ã€ŠBlack Titanã€‹ Discussion and Flaws As the Title says this will be a discussion about the Series itself as well as its flaws. Please do comment below what you find so that I can hopefully fix it. Prologue (Rewrite) Prologue ¡°Shit....¡±(???) In a room that can only be considered as just passable in terms of living conditions, a frustrated middle-aged man in his early 40s comes into view. With black hair and looks that can be considered slightly above average along with simple clothing bought from a local store. ¡°Those bastards, to think that after declining their offer after a couple hundred time they¡¯d finally lose their patience.... Damn, and they¡¯re summoning their whole alliance?! Fuck!¡±(???) The man cursed madly like a sailor the more he read the forum thread on his monitor.

Summoning All Guild Members of the [Red Sun Alliance]!	By: Setting_Sun
My fellow guild members! I call upon you all to attack the fortress of a bastard named Renya! He who has offended and humiliated our [Red Sun Alliance] time and time again! I as one of the founders of the alliance cannot stand for this injustice and that we must strike back tenfolds! Gather near the entrance of [Green Hallow Plains] before noon, and prepare to attack his fortress.

¡°Truly shameless! They¡¯ve even placed this call of arms in a public forum? Are those bastards doing this to humiliate me further? Most likely after killing me they must have planned on capturing the city for themselves! Like I¡¯m gonna let that happen!¡±(???) As he scrolled downward he read a few of the posts in the forum

Kishe_	-The hell did he do to piss you guys off?
Setting_Sun	-Bastard dare humiliate us after we invited him to our alliance!
Strider497	-That''s it? That''s quite unreasonable you know?
Red_Star94	-Whose being unreasonable!? That bastard Renya is!

There were more posts below but he decided not to view anymore, afraid that he might faint from too much anger. With his eyes almost bloodshot, he stood whilst picking up a cellphone beside the monitor, before sending a text message. The man then went around the room, cleaning the whole place before picking up a helmet like object. It was the year 2578 AD an age where technology has reached a point where VRMMORPGs are made into reality. VRMMORPG being an acronym for "Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game" is a term used for games where a person can play in a virtual reality world by putting on a VR-Drive, a device that connects to the brain via electronic waves letting a person experience Virtual reality. [Alt Online] is a highly acclaimed VRMMORPG that had dominated the market for years, thanks to its unbelievable creation kit that allows the player to make anything they¡¯ve wanted as long as they had the materials for it. Due to this, even after a few decades of being released the game still manages to gain more and more players each day. ¡°*Heh* I already sent a text to my boss, those bastards, making me use one of my few LOA (Leave of Absence) that I can barely get once a year, I¡¯m gonna make them pay!¡±(???) The [Red Sun Alliance], a famous guild, well known for its ridiculous nature and their arrogance. They rule many small areas all around the world of [Alt Online] as well as an enormous amount of guild members all across [Alt Online]. They are also infamous thanks to the way they demand forced trades where they would reap the benefits and killing them should they refuse. In the case with Renya, he repeatedly refused their invitation of joining them on multiple occasions, causing a great amount of tension between the two. *VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR* Just as he was about to put on the VR-Drive he stopped halfway, picking up the phone that was vibrating in his shorts "Hello?"(???) ""(???) A mans panicked shout answered back, with a voice that should belong to a young adult. "It''s 11:00 AM, what about it?"(Renya) Renya replied nonchalantly. ""(???) "Calm the fuck down Luke! I''ve already asked for a LOA, so rest assured."(Renya) ""(Luke) Replying with a relieved tone, Luke asked immediately. "Yeah she already did, you can ask her yourself if you want"(Renya) ""(Luke) ¡°...*sigh"(Renya) Continuing where he left off, he puts on the [VR-Drive]. In an instant he was greeted by the login menu of [Alt Online] as a keyboard like hologram appeared. He then began to login in to his account, with the log in ending without problems as he was greeted by the game system''s voice as it loaded. "" A voice rang into his ears as his face had a tinge of impatience. "Skip!"(Renya) He said while his character is being loaded into an area that was all too familiar to him. An enormous room with dark walls that shine due to its smooth surface, black pillars that were made the same way as the walls, a long red carpet that was dyed in crimson, a pitch black colored throne that gave an extremely ominous feel, and ornaments all around that gave the room the impression of majesty. "Everything looks in order. Seems like they¡¯ve yet to make their move"(Renya) Renya opened a hologram like window then closed it before looking around a bit admiring the interior of the throne room. As his eyes wandered the room, it landed on a mirror with a beautiful frame out of coincidence. What he saw was a young man whose height reached around 1.9 meters that a face that looked as if he just reached his late teens, giving him a rather mature look while wearing a simple white polo and a pair of black pants. This was his character as well as what he looked like 23 years ago. Atop his character were words that read [lvl 200 Renya] and below was his job class, the [Black Flame Sword God], ¡°Been a while since I looked at myself in the mirror. Heh heh I used to be so handsome back-¡± His sentence stopped halfway as he realized that he was just about to make an embarrassing remark Renya stared at himself for a few moments before proceeding to the massive 4.5 meter tall door at the entrance. He gave it a push only opening it just enough so that he can squeeze through, then swiftly closing it after walking through. As Renya turned around he saw four long rows of black armored men standing in a wide hallway that had the same design as the previous room, each of them had a set of transparent words hovering above their heads that read as [lvl 130 Nocturnal Citadel Elite Guard]. All of them wearing similar black colored armor with the same insignia of a dragon head at the right chest symbolizing that they are a single NPC unit. After sending a second glance at the guards Renya ran to the end of the hall before turning to the right. He ended up on a balcony with black colored railings with each rail having a chiseled design of a dragon. He went forward before opening a few windows. As he did, he paused midway as he glanced at the city behind the somewhat transparent window before muttering. "This city... As lifeless as always... Never mind that, the attack!"(Renya) Renya let out a voice of complaint that expressed his helplessness before getting rid of that thought as he focused on the window in front of him. [Titan City], an enormous player made floating city built on top of a large mountain range that mostly consisted of monster that are in the late 90s. The city is filled with NPCs that Renya either create or bought with real money. It was this city which took him 18 years to build that he took so much pride in. It was such a grand structure that even a few of the [Game Master]s admired it. However it was also one of the reasons that the [Red Sun Alliance] has their eyes on it. The city itself had a diameter of 15 Kilometers with 300m tall black walls surrounding, it is divided into 3 areas along with an underground section, each with an inner layer and outer layer.

The [Inner/Outer City Folk housing]
Inner	Where most of the [Titan City Folk] live. The area consists of a large amount of housing with buildings that become progressively taller the closer it is to the [Nocturnal Citadel] as well as a few number of stores, restaurants, and inns here and there.
Outer	Where food production and storage takes place. The area has a total of 3 large farms that automatically plant and store crops all year round, a functioning lake that connects to the city¡¯s main river system and a large ranch that serve as housing for mounts, pets and the likes.
The [Inner/Outer Crafting Stations]
Inner	The area contains a large number of forges and warehouses, it is also where dwarves reside and where items such as armor and weapons are developed. In the middle of this area is where the [Black Iron Furnace] can be found.
Outer	The area Consists of an enormous circular building which is where potions and magic items are manufactured and stored and a small field for testing out the items. This area is also where clothing as well as food crafted items is made.
The [Inner/Outer Military Division]
Inner	The area is filled with a large number of identical square houses where the NPCs that belong to the city¡¯s army reside, it also has a medium sized field where soldier can perform Morning drills and the likes. This is also where the [Abyssal Prison] can be found.
Outer	Where Soldier training takes place, The area Consists of a large rectangular building and a vast open field for the purpose of either simulating sorties and skirmishes, or testing out the golems.
The [1st/2nd Layer Underground Facilities]
1st Layer	Where dark elves and other demon races reside. This is also where the assassin corps is stationed.
2nd Layer	Where the majority of the [Black Golems] and a few other types of golems are stored. The whole 2nd layer also serves main body of [Titan] once it is released.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. And at the center of the City is [Nocturnal Citadel], the area that Renya is currently in. [Nocturnal Citadel] is considered as one of the largest buildings built by players in the server excluding [Titan City] itself. With structures that induce an awe inspiring feeling and a design straight out of fantasy, any player would find it hard not to admire on just how truly grand the citadel looks. And it¡¯s all thanks to the help of a professional architect (that Renya hired). "It¡¯s been a month since I could log in to play, who would''ve thought that my next one would be because some god damn alliance wants to take over my city?¡±(Renya) As he laughed at his own remark, he jumped down from the balcony, free falling for a while and landing on the roof of the lower citadel, causing a small bang, then jumping down again before finally reaching the street below. What entered his view was a street lined with Tall buildings whose height reached around 100+ meters that had a similar design to [Nocturnal Citadel] although white instead of black. The street was filled with villager like NPCs of varying races, each with a face that was not too beautiful and was only above average wearing clean clothing that can be considered simple but elegant. Each of them had words above their heads that read [Titan City Folk] with level varying from 15-30. They all walked on the street as if they had some work to do making the street look busy and lively, but truthfully they were all designed to give the illusion that the city was filled with life. This was the flaw [Titan City] had, it was lifeless. Even with all the NPCs it had, in the end it would never be able to replicate what an actual city in the real world was like. This was the only thing that Renya would forever Regret and would be unable to do. He ran down the street, at times, sending a quick glance at the passing city folk before arriving at one of the gates that lead into the [Inner Crafting Stations]. He went in through the gate not requiring any sort of pass since he was basically the Lord of this city, running down the street for a few moments before the smell of burning coal trickled his nose. What he saw was an area with an enormous black furnace under a massively tall black colored chimney in the middle. The whole area was dyed red from the intense heat that the black furnace gave out Around the black furnace were many humans, dwarves and sometimes elves, whose levels varied from 20-35 can be seen working together to craft weapons and armors. However, even with all the action taking place. It felt all too artificial and lifeless to Renya. like the previous [Inner City Folk Housing] area, it was designed like this with the same reason in mind and that the only difference is that this area is one of the main sources of income as the weapons and armors are sold to other cities. Such a thing should be natural since a city this enormous would require a large sum of gold in order to maintain its functionality; that would be the case to an actual city, however to a city where its citizens doesn¡¯t require food at all nor do they have any luxurious demands, all the gold made is transferred directly to the city¡¯s treasury saved up for future uses. Even now, Renya never found any use for the excess amount of gold. ¡°This area is doing fine, everything is still intact. I wonder how much gold is in the treasury by now.¡±(Renya) As he pondered a bit a large silhouette appears out of the corners of his eyes. [lvl 80 Dark Earth Golem] a 3 meter tall golem like golem that patrols the city as Renya commanded it, however since nothing bad ever happens within [Titan City] they become unnecessary and are only there for aesthetics and in order to give the city a feel of security, so Renya believes. ¡°These golems are still working too huh. Good these guys can also serve as soldiers in the battle later.¡±(Renya) Renya said in a doubting tone as the golem walked past the area in a slow paced manner before proceeding towards the direction of the [Inner City Folk Housing] area as he glanced at the direction which the golem walked towards before opening a window and tinkering with it a bit while he was brisk walked down another street with a few [City Folk] here and there. He then closed the window before he started running again for good while before reaching another gate, like the previous one he didn¡¯t need a pass and was able to go through with no problems. The area was filled with numerous square shaped houses as well as a few [lvl 60 Nocturnal Citadel Soldier] patrolling the area. Near the houses was a small field around the size of a football field with a few soldiers sparring here and there. In the middle of the area was a tall tower standing on top of a large square shaped building surrounded by surrounded tall walls with spiked tops as well as slightly smaller towers. ¡°Without a doubt this the [Inner Military Division]. The [Abyssal Prison] appears to be doing fine, too bad its empty......for now.¡°(Renya) After pondering a bit he decided to open the in game menu to look at the time ¡°Shit.¡±(Renya) His face Turned grim as he realized that more than half an hour passed since the time he logged in and that it was currently 11:34 AM, meaning he only had a quarter of an hour time before the [Red Sun Alliance] begins their attack. Only after looking around a bit Renya decided to rush back into [Nocturnal Citadel] and straight into the throne room, Ignoring everything as he ran. Opening the massive door he slowed down his pace of walking, as he started to walk slower and slower as he started opening windows upon windows After what seemed to be an eternity walking towards the throne, Renya sat down Closing his eyes. ¡°The time is nigh.¡°(Renya) He said with a fierce tone as he opened the game menu to look at the in-game clock. The holographic clock read 11:47 AM, the attack begins at 12:00 AM ¡°All my friends are gone for the day. My luck I guess.¡±(Renya) Renya glanced at the clock a second time, this time it read 11:51 AM. He stood up, using the authority as the City Lord he teleported to the top of one of the walls of the city. As he was looking over at the horizon, the scene horrified him. ¡°Are you kidding with me?!¡°(Renya) Unable to hide his surprise as he saw the absurd amount of people who came to attack. Hundreds of thousands of small dots appear in the horizon, majority of them on the ground, the rest in the air with all of them marching towards his city. By this time he would be sweating buckets however, the game had limits and he is prevented from doing so. Calming himself down he looked behind him. A vast amount of NPC soldiers mixed with a few golems here and there, numbering a little over 200,000. Behind them were a group of elves carrying bows and dark elves holding daggers wearing assassin like equipment, both of them numbering 50,000 including his [Titan Golems] should he take them out, he would have a force totaling 250,300. However even with this amount, they were still messily arranged as they were made to go here in a hurry. Not only that, he had a feeling that his forces may not last long as their levels were significantly lower than the enemies. The in-game clock reached 11:54, the [Red Sun Alliance] had reached a point where they can see Renya. ¡°RENYA!!!¡±(???) A man wearing a blazing set of red armor as well as a blazing cloak behind him while riding a red dragon in the very front released a soul shaking shout. ¡°Setting_Sun you bastard! You dare attack my city all because I won¡¯t join you?!?! You sure are a sore loser for your age.¡±(Renya) He mocked him from the top of his wall with the same volume, causing Setting_Sun to panic for a brief moment before regaining his confidence again shouting back in rebuttal. ¡°Heh. Mock me all you want! In the end of the day I¡¯ll be the one having the last laugh! After we¡¯re done with you, your city will belong to the [Red Sun Alliance]!¡±(Setting_Sun) "Belong to your mother! I''ll destroy this city the moment you set foot in it!"(Renya) ¡°Enough chit chat. BEGIN THE ATTACK!!!¡±(Setting _Sun) Renya with a grim expression readied his forces. However something unexpected happened.

