his fingers. ¡°Since the opening of the portal, the A front collapsed completely. We are prepared for their attack, but they aren¡¯t making a move. Our snipers reported sightings of people high up in the portal, but none of them came down up till now. We don¡¯t know what to expect,¡± Salem replied with a frown on his face. ¡°The B front is in a dire state, we have heavy losses since they have a huge number advantage and they are organized enough to live through my tricks. The C-¡± the knocks on the door interrupted his words, annoying both him and Hector. ¡°I hope that it¡¯s very important,¡± Hector shouted at the guard who just barged in, panting heavily. ¡°My apologies, but a huge flying creature appeared and landed on the wall of the palace,¡± the guard said since that was the last thing he saw. Hector pulled out a pen-sized black rod and a holographic screen appeared in front of him. Noticing Elena sitting on Dred¡¯s back, he realized who were the ¡®intruders¡¯. ¡°Just lead them here,¡± he replied with a nod of his head. As the guard left, Hector said, ¡°Now you can meet the people I mentioned before. Be careful how you deal with them. They prefer simple speech, no need for titles. If my instincts are correct, our victory might be in their hands.¡± ¡°I understand, my King,¡± Salem bowed down. ¡°Heyho!¡± Elena sprung open the door. Seeing her behavior, Salem raised his brows as he looked at his King. ¡°Why the raised brows? I just greeted you~ haha,¡± she mused as she appeared beside Salem without his notice. His eyes darted around the room to notice her, but Elena pinched his right arm before he could look her way. When he looked back up, she was standing in front of the King¡¯s table, Audrey and Dred beside him. ¡°W-What is this huge panther?¡± Hector asked with a stiff face, finding his office cramped all of a sudden. ¡°I¡¯m Dred,¡± he replied. ¡°Could you give me that list? I¡¯d like to go. We can come back and visit you at a later time,¡± Elena questioned as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Yes, we have it ready,¡± Hector replied as he threw a pen-sized black rod towards her. Catching it, she examined it before asking, ¡°How do I use it?¡± ¡°Just press the button on its tip,¡± Hector pointed at it. As she pressed it, a holographic list appeared in front of her, showing many names with descriptions of their wrongdoings under them. ¡°This is really detailed. Rape, rape, rape, torturing for enjoyment, child abuse, beating up common people for enjoyment, and a lot more. There is really everything on this list¡­¡± she read aloud, furrowing her brows. Waving her hand, she turned around and walked towards the door, reading the descriptions, ¡°See you later!¡± her voice resounded in the room. Dred transformed into his Wyvern form when they reached the yard. After Elena and Audrey sat on his back, he flew into the air, towards the Sliton Empire. ¡°How nice, they gave us a map too,¡± Audrey muttered as she scrolled to the bottom of the list. Red dots were marking house of each target, making their job much easier. Of course, there were many who had their locations unknown. ¡°I guess those are the targets they tried to assassinate before,¡± Dred remarked as he spat a bolt of lightning towards a Skydiving Hawk in front of him. The monster fell to the ground, its feathers and skin scorched. Since the capital city of Drung Kingdom was quite close to the borders of the new Sliton Empire, they reached it in just twenty minutes on Dred¡¯s back. But their road would take a few hours, so Elena and Audrey closed their eyes to meditate.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The sky was dark by the time they reached the capital city. Dred landed not far away from the city and proceeded forward on the ground. ¡°They probably have some kind of sensors so we should sneak in using our Shadow Forms. Also, you two should cover your heads like me since we don¡¯t know how women are handled in this ¡®savage¡¯ empire,¡± Dred advised as he turned into his Demon form and his shadows formed a dark hoodie around his head. With the help of Dark Magic, not even his face was visible. Nodding their heads, Elena and Audrey did the same. Their group of three trod through the dark roads, rarely seeing people so late in the night. ¡°How do we go on about this? We could try to look for information, but I¡¯m pretty sure that we would be found out very soon. I believe that people have things in their homes, related to their hobbies,¡± Dred pointed out. ¡°Are you saying that we should go and check our targets¡¯ homes at first?¡± Audrey asked for confirmation. Nodding his head, Dred didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I think so,¡± Elena agreed with him. Looking at the map, she mumbled, ¡°Let¡¯s see, the nearest one is about a kilometer away. Damn it, this city is huge. Let¡¯s move quickly, we should change this Kingdom quickly or Sally and other people might visit this place.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t forget those people from the capital city, they were surely powerful Magicians. This place is really bad for us since everybody is so weak and we are getting used to it,¡± Audrey commented, raising a finger. ¡°Yes, but we need to do this if we don¡¯t want to get between Atelon King and Bethor. With this, our relationship with Bethor might change for the better in the future! I don¡¯t want a powerful city Lord and a King to hunt me at the same time when we are still weaker,¡± Elena said with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s not funny¡­¡± Audrey commented, shaking her head. A big mansion appeared in front of them when they turned a corner. Checking it on the map, it turned out that one of their targets was supposed to live there. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Dred said in a low voice as he fell into the ground in his shadow form and used his Shadow Step to enter the area of the mansion. They went through an opened window on the second floor and found themselves in the middle of a simple bedroom. A young girl laid on the old bed, her blanket dirty. She sat up upon noticing Elena and co. ¡°I won¡¯t scream,¡± she said in a low voice, raising her hands. ¡°You are wise. Who are you?¡± Elena replied with a smile, asking a question in the next moment. ¡°Are you¡­ assassins?¡± she asked with a worried face, clenching her fists. ¡°We are~¡± Audrey mused as she appeared beside her, her short sword ready in case the girl still wanted to scream. ¡°P-Please don¡¯t hurt me! I was captured on the borders of the Prion Kingdom not long ago. I know that you can¡¯t help me, but could you get me out of here? I¡¯d have to be the next girl the Lord could use as his sex slave! I don¡¯t want it to happen, please!¡± she begged as she got on her knees, in front of Audrey. ¡°Do you have a family?¡± Elena asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°I have. I¡¯ll get there somehow. Please, just let me out of this house,¡± she pleaded. Looking into her eyes, Elena saw fear and longing in her eyes. As she tilted her head to the side, Dred grabbed the girl and blinked to the streets with his Shadow Step. ¡°You can run away now, but if you wait a few seconds, you can loot the house and leave with this guy¡¯s money too. It¡¯s up to you,¡± he said before turning around. ¡°Wait! Be careful, the defensive system in the house is very advanced. The window of my room is opened for a reason. It¡¯s the hardest to get in if you go through my room since it is a bait,¡± the girl spilled the beans after being freed. ¡°Haha, clever of you, but it doesn¡¯t matter to us. Your words were more than enough to prove the guiltiness of this guy,¡± he replied with a chuckle, showing his face to the girl. ¡°W-What kind of creature are you?!¡± she asked, her face ashen. Ignoring her question, Dred went back to Elena. ¡°Do we need anything or anyone from this place? It¡¯s easier to just blow it up, along with this disgusting worm,¡± Elena asked with a frown on her face. ¡°What about the innocent women?¡± Audrey asked, raising a brow. ¡°Honestly? I could care about them and save each and every one of them, but for what? For one, I don¡¯t care about a few humans¡¯ lives and I don¡¯t have the time for it either. But to make it fair, I¡¯ll check their state. If they aren¡¯t broken, then I¡¯ll put them on the streets before leaving,¡± Elena commented, giving the cold shoulders. ¡°Eh? But that isn¡¯t any better than killing them off now. They would just starve to the death or their fate would turn even worse,¡± Audrey realized that neither of Elena¡¯s choices was a ¡®good¡¯ one. ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I plan to simply blow this place up. Maybe they are mothers. Maybe they are women who are sought by their husbands yet I¡¯m going to take away their lives. Isn¡¯t it cruel? Moral compasses, ideals, those are the what make up most of our personalities. I could care about each and every victim, but then we wouldn¡¯t finish everything in time. We would be chased by Sally, who probably thinks that we are a part of Atelon¡¯s forces.¡± ¡°They would start an all out war and many people would die in the city. Or, we can ignore these few poor souls and save more ¡®good¡¯ lives in the future with the help of this technology. What do you say? I¡¯ll let you decide,¡± Elena said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting for a reply. ¡°Wait, I never said that I had a problem with it. I just pointed out that it¡¯s a bit against what you stated as your new goal before,¡± Audrey replied, waving her hands in front of her. ¡°Haha, I know, but I never said that I¡¯d care about every soul there is in the world. We are only a group of four-five from now on, after all. I forgot Cor for a moment, hehe,¡± she corrected herself. Shrugging her shoulders, Audrey left the building since they didn¡¯t have to check the reliability of the information they¡¯ve got anymore. Elena and Dred followed her. Audrey closed her eyes and focused on the Mana specks in the world. Using the Eon Element, she propelled it towards a Mana speck, in the middle of the mansion. It went through the walls and split the Mana into two halves. The halves split the nearest Mana specks into two halves, creating a chain reaction. In the blink of an eye, the whole Mansion ¡®dispersed¡¯, along with every life and matter in it. As Audrey clapped her hands, the silent explosion of Mana stopped. Opening her eyes, she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. Her body was covered in sweat from the fear she felt. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s very hard to control this. I almost couldn¡¯t stop it, thanks for helping,¡± she said through gritted teeth, clenching her fists. Although her Mana control is at a high level, if she wanted to stop the chain reaction, she had to control as many Mana specks as many built up the area of the sphere of the explosion. Her spell was indeed devastating, but if not for Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s help from the first moment, it would have blown up the whole Empire or maybe the planet, along with them. ¡°It was exciting to meet death, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Elena asked with a manic laughter. ¡°You are fucking crazy¡­ I won¡¯t use this ever again before I learn full control over Mana,¡± Audrey shook her red head. As they turned around, she looked back one last time and saw the huge crater that stopped only one meter away from their position. With the speed of the Mana splitting explosion, even a delay of a millisecond could have killed all of them. ¡°Overpowered skills, huh? Fuck them all, they aren¡¯t even usable in real combat. I¡¯d just kill myself, along with everyone else. I¡¯ll have to think of simpler spells. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s arrogant of me to think that other Mages don¡¯t know these spells. Maybe they do but nobody can use them because they are terribly hard to control,¡± she mused to herself, following Elena and Dred. Overhearing her words, Elena said, ¡°That¡¯s likely to be the case. And that¡¯s exactly the reason why I¡¯m a bit worried. In fact, we don¡¯t have any real combat spells or skills other than Devour, Shadow Step, the elements, and a few of our Class skills. We do advance quickly, but most people are much older than us when they get to our level and they have more experience and spells in their hands.¡± ¡°Yeah, but Devour is way too powerful, especially in your case. As long as you can draw out the battle, you will win in any case. They will just rot away!¡± Audrey exasperated as she flailed her arms. ¡°Haha, indeed. In case I can¡¯t kill somebody with the first strike and my combat skills aren¡¯t good enough, I just have to prolong the battle until I can Devour them.¡± Shaking his head, Dred commented, ¡°Seriously¡­ you two are complaining about your lack of spells whilst you have Ekilsta and Devour, which is more than enough for you and Audrey is a Mage, who has a shit ton of simple and big spells at her disposal. Other Magicians would definitely skewer you once they learned of your abilities and heard your complaints.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even true¡­ we just¡­ we just like spells!¡± Audrey tried to reason with him but failed miserably. ¡°I can see that.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be such a sore loser. Creating spells is fun!¡± Elena turned on her heels and leaned forward as they reached their next target. ¡°...¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t look at me like that. I didn¡¯t forget your little prank yet,¡± she waved her finger. Dred turned away, clicking his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m still sorry,¡± he mumbled. ¡°How cute~ Alright, let¡¯s see how far my shadows can reach!¡± Elena¡¯s voice echoed on the empty streets as she stomped on the ground. A second later she opened her eyes, ¡°Five hundred meters. I could kill anyone within that area in just the blink of an eye since they have no Magical Resistances. Humm¡­ let¡¯s check the house of this child abusing Colonel!¡± ----- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 18.2 - The Weapons are Inspiring She found herself standing in the Colonel¡¯s bedroom a minute later, clenching her grip on her dagger. ¡°Dred, wake him up,¡± she said through gritted teeth, her face dark. Nodding his head, Dred grabbed the Colonel¡¯s throat and raised him into the air. He woke up with a loud gasp, visibly startled and confused at the turn of events. ¡°Who k- are you?¡± he managed to ask before Dred pushed him on the wall. He flailed his legs and tried to kick Dred, but his meager strength didn¡¯t help him one bit. Vines grew out of Audrey¡¯s palms and coiled around his arms and legs, tying him to the wall. ¡°You like beating up children, don¡¯t you? It must be really fun,¡± Elena said with a cold smile on her face, pulling her finger at the edge of her dagger. ¡°W-What do you want?¡± the Colonel asked, realizing that something was terribly wrong. ¡°Where are my guards? What about my defensive system?¡± Elena pulled out a head from her Storage Ring and grabbed its chin. Opening the dead guard¡¯s mouth, she imitated a male voice, ¡°M-My lord, I¡¯m sorry but I was murdered in cold blood. You are the next, so please don¡¯t scream when they eviscerate you!¡± ¡°You are crazy!¡± the Colonel shouted in the empty house. Stopping in front of the Colonel, Elena pulled the edge of her dagger down the side of his face, cutting him. ¡°Argh! You bitch-¡± he was about to spit, but Elena¡¯s dagger was quicker to penetrate his stomach. Showing a smile, she pulled it towards his left side. She felt as her dagger sliced through his organs, bones, muscles, nerves as if they were butter. Dred stuffed a ball of vines into the Colonel¡¯s mouth before Elena started, drowning his screams. ¡°Oh? What do we have here?¡± Elena asked as she jumped back to evade the contents of his guts and his spraying blood that spilled out. ¡°Ugh, it smells,¡± Audrey commented. Elena was cruel enough to set him free and let him fall into his own soil. He looked down screaming, and grabbed his guts and tried to push them back to their place. ¡°Haha, that won¡¯t help you moron,¡± Elena ridiculed him and kicked him in the face. The sole of her boot broke the front of his skull. Its splinters penetrated his brain before Elena¡¯s foot crushed it completely. Pulling back her leg, she shook it and cleaned it with Water Magic. Turning around, she left his body there, the wall and the ground covered in soil and blood. ¡°Rot in hell, you pig,¡± she muttered as she left the building in a flash. They spent the night checking the people on the list, but they weren¡¯t as lucky as with the first two. Most of the commanders were obviously out on the fronts, commanding the armies. They managed to kill only one-fourth of the list by the time morning came. They also found many pieces of evidence in the empty houses. Elena remembered each and every one of them, who had dirty secrets in their basements¡­ Unfortunately for her, everyone on the list had bad things to hide, just like how she asked the King. ¡°Hector did a good job,¡± Elena muttered as the wind blew against her face. ¡°I¡¯ll fly quicker, hold on,¡± Dred said with a calm voice. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Hector but his servants, I think,¡± Audrey commented just to spend time. ¡°Let¡¯s meditate instead.¡± ¡°You will leave me behind this way,¡± Dred said with a chuckle, not meaning it. They spent the rest of the travel in silence. A few hours later, they reached a battleground. Dred was flying high up in the clear, blue sky. Not even the tall mountains could hide the rising sun. The weather was nice, though the ground completely destroyed the beautiful scenery. There were big craters, holes, upturned trees, large puddles, and long ditches, hiding many soldiers. ¡°We have arrived,¡± Dred notified them and descended towards the canopy of the forest, escaping the soldiers¡¯ eyesights. Finding a clearing, he landed on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s move on foot from this point,¡± he said, checking his surroundings. ¡°You do that,¡± Audrey and Elena said at the same time, barely holding back their laughter. ¡°I could shake you off of my back too¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Audrey pleaded with a nice voice. Dred just shook his head as a reply, staying silent. His paw sunk into the soft, light brown colored ground under them with each step he took. ¡°This is a rather strange terrain,¡± Elena said as she jumped off of Dred¡¯s back and checked the texture of the ground. It was similar to mud but it didn¡¯t contain water. It was just a bit sticky and slimy. Controlling her Mana, she poured it into her boots and felt the ground turn hard under her feet. ¡°It¡¯s working perfectly, I could -hmph- fight with my full strength in this,¡± her eyes glimmered as she jumped back and forth and made a few punching movements to test her boots. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that it was worth the money, but come back up and let¡¯s go instead,¡± Audrey commented, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Aye, aye. I¡¯m going. Can¡¯t wait to see Jake again?¡± Elena waved her hand as she jumped back up. ¡°Well, I got used to his presence and it feels a bit strange that he isn¡¯t here,¡± she admitted, brushing her red hair to the side. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that,¡± Elena chuckled. Dred reached the edge of the forest a few seconds later. Lying down on the ground behind a bush, he observed the bustling humans. There were many tents, simple stone buildings, jeeps, and other military vehicles. ¡°Is that a catapult?¡± Audrey questioned her eyes upon seeing a catapult. It didn¡¯t click in her mind since these people were supposed to have modern technology. ¡°It must be more complex than what your planet had in the old times. This must be their camp. Let¡¯s catch a guy,¡± Elena replied as she stood up and ran towards the camp. The forest and the camp were separated by a long boulder, which ran between the foot of the mountains. Since the forest was on the side of the mountain, they had good sight on the camp, which was between the mountains. The long boulder had a thirty meters tall and twenty meters wide gap in it. Feeling a few presences there, she sneaked up on the soldier. Peeing? Then enjoy this because it will be the last, she thought as she got around the boulder and rested her back on it. Grabbing her own breasts, she said with a smile on her face, licking her lips, ¡°Hello guys, do you want to play?¡± All of them turned around startled. ¡°Who are you?!¡± one of them shouted, but his voice died down in the next second. ¡°Woah, such a beauty. I didn¡¯t have the chance to touch the captured women yet¡­ but you could satisfy me.¡± ¡°Hah? Are you an idiot? She will serve me instead.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What? But you had your way with a woman just yesterday,¡± the same guy stomped on the ground angrily. ¡°Who cares? I¡¯m above you in position. Hehe, who would have thought that taking a piss would have such a pleasurable result as this one!¡± the tall guy whistled as he walked towards Elena, shamelessly leaving his male organ in the shining sun. Hiding her disgust, Elena mused, ¡°Now, now, I¡¯ll play with all of you if you want. Come with me. I don¡¯t think that I could handle more men~¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s the way, girl!¡± the tall guy slapped his chest, feeling excited. Elena swayed her hips as she walked towards the forest. You are lucky because I don¡¯t want to touch you filth, I¡¯d have dragged you away otherwise, she thought as her eyes twitched. I should be better in hiding my annoyance. Haah- another thing to train and try to control¡­ Finding the situation strange, two of the seven stopped in their tracks, ¡°Isn¡¯t this strange? A woman appears out of nowhere without either of us noticing it and she wants to pleasure us in a forest,¡± the guy with red hair asked. ¡°Who are you, woman?¡± his friend, a blondie asked. Sighing loudly, Elena slumped her shoulders, ¡°Why have I even bothered with this if you aren¡¯t brainless cockheads? Just come after me,¡± she tried to play it off as if she didn¡¯t have any evil plans. Shrugging her shoulders, she walked towards the forest. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± the blonde guy raised his hand as he saw three of the guys following her. ¡°What? What could she do? I¡¯m curious of what she wants to show us,¡± one of them replied. ¡°Well, I too am a bit curious, but it could be dangerous,¡± the redhead commented, placing his hand on his gun. ¡°Come on, we have guns while she is unarmed,¡± the tall guy said as he went after Elena, ridiculing the others, ¡°Haha, you are just pussies. I¡¯m gonna hog her all to myself.¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t plan to back off, the blondie and the redhead nodded their heads and followed after Elena, their hands on their guns. After walking for thirty seconds, she stopped and turned around. ¡°Well, you really fucked up since you still came. Curiosity killed the cat, is it? Is that how the saying goes, Audrey?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. Long and thick vines sprung out of the ground and tied all seven of them to a tree. As Elena snapped her fingers, a Wind Barrier appeared around them, hiding their voices. ¡°Alright, now nobody will hear or see you. Can I have a few questions? I might be nice to you if you reply,¡± she asked, showing her white teeth. ¡°Let go of me, bitch!¡± The tall guy shouted. Dred appeared in front of him and punched him in the stomach. As he stepped back, the tall guy threw up the contents of his stomach. His spit hung down from the sides of his lips. ¡°Please don¡¯t talk if you are just going to waste our time. The next one will penetrate your stomach,¡± Dred said whilst cracking his fingers. ¡°W-What the hell are you?¡± the same guy asked with gritted teeth, seeing his ¡®strange¡¯ looks. Ignoring his question, Elena swung her arm and summoned a Wind Blade. It cut a tree into two halves. Sitting down on its trunk, she crossed her left leg over the other and continued, ¡°To start off things, you are here to give me information, while I¡¯m here to destroy this empire. I killed most of the generals and commanders in the capital city last night. Just to clarify things, nobody on this planet could stop me. Your meager weapons won¡¯t work on me either,¡± she said, waving her hand. Dred pulled out the tall guy¡¯s handgun and pointed it at Elena. Pulling the trigger, a light blue light shone and shot towards Elena. It went through her shady form and blew up the ground behind her. She turned back into her normal form and smiled at the soldiers. Intimidation is done~ she thought, seeing their faces. ¡°No matter how big of an explosion you make, it will hurt neither me nor my friends. Your Empire is doomed, so if you want to stay alive, then try to answer my questions. Firstly, where is the Emperor since I couldn¡¯t find him in his castle? Secondly, one of you should tell me more about the Empire. How was it created, by who, for what purpose, what is its goal? Lastly, where can I find your General or anything that could tell me the location of every military leader,¡± she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Their reply was complete silence. ¡°Ah, why are you making it harder for yourself? I don¡¯t think that this Empire is worth it for you,¡± she chuckled as she stood up and walked towards the tall guy, her bloodlust filling the area. The simple humans didn¡¯t understand what was happening. All they felt was terrible fear and their trembling bodies. As Elena got closer and closer, the tall guy started sweating more and more. ¡°You wanted my body so much, right? A horny little puppy you are, aren¡¯t you? Answer my questions,¡± she chuckled, pressing the tip of her dagger against his crotch. ¡°Hiii, fine, fine! I¡¯ll talk, but please don¡¯t do it! Alright?¡± he shouted with a despaired face. ¡°Haha, you are such a good boy,¡± she replied, pulling back her dagger. ¡°Before you say anything, swear to me that you aren¡¯t going to lie or you shall lose your life,¡± she added, trying to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t lie. Nodding his head, he took an oath. ¡°I¡¯m just a simple soldier, so I don¡¯t know much about the Emperor¡¯s location. You should ask somebody with a higher rank than me. This Empire was founded by the current emperor, who was a noble originally but rebelled against his King. After overthrowing him, he became the next King and started focusing on manufacturing weapons.¡± ¡°His hobby was to capture beautiful women and make them into his sex slaves. He has been doing it on a larger scale after becoming the Emperor. The Empire was created since our Emperor wanted to be in control. He is very scary and doesn¡¯t accept mistakes. He declared that he wanted to reach world domination and become the sole Emperor of this planet.¡± ¡°Many of us laughed at his goals when he declared it, but as you can see, we are doing great.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Audrey asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°It¡¯s because when we attacked the first Kingdom, it turned out that the Emperor had spies in it, who captured many women and children before leaving. Later on, we sent pictures of their naked, unhurt bodies, stating that if they fight, they will be killed. It was our easiest victory ever¡­ But most of the soldiers of that fallen Kingdom still obeyed the Emperor¡¯s words since their family members were captured.¡± ¡°Some of them are still a part of our forces, though most of them were killed by now. Now the Emperor is training children into obedient soldiers, like these two,¡± he clicked his tongue, looking at the redhead and blond haired guy. They barely looked older than eighteen years old yet they seemed to have the right mindset for a soldier. As Elena¡¯s eyes met theirs, she too felt somewhat surprised since they didn¡¯t turn away, even under the pressure of her bloodlust. ¡°Interesting,¡± she mused. Appearing in front of the redhead, she grabbed his face and used her full strength to tear off his head. His muscles tore and his spine came out in one piece from his body. Throwing his head to the side, she stopped in front of the blondie. ¡°Speak. Spill the beans about your dear Emperor,¡± she said. Raising his head, he closed his eyes and stayed silent. Grabbing his left arm, she tore it off in one go and used Fire Magic to burn it into ashes. ¡°AAARGH!¡± he screamed out in pain, but his voice died down in a few seconds. His blood turned solid and his bleeding stopped. ¡°Oh? These guys are lab rats, it seems,¡± she thought aloud, her hand on her chin. ¡°W-What the hell?¡± the tall guy stuttered, being surprised upon seeing her monstrous strength. ¡°You see how clever you are for talking? I¡¯d have done worse things to you if you didn¡¯t. Now, what about my last question?¡± ¡°Uhm, the Emperor doesn¡¯t share the location of either of our Generals with common soldiers. In fact, every unit knows nothing more than the location of our own commander. You will find a pathway in the smallest stone building, leading underground. Just follow it to find the commander!¡± Tilting her head to the side, Elena asked, ¡°How are women handled in this Empire?¡± Seeing the look in his eyes, she just waved her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t answer instead¡­ What about the guys? Is everyone a rapist?¡± she frowned. ¡°Ugh, well, not everyone but- but we grew up in this! Once you do it, it won¡¯t matter the next time. It¡¯s not our fault, we were raised this way, but I swear that I¡¯ll try to change, alright?¡± he asked, sweating profusely as he felt Elena¡¯s and Audrey¡¯s rising bloodlust. ¡°Fine, I believe you,¡± Elena replied as she turned around and walked towards the camp. The vines loosened around the captives bodies. The blonde haired guy pulled out his gun, but before he could do anything, Dred appeared behind him and crushed his head with his hand. His shadow spread out and devoured everyone, leaving not even a speck of blood. Stopping beside Elena, he patted her shoulder, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just that I feel a bit sad when I think about what women had to go through in this Empire.¡± A shudder ran through her back as she muttered, ¡°I definitely won¡¯t experience it. Dirty guys should be burned in fire!¡± she humphed as she walked away. ¡°Eh? Do you want to burn me too?¡± Dred asked with a surprised face, raising his brows. ¡°Yes! Hahaha, of course not. It¡¯s not a bad thing if it isn¡¯t forced and in some people¡¯s cases¡­ maybe she would enjoy if Jake was a bit forceful,¡± she leaned closer to Dred and whispered, looking at Audrey, who was examining a strange flower. ¡°Hm, your words might be true,¡± Dred nodded his head. ¡°What are you guys on about? What¡¯s this whispering?¡± Audrey caught their voice. Furrowing her brows, she put her hands on her hips, ¡°Suspicious¡­¡± ¡°Haha, you are cute. Aah~ ignorance is bliss,¡± Elena laughed at her as she grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the camp. ¡°Let¡¯s have a blood bath, shall we?¡± --- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 18.3 - The Weapons are Inspiring ¡°Report!¡± The commander shouted when a soldier rushed into the underground basement. ¡°The King of the Drung Kingdom appeared on the battlefield! He is leading an elite squad of young Magicians and keeps destroying our forces! At this rate, they will stop our advances in a few hours!¡± the soldier replied, his voice loud and clear. ¡°The King? How foolish of him. Go and lead a group of twenty. You are to take a C Bomb with you and plant it on their path. Don¡¯t call back our soldiers or the King would notice. We will lose a few people, but once their King is dead, this will be an easy victory!¡± the commander replied and turned back towards the screens, a grin on his face. *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* Strange knocking sounds echoed in the passageway that led to the commander¡¯s base. As the soldier and the commander turned around, they saw nothing but a pair of shining green eyes. *Whistle* Six tiny blades sliced through the air and penetrated six people¡¯s foreheads. Their bodies turned into ashes and the throwing knives fell into the ground. As Elena appeared at the end of the pathway, she finished withdrawing her knives and put the last one into its scabbard on her right thigh. ¡°Hello~ I came to visit you,¡± she mused. The soldier and the commander drew their guns and pointed them at her head. ¡°Don¡¯t move and raise your hands!¡± the commander shouted, his finger trembling on the trigger because of Elena¡¯s bloodlust. ¡°You are pathetic, human,¡± Dred said whilst appearing behind him and slapping his gun out of his hands. The soldier turned towards Dred to fire, but Audrey did the same with him as Dred with the commander. Kicking him in the stomach, the soldier crashed into the wall beside Elena and fell unconscious. ¡°Where can I find your General? Your Emperor? I don¡¯t want to waste my time with looking for him with my Sense. Please reply,¡± Elena crossed her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Who are-¡± ¡°Shut up, just answer or I¡¯ll torture you until you will beg to die, but I won¡¯t take your life. How does that sound?¡± she interrupted him, furrowing her brows. Seeing him staying silent, she reached towards the head of the unconscious soldier and crushed it with her bare hands. Stepping on his chest, she tore off his right arm. His blood sprayed on her legs and the floor. Breaking his torn off arm into numerous pieces, she threw it at the commander¡¯s face, making him fall on his back from the force behind her fling. ¡°As you can see, I am strong enough to play around with your bones, your body. But I can do much simpler yet painful things too to you. Lighting, fire, slicing and sharp wind blades, which do you want first? Or do you want to be bitten by corpses?¡± she asked, showcasing her elemental Magic and then reviving the corpse of the headless soldier. ¡°I can catch a few of your people and make them take care of you~¡± she mused. ¡°N-No. What guarantees that you won¡¯t kill me once I tell you where the General is? It¡¯s better if you just kill me,¡± he shook his head, denying her words. ¡°Let¡¯s take an oath. I swear that I won¡¯t kill you or I shall perish from the world of the living!¡± she declared. A window appeared in front of her and after showing it to the commander, he felt better. But his eyes soon bulged as he realized a problem, ¡°No, what about these two?¡± he tilted his head towards Dred and Audrey. Clicking her tongue, Elena thought, you will die anyway you ignorant fool. ¡°Swear it or he won¡¯t talk. Clever of you¡­ I wanted to kill you afterward but you leave me with no choice, time is pressing,¡± she sighed loudly and slumped her shoulders, acting as if she gave up on her toy. Now he should think that he has the upper hand. Let¡¯s hope that he will get cocky. ¡°Hahaha, you idiots, you can¡¯t kill me now, but I can!¡± he laughed as he drew his knife and thrust it towards Dred¡¯s head. He felt as if he tried to thrust his knife against a stone wall since Dred¡¯s bones were even stronger. Physical resistance meant a lot, especially against simple humans like him. His knife fell out of his hand in the next moment and Dred bit his fingers. The commander cried out in pain as he held his dangling fingers, his forefinger almost falling off. ¡°I can still torture you if you don¡¯t start talking now, though I would rather not do it since I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± Elena rolled her eyes and shook her head, seeing his stupidity. ¡°Guh¡­ You bastards!¡± he screamed out in pain. Raising her hand, a bolt of flickering lightning formed in Elena¡¯s hand. ¡°This won¡¯t kill you, but it would be a bit painful. I¡¯d make it so that it wouldn¡¯t reach your heart or brain, but your nerves would burn down. What do you think, how would it feel?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk! Kuh, my computer has everything in it,¡± he pointed at his computer and hung his head. Audrey walked closer and after experimenting a bit on how to use the different operating system, she got the hang of it. With the commander¡¯s directions, she quickly found the files related to many commanders and military leaders. Most of them overlapped with what they knew from Hector, while the rest was new to them. After storing everything on the same rod they used before, Audrey nodded her head and stepped back. ¡°Thanks for teaching us how to use these things,¡± Elena said with a smile, waving her hand. ¡°What?!¡± the commander felt dread filling his heart upon seeing her smile. Dred grabbed his neck and stomped on the ground. The ceiling broke with a loud rumbling, and the sticky ground separated into two halves. Jumping up to the surface, he turned into his wyvern form and flew into the air, while the soldiers in the camp looked at the scene with confusion. After reaching a height of three hundred meters, he let go of the commander. ¡°Oaths never affected us,¡± he enlightened him. The commander saw his life flash by as the ground came closer and closer to him. ¡°Fuck you,¡± he cursed out in the last moment before his body splattered on the ground. Jumping out of the commander¡¯s base, Elena stopped beside him and nudged his side. ¡°You are still in one piece, hehe. Shall I use you for something?¡± she chuckled as she walked towards the onlooking soldiers. The moment she moved, everyone drew their weapons and point it at her. A huge shadow covered the sun above them as Elena pointed upwards with a smile. The soldiers couldn¡¯t help but look up, only to see Dred¡¯s gaping mouth and a few huge boulders falling towards the ground beside him. ¡°Run!¡± the humans shouted as they tried to get out of the way of the boulders, but many of them weren¡¯t quick enough. Dust flew into the air along with patches of the ground as the huge rocks crashed down, leaving behind small craters and broken, torn off limbs. Dred caught many soldiers with his jaws and his sharp teeth ground them into mincemeat.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Audrey spread her arms and summoned two huge, scorching hot fireballs above her palms. Adding some Earth element to them, they turned into Magma Balls. She propelled them forward and hit many humans, burning and melting their bodies into nothing but ashes in the blink of an eye. Waving her hands, blades of wind and dark shot forward and sliced everything into two halves. Those who were touched by Dark Magic rotted in a few seconds, leaving nothing but their bones. Shaking her head, Elena spread out her shadow and used Devour. The humans around her, in an area of five hundred meters, stopped existing. They disappeared without any traces, which looked even creepier than Audrey¡¯s or Dred¡¯s destructive attacks. A soldier sneaked up on Audrey but she was prepared for such moments too. Tapping her foot on the ground, a huge pushing force appeared around her for a moment, which was a mini explosion of the Eon Elements. Since she didn¡¯t have to wait, she tried to stop it as soon as possible, creating only a small area of destruction around her. The human disintegrated into nothingness on the spot. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s working perfectly, but I¡¯d have used Wind Magic in your stead. This consumed a huge amount of Mana from our surroundings and Cosmological Constant won¡¯t be usable after a few similar stunts,¡± Elena praised her but mentioned the downside of her spell too. ¡°Yeah, I know, but I wanted to try this. It¡¯s usable as a small scale attack, but I won¡¯t use it for large explosions, like destroying a mansion¡­¡± Audrey nodded her head as a shudder ran through her body. The remaining soldiers looked at them with despaired faces and tried to run, but their attempt to escape was futile. It took only a few more seconds for Elena and co. to wipe them out. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the front and clean up. We can go and look for the others afterward,¡± Elena said, stepping over a dead body and hopping onto Dred¡¯s back. Agreeing with her, Audrey followed her. The soldiers in the ditches were focusing on the soldiers of the Drung Kingdom, so they paid no heed to the shadow that was cast over them. ¡°Don¡¯t land, let¡¯s just do it from here,¡± Elena advised before using Water Magic to fill the ditches with water. Understanding what she wanted, Audrey and Dred did the same. ¡°What the hell!?¡± the humans shouted, seeing their covers being filled up with water. Before they could react, a high-voltage lightning struck the water and shocked all of them to death. The soldiers in the other ditches saw what happened, so stupid or not, they had to leave their covers and try to retreat. The soldiers of the Drung Kingdom rained hell on them as soon as they left their covers. Hector was pleased to see how easily they killed their enemies and he was even happier to see what Elena and her friends did. Three to four-meter tall earth walls raised in front of the feeling soldiers, cutting their escape routes. --- *Pant* *Pant* ¡°Run for your lives!¡± one of the soldiers shouted, noticing a huge boulder flying towards them from the sky. *Boom* It crashed into the ground in front of him and rolled a few times. Cracking sounds left his comrades¡¯ bodies as their bodies were crushed under the huge weight of the boulder. Gritting his teeth, he looked towards the sky and spotted a huge flying, dragon-like creature. He was one of the snipers so his original location was quite safe before the sudden attack happened. Raising his sniper rifle, he took aim at the monster. ¡°Huh? Who are those people on its back? Two girls?¡± he muttered, noticing Elena and Audrey. He saw the black haired girl wave her hand and a huge bolt of lightning cracked, turning his comrades into nothing but charred meat. The red haired woman did the same a second later, which struck one of his friends not far away from him and instead of entering the ground, it strangely turned into a chain lightning, killing many others. What the fuck? I must kill them or we will all die here! He thought, feeling urgent. Thanks to the rock behind him, he was covered from the enemy fire. Aiming at the black haired girl¡¯s head, he held his breath and pulled the trigger. His bullet flew through the air, but his shot was an unlucky one since the monster flew to another location at the same time. Miss, damn it. The next one! He thought, but before he could fire another one, he turned to the left because he heard a strange growling sound. At first, he saw his comrade running, but a bullet penetrated the back of his head and came out on his forehead. Hearing the sound once again, he looked up, only to see his friend, who was killed by a lightning a moment ago. He opened his mouth wide and leaned forward to bite him. ¡°ARGH, bitch!¡± the sniper shouted, feeling the corpse¡¯s teeth sinking into his shoulder, biting his muscles into two halves and tearing out a large chunk of meat. Turning on his back, he kicked his late friend in the face and loaded his rifle into his forehead. Holding his shoulder, he felt weakness and tiredness overtake his body as his veins started turning black with a visible speed. ¡°Damn it, what the hell is this?!¡± he cursed out loud. A shadow covered the sun once again, which he found strange. Looking up, he saw a rolling ball of magma fly towards him. ¡°Shit,¡± was his last word before it crashed into him and took his life. --- ¡°Oh my, he tried to shoot you down,¡± Audrey said with a chuckle before controlling the corpse and throwing a magma ball at a sniper who missed his shot. ¡°Who cares? He isn¡¯t the first,¡± Elena replied with furrowed brows and threw a fireball with a diameter of five meters towards the ground. The humans turned into a crisp upon contact, while the ground blew up. The shock wave hurled them onto the ground and the earth splinters flew through the air. The smell of burnt meat and hair filled the air in the nearby area. From the high temperature of the flames, the ground turned into a scorching death zone, burning the soldiers¡¯ clothes and skin. Seeing that there were only a few people left here and there, Elena jumped off of Dred¡¯s back and landed on the ground with a loud thud. Looking around, she spotted the nearest soldier and appeared behind him with her Shadow Step. Her hand moved like a shadow and sliced through the soldier¡¯s meat, beheading him. She was surprised to see one of them sitting behind a cover and shooting his own comrades. Appearing beside him, she squatted down. ¡°Ah! Who are-¡± he was about to shout, but his voice died down. ¡°Oh, you are that Mage,¡± he said in a low voice, continuing to fire at the others. ¡°Are you a traitor? No¡­ you must be one of the blackmailed husbands!¡± Elena thought aloud, pointing at his face. Knowing that she threw fireballs and bolts of lightning at others with the same hand a moment ago, he couldn¡¯t help but pull his head back a bit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± she added. ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m the latter. Now I can finally get back at these bastards! I thank you very much!¡± he said, bowing his head. ¡°Hmm, but what if I accidentally killed your wife or daughter too? I purged the whole capital city. If your family was there, then they too¡­¡± she didn¡¯t continue, seeing that his eyes turned enraged. ¡°What?!¡± he shouted. ¡°Well, all of them were ¡®used¡¯ or tortured already and most of them were broken too. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I wanted you to hear the truth,¡± she replied, patting his shoulder. The man didn¡¯t know what to think after hearing her words. Are they dead? Were they killed by the soldiers or by her? But¡­ what if they are still alive? Where are they? I must live and find them! He thought as anger started filling his mind. ¡°How will I know how they died?¡± he asked, his head hung. ¡°Well, if you can¡¯t find them anywhere, then they were probably in the capital city, which means that I was their killer. Will you hate me? You definitely will, but I can¡¯t do anything about that,¡± she replied and then talked to herself, her hand on her chin. Clenching his gun in his hands he replied, ¡°I will hate you if it was you, but I¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do.¡± ¡°You are quite cool headed. I¡¯d ask you to join my group, but it wouldn¡¯t do if you hated me to the core, haha,¡± she said with a chuckle as she stood up and threw a fireball towards a soldier. ¡°How did you become so strong? You seem to be really young,¡± he asked, raising a brow, ignoring her question. A wind blade flew past his brown hair and sliced a guy into two halves. Turning around, Elena saw Audrey killing off the rest of the soldiers. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned back. ¡°I¡¯m even younger than you think. You too can become this strong, you know? When you have the time, sit down and close your eyes. Shut out everything and try to sense the Mana specks all around you and try to pull them towards your body and rotate them inside your Mana Veins. If you can feel the Mana specks, you will feel your Mana Veins too. Grow and find me if you will still hate me. I¡¯ll kill you at that time,¡± she said with a chuckle, adding, ¡°This is my way of self-punishment since I don¡¯t want to kill you.¡± ¡°Huh? This makes no sense¡­ Have you hit your head?¡± he asked, furrowing his brows. ¡°No? Well, I¡¯m a bit of a weirdo, I can¡¯t deny that¡± she laughed as she turned around and walked towards her next victim. The blood of her previous victim trickled down on her black blade. Looking at it, a strange feeling of wanting filled the brown haired guy¡¯s heart. He felt so lost in those drops of blood and black blade that he forgot all about his surroundings. I¡¯ll find my family, alive or dead. If they are dead, I¡¯ll see what I¡¯ll do once I find out who was their murderer. ¡°Hey, Miss! What¡¯s your name?¡± he shouted after her, his eyes still focusing on her daggers. Turning around, she looked at him with raised brows for a few seconds before replying, ¡°I¡¯m called Elena.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Edward, call me Ed. Your weapon¡­ inspired me!¡± a smile formed on his face as he said with a thoughtful face, his hand on his chin. ¡°Is that so?¡± Elena asked, but never got a reply. Shrugging her shoulders, she got to work. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 19.1 - The Heads are Soaring The Heads are Soaring Hector and his soldiers were amazed to see Elena, Audrey, and Dred clean up the whole battlefield in just a few minutes. Elena found a few other people who were blackmailed into serving Sliton Empire, but she didn¡¯t bother with them. As they were walking towards Hector, Audrey asked furrowing her brows, ¡°Why did you talk to that guy? I don¡¯t think that it was a good idea.¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. I just had a hunch that I should talk to him because unlike the others I saw something different in him than simple hate and wrath. I know that it¡¯s pretty stupid, but that¡¯s how I felt. Do your actions always have to make sense, miss perfect?¡± she asked with a chuckle, teasing her again. Audrey surprise attacked Elena and pinched her back, ¡°I told you that I¡¯d punish you from now on. I won¡¯t become your amusement park,¡± she said furrowing her brows. ¡°Hiss- You bi¡­ *cough* That was painful.¡± ¡°Do you really think that I don¡¯t know what you want to say even if you cough in the middle of the word?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Elena replied with a goofy grin on her face. Shaking her head, Audrey sighed loudly. Stopping in front of the King, both sides looked at each other silently. Taking out a small device, the king held it out and broke the silence, knowing that he was in no place to play the role of a mighty King. ¡°You have come. Take this, it will help a bit with learning our language.¡± Taking it away, she looked at the cube-shaped device with interest. ¡°Of course, since one of the people on the list was here. We also got a few others and the location of the General. Once we get the whereabouts of the Emperor too, we can¡­ overtake his position,¡± Elena replied, spilling the beans. ¡°And thanks for this.¡± Furrowing his brows, Hector said, ¡°No problem, but this is the first time I¡¯m hearing of this.¡± Waving her hand, Elena rolled her eyes as she replied, ¡°I told you before that I don¡¯t care about this place. I just want to be a queen in name to cover a past event. There has been a misunderstanding and unless I do this, goodies will come after me too, which I don¡¯t want to happen because then I¡¯d have to kill them.¡± ¡°Goodies? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Just a few people. Anyway, once that will be clarified, I¡¯ll leave this planet and go my own way. That¡¯s why I will need you and your Electors to take an oath. Make sure that all of them will be present, yourself included,¡± she said, waving her finger. ¡°Fine, that much isn¡¯t a problem,¡± he nodded his head. ¡°If anybody ¡®strange¡¯ or powerful comes your way and asks about me, tell them that you know me. Think of a backstory¡­¡± she said while hopping onto Dred¡¯s back. Turning towards him for one last time, she added, ¡°Don¡¯t betray my expectations because good or not, once you betray me, you won¡¯t see the light of the next day. This might sound pompous, but nobody can save you from me. They can just delay it.¡± As she finished her sentence, Dred flapped his wings and the three of them flew away. Her bloodlust pressured Hector and the people nearby so much that they barely had enough strength left to stay on their legs, while the weaker ones simply blanked out. Gulping loudly, Hector turned around and looked at his men before walking towards their base. --- The General was in his underground base, staying safe from any kind of attack. There was an escape route too, which made it possible for him to leave if they were to be discovered and attacked. He was looking at the big screen in front of him with a frown on his face, his arms crossed in front of his chest. ¡°Enlarge it,¡± he said to one of the technicians. ¡°Yes!¡± As the technician fiddled around, the satellite focused in on Elena and her friends. They were raining hell on the Empire¡¯s soldiers with their powerful spells, all the while staying unhurt. Even if a few of the bullets grazed Dred¡¯s scales, they couldn¡¯t penetrate him and bounced off. ¡°Do we have any information about them?¡± he asked, his voice calm and self-confident, even after seeing the terrible footage. Noticing his calmness, the technician collected his courage and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have any kind of information related to these people or that monster.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t? Then note that rockets, rifles and sniper rifles don¡¯t work against them. They also have very powerful Magic, perfect for mass destruction. We don¡¯t know anything else. Save the footage so that I can examine it later. We should leave this base since they may have learned of its position from the Commander on the F front. We will leave in four hours, prepare everything until then,¡± the General commanded before turning around and leaving the room.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Yes!¡± Three hours passed by and most of the files and tools were saved and packed up, so the technicians finished it earlier than asked. Standing in the small hall of the underground base, the General was happy to hear the report. ¡°Wipe all data and then we are set to go,¡± he shouted. The leader of the technicians saluted and ran through the door to do his bidding. Stopping in front of the main console, he started typing when a shadow ran up his body and bound him. He couldn¡¯t do as much as move a finger. A thin layer of stone formed on his body and vines coiled around his head, sealing his mouth. ¡°Wlo ale you?¡± he tried to shout at the red-haired woman in front of him, but only a low grumbling came out of his stuffed mouth. He tried to shout as loud as he could, but Audrey punched him in the stomach. ¡°Shush, you idiot. They won¡¯t hear you since I made a Wind Barrier. I just stuffed your mouth so that I wouldn¡¯t have to hear your shouting,¡± she commented as she got back to fiddling with the console. ¡°How do I use this? Although I worked as a programmer, I have no idea what syntaxes you use¡­¡± she furrowed her brow and turned around. The vines slowly loosened up around his head, making it possible for him to talk again. Of course, the first thing he did was shout as loudly as he could. ¡°HELP! HELP! THE MAGICIANS ARE HERE!¡± Shaking her head, she slapped his face, making him turn mute. Grabbing his left hand, she looked into his eyes lovingly before breaking all of his fingers. ¡°AAARGH!¡± ¡°I told you to speak or I¡¯ll, oh wait¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡± Wrinkling her brows, she muttered, ¡°Now that I think about it, I should use their language since he doesn¡¯t understand my words¡­ Oups? Let¡¯s see if he will understand it.¡± Looking into his eyes, she spoke slowly, using their language ¡°Just tell me what I want to know or I¡¯ll torture you.¡± Panting heavily, not used to the pain, the technician said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you anything!¡± ¡°Oh, but how much you will talk,¡± she replied as she grabbed his other hand and broke his fingers. ¡°ARGH! YOU BITCH! I¡¯LL LAUGH WHEN YOU LIE ON THE GROUND UNDER ME, YOU SLAVE!¡± Gasping, she covered her mouth, ¡°Haah- how short-tempered?! Did he call me a bitch? He was talking too quickly¡­ But I¡¯ll notify you that if you don¡¯t spill the beans, I¡¯ll show you the true meaning of pain. This is only the warm-up.¡± The technician tried to spit on her face as a reply, but his spit flew through her shady body and landed on the screen of the computer. ¡°Okay, you are becoming really annoying. Let¡¯s see what you do after this,¡± Audrey furrowed her brows and conjured a sharp shard of serrated stone in her hand. Pressing it against his skin, she slowly cut through his tendons and nerves, making him feel excruciating pain. ¡°Gh- AAARGH!¡± he tried to hold back his scream, but couldn¡¯t stop it. ¡°Yes, scream like a pig if you don¡¯t tell me what I want,¡± Audrey said, cutting deeper into his flesh and nerves. Knocking on the stone covering his crotch, it slowly disappeared. Pressing her finger against the sharp edge of the blood covered stone shard, she looked into his eyes. ¡°I wonder what your scream will be like when I dismember you. I¡¯ve never seen it in real life but supposedly men will have female voices afterward. Wanna test it?¡± Gulping loudly, the technician started sweating profusely as a much more private place was mentioned. His wounds could heal if he stayed alive but the loss of such an ¡®important¡¯ part wouldn¡¯t. ¡°By the way, since I don¡¯t know how advanced your technology exactly is, I¡¯ll crush it so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to give you back your manly part,¡± she said with a chuckle, giving him hope for his survival since she didn¡¯t want to break him. Seeing him staying silent, she used the stone shard to cut his clothes but the moment it touched his thigh, he shouted while the shard got closer and closer to his member, ¡°STOP! PLEASE STOP! I¡¯ll talk, okay?¡± he lowered his voice, feeling the shard stopping, but still poking his skin. ¡°That¡¯s the way,¡± Audrey replied with a smile. The technician told her what to type and with his guidance, she easily found everything she ¡®needed¡¯, the only problem is that she didn¡¯t need any of the information she found. ¡°What is this crap? Tactics, plans, the locations of your bases? We know of these to begin with¡­ Where the hell is your Emperor hiding?¡± she asked as she turned around, pressing the shard against his skin once again. ¡°W-Wait! I don¡¯t know! Only our General knows it! The Emperor¡¯s location is unknown to all of us. He did hold speeches through the communication channels and updated his plans as you can see it on the computer, but he never met either of us personally. Neither of us, except for the General!¡± he replied hurriedly as if his life was on the line. ¡°Although it is wonderful that my memory is good enough to learn a language on a basic level in just two hours, it turned out to be fucking pointless! Thanks, Elena! But this is still amazing, I¡¯m starting to like this Mana and its effects more and more!¡± she talked to herself before focusing back on her victim. ¡°Hmm, then you are pretty much useless.¡± Looking around, Audrey raised up her right hand and made a gripping movement as she said, ¡°Stone Coffin!¡± The stone squeezed the guy¡¯s body, breaking his bones, and squeezing his organs and blood out through the puncture wounds at his crotch and neck. Slightly frowning upon the sight of blood fountain, filled with her victim¡¯s heart, lungs, and other organs, she turned around and walked towards the door. Stopping for a moment with a thoughtful face on, she muttered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right to say spell names. But it still felt cool! I hope that I won¡¯t do it again or Elena will never stop teasing me¡­¡± Covering her face, she squatted down, ¡°Oh my god, that can¡¯t happen. It would be too embarrassing and Jake too would¡­ AAAH! Absolutely not! I will never do this again!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell it to anyone,¡± Dred spoke behind her back, startling her so much that she jumped up and bumped her head into the ceiling. ¡°Careful¡­ This base isn¡¯t tall enough to jump around in,¡± he added. Audrey looked at him with a sense of dread in her eyes. ¡°You- you saw it, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I was here since the beginning but you were enjoying yourself so much that I just stayed silent. But to earn back your trust after my prank, I swear that I will take your secret to the grave. In return, you shouldn¡¯t bring up my prank anymore¡­ though I¡¯m not trying to blackmail you since I was in the wrong there, it would be great if you could¡­¡± his voice died down as he looked away. ¡°Fine, fine! Okay? I will never mention it and you will never mention this. Deal. Now, what is Elena doing?¡± she said hurriedly and changed the theme. ¡°Interested? She is experimenting with a new use of Ekilsta. If it works, Ekilsta¡¯s usage would increase dramatically! Let¡¯s go and you can see it for yourself,¡± he said as he disappeared with his Shadow Step. Shrugging her shoulders, she followed him. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 19.2 - The Heads are Soaring Elena and co. stood in front of the entrance to the General¡¯s base. ¡°How should we proceed from now on?¡± Elena asked, looking at a swaying leaf of a tree a few centimeters away from her face. A small insect was climbing up on it. A frown formed on Elena¡¯s face as she flicked it away, ¡°I don¡¯t like insects, it seems,¡± she commented upon noticing Audrey and Dred looking at her. ¡°No woman would like them,¡± Audrey shook her head as a shudder ran through her back. ¡°I can¡¯t really disagree with that. So?¡± Elena asked for the second time. Closing his eyes, Dred used his Sense while saying, ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know this General, but if the Emperor managed to win so many battles without fault and take over three Kingdoms in a few years, then I believe that he and the General aren''t idiots. This makes me believe that this General wouldn¡¯t talk even if we tortured him, so the best option would be to check their computers for possible information, though storing the location of your Emperor seems like a useless and stupid idea, trying never hurts.¡± ¡°I believe that only a few confidential people know of his location or maybe only the General. And if torturing doesn¡¯t work, we need a new method,¡± he concluded the matter at hand. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Elena started thinking since she was the only one with some knowledge of mind related Magic. After a whole minute of silence, a smile formed on her face as she snapped her fingers. ¡°Gotcha! I think that this will work, but it¡¯s a bit risky. Either way, this is our best shot. If it doesn¡¯t work, we will have to use the barbaric method and try to get it out of him with force.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Audrey asked as she leaned closer in her strong curiosity. ¡°You will see it later. Since there is only one person in the room that should serve as a control room. If the person inside isn¡¯t the General, try to get information out of him,¡± Dred replied as he finished sensing the whole underground base. ¡°Why me? You two could go and I could see Elena¡¯s Magic,¡± Audrey furrowed her brows, trying to get her ¡®ticket¡¯ to a good show. ¡°It is likely that I¡¯d have to deal with computers, which I have no knowledge of unlike you,¡± Dred reasoned, destroying Audrey¡¯s chances completely. Slumping her shoulders, she turned into her Shadow Form and entered the base. ¡°You too are curious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Elena asked with a chuckle. ¡°Of course! I too like Magic. I never said that I didn¡¯t,¡± he too chuckled as they followed Audrey. Stopping in the hall, they spotted the General in the middle of the mass of people, while Audrey went towards the control room with much displeasure. Entering the General¡¯s shadow, Elena started copying the contents of his mind into Ekilsta. If only I could simply access the knowledge in Ekilsta, I wouldn¡¯t have to bother with any of this¡­ but that would be too unfair against the universe, I guess. Fucking Ancestor and its rules, she cursed in her mind. A sudden stinging pain filled her head as if she was being punished by a higher being¡­ Still, fuck you! She thought with annoyance. When Ekilsta finished with the General, Elena whispered to Dred with the help of Wind Magic in a very low voice, ¡°Use necromancy.¡± Since the General was speaking, nobody heard her. She used her Mana to attack the General¡¯s mind, who barely had any kind of Magical Resistance. When her Mana overloaded a nerve in his brain, he died on the spot and blanked out for a moment and stopped in the middle of his words. Elena used her shadow to keep his body standing. Dred brought him back to life with necromancy and then Elena loaded everything into his mind from Ekilsta. Furrowing his brow, he shook his head and continued his words, not even noticing his sudden death and his change of race from human to undead. Leaving the base, Dred questioned Elena¡¯s motives. Sitting down on the ground, a smile formed on her face as she started to explain herself, ¡°You remember when I killed that guard at Gautama¡¯s mansion and we used necromancy on him? With Ekilsta he remembered everything and ¡®returned¡¯ to life, in a way. Undead can¡¯t use external Magic, so if the General tried it, he would fail. That would definitely alert him.¡± ¡°Yeah, he had Mana in his body, so he must have been a Magician too, though a very weak one,¡± Dred agreed with her. Nodding her head, Elena continued, ¡°Mages are always rotating their Mana in their bodies, just like you or I do. I¡¯m quite sure that I wouldn¡¯t notice it either if my cells started devouring it in small amounts, not to mention this low-level Mage. As you know, I can¡¯t withdraw information from his mind I have no knowledge of. So for example, let¡¯s say that I want to know what his childhood was like.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t withdraw such information from his mind with Ekilsta since I don¡¯t know about it. I know that he is a guy, so I could withdraw that knowledge from his mind in his current state.¡± Tilting his head to the side, Dred asked, ¡°And what about input?¡± A grin formed on Elena¡¯s face as she said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I thought of. I can input anything I know into his mind, but if it clashed with his general knowledge, he would notice the new information and get alerted. I mean, let¡¯s say that I input my whole life into his mind. Would you not get alerted if the whole life of a person appeared in your mind just like ¡®poof¡¯?¡± ¡°I would,¡± Dred nodded his head. ¡°It would make him start thinking about me, which would be bad. Firstly, I should find out if he knew anything about me or not. If he did, then I¡¯ll have to make him forget about me or us and if he didn¡¯t then I¡¯ll have to make him think of us as allies he can trust,¡± she said, pulling up her legs and resting her chin on her knees. Closing her eyes, she used her bacteria to listen in on the commander¡¯s words. Her Wisdom wasn¡¯t as high as Audrey¡¯s, so she was a bit slower when it came to learning, but she understood most of his words. If he used words like girl, woman, black hair, wyvern, she would definitely notice that he was talking about their group. To spend time wisely, she started to learn their language on a higher level, while still listening to the General. ¡°I¡¯ll go and check on Audrey,¡± Dred said, seeing her focusing on the device in her hand. ¡°Okay,¡± she muttered, almost ignoring him completely. Nudging her side with his nose, he said, ¡°You should watch your surroundings more. Your focus is great, but try to divide it a bit.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s true. I¡¯ll try to change on that,¡± she replied with a blank face. Raising her head, a sudden realization hit Elena¡¯s head, if somebody went back to the control room, the General must know about it. I should make him forget it. She sneaked into the base and after focusing on Ekilsta, she slowly deleted the General¡¯s memories about the technician. ¡°Why are we still standing here? Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± he shouted with a sudden realization on his face. Walking towards the wall, he pressed a tiny tile and a hidden passageway opened in front of him. Nobody dared to question his choice, so they just entered without muttering as much as a complaint. Dred and Audrey left the control room at the same time and joined the General¡¯s shadow with Elena. The dim headlights lit up the narrow passageway in a yellow light. It¡¯s good that I came down, Elena thought. After a few hundred meters, the passageway turned into an underground hangar. The General pressed a red button on the wall. The lights turned red and the ceiling split into two halves. Everyone entered the aircraft in an orderly manner, which easily had enough space for fifty people. Two technicians took their seats at the front room of the aircraft and took off. When they left the base, the roof closed once again and hid everything. The red button the General used turned on the defense system. If anyone entered the base now, it would blow up and kill everyone inside. The only problem was that Elena and co. were with them. ¡°Do we go to the B base?¡± one of the pilots asked. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the protocol. Just follow it,¡± he nodded his gray head. Elena has been pressuring him with her Mana ever since she ¡®killed¡¯ him, which tired his mind out. Rubbing his eyes, he sat down in his chair and yawned loudly, ¡°I¡¯ll take a short nap, don¡¯t bother me unless it¡¯s something important. I have to be well rested if we are going to do this.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When the General fell into a half-asleep state, Elena entered an idea about herself into the General¡¯s mind. Even if he didn¡¯t know anything about me, that much wouldn¡¯t hurt, she thought. As a result, he couldn¡¯t help but open his eyes wide and think aloud, ¡°What if that monster and those Magicians came from that portal? Could it be that the other side is filled with those kinds of creatures and people? If that was true, we are in big trouble!¡± One of the pilots turned around and looked at him with surprise. They obviously knew of the portal since their satellites recorded the whole scene. Gulping loudly, he said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we take defensive measurements in that case?¡± Nodding his head, the General replied, ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, it¡¯s best if we retreat on all fronts and reconsider our tactics. Who knows? Our visitors might destroy the other Kingdoms for us.¡± His expression changed to a thoughtful one as he muttered, ¡°I should notify the Emperor and send a few spies through the portal.¡± If Elena had a face in her current form, she would definitely grin. So you do know about us. It¡¯s good to know, but it makes things a little harder. I¡¯ll have to think of a good way to earn his trust, she thought. The General contacted the Emperor and told him his newfound idea and the possibility of powerful opponents. Although the Emperor¡¯s face wasn¡¯t visible on the completely dark screen, his voice conveyed his self-confidence and filled the General¡¯s heart with assurance. ¡°Our emperor is amazing,¡± the other pilot commented when their chat was finished. ¡°Indeed, his plans have been perfect from start to end and we have won every single battle. Except for the God Peak Mountain front and the last¡­ incident,¡± the General agreed with him, furrowing his brows while mentioning the latest turn of events. When the General took a short nap, Audrey and Dred knocked out the pilots. Considering that they hadn¡¯t done anything since the flight started, it was clear that they didn¡¯t have anything important to do. Resting her hands on the backrest of the General¡¯s chair, Elena leaned forward, close to his face. ¡°How peaceful you are while we are supposedly coming for you. Don¡¯t you feel guilty?¡± she chuckled in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s see~ You will forget that you have ever seen anything related to the portal and you will forget everything that happened after it. When you wake up, you will want to meet the Emperor instead to talk about an ancient formation you found at the God Peak Mountain front. You will know that it needs human blood to work and that you can¡¯t contact him through any device because the people of Drung Kingdom are listening in on your channels with a new technology.¡± ¡°You will remember to a black haired girl, called Elena, but you don¡¯t know her face or what she looks like. You will feel sad and remorse because you don¡¯t remember her, even though she was your best childhood friend. You will want to do anything to reconcile with her,¡± she whispered into his ear, slowly changing and configuring his mind to her needs. When finished, she stood up with a straight back and sighed loudly, ¡°This is fucking tiring. If not for having almost zero Magical Resistance compared to my Wisdom, I don¡¯t think that I could have changed so many things.¡± Feeling concerned, she crossed her fingers, ¡°I hope that it will work and my ¡®settings¡¯ won¡¯t clash with either of his memories from his past.¡± ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have added that part about yourself,¡± Audrey commented with a frown on her face. ¡°Why do you even need it? We can dispose of this guy once we find the Emperor.¡± Scratching the back of her head, she answered, ¡°This might be the best chance for me to test how my idea works. I could focus on nothing but the end result or I could try something bigger!¡± ¡°You should have just done this with some random weakling instead,¡± Dred remarked. ¡°Well, I could do it with these pilots, but the only problem is that I can¡¯t use Ekilsta elsewhere at the moment or the General would turn brain dead¡­¡± she replied, brushing her black hair to the side, her eyes shining with a strange glint. The aircraft was flying quite close to the ground, probably to make it harder to notice. They flew past a swarm of birds when a thoughtful expression appeared on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°What if¡­ What if I tried to create something like a hivemind? A place where Ekilsta could store the memories of each person separately or better yet, split its consciousness into numerous parts?¡± ¡°Although that sounds great, it won¡¯t change the fact that only Ekilsta can control them,¡± Audrey brought up the first problem. ¡°So you should upgrade Ekilsta too,¡± Dred added in her stead. ¡°Geh, easy to say! How the hell do I do it?¡± Elena shook her head. ¡°Maybe try to level up your Demon form so that your Summon would have a stronger effect.¡± ¡°Oh, good idea, Dred, why did I never think of it?¡± she shook her head, questioning herself. ¡°Want to guess?¡± Audrey asked with a smile. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t slept ever since leaving our Dunk planet. You may try to cover up your tiredness, but I¡¯ll see through you anyway. We have been together for quite a long time now,¡± she replied, patting Elena¡¯s shoulder. Rubbing her eyes, she answered, ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m very tired, but I can¡¯t rest just yet. We will have a biiiig relax time when we are finished with this, alright? I¡¯m sorry for pressuring you too.¡± ¡°Well, we did meditate on Dred¡¯s back, which helped us a lot and I could have stayed back to train Cor and sleep a bit too. But it¡¯s still Dred who has it the worst, so it¡¯s no wonder that he stopped talking again,¡± Audrey replied with a chuckle. ¡°Ah, shit. I almost forgot to remove the ¡®forgotten childhood friend Elena¡¯ memories from his mind. I¡¯ll test it later on someone else,¡± she said as a sudden realization hit her. After correcting her mistake, she entered the General¡¯s shadow along with Audrey and Dred. The pilots woke up a good three minutes later and hurriedly collected themselves after seeing that everything was okay. ¡°Shit, we fell asleep. It¡¯s good that the General didn¡¯t notice it,¡± the first pilot rubbed the back of his head, feeling a slight amount of pain. ¡°Shh, what if he woke up and heard you?¡± ¡°Why is it that when somebody starts hushing others it will be the loudest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The General woke up ten minutes later and asked how close they were to the Emperor. ¡°What? We are traveling to the B location, following the protocol as the General sai-¡± ¡°What are you talking about?! We should be moving towards the Emperor! I have important matters to share with him.¡± ¡°But-!¡± ¡°No buts! Turn towards his location this instant!¡± he shouted at them, seeing that they were trying to disobey his commands. Although they were just trying to prove their innocence, seeing that the General was angry, they shut their mouths and did as told. Ah~ Ranks, titles and social standings are great, after all, Elena thought, feeling happy that she didn¡¯t have to do anything to solve the matter at hand. Let¡¯s see what this Emperor will do when I knock on his front door, she thought with a chuckle as a grinning face of shadow formed in the General¡¯s shadow. ----- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 19.3 - The Heads are Soaring Twenty minutes later the aircraft landed in the middle of a beautiful forest, in a big clearing. There were flowerbeds, filled with colorful flowers, a small lake, a beautiful house made of luxurious and high-quality planks. The house had three floors, serving as the home of the Emperor and his concubines. The only downside was that it was autumn, so the trees¡¯ leaves were falling down one by one, covering the ground in dry, yellow leaves. Okay, this is fucking not what I expected from an evil Emperor, Elena thought as she left the General¡¯s shadow and stopped behind the trunk of a tree. ¡°Is this for real?¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t help but ask when she appeared behind her, looking at the beautiful scenery. ¡°Well, this guy knows how to live,¡± Dred commented. ¡°This tree won¡¯t hide you, Dred¡­¡± Elena remarked as she got around it and looked at his sides sticking out. ¡°It¡¯s not like we need it in this thick forest. I just came after you girls,¡± he chuckled, keeping his voice low. Sticking her head through the thick bush, Elena looked at the General¡¯s back with furrowed brows. The technicians stayed inside the aircraft and only the General entered the house. Although her bacteria were stuck on his skin, she wanted to see the place for herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go, but before that¡­ technicians who are serving an Empire of this kind should be dealt with. I don¡¯t plan to let anyone leave this place alive either, so¡­¡± stepping through the bushes, Elena walked towards the aircraft as she slowly pulled out her daggers and licked her lips. ¡°She has gone into a frenzy, hasn¡¯t she?¡± Audrey asked Dred upon noticing her strange tone and behavior. ¡°A-haha¡­ yeah. We were born to kill, so our instincts are a bit focused on that,¡± he said, showing his white teeth, his body stiff. ¡°You too are bloodthirsty, I see. I can¡¯t understand you, but really,¡± Audrey shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s so thrilling when we can do whatever we want with our prey. Like meat dolls, we can tear them into pieces!¡± he said, slightly panting. ¡°Are you a pervert or what?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just excited!¡± he shouted as he ran after Elena. Stopping behind the aircraft, Elena knocked on the door but no reply came out. Of course, this was because they saw through a camera who was standing there. ¡°W-What do you want?¡± a scared shout could be heard. Touching her cherry lips, a grin formed on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°I just want to talk, I swear!¡± ¡°Please go away!¡± a reply came. ¡°You are so cute,¡± she chuckled as she thrust her dagger through the steel and sliced through it as if it was butter. ¡°This place is fucking great!¡± Audrey shouted, feeling excited upon seeing Elena¡¯s monstrous strength and the difference in the quality of materials she knew and this world had. She was always excited to see more of the world, like a true wanderer. Elena stepped through the door she made on the back of the aircraft and looked around. ¡°Oh boys, I must release some steam if I want to stay sane, so please be my food,¡± she said with a chuckle, facing tens of rifles pointed at her. Dred turned into a black bear, standing at three meters on all fours. While the technicians were standing there unmoving, pointing their guns at Elena, he stood up on his hind legs and smashed the side of their vehicle. The steel got bashed in and struck the back of a guy with a great force, making him fall forward and crash into a guy on the other side. The others opened fire and tried to kill Elena, but all of their bullets went through her body and riddled the vehicle with holes instead. Appearing in the middle of the group, Elena spun in a circle, her dagger slicing through the waists of the nearest people. The sound of slicing meat, nerves, and breaking of bones mixed together into a symphony in her ears. Dred tore out the side of the aircraft and bashed the back of the nearest guy, his claws cutting his body into two halves. The victim¡¯s blood rushed up his throat and he spat it on Dred¡¯s arm before losing his consciousness. A technician was daring enough to raise his empty gun and try to hit the back of Elena¡¯s head. Sensing it long ago, she simply stepped to the side. As the guy fell forward, she thrust her dagger forward and quickly penetrated through his skin, meat, and nerves. It got between his ribs without any mistake and skewered his heart. The same person reflexively tried to hold his chest as if it would help him, but he just skewered his own hands on the tip of the dagger instead. Thinking that it was his best shot, another guy decided to attack now and tried to do the same. He hit the back of the first attacker as a result while Elena let go of her dagger, spun around his body and swept her other dagger through his neck, beheading him with a clean strike. His mouth was opened wide as his head fell to the ground and rolled towards the back of the aircraft. Elena stomped on the head, crushing it into a bloody pulp. She pulled out her dagger from the other guy¡¯s body and kicked his back with his full strength. Loud cracks resounded in the inside of the vehicle as he was propelled forward and flew through the air like a broken kite and crashed into the wall on the other side, turning into a bloody pulp. His guts, bones, and meat trickled down on the wall, dirtying the floor. Dred tore the side of the vehicle into pieces like a vehement beast and forced his body into it. With his huge body, each swipe he made killed two or three people, turning all of them into bloody pulps on the walls. Seeing that there were only two people left, each of them in a corner, they decided to not be greedy and share in the fun. Grabbing his target¡¯s shoulders, he opened his jaws. His teeth bore into the guy¡¯s neck, tearing his muscles, nerves, and the upper part of his spine. As his jaws closed, he tore off it completely and chewed on it with happiness. Seeing the gory scene, the other guy fell on his knees and peed himself. ¡°This too is a way of poverty, isn¡¯t it? Being weak sucks, I know that much,¡± Elena sighed as a shadow covered her whole head and turned into a gaping maw. It bit off her target¡¯s head in the same manner Dred did. When the shady head dissolved, there was no blood on her face and the torn off head disappeared altogether. Clenching her dagger, she felt something sticky covering her hands and the handles of her daggers. Looking down, she saw that it was the blood of the murdered people, which was quickly turning colder and colder in the breezy autumn. Turning around, she heard a squishy sound. Raising her leg and looking under her feet, she realized that she stepped on some kind of organ she couldn¡¯t recognize in its current form. When Dred crawled out of the vehicle, she closed her eyes and slapped her hands together. A powerful gust of wind spread outwards, her as the epicenter. It pushed all the blood, bones, limbs, and organs towards the walls, painting them red. ¡°This irony smell is really thrilling,¡± she thought aloud happily, licking her lips. ¡°You are way too fucked up,¡± Audrey commented, looking at the sight with a frown on her face. ¡°Do you plan to leave it like this?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Well, they wouldn¡¯t give me any experience or strength, but I¡¯ll let them rest in peace,¡± she replied as she snapped her fingers and everything but the vehicle and its original contents disappeared. ¡°Impressive sight as always,¡± Audrey remarked. ¡°Why is it impressive?¡± ¡°The sight of everything turning into nothing in the blink of an eye is pretty impressive. Your power is impressive, that¡¯s all,¡± she explained herself. ¡°Are you fancying Devour, by any chance?¡± Dred asked, poking her back with his huge paw. ¡°Yes, I do. I too have it, but it¡¯s nowhere near as powerful as yours,¡± she said, slightly discouraged, but still happy to have it. ¡°Mhm, I understand you, but don¡¯t mind it,¡± Elena replied as she stepped out of the aircraft and walked towards the house. She swung her daggers and the blood on them splashed onto the leaf-covered ground, turning a few yellow leaves dark red. ¡°Just clean yourself for fuck¡¯s sake. You look sick in the head¡­¡± Audrey commented behind Elena¡¯s back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Seeing that she was ignoring her, she shot a ball of water towards Elena and made her soaking wet. ¡°...This felt fucking cold, alright? Can¡¯t you add some fire element if you are doing something like this?¡± Elena said through gritted teeth. ¡°If not for my armor, my skin would be wet too and I¡¯d get a cold!¡± she added, trying to make Audrey feel bad with no success. ¡°You were a dirty pig, so it was for the best,¡± she replied, walking past her and entering the house. On the other side of the door, a hall welcomed her. The walls and the floor were covered in dark gray tiles, while the luxurious chandeliers covered it in a yellow light. There was a long red carpet on the floor, a door on the other side of it, four meters away. Two guards stood in front of it, pointing their guns at Audrey.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Two tiny knives whistled past Audrey¡¯s ears after penetrating the door, and bore their way into the eyes of the guards, going through their eyeballs, entering their brains in the end. But thanks to Elena¡¯s huge strength, their heads blew up and dirtied the ground. ¡°...¡± ¡°What? I just killed them,¡± Elena said, seeing Audrey shaking her head. After taking a few steps forward, two people jumped out of some randomly opening holes in the walls and jumped at Elena, trying to ambush her. She stepped back, evading their slow attacks and while Dred flew through the air and tore the guy on the left into pieces, she thrust her dagger into the throat of the other guy. Five people stepped through the door and opened fire at the trio with poor results. When they ran out of ammo, Elena returned to her original form and threw five knives towards their throats. It sliced through their muscles and nerves, separating their heads from their bodies. Stomping on the ground, her shadow spread out and devoured everybody. ¡°People can¡¯t do anything too big alone. For you to serve this Emperor, you are just as bad and worth my special care,¡± Elena muttered, touching the handle of the door. ¡°Huh? I should reconsider if I wanted your care, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Audrey asked herself aloud, wrinkling her brows. ¡°Hahaha, no. I wouldn¡¯t hurt my dear friend,¡± Elena said with a chuckle, hearing her concerned voice. ¡°That¡¯s good to know, but we are actually the same as these guards. I mean, in a way, we too are serving you,¡± Audrey commented. ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t deny that and my ¡®plan¡¯ is probably just as bad as this Emperor¡¯s, so I should be the first to be killed, but-¡± ¡°Well, no? You don¡¯t want to kill everybody only bad people, so it¡¯s fine, in my opinion,¡± she said, patting the top of Elena¡¯s head and going past her. Slightly pouting, she waved her hand at her friend, ¡°You aren¡¯t my mother! You redhead!¡± Audrey just laughed at her words, while exploring the luxurious living room. Closing her eyes, she used her Sense and found the General and the Emperor quite far away under the ground. Furrowing her brows, she used Earth Magic to split the ground open and found a dark pathway. Elena and Dred just finished killing everyone in the house and appeared beside her. ¡°Shall we go?¡± she asked, raising a brow. Audrey nodded her head and jumped down. The wind blew through the dark passageway, catching their long hair. Stepping forward, Audrey felt a tile sink into the ground under her foot. Looking at Elena, she shrugged her shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°... I think that I stepped on one too.¡± They heard a loud rumbling sound and a huge rock appeared behind them in the next moment, rolling towards them. Smirking, Elena used Earth Magic and disintegrated it into tiny pieces. Audrey raised her leg and stepped forward. Seeing that nothing happened, she did the same. But the trap Audrey activated was the rolling rock. When she raised her foot, the ground split into two halves under them. She saw shiny and pointy spikes under them, ready to skewer them. Before reaching it, she swung her arm and a huge wave of darkness shot forward. By the time it dispersed, they were on the ground, which was littered with rust powder. ¡°Low-class metals are easy to disintegrate,¡± she humphed, crossing her arms and looking up at Dred, who was out of the area of effect. Since they were only a good twenty meters deep, they just jumped up and landed beside Dred. They activated many traps through the pathway, but none of them worked since they were created for weaker people. ¡°I¡¯m sure that nobody from this planet could get through this place,¡± Elena commented, shaking her head as she punched a thick stone door, breaking it open. On the other side was a light-filled cavern with many gold coins and other antique things inside. In the middle of it was a golden throne and a young man, seemingly at the age of twenty-five was sitting in it. The gray-haired General was standing beside him, pointing his handgun at Elena¡¯s head. ¡°Why are you even trying?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. Raising her hand, a ball of darkness shot forward and disintegrated the bullet and the General¡¯s weapon too. The General swung his arm, visibly trying to cast some kind of spell but with no success. Looking at his own hand with confusion, he tried again, but with no effect. ¡°You can¡¯t use Magic because you are an undead,¡± Elena commented with a bright smile on her face. The Emperor was looking at the scene with interest, though silent. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m a human!¡± the General shouted, feeling dread in his heart. ¡°No, I killed you already.¡± ¡°Hahaha, this woman is stupid. We haven¡¯t even met before!¡± At this, the Emperor furrowed his brows and brushed his hand through his long, blonde hair, which had tints of black in it. ¡°You did meet them before,¡± he spoke for the first time, his voice a bit hoarse. ¡°What? No, I¡¯ve never met these people! How did you get here and what do you want?!¡± he asked with a dark face, hiding his worry. He was questioning himself and his memories, but he didn¡¯t wish to show it in front of the Emperor, his old friend he held in high regards. ¡°What happened to you?¡± the Emperor asked as he leaned closer to the General and touched his head. ¡°Strange, I can¡¯t sense anything. Did you do something to him?¡± he asked with furrowed brows, looking at Elena. ¡°Who knows? But I should kill you quickly, time is pressing, you know?¡± she asked, raising her hand, ready to kill the Emperor. ¡°WAIT!¡± the General shouted, jumping in front of the Emperor, his muscular body hiding the Emperor¡¯s lean and comparably small body. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°I- I know that you are too powerful and that you did something to me, but please don¡¯t kill him!¡± ¡°Why would I not kill this evildoer?¡± ¡°Because he is my friend! I know that his goals are visibly evil, but he wasn¡¯t like this in the past! He loved his family and was a kind person!¡± he shouted. ¡°Who cares? He has done too many bad things, now,¡± Elena replied, while a bolt of flickering lightning formed in her hand. ¡°No! It¡¯s easy to kill others with that strength of yours, but why don¡¯t you try to change people instead? Is it because it¡¯s harder to do? I¡¯ve been trying to change my friend¡¯s personality for the better for years with my meager strength! What do you even know about us?¡± the General asked, making the Emperor change facial expressions after each sentence. Kicking his back, the General fell forward. ¡°You were trying to do what? You prick,¡± he shouted angrily, pointing at him. A strange, black ring caught Elena¡¯s eyes, which didn¡¯t escape the Emperor¡¯s sight either. He quickly pulled back his hand and hid it behind his back. Ho? An interesting reaction you¡¯ve got there, she thought with interest. ¡°Please help me change him instead of just killing him!¡± the General shouted as he stood up from the ground. Pointing at his old friend, he added, ¡°It all started when we found this ancient cave!¡± ¡°Tell me more about this and I might reconsider killing you all,¡± Elena¡¯s eyes shone with a strange light upon hearing his words. Nodding his head, feeling hope, the General continued much to the Emperor¡¯s dismay and unhappiness. But he knew that he was in no position to intervene. ¡°We grew up together as sons of two noble families. We were twenty-four years at that time when we found this pathway, but the first step almost killed the both of us. Later we came back with a group of trap specialists and with heavy losses, we got here.¡± ¡°We were very happy to see so much gold and treasures here, but Shin, the Emperor was the first to notice that blank ring in the throne chair. He put it on immediately and it was alright at that time. We had the system of the traps on paper, so we were able to easily come in and out whenever we wanted without stepping on any of the traps.¡± ¡°Since our parents were strict, we didn¡¯t have a high allowance and we used the gold in here to fool around. Of course, we killed the trap masters to hide this secret. The real problem started a few days later when Shin started mentioning things that were frowned upon. Ideals of men ruling over women formed in his mind, though later I realized that it was just the first step.¡± ¡°He started telling me plans about taking over the whole planet. They were simple and quite stupid at the start, but he got better and better at it with a visible speed. Each time he shared his plans, they turned more and more detailed and vile. That¡¯s when I realized that something was wrong and that he wasn¡¯t just joking or practicing tactics, which wasn¡¯t an unusual thing in our war-filled world. I asked him to take off his ring. His reply was a slap in the face and I was beaten up.¡± ¡°I never understood how he got so strong and he even used a few spells. Later-¡± Hearing enough, Elena interrupted him, ¡°Okay, stop. So this black ring is the reason behind his current personality, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes! He even killed his own family when he overtook the throne!¡± ¡°And why did you serve him? You should have killed him long ago,¡± she furrowed her brows, not finding his reasons. Appearing in front of him, she grabbed his throat and raised him into the air, ¡°I asked why? As his friend, you should have known better and ask for help or kill him if you can¡¯t win over him. No, you helped him doing so many bad things instead. What is your saving grace?¡± Gritting his teeth, slightly stuttering, he shouted, ¡°I- I LOVE HIM!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I LOVE HIM!¡± he repeated his words, leaving Elena in a dumbfounded state. Raising her brows, she let go of him and stepped back. ¡°Alright, I can accept your reason, but you will go down together,¡± she replied, ready to attack. ¡°WAIT! Why?! Just because I¡¯m different?¡± ¡°What? No, it has nothing to do with it. He turned evil and even if he turned good, he should be punished for what he has done, even if because of a mistake in the past. It¡¯s the same for you. I just wanted to hear why and how it happened since people don¡¯t just start having these kinds of plans and goals without a reason,¡± she replied, feeling slightly surprised by his outrage. Jumping up, he charged at Elena, trying to save his love, ¡°I¡¯ll take you with me!¡± the General shouted with a mad face. Dred appeared in front of Elena and slapped the General¡¯s face with his paw, tearing his head off. The General¡¯s head soared through the air and bounced off the wall. As it rolled to the feet of the Emperor, who stepped on it with a grin on his face, ¡°You were trying to save me, huh? You little shit, I should have killed you too, but you served your purpose all this time, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your turn so don¡¯t be so happy,¡± Elena said as her shadow rushed forward. Raising his hand, the Emperor waved with a grin on his face. Inspect, Elena thought while looking at the ring.
Name: Eighth Ring of Calamity Rarity: Legendary
Durability: N/A Effects: #?-@-##@?>#?@
Description
This is the eighth piece of the ring of calamity from a set of eight. This ring is usable only once, just like the other pieces. It¡¯s the legacy of a king who had immense knowledge and control over space and nature. These eight rings were his last creations, along with a formation that connected his home planet, ¡®Dink¡¯ to another planet which was renamed to ¡®Dunk¡¯ under his rule. There are seven more rings hidden within each gateway. When the formation is filled to the brim with blood, the gateway will open and the planets will be connected once again. Each ring has a different effect when Mana is channeled through them. See the effect above. When you collect every ring, they will merge into a single one, which will be the true legacy of the late king, called ¡®Hector¡¯.
A tiny gate of shadow appeared under the Emperor, showing a city on the other side of it, which had a similar style compared to their Dunk planet. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± Elena¡¯s face turned ashen as she shouted, trying to quicken up the speed of her shadow by pouring Mana into it. But before she could reach him, she saw him disappear in a flash, leaving the cave¡­ empty. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 20.1 - Nothing is Left Nothing is Left ¡°What should we do now?¡± Audrey asked, still looking at the spot where the Emperor stood a moment ago. Ignoring her question, Elena outraged, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the worst? That I picked the wrong element to attack! To begin with, instead of Devour, I could have used Earth Magic!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s okay. You can¡¯t change the past, so focus on the future instead,¡± Audrey patted her shoulder, soothing her wrath. Slumping her shoulders, Elena replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s take everything from this cave. We might find something useful.¡± They packed up as many gold coins as they could since they had the same signs on them as the coins on their planet. ¡°Now that I think about it, we just got fucking rich!¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud in her happiness. ¡°Yeah, and look at this!¡± Elena exclaimed as she pushed hidden tile under the pile of gold. The wall creaked as it split open, revealing a door. ¡°The Emperor must not have noticed it since it was hidden by a spell. If I was still around the hundred and fiftieth level, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it either!¡± Nodding her head, Audrey followed Elena to the hidden room. In the middle of the room was a simple table with a ring and a scroll on it. The ring had a purple gem in it, while the scroll looked like something that hadn¡¯t been touched for ages. A thick layer of dust covered everything inside the room. Elena wiped the table with her hand, causing a big dust cloud to fly into the air. *Cough* ¡°Shit¡­ just how old is this?¡± ¡°I have no idea, but quickly look at it!¡± Audrey urged her.
Name: Void Ring Rarity: Uncommon
Effects: This is a storage ring with a space of eight cubic meters inside.
¡°That¡¯s bigger than the one you have!¡± Audrey said with an excited voice. Elena threw it her way and raised her brows. Catching it, she pulled it on her finger and felt tiny spikes penetrate her skin and an extension of space form around her. ¡°Thanks, Elena.¡± ¡°No problem, now pack up the rest of the gold coins¡­¡± she replied showing a smile. Turning back to the scroll, she carefully unrolled it, only to realize that it was in perfect shape, even if its outer part looked aged. Her eyes ran through the letters, which she knew better than the letters of any language. It was the general language of the universe, after all. The one she had been using since birth. Her eyes opened wide as they got lost in the words of the scroll. ¡°This- This is a spell and a powerful one at that! It¡¯s called Supernova!¡± she couldn¡¯t help but shout in her excitement. Hearing the word ¡®spell¡¯, Audrey jumped at her like a hungry wolf and read the contents of the scroll with her Minor Devour instead of her eyes. ¡°This is a hard spell and it contains a lot of advanced knowledge! The one who created this knew what he was doing!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Yeah, this spell is a mix of fire, light, and eon element, and we need Gravity Magic too, which shows how hard it is. If not for knowing about the Eon Element, we would be looking at each other, waiting for answers,¡± Elena commented. ¡°I feel so forgotten here¡­ I¡¯ll just lay down and sleep,¡± Dred chimed in as he took his place on the top of a pile of gold and transformed into his Wyvern form. ¡°Sorry,¡± Elena said, not really caring about him at the heat of the moment. ¡°...¡± ¡°So where were we? We have to combine the light and the fire element to create a mini sun. That¡¯s strange considering that it¡¯s made up of different gases, but I guess the one who wrote this didn¡¯t exactly know it¡­ Anyway, once we created a mini sun, it will have some basic gravity, but we will have to use Gravity Magic to increase it until reaching a certain level of dragging force.¡± ¡°So the first layer is to create a mini sun with a gravity field around it and compress the mini sun as small as we can while increasing the gravity field. That¡¯s when we have to use the Eon Element and split the merged fire and light element with it. Based on the explanation, the bigger the mini sun we create, the bigger the result would be. If we split a set amount of fire and light elements, the explosion will stop by itself once it runs out of fuel.¡± Furrowing her brows, Audrey added, ¡°Yeah, but it seems like the smallest scale we can use this is the size of a village or a smaller city and it can turn much bigger. This would make Eon Element into something useful and less dangerous. I wouldn¡¯t want to accidentally blow up ourselves too. We can just set the scale of this spell based on how much fire and light element we merge.¡± ¡°Although that won¡¯t make this spell into something we could use in a simple battle, it is perfect for a large scale spell, created to destroy,¡± Elena summed up. ¡°I won¡¯t learn it since it would be pointless for me to waste my time on this kind of spell. It will be for you to learn,¡± she added, pushing the scroll into Audrey¡¯s hands. A bright smile formed on Audrey¡¯s face, showing how happy she felt about Elena¡¯s decision. ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of this in the future!¡± Audrey said with glimmering eyes. ¡°Haha, alright. It definitely takes time to cast, which I don¡¯t have in the middle of a battle. As my supporter Mage, you will have the time to use it, hopefully,¡± Elena said with a smile, patting Audrey¡¯s shoulders. ¡°But before that, you will have to learn it. It¡¯s not an easy spell, but luckily you have prior knowledge related to these things.¡± ¡°Mhm, let¡¯s go,¡± Audrey nodded her head, nudging Dred¡¯s side who actually fell asleep. Grabbing Audrey¡¯s shoulder, Elena pulled her back, ¡°Let him be. I¡¯ll carry him, he forced himself way too much through these days.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯m strong enough, you know?¡± Elena tilted her head to the side. ¡°Of course! Then take your dear husband yourself!¡± Audre said with a grin on her face. ¡°You are stealing my style, but it¡¯s not even funny! He is different, you know?¡± Elena asked, her face melancholic. ¡°Is he?¡± Audrey tilted her head to the side as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elena asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s go,¡± she replied, leaving her where she was. Stomping on the ground, a human-sized hole opened up in the ground above her and a stone column took her up to the surface.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡± Elena muttered to herself, not understanding Audrey¡¯s implications. But Dred has nothing to do with such things, he doesn¡¯t even have a gender in his original form, though he could be called a guy¡­ Oh, well, let¡¯s go! She thought, following Audrey¡¯s example after picking up Dred on her back. Guh, he isn¡¯t heavy with my strength, but he is fucking big compared to me! He should have reverted to a smaller size¡­ But maybe I¡¯m able to change it. Focusing on Dred¡¯s body, she controlled the shadows and tried to resize his body with no success. ¡°I guess it¡¯s impossible,¡± she sighed and started dragging Dred on her back towards the capital city, which wasn¡¯t so far away. ¡°You look ridiculous!¡± Audrey laughed at her. They hadn¡¯t yet reached the capital when Dred woke up. He apologized for being baggage, though Elena¡¯s smack on the back of his head made him get back in the right mindset. ¡°You aren¡¯t baggage, we wouldn¡¯t be here if not for you. Anyway, how do we go around this? We killed most of the military leaders so there are only the commoners left¡­ How do we even announce that we wish to overtake their territory?¡± she asked with a chuckle, realizing that she was lacking in knowledge, again. ¡°Let¡¯s call Hector. He should be able to deal with this,¡± Audrey advised. Elena and Audrey cleaned up the Emperor¡¯s place in the middle of the city, which had only a few guards and victims in it, while Dred returned to the capital of the Drung Kingdom to speak with Hector. It took only a few hours for him to reach the capital, but he was so tired by the end that he entered his guest room and fell asleep on his bed. When Hector arrived with the quickest flying vehicle he had, he found Elena and Audrey meditating in the throne room of the palace. They told him that the Emperor got away, but most of their opponents were killed. Hector couldn¡¯t help but frown when hearing their words, but he was still more than happy with what he learned. A few hours later, his men arrived at the city and with their help, the group wiped out the hiding guards and soldiers. With nobody to command the unruly mass of soldiers, every front lost in just a few hours. In a war, unorganized forces were the easiest to kill, even if they were many. But what Elena found the strangest was that nobody came to Dink from their planet, even after so much time passed by. Elena and Audrey returned to Hector¡¯s palace, but before that, they visited the forest where Jake and Cor resided. --- Jake and Cor trained hard through the days their friends were missing. Both of them were sitting on the ground, meditating and training their spells. Opening his left eye, Cor looked at Jake¡¯s face. ¡°Focus on your Mana,¡± Jake said, his eyes still closed. ¡°How do you know that I was looking at you?¡± Cor couldn¡¯t help but ask since this happened every time. ¡°Well, your level is still only at the hundred and fiftieth, so the difference between us is quite big. I can sense every movement you make, be it your eyelashes or your eyelids. As you grow stronger, your aura will create a natural barrier around you, ¡®blinding¡¯ everyone else around you as a result,¡± Jake replied. ¡°But I¡¯m not blind,¡± Cor said, poking his own eyes. ¡°You suck¡­ I meant that others won¡¯t be able to sense your movements clearly. They can only see it! For example, if somebody at the fiftieth level tried to sneak up on you, they would be spotted by you long before unless they had stealth related skills. If-¡± ¡°Okay, shut up, Mr. Clever Jake. What about your dearest love? Aren¡¯t you missing her?¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± he answered through gritted teeth. Sighing loudly, he slumped his shoulders as he continued, ¡°I do. She and Elena have been with me for a long time now. It feels very strange and boring without them. It¡¯s fun to beat you up, but it¡¯s not as enjoyable as having them around. I want the girls back!¡± ¡°You just want to some food for yer eyes,¡± Cor laughed at him. ¡°Screw you! I¡¯ll be rougher with you this time, though I can¡¯t deny that they are a feast for the eyes¡­¡± he muttered towards the end. The leaves of a bush rustled, catching their attention. Jumping up, Jake got ready to fight and used his Sense, but Audrey and Elena stepped through the bush at the same time. ¡°What is a feast for the eyes?¡± Audrey asked with interest, showing her white teeth. ¡°Ah, my goddess has returned!¡± Jake joked with her as he fell on his knees in front of her. ¡°You are very funny¡­¡± she stepped to the side and got around him. ¡°Eh? Even though I was missing you a lot and tried so hard to please you?¡± Jake asked with a chuckle as he got up and stopped beside her. *Yawn* ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m really sleepy. We haven¡¯t really slept since leaving,¡± she said, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°You must have had it rough. So? How¡¯d it go?¡± he asked Elena, tilting his head to the side. Brushing her hand through her black hair, she answered, ¡°We are mostly done, though there was a complication. The Emperor had the Eighth Ring of Calamity, which seemed to be Dark Element attributed and he got away, probably to our Dunk planet. Haah- such a chore to find him,¡± she thought aloud, sighing loudly. ¡°And where is Dred?¡± ¡°He is in the capital, probably sleeping somewhere. While we meditated, he had to fly so he was awake non-stop for much longer than a day.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°And what about our corpse friend?¡± Elena asked while yawning loudly, stopping in front of Cor. Leaning closer, she examined his body with her eyes. ¡°My master has returned! Yaay-¡± Cor shouted loudly, startling Elena. ¡°... This was intentional, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she asked with furrowed brows, covering her ears. ¡°No¡­?¡± ¡°His skill is advancing real quickly and his armored mode is quite tough by now. If I use nothing but my fists, I have to cover my knuckles with gloves or something else my skin will rip off. Considering that I¡¯m a good fifty levels above him, it¡¯s a real wonder!¡± Jake summarized. ¡°You reached the two-hundredth level? Nice job,¡± she commented on his level after checking Cor¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t hard to add a hundred and fifty-six and fifty¡­ ¡°Have you remembered anything from your past life?¡± she asked Cor, tilting her head to the side. ¡°I had had some hazy dreams, but I couldn¡¯t remember them when I woke up,¡± came the reply with a sad tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we will help you since I imagine it¡¯s bad that you don¡¯t even know where you come from,¡± Elena shook her head with a slight feeling of sympathy. ¡°Thanks. You are much better than this brown haired, yellow-eyed, rubbish, bastard of a sadist Jake!¡± Cor started cursing at him as he grabbed Elena¡¯s right leg and fell to the ground in front of her. ¡°Get off of me! What the fuck?¡± she shook her leg. ¡°I forgot to tell you that sometimes he gets in the mood and starts roleplaying or what¡­ he has done this numerous times already. Be careful with him because he usually bit me at these times. He loves Mana filled meat and he had been missing Dred the most,¡± Jake shook his head. ¡°Dred? Well, in his monster form, his Mana spreads through his cells, turning him into a much more ¡®delicious¡¯ food for undead types,¡± Elena said with a thoughtful face. ¡°I would never do something like this!¡± Cor shouted. Tilting her head to the side, Elena replied, ¡°Your words sounded like a lie. Ah, I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go back to the palace and find Dred. I want to sleep too.¡± They left the forest behind and found Dred in one of the guest rooms. Hector was in the palace, though very busy. Still, Elena and co. entered his office to talk with him. He was more than happy to see them, ¡°Oh, you have come! The conditions you set will be satisfied immediately. I¡¯ll ask for the best trainer who will teach you how to use your weapons, in case you aren¡¯t better than him in it, haha.¡± Hearing Hector¡¯s words, a smile formed on Elena¡¯s face. He led them to the throne room after telling a servant to notify the Electors. A few minutes later they took their places in the throne room and happily took the oath. To break the silence that fell over the throne room, Hector asked something everyone wanted to know, ¡°So what are your plans now?¡± ¡°Well, based on your backstory I¡¯m an orphan girl from the city, who had high talent in Magic so you took me in secretly and raised me until I outgrew you in strength and Magic by far. It explains why others don¡¯t know anything about me and you can¡¯t say anything else about me, which means that I have a perfect cover story. My point is that I don¡¯t need to be a queen of the Sliton Empire anymore.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°The best would be if you spread my backstory in the city to make sure that many people could prove it. I also know your language by now, which adds another layer to my cover. Everything is perfect! So I plan to leave this planet after resting for a short time and going through the training your military trainer will show me. You can do what you want with the territory of the Sliton Empire. Take it back or-¡± ¡°What!? I must leave immediately in that case!¡± he interrupted her with a loud shout and quickly left the throne room. While standing in the door, he shouted, ¡°Electors, do your job and help me take over that Empire!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± They shouted as they sprung up from their chairs and followed Hector. Elena and co. was left in the empty throne room with dumbfounded faces. ¡°It must have meant a lot to them¡­¡± Audrey commented. Shaking her head, Elena made her way towards the guest rooms. ¡°Let¡¯s rest,¡± she sighed. Entering Dred¡¯s room, she laid down beside him and used him as a pillow. Feeling the warmth of his body and the blanket, she fell asleep in the blink of an eye in that cozy feeling. But at that time, a long, blonde-haired man with green eyes sneaked into the city, a black cape hiding his stature. Who was he? --------------------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 20.2 - Nothing is Left ¡°What should we do?¡± A brown haired woman with freckles on her face asked. ¡°Ignore it,¡± a short, red-haired muscular guy, the city lord, Bethor replied. Seeing her face turn sad, he added ¡°Sally, I understand that it would be exciting to explore a new planet, but if you just up and leave, then we might as well throw our plans out the window. Too many people suffered for this, do you want to waste their efforts?¡± Shaking her head, she replied, ¡°No. It¡¯s just that it would have been fun and¡­ who knows? We could have found a country that was willing to help.¡± Patting her shoulder, he commented, ¡°Don¡¯t be so naive, Sally. Why would anyone help us remove this waste of a king we have? As long as Atelon is on the throne, this kingdom won¡¯t become any better or bigger than the others. We will never grow into powerful kingdoms like the Saurward Empire. Do you want to stay in this level one Kingdom all your life?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to make it grow into a more powerful Kingdom and get closer to Mana filled territories? We aren¡¯t even allowed to enter since we were born here!¡± Clenching her fists, Sally nodded her head. ¡°Your words are true. I¡¯ll try to ignore that portal and focus on the matter at hand. Once you get on the throne, I¡¯m sure that you will lead us to a better future!¡± A smile formed on Bethor¡¯s face upon hearing her words. ¡°You are like a daughter to me, Sally. I know that we haven¡¯t met a lot in these days and I know that your husband too betrayed-¡± Raising her hand, Sally interrupted him, ¡°Don¡¯t even mention him. He died a long time ago and has nothing to do with me. I don¡¯t even remember his face clearly and don¡¯t worry about it, I know that you have to deal with many matters. I suppose you are leaving soon again, right?¡± she asked, raising a brow. Nodding his head, Bethor replied ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m leaving tomorrow. We are soon ready to engage in a bloody war with that bastard of a king. I only hope that we won¡¯t fall too deep and turn into nothing but ¡®free territory¡¯ for the neighboring kingdoms.¡± They couldn¡¯t help but think about that possibility. Two knocks on the door interrupted the silence in Bethor¡¯s office. Raising his head, he looked at Sally, ¡°It seems like Caleb is here.¡± ¡°The Vice-Commander? I haven¡¯t met him either for a long time now. He is as sneaky as ever¡­ for me to not notice his presence,¡± Sally shook her head with a sense of self-disappointment. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, his first class was an Assassin and he managed to evolve it into a class called ¡®Black Moon¡¯. If he really tries, not even I can sense his presence!¡± Bethor comforted her. After Caleb entered the room, they shared everything they learned over time and adjusted their plans in the right way. They decided to ignore the portal for now and in the best case, the King would send his forces to check it out, which would mean that they would have a higher chance at winning the war. But before they could even leave Bethor¡¯s office, somebody knocked on the door. ¡°What is it?¡± Bethor raised his voice, knowing that it was one of his officers. ¡°Three guests came from the capital city. They are students at the Magic Academy and their levels are quite high too¡­¡± a whisper came through the door. Clicking his tongue, he replied, ¡°Let them in.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we leave at first?¡± Caleb asked, brushing his hand through his long, blonde hair, his green eyes shining with a strange glint. ¡°I know that look in your eyes, but no, we can¡¯t kill them right now, though it would definitely help us in the war. It would be equal to a declaration of war and it¡¯s still not time. I have to make sure that one of the nobles I had a deal with will keep his words. His servants are of key importance to this war!¡± Bethor shook his head, knowing Caleb better than anyone. ¡°Haha, fine, but I¡¯ll disappear before the pricks appear. You know that I don¡¯t like them. All of them are too arrogant!¡± Caleb said with a chuckle as his body turned into a black mist and disappeared, leaving only a whisper, ¡°I¡¯ll look around on that new planet quickly. I might find somebody useful.¡± Sally opened her mouth wide, pointing at the floor where Caleb stood, ¡°So he can go but not me?¡± ¡°... I didn¡¯t allow him to go, but I can¡¯t stop him. People don¡¯t even know him so it doesn¡¯t really matter unlike you,¡± Bethor shook his head, feeling bittersweet inside. ¡°...¡± ¡°The guests are here,¡± a mellow voice came through the door before it was suddenly pushed open, revealing three young people, two boys, and one girl. Both of the teenage boys had handsome faces and blonde hair, though one of them had blue eyes, while the other one had yellow eyes. The girl wasn¡¯t lacking in her proportions either, her curvy, fit body alluring any man, combined with her small nose, red lips, yellow eyes, and long brown hair. The blue-eyed boy stopped in front of Bethor and held out his hand, ¡°I greet the lord with respect!¡± he said with a smile. Considering my position, the least they should do is greet me personally. For him to ¡®offer¡¯ their group¡¯s regards in one person¡­ Hmph, what a stuck up prick, Bethor thought with annoyance, hiding his emotions. It¡¯s not the right time to pick a fight with them. Showing a smile, he grabbed his hand, ¡°Welcome to Argent city! What brought you here?¡± ¡°The King sent us to organize a competition with your help in the city. We will look for talented Magicians who are good enough to enter the Magic Academy,¡± the brown-haired girl replied from the back, not even looking at Bethor while speaking. The latter couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle his brows with annoyance. ¡°Haha, that sounds like a great plan!¡± Interrupting him, the yellow-eyed boy said, ¡°Additionally, on the way here we found a newly opened portal, which seems to lead to another planet or area. Do you mind joining us and explore it? We might find something valuable.¡± Bethor made a thoughtful face before replying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I have a few things to take care of beforehand if you don¡¯t mind. You can stay as long as you wish as my guests. Now if you excuse me,¡± he replied, keeping his face by ignoring them. When he left the trio looked at each other with surprised faces. ¡°Did he just shake us off without even asking our names or anything?¡± the yellow-eyed boy asked, visibly angered by Bethor¡¯s disrespect. Raising her hands, Sally said, ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t be so angry since he has many things he has to deal with. I¡¯ll go with you if you still wish to go,¡± she said after seeing Bethor wink at her before closing the door. If they are here to organize a competition, then the King still doesn¡¯t know our plans. Could it be that Elena isn¡¯t a student of the Magic Academy? I¡¯ll have to ask, Sally thought with interest. ¡°Pardon me, but do you know a girl named Elena? Or a guy called Jake?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°No. Oh, wait, there is a girl called Elena,¡± the brown-haired girl replied in haste, only to realize that she was wrong. ¡°Is there? What does she look like?¡± Sally asked, her curiosity piqued. ¡°... Look, what do you want from her when¡­¡± She is ignoring us too, the blue-eyed boy thought. Realizing her mistake, Sally slapped her forehead, ¡°Haha, I¡¯m sorry. What are your names?¡± Shiit! I fucked up so bad. But I really don¡¯t care about these pricks. Pointing at herself, the brown haired girl introduced herself, ¡°I¡¯m called Sada Nyssa. He is my brother, Sam Nyssa,¡± she added, pointing at the yellow-eyed boy.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°True, even your eyes are the same beautiful yellow,¡± Sally buttered up to them a bit to correct her mistake. As arrogant as they were, wide smiles splattered on their faces upon hearing her compliment. Sally looked at the blue-eyed boy, who stuck out his chest as he announced his name, ¡°My name is Valdez Diogenia Daelbata!¡± Furrowing her brows, Sally showed an awkward smile, ¡°I- I¡¯ll call you Valdez if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Seeing him nod his head, her body eased up as she thought, For the Creator''s sake¡­ these people are more tiring than a full-blown training through the whole day. I must get away or do something else I¡¯ll get really pissed off. ¡°I shall show you your rooms,¡± she continued¡­ They spent two days in the city, looking around and wasting their time before deciding that it was time for them to do what they came here for. ------------- ¡°Mhhh~ I slept so well,¡± Elena moaned as she opened her bleary eyes and stretched out her limbs, Dred¡¯s soft fur rubbing her right side. ¡°It tickles,¡± she chuckled, scratching her arms and then rubbing her eyes. Sitting up, she looked around in the room, her back resting on Dred¡¯s. ¡°Why are you moving around so much?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask as he woke up because of her. ¡°Oh, you are up! Hear me out!¡± she said with a bright smile before telling Cor¡¯s evolution path to Dred and his abilities. *Yawn* ¡°That¡¯s great, though I wanted to sleep a bit more.¡± ¡°You have slept enough! Let¡¯s wake up! I want to meet that teacher and fight with him!¡± ¡°You are just going to beat him up¡­¡± ¡°No, I could kill him or beat him up in the blink of an eye and there would be no point to it that way. I want to learn!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sure? Promise?¡± ¡°Without a doubt!¡± Sighing loudly, Dred got out of the soft bed, ¡°Fine then.¡± After patting his head, Elena covered her naked body with thin clothes, weaved from her shadow. Tilting his head to the side, Dred commented, ¡°Sometimes I can¡¯t help but think that you are a bit too carefree around me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± she asked with a smile, already wearing her leather armor. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter, but you could be a bit more careful.¡± Picking up her gloves, she sheathed her throwing knives and daggers as she nodded her head, ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish.¡± ¡°You completely don¡¯t care¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I can¡¯t deny that. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just me anyway,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders as he got in front of Elena and transformed into his High-Demon form. Grabbing her shoulders, he pushed her on the wall ¡®gently¡¯. ¡°Right?¡± he asked, looking into her eyes. ¡°Eh? What are you doing?¡± Elena asked, her eyes darting around. Dred let go of her as he turned around and walked towards the door, ¡°Let¡¯s go, you won¡¯t be able to train otherwise.¡± ¡°You are strange¡­¡± she said while looking at his back, feeling a bit lost at what just happened. Shrugging her shoulders, she followed him. --- Thanks to knowing the local language, she easily found Salem, who was in his office, planning on how to manage the military forces once they get in control of the territory of the Sliton Empire. Elena didn¡¯t even know that most of the neighboring kingdoms saw what she did on the battlefields, making them feel afraid of her. The cleverer ones sent diplomats, while the stupid ones sent assassins. ¡°Hello, General! I came to claim my reward!¡± she said with a smile as she barged into his office. Ignoring her rudeness, a smile formed on his face as he got up from his seat and greeted her. ¡°Good morning. I¡¯ll guide you to the best teacher we have.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the most powerful fighter in the kingdom? Why don¡¯t you fight me?¡± ¡°The strongest Magician is our King, while I am the strongest melee fighter. But I¡¯m not good when it comes to teaching. In fact, even I¡¯m under this teacher¡¯s guidance secretly. Please don¡¯t spread it or my reputation would go down the drain,¡± he winked at Elena. ¡°Haha, I can keep secrets. Alright then, I¡¯ll see this teacher you are so proud of.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ please don¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°Why does everyone think that I want to kill him?! I¡¯m a gentle lady!¡± she shook her head, feeling wronged. ¡°...¡± ¡°Sure you are, right, Dred?¡± Salem asked, raising a brow. ¡°Not a chance. She is a maniac.¡± ¡°As if you were any different. No, you are even worse since you eat your prey. You chew on their meat with a blissful face every time,¡± Elena snorted, stopping behind Salem, who stood in front of a wooden door. You are both bloodthirsty and crazy, Salem thought as a smile formed on his face. But even if they are like this, they are quite amusing. They aren¡¯t bad people, I guess. ¡°Who is that?¡± a cracky voice came through the door. ¡°I¡¯m Salem. I brought your new students to you. It¡¯s the King¡¯s order to obey her wish and teach her, along with her friends if they wish to.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± the voice replied as the door opened, revealing a hundred and sixty centimeters tall old man. ¡°So short,¡± Elena exclaimed before quickly covering her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it many times before,¡± the old man waved his hand as he walked past Elena, his shoulder bumping into her soft chest. Furrowing her brows, she stepped to the side and followed him. Sensing a pair of glaring eyes, Elena turned around, only to see Dred. He is quite weird today, she thought with a shrug. They reached a twenty square meters large area. The ground was paved with flat and smooth tiles. Although the sun was glaring at them, the cold wind of autumn cooled the air. A shudder ran through the old man¡¯s body as he felt a cold breeze blow through his thin clothes. ¡°You are dressed up too much. Get out of your armor,¡± he demanded. Raising a brow, Elena took off her armor, leaving only her thin clothes, draping tightly around her body. If he asks me to take off these too, I¡¯ll have to break my promise and kill him¡­ she thought with a frown on her face. Luckily for the old man, he wasn¡¯t greedy enough. His eyes ran over her young body as he said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to shudder in this cold breeze, you must have trained your body in the cold, haven¡¯t you? Or if not, then it must be nice to be young.¡± ¡°Well, for one, my body is a bit different than yours and for two, I did train my body ever since I was born. I¡¯m not lacking in training methods. I¡¯m lacking in knowledge of how to use my strength,¡± she replied, while Dred transformed into his demon form and stood beside Elena, half naked. ¡°Are you joining too?¡± she asked with a surprised face. ¡°Of course, if I have to fight in this form for some unknown reason, then it is best if I¡¯m not a total loser,¡± he replied with a nod of his head. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± the old man couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud upon seeing Dred¡¯s demonic look. ¡°Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m something like a demon in my current form,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s see. Warm up at first and then you should attack me. I want to see what you know.¡± Dred and Elena ran a few laps around the big area while using Gravity Magic to make it harder. ¡°Who is going first?¡± the old man asked upon seeing them stopping in front of him while he was stretching his limbs. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Elena stepped forward. Taking a stance, the Old man waited for her to attack. Looking at his legs, she imagined a few possible movements she could do from that stance. Thinking of a counter-attack, she charged at him. She controlled her strength and tuned it down to the old man¡¯s level. Her fist was about to reach his face when he ducked down and punched forward. Considering his height, she expected it and used her flexible body to lean to the side, surprising the old man. ¡°You aren¡¯t bad,¡± he muttered as he turned his feet and suddenly moved his fist towards her stomach again. Feeling tingly inside, Elena was barely able to hold back her abilities and simply use her Shadow Step to get behind him. But knowing that it would make her training pointless, she stepped back. ¡°Nice! If you tried to duck down, with my short height, I could have easily hit your head instead of missing¡± he complimented her clever decisions. I don¡¯t have human instincts she thought, feeling proud of her race. Seeing him standing in place, she knew that she had to attack again. She punched forward in the same manner, but a second later she stopped her fist and raised her leg. The old man¡¯s eyes shone with interest upon seeing her deceptive movement. Raising his left arm, he left his side wide opened for her to attack. Thinking that it was a trap, she pulled her leg towards the ground in mid-air and rotated, trying to kick his head with her other leg by using her momentum. A grin formed on the Old man¡¯s face as he suddenly charged towards her. As a result, her leg hit nothing but air and only her thigh touched his shoulder, which barely had any force in it. Opening his palm, his hand shot towards Elena¡¯s chest. Although she controlled her strength, her perception was way above what the old man could even imagine. In fact, she was trying hard to control the speed of her limbs and not just beat him up in a moment. She saw his hand twitch as he made a gripping movement. She knew that in a normal battle, he would be able to grab her chest now, but she didn¡¯t intend to let any men grope her body. Appearing behind him with her Shadow Step, she evaded his perverted hand and slapped the back of his head. ¡°Stop trying to molest me or I¡¯ll beat you up. I came here to learn from you,¡± she said with furrowed brows. ¡°Damn it, this hurts like hell!¡± he shouted, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°I might have used a bit more strength than intended, sorry about that,¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°Teacher, please take them seriously and drop your habits. They saved our kingdom, is this how you thank them? You would have been overrun and killed by the enemy soldiers if not for them,¡± Salem commented from the back, his voice stern and angry. ¡°Fine. Keke, but she is really alluring, you should look at her from this angle-¡± the old man started, but another slap came from Elena, making him shut up. ¡°The next one will tear your head off,¡± she added, not tolerating the old man¡¯s antics, even if others would find it ¡®funny¡¯ to look at. Seeing that she was really pissed off, and feeling Dred¡¯s murderous, bloodthirsty aura, he couldn¡¯t help but finally take them seriously. But before he could say anything, a shout resounded on the training ground. The wind carried the language of Dunk planet into Elena¡¯s ears. ¡°Where is that Magician who speaks my language?¡± Turning around, she saw a long, blonde haired, handsome man, whose body was covered in a black cape. Tilting her head to the side, she made a surprised face. Inspect.
