《Yuan of the Black Lightning》


 Chapter 1: How to Kill a Dragon

    Chapter 1: How to Kill a Dragon


    The sound of wails and agony reverberated as metal clanked against each other. Smoke swirled up into the night sky, obscuring the twin crimson moons above. The smell of burnt flesh and spilled blood filled the air. In less than a day, half of the Kingdom of Altair had been burned down to the ground.


    ¡°Archers! Fire!¡±


    The voice of the commander resonated, and moments after, volleys of arrows rained towards the gargantuan creature in the middle of the Capital. Its reptilian head turned towards the direction of the archers, it opened its mouth wide, then breathed out a gargantuan sphere of fire.


    In a matter of moments, the elite team of archers were burned into crisp and dust, their attacks did nothing but further aggravate the beast.


    The beast flapped its wings once, and a gust of wind blew. It roared, sending a bone-chilling shockwave throughout the entire city. Its scales glimmered amidst the flames of the burning city.


    ¡°C-Commander!¡± said one of the soldiers. His teeth had been clattering nonstop for quite some time now. ¡°Th-The archers have been wiped out! Y-Your orders, please!¡±


    ¡°I-Isn¡¯t this impossible?¡± breathed another soldier. ¡°We can never win against a dragon! There¡¯s no way mere humans could win against that!¡±


    Despair loomed over everyone. The commander, a man with graying hair and thick moustache, gnashed his teeth then clenched his fists. He knew that now was not the time to falter.


    ¡°Magicians! How much longer would it take to complete the magic?!¡± he said, voice almost desperate.


    ¡°We need around three more minutes, Commander Morgan!¡±


    Commander Morgan nodded then turned his attention towards the crimson dragon that had been rampaging until now.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be harder to fight that thing if it decides to leave the ground,¡± said Morgan. He took out his sword from the scabbard, creating a loud unsheathing sound. ¡°All soldiers! We shall fight till the last man! This shall be our grave! We shall buy time until the magicians complete the Grand Scale Magic!¡±


    The soldiers, though shaking to their very core, firmed their stances. They all have their families in the Kingdom. If this creature was not stopped, they all knew the nightmare that would unfold afterwards. They all knew that the Kingdom of Altair, with its hundreds of years of glory, would be nothing but history.


    ¡°All soldiers!¡± roared Morgan. ¡°Charge!¡±


    Metals clanked as hundreds of soldiers charged towards the dragon. The beast, upon seeing this, struck the ground with its claws. The ground shook as a shockwave flew towards the soldiers. Some flew up into the air, while some were able to hold their ground. Those that managed to come close to the dragon struck its scales using their iron swords.


    Each of their strikes were filled with vehement ferocity, but it did nothing but create a hardly naked scratch to the scale of the beast. The dragon flailed its tail and struck the soldiers one after another. Their bodies were torn and ripped into shreds, while some were split in half. Blood rained down the skies, but the surviving soldiers still continued with their barrage of attacks.


    They kept charging ahead towards absolute death, their single goal was to buy enough time for the magicians to complete their magic.


    Commander Morgan¡¯s heart pounded out of his chest as he repeatedly struck the body of the dragon. He was a famous martial arts user, and his sword was imbued with piercing magic, but even he was unable to penetrate the dragon¡¯s scale.


    A tail flew towards him, and he blocked using his sword. The impact sent him flying, until he struck a stone house a good distance away from the battle. Some of his bones were shattered by that impact, his flesh torn.


    Yet despite the excruciating pain, he stood up. He roared then once again charged towards the beast. The dragon once again breathed a ball of fire, and it instantly killed dozens of his men.


    Commander Morgan¡¯s heart was struck with grief upon seeing this, but his steel resolve made him rush into his death regardless. He leaped up into the air, and using the entire force of his body, struck the dragon right at the neck.


    This time, his strike created a noticeable dent on the scale of the beast. The dragon must have felt it, as it growled furiously. It opened its mouth wide as it attempted to bite off Commander Morgan before the man landed on the ground.


    Using his martial arts, Commander Morgan twirled thrice on the air, successfully evading the dragon¡¯s opened jaws. He landed on the ground then shouted to his soldiers, ¡°Do not falter! Keep charging! Attack!¡±


    From the rear, at the place where Morgan left the magicians, a bright light flashed through the night sky. The soldiers turned towards the source, and their morale skyrocketed. Finally, after numerous sacrifices, the Grand Scale Magic had been finally completed.


    It was a magic that consumed the mana of over a hundred magicians. A magic that made use of an exquisite scroll and complex magical engravements. A magic said to be capable of toppling an entire army alone. The trump card of the Kingdom of Altair.


    ¡°Commander!¡± said one of the soldiers.


    Morgan¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. He shouted, ¡°Fall back! All soldiers, retreat!¡±


    The soldiers immediately ran away in all directions upon that order. They all knew that the Grand Scale Magic would obliterate a large portion of land, and those that would be caught inside it had no way of surviving.


    The dragon was infuriated upon seeing the pesky humans running away. It breathed numerous balls of fire, and numerous soldiers fleeing were burned down into crisp and dust. It flapped its wings, and slowly, it started to lift off the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to fly to the skies!¡± said Morgan. He shouted to the magicians, ¡°Fire the Grand Scale Magic! Now!¡±


    The magical engravement on the ground glowed, and a blinding flash of light pierced through the sky. The heavens roared and rumbled, and a swirling vortex started forming above the clouds. Moments passed by, and a pillar of energy fell down the heavens and struck the body of the dragon. The beast roared as pain cruised through its entire body. Shockwave and dust flew from the center of impact.


    A large portion of the city had been turned into nothing but sands and stones after that single impact. The clouds of dust eventually receded, revealing a seemingly bottomless crater wherein sand continued to drip down.


    There were no signs of the dragon anywhere. And that was to be expected. After all, it was impossible for any creature to survive a magic like that.


    Or so they thought.


    Commander Morgan was about to announce their victory when suddenly, the ground shook and rumbled. From inside the seemingly bottomless and gargantuan crater, the sound of wings flapping was heard. Slowly, a familiar silhouette emerged. The enraged crimson eyes of the beast glared straight at the soldiers.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± croaked Morgan.


    The Grand Scale Magic was their Kingdom¡¯s trump card. The magic that had been passed down from generations of Kings and Monarchs. If that magic was incapable of killing that dragon, then there was no hope for humankind.


    The dragon flew up into the air. Its previously perfect wings had holes in it, and some of its scales were cracked and broken. Blood dripped down its snout.


    The bloodlust emitted by the enraged beast made everyone¡¯s knees wobble. This dragon was injured, but it was still far too strong and dangerous.


    It opened its mouth wide, and unlike before, a massive amount of mana was being gathered. Eventually, a massive sphere of fire shot through the surviving soldiers, killing hundreds of them in an instant. Houses were turned into dust, the ground turning into molten lava.


    That single attack destroyed more than half the Kingdom¡¯s Capital.


    Morgan fell down his knees. He had resigned himself to death. He knew that there was no way for them to win against this monster.


    ¡°Hey, who¡¯s the commander of this place?¡± said a man¡¯s voice.


    Commander Morgan simply knelt there for a few seconds, before he craned his neck towards the side to look at the source of the voice. Moments passed, and his eyes widened upon seeing the crest on the man¡¯s shoulders. It was the insignia of Morvius, the organization of magicians said to have the might of several Empires.


    But what surprised Commander Morgan the most was not the insignia itself, but its color. Right now, this man wearing a mask have a silver insignia. The symbol of the Graya.


    In the entire organization of Morvius, there were only four magicians belonging to the Graya. Each of those magicians were said to contain the might of an entire Kingdom. They were magicians that ranked among the strongest in the entire continent.


    What was this man doing here? As far as Commander Morgan knew, the organization of Morvius does not involve themselves in the matters of other sovereigns. Asking them for help was out of the question, since they would not send reinforcements for the sake of a single Kingdom alone.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the commander of this place?¡± the man repeated.


    Commander Morgan broke out of his stupor. With wobbly legs, he stood up then made a staunch salute.


    ¡°I am the commander of this city!¡± said Morgan. ¡°What brings the presence of one of the Grayas in this place?¡±


    His speech was probably out of context considering the situation, but Commander Morgan did not care. If this magician was indeed a reinforcement as he was hoping him to be, then this would be nothing but godsend.


    Those that heard what Commander Morgan had said were flustered.


    ¡°Graya?¡±


    ¡°That magician over there is one of the Grayas? The one from Morvius?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Look at the insignia on his shoulders!¡±


    Buzzes filled the air as everyone¡¯s attention focused on the masked outsider. The dragon, on the other hand, still continued to fly through the sky, destroying what remained of the city.


    The masked magician seemed apathetic of it. He took out a pocket watch inside his red cloak.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go back to Palamesh an hour from now,¡± he mumbled. He turned to Morgan. ¡°I¡¯m here to retrieve an item called the Blood Shard of the Obelisk. Lead the way.¡±


    Morgan could not believe his ears. This man, who could probably fight against the injured dragon, said that he was merely here to retrieve an item. Judging by the tone of his voice and his apathetic attitude, this magician had no intention of fighting against the dragon.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t leave this place,¡± said Morgan. ¡°My soldiers need me. This city needs me. And besides, the item you¡¯re looking for is probably in the Underground Chambers of the Royal Treasury.¡±


    Commander Morgan pointed at a burned down ground filled with nothing but stones and sand. ¡°It¡¯s been destroyed by the dragon.¡±


    The masked magician stood rigidly for a moment after that. Commander Morgan was sure that if the man did not wear a mask, his eyes would have been wide from the revelation.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± said the masked magician. ¡°The leader will laugh at me if they find out that I failed such a simple quest.¡±


    Lightning crackled underneath the magician¡¯s feet. Realization dawned unto Commander Morgan. Among the Grayas, there was only one magician that specializes in lightning magic. The Magician of the Black Lightning.


    ¡°Y-You!¡± breathed Morgan. ¡°Y-You¡¯re that infamous Magician of the Black Lightning?!¡±


    The masked magician did not reply. He stood there, his mind in deep thoughts. After some time, he nodded. ¡°There must be another path that leads towards the Underground Chamber. From the Royal Palace, perhaps?¡±


    What he had said was true, but Commander Morgan did not know if he should divulge such information. As he was pondering what to say, a ball of fire flew their way. Commander Morgan shivered as the thought of impending death loomed in. He had a fulfilling life, and his only regret was that he was unable to protect his Kingdom.


    But then, he realized that currently, the famous Magician of the Black Lightning was with them.


    In a matter of moments, a shield made of lightning manifested itself in front of them, successfully blocking the ball of fire. The dragon stopped midair and stared at their direction. After all, this was the first time an individual had blocked its attack until now.


    ¡°So, tell me,¡± said magician. ¡°There¡¯s another path, no?¡±


    Another ball of fire flew towards them, but a shield of lightning once again manifested itself and blocked the attack. Those that saw how apathetic the magician was to the enraged dragon saw a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.


    This magician was strong. Absurdly strong.


    A sudden gush of inspiration struck Morgan. He breathed in then said, ¡°You said that you only have an hour left before you need to return to Palamesh, correct?¡± He could feel the eyes of his subordinates staring directly at him. ¡°I¡¯ll guide you to the path towards the Underground Chamber. But I cannot leave this place, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou want me to get rid of this pesky lizard,¡± completed the magician.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Morgan.


    There was a pause, which felt like an eternity to Morgan. The outcome of this simple agreement could lead to the salvation or the fall of the Kingdom.


    ¡°Keep your promise, old man,¡± the magician finally replied.


    Morgan breathed in a sigh of relief. Lightning crackled under the feet of the masked magician, before he eventually disappeared in blink of an eye.


    From above, seven serpentine lightning manifested themselves. They slithered through the sky then shot towards the dragon hovering above. The beast roared as lightning struck its injured body.


    The masked magician appeared right above the dragon. Hundreds of orbs of lightning manifested itself around him. He pointed a finger at the enraged beast, and the orbs conceded and struck the dragon¡¯s body.


    The gargantuan creature flapped its wings as it tried not to fall towards the ground. It roared, and a shockwave blew. It opened its mouth wide and released numerous balls of fire towards magician, but it hit nothing but an after image.


    The magician reappeared right in front of the dragon, his fist holding a lightning spear. With an earth-shattering force, he threw the spear, and it struck the dragon¡¯s snout. The dragon roared in rage as it once again spew balls of fire.


    From a spectator¡¯s view, what Morgan was witnessing was something beyond his imagination. There was nothing particularly noteworthy of the spells the magician from Morvius was casting, but the way he evaded each of the dragon¡¯s attacks, and the way he returned with a strike took Morgan¡¯s breath away. It was a fighting method that made perfect use of each spells created by the caster.


    Morgan was not sure if this was because of the dragon was injured by their Grand Scale Magic, or if it was simply because of the sheer prowess of the magician. The man¡¯s every move was that of someone that had been to numerous battlefields before. The experience of someone who had been to numerous life-or-death situations.