Emergency System Maintenance! Please remain logged in throughout the maintenance.

Everything froze, he became unable to move as well as everyone else. ¡°Huh!? There wasn¡¯t an announcement, about this! Well it is an emergency... But what for?¡±(Renya) As He was mumbling to himself, a bright light obstructed his eyes, unable to see anything his heart was filled with fear as he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Suddenly the light vanished. However his position no longer the same as before. Where he was now was inside the throne room in the [Nocturnal Citadel]. ¡°What?!?!¡± Author Notes: Hello! I would like to first apologize for the rewrite of the prologue. This prologue will be the basis for all future chapters. The reason for this rewrite is because the first one felt all to similar to the Overlord(LN) which made me uncomfortable and decided to alter it as well as a few of the names of the places. Have no worries the series'' premise wont change so yeah! Thanks for the support from the first prologue! Also I may or may not have fixed some grammatical mistakes feel free to point them out! Author Noter 2: Added proper tables to make reading easier! Although its amatuerish, its the best i could do. Sorry if its not satisfactory >.< Author Note 3: Final Rewrite and Edit! WOOOOO ONWARDS TO THE OTHER CHAPTERS! Chapter 1 Unknown Circumstances Chapter 1 ¡°What?!?!¡±(Renya) He couldn¡¯t help but yell out loud causing his voice to echo in the throne room. ¡°(What¡¯s going on? Why am I back here?! What happened to the attack?!?!)¡±(Renya) As if out of instinct he decided to breathe deeply, only to realize. ¡°Eh? I can breathe?¡±(Renya) [Alt Online], as advanced as it is it did not have the ability to mimic the absolute physical state of the body, and that the best its system can do is to mimic the lip movement of the user, blink every now and then and increase the pace of breathing every time that the player would experience heavy physical activities in game. ¡°Did they improve the system? No that¡¯s impossible, they wouldn¡¯t be able to improve the system without having a complete shutdown. Then what? *sigh*...... Forget it no use thinking about it now.¡±(Renya) After calming down Renya decided to leave the throne room. As he pushed the massive door at the entrance he noticed something strange. [Bloodlust], a [Low Grade lvl 4] passive skill that melee type classes can learn once they reach a certain level or when they kill a certain amount of mobs. Usually a skill will be categorized into [Low Grade] which ranges from lvl 1-5, then [Medium Grade], lvl 5-10, then [High Grade] which ranges from lvl 10-15, then finally [God Grade] which classifies lvl 15 and above. Unlike the usual VRMMORPGs or just MMORPGs in general where the higher ones level is the higher the grade of the skill is, in [Alt Online] skills of varying grades can be obtained even at a low level, even a [God Grade] is obtainable. However, to make things fair the lower the level in comparison the the skill used, the higher the backlash encouraging players to use skills in accordance to their levels. Although faint he sensed genuine [Bloodlust] emanating from behind the door. ¡°(A player? No, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone in the city. Then what?)¡±(Renya) He completely opened the door and walked forward being vigilant to his surroundings, but to no avail he didn¡¯t see anything other than the guards. ¡°(That¡¯s strange. Only a player should be able to release that kind of bloodlust. Unless...)¡±(Renya) He stared at the four rows of [Nocturnal Citadel Elite Guard] before coming up with a hypothesis. ¡°(Unless it¡¯s coming from the guards. But I don¡¯t remember remember them ever releasing [Bloodlust]. Even before this maintenance they¡¯d only release it once a hostile entity enters their [Aggro Range])¡±(Renya) He pondered for a bit before deciding to check the guards [Settings].

Name:	Nocturnal Citadel Elite Guard(s)
Level:	130
Title(s):	[Hot Blooded Warrior(s)] [Those Who Value Honor] [Eternal Guard]
Race:	[Transcended Half Dragon Kin]
Class(es):	[Elite Guard], [Dragonic Spear Master], [Dragon Magus Apprentice]
Description:
An Elite Guard, part of the [Nocturnal Citadel Guard Corps]. Abandoned in an orphanage, they¡¯ve been picked up by [Brutus Pendragon] during his travels and have been raised in [Titan City] ever since. They have trained in the art of the spear since childhood and sworn their eternal loyalty to the [Titan City Lord], they will sacrifice their lives for the city without hesitation.