Name: Caleb Race: Human
Level: 374 Threat Level: 10
What the fuck? She cursed in her mind as a stiff smile formed on her face. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± she replied with the usual volume of her voice, knowing that he would hear her. Noticing Elena and remembering Sally¡¯s description about that mysterious black haired girl, Caleb couldn¡¯t help but frown. Is this girl our¡­ enemy? He thought. -------------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 20.3 - Nothing is Left ¡°So you can really speak our language. You visited Argent City before, haven¡¯t you?¡± Caleb asked with furrowed brows. Brushing her hand through her black hair, she replied, ¡°I did, what about it?¡± After looking into her eyes for a few seconds, he appeared behind her in a flash. Expecting it, Elena used her Shadow Step to get behind his back. He elbowed her in the stomach. Jumping back, she put her hand on the handle of her dagger. Turning around, he looked at her again without moving even a finger. Seeing that he managed to hit Elena, the General and the Old man reconsidered their initial thoughts of this ¡®rash¡¯ man. ¡°What do you want?¡± Elena asked. ¡°It depends. Who are you?¡± ¡°What does it matter to you? I¡¯m just a normal person.¡± ¡°Is that so? I heard from Sally about you. She told me that you probably killed our guards and ran back to your king, Atelon. But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case unless you felt like visiting this place before going back.¡± Hearing Caleb¡¯s words, the General made a surprised face, finally understanding why Elena wanted a backstory so bad. ¡°She was born and raised here,¡± Salem spoke in their language. Remembering that he came with friendly intentions, he returned his Mana from his feet and hands into his body, which resulted in a change of aura. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m very sorry in that case,¡± he replied, slightly bowing his head. ¡°What? You come here and attack me out of nowhere based on some hearsay and expect me to say that everything is okay now?¡± Elena asked, furrowing her brows. I don¡¯t really care about it, but I might be able to pull something good out of this, she thought, holding back a smirk from forming on her face. Although Salem wasn¡¯t a politician, he wasn¡¯t stupid and understood Elena¡¯s intentions. He knew that Elena wasn¡¯t as angry and offended as she showed. I¡¯m sorry, my king, but I¡¯ll listen to my instincts and play along with your guest. She seems to know what she is doing, he thought before saying aloud, ¡°You just attacked the princess of this kingdom, who is also our hero. What do you have to say?¡± Raising his hand, Calem rubbed his eyes. Fuck it, I fucked up real bad. If she has such a position, then she has nothing to do with Atelon or our kingdom. She probably came to spy with her friends, but only to measure up our strength, culture, and the rest of the stuff a kingdom would like to know. The question is, how do I correct this without making them have a bad impression of me? Bethor will beat me up if I can¡¯t fix this! It wouldn¡¯t be good if they would turn into our enemies because of this. Opening his eyes, although really unwilling, he got on his knees. Considering his strength, his act was very humiliating. ¡°To show how my I am sorry, please accept my apology.¡± Silence spread on the training ground. Although they came from two different planets, they were connected in the past and so, the basic customs were still the same. Salem knew how much it meant and he was surprised since based on his knowledge, Calem had no reason to do anything of the sort. She surely knows more than me. It was right to trust her, after all, he thought as a smile formed on his face. ¡°I accept your apology, but I want something simple in return. Last time I had to play around in your city and try to get information about your country or what, but I had to leave earlier since an enemy empire attacked us. I want you to answer a few of my questions!¡± ¡°A peace treaty?¡± Caleb asked with a smile on his face as he jumped up. ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s up to the King to deal with those kinds of things. I¡¯m just a princess, after all.¡± ¡°Hahaha, ¡®just¡¯ you say. Others would kill for your position,¡± Salem laughed awkwardly as he walked up to Elena and stopped beside her. Oh, right. It¡¯s best if I¡¯m a valuable person for them in the current setting, Elena realized her mistake. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll gladly share what I know with you,¡± Caleb nodded his head. ¡°But we too are preparing for¡­ a battle, so is it possible for me to leave now and come back later? If you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Hmm~ Do you want to rebel against your king, Atelon? Was it? I learned while being there that you were hiding your army as ¡®thugs¡¯ in the slums and made them into the bad guys. Even your city felt a bit weird, could it be that the inhabitants know about it as well? Maybe Innkeepers and popular store owners? They could give false information to many visitors, after all. Your plans seem to be doing well, as I saw it. Was I wrong in something?¡± she asked with a smile, showing all her cards. Furrowing his brows, Caleb stayed silent for a few seconds. Clenching his fists, he said, ¡°You know way too much. I could try to deny it, but you seem to be sure of this and you aren¡¯t bluffing. How did you find out? Were you the one who killed those guards, after all?¡± ¡°How rude! I¡¯m being suspected for the second time already! I didn¡¯t kill anyone but a random thug who wanted to rape me and a guard who came out of nowhere and attacked me. Is there anything wrong with that or did you expect me to just stand and let them do everything they wanted with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that our guards would have attacked you without saying anything,¡± Caleb tried to reason, but Elena pressed on. ¡°Are you telling me that I¡¯m lying?¡± ¡°N- No, I was just¡­¡± ¡°Just what? You seem to be doubting me non-stop. You should leave and never come back if you wish to keep up with this. That¡¯s really sad since I had plans there,¡± she said as she turned around with a ¡®hmph¡¯. ¡°Plans? What kind of plans?¡± Caleb asked with a newfound interest. ¡°Well, your land seems to be flourishing, while we have many deserts and even the ground is strange at a few places. I thought that it would have been nice to form an alliance, take over the throne together and we would gain some territory¡­¡± she replied briefly telling her plans, rolling a lock of her hair around her finger. Did she have such plans?! That would be damned great! Caleb shouted in his mind, already imagining the possible outcome of their rebellion. Holding back his emotions, he tried to keep a cool head. ¡°I deeply apologize once again and Miss, your plans are very much to my liking! Could we talk about the details at some time?¡± Salem couldn¡¯t help but look back and forth in his surprise. What the fuck? How did our kingdom decide to help another one to gain more territory? Even the Sliton Empire is too big for us in its current state. Our population isn¡¯t even high enough and now she is leading us into another war? I shouldn¡¯t have trusted her, but I can¡¯t say anything at this point! Shit¡­ I¡¯m sorry, my king! Salem cursed in his mind, realizing that he should have never opened his mouth. The only escape would be to reveal Elena¡¯s true identity, but the oath is protecting her and I wouldn¡¯t want to turn her into our enemy either. I have a strange feeling that this man wouldn¡¯t be able to kill her and we would be left alone. Once she came back¡­ no, no. I definitely mustn¡¯t betray her expectations. Going over his lacking number of possibilities, Salem decided to partake in Elena¡¯s play, hoping that they would really benefit from it in the future. ¡°In case you are truly interested, come back tomorrow morning and we will discuss the details. I have to tell these plans to the King too since I haven¡¯t done it yet, hehe,¡± she said, showing a cute smile.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°S- Sure. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning in that case. By the way, my name is Caleb. I¡¯m the Vice-Captain of the guards,¡± he replied, introducing himself before turning around to leave. ¡°Oh! So you are that guy. I didn¡¯t manage to gather any information about you,¡± Elena pulled on the sides of her mouth with a taste of dissatisfaction. ¡°Heh, I¡¯m the best in hiding, after all.¡± ¡°The right hand of the King or should I call you a sneaky tail?¡± Elena asked with a smirk on her face. ¡°Whatever you wish,¡± he replied with a grin on his face, taking a liking to Elena. After seeing the end result, he realized that she was leading him by the nose and was acting to get the deal done, but it only showed him that she was capable. Finding a capable ally was better than having many useless ones. Turning around one last time, he asked with a slight feeling of concern in his voice, ¡°There is one last thing. How come you don¡¯t just tell Atelon about our plan, raid our city, and take over it as your territory as a reward?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool. If we get a territory as a reward, it will never be truly ours. I don¡¯t want to be the bootlicker of that guy either after hearing what kind of person he is. But if I help you win, I can make a preferable deal and truly own a territory.¡± ¡°Great! You are really great!¡± Caleb shouted as he stomped on the ground, turning into a black mist and flying towards the portal like grains of sand. When he ¡®finally¡¯ left, Salem eased up before showing an angry face, ¡°Elena! What¡¯s the meaning of this! This isn¡¯t what you said before! If the other side is full of Magicians like you and even stronger ones, then we have no chance!¡± ¡°I originally didn¡¯t want to come here after seeing how weak you were, but the opening of the portal forced me. Seeing your weapons, it turned out that you are still useful. My kind of ability isn¡¯t a common one. Only people with Assassin related Classes have these kinds of abilities. The others will be blown up by your bombs and their heads will be filled with holes from your rifles. You don¡¯t have to worry because you won¡¯t lose more than with a usual war.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that once I leave, the neighboring kingdoms would attack you in their fear anyway. But if you manage to get their city lord on the throne, you too will benefit. You will be able to turn the use of spells and Mana into a common thing. Imagine your Drung Kingdom filled with magicians. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice?¡± hearing the words of the devil, Salem couldn¡¯t help but agree with her. Am I being lead around again or not? But her words do make sense. It would be hard to keep up our territory with our current army. If this war really helped us in nurturing more magicians, then it would be more than worth to join! He thought. ¡°I¡¯ll accept your reasons, but I hope that you will take responsibility. You could cause a disaster and the downfall of our Kingdom. When we first met, you said that you were looking for ¡®bad¡¯ people, right? If you really kill all of us off, then you should be the first on your own to-kill list,¡± he replied with furrowed brows as he turned around and walked towards the palace. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t wish to sacrifice you. This area is quite interesting and might be a deciding factor in the future,¡± she replied with a smile on her face. ¡°Huh? In what?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but stop and ask. ¡°Secret.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s continue this training, but I warn you. I¡¯ll kill you if you¡¯ll try to grope me again, just saying,¡± she pointed at the old man''s face. ¡°F-Fine.¡± Audrey, Jake, and Cor joined not long after. Cor caused quite a big ruckus in the palace, but thanks to Jake¡¯s and Audrey¡¯s presence, things calmed down quickly. Elena¡¯s friends were surprised to hear what happened while they were sleeping in the morning. They spent the rest of the day in learning fighting techniques, movements, stances. The second time, the old man changed into a completely different person and took their training seriously. In the evening, Elena and Audrey took a bath together in the women¡¯s bath in the palace, while the guys were sent to have a bath in the men¡¯s bath. Knowing that the next day would be long, Elena went to bed early. But at that time, she sensed somebody sneaking into the palace, thanks to the usage of Dark Magic. She stayed in bed the whole time, even when the man sneaked into her room after checking a few rooms in the palace. ¡°I found you,¡± the man talked to himself in a low voice, unsheathing his dagger. But before he could even move, Dred jumped out of his shadow and grabbed his throat. Raising him into the air, he asked, ¡°Who sent you? Who are you?¡± The man didn¡¯t even have the time to react to his speed and strength. ¡°...¡± ¡°So you aren¡¯t talking,¡± Dred growled. Pushing him on the ground, he forced open his mouth and grabbed one of his teeth and slowly tore it out. ¡°AARGH!¡± ¡°So? Fine then.¡± ¡°...¡± Elena just laid on her side on the bed and looked at the assassin with amusement as Dred beat him up and pulled out of him what he wanted to know. ¡°P-Please, no more!¡± the assassin said as Dred grabbed his last tooth and pulled it out. His limbs, fingers, and toes were broken by the time he finished. ¡°Who sent you?¡± ¡°I- I came from the Slave city! They wanted me to assassinate you and take your bodies to them! I don¡¯t know anything else, I swear!¡± ¡°And where is that Slave city you speak of?¡± Elena finally spoke, even though she stayed silent the whole time the assassin was tortured. His body pressed to the ground, his mouth and limbs a bloody mess, the assassin looked up into Elena¡¯s cold eyes, which filled his heart with more dread than anything he experienced before. Her strong bloodthirst pressured his mind and heart so much that his body started trembling in fear as he replied with a stutter, ¡°I-It¡¯s to the East, a-about five hours of travel. Please, spare my life!¡± Nodding her head, Elena turned away. That was the moment the assassin felt sure of his death. He felt Dred¡¯s fingers and claws sink into his neck, tearing his muscles and nerves in the blink of an eye. For a moment, he saw his own body before he lost his consciousness. ¡°You little shit, you tried to sneak up on us¡­¡± Dred cursed at him as he devoured the remnants of his body. ¡°You seem to be pissed off more than usual. What¡¯s up?¡± Elena asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Well, their target was you, after all,¡± Dred replied, scratching the back of his head. Crossing her legs, a smile formed on her face. But Dred¡¯s wandering eyes didn¡¯t escape her sight either, which somewhat surprised her. He did say that his demon body had some kind of feelings when seeing my body. Could it be that he was so strange in the morning because of that? Elena thought as she got up from the bed. Out of curiosity, she slightly opened her legs, only to see Dred¡¯s eyes turn away. Since she didn¡¯t want to make him feel uncomfortable, she said in the next moment, ¡°Let¡¯s visit this city quickly. With your speed, we will reach it and come back in just an hour at most, if not less.¡± ¡°Should I call the others?¡± Dred asked, raising a brow, behaving in the same way as usual. ¡°Yes, call Audrey and Salem. You can call the others if you want them to sit on your back, haha. I want to show him something. Before we meet Hector again, I want him to know what we are capable of. Audrey had been learning that new spell ever since obtaining it, so she should be able to use it by now. I want them to do as I wish and when I wish for now,¡± she replied as she got up from the side of the bed. As she walked past him, she felt his eyes on her back before hearing his footsteps as he started following her. She looked back at him from the corners of her eyes while thinking, Interesting. What are you hiding, Dred? If not you, then time will tell¡­ --- They soon left the palace and went towards Slave city. Salem was holding Dred¡¯s leg in the strong wind that blew against his face high up in the air. Looking down, he couldn¡¯t help but find his current height a bit terrifying. Looking up at Elena, he asked, ¡°Why do you want to go to Slave city? That place is terrible, filled with nothing but criminals!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see it soon enough, just guide us.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Half an hour later, they found the city and Dred landed a few kilometers away. Audrey hopped off of Dred¡¯s back and looked at Elena, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nodding her head, Audrey spread her arms, forming a huge gravity zone in the city that made the houses crumble and the debris fly towards the center of the zone. After forming a mix of fire and light elemental ball, the size of a house, she compressed it into the size of a head and shot it towards the city. Screams and shouts could be heard even from so far away as the houses crumbled and the people tried to get away from the pull of the gravity zone. When the ball arrived, Audrey closed her eyes and snapped her fingers. An Eon element speck shot forward and split the Mana specks inside the mixed fire and light ball into two halves, causing it to enlarge to the size of the whole city. There was no sound at first, only a huge light that radiated the dark night in white and orange. Then soon a loud rumbling came as the ground started to tremble, followed by a huge shockwave that pushed Salem up into the air and made him fly through the air. He landed on the ground with a loud thump a few meters away. Sitting up, he looked at the scene in wonder, surprise, amaze, and fear. ¡°W-What the meaning of this?¡± he asked, looking at Elena, his forehead covered in sweat. ¡°Nothing,¡± she replied bluntly, showing a smile. Sitting on the ground, feeling like a child in front of adults, he started to ponder, If they used this against our capital city¡­ We have no fucking chance. Is she threatening us with this? But¡­ it¡¯s working, he thought as he got up from the ground, forgetting his ¡®status¡¯ completely. The bright light slowly faded away, leaving nothing but a huge crater and a barren land in its place. Soon silence and darkness returned and only the silver light of the Moon provided some light. ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s working perfectly, though you lost quite a lot of Mana, it seems,¡± Elena nodded her head as she examined Audrey¡¯s state. ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to control, but I can get used to it if I use it a few more times. Though I should do it in a desert instead,¡± she furrowed her brows, thinking aloud. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m fine with that. I won¡¯t make you use this unless somebody betrays us. Let¡¯s go back,¡± Elena said with a bright smile, not even looking at Salem. She is threatening me, after all¡­ he thought as he sighed loudly. Audrey got back onto Dred¡¯s back and hugged Elena from behind to hold onto something. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the time when you finally learn to fly!¡± Dred grumbled in a low voice, feeling dissatisfied again. ¡°Hush, you should be happy instead!¡± Audrey replied with a chuckle. Looking at Salem¡¯s blank face, Elena leaned down to poke his face, ¡°Salem? Come¡­¡± Nodding his head, he grabbed Dred¡¯s front leg and hold onto it tightly. As Dred flew into the air and turned towards the capital, Salem looked back one last time. ¡°Nothing is left, huh¡­¡± Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 21.1 - Even the Light Left Even the Light Left The next day, Elena woke up and found Dred in his panther form beside her. After lazing around for a bit more, she got out of the bed and dressed up. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± she asked, as she sheathed her last throwing knife. ¡°Nothing in particular. I was just waiting for you to get ready,¡± he said as he jumped out of the bed. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t or what?¡± Elena asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°You can¡­ but what do you want?¡± ¡°...You were a bit strange yesterday,¡± Elena brought up his behavior. ¡°I know. It was because of my demon form. It all started with that so I won¡¯t use it unless it is necessary,¡± he replied, still keeping silent about his reasons. ¡°Spill the beans already,¡± she shook her head. ¡°Uhm¡­ it¡¯s just that when I¡¯m in my demon form, my whole crotch is tingling and I get excited over your body. It¡¯s a nice feeling, but I don¡¯t want it. You know that I¡¯m liking you and I don¡¯t want to lust over you all day. It¡¯s distracting, to say the least.¡± Elena was left with her mouth opened wide, not expecting him to be this blunt with his words. ¡°That was- surprising. Uhm, should I do anything to help you?¡± ¡°No, it is my problem. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°But your demon form can be used for much more things than your monster form. Hands are great, you know?¡± ¡°Of course, I know. I had the chance to experience what it¡¯s like to have them. But I¡¯ll be fine this way.¡± ¡°Eh? But you are giving up something good for ¡®my sake¡¯, which makes me feel bad now¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s say that I¡¯m doing it for my sake,¡± he said, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Lies.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t really matter. I never said that I¡¯d abandon using my demon form. I¡¯ll just use it less to don¡¯t get my head filled with you.¡± ¡°Why? Is that a bad thing for anyone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it should be a bad thing for you,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders. ¡°...¡± She stayed silent for a few seconds and rolled her eyes. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t really care at the moment. It¡¯s not like you did anything to me, ever.¡± ¡°But I could if I stayed that way.¡± ¡°What? Are you lacking self-control? Then I¡¯ll be the one to tell you to use your demon form. Self-control is very important, especially in our case! Hypothetically, will you fail a mission in the future if a woman tried to seduce you because of your lack of endurance?¡± ¡°Ugh, huh? Why are you bringing this up?¡± he asked, his eyes darting around in the room. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it the same? You are just trying to escape one of your weak points. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have them.¡± ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sure that my self-control is great. It¡¯s just that other men don¡¯t have to see and hear a beauty masturbate beside them in the bed. I¡¯m perfectly fine in my monster form,¡± he didn¡¯t back away and stomped on the ground to express the stability of his decision. Elena¡¯s face turned red as she opened her mouth, ¡°W-What the hell?! I¡¯m not-!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny it, I can hear you every time¡­¡± ¡°...So are you telling me that it¡¯s my fault? But it felt good¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it is your fault and when I told you once that I should sleep alone, you told me that I should stay since I¡¯m great as a pillow. You are selfishly using me. At least, you don¡¯t go as far as to touch my body while doing it. Happy? You wanted to hear my opinion before¡­¡± ¡°Ehm¡­ fine! But you shouldn¡¯t have been this blunt!¡± ¡°What? You wanted me to be blunt and now you are telling me to not be so blunt? What do you want then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for fuck¡¯s sake! But I got used to it. What do you want me to do? Or not do?¡± she spread her arms in exasperation. ¡°Well, I too got used to being together with you so I don¡¯t really plan to give up on that. As I said, you can keep your habits and I¡¯ll stay in my monster form!¡± he said stubbornly, stomping on the ground once again. ¡°So we are back to square one,¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about this. I don¡¯t want to take advantage of anyone, let alone you,¡± she mumbled in a low voice, her hand on her chin. Dred¡¯s eyes opened wide as he felt a strange feeling of happiness fill his heart. Shaking his head in confusion, he got up and followed Elena who walked out of the room, saying no more. Caleb arrived not soon after, his early arrival a sign of his excitement. Elena had enough time to tell her plans to Hector and push him until he accepted them. But this time, Caleb brought with him another person. Elena sat down beside Hector in his office, while Salem stood behind his back and Dred stayed in her shadow. Since they didn¡¯t want to make the room crowded, Audrey and the others stayed outside.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Elena saw a red-haired man enter the room, followed by Caleb. As her eyes met his gray eyes, they started a staring competition. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Elena asked with furrowed brows, still keeping eye contact. Considering that he was the guest and the one who wanted help, Bethor shook his head and averted his eyes, slightly confused, ¡°N- Nothing¡­¡± ¡°Pfft-¡± *cough* Salem drowned his laughter with a cough and stayed silent, his face red from embarrassment. He didn¡¯t even dare to look at Hector, afraid to meet his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Bethor asked, looking at each of the people in the room, ignoring Salem¡¯s slip. After everyone introduced themselves , Bethor took a seat in front of Hector¡¯s office table and Caleb stood behind him. Not beating around the bush, Bethor started, ¡°I heard everything from Caleb. If I hand out some territory to you after winning the war, you plan to help us, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I know that you are in a desperate situation and any help would come in handy,¡± Hector replied, his self-assurance clear on his face. ¡°That¡¯s indeed true, but the real question is¡­ how much can you help? I didn¡¯t sense even a single notable Magician, other than you,¡± Bethor replied, pointing at Elena. ¡°Oh, wait, and there are three others in the palace, but this Kingdom? What do you have?¡± Leaning forward, Elena replied with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s where our technology comes in the picture. Salem?¡± Nodding his head, he gave a weapon to Elena. Opening the window, she looked at an apple on the top of a tower, which they put there beforehand. Thanks to her great eyesight, she fired only once and the apple was blown into pieces. Bethor leaned on the table in interest, his brows wrinkled. ¡°Now, that¡¯s an interesting tool you have. But I could have evaded it.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s ineffective against me as well, but you see, there will be many Magicians and Warriors in the middle of a battle. They can¡¯t dodge every shot and unless they have an ethereal form related spell, they won¡¯t escape death. This means that our people could shoot from far away and safely take out many of our opponents. Of course, I too would help and fight alongside you.¡± ¡°You keep saying ¡®our¡¯ enemy,¡± Bethor pointed out, raising a brow. ¡°Of course, Atelon is in the way of my plans, so he is my enemy. Simple as that.¡± ¡°Will I be in the way of your plans too, in the future?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Unless you plan to kill me,¡± she replied with a grin on her face. ¡°I have no intention to hurt my benefactor. The question is, how much territory do you want? You surely know that our Kingdom isn¡¯t all that great in its current form and if I give away too much, it won¡¯t be worth for us.¡± ¡°That much is obvious,¡± she nodded her head. ¡°And so, instead of giving us one of your cities, we will build our own city at a good location. You will help us with that. On the other hand, it¡¯s pointless if we just earn some territory. I want our people to mix together. You will learn more about technology, while our people will learn more about Mana, spells, skills, and the rest of the good stuff.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t like a real princess. You talk openly, which is unusual,¡± Bethor remarked with a chuckle. ¡°Well, I¡¯m an exception. So? What do you say? I want these two Kingdoms to combine into a powerful one and with the backing of the high-level materials, our technology can rise to new heights too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rather interesting concept and although I have a few doubts about the future, I¡¯ll accept this deal.¡± Even if you wish to rebel or take the lead in the future, we will have the upper hand. We could easily wipe out your forces if you tried something funny, he thought, nodding his head. Raising his head, he added, ¡°We should talk about the tactics too. I¡¯ve been secretly training the guards and the thugs, but your soldiers know nothing about my plans. How should we change that?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose you can¡¯t bring your people here and we can¡¯t go either. So sadly we will have to spread the word and hope that our people aren¡¯t stupid,¡± Elena replied with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ but if they followed my words, our army would be still better organized than Atelon¡¯s. Caleb has been spying on his forces for many years now. His biggest power comes from the students of the Magic Academy and those who graduated from it. His hired forces are just trash. They are powerful but are nothing but a bunch of unorganized monkeys. The students of the Magic Academy are the same, but they are very powerful.¡± ¡°Three of them happened to visit my city three days ago and they want to hold a competition to pick up the talented young people. If everything goes the right way, they will never return to the capital city,¡± Bethor replied with a grin on his face, clenching his fists. ¡°You seem to hate them,¡± Elena tilted her head to the side. ¡°I do. If you met them, you would too. Almost all of them are just arrogant bastards, thinking that they can do anything. I do know a few students who are clever and aren¡¯t arrogant, unfortunately, they are few in number. But I still managed to make a deal with a few of them. They will help us and their oaths are also protecting us from betrayal.¡± ¡°Huh? For how long have you been planning this if you have even these kinds of trump cards?¡± Hector asked with wide opened eyes. ¡°Ten years!¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a while¡­ I didn¡¯t think that you would put so much effort into this, but I¡¯m happy to realize that I was wrong,¡± Elena commented, showing her white teeth. ¡°I knew from the beginning that I had to build everything from scratch. The first part of my plan was to become a city lord, which took a lot of time. But even when I earned the title, I knew that it won¡¯t be good for anything if I don¡¯t advance my plans step by step. I knew that I had to find people who shared my view and dared to risk.¡± ¡°There were hard times when I misunderstood people and I had to kill them to keep them silent. But as you can see, I¡¯m here and the day I can finally kill this idiot of a king is creeping closer!¡± he started explaining his plans, filled with emotions. ¡°You must have had it rough. Somebody who sacrifices people and things for the greater good, huh? We are quite similar,¡± Elena grinned. ¡°Is that so? And what is your ¡®greater good¡¯?¡± ¡°Who knows? Time will tell,¡± she smiled, standing up from the table. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now since my presence is unnecessary at this point. You can share your battle plans with Salem,¡± she pointed at him, continuing, ¡°I¡¯ll use my own methods to fight. The only thing I need to know is whether you have some large scale attack planned or not.¡± Nodding his head, he replied, ¡°I do have.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll ask Salem about it later. I need to focus on training for now.¡± ¡°Alright. My time is running out so I will keep it brief,¡± Bethor replied, but by the time he finished his words, Elena was nowhere to be seen. Furrowing his brows, Caleb remarked, ¡°She is very good¡­ I can¡¯t sense her.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s interesting. Is she really just a princess of your Kingdom?¡± Bethor raised a brow. As an experienced king, Hector easily hid his emotions and replied with a straight face, ¡°Of course. I took her in a long time ago since she was an orphan. Although initially, I had to hide her from the general populace, after beating our enemies, I could finally reveal her identity.¡± ¡°I understand, though she seems to be the one leading,¡± Bethor rudely commented on Hector¡¯s seemingly low authority. Considering how weak he was and how little he talked, Bethor didn¡¯t give him enough respect, even though he was the King. Hector¡¯s brows twitched as he slammed his hand on the table, ¡°I could simply cancel this thing if you want to keep badmouthing me! I did let her play around this time, but I¡¯m the one who has the last saying in this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bethor slightly bowed his head to show his honesty. ¡°Good. Now share your plans and then leave,¡± Hector humphed. I think I mistook who is the leader here, Bethor thought helplessly, realizing that he said something he shouldn¡¯t have. Thanks to continuous learning, Hector and Salem too learned the general language of the universe, so they had no problems with communicating. After finishing their negotiation, Bethor stood up from his seat and left with a simple goodbye. ------------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 21.2 - Even the Light Left ¡°Don¡¯t be so forceful with your weapon! Flow with your daggers!¡± the old man shouted at Elena, seeing her movements. Stopping beside her, he watched her closely and nodded his head, seeing her getting it right. Her silky black hair flew through the air shined in the sunlight. Furrowing his brows, the old man said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you cut your hair? Somebody who fights close battles shouldn¡¯t have long hair. What if your opponent grabbed it?¡± His hand shot forward and grabbed her hair, tearing out a handful of it. ¡°Huh?¡± he mumbled, feeling surprised how easily it came out. Looking at Elena¡¯s head, he noticed that her hair was perfectly fine and she had no missing hair. ¡°Haha, I told you that my body is a bit different. You could pull out my hair all day, nothing would change. Only I can change it and I like it long~¡± she mused with an amused smile on her face. I¡¯m not a human, you stupid old man. My hair is like a shadow, you can pull it out but it will reappear and has no weight, she thought, looking at her hair in his hands turning into nothing. ¡°What the hell? Is this some kind of Magic?¡± ¡°You can call it that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t slack off! Keep swinging and thrusting!¡± Why do I have to swing it? Daggers are used to thrust! She complained in her mind, doing as told nonetheless. Audrey was sitting on a bench not too far away, a mix of fire and light elemental ball between her hands. Throwing it into the air where a gravity zone laid hidden, she split the ball into two halves, causing a silent explosion and a powerful shock, which hit Elena¡¯s back. ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! But it¡¯s fun when you almost fell over!¡± Audrey raised her hand to her mouth. ¡°I told you already to do this elsewhere, but no¡­ you are just making it bigger and bigger, trying to make me fall. Your timing happens to be the same when my balance is the worst too, what do you have to say?¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°It¡¯s by chance.¡± ¡°Could you stay quiet? I can¡¯t think like this,¡± Jake complained, trying to advance his knowledge of void. Meanwhile, Dred used Cor as a punching bag to train his resistances and to ignore his perverted thoughts when seeing Elena¡¯s sweaty body¡­ I¡¯ll definitely get used to this. Damn it, Elena! he cursed in his mind, sometimes sneaking a peek at her. Evading one of Dred¡¯s punches, Cor leaned to the side and asked Audrey ¡°Since when do you know a spell like that? I didn¡¯t have it in my memories after I drank Dred¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°We found it in an ancient cave where we found the Emperor,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Why? Do you want to learn it?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t use external magic. I was just curious since it felt familiar.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone but the old man stopped when they heard his words. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Dred furrowed his brows. ¡°Yes,¡± Cor nodded his head. ¡°In that case, as per our agreement, I¡¯ll take you there. You might remember something,¡± Dred said as he transformed into his Wyvern form and after Cor held onto him, he flew into the air. ¡°Eh? He didn¡¯t even ask if we wanted to come,¡± Elena looked at him with a dumbfounded face, stopping her training. ¡°Don¡¯t slack off or I¡¯ll grab your breasts!¡± the old man shouted into her ear, startling her. ¡°Fuck you, my heart almost stopped!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t stop! Focus on what you are doing!¡± ¡°Tsk- fine. But he could have asked,¡± she mumbled to herself in a low voice, while Audrey and Jake didn¡¯t utter even a single word. Am I the only one who cares about it? That¡¯s strange, or am I the one who is strange? Well, it¡¯s not like we had a fight, did we? Looking down, she noticed her sweaty body and how much skin she showed. I might be the reason why he left so hurriedly, after all¡­ she rolled her eyes. --- Dred landed on the ground, not far away from the Emperor¡¯s house, right above the hole they made when they got out of the cave. ¡°Off you go.¡± ¡°What? Do you want me to crawl under the ground? Are you telling me that my place is there? Just because I¡¯m a corpse?!¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°No¡­ that hole is the entrance to the cave unless you want to go through the traps.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Surely, you wouldn¡¯t want me dead- or alive?¡± Cor talked to himself and started pondering. ¡°... I beg you to stop these jokes and just go already,¡± Dred put his hand on his forehead and shook his head. ¡°Alriiiiight!¡± his shout came from the hole as Dred pushed him into it and then jumped after him. His feet reached the ground exactly beside his head. ¡°AAHH! You scared me there! If my head is crushed I die!¡± Cor shouted, his face terrified. ¡°Haha, I haven¡¯t seen you scared before,¡± Dred grabbed his collar and pulled him to his feet. ¡°Well, neither of you tried to hit my head before. You can do whatever you want to my lower half, but my head needs to stay intact! I want to stay handsome!¡± ¡°No offense meant, but you are anything but handsome¡­¡± ¡°Fuck you. And what do you have to say about yourself and Elena?! Did you think that I didn¡¯t notice? You two seem to be a bit tense since this morning. What happened?¡± ¡°Hmm? You are quite perceptive but you are mistaken if you think that we had a fight. At least, I don¡¯t consider it a fight¡­ and she doesn¡¯t seem to do it either.¡± ¡°What are you blabbering about? I asked something and didn¡¯t get a reply!¡± Rolling his eyes, Dred spilled the beans, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but fine. You know how we are born in pairs. I¡¯m supposed to be something like her ¡®pet¡¯, but I¡¯m not. Either way, I¡¯m liking her as a person a lot, but she has a habit which caused some changes. You see after I got this demon form, I started feeling attracted to female bodies and-¡± ¡°Hmm? Are you sure? I haven¡¯t seen you ogling Audrey or does she not fit your taste?¡± Dred raised a brow, his face surprised. ¡°Well, no, she too is nice but¡­ huh?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even realize, hahaha. I think that it¡¯s not just your body that is being attracted to Elena¡± Cor stuck out his tongue. ¡°Is that so? I never thought about it that way, but your words are indeed true!¡± Placing his hand on his chin, Dred started pondering, ¡°Then why am I attracted so much to her? Is it really because of her night habits or is it something else? I¡¯m not in love, am I?¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Cor tilted his head to the side. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, you probably have something for her, but you seem to lack experience too much to notice it. This is from your knowledge, but does your heart start beating rapidly when you see her?¡± ¡°No, why would it? Though I¡¯m missing her now and I feel happy when I see her.¡± ¡°Is that so? Maybe you are like a close friend with some extra feelings¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, that might be the case. But if something changes, I¡¯ll definitely notice it,¡± he furrowed his brows. ¡°Strangely enough, you seem to be dense but I think that you aren¡¯t,¡± Cor shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not. I thought about this option too before, but I discarded it since it didn¡¯t seem to fit my feelings. It does make more sense now, though.¡± ¡°Hoho?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t laugh at me, you stupid corpse. Look around instead!¡± ¡°But I wasn¡¯t laughing¡­¡± Cor hung his head. Raising it back up, he looked around in the room. He saw the golden throne in the middle and focused his eyes on it with no real result. Walking into the hidden room, he saw the dust covered table and a chair behind it. Raising his hand, he touched his face and felt tears trickling down on it. Memories of his ring, a scroll he put on the table, and a black ring flashed in his mind. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a ring on Audrey¡¯s finger with a purple gem?¡± he asked as he turned around, rubbing his eyes. ¡°There is. We found it here.¡± ¡°Alright...¡± ¡°Do you intend to stay silent about it?¡± Dred raised a brow. ¡°No, but I¡¯m still missing pieces. I¡¯m sure that I was the one who created this place. I¡¯m also sure that everything you found here was my possession in the past and that I had a fight in the other room.¡± ¡°Is that why the formation was filled up with blood?¡± Dred asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Formation?!¡± Slapping his forehead, Cor rushed into the other cave and knelt on the ground to look at it closely. ¡°This¡­ I made this.¡± ¡°Huh?! Then are you¡­ Hector? The original? The one from the legends?¡± ¡°I think I am, but I was betrayed. The problem is that I don¡¯t remember who was it or why and how I died. I don¡¯t know anything about my past life either. I need more information about this Hector, who may be me,¡± he clenched his fists and punched the ground, breaking the formation. ¡°Then were you the one who connected these two planets? And where is your strength? Did everything start with you?¡± Dred couldn¡¯t help but bombard Cor with questions. ¡°Do you want to be called Hector or Cor?¡± he added. ¡°Stop, stop. I don¡¯t know the answer to those questions and just call me Cor. Hector died long ago and it will stay that way. But I- I am a living dead, Cor. That won¡¯t change unless I completely die,¡± he replied, showing a rare honest smile. Dred furrowed his brows and looked at Cor. After a few seconds, a smile formed on his face as he held out his hand, ¡°Welcome to the group, in that case. I hope to rely on you too in the future.¡± Nodding his head, Cor stood up from the ground and took his hand, ¡°Thanks. You know, I¡¯m filled with anger for some reason. Can I hit you?¡± ¡°Haha, no. Hit the wall or Jake when we get back.¡± ¡°Jake, ah how sweet it will be! Hehe, he will be definitely pissed off!¡± ¡°Right, let¡¯s go in that case. At least, we know who you were. We just have to find out what happened to you now,¡± Dred replied with a smile. Jumping out of the cave through the hole, he transformed into his Wyvern form and took Cor back. But on the road, he felt stranger and stranger inside. I- I¡¯m worrying for Elena and I¡¯m missing her even though we barely separated. Am I tied to her this much? Is this because of the connection between us or is this something more? he pondered on the way back. Seeing the capital of the Drung Kingdom far away, he felt excited. This is no good. He felt more and more excited as he got closer and closer. Landing on the training grounds, he saw his friends and Elena, but his eyes stopped on her face. ¡°Welcome back!¡± she waved her hand with a smile on her face. Gulping loudly, Dred nodded his head as he thought, Shit. I love her, after all¡­ Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 21.3 - Even the Light Left Shin, the Emperor of the Sliton Empire stood in a dark place, facing him was a human-shaped shadow. ¡°You must become stronger,¡± the shadow said with a grin. ¡°What do you want from me again?! Please leave me already!¡± ¡°No~ I need your body or I can¡¯t cause havoc and chaos! It¡¯s just so enjoyable!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We are slaughtering everyone and turn people into slaves! How is that fun?¡± Shin shouted at the shadow, punching through his ethereal body. It dispersed into a black mist and took the same shape behind him. ¡°You know nothing, you weakling! You didn¡¯t even have dark affinity before I devoured your mind! A weakling like you shouldn¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± he laughed at Shin. ¡°But this is my body! Get out! My friend was killed because of you!¡± ¡°Hahaha, served him well since he was useless. Let¡¯s see which region should I corrupt now? As long as I have a body, I can slowly change people¡¯s mindset and turn even the best person into a complete evil!¡± the shadow laughed like a maniac. ¡°No! You screwed up our Kingdom and turned it into that¡­ that kind of place! Stop it, I beg you! What should I do to make you stop?¡± ¡°Hmm, give up your body completely! I¡¯ll stop spreading darkness in that case. How is that?¡± the shadow tilted his head to the side. ¡°You would just turn even stronger! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Shin shouted back. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll overtake your body anyway, it¡¯s just a question of time! Once I regain my old power, I¡¯ll definitely take revenge for my creator, Hector! They dared to betray him¡­ all human is trash and should be killed!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your master but please stop! I understand that they were terrible and should be killed but why are you punishing innocent people? At least use my body to kill only those people!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Shin. That was my plan, to begin with. If I cause war, humans will die by the thousands and millions! The more war I cite, the more humans will die. One day, I''ll make Hector''s murderers fall into a war and kill them myself!¡± ¡°You are crazy!¡± ¡°Hmm? I never denied that one,¡± he replied with a grin. Sweat poured down on Shin¡¯s head, feeling more and more tired after so many years. When he put the black ring on his finger, everything was fine. It started later on that he heard strange whisperings in his ears, which always said evil things. He wanted to take off his ring at that time, but he couldn¡¯t do it. His heart and love for that ring stopped him every time. He didn¡¯t know that it wasn¡¯t him who was loving the black ring so much. As more time passed by, he started to lose control over his body, which got to the point where he couldn¡¯t even speak. It was the darkness in the ring that took over his body and spoke through his body. It was the darkness that killed, murdered, and did anything to hurt the humans. Meanwhile, Shin had to watch everything from his own head through his own eyes. How his family was murdered, how he raped women, how he betrayed everyone. ¡°Then just kill me already. Even that is better than living through the things you do!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Since you were so weak, I was able to overtake your body, but I¡¯d have no chance against a real Magician. My consciousness would have been wiped out the moment a true Magician put the Eighth Ring of Calamity on their finger. If you don¡¯t want to see what I do then just give your body to me and I¡¯ll wipe out your consciousness. I really swear this one since you are annoying to have in my mind anyway,¡± the shadow said with a serious face. ¡°My? You say? This isn¡¯t your body! This is my body and I won¡¯t give you the chance to control yourself completely! At least, I can restrain you a bit! You almost stopped when that black girl shouted because I wanted you to stop, didn¡¯t you? Ah, if only her attack hit us¡­¡± Shin sighed out of sadness. ¡°You are wrong¡­ Your words did nothing, it was hers. I wanted to leave as soon as she finished talking, but her attack almost reached me in time. I must be careful of her¡­ she didn¡¯t feel like a human. Can she control darkness related creatures?¡± the shadow mumbled to himself. ¡°Anyway, she is dangerous. I¡¯ll have to stay far away from her and kill her if she tries to catch me. She might be able to command me¡­¡± the shadow muttered, fear clear on his face.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sitting down in the infinite darkness, Shin asked, ¡°Where are you going? Why are you leaving this city?¡± ¡°Of course, to train and become stronger. Your place was lacking in Mana, but if I start training and devouring monsters, I¡¯ll be able to become stronger!¡± ¡°And what is this Devour ability of yours?¡± Shin asked with interest, never hearing of that kind of spell. ¡°Hehe, it originates from a legendary creature. My master heard tales about their ¡®evil¡¯ deeds and how they devoured Kingdoms, Planets, or even Universes before being killed. It took thousands of unions to kill them! I find them amazing. And you see, shadows are like their relatives. We too have a racial trait, called Mikro-Devour, which is much weaker than the legendary creature¡¯s, but is still a great trait.¡± ¡°Once I killed a monster, I can use my shadow to extract their enhanced genetics, devour them, and make my body evolve into a stronger one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rather amazing, huh¡­ But just like those legendary creatures, you too will fall,¡± Shin replied with furrowed brows, showing a provocative smile. ¡°Hmph, think what you want, but I¡¯ll definitely kill those people and murder your fucking race! Trash humans!¡± the shadow shouted at him. Clearing his throat, he added, ¡°To your earlier question, I¡¯m leaving this city because they are preparing to rebel against the King. I visited this place many times before but since I had the Empire to care about, I couldn¡¯t stay here for long.¡± ¡°Now that it¡¯s gone, I can stay here and fight on to reach my goal!¡± the shadow stuck out his chest proudly. ¡°I think that black haired girl came from this place too, so it¡¯s best if I¡­ oh? Hehe, I¡¯ll tell the King that they are trying to rebel. In the best case, he and his forces will kill that stupid girl and I¡¯ll have one less thing to worry about.¡± Shin sighed loudly upon hearing the shadow¡¯s words. ¡°Another crime on my bill¡­ Just when will this finally end? Please stay alive, Miss. You seem to have some strange effects on this idiot,¡± he prayed to Elena, even though he didn¡¯t even know her. ¡°Hmph, since you are liking her enough to pray to her, I¡¯ll go out of my way to kill her. Suffer you trash human,¡± the shadow replied, turning around. He left Bethor¡¯s city and made his way towards the capital city. He didn¡¯t have to visit the library to find out how these two planets interacted and worked together. His creator, Hector was the one who set up the system and connected these planets. In space, they were quite close to each other too. Most people didn¡¯t even know that what they called ¡®Moon¡¯ was actually the Dink planet or Dunk on his original planet. ¡°Hmm, once I¡¯m done here, I¡¯ll leave this low-level sector and make my way towards the powerful Kingdoms. Those shitty bastards will die!¡± the shadow clenched his fists and disappeared from the dark place, leaving Shin alone in his empty cage. Since he had no other choice, he looked through his own eyes and immersed himself in the scenery of the outside world. ----- ¡°What are you standing there for all mute?¡± Elena tilted her head to the side. ¡°A-Ah, nothing. I¡¯m sorry, I was just a bit lost in my thoughts since Cor remembered a few things,¡± Dred scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. I¡¯m not even lusting over her at the moment. I¡¯m just so happy to see her and be near her¡­ I definitely love her, oh shiiit, I didn¡¯t think that I was starting to fall for her, he screamed in his mind. ¡°Oh? I¡¯ll take a break old man, this is important,¡± Elena waved her hand and after sheathing her dagger, she walked up to Dred. ¡°So what happened?¡± Her sweet scent hit Dred¡¯s nose, filling his mind with her. He lost his mind to a point where he forgot to answer. Oh, shit, my heart is beating so rapidly, he thought with gritted teeth. Cor noticed his reaction from the corners of his eyes, so instead of waiting for Elena to realize that something was off, he got her attention. ¡°I didn¡¯t remember anything at first, but after going into the hidden room, a few things came to mind.¡± Leaning closer, he whispered into her ear, ¡°I was actually that Hector who created the eight rings of calamity. I definitely fought in that cave where the eighth ring was, but whether I lost my life there or somewhere else is unclear to me. I just know that I lost my strength and that what you found was a part of my legacy.¡± ¡°Huh? So you are actually the current King¡¯s progenitor?¡± she whispered. ¡°Yes. We should ask him if he knew more about my past or how and why I died.¡± ¡°Alright, we will do that, but don¡¯t tell him who you were,¡± Elena remarked. ¡°Of course, I told you that I left behind my past.¡± Nodding her head, Elena went back to training. Turning around, Cor saw Dred¡¯s envious eyes, which made him laugh so hard, that everyone stopped training and looked at him with strange eyes. Clearing his throat, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just saw something funny.¡± Shrugging their shoulders, everyone got back to what they were doing. ¡°Man, why making that kind of face?¡± Cor patted Dred¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, I just thought that it must have been nice to stay so close to her face.¡± ¡°Ya do realize that you are sleeping in one bed with her?¡± At that, Dred¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet of paper. ¡°Shit¡­ I definitely won¡¯t sleep today,¡± he facepalmed. ¡°Hahaha, then tell it to her and talk it over!¡± ¡°Like hell, I¡¯d do that on the first day. I¡¯ll do it but a bit later.¡± ¡°Alright, but I¡¯ll tell her if you don¡¯t,¡± Cor stuck out his tongue. ¡°You little¡­ but that doesn¡¯t matter since I really wish to share my feelings with her,¡± he said through gritted teeth. They spent the next few days training their bodies and spells and prepared for the upcoming war. But they didn¡¯t know that it would happen earlier than planned. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 21.4 - Even the Light Left Hot water trickled down Elena¡¯s shoulders, into her cleavage. She brushed her hand through Audrey¡¯s wet hair with a blissful face, feeling the water pour on her body. ¡°Ah~ a hot shower after tiring out and being covered in sweat is the best! I feel so refreshed,¡± she mused with a smile. ¡°I know right?¡± Audrey said happily, shutting her eyes to block the shampoo. ¡°Thanks for washing my hair. It must be great that you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Hmm, it makes my life easier, but it does feel good so I wouldn¡¯t mind if you did it for me,¡± Elena replied. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. Also, where is Dred? I haven¡¯t seen him around in the last couple of days. Is he training alone at another place in the palace?¡± Audrey tilted her head to the side. ¡°Ugh¡­ well. He is usually close by to us, but he is alone with Cor quite a lot.¡± ¡°What happened? You can¡¯t hide it from me.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s just that my night habits had some ¡®bad¡¯ effects on him, it seems. But he seemed to be fine afterward. He changed again after leaving with Cor. I don¡¯t know what happened, but this is making me rather sad.¡± ¡°Oh? Why don¡¯t you talk to him?¡± ¡°I think that I¡¯ll do just that. It¡¯s no good this way.¡± ¡°Give him a kiss and he will feel better.¡± ¡°What are you blabbering?¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°Haha, I was just kidding. Wait, why the serious look?¡± she turned around laughing, only to notice Elena¡¯s change of expression. ¡°Eh? Nothing, it¡¯s just that your idea surprised me.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? I was just joking, though it¡¯s up to you if you really want to do it,¡± Audrey said with a grin on her face. Elena pulled up her nose and pulled on Audrey¡¯s red hair. ¡°Ouch! Stop it!¡± Her grip on her hair loosened as she started to ponder, A kiss huh? I never thought about him that way. He felt like a brother at first, but calling him that felt way too weird. I do like his personality too, except for his slight lack of confidence. Lately, he felt lacking in that. But wait, this new habit he has to ignore us feels strange. He doesn¡¯t really rely on us, which is the opposite of what I thought a moment ago¡­ Hmm, if he could stay an assertive, confident man, I think that I would like him much more. Why does this feel so empty after I thought about it? Shit¡­ Wait, why am I even thinking about how could I like him more? Am I actually looking for a way to turn him into a lover? *ena* ARGH! Why is he making it so hard for me? What does he even want with this distance keeping habit he started? Now I feel pissed off instead since I don¡¯t know what I want, thanks to him! Fuck you, Dred. I¡¯ll definitely pull out of you what are your intentions. *lena* ¡°Elena! For fuck¡¯s sake! Release my hair this instant!¡± Audrey¡¯s shout interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Ah! Sorry!¡± Elena covered her mouth in exasperation. ¡°Ugh, my hair hurts now. What the hell were you doing, pulling out my hair?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry again, I just got lost in my thoughts¡± she hung her head. Shaking her head, Audrey stood up and pushed Elena on the small chair. ¡°I¡¯ll wash your hair and hopefully, your mind will be clean once again!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± After leaving the bathroom that was connected to Elena¡¯s room, they dressed up. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see Jake,¡± Audrey winked at Elena and left her alone in the next moment. ¡°I¡¯ll find Dred, in that case,¡± she mumbled to herself. Thanks to their strange connection, she easily sensed his location. ¡°Dred!¡± she shouted behind his back, interrupting his muscle training. Standing up, he turned around with a raised brow. A smile formed on his face upon seeing her as he said, ¡°Yo, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I need to talk to you about-¡± before she could finish her sentence, the loud sound of sirens went off in the whole city. ¡°What is this?¡± Dred asked, his head tilted to the side. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake! This too came at the best moment! We will talk later!¡± Elena stomped on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. Let¡¯s go for now!¡± Dred replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the training ground since that¡¯s where he sensed Hector¡¯s and Salem¡¯s presences. ¡°What happened to you?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask while running behind him. Turning his head, he grinned back, ¡°I just found something interesting, new¡­ or should I call it great?¡± ¡°And what is it?¡± she raised a brow. Smirking, he replied, ¡°You will find out when we have our talk.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m liking this. Alright, let¡¯s talk later. I have a feeling that we won¡¯t be able to do it for a good while,¡± she smiled back, happy to see him being so easygoing. And here I thought that I¡¯d have a sad talk with him. They stopped in front of Hector, still holding hands. Elena didn¡¯t notice it, but ignored it and just shrugged her shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Audrey asked, seeing that their group was present. ¡°One of Bethor¡¯s soldiers came here and told us that Atelon¡¯s army is on the way towards his city. He called for our help and as per our agreement, I¡¯ll fulfill our part. I hope that you will really go through with your plans and help our Kingdom. The situation seems quite dire in our current state. The other kingdoms are eyeing us,¡± Hector replied with a frown. ¡°We will leave once the army is ready. It takes no more than five minutes to make our army moveable! Five minutes later, we will leave!¡± he shouted as more and more soldiers arrived at the training ground, hitting his hilt on the ground. Of course, only the elite soldiers were in the palace and the real military base was preparing at an outer part of the city. When enough people got together, Elena talked loudly, her Wind Magic taking her words into everyone¡¯s ears, ¡°This will hurt your egos, but I ask you to not use Magic because what you know as Magic is nothing but a fart. Even the weakest person in the city could beat up your King. But don¡¯t get demoralized for your weapons are effective against most of them! Just stay far away and fire at command.¡± ¡°If you can do that much, we will be fine. Oh, and no friendly fire if possible. If you can break their magicians¡¯ barriers, that¡¯s already good. Are you ready to murder?!¡± she shouted with excitement, but in the heat of the moment, nobody noticed how excited she was and just went with the flow. ¡°YEEEEAAAAA!¡± Turning around, she said in a low voice to Hector, ¡°Hold a morale speech if you see fit. I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± Nodding his head, he started speaking. Dred transformed into his Wyvern form and everyone got on his back. Fat chance. They still had to hold his legs¡­ ¡°Why is this any different in your mind than sitting on your back!¡± Audrey shouted, her eyes shut high up in the air. ¡°Because this is fun!¡± Dred laughed at their miserable positions. When he reached the portal, he spun in the air once before flying upwards with full speed. They appeared on the other side above the forest, which they hadn¡¯t seen for a long while. At least, that¡¯s how they felt. Dred spun once again to take an impetus and bolted off towards the city with a loud roar. It took only a few seconds to reach it, but they found two thousand people in front of the city, in an orderly manner. ¡°What should we do?¡± Elena leaned forward and whispered into Dred¡¯s ear. ¡°We will stay outside. We could sneak into the city in our Shadow Forms, but what good would we get from it? They are thinking that Bethor had no time to set up his plans, so they won¡¯t watch their backs too much. If we can attack from the back, we can pick off the weakling scouts and the Magicians.¡± ¡°Hmm, indeed. But it will be a real danger zone too since if either of the scouts notices us and notifies the army, we will have to run. And there is no guarantee that neither of them knows some Space Magic like Void Magic. Not even our shadow forms would save us in that case,¡± Elena replied, finding her mouth bittersweet. ¡°We can only try.¡± Chuckling, she nodded her head and sat back up. She looked around at the scenery, the sight of snow covered mountains taking away her breath. The sun was going down, casting long shadows towards the city. ¡°Bruh, it¡¯s fucking cold here!¡± she shouted, feeling the cold wind blowing on her skin. ¡°Yeah, there must be some difference in the time we spend at the two planets or maybe it¡¯s just a difference in the seasons, but it seems to be winter here,¡± Dred replied, not bothered by it. Not in his monster form. ¡°It¡¯s good that we¡¯ve got these armors,¡± Elena replied with another shudder. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and land in the forest!¡± Dred shouted before spinning once and diving towards the ground, akin to a bolt of lightning. Since they were still quite far away from the army, nobody noticed them. ¡°Audrey, can you use Supernova on them? They are so nicely packed up and away from the city. We won¡¯t kill ¡®innocent¡¯ people this way, so maybe we could finish this early.¡± Elena asked with a grin on her face, looking through the bushes. Shaking her head, she replied, ¡°I could try but if somebody had a skill that could cancel my spell, it would turn pointless and our position would be found out too. Should we risk it?¡± Frowning slightly, Elena shook her head, ¡°No. This is a Magic Academy. Arcane Mages surely aren¡¯t the only ones who have canceling spells. From two thousand people, I bet that there are at least five with that kind of ability. Right, it was stupid of me to even think of this kind of ¡®simple¡¯ solution.¡± ¡°Well, in a normal case, I could cast it again unless their spell had a blocking effect too and I could blow them up. But in this case, I might have to use it five times before it would have any effects. Just a group coming for us would be enough and I wouldn¡¯t be able to cast it for the sixth time, so once again, it is pointless to try. It¡¯s great if it¡¯s a surprise spell on a city, though.¡± ¡°Haha, you are right-¡± she said with a laugh but upon turning back, she was left with a dumbfounded face. The sound of a horn resounded in the area and the Magicians started to bombard the city walls with all kinds of colorful spells. The walls crumbled in a moment and in the next, the warriors were already in the city. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± she cursed out loudly. Loud shouts could be heard even from so far away. Three heads caught her eyes, which were thrust on poles and struck into the ground in front of the walls. They must have been the students who came to organize a competition, she thought, looking at the blonde haired boys, and the brown-haired girl. They don¡¯t have much hair left. Bethor did a good job, haha. A huge fireball, the size of half of the city flew through the air and exploded in the air, right above Atelon¡¯s army. A large piece of land appeared at the same time, turning the fire into magma. It flew towards the army, hitting a few of the people who were the slowest to react, while the rest used barriers and spells to block it. ¡°It seems like the fun has started,¡± Elena muttered, looking one last time at the sun and the fading light. Showing a grin, she stood up from her squat and stretched her body. ¡°Mhh- Let¡¯s have some fun for this cold evening, shall we?¡± she asked with a grin. Eight Elementals appeared around Audrey, while Jake got covered in a dark purple shell, called Void Armor. Cor activated his battle form, while Dred turned into his demon form. ¡°I¡¯ll send these weak demons at first,¡± he replied, summoning thousands of those small critter Imps around them. ¡°Two hundred and sixty-third level¡­ that¡¯s really low for this war, but we will see what we can do,¡± Dred shook his head with a long sigh. ¡°Elena, your face is crazed and ugly again,¡± Audrey remarked with a snort. ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯d call that captivating instead,¡± Dred said with a smile, surprising the group. Her face slightly red, Elena cleared her throat, ¡°Let¡¯s shower in the blood of our enemies!¡± she shouted. But at that moment, a huge line of yellow light struck the city and blew up the city, shaking the whole area. Debris flew through the air, flying even as far as Elena and her group. A man flew down from the sky in golden robes and a high-class sword in his hands. ¡°Are we done here?¡± he shouted, seeing nothing but a huge dust cloud in place of the city. Holding her breath, Elena waited for a reply, but it didn¡¯t seem to come¡­ Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 22.1 - With the light of this new day With the light of this new day ¡°I¡¯ll take you on!¡± a loud shout came from the city and Bethor flew into the air, fully prepared for the battle. ¡°Haha, you dared to rebel against me, your king! You will pay with your life for it,¡± Atelon growled back, pointing his shiny sword at Bethor. ¡°Let¡¯s go further away unless you wish to kill your little slaves,¡± Bethor looked at the city from the corners of his eyes. Elena charged towards the city, while Dred stood in the back and controlled his small army of Imps. Audrey used Earth Magic to carve a long trench into the ground where she hid her body from plain sight. Stopping beside her, Elena waited for the Imps to catch the people¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯ll kill off a few of their magicians, and when somebody tries to attack me, you will get them. They will probably try to catch me with a group once I killed enough people, so make sure to pick off our opponents with large-scale spells. The humans from Dink will soon come here and help you in that. Dred will tell them to stay in the outer parts of the forest, out of sight,¡± Elena told her plans briefly. The army of Imps focused on no more than three magicians in the back, who had round barriers surrounding their bodies. Seeing that they couldn¡¯t get through it, she used her Devour to make their barriers collapse. ¡°What the fuck?! Something is sucking away my Mana from my barrier!¡± one of them shouted with a panicked face. Swinging his arm, a wave of fire flew through the air, killing at least fifty Imps in one go. As Elena got through their barriers, her shadow connected with all three of them and slowly started to copy their genes and devour the energy of their cells. But thanks to their high magical resistance, the process was quite slow. ¡°Well, while I¡¯m sucking them dry and they are occupied with the Imps, I¡¯ll look for the sneaky ones,¡± Elena said with a smirk and sneaked out of the trench in her Shadow Form, her presence unnoticed. She trod through the plain and reached the dust cloud covering the city. Shaking her left arm, a dark cloud left the tips of her fingers, making it even harder to see anything, and the slowly fading sun didn¡¯t help either. Closing her eyes, she stopped in place and focused on people who used Dark Magic. Although it was different from her Devour ability, it was still very similar, so she was more sensitive when it came to Dark Magic. I found you. She ran towards the gate where they first entered the city. On the top of it, she saw a man, cloaked in black leather armor. Turning into her Shadow Form once again, she climbed up the wall. She felt the black-clothed man¡¯s Sense run through her body numerous times, but he never noticed her. Her bacteria entered his body and started to devour his mind. Appearing behind him, she whispered into his ear, ¡°Hello, dear~¡± The man turned around with a startled face, his dagger already in his hand, but he was too late. Elena thrust her dagger into his abdomen, cutting through his skin, his muscles, nerves, reaching his stomach. A thick layer of Ice covered the man¡¯s body and feeling his blood leave his body, he couldn¡¯t help but start shivering. Thanks to Ekilsta¡¯s effects, he couldn¡¯t even move. He saw Elena¡¯s crazed eyes, filled with nothing but her lust for blood. His blood. He felt her dagger turn in his stomach, turning his organs into even more of a mess than they already were. Her Dark Magic poured into his stomach, making him rot from the inside. A pungent smell filled the air as his skin turned yellow, then gray, until it simply fell off like a shell. His eyes fell out and his bones turned into dust. Raising her black dagger, Elena didn¡¯t see even as much as a speck of blood left on it. ¡°I¡¯m done here and those three idiots are still within my range, let¡¯s find the next guy nearby,¡± she mused to herself, turning into a shadow and disappearing from the scene. Let¡¯s see how you defend your back when there is nobody to spot for you! Blind fire sucks~ --- ¡°What is this crap? It just won¡¯t stop and I¡¯m losing my strength!¡± one of the three young magicians shouted in fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know but if this goes on we will rot! Why are we even here?! I wanted to spend my time with a few women in the capital!¡± ¡°You idiots, stop whining. We are here to kill the rebels! Just use your Mana to suppress the rotting effect. Once we found its location, we will take care of its source,¡± the last one replied, his barrier still standing strong. Using his Mana, a few Earth Spikes shot out of the ground and killed the remaining Imps. ¡°These trash creatures¡­ where are they coming from?¡± Looking towards the forest, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I felt as if a pair of green eyes were glaring at me through this thick dust cloud.¡± ¡°You must be imagining things,¡± the whining young man tried to get back at him, but the latter didn¡¯t react to his provocation. Closing his eyes, he focused on the source of spell that was trying to devour them. ¡°I can¡¯t find the exact source, but I know the general location. Let¡¯s go towards the gate,¡± the calm boy replied, his black hair covered in dust. Nodding their heads, the other two followed his lead. But after taking a few steps, the dust cloud turned black, blocking their sight completely. Using Wind Magic, they tried to clear it away but with no success. ¡°Tsk, we will have to fight in this darkness if we want to catch our opponent. Let¡¯s stay close to each other since we don¡¯t know how powerful this person is.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± both of them nodded their heads. Their army was consisting of Warriors and Magicians. The first line pushed through the city, while their line was supposed to support them. But as soon as they entered the city, a strange dust cloud surrounded them and even if they used spell cancels or Wind Magic, it didn¡¯t disappear. But they didn¡¯t see the dust cloud turn this thick and black before. *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* ¡°Who is there?!¡± the black haired guy shouted, raising his staff towards the direction of the sound, only to see two people appear in front of them, wearing their tabards. ¡°Huh, you are one of us. Come and help us find a tricky Magician,¡± he said as he sighed out of relief.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What? Are you being attacked by some strange spell too? It¡¯s trying to devour our bodies and Mana!¡± one of the two new guys shouted, showing his skin, which turned black in a few patches. Raising his hand, the black haired boy had smaller patches, but it still stung and turned his whole arm numb. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t even want to see my feet at the moment, it hurts like hell. Let¡¯s go quickly and find this magician-¡± he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence since he heard footsteps again. Turning around, he saw three human-sized demon-like creatures. Inspect!
Name: Unnamed Race: Alp
Level: 178 Allegiance: Dred
A smirk formed on his face, looking down at the weak creatures, but his eyes opened wide in the next moment when they jumped into the air and turned into three meters tall, muscular monsters. The one in the front swung its arm and the black haired boy had no time to evade after being cocky and standing there for too long. He crashed into the wall and slid to the ground, his back and his head hurt. ¡°Ugh, shit!¡± he cursed out loud as he stood up, rubbing the back of his head. But looking around, he realized that he was alone, nothing but darkness surrounding him. ¡°AAARGGHHH!¡± a gut-wrenching scream resounded not far away. Feeling afraid and alone, he quickly ran towards the sound, finding the ¡®whining¡¯ guy. He laid on the ground, his head resting on a rock and holding his abdomen as he was coughing up blood continuously. ¡°What happened?¡± the black haired boy knelt beside him and grabbed his armour. But as soon as he freed his upper half, he turned around and puked the contents of his stomach. He saw the guy¡¯s guts twitching, some kind of green liquid corroding them. ¡°Ugh, so fucking foul!¡± he cursed out through gritted teeth. ¡°D-Don¡¯t leave me here! Help me! Use healing Magic!¡± ¡°What the fuck happened?!¡± ¡°I- I don¡¯t know! *cough* A black panther rushed past beside me and in the next moment I was on the ground in this *cough* state! AAARGH, it¡¯s unbearable, do something!¡± the guy continued his whining and placed his hand on his stomach, only to corrode his hands too. He is a lost cause, the boy thought as he stood up. ¡°No! Help argh! Help me! *cough*¡± the guy shouted with a panicked face. ¡°Alright,¡± the boy nodded his head and created a large rock above the guy¡¯s head. As it fell down, it crushed his head into a bloody pulp, spraying his blood on the dirty ground. Right after he left, a strange creature sneaked up to the corpse and bit out a large chunk from the dead guy¡¯s chest. ¡°Keke, hearts are the most delicious, filled with Mana! Uhm~ I should share this with Dred later.¡± Standing up tall, it turned around and walked away, his footsteps making the ground tremble. ¡°What should I do now?¡± the black haired boy held his head, feeling more lost than ever. ¡°Hey! Hey! Where are you? Let¡¯s group up again- ARGH!¡± one of the five, now four people, shouted like an idiot, but his voice turned into a cry of pain. What if I¡¯m the next?! an idea formed in the boy¡¯s mind and he quickly ran towards the voice. He saw his head rolling on the ground, visibly separated from the man¡¯s body with a clean cut. On the body was a long claw mark. Squatting down, he saw that it was at least ten centimeters deep into the body and it broke every single bone it touched. ¡°Shit, they are probably built on strength too. Fuck it! This is why our teachers always told us not to focus purely on Magic! Damn it!¡± he cursed out, feeling death lurking around him. ¡°Wait, why is everything silent? Where are the battle cries, the shouts, the screams of pain?¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Cancel!¡± he shouted, and an invisible wave left his arm, cutting through empty space. This stops people from casting the same spell again for one minute so¡­ why can I still not hear?! He thought with despair. He didn¡¯t know that more people were using the same spell and he destroyed only one Wind Barrier. ¡°ARGH!¡± he heard another scream and soon another one. The sound of a body being dragged could be heard behind him. Turning around, he saw a black haired beauty, holding the head of a dead guy, whose lower half down the waist was missing. ¡°You can have your friend,¡± she said with a smile and threw the corpse his way. He saw a large hole in the corpse¡¯s chest, exactly at where his heart was supposed to be. Soon a corpse stopped beside the girl, chewing on a heart. ¡°You people have really good taste, you know?¡± he asked with a grin, biting on the last part of the heart, his mouth covered in blood. The black-haired boy¡¯s legs started trembling in fear as he realized the situation he found himself in. ¡°Hahaha, these guys are idiots. This isn¡¯t even an army. Just a bunch of kids who are somewhat organized, just like Bethor said,¡± a brown-haired man with yellow eyes lined up beside Elena and Cor, who was none other than Jake. ¡°Yeah, they are rather easy prey. The real problems are the warriors, but we will take care of them somehow. You full magicians must be the clown in the academy. I mean, even if you can beat anyone in one versus one, once a team attacked you, you¡¯d be the first to die. Well, it¡¯s pointless to give you pointers,¡± Elena said with a grin on her face. Appearing behind him with her Shadow Step, she tapped her finger on his back and then left in the same manner. When the boy turned forward again, he didn¡¯t see anyone. Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized the cruelty of a real battle. He thought that he was powerful and had a great future, even alone. But now he realized that everything he found right was wrong and stupid. And it wasn¡¯t somebody else telling it to him, which he could refuse to believe. It was his own experience, which hurt him much more since it was by all means¡­ real. ¡°Why? Why is this happening to me?! I just wanted to have a nice future!¡± ¡°Yeah? And how?¡± a deep voice came from behind him. ¡°By betraying anyone to save yourself? You do know that you could have saved that guy before, right? I know that you specialize in Versatile Magic, meaning healing and spell canceling,¡± the same voice continued. ¡°But you left him to die since it was more convenient to you, wasn¡¯t it? What you are lacking is called courage and the most important- commitment!¡± Kneeling on the ground and trembling in fear, the boy turned around, his face covered in snot, his pants soiled. He saw a huge panther towering behind him, his jaws opened wide. His lips started trembling as he saw them near his face and the same voice say, ¡°Rest in peace, you trash.¡± He felt the monster¡¯s teeth sink into his skin, separating his head from his body in one fell swoop. In the next moment, his head turned into mincemeat in Dred¡¯s mouth. Gulping loudly, he said, ¡°You can have his heart.¡± Cor rushed out from the dust cloud and quickly tore out his favorite part. ¡°The ancient and mighty Hector is kneeling on the ground, eating a heart. An interesting tale you¡¯ve got¡­¡± Elena shook her head, seeing his blissful, blood-covered face. ¡°Wanna have some? It¡¯s great!¡± he held out his hand, showing the last bit of the boy¡¯s heart. ¡°No thanks¡­ you are disgusting, but really.¡± ¡°Hahaha, oh for the love of god, you are the one to say this¡­ you gutted all of them and even waited for their blood to spray on you. If you aren¡¯t a sicko, then neither of us are,¡± Cor laughed at her fake behavior. Smiling back, she replied, ¡°I can¡¯t deny that. Let¡¯s go and try to clean these magicians up. The soldiers are already here from the Drung Kingdom.¡± ¡°Righto!¡± Cor shouted as he stood up. Nodding their heads, all of them left the scene. ----------------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 22.2 - With the Light of this new day The armies of the Drung Kingdom took a position in the trench Audrey made and aimed at the backs of the magicians and warriors that appeared from time to time in the chaos. With the help of their high-tech optics, they were able to see through the dust cloud and hit only their opponents. There was a slight problem, however. The magicians had defensive barriers around their bodies, so the energy bullets were melted down or bounced before reaching their targets. Elena and co. appeared behind Salem in the blink of an eye, startling him so much that he tried to attack them by swinging his weapon towards Elena¡¯s head. ¡°You don¡¯t want to attack me, do you?¡± she said with a smile, grabbing the shoulder stock of his rifle. Pulling back his weapon, he squatted down and looked up at Elena, who stayed standing. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that, girl. What do you want?¡± ¡°Salem, you are so cold to me,¡± Elena joked with him, making a pouting face, which turned serious in the next moment. ¡°Talking seriously, I can see that you can¡¯t get through their barriers this way, but every hit consumes their Mana. Instead of shooting many of them, try to focus fire on a single one. I know that it¡¯s not really effective, but it will be much better than your current performance.¡± ¡°You are far away and your guns are rather silent so they can¡¯t hear you and since you aren¡¯t using Mana, they can¡¯t even sense you this far from the city. Thankfully, their warriors destroyed the walls in the beginning so you have a good sight on most of them. We killed the scouts, so they shouldn¡¯t be a problem either. Just make sure to stay here and notify me through this modern gadget you gave me if somebody was to come here.¡± ¡°We will go help in the city, so good luck!¡± she patted his shoulders and then left in another flash, along with her friends. Frowning slightly, Salem crept up to the edge of the trench and pulled out a small device. ¡°I¡¯ll mark the targets, you will focus fire. If anyone spots any of our opponents leaving the city, immediately contact me or we will be done for.¡± Taking out another pen-like device, he pointed it at one of the magicians. It was visible only with their optics, so the magicians had no way to notice it. A rain of fire poured on the targeted woman. Looking through a binocular, Salem saw her face turn panicked in a few seconds under the heavy rain of bullets. Turning around, she looked their way before her barrier broke and her body got riddled with holes. ¡°Good, on to the next target, but let¡¯s wait or they will notice us. We have to stay out of their sight,¡± Salem reported through the communication device. --- Elena and her group trod through the plain and got through the lines of magicians without their notice. Entering Woodland Inn, they rushed up to what used to be their room and took a breath. The Inn was completely empty and only the sounds of battle cries, explosions, and crumbling buildings could be heard nearby. Elena looked out the window and then sat on the side of the bed. Looking at Cor, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s your current level? You devoured powerful magicians after all.¡± ¡°Hmm, I reached the two hundred and fiftieth level thanks to minor devour and eating their hearts. I also have to pick a specialization for the hundred and eightieth level. Here,¡± he replied, swinging his arm.
Forsaken (Epic)
Lv. Untouchable Hollow Shell
180 You can increase the precision of your movements, increasing your chance to evade any attack. Dread: Use this spell on others to make them live through their most dreaded nightmares. They will be nothing like their former self if they can¡¯t break out. They will be hollow inside. You can increase the durability of weapons, armors, symbiotes or anything that is related to defense by using the Protection spell on it.
¡°I will pick Protection this time since it could help all of us. Dread would be a good spell, but I¡¯m not really good with external magic, even if I had a spell woven for me,¡± he replied with confidence. ¡°That sounds good,¡± Audrey remarked, looking at the description of Protection. After picking it, knowledge flooded Cor¡¯s mind, integrating a new spell into his mind. Even if his class was to evolve into a stronger one, he wouldn¡¯t lose his spells and skills gained from his specialization since his class would be of a higher grade. That was how it worked in the world. If his class was a Legendary one, he could have the same spells, but with even more or better effects.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move already? We are really slow,¡± Jake commented with furrowed brows. ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry, but we have to know how much we can rely on each other,¡± Elena raised her hand defensively. ¡°That much is obvious to me too, anyway, enough chit-chat, let¡¯s proceed. Mine and Audrey¡¯s levels are at the two hundred and ninety-fifth, while you two are three levels ahead of us. Do you have any inborn memories about what kind of strength people have at higher levels?¡± he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°No. I had only some basic stuff. I guess the Progenitor Shadows before me, found it too convenient for me to add more or they just never lived long enough.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s rather depressing,¡± Audrey remarked with a surprised face. ¡°Well, it is, but I¡¯m not them and stop distracting us,¡± Elena rebuked them for interrupting her every time. ¡°Audrey, you will look for rooftops or preferably towers where you will have a good sight of the city and can help us from far away. In the thick dust cloud they won¡¯t notice you anytime soon and thanks to our blood connection, we can sense each other. Just help us from far away. Cor can¡¯t take too many hits at his current level, so you too be careful and protect your head.¡± ¡°Jake will have to take on the role of the front fighter for now, while Dred and I will harass our opponents. Make sure to stay close and don¡¯t get separated. This is my first participation in a war so I¡¯m not sure what to expect. Are you ready to go?¡± she asked. Seeing everyone reply with a silent nod, she jumped out through the window. The dust cloud started dissolving as they got closer and closer to the front. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now,¡± Audrey whispered as she turned to the left and jumped up to the roof of a smaller building. In a few seconds, she reached a smaller tower where she sensed a presence. Turning around, she was met with Cor¡¯s face. Before she could scream in her surprise, Cor sealed her lips with his hand. ¡°Shh, Elena changed her mind. She told me to help you if somebody got close to you. With my current strength, I¡¯m not much of a help for them anyway.¡± Pushing his hand to the side, she used Water Magic to wash her mouth and lips, while looking at Cor with begrudging eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have screamed and your hand is bloody! At least wash your hands, damn it,¡± she grumbled through gritted teeth, keeping her voice low. ¡°Ah, sorry. You don¡¯t like blood, do you? You¡¯re strange. Anyway, let¡¯s go to that tower.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t yet. There is a person there. Can you draw their attention when I signal you? I want to check their level first.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait here in that case,¡± Cor nodded his head. Audrey turned towards the tower and got closer in her Shadow Form, hiding her presence with Cosmological Constant. As she crept up on the wall of the tower, she saw the back of a long, blonde-haired woman. Inspect.
Name: Elena Race: Human
Level: 343 Threat Level: 7
Huh? She has the same name. Hahaha, but her strength is no joke¡­ I¡¯ll need Cor¡¯s help, after all, she thought while looking at a few barely visible threads connect the blonde girl¡¯s fingers with her targets. I wonder what she is doing. It must be some kind of binding or manipulation spell. Retreating, she found Cor standing in the alleyway, chewing on the corpse of a dead warrior. Looking up, his mouth covered in blood, he grinned, ¡°This place is akin to a Gold Mine! Devour has a six-hour limit and we haven¡¯t left even a single body on the ground for that long.We are free to devour as many of these meaty, juicy humans as we want!¡± Audrey¡¯s mouth twitched while looking at the disgusting sight. Rubbing her temples, she closed her eyes as she said, ¡°You should have gone with Elena in that case, damn it. Come and help me or we will be useless.¡± ¡°Coming,¡± he whispered back and after Audrey told him what to do, he charged towards the Elena in the tower. Why does it feel wrong to attack somebody with that name? It must be Elena¡¯s fault¡­ Audrey shook her head. Using her Sense, she felt the girl turn towards Cor. One of the blonde girl¡¯s Mana threads broke and latched onto Cor. He felt her sucking away his Mana, which was a terrible thing as an undead. ¡°Go back whence you came, stupid corpse,¡± she said, kicking Cor in the face. He fell back down to the rooftop with a loud thud. ¡°Hahaha, this is funny. Hey, come again!¡± she chuckled, taunting the ¡®stupid corpse¡¯. Cor gave out a stupid sound and started climbing the tower again. When she was about to end her game and kill Cor with a simple fireball, she sensed a projectile flying towards her head. Turning to the right, she saw a thick branch ring back and forth, and a flying knife. She panicked, used Wind Magic to create a barrier since she was lacking in the earth and creating it would have taken too much time. The dagger sliced through the barrier, but lost its momentum. As it fell to the floor of the tower with a loud clang, she felt a stinging pain in her chest. Looking down, she saw a short sword sticking out of it, which penetrated her heart. She turned around with trembling lips and her eyes met Audrey. ¡°Y-You¡­¡± her words fell short as she fell to her knees and lost consciousness. ¡°Why?! Why her heart?! Why not her brain? Her heart is the most delicious!¡± Cor whined as he crept up to the tower and fell on his knees beside Audrey. Cleaning her bloody hands with some water, she rebuked him. ¡°Shaddup! Let me concentrate.¡± ¡°Meh, fine.¡± Closing her eyes, she used her Sense once again and turned towards Elena¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she said, knowing that Elena would hear her through her bacteria. She sensed Elena, Dred, and Jake rush out of the building they were hiding in, straight into the crowd of warriors. --------------------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 22.3 - With the Light of this new day ¡°How long does it take to climb a damned tower?¡± Elena complained in a random house, looking at the battling people outside. ¡°She must have gotten herself in trouble. Shouldn¡¯t we go back and check on her?¡± Jake asked with a worried face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry for your dear love. She is fine else she would have said otherwise through my bacteria.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± A few seconds later, the words ¡®I¡¯m ready¡¯ flowed into her mind. ¡°She took her position, let¡¯s go¡± Elena mumbled in a low voice, resting her hands on the handles of her daggers. Jake opened the door to a slit and peeked out. He saw one of the King¡¯s men trying to sneak up on one of the city guards he happened to meet. Opening the door, he ran towards the back of the sneaky guy. Noticing Jake, he turned around and swung his sword towards Jake¡¯s neck. Ducking down, Jake headbutted his belly, making him fall on his back from the sudden force. Jake created and a few earth spikes, which thrust out of the ground, penetrating his opponent¡¯s body. ¡°Devour him,¡± Elena shouted as she ran past him and threw her throwing knives towards a woman. Turning around, the woman took a stance while blocking the knives. Elena showed a bright smile for the woman as she saw Dred appear behind her with his Shadow Step and used his huge paw to swipe the back of the woman. His claws bore into her flesh, breaking her bones into smithereens. When she fell face first to the ground, Elena stomped on her head, crushing it into a bloody pulp. Noticing a panther in the middle of the groups of humans, one of the young genius warriors decided to take on the monster. ¡°Die, you beast!¡± he shouted as he jumped towards Dred¡¯s back. He is seventy levels above us. Shit, this sucks, Elena thought in her mind as she latched her shadow onto the guy and pulled Dred to the side. As his target suddenly moved, he ran past Dred but thanks to his quick reaction, he turned on his heels and swung his sword towards Jake¡¯s neck, who was about to strike his back. ¡°You thought I didn¡¯t notice you, huh?¡± he asked with a stern voice. Furrowing his brows, Jake realized that he would have no way to evade, so he used Blink to appear a few centimeters away. Shadow Step was usable only if they weren¡¯t attacked. It was a restriction on the spell of Elena¡¯s race made by the world system. But it was perfect for traveling and first strikes since their Ambush passively decreased people¡¯s alertness. Dred swiped towards the man¡¯s back with his paw and his claws grazed his back. His poison entered the man¡¯s body, causing a great deal of pain. ¡°You shit!¡± he said through gritted teeth as he turned around and thrust his sword forward. He heard a whistling sound on his left. Listening to his instincts, he rolled to the side on the ground and took a defensive position. ¡°Heh. What¡¯s up girl, are you trying to cut the air?¡± he ridiculed Elena for missing. Thanks to our difference in strength, I can¡¯t fight him in a melee battle. I¡¯ll have to harass him and chip away at his healthy body. Ekilsta will be done soon, let¡¯s see if you stay smug then, she thought with a frown on her face. ¡°You three are quite good-¡± he was about to chat more when one of the guards thrust his spear towards his back. Although everyone had an opponent or in worst case more, being as carefree as this man was stupid. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Elena shouted in a commanding voice. Ekilsta delayed the signals of his brain only for a moment before they continued on their way towards his limbs, but that delay was more than enough for the guard to cause a serious wound. The guard¡¯s spear penetrated through his flesh, creating a hole in his back. Since he jumped forward, the guard couldn¡¯t skewer him. But much to the man¡¯s dismay, Dred was waiting for him and since he was within the man¡¯s reach, he couldn¡¯t even swing or thrust his sword. Dred struck his chest while Elena created a small protrusion from the ground behind his heels, making him fall on his back. Jake swung his Uchigatana and cut off both of his arms in one fell swoop. Dred jumped on the screaming man and tore off his head. Next time don¡¯t block me continuously or I can¡¯t help you, Audrey¡¯s words flooded Elena¡¯s mind as they attacked their next target. The war continued in the same manner until Elena got a call from Salem. They were in trouble. --- ¡°I¡¯ve spotted a group leaving the city!¡± a manly voice left Salem¡¯s communication device. He quickly looked around and noticed five people running towards the plain. ¡°Cease fire!¡± Salem commanded and everyone ducked down to hide in the trench. He also notified Elena and her friends, hoping that they had the time to return and help them. ¡°Where are they? They must be here,¡± a short, black haired girl shouted as she stood on the plain, looking around in the dark. Only half of the moon was visible, but there wasn¡¯t much light since it had a rather dim light, though the large explosions lit up the darkness from time to time when Bethor and Atelon clashed. ¡°I found them! These mice don¡¯t even have Mana. Only a few of them do, but even they are utter trash,¡± a blue-haired boy replied with a smirk on his face. ¡°Oh? But they have been killing our magicians all this time. The battle is turning harder and harder thanks to these little bitches. We barely get any support at this point,¡± the black haired girl furrowed her brows, fearing that something ¡®bad¡¯ would happen to them. ¡°Enough talking, let¡¯s just finish them,¡± a muscular guy interrupted them and ran towards the trench where they sensed the soldiers¡¯ presences. Stopping right above it, he looked down at the hiding soldiers with a smirk on his face. ¡°Well, well, what do we have here?¡± Swinging his hammer, he crushed the heads of three people, splattering their brain matters and blood on their comrades¡¯ faces. ¡°Hahaha, these people are so weak!¡± he laughed loudly, swinging his hammer at his next target. Although the poor soldier tried to raise up his weapon in defense, he had no chance to block an attack which had four million five hundred thousand kilograms in it. His weapon broke into smithereens, along with the bones in his body as he flew into the air and fell to the ground with a loud thump, dead. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ve never beaten up somebody this bad. People didn¡¯t break like this in the Magic Academy¡­ I¡¯ll have to hold back a little,¡± he said with a slight feeling of disgust upon seeing his victim¡¯s mangled body, not being used to that kind of sight. ¡°Focus fire!¡± Salem shouted from the middle of the trench, pointing at the muscular man. Of course, the people nearby were already firing at the muscular guy, but their bullets bounced off of his skin like rubber bullets. ¡°Hey, it tickles, stop it! Haha, I¡¯m not like those magicians. I¡¯ve always trained my body so your shitty weapons have no effect on my tough body!¡± he laughed at their futile attempt to kill him. That was the time when he saw a flash in the forest. Listening to his instincts, he leaned to the side in an instant and felt a bullet graze the side of his head, tearing off his left ear. Had he not leaned to the side, the bullet would have penetrated his head through his eyes and reach his brain. ¡°ARGH!¡± he shouted in pain, holding his wound. Stomping on the ground, the trench closed on a two-meters-long area, burying the weak humans under it and turning them into bloody pulps. Although it wasn¡¯t visible in the dark, the earth turned reddish from the blood that filled it. ¡°You shitty bastards! You will pay for this!¡± he shouted, clenching his fingers around his big hammer. ¡°This is why you shouldn¡¯t underestimate your opponents,¡± the black haired girl shook her head. ¡°Is that so?¡± a male voice whispered into her ears before she felt sharp and pointy teeth dig into her shoulders, biting into her neck too. She felt some kind of liquid flow into her body, which had paralyzing and toxic effects. She felt her veins corroding with incredible speed as something else was trying to devour her body. She had no chance to stand up against that kind of powerful, combined attack. Dred pulled back his head, tearing out a large chunk of meat, bones, veins, and nerves from her body. Only her skin on the right side of her neck connected her body and her head, with nothing else left ¡®inside¡¯. Her head fell back and dangled behind her back until her body collapsed and fell to the ground, lifeless. Dred stood over her dead corpse, chewing loudly, crushing her bones and meat into small pieces and slices. ¡°You are delicious,¡± he muttered with his mouth stuffed as he Devoured her body. At the same time Dred attacked, Elena attacked the muscular guy from behind. Thanks to Ambush, she got really close to him before he noticed, but her specialization wasn¡¯t stealth, so thanks to the level difference, the muscular guy still noticed her. Although he jumped forward to evade her daggers penetrate his heart, he still got a smaller hole in his back. ¡°Oh, my~ I must have been slow. It seems that Dred beat me,¡± she said with a chuckle, covering her smile with her hands. ¡°Ugh, this hurts! What the hell?¡± the muscular guy shouted, feeling some kind of poison corrode his flesh in a sphere of five centimeters around his wound.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s Dred¡¯s poison, do you like it?¡± she asked with a smile while leaning forward to evade a sword swing. Raising her right leg at the same time, he kicked the blue-haired boy¡¯s balls. Holding back a shout of pain and the urge to kneel down, the blue-haired boy quickly jumped back and stood beside his other two friends, who held back Audrey¡¯s and Jake¡¯s attacks. ¡°I wonder what I hit?¡± Elena asked with a wondering face. ¡°You¡­ bitch¡­ ugh.¡± the blue haired boy cursed at her through gritted teeth. ¡°Pardon me, but no man touched me so I can¡¯t be a bitch, can I? And even if somebody would have done it, it doesn¡¯t make me a bitch,¡± she tilted her head to the side, refuting his words. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± he asked through gritted teeth. ¡°Elena! Thanks for coming back so quickly!¡± Salem shouted as he ran towards them. Audrey raised her hand and used a ball of wind to push Salem backward. ¡°Stay further away unless you want to die.¡± Salem nodded his head and retreated with his men. ¡°It¡¯s four against four. Or should I say four against three? Since both of you kinda lost half your strength,¡± she said with a chuckle, pointing at the muscular and the blue-haired boy. With a twitch of his face, the blue-haired boy stood up with a straight back, while the muscular guy jumped over to their side. In the meantime, nobody noticed Elena drawing an x mark on the ground with her heels. ¡°Come at me,¡± she invited him with her finger. Although he didn¡¯t have much experience, not even he was stupid enough to charge in when they just killed one of his classmates, who was one of the strongest. ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Elena asked with a provocative smile on her face. Clenching his teeth, he stayed silent. ¡°If you won¡¯t come then I will,¡± she said as Dred appeared behind the muscular boy and struck him in the back with his paw. He fell forward and bumped into the blue-haired boy. Elena used that moment to use her Shadow Step and appear behind his back. Expecting that much, his friends thrust their spears towards Elena¡¯s back. She changed to her Shadow Form and their spears went through her body, entering their friend¡¯s back. Her body materialized in front of the blue haired guy and she kicked him in the stomach. Seeing the other two pull back their spears in time, she clicked her tongue as she jumped back. Jake rushed towards the muscular guy¡¯s side and while kneeling down, he spun on the ground, his weapons slicing through his opponent¡¯s legs. As he fell to the ground, Dred tore off his head. You are next, Elena thought as she ran towards the blue-haired boy and threw her throwing knives towards his head. Raising a barrier around his body, he stopped the knives and then jumped behind his classmates. ¡°Sorry,¡± one of them said. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known that she had that kind of ability,¡± the boy replied, holding back his wrath. He knew that they were in a tight spot and if he picked a fight, he would be the first to die. They have a long reach and are waiting for us to attack. But we have the advantage of numbers. If only Cor was a bit stronger¡­ Well, we will deal with them quickly anyway, she thought, rubbing a scar on her pretty face, which was regenerating at a high speed. ¡°Your schoolmates are tough nuts to crack. I¡¯ve got a few wounds, but I can still kill you guys,¡± she provoked them. Audrey¡¯s elementals flew towards the trio and used all kinds of elements to attack them. The blue-haired boy clapped his hands and a colorful barrier raised around them, defending against Audrey¡¯s attacks. ¡°Let¡¯s see for how long you can keep up those attacks,¡± he asked with a smirk on his face, trying to make her use even more of her Mana. Holding back her laughter, a smile formed on Audrey¡¯s face as she continued to bombard his barrier. Seeing her smile even after minutes and feeling his own Mana going down the drain, he realized that something was off. ¡°How is this possible? Your level is way below mine! Thirty levels of difference!¡± he shouted with a panicked face as he spread his arms and his barrier exploded, pushing back Audrey¡¯s elementals. ¡°Fufu, I have my secrets.¡± ¡°You totally sounded like Elena,¡± Jake commented. ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± ¡°You are putting it as if it was a bad thing,¡± Elena interrupted their chatter, frowning. ¡°I- It¡¯s not like that,¡± Jake turned away as he replied. ¡°Hahaha, there you go, Elena,¡± Audrey laughed at her, showing a thumbs up to Jake. ¡°Fine, fine. You two are warming up to each other and are cooperating with each other against me,¡± Elena shook her hand, while Ekilsta finished copying the boy¡¯s mind. ¡°You seem to be really full of yourselves to ignore us. But you made a mistake! Sahib, Vadim, attack now!¡± the boy interrupted them with a loud shout, being stupid enough to announce his attack. He swung his arms and two pairs of chains flew towards Elena and Dred with incredible speed. As it latched onto their bodies, they found it hard to move. Sahib and Vadim reached them in the blink of an eye and thrust their spears towards their targets¡¯ hearts. There was a problem though. Before the one called Vadim could reach Elena, a hand shot out of the earth and grabbed his leg. Vadim fell face first on the ground since he was watching out only for Mana related attacks. Had Elena used Earth Magic to create a trap, he would have noticed it. Audrey and Jake blocked Sahib¡¯s way, while Cor jumped out of the ground under Vadim. His jaws opened wide enough to bite Vadim¡¯s whole face, killing him on the spot. ¡°Cancel this spell,¡± Elena said in a commanding tone, interrupting the boy¡¯s spell with Ekilsta¡¯s help for a moment. She threw her knives his way and hit his shoulders. Thanks to her great strength and the boy¡¯s weak body, one of the knives tore off his left arm, while the remaining four bore their way into his legs. He tried to move but soon realized that he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Sorry, I hit your tendons,¡± Elena commented on his struggling face, licking her own lips. Turning to the left, she saw Jake beheading Sahib, leaving the blue-haired boy to his inevitable demise. Elena slowly sheathed one of her daggers and then pulled her finger down the edge of the other, cutting a shallow wound. ¡°Although I¡¯d gain great benefits by devouring your body, we still have enough people to kill. Instead, I¡¯ll use you for a small experiment. We will see if it will work,¡± she stopped in front of him and drew a formation on his forehead. ¡°Why are you not moving or attacking? I didn¡¯t bind you or anything, you know?¡± His lips trembled as he muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t dare. Please, let me go.¡± ¡°Should I? What would I gain if I let you go?¡± ¡°I- I¡¯ll be your servant if you wish¡± he fell to his knees and looked up into Elena¡¯s eyes. Stepping on his torn shoulder, she pushed his upper body to the ground and then pulled back her leg. ¡°You would never become my servant. You see, I hate cowards and spineless men. Man up and stand straight even in front of death. See him?¡± she pointed at Jake. ¡°He thought that I was going to kill him or rather, he asked me to kill him. Now he is standing beside me.¡± ¡°You did scam me though¡­¡± ¡°Shh, that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m standing behind you at the moment.¡± Hearing his words, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, while Elena¡¯s brows twitched in her annoyance. Clearing her throat, she continued her speech, ¡°So as I said-¡± ¡°I¡¯m standing behind you.¡± Stomping on the ground, she shouted at Jake, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m fed up with you! After this battle, I¡¯ll punish you somehow! You too!¡± she pointed at Audrey, who was laughing at her. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°...¡± Dred shook his head as he walked up to the blue haired boy, took up his demon form and finished the formation on his forehead. ¡°Just do it already,¡± he patted Elena¡¯s back, catching her attention. ¡°Alright.¡± Closing her eyes, she transformed into her demoness form and used summoning magic. The boy¡¯s eyes bulged and his limbs puffed up. His head blew up in the next moment and every cell in his body turned into a small patch of black liquid, the same as Ekilsta. The patches of black liquid flew into the air and turned into needle-shaped objects. Combining together, the small object looked like a dodecahedron. It flew towards Elena¡¯s body and entered through her skin. Her veins turned black and moved closer to the surface of her skin for a moment until they returned to their normal positions. ¡°What did you do?¡± Audrey asked with interest. Looking at the place where once the boy¡¯s body laid, she closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she opened them once again and looked at Audrey with a smile. ¡°Look.¡±
You have gained a new title: Bane of Minds!
You tried your hand in mind-control related Magic numerous times, improving your methods further and further, until creating a very dangerous entity. People with this title are better off far away from sane beings since no person should trust somebody like you. This title increases your chance to affect people¡¯s thoughts, while their faith in you decreases.
New Spell Acquired: Hive Mind
After summoning a strange creature, you repeated the process with an offering for the second time, calling forth much more of them. But the catalyst was your blood, which makes you into the owner. Under the control of your Mana, you managed to unite them and create a single organism with numerous minds. The creature you named Ekilsta is the main mind, while you have complete control over it. With this mind spell, you can copy or maybe control numerous minds at the same time. As this spell increases in levels, the size of the hive mind will grow and based on your understanding you may be able to do even more things than just copy and affect minds. Currently used minds: 1 / 50
¡°I¡¯m already trusting you less,¡± Audrey said with a humph, turning away in her envy. ¡°Hehe, why would you be envious when you created these amazing spells even we are using? I bet that you will have even better things in mind!¡± Elena asked with a chuckle, patting Audrey¡¯s back. ¡°Our teamwork is kinda shitty. We should improve it in the future,¡± Dred interrupted their chatter, adding, ¡°And let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have the time to keep standing here. Salem and his soldiers finished most of the Magicians so the battle is in our hands. We just have to finish it.¡± Touching Elena¡¯s cheeks, he felt her smooth skin, ¡°It seems like your wound healed by now.¡± ¡°It did, though you reacted quite strongly to it,¡± she replied with a smirk. ¡°Of course, you are precious, after all.¡± ¡°Aww, I¡¯m melting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, you can do that later.¡± Chuckling, she jumped into his neck and pointed towards the city, ¡°Forward!¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Taking up his panther form, he charged towards the city. Audrey and Jake shrugged their shoulders and followed them in their Shadow Forms. The sun was already creeping up on the other side of the sky when a large black cloud flew towards the city. Noticing it, Elena and co. turned around. After a few more seconds, they noticed that the black cloud was actually groups of people, wearing Atelon¡¯s tabards. ¡°Enemies¡­¡± Elena clenched her fists. Looking at the rising sun and the reinforcements, she muttered, ¡°With the light of this new day¡­¡± Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 23.1 - This Night Shall Prevail This Night Shall Prevail ¡°What are your plans now?¡± Audrey asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that reinforcements would come, so I have no plans,¡± Elena replied bluntly. ¡°Luckily for you, I¡¯m here,¡± Dred patted Elena¡¯s head. ¡°We should hide the soldiers of the Drung Kingdom with a thin layer of earth. We will stay with them until the reinforcements enter the city and then we can pick off their magicians and warriors once again.¡± ¡°Fancy! There is one problem though. If this goes on, Bethor¡¯s army will fall before we could finish their magicians.¡± ¡°Well, my dear Elena, we will have to work harder in that case!¡± Audrey took Dred¡¯s side. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I disagree or anything since I don¡¯t have anything better in mind. I suck¡­¡± After jumping into the trench, Elena covered it with a few centimeters of earth, and while she held it up with her Mana, Audrey used her unique element to hide their presences. Only a small hole made it possible for them to see the sky. When they saw the army pass by above them, they waited for a whole minute before Elena uncovered the trench. Everyone caught their breath after holding it in and then crept to the edge of the trench. That was the moment that a yellow light flashed and Atelon appeared, Bethor behind him. Atelon waved his hands and the golden rays dispersed the dust cloud, revealing the city and the reinforcements. There were at least seven hundred people who served Bethor and four hundred who served Atelon. But with the reinforcements, the power balance seemed to turn over completely. ¡°What will you do now? I¡¯ll crush your little city along with you!¡± Atelon shouted at Bethor, causing even the sky to tremble. ¡°Who sold me out? I want to know!¡± ¡°Haha, since you are going to die anyway, I¡¯ll tell you. I got wind of ¡®something bad¡¯ long ago, but even after sending so many spies, neither of them returned. I didn¡¯t know what you were planning and attacking you for no reason would have put me in a bad light in the eyes of the other city lords. I didn¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°But at a fated day, a noble-looking man came in and told me that you were hiding your forces in the city as thugs and that you would soon attack. So I came instead.¡± ¡°What did that man look like?¡± Bethor tried to fish out every information he could. ¡°How greedy you are¡­ but fine. He had long blonde hair, with tints of black. I¡¯ve never seen him before. Oh, he called himself the Emperor of Calamity! Laughable if you ask me, but he did something good for me. Now it¡¯s time to finally kill you and go back to my throne!¡± Atelon shouted as he swung his sword and shot a golden arc towards Bethor. Raising his halberd, Bethor blocked the golden arc and then used his Mana to create a huge ball of light in front of Atelon, which blinded him for a moment. Flying towards him, he swung his halberd, ready to cut him into two halves. But only a loud clang could be heard as Atelon¡¯s sword blocked his halberd, though thanks to the difference in the types of weapons, Atelon flew through the air and crashed into the ground. ¡°This shame! I¡¯ll pay back tenfold!¡± he shouted as he shot towards the sky once again. Looking at the city from the corner of his eye, Bethor clenched his fists on the handle of his weapon. I must kill him quickly and help them. Sally is probably tired by now. Hurry up, Caleb! Shutting out his worries and thoughts, he focused back on his battle. --- ¡°What now? Shouldn¡¯t we all evolve already?¡± Jake questioned, feeling excited to see what his next specialization would be at the three hundredth level. Although they went past that level, they had to hold back their evolution since they had a good chance at losing their consciousness. If that happened in the middle of a battle, they would never wake up¡­ ¡°Not yet. I am curious too, but we can¡¯t do shit about it. I¡¯m already copying Atelon¡¯s mind. He is way above us in level but if I could delay his movements a bit, Bethor could kill him easily. Let¡¯s fight until then and see what happens afterwards.¡± ¡°Grr, fine. Let¡¯s go and kill these bastards quickly,¡± Jake said, jumping out of the trench and running straight towards the city. ¡°When did he become a Magic maniac?¡± Elena raised a brow. Audrey shrugged her shoulders as a reply, having no idea of it. ¡°If not for knowing that he is really curious, I¡¯d have said that he just wanted to find commonplace with you,¡± Elena added. ¡°Nah, we don¡¯t have to try. We have numerous things in common anyway,¡± Audrey replied with a bright smile on her face. ¡°Are you two going out or what?¡± ¡°Not¡­ yet.¡± Looking at Dred, Elena asked, ¡°Do you know anything?¡± ¡°Not more than you.¡± ¡°We will be left behind, ah! What a pain!¡± Elena started a one-person play, ignoring the environment. ¡°Although I¡¯d gladly change that, we don¡¯t have the time,¡± Dred commented while grabbing Elena¡¯s waist. Turning back into his panther form, he waited for her to hop on. Did he just say what I think he said? Is he actually liking me or what? Was that what he was hiding and wanted to tell me in private? She couldn¡¯t help but start thinking about its possibility. Shaking her head, she tried to get it out of her thoughts with little success. Looking at the top of Dred¡¯s head while sitting on his back, she reconsidered a few things. What if that¡¯s what he wants? What will I say? Shit, I¡¯m totally lost! I¡¯ll need to get this straight before talking with him! ¡°Elena!¡± Dred shouted, catching her attention. Looking ahead, she saw a fallen column of a building stuck between the houses in the middle of the street. Quickly ducking down, she didn¡¯t hit her head. ¡°What¡¯s up? You seemed to be lost in your thoughts.¡± ¡°I- It¡¯s nothing. I just thought about us,¡± she replied with a stiff face as she thought with a pouting face, it¡¯s all your fault, stupid Dred. ¡°And what were you thinking?¡± Should I or shouldn¡¯t I? No, it¡¯s not the right time and Audrey, Jake, and Cor are here too. I will stay mute! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine then,¡± he sighed loudly as he stopped in front of a group of four, consisting of two warriors and two magicians. Cor charged straight towards the magicians, ignoring the incoming blades, which sliced through his sides without much result. Opening his jaws, he jumped on one of the surprised boys and bit into his throat. ¡°Aargh! Kill it!¡± he shouted as he started flailing his limbs and used lightning magic on Cor, trying to shock him. But thanks to Cor¡¯s high magical resistance it didn¡¯t even do as much as to slow him down. Before he could do anything funny, Cor tore out his throat and then turned towards the others, his mouth covered in blood. While the startled warriors stood in place, Elena and Dred finished both of them with a dagger to the heart and a paw to the face. Audrey raised her hand to kill off the last guy, but before she could cast a spell, Jake jumped towards the terrified boy and beheaded him with a clean strike. ¡°I¡¯m much quicker when we are closer,¡± he winked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t tire yourself out if it¡¯s unnecessary,¡± she gave him the cold shoulder. A black cloud appeared far away in the sky, which transformed into a smaller army when they came close enough. Seeing that they didn¡¯t have Atelon¡¯s tabards, Elena and her friends felt relieved since another enemy army would have meant their loss. ¡°Finally, you have come!¡± Bethor shouted at Caleb who led the army, his face delighted. ¡°Rhoderick was bitching, as usual, afraid to fight at this point,¡± came the reply. A man crashed through a building, into the wall of a house in front of Elena. Sally appeared in front of the man and slit his throat with her sword. Noticing them from the corner of her eye, she turned to her left and opened her mouth wide. ¡°You! You should have never come back!¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with you?¡± Elena raised a brow in confusion. ¡°You were with them, after all!¡± ¡°With who?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb!¡± Sally shouted and swung her. Jumping back, Elena evaded her attack and raised her hands. ¡°Hey-hey! Stop it! I even made a deal with Caleb and Bethor! Did they not tell it to you?¡± Hearing Caleb¡¯s name, which Elena shouldn¡¯t know, Sally realized that something was off. ¡°We have been killing the magicians and backstabbing the warriors. Did you not notice how much easier this battle was, even though the city was raided? Let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s times and finish our enem-¡± Elena¡¯s words were interrupted by a warrior. Cor ran towards the warrior and drew his attention. But the man wasn¡¯t stupid and got past Cor with a kick in the stomach instead of trying to cut him. Cor crashed into the house behind him. Dred appeared behind the man, while Jake took him up frontally. The man kicked backwards, expecting a sneak attack, and blocked Jake¡¯s weapons. A loud rumbling resounded in the sky as Audrey called forth a lightning and struck the man¡¯s back. He jumped back with a pained look on his face and the smell of burnt skin and flesh filled the air. ¡°Bitch, what the hell are our magicians doing-¡± before he could finish his sentence, Elena and Dred ambushed him. Dred¡¯s claws tore his skin and flesh and broke his bones, while Elena just thrust her dagger into his heart and turned it back and forth. ¡°Don¡¯t call my friend a bitch, asshole.¡± His blood trickled down on her hands and dripped onto the ground. Audrey looked at the man¡¯s corpse with an unusually serious face as she muttered a small ''thanks''. The battle continued on for another half an hour when Elena met up with Caleb, who was killing one person after the other on the outer parts of the army. After a short conversation, Caleb learned of her mysterious ¡®freezing¡¯ ability, which can delay people¡¯s movements for a moment. Although he was really interested in her ability, he knew that she wouldn¡¯t share it with him. Of course, he didn¡¯t know that Elena lied to him and had an entirely different method to delay people¡¯s movements and that it took time to be able to use it. ¡°So you want me to ambush Atelon, while you try to stop his movements for a moment and Bethor should use that moment to finish him,¡± Caleb asked loudly while thrusting his daggers into one of the warrior¡¯s brain, through his eyes. Since the continuous explosions, spells, and the explosion of the air the sword swings made any voice sound low, he didn¡¯t have to mind his voice. ¡°Yes! Aren¡¯t you clever?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so funny. Do you have nothing better to do than picking a fight with me?¡± Caleb couldn¡¯t help but ask. Sticking out her tongue, Elena shook her head and threw a knife towards one of the guys who was ready to skewer Jake. As the guy stopped to block the knife, Dred swiped his head, his huge paw turning it into mincemeat. ¡°Isn¡¯t he handsome?¡± Elena asked with a chuckle. ¡°You are sick in the head, you crazy girl!¡± Caleb shouted, throwing a black ball towards Elena. As she ducked down, it hit the man behind her back. ¡°Why, Caleb? I¡¯m completely healthy just so you know,¡± she replied as she spun on her heel and swung her dagger with her full strength. The air whistled as her weapon cut through the air and large cracks appeared under her feet as she stopped a two meters long, double-handed axe from cutting her into two halves. ¡°People don¡¯t laugh in the middle of a bloody battle like this-¡± ¡°They don¡¯t talk either¡­¡± Dred blocked one of Caleb¡¯s ambushers. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you getting along, but don¡¯t you want to help? This axe guy is really persistent!¡± Elena looked at Dred with pleading eyes, her arms trembling under the weight and strength of her opponent. Jumping over her head, Dred slapped the axe to the side and used the returning force to propel himself towards the ground. Landing on all fours, he quickly got behind the muscular guy, who barely had time to turn around and raise his axe. Unfortunately for him, Dred wasn¡¯t alone and although he blocked Dred¡¯s attack, Elena¡¯s daggers entered the back of his head. Feeling the temperature quickly rise behind her back, she quickly stepped to the side, dodging a huge fireball. She saw a girl standing in a tower, casting another spell when a bear-sized, flat rock crashed into the tower. The tower exploded from the sudden force while the girl was propelled towards the ground, along with the debris. A thick bolt of lightning struck her body and turned her body into a charred corpse by the time she reached the ground. Whoops? Maybe I used a bit too much Mana in that lightning, Elena heard Audrey¡¯s words through her bacteria. ¡°Haah- am I getting old? I shouldn¡¯t talk...¡± Caleb said, his breath ragged. ¡°Yeah, old men should just focus on the battle or they will run out of breath,¡± Elena commented, her breath as stable as if she wasn¡¯t doing anything. He doesn¡¯t have to know that I can breathe in and out through each of my pores, and feed my body with enough oxygen even while talking and fighting. I¡¯m a human only outside, mostly, she thought when Dred rushed past him, leaving behind a few words. ¡°Showing off?¡± Elena couldn¡¯t help but laugh when she heard him. Well, I can¡¯t expect a human to understand the complexity of our bodies. We are built up from cells, each having their own tiny organs and they work with the control of the master of the hivemind, which is my brain. That¡¯s also the reason why our blood servants fall unconscious when they drink our blood. Their whole cell system has to evolve into a higher form. Looking at her blood-covered hand, she controlled her cells and saw her skin turn clean. I¡¯m not a devourer for nothing. My body is a weapon in and of itself. My touch could be deadly~ she mused as she got back to fighting. ¡°I¡¯ll go now!¡± Caleb shouted, seeing an opening in Atelon¡¯s defence, who didn¡¯t even notice that he was being stalked. He shot towards the sky, surprising Atelon. Nobody dared to fly since they would be a clear target and everyone knew that Atelon¡¯s battle with Bethor was something they had no way to influence. ¡°Somebody is really daring,¡± Atelon commented with a mocking voice as he blocked Bethor¡¯s attack and cast a huge ball of darkness behind his back. When he was about to propel it towards Caleb, he felt his mind and body freeze for a split second. But at the same time, Caleb reached his back and thrust his daggers towards Atelon¡¯s heart and head. Seeing an opening, Bethor too attacked without any hesitation. His spear whistled through the air, almost hitting Atelon when a yellow light shone and a thick golden coloured plate appeared in front of Atelon. He quickly moved to the side, making Caleb miss his head and penetrate the right side of his back, instead of his heart. ¡°ARGH! YOU SHIT!¡± he shouted. Jumping back, he gritted his teeth as he said with a murderous voice, ¡°I¡¯ll gut you! Remember that! Haah- you won, nowh-¡± he stopped speaking as he ran out of breath. Looking down at his army, he shrugged his shoulders and took out a golden pendant, which had only one pointer, the hour hand. It ticked to ten when he pressed the button at the top of the pendant and a golden light covered his body. Bethor and Caleb covered their eyes, but when their sights returned, Atelon was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Fuck! He got away!¡± Bethor shouted with an enraged voice, clenching his hands around his spear. ¡°Put down your weapons, now!¡± he demanded, his roar making even the sky tremble. Everyone on the battlefield stopped in place and looked at him. Although he had a few wounds, it was nothing serious. Seeing that many of the students from the Academy were still holding their weapons, he snapped his fingers, creating a huge gravity field. Elena and her friends knew Gravity Magic, along with a few other people, but most people were pulled towards Bethor. Those who knew how to fly tried to get away with little success. Only the best of the best stayed on the ground, while the rest continued on their way towards Bethor. Swinging his arm, a long line of earth spikes formed in front of him. Seeing that if they didn¡¯t surrender they would be skewered, even the proud students gave up their pride, dropped their weapons, and started pleading for mercy. Elena and her friends weren¡¯t interested in how Bethor managed his new captives and it was unlikely that he would let them devour the students of the academy, who were supposed to mean the future. Just as Elena thought, Bethor stopped using gravity magic and everyone fell back to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. You don¡¯t have to stand here watching,¡± Dred whispered behind her back. ¡°Mhm. But I¡¯ll sit on your back!¡± ¡°Ah, you are saying it as if it was something new, even though you are doing it all the time.¡± ¡°Hehe, I can¡¯t deny that can I? But you are quick and I can enjoy the scenery and the world around us, while in my shadow form, I see only the grey outlines of objects. Wouldn¡¯t it be really boring?¡± ¡°It is¡­¡± Audrey chimed in, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Look at the bright side! It is quicker than if you had to run!¡± Dred encouraged them. Raising her hand, Audrey showed him her middle finger. ¡°...You are trying to sit on a man¡¯s back non-stop. Doesn¡¯t that make you feel bad?¡± Dred furrowed his brows. ¡°Why are you putting it like that when Elena is doing it all the time?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m just trying to argue with you.¡± *Chuckle* ¡°You are admitting it yourself¡­ you just don¡¯t want anyone but Elena on your back. Are you a masochist maybe?¡± ¡°Pfft-¡± Elena was trying to hold it in. ¡°How did you even get there? And the answer is a very strong, and clear no. What¡¯s wrong if I allow something only for one person?¡± A smirk splattered on Audrey¡¯s face as she looked at Dred silently. ¡°What? Jake, teach your woman¡­¡± he looked at Jake, only to see his smirking face. ¡°...You are the same.¡± ¡°Aye, don¡¯t worry my furry friend. I can bite both of them for you!¡± Cor patted Dred¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Pfft- hahaha,¡± Elena couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter any longer. ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself,¡± Dred growled as he looked up, his eyes meeting Elena¡¯s bright smile. A fuzzy feeling filled his heart, which picked up its pace. Turning back towards the ground, he stayed silent. ¡°Elena, you¡¯ve got a really cute ¡®pet¡¯,¡± Audrey said with a chuckle, still eyeing Dred. ¡°He isn¡¯t my pet. Do you need a beating?¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°Oh, my. Just how blind can you be? Let¡¯s go already!¡± Before Elena could say anything, they already left. ¡°She was weird¡­ shall we leave too? The crowd is starting to disperse and you are quite conspicuous.¡± Nodding his head, Dred ran after Audrey and Jake, while Cor just entered his shadow. The world turned upside down and grey for him. He saw the outlines of every object, nothing else. It¡¯s still interesting to see how Dred and Elena are like black Suns in this grey world, Cor thought to himself. --------------------- Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 23.2 - This Night Shall Prevail As Dred rushed through the plain, he saw the soldiers of the Drung Kingdom leave their trenches and walk towards the city. Since Salem learned how to speak the general language, they just ignored them and let them deal with the aftermath. After finding a good spot, they checked their notifications. Elena gained more than fifteen skills, though she wasn¡¯t interested in either of them. She was happy to see that she gained more DNA than the others because of her Devourer specialization and unlike Dred, she was able to change the DNA and control her evolution to some degree. Of course, she couldn¡¯t change the DNA of a completely magic-focused person into physical attributes and it¡¯s the same the other way around. It¡¯s just that instead of the basic control of the world system, she was able to control what part she devoured in what amount. Before she could read anything, she felt something cold touching her neck. Turning around, she saw nothing. ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Haha, look up, Elena¡± Audrey laughed at her. ¡°It¡¯s snow! But the trees still have leaves¡­¡± Elena gasped, seeing snow for the first time. ¡°Maybe these are similar to pine trees,¡± Audrey muttered, placing her hand on the bark of a tree. ¡°The canopy isn¡¯t thick either. There aren¡¯t too many leaves on these trees, after all.¡± Raising her hand, Audrey ¡®caught¡¯ a speck of snow, which quickly melted in her palm. ¡°It feels as if last year happened decades ago. So many things happened¡­ and it¡¯s winter again.¡± ¡°I feel the same,¡± Jake agreed with Audrey, his face melancholic. ¡°Of course, you would feel the same. You went through similar things, especially considering me,¡± Elena chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that,¡± Jake shook his head. ¡°Anyway, let me see what you¡¯ve got!¡± Feeling surprised to see his interest in ¡®spell¡¯ related things once again, she tilted her head to the side. Is it natural to get interested in things the one you love likes? Well, I¡¯ll just show it to him.
Lv Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive, Legendary)
Devourer Stealth Demonology
300 Inner-devourer: Your body is built up from cells with their own system and you are the mastermind. Although you can use your body to devour other beings, without this specialization it will be hard. This will turn your body into a real weapon. Your palms, your belly? Anything could split open and turn into a meat grinder! Mind-Rush: Each time you attack or an attack is about to hit you, your brain will be rushed with a liquid, that will form in your body after you pick this trait. It will make you see everything in slow-motion. Whisperings: With this spell, you will be able to communicate with others without opening your mouth. If you wish so, you can also let others connect with your mind, but you will be the one controlling what will be heard or not. Can be used as a spell to listen in on people¡¯s thoughts for a limited time.
¡°These are great! But to be honest, I¡¯d be troubled by it in your place. I mean, what will you pick? They are all so great¡­¡± Jake furrowed his brows, somewhat envious. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as hard as you think. Dred already picked mind-rush, and I¡¯ll pick whisperings because inner-devourer is something I already know. With cosmological constant, I¡¯ll be able to ¡®split open¡¯ any part of my body, once I have a good enough control and as my Devour gains levels, I¡¯ll be able to reach the same effect. It¡¯s only a question of time. But the other two? Hell, I¡¯d have to be a genius to create a spell like that.¡± ¡°You are a genius already, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, by the standards of humans, yeah. By my own standards, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m nothing great. Most of our widely used spells came from Audrey. It was only later on that I created my bacteria and summoned Ekilsta. Oh, right, it came really handy in our recent battle,¡± Elena replied, rubbing a deep wound on her right arm. ¡°I¡¯d have lost my left arm if not for controlling numerous minds. Although it¡¯s not a big deal to put it back if I have the arm, it would have taken a few weeks. Not to mention if I lost my cut arm.¡± ¡°But you still have a deep wound. It¡¯s ugly and dirty. You should clean it,¡± Audrey commented. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel good either¡­¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°I¡¯m rather surprised by the fact that you aren¡¯t screaming in pain instead,¡± Audrey raised a brow, waiting for an explanation. ¡°Hehe, my body doesn¡¯t find it a good thing to bolt my mind with a sense of pain. In fact, I can control how much I feel too. Basically, my body feels pain, but only a small amount to tell me that something is ¡®bad¡¯. It¡¯s up to the mastermind to decide if it¡¯s still worth it.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Eh? So unlike humans, you can¡­ you bastard! What if I was cut? Could I do this too?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. I should teach you how to control your cells too, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Elena asked with a smirk, holding her hand towards Audrey. ¡°Come, bite me.¡± Audrey turned away, but a strange pulling feeling filled her mind. Slowly turning back, she checked out Elena¡¯s fair, spotless, smooth skin. Stepping closer, she bit into Elena¡¯s wound and sucked out her blood, followed by Jake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I forgot to feed this to you, but it was so natural that it never came to my mind that you might not know how to do it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What about you three? We had reached the three hundred and sixty-fifth level, so I¡¯m sure that you should be at a similar level,¡± Dred interrupted the sudden silence. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve got something new at the three hundred and fiftieth level,¡± Audrey was the first to reply. ¡°Same here,¡± Jake added, while Cor only hung his head, looking at his level standing at three hundred and forty. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dead friend! You will catch up with us in no time!¡± Dred patted his back, putting in enough strength to make him fall forward. ¡°Just so you know, I was much stronger than either of you in the past!¡± ¡°Yeah, but you got killed, so it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Jake commented. ¡°I¡¯ll bite you one day. Watch your sleep¡­¡± ¡°What? Are you trying to pick a fight?¡± Sighing loudly, Elena shook her head, ¡°Just shut up. Why can¡¯t you two get along?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his fault!¡± Cor pointed at Jake. Holding her forehead, Elena ignored them and looked at Audrey¡¯s options.
Lv Class: Arcane Mage (Epic)
Dark Arts Mystic Caster
350 Blood Mage: This trait will help you in learning blood magic. You will be able to turn even a simple wound into a deadly one. Drip Element: Every element is powerful, however no single person nor single element is truly powerful alone. The combination is the key. Secrets of Time: How does time work? Can it be controlled? What are the restrictions? With the help of this, you will be able to find out and shorten your casting time. Or maybe you will learn a lot more.
¡°I picked Secrets of Time because it might help me in learning more about time, which I have no idea of how to use¡­ While Drip Element is akin to a spoiler¡­ I now know that it is possible and as long as I focus on it, I¡¯ll be able to learn it myself. Blood Magic is similar in that aspect, though I¡¯m not sure if I want to learn it. Learning too many things at the same time is no good. Maybe later if I have fewer things to learn,¡± Audrey reasoned beside her decision. ¡°I agree with you, but did something enter your mind after picking it?¡± Elena asked in her curiosity. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a basic concept, but I¡¯ll have to unfold it myself and I¡¯ll have to learn how to use it as a spell, which won¡¯t happen anytime soon¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Elena patted her back. ¡°While we are at it, let¡¯s try this new form of speech!¡± Elena used her new ability and talked to everyone with whisperings. Feeling Elena¡¯s Mana around his head, Dred thought, ¡°Can you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, crystal clear!¡± ¡°Audrey?¡± ¡°Yes? I can hear you. Now I¡¯ll push back your mana, let¡¯s see if you will hear me that way. Now-¡± ¡°Are you thinking of something?¡± ¡°I did. Did you not hear me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Interesting. So as long as the person in question doesn¡¯t force back my Mana, I can hear their thoughts. This also means that I can use this spell at least once to read somebody¡¯s next few steps, in case they do plan ahead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a really great spell, even if you can use it only once. I mean, they would definitely not let your Mana linger around their heads.¡± ¡°Yeah, but if my opponents are weaker, I might be able to forcefully spy on their thoughts,¡± Elena thought aloud. Noticing Jake¡¯s envious eyes, she chuckled before asking, ¡°What did you get?¡±
Restore
The default restriction on Blink is level 100. This means that you can¡¯t blink farther than ten meters, in every two hundred seconds. This spell will help you gain more control over the Void and make it possible for you to restore it to its original state. Shortly, you will be able to use Blink more often and at bigger ranges.
¡°I picked this one from the Void Master specialization.¡± ¡°Oh? If you get in complete control of these two skills, you will become a really annoying and dangerous opponent,¡± Dred praised him and was happy to see that Jake had a somewhat similar build compared to his. ¡°Yeah, although infusing my weapons with elemental and physical buffs is great, if I could blink around people in a short amount of time, it would be even better! Imagine how confused they would be!¡± ¡°How nice for you people¡­¡± Cor murmured while sitting on a fallen tree trunk, drawing something on the ground with a stick. Stepping closer, Jake saw a very realistic-looking heart. ¡°An artist was lost in you¡­¡± ¡°What? I just know what they look like. They are delicious, you know? I wonder what your heart tastes like,¡± Cor replied with a grin on his face. ¡°I hope that you will never find out.¡± ¡°Hehe, I was just kidding. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± He is talking seriously, but for him to play with words¡­ I guess he is slowly getting back his memories without his notice, Jake thought, while looking at Cor. ¡°Oh, well. You will soon reach the same level and catch up with us.¡± ¡°Sure! By the way, where is Dred, my furry friend?¡± ¡°You seem to be liking him a lot, but I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Yeah, he understands how delicious human flesh is! And well, he is a cool guy!¡± ¡°Well, he is reliable, even if he had that little ¡®joke¡¯ not long ago.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you find him?¡± Audrey interrupted the guys¡¯ chatter and asked Elena. ¡°Mhm.¡± Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she left towards the way she sensed Dred¡¯s presence. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 23.3 - This Night Shall Prevail *snap* A branch cracked under Elena¡¯s foot as she stopped to look at the beautiful scenery in front of her, somewhat lost. Dred was sitting on the edge of a cliff and in front of him was a huge valley, at least a thousand meters below them. Thick snow covered the bald trees and light gray clouds filtered the sun rays. Strange, though beautiful birds soared through the air and a mountain covered in snow stood on the other side of the valley where dark clouds were gathering. ¡°How come you are using your demon form, Dred?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You said you would use it when it was necessary.¡± ¡°It is, right now,¡± his deep, serious voice entered Elena¡¯s ears, while he was still looking towards the valley. Dred heard the crackling of dried leaves and felt two knees touch his back. ¡°Woah... this height is beautiful yet dreadful.¡± ¡°I think so. It¡¯s similar to what I feel now,¡± Dred replied with a chuckle. ¡°Even though you can fly?¡± Turning around, Dred raised a brow, showing a surprised face. Kneeling down behind him, Elena crept closer to the edge and after taking her place beside Dred, she hung her legs over the edge. ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder if you just said this randomly or implied something and meant it metaphorically,¡± Dred pondered loudly, his hand under his chin. Making a thoughtful face, Elena asked with a cheerful tone, ¡°Who knows?!¡± ¡°You are so cruel¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, I can¡¯t deny that.¡± After a short silence, Elena spoke again, ¡°So? What is it that you wanted to tell me?¡± ¡°You know it already, don¡¯t you? Why bother asking?¡± ¡°Because I could be wrong and I want to hear it from your mouth.¡± Turning to the left, Dred was met with Elena¡¯s burning gaze. ¡°A-ah fine¡­ don¡¯t look at me like that or you will burn a hole into me.¡± ¡°Then say it already.¡± ¡°Easier said than done!¡± he grumbled upon hearing Elena¡¯s demanding voice. Finding his throat and mouth dry, his muscles stiff, he sighed loudly. Focusing on Elena¡¯s eyes, he said, ¡°I like you.¡± You averted your eyes. She must be unsure. ¡°Like or love?¡± ¡°Giving a question as a reply? I won¡¯t say it before I see that you are truly ready. You seem to be lost at the moment,¡± Dred replied, gazing into the depths of her green eyes. Looking down, he saw her clenching her fists in her nervousness. ¡°Is that what you think? I think differently. I do like you but I can¡¯t say that I-¡± she stopped speaking as she saw Dred¡¯s hand moving towards her face and place his finger on her lips. Leaning closer, he pushed his hand forward, touching her face, his fingers on the back of her head, and whispered into her ear, ¡°Shh, don¡¯t be like an immature little girl just because you are lost at what to think or feel. You aren¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°No, I just-¡± Grabbing her wrists, he pushed her on the ground, his knee between her legs. He said nothing and just looked into her eyes, which were darting around for a short time until stopping at his irises. ¡°I appreciate honesty, Elena.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What do you want from me then?¡± her gentle voice echoed in Dred¡¯s ears. ¡°Everything. I keep thinking how nice it would be if we felt the same way. I don¡¯t know how cold it was last year, but this winter is definitely colder for me. You know, you just came in and took my whole world with you. So now¡­ now I want to haunt you. I want to take your whole world too.¡± ¡°I want you to feel as if you were surrounded by snow but you couldn¡¯t move alone. Not without me.¡± Resting his palm on her chest, he pulled back his head. ¡°Your heart is beating so quickly.¡± ¡°...¡± Staying silent, she closed her eyes. ¡°I know that my words have serious weight, but I wanted you to know. I can see that you would accept me as a lover in your current mindset too, but I don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t just want to be a lover. I want to be more to you.¡± ¡°More?¡± she whispered, feeling that Dred¡¯s lips were maybe no more than a millimeter away from hers. As she opened her eyes for confirmation, she saw Dred¡¯s burning gaze, which made her heart pound even quicker. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll carve out my home in you. But remember that I- I¡¯ll always be your home,¡± he said in a gentle tone as he gave a small kiss on her forehead. Slowly pulling back his hand, he stood up and walked towards their small camp. ¡°Take your time, I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± his deep voice resounded in Elena¡¯s ears. Raising her head, she looked after him before falling back to the ground, her hair sprawled out under her head. A shiver ran through her body as she felt the cold of the ground slowly eat through her armor and cool her body. It¡¯s so cold now. His hand was so warm, she thought, showing a melancholic face to the sky. ¡°Haah- you stupid cat. Why did you even change? Now you are playing with me¡­¡± she sighed out loud. ¡°And he left me here on the ground!¡± she snapped a random branch on the ground into two halves. ¡°And he touched my chest too¡­ though not in that way.¡± Turning on her side, she remembered his words. ¡°Don¡¯t be like an immature little girl just because you are lost at what to think or feel.¡± Why did this have to come to my mind again¡­? I know that I¡¯m liking him, but¡­ ARGH! Screw you! Sitting up, she put the tip of her finger on her cherry lips. ¡°This bastard got me interested¡­ and he called me manipulative.¡± ¡°Arsehole¡­¡± she muttered as she pulled up her knees. What should I do? I¡¯ll just go back for now, though it¡¯s definitely going to be awkward. But I¡¯ll get by, as always. A few seconds later, she arrived at the camp, only to see her friends sitting silently. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯d like to know as well. Dred told us that he would be waiting for you on the mountain at the other side of the valley. You surely know what kind of place he was talking about. But what happened?¡± Audrey questioned Elena, her tone showing her worry. ¡°Uhm, did he say anything else?¡± ¡°He said that you shouldn¡¯t go unless you know what you want,¡± Jake raised his voice as he thought, she won¡¯t tell us what happened, for now, that¡¯s for sure¡­ argh! Damned curiosity never dies! Sighing loudly, Elena sat on the ground with a pouting face, He is pressuring me intentionally. He¡­ he wants to control my emotions by giving me something and then taking it away. Oh boy, and this is turning me on¡­ Wait, no. It should be the other way around! But fine, I¡¯ll play along. Clenching her fists, she stood up and looked at her friends. ¡°Let¡¯s make a temporary base here. I need- I need some time if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°We can wait,¡± Audrey said with a gentle voice. Smiling back, Elena nodded her head as she muttered a small ''thanks''. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work!¡± she added cheerfully. ---- *crunch* *crunch* Dred¡¯s feet sank deep into the fresh, thick snow as he walked on the snow-covered mountain. Turning around, he saw the cliff where he sat not long ago. Looking up, he saw the black clouds and the falling snow. ¡°It¡¯s really cold here. I should build a cabin, for now, there is a smaller forest anyway,¡± he muttered as he made his way towards the forest. With his monstrous strength, he easily pulled out the trees from the ground and cut thick planks from them with his claws. He created an outline of the cabin with Earth Magic and put the planks into the grooves he left in the earth walls. He used his Mana to compress the earth, clutching the planks and getting a cozy, small cabin as a result. ¡°Heh, why am I even doing this? I guess it¡¯s better to do something than to just sit in an earth house¡­¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°I wonder... What will she think, what will she say? I hope that this distance will do good for her mind.¡± But so long as I¡¯m beside her, she won¡¯t be able to realize what kind of feelings she has for me. With those thoughts, he got to work and used his magical power to create a cozy home for himself and maybe¡­ his future lover. What will become of them? He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 24 - Echo (Contains descriptive sex) Echo The four of them quickly built a small house, made of earth and wooden planks. They also built a fireplace in it from smaller rocks with compressed earth between them. ¡°I¡¯ll bring some wood,¡± Jake said, his hands on his hips. ¡°Alright,¡± Elena replied with an uninterested voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go with him.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Hearing Audrey, Cor joined them and left Elena alone. But having a strange hunch, he decided to not bother Audrey and Jake either. ¡°I¡¯ll go and hunt. You know, I need some fresh blood, keke.¡± ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t you get hurt,¡± Audrey replied. Cor passed by Jake and heard him whispering a ¡®thanks¡¯. ¡°No problem,¡± he patted Jake¡¯s back. Leaving them alone, Cor walked for a few minutes until finding a big rock. Sitting down at the top of it, he crossed his legs and looked towards the sky with a thoughtful face, until a small smile formed on it. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with these lazy asses in no time and become as strong as I was in the past! Though I don¡¯t know how strong I actually was¡­ but I¡¯ll find out. Or maybe- I¡¯ll become even stronger!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I have to stop and get stuck in the same place as in my past life. With this new body I have and my new friends¡¯ help, I can get much further ahead!¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how far away that is, I¡¯ll stick around to find out. Not like I have any other choice¡­¡± Closing his eyes, he started meditating. --- It was nice of Cor to leave us alone. I should get along better with him, Jake thought while walking beside Audrey silently. ¡°What do you think they were talking about?¡± Looking his way, Audrey replied with a blush, ¡°Uhm, Elena told me that Dred had *cough* you know what kind of problems¡­ and considering Dred¡¯s behaviour in these past few days, he must have some feelings for her, maybe.¡± Noticing Jake¡¯s goofy face, she added, ¡°But you knew this, didn¡¯t you? So? Why did you bring this up?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ can¡¯t you be a bit less straightforward at times? You¡¯re going to kill me one day.¡± ¡°Haha, but I like seeing your troubled face.¡± ¡°How cruel. But¡­¡± letting go of the branches he was holding, he stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders. He pushed her against a tree, knocking out of her hands the branches she was holding. ¡°You know what I want, don¡¯t you?¡± Seeing her slightly scared look and feeling her trembling shoulders, he loosened his grip and gently embraced her instead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was too sudden. But, I just wanted to let you know again that I¡¯m still waiting for your reply. I know that I had been behaving in a childish way, but it¡¯s been many years ago that I had a relationship with anyone and¡­ and I didn¡¯t really know how to deal with you or get closer to you. I was just afraid of the thought of you ignoring me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± He felt her trembling stop and her arms coil around his back. Resting her head on his shoulder, she said in a low voice, ¡°I am sorry too. I mean, I have been making you wait without a clear reply. I didn¡¯t refuse you but I didn¡¯t accept you either, which is probably the worst thing to do. But I liked your attention and I am selfish enough to not want it to disappear, so I¡­¡± ¡°Audrey, I know that much. But it was unnecessary. You could have said no and I could have tried again. I know that I gave up in Elena¡¯s case quite quickly, but not with you. I felt that everything was lost and now I also know that her race is passively affecting intelligent creatures¡¯ minds for the worse. But it¡¯s the other way around for her blood servants. I don¡¯t plan to give up on you because I want you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll say a no for now.¡± ¡°Are you for real?¡± ¡°No.¡± Letting go of her, Jake stepped back and raised a brow, honestly not knowing whether he should laugh or cry or get angry with her. After eyeing each other for a few seconds, Audrey stepped forward and gave a small kiss on Jake¡¯s lips. Picking up the branches, she walked towards the house they built. Jake touched his own lips, feeling lost at what to do. When she got far enough from Jake, Audrey turned around and looked his way with a red face. Oh, shit. I feel like some fucking teenage girl having her first kiss. But, that¡¯s the first time I initiated it and it was only my second kiss¡­ he took the first by force! Covering her face with a hand, she sighed out loud. ¡°Damn it, I didn¡¯t give him a reply this time either, actually. But if I say yes then will we do¡­ those kinds of things?¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not like you have to do it right after saying yes,¡± a male voice came from behind her back. Audrey turned around startled, only to realize that it was Cor, sitting on top of a rock. ¡°How did you get behind me?¡± ¡°I had been sitting here since you two left for firewood. You were the one who came here mumbling something to yourself with a red face and then you suddenly started talking to yourself,¡± he replied, opening one eye. ¡°...¡± Covering her face with both hands, Audrey squatted to the ground. Opening her fingers, she looked at Cor through the slits as she pleaded, ¡°Could you forget this, please?¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand what Jake is liking about you. You are just so innocent and silly that I have to laugh. But yeah, since I¡¯m a great corpse, I¡¯ll stay silent for one bite. Just now, just today, free of charge!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± ¡°What? Not liking it? I can also go and tell what you said to Jake. He would definitely reward me with his flesh, kekeke.¡± ¡°Did your lungs just whistle? What the hell is wrong with your body?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m an undead, you know?¡± ¡°Does that make it possible for your lungs to whistle when you laugh?¡± she tilted her head to the side. ¡°It probably does,¡± Cor¡¯s stern reply came. Waving his hand, he urged her to leave, ¡°Haah- just go already, you stupid girl. I won¡¯t tell him, but you shouldn¡¯t play around too much with him. Even when he was training me and it was only the two of us, he had been talking a lot about you and he missed you.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I should say yes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. You know how you feel.¡± ¡°Well, I like him.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Pouting slightly, she turned around, ¡°Fine then! But I can¡¯t do it after this. Maybe if he asks again, I¡¯ll just say that my kiss meant a yes.¡± She quickly covered her mouth, only to realize that she accidentally let her tongue slip. Turning to her left, she looked at Cor from the corner of her eye. ¡°Heh. I like screwing with Jake¡¯s head, but I¡¯ve just found a much better target,¡± his smug face welcomed her. ¡°Ah, whatever. I don¡¯t care anymore. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t kiss him, I¡¯m just a little shy about it,¡± she gave up on the shame she felt. It¡¯s a normal thing to do for other people too, so why should I feel ashamed of it? I¡¯m so childish. I must change! And I happen to have a man who can help me in that. Well, I do want to take it slow¡­ ¡°Thanks,¡± she muttered as she left. Raising a brow, Cor looked at her back before closing his eyes again and focusing back on his training. --- It¡¯s finally silent¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel a bit happy now that they left me alone, Elena thought as she sat down on the side of her bed. Creeping to the window that was above her bed, she looked out of it, towards the mountain Dred was staying at. I wonder what he is doing now. Ah, this bastard has left without saying anything to me about where to find him. He just left a few ¡®pointers.¡¯ I can¡¯t help but think about him. This isn¡¯t a race, huh? Haah- I should do something productive instead of sitting here. *crack* What was that? She stuck out her head through the window, only to see a strange plant with wide opened jaws. It jumped towards her head, but she grabbed its stem and used Fire Magic to burn it to ashes. Fucking shit, you just had to come now too. After closing the window, she turned around and curled up on the bed. She closed her eyes and focused on her own body and mind. The world stopped existing around her, only an eternal darkness welcomed her. Looking around, she saw millions of tiny dark gray cells around her spiritual body, levitating in the darkness. She poked one of the cells and felt a slight stinging in her neck. I shouldn¡¯t poke them, she thought as she started walking. A few minutes later, the eternal darkness turned into a lighter colour, her surroundings had turned dark grey and some white had begun to show up. The black cells were connected with the white ones, which were none other than Ekilsta and the hivemind. Waving her hand, she wiped out every memory from Ekilsta and placed her own consciousness into it. As she imagined a sand-covered beach, with a blue sea and a clear sky, it appeared. Thinking further, she added palm trees on the small island and a sunbed. She laid down on it and closed her eyes, enjoying the warm rays of the sun, even though the hut she had crawled to bed in was cold. ¡°Ah~ this is so much better. It seems like I don¡¯t like it when it¡¯s too cold,¡± she moaned in pleasure. She created a few slits of salted and fried bacon and started chewing on it while pondering about her relationship with Dred. She remembered how they were born together and hunted their first prey together. How they saw their first real opponent, how they met the humans and Audrey. How they fought and shed blood together, how they trained together. But as her memories progressed, she realized something. After Audrey appeared, we talked less, we spent less time together and as we grew up, we talked less and less. Hehe, he couldn¡¯t even talk when he was born yet now he is¡­ This feels so strange. It¡¯s as if decades had passed by since we were born yet we are only one year old. I¡¯m happy to have my friends, but I¡¯m-I¡¯m missing those old days when it was only the two of us too. At first, she imagined her life without Dred and felt like tearing up on the spot, so she stopped and imagined her life with him but in their current state. Where they barely talk, where she is just childishly teasing her friends while living her life. Oh, shit. Even the thought of it feels as empty as the void. Here I was planning ahead, conspiring against humans and stuff, not even realizing that I never really bothered with warming up to Dred and in fact¡­ my friends either. Ugh, I was blinded by my goal and forgot to care about them. I should apologize to Audrey and Jake later. Cor is¡­ he is still new and I have all the time to get to know him. Gulping down the last bit of her bacon, she thought about creating a new one but stood up instead. Why the hell am I still sitting here when I know the answer?! He barely left and I¡¯m already missing his warmth and how I could cuddle him whenever I wanted. She opened her eyes in reality and jumped off of her bed. Leaving through the door, she saw Audrey. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now! Wait for us here!¡± she shouted as she ran off. ¡°Okay!¡± Audrey shouted back, but Elena was nowhere to be seen by then. More than three million kilograms of muscle strength propelled her forward with each step she took. Ignoring the trees and the monsters around her, she just rammed through them as if she was a mad dragon. Reaching the cliff, she jumped off while a tendril shot out of her palm and coiled around a tree on the top. When she got close to the ground, she stopped lengthening it and slowed down her fall. She landed with a loud thud, cracking the ground under her feet, but that much was nothing for her body. The wind whistled in her ears as she ran with incredible speed. *pant* *pant* ¡°Haha. Hahahaha, oh damn it. I forgot to live! I feel so alive now!¡± she shouted at the sky. Seeing the warm light of a fire further away, she sped up and soon a small cabin appeared in her sight. A bright smile formed on her face as she ran towards it, only to fall face first to the ground when reaching a corner of the house. She sprung up from the ground and entered the house, only to find out that it was empty. ¡°Dred!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here¡­¡± a muffled voice came from outside. Opening the door, she realized that she fell because she bumped into him. He was laying on the ground, his arms and legs sprawled out. Looking upwards, he said, ¡°I heard a woman shouting something about being free so I came out to see what was going on when you literally ran into me and knocked me to the ground with your body¡­¡± ¡°Ahahaha, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she laughed at his sorry state, her smile different than usual. ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you have a reply?¡± Dred asked as he hopped onto his feet. ¡°Mhm.¡± Opening the door in front of her, he said ¡°Come in, in that case.¡±
------- Contains 18+ theme -------------- A pleasurable moment in life Kicking the snow off of her legs, she entered the house and looked around. ¡°It looks really cozy.¡± ¡°Thanks. It took a few hours to build it and it probably wouldn¡¯t hold out for many years, but it¡¯s fine for this short time,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°How did you know that it would be a short time?¡± Elena raised a brow. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mean that it would crumble in a year and you can¡¯t possibly make me wait for that long, can you? Haha.¡± ¡°True. Come here, look!¡± her excited voice entered Dred¡¯s ears as she stopped beside the window. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, stopping in front of her. ¡°Isn¡¯t the moon really beautiful?¡± ¡°It indeed is, but¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. Dred, I want to know something. How do you feel about me?¡± Elena asked as she turned towards the window and looked at the snow-covered mountains. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already.¡± ¡°I know, but I want to hear it again. I¡¯ll reply afterwards.¡± The wind whistled and shook the windows every now and then as silence fell over the room. There was a thin layer of condensed water on the lower part of the window. He looked at her flushed face. Looking at the crackling wood in the fireplace, his eyes turned serious as he looked back at Elena. When her eyes met his, he spoke, ¡°I felt lost for a long time now. I¡¯ve always called you important and held you close to my heart, but I never clarified why.¡± ¡°I was the same as you. We were born together and I believed that we should stay together no matter what. You were important to me for no particular reason. But as time passed by, you grew closer and closer to my heart. I realized that our relationship was skin-deep and that fact hurt me because I wanted to be the closest person to you.¡± ¡­ ¡° Haha, maybe I felt obliged. To be honest, even I don¡¯t know why, but that¡¯s how I felt.¡± ¡°Felt? And what about now?¡± she asked in a calm tone, raising a brow. Rubbing his eyes, Dred mumbled,¡°It¡¯s strange how hard it is to say since I don¡¯t know what you are thinking about.¡± Taking a deep breath, he continued as he looked out the window, ¡°It all started when I learned the High-Demon form. Your soul and your body, both of them drew me in. I know that I don¡¯t show much emotion, but I was happy every time you patted me, you caressed me, you hugged me, you stayed close to me.¡± ¡°Before I noticed it, your touch became something I was yearning for.¡± Raising his left hand, he grabbed Elena¡¯s and intertwined his fingers with hers. A smile formed on his face as he looked into her eyes this time, ¡°Even now, it feels so soothing and calming. Your slender white fingers,¡± he said as he raised her hand and gave a kiss on it. ¡°Over time, things have changed. You aren¡¯t somebody I find obliged to keep close to my heart. You aren¡¯t somebody I want to stay with because we are alike or because we were born together. I don¡¯t want to protect you because of that. I want to do all of these now¡­¡± ¡°Because I love you.¡± ... Elena¡¯s face turned flushed when she heard his straightforward reply, while they were eyeing each other. Turning towards the window, ¡°Did you know that if you blew air on the window when the air was cold, water would condense on it?¡± she asked. Easing up while seeing her reaction, Dred laughed at her question, ¡°That¡¯s something even kids know. What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°Well, you can draw on it,¡± she responded, showing a bright smile. Raising her hand, she started drawing on the window with her forefinger. ¡°You are really unfair,¡± Dred mused, seeing her drawing a heart with an initial ¡®E¡¯ and an ¡®x¡¯ letter in it. Raising his hand, he used the remaining space to draw a ¡®D¡¯. Pulling her hand up to her chest, Elena looked at their drawing, while Dred continued to look at her. Grabbing her chin, he made her face him. Leaning closer, he put his forehead against hers. Looking deep into her eyes, feeling her hot breath on his face, he connected his lips with hers. He felt her soft, red lips touching his, which made him happier than anything ever before. Embracing her body, he sucked in a breath of air when their lips separated, their foreheads still touching. Caressing her back, he whispered, ¡°This felt better than anything. A huge stone fell off my heart just now.¡± Chuckling, Elena gave a peck on his lips before saying, ¡°I liked it as well. You know, I had similar feelings when it came to you, but since you spent most of your time in your monster form, I never really thought about you in this way. It changed for me too when you¡¯ve got your new ability. You also started talking more and when I thought about loving somebody else or a life without you, I couldn¡¯t imagine it. I mean, how could I offer my love to anyone but you?¡± ¡°I became more conscious of you since then and my emotions slowly grew alongside yours. I just never realized it since I held you too close. I¡¯m sorry for being too blind. But now you lost your title as my partner or brother or anything of the sort. I now clearly know how to look at you. You are my lover, the rest is history.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Mhm. And I think that I fell for you even more after hearing your confession,¡± she said with a chuckle, giving him another kiss on the lips. Raising his head, Dred rested his chin on the top of her head and looked towards the crackling fire in the fireplace. Separating from him, Elena tugged on his sleeve and pulled him towards the comfy sofa in front of the fireplace. They sat down beside each other and while Elena leaned on his shoulder, they watched the fire for a few seconds in silence. ¡°It¡¯s so comfortable here. If only you hugged me,¡± Elena muttered. Dred coiled his arms around her body and pulled her into his lap. He rubbed his nose against the back of her head as he said, ¡°Your hair has a really nice scent.¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± she asked as she turned his way. ¡°Yes.¡± They eyed each other for a few seconds until... ¡°Love me tonight,¡± Elena whispered before Dred started kissing her. Spreading her lips with his tongue, he pushed forward and entered her mouth. His tongue danced in her mouth and intertwined with hers. Pulling back, both of them opened their eyes and panted heavily. Dred pushed her body on the sofa gently and stayed sitting between her legs while he pulled his forefinger down the line of her curvy body. ¡°Up the hill.¡± ¡°Down the hill.¡± ¡°Through the plain.¡± ¡°There is a lake.¡± his finger stopped above her navel. ¡°And down into the Abyss,¡± seeing Elena¡¯s eyes turning more excited, he pulled his finger downward and raised it up right before reaching her private parts. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t play with me,¡± she chuckled, flicking his forehead. ¡°Ouch, it didn¡¯t hurt,¡± he said with a smile, holding Elena¡¯s face. ¡°I swear that this will be my happiest day ever,¡± he said as he moved his hands and grabbed the bottom of Elena¡¯s armor and pulled it up to her chest. ¡°Oops, this is a bit too thick to stay. Let¡¯s take it off instead,¡± he chuckled, pulling it off her arms.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. His eyes feasted on her body. They ran up on the lines of her navel, reaching her round and handful breasts. Going past, he saw the sexy lines of her neck. Leaning forward, he kissed her neck and felt Elena¡¯s legs pressing against his sides. Knowing that she was enjoying it, he gave another kiss, and another, slowly going up towards her lips, her face, reaching her left ear. Nibbling on the top of it, he stuck out his tongue and licked her earhole. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t do this, it¡¯s weird,¡± she pulled her head to the side, but Dred pressed on and did it again. As his body laid on hers, he felt how her body kept spasming at first, but it slowly subsided. ¡°Argh, your body is so damned hot,¡± he said through gritted teeth. Raising his hand, he grabbed her soft breast and felt her hard nipple poking the center of his palm. Gently biting the top of her ear, he whispered, ¡°What¡¯s over here?¡± As he pinched her right nipple, a shudder ran through her body. ¡°That felt strange but good,¡± she remarked as she embraced Dred. ¡°Your body is making me go crazy. I¡¯m quite sure that my demon body is great for mating since my libido seems to be insatiable,¡± he whispered into her ear and rubbed his forehead on the side of her head to show his intimacy. Panting heavily, he used his right hand to hold the back of Elena¡¯s head, while his left hand reached towards Elena¡¯s lower half and snuck into her panties. He felt her squishy and wet labia and a small protrusion on the top. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked, lacking experience. Her face red, she turned to the side and covered her lips as she said with a muffled voice, ¡°It¡¯s my clitoris.¡± He should have read a few books about these kinds of things back on Kriton¡­ I guess I¡¯m the only one who knows what¡¯s going on here, she thought while feeling Dred poking her clitoris in his curiosity. ¡°Your body has a strong reaction when I¡¯m touching this spot. I guess you are liking it,¡± he muttered as he started tapping his finger on her clit. Seeing that she was enjoying it, he tried a rougher method and pinched it. ¡°Ahn~¡± ¡°Here? It seems like this is an interesting place,¡± he mused. Damn it, I suck it back. He noticed on the first try that it feels good, just from touching it once. His intuitive attention to details will help him too much. Luckily, I¡¯m no different, Elena thought, resting her hands on Dred¡¯s muscular chest. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled herself up to his right ear to whisper into it, ¡°Take this shirt off. I want to see your manly body.¡± Returning the favor from before, she licked his earhole. Dred¡¯s clothes disappeared in the next moment, leaving him stark naked. After kissing him once, Elena looked down and saw his raging boner. ¡°It¡¯s really hard. Isn¡¯t it in pain?¡± she asked as she laid back on the sofa and grabbed his shaft with her right hand. Feeling her slender fingers coiling around his hard penis, an overwhelming excitement ran through Dred¡¯s body, raising his lust to the maximum. Kneeling over her body, he requested, ¡°Could you move your hand? It felt good when you did.¡± A smirk formed on Elena¡¯s face as she started moving her hand back and forth. Panting heavily, Dred closed his eyes, while Elena continued to satisfy him with her hand. Seeing that his precum leaving the tip of his penis, she strengthened her grip and quickened her pace. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s much better now. Haah- I didn¡¯t know that satisfying our lust felt this good, though it might be because the one doing it is the one I love the most,¡± he admitted his feelings once again, making Elena stop in her surprise, right when he was about to cum. ¡°Move your hand a bit more, something was coming!¡± Dred pleaded. ¡°B-But you haven¡¯t done enough for me,¡± she muttered, looking away. ¡°You are too cute,¡± Dred remarked, feeling lost in her beauty. Suppressing his raging lust, he grabbed the seams of Elena¡¯s leggings and panties and pulled them down to her knees. He unconsciously reached forward and circled his hand around her plump and squishy labia. Pulling them apart, he saw her pink colored hole and couldn¡¯t help but gulp loudly, feeling a strange inviting feeling in his lower half. ¡°Haah- is this normal for men? I swear that I¡¯m going crazy. Whenever you reveal a new part of your body, I go crazy over it. Every part of your body just seems so inviting!¡± he grumbled, gripping his penis. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not a man. I¡¯m your lover,¡± she replied with a smile, pulling her finger down the line of Dred¡¯s muscular chest. Biting on her own finger, she mused, ¡°You know, I too have such feelings when I look at you~¡± His breath shaking, Dred leaned forward and pushed his face into her crotch. ¡°Haah- this scent, this squishy feeling, your soft body, I want it all to myself,¡± he murmured as he stuck out his tongue and licked her private parts. ¡°Y-You aren¡¯t supposed to lick it,¡± Elena yelped as she put her hand on his forehead and tried to push him away while feeling the wet and rough surface of his tongue on her private parts. ¡°Am I not? But your scent is the most powerful here and your body seemed to like my tongue,¡± Dred remarked, sniffing deeply into her hole. ¡°Haha, it tickles. Stop it,¡± Elena chuckled, pushing his head away. Having a go at it for the second time, he licked her clitoris this time, followed by a gentle bite. ¡°Ahn! Haa~ this is¡­ good,¡± she moaned, feeling pleasure this time. Dred didn¡¯t stop after seeing that his movements bore fruits, and licked Elena¡¯s clitoris, sometimes biting it. She shut her legs, locking his head in place. Placing her hand on the top of Dred¡¯s head, she pulled him towards her pussy this time and started moving her hips up and down unconsciously. ¡°Ahn~ Haah~ this is¡­ really good,¡± she moaned, her eyes closed. ¡°Yhoul female olgan is so wet, I¡¯m going to dlown,¡± Dred spoke, his tongue still in Elena¡¯s private places. ¡°Ahn~ Don¡¯t talk while licking me,¡± she complained, feeling something building up in her body. Biting her fingers, she held back her voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to cum. Don¡¯t you dare to stop!¡± she warned him. ¡°Anything for you,¡± he mused, getting the hang of his ¡®game¡¯. He felt Elena¡¯s legs tremble and shut around his head. ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming,¡± Elena moaned, her head turning from left to right. She clenched her fists as she felt a strong hotness rush out of her clitoris, through her lower half. ¡°Ahhh- Damn it,¡± this is just so good! I¡¯m loving this!¡± she shouted, slowly releasing Dred¡¯s head. He sat up and wiped off Elena¡¯s liquids from his face. ¡°What is this? Argh, this powerful scent. This is making me go crazy.¡± ¡°That just shows that you did something good to me,¡± Elena replied with a smile, panting heavily. ¡°Haha, this was crazy good. But there is something much better,¡± she said with a smirk, pulling her labia to the side, showing her insides to Dred once again. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± he asked, seeing that her body language was a little strange. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t hide anything from me. I want to know everything about you,¡± Dred pressed on. ¡°Well, you know, it is supposed to hurt since it will be my first time, so I¡¯m a little worried. But that¡¯s all. Just be gentle with me,¡± she admitted. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll definitely make it as pleasurable as I can for your sake,¡± he replied, his eyes serious. A loving smile formed on Elena¡¯s face as she put her hand on his face, ¡°I really thank you for your consideration, but it¡¯s no good if you won¡¯t enjoy yourself. Come on already or I''ll close my legs!¡± Nodding his head, Dred crept closer and stopped only when Elena¡¯s thighs didn¡¯t let him go any closer. Elena spread her legs into splits. ¡°For some reason, this pose raises my lust for your body,¡± Dred whispered. Elena didn¡¯t say anything and just kept looking at his raging boner. Thanks to his foreplay, Dred knew where to find her hole. Placing the tip of his penis into her vagina, a shudder ran through his body as he felt her hot and slimy insides. ¡°This- This is just heavenly. Haah, can I move forward?¡± he asked, panting heavily. ¡°Mhm,¡± Elena nodded her head, experiencing a new feeling in her hole. Dred¡¯s penis slowly advanced forward in her pussy until reaching her hymen. Not minding it, he ignorantly moved ahead and tore it. Seeing Elena¡¯s sudden reaction, and her tightening pussy, he realized that he found the source of virgins¡¯ pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Are you alright?¡± Dred asked concerned. Clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, Elena nodded her head. ¡°Mhm. It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t feel too much pain and it¡¯s already subsiding. Don¡¯t forget how our bodies are built up, hehe. I¡¯m rather surprised to see that you are so gentle in the bed,¡± she mused, visibly in a better mood. ¡°Well, your vagina feels amazing and if not for my great self-control, I¡¯d try to move inside you as much and as quickly as possible. Your slimy, wet hole is just amazing. This will definitely-¡± ¡°Shut up already and don¡¯t describe my pussy to me¡­¡± Elena rebuked him. ¡°You can move slowly. This amount of pain is nothing.¡± Feeling happy to hear her words, Dred pulled back his penis and then went in in one fell swoop. ¡°AHN~ Gentle, damn it! I¡¯ll heal quickly, but hold on for a few more seconds before going wild,¡± she hissed, feeling a sudden pain. Looking down, Dred saw his penis, which had some blood on it. Knowing that it was because of his earlier penetration, he ignored it and grabbed Elena¡¯s left side with his left hand and her right thigh with his right hand. Looking into Elena¡¯s eyes, he started moving in and out of her, often slipping out. ¡°Don¡¯t make big movements. Small and steady. Focus on the good spots instead,¡± Elena advised as she put her hand on Dred¡¯s belly, ready to hold him back in case he went crazy too soon. Nodding his head, Dred took her advice and tried thrusting at different spots to see her reactions. Slowly figuring out, he continued to move slowly, easing up Elena and causing her pleasure at the same time. ¡°Ahn~ this is starting to feel really good,¡± she whispered into his ear as she sat up, her pussy tightening around Dred¡¯s penis as a result. Sucking in a breath of air, he stopped moving for a moment. ¡°Haah- this is amazing. I didn¡¯t know that you can grip my penis even harder!¡± he exclaimed, slightly embarrassing Elena. Coiling his arms around her back, he kissed her on the lips. *Chu* *Chu~* *Squelch* Their lips and rolling, wet tongues gave out squelching sounds. He brushed his hand through her silky black hair and held the back of her head. He was surprised to feel Elena¡¯s hips moving rhythmically, following his movements. ¡°Ahn~ A bit to the right, it¡¯s really good there,¡± Elena whispered with an erotic voice. Feeling Dred clenching his fists behind her back, she realized that he was holding back all this time and on the top of that, she was the only one that came. Feeling slightly bad for him, she whispered, ¡°Move as you wish. Don¡¯t hold back, okay?¡± She kissed his forehead when Dred¡¯s body stopped for a moment with a twitch. Grabbing her shoulders, he pushed her down on the sofa and leaned forward to lick her nipples and play with her soft breasts. At the same time, he picked up his pace and started to pound her pussy. ¡°Mh~ Actually, this is quite good. Ahn~¡± ¡°Elena, your pussy feels great,¡± Panting heavily, Dred increased his speed, making Elena feel even better. ¡°Haah- ahn~ I¡¯m liking this, don¡¯t stop,¡± she moaned through gritted teeth, her hands gripping Dred¡¯s arms. Dred¡¯s hard penis moved back and forth inside Elena¡¯s wet pussy, which gave out squelching sounds. ¡°Elena, that feeling is coming back, but can I try something different?¡± he asked, wishing to turn Elena¡¯s first time into a nice memory. ¡°You can do anything,¡± she whispered into his ear in a seductive tone, almost making him cum on the spot. Holding back his lust by sheer control, he pulled out his penis. ¡°That was dangerous,¡± he said with a white face. Grabbing Elena¡¯s waist, he made her turn around, her pussy facing the fireplace, her chest resting on the backrest of the sofa. ¡°Spread your legs,¡± he said, his voice more commanding than what he wanted. But unlike he thought, Elena seemed to like it a bit, which he was happy to see. ¡°Now pull your labia to the side,¡± he said with a clear tone of excitement. Elena followed his instructions, finding obliged to satisfy her lover¡¯s wishes after he gave so much to her. Her skin glistened in the orange coloured fire, mesmerizing Dred. ¡°You are simply beautiful,¡± he said as he brushed Elena¡¯s black hair to the side. Seeing her nape, a strong excitement rushed through his body once again. ¡°I¡¯ll put it in,¡± he warned Elena right before doing as said. Shudders ran through his back as he once again felt her squishy folds, which coiled tightly around his penis. He leaned forward, onto Elena¡¯s back and used his left hand to pinch Elena¡¯s clitoris and his right hand to grab her breasts. ¡°AHH! You love my breasts, don¡¯t you?¡± she moaned, turning completely mute in the next moment. Dred started moving inside her without any reservation, pinching her clitoris and nipples at the same time. Combined with the new pose, both of them felt overly excited. ¡°Ah~ It¡¯s sho good~¡± Elena moaned loudly before covering her lips with her hands. Using his size to his advantage, Dred leaned slightly further ahead and kissed Elena to seal her lips. ¡°Dred, I¡¯m going to cum. I¡¯ll cum, but I swear that you can do anything to me as a reward, okay?¡± Elena begged, her pussy so wet that her liquids were flowing down on her legs. Seeing such a sight, Dred slapped her round ass before grabbing them. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°T-Thank you. I know that the timing might not be the best, haah- but I-I wanted to say it aloud like you. I love you, I really do. I wouldn¡¯t let you do this otherwise!¡± she said through gritted teeth, panting heavily. Thanks to her words, Dred¡¯s libido only increased and his penis turned even harder. Embracing her body from behind, he increased his speed. Elena¡¯s knees slipped off of the sofa¡¯s edge, so she had to stand. Not minding it even in the slightest, Dred continued to pound her pussy. Turning her head, she puffed out her lips, waiting for a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m going to cum if this goes on. I¡¯m really close,¡± Dred growled as he bit Elena¡¯s lower lips in a gentle way. Grabbing her arms, he pulled her up and made her stand up straight. As they turned around, the orange light of the fire irradiated Elena¡¯s sweaty chest. Feeling Dred¡¯s trembling penis inside her, Elena tried to control her folds and squeeze him. He grumbled as he felt an increased pressure on his hard penis. ¡°I love you, Elena, I want you to be with me. Please don¡¯t ever leave me,¡± he whispered into her ear as he pulled up his hands from her clitoris and coiled his arms around her belly. Hearing his words, Elena tightened up even more. ¡°Haah- It feels great. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to leave you, no matter what. I want to be with my dear lover,¡± she gasped, sending Dred straight to the heaven. Pushing his penis as deep into Elena as he could, he emptied his balls in one go. ¡°It¡¯s flowing into me, I can feel Ahn~ it,¡± Elena moaned as she came a little for the third time. Dred pulled out his penis and sat down on the sofa, pulling Elena with him, their shoulders touching. Leaning on his right shoulder, Elena heaved out a sigh of relief, ¡°I¡¯m really happy now. I¡¯ll definitely remember this day all my life.¡± Embracing her shoulder, Dred asked, ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll remember every day I¡¯ll spend with you!¡± ¡°Haha, this isn¡¯t a race.¡± ¡°Stealing my words?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°I know, but I really want to,¡± he replied as he kissed her forehead and brushed her black hair to the side. He felt Elena¡¯s left hand caressing his scale covered thigh, which filled his lower half with a strange feeling. He felt a pulsing feeling in both his penis and his horns, though ignored both of them. Upon looking at Elena¡¯s red labia, he couldn¡¯t help but gulp loudly. ¡°You can touch it,¡± she whispered into his ear, making him shudder. ¡°Are you trying to seduce me? My penis has strange reactions when you say these kinds of things,¡± he questioned, his hand still moving towards her clitoris. ¡°Ahn~ be more gentle with my clit, you have been playing with it all this time,¡± she moaned, amazing Dred. ¡°Women can still go on, even after this much?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about others, but I can,¡± Elena said before kissing him, her tongue intertwining with his. *Chu* *Chu* ¡°Haah- you are making me excited again,¡± Dred whispered, feeling his penis standing tall once again. ¡°It might be for the best that you have a demon form. Their libido is said to be great, after all,¡± Elena remarked, touching his erect penis with her left hand. ¡°Can I¡­ Can I try one more pose? I had an urge to-¡± ¡°Sure, you can do it,¡± Elena replied with a smile, leaving her body in his care. ¡°Then lay down on the sofa, on your front,¡± Dred said, visibly excited to see more of Elena. His eyes stopped on her nape for a few seconds before slowly going down on her sexy back, until reaching her round buttocks. Reaching out, he couldn¡¯t help but grab the right one and squeeze it. ¡°Ahn~ It¡¯s not jelly, be more gentle with me,¡± Elena yelped, finding his grip a bit too strong. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Dred apologized as he kneeled over her body, his left hand beside her waist, his right hand holding his penis. After placing it at the entrance of her sopping wet vagina, he moved forward slowly and closed his eyes to feel each of her folds, that slimy, juicy, squishy, and hot feeling inside her pussy. Elena closed her eyes as well and bit into the cushions to hold back her voice. ¡°For the Ancestor¡¯s sake, this sight will make me go crazy,¡± Dred said with a crazed voice, wiping his forehead. Leaning forward, he put his hands on Elena¡¯s and rested his body on Elena¡¯s back. Kissing her nape from behind, he started moving in and out of her. ¡°Ahh- haah- it¡¯s even better than before,¡± she moaned, her senses heightened thanks to her closed eyes. She felt his rough yet soft lips touching her neck, her nape, her bare shoulders. Holding her hand, Dred increased his pace by a notch, still focusing on her sensitive spots. ¡°Mh~ Haah-¡± Hearing her continuous moaning, he was filled with a feeling of conquest and domination. Sitting up, he grabbed her buttocks and squeezed them, only to notice that his penis was covered in a thick, white creamy texture. ¡°What is this?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask, looking at Elena¡¯s red face and hazy eyes. Turning her head towards the sofa to hide her face, she said with a muffled voice, ¡°It¡¯s a sign of the level of my pleasure. It means that you are making me feel very good.¡± ¡°It has such a strong scent and your insides are so slimy. I can¡¯t imagine anyone but you, haah-¡± he said through gritted teeth, feeling Elena¡¯s pussy tighten up. The sofa started creaking under them, thanks to his rhythmical movements. ¡°Please, let me see your face,¡± he pleaded, kissing Elena¡¯s back once again. ¡°Mhm-¡± she mumbled, turning her head to the side, showing her erotic face once again. ¡°You are the most beautiful, after all,¡± Dred remarked, kissing her lips. Elena stuck out her tongue and started to deep kiss with Dred. In the meantime, they slowly turned to their sides. Dred¡¯s right arm was below her right side, so he moved his hand towards her breasts and started to play with her nipples, while his left hand reached towards her clitoris and he started to pleasure her further. Raising his left hand, he saw a line of liquid connected to it and he noticed that his whole crotch was wet and slimy. ¡°You are a sopping mess, Elena,¡± he whispered into her ear, pinching her clitoris. ¡°Ahn! I- I know¡­ but it feels so good. I didn¡¯t think that my first time would be so pleasurable. I¡¯ll definitely thank you somehow in the future,¡± she replied, sucking in a breath of air. ¡°I¡¯m going to cum again,¡± Dred grumbled, finding too much pleasure in his lover. ¡°I don¡¯t think that any guy could hold on while fucking this kind of pussy. Oh, god~¡± ¡°Mh~ Don¡¯t be stupid and talk about those kinds of things,¡± Elena muttered between her moans. Pulling up both of his hands, he embraced her body. Elena put her hands over his and shut her legs reflexively when she came. ¡°Ah-! Haaah- this was amazing,¡± she moaned as her back arched and her muscles stiffened up. Ignoring all of these, Dred continued to move. His crotch continuously hit Elena¡¯s buttocks to go as deep into her pussy as possible. It didn¡¯t take long for him to cum again. She felt her pussy being filled up for the second time, making her pussy even more of a mess than it was. He let his penis deep inside her for a few more seconds. Feeling that nothing was coming out anymore, he pulled out his penis. A bit of his white sperm flowed out of her pussy, thanks to being overfilled. ¡°Haah- you come insane amounts. It¡¯s good that my race can¡¯t have children without special materials or I¡¯d definitely get pregnant after this,¡± Elena commented, seeing his white sperm flowing down on her right thigh. Moving her hand, she used her forefinger to wipe it off. Pulling up her hand, she sniffed it and put it into her mouth. ¡°Geh, I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s good, but it doesn¡¯t have a bad taste either,¡± she said, not noticing Dred¡¯s strong reaction. If not for coming a moment ago, he would have definitely got overexcited. Not saying anything, he continued to look at her. Elena stood up from the sofa and picked up a handkerchief from the table. Sitting on the armrest of the sofa, she spread her legs, showing everything to Dred, and started wiping her legs and her crotch. The sides of Dred¡¯s mouth started twitching as an animalistic instinct started to take over his lower half. Still looking down, Elena asked, ¡°We should go to sleep now, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± But as she looked up, she saw Dred¡¯s raging penis and the lustful look in his eyes. ¡°Shit¡­ could it be that I underestimated the demon race?¡± she asked with an awkward face, her hands frozen in place. His hands slightly trembling, Dred replied, ¡°That might be, but I didn¡¯t know about this side either!¡± Standing up, he walked closer to Elena and grabbed her chin, making her face him. He gave a long and deep kiss to her while positioning his penis and sticking in only the tip. When they separated, ¡°M-Maybe we should rest a bit¡­¡± Elena said, looking sideways with a panicked face, finding her lower half a bit tired. ¡°That¡¯s what you are saying, but your lower half is telling me different things. Let¡¯s turn our first time into a memorable night, okay?¡± he asked, pushing his penis as deep into her as he could. ¡°Ahn~¡± she moaned, but quickly covered her mouth, her face red. ¡°N-No¡­¡± Although she was facing the other way, she felt Dred¡¯s burning gaze on her skin. She looked at him from the corners of her eyes as she sighed loudly, ¡°Haah- fine. But you will explain to the others why I won¡¯t be able to walk.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility,¡± he whispered, kissing her forehead. He coiled his arms around her back and sprung into action. They spent the rest of the night pleasuring each other¡­ -------------------------------
*chirp* *chirp* *chirp* ¡°Mhm, this feels so good,¡± Elena muttered in Dred¡¯s arms, feeling the warmth of his body under the blanket. ¡°I agree with you,¡± he whispered into her ear in a deep voice. ¡°It¡¯s ticklish¡­ and I don¡¯t want to wake up.¡± ¡°Well, my dear Elena, do we have anything to do which must be done quickly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Then why would we wake up? We can take it easy once in a while, don¡¯t you think?¡± he asked, giving a kiss on the top of Elena¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m loving you sooooo much!¡± he suddenly shouted and hugged her body tightly. ¡°Ah~ you startled me for a moment. Huh? What is this under my knee?¡± she asked, feeling something hard. ¡°...¡± ¡°Eh, ah¡­ uhm, I¡¯m sorry?¡± she stuttered with a red face, remembering last night. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. You weren¡¯t kneeling on it, you were just touching it.¡± ¡°Is this what humans called morning wood on Kriton?¡± Elena raised a brow. ¡°If there was that kind of saying, then yes.¡± ¡°Oh. Good to know¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it awkward. It isn¡¯t,¡± Dred chuckled upon seeing her face redden. ¡°Sheesh, it¡¯s your fault for pulling me so close to your chest.¡± ¡°I never complained,¡± he pointed out. ¡°True¡­¡± Since their blanket raised for a moment, the smell of their sexual activities hit Dred¡¯s nose and made him remember. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± was all he said before ¡®assaulting¡¯ Elena. --- ¡°Haah- it¡¯s not like one more mattered, but now we should take a shower or something,¡± Elena said. Raising the blanket, Dred unravelled everything and stood up from the bed. Holding out his hand, he waited for Elena to take it and helped her up. Since he didn¡¯t think that they would use this house ever again, Dred quickly made a pool in the middle of the one-room house and a good twenty minutes later, they were set to go back. Wearing her gloves, Elena asked, ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Before they could leave the house, a window appeared in front of them.