    Numerous vines made of lightning erupted from the ground and shackled the dragon hovering above. The dragon tried to flap its wings, but doing so proved difficult as the vines of lightning coiled itself further on its body. Eventually, the dragon fell down the ground, sending numerous stones flying after impact.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much time,¡± Morgan heard the magician say. ¡°I need to finish this quick. Half of my entire mana pool should be enough for this injured lizard.¡±


    As the magician said that, large amount of mana gushed out of his body. The amount was so colossal that even Morgan was able to see it clearly. That amount was probably enough to supply the Grand Scale Magic they had cast before. And to think that a single individual contained that much magic ¨C Morgan shivered at the thought.


    The heavens cried and wailed, and thunder furiously bellowed. Slowly a spinning black vortex manifested itself in the sky. The energy contained within the vortex made Morgan¡¯s hair stand on their edge. Perhaps the Dragon felt the menacing aura too, as it desperately tried to get out of the shackles of the vines of lightning.


    ¡°Just die already,¡± said the magician. ¡°Damn lizard.¡±


    He pointed a finger at the shackled dragon, and the spinning vortex broke into numerous black particles, before turning into a pillar of black lightning. It struck the dragon head-on, and the creature squealed in excruciating pain as its scales broke from impact. It roared as black lightning covered its entire body.


    The ground trembled as numerous veins of lightning spread out in all directions. Some of the soldiers were hit and they instantly turned to dust, their armors included. Morgan realized the severity of the situation, and he immediately ordered the retreat of his men.


    ¡°Everyone! Retreat!¡± he hollered amidst the violently crackling sound of black lightning. ¡°You¡¯ll die if you get hit by it!¡±


    The soldiers began running for their lives. The structures that were hit were immediately turned into nothing but ashes, like a sandcastle washed away by a gargantuan wave.


    This surreal phenomenon continued for a few seconds more, until eventually, to the relief of everyone that witnessed it, it stopped. What was left after the clouds of dust receded was a large clearing devoid of nothing but scorched ashes and ruins.


    At the center of it all was the scorched remains of the dragon. Its impenetrable scales had been charred black. Its head down till the neck melted away from non-existence, leaving behind nothing but charcoaled bones.


    Morgan and the rest of the soldiers could not believe that it was the same dragon from before. The seemingly invincible monster that took their Grand Scale Magic head-on and still managed to live. The same monster that destroyed more than half of their Kingdom.


    ¡°S-So¡­ this is the strength of one of the Four Grayas?¡± breathed one of the soldiers.


    They all knew that this was beyond the scope of what a mere human could do. That spell of pure black lightning held strength capable of toppling an entire Kingdom alone.


    The masked magician suddenly appeared right in front of Morgan. And Morgan took three steps back in reflex.


    ¡°I¡¯m running out of time,¡± said the magician. He once again took a pocket watch then nodded once. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    And Morgan remembered his promise. ¡°I see. Then, I shall lead you to that place.¡± He said to one of the soldiers, ¡°Make a report about this. Tell the Lord of Toran City to send in Healers. Also, secure the perimeters of the city. There had been sightings of bandits before. They might use this opportunity to attack.¡±


    The soldier made a salute. ¡°Understood, Commander!¡±


    Within his mind, Morgan was screaming: That¡¯s it?! After killing a legendary beast, you¡¯re merely going to ask me to lead the way?! That¡¯s it?!


    Somehow, Morgan had a grandiose image of a heroic magician slaying the dragon, but reality gave a completely different picture. The magician before him seemed apathetic even after killing that seemingly invincible beast.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± mumbled the magician. ¡°It¡¯ll take half a month before my mana pool recovers. I¡¯ve used up too much magic just to fight that one. I should ask the Leader for a mana stone later. That should do the trick.¡±


    That should be expected. Otherwise, what kind of monster are you if you aren¡¯t even exhausted after killing that dragon.


    Morgan kept his thoughts in his mind. He smiled and bowed. ¡°Thank you for saving us. For saving this city. This Kingdo¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªStop the pleasantries,¡± interjected the magician. ¡°Take me to that place.¡±


    Morgan stood still for a moment before he was able to utter a reply. ¡°A-Ah¡­ Understood!¡±


    ***


    Yuan sighed. He had not expected that he would encounter a dragon during his mission. As far as he was concerned, his only task was to retrieve an item from the Royal Treasury of the Kingdom of Altair. Killing a strong creature like that was not part of the agreement.


    In some way, he was lucky that the damnable lizard was already injured when he fought with it. Otherwise, there was no telling which of them would have won that fight.


    He wordlessly followed the commander of the soldiers as they went towards the Royal Palace. This place was one of the few structures that remained untouched by the dragon, probably owing to the defensive spells cast by numerous magicians to protect the Royals. But unfortunately, the main entrance to the Royal Treasury itself was decimated beyond recognition, and they had no choice but to take an alternate route to get inside.


    ¡°C-Commander Morgan!¡±


    They had yet to enter the Royal Palace when a skinny man wearing an exquisite overcoat came running towards their direction. Knights came running after him and one of them shouted, ¡°Your majesty! Please don¡¯t go outside! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    Yuan raised a brow upon hearing that this skinny man was the king. Thankfully, he was wearing a mask.


    He noticed that there was a barrier that hindered those from the outside from entering. But it immediately dispersed for a moment to let him and Morgan pass through.


    The king grabbed Morgan by the shoulders and shook his body. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the Capital? How many soldiers do we have left? Should I order everyone to evacuate? Should I flee this place? Answer me, Commander Morgan!¡±


    By the time he was finished bombarding the Commander with questions, the King was heavily panting.


    What a stupid King, thought Yuan.


    He had never seen such uncharismatic leader before. He looked so baffled, so incompetent, that Yuan was sure that an ordinary soldier would have done a much better job of leading the people.


    ¡°Your majesty, the Dragon is dead,¡± said Morgan. The King, along with his knights, stopped and stared at Morgan surprise.


    ¡°W-What¡­ do you mean?¡± whispered the King, but everyone heard it. ¡°How?!¡±


    Using observation magic, the King and his ministers had been observing the battle inside the Capital. The spell lasted only for a few minutes, just right after the Dragon survived the Kingdom¡¯s trump card ¨C the Grand Scale Magic.


    Everyone thought that they were destined for annihilation at the hands of the legendary monster. And this was the same reason for the King¡¯s surprise upon seeing Morgan at the Royal Palace.


    Morgan took a peek at the masked magician beside him. He said to the King, ¡°This man beside me is a magician from Morvius. The Magician of the Black Lightning.¡±


    ¡°The Black Lightning?!¡±


    ¡°One of the four Grayas of Morvius?!¡±


    The knights were in uproar upon hearing this. The King, on the other hand, simply stared at the masked magician in astonishment. His jaw quickly parted as realization dawned to him.


    ¡°T-Then this man killed the Dragon?¡± squealed the King.


    Yuan frowned, and he had the urge to cover his ears. Definitely, this incompetent King was annoying.


    Morgan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, your majesty. This magician killed that monster.¡±


    Absolute silence befell them. But soon enough, it turned into deafening cheers from the King and his knights. Tears flowed down their cheeks as the thought of salvation crossed their minds. Who would have thought that they would get to see another day? Just that single thought alone sent them into a myriad of emotions.


    The King was quivering as he approached Yuan. ¡°T-Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡± he repeated like mantra. ¡°For saving this country. This Kingdom. Thank you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m running out of time,¡± spat Yuan. Despite his face being concealed by the mask, everyone around him knew that he was frowning in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m here to retrieve that fragment. Lead the way.¡±


    Normally, the knights would have reprimanded him for speaking rudely to the King, but his current achievement made them hesitant to act.


    The King processed Yuan¡¯s words for a few seconds. Eventually, he remembered. ¡°Ah! I did receive that one! Five days ago, a letter from Morvius came stating that they¡¯ll send a magician to retrieve the fragment. That¡¯s you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± he incessantly remarked. ¡°Where is it? You told us in the message that you stored it in the treasury.¡±


    The King nodded. He fixed his overcoat then mustered a majestic voice, ¡°Then, as promised, I shall give Morvius the fragment. Come. I shall lead the way.¡±


    The King led the way towards the Royal Palace. Inside, numerous maids greeted their entry, and most could not help but stare at the masked magician.


    After passing through numerous hallways and stairs, they finally arrived at a small, unassuming room at the bottommost floor of the Palace. The four guards guarding it pulled open a steel hatch, revealing a long flight of stairs leading further down.


    ¡°This way,¡± said the King.


    Yuan noticed that the King was having a hard time breathing after travelling such distance. His pale, sunken face was more pallid, as though he was going to croak at any moment.


    As they climbed down the stairs, they arrived at a cramped pathway devoid of light. Morgan chanted his magic, and a small orb of light guided their path. They walked for a few minutes more until eventually they arrived at the Treasury Room.


    ¡°Thank the Gods it wasn¡¯t destroyed,¡± said the King.


    Before them were numerous piles of gold and weapons made by famous blacksmiths. There were some noticeable National Treasures like the Medusa¡¯s Bow of the High Elves, and the Sword of Garapesk.


    Yuan knew that those two items alone were worth an entire castle, but they still did not pique his interest. After all, he was a magician that has no need for any weapon aside from his magic. What he was interested in was the small piece of shard at the corner of the room. Aside from its red glow, the stone looked nothing but a simple gemstone.


    For the past few years, Morvius had been sending out teams to search for the Blood Shards. There was even an incident before wherein they annihilated a large syndicate just to get their hands on a single fragment.


    ¡°This one¡¯s a bit bigger than the ones I¡¯ve seen before,¡± mumbled Yuan as he took the shard. ¡°Probably three times larger, I think?¡±


    The King and Morgan looked at each other.


    ¡°One of our archaeologists found that thing inside the tomb of a former tribal chief in our Kingdom¡¯s outskirts,¡± said the King. ¡°When Morvius found out that we have that item, they suddenly bombarded us with messages demanding that we give them that item.¡±


    The King coughed then frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that item is for, but for an organization to pay ten thousand gold coins for it¡­ it must be something really important.¡±


    A normal soldier earns around two gold coins a month in exchange of his service. Going by that logic, ten thousand gold coins was a massive amount of money.


    Yuan thought that it was a good thing that the Kingdom conceded to his organization¡¯s request. He was pretty sure that had the Kingdom refused, Morvius would have dispatched several magicians to forcefully take the item away.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be taking this,¡± said Yuan as he tucked the item inside his cloak. He looked at his pocket watch. ¡°I have a promise to keep. I¡¯m running out of time. Farewell, King of Altair.¡± The last part was said monotonously, devoid of any emotions.


    Lightning crackled through Yuan¡¯s body. A moment after, he disappeared from sight, leaving behind the King and Morgan.

 Chapter 2: The Broken Portal

    Chapter 2: The Broken Portal


    After obtaining the blood shard, Yuan immediately made haste in going back home. His body blurred through the desolated streets as he made his way towards the temple.


    And he skidded to a halt.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± he shouted in frustration.


    In the place where the temple was supposedly located, there was nothing but ruins. Yuan did not believe in the Gods, and he did not care what had happened to the priests in the temple. What he cared about was the teleportation device installed inside it.


    To make things worse, he was pretty sure that only the temple in the capital had one of those rare artifacts. He would probably need to go to another Kingdom just to use another one.


    Yuan took out a compass inside his cloak. And he looked at the direction the hand pointed at.


    ¡°That¡¯s one large mountain,¡± he said grimly. Beyond the destroyed walls of the city, a gargantuan mountain range spread out in all directions. Judging by its size, it would probably take him a week just to get over to the other side.


    He knew that mourning over the loss of the teleportation device in this city was useless. He had to go to the nearest country, whether he liked it or not. After all, it was still a better option if he was going to travel towards Palamesh which was more than a month of travel from here.


    For a moment, anger surged within his chest. He should have tortured the damn lizard before it died.


    ¡°My mana should be enough to get me to the next Kingdom,¡± mumbled Yuan. ¡°But the maximum I could go without sleep is probably two days. Damn it.¡±


    Taking into account his need for sleep and sustenance, Yuan judged that it would be a better option if he were to go get a mount.


    Yuan took off his mask, and removed the insignia of Morvius on his shoulder. Lightning crackled on his feet, and he shot through the streets of the capital, searching for any usable mounts. But he found none.


    What he did find was a caravan.


    It was a group of merchants, and judging by the five large carts filled with cargo, they intend to leave this city right in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Malaks?¡± whistled Yuan. He stood on top of a rooftop, his eyes gazing at the large lizards tethered to the carts. He had not expected to encounter such expensive mounts in this place. Those creatures were not as fast as horses, but their ability to move cargo without sleeping for days were highly coveted.


    Yuan leapt down the roof and landed softly on the ground. He approached the merchants.


    ¡°Where are you guys headed to?¡± he asked the one who seemed to be their leader, a man wearing a golden turban.


    He stared at Yuan for a few seconds, then looked at his men carrying the cargos. He jotted down a few notes on the parchment he was holding. ¡°We¡¯re busy. Go away, kid.¡±


    Yuan frowned at that remark. Surely, he was smaller than most guys his age, but it should not be enough reason to be called a kid. And this was probably one of the reasons why he preferred wearing a mask during his missions.