"(Their background is a bit more intense from what I remember. And the title [Hot blooded Warrior(s)] should be the cause of the [Bloodlust], but still...)¡±(Renya) ¡°M¡¯lord is something bothering you?¡±(???) While Renya was In the middle of his thoughts a voice that was filled respect and admiration called out, startling him. Looking at the person who had just spoken, he discovered a man whose height reached a full 2.3 meters and was wearing a fearsome black full body plate armor, had a build that was slightly bulky, and a face is covered by a full face plate making it impossible to see his facial features. ¡°N, Nothing I was just lost in my thoughts for a bit. Sorry for the trouble Brutus¡±(Renya) He replied nervously as cold sweat poured down from his back. ¡°No need to apologize, M¡¯lord has by no means caused me any trouble.¡±(Brutus) He replied in an enthusiastic manner causing Renya to be startled even further. Mustering up his courage he finally replied after calming himself down. ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) Renya replied with a voice that was calmer than before. ¡°then M¡¯lord please don¡¯t hesitate to call me if you need anything. Now if M¡¯lord will please excuse me.¡±(Brutus) After Brutus left Renya¡¯s confusion escalated another level. ¡°(Dialogue?!?! Since when did my NPCs have dialogue?)¡±(Renya) Brutus, One of Renya¡¯s oldest NPCs. He was made to serve as a guard captain as well as a boss level NPC that will protect the castle in case of intruders, however his time to shine never came as no high leveled player ever bothered to raid the floating city as they would either be too busy building their own bases or are in a friendly relationship with Renya. And even if they did they¡¯re usually lower leveled players and would be taken down by either the high level mobs below the city or by the swarm of titan city soldiers or elementals should they manage to enter the city, making it hard to progress. As to why Renya didn¡¯t want to call him over to fight against the [Red Sun Alliance], the answer is simple. Brutus is wearing extremely high leveled equipment that Renya had lying around. Sending Brutus over to fight a horde of high level players would be the same as sending a fat juicy pig over to tigers, the same could be said if he were to send any of his other sentinels. ¡°(The name plate on top of his head seemed to disappear too, even the one on top of the guards disappeared as well. Then.....)¡±(Renya) He dashed through the hallway turning right and ending up on the same balcony as before. Using his [Eagle Eye], a [Medium Grade lvl 6] skill that increases the field of vision by 3 folds, he inspected the city. From the streets below to the walls from afar, he saw something that made him smile a broad grin. It had life. The city had life. No longer was it NPCs walking in a set pattern, walking with the same unmoving face. It was filled with NPCs... no ¡°people¡± who would greet someone they know when they see them, who would walk in their own individual paces. For the first time Renya felt that the city felt organic, but as joy swelled in his heart a sudden thought entered his mind. ¡°(Is this still [Alt Online]? Have I traveled into the world of-)¡±(Renya) An immense amount of fear struck him at this moment. ¡°THE ATTACK!!!¡±(Renya) Screaming to the top of his lungs, even causing some of the nearby elite guards to tremble slightly . He opened his map but to his surprise, the map, other than [Titan City], was empty. He even observed the direction where [Red Sun Alliance] should be attacking from, but nothing. He began opening his friends list to see if anyone is there, but to his horror, find that it was completely empty. All his friends that he met and played with for a long time were gone. He was shocked, shocked speechless due to the fact that the only time this would happen is when a person¡¯s account would get banned or deleted. ¡°(What happened to everyone?!?!)¡±(Renya) The more Renya thought, the more his headache grew. Giving up on the problem he rested his body weight on to the railings, cooling his head for a few minutes. After mustering up his courage, he then went back inside and called Brutus. ¡°Yes M¡¯lord you called for me?¡±(Brutus) ¡°Yeah, I need you to gather the rest of the nine sentinels into the meeting room an hour form now.¡±(Renya) Mentioning the word sentinels, the nearby elite guards trembled yet again due to many reasons. One is that the sentinel is a group of high level NPCs that Renya made with his blood, sweat, and tears. Although not the same amount of time it took to make the city, he still made them with the same love and care as well. Each of them could help him in many ways, either acting as a healer, ranged assist or even a tank whenever he needs them whenever he goes out hunting. Not only that but they can also be tasked to make certain items since each one of them can be considered as a high level player if converted into one. ¡°I will not disappoint M¡¯lord, please excuse me.¡± Although scared and nervous, Renya knows that this is the best course of action to take right now, which is to gather all sentinels into the meeting room to understand how much they¡¯ve changed compared to their lifeless selves. This way he can also ask for their advice on how their future actions will go as well. -?????- [In Front of the Meeting Room] In the front of the door a group of people are waiting ¡°So how much time do we have till the one hour is up?¡±(???) Asked a beautiful girl with golden brown hair, blue eyes, wearing an elegant white hooded robe decorated with golden rims and had a height that reached around 1.7 meters. ¡°A few more minutes Charlotte, and it seems everybody has gathered.¡±(Brutus) He replied calmly to the woman named Charlotte before sending his glace across the room. What he saw a small group of people with varying races, numbering 10 including himself. ¡°The time is up, we should be making our entrance¡±(Brutus) After speaking, Brutus opened the door leading everyone in the group inside. Inside was a large room that was around 30 meters in diameter with its surrounding having a similar design to the throne room that Renya was previously in, however the ceiling in this one was higher. In the middle of the room was large round table that had a total of 12 seats around it, each with a number engraved in the front and behind, the seats looked similar to a throne with all the seats looking identical apart from one that was an actual throne. On that chair sat Renya with a leaned back posture and a face with a slight smile and was calm as water ¡°My sentinels, sit down in accordance to your number.¡±(Renya) After he spoke the sentinels who stood at the entrance to proceeded to do as Renya ordered. After a few seconds everyone was seated. But for some reason the seat on the right of Renya is empty to which a few of them found troubling Renya noticing this naturally chuckled ¡°M¡¯lord.¡±(???) Called an elf who was 1.94 meters tall and had a handsome face, sharp blue eyes, long blonde colored hair, fair white skin, a slim body, and wore a white robe over his clean set of fine clothes along with a thin pair of glasses. ¡°Yes Orloth?¡±(Renya) ¡°Why is the seat to your left empty?¡±(Orloth) ¡°The seat is for the 11th sentinel, it¡¯s only natural that some of you don¡¯t know who she is. But I believe Thali should know her whereabouts.¡±(Renya) If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.He said looking at 1.6 meters tall dwarf that had a slim figure, was bald with a strange magic formation tattooed to his forehead, had a long black beard, eyes that had small black pupils that were hard to see, was dressed with a thick black robe and had a pair of black goggles rimmed with magic runes hanging from his neck. ¡°Indeed, She is currently tasked by Lord Renya to run a short errand and is unfortunately unable to join the meeting.¡±(Thali) To his words the sentinels who had their doubts eased, allowing Renya to finally begin the meeting. ¡°*Ahem* This should be the first time we¡¯ve ever used this room, as we never really had a use for a meeting as no noteworthy problems emerged since the city¡¯s founding.¡±(Renya) They all nodded in agreement to Renya¡¯s words ¡°But, things have changed I believe everyone has realized this? No?¡±(Renya) At Renya¡¯s question some of the sentinels could only look and glance at each other with puzzled looks. ¡°I see. Then in order to better enlighten everyone I will to ask all of you a question.¡±(Renya) After a few moments of silence Renya spoke again. ¡°Then I would like to ask you, what is the world we live in? Laura?¡±(Renya) ¡°The [Altinea Continent], a beautiful at the same time cruel place. Where the strong survive and the weak perish.¡± (Laura) A woman with hair that gradiate from silver to black, had gold colored eyes, wore a black long sleeve clothing that had a beautiful set of silver armor on top, answered Renya¡¯s question in a swift manner to which he found it fearful at first, before he nodded back. ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°My answer is basically same as my sister Laura, the [Altinea Continent], a beautiful place and wonderful place! But I must say this is quite the strange question father, normally I would be the one asking these kinds of questions.¡±(Charlotte) She said in a joking manner ending it with a smile to which most of the sentinel let out a small laugh to. To her joke Renya¡¯s face showed a wry smile. ¡°(So their Descriptions affected their way of thought.)¡±(Renya) He opened her settings in order to make sure his hypothesis was correct

Name:	Charlotte Eastwood
Level:	200
Title(s)	[2nd Sentinel of Titan City], [Lovely Lady with a burning Temper], [Saint], [Captain of the Elite Healers]
Race	[Transcended Human]
Class(es)	[Divine Healer], [Arch Magus], [Supreme Alchemist]
Description:
At birth, her mother died during labor and with her father dead from a previous war, she was taken in by her aunt. Since then she had dreamed of becoming someone who will help all those in need so that no one will suffer the same faith as her. However her peaceful days ended as her village was attacked by bandits, leading to the deaths of a majority of the villagers, including her aunt. With her aunt killed, and her village destroyed. Charlotte became homeless as her life became a living hell as she struggled for survival in the forest. She spent her days searching for food and running away from monsters until she came across the [Titan City Lord] who took her in. She was raised along with Laura and Brutus by the Lord within the city walls, due to this she came to see the City Lord as her own father and would always call him so. She learned healing magic and reached its peak at a young age as well as having learned other forms of magic to a high level. She enjoys reading and learning and spent most of her childhood in the citadel¡¯s library learning magic. She would also, at times, Learn alchemy from Orloth. She is also assigned to lead as well as teach a group of elite healers
Traits:
She is someone who is loving and caring, and has a very teaseful and playful side that people can¡¯t come to hate. She loves children very much and would always visit the orphanage whenever she can.