Name: Elena Name: Dred
Allegiance: Dred Allegiance: Elena
New Skill Acquired: Allegiance.
An allegiance had been made between the two of you. Congratulations on becoming a couple. You will passively have increased stat points while being in a good relationship. The level of this skill can increase or decrease and it increases your stats by one to five percent overall.
¡°Huh? For real?¡± Dred muttered with a surprised face. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there was this kind of thing either,¡± Elena shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Let me see¡­ Status.¡±
Name: Elena Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 366 EXP: 125 853 / 878 300
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devourer
(1) Health: 1 850.24 / 1 850.24 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker, Bane of Minds
Strength: 3 691 439 Vitality: 3 700 488
Agility: 3 700 984 Will: 94
Intelligence: 3 722 573 Wisdom: 3 741 774
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.80 (91%); Water Lv.82 (75%); Wind Lv.82 (83%); Lightning Lv.72 (11%); Nature Lv.83 (32%); Earth Lv.88 (34%); Light Lv.68 (88%); Dark Lv.92 (45%); Cosmological Constant: Lv.60 (54%) Void Lv. 24 (35%); Eon Lv. 63 (46%) Resistances: Magical: 3 741 774 Physical: 1 845 719.5 Passive: (1) Stamina: 1 850.24 (1) Precision: 1 850.49
Skills/Spells: Mana Control Lv.73 (43%) Sense Lv. 87 (36%) Stealth: Lv. 79 (44%) Necromancy Lv. 72 (49%) Gravity Lv. 42 (45%) Hive Mind Lv. 1 (11%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 69 (42%) (+Active Skill) Passive Skills: Ambush Lv.55 (44%) Demon Lv. 16 (43%) Shadow Bacteria Lv. 68 (65%) Allegiance Lv.100 (5% Bonus)
¡°Huh? What are those low numbers with a one before the stat type?¡± she asked with a surprised face. ¡°Hmm- You should have around eighteen million there, so if you divide it by ten thousand¡­ It must be a way for the system to shorten the numbers. It means division, it seems,¡± Dred quickly realized what it meant. ¡°Considering that the rest of my stats are still in their long form, I think that it appears if a stat point goes over ten million,¡± Elena pondered. ¡°That might be the case. And it seems we¡¯ve got the maximum bonus stat from allegiance.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we are fresh lovers. I think that it¡¯s supposed to be harder to keep than to reach this once.¡± ¡°Well, call me naive, but I don¡¯t think that we will have that kind of problem,¡± Dred said with a grin and then kissed Elena. ¡°Mhm~ I hope so.¡± Feeling all happy, they went back to their friends. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 25.1 - Fixing Things Fixing Things ¡°Okay!¡± Audrey shouted after Elena as she ran off. That was strange, she thought while entering the house. Laying down on the bed, she closed her eyes and curled up into a ball. Looking at the floor in front of her, a rock broke through it and protruded out of the ground. She carved a hole into it with her eyes and her Mana. She quickly made a fire elemental and told it to stay inside that pan-like hole in the rock and create a simple fire beside the bed. She soon felt her body warm up and it took only a few seconds before she fell asleep. Jake came in running not long after, hoping to find out what her kiss exactly meant, but all he found was Audrey sleeping on the bed. ¡°Great¡­¡± he muttered, feeling dissatisfied yet happy at the same time. At least, we have made some progress. What if...? Having a sudden idea, he sat down on the bed above Audrey and after slowly inching closer to her, he put her head on his lap. Pulling her silky red hair to the side, he looked at her pretty face and started caressing her head with a smile on his face. Resting his back on the wall, he closed his eyes. It¡¯s so peaceful like this. Uh- I¡¯m happy to see Elena and Dred too, but being together 24/7 for a year has taken its toll on me. Now I¡¯m really happy to see that it¡¯s just the two of us. Geh, if only she was awake and she was my girlfriend by now¡­ But I shouldn¡¯t push her. Looking one last time at her face, he thought, I¡¯ll wait for you, my love. Closing his eyes, his hand slowly stopped moving as he fell asleep. Feeling as if somebody was looking at him, he opened his eyes and was met with Elena¡¯s face. Looking around, he realized that it was already morning. ¡°Huh? How come I slept for so long?¡± Standing up straight, Elena replied, ¡°You must have been tired. I mean, it¡¯s already past noon. Don¡¯t jump,¡± she pointed towards Audrey who was still sleeping. ¡°I know. Where is Dred?¡± ¡°He went to get Cor and will be back in a moment. Have you had anything for breakfast yet? Though I can guess the answer.¡± ¡°Haha, no.¡± ¡°Then you surely don¡¯t mind eating this,¡± she smiled back, pulling out a dead small animal from behind her back. ¡°It has a lot of meat and Dred said that it had a very good taste, so-¡± ¡°What¡¯s up? You seem to be in a very good mood,¡± Jake raised his brows. ¡°Eh~ I can¡¯t deny that,¡± she smiled back as she turned around and started cooking on Audrey¡¯s fire. When the fragrance of the roasted meat started spreading in the room, Audrey opened her eyes with her stomach growling. Realizing her position, she was surprised, but didn¡¯t say anything and just sat up thinking. Did something happen? No¡­ I just came back and fell asleep. Did he put my head on his lap? ¡°Good morning,¡± Jake said. ¡°Mhm. You too.¡± What now? This time not only him but I too am lost at where we stand, she looked at him from the corner of her eye. ¡°Breakfast¡­ Rather, lunch is ready,¡± Elena interrupted their strange silence and at the same time, Dred and Cor entered the house, turning it a bit crowded. ¡°Perfect! But where is my food?¡± Cor questioned her, not seeing a single heart or brain in Elena¡¯s hands. ¡°Go hunt for yourself, damn it. I just cooked for the others since we eat the same things. I won¡¯t eat a mangled corpse, like you,¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°Then why the hell did you even call me here for?!¡± ¡°Eh? Well, just to tell you that we are back?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not, but fine! It¡¯s not like I actually have to eat. My food is Mana anyway,¡± Cor shrugged his shoulders and after leaving the house, he sat down on the ground. Coughing in her hands, Elena continued, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± She used Nature Magic to create a table in the middle of the room, with four chairs surrounding it. As they started eating, the room turned strangely silent and awkward as only the clangs of their plates and cutlery could be heard. Dred quickly finished and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like this silence.¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing that nobody said even a single word, he continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to make this even more awkward. What happened while we were off?¡± Raising her head, Audrey replied, ¡°Nothing much. But I could ask the same?¡± she raised a brow. ¡°Hmm- I laid down with Elena and now we are a couple,¡± Dred replied with a serious voice. Both of the girls choked on their food on the spot, while Jake got off with a smaller cough. ¡°Dred. You aren¡¯t supposed to say it so bluntly,¡± Elena shook her head. ¡°Is that so? I just said the truth. It¡¯s easier than beating around the bush, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Hahaha, it is.¡± ¡°Though, I hope that you won¡¯t go around telling it to everyone in this manner,¡± a shudder ran through her back as she imagined. ¡°...I¡¯m not an idiot. I won¡¯t go around the city and stop everyone to tell them that I had sex with you. I just said it this time because it was quicker.¡± ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s how it is,¡± she shrugged her shoulders as she looked into Audrey¡¯s eyes.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°When you are that blunt about it, I can¡¯t help but accept it and ignore it for some reason¡­¡± Audrey replied with a shrug. ¡°See? Being straight is much better,¡± Dred said proudly. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ve got it already. But there is a small problem,¡± Elena raised a finger before continuing. ¡°Atelon¡¯s description matched with the Emperor of the Sliton Empire. Shin, was he? This means that he knew at least as much as we did about the kingdom of Atelon, if not more. Now he is roaming the world freely, just like Atelon. Atelon doesn¡¯t know about us, probably. But whether Shin plans to conspire against us or not is unknown.¡± Raising another finger, she added ¡°Secondly, I had realized in the battle that our teamwork is rather poor. Not the three of us, but with Audrey. So instead of randomly attacking, we should come up with strategies and formations, which would allow her to freely help us out anytime. Since in most cases, we were the ones blocking her.¡± ¡°Thirdly, where do we go now?¡± she raised a third finger. ¡°Do you not want to even meet with Bethor and Hector? I don¡¯t think that their alliance would go smoothly if you weren¡¯t there,¡± Jake pointed out. ¡°Well, we will have to help them out, but once we are done, we should go somewhere. Unless you want to live here?¡± she tilted her head to the side. ¡°Hell, no,¡± Audrey was the first to disagree. ¡°I want to explore the world, not sit in one place.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to either. I just asked,¡± Jake added. After pondering for a few seconds, Dred said ¡°Hmm- As we know, there are many kingdoms on this planet, which is much bigger than Dink. The kingdoms have a ranking number, which shows their military strength and we are at the outermost area, in a kingdom with the lowest number, one. The planet has very different Mana density at each place and the closer we get to the level ten kingdoms or empires, the higher the density will be.¡± ¡°So basically, you have to fight if you want to reach greater heights since normal humans probably wouldn¡¯t be able to train enough and become truly powerful in these areas. For Bethor and Atelon to go beyond the four hundredth level is a miracle in itself. And honestly, even in the battle, we saw many ¡®geniuses¡¯ who couldn¡¯t even use all of the elements. They were like commoners¡­¡± ¡°While at the better places, I¡¯m quite sure that it¡¯s common at their level to know every element to some degree.¡± ¡°Yeah, but at least a few of them had their own spells,¡± Audrey chimed in. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that. I think that it was the legacy of their families in most cases,¡± Elena said. ¡°Hmm, that could be true,¡± Audrey said with a thoughtful face. Clearing his throat to catch their attention, Dred continued, ¡°So my conclusion is that we have two choices. We go through the level one kingdoms and clean them from the kind of people like Atelon or we go towards the level ten empires. The latter will be obviously harder but more rewarding in the long run. Also, what do you plan to do with this kingdom?¡± he asked, turning towards Elena. ¡°Well, although the king was a trash, along with many of those young assholes, and this city too was conspiring and rebelling, but they did it to make everything better. Supposedly, now the pros outweigh the cons, which means that I¡¯ll leave them be. Unless¡­ they fuck up in the time frame I¡¯m still here. If they do, I¡¯ll devour all of them,¡± Elena replied with a serious voice. ¡°By the way, Audrey. Since you are in the back and you have a full view on the battlefield most of the time, it should be you who plans and creates formations,¡± Elena added, brushing her hand through her black hair. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. I¡¯ll think about it and share them with you tomorrow. We can test it on weaker people, who are too prideful and pick a fight with us,¡± Audrey nodded her head. ¡°Great. Now then, I¡¯ll go the city. Whether you come or stay here is up to you,¡± Elena stood up from the table. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in politics and you will be the only one talking anyway. Dred will surely go with you too, so I¡¯m staying here,¡± Audrey reasoned. ¡°I¡¯m not going either,¡± Jake and Cor said almost at the same time, though Cor¡¯s sudden appearance behind Audrey startled her. ¡°God damn it. Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that,¡± Audrey cursed out loud. ¡°Keke, but you are always fun to tease, right? Jake.¡± Averting his eyes, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You seem to be better at controlling yourself,¡± Cor muttered while looking back and forth between Audrey and Jake. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just like I did, other people were underestimating their own bodies too. I suddenly turned young and you can tell me that I¡¯m just looking for excuses, but our bodies have very strong effects when it comes to our personalities. Unlike when I was past forty, I suddenly had that strong sexual desire again. My body was young and fit with no aching spots. I was kind of lost and didn¡¯t know how to handle that change, especially when my love for Audrey came to be. But I think that I¡¯m better at it now since I have time to practise,¡± Jake replied with a smile on his face. ¡°It¡¯s partly thanks to her indecisiveness too¡­¡± he added with a sigh, while Audrey just sat on her chair silently, afraid to even look his way while everyone was still there. ¡°Ah, I have to go now. See you later,¡± Elena quickly left the house. ¡°I¡¯m going with her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and train and won¡¯t be back for a few hours. See you later,¡± Cor was the last to leave. ¡°Eh?¡± Audrey¡¯s surprised voice resounded in the empty house. ¡°Hahaha, I didn¡¯t know that our friends were so considerate. So? Since we are alone, you might as well tell me what your kiss meant,¡± Jake said as he elbowed on the table and turned his head towards Audrey. ¡°...You are using Dred¡¯s method, aren¡¯t you? Being so blunt.¡± ¡°Well? It seems to be working,¡± he smiled back. ¡°Haah- I¡¯m being cornered. It¡¯s just hard to talk about for me. I don¡¯t know what is considered normal in these situations,¡± she sighed loudly, clenching her fists. ¡°Does it really matter what is the norm among humans? We aren¡¯t humans anymore. Just do it your way.¡± ¡°Fine. I kind of believed that if I became your girlfriend, I¡¯d have to get in bed with you instantly, which I was afraid of. But thanks to Cor, I realized that being your girlfriend has nothing to do with that. Or at least, not in the first few days. So take my kiss as a yes. I¡¯m just hoping that you don¡¯t mind if you have to wait some more until I feel that I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Great! By the way, it¡¯s not something you have to be ready for. It¡¯s something that you are supposed to want because you like me. I¡¯ve got by up till now too, so waiting some more doesn¡¯t really matter. I won¡¯t do anything like that to you unless I see that you want it,¡± he replied, his mood visibly much better. ¡°Mhm, thanks. Uhm, what do you plan to do now?¡± ¡°Hug you,¡± he said as he leaned closer to her and coiled his arms around her back. Switching to a gentle tone, he whispered, ¡°I know that you had bad things happening to you in the past and that you feel uncomfortable around men, but we have been together every day ever since I became Elena¡¯s blood servant. Don¡¯t tell me that you are still uncomfortable around me.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then. Can I¡­ kiss you?¡± Turning away, she thought about it for a moment before turning back and nodding her head. Jake slowly inched closer and savoured her rosy lips. They separated a good thirty seconds later and opened their eyes. ¡°That felt good,¡± Audrey muttered. Jake let go of her and stood up from his seat. ¡°Shall we train now? I feel super energetic!¡± ¡°Haha, alright,¡± Audrey replied with a chuckle. His arms were so warm and gentle. This whole relationship might be better than I thought. Oh well, at least, I know that I¡¯m fine with a kiss here and there. I wonder how the rest of it felt¡­ Ah! What am I thinking?! ¡°Audrey? Why are you spacing out?¡± ¡°Ah- hahaha, I was just thinking about a spell, but now you messed it up for me!¡± Looking at her face sceptically, he said, ¡°Sure, I did¡­ Women and their secrets¡­¡± ¡°I- I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± ¡°Haah- whatever. Come with me,¡± he said with a smile. Taking his hand, he led Audrey to the bed. They sat down on it, back to back. Closing their eyes, feeling each other¡¯s warmth, they started meditating. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 25.2 - Fixing Things As Elena and Dred got closer to the city, they saw huge pieces of the city wall on the ground, a few of them reaching a length of ten meters if not more. The interior didn¡¯t look any better as there were very few buildings which were still standing and even less that had taken no damage. ¡°It seems like they¡¯ve had their rest-time,¡± Elena said, seeing many people walking around in the city, cleaning up the debris. ¡°Mhm. But it¡¯s no wonder. We took our sweet time before returning,¡± Dred replied. The appearance of a huge black panther drew everyone¡¯s attention, but most of the people knew they helped in the battle and after a few seconds, they turned back to doing their own job. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be too happy,¡± Dred remarked. ¡°Mhm. But that was to be expected after a war. They probably lost their friends or family members. I see only a few people smile, who were probably luckier than most.¡± ¡°I think so, but we could have died too, you know?¡± ¡°I know, Dred. But I¡¯m not afraid of death. Hahaha, while I¡¯m at killing ¡®bad¡¯ people, I should start with myself. But I am a selfish and arrogant woman-¡± ¡°Oh, god. Elena, you are talking too much sometimes. Don¡¯t tell me things I already know about you. Tell me about the things I don¡¯t know. Of course, if you feel like it, I¡¯ll be always there to listen to your concerns and troubles.¡± He felt her lean over his back and give a small kiss on the top of his head. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Nothing, yet everything. Find out if you want to know,¡± she stuck out her tongue. ¡°You are so clever anyway.¡± ¡°...That sounded rather sarcastic.¡± ¡°It was.¡± ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with me? I can bite you, even if we are a couple now.¡± ¡°Haha, I was just kidding. But no, I don¡¯t need that kind of bite. Not anymore¡­¡± she mumbled her last words. They soon reached the library, which was still in one piece, except for Atelon¡¯s statue, which was beheaded and some kids used magic to carve stupid drawings in it. Going further, they found Sally, who was moving around large pieces of rocks with her monstrous strength. Seeing her serious face, Elena tried to lighten her mood with some playfulness. ¡°Hey, Freckles! What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that she would be happy after hearing her new nickname,¡± Dred remarked in a low voice. Throwing the rock on the top of the pile, Sally looked their way and furrowed her brows. A smirk formed on her face as she shouted back, ¡°If it isn¡¯t the baby princess?¡± ¡°See? She got my point,¡± Elena¡¯s voice resounded in Dred¡¯s mind directly. ¡°This new spell will be really useful.¡± ¡°You think so? Your points are usually better in a solo fight, while my abilities are good for our whole group,¡± Elena said through her spell proudly. ¡°But at least we have a damned good sneaky panther, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± his neutral voice returned, but Elena knew that he felt happy about her compliment. After all, he said it himself that he was happy when she complimented him. ¡°Now that I think about it, we are talking much more quickly this way,¡± Elena added with interest. ¡°Of course, our brains are much quicker than our lips and mouth. We don¡¯t have to articulate and form letters and words. The quicker our brains will be, the quicker we will be able to communicate with your spell. At least, when you are around.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be always around.¡± ¡°We are almost done. Identifying the deceased and gathering the corpses into one pile took more time than the clean-up of the city. We will just throw most of it in one pile and then make it disappear with Magic. There are many people who can build houses, so that won¡¯t take long either. Where have you been? I haven¡¯t seen you after the battle,¡± Sally interrupted their silent twaddle. ¡°Indeed, these parts have much less debris. Maybe one hour and the city will be clean once again. I¡¯m sorry for the dead-¡± ¡°As if you would be sorry.¡± ¡°Shh, Dred.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything intentionally. You had just read my thoughts.¡± ¡°*cough* We left for the forest and took a short rest. There were also some changes in our little team, but now we are back on track again,¡± Elena replied with a smile on her face. ¡°Good changes?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In your team.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Very good changes.¡± ¡°You are much stronger¡­ But I¡¯m not going to intrude on your privacy. Still, your progression speed is ridiculous. Last time I could have squashed you like an ant and now I¡¯d probably have a good match against you,¡± Sally furrowed her brows.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I have my ways. By the way, do you think Caleb would have some time to spend with us?¡± ¡°For what?¡± Sally tilted her head to the side. ¡°Some training, maybe?¡± ¡°Hmm- I don¡¯t think so. When the city is rebuilt, Bethor wants to celebrate it with a party and then we will have to plan ahead and take defensive measures against the other kingdoms,¡± Sally shook her head, showing some worry. ¡°Did you lose that many people?¡± Elena raised a brow. ¡°It¡¯s not past the critical point, but our military force has greatly decreased since Atelon¡¯s idiotic rush cost many people¡¯s lives. If we killed the young ¡®geniuses¡¯, we would be done for. And the worst is that they know this too. They are used to these kinds of situations and are working together to demand freedom and their old rights from Bethor.¡± Sighing loudly, Sally added, ¡°They are a real bother.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that evil grin on your face? Are you planning something?¡± Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Elena said ¡°Well, they might be used to shameless tactics, but I¡¯m not someone from this city. In fact, if you think about it, I¡¯m a complete outsider. I could just not care about the state of this kingdom and go around killing anyone who disobeys. For a limited time, but it could help Bethor in stabilizing his authority. I¡¯m quite sure that it wouldn¡¯t cost you more than the lives of a few geniuses and they would become tame sheep.¡± ¡°All you¡¯d have to do would be to take them under your wing and ¡®not allow¡¯ me to kill them. They would definitely turn more obedient and after some time passed by, they would get used to being controlled. If not, then just chop them in half!¡± ¡°I feel rather sad about the fact that your idea sounds like exactly what we need. An outsider who doesn¡¯t care about the kingdom, can terrorize these idiots, is strong enough, and is in a good relationship with us. We must keep up a good relationship in public,¡± Sally muttered to herself as she imagined Elena¡¯s plan. ¡°It could work. I wouldn¡¯t agree with something like this, but seeing how many of us they killed, I¡¯d gladly take your place and kill those geniuses myself.¡± ¡°See? It¡¯s great to be me,¡± Elena stuck out her chest. ¡°Haa- sure, miss mighty baby princess.¡± ¡°Why does my nickname keep turning longer and longer?¡± ¡°No particular reason?¡± Sally shrugged her shoulders. After looking around, she said ¡°Well, I must be going now or we will never finish this. I assume you were going to meet Bethor, right?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Then go towards the middle of the city. You will find his mansion and he should be in his office. I think that your father, Hector is there too.¡± ¡°My what? Ah, nothing. Haha,¡± Elena laughed awkwardly, almost slipping. It would be bad if he turned into a target because of false rumors. ¡°You are mistaken. He isn¡¯t my father. I was an orphan, am an orphan, and will always be an orphan. That¡¯s never going to change. I just happened to be talented and come in handy. Don¡¯t misunderstand me, Hector is a good guy, but we aren¡¯t close.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sad.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. I prefer my freedom. Once we are done, I¡¯ll probably leave the kingdom and roam the world. My friends are quite like a family to me and now I¡¯ve got one member really close to me,¡± she patted Dred¡¯s back. Sally¡¯s face turned ashen as she looked back and forth between Dred and Elena. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are¡­¡± ¡°Hell no, you idiot! He has a human form¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right. Of course¡­¡± Sally turned silent in her embarrassment. ¡°Really,¡± Elena still shook her head. ¡°It just came to mind, okay? So are you together with him or what?¡± ¡°She is,¡± Dred replied as he transformed into his demon form and embraced Elena¡¯s back. ¡°Right. I¡¯m back to work¡­¡± she averted her eyes and quickly left. ¡°What¡¯s their problem with me?¡± Dred asked in a bad mood. ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s because of your race. I look like a human at the moment, but you are a demon. They are higher being and although fewer in number, more powerful. One of the level ten empires is also a demon empire, but seeing that we haven¡¯t met even a single demon yet, it¡¯s probably strange to see one and having a relationship with you may be even weirder to her.¡± ¡°So is it just my race?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think. I know that your Cosmological Constant reached the sixtieth level and that you could look like a human too, but it would be pointless after all this time. Maybe in the next region,¡± she patted his shoulder. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Looking at him, she saw his horns disappearing and his forehead turn smooth. His claws turned into simple nails and his scales, long canine teeth disappeared too. After making a thoughtful face, he hid his tail instead of making it disappear. ¡°I¡¯m too used to it. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live without a tail.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got another one,¡± Elena remarked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you flirting? Just you wait, I¡¯ll take good care of you,¡± Dred furrowed his brows. They continued their playful bantering until reaching Bethor¡¯s mansion. The guards soon let them in and led them towards Bethor¡¯s office. She found Bethor, Caleb, Salem, and Hector, in the middle of a serious conversation. After some restrictions, Bethor agreed to train the soldiers of the Drung Kingdom. Hector was happy imagining the future where he would have thousands of magicians and warriors at his disposal. On the Dink planet, everyone wanted to become a Magician, since be it spells or the super strength of the warriors, both were highly respectable and valuable. There was no sane soldier who would refuse a possibility to train with a real Magician. The restrictions were very simple. Both Hector and Bethor had to take an oath, stating that they wouldn¡¯t use their armies against each other. On Dunk, Bethor would be in full control of the army, while on Dink, it would be Hector. Holding back the army from helping the other side wasn¡¯t allowed either and breaking the oath would result in death as per their statement. Bethor also watched out for loopholes, like sending their generals as the commander of their forces. Hector was supposed to use his forces to get in control of Dink and hide the gate connecting the two planets. It would be a secret source of strength for their newly formed Thivalon Kingdom. Since Bethor didn¡¯t want to keep calling it the Atelon Kingdom and they united as well, they thought of a new name for the united kingdoms together. After laying down the basics, the conference advanced quickly since both sides benefited from it. Although Elena was there, she didn¡¯t even have to say a word since Hector planned out everything beforehand. When they finished, Elena told Bethor her idea and Bethor quickly agreed with her. It took only two days for the city to return to its former glory and Bethor held a competition to ¡®measure up the strength of the remaining geniuses¡¯ as he said. Of course, Dred, who was the strongest alone, joined the competition and beat a few of the geniuses into a bloody mess. He declared that he would do the same with the rest because they tried to kill him. At first, the geniuses laughed at him, but when one person started disappearing one after the other day by day, they realized that Dred wasn¡¯t joking. When Bethor announced that he would protect those who obeyed him, it took only a few more days before everyone turned into ¡®obedient children¡¯. Bethor appointed a few trainers to the soldiers of the Drung Kingdom, who were happy to start training. They hid the gate connecting the planets with Earth Magic and sent a few guards to watch it. A month later, when things turned stable and the strength of their army started to increase as well, Bethor announced a celebration, where every important member was invited. As a ¡®princess¡¯, Elena and her friends were obliged to go, along with the twelve selectors of the Drung Kingdom, their children, and many nobles of both Kingdoms. As the day of the celebration neared, many people felt happy to see their kingdom gaining strength, while some were sad remembering the deceased. But everyone wanted to see the new kings of their Kingdom. Volume 2: Rebellion: Chapter 25.3 - Fixing Things *crunch* *crunch* The thick snow covering the city crunched under Dred¡¯s paws as he neared the castle of Thivalon. Elena¡¯s breath turned into mist in the cold air of the night. A long black cape covered her whole body and since it was an important event, Audrey organised a girls only night and did Elena¡¯s hair. Although Elena could have done it in the blink of an eye by controlling her hair, she didn¡¯t refuse Audrey¡¯s offer. Her hair was long and wavy, and she wore a thigh-long, black, shoulderless dress under her cape. Although weapons weren¡¯t allowed, she still brought her daggers and Dred¡¯s body was her greatest weapon in and of itself. ¡°Won¡¯t we be late?¡± Elena clenched her fists and grabbed a few locks of Dred¡¯s fur. ¡°No, we are almost there,¡± Dred replied. ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want to do it before coming here.¡± ¡°But you are so sexy. And why did you have to wear a short dress like this? You can still change it though¡­¡± he remarked, his voice visibly unhappy. ¡°We have talked this over already. A long dress would restrict my movements, which I¡¯d hate to the core. If I have to wear a dress, then it must be short. Even this is a bit annoying, but any shorter would be showing a bit too much skin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already too much. You know that guys will flock to you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll send them to the otherworld.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Dred sighed in exasperation. ¡°Whatever, just don¡¯t make a scene.¡± ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t do something like that,¡± she averted her eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just jealous?¡± Elena tried to start another banter since she loved fooling around with Dred. ¡°You are so believable," he said sarcastically. "You do know that I know you more than anyone else, so my reply is a simple no. I don¡¯t feel threatened by any man.¡± ¡°Aww, you are no fun, though you are spot on.¡± ¡°Haha, if I took your playful words seriously, we would pointlessly argue more often.¡± ¡°Mhm. Have we arrived yet?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t look at me like that. You look really intimidating sometimes, even to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that a two-meter tall black panther should look like a cute pet,¡± Dred remarked as he jumped to the top of a building. A large park separated them from the castle. In the middle of it was a large fountain and smaller groups of people were walking towards the entrance since flying wasn¡¯t allowed in the capital city. Elena got off of Dred¡¯s back, who transformed into his demon form. Although he had enough control over the Mana particles to change his body structure and look like a human, most people knew him already. ¡°You are talking about my dress but all you wear is black jeans and a black shirt¡­¡± Elena crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Yeah? But that¡¯s customary.¡± ¡°Then why is it only women who have to wear these kinds of clothes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I suppose they want to look good in front of men and it turned into a custom?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯m a girl but not a human.¡± ¡°I know. Let¡¯s go instead of chatting on a rooftop. It¡¯s getting cold,¡± Dred shivered as a cold wind blew through his thin clothes. He grabbed Elena¡¯s hand and jumped towards the palace. They landed a few meters away, slightly surprising a group of people behind them. Ignoring the strange looks, they walked towards the entrance and after showing their invitation cards they were let in. A wide, golden corridor connected the entrance to the ballroom. A servant opened the door in front of them, allowing them sight on the spacious ballroom. It was a fifteen-meter tall square room, and its walls were a hundred meter long. The walls were golden coloured and reflected the yellow light of the Mana lamps. Ancient intrications covered the four marble columns, which held up the ceiling. A luxurious square shaped red carpet lay on the ground, and tables filled with sumptuous foods were set up on the side of the ballroom. On the right of the ballroom were two thrones prepared. The nobles were chatting heartily with each other and stopped every so often when seeing somebody enter. Feeling uncomfortable by the gazes of so many people, Elena pulled on Dred¡¯s hand and quickly left the spotlight. Using her sense, she realized that the seemingly defenceless ballroom was actually filled with strong warriors, magicians, and the newly formed Special Forces of the kings, led by Caleb. The army was in the hands of Salem and Sally. After finding a corner, Elena finally calmed down. ¡°You look stressed out,¡± Dred raised a brow. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t bear with a large crowd looking at me like that. It felt as if I was being measured up for sale!¡± she strengthened her grips on Dred¡¯s hand. ¡°You know that nobody has that kind of intention here, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, hopefully. But that¡¯s how it felt.¡± ¡°Are you not going to take off your cape?¡± ¡°Ah, it might be better to keep it on. Your words were true. My dress is too short,¡± she tried to reason with him, even though it wasn¡¯t as short. ¡°Less trouble for me. I¡¯m not going to tell you again,¡± Dred chuckled. Sensing a few presences behind his back, he turned around, only to see a group of young men with a few women getting closer them. As the group stopped in front of them, a purple-haired teenager stepped forward and greeted them with a nod of his head, ¡°Greetings. My name is Teslow from the Guinne family. I haven¡¯t yet had the luck to meet you, Miss.¡± ¡°Good evening, my name is Elena and he is my boyfriend, Dred,¡± Elena replied with a smile, only to notice Teslow¡¯s eyes filled with expectation. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah, pardon me. I was just wondering if you wanted to share your full name as well,¡± Teslow laughed awkwardly. ¡°Oh.¡± She looked at Dred with a questioning look. Seeing him shrug his shoulders, she said, ¡°It¡¯s Syracia. I¡¯m Elena Syracia.¡± They thought of a name together while they spent their time resting and training. ¡°I apologise for my rudeness, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve heard of that family. That¡¯s quite a surprise as I know most families and you don¡¯t seem to be from the other planet either,¡± he winked at her, meaning the ¡®weak¡¯ nobles from Dink. ¡°I do come from Dink.¡± ¡°Did Miss Elena get to this level in this one month?¡± ¡°No. I took part in the battle too and I also helped the union between Hector and Bethor.¡± ¡°A-haha. Of course, of course. Could it be that you are the princess of the old Drung Kingdom? I¡¯ve heard of you, in that case.¡± Elena¡¯s eyes twitched upon hearing the word ¡®princess¡¯, but she still nodded her head. Looking up at Dred¡¯s towering body, Teslow added, ¡°Then you must be that fearsome black panther, Dred.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°...¡± faced with their short replies and lack of interest in their conversation, Teslow felt completely lost at what to do for the first time in his life. As the last saving grace, he introduced his entourage too, hoping that they could hit up a conversation and leave without the shame of silence. The girls stepped closer to Elena to ask, ¡°Why are you wearing this cape, Princess?¡± ¡°Yeah, you should take it off quickly.¡± ¡°What do you think? Are they calling me ¡®princess¡¯ intentionally?¡± Elena asked Dred with her spell. ¡°Hahaha, I don¡¯t think that they mean it in a bad way and I don¡¯t think they noticed that it annoys you, right? Prin-¡± ¡°Shut up. That title makes me imagine myself as a useless woman.¡± ¡°Seriously? Why though?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s how I feel,¡± Elena grumbled in her mind. ¡°Miss Elena?¡± ¡°Oh, pardon me. I was lost in my thoughts. What did you say again?¡± ¡°That you should take off your cape. It would be a bit disrespectful to the kings if you wouldn¡¯t even bother looking good at this celebration.¡± ¡°Is that so? Can you tell me where were you oh so great nobles were when Bethor fought against Atelon? When the other soldiers and I fought against his forces? Were you sitting on your asses, waiting for the winner and then take their side? So don¡¯t talk about respect to me, you useless bunch of idiots. Your betrayal is much more disrespectful than whatever kind of clothes I wear,¡± Elena spat her words like venom. ¡°You know what? They are exactly the kind of people I want to kill. Can¡¯t we do it now?¡± she asked Dred. ¡°Not yet. Let Bethor and Hector finish their speech when they arrive, show their bond and then we can do it. But we will have to leave afterwards. Both the city and this kingdom.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s fine by me. I could assassinate them as well, but that would cause unrest. This way, they will know who killed them and there will be no suspicion. Whether I¡¯m a villainess or a heroine in people¡¯s eyes, I don¡¯t care. In the end, it always comes down to one thing. What they want to see and hear.¡± ¡°Well said,¡± Dred nodded his head.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Teslow and his entourage were left with wide opened mouths. His lips parted to say something, but after thinking about it for some time, he closed his mouth. His face twitched slightly as he bowed down slightly, ¡°I apologize for not being any help to the Princess and our Kings.¡± Clenching his fists, he continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Go then¡± was all Elena said, while her eyes burned with hate. ¡°Your kind is the shittiest. Atelon was a trash person, but at least he was open about it and he worked to become strong enough to support his twisted ideals. I¡¯m probably similar in that. But these people¡­¡± ¡°They are just waiting for the right moments to leech off of other people, doing nothing but taking sides. Those deceased people were just a small amount considering the whole planet, but how many people would be still living if these nobles helped? My last present for Bethor and Hector will be that I¡¯ll remove every noble from this place. They would just betray them at the first opportunity anyway. Might as well get ahead of them,¡± she fumed in her mind.¡°Are you okay with that?¡± Hearing her question, a smile formed on Dred¡¯s face as he held Elena¡¯s face and leaned closer for a kiss. ¡°Yeah. Remember. I belong with you. I want what you want and the other way around.¡± ¡°Hehe, okay.¡± Their idiotic lovebirds moment was interrupted by a loud announcement, coming from the servant¡¯s who stood in the door. ¡°KING HECTOR AND KING BETHOR HAVE ARRIVED!¡± The guests welcomed the kings with claps. When Hector and Bethor stopped in front of their thrones, they crowd turned silent and waited. ¡°I thank you for coming here this evening to celebrate with us and to mourn those who died for our goal, which is to create a powerful Kingdom and get to new heights!¡± Bethor shouted. Hector picked up on Bethor¡¯s words and continued his speech. He told what kind of union they made and how they would operate from now on. Bethor finished everything with an inspirational speech and after the coronation ceremony took place, everyone cheered loudly. Elena and Dred were on the verge of falling asleep in the corner since there was nothing new for them. Elena¡¯s boredom got to the point where she just sat down beside the table and started nibbling on some of the more delicious food. ¡°So who should we kill? You gathered more information,¡± Elena asked after gulping down a ball-shaped chocolate dessert. ¡°Yeah, since you were too lazy to do it, I had to look up everything and kill the necessary people¡­¡± Dred grumbled upon remembering what he had to do this last month. Finding spies, conspiring nobles who aspired to take the throne, assassins, and gather intelligence to make sure that he wasn¡¯t just killing innocent people. Elena helped him sometimes, but she focused on perfecting Ekilsta and her spells most of the time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that, but I rewarded you every time!¡± Dred raised a brow, ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s not like you aren¡¯t a pervert yourself¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Mhm, you are so believable, Elena.¡± ¡°...¡± Sighing loudly, Dred finally replied, ¡°The Nyssa family, the Diogenia family-¡± He couldn¡¯t finish the list since he saw a short brown haired and a long red haired girl coming their way. ¡°Yo, little devils. What are you doing in the corner? Stuffing your mouth?¡± Sally asked with a smirk, seeing Elena eating one chocolate ball after the other. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too¡­ and I just realized that I hate these kinds of events,¡± Elena replied with a long sigh. ¡°I know how you feel. We are warriors in the heart. Events like these aren¡¯t good for us,¡± Sally laughed. She too had only a simple silver coloured dress on, similarly reaching her thighs. Opposite of her, Hoa¡¯s red dress was very eye-catching, especially combined with her beauty. ¡°You two are strange. Doesn¡¯t it make you feel good when you know that you look good?¡± Hoa asked with wonder, not understanding them. ¡°Who are you calling strange?¡± Sally asked as she gripped Hoa¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Ouch, ouch! Stop it, Master.¡± ¡°Haah- anyway, what do you plan to do once this ceremony ends? You don¡¯t seem to want to stay here,¡± Sally tilted her head to the side. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Elena asked. ¡°You rarely even came to the city and lived in the forest instead. I didn¡¯t even see you talk with Hector, who should be your stepfather, in a way, and I heard from one of my friends that the princess was buying travelling equipment.¡± ¡°Your friends talk too much¡­ But it¡¯s as you said, we don¡¯t plan to stay here.¡± ¡°By the way, you didn¡¯t pay taxes after your shampoo store¡­ I should show you to your prison since you didn¡¯t pay even after all those warnings.¡± ¡°Why the hell do you even bring this up?¡± Elena raised a brow, knowing that Sally would never bother with actually taking her to a prison. ¡°Haah- it would have been nice if you had stayed. You are very talented and we need people like you. But since you are going to leave, can I ask a question? It¡¯s been bugging me for a long time now.¡± Sally clenched her fists. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± ¡°I want to know the truth about the guards and the hidden thugs that were killed. Was it actually you or Atelon¡¯s people or some outside force? I won¡¯t hold it against you, even if it was you. I just want to know how you broke the oath in case it was you.¡± ¡°You are straight with your words, like always¡­¡± Dred remarked, catching Sally¡¯s attention. ¡°Are you not going to reply?¡± Elena looked at Dred from the corner of her eye, asking for help. She was unsure of what to do. ¡°Fine. It was me and we didn¡¯t break the oath. We just took them out of the city and killed them there. Jake didn¡¯t see when we killed Al, he saw when we brought back his body and laid him on the ground.¡± ¡°But when we found out what was going on, we wanted to leave for the capital city and take care of Atelon. It happened by chance that we found a gateway between the two planets-¡± Interrupting Dred¡¯s words, Elena said, ¡°Do you really want to tell that too to her?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter at this point and won¡¯t change anything,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders, while Sally¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°We found the Drung Kingdom by chance and we didn¡¯t even know their language. We learned it over the time we spent there and I¡¯m quite sure that Hector worked hard to learn our language too. They were in trouble as well and after helping them out, we made deals with Hector to cover for us. It was a bit risky, but we helped both sides in the end, so it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure that you are clever enough to keep your mouth shut and not tell anyone.¡± Hearing Dred¡¯s words, Sally took a seat beside Elena and held her forehead. ¡°Hahaha, so we were led around by the nose the whole time. It¡¯s no wonder that you don¡¯t care about Hector that much. But let me ask you why did you do this? What did you gain from helping us? I mean, most people help when they gain something from it.¡± This time, Elena replied, ¡°Nothing in particular. We¡¯ve gained experience and power if I have to say anything.¡± I can¡¯t tell her that the war gave us so much strength in such a short time. It would be hard for her to imagine that we levelled up more than fifty levels in a single battle. It would make her suspicious as well. ¡°It¡¯s good that you told her everything, Dred. Now we have an excuse to everything and there should be nothing turning us into suspects of Devourers. We didn¡¯t break oaths, we didn¡¯t devour people in public, we didn¡¯t kill everyone like we are supposed to, and our abilities are still hidden. The only suspicious thing about us is our progress speed. But that should be alright.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I told her everything. If any higher being came here in the future to ask about us, she would tell everything and still nothing,¡± Dred replied in her mind. ¡°I love you~¡± Elena thought with a cheerful tone. Poking Sally¡¯s shoulder, Elena looked into her eyes seriously as she said, ¡°Sally, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s for your kingdom¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She asked, but her vision slowly turned blurred. Looking at Hoa who stood beside her, she saw her falling to the ground before everything turned dark. Standing up, Elena took off her cape and pulled out her daggers from her storage ring. ¡°What did you do?!¡± Bethor shouted upon noticing Sally¡¯s and Hoa¡¯s state. ¡°Hold your horses. I just put her to sleep with a strong herb. She will wake up in five or ten minutes, along with the rest of the people,¡± she replied as she walked towards a man nearby. Everyone but Caleb and Bethor fell asleep in the ballroom, even the Special Forces, who used powerful spells to hide. She took out a yellow coloured flower from between her breasts and put it on the ground. ¡°You surely know this. It¡¯s a simple flower with a sleeping effect. It¡¯s perfect for what I need to do at the moment. I hope that you will close your eyes and fall asleep along with the others,¡± she said with a meaningful tone. Standing over her first target, she grabbed his hair and raised his head. Holding her dagger against his forehead, Elena looked into Bethor¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± he asked, trying to resist the sleepiness that was coming over him. Thanks to his high level, he was strong enough to stay awake if he wanted. ¡°You know that your new Thivalon Kingdom will never reach new heights as long as these pests are here. They will always look for ways to stab you in the back and gain more benefits and if you killed them, you would be feared by your men, in a bad way. You surely don¡¯t want that. You can ask Sally about the details pertaining us later. For now, it¡¯s enough if you know that we aren¡¯t related to either of the two kingdoms that existed a month ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the evil who killed the nobles and then ran away. I planned to leave anyway. Whether I¡¯m a bad girl or not is something I don¡¯t care about. So just fall asleep and say that you couldn¡¯t stop me either. Fake your sadness and everything will be alright.¡± Clenching his fists, Bethor made a thoughtful face. ¡°Time is running out.¡± Hearing Elena¡¯s warning, he stopped channelling his Mana and felt sleepiness overcome him. As the world turned dark, he saw through the slit of his eyes as Elena¡¯s dagger entered the man¡¯s forehead through his brain. ¡°Alright, he is unconscious. Let¡¯s get to work and then leave. Our friends must be waiting already~¡± Elena mused as she walked towards her next target. ¡°Haah- so many corpses we could have devoured! This is like torture¡­¡± Dred grumbled, seeing the growing amount of corpses. Slitting a woman¡¯s throat, Elena replied ¡°Yeah, but we must leave behind their bodies ¡®intact¡¯. The marks of our weapons are enough. If we devoured them or turned them into empty husks, it would be too obvious what kind of race killed them. And the humans from Kriton will probably start appearing here soon, while their planet should die in the next few days. Once the higher beings sense the sudden death of a young world like Kriton, they will definitely start looking for its cause. Once they realise that Devourers were born, we will be hunted all around the world, haha. I wonder what it¡¯s like on their side¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so funny when you think about it¡­¡± Dred muttered as he stomped on a man¡¯s head and smashed it into a bloody pulp. ¡°Well, that¡¯s where the fun begins!¡± ¡°You are a bit too optimistic sometimes. But whatever. This is actually enjoyable¡­¡± he added while crushing another head. ¡°Shh- behave. Don¡¯t turn this place into a bloody mess. Somebody will have to clean up their brain matters now¡­¡± Elena rebuked him. ¡°I don¡¯t care. We are finished now. Let¡¯s leave a message and then leave this place,¡± Dred said as he started carving a few words into the walls of the ballroom. ¡°Death awaits the spineless worms, those who have no pride and tread on the path of betrayal, conspiracy, and treacherousness. Heed my words for we will always find you.¡± ¡°Hehe, did you think of it now?¡± Elena read aloud and asked. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me. Let¡¯s go,¡± she grabbed Dred¡¯s hand and pulled him towards the door. Reaching the snow-covered park outside, Dred transformed into his Wyvern form and flew into the starry night sky, Elena on his back. He landed in the forest far away from the city. ¡°We are back!¡± Elena shouted as she jumped off of Dred¡¯s back and ran behind a tree. Her black dress dissolved on her body and after taking out her leather armour, she wore it happily. ¡°Finally, I hate dresses, it seems,¡± she grumbled to herself. ¡°But you were very sexy in it,¡± Dred whispered into her ear, startling her. ¡°Damn it, you startled me. Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that!¡± she complained. ¡°Fine. Are you not interested in turning Sally into our blood servant? She is quite talented, after all,¡± Dred asked as he hugged Elena from behind. ¡°She is quite talented, but she reached her current strength after many years. She wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with us even if she got our blood. You know that we have onlythree options. Find very young people or people with almost no magical past or very talented people, like Cor. I don¡¯t know how strong he was in the past, but he was definitely a rare genius. When I saw him unconsciously activate a Shell type armour, that became clear to me.¡± ¡°Mhm. Creating Mana Armor is really hard, after all,¡± Dred muttered as he gave a kiss on the back of Elena¡¯s head. ¡°Uhm, let¡¯s go. The air is turning quite hot, even though it¡¯s really cold.¡± ¡°Heh- I can¡¯t deny that¡± Dred replied and let go of her. Their friends were already waiting for them, packed up for the travel. Dred transformed into his Wyvern form and after everyone got on, he took off. He made a small circle in the air and looked at the city far away. The blue lights of the Mana Crystals shone ever so brightly, illuminating the city. Elena and the others had thick coats covering their bodies which protected them from the cold wind. Looking up at the beautiful night sky, filled with stars, Elena spread her arms and enjoyed the cold wind, even if it felt bad. She felt alive. ¡°Hey your hair is tickling my face,¡± Audrey complained behind her back. ¡°Haha, wait a moment,¡± Elena chuckled and tied her hair in a ponytail. Sucking in a breath of cold air, she leaned back and rested her back on Audrey¡¯s chest. Audrey embraced her from behind and both of them closed their eyes. As Dred finished his circle, he flew off, towards their future. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 26.1 - Mark of the Wild Volume 3: Sealed World Mark of the Wild ¡°How is your progress with storage rings, Jake?¡± Elena asked. ¡°I managed to create a fixed void, with the size of one cubic meter in a small stone. That¡¯s the biggest I can create at the moment. I tried using other materials, but be it a branch, a stone, the material didn¡¯t matter and the space within always turned into one cubic meter. Creating a separate space which doesn¡¯t need my Mana is really hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. One cubic meter is more than enough for most things and we have a bigger ring too.¡± ¡°Mhm. By the way, Audrey can change the flow of time in the void I create. It¡¯s nothing much, but once she learns more about Time Magic, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯d be able to even freeze time.¡± ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s definitely not something I can learn quickly,¡± Audrey grumbled when hearing Jake¡¯s positiveness. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Elena, have you decided on the matter pertaining to the Ring of Calamity?¡± Jake asked with interest. Since she saw Shin wear the Eighth Ring of Calamity and use it, she couldn¡¯t help but think about wearing the First Ring of Calamity. ¡°I haven¡¯t yet. He used it even though the rings are supposed to be used only once. This makes me think that maybe we misunderstood the meaning of the ¡®one-time use¡¯. Maybe it isn¡¯t related to the effects of the rings, but their owner. Maybe only one person can wear it. Once it is used, you can¡¯t get rid of it without destroying the ring.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear it and try it out?¡± Cor asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. What if this ring you made disappeared with some random effect? It¡¯s a legendary equipment. I can¡¯t just risk wasting it. Unless you remember something from your past?¡± Elena raised a brow as she turned around on Dred¡¯s back and looked into Cor¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t, but I have a hunch that you can use it. Based on the descriptions, all of the eight rings are the same, just with different effects. If Shin could use it, then you too can do it. I¡¯m sure. You can give it to me too and I¡¯ll wear it if you don¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°Are you trying to affect me by messing with me? I won¡¯t jump into your trap just so you know,¡± Elena crossed her arms and turned ahead. ¡°...¡± ¡°Fine, but I¡¯ll make you wear that ring one day, damn it. Maybe I¡¯d remember more,¡± he tried to change her mind one last time with no success. Sighing loudly, he turned silent and watched the snow-covered scenery instead. ¡°Should I really try it?¡± Elena asked Dred. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Maybe you should really try it. Cor definitely wouldn¡¯t want something bad to happen to us. He is obliged to serve us, after all. And I don¡¯t think that he, as the creator, has a bad divination pertaining the ring.¡± ¡°Ah, screw it! Land somewhere and I¡¯ll wear this shitty ring! I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± Elena shouted, grabbing the sides of her head. ¡°Great!¡± Cor exclaimed with a happy face, hearing her sudden shout. After landing on the ground, Elena took out the ring with the red crystal in it from her storage ring and after looking at it for a few seconds, she closed her eyes and placed it on her finger. Her Mana entered the ring and a red halo formed around her body. She felt her body scorching hot for a few seconds before it died down and she once again looked completely normal. Looking at the effects of the ring, she saw the following.
First Ring of Calamity
Ring of Fire, controls the lava below the ground. You can call forth volcanic eruptions wherever you are. Their scale and effectiveness are unpredictable. (Effective on the following planets: Dink, Dunk, Sealu)
¡°That¡¯s amazing, though useless. Unless we want to cause mass destruction,¡± Elena commented with a sense of disappointment in her voice. ¡°Well, I too can cause mass destruction with Supernova. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t use it last time since we didn¡¯t want to kill everyone,¡± Audrey replied. Grabbing the ring on her finger, Elena tried to pull it off, only to realize that it wouldn¡¯t budge. It felt like her second skin.
Warning!
This item can¡¯t be removed without destroying it. The owner¡¯s death would mean the destruction of the item too.
¡°So that¡¯s why it is can be used only once¡­¡± Elena raised her voice in realisation. ¡°Heh, it really didn¡¯t work, right? Don¡¯t trust me next time,¡± Cor said with a sarcastic tone. Elena¡¯s eyes twitched upon hearing him, but she stayed silent nonetheless. Feeling dissatisfied with her lack of reaction, Cor leaned so close to her that their faces were separated only by a few inches. ¡°Right?¡± he asked with a grin on his face. *twitch* ¡°Oh, well. I can¡¯t be trusted-¡± ¡°Haah- can¡¯t you just shut up already? I¡¯ve got it already so be quiet or I¡¯ll tell Dred to bite you.¡± ¡°It would be my honour!¡± Cor raised his voice. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with this guy?¡± Dred shook his head, hiding his teeth instead. ¡°It feels good when you bite me. Maybe because you¡¯re my master,¡± Cor said with an excited voice. ¡°S-Sure¡­¡± Dred said. This guy is freaking me out sometimes¡­ Clearing his throat, Jake interrupted them, ¡°Can we get back to the point? So, what do you plan to do now? Do you want to enter the city nearby or should we go tomorrow instead? We had been travelling for ten days already and we have no idea where we are. Don¡¯t you think that we should stop and gather some information?¡± ¡°I wanted to do that. I wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping in a peaceful city either, the monsters attacking at night is really annoying. I haven¡¯t had a good sleep ever since we left behind Thivalon,¡± Elena nodded her head. ¡°Maybe if you wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Audrey started but didn¡¯t finish her words. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t what?¡± Elena raised a brow. Stepping closer, Audrey whispered into her ear, ¡°You are too loud sometimes. I understand that your love is budding, but you should restrain yourself a bit.¡± Clearing her throat, Elena said, ¡°I understand. I-I¡¯ll go to the city alone and gather some info. I¡¯ll be back in an hour. Do whatever you want till then.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± Dred muttered as he transformed into his demon form, grabbed her waist and threw her on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°Put me down you brute! I need to escape!¡± ¡°Heh, I heard Audrey¡¯s words. Don¡¯t underestimate my ears. It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of!¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say! But I¡¯m not like you!¡± ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Jake and Cor asked at the same time. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Audrey muttered dismissively. ¡°Alright. We will be back in an hour at most! If not, then something happened and we need help or we will be back later,¡± Dred¡¯s voice resounded in the forest as he jumped into the air, towards the city. He landed a few hundred meters away and jumped once again.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°For how long do you plan to keep me on your shoulder?¡± Elena complained. Dred switched position and held her in his arms, ¡°Here you go. Is it better now?¡± ¡°It is better, but you could have put me on the ground too.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? I wanna hold you in my arms. I haven¡¯t had the chance in a while.¡± ¡°You did it last night, though?¡± ¡°Well, but not in this lovely way~¡± Dred mused as he gave a kiss on her forehead. Elena looked into his eyes with a burning gaze and raised her head to kiss him. But since Dred was too focused on Elena, he stumbled over a rock and fell face first to the ground, Elena under him. He spat out a mouthful of grass and mud as he raised his body. Elena sprawled out on the ground and looked at the starry night sky. Seeing Dred¡¯s mud-covered face, a hearty laughter broke out of her. ¡°Hahaha, you look so silly. Ugh, my arms are numb¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Elena brushed off the snow from her body walked towards the city. Looking at her swaying hips, Dred felt his animalistic instincts raging inside him, but he held back himself. At least, I can practice this kind of control too. If I can do it, other men too should be able to do it. Dred caught up with her and walked so close to her their shoulders bumped into each other every so often. ¡°Elena¡­ I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it? You don¡¯t have to be so stiff, am I not your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s just that I created a spell, but it¡¯s got a really vicious nature.¡± ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t even know about this.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to talk about it because of its nature.¡± ¡°Tsk, for how long will you stay silent? You made me darn curious now¡­¡± ¡°Fine. I call it Mark of the Wild and the World System recognized it as a spell. You know, since I¡¯m a beast-type, I need less sleep than you, actually. So in this last month, when everyone fell asleep, I started experimenting on insects. Cor doesn¡¯t even sleep so he caught me quite quickly, but he reacted well and helped me instead.¡± ¡°Haha, why that face? Stop being so impatient.¡± ¡°But I want to know what it does!¡± Dred patted the top of her head before continuing, ¡°Since I too drank your blood, I understand how Ekilsta works and I understand how Devour works. We knew that our shadows can devour other people and steal their DNA to change ours and improve our bodies, but we didn¡¯t understand how.¡± ¡°I started devouring insects slowly with my spell and realized that it¡¯s very similar to your bacteria. It fills your target¡¯s body forcefully and encloses their cells. Since it is Dark Magic, in a way, it makes every cell rot. The twist is that as long as the target is alive, their Magical Resistance is active and we can¡¯t draw out their DNA. Thanks to your specialization, the World System probably helps you a tiny bit and lets you slowly devour your targets, even if they are alive.¡± ¡°So this made me realize that Devour might have more uses than we thought. You see, I¡¯m stronger than you. So I thought that what if I made a spell that can share my DNA with others to improve your body. Sure, we can share our memories and knowledge, but not our DNA. Even though it is working on the same basis. So I bit a few weaker and bigger monsters and tried to send my DNA into their bodies, instead of sucking them dry.¡± ¡°And what was the result?¡± she asked. ¡°Ehm, it was a half-success¡­ Although I was able to share my DNA, the monsters mutated and turned into strange looking creatures. I didn¡¯t notice that their strength increased either and I even got a notification saying that my spell creating failed.¡± ¡°Cor told me that I¡¯d have to be in control of the recipient¡¯s body to control my spell until the last moment. Our subconscious would refuse to let anyone¡¯s Mana into our bodies if it wasn¡¯t our, so that was a no-go either. There was only one possibility. Turn my target into my slave and control my spell to the highest degree.¡± ¡°I have a guess where this is going,¡± Elena commented. ¡°Mhm. I have the following possibilities regarding Mark of the Wild. The first is to use it on my blood servants. The second is to force my Mana into my target¡¯s body, but this could turn them into a vegetable. The third is to use a similar creature like Ekilsta to betray the mind and let my Mana into my target¡¯s body. Here comes the twist. Unlike humans, we can control our subconscious and let other people¡¯s Mana into our bodies.¡± ¡°So the fourth possibility is that you willingly let me in and turn into my slave by receiving my DNA. Since I¡¯d be a part of you, maybe I¡¯d be able to control your body too. I tested it on an insect by forcing my Mana into it. It did whatever I told it.¡± Stopping in place, Elena looked his way as she asked, ¡°And so, do you want to use it on me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It would be nice to improve your strength too, but I don¡¯t want to change you. I love you as you are. I don¡¯t want to ¡®enslave¡¯ you either, even if would never command you to do anything. It¡¯s different with Audrey, Cor, and Jake since they are our blood servants anyway. They would literally just get an upgrade in strength and agility. But you¡¯re an equal of me on every ground.¡± ¡°If I used this spell on you, that would change. Not on a logical level, but on a physical level.¡± Stepping closer, he embraced her body and started caressing the back of her head. ¡°What do you think?¡± he whispered into her ear. Raising her hands, she returned the favour and closed her eyes. ¡°Hehe, you are like a big bear.¡± ¡°I do have a bear form.¡± ¡°I know~ So you plan to use it on our friends and you aren¡¯t sure about me.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sad to tell you that I¡¯m unsure either. The idea of being controlled by anyone is terrifying. Except for Cor, who didn¡¯t even know who he was when he drank your blood, and maybe he didn¡¯t even understand what it clearly meant, Audrey and Jake were tricked into it. While I have to choose now, even though I don¡¯t have memory loss and I know what could happen.¡± ¡°But I also completely trust you and know that you would never command me.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°In that case, what if we got closer to each other than ever before?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dred raised his head to look into her eyes. ¡°Is it a hard-to-learn spell?¡± ¡°No. You can definitely do it on your first try. Second at most,¡± Dred shook his head. ¡°Then what if we both used it on each other? That wouldn¡¯t change a thing but we would still gain the benefits,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°...Hahaha, how I never thought of this. Thanks,¡± he said before giving her a deep kiss. Elena bit his tongue and drank his blood. As her mind finished being filled up with the details, a window appeared in front of her.
New Skill Acquired: Mark of the Wild!
Using your Devour in a reversed way, you can share your DNA with your target and get in control of their bodies as a result. Their subconscious will no longer refuse your Mana and you can use that to command your slaves to some degree. But the higher their Magical Resistance is, the more likely it will be that they can refuse to obey your commands.
¡°Hey! You didn¡¯t say that I still have the possibility to disobey you. I have higher Magical Resistance than you, so it wouldn¡¯t have worked on me¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I forgot that one. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s still better this way. I¡¯ll let you do it first, I¡¯ll be sure to succeed on my first try that way.¡± ¡°Okay. Then, stop moving,¡± he warned her as he got on his knees in front of her and pulled up her leather armour. He transformed into his panther form to gain the increased stats and decreased the size of his body until his paw was only a tiny bit smaller than a human¡¯s hand. He put it on her crotch, right below her navel and closed his eyes.¡± Elena felt her body turning stronger and her reflexes turning sharper. When Dred pulled back his paw, he saw a black tattoo on Elena¡¯s crotch. ¡°That¡¯s where you store my DNA now. It should spread through your body slowly and from now on, I can refresh it anytime I touch you.¡± ¡°Haah~ this feels good. It¡¯s really handy,¡± Elena shivered while feeling a comfortable and warm feeling rush through her body. ¡°It¡¯s as if ant legs were tickling my whole body. It¡¯s really strange but feels good. Alright, it¡¯s my turn now, but it seems that your tattoo will have the same shape as my hand. Hmm~ do you have any special shape in mind? I can transform my hand, after all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll leave it to you,¡± he said as he stood up and pulled off his shirt. Goosebumps appeared on his body in the cold winter, but he ignored it and waited patiently for Elena. She pulled off her right glove and her hand transformed into a paw. Smiling at him, she put it on his navel. ¡°We will be similar this way. It will match, like a couple~¡± she mused. Closing her eyes, she too used the Mark of the Wild, while Dred controlled his subconscious and let her Mana in. He felt his Mana Veins turn thicker and his brain turn quicker. Soon Elena opened her eyes and looked at his muscular belly. Her hand reverted to normal and she slowly pulled her finger downward until reaching his pants. She looked into his eyes provocatively before turning around and walking towards the city. ¡°Come. Our friends are waiting~¡± ¡°You are seriously evil.¡± ¡°Hehe, I can¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°Do you know why I wanted all this?¡± Dred raised a brow. ¡°I have a guess.¡± ¡°If all of us had the same spells and powers, that wouldn¡¯t be good. It¡¯s better to have our own roles in a team. But having the same amount of strength, agility, and other stats is a different matter. Since, if we knew our own strength, we would know the others¡¯ strength too. This means that we could reach perfect timing with much less effort, in a much shorter time. We can turn into a perfectly operating team, where every member knows the other one to the highest degree and knows when to attack, when to retreat, and stuff. Being united is what gives teams the most power!¡± ¡°It would be similar to your body and your cells. A perfect organism!¡± ¡°Aww, you think I¡¯m perfect? So sweet of you~¡± Elena mused. ¡°That wasn¡¯t really my point¡­¡± ¡°Hehe. While you are holding an inspirational speech, we have arrived.¡± ¡°This still has one more usage,¡± Dred said as he transformed into Elena. ¡°Instead of Cosmological Constant, we can use each other¡¯s DNA to shapeshift. This is good because I won¡¯t be a mount anymore and it can be used when the same person needs to be in numerous places. You can never know,¡± he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Please reverse¡­ you have no idea how strange it is to look at yourself. And you are naked with my body¡­ I¡¯m not an exhibitionist, damn it!¡± ¡°Hahaha, okay. Now then, why is there nobody here?¡± returning to his demon form, Dred furrowed his brows. Torches lit up the fifty meters tall metal walls, but there was nobody on it. ¡°Let¡¯s get in,¡± Elena muttered as she transformed into her shadow form and charged forward. ------------------------------ Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 26.2 - Mark of the Wild They got through the small slits of the wrought metal gate and got on top of the wall. But even after looking around, they couldn¡¯t find anyone. ¡°This is really strange. Where is everyone?¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°Let¡¯s get a closer look,¡± Dred muttered as he jumped off of the wall. Using their Sense, they soon found out that everyone was holed up inside their houses. ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s going on?¡± Elena muttered as she stopped in front of a simple house and knocked on its door. Seeing that nobody replied, she looked at Dred and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Try it again. They should answer¡­¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± After her second try, she heard footsteps nearing the door. A Catwoman opened the door to a slit and peeked out through the hole. Seeing that it was a demon and a human, she poked out her head, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°We are new to the city. What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Ah, why is my luck so bad? Please leave me alone and if you want to stay alive, leave the city as soon as possible. Especially you, human. Your kind is despised here.¡± The Catwoman shut the door and locked it. ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± ¡°You should switch forms¡­¡± Dred said as he looked at Elena. Nodding her head, two horns grew on her forehead and a tail grew out of the end of her spine. Black scales covered her body on the outer parts of her arms, legs, neck, and her sides. Her nails turned into short claws and her eyes turned into slits. ¡°I haven¡¯t used my original form in a long time. Should I add the cat-ears too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯d look like a mixed blood that way and I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s something to be proud of. Let¡¯s just keep this form,¡± Dred replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think that we should try again here. Let¡¯s bother another person¡­¡± ¡°Haha, okay.¡± They checked another few houses until finally finding an old snake-granny who called them in. She had a simple wooden house on the outer parts of the city with a small kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room. Everything seemed to be old but tidy. She stuck out her forky tongue and licked the air. Her slit eyes focused on Dred and Elena as she pointed at two chairs. ¡°Ssso, what are your namesss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Elena and he is Dred. Could you tell us what¡¯s going on here? Everybody is telling us to leave and run away¡­¡± ¡°They are right. You ssshould run away. Thisss city is dangerous becaussse itsss ruled by a darkling. It ssset a simple rule. Anyone leaving their resssidence at night shall become hisss food. He can senssse you, so you better run away now,¡± she replied. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s an interesting rule. And what about when it¡¯s daytime?¡± ¡°Everything isss fine. The darkling sleepsss. But you have left your houssse once already. It will remember you and find you.¡± ¡°Even though we are outsiders?¡± ¡°Yesss. Now that I told thisss to you, you should leave quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, but why did you let us in if it the situation was this bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯d die in a few monthsss anyway. I¡¯m really old. But you are still young and can live a long life. Now go, quickly.¡± ¡°In that case, thanks for everything. But I¡¯ll tell you something, it won¡¯t come for you,¡± Elena winked at her before leaving the granny¡¯s house with Shadow Step. ¡°There is no way it sensed us. A mere darkling, heh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so aloof,¡± Dred struck Elena¡¯s head gently. ¡°Ouch~ But that¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m curious why it is the ¡®ruler¡¯ of this city and why it hasn¡¯t been killed yet. ¡°There is only one way. The real ruler of the city isn¡¯t this darkling they speak of since it is nothing but a simple monster. Although it is clever, it can¡¯t talk or think like an intelligent being. This makes me think that it¡¯s a contracted or enslaved pet and the city lord feeds it in this way,¡± Dred said as he walked towards the gate, Elena in tow. ¡°I think that we will need to take out the trash here as well. By the way, to not make things hard for the residents, let¡¯s come back tomorrow. One more night in the forest doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± Elena said. They soon returned to their friends and built a small treehouse as usual. They took out their beds from their storage ring and told what they learned in the meantime. Dred and Elena used Mark of the Wild on everyone, balancing their stat points to the same level. Although Cor gained a lot of strength in this last month, he was still ten levels behind his friends and he fell unconscious from the sudden evolution of his body. --- The next day they entered the city again. Unlike last night, it was brimming with life and everyone was going around, doing their jobs, even though it was only six o¡¯clock. I guess they wake early since they go to bed early, Elena thought. ¡°Let¡¯s go and gather some info,¡± Elena whispered straight into her friends¡¯ minds. ¡°Your whisperings spell is handy, but can¡¯t we use Dred¡¯s Mark of the Wild to somehow communicate? This one is restricted to the range of your Sense, which is only ten kilometers, while if we could communicate on a cellular level, it would be much more reliable,¡± Audrey asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can use it for those kinds of things. We need to experiment with it and find out its boundaries,¡± Dred replied. ¡°Also, what about your Drip Element? Have you figured out how to combine the elements?¡± ¡°I can combine elements that aren¡¯t counter-effective on the other. For example, Nature Magic is effective against Earth Magic since you can just use it to grow plants and it¡¯s not gonna stop your attack. So it¡¯s hard to merge Nature Element and Earth Element since the latter is being devoured every time. I can¡¯t combine Water with Earth either since it melts the Earth elements and turns it into mud. That¡¯s how it should happen, but I suppose I have to keep them separated on a basic level if I want to create that Drip Element.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°And then there is the wind. Lightning just goes through it and it just feeds the fire element so I can¡¯t do shit with it. It¡¯s really annoying how everything has like two or three counter-elements. The best ones are the dark and the light elements! I can combine them with either of the elements but each other! And then-¡± ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯s enough, I¡¯ve got it. You don¡¯t have to go into a frenzy¡­¡± Dred interrupted her monologue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It just came to me and I got lost in my thoughts,¡± Audrey thought while showing an apologetic face. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Now then, let¡¯s visit a library or archive or something similar. There should be one,¡± Dred thought. Elena looked at them from the corner of her eye as she thought, They don¡¯t even know that I can hear all of their thoughts, not just the ones they intend to share, unlike them. Should I tell them? I wonder¡­ It¡¯s nice that I can control the flow of thoughts as the master of my spell, but it feels a bit wrong to hear everything. ¡°Why did you break the connection?¡± Jake asked raising a brow, feeling Elena¡¯s Mana leave his head. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Suspicious.¡± Stepping closer to Dred, Jake whispered into his ear, ¡°Tell me later when you pull it out of her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not deaf¡­¡± Elena shook her head. ¡°We are here. I¡¯ve sensed quite a lot of scroll-shaped objects in this building.¡± ¡°Well, the text says Library,¡± Audrey muttered as she went ahead and entered the circular building. After paying two silver coins, they were allowed to read the books and scrolls in it. But unlike in Bethor¡¯s city, there weren¡¯t more levels. We are in Drydale city of the Alof kingdom. This is a level five kingdom, mainly filled with beastmen. They excel in martial arts, and their physical properties are said to be one of the best among the races. The general level should be around four to five hundred, but stronger people might appear. Hmm, that¡¯s quite different compared to Thivalon. Bethor was the strongest, even though his level went past four hundred only by a bit above twenty? If I remember correctly. We¡¯ve got to be careful, though I haven¡¯t seen anyone too strong in this city yet. Maybe this city is in the corner of the kingdom and these people are the weaker ones, Elena thought while reading a ¡®Traveler¡¯s Book¡¯. Turning to the next page, her eyes brightened up. Oh, my. If it isn¡¯t a map~ (AN:\\ If you want to see the full-sized picture, check it here: https://imgur.com/nrqYYF5 And one about Dink planet too: https://imgur.com/9BC3ATf ) Since there were thousands of kingdoms and empires in each area, libraries like these weren¡¯t uncommon. It was so travelers knew where they were going, and often times, there were scrolls or books explaining history. Old men and women like the librarian didn¡¯t mind spending their times writing these kinds of books. ¡°Elena, come here,¡± Dred whispered. Raising a brow, Elena closed the book and put it back in its place. Stopping beside Dred, she started reading the book in his hands. A thousand years ago, a powerful human came from another world. He called himself Reinald and he said that he was the strongest in the area. His haughty words angered many, but even after thousands of challengers, he beat everyone and earned the title of the strongest. Later, he created eight artifacts, called the Rings of Calamity, each with a different number and a different effect. With his rings, he was able to control the flow of Mana of the world, its density, the days and nights, the atmosphere, the cataclysmic events, the landscape, and one of the most dangerous ones, the monster population. He also created two planets with his ring and the eighth ring, the Ring of Darkness was used to control the Void and connect those planets, called Dink, Dunk, and Sealu. Sealu was his private planet and only he was able to access it. It¡¯s said that his treasures are hidden on Sealu. But fate got the better of him. A young and powerful Dragon God appeared and slew him in a face to face battle. His name is Padinyss, our one and only true ruler. The True King of the Three Worlds. The Ring of Water, the Ring of Nature, the Ring of Earth, and the Ring of Light are in his possession, and he can control the flow of Mana, the monster population, the landscape, and the passing of day and night respectively. The Dragon King is still in search of the rest of Reinald¡¯s rings, as they are said to be keys to something bigger than Reinald¡¯s treasures. It¡¯s still a mystery what the combination of rings can be used for, but it¡¯s a fact that every ring-holder is an important person since if either of them were to die, it would mean the end of Reinald¡¯s legacy, and his secrets would stay hidden forever. The notes of an old wanderer, Zhin - ¡­ ¡°Yeah, killed in a face to face battle. As if that would be true,¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°We should show this to Cor. We finally know the truth about this world. I suppose this wanderer didn¡¯t dare to write the exact truth or didn¡¯t know any better, but it should be true,¡± Dred murmured so as to not catch the librarian¡¯s attention. ¡°Mhm. This book is visibly in favor of Padinyss. Let¡¯s show it to Cor and then we should leave. A detailed map would be good, but I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s something we could get easily. It¡¯s strategically wrong if you share it with common people. I suppose only Generals and Kings have access to it,¡± Elena whispered. They shoved the book into Cor¡¯s hands and a few seconds later, he looked at them with wonder. ¡°This¡­ Is it me?¡± he pointed at himself. Both Elena and Dred nodded. ¡°I have this kind of past, huh? It seems like I was quite stupid.¡± ¡°Why do you think that? You left behind a legend!¡± Elena patted his shoulders. ¡°And now here I am an undead, kinda dead¡­ Sorry for the bad joke. Anyway, if I was more careful, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have been backstabbed by this Padinyss guy. It¡¯s my fault too that I¡¯m here. But maybe that¡¯s how it has to be. Can we leave now?¡± he raised a brow. ¡°Where are you hurrying?¡± Elena tilted her head to the side. ¡°To the air. I feel a bit bad, I think.¡± Looking at Dred, Elena shrugged her shoulders and left the library. As they reached the streets, Cor ran into an alleyway and fell to his knees, his forehead on the wall of a house. Elena appeared beside him and inspected him with no results. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Cor? Are you in pain?¡± she asked as she knelt down beside him, seeing him sweating profusely and panting heavily. Cor grabbed his chest and closed his eyes. He started breathing regularly, and it took only a few seconds before his state returned to normal. ¡°Haah- shit. I don¡¯t know what happened, but it felt as if there was a huge ball in my body, which wanted to explode. I thought I¡¯d die this time, literally.¡± He wiped the sides of his mouth and stood up. ¡°Are you alright now?¡± Dred asked. ¡°Mhm. Can you dry me?¡± Nodding his head, Dred used Wind and Fire Magic to quickly dry his body and clothes. ¡°Have this ever happened to you before? Don¡¯t lie, I command you,¡± Elena asked with furrowed brows. ¡°Heh, I wouldn¡¯t lie anyway, but no. This is the first time something like this happened.¡± ¡°Strange¡­ I wonder if it has something to do with your memories or if it¡¯s something¡­ deeper,¡± she muttered to herself with a thoughtful face. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I hope that this won¡¯t happen ever again,¡± Cor shook his head as he walked towards the streets. ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s check a few more places. We should gather some info about the city lord and the local places and clean up the trash. We might find somebody who has an idea about your state as well,¡± Elena said and followed Cor. ---------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 26.3 - Mark of the Wild ¡°Hey, hey. Have you heard the rumours? I heard that one of the Rings were in a nearby area,¡± a huge, muscular, blue-skinned guy whispered before downing a mug of beer. ¡°You should drink slower¡­ you¡¯ll drown once. And why the hell do you bother with rumours of these kinds? Hell, the remaining rings had been seen by thousands of people already, but neither of those people said the truth. You should know better than to believe in these stupid rumours. As if you would ever get your hand on one of the Rings of Calamity,¡± another guy with similar looks, but shorter, shook his head scornfully. ¡°You little¡­ Why can¡¯t I believe in something? Then sit on your ass and wait for something good to happen, while I gather a team and check out the location. But this time, I heard this from one of the City Lord¡¯s guards! It isn¡¯t a fraud this time, I¡¯m sure! And it¡¯s said to be the Ring of Lightning, one of the most valuable ones!¡± the muscular guy slapped his hand on the table as he stood up and left the pub. ¡°Heh, idiot. Even if it was true, somebody would kill you before you could even touch the ring,¡± the short guy scorned in a low voice before downing his beer. Elena and her friends sat in the corner and ate their meals in silence, but the duo¡¯s conversation caught their interest. ¡°What do you think? Should we check out this rumour?¡± Elena asked with her Whisperings. ¡°Hmm- the other guy didn¡¯t seem to believe him and it seems like rumours like these spread around quite often. But if the City Lord too is interested in it, then we should check it out. If nothing else, we could meet him and possibly the Darkling that terrorizes people at nighttime,¡± Dred replied. ¡°Alright,¡± she muttered. They spent two more days in the city, gathering information. They also met the muscular guy they saw in one of the local restaurants and after questioning him, they found out more about the location too. Although he wanted to invite them as helpers, Elena refused him politely. ¡°I thank you for your help, but I have to refuse your offer.¡± ¡°Why would ya? Don¡¯t tell me that you plan to go without me when I told you where to go?¡± Fing, the blue-skinned J?tunn asked. They were a physical attributed race, but they often excelled in Wind and Water Magic too. Elena didn¡¯t know yet that they were also an outspoken and brutish race. ¡°I have my team, so I do,¡± Elena put her hands on her hips. ¡°Hmm, wide hips and slim waist. You are quite strong too, perfect for breeding,¡± Fing muttered to himself while gazing at Elena¡¯s body. Raising his head, he picked up on her words, ¡°Can¡¯t I go with you then? If the city lord really wanted to get it, you won¡¯t stand a chance alone. The more of us goes, the higher our chances to get the ring will be.¡± ¡°You shameless bastard, you even dare to speak after saying those kinds of things loudly?¡± Audrey flared upon hearing him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Fing raised a brow. ¡°Dred, should we just ignore it? Maybe it¡¯s just a thing for their race¡­¡± Elena asked, feeling lost at what to think. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a J?tunn, but I don¡¯t think that we should think about it a lot, though I¡¯m a bit annoyed by it.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t even say it. I¡¯ll just ignore it,¡± Elena thought before saying loudly, ¡°Leave it be, Audrey.¡± ¡°Fine. But you shouldn¡¯t say these kinds of things so openly or you will get yourself killed in the future,¡± Audrey grumbled. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ve never heard any woman complain because of it. But they always made similar faces compared to yours. Ah! Maybe your words are true! My father also told me that I should talk less when I last saw him,¡± Fing said with a sign of realization on his face. Covering her face, Audrey shook her head as she whispered, ¡°This idiot¡­¡± ¡°I heard you! So will you take me in?¡± ¡°No.¡± All five of them said at the same time. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong with you? Is this some kind of plot against me?¡± ¡°We met just now, how could we plot against you? You are just stupid¡­¡± Audrey struck again. ¡°H-hey, have mercy on him. I¡¯m starting to feel sorry for this poor guy,¡± Jake soothed her. ¡°Muh, fine. Can we go already? I don¡¯t even understand how are you still alive if you are this stupid,¡± Audrey raged on as she walked away. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into her?¡± Elena asked. ¡°Maybe she gets annoyed by stupidity? I don¡¯t know,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders and went after their friends. ¡°Why am I the stupid one? You are really cruel to me!¡± Fing exclaimed, visibly hurt by their words. ¡°Haah- Just ignore them. But I advise you to think a bit more before doing something. If you think about it, this may be a once in a lifetime chance for you to get that ring. If you tell about it to more people, your chance will decrease. I don¡¯t know where you heard about it, but maybe you could have got it yourself if you hadn¡¯t run your mouth. And telling women that they are good for breeding isn¡¯t something you should do and especially not the first time you meet. That¡¯s all, and be well.¡± Her goodbye turned into whisperings in Fing¡¯s ears as Elena¡¯s shape turned into black smoke and disappeared. He looked around with a surprised face, but couldn¡¯t catch their signs even after using Sense. ¡°This is the first time somebody talked so openly with me. Hah, and they even badmouthed me! I can¡¯t believe it! I really shouldn¡¯t smile, I probably look like a fool¡­¡± he talked to himself. ¡°Virgo, let¡¯s go back to my father! I want to tell him that I found a few interesting people! One in a restaurant and a group on the streets! The world is really quite interesting!¡± as he said those words, a long, pink haired elf appeared beside him and bowed her head. ¡°As you wish, my prince.¡± Two butterfly-like wings unfolded behind her back and she grabbed Fing¡¯s hand. ¡°By the way, what do you think about them? They seemed rather strong to me,¡± Fing asked as Virgo flew into the air, towards the capital city of Alof Kingdom. ¡°Their levels should be around the upper half of three hundred, but their strength may go beyond it. They were indeed very talented.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®should be¡¯? Did you not inspect them?¡± ¡°I did, but all I saw was an empty, black table, instead of the usual text. They must have some kind of artefact or spell that¡¯s blocking Inspect. Would you like me to get it?¡± ¡°No! I told you that I¡¯m not like my brother. We can ask them about it and if they don¡¯t wish to speak about it, they won¡¯t. I¡¯m not the kind of person to kill them randomly for some possible treasure. That black haired beauty, Elena. She even went as far as to teach me a few things. Nobody told me what was wrong with my style up till now and women always left me with frowns on their faces. Why did you not tell this to me before even though I asked?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°M-My lord, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not allowed to critique you. I¡¯m just a servant in the palace, your personal guard. Nothing more.¡± ¡°See? This is why I keep going out of the palace. All of you are like this because of my father. I¡¯ve sworn that one day I¡¯ll make you all friendly with me and I need to meet travellers who don¡¯t know my origins to do that. You will see and understand that I don¡¯t care about my title as the second prince of Alof! Hopefully, you won¡¯t be so thick-headed to keep up your current behaviour!¡± Fing grumbled unhappily. ¡°Haah- Maybe I can call you Fing, but only when we are alone!¡± Virgo said strictly. ¡°Yes! That much is fine!¡± Fing shouted happily. ¡°Seriously, you are always causing troubles for me,¡± Virgo sighed loudly and sped up. ¡°Tomorrow we should go to the dungeon or somebody might get ahead of us.I hope that I can count on you.¡± ¡°Of course, Master.¡± ¡°Call me Fing!¡± ¡°...¡± --- Elena and her friends booked two rooms in an Inn. Elena and Dred stayed in one room, while the others again in one room. Elena and Dred took a shower together and got in bed quickly. Dred laid on his right side, his back against the wall and Elena in his arms. ¡°Haah- it¡¯s so fucking cold outside, damn it! Can¡¯t they make this Inn warm?¡± Elena shivered as she crept really close to Dred and covered her body with their blanket. ¡°You¡¯ll be warm soon enough,¡± Dred whispered into her ear from behind and coiled his arms around her waist. He gave a kiss on the back of her head and closed his eyes. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s really much better. But it¡¯s poking me¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help it when you get so close to me.¡± ¡°Mhm, pervert.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m a Demon, it comes naturally and I¡¯m also hugging the person I love the most, can you really blame me?¡± Dred asked as he inched closer and kissed the tip of her ear and slowly moved towards her neck. ¡°No~ Argh, stop it, damn it. It tickles,¡± Elena tried to escape, but Dred held her back. ¡°Hahaha, stop it, the others are just a room away!¡± she sat up, showing her bare chest. ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with puppy eyes, it¡¯s not gonna work.¡± ¡°Yeah? Then what¡¯s this?¡± Dred asked as he reached towards her lower half. ¡°Mh- You bastard. I¡¯ll punish you this time!¡± ¡°Like always, yeah? Just keep your voice down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try~¡± --- The next day Elena woke up to knocks on the door, but by the time she opened her eyes, she saw Audrey standing in the door. ¡°Wake up, sleepy head. We are running late! And cover yourself¡­ you look like a mess,¡± she said as she shut the door. ¡°Good morning to you too¡­ This is your fault, I told you that we shouldn¡¯t do it,¡± she elbowed Dred in the stomach. ¡°Ugh. You are a woman in the heart. It¡¯s not like I did it alone, you were in it too so it can¡¯t be just my fault.¡± ¡°It is!¡± She got out of bed and quickly dressed up. By the time she combed her hair, Dred too was standing behind her, ready to go. They quickly had breakfast and then flew towards the northern side of Alof. Luckily they didn¡¯t have to travel for long as the dungeon was only a hundred kilometers away from the city and since all of them were able to transform into Wyverns by now, they proceeded much quicker than before. The whole travel took only half an hour. The snow-covered landscape below them slowly turned into a barren land where not even monster could be found. Large craters filled the ground with no more than ten meters among them. In the middle of the craters, the earth seemed to be charred black. Blue bolts of lightning flickered in the dark grey clouds above the area, threatening to fall down any moment. Cor reverted to his true form and jumped onto Jake¡¯s back. All four them created lightning attributed shields around their bodies, right before a lightning struck Audrey. But thanks to the lightning shield, it just passed through and entered the ground without hurting anyone. They soon reached the entrance of the dungeon where bolts of lightning struck the ground every moment, causing the ground to explode from the power of the lighting. There was a large hole in the ground that led underground. Everyone flew into that hole and was met with complete darkness. But dark blue lights soon lit up the cave because there were strange transparent cubes in the walls with bolts of lightning flickering in them. As the size of the large tunnel continued to decrease, they landed on the ground and reverted to their original forms. It didn¡¯t take long before they reached a spacious chamber where a few groups of people stood. Audrey was the first to spot Fing in the crowd, while Elena¡¯s eyes caught a plain looking young boy, who stood beside a Darkling. He had short black hair, brown slit eyes, and he was two hundred and twenty centimeters tall. Inspect.
Name: Culxur Race: Demon
Level: 435 Threat Level: 8
Race: Darkling Rarity: Rare
Level: 426 Threat Level: 8
The Darkling looked very similar to Elena¡¯s Shadow Form. It looked like a swirling mass of black liquid, but they usually had claws, wings, and gaping jaws. Although their claws couldn¡¯t cut, they were able to devour and make their targets rot upon contact. Very similar to Elena¡¯s Devour, except for the fact that Darklings were a lower ranked race and had weaker Devour. And unlike Elena, they couldn¡¯t use it unless touching their target. But they were still a generally fearsome race and physical attacks didn¡¯t really work on them. And if somebody didn¡¯t know this, they usually had a bad end very soon when fighting this kind of monster. ¡°Is that boy the city lord? He is really young and how did he tame an unruly monster like the Darkling?¡± Elena pondered. ¡°Maybe he found some treasure or has some kind of mind-controlling spell. You can find out if you devour him and steal his spell,¡± Dred replied with a chuckle. ¡°As if that would be so easy. We had spent most of our time training Cor and we are only at the three hundred and ninetieth level. Taking a single blow from him would be dangerous. But at least we can ignore the Darkling. Its attacks won¡¯t have any effects on us.¡± ¡°And is that true when it comes to us too?¡± Jake asked with a concerned voice. After all, they were only Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s servants and were a different race. ¡°Since you have our blood, its attacks should be ineffective on you, but take caution if we have to fight, just in case,¡± Dred replied, while Elena kept eyeing the crowd. ¡°Great¡­¡± Everyone in the crowd eyed the other suspiciously, and even some of the groups and teams looked at their own partners suspiciously. They all came for the same thing and only one person could have it. But since its existence wasn¡¯t sure, nobody wanted to start a battle. The dungeon opened its gate every week and allowed entrance for death-seeking people. Unlike on Kriton, where only new dungeons were found, the old ones were very dangerous. But anyone owning the Ring of Lightning, the Fourth Ring of Calamity, would enjoy the Dragon Emperor¡¯s protection and would turn into an important person. No one in their right mind wanted to give up on a possibility like that. ¡°Oi! Hey, you lot! So you have come, hahaha!¡± Fing ran towards Elena and co. upon noticing them. Elena and Dred furrowed their brows as a sense of dread filled their hearts. ¡°Can you feel it?¡± Elena asked. ¡°Mhm. I don¡¯t know why, but my instincts are telling me that something bad is about to happen.¡± ¡°Yeah, and the worst is that its cause isn¡¯t in here. It¡¯s something else¡­¡± ¡°And would you guys really give up on a chance like this? No risk, no reward!¡± Cor interrupted their thoughts as he slapped their backs. ¡°Damn it, Cor. Can¡¯t you behave?¡± Elena cursed loudly. ¡°Hahaha, but you are cute when you are angry. Right, Dred?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that can I?¡± he shrugged his shoulders as a reply. ¡°Aren¡¯t you all excited?¡± Fing asked as he reached them and stopped in front of them. ¡°We are¡­¡± Elena said with a smile, while Dred finished her thoughts, worried. ¡°Good to hear,¡± Audrey thought as she shook her head. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 27.1 - Captured in numerous ways Captured in numerous ways ¡°Inhe! Hurry up already. You look good, just don¡¯t make our god wait¡­¡± I shouted. She came out of her room combing her long, blonde hair, her golden eyes looking at me. ¡°You might say that, but I¡¯m a dragon. How could I disgrace our race by appearing like a homeless?¡± she furrowed her brows. ¡°Haah- you are overthinking it, you are pretty anyway,¡± I shook my head as my eyes ran down on her petite and sexy body. If only you had a better personality, maybe I¡¯d be more interested in you¡­ ¡°Why would you shake your head? You are disgraceful enough, but at least you are strong,¡± she replied as she walked past me, swaying her hips. It¡¯s starting¡­ Now I can listen to her ranting the whole day, I thought. Our race was one of the mightiest ones since we both excelled in physical battle and magical battle. There were only two Legendary ranked races who were able to pick a fight with us, one of them the Phoenixes, the other the Hydras. Regenerating bastards¡­ But each of these unique and rare species had different rankings. Third-class dragons, hydras, and other similar creatures were the weakest among these unique races. Then came the second-class, and first-class. I was a first-class dragon, which was quite rare. Inhe, the girl in front of me was similarly a first-class dragon, but she was weaker than me. The only reason why she hasn¡¯t beaten me to the death for disobeying her and keeping my ¡®untidy¡¯ look. If anyone touched her, they¡¯d get themselves killed and she¡¯d take a shower. She is so stupid, I shook my head and waited for her to finally wear her dragon-scale armour. Although I was a first-class dragon, there was one kind of dragon that was stronger and it was also the rarest one. Each of these unique races had one ruler and ours was called Dragon God. They were able to control the lesser dragons like me, and Inhe. The stronger we were, the more likely it was that we could disobey the Dragon God¡¯s command, though none of us would dare to do something like that. Not like I or anyone else had it hard. There could be only one of these creatures in the universe at the same time and if they died, they would reincarnate, bearing the memories of their predecessors. Serving this kind of mighty creature was the best thing. When Padinyss appeared and took the throne as the true ruler of this world, I was still a little dragon. We all flocked to him like birds and joined his forces. Hehe, nice memories. We beat up everyone who dared to fight against our race and created an order with sheer force. Now we are the ruling race on the continent and nobody dares to question us. ¡°Stop looking like an idiot. You are a true disgrace. I trained the other dragons to become obedient, but you are so unruly. Why can¡¯t you be graceful like me?¡± Inhe interrupted my reminiscence. ¡°Haah- you are so tiring. Let¡¯s go already. Padinyss told us to check whether the rumour about the Ring of Lightning was true or not. If you keep lazing around, somebody will get it. How will you explain why we couldn¡¯t get the ring to him?¡± Hearing my words, her eyes opened wide and she quickly wore her armour. Not caring about paying to the Innkeeper, she jumped out the window and turned into a dragon in the middle of the city. Her wingspan was twenty meters long, so she naturally knocked down a few building nearby. Ignoring the damage she caused, she bolted off into the air, while I was left standing there like an idiot. I so fucking hate going anywhere with her. Why does she have to break everything? People surely hate dragons, and it¡¯s all because of her¡­ but most of us aren¡¯t even like her! This is injustice! Rubbing my eyes, I snapped my fingers and reverted the damage caused by her. The city once again looked like a moment ago. I quickly went down to the Innkeeper and gave him one gold coin, and then went after Inhe. I spread my golden wings in the air, and my scales reflected the light of the sun. Ah~ my race is the best. Oh¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be like this. Damned Inhe is filling my mind with bullshit, I cursed in my mind, remembering the past. I may be a first-class dragon, and Padinyss may be a dragon god, but just like I, he too knows that there are stranger creatures in the universe. A few minutes later, I caught sight of Inhe¡¯s purple scale-covered body. She flapped her wings quickly, trying to race against me, but I still caught up with her in no time. Hahaha, you are quite cute when you are trying hard to beat me, I laughed in my mind, knowing that she felt embarrassed by her loss. ¡°Ekrok¡­ could you teach me how to be as quick as you? Our physical strength isn¡¯t that different, but you are still much quicker than me. What is your secret?¡± Inhe asked with a small stutter, visibly very embarrassed. Huh? She asked for help? SHE of all people? I never thought something like this would happen. Have she had enough of losing against me? But I¡¯m not going to help you. If you learned my muscle technique and turned as quick as me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat you. And you would command me around just like the other poor dragons. No way in hell I¡¯d want something like that to happen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not going to tell you. I wish to stay the second strongest dragon in the world, so I can¡¯t teach you,¡± I replied bluntly. ¡°Tsk, fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand,¡± I said, probably annoying her even further. She always got what she wanted since she also served Padinyss whenever he called for her. And so, she was in his favour and if she wanted something, Padinyss would get it for her. If not for being my best friend, I¡¯m sure that Padinyss would command me to teach Inhe when she started to plead for him. That¡¯s how she learned the spells and skills of the other dragons in the capital city and turned into an all-rounder. She has too many skills at her disposal, but that¡¯s her true weakness. Jack of all trades, huh. And you even got lucky enough to find Divine Blood in a dungeon and turn into a first-class dragon. Or maybe it was Padinyss who gave it to you? I wondered while looking at her.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Maybe I¡¯ll ask Padinyss how Inhe turned into a first-class dragon. Before I could think further, I felt a connection forming between me and Padinyss. ¡°You hear me?¡± his masculine voice resounded in my head. ¡°Crystal clear. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Have you reached the ring yet? Is Inhe there?¡± ¡°She is. She was wasting time with dressing up and bathing again¡­¡± ¡°A- haha. It¡¯s fine. I have some news, which I¡¯m not happy about. You know there was another planet not so far away, which didn¡¯t have Mana in its atmosphere. Probably because of Reinald¡¯s rings.¡± ¡°I know, how could I forget it? He was a fearsome opponent¡­¡± I replied as a shudder ran through my body. The long scar on my chest was caused by him. It was just a side effect of his strange spell, yet I almost died that day. ¡°The same planet was filled up with Mana about a year ago, which was truly strange. I didn¡¯t think much about it and I didn¡¯t really care either. But here comes the problem. The same planet fell apart and exploded today.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought about it for a long time and I¡¯m afraid, the hunter has been born once again. Young planets like this one shouldn¡¯t disappear randomly and the fact that Mana appeared on it, even though it shouldn¡¯t have been possible¡­ These are all signs of the birth of a Devourer. The planet they are born on will always fall, but it¡¯s all to cause enough chaos and disorder among the inhabitants so that nobody would notice its presence and it could grow up safely.¡± ¡°Once they amassed some strength, they mature and their racial skills and spells reach the max level, it will be very hard to find them and kill them. And if we want to stay alive, we better take care of the Devourer quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very serious matter,¡± I replied, feeling dread even in the deepest bits of my body. If there are really matured devourers walking around freely, we¡¯d best find them as soon as possible and liquidate them. ¡°Indeed. What makes it all the stranger is that quite a lot of humans appeared at the same time on the borders of the continent. It happened in a small kingdom. I told my servants to gather some information on it. For now, get the ring and then return to me. I¡¯ll tell you the details when you are back, and then you should go and investigate that small kingdom. They may know something about the devourer. You can use whatever you want to get the information we need.¡± ¡°Understood. But I don¡¯t think those ants would dare to disobey us,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Indeed. But don¡¯t forget that Reinald too came from a place like that. What was that kingdom called again? I forgot it. Well, whatever. Now hurry up. This matter is really pressing,¡± Padinyss said before breaking the connection between us. He had a small orb which he used to see things we couldn¡¯t even imagine was possible. He was able to connect and talk with anyone with the help of that orb. He called it Dragon¡¯s Orb, but he probably got it from a dungeon since its true name was the Orb of the Seers. ¡°Were you talking with his majesty?¡± Inhe asked. ¡°Mhm. We have a quite serious problem, so you better hurry up. It¡¯s even more important that the rings.¡± ¡°How would anything be more important than the key to the world?¡± she asked with wonder, not believing me. ¡°Well, if our lives aren¡¯t more important to you, then I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Hearing my words, her draconic eyes turned deadly serious. She knew I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this. Nobody wanted to die, and it was even truer when we fought so much to get where we are. It would be terrible if a self-proclaimed evil creature would come and take it all away, wouldn¡¯t it? We spent the rest of the travel in silence until we saw a field, filled with bolts of lightning. The ground was filled with craters and the earth was charred black at a few places. ¡°We are here, the Lightning Dungeon of Drydale city,¡± I said as a bolt of lightning struck my back. Ahh~ this felt so warm and fuzzy. Maybe when everything is done, I¡¯ll come here with my lover and take a bath! How enjoyable would that be? Hehe, and I could play around with her, my mind wandered off in excitement. ¡°These small shocks feel so good to my body. They are so warm and make me feel fuzzy! I wonder if it makes my skin smoother,¡± Inhe murmured to herself, feeling the same sensation. Noticing the hole in the ground, we flew into it, though we had to revert to our humanoid form as soon as we entered because our bodies were way too big. It still didn¡¯t take more than a second to reach a cave, but unfortunately, it was opened already. ¡°There are presences inside,¡± Inhe furrowed her brows as her pointy ears twitched. ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s hurry up. Hopefully, nobody will take the ring before us, in case it¡¯s really here.¡± ¡°It must be here. It was his majesty who told us, after all,¡± Inhe said while walking towards the entrance. ¡°Mhm. His Orb can make wonders. But what worries me is that he can see only events that can cause his demise. That¡¯s why the Orb is an Epic ranked item. If he learned about the whereabouts of the ring from the orb¡­¡± Inhe¡¯s eyes opened wide as she picked up on my thoughts, ¡°then this event could be a potential danger to his life.¡± Nodding my head, I quickly rushed into the dungeon. --- A few weeks after Elena left the city, humans started appearing and checking in, in the nearest city. Derrel too came from another planet, so a slight increase of the usual number wasn¡¯t surprising. But it happened two weeks later that groups of humans started appearing, which was much more surprising. Most of the people on Kriton didn¡¯t even know Elena and those who did, couldn¡¯t say anything. But none of those people knew that their planet died because of Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s birth. When Bethor held a conference and gathered the strange newcomers, who knew how to use every element, he learned that they came from a planet called Kriton, which was dying. He also learned that the newcomers didn¡¯t know about Mana before a strange event happened. Thanks to his lack of knowledge, he didn¡¯t know what these things meant, so he happily accepted the humans and provided them with houses, or the stronger ones with territories. Although the newcomer¡¯s customs and behaviour were a bit different compared to theirs, Bethor knew they would slowly integrate and turn into useful members of his Kingdom. They were free workforce in his eyes. He happily looked towards the future, ignorant of what was coming his way. ----------------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 27.2 - Captured in numerous ways ¡°Why the long face?¡± Fing asked as he patted Elena¡¯s shoulders, accidentally pushing her with a bit more strength than necessary. Elena stepped back one before standing up straight, her brows twitching. Seeing that she didn¡¯t like his way of showing his liking, Fing asked, ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying when somebody you met a day ago comes to you and pats your shoulders, almost knocking you over, don¡¯t you think? No, I¡¯m pretty sure that I¡¯d be annoyed even if it was one of my friends who did this¡­¡± Elena replied, slightly forgetting about her bad feeling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t intend to use too much strength. Like this-¡± Fing was about to show it, but Dred grabbed his wrist this time. Leaning closer, he whispered into his ear, ¡°I can see that you are really bad at this, but you should be gentler with women. Maybe it¡¯s fine when you are with men, but I¡¯m sure that any woman would be annoyed by you. Just stop it¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Thank you, my friend!¡± Fing shouted as he raised up his hands, flipping Dred into the air too since he was holding his wrist. Dred landed on the ground on his feet and at the same time, the twenty meters tall stone-like doors of the dungeon started creaking and slowly opening. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Elena mumbled and ran into the dungeon with her friends, ignoring that bad feeling. Poor Fing was left behind with a dumbfounded face. ¡°Shit! If I want the ring, I need to hurry up too! Virgo, let¡¯s go!¡± he shouted and the pink haired elf appeared beside him once again. --- Elena and her friends ran through a hundred meters long corridor, along with the other twenty groups that came here. At the end of it, it split into exactly twenty passageways and each group took one. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the rightmost,¡± Dred thought. Only one person fit comfortably into the passageway, so they had to run behind each other in a line. The path soon turned into a simple room, which was filled with thirty lightning elementals. They didn¡¯t have legs, only upper bodies and arms, and their bodies were made up of lightning. Even touching them was dangerous.
Race: Lightning Elemental Rarity: Common
Level: 410 Threat Level: 2
¡°Well, we can¡¯t use our weapons, I guess. Gotta use Magic,¡± Elena commented as she grabbed the hem of Cor¡¯s clothes and threw him towards the elementals. ¡°Fuck you!¡± he cursed loudly. While still in the air, he activated his armoured form and crashed into two elementals. They tried to kill him with electricity, but since it wasn¡¯t strong enough to burn his nerves, organs, or even his hardened bone-like shell, he just absorbed all of it. ¡°Pull in as many of them as you can~¡± Elena mused with a smile on her face. Cor started punching the elementals and drew their attention to himself. He ran to the middle of the room and most of the elementals followed him. His ¡®masters¡¯ and friends were standing on the sideline, watching him without doing anything. ¡°You are all useless! Hear me?¡± ¡°Crystal clear. Two of them are coming our way, you left them. Come and get them,¡± Elena said with a chuckle. Cor shook his head but still did as told. When finally all of them were in a single pile, trying to shock Cor to the death with lightning strikes and by touching him continuously, Audrey focused and an Earth Elemental formed beside her. Breathing out long, she closed her eyes and created four tons of dirt above the elementals. Elena appeared behind Cor and pushed him towards the side of the room, while the earth fell towards the ground. She turned into her shadow form and slipped out without any trouble. Since the elementals¡¯ strength was in their ranged attacks and numbers, they couldn¡¯t do anything against the falling dirt. Their bodies simply faded away as if they never existed, and only a simple scroll on the top of the earth was all they left behind. Dred took a quick look and found out that it was a lightning-related spell. Not something they needed, but he still stored it since they could use it or sell it in the future. For normal people, it could be worth much more than a good armour or a blade. ¡°Let¡¯s move on, time is pressing,¡± Dred said as he quickly ran through the hidden door that appeared after the elementals¡¯ death. The next moment, they found themselves in a small paradise. There was earth below their feet, not just the cold stone floor of the dungeon, and trees filled the room. ¡°It¡¯s at least ten square kilometers big,¡± Jake commented while looking at the ceiling and the walls. All of them were sky-blue and even the sun could be found on the ceiling. Strangely enough, it radiated some light as well. Just as the door closed behind them, ¡°I found something!¡± Audrey shouted from a few meters away when she stumbled across a small table. Taking a closer look, it read, ¡°Kill the other three groups in this room. Only one group can get ahead or all of you will die here old.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not promising¡­¡± she shook her head. ¡°Hmm- we have the advantage of being the first. Let¡¯s set up a few traps quickly and then hide. We will hide until the very end and let them brawl it out. If they are too strong, then even when they finished killing each other, don¡¯t attack. Just wait silently for our preys to get freaked out and attack when you see that their minds are weak. I¡¯ll get ready with Ekilsta too until then,¡± Elena quickly said. Audrey laid out a few elemental traps and if stepped on, they would blow up, shock them, and call forth other smaller elemental attacks. Since they were quite weak, it didn¡¯t take a lot of time to set up, but all of them could be life-saving or even a deadly piece of surprise. Audrey was about to lay down one more trap when she heard footsteps.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°They are here,¡± she notified the others through Elena¡¯s spell and activated her shadow form to hide in the shadow of a tree. ¡°Alright. We will wait it out. Most of them are too strong for us, so we don¡¯t have a good chance in a face to face battle,¡± Elena replied. --- ¡°Hmm, so we have to kill the others, but there is nobody besides us,¡± a short blonde haired woman said in a low voice. Her Sense ran through the whole room, but she still couldn¡¯t catch anyone¡¯s presence. ¡°Let¡¯s set up a few traps! They will surely come,¡± her brother said. ¡°Shh- you are too loud, idiot. Amy, help us quickly,¡± the blonde haired girl rebuked him and then urged her friend. But before they could do anything of the sort, they sensed another group enter the room from another passage, that opened only a moment before they entered. There was another man with the trio, who met them in a restaurant and joined them. Since both groups sensed each other, they didn¡¯t try to hide and ran towards each other. The stranger and the blonde haired girl were in the front, while her friend and his brother stood in the back. Two groups started fighting and when the third one appeared, they stayed further away, waiting for one of the groups to die, ignorant of the threat that was stalking them. But of course, the other two groups weren¡¯t stupid either. ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s kill them at first, then we can brawl it out!¡± The blonde haired girl shouted. She put her hand on the blunt side of her katana and pressed it against the incoming slicing of her opponent. ¡°Nice deflecting. Captain, what do you say?¡± the black haired man said. ¡°I agree with you. Whoever wins will just get themselves killed this way. Why not take care of the other group?¡± the captain of their group replied, already planning to backstab his newfound allies. ¡°Great! Then let¡¯s go!¡± The blonde haired girl said, planning ahead as well. The third group was more than surprised when eight people rushed them, while they were only five-man-strong. With their combined forces, they easily took care of the group, but both the ¡®captain¡¯, and the blonde haired girl attacked another member of the group, instead of finishing the last person from the third group, confusing everyone. The blonde haired girl killed one of the other groups¡¯ member, while their captain killed her friend. Keeping her composure, she held back her rage and attacked another person, while her brother covered her back. But at the same time, the stranger that joined them stabbed her brother in the back, while the black haired boy she fought before did the same and then joined up with the stranger. ¡°YOU FUCKERS!¡± the blonde haired girl shouted as she turned around and jumped towards the traitors, followed by the captain of the other group. ¡°Were you planning this from the beginning?¡± she questioned, but never got a reply. ¡°Careful, we still don¡¯t know if there is another group,¡± the black haired man said in a low voice, but at that moment, he felt a strange feeling fill up his mind. I can¡¯t move! By the time he felt his senses return, all he saw was his own body and a huge black panther standing behind him. Then everything faded into darkness. Dred looked up, seeing that the others succeeded as well, except for Cor. The five of them joined up and quickly killed the remaining people together. Wiping her hands on the bark of a tree, Elena smiled, ¡°Well, that¡¯s how you take care of stronger opponents. Without a scratch!¡± ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯ve wasted enough time already,¡± Audrey shooed her towards the hole that appeared in the middle of the room. The hole slowly started swirling and enlarging. ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯m not going to jump into a hole without knowing what¡¯s on the other side,¡± she replied, and carefully crept closer to the edge. ¡°It¡¯s so dark! Why can¡¯t I see? My eyes should be able to see¡­¡± she muttered. Two hands touched her back and pushed her forward. Turning around in the air, she saw Audrey behind her back. ¡°Fuck you! Come with me!¡± she shouted back as two vines shot towards Audrey and latched onto her ankles, dragging her down. Elena landed on her asses with a loud thump, while Audrey fell right on her. Dred¡¯s team of three followed after but on their feet. Audrey sat up, holding her forehead. What¡¯s this? It¡¯s soft, she thought as she looked down and found Elena¡¯s breasts under her palms. ¡°You little cheeky bastard. You¡¯ve been screwing with me a lot nowadays. I¡¯ll be sure to punish you when we get out of here,¡± Elena raised her voice. Squatting down beside them, Dred poked Elena¡¯s breasts and looked into Audrey¡¯s eyes, ¡°Those are mine. Could you let go of them?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so silly,¡± Audrey laughed as she stood up and pulled up Elena from the ground. She stepped ahead and stopped beside Jake and Cor. ¡°You alright?¡± Dred asked. ¡°Mhm. What¡¯s this place?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s quite dangerous,¡± Dred replied. There were two narrow pathways, barely enough for one person. They were standing on a circular part and they could go both to the left or to the right side of the chasm that separated the pathways. The ceiling was only three meters above their heads. Opposite of that, the chasm seemed to have no ceiling as only eternal darkness welcome those who looked up, but nobody would be stupid enough to fly even if they had enough space left because bolts of lightning flickered in the abyss between the pathways continuously. ¡°This is¡­ beautiful,¡± Elena muttered those words. ¡°Huh? I¡¯d call it fearsome, not beautiful¡± Audrey shook her head. ¡°Hmm- it is fearsome, but it¡¯s still beautiful. Look how it¡¯s flickering and lighting up this darkness. It¡¯s also blocking my sight since my eyes can¡¯t get used to the sudden change of light and darkness. I could see much further if I focused on controlling my eyes, but it would be a bother,¡± Elena replied. ¡°Lazy girl, I¡¯ll do it in that case. But then watch our backs, just in case,¡± Dred knocked on the back of her head. ¡°Ouh~ Okay.¡± He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, they literally shone in the darkness. ¡°There are turns on these pathways,¡± he said as he started walking, while Elena stayed at the back of the group. They walked in a line behind each other for a few hundred meters when the path started turning to the right. ¡°Someone is ahead of us. No, they are¡­ three people,¡± Dred raised his voice and picked up his pace. As the turn came to an end, he saw the back of three people, who were walking on the other side of the chasm. Upon noticing each other, both sides started running to get ahead of the other. At the same time, the ground started shaking and trembling below their feet and parts of the pathway crumbled down and fell into the darkness below them. A blue table popped up in front of everyone, slightly surprising them.
Solve the Problem
The longer you run, the shorter you get. The faster you run, the least you get. The way ahead is closed, it¡¯s only up and down. Where¡¯d you go?
Dred turned his head around as he said, ¡°Will you follow me wherever I go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely,¡± Elena replied quickly as she looked down with a pale face. ¡°Fine, then I command you guys to jump after me,¡± Dred said, meaning their blood servants. He wanted to make sure that neither of them would waste their time. He dived right into the abyss below them and created a lightning shield around their bodies. ---------------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 27.3 - Captured in numerous ways ¡°Hahaha, idiots!¡± The group on the other side laughed, except for one of them. ¡°I- I don¡¯t think that they are idiots. We should jump down too.¡± ¡°Listen, boy, I¡¯ve been to many dungeons before and it happened countless times already. Dungeons threw tables like these in your face and if you followed the ¡®solution¡¯, you usually died. At least, that¡¯s what happened with many of my friends before. I¡¯m an experienced dungeon diver, believe me. It¡¯s very rare that you really have to follow-¡± ¡°Captain! You are turning shorter!¡± the same boy interrupted him with a panicked face. Without waiting for even another second, all of them jumped into the chasm. They tried to use Wind Magic to slow their fall, but their Mana couldn¡¯t leave their bodies. Instead, they slowly started slowing down as they got closer to the ground. But the slowing effect didn¡¯t help them much as they crashed into the stone ground with a loud thump. ¡°A-Argh! Help me!¡± the boy shouted as he raised his hands. His knees shattered and broke into pieces because of the fall. Only their captain stood up and walked the way they came from, but at the bottom of the chasm this time, limping on both of his legs. ¡°Captain! Help us!¡± the boy shouted, followed by the rest of his group. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯d be a burden and I won¡¯t be able to get the ring if you stay with me. Less trouble for me, I won¡¯t have to kill you!¡± he shouted without turning around. Looking at them from afar, Dred furrowed his brows. ¡°Strange. We slowed down completely and landed as if it was only a simple jump, while they barely slowed down. Probably this is what it meant by ¡®the least you get¡¯.¡± ¡°Cor, you can kill him if you want, but we aren¡¯t going to wait,¡± Elena said as she ran the way they came from. Cor looked back and forth unsure of what to do, but he decided to follow his friends. ¡°I¡¯m coming, damn it!¡± ¡°Heh, then it¡¯s fine. I left him a small present anyway. Ekilsta will devour him when he steps into the black puddle,¡± Elena said when he caught up with them. ¡°Is that a new spell or what?¡± Jake asked. ¡°Hmm- I wouldn¡¯t call it a spell. Since I¡¯m the master of the hive mind connecting my body and Ekilsta, I can leave him behind and he can react like an extension of my body. And I can use Devour through my body. Here we can¡¯t cast Magic because we are inside the dungeon. It probably doesn¡¯t allow us. But it will happen inside my body, in a way. So¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I get it now,¡± Jake nodded his head. The moment he said it, he heard a loud scream and a few seconds later Ekilsta returned to Elena¡¯s body. ¡°Just how quick is that thing?¡± Audrey furrowed her brows. ¡°Heh, it travels at the speed of light and it¡¯ll turn even quicker later,¡± Elena said with a smug look on her face. They soon reached the end of the road and saw a hole in the wall in front of them, which had a diameter of five meters. There was a chamber on the other side where Culxur was fighting against a two-meters-long worm. It had a circular mouth filled with sharp teeth, and a bone-like shell covered its body on the outside. It trashed around in the room and moved around with incredible speed. Noticing Elena and her friends from the corner of his eye, he clicked his tongue right before jumping to the side to evade the jaws of the worm. ¡°If we don¡¯t get close, we definitely won¡¯t get the ring,¡± Dred said and then jumped forward with a loud roar and landed on all fours in his bear form. The empty cavern echoed with his voice. The darkling that¡¯s been following Curlux was attacking the worm as well. Each time it touched a spot on the worm, its bone-like shell turned thinner and softer, while at a few places it was already black. ¡°Tsk, focus on the spot on spot on its neck,¡± Curlux commanded the darkling. ¡°We shall join, whoever kills it first will get the rewards~¡± Elena said as she rushed past him and appeared right on top of the worm with her Shadow Step. She used Nature Magic to quickly tie her legs to its back and thrust her daggers into it. The monster screamed in pain as her daggers and her Devour got through its shell and started corroding its flesh. It quickly rotated its body and tried to squash Elena under its back, but she jumped off expecting it. The worm gave out a strange whistle and turned towards Elena when she landed. Earth spikes shot out of the ground below her feet, but Audrey pushed her to the side with a strong gust of wind. At the same time, Dred rammed into the worm¡¯s side and bashed its shell, leaving behind a few cracks where his head hit. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Curlux murmured as he ran past Elena with his darkling behind him. The worm turned its head towards him, not wishing to suffer from another attack, and spat out a mouthful of magma. Curlux held out his hand and shot a huge ball of water towards the magma, turning it into pieces of rocks. Gracefully evading them, he reached the worm and punched its side where Dred did, followed by the devouring touch of his darkling. The monster roared in pain once again when it felt its blood leaving its body. It swung the tip of its tail, trying to wipe away everyone, but Jake and Cor blocked it with their weapons and body respectively. Audrey shot a fireball towards the same spot and it penetrated its body and exploded inside it. The worm¡¯s roar died down and it turned completely silent. ¡°Did we kill it?¡± Cor said with a thoughtful face as he bit into the tip of the worm¡¯s tail. With the help of Minor Devour, he got through its shell and bore his teeth into its flesh without any trouble. ¡°It¡¯s quite tasty!¡± The darkling followed his example and levitated to the side of the worm. Upon contact, the worm started dissolving. ¡°There is nothing¡­¡± Elena furrowed her brows, feeling disheartened. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was worth a try and none of us got hurt,¡± Dred soothed her and sat down beside her. But the worm suddenly started twitching and trembling. Its shell turned transparent, along with its whole insides. A ring with a blue gem appeared in the middle of it and started spinning at a crazy speed. Bolts of lightning recreated the worm¡¯s body, turning it into a weapon. ¡°I suppose we can¡¯t enter its body with a simple lightning barrier?¡± Elena asked Audrey hopefully. ¡°No chance. Those bolts of lightning are way too strong. We would be shocked to the death, but maybe Earth Magic can help unless the lightning simply makes the earth shield explode. We will have to test what happens with a piece of rock!¡± she replied as she shot a ball of earth towards the worm. Before it even reached its body, a lightning struck the earth and caused it to explode. ¡°...Maybe if we focused on keeping it in one piece and used a lot of Mana, it would work. We could wait, but we have to hurry because I have a very bad feeling. Something is coming!¡± Elena thought while looking at Curlux. ¡°Heh, are you afraid little girl?¡± he smirked. ¡°You are quite young yourself, cheeky boy,¡± she replied and ran towards the lightning work, which was fifty levels ahead of her. Clicking his tongue, the Curlux ran towards Elena and blocked her way. Since she wasn¡¯t in ¡®combat¡¯, she was able to use Shadow Step and get behind him. She kicked his back to propel herself towards the worm and push him back at the same time. ¡°Bitch!¡± he cursed at her and quickly ran after her. Right when he caught up, Cor and Jake attacked him from both sides. The darkling rushed to attack Elena, but it simply passed through her body without any damage. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Curlux shouted, surprised to see Elena without any wounds since other people would have rotted by now. He blocked Jake¡¯s blades with his plated gloves and tried to push him away, but he used Blink to evade his hands. Cor bit into his shoulder from behind, cursing him with Necrosis and prevented him from catching up with Elena. ¡°I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!¡± a female voice shook the whole cavern and a blinding golden light covered everything. Elena felt somebody hit her side and she crashed into the wall on the left with a loud bang, breaking even the rock wall.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. At the same time, nobody noticed Dred who snuck behind the lightning worm and covered his body with a thick layer of earth. Audrey helped him from afar by creating thick layers of earth around him. The worm also attacked him, but he got into its body and grabbed the ring. A thick cloud of mist raised into the air, hiding everything. At Elena¡¯s place, Inhe stood with an angered face. ¡°YOU TRASH!¡± she shouted, dispersing the mist cloud. Dred stood with the ring on his finger, in his demon form, Ekrok right in front of him, his hand only a centimeter away from Dred¡¯s. ¡°You were quicker than me, that¡¯s rare¡­¡± Ekrok remarked. ¡°Nah, you were much quicker. I just had a big headstart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you say, but if not for the vine you latched onto my foot, I¡¯d have caught you,¡± Ekrok furrowed his brows as he pulled back his hand and turned around. ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be happy in your place. Your actions will have consequences, I apologise beforehand,¡± Ekrok shook his head as he walked towards the hole in the wall and stopped right there. Fing arrived with Virgo right then and made a surprised face upon seeing a golden-scale-covered, three meters tall man, with short pointy ears and two long horns. Turning to the side, Dred noticed Elena, who fell out of the hole in the wall, unconscious. Gritting his teeth, he ran to her and examined her body. ¡°Damn it, what happened to you? Can you hear me, Elena?¡± he shouted in her mind, but no response came. Touching her body, he felt that a few of her bones were broken, but nothing serious for their standards. Sighing out of relief, he leaned closer and bit his own tongue before kissing her. He forced his blood down her throat and closed his eyes. Inhe appeared behind him and grabbed the back of his head. ¡°You little shit, what are you doing? Being lovey-dovey? I¡¯ll torture both of you for disobeying my command! But since you love her so bad, I¡¯ll go ahead and kill her in front of you!¡± she shouted as she threw him towards another wall. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Dred commanded his friends before crashing into the wall. But he had enough time to transform into his bear form and his thick fur absorbed most of the returning force. He quickly closed his eyes and focused on his blood in Elena¡¯s body and controlled it to spread out and heal her wounds. As his blood reached her brain, she regained her consciousness and opened her eyes. ¡°Huh? Already awake? Great! I can make you look at each other while I torture you!¡± Inhe raged on. ¡°Stop! You can¡¯t kill them, look, the girl too has a ring of calamity,¡± Ekrok shouted. ¡°ARGH! Fuck it!¡± Inhe raised her voice and stomped on the ground. She walked up to Dred and threw him towards Elena. Both of them fell to the ground since they had no way to resist Inhe¡¯s mighty strength. They could have used their Shadow Forms, but they knew that escaping was impossible in this kind of situation and they also knew that these two probably knew of the Devourer race. If they used an obvious spell like Shadow Form, they would be revealed in no time. ¡°You can move, but don¡¯t attack,¡± Elena commanded their companions, seeing that they were frozen in place. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Elena asked Dred. ¡°The best we can do is to make the others stay out of this for now. It¡¯s better if they are free or aren¡¯t related to us. They don¡¯t have a ring of calamity, and I¡¯m afraid this woman would kill them if she found out.¡± ¡°What about the man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m even more worried about him. Maybe he noticed that Audrey covered me. I¡¯m not sure if he knows it or not. But we could play it off as if Jake and Cor were trying to help that woman and obey her command,¡± Dred quickly thought. ¡°Mhm, if the man doesn¡¯t know, it could work. I¡¯ll share your thoughts with the others,¡± Elena said, already doing it. ¡°Hell no! What do you think you are doing!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, what¡¯s going to happen to you?¡± Audrey and Jake shouted in Elena¡¯s mind before she broke the connection, and thanks to her commands, they had no way to disobey her request. ¡°I told them to don¡¯t fuck this up. I hope that I can really trust them with something like this. This shall be their first real test. Abandon us to help us later, hehe,¡± Elena chuckled in her mind. ¡°Yeah, but we have to survive in one piece at first. How are your bones? Can you stand up?¡± ¡°Mhm. I almost finished healing, a minute at most. Thanks dear. It¡¯s great to have you around,¡± Elena thought as a small smile formed on her face. ¡°I love you too, but keep a straight face. We don¡¯t want to annoy her any further. Let¡¯s break this connection or they might notice your Mana around my head.¡± Turning around, Inhe looked at Curlux and the rest of the people present. ¡°You slave, you didn¡¯t even try to stop when I told you to. But you have no ring to save you~¡± Inhe mused with a grin on her face as she walked towards Curlux. ¡°Block her!¡± he commanded the darkling and ran towards the hole in the wall. Ekrok raised his brows, wondering about the man¡¯s ignorance. He even stepped to the side and let him leave the room, while his darkling turned into a black mass and covered Inhe¡¯s body. But thanks to her powerful Magical Resistance, not even as much as a patch of darkness appeared on her scales. ¡°Against creatures like you, I just simply have to diffuse Mana and you will dissolve,¡± she talked to herself as she controlled the Mana in her surroundings, causing the demise of the darkling. The same could be used against Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s Shadow Form, but the weak and low-level humans didn¡¯t know it. She swung her arm and a huge dragon paw flew towards Curlux, made up of nothing but a cluster of Mana. Ekrok stepped back once again and let her attack pass. It obliterated the walls upon contact, along with Curlux. As the energy caught him, his body exploded on the spot and his blood sprayed on the walls and the floor. A few smaller pieces of his broken bones bounced off of the walls and gave out small knocks. ¡°Hahaha, this guy died so hilariously. I haven¡¯t met somebody this weak in a while,¡± Inhe laughed. ¡°What about you lot?¡± she furrowed her brows as she appeared in front of Cor. ¡°Oh? An undead with intelligence? How rare you are! Maybe I¡¯ll take you as a toy.¡± *sniff* ¡°Ah, I better not, you filthy creature. What should I do with you? I wonder~¡± she mused, enjoying that she could order around everyone. ¡°You didn¡¯t move after I said so, did they?¡± she asked Ekrok. He looked at Elena and Dred, and then at Audrey. Shit, he knows it, Dred cursed in his mind. ¡°They didn¡¯t,¡± he sighed loudly. Huh? Why did he not tell it to her? Dred thought confused. ¡°Y-Yeah, we were just trying to stop that man you killed,¡± Audrey said with a small stutter, feeling disgusted inside. Damn it, Elena. Why did you have to command me to act? I can¡¯t even slap this bitch, even though she is right before me. But well¡­ I understand that it¡¯s for survival, she thought. ¡°Indeed, if you don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Call me her highness, Inhe~¡± she interrupted Jake. ¡°If her highness Inhe doesn¡¯t mind it, we three came for the ring originally, I admit. But since her highness said so, we tried to stop the others from getting their hands on it,¡± Jake continued. Fuck me, I feel like puking. ARGH! I¡¯ll definitely beat up Dred if we survive this! ¡°Mhm, mhm. You aren¡¯t too stupid. You may leave now, I won¡¯t hurt you. You too, blueie and you elf, you came after us anyway,¡± she waved her hands and shooed everyone away. Gritting their teeth, everyone left the cavern and found the stairs leading upwards, which appeared after they killed the boss of the dungeon. When passing beside Ekrok, he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t ever try to help your friends. You should appreciate my kindness and the chance you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°What are you whispering there?¡± Inhe furrowed her brows, finding it strange that she couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Did you even use a spell?¡± ¡°Ehehe, it¡¯s men¡¯s thing,¡± Ekrok waved his hand. ¡°Tsk, fine.¡± ¡°Now then, what should I do with you two? You fucked up real bad. How will I face my king now, huh? Maybe if I tell him that we didn¡¯t get here on time¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°See? Had you not taken a shower when you bathed half an hour ago, we would have got here before everyone else,¡± Ekrok rebuked her. ¡°Shut up! Just help me out when we have to report to our king!¡± Inhe raised her voice. ¡°Not gonna happen. You can do it alone and I won¡¯t say a word. But I¡¯m not going to lie to my friend.¡± ¡°Fuck you¡­ but alright.¡± ¡°What a dirty mouth you have, that¡¯s as far as your grace goes, miss perfect¡­¡± Ekrok shook his head. Clenching her fists, Inhe opened and closed her lips but couldn¡¯t say anything back. Appearing in front of Elena and Dred, she looked into their eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be afraid all because you have the rings on your fingers huh? But you are wrong if you think that it¡¯s a good thing. This just means that I can torture you without killing you~¡± As soon as she said it, she grabbed Dred¡¯s fur covered arm and broke it with a simple squeeze. She didn¡¯t know that they were able to completely disable their sense of pain since they were in complete control of their bodies. Dred¡¯s lack of scream and straight face surprised her a lot. ¡°You had a demon body before, transform this instant!¡± Inhe commanded. ¡°Just do it¡­¡± Elena sighed. As Dred transformed, Inhe grabbed his other arm and broke it as well. Her grin froze on her face upon seeing Dred¡¯s lack of reaction for the second time. She tried her hand with Elena as well, having the same result. Her brows twitched as she slapped both of them unconscious and bound their bodies with a powerful spell. ¡°Now they won¡¯t be able to move or use any kind of spell,¡± she muttered as she threw their bodies towards Ekrok. ¡°You carry these bastards.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your underling. I¡¯m stronger than you if my memory serves right,¡± Ekrok furrowed his brows, but still grabbed Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s arms with his left hand. Raising his hand, a huge roaring dragon shot out of his palm, opening a hole right to the surface. Feeling a bit ashamed of her shortcomings, Inhe stayed silent. Both of them grew wings and flew out of the dungeon. Ekrok spotted Jake and the others on the ground. He transformed into his complete dragon form and held Elena and Dred in his paws. Ignoring the flickering lightning, he flew towards the centre, the main capital city, the location of the Dragon King, Novia Deros. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 28.1 - Prisoners or spies? Prisoners or spies? It took two days without stopping to reach the center of the world, the strongest and most powerful Dragon Empire. Despite its name, only the ruling force was made up of dragons, while most of the common inhabitants were a wide variety of the races. Padinyss could have controlled the Mana flow towards his empire only, but he wasn¡¯t so stupid. Alone, he would be destroyed. He rather allied with other powerful kingdoms and changed the whole structure of the planet. In the center were six kingdoms not considering the Darong Empire, and a monster-infested area, called Dead Land. Since Padinyss was the strongest person on the planet, and he was also in control of the Mana flow, nobody dared to pick a fight with him directly, but the rulers of the main kingdoms were able to pressure him a bit. Of course, the lower ranked kingdoms didn¡¯t like the fact that they didn¡¯t have access to as much Mana as they were supposed to because of one person, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. This was because the six ruling kingdoms were in an alliance with the Dragon Empire, and if either of them was attacked or conspired against, the whole center of the world would move to destroy the opposing forces. This meant hundreds of millions of powerful magicians and warriors, something the weaker kingdoms couldn¡¯t pick a fight with, even if united. Knowing they had no way to escape because of the Inhe¡¯s binding spell, that sealed their Mana inside their bodies, Elena and Dred didn¡¯t try to escape and just hung silently between Ekrok¡¯s razor-sharp claws. As they flew over the Silent Storm Ocean to the island of the Dragon Empire, Elena and Dred spotted a few monsters and all of them were above the five hundredth level. ¡°We have arrived at Dragon City!¡± Ekrok raised his voice when a huge city appeared in sight. Brownish blocks made up the towering buildings on the outer parts of the city, and only the center had villas and mansions with large yards. The city was divided into three sections, the outermost being the biggest, the commoners¡¯ district, while the inner one was called the Dragon district, as Ekrok gave a brief introduction to Elena and Dred. ¡°Of course, the innermost district is our king¡¯s and only he and his servants live there. Of course, only the strongest dragons have the chance to serve him as personal guards, like I and Inhe. Though I¡¯m his old friend too,¡± Ekrok explained. ¡°This naming sense¡­ can¡¯t you call it something else which doesn¡¯t have the word dragon in it?¡± Elena asked with ridicule. ¡°You puny rat! How dare you look down on our mighty race?!¡± Inhe roared instantly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this woman? She is akin to a flammable object, shouting and roaring continuously with no will to hold back her emotions. Like an uneducated child. If you ask me, you should learn some self-control because it¡¯s disgraceful to your race if you can¡¯t even do that much. You could take the example of this guy, really,¡± Dred said bluntly, further angering Inhe. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s the first time I heard anyone badmouth you, but he said the truth!¡± Ekrok partook Dred¡¯s side. Looking at Inhe¡¯s paws, Elena felt happy they weren¡¯t in her claws or they would have been crushed already. To show them she too had self-control, she tried to act calm and replied with ¡®calm¡¯ voice, though her wrath was more than obvious. ¡°See? I too can control myself. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t need to. Only weaklings have to feel concerned how they behave!¡± ¡°Pfft- can you even believe what you just said? You clearly don¡¯t, you can¡¯t even lie? How come you are serving the Dragon God? I suppose you are only attending to him at night aren¡¯t doing anything important do you?¡± Elena raised her brows. Steam gushed out of Inhe¡¯s nostrils as she continued her silence. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true only I was told to get the ring and had she not come with me, I¡¯d have got it before you even reached the boss room of the dungeon. It¡¯s a shame, but I can¡¯t do anything at this point. I guess we¡¯ll just have to keep you two alive until all of the rings are collected. The ring bearers have the luck to enjoy his Majesty''s protection and generosity. You¡¯ll be also allowed to enter the third world with his majesty when the time comes,¡± Ekrok explained, enraging Inhe even further. ¡°Are you alright? You seem to be really angry. You should let out more steam or you will explode,¡± Elena said concerned. ¡°AARGH!! SHUT UP YOU FILTHY BITCH! I¡¯LL MURDER THE BOTH OF YOU! AND YOU! YOU TRAITOR OF DRAGONS! I¡¯LL-¡± ¡°You will what?¡± Ekrok laughed at her, making her go silent. ¡°Huh? She was put off quite quickly. That big mouth of hers must be really annoying. I couldn¡¯t imagine a life with a woman like her. She surely causes a lot of headache to his majesty too,¡± Dred mused. Inhe¡¯s arms trembled and her golden scales turned slightly reddish when she heard Dred¡¯s words. She stopped in the air and looked at the ocean. Ignoring her, Ekrok continued to fly. Elena and Dred looked back and saw Inhe discharge a huge dragon head, made up of nothing but Mana. The ocean blew up upon contact and many monsters turned into ashes while a few of them were only mutilated and raised to the top of the water, dead. A fifty meters tall tsunami raised and started moving towards the hundred meters tall, cliff-edged shoreline of the island. The water crashed into the cliffs and then fell down. ¡°What about the coast on the other side? That was a populated territory, right?¡± Elena asked, looking at the tsunami moving towards the other way. ¡°Mhm. It is called the Briton Kingdom, one of the six ruling kingdoms. Although it won¡¯t be a big deal to stop the tsunami, I¡¯m quite sure they won¡¯t be happy to see it. But Inhe will surely shoulder her responsibility!¡± Ekrok raised his voice towards the end. He turned his head around and saw Inhe swing her paws downwards. The tsunami simply died down and the ocean returned to its calm state once again. A minute later, Ekrok landed on the ground in the innermost area, the emperor¡¯s yard. Hmm, he must have a high rank if he can go around freely like this. Well, he did say he was Padinyss¡¯s friend, so it¡¯s understandable, Elena thought. Inhe landed behind them and reverted to her draco-human form. ¡°Let¡¯s go, follow me,¡± Ekrok said as he did the same and started walking through the huge garden, towards the ten meters tall double doors. The guards let them through without any questions, confirming Ekrok¡¯s status in Elena¡¯s mind. They went straight to the throne room but found it empty. Only a servant stood in the door.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Where is Padinyss?¡± Ekrok questioned him. ¡°His majesty is in his private quarters,¡± the servant bowed his head. Ekrok turned around and led the group to another location in the maze-like palace until reaching a strictly guarded place. Scale-covered, two meters and fifty centimeters or even taller humanoids stood in the door. Of course, they were dragons in their humanoid forms. Looking at the one in the back, Elena inspected him.