    The merchant must have noticed the annoyance within Yuan¡¯s golden eyes. He sighed. ¡°Look around you. What do you see?¡±


    Yuan swiveled his eyes to the left and the right. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± said the merchant. He puffed out his chest, along with his large belly. ¡°This Kingdom¡¯s done for. Sure, we¡¯ve survived the damn dragon, but worse things are coming after that.¡±


    Yuan understood what the merchant was saying. After being devastated by the dragon, this Kingdom was on the risk of being invaded by its neighboring countries. The lack of armies to protect its cities would prove fatal in the coming days, and only poverty awaits its citizens.


    He remembered the King he met just a while ago. That man reeked of the word incompetent, and Yuan could not help but feel a tinge of pity for his citizens, even just for a little bit. If their leader had been more than strong enough, then maybe they would be able to survive this trial. But that was just wishful thinking after seeing the King.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving this place, kid,¡± said the merchant.


    ¡°To where?¡± asked Yuan.


    If the caravan was going to the opposite direction of where he was headed, Yuan had long decided to use force to take away their mounts. The answer of the merchant would decide it.


    ¡°To the City of Lankan. The one over the Great Sierra Mountains,¡± said the merchant. For some reason, there was a palpable tension within the air as he said that. Even some of his workers seemed to have noticed it as they momentarily stopped in their tracks and stared at their direction.


    ¡°I see,¡± said Yuan. It was the same city where he was headed to. Indeed, it was the closest city of the neighboring kingdom. ¡°Then take me with you.¡±


    The merchant stared at him for a moment, his eyes scanning him from head to toe. ¡°Rejected.¡±


    ¡°¡ªWhat?¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou¡¯re to young,¡± quickly replied the merchant. ¡°The Forest of Sierra is a very dangerous place. We already got our hands full in protecting our cargo.¡±


    Yuan had this urge to take everything by force, but he knew that going with the group would be the wiser choice. The Malaks were loyal creatures. He would need to use force in order to use them, but these merchants could probably command those lizards in a heartbeat.


    Yuan took out a small pouch inside his cloak. ¡°Take me with you.¡±


    The merchant eyed the pouch, and he momentarily rolled his eyes. ¡°Kid, we won¡¯t get swayed by mere silver coins. Go back. We¡¯re not taking you with us.¡±


    Yuan threw the pouch, and the merchant swiftly caught it using his stubby hands.


    ¡°There are eight gold coins inside,¡± said Yuan. The merchant and some of his works who heard it stiffened. Eight gold coins was a very high amount. ¡°How about it?


    There was distrust within the eyes of the merchant as he opened the pouch, but that soon quickly turned into disbelief. He breathed in a gust of air and whispered, ¡°Kid, where did you get this amount of money?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Yuan shrugged, and his disheveled brown hair swayed from side to side. It partly occluded his left golden eye. ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer that.¡± His eyes glimmered playfully for a second. ¡°So, how about it?¡±


    The merchant bit his lips for a moment then closed his eyes. ¡°Fine.¡± He tucked the gold coins inside his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking this.¡± He pointed at a large cart not far from them. ¡°You can stay in that cart over there. Don¡¯t open the cargo. Understood?¡±


    Yuan nodded. He had no interest in what was inside anyway. ¡°Sure.¡±


    And he went inside the carriage.


    ***


    After a direct order from Commander Morgan, the remaining soldiers in the Capital fortified the city¡¯s defenses. They patrolled the city, helping the citizens that had been devastated by the dragon¡¯s attack, while some created outposts outside. The magicians also cast protective spells to the outposts, rendering it impregnable.


    The scouts of the Bandit Lord saw this, and they immediately made their reports.


    ¡°I see,¡± said the Bandit Lord. He puffed out a smoke from his pipe. ¡°That damn Morgan anticipated our attack, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± said a bandit. They were currently inside an abandoned mansion deep within the Forest of Sierra.


    ¡°When do we attack, Lord?¡± said another.


    The flames of the torches latched on the walls flickered for a moment, casting a shadow over everyone. Groans were heard from the bodies hanging from the ceiling. They were soldiers they had captured a few days back, and the Bandit Lord made sure to keep them alive for his entertainment.


    The Bandit Lord, naked from head to toe, approached the chained captives. He cast his magic, and a blade made of wind manifested itself. His hand blurred, and a split second after, the neck of a captive was cleanly split in half.


    The head dropped and rolled on the ground, and blood violently gushed out of the headless body.


    Maniacal chuckles escaped the lips of the Bandit Lord, his eyes dancing as he licked his lips. Those that saw it suppressed their cries of terror from coming out.


    Before he became the Bandit Lord, this man was known as the God of Slaughter. One of the Royal Magicians of the Kingdom of Altair. His savagery knew no limits and eventually, the King had decided to banish him from the Kingdom. The Kingdom had decided that they had no need for a commander with uncontrollable lust for blood.


    ¡°So they fortified their defenses?¡± he chuckled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± The wind blade dissipated. He opened his arms wide. ¡°Gather all our men! We shall take this opportunity to attack!¡±


    ***


    The caravan made its way out of the Capital. Numerous lizards, surpassing the five-meter mark, pulled the carts. Their clawed feet made it possible to run through the rubbles and stones.


    Yuan silently sat inside one of the carts, his eyes heavy as fatigue slowly started kicking in. For magicians, their mana was almost synonymous to stamina. Depleting such massive amount would take any magician days, if not weeks, to recover, and their body would usually force itself into sleep to compensate.


    ¡°So, the Leader¡¯s made contact with the merchant guild in Lankan?¡± said one of the people inside the cart.


    ¡°Yeah. That famous scarface. I heard he¡¯s really grumpy. He likes young girls though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him if he comes close to my daughter!¡±


    ¡°That one¡¯s really sour, so try not to antagonize him once we get to Lankan. You¡¯ll be forever marked. I¡¯m telling you.¡±


    The conversation went on, and Yuan merely sat and listened. From the gap created by the overlapping canopies, he could see that they had arrived at a forest. Numerous trees surrounded them in all directions, and the roads have become rough and unstable.


    ¡°Hey, young man,¡± said the bald man sitting near the entrance of the cart. ¡°I overheard your conversation with the boss. Headed to Lankan too, huh?¡±


    Yuan, his eyes half-closed, did not reply. The cart rattled for a moment, probably after hitting a large stone along the road.


    Still, the bald man continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been living in Altair, you see. My entire life, lad. My entire life. It really broke my heart to see it like that. But what can I do? That¡¯s a damn dragon! Who knew that that monster would suddenly turn up and destroy everything! Mere humans can never hope to defeat such monster!¡±


    There was a deep, long sigh.


    ¡°The magician from Morvius¡¯ human though,¡± said a woman. On her lap slept a young boy, probably five or six years old. ¡°Good thing the magician from Morvius killed that thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± A young man suddenly squealed. Yuan creased his brows in annoyance. ¡°You should have seen the fight! I was there! I saw how that single magician fought and killed that monster!¡±


    The excitement within the young man¡¯s voice was palpable. A voice from the outside shouted, ¡°Carin! Shut up! You¡¯ll attract the Greyal Wolves with that damn mouth!¡±


    Laughter echoed after that. After it subsided, a soft voice spoke.


    ¡°Say, young man,¡± said the woman. ¡°You¡¯re a noble, right? No use in hiding it from us.¡±


    There was so much certainty within her voice that it made Yuan raise a brow. His sleepiness dissipated somewhat.


    ¡°Noble?¡± he finally spoke.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± nodded the bald man. ¡°A rich one at that. Eight gold coins¡¯re no meager sum. The boss must be damn happy right now.¡±


    For some petty reason, these people had assumed that he was a noble. Yuan pondered if he should refute that, but after some thought, he decided that it was too much work. He snuggled deeper into the corner of the cart, his body half-covered by his cloak.


    He yawned. ¡°Noble, huh? That¡¯s right.¡±


    The young man called Carin leaned forward. ¡°Oh! We¡¯re right! So, which house is it? The Lakerstein? The Valhaza? Or is it the famous House of Loevar?!¡±


    Once again, the young man squealed. Yuan snuggled deeper into his cloak-turned-blanket. Slowly, his eyes closed.


    He wanted to say, ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re too noisy,¡± but his body felt heavy. He wanted nothing but a deep, comfortable sleep.


    The lizard pulling their cart made a soft, hissing sound.


    And he drifted off into dreamland.


    ***


    The Bandit Lord gathered his troops. It was a few hours before dawn and the sun had started to slowly rise from the west. An hour from now, they were going to attack and plunder the Capital. It was a once in a lifetime chance, considering the fact that more than half the soldiers of the Capital were killed by the dragon.


    He held a map in his skinny hands, his slit-like eyes swiveling between the gates marked in the map. According to the reports of his scouts, the northern and western gate were both destroyed by the dragon. The rest of the gates were intact.


    He crumpled the map then touched the floating orb in front of him.


    ¡°Muhasa,¡± he said to the orb. It glowed for a moment, and there was a reply.


    ¡°Yes, Lord?¡±


    ¡°Send fifty men to the western gate. Make it flashy,¡± said the Bandit Lord. ¡°Make sure you attract the attention of that damn Morgan.¡±


    ¡°Commander Morgan, huh? Understood!¡±


    And the orb lost it glow. The communication from the other side was cut-off.


    The Bandit Lord fixed his silver robe. On his waist was a sword, and slithering near his feet was a large snake. He turned to his men. There were over a thousand of them.


    ¡°After the signal, we¡¯ll attack the Northern Gate,¡± he said, voice amplified by his magic.


    The bandits gathered inside the abandoned mansion cried in ecstasy.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this day!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to personally kill that damn King!¡±


    Their cries of anger and lust for blood amalgamated into a single, malevolent echo. The Bandit Lord smiled upon seeing this. Finally, he could have his revenge against the Royal Family. He had served them almost his entire life, but after killing just a dozen innocent individuals, the damn monarchs had decided they no longer have use for him.


    He was discarded like trash.


    He longed for the day wherein his blade pierces the flesh of the King. He would then violate his wife and daughters in front of him. It would be a truly satisfying sight. A dream he held for so many years.


    A scout approached him and softly said, ¡°Lord, reporting. A caravan¡¯s been seen near the twin forks of Sierra. They¡¯ll be approaching this place half an hour from now.¡±


    ¡°The twin forks?¡± The Bandit Lord was in deep thought. People hardly used that path since it was the nesting ground of Greyal Wolves. It was the same reason why the Kingdom find it hard to launch attacks against the Bandits, since the Twin Forks and the Greyal Wolves living near it served as natural deterrence against the soldiers.


    ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± said the scout. ¡°They appear to be using Malaks.¡±


    And everything made sense.


    Malaks were gargantuan lizards with great fighting abilities. They were normally aggressive monsters which knew almost no fatigue, but if one were to isolate them from their parents from birth, it would be possible to tame them.


    The people in the caravan must have known that they would be safe against the Greyal Wolves in the forest as long as they rode the Malaks.


    ¡°Kukuku!¡± chuckled the Bandit Lord. His sadistic nature made him look forward to what kind of face those people would make once they found themselves inside the bandit¡¯s territory. ¡°We still have some time left before the attack.¡± The snake slithering on the ground hissed violently, as though it understood the intentions of its master.


    ¡°Let¡¯s snack on some preys, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 3: Bandits and the Sleeping God of Thunder

    Chapter 3: Bandits and the Sleeping God of Thunder


    The Forest of Sierra was vast, filled with ancient trees towering more than fifty meters in height. The deeper you went inside the forest, the thicker would be the canopies of leaves, until eventually, one would be unable to differentiate day from night.


    For a long time, the Forest of Sierra had acted as a natural defense for the Kingdom of Altair against its neighboring Kingdom, Geneva. Although superior in military might, Geneva was unable to successfully conquer Altair. The numerous beasts and monsters lurking deep within the Forest of Sierra made it impossible to move a massive army. They had tried it before, and it resulted to numerous casualties.


    Kelman, the leader of the merchants, ordered his men to light torches to guide their paths. It was middle of the night, and with the large trees blocking the moon above, everything was pitch black.


    ¡°This is scary,¡± mumbled one of his men.


    The light of their torches created ominous, moving shadows.


    Every now and then, the cold wind would carry rustling sounds, and most of the non-combatants could not help but panic from the sound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said one of the five mercenaries they hired. ¡°Only Goblin Moles and Greyal Wolves inhabit this path. The Greyals are inactive during the night, so we¡¯ll be safe as long as we follow this path.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait,¡± said one of the merchants, nervously. ¡°What about the other one you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Goblin Mules?¡± said the mercenary. His leather armor blended well with the night. ¡°Those guys are extremely weak. The five of us will be more than enough¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAnd here they are,¡± he smirked.


    As he said those words, as though on cue, numerous rustling sounds were heard nearby. A few seconds after, over a dozen small creatures appeared from the shadows of the trees. Their bodies were that of a goblin, green skin and hardly surpassing the one-meter mark, and their faces were that of a mule. They held no weapons, but their long nails seemed sharp enough to cut through rusty irons.