After reading her descriptions he discovered that the option to change her settings has been removed meaning her attitude to him as his ¡°Daughter¡± will not change. However for some reason he himself didn¡¯t find it all too uncomfortable, in fact he even found it somewhat pleasant. Remembering that this Description was something he made on a whim, back when he was around his early 30s, he made a small chuckle. After reading her descriptions for a bit he calmed himself down then proceeded to ask another sentinel the question. ¡°Then Brutus?¡±(Renya) ¡°The answer is the same as my sisters, The [Altinea Continent], it is where strong warriors strive for the highest point! Where many different races train and grow strong! Reaching the peak of strength and power! Wher-¡±(Brutus) ¡°That¡¯s enough I understand your point.¡±(Renya) With Renya cutting off he realized that he was making a scene then turned red from embarrassment, but due to the fact he was wearing a face plate no one was able to see his this. Afterwards Renya glanced at another sentinel. The one he called this time was 1.5 meters tall chubby dwarf that had short brown hair, a short brown goatee, wore a light brown vest on top of a red buttoned shirt, a white pair of pants and a small monocle on the right eye. ¡°Khali?¡±(Renya) ¡°The [Altinea Continent]! A land where I can make many many riches of course!¡±(Khali) His sentence ended with a chuckle, as Renya proceeded to call another sentinel. ¡°Thali?¡± ¡°The Altinea Continent, where craftsmen like you and I can perfect their skills.¡±(Thali) ¡°(Was that a reference to my crafting level? No it should be similar to the case of Charlotte.)¡±(Renya) His doubts lasted for a bit before deciding to ask another. ¡°Prynn?¡±(Renya) He stared at the 1.65 meters tall fairy that had short platinum colored hair, gold colored eyes and wore long pure white dress that drapes on the floor which has an open back that exposes her silver colored almost transparent wings. ¡°Uhm, the [Altinea Continent]! Where fairies roam free and unhindered!¡±(Prynn) Her answer almost sounded like an advertisement which made Renya roll his eyes a bit. To which most sentinels took note of before he asked another one. ¡°*Ahem*... Then Orloth?¡± ¡°The [Altinea Continent] a land where ingredients grow plentiful.¡±(Orloth) ¡°Amitiel?¡± A 1.97 meters tall handsome man and had a slightly dark skin color with ashen colored short hair, a pair of thick black horns protruding from his forehead, red glowing eyes, and wore a black intricate sleeveless shirt which expose his multiple magic rune tattoos for both arms, a pair of black pants that go loose near the knees, and a set of black plated boots. ¡°The [Altinea Continent] of course. Where fools and idiots kill and betray each other for the stupidest of reasons.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Right.... (This guy....)¡°(Renya) Renya¡¯s words were spoken with a hint of disdain, to which Amitiel seem to not mind, instead smiling broadly revealing his sharp canines. The two locked gazes for a while before Renya glanced away asking another sentinel. ¡°Lilith?¡± Renya asked as he looked at the 1.89 meters tall dark elf that had silver colored hair which a prepared to be tied into a ponytail, long ears that drooped downwards, dark colored skin, a beautiful face with violet eyes with her mouth covered by a black fabric. She wore a long sleeve shirt with a hooded vest and other assassin like clothing. ¡°Ah yes, uhm Its The [Altinea Continent], a place where the string devour the weak! No! Wait uhm I believe..... No, that¡¯s not right........¡±(Lilith) As the woman named Lilith mumbles to herself, disregarding the fact that they are in a meeting, the other sentinels watched, not minding the current Lilith, as if it is something that they are used to. ¡°That¡¯s enough Lilith, I understand your words.¡±(Renya) Renya spoke with a calm smile not minding her behavior in order to calm her down. ¡°S-sorry Lord Renya.¡±(Lilith) She answered with teary eyes. Seeing this, Renya gave a light nod before looking at the last sentinel seated at the seat before the one on his right, What sat there was a 1.4 meters tall dwarf that had a Long brown braided beard, a long brown ponytail. He wore a white shirt with a brown vest over it, a Dark brown pair of pants, a sturdy pair of boots, and a thick brown apron hanging down his waist dangling with multiple types of hammers from it. ¡°And last but not the least, Borri.¡±(Renya) ¡°Hohoho, the same as everyone! The [Altinea Continent], my opinion about it is the same as my brother Thali of course.¡±(Borri) The dwarf Replied merrily even laughing loudly at the end of his answer. Renya nodded to his simple comment, before becoming silent. "(I see, so they are exactly how I made them to be. A little stranger, but what I had in mind at the time of making them. However, they''re wrong about one thing that¡¯s for sure.)"(Renya) Seeing this Renya felt ecstatic inside, but decided to hide it for now as he maintained his calm atmosphere. He sent his gaze around the room before closing them for a bit, opening them again after a few moments. ¡°Now that I have heard your answers, I would like to point out something first¡ You''re all wrong.¡±(Renya) Saying this, the air of the room changed as everyone changed their previously calm looks into more serious ones. Author Note: Hello! As I''ve said it''ll follow the path of Transported to another world, however instead of the dark and story of Overlord, I''m planning to make this story more light hearted and yes there is romance, and no its not between Renya and one of his NPCs. And lastly the update schedule of this will be from here, march 21st, on to April 29th will be At least 1 Chapter everyday and 5-6 guaranteed chapters each week possibly 7 if I''m in a good mood. Thanks for all the support so far! there will be a chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2: Added skill grade explanations~ Ive been too short sighted. The reason for this is originally i Planned on adding stats and stuff, but decided against it since it''ll be confusing for an amatuer author like me. So I''ve decided to add skill levels instead to make things more simple, this will also make battles in the future more fun to write~ I apologize if you have to re-read it >.< Author Note 3: Final edit! WHOOOO ONTO ANOTHER! Chapter 2 Wrong Answers Chapter 2 -?????- [An Hour Before The Meeting] Watching Brutus leave the hall, Renya is left alone ¡°(He doesn¡¯t feel anything like an NPC I guess they really came to life? But why?)¡±(Renya) He stared at the direction where Brutus went remembering his expression; well, assuming his expression. Renya felt like the one responsible for what he came to be. As he was lost in thought, a sudden thought entered his mind. ¡°(What the hell am I so troubled about? These NP- no... Children of mine that I¡¯ve been raising, making, and caring for has finally been given life!)¡±(Renya) Renya who Originally had almost zero connections from the previous world felt that this was a chance. A chance to be able to truly live the life he yearned for. ¡°(Even if this was a dream, who cares! If this was a dream I wouldn¡¯t even dare to wake up!)¡±(Renya) Feeling e dashed towards the insides of the citadel swiftly traveling down towards the citadel¡¯s basement or the [Heart of the City]. In front of him stood an enormous door, much like the one in the throne room but had a much thicker frame. The door itself had multiple locks and gimmicks but since Renya is [The Lord] of the Citadel he was able to enter with ease. The room inside was a bit small compared to the others with a large blue colored crystal serving as the only source of light floating above a hole that was 2.5 meters in diameter. The hole was surrounded by a myriad of web like cracks and had multiple thick wires coming out of it. This crystal was the magic core of [5th Evil God, ]. [Evil Gods] were a series of [God] level bosses that were released in a two year interval and would normally be released along with a massive update in [Alt Online]. These bosses numbered a total of eight, were released in the course of 16 years and would normally require an enormous amount of players and cooperation in order to even beat at least once. This [5th Evil God, The Spatial Calamity, Kolade Mora] is an [Evil God] that specializes in Spatial magic and was also a boss that Renya grinded along with his friends, meaning Renya obtained a good amount of these [Evil God] magic cores. A magic core is an item that can either be used in crafting to add attributes to a piece of equipment depending on the type of the magic core, or to replenish the magic energy of an item. However different from normal magic cores that gets destroyed after use and can be collected from monsters that are lvl 149 below, a magic core that is collected from a lvl 150+ monster will not be destroyed after use, instead will have a certain amount of uses before completely breaking. This rule applies to normal monsters. But what about a [God] level magic core? These [God] level magic cores are special and that they will not be destroyed after a couple uses and instead will recharge in the span of a day or two before being fully useable again. Using this core as the power source in order to keep his city afloat he found no problem leaving the city as is since the magic core will generate more magic than what the city can use, meaning the city will always stay afloat. But due to Renya¡¯s paranoia he decided to install another [Evil God] magic core of the same type, directly below the first one that would serve as an emergency power supply for the city. Looking around the room, Renya stood at the entrance. ¡°Maya!¡±(Renya) He called out, causing a blue colored wisp to fly over, the wisp was circular and was around half a meter¡¯s length in size. It hovered around Renya as if inspecting. ¡°What brings the lord to this one¡¯s humble abode?(Maya) The wisp spoke with a young girl¡¯s voice. Although genderless the wisp race would use a young person¡¯s voice usually a girl¡¯s when talking. This wisp was a special one that it was one of the gifts given to veteran players on the 10th anniversary of [Alt Online] who¡¯ve played since the beginning. It was special in a sense that it can do what player made NPCs could not. And that is to posses a structure that a player made. Normally a player would make it possess their homes or guild castle, However Renya made other plans, and that is to make it possess the base [Titan City] itself. Although at first, he thought that it¡¯d be impossible due to the sheer size of it, but he tried to do so nonetheless which resulted in a significant increase in the speed of the construction of [Titan City]. ¡°I need you to do a thorough inspection of the whole city and report any abnormalities to me within four hours from now if possible.¡±(Renya) His tone wasn¡¯t filled filled with a sense of urgency nor impatience. But with the airs of a loving father talking to his, daughter? ¡°By your command. But Lord, four hours is too long, one and a half will do.¡±(Maya) Although expressionless her voice carried hints of delight ¡°I see, then please do.¡±(Renya) With a light smile he nodded as he took his leave Renya left the [Heart of the City] then proceeded outside the citadel taking a stroll in the streets. While taking a stroll, he noticed that the races walking in the street has spontaneously diverged. He could see humans elves dwarves and at times a few demons walking and chatting amongst themselves. Not only that, but it seems every single person has gained a name and as a household name even. Seeing this Renya opened up his Status window, showing his character.