Name: Balson Race: Hydro-Dragon (Second-class)
Level: 612 Threat Level: 10
Class: Diffusor (Epic) Allegiance: Dragon Kingdom (Padinyss)
Diffusor? What the hell does that class do? At times like these Inspect is useless¡­ I still don¡¯t know what sort of abilities he has. Well, it¡¯s not like there are many people who know every class. To begin with, no sane person would share the specifics of their classes, Elena pondered. Balson bowed down in front of Ekrok as he said, ¡°Master. His Majesty is taking a rest at the moment.¡± He cleared his throat at the end to express his meaning. Clicking his tongue, Ekrok said, ¡°I still need to talk with him. Could you let me through? I¡¯ll make up for it later¡­¡± ¡°Fine¡­ Guards!¡± When everyone stepped to the side, Ekrok knocked on the door. ¡°What do you want, Ekrok?¡± a majestic voice returned. ¡°I¡¯ve returned with the ring, though not how I wanted,¡± Ekrok replied while turning around to look at Inhe. Clicking her tongue, she turned around and fled the scene. A moment later, a three-meters tall man opened the door, covered in black scales from neck to toe, and the tip of his tail resembled an axe. He had slit green eyes and short black hair. The green liquid-like energy that flowed among his scales accentuated his handsome face and his muscular body. Like a true ruler. ¡°Haah- I was in the middle of having fun¡­ you always know when to interrupt me, don¡¯t you? But why did Inhe leave before I even came out? Don¡¯t tell me she got jealous~¡± Padinyss said amused. Nothing escaped his powerful senses. ¡°Ugh- I¡¯ll tell you later. Let¡¯s not talk about it here,¡± Ekrok replied. ¡°Fine then, let¡¯s go,¡± Padinyss said as he closed the door behind him. Elena was still able to see three draconic women sitting on the bed with flushed faces, all above the five hundredth level. Shit, this place is full of monsters. Even his concubines could kill our whole team, she cursed in her mind. *Thud.* The tiled floor shook under Padinyss¡¯s feet with each step he took. Looking at his big and powerful hands, Elena knew even a single slap would be enough to kill her at the moment. They went back to the throne room and after Padinyss sat down on his throne, he leaned on his arm and looked at Elena and Dred. ¡°So? Why do they have the ring? Also, where the hell is Inhe? Somebody call her.¡± A servant quickly left the room, while Ekrok replied. ¡°It¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t quick enough to stop this demon, called Dred, from getting his hand on the Ring of Lightning. The demon girl, called Elena, had the Ring of Fire on her finger even before we met. They probably found it elsewhere, not that it matters at this point.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my right to decide whether it matters or not! But you¡¯re right.¡± ¡° Hmm- the fourth and the first ring of calamity too are in my hands now. Even if I¡¯m not the one wearing them. Now there are only two rings to find, the Ring of Darkness and the Ring of Wind!¡± ¡°Indeed. What-¡± before Ekrok could continue, the door opened to the throne room and Inhe came in, her head hung down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, his majesty. It¡¯s all because of me that we couldn¡¯t get the ring on time, ahead of these worms. I did tell them to stop at the last moment, but they still took possession of the ring,¡± she mumbled in a low voice, as soon as she entered, her head kept down the whole time. This fucking bitch, I swear I¡¯ll break your mind, Elena sworn. ¡°Is that why you were avoiding me? Hahaha, it¡¯s just a slight inconvenience, though I¡¯m surprised you two dared to disobey her,¡± Padinyss said with interest as his eyes ran through Dred and Elena. A strange glint flashed in his eyes when seeing Elena, but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Oh, right. Inhe, you shouldn¡¯t look down on either of the lesser races. There are many strange people and if you keep your current attitude, one day something bad might happen to you. Reinald was a very powerful human too,¡± Padinyss warned her. ¡°But you still killed him!¡± ¡°Hahaha, I did, but I¡¯m not a simple dragon. Ekrok, you shall leave immediately and check the signs of the devourer. Inhe, you will stay and watch over our new guests. Don¡¯t harm them, they are necessary. You may leave your binding spell on their bodies. I don¡¯t want to see them run away and then die somewhere,¡± Padinyss commanded. He stood up from his throne and left the throne room. Why did the Orb of Seers show me the location of the Ring of Darkness? How is it connected to any kind of life-threatening danger? Could it be these two? He thought as he turned around to inspect Elena and Dred.
This person can¡¯t be inspected because of a passive skill.
This person can¡¯t be inspected because of a passive skill.
Huh? Tsk¡­ Nowadays too many people have these kinds of treasures and skills, damn it. Even though I¡¯m a Dragon God, I keep meeting people I can¡¯t inspect! What the fuck is going on in this world? And it has to be passive, of course, just so I can¡¯t even ask them to show their tables. He fumed in his mind. Wait¡­ what if I? ¡°Hey you two!¡± he raised his voice as he turned around. ¡°Swear that you aren¡¯t the devourers. I just want to make sure.¡± ¡°Devourers? What are those?¡± Elena raised a brow as if she was ignorant of it all. ¡°Don¡¯t question me, just do it!¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯m not a ¡®devourer¡¯ or death shall take me,¡± Elena said, followed by Dred. Seeing that nothing happened, Padinyss nodded his head and left the throne room with Ekrok. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now,¡± Ekrok said. ¡°Mhm.¡± Closing his eyes, Padinyss used his senses. He felt Ekrok turn into his dragon form and fly off, towards the newly formed ¡®Thivalon Kingdom¡¯ as his servants said. Rubbing his eyes, he sighed loudly and walked towards his private quarters. Why does that carrion of a devourer has to appear when I¡¯m having the prime of my life? I haven¡¯t even reached the top levels and I¡¯m stuck in this fucking Sealed World. I can¡¯t break through and reach the six hundredth level before finding all the rings, which are the key to the Sealu planet. I can¡¯t wait for the day I can finally leave for the true universe! But now this fucking monster just had to be born here and if I don¡¯t stop it, not only I but the whole universe will fall. My luck is just ridiculous. This is all Reinald¡¯s fault. If only he didn¡¯t create these stupid rings¡­ damn it. Even after your death, you¡¯re fucking up my future, Reinald. ----------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 28.2 - Prisoners or spies? My one and only ruler¡­ Padinyss looked down on me all because of these little shits, and they even dared to badmouth me! The worst is that I can¡¯t even hurt them! Inhe screamed in her mind, enraged. ¡°Follow me,¡± she said to Elena and Dred and walked towards the door. ¡°Do we want to annoy her any further?¡± Elena asked Dred. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t or she could lose her head. It wouldn¡¯t do us any good if we died because of her mistake, haha,¡± Dred replied. ¡°Mhm, then let¡¯s not fuck her up and tell her she should carry us~¡± Elena mused, imagining Inhe¡¯s reaction had they really went through with it. Inhe led them to a garden inside the place. The ceiling was painted sky blue, and a yellow Mana crystal lit up the closed garden. Grass covered the ground and a few flowers and trees could be found as well. In the middle of the garden was a luxurious cabin, perfect for a summer vacation. ¡°I took you two here because you have no way to leave this place unnoticed. There is only one way in and out, and this garden isn¡¯t used anyway. There will be guards outside, so don¡¯t try anything funny. Oh~ and before you start enjoying your stay here, I¡¯ve just realized something.¡± ¡°I thank you very much for your hospitality, but we don¡¯t care about you~¡± Elena said as she shut the door in front of Inhe and walked towards their new house. Inhe clenched her fists behind the door and decided to chase them. Opening it, she shouted after them, ¡°I was told not to hurt you physically. But what about mentally? I wonder how happy you would be if you saw your dear demoness being raped in front of you! I¡¯m sure I can find a few dragons who¡¯d be interested in her.¡± She shut the door and when she turned around, she saw two lesser dragons walking towards the door. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone come in or out without my command or I¡¯ll kill the both of you,¡± she said with a cold voice as she left. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± with that, the guards shut the door. ¡°What the hell? Did she say what I heard?¡± Dred furrowed his brows. ¡°Mhm. We should get out of here as soon as possible. I don¡¯t plan to be touched by anyone else but you,¡± Elena said. Dred looked at her face for a few seconds before muttering, ¡°Let me hug you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I want to.¡± ¡°No, I mean why are you asking it? Haha,¡± Elena laughed at him and hugged him. Coiling his arms around her back, Dred closed his eyes. ¡°Padinyss knows that the devourer is alive.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Elena muttered. ¡°He is also looking for us.¡± ¡°Mhm, but at least he doesn¡¯t know that we are born in pairs~¡± Elena mused. ¡°Now this bitch is here to screw with us too.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°And this is the first time that our friends are alone. What do you think, will they be able to gather capable lesser blood servants? You told them what to do, right?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Haah- we will have to be very careful from now on. A wrong step and we might die. We also have to keep our friends alive. They are important both for our plans and because we are friends.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Thanks, now I feel much better.¡± ¡°Haha, if it helped.¡± ¡°I really love you.¡± *Chu* Dred said before kissing her. --- ¡°Mhhg-¡± Elena stretched her limbs and stood up from the bed. Her long black hair reached her bare buttocks, forming an exciting sight in front of Dred. ¡°This was a nice ¡®rest¡¯, indeed~¡± she mused, but in the next moment her body got covered in a simple black dress. ¡°Heh, my girlfriend is a world-class beauty~¡± Dred said with a clear tone of amusement. ¡°Sure, sure. Come and help me instead. Now is the time to learn inner-devour so we can remove Inhe¡¯s binding spell,¡± Elena said. Both of them had a dragon tattoo coiled around their left arms, which was the source of the binding spell. It used their own Mana to seal their Mana, and even though they were able to use Mana outside of their bodies, they didn¡¯t wish to make it public and wanted to break Inhe¡¯s binding. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they used spells that way. But they needed their own Mana to break the seal and since it was sealed, they couldn¡¯t do it. That¡¯s where their Devour came into the picture. Their bodies were already devouring the spell, but it was a slow process. If they learned inner-devour, the same that had been offered as one of the last specializations, they could escape much sooner and it¡¯d also turn their bodies into dangerous weapons. ¡°Now then, how do we speed up the devouring process if something is in contact with our bodies?¡± Elena talked to herself as she sat down on the grassy ground outside the cabin. Dred joined her shortly and started pondering while meditating. ¡°If we can devour things through our shadows, then we should be able to do the same with our bodies. I suppose we need to control its strength by supplying it with Mana.¡± Elena tilted her head to the side while saying, ¡°Hmm- then the rest should be all about moving and controlling our cells.¡± Looking at her own palm, she tried to pull her own cells apart and pour Mana into the gap between. Her skin, her veins, her nerves tore, and a black gap opened. She turned her hand and looked at the back of it and couldn¡¯t find anything strange. But she had a dark pit in the center of her palm. As she touched the earth, it dried out and the grass withered in an area of five meters around her. She quickly pulled back her hand and looked at Dred with shining eyes. ¡°This is much stronger than if I use it through my shadow!¡± ¡°Hmm- it¡¯s understandable, after all, our bodies are the cores of devour. That¡¯s where the true strength of the spell comes from, the source. Our shadows are like cables and the further it goes, the weaker the signal or in this case Devour becomes, though the weakening is a bit on an extreme level,¡± Dred replied and returned to his panther form. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just prefer my real body. I¡¯m more used to it and I¡¯m stronger too.¡± Shrugging her shoulders, Elena looked at her current level. ¡°Four hundred and eleven. Why did we not get any specialization?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we already getting one too often? Our class has pampered you way too much¡­ we didn¡¯t even have enough time to master one before getting the other and the further we go, the fewer specializations we can pick. I¡¯d guess the next time to pick would be around the five hundredth level.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not spoiled¡­¡± she pouted. A dark pit appeared on her arm and she was about to devour Inhe¡¯s binding spell when Dred stopped her. ¡°Wait! Should we really remove it? What if she visits us before we could even get away. Then we¡¯d have to explain ourselves. I suppose you don¡¯t want that to happen.¡± ¡°Ugh, fine. You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll keep it on for now.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Their chatting was interrupted when the only door leading to their ¡®prison¡¯ was slammed open. ¡°I¡¯ve returned~¡± Inhe said with a grin on her face as two other dragons stepped out from behind her back. ¡°You think we can get away?¡± Elena asked Dred while her face turned pale. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯d rather die than let them shame you.¡± --- ¡°Tu-tu~ tu~ tu~¡± Padinyss mused in his room, remembering an old song. ¡°Oh, I should check Inhe, she seemed to be really down because of her mistake,¡± he talked to himself as he stood up from his table. I need only two more rings to finally get out of this place and if I can kill the devourer before it gets too strong, I can live a fulfilling life. Hehe, I can¡¯t wait! ¡°Greetings, his majesty,¡± the guards in front of his door bowed when he pushed open the door. Nodding his head he went towards Inhe¡¯s private quarter but while on the way, he started hearing a shouting female voice. Focusing his ears on the sound, he heard Inhe. ¡°THESE FUCKING BASTARDS! *crack* *smash* THEY SHAMED ME IN FRONT OF HIS MAJESTY!¡± *smash* ¡°And even his majesty seemed to be interested in that bitch! But just you wait, hehe. I¡¯ll break your fucking mind and I¡¯ll see how you talk back then! They have no way out so I could wait. They¡¯d probably turn into a nerve-wreck by the time I got there after hearing my last words, hehe. *smash* ARGH but I can¡¯t wait to see her struggling face! Nobody ever talked to me like that! I¡¯ll just force them, damn it!¡± Huh? What is she up to? I told her not to hurt them, didn¡¯t I? Padinyss thought with a frown on his face. By the time he reached Inhe¡¯s room, he found it empty. Only broken vases and glasses littered the ground. She is really angry¡­ Haah- ¡°His majesty! The king of the Demon Kingdom has come to visit. What should I tell him?¡± a servant ran towards him and shouted when he left Inhe¡¯s room. Tsk. At the best moment, his timing is so terrible every time. And what the hell does he want here personally? I should at least welcome him, Padinyss clicked his tongue and followed his servant. A minute later he found the king of the second most powerful kingdom on the planet sitting in his dining room, eating fresh meat. ¡°Jotun! I see you found my dining room this time as well. You are always so carefree when you visit as if this was your home,¡± Padinyss raised his voice as he walked towards the table and sat down in front of the demon. He was a first-class creature of the demon race, called a Devil. Only the Devil God was more pure-blooded and it was as powerful as a Dragon God. But Padinyss was the only legendary creature on this planet based on his knowledge, and nobody was strong enough to beat him while on the same or lower level. Jotun coiled his hairy black tail around an apple and raised it to his mouth. He smiled at Padinyss as he brushed his hand through his short brown hair and put his arms behind his neck. ¡°You are always so stuck up, Padinyss,¡± his slit brown eyes seemed to smile. ¡°...Why did you come?¡± Leaning forward, Jotun looked into Padinyss¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°I heard your people have found two rings. But I also heard they couldn¡¯t get it on time and the ring bearers are demons!¡± ¡°The birds must be chirping too much.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not listening to their chirping~¡± ¡°You still didn¡¯t tell me what you want.¡± ¡°I want them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The demons, of course. They are my kind, I should be the one overlooking them. Oh, and I heard they were High-Demons too, a rare kind! I can¡¯t have them stay imprisoned in your palace when they could be my guests don¡¯t you think?¡± Jotun said with a smile. This bastard. He doesn¡¯t have even a single ring and he wants to get his hands on ring bearers so he could come with me when we find every ring. Hmph¡­ but it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really care about Reinald¡¯s treasures. What I want is freedom from this sealed world! Padinyss thought as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°And what do I get?¡± ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°Information about the remaining two rings. The ring of darkness and the ring of wind. I know that you have some sort of knowledge, tell me what. You demons are great when it comes to spying¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll see what I can do. But I want my demons at first if you don¡¯t mind. With your position, you could easily scam me and leave me empty-handed again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Padinyss chuckled. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ Could we hurry up? The quicker I return, the quicker I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡± ¡°You bastard¡­ but fine. They are in the Palace Garden.¡± ¡°What? That shitty place? Why did you even build a place like that?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. It was Reinald¡¯s doing when he was still around.¡± ¡°Heh, that old fool was the only one who screwed you over, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Jotun laughed at him. Furrowing his brows, Padinyss turned around and raised him into the air by his throat. ¡°One more word about the truth and I¡¯ll snap you into two halves.¡± He threw Jotun to the ground and walked towards the door. *cough* *cough* ¡°Haha, *cough* you are still as sensitive as back then,¡± Jotun said and stood up from the ground. He really hates when I bring up his shameful defeat, hehe. Against a human, the race he looked down on. They soon arrived at the Palace Garden, but what welcomed them wasn¡¯t what they expected. Elena was forced to the ground by Inhe, while another dragon restricted Dred¡¯s movements. ¡°Let go of me, you fucking bitch! You think I won¡¯t kill myself if you want to go through with this?¡± Elena shouted, struggling to get out of Inhe¡¯s grasp. ¡°What the hell is wrong with your clothes? Why won¡¯t they tear!¡± Inhe shouted back and tore off a piece, but in the next moment, it was back again. ¡°Tsk, she won¡¯t listen to my threatening! What should we do? Should we use devour and try to get away quickly?¡± Elena questioned Dred. ¡°It¡¯s better than going down without a fight!¡± he replied and was about to use it when he noticed Padinyss and Jotun in the door. ¡°Help us! Your fucking servant is crazy!¡± Dred raised his voice. The other two dragons who were squatting on the ground half-naked, holding Elena¡¯s legs, turned around in confusion. Their faces turned ashen upon realizing who were standing behind them. They quickly stood up and walked towards the door. After bowing quickly, they wanted to leave but Padinyss grabbed their heads and smashed them into the wall. The wall of the palace cracked and shards of stones flew through the air. The third-class dragons fell to the ground with bleeding wounds on their faces, unconscious. ¡°Inhe? I remember I told you not to hurt them,¡± Padinyss growled, angered by Inhe¡¯s disobedience. Her body froze on the spot. Looking at Elena¡¯s grinning face, she felt like crushing her head on the spot but decided to hold back her wrath in Padinyss¡¯s presence. Her body stiff, she let go of Elena¡¯s wrists and stood up. Elena quickly jumped up and ran to Dred¡¯s side. Since the dragon holding him was frozen unmoving, she punched him in the face and freed Dred. ¡°You fucking shit,¡± she grumbled in a low voice while looking into the dragon¡¯s angered eyes. ¡°M-Master?¡± Inhe slowly turned around and looked at Padinyss¡¯s feet, not daring to meet his eyes. ¡°Get out of here.¡± Seeing that she wasn¡¯t moving, he shouted, ¡°NOW!¡± Inhe quickly ran out of the room, but she still turned around to glare back at Elena. She just had to do this now! If only it happened when Jotun wasn¡¯t here, I could¡¯ve overlooked it¡­ but not like this, Padinyss cursed in his mind. ¡°Your servants seem to be really unruly. Aren¡¯t you the ruler? Why are they doing things you didn¡¯t allow? In my kingdom, I¡¯d behead them. And to hurt noble creatures like High-demons¡­ I¡¯m offended!¡± Jotun raised his brows. Tsk, you fake bitch. You don¡¯t even care! I wonder what will he ask for this time¡­ ¡°Indeed, it seems like I¡¯ll have to discipline my servants better in the future.¡± Hmph, I won¡¯t ask for your forgiveness. I¡¯m the true ruler! ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯d be really bad if your servants continued to offend other demons too by doing these kinds of things. Should I help you out by any chance?¡± So pushy¡­ ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. If you don¡¯t mind, take this ring with you as my token of apology. There are a few things inside,¡± Padinyss said with a smile as he pulled out a ring from one of his storage rings. Seeing his twitching brows, Jotun almost started laughing but held it back. ¡°Hmm- hmm- I appreciate your kind-hearted intentions. Now if you don¡¯t mind, could I leave with them? I still need to gather information about the¡­ theme of our discussion,¡± he smiled as he patted Padinyss¡¯s shoulder. ¡°*cough* You are right. I¡¯ll hand over these two. Take good care of them until the time comes to open the gate to Reinald¡¯s legacy.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I knew you¡¯re a great ruler! And of course, I¡¯ll take good care of them, though¡­ it won¡¯t be hard to outdo this,¡± he shook his head as he spread his arms and looked at the Palace Garden. The ground had holes in it, the walls had cracks in them, there were two unconscious dragons and one sitting on his ass, and the welcoming sight still lived fresh in everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°Are we supposed to go with this man?¡± Elena asked, dusting off her sides. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Padinyss replied shortly, clearly not in the mood to talk. Elena and Dred quickly walked up to Jotun and stopped behind him as if he was their father. The trio left with quick steps. By the time they reached the door, they heard a loud shout. ¡°AAAAAARGH!¡± This god damned bastard! He couldn¡¯t have left without that remark! I swear one day I¡¯ll kill him¡­ it seems like he doesn¡¯t know the number one rule when dealing with dragons, never poke a sleeping dragon! Jotun waved his hand and a horse made up of black smoke appeared in front of them. He pulled out a roofed carriage from his storage ring and a part of the horse¡¯s body connected to it. ¡°Get in,¡± he said as he opened the door and took a seat. Looking at each other, both Elena and Dred shrugged their shoulders and got into the carriage. After closing the door, the horse ran towards the sky, dragging the car behind it. Leaning back in his comfy seat, Jotun crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at his newfound guests. ¡°Now then¡­ let¡¯s talk,¡± he smiled. ----------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 28.3 - Prisoners or spies? Elena and Dred stayed silent and waited for Jotun to speak. ¡°What are your names?¡± ¡°I¡¯m called Elena and he is Dred,¡± she replied shortly. ¡°Are you not going to ask my name?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll introduce yourself anyway,¡± Elena shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re quite a cheeky brat, I like it. My name is Jotun Bleeze and I¡¯m the king of the Demon Kingdom.¡± ¡°Why did you take us away from Padinyss?¡± Dred furrowed his brows. ¡°A good question, though the answer is simple. I want to be there when he enters Sealu planet and I can¡¯t go if I couldn¡¯t get my hands even on a single ring. I¡¯ve got some information about the Ring of Wind, but he¡¯d have got it before me anyway. He has spies in my palace, I¡¯m sure he already knew about it.¡± ¡°This way, he¡¯ll get it earlier, but I too will gain access by accompanying you two when the time comes. In return, you can spend your time at my place as guests.¡± ¡°If being your guest is like at Padinyss¡¯s place, we¡¯d rather stay alone¡­¡± Dred commented. ¡°My servants aren¡¯t like his. I¡¯m a respected king and nobody dares to disobey me. Padinyss cares too little about his servants and common people. He is a legendary creature, after all. Everyone is just a weakling in his eyes.¡± Raising a brow, Elena said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem like a king to me.¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t kings take it easy and ease up sometimes? It¡¯s also fun to tease Padinyss when he isn¡¯t in a bad mood.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more like a kid who likes making pranks,¡± Elena smiled. ¡°...I can see why Inhe turned so angered. Could it be you like offending people?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about~¡± she mused. Averting her eyes, she looked out the window as she thought, If my senses told me things were getting dangerous, I wouldn¡¯t have teased her to begin with. I only poke a dragon if I know I can get away. You, on the other hand, are quite dangerous¡­ she looked back into Jotun¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve got some keen eyes,¡± Jotun said as he leaned forward. Looking at Dred, he leaned back, ¡°Take care of your woman. If her mouth is too big, she might get hurt in the future.¡± ¡°This fucker is threatening us¡­¡± Dred talked to Elena through her spell. ¡°Mhm.¡± A few minutes later, they arrived at Novia Deros, the capital city of the Demon Kingdom. A deep river separated the eastern and western side of the island, and the capital city was located on both sides of the beautiful and clear blue river. There was a bigger island in the river where stood a castle and although there were grassy parks, the area was covered in sand. The houses were made up of sand rocks, perfectly blending in with the environment. ¡°It¡¯s called Novia Island.¡± ¡°What?¡± Elena asked confused. ¡°The island in the middle of the river. That¡¯s where we are going,¡± Jotun smiled. ¡°Oh. While you are still here. Don¡¯t you want to give us some presents? You¡¯ve got Padinyss¡¯s ring because of us, after all,¡± Elena grinned. ¡°You are really shameless! But let me see, you can have the things I don¡¯t need,¡± Jotun replied and checked out the contents of the ring. ¡°Spell scrolls, a few weapons and armours, herbs, a smaller storage ring, yeah, there is nothing in it for you.¡± ¡°You bastard of a greedy king.¡± ¡°Blasphemy! I¡¯m not greedy!¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t a god either, so it can¡¯t be blasphemy.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m offended,¡± Jotun said with a deadpan face. ¡°It¡¯s visible.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Follow me,¡± Jotun left the carriage when it landed on the sand-island. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried? This river is at least¡­¡± Elena started guessing. ¡°It¡¯s thirty kilometers wide. Indeed a great river, but if you¡¯re worried about it washing away the island, you don¡¯t have to. There is a formation that¡¯s preventing moving this whole island. Otherwise, my Sand Castle would have drowned in water many years ago!¡± Jotun replied. ¡°God, this place is densely packed with Mana. A bit inferior to Padinyss¡¯s place, but this too is heaven compared to what Thivalon has. Maybe we learned inner-devourer so easily because of the Mana density. And the best part is that you can control the Mana density and increase it even further!¡± Elena whispered into Dred¡¯s mind. ¡°Yeah, if there is no Mana flow, I can¡¯t increase the density, but since the Mana flow is the thickest in this part of the world, I can turn it much thicker. Just wait until we are alone,¡± Dred replied. When reaching the five hundred meters tall, ten meters thick walls that encircled the palace, the thick metal gates leading to the yard raised up. Different kinds of demons stood atop the wall. When entering, Elena saw hundreds of demons lined up orderly on the left side, swinging their spears at the same time with the same movements. On the right side of the yard were smaller groups sparring, both one on one and five on five. Seeing his men training hard, Jotun made a satisfied face. ¡°See? I told you my people are organised well. Unlike some stupid dragon¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°How come he is the true king if your military force is so much stronger? I get it that Inhe and Ekrok too are powerful, along with a few others, but an army like this seems to be more efficient if you ask me,¡± Elena asked in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s simple. It¡¯s because of Padinyss. He is a legendary being and is at a completely different level. Even though both of us are at the five hundred and ninety-ninth level, I don¡¯t stand a chance against him, no matter how hard it feels to admit. You probably haven¡¯t seen his true form yet, but he is a truly ferocious dragon. When he was still younger, and a few levels below me, I had a fight with him for the title of the strongest, but those damned scales.¡± ¡°He has a jelly-like layer under his scales, which completely absorb weapons like maces. Sharp weapons won¡¯t work on his tough scales either. The best choice of weapon is a spear since it¡¯s got a lot of penetration and is quite versatile.¡± Oh? Is that why all your soldiers are training with spears? It seems like he doesn¡¯t plan to stay beneath Padinyss forever, Elena pondered. Wait¡­ could it be? ¡°What about Reinald the legends talk about?¡± Dred asked, getting to the same conclusion as Elena. ¡°Heh, legends¡­ you probably don¡¯t know the truth. Maybe I¡¯ll tell you later, but only if I feel like it. Tron! Come and lead my guests to a private room.¡± ¡°Or do you want two rooms?¡± he lowered his voice as he looked at them. ¡°No, one is enough,¡± Elena replied. ¡°Alright.¡± When his servant called Tron arrived, he added, ¡°They are ring bearers as you can see. Don¡¯t let anyone hurt them. Oh, and don¡¯t let them leave the capital without my consent. They¡¯re allowed to go around in the capital, but always take a few of my guards with them, just in case.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°We don¡¯t need babysitters¡­¡± Dred complained. ¡°You do need them. You¡¯re still weak. Anyone could beat you up in the city, but with my guards around, nobody would dare to pick a fight with you.¡± Jotun stuck out his chest proudly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We just need a few days. Hopefully, Ekrok won¡¯t find out anything about us either,¡± Elena soothed Dred. Jotun was about to leave when Elena stopped him, ¡°Wait a moment. Could you provide me with a few materials? It doesn¡¯t have to be high-level.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, you¡¯ve got a whole ring of goods.¡± ¡°Yeah, and kids to protect. And you¡¯re staying here for free.¡± ¡°But we didn¡¯t ask for it. I¡¯m fine if we could simply leave too,¡± Elena pressed on. ¡°...You¡¯ll try to run away, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Haah- will you not bother me if I give you some ¡®materials¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be an obedient little girl,¡± a huge smile splattered on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°...Fine. Tron, go to the treasury and provide her with a few ¡®materials¡¯, whatever she wants.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just metals for smithing. Don¡¯t make it sound as if I was doing something terrible,¡± she put her hands on her hips. ¡°Oh, are you learning to smith?¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t done it in a while, but I do. You can¡¯t expect me to sit in the palace doing nothing. That¡¯s why I need some material.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. Tron, then provide them with the necessary tools and place. It¡¯s no big deal anyway,¡± Jotun waved his hand and left them alone with Tron. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Follow me,¡± the one meter and fifty centimeters tall demon said. He had a round and bald head with big round red eyes. He had a hairy tail swaying behind his back. ¡°Are you an Alp?¡± Dred couldn¡¯t help but ask, remembering to the demon he could summon. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m surprised you know the difference between Imps and Alps.¡± ¡°Are you being confused with them often?¡± ¡°Yes. My race isn¡¯t a high-ranked one either, but Imps are really the bottom of the demon race and often just mindless monsters, so I¡¯d rather not be called an Imp.¡± ¡°Heh, I can understand you¡­¡± Dred chuckled remembering the time he summoned an Imp. ¡°Now please follow me. I¡¯ll show you around the castle and to your room.¡± With that, Tron led around Elena and Dred and introduced the important members they met on the way. --- ¡°And this here is your room. Would you like to stay here or do you wish to practice your smithing skills?¡± Tron asked, having a good impression of Elena and Dred after their tour. Unlike the other demons, they weren¡¯t looking down on him. ¡°I¡¯ll practice but you can leave if you don¡¯t have to follow us. We know where to go, after all,¡± Elena replied. ¡°I understand. I shall take my leave in that case, but please don¡¯t run away or I¡¯ll be held responsible for sure.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to, but why¡¯d you be responsible?¡± ¡°Well, because I¡¯m an Alp, a lower ranked demon, I¡¯d be obviously blamed for any sort of mistake.¡± ¡°You have it rough, huh,¡± Dred shook his head. ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°Where is Jotun¡¯s office? You didn¡¯t show it and it¡¯d be really good if we could ask for his help if something is wrong,¡± Dred asked. Tron looked around before whispering, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t tell you this, but you would surely find out soon enough, so I¡¯ll save you the trouble. Coming from the entrance, there are three corridors, one to the left, one to the right, and one ahead. I told you before that if you go the left, you¡¯ll still get to the middle corridor. Well, I lied.¡± ¡°There is only one way to his majesty¡¯s room and that¡¯s the corridor in the middle.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Elena and Dred said at the same time and then left the palace to go to the smithing house at the back of the castle. Dred pushed open the heavy wooden door of the building and was met with a couple of bulky and muscular demons. They didn¡¯t even notice as the door opened as they were immersed in their works. ¡°Come, there are three free places. I¡¯m sure you can use one,¡± Dred said in a low voice and closed the door behind Elena. They went to the corner and while Dred sat down on the ground to meditate, Elena grabbed a smithing hammer. ¡°What is a woman doing here?¡± one of the workers raised his voice when he finished his work and turned around. ¡°What? A woman?¡± ¡°H-Hello,¡± Elena said, feeling a bit awkward because of the craftsmen¡¯s strong gazes. ¡°I¡¯m the new guest here, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of me already. Just ignore me, I¡¯m here to practice,¡± she added shortly. ¡°Huh? You? Pretty girl, go and learn herbalism instead. This isn¡¯t a place for pretty ladies like you.¡± ¡°I thank you for your care, but I told you to leave me be¡­¡± Furrowing his brows, the demon turned around and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°As you wish, though you should put send that panther further from the fire or his fur will get on fire quickly.¡± Turning around, Elena saw Dred laying on the ground, a bit too close to the furnace. Dred opened his eyes and sat down a few steps further. While Elena got to work, he used the Ring of Lightning to control the density of the Mana in the building. It took only a few seconds to change everything. The other side of the building had only a small amount of Mana, while in Elena¡¯s corner, it almost condensed into a mist. ¡°We can¡¯t go overboard or they will notice, haha,¡± Dred laughed in his mind. ¡°Mhm. Oh, by the way, do you think Jotun wants to get on the Sealu planet to learn Reinald¡¯s- Cor¡¯s spell? It seems like things are more complex than we thought.¡± ¡°Indeed, it seems like Padinyss didn¡¯t kill him as easily as his servants make it sound. And based on Jotun¡¯s reactions, I¡¯d dare to say Padinyss was actually beaten up at least once. Maybe he was assassinated?¡± Dred pondered. ¡°Hmm, that could be. Well, we¡¯ll surely pull out everything from Jotun. I¡¯ve copied his mind already, along with Tron¡¯s. It was worth being so polite to him, saved us the trouble,¡± Elena chuckled. ¡°Yeah, but look at what you¡¯re doing while chatting¡­ That thing doesn¡¯t look like a weapon.¡± ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologise to me, hahaha. Just melt it and re-use it.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± After they stopped talking, Elena continued to train her smithing skills, while Dred meditated. The other craftsmen left the building two hours later since it was turning dark. Seeing Elena¡¯s perseverance, their opinions changed for the better. ¡°Hey, do you really want to learn?¡± the same demon as before actually stayed and walked up to Elena. ¡°Yes.¡± Scratching the back of his head, he pulled out a simple book out of nowhere. ¡°Here, it¡¯s my notes from when I started. The right temperature for each metal is listed in it and what you have to watch out for. I¡¯m one of the best in the kingdom, so you can trust my pointers.¡± Elena grabbed the book and tried to pull it out of the demon¡¯s hand, but he didn¡¯t let go of it either. Using a bit more force, the demon strengthened his grip. ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m called Elena.¡± ¡°Elena, huh. You¡¯re a strange girl. My name is Grund, take care of my book,¡± he said as he finally let go of it. ¡°Thanks, I will,¡± Elena said as she held it close to her chest. Grund left without saying anything else and left them alone. ¡°Look at this, you are so cute everyone is trying to help you~¡± Dred put his huge paw on the top of Elena¡¯s head and ruffled her hair. ¡°Mmm- stop it! Is it time?¡± ¡°No, but you should train a bit more while we are here.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll read this with Devour and then meditate. You should also share your DNA with me, you surely evolved after this much meditation.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Dred muttered as he gently bit on Elena¡¯s clothes and pulled it up to her chest, revealing her belly. ¡°C¡¯mon, show it,¡± he said bluntly. Looking around just in case, Elena slightly pulled down her leggings, revealing Dred¡¯s tattoo on her crotch. Dred put his paw on her tattoo and closed his eyes. Elena felt her mind turn quicker and quicker as her Intelligence and Wisdom continued to raise. When they were finished, they got back to practice some more. Another two hours later, Elena looked out the door and saw the moon high up in the air. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she whispered to Dred. Both of them left the forge and ran towards the palace. The guards let them in without any problems, but after getting in, they turned into their Shadow Forms and went towards Jotun¡¯s office. They easily found it and slipped in. Returning to their original forms, they looked around. It was a pretty small room for a king, but it was a cosy place to stay at. Two bookshelves were on the left side of the room. Jotun¡¯s desk was right in the corner, facing the door. ¡°I bet there are hidden rooms,¡± Elena said as she stopped in front of Jotun¡¯s desk and looked at the map that was behind it on the wall. (AN:\ Check this for the full-sized picture. https://i.imgur.com/PyxMka0.png I advise checking it if this one isn''t visible since it has some ¡®interesting¡¯ information on it too. Tell me if you can''t read something on it. But I wanted a ''handwriting''-ish style for it.) ¡°Huh? The location of the rings are making a formation? Oh, right, they don¡¯t even know about the Ring of Darkness. Should we give them a heads up? Hehe. This is much more detailed than the one we¡¯ve seen in Drydale city,¡± Elena said. ¡°So that¡¯s where the Ring of Wind is. Elena¡­ look at the right side.¡± ¡°Hahaha, knife ears and hobbits, this guy is ridiculous.¡± ¡°I can see that you two are enjoying yourselves,¡± Jotun said, leaning in the doorway. ¡°What now? We¡¯ve been caught red-handed.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope he is still in a good mood,¡± Dred replied. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 29.1 - Dark Scars Dark Scars *Huff* *Huff* ¡°Stop, you dirty brat!¡± No! They can¡¯t catch me! Where should I go? To the left! A twelve years old boy thought, trying to get away. Spotting a trash bin, he jumped into it. *Thump* *Thump* He heard his heart beating in his ears. Clutching the man¡¯s weapon in his small hands, he shook in fear of being found out. But if he could sell the stolen dagger, he could feed himself and his siblings for a few weeks. He always targeted Magicians who looked physically weak, and thanks to a hiding skill, he has never been caught. ¡°Where is this brat?¡± he heard the voice of his victim from not far away. Rolled into a ball in the darkness, unmoving, he waited for him to leave. Silence. *Tap* *Tap* He couldn¡¯t help but open his closed eyes, hearing a creaking sound as the lid of the dustbin was opened. He was met face to face with a long-bearded old man, who was none other than the person he robbed. ¡°Here you are, you little shit. If not for being experienced, I¡¯d have ignored the little sign I received from this place. Come out here!¡± he grabbed the boy¡¯s right horn and raised him out of the trash. The boy tried to kick and hit the old man, but his legs and arms weren¡¯t long enough. And after the old man enhanced his body physically, he simply ignored the boy¡¯s attacks. ¡°Now-now, what to do with a brat like you. Oh, this is my dagger. It gave me some bonus stat points, it¡¯d be really inconvenient if a useless trash like you stole it away from me,¡± the old man smiled when he pulled out his dagger from the boy¡¯s grip and stored it in his storage ring. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°Hehe, beg for your life all you want, I¡¯m going to kill you. Wait! I have something much better in mind. What if I just used you as an experiment for a spell? But others can¡¯t learn about it, so shhh.¡± As the old man finished talking, a few vines grew out of his fingers and started coiling around the boy. When it was about to reach the boy¡¯s mouth, the vines stopped very much to the old man¡¯s surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve got a question for you, boy. Would you sell your soul to save yourself? You won¡¯t have to live like a beggar anymore,¡± a feminine voice echoed in the boy¡¯s ears. He couldn¡¯t even turn his head to look at the woman, but knowing he¡¯d lose his life, he shouted ¡°YES!¡± ¡°Fine, then welcome~¡± the woman replied. In the next moment, all the boy saw was as the vines turned around and thrust into the old man¡¯s eyes and penetrated his brain. He fell to the ground and continue to look at the old man¡¯s head as the vines filled it up more and more and as they started lacking space, the old man¡¯s head blew up, splattering his blood everywhere. ¡°Seriously¡­ you told Elena and Dred how dirty they were, yet you are no different,¡± a manly voice resounded. ¡°You¡¯re so stupid! I told you I wanted his brain!¡± another man complained. The boy put his dirty hands on the ground to help up himself. Spotting three people in front of him, he jumped up and after grabbing the dagger, he tried to run away, but the short brown haired man with yellow eyes appeared in front of him and grabbed his shoulders. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to run. Although you can refuse if you want, you should check out what we can offer,¡± he said and then let go of the boy. Walking towards the red-haired beauty, the man said, ¡°You may be able to change your fate alone, but if you follow us now, it¡¯ll definitely change. I can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll live forever, but you¡¯ll have a good time for a while. Of that, I¡¯m sure!¡± ¡°You and your speeches,¡± the red-haired girl shook her head. ¡°What? Everyone is digging it!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Let¡¯s go instead or some random person will find us,¡± the girl waved her hand and turned around. Turning around for another look at the boy, she said, ¡°Will you come or will you stay in poverty?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t! I have siblings!¡± the demon boy shouted. ¡°Oh? How old are they?¡± ¡°My two brothers are seven, and my sister is nine!¡± After replying, he covered his mouth, realizing that maybe he shouldn¡¯t have said anything. ¡°Heh, seems like Ambush decreases his awareness a lot,¡± the cracky voice of the third man came, but the boy couldn¡¯t see him anywhere. ¡°That¡¯s even better than this boy,¡± the red-haired girl mumbled to herself. ¡°W-What do you want from us?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Hmm? We just want to raise you into obedient fighters. You¡¯ll have to train your body and learn Magic too, but in turn, you won¡¯t have to feel hunger, you¡¯ll have a warm house and much more. Whether you want it or not is up to you. If not, then tell me now,¡± the young-looking girl said bluntly. Clenching his fists, the boy recalled his past and how he grew up after the death of his parents. How much he had to suffer to stay alive when others had everything and anything they wanted. How he marvelled at the sight of Magic yet he had no idea how to control either of the elements. Even his hiding skill was only the result of a scroll he got from a kind old lady. ¡°I-I¡¯ll join!¡± ¡°Good. Then where are your siblings? Can you lead the way?¡± the red-haired girl started as she turned around and walked closer to the boy. But as his smell hit her nose, she furrowed her brows. ¡°Uhh- let¡¯s clean you up at first.¡± The moment she said it, the boy felt warm water pour on his body like a waterfall. When it stopped, he felt a strong and warm gust of wind blow at his whole body, drying him in just a few seconds. ¡°Lead the way.¡± the girl said with a smile, mesmerizing the boy. ¡°Ain¡¯t she beautiful?¡± the man stopped beside him and patted his shoulders. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± --- *Creak* ¡°Bro--ther?!¡± a little girl stood up and turned around upon hearing the creaking door, but the second half of her shout died into a whisper. Although she saw her brother, she saw two people, who looked like somebody around the age of eighteen. ¡°Liz, I¡¯m back. Don¡¯t worry about them, they aren¡¯t bad people.¡± ¡°Well, we could argue about that one,¡± the yellow-eyed man chuckled. ¡°Why?¡± the boy asked in his curiosity. ¡°We kill, we steal, we lie¡­¡± he started listing. Heaving out a sigh of relief, the boy shrugged his shoulders, ¡°I too would do it if it helped me stay alive. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not strong enough.¡± ¡°Hmm- we¡¯re partly doing it to stay alive,¡± the man pondered. ¡°Let¡¯s introduce us. My name is Audrey Frost, this guy here is Jake Hughes, and you?¡± the red-haired girl said. ¡°Hey! What about me?¡± a cracky voice stopped any sound that was about to leave the boy¡¯s mouth. ¡°Shut up, Cor. Please ignore him and continue,¡± Audrey said. ¡°...¡± Since Cor usually scared children, he had to stay in Jake¡¯s shadow and not show himself. ¡°My name is Sareg, my sister is called Liz, and my other two brothers are Urnoth and Keneg,¡± the black haired boy said, pointing at each of his family members. ¡°Mhm, understood. Now then, will you come with us? The place we¡¯re going to isn¡¯t far away,¡± Audrey leaned forward.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°My brothers, sis. Will you follow me? They said they¡¯d train us into obedient fighters and we¡¯d get a place to stay at and food as well,¡± Sareg raised his voice in his enthusiasm. ¡°Y-You are our big bro. We¡¯ll go where you go,¡± the blond-haired Liz said in a meek voice, while her little brothers only nodded their heads silently. The children left their house. Turning around, Sareg looked back at their wooden cabin, which was broken at places and filled with holes. Looking ahead, hoping for a better future, he caught up with his siblings and followed the strangers. He knew it was dangerous, but he couldn¡¯t refuse their offer, his own hope for a better life. When they left the city, he felt a worried and his worry only increased when they entered a forest beside the city. About half an hour later, they were all tired and wanted to ask the strangers to rest, but at that time, they spotted a camp in front of them. The fence was made up of thick and pointy logs, thrust deep into the ground. There were numerous small rock and wooden huts and a big campfire in the middle of the fenced area. As they entered through the door, they saw ten other kids, all standing half-naked in the cold. At first, Sareg thought he made a bad deal, but then he noticed neither of the kids his age or even younger was shaking. They looked as if the cold wind that brushed against their bodies was nothing. ¡°Fire,¡± Jake shouted behind Sareg¡¯s back and everyone punched towards the air. Large fireballs shot out of their fists and flew a few hundred meters into the air before dying out. Some of them had bigger diameters than two meters and flew higher, while others'' were smaller and disappeared earlier. But even among the bigger ones, some flew further than the other, meaning better Mana Control. At that time, a blue-skinned big man who stood in front of the training kids turned around. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve brought a group again.¡± ¡°Yes, Fing. But if you don¡¯t want to join us, then please leave. Although I appreciate that you watched over the kids, it¡¯s not like all three of us has to go at these times,¡± Audrey furrowed her brows showing her displeasure When Inhe and Ekrok took away Elena and Dred, they remembered Elena¡¯s instructions. They were to start gathering blood servants who would help them in the future, while Elena and Dred prepared the stage. What Elena meant by her words, Audrey wasn¡¯t sure, though she had a hunch. There was only one slight problem, Fing decided to follow them around and seeing his servant¡¯s, Virgo¡¯s level at five hundred, they knew they couldn¡¯t just kill him. Luckily, he didn¡¯t know anything about the Devourer race either. The least experience somebody had with Magic, the better it was for Audrey and her friends. Of course, if the person was very talented, like Cor, it was even better. Only a day passed by since Elena and Dred were taken away, yet they¡¯ve gathered fourteen kids, considering the new group. They could be called evil for teaching children bad things, but it was better for both sides. They didn¡¯t stay in Drydale city, but they were still in the Alof Kingdom, though a few cities further away. Since they were able to transform into Dred¡¯s wyvern form thanks to his Mark of the Wild, travelling didn¡¯t take a long time. ¡°Why are you so pent up on joining you guys? I¡¯m helping you anyway, am I not?¡± Fing raised his brows. ¡°You do, but there are things you aren¡¯t allowed to know,¡± Audrey replied, showing a bright smile, trying to provoke Fing¡¯s curiosity. After being together with him for a whole day, she learned more than enough about his simplicity. Even after realizing they wanted to free Elena and Dred, even though they¡¯d have to deal with Padinyss, the true ruler of the planet, a Dragon God no less, Fing gladly offered his help. They also realized Fing was actually the son of Alof Kingdom¡¯s king, though they didn¡¯t care about it. ¡°What is it I¡¯m not allowed know?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know if you join.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna drink blood, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t know and you should go away in that case,¡± Audrey said coldly. Turning around, she told the kids to follow her. ¡°AAARGH! And even the kids you brought are completely silent when I ask them about this ¡®secret¡¯ of yours! Just WHAT?¡± Fing banged his head with his large hands. Looking at a three-meters tall, blue-skinned, red-eyed giant rampaging scared Sareg and his siblings completely. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of him. He wouldn¡¯t hurt you,¡± she soothed them and then threw a big rock towards Fing¡¯s head, ¡°Shut up! You are scaring the children.¡± As the rock broke into splinters upon contact, Fing turned around and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There. See? He isn¡¯t dangerous.¡± Sareg¡¯s brows twitched upon seeing how calmly the beauty threw a rock with a force that could¡¯ve killed either of them instantly, and how the giant man just shrugged it off. ¡°W-Will I be able to survive something like that?¡± he stopped for a moment to ask. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be foolish,¡± Audrey stopped for a moment. Seeing him hang down his head, she added, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do much more than that.¡± Sareg raised his head, his eyes sparkling. They entered the biggest hut in the middle, right in front of the campfire. The hut was warm inside, which made Sareg and his siblings very happy. After all, they had only a few rags on and the weather was quite cold. They didn¡¯t know that Audrey was warming the air around them else they¡¯d be frozen by now. Sareg saw a bedroom, a spacious kitchen with a table and two chairs other than the wooden pieces of furniture, and a toilet. Nothing much, but it looked really cosy and warm. It made him recall the time his parents were still alive. His parents who were betrayed by their friends and tricked into a monster horde. He learned of this later since he always asked his ¡®uncle¡¯ who was his father¡¯s friend. They weren¡¯t blood-related, he just felt like an uncle because they were so close. When his uncle told him they killed his parents, Sareg got enraged and tried to attack him, but of course, he was beaten up and left alone. He had been struggling to stay alive and feed his siblings ever since. Audrey led them straight to the kitchen and then pointed at the table where a small bowl stood. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, there is blood in it, and if you want to join the other kids outside, you¡¯ll have to drink from it. The amount doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°B-Blood?¡± Sareg stepped back, hearing Audrey¡¯s words. Even if he was a demon, drinking blood wasn¡¯t customary¡­ ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all it takes to change your life for the better. You can eat it, cook it, or mix it with other things too, but you have to drink a sip of it.¡± Seeing her seriousness, he looked at Jake, only to see him looking just as seriously. Gulping loudly, he stepped forward. ¡°Can I- Can I drink it with some water? A drop is enough, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Oh, another thing. What kind of abilities would you prefer? Or let me correct myself, what kind of preference do you have? Physical fight, for example with weapons, Magical battles by relying mainly on your Mana or Guarding your teammates.¡± ¡°My teammates?¡± ¡°Yeah, we always make teams of fives. There are ten kids outside, meaning two teams. Each of them has two magicians, two physical fighters, and a guardian. It¡¯s for efficiency, so I wouldn¡¯t mind if you decided on one as well, all of you,¡± Jake explained as he cut his finger and dropped a few drops of his blood into a cup, Audrey doing the same. Recalling the giant blue guy, Sareg asked, ¡°What is this Guardian like?¡± ¡°If you really wish to see it, then we can show it to you, but don¡¯t get freaked out, alright?¡± Audrey replied after thinking about it for a bit. The boy nodded his head. ¡°Then¡­ Cor, come out.¡± Sareg saw a corpse climb out of Jake¡¯s shadow and he jumped back in fear. ¡°Careful! It¡¯ll bite!¡± he shouted as he lunged towards his siblings, trying to cover them, making both Audrey and Jake laugh. ¡°...I won¡¯t bite them. Also, I didn¡¯t expect this kind of warm welcoming,¡± Cor hung his head. Seeing an undead acting sad, even Sareg felt bad for him. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I thought you¡¯d-¡± ¡°I told you not to be scared,¡± Audrey laughed at him. ¡°Before you ask, no, you won¡¯t turn as ugly as Cor. He was an undead even before he joined us. Show him what a Guardian is like,¡± Audrey said and Cor transformed into his battle form. Looking at Cor¡¯s fearsome shell, Sareg felt both scared and amazed. Clenching his fists, he pondered for a few seconds before saying, ¡°I want to be a guardian!¡± ¡°Alright, though the class isn¡¯t Guardian, we just thought of a group name randomly,¡± Audrey continued her explanation until Jake put his hand on her lips. ¡°Shhh. You¡¯ve explained enough already. You¡¯re talking too much, look, you just confused them¡­ Either way, drink this,¡± Jake said as he raised the bowl and carefully dropped a few drops of blood into a glass. He poured water on it and then gave it to Sareg. He took it carefully and looked at his siblings and then at Jake one last time before downing the whole glass. He pulled his mouth feeling the irony taste of the water and put down the glass, ¡°Bleh, it wasn¡¯t that bad¡­¡± he made a sour face. ¡°Haha, I know, I drank it without water¡­¡± Audrey laughed. ¡°Elena could be gentler,¡± she murmured. Sareg started feeling a fuzzy feeling fill his whole body. His eyelids started closing and he was struggling to stay awake. ¡°Don¡¯t fight it. It¡¯ll make you strong. Just sleep for now and when you wake up, you¡¯ll be much stronger,¡± Audrey soothed him, while his siblings got closer, afraid that something bad happened. ¡°Will he be fine?¡± Liz asked, visibly concerned about her brother¡¯s life. ¡°Mhm. He¡¯ll wake up in five hours. Have you decided yet?¡± Audrey asked. Looking at her brothers, she thought for a few seconds and then said she¡¯d like to be a Magician, while his brothers wanted to be physical fighters. They wanted to be heroic like their big brother, they said. Liz drank Audrey¡¯s blood, while the boys drank Jake¡¯s blood and then slowly fell asleep. The three of them took the children to their bed and covered them with a big blanket. When they turned around, they noticed Fing standing behind them. ¡°Damn it¡­ even children dare to drink your blood.¡± ¡°Heh, you are weaker than children, it seems,¡± Audrey stood up straight and snorted as she went past him. Fing¡¯s brows twitched. Reaching out towards Audrey, he grabbed her right shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Master, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea-¡± Virgo wanted to stop him. ¡°Stop. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°As you wish, Master,¡± she said no more and bowed her head. Grabbing the cup which had some more of Jake¡¯s blood, he poured water on it and drank it all in one go. Wiping his mouth, he stuck out his chest as he said, ¡°Hah! I drank much more blood than the kids!¡± Audrey laughed at his childish behaviour as he fell to the ground in the next moment and started snoring. ¡°Virgo, could you take him to one of the huts? He is really heavy¡­¡± ¡°Of course, but if Master dies, you¡¯ll all die,¡± Virgo replied in a cold voice. Waving her hand, Audrey left the hut and started instructing the other kids, along with Jake and Cor. Every kid had a few black tattoos on their bodies. Some of them had it on their chests, others had it on their arms or backs or legs, but all of them had one thing in common. Its shape was four longer claw marks and a short one. They looked like Dred¡¯s claw marks, only in smaller sizes. It was the mark of this new and growing force, the Dark Scars. ----------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 29.2 - Dark Scars Sareg slowly opened his eyes, only to see a few tables in front of his eyes.
Name: Sareg Wilhelm Race: Dark Demon
Level: 72 EXP: 3025 / 3040
Class: Draught (Rare) Specialization: Armorer
Health: 91 785 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: N/A
Strength: 16 325 Vitality: 18 357
Agility: 15 985 Will: 72
Intelligence: 15 919 Wisdom: 15 999
Elemental Magic: Fire Lv.40 (91%); Water Lv.52 (75%); Wind Lv.32 (83%); Lightning Lv.42 (11%); Nature Lv. 43 (32%); Earth Lv.68 (34%); Light Lv.28 (88%); Dark Lv.72 (45%); Cosmological Constant: Lv.1 (1%) Void Lv. 1 (1%); Eon Lv. 1 (1%) Resistances: Magical: 15 999 Physical: 8 162.5 Passive: Stamina: 91 785 Precision: 79 925
Skills/Spells: Hide Lv. 89 (43%) Inspect Lv. 76 (52%) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 1 (2%) Passive Skills: Ambush Lv. 22 (4%)
Looking at his own stats, he sprung up from the bed, amazed at what he was seeing. He also read the description of his class and specialization, which read The Draught is a rare class, which deals with powerful defensive methods. The Armorer specialization relies on a hard shell that can be summoned anytime. The shell is a condensed form of Mana and your mutated cells. When you stop supplying it with Mana, the shell will disappear and you¡¯ll revert back to your original state. He was also amazed by the knowledge that was in his mind, all those concepts and spells he could learn. Many things could be learnt only by practice, but the concepts of the elements and a few tips could be inherited from Cor¡¯s blood, even if Cor himself couldn¡¯t use Magic. Cosmological Constant and other similarly complex spells were different since if he gained the skill only if he understood the basics. Although he learned about it from Cor, he couldn¡¯t use it effectively. This was the true reason Devourers were feared so much and nobody wanted to let them grow. Although other Legendary creatures like the Dragon God were able to do similar things and create blood servants, their servants didn¡¯t inherit so much from their masters and because the other legendary creatures weren¡¯t born with the goal to destroy the universe, they obviously weren¡¯t chased. Of course, nobody knew that Elena changed her mind, but nobody would believe it, even if she said it. In fact, most people prefer to get as far away from legendary creatures as possible for they are truly powerful. Surely, anyone killing the devourer would be glorified and turned into a hero. The only problem was that people had problems finding them, and once they grew up enough, they¡¯d be even more dangerous than in their first few years because of the true power of their Devour skill. Clenching his fists, he felt how much stronger he became. Excited to use Magic, he looked at a vase of flowers and raised his hand. Trying to use the knowledge in his mind, he formed a dark ball in his palm and shot it towards the flowers. It passed through them without any problem and the flowers rotted. The only problem was that it continued to move forward and it was about to hit the wall when a hand appeared in front of it and upon contact, the dark ball simply disappeared. Seeing that it was Cor, his new master, he stuttered, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Look, your siblings are waking up,¡± he pointed at the others. Each child had different masters, based on whose blood they drank. But every child was Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s servant and none of them would be able to refuse their commands. If it was a life-threatening matter, they¡¯d try to save Elena and Dred at first, and only then would they care about their blood masters. Even if they felt differently, their blood would make them obliged. Although Elena and Dred weren¡¯t pent up on hierarchy and other similar things, their blood still held it up.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sareg had shallow memories about Elena and Dred as well, but since he hasn¡¯t seen them in person, he probably wouldn¡¯t recognize them if not for his blood. He also learned about their original goal and how Elena changed her mind. Maybe as a simple demon, he¡¯d have been disgusted by both, but in his current mindset, he didn¡¯t care which of the two he had to do. He¡¯d gladly help his masters in anything they wanted. Even if it was scary, that was the truth. ¡°Follow me,¡± Cor said, seeing Sareg standing up, along with his siblings. Without uttering even a single word of refusal, they followed him to the kitchen. Big plates of food welcomed the four of them and after confirming things, they got to it. When they were done, they went after Cor to the yard. Cor introduced each and every child and then introduced Sareg and his siblings to the others. The other kids measured up their new peers while welcoming them. Cor almost laughed upon seeing the kids chicken fight, as if they were about to brawl it out and find out who was the strongest. ¡°Group up,¡± he waved his hand and the other kids separated into three groups. Pointing at the first one, and then at the next group, Cor explained, ¡°They are Magicians and Audrey¡¯s blood servants. They are physical fighters, and the last one is your kind, Guardians.¡± ¡°The four of you joined in hope of a better life. I hope that your dreams will come true, but you have to work hard for it. The next few days or maybe year will be hard, but once you pass the gruesome training we had to, you¡¯ll definitely become a very powerful fighter. You surely know about the legendary races and their lesser races, like the Dragon God and the other lower ranked dragons. If you go through with this training, I can assure you, you¡¯ll be able to easily take care of a second-ranked dragon and if you work hard enough, even a first-ranked!¡± Cor raised his voice. Sareg¡¯s eyes shone along with the other kids and his siblings. Understanding Cor¡¯s meaningful look, they all joined the group of their own classes. ¡°You¡¯ll work with your own team when we are done training, but you¡¯ll still train with the others so that you¡¯ll understand each other better. You¡¯ll know what all of you went through!¡± he said. ¡°Yes!¡± the kids shouted uniformly, except for the new ones. ¡°Now then, Sareg, Liz, Keneg, Urnoth, you¡¯ll have to follow the others and do the same movements,¡± Cor instructed them. The kids had to lift up large rocks at first, then cast spells, then run, and finally meditate. When they were done with everything, they were about to go to eat when Audrey and Jake returned with a messy blonde haired, young little girl. She looked around coldly as if she was about to attack the other kids. After going through everything, a knowing smile formed on Sareg¡¯s face. I guess she will be the fifth member of my team, he thought and was about to ask when Cor hit him in the stomach. He fell to the ground and puked out the contents of his stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down while training. Your opponent will use every moment to try to kill you. If your attention is weak, you die!¡± ¡°*Cough* I understand¡­¡± Sareg replied as he stood up. Looking towards the hut Audrey and Jake went, he spotted the girl drinking from a glass and Audrey looking at him with a sorry look on her face. As their eyes met, Audrey smiled at him and waved her hand. Looking at Cor from the corner of his eye, he saw him looking at his sister, Liz. ¡°I saw you were looking away, even if you look from the corners of your eyes,¡± Cor laughed in a cracky voice. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you understand the point. I¡¯m doing this for you too,¡± Cor smiled at him. Seeing their caring smiles, Sareg worked hard to grow stronger than anyone! But so did the other kids. --- The little girl drank Audrey¡¯s blood and fell asleep in Audrey¡¯s arms. She looked out the window again and saw Sareg¡¯s hard training. ¡°Why the long face? They aren¡¯t going to die because of this,¡± Jake laughed, seeing her sorry face. ¡°B-But¡­ I just feel bad for doing this to these poor children. They also feel a bit as if they were my children,¡± she pouted. ¡°Well, technically, they are,¡± Jake commented. ¡°True, they have my blood in their veins.¡± ¡°Indeed, but their blood isn¡¯t the same. Wait, why am I even pondering about this? Like I said, just ignore it. There is no need to be soft on them while they are training. You can spoil them if you want when they aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°I know! Haah- let¡¯s make food for them from the beast we caught on the way,¡± Audrey sighed loudly as she stood up and pulled out the corpse of the beast they felled from her storage ring. Stopping behind her, Jake hugged her tightly and put his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Mmm~ What is it?¡± Audrey mused. ¡°Nothing~ I¡¯m just hugging my girlfriend,¡± Jake rubbed his face on Audrey¡¯s. ¡°Mm- Stop it! It tickles,¡± she laughed and gently pushed him away. ¡°Help me instead.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± he pulled out his knife and got to work. One and half an hours later, they were done with cooking. There was one bigger house on the outer parts of the fenced area, which was theirs. While Jake set the table, Audrey called the hungry kids. They literally rushed the house and devoured every last bit of food on the table. ¡°Mhh! Miss Audrey¡¯s cooking is simply great,¡± one of the kids raised his voice, showing a bright smile. ¡°Yes, yes. I absolutely agree! Thanks, Missis Audrey!¡± Another said. Laughing at them, Audrey also finished her plate and then stood up from the table. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t call me Missis Audrey¡­ Just Audrey, okay? Also, Jake helped cooking as well. Now I¡¯ll go to sleep, don¡¯t forget to rest because tomorrow will be a hard day again!¡± she said and then went up the stairs. The kids left the house after thanking them another time and went to sleep. Jake went after Audrey, but instead of entering his own room, this time he went to Audrey¡¯s room. He sat down on the side of her bed and waited silently. Hearing the sound of pouring water stop, he felt a bit excited and fearful at the same time. *Click* As the door opened, Audrey came out with nothing but a towel tied around her wet body. She stopped in place upon seeing Jake and looked at him silently for a few seconds. Clenching her fists, she stepped forward and sat down beside Jake. She looked at him without saying anything. Looking back, Jake whispered, ¡°Tell me if you want me to stop.¡± He coiled his arms around her back and gently pushed her down on the bed. Kissing her lips, he felt his lust growing. ¡°C-Can I go on?¡± he asked, his breath shaking, his hand caressing Audrey¡¯s body. With a sense of excitement she hasn¡¯t felt before, she nodded her head. They spent the night together. ----------------------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 29.3 - Dark Scars (18+) Sex in the kitchen The wooden stair steps creaked under Jake¡¯s feet as he walked down on it, stretching his arms and yawning. Reaching the bottom of it, he rubbed his eyes and looked around in the living room. ¡°Where is Audrey?¡± he talked to himself, scratching the back of his head. *Growl* As he heard his stomach growling, he looked down. Shrugging his shoulders, he made his way towards the kitchen, rubbing his belly, ¡°I¡¯ll grab something at first.¡± Turning the corner, he stopped in the doorway upon seeing Audrey¡¯s back. His eyes ran over her long red hair, down her arching back, reaching her round bottom. Whistling, he remarked, ¡°That¡¯s what I call a great sight!¡± ¡°Morning, you sleepy head. Sit down, I¡¯m preparing breakfast, it will be done in a few minutes,¡± she replied as she threw the eggshells into the trash. After putting some salt on it, she mixed them up with a kitchen spoon. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ll spend my time looking at you instead~¡± Jake leaned on the doorway. ¡°As you wish,¡± she said with a smile as she turned around for a moment. She heated up the pan and put a big spoon of fat, which came from the beast they felled last day. When the melted fat was hot enough, she poured the eggs into it. ¡°This will be a nice omelette, I¡¯m sure,¡± Jake commented a few seconds later as its fragrance hit his nose. ¡°It¡¯s just omelette, nothing special. Why would you praise me for such a simple thing?¡± Audrey asked as she turned her head towards him, stirring the contents of the pan. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s out of courtesy. I just wanted to praise my woman,¡± he replied with a goofy grin on his face. Shaking her head, she chuckled. Jake used his Shadow Step to appear behind her in a blink. Grabbing her breasts, he said, ¡°You aren¡¯t even denying that you are mine. How nice of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so rough. But you took all my firsts,¡± she muttered, biting on her lower lips. ¡°And I also cured you of your fear of men! See? We aren¡¯t that bad are we?¡± ¡°Did it really mean that much to you? Losing your virginity isn¡¯t all that big of a deal,¡± he raised his brows as he stopped moving his hands. ¡°It meant a lot to me because it was almost taken by force once before. When you almost lose something important to you, you tend to treasure it much more afterwards,¡± she replied, feeling bittersweet upon remembering her past. ¡°Gotcha. But you know, I¡¯m really happy that nothing happened to you because I can have you all to myself now! And I wouldn¡¯t want anything bad to ever happen to you,¡± Jake said as he pulled her hair into a ponytail and started kissing her naked nape. The kitchen spoon stopped moving in her hands as she closed her eyes and focused on Jake¡¯s rough lips. Small shudders ran through her back each time Jake kissed her nape. Raising his hands, he grabbed her breasts once again and started fondling them through her vanilla coloured knitted sweater dress. His left hand slid down to her slim waist, wide hips, round butt, and reached her round and firm left thigh. Feeling the rim of her dress on the tips of his fingers, he stuck his hand under it and pulled it up to her waist, revealing her lower half. ¡°What~ No panties? Since when are you daring enough to go commando?¡± he asked with a smirk on his face as he looked down at her protruding, round buttocks. ¡°Haah- such a great ass. You are making me really horny,¡± he whispered into her ears as he nibbled on her left earlobe, his hand reaching towards her crotch. Instead of touching her private place, he used his left hand to caress her thighs, her navel, and her crotch, carefully evading her pussy. ¡°Hmm- why are you teasing me? Ah! The eggs¡­¡± she asked before noticing a burnt smell. ¡°Who the fuck cares?¡± Jake raised his voice as he pushed the hot pan away with his right hand and set out the fire. Grabbing Audrey¡¯s shoulders, he made her turn around and put her on the countertop. Leaning forward, he grabbed the back of her head with his right hand and put his left arm around her back as he started kissing her. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and started kissing Audrey. Their tongues rolled around, giving off squelching sounds in the empty kitchen. ¡°Is it really only the two of us? What if Cor or the kids are nearby?¡± Audrey asked with some worry in her voice as she pulled back for a moment. ¡°They surely aren¡¯t here, and honestly, I don¡¯t care. Cor wouldn¡¯t intrude on us and my lust is insatiable! Or do you really want me to stop?¡± he asked between his kisses as he moved his right hand down to her clitoris and pinched it. ¡°AHN! You bastard!¡± she raised her voice, her breath ragged. ¡°But it¡¯s not right, it¡¯s broad daylight! Just because we did it once, we don¡¯t have to do it daily. And¡­¡± ¡°And also¡­ since when did you become a pervert? Back on Kriton you were so different¡­¡± ¡°Back on Kriton, I wasn¡¯t at my wits end over you and I wasn¡¯t so deeply in love with you as now. But now~ I¡¯m going crazy, my hormones are telling me to screw you up,¡± he whispered into her ear. ¡°You brute.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny it,¡± he backed away and leaned on the countertop behind him, still looking at Audrey. Furrowing her brows, knowing him all too well, she asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Hehe. I just want to see you spreading your legs for me,¡± he smiled. Turning away, Audrey covered her face for a moment, her face somewhat red, not used to these kinds of things. Pulling her sweater dress up to her waist with her left hand, she rested her soft and bare buttocks on the cold countertop. Looking into Jake¡¯s eyes, she slowly spread her legs, her right hand covering her private parts. ¡°Stop hiding it or I won¡¯t do anything to you,¡± Jake said. ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool. I am horny, but so you are. Could you really just walk away when seeing my wet pussy in front of you?¡± she attacked, saying dirty words to arouse Jake. She saw his eyes twitching, showing that her words reached him, but he still stood with a straight back as he said, ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing his serious eyes, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but slowly raise her hand, even though she knew it wasn¡¯t necessary. Maybe I just want to please him, she thought with quivering lips. ¡°Ah, such a beautiful sight. My girlfriend is spreading her legs in front of me, showing her pussy. That white and unblemished skin, that red and silky hair, your grey eyes which seem to shine~ Your slender waist, your wide hips, and those round breasts of yours with nice pink nipples. Do I need anyone else than you?¡± he asked with a smile on his face, talking about her attractive points. ¡°Stop already,¡± she muttered, feeling shy after hearing him describe her body. ¡°You are too cute, damn it,¡± he whispered as he fell on his knees in front of her and pushed his head between her legs. ¡°AHN!¡± Audrey moaned as she felt Jake¡¯s tongue entering her wet pussy. She coiled her legs around his head and back and leaned forward to hug his head. ¡°Hahn~ it feels good,¡± she moaned, grabbing Jake¡¯s short, brown hair.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Such a nice smell, it¡¯s totally making me go crazy over you,¡± he mumbled, his tongue still licking her clitoris, sometimes entering her pussy. ¡°You are just so wet. Were you expecting something, after all?¡± ¡°Mhn- no. It was your touch that aroused me. You and your perverted hands,¡± she whispered into his right ear. ¡°Ahn~ I¡¯ll cum if this goes on,¡± she whispered with a weak voice. ¡°Ahn-¡± Her body tensed up as the pleasure was building up in her body. Standing up, Jake pulled off his zipper and put his erect penis on the countertop, in front of her pussy. Sticking in the tip, he asked, ¡°What does this good girl want?¡± ¡°You are so cruel¡­¡± Audrey pouted as she put her hands on his shoulders. ¡°Spread them, spread your legs as wide as you can and ask for it,¡± Jake whispered into her right ear and then bit the top of her ear. Going down, he kissed her neck and then moved up to her lips, his tongue rolling inside her mouth. Separating, he looked at Audrey with expectation in his eyes. ¡°Mh¡­ Fine,¡± Audrey mumbled as she pressed her large chest against him, her hard nipples rubbing on his chest. Looking at him with upturned eyes, she whispered, ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Ugh, god. Such an obedient good girl, I want to dirty you so bad,¡± Jake grunted, finding her seductive voice and body too much. ¡°This is unbearable!¡± he raised his voice as he pushed his hard penis into Audrey¡¯s wet and tight pussy, stirring up her folds. ¡°Mhhn- it feels much better than yesterday. There is no pain this time,¡± she commented, keeping her voice low. She felt his hard penis moving deeper into her vagina, spreading her slimy and wet folds. Jake¡¯s eyes ran over her body with a manic look in his eyes before meeting Audrey¡¯s grey eyes. Knowing how to make him go crazy, she uttered two words, ¡°Pound me.¡± Gulping loudly, Jake clenched his hands, accidentally gripping Audrey¡¯s arms with a bit too much strength. His hands slid down to her shoulders and coiled around her back. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he started moving inside her. ¡°Haah- your pussy feels so great,¡± he said with a shaking voice. He licked Audrey¡¯s left ear and then raised his head to look down. Each time his penis left her pussy, he saw a thin and transparent line of sticky liquid. His forehead touched Audrey¡¯s as both of them started looking at their connected private parts. ¡°Ahn- It looks so lewd as your dick keeps coming in and out of me, but it¡¯s stirring me up so much. It¡¯s incredibly arousing,¡± Audrey moaned in a thin voice, biting her lower lips. Jake raised his left hand and put it on the back of her neck, while his right hand moved towards her crotch. As he continued to move his penis inside her, he circled his forefinger around her labia. Pulling her right labium to the side, he saw her pink pussy, coiling tightly around his penis. Sucking in a breath of cold air, feeling aroused even more, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°You are a sex goddess. Every crook and cranny of your body is just too sexy.¡± ¡°Mhhm- you are a bit too rough, but it¡¯s okay. The upper half feels better,¡± Audrey commented as she closed her eyes to focus on the pleasing feeling inside her pussy. Doing as told, Jake stood on his toes to grind and rub his penis against the upper half of her pussy. ¡°Haah- there,¡± she moaned as she bit into the shoulder part of his T-shirt. Her continuous moans only drove Jake ever crazier. He saw her transparent liquid slowly turning thicker and full white. Knowing that it meant that she felt great, a feeling of satisfaction and conquer filled his heart and mind. Grabbing her red hair on the back of her head, he gently pulled on it. Instead of pain, Audrey just felt even more aroused from the feeling of wildness. ¡°Your pussy is much tighter now, shut your legs,¡± he said with a ragged voice as he let go of her labium and grabbed her ankles and put her legs on his shoulders. Audrey leaned back and hung her head back as she closed her eyes once again. Jake used his right hand to caress her plump and soaking wet labia. Pulling them apart, he pressed Audrey¡¯s clitoris as if it was a button. ¡°Auhn~ play with it,¡± she pleaded, feeling even better. Finding her reactions cute, he didn¡¯t hold back and started pinching and pulling her clit. ¡°Ahn- Haah- It¡¯s great. I¡¯m going to cum in a moment. Please keep it up,¡± she begged with hazy eyes between her moans. Without saying anything, Jake picked up his pace since he too was about to cum. He felt Audrey¡¯s pussy clamp and tighten around his cock and her legs trembled on his shoulders as she cried out loud from the pleasure she felt. Not minding it, he didn¡¯t slow down and pounded her pussy until he too was about to cum. ¡°AAH! Something bigger is coming. Haah- I¡¯ll do anything, but hold on a bit longer, please,¡± she moaned, feeling a sudden change in her body. Gritting his teeth, Jake tried to hold back his rising lust as much as possible. Audrey¡¯s chest turned flushed and her muscles stiff. A sudden wave of hotness flooded out of her clitoris, filling her crotch and legs. A euphoric feeling filled her mind, combined with a feeling of satisfaction. At the same time, Jake¡¯s sperm rushed up from his balls and shot into the deepest parts of her pussy. As Audrey orgasmed, her folds gripped his penis tighter than ever before, squeezing out every last bit of sperm from his cock. As he let go of her back, she sprawled out on the countertop with a huge smile on her face, her legs still spread open. Jake pulled out his penis and looked at her sexy body, panting slightly. His cum flowed out to the edges of her pussy, somewhat arousing him. ¡°Such a great sight. My girlfriend is the best,¡± he praised her as a feeling of desire and passion filled his heart. ¡°I want to hog you all to myself,¡± he added. ¡°Haah- Hahaha, I¡¯m only yours. I love you, dear,¡± she said with a chuckle as she sat up and looked into his eyes. ¡°Mhh, I love you too,¡± Jake mumbled as he sealed her lips. As they separated, Audrey looked down. Her whole crotch was wet and sticky from their mix of sweat, sperm and pussy juices. ¡°I¡¯m a soaking mess,¡± she remarked, taking out a handkerchief from a drawer. ¡°Let me do it,¡± Jake offered as he took away the handkerchief and started wiping her crotch and pussy. His finger circled around her labia and pulled them apart, causing his sperm slowly trickle out. ¡°A beautiful Creampie.¡± ¡°Then eat it,¡± Audrey said with a chuckle, slapping his left shoulder. ¡°Thanks not¡­ but you can have some of it,¡± he replied. ¡°Ah¡­ maybe at another time. I-I don¡¯t want to do it,¡± she muttered as she turned away with a red face. ¡°Even though you said you¡¯d do anything if I continued a moment ago?¡± Jake asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Why do men want us to suck you guys¡¯ penises? It¡¯s disgusting!¡± she asked, not understanding. Leaning closer to her, their foreheads touching, Jake put his index finger on her lower lips, pulling it down a bit. He moved it from the left to right, back and forth, before entering her mouth. He felt Audrey¡¯s tongue coil around his finger. Looking into her eyes, he said, ¡°It¡¯s because we want domination and it¡¯s a living proof of our domination over yous. It¡¯s a man thing you wouldn¡¯t understand. Only a pussy guy wouldn¡¯t be interested in it,¡± he whispered as he slowly pulled out his saliva covered finger. ¡°You accepted that you are mine, let me see how,¡± he said with a smirk, pointing at his erect penis. ¡°You are hard again¡­¡± ¡°Your lips and my imagination aroused me. I also rested enough,¡± he replied, placing his hands on her thighs. Looking sideways, she couldn¡¯t hide that sliver of interest in her eyes from Jake. Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her down from the countertop and gently pushed her onto her knees. He felt some resistance, but she still obeyed. ¡°This is only because I promised. I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Audrey said with a frown. ¡°Okay~¡± Jake mused as he looked down at her. Her chest heaved up and down quicker than before and he saw her labia slightly glistening in the sunlight that shone through the windows. Haha, once you do it, you won¡¯t be able to refuse it anymore. But¡­ I want to conquer your heart and body. When did I become so possessive? Or is it because I appreciate Audrey more than any other girl? He thought in his mind, questioning his own motives and personality. Looking down at Audrey, he saw her hands trembling slightly. But¡­ what the hell am I talking about? I love her, I shouldn¡¯t think about stuff like this and care only about her happiness, he realized, feeling a little bad for actually forcing her, even if it was only a little bit. His right hand slid down from the top of her head and rested on the back of it. Looking into her eyes, his gaze turned gentler, ¡°Audrey, I¡¯m still interested in this, but if you aren¡¯t happy with it, then don¡¯t do it. I¡¯m sorry for actually forcing you. I really am, I don¡¯t know what got into me,¡± he sighed loudly. Squatting down, he hugged her to his chest and raised her up in a princess carry. ¡°Can you forgive me?¡± ¡°Weeell, it wasn¡¯t nice of you. I don¡¯t know, can I?¡± she mused, visibly in a much better mood. ¡°AAARGH! I¡¯m really sorry. If I think back, I¡¯ve been a bit of an ass for a while. All the jealousy and other similar things¡­ It¡¯s still a wonder to me how you still accepted me. I don¡¯t know why maybe I was a bit on the edge for too long.¡± Reaching Audrey¡¯s bedroom, he put her on the bed gently and hit his own head as he said. Hearing his words, Audrey just laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I knew you were like that because of me. I left you hanging for a long time and then even after I became your girlfriend, we didn¡¯t really do anything for more than a month. It¡¯s just that I needed time, so this is my fault too.¡± Hugging each other, Jake said, ¡°If my girlfriend isn¡¯t the best in the world, then I should hang myself!¡± ¡°Shh- don¡¯t say things like that.¡± ¡°Haha, but it¡¯s true!¡± Leaning forward, he kissed her deeply and when he leaned back, he looked out the window. The sun was slowly rising, but it was still early in the morning. Looking down and marvelling at Audrey¡¯s body, he asked, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be pushy, but we still have some time since we woke up a bit too early. Do you want to¡­ again?¡± He saw her opening her legs without saying anything and turning away with a slightly red face. ¡°Cute.¡± ¡°Be loving and gentle, I think I prefer that sort of sex.¡± ¡°As you wish, my princess,¡± he whispered into her ear. After another lovely round, they left the house to do what Elena entrusted them with. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 30.1 - Poison shopping Poison shopping Ekrok reached the capital city of Thivalon Kingdom three days later. Although he really wanted to rest, he knew he didn¡¯t have the time and went straight to the palace. Thanks to his obviously high level, the people he asked for directions helped him without any trouble. He circled around the palace a few times and then transformed into his draco-human form. As he landed right in front of the entrance, he said to the guards ¡°Take me to the king of this nation this instant. If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll destroy you and your kingdom as well!¡± he raised his voice, visibly in a bad mood. Even if he was at a high level, going on without any sleep for three days took its strain on him. After inspecting him, the guard started sweating profusely. Clenching his fists on his spear, he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll look for him, please wait a moment.¡± Ekrok nodded his head, happy to see his cooperation. The guard ran off, while the other one stayed and continued to look at Ekrok when he wasn¡¯t looking. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah! Pardon me!¡± the guard shouted fearfully and bowed his head. A few seconds later, the guard from before rushed out and said, ¡°Please follow me.¡± Ekrok was led to the throne room where he met the king. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Ekrok asked, not bothering with his title as the king of a small nation like Thivalon. Knowing his place, the king replied, ¡°My name is Bethor. Who might you be, traveller?¡± ¡°I¡¯m called Ekrok, the second in command of the Dragon Empire,¡± he said, a small smile forming on his face upon seeing sweat appearing on Bethor¡¯s forehead. ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m at a place like this. I don¡¯t wish to be here either, but the seriousness of this problem doesn¡¯t let me do otherwise,¡± he started explaining and after pulling out a comfortable chair from his storage ring, he sat down facing Bethor. ¡°I¡¯ll ask a few questions and I expect you to reply honestly-¡± The doors were swung open and Sally and Caleb came in. After stopping beside Bethor, Ekrok continued. ¡°Have you noticed any sort of mass murders in these last few weeks or months?¡± ¡°We had a war not long ago, so many people died, obviously,¡± Bethor replied, raising a brow. Clicking his tongue, Ekrok decided to reveal more, hoping for their help. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s the problem. You lot don¡¯t know many things about the universe. Surely, you know there are legendary beings, like the one true ruler, Padinyss.¡± Bethor nodded his head. ¡°This world we are in is a sealed world, but I won¡¯t go into the details pertaining this matter. In this world, Padinyss is the only legendary being. At least, that was the case for many years.¡± ¡°But things have changed.¡± ¡°There is a special case among the legendary creatures, a race that is born with a goal, which is to destroy the universe. They are called the Devourers. How or why this race is born is something we don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s common sense that anyone finding them should try to kill them by all means. If not, I¡¯m afraid the whole planet and then the universe will fall, meaning billions of dead souls. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t wish that to happen.¡± Furrowing his brows, Bethor replied, ¡°The news you brought are certainly grave and I¡¯d like to help, but why are you asking me when I didn¡¯t even know about this race?¡± Smiling, Ekrok replied, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. When the Devourer is born, the planet that gave birth to that monster will die out and wither, no matter how old or young it is.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Bethor started connecting the dots. ¡°There was a small planet near Dunk, with no Mana on it. My lord found it strange when it suddenly appeared but paid no heed to it. Things changed when this young planet simply cracked and broke apart as if it was a ball of dried mud, sucked dry of water. That¡¯s certainly not how stars and planets are supposed to die. The thing is, that planet had a gateway leading to your kingdom.¡± ¡°I asked a few people and I heard you rebelled against your king and took his place. I don¡¯t care about this, what I care about is the fact you was the city lord of the city that was the closest to the gateway!¡± Ekrok raised his voice. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Great. Then do you recall any strange person you met who was much more powerful than others at his or her level? Or who had strange abilities?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Hmm- I did meet powerful people, but what sort abilities?¡± ¡°Something that made people rot or made them weaker, something that turned them into nothing but husks or maybe made the corpses disappear without a trace. I¡¯m not sure about the details of the Devourer¡¯s spells, but I know it¡¯s something similar to what I described.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not in knowledge of a spell like this.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you met a person or maybe a group who caused trouble in the city and killed many people? Maybe just groups of people,¡± Ekrok tried again. The only person I recall being truly outstanding is Elena and Dred and their friends. But they didn¡¯t plan to destroy the world, obviously. They even helped me in the long run if anything. I don¡¯t wish to mix them up with a person like this¡­ Bethor pondered while shaking his head, acting as if he had no idea. Sighing loudly, Ekrok was about to stand up when the doors opened and a long black haired man with locks of blonde in it rushed into the throne room forcefully. He was around a hundred and seventy centimeters tall and looked like an average human. He had a ring on his finger with a black gem in it. Spotting it immediately, Ekrok stood up and looked at the man with pleasure. ¡°Catch him!¡± the guards shouted and ran towards him, but Ekrok waved his hand and a powerful gust of wind pushed them back. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Hahaha, who¡¯d have thought that I¡¯d find the Eighth Ring of Calamity here? Who are you?¡± Bowing his head, the black haired man said, ¡°Good day, my lord. My name is Shin and I come from a planet called Dink. I¡¯ve brought news to you.¡± ¡°Huh? Dink?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, well. With the eighth ring, you can obviously access the other planet too. Now you got me curious, but before I ask more, what do you know?¡± ¡°My name is Shin, a former Emperor. Although I can use the ring to travel, there is a gate connection the planets in this kingdom. This man, called Bethor also knows the person you¡¯re looking for. I¡¯m quite sure that this devourer you spoke of is a woman called Elena. She also has a panther beside her, called Dred, and three companions. They destroyed my whole empire back on Dink and then helped Bethor to the throne, along with another king on Dink. His name is Hector if I recall correctly. Now they are united and are working together to strengthen their military forces,¡± Shin explained shortly, telling everything that could be used against Bethor. ¡°Hahaha, can you see this, Shin? I¡¯m using your body and I¡¯m going to create havoc again. This will probably take care of that woman so I¡¯ll have fewer things to worry about and I¡¯ll be able to focus on preparing everything to kill Padinyss.¡± The consciousness of the eighth ring laughed in his mind, while Shin looked helplessly at everything. ¡°Eh? Won¡¯t you try to resist? You¡¯re no fun¡­ I told you to just let me devour your consciousness and you won¡¯t have to suffer anymore.¡± ¡°NO!¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ fine. Then watch me. Oh, by the way, this guy was there when they killed my master. He was almost killed just from the residual energy of my master¡¯s attack, hehe. This weakling¡­¡± the darkness laughed in his mind while looking at Ekrok. ¡°Is this true, Bethor?¡± Ekrok furrowed his brows. I¡¯m sorry, Elena, but I worked too much to finally turn this kingdom into a glorious one. If I don¡¯t tell the truth, we¡¯ll be all killed. Wait¡­ was this what she meant by her parting words? She¡¯ll be the evil if needed¡­ Damn it! I¡¯ll work hard to try to save you. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re this devourer or not, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re such a bad person! Bethor thought before sighing loudly. ¡°It¡¯s as this man said. Let me tell you the whole tale. Our king was abusing his power and so I plotted against him to make this kingdom better. It took tens of years until I finally got to the final phase and that was the time this woman called Elena appeared, along with her friends. They were all very powerful and although they killed people, they didn¡¯t kill that many. Only a few thugs and they didn¡¯t even hurt the citizens.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you about her. They also helped to destroy this man¡¯s empire, but that was because he too tried to dominate the other planet and enslave women, children. Lord Ekrok surely wouldn¡¯t want his family to be enslaved either. I believe our reasons are justified. And to ensure that I¡¯m telling the truth¡­¡± ¡°I hereby declare and swear that my words before were all the truth or death shall take me!¡± Ekrok continued to look at him silently for a few seconds before sighing loudly. Slumping his shoulders, he rubbed his eyes and looked at Shin, who was visibly unhappy with the sudden turn of events. ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll stay here for now and contact the emperor. I¡¯ll watch over you and try to find traces of the devourer. I¡¯ll also tell everything to Padinyss and it¡¯ll be up to him to decide about Elena¡¯s life. Because she happens to be a guest in the palace, at the moment¡­¡± Ekrok said. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Bethor replied. Ekrok picked an empty room in the palace and told everything he learned to Padinyss through the Orb of Seers. ¡°Elena and Dred? The people you brought here with the ring on their fingers?¡± Padinyss asked after all was said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s grave news. Although they have seemingly nothing to do with it, if it turned out they were really the devourers, I¡¯d be in a pinch. I can¡¯t kill them before opening the seal but if I let them grow, they¡¯ll be strong enough to kill me, I fear. Try gathering more information about this matter I¡¯ll send somebody to bring the man with the Ring of Darkness to me. I¡¯ll fetch the Ring of Wind with Jotun¡¯s help. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll open the seal and kill every ring bearer afterwards, just to make sure.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ekrok replied and the connection was broken. Huh, poor people¡­ they were fighting to get the ring and become Padinyss¡¯s guests, but now their fates just changed for the worse. I¡¯ll take a nap for now, I can¡¯t find anything if I¡¯m too tired to think, he thought and laid down on the bed as if it was his own. Yawning loudly, he closed his eyes and shortly fell asleep. ---------------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 30.2 - Poison shopping *Twitch* ¡°Hello, Jotun!¡± Elena turned around and raised her voice, showing a smile. ¡°Elena, dear Elena¡­ You and your boyfriend are really nosy, don¡¯t you think?¡± Jotun asked as he pulled out his hands from behind his back. He was holding Tron by his collar, who was beaten up and had purple patches on his face. ¡°He ran his mouth even though he was supposed to keep silent. It¡¯s really interesting since he has never done it before, even if it was a nice person. I suppose you have some kind of mind related spell that lowered his guard, but he still betrayed my expectations.¡± ¡°And so you beat him up, even though he had been serving you for how many years?¡± Elena furrowed her brows. ¡°A hundred and fifty-six to be exact, but that¡¯s not going to save him from my wrath. So? What are you looking for in my office?¡± Jotun dropped Tron to the floor as if he was a dirty towel and walked towards Elena and Dred. Dred continued to look at the map, completely ignoring Jotun, while Elena stepped closer to Jotun and stopped in front of him. ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°It does.¡± ¡°Well, I want to know what you know about the Ring of Wind and what sort of information you have about this mysterious Sealu planet. I also want to know what¡¯re your plans. How do you plan to deal with Padinyss?¡± she asked, looking straight into Jotun¡¯s eyes. ¡°Interesting¡­ You¡¯ve got more blood in your lower half than many other guys. Most of them would shiver in fear by now and beg for their lives,¡± Jotun said, visibly amused by Elena. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Mhm. But don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a good thing,¡± he said as he grabbed Elena¡¯s throat and raised her into the air. Dred appeared behind Jotun, his paw right in front of Jotun¡¯s throat. A single movement and he could behead him. ¡°Oh, my¡­ your boyfriend doesn¡¯t like jokes, does he?¡± Jotun laughed unperturbed. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be held by the neck either,¡± Elena replied as she turned into a black mist and reformed one step away. ¡°I see you¡¯re proficient in Dark Magic. Have you reached the maximum level by any chance?¡± Jotun raised his brows. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s really rare. And Dred seems to be the same.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°What if I hurt him? Would you react the same way he did?¡± ¡°I¡¯d kill you by all means, even if I had to run away now,¡± Elena replied with a smile. ¡°I must be careful then, haha.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m joking?¡± Elena asked seriously this time. ¡°You¡¯re being cocky. Don¡¯t test my patience because not even your rings will save you from my wrath-¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± Jotun furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you deaf? I told you to shut up. You kings are always so full of yourselves, ordering around people as if they were your dogs. But what¡¯d you be without your servants? Sure, you¡¯re strong, but if they ganged up, they¡¯d be able to kill you in a moment. And it¡¯s the same with Padinyss. You kings are delusional, believing you¡¯re invincible, but you always forget that you¡¯ve got your power from your underlings.¡± ¡°Sure, they obey you, but I wonder how they feel about you¡­¡± Clenching his fists, Jotun held back his anger. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°You should change the way you¡¯re dealing with people or one day you¡¯ll receive a cold shower,¡± Dred clarified Elena¡¯s meaning. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Elena replied. ¡°The future does.¡± Patting his shoulder, she walked out the door Dred behind her back. Looking at his map on the wall, Jotun didn¡¯t know what to say for the first time in his life. ¡°This damned bitch¡­ It¡¯s good that none of my servants were here,¡± he grumbled. ¡°As if my servants would dare to rebel, hmph.¡± But why is she interested in my plans against Padinyss? I must be careful, I brought them here, but I don¡¯t want them to reveal my plans to Padinyss in hope of rewards. Haah- why do they have to be of key importance to my plans? Damn it¡­ --- ¡°Why did you annoy him?¡± Dred asked while going back to their room. ¡°Well, I wanted to see his reaction and I wanted to make him wary of us. Although he¡¯d tighten his security around us, he won¡¯t try to keep us in the palace. And while he was listening to me, you were able to steal that paper.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve noticed.¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯re soul mates! I¡¯d notice it.¡± A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°Well, your Mana was around my head, so you read my thought.¡± ¡°Aww, I was caught. Quickly, spit it out.¡± ¡°Not here, I¡¯ll do it when we¡¯re back to our room,¡± Dred shook his head. Shortly after, Elena jumped onto their bed while Dred¡¯s belly split open and a rod of rock fell out through the hole. With the help of Earth Magic, he unwrapped the rock around the scroll and put it in Elena¡¯s palm. ¡°Here you go, read it while caressing me,¡± he said as he transformed into his demon form and laid down on the bed, his head in Elena¡¯s lap.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You big baby, hehe. Let¡¯s see, this scroll reads as¡­¡± ¡°Reinald¡¯s Legacy.¡± ¡°My name is Reinald. Only Reinald because I was born an orphan and had no family members. I grew up fighting for my life in another universe, with a completely different world system controlling everything. We didn¡¯t have tables and stat points¡­ we cultivated the energy of the world and formed shells around our bodies to defend ourselves, and used the energy of the world to attack. If you¡¯re reading this, it means I¡¯m dead or not around anymore.¡± ¡°You may don¡¯t know anything about the value of this scroll you just found, but you should read the following part carefully.¡± ¡°I had powerful foes chasing me, so I had to run away, through the Abyss, one of the most dangerous places in the world. I was lucky enough to get through alive and stumble upon a different type of universe. When I found a planet, called Dunk, it turned out I was the strongest person since I beat up everyone quite easily.¡± ¡°I became arrogant, I think.¡± ¡°I decided to create two other planets with my technique to control the energy of the world and the elements. I named one of them Dink, the other Sealu. It didn¡¯t take a lot of time since I was above the six hundredth level if that makes sense to you. When I was done, I sealed these three planets, along with a few others smaller natural planets into a separate space with six huge formations.¡± ¡°At the locations of these formations lie hidden six rings, each related to a different element, controlling different aspects of the planet. I named these rings the Ring of Calamity for I¡¯m sure if anyone learned of their true potential, a calamity would break out to get all of them.¡± ¡°But there are two other rings hidden in the world, one on Dunk and one on Dink. I¡¯ll give you hint, the third Ring of Calamity is on the eastern island where elves reside. The rest of the rings are hidden in a hexagon shape if you look at the world map, but where their exact locations are, is something you¡¯ll have to find out yourself. I might have left behind clues everywhere. Hehe.¡± ¡°Once you find all the eight rings, go to the Moon-lit Sea at the center of the world and stand on the circular rock. That sea has been calm for many years, so it won¡¯t be hard to get there, even if you aren¡¯t a strong person. When you¡¯re there, wait for the full moon to shine on the circular stone and the rings will open the gate to the Sealu planet. There lays the key to the six formations, which sealed your world from the outside.¡± ¡°It also contains scrolls describing my defensive and offensive methods, you may learn them.¡± ¡°Be well, and good luck on your treasure hunt!¡± ¡°Mark my words. Never be arrogant like me, even if you find true strength. For you will fall alone¡­¡± ¡°...is what Cor wrote when he was still a human.¡± Their heads hung, Elena and Dred sat in silence for a few seconds. ¡°I wonder how he exactly died,¡± Dred muttered. ¡°Mhm. Let¡¯s show this to him later. Hopefully, Jotun won¡¯t realize we stole it,¡± Elena laughed. ¡°How many of them have you collected?¡± Dred changed the topic. ¡°I copied, Padinyss¡¯s mind, Tron¡¯s mind, Jotun¡¯s mind, I also have Inhe¡¯s, Ekrok¡¯s, and a few other more important looking people. I copied everyone¡¯s mind in the throne room as well, so I¡¯ll be able to use my hivemind on numerous people. But first, we¡¯ll have to assassinate them without them realizing!¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s the harder part of the deal. We should get our hands on some kind of poison. If nothing else, we can always use mine and try to make it look like a bad dream.¡± Elena hugged Dred¡¯s head into her bosom and closed her eyes, visibly in a good mood. ¡°What are you so happy about?¡± Dred asked. ¡°Nothing~ It¡¯s just that things are going smoothly at the moment and it turned out I can have a loving and caring boyfriend. I didn¡¯t think something like that was possible, after all, I¡¯m still a monster race and there is no way any other person would be able to start a relationship with me. Not this kind, so I¡¯m really happy to have you around.¡± ¡°Same, I¡¯m glad to have you,¡± Dred mused. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep in Elena¡¯s loving embrace. She stopped caressing his head and laid down beside him, hugging him gently. Feeling the warmth of his body and his arms wrapping around her back, she too fell asleep. --- The next day Elena and Dred wished to leave the palace and check out the city, but of course, they weren¡¯t allowed to leave without a few of the Royal Guards following them around. Although they could have snuck out, they didn¡¯t wish to reveal their ability to walk around unnoticed. They had to wait at the main gate of the palace until three Royal Guards arrived, accompanied by a small demon, the same race as Tron. Two of the guards had black leather armours with golden patterns on them, while the tallest demon in the middle had black metal armour on. ¡°Good day, Miss. I¡¯m replacing Tron as of this day, please call me Tren,¡± the small demon said. ¡°You must be brothers, your mother sure is creative,¡± Elena said in a low voice. ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ Is Tron your brother?¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± I knew it! ¡°You¡¯re being really rude right now,¡± Dred commented. ¡°Sheesh, I¡¯m just kidding.¡± ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t¡­¡± Dred shook his head. ¡°Heh, we¡¯re accompanying a beauty today~¡± the demon in the metal armour said laughing. ¡°Keep your eyes on your weapon instead,¡± Elena said coldly, surprising the demon. ¡°*Cough* Where does Miss want to go?¡± Tren quickly reacted and smoothed out the spark between the two sides. ¡°I want to visit a few places. At least one good weapon and armour store, a herbalist, and a spell book store if there are any,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m being a background character¡­¡± Dred grumbled in Elena¡¯s mind while she was talking. ¡°...¡± ¡°As you wish. Which of these do you want to visit first?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to a weapon store!¡± she said as she jumped onto Dred¡¯s back. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t plan to get off of my back, right?¡± Dred asked. ¡°No~ this is my private place!¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Miss, we¡¯re supposed to travel on the royal chariot,¡± Tren pointed at the black coloured chariot to the left of the gate, with intricate gold patterns on it and two black beetles in front of it. Inspect.
Race: Black Sand Beetle Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 465 Threat Level: 5
Great, even this shitty tamed monster is at a higher level than me, Elena grumbled in her mind. Looking at the sandstone paved roads and the buildings, she said, ¡°We may be supposed to, but I want to see the city, not just sit in a chariot and look at its interior.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine by us, let¡¯s just move already,¡± the same demon as before said and pushed Tren forward. Tren fell to the ground with a loud thud and hit his chin. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t banter with our king¡¯s guests either, just do what they want, hahaha,¡± the demon added. Tren stood up and looked at the demon enraged, knowing he was just looking for a way to bully him. ¡°What? Do you want to fight?¡± the demon asked, his two companions laughing at Tren. Gulping down his anger, he dusted off his clothes and used Water Magic to heal the wound on his face. He turned around and led the way to one of the best weapon stores in the city silently. Looking at his small back, both Elena and Dred sighed, imagining the demon¡¯s life in the palace. ¡°I wonder if everyone is an asshole like these three,¡± Dred asked aloud. Everyone kept silent, but unlike Tren who started smiling, the other three demons made angered faces. Looking at the Ring of Calamity on Dred¡¯s foot and Elena¡¯s finger, the tallest demon clicked his tongue and followed them. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 30.3 - Poison shopping Since the whole Demon Island was made up of sand, there were large deserts and sandstorms, but the capital city was an exception to the latter. A wide river divided the city into two halves and the palace was on a smaller sand island in the river. Two long bridges connected the city and the smaller island. After reaching the city, Elena and Dred saw the same sandstone pathways and buildings. The mansions closest to the palace had concreted swim pools and grass-covered lands, but as they got further away from the river, the grass turned sparser. ¡°This city is really nice,¡± Elena remarked, looking at one house after the other in curiosity. Looking down, she saw Dred¡¯s paw marks left in the sand at a few places where he left the pathway. ¡°This place would be much worse if we had to fight. The sand is very soft and slack. It¡¯d be harder to get a footing without using Earth Magic,¡± Dred remarked. ¡°Hehe, only for you~ My boots have an enchantment on them!¡± Elena stuck out her chest. ¡°Sure, sure, but don¡¯t underestimate my body,¡± Dred replied just as proudly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to~¡± ¡°We are here,¡± Tren stopped in front of a building and interrupted them. It had a table in front of it with an anvil and a hammer on it. Elena and Dred entered without any hesitation. ¡°Hi~¡± Elena slipped through the door and looked around. ¡°Welcome- pets aren¡¯t allowed inside,¡± the storekeeper furrowed his brows upon seeing a two-meters-tall black panther enter the store. ¡°I¡¯m not a pet,¡± Dred replied as he walked forward and sat down in front of the counter. Looking into the storekeeper¡¯s eyes, he added ¡°I should be alright like that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ What can I help you with?¡± the purple haired and purple-eyed man went on as if nothing happened. ¡°I¡¯m looking for throwing knives since mine are getting a bit dull,¡± Elena smiled. Nodding his head, the purple haired man turned around and went to the back of the shop and soon returned with a three smaller cases. Putting them on the counter, he opened each of them and revealed three sets of throwing knives. Grabbing one throwing knife from the first set, he raised it up and held it in front of Elena. The knife was completely white in colour with a visibly good aerodynamic. ¡°This throwing knife was smithed from Tiridium, which is a light but strong type of metal. In case you don¡¯t plan to fight against scale-covered or hard-skinned monsters, this set is a good choice. It also has an enchantment on it which makes these daggers return to their owner. All you have to do is keep a small enchanted plate on you else the daggers won¡¯t return to you.¡± The storekeeper introduced all three sets of throwing knives. The second one was made from a harder and heavier metal, while the last one was good against any type of opponent and had a penetration increasing enchantment on it. Of course, the latter was the priciest one. After some ¡®consideration¡¯, she said she¡¯d check other stores as well. ¡°We¡¯re just wasting time anyway. Let¡¯s check a few more stores before finally going to the herb store,¡± Elena whispered in Dred¡¯s mind. ¡°Mhm.¡± Although she didn¡¯t need new throwing knives, she still decided to buy a new set in one of the weapon selling stores to keep Tren¡¯s suspicion low. The Spell Scroll store had nothing that was worthy enough for her so she didn¡¯t buy anything there. The sun was already setting when they reached their final destination, a herb store. It was in one of the mansions close to the river. The yard was filled with different kinds of herbs both in front of the mansion and behind. ¡°How come the herbalist store is in the owner¡¯s mansion?¡± Elena asked, looking at the servants carefully picking the herbs on the herb fields and placing them in different bags. ¡°The lord of this land is Bat Challion, a pure-blooded vampire. He moved to the capital city sixty years ago and bought this land and had been here ever since. His herb plantation turned into one of the spectacles of the city,¡± Tren replied, pointing at the different coloured herb fields. Some of them were rainbow coloured, while others had only one or two colours. But all of them were planted in an orderly manner, creating a rather beautiful scenery. ¡°The Lord opened his store two years later in his mansion and started selling pills and mixes which had healing effects or gave temporary physical strength boost. His business is flourishing up to this day since he has a wide variety of pills and mixes with different kinds of effects. There are even herbs that help the user gather Mana or speed up its circulation in the user¡¯s body!¡± Tren went on with his explanation. ¡°Interesting. Hopefully, he¡¯ll have what I need,¡± Elena laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure of that.¡± A servant opened the double doors of the mansion in front of Elena and Dred and closed it when everyone entered. ¡°Please follow me,¡± another servant bowed in front of them and led them to another room. The hall of the mansion was ten meters tall and marble columns held up the ceiling. The walls and the floor were covered with a reddish coloured marble as well and the lack of pieces of furniture in the hall only filled Elena and Dred with a sense of marvel. ¡°It feels as if I was in an ancient temple, hehe. Though I can¡¯t imagine myself living in a place like this,¡± Elena shook her head.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m not living here either~ My private quarters are quite different!¡± a male voice resounded in the hall. The servant leading them stopped and after bowing his head, he left them alone. A long and red-haired man walked towards them, rolling a lock of his hair around his finger. He smiled at Elena, revealing his long fangs. His red eyes reflected the sunlight that shone through the windows as he stopped in front of Elena and looked at her. ¡°Oh, pardon my rudeness. My name is Bat Challion, the owner of this place. I haven¡¯t seen Miss here before, so I decided to welcome you personally!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nice of you~ My name is Elena and he is Dred, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll profit a lot from us,¡± Elena replied. ¡°Even if you walk away empty-handed, I can still welcome possible customers, can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Please follow me in that case,¡± Challion said and led them to the end of the corridor, straight into a spacious room. Different kinds of pills and bottles of liquids were kept in display counters. ¡°What is Miss Elena looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for poison,¡± Elena said casually. Tren furrowed his brows upon hearing her. ¡°Ho? What kind of poison do you need? It depends on what¡¯s your purpose with it,¡± Challion raised his brows. ¡°What do you have?¡± Nodding his head, Challion stepped closer to the display counter and picked up four bottles. Raising the first which had black coloured liquid in it, he said, ¡°This is called Phylancore, which is a vicious type of poison. It¡¯s got a very strong corroding effect, so if it got on your skin, you¡¯d quickly¡­ melt.¡± Raising the dark red coloured one, he continued, ¡°This is called Blyndo, which has a powerful paralyzing effect. If you use it on your weapons, even a shallow cut can slow down the victim¡¯s movements and make killing them much simpler.¡± ¡°This third one is called Silondrophe and although it¡¯s a bit slow, if it gets in the victim¡¯s body, they will surely die. This is a very lethal poison, so it¡¯s advised to use with caution,¡± he said, pointing at the dark green liquid. ¡°And lastly-¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t continue. I¡¯ll buy Blyndo,¡± Elena interrupted him. ¡°As you wish. Do you need only one bottle or do you wish to buy them in bulks?¡± ¡°Depends. How much does it cost?¡± ¡°One bottle is five gold coins. It may be costly, but I sell high-quality products only,¡± Challion said as a smile formed on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll buy five bottles of it, it should be enough for a while,¡± Elena replied and pulled the necessary amount out of her storage ring. Even if they¡¯ve got a lot of gold coins from Cor¡¯s cave, she still hesitated for a moment. Looking into Challion¡¯s eyes, she handed over the money. The servant behind the counter turned around and walked through a simple wooden door and returned a few seconds later with five dark red coloured bottles. In a bottle was only four centiliters of poison, but if she poured it all into the hilt of her dagger, she could smear her daggers in poison every time she sheathed her weapons. ¡°Thanks for buying~¡± Challions mused. ¡°Mhm, I may return in the future,¡± Elena replied and after saying goodbye, they returned to the palace. When they entered the palace, a servant told them Jotun was waiting for them in the dining room. Thanks to their perfect metabolism and different bodies, they could go on for a whole day without even getting hungry. But after so much walking and wandering around, even Elena and Dred felt hunger. Dred opened the door in front of Elena and let her in. ¡°Haha, since when do you behave so decently? It¡¯s human¡¯s custom~¡± Elena said. Smiling back, Dred closed the door and went after her without saying anything. At the end of the twenty meters long table was Jotun, with all kinds of food filling the table. Elena and Dred sat down beside each other, two chairs away from Jotun. ¡°*Gulp* I heard you left the palace today. What were you doing?¡± Jotun asked and cut off another slice of meat with his claw. ¡°Am I supposed to report to you?¡± Elena raised her brows. ¡°You aren¡¯t, I¡¯m just curious. And why are you so cold to me?¡± ¡°Well, weren¡¯t you holding my neck last evening? I don¡¯t think any girl would be nice to you afterwards.¡± ¡°*Gulp* You might be right. So?¡± ¡°I bought a set of throwing knives and a poison with paralyzing effects. Maybe I should use it now,¡± Elena said with a smile and looked at Jotun¡¯s food. Jotun¡¯s eyes twitched as he stopped eating for a moment and looked down. He couldn¡¯t help but sniff his food, but noticing he had been eating it all this while without any problem, he realized he was being toyed with. ¡°You aren¡¯t funny. I could hang you if you didn¡¯t have your pretty rings after this kind of joke.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun, I was just kidding. Woah, this meat is really delicious! Right, Dred?¡± she turned to the side, only to see him eating in his panther form. He bore his claws into a lamb leg sized piece of meat and tore out a large chunk of it, making even the bone visible. Two bites later, the whole leg disappeared in his belly without any traces. ¡°...¡± ¡°What? You said it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Hahaha, your boyfriend is quite hilarious sometimes,¡± Jotun laughed at them, not minding Dred¡¯s behaviour and eating habits. ¡°This is the meat of a monster called Trumpala and it comes from the Dead Land. It¡¯s quite pricey, but as you said, it¡¯s taste is wonderful.¡± ¡°What is this Dead Land? I¡¯ve seen a map before, but it was called Beast Kingdom if I recall correctly,¡± Dred asked. ¡°Well, when Padinyss changed the flow of Mana with the Ring of Water and turned this area into the center of the planet, many kingdoms and empires fought to take their places. This caused a lot of bloodsheds, but it served its purpose. Padinyss was able to showcase his monstrous battle prowess and beat down even the idea of resistance. The most populous races united and created their own Kingdoms in the area, led by their strongest.¡± ¡°Well, not necessarily the strongest since not everyone is interested in being the king, but surely the kings are surely one of the strongest of their own races. But there was a problem. The monsters have great senses and the powerful ones followed the flow of Mana, looking for a place where they could evolve more quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how the Dead Land came to be. It¡¯s a strongly monster-infested area, filled with monsters above the five hundredth level and even monsters on the same level as I can be found. Many of them are intelligent as well, so hunting Trumpalas is a dangerous thing to do. Luckily, I¡¯m not a poor guy,¡± Jotun laughed. ¡°Interesting. Well, I¡¯ve eaten enough so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m returning to our room,¡± Elena said as she stood up followed by Dred. ¡°Mhm, good night.¡± Elena and Dred turned around and left the dining room. Feeling a bit sleepy, Jotun stood up and went to bed as well. He didn¡¯t notice Elena¡¯s shadow that extended and slipped up to his plate on the table. Finding his teeth a bit slimey, he licked them¡­ But both his teeth and tongue were dark green. ---------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 30.4 - Poison shopping ¡°Lord Challion! Something disappeared from the store!¡± one of the servants raised his voice when he started counting their income and noticed a missing bottle. Furrowing his brows, Challion asked what was it. ¡°It¡¯s a bottle of Silondrophe.¡± ¡°Silondrophe?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Strange¡­ how come I didn¡¯t notice it? Damn it, could it be that girl from today? I couldn¡¯t read her stats, but she didn¡¯t feel that strong to me. But I doubt one of the Royal Guards would rob me, so I can¡¯t think of anyone else but that girl and her panther. Rob, what do you think why¡¯d they need a deadly poison?¡± he asked his servant. ¡°Maybe assassinating somebody?¡± Sighing loudly, Challion hung his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they want to do something they should never try. Let¡¯s pack up for now and close the store tomorrow, just in case. I don¡¯t want to be at the center of the shitstorm if the king was to die. These stupid demons will go around killing and beating up everyone else to show they¡¯re the strongest and are strong enough to claim the throne.¡± ¡°B-But Lord Challion, I don¡¯t think that the king would die. Surely, he¡¯d notice if somebody poisoned him and would find a way to-¡± ¡°No. If it was really this girl and she manages to make Jotun drink the poison, he¡¯ll die for sure and once that happens, the city will erupt in chaos. Now I can hope only two things. Firstly, hopefully she doesn¡¯t want to poison Jotun but somebody else or it¡¯s even better if she doesn¡¯t want to poison anyone here.¡± ¡°Secondly, she wasn¡¯t the one who robbed me and somebody else wants to kill a noble maybe¡­ That would be the best option.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we notify the king to take caution? We may be able to prevent something bad from happening.¡± ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll go now and notify Jotun, just in case. I hope that he is alright,¡± Challion replied and transformed into a huge bat. He soared through the dark sky in the city and arrived to the palace in just a few minutes. Let¡¯s hope that I can stop stupid children from doing bad things¡­ in case they plan to. --- ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Dred whispered outside the dining room. ¡°A few seconds. I just coated the poison in very tiny bubbles. He ate it in very small amounts and the poison should take effect shortly,¡± Elena replied. Hearing footsteps, they looked at each other and turned towards the door. Before they could open it, they heard a loud thud on the other side. Quickly rushing in, Dred closed the door behind them and when he turned around, he saw Jotun lying on the ground unmoving. Elena turned him to his back and was surprised to see his green teeth and tongue. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°What? Wait, he should be paralyzed only¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, but this guy is barely breathing. Jotun! Come on, wake up!¡± Elena slapped his face but the lights in his eyes slowly faded out. Scratching the back of her head, she remembered the poison Challion showed her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this like what that herbalist guy wanted to sell us? What was it again? Silon¡­ Silondrophe or something like that.¡± ¡°Uhm, yeah and this means somebody wants to put the blame on us,¡± Dred connected the dots quickly. ¡°If they poisoned him right on the day we went to buy a poison with paralyzing effect, it¡¯d definitely turn us into suspects. Let¡¯s get on with this quickly. We wanted to kill him anyway, though not like this¡­¡± Nodding her head, Elena quickly wiped out his memories from the time he stood up from the table and then refilled his brain with memories. Meanwhile, Dred used necromancy on him. ¡°We should make him forget that he was able to use external magic or it¡¯ll cause complications,¡± Dred urged Elena, seeing Jotun opening his eyes. ¡°Ugh, but what if he has memories connecting him to his spells? We don¡¯t know anything about him and it could very well clash with his memories. It¡¯d make him suspicious,¡± Elena replied a bit nerve-wrecked. ¡°Goddamn, this shit! Who the fuck is screwing with our plans?!¡± Although they wanted to kill Jotun, they planned to use the paralyzing poison and after asking him a few things, they could have killed him without any problems. This was because when they revived him as an undead, Elena could have changed his memories accordingly. But since they were lacking information, they had to hurry up and leave him as he was for now and hope that he didn¡¯t plan to use Magic. ¡°Ugh¡­ where am I? Ah¡­ Wait, what? Why am I on the ground?¡± he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He didn¡¯t even notice Elena¡¯s shadow that pulled back from his body, through his pores, and removed the poison from his body. His teeth returned to their former white colour and his tongue to its usual pink.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Uhm, we were about to leave when you fell and lost consciousness. I don¡¯t know what happened to you¡­ Did you rest enough?¡± Elena raised her brows. ¡°Well, not really. I¡¯ve been looking for the Ring of Wind most of the time these days and didn¡¯t sleep a lot. Maybe I should do so now¡­¡± The moment he stood up, Elena removed the conversation they had from his memories and made him forgot that he should sleep. Looking into his eyes, she saw his eyes turn confused. ¡°What are you doing Jotun? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to-¡± before she could finish her sentence, the door was swung open behind her and Challion appeared. He looked around and spotted Jotun, who was seemingly alright. ¡°Challion? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Jotun asked. ¡°Haah- thank god, you¡¯re alright. Can I talk with you and these two in private?¡± as Challion finished speaking, the guards appeared behind him, pointing their weapons at him. Jotun waved his hand and the guards let down their weapons. ¡°My king, he broke through our defense and rushed in and since the Royal Guards were tired after their long training, they couldn¡¯t stop him either-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, just leave,¡± Jotun waved him off and led the three of them to a private room. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s hear what you have to say that¡¯s so important to make you barge into my palace,¡± Jotun crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back in his chair. ¡°I have troubling news for you. Today, your guests came to me and bought a paralyzing poison.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know about it,¡± Jotun shrugged his shoulders. ¡°But later today, my servant noticed that one of my most deadly poisons disappeared.¡± Jotun looked at Elena and then Dred. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°No, I still have the paralyzing poison and have nothing else. You can search me if you want, though no touchy please~¡± Elena replied. ¡°...¡± Clearing his throat, Challion said ¡°Elena, I believe you, but you must know that if the King of the Demon Kingdom was to die, the city would erupt in chaos to prove who is the strongest after him and take his place. The battle would come with many victims, which I hope you don¡¯t want to see happening.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°But I am,¡± Jotun raised his voice. ¡°What do you want then?¡± ¡°Reveal everything you have so I can see you have no relation to this matter. And I¡¯d be happy if I could see your status window as well since it¡¯s been bothering me for a while. What is your race, Dred? You keep switching between your panther and demon form, so I¡¯m not sure anymore,¡± Jotun said. ¡°I can show you our stuff, but I can¡¯t cancel the passive effect of my hiding skill,¡± Elena replied and pulled out everything from her storage ring and pulled it off her finger. If the ring wasn¡¯t in contact with her body, everything inside would fall out of it because it wouldn¡¯t be supplied with a constant flow of Mana. Thanks to his senses, Jotun and Challion realized she really didn¡¯t have the stolen poison on her and if she hid it in her clothes, they would have sensed it thanks to their level difference. ¡°Alright, you may leave now,¡± Jotun waved his hand. When he saw the door being closed, he said, ¡°They¡¯re still suspicious.¡± ¡°Of course, they could have hidden it in their room or at another place,¡± Challion agreed. ¡°But don¡¯t close out the possibility of conspiracy either. Ah, pardon my rudeness, I was speaking so casually with his high-¡± ¡°Ah, shaddap Challion. We¡¯ve known each other for a long time, haha. Thanks for telling me. Who accompanied Elena and Dred? Do you know by any chance?¡± Jotun asked. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know their names, but if I saw them, I¡¯d definitely recognise them.¡± ¡°In that case, you should come over tomorrow and verify who accompanied them. I¡¯ll have to be careful from now on, I guess. But it¡¯s no wonder, there are only two rings to be found and the people in the dark are probably turning nervous. If they want their part from Reinald¡¯s legacy, they must take care of me,¡± Jotun sighed loudly. Patting his shoulders, Challion said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Now that you know about it, you can easily deal with any sort of potential threat. If anything, you can still close those two into a prison and wait for the day you can finally reach your goal.¡± ¡°Shh-¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Hehe. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± His hand on his chin, Jotun couldn¡¯t help but recall Elena¡¯s words when she told him his servants would rebel if he continued his current way of dealing with people. Maybe it¡¯s her after all and she is trying to prove her point to me? Damn it, I can¡¯t trust anyone, even though I¡¯m the King! --- *Yawn* ¡°Where should I look for traces¡­¡± Ekrok talked to himself as he sat up in his bed. Even after two days have passed by, he couldn¡¯t find anything about the devourer. He checked the other planet too, but he didn¡¯t find anything strange other than the advanced technology of the planet that interested him. He saw how the Thivalon Kingdom started using the technology of the other planet and turned their cities much cleaner and secure. He left the palace once again and started looking for the devourers when a man covered in a black cape stopped him on the streets. ¡°Good day to you, Lord Ekrok.¡± ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± Ekrok asked, pushing his hand away. ¡°I¡¯m called Atelon. I¡¯ve got some news for you¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been looking for a person who had strange abilities that made people rot, right?¡± A strange glint flashed in Ekrok¡¯s eyes upon hearing him. ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°Well, I happen to be one of the victims of this strange spell. It happened at the time of war that a group of young people with great strength interrupted my battle. I¡¯d notice my arms slowly turning black and a strong sense of pain rush through my body. It was really terrible and I lost my battle because of it. Luckily, I was able to run away.¡± ¡°Do you happen to know who caused this? I¡¯ll reward you definitely!¡± ¡°Well, hehe. I was the king of this kingdom not long ago, but these pests betrayed me. I¡¯d be happy if the Lord could help me in this matter¡­¡± Furrowing his brows, Ekrok recalled Bethor¡¯s tale about Atelon and his way of ruling. But not really caring about a small kingdom, he nodded his head. ¡°The Lord is really kind. The girl was called Elena, her panther was Dred. I also know her friends who followed her everywhere.¡± ¡°Audrey, Jake, and Cor. I know these from secure sources, so this information is a hundred percent valid!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find you later, I¡¯ve got to notify the Emperor now!¡± Ekrok turned around and rushed into the forest to contact Padinyss. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 31.1 - Spreading Fear Spreading Fear The next day Elena and Dred woke up early and went to the yard where they found Jotun training together with his Royal Guards. ¡°Good morning,¡± Elena and Dred greeted ahead and stopped on the side of the group. ¡°Morning. How come you two are here?¡± Jotun asked. ¡°We came to join if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Dred replied. Jotun just shrugged his shoulders. After doing some warm up, they started training their bodies. When the royal guards stopped and sat down to meditate, Elena and Dred followed suit and when it came to sparring, they sparred against each other. Of course, they didn¡¯t use their abilities. He isn¡¯t trying to fight, that¡¯s good, Elena thought but in the next moment, Jotun walked towards Grund, the leader of the royal guards and told him he too wanted to spar. ¡°Does his majesty want to beat me up?¡± Grund asked with a startled face. Elena hurried to use Ekilsta and insert an idea into Jotun¡¯s mind. Jotun made a thoughtful face and a few seconds later said, ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea. It would be pointless if I used magic so I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll fight you using only internal magic. That should tip the scale your way.¡± Grund turned cheerful and started smiling as he nodded his head. ¡°That should be alright.¡± I¡¯ll have to plant ideas in his mind to make him think of things that will be favourable to me. What is his race now?