    The merchants screamed in terror upon seeing the monsters, and the mercenaries pulled their weapons out.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± snarled Kelman to his subordinates. ¡°This is why we went to the trouble of hiring these guys. So shut your trap and protect the cargo! You damn useless bastards!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Boss!¡±


    ¡°U-Understood!¡±


    Kelman had been a merchant his entire life. To him, the things inside their cargo were worth more than the lives of his men. He would do everything to protect it.


    Kelman said to the mercenaries. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to take care of these guys, right?¡±


    They frowned for a moment after hearing it, but they eventually simply nodded regardless. The Goblin Mules started screeching, and to the merchants¡¯ horror, several dozens more of them appeared from the shrubberies.


    But the mercenaries seemed apathetic to the newcomers. They simply stood their ground, awaiting the charge of the little bastards.


    The leader of the mercenaries channeled his mana to his sword. The air around him began to tremble. The Goblin Mules must have felt it too, and without warning, they charged at him in the numbers. The mercenary leader smirked.


    ¡°Small fries,¡± he mumbled. He swung his blade, and the air in front of him was split along with seven small bodies. The blood of the green monsters splattered on the ground.


    After seeing that that particular human was strong, the rest of the Goblin Mules targeted the other people in the caravan. The magician of the mercenary group erected a thin barrier, and the Goblin Mules were unable to approach any further. Another mercenary fired an arrow to the sky, and it multiplied in several numbers, before piercing the bodies of the Goblin Mules on the ground.


    The Goblin Mules screeched, probably from fear. Slowly, they took several steps back, before eventually scurrying back into the shadows of the night. Moments passed, and the tranquility of the forest was back.


    ¡°T-That was amazing!¡±


    ¡°As long as we¡¯re with these guys, we¡¯ll be safe even in this forest!¡±


    The merchants were in glee. They had been living in a peaceful city, and this was the first time they saw high ranking mercenaries in action. Without doubt, they were several times stronger than the soldiers in the city.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± said the mercenary leader. ¡°We¡¯re simply following the safest path. There are monsters within this forest that¡¯s capable of annihilating an army on its own. We should pray that we don¡¯t encounter one.¡±


    The merchants were speechless after he said that. They were well aware of the incident twelve years ago wherein the Kingdom of Geneva sent over three thousand soldiers towards the Capital of Altair. To the Kingdom of Geneva¡¯s horror, their soldiers never stepped foot in Altair¡¯s soil. They were all slaughtered by the monsters of the forest.


    The caravan once again resumed it journey. The ground was blanketed by thick roots, and the carts would violently rattle as it made its way forward. Thankfully, the Mulkas were more than capable of pulling such massive carts despite the terrain. A horse would have been dead tired by now.


    ¡°Say, Kelman,¡± said the mercenary leader. He in the bowfront along with the leader of the merchants. ¡°I¡¯m surprised when you suddenly told me you¡¯re leaving Altair. It¡¯s too sudden.¡±


    Kelman made a wry smile. He remembered the incident with the dragon. Most of his assets were destroyed by that legendary monster.


    ¡°Indecisiveness can kill a merchant,¡± said Kelman. He shrugged. ¡°Well, honestly it was a painful one. But Galvar, my friend, I now have a daughter. She¡¯s just three years old.¡± He sighed and looked at the rear. Though blocked by the thick leather veil, he knew that his wife and daughter were sleeping inside. His gaze was soft, a stark contrast to the ones normally seen by his men. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard for me, but a kid needs a safe play to grow up in. Altair¡¯s no longer that. It¡¯s too dangerous to live in a half-dead country.¡±


    ¡°Well, business will surely go well for us mercenaries despite that,¡± said Galvar, the mercenary leader. ¡°We¡¯ve been receiving numerous requests left and right. Lack of soldiers. And a lot of people are planning on leaving the city too.¡±


    Kelman took a sip from the wine bottle beside him. ¡°I know. Thank you for accepting this request, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Galvar laughed with his deep voice. ¡°That¡¯s unlike you. Normally, you¡¯ll be saying grumbling like an old man. So, having kids really changes a man, eh?¡±


    The night in the forest was dead silent, and their conversation was heard by everyone. The other people in their group simply smiled as they listened. They knew that the friendship of the two were more than that of brothers.


    ¡°So, Kelman, what¡¯s the plan?¡± said Galvar. He stretched his large limbs, creating rasping sounds against his leather armor. ¡°You planning on entering the Merchant¡¯s Guild?¡±


    Kelman shook his head. ¡°Not a chance. It¡¯ll kill the business. You¡¯ve heard of the Opilas Herbs, right?¡±


    ¡°What of it?¡± said Galvar.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gathered quite a massive amount of that thing.¡±


    There was silence. The rest of the mercenaries stared at the merchants. Judging by their faces, the merchants were well aware of what was inside the cargo. Opilas Herbs were miracle herbs capable of producing High-Grade Vitality Potions. Drinking one of those things could heal a deep cut within seconds. In a Continent enveloped in strife, it was a coveted item.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me...,¡± said Galvar. He remembered the numerous carts behind them. ¡°All of those are¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªFilled with Opilas Herbs, yes,¡± said Kelman.


    Galvar could not help but sigh. He could not imagine the amount of money this group would make once they reached the city. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re able to immediately decide to leave the city. But Kelman, are you sure you don¡¯t want to register with the merchant¡¯s guild?¡±


    Kelman made a mocking laugh. ¡°No way. Those guys will take half the profit. I can easily smuggle this in the blackmarket. No traces. Money speaks, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Heh, you never change.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The two laughed, their voices carried by the wind.


    And the magician in the mercenary group approached Galvar. ¡°Leader, traces of mana. We¡¯re being surrounded. Humans. Almost a hundred of them.¡±


    Galvar frowned. ¡°Bandits, huh?¡± He said to Kelman, ¡°Tell your men to go inside the carts. It¡¯ll be dangerous from here on.¡±


    Kelman¡¯s face twitched. He had known Galvar for decades, and judging by the mercenary leader¡¯s expression, they were currently in a grave predicament.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Will you be alright?¡±


    An arrow flew towards Galvar, and he grabbed it using his bare hand. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Kelman ordered his men to get inside the carts. Just five mercenaries protecting them all seemed inadequate, but after seeing how these guys killed the Goblin Mules before, they could somehow see a sliver of hope out of this situation.


    After seeing that Kelman had retreated inside the cart, Galvar went down, unsheated his sword and shouted. ¡°Show yourselves!¡±


    Slowly, numerous men came out of the shadows of the trees. Some held bows, while some held scimitars. They were unshaven, and there were some who reeked of alcohol.


    Judging by how at ease these guys were in this forest, it appeared that they had been living in this place for quite some time now. And if that was true, then a capable individual must be leading them, for it was impossible for such a large group to survive inside the Forest of Sierra otherwise.


    ¡°Hand over everything. Including the women,¡± said one of the bandits. ¡°And we¡¯ll give you painless deaths.¡±


    It was a clich¨¦ line which Galvar had heard numerous times before. And from that alone, he realized that these guys could not be reasoned with.


    He made eye contact with the magician of their group.


    ¡°Can¡¯t feel any particularly strong individual within their group,¡± she said. Most of the bandits were licking her with their eyes, and she could not help but shiver from the sight.


    ¡°Good,¡± replied Galvar. He began to channel his mana through his entire body. ¡°Kill on sight. These guys don¡¯t deserve our mercy.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± replied his men.


    And Galvar dashed forwards in a frightening speed. Without a sliver of hesitation, he cut the body of the bandit in front of him, cleanly splitting the torso into two. Blood had yet to splatter on the ground as his sword cut the head of another. The bandits were stunned by what they saw, and they realized that this mercenary group was probably a high-ranking team from the Capital.


    ¡°W-Wait,¡± shrieked one of the bandits. ¡°I-Isn¡¯t that Galvar?¡±


    The bandits that heard froze in place.


    ¡°G-Galvar? You mean that monster that destroyed the Red Stone Syndicate?!¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re kidding, right?!¡±


    One after another, the bandits were slaughtered by Galvar. His body moved at an unimaginable speed for humans, his sword cutting through the bodies of his prey as though they were paper. Some of the bandits tried to approach the carts, probably in search of hostages, but the magician erected a barrier, and they could not help but be trapped outside.


    The archer released his arrows, and each of them struck their targets with a fatal blow. The rest of the members engaged the bandits, killing them one after another.


    ¡°T-This is impossible!¡±


    ¡°W-We should tell the boss!¡±


    After a few minutes had passed by, almost half of the bandits in the area had been slain by the mercenary group. And slowly, the bandits began to retreat.


    Galvar heaved a sigh of relief. Honestly, he was running out of mana. And it was taking his everything just to appear fine and strong before these savages.


    ¡°Leaving already?¡± a cold voice rang out.


    And the head of a bandit attempting to flee was cut cleanly from his body. The head fell then rolled down the ground.


    The owner of the voice was a skinny man, wearing a furred overcoat. His silver hair flowed down till the waist, and his slit-like eyes emanated an indescribable malice.


    ¡°L-Lord!¡±


    ¡°The Lord is here!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re saved!¡±


    The bandits cried in glee. It was an amazing how their previously fear-filled eyes turned fierce and mocking all of a sudden. As though an absolute trump card had suddenly appeared, and they knew that the mercenaries had no chance of winning.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching from a distance,¡± said the Bandit Lord. ¡°Have some free time, you see. But I can¡¯t let you slaughter more of my men. I¡¯ll be needing their numbers later.¡±


    The Bandit Lord chuckled, as though he had found an amusing prey. He approached Galvar, until the two of them were merely four meters away from each other. Galvar scrutinized him from head to toe. This so-called Bandit Lord held no weapons.


    ¡°A magician then?¡± Galvar had said his thoughts out loud.


    The Bandit Lord chuckled. ¡°Maybe?¡± He flicked a finger, and some of his men pulled out a corpse nearby. They dragged the body through the ground.


    Galvar, upon seeing the corpse, turned livid from anger. His eyes were wide with rage, his body trembling violently. It was the female magician in their group.


    ¡°Melissa?¡± whispered Galvar, voice half-choking. He could not believe it. Just a few moments ago, she was alive, definitely breathing.


    ¡°Her barrier¡¯s been interfering with my magic. Got to kill the annoying ones first, right?¡± nonchalantly said the Bandit Lord. He shrugged, then nodded at his men. ¡°Do it.¡±


    And without warning, they beheaded the female magician in front of Galvar.


    ¡°YOU FUCKERS! YOU DAMN BASTARDS!¡±


    Galvar¡¯s snarl echoed throughout the forest. A flock of ravens flew out of a tree nearby.


    Clouded by his rage, Galvar pounced at the bandits that beheaded his friend. He struck at them with every ounce of his strength. But to his surprise, before he could even approach, he suddenly fell down his knees, body almost unable to move.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± chuckled the Bandit Lord. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to avenge your friend? Hmm?¡±


    Galvar wanted to shout in rage. He wanted to kill all of the bandits in sight, but his body refused to move. He could not even speak.


    From behind him, Galvar could hear the cries of agony of the rest of his members. Blood slowly wafted through the air. Galvar realized that they were all dead.


    ¡°As expected of a famous mercenary,¡± said the Bandit Lord. He crouched and stared straight into Galvar¡¯s eyes. ¡°A normal person would have died by now. Look at you, still breathing. A truly amazing specimen, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The Bandit Lord did not reveal the trick, but it was definitely poison magic.


    Just right when Galvar was about to lose his consciousness, a familiar voice rang out from behind.


    ¡°Let him go!¡± said Kelman. Galvar knew that his friend must have been trembling in fear by now. He was no warrior, but a merchant. ¡°I have a lot of money! I¡¯ll give it to you! Please, just let us go!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m really lucky, huh? To have a friend like you, Kelman,¡¯ thought Galvar. Deep within his heart, he prayed to the Gods to spare even just his friend. It did not matter if he was to die here.


    ¡°Out of the question,¡± the Bandit Lord simply replied.


    One after another, the merchants hiding in the carts were pulled out by the bandits. They were thrown to the ground, just right in front of the almost unconscious Galvar.


    ¡°Oh, what a beautiful woman,¡± breathed the Bandit Lord.


    Galvar realized that he was referring to the wife of Kelman.


    ¡°Married already, huh?¡± said the Bandit Lord, after seeing the kid clinging to her. His hand rubbed his pointed chin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch my wife, you damn rascal!¡± snarled Kelman. One of the bandits struck his stomach using the hilt of his scimitar, and Kelman fell down on his knees, vomiting.


    ¡°Interesting, interesting!¡± chuckled the Bandit Lord. ¡°Then, let¡¯s do this.¡± He said to one of his men, ¡°Violate the wife in front of the husband. Make sure he sees everything.¡±


    The bandit licked his lips upon hearing his Lord¡¯s orders. ¡°As you wish, Lord.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Please!¡± cried the woman.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t touch her! STOP!¡± pleaded Kelman.