Name:	Renya
Level:	200
Title(''s):	[Other World Traveler], [Titan City Lord], [One Who Creates], [God Slayer],...
Race:	[Transcended Human]
Class(es)	[Black Flame Sword God],[Flame Sword God],[Blacksmith God],[Supreme Alchemist]....

¡°([Other World Traveler]?!?! Whats this? This wasn¡¯t here before!)¡±(Renya) Quickly inspecting the title in order to gain answers, he was quickly disappointed.

[Other World Traveler]

???

¡°(...)¡±(Renya) Walking dejectedly he proceeded on his way. While admiring the scene the people he was observing looked back and waved their hands. Saying their greetings to which he waved his hand back giving a light nod. After greeting a few city folks he proceeded towards the [Outer City Folk Housing] while greeting a few more people before reaching his destination. He looked around and saw a few houses and a couple large ranches that housed animal livestock. But instead of the usual chickens and pigs, what were stored were instead monsters. Inside were Wild Three Horned Pig whose levels ranged from 21-37 and as the name implied was a pig with three horns on its head, the body was around 2 meters in height and was 3 meters in length, in a single ranch it would contain several hundred of these pigs and are fed high quality grain from the farm to ensure growth. Apart from these pigs there were countless other types of monsters used a food like a White Tailed Cockatrice or a Three Eyed Hell Bull etc etc. Nearby, he also saw small fields for planting crops laid in a tic tac toe like patterns each square being around 25 square meters with a tamed Elder Treant; an evolved version of the monster Treant which is a tree that had a carved face at the base of the trunk and had a pair of legs and arms. Their levels ranged from 40-46, rooted at the intersections of the fields to increase the growth and yield of the crops. Renya observed the area before proceeding to a building that was a tad bit larger than the others. Opening the door, what he saw inside was a 1.7 tall fair skinned woman whose hair color is of bright green and eyes glowed a mystical yellow wearing simple green dress that had a few leaf designs here and there, watering a small flower pot on a nearby window. This woman was a dryad. A dryad being a nymph, is a race consisting of females only. They have high levels of affinity with nature magic and would live in areas that have high concentration of plants and trees. ¡°Sylph.¡±(Renya) He called out to the green haired dryad. Slyph was made by Renya to manage the food production of the city. Although not a sentinel, her level was still a full 200; the maximum level attainable in [Alt Online]. Despite having a weaker class than the rest of the sentinels, with the help of her Treants she could rival most of the weaker sentinels if given the chance. ¡°Ah, Lord Renya!¡±(Sylph) To which Slyph replies gleefully ¡°I need you to check the food production and supply of the city. Report to me as soon as you finish.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes! Please excuse me then!¡±(Slyph) Seeing her leave Renya took his leave as well. Heading back into the castle he walked leisurely towards the meeting area reaching it around 20 minutes before the appointed time then sitting down on his seat. -?????- [Present Time in the Meeting Room] ¡°Now then. Although your answers would¡¯ve been correct a few days ago, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re invalid at the moment.¡±(Renya) Saying this a few people in the room had a hint of surprise in their eyes however they chose not to speak as to let Renya finish first. ¡°First of all I would like everyone to understand that this is no longer the world of [Alt Online]. Before coming here I made a quick survey of the surrounding terrain and realized that apart from the mountain that the city is currently hovering above, all other forms of terrain changed significantly. The previous [Green Hallow Plains] that surrounded the mountain has been replaced by a mountain range that should cover around 12 miles of land, the lower areas also seem to be covered by dense forests.¡±(Renya) The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Hearing this the sentinelss remained calm but listening attentively nonetheless ¡°Of course I only managed to observe the area below for a brief moment and I¡¯m not entirely confident that that¡¯s all there is to the land below. That¡¯s why I will assign [Assassin Corps] of Lilith to scout the area below.¡±(Renya) After speaking he looked over at Lilith¡¯s ¡°Can you do it?¡±(Renya) ¡°I will not disappoint.¡±(Lilith) As if she has become a completely different person, her words contained decisiveness and a hint of firmness. Her timid personality vanished the moment a task was given which seemed almost impossible to believe that they she¡¯s the same person as before. ¡°Good. For now our next move will have to wait, as we do not have sufficient knowledge concerning this new world. Until then this meeting will be postponed.¡± The sentinels all nodded to Renya¡¯s command. All were rising before being stopped halfway by Renya ¡°Also Orloth, Thali, and Borri before you leave I must tell you beforehand that I will be visiting your stations sometime this afternoon.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±¡±Yes Lord Renya(M¡¯lord, my Lord)¡±¡±¡± (Orloth, Thali, Borri) ¡°Alright! That is all, you may go.¡±(Renya) After seeing them all leave the room, being alone Renya let out a sigh of relief {That went better than what I¡¯ve expected. I guess the bar has been raised for me as [The Lord].}(Renya) He sulked for a bit, but quickly getting rid of such thought ¡°(Now then, Thali¡¯s station should be the closest, I¡¯ll visit it after getting something to eat.)¡±(Renya) He thought patting his empty stomach while heading towards the citadel¡¯s kitchen. -?????- [In the 2nd Layer Underground Facilities] A steel door that was around 2 meters tall stood in front of Renya. This door was the entrance towards Thali¡¯s work station. Calming himself down he knocked the door three times awaiting for a response. The door opened as for the person who opened it, rather than a person, was a doll. The doll had a height that reached 1.8 meters, a black colored body covered in magic runes, with a small exposed magic core powering it in its right chest. As Renya was observing the doll Thali''s voice quickly entered his ears. ¡°M¡¯lord please come inside.¡±(Thali) Doing so Renya entered the his station inside were countless dolls hanging from the ceiling in one side organized neatly. On another side were larger dolls with different kinds models, all of them having different shades of black as well as missing a magic core in their chest areas. Renya walking towards a chair and sitting down waited for Thali to finish his work before speaking. ¡°Now then, the reason I came here today is to assign you to build new models that will help the cause of [Titan City]. One being a flying golem that will serve as a form of scouting unit. This way our units will be able to scout in a much safer way. Next would be smaller battle golems, ones that around 15 meters tall. These golems will serve as cannon fodder since we can¡¯t really afford to lose any of our [Black Titan Golem]. Yes, although we can always make another in the case it does get defeated and that we have enough materials to make couple hundred more of them. But we can¡¯t reveal them as they will serve as out trump card in the case war breaks loose or in case that we get attacked by enemy forces.¡±(Renya) Such insight naturally came from his years of experience in the world of business. Having worked as an assistant manager, he had gained experience from working under his manager. As such he will consider all factors when it comes making a decision no matter how small or insignificant it is. Although knowledge and common sense from earth cannot be applied here, his intuition and wisdom thanks to it should be sufficient enough to manage. When it¡¯s not enough he can always ask for help from one of his ¡°children¡±. ¡°These will not be all, and that I¡¯ll ask you you to build more models in the future. but for now I need you to work with your men and your brother Borri¡¯s to build a couple dozens of these models. Of course the need for them right now is not that urgent but even so, build with efficiency.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then M¡¯Lord do you have a blueprint that I could work off, or do I have to make my own? Of course I would be more than honored to be able on of your designs.¡±(Thali) He asked with eyes filled with anticipation. ¡°No these golems will be of your design, and of course I¡¯ll be expecting great things¡±(Renya) Renya ending his sentence with a smile that was brimmed with expectations. But Thali being the golem/puppet maniac that he is, is elated after hearing this. ¡°Then I shall not disappoint M¡¯lord.¡± Renya seeing this is felt satisfied and stood up. ¡°Right, then I shall take my leave, no need to see me off.¡±(Renya) Thali nodded before he sat down on his desk to start drawing the blueprints. Walking himself out he walked out the underground facilities and out towards the [Inner Crafting Stations] there he looked around before spotting a human blacksmith. He walked towards him greeting him to which he gives a bow filled with respect to which Renya waves his hand asking him to stand. ¡°Where¡¯s Borri at the moment?¡±(Renya) ¡°Lord Renya, Master Borri is near the [Black Iron Furnace]¡±(???) ¡°I see. Well then carry on your work¡±(Renya) Leaving with a smile, he walked onwards to the [Black Iron Furnace]. Near it was the figure of Borri talking with a few of the human and dwarven blacksmiths. Around them are multiple humans and dwarves working together to craft weapons and armors, doing so in a fluid like manner, working together as if by nature. Truly a sight to behold. Seeing this Renya was all the more satisfied and admired it for a while before coming back to his senses, calling on to Borri. ¡°Borri.¡±(Renya) Hearing this Borri raised his head towards my direction. Seeing my face he raised a hearty laugh. ¡°Lord Renya!¡±(Borri) ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡±(Renya) He asked with a polite tone ¡°No! Of course not! Having you here is an honor for everyone!¡±(Borri) After saying so Borri laughed loudly. ¡°I see. Now then, about our previous talk if you could.¡±(Renya) Borri immediately lead Renya to his station, opening the small door for him. Once inside he looked around seeing a bunch of weapons hanged from the walls and desks and sometimes a set of armor arranged neatly could be seen, all of them showing a unique aura each. One must know that Renya is an absolute neat freak and that he will arrange each of the sentinels rooms to be neat if not clean. This trait of him is quite well known amongst his friends and co workers After walking and having having a chat with Borri as they sat down. ¡°Now then, the reason I came here today is to give you a few tasks. Although they are simple ones I hope that you will not neglect them and work on them diligently.¡±(Renya) He asked Borri with a serious tone. To which Borri smiled to then answering. ¡°Of course, I handle all my tasks seriously no matter how small Lord Renya!¡±(Borri) He said proudly then grinning widely. ¡°Good, then what I need you to do is to make me a set for a level 50 archer. One that focuses on magic and agility. Also include a piece that will cover the mouth in it as well.¡±(Renya) ¡°And what might the Lord need for these items?¡±(Borri) He asked in a curious tone. Not being disrespectful in anyway. ¡°For now I have yet to decide, but depending on the report Lilith gives we will find out, in the future I will definitely have a use for it.... I hope¡±(Renya) The last words of his sentence being mumbles making Borri unable to understand it. But seeing his Lord in such a way he did not ask any more questions ¡°Also, have your men help your brother Thali in the work I gave him. For now that is all.¡±(Renya) ¡°Oh? is this a part of his tasks? Never mind, I¡¯ll gladly send my men over!¡±(Borri) ¡°Good, now then I¡¯ll be heading towards Orloth¡¯s if you need me. No need to see me off.¡±(Renya) He walked out of the workshop towards the outside. ¡°(Lastly Orloth¡¯s place. Should be at the [Outer Crafting Stations] The [Arcane Fortress]. More of a research lab than a fortress if I remembered it...)¡± Making his way towards the Arcane Fortress He passed by many blacksmiths, all of them busy with work in either training their skills or working on a build assigned for them. His walk paused as he saw his destination, A large circular building almost looking like a colosseum Reaching a full 20 stories in height and around 100 meters in diameters. The building had an almost mysterious feel to it. If the [Alt Online] Version of this building was put to the side of it for a comparison, even if it is the same building, almost anyone would say that they¡¯re two completely different buildings. ¡°(Every things severely different compared from the time when it was still a game.)¡±(Renya) After letting out a sigh of amazement he continued on his way. Author Note: Hello again! a quick message from me, to those who''ve yet to read my previous "Author Note 2" in chapter 1 please do! Not only that Ive added an explanation on [Skill Grades] on the chapter itself, I apologize for the trouble of having to re read that part so in order to ease your burden Its the part where Renya Encounters [BloodLust] near the entrance ,which should be relatively close to the start of the chapter! Many thanks for the support! There is gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2:Final edit! Onwards~ Chapter 3 Finished Task Chapter 3 After walking for a while he finally reached the [Arcane Fortress]. Up close he could smell a somewhat strange odor, as if the air had some sort of herbal smell. Not only that, but he also felt an invisible pressure around him. Not wasting any time, he proceeded inside. Inside the [Arcane Fortress], he could see a corridor that were much smaller compared to those of the [Nocturnal Citadel]¡¯s. Along the corridor were a variety of races including Elves, Demons, as well as Humans here and there, either exchanging research notes and ingredients or simply having a chat with all of them having levels varying from 27-35. Walking forward he greeted one of them to ask about the whereabouts of Orloth. But before he could even speak, the Demon had already noticed his presence and proceeded to greet him, ¡°Greetings, what brings the Lord to the [Arcane Fortress]?¡±(???) ¡°I came for Orloth, can you tell me which floor and area he is currently at?¡±(Renya) ¡°I believe he should be on the 17th floor in his room.¡±(???) ¡°I see, then I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡±(Renya) Quickly finding the stairs and walking himself up, he noticed that he was attracting quite a lot of gazes from the people he passed by. Embarrassed, he decided to speed up his pace. In a short moment he reached the door leading towards Orloth¡¯s room, knocking three times then waiting for someone to open the door. After a short while, the door opened revealing an girl with short red hair and bright red eyes with a shocked expression on her face. She was around 1.2 meters tall and wore a thick brown apron on top of her red clothes. ¡°Mr. Orloth! Come quickly, Lord Renya is at the door!