Name: Jotun Bleeze Race: Dark Cloud Zombie Demon
Level: 599 Threat Level: 10
It¡¯s good that I can at least inspect him now that Dred revived him¡­ unlike others. I won¡¯t have to try hard to hide him from people. Jotun turned into a cloud of black smoke and blinked all around Gurdon. Although he tried to hit Jotun with magical attacks, most of the time they missed and even when they hit, Jotun just shrugged it off as if it was nothing, surprising Gurdon every time. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on and why his magic didn¡¯t work. Since when did I become strong enough to ignore his attacks? Jotun thought while taking in another punch. The battle continued on for a few minutes until Gurdon couldn¡¯t stand his ground any longer and fell to the ground tired, his body aching all over. ¡°You turned soft,¡± Jotun remarked, looking at Gurdon with contempt. ¡°B-But my king-¡± ¡°Silence! Your magic barely hurt me even when it hit me and I didn¡¯t even use external magic! What the hell is wrong with you? You¡¯ll train with the other from now on, the whole day!¡± Jotun raised his voice. He¡¯s supposed to be the second in command, the second strongest person after me¡­ yet he lost this miserably. A shame to my Royal Guards! he fumed in his mind. Turning around, he left Gurdon and went back to the palace. Gurdon stood up and fixed his tattered armour on his body. ¡°Why did my magic have so little effect on him?¡± he mumbled as he walked to the back of the group ashamed of his loss. Elena and Dred left the training grounds a few hours later and found Jotun in his office. But before they could open the door, they heard a male voice. ¡°We found an ancient temple on the island where are drawings of the eight rings of calamity. The outer parts of the temple seem to be a maze while the inner parts are probably more dangerous. It could be a dungeon too. That¡¯s all we found.¡± ¡°Mhm, you may leave now,¡± Jotun¡¯s voice came. In the next moment, Elena and Dred felt the man¡¯s presence disappear. Uncovering themselves, they opened the door to Jotun¡¯s office. ¡°Hi! We came to talk again,¡± Dred said as he sat down in front of Jotun. ¡°...You appeared in front of the door. Were you listening in on our conversation?¡± ¡°Ah, you aren¡¯t an idiot, I¡¯m surprised,¡± Elena replied. ¡°Tsk. What do you two want?¡± ¡°Tell us about your plan. How do you want to deal with Padinyss? I know that you have something in mind and I want to help. He would be a real bother in my life if kept alive,¡± Elena sighed out loud. Seeing Jotun¡¯s suspicious look, she inserted another idea into Jotun¡¯s mind. The idea that he could trust them to some degree. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Come on, we need your help even if we have some grievances,¡± Dred pushed on.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Contemplating about it for a bit, Jotun decided to step forward. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take an oath stating you want to kill Padinyss.¡± This way, I¡¯m still not saying I want to kill him so they can¡¯t blackmail me in any way. ¡°I swear I want to kill Padinyss,¡± Elena took the oath without any hesitation, followed by Dred. Jotun nodded his head satisfied. ¡°Good, it seems like you really want to help me.¡± ¡°Finally! I thought you¡¯d stay quiet forever,¡± Elena shook her head. ¡°You must understand I can¡¯t talk about it to just anyone.¡± ¡°I know, I know. So?¡± ¡°Well, first you need to understand more about the past. You seem to be quite young so I suppose you don¡¯t know much about Reinald.¡± ¡°I might know more than you think, but I¡¯ll hear you out,¡± Elena chuckled. ¡°Alright. In the past, Reinald was the overlord of the whole world and I too was only two hundred years old? I think. Anyway, I met Padinyss at an Inn and he was gathering powerful people who would help him kill Reinald. These legendary beings can turn into complete humans, so at that time I didn¡¯t know he was a Dragon God. Since I fought Reinald before, I believed Padinyss¡¯s plans were suicidal.¡± ¡°Still, I was curious about the outcome so instead of joining his group, I followed them.¡± Silence spread in the room when Jotun suddenly stopped talking. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Things didn¡¯t go as I expected. Padinyss joined Reinald¡¯s special forces and helped him find treasures, they trained together, they worked together. Then one day, I saw them leave the city together. Thanks to my race and my racial skill, I was really good at hiding my presence even at that time and followed them.¡± ¡°It turned out, Reinald wanted to leave behind his rings of calamity and possibly leave this world. The thing is that he sealed this world so we have no way to get to a higher level than five hundred and ninety-nine. He didn¡¯t tell Padinyss and the other where he hid the rings and was about to seal the last one when Padinyss and his group backstabbed him.¡± ¡°Reinald still killed all of them except for Padinyss and Ekrok, though the latter almost died. Afterwards, Padinyss started looking for the rings and changed the whole world. In his battle against the wounded Reinald, he used his true dragon form as well and I can tell you he is truly fearsome. But I want the treasures Reinald amassed over his time of rule.¡± ¡°You two are my entry and the thing inside is my key to take care of Padinyss.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Dred leaned forward. ¡°Heh. Reinald¡¯s ability. He wrote down the way to use his abilities in scrolls. His shell ability, his ¡®world-energy¡¯ controlling ability, everything. If I got my hands on those skills and mastered them, I¡¯d be able to take care of Padinyss. Not alone, but if my Royal Guards and maybe a few kings helped, I¡¯d be able to.¡± ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± Elena said. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Tell me, why do you want to backstab Padinyss and kill him?¡± ¡°I could ask the same,¡± Jotun smiled back. ¡°But I asked it now.¡± ¡°Well, I want to be the next overlord and do what I want. I don¡¯t want anyone to be above me and to be honest, this world may be sealed but it isn¡¯t a bad thing to me. My race is quite unique and I¡¯ll easily stay the strongest and live a carefree life if things stay as they are.¡± ¡°So do you plan to recreate the seal once you kill Padinyss?¡± ¡°Mhm. But I¡¯ll let a few people leave if they want. You too for helping me or you can stay as important nobles or whatnot. How about it?¡± Jotun asked. ¡°I¡¯ll see,¡± Elena replied and stood up to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going now, that¡¯s all I wanted to hear.¡± She grabbed the handle of the door and pulled on it. Before closing the door behind her, she said, ¡°I have a feeling Padinyss will want to hunt us down because of our race. You can choose to help him, though I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. But in no way should you try to use external magic or you¡¯ll die before you could reach your goal.¡± She shut the door and left him alone. I shouldn¡¯t try using external magic. Why? Jotun pondered. Raising his hand, he tried to form a ball of darkness in his palm but nothing happened. ¡°Huh?¡± His next try had the same result. ¡°What the fuck? Status!¡± Looking at his spells and skills he didn¡¯t find anything strange. His racial skills were still the same, the level of his elemental magic didn¡¯t decrease either. His eyes stopped on his race and the new word ¡®zombie¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m an¡­ undead,¡± he uttered, realizing what Elena meant. He wiped his forehead only to notice he wasn¡¯t sweating and realized that this morning he was the same even after a tough and tiring training. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? What happened to me?¡± he held his face, his hands trembling. Looking at the door where Elena stood just a moment ago, he clenched his fists and ran after her. Opening the door, he couldn¡¯t find her anywhere and even after using Sense, he couldn¡¯t sense her or Dred. They left¡­ Damn it! When did I die?! he asked himself. In the next moment, one last idea appeared in his mind. ¡°I wanted to kill you, but it wasn¡¯t me. Watch your back because somebody is after your life,¡± knowing it was Elena, he went back to his seat and sat down. Sighing loudly, he felt tired again for the first time since he woke up in the dining room, though not physically. --- ¡°Are we going back to the others now?¡± Dred asked, running towards the outer parts of the city. ¡°Mhm. We should leave quickly and regroup with our friends.¡± ¡°Do you miss them?¡± ¡°Of course! Haha, I wonder how they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine,¡± he replied with an amused face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re cute.¡± ¡°...Stop looking at me with those tender puppy eyes!¡± Elena pushed Dred¡¯s face away and jumped on his back instead. Dred sped up laughing and half an hour later, they reached an empty part of the city. He transformed into his wyvern form and after hiding their presences completely, he flew off towards the Alof Kingdom. ¡°I¡¯ll kill Jotun too,¡± Elena said in a low voice. ¡°I know. It¡¯s time to step up our game,¡± Dred replied. ¡°Haah- you¡¯re right. I said I¡¯d kill every conspiring, betraying, spineless trash in the world. If Audrey, Jake, and Cor managed to create smaller groups who could be of use in the future, I¡¯ll be able to amass information on a larger scale and wipe out numerous cities or even kingdoms in the future. It¡¯s just that the five of us wasn¡¯t of much use against the world. Our group was enough only for mass destruction, but that¡¯s not what I decided on.¡± Dred replied with silence and flew at mid-height, trying to not turn into prey for large fishes that¡¯d jump out the ocean and food for powerful birds high in the air. When nighttime came, Elena took up Dred¡¯s wyvern form and carried him on her back while he took a nap. They advanced much faster since she was able to use Shadowstep. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 31.2 - Spreading Fear Two dragons flew above Novia Deros, the capital city of the Demon Kingdom. One of them had golden scales and was much smaller compared to the huge black dragon beside it, which had a terrifying aura surrounding it. It was Padinyss and Inhe. Both of them landed in Jotun¡¯s yard and reverted to their humanoid forms and went straight to his office. Padinyss pushed open his door and slammed his hands on Jotun¡¯s table. ¡°Where are they?!¡± ¡°Out in the city,¡± Jotun replied with a calm voice and continued writing. Padinyss broke the table into two halves and threw them towards the walls. He grabbed Jotun by the throat and raised him into the air. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding! This is very important!¡± he shouted and threw Jotun to the floor. ¡°*Cough* What the hell? What is it?¡± ¡°Those two are a type of legendary creatures I never wanted to see. They¡¯re devourers!¡± ¡°What is that? I haven¡¯t even heard of it!¡± ¡°Ah, stupid monkeys everywhere!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not having inborn memories like you!¡± Jotun refuted. Sighing loudly, Padinyss told him about the devourer race, surprising Jotun. She said Padinyss would hunt them, so it must be true. But then why would she leave without causing havoc? She has the Ring of Fire¡­ she could have killed so many of the demons in the city and if she didn¡¯t revive me with necromancy, she could have caused even more trouble. ¡°Padinyss, I know that this is of grave importance, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re wrong about them? If she really wanted to destroy the world, why did she not use the Ring of Fire? Imagine how much chaos she could have caused,¡± Jotun reasoned with Padinyss. ¡°Then there is Dred, if he changed the Mana density of the planet, he could have screwed up our current peace. Both of them have a hell lot of power in their hands yet they haven¡¯t used it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so naive, Jotun. They know that they can¡¯t fight against people like me, so they naturally keep a low profile. Just you wait until they grow strong enough to fight me head on..¡± Padinyss furrowed his brows, worried. ¡°Do you plan to ignore the rings and keep up the seal then?¡± Jotun raised his brows. ¡°Obviously not. I want to get the ring of wind quickly and catch those two. Then as soon as the seal is broken, I¡¯ll kill the both of them!¡± What now? Who should I help? Damn it, I¡¯ll just get the last ring and then do some half-assed search for those two. He won¡¯t be able to call me out on that. If only I could get the last ring, I could make sure nobody was going to kill me. I curse all these fucking legendary creatures, why do they have to be so powerful? ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Luckily for you, I¡¯ve been notified of the location of the last ring not long ago. Shall we head over to the location? It¡¯ll take a few days and I believe you don¡¯t have time to waste,¡± Jotun said. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s indeed good news. But you still haven¡¯t told me where they are.¡± ¡°Ehm¡­ they left to walk around in the city and since I can¡¯t seem to be able to sense them anymore, they probably¡­ ran away.¡± Padinyss rubbed his forehead and sighed, ¡°If they¡¯ve got good enough instincts to leave before I arrived, that just makes their true origin all the more obvious. Whatever! Let¡¯s go then!¡± --- It was daytime. Elena and Dred were out of the most dangerous zone, but they knew they still couldn¡¯t ease up. What area level is this? Is it nine or eight? Dred pondered. ¡°Eighth. We left the ninth while you were sleeping,¡± Elena replied. Oh, okay. Will Jotun be fine? I hope that Padinyss won¡¯t find out about his new race. Well, since I¡¯m the one keeping him alive, I¡¯ll notice if he dies. But I don¡¯t think he¡¯d notice since Jotun can act and behave like before. His stats and race are also hidden from everyone, so we have nothing to worry about, I think, Elena answered. After a short bit of silence, Dred asked, do you want to go on a date while we¡¯re still alone? Maybe shopping some random stuff, eating, and similar things¡­ ¡°Eh? Well, I can generate accessories too on my body and unless we buy weapons, it¡¯s quite pointless.¡± So you don¡¯t. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t say that. I just said shopping was pointless, but we can hang out and have some fun anytime you want!¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Dred raised his brows as he said aloud this time, ¡°You little¡­ you made it sound as if you wanted to refuse it.¡± Elena turned around and stuck out her tongue before laughing at him. ¡°I would never do something like that.¡± ¡°Can you feel it?¡± Dred turned serious all of a sudden. ¡°Mhm, my instincts are screaming to run away, let¡¯s lower our altitude and try to hid-¡° Elena couldn¡¯t finish her sentence since a huge bird-like monster flew their way from above. She transformed to Dred¡¯s bear form and fell towards the ground, while Dred jumped off her back and used Shadow Step to get behind the bird and swipe its back. His claws bore into the bird¡¯s flesh and cut a shallow wound in it. Thanks to the size difference, his claws didn¡¯t amount to much and the amount of poison he released was negligible. Since they were high up in the air, the bird¡¯s shadow was cast far away. Thankfully, that was none of Elena¡¯s concern since her shadow was able to connect to the bird¡¯s body as well. ¡°How is it?¡± Dred asked when he fell back to the ground and stopped beside Elena. ¡°It¡¯s got too much magical resistance!¡± Elena raised her voice and rolled to the side since the bird dived straight towards the ground and crashed into it. ¡°That was close¡­¡± Dred remarked, seeing the bird¡¯s huge beak only about a meter away from him. While the bird pulled out its beak, he swiped its face, leaving a long gash on it. *Screech* The bird showed its rage and spun its wings in a circle. ¡°Damn this bird, what the hell is it?¡±
Race: Lightning Trink Rarity: Rare
Level: 532 Threat Level: 8
This creature is suffering from: Two negative effects you caused: Bleeding (10 HP/second) for 10 more seconds. Poison (246 HP/second) for 2 minutes and 31 seconds. Outside negative effect: Devouring Curse (500 HP/second) for an indefinite amount of time.
¡°Well, there it is¡­¡± Dred shared with Elena the table. ¡°Shit. But at least, your attacks were effective!¡± she laughed until the bird charged at her. ¡°Why does it want me so bad?!¡± she cursed and started running. Although their attacks were effective, even they had a few millions of hit points, not to mention a beast of this level. ¡°Do you have anything in mind?!¡± Elena shouted and then ducked down to evade the bird¡¯s snapping beak. ¡°Yeah! Run!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Dred jumped onto the bird¡¯s back and transformed into his bear form. He cut into the bird¡¯s flesh and held himself on its back, while he started swiping its back continuously. The wound turned larger and larger and more poison entered its body, raising the damage of the bleeding effect to eight hundred hit points per second and the poison to two thousand and five hundred hit points per second. Even if the bird wanted to catch Elena at first, it knew it couldn¡¯t ignore Dred anymore. All of a sudden, the bird threw itself onto the ground, trying to smash Dred under its back. Dred reacted quick enough to create a smaller hole under the back of the bird where he could jump and get out only with a few bruises. ¡°Are you alright?!¡± Elena¡¯s worried voice resounded in his mind. I¡¯m fine. Run, it¡¯s going for you, Dred replied and latched onto the bird once again, but this time he started using Devouring. The moment he did it, the bird stopped for a moment and looked both towards Dred and Elena, probably rethinking who to kill at first. Feeling the aching spot on its back, it decided to get rid of the annoying mosquito and turned around to kill Dred. Elena turned on her heels on the spot and focused all her attention on using Devour. ¡°If the others were here, we maybe we could kill this thing,¡± Elena remarked. The problem was that a single direct hit was able to crush either of them and if not necessary, they preferred to use their Shadow Forms as a trump card. The bird flew into the air and made a circle. Noticing that the devouring effect didn¡¯t disappear, it dived towards Dred once again, but this time its body got surrounded by lightning. Dred pointed towards the ground and created a flickering spear of lightning in front of the tip of his fingers. When the bird released the lightning, it joined Dred¡¯s and entered the ground. The only problem was the gaping mouth of the bird. But he knew he could rely on Elena and felt as a vine pulled him to the side. The bird¡¯s beak again stuck into the ground. By the time it pulled its beak out, it couldn¡¯t see Dred and Elena anywhere and even their Devour curse disappeared. It used its sense to try and find them, but it couldn¡¯t sense anything other than the lush forest. The bird screeched and shot a bolt of lightning towards the sky, enraged. Having no other way, it flew into the air, towards the way Elena and Dred went, hoping it would find them again. A few minutes after the bird¡¯s leave, they came out from the shadow of a tree and sat down at its roots. ¡°Haah- we got away. Thanks for helping me,¡± Dred sighed. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s natural,¡± Elena turned over and knelt down above Dred. ¡°Wait, we shouldn¡¯t do-¡° Elena sealed his lips with hers and after separating, she simply hugged him. ¡°Silly, we aren¡¯t doing anything,¡± she chuckled, seeing his face. Feeling her breasts pressing against his chest, he didn¡¯t know if he should feel happy, curse, or just accept everything. ¡°You should think about my feelings,¡± he complained. ¡°You¡¯re playing with me all the time!¡± ¡°Aww, but you¡¯re always so much fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I love you,¡± Elena gave a kiss on his face and then stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. This place isn¡¯t safe,¡± Dred said with a composed face, which only made Elena laugh. Dred transformed into his panther form and walked closer to her. Seeing her attention drift away, he bit her left butt for the second time. Elena held in her shout and turned to look at Dred with gritted teeth. ¡°You bit me again!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been too cheeky with me, so it¡¯s a given.¡± Rubbing her hurting left buttock, she changed her nerve system and disabled her sense of pain. ¡°You bastard¡­ That surprised me! I wasn¡¯t prepared!¡± ¡°Of course, I was looking for the moment,¡± Dred replied, proud of himself. ¡°Muu, you bully. Let¡¯s go the other way, I don¡¯t want to meet up with that bird again,¡± Elena grumbled. This time Dred reverted to his demon form and gave a kiss on her cheek. Looking into her loving eyes, he threw her into the air and transformed into his Wyvern form. She landed straight on her back and they continued their travel towards the Alof Kingdom, though they had to make a small detour. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 31.3 - Spreading Fear (+A short announcement.) After Ekrok told everything to Padinyss, he found Atelon and took him straight to the palace. They entered the throne room and after Bethor appeared, Ekrok told him about his fate. ¡°From this day onwards, you¡¯re no king of this kingdom. As a reward for helping me find the devourer, unlike you and the others, I declare Atelon as the king of this kingdom. If either you or your men try to hurt him, I¡¯ll make sure to kill all of you.¡± ¡°But-!¡± Bethor stood up from his seat to resist, but Ekrok used his aura to push him back into his chair. ¡°I won¡¯t argue. Accept your fate, lower being,¡± he said with a calm voice. Gulping down his anger, Bethor stood up from his chair and walked to the side of the throne room. He knew that dying here was pointless. He waited enough all his life to get to where he was, waiting wasn¡¯t his weakness. ¡°Oh, but I know that you really didn¡¯t know anything about the devourer and I also know that Atelon isn¡¯t really fit to be a king. So I¡¯ll state a few regulations you¡¯ll have to follow, Atelon. You¡¯re not to kill or torture Bethor and his men. Am I clear? Don¡¯t underestimate me, if I hear either of you didn¡¯t follow my words, I¡¯ll make sure to kill you all,¡± Ekrok threatened again. But both Bethor and Atelon knew that he was only acting mighty in front of them. After all, why would a powerful dragon like Ekrok care about the life of a tiny kingdom like theirs? Once he left, they¡¯d jump at each other¡¯s throats. The only question was whose side was stronger. Atelon believed the greedy nobles would help him retake the throne. The only thing he didn¡¯t know was that neither of those nobles was alive¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± Ekrok said and then turned around to leave. After leaving the palace, he transformed into his dragon form and flew towards his home, the Dragon Empire. A few days later when he passed the Alof Kingdom, he didn¡¯t know the lurking danger that was building up in the nearby area. And the Dark Scars group has finally found its master! Well, maybe it was the other way around. --- For a few days after Ekrok¡¯s leave, neither of the two sides made a move. It was like a cold war. Atelon changed the laws and made everything revert. He took a fancy to the new technology that appeared in the city since it made his life much easier. Sadly for him, his rule continued only for three days before Bethor and his faithful servants caught Atelon and openly executed him. Most of the citizens didn¡¯t even notice that there was a change of king. The whole event passed by without any problems, thanks to the stable roots Bethor created with Elena and her friends¡¯ help. The nobles only laughed at Atelon¡¯s naivety for even trying to use a mighty being like Ekrok to retake his throne. When Bethor retook his place, he remembered the time he decided to let Elena and Dred take care of the old nobles and realized how good his decision was. --- ¡°*Yawn* I¡¯m so sleepy,¡± Audrey covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your fault for tiring yourself out with training,¡± Jake gave a cup of drink to her. After drinking it, Audrey got out of their bed and dressed up. ¡°Mhm- *crack* Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ve got to train the kids,¡± she stretched her body and cracked her bones. ¡°Should I leave and look for more children?¡± Jake asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We gathered thirty people already, any more than this would be hard to nurture. It¡¯s better to train capable blood servants who can actually help us than basically, serializing an army of shadows. If they have problems with their Magic or their training, we can still help them, but if there were too many of them, we wouldn¡¯t be able to,¡± she shook her head. ¡°True, and it¡¯s better to be quality over quantity since if Elena or Dred died, all of us would follow. Depends on whose blood we drank, but since except for Cor everyone drank Elena¡¯s blood¡­¡± his voice died down. ¡°Eh, yeah. That¡¯d be bad. It¡¯s in everyone¡¯s best interest to keep them alive and I¡¯m really unhappy about the fact that I don¡¯t know anything about them. Where are they, what¡¯s happening to them? All I know is that they¡¯re alive since I¡¯m still standing here,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Haah- whatever. We should do what they asked from us before we were separated,¡± he sighed. The two of them left their house and went to the yard where they found six kids in a group, who were being hit by Cor. The kids understood it was necessary if they wanted to increase their physical resistance and their ability to disable their sense of pain was also handy. Basically, the just had to stand in one place and survive their wounds, which would slowly increase their physical and magical resistance. ¡°I don''t think I can ever get used to this sight¡­ It feels morally wrong, even if they don¡¯t feel pain,¡± Audrey shook her head. ¡°I know, in the past, I fought to save lives. Now I¡¯m doing good and bad to kill bad people. Well, maybe we do save people,¡± Jake shrugged his shoulders. Their chatter was interrupted by two kids shouting at the entrance of the camp. Since their old location wasn¡¯t good enough, they used Dred¡¯s Wyvern form to carry the kids back to an area where the monsters were weaker. Ever since the kids had to go out to hunt monsters and fight as a team. Thanks to everyone having their own role, they advanced quickly by devouring many monsters. It got the point where they had to change their location every second or third day since a lack of monsters formed every time. ¡°Let¡¯s see what this racket is all about,¡± Audrey said and then used Shadow Step to appear in front of the entrance.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Looking around, she couldn¡¯t see anyone so she asked, ¡°Why are you shouting?¡± The kids looked at her with grins on their faces. Feeling something behind her back, she turned around. ¡°Hiii, fuck you! What if I had a heart attack?¡± she cursed. ¡°You¡¯re not human, you won¡¯t get a heart attack,¡± Elena laughed as she jumped off of Dred¡¯s back. Dred closed his mouth and then remarked, ¡°It seems like my jaws are terrifying~¡± ¡°Please stop bullying her,¡± Jake stepped in. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds until Audrey jumped at Elena and hugged her. ¡°I missed you~¡± Patting the back of her head, Elena soothed her, ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re back now.¡± ¡°Ugh, I feel as if I found my lost mother¡­¡± Audrey grumbled. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s just because of my blood. I¡¯m sorry, I guess.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Will you let go of me? I want to look around,¡± Elena pointed out. ¡°Soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± A few seconds later, Audrey indeed let go of her and stepped back. Thanks to the role she got from Elena¡¯s blood, she was more affectionate than anyone else, except if Dred was counted¡­ ¡°Master Elena! Master Dred!¡± all of a sudden, the kids knelt down in front of them in an orderly manner. ¡°Stand up, you don¡¯t have to kneel,¡± Dred said with a straight face, visibly not surprised. Looking into the kids'' eyes, he saw great reverence, even though they¡¯ve just met. It was completely different from their direct blood servants. This was because of a simple reason. Direct blood servants were always freer when met with their master. The highest ranked blood servants, like Audrey, were able to think clearer than the lower ranked ones. For example, if one of the kids had a blood servant, the said servant would be still quite free around the kid. But if met with Audrey or Elena, their respect would also increase based on the rank. This was because, the lower ranked a blood servant was, the least Elena¡¯s or Dred¡¯s blood would change their bodies and would focus more on the servant¡¯s mind. Obviously, if Elena or Dred, and not even Audrey and co. bothered to take the said person as their blood servant, said a person would be a nothing but a ¡®disposable pawn¡¯. That¡¯s why such a low-ranked blood servant would have a crazed mind, filled with respect for the highest ranked blood servants and would throw away their lives to save them without a second thought. ¡°Could you show me around quickly?¡± Elena asked. ¡°No. I want to hear what happened to you two!¡± Audrey denied. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after, just let me sit down. We¡¯ve been travelling for days and five monsters attacked us as well¡­ Very powerful ones, but we killed the last one!¡± Elena flaunted their achievements. ¡°Fine then! Come quickly, I want to hear your tale,¡± Audrey grabbed her hand and dragged her through the camp. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re back!¡± Cor ran towards them upon noticing Elena and Dred. ¡°Hello Cor, we¡¯ll talk in a bit,¡± Elena went past him with a pat on his shoulder. ¡°Okay¡­¡± he replied, a bit down. After a quick tour of the camp, they entered Audrey¡¯s and Jake¡¯s house. Both sides told each other about the events that took place while they were separated. ¡°So you¡¯re runaways now, right?¡± Jake remarked in the end, trying to sum everything that happened to Elena and Dred up. ¡°Not just us, you guys too,¡± Elena shook her head and clarified her meaning. ¡°Like I said, spies of the Dragon Kingdom were already questioning people in pubs and cities if they¡¯ve seen us or you guys. They¡¯re spreading descriptions about us¡­ I believe Padinyss wants to take us back and once he opened the seal with our help, he¡¯d kill us.¡± ¡°He is a prideful Dragon God. Most of the legendary creatures have nothing in mind but to become the strongest and reach the apex¡­ seriously. They¡¯re so silly. He probably killed Reinald only because of the same simple reason.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Cor furrowed his brows. ¡°My life was but an ¡®obstacle¡¯ in front of him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I have a request?¡± Cor asked. ¡°Say it,¡± Elena raised her brows in her curiosity. ¡°I want to be the one who finishes Padinyss if there is a way. Of course, don¡¯t risk your life to fulfil my stupid request.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing against taking revenge,¡± Elena shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll let you finish him. But at first, we¡¯ll have to stay alive long enough¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. We¡¯ve been training these kiddos since you left. Some are stronger, some are weaker. You know, it¡¯s all dependent on their age and mindset,¡± Cor said, waving his hands. ¡°By the way, after hearing more about your past life, I¡¯ll ask it again. Do you want me to call you Reinald or Cor?¡± Elena leaned on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I told you before, Reinald had died and Cor has come alive. I¡¯ll be Cor until the day I die!¡± ¡°Pfft- but¡­ aren¡¯t you already dead?¡± Dred couldn¡¯t help but shoot a joke. Although Cor laughed at him, the others only held their foreheads, feeling ten years older than before. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Dred grumbled. Clearing his throat, Jake said, ¡°Enough chatter. Let¡¯s go and introduce yourselves to the kids. Believe me, their teamwork is better than ours at this point and they¡¯re all really hard-working. They¡¯re real monsters!¡± Looking at his proud face, Dred asked, ¡°You seem like a father who is proud of his kids. Since when did you have a quality like that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just imagining things¡­¡± ¡°Yeah? Then why are you living in one house with Audrey, while Cor lives alone?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m dating Audrey!¡± Jake declared their relationship with his chest stuck out. ¡°And did you, you know~¡± Elena indicated with her finger, asking if they had done it. Being met with silence, she found out the answer without anyone telling. ¡°Great, that¡¯s one less thing to worry about.¡± ¡°Since when was it a problem you had to worry about?¡± Audrey furrowed her brows. ¡°Never mind. Bad wording. It was your problem,¡± Elena hurried to correct herself, realizing she stepped on a landmine. I shouldn¡¯t be too nosy. ¡°Yeah, you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Dred replied. After all these days, they¡¯ve got used to using Elena¡¯s whispering to communicate secretly. ¡°Suspicious¡­ But alright. I know what you meant by it since if I had a bad relationship with Jake, it¡¯d have affected our teamwork as well. But don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve been with you since your childhood. I know you well enough and you too should know me well enough. I can take care of my own matters and I¡¯m not the type of person who takes offense and gets upset on every little thing. I believe even if we ended up as friends, we could have talked things over,¡± Audrey caught on Elena¡¯s thoughts and told her, her opinion. ¡°I got it, I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand,¡± Audrey nodded her head. ¡°Now then¡­ let¡¯s see the kiddos!¡± Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 31.4 - Spreading Fear The kids instinctually sensed who was their true master, so they introduced themselves with respect to their masters. While the kids were training hard, Elena and Dred decided to take a short nap after their long travel and then join the kids. Both of them knew they had to train as a team to better their teamwork. But before they got into it, Elena looked at her friends¡¯ tables. They all had matching levels and were at the four hundred and thirteenth level. ¡°What¡¯s your level?¡± Audrey asked since she had no way to peek on her masters¡¯ tables. ¡°Four hundred and forty-nine, but look at this¡­¡±
Name: Elena Syracia Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 449 EXP: 2 199 700 / 2 200 000
¡°Eh? You shouldn¡¯t have rested if you were so close,¡± Audrey remarked. ¡°What are you? A slave driver?¡± ¡°No! I was just saying that you could have meditated a bit or something¡­ Meditating is the same as if you took a nap, so-¡± ¡°So you are. I wanted to sleep for a bit!¡± Elena shook her head. Audrey rolled her eyes and walked towards the entrance. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Elena asked. ¡°Into the forest, obviously. I¡¯ll show you a place Cor found, it¡¯s good for meditating. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll level up shortly if you meditate there,¡± she replied. Elena looked at Dred, ¡°Do I really care about that single level? Not that anything would change. I think it¡¯d be better to practice teamwork.¡± ¡°Well, it won¡¯t take more than a few minutes. Even a single level can save our lives, so let¡¯s get done with it,¡± he answered and walked after Audrey. Jake and Cor stayed behind to watch over the kids, while Audrey led the two to a cave nearby. For a few seconds, everything had to walk straight ahead in the complete darkness. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Elena asked, stumbling on the rocky ground of the cave. She was able to see, but the path was simply terrible. ¡°You¡¯ll see in a bit.¡± The path started going downwards and turned to the right. A small cavern with a tiny lake in the middle appeared in front of the trio. There were blue crystals lighting up the cavern and colouring the reflecting light of the water to blue. ¡°Woah! This is really beautiful,¡± Elena gasped. ¡°See? I told you! Cor always finds places like these¡­ I¡¯m starting to wonder if he has some sort of way to sense them,¡± Audrey pondered, her hand under her chin. Elena walked past Audrey and stopped on the shore of the lake. She put her finger into the water, but it was cold. ¡°Hiss- I¡¯ve got used to the warm climate of the Dragon Empire and the Demon Kingdom. But it¡¯s still winter here.¡± Caressing her own arms, Audrey said, ¡°I¡¯d be happy to go to a place like that now. I don¡¯t like cold¡­¡± ¡°Well, I could summon a volcano just for you,¡± Elena laughed as she raised her Ring of Fire in front of Audrey¡¯s face. ¡°Maybe I¡¯d be happy about it¡­¡± ¡°Believe me, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± a smile formed on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again~¡± ¡°Same here~¡± Audrey smiled back. ¡°Why is this cavern so pink coloured¡­?¡± Dred interrupted the rosy mood. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Audrey and Elena said at the same time. Looking at each other, the both of them laughed. Dred walked into the cold water, not minding that his fur would become wet. He closed his eyes and started meditating. Elena sat down on the shore of the lake and just looked at him in silence. Ten minutes later, Dred stood up and walked to the shore where he transformed into his demon form, pulled up Elena¡¯s clothes and pressed his finger to his paw mark on her crotch.
You have levelled up to Lv. 450! New specialization unlocked!
Lv Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive, Legendary)
Devourer Stealth Demonology
450 Symbiosis: You can store the devoured DNAs and mix them together to get a more powerful blend before evolving your body. This can be extended to items too.
Duplicate: You can create a clone from your blood, which will have the same abilities as you. It will have a lifespan of one minute.
Banish: With this spell, you can banish summoned creatures as a true demon. You can also interrupt spellcasting once a minute. This is a racial spell of the Devil God, a legendary creature.
¡°What?!¡± Elena¡¯s eyes opened wide upon seeing the notifications. ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s really worth levelling up!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°What happened?¡± Audrey tilted her head to the side. Elena showed her the table already picking Symbiosis. This time Dred picked the same as Elena. They were able to suppress the DNA they consumed before, but if they fought for too long in a war and they evolved too much, they¡¯d simply fall unconscious from the burden of the evolution. That¡¯s why the option to store DNA was a great thing. But what was much better was that they would be able to blend DNA from now on. While still in front of everyone, Elena¡¯s body turned completely black. She looked like empty space. The armour she had on her body slowly sunk into her body and disappeared without a trace. As her body reverted to its normal state, she was left stark naked in the cold. Dred walked closer to hug her and warm her with his body. ¡°What the hell are you doing in front of me?¡± Audrey furrowed her brows, half looking at them, half to the wall of the cavern. ¡°Just wait,¡± Dred answered. About a minute later, Elena opened her eyes and her clothes regrew on her body, along with her armour. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Audrey asked in wonder. ¡°I just combined my armour and weapons with my body. I won¡¯t have to wear them and take them off from now on. They¡¯ve become a part of my body,¡± Elena answered her question. ¡°I¡¯ve read the description¡­ but how the hell?¡± ¡°Uhm, this specialization created new cells in my body called Symbiotes. These cells are able to copy and memorise textures, fabrics, anything! And just like the description said, if I devour more armours and weapons, I can blend them into my body to create a more powerful mixture!¡± Elena explained with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ crazy¡± was all Audrey could say in her envy. ¡°Why do you always get so unfair specs?¡± she punched the wall of the cave. ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t legendary creatures for a show. I believe Padinyss is no different,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re saying it as if it was no big deal.¡± ¡°Because it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not to you, you mean? I bet a normal person would kill to have an ability like this,¡± Audrey grumbled. ¡°But at least you¡¯re on my side. Yay me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel down, you¡¯ve your own methods to fight as well,¡± Elena patted her shoulder. ¡°Haah- whatever. Let¡¯s go back. And you need to refresh our Mark of the Wild too!¡± Audrey said while looking at Dred. ¡°Sure.¡± When they returned, Dred and Elena refreshed their Mark of the Wild on their friends, causing all of them to pass out from the sudden change in their bodies. After carrying them to Audrey¡¯s and Jake¡¯s bedroom, Elena and Dred started training with the kids. It was dinner time when Audrey, Jake, and Cor woke up from their slumber, stronger than ever before. --- They trained and fought together for another two weeks and moved around in the weaker areas. They were met with people looking for them everywhere, but thanks to changing their looks, nobody found them. The kids also turned stronger and stronger with an incredible speed, thanks to their hard training and their masters¡¯ nurturing. The kids were happy when they noticed their bodies grow at a pace they couldn¡¯t imagine before. They matured into teenagers in just a week¡¯s amount of time. Elena sent the members of the Dark Scars to finish missions in cities and earn money. She used the income to buy weapon, armours, and pills to the members. She started referring to the members as Dark Scars to make it easier. She also ranked the groups based on their efficiency. There were groups which were better for many smaller jobs and there were groups which were better for few, but hard missions. Slowly every group¡¯s role formed in the Dark Scars, but a friendly competition still formed among them. All of them wanted to perform better to receive their masters¡¯ praise. They didn¡¯t even notice how their minds shifted and all they thought about was their masters¡¯ goals and well-being. Two weeks later, when every team was prepared, Elena started their first big mission. The Dark Scars had to gather information in the first area and kill every conspiring and betraying person they came across. There were kingdoms where numerous cities were destroyed or even the whole kingdom. Padinyss continuously received news of kingdoms, cities, and nobles disappearing, but no matter how he tried to find the Dark Scars, he couldn¡¯t. They obviously didn¡¯t go in a circle around the world, so he had no way to find out where would be the next attack. The world was slowly being devoured and many kingdoms started to panic seeing their neighbours fall one after the other until they followed after. In the meantime, the Dark Scars too created and trained their own blood servants, making the group grow larger and larger. It grew to the point where even the Dark Scars had thirty or even more blood servants serving them. All Padinyss focused on were ways to find the members of the Dark Scars and hunt them down. The group that slowly rose to fame and turned into the most dreaded in the world. Wherever they appeared, only destruction was left in their tracks. Even if somebody has seen and described them, Padinyss¡¯s servants couldn¡¯t find them because every Dark Scar changed their faces and bodies every so often. But Padinyss never notice the person he invited to his palace as a guest, Shin. He was simply spending his days in silence, training in the Mana filled area. His presence faded into oblivion in Padinyss¡¯s mind since he had more pressing matters to deal with. --- *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* Jotun walked on the tiled floor of his palace, pondering on the latest news he had heard. Another kingdom was destroyed by a huge volcano in the third area this time. As he was about the turn on the corner, he overheard his servants, ¡°Hyun, shouldn¡¯t we quit?¡± a female voice resounded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ You surely heard the Dragon God¡¯s announcement and explanation about that devourer race¡­ and the leaders of the Dark Scars had been here as guests in the past! I don¡¯t remember their names, but I heard they had a little fight with our King once. I¡¯m afraid the palace isn¡¯t safe anymore. What if they came to kill our King and killed us as well?¡± Hyun replied. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you we should leave this place and look for another job. We can serve any noble, we don¡¯t have to be here. I think that we should look for a respectable person. Based on the news, noble houses like those aren¡¯t destroyed!¡± Jotun stood on the corner for a few seconds and he was about to move on when he heard Hyun''s voice again. ¡°And¡­ what if we tried to join the Dark Scars? I heard in a restaurant people talking about it. They said people could join the Dark Scars and serve the masters. In return, they¡¯d gain strength they couldn¡¯t imagine before! Imagine how great it¡¯d be if we didn¡¯t have to be errand girls anymore! Or do you want to clean houses and run errands your whole life? I¡¯m telling you, this is an opportunity!¡± ¡°What?! Hyun, you can¡¯t say things like those! I hope nobody heard it¡­ We¡¯d surely get ourselves killed and who knows what¡¯s true from all this. To begin with, how would you find even a single member of the Dark Scars if not even the Dragon God can find them? They have the best hiding abilities in the world! Or so I heard¡­ And I wouldn¡¯t give up on the Dragon Emperor so soon.¡± ¡°I heard the leading nations are planning to create a joint force, which would try to find and kill the Dark Scars. I don¡¯t want to be killed,¡± the other woman whispered. ¡°But if we joined now, we could become strong enough to defend ourselves! I¡¯m telling you, we should try to find them somehow. And even better, the places that were wiped clean from the bad guys have improved technologies people haven¡¯t seen before. I want to see the world!¡± Hyun raised her voice. ¡°Haah- I swear you¡¯ll get yourself killed one day, Hyun. Let¡¯s go, we still have to clean out the guest rooms¡­¡± ¡°See? This is what I¡¯m talking about, I don¡¯t want to clean anymore!¡± Hyun grumbled. Jotun slumped down to the ground and started pondering. Elena and Dred are killing people like me. They also asked why I wanted to kill Padinyss and my reason was something they¡¯re killing for. Could it be¡­ they aren¡¯t doing what they were born for, just something similar? Damn it, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come for me. But I can¡¯t even use external magic anymore. And since she was the one who revived me and turned me into an undead, I have no way to fight her. She could kill me with a single thought! I wonder why she left me alive. Does she want something from me? Yeah, that must be it. If I want to stay who I am, I better try to help them. I hope that she¡¯ll consider leaving me alive. Gripping his chest, gritting his teeth, Jotun stood up from the floor and went towards his office. He decided to help Elena and Dred in hope of keeping his life as a reward. He wasn¡¯t like Padinyss who was immune to poisons and curses. For Padinyss, being strong was enough to keep his life. But for him? If he wanted to keep his life, he had to fight for it with all he had. What was awaiting him was something only time could tell. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 32.1 - Alliance and Submission Alliance and Submission There was a small and circular island in the middle of the Moonlit Sea. The strong wind blew the sand into the air and shook the palm trees. In the middle of the island was a circular building made up of exactly three cubic meters large rocks. It was a perfect circle with a hole in the roof. There were two doors on both sides of the building and as they were opened, the wind blew the dust that covered the place into the air. With the help of some wind magic, the dust left the building. Once clean, seven people entered with two servants by their sides. Each of the seven pulled out one of the stone chairs around the rock table in the middle and took their seats respectively, while their servants took their places and stood behind their masters. A dragonkin, an elf, a bearman, a human, a demon, an undead, and a mixed blood of human and beastmen. These people were none other than the kings and emperors of each of the seven leading kingdoms and empires. Only the sun rays coming through the hole in the ceiling provided some light, but nobody was bothered by the dim light of the room. Padinyss raised his hand as a greeting and got straight to the matter at hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the pest that¡¯s been threatening to devour our lands.¡± All of the people present nodded their heads, while a long and golden-haired elven woman raised her concerns, ¡°Indeed, the group you speak of has visited Thelon as well and killed many dark elves on the island. Even if we had conflicts in the past, they¡¯re still our blood relatives and I don¡¯t wish to see them die out. I hope that you¡¯ve got some plans to deal with this matter,¡± she raised her brows. ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient, Faraine. Let me talk,¡± Padinyss¡¯s contempt filled eyes ran over her golden eyes and petite body. ¡°You should learn to wait for people to finish what they have to say,¡± he added shaking his head. ¡°I apologise,¡± Faraine bowed her head but couldn¡¯t hide her twitching brows from Padinyss¡¯s sharp eyes. ¡°Hmph- As you¡¯ve noticed, the Dark Scars have been growing at an incredible speed and I¡¯m afraid their intelligence gathering system is even better than either of our kingdoms. Information has always been of key importance and we¡¯re lacking in it!¡± he slammed his hands on the table. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ve decided to put away my pride and ask for your help. Although we dragons are powerful creatures, our population isn¡¯t large enough to cover the whole planet. I believe you have the same problems. The only solution is an alliance among the leading kingdoms and empires and their supporter kingdoms, I believe,¡± Padinyss finished his explanation. ¡°And what are your conditions for this alliance?¡± a short and brown-haired human with stubbles on his face asked. Looking into his brown eyes, Padinyss replied, ¡°We¡¯ll share information and manpower.¡± ¡°Does this mean we¡¯ll be free to walk on each other¡¯s territories?¡± Arthur raised his brows. ¡°That was my plan,¡± Padinyss nodded his head. ¡°Look, I know that this isn¡¯t something either of you would want, but we all know that things can¡¯t go on like this anymore. The smaller kingdoms and cities are falling one after the other and nowadays even larger and more powerful kingdoms are being wiped out. The Dark Scars are becoming bolder and bolder because they know we can¡¯t find them. Not alone.¡± ¡°But if we join hands and infiltrate their ranks, we¡¯ll be able to get rid of them and once they lead me to their leader¡­ I¡¯ll kill her!¡± ¡°Her? So you know who the devourer is?¡± Faraine leaned forward. ¡°Yes. The devourers are a girl called Elena and a black panther called Dred. I¡¯ve also found out that their friends are called Audrey, Jake, and Cor, who created the Dark Scars while¡­¡± Padinyss¡¯s voice died down since he realized he shouldn¡¯t tell the others he let them run. ¡°While?¡± Faraine raised her brows. ¡°While we went to find the Ring of Wind,¡± Jotun chimed in and pointed at the white ring on Padinyss¡¯s finger. Very much to his dissatisfaction, he couldn¡¯t get it. ¡°Oh? But where are the remaining two in that case?¡± Arthur asked with interest. ¡°I believe the rings are in the devourers¡¯ hands, am I correct?¡± a three-meters-tall bearman said, sharpening his claws on the edge of the table. ¡°You¡¯re right, Soth¡­¡± Padinyss growled. If Soth knew who had the ring, he also knew who let them run, so Padinyss was hoping to intimidate him and make him stay silent. Clearing his throat, Padinyss continued, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I wish to capture those two alive and open the seal. After all said and done, I¡¯ll kill the both of them, so will you join the alliance?¡± he asked, his voice sounding somewhat demanding.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I¡¯ve got a question. What makes you think they¡¯ll attack our kingdoms as well? I mean, what if they were coming only for you?¡± Arthur asked as a grin formed on his face. Clenching his fists below the table, Padinyss held back his wrath because he understood he needed everyone. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Crossing his fingers, Arthur continued, ¡°As I¡¯ve noticed, not every city or kingdom has been destroyed. In fact, the places that remained often united and their technological level advanced. My people have seen devices I¡¯ve never even heard of. After investigating this matter, I realized the Dark Scars have been attacking kingdoms with ¡®dark¡¯ pasts.¡± ¡°Most slaveholding kingdoms were completely obliterated and the same goes for cities dealing with slave businesses. There were quite a lot of kingdoms and cities which seemed to be good places, but I believe that wasn¡¯t the case. My theory is the following, the advanced technology is probably coming from Dink and the devourers are destroying only the bad boys~¡± Arthur fooled around. ¡°Do you think either of you would get away?¡± Padinyss furrowed his brows. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure about that,¡± Arthur smiled. ¡°Hahaha¡­ Oh, how wrong you are. Alright, I didn¡¯t want to share this with you before, but the following is the case. The devourers are legendary beings meant to destroy the universe. Even if for some strange reason they changed their minds and are doing something different, do you think either of you is ¡®good¡¯ enough in their eyes? I¡¯ve been around for more than a thousand years already. I know how all of you have murdered, conspired, and betrayed others to get to the throne. How do you intend to hide that from them?¡± Padinyss asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, you¡¯re all doomed.¡± Silence filled the room. Nobody wanted to form an alliance and let the soldiers of the other kingdoms walk through their territories, but they realized they had no choice. If they wanted to save their lives, they had to accept Padinyss¡¯s proposal. ¡°I accept,¡± Faraine broke the silence. Soth, the bear king of Briton, Arthur, the human king of Thihan, Jotun, Mugr, the mixed-blood emperor of the United Empire all agreed in a short and successive line. Everyone looked at the only exception, Khax, the wraith king of Trinity. ¡°Khax? What¡¯s your answer?¡± Padinyss asked. A dim red light shone in his empty eye sockets. Leaning on the table, he started tapping his finger on it. *Clank* ¡­ *Clank* ¡°Could you stop it?¡± Faraine asked a bit annoyed. Khax raised his head and used his Magic to create flesh on his skeleton else he wouldn¡¯t be able to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve been around even before either of you were born. We may do things that are evil in your eyes, like reviving every person who lost their lives close to our kingdom as an undead, it¡¯s been customary for thousands of years. When Reinald was still around, he too accepted our culture and unlike you people, I didn¡¯t get to be a king by means of conspiracy. I¡¯ve been on the throne for thousands of years due to my race and my age. If a higher ranked and older undead appeared, I¡¯d resign.¡± ¡°But for now, I¡¯m the one ruling and I believe I have nothing to do with this devourer you speak of. Since it¡¯s none of my concern, I shall not join this alliance. If it turned out my decision is wrong, I¡¯ll bear the consequences.¡± ¡°You know something, don¡¯t you? You ungodly fool creature!¡± Padinyss stood up from his seat and stopped beside Khax. Since the latter didn¡¯t wish to join, his life didn¡¯t amount to anything in Padinyss¡¯s eyes. Khax looked at Padinyss as his flesh started disappearing, ¡°The dead are talking. They whisper and they¡¯re telling me you¡¯re doomed. But out of respect for you, I¡¯ll tell you. A large number of beasts have died in the Est Canal. I believe their next target should be a kingdom nearby.¡± He stood up and walked past Padinyss, his personal guards following him. ¡°To the Grave,¡± Khax whispered before his flesh disappeared completely. Even if his body was made up only of bones, he was around three meters tall and his bones were thick. Just a look was enough to tell he was a dangerous undead. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t bother Padinyss even in the slightest. ¡°If you know things like these, it shows you¡¯re a necessity in the alliance,¡± he laughed as he appeared in front of Khax¡¯s personal guards and bashed their skulls with a dragon paw shaped attack. Khax¡¯s red eyes shone with a brighter light, but he didn¡¯t make a move. He knew he had no chance against Padinyss and he didn¡¯t intend to die a meaningless death. ¡°You¡¯ll come with me and tell me about the directions they take. We¡¯ve just got a useful weapon for our alliance!¡± Padinyss laughed as he grabbed Khax and threw him on his shoulder. Seeing how he behaved around Khax who refused to join the alliance left the others with mixed emotions. Not caring about it, Padinyss declared, ¡°An Alliance has been made. I¡¯m going back!¡± As he disappeared, Faraine sighed, ¡°Why do we have to deal with two legendary beings? It¡¯d be so much more convenient if they just killed each other.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Everyone agreed in a quick succession, which caught her attention. A smile formed on her face, ¡°What do you think? Shouldn¡¯t we try to get rid of the both of them?¡± Faraine knew everyone felt the same way, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of saying it aloud. Jotun knew his life was in danger because of Elena and he has been waiting for the moment to take care of Padinyss as well. Seeing a chance, he didn¡¯t hesitate to speak, ¡°You¡¯re right. I think that we should help Padinyss kill the devourers. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be weakened after a battle with another legendary being and when he is weak, we can strike him!¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯d work?¡± Soth crossed his furry arms in front of his chest. ¡°I think it could work out if they fought each other to the death with equal chances,¡± Arthur nodded his head. ¡°Then please vote now, who wishes to join this second alliance~¡± Faraine asked with a chuckle. Hearing four yes, a smile formed on her face. ¡°In that case, from this day the Briton Kingdom, the Thihan Dynasty, the United Empire, and Elvenheim is in an alliance! Our goal is to kill every legendary creature!¡± Everyone cheered, this time much happier with the result. Nobody noticed a pair of eyes lurking in the dark corner of the building. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 32.2 - Alliance and Submission --- Three days later, Sareg¡¯s POV --- ¡°Hey, have you seen those black clothed people entering the city this morning?¡± one of the guards in the pub asked in a low voice. He was the one who inspected us when we entered, but he didn¡¯t see our faces and we didn¡¯t have our cloaks on. ¡°I haven¡¯t, but who are you talking about?¡± the bartender raised his brows. ¡°Who, don¡¯t play dumb! The Dark Scars! I believe our city is the next because the other guards have reported the appearance of many people in similar black clothes!¡± the guard whispered, but all of us heard him crystal clear. The poor guy didn¡¯t even know he had master¡¯s bacteria on him. He had been one of the people who served us with the most information thanks to his unstoppable mouth¡­ He went by the name Rick. ¡°Hmm- if what you say is true, aren¡¯t we in trouble?¡± the bartender furrowed his brows. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, my friend. I¡¯ve been considering leaving Egron for a few days now. I might pack up my things and leave with my family,¡± Rick shook his head. A smile formed on my face, hearing his worries. I wasn¡¯t smiling because I was glad to see him worried, I was just happy about the fact that our group had grown this large! As I stood up, Liz grabbed my wrist and wanted to pull me back, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Turning around, I brushed her messy blonde hair to the side, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just going to whisper~¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I asked. You should stop doing stuff like this. They may be afraid now, but they¡¯ll be happier once we finish. There is no need to ease his mind and risk somebody noticing us,¡± she tugged on my wrist again. ¡°But-¡± Seeing her start glaring at me, I sat down. Sis was dangerous when she was angry¡­ ¡°Fine then,¡± I grumbled. ¡°When do we start?¡± Fing asked. ¡°Master said we¡¯ll see the sign, don¡¯t be impatient,¡± Liz crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°But we¡¯ve been sitting here for half an hour already and people are watching¡­ I¡¯m sure we look suspicious,¡± he whispered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We have nothing to worry about this time,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s true,¡± a smile formed on my face as well. I was about to order another drink when we heard a large explosion. Looking at each other, we stood up and nodded our heads. ¡°That must have been the sign,¡± I said. We ran out of the restaurant and saw one of the three towers of the palace crumble. From the forest outside of the city, a fireball with a diameter of forty meters shot towards the second tower. A similar sized ball of water flew towards the fireball from the ground and turned into a fog as it stopped master Audrey¡¯s attack, revealing a similarly large rock hidden in the fire. Nobody had enough time to react and stop the rock from crashing into the second tower, making it crumble as well. Not wasting our times anymore, we bolted off towards our designated target. I led my siblings into an alleyway and entered the sewers underground. We went straight to Dreven Krauss¡¯s mansion, who was a marquis in the kingdom. Since we take the late nobles¡¯ money every time, we¡¯ve collected quite a lot of¡­ fortune. I used that fortune to bribe a few people in the city and turn them into my blood servants. That was how we gathered information about our targets every time. Dreven was a casual marquis in that he held and sold slaves like tools, cheated, conspired, nothing out of the norm for these kinds of people. Sadly for Dreven, Master¡¯s next target turned out to be their Shayde Kingdom. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± I said as I stopped at the exit. I climbed the iron ladder and pushed the heavy iron cover to the side. I helped up my siblings and put the cover back in its place. ¡°Finally, we are out. Why did we have to come through the sewers?¡± ¡°Stop pinching your nose, Liz. You¡¯re out and we had to come this way to sneak up on Dreven. He isn¡¯t a weak person. We can¡¯t just attack him frontally!¡± I replied. ¡°But our blood servants will draw their attention anyway,¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°Too much complaining! Move your legs instead,¡± I shook my head and left the backyard of the mansion and entered through the back door. Hearing footsteps, I formed a shell around my body and stopped on the corner. As two people turned on the corner, I appeared behind them with shadow step and pushed them forwards. ¡°What the?!¡± one of the men shouted surprised. Fing punched both of them in the face, knocking them out. ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t kill them?¡± Liz asked. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt good people. They¡¯re just doing their jobs,¡± Fing took the guard¡¯s side. ¡°But they¡¯re working for a bad person!¡± ¡°I understand you, sis, but sometimes you have to make hard choices if you want to keep your life. Although they¡¯d have to take responsibility for their actions, I haven¡¯t heard of any bad deeds these two made,¡± Keneg patted her shoulder. ¡°Fine then. Let¡¯s hurry up,¡± Liz sighed. We inched closer and closer to Dreven¡¯s room until finally reaching it. Unfortunately, we found it empty. ¡°What now?¡± Fing asked. ¡°Look at this!¡± Urnoth raised his voice upon spotting a human-sized hole under the bed. An escape route? Damn it, the guards we turned into our blood servants didn¡¯t know about this. ¡°Let¡¯s go after him, we can¡¯t fail as the number one group!¡± I said and kicked the bed to the side. We jumped into the hidden hole and fell down to a passageway underground, which led straight to a secret treasury. I peeked out on the corner and spotted Dreven stuffing his gold, weapons, and other precious things into a large bag. ¡°Hurry up, bitch!¡± he shouted as he kicked a middle-aged elf woman, who was packing his things a bit too slow. The woman fell to the ground and grazed her face on the rough floor of the room. Standing up, she continued packing after saying sorry. I¡¯m not seeing this for the first time¡­ I thought as I sighed and appeared behind Dreven with my arms crossed.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. He reacted quickly as expected and wanted to kick my chest, but my shell was tough enough to defend against him. ¡°I see the rats have come,¡± he clicked his tongue and pulled out his halberd, eyeing the walls. The room was tiny, not fit for his weapon. I charged at Dreven once again and thrust my hand towards his chest. He swung his halberd to cut off my hand, but I lowered my arm creating a forty-five-degree angle between his weapon and my arm. His halberd slipped on my tough shell which I covered in moisture and he fell forward. I felt the wind brush against my right ear as Fing¡¯s fist went past my head and hit Dreven¡¯s face. Earth spikes thrust out of the wall of the room, ready to skewer him. Sensing his impending doom, Dreven formed a wall of iron behind his back. Urnoth appeared beside him and thrust his dagger into his side. Dreven screamed out in agony as Master¡¯s poison entered his body and started to corrode his insides. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± he shouted as he swung his halberd in an arc, almost hitting the elven woman, but Liz used a vine to pull her away from the blade just in time. Dreven put his hand on his growing wound and used ice to freeze a part of his body. But the five of us were using devour on him, and we quickly devoured the ice he created. As the poison continued to spread, he realized he¡¯d have to kill us at first to stop it. But it was too late because Kene appeared behind him and covered Dreven¡¯s head in a ball of dark magic. As the black ball disappeared, Dreven¡¯s headless body fell to the floor. I stepped closer to the elven woman and tore off the arm of her ragged shirt. Averting her eyes, she spread her arms. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I shook my head as I grabbed her hand and looked for her slave mark. Finding it on the back of her upper arm, I put my hand on it, ¡°This is going to hurt, but bear with it.¡± After warning her, I devoured the mark and a small part of her flesh, freeing her from the slave mark. Holding back her scream, she panted and looked at me with fear in her eyes until realizing what I did. ¡°It¡­ It disappeared! Thank you!¡± she shouted and hugged me. What the fuck? This is quite an unusual reaction¡­ ¡°It¡¯s alright now, you¡¯re free to go wherever you want to,¡± I smiled at her. Fing threw Dreven¡¯s body on his shoulder and used Earth Magic to open a hole up to the surface. I separated from the elven woman and left her alone, though she jumped out after us. It seems like she has got some strength¡­ the slave mark probably sealed her true powers. Turning my back on her, I followed my siblings towards the palace. Many of the guards stood to the side upon seeing us running with the headless body of their strongest marquis. The few guards who fought for their lives because they knew they¡¯d be killed were rushed by the other Dark Scars and lesser blood servants. We didn¡¯t stop until reaching the palace. I stopped for a moment to look for our masters¡¯ presences. After finding them, I entered through the breached wall and ran straight towards their location. As we entered the throne room, I saw her black hair fly through the air as she kicked the shitty king of this kingdom in the stomach. Whenever our masters killed a leader, they used their original bodies. Master Dred appeared behind the king and swiped with his large paws, cutting the man in two. Their shadows reached the fallen king¡¯s body and devoured him in an instant. ¡°Master!¡± I shouted as I ran over to her and bowed my head. I felt her fingers pinching my ear and pull it- ¡°Ouch! Why are you doing this?!¡± ¡°I told you to drop this already. My name is Elena. Why did you bring a corpse, though?¡± she raised her brows. ¡°He is the marquis whose family left behind the Metal Magic! We brought him to you in case you wished to steal is spell,¡± Fing answered in my stead. ¡°Hmm- why not? It might be useful in the future,¡± she replied after some consideration. Her shadow crept up on Fing¡¯s body and devoured Dreven¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯ve got the skill,¡± she muttered and then looked at me from the corner of her eye. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Stop looking at me with that fanatic face, it feels a bit weird when you¡¯re staring at me so intently, even if I know it¡¯s because you¡¯re my lesser blood servant,¡± her words left her beautiful lips. She was my goddess! ¡°I¡¯m just-¡± ¡°Haah- whatever. If you lot have nothing else to say, then I thank you for bringing his body to me and you can go to do your things!¡± she waved her hands. ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure,¡± we all said at the same time and after turning around, we left to finish the rest of the enemies. The combined forces of the Dark Scars wiped out the whole city in just half an hour, leaving only the people Master deemed innocent. When we finished, I found our masters again, only to see the elf woman we saved kneel on the ground in front of her and hug her legs. ¡°Please, let me join! I have nowhere else to go!¡± ¡°Let go of me! And I told you, you aren¡¯t strong enough to join the Dark Scars!¡± Elena gently pushed the woman to the side. She hugged my master! I¡¯ve never hugged her, even if only her leg¡­ presumptuous! But I can understand her. ¡°But why do you need me to be so strong? I believe I¡¯m quite powerful!¡± the woman shouted. ¡°Haah- listen. Although you¡¯re powerful now, your talent isn¡¯t all that good. It took only a year for my people to reach their current levels, while it took you hundreds of years! That¡¯s the difference! You won¡¯t be able to keep up with the others, which would cause jealousy and diversity. I don¡¯t need that in my private army, but if you¡¯re really so pent up on joining, you can become one of the Dark Scars¡¯ blood servant, alright?¡± ¡°YES!¡± Strange, it¡¯s not every day that people want to join so bad. Should I take her in? But then I¡¯d have to watch out for her a bit more than the others. I shouldn¡¯t handle her like a pawn, I guess. Most of our lesser blood servants were the kind of people we killed, but we used them to gather information instead of simply killing them. Hmm- if she would clean my house and repair our weapons, she¡¯d be more than useful for me. Should I? ¡°Who¡¯s willing to take her in?¡± Elena asked, seeing the other Dark Scars gather around her. Seeing that nobody stepped forward, I did, ¡°I¡¯ll accept her!¡± ¡°Well, there you have it, he is called Sareg, your new master,¡± she pushed the elven woman towards me. ¡°O-Okay. So what do I have to do?¡± she asked showing a meek face. I had a thing for older women and she was an elf too¡­ elves were beautiful. I- I might make a move on her in the future¡­ but only if she¡¯ll accept me, I thought as I cut my finger and formed a glass in my other hand. I handed over the glass with a few drops of my blood in it and said, ¡°Drink this and you¡¯ll be one of us.¡± Taking it, she closed her eyes and drank it all in one go with a sour face. I know how it feels¡­ blood isn¡¯t tasty. ¡°Done! But I feel so sleepy all of a sudden,¡± she held her head and started swaying her body. ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t resist it. Just go to sleep,¡± I whispered into her ear and in the next moment, she fell asleep. She wouldn¡¯t go through a big evolution, but her talent would be still upgraded. ¡°My, have you found love or what?¡± I heard my master¡¯s sweet voice in my ears. Raising my head, I was found myself face to face with Elena. ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard your thoughts¡­ have you forgotten that during raids I¡¯m connected with everyone? I can hear all of you,¡± she reminded me. I never minded when she heard me thinking about my respect for her, but for her to hear something like this¡­ ¡°No! I was just-¡± ¡°Why are you making a fuss? I¡¯ve never said you couldn¡¯t be in a relationship and since she¡¯ll be one of us, I really don¡¯t mind it. But don¡¯t force yourself on her or I¡¯ll be angry,¡± she flicked my nose. ¡°Ouh, I wouldn¡¯t dare to!¡± I rubbed my nose. ¡°And it¡¯s not like I fell in love, I¡¯m just¡­ interested in her,¡± I added. ¡°Hahaha, alright. Let¡¯s clean up and then leave the city. We can¡¯t be sure when the forces of the Alliance will arrive. You¡¯ll take her back to your house for the time being and watch over her.¡± Nodding my head, I left with the elven woman in my arms. On the way, I met Rick, who was stumbling on the debris-filled streets. ¡°Yo! You still have your life, don¡¯t you?¡± I remarked as I walked past him. ¡°Who are you, demon?¡± he furrowed his brows. A smile formed on my face as I hear him. Turning around, ¡°One of the people you fear,¡± I laughed as I turned into a black cloud and disappeared along with the elven woman and appeared a few meters away at a corner. ¡°Huh? Could it be¡­ a member of the Dark Scars? Wait, wasn¡¯t he there in the pub not long ago? These bastards! But at least my family is alright¡­¡± Although he continued to talk to himself, I left since I had better things to do. He had no idea what was coming, but he¡¯ll be surely happy! Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 32.3 - Alliance and Submission A few minutes after Sareg left the city, a dark patch appeared in the sky which turned out to be many tiny robots as they neared. The Dark Scars cleaned up the city in no time and rebuilt many of the houses. Elena and Dred stood in the middle of the city where the citizens were led to. Seeing their fearful expressions, Elena spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the devourer and the Dark Scars these days. I¡¯ve come to your kingdom this time, but if you¡¯re standing here, it means we aren¡¯t going to hurt you. I¡¯ll briefly explain what¡¯s going to happen now.¡± Pointing at the cloud of tiny robots flying over the city, she said, ¡°These tiny critters are really useful robots. I¡¯m sure the word ¡®robot¡¯ doesn¡¯t tell you anything, so it¡¯s enough if you know that they¡¯ll upgrade the technology in your homes. There are exactly two thousand houses in the city, only a few more than the current population. I believe so many should be enough and the robots should finish renovating in two to three days.¡± ¡°If possible don¡¯t capture or destroy them¡­¡± she pulled out a big bag from her storage ring and put it on the ground. ¡°This here is filled with manuals on how to use the new things which will be implemented in your houses.¡± ¡°Pardon me, but who¡¯s going to be the king? Who¡¯s going to work?¡± a grey-haired man asked. ¡°Have you never thought about the repercussions of your actions?¡± he shook his head. Elena appeared in front of him and looked into his eyes. Unlike the people who stepped back as soon as she appeared, the old man stood his ground and glared back. A smile formed on Elena¡¯s face as she turned around, ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerves, hehe. But you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± the old man asked. ¡°To most people, it may look as if we were attacking cities and kingdoms randomly, but that¡¯s not the case. Of course, I won¡¯t go into the details, but it¡¯s enough if you know that your territory will be overtaken a few days later~¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that you won¡¯t have to resist because it¡¯ll be good for everyone. You¡¯ll have a king and order will return to this place. How does that sound, Oldman?¡± she asked as she turned on her heels. ¡°It¡¯s like bullshit.¡± ¡°My~ Not many people dare to talk to me like that nowadays,¡± she laughed. ¡°Are you not afraid of the devourer people speak of?¡± she stepped closer. ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m old and have lived enough, I have nothing to fear! But I want to know your purpose! Why are you doing all this slaughter and murder?¡± the old man stuck out his chest. ¡°Grandpa! Please come back! What if she hurts you?!¡± a kid around the age eight grabbed the old man¡¯s finger and tried to pull him to the back of the crowd. Seeing Elena¡¯s eyes wander to the kid, the old man¡¯s face turned panicked. ¡°Hmm~ it seems like you still have someone to fear, not that it matters to me,¡± she shrugged her shoulders and went back to Dred¡¯s side. ¡°I was born to kill you all, that was the purpose of my life. But I decided to wipe out only the people I deem unworthy of living, so now that¡¯s my purpose. People who betray, rape, conspire to gather more power and wealth, and I could go on with the list. Are you happy now?¡± she asked as she jumped onto Dred¡¯s back, who transformed into his Wyvern form in the meantime. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the old man replied. ¡°Well, I think you¡¯ll be in the future. You won¡¯t have to worry about offending somebody by breathing the same air anymore~ Now then, I¡¯m leaving,¡± she waved her hand. Dred flapped his large wings and rose into the air and roared, shaking even the ground below them.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Take care!¡± Elena shouted while Dred made a circle in the air and then bolted off towards the forest. --- A minute later Dred landed in their camp and transformed into his demon form. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Audrey came out of her house eating an apple. ¡°There was an old man who wanted to know my reasons, so I had a short talk with him,¡± Elena took the apple out of Audrey¡¯s hand and bit into it. ¡°Hey! Give it back!¡± ¡°No way. This is delicious~¡± ¡°You selfish bastard¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°Elena, do you plan to help Khax? He¡¯s been helping us for quite a long time now,¡± Audrey asked. ¡°Hmm- I¡¯m not sure because his life isn¡¯t in danger. In fact, now he can lead Padinyss by the nose and make him go to different places than where we attack. I¡¯m quite sure they aren¡¯t going to hear about this kingdom either for a few days. All thanks to Khax who sent them to the Est Canal.¡± ¡°But what if they make him take an oath or something?¡± Audrey furrowed her brows. ¡°Ugh¡­ you¡¯re right, that would be really bad. He¡¯s our only ally from the seven leading nations and I don¡¯t wish to risk losing him. But how can I free a wraith king from Padinyss¡¯s palace without being noticed? If it¡¯s only Dred or me, we could get in and out without trouble at this point, but Khax?¡± Elena pondered. ¡°I believe there is a way,¡± Dred added as he hugged Elena from behind. ¡°And what is this way you speak of?¡± Audrey raised her brows. ¡°Uhm, we could sacrifice a few Dark Scars, but I¡¯d never do something like that. The second option is that I go in alone and run away with Khax on my back, somehow¡­¡± ¡°What a detailed plan you have! I¡¯m amazed!¡± Audrey clapped. ¡°...¡± ¡°I would have expected something like this from Elena,¡± she added. ¡°What?!¡± Elena gasped. ¡°You little¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°Well, there is a third option, but you won¡¯t be happy,¡± Dred lowered his voice. Dreading the answer, Audrey asked what was the third option. ¡°You know, Jake has an ability to blink even if he¡¯s under attack. If he came with me, he could enter the palace and blink out with Khax. Although the range of his ability is only two hundred meters, it¡¯s more than enough. But if Padinyss picks up on the interrupted Mana flow, he might be found and I¡¯m not strong enough to fight Padinyss yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not happy hearing this option,¡± Audrey crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Either this or we leave Khax alone for now,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders and let go of Elena. ¡°Aww~ it was so warm!¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying to talk about a problem here!¡± Audrey pinched Elena¡¯s nose. ¡°Aye~ But you don¡¯t have to because I¡¯m not going to risk losing my lover and my friend. I¡¯d rather have Khax die and reveal everything he knows about us. I told him this when we made the deal as well, so he knows he can¡¯t rely on us. Whether he reveals things about us or not is up to him.¡± ¡°Then should we just ignore this matter?¡± Audrey tilted her head to the side. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Okay. Now then, where do you plan to go next?¡± ¡°Ask Dred, he is the one to decide on our next targets,¡± Elena mused. A smile formed on the said person¡¯s face, ¡°Fun fact, there is a kingdom in the Est Canal called Driven. That¡¯s our next target, but before going there, we¡¯ll wait for the forces of this new alliance to leave the area. I thought about visiting Dink in the meantime.¡± ¡°Did Khax know about it or what?¡± Elena asked surprised. ¡°No, he probably told them a random location,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Hmm- probably. But what do you want on Dink?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk with Hector because we¡¯re running out of those little robots,¡± he answered. ¡°Got it~¡± Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 32.4 - Alliance and Submission (Contains explicit Yuri[18+]) While the others were getting ready to move to the next location, Audrey sat in silence in her room. No light entered through the windows for they were covered. Sighing, she clenched her fists and focused on her meditation once again. Eight colourful elementals appeared around her and eight of her fingers started glowing, each with a different colour. At first, she combined the fire and water elements, resulting in steam. As she added the wind element, it turned into hot air, which combined with lightning heated up even more, causing water to condense in her palm. Adding the earth element, it turned into dirt, which combined with the nature element resulted in foliage and greenery. She stopped to think for a moment, but knowing she didn¡¯t have a lot of time before everything would blow up, she added the light element this time and unlike before when it died because of the dark element, the tiny bushes in her hand turned into a bigger bush, representing life. Her brain sparked as she realized she might succeed this time. Adding the dark element, the foliage started rotting. What now? What am I supposed to do? she thought, worried seeing the foliage quickly disappear. This is basically the representation of death, but then¡­ I need elements to have the same result this time. Wait! Water and fire can be quite destructive! She realized and added those two. Unlike before, the colourful ball in her hand didn¡¯t blow up but started rotating. She supplied it with mana of different attributes, continuously repeating the same circle as before. As she stopped supplementing it, she threw it towards the wall and the colourful ball blew up, destroying everything in an area of one meter. ¡°Despite its tiny size, it was truly powerful,¡± she talked to herself as a grin formed on her face. ¡°FINALLY! I SUCCEEDED!¡±
New Element Acquired: Drip Element
This element is the perfect mixture of all common elements, creating an infinite loop. If this element is stopped being supplied with mana, it¡¯s going to explode. Being one of the most destructive powers, it¡¯s advised to use it with caution. The maximum diameter (in centimeters) of the Drip Element ball is limited to the level of the Mana Control. One percent of Mana Control equals one centimeter.
¡°Status~¡±
Name: Audrey Frost Race: Arch Shadow
Level: 497 EXP: 5 327 776 / 6 906 000
Class: Arcane Mage (Epic) Specialization: Mystic
(1) Health: 102 651 / 102 651 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: Blood Servant; Space & Energy Elementalist
(1) Strength: 19 792.32 (1) Vitality: 20 530.28
(1) Agility: 19 786.96 Will: 100 (Only Blood Master can subdue.)
(1) Intelligence(+10%): 19 799(+1979.9) (1) Wisdom(+12%): 21 814.8(+2181.48)
Elemental Magic: Common Elements (Mastered) +10% to Power when elementals are active. Cosmological Constant (Mastered) Drip Element (Mastered) Void Lv. 43 (27%) Resistances: (1) Magical: 23 996.28 (1) Physical: 19 792.32 Passive: (1) Stamina: 20 530.28 (1) Precision: 19 786.96
Skills/Spells: Mana Control Lv. 92 (87%) Body Enchantment (Mastered) Mana Disrupt (Mastered) Necromancy (Mastered) Gravity (Mastered) Secrets of Time Lv. 3 (20%) Racial Skills: Shadow Step (Mastered) Shadow Form (Mastered) Inherited: Minor Devour Lv. 89 (64%)
¡°Hehe, I¡¯m sure Elena will be envious when she sees this. Wait¡­ I¡¯ll get bitten again, though it¡¯s not a bad feeling,¡± she started pondering, unsure if she should say anything. But if I used it, she¡¯d notice and then I¡¯d be reprimanded anyway. I¡¯ll just go and tell her, she thought. Standing up, she went towards the middle of the camp and found Elena training her body. Seeing that she wanted something, Elena stopped. ¡°Haah- what can I help you with?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned something~¡± ¡°Is it the Drip Element?¡± Elena guessed. ¡°Mhm! I haven¡¯t tried to use it on a larger scale yet,¡± Audrey said excited. ¡°Then go ahead!¡± Elena said as her shadow moved in a straight line and devoured every tree in front of them, clearing a long path. Nodding her head, Audrey controlled her mana and created a ten centimeters big ball of Drip Element far away from them. As she stopped supplying it with mana, the ball shook and trembled until blowing up. The explosion affected a few hundred meters nearby. The ground shook, the air turned hot, gravel flew through the air, the trees got overturned and even bolts of lightning struck the ground where the ball exploded. Both Audrey and Elena was left with her mouth opened wide, while the Dark Scars seeing Audrey casting the spell looked at her in fear and amazement. ¡°Wonderful!¡± Elena clapped her hands as a grin formed on her face. The sides of Audrey¡¯s lips twitched, knowing what she wanted to do. ¡°Could you-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move~¡± Elena commanded this time, turning Audrey into a statue. Brushing her red hair to the side, she blew hot air on her neck and started caressing her. ¡°You look delicious~¡± she laughed before biting Audrey¡¯s neck. A few seconds later, Audrey was free to move once again. ¡°You beast!¡± she grumbled, caressing her own neck, the wound nowhere to be seen. ¡°Thanks for the meal. Hey, I¡¯m covered in sweat and stuff¡­ do you want to take a hot bath?¡± ¡°Now?¡± Audrey raised her brows. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Well, why not?¡± --- 18+ --- ¡°Haah- this feels so good after a workout,¡± Elena gasped as the hot water touched her body. ¡°Are you sure we should do this in your house? What if Dred comes in or something?¡± Audrey asked worried. ¡°But you know that he wouldn¡¯t mind you, right? He¡¯s all for me,¡± Elena mused. ¡°...You make it sound as if I wasn¡¯t attractive,¡± Audrey rolled her eyes. ¡°And yes, I know, but I still wouldn¡¯t want to randomly show my body to him.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I know, but don¡¯t worry about it. He left and went to Dink, so he isn¡¯t going to be back for a few days.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you be lonely?¡± ¡°Ehm- I¡¯ll be, but you guys are here as well,¡± she smiled. ¡°Aww, I love you,¡± Audrey inched closer to hug her master. ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡± Elena raised her voice, feeling Audrey¡¯s hand caressing her body. ¡°I¡¯m just caressing my master, what about it?¡± Looking down, Elena raised her brows, ¡°And why my crotch?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination.¡± ¡°Of course, it is¡­¡± she shook her head and grabbed Audrey¡¯s wrist when she wanted to move downwards. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Since when are you interested in girls as well?¡± Audrey reached down to touch her own clit as she rested her head on Elena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mhm~ I¡¯m- I¡¯m not interested in girls. I¡¯m just interested in you. Don¡¯t ask me why, but I¡¯ve been wanting to get closer and closer to you¡­¡± ¡°Wait, when did you last drink my blood?¡± Elena suddenly realized. ¡°About three months ago¡­ and I¡¯m getting unnerved!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for forgetting,¡± Elena rolled her eyes and was about to cut her finger when Audrey pushed her into the water. Since Elena and Dred had a big bath, there was more than enough place for the both of them, even if laid down. ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Elena asked panicked, feeling Audrey¡¯s fingers brushing her clitoris. Audrey pushed her knee forward and opened Elena¡¯s legs forcefully. -- Audrey¡¯s Pov: -- I felt her wet and hot pussy pressing against my knee and I couldn¡¯t help but start rubbing her. I leaned closer to kiss her, but before I could reach her lips, she raised her hands to hold me back, accidentally grabbing my breasts. ¡°Wait! This feels good and all, but we shouldn¡¯t do this!¡± she tried to push my head away, but she didn¡¯t have her mighty strength. Probably because she felt good because of me. I pinched her clit and kissed her neck, ignoring her. ¡°Ahn! I told you to stop and why are you so greedy?¡± ¡°Damn it, Audrey!¡± she complained, but I felt her resistance slowly subsiding. I looked at her with upturned eyes and moved to her lips. Pushing my tongue into hers, I rolled my tongue around and licked the slimy and hot interior of Elena¡¯s mouth. ¡°But- blh haah- why won¡¯t you listen?¡± Elena¡¯s complaints were continuously interrupted by my greedy tongue. ¡°Shh- just let me have my way,¡± I stopped for a moment to whisper in her ear. ¡°But I have Dred!¡± she grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a girl, I don¡¯t count, right? I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t care about us having some fun~¡± I looked back as a grin formed on my face. ¡°Well, he wouldn¡¯t but¡­¡± she averted her eyes and turned silent. ¡°Then stop refusing me,¡± I pushed forward licked her right ear. I licked her earlobe and moved my fingers downwards to pinch her clit. I felt her body turn hotter and hotter thanks to my senses, even if the change was minuscule. I felt my own clit pulsing and twitching and I really wanted her to touch my private places. Resting my body on hers for a short bit, I whispered into her ear, ¡°I¡¯m so horny¡­ Is this still because of your blood?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, you¡¯re just crazy,¡± she shook her head. Hugging her soft body even tighter, I rubbed my face against hers like some sort of dog. But I just felt like doing it. Raising back up, I gave a short kiss on her soft lips and moved my hand down to her breasts. I held her face with my left hand and then brushed a lock of her black hair to the side, seeing it covering her right eye. I circled around her nipple with my fingers, all the while eyeing her.¡°Do you want me to play with them?¡± I asked as quickly moved my right hand to her private place and pincher her clit. Holding back her moan, she replied between her pants, ¡°Haah- do what you want.¡± She turned away, her face somewhat red. You¡¯re so damned cute! I love you, Elena~ Leaning closer, I gently bit on Elena¡¯s left nipple, while my hands slid up and down on her side, sometimes groping her buttocks. ¡°You¡¯re so soft everywhere, Master~¡± I remarked. ¡°Ahn~¡± Elena moaned when I suddenly inserted two fingers. Pleasuring my master filled my mind with nothing but happiness and ecstasy. As spread my fingers and stretched her inner parts. Hot liquid flooded my fingers, making my hand wet all over. Pulling them out, I moved my finger up on her crotch, across her belly button, until reaching her lips. Her own liquid covered my fingers when I pressed them on her soft lips and pulled them apart. Her white teeth would heave up and down, her chest following the same rhythm. Grabbing her chin, I went in for the kiss. I felt her legs loosen up around my knee and as I looked down, I saw her opening her legs. I won. She isn¡¯t going to stop anymore! Letting go of her chin, I moved downwards to her pussy and spread her labia. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful pink. I wonder what would Dred think if he saw us now. His dear Elena is being harassed by her blood servant~¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky,¡± she raised her head, but when I rubbed the upper half of her insides, she turned silent and tried to hold back her moan instead. ¡°Master, will you play with me if I make you cum?¡± I asked, rubbing her insides in the meantime. Her thighs trembled as she tried to hold it in, but I felt her getting closer and closer to cumming through her tightening folds. When she was about to cum, I suddenly stopped and repeated my question. ¡°Ahn, fine! I will, but don¡¯t stop now,¡± she sat up grumbling. I grabbed her sides at her waist and pulled her into my lap, still facing me. Our plentiful breasts pressed against each other, sometimes our nipples crossing paths as well. I pulled my finger down the line of her spine, feeling up her smooth and beautiful skin. ¡°How many men would kill to touch you, I wonder?¡± I whispered into her ear. ¡°I know you¡¯re faithful, but you¡¯re still a bad girl~¡± I bit the tip of her ear. ¡°Haahn~ go on,¡± she heaved out. Spreading her labia, I started circling my fingers around her pussy, sometimes passing her entrance. She locked her legs around my back and grabbed my shoulders. She looked me in the eyes and pleaded to me, ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡± I could¡¯ve sworn I¡¯ve seen her breath in the air for a moment. Having enough of playing around with her, I stuffed three fingers into her and started rubbing her insides all over the place. Seeing her reaction were better when I rubbed the upper parts of her vagina, I focused on it more until I found a rougher spot. ¡°My~ What is this?¡± I whispered. Her eyes bulged a bit as she realized what I found. ¡°N-no, if you do it now, I¡¯ll-¡± leaning forward, I sealed her lips with mine and started attacking her g-spot. I soon felt her vagina spasm and clutch my fingers like crazy, while hot liquid flooded my fingers. She closed her eyes, her lips quivering, her clutch on my shoulders strengthening. Holding back her voice, she put her chin on my shoulder and bit me. Although I felt some pain, it filled me with a sense of excitement and wildness if anything. Her body eased up and she ¡®fell¡¯ on me, panting heavily. My fingers ran up on her body, smearing her own liquid all over her. ¡°Haah- Hahaha, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve turned any cleaner than I was before,¡± she laughed as she grabbed the back of my head and put her forehead against mine. This time she was the one who pushed me down and sat on my stomach. I felt her hot pussy touching me and her somewhat stiff clitoris pressing against my skin. Looking down, I couldn¡¯t help but poke hers. ¡°Ahn~ it¡¯s time to punish this bad servant. For you to be as cheeky as to assault me¡­¡± she grabbed my chin and made me look her in the eyes. She wasn¡¯t a man. I had nothing to fear and I loved the way she started to dominate over me. My only true Master, who also cared for me and loved me. I knew my mind was going half crazy, but I didn¡¯t mind it. It felt good to be her fanatic. Inching backwards, she rested her hands beside me and started swaying her hips back and forth, rubbing our clits against each other. ¡°Haahn~ Elena. Although this feels good, it could hurt our places¡­ you sure we should do something like this?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. She grabbed my wrists as a reply and pinned me to the ground with all her strength. I felt completely vulnerable below her, but so long it was her, I didn¡¯t mind it. In fact, I liked it a lot. Probably noticing my feelings, she answered in a different manner than her usual style, ¡°You stay quiet and do what I say. This is going to be your punishment.¡± As I got closer and closer to cumming, our pussies turned wetter and wetter. It couldn¡¯t even be called rubbing, it was more sliding if anything. But when I was really close, she¡¯d stop moving all of a sudden, making me fall back. It felt as if I hit the cold hard ground¡­ which made me understand what she meant by punishment. She wanted to make me go crazy. I must resist or I¡¯ll go crazy¡­ ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to resist,¡± she used her blood to command me, cutting any chance for me to fight back. I felt her finger slowly slid across my belly button, up to my breasts. Leaning on the ground beside me, she drew circles around my breasts, around my labia, my lips. Her fingers wandered all around my body, but every time I felt excited thinking she¡¯d touch my desired spots, she simply moved her finger aside and avoided the spots. Gritting my teeth, I wanted to move, but I had no way and I was like a creek down below. ¡°My, my little servant is enjoying her master¡¯s caressing touch so much. Is this still a punishment at this point?¡± ¡°It is! It definitely is!¡± I shouted. ¡°So many emotions in your voice. Do you want me to touch you?¡± she asked. Leaning close to my ear, she continued in a whisper, ¡°To touch your naughty, wet pussy?¡± A shudder ran through my back, shaking my whole being. I felt broken by my master. I furiously nodded my head, feeling excited just at the thought of it. Not hurrying, she went slow and moved her right hand to my pussy. My legs were spread wide open, while she still kept my hands pinned to the ground with her left hand. Her fingers ran back and forth on my thighs and the tip of her finger touched my pussy every so often. My senses were heightened and edge to the highest level. A smile formed on her face as she snapped her finger and a leaf appeared between her fingers. I felt both despair and excitement at the same time, the mix of my emotions making me go crazy. Lowering her hand, she used the left to start tickling my labia and my clit. I felt my legs trembling and I shook my head in a craze, trying to shut my knees. ¡°You can close your legs,¡± she commanded and I did as I was told. My labia tightly shut, she forced her finger in and entered my pussy. Using the leaf, she started caressing my clit, while I felt her finger looking for the same weak spot I found. She found it in just a few seconds and started assaulting me. Probably having enough of playing around, she grumbled as she set the leaf on fire and burnt it into ashes. Pushing my legs wide open, she inched back and leaned close to my pussy. Looking at me with upturned eyes, she bit my clit and pulled on it with her teeth. Even if it felt a bit painful, I felt crazy good. My back arched and I couldn¡¯t help but roll my toes into balls. ¡°My, how cute~ I¡¯ll eat you up,¡± she said amused by my vulnerable state. I had no idea what kind of expressions I made, but maybe it was for the best if I didn¡¯t know. I felt her breath on my pussy for a moment before her lips reached my labia. Soft and soft pressed against each other, mixing her saliva and my overflowing pussy liquid. Her tongue entered my vagina and started thrashing and rolling around like a wild snake, her upper lips rubbing my clit every so often. To top it off, she inserted a finger as well and started pressing it downwards and inwards, which made me feel as if I was being fucked hard. But I knew there was no penis inside me, only my master. Her finger and her tongue took me to the top in no time, but this time she didn¡¯t stop and sped up instead. Snapping my head back, I looked upwards as a sense of hotness left my clit and spread through my whole crotch, then my body. Limping onto the bottom of the bath with no strength left in my body, I panted and laughed in my happiness. My legs were still wide open, leaving everything in plain sight for Elena to see. But instead of looking at my private places, she sat down above my head and put my head in her laps and started caressing my forehead. Brushing my red hair to the side, she smiled at me. ¡°You seem to be satisfied~¡± ¡°You bet, I am!¡± I laughed. She stuck her finger in my mouth. Knowing what I had to do, I bit her finger and started sucking her blood. A few drops later, I stopped drinking and licked her finger clean instead. Her bleeding stopped in no time, leaving her beautiful white fingers without a single wound. My master¡¯s hand I loved so dearly¡­ she meant so much to me. I loved Jake, sex felt better as well, but I was Elena¡¯s. He too was Elena¡¯s. We belonged to her and that fact made me feel at peace. Maybe it was a twisted love, but it also made loving Jake much easier. I really fell for his silly side, all his caring and gentle love. And we belonged to the same person. Realizing what I was thinking about, I felt for the first time that I was truly a blood servant. When Elena and Dred talked about how they were alone, I didn¡¯t quite understand them. I think I did now. I couldn¡¯t function as a true person, my thoughts, my mind¡­ they were all filled with Elena and Dred. For the first time, I truly understood I¡¯d even die for them if it was necessary. Hopefully, it¡¯ll never come to that. ¡°Why the long face? Are you worried?¡± she patted the top of my head, making me smile. Telling her my thoughts, her expression turned somewhat sad as well. ¡°Haah- I knew you¡¯d understand it one day. You aren¡¯t a lesbian, yet you still fell to a level where we did something like this. You¡¯re the first in line blood servant, the one who¡¯s always going to be the closest to me after Dred. You¡¯ve got no way to stop your feelings for me. You¡¯re bound to me. But I can promise you one thing. I¡¯m always going to look at you as a friend and I¡¯ll do my best to keep you all alive, okay?¡± she gave a kiss on my forehead. A smile splattered on my face, I nodded my head and closed my eyes. ¡°I wonder what will Jake and Dred say when I tell them about our play~¡± I mused. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m quite sure they¡¯d have wanted to join,¡± Elena shook her head. Feeling a bit fatigued, I fell asleep under my master¡¯s loving touch. She meant the world to me and I was her possession and that would never change. Not that I minded it. My mind was overtaken, but it was a good feeling, in a sense. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 33.1 - Fanatics and separating paths Fanatics and separating Paths --- Elena¡¯s POV --- The next day we woke up in my bed and Audrey was lying naked beside me. Rubbing my forehead, I sat up and remembered what we did. I¡¯m crazy¡­ Sighing, I stood up and got dressed. Thanks to symbiosis, both my clothes and armours were stored in my body and I didn¡¯t have to bother with dressing up and taking them off. Nobody except for Dred would enter my room, so I just left Audrey as she was and closed the door. I barely left our little house when Jake appeared in front of me. ¡°Where is Audrey? She left with you but didn¡¯t return last night,¡± he asked, his eyes trying to sneak a peek behind me and catch sight of his lover. How cute~ ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her. We just had some¡­ fun,¡± I whispered into his ear as I walked past him. I saw his body twitch. The Dark Scars were packing their things and destroying their temporary houses. We should be able to leave in half an hour, at most. Since even a single spell would take care of mine, I had some free time and so I decided to train my body. But just as I was about to begin, one of the Dark Scars ran up to me, holding a small device in hand. ¡°Master! Master! I¡¯ve got news!¡± he shouted and then stopped in front of me. Considering that it could be something private, I used whisperings to talk with him. ¡°What is it, Urnoth?¡± ¡°As you¡¯ve asked me, I was on the lookout and a few seconds ago, a small aircraft flew to me and dropped this thing in my hand. There was a note on it, which said that I should take it to Elena- Master. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he hung his head. ¡°You can be really sorry for not using my name more often. Sheesh-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m good enough to use your name, Master. Once I feel I¡¯m strong enough, I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Haah- fine then. So? What am I supposed to do with this?¡± I asked as I started inspecting. Thanks to gaining new territories and materials, Hector was able to better his own kingdom, Drung, and provide us with many strange devices. But they were really useful so I had no complaints. I knew that most things had buttons to turn them on, so I started pressing the buttons on the two sides until it finally lit up. Well, it¡¯s screen lit up, to be more accurate. She- she touched my hand! Our hands touched! Master touched me!? As if he was chanting a spell, Urnoth¡¯s thoughts resounded in my mind. He and his brothers were the strongest among the Dark Scars, but their behaviour when in my presence was no different than the others¡¯. After so much time, I couldn¡¯t help but get used to their strange antics and thoughts. Of course, they were no different when it came to Dred, though they seemed to fear him more, even though he never hurt them. I believed Dred was gentle. Unless he was dealing with his enemies¡­ But then again, they were like this only because of our blood. ¡°I can hear your thoughts,¡± I shook my head. Urnoth¡¯s body turned stiff, even though I¡¯ve heard lines like his countless times. I wasn¡¯t even bothered by it anymore. Seeing his expression, I just chuckled and focused back on the small device. As it seemingly finished to turn on, it started ringing and shaking and almost fell out of my hands. Accept call? I tried to press the button and the screen from before disappeared only for another to take place. Dred was inside. Is this thing using some sort of void magic?! Amazing! We have to learn this spell! I thought excited. If we had a spell like this, we could easily carry even thousands of people without anyone¡¯s notice and just make them appear! Poof! ¡°Elena, it¡¯s me, Dred.¡± ¡°I can see that, dear~¡± He coughed in his hand and mumbled something like, he wasn¡¯t alone. I didn¡¯t know what did it matter, but I decided to keep my emotions to myself and just wait for him to tell what he wanted. ¡°This thing you hold is called a cell phone. Knowing you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thinking this is some void magic, but you¡¯re wrong. It uses some radio waves if I recall correctly. Anyway, I didn¡¯t call you for this.¡± Oh, damn it! And I was so happy already¡­ ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll all have to come here to Dink,¡± he made a serious face. ¡°What? Why?¡± I bit my lower lips. ¡°I know that we had different plans, but there is something you have to hear and we should look for something before proceeding any further with our plans.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. It must be serious if he is so sure of it. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there in a few days in that case. But¡­ I believe we could leave the Dark Scars alone. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re brain dead and we need to command them.¡± ¡°I know, but I prefer keeping an eye on them. I don¡¯t want them to die,¡± Dred replied. ¡°Haah- fine then, they¡¯ll come with me in that case. Anything else?¡± I asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°How do I stop this¡­ call?¡± I started looking for a button or something. ¡°Just press the red button on the screen.¡± ¡°Oh! Thanks~¡± ¡°Wait!¡± he shouted all of a sudden, startling me a bit. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I- I miss you,¡± he muttered and then he disappeared from the screen. Huh? Aww~ I¡¯ll have to reward him when we meet up. Although he was silent most of the time, I knew his heart was akin to pudding when he was dealing with me. ¡°Thanks for bringing this to me. Am I supposed to keep it? I forgot to ask,¡± I asked Urnoth. ¡°Ah! Oh, uhm¡­¡± he stuttered, seemingly surprised by my ¡®sudden¡¯ question. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll just keep it. Are the others ready to go?¡± He turned around and after taking a quick look, he replied, ¡°I think they are, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t have the time to pack up my things since I was on the lookout-¡± ¡°Do you want me to help you in that case?¡± ¡°What?! No! I mean, there is no way I can let my master-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made me curious, so I¡¯ll help you,¡± a smile formed on my face as I started to walk towards his house. He started sweating profusely, which I haven¡¯t seen him do in a long time. After getting used to the hard training, they didn¡¯t even break a sweat anymore¡­ As I reached his small wooden hut, I opened the door and my jaws dropped. I looked at him with my mouth opened wide and wanted to ask what the fuck, but no words left my lips. Maybe I was a bit of a hypocrite with my reaction, but it wasn¡¯t every day you saw an altar with your picture on it and candles in front of it. ¡°Master, this isn¡¯t what it seems-¡± ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t¡­¡± He hung his head in defeat and peeked at me only from the corner of his eye. ¡°Why are you so silent? Shouldn¡¯t you start packing?¡± I asked as I picked up his bag from his bed and started packing his things. ¡°Is Master not angry with me?¡± ¡°Hahaha, why would I be angry? It¡¯s surely not something I was expecting, but if it makes you happy,¡± I turned around and looked at him, my hands on my hips. ¡°Though I¡¯m a bit curious as to why did you make this altar?¡± Scratching the back of his head, he replied, ¡°I- I¡¯m not like my brother, Sareg or like my sister, Liz. They¡¯re much more outspoken and decisive than I am.¡± ¡°Certainly, being indecisive isn¡¯t a good thing, especially in a battle,¡± I nodded my head, understanding his problem. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Master make decisions so easily, even when it was hard to make, while I¡­ I can¡¯t even make up my mind to-¡± he turned silent. ¡°To what?¡± I crossed my arms in front of my chest. ¡°To ask out the girl I like¡­ and so, I¡¯ve been praying to Master, hoping I¡¯d get some of your courage and decisiveness,¡± he muttered. ¡°Well, that was unexpected.¡± ¡°Could you help me somehow?¡± he looked into my eyes. After thinking about it for a bit, I replied, ¡°Hmm- I¡¯ve decided not to delve into other people¡¯s matters, but since you asked me¡­ I think I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± his eyes shone with interest as he grabbed my arms. ¡°Ah! I beg your forgiveness-¡± he was about to kneel on the ground, so I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back up. ¡°It¡¯s fine, stop whining. Sometimes I can¡¯t help but look at you as if you were my children and it hurts me to see you keep this distance.¡± ¡°I never thought about that,¡± he hung his head and then apologised. ¡°No problem. Now then, your first task is to walk up to the girl you like and compliment her somehow!¡± ¡°Eh? But I don¡¯t think I can do something like that-¡± ¡°Do you want me to force you?¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Master- You can be really evil sometimes, even with us,¡± he shook his head. ¡°How rude! You put it as if I was evil when dealing with others!¡± ¡°Erm, well¡­¡± ¡°Fine! I know! Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I waved my hand and continued packing. ¡°We can chat later, but we¡¯re never going to finish like this.¡± ¡°Ah, of course,¡± Urnoth nodded his head and got to work. There were times when I or my friends helped out the Dark Scars, after all, they were still orphans with no life experience. Some of them had it easier, while others had more concerns. Cases like these where they asked for help happened from time to time and we were always glad to help. When I left Urnoth¡¯s hut, I noticed Audrey holding an eight coloured ball, the size of a head. She threw it towards our house and upon contact, it exploded. A powerful shockwave hit my chest and destroyed the house I shared with Dred. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sad at these times. We should make a place of our own sometimes in the future. A place where others can¡¯t reach or find us, where we can be all alone, together! I started dreaming. I¡¯ll tell about this to Dred. I wonder what he¡¯s going to say. ¡°Can we go?¡± I asked Audrey as I walked up to her. ¡°Yes, and why did you not wake me up?¡± ¡°Well, you seemed to be fast asleep, so I didn¡¯t want to wake you up.¡± ¡°Yes, but Jake reprimanded me for disappearing without telling him anything and that I took so long even in the morning,¡± she whispered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine this one time?¡± ¡°It is, but still-¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t complain. Let¡¯s go! I want to see Dred!¡± I raised my voice and transformed into his wyvern form. I couldn¡¯t wait to kill Padinyss and get his true form¡­ ¡°You¡¯re just hungry for-¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence. ¡°What?¡± I snapped my jaws in front of her. Knocking on my teeth, she pushed my head away and then climbed onto my back. ¡°I want to fly!¡± ¡°But why on my back?¡± I complained. ¡°Because it¡¯s fun!¡± ¡°...¡± Shaking my head, I flapped my wings and raised into the air, the Dark Scars behind me in their Bat forms. Since it was a very useful spell, we taught the Dark Scars the Shapeshift spell and it wasn¡¯t hard to find a cave full of bats¡­ It also made travelling and scouting easier! Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 33.2 - Fanatics and separating paths It took three days to get to Dink and reach Hector¡¯s place. Although Dred didn¡¯t state his location, it was obvious to me. The Dark Scars made a camp out in the desert, a few kilometers away from the city. Audrey, Jake, and Cor stayed back with them, while I went to the palace. The defensive mechanisms of the capital city didn¡¯t even fire the alarms thanks to my advanced hiding abilities. It was good to know I was getting better at it since last time their detectors still caught me. I entered the palace and went straight to the throne room, without anyone noticing me. Despite magicians being rare on Dink, had anyone seen the number of magicians in Drung, they¡¯d have thought twice about saying ¡®rare¡¯. Thanks to the magicians and warriors Bethor sent, their forces had been growing. Hector didn¡¯t attack the neighbouring nations, but they didn¡¯t dare to pick a fight either. Drung simply grew too powerful and turned into the strongest kingdom on Dink. ¡°Hello~¡± I whispered into Hector¡¯s ear as I snuck up on him. ¡°Haargh!¡± he jumped up from his seat. ¡°Ah! God! Elena, don¡¯t do this¡­¡± he held his chest and sat back down. After heaving out a sigh of relief, he said, ¡°I suppose you came to see Dred and hear what he has to say.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Well, then wait a moment, he should be here in a bit.¡± ¡°I know, he¡¯s on the way,¡± I nodded my head. I was able to sense him, no matter what he did. We were connected, after all. The door was swung open and after coming closer, he hugged me without any warnings. I opened my eyes wide, but I still hugged him back. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± I asked. ¡°I told you before.¡± ¡°Hmm~ I thought about rewarding-¡± ¡°*Cough*¡± Hector forced out a cough to interrupt me. Mood-killer... ¡°...Let¡¯s talk about this later. So what did you find?¡± I stepped back and sat on the edge of Hector¡¯s table. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do some work here!¡± Hector slammed his fists on the table. ¡°This is related to your kingdom as well, so stop whining,¡± Dred furrowed his brows. ¡°Is that so?¡± this time Hector raised his head with interest. That was a really quick change. ¡°I finished our business with Hector, as usual, and I was about to leave when one of his servants returned with an ancient relic he found. Here is the deal. The relic mentioned a hidden room, which turned out to be another hidden room in the hidden room where we found Cor¡¯s gold and Audrey¡¯s Supernova spell.¡± What the actual fuck? ¡°The third room led even deeper underground, to a house. It was furnished and seemed to be perfect for living. I suppose that was the place where Cor lived before he died.¡± ¡°This is all nice, but what¡¯s the point of all this?¡± Hector hurried Dred. ¡°I found a book about his life¡­ it¡¯s still with me, but I¡¯ll give it to Cor once we meet. What matters is the following. Dunk is a huge planet, but we know only what¡¯s on the surface. There lies a race hidden underground, called the kobolds, who return every ten thousand years to purge the surface. It¡¯s probably one of the reasons as to why there are so few high-level magicians and warriors.¡± ¡°And when is the turn of this ten thousand years?¡± Hector furrowed his brows. ¡°We¡¯ve passed it already.¡± ¡°Come on, Dred. Spit it out already,¡± I elbowed him. ¡°Ugh- you could be gentler sometimes,¡± he shook his head before continuing. ¡°The seal he created with eight rings are using the world energies to hold back the kobolds. As long as the seal exists, nobody can get to a higher level than five hundred and ninety-nine, but the kobolds are also held back. I couldn¡¯t find notes related to the kobold¡¯s abilities, but I¡¯m sure they aren¡¯t weak if they were able to destroy every intelligent race before.¡± ¡°Then¡­ if we break the seal, will the kobolds also attack?¡± I furrowed my brows. ¡°Yes.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°And where would these kobolds even come up from?¡± ¡°There is only a single place that connects them with the surface, which is none other than the island in the Moonlit Sea, the place where the seven leading nations held their conference, and the place where we have to take the rings to break the seal.¡± ¡°Sounds like a pain in the ass,¡± I shook my head. ¡°It is. We now have to deal with Padinyss and a whole race living underground if we want to keep our lives,¡± Dred crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Yes, and we¡¯ll have to deal with both at the same time. I haven¡¯t worked so hard and separated the ¡®bad¡¯ people from the ¡®good¡¯ people just to let them die. We¡¯ll have to make plans to keep the kingdoms we left behind alive,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Wait, you want what? Sure, we can help them, but we can¡¯t protect all of them! I don¡¯t want the Dark Scars or our friends to be hurt because of others!¡± Dred used my whisperings to tell me his opinion. ¡°Are you saying that we should just crap on all the things we did? How much time we ¡®wasted¡¯ to gather information about each and every kingdom and spare the people we deemed worthy of living?¡± I asked furrowing my brows. ¡°Look, I know, but you can¡¯t expect me to put them in front of you and the others,¡± he replied. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. We¡¯ll have to split our forces and prepare for two different things.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry, but I want to go through with this to the end,¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Haah- okay. And we should stop moving our bodies when using your whisperings¡­ It looks really strange,¡± Dred added towards the end. ¡°This is a catastrophe!¡± Hector leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples, his eyes closed, oblivious to the debate we just had. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you two want to break that seal, right?¡± he opened his eyes to look at us. ¡°Not just us, Padinyss too. Or do you want to live the rest of your life hidden from the world, the universe, hiding from Padinyss and the other leading nations, afraid they¡¯d find you and kill you because you helped us?¡± I asked looking into his eyes. ¡°But if you could kill Padinyss, we could all live in peace. I¡¯d make sure to satisfy you-¡± Dred shook his finger and cut into his words, ¡°The thing is, the rings will be destroyed if their owner dies, but if either of the rings is destroyed, the world energies will get out of control and the seal will break.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Hector stood up slamming his fists on his table. ¡°Will we really have to fight again? I don¡¯t want another war, especially not one where we have to fight to protect our own planet!¡± ¡°Want it or not, you¡¯ll have to,¡± Dred shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Haah- fine! I¡¯ll modify my plans. From now on, whenever you two destroy a kingdom or an empire, the king I¡¯ll select and send in the old one¡¯s place will prepare for a war. I¡¯ll also notify the other kings to change their policies. If there really is a world-sized war coming, every race needs to be ready. And you two have to deal with Padinyss because I sure as hell can¡¯t!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you made up your mind,¡± I smiled. ¡°Well, then we should be leaving now. It¡¯s time to step up our game and start playing with the Dragon Empire as well. I haven¡¯t forgotten that bitch Inhe¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to torture her mind a bit.¡± ¡°Oh? I haven¡¯t heard of this before, but I¡¯m obviously in,¡± Dred nodded his head. ¡°Hehe. I believe we can leave the Dark Scars to our friends, while we¡¯ll set out to catch Ekrok and a few of the royal guards. I want to see her face when her rival¡¯s mind changes and her sweet master dies.¡± ¡°You two sound like some villains conspiring an evil plan¡­¡± Hector shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Of course, it¡¯d be my imagination.¡± We left him to do his job as a king and joined up with our friends. But right after leaving the city, Dred grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side in the forest. ¡°What? What¡¯s up?¡± I asked confused. ¡°I have something else to tell you. You know about Cor¡¯s condition. His seizures have been acting up more often these times, but we had no idea what was going on.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. Did you find something?¡± I furrowed my brows. Nodding his head, Dred replied, ¡°Yes. When he created the last ring, the Eighth Ring of Calamity, the ring of darkness, he tore off a part of his soul and put it into it. It was supposed to serve as a security lock because once somebody wore the last ring, he¡¯d have overtaken the owner¡¯s soul and would have reborn. But it didn¡¯t turn out as well as he thought because the split off soul was too weak alone and his personality didn¡¯t even match with the soul in the ring.¡± ¡°Is that why the last ring changed Shin¡¯s personality?¡± ¡°Yes. But there is more. Unless he held the ring close, he started having seizures thanks to his wounded soul and he also noted that he¡¯d have died if he stayed far from the ring for too long.¡± ¡°And that ring is in Shin¡¯s hands, who is protected by Padinyss¡­¡± I nodded my head, realizing Dred¡¯s implications. ¡°Mhm, so Cor is probably dying and getting closer to it day by day,¡± he nodded his head. ¡°So we must hurry up and capture Shin in that case. I don¡¯t want one of my friends to die, even if they¡¯re supposed to be nothing but ¡®tools¡¯. They mean more to me. And because of this, I still can¡¯t agree with you pertaining the kingdoms we created.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said and then added, ¡°I suppose you plan to tell him.¡° ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll do it as soon as I meet him.¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go back,¡± I gave a small kiss on his lips and then turned around. I knew he¡¯d understand and accept my decision. He had a soft spot for me, after all. ¡°I know that you¡¯re taking advantage of me, you evil girl¡­ But you¡¯re still so cute,¡± Dred whispered into my ear and then transformed into his panther form. He pushed his head between my legs and threw me on his back, only to run off with a loud roar. Sitting up straight on his back, I remarked, ¡°All this wildness. As if either of the monsters here would dare to come nearby¡­¡± Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 33.3 - Fanatics and separating paths --- Cor --- ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°I like you,¡± Urnoth confessed. I overheard his conversation with Elena, so I knew what this was all about, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually do it. I turned around to leave the two of them alone. I already heard more than I should have, but I can¡¯t shut my ears¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no such feelings for you,¡± the girl replied. I was twenty meters away from them, covering my ears, but I still heard it. Unlike the others, I had no way to tone down my senses and the whole world was bustling with life around me. I heard and sensed everything, all the time, so I liked to go to secluded places and enjoy my silence. ¡°I understand, but I¡¯m not going to give up. I¡¯ll become the strongest and show you that I¡¯m good enough for you!¡± Urnoth stated with confidence and then I heard his footsteps nearing. Shit, where should I go? It¡¯ll seem as if I was trying to listen in on them¡­ Wait, am I an idiot? We¡¯re in the desert and the others are here too, why would he notice me of all people? Just as I thought, he returned to his brothers and sister. I decided to take a walk, but it took only a minute before I noticed I got a bit far from the others. Having nothing better to do, I sat down on the top of the sand dune and waited for Elena and Dred to return, but they were taking their sweet times. ¡°At least it¡¯s silent here,¡± I sighed and closed my eyes. These days I felt tired for some reason, not something an undead should do. ¡°Mind if I join?¡± I heard a familiar voice and as I opened my eyes, I realised it was none other than Urnoth. ¡°No, sit down.¡± ¡°I know that you heard us, everyone knows you can¡¯t control your senses as an undead,¡± he muttered after a few seconds of silence. ¡°Mhm. What about it?¡± ¡°Do you think I still have a chance?¡± he crossed his fingers. ¡°I believe you always have a chance, whether you try to take it or not is up to you, but then again, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re asking the best person for romantic advice,¡± I laughed as I ruffled his hair. ¡°That might be the case, but I don¡¯t want to talk about this with the others around and it¡¯s likely that you were the only one who heard us.¡± ¡°Ah, got it, so I¡¯m the last resort. Do you want me to bite you? I can give you a nice curse!¡± I opened my jaws. ¡°Hahaha, thanks but I don¡¯t need it,¡± he laughed as he pushed my face away. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s better. Cheer up! There will be a better day when you get together! If there won¡¯t be, then don¡¯t worry, there are other girls in the world!¡± I patted his back, trying to encourage him. ¡°You might be right.¡± ¡°Might? I¡¯m sure I¡¯m right!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re,¡± he waved his hands. ¡°You¡¯re a cheeky brat¡­ Did you come here to lower my reputation?!¡± I opened my eyes wide. ¡°No,¡± he replied seriously this time. ¡°I was just kidding,¡± I remarked. ¡°I know, but I respect you enough to take your reputation seriously,¡± he smiled at me. ¡°You should have joined the defenders. I¡¯d have enjoyed beating you,¡± I laughed at his change of expressions. ¡°It¡¯s nice of you. And I thank you, I feel better now,¡± he turned to look at the others. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I shrugged my shoulders and noticed Dred running towards the camp with Elena on his back. ¡°We should go back,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Yeah,¡± he sprung up from the ground and held his hand. I took it to help myself up and then returned to the camp. After Dred shared his newfound knowledge with everyone, Elena voiced her decision, which wasto split up. We could have complained and questioned her why she didn¡¯t even bother to ask for our opinions, but we all knew that we wouldn¡¯t refuse her will, no matter what she wanted. After finishing up, Dred came closer and shoved some kind of old book in my hands. ¡°This is your life-story. You should read it,¡± he added. Raising my brows, I opened the book and as I finished reading the first line, a mind-splitting pain rushed my head. Considering I shouldn¡¯t have felt pain, I was sure it was related to my soul. There was no other way for me to feel pain. With the help of minor devour, I destroyed the book and filled my mind with its contents. The pain intensified and everything turned black. --- I woke up to the star-filled night sky and the warm fire next to me. A shudder ran through my body and I couldn¡¯t help but climb a bit closer to it. I didn¡¯t feel cold, but I still liked warm things. ¡°I see you woke up,¡± I heard Dred¡¯s voice from my left. He was sitting next to me. ¡°Were you tending to my wounds?¡± I laughed as I sat up. ¡°Haha, you could say.¡± Seeing him look at me in silence, I knew he was waiting for me to say something. ¡°So I¡¯m dying, even though I¡¯m dead,¡± I shook my head. ¡°Well, something like that. But you¡¯re wrong if you think that we¡¯ll let you disappear.¡± ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯m enjoying my current life¡­ or death? Whatever¡­ and I plan to keep it, so tell me what to do and I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to capture Shin and take him to Trinity. We¡¯ll also have to save Khax and ask for his help. He is in the knowledge of a soul manipulative spell and is on the brink of reaching the six hundredth level. Once we break the seal, he¡¯ll be able to help you. But we also have to deal with Padinyss and prepare for the kobolds,¡± Dred listed one thing after the other. ¡°So we¡¯re going to be busy.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded his head. ¡°Good! I was getting bored of our peaceful destruction anyway!¡± ¡°How can it be peaceful¡­ though?¡± he asked confused. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we had an opponent,¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s true. Wait here, I¡¯ll call the others. We need to divide work and create teams.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± A few minutes later, the five of us sat in a circle beside the campfire. ¡°We need a team of two who are going to get Shin and Khax and take them away from Padinyss. We need another team of two who are going to try to level up as quick as possible and prepare to deal with Padinyss and lastly, one person is enough to control the Dark Scars and help the Kings prepare for the incoming global war. Said person should also continue cleansing the remaining kingdoms or make it so they¡¯d fall victims to the kobolds,¡± Elena put everything on the plate. ¡°I suppose I and Dred should be the ones to prepare for the battle against Padinyss, but tell me if you think otherwise,¡± she added towards the end. Like hell, there¡¯d be anyone. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s decided then,¡± she nodded her head seeing that nobody replied. ¡°I know that you two probably want to go together, but I¡¯m not sure about it because Cor¡¯s presence could make things easier if he met Shin,¡± she pointed at Audrey and Jake. ¡°Well, I did plan to, but if that¡¯s the case,¡± Jake sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Cor. I¡¯m confident Audrey can take care of the remaining kingdoms and prepare the rest,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Audrey shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Alright, that went better than I imagined. It¡¯s good to be around reasonable people¡­¡± Elena remarked. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed for now and we¡¯re going to start tomorrow. Everyone should take a good rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± we all agreed. --- Jake¡¯s POV --- I took up Dred¡¯s wyvern form and after saying goodbye to everyone, I left with Cor. We changed our faces and body structures before getting anywhere close to the Dragon Empire. Our first destination was a bay in the Thihan Dynasty because we couldn¡¯t just dive right in the capital city of the Dragon Empire. I was expecting to see a sand covered beach like back on Kriton, but what welcomed me was a cliff leading into the see. After asking around for a bit, we were led to a stairway. Five meter wide steps were engraved into the side of the cliff, which led down to a bay. ¡°How come this didn¡¯t fall?¡± Cor raised his brows in confusion. ¡°With a calm sea like this, there shouldn¡¯t be cliffs.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s related to the seal or something. I suppose the Moonlit Sea was much wilder in the past,¡± I said. ¡°Could be.¡± As we reached the bay a good five hundred steps later, we were met with two guards.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Passports,¡± he held his hand. Huh? I haven¡¯t heard of this. Seeing my confused face, the guard grabbed the handle of his sword. ¡°Give me your passports!¡± he repeated. ¡°Wait, wait! We don¡¯t have one. We¡¯re coming from far away in hope of seeing the capital city of the Dragon Empire. It¡¯s been our dream since childhood!¡± I raised my hands in defense. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that we had no passports before and implemented its usage because of the devourers,¡± the guard explained. ¡°But these days only people who have businesses travel,¡± he added. ¡°I can assure you we¡¯re just travellers,¡± I smiled at him. ¡°We¡¯ve been to so many places before! The Sea of Fire, the Deep Lake, the Est Canal, the Sand River, and even more!¡± ¡°Come to the office if that¡¯s the case because we¡¯ll need to make a passport for you. We can¡¯t let you pass otherwise,¡± he turned around and walked towards a small boathouse, only a few steps away. We were led to a small office where a bearded man sat, who was doing paperwork. ¡°Han, they¡¯re new,¡± the guard gently pushed us towards the man. He stopped in the doorway, his weapon on his hand. We have to be careful, these people are prepared, I furrowed my brows. ¡°Give me your hands,¡± the bearded man said with a monotonous voice. ¡°What for? I hope you don¡¯t want to take me as your bride or some weird stuff,¡± I fooled around. The man looked up with furrowed brows as he replied, ¡°I need to check your blood. It¡¯s a decree made by the Dragon Emperor.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand,¡± I nodded my head and held out my hand as I looked at Cor from the corner of my eye. I used Shadow Step to appear behind the man, while Cor appeared next to him. The guard was already thrusting his swords towards me, but it couldn¡¯t penetrate Cor¡¯s tough shell and the man stumbled backwards from the recoil. I took care of the bearded man by slitting his throat and then used blink to appear behind the falling guard. A thrust my weapon into his heart and held his mouth with my hand to stop him from shouting. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you took the wrong side,¡± I whispered into his ear as I felt him turn weaker and weaker until the lights of his eyes faded out. After cleaning my hands with my mana, I looked at Cor. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°Exactly the same as the other guard,¡± he nodded his head, seeing me change my body. The cosmological constant was an amazing element. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± I went out of the boathouse and found the other guard waiting. ¡°Yo! I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± he shrugged his shoulders. I have no idea what sort of relationship these two had, but he surely isn¡¯t going to suspect me. ¡°But I need your help for a bit. I know that we shouldn¡¯t leave the path here empty, but there are some complications. I¡¯m sure the two of us can deal with it in a moment,¡± I said. Raising his brows, he walked towards the boathouse and followed me to the office. But when I grabbed the handle of the door, I turned around with my weapons in hand. His hand moved towards his weapon as despair appeared on his face. He wasn¡¯t close enough to block me with his hands but was close enough to not be able to escape my reach. His head landed on the ground with a thud and rolled into the corner. After devouring their bodies and the blood they left behind, we looked around and entered the bay. ¡°Hi! Could you take us to the Dragon Empire?¡± I asked one of the shippers. The ship was at least fifty meters long if not more. Seeing its mast and sails, I felt as if I was in some old pirate movie. ¡°Of course! Get on,¡± he waved his hand. ¡°How much is it?¡± Cor asked as he jumped on the deck. ¡°Three gold coins per person if you have no packages,¡± the hairy man held out his hand. Cor reached into his pocket and gave him the necessary amount. I too jumped on the deck and the man left the bay shortly after. We sat down on the stairs which led to the steering wheel. ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired after staying up for so long. Could you watch over me? But if you feel that something¡¯s wrong, please wake me up,¡± I asked Cor. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t feel tired anyway,¡± he shrugged his shoulders. I leaned on the wall of the captain''s cabinet and closed my eyes. I knew that Cor was a bit tired of hearing everyone. I could imagine how terrible it must have been¡­ to always hear everyone. Sometimes we needed silence, but he had no way to shut out the world unless left alone. I wasn¡¯t very talkative anyway, so I wanted to leave him alone, but the captain thought otherwise. ¡°What brings you two here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re travellers visiting the Dragon Empire,¡± Cor muttered. ¡°What?! Could you speak louder? I can¡¯t hear you because of the wind, hahaha.¡± ¡°He just said that we¡¯re travellers and sorry, but could you let us have some rest?¡± I replied, trying to hide my annoyance. I probably did a good job considering the man just waved his hand and looked ahead in silence. ¡°Thanks,¡± Cor said. ¡°It was for myself too,¡± I chuckled and then went back to sleep. I woke up a few hours later and found myself on Cor¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± I rubbed my eyes and sat up yawning. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Captain, how long till we reach the island?¡± I asked. ¡°We should reach it in two hours.¡± ¡°Ok, thanks.¡± --- After reaching the bay, we left without a problem. It took another two hours to reach Dragon City. Seriously¡­ all these names with dragons, they must really love themselves. ¡°We snuck into the city without anyone¡¯s notice and made our way towards the palace. ¡°We must hurry up or we might get caught. I¡¯m sure somebody will notice that two guards disappeared without a trace,¡± Cor remarked. I nodded my head and looked after the draconic humans that walked past us. They looked quite strange with dragon heads and human bodies¡­ but considering their numbers, I believed it was normal here. And not just humans, there were other races mixed with dragons. ¡°There are two guards coming this way, just be natural and ignore them,¡± I whispered seeing Cor¡¯s body stiffen for a moment. I patted his shoulders and continued to walk. Of course, the guards just walked past us like every other citizen. ¡°See? There is no need to worry.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s still unnerving,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Haha, I know. Now that I think about it, do you know anything about my or Audrey¡¯s past?¡± I raised my brows. ¡°Not really. You two have been living in your own little worlds.¡± ¡°Hmm- I can¡¯t deny that. It¡¯s quite sad, though. I mean, we did nothing but destroy kingdoms, gather intel and stuff these days,¡± I sighed. ¡°But we were busy, it couldn¡¯t be helped,¡± he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Yeah. So do you know anything new about yourself?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I know only new stuff!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t talk about it if you don¡¯t want to,¡± I rolled my eyes a bit annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t give me the cold shoulder, I was just kidding,¡± he laughed. Being met with silence, his face turned more serious as he said, ¡°The truth is that I was an orphan. My family threw me away and I struggled to learn how to use chi and the abilities that were common in the world I came from.¡± ¡°We had no tables and notifications and stuff like these,¡± he pointed at his status table as he showed it to me.
Name: Cor Race: Wraith King
Level: 523 EXP: 7 100 320 / 7 125 000
Class: Forsaken (Epic) Specialization: Hollow
(1)Health: 136 622.65 / 136 622.65 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: Blood Servant; The Forsaken One
(1)Strength: 20 220.33 (1)Vitality: 27 324.53
(1)Agility: 22 435.34 Will: 83
(1)Intelligence: 17 345.98 (1)Wisdom: 19 498.76
Elemental Magic: Common Elements (Mastered) Cosmological Constant (Mastered) Resistances: (1)Magical: 19 498.76 (+1949.8) (1)Physical: 10 110.16(+1011) Passive: (1)Stamina: 136 622.65 (1)Precision: 112 176.7
Skills/Spells: Inner Mana Control (Mastered) Body Enchantment (Mastered) Necromancy (Mastered) Absolute Zero (Mastered) - 1 minute Cooldown Shell (Mastered) Protection (Mastered) Racial Skills: Resistant (Mastered) Necro Bite (Mastered) Inherited: Minor Devour (Mastered) Shadow Form (Mastered) ShadowStep (Mastered)
¡°Of course, I was young, hated the world and screwed with a rich sect which chased me out of the world and that was how I came to this place. But my travel here took a lot of time and I also learned many things, so I arrived to Dunk as another person.¡± ¡°But then I met Padinyss and the rest is history. Nothing big or legendary if you ask me,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Well, but you¡¯re taking part in a legendary creature¡¯s plan this time, though you¡¯re doing bad stuff¡­ along with us!¡± I patted his back to cheer him up. ¡°Don¡¯t pat me, I don¡¯t feel down. I never had a place to belong to, so I¡¯m much happier this time. It¡¯s a bit strange to be an undead now that I remember my past, but I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take more than a few days to get used to it again.¡± ¡°Ah, I can imagine,¡± I nodded my head. ¡°I feel much better than back on Kriton, as well. I don¡¯t have to pretend to care about those people anymore.¡± ¡°Those? Who do you mean?¡± he raised his brows. ¡°Have I never told you about it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, two weeks prior to Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s birth, an apocalypse struck our planet. It happened because of the devourers¡¯ birth, though we didn¡¯t know anything about that at that time. I did my job as a soldier and helped people get to the school where we formed a fortification of the sorts and held back the monsters. But as the place turned more ¡®peaceful¡¯, many showed their true colours. All they cared about was power and domination above the others.¡± ¡°Then Elena came and screwed up everything, but in a good way.¡± ¡°Oh, so you meant the people you saved. But what makes you think that she did good to them?¡± he tilted his head to the side. ¡°Ah, haha, considering that she killed most of them, I imagine I shouldn¡¯t say something like that. Honestly, it was nice to be a soldier and serve the country, but looking back now, it feels stupid,¡± I replied. ¡°Why? I think that it¡¯s a respectable-¡± ¡°No, it isn''t. What was I fighting for? There were wars because people wanted to. It¡¯s in our veins, humans aren¡¯t tame sheeps. There were two types of soldiers. One which became a soldier to serve his country, the second which did so to be able to legally kill and shoot and stuff.¡± ¡°I was the former and unlike the second type, I and my friends were used to play the leaders'' stupid games. Serving a community? As soon as the school became safe, they started fighting each other as well. Legends, verses, and tales about humans uniting and fighting the evil! I call it bullshit and I¡¯m happy that Elena did what she did with those people. I¡¯m very satisfied with our current goal and I say our because I feel that it¡¯s my goal as well.¡± ¡°Eh? You seem to hate humans,¡± Cor looked at me in wonder. ¡°You could say that, but there are exceptions to everything. And even if it¡¯s Elena¡¯s blood that does all this to my mind, I don¡¯t give a fuck about it!¡± I raised my hands! ¡°Although I look at humans more like food and have nothing against them, I can still agree with you. They¡¯re a terrible and greedy bunch. Not that the other races are any better¡­¡± ¡°Haah- I should lower my voice now that I think about it. I was caught up in the heat of the moment,¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°Indeed,¡± Cor nodded his head. I was about to continue when I noticed the huge palace in front of us. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve arrived,¡± I furrowed my brows. ¡°Mhm.¡± Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 34.1 - Rebuilding a mind Rebuilding a mind -- Ekrok¡¯s POV: -- I heard somebody knock on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± I said as I yawned. ¡°I¡¯ve returned with the news, Master,¡± Asa bowed in front of me. I trained and educated her personally and she is the only person I completely trust. Although Padinyss is my master whom I love, respect, and wouldn¡¯t betray, I know that he doesn¡¯t think the same and would throw me away if necessary. It saddened me, but I knew it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Which is?¡± I took off my legs from my table and leaned forward in my chair. ¡°As Master guessed it, every time the devourers attack, they use their original faces and bodies. One of the servants happened to come across them and see what happened during the attack. Based on his report, the dark scars started to appear a few days prior to it and on the fated day, Elena and Dred attacked the palace. The dark scars picked off their targets in groups and then destroyed the resisting forces.¡± ¡°He also said that everything happened so quickly, he barely had the time to do anything. Here are two pictures of Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s current looks,¡± she put two pictures on my table and pushed it towards me. Turning them around, I took a quick look and nodded my head. ¡°Mhm, nice job. It¡¯s time to catch those two. Everyone is hunting the dark scars like idiots, but I¡¯m sure that if we catch these two, the others will also fall.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Asa brushed her brown hair to the side. ¡°You see, Elena and Dred are legendary beasts, which means they should be similar to Padinyss. The thing is that if they have blood servants and the masters are killed, in this case, Elena and Dred, the blood servants would also die. That¡¯s why I sent hundreds of people to different capital cities and commanded them to live perfectly legal and good lives.¡± ¡°As you can see, one of them bore fruits, even if ten of them still died before¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°Ah! I understand, Master. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I already sent a team to track them down,¡± she clenched her fists. ¡°WHAT?! ASA?¡± I shouted as I slammed the table. ¡°Master?¡± she stepped back in fear as my aura coiled around her body. ¡°They can pick up on the presence of any dark magic user! How could you be so stupid to-¡± ¡°But Master! You misunderstood! I didn¡¯t pick people randomly¡­ I selected people who excelled in light magic and can use it to hide their presences. The best of the best!¡± she raised her hands in defense. I rubbed my eyes and got around the table sighing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Great job, in that case,¡± I caressed her face. Seeing her turn a bit flushed, a smile crept onto my face. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find those two. Once I¡¯m able to take them to Padinyss, I¡¯ll be sure to reward you!¡± I pulled back my hand and left through the door. Since the tracking team used a special item to send off their locations, we were able to find them in no time. I learned from Padinyss that even if the devourers were great when it came to hiding their presences, a powerful light magic user should be able to follow them without their notice. We soon arrived at a smaller cave where our people hid. A dark elf man welcomed me outside the cave. ¡°Greetings,¡± he bowed like most people did. I never requested it, but I believed people understood their inferiority. Nodding my head, I said, ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re about five kilometers ahead of us, next to a river. The dark scars were with them for a few hours, but then they left alongside that red-haired woman. Still, we had no way to get too close to them because that panther always seemed to notice our smell. We were almost caught¡­¡± he avoided my eyes, probably fearing a beating. As I raised my hand, he closed his eyes, but I just patted his shoulder, ¡°Nice job, it¡¯s more than anyone else did before.¡± That fearful expression, it excited me so much. I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited when I noticed those fearful faces. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°We-We tried to follow the dark scars as well, but they moved too quickly and left us behind. I¡¯m afraid if we don¡¯t make a move on the black-haired woman and the panther, they too will leave us in the dust.¡± ¡°Black-haired?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hmm- so she¡¯s using her real form when not in public. Well, it¡¯s understandable. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare, we can¡¯t let that happen, can we?¡± a smile formed on my face. How happy will my master be when I bring these two to him! ¡°We¡¯ll wait until they reach a clearing, I don¡¯t want to lose them in this forest,¡± I looked at the thick bushes and tall oak trees. Even if it was early in the morning and the forest was bright, these two were more than good at getting away¡­ A few hours later, one of the people following Elena and Dred returned and told us they started to move. I followed them for another half an hour until they finally reached a large field. The grass was short, there were no trees, there was nothing for them to use! I transformed into my dragon form and flew out of the forest. I saw Elena sitting on Dred¡¯s back, as usual, but when my shadow drooped over them, she turned around. Shit, I read her lips. ¡°Hello, you two! I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± I landed in front of them and reverted to my humanoid form. ¡°Ekrok, was it?¡± Elena tilted her head to the side. ¡°My, you can still remember me,¡± I smiled at her, while the trackers encircled them. Her eyes darted around and then stopped at me. ¡°How?¡± she raised her brows. ¡°Why would I tell you?¡± I laughed. ¡°Because you¡¯re confident enough to share it with me,¡± she stretched her arms. ¡°Your bones are creaking a lot, have you become old?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m in perfect shape,¡± she cracked her fingers this time. Well, I have to admit, you look¡­ delicious, but my master has different plans for you. ¡°Why do I have a feeling that you thought of something rude just now?¡± ¡°Cuz¡¯ his eyes are perverted,¡± Dred said, seemingly not bothered by their position. ¡°Pardon me, but I¡¯m not perverted. I was just wondering how would she taste, I haven¡¯t had the chance to taste the flesh of a legendary creature yet and I don¡¯t think there are many who did,¡± I licked my lips as I wondered what sort of power would I get if I ate them. ¡°I have to disappoint you because you¡¯re not going to eat us. But I may have a taste of you,¡± she reacted the same way I did. For some reason, her red lips didn¡¯t make me feel lust but fear¡­ Inspect.
The target¡¯s stats couldn¡¯t be read because of a skill.
Tsk, of course. Why is she so calm? Wait¡­ I¡¯m overthinking it, she is the same as Padinyss, she is just confident in her abilities and wants to scare me. I must stay strong. ¡°It¡¯s not working, right?¡± - she pulled out her daggers - ¡°Poor you, can¡¯t even check my stats. But if you step aside, we¡¯re going to leave you alive,¡± she cut her finger and then stuck it into Dred¡¯s mouth. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I furrowed my brows. ¡°Ah, nothing important. Call it an upgrade, would you? By the way, why did you bring these people with you? To die? And you still didn¡¯t tell me how you found us.¡± ¡°Are you not even curious how were they able to follow you without your notice?¡± I asked as I calmed down.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Nah, the only way is to use light magic, so I¡¯m more curious about the method you used to find out which city we¡¯d attack.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s personal so I can¡¯t share it with you,¡± I pulled out my weapon. I wonder what sort of face will she make when I cut her daggers into two halves, a grin formed on my face. Wait, I should be able to inspect her daggers.
Name: Sica Rarity: ??? - Unique - (Combined)
Durability: 97 500 / 100 000 Effects: This black blade is a combination of many others and has numerous effects. It¡¯s impossible to gauge every effect due to its ¡®combined¡¯ state.