    The bandit ripped apart the woman¡¯s clothes, and the child next to her cried upon seeing it. He started licking her legs, not minding the cries of rage coming from the husband.


    ¡°YOU DAMN FUCKING BASTARDS! STOP! FUCKERS! STOP, GOD DAMN IT! I¡¯LL KILL YOU! I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Bandit Lord maniacally laughed. Tears started forming at the corner of his eyes.


    ¡°Lord, that kid over there¡¯s still sleeping,¡± pointed one of his men.


    The Bandit Lord did not like what he saw. Indeed, one of their captives seemed apathetic of what was happening. He was sleeping, with drools dripping down his mouth.


    ¡°Stop,¡± said the Bandit Lord. And the bandit violating the wife, though dismayed, stopped what he was doing.


    ¡°Bring that kid to me,¡± he ordered his men. He felt an unpleasant taste in his mouth after seeing someone sleeping right in the middle of the grand show he was orchestrating.


    They dragged the body of the sleeping kid towards him.


    The Bandit Lord summoned a wind blade and grabbed it with his hand. He threw it towards the kid sleeping on the ground.


    And to his surprise, it hit nothing but the ground.


    ¡®Did he just move and evaded it while sleeping?¡¯ He mentally shook his head. ¡®No. Impossible. There¡¯s no way that could happen.¡¯


    Under the watchful gaze of everyone present, the Bandit Lord once again summoned his wind blade, then threw it towards the sleeping kid.


    And once again, it hit nothing but the ground.


    ¡°What,¡± mumbled the Bandit Lord.


    And as though on cue, the kid started waking up. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, then looked around.


    ¡°Huh? Why am I outside?¡± he said. He sniffed the air, then his droopy expression turned grim and serious. ¡°I smell blood.¡±


    His gaze was fixated on the leader of the merchants.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re supposed to take me to the City of Lankan,¡± he said to him. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Kelman, still enraged after seeing his wife almost fully violated in front of him, mustered a reply. ¡°Forget the City, kid. We¡¯ll be lucky just to come out alive of this place.¡±


    The sleeping youth from before seemed displeased after being called a kid. He was frowning. He looked around, surveying the corpses littered on the ground.


    ¡°I see,¡± he mumbled. ¡°And I thought I was lucky to find a caravan going straight to Lankan. This happens, huh?¡± He stared straight into the Bandit Lord¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is it you? The one who made this damn mess?¡±


    The Bandit Lord did not like the arrogance and fearlessness within the youth¡¯s voice. He mockingly replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. So wha¡ª¡±


    The Bandit Lord had yet to complete his statement when he was suddenly sent flying tens of meters back, his body eventually hitting a tree. Its trunk shook, and leaves fell down incessantly.


    He groaned as pain cruised through his back.


    What happened? He was formerly a high-ranking magician of the Kingdom. There was no way he would have not noticed the magic that had hit him. But one thing was sure ¨C his instinct was screaming at him that the one before him was a monster clad in human skin.


    ¡°What are you doing! Go get that kid!¡±


    After that single order, the bandits pounced at the youth one after another.


    The youth sighed, and moments after, hundreds of orbs of lightning manifested itself around him. They twirled in place, before shooting through dozens of defenseless bodies. The smell of burnt human flesh filled the air as numerous charcoaled bodies fell limp on the ground.


    Everyone that saw it could not believe their eyes. In a matter of moments, half of the bandits that surrounded their group were annihilated.


    The Bandit Lord took advantage of the opening created by the deaths of his men. His body blurred, and he reappeared right in front of the youth. His wind blade shot unimpeded towards his prey¡¯s neck.


    But to his dismay, it hit nothing but an afterimage.


    ¡°Argghh!¡± screamed the Bandit Lord. He looked at his left leg, and his eyes widened when he realized that it was missing.


    His instinct going on overdrive, the Bandit Lord activated the magic circle engraved on his chest. It was his trump card, and it had saved his life dozens of times now.


    Forget about attacking the Capital. Escaping with his life should be his priority right now.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget this! Your face! I¡¯ve engraved it in my memory!¡± he declared.


    Slowly, his body turned into a green wisp, and mocking laughter echoed through the forest.


    ¡°I, the God of Slaughter, shall come back and take your life! Mark my words, kid! Mark my words!¡±


    And his body merged with the wind. And he was gone.


    ¡°The Soul Morphosis spell, huh?¡± said Galvar. He was still unable to move, but for some reason, after the Bandit Lord disappeared, the poison in his body started to dissipate somewhat.


    ¡°Soul Morphosis? You mean that useless spell?¡± asked the youth.


    Galvar simply smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not useless. It¡¯s the most coveted of all stealth spells in the Grimoire Book. Basically, his body had turned into wind now. It¡¯ll be impossible to capture him, moreover injure him. It¡¯s useless. You need to destroy his entire body if you want to kill him. He¡¯ll simply regenerate otherwise.¡±


    Galvar coughed blood. ¡°He¡¯ll surely come back and take his revenge. Damn it.¡±


    ¡°So, I just need to destroy his entire body, huh?¡± said the youth. Slowly, mana oozed out of his body. The amount was so massive that even those that were not adept at magic could see it.


    The ground rumbled, and the air itself trembled. Flocks of birds flew out from the ancient trees surrounding them in all directions.


    A spinning vortex of black lightning manifested itself in front of the youth. The mana that was being gathered was so colossal that Galvar could not help but tremble.


    ¡°H-Hey, are you trying to destroy this forest?!¡± Galvar finally mustered the words out.


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± the youth simply replied. His eyes glimmered for a moment. ¡°Bingo. Found you. There you are.¡±


    And the spinning orb of black lightning shot forward, instantly vaporizing the trees right before its path. Clouds of dust blew, and a shockwave shot through the spectators¡¯ bodies. After the black orb of lightning finally dissipated, what was left was an absurdly long road of barren land ¨C devoid of trees or any life.


    Everyone that saw it was unable to utter a single word.

 Chapter 4: The Master of Morvius

    Chapter 4: The Master of Morvius


    After the incident with the bandits, thankfully, the journey towards the City of Lankan was met without much hitch and strife. They passed through the monster-infested Forest of Sierra, then through the Anolian Red River, eventually arriving at the outskirts of Lankan after more than a week of travel.


    Yuan sat on top of a cart, his gaze fixated at the city looming before them. The grasses on the ground swayed westward with the wind, and not far from them, a cobbled path leading towards the gate of the city was seen. Judging by the winding path that strayed away from the adjacent forest, the road was probably connected to a nearby city.


    ¡°Young man,¡± called out Kelman from the bowfront of the barouche. ¡°Get down here. We¡¯ll be passing through the checkpoint soon.¡±


    Though he wanted to stay on top of the cart more, Yuan complied and went down. He went inside the cart. Kelman¡¯s wife warmly smiled upon meeting his gaze, but Yuan simply brushed it aside. He would part ways with them soon. There was no need for mere pleasantries.


    ¡°Sir Magician.¡± The kid sitting on the lap of Kelman¡¯s wife squeaked. ¡°You¡¯re going to the city too?¡±


    Yuan looked at the kid¡¯s untainted eyes. It was saucer-like, pure and innocent. He would have simply ignored the question if it came from the adults.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± said the child in glee. Yuan thought that she was smart for a kid her age. ¡°Papa said that we¡¯ll start a new¡ª¡± she looked at her mother. ¡°¡ªnew..¡±


    ¡°¡ªbusiness,¡± completed the woman.


    ¡°Business! That¡¯s right!¡± squeaked the child. ¡°We¡¯ll be selling vegetables, mister! Lots of vegetables!¡±


    Yuan was sure that the child was referring to the miracle herbs inside the cargo. For some reason he could not fully understand, he smiled. He liked how pure and innocent little kids were.


    Now that he thought about it, he could not remember much about his childhood. According to his foster father, the Master of Morvius, he was an abandoned child. The old man refused to tell him where he got Yuan from, and after a few years of trying to squeeze even the tiniest information out, he eventually gave up trying to find out.


    What mattered was now. Yuan had someone he could call family. And that was everything he need.


    Their caravan traversed the cobbled path, and they eventually reached the gate of the city. There was a small wall enclosing the entirety of Lankan. Judging by the size, it was probably meant to block illegal immigrants rather than monster attacks.


    The guards were about to inspect what was inside of the carts when Kelman called out the one who seemed to be their leader. He whispered something to the soldier, then handed him a small pouch. After that, they were allowed to pass through the checkpoint with ease.


    ¡®As expected. They don¡¯t want the news about Opilas Herbs be found out by the merchant¡¯s guild, huh?¡¯ thought Yuan.


    If the news about those miracle herbs reached the ears of the city¡¯s officials, including those from the merchant¡¯s guild, catastrophe would envelope Kelman and his men. They would be lucky enough to share half the profit. At worst, everything could be taken away. After all, they were no citizens of this Kingdom. It would be an easy task to silence mere merchants.


    Furthermore, had the guards checked the carts, they would have seen the dead bodies of the mercenaries. Only one out of the five had survived the attack of the bandits, and the surviving one was still recuperating.


    After entering the gate, an underdeveloped city immediately greeted them. It reeked of the word poverty. Numerous wooden shacks were haphazardly placed left and right, and a broken statue of some warrior ornamented the Central Plaza.


    Yuan wondered why the Kingdom bothered building a wall around the city. He was sure that the money spent on the walls could have been better used to develop the city itself instead.


    Well, maybe, this city would sometimes experience monster attacks? Yuan was not sure. And he had no intention of finding out.


    After they passed by the Central Plaza, Yuan decided to part ways with the group. He told Kelman that he¡¯ll be separating ways with them here, and for some reason, the merchants that heard it wore crestfallen faces.


    ¡°So, this is where we part, huh?¡± said Kelman. His previously arrogant attitude when he first met Yuan was gone. Instead, there was uncanny fondness within his voice, like what one would normally hear from a father and son.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Yuan. His cloak covered his entire body. ¡°I wish you luck. Farewell.¡±


    Kelman and his men exchanged glances. ¡°Before that¡­ can I ask you something?¡±


    Yuan stared at him for a moment, wondering what the merchant was going to ask. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That magic before,¡± said Kelman. He referred to the black lightning sphere that instantly vaporized a portion of the forest. ¡°Are you¡­¡± He paused, looked at his men, then sighed. ¡°Nevermind. It¡¯s nothing. Thank you for everything, young man.¡±


    Yuan frowned, but he nodded regardless. Somehow, he knew that these people probably had an idea of who he was. But they refused to ask him directly, probably out of fear, or maybe out of respect, Yuan was not sure.


    ¡°Bye bye, mister magician!¡± said the daughter of Kelman. The three-year old kid was broadly smiling, and Yuan¡¯s lips slowly curled into an arch after seeing that.


    Without another word, Yuan turned around, blended with the passersby, and disappeared from sight.


    ***


    Yuan entered the only temple within the city. Unlike the one in the Capital of Altair, its walls were made of wood, and if not for the dilapidated signage outside, he would have mistaken it for a run-down inn.


    For a moment, Yuan was worried that there would be no teleportation device in this place.


    ¡°Hello,¡± said Yuan the moment he met the gaze of the priest inside. ¡°I wish to use the teleportation device.¡±


    The priest, while holding an unfolded scroll in his hand, scrutinized Yuan from head to toe. He read some words in the scroll, then jotted down some notes using a quill pen. He then nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Teleportation device?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯ll be fifteen gold coins.¡±


    It was a bit overpriced compared to Altair, higher by about two gold coins, but Yuan was too tired to haggle.


    He took out fifteen coins from his pouch, then handed it to the priest. A normal individual would never use a teleportation device during the course of his entire life. It was far too expensive, a device available usually for the nobility.


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage,¡± said the Priest. ¡°All profit will proceed to charity.¡±


    Yuan did not believe him.


    ¡°This way, please,¡± said the Priest. And he led Yuan inside a small wooden room. There was nothing inside save for the dimly glowing magic circle engraved on the ground and four small stone pillars.


    ¡°So, which city is it?¡±


    ¡°Palamesh.¡±


    For a moment, the priest stiffened. That city had been written in innumerable history books. It was the city called ¡®Utopia of Magicians.¡¯ The city where Morvius, the most powerful association of magicians, reside. According to scholars, that city alone held enough power to rival several Empires. It was the only city in the entire continent that remained untouched by warring Kingdoms and Empires. An autonomous region ruled by magicians.


    ¡°You¡¯re a member of Morvius?¡± nervously asked the Priest.


    Yuan immediately understood the reason why the Priest turned pallid all of a sudden. Morvius held enough authority to shake even Kings and Emperors. A magician belonging to that organization could wield power tantamount to that, depending on his position.


    The Priest was overcharging his clients. If this got out, he would surely be banished from the city. Worse, he would be stripped off his title as Priest.


    ¡°Just a messenger,¡± lied Yuan. He just wanted everything to be over with.