¡±(???) ¡°Lemi calm down, there¡¯s no need for that. I came here to talk to him and would naturally come inside to do so. No use bringing Orloth to the door if I¡¯m just gonna come inside¡±(Renya) ¡°Y,yes Lord.¡±(Lemi) The girl called Lemi seeming a bit unsatisfied at Renya''s reply, pouted then guided him in. She, like Sylph, is lvl 200 NPC despite not being a Sentinel herself. Although she has a human appearance she is a type demon that can morph its appearance into whatever it wishes, She was created alongside Orloth to serve as an assistant in making magic items or high level potions. Walking further into the room, the sight of Orloth sitting on his desk can be seen, however after seeing Renya he stood up gracefully showing his high level of elegance. To his side were a few tall book shelves crammed with a large number of books each. On another were countless test tubes as well as scrolls, each of them having a unique glow as well as being arranged neatly. The room itself was quite large compared to the corridor as well as being well ventilated as quite a few of the windows are open. ¡°Lord Renya.¡±(Orloth) ¡°Sit down, no need for such formal greetings.¡±(Renya) Although sudden Orloth sat down the same manner he stood up. After that he sat down Renya followed after and sat down as well. Sitting face to face the atmosphere was somewhat tense, causing the nearby Lemi to grow even more nervous. ¡°*Ahem, Now the reason for my visit is that I have a few tasks for you.¡±(Renya) ¡°Naturally, I have no complaints against this. I will always follow any command the Lord will give me.¡±(Orloth) His voice brimmed with sincerity as he spoke giving Renya a sense or reassurance. ¡°Good, Then what I need you to do is to make me is a set of health as well as mana potions that are suitable for a person who is level 60 around a hundred of each, next is 10 scrolls of [Revive], then craft me an interspatial bag, one with around 10x10 meters in size, Also a magic item that can allow long distance communication, around Altinea Continent wide. Those items are what ¡°I¡± need at the moment.¡±(Renya) [Revive], a [High Grade lvl 13] skill that allows a person to revive another. This skill at first may sound powerful but it has many restrictions, for example if the level of your target is higher than yours, the mana consumption will be higher as well, there is also the effect of backlash applied afterwards. ¡°Hmmm. These items are within the range of my ability, the potions I have a few already prepared beforehand, same goes for the [Revive] scrolls as well. It¡¯s the magic item is what I lack however it can be made in a day by one of my workers. But what would M¡¯lord need for these items?¡±(Orloth) ¡°As of now their uses will remain undecided until Lilith comes back with her report. Now then for the other task. What I need right now is to make healing items for our units. Right now we are in foreign territory, who knows when someone would get injured, and we can¡¯t really afford to lose someone right now.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see, well I will inform my men as soon as I can.¡±(Orloth) ¡°Good, now that I¡¯ve got that out of the way I will take my leave.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then Lord Renya allo-¡°(Lemi) ¡°No need I¡¯ll walk myself out.¡±(Renya) Cutting her off she became even more unsatisfied, but calmed down nonetheless. After walking out Renya headed towards [Nocturnal Citadel] as he is lost in deep thought. ¡°*sigh... (No news of Lilith yet....Well I¡¯ve just ordered her to scout a few hours ago, of course there¡¯s not going to be news. Damn this foreign territory situation is such a pain.....)¡±(Renya) Calming down he decided to increase his pace letting him reach the [Nocturnal Citadel] faster. By the time he was at the entrance the sky was already tinted red from the sun set, reminding him of the [Red Sun Alliance]. ¡°(What did happen to those guys? Are they somewhere in this world as well? Hopefully not....¡±(Renya) Getting rid of that thought he entered the citadel and headed towards his room. By the time he reached it it had already become night showing just absurdly massive the citadel is. Quickly sitting down near his desk, he slowly digested all of the events that happened today. ¡°(No use worrying about the future. Better sleep for the da-)¡±(Renya) ¡°Father?¡±(???) As he was lost in thought he heard a sudden voice disrupting his thoughts. ¡°Charlotte, what are you doing in my room?¡±(Renya) ¡°I just wanted to talk for a bit.¡±(Charlotte) She spoke in a playful manner, to which Renya didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m all ears.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then father, what are you going to do with the equipment you made Borri and Orloth make?¡±(Charlotte) Hearing this Renya¡¯s face froze. ¡°What do you mean?¡±(Renya) Naturally asking Thali, Borri and Orloth, three craftsmen, to do some work would arouse suspicion from the rest of the sentinels. However thanks to his position being their creator, no one would dare raise any suspicions towards him, no one other than Charlotte that is. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll only go to Thali when you want something built and that would only apply to golems, which will most likely be used as scouting units since you don''t want to lose any men so that would be understandable. But you went to Borri and Orloth as well which you¡¯ll only do whenever you need some equipment for yourself, or in some occasions for one of the sentinels.¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Alright I admit it was equipment that I made them prepare.¡±(Renya) Charlotte revealing an ecstatic expression, as if she had gotten a perfect score on a test by chance, proceeded to ask another question. ¡°Then do you plan on going out there once Lilith comes back?¡±(Charlotte) Hearing this Renya sat there silently, his gaze locked onto Charlotte, who had a worrisome look, with a troublesome expression. After a moment of silence he spoke in a reluctant manner. ¡°Yes.... Are you mad?¡±(Renya) He answered back, as if understanding her current emotions. The situation right now can be compared to a father and daughter who spent years together always being there for each other, only for the daughter to find that her father is leaving in the middle of a crisis due to his own selfish reasons. Although Renya felt he was a bit misunderstood since he never planned on leaving the moment Lilith returns, he understood that their thoughts were similar to his in that they too can feel anxious and afraid so he decided to imply that he was. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±(Charlotte) She replied in calm manner, without a hint of anger in her words. ¡°I can understand if father plans on going on another adventure here in this world.¡±(Charlotte) She continued her words ending it with a faint smile. ¡°Even back then you¡¯d always go on multiple trips outside the city. You always had an unrestrained spirit, it¡¯s only natural you¡¯d want to explore this new world.¡±(Charlotte) Hearing this momentarily stunned Renya. Causing him to become silent. ¡°(So I was like that in their eyes. I guess I did go around the Altinea Continent on many occasions back then. They seem to remember parts of what happened back in [Alt Online] as well.)¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±(Renya) ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Father was not at fault, I only wanted to hear your thoughts. Well its already late, you should go to sleep now.¡±(Charlotte) She bowed her head then left with a satisfied expression, somewhat calming Renya down. He sat there unmoving for a while before he stood up glancing around him then walking towards the balcony of his room. He leaned his body on the railing the observed the scene below. What he saw was the streets of [Titan City] lit up by the street lamps that were powered by city¡¯s magic core. The scene was quite peaceful with people walking along the streets, at times a couple or two walking alongside each other looking at the different restaurants and stores. He spent a good amount of time observing the scene below before he went to sleep. -?????- Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.¡°So it wasn¡¯t a dream...¡±(Renya) He murmured as he woke up from his sleep. Standing up he stretched his body a bit before walking out of his room. There he saw a few guards making their rounds, seeing Renya they greeted him then continued their duties. However just as he was about to visit Maya his stomach released a fierce roar that echoed throughout the corridor. Secretly glad that no one was around he headed towards the kitchen for breakfast. Along the way he encountered a few of the maids and butlers that he didn¡¯t get a chance to see yesterday. They bowed and greeted him as he walked by making him rather embarrassed. Arriving towards the kitchen he sat down on a chair that was near one of the tables, then asked a nearby maid to make him breakfast. As the maid left another silhouette entered the room. She had hair gradiating form silver to black wore a black long sleeve clothing with silver armor on top, it was none other than Laura. ¡°Fath- I mean, M¡¯lord.¡±(Laura) ¡°Its fine to call me father. Actually I¡¯d feel much more comfortable if you do.¡±(Renya) Although Renya feels embarrassed to be called father by her, he would feel even more embarrassed if she called him Lord. Unknowingly he has already accepted her as his daughter in his heart, making his treatment towards her similar to how a father treats his daughter. ¡°Then father.¡±(Laura) ¡°Yes?¡±(Renya) ¡°Would you mind if it if I were to eat with you?¡±(Laura) She asked in a somewhat embarrassed tone ¡°Of course not. Actually there are things that I¡¯d like to talk with you about.¡±(Renya) Hearing this she sat on the chair directly opposite to Renya¡¯s and asked another nearby maid to get her some breakfast. Seeing her settle down he began to ask her opinions about the city''s situation, and or how should their next action play out. Naturally they talked as the food arrived then eating as they talked. ¡°The situation for us right now is unfavorable, in that we lack information about the current world. Father¡¯s action about sending Lilith''s group to scout was the best choice we could¡¯ve made at the moment. However it isn¡¯t all perfect as there¡¯s a chance where they might encounter an enemy that is stronger than them. But considering that they¡¯re quite experienced when it comes to these kinds of things, they should do fine.¡±(Laura) Hearing this Renya nodded to her words then continued to voice out his own thoughts. ¡°Then after affirming the current situation of the area around us, we should search for civilizations or act accordingly if an unexpected factor ever emerges correct?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, however a village is more preferred than a city, since a village should be easier to ask around in, as well as the fact that a city, although has a lot more information, would be filled with more dangers.¡±(Laura) Making an agreeing nod he began to eat the rest of his food but was quickly stopped due to the continuation of Laura¡¯s words ¡°However, we still don¡¯t know as to whether this world¡¯s civilizations reach a point where it could communicate, let alone building cities.¡±(Laura) Finally finishing her words she began to work on her meal as well. While the both of them ate, Renya thought to himself. ¡°(She¡¯s right. We¡¯ve yet to know whether or not our enemies pose a threat to us at all. I guess I was really hasty when I assigned all those tasks yesterday. Well, better safe than sorry.)¡±(Renya) Finishing their meals both stood up and after a few words of parting, went on their way. Renya walked down the citadel, going down for a period of time before reaching the basement. Sliding the door open, he went inside the room. ¡°Maya.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, Lord Renya?¡±(Maya) Hearing his voice she flew to the front of Renya after a quick reply. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come by to report to me?¡±(Renya) ¡°Well.... I couldn¡¯t find the right moment to.¡±(Maya) ¡°What about the numerous times when I was just walking?¡±(Renya) ¡°The lord seemed to be lost in thought. I wouldn¡¯t dare disturb you.¡±(Maya) ¡°The time I was eating?¡±(Renya) ¡°I still wasn¡¯t done inspecting the city.¡±(Maya) ¡°But I specifically said to report to me after inspecting....¡±(Renya) ¡°But you said if possible.....¡±(Maya) They stood there unmoving, eyes locked trying to find words to contradict each other. Renya, just wanting the report of the city, finally gave in. ¡°Fine, it was my fault, can you just give the report?¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright then.¡±(Maya) As if winning a battle she replied enthusiastically. As to why she didn¡¯t want to report to him earlier, remains a mystery to Renya. ¡°Right now the core is currently stable, however it seems to be generating magic energy in a bit of a slower pace than before. Fortunately it¡¯s only a tad bit slower, it has no problems keeping the city afloat, and even in the case when it does gain insufficient energy the secondary core can provide power.¡±(Maya) ¡°Then what about the situation of the City itself?¡±(Renya) ¡°Everything is doing fine, no noteworthy changes.¡±(Maya) ¡°I see, well report back to me in case anything changes. Don¡¯t hesitate this time, I don¡¯t want anything bad happening to my city. Also if you feel that it¡¯s a minor problem then report to Thali, he¡¯s usually the one managing the city for me.¡±(Renya) ¡°Understood.¡±(Maya) ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±(Renya) Exiting the room he went outside citadel in order to visit Sylph in the [Outer City Folk Housing]. He hasten his steps, not paying mind to scenery around him, making him seem like almost like a blur due how fast he¡¯s traveling. It didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive in front of the house Sylph was in, knocking three times the sound of footsteps could be heard behind the door. The door opened revealing the figure of Sylph behind it. However instead of usual, neatly dressed and well-kept Sylph, she had a disheveled appearance. Even a few spots of dirt on her dress causing Renya to be taken aback. ¡°Lord Renya!¡±(Sylph) ¡°What happened to you?(Renya) He asked with a worried expression. ¡±Well it happened like this, after checking the food production of the city I headed towards the storage rooms to see the food supply. However I lost count multiple times and by the time I finished it was already night time. I went back to my room to sleep. It was actually Lord Renya¡¯s knock that woke me up just now.¡± ¡°Sorry about all the trouble.¡±(Renya) Bowing deeply he felt guilty for what has happened to Sylph. ¡°It¡¯s fine, although I was tired, it was nothing a good nap can¡¯t fix!¡±(Sylph) ¡°That¡¯s good to hear and please don¡¯t over work yourself. You can just give me a brief explanation on the food supply and production?