What? Ugh- what¡¯s with that durability? I¡¯ve never seen combined weapons¡­ is this some sort of ability? ¡°Look, I can see what you¡¯re looking at and I know that you trust that claw, but don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a legendary creature as well,¡± she pointed at my weapon. Padinyss transformed into his true form and gave me one of his claws to make it into a weapon. It wasn¡¯t much for him since it grew back in a single day, but as for me, I¡¯ve got my hands on a weapon that was able to cut through any metal on this planet. ¡°One last question, won¡¯t you surrender? It would make things easier for me. We both know how this will end,¡± I raised my brows as I started to rotate my mana in my body and enhanced my muscles. Unlike those puny humans, my body was able to handle the increased strength and I didn¡¯t have to worry about overburdening myself. ¡°Let¡¯s see~ How about no?¡± she raised her middle finger. Gritting my teeth, I charged at her and tried to push back that sense of dread in my guts. I knew it was just their aura, they were the same as Padinyss. Creatures like them had auras that made you feel fear. I understood I was a lesser being, which pissed me off! All of a sudden, both of them disappeared and I felt them appear behind my back in the split of a second. Heh, this much was expected, I turned around and kicked towards them, but instead of the duo, I found only Elena in a shady form. My foot went through her body and I felt three claws enter my back and tear off my scales. Gritting my teeth, I ignored the pain and used pure mana to attack Elena. That was the only weakness of ethereal forms. Despite my quick reaction, she managed to get away in time, while I felt Dred moving in for another attack. But I stepped to the side this time and evaded his claws. He jumped back in a hurry, while I turned around, expecting Elena to appear behind me. She was still inexperienced, which came in handy for me. I punched her in the chest and as she got far enough, I swung my weapon. The tip of the claw cut through her armour and I felt the resistance of her flesh. Her red blood died the claw and I used earth magic to push them away. Pulling the tip of the claw closer to my lips, I licked her blood, curious about its taste. Unless we both wanted it, I wouldn¡¯t turn into her blood servant, so I had nothing to fear. This taste, oh, my creator, my lips quivered. This is heavenly! ¡°Could you wipe that dirty expression off of your face? It¡¯s disgusting,¡± she said with a clear tone of scorn. Her armour started to ¡®heal¡¯, which was more than strange to see¡­ shaking my head, I pointed my palm at her and called forth a powerful lightning. An earth wall raised in front of her and my lightning entered it instead of her body. I knew I had to go for the kill else I¡¯d be killed. The earth turned charred black and dry, but in the next moment, thick vines shot out of it and wanted to coil around my body. I covered my body with a thin layer of dark magic and as soon as the vines got close to me, they withered and fell to the ground. Dred swiped towards my side, while I shot a huge fireball towards Elena. Lowering my arm, I prepared to take on his claws with my elbow. My scales were very thick there and I knew I could trust them, but this time they failed me. His claws penetrated my scales and got stuck in my flesh as I straightened my arm. I shouldn¡¯t underestimate his body because of his low level, it seems. But it gave me a good chance, at least! I swung my weapon and cut a deep wound on his side. What the hell? This should have cut him in two halves¡­ I felt amazed seeing the resistance of his fur. I should thrust instead of cutting, but this weapon is no good for that, damn it. As I pulled back my weapon, his blood spilt on the ground and dyed the grass red. He opened his mouth and a huge fireball struck my face in the next moment. I hurried to use water magic to negate it, making steam form around us. Shit, this can¡¯t go on. This damned devouring skill. I looked at my blackened hand. The two of them had been trying to suck me dry. ¡°What the hell are you doing?! Attack them with all you¡¯ve got!¡± I shouted at those idiots. For even Asa to just look¡­ she must go through another training. ¡°Yes!¡± Asa shouted and appeared next to Dred and swung her staff towards Dred¡¯s back. His body turned into a black mist and once her staff hit the ground, he solidified. I wanted to attack him, but Elena was coming upon me. I covered my hand with a thick layer of rocks and swung my arm as I turned around. She leaned forward, evading my arm, and thrust her dagger towards my belly. I felt it enter my body and the blackened part on my hand became even larger in the next moment. Gulping down the blood that rushed up my throat, I kicked her in the chest. Her daggers slipped out of her hands as she flew backwards, but this time, one of my people was awaiting her. Damn it, I can¡¯t even use my weapon, they keep coming into my reach recklessly¡­ what the fuck is wrong with them? I pulled out her dagger and grit my teeth. Painful didn¡¯t describe well enough what I felt. My servant thrust his spear towards Elena¡¯s back, but she turned into a black cloud and flew past his body. As she solidified behind him, she used her other dagger to slit his throat. Tsk, useless. She smiled as she cut off his head and threw it towards my other servant, who raised his left hand to push the head to the side, but at the same time, Elena shot a ball of darkness towards him. ¡°Ah!¡± I heard Asa¡¯s shout, so I turned around, only to see Dred standing behind her. He pulled back his paw and then lunged at me. I used my weapon to block his blood-covered claws and opened my eyes wide when I felt his resistance. Just what sort of monstrous strength does he have? How can he resist me? ¡°What¡¯s your level?¡± I tried to pull it out of him, but he just stepped back and evaded Asa¡¯s strike. She used earth magic to grab one of his legs and I used that moment to shoot huge balls of fire all around him and swing my weapon at the same time. It was covered in nothing but mana, so even if he used his shadow form, I¡¯d cut him. He shot a ball of water to the right and hit the side of my weapon to push it away. I had no idea how was he able to even perceive it, not to mention hitting its side. My fireball had more mana in it than his, so it still struck his side when he dodged, making the smell of burnt hair spread in the air. The explosive force of my fireball also threw him to the side and Asa was awaiting him with an overhead swing. Got you! I smiled as I saw her staff reach his head, but a dagger came through Asa¡¯s chest and Elena pulled back Asa¡¯s hand. Her attack lost almost all its strength in a moment and Dred simply shrugged it off. ¡°You¡¯ll follow soon,¡± Elena whispered as a slit opened on her arm, which revealed a void-like space within. Asa managed to react in time and move to the side, so I could still save her, but Elena coiled her arm around Asa¡¯s head. ¡°Mas-¡± she wanted to plead for my help, but Elena devoured her in no time. When I turned my head to the side, I couldn¡¯t see even a single one of my servants, but the blackened part also stopped growing for a while. Did she devour them instead? Damn it¡­ But I was able to heal, at least. My scales almost grew back and my wound closed while she killed my servants. Quite a good trade, I nodded my head, seeing their beaten up and bloody states. But for them to kill Asa¡­ I must take revenge for her, at least. I put no little time and effort into training her and she had dragon blood in her as well! ¡°You seem to be tired,¡± I smiled at them as I used my aura to pressure them. Elena put her hand on the wound on Dred¡¯s side, which opened up again. ¡°Correct me if I see it wrong, but you¡¯re the only one left now, no?¡± she asked, probably knowing the answer. Let¡¯s see, maybe I can make them more careful if I lie. ¡°Heh, who knows? Reinforcements could arrive any moment.¡± Even though I never contacted anyone¡­ damn it. Well, it¡¯s going to be fine. They can¡¯t fight for much longer in their current state. I need a bit more time to finish healing. ¡°By the way, does it hurt?¡± I pointed at her broken ribcage. ¡°It was a nice kick, luckily it didn¡¯t cause internal wounds,¡± she replied. ¡°Ah, we can change that in a bit. You shouldn¡¯t have killed Asa, I¡¯m going to take revenge for her when I catch the two of you. Inhe has been looking for you for a long time now. Guess what she wants!¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± she muttered as she lunged at me, followed by Dred. I shouldn¡¯t kill them, but if Dred lost a bit more blood, he could easily fall unconscious. I¡¯ll risk it, let¡¯s take him out at first. I threw her dagger towards Dred, making him step to the side and I also blocked Elena¡¯s other dagger with my weapon. She pulled back her hand while I swung my arm to hit the side of her head. Fucking hell, she¡¯s too close again and this damned devouring skill. So fucking annoying! She caught my arm and moved with it to slow it down while she thrust her hand towards my side. She was way shorter than me and her arm wasn¡¯t long enough to reach me until the ground moved below her and she came closer to me. I felt her grab my side and something entered my body. I quickly elbowed her and when I looked down, I realised nothing entered me, rather, it left me. The smell of rotten flesh hit my nose, my scales fell off and my flesh rotten at the place she touched me. I shot a water blade towards her, followed by lightning. This time, she had no time to evade from up close and I saw her body twitch. Using that moment, I kicked her again and heard her ribs crack probably at other places as well. These bastards were like mummies, not feeling pain and just attacking non-stop. Raising my arms, I swung my weapon towards Dred¡¯s face, who was about to attack me, but he had to roll on the ground to evade it. I awaited him with earth spikes, but he created water behind his back, turning my sharp and pointy spikes into piles of mud. As he stood up, I swung my weapon horizontally and almost sliced through his body when I felt my body get stuck for a moment. I couldn¡¯t move! I felt Elena put her hand on my back, right behind my heart and the same pain rushed through my body as when she touched my side. Dred also lunged towards me and I saw a slit open on his paw as he put it over my heart. I got back my ability my move, but they also reached my heart at the same time and I felt a twinging pain in my heart. Shit, I fucked up. I felt my mind blanking out and fell forwards, but Dred caught my shoulders. The last thing I saw was a green light and his pair of slit eyes. ---------------------------------- Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 34.2 - Rebuilding a mind Birds chirped and bright light penetrated my eyelids, bothering me enough to open my eyes. I found myself lying in the laps of a young girl. She had red lips, long and black hair, plentiful bosom, and a beautiful face. ¡°Oh, he woke up,¡± I heard a male voice and raised my head, only to see a short and black haired guy sitting with crossed legs at my ankles. ¡°Ekrok? How are you doing?¡± the girl asked with a concerned voice. Ekrok? Is that me? I made a confused face, but I felt my memories return in the next moment. Rubbing the side of my head, I sat up and looked back and forth between the two. ¡°Who are you? Where am I? What happened?¡± ¡°Hahaha, he is as energetic as ever,¡± the guy laughed. ¡°Mhm, but why can¡¯t he remember his sworn brother and sister?¡± the girl whispered with the help of some wind magic, but my ears still picked up on it. The guy shook his head, making a helpless face. Sworn brother and sister? What is this all about? What''re your names?¡± I repeated my questions. Sighing, the girl spoke, ¡°My name is Elena Syracia and he is Dred Syracia-¡± ¡°Are you brother and sister?¡± ¡°No¡­ We¡¯re a couple,¡± she shook her finger. ¡°Eh? Aren¡¯t you a bit too young to be married?¡± I blurted out as soon as it came to my mind. Oops? I should have stayed quiet. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I don¡¯t care,¡± she laughed. ¡°Alright. So Elena and Dred.¡± ¡°Yes, to your other question, we are on a plain, as you can see,¡± Dred moved his arm from left to right as to show me the grassland. ¡°I can see that¡­ though now that I think about it, I can¡¯t remember anything else, so it¡¯s pointless to tell me,¡± I shook my head as I realised my question was stupid. ¡°So what happened? I know a few things due to my inborn memories, but I don¡¯t know even a single place, person or thing. Seeing my body, I believe that shouldn¡¯t be the case, which means I have amnesia, right?¡± ¡°That seems to be the case,¡± both of them nodded. ¡°Hmm- could you tell something about me? Maybe I¡¯d remember,¡± I said after pondering for a short period of time. ¡°Should we tell you about your childhood, the adventures you had with us, your tragic death or what? Oh, but we¡¯ll have to talk about an ongoing event as well,¡± Dred listed a few things, but ¡®my tragic death¡¯ caught my interest more than anything. ¡°What do you mean by my death? I¡¯m here alive and kicking,¡± I frowned. ¡°Uhm- this is related to what we¡¯re trying to do. It¡¯s happened years ago when you met a girl called Asa. She was a dragonkin and you fell in love with her at first sight. At least, that¡¯s what you told us in the past. The problem was that she was the current emperor¡¯s woman, not that she too wanted to be. But the emperor, called Padinyss, found out about it and killed her for cheating on him, and then you for touching ¡®something¡¯ that was his.¡± ¡°You looked different at that time and when we used necromancy to revive you, you asked for our help to punish Padinyss and take revenge. We accepted since we¡¯re your friends¡­ but you don¡¯t seem to remember any of this,¡± she sighed and shook her head. ¡°You started serving Padinyss to get closer to him, but he found out about us¡± - Elena pointed at herself and then Dred - ¡°and sent you to kill us, ignorant of your role.¡± ¡°The team you came with was strong and we managed to kill them, but you were a bit careless and the last of them hit you with some strange spell. I think it must have removed your memories or confused you,¡± she finished her explanation. ¡°And what did he find out about you?¡± I questioned, not seeing the whole picture. ¡°We¡¯ve been going around destroying kingdoms who served him and he¡¯s been looking for the culprits. Now he knows who to look for, so we and our team must hide. He knows our names, faces, everything! But it¡¯s fine since we can change shape, luckily,¡± she laughed. They¡¯re forced to hide and live in fear because of my request? But they really don¡¯t seem to mind it. If they went to such lengths for me, they must be friends, right? Ugh- if only I could remember! Well, I should stay with them for now. ¡°Can you remember anything?¡± she asked, her voice concerned. I imagine it wouldn¡¯t sit well with them that they sacrificed their lives just so their friend would forget everything and then live his own life. I can¡¯t do that¡­ I must continue what I started, but I need some time to work up all this, I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, even if you want to stop all this,¡± Dred patted my shoulder. They seemed to care a lot about me, which felt good. ¡°Thanks,¡± I nodded my head. ¡°I¡¯m unsure of what to do. I don¡¯t even know this Padinyss anymore and I have no memories of this girl called Asa, but if what you said is true, I feel I¡¯d do what you said. I suppose you want me to continue what I started.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be nice, but we¡¯re not going to force you. We could just change our looks one last time and then live our lives in peace,¡± Elena said. ¡°Could you give me some time? A day is enough,¡± I asked hoping they¡¯d agree. ¡°Well, waiting is the worst thing to do in our current position, but if that¡¯s what you want. We¡¯ll have to get away from here, though. I don¡¯t want reinforcements to come here and catch us,¡± she furrowed her brows and helped me up. Nodding my head, I stood up and looked around. I was in the middle of a forest and there were patches of dried blood on the trees and the ground, but no bodies. I guess they cleaned up while I was out. I followed them to a camp where many teenaged boys and girls resided. A red-haired woman came forth and hugged Elena without doing as much as a warn and then looked at me with curiosity-filled eyes. ¡°What is that stupid face for, Ekrok?¡± she laughed as she flicked my nose. ¡°Ah, wait! He lost his memories,¡± Elena grabbed the woman¡¯s hand and pulled her back. ¡°He did what? But we¡¯re going to continue, right? We can¡¯t just up and leave like you,¡± she blurted out. ¡°Shh-¡± Elena hushed her and the two of them left. Elena whispered something but not even I was able to hear this time. What are they hiding from me? And why can¡¯t they just leave like Elena and Dred said? Did they lie to me, after all? ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you to your temporary stay,¡± Dred patted my back and pushed me forwards.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I was led to a small hut, which had only a single room. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been living in the palace and serving Padinyss, you don¡¯t have your own place, but we can¡¯t stay in one place for long anyway. This is my hut, but you can stay here for as long as you want. I¡¯ll go to Elena¡¯s,¡± he picked up a few of things and after putting it in his storage ring, he closed the door. Leaving the door opened only to a slit, he muttered, ¡°The decision is yours to make and I really don¡¯t want to hurry you, but I¡¯d be glad if you could make up your mind. Maybe talk with the others in the camp. Who knows? You might remember something.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± He closed the door and left me alone. What should I do now? Even if I¡¯m closed in here, I can¡¯t remember a thing, I sat down on the side of the bed and rubbed my temples. Haah- maybe I should try to talk with the others, though this place feels rather gloomy. I looked around in the camp and noticed a few groups sitting on the ground chatting while others were meditating. Spotting a lonely guy in the middle of the camp, I decided to talk with him. ¡°What¡¯re you cooking?¡± I asked as I leaned over the big cauldron. ¡°Oh, hello, Ekrok. It¡¯s just stew and the meat is from a big Boar,¡± he chuckled and then took out a spoonful of it. After tasting it, I found it delicious. ¡°This is great! By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± He shook his head in confusion and asked, ¡°What do you mean? Ah, you must be joking,¡± he slapped his face and laughed. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I lost my memories due to a battle not far away from here.¡± Now that I think about it, how come they¡¯re here and didn¡¯t help? ¡°My name is Urnoth, but was there a battle? All I know is that Elena notified Audrey a few hours ago and told her that we should return to this camp,¡± he raised his brows. I have no more questions¡­ ¡°In case you don¡¯t know about it, I think she called you guys back because of that.¡± ¡°It could be true, but man, did you seriously lose all of your memories?¡± Scratching the back of my head, I nodded. ¡°Now I¡¯m thinking if I should return to the palace and continue what I started or if we should stop. You can always change your looks and escape,¡± I laughed as I tried to pull the truth out of him. ¡°We can do what? It¡¯s something only Elena and Dred can do,¡± he furrowed his brows. ¡°Anyway, could you help me call the others?¡± Lost in my thoughts, I went up to the other groups and told them that food was ready. Looking at the hut Elena and Audrey entered, I went closer as I hid my aura. Ah, it seems it¡¯s quite easy. I¡¯m getting the hang of this! I used other methods as well to hide my presence and heighten my senses. ¡°We can¡¯t just stop all this!¡± the red-haired woman shouted. I suppose she must be Audrey. ¡°Shh- I know, I know! That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to go through with it, even if he says no. I don¡¯t want to lose all of you,¡± Elena soothed her. ¡°That¡¯s nice and all, but if he isn¡¯t helping us we¡¯re fucking doomed! They almost found us this time and who knows whether the next group would find us or not? He was the only one who was able to notify us of their locations and so, we could pick them off one by one. If he quits, we¡¯re going to be caught by the people who¡¯re hunting us!¡± Audrey shouted. ¡°I know¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯ll fall together with you if it comes to that,¡± Elena¡¯s shaking voice echoed in my ears. I turned around and almost stepped on a dried branch. Heaving out a sigh of relief, I moved my legs and quickly left the place and went back to my hut. So that¡¯s what they¡¯ve been hiding, I leaned on my arms and hung my head. What felt the worst was that I had no feelings for them. I didn¡¯t know who they were and I didn¡¯t feel the need to care about their lives. But knowing that they¡¯d throw away their lives for me, broke the dam holding me back. Damn it, I can¡¯t sit here and be indecisive. I¡¯m sure if Asa was still alive, even if I don¡¯t know her anymore, she wouldn¡¯t want me to stay idle and wait for my friends to die for me¡­ It sounds bad even to say it. Alright, I¡¯ll tell them my decision, I jumped up and opened the door, only to see Audrey who was about to knock on my door. Everyone sat at the table eating and chatting. ¡°Come and eat with us,¡± Audrey said. ¡°Okay, but I have to do something before that.¡± ¡°What?¡± I stopped in front of the table and said with a loud voice, ¡°May I have your attention for a moment?¡± Everyone turned silent and looked at me. Clearing my throat, I said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Elena or Dred told you, but I¡¯ve lost my memories.¡± Before they could turn noisy, I continued, ¡°They told me what sort of position you¡¯re in and I¡¯ve also made my decision. I¡¯ll go through with what I started, even if I can¡¯t feel the hate I probably felt for this man, called Padinyss. Hopefully, I¡¯m not going to fail¡­¡± ¡°Did you really lose your memories?¡± some of them asked. ¡°Yeah, he didn¡¯t even know my name,¡± Urnoth replied in my stead. ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡± I sat down next to Dred and he gave me a plate of stew. ¡°Here you go. Eat a bit, maybe it¡¯ll make you remember,¡± he laughed, visibly much happier than before. I guess they still felt worried. After eating, Elena and Dred told me what I needed to know about them, about Padinyss, about the world, and what I could and couldn¡¯t do. Of course, the last one was related to my undercover personality as Padinyss¡¯s servant. Although I felt a bit sad to leave these people, who were so nice to me, I knew if I wanted to keep them alive, I¡¯d have to do what I had to. --- Dred¡¯s POV --- ¡°Haah, he finally left,¡± I shook my head. ¡°I know what you mean¡­ it took a whole fucking day and about thirty tries to finally make him accept all this shit and turn him into a person we wanted him to be,¡± Elena sighed. ¡°Did you wipe his memories so many times?¡± I raised my brows. ¡°It¡¯s thirty-one times if you want me to be exact¡­¡± ¡°But Master, why was it so hard to make him accept his ¡®fate¡¯?¡± Urnoth asked with interest. ¡°That¡¯s because he was a first ranked divine beast and even if he died, his pride was there. Not to mention that he didn¡¯t seem to care about your and our death before,¡± Elena shook her head. ¡°Well, we tried shouting, forcing him, being simply nice to him, but it seems like only acting and thinking of speeches worked out¡­¡± I sighed, tired after failing so many times. After healing our wounds, we dragged him far away from the forest and met up with Audrey and the others. We had to make him understand what he had to do and what he couldn¡¯t do, which wasn¡¯t the hard part. It was to make him believe that we were his friends and that he should care about us. ¡°At least, now we realised that there is only one way to change one¡¯s mind, their hearts,¡± I said. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m quite sure we took good care of his heart, though.¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± ¡°Mhm- of course,¡± she leaned closer to give me a kiss. ¡°There you go again,¡± Audrey sighed while Urnoth turned to look away, his face a bit red. How shy. ¡°You did well performing your role,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks, Master!¡± he bowed all happy to hear my praise. ¡°Though I think the others are a bit envious now,¡± he looked at the others from the corner of his eye. Seriously, the only thing that can make them envious is our personal attention¡­ I shook my head. ¡°Well, I think we did well. We¡¯ll see how this turns out, but even if Ekrok realizes something, I can just take away his life and go on to do our own things,¡± Elena said in self-satisfaction. ¡°Just you wait, we still have Jake and Cor to worry about, not to mention that Ekrok did find out about us somehow. If they really have a way to track us down, we might be in a bit of a pinch,¡± I frowned. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to be fine if our plan succeeds,¡± Elena leaned on the table. ¡°Either way, Audrey and the dark scars should proceed as planned and you¡¯ll be able to contact Ekrok through this,¡± I gave her a small crystal ball. ¡°He had it on him, as it turned out,¡± I explained. ¡°Nice! Now then, you two should go and start slaughtering powerful monsters and get stronger,¡± Audrey waved her hand. ¡°What? But I was so happy to see you all again and you¡¯re sending me away? Aren¡¯t you being cruel?¡± Elena leaned over the table to hug Audrey. Grabbing the back of her clothes, I pulled her back into her seat. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m not a dog,¡± she grumbled. Touching her lips with my thumb, I caressed her face, ¡°Just behave.¡± As usual, she turned submissive and nodded her head. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that Master can deal with Master Elena so simply,¡± Urnoth remarked. Elena was an unruly girl, but she tended to listen to me, at least. ¡°Shall we retire for today? We¡¯re going to leave tomorrow,¡± I asked, looking at the red sky. ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed as well,¡± Audrey nodded her head and stood up in the next moment. Once she left, I went to bed with Elena and slept¡­ after a bit of fun. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 34.3 - Rebuilding a mind -- Jake¡¯s POV -- ¡°Shall we enter?¡± I asked. ¡°Unless we came here to keep looking at it, yes,¡± Cor raised his brows. Currently, he had blonde hair, green eyes, a pair of short horns and a plain face. Although it was just a husk, it was good enough to not garner attention. Most people were dragons and dragonkins in the capital city and they often had blonde hair, so we didn¡¯t stick out of the crowd. We turned into our shadow forms in an alleyway and then made our way towards the palace. It was no surprise that we slipped past the guards at the main door without a hitch and got into the palace. But the real problem was that we had no idea where to go. Although Elena told us everything she knew about the palace, she didn¡¯t know where the prisoners were kept unless Khax and Shin were kept in the same place as them. ¡°Can you sense Shin? He has a part of your soul, after all,¡± I stuck out my head from a shadow and whispered, trying to be as silent as I could. ¡°I think I can, but we don¡¯t have soul-manipulation related abilities yet¡­ so it¡¯s hard,¡± he replied and then both of us went back into the shadows, but we heard footsteps nearing. Two dragonkins turned the corner and looked at the corridor in silence. ¡°Did you hear it as well?¡± ¡°Yeah, though I didn¡¯t understand who spoke and what. Can you sense anything?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. What should we do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s notify Miss Inhe, just in case,¡± they turned around to leave. I shouldn¡¯t have asked him¡­ damn it, I¡¯m an idiot. We could let them go back and then Inhe would probably realise we came. She shouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to not. But if we try to kill them, we might be noticed by somebody else. What to do, what to do¡­ I felt Cor leave the shadow and enter one of the guards¡¯. Following his example, I joined the other¡¯s and also used the shadow of a vase to make it tip and fall to the ground. Both of the guards turned around and drew their weapons. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Cor raised out of the ground behind them in the form of a dragonkin child. ¡°Misters! Could you help me?¡± ¡°Who are you?!¡± both of them turned around and pointed their weapons at him. Although he had a husk covering his real looks, his bones and flesh below were still as tough and resistant as in his real form. ¡°Miss Inhe brought me in to raise me into her servant, b-but when I left to go to the toilet, I¡¯ve got lost somehow! Could you lead me back, Misters?¡± Cor asked with small stutters as to show his fear. I don¡¯t think you couldn¡¯t have used the toilet at her place and how you got there without their notice is rather suspicious as well¡­ Well, I should move and take care of these two when their attention is low. Ambush helps as well, at least, I thought as my arms raised out of their shadows, my weapons in hands. ¡°Is that so? And why would you go to another toilet when she has one. I haven¡¯t heard of her picking up kids either,¡± one of them pressed the tip of his sword against Cor¡¯s chest, right at his heart. ¡°I-It¡¯s so I can¡­¡± ¡°You can?¡± met with a long stop, the guard asked. ¡°So I can eat you,¡± he muttered as his head and palms split open. Expecting he¡¯d attack upon being busted, both of them raised their weapons and wanted to cut Cor in two halves. The shell that formed around his body was tough enough to deflect their weapons while he managed to latch onto the throat of the guy on the left. Thanks to inner-devour, he barely had any time before his neck and chest where Cor¡¯s hand rested rotted. In the meantime, I jumped out of the shadow and spun on my heels. The guy on the right had all his attention on Cor when he lunged at them, so I was met with no resistance and beheaded him in the blink of an eye. We cleaned up everything with the help of Devour and then slipped back into the shadows. I followed Cor until we reached a pair of double doors where I felt a presence. Cor stuck out his head from the shadow and whispered, ¡°I think Shin¡¯s inside, but there¡¯s only one presence, so Khax should be elsewhere.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°And who should we start with?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, maybe he¡¯d follow me but he could resist as well¡­ and we can¡¯t chat for too long or Padinyss might notice us.¡± ¡°It¡¯d probably be best if I looked for Khax while you spoke with him,¡± I offered, not having any better idea. It¡¯s pointless to stay together and it was best to take out both of our targets at the same time. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait here in silence and if you find Khax, return to tell me. We¡¯ll do it at the same time,¡± he nodded his head and disappeared. Following his example, I left him behind and moved towards the place where Elena and Dred were locked up. It was nice to have my mind filled with mana¡­ I didn¡¯t forget things even if I heard them only once unlike when I was still a human. Thanks to her clear explanations I found the place in a few minutes, but I couldn¡¯t sense any presence outside and found nobody inside. Although we¡¯ve visited Khax before and made a deal, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d have escaped by himself. Padinyss is probably feeling his impending doom as well and he shouldn¡¯t give a chance for Khax to leave. This means that he should keep Khax in the most secure place¡­ maybe a prison underground with magical binds? After some consideration, I started to look for ways to go underground and find some sort of dungeon, but even after wasting a whole hour, I was left empty-handed. The only thing I got was the guards¡¯ positions in the palace, which was a good thing. Should I check the throne room? But what if Padinyss is there? I¡¯m afraid he¡¯d notice me, even if my ability to hide is second only to Dred and Elena. I definitely can¡¯t use my senses or any sort of spell. He¡¯d pick up on the changes I made to the mana flow. As I reached the entrance to the throne room, I found two guards in front of it and of course, the door had no keyholes. This meant that I¡¯d have to use shadow step to enter another shadow in the throne room, but then I¡¯d risk our lives. How should I go about this? I looked at the guards who stood unmoving. They looked like statues¡­ I can¡¯t even assassinate them or something. Should I wait for the replacement? But then I still wouldn¡¯t get a chance to enter, I¡¯d just stand in front of the door like these two and we must hurry before someone notices that two guards went missing. We have time only until they shift. Hmm- how would Dred go about this? But then again, they¡¯re better at hiding than us, so they¡¯d probably enter. Audrey~ why are you not here?! I didn''t have a body at this point, so I couldn¡¯t feel my heart beating like crazy or cold sweat pouring down on my back and I couldn¡¯t grit my teeth either in my excitement. But I knew I had to risk using shadow step. I was preparing for the jump when I heard footsteps and I quickly moved further away from the door. Inhe appeared on the corner and stopped in front of the door. ¡°Step aside.¡± ¡°The king doesn¡¯t wish to see you,¡± the guards replied, not even looking at her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Just let me in, damn it-¡± she grabbed their shoulders and wanted to push them to the side, but one of them grabbed her hands, while the other one pushed her back. She fell on her buttocks and then hurried to stand up. She glared at the guards who gave her the cold shoulder again. ¡°Igrar! You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± ¡°I can,¡± the guard on the left answered. ¡°But let me-¡± ¡°Shut up! He has a guest, so you can¡¯t enter. Wait your turn,¡± Igrar roared at her, seemingly ignoring the ruckus he was making. Hmm- the doors and the walls should have some sort of voice-blocking barriers around them. Good to know. ¡°Then why did you not say so in the beginning?!¡± Inhe stomped on the ground and then sat down on the sofa placed next to the wall, right in front of the door. She continued to glare at Igrar, which I found slightly hilarious. The fact that I agree with Inhe¡¯s reasons is rather annoying, but Igrar really could have said something¡­ I guess he just wanted to pick a fight with her, I started to wonder about the whys since I had nothing better to do. It took another five minutes until the door was opened and an old human whispered, ¡°Miss Inhe shall enter and wait in silence.¡± While he said that, I entered the throne room, but I stayed close to the walls. Padinyss sat on his throne and I would have clenched my fists have I had them. The aura he exuded, those black scales and the green layer of pure energy below them simply seemed to be indestructible. He had a humanoid shape, but he was covered in scales from his toes to his neck and he had two long and black horns. I swear if I punched him in the chest, he¡¯d just shrug it off¡­ I just feel it. Can Elena and Dred even fight him? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Sure, my masters had powerful abilities, but their bodies weren¡¯t super tough, their regeneration wasn¡¯t super quick, while Padinyss looked so mighty I thought nothing could penetrate his scales. I was sad when I realised that Padinyss really did look like a legendary creature, while my masters looked more like simple humans, beastmen or demons, with powerful abilities. They just changed their forms and played around, while this guy looked like pure power and might. But for some reason, I still felt that I could trust my masters, no matter who they faced. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but it felt as if they had more to them than their ¡®looks¡¯ and ¡®abilities¡¯. When I moved even more to the side, I noticed the human¡¯s face who stood in the middle of the room. His face seemed to be familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on who he was until I remembered. He was Ed, the guy Elena left alive on Dink when we won the war for Hector. That human who might have lost his family due to us killing many people in the empire. We killed even slaves, but only those who seemed to have no light in their eyes. Maybe one of them was his family. Did he come to take revenge? Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 35.1 - Nothing is infinite [The Abyss] Nothing is infinite [The Abyss] --- Jake¡¯s POV --- ¡°I thank you for making this long travel and sharing your tale with me, Ed. Your tale is rather sad, which is also the reason why I believe everyone should join hands and try to capture those foul beasts. I¡¯m no saint, I¡¯m sure you know it as well, but the devourers do nothing but murder and kill indiscriminately. I don¡¯t even know why the creator made these creatures,¡± Padinyss shook his head. All of a sudden, the palace started to shake as a small and black hole appeared in space, right in the middle of the throne room. It became bigger and bigger and the energy released by that thing was so powerful it almost cancelled my shadow form. I focused all my attention on controlling my own mana and keeping my shadow form. A dark ethereal ¡®person¡¯ formed out of that black hole and looked around in the room. As its star-like eyes passed over me, I was sure he saw right through me, but it also ignored me. Padinyss fell forward in his chair, right onto his knees as the creature simply looked at him. ¡°Hey-ho~ How you doing?¡± it asked in a playful manner, blowing my mind away¡­ in a bad way. I was expecting a serious and deep voice, something ancient, but nothing of the sort happened. Its voice was like a teenage boy¡¯s. The pressure disappeared as well, but Padinyss was still kneeling. ¡°What do you want?¡± Padinyss asked through gritted teeth. Is the pressure focused only on him? Damn it, I¡¯d have blown up by now in his stead¡­ ¡°I just happened to overhear your words,¡± this time the void-like creature spoke in a deep and serious tone, much more similar to the one I¡¯d expect. ¡°You see, you¡¯re a proud dragon. I created your race as well and you aren¡¯t the only one in the world. You said you didn¡¯t understand why I created ¡®beasts¡¯ like the devourers, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Padinyss eased up and sit back on his throne, though I still couldn¡¯t feel that mighty aura he had before. ¡°What if you just took a look around? What if you looked into yourself to see what kind of person you are? Look at the people and the servants surrounding you. The universe is so old and the wheel of time turned so many times, but something always got worse and worse. Guess what is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Padinyss averted his eyes. ¡°I can hear your thoughts as well, though,¡± the thing laughed. ¡°And the answer is correct.¡± ¡°In fact, you could call the devourers a ¡®defect¡¯ because they aren¡¯t doing exactly what they were born for, but I believe that we should give everyone a chance. I also want to see what will become of their goal considering that my ¡®hatchlings¡¯ are growing. Hehe, maybe I should make them meet later,¡± it laughed in a strange way and started to talk to itself. It behaved as if someone was in front of it¡­ it must have gone crazy. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Padinyss furrowed his brows. ¡°What do you mean? Why would I threaten you? You can kill them if you want and have the abilities,¡± that bastard of a thing shrugged its shoulders. Padinyss¡¯s eyes flashed with a strange light as he raised his head and smiled. ¡°You see, they¡¯re the devourers and are much more powerful than other legendary creatures. I was also born in this tiny sealed world. My luck is really poor, so what if we made a deal?¡± Padinyss rubbed his hands together. That thing turned and laid down in the middle of the air and looked at Padinyss with a smile that seemed to show amusement. It was really hard to read its expressions due to its star and universe filled body. It was as if a whole universe was put into it. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, maybe a legendary symbiote? It¡¯d help me out a lot in the future! Taking down beasts like these is no easy task!¡± Padinyss flailed his arms. ¡°You¡¯re so cheeky I want to kill you, but I don¡¯t interfere with mortals¡¯ stuff. Hmm- I¡¯ll agree, but only if you can break the seal and kill them as well. To make it more entertaining, I¡¯ll kill you personally if you kill them without breaking the seal. Don¡¯t worry, they too want to get out and I¡¯ll give them a time limit. Let¡¯s call it punishment for deviating from their inborn goal,¡± it chuckled. Everything turned grey in the next moment and it flew over to me. It pulled me out of the shadow and inspected me from up close. ¡°Interesting, it¡¯s the first time devourers were actually created. They¡¯re making up some good spells,¡± it mumbled to itself. I looked at Padinyss with worry until that thing grabbed my chin and made me face it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I stopped time and now only you and another person exists~ Anyway, whether you succeed or fail, your mission is still up to you, but you should tell Elena and Dred that if they can¡¯t kill Padinyss in two weeks of time, I¡¯m going to be a bad guy. You know nothing about me, but it¡¯s enough if you tell her that the abyss said it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell Padinyss how much time he has to make it fairer and if you die, Elena and Dred won¡¯t learn about it either, so be careful~ I¡¯m cheering for you, good luck!¡± it patted my shoulders and was about to disappear when I took my courage and shouted. ¡°What the hell!? He gets a reward if he kills us and you even limit our time? What about us?¡± I beat my chest. It turned around to look at me and put its hand on its chin. ¡°As I see it in your soul, it¡¯s not greed that drives you, unlike Padinyss. You want fairness and a way to save your ¡®family¡¯, would you?¡± ¡°This might be the first time in a while that I see somebody fight for something other than greed. And the same goes for Elena, Dred, Audrey, Cor, the dark scars. That¡¯s one of the most ¡®interesting¡¯ aspects of your race. Even if Elena or Dred ever says otherwise, don¡¯t believe them,¡± it chuckled as it gave me a piece of paper. ¡°I could look into the future, but then it would be no fun, so go and fight to live. Fight for a better life and to shape the world as you see it right. Even if it seems like that, nothing is infinite. Time too is just a finite infinite,¡± it slowly started to fade and blabbered some shit about time that made no sense to me. But I still etched those words into my mind, hoping it¡¯d help Audrey later. I unfolded the piece of paper and saw a terribly drawn hand on it, showing a middle finger. Clenching it, I burned it with fire magic, but then it turned into a map and showed Khax¡¯s location. Okay, I have to admit this thing knows its stuff. What was it? The Abyss? A strange name¡­ Khax was in a dungeon and the entry was a door behind Padinyss¡¯s throne. How would I get him out of there was a different question. ¡°You should hurry up because time is going to run in three, two, one, bye~¡± Sighing, I returned to the shadows. Let¡¯s see. Going in right now would be stupid. Padinyss would surely notice me, which means that we should¡­ I¡¯ve got it! It¡¯s good that Audrey blabbered about her plans before. I was an idiot to not listen carefully because I could have learned from her. Argh! But next time we meet I¡¯m going to apologise and listen to her all the time! Padinyss seemed to be really happy, though I had no idea what a symbiote was. Well, I knew what it meant back on Kriton, but I didn¡¯t know what it meant to him. And the ¡®legendary¡¯ didn¡¯t seem all that promising either, to us, at least. Well, he won¡¯t get it if he can¡¯t kill us, so let¡¯s go for now. After Inhe reported what she learned about our location and the last kingdom we rebuilt, she too left with me in her shadow. The difference between a legendary creature and a first-ranked dragon was like heaven and earth. Now that I think about it, I too could fight Inhe if we were at the same level and I don¡¯t stand a chance against Elena and Dred if we look at our true strength and abilities. I should be more optimistic. Wait, why did I even feel so tiny in front of Padinyss? Is this what it truly feels like when we get in the presence of a legendary creature? Shit, it affected my mind just like¡­ Elena¡¯s. I forgot the base morals of humans and what I fought for. It was all due to her aura, I felt like laughing as I got further away from Padinyss and my mind cleared up. Ugh- I get it now. I really fell into her trap, I laughed in my mind as I went back to Cor and told him to follow me. We stopped where we killed the guards and I took up the looks of one of them. Cor followed my example and we started to patrol a small area in the palace. Since we looked the same, even when we came across other guards, they ignored us. The base idea is to never hide. Always walk in front of your enemies eyes, so they won¡¯t notice you. We should gather information and do no more, at first, I remembered Audrey¡¯s words. Our shift ended peacefully and we left the palace. Maybe we killed two dragonkins who had a family and didn¡¯t do anything wrong. As a human, maybe I¡¯d complain and say that there must have been a better way to change the world than to kill.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. But let¡¯s be rational, changing even a single adult is hard, not to mention a whole world or even universe. The best way was to pull out the weed, even if it¡¯d regrow. Unless we created a generation that would take better care of its offspring. The lack of parentage was the cause for most of the problems. It was present back on Kriton as well and even more so here. I wasn¡¯t sure if Elena thought the same thing as me, but it didn¡¯t matter either. I knew my own way and that we had the same goal, even if we happened to have different interpretations. Many things had many solutions. Maybe this goal was one such thing. This time, it wasn¡¯t Elena or Dred. I dreamt of a better world, even though the method was still the same. --- The next day, the guards we killed didn¡¯t go to work, but I knew nobody would become suspicious for a few days. I also spent some money and sent a message bird to Elena and Dred to prepare them for the inevitable. As I took a look at the bright sun and smelled the fresh air of the capital city, I believed we could finish our mission with success. We made our way into the castle and Cor took his position once again, while I entered the throne room when I had the opportunity. Although I had to wait more than an hour, safety was first. There was a hidden doorway right behind the throne and since Padinyss left the room, I got in without a hitch. A long stairway welcomed me and led deep underground.
Dragon God¡¯s Cavern: (Dungeon Level: 599) (Threat Level: 10)
This is the area of a dungeon. If you continue on your path, you can¡¯t leave it before reaching the first resting room. Do you wish to enter it?
Just what I needed¡­ Shaking my head, I still entered knowing what was awaiting me. Thanks to that abyss guy¡¯s map, I knew where Khax was kept and what this place looked like. There were a hundred meters tall columns connecting the ceiling and the gold-filled floor of the cavern. Maybe dragons really have a fetish for gold. Since he was a Dragon God, he was naturally proud and he wouldn¡¯t want others to be in his cavern. But he also knew that his cavern was the most secure place of the palace, not to mention that outsiders didn¡¯t even know about it. It would have taken days for me to find this place and even then, I could have turned around seeing the notification. Thanks to lady luck and his stupid pride, he didn¡¯t have more than two guards in the cavern. I snuck past them in my shadow form and after some searching in the large room, I finally found Khax. He was sitting on a pile of gold with a thoughtful face on until I interrupted him. ¡°Shh-¡± I hissed in a low voice. Raising his bone hands, he turned to look my way. Red lights lit up in his empty eye sockets, still creeping me out a bit. Cor had flesh covering his body, at least, but Khax was way too naked to move and¡­ live. ¡°What are you doing here? Are you an idiot?¡± he whispered. ¡°We came to get you out of here, along with Shin.¡± ¡°Shin? Why would you want that guy? He just has a ring¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s for Cor, but later about that. Do you have a way to defeat the guards at the door?¡± I asked as I checked their statuses, only to see they were at the five hundred and fiftieth level. They seemed to be common guards based on their levels. ¡°I could, but not without making noise and Padinyss would hear it for sure.¡± ¡°From up there? He isn¡¯t in the throne room and there is a sound barrier,¡± I replied. ¡°Are you sure? But even if we get out of here, how do you plan to leave the palace without being caught?¡± he tilted his head to the side. ¡°Dragons are powerful and quick, but not as quick as we are.¡± ¡°You sure about that? You¡¯d have to carry me,¡± he shook his head. ¡°I know every patrolled pathway in the palace. I had the whole day yesterday to etch it into my mind and they started out the same today, so they don¡¯t change their paths either. We might be able to get out without being noticed if you can hide your presence. We¡¯d have to knock out the guards in front of the throne room, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen¡­ but we could leave through the roof,¡± he pointed upwards. Remembering, I realised the throne room had a glass-covered rooftop. It¡¯d be risky, but not riskier than leaving through the main door. ¡°Good, let¡¯s move then.¡± ¡°No. This is all nice, but I¡¯m old. I¡¯ve lived thousands of years already and although he¡¯s going to kill me, you don¡¯t need to risk your life. You¡¯ll just get caught.¡± ¡°Are you telling me to leave after coming here? We also made a deal eight months ago, remember?¡± I asked. --- Eight Months Ago (Jake¡¯s POV) --- ¡°Are you sure about this, Elena?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask as I entered the huge ¡®Giant Bones Castle¡¯. The leader of the nation was called Khax and he was a Wraith King, just like Cor. The bones that made up the castle were longer than ten meters, but unlike I imagined, the land wasn¡¯t so dead. Lush bushes and vines grew and covered the bones. It looked as if some huge monster died thousands of years ago and a forest grew around its remnants. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m quite sure that he would be willing to side with us. If the history books say the truth, the undead never attacked others and started a war and nobody attacked them either. I imagine their leader is a peaceful person and maybe he¡¯d be willing to help us out.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they just send us off? If they¡¯ve been at peace for who knows how long, why¡¯d they help a troublesome group like ours?¡± I asked. ¡°Shh- just watch. If they don¡¯t have problems, we¡¯re going to make one for them¡­¡± she waved her hand. I looked at Audrey, but she just shrugged her shoulders. Whatever. We met much undead on the way to the palace, but none of them attacked us, despite our flesh covered bodies. It was as if they knew we¡¯d be coming since all of them stepped aside, even in the palace. Everyone could go in and out as they wanted, as long as they were undead. ¡°This place smells a bit and it¡¯s rather creepy,¡± Audrey whispered into my ear. ¡°I think so. Should I hug you?¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Our Lord has been waiting for you,¡± a cracked voice resounded in the empty hall. Leaning to the side to see past Dred¡¯s back, I saw another undead, which seemed to be stronger than the ones we¡¯ve seen before. Now that I think about it, since they can¡¯t use external magic, they have no way to damage us if we use our shadow forms. Then we have nothing to fear here! We¡¯re the worst opponents for the undead. ¡°How nice of him. Please lead the way, in that case,¡± Elena smiled. ¡°Stop staring,¡± Audrey elbowed me. ¡°What? I wasn¡¯t-¡± seeing her glare, I just let it be. But I really wasn¡¯t staring at her¡­ Dred turned around to look at us for a moment and then turned back. ¡°I should wipe that grin off of your face,¡± I muttered. ¡°Hahaha.¡± We found ourselves in front of an undead who was sitting on the ground since the palace didn¡¯t have a floor. It was akin to a simple tent, except for that it was made of bones and long vines. Red lights lit up in the eye sockets of the skeleton and darted around the room until finally stopping at Dred. ¡°I assume you¡¯re their leader,¡± it spoke. ¡°You could say that,¡± he nodded. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come. The dead told me so.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they talking a bit too much?¡± Dred asked. We came here because Elena realised something. The king of Trinity, Khax, was able to track us due to his ability to sense and communicate with every undead. Because people who died on this planet didn¡¯t go to heaven, hell, or whatever followed life. They were reborn as undead, here, in Trinity. Since we didn¡¯t want another powerful and dangerous foe, Elena decided to visit him and it was natural for us to tag along. ¡°I was waiting for your arrival, devourers.¡± ¡°My, it seems like you know us. Are you Khax? My name is Elena,¡± she introduced herself and then us. ¡°Who else could I be?¡± Khax laughed and then asked what we wanted from him. Dred sat down in front of Khax and looked into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve found a history book and it had a few interesting details about you.¡± ¡°Is that so? What sort of abilities do I have?¡± ¡°I heard you can sense fallen people, communicate with people even when they¡¯re far away, and the best of the best, you have some soul-manipulation technique,¡± Dred crossed his fingers. ¡°It seems like there are few books I should burn. Where did you find it? The living does not visit our kingdom often, so I have a few guesses as to who wrote this book you speak of,¡± Khax started to ponder, but Dred soon kicked him out of his thoughts. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who wrote it, but it matters to us that your kingdom may be the strongest with so many undead,¡± Dred looked around. Thousands of them started to gather all around us as if they were waiting for a single command. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± I whispered into Audrey¡¯s ear as I grabbed the handle of my weapons. ¡°Who would? But put down your hand, it¡¯s menacing and we¡¯re supposed to be friendly. ¡± ¡°Ok¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Khax asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what kind of position we¡¯re in. Although we were born to destroy everything, Elena decided that we should do something different.¡± ¡°And you agreed? Is she the real leader then?¡± ¡°Look, we¡¯re just a couple. Stop asking who is the leader. I decided to follow her goal or dream, you could say. I also came to agree with her on that we don¡¯t have to kill everyone since not every life is evil and ¡®dirty¡¯. We planned to take care of this place as well,¡± Dred looked around. ¡°But after investigating the place, we realised that undead creatures were more like dolls. Other than eating the flesh of monsters nearby, you aren¡¯t doing anything, am I right?¡± ¡°Certainly, that¡¯s true. We don¡¯t care about ruling the world,¡± Khax nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s why, we also decided to leave your kingdom intact, but it doesn¡¯t mean that you wouldn¡¯t help our enemies either.¡± ¡°I understand your reasons for coming here, but what if I really helped your enemies?¡± Khax tilted his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know how disadvantageous your race is against our kind and our enemies¡¯ friends are going to be our enemies. That¡¯s just natural.¡± ¡°My, I wouldn¡¯t want you to start devouring my people,¡± Khax laughed as if he¡¯d have heard a good joke. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to do it either,¡± Elena added. ¡°Could you stay here for some time? I won¡¯t make a deal with people I don¡¯t even know,¡± Khax made a serious turn all of a sudden and his playful mood was all but gone. ¡°We¡¯re fine with waiting for a bit,¡± Elena nodded. ¡°Great.¡± After spending a few days in Khax¡¯s company, they finally made a deal. It turned out he didn¡¯t like the way the other intelligent races treated each other. He agreed to stay out of everything and he also stated that he would serve us with intelligence if anything big was going on. Elena bugged him for a bit longer until he agreed to help us out once or twice if we really needed it. We all took an oath to keep our promise and even though it mattered not to us, we didn¡¯t plan to break it. Why would we kill a kingdom of undead who lived in peace? Of course, the possibility of change was there, but it didn¡¯t seem to come anytime soon. We left Trinity afterwards and went on our way to destroy and rebuild other kingdoms as well. --- Back to present --- ¡°We need your help. Cor needs it,¡± I said. ¡°If you really want to die that bad¡­¡± he shook his head as he stood up. But in the next moment, I heard heavy coughs and footsteps. I quickly disappeared into the shadows and pulled back away from Khax as far as I could. ¡°Well, well, who do we have here?¡± Padinyss leisurely walked into the cavern, holding Cor by the head. ¡°I know you¡¯re here, somewhere,¡± he muttered as he used his senses and in the next moment, he looked exactly my way. Knowing that it was pointless to hide anymore, I got out of the corner. He responded by throwing Cor towards me and as I caught him, I felt his body trembling. He was coughing up blood, but it stopped after a few seconds and he passed out. ¡°I planned to leave the palace to look for my dear enemies, only to hear somebody coughing like crazy. I found your friend in a bad shape and my guards around him,¡± he pointed at Cor. Fucking hell, our luck could have been really awesome if not for Cor¡¯s seizure¡­ Alright, what to do now. I definitely can¡¯t beat him, but he probably doesn¡¯t want to kill me either. He needs us to invite Elena and Dred. If they refused to come, he¡¯d kill us. Knowing them, I¡¯d say they¡¯re going to come at some point, but¡­ I can¡¯t be sure. They can¡¯t risk everything for a blood servant, can they? I can be replaced, after all. ¡°Why the long face? Afraid of death?¡± he appeared next to me and grabbed my shoulder. I heard it snap, but I long ago disabled my sense of pain. ¡°No. I just realised it¡¯d feel bad if they didn¡¯t¡­¡± I sighed as I bit back my words. ¡°Who? What?¡± he asked confused. ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to have some fun now,¡± met with silence, he said. He raised his fist and punched me in the face. Although I wanted to evade, he was way too quick. My world turned dark. I hope Audrey¡¯s going to be fine. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 35.2 - Nothing is infinite It took me two days to get back to the palace and meet my sworn enemy, who I happened to forget about. I felt a bit unnerved, but I was also confident in my own abilities. It was rather strange because I had memories pertaining items, social skills, the way to use my weapon, my battle skills and a few other things. But I remembered only common things. As if my memories served nothing but a way to navigate through my daily life. I shouldn¡¯t think too deeply into it. My memories should return one day anyway. Seeing the guards in front of the main door kneel down upon my arrival, I simply entered. After thinking about Elena¡¯s description of the palace, I made my way towards the throne room. The guards in front of the door stepped aside this time as well, which proved my high standing in the palace. Elena didn¡¯t tell me about this, but I probably didn¡¯t share every little thing with her either. Let¡¯s see. ¡°Could you tell me where is Padinyss?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he stepped out from behind the throne, holding two people by the head. Both of them had blonde hair and green eyes and horns. ¡°Who are they?¡± I asked, not really concerned by them. He is a dragon god, so I should feel different in front of him, but I don¡¯t. Is this because I¡¯m an undead? I guess must be it. I¡¯ll ask Elena about this later. ¡°Hehe, let me cancel their spell,¡± Padinyss smirked as he let go of the two. The one on his right turned bald and his skin seemed to be ragged. He had stitches in his face and his horns were nowhere to be seen. The other one had brown hair and was around a hundred and eighty centimeters tall. Wait, their description fits Cor and Jake. She did say they were on a mission in the palace¡­ were they caught? ¡°Cor and Jake?¡± ¡°Yeah. These bastards were trying to free Khax and Cor wanted to do something with Shin as well. I¡¯ll have to find out what they wanted, though.¡± I should help them somehow, but how? ¡°You, call Inhe. I just found the right job for her,¡± he pointed at one of the servants who returned with a blonde haired woman. She looked rather nice, but the way she looked at me told me she hated me. I guess not everyone is fond of me in the palace and if she dares to make those sort of faces, she must have a high-standing. ¡°My lord?¡± she bowed in front of Padinyss and then stepped closer to hug his arm, also stepping on Jake¡¯s back as if he wasn¡¯t even there¡­ ¡°Wait until evening,¡± he pushed her away. ¡°Look down. Are they familiar to you?¡± ¡°AH! These two! How did you catch them? As expected of your highness!¡± she gasped, seemingly happy to see those two. ¡°Your task is to try and pull out their masters¡¯ location or anything related to Elena and Dred. In most cases, cutting off the head of a snake isn¡¯t enough, but if we¡¯re dealing with blood-bonded creatures¡­ hehe, it¡¯s another matter.¡± ¡°As you wish! Can I hurt them?¡± a devious smile formed on her face. ¡°I¡¯d be glad to see them in pain for all the trouble they caused me. But don¡¯t kill them, we need them to lure in Elena and Dred,¡± he put his hand on her face. ¡°Understood!¡± She must be his concubine or something of the sort. But hell, are they seriously going to torture my supposed friends? But I can¡¯t even feel bad for them since I don¡¯t remember them. Damn it, this is so frustrating! I clenched my fists as I followed Inhe and Padinyss without saying a word. We entered a grassy plain in the palace, which had nothing but a small house in it. They carried Jake and Cor to the house and put them on the ground. Padinyss put his palms on their faces and closed his eyes. The green lines among his scales lit up and I felt a huge amount of mana being sucked away from our surroundings. A minute later, he stood up and a dragon-shaped black marked appeared on Jake¡¯s and Cor¡¯s faces. ¡°This is going to seal their mana and make them unable to move. They can probably devour it, but it¡¯s going to be impossible if it¡¯s me who makes the seals,¡± Padinyss explained. ¡°If for some reason I still need them but I can¡¯t renew the seal, you should do it,¡± he looked at me. ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s wake them up!¡± Padinyss shot a part of his mana into Cor¡¯s and Jake¡¯s bodies and both of them sat up due to the sudden pain. Or so I believed, but they just seemed surprised. I guess they can hide their pain well. ¡°Why can¡¯t I move?¡± Jake grumbled as he tried to move, but his limbs failed him. ¡°I sealed your mana and blocked a part of your nerve system. You can¡¯t move your arms and legs now, but I assure you, you¡¯re going to feel pain at other places,¡± Padinyss explained. ¡°My, I should run away in that case.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t laugh for long. Inhe!¡± ¡°Ah, I was barely able to restrain myself,¡± she smiled as she stepped closer to Jake and knelt down in front of him. She grabbed his forehead and then his chin and forced his jaws apart. ¡°Let¡¯s see, which tooth should I start with? Let¡¯s pull out this one,¡± she grinned and grabbed one of his fore-teeth. She slowly started to pull it out, visibly anticipating a painful scream, but Jake didn¡¯t make a single sound. She soon pulled out his tooth and Jake¡¯s blood dripped onto her fingers. Shit, what should I do? I can¡¯t help them or my cover is going to be blown! I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t beat Padinyss alone either, not to mention Inhe and the others servants in the place. ¡°Let¡¯s get the next one~ You know, just because you don¡¯t scream, I know it¡¯s painful enough!¡± ¡°Haha, take this!¡± Jake laughed as he headbutted her and saw her fall on her butt. ¡°What would a bitch like you know? I went through a torture even when I was a human. You can¡¯t break me!¡± Inhe looked up at Padinyss with panic-filled eyes and quickly got up. ¡°You little shit, let me show you true pain!¡± she raged on and started to torture Jake with one method after another. By the time she finished, Jake had no fingers, teeth, and his chest was filled with cuts, but he didn¡¯t reveal anything about Elena and Dred.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Since Cor was an undead, they knew he didn¡¯t feel pain, so they didn¡¯t even bother with him. ¡°Tsk, he won¡¯t talk. As expected of a blood servant¡­ but we can still use them. Tie them to a pole in front of the palace and send fifty royal guards to guard them. There is no way they could take care of my servants and get away before I got out of the palace,¡± Padinyss laughed. These people seem to be rather awful¡­ Elena¡¯s words must have been true. Should I blow my cover and free these two? But that¡¯s probably not something they¡¯d want after going through all that pain. It¡¯d be great if I could contact Elena, but I can contact only Padinyss since he has the Orb of Seers. I should take it from him somehow. ¡°Why the long face, my friend?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just sad to see that they didn¡¯t talk. I¡¯d be happy to finally catch the devourers,¡± I smiled back. ¡°I know how you feel, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get them soon. Go and tie them-¡± ¡°No! Let me do it!¡± Inhe cut into his words. ¡°She can do it,¡± I shrugged my shoulders and when she left, I added, ¡°Less work to do for me!¡± ¡°Hahaha, true. Don¡¯t leave the palace for now. We¡¯ll wait for a few days and see their reaction. The alliance is going to be happy to see that we have some results. They¡¯ve been restless since we never caught sight of our enemies.¡± ¡°Indeed, it was unnerving,¡± I shook my head and then turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll return to my room if you have no more commands.¡± ¡°Alright. Just make sure to be ready if the devourers were to come. I might need your help.¡± ¡°Got you. Oh! I¡¯ve just remembered something. I wanted to contact a lovely girl, but now I can¡¯t. Could I borrow the Orb of Seers? I¡¯ll give it back-¡± ¡°Hahaha, why that seriousness? Here,¡± he took it out of his storage space and threw it my way. ¡°Thanks,¡± I nodded as I caught it and then made my way towards one of the empty rooms. Thank god, it worked. If I said I wanted to contact a servant, he could have asked why I didn¡¯t do so in front of him. --- I sat down on the bed and closed my eyes. As my mana entered the orb of seers, I thought of Elena and everything turned dark. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± ¡°W-Who is it?¡± her surprised voice returned. ¡°I¡¯m Ekrok. I borrowed Padinyss¡¯s orb of seers, but let¡¯s ignore this for now. I¡¯ve got some terrible news.¡± ¡°Yeah? You aren¡¯t alone¡­ We¡¯ve just learned from Jake¡¯s message that due to a higher being, we have only one week and three days of time to kill Padinyss and since I don¡¯t plan to get stuck in here, we also have to break the seal at the same time.¡± ¡°Elena! Jake and Cor have been caught!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Like I said, they¡¯ve been caught and were tortured. But they didn¡¯t reveal anything. What should I do? Should I free them and run away?¡± ¡°Uh, can we think about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± I replied. ¡°What¡¯s going on right now?¡± ¡°Inhe is about to tie them to two poles in front of the palace. Due to Padinyss¡¯s seal, they can¡¯t move their limbs and they can¡¯t devour it anytime soon either. They plan to lure you and then kill you.¡± ¡°So Padinyss doesn¡¯t plan to kill them, right?¡± ¡°Not until you two come.¡± ¡°This day is getting better and better!¡± she grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Do you plan to tell Audrey?¡± ¡°Of course, I will talk things over with her and call everyone over. On a side note, I¡¯m going to send a lesser servant in the form of a dragonkin. He¡¯ll tell you that he overheard us in a pub in a city where we said we¡¯d go and save Jake and Cor. I¡¯ll specify the details, of course.¡± ¡°When should I expect this person?¡± ¡°In two to three days. Make sure you won¡¯t reveal him accidentally¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose our people. In case it still comes to that, just act angered and surprised to see that one of your servants had been caught,¡± she said. ¡°Okay. Now I¡¯ll cut the connection if you have nothing else to say.¡± ¡°Take care and don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll free our friends.¡± Hearing her confident voice, I cut the call and sighed. She seemed to worry about Jake and Cor, while here I was not feeling anything. I felt so empty inside. As I held the orb in my hand, I was surprised to see Elena appear in it. She was facing me with a smile on her face and I smiled back, but in the next moment, she raised her hand and I fell to the ground. A sense of fear filled my heart seeing this little movie, which seemed unreal. Why would I collapse? I should ask Padinyss later. Even if it means something bad, Padinyss is their enemy, so he won¡¯t realise that I¡¯m not his servant. I stood up from the bed and left the room, only to see Inhe in front of the door. ¡°What were you doing in my room?¡± she furrowed her brows. Oh, so this was her room¡­ whatever. ¡°I just contacted my lover,¡± I raised the orb. ¡°And why did you do it in my room?¡± ¡°Because this was the nearest room, but let me give this back to Padinyss,¡± I stepped to the side to avoid her and made my way towards the throne room. After asking a few servants, I found Padinyss in the yard, sitting in a meditating position. ¡°Uhm, my king, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°My king? Since when do you call me so?¡± he opened one of his eyes as I sat down in front of him. ¡°I felt like it,¡± I laughed. ¡°Sure. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°As I finished talking with my lover, a strange scene appeared in the orb.¡± ¡°Oh? What did it show?¡± ¡°Elena was facing me and for some reason, I collapsed¡­¡± ¡°If you inspect it, you can see that the orb shows life-threatening dangers as well. I too have seen her and Dred in the orb before, but it seems like they¡¯re a threat to your life as well. You should work hard to avoid your fate,¡± he patted my shoulder.
Name: Orb of the Seers Rarity: Epic
Effects: You can see events that will threaten your life ahead of time through this orb. It also has a storage space of a hundred cubic kilometers, and you can use it to connect with anyone in the world and talk with them in your mind. Be warned, you could be attacked by mind-attacks while in effect.
¡°I- I understand,¡± I nodded my head. What the hell? This makes no sense. Why would they be a threat to my life? Maybe they aren¡¯t a threat directly. Maybe the orb showed it because Padinyss will learn about me because of Elena and then kill me. Yeah, that must be it, they saved my life and have been helping me reach my goal for who knows how long. I must change my fate, I can¡¯t die by the hand of my enemy, I thought as I glared at Padinyss. Since his eyes were closed and we were alone, I didn¡¯t have to mind our surroundings. I want to go back to the dark scars. They were so nice to me, I pulled up my legs and closed my eyes. I¡¯ll definitely survive. --- Padinyss¡¯s POV --- Why did the orb show me that Ekrok was a threat to my life if Elena and Dread are a threat to his life as well? This makes no sense¡­ could it be that the orb isn¡¯t working? I¡¯ve got it more than a thousand years ago, maybe it¡¯s gone wrong. Or does he have plans against me? But that can¡¯t be, he is a first-ranked dragon and I¡¯m a dragon god. He should love and respect me instinctually. Tsk, I¡¯ll have to be careful around him, just in case. I don¡¯t believe that my friend and a lesser dragon at that would conspire against me. It¡¯s simply impossible. I hope Elena and Dred will come. I need to open the seal, kill them, and then the legendary symbiote will be mine! Opening my eyes, I looked at Ekrok who decided to follow my example and meditate. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes once again and started to gather mana. I knew I¡¯d need it against those two. Thanks to Inhe, the rumour that we¡¯d publicly execute two devourers has started. It¡¯s only a question of time before those two would appear, hopefully. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 35.3 - Nothing is infinite ¡°FUCK THIS SHIT!¡± I punched a tree. The tree exploded and its splinters penetrated the other trees, while the upper half of its trunk fell another tree. ¡°What happened?¡± Dred took up his humanoid form. I grabbed his horns and pulled him closer to my face, ¡°Today, we get a message from Jake and we find out that the Abyss decided to interfere and fuck around! Considering that it took three days for the bird to get here, we have only one week and four days left to open the seal and kill Padinyss at the same time.¡± ¡°Now Ekrok contacts me and tells me that Jake and Cor has been caught. Although he doesn¡¯t know that they don¡¯t feel pain if they don¡¯t want to, the fact that they were ¡®tortured¡¯ is still there and it¡¯s making me enraged!¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± he grabbed my hand and freed his horns. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really wanted to grab it and be forceful with it. It just came to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind it. And what¡¯s going to happen to them?¡± ¡°Ekrok said that they¡¯re tied to a pole in front of the palace. Padinyss is waiting for our arrival, but if we don¡¯t come, he¡¯s going to kill Jake and Cor. I definitely don¡¯t want that and although I could force Audrey to ignore her feelings, it¡¯s not something I¡¯d ever do. Well, not in this sort of situation.¡± ¡°To make sure that Padinyss won¡¯t kill them, I¡¯ll send one of our lesser blood servant¡¯s servant on a smaller mission. He¡¯ll just have to report a few things to ¡®his master Ekrok¡¯ in front of Padinyss,¡± I muttered. ¡°I plan to tell Audrey, but she should be excluded for now. She should continue with her task. We need to prepare for the battle against the kobolds as well and I have no idea what sort of condition we are going to be in if we manage to kill Padinyss and the other leaders. It¡¯s not just Padinyss who is our opponent, after all. Why is everything turning for the worse? Maybe we should have gone instead of Cor and Jake.¡± ¡°Hey, Elena. I don¡¯t think it¡¯d have been a good idea. We too could have been caught, though I don¡¯t know the reason and I don¡¯t think Audrey should continue destroying kingdoms. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t want to do it either, not to mention we¡¯ll need all the help we can get,¡± Dred shook his head. ¡°The only good thing is that they still don¡¯t know about Hector on the other planet. He can help us from the shadows.¡± ¡°But if Audrey stops, then the other kingdoms won¡¯t be prepared for the invasion. Who knows how strong these kobolds are or how many of them are down there,¡± I pointed at the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t even care. I wouldn¡¯t be happy to see the places we worked hard to create being destroyed, but I¡¯d rather see it than to see either of the dark scars or our friends die. Even more so if the person in danger is you,¡± he put his hand on my face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me,¡± I turned away. ¡°Yeah? Are you sure?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I feel the same, but we still have things to do,¡± I sighed as felt him coil his arms around my chest. ¡°Come here, you big bear¡­¡± I turned around and returned the favour. ¡°I¡¯m not a bear, but I¡¯ve got an idea. Let Audrey decide!¡± he put his hand on my head. ¡°But she¡¯s going to side with you for sure. She won¡¯t choose her original task over Jake,¡± I rolled my eyes. Seeing his grin, I felt like punching him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Come on, let her decide what she wants to do. Or do you want to force everything on her all the time?¡± he raised his brows. ¡°You jerk. You¡¯re twisting everything to make me agree, but fine. I¡¯ll let her decide. Hopefully, the kobolds aren¡¯t as tough as I expect them to be,¡± I shook my head. ¡°I knew I could count on you, I love you,¡± he kissed my forehead. Knowing that he won, I hit his chest. ¡°Guh, why?¡± ¡°Because you are a jerk like I said.¡± ¡°Hehe, I sure am. Anyway, let¡¯s move. We still have to devour many monsters and become stronger. We have no more than a week to reach a higher level,¡± he transformed into his panther form. ¡°Fine,¡± I jumped onto his back and grabbed a patch of his thick fur. I hope they¡¯re going to be fine. Audrey will be angry, I gritted my teeth. --- An hour later, we entered a city and went straight towards Audrey. Since she was our blood servant, we were able to sense her, no matter where she went. Dred stopped in front of an Inn which was located in a fourth-ranked kingdom. As I entered, I inspected a few people and realised that most of the people present were around the four hundredth level. They were pretty much a hundred and fifty levels below me. Seeing some ¡®interested¡¯ stares, I released my aura and walked past everyone. Seeing their expressions and that they froze in fear, I knew I neither of them would bother me in the future. I soon found Audrey¡¯s room and entered without any warnings. ¡°Damn it, Elena! I almost used lightning magic,¡± she heaved out a sigh of relief and then let down her right hand, which had lightning flickering around it. ¡°I¡¯ve got bad news, but you shouldn¡¯t shout. Can you restrain yourself?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± she wrung her hands. ¡°Well, you see, Jake and Cor had been caught. We also have only one week and three days to kill Padinyss or we¡¯re going to be killed by the abyss. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?!¡± she gripped my wrists and said through gritted teeth. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are they still alive?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then we must go and save them.¡± ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll explain everything, okay?¡± I soothed her. She let go of my wrists and I sat down beside her, while Dred laid down on the ground. After telling everything to her, she was enraged once again, ¡°Do you plan to leave them to their fates for a whole week?!¡± ¡°Why are you putting it like that? We both know that nothing is going to happen to them and if we go now, we¡¯re going to die. If we die, they too die, so it¡¯s even more pointless!¡± She leaned forward and sighed, ¡°Let me calm down a bit, it¡¯s not your lover who has been captured¡­¡± ¡°Yeah? They¡¯re both important to me too, you know?¡± I frowned, a bit annoyed with her. It¡¯s not like she was the only one who felt worried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered a few seconds later. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°So? What do you want me to do? I imagine you didn¡¯t come here to tell me nothing but bad things and then leave me alone once again to deal with these stupid kingdoms,¡± she spread her arms. I looked at Dred and shook my head. It was way too obvious who she was going to side with. ¡°Well, I was planning to tell you to stay and continue your task, while I and Dred would continue our training. But Dred didn¡¯t agree with me and said that you should stop with this and join us, along with the dark scars.¡± ¡°Dred, I¡¯m happy you¡¯ve got some brains, unlike your girlfriend.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s just rude!¡± I shook my head. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly think I¡¯d do it, right? You¡¯d have had to force me and command it because I sure as hell wouldn¡¯t have done it otherwise. These people can die, I want Jake and Cor back instead.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you all a bit too evil?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t,¡± Audrey and Dred said at the same time. I kept staring at them silently. ¡°But I want to preserve the kingdoms we created,¡± I muttered. ¡°Look, we don¡¯t know anything about the kobolds and I¡¯d rather use all we¡¯ve got to save our own at first and worry about others only after,¡± Audrey crossed her hands. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll do as you two wish. Let¡¯s call the others then. We¡¯ve got to prepare,¡± I waved my hand. ¡°Yes!¡± Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 36.1 - Changes Changes --- Dred¡¯s POV --- We left the city and made our way towards a dungeon. We found many dungeons in the time we spent destroying kingdoms and many were low or even too hard for us. Since we were at the five hundred and fifty-second level, not many dungeons were left which were a challenge to us. But there was one such dungeon only around half a day¡¯s travel from us. Although it¡¯d come with more danger than killing monsters and devouring them, it¡¯d also provide us with better genes and would quicker our advances. We needed every bit of strength we could get before our fight with Padinyss. Even if we somehow managed to save Jake and Cor, we¡¯d still have to fight him and his servants and the other emperors and kings as well. By the time we reached The Ogre Pit, which was the local name of the dungeon, the sky turned dark. The trip really took half a day, plus one or two days should be counted for our travel to the Dragon Empire. ¡°We¡¯re going to be a bit short on time,¡± I remarked as Elena looked down into the dark pit that was the entrance. ¡°I know, but everyone¡¯s life depends on it, so we better hurry,¡± she smiled at me and then jumped into the pit. Audrey and I followed her example, along with the dark scars. It was for the best if they too went through some training or else they¡¯d be crushed by the armies of the alliance. We needed people who could stop them, after all. I landed next to Elena, who just stood up from the ground. ¡°It¡¯s not what it seems, I just sat down,¡± she muttered with a red face. I¡¯ve seen you fall, but if it makes you happy. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°She too can be clumsy,¡± Audrey laughed at her. While they were chatting, I looked around in the area. The smell of ogres filled the pit, proving the name of the dungeon to be fitting. We fell straight into an open cavern, which had candles fixed to its walls, lighting it up in a dim light. ¡°The wall has metal in it as well,¡± I said as I put my paw on the wall and used earth magic to inspect it. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to do anything to the walls since they are imbued with magic, the magic of the dungeon.¡± ¡°Yeah, and unless we can jump about a thousand meters high, I don¡¯t think can get out anytime soon,¡± my dear said as she looked up. What is this notification saying?
The Ogre Pit (Dungeon Level: 590) (Threat Level: 2-10)
You have entered the ogre pit. You¡¯ll find the first exit after passing two floors. The monsters are going to become stronger and stronger and you¡¯ll have to solve mysteries to reach the end of the dungeon. If you manage to finish it, you may get some rewards according to your level. Common monsters and bosses can drop rewards as well.
Well, now. Let¡¯s see what this place has in store for us. I left the cavern through the only path it had and found myself in a long corridor. ¡°Hey, wait for me,¡± Elena jumped onto my back as usual. ¡°I just wanted to explore the area a bit.¡± ¡°Well, we can do just that now,¡± she scratched my head behind my ear, which always felt good. It felt so bad to admit, but I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Fufu, you love this spot, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Leave me be.¡± ¡°Aww~ I know another spot as well,¡± she hugged my neck and her fingers snuck down on my neck, reaching its lower half. She was about to scratch me there as well, but Audrey appeared behind us. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just petting Dred.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you have the time to do that,¡± she hissed as she walked past us. ¡°I apologise,¡± I said and ran past her. At the end of the corridor, a smaller room welcomed us, which had three ogres in it. All of them were below our current levels, so I went past them and waited at the beginning of the next corridor. When the dark scars caught up, Elena told the weakest team to clean up the ogres, while the others followed us. We repeated the same thing in another two rooms, only to realise that neither of the teams was catching up with us. ¡°Should I go back?¡± Audrey asked while she was eyeing the next three ogres. ¡°Please do, the others can clean up this chamber in the meantime,¡± I replied. Half of our team was missing after passing five rooms, which was way too weird. Audrey returned a few second later. ¡°Uhm, at the end of the corridor was a wall. I tried to break it, but I couldn¡¯t. I think that once the ogres die, another door opens and the path leading backwards closes. We haven¡¯t passed the path leading upwards either, even though we should have gone through three floors already.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The corridors always led downwards in a circular way. ¡°The dungeon probably wants us to get to the next exit one by one or in smaller groups. I imagine people don¡¯t come here often, especially not in a group of thirty-three people,¡± I said. ¡°Master! If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯d test your hypothesis,¡± Sareth raised his voice on my right, almost startling me. Why does he have to shout in my ear? ¡°He wasn¡¯t that loud, it¡¯s just that your ears are too sharp,¡± Elena remarked. ¡°Oh, so you were peeking into my mind.¡± ¡°Should I not do it?¡± she asked. ¡°Nah, I couldn¡¯t care any less. I don¡¯t mind you hearing my thoughts,¡± I replied. ¡°Alright. Should we allow them?¡± ¡°The others disappeared as well. They aren¡¯t that weak either and we are still on the first floor. I believe they could get out even if left alone,¡± I said after thinking about it for a bit. ¡°You can do it,¡± Elena nodded. ¡°The others come after us and wait. I want to see what happens once they kill the ogres.¡± The battle took only a few seconds of our time, but as soon as the ogres died, the wall started to close in front of us while another opened on the left. ¡°Wait when you reach the tenth floor!¡± I shouted through the closing gap. ¡°Understood!¡± I heard Sareg¡¯s voice as it closed. ¡°Now then, I¡¯m pretty sure the dungeon won¡¯t let us pass unless we split up into groups of five, so let¡¯s clean up the following rooms and go on,¡± I hurried everyone and rushed through one room after the other. I stopped three rooms later and killed the ogres. It was only me, Elena, and Audrey in our group, but we were more than enough. The seventh room was also the last one, which clearly showed what the dungeon wanted. The path leading backwards closed and a hole opened on the right side of the room. ¡°That¡¯s our way in,¡± Audrey muttered and got behind me. A stairway going deeper underground took us to a spacious, circular room. A large, dark red crystal was sticking out of the ceiling of the cave and lit it up in a dim red light. When we entered the next room we were greeted by around 10 ogres. Their average level was 2 levels higher than the ones we had previously fought. ¡°You may clean up the trash,¡± Elena waved her hand while I stepped to the side and gave way for Audrey. She looked at the ogres and thousands of earth spikes thrust out of the ground below them. Two of them were quick enough to react and jump into the air, but the rest of them were killed instantly. Before the remaining two could touch the ground, a long wind blade cut them into two halves. Their upper and lower halves fell to the ground lifeless, dirtying the ground even further. I wanted to pass the cavern and inspect it, but the crystal in the ceiling started to tremble and a deep bang sound resounded in the room. I felt the ground tremble below my paws so I quickly jumped to the side. The rock blew up where I stood a moment ago and a four meters tall ogre crawled out of the ground, holding a metal club. ¡°My, I wouldn¡¯t want to get hit by that,¡± I growled. ¡°Who would want to?¡± Elena grumbled.
Race: Giant Ogre Rarity: Rare
Level: 555 Threat Level: 1
¡°Oh, it¡¯s ten levels stronger than the other ogres and even beat us with three levels,¡± I said, surprised to see the difficulty rise so much. ¡°This much won¡¯t do either way,¡± I added. The ogre stomped on the ground and a ball of rock shot towards me. Elena punched it and broke the rock into splinters while I charged at the ogre. I evaded its club and was about to swipe its crotch when a lightning struck its body. Elena jumped off of my back while I looked at Audrey from the corner of my eye before digging my claws into its crotch. I climbed up on its chest in the blink of an eye and reached its throat. It wanted to grab me, but Elena cut off its arm, allowing me to bite the ogre¡¯s throat and tear off its head. It was a handy ability that I could change my size to some degree. I used its chest as a foothold to jump back and landed on my feet after a backflip with its head between my jaws. ¡°Good boy,¡± Elena patted my head. ¡°Why the baleful look?¡± she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not a dog.¡± ¡°True, he is a cat,¡± Audrey appeared next to me and rolled my tail around her finger. I jumped forward to free myself and growled, ¡°Cursed women.¡± ¡°Haha, that might be so-¡± the trembling walls cut into her laughter. Six holes opened in the walls and our long seen apprentices appeared. ¡°Master!¡± they shouted as they ran up to us. ¡°Did you kill the ogre boss?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, it was a few levels above us.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°Yeah, same goes for us,¡± they agreed. We long ago devoured the ogre, so its remnants were nowhere to be seen, except for its metal club. I went closer and put my paw on it and used Synthesis to decompose it and build it into my body. As I looked down, I noticed the tip of my fur turn silver coloured. As I poured my mana into every part of my body, even my fur, I felt a small change. ¡°Slap me,¡± I told Elena. Noticing the change, she did as told and hit my side with full strength. Although it hurt as hell, I wasn¡¯t wounded. ¡°I think my resistance became a bit stronger,¡± I muttered and then looked into the hole that appeared in place of the ogre¡¯s corpse. ¡°Looks promising.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Elena leaned on my side. The mana started to swirl in front of us and a screen showing the edge of the pit showed up in it. It was a teleportation gate which would take us out if we entered it. But none of was interested, so we jumped into the hole. Similar portals started to appear below everyone and teleported us somewhere else. I found myself in a red room where the walls were emitting light. ¡°This feels like guts,¡± Elena rubbed her hands on her thighs in disgust after touching it. There was an unpleasant smell in the area which came from the walls. ¡°I¡¯d go on a date in a place like this, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Audrey shook her head. ¡°Well, then let¡¯s save Jake and Cor so you can,¡± Elena smiled at her. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Pardon me to interrupt you two, but the others disappeared again,¡± I remarked. ¡°Yeah, they have been taken to different rooms, probably. The dungeon can sense everything in its territory,¡± Elena nodded. Let¡¯s see what lies ahead. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 36.2 - Changes I bore my claws into the squishy floor and entered the corridor. For some reason, I had a feeling which told me we were in some kind of creature¡¯s body. I looked at Elena from the corner of my eye only to see her do the same. I knew she was contemplating whether she should sit on my back or not. I could say that it was one of her bad habits, but since I didn¡¯t mind her sitting on my back and didn¡¯t tell her not to, she got used to it. She is like a little monkey. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not a monkey!¡± ¡°But they too climb onto their parents¡¯ backs.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t my parent, though,¡± she stuck out her tongue. ¡°Whatever, just get on.¡± ¡°Hooray~¡± After taking her usual place, Audrey entered my shadow and I picked up my pace. The pungent smell was getting stronger and stronger in the corridor and after running a few kilometers, we ran into a crossroad. Both paths split into another three directions, which made it obvious that we entered a labyrinth. ¡°I can¡¯t sense any sort of mind magic, so we probably have to find the way to the other side and kill the monsters on the way,¡± I said as I turned to the right. ¡°That seems to be the case. We should mark where we¡¯ve been with something,¡± Elena replied. After a moment of thinking, she formed a bigger rock in her hand and threw it on the ground. Seeing that it didn¡¯t disappear, I moved on. Elena did nothing but throw rocks, while I killed the ogres we met on the way. --- ¡°Argh, even after half an hour, we are still here! We have no time for this!¡± Audrey jumped up behind me and made a huge fireball. She threw it towards the wall, but it just sizzled as the fireball disappeared, leaving a human-sized burnt part in its place. ¡°Audrey, could you repeat this? But use water magic right after and don¡¯t forget to make it cool,¡± I said as I transformed into my bear form. With the help of cosmological constant, I turned my front paws into hands and took Elena off of my back. My body was so large that I barely fit the corridor and even my hand was big enough to hold Elena at her waist. ¡°You look like the beauty and the beast,¡± Audrey remarked as I pulled back my right hand and got ready to strike. I looked at Elena and then myself and couldn¡¯t help but nod. She hit the wall in the right order and I followed up with a punch. I put my whole body into it, but the wall broke down easier than I imagined and I fell face first into the next corridor. There were two ogres on my right, both at the same level as the giant ogre, but their battle prowess was much weaker. One of them stomped on the ground next to my head, only because I dodged its foot, and then roared like some wild animal. I stood up from the floor and roared back as I grabbed the ogre¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Uhm- I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your chatting, but don¡¯t you want to put me down?¡± Elena leaned on my hairy finger. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You are like a gorilla at this point, do you want to look like a monkey this much?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have put you on my back if I wanted-¡± I replied but seeing the ogre swing its club towards my head, I stopped talking and grabbed it midair and pulled it out of its hand. I used synthesis to decompose the club and reverted my right hand into its original form. I swiped across the ogre¡¯s chest and bashed the other¡¯s skull, which stood next to it. Shoving the wounded to the side, I lunged at the one in the back and bit off its head. ¡°Being large is fun!¡± I remarked with a feeling of newfound happiness. Humanoid bodies were perfect for combat due to their coordination and weapons and although a big body had many disadvantages, if I didn¡¯t have to fear my opponents, it was the best choice. ¡°You should move then because the hole is closing behind us. If you don¡¯t want to go the conventional way, we can fight our way through,¡± Elena urged me. She shot a fireball followed by a waterball and then I broke the next wall. It still took another five minutes till we reached the exit and killed our way through the labyrinth. To top it all off, we arrived at a wrong side of the room at first and had to follow the main walls to find the exit. At the end was another giant ogre, but this one was twelve levels above ours. ¡°This boy is going to net us at least a level!¡± Elena jumped off of my shoulder and used shadow step to get behind the ogre. It responded quicker than its size let me think and turned around by the time Elena appeared. Elena dodged its kick while I also appeared behind the ogre in the same manner and bit into its shoulder. I saw its metal club fly towards my face, so I quickly raised my right paw to defend. My skull was probably harder than that club, but I didn¡¯t want a concussion of my brain. I felt it hit the bone in my arm, but my thick fur and muscular body were enough to absorb the strength behind. I was surprised to see it let go of its club and raise its knee. I used my elbow to protect my belly and then pushed the ogre as I created a small boulder behind its legs. It stumbled and fell backwards, straight into the earth spikes that Audrey made. But before falling into its death, it swung its arm and broke off the spikes. Although it was a nice try, Audrey rained hell upon the ogre. She used the drip element, so I quickly jumped away and in the next moment, a smaller explosion obliterated both the ground and the ogre. Even its metal club disappeared, but soon another formed in its place, with a staff next to it. We didn¡¯t need new weapons, but they came in handy for synthesis.
You have levelled up to Lv. 554!
¡°Did you?¡± I looked at Elena and then Audrey. Seeing them nod, I looked around in the room in search of an exit. ¡®Experience¡¯ wasn¡¯t something we gained by simply killing monsters. It just took the average of our stats and probably compared it to other people¡¯s. Theoretically, we could create material and ¡®fake lives¡¯ like these dungeon monsters with the help of cosmological constant since everything is made up of mana. But we couldn¡¯t since it was something regulated by the Abyss, which was also the overlord of the universe. It was the Abyss that controlled the world system, our status windows, and even the dungeons. But it didn¡¯t mean that we wouldn¡¯t get rid of it if we reached that level¡­ of course, only if we would be able to. ¡°Here it is!¡± Audrey shouted from another part of the room. I ran up to her and saw another passage. ¡°I hope the dark scars are going to be fine,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I believe they are strong enough to get through this dungeon and they are five,¡± Elena remarked as she climbed my back and sat on my shoulder. ¡°I think so, now let¡¯s move,¡± I entered the corridor, leading to the fourth floor. I wasn¡¯t sure how many floors the dungeon had, but I didn¡¯t care about it either. We had to level up and gain as much strength as possible and from now on, the ogres would feed us with useful genes as well. --- We had to go through many other rooms, all with different challenges. The level of the monsters was increasing continuously and after some time, even the regular ogres were at the five hundred sixty-fifth level. There was a chance to leave the dungeon every five floors where we ran into the dark scars, but we all proceeded towards the end. Thanks to levelling up many times, the threat the dungeon posed was also decreasing and went from ten to five. But all good thing comes to an end and the bright room deep underground with a huge ogre standing in the middle was proof of it. ¡°What a good looking specimen,¡± Elena grunted, looking at the ogre¡¯s pig face and long tusks. ¡°You took the words right out of my mouth,¡± Audrey nodded her head in agreement. It was at least twenty meters tall and had a shield and a sword in its hands which was by no means usual. ¡°Do you think it can use it?¡± Audrey whispered. ¡°I hope it can¡¯t, ogres should be stupid, no?¡± ¡°How should I know? The ones I met were brainless idiots!¡± ¡°Shh- you¡¯ll draw its attention,¡± Elena soothed her. ¡°Why don¡¯t we send Dred? He is going to take its hits anyway, won¡¯t he?¡± Audrey put her hand on my back and wanted to push me out of the corridor and make me enter the huge arena. ¡°I¡¯m not going to take a shit! If that thing hits me, I¡¯m dead,¡± I pushed her hand away and stepped behind her. ¡°Come on, go brum-brum in your bear form and fight it. How am I supposed to use my magic otherwise? It¡¯d notice the changes in the mana flow and then it¡¯d smash me! Also, I must be careful not to destroy the whole arena,¡± she still wanted to make me go. "I don''t think I ever made that kind of sound," I shook my head. We may have had high stats, but they were mostly evened out, while that ogre was likely to have much more strength than intelligence or wisdom. ¡°Elena, give me some of your blood, I¡¯m getting hungry for it,¡± she added. ¡°Hmm? Then here,¡± she stuck her finger into Audrey¡¯s mouth and then looked at the ogre. ¡°Happy or not, you¡¯ll have to draw its attention and I and Audrey will attack its back.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°You girls are so nice to me.¡± ¡°Why are you complaining?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reward you once all is done, so work hard!¡± she continued in my mind. ¡°Huh? But is it a reward if I can get you anytime?¡± ¡°What the fuck? I¡¯m not an easy woman!¡± she shouted through whisperings as she grabbed the back of my head. ¡°You aren¡¯t, but we both know that neither of us would say no, so¡­¡± I clarified my meaning and felt her grip loosen. ¡°Ugh, well, that¡¯s true, but I¡¯ll make it better.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s not like that¡¯s the only thing that could motivate me, but if that¡¯s what you want,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°If that¡¯s what I want, you say? But you too¡­¡± ¡°Well, you offered it and I didn¡¯t even ask anything of the sort. You¡¯re just a pervert,¡± I stated the truth. Gritting her teeth, she turned away, ¡°Fine! If that¡¯s how you want to play! I¡¯ll make you go so wild that¡­ that you-¡± ¡°That I¡¯ll make you feel good, I know. Don¡¯t worry, Elena. Well, drawing the boss¡¯s attention is my job in Cor¡¯s absence, so I¡¯ll go and do what I have to,¡± I shrugged my shoulders and then transformed into my bear form. ¡°You, I really want to kick you right now,¡± this time she said aloud. After pulling out her finger from Audrey¡¯s mouth, she wiped off the blood and then waved her hand. ¡°Go, go!¡± ¡°What were you talking about?¡± Audrey asked in confusion. ¡°Se-¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Elena cut into my word and kicked my ass. Although my fur would have absorbed the power of her kick, I let her push me down and used the strength packing up her kick to jump down into the arena. ¡°You are just a pervert,¡± I heard Audrey and soon landed in front of the ogre. It turned around to look at me and followed up with a loud roar which made the ground and the walls of the rocky arena tremble. ¡°Be careful, dear,¡± I heard Elena¡¯s voice in my head. ¡°Mhm, you too.¡± The ogre smashed its shield into the ground and then pushed it towards me. Splinters of rocks flew through the air like bullets and bounced from my body as the shield got closer and closer to me. I stepped to the side in a hurry to avoid it, only to see its sword flying towards me from the side, ready to cut me into two halves. I changed into my panther form and since my height decreased, the sword flew past me. I changed back into my bear form, seeing its foot almost upon me and held out my arms. I jumped back to go along with its leg and crashed into the wall. Although the wall caved in behind my back, it was nothing much for my current physical resistance. I hopped onto the ground and cast my magic to create five layers of earth with vines woven into them. The ogre¡¯s sword cut through my shield quite easily, but it lost some strength. I raised both my paws and took the sword head on. I still fell to my knees from the strength behind the sword, but I was glad to see that the ogre¡¯s toes turned black coloured. When it kicked me, I used inner-devour, but it was more effective than I imagined. ¡°Its magical resistance seems to be weak,¡± I told Elena. ¡°I know, I¡¯ve been sucking it dry, its back has got a few black spots,¡± she replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the luck to see it yet,¡± I answered as I broke off a part of its sword. Since it was touching my body, I was able to use inner-devour and make it rusty in a very short time. The ogre pulled back its sword and looked at it with a seemingly surprised face, though I couldn¡¯t tell for sure. ¡°You hurt sword!¡± It shouted. ¡°Ooh! So it can talk!¡± ¡°Elena, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you two joined in instead of watching from the sidelines¡­¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m using devour and don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to join at the right moment,¡± she replied. ¡°Are you offended?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, I¡¯m really just waiting,¡± she replied, her voice steady and calm. ¡°Good then, now if you excuse me-¡± The ogre bashed its shield into the ground and wanted to crush me, but I managed to get out from below the shield. I hopped onto the shield when the ogre pulled it back up and gave myself a ride onto the ogre¡¯s arm. ¡°Tiny creature go off!¡± it raised its huge hand, ready to slap me. ¡°I¡¯m here~¡± Elena appeared on the ogre¡¯s shoulder. Her arms and legs turned into nothing but shadows. As she grabbed the ogre¡¯s neck, its skin rotted and its flesh followed soon after. Realising that its life was in danger, it ignored me and slapped its neck. Elena turned into her shadow form to avoid its attack, but the time she gave me was enough to reach the ogre¡¯s other shoulder. I too used inner-devour to wound its neck and the ogre reacted in the same manner, except for that it had a layer of pure mana covering its hand. ¡°Dred! Run!¡± Elena shouted. I reverted my arms to their normal state and jumped off of the ogre¡¯s shoulder. I bore my claws into its black and then started to climb back. Of course, the ogre wasn¡¯t happy to feel pain so it threw itself onto the ground back first. Although it hurt a bit, the ogre¡¯s weight alone wasn¡¯t enough to hurt me physically. Using the chance, I mustered up all my strength and raised the ogre into the air. Elena jumped off as well and cut her way through the ogre¡¯s neck. ¡°Audrey, cancel it!¡± I shouted, feeling that she was waiting for us to leave the area. ¡°What?! But if I cancel my spell now, it¡¯ll mean that I stood here for no reason and did nothing!¡± she replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, this thing is dead meat, you don¡¯t have to blow it up. Come here instead,¡± Elena waved her hand. ¡°Oh, and make that disappear,¡± she pointed upwards. Following her finger, I noticed a mini-sized star above our heads. Did she plan to blow up that? ¡°But!¡± ¡°No buts! Don¡¯t worry, we didn¡¯t expect that it¡¯d die so soon either. Its magic resistance was rather weak.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Audrey sighed and the star above our head faded out. ¡°RAAAAA!¡± The ogre jumped up with a loud roar, probably feeling its end, but it mattered not. ¡°Stop,¡± Elena commanded and the ogre did as told. Before I could do anything, a long blade of wind and fire flew towards the ogre¡¯s neck and combined, on the way. In the next moment, the ogre¡¯s head fell to the ground right next to me and rolled into a corner of the room. Due to the temperature of Audrey¡¯s blade, no blood came out since the wound burnt as well. Our shadows spread out and covered the whole room. We devoured every drop of blood and cell the ogre had, leaving only the tattered and broken room.
Name: Dred Syracia Race: Devouring Panther(Legendary) / Archfiend (Epic)
Level: 589 EXP: 7 239 557 / 8 115 000
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Stealth
Health: 303 000 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Blood Drinker; (Bear Form +10% Strength)
(1)Strength: 58 500 (+5 850) (1)Vitality: 60 600
(1)Agility: 58 460 (+5 846) Will: 100
(1)Intelligence: 50 249 (1)Wisdom: 53 223
Elemental Magic: Common Elements (Mastered) Cosmological Constant (Mastered) Eon (Mastered) Drip Element Lv.1 (15%) Void Lv. 25 (83%) Resistances: (1)Magical: 53 223 (1)Physical: 32 175 Poison: 100 000 / 100 000 Passive: (1)Stamina: 303 000 (1)Precision: 321 530
Skills/Spells: Mana Control Lv. 84 (44%) Shapeshift (Mastered) =>(Bear; Wyvern; High-Demon) Necromancy (Mastered) Mark of the Wild (Mastered) Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 92(34%) / Summon Lv. 65 (8%) Passive Skills: Ambush (Mastered) Poison (Mastered) Allegiance Lv. 100 (5% Bonus) Symbiosis (Mastered)
¡°I could use some more strength,¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°But we have much better chances this way.¡± I sat down on the ground and looked at the thing that appeared in the ogre¡¯s place. ¡°I know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Elena sighed as she put her chin on my shoulder and took a closer look at the sword I was holding. ¡°It¡¯s a fancy piece, but it¡¯s worthless for us.¡± ¡°Mhm, so much for a boss fight.¡± ¡°But you two killed it pretty easily,¡± Audrey leaned forward and checked it out as well. ¡°Eh? This is really not worth our trip here.¡± ¡°An uncommon sword with an enchantment to make it sharper, well, we didn¡¯t come here for the reward anyway. If we wanted that, we shouldn¡¯t have devoured the ogres and level up too much. Dungeons don¡¯t reward easy-won items, after all,¡± I muttered. ¡°Yeah, if only Padinyss was a dungeon boss, he¡¯d definitely drop something great for us,¡± Elena pulled the sword out of my hand and decomposed it. ¡°Oh, it gave me quite a lot of physical resistance. It must have been made from some good material, at least.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then that¡¯s good at least, though the world system doesn¡¯t list the stats we get from synthesis.¡± ¡°I¡¯m envious of your ability, you know? Why can¡¯t I have something like that?¡± Audrey pouted. ¡°Because you have a different class. Anyway, let¡¯s go,¡± Elena pulled me onto my hind legs and made me stand. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, seeing them look at me with strange eyes. They looked at each other and then Elena said, ¡°Well, although your claws and huge body are rather intimidating, you look like a cute and fluffy teddy bear.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But really!¡± Audrey confirmed as if I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I¡¯m not cute.¡± ¡°But you are in this form,¡± Elena hugged me. ¡°Waa~ so soft and silky. Your fur is great!¡± Tsk, I shouldn¡¯t have cleaned my body with my mana. Ignoring her koala-like position on my back, I went through the portal that opened in front of us. We felt that our blood servants were still alive so we weren¡¯t concerned. After getting out, we made a small camp and caught a few smaller and edible monsters. Elena cooked for everyone while I and Audrey sat down to meditate. An hour later, the dark scars finished the dungeon as well and their levels averaged at around five hundred and eighty. Not many people reached the maximum level due to the lack of mana, but we weren¡¯t lacking in that thanks to the ring of lightning. With their teamwork, I believe they¡¯re going to be able to take on the united army. What I¡¯m the most concerned about are the numbers. If it was only Padinyss, I¡¯m sure we could take care of him with the other¡¯s help, but things weren¡¯t as simple. When it turned nighttime, Elena entered our little tent made of sticks and leaves and embraced my back. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s going to make the others feel worried as well,¡± I said. ¡°Mhm, but I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t win without losses.¡± ¡°Haah- I know, that¡¯s why we¡¯ll have to do our best and take care of Padinyss as soon as possible. We have only three days left, so we best go to sleep and rest. We¡¯ve got to be ready for the battle.¡± ¡°I know. Could you hug me?¡± Turning around, I pulled her into my embrace and then laid down. ¡°Have nice dreams,¡± I whispered as I gave a kiss on her forehead. I shortly fell asleep. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 36.3 - Changes --- Padinyss¡¯s POV --- ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard this from one of my servants,¡± Ekrok answered my question. ¡°Hmm- that¡¯s good to hear. I hope that they¡¯re going to come as your servant said. If that¡¯s the case, we should get things ready to welcome them.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± He was back to how he¡¯d been, but for some reason, my instincts told me that something was wrong. It just won¡¯t leave my mind, maybe it¡¯s not Ekrok, but somebody else. But who? Who would conspire against me and why did the orb show Ekrok as a threat? ¡°Padinyss?¡± ¡°Ah, I was just thinking about something.¡± Seeing his questioning look, I decided to ask something that could damage our friendship, but I¡¯d rather not have him around if I can¡¯t trust him completely. ¡°Say, would you- Would you become my blood servant?¡± His eyes opened wide as he knelt down in front of me. ¡°I believe our friendship would never be the same, but if that¡¯s your wish, I¡¯ll comply.¡± What now. Should I believe him or should I make him my blood servant? He¡¯d become a mindless fanatical, just like the people following Elena and Dred. Well, they¡¯re certainly useful, but Ekrok has helped me many times in the past and I¡¯m not sure I want to go through with this. Haah- whatever! I don¡¯t want anyone to pose a threat to my authority, not even some first ranked dragon. I took the orb out of my void ring and looked at Ekrok as I poured my mana into it. He appeared in it once again, proving it that he was still a threat. ¡°Oh? The orb of seers?¡± ¡°Mhm, you see, I have a strange problem,¡± I nodded. ¡°What could it be?¡± ¡°Nothing much, it¡¯s just that it keeps showing you as a threat, even though it never did before. Come closer.¡± Nodding his head, he stopped only two steps away from me and knelt down in front of me. I leaned forward on my throne and looked into his eyes. Except for the devourers, every legendary being had the eyes of truth, which meant nobody could lie without our notice while looking us in the eye. Not even Elena could lie to me, no matter what was her race. That was one of the reasons why I believed I had to kill them as soon as possible. I was sure they¡¯d want to kill me, no matter what I did due to the threat I was posing to them. ¡°The orb started showing you since your last leave. What happened? Where did you go?¡± ¡°Strange, I left in search of our enemies and I can¡¯t say I did anything in particular. Still, I don¡¯t think that a tool like the orb of seers would lie to you, so I must be a threat to your life. Maybe it¡¯s without my knowledge?¡± he started to ponder. He isn¡¯t denying that he is a threat, hmm- what to do, what to do, I tapped my finger on the armrest. ¡°If that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering you, I¡¯ll become your blood servant,¡± he stood up and stepped closer. ¡°Stop,¡± I raised my hand. ¡°Considering that Elena and Dred are two people, they¡¯re probably going to fight me together. I shouldn¡¯t forget about that red-haired servant you and Inhe mentioned before. I imagine their teamwork should be superb, so maybe they¡¯re going to move in a way that¡¯d make use of your attacks.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, furrowing his brows. ¡°I believe I can control my own spells well enough.¡± ¡°Certainly. My point was that they¡¯d move around on the battlefield in a way that once you used a powerful spell, they¡¯d dodge it and it would hit my back instead. Or something like that,¡± I explained. ¡°Oh! I understand. Hmm- that must be true, but what if I didn¡¯t take part in the battle? Would the orb still show me as a threat?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I poured my mana into the orb and imagined the battle without Ekrok and this time, he didn¡¯t appear. ¡°That seems to be the solution.¡± ¡°Interesting. Do you suggest I leave and do something else in the meantime?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not enslave my old friend,¡± I laughed and then switched to a serious voice. ¡°I want you to stay out of my battle against Elena and Dred. You should kill the dark scars instead.¡± ¡°Understood. I wouldn¡¯t want you as my enemy for numerous reasons and betraying you isn¡¯t an option for me. We both know that I respect you, even if it¡¯s only because of the connection between our races,¡± he turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re so understanding, my friend,¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m also happy that you didn¡¯t just kill me,¡± he nodded his head and then closed the door. Haa, thank the creator. I just had to make him leave the battle to me. Wait, could it be the Abyss¡¯s doing? I imagine it¡¯d be happy to screw around and make some fucked up rules. Maybe this is how the abyss is telling me to fight them alone¡­ it¡¯s good that I have this orb. Well, enough rest for today. I¡¯ll go and meditate instead after checking on Inhe. I left the throne room and went straight towards the place in front of my palace. Jake and Cor were still tied to their poles and had no way to move or get away. I stopped in front of them and took a look at the seal I placed on them. ¡°Haha, I see you¡¯ve devoured a good part of my seal and your wounds mostly healed as well. It¡¯s good that I came to check on you.¡± ¡°Master!¡± I heard Inhe¡¯s voice behind my back. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. I just greeted you. As you can see, there are twenty imperial guards in diamond formations and I commanded a few others to hide. I¡¯ve also notified the alliance about the devourer¡¯s arrival and they told they¡¯d send their armies.¡± ¡°Only their armies? Why?¡± ¡°Uhm- they didn¡¯t say they wouldn¡¯t come. Should I ask them, just in case?¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll use the orb,¡± I took out my orb of seers and contacted Jotun. ¡°Hey! Will you send only your army?¡± ¡°Padinyss? Yes, of course. What if they plan to attack our kingdoms? We can¡¯t leave the capital city as we please these days. You must understand we have people we should protect as well,¡± he replied. Tsk¡­ You guys and protecting, ridiculous. They¡¯d rather kill their whole kingdom than to die, but fine. If that¡¯s how you want to play, I¡¯ll kill all of you after I take care of Elena and Dred. No! Better off, I¡¯ll destroy this cursed planet! Why have I not thought of this before? I could have got out of this place much sooner and then I could have destroyed the planet. I¡¯m su- ¡°Padinyss? Why are you silent?¡± Jotun asked, his voice showing concern. Heh, you¡¯ll be sorry for not doing as said, damned dogs. ¡°Ah, nothing. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s as you said. I won¡¯t call the others either, we shouldn¡¯t let the devourers do as they please.¡± ¡°I thank you for your understanding.¡± ¡°Mhm, bye,¡± I cut the call. What should I use? I wonder. I think I¡¯ll use the eon element. That¡¯s going to take care of the planet, hehe. Stupid lesser beings should have never talked back to me. ¡°Master? What did he say?¡± ¡°Jotun doesn¡¯t plan to come, but the same goes for the others,¡± I put my finger on Jake¡¯s forehead and with a wisp of my mana, knocked him out. After doing the same to Cor, I turned around and looked at Inhe. ¡°You see, I¡¯ve realised that once we open the seal, I can break through to the six hundredth level, which means I¡¯d become much stronger than I¡¯m right now. But if I¡¯m in a battle, I can¡¯t break through and because of that, I¡¯ll need your help.¡± ¡°What does Master want to do?¡± I pushed my knee between her legs and grabbed her chin. ¡°M-Master?¡± she put her hands on the wall behind her. ¡°Tell me, do you think this planet is worth to fight for? Or to even risk our lives?¡± ¡°The answer is no, obviously,¡± she replied. ¡°Ah! Do you plan to leave after breaking the seal?¡± ¡°Hehe, certainly, that¡¯d be great. Unfortunately, thanks to the Abyss, I must kill them or I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°What? What is this Abyss? How could it-¡± ¡°Inhe, the only thing you should never question is the abyss. Leave it be.¡± ¡°Yes, master. But what do you plan to do then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Elena and Dred want to start off by opening the seal. I could make a deal with them, stating that I¡¯d let them leave along with their stupid friends and after breaking through, I¡¯d leave with a few people and destroy these cursed planets. But I don¡¯t need people who can¡¯t obey me. So which are you?¡± I whispered into her ear and moved my finger towards her breasts. ¡°I live and die for Master, that much is obvious,¡± she nodded. I let go of her chin and pushed her onto her knees. ¡°M-Master?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, then please your master.¡± ¡°But we are outside and the servants can see-¡± ¡°And? A true king can do as he pleases, anywhere, anytime. Could it be you have objections?¡± I raised my brows as I made the scales around my private parts disappear. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to and if this is what master wishes, I¡¯ll comply,¡± she replied. ¡°Good, then serve me. Make me feel good,¡± I patted the top of her head. Haah~ It¡¯s been a while anyway. I¡¯m going to break you in tonight. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 37.1 - Fight for your life Fight for your life -- Elena¡¯s POV, Trinity, Khax¡¯s palace -- ¡°Do you not want to save your king?¡± I asked. ¡°He commanded us that no matter what happened, we shouldn¡¯t interfere,¡± the undead serving as Khax¡¯s right-hand-man replied. ¡°Even if it means the fall of your race?¡± ¡°Are you threatening the undead?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you that you¡¯re going to die if you don¡¯t help me, but really. It¡¯s not me who you have to fear. I kill only those who are worthy of it and I told you already that I had no plans to kill you.¡± ¡°Oh, do you mean Padinyss?¡± it asked with newfound interest. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Indeed, he is an annoyance and even dared to take our king as some sort of hostage, but I¡¯m still going to follow my king¡¯s command.¡± ¡°So you plan to wait ignorantly and let Khax die. Oh, and just so you know, if we die, the other kings are going to die as well because they sure as hell won¡¯t be able to kill Padinyss. And believe me when I say, he isn¡¯t going to leave you alive,¡± I pressed on, trying to get some help. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re dead enough already,¡± it made a great joke at the best moment possible. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked with a smile. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± it tilted its head to the side. ¡°Because I might add you alone to the list of ¡®to be murdered¡¯.¡± ¡°That certainly doesn¡¯t sound promising, but no is no. If our king commands otherwise, we¡¯re going to help you. But unless you can get Khax¡¯s command, don¡¯t even dream of the undead army. ¡°What are you afraid of? Why are you not helping?¡± ¡°Afraid? Undead have no such feelings. I¡¯m following my king to the grave, that¡¯s the way of the undead culture. If you dislike it, you can leave or mark us as your next target. Of course, the one who attacks us is going to become our enemy,¡± it replied, its tone rather threatening. Dred grabbed my waist and put me to the side. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, a bit confused. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a ¡®him¡¯ and we have nothing to talk about,¡± it replied. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your gender was before you died, but we¡¯re going to talk,¡± Dred grabbed the undead and raised it into the air. ¡°For one, you should never threaten us. Secondly¡­ can I have someone else to talk to?¡± he turned around. ¡°Why? I¡¯m the second in comm-¡± before the undead could finish its sentence, Dred crushed its body and devoured it. ¡°What are you doing?! Do you want to make even the undead our enemies?¡± I shouted in his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s going to be fine,¡± he soothed me. ¡°As per your king¡¯s orders, we¡¯re allowed to take the life of those who we deem ¡®guilty¡¯ in his kingdom. Ignorance is also a crime. The moment you do nothing even though you know you should, not just for yourself, but for everyone else as well. Once the seal is broken, a race which lives below the surface is going to appear. We¡¯ll need the undead¡¯s help to fight back the kobolds. So I repeat again, is there anyone sensible who I can talk to?¡± he asked as he sat down on the ground. ¡°Who is this bear?¡± another undead stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m Dred,¡± he replied as he reverted to his panther form. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t seen that form of yours before. Although I don¡¯t wish to overthrow our king either and I¡¯ll gladly take any punishment later, I agree with you. I don¡¯t think that we should leave our king be captured and then killed by the living. We¡¯re also aware of the kobolds living below our feet since our homes are almost common,¡± the undead said. ¡°So will you help us?¡± I raised my brows. ¡°As the third in line to take command, I¡¯m going to help you, but I can¡¯t be sure how many undead will follow my command and how many will stay here, following Khax¡¯s last instruction,¡± it replied. I turned around and looked at the other leading figures. After taking a bit of silence, one of them nodded its head. ¡°I¡¯m going to join as well.¡° I thought they¡¯d step forward one by one and state their decisions, but except for one of them, everyone said things like, ¡°I¡¯ll follow your orders until our king¡¯s return.¡± Hmm- with so many leaders supporting us, we should have much better chances. ¡°Well, that¡¯s our decision, you can count on us.¡± ¡°I apologise, but I don¡¯t plan to leave. We need somebody to protect our home as well,¡± the one who stayed silent said. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°So? What are your plans?¡± the commander in line asked. ¡°Before that, won¡¯t you tell me your name?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t told you because I don¡¯t have one. Only our king can have a name and I¡¯m usually referred to as Three since I was the third in line to take command. Now that the second died, you shall refer to me as Two,¡± it replied. ¡°Eh? What if I gave you a name or something?¡± I asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t listen to it,¡± it replied. ¡°Leave it be,¡± Dred whispered in my mind. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go, we have a lot to do.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± -- Audrey¡¯s POV -- I stood on top of a tower on the outer parts of the city. The dark scars rushed through the alleyways without anyone¡¯s notice. Everyone entered a guard¡¯s shadow and then waited for my command. It didn¡¯t take long when a huge volcano which was visible even from afar raised out of the sea. At first, a smaller dragon left the courtyard of the palace and returned only a few minutes later that felt like an eternity. Padinyss walked out of his palace shortly with a black haired man standing beside him, who was none other than Shin. ¡°My servants! It¡¯s time we deal with these evil creatures and free the world from their haunting powers. Rest assured, I¡¯ll open the seal around this world and take down these creatures!¡± he shouted and then turned into a majestic black dragon. His arms turned thicker and longer and his hands transformed into paws. His neck grew longer while his head turned longer, forming terrifying jaws of death. I believed a single bite and I''d be a goner. The thin and axe-like tail grew longer and thicker, stopping at a length of three meters. ¡°Shin, can you follow me?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, with this ring I can teleport straight there, but mind if I have a little chat with one of the captured ones?¡± Shin replied and pointed at Cor. ¡°Hmm- I don¡¯t mind, but please keep it short.¡± ¡°You may go ahead, I¡¯ll be there in a bit,¡± Shin smiled at Padinyss. The latter turned around and left behind the city in the blink of an eye. Shin walked through the crowd of royal guards and stopped in front of Cor. The latter opened his eyes in surprise and moved his head forwards in interest. ¡°You¡¯re?¡± ¡°My name is Shin, but call me whatever you want,¡± he put his hand on Cor¡¯s face. ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± Inhe stepped forwards to grab his lower arm. Shin¡¯s face twitched as he looked around, seemingly contemplating something. After nodding his head, he said, ¡°What, of course, I¡¯m just meeting an old friend-¡± ¡°Stop this,¡± Cor muttered. ¡°As you wish,¡± Shin replied and then turned around. His eyes seemed to focus on me for a moment and then he nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ll leave him in your care,¡± he turned towards Inhe but his eyes moved towards me while he said ¡®your¡¯. ¡°Alright, now go after my master, you need to break that seal,¡± Inhe smiled at him.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Shin slowly turned into a small dark cloud as he said, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you,¡± and disappeared. As a sign to start, I formed a rock dome around Jake and Cor which exploded outwards. The royal guards focused on their spells to defend themselves, not realising the threat that was lurking behind them. The dark scars raised out of their shadows and slit their throats, finishing off a few of the biggest threats. They grouped up in teams of five and stood in formations. The sight of everyone moving like one was rather impressive. I haven¡¯t had the chance to see them work like that before in all the chaos that often engulfed the cities we attacked. Dred¡¯s summoned demons appeared behind the poles and broke them into two halves and then rushed back with Cor and Jake. The other teams closed in like a shield and protected them from the rain of spells that flew after them. The area flashed with all kinds of colours until a golden coloured dragon appeared in the middle of the crowd. Inhe, you fucking bitch. A thick bolt of lightning struck her body under my will as soon as she appeared, but she just shrugged it off. Tsk, lighting is no good against dragons and the other elements won¡¯t do much alone either. I should use ice and dark magic to damage her, nature and earth magic to restrain her, and explosive spells to kill her. After a quick consideration, I formed an eight coloured ball in front of Inhe. Seeing it, everyone on our side jumped back and created all kinds of elemental shields in front of them. She looked at the ball in confusion until it blew up in her face and destroyed the houses nearby. I controlled the wind to clear the dust and revealed Inhe a few meters behind her original location. She was lying on her back but stood up in a hurry. Except for a few shallow wounds, she seemed to be fine, which was rather annoying. A few black clouds appeared in the sky and as they got closer, I realised they were soldiers of the other races. Barely a few seconds passed and then a towering, eight coloured light shot into the sky and cleared the dark grey clouds, revealing the starry sky. While everyone else was gaping at the sight, I used the eon element. Everything disintegrated in the area until Inhe used some sort of spell and cancelled mine. This time she noticed me and was about to lunge at me when another golden coloured dragon latched onto her back and grabbed her wings. She roared in pain as Ekrok tore off her wings and threw them to the side. I shot a huge fireball towards her in the meantime and when she was about to swing her tail to retaliate, my fireball hit the ground right in front of her. Although the fire didn¡¯t amount to anything against her, the shockwave was strong enough to throw her into the air. With no wings to control her movements, she was left to using wind magic. But I prepared my wind magic beforehand and made her smash into the ground with some help from gravity magic. She stood up quite easily in the pressure we trained our bodies and roared in anger. Foolish beast, roar all you want, I couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing one of the teams of the dark scars encircle her. Dred¡¯s summoned demons brought Cor and Jake to me and put them on the ground. I went ahead and freed Cor from his seal and then turned towards Jake to see his wounds. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cor said as he stretched his body after days of hanging. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We were caught because of my condition,¡± he hung his head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s me who should have gone instead of you. It was a bad decision on Elena¡¯s part. She too apologised to me, but I never held it against her. Go and help the others instead, you seem to be fine,¡± I replied. ¡°I am, I¡¯ll be sure to take revenge.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll take care of that bitch myself,¡± this time I looked into his eyes. Nodding his head, he jumped off of the tower and ran towards the others. I looked after him for a moment and seeing that Ekrok was fighting Inhe, I felt reassured. I gently slapped Jake¡¯s face and poured a bit of my life force into him. Losing one or two years was no big deal since my lifespan increased by many years. Living for a few thousand years at this level was common. He soon opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. As our eyes met, he reached towards my face with trembling hands. My lips quivered seeing his fingerless hands and all those wounds, but I knew he¡¯d heal over time. I leaned closer to hug him and gave him a kiss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I know, I don¡¯t feel pain either¡­ I¡¯m just really happy to see you again,¡± he smiled at me. ¡°You two guard him even at the cost of your life, and you should use water and light magic to heal him. Can you?¡± I asked one of the demons. Since Dred knew they¡¯d be of no use in their battle, he summoned the demons and commanded them to listen to all my commands. Even if they died, they could be resummoned, so I really couldn¡¯t be bothered to worry about them. ¡°We all know how to use the elements, thanks to master¡¯s knowledge,¡± the demon in the middle replied. He squatted down next to Jake and started to heal him. Nodding my head, I added, ¡°In case an opponent you can¡¯t fight alone appears, make sure to run away with Jake.¡± ¡°Miss, pardon me for saying this, but we know how important his life is to all of you and it¡¯s our master¡¯s interest to keep him alive as well. Even if Miss hadn¡¯t told us, we would have definitely done our best,¡± one of them said. ¡°Oh, okay, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I nodded my head and then jumped onto the nearest and tallest house. I formed an eight coloured ball and made it grow until it had the size of a human. I shot it towards the incoming armies of the neighbouring nations and waited patiently. The downside of the drip element was that it couldn¡¯t be used from too far away and its movement speed was rather slow, but I formed a ball of earth in front of it to conceal the eight coloured spell. When it got close enough to the army, I felt the earth ball being destroyed and let go of the energy inside my second spell at the same time. A similar sight as the tower of light followed after and grew to the size of the city. I was surprised to see it extending even further until it reached the edge of the city. I tried my hand a few more times, but each time I used the drip element, somebody cancelled my spell and the armies were only getting closer and closer. After a quick thought, I decided to use supernova instead, but as soon as it was about to explode, one of their magicians countered my spell again. For fuck¡¯s sake, how many counter magician do they have? I hate counter classes, so fucking unfair! Well, it¡¯d be weird if I could nuke all their armies before they even reached here. I guess they came prepared¡­ I still have the time to finish off one more army, don¡¯t I? I should get some help, though. Let¡¯s finish off that bitch, I turned around and summoned the elemental spirits. They covered my whole body and created a colourful armour of light around me. Although it wouldn¡¯t do anything against physical attacks, not many magical attacks would be able to affect me. I took my staff out of my storage ring and ran towards Inhe. The spell forming in front of her mouth had the shape of a dragon¡¯s head. It shot towards Cor, but he simply passed through it and punched her in the face. Although it was a bit hard in my shiny magical armour¡­ I snuck closer to them. But the truth was that everyone was too busy to bother with some random woman running on the rooftops which was good for me. I waited for the right moment and when Inhe was showing her back on me, I jumped off of the roof, my staff raised high. Her instincts probably warned her as she turned around and looked at me, but it was too late for her to do anything. I smashed my staff on her head and beat her into the ground. I landed straight on her back and swung my arm in an arc to make casting easier. A blade of wind cut into her neck but wasn¡¯t enough to behead her thanks to her magical resistance. Ekrok used that moment to step on Inhe¡¯s head and pin her down while I took out one of our salvages which was a plain looking dagger. I thrust it into her wound and then used wind magic to fly backwards in the air. I formed a wall of earth in front of Cor and Ekrok and pushed them back with it and also used a wall of water to protect myself. Inhe raised her head in confusion, seeing that she was ¡®let off¡¯, but her happiness was short lived. The dagger which had an explosive inscription on it blew up and ripped off her head on the spot. Her blood sprayed on the earth wall and the soldiers nearby, also mutilating the careless ones. I turned around and landed next to her head, a few meters away from her body. One of Padinyss¡¯s soldiers was sitting on the ground, both his legs missing thanks to the explosion. As I pointed between his legs, a pointy branch grew out of the ground, scaring the shit out of him. I grabbed Inhe¡¯s huge dragon head and thrust it onto the branch, ¡°Here, follow your leader. She¡¯s all yours.¡± He shook his head as if he didn¡¯t even know her in his fear and tried to crawl back. Seeing that most of the royal guards were confused by Ekrok¡¯s betrayal and Inhe¡¯s death, I used that moment to send a wave of ice towards them. A few of them nearby were too close to react and turned into frozen statues. My ice started to melt since they probably used fire magic, but before they could get away, Ekrok swung his tail and smashed their bodies into tiny cubes and splinters of ice. ¡°Nice, I need some help!¡± I shouted and two teams of the dark scars appeared next to me in but a few seconds. Considering that they were in the middle of a battle, it was rather impressive. ¡°Fire all kinds of magic towards that army,¡± I commanded them. ¡°Ekrok, could you protect us in the meantime?¡± Seeing him nod his head and deflect a huge rock with his tail, I focused my attention on my spell. When the dark scars¡¯ spells reached the army, I¡¯ve seen many of them being defended against while a few were simply countered, but some also managed to hit. At the same time, I mixed fire, wind, and gravity magic to use supernova, but it was cancelled in a bit. We tried two more times when they probably ran out of cancelling abilities and I managed to finish my spell. The gravity started to pull those ¡®tiny flies¡¯ in the far towards the core, making it harder to escape. When the star grew to the size I wanted, I made it explode. The gravity multiplied for a moment and pulled everyone in while the mini-star changed colour. A moment later the star exploded, blinding everyone with its bright light. I turned my back on the explosion and while the royal guards covered their eyes to not get blinded, I and a few of the cleverer dark scars finished them off. We devoured most of the corpses in the capital city and sat down to digest them and take a quick rest. A few seconds later I felt somebody put his hands on my shoulders. I turned around to see who was it and saw Jake. He still had a few wounds and his hands looked a bit strange, but they were good enough to fight. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Well, my fingers turned out to be a bit crooked and I think one of my fingers is broken, but I can use the rest! I have no major wounds left, except for one¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I frowned. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Do you think you can start something and then stay silent?¡± I raised my brows. He coughed in his hand before replying, ¡°She got rid of my manliness, but it¡¯s going to grow back, okay?¡± I looked into his eyes and couldn¡¯t decide if he was cute or completely retarded. He was so worried about something so silly. ¡°Its existence is a good thing and I enjoy it, but you mean more to me than your dick, am I clear?¡± I whispered into his ear. ¡°Yes,¡± he hung his head. I turned around and hugged him tightly and smiled upon feeling his warmth again. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me ever again, alright?¡± I asked. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Stupid.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± I rubbed my snotty nose and turned around. ¡°M-Master, I¡¯m terribly sorry to intrude, but what should we do?¡± one of the dark scars came closer and with a small stutter. ¡°Have I ever hurt either of you?¡± I asked. ¡°No,¡± he clenched his fists as if he was expecting it. ¡°Then why the fear? You should know us by now.¡± ¡°W-Well, but when Mas-¡± seeing my gaze, he corrected himself, ¡°you¡¯re angry, you often hit Elena, so I¡¯m not sure what to think.¡± Now I¡¯m considering hitting you. ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯ve got it now.¡± Rolling my eyes, I stood up and replied, ¡°Go and stand in formations, the undead should arrive soon. We¡¯ve got about five million people to beat, so you¡¯ll need your strength.¡± Just as I finished my sentence, I noticed the eight coloured tower of light slowly disappear. I hope they¡¯re alright. Well, both Cor and I are alive, so they can¡¯t be dead. Biting my lower lips, I used my senses in my anxiety, trying to catch signs of the undead. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± one of them stuck its head out of the ground, next to my foot. I did my best to hide how much it startled me and replied with a straight face, ¡°Thanks for coming.¡± ¡°So where is our master?¡± Shit, because of Jake I forgot to free him and bring out Shin. ¡°Cor and you, follow me.¡± Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 37.2 - Fight for your life --- Elena''s POV --- We snuck into the capital cities of a few of the leading nations, but seeing that their leaders were still in their cities, we left them alone. Considering their conspiracy, they probably wanted to wait until either we or Padinyss won the battle and then they¡¯d finish off the winner. Taking that into consideration, maybe the Kobolds¡¯ existence wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It took only a few hours to reach the island in the middle of the Moonlit Sea. ¡°Should we send somebody to call Padinyss over?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, Audrey and the dark scars are on the way, but their task is to free Cor and Jake. I don¡¯t want to reveal them, so we should do something flashy to catch Padinyss¡¯s attention,¡± Dred replied. I bit my lower lip as I looked at the red ring on my finger. ¡°We could use this.¡± ¡°Do you want to summon a volcano? But it might cause trouble for us as well and I¡¯m pretty sure Padinyss could take a bath even in a pool of lava.¡± After slapping my cheeks to get some courage, I nodded my head. ¡°I hope that we¡¯re going to be alright.¡± ¡°Hey, now. We managed to kill Ekrok when he was still much stronger than us. Although it took a few days until we healed, we survived. I¡¯m pretty sure we can beat up this stupid dragon,¡± Dred sat down on the ground. ¡°Pfft- hahaha, you look hilarious! A bear sitting on his ass,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°What? Oh, it¡¯s comfortable. Anyway, use it. We¡¯re running out of time,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss your ring,¡± I sighed while looking at the blue ring on his finger. It helped us advance a lot thanks to the increased mana density. ¡°Same here, now use it,¡± he urged me. Raising my hand, I poured my mana into the Ring of Fire. It lit up with a bright red light and even the sky changed its colour. Huge waves raised out of the sea and clashed against each other while the island trembled. It was a simple matter to make the waves change destination and avoid the island. A huge volcano rose from beneath the sea and filled the area with gas. The water heated up and reached its boiling point, probably cooking most of the weaker monsters by doing so. As the volcano stopped rising, it started spewing lava. I couldn¡¯t tell its height since it raised above the dark grey clouds which poured acid rain upon us. ¡°This should catch his attention,¡± I said as I sat down on Dred¡¯s huge lap and used him as a pillow. He put his paw on my belly and raised his head, ¡°Enjoy this until you can.¡± ¡°Do you plan to use your panther form or stay like this?,¡± I muttered. ¡°I''ll see, depends how he fights, but I think I''ll be forced to use my bear form most of the time since Cor isn''t here.¡± Half an hour later, we noticed a smaller dragon appear far away, but as soon as it spotted us, it turned around. It took only fifteen minutes for another huge dragon to appear. It had black scales with green lines running among its scales. This was an aspect of the reptilian legendary creatures like the Twelve Headed Hydra and the Dragon God. Although the space between the scales could be called a weak point, it wasn¡¯t that simple. The green part was a gelatinous substance which was able to absorb almost any kind of smashing and thanks to the scales, slicing and cutting were of no use either. To top it all off, they had inner layers as well packed on each other with no opening like the outer layer. Those scales were also much harder than the outer layers.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. This meant that Dred¡¯s claws were of no use against Padinyss and since that green layer absorbed mana, it¡¯d be also hard to hurt him with magic. We were in for a good fight, but we had devour, so we weren¡¯t afraid of him. ¡°If not for the level difference, we could easily take care of him,¡± I muttered. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t dare to state that alone, but if we fight together, then sure,¡± Dred replied as he stood up and put me on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Padinyss landed in front of us and his size decreased. His body was about three meters long not counting his tail and his wings had a wingspan of eight meters. The fact that he could use them as blades was rather threatening, but considering that almost every inch of his body was a weapon, it didn¡¯t matter a lot¡­ ¡°Hello~ I imagine you don¡¯t want to get stuck here in case you manage to kill me and I¡¯m of the same opinion. So we should open the seal, right?¡± he said, visibly amused to see us again after so many months. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you¡¯re at least a bit reasonable,¡± I nodded my head. ¡°No, no. You have no idea how reasonable I am! I happened to hear about your strange idea to not devour everyone and kill only those who you find guilty,¡± he flapped his wings. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°I know that I¡¯m a bit on the edge pertaining this, but I¡¯d rather not risk my life if changing the way I lived would save me the trouble. That¡¯s why I have an offer. I won¡¯t do bad stuff anymore and once we break the seal, I¡¯m going to level up and leave this place behind. You can do whatever you want. Additionally, I¡¯ll also let go of your blood servants. How about it?¡± ¡°This sounds fishy,¡± Dred whispered in my mind. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we must kill him or the abyss is going to take us down. But we could accept it for now and once Jake and Cor are free, we could attack him.¡± ¡°No way, by the time we reached Cor and Jake, he could reach the six hundredth level and we both know that it¡¯s an entirely different thing. He could create his own world, teleport, and use the world laws¡­ no way in hell I let him level up. We¡¯d be dead meat if that was the case,¡± Dred persuaded me in no time. ¡°Ugh, true. Then we should attack him as soon as the seal is broken.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But we can still say okay, maybe he¡¯d let his guard down¡­¡± he added. ¡°Well, that¡¯s unlikely to happen but okay.¡± ¡°We agree,¡± I said aloud. ¡°That¡¯s great. Shall we break the seal now? I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± Padinyss flew to the middle of the island and landed on top of the stone building. Both of us jumped onto the building. ¡°So how do we go about this?¡± I asked and crossed my arms, ¡°Also, where is the carrier of the ring of darkness?¡± ¡°Just pour your mana into the rings,¡± he replied. ¡°And he should be here in a bit.¡± Just as he finished talking, Shin appeared in front of us. ¡°My friend is going to be fine, let¡¯s get over with this,¡± he urged us while looking into my eyes. ¡°Have you met Cor?¡± I asked with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about,¡± he raised the sides of his lips. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Padinyss furrowed his brows. ¡°Ah, nothing. Let¡¯s hurry up and kill these two,¡± he poured his mana into the ring. Shaking his head, Padinyss told him he wouldn¡¯t kill us and then followed him. I hesitated for a moment since I didn¡¯t want to summon another volcano, but seeing that nothing happened with their rings, I did as told nonetheless. I was surprised to see that despite being filled with mana, the rings didn¡¯t do anything and just started to melt on our fingers. My ring dripped onto the ground as if it was lava, though the other rings were the same just with different colours.. Even though the roof was flat, the liquefied ring spread out and covered the whole roof. The rings on Dred¡¯s and Padinyss¡¯s fingers did the same and mixed with mine, creating an eight coloured surface, much like Audrey¡¯s drip element. I wasn¡¯t sure what would follow, so I hopped off of the roof and ran to the beach. An eight coloured tower of light shot into the sky a few seconds later and started to spread through the whole planet. The volcanic gas disappeared as if it was never there and the sky became so clear that we could see space from the ground. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going now,¡± Shin jumped off of the rooftop and turned into an eagle. He just came and left as if there was nothing important going on here¡­ but I was pretty sure that he wanted to help Cor. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± I sighed while looking at the star-filled sky. ¡°What?¡± Padinyss waved his tail. ¡°Space. It¡¯s so empty yet full of life. I should turn the world into something like that, clean the trash and leave only the beautiful stars,¡± I lowered my head and smiled at him. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You know, you¡¯re one of the trash I should take out,¡± I said while two daggers of shadow formed in my hands and Dred appeared behind our dear enemy. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 37.3 - Fight for your life My shadow shot forward and carried all the bacteria I¡¯ve developed. Since I¡¯ve started to understand devour more and more, I realised it worked on a similar principle as my bacteria. No matter where we went in the world, there were bacteria on every item, body and even a blade of grass. Devour used one of the smallest forms of life which were all around us. It took control of those tiny lifeforms and transformed their composition and turned them into parasites. These parasites killed the cells they connected to and replicated infinitely while they also sent back my targets¡¯ genetic structures. My body had to process that information when I finished fighting, but after selecting the devourer specialization, my body evolved. Thanks to that, I can process the information and increase my powers even when on the move. Padinyss shot two earth-spikes towards me from his mouth and moved his wings to cover his back. While I avoided the spikes, I saw Dred¡¯s claws sink into his wings and tear out a part of it. Padinyss whipped his tail, but Dred jumped back and in time and avoided his retaliation. ¡°My poison is in his body, but his resistance is probably high,¡± he remarked. Seeing that his wings sizzled and then started to heal at a visible speed, I understood Dred would have to pour more of his poison into Padinyss¡¯s body to make it work. ¡°This cursed ability,¡± Padinyss clicked his tongue, seeing a few smaller scales fall off of his claws. ¡°I should take you out first since your devour is stronger than his,¡± he said as he opened his jaws a ball of energy the shape of a dragon¡¯s head formed in front of it. The sand flew into the air as his spell flew through the air. A thick wall of earth raised out of the ground under my command, but his attack broke through it as if it wasn¡¯t even there, as expected. I spun on my heels and cut his attack into two halves. ¡°That was delicious,¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯ll see how you devour the next one,¡± he was about to use another one of his innate abilities when Dred grabbed his tail and threw him into the air. My daggers melted down and turned into a bow in my hands. I gathered all the mana in my surroundings and fed my bacteria with it. A huge black arrow formed in my bow while Padinyss already had a green coloured dragon in front of him. His mana control was definitely perfect since he finished before me. As soon as that energy dragon started to move, the air pressure raised to a level where the trees simply blew up and even the ground exploded below. I used earth magic to move backwards and upon reaching the sea, I mixed wind and water magic to freeze the water below my feet. The little time I earned was enough for me to finish my arrow and release it. Seeing that the explosion would be too close to my body, I also used the water around me and formed a wall reaching a height of ten meters. My arrow passed through his dragon and my bacteria greatly weakened its strength. The dragon blew up on the spot and destroyed the whole island, except for the stone building. The light is getting weaker, so the seal is about to be opened, I thought as I peeked at it from the corner of my eye. The wall of water I created got destroyed on the spot and even I flew back from the shockwave. I spun in the air and created a smaller ice land below me before I reached the ground. Padinyss flew out of the thick fog that was formed by the destroyed water wall, his claws reaching towards my face. Dred came from his right and thrust a metal pole towards Padinyss¡¯s belly. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t afford a wound like that, he let down his right paw and flew to the side. But I wasn¡¯t just looking. I was waiting for him to dodge and put my hand on his side. My whole palms turned black as I activated inner-devour and devoured a large chunk of his scales. A few of them appeared on my elbows, knees, and shoulders. ¡°You shitty bitch! You aren¡¯t worthy of these scales!¡± he shouted upon noticing them and spun in a circle. He was too quick for me to avoid, so I just raised my bow and my rock-covered arms in defense. I smashed into the sea below and had to use the water to rise out from below. When I returned to the surface, I saw Dred bite into Padinyss¡¯s side where his wing connected to his body. His teeth sank into Padinyss¡¯s body and the scales around his jaws started to fall off like rotten pieces. His left wing fell into the sea along with a few of his scales, but the bone in my arm cracked thanks to his fucking tail. ¡°Dred, we should get rid of his tail somehow. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t cut it because of his scales and tearing it off would be impossible as well. The most I could do is focus on the base of his tail and use inner devour until it rots and falls off,¡± he replied as he turned into his wyvern form and flew higher into the air. Padinyss raised his head and spat a dragon-head-shaped spell towards Dred¡¯s back. It was too quick for him to avoid and struck his tail which was torn off on the spot. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this would feel lovely if my sense of pain was on¡­¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m better off not knowing the condition of my arm either,¡± I chuckled while I used the water to shoot me up. The bow reformed in my hands and I prepared another arrow, though much weaker than before and shot it towards the wound on his back. He raised his claw while attacking Dred and shot five claw-shaped spells to respond to my attack. Although my arrow weakened his spell, it still flew towards me, so I had to use a bit more energy to stop it. Dred reverted to his bear form and fell towards Padinyss. Noticing it, the latter opened his jaws. His teeth would tear Dred apart in the blink of an eye, so he pushed himself to the side with the help of wind magic. This place is too large for us, we need some cover. After a quick thought, I used nature magic. Huge trees grew out of the sea floor and grew to hundreds of meters above the sea. ¡°What a nice forest you summoned here!¡± Padinyss shouted, visibly unhappy with me. ¡°But as long as your devour is connected to me, I will sense where you are.¡± I heard his voice getting closer to me, so I quickly shot an arrow and then jumped onto another tree. The tree I stood on, blew up, and Padinyss appeared while the arrow I shot went down his throat. Every legendary creature, except for us, had spatial spaces in their bellies where they could store things and nothing could damage them. His jaws were like black holes and as long as he turned his head towards the spell, he could gulp down as much as he wanted. ¡°Are you running out of time by any chance?¡± I provoked him, seeing that his claws had no scales left on them and even his claws were only dangling. Just as I finished my sentence, all his claws fell into the sea. ¡°Tsk, this is why I didn¡¯t want to fight you bastards. Despite my resistance to magic and my physical protection, you just crap on that and make my body rot. Fucking bastards,¡± he grumbled as he used wind magic to fly into the air. He probably didn¡¯t enjoy standing on his paws in his current state. ¡°Where is the other bastard?¡± he looked around, realising that Dred wasn¡¯t leeching off of him and disappeared altogether. ¡°My, I wonder,¡± I smiled at him. The more time I wasted, the better it was for us since he couldn¡¯t heal while devour was active and just lost more and more of his scales. ¡°He¡¯s going to attack me when I attack you anyway, might as well do something against it,¡± he rolled his eyes. A layer of mana coiled around his body and destroyed my bacteria. Shit, this is no good. ¡°A bit expensive, but worth it against you. This is called Dragon Qi, which is hundreds of times better than normal mana, you like it? Your shitty devour can¡¯t stay active in this layer, it seems.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. That¡¯s only because your mana control is better and your mana is more powerful thanks to your level, but that¡¯s beside the point. ¡°Dred, we must get rid of that somehow.¡± ¡°I think if both of us latches onto him, it¡¯s going to break soon, but I¡¯ll have to reveal myself earlier than planned,¡± he replied in my mind.
You have levelled up to Lv. 590!