    ¡°Thank God,¡± breathed the Priest. Color started to return to his face. ¡°J-Just a messenger, huh? Then, I¡¯ll start. Please get inside the magic circle.¡±


    Yuan did as he was told. The priest chanted his magic, and the stones placed on top of the surrounding pillars glowed crimson. Slowly, the runes engraved on the ground blazed into life. They span around Yuan, amalgamating into unknown letters and numbers, before dissipating into particles of light.


    ¡°It seems there¡¯s a barrier protecting the city,¡± said the Priest. He touched one of the pillars, and channeled mana through it. ¡°Direct teleportation is impossible. But I can take you to the nearby forest.¡±


    Yuan nodded in understanding. Indeed, it was impossible to directly teleport to the city. The barrier created by Morvius hinders any form of mana from getting inside the city. Even simple telepathic messages would be impossible to get in.


    A buzzing sound echoed in his ears. Moments after, his surroundings distorted, and he found himself in an entirely different place.


    The wooden walls of the temple were gone. In their stead, trees of various sizes surrounded Yuan. Birds chirped, and not farm from him, Yuan could hear the flowing water of a stream. It was a familiar forest. And it felt good to finally be back home.


    ¡°Finally,¡± he mumbled. He channeled mana to his feet, and lightning started to crackle violently.


    He looked at the sun above. It was probably noon.


    Without another word, Yuan ran through the forest, his speed unimaginable. He would have appeared as nothing but a blur even to war-veteran warriors.


    This speed magic was three times faster than a Malak running at full speed, and the reason why Yuan did not use this was because of the strain it would give the body after prolonged use. He would need to rest every now and then had he travelled by foot towards the city.


    Furthermore, this magic eats away at his mana, and he was not confident enough to last an entire week of continuous travel with that.


    He ran through innumerable trees, boulders, and shrubberies. Eventually, he reached the outskirts of the city. Even from a distance, the gargantuan walls enclosing Palamesh was visible. The enclosing walls towered great heights, probably more than a hundred meters in height. The black metallic gates reeked of the word sturdy, and it could probably survive an onslaught of a hundred ogres.


    According to some history books, this city was considered as one of the safest place in the entire continent. More than half of the city¡¯s residents were magicians.


    Yuan wore his mask, donned his silver crest, then approached the gates. The guards stared at his crest for a moment, and they immediately made a salute.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Lord Magician, welcome back!¡±


    ¡°Welcome back!¡±


    Yuan nodded while wearing his mask. The guards issued orders to open the gates, and moments after, the colossal slab of iron slowly creaked outward. It created an ample space for Yuan to go through.


    Yuan entered, and the view of the city immediately greeted him. Towering houses, which could be mistaken for high-class inns, decorated the outer zone of Palamesh. The streets were bustling with life, and numerous stalls filled with magical items were set up here and there. The air was filled with the scent of prosperity.


    This was just the Outer District, and it was actually more than grand enough to shame even the Noble¡¯s District of most Kingdoms and Empires.


    Yuan saw some youths gawking at the sight. They were probably new in the city.


    The buzzes and murmurs that filled the air as merchants haggled with customers stopped the moment Yuan started walking through the streets. Everyone that saw him stopped and stared, particularly at the insignia he wore on his shoulders. The silver symbol of Morvius was an eye-catching sight.


    ¡°W-Woah, look. That one¡¯s one of the Grayas!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?! It¡¯s the real thing! Look at the crest on his shoulders!¡±


    ¡°I want to try talking to him!¡±


    Such conversations were heard as Yuan passed through the Commoner¡¯s District.


    The Grayas were the absolute top of Morvius, next only to the Master. It was a long-accepted fact that a single one of those magicians held enough power topple an entire Kingdom. They were the city¡¯s trump card.


    In the entire continent, there were only nine S Rank magicians, and the four Grayas of Morvius held four of those spots. It was too much power concentrated in a single city, considering the fact that there were dozens of Kingdoms and Empires.


    Yuan would have preferred not to wear his crest, since it attracted too much attention, but he needed it in order to easily access the city¡¯s gates and the Inner District. It would be a pain in the ass to explain himself to the guards every time, otherwise.


    ¡°A celebrity, as always,¡± a familiar voice spoke to him.


    Yuan turned to his left and saw a fat woman smiling at him. Her lips were bulbous, and she would somehow remind one of an overly bloated pig. She waved her stubby hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she grinned. ¡°The Master and the others have been waiting for days already.¡±


    Yuan frowned under his mask. As expected, those guys took track of the time for him to complete his mission. This was one of the reasons why he hated being late in delivering results.


    ¡°The teleportation device in Altair broke¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªSure, sure,¡± interjected the woman.


    Yuan almost glared at her mocking face.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough excuse, you know?¡± she chuckled mischievously. ¡°Really, more than a week just to retrieve a fragment? It¡¯s just a retrieval mission, kid.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a kid.¡± Yuan was annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ve finished the coming of age ceremony three years ago.¡±


    ¡°Sure you have!¡± the woman¡¯s eyes were smiling. ¡°But with that height,¡± she scrutinized him from head to toe, ¡°I can¡¯t help but mistake you for a child.¡±


    By this time, Yuan¡¯s stare was murderous, and the woman could feel it despite the mask. But this seemed to further intensify her glee.


    Soon enough, they reached a wall within the city. It was exponentially lower than the one outside, and considering the fact that most residents were magicians, it would be a simple feat to simply jump over it using magic.


    This wall was actually meant to clearly demarcate the area between the Outer and the Inner District. Unlike in other kingdoms wherein you need to be a noble to live in the Inner District, in this city, just having an official job alone would be enough to qualify. Though you would still need to pay a higher monthly tax if you decided to live within this area.


    The two guards standing near the entrance to the Inner District made a staunch salute the moment they saw Yuan and the fat woman. Particularly, they seemed to be more nervous around the woman.


    ¡°You should probably stop doing those weird experiments,¡± mumbled Yuan after they passed through the gate. ¡°People are starting to see you as a madman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a woman though?¡±


    Yuan looked at her as she blurted out the stupid joke.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± She struck Yuan¡¯s back repeatedly using her stubby hands. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff, kid! Don¡¯t be so stiff! It¡¯s a joke, see? A joke!¡±


    ¡°I know that. Stop,¡± said Yuan. ¡°Hey stop. That hurts.¡±


    By the time the woman was finished laughing, Yuan¡¯s back was already aching. He was pretty sure that had this woman struck the ground, it would have formed cracks by now.


    ¡°Ah we¡¯re here,¡± said the woman. ¡°That¡¯s fast, eh.¡±


    Before them was a castle made of black stone. A large tower, probably tall enough to compete with the walls outside, was erected nearby. A red flag with the insignia of a serpent eating its own tail hung near the entrance. It was The Ouroboros, the symbol of eternal strength, the insignia of Morvius.


    ¡°The two of you,¡± a voice echoed from inside the castle. ¡°Come inside. Now.¡±


    As expected, the magicians of Morvius were well aware that he had arrived in the city. He heaved a sigh underneath his mask. The fat woman, on the other hand, lost the smile on her lips. She somehow stiffened after hearing the voice. They both knew who it was from.


    The two of them entered the castle, not bothering to return the greeting of the magicians they passed by along the way. After passing through a large corridor then climbing down numerous flights of stairs, they arrived at the underground chamber. There were seven people inside that chamber, and they all looked at Yuan and the fat woman the moment they entered.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± was the first thing Yuan heard upon entering the hidden room.


    The one that spoke was a magician with fiery crimson hair. He was missing an eye, and a large scar ran across his face. His body was lean and muscular, and he gave off the impression that he could rip off a large tree using his bare hands. But despite looking like a veteran soldier, he was actually a high-ranking magician. One of the four Graya ¨C Alecto, the Emperor of Fire.


    Yuan took off his mask, revealing a youthful face probably in his late teens. His brown hair flowed nicely till the angle of his jaw, his golden eyes proud and filled with life. One thing that stood out was his height. Most women were probably taller than him, a fact that greatly vexed him.


    ¡°Leader, I¡¯m sorry. Unexpected things led to another, there¡¯s this lizard I had to kill, then the teleportation device broke and¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªEnough excuses,¡± said Alecto. ¡°The fragment?¡±


    Yuan was annoyed by how the man cut him off, but he steeled himself and did not let it show on his face. In Morvius, it was an ironclad rule that one should respect hierarchy, and Yuan was no exemption. Strong as he was, Yuan would still follow his orders despite the difficulties.


    ¡°Here.¡± Yuan took out a crimson stone from inside his cloak, then handed it to Alecto.


    ¡°This one¡¯s big,¡± said Alecto. He made a satisfied nod. He then turned towards the large tank in the middle of the room. Though the inside was hazy due to the gray fluid that filled it, the figure of an old man was still discernible. His limbs were thin, almost like a twig, and his long ashen beard flowed till the chest. The old man¡¯s eyes were closed, and bubbles would occasionally escape his closed lips.


    ¡°Hopefully, the Master will recover with this.¡±


    The other people in the room nodded at that statement. A bead of sweat flowed down Yuan¡¯s cheeks. This was the sixteenth Blood Shard they had collected. According to their research, you would need sixteen Blood Shards in order to activate the magic embedded within the stones.


    With these fragments, hopefully, the master will recover from his curse.


    Alecto placed the Blood Shard at one of the innumerable small pillars surrounding the tank. The magic circle imbued on the ground glowed for a moment, and the runes carved started to spin around.


    ¡°Do it,¡± ordered Alecto to the magicians inside the room. They nodded in understanding, and began channeling their mana to activate the healing magic.


    A buzzing sound, almost deafening to the ears, resounded. The walls of the underground chamber shook, and dust started falling down the ceiling. The magical circle surrounding the tank glowed brightly, its azure light slowly turning crimson by each passing second. Eventually, the light dissipated along with the buzzing sound.


    Alecto¡¯s face was grim. The magicians that performed the magic were frowning as they shook their heads.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough, huh?¡± said Alecto.


    Yuan was well-versed in magic. He knew that the magic had just failed. He felt frustrated that they could not lift the curse inflicted on their Master.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he mumbled as he stared at the old man floating inside the tank.


    That man was Master Olifer, the absolute ruler of Morvius. Also called the strongest magician alive. Well, that title should not be accurate anymore. Right now, the health of their Master had deteriorated to the point that he would need to sleep inside a medical tank in order to keep himself alive. This procedure alone would take eleven hours a day, and the organization had to consume vast amounts of medicinal herbs in order to see even a minute effect.


    As though sensing the frustration from the magicians inside the chamber, the old man within the tank opened his eyes, then spoke, ¡°What¡¯s with the long faces? This old man had been giving the young ones a hard time, huh?¡±


    The voice of their Master was gentle, definitely soothing.


    Yuan immediately approached the tank after realizing that the Master was awake.


    ¡°Master!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°How are you feeling? The magic¡­ The magic¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s fine,¡± said the Master. His smile was soft and assuring. ¡°This curse is inflicted by the Demon Lord after all. There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll be easily removed. Don¡¯t blame yourself, Yuan.¡±


    Forty years ago, the world entered the Great War. During that time, when Master Olifer was still in his prime, the humans fought with the demons. Kingdoms were destroyed, and millions of humans succumbed to their bane. The world was enveloped in unending strife. But eventually, Master Olifer succeeded in defeating the Demon Lord. But in exchange, a curse was inflicted on his body. A normal magician would have died immediately, and it took Olifer everything just to halt the progress of the curse. But now that he had gained much on age, the curse had deteriorated his body and soul. It was only a matter time before he entered eternal slumber. Everyone knew.


    Master Olifer touched the glass tank, and his body slowly passed through towards the outside. His feet touched the ground.


    ¡°Master, your clothes,¡± said one of the magicians present. He handed the naked old man a silver robe.


    After donning his clothes, Master Olifer smiled. ¡°Thank you for retrieving the sixteenth fragment, Yuan.¡±


    Yuan was still crestfallen, but he nodded regardless. To him, the Master was like his father. Being unable to cure the curse was frustrating, and it ached him like a stake piercing the heart.


    ¡°But as expected, sixteen isn¡¯t enough,¡± said Master Olifer. He stroked his long ashen beard. ¡°Then, son, could you retrieve another one for me? Maybe seventeen of these things will do the trick.¡±


    Yuan¡¯s face lit up upon hearing it. He looked at the Master, then at Alecto, then back. ¡°There¡¯s another one? I thought there¡¯re only sixteen of them?!¡±


    Yuan¡¯s usual calm and arrogance was gone. He was always a gentle person when it came to his family, and these guys knew that.


    Master Olifer chuckled. ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡± And Yuan looked at the fat woman from before. ¡°There¡¯re eighteen of them in total, son. And I know the location of the two remaining Blood Shards.¡±


    Yuan could not hide the excitement within his face. If it was for his Master, he would gladly wage war with a country just to obtain those shards.


    ¡°Where is it?¡± he said, ready to go toward that place at any time.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s see. The first one is in the Rulan Region, deep within the Demon Continent,¡± said the Master. The other magicians that heard it stiffened. That was a place swarming with high-ranking demons. Contrary, Yuan nodded, blatantly showing his eagerness to go to that dangerous place despite the risks. ¡°The second one is in the Sky Academy. Located above the Empire of Travis.¡±


    The Master stroked his beard once again. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending Lark and Gjaves to Rulan.¡±


    The two people the Master mentioned were among the four Graya of Morvius. Everyone understood that if those two worked together, then it would be possible to retrieve the Blood Shard even from that absurdly dangerous place. They were currently not in the city right now, probably out on a highly classified mission.