¡±(Renya) ¡°It won¡¯t have any trouble providing for us for a couple decades. *Fwaaaaaa~*. I¡¯m gonna go sleep now.¡±(Sylph) Seeing her yawn he felt that he shouldn¡¯t bother her further. After nodding to her report he decided to leave and head back to the [Inner City Folk Housing]. ¡°Well take a bath first, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±(Renya) Unlike before, he slowly walked back to the citadel. Considering that fact that He can¡¯t think of anything to do right now other than to wait for Lilith, he took his time touring his city to observe it. Needless to say he felt good inside seeing the lively interactions here and there, feeling he can never get tired watching this scene play out. Strolling around, at times buying a few sweets to enjoy for himself, immersing himself in the cities atmosphere. After spending a good amount of time he finally decided to head back into the citadel. As he walked through the entrance he was greeted by Brutus who seemed rather anxious to tell him something. He dashed with haste towards Renya the moment he saw him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±(Renya) ¡°Lord Renya! Lilith has returned!¡±(Brutus) ¡°Is she and her team fine?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve returned without injuries.¡±(Brutus) ¡°Good, call the rest of sentinels. We continue the meeting at noon.¡±(Renya) Bowing deeply Brutus left after receiving his orders. Seeing this Renya opened his clock to look at the time, as he did a window appeared in front of him showing the time, 11:47, after closing the window he headed towards the meeting room. -?????- [In The Meeting Room] ¡°Everyone but Lilith has Arrived.¡±(Renya) Everyone else in the room nodded ¡°Lord Renya She should be arriving so-¡±(Brutus) Before he could finish his Sentence the door slid open, revealing Lilith¡¯s figure. Bowing after entering the room. ¡°I have finished the task Lord Renya has assigned.¡±(Lilith) Author Note: I originally planned on posting this yesterday, but i fell asleep halfway through. It also got delayed a bit and was supposed to post it much sooner but I saw that Warframe got an update and that they were giving away free stuff so I got distracted. Daily chapter tho, as usual there will be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Chapter 4 Spar Chapter 4 ¡°I have finished the task Lord Renya has assigned.¡±(Lilith) ¡°Good, take your seat. I¡¯ll need to say a few words, after that you may proceed to tell us your findings.¡±(Renya) She bowed and went towards her seat before sitting down like everybody else. After she sat down Renya stood up from his chair, coughing lightly as he began his speech. ¡°Alright, now that everybody is here I must first thank Lilith for a job well done.¡±(Renya) ¡°N-no! It wasn¡¯t that hard of a job, I¡¯ve yet to even give my report, thats why praise shou-¡°(Lilith) ¡°No, I trust that you would¡¯ve done an excellent job nonetheless. Now then, another thing I wanted to talk about is my position.¡±(Renya) Cutting her off he proceeded with his speech. ¡°Although I rule over you all, I must state that I¡¯m no perfect being and that I could make the most obvious mistakes, in that when the time comes where I need your strength, please do lend me it. That is all, Lilith, you may start your report.¡±(Lilith) ¡°Yes Lord Renya.¡±(Lilith) Standing from her chair, from Renya''s perspective, she opened up her window and immediately a large 3D map of the area around [Titan City] appeared. From just appearance alone Renya could judge it was a radius of 100 kilometers with the city at the midpoint. The map itself had a detailed look to it when it comes to the terrain. However, a few points were marked with a red as well as yellow dots making them appear to be points of interest. ¡°My [Assassin Corps] were only able to scout a full 100 kilometers from the city, covering all possible terrain that we could. Our findings include possible threats, landmarks as well places that serve as settlements.¡±(Lilith) As she used a meter long stick, that she pulled out of her [Inventory], to point towards one of the yellow dots. The dot appeared to be in one of the bases of the mountains according to the map. ¡°(So [Inventory] still works. I never really did open mine ever since I came here.)¡±(Renya) Continuing her speech. ¡°This is the nearest landmark we encountered from [Titan City]. It appeared to be a mine however we didn¡¯t enter it as to continue our mission.¡±(Lilith) ¡°What did you see from the entrance?¡±(Renya) ¡°It appears to be abandoned just recently, although the mine didn¡¯t appear old, when my units used [Demon Eyes] no life could been detected allowing me to reach that conclusion. However it wasn¡¯t the only mine in the area near the city, thats why I had to mark them with yellow instead of red.¡±(Lilith) [Demon Eyes] a [Medium Grade lvl 6] skill that allows a person to detect life by highlighting them with a red glow. The skill doesn''t allowing the user to detect a person if the person has a much higher level or is using a more powerful skill to prevent himself from being seen. ¡°I see, then explain each one along your report, please continue.¡±(Renya) Nodding to his words Lilith continued her report pointing her stick on to a red dot. It was inside one of the dense forests this time. ¡°The next nearest Land mark is this here. This area appeared to have been a small village of an intelligent group in the past as the structure of the houses were built using advanced methods. But what my units could tell from a distance was that there were signs of battle and it was recent as well, as apart from dried up blood stains in the ground as well as the damage from the battle, the village is still relatively clean. Right now it seems to be occupied by a pack of mountain wolves.¡±(Lilith) ¡°Were there any traces of the ones who attacked?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, although its still somewhat new, the battle must¡¯ve happened a few days ago. The culprits must¡¯ve left the area long ago.¡±(Lilith) ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) After the first red dot, she went over and explained each and every one of them. A majority of them like the first one were abandoned just recently. Strangely enough there were even some that still had supplies on the outside, indicating that they might¡¯ve been abandoned in a hurry. Looking over the map again, Renya was able to see that a majority of the dots were yellow ones, meaning that this mountain range must¡¯ve been rich in minerals. As to why they were abandoned remains a mystery to Renya and the others. ¡°The next place is a Town, fortunately this one is inhabited by humans.¡±(Lilith) Hearing her words everyone in the room became more vigilant to her words. Especially Renya who seemed to be overjoyed after he heard her words, to the point of not being able to contain his excitement. Some sentinels took noticed this change especially Charlotte whose expression is that of a person whose watching child who had recently gotten a new toy. She pointed the meter long stick onto one of the edges of the map. Instead of the dense trees, the area the village was in was a vast plain. The trees seem to become less dense as it got closer to it. ¡°The Town is not alone, as there are a few villages near it. There were also a large number of buildings in it, each being different from another. However there is something strange going on in this town, the amount of people there were rather few even for a town, although not noticeable at first, it faintly reeks of blood.¡±(Lilith) Hearing her words, Renyas face turned grave. As he was about to speak she continued where she left off. ¡°Not only that but in the next few villages, the smell of blood grew stronger.¡±(Lilith) She said as she pointed towards another pair of red dots. ¡°Thankfully one of my unit discovered another village. This one is normal compared to the rest, due to the fact that its placed at much further area away from the town and villages.¡±(Lilith) She finished her words as she stored the stick, bowing down and taking a seat signaling that she¡¯s finished the report. After she sat down the room became silent, all eyes focused on Renya while he has his closed. ¡°Amitiel, I¡¯m gonna need your assistance in this manner. Considering that you''re the leader of our intelligence unit.¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course, of course.¡±(Amitiel) Hearing this he grinned then replied while nodding repeatedly. ¡°Good. Now then, what we need to do right now is to gather information. Amitiel assemble your best men to infiltrate all of the Town and villages that Lilith has discovered to gather intel. Also, head to the town that had lesser abnormalities yourself, try to squeeze out as much information as you can about this world without causing harm to anyone. If its unavoidable you can use [Hypnotism] on those you feel the need to, but remember to wipe their memories about it afterwards.¡±(Renya) ¡°Is it really necessary to use [Hypnotism] against innocent people?¡±(Prynn) [Hypnotism] a [Medium Grade lvl 7] skill that as the name implies, hypnotizes a target. However much like [Revive], the higher the level difference the higher the mana consumption, plus the skill needs a constant supply of mana in order to maintain. Afterwards if one does not use a mind wipe type skill they will remember all the things that happened while [Hypnotism] was active. ¡°I believe Lord Renya¡¯s choice of letting me use [Hypnotism] is the right one. As far as I know Lilith¡¯s units has yet to enter the town and villages and has only observed from afar, am I correct?¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Yes, although infiltrating the town and villages would be easy, I wanted to hear Lord Renya¡¯s opinion before making any rash decisions.¡±(Lilith) Maintaining her decisive demeanor she answered Amitiel¡¯s questions. Hearing this, Renya felt that this Lilith has really done a good job and wanted to pet her head. Restraining himself he decided to listen more to their opinions. ¡°Then this means we don¡¯t know whether or not the people are good or not.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°But still...¡±(Prynn) Seeing her troubled about the matter Renya decided to calm her down. ¡°Prynn, just as Amitiel said we don¡¯t know the circumstances of the town and village. We can only gather more information about it, only then will we be able to see whether or not we¡¯ll be able to help.¡±(Renya) ¡°I understand.¡±(Prynn) Although reluctant, she decided to quiet down after Renya Convinced her. Even without Prynn voicing out her opinion, Renya still would¡¯ve planned to help the town and village nonetheless, as by doing so it will allow them to increase their intimacy with them making gathering information much easier. Basically killing two birds with one stone. ¡°Now then, as I¡¯ve said I plan on helping the town, any objections?¡±(Renya) After he spoke the room went silent, however the mood was not heavy. With this Renya was satisfied seeing that they were wiling to provide help. ¡°Good, now then this should be the end of our meeting. We¡¯ll have another one as soon as Amitiel¡¯s units finished gathering information. Also before you leave, Brutus.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes M¡¯Lord?¡±(Brutus) He replied with a confused, but curious, wondering what Renya has in store for him. ¡°Come with me to the [Inner Military Division]. I want to have a spar with you.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words Brutus¡¯ blood can''t help but boil in excitement. Even some of the sentinels after hearing this can¡¯t help but look forward to this spar. ¡°Certainly.¡±(Brutus) Regaining his composure, he replied with a smile, however thanks to his face plate no one could see his expression. Ending the meeting they all went outside following Renya and Brutus with an exception to Amitiel, Borri, Khali and Thali, since they had task to do at the moment. -?????- [In The Inner Military Division] On the field there stood two figures. On one side is Brutus wearing his Fearsome set of armor, on the other is Renya, Wearing his personal set of armor. Unlike Brutus¡¯s set, his set not only has jet black pieces but has platinum pieces as well giving the set a sense of elegance. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. However whats the most eye catching part of this set is the fact that the helmet has a long tail like attachment to its head, almost looking like a spine with a black double edged blade at its tip. The tail like appendage was made in a way that it allowed the person wearing the armor to move it as he pleased at the cost of mana. This piece armor was made by Renya by applying his puppet making skills to the armor. The result was this armor that he appropriately named [Draco Catulus]. ¡°So, how does M¡¯lord want to fight?¡±(Brutus) He said waving his massive spear around as if it was light as a feather. The said spear in his hands was a [Ancient Grade] weapon named after world serpent [Jormungand]. Much like skills items also have grades, from weakest to strong there are [Common], [Uncommon], [Rare], [Mythical], [Legendary], then finally [Ancient]. Items in [Alt Online] like the skills, don¡¯t have a level restriction meaning a low level player can easily wield an [Ancient Grade] weapon. However like the skills these items too have restrictions. For example if a low leveled player used a [Ancient Grade] weapon them he might not be able to wield all of its power, in some cases even causing backlash if the weapon itself had restrictions. ¡°Let¡¯s see, How about we fight wiht pure techniques? Without the assistance of active skills of course.¡±(Renya) ¡°Fair enough¡±(Brutus) He answered back as he glanced around him. To the side of the field were the sentinels that decided to watch the spar, behind them were numerous soldiers that came with the same thing in mind. ¡°Now then should we begin?¡±(Renya) He asked in an almost joking manner, to which Brutus nods to. In the middle of the side of the field stood Charlotte acting as a referee, she raised her hand then quickly swung it downward signaling the start of the spar. *BANG! With a fierce kick to the ground, Brutus propelled himself forward with inhumane speed. Seeing this Renya narrowed his eyes letting mana flow through his helmet¡¯s tail behind him. With a yell he thrusted his spear forward only to be blocked by the helmet¡¯s tail. Both forces struggled, but as they were stuck in a deadlock neither of them could moved one bit. Seeing this they both jumped backwards creating some distance between them. ¡°(So the feeling is the same as before.)