¡°Oh, I levelled up. My body probably finished processing the last genes that returned. My arm also healed, how is your wound?¡± ¡°It just burned my ass a bit¡­ nothing big if I stay in my bear form.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Mind if I dance with you?¡± Padinyss asked. I waved my hand and controlled the trees to coil around his body and made another arrow in the meantime. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come closer?¡± he shot forward all of a sudden, his jaws opened wide. Damn it, if I hit his shoulders or arms, my attack wouldn¡¯t amount to anything and he could gulp it down anytime. Realising I was in a bad spot to attack, I turned around to run. He still got closer and closer and his wings cut every tree in two halves as if they weren¡¯t even there. While jumping from one tree to the next, I cut one of them into two halves and pulled it towards me with wind magic. I barely had enough time to pass under the falling tree and when I turned around for a moment, I saw it was about hit Padinyss. It was out of my expectations that he used another paw-shaped spell which made the tree explode. I waved my hand and formed a wall of wind in front of me since I didn''t want to be skewered by the splinters. ¡°Run, I can¡¯t catch up with him,¡± Dred warned me. ¡°I¡¯m trying, but he is too quick. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get wounded, but we can use that moment to take in a blow,¡± I replied. I knew it was very dangerous, but since we had no way to run away from him. Two daggers formed in my hands as I lunged at Padinyss. Right before reaching him, I used a strong gust of wind to push him to the left while a branch of a tree on my left extended and pushed me to the right. Since he was in the air, his strength didn¡¯t amount to much against the wind and all he could do was flap his wings. Knowing that I¡¯d get away like this, he flapped his wings and used my wind to spin in the air. I saw death in the tail that was flying towards me since unless I managed to avoid, its axe-like tip would definitely cut me in two halves. As his tail collided with my dagger, the latter broke into two halves and his tail continued on its way towards me. Knowing that it was less important than my life, I raised the other dagger in defense. I managed to stop his tail, but a long crack appeared on my dagger in return. ¡°Move aside, now!¡± Dred shouted in my mind. I put my foot on Padinyss¡¯s tail and kicked off to another direction and used wind magic to speed up even more. By the time he turned around, I was hundreds of meters away. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing?¡± He grumbled. While he was chasing me and trying to kill me, Dred prepared to use the eon element. Mana started to split one by one, destroying every tree and even the tiniest forms of life in the area. Padinyss turned around in a hurry, realising that he was about to be engulfed and die. He bolted off like lightning towards me, but his tail was caught and got disintegrated. He didn¡¯t even stop until he reached me and snapped his jaws on my left arm. His teeth sank into my flesh and tore off my arm. ¡°Careful, he is using a bit of his life force to gain strength!¡± I warned Dred and used that moment to thrust my cracked dagger into his shoulder. I was met with great resistance and heard the sound of metal snapping as soon as the dagger passed through his scale. Although I lost both my weapons, at least my dagger got stuck in his body, adding another wound. A colourful ball appeared next to him, while I hid behind the closest tree and used my shadow form. It came as a surprise when I heard his jaws snap once again and the explosion I expected never came. ¡°Get out of there, it went down his throat!¡± Dred shouted in my mind. I used the shadows the trees cast upon the sea to move further from Padinyss and took out my bow once again. In a year¡¯s time, I collected quite a lot of weapons from the murdered kings¡¯ treasuries. It¡¯d take some time, but with symbiosis, I¡¯ll be able to regenerate both my daggers, just like the arm I¡¯ve just lost. I held the bow with my right arm and used nothing but my will to control the arrow. It¡¯s not like I used a type of arrow that had to be pulled up. I was about to release it when Dred jumped onto Padinyss¡¯s back in his bear form and dug his claws into his back. Padinyss roared out in pain for the first time, which meant my dear hit a lovely spot. ¡°Shoot now.¡± Dred used his favourable position to raise up Padinyss¡¯s front half and show his belly to me. The arrow struck his belly and broke the energy layer around his body. It also wounded him slightly and I sent my bacteria to start devouring from that point as well. I was preparing the next arrow when Padinyss turned his neck around and bit into Dred¡¯s right shoulder. He tore out his arms with a few veins and threw it into the sea below. Dred sealed his wound with a quick mix of fire and earth magic. It¡¯ll be slower to heal, but he¡¯ll lose less blood. I should stop wasting my focus and mana on it as well, I can heal later. After a quick change of thoughts, I did the same to my arm and stopped the bleeding. ¡°ROAAAAAAAAAAAR¡± ¡°What was that?¡± I asked. ¡°I smell something new, it must be the kobolds,¡± Dred replied. Seeing that Padinyss¡¯s attention averted, I released my arrow. It embedded into his body right where the first hit and the rotted part grew much bigger. His scales fell off of his chest, revealing his flesh. ¡°We don¡¯t have time, we must finish this,¡± I whispered to Dred, knowing he would understand me even from that much. Padinyss was about to retaliate when I used Ekilsta to block his brain. His body stopped moving for a moment, which was enough for Dred to bite his neck. He reverted to his panther form and dug his claws into Padinyss¡¯s rotten wound. ¡°ARGH! FUCK YOU!¡± A huge eight coloured ball appeared behind Dred, which would definitely blast both of them into pieces. I stopped blocking Padinyss¡¯s movements and stopped his spell instead. The ball faded into nothingness, but Padinyss also used that time to bite into Dred¡¯s other shoulder. Before he could tear off his other arm, Dred managed to bite his neck and separate his head from his body. But in the meantime, a strange, dark grey ball formed in front of his head which shot towards me. Space was breaking into splinters in its path and the same dark grey coloured matter was left through broken space. It touched only the side of Dred¡¯s arm before he jumped to the side, but it was enough for him to get another serious wound. Since I was quite far away, I avoided the ball easily, but if not for Dred¡¯s quick reflexes, he¡¯d have died on the spot. When space broke, the material beyond flowed out to repair it, which was called the Dark Flow. It was very unusual to see something like that at our level of battle, yet this cursed dragon had an innate ability like that. Anything that came in contact with that dark grey material was destroyed instantly. Seeing a part of Dred¡¯s arm missing, I shook my head in my helplessness. Seeing his tattered state, I found my lips quivering and my hands shaking, but I still pulled my lips into a small smile since I knew he¡¯d stay alive. And wounds weren¡¯t something we couldn¡¯t heal. Our enemy¡¯s lifeless body fell towards the sea and I froze the water below to stop it from sinking. Every part of his corpse was a treasure, there was no way I¡¯d let go of it. Dred hissed as he opened Padinyss¡¯s jaws and pulled out his teeth from his body. He threw it onto the icefield below and hopped off of the huge branch. ¡°Store it, for now, I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have the time to go through a bigger evolution,¡± he said when I caught up and landed on the ice. Nodding my head, I stored Padinyss¡¯s corpse in my storage ring and then looked up, hearing strange sounds. ¡°Let¡¯s get his claws as well, we have a few seconds,¡± Dred muttered and then bolted off. I followed his nose and after reaching a destroyed part of the forest, he dived into the water. With the help of water magic, we reached the sea floor in the blink of an eye where I found Padinyss¡¯s claws. ¡°These are going to become great weapons!¡± ¡°Eh, sure, if we survive that,¡± Dred pointed forwards. I blinked a few times upon seeing something strange in the dim light of the water. I went to the surface with a frown on my face. A huge body was connected to the pair of legs below the sea and its owner happened to turn a few of the ¡®bushes¡¯ to the side. One of the trees landed next to me, but it seemed tiny compared to the kobold that appeared in front of us. The water started to freeze and many human-sized kobolds appeared in the far. They had short and light brown fur and long claws, reaching at least ten centimeters. Although they weren¡¯t carrying anything, their sheer number was threatening. The big one looked the same, except for that it was at least a thousand meters tall. It was a moving mountain! ¡°Let¡¯s retreat and help our friends in case they need it,¡± Dred advised. ¡°Mhm,¡± I nodded my head, but before I could move, I saw the giant kobold look down, its huge red eyes focused on me. Raising my hand, I couldn¡¯t help but wave it like an idiot, ¡°Hello, friend.¡± ¡°ROAAAAAAAAAAAARR!¡± Its roar made even the planet tremble and the trees were torn out of the sea floor and blown away. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be a friendly type,¡± Dred muttered. ¡°You think so?¡± I rolled my eyes. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 38.1 - Giant Kobold Giant Kobold --- Dred --- ¡°We should get out of here and take this monster to our enemies. I wonder how the united army would fare while being attacked by this giant,¡± I said before throwing Elena into the air. I turned into my Wyvern form and when I felt her land on my back, I bolted off towards the Dragon Empire. My scales were missing at many places and I didn¡¯t have my front legs in my current form, but that was much expected after a battle against Padinyss. The giant kobold swung its arm towards us and tried to catch us, but thanks to Elena watching out, I avoided its hand. ¡°Fly higher up,¡± she said. When I raised to the height of clouds, a giant hole came in sight in place of the small island with millions of kobolds all around it. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be running out of people,¡± I remarked, seeing that the kobolds were still rushing out of the hole. ¡°What did they even eat?¡± ¡°Probably each other,¡± I replied. ¡°But my question would be more about how the hell did this thing survive beneath the ground. Sure, the planet is large, but this is getting ridiculous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it can probably change its size,¡± Elena said. ¡°Hmm? But then it should be a rather high-ranked monster. Inspect.¡±
Race: Giant Kobold Rarity: Epic
Level: 599 Threat Level: 10
¡°Fancy¡­ though the threat level should be lower once our arms regrow, we¡¯ll need time,¡± I felt like coughing blood upon seeing it. ¡°We¡¯ve just got rid of Padinyss now this thing turns up and might be stronger than him,¡± she shook her head. ¡°Elena, look at the bright side. The Abyss won¡¯t kill us anymore and we can do as we want from now on!¡± I tried to cheer her up. Seeing that the giant kobold was being left behind, I calmed down. Although its strength was probably way beyond ours, its speed was way beneath mine. Elena laid down on my back and hugged my neck, ¡°We could enjoy our lives a bit more in that case. Once we finish with this place, let¡¯s visit a nice place together and take it easy.¡± ¡°Shall we visit a beach and sunbathe?¡± I asked. ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Alright, but let¡¯s take care of this mess at first,¡± I sighed and then sped up. Elena started shooting giant balls of flame towards the kobold to catch its attention and make it follow us while I tried to contact Audrey and the others. Unfortunately, I was still too far away from them and could do so only a good five minutes of flight later. Once I got in range, I told Elena and she used whisperings to make a connection. ¡°Audrey, can you hear me?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, are you two alright?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but we¡¯re going to stay. What¡¯s more important, are you outside?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve just finished cleaning up the palace and I¡¯m standing in front of Khax. Jake and Cor are alright. Shin is in the form of an eagle, keeping close to Cor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± I replied and then added, ¡°Come out in that case. Hurry up.¡± ¡°A moment.¡± A few seconds later, I heard her shout, ¡°What the fuck is that thing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re bringing the party. Command the dark scars and the undead to retreat. We¡¯ll leave this biggie to the union. If they bothered to gather in one place for our sake, they might as well take care of this thing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cruel, I like this idea!¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± ¡°Please, do.¡± ¡°She seemed to be in a good mood. Do you think something good happened over there?¡± Elena said, her hand on her chin. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s something about Inhe. You should remember her bloodlust when she heard of what she did.¡± ¡°Mhm, that¡¯d make sense. Let me shoot a quickie,¡± Elena turned around and shot another fireball. Our best hope was that this monster was stupid when it came to magic and we could simply nuke it with one of Audrey¡¯s super destructive spells, but only after it dealt with the united army. ¡°Get ready, the party is here,¡± I warned Audrey. ¡°I can see that¡­ it¡¯d be hard to miss. But it¡¯s going to be a bit hard to withdraw since we¡¯re surrounded.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you break out?¡± ¡°They keep cancelling my spells and although Jake can fight, he isn¡¯t in a good shape and he can¡¯t kill as many people as me in one go either. The dark scars are also struggling to keep up with the onslaught of spells and avoid weapons at the same time,¡± she replied. As we got closer, I understood her problem. There were millions of people encircling them and although the undead were blocking most of them, there were still at least ten people on everyone. ¡°Elena, you think you could do something about it?¡± I asked, seeing that we were getting closer and closer. She shot another fireball and then turned forwards, ¡°Well, I could use hivemind to block the people nearby for a moment, but that wouldn¡¯t be too much of a help, would it? And I can¡¯t use it quick enough to let you advance on the run.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s perfect! We can fly out of here if you block these people, though we¡¯ll have to watch our back.¡± ¡°Unless we time it perfectly, can you hold out a bit longer?¡± a mischievous smile formed on Elena¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m already feeling bad for these people,¡± I shook my head. ¡°What? They should have never followed their kings and then they¡¯d live. Look at it, their kings aren¡¯t even here. Once this is done, I¡¯ll make sure to take care of all of them.¡± ¡°And what about Ekrok? Do you want to keep him?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be too much of a bother. Once he found out the truth about A.. Ata? What was her name again? Whatever. He¡¯d definitely realise the truth and then I¡¯d have to kill him. I plan to give his corpse to Cor, it should upgrade him quite a bit,¡± she winked at me. Turning my head back to the city, I found a good spot. There were neither undead nor allies, only enemies! I spat a large fireball towards the people on the ground and landed right in the middle of the burning chaos. Our shadows spread out carrying our own bacteria or parasites, you could say, and got into our opponents¡¯ bodies. There were elves, beastmen, humans, and all kinds of mixed races, but neither of them was able to resist our devouring ability.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Unlike Padinyss, it took but a few seconds for them to rot and die, even though we weren¡¯t even focusing on the same person. Yet Padinyss held out for so long and even freed us of a few of our limbs. If not for being two on one, we would have lost our lives for sure. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t expect them to have the same kind of magical resistance as Padinyss,¡± Elena thought. ¡°Hell, their levels are lower than ours.¡± ¡°You two are just unfair, that¡¯s all. Even though we¡¯re at the same level,¡± Audrey pouted, seeing one person die after the other. ¡°Hey, now, we might be able to break out if this goes on. Let¡¯s team up!¡± ¡°Elena, I don¡¯t think we have the time for that. Look up and say it again,¡± Audrey replied. I followed her directions as well and found the giant kobold glaring at the ¡®ants¡¯ we were. The united army stopped attacking as well and looked up at the giant creature in fear and marvel. ¡°Everyone, use your shadow forms and let¡¯s leave,¡± I commanded everyone while I also withdrew Ekrok¡¯s memories and stored his corpse in my storage ring. He was like a puppet in his current form. We disappeared without a trace and left the capital city behind in no time. I stopped only for a moment to look back only to see the giant kobold pummeling the capital city with its fist. All kinds of colourful spells flew towards it, but they didn¡¯t seem to bother the giant in particular. There were a few magicians who used the Drip Element which did damage the giant, but thanks to its huge body, the explosions only left ¡®scratches¡¯ on its skin. ¡°Master, please hurry up, we must leave with haste,¡± Urnoth stayed behind to urge us. ¡°Haha, why are you worried about us? This thing can¡¯t catch us, but I wanted to see what it was capable of. We¡¯ll have to kill it soon, after all. If we didn¡¯t then all we¡¯ve done would be for naught, don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked as I changed into my demon form. It was better to run like this since my arms were missing¡­ ¡°Of course, now please hurry up,¡± he urged us again. Rolling her eyes, Elena ran past us and left us behind. After taking one last look at the giant, I also ran off, knowing that the real shitstorm was only just beginning. But if we could devour Padinyss¡¯s body, then we could take care of our opponents much easier. The undead probably retreated underground like the way they came, so we didn¡¯t have to worry about them either, though they¡¯ve surely lost quite a lot of their own. But considering the number of undead, it was of little importance on the grand scale of things. --- We travelled for two days and a half until we reached the first kingdom we cleaned up, Thivalon. The mana density raised significantly compared to when we first appeared here now that Padinyss wasn¡¯t drawing all the mana to his country. Two days were enough for the planet to restabilize without the rings of calamities. Although it was a bit sad that I couldn¡¯t control mana on a global level the way I did before, it was for the best. Now everyone had equal chances on the planet, not considering their background and own talent, of course. We¡¯ve visited this from time to time in this last year and most people knew us. Whether they didn¡¯t want to or didn¡¯t dare to sell us out was still a question to me, but I didn¡¯t care much about it. They knew that we wouldn¡¯t touch them and now that Padinyss was dead, they have even fewer reasons to turn against us. ¡°Look, it¡¯s the devourers.¡± ¡°Yeah, but what happened to them? They seem to be in a bad shape.¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re covered in blood, should we help them?¡± ¡°But how could you help them? Can you regrow limbs?¡± Similar whispers reached my ears as we moved towards our destination, the Sand Fox Inn. It was a cosy little place, so we preferred staying in that Inn. Elena opened the door for me and let me in. ¡°Ah, the Lord is here!¡± the innkeeper girl shouted in surprise and then covered her mouth. ¡°Miss Elena as well?¡± she gasped upon noticing her. ¡°We killed that stupid dragon, but we need to rest a bit since we have other matters to attend to. Do you have a few free rooms where we could lie down?¡± Elena asked. ¡°Amazing! Miss managed to take down a legendary creature?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with her? And why are we ¡®lord¡¯ and ¡®master¡¯? Last time we had no such titles,¡± Elena asked me through whisperings. ¡°How should I know? But this girl is new in the Inn as well. Maybe she¡¯s your fan.¡± ¡°She could be yours as well. She called you ¡®lord¡¯,¡± Elena smiled at me. ¡°What? Jealous? Even though you¡¯re her ¡®master¡¯?¡± Clearing her throat, she ignored me, ¡°Whatever, so could you take care of it?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯d throw out the others if Master wanted it!¡± ¡°No need to do something like that, also, you seem to be new at this Inn?¡± Elena raised her brows. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided to work here after hearing that you stayed here when you visited the country. I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you!¡± the girl grabbed Elena¡¯s hand and looked into her eyes. ¡°Eh? Sure. But why did you want to meet us?¡± I asked confused while Elena looked at the girl with some suspicion. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s because¡± - she stopped for a moment and everything turned grey. The world lost its colours which meant only one thing. ¡°The Abyss? What do you want from us?¡± Elena sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve taken care of both the seal and Padinyss, so you should leave us be,¡± I added. The girl turned into a whirling black hole, filled with nothing but stars and galaxies. It soon took up the form of a human born of shadows. ¡°Are you not happy to see me?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t say so, Father~¡± Elena replied. ¡°What?¡± both I and the Abyss looked at her in confusion. ¡°What, you ask. We, legendary creatures, crawl out of eggs. But those eggs must come from somewhere and I¡¯ll accuse this thing as my father!¡± she pointed at the Abyss. It slapped its own forehead and sighed, ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I create your kind, but I¡¯m no father of yours. I¡¯d have to get A¡± - he stopped talking for a moment - ¡°anyway, I¡¯d have to get my wife pregnant for that.¡± ¡°Oh? You have someone like that? Why don¡¯t you show your true form then, father? Could it be you¡¯re afraid to?¡± Elena smiled at the Abyss. Waving its hand, the Abyss said, ¡°Provoking isn¡¯t going to work. I¡¯m always around, but you¡¯ll never be able to sense and find me unless I want you, like now.¡± ¡°I know that much,¡± she muttered. ¡°Thanks for giving us a time limit,¡± she added. ¡°What? I just threatened your lives, that¡¯s all,¡± the Abyss shrugged as if it was none of its concern. ¡°Yeah? Even though if not for you, I¡¯d have let Padinyss leave and then he¡¯d have destroyed the planet along with us. I didn¡¯t understand why did he want to release our friends, but after thinking about it, I realised he had an option like that. Your time limit to kill each other prevented both sides from escaping, though we were in a bit of a hurry thanks to it,¡± Elena explained herself. ¡°Hmm- I never thought about it like that,¡± I remarked. ¡°I¡¯ve realised this on the way here as well. The Abyss actually helped us.¡± ¡°You do realise that I can hear your thoughts crystal clear, right?¡± it made an amused face as its eyes darted back and forth between the two of us. ¡°And? Why are you here now, father?¡± I replied, playing along with Elena. ¡°...Who said I was a man?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said you had a wife not long ago?¡± I raised my brows. ¡°...¡± ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just ignore it. I like you two, but I¡¯m still not your father, you don¡¯t have parents, after all,¡± it sighed. It made a thoughtful face as it muttered, ¡°Maybe I should stop using eggs and make these creatures out of simple humanoids? Hehe, that could be fun.¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t do that¡­¡± Elena raised her remaining hand. ¡°Why? Then the next of your kind could have a father as well,¡± it pointed at us. ¡°No need, it¡¯d just bring misfortune to their heads,¡± she replied. ¡°Fine then. So let¡¯s get to the point. You¡¯d need about two months to heal your wounds and even if you kept devouring creatures, you¡¯d need about a week for your limbs to regrow. I¡¯m pretty sure that by that time, the giant kobold would do more bad than wanted. Don¡¯t expect this from me again, but I¡¯m doing this only because there was a reward in for Padinyss as well. He fell, but I won¡¯t give you the same rewards. I¡¯ll just heal you two,¡± the Abyss explained. I felt my arms itching and when I looked down, I found both of my them at their places. I looked up to thank the Abyss, but it was nowhere to be seen. The grey world slowly disappeared and time started to move again. ¡°This¡­ how?¡± Audrey raised up Jake¡¯s hand. Since they were holding hands on the way here, she noticed it instantly, but they were frozen in time as well while we had our little chat. She looked at us and seeing our arms back, she made a confused and happy face at the same time. It seemed like not even she knew what she was feeling. Elena laughed at her constant change of expressions as she replied, ¡°Call it a present from the Abyss.¡± ¡°The what?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out more about it later,¡± Elena waved her hand and smiled, visibly in a better mood. ¡°Well, originally we came here to rest and use healing magic, but now we don¡¯t need that, so we should go somewhere else and take out Padinyss¡¯s corpse,¡± I said as I grabbed Elena¡¯s hand and pulled her away from the counter. ¡°But- But I wanted to lie down a bit!¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m dragging you,¡± I replied. ¡°You bully. You machine! Can¡¯t you rest sometimes?¡± she pouted. ¡°We can rest once we¡¯re done with the kobolds. Wasn¡¯t it you who wanted to protect the kingdoms? I accepted your decision and even helped you, so we should finish what we started.¡± ¡°I know¡­ Well, let¡¯s go to the beach and devour these wonderful corpses. They¡¯re still in the six-hour time frame, so we should be able to level up a few times once done,¡± she got in the mood imagining her advances and dragged me towards the beach. ¡°And here I had to pull on your hand before,¡± I shook my head. It¡¯s not like we were going to rest on the beach. Yeah, we were just eating. ¡°I can hear your thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, Elena.¡± ¡°All that preaching for nothing, huh,¡± she stuck out her tongue and ran off towards the beach while our blood servants just followed us blindly and confused. Poor kids. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 38.2 - Giant Kobold There were a few people on the beach, wearing swimsuits and taking it easy, just what we wanted once everything was over. A bit annoyed by the fact that they could laze around while we had another battle coming, I told Elena to take out Padinyss¡¯s corpse here. The sudden appearance of a mighty-looking dragon startled many. They started whispering behind our backs and what I heard pleased my ears. While I was listening in on their whispers, Audrey and Elena took out Ekrok¡¯s and Inhe¡¯s corpse. The former didn¡¯t even know he died, but we had no reason to tell him that, ¡®hey, we¡¯ll take your life now¡¯. ¡°Why are we here?¡± one of the dark scars couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to eat Padinyss¡¯s meat and devour the harder parts of his body. The same goes for Inhe and Ekrok since they all happened to die in their dragon forms. The basis of our ability is our parasites and a special type of bacteria, so we can inherit a part of his powers even if eaten. I believe we should savour the meat of our dear enemy,¡± I explained myself. ¡°A grill on the beach?¡± Audrey raised her brows. ¡°Call it what you want.¡± ¡°But then shouldn¡¯t we leave some for after dealing with the giant? I imagine it¡¯d taste much better. Ah, wait, I know, we can¡¯t. I almost forgot the time limit is six hours and it¡¯d be a waste to not eat them while we can still inherit their powers,¡± she rubbed her temples upon realisation. ¡°Indeed, if not for the time limit, I¡¯d wait until we killed the giant. But once a body started rotting, we can¡¯t gain anything from it,¡± I nodded my head and made a few trees and bushes grow with nature magic. After preparing the necessary wood and some other stuff, there was a barbecue fireplace made of rock. ¡°Devour the scales, claws, bones, organs¡­ everything. We need only their meat,¡± I instructed. ¡°Ah, wait!¡± Elena shouted as she stood up. ¡°I need his claws, they¡¯ll make good weapons.¡± She squatted down next to the corpse and picked up two of them from the ground. Since it fell out in our battle, we didn¡¯t have to bother with trying to tear it out. After storing those claws, everyone used devour to remove the unnecessary parts, leaving nothing but their meat behind. Just from a smaller part of his skeleton and scales, I¡¯ve levelled up to five hundred and eighty-seven. Once we ate his meat, we¡¯d get very close to reaching the next realm, but there was a problem with that. There¡¯d be many changes coming with the six hundredth level and it¡¯d take a while to actually level up which is also the reason why Padinyss didn¡¯t just dump us and did it. Of course, levels were related to our own abilities, but we would have to learn a few things to reach the six hundredth level and that didn¡¯t come easy. We¡¯ve got all kinds of spices and combined with the grilled meat of a legendary creature, it gave off a heavenly fragrance. Even from further away on the beach, many humans stood up and came a bit closer to take a look at what we were doing. Elena made a small wooden chair and sat down, her face radiating a sense of peace. But my dear¡¯s peace was short-lived when a daring guy walked up to her and asked, ¡°Beautiful Miss, what is it that your group is preparing? Is it for sale, by any chance?¡± I looked at the scene with amusement. We cleaned this place and the guy had no malice in his actions. He was so polite, Elena had no way to refute him like she¡¯d been doing with other aggressive men. She turned to look at me and then said, ¡°Please, go and bother him. I just want to rest for now and enjoy the fragrance.¡± ¡°You¡­ very well,¡± I shook my head, trying to hold back my laughter. ¡°Sorry, but this is something we can¡¯t share with outsiders. But I also understand that it pains the people present, so I¡¯ll do you a favour and seal this wonderful smell, so you won¡¯t have to feel hunger,¡± I replied. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s sad, but I understand,¡± he nodded his head and then left peacefully. ¡°You¡¯ve had your revenge, don¡¯t be envious of these people. Now make that barrier and stop tormenting them,¡± Elena waved her hand and bossed me around. The dark scars looked at me, waiting for something. I used wind magic to seal the fragrance of the meat and heard their whispers in the next moment, ¡°It¡¯s Master Elena who is the boss after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, we should listen to her commands over Master Dred¡¯s.¡± ¡°I think so.¡± She turned around once again and stuck out her tongue while looking me in the eyes. ¡°Very well, if you want to play, I¡¯ll join you,¡± I smiled back at her. Her body froze for a moment before she turned back in her chair and continued to gaze into the sun and the ocean. I took a quick taste of the meat, thinking that it was done. A shudder ran through my whole body as it came in contact with my tasting buds and went down my throat. ¡°Okay. We really shouldn¡¯t get used to this kind of taste or we¡¯ll hunt legendary creatures¡­¡± I warned everyone in advance. ¡°Now bring your plates!¡± Everyone took their share and left to eat in their own little teams. Some grouped up with other teams and enjoyed their meal together. It was nice to see them smile and enjoy their current lives. Sure, their fates were bound to ours, but we let them have their free-time unless our circumstances were really dire. ¡°Hello,¡± Khax stuck out his head from the ground all of a sudden. ¡°Can¡¯t you come here normally?¡± I rubbed my temples. He almost startled me.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What? You should be happy to see me here. The undead king is here personally, he comes from so far away yet this is how you welcome him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him as if he wasn¡¯t you¡­ Cor! Come here,¡± I shouted in the end. ¡°What is it?¡± he came over, his mouth stuffed to the brim. ¡°My, you can eat, how good for you. I turned into a Wraith King like you yet I don¡¯t have my flesh left on me,¡± Khax voiced his thoughts with a tint of envy. ¡°It¡¯s probably thanks to their blood,¡± he pointed at us. ¡°That¡¯d make sense. Anyway, where is this Shin? I came to help as per our agreement,¡± Khax looked around and his dot eyes soon stopped on the eagle sitting on Cor¡¯s shoulder. He crawled out of the ground and hit the sand in front of him, ¡°Lay down here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°This oldie knows one or two things about the soul and even has a soul-related spell. He¡¯s going to teach us as well once the war is over, but for now, he¡¯s going to help you two connect again,¡± I replied. Shin turned back into his true form and grabbed my shoulders in excitement as if he was some kid. Clenching my fist, I raised my hand and punched him in the face, ¡°This is for what you¡¯ve done. If not for being a crucial part of Cor, I¡¯d have killed you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, Master,¡± this time Cor bowed down and spoke seriously. ¡°You don¡¯t need to. It wasn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Well, technically it was all my doing,¡± he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I really am!¡± Shin sat up and hugged Cor¡¯s legs. ¡°Enough, you all. We can¡¯t kill Shin anyway or Cor would die as well and he¡¯s going to disappear soon enough. It¡¯s pointless to argue with him,¡± Elena turned around in her chair and shouted. Raising my hands, I left them alone and took our share of the meat on a big plate and sat down next to Elena. The wooden chair moved back into the ground while she slipped off and sat down in my lap. As I embraced her body with my left arm and rested my chin on the top of her head, I thrust my fork into a slab of meat and held it in front of her lips with my other hand. If not for knowing that it didn¡¯t matter to us at our levels, I¡¯d have warned her to be careful because it was hot. Pulling her hair to the side, she leaned forward and took the first piece into her mouth. I felt her body twitch in my arms when she came to understand how amazing of a flavour dragon meat had. After giving one slab to myself, I gave her another. Our super big plate of meat slowly disappeared and turned into nothing but data for our parasites to copy and our bodies to comprehend. We were like a mass of cells, each with a brain of its own, but all connected. As I finished digesting a few notifications appeared.
You have levelled up to Lv. 599!
You can unlock a new form for your Shapeshifter ability: Dragon God!
This is the body of a legendary creature. Once you transform into this form, your strength and defense will be on par with theirs.
¡°Hehe, look at what I¡¯ve got,¡± seeing my notifications, Elena showed me hers.
New Skill Acquired: Dragon¡¯s Paws; Dragon¡¯s Breath; Dragon¡¯s Wings; Dragon¡¯s Tail.
These are innate abilities of another legendary creature.
¡°Now, that¡¯s some hardcore description,¡± I laughed as I finished reading it. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I know how they work, so it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m more curious as to why I couldn¡¯t copy that skill that made even space crumble,¡± she bit her lower lip while thinking hard about it. ¡°Maybe Dragon¡¯s Breath is what you¡¯re looking for,¡± I replied. ¡°No. All of these skills are based on Dragon Qi which is a very compressed form of mana. It makes dragons way much stronger than other creatures. The only difference between these skills is their effect. For example, Breath is much more destructive in a wide area but it¡¯s not so good for a focused attack. Wings and Paws have great slicing properties while Dragon¡¯s Tail could be used both as a penetrative or crushing skill,¡± she waved her hand. ¡°Ah, so they¡¯re basically copying the movements of dragons. Well, that¡¯s obvious from their names as well,¡± I nodded. ¡°Mhm. I don¡¯t know what was that skill, but I probably won¡¯t be able to get my hands on it. Maybe it¡¯s something that my parasites can¡¯t comprehend and steal, how sad.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so sad. You¡¯ve just got four powerful abilities,¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I know, I was just kidding. Anyway, I¡¯ll remove these from my list of skills. It feels pointless to keep so many skills listed, even least so when I know of their existence anyway.¡± ¡°Have you mastered them?¡± ¡°Hmm- they¡¯re close to it.¡± ¡°Then just group them up and name them Dragon Skills¡­¡± I advised. ¡°That¡¯s good as well,¡± she did as told. Shifting her position, she muttered, ¡°Hey, can we come back here once we¡¯re done? I want to take it easy for once. All this chase for power and murder, I want a break from it every now and then.¡± ¡°Mhm, we should take it easy more often. It¡¯s good for the dark scars as well. Look at how happy they are,¡± I replied as I turned towards them. Even Audrey and Jake were chatting with the others with smiles on their faces. ¡°I want to cherish our time together because one day we might lose one of them. It¡¯s no good if all we do is destroy.¡± ¡°Well, we do build as well,¡± I remarked. ¡°I know, you know what I meant. I thought about it and I think we should try doing that.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯ll have no secrets from that point onwards. I¡¯ll know each time you want to pee, poop, fart, anything.¡± ¡°Ugh- why do you have to bring up those things now?¡± she laughed. ¡°What? It¡¯s part of bonding!¡± ¡°Haha, I know. Well, I know what you think most of the time even without bonding. There shouldn¡¯t be too much new to know about you, but I wouldn¡¯t want to live on alone if anything were to happen to you. That¡¯s why I think that we should bond our souls.¡± ¡°Do you want to do it now?¡± I asked. Her face turned beet red as she replied, ¡°No, I thought we should do it during¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, okay. If that¡¯s your wish,¡± I gave a kiss on the back of her head. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°What is there to thank?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep for now and then return to the kobolds. I wonder how the leading kingdoms are faring against that creature and that army. We haven¡¯t cleaned up any kingdoms nearby either, so we don¡¯t have to fear our work going to waste either,¡± I said and couldn¡¯t stop a grin forming on my face. ¡°Yeah, but there are good people as well, though probably fewer than at weaker places. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but the stronger we got, the more trash we had to kill. I¡¯m afraid if this goes on, we¡¯ll have to destroy planets in the future, not just one or two kingdoms¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°So what? This is what you wanted, didn¡¯t you?¡± I frowned. ¡°Mhm, and that¡¯s why I¡¯ll go through with this,¡± she replied. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear. But remember that even if you change your mind in the future, I¡¯ll still follow you and stay by your side.¡± ¡°Heh, it¡¯s not like you have many choices¡± - she spread her arms and made a smug face. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I mean, what sort of girl would accept a mass-murderer beast like you other than me? The heavens were kind to you to have me by your side!¡± she stuck out her chest and boasted. ¡°Haha, that might be true, not that I¡¯m interested in anyone else,¡± I replied seriously. She turned away, her face a bit flushed. ¡°Hold onto your words until we finish unless you want me to assault you?¡± she raised her brows. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind, but let¡¯s wait for now,¡± I smiled back. We made a few tents on the beach and spent the rest of the day having fun. After taking a good rest, we were ready to return to the battlefield once again. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 38.3 - Giant Kobold We moved back to the Dragon Empire but long trenches awaited us even before we reached the Moonlit Sea. The giant kobold was pummeling the ground, paying no heed to its surroundings. A few large-scale spells seemed to hit it from time to time, but due to its size, it cared little about the shallow wounds the explosions caused. Upon reaching the border of the southern land, seeing the blue sea in the far, I came to notice many tiny ants or I should say, humans, elves, undead, and beastmen in the trenches. A seemingly never-ending wave of kobolds opposed them and charged in endlessly. Whether the people in the trenches hailed from one kingdom or not was none of our concern. ¡°What the hell is this? Do you think I could nuke them?¡± Audrey pointed at the army of kobolds and brushed her hair to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but you¡¯re welcome to try it,¡± Elena replied. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± she formed a huge eight coloured ball in her hands and then threw it towards the kobolds. The ball exploded when it reached our enemies and killed a few hundred thousands of them, but for some reason, it seemed as if it didn¡¯t amount to anything in the incoming wave. Noticing the source of the spell, the giant kobold stopped pummeling the trench and moved towards us. Its right foot happened to land on an empty city and crush everything beneath. A large cloud of dust flew into the air and mixed with the thick, dark black smoke that came from piles of burning corpses. ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s time we join the fray, ¡° Elena stood up on my back and stopped meditating. Thanks to Mark of the Wild, she inherited my ability to shapeshift into a Dragon God. We could have always transformed to look like Padinyss with the help of cosmological constant, but that was different from actually turning into him. The giant swung its arm towards me, so I flapped my wings and rose higher up in the air and when its hand almost reached me, I dived towards the ground. I felt a strong gust of wind hit my side while its giant hand passed above my head. ¡°I¡¯m getting off here!¡± a long vine shot out of Elena¡¯s hand and latched onto the giant¡¯s hand and she got dragged off of my back. ¡°I think that we should follow her. It¡¯s pointless to bombard this creature and if I used the eon element to try to disintegrate a body of this size, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it from destroying the whole planet,¡± Audrey said. ¡°I agree,¡± Jake followed up while I was left thinking why was I used as a mount again. The truth was very simple, though. I was the quickest. ¡°I¡¯ll get closer to it,¡± I replied and used wind magic to speed up even more. I reached the giant¡¯s chest in no time where Audrey used the drip element to wound it. We entered the blood-filled wound and had to swim through its blood. It didn¡¯t take long before we reached the insides of its body. The pores in its skins were human-sized tunnels. We came to the surface in one of those tunnels and climbed out of the blood that started to turn hard. Lowering the sides of her lips, Audrey looked at herself in disgust. A ball of water appeared above her and washed off the blood. Jake cleaned himself as well while I moved on not minding it. ¡°Interesting, how come there is some light in this monster¡¯s body?¡± I looked around. ¡°It should be because these giant cells produce a lot of heat and energy and some light as a result,¡± Audrey guessed. ¡°Well, that could be the case,¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Will Elena be fine on her own?¡± Cor asked before licking my side. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m no lollipop, and I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s going to be fine,¡± I replied and a moment of silence later, I added, ¡°If anything, she¡¯ll get to devour its brain all alone while we¡¯ll have to share its heart. If she reaches its brain before us, then we best prepare to listen to her rants.¡± Audrey ran past me and moved on in the tunnel. With each step she took, the dermis beneath her feet turned black while there was a large patch expanding beneath my feet. My devour was visibly much stronger, but Elena¡¯s was even stronger, so I knew I had to hurry up. We barely moved a few hundred meters before we ran into a kobold which had a harpoon in its hands.
Race: White-cell Kobold Rarity: Common (In the body of Giant Kobold)
Level: 590 Threat Level: 0
Thanks to being in Padinyss¡¯s dragon form, my defense was very powerful and a creature whose level was beneath mine had little chance to wound me. ¡°You three stay back, let me test this new form,¡± I growled as I spread my wings and lunged at it. The kobold thrust its harpoon towards my head but I moved my head to the side and bit on its handle. My teeth easily broke the harpoon while its tip couldn¡¯t even penetrate my scales. The kobold let go of its weapon and was about to use a spell on me, but I created a wall of earth behind it and pushed it towards me. The kobold stumbled, leaving it no way to avoid my wide opened jaws. I had to be careful since unlike Padinyss, I couldn¡¯t gulp down just anything, but my teeth were just as good. I tasted the kobold¡¯s flesh as my teeth dug deep into its upper body and ruptured its organs. The kobold fell to the ground, lifeless. It¡¯s pretty delicious. ¡°Stop stuffing your heads,¡± Audrey¡¯s tired voice came from behind. When I looked down, I realised Cor was tasting it as well. We killed our way through the tunnel, but the number of monsters just kept raising. ¡°No good. If this keeps on we¡¯ll be stuck in place,¡± I raised my voice. ¡°I can see that!¡± Audrey huffed and a moment later said, ¡°Cover me for a bit.¡± I looked at Jake to tell him, but as expected, he was already protecting her. Poor Cor was like an indestructible doll with no real attack power. He kept blocking the harpoons that threatened to hurt Audrey and killed only a few kobolds from time to time. But thanks to his class, he had a few skills that raised our defense or interrupted the kobolds. ¡°How you peeps doing?¡± Elena whispered in our minds. ¡°I could ask the same, we¡¯re stuck. There are just too many of these kobolds. No wonder the other races became extinct if they had to deal with a creature like this. Although they can¡¯t hurt us, others don¡¯t have this great defense and infinite mana either. Hell, the mana in this area is running out, we should move,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m moving in my shadow form so I haven¡¯t been noticed yet. Sadly, it shook me off of its arm and I fell down. I entered through an existing wound on its back next to its spine,¡± Elena said.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Can¡¯t you devour its spine? I¡¯m pretty sure it wouldn¡¯t be able to stand afterwards.¡± ¡°Ehm- I think I reached its stomach,¡± she grunted. Audrey used the eon element to kill the kobolds and then we used our shadow forms to flee. Another group of kobolds ran past us towards the way we came from. ¡°I know the root of our problem,¡± Elena said, her voice both happy and nervous. ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°Fun fact, there is an island-sized mana stone in its stomach which keeps spawning these kobolds. Hell, they¡¯re being born from mana like us, legendary creatures. But do you know what is strange? The ones here are at the level of five hundred and ninety-nine while the ones back there were at five hundred and ninety.¡± ¡°Now that you say it, the kobolds out there were at the five hundred and fiftieth level which means that the further they¡¯re from the mana stone, the weaker they are,¡± I said in realisation. ¡°Can you contact the dark scars? They should be taking care of the kobolds outside.¡± ¡°Yes. Do you have anything in mind?¡± she asked. ¡°I think they should draw the giant¡¯s attention and lead it towards the Dragon Empire. Probably not much of it is left anyway,¡± Audrey chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s what I had in mind as well,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll contact them and you should come here in the meantime,¡± Elena replied. Without wasting our time, we all rushed through the tunnels towards Elena¡¯s location. But as we passed a strange blue coloured barrier, the kobolds walking back and forth in the tunnel looked towards us. What now? ¡°Elena, the kobolds noticed us for some reason. Any ideas?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh, you probably passed the barrier of the mana stone. There will be five more and each time your presence will be revealed. I used Padinyss¡¯s form to charge through and then used the eon element to wipe out my surroundings. And finally, I hid again in my shadow form. But you can¡¯t exactly do that with Audrey and Jake there,¡± she replied. Fuck my life. ¡°Audrey, kill a few and then store their corpses. I¡¯ve thought of something.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I lunged towards the kobolds and cut four of them into two halves with my wings. One of them managed to find a weak spot and the tip of its harpoon sank into my flesh. Cor passed me and pulled it out and thrust it into one of the kobolds¡¯ head. Jake held back two of them and then appeared right behind a third one. He kicked it towards Audrey, who thrust her short sword through its heart. ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± she reported. ¡°Saw it, we need three more.¡± The number of kobolds around us just kept raising, but as soon as we had four intact corpses, I threw Cor in the middle of the group. While the kobolds turned around in a momentary confusion, Audrey nuked the group and killed most of them on the spot. Cor was blown away as well, but thanks to his ridiculously high resistances, we didn¡¯t have to worry about him. I was pretty sure that even if the giant pummeled him in the ground, he¡¯d just ¡®dive¡¯ into the ground instead of dying like normal people. We left the kobolds behind in our shadow forms while Cor just ran after us on foot. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Hide quickly!¡± I shouted in his mind. ¡°Bullshit! I¡¯ll draw their attention, you just come after me,¡± he replied. Well, on a second thought, that works as well. With Cor averting the kobolds¡¯ attention, we passed one barrier after another yet the kobolds thought that it was only him. Of course, he had to watch out for his head, but these kobolds weren¡¯t very skilled when it came to using weapons. As we passed the fifth barrier, both I and Audrey killed most of the kobolds present and then used necromancy to revive the four corpses we brought along. While they fought each other, we quickly left them behind and reached Elena. ¡°That was quick,¡± she praised us. ¡°Nice job, Cor,¡± I laughed. ¡°And what do you plan to do now?¡± he asked while his shady form seemed to flicker for a moment of excitement. ¡°Since it worked once¡­ why don¡¯t we throw you in again?¡± Elena offered. ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± Cor returned to his true form and covered his body in his shell. Audrey went ahead and bombarded the kobolds and the mana crystal from afar, though the latter just absorbed her spells. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to use our hands,¡± Elena said as she too went back to her humanoid form. When a path to the mana stone opened, the four of us charged at it, while Audrey covered us from behind. We were midway when we noticed a shortage of spells and when I turned around, I realised she was being attacked by more and more kobolds. With the help of devouring and continuous movements and barrage of spells, she could hold them back, but she couldn¡¯t help us. ¡°Jake, you go back!¡± I said. ¡°Alright~¡± he used blink and reappeared next to Audrey. ¡°Cover our friends, I¡¯ll cover you,¡± he said and then started killing of the kobolds. With her help from above and Elena and my devour combined, we easily got through the ranks of the kobolds and reached the mana stone. I used my full strength to strike it yet nothing happened to it. ¡°Jake, can you blink again? Try hitting the top!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try, but you¡¯ll have to cover me or I won¡¯t be able to get out of there for a while¡­¡± he replied. ¡°Yeah, I know, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t just send you in, but we¡¯re here now.¡± He blinked onto the top of the mana stone and thrust his uchigatanas into it. A long crack appeared on the mana stone and the speed at which the kobolds were being born slowed down considerably. I struck the mana stone once again while Cor and Elena held back the kobolds. The crack turned even wider and with my third strike, it finally split into two halves. About thirty patches of swirling mana that was about to turn into kobolds disappeared in the blink of an eye. ¡°Now all that¡¯s left is to kill the big one and clean up the trash!¡± Elena jumped in happiness and started slaughtering the kobolds. ¡°I wonder about that. I¡¯m afraid there is something else and who knows what¡¯s the situation outside?¡± ¡°Well, I can find out,¡± she replied. ¡°Guys, how is the situation out there?¡± ¡°Not really good, Master. Although we drew the giant kobold¡¯s attention, the little ones still keep coming out of the hole and I¡¯m pretty sure that the united army won¡¯t hold out for long. Should we check out the pit in place of the Moonlit Sea?¡± Sareg answered her. ¡°No, if the giant goes back to fight, the people in the trench will die in no time and then destruction will spread. We¡¯ll hurry up and take down this thing,¡± Elena commanded them and then turned into her shadow form. Understanding her point, we followed her example. Although the kobolds¡¯ levels decreased to five hundred and fifty, they were still a chore to kill thanks to their large numbers. But this time, not even Audrey and Jake had to fear their harpoons since their elemental shield, physical resistance, and Cor¡¯s shell was more than enough to resist the kobolds. The five of us charged through the tunnels and moved towards the giant¡¯s brain. If this keeps going we¡¯ll reach the six hundredth level. ¡°No, this monster is one level short for that, we can¡¯t steal the necessary concepts to get to that level from it,¡± Elena answered my thoughts. ¡°True.¡± ¡°Get used to it, if we bond I¡¯ll hear you all the time~¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± I laughed. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Jake looked back and forth between the two of us. ¡°They can¡¯t hear us right now.¡± ¡°Oh, makes sense.¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± I smiled at him and crushed the head of a kobold who stood in my way in the meantime. It took about five minutes to reach the kobold¡¯s brain. The five of us jumped at it and grabbed parts of it. It probably didn¡¯t feel good since the giant¡¯s head started to shake. With the combined power of our devouring abilities, the giant¡¯s brain rotted in no time. As the monster probably died, we felt our bodies raise into the air. I guess it¡¯s going down right now. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 39.1 - Taking it easy Taking it easy -- Dred -- As we finished devouring the giant kobold¡¯s body, we reached the five hundred and ninety-ninth level and every part of our bodies evolved to the limit. To reach the six hundredth level, we¡¯d have to create our own world which wouldn¡¯t be a problem if we had the time. It¡¯d take a few hours and that¡¯s also one of the reasons why Padinyss didn¡¯t level up even after the seal was broken. Once we created our own world and managed to understand a few things about our souls, we¡¯d be able to become much stronger than ever before. Although Cor was above the six hundredth level in the past, due to his soul split, he lost many levels and even his world broke. Now, as an undead, he could easily remake it and teach us as well. With his knowledge, it probably didn¡¯t cost him much to make this seal and those eight rings. When the giant¡¯s corpse completely disappeared, we found ourselves in the middle of an army of kobolds who were charging at us. I spotted the dark scars not far away and made our way towards them. Cor was in the lead, blocking most of the kobolds while the rest of us slaughtered every kobold in our way which was rather easy with our levels capped. ¡°Master! What are your plans for now?¡± Sareg asked. ¡°We¡¯ll have to get to the sinkhole where the giant kobold came to the surface. These kobolds are created by large mana stones and I have a hunch that there is another one down there,¡± I replied. The threat level of the giant kobold was ten, but that was only if we never entered its body. ¡°Then please let us take the lead and open up a path for you.¡± Hmm- that would be a good thing. ¡°Alright, then your group shall take control of the others and move towards the hole. We¡¯ll follow you guys,¡± I replied. ¡°Yes!¡± As the thirty of them stood up in an offensive formation, with the guardians protecting both the front and the flanks while the magicians in the middle bombarded the kobolds in the front. With the help of the remaining people fighting in close quarters, they easily moved in without barely slowing down, leaving us with barely any work to do. But thanks to the distance, it still took about an hour of slaughter until we finally reached the seashore, even though we tried to fly numerous times. Sadly, that turned out to be impossible with so many kobolds jumping onto our backs and dragging us down all the time. The kobolds seemed to be rather clumsy when it came to magic, so they were swimming in the sea. The sun was high up in the air, the sky was clear, but the sea was filled with these creatures. No wonder the other races were always brought to near extinction. Most people didn¡¯t have infinite mana and even if we had, our bodies would still tire out at some point. Audrey froze the water in front of us on the move, decreasing the burden on the dark scars since the kobolds had to climb up to the ice to attack, leaving their defenses wide open. Another half an hour later, we noticed the level of the water decrease rapidly. ¡°I can¡¯t freeze the water, it keeps breaking off,¡± Audrey shouted. My neck popped as I tilted my head to the side and then jumped up. While still in the air, I transformed into my dragon form and found a huge waterfall, leading us into the darkness beneath. In the middle of the hole was a giant pillar of earth which had eight extensions connecting it to the seabed beneath the water. The kobolds were climbing up on that huge pillar of rock and ran towards the seabed, not bothering with the powerful wave of water that threatened to push them back into the hole. Considering their strength, it was no surprise. I used earth magic to raise a path out of the seafloor that¡¯d connect us with the stone pillar. I was about to land myself, but these shitty kobolds were already grabbing my tail and wings and tried to pull me down. They literally ran up on each other¡¯s back and landed on mine. If not for my thick scales, I¡¯d definitely die. I spun in the air and then landed on the path in front of my friends. ¡°Follow me,¡± my words turned into a growl as I transformed into my bear form and charged forwards like a bull. I pushed down one kobold after the other into the deep hole when we finally reached the giant pillar in the middle. Seeing that the kobolds kept climbing up on the pillars, I realised it¡¯d be a chore to go down the conventional way, so after switching to my demon form and growing thick vines out of the pillar, I coiled it a few times around it and then jumped off. The vine kept growing as I fell deeper and deeper into the hole until I finally reached the bottom. ¡°Why are you not flying instead?¡± Elena asked. ¡°Well, why bother? I think this is quicker.¡± ¡°Yeah, and we could follow this path easily,¡± Jake chimed in. Shrugging her shoulders, Elena let go of the vine and landed on the ground beneath. The ground was some kind of hard rock, though the most likely origin was volcanic. Waves upon waves of kobolds were swarming towards the pillar from a single direction and since we used our shadow forms in that pitch black darkness, they didn¡¯t even notice us. ¡°What do you think, how deep are we?¡± Jake thought. ¡°The exact number is thirty kilometers seven hundred and sixty-two meters. Do you want to know the centimeters as well?¡± a smiling mouth formed in Audrey¡¯s shadow-like body.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°E-eh, no. I guess your elemental spirits don¡¯t just give you additional control and power to the elements,¡± he replied. ¡°Of course! I have all kinds of unimportant and not interesting information as well, but I also know the age of the planet, the components of the rock you¡¯re standing on and even more, all thanks to the spirits.¡± ¡°That could be useful, actually,¡± he muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there and chat, move¡­¡± Elena urged them, seeing that they were being left behind. Giant pillars reaching a height of a hundred meters arched over us and held up the ceiling of the cavern. After running about a kilometer, a wall welcomed us. Audrey made a hole in it without the kobolds¡¯ notice, but a red light blinded us from the other side. Of course, that alerted the kobolds, but since they couldn¡¯t see anyone, they moved on towards the pillar. Kobolds were born, or more like created, one after the other next to the giant red mana crystal. I had no idea what its colour implied, maybe it didn¡¯t imply anything, but I had a feeling it was nothing good. ¡°Audrey? As the magician? Anything we should know?¡± I asked. She stayed silent for a few more seconds before finally replying, ¡°The crystal is filled with common mana, there is nothing wrong about that. But it also sucks in mana from the environment and the mana inside feels very unstable, almost volatile¡­¡± ¡°So your point is that it¡¯s going to explode if we destroy it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s likely to happen,¡± she muttered. ¡°I wonder about the size¡­¡± ¡°Oh, but fear not, I didn¡¯t learn all these destructive spells for nothing! Finally, I¡¯ll have the chance to use them!¡± she said and I couldn¡¯t help but imagine her beating her chest. Well, not that it was possible in her shadow form. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± I asked. Her class, the Arcane Mage and even more so, her Mystic specialisation, seemed to focus on very rarely known and understood elements. Elements that were part of the world, life, materials, or some kind of understanding. All the new elements she had got to know up till now, she did so by comprehending different things. And so, these elements were mostly hard to control and had very destructive effects. It came in handy at these times when we were surrounded by nothing but enemies, but it was a different matter when we had to focus on a single opponent. Either way, maybe one of those elements were the key and her next words proved my theory right, ¡°I believe if I used cosmological constant and started splitting mana cells, I could basically ¡®disintegrate¡¯ the whole crystal and its surroundings without it detonating. But to do that, I need two things, the first being that you guys protect me and the second being is that if I feel that this thing will explode anyway, I¡¯ll stop the splitting and somebody will have to take me away. Jake would be the best for that with his blink, I think.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give it a shot. It¡¯s not like we have anything better in mind¡­¡± I replied and then revealed myself to the kobolds. I had a feeling we¡¯d be in deep shit if the mana crystal exploded, so I was really hoping it would just disintegrate as Audrey said. The dark scars were still up there fighting back the kobolds, and closing off their path to leave the sinkhole. Sadly, they¡¯d die if we died. While we held back the kobolds that encircled us immediately, Audrey shut out everything and focused on the mana around the crystal. I¡¯ve seen a small flash and the red crystal the size of a house was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving behind not even a speck of dust. ¡°You don¡¯t have to run,¡± she laughed, seeing that I was getting ready to charge out. It took five minutes till we cleaned up the room and killed every kobold underground. Whether there was a treasure hidden beneath or inside the crystal was a mystery we¡¯d never find out. But even if there was and we wanted it, there was no better and surer way to go around it and a treasure wasn¡¯t worth our lives. ¡°Master? The kobolds stopped coming up!¡± Sareg reported to Elena. At this level, it was no surprise that her senses reached so far up to the surface. ¡°We destroyed the other crystal which means there should be no more kobolds coming. Certainly, this isn¡¯t something normal humans or even epic ranked creatures could do alone,¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Cor, Jake, and I would have been enough to finish this,¡± Audrey stuck out her tongue. Although she was just joking, that may have been the truth. But they weren¡¯t some common epic ranked creatures either¡­ and most of it was all due to her almost infinite mana, cosmological constant. Nothing was infinite, we could empty an area, so just because we used the mana in the environment, we still had to move around. ¡°Alright, you people hop on. We still have to devour all these bastard kobolds on the surface,¡± I said and then transformed into my dragon form. The others jumped onto my back and after holding tightly to my scales, I took off towards the surface. Thanks to the wind in the hole, it took quite a bit of time reach the top and what welcomed us was a sea of kobolds. But the best thing about it was that their levels decreased to five hundred without the mana crystal, making our jobs rather easy. It took another twenty hours for us to finish off all of them and free the world from these pests. The trench, on the other hand, was completely destroyed and overrun, the forest behind was burning and in tatters, the sea was filled with blood, despite us devouring the bodies, the air had the smell of burnt hair and bodies and the number of humanoid corpses reached millions. Maybe it was a terrifying sight to many, but as for me, I didn¡¯t really care. It wasn¡¯t like I knew either of them and I killed probably just as many this last year. Maybe it was a perk of my race or something, but I didn¡¯t seem to value life too highly¡­ I guess that wasn¡¯t a good thing, though I couldn¡¯t care any less about what was good and what was not in others¡¯ eyes. With the death of the kobolds, a few days of cleaning came. We went around and devoured every dead body on the battlefield and fixed most of the destroyed forests and lands with our magic. It took us two whole days of work without sleep, but at least, we knew that the union lost its forces in the war. In the next few days, we killed the leaders of each leading empire, except for Trinity since the undead helped us. Well, and there wasn¡¯t much to clean up in that kingdom, or community? I wasn¡¯t even sure how to refer to them. Maybe community was a more accurate name for them. Although it¡¯d be nice to break through to the next level, we weren¡¯t in a hurry and spent another half a year finishing what we started. We wiped out every unwanted kingdom or empire and left only people and places we deemed to be worthy of life. Alas, it was time for us to have some fun, level up, and then leave for another part of the universe. The world was big, after all. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 39.2 - Taking it easy --- Elena --- After all that hard work and destruction, we decided to make a camp on the shore of the river that cut Novia Deros, the demon capital city into two halves. The island was filled with palm trees and tall sandhills cut our view from the sight of a huge desert ahead. The weather was hot, the water was warm and we were tired of murder. After learning synthesis, my clothes and armour turned into parts of my body and I had just made my clothes disappear when Dred opened the door to our room and poked in his head, ¡°Elena? What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just changing,¡± I replied as I covered my breasts and my lower half with a bikini. ¡°Aww, it was a great sight. Come out,¡± he muttered and then closed the door. A smile formed on my face since it felt good when he praised my body. I left our hut and found everyone swimming and playing around in the water as if they were kids while others were playing around with water magic and formed water dragons and all kinds of monsters in the air. Liz - the sister of Urnoth and Sareg, a member of the strongest group of dark scars - looked at me before reshaping the water under her control to an exact image of me. I had to say, her control was superb. Although we didn¡¯t get any rewards from the abyss or anyone else, at least, we had got many skill books, spell books, weapons, armours, and herbs with magical effects out of Padinyss¡¯s storage rings. It also had much more space in it than mine, so I filled it with a lot of unnecessary stuff as well. The sunbed was definitely one of them, but I liked sunbathing, so it was worth carrying around. I put it on the shore, close enough to the water to make it possible to soak my legs in it. Since I told Hector about my plans to take it easy and also told him where I¡¯d go, he gave me a wonderful item, called sunglass. With everything that could bother me out of the way, I finally laid down to enjoy my holiday. Sadly, my silence was short lived when Vince, one of the dark scars who was the best at gathering intelligence came up to me. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry for intruding, but the demon kingdom doesn¡¯t allow people to stay on the shore of the Demon River because it¡¯s very important to them. They have some religion related to this matter, but I don¡¯t know the details yet. Before you ask why I know this, it¡¯s because five of the guards of their temple came here, asking us to leave or they¡¯d attack us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I told you not to bother me,¡± I grunted. He knelt down next to me and put his head on the ground, ¡°I apologise, but I¡¯m not sure if I should kill them or something else.¡± Haah- these kids. Is he trying to make me feel bad with all this kneeling? ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, tell them if they want to send away the devourer, then they can expect the downfall of their stupid religion. You can do as you please regarding their lives,¡± I waved my hand and didn¡¯t even bother opening my eyes. ¡°Yes! I swear I¡¯m not going to bother Master anymore!¡± ¡°You could have asked Dred as well,¡± I muttered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find him,¡± he replied. ¡°But he¡¯s right next to me, in his shadow form. Ah, whatever, just go already,¡± I shooed him away. ¡°I can¡¯t help but think that you love bossing around,¡± Dred whispered into my ear when the boy left. ¡°You¡¯re just imagining things and would you stop sexually harassing me?¡± I grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand away since he started to fondle my breasts as soon as he appeared. ¡°When you show your smooth, unblemished, and beautiful skin, with barely anything covering your body, I can¡¯t help but get excited,¡± he whispered and then gave a kiss on my face. ¡°Leave me be. We can do it later,¡± I slapped his hand when he hitched his finger to the top of my bikini and started to pull it down. ¡°Hmm~ Okay. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it,¡± he chuckled and laid down in the sand next to me. It¡¯s finally silent. Despite Dred¡¯s dreams of oiling my body, I wasn¡¯t some simple human and I didn¡¯t need things like sun creams. I spent the next few hours sleeping on my back, on both my sides and finally, my front. I turned my head to the left and opened my eyes, only to see a large sand castle next to me. It even had a ditch around it which was filled up by the water of the river. It was large enough for two people to fit in and stay comfy. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked Dred. ¡°Oh, you woke up? I just started pushing the sand back and forth and the next time I noticed, I found myself building this thing,¡± he laughed and came out of his sand castle. ¡°Hmm? Did you use mana to fortify it?¡± I chuckled. ¡°The sand kept falling down, so¡­¡± he wrung his hands to shake off the sand. ¡°This day was so relaxing, I could get used to it,¡± I sighed. ¡°Mhm, but we can¡¯t keep living here, doing nothing. Not yet,¡± he hung his head and sat down next to me. ¡°What are the others doing?¡± I asked. ¡°They started a small fire where Audrey cooked some delicious food and then they turned it into a large bonfire by using a few of the palm trees nearby,¡± he pointed on my other side. Being too lazy to turn my head, I just smiled, happy to know that they were enjoying themselves. Maybe I was like a Master for them, but as for me, they were a bit like my children. My thoughts were soon interrupted by a sneaking and impatient hand which belonged to none other than Dred. Not minding the others next to the bonfire, only about forty meters away, he grabbed my ass and started playing with it.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Dreeed,¡± I raised my voice. ¡°What? It¡¯s starting to darken already.¡± ¡°...¡± (AN:\ End of the chapter if you aren''t interested in the erotic part. Sorry if you found it boring, but I wanted a lax and lazy stuff to close everything. ) Biting my lower lips, I held in my voice when he snuck his hand into my bikini and took my clit between his fingers. ¡°You can¡¯t be loud or the others will hear,¡± his devilish voice seemed to echo in my left ear, but surely, it was just my imagination. ¡°This round and squishy, soft ass,¡± he grunted as he grabbed my ass again. ¡°My fingers just sink right into it.¡± As he started to caress my thighs and knead my ass, I felt my mind being filled with anticipation and excitement. ¡°Your breathing is heavy, could it be you¡¯ve been waiting for this, after all?¡± he whispered, his deep voice shaking my very being. As I started losing control over my body, my cat tail grew out, a few scales covered my shoulders and my back, my nails grew a bit longer and pointy, and my eyes lit up in a green light. I covered my original traits most of the time, but when Dred played around with me, I always lost control. ¡°Already? Hmm, what happens if I?¡± he muttered as he grabbed the hem of my bikini and pulled it down. I felt the wind brush against my naked lower parts which made me grab the sides of my sunbed reflexively. ¡°Oh, for the abyss¡¯s sake, just how cute can you be?¡± Dred got on my back and embraced me. I felt his hard member pressing against my butt and through his chest that touched my back, his heart beating like crazy. His body was hot and his member was hard. Knowing that he was so excited because of me, I felt excitement well up in me. I turned to the right and saw the others sitting in groups around the bonfire, eating and chatting. Not a single one of them was looking our way, but that could change any moment. Just a moment and we¡¯d be busted. ¡°Why are you panting so much?¡± Dred whispered into my ear. His hands snuck under my front and grabbed my breasts as he added, ¡°Are you excited because you know they could find out any second?¡± ¡°Mhn~ you bastard. Stop pinching my nipples.¡± ¡°You¡¯re cute, you¡¯re cute, Elena, you¡¯re so cute,¡± he kept whispering in my ear while greedily fondling my breasts and rubbing his member against my private parts. His breath turned ragged and unsteady as he started kissing my nape and the back of my head. His tender but rough lips moved up and down on my back and stimulated my body while I tried to hold back my voice. I started to feel better and better as he kept rubbing his member against my pussy. Seeing the backs of my little ¡®servants¡¯ just made it all the more thrilling and exciting. ¡°Ah, Dred, I¡¯m screwed up. I want it, so hurry up,¡± I whispered as I raised my head to welcome his lips. I heard the sound of fabric brushing against skin as he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down his pants. I looked down with hazy eyes, only to see his erect member. ¡°You¡¯re such a beast,¡± I bit my lower lips and clenched my fists in preparation for the incoming feeling. I felt his tip brush against my entrance, teasing every so often until he finally shoved it into me, all in one go. His member disappeared into my body and opened my insides for further pleasure. Although others didn¡¯t know this, anyone but he would die the moment they inserted their members due to the constitution of my body. It turned out my devouring ability was always active and was the strongest inside my pussy. A grin formed on his face as he leaned close to my ear, ¡°I¡¯ll devour you tonight, okay?¡± ¡°Mhh~ please, do,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but beg him as I was trained to do over the years. I knew I¡¯d feel the most pleasure if I did. ¡°Good girl,¡± he put his finger to my lips and spread them apart to insert his finger into my mouth. His other hand resting on the middle of my back, he started moving inside me and stirred up every inch of it. The way his member forced open my folds and rubbed against the top of my walls, filled my mind and body with incredible pleasure. The usual smell of sex spread in the area and combined with the sloshing and squelching sounds reaching my ear, heightened my senses. ¡°Is this because we could be busted any moment? You¡¯re so darned wet, Elena,¡± Dred panted close to my ear while looking at the others from the corner of his eye. I couldn¡¯t help but get even more excited every time he reminded me of it and the fact that I was just laying on my front, completely helpless and vulnerable, excited me even more. Biting the thin blanket under me, I tried to hold back my voice and my moans, but seeing that I¡¯d fail soon, Dred covered my lips with his. ¡°Haah- wait, now I won¡¯t notice if somebody looks here!¡± I shouted in his mind, worried. I planned to use my shadow form to hide if that happened, after all. ¡°It¡¯s just more fun,¡± he forced me back to face him. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re so tight and wet I could burst any second.¡± Imagining his hot sperm flooding my insides, I couldn¡¯t help but start shaking my hips a bit, trying to make him cum sooner. At least, I¡¯d free myself from this dangerous position. ¡°The way you shake your hips back and forth is really sexy, you know?¡± he bit the top of my right ear and gently pulled on it with his teeth and then grabbed my hair and pulled on it. I always felt like a wild animal in heat when he did this, but I couldn¡¯t care any less about it. It just felt great when he pushed me down and pounded me from behind. Gritting my teeth, I realised I wouldn¡¯t hold out for long either. My body felt incredibly hot and stiff all over as the pent up pleasure was about to burst. ¡°Pound me, pound me harder.¡± He sat up and grabbed my ass and I felt his fingers sink into my soft buttocks. If not for lying on my front, he¡¯d definitely play with my breasts instead, but I guess he liked my ass as well. ¡°Now then, since I¡¯m about to cum, shall I?¡± I imagined him grinning when he asked since I knew what he¡¯d do. He grabbed the base of my fluffy tail and slowly moved his hand towards the tip of it where he made a rough, rolling movement around it. I felt a powerful wave of pleasure rush down my tail, up my spine and reach my brain. The muscles in my body stiffened as I came while my pussy pulled him inwards and squeezed every bit of sperm out of his member. I felt my insides being filled with his hot fluid which broke my mind for a moment. It just felt so good. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call for Masters?¡± I heard Vince¡¯s voice and saw him turn his head towards us. I didn¡¯t know how, but my senses were on the edge and the moment his voice reached my ears, I used my shadow form to hide, along with Dred. ¡°Huh? Where are they?¡± ¡°Pfft- don¡¯t mind them, I bet they¡¯re going at it somewhere,¡± Cor stopped behind him and looked towards my sunbed. ¡°How could you talk like that about our masters?¡± Vince turned back with a frown. ¡°Hahaha, you brats dare to talk like that about us as well.¡± They continued to chat while I just felt a sense of warmth fill my whole body. In the meantime, we crept into Dred¡¯s sandcastle and quit our shadow forms. I slumped down on the ground and looked down panting heavily. Dred¡¯s member was getting erect once again as he spread my legs. This time I was in a half-sitting position, so I had more way to move around or even resist him, but my strength failed me. He grabbed my breasts and leaned closer to kiss me. After pulling back out his tongue, he licked my ear and then whispered, ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°C-Can¡¯t I rest a bit more?¡± I looked down with hazy eyes, unsure whether I wanted it or not. But I knew for sure that this beast wouldn¡¯t stop once he put it in. ¡°Hmm~ are you sure?¡± he pinched my clit and my right nipple after inserting just the tip of his member. ¡°You¡¯re so cruel.¡± ¡°But you love it like this,¡± he grinned like an idiot. ¡°Mhm, do it,¡± I leaned forward and hugged him. This night would be long, I was sure of that. Volume 3: Sealed World: Chapter 39.3 - Taking it easy The next morning I woke up in our hut, laying in bed with my dear husband. I heard stuff like marriage was a thing at many places, but here, we just set our relationship to married and that was it. I guess it wasn¡¯t really romantic, but I was more for pleasure than pure romance. I hooked my pinky with his and started to play around until he woke up. ¡°Uh- what are you doing?¡± he put his left hand on his forehead and looked around. ¡°Nothing. We should get out of bed.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s two in the afternoon¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well, we should be allowed to oversleep on our day off,¡± he laughed as he sat up and also pulled off the blanket from me. What an annoying movement. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not like you¡¯d feel cold,¡± he chuckled, seeing me covering myself. ¡°You do realise that I¡¯ve seen you naked countless times.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, this and that are two different things,¡± I covered my body in my clothes and crept out of the bed. I had a simple white dress on with a pair of simple and small, crystal-like earrings. I also used a white rubber ring to tie my hair and let it down on my right shoulder. Turning around, I curtsied in front of Dred, ¡°What does my husband think about my looks? Am I pleasing to your eyes?¡± I smiled at him. ¡°You look like a pure lily, simple and beautiful,¡± he smiled back as he stood up and then gave me a simple kiss. I left our hut and looked around on the shore and found some of the dark scars sleeping on the ground while others bothered to make a few huts. I also came across an interesting sight since Urnoth and the girl he liked laid naked on the ground, quite far away from the group. They probably had a good night together¡­ After covering them with a blanket, I turned around to leave, seeing that everyone let loose. ¡°Uh, an angel?¡± I heard his voice behind my back. Turning back to look at him, I found him squinting his eyes in a half-awake state. It was no wonder considering that my head partly blocked the sun while the rest blinded him. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone called me an angel before. I¡¯m more often called the devil, the satan, the devourer, the murderer, the monster, should I list more of my nicknames?¡± I asked with a smile. My voice probably made him to his senses, so he sat up in a hurry, pulling off the blanket from Rose, his lover. ¡°Look, why can¡¯t you-¡± ¡°M-Master, this isn¡¯t what it seems! We just-!¡± ¡°Firstly, don¡¯t cut into my words. Secondly, I didn¡¯t even want to wake you up, but since you woke up, I¡¯ll congratulate you for getting together with her, after all. Thirdly, why can¡¯t you guys watch out for this ¡®let¡¯s sit up in a hurry¡¯ in the morning? It¡¯s annoying when a cold breeze blows on you all of a sudden,¡± I reprimanded him. ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯ll be more careful,¡± he bowed his head. ¡°Well, take care of her, bye~¡± I turned around to leave. But for some strange reason, I couldn¡¯t find Audrey and Jake anywhere! I wonder why¡­ As I spread my senses, I noticed two presences underground, in the middle of the huge river. They were quite far away, but they were certainly Audrey and Jake. Eh, I won¡¯t go down there for something like this, they¡¯ll just join later on. We agreed with Khax that he¡¯d teach us his soul-related skill and I wanted to take care of that before levelling up. I didn¡¯t want to call him over while those two weren¡¯t here, but Audrey was talented when it came to magic and she could teach Jake later on if need be. I took out the orb of seers and contacted Khax, ¡°Hey, you. Come over to the demon island. We¡¯re on the right side of the city, on the shore. You¡¯ll find us.¡± ¡°Ah, Elena?¡± ¡°Of course, who else could it be?¡± ¡°Are you in a bad mood?¡± he asked after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I¡¯d say the opposite since I¡¯m in a great mood, why?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re just being a bitch.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming anyway,¡± he added and then I cut the connection. I could have remade it, but I had no reason to. ¡­ I should kill this guy one day, but well, I think I sounded bossy even though Khax is someone who has nothing to do with me other than our agreement. Hmm- I should ask Dred later. ¡°I can hear you even now, though. Did you forget that we connected our shadows? Now if you die, I go down as well, but I can also hear your thoughts and you can do so mine,¡± he said in my mind. ¡°Oh, right, you were just so silent I forgot all about it.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think about anything in particular,¡± he replied. I didn¡¯t know such emptiness resides in your head. ¡°Okay, that was rude. That¡¯s not exactly true, I was just testing this bond unlike you. Other people can bond their souls, we can bond our shadows, it¡¯s likely to be a bit different and I managed to shut you out as well. I¡¯ll do it again and you should try to read my thoughts,¡± he said.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°She can¡¯t hear me now, she can¡¯t hear me now,¡± he kept saying in his mind while I used our connection to read his mind. ¡°She can hear you now, she can hear you now,¡± I repeated his words a bit differently. ¡°This means the following things are true when it comes to our Shadow Bond. Generally, we can still shut out each other¡¯s thoughts and not intrude on each other¡¯s privacy - which I¡¯m crapping on and will peek at you when I want to - but if we really want to, we can read each other¡¯s mind all the time and range doesn¡¯t matter. You could be in another universe and I¡¯d still be able to communicate with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fancy and my answer to your remark, I don¡¯t care if you read my thoughts even if you do it all day. I¡¯m pretty sure at this point we know each other enough to know what the other thinks even without this ability,¡± I laughed. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that.¡± While chatting with Dred, I returned to the shore and entered the sandcastle that was still standing tall. Remembering what we did her, I covered my face in shame and used earth magic to make everything disappear. Considering that the smell of sex still lingered around and that the ground seemed to be soaked in our bodily fluids, it was for the best. ¡°Cleaning up? I was about to do it,¡± Dred said as he stopped behind my back and embraced me. I rested the back of my head on his shoulder and grabbed his right horn to pull his face towards mine. After giving him a small kiss, I looked at the river in a bit of a daze. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re shining like the sun,¡± Dred squinted since my white clothes reflected a part of the light right into his eyes. After a bit of time, he was forced to use his mana to enhance his eyes and stop his annoyance which just made me laugh more and more until I couldn¡¯t hold it back. ¡°Yo!¡± Khax stuck out his head between my legs, under my dress. My face froze as I felt a cold breeze and realised that I forgot to form panties as well. Before he could look up, I stepped on his face and pushed him back underground. Clearing my throat, I said, ¡°This amount of time was sufficient.¡± ¡°Haha, okay, silly,¡± Dred let go of me and sat down on my sunbed. Khax crept out of the ground completely this time and sat down next to Dred. ¡°You call me here and then kick me in the face. What an unruly woman! But I see that you¡¯re disciplining him,¡± he said as he looked at Dred and then pointed at a stain on the sunbed. I¡¯ll burn that sunbed and my shame with it. But the same awaits Khax! ¡°Dear, he¡¯s just teasing you since you¡¯re so cute. Now stop interrupting him,¡± Dred soothed and then annoyed me. It was as if his left hand was caressing my face while his right hand was slapping it. I wasn¡¯t that kind of masochist! Seeing that I held back my wrath and only my lips quivered, Khax continued, ¡°The spell I¡¯m going to teach you is called Soul Capture which I mainly use to capture the soul of fallen people¡­ as its name says. So, just common sense. Anyway, with the help of this spell, you can gather souls and devour them to strengthen yourself, but be warned that it could alter your personality and looks. I wouldn¡¯t take many souls of men in your place, for example,¡± he pointed at my face. ¡°Uh¡­ I can see where this is going.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s unwise and not recommended for people other than undead to take souls and devour them since it can affect both the body and the mind. If you gave it to Cor, though, it¡¯d a different matter since undead aren¡¯t affected by the properties of a soul. On a different note, my ability to heal Cor¡¯s soul is due to my years of experience. After seeing, touching, and even eating so many souls in the past, I¡¯ve learned how to do one or two things with them. But I wouldn¡¯t recommend you to go overboard,¡± he explained. ¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± I nodded my head, much more interested in this spell than originally. Even if we could use it only to capture souls for Cor to devour, it¡¯d be a good thing already. We wouldn¡¯t have to hunt for him anymore to make him level up since he isn¡¯t good when it comes to offense. This was likely the most common way for undead to level up other than eating brains. Under Khax¡¯s guidance, we sat down in a meditative position and tried to sense our souls. It was probably very easy for people who were born in a world of cultivation, but it was much harder for us. Our senses were mostly focused on mana and different types of energies, not on our souls. It took us twenty minutes to finally succeed and then we used our ¡®soul force¡¯ as Khax called it, to create a container.
New Skill Acquired: Soul Container
This spell uses a part of your soul to create a container where you can store the soul of other people. The only condition is that the body of the soul must be dead and the soul must be in a ¡®passing¡¯ state. Every soul after death is put in this state automatically and can be revived only by the creator or a few other treasures. The passive state is active only for thirty seconds before the soul disappears. The size of the container will keep growing alongside your soul.
¡°If the container is done, then you¡¯re finished,¡± Khax said, but his explanation was unnecessary since notifications appeared in front of us. ¡°We¡¯ve got it. Thanks for your guidance,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Are the heavens falling? This woman knows how to thank something?¡± he opened his mouth wide in surprise. ¡°You were much nicer when you were just a king we had business with!¡± I gasped. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t joke with the great devourers I didn¡¯t even know,¡± he replied. But seeing his behaviour, he made me remember Cor. He was quite similar compared to Khax, but it changed when he drank Dred¡¯s blood. Having blood servants was indeed a bit sad. It partly killed their characters, even though that was what made many things fun. The diversity of the characters! ¡°Why the long face? Should I have a bite?¡± he leaned closer, but this time Dred pushed his head back. ¡°No, she just had some random breakdown or what,¡± Dred said. ¡°Ah, certainly, you two have your problems. Anyway, shouldn¡¯t you two go already?¡± Khax titled his head to the side. ¡°Well, we should. I¡¯ll miss this planet a bit,¡± I hung my head. ¡°Now, now. Even if the universe will hate you in the future, at least, the people here will still revere and respect you. You can come back here anytime and I dare to say, you can call this planet your home!¡± Khax beat his rib cages, all having a different sound. He¡¯s like a piano. ¡°Don¡¯t say that in public in the future. It will get you killed. Well, maybe not on this planet, but still,¡± I warned him seriously. ¡°I know, you don¡¯t need to worry about my old bones.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you if you stop the bone jokes,¡± I held my forehead. In this last half a year, we met up with Khax many times and he also helped us sort out the remaining kingdoms. He had nothing in it since we devoured the people we killed and he wasn¡¯t there to take the souls within thirty seconds either. He seemed to be interested in my concept of ¡®cleaning up the trash¡¯. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going now, but you should forward a message to Cor. As a Wraith King, he has the ability to unite large hordes of undead in no time. You two could make use of his race in the future. After all, very few races are so strictly reliant on their leader as the undead. Only the legendary creature, Undead God would have higher priority in control than us, Wraith Kings.¡± ¡°And considering how dangerous Undead Gods are, there are very few of them and most of the ones alive are likely to be hunted,¡± Khax explained. To me, it sounds like we¡¯ll be getting allies, I thought as a smile formed on my face. When Khax left, we went back to our huts and told the dark scars who woke up to not let anyone close. It was time to level up and move on! Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 40.1 - The Shadow World Volume 4: Magical Plane The Shadow World --- Elena --- Darkness engulfed the world around me when I opened my eyes. I was sitting in the middle of nothingness where neither sky nor ground could be found. It was complete silence. A bit further away from me, I soon felt a presence appear who was none other than Dred. Neither of us had physical bodies in this realm of shadows. Combinations of black and red threads reached out of my body and moved towards the presences that kept appearing in my realm which belonged to my blood servants and their blood servants. When the thickest thread connected with Dred, I came to be able to sense his servants as well. Although my contract with Dred was a contract of equals, our contracts with our blood servants were split to superior and servants. I was able to feel the locations and presences of my blood servants much stronger than ever before. It felt as if I was the main part of a hive who was able to control everyone other than Dred. Focusing on one of the dark scars, I moved my consciousness towards her. It was Liz, Urnoth¡¯s and Sareg¡¯s sister. As my shady form engulfed hers, I could see the world through her eyes and feel her emotions. ¡°Master?! What is this?¡± she raised her voice in surprise. ¡°It seems to be a new ability. Can you move?¡± I asked. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting because I can move your body as I want,¡± I replied as I waved her hand. Using cosmological constant, I recreated her body and made a few steps in the nothingness to test it. ¡°I can feel my body move, but I can¡¯t move it myself,¡± she said. ¡°It seems like I can override the control over your body if I want to. This could be very useful in the future if we have information to share or if you¡¯re unsure of something,¡± I voiced my thoughts and then withdrew from her body. ¡°Can you still hear me?¡± I tried to contact her through our master-servant contract. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Great, this will make things simpler,¡± I remarked. People had to understand their own souls to some degree, learn the law of space to be able to teleport, and comprehend every basic element. That was the moment one would reach the six hundredth level. This strange place was the realm of my soul, but I could say our souls since the dark scars, my friends and my lover were present as well. There existed in the world something called Soul Bond which did what its name said. But it wasn¡¯t like our blood contract since if either of the bonded people died, all would follow. My shadow bond with Dred was basically the same just a bit looser. And the true difference was that I could bond my shadow with anyone as long as they had my blood and it didn¡¯t have to be equals¡¯ contract like with Dred. I could command everyone to suicide if I wanted, though I wouldn¡¯t do something like that. I felt even the pawns the dark scars took in on their own accord and responsibility. After making a few tests, I realised this realm had an even more terrible use which was that I could kill off anyone beneath my rank with just a thought. Not even killing Audrey would take more than a thought. Although I didn¡¯t intend to do anything of the sort to either of my servants, I understood its usages. But the truth was that it was pointless. My servants didn¡¯t feel pain if they didn¡¯t want to, so torturing would never make them talk. They couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t betray me either, so the only usage of this option was to entertain me in some way. The problem was that I wouldn¡¯t be entertained by my friends¡¯ death¡­ Putting that aside, this shadow realm where my soul and my servants¡¯ souls were gathered seemed to be a pretty useful place. Just the ability to communicate with either of them ignoring the distance between us was amazing and there was the ability to take control of their bodies as well. Thanks to learning Khax¡¯s spell, it was quite easy to explore my soul and thanks to Jake¡¯s knowledge about the void, understanding space wasn¡¯t a big deal either. At these times, it came in handy that we all learned different things and had the ability to share our knowledge. Once we had the knowledge, it didn¡¯t take much to unfold and understand it either. As I reached the six hundredth level, a new specialisation appeared.
Lv Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive, Legendary)
Devourer Stealth Demonology
600 Mana Devouring: This specialisation lets your parasites and bacteria to directly feed off of mana and destruct them. You can either devour a person¡¯s mana or the mana in the world. The effectiveness will increase along with Devour. Absolute Presence: This specialisation lets you to completely hide your presence from all sorts of spells and senses by turning you into mana cells and masking your soul with the power of the Abyss. Devil God: This gives you the ability to turn into a Devil God, another legendary being and inherit all their racial traits, skills, and spells while in that form.
¡°Uh, Dred? Any ideas?¡± ¡°How should I know? All three would be great but imagine the Absolute Presence. It¡¯d make it possible for me to not get noticed until I actually hit my target, just how overpowered is that? With all my initial boosts, it¡¯d be the best option for me, so I think I¡¯ll go with that, after all,¡± while answering, he also made up his mind. And here you were saying ¡®how should I know¡¯, you hypocrite! ¡°As for you¡± - he stopped for a moment before continuing - ¡°Mana Devouring would be very useful since you¡¯d be able to tire out our opponents and with no energy, they have no chance to win against us. But Devil God could be used in schemes and we could also control the demon race as a devil god. It¡¯d be definitely a good choice as well.¡± ¡°You do realise that you aren¡¯t making it any easier,¡± I grumbled. Leaving the shadow world, I opened my eyes and saw the river crossing Novia Deros in front of me. If I had the ability to transform into a Devil God, I could control demons like Jotun even without killing and reviving them. I¡¯d be like Padinyss for the dragons, not to mention that they surely have powerful racial skills and traits. Seeing that Dred opened his eyes as well, I asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you reconsider your decision?¡± ¡°I could but¡­ think about it. I could one-shot most people on the spot and even if our opponent was a legendary being, I could cause a lethal or at least, a serious wound,¡± he sighed. All of these options had their uses, but I still felt that specialising in something so selfish would be wrong. We weren¡¯t lacking in destructive power and I was sure that Audrey had good things as well, though I had yet to see her options. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s see what the others have got and decided only after,¡± I said. ¡°I agree with that!¡± Audrey shouted as she walked closer to us, followed by the others. ¡°As your supporter from the back, I was sure that I¡¯d have to focus on my attack power while Jake would mostly cover me. Cor was there for you guys and it¡¯s not like you¡¯re weak when it comes to defense either. That being the case, I¡¯ve already selected my specialisation.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Jake said. ¡°Me too,¡± Cor also nodded. ¡°Well, then show me what you¡¯ve got so we could pick accordingly,¡± I turned around and said. Three tables appeared in front of me, each with a name.
Name: Audrey Frost Specialisation: Mystic
Dark Flow: This spell lets you break a hole in space at any location. The matter beyond space can engulf and destruct anyone instantly, even the caster. This spell doesn¡¯t have mastery, but the more mana you use, the bigger the hole will be.
Name: Jake Hughes Specialisation: Void MasterThe tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Voidwalker: With the help of this specialisation, you can blink short ranges even if space is locked with a cooldown of twenty seconds. If space lock isn¡¯t active you can use blink without stop and the range is going to increase significantly.
Name: Cor Specialisation: Shell
Cover: This is an improved version of Shell which lets you cast it on numerous targets, up to one hundred. This shell is going to raise physical and magical resistance by twenty percent while active.
All of these were amazing, though Cor¡¯s twenty percent of additional resistance sounded ridiculous. No wonder the kobolds couldn¡¯t even damage him and although our resistance wouldn¡¯t be as high as his even with shell, it¡¯d definitely help us in the future. Jake had the possibility to go back and forth and help where he was needed with his current specialisation while Audrey selected one of the most destructive spells. Space lock was a commonly used spell in battles which made it unable for you or your opponent to teleport. After understanding the most common law of space, all of us learned it as well. If she finally focused on Secrets of Time and learned time magic, she could become a very dangerous foe, even if faced with us. Well, not counting our shadow bond, of course. ¡°Well, with that much destructive force, I don¡¯t feel the need to pick Absolute Presence. We could use the Devil God for numerous things, so I¡¯m going to pick that, for the greater good,¡± Dred said as he finished reading their picks. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go for Mana Devouring,¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Happy now? You won,¡± he laughed. ¡°Yep! I¡¯m happy with this. It would have made you much stronger, but most of the time we aren¡¯t fighting against small groups or a single person. And if all five of us can get together, I¡¯m sure that neither of the legendary creatures would be able to put up a fight against us. Especially if you can control other demons to help us. Then there would be the undead following Cor, and you could also summon demons. Oh, and let¡¯s not forget about Ekrok and the hive. I can fuck up many minds at the same time,¡± I winked at him. ¡°Alright,¡± Dred stood up and transformed into a Devil God all of a sudden. He looked similar compared to Padinyss¡¯s humanoid form. He too had layered scales covering his body, but his tail was hairy and the green parts between the scales were red. His eyes also changed to red and his claws grew longer and ten horns grew out of his forehead, forming a fancy crown above his head. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m partly a vampire as well, it seems,¡± he muttered while looking at his own body. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Because I can feel it. Drinking blood would heal me for sure, but I don¡¯t have anything against sunlight. Well, it¡¯d be stupid if a legendary creature had such weaknesses,¡± he made a smug face. I realised only at that time that he also grew taller and reached a height of three meters. But despite his height, his agility didn¡¯t decrease. ¡°Cor, could you cast Cover on Dred?¡± I asked. Nodding his head, he put his hand on Dred¡¯s shoulder and a thick shell formed around his body, covering him from head to toe. Clenching my fists, with the strength to crush even a mountain, I punched Dred in the stomach. A loud bang reverberated in the area as my fist hit the shell and made it crack. But Dred was standing there as if nothing happened. I was sure that a weapon could still damage him, but it likely wouldn¡¯t do much on the first hit and if Cor fixed it, he could take on many attacks without taking any damage. And seeing his robust body built up from thick muscles, bones, scales, and the other unimportant stuff, I was sure that he had a lot of power at his disposal. He had short and black hair, a handsome face and his eyes could be either green or red, depending on what he wanted. ¡°Let¡¯s see, a Demon God has two racial skills, the first being Madness which increases my physical strength and wisdom by ten percent, and the second being Sacrifice which means that I burn my divine blood to raise all my stats by another twenty percent. This lasts as long as I don¡¯t run out of blood and die. Unless I cancel it, of course,¡± Dred explained his new abilities. Other than that, he surely had the usual stuff like my Dragon¡¯s Claws, Dragon¡¯s Wings and the usual stuff, all named after parts of his body. After asking it, he confirmed my thoughts. The only interesting one was Devil¡¯s Eye which would damage his target¡¯s soul over time. We had all sorts of periodic attacks while Audrey and Jake went straight for the kills with their abilities. I was pretty satisfied with the composition of our team. ¡°Oh, but this isn¡¯t my true form,¡± Dred remarked. I wasn¡¯t surprised since even I knew that every legendary creature other than us had three forms, the first being human form, the second a battle form which was humanoid, and the third being their true form. Dred was still in his battle form. As he finished talking, his humanoid face turned into something like an undead¡¯s, though he had some skin left on his face. His hair burnt down to the base and his head caught on fire, along with his wrists and ankles. It was a rather strange sight. The tip of his tail took up the shape of a trident and the fur disappeared from his tail as well, leaving behind a hard, leathery touch to it. A shell similar to Cor¡¯s covered his whole body, raising his resistances significantly. I compared his stats with mine and had to realise that theoretically, he was stronger than me in every aspect due to his boosts. And he didn¡¯t even use Sacrifice, though Madness was active passively. After hiding hive mind and fiddling around a bit with my table, I took a final look at it.
Name: Elena Syracia Race: Progenitor Shadow (Legendary)
Level: 600 EXP: 0 / 8 400 000
Class: ShadowMoor (Exclusive) Specialization: Devourer
(1) Health: 547 165 / 547 165 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: The Only One; Pathfinder; Blood Drinker, Bane of Minds, Legend
(1)Strength: 108 100 (1)Vitality: 109 433
(1)Agility: 107 389 Will: 100
(1)Intelligence: 105 208 (1)Wisdom: 110 000
Elemental Magic: Common Elements (Mastered) Cosmological Constant (Mastered) Eon (Mastered) Drip Element (Mastered) Void Lv. 37 (1%); Resistances: (1)Magical: 110 000 (+22 000) (20%) (1)Physical: 54 050 (+10 810) (20%) Passive: (1) Stamina: 574 165 (1) Precision: 536 945
Skills/Spells: Mana Control (Mastered) Stealth (Mastered) Necromancy (Mastered) Gravity Lv. 97(95%) Dragon Skills Space Lock Soul Container Racial Skills: Devour Lv. 98 (50%) (+Active Skill) Passive Skills: Ambush (Mastered) Demon (Mastered) Shadow Bacteria (Mastered) Allegiance Lv.100 (5% Bonus) Symbiosis (Mastered)
Whenever I thought about how the (1) meant that the stat should be multiplied by ten thousand to get the real value, I understood that it was important. It¡¯d be a bother to check my stats if there were many zeros in the end. From the six hundredth level onwards, we¡¯d have to train enough to get our current strength for every ten levels, meaning that at the seven hundredth level, we¡¯d be ten times as powerful as right now. This made the difference in levels quite a bother since if we became careless and attacked someone ten levels higher than us, we¡¯d likely have a hard time or we¡¯d lose outright. The only good points were that we had devour, we had a team, and we could work together to bring down even the most powerful foes. Still, I understood that it was for the best if we were careful and revealing our true race to anyone wouldn¡¯t do any good either. I¡¯ve got my new ¡®Legend¡¯ title for killing a legendary creature and it decreased Legendary creatures¡¯ disdain of the lower races by ten percent. It sounded stupid, but many of the legendary creatures despised the other races, so it could be useful if I had to negotiate with some of them. Thinking about my plans for the future, I turned towards my servants, ¡°Guys, listen to me for a moment.¡± Hearing me raise my voice, everyone turned silent and stopped chatting about their new abilities and whatnot. ¡°As you¡¯ve probably noticed, it took much more time to reach the six hundredth level due to it having many requirements. You must all understand that the difference even a single level could make from here on out is simply insane. Although we can deal with much stronger opponents, as a group, while alone, you should never engage in a battle against someone who¡¯s stronger than you.¡± ¡°On a different note, this planet was sealed, there was no way for the talented people to advance past the threshold, making it impossible for this planet to produce real opponents for us. We had our fair share of troubles, but thanks to this last one and half a year, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ve got a lot of experience as to how to infiltrate places and gather information without our opponents¡¯ notice. Since we¡¯re likely to meet much stronger foes, even at the level of Padinyss from now on, I advise you to be cautious and never, I repeat never reveal anything about your races. The longer it takes for normal races to find out about our existence, the better it is for us.¡± ¡°Once we¡¯re found out, a shit storm would definitely fall, so try to avoid being found out by all means. Now that we have the ability to fly, teleport, or even travel in space, we¡¯re going to leave this planet behind and wander off to a different world. I know that most of you have grown up here, so if you have any attachments or desires you wish to fulfil here, then please come forward and let me know. I¡¯ll give you all a month as a limit, so make sure to finish everything you wanted at that time.¡± ¡°Since some of the pawns haven¡¯t reached the six hundredth level yet, in this month, we¡¯re also going to help them to get to that level and then we¡¯re going to leave. Thanks to my heightened senses, I could sense a new world which is going to be our next destination.¡± Seeing that they were all standing in silence, I said, ¡°About your wishes, if you have any, you don¡¯t have to share with me what it is if you don¡¯t want to, just tell me if you have any.¡± Silence. ¡°Do you really not have any wishes or something to do here? You grew up here¡­¡± I raised my brows, but all of them shook their heads. ¡°Master, I¡¯m pretty sure that we killed everyone we had a grudge against and the people we took a liking to have had become our friends and your pawns. We also learned all kinds of professions and trained them to the best of our abilities and knowledge, so I don¡¯t think either of us has anything to do here,¡± Sareg stepped forward and said. ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel. Then let¡¯s get everyone to the six hundredth level and then leave this place!¡± I shouted in a good mood and the others followed in tow. It took only four days to make everyone get to our level. Before leaving, I took back the memories of every person I kept alive with necromancy since quite a lot of people piled up over the year. But I had no use for them anymore. It was their punishment, but at least, I didn¡¯t devour those people and destroyed their souls. If I killed somebody, they¡¯d reincarnate and start over from scratch, but if I devoured someone, their souls would be lost for all eternity. I came to know this only recently which just showed that I still had one or two things to learn about devour. Did I feel sorry for all the souls I devoured? I never did. I was no human, after all. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 40.2 - The Shadow World ¡°You shall become my son¡¯s concubine!¡± the fat man shouted at me. ¡°Why me? How old is he?¡± I asked as I leaned back in surprise and turned to look around. I came here to infiltrate this noble family, called the Greywing family. I was about to sign the contract to become a maid in the mansion for a small amount of money which would be enough for low-skilled people, only to get noticed by the lord of the household. He came out of nowhere and told me something like that, of course, I became enraged, but thanks to Master¡¯s teachings, I managed to hold in my wrath. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to accidentally knock up some lowly maid, but your talent is good enough, so even if an accident happens, it¡¯d be fine. As the young lord, he should be experienced in all sorts of things! Oh, and he¡¯s twelve years old,¡± he replied while rubbing his round stomach. The hell? That¡¯s gross. What kind of father is this man? But he¡¯s too strong. What should I do? Master, can you hear me? ¡°Liz? What is the problem,¡± Master Elena answered my prayers. ¡°There is a problem with the Greywing family I was sent to investigate. The youngest son barely hit puberty and his father wants to turn me into a concubine for the boy. I¡¯d very much like to avoid that fate.¡± After a bit of silence, I felt my master¡¯s presence come over through the soul realm and take control of my body. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± my lips moved unwillingly. If I was still in control of my body, my lips would have definitely quivered after hearing my master¡¯s decision. I understood that we couldn¡¯t afford to make an enemy out of this noble, but it still hurt me. M-Master¡­ did I do something wrong? Is there really no other way? ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± I understand. If that¡¯s what master desires. ¡°No, you won¡¯t do anything like that,¡± her words hit my mind like a thunder. Happiness flooded my mind as I realised she never thought of sacrificing me. She still found me useful, that was all that mattered to me! ¡°I want to slap you now, Liz. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve told you countless times to stop thinking of those kinds of things. It¡¯s a real bother sometimes that neither of you can resist my blood and think a bit more clearly,¡± she sighed in my mind with a sad voice. I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see this brat. We could use him as a hostage or we could tame him. Since he¡¯s so young, we might as well make use of his background and that idiot of a father. Worry not, you won¡¯t have to lay with him. I¡¯ll alter the boy¡¯s memories. At that age, he¡¯s surely weak which means I can take full control of him,¡± Master explained. Understood. ¡°Great! What a wise woman you are!¡± he put his fat hand on my face and brushed my blonde hair to the side. ¡°Your eyes are so beautiful blue like the Ops river, I¡¯ve taken a fancy to you,¡± he smiled at me, but I felt disgusted to my very core. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of Master¡¯s blood and her hate for these kinds of people or because of my own emotions since she was in control of my body, but I hated this man for sure. ¡°I shall serve the young master, Lord Greywing,¡± I bowed in front of him. ¡°Hmm- it¡¯s a bit of a waste to let go of a beauty like you, but my son needs a woman like you to accompany him at nighttime. Come, I¡¯ll lead you to his room, of course, since you were so obedient, I¡¯ll take care of your wellbeing and expenses. Do you have a family? I¡¯ll send them some money in turn for your services!¡± the fat man put his filthy hands on my back. Clenching my fists, I held back my rage and was about to follow him when I heard the scream of a woman, who was dragged into the hallway through a doorway and into another room only a few steps away. What caught my eyes was that the woman was a knife-ear, an elven woman. My Master liked to refer them as such, so I picked up her habit. My master was the best. I couldn¡¯t wait for the moment she took this fat pig down and butchered him, and I¡¯d be even happier if I could do it myself. ¡°I¡¯m still here, you know?¡± ¡°Eh? Master, you haven¡¯t left?¡± I felt a bit afraid of being punished, even though she¡¯s never hurt us. I was afraid to lose her love and care for me, she could hit me all she wanted if it made her happy. ¡°...¡± ¡°Master?¡± ¡°It seems like I¡¯ll have to hit you kids since you keep thinking silly stuff. You¡¯re all important to me, so stop thinking of these kinds of things. Anyway, I¡¯ll stay around for a bit longer and see what happens. If necessary, I¡¯ll descend in your body.¡± ¡°Y-YES!¡± I felt excited to hear her words. Although Master didn¡¯t know this, everyone in the ranks of the dark scars was excited and felt proud and happy if either of our masters descended in our bodies. At first, we thought that the only usage of the shadow world was that our masters could take control of our bodies, communicate with us, or see the things we¡¯ve seen. But after coming to this world called Ketarn, we¡¯ve found out that it had even more usages. We had yet to find out every use this shadow world had. It was our masters¡¯ combined soul realm, so it surely had more secrets! If Master really descended upon me, I¡¯d feel insanely happy and proud of myself. Hail the god and goddess of devouring! ¡°...¡± Master, I feel that you must be covering your face with your hand. ¡°H-How did you know?¡± she asked startled. ¡°Can you see backwards through our bond?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. No¡­ I just know you. ¡°Whatever, focus on your surroundings instead of thinking of bullshit!¡± she yelled at me. Her voice was so gentle and lovely even while she was shouting. I loved her voice even if I was being yelled at! ¡°Uh-¡± Master? ¡°Nothing.¡± The fat pig led me through the hallway and kept talking about the background and history of his pig family and his pig of a son and the pigs on the picture. They were all just pigs ready to be slaughtered in my eyes. This lowly human had the face to request me to become his child¡¯s concubine. What kind of man was this? If I laid my hands on a kid at that age, I¡¯d be labelled a pedophile and how could I get attracted to some kid? This man was insane! ¡°And since our ancestor saved the gryphon¡¯s life, he made bonds with a clear-blooded divine beast! They made a contract of equals and shared each other¡¯s blood. Our ancestor had the blood of a first-rank gryphon in his blood and we¡¯ve been born with gryphon feathers for generations! As you can see, I have a few feathers on my arms and I also have them on my back, but I have great hopes for my son. He has much more gryphon feathers and he might be able to grow a wing once he grows older! What do you think?¡± he turned around to look at me, showing me his disgusting pig face. Holding down the contents of my stomach, I smiled at him, ¡°The Lord¡¯s family has a majestic background! I¡¯m very happy to serve the young master of a family like that!¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ve really taken a fancy to you! Most women scream and shout like pigs when I force them to serve a great lord like me. Stupid women, they should just obediently spread their legs,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Hmm- won¡¯t my son become too soft with women if he has a gentle maid like you serve him? Maybe I should move you to my room after all,¡± a filthy grin formed on his face. ¡°Lord Jareg, if I may be so presumptuous to request this, I¡¯d like to help the young master become a fine man. Fear not, I¡¯ll scream and shout in pain and fear if necessary, my acting skills are pretty good.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Don¡¯t be too rash, Liz,¡± Master warned me. Did I reveal too much? ¡°It should be fine, but don¡¯t mention acting skills to him ever again. He shouldn¡¯t get suspicious of you for a while. We can¡¯t make him into our enemy just yet.¡± I understand. ¡°Hmm? Alright. Believe it or not, a woman can train a young boy to become a dominant and oppressive person! The heir of the Greywing family should be that kind of person! I hope that you can train him to be a fine man while I take care of his training and education!¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled at him. He stopped in front of a simple wooden door and opened it for me. What a gentle pig he was¡­ There was a half-naked boy sitting in the middle of his bed with his legs crossed. A dim ray of light radiated around his body and lit up the dark room since the curtains were closed. On the right side of the bed was a drawer and in the corner on the left of the door was a wardrobe. There was a smaller bookshelf on the right of the door and the last piece of furniture was the large bed in front of the door. It even had curtains which could be closed if the kid wanted to hide or something like that. Maybe to not get spotted in the middle of sex. Despite coming here for that, I was sure I¡¯d never touch this kid since Master didn¡¯t command me to, thankfully. It¡¯d have been a terrible fate. ¡°Why is the young miss shuddering?¡± the pig put his filthy hands on my shoulder. ¡°I was just amazed by how beautiful your child was. His feathers are very beautiful,¡± I gasped and held back my killing intent. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s going to die in the future, but for now, we can still use him. Walk towards the kid while introducing yourself and bow in front of him if his father still stays around. If not, make him your pawn, but be careful, I¡¯m sure there are experts watching over the kid. A noble like this wouldn¡¯t leave his kid unguarded. Just a single shout from the kid and you¡¯d be dead for sure,¡± Master said. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m being called by someone else and Dred is busy. Please, be very careful. I¡¯ll come back soon,¡± those were my Master¡¯s last words before I felt her presence disappear. I was so happy to have her around yet it has come to an end. But if I perform well enough, maybe I could ask for a hug! Wait, but she has hugged me many times before. Would she hug me if I asked her even without doing anything? I wonder. I must try it later! I took a step towards the bed and curtsied as I introduced myself, ¡°Young Lord of the glorious Greywing family. I¡¯ve come to serve you and take care of all your needs. Please call me Liz or as you see fit.¡± ¡°You have some backbone to request him to call you by your name, hehe. I like your kind! Good! Very good! I shall take my leave,¡± the fat pig turned around to leave, but he stopped for another word in the door, ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t try anything funny. There are things worse than death.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt the young master,¡± I said with a serious face this time. ¡°He¡¯s worthy to serve, I believe.¡± Nodding his head, the pig closed the door, dirtying the handle, and left me ¡®alone¡¯ with the young master. Although I was weaker than him and the person hiding in the corner, I was a kin of Master, how could a mere shadow elemental user hide from my senses? Since he¡¯s here and on alert, I should do everything discreetly. ¡°Does the young master wish to drink anything?¡± I asked, seeing the brat open his eyes. He hasn¡¯t done anything wrong yet, so I didn¡¯t put him on my to-kill list. ¡°What a beautiful sister! My name is Skeiron! Skeiron Greywing!¡± he jumped off of his bed and ran up to me. Seeing his body, I somehow remembered the time when I was still just a useless kid in the slums and the only one getting food was Sareg, my big brother. Whether I felt this way because of Master¡¯s blood or not, I didn¡¯t know, but I was happy to serve Master with my whole being and leave behind that life of suffering, hunger, and weakness. Now I have enough power to crush those at the same level as me, well, most of the people, at least. I understood I was far from Master¡¯s level and that there were many strange people and strong bloodlines, but I wasn¡¯t one to trifle with either and that was all thanks to Master! She sent Miss Audrey and the others to find us, even if she didn¡¯t do it herself, I¡¯ll be eternally grateful! ¡°Liz, right? Why are you spacing out, big sister?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just remembered my childhood for a moment,¡± I smiled at him. The brat looked up at me with shining eyes, visibly liking me. Hmm- if he took a liking to me so easily, he should be easy to control. This must be because of Master¡¯s aura. People trust our kind more easily and thanks to mastering Ambush, their alert is lowered since we can hide every emotion perfectly. I can¡¯t fail with conditions like these! ¡°Your childhood? What was it like?¡± he asked. I gently put my hand on his shoulder and led him towards the door, ¡°While you show me around, I¡¯ll tell you about it. I¡¯m new here, after all.¡± As I stepped over the doorstep, I heard a whisper in my ear, ¡°You have three days to make him a man or you¡¯ll count useless. At that time, the Lord will enjoy you to the utmost and then I¡¯ll get to have some fun with you, so you better do your job.¡± ¡°My~ Skeiron, your family has a wonderful history, but some people are so impatient. Are you as well? I suppose you know why I¡¯m here, right?¡± Looking down with a red face, he nodded, ¡°Big Sis, I don¡¯t want to force you and I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± ¡°Thank you, then could you show me around?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Tsk. Teach him the pleasure he could feel and show him how much better it gets if he¡¯s doing what he wants. The Lord has been raised like that as well and he turned into a true, dominating Lord!¡± the same voice whispered in my ear. I was hiding most of my strength and this guy didn¡¯t know that I was about as strong as him. And since I wasn¡¯t some shitty gryphon or human, I¡¯d definitely have the ability to take him out. It was only a question of time before I¡¯d get to control this place from the inside. I was looking forward to having my own playground! Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 40.3 - The Shadow World While Skeiron showed me around the mansion, we also visited the conference room where laid a large table with a map of Ketarn on it. (AN:\\https://i.imgur.com/ZLyLDpO.png full-size picture. I¡¯m sorry in advance for all those who threw up after seeing this terrible ¡®art¡¯, (don¡¯t die because I called this art, nooo!). Anyway, I know it¡¯s a crappy map, but it gets the point across, I believe. You may want to save it or memorise it since I won¡¯t keep posting it every time they go to a place, but I¡¯ll describe the path if that helps.) Spoiler: Map When we left behind Dink and Dunk, we also looted that third planet, Sealu. There were quite a lot of good things in there, but most of them are in Master¡¯s hands since it¡¯s the safest there. Not that I cared about wealth. As long as I had enough for a living, I was very content with it. We teleported through space for a whole day when we reached the northern part of this land. This was a very strange plane since it wasn¡¯t a planet. It was just a huge piece of land floating in the middle of space with a barrier all around it. Although looking at this map people would think that this land wasn¡¯t that big, each white dot around the land meant a star. Just travelling through this land alone would take us weeks or even months, even if we teleported hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Seeing the map, I realised that we came to this land through the Wasteland and flew over that huge mountain range which spanned hundreds of kilometers. There were many great rivers and lakes filled with beasts even stronger than us, but we came here nonetheless. Considering the direction we took and that Master mentioned that she could sense the presence of an Abyss Gate, we must be in the capital city of Trigon Kingdom. Hmm, so it¡¯s westwards from my current location. We should be able to make some allies in the Demon Burrows and the Skeleton Hill. I¡¯ve mostly seen beastmen, ogres, and humans in the capital city, so I guess why ¡®Tri¡¯ isn¡¯t there for a show in the name of the Kingdom. Do they have three kings or something of the sort? I wonder. Well, I¡¯ll have to investigate this later. Maybe this brat knows the basics. Let¡¯s see, there are elves here as well and they seem to have a large territory and then there are the nagas, a Bear God? So there is another legendary creature. Let¡¯s see, what else. That Dragon Lake is suspicious as well, but we¡¯re in the same universe. There shouldn¡¯t be any more Dragon Gods. It¡¯s probably a strong divine beast. Oh, and dwarves. They¡¯re proud craftsman based on hearsays, but we haven¡¯t met any. Master should judge them later. Master will be happy when she sees this! But I¡¯m a bit concerned about this huge land. The Abyss Gate is close to the center of the land and the edges were continuously falling apart at the Wasteland. But even this map shows that the broken parts are much deeper in the land and there wasn¡¯t much mana in the area either. This map is great, I¡¯ve got a lot of information out of it! I should copy it with my soul force and send it to Master. Although I observed the map thoroughly, to the kid, it was but a moment in time before I passed it and kept walking next to him. After reaching the six hundredth level, I¡¯ve learned to use my soul to do a few extra things and my mind has also become much quicker than before. A second was enough for me to read an entire book with thousands of pages if the words were on the same page, though that would be unnecessary since I had devour and my soul force as well. My perception wasn¡¯t something the old me could have understood. The me who was just a kid on the streets. Hail Master! ¡°Girl, I come back to hear this. Is my timing bad or what?¡± Master¡¯s voice and presence returned. I felt as if I was a kid who saw a rainbow after the rain. I was truly obsessed with Master, I couldn¡¯t deny my love for her, but so were the others! ¡°This map you sent is amazing! And you already went ahead and analyzed it, less work for me to do. But I¡¯ll fill you in on something. The Abyss Gate is basically a gigantic mass of mana and spatial energy which connects the worlds, the universes to the Anchor, or its other name, the Abyss. Creating a huge land like this isn¡¯t a hard thing to do for someone at or above the eight hundredth level, but maintaining it and keeping it in one piece in this shape would take more effort than worth.¡± ¡°They¡¯d rather create a huge planet instead and it¡¯d keep itself together. This Ketarn is probably using the power of the Abyss Gate to somehow keep this land together. This means that there must be a huge formation around it which keeps the land together and creates the barrier and atmosphere around it. The kings of these kingdoms are definitely above the eight hundredth or even nine hundredth level! We¡¯re still far from that sort of power, so we better be cautious. If I get caught and killed, you¡¯ll all go down as well and that¡¯s not something I wish to see. I¡¯ll watch over you until you make this kid a pawn, just in case.¡± Hearing my Master¡¯s caring voice, I felt like tearing up, but I couldn¡¯t start crying in front of a kid out of nowhere. And there was that shitty guard as well. Master, I¡¯ll definitely do my best. Once I return, I¡¯ll have a request! ¡°What could it be? I¡¯ll help you if I can get it for you.¡± It¡¯s not a material. I want your hug! ¡°Eh? I¡¯ll hug you anytime, though. Come back safe today~¡± she replied in a playful mood. Hearing that she¡¯d grant my wish, I felt extremely motivated! Hahaha! Just how jealous my brothers will be! And the other girls, I can¡¯t wait! ¡°I can hear you¡­¡± I know! ¡°By the way, these things are just blown out of proportion¡­ That Dragon Lake is called a lake yet it¡¯s bigger than the entirety of Dink! Its area is bigger than that of a planet, how is that still a lake?¡± Master, I don¡¯t think you should question the common sense of people who grew up here. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry for interrupting you. Focus on the kid and the guard.¡± Yes!If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Skeiron showed me around and I¡¯ve got to know every corner of the mansion. While standing in the kitchen, I poured two bottles of strawberry juice to us and since the guard was behind me in the corner and Skeiron was waiting as well, I cut my finger and poured my blood into both glasses. I used water magic to heal that shallow wound and turned around holding both glasses. ¡°Shall we go back to your room to drink this?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, sis! Let¡¯s go!¡± Maybe he looked innocent and simple right now, but if he got his education from his pig father, he¡¯d definitely become trash we would have to kill. He should be happy that he could receive Master¡¯s blood and become one of us, even if he¡¯d be nothing but a pawn. Some of them are truly worthy of my respect. As we reached the kid¡¯s room, I sat down on the side of the bed and gave one bottle to the boy. ¡°Let¡¯s down it! The slower is the loser!¡± I said with enthusiasm. Being an energetic kid, he naturally took the challenge and downed it all at the same time I did. I took the glass from him and put it on the top of his drawer while the boy raised his hand to his mouth and yawned. ¡°Why am I so sleepy all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Are you? Did all that walking tire you out?¡± I tilted my head to the side. ¡°Yes, it seems. Liz, I¡¯ll take a nap,¡± he laid down on the bed. ¡°But this sleepiness feels so vile,¡± he muttered. Leaning closer to him, I put my forehead on his and gazed into his eyes. I subtly used some of my soul force to make his mind go hazy as I whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing. Big sis will make you see the world differently, you¡¯re going to love it. Accept everything that this dream brings with it and you shall see the world the way I do, my Master does, and my friends and comrades do. You¡¯ll see it all.¡± ¡°O--kay,¡± his voice slowly faded as he fell asleep. ¡°What were you whispering to him?¡± this time the man came out from the shadow. He had four feathers on his shoulders and was half-naked. ¡°I just told him a quick tale and wished him good night!¡± I raised my hands and waved my arms. The guard walked closer, grabbed my arm and pushed me to the side. He put his finger on the kid¡¯s forehead and after a few seconds of silence, he nodded his head. ¡°He¡¯s really just sleeping. Good. Remember the Lord¡¯s words, there are things much worse than death! Even if you¡¯re a slut who loves sex, we could still torture you, kill your loved ones, and many other things. Show him the beauty of a woman¡¯s body,¡± he said as he grabbed my chin and stopped his ugly face only a few centimeters away. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to warm up while the kid is still sleeping?¡± ¡°Fufu~ am I that attractive to you?¡± I whispered into his ear. ¡°Round tits, a fine ass and a beautiful face! What else could I ask for? You¡¯re a fine woman indeed!¡± I blew air in his ear while I slowly coiled my arm around his waist, ¡°I find this mister very attractive as well.¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re a slut as I thought, but keep your voice down or the young master will notice.¡± ¡°As you wish, I¡¯ll keep your voice down,¡± I gazed into his eyes as I put my left hand over his mouth and I thrust my right hand through his back, into his heart. I used inner-devour on my hand and with nothing to protect him from the insides, the man turned into a rotten corpse in the blink of an eye. After devouring the last bits of his body, not even a trace of his existence was left. ¡°You felt good,¡± I moaned as I turned around and walked up to the brat¡¯s bed. A few black stripes appeared on his navel and his body grew older by a year, though he was still just a brat. ¡°Good, great job. I can feel the connection being established. With this, we have the heir of a noble under our control without anyone knowing. A few of the dark scars also had the luck to meet young masters, but they aren¡¯t at a phase where they could do something like this. It¡¯ll take more time for them, so your success will come in handy. Your brother will be surely happy for you when he hears of this.¡± Ah! No way! He¡¯ll be super jealous when he sees you hug me. Please, Master, this is the only reward I need. Please, hug me in front of the others! I want to see their faces. ¡°You¡¯re an evil brat, aren¡¯t you?¡± Master laughed in my mind. ¡°But okay.¡± Thank you! Since the kid had good potential anyway and he received only a tiny bit of Master¡¯s blood, he didn¡¯t go through a big evolution and woke up. ¡°Uh, all this knowledge. But what about the guard? Did you kill him?¡± he sat up and looked around. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea already, don¡¯t worry about that. Master Elena is present as well,¡± I remarked. Skeiron¡¯s ears twitched before he jumped up and knelt on the ground, ¡°This servant greets the goddess!¡± Good boy, I thought while Master took control of my body and pulled the boy to his feet. ¡°There is no need for that. From now on, you shall continue to stay here as the son of Jareg Greywing, a noble of Trigon. Make sure to use your authority if Liz gets in trouble and don¡¯t let your father touch her. He wanted you to be a strong-willed and self-confident person, so behave accordingly. Liz is going to be your boss from now on since you¡¯re her blood servant. Make sure to obey her commands,¡± Master said. ¡°That¡¯s only natural,¡± Skeiron nodded his head. After Master gave back the control of my body, I told my plans to Skeiron. I changed my long dress into a short skirt and a top and pulled off the left shoulder straps and then laid down on the bed with Skeiron kneeling next to me. ¡°Go on,¡± I said. ¡°FATHER! HELP ME!¡± Skeiron shouted at the top of his lungs while I used wind magic to break in the window and make a cut in the wall. The fat pig appeared in the room and glared at me. ¡°What have you done, bitch?!¡± ¡°No, Father! It¡¯s not her! It was that guard!¡± ¡°What?!¡± he looked around and realised that the guard was nowhere to be seen and noticed the marks of a short ¡®battle¡¯ as well. ¡°What happened, my son? Are you alright?!¡± he shouted as he ran up to the bed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alright thanks to Liz! We¡¯ve just finished-¡± his face turned a little red as he stopped midway. ¡°A-Anyway, that bastard guard wanted to take my woman!¡± The man clenched his fists and I felt a huge wave of soul force sweep through the city, but of course, he couldn¡¯t find the guard. ¡°Lord, he teleported away. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s going to flee to another planet or another place. The chances of catching him should be slim,¡± I fixed my attire and said while slightly bowing. ¡°Curse that bastard! You come with me and tell me about the details!¡± he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the bed. ¡°Father, don¡¯t hurt my woman!¡± Skeiron was about to stop him when I used the Shadow World to tell him to stop. ¡°It should be fine for now. Master will contact you in case I need help.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The pig raised his brows and looked at me with interest. He let go of my hand and told me to follow him. As we left the room and I closed the door behind me, he turned towards me and said, ¡°My son already calls you his. How did you achieve that? You work fast,¡± he patted my shoulder. Ah, I¡¯ll have to take a long bath once I return to Master¡¯s side, I can¡¯t take this plague with me. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a plague,¡± Master laughed in my mind. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Lord Jareg. You wished to hear the details, right? After Skeiron turned into an adult, he wished to take a break and I just barely took up my top and my skirt when that guard jumped out of the corner and used his soul force, trying to put Skeiron to sleep. I know a little bit about the usage of soul force, so I managed to fend off that powerful attack and also used a wind blade to retaliate while the young master shouted. That¡¯s all in short and of course, hearing the young master¡¯s shout, the guard teleported away instantly.¡± ¡°Hmm- thank you for your services in that case. Do you have a family? I¡¯ll send them some reward or you can request something from me as well!¡± he said with a smile. ¡°My family died long ago, unfortunately,¡± I hung my head. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s sad,¡± he said without a shred of emotion. A pig would stay a pig, indeed. ¡°Do you have any requests?¡± ¡°Well, I could use a helping hand in something¡± - I paused for a moment - ¡°simple.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 41.1 - Hive Queen Hive Queen -- Elena -- Mansions, smaller stores and blocks of houses made up the huge capital city of Trigon where millions of people resided. Since I wished to avoid trouble, I hid my soul and my presence from everyone. The city was divided into three sections, each having a palace right in the middle, creating a square in between. Although the main leaders were different in all sectors, every king had the same kind of authority irrespective of the sectors. Thanks to the information we¡¯ve got out of Skeiron, I understood that this made it possible to coexist despite having three rulers above the nine hundredth level. Right now, just a thought would be enough to kill me if either of them realised that I, The Devourer, was living among them. I could leave this place behind and look for one where people were weaker and return when my strength would be sufficient, but I wasn¡¯t one to run away from trouble. The kings could make decisions in their own sectors alone, but if it touched all sectors, they held a conference to decide on the matter. It was a simple and good solution to take care of disputes. There were even judges in each sector which was strange to hear in this kind of world. Normally strength was the only judge, after all. The streets were wide and clean and despite circling the whole city, I didn¡¯t see anyone having a showdown or a battle to the death which was rather unusual after living in Dink for about two years. Whenever I entered a city, it was natural to run into some sort of trouble, but it seemed to be different here. But I believed that everything good hid something bad and I was sure that nothing was as simple and peaceful as it seemed. Thanks to seeing Jareg Greywing¡¯s personality through Liz¡¯s eyes, I was even more sure that nothing was as it seemed. Despite playing the big shot, Jareg wasn¡¯t the true lord of the Greywing house. His grandfather was the one who had the final say in everything and he was the one who received the noble title. Based on what Skeiron told us, one became a noble after reaching the seven hundred and fiftieth level or in some special cases, the kings bestowed noble ranks. This special case included the winner of the renowned competition of the Trigon Festival held every decade. The next one would be held in half a year and the top three would receive noble titles despite not meeting the standard requirement. Even if it sounded or seemed simple, it was very hard to reach that high of a level for common races and even I¡¯d have to devour hundreds of thousands of people to keep advancing at a quick pace. Normal people had no other way around it, after all, they had to work hard and train or they wouldn¡¯t get anywhere even if their lifespans were millions of years. I found it a bit hard to imagine my life doing nothing but training and killing monsters with little fun in my life. Luckily, I could say I had a family and friends who lightened up my days in their own ways. Even if the Dark Scars were obsessed with me to the point of calling me a goddess, they still had their charms and edges and I loved to see the differences between them. Or the way they changed over the years spent with me. The Trigon Festival was a seven-day-long festival which would start out with the qualifiers for the competition and continue for a whole week. A noble title had a few perks many coveted, so it was no wonder. A noble didn¡¯t have to pay taxes and their murderer would be punished by death, even if it the offender was a noble, while the punishment would be much lighter if the victim was a common person. If I killed a common person, I¡¯d be shut in a jail for a hundred years. I wasn¡¯t even twenty years old¡­ a hundred years would be a huge waste to me! Nobles could also meet any of the kings anytime they wanted and take part in making important decisions and they could also kill common people without repercussions if they had some sort of reason. I imagined it wouldn¡¯t be hard to come up with some bullshit and then blame it all on the victim. Additionally, nobles would be assigned a territory in the kingdom anywhere they wanted and would receive resources which would help their advances. In turn, all they¡¯d have to do would be to protect the kingdom from the other kingdoms in Ketarn. Considering that there has been no war for thousands of years, it was basically free money, no to mention that the title applied to the family of the noble as well. Of course, other than the person in possession of the noble title, nobody would be forced to fight. Truth be told, I became pretty interested in this competition since the rules made it possible for me to participate and win! The restriction was that nobody at or above the seven hundredth level was allowed to participate and the minimum level was six hundred and fifty. The battles were rather ¡®safe¡¯ unless the participants wished to fight a battle to the death which I could imagine happen from time to time, but normally, participants would be healed after their battles to keep casualties low. Dred said he¡¯d participate when the time came, so we had to put our everything into levelling up for the next half a year. My thoughts were interrupted by Skeiron who remembered to share another important bit of information with me, ¡°Master, before you leave, there is one last thing I must tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Those who enter the city must possess an ID card which shows their association with the Trigon Kingdom. You¡¯ll have to pay taxes, but you¡¯ll be protected by the guards in case somebody attacks you on the streets or anywhere in the kingdom. Of course, if something was to happen to you out in the wild, nobody would bother with it unless you returned alive and told about it, so be careful with that. Also, only people with ID cards can participate in the Trigon Festival and receive a noble title.¡± ¡°Do we need to do anything else if we were to associate ourselves with the Trigon Kingdom?¡± I asked. ¡°Other than paying taxes, in world crystals, I don¡¯t know of anything,¡± Skeiron replied. A world crystal was a solidified form spatial energy which could help one in strengthening their mana. Cosmological constant bestowed us with infinite energy, but the mana within our bodies could become more powerful than external energy. That being the case, we never slacked off with our mana-training, though I wouldn¡¯t use my own mana unless more power was necessary. In this higher realm, world crystals weren¡¯t that rare and it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find a few of them, but the problem was that I didn¡¯t know how much we had to pay. The gold coins left on me were useless here since creating materials wasn¡¯t hard, especially something simple like gold. From what I knew, world crystals formed in areas with high mana density and a good concentration of spatial energy, meaning black holes, near stars and such. If we found a black hole, we could become rich in no time if there weren¡¯t any people nearby, but most of the black holes were world crystal mines possessed by the nobles. ¡°Do you have any idea about the amount?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Master. Should I ask Jareg?¡± Skeiron asked. ¡°Yes, please do, but don¡¯t be obvious. Also, shouldn¡¯t you call him your father?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Master, I¡¯m yours to use, I don¡¯t have a father, but I¡¯ll keep calling him Father to not blow our cover,¡± he replied. I looked out the window of the restaurant and took another sip of my cup of tea, ¡°Do you think this is something bad?¡± I asked Dred who was sitting on the other side of the table. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Although this is basically robbing one from their child which is surely evil or despicable even, I¡¯d lie if I said I feel bad because of it. Skeiron would have become like his father if he didn¡¯t become one of us and we¡¯d have had to kill him in the future. It¡¯s better to make kids like him come to our side while still young and pure instead, I believe,¡± Dred replied. ¡°Hmm, true, it¡¯s either this or we¡¯d have to kill most of them in the future, so I guess it¡¯s indeed better. I just find it a bit faulty that they basically give up on their family because of our blood,¡± I sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it,¡± he shrugged his shoulders, visibly much less bothered about it than me. ¡°Truth be told, we should be the first to be killed on the list of evildoers,¡± he laughed. All I could do was roll my eyes upon hearing him since that was indeed the truth.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Master, my father said that commoners had to pay twenty world crystals every month to keep their ID card and receive the protection of the kingdom. If they failed to pay, their ID card would be taken and destroyed and a fee of a month¡¯s worth of world crystal would be issued. A common job pays five world crystals for a day¡¯s work, so it¡¯s not that hard to make a living and pay the taxes as well,¡± Skeiron contacted me a minute later. I suppose the ID cards could be reissued once the person paid the fee and the taxes, but considering that there are millions of people just in this city¡­ I imagine the sum of world crystals the kings receive is insane. Standing up from my seat, I took out a world crystal from my storage ring and paid for our food and drink. Dred followed me out of the restaurant to the city hall. ¡°Do you plan to register?¡± he started walking next to me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why we shouldn¡¯t. We¡¯ve got a few thousand from Sealu planet which should be enough for a while and I¡¯m pretty sure we can find more in the near future. It¡¯d have been nice if Cor hoarded a lot of world crystals on the third planet, but I guess that¡¯s just wishful thinking¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t be lucky all the time. But shouldn¡¯t the others register as well? It¡¯d be bad if either of them got killed by someone else because they aren¡¯t associated with the kingdom. We aren¡¯t strong enough to defend ourselves, so we¡¯ll have to rely on the guards,¡± Dred said. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should meet up and after giving them enough world crystals, we should send them to register.¡± The city was bustling with life, but most of the people seemed to be rather sad despite the ¡®good¡¯ conditions. In the city hall, we had to use our soul force or a drop of blood to make the ID card and pay twenty world crystals on the spot. At least, we wouldn¡¯t have to pay again until next month. The taxes were collected here and if we didn¡¯t pay in five days after the next month, our ID cards would be destroyed along with our association with the kingdom. After paying the necessary amount and receiving our ID cards, we teleported out of the city and stopped in our camp in the forest. ¡°Audrey? How are you guys doing?¡± I asked through our soul realm. ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll be there in a short time and then I¡¯ll tell you everything,¡± she replied and it didn¡¯t take long before she got back to the camp. Before saying anything, she walked up to me and gave me a big hug. I raised my arms in surprise and stood unmoving for a bit before finally placing my arms around her back. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked as I grabbed her shoulders and she stepped back. She cleared her throat and walked over to a fallen log and sat down, ignoring my question. I guess it¡¯s because of my blood, she must have missed me. We haven¡¯t met for days, after all. ¡°So, here is what I found out. The monsters are stronger towards the northeastern parts, meaning the Ops river, towards the southeastern parts, meaning the Naga Swamps and towards the southwestern parts, meaning the elven forest. The monsters around the capital city of Trigon are at our level or some are even below, but the further we go, the stronger they become.¡± ¡°The northwestern parts are rather safe from monsters since both of the world crystal mines Cor and I found are in that area, at the western foot of the dwarven mountains. Those places are guarded by strong people, so we mustn¡¯t get into a frontal fight with them. The outposts marked on the maps Liz found, seem to be smaller cities filled with strong people. I imagine if any of the kingdoms were to launch an attack, these outposts would be enough to hold out until reinforcements arrived.¡± ¡°Although money isn¡¯t everything, it¡¯s still important and since world crystals are a source of wealth and power as well, I imagined you¡¯d want to get some. Hence, I checked out the area of the world crystal mine I found a bit more carefully and the guards were mostly around the six hundred and fiftieth level. These were just the common folks I¡¯ve seen and could sense, but I¡¯m sure that there are even stronger people. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve gathered. We need more time to find out about the neighbouring kingdoms. I¡¯ve already instructed Vince to transform into an elf and go to the elven forest.¡± ¡°He should be back in a few days with some information and I¡¯ve also sent a few others to different places,¡± Audrey finished talking after a while. Although she made it sound as if she barely learned anything, considering the size of the area she had to travel, she performed beyond my expectations. ¡°Great job!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Seeing her smile happily, I made sure in my heart that I¡¯d try to appreciate everyone¡¯s efforts more in the future. If my praise made them so happy, then I¡¯d have to praise them more often. ¡°In that case, we should sneak in,¡± Dred said after a bit of thinking. ¡°Do you mean the world crystal mines?¡± Audrey tilted her head to the side. Nodding his head, Dred replied with a yes. ¡°If we want to found some kind of power in the Trigon Kingdom, we definitely need a base and we can¡¯t get that without money. The world crystals would also increase our training speed which is a must if we want to take part in the championship of the Trigon Festival. Although it¡¯s not impossible, it¡¯d be very hard even for us to reach the upper levels of the sixth realm in such a short time without sufficient resources. Surely, we can kill and devour powerful people, but that alone won¡¯t be enough,¡± Dred explained. ¡°Hmm- that¡¯s true, but I¡¯m not completely sure anyone but the two of us could sneak in without being noticed and even leave with enough world crystals. In fact, only Audrey has a spatial ring other than the two of us and yours is just that tiny one I took off once I¡¯ve got Padinyss¡¯s,¡± I remarked. Placing my hand on my chin, I added, ¡°To be completely sure, it¡¯d be best if you went alone since your hiding abilities are much better than mine. If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll take off my ring and give it to you, but I¡¯ll want it back later!¡± Dred looked at me with deadpan eyes for a bit, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. I wasn¡¯t reading his feelings either, so I wasn¡¯t sure if I annoyed him somehow. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s not like I want to keep this ring to myself or anything, you can keep it if you want,¡± I laughed awkwardly. Raising his hand, he put it on the top of my head and stood up while laughing, ¡°You¡¯re so silly. I¡¯ll move out this evening in that case. Once I steal enough world crystals, I¡¯ll return to this camp and give you back your ring,¡± he said while looking at me with a smirk. I wanted to punch his face for some reason. ¡°Wait, wait, but how do you plan on stealing it? I didn¡¯t dare to go inside and the world crystals surely aren¡¯t in a pile anyone could just take away,¡± Audrey flailed her arms worried. ¡°Of course, I¡¯d explore the area first and look around before acting. I¡¯ll probably take a few days since I¡¯ll have to check out the people¡¯s habits working there and act only if I¡¯m sure I can leave without being noticed,¡± Dred replied, calming my heart as well. I trusted Dred so much, sometimes I forgot a bit about the details when he dealt with things alone and didn¡¯t even realise the danger until Audrey pointed it out. Maybe I relied a bit too much on his stealth abilities. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly and stop thinking of stupid things. I chose the stealth specialization for a reason and obviously, I¡¯d deal with missions like these myself,¡± he refuted in my mind. ¡°Okay,¡± I replied. He rarely questioned my decisions and I wouldn¡¯t question him either. We¡¯d do so only if we felt the other was being unreasonable or forgot about something, it was important to trust each other, after all. ¡°What will you two do? Are you going to spend a warm night without me again?¡± he grinned while looking back and forth between the two of us. I did tell him about it, but after bonding, he even looked it up in my memories¡­ Covering my face, I waved my hand, ¡°No way. I was just out of it at that time.¡± ¡°Yes, I was just in my blood-hungry phase and it sort of happened,¡± Audrey followed up instantly. We both knew that he was just joking, but I still felt a bit awkward when I remembered that night with Audrey¡­ It was definitely a mistake on our sides. ¡°Stupid cat, stop bringing up weird stuff, you pervert,¡± Audrey grumbled. ¡°And to answer your question, I¡¯m going to join up with Jake at the entrance of the Dwarf Mountain. Cor left to go to the Skeleton Hill, so once we look around the Dwarf Mountain, we should go after Cor and meet up with him.¡± ¡°Hmm- are you all going to leave me, a lady, alone in the forest?¡± I gasped. ¡°What if some bandits attack me?!¡± I cried out. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they wouldn¡¯t want to come in contact with your skin,¡± Audrey looked at me as if I was some sort of plague. I looked at my hand as I used inner-devour and waved my blackened fingers with a smile on my face, ¡°You mean this?¡± ¡°Ugh- even if they were five times as strong as you, it wouldn¡¯t take more than a few seconds for you to devour them. If common people were to come close to you and touch you, they¡¯d definitely lose their lives,¡± she grunted. Certainly, in the sixth realm, every ten levels were the equivalent of my current strength, but even then, if I could keep touching somebody for about three seconds, they¡¯d definitely die. It was just that at this level, three seconds was a long time in a battle and if they bombarded me from far away, my inner-devour would be useless. But that wasn¡¯t the case if they carelessly came close to me. ¡°At least hide that vile smile from your face,¡± Audrey shook her head. ¡°Fufu~ I wonder what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I mused and then turned serious. ¡°Well, truth be told, I think I¡¯ll try to level up while you guys go out. Thanks to Dred¡¯s mark of the wild, you people with the mark can inherit my genes, at least. It should be no problem for you to catch up with me,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, we must become stronger or we can¡¯t do much,¡± Audrey nodded as well. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going now,¡± she said before teleporting away. I looked into Dred¡¯s eyes and stepped closer to him to hug his body. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you,¡± I gave him a deep kiss and parted with his lips only after a good minute. ¡°Me too,¡± he whispered into my ear. ¡°I anticipate our reunion,¡± I smiled back and then teleported away. It was time for me to kill while the others would do some ¡®management¡¯, I could say~ Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 41.2 - Hive Queen Three men sat in a circle around a small campfire and chatted happily in the night. Each of these people came to this part of the land not long ago and they only barely reached the six hundredth level. All of them were only two to three levels beyond and even that took them about five years, but they couldn¡¯t wait any longer. As three brothers coming from the outskirts of Ketarn, they always dreamed of coming to the Trigon Kingdom. Since they all came from the western parts, they only knew of the Trigon Kingdom. It was only natural that neither the elves nor the demons would accept common humans in their territories, much less the undead. The Shikanai Dynasty was a human-filled place which despised every other race, but naturally, these three brothers came from too far away and didn¡¯t even know of its existence. Although they¡¯ve finally reached the capital city of Trigon, they didn¡¯t want to enter in the middle of the night. They knew that they¡¯d have to have ID cards to enjoy the safety of the city and didn¡¯t wish to run into someone dangerous in the middle of the night. After all, in the capital city, they¡¯d be happy if they could serve a smaller organisation with their current power. But the possibility of living their lives in a peaceful city and even earning a few world crystals was a great opportunity for them. On the outskirts of Ketarn were many smaller villages and cities, controlled by smaller forces, though these ¡®weak¡¯ leaders could be invincible kings and emperors on Dink or Dunk, here, they were nothing but trash. ¡°This place is indeed incredible. Even most of the common folk are at the level of our village chief,¡± the black haired man shook his head, the fire lighting up his face in the dark. Naturally, they didn¡¯t light it because they felt cold. But even if one left behind their mortal shells and reached this high level, they¡¯d still want to enjoy the warmth of the fire, the taste of delicious food and fine drinks. ¡°Indeed, brother Boulei,¡± his twin brother sighed in exasperation. The difference was about twenty to fifty levels compared to the common folk of the capital city. Generally speaking, most of them were at the six hundred and twentieth or fiftieth level which meant that they were twice or even five times as strong as these brothers. In a battle, even a tiny bit of difference could tip the scale, much less if someone had twice your power. Boulei was about to continue speaking when he heard a crack and turned towards the origin of the sound. There stood next to a tree, her hand on its bark, a long and black haired beauty. Her green eyes shone with a dim light in the dark and her thick and rosy lips seemed to invite these men for a kiss as they parted ways, ¡°How careless of me,¡± her voice like an angel, she laughed. Boulei¡¯s eyes ran down on her sexy body and he couldn¡¯t help but lick his dry lips without his notice. Although the girl didn¡¯t show off any skin since she wore a light leather armour, it fit her body perfectly and revealed every curve of her body. As the fire gave some light to the edges, it only accentuated her beauty even more. Seeing her fair and unblemished skin, Boulei felt as if he was struck by a thunder. Even if taken literally, it wouldn¡¯t cause any damage to him since he reached the sixth realm. ¡°This is love at first sight,¡± he muttered in an inaudible voice. Despite being experts, not even his brothers understood what he said since he clustered the words way too much into a single breath. Inspect, Boulei thought while looking at the woman, curious to see her level, but all he got was a black screen, stating that he couldn¡¯t read her stats due to a skill. Biting his lower lips, he looked to the side a bit disappointed. After a bit of hesitation, he gathered all his courage and said, ¡°Who could this beautiful Miss be?