    ¡°Then, for the other one,¡± said Yuan, as though he knew the words that were going to come out of the Master¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be tasked to retrieve that one, Yuan,¡± said the Master, his eyes smiling.


    Yuan¡¯s resolve was palpable. He bowed his head and immediately uttered his reply. ¡°Understood. I will retrieve it without delay.¡±


    The Master chuckled. ¡°Before that, remember that this is vastly different from the missions you¡¯ve received before. You can¡¯t just casually storm that place and retrieve the fragment.¡±


    Yuan was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean, Master?¡±


    The Master nodded at Alecto.


    ¡°That place is protected by the Eternal Spirit. Furthermore, the Chairman of that place is the second strongest magician of this continent,¡± said Alecto. ¡°It¡¯ll be suicide to forcefully take away the Blood Shard from that place.¡±


    The Eternal Spirit was a creature that had been mentioned numerous times in history books. It was a spirit that originated way back during the time the Gods still roamed the Mortal Realm. To put in simpler terms, it was an entity stronger than any mortal alive.


    Yuan understood the implications. ¡°Then, what should I do?¡±


    The Master opened his palm, and a folded parchment materialized itself. He grabbed it and handed it to Yuan.


    Xert Academy


    Letter of Application


    Yuan Lukas Rein


    First Year Student


    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened after reading the contents of the parchment. He bewilderedly stared at the Master.


    ¡°You want me to disguise myself as a student and infiltrate the academy?¡± said Yuan.


    Master Olifer nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct. At the end of each year, the Academy holds an annual competition. The ultimate goal of this mission is to join that annual event ¨C and win. You could ask for the Blood Shard as the reward afterward.¡±


    Yuan was momentarily in deep thought. He had never experienced formal education before. All that he knew was taught to him by his Master and the other high-ranking magicians of Morvius.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he eventually said. ¡°As you wish, Master.¡±


    It was decided. He would soon become a student at the Sky Academy.


    ***


    All of the other magicians in the Underground Chamber had left. Alecto and Master Olifer gazed at the tank before them. There were no ripples in the cloudy water inside, and the Blood Shards that floated on top of the pillar surrounding it glowed a dim crimson color.


    Alecto broke the silence. ¡°You damn liar.¡±


    Master Olifer chuckled. ¡°As expected. You realized, huh?¡±


    ¡°How could I not?¡± said Alecto, looking a bit troubled. ¡°Chairman Jakza is your close friend. I¡¯ve met him numerous times before. Had you asked, he¡¯ll immediately give you the Blood Shard. No questions asked.¡±


    Alecto sighed. A high-ranking magician like him could clearly see the flow of mana within the body of the Master. He knew that the old man had not much time left.


    ¡°What are you planning, gramps?¡± said Alecto. ¡°Why did you send the young one to that place? He¡¯s already strong enough to lay waste even to the professors there. I see no point¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªStrength isn¡¯t everything,¡± said Master Olifer. He coughed, and blood dripped down his chin. He wiped it off using the back of his hand. ¡°Yuan¡­ that kid. He doesn¡¯t even have friends his own age. As the one that raised him, I am a failure as a parent.¡±


    Alecto did not know what to reply to that statement. He eventually chose to remain silent.


    ¡°Alecto, even if we gather all eighteen fragments, this curse of mine won¡¯t be cured.¡±


    Alecto was stunned speechless by the Master¡¯s declaration. Somehow, he also suspected that such was the case, but he refused to believe his intuition until now. After all, no matter how grumpy the old man was, he was still the Master he respected to much.


    ¡°At the very least, before I breathe my last, I want to do something for my family,¡± said Master Olifer. ¡°At the very least, I want Yuan to experience what normal life is like.¡±


    The Master softly smiled, creating numerous wrinkles on his face. ¡°That is my sincere wish.¡±

 Chapter 5: Taki and the Giant Stalk

    Chapter 5: Taki and the Giant Stalk


    Taki shielded his eyes from the scorching sun above. He sighed as sweat incessantly flowed down his dark skin. He had been walking around the city of Methuzelda for quite some time now, but he could not still find the place he was looking for.


    ¡°It should be around here,¡± he mumbled as he looked at the map he held in his hands. A bead of sweat dropped down and created a large blotch on the map. He frowned then looked around him once again.


    Numerous stone houses were seen in all directions, and the cobbled road was filled with cracks, with occasional weeds growing here and there. The passersby on the streets wore hooded cloaks, probably to shield themselves from the sun.


    Taki felt stupid that he was wearing nothing but an old tunic and a turban. To make matters worse, the bag on his back was absurdly large, covering almost his entire body. It had taken him great effort just to roam the streets.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s really as large as the rumors say, eh?¡± he said as he looked above, towards the absurdly large vine piercing through the sky. It was a well-known fact that in order to arrive at the Sky Academy, one would first need to climb that giant stalk. To aspiring magicians, this was a great hurdle, considering the fact that they needed great physical prowess and endurance to reach the top.


    Reaching the foot of the large vine may seem easy for the ignorant, but Taki knew that there was magic surrounding this city that would make it difficult for anyone to know the location the vine originates from.


    Taki grabbed the skin flask on his waist, and was disappointed after noticing that it was empty till the last drop. He sighed and cursed the desert-like city.


    His stomach grumbled and he realized that it was almost an entire day since he last ate. He currently had 5 silver coins in his pouch, and as much as possible, he did not want to use any of it until he reached the Sky Academy. After all, this was money given to him by his parents after selling what was left of their livestock.


    Within his mind, he vowed that once he became a magician, he would give his parents their very own farmland. It was a dream he had held for so long. His strength and motivation.


    Taki broke out of his daydream upon noticing the commotion in a nearby intersection. The passersby halted in their tracks as they stared at five people with battered bodies. Cuts and bruises filled their skin, and their faces were swollen.


    ¡°Those guys again?¡± said one of the vendors.


    Taki, out of curiosity, asked the old woman. ¡°Ma¡¯am, what do you mean?¡±


    The old woman shook her head. ¡°Muggers. They created a small base near the entrance to the Great Vine. They rob all students of their belongings, and they severely beat up all those that refused to concede. Lately, they¡¯ve began killing too.¡± She pointed to the group of severely beaten up people. ¡°Those guys¡¯re probably aspiring magicians. First year applicants, see. Probably got beaten up by the damn Muggers. Poor lads.¡±


    Taki¡¯s eyes widened. For the first time since arriving to the city, he finally had his first lead towards the entrance to the Sky Academy. If he followed the direction where those guys came from, then he would surely arrive at the entrance to the Great Vine. He swallowed the lump in his throat as this thought crossed his mind. But first, there was something he needed to ask.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± he said to the vendor. ¡°Judging by your story, it seems that everyone is aware of those outlaws.¡± The vendor looked at him in understanding. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the City Lord doing anything about it? Or the Empire? The Sky Academy is a well-known institution. There¡¯s no way the Empire will do nothing but watch as the applicants to that place are being severely beaten up one after another.¡±


    ¡°You see, kid, the area around the Great Vine is off limits to soldiers of the Empire. That place¡¯s already considered part of the Sky Academy,¡± she said. ¡°They can¡¯t interfere in that place. And as for the academy, they seem apathetic to what¡¯s happening to the first years. Numerous letters of protest¡¯s been sent already. No response. Don¡¯t know what¡¯s going through the head of that monster magician ruling that place.¡±


    After listening to the explanation of the old woman, a creeping sensation flowed through Taki¡¯s body. If they went according to the logic and rules of that place, then even if he was killed by those outlaws, the Empire would be unable to do anything but watch. After all, it was no longer under their territory.


    This single fact made him somewhat hesitant, but his will to become a magician persevered in the end. He thanked the vendor then approached the battered group from before.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Taki. The light in the eyes of the group was dim. ¡°Could you tell me how to get to the entrance of the Great Vine?¡±


    One of them, a young man with muscular body, halted in his tracks. Half of his face was still swollen, as though he was hit several times by a sledgehammer. He scrutinized Taki from head to foot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± he mumbled through his swollen mouth. ¡°You¡¯ll simply be killed by those bastards if you enter inside. Just go back. The Academy does not care for the students. It¡¯s useless.¡±


    Coming from someone big and muscular, the statement seemed utter convincing. But Taki stood his ground.


    ¡°Please. I can¡¯t simply go back here. Please tell me.¡±


    The muscular man sighed, then made a wry smile. He turned around and pointed at a nearby intersection. ¡°After crossing that, turn left until you reach the bronze statue. Go right after that and you¡¯ll see a crack in the air. That¡¯s the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Taki with a bow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you. If you¡¯re eager for death, go ahead,¡± he said. ¡°The mirage surrounding the entrance changes place every half an hour. If you don¡¯t hurry, you might miss it.¡±


    After the group left, Taki immediately went towards the place the man indicated. He stopped right in front of a crack in the air. This was probably the mirage he told him about.


    Taki gulped down, his throat dry after walking through the city for almost an entire day. ¡°No turning back. Here I go,¡± he mumbled to himself.


    With hesitations, he dived headfirst into the crack in the air. There was a full second ear-splitting sound, and he suddenly found himself in a large field devoid of any weeds. The ground was parched and cracked, as though it had never experience rain for the past ten years. Not far from him, an absurdly colossal vine sprouted from the ground, and even after looking up, Taki was unable to see the top.


    Judging by the size of the vine alone, it was probably large enough to fit five mansions in, with room to spare afterwards.


    He heard voices, and he realized that there were numerous other people near him. Judging by the bags they carried on their backs, they were probably aspiring students too. Also, there was a platoon of soldiers nearby, their swords hanging on their waist.


    Taki approached the group, and he listened on the conversation.


    ¡°I came here to take the entrance exam, but it¡¯s been two days already. Why can¡¯t the soldiers just take care of those guys?¡± said one of them.


    ¡°Do you see that line over there?¡± replied another.


    Taki looked at the place where the man was pointing at. Indeed, there was a line there. It was circular and surrounded the entirety of the Great Vine.


    ¡°If you cross that line, you¡¯ll be considered inside the Sky Academy¡¯s territory. The soldiers can only watch from this distance. They literally can¡¯t enter. Otherwise, the Empire will suffer the ire of the magicians ruling the Sky Academy.¡±


    Taki thought that such rules were stupid, but he knew that this was a world where the strong dictated the rules. The weak had no choice but to simply obey. Furthermore, this was the Sky Academy. It was an institution that gave birth to tens of thousands of magicians all throughout the ages. It would be foolish to make an enemy out of it.


    Taki estimated that there were probably over a hundred students here stuck outside the entrance. Everyone was afraid to enter, especially after the display of corpses near the Great Vine. The group he had met before coming here were probably daredevils, and they were probably strong applicants, considering the fact that they were able to survive even after trying to enter the Great Vine.


    The Great Vine was absurdly large that it covered almost everything the eyes could see. There were no signs of the outlaws he heard about, but they must be there and just waiting for a prey to come out.


    He was hungry. His throat was dry. Taki regretted not buying more rations before entering this place.


    His survival instincts kicking in, Taki joined the bandwagon. He also sat on the ground, not daring to enter the line that clearly demarcated the territory of the Sky Academy.


    An hour passed, and one of the students finally got inpatient and made his move.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he snarled. He pulled out a small mana stone and began chanting his magic. His body was soon enveloped by a dim white light. ¡°I¡¯m going to start climbing the damn Great Vine! Who¡¯s coming with me?!¡±


    His bold declaration made everyone¡¯s attention turn to him. Taki knew that most people were trying to see what would happen once the man entered the Sky Academy¡¯s territory. He, too, was curious.


    ¡°No one, huh?¡± he smirked. Taki was sure that the man was trying to hide his trembling feet underneath his cloak. ¡°Cowards. Go and stay there forever then. I¡¯ll become a magician. These damn lowlifes can¡¯t stop me.¡±


    After that declaration, the man boldly stepped inside the line. He cast one last glance at the onlookers before he went deep inside the entangled vines. After more than a minute, his figure disappeared off into the distance.


    And then it happened. Chill crawled through Taki¡¯s spine when cries of agony reverberated through the air. Everyone that heard it stiffened, their faces pallid with fear.


    ¡°S-Stop!! Please! Arghhh! Stop!!!¡±


    Taki and the everyone else were unable to see it, but they were aware of what must be happening right now inside the entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give everything to you guys! Please! Let me go! Just this once, please!¡±


    The cries and pleas continued, and it eventually stopped after some time. Laughter from several men was heard near the entrance. Eventually, silence once again befell everyone.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m leaving.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t waste my life just for this. I¡¯m done.¡±


    One after another, students started leaving the area. They passed through the cracks in the air, then disappeared from sight.