¡± Hearing their brother¡¯s question and the words he picked, they guessed what he mumbled before. They were very talented in their village for reaching this level in just forty thousand years and although they had seen and bed beautiful women, they never held either of them in high regard. Still, the fact that somebody was walking around in a forest, at night, alerted these brothers and made them feel a bit cautious. After all, why would somebody stroll in the dark forest? ¡°My name is Elena,¡± the girl replied with a smile. Boulei felt his heart pick up its pace and beat a bit quicker than before. He never thought that after having a fulfilling life with everyone praising him for his talent on the outskirts, as soon as he came to the capital city, he¡¯d fall for some random girl in the forest on the first sight. Realising this, even he felt ridiculous, but he couldn¡¯t change the way his heart felt. Seeing that she was looking at him expectantly, he came to his senses and said, ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry for my rudeness. My name is Boulei Warton of the Warton family!¡± He introduced himself as if his family was a big clan, but he shortly came to his senses and realised that he wasn¡¯t in his village anymore. He was a nobody here and his family would be no more than a regular one here. Pointing at his twin brother, he said, ¡°His name is Gin Warton, my second brother¡± - and after pointing at his brown-haired man, he said - ¡°and he is our youngest brother, Han Warton.¡± Elena raised her brows, a bit surprised to hear Boulei say even his family name since it wasn¡¯t a common thing unless one had a strong background and wanted to show it off. Seeing her reaction, Boulai raised his hands, ¡°Oh, I just wanted to properly introduce myself to the Miss. My family is just a common one.¡± He was looking at Elena the whole time and considering her reactions, she seemed to be a rather friendly woman who didn¡¯t really care about something like background. She¡¯s either strong and doesn¡¯t care about background or she has a powerful background. Or maybe she¡¯s just different than the girls in my village? Boulei thought to himself, not sure what to think about Elena. Either way, she excited him even more with those reactions. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s alright. How come you three brothers are here, all alone in the forest?¡± she frowned. At this time, Han, the youngest brother replied in the same manner, ¡°We could ask the same.¡± Elena turned to look at him and nodded her head, ¡°That¡¯s true. But I¡¯m hunting beasts and I was just curious why would you not sleep in the city instead.¡± She stepped forth, revealing a long dagger in her left hand, dripping with crimson blood. With a thought, some water appeared and washed off the blade and then she sheathed her dagger, her hand like lightning. Despite being at a similar level, these brothers could barely perceive her hand and they weren¡¯t sure if it was her full speed. They didn¡¯t know that Elena was trying to fool them and make them think that the latter was the truth. Boulei looked at Han with displeasure before turning towards Elena, ¡°Miss, we¡¯re just camping out before entering the capital city. I imagine nobody would hand out ID cards in the middle of the night,¡± Boulei laughed. ¡°Hmm- certainly, but why would you need ID cards to enter the city?¡± she tilted her head to the side. At that, Boulei realised that he just made it sound as if they were afraid of entering without the guards¡¯ protection. Although that was the case, he didn¡¯t want to make Elena think that they were cowards, but it was too late since he couldn¡¯t turn back time and make his words unspoken.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Why the long face? You don¡¯t need to feel ashamed. I imagine you come from a far away place and you just want to make sure. In my opinion, it¡¯s a clever move,¡± Elena consoled him with a smile. Hearing her reply, even the other two brothers felt less suspicious of Elena and saw her in a much better light. ¡°Well, I should be on my way. We¡¯ll probably meet again, sooner or later,¡± she turned around and disappeared from their sight. They all sensed that she didn¡¯t teleport anywhere, she just simply disappeared from their scope of senses. To them, this meant that she was much stronger than them since they couldn¡¯t even see her movements. They didn¡¯t know that since it was night, Elena could teleport even without using the laws of space. ¡®Shadows¡¯ were everywhere, after all. ¡°Brothers, I fell in love,¡± Boulei broke the silence with a loud sigh a few seconds later. ¡°Are you for real? You don¡¯t even know her¡­¡± Han frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t, but she seems to be a nice person and her smile, ah, how beautiful. I wouldn¡¯t mind giving up on other women to be with her!¡± ¡°Uwah, big brother had been smitten with the love hammer, it seems,¡± Gin used their local phrase, said exactly in these sorts of moments. ¡°I was!¡± Boulei laughed without reservation. Sensing a monster run towards them, they stood up and quickly took care of it together by attacking it frontally. As the wolf fell to the ground, its head missing, they noticed its hind legs and tail corroded and turned black. Furrowing his brows, Gin poked its leg and it simply fell apart and turned into black dust. As Gin raised his head, he saw a pair of green eyes shining with a bright light staring back at him from far away. He immediately reached for his weapon as a sense of fear filled his whole body. ¡°Bro, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you shaking?¡± Boulei made him face him. Gin turned towards his big brother only for a moment before turning back towards the eyes, but that pair of eyes were nowhere to be seen by then. ¡°Did you see something?¡± Boulei pressed on. Remembering Elena¡¯s smiling face and her strange eyes, Gin connected the dots. ¡°Brother¡­ If you aren¡¯t out of your mind, please forget about that woman. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s someone you could ever hope to attain,¡± Gin grabbed Boulei¡¯s clothes as he stood up and looked into his eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Boulei raised his brows. ¡°Brother, just heed my words, please. I don¡¯t know who she is, but I¡¯m certain now that I don¡¯t want to find out,¡± he said through gritted teeth, recalling those cold eyes that seemed to penetrate his very being. He felt as if he had been judged by a god, but what was the judgment? --- A black panther moved around in the camp built around the mountain without anyone¡¯s notice. Hearing footsteps, it turned into a shadow and hid its presence completely. A moment later a man passed by with a lantern in his hand, whistling happily. When he disappeared from sight, the shadow flickered and moved deeper into the mountain through the tunnels. This panther was naturally Dred and this was the eighth tunnel he entered. Upon reaching its end, he found a woman at the end of it who closed her eyes and tapped the rock in front of her. The rock disintegrated and turned into dust and revealed thirty world crystals, the size of an acorn. The woman used wind magic to make them move towards her and when they got within a range of five meters, the crystals disappeared. Five meters was the boundary of spatial rings, so Dred now understood where the world crystals were stored. The side of the Dwarf Mountain was riddled with thousands of tunnels and there were still new holes made while in others, Dred just found people picking up the world crystals. He felt that a large amount of mana and space energy was clustered up in the mountain and these crystals kept forming out of thin air. Seeing the number of tunnels, Dred estimated that in a single day, at least a million world crystals would form, adding to that the new tunnels. A rich mine like this was surely in the hands of the three kings, he thought to himself. After all, why would people over the nine hundredth level let some nobles be in possession of a mine like this? Dred spent a whole night and day doing nothing but observing the movements of people in the camp. Every time the workers shifted, they pulled off their rings and gave them to a much stronger person in the main building located at the foot of the mountain. Surely, nobody here cared about such a short distance, a mountain could be passed in the blink of an eye, after all. The next day, Dred decided to finally act. The workers in the tunnels weren¡¯t strong and some of them weren¡¯t even at the six hundredth level, but then again, Dred didn¡¯t want to kill random people for world crystals without knowing anything about them. He was no bandit, after all. That being the case, he targeted those who were beneath the sixth realm. When felt they collected enough, he struck the back of their neck and made them fall unconscious and robbed them of their spatial rings. He soon found out that these rings weren¡¯t blood-bonded, so he could freely wear them and remove them and even gift them to other people. Although this meant that protecting one¡¯s possession would be hard, these rings were perfect for collecting world crystals and then giving them all to one person. The people in the tunnel had great luck since Dred didn¡¯t have to kill them this way. Logically speaking, why would someone bother to hold back when they tried to rob? Even if the kingdom handed out valuable blood-bonded rings to these simple workers, once they got killed, the rings could be taken anyway. But who would dare to attack the mine of the Trigon Kingdom and who could sneak in without anyone¡¯s notice? The answer was obvious, only someone at the Kings¡¯ level, but people of that calibre wouldn¡¯t play small-time robbers. Dred took both the rings and the world crystals and stored the crystals in his own spatial ring. He dashed through many tunnels, knowing which tunnel had weak and which tunnel had strong people in it. Naturally, where he knocked out the worker, he also finished their job for the day¡­ Pulling off something like this was impossible for common people and races. Hiding one¡¯s presence was one thing, but to hide even the soul was another. But thanks to Dred¡¯s stealth specialisation and legendary class, not to mention cosmological constant, he was basically invisible. Maybe not even the three kings could sense his presence once he hid completely. Only a few hours later when the shifts finished did the person in charge of the mine realised, that many of the workers weren¡¯t returning for some reason. Leaving his house at the foot of the mountain, he teleported into one of the tunnels and used his senses. Realising that many of the weaker workers were knocked out, the man stomped on the ground in anger and fear as well. How could he not notice someone appear here and knock out the weaker ones and even leave? Surely, the defense wasn¡¯t too high since nobody dared to cause trouble here and even if they attacked the mine, the kings would appear and kill the attacker. Wiping his wet forehead, the man pondered on how to make his report¡­ without losing his head. When he returned to his cabin at the foot of the mountain and picked up a few things to get ready to teleport back to the capital city, he noticed a piece of paper on the table. Furrowing his brows, he walked over and read the text aloud. ¡°These crystals will be better off in the hands of the elves. Only elves should possess important things!¡± As he finished reading, he felt like tearing the paper into tiny pieces, but he held back his wrath and took it with him instead. Maybe his life would be spared if he served with some information about their offender. ¡°But for it to be these damned elves,¡± the man sighed. People of Trigon hated the elves because long ago, the elves enslaved the same people who are now nobles of Trigon. Only when the three ninth realm experts - the current kings emerged - were they freed and that was the time when they formed the Trigon Kingdom. The elves haven¡¯t attacked the kingdom openly before, but this was definitely a direct provocation! What would become of this? The man could only sigh and guess. But he was sure that the future would be a rough one. ¡°Times are changing,¡± he shook his head and looked up at the peaceful blue sky. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so peaceful for long. Little did he know that the elves had nothing to do with this and Dred was the one who wanted to ignite a spark of fire to draw their attention away from the devourers. Thanks to Vince¡¯s report not long ago, he came up with a plan instantly. Even if there was only friction or a few skirmishes, it¡¯d be more than enough for them to deal with people secretly. A few thousand kilometers away, Dred walked through the forest in his demon form, whistling happily. Seeing the other mine Cor found, his eyes lit up. It was time to rob yet another mine¡­ Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 41.3 - Hive Queen --- Elena --- I spent three days killing and devouring monsters without eating or sleeping and I had to admit, even at my level, I was getting really tired of it. It was two in the afternoon when I heard Dred talk in my mind, ¡°I¡¯m finished on my side and will return now. Should I go straight to you or do you want to meet up somewhere else?¡± ¡°Just come to me,¡± I replied. Even if he could teleport through hundreds of kilometers, it¡¯d still take at least an hour for him to return to my side. Hmm, what should I do in the meantime? I guess I¡¯ll find those three brothers. I wiped off my daggers and then teleported straight into the city. Since I infected them with my bacteria, I knew exactly where to find them. Everything and everyone had tiny life forms such as bacteria on their surface and skin, so nobody would notice something like my bacteria, it was just one among many. As I entered the city, interesting news reached my ears. It wasn¡¯t hard to notice that something bad was going on since everyone was talking about the same thing. ¡°Hey, hey, have you heard? The elves actually robbed the mines of our kingdoms! Even if it doesn¡¯t mean much to our kings, this is clear provocation!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard of it. My sister works as a servant in the palace and she told me that our kings held a meeting. Every noble family attended once they heard of this. I wonder what sort of decision will the rulers make.¡± ¡°Do you think it could lead to war?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I don¡¯t think our rulers would attack because of something like this, especially not without investigating the matter. The elves¡¯ rulers are at the ninth rank as well and I¡¯m pretty sure they wouldn¡¯t want to get into a life-threatening war¡­ unless they advanced past the level of our kings,¡± the man said with a grave face. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± the other replied. A smile formed on my face as their guesses reached my ears. People at the ninth realm were surely prideful, but that didn¡¯t mean that they were stupid. They wouldn¡¯t jump at the elves just because of a provocative letter because they surely knew how powerful the leaders of the elves were, even if I didn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t attack someone at the same level of strength as me just because of a provocative letter either, even least so if they once had the ability to force me into enslavement... It was likely that the truth would be revealed soon about this matter and everyone would realise that the robbery wasn¡¯t done by the elves, but it¡¯d be enough to make some ruckus and cause an internal strife as well. People would start guessing who was the one who stole it, after all. Since Liz and Skeiron lived in a noble mansion, they could easily find out what happened at the conference if Skeiron asked his father. All I had to do was wait for their report and for Dred to arrive. Originally, I wasn¡¯t interested in the Warton brothers, but seeing the oldest one look at me so strangely, I decided to make use of them. They didn¡¯t seem to be bad people and they looked quite young despite being at this level, so most likely they were talented. If I made them my pawns, maybe I could earn a few useful servants. But naturally, I didn¡¯t wish to give them my blood. Since it couldn¡¯t be helped, we had to make a hierarchy in my hive and so, the servants at Audrey¡¯s level were first ranked, their blood servants were second-ranked, and the second-ranked blood servants¡¯ servants were third-ranked. The Warton brothers would be nothing more than third-ranked blood servants. Maybe I should think of fancier names¡­ ¡°Hey, Audrey. How are you doing?¡± I contacted her as I stopped walking on the streets and took a sudden turn to the right. In front of me was an alleyway where Liz awaited me. "Master," she bowed deeply. Raising my hand, I greeted her and told her to wait a moment since Audrey replied. ¡°Elena? We¡¯ve checked out the Dwarf Mountain and there is a huge cluster of tunnels and caverns beneath the mountains. There are many cities and powerful dwarves down there as well and naturally, we¡¯ve seen many weapons. I imagine you¡¯d want to check it out in the future. If you used Synthesis on these weapons, your daggers would become of much better quality.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Sounds good,¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯re on our way towards the Skeleton Hill, but it¡¯s probably going to take a few days to reach it. Cor is doing fine, Jake has talked with him not long ago,¡± she added. ¡°Oh, good then. Dred will have to give a visit to the demons as well in the future, but he should become a bit stronger. Demons respect only the strong, after all. Even if he was a Devil God, they probably wouldn¡¯t bother with him if he was weaker than their average. Right, on the way, could you check out the demons¡¯ levels as well?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course. Anything else you wanted?¡± ¡°Oh, right, I almost forgot. I didn''t contact you to report to me, actually. I just thought about naming the hierarchical levels of our hive,¡± I said. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s point on, right now,¡± she asked, visibly not understanding the difference. Fancy names were necessary sometimes! Well, Dred didn¡¯t want to go for fancy names either, but I wanted something else. ¡°Jake! What do you say?¡± I asked for help. ¡°Me? I think we should name them,¡± as expected of him, he agreed with me. Dred and Audrey were too serious sometimes¡­ boring people. ¡°See? Your lover isn¡¯t as boring as you. Now then, let¡¯s come up with something,¡± I said. At this point, Audrey didn¡¯t even pay heed to my words. ¡°The third-ranked servants could be called Pawns since they¡¯re not as important, right? Maybe Shadow Pawns?¡± ¡°Uh- please, just go with the first instead. Don¡¯t be so cringe-worthy,¡± Audrey grunted. "Why pretend? You liked playing when you were still a human! I bet you loved fancy names!" I said. "Dream on. I liked them in the games I played, but this is reality and those were games. The two are different. I prefer to refer to things in a way that makes them simple to understand to anyone," she replied. ¡°Whatever, we shall refer to them as Pawns!¡± I agreed and decided to ignore her for now. ¡°As for the dark scars, we gave them that name when they were still weak and were healing the ''scars'' of their pasts. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re happy as they are now, so that¡¯s not an appropriate name for them either,¡± I added and after a bit of thinking, I continued. ¡°What if from now on, we referred to the second-ranked blood servants, the dark scars, as Blood Descendants? They¡¯re like the ripples of my will! They work with perfect efficiency to deliver my will and deal with my obstacles! They¡¯re also relatively close to me since they¡¯re like my children and I¡¯ve seen them grow up. And your level could be referred to as Overlords since you all inherited our blood directly and are second in command only to us.¡± ¡°Overlords? Haha, I can¡¯t help but like that name,¡± Jake laughed. ¡°But does this mean that you plan to make more blood servants of our level? I mean, you didn¡¯t give a name to our tier before,¡± he asked. ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t have anything like that planned. Only if I find someone truly talented and worthy,¡± I replied seriously this time. Surely, I could pretend that I was friends with everyone among our blood servants, but that wouldn¡¯t be correct. Although I wouldn¡¯t want to lose either of them and would do my all to help them in their time of need, both as their friend and master, they¡¯d never look at me and Dred as simple friends, not even the ¡®overlords¡¯. Considering that the size of my little army was growing continuously as even the descendants started to make pawns here and there, whenever they needed it, I realised I had to build a strong hierarchy and divide them into tiers. Some blood servants, especially the descendants and the pawns, started to feel uncomfortable around me because of my friendliness which didn¡¯t do any good for them. They revered me as if I was their goddess and Dred as if he was their god and they couldn¡¯t accept to speak with us casually. That being the case, it was better to draw a clear line of authority for my fanatic servants because that seemed to make them happy¡­ though it saddened me a bit. All it took was a thought for me to send a message to every blood servant related to this matter. Our connected soul realm was indeed a special but very useful one. Soon I received good opinions regarding the group names, but considering their fanatic mindset, I was pretty sure they¡¯d have felt happy with anything I ¡®gave¡¯ them, be it an item or even their names. "Wonderful names, Master!" Liz said aloud, bringing me back to reality. "I''m glad you like it," I smiled back. "Now then, let''s see how you proceed with the Greywing family." It took years for me to finally accept that no matter how much I wanted it, I couldn''t be just their friends. This was my way of life, this had to be my way of life, after all¡­ I was the queen of the hive. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 42.1 - Growing Hive Growing Hive ¡°Master? Did you request me?¡± a short woman with short pink hair asked as she bowed her head. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve got a new concubine but something is wrong with her. Nobody would want to become a concubine or I should say slave of my household. That¡¯s what makes it fun for me yet this Liz accepted it so quickly and what¡¯s more, the guard who was meant to protect my son, attacked my son the same day she arrived. Skeiron changed his behaviour rather quickly as well and for some reason, I can¡¯t shake off this thought of being in danger,¡± Jareg said while tapping his fingers on the table. ¡°Master? How could you feel threatened by a lowly woman like her? She should be above the eight hundredth level to be able to hide her power from you, but then what could possibly interest her enough to come here? If I may be as rude to say this, I think that Master is overthinking it,¡± the pink haired woman said humbly. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking as well but for some reason, I feel threatened. You¡¯ve been serving me ever since we escaped from the elves. You know how much it took for my grandfather and me to make a place of our own. I even lost my father¡­ My point is, my instincts and cautious personality have saved me from the slave-hunting elves many times in the past. I¡¯m quite sure that there is something wrong with that woman and so I want you to follow her and my son without their notice.¡± Jareg leaned forward in his chair and looked into the woman¡¯s eyes with a serious face. ¡°If you see her do anything strange, make sure to tell me, okay?¡± ¡°Certainly, if that is your desire?¡± the woman bowed. ¡°Right, Master. Why did you let her have a wish?¡± she asked as she raised her head. ¡°Hmph, it was to see what she wanted. I thought I would find something, but she just asked me to teach her magic and soul related matters. I agreed to teach her the stuff the academy here in the city teaches. It took only a moment for me and it probably just saved her some time and money,¡± Jareg leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. ¡°Certainly, that isn¡¯t much for saving the young master¡¯s life,¡± the woman nodded. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll keep watch on her, just in case,¡± she added. ¡°Good, I must attend the meeting in the palace since some idiot robbed the mine¡­ I¡¯ll return in the evening, take care of my son until then. Remember, don¡¯t get exposed!¡± Jareg clenched his fists. ¡°Yes!¡± He stood up from his seat and teleported straight to the palace of the human district. Although the people in this kingdom had nothing against the other races, other than the hate they felt for the elves, they lived in separate districts to avoid trouble because of different cultures. If a few ogres or beastmen visited the humans¡¯ district, they treated them equally well or poorly. Everyone knew that it was never the race that was bad. It was just that some people were bad while others were good. After all, many of the current nobles were once slaves of the elves and they some of them were saved by ogres while others by beastmen or the other way around. As a result, these three districts lived in harmony with each other. Jareg looked down and upon seeing the buttons of his shirt standing a bit to the side, he fixed his clothes and then walked towards the door of the palace. Two guards stood in front of it and after seeing his ID card, let him in. He found a few others nobles already waiting in the hall, so he immediately joined them and started to chat with them. A few minutes later, a human standing two meters tall appeared in the middle of the hall. ¡°Welcome, my subjects, let¡¯s proceed to the meeting room,¡± he spoke silently yet his voice reached everyone. As he snapped his fingers, everyone in the hall disappeared and reappeared in the intersection of the three districts where was a smaller, circular building. There was a round table in the middle with three chairs where the human king took his place and soon the other two kings appeared as well. The nobles stood or even levitated behind the kings they were related to and waited in silence for the meeting to start. On the table was a large and detailed map of the city, but nobody bothered to take a look at it after seeing it many times. Even the colour of the parchment was turning yellowish as time started to take its toll on it. (AN:\Full-size picture link: https://i.imgur.com/26LeqcH.png) Spoiler: Map The green parts showed the locations of the parks in the city, the blue parts were the lakes, the yellow buildings were the three palaces, and the red one in the middle was the place where they hold the most important meetings, alas, their current location. Tastar, the human king, shook hands with Rhor, the ogre king, and Argon, the beastman king who was a tiger type. ¡°Hahaha, I haven¡¯t seen you two pimps in a while then all of a sudden I was being told that there would be a meeting,¡± Rhor patted Tastar¡¯s shoulder with his large hand. With a height of three meters, even Tastar seemed short. ¡°I was training so it couldn¡¯t be helped. Although the elves switched leader who supposedly doesn¡¯t like slavery, we can¡¯t trust them and we must become stronger to protect our subjects,¡± Tastar said with a smile and then looked around at the nobles present.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°They all have come, it seems,¡± Argon said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Indeed,¡± Rohr nodded as well. ¡°Certainly, you¡¯ve heard of the news, but somebody robbed the mines of our kingdom and then left this message,¡± Tastar¡¯s rough hand reached towards the table and when he pulled it back, a piece of paper was on top of the old city map. ¡°Have you found out anything else?¡± Argon leaned closer and sniffed it. ¡°Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t find out anything yet, but for some reason, only the people beneath the sixth realm were knocked out, so the attacker probably couldn¡¯t knock out anyone above. Not wanting to fight is understandable and unless it¡¯s the doing of a genius, we should look for someone above the seven hundredth level,¡± Tastar said. ¡°The smell was removed with a spell, I couldn¡¯t find a clue either,¡± Argon put the paper back on the table. ¡°Enough beating around the bush!¡± Rohr slapped the table. ¡°So basically, we don¡¯t know anything about the offender, but theoretically, the knife ears did it!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The quickest would be to ask them, don¡¯t you think?¡± Rohr asked. ¡°Well, I thought of the same thing. It could have been done by just one elf who hates their new leader and wants to cause a war to break out,¡± Argon said. ¡°Mhm, that¡¯s why we should send a convoy and ask them. If the convoy doesn¡¯t return in seven days, we shall take it as a declaration of war,¡± Tastar agreed as well. ¡°Good, then let¡¯s vote. Anyone got a problem?¡± Rohr looked at the nobles present. One of the ogres stepped forward and said as he bowed down, ¡°Your majesty, I wish to be a part of that convoy. We better send a few capable people.¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t afford to lose strong people if they dared to play the dirty game and killed you. We must send unimportant people,¡± Rohr refused instantly. As one respecting only the strong and talented, he didn¡¯t care about the lives of the weak. ¡°I agree,¡± both Tastar and Argon nodded. ¡°Any other objections or remarks?¡± Rohr asked. Meeting silence, they named a few weaker but reliable people in the city who would become a part of the convoy and then left the place. Their loss wasn¡¯t even two million world crystals. To these kings, it didn¡¯t amount to much, but could they just sit and watch silently as they were being robbed? As Jareg returned to his mansion, Skeiron ran up to him and grabbed his hand, ¡°Father, Father! How would it go? Have you heard anything?¡± he asked with shining eyes as if he was expecting to hear some interesting rumour. ¡°Are you interested?¡± Jareg raised his brows. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a good thing, Son. We¡¯re going to send a smaller convoy to the elven forests and wait for their answers. We can¡¯t attack another powerful nation without any evidence regarding the robber. Once the convoy returns with an answer, another meeting will be held where we decide what to do. Maybe some nobles will find out more about this case,¡± he explained to his son who took in every bit of information. ¡°Will grandfather try to find clues as well?¡± Skeiron asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, I haven¡¯t asked, though. By the way, where is that woman?¡± Jareg frowned. ¡°Oh, she had to leave because she had something to do. She should be back soon.¡± ¡°Hmm, okay,¡± Jareg replied, suspicion welling up in him. ¡°Father? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No. Go and train else you won¡¯t become strong like me!¡± he patted his son¡¯s shoulder. Nodding his head, Skeiron left the place and moved towards the yard. While at another place, the pink haired woman was following Liz from afar. Due to the high difference in abilities, not even Liz could sense the woman¡¯s presence, but the latter wasn¡¯t following too closely either. After all, one couldn¡¯t just become invisible. Jareg had yet to find out that Liz was sent out by the chef to buy ingredients, but the latter took a rather strange route and didn¡¯t just go to the nearest shop either which roused her tracker¡¯s suspicion. Where is she going? Anna, the pink haired woman thought. I should tell about this to Master when we return. As she jumped onto the roof of one of the buildings, she saw Anna walking towards a black-haired woman in an alleyway. Hmm? Did I find something? she thought, but Liz just passed by the black-haired woman and went back to the main street without saying or doing anything. But as soon as she did, she stopped in her tracks and touched her side as she raised her voice, ¡°Ah! My bag!¡± she turned to look at the black haired woman, but she was nowhere to be seen. Liz ran back into the alleyway with a depressed face and looked around while Anna just looked at the scene in wonder. Anna closed her eyes and used her senses to pick up on the black-haired woman¡¯s presence who was already far away. But remembering her Master¡¯s command not to reveal herself, she just ignored her. ¡°Damn it! Even though the chef sent me to an expensive store! How should I deal with this,¡± Liz grabbed the sides of her head and paced around nervously. ¡°Aaaah- Master will definitely punish me for sure for losing the world crystals.¡± ¡°Fucking bitch! How did she even rob me?¡± ¡±What to do? What should I do? Maybe I should run away? No, that wouldn¡¯t do. I¡¯ll just confess everything honestly! Maybe the young master will help me, even if just a little bit. AAAH DAMN IT! Yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± Liz nodded her head furiously and made her way towards the Greywing mansion. Seeing her getting closer, Anna turned on her heels and backed out, keeping her distance. ¡°Hmm- so she was sent to buy ingredients by the chef and the location was specified as well. She¡¯s bad luck,¡± Anna murmured to herself, looking at Liz¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ll keep following her, but Master¡¯s assumptions should be wrong.¡± After Liz returned to the mansion, she explained everything to Skeiron as if the latter didn¡¯t know about it already and waited for her ¡®punishment¡¯, but Skeiron let her off lightly. Anna made a detailed report to Jareg who decided to still keep an eye on her. By doing so, he felt at ease knowing that his son was safe from any harm. But there was a slight problem. Despite a few days passing by peacefully, not even once did Anna see Skeiron having sex with his concubine. She felt the need to voice her thoughts and report it to Jareg. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 42.2 - Growing Hive --- Elena --- As Liz stood back up straight, I suddenly felt a subtle presence appear a bit further away which stopped after getting close enough. I hid every emotion disappear from my face and continued to walk as if I passed her by chance. But thinking a bit further ahead, why would anyone normally come to this alleyway? ¡°Liz, don¡¯t react to what I¡¯m going to say. You¡¯re being followed. The person should be from the Greywing family, so you should be alright. I¡¯ll pretend to rob you, so you should play along. We¡¯ll meet later. Your follower must be taken care of in the future,¡± I used my soul realm to contact her. As I walked past her, I reached into her pocket and pulled out the pouch of world crystals she was given. In these past few days, Skeiron and Liz turned most of the servants of the Greywing family into Pawns to make their lives easier in the mansion. Even if Skerion was our Pawn, we couldn¡¯t make him go through an outrageous change and make him ask weird things. It was better to influence everyone from the inside. Turning people into blood servants wasn¡¯t that hard as long as they willingly drank their Master¡¯s blood and accepted the transformation. The people inheriting the Descendants¡¯ blood wouldn¡¯t change their race or their looks, but their natural talent would rise by a notch. If mixed with drinks, people could be turned into blood servants quite easily if the one putting them to sleep was someone they revered or trusted. The most important part was that they wouldn¡¯t fight the sleepiness else they¡¯d find out the truth and would break free, but if they fell asleep and accepted it, by the time they woke up, they¡¯d be my servants. The blood of the devourer was that kind of vile material, but it turned out to be really handy. I could have made more pawns back on Dink and Dunk, but they would have been too weak to do anything noteworthy. I needed capable servants, not just cannon fodder for large-scale wars since I never planned to do something like that. I wasn¡¯t an idiot who thought that she could change the world alone or with a tiny team of five. As I left Liz alone, I felt a crushing presence descend upon me which belonged to the person tracking Liz. I paid it no heed as if I never noticed it and left the scene without any trouble. I didn¡¯t plan to keep that woman alive for long, so I didn¡¯t mind her seeing my face and my ¡®robbery¡¯. By the time of the Trigon Festival arrives, she should be dead. I can¡¯t have her follow Liz and Skeiron all the time, though it wouldn¡¯t hurt if I knew how often she reported to her boss. Who¡¯s she serving even? Is it Jareg or is it his grandfather? Realising that thinking wouldn¡¯t get me anywhere right now, I moved towards the three brothers who still had my bacteria on them, but I came to a dead end since they were inside a private area which belonged to the local academy. Thanks to Jareg teaching the common stuff to Liz and to me by doing so, I didn¡¯t have to send anyone to attend classes or anything of the sort, but having a few people in an important place like that wouldn¡¯t hurt either. I was sure that they wouldn¡¯t come out for a while, so I waited patiently for Dred to arrive and then we made our way towards the Abyss gate. Although it wasn¡¯t in the capital city, it was quite close to the place and the Trigon Kingdom restricted access to it. If not for the fact that anyone above the seven hundredth level could go through without being stopped, surely, many people would have protested. ¡°So? How would it go?¡± I asked when we teleported out of the city. Dred grabbed my hand, opened it, took off his ring from his finger and then put it in my palm. ¡°There are two million and one hundred thousand world crystals combined with the ones we had and got since then. That¡¯s all we have, so don¡¯t lose it,¡± he laughed. ¡°How could I ever lose it?¡± I shook my head as I pulled it on my finger and pressed the gem on it which shot a small needle into my finger and drew enough blood to bind it to me. ¡°Happy now? You have your ring back,¡± he held my hand and took a look at it. ¡°Hmm, of course, I am! When was it again? Back on Dink, you left to have a talk with Hector and then he gave you one of his family heirlooms which happened to be this ring. Although it wasn¡¯t customary on that planet, you still presented it to me as an engagement ring or should I say wedding ring? It¡¯s not like we held something as silly as that,¡± I muttered, my hand on my chin. The only thing relatively close to a wedding party could be the time we spent on the beach near Novia Deros. ¡°Well, Audrey told me about it. She said it¡¯d make you happy and that it was customary on Kriton,¡± Dred let go of my hand and said. ¡°It did!¡± I smiled. It took about five minutes of teleporting continuously to reach the gate which was about a hundred meters tall and fifty meters wide, surrounded by giant rock pillars which had all kinds of ancient carvings on it. The ground in front of it was barren and not even a blade of grass could be seen, but only in the close vicinity of the gate. There were two smaller houses on both sides of the gate and I could feel the presence of two people who were at the seventh realm as it turned out, after I inspected them. I couldn¡¯t see people¡¯s exact level at and above the seventh realm, but it really didn¡¯t matter with my current strength since anyone at that level could kill me with a single hit, be it the seven hundred and first or seven hundred and ninety-ninth level. The area was a foresty place and there was a large lake not far away in front of the gate where I could feel the presence of a few very powerful monsters. That lake must have been at least five kilometers deep if not more. Although I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was something at the bottom, I didn¡¯t have the strength to check it out. The truth was that there were other types of universes other than ours. For example, there were universes where people cultivated mana in a somewhat similar manner compared to what mages did here, but still much different. They somehow built mana into their bodies and gained incredible abilities, but there were many differences. For example, people at the same level as the rulers of Trigon could create world crystals in a cultivator universe, but they weren¡¯t really useful for the type of training they did. Although the mighty kings here couldn¡¯t create world crystals, their abilities were more than enough to fight people of the same level from different universes. Each universe had its cons and pros and clearly, creating materials was something simple in the world of cultivators. Opposite of that, this level-regulated world was filled with skills and spells which cultivators fell short on compared to these types of universes.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I found it rather intriguing, but the real point was that the gate connecting these multiple universes was none other than the one in front of us, the Abyss gate. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the only one. Even a single universe had numerous Abyss gates, but people had to find them. And the Lord who ruled over the anchor, the abyss which connected everything, the one who could kill anyone with a snap of their finger was called the Abyss. It was also the creator of us, legendary creatures, hence, the reason I called it my father as a joke. If a legendary creature died, another one would be born in its place. Every legendary creature was an eternal race that would keep reviving with only a single specimen in one universe. Theoretically, unless another Dragon God moved into this universe, I shouldn¡¯t come across another one stronger than me now that I killed Padinyss. At most, I¡¯d meet a newborn Dragon God whose power wouldn¡¯t matter to me. But every universe would have one of every legendary creature and this was one of the main differences between Dred, me, and the others. As devourers, we weren¡¯t reborn or created as commonly as the other races. Our birth had a single condition which was that one of the creators, the ones who had the power to create universes, made it happen. I didn¡¯t know the necessary conditions and circumstances since that wasn¡¯t a part of my inborn memories, but the Abyss was kind enough to share one or two things about the reason of my existence, at least. And unlike the other legendary creatures, even if I died, I wouldn¡¯t return and be reborn with the memories of my ancestors. Sometimes I found it truly unfair how the other legendary creatures had so many perks Dred and I didn¡¯t have, but at least, we had our own devilish ability which was hard to resist. Besides, although they could make blood servants as well, theirs were much different compared to ours. My plans of cleansing the world weren¡¯t restricted to just this universe, after all, I was meant to destroy everything originally. Not even planets and stars should be left, but I never felt the need to destroy everything like a crazy and mad person. I wanted to be more than what I was born to be, what I was given, and what I was meant to be. While I cleared my head and thought about the future, Dred took a quick trip around the gate and returned in a few minutes. ¡°There are ten people at the seventh realm guarding the gate and as the law states, only people reaching the seven hundredth level can pass through the gate, unless any of the rulers of their respective nation, states otherwise. So you surely can¡¯t check out the Abyss for now,¡± he said. Biting my lower lip, I said, ¡°That sucks. I wanted to spread my influence to other places as well, but I guess it¡¯s better like this. Though I really could have dealt with weaker realms and places¡­¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Indeed, and you could have made many blood servants who would have grown strong while we would clean this place, but that¡¯ll have to wait,¡± he nodded his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, it¡¯s not like standing here will change anything,¡± I sighed as I turned around and teleported away. Another few minutes later, we got back to the forest of the capital city where we spent our time hunting and had some ¡®fun¡¯ together. Since nobody knew about our presence in these lands, for now, I was mostly worried about the Bear God who surely had knowledge related to my race. Thanks to their inborn memories, they would find out and spread news of my existence here quite soon which wasn¡¯t something I wanted. And if I didn¡¯t want something, I¡¯d make sure that it wouldn¡¯t bother me. As we took a short rest, I sat down at the root of a tree and said, ¡°You know, sometimes I wonder if we could turn legendary creatures into blood servants as well.¡± ¡°Hahaha, fat chance. Their blood has a similar effect compared to ours, so I think they¡¯d just negate each other,¡± Dred squatted down in front of me. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t know until you don¡¯t try, do you?¡± a sly smile formed on my face. ¡°Although I get your point, legendary creatures are all proud and don¡¯t trust anyone but themselves. Even if we made them drink our blood somehow, they wouldn¡¯t accept it and go to sleep just like that, especially because they know what would happen if they did and what caused it,¡± he said as he picked up a dried branch and started to break it into tiny pieces. ¡°Maybe if we blackmailed them somehow?¡± ¡°Would you go to such length?¡± he raised his brows. ¡°Well, no,¡± I shook my head. There were ten types of legendary creatures, namely the Dragon God, the Twelve Headed Hydra, the Bear God, the Phoenix, the Tiger God, the Turtle God, the Ape God, the Demon God, the Divine Angel, and the Undead God. The tiger, turtle, and ape gods usually preferred the company of beastmen. The demon god favoured the demon race, the angels favoured humans¡¯ company. The undead god¡­ well, it was obvious who they accompanied as well while the remaining was a rather rowdy, stuck-up, and boastful bunch with pride high enough to make them look down on everyone and handle them as nothing but tools and toys. I had the luck to meet one of them, the dragon god, and now there seemed to be another one of those troublesome creatures with terrible personalities, a bear god. Biting my finger, I said, ¡°I want to deal with that hairy bear as soon as possible. I don¡¯t want to be revealed just yet. The longer we can operate secretly, the safer it is for us.¡± ¡°Hmm- Audrey, Jake, and Cor should be nearby by now. Maybe we should ask them to secretly check out this Bear God, though I¡¯m worried about the bear¡¯s strength since we know nothing about it,¡± Dred thought aloud. After thinking about what he said for a bit, I replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think that a creature like the bear god wouldn¡¯t want to be at the best place, which is next to the Abyss Gate. This makes me think that it isn¡¯t strong enough to have a place of its own here. Considering that the Warton brothers come from the outskirts of Ketarn and that Bear Gods are said to be overbearing, it¡¯d surely want to stay somewhere where it could play the mighty king and do whatever it wanted.¡± ¡°My point is that the bear god should be still at the sixth realm and have a territory of its own among weaker people. Boulei seemed to be proud of his ¡®talent¡¯ as well which makes me think that the people living on the outskirts are generally only at the fourth and fifth realm.¡± ¡°That¡¯d make sense,¡± Dred murmured, his hand on his chin. ¡°Yosh, should we visit it personally?¡± ¡°No, even if it was at the seventh realm, it wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to have a place next to the Abyss gate and since I don¡¯t know how strong it is, I¡¯m not going to attack it just yet. Ah! I know! Let¡¯s use Skeiron again. Although the Descendants successfully infiltrated many noble houses, other than the Greywing family, neither of those are noteworthy enough. They¡¯re just barely above the seven hundredth level,¡± I grumbled, a bit sad about the fact that my dear children had to work for those shrimps. But they couldn¡¯t just quit their job right after going there so they were stuck there for some time and even when they could finally quit their jobs, they¡¯d have to wait a bit before they could join other noble families and produce similar results compared to Liz¡¯s. Well, hers was also a result of Jareg being a lustful, greedy pig who thought women were just tools made to pleasure men. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea and I have just the right thing in mind to deal with Jareg and fetch us noble titles as well,¡± Dred stood up with a sly smile on his face. This may have been the first time I saw him show a face like that. ¡°Hoo? What could it be?¡± I mused as I retrieved the information from his mind. My blood was like a plague once I started to share it with others and even if they were stronger unless people fought against it, they¡¯d just fall asleep and wake up as mine. Such was the fate of Jake who lost his will, Audrey who trusted me too much, and Cor who was lacking knowledge and his own memories. Such was the fate of the children with hope for the future and the people that trusted their closest companions and family members. Would a father doubt his son¡¯s motives, especially when he was so young? I believed the answer was obvious. ---------------------------- Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 42.3 - Growing Hive ¡°Father!¡± I shouted as I knocked on his door. ¡°Skeiron? Come in,¡± he replied and the door opened by itself. All he had to do was think about it. I entered his room where two women laid in bed, sleeping soundly. Ignoring the fact that their hands and legs were tied, I hugged my dear daddy and sat on his lap. He had light clothes on for this warm summer day. The wind gently blew in through the opened windows and refreshed his smelly room. ¡°Why did you come to see me?¡± he asked. However cruel he may have been, he seemed to love his one and only son, me. The ''me'' in the past loved him as well, but now, I only loved my king and queen and my other masters. Their command was above everything and if they commanded it, I¡¯d gladly take my father¡¯s life. Still, the queen was nice enough to keep this man alive and use him for the greater good. ¡°I wanted to ask for your guidance related to the skill you taught me last time. Could you help me now?¡± I grabbed his large and fat finger and tugged on it. ¡°My son, you shouldn¡¯t rely on your father too much else you won¡¯t be able to develop your own spells and skills, but sure enough, I¡¯ll help you. Just remember not to go overboard with asking for help!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do something like that!¡± I raised my voice. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s really hard to condense mana and turn them into physical claws. If you could show me again, maybe I¡¯d learn how to do it. Also, I¡¯ve got some great body-refining liquid from one of the stores. Although it put me to sleep after I drank it, my power raised considerably and I became more muscular!¡± I flexed my arms and showed him my progress. He didn¡¯t have to know that it was because I learned how to control Cosmological Constant to some degree and transformed my body a bit. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a good thing, my son, but do you think I need something like that?¡± ¡°Father, let me ask you this. Don¡¯t you think women would be more interested in you if you dropped some weight? Considering your noble title, hehe, they¡¯d definitely serve you as you wanted!¡± Hearing something like this from the mouth of a brat like me, from his son¡¯s mouth, most parents would be surely outraged, but my father? ¡°Hmm, you must be right! I see that your servant did teach you a few things,¡± he winked at me. ¡°You bet!¡± I smiled back. ¡°Well then, look at this carefully,¡± my father took me off of his lap and put me on the side of the bed. Just as he stood up, Liz knocked on the door and I told her to come in. She was holding a plate with two glasses of juice on it. Naturally, they both had my blood in it. Since Master¡¯s blood would pass through the stomach and enter the bloodstream where it¡¯d divide until it made up fifty percent of one¡¯s blood, we never had to worry about the amount we used or about losing our bond with Master. Basically, once Father drank the juice, the blood I snuck into it would enter his bloodstream, divide and replace half of his blood and then it¡¯d quickly overwrite all his cells as the blood circulated through his whole body and would replace the old ideas with new ones. His brain would be rebuilt. That sort of ¡®plague¡¯ was the Queens, and the Kings, blood. After placing the plate on the top of a small table, Liz bowed and quietly left. My father ignorantly stood up and showed off his skill and I tried to replicate it. After a few more failures, I succeeded and then grabbed one of the glasses. ¡°Say, where did you buy that elixir from?¡± he asked as he grabbed the other glass and looked at the reddish ¡®liquid¡¯ flowing within. ¡°It¡¯s from the elixir store close to the palace, it¡¯s called the Divine Elixir store,¡± I replied. ¡°Hmm, certainly, they do have a lot of magical stuff,¡± while he was talking, I drank it in front of him and then laid down on the bed. ¡°Aaah, this is so warm or even hot. I bet I¡¯ll become even stronger by the time I wake up,¡± I muttered as I slowly closed my eyes and pretended to fall asleep by regulating my breath and loosening my body. I heard a few gulps and then he also laid down next to me. Since the bed was large, we didn¡¯t have to mind the women sleeping on it and they were also tied up so we had nothing to fear even if they woke up. Well, my father¡¯s rampage in the city wouldn¡¯t last for long because once he woke up, he¡¯d have better things to do which was to follow the Queen¡¯s commands! Since I wasn¡¯t sure if that woman was still following Liz or if she was around us, I actually went ahead and slept a good one for real. I woke up to my father nudging my side. ¡°Skeiron, wake up,¡± he used Master¡¯s soul realm to talk to me. ¡°Well, well, wonderful job, Skeiron, and welcome, Jareg~¡± Master¡¯s voice reached my mind in the next moment. She rarely talked to me directly, so I felt utterly happy when I heard her voice. ¡°Is that woman still around?¡± she asked my father. ¡°No, she¡¯s following Liz,¡± he replied respectfully. ¡°Alright. Your first task will be to take care of that woman. I don¡¯t want suspicious eyes who keeps tracking my people and restricting our movements. I want our boundaries removed! Skeiron, you may spend your time training and as you see fit. Just don¡¯t bring others¡¯ attention to yourself and keep a low profile. My point is that you shouldn¡¯t make enemies for no reason. But Liz will stay there and help you two if you feel unsure of something and you can contact me as well,¡± Master Elena gave a few sets of instructions and then her presence disappeared. Since Liz was our proxy who conveyed Master¡¯s plans and thoughts, we¡¯d both follow her words and commands. I was happy to see my father join the right side of the universe. Now he too understood the ways of the universe, the greater good! ¡°My son, don¡¯t forget that we can¡¯t be rash. My grandfather isn¡¯t really close to me and he¡¯d kill me and you if he found out about us. We must be careful how we deal with Anna as well since she isn¡¯t much weaker than me. If she were to realise that I joined Master¡¯s side, she¡¯d definitely report it to grandfather and say that I was being manipulated or something like that,¡± Father warned me. Since he drank my blood, I was above him in the command line, but he was still older than me, so I¡¯d naturally consider his words. And our hive wasn¡¯t like common organisations. Even if I was his superior, I¡¯d listen to what he had to say, maybe he would point out something I didn¡¯t notice. Those were Master¡¯s teachings and I¡¯d naturally abide them. Efficiency was above everything! My personal feelings came only after. ¡°Wait a moment, let me transfer everything I know about Ketarn to Master,¡± he said and closed his eyes. About a minute later, he opened them and looked at me. He lost his weight while he went through a transformation and his old size wasn¡¯t even visible on his skin. He had short brown hair, white pupils and after his evolution, his fat turned into sturdy muscles, though muscle mass had little to do with true strength at this point. After all, the number of muscle fibres in a muscle was many times of common humans'' and the space laws were a part of his strength as well. Everyone would reach the maximum strength their bodies could handle at the five hundred and ninety-ninth level, but they could still become stronger even afterwards by using the space laws.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. With my father as Master¡¯s pawn, we¡¯d be able to get information from the Kings¡¯ meetings and additionally, there was one more instruction Master gave. Since nobody was around, Liz opened the door and led us to the entrance. Half of the workers in the mansion were already our pawns, so we had little to worry about. If only grandfather could see the light and join our side, that would be wonderful! Sadly, someone as old as him with more than a million years behind his back, he would surely know that there was no medicine or elixir that would put one to sleep. Since my father was relatively young, he believed my words and Master¡¯s plan succeeded. But grandfather would most likely find out that it was a legendary creature¡¯s blood. At the front door, I could barely contain my excitement from jumping forward and opening the door, but there were eyes watching us, so I couldn¡¯t do that. Liz opened the door, slowly revealing Master Elena¡¯s and Master Dred¡¯s silhouette. ¡°Come in, you two!¡± most likely ignoring his own emotions, my father acted as if he received important guests, people he liked. When they entered, Liz closed the door while Father turned around and said, ¡°Listen well! These people are called Dred and Elena! From now on, consider them as if they were my son and daughter because they saved my life and have done a great favour to me!¡± The servants in the mansion all looked at him with baffled faces and their focus soon changed to our masters. This was the first time I met them in person and their overwhelming presence prompted me to kneel, but I knew that it wouldn¡¯t do any good for their plans, so I refrained from doing so. I truly had trouble standing, but I knew had to. ¡°But, are you sure? We weren¡¯t of much help, we should refuse it, after all,¡± Master Elena said in a low voice, but everyone was able to hear it. ¡°Hahaha, what are you talking about? Is saving my life a simple matter to you? Come on in and be my guests! I¡¯ll talk with Grandfather later!¡± Father laughed loudly and led our masters to his room. I followed them while Liz had to leave to do her job at the mansion. I felt bad for her since she could have met them in person, but I knew that she grew up alongside them, so a part of me was happy because I would be able to have some time in their presence as well. As nothing but a pawn, I was quite sure that not many of my peers would have the luck to spend time with Master! When Father closed the door, both of them sighed out of relief and sat down on the side of the bed. Looking at the tied up women who were looking around in confusion, Master Elena made a thoughtful face. ¡°Should I get rid of them? I¡¯m terribly sorry that you have to see something like this. I was an utter trash, I beg your pardon,¡± Father knelt down and bowed deeply as he used the soul realm to ask for forgiveness. Give his deeds in the past, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Master disposed of him once he lost his value. Sadly, my Father wasn¡¯t worthy of living. ¡°Turn them into pawns,¡± she replied. Nodding his head, Father stood up and walked up to them as he slit his wrist. ¡°Drink my blood or you die,¡± he said coldly. As broken as they were, they didn''t even reply and just did as told. Master Elena clicked her tongue, dissatisfied with Father¡¯s past ''achievements¡¯. ¡°I''m quite a bit against using broken people like them, considering what these poor souls had to go through, but thanks to someone stupid, their lives have been screwed! Since this is the only way to make them happy and save them as well, I''m willing to take them in, but they''ll be free to do whatever they wanted.¡± ¡°Jareg, once they wake up, you shall free them and never meet them again, unless I requested it. Am I clear?¡± Master Elena commanded. ¡°Yes.¡± Father bowed deeply and showed proper manners in front of the King and the Queen. ¡°You shall receive your final punishment later. Work hard to atone for your sins,¡± Master Elena said. ¡°Yes,¡± my father replied once again with a single word. Even if he became one of us, his sins wouldn¡¯t be forgiven just because of that, else everyone would be kept alive. ¡°Skeiron? Why are you trembling? Aren''t you supposed to hide your emotions well?¡± she added. ¡°I''m sorry, Master. It''s just that-¡± ¡°Haha, I was just joking. But really, stop it,¡± she rolled her eyes. I knew that my masters didn¡¯t like when we knelt down in front of them, but as for me, it was a way to show my allegiance and my respect and most likely the others felt the same. ¡°Alright, once your grandfather agrees to take the two of us in as your adopted children, we¡¯ll have noble titles as well. If you see that he doesn¡¯t want to agree, tell him that we¡¯re only thirty years old and at our current level. It¡¯d surely raise his expectations and he¡¯d want to make connections with us instead of refusing us, though we aren¡¯t that old¡­¡± Master Elena mused. ¡°Understood,¡± Father replied as he raised his head. ¡°Audrey, Cor, and Jake are at the Demon Burrows right now, so they should reach the Bear God¡¯s forest soon. We infiltrated the Greywing family as well, so that¡¯s another good thing and additionally, we have pawns all over the city. Yosh, I should turn the Warton brothers into pawns as well so that we¡¯d have people in the academy. With the information net and our resources shared, we should be able to avoid being found out and be at ease,¡± Master Elena smiled brightly as she listed all the good news. ¡°Elena, I¡¯ve just thought of something,¡± Master Dred said as he paced around the room. ¡°You know, we wasted so much time on just a single planet by trying to find out more about people and then judge according to their deeds, but tell me, wouldn¡¯t it be easier if we just turned them into our blood servants instead? It¡¯d both make them useful and would save us a lot of trouble as well. I believe we should focus on trying to turn everyone into our blood servants instead.¡± She hung her head and sighed as she replied, ¡°I thought about that as well, but I wasn¡¯t sure since it¡¯d take away their freedom. But it¡¯s also true that those who kept their own wills would never become completely ¡®good¡¯ people or they¡¯d always have a chance to change once they were betrayed or something of the sort. If they were all our pawns, they surely wouldn¡¯t do those kinds of things, but I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.¡± ¡°I plan to go through with it nonetheless,¡± he replied. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to investigate every single person and then either kill them or leave them be not to mention that they could betray us any moment if they kept their freedom.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. We¡¯d also come to find out about their past lives like that,¡± he nodded his head. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll follow you,¡± she sighed. ¡°Friends have more friends and those friends have families as well. The branches are infinite, so turning the weaker ones into servants wouldn¡¯t be a problem. The truly problematic ones are those old folks above the seventh realm. Do you plan to kill them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see about that,¡± he murmured. A society of my Masters¡¯ blood servants where everyone would understand their holiness and wouldn¡¯t bother with things like races, treasures, positions of power. Where everyone would live in peace! What a wonderful society it¡¯d be! My only hope was that I¡¯d stay alive to see the day the whole universe was under my Masters¡¯ control. ¡°Okay, one of our servants just notified me of the Warton brothers¡¯ leave, so somebody give me some blood, I don¡¯t want to use mine on them,¡± Master Elena sprung up all of a sudden and requested our assistance. At that moment, two knocks could be heard on the door and Liz entered, ¡°I beg your pardon Master, but wait,¡± she said. ¡°What is it?¡± Master Elena raised her brows. ¡°Before separating, Master Audrey retrieved some of their blood in case Master wished to use a more potent version. Even if they aren¡¯t that good when measured by Master¡¯s standards, I believe they¡¯re quite talented humans. If they were to become Descendants as well, they¡¯d make a good team of three and their potential would raise considerably, maybe enough to keep up with us,¡± Liz explained. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true and if they had access to all the abilities and knowledge we gathered, they could advance relatively quickly. Alright, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Master Elena stepped forward and hugged Liz. ¡°This was your request, right? Are you happy now?¡± she laughed. But I- I felt so envious I wanted to bury myself. I took a quick peek at my father and seeing his eyes, I knew he felt the same way, but since he was a sinner in his life, he definitely wouldn¡¯t receive our masters¡¯ favour. But if I worked hard, maybe, but just maybe, I¡¯d have the chance to request something like that! This made it clear to me that I had to work harder than any of the pawns! ¡°Master, Anna has returned,¡± Father warned. ¡°In that case, behave normally for now. You should turn her into a servant if possible, but if you fail, you just have to take her life instead,¡± Master Elena replied. Nodding his head, my father turned around to leave and welcome Anna with a new set of commands. If she stopped following us, it¡¯d be more than good. I believed it was only a question of time before the world received my masters¡¯ goodwill and blessing and turned into a much better place! Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 43.1 - Blood business Blood business --- Elena --- After our little meeting, I left the mansion with Dred and made my way towards the local academy. Since Dred was lurking in my shadow, nobody noticed his presence. With the help of my bacteria, I quickly tracked down the three Warton brothers who were still together. I didn¡¯t want to do it like this, originally, but Dred¡¯s words made sense and made me realise that my current efforts were a bit pointless in the long run. Theoretically speaking, the people I left behind should be able to raise their children according to my ¡®laws¡¯, the laws that were enough to keep their lives, but in fact, that was naive of me. Humans wouldn¡¯t stop being humans and demons wouldn¡¯t stop being demons, and the list went on. Even if I wiped out the ¡®weed¡¯, new would be born in the future all because of society. The only true solution was to¡­ destroy every race by turning them into our blood servants. Maybe we were supposed to use our blood like that since the beginning. Although their crazed worship for Dred and me was a rather questionable side-effect, once the whole universe fell, we should be able to ask the Abyss to remove that effect of our blood. But even if it didn''t help us, we would bear the consequences of our actions. My best shot at making the brothers switch sides was to use Boulei¡¯s interest in me. I was pretty sure that I didn¡¯t misinterpret the looks he gave me, but I could be wrong as well. If he refused to bother with my ''openings¡¯ and the friendly signs I planned to show, I¡¯d leave them be, for now. The poor guy didn¡¯t even know he would be playing around with his own fate if he really made a move on me. It all depended on whether he was a dense guy or not. Making careful my timing was right, I turned on the corner and stopped in front of him, showing a surprised face. Boulei opened his eyes wide and looked at me happily, ¡°You¡¯re - Elena - Hahaha, I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d meet again.¡± ¡°My, certainly, it¡¯s a surprise for me as well,¡± I put my hand on my face as I replied, feigning surprise. But I was more amused than anything. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s fate,¡± he chuckled. Hmm- so he is trying to close the gap, it seems. Good thing for me. ¡°That could be,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Where were you headed to?¡± ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve just finished our first day in the academy. We were on the way to our dormitories. Oh, and they even reward us with some world crystals if we perform well,¡± he said happily. His words piqued my interest. I needed a stable income of world crystals to keep my blood servants at least somewhere around my level. I had no plans to keep dragging them on my back. I just wanted all of them to reach the sixth realm, but now that we were here, Dred and I would advance as quickly as we could beside taking care of our ¡®work¡¯. I could have asked, but once he turned into my blood servant, I¡¯d find out about it anyway. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes high. If the academy handed out so many world crystals, everyone would attend it and never graduate¡­ Well, or at least, they¡¯d stay there as long as they could,¡± Dred commented on my thoughts. ¡°Yes, but you may be wrong since we don¡¯t know the rules of the academy,¡± I replied. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing then,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Miss Elena, do you live in the city as well?¡± Gin, one of Boulei¡¯s little brother asked. ¡°I do. Why? Do you want to visit my place by any chance?¡± I chuckled and in the meantime, Dred contacted Jareg and asked if he''s talked with his grandfather yet. ¡°Master, I talked with him and he said he doesn¡¯t care and that I shouldn¡¯t bother him with matters like these. But he did warn me that I¡¯d have to take responsibility for you if I adopted you. There is a more pressing matter, though,¡± Jareg replied. ¡°Hahaha, that wasn¡¯t why I asked it. I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude-¡± Gin laughed at my question at the same time, but Boulei cut into his words. ¡°But if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to visit you,¡± he said, seemingly a bit overexcited about his chance. Hmm, he really is trying to get closer to me, I guess. Should we use the ¡®elixir¡¯ trick again? They¡¯re coming from far away, so they shouldn¡¯t know that there is no elixir that puts them to sleep. I should hear out Jareg as well, but I can¡¯t talk with two people at the same time, so Dred, deal with him. As I thought that far, Dred was already listening to Jareg¡¯s report while I focused back on the people in front of me. Placing my hand on my chin, I said, ¡°I imagine you don¡¯t know the city considering that you¡¯ve arrived not long ago. Should I send someone to guide you there?¡± I raised my brows. ¡°I can¡¯t receive you right now since I have matters to attend to,¡± I added. ¡°No, no, I wouldn¡¯t want to bother you. Please, go ahead and deal with whatever you have to. If you tell me your address, I¡¯ll find your place for sure,¡± Boulei said kindly. Hahaha, he¡¯s trying so hard it actually makes me feel bad a bit. Well, whatever. ¡°You aren¡¯t bothering me, though,¡± I smiled at him and brushed my hair to the side. ¡°Right, you can find me here¡± - I said as I used my soul force to share with him the location of the Greywing mansion - ¡°but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be home. Anyway, if you do come and I¡¯m not home, just tell it to either of the maids. They have a way to contact me and I¡¯ll return.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be on our way in that case,¡± he smiled back and after saying goodbye, they waited for me to move and then left as well. ¡°Dred, follow them. I want to know where this dormitory is. Maybe I could turn everyone into my blood servant there as well,¡± I murmured, a new plan already forming in my mind. It¡¯d take time, but if I could turn the younger generations into my blood servants, everywhere, it would take no more than a few years until I overtook this whole place without anyone knowing. By that time, I should be able to deal with the legendary creatures and people with too much knowledge.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Fine, fine. Why do I have to do the dirty work, though?¡± ¡°What dirty work? You don¡¯t have to kill them, you¡¯ll be just following them,¡± I replied. ¡°Yes, but you¡¯re strong enough to follow them without their notice,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Right, and did you hear Jareg¡¯s report?¡± ¡°Partly. But if I got it right, Anna questioned his motives when he told her to stop following Liz and told him that he was acting strangely, right?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. This just means that Anna is suspicious of Jareg and Skeiron as well. But it¡¯s true that both of them went through big changes, both in behaviour and looks. On the other hand, she most likely finds it weird that the servants don¡¯t even gossip about Jareg¡¯s change, even though that would be commonplace. But they obviously wouldn¡¯t since they¡¯re our pawns as well,¡± he said. ¡°Suspicion is something I want the least,¡± I grumbled as I started following the brothers while Dred went back to the mansion. With his and the other servants¡¯ help, they should be able to take down that woman and get rid of our only nuisance. On the way, I also thought about the envoy that was sent to the elven forest. Once they returned, Jareg would attend the Kings meeting where they¡¯d most likely decide on the next move of the kingdom. I had people almost everywhere in this kingdom, but it¡¯d be for the best if I spread my wings and sent a few descendants to the other powerful nations. The most powerful nations were obviously Trigon, the Shikanai Dynasty, and the ¡®forest of the elves¡¯. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if their nation actually had a name or just people of Trigon referred to that place as such. The trip to the dormitory took about five minutes which Boulei spent talking about my beauty and my elegance and whatnot. It was quite strange to hear, though it felt good to hear something other than ¡®monster¡¯ and other similar words. While other legendary creatures have a kind of ¡®crushing¡¯ aura, like Padinyss had, Dred¡¯s and mine make others feel at ease and comfortable around us instead. As humans with barely any power, Audrey and Jake naturally fell to it and turned into my dear ¡®overlords¡¯, hehe. I guess unless people find out about my true identity, they do see me as a good person bearing elegance and pride. I felt tempted to turn only his brothers into pawns and test how he would react if I told him who I was and what sort of plans I had, but I knew I shouldn¡¯t do something like that. Yeah, I mustn¡¯t. I¡¯d have to kill him or force him into submission if he turned against me and doing something like that just for a bit of fun and out of curiosity, would be bad. AAAARGH! But it¡¯s the first time that an outsider talked about me like this. I want to see his reaction! ¡°Dred, help me,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask him. I was sure he understood me. Well, it¡¯d be weird if he didn¡¯t consider that we shared the same soul realm, alas, we were bonded. ¡°Elena, as long as it doesn¡¯t affect our plans, I don¡¯t really care what you do. Personally, I wouldn¡¯t do something like that, but if you want to find out so much, then go ahead. Even if you end up killing them, I don¡¯t think it really matters after all the bad things we¡¯ve done,¡± he replied. ¡°But make sure to turn the other two into pawns, at least. I wouldn¡¯t mind if we had people in that academy or what,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not going to reveal anything. I¡¯ll just do what I was supposed to,¡± I replied. ¡°Also, how are things going on your side?¡± ¡°I¡¯m lurking in Jareg¡¯s shadow and am waiting patiently for the outcome of his meeting. Anna keeps saying that he¡¯s changed ever since ¡®this Liz¡¯ appeared. It turns out these two had a rather complicated relationship since Anna is Skeiron¡¯s mother¡­ I should have checked all of Jareg¡¯s memories sooner. Well, it¡¯s never too late, right?¡± he murmured. ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t. Also, that¡¯s something Jareg should be able to deal with-¡± ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Dred cut into my words. ¡°It seems that Jareg looked fit in the past, like now, and he was also a kinder and gentler person, like now. And¡­ hahaha, Anna is jealous of Liz because she thinks that she changed Jareg back, not her. Oh, shit, this is turning into a family drama¡­ I don¡¯t think we actually have to kill her. She¡¯s better off joining as well,¡± Dred said happily, visibly having fun listening to what was going on there. If only he followed the brothers in my place, I could have had fun watching them. Although I was able to use my bacteria to track down anyone, I wouldn¡¯t know where the location was without actually going there, even if I felt that the target stopped moving at some place. The most I¡¯d know would be a general way and I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the exact distance either. And so I was forced to track him¡­ ¡°Elena, there is a slight problem. Jareg and Anna are making up as per my command and even Skeiron came in for a family hug. Now he¡¯s also happy to meet his mother for the first time, but you see, Anna has yet to become one of us and if she finds out that Jareg wants to ¡®adopt¡¯ us, she¡¯d definitely change her mind. But Boulei is going to visit this mansion which won¡¯t go unnoticed. We¡¯ll have to send Jareg and Anna on a date somewhere far or I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also send someone to track Boulei and notify me when he decides to give the Greywing mansion a visit. If nothing else, you¡¯ll have to ¡®bump¡¯ into him on his way here¡­¡± Dred said. ¡°Since you have a solution already, where is the problem?¡± I laughed. ¡°Ah¡­ true!¡± he shouted in my mind. ¡°Good, I¡¯ve found the dormitory as well. Let¡¯s see¡­ Inspect,¡± I said and inspected a few of the students I could see through the windows.
Name: Lamass Hill Race: Lamia (Male)
Level: 608 Threat Level: 4
Class: Flood Magician (Excels in high area damage spells) (Rare) Allegiance: Trigon Kingdom
Name: Emily Heder Race: Demon-Human (Female)
Level: 609 Threat Level: 10
Class: Soul Artist (Excels in soul-related spells) (Epic)
After checking about fifteen people, I realised the dormitory was a treasure trove. That girl called Emily surely had some amazing background since with her level, she shouldn¡¯t have such a high threat level. It most likely had to do with her soul-related spells which I was lacking in. I guess she¡¯s been taught by her parents or some kind of master else there is no way that she¡¯d have an epic-ranked class and who knows how powerful soul spells. Yup, I have to get my hands on her as well and get her to teach us. Sharing work sure is great~ If I had to learn everything by myself and alone, ugh¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have that much time. For now, I turned around and went back to the Greywing mansion, secretly, of course. Even if Jareg and Anna were in the mid parts of the sixth realm, meaning that they were about five times as strong as me, Anna still wouldn¡¯t be able to sense me. Jareg would naturally know because of my soul realm¡­ I needed a plan. A plan to turn those talented people in the dormitory, the next generation of talented people into my Pawns or even Descendants. If I succeeded, even before anyone noticed my presence, I¡¯d sink my claws into this kingdom and turn the key people into my pawns. All I needed was time and secrecy. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 43.2 - Blood business The next day, one of the pawns following Boulei, notified Dred and told him he was coming towards the mansion. My upgraded ID card has also been done, so Dred and I became nobles officially. The only problem was that unless we turned Anna into a pawn or a corpse, we wouldn''t be able to do much with the title. And the worst was that neither of us could do as much as sleep there! Since Anna refused to go out with his ''old lover, the one she fell for in the past¡¯, saying that she wanted to spend more time alone with her family, I had to ''accidentally¡¯ bump into Boulei once again. This time his brothers didn''t accompany him, but that was the only good thing about all this. Luck didn''t side with me often¡­ I turned a corner knowing that he was coming and stopped in front of him, faking a surprised face. ¡°Hahahaha, I was on the way to your place,¡± he broke into a fit of laughter. ¡°And I was about to go out of the city to hunt a few monsters,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Coincidences sure are amazing.¡± ¡°It must be fate, to run into each other three times,¡± he said in a meaningful tone. ¡°If not for knowing better, I¡¯d be thinking that you were following me,¡± I chuckled. His eyes opened wide and he hurriedly said, ¡°No, no. I swear I¡¯m not-¡± ¡°Haha, I know. No need to get all flustered. I¡¯d have known if you were following me,¡± I said with a small smile. ¡°Missy must be very popular with your beauty and talent,¡± he complained me in my face for the first time. ¡°You jest, I¡¯m nothing amazing like that,¡± I covered the left half of my face with my hand and recalled something embarrassing to make a flustered look. Seeing that he was completely focused on me and his pupils seemed to be a bit wider than usual, I was quite sure I captured him. ¡°We could go to my place, but why don¡¯t we go somewhere else instead?¡± I asked. ¡°Is that a date?¡± he winked at me. ¡°NO! That¡¯s work, though he doesn¡¯t have to know it,¡± I told Dred. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know,¡± he returned a chuckle and then turned silent. ¡°I-If that¡¯s what you want,¡± I said in a low voice and avoided eye contact. He sternly focused on me and gazed at me as if he was trying to burn a hole in my face. I couldn¡¯t help but think that he really wanted to just push me down and have sex with me, but I didn¡¯t have to worry about him since he surely realised by now that I was a noble and I was also stronger than him. ¡°Missy-¡± ¡°Elena,¡± I said firmly. Nodding his head, he corrected himself, ¡°Alright, Elena. Is there any specific place where you¡¯d like to go?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, I have a few places I¡¯d like to visit,¡± I said with a smile. In about two hours, we visited an elixir shop where I wanted to buy two of bottles of one of a kind, but he paid for it instead. After that, we went to a restaurant, and finally, we visited a park in the city to take a breather. He seemed to have some reserves which made me happy. Now we had some income through Jareg and our noble titles and if I turned someone into my pawn, I¡¯d definitely get my hands on their possession. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I needed it to have fun and live a carefree life, unlike others¡­ In the end, we went to an Inn where he booked a room for the two of us after I suggested it. He was all happy to oblige, but when I told him that the elixir would put us to sleep, he seemed to be turned off. I wanted to laugh at him, but it would have been inappropriate¡­ Without his notice, when I entered the restroom in the restaurant, I put a few drops of Liz¡¯s blood into both of them. It couldn¡¯t be helped that everyone was becoming her pawn, the others were occupied with their trashy jobs. Well, some of them left their jobs already, but they were instructed to move to the Shikanai Dynasty and infiltrate it. Afraid that he¡¯d try to stay awake and make a move on me ¡®in my sleep¡¯, I went ahead and sat down on the side of the bed, with the bottle of elixir in my hand. Looking at him from the corner of my eye, I mused, ¡°It¡¯s said that if you drink this, once you wake up, your body will feel hot. I wonder about that.¡± His downhearted expression perished instantly and he winked at me, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely help you.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear~¡± He laid down on the bed next to me and drank the whole bottle. I drank it right after him and also laid down with my eyes almost closed. After waiting a few seconds, I heard his breathing turn stable and regular. I sprung up from the bed and walked up to Boulei and poked his face to see if he was really asleep, just in case. Seeing that he didn¡¯t react even after I slapped him, Dred came out of my shadow as well. ¡°Alright, he¡¯s going to be of key importance in our plans. He and his brothers will have to befriend as many of them as possible and make them drink our ¡®elixir¡¯,¡± Dred laughed. ¡°Yeah, if only these old geezers knowing everything weren¡¯t here, we could have set up an elixir store and lie about the contents of the elixir. Just a few pawns would have been enough to spread good words and then we¡¯d have taken over the whole city. If only we did that back on Dink and Dunk as well instead of all that troublesome investigation,¡± I shook my head, my heart in pain just from remembering it. We had to infiltrate every mansion, the life of every person, and investigate their secrets. Although my army was a few tens of thousands of people large, it meant nothing in a huge city like this one. But however I looked at it, my infiltration was bound to work out with so many people here, even if I sent more than half of them to hunt monsters since all of them dropped world crystals while some of them even hoarded it. I was expecting to see a large sum of world crystals in the near future, all in our possession. Boulei woke up in about five minutes, which proved that his natural talent was actually quite high as well. He got out of bed and knelt down in front of Dred and me, his eyes filled with crazed respect. My blood truly killed people, in a meaning. ¡°Are you still lusting after me?¡± I asked out of curiosity since I¡¯ve never turned anyone who felt like that towards me into a pawn. ¡°There is no way I¡¯d feel like that towards the Queen. This lowly one would never be worthy enough to touch the Queen!¡± he flared up as if I said something offending. Stepping closer, I patted the top of his head and said, ¡°Alright, I was just curious. Here is your first task.¡± I told him the details through the soul realm since it was much quicker than talking in reality. I could tell even a minutes worth of speech in just a second because my mind was much quicker than my body. A side effect of high intelligence and wisdom stat points. ¡°I understand, Master,¡± he bowed his head and then stood up to leave with those two bottles of elixir. He¡¯d have no trouble behaving like he did before his change since my blood didn¡¯t make them forget their old personalities. Since the room was booked anyway, I stayed there with Dred and used the soul realm to see through Boulei¡¯s eyes and see what he¡¯d do. --- He went straight to the dormitory and entered the room he shared with his brothers. Since there were three people in a room, unless one paid for a single room, like that Soul Artist Emily did, the brothers had a good time. After all, they spent most of their time together and were used to each other¡¯s bad habits, which definitely wouldn¡¯t be the case with an outsider. ¡°Hi, already back?¡± Gin said with a grin. ¡°Hahaha, he must have been dumped,¡± Han laughed. ¡°You¡¯re both wrong!¡± Boulei stuck out his chest with pride. ¡°We actually booked a room in an Inn,¡± he winked at them. ¡°WHAT?¡± Gin shouted in surprise. ¡°As expected of big brother, you can hook up even a noble lady,¡± Han shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t hooked, though,¡± I chuckled in my mind. ¡°Ah, right, she sent you two a present,¡± Boulei pulled out those two bottles of red ¡®elixir¡¯ from behind his back and showed it to his brothers. ¡°What is that?¡± Han raised his brows with interest. ¡°It¡¯s a rather high-grade elixir, so much that it puts one to sleep after drinking it! Although it doesn¡¯t take more than five minutes, the changes are incredible! I dare you two to attack me, you¡¯ll see how much stronger I¡¯ve become!¡± Boulei flaunted as he was supposed to. Excited to become stronger, Han took one of the bottles out of his hands and after taking off the lid, sniffed it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really have much of a smell. It smells like¡­ strawberry juice? I think. Yeah, something like that,¡± after taking another few sips, he downed it all in one go. ¡°Seriously, you can¡¯t even wait. Just how greedy can you be?¡± Gin shook his head. ¡°U-Uwah, this is really¡­ strong-¡± Han staggered and sat down on the bed. He actually fell asleep sitting. Boulei gently pushed him down and then gave the other bottle to Gin. ¡°Drink it whenever you want to, though you may end up losing to us if you wait too much,¡± Boulei chuckled. ¡°Nah, you two are too weak to leave this talented me behind,¡± Gin opened the lid and after sniffing it, he drank it as well. Poor ¡®village bumpkins¡¯ never heard of people drugging other people. Well, Boulei surely didn¡¯t expect anything like that to happen on our first ¡®date¡¯, much less from a bottle of elixir he bought. ¡°Hmm, it tastes like iron, a bit,¡± Gin licked his lips. His eyelids drooped and in just a few moments, he fell asleep. Cracking his knuckles and his neck, Boulei muttered, ¡°Alright, I finished Master¡¯s task. Since she¡¯s going to sense the new connection, she¡¯ll surely instruct these two. I should get going and befriend a few people. Ah, but I need more strawberry juice¡­¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go shopping then!¡± Nodding my head, I stopped observing him, only to hear Jareg¡¯s happy voice in my mind. ¡°Master! I have good news!¡± After hearing him give me a detailed report of the situation, I moved back to the Greywing mansion with Dred. After having a lovely time in bed with Anna, Jareg served her with some drink, which naturally, contained Liz¡¯s blood. Probably thinking that she was just tired after it, Anna paid the tiredness no heed and fell asleep. While listening to Jareg¡¯s report, I also felt connections form with the Warton brothers and Anna as well. The plague that was my blood was spreading quickly, and the best was that nobody knew about it. Well, they¡¯d surely notice soon, but it¡¯d be too late at that time! A side project (Link here) This is a side project I''ve been working for a while now, you can check it out if you want to. I could write a description here, but why... it''s there. XD Anyway, it''s up to you if you want to check it out, as always. Have fun reading 23k words in case you get into the first chapter. It''s probably going to be interesting to those who like romance novels set in a modernish magical world. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 43.3 - Blood business For about a week, nothing major happened. Dred and I spent our time in the forest hunting and devouring magical beasts, sometimes chatting with Audrey and company about the things they¡¯ve seen on their travel and about Cor slowly building up the undead army. Since there was no legendary creature, he was one of the highest ranked undead, but of course, he wasn¡¯t alone. Although it made things harder, after forming friendships and with the help of my blood, quite a few of them fell into my hands. Seeing that the undead around Cor were becoming stronger and trained quicker, most likely prompted the other undead to follow him as well. Naturally, Audrey and Jake were exploring the area outside the tomb since they¡¯d have been attacked by the other undead. As it turned out, the deeper Cor went, the stronger undead he found and the fewer undead there were. Despite numbering in the millions, the undead¡¯s levels averaged around six hundred and twenty, only the leaders being at the upper half of the sixth realm, reaching the six hundred and eightieth level. They were the strongest forces I had right now, though I had no reason to use them and in fact, I couldn¡¯t send them between the other races either. Unless the army was too powerful, like on Dink, undead creatures weren¡¯t accepted in society. We pretty much shared a common fate in that aspect. Maybe that was one of the reasons why they weren¡¯t betraying each other and were waging wars with the other races and lived happily at their own places instead. Cor was rather simple to please as well, after all, just looking at the moon at night and feeling the wind made him happy all the time. The dead seemed to pay more attention to the little things the living tended to ignore and not notice. In that same week, the Warton brothers also befriended different people, though most of them were at their level of power or maybe a bit more powerful. After becoming ¡®brothers¡¯ with a few other people, they also started to share the ¡®secret elixir that made people stronger¡¯. Since neither of the people who turned into my pawns acted differently, nobody noticed that something ¡®bad¡¯ was going on. Rather, rumours spread in the dormitory and later in the school as well, stating that some people had a strange elixir that made people stronger and increased their talent. In a world where power was everything, such words made quite a lot of people interested or even go crazy over it. My pawns ¡®didn¡¯t want to betray¡¯ their friends and didn¡¯t share who were the distributors until they were actually threatened with their lives by some nobles. Their secrecy only made people more interested in the elixir and prompted them to get a bottle for themselves. I couldn¡¯t be any happier when I heard that even noble kids took the bait and started to be interested in my ¡®elixir¡¯. I also sent back two people to distribute my blood in the form of some super elixir back on Dink and Dunk. I imagined it would be easy for my pawns since nobody would have the power to threaten them there and just showing their association with me would most likely put many at fear. When the bunch of interested people finally found out that the Warton brothers were the ones who were handing out these elixirs to their close friends, many people in the dormitory demanded their own portions because of bullshit excuses like ¡®they were the future, the truly talented ones¡¯. After being ¡®forced¡¯, they handed out the elixir and told about its effects. Emily Heder, the Soul Artist, also asked for a bottle amidst the interested crowd, though she was rather respectful, unlike the others. Much to her and my happiness, she got two bottles of it, both containing Audrey¡¯s blood. Some other talented people got Audrey¡¯s, Jake¡¯s, or Cor¡¯s blood as well. Of course, they all got different ones. Some got Jake¡¯s while others got Cor¡¯s. Since the Warton brothers and the other pawns they made spent there more time, I had rather clear and accurate information on most of the students in the academy. After she turned into my blood servant, I immediately withdrew her from the academy to teach me the soul-related spells and skills she knew. At present, I finished learning the soul spells, out in the forest.
New Spell Acquired: Soul Crush
After training your control of soul, you managed to change its shape at your will and turn it into a sharp weapon. Armours and magical barriers matter not for this spell, which attacks directly one¡¯s soul.
New Spell Acquired: Soul Devourer
This spell helps you in slowly devouring one¡¯s soul. After learning in-depth about the soul, now you can ignore the memories and personality-related things in the soul.
This meant that I would no longer have to worry about my personality changing because of devouring souls. And with this, I could devour genes, souls, armours, and even mana, which made me feel like a true devourer!
New Spell Acquired: Soul Shield
You can control your soul to turn into a powerful and tough shield at your will and block soul attacks with ease, unless the opponents¡¯ attacks are too powerful.
Although soul devour couldn¡¯t capture souls, so I wouldn¡¯t have been able to devour the whole if I killed a monster or a person instantly, since I had Soul Container taught by Khax, I could always store the soul and slowly devour it with soul devourer. But there was a slight problem. Before drinking the elixir, Emily sent one bottle of elixir with one of her servants to her father to inquire about it. There were numerous kingdoms in Ketarn, but there was one person in control of this whole world, the one who created the formation which kept Ketarn in one piece, Zurdon Heder.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He was above the nine hundredth level, which meant that it wouldn¡¯t take more for him to kill everyone in Ketarn than a thought. And the daughter of that prominent person was none other than Emily. It was no wonder that she was in possession of such mighty soul spells at her age of four hundred. No human would ever be able to reach this level in such a short amount of time, without a background like that. And the problem was that once Zurdon got wind of this elixir, he¡¯d definitely find out that it was the devourer¡¯s blood. Although I had Emily under control, if Zurdon found me and Dred by any chance, we¡¯d turn into dead meat, along with our pawns. Looking at the silver-haired beauty, I commanded, ¡°Emily, you go back to the dormitory and live your life as usual for now. You should try your best to make your father think that you¡¯re still a normal human.¡± Her mother was a silver-haired demon, so she wasn¡¯t completely human. Luckily, descendant level servants changed races only if their original race was weak. As the daughter of a high-level human and a demon woman in the eighth realm, she inherited powerful genes, so her race didn¡¯t change. For now, even if she showed her stats to her Father, he wouldn¡¯t find out. My only worry was that her allegiance towards the devourer was visible, unless she blocked the inspect spell with a treasure. My last hope was that her father wouldn¡¯t ask her to remove the treasure. If there was no other way out, she¡¯d have to¡­ end her life. That¡¯d be a huge waste and I wouldn¡¯t want her to die because she was a rather pure girl. I¡¯d have left her alive even if Dred hadn¡¯t changed my mind to turn everyone into blood servants. ¡°Yes, Master, but I think that it¡¯s better if you stay low key from now on. My father dotes on me a lot, which was the reason I left home to see the world, and by doing so, fell under your grace. I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯d do with me if he found out that I turned into your blood servant, but most likely he wouldn¡¯t keep either of us alive,¡± Emily said. ¡°And what if he didn¡¯t have the heart to kill you?¡± I murmured. ¡°I¡¯m really unsure,¡± she shook her head. ¡°He never hit me or hurt me in my entire life and he took great care raising me. Even if he didn¡¯t kill me, he¡¯d most likely try to find a way to track you down somehow. I wouldn¡¯t mind playing the role of his daughter my entire life if that was necessary. Maybe I could prove it to him that falling under your grace is a good thing,¡± she smiled. ¡°If it comes down to that, then do as you please. Just remember not to reveal anything about us,¡± I replied. Nodding her head, she turned around and teleported back to her dormitory room. ¡°Now then, what should we do about the others? Should we withdraw everyone? I¡¯m afraid Zurdon would kill everyone if he found out about the people who drank the elixir,¡± I said. ¡°I think that it¡¯s enough if we withdraw the Warton brothers and send them somewhere far away. They should visit other planets where people are weaker than them and turn the people into blood servants, using their blood,¡± Dred replied. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s indeed a good idea. If they went far away, not even this Zurdon guy would be able to find them. Alright, let¡¯s go with your plan!¡± I jumped up from the rock I was sitting on and directed my command through the soul realm. Since Emily had been training her soul for a long time, hers was as large as house, while ours were human-sized. Her threat level would still be around nine if not for the fact that she turned into my pawn, which meant that she wouldn¡¯t be able to attack me or turn against me. Thanks to her memories, I also found out that the lake in front of the Abyss gate led to a magical mansion, deep underground. It was a separate space with a bright sky, shining sun, clear weather, and a beautiful piece of flat land. There was even a sea! I really felt like going there, but that mystical place was where Zurdon, his wife, and Emily lived, and I didn''t plan to seek my own death. Just two days after Emily left, there was an uproar in the city because the true lord of Ketarn appeared in the middle of class and took Emily back to his mansion. Zurdon also told the people that the elixir was most likely produced by a legendary creature and warned everyone that they shouldn¡¯t drink it. By this time, it spread in the city as well, so I had quite a lot of people under my control, but after this news, there was no way that I could spread my blood any further. About two hours after his announcement, the kings held a meeting, which Jareg attended, and in the end, they declared that the people who took the elixir should be searched and inspected thoroughly. Unfortunately for the kingdom, we withdrew every person that came in contact with the ¡®elixir¡¯ in front of others two days ago, the same day Emily turned into a descendant. This meant people numbering in the thousands, which was very unfortunate for me, but I had no other way to keep them alive and not make them die a pointless death. Going back to the Greywing mansion, I sat down in my rolling chair, in the room I shared with Dred. There was a desk behind me, and our bed in front of me. The light shone through the large window on the right and lit up the dark room. Sighing loudly, I curled my hair on my finger and asked, ¡°What should we do now?¡± After a bit of silence, he sat down on the bed facing me and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I think it¡¯s best if we wait for now, just like Emily said.¡± Biting my lower lip, I shouted, ¡°Argh! If only Emily kept her mouth shut and just drank that bottle of blood silently! Why did she even drink it before her father¡¯s reply if she questioned its contents? Emily should be safe, but the others? They all had to leave! Now we barely have about ten thousand people left in the city serving us directly!¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t raise your voice,¡± he said as he stood up and walked up to me. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he said, ¡°Look at the bright side. Now our pawns can spread through the universe and conquer other planets, while we try to deal with this tough one. And we have people both in the Shikanai Dynasty and the elven forest, so we should be fine. Let¡¯s just focus on training ourselves for now.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s so confusing. Everything was going nicely and I built up an army and then because of a stupid message, everything was turned upside down,¡± I grumbled as I crossed my legs. I grumpily leaned on the armrest of the chair and looked at Dred from the corner of my eye. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. Leaning over to me, he put his hands on my thighs and said with a sense of self-confidence as he looked into my eyes, ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright.¡± Gazing back, I nodded my head, believing him, ¡°I know. But I¡¯m still worried a bit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± he smiled and gave a kiss on my forehead. Smiling back, I said, ¡°Just now, that made me feel better.¡± ¡°Do you want more?¡± he laughed. ¡°No~ let¡¯s train like you said. We¡¯ve reached the six hundred and eighth level already. We better become even stronger else we¡¯ll never be able to deal with Zurdon,¡± I replied through our bond and pulled up my legs to sit down with my legs crossed. Closing my eyes, I started meditating. There should be nobody leading the tracks back to me and just because Zurdon was able to sense me, I was just one among many with not even my soul being stronger than the average. My shortcoming turned out to be my good fortune since if I had a powerful soul like Emily had, he¡¯d surely find me. Sighing one last time, I shut out the things swirling in my mind and focused on my training. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 43.4 - Blood business ¡°May I come in?¡± a man asked after knocking twice on the door in front of him. ¡°Come in,¡± the man sitting in the middle of the empty room replied. The lock clicked and the door was pushed open, revealing one of the servants protecting Emily Heder, the man¡¯s daughter in the middle of the room. Since he was rarely allowed in, he naturally took a quick look around, though there was nothing to see in the dark and circular room, other than the shining blue lines of the formation beneath Zurdon. The latter was sitting in the middle of the air, his eyes closed. Seeing the formation and feeling the immeasurable presence of Zurdon, the servant opened his mouth in awe. ¡°Did you come here to look at me, or do you have something to say?¡± seeing that the servant wasn¡¯t being urgent and sensing that his daughter was alright, he asked calmly. Bowing deeply, the servant said, ¡°I deeply apologise for my rudeness. I simply couldn¡¯t restrain myself upon seeing this powerful formation, Master. It keeps this whole plane in one piece, after all.¡± The formation was created by Zurdon, using the mana and spatial energy that built up the Abyss gate. Because of that, the mana density was millions of times higher in this room than anywhere else in Ketarn. ¡°I came here because the Miss wanted to know about the contents of this bottle. It¡¯s said to be a magical elixir that improves talent and makes people stronger. The only side effect is that once taken, it puts the consumer to sleep for a few minutes. Many of the people through the whole academy have taken it and became stronger,¡± the servant started to explain. Hearing his words, Zurdon¡¯s eyes shot open and he appeared in front of the servant. ¡°When did this start? Who¡¯s spreading it? Did Emily drink any of it? I want to know everything!¡± he threw one question after the other at the servant. Seeing the most powerful man he ever met looking at him sternly, the servant felt overwhelmed for a moment. ¡°SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!¡± Zurdon shouted, visibly getting impatient. ¡°I apologise! It started about a week ago and a few average students are spreading it, and Miss Emily has yet to drink it,¡± he answered all his question in a single breath. ¡°But she does have another bottle, so she could have drunk it by now,¡± he added. In front of his eyes, Zurdon disappeared without a trace and soon reappeared holding Emily¡¯s shoulders. ¡°My daughter, show me your stats!¡± he demanded. ¡°F-Father? What¡¯s wrong with you? I was in the middle of class!¡± Emily stomped on his foot and stepped back in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t disobey your father, just do what I told you!¡± Zurdon said sternly. Being met with her father¡¯s overwhelming aura, Emily quickly showed him her table.
Name: Emily Heder Race: Demon-Human (Epic)
Level: 609 EXP: 8 032 889 / 8 580 000
Class: Soul Artist (Epic) Specialization: Soul Destroyer
(1) Health: 993 675 Mana: Cosmological Constant
Titles: Pathfinder; Soul Artist, Pure One
(1)Strength: 188 534 (1)Vitality: 198 735
(1)Agility: 185 444 Will: 63
(1)Intelligence: 220 981 (1)Wisdom: 251 992
Elemental Magic: Common Elements (Mastered) Cosmological Constant (Mastered) Drip Element (Mastered) Resistances: (1)Magical: 251 992 (+20% Symbiote) (1)Physical: 94 267 (+20% Symbiote) Passive: (1) Stamina: 993 675 (1) Precision: 927 220
Skills/Spells: Mana Control (Mastered) Space Lock Soul Crush (Mastered) Soul Devour (Mastered) Soul Shield (Mastered) Regeneration (Mastered) Etc... Racial Skills: Cornered Lv. 0 (0%) (Human) Quick Evolution (Mastered) (Human) Ignite (Mastered) (Demon) Absorb (Mastered) (Demon) Passive Skills: Soul Realm (Mastered) Limit Break (Mastered) Law Library (Mastered)
Seeing her race still being the same, he sighed out of relief. Normal human-demon mixes weren¡¯t epic ranked races. The fact that she inherited both races racial traits was the thing that made her race epic ranked.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Being above the nine hundredth level, it was only natural that her father knew of the Cosmological Constant and taught it to his daughter early on, along with many soul-related spells and skills. Because of her talent in soul spells, she acquired the Soul Artist title at the age of one hundred and changed class as well. Little did Hector know that she simply hid her brand new devourer trait from her table, though her race really didn¡¯t change. ¡°My daughter, where is the other bottle of that elixir?¡± Zurdon questioned. Raising her brows, Emily pulled out a full bottle from her storage ring, ¡°It¡¯s here, I didn¡¯t want to drink it until you verified it was nothing strange. Is it something good?¡± she asked, her eyes filled with excitement. ¡°No! Absolutely no! I¡¯ll tell you something now and make sure you etch my words into your mind for the rest of your life! There are ten kinds of legendary creatures in every single universe. You must know that once you drink their blood by your own will, you¡¯ll turn into their blood servants. This usually leads to the following things¡­¡± ¡°You change race and turn into something more powerful, you gain a few abilities, and lastly and most importantly, you can¡¯t disobey the creature whose blood you drank. Although except for the last, the effects are seemingly good, the truth is that it¡¯s similar to enslaving people! I¡¯m not sure about the exact details, maybe you could have resisted it even if you drank it, but better safe than sorry. Remember, you should by no means drink legendary creatures¡¯ blood. If you ever do or are forced to do it, you should try your best to stay awake and resist it.¡± ¡°If I know it right, it should make people feel sleepy, and those who accept that sleepiness will turn into blood servants! So make sure if you ever drink something that makes you feel sleepy, you should never think even for a moment that it was fine to just fall asleep,¡± Zurdon explained all he knew about the process. Although he wasn¡¯t sure of this since legendary creatures were hard to come by and talk to, especially about something like this, he still lived a long life and heard many things. ¡°I understand, Father,¡± Emily nodded her head furiously. ¡°Thank the creator I didn¡¯t drink it!¡± she sighed out of relief. ¡°Indeed, my daughter, indeed,¡± Zurdon hugged her and gave a kiss on the top of her head. Kneeling down in front of her, he looked into her eyes, his hands on her shoulders, ¡°Emily, tell me, who are the ones spreading this elixir? I¡¯m not a creator, even if I¡¯m powerful, so obviously, I don¡¯t know about everything.¡± Seeing her doubtful eyes, which seemed to ask why he didn¡¯t know it, he explained himself. He knew that Emily looked up to him and thought that he knew everything, so he often felt the need to educate her and correct her incorrect beliefs. ¡°Father, three brothers came to the academy not long ago and they are the ones who started spreading this elixir. Their names were¡­ uhm¡­ I just remember their family name being Warton,¡± she muttered. ¡°Warton¡­¡± furrowing his brows, Zurdon nodded his head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you back to the academy and your task will be to show me around. Every person who took that elixir should be identified and taken care of.¡± ¡°What? But why do they have to die? Is it really a problem if they serve a legendary creature?¡± feigning curiosity, Emily asked. ¡°It is, my daughter. Firstly, imagine an army of powerful blood servants who fight to the death recklessly if necessary. Although there isn¡¯t anyone in Ketarn who could do as much as hurt me, if these servants continued to grow along with the legendary creatures, they¡¯d surely pose a threat in the future. If the army was big enough, they could endanger even the universe! And so, it¡¯s common sense that we should never let a legendary creature have more than two blood servants.¡± ¡°I imagine the number is much higher already, considering that it was an ¡®elixir¡¯ with such magical effects,¡± Zurdon frowned. ¡°Mhm, there should be more than a hundred people, if not more,¡± Emily nodded her head. Well, they are just pawns and even I¡¯m just a descendant. If looked at like that, Master didn¡¯t go past the limit. She has only two direct blood servants and Master Dred has only one. Haah, it¡¯d be nice to receive their blood and become an Overlord, like Master Audrey and the others, she sighed in her mind. Though¡­ clearly, being a devourer is bound to turn her into a target, beyond or under the limit matters little at this point. ¡°That¡¯s terrible news,¡± Zurdon grunted. ¡°Let¡¯s make haste and clean up this mess. All of them should be eradicated as quickly as possible,¡± grabbing Emily¡¯s hand, he left for the academy. But much to his dismay, he soon had to find out that the students that drank the elixir disappeared without a trace. Although he tried to sense people travelling in space, out of Ketarn, he couldn¡¯t find more than a few people. If hundreds of people moved out, he¡¯d have surely sensed them, or so he thought. ¡°Emily, when did you send your servant to me?¡± thinking that maybe the information got to him too late, he asked. ¡°Uhm- about two days ago¡­¡± she muttered. Hearing her reply, Zurdon¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°Two days? Why did it take two fucking days to deliver that fucking elixir to me?!¡± he flared up. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± she raised her brows. ¡°Good idea¡­ I¡¯m going to exchange a few words with him,¡± he said, cracking his fingers. Emily knew that her servant wouldn¡¯t live much longer, after all, it was because of him that the message was delivered late and the servants most likely got away from Ketarn. Now there was a potential threat of a legendary creature that was trying to overtake the land. Thinking that far, she was sure that her father would contact other powerful figures of the universe and request their assistance. Nobody wanted to see a group of lunatic blood servants grow up and turn into their enemies, much less with the backing of a legendary creature. As it turned out, the servant was intercepted by a few pretty ladies, who entertained him for two days¡­ Although Emily knew that it was her Master¡¯s doing, she wouldn¡¯t tell something like that to her father. It was better if the servant died while her father thought that he was just an idiot playboy. Emily returned to her room while her father visited a few places and started meditating. She also reported the turn of events to Elena, making sure that her Master wouldn¡¯t be caught by surprise. Just as she finished her report, Zurdon appeared in the middle of her room once he finished ¡®cleaning up¡¯ the servant, and said, ¡°Emily, please stay here for a few days, you may go back to the academy a bit later. I need to contact a few people. You see, I¡¯ve just thought of something else.¡± ¡°Father, I told you many times not to teleport into my room!¡± Emily jumped up from her bed. ¡°Fine, fine, this is more important than your privacy,¡± he sighed. ¡°What could it be?¡± Emily asked. ¡°I told you before that there are ten legendary creatures, but after talking with another expert, he pointed out something important. Most legendary creatures don¡¯t like crowds and wouldn¡¯t keep a large entourage. Because of this, it¡¯s rare for legendary creatures to go beyond the accepted limit,¡± he explained. ¡°Yes, and?¡± she nodded her head. ¡°Actually, there is one more legendary creature, but it¡¯s not a common one. Unlike the other ten, it isn¡¯t born unless a few conditions are met¡­¡± ¡°What could it be?¡± Emily sat up on her bed, visibly excited to hear the end of her father¡¯s explanation. ¡°This race is born when one of the creators make it happen. Although I don¡¯t know the exact details since I¡¯m not a creator, I know that this eleventh kind of legendary creature is called the Devourer.¡± ¡°And their sole reason for existence is that¡­¡± ¡°They want to destroy the universe!¡± See you soon >_< I just wanted to give a heads up as for why I''m not posting the next chapter. The reason is simple, I have something ongoing in real life and it''s really important. After 29 May 2018, I''ll have more free time once again, most likely. So sorry for the wait until then. I hope that you can understand. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It''s just two more days, so it''s not like you have to wait for too long... You could call this a mini hiatus since I''m not going to write in the meantime. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 44.1 - The end is always a beginning The end is always a beginning -- Audrey¡¯s POV -- ¡°Do we have some more salt? This salt cellar is empty,¡± I asked, trying to shake the last bit out of it. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see,¡± Jake murmured and a moment later, took out one from his storage ring. We found a few small-sized spatial rings when we looted Sealu, before leaving Dink. They were perfect for carrying miscellaneous things like these. ¡°Put a bit more into it, I like it with more salt,¡± he urged me, seeing that I barely put more into it. ¡°But it¡¯s unhealthy!¡± I raised my voice. ¡°Hahaha, as if things like those had any effect on us at this level. Hell, I could drink fifty liters of seawater and I¡¯d be completely fine,¡± he shook his head and pulled it out of my hand to spice it a bit more. I was cooking scorpion stew, but he liked it only when it was salty. Luckily, I had no problem with his salty version either. ¡°Haah, seriously you¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°What? We¡¯ve been eating for days, let me eat it the way I like it, at least. Also, I think that we should stop eating scorpion meat. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t live off of mana,¡± he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Biting my lips, I peered towards the lush green forest in the far. Ever since we left Trigon, we¡¯ve been exploring the northwestern area of Ketarn, while Cor was gathering the undead at the Skeleton Hill. We hit up a camp right between the Bear God¡¯s forest and the Demon Burrows, which was a rather fantastic place by the way. The demons lived underground in crystal-filled caves that illuminated everything. Some caverns were illuminated in red lights, while others were in green, yellow, purple, blue, or even numerous colours mixing together. Those crystals were mana crystals, each gathering different kinds of elements, which changed their colours. At the deeper caverns, we found multiple coloured crystals as well, but we weren¡¯t allowed too deep since we were both weak and had the looks of low-class demons. We just took up the looks of Alps, the ¡®big brothers¡¯ of Imps so to say. The Demon Burrows was definitely a more powerful nation or whatever they called themselves, since even the low-rank demons had an average level of six hundred and fifty, so the leaders were most likely above the seven hundredth level. If Dred could turn them into his blood servants, in his Demon God form, we¡¯d get in control of a considerably powerful force. Especially because demons were individually stronger than humans, though they were fewer in number as well. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± my reminiscence was interrupted by Jake. ¡°We¡¯ve explored most of the Western, Northern, and Southwestern parts of Ketarn, but we have yet to check out the Bear God¡¯s forest,¡± I replied as I raised my hand to my chin. Taking out the kitchen spoon from my hand, Jake stirred the contents of the pot I was holding in my hand. We didn¡¯t need fireplaces since we could just cover our bodies or our hands in flames if we wanted, and I was doing just that. Raising his head, he said, ¡°I¡¯m a bit reluctant to go in there. Even at the Dragon Lake and in the Misty Forest, we came upon powerful monsters, especially that dragon,¡± he shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder it had a territory of that size.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been avoiding going in there as well. If we got spotted, God knows what kind of shitstorm a legendary creature could start. It might be very territorial like some animals. I guess we should ask Elena or Dred about it,¡± I said, adding, ¡°They should know more about these creatures than us.¡± ¡°That might be a good idea,¡± Jake nodded. ¡°Also, stop the fire, the meat is good,¡± he mused. Withdrawing my mana, I stopped the flame coming out of my palm and put the pot on the ground. Since we were in the middle of the desert and it was daytime, we didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone noticing the fire. Hell, the sun would have scorched us if not for the fact that we were using elemental barriers to make ourselves feel comfortable. Since I kept the temperature around me in an area of two meters at nineteen degrees centigrade, despite the outside temperature being around sixty degrees centigrade, I could afford to wear a long sand-coloured robe, reaching my feet. I kept my red hair which stood out in the desert, but that much was okay. The monsters were around our levels, after all. Turning away from the green forest and looking at the pot, I took out my portion into a plate and started eating. ¡°That forest looks so inviting after spending two days in this damned desert, nothing but sand, sand, and sand!¡± I shook my head and gulped down my food in the meantime. ¡°Don¡¯t speak with your mouth full,¡± Jake chuckled. ¡°And yeah, we either go in or we should return to our ¡®masters¡¯~¡± ¡°Aww, don¡¯t bug them, Elena was sad enough that she had to accept her role as the queen of the hive. She would have preferred keeping a friendly relationship with everyone, not one of master and servant,¡± I reprimanded him. ¡°I know, but that¡¯s impossible when everyone who isn¡¯t an ¡®overlord¡¯ like us is head over heels for their masters. They¡¯re a bunch of fanatical lunatics!¡± he replied. ¡°Why, now, if you drank my blood at that time and not Elena¡¯s, you¡¯d be like that as well. You¡¯d follow her around like a puppy whenever you had the chance,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°...It¡¯s not like either of us could or would want to disobey hers or Dred¡¯s commands, but our position is certainly better. As she mentioned it before, there can be only three direct blood-servants of a devourer, while other legendary creatures just don¡¯t dare to make more because they¡¯d be hunted down by the other races. That, and they don¡¯t like crowds,¡± he muttered. ¡°Do you think Elena would make one more overlord and Dred another two? Will there be more people like us?¡± he added. ¡°How should I know, it most likely depends on whether they find capable people or not. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d turn a new-born into overlords, even if they¡¯d grow up to our level in a few years with their help and resources. That Emily Heder should have a chance to become an overlord, but I¡¯m not sure,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Well, if she has to pretend to be normal and accompany her father for who knows how many years, she probably has no chance to become one,¡± he shook his head and continued to eat in silence. Relatively speaking, there were three more positions to be filled as overlords. Even if Elena made another three people drink her blood, only the first would become her blood-servant. I had a hunch that it had to do with the Abyss and I do remember Dred mention something like that. Strangely enough, we could have five direct blood servants, who were descendant levels, and they could have ten, who were pawn levels. And the pawns could have as many as they wanted, but their blood would do nothing but convert people into fanatical believers of the devourers. Well, most of the people under our rule were like that anyway¡­ Haah, seriously, what have I gotten myself into back then? At that time, I could have killed Elena as well, if not for her aura that made me trust her more than I¡¯d have normally done. Well, I do feel that everything is alright and happy now, but if I was still a human, I¡¯d most likely feel disgusted by the things I¡¯ve done. Fufu, but humans are just one of the many races we will turn into our faithful believers and once the universe falls, peace shall reign over everything! At that time, I can spend the rest of my life at leisure. Nobody ever fought against each other under the devourers rule, I wonder why. Does their blood make us maturer and we can solve our conflicts by simply talking about it calmly? That¡¯s what I¡¯ve seen happen all the time, so I guess her blood has a calming effect. Wait, but isn¡¯t it like drugging everyone then? I guess it is¡­ hahaha. So I¡¯ve been drugged for life. That doesn¡¯t sound so good¡­ but it is! ¡°Audrey?¡± ¡°What?¡± I raised my head. ¡°Were you talking with Elena or were you just thinking?¡± ¡°Why?¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Well, you had this strange grin on your face for a bit.¡± ¡°Are you telling me that I¡¯m grinning when I¡¯m talking with Elena?¡± I covered my face. ¡°Well, not just Elena. Even when you''re talking with Dred,¡± he replied.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Ugh, I never realised. We¡¯re fanatics as well, after all,¡± I forced a laugh. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that. I¡¯d definitely feel jealous if I saw you grinning like that while talking to another guy, but Dred? I feel nothing when you do that,¡± he shook his head. ¡°We aren¡¯t normal, after all,¡± I sighed. ¡°I was just thinking, but since you mentioned her, I¡¯ll contact her and ask her about this Bear God¡¯s forest,¡± I added. ¡°Uhm, I talked with Dred not long ago and he said that Elena was rather busy with the Warton brothers,¡± Jake said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact Dred,¡± I replied. ¡°Yo, do you have a moment?¡± I asked as I established a link with him. ¡°Audrey? What¡¯s up? Don¡¯t you two want to come back? We pretty much know everything about that area already, so you could take a break if you wanted,¡± he said. ¡°That sounds good. Once we return, I¡¯ll go on a holiday with Jake! Oh, and I need some of your or Elena¡¯s blood as well. I think I¡¯d prefer hers, probably because I received hers originally,¡± I said. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s no big deal. Did you contact me to tell me this?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to say that we never entered the Bear God¡¯s territory, so I wanted to ask about that. Should we go in or not?¡± I asked. ¡°The Bear God? Hmm, it has a rather large territory, so it probably has some forces or it¡¯s strong enough itself. Although we talked about this with Elena before and she also said that it¡¯d be good to know more about the Bear God and its level, I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go in. If it was to notice you, we¡¯d have no way to help you run away and escape, after all,¡± he replied. ¡°So should we just go back and leave it be?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say a definite yes this time. I don¡¯t want you two to die on me because of exploration,¡± he said. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll go and fetch Cor, and then go back to Trigon. Or should we leave him there?¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯m talking with him already, let me bring him in on the conversation as well,¡± Dred replied and I felt Cor connecting in the next moment. If this was a chat, then Dred and Elena were the admins who had infinite power over the chat. They could overtake us, possess us, connect us with each other even against our will, really anything¡­ ¡°I haven''t heard of you for a while, reddie,¡± Cor ¡®greeted¡¯ me. ¡°...¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t badmouth my woman!¡± Jake defended me from his harassment. Cor liked making fun of me way too much sometimes, though I was much more used to it than Jake. ¡°Cor, do you want to stay there or would you come back to Trigon?¡± Dred asked, ignoring our little banter. ¡°Is there anything I should do in Trigon? Like, can I even enter the city?¡± Cor asked. ¡°Uhm, unless you use cosmological constant to change your looks, no, not really. And you have nothing particular to do here,¡± he replied. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll stay here in Skeleton Hill. It won¡¯t take much longer for me to get in control completely and turn every undead into my blood servant. There are a few peeps here who can turn fallen monsters into undead monsters as well. If I learned it and then taught it to every undead here, we could create a huge army of undead!¡± Cor said with excitement. ¡°Well, my dear friend, although that sounds good, much to my unhappiness, the person in control of Ketarn is someone who¡¯d be capable of destroying that whole army with a snap of his finger. But you can do it anyway if you want to. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d intervene unless you threatened the existence of the races. But if it was just waging war, we should be able to use your army,¡± Dred said. ¡°Aye! Then I¡¯ll stay here and proceed as planned,¡± he replied. ¡°Good. You two should return in that case,¡± Dred said, but just as he finished talking, I sensed some people nearing us. ¡°We¡¯ve got some company.¡± A moment later, a few bears or bearkins with half-human looks appeared all around us. Inspect.
Name: Gaamh Race: Bearkin
Level: 606 Threat Level: 1
Class: Berserker (Uncommon) (Increases physical stats by twenty percent.) Allegiance: Bear God
Uh, I bet his physical resistance is high with that class, but unlucky him¡­ I¡¯m magic focused and I also learned to use the soul spells from Elena. Hehe~ this soul realm is wonderful. No matter who I inspected from the eight of the people encircling us, they were all at similar levels. Although I had yet to master those soul spells, they were more than enough against these weaklings. Either way, I didn¡¯t want to get in a fight with them unless it couldn¡¯t be avoided, so I straightened my back and greeted them respectfully, ¡°Greetings, people of the Bear God.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure about their personalities and only their lower halves were humanoid, so reading their expressions was kind of impossible. They started growling and snarling at each other and at us, but seeing that we didn¡¯t understand any of it, the one called Gaamh stepped forward and used his soul force to talk to me. ¡°Greetings. You are to follow us to the Bear God¡¯s forest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding on your territory, we¡¯re about to leave, so I¡¯d like to refuse your offer,¡± I replied. ¡°The God noticed that you¡¯ve been moving around in this area for a few days now, so he got curious and wished to see you two. I¡¯m afraid you aren¡¯t allowed to leave without the God¡¯s consent,¡± he said, taking another step towards Jake us. Jake told everything that was happening to Dred in the meantime, so I waited a moment for Dred¡¯s reply. ¡°Don¡¯t go in.¡± Looking at Jake from the corner of my eye, I said to Gaamh, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I have to refuse your invitation. In case the God was concerned about our presences, tell him that we meant no harm and were just exploring the area. We¡¯re taking our leave now.¡± I was about to teleport away when I felt him use space lock. He clearly had no plans to let us go. ¡°Like I said, you can¡¯t leave without our God¡¯s consent.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to brawl it out,¡± I said as my arms turned black and I took out my short sword from my spatial ring. Even if the effect wasn¡¯t as powerful as Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s inner-devour, I could still use it. ¡°Yhrlou dhrlie,¡± he hurled something incomprehensible to me. ¡°Sure,¡± I muttered as I stomped on the ground and grabbed their legs with the help of earth magic. Jake appeared behind the closest with Blink and cut off his head in one clean swing of his blades. The bearkin next to Jake was already swinging his blade-like claws, but I covered for him and attacked the same bear with soul crush and used soul devour on Gaarmh at the same time. It came a bit as a surprise when I saw the bear receiving the soul crush fall to his knees and spit out a mouthful of blood. I shot a blade of wind towards his neck and got rid of him. Seeing the remaining six jumping towards me, I clenched my fists as I formed an eight coloured ball in my palm and blew it up right in front of my own face. The bears jumping at me had little chance to avoid it at point-blank range, but I simply used my shadow form. Thanks to the soul realm, Jake knew about it beforehand and wasn¡¯t caught unprepared. When the destructive energy of the drip element dissipated, only four was still alive from the eight that attacked us, but Jake quickly reduced that number by one more when used soul crush on the bear that got behind me. While he defended against Gaamh¡¯s attack, I finished the crippled guy behind my back with my short-sword and managed to turn around in time to block the other bear¡¯s claws. ¡°You dirty human, you killed my brothers!¡± it shouted in my mind. ¡°Well, you had a large family then. It must have been hard to feed so many mouths!¡± I shouted as I enhanced my body and pushed up his heavy arms. I kicked him in the stomach, but as expected, he received no damage. Luckily, I planned to use him as a foot holder to jump back from the very beginning. Landing a bit further away, I threw my short sword towards his face, but a red aura with the shape of a bear burst out of his body and pushed my sword away. The bear lunged towards me, knowing that I was much weaker physically. But chance had it, I wasn¡¯t alone and I¡¯ve been using soul devour on Gaamh for a few seconds now, so Jake had no trouble finishing him in his weakened state. I thrust my hand towards the bear¡¯s face, much to his happiness, but he could be happy about it only for a moment. He didn¡¯t even notice that Jake finished Gaamh and was swinging his weapon towards the back of his head. Before the bear could hit me and bite my hand, Jake slit the back of his neck with his first swing, while the next one beheaded the bear. His headless corpse fell towards me, his claw grazing my arm in the process. Jake shook off the blood from his weapons and stored them in his spatial ring. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he rushed over, but my wound healed by the time he got there. ¡°Hahaha, of course, but let me report,¡± I said amused, seeing his worried face. It was just a graze¡­ ¡°We finished them,¡± I reported to Dred. ¡°Then get away from there as quickly as possible, I¡¯ll move out with Elena as well,¡± he replied. ¡°What? Why would you come?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it sensed you and will chase you. Try to hide your presences,¡± he urged me, seemingly a bit impatient. Raising my brows, I looked at Jake. We were masking our auras with cosmological constant all the time, so I didn¡¯t think anyone could find us as easily as he said. Wait, he noticed that we¡¯ve been around his forest! Shit, we better hurry, I grabbed Jake¡¯s hand and teleported away, realising that. Since we couldn¡¯t teleport that far away yet, just as we appeared at the next location, I felt an enormous presence appear at the place where we killed the other bears. Well, at least, we devoured their bodies while talking with Dred¡­ ¡°Dred, he¡¯s chasing us, and I don¡¯t know how!¡± ¡°Just run.¡± Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 44.2 - The end is always a beginning It wasn¡¯t long after Zurdon¡¯s announcement that I contacted Dred, but upon hearing the details, they both moved out and commanded the blood servants made with Jake¡¯s and my blood to gather at specific places. If the Bear God was able to sense us and follow us, we¡¯d be done for even before Dred and Elena got here. One couldn¡¯t be cautious enough. If we lost our lives, the pawns and descendants made with our blood would lose their lives as well, but if they had others nearby, they could use soul container to catch their souls, though we''d have to use necromancy to revive them. We didn¡¯t have the kind of power that brought back people to life completely, but there may had been things in the universe that were able to do something amazing like that. Even a sliver of hope was better than nothing. ¡°How is it?¡± Elena asked. ¡°It¡¯s getting closer, I don¡¯t know how!¡± I shouted. We were teleporting non-stop, but with our current levels, it¡¯d take quite a bit of time to meet up with them, even if they were moving towards us. We should be able to meet up somewhere around the northwestern outpost. But this thing behind us was getting closer and closer. ¡°Who says we¡¯re going to lose and die? This may be the day we kill a legendary creature!¡± Jake tried to cheer me up, but not even he believed in what he said. It was most likely about five times as powerful as us, so I had my doubts about Elena and Dred as well. I was afraid that even if they caught up, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. ¡°I think that we should go another way,¡± I told Dred and Jake. ¡°No, it¡¯s a command,¡± Dred replied. The blood coursing through my veins erased all kinds of thoughts about leading the Bear God another way, simply as that. Their blood was like a parasite that overwrote people¡¯s brains and bodies. It was the main reason Elena and Dred were able to ¡®descend¡¯ in our bodies, though they wouldn¡¯t be able to ¡®replace¡¯ our bodies with theirs, else there would be no need for us to run away. The chasing went on for two more hours when all of a sudden, I couldn¡¯t teleport anymore. Turning around, I found a six meters tall giant bear standing not far behind us, eyeing me suspiciously. It had more layers of reddish brownish thick fur that seemed impenetrable, and fifty centimeters long claws adorned its paws that were bigger than my head. ¡°I can¡¯t teleport anymore, we¡¯ll have to fight,¡± I contacted my masters. ¡°Don¡¯t go close to it, it¡¯s a Bear God. Only a dragon or a hydra would be as powerful physically as that thing,¡± Dred warned us. ¡°We aren¡¯t too far away, hold on for a bit longer,¡± he added. ¡°Do we have any better choices?¡± I muttered, shaking my head. ¡°Why did you not stop?¡± the Bear God asked. His deep voice sounded human, but I could feel the wind move under his control, so he was using magic to speak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t notice your presence,¡± I bowed apologetically. The longer we chatted, the better it was for us¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool,¡± he laughed. ¡°Very well, dishonest one. My name is Roin, the Bear God of this universe!¡± he put his large paw on his chest. Nodding my head, I introduced myself, Jake in tow. ¡°Audrey and Jake, mhm. So? Why did you refuse my servants¡¯ call? I know everything about what happened there, I¡¯ve been watching you moving around for a few days now,¡± Roin said. ¡°We were just exploring the area and didn¡¯t wish to intrude on your territory. We were about to leave the area and go back to Trigon, but your servants wanted to stop us. Since we were out on an urgent mission, we had no time to visit your majesty. I apologise, but it was Tastar, the human king of Trigon, who sent us on this mission. Would you be as benevolent as to forgive what happened?¡± I asked respectfully. Sure, I was talking bullshit and lied to him, but that¡­ Oh, fuck it, I fucked up so bad! Seeing him grinning, I rubbed my temples. Every legendary creature other than the devourers had the Eyes of Truth, which meant that if you lied in front of them, they¡¯d notice. They wouldn¡¯t find out the truth without you telling either, but it was impossible to lie to them. Yet I was doing nothing but lying. ¡°The dishonest one really fits you,¡± he laughed and appeared in front of me, only an arms reach away. Jake jumped in front of me and pulled out his weapons, ready to fight against Roin. ¡°Hmm? Move aside, pest, I¡¯m talking to her,¡± Roin said in a commanding tone, his crushing aura pressing down on Jake. It wasn¡¯t even pointed at me, yet I felt overwhelmed by his presence. ¡°It¡¯s the same as back then with Padinyss,¡± Jake grumbled. ¡°Jake, stop. Step aside,¡± I said. ¡°No way in hell. Prepare to fight instead,¡± he replied. Sighing loudly, I put my arm around his waist and pushed ourselves back with a wall of wind. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate if your majesty stayed further away,¡± I said to the Roin. It appeared in front of us once again and looked back and forth between the two of us. His body started to shrink and his fur started disappearing. A moment later, a handsome red-haired man stood in front of us. He was still over two meters tall, his shoulders broad and his body muscular. ¡°I¡¯ve been eyeing your beauty since you came close to my territory. That beautiful red hair, and that nice body of yours, I fell in love with it at first sight. But it saddened me when I¡¯ve seen you indulging in this wimp,¡± he looked at Jake in disgust.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°But I¡¯m a generous person, so I¡¯ve got an offer for you. If you come with me and become my possession, like the other women serving me, I may keep him alive. How about that?¡± he added. ¡°Jake, we could use this to cheat him. If I said yes and went back with him, then I could run away later-¡± ¡°Are you an idiot? He¡¯s been following us since we killed the other bears. He must have a way to track us down, he isn¡¯t your average human who can¡¯t even sense our presence,¡± Jake yelled at me for the first time in a long time. ¡°But what should we do then?¡± ¡°Just fight.¡± ¡°I see dishonesty in your eyes even before you answer,¡± Roin laughed, seeing my misery. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s fight. I¡¯ll use the supernova to start out, you should cover for me for a moment or I won¡¯t be able to cast it,¡± I said. ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± Jake said as he lunged towards him with weapons in hand. Roin returned to his bear form in the blink of an eye and deflected Jake¡¯s weapons with his claws. ¡°A futile attempt,¡± he laughed and before we could do anything, a red wave of energy burst out of his body, throwing us onto our backs. Jake sprung up from the ground and used blink to get behind the Roin, while I finished casting supernova. As the elements mixed and the gravity started pulling him in, I felt a bit of hope, but much to my sadness, he roared one and my spell broke into pieces. It was some kind of cancelling spell. Turning towards Jake, he swung his large paws. Jake raised both his weapons to defend against it, but he was smashed into the ground under the huge physical strength of Roin. Seeing Roin¡¯s other paw swiping towards him, I was about to use a spell when a black light flashed and appeared behind Roin. As it struck his back, Roin roared out in pain and jumped away from Jake. The black light cleared out, revealing Dred. Turning around, I found Elena standing behind me. I really wanted to hug them right now, but I knew it was no time for those kinds of things. Dred didn¡¯t continue attacking Roin and just stared at him with menacing eyes. With a deep gash on his back and a green liquid flowing out of the wound, Roin turned around to glare at his backstabber. Jake appeared next to me while Elena stepped in front of us, her pair of daggers in hand. ¡°You are¡­ my kind,¡± Roin growled. ¡°What kind of legendary creature are you?¡± ¡°The kind that¡¯s going to gut if you don¡¯t fucking go back to your forest right now,¡± Elena shouted. An aura of death encircled Dred and Elena, fighting against Roin¡¯s overwhelming aura of pure strength. Looking at me, he asked, ¡°Is she yours?¡± ¡°Yes, she is my blood servant, so get back,¡± she replied. Sure, we¡¯ve been wandering around for a while now, but just how much stronger did they become while we were away? I couldn¡¯t help but think remembering the wound Dred inflicted upon the Roin. ¡°I don¡¯t like your tone,¡± Roin growled and after pausing for a while, he added, ¡°But I¡¯m not in the mood to fight a dangerous battle with you because of a woman. And you, little wimp, you better not touch her anymore. I¡¯ll make her mine,¡± he pointed at Jake. I really wanted to tell him that Jake could touch me all he wanted, out of spite, but I refrained from causing more troubles. I didn¡¯t want to accidentally trigger this idiot and start a battle between legendary creatures. I wasn¡¯t sure about Elena¡¯s and Dred¡¯s levels and I couldn¡¯t read Roin¡¯s level either because inspect was blocked by a skill. Most likely it was common among legendary creatures. Grabbing my hand, Elena pulled on it and took a step back, ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± I felt Roin deactivate space lock, so the four of us teleported away instantly. ¡°Tsk,¡± Elena clicked her tongue. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± I asked. ¡°I latched a bacteria onto him, but he destroyed it the moment we teleported away. I guess his senses are sharp enough to notice them,¡± she replied. ¡°Well, whatever, let¡¯s go back to Trigon. I¡¯ll deal with this shitty bear once I become a bit stronger.¡± ¡°I wonder what¡¯d happen if you forced him to drink your blood later,¡± I mused. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this already¡­¡± ¡°I know, but what if you blackmailed him or something? Are you sure nothing would happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe I¡¯ll test it in the future,¡± she murmured. A few hours later, we were back in Trigon and decided to retire in the Greywing mansion. Liz prepared a nice serving for us and we had a fancy dinner. It was nice to reunite with everyone and chat about the things that happened. After taking a hot bath and then having a bit of fun with Jake, we retired for the day. There was still a lot to do and we both felt the need to become stronger. I didn¡¯t want to feel as powerless as in front of Roin ever again. I went to bed at midnight and closed my eyes after this long and tiring day, though the latter half was fun. It was in the middle of the night that I woke up to someone touching me. Opening my eyes, I felt my blood freeze on the spot. That red-haired bear, Roin was kneeling over me, holding my wrists. Turning my head to the side, I looked for Jake, but he was out cold. ¡°I just knocked him out, he just makes the hunt more fun,¡± Roin giggled and put his dirty finger on the strap of my nightgown. I tried to use magic and contact Elena and Dred, but for some reason, everything was blocked. I couldn¡¯t do or sense anything. ¡°Surprised?¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I shouted. ¡°You see, Bear Gods have the ability to negate every magic and soul-related spell upon contact. Dragons Gods and Twelve Headed Hydras are just as strong as Bear Gods, but they excel in magic as well. Although that¡¯s not really my forte, I¡¯ve got this fancy ability to deal even with them. So you have no chance to alert your lil¡¯ friends~¡± ¡°How did you find me?¡± ¡°That? Hehe, all the bears in my territory have their claws smeared in a fluid only I can create. No matter who it is or where they are, I can track them down once they come in contact with that fluid. I call it the Hunting Fluid, fancy, isn¡¯t it?¡± That cut on my arm? Are you kidding me? ¡°Yes, yes, I know what you¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s all because of a careless mistake, that small,¡± he paused for a moment and licked the place of the wound that was long gone, ¡°wound¡­¡± ¡°Get off of me!¡± I struggled to break free, but he was too strong. I couldn¡¯t even budge my arms. If only I could break free from his grasp, I could contact everyone, but I couldn¡¯t do anything while he was touching me! Was I really supposed to bear with him? Remembering Elena¡¯s precautions and that the pawns and descendants were gathered, an idea came to mind. But it was risky. What if they can¡¯t find a way to bring me back to life? Am I supposed to carry this shame with me till the end of my life? Wasn¡¯t it enough once when I was human? Why does it have to be like this? Are the other races no different than those damned humans on the Kriton? Feeling him slowly pulling down the strap, almost revealing my breasts, I struggled even more, but the face he made was becoming happier and happier by the second. Sighing loudly, I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone.¡± Igniting Elena¡¯s blood in my veins, I started self-destruction. Originally, self-destruction was supposed to be used only when the devourers¡¯ servants were caught and were questioned with the help of some treasure when there was no way to keep silent and say nothing. Although that wasn¡¯t the case, I didn¡¯t want to fall victim to this bastard. I was sure the others would survive somehow. But the quirks of fate¡­ just before I lost consciousness, I saw the door being smashed open and Elena appearing. Oh, the regret¡­ If only I waited a few seconds¡­ But it was too late. Volume 4: Magical Plane: Chapter 44.3 - The end is always a beginning --- Elena¡¯s POV --- ¡°Haaah!¡± I sat up with a gasp, in the middle of the night. I wasn¡¯t a bad sleeper, so I quickly looked around if there was anything going on around me, but only Dred laid beside me in his panther form. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he woke up to my loud gasp and opened his eyes. ¡°I have a bad feeling for some reason,¡± he added in the next moment, exactly what I wanted to say. Checking my soul realm, I found something strange. I couldn¡¯t sense Audrey¡¯s presence. If she died, I¡¯d have felt it. But that wasn¡¯t the case. She was definitely alive, but I couldn¡¯t sense her. Quickly dressing up, I rushed to her room and smashed in the door and felt something break in my soul realm at the same time. That bastard bear was lying on to of Audrey, whose body dissolved into a black liquid and returned to my body. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Roin clicked his tongue. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve had a nice servant, sorry for the loss!¡± Roin chuckled as he stood up from the bed and was about to teleport away, but I used space lock. Dred appeared next to Jake and brought him out of the room. ¡°You see, it¡¯s really a shame. I wanted to have some fun with her, but fate didn¡¯t want it, it seems. It¡¯s such a waste,¡± Roin shook his head. ¡°I assure you, you¡¯re going to suffer,¡± I muttered and took out my daggers. ¡°What are you blabbering? It was just a servant. Would you really want to fight against me over a servant? Hahaha. It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t find another one,¡± he said. Sensing Audrey¡¯s soul leaving her body, I quickly pulled it in and stored it in my soul container. I was always hoping that I¡¯d never have had to use it on one of my loved ones, yet here I was doing just that. The worst was that her body disappeared, so I couldn¡¯t use necromancy to revive her and even if I could revive her, she would be nothing but a husk with no memories. After all, I never used Ekrok to copy her memories¡­ Biting my lips until an irony taste filled my mouth, I glared at the object of my hate in front of me, feeling powerless. The second worst thing about all this was that I knew that I couldn¡¯t carelessly attack the person in front of me. If I joined forces with Dred and the other blood servants, I¡¯d be able to kill him for sure, but we¡¯d have to use devour, which would definitely reveal my race. I wanted to destroy this piece of shit, but I knew I couldn¡¯t, after all, the residents of the city would notice a battle between two legendary creatures. Closing my eyes for a moment, I beat down my wrath and replied with a ¡®serious¡¯ look on my face, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But I hope that you¡¯re going to shut up and stop talking about her. One more word and I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± I pointed at him. ¡°Hahaha, okay, okay. I wouldn¡¯t want that to happen,¡± he shook his hands. I want to cry. What hurts more? The fact that I¡¯m powerless or that I lost Audrey? ¡°It¡¯s obviously the latter,¡± Dred thought, feeling all the broken soul links connecting us with Audrey and the blood servants that were made combined with her blood. Liz, Skeiron, Jareg, Anna, all of them turned into nothing but stored souls, along with about one-third of my blood servants. Since not everyone in the mansion inherited Audrey¡¯s and Liz¡¯s blood, the remaining people took care of the fallen people¡¯s souls and thanks to my precaution this morning, most of them were still around the other blood servants. I lost only a few hundred souls, but it felt much more¡­ ¡°And how do you plan to compensate me?¡± I asked. The only thought on my mind was to kill him, but since that wasn¡¯t possible in my current position, I wanted to rip him off as much as I could. ¡°Compensation?¡± ¡°Yes, she was a very useful servant of mine,¡± I raised my dagger threateningly. ¡°Or are you trying to tell me that you killed one of my important servants and yet you plan to leave without compensating me?¡± ¡°Before that, what is that panther?¡± he pointed at Dred. ¡°I can¡¯t inspect you two, obviously, but I feel the aura of a legendary creature from him as well. But he isn¡¯t a Tiger God, is he? What are you?¡± Roin tilted his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m your end if you keep questioning me,¡± Dred growled. ¡°Woah, you two are no fun. You keep talking about death all the time!¡± Roin shook his head in exasperation. I¡¯ll be sure to see that shitty head roll in the near future. ¡°We have yet to be compensated,¡± Dred picked up my lines and pressed on. ¡°It¡¯s better be worth it,¡± he added. ¡°Tsk- fine. I¡¯ve got a few Symbiotes over the years. You can pick two,¡± Roin clicked his tongue and took out about ten head-sized eggs. Dred walked over and stored all of them in his storage rings, ¡°That¡¯s going to be sufficient.¡± ¡°Wah-! Hey! Give it ba-¡± ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± I asked as I appeared in front of him and flailed my dagger in front of his face. ¡°But I didn¡¯t even get to do her- ARGH! Fuck you!¡± his words turned into a scream as I thrust my dagger towards him. Even though I was at point blank range, I couldn¡¯t cause more damage than a small gash. He almost avoided it, which clearly showed the difference between us. Just because I lost someone dear to me, I couldn¡¯t attack carelessly. There could be a way to recreate her body or give her life force, even if I had to give mine, and then maybe she¡¯d come back to life. But if I killed myself by trying to take down this guy, that wouldn¡¯t be possible. Luckily, I was pretty good at shutting out my emotions.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Clicking his tongue, he stepped back, ¡°Keep it then! But I hope that our grudges are cleared!¡± ¡°It is, on our part,¡± I smiled at him. Yeah, only when you die. ¡°Good then,¡± he nodded his head and as I deactivated space lock, he teleported out of the city and went back to his forest. I wanted to see that forest burn. ¡°Dred, I¡¯ve decided on something. I¡¯m going to destroy everything that is related to this damned bastard!¡± ¡°Count me in, but I¡¯m more worried about Jake. He was here when it happened and couldn¡¯t do anything. He didn¡¯t even know about it. Should we lie to him? He could always blame it on us¡­¡± he asked. ¡°And how do we do that? He would realise that he was sleeping with Audrey,¡± I replied. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem. I guess he¡¯ll have to hear the truth,¡± he said as he turned around and looked at Jake. Since Roin knocked him out, he was still ¡®sleeping peacefully¡¯, but that¡¯d be only until he didn¡¯t wake up. ¡°Mhm, but we¡¯ve learned about Roin¡¯s racial trait. The ability to cancel any magic upon physical contact,¡± I muttered. Sighing loudly, Dred scooped Jake up from the ground and took him to our room. I was really not in the mood to sleep at this point, so we moved out to continue our training. We had to become stronger than that bastard. The next morning, Jake received a huge blow hearing the news of what happened at night and wished to move around on his own in the universe to find a way to bring back ¡®dead¡¯ souls to life. After commanding him that he should avoid Roin and every other legendary creature and if he came across one he should run away instantly, we agreed to let him go. I was sure that we wouldn¡¯t see him for a while¡­ not until he found a way. I commanded the remaining servants to notify me and Jake of any hear-say stories that are about reviving people. Since many of them were spread out through the universe, I had high hopes for them. Sadly, even after a week passed by, I heard only about idiotic tales. I was in a rather bad mood, which cost the lives of quite a lot of guys in the city who were a bit more brazen than they should have been¡­ I quickly became infamous in the city, especially among guys. ¡®The girl with the black panther who kills men¡¯ and such lines spread about me and Dred, who often followed me around without hiding himself. Since I had a noble ID card, the guards let me off every time. Nobody cared about a few hoodlums dying in the city, even if it was against the laws. Plus, a bit of threatening or bribing did wonder. I really couldn¡¯t feel sorry for the souls who fell victim to my bad mood and wrath, but I still didn¡¯t start killing indiscriminately. That wasn¡¯t what I decided upon. Either way, Roin just enforced the idea of turning everyone into my pawn even more. The only real problem was that since half of the workers in the Greywing mansion disappeared without a trace, the head of the house, Attis Greywing, became suspicious. After commanding a few blood servants to mimic Anna, Skeiron, and Jareg, they made appearances in the mansion, so the old fart didn¡¯t think that his grandson died. But he told ¡®his grandson¡¯ that he should disown me because I was suspicious and I had a bad reputation in the city. To avoid complications and reveal that Jareg was dead, the fake Jareg told him that he¡¯d leave the mansion as well, along with his family. I pretty much moved out of the city and made a place of my own at the southwestern part of Trigon, next to the border of the Forest of the elves. The news of the devourers robbing the mines of Trigon spread in the city soon after, since the entourage sent to the elven forest returned with the news of the elves stating that they had nothing to do with it. Everyone believed Zurdon¡¯s words and nobody questioned our existence. It turned into common sense that the devourers were in this universe, which made me think that moving out of the city was for the best. I had to move around carefully since there were eyes watching me everywhere¡­ ---- *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* ¡°Weak!¡± a two meters tall, black-haired handsome man shouted. A pair of long horns curved out of his forehead and pointed towards the sky. Ten people laid on the ground around him, groaning in pain. ¡°Is that all you can do as the elites? The descendants?¡± the man shook his head. He was none other than Dred Syracia. Wiping his blood-filled mouth, one of the fallen people stood up from the ground and took a stance. ¡°I¡¯m ready, Master!¡± Raising his brows, Dred appeared behind the boy and knocked him unconscious with a flick of his fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Dred chuckled and then looked at the young girl sitting on the sidelines. ¡°Scoop them up and take care of their injuries.¡± Nodding her head, the girl quickly got to work and followed her Master¡¯s orders. Seeing it, a small smile formed on Dred¡¯s face and then he turned towards the large wooden building in the middle of the camp. The area was mostly filled with smaller trees where one could easily take a short rest or hide away from the scorching sunlight, but there were numerous open training fields and a bigger lake as well. The camp was surrounded by four meters tall walls built from adamantine, a legendary metal at the lower levels. But at places like Ketarn, it was pretty common. Either way, it was enough to keep away the curious eyes of some monsters nearby. In the middle of the camp was a mansion built from fine wood, which was imported from the elves. It had four floors and a secret basement. The top floor was Dred and Elena¡¯s private residence, while the lower floors were for the stationed descendants and pawns. Four months passed by since Audrey¡¯s death. In the meantime, Jake came back to visit his friends only twice, and spent the rest of his time wandering around in the universe. Dred infiltrated the Demon Burrows as a Demon God and took control of numerous demon groups, though he had yet to turn everyone into his loyal servant. Of course, those servants turned into pawns or descendants, who Dred trained personally. That much time was more than enough for Cor to turn the entire Skeleton Hill into his domain, so he returned to Dred and Elena¡¯s side two months ago. Upon entering the mansion, a pawn-class ran up to Dred. ¡°Master! Please wait a moment!¡± the girl shouted as she fixed her blonde hair, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t look improper in front of her master. ¡°What is it, Vanessa?¡± Dred turned around. ¡°I spotted that elven woman again, should I make contact with her when she returns?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you inspect her? What is her level?¡± ¡°My inspect was blocked by a spell, but she should be somewhere in the middle of the six hundredth level, unless she¡¯s hiding her true strength,¡± Vanessa replied. Placing his hand on his chin, Dred murmured something inaudible to himself and then said aloud, ¡°I¡¯ll go and capture her. I was going to meet with ¡®the queen¡¯,¡± he chuckled. ¡°But since this came up, please go and tell her about it. I¡¯ll be back soon, hopefully¡­¡± Happy to meet Elena, Vanessa nodded her head and ran up the stairs, while Dred left the camp and made his way to a lush part of the forest. About two weeks ago, they noticed a young elven woman passing by the borders and moving towards the capital city of Trigon. But before entering it, she used a spell and took up the shape of a human. The elven woman never realised that Vanessa noticed and tracked her down, so Dred commanded her to continue trailing the elf. The elf moved back and forth between the capital city of Trigon and the elven forest every fourth day. If she was a spy, she¡¯d definitely have some useful information, so Dred decided to act up. But there was something else awaiting him. Soon after he made contact with the elven woman, a voice resounded in his head. It was the call of the Abyss.