    By this time, Taki was already losing his will to climb the vine. He did not want to die, and he knew that a corpse would not be able alleviate the poverty of his family. The thought of remaining a farmer starting running through his mind.


    ***


    After receiving his mission from the Master, Yuan immediately went towards the Empire of Travis. To the country where the Sky Academy was located.


    He passed through an endless desert, eventually arriving at the City of Methuzelda.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the Great Vine?¡± he mumbled after seeing it even from the city¡¯s entrance.


    According to the information he received from the magicians of Morvius, every student would need to climb the colossal plant that pierces the clouds, if they wanted to reach the Academy on the Sky. It was some sort of test. All teleportation magic was blocked in the city, making it impossible to directly go towards the Sky Academy using magic.


    Yuan looked at the ring on his finger. It was an item created by the ¡°Mad Scientist of Morvius.¡± An item that prevents his mana from leaking out. While wearing this ring, he would pass off as a very weak magician, probably as weak as an average student. Furthermore, he could not use anything but basic spells. Otherwise, the ring would simply break and he would blow his cover.


    ¡°What an annoying item,¡± he said, clearly displeased.


    Right now, he could not use Magic Perception, and he would need to rely on his feet to find the entrance to the Great Vine. At most, he could use the most basic type of Speed Magic, but that too had its limit. He could not use it for an extended period of time.


    Yuan walked around the city, a simple hooded cloak covering his entire body. Normally, he would be able to quickly find the entrance if he used Magic Perception, but removing the ring even once would destroy it, and he could not afford to do so.


    Within his mind, he cursed the fat woman for creating such a flawed item. It would have been perfect if he could just simply remove then wear it as he pleased.


    He remembered her words as she laughed: ¡°Listen, Yuan. Other Rings of Suppression will simply break if a monster like you wears them. But this item created by yours truly won¡¯t! You can even use magic! Isn¡¯t that amazing! Here, I¡¯ve made three of the same item! You can have them!¡±


    Yuan smirked after the reminisce. He could not even call the basic spells he was allowed to use as magic.


    Currently, he had two more of the same rings with him, but destroying one of them just to momentarily use magic to find the location of the Great Vine would be such a waste. He tucked this thought in his mind as he went further inside the city.


    He kept walking through the city, and thankfully, he found what he was looking for. He momentarily stared at the cracks in the air, before he leapt inside. An ear-splitting sound was heard for a full second, and he found himself inside a barren ground. A good distance from him, the colossal vine sprouted from the ground. It was large enough to cover his view of the sky above.


    Yuan was taken by surprise when he saw the hundreds of people near the Great Vine. Most of them were sitting on the ground, some stood while staring at the stalk, and there were even those that were soundly sleeping.


    He noticed a group of soldiers not far from him.


    He asked the nearest guy, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why are there so many people near the Great Vine?¡±


    Yuan was reminded of gnats upon seeing the crowd. He would have preferred it if he was the only one in this place.


    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know about the Muggers?¡±


    Yuan, still wearing the hood over his head, responded, ¡°Muggers?¡±


    He felt that the name sounded stupid.


    ¡°Yeah. The guys that started controlling this place almost a month ago. They¡¯ve been killing the students that tried entering the Sky Academy, looting their things afterward. The soldiers can¡¯t even do anything since it¡¯s within the Academy¡¯s territory.¡±


    Yuan clearly heard the grimness within the man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Then¡­ all these guys here are first year applicants?¡± said Yuan, astonished at the fact that so many of them chose to stay here rather than climb the vine. What was so scary about a bunch of outlaws anyway? Yuan was pretty sure he could take care of those guys even without using much magic. It was a matter of experience in the battlefield.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± sighed the man. ¡°Well, I¡¯m leaving. No use staying here. I¡¯ll just end as a corpse if I entered that damnable institution. Think about it carefully, mate.¡±


    A self-mocking laugh came out of the man¡¯s lips. He smirked, then entered the crack in the air without another word. Some of the student applicants followed after him, vanishing into thin air after exiting the mirage.


    ¡°Outlaws, huh,¡± mumbled Yuan.


    He stared at the giant stalk for a moment. It was probably larger than the castle in Morvius. And using his keen perception in magic, Yuan realized that there was a protective shield covering its body. Even at full strength, Yuan knew that it would be hard even for him to take down this giant stalk.


    Well, if someone were to take this thing down, the aftereffect would be catastrophic. A large vine like this falling down the sky would instantly destroy several cities.


    Yuan fixed his cloak, then entered the line that demarcated the territory of the Sky Academy and the Empire.


    Murmurs filled the air the moment he entered, and he felt all eyes staring at his direction. Yuan thought that these cowards did not deserve to enter the Academy, if mere outlaws were enough to hinder their resolve.


    Not even a minute had passed by after he entered the line when he felt numerous presences nearby.


    ¡°Just seven?¡± said Yuan. He had expected more of them to pounce at him. ¡°These weaklings made those guys hesitant to enter this place? Pathetic.¡±


    Controlling his mana, Yuan channeled magic to his fingertips. Right now, the maximum number of lightning orbs he could summon at once were around three, a pitiful amount considering the fact that he could summon a hundred of them at once without the limiter.


    Three orbs of lightning violently crackled in front of him. Without uttering another word, Yuan shot them towards the men hiding behind the vines. Sounds of agony were heard after lightning struck human flesh.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°How did he know where we are?¡±


    ¡°H-Hey! Call the other guys here! This one¡¯s strong!¡±


    Panic enveloped the group. One after another, orbs of lightning shot towards the men hiding in the vines. It was so accurate that they were unable to dodge the crackling bolts.


    Yuan frowned. He momentarily stopped channeling mana to his fingertips. If he summoned more lightning spells now, he was afraid that the ring would break. He needed to let the ring regenerate for a bit.


    He gnashed his teeth. This damn ring was indeed inconvenient.


    ¡°Ran out of mana, huh?¡±


    One after another, numerous men came out of the vines. Most of them carried swords with them, while some held wands.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re strong. But you can¡¯t win against this many people,¡± mocked the man who appeared to be their leader. Judging by the flow of mana in the air, he was a magician.


    Yuan looked at the ring on his hand. It would take some time more before he would be able to use offensive magic again. For a moment, he felt the urge to simply break the item and annihilate these outlaws in a single shot. Surely, that would be possible without the annoying limiter.


    ¡°Let me pass,¡± said Yuan. ¡°It¡¯ll be a waste of time to fight all of you guys.¡±


    The outlaws chuckled after hearing his statement.


    ¡°You killed some of my men! You think we¡¯ll simply let you go?!¡±


    ¡°Boss, that cloak looks expensive. Can I have it after we kill the kid?¡±


    Yuan raised a brow. This was the second time these guys called him a kid. Was he really that short that even these lowlifes thought he was a child? He was starting to get more annoyed as time passed by.


    The outlaws started arguing on who would get the items after they killed him, and Yuan merely stood there as he listened.


    Eventually, the leader of the group issued his orders. ¡°Kill him.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen men charged at his direction. There was greed within their eyes, and Yuan knew that they probably thought he had ran out of mana.


    ¡°Just speed magic should be enough,¡± he mumbled. Mana flowed through his feet, lightning crackled for a moment, and his body shot towards the charging outlaws.


    His figure blurred as he struck the neck of his enemies one after another. Those blows were probably not enough to kill them, but they should be more than enough to render them unconscious.


    Shards of ice flew towards him, and he sidestepped as he dodged them one after another. He looked at the one who shot the magic. It was the leader of the outlaws.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± said Yuan. With that level of magic, he would probably pass as resident in Palamesh. This one was a decent magician, but he lacked the experience.


    Lightning crackle on Yuan¡¯s feet, and his speed accelerated further. A shout of surprise escaped the lips of the leader, and a second after, he fell unconscious after Yuan¡¯s hand struck his neck.


    The remaining outlaws froze upon seeing their leader defeated.


    ¡°W-What the hell is that kid? He¡¯s a monster.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen speed magic used like that!¡±


    Yuan thought of how weak these guys were. If the soldiers outside the entrance were here, they should be able to take care of these scrubs easily.


    Yuan checked the ring on his finger. It had regenerated a bit by now. He should be able to once again cast a few orbs of lightning.


    He pointed a finger at the outlaws, and three orbs of lightning manifested itself in front of him. Upon seeing this, the outlaws began running in all directions, afraid of being hit by the crackling bolts.


    ¡°This is a waste of time. Damn it,¡± he grumbled.


    Orbs shot the remaining outlaws one after another, scorching their flesh in the process. There were some that managed to get away, but Yuan chose not to pursue them any further.


    He breathed in then sighed. He looked at the colossal stalk before him.


    Silently, he leapt from one vine to another. His goal was the Sky Academy at the top.


    ***


    Taki could not believe his eyes. Just now, someone defeated the outlaws residing in the entrance to the Great Vine.


    He was unable to properly see everything that happened because of the distance, but he was sure that it was a one-sided slaughter. After everyone had confirmed that the outlaws have ran away, they began entering the line demarcating the territory of the Sky Academy one after another.


    Just a few minutes after the unknown individual defeated the outlaws, hundreds of aspiring students began climbing the Giant Stalk.


    Taki, with the large bag at his back, began climbing too. He pulled out two iron picks and stabbed it into the vines as he made his way up.


    ¡°Finally, we¡¯ll be able to enter the Sky Academy!¡±


    ¡°Waiting all this time was worth it!¡±


    He heard words of excitement and relief from the guys climbing up the stalk. Within his mind, Taki thought of how pathetic everyone was, including him, for waiting it out.


    Well, what could he do? Some of the outlaws were capable of magic, and everyone of them were armed with weapons. Furthermore, they had no hesitations when killing another person. And that was the most frightening part.


    If the territorial dispute between the Empire and the Sky Academy did not exist, this mess would have been instantly taken care of by the soldiers. But clearly, that was not the case.


    With these thoughts in mind, Taki continued climbing the Great Vine. The stalk was so massive that it was able to accommodate over a hundred students at once. They probably looked like ants climbing a plant when looked from above.


    Even the leaves and the thorns of the Great Vine was massive. Most of the students that had gotten tired of climbing would sit on the leaves and recuperate.


    ¡°H-Hey! Hold on tight!¡±


    A shout was heard near Taki. Upon looking, he saw one guy clinging to the edge of a leaf for dear life. The wind was strong, and he was close to losing his grip. His friends started tying a rope to his body, but it was too late. The man lost his grip and fell down the giant stalk. It took several seconds before a loud plopping sound was heard below.


    Taki shuddered. If he fell down this stalk, he would also meet the same fate as that guy. This simple test to enter the Sky Academy was no laughing matter. He realized that people really do die while taking this test.


    Thunder bellowed above, and Taki trembled upon seeing the dark clouds.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!¡± he protested.


    Just as he had expected, rain began to pour. The giant stalk started to become slippery, and Taki almost lost his footing. There was another student that fell to his bane, and numerous guys shouted in horror upon seeing it.


    Wind violently blew, and the leaves started rustling against the stalk.


    Taki tied his arms to the iron picks latched on the vines. Just like most people climbing the stalk, he decided to wait for the rain to die out. It was far too dangerous to keep climbing under such weather.


    Seconds passed and quickly turned into minutes. After almost an hour, the rain eventually stopped. The wind calmed down, the dark clouds receded.


    Taki heaved a sigh of relief, and he once again started climbing up.


    He was hungry, and his throat was dry. He should have invested a few copper coins for some water to drink. Even a slice of barley bread would have been good too.


    Now, he no choice but to reach the top if he wanted to fill his empty stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to become a magician! Don¡¯t give up! Don¡¯t give up!¡±


    He repeated those words like a mantra. He kept climbing the stalk, along with over a hundred others. After a few hours, they soon reached the clouds. The view of the Empire below was a breathtaking sight. It was so beautiful that they momentarily stopped and stared at it, their fatigue alleviated a little bit.


    A couple of hours once again passed. Night came and eventually, it became dawn. The moment the sun started making its appearance, the floating Academy finally came in sight.


    Taki was speechless. He had heard of how spectacular the Sky Academy was before, but seeing it in person was a different matter entirely. He never knew that magic was capable of creating something so magnificent as this.


    The floating academy resembled an inverted mountain, with its bottom tip touching the Great Vine. Above, a large bubble, which should be the infamous impregnable barrier of the Sky Academy, enveloped everything. It was impossible to see the entirety of the floating academy, but Taki was able to make out the large, tall structures inside.


    It was like a small country built on top of a floating, inverted mountain.


    One after another, the aspiring students that climbed with him reached the end of the Great Stalk. There was a small entrance there, which probably lead towards the Sky Academy. Upon entering, they disappeared from sight.


    Taki firmed his resolve as he approached that place. Soon, he also reached the end of the Great Stalk. There was a hole there, and judging by the azure light that it emitted, it was probably some sort of teleportation portal.


    Taki knew that teleportation portals required massive amounts of mana to maintain. Just the fact that this academy was able to operate one indefinitely spoke loads of how powerful this institution was.


    A chill crawled through Taki¡¯s spine.


    He swallowed down the lump in his throat, gnashed his teeth, then entered.