¡±(Renya) Smiling fiercely behind his face plate, he produced two identical jet black long swords garnished with platinum ornaments from his [Inventory], both of them were single edged, looking almost like a saber, these two identical blades grades, although only [Legendary], can match most of the lower end [Ancient Grade] weapons. However due to the fact that they are not Renya¡¯s preferred weapon he decided not to name them, as their purpose was only to improve his proficiency in a wide range of weapons. Brutus seeing these weapons appear smiled widely as his blood boiled even further. As soon as he tightened his grip on the swords he kicked the ground in a similar fashion as Brutus but produced even greater speeds compared to him. In a mere flash he was already in front of him slashing both swords downward. Despite his large body Brutus was able to dodge by hairs breadth, before proceeding to stab [Jormungand] towards Renya¡¯s side. But as [Jormungand] was about to hit the tail blocked it, due to the force and the fact that Renya didn¡¯t have a proper foothold he was knocked back. Using his hands, almost like a spring, he sprung back upright holding both swords in a stance with the tail of his helmet slithering in the air behind him as if getting ready to strike. Brutus in a similar position readied his stance, anticipating Renya¡¯s next move. Silence filled the field, the two locked gazes as the tension between the two grew thicker. Finally as if losing his patience, Brutus dashed forward with the tip of [Jormungand] at the front dashing with unbelievable speeds to the point where a fierce wind would blow with each of his steps. In a similar fashion Renya dashed forward wanting a head on collision with him. *BOOM! With an explosive boom the whole field shook as the two¡¯s weapons clashed against one another. Renya swung his swords with each cut being blocked by either the [Jormungand]¡¯s blade or its unbelievably hard handle. The same could be said for Brutus as when each strike he made was about to land, Renya¡¯s Helmet¡¯s tail would block as if it had a mind of it¡¯s own. This exchange of blows lasted for a while before Renya managed to parry one of Brutus¡¯s attack making an opening. Using this he used all his might to kick his large chest to push him backwards. After doing so he again backed up to create some distance between them once more. He waited as Brutus slowly stood up before speaking. ¡°Your skill improved since the last time Brutus. Did your agility increase?¡±(Renya) Hearing his words, Brutus laughed a hearty one before replying to Renya¡¯s words. ¡°As much as I enjoy the praise father, it is you whom should be praised. If not for the fact that you¡¯re not using your beloved sword, I would''ve already lost the second the match started.¡±(Brutus) Hearing Brutus call him father signified that he had dropped honorifics to express his respect for another warrior like him. Seeing this Renya¡¯s heart warmed making him want to fight more seriously. ¡°Good! Then how about we go for another round?¡±(Renya) Brutus smiled, readying his stance signaling his agreement. Naturally Renya followed after and readied his stance as well. Not long after the spar began yet again. With Renya taking the aggressive role this time, he dashed forward leaving an after image before appearing again behind Brutus. Seeing this Brutus stabbed [Jormungand] to the ground propelling himself upward managing to dodge his strike. In mid-air, Brutus wouldve been vulnerable to attacks as he wont be able to move away to dodge, that was the case if he was human. After a few popping noises two dragon like wings grew from his back allowing him to land quickly. After landing Brutus used his wings to propel him towards Renya, then swinging [Jormungand] downwards forcing Renya to block with his two swords. As they were locked in place another set of popping noises came from brutus. This time a long tail covered in black scales, with its tip covered in spikes came out from behind him, slithering around as if trying to get used to it¡¯s movement, before long it struck forward, attacking Renya''s side but was quickly blocked by the tail of his helmet. The two tails clashed, with each clash causing a deafening boom. The clash of the tails occurred while both Renya and Brutus were still locked in place , unable to gain the advantage against one another at the moment. As the Clash between the two lasted longer, Brutus¡¯s strength proved superior to Renya as he slowly pushed him back. Only a moment later did Brutus spread out his wings as if getting ready to fly, before he swung them downwards producing a gale of wind pushing Renya even further. Unable to contest Brutus¡¯s strength, Renya guided his spear away from him, making it hit the ground below. After doing so he retreated back wards before kicking the ground creating a great distance between them. *Swish Just as Renya was about to plan his next move, [Jormungand] flew towards him forcing him to dodge. However as he did, out of nowhere Brutus lunged his recently produced claws towards him forcing Renya to the corner even further. If one were to look at Brutus¡¯s appearance right now, one would without a doubt call him a dragon-kin. Renya unable to hold out against Brutus¡¯s fierce waves of attack, dashed as far away as possible creating an even greater distance between the two. He calmed his breathing before speaking again. ¡°I must admit, I can¡¯t beat you using mediocre means.¡±(Renya) He said as he stored the two swords in his hands back into his inventory before he produced a different weapon, a sheathed blade. The blade unlike the previous swords had a completely different appearance, in that its whole body was made in a extremely dark material. Then he unsheathed it. The blades color, was as if looking into the abyss, any light that shone on it would not reflect back in any way at all, almost as if devouring it. The feeling it induced even seeped out to the surrounding people, the sentinels included. Even Brutus, who was relatively far away, felt it. ¡°It seems that father finally became serious. To think that he¡¯d pull out [Devourer]. I really bit off more than what I can chew.¡±(Brutus) Although his words are that of regret, the tone of which he said them says otherwise. [Devourer] is a blade that one could say, was a weapon that Renya poured as much work as he did on [Titan City]. Although its cost was not as high as [Titan City], the amount of research Renya did to produce this specific kind of metal, as well as the time it took to sharpen the blade to satisfaction, could be more or less the same. Naturally this weapon reached [Ancient Grade], even when compared to other [Ancient Grade] weapons this one would more or less top most of them. ¡°Now then, should we dance one last time before we end this spar?¡±(Renya) As if getting swept away by the mood, he spoke like a man whose blood has boiled to the point of being unable to contain itself, wanting ato battle. But to the sentinels eyes, he¡¯s like a child that has gotten his hands again on a favorite toy that was taken away from him for months. Author Note: Hello! this is my first time writing a fight, and I must say it was really exciting! Please do tell me how you felt about the fight, as I want to make more fights like this in the future and would more than likely accept any words of advice! While your at it, tell me about how your opinion on my 3k words per chapter! Also note that Charlotte''s Race has been changed from [Human] to [Transcended Human] in chapter 1. And as always there will be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2: Almost forgot to add this! To give you an idea on what the helmet looks like I made a quick sketch on it! Author Note 3: Ive added proper tables for the Prologue, Chapter 1 and 2! Although amatuerish its should make it easier to read~ Author Note 4: Village name edit to clear things out~ Chapter 5 Demon Chapter 5 ¡°Now then, should we dance one last time before we end this spar?¡±(Renya) Unable to hide the excitement in his eyes, Brutus went over to the spot were [Jormungand] landed. Picking it up he waved a couple time regaining a proper grip on it. ¡°Indeed father, let us.¡±(Brutus) Just like that, the two resumed the spar. With Brutus taking advantage of his race¡¯s abilities, after a series of popping sounds, his height had reached 3 meters with his body¡¯s overall figure becoming bulkier. The wings on his back became more prominent, his tails and claws grew longer and sharper, not only that but there were also a pair of actual dragon horns protruding from his helmet. Fortunately the armor he was wearing had special properties where it would adjust in accordance to the users size. This way he has no trouble displaying his full ability, even if he was wearing armor like this. Not only that, but even [Jormungand] had this property, making it look all the more fearsome in that hands of Brutus. With a flap of his enormous wings he moved forward. As if wanting to take Renya by surprise he released a flurry of fierce blows, not wanting to giving Renya any time at all to counter attack. *PENG!* *PENG!* *PENG!* However, the actions he took were all in vain as all of the blows were blocked and repelled by either [Devourer] or his helmet¡¯s tail. Seeing that his attacks were ineffective, rather than being discouraged, he took it as a challenge causing his blows to become faster and even more deadly. But to no avail Renya blocked each of his blows effortlessly. Completely letting himself get absorb in battle releasing all the built up stress he had accumulated ever since he came to this world through this battle. Finally, he used more force in one of his parries causing Brutus to be slightly knocked back. Following up the parry he dashed forward, sweeping [Devourer] diagonally. Fortunately for Brutus he was able to dodge. Brutus looked over the area where he was in just now, but his expression became grave as what was left of it was a deep 7 meter long cut in the ground. After taking a deep breath he spoke. ¡°Terrifying as always.¡±(Brutus) His words were cut short as he began to launch a counter-attack. Flapping his wings, creating a powerful gale of wind behind him. He struck [Jormungand] forward causing the winds to rile up making a barrier of wind to form around him. Wielding [Devourer] with both hands he stood in the path of Brutus¡¯s charge not moving at all. Only when Brutus was only a few meters away from Renya, using [Devourer] he did a downward sweep cutting the barrier of wind in the middle making it disperse, not only that but the sweep stopped the momentum of Brutus¡¯s charge cutting through his defenses causing a deep cut to appear starting from the middle of his face plate to the middle of his chest plate, launching him back a few dozen meters before stopping. Although both of them had reached the pinnacle of their class, Renya had an absolute advantage when it comes to weapon quality. Not only that, Renya¡¯s class, The [Black Flame Sword God], was actually a special variant, a legendary class, making the stat boosts it give to be many times better than the original. Even in [Alt Online] he was considered as one of the top rankers in the whole server, as to why the [Red Sun Alliance] attacked him was because despite being a powerful player, he was guildless. Even if Renya was the most powerful player in [Alt Online], he¡¯s only one person and that he can be overwhelmed by sheer number. The problem could¡¯ve been solved if Renya were to join a powerful guild. Joining one would¡¯ve been easy as his fame is widely known in [Alt Online] and the fact that he owned a city of his own made it even more so. But as Renya enjoyed the freedom of having nothing to restrain him is one of the reasons he¡¯s yet to join one. Even though he may look severely injured, damage of this level is actually not enough to even shake him up a bit. Standing up he retracted his dragonic appearance, returning to his 2.3 meter tall self. He stretched his limbs a bit before removing his helmet and putting it under one of his arms, his face was somewhat similar to Renya in his mid 30s, although more handsome and charming in a way, but had a few black scales on the side of his face. Heaving a sigh of helplessness Brutus spoke. ¡°I¡¯m still a great distance away from father¡¯s level.¡±(Brutus) ¡°Nonsense! The only reason why Brutus lost is because father cheated by using [Devourer].¡±(Charlotte) She said teasingly on the side of the field. ¡°No, even I used [Dragonic Shapeshift] in the end to contest father.¡±(Brutus) On the other side of the field where Renya stood. He closed his eyes, as if already knowing that Brutus is fine, sinking into his thoughts. ¡°(The feeling I got when fighting Brutus is almost exactly the same as before, back when it was still a game. Even when moving my body, it no longer felt all that stiff. Not only that but this battle felt real...... and exciting.)¡±(Renya) Smilingly he opened his eyes with a different feel to them behind the face plate. Ever since coming here Renya has withstood all kinds of baptisms. From one that completely changed his originally reserved self, to ones that changed his outlook on many things. With a calm heart, putting all of his past history behind, he was finally able to fully don the cloak of the city lord. After sheathing [Devourer] and placing it on his waist, he walked to the area where Brutus and the other sentinels stood. Seeing him come, the sentinels stared at him as if something was different. Sensing his change demeanor, Charlotte spoke. ¡°Is something wrong father?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Every things fine, it''s just that the spar just now cleared my mind. Thank you Brutus for agreeing with it.¡±(Renya) ¡°Father is more than welcome to spar with me.¡±(Brutus) He said revealing a calm smile with a hint of anticipation. ¡°Good! In the next few days, I¡¯ll come when I¡¯m free.¡±(Renya) Hearing this Brutus became overjoyed as he gained another chance to fight with Renya. ¡°Also Brutus, hand me your armor. I¡¯ll take them to Borri¡¯s to have them repaired..¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright.¡±(Renya) He unequipped his armor, putting on casual clothing similar to what a city folk would wear, giving them to Renya for repair. Accepting the armor he placed them inside his [Inventory]. He walked away from the field heading towards the [Inner Crafting Station]. After a moment he¡¯s reached the door to Borri¡¯s door. Knocking three times like always, he heard heavy footsteps approach, the door opened revealing Borri. ¡°Lord Renya! Have you come to see the equipment you¡¯ve asked me to prepare?¡±(Borri) ¡°Are they done already? I originally came here to have Brutus¡¯s armor repaired.¡±(Renya) Saying so he removed the armor from his [Inventory] and placed them in front of Borri to examine. ¡°Hohoho, from just how deep the armor¡¯s been cut I can tell that you didn¡¯t hold back one bit.¡±(Borri) He said in an amazed tone, even glancing at [Devourer] at Renyas side. ¡°Naturally I know Brutus could withstand it. He¡¯s has the highest defense amongst all of us after all. ¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright now Lord Renya, please follow me inside.¡±(Borri) He said as he guided Renya inside. Not long after they were in front of an armor stand. Naturally the equipment Renya requested was mounted on it. The equipment consisted of mostly rare leathers and cloth with barely any metal in it. This way the one using it wouldn¡¯t feel much restriction to his/her movement. The set contained a dark blue colored hooded mantle as well as tunic with a slightly darker color, dark brown pants with a couple pockets along with gloves of the same color topped by hard leather armor with multiple pieces all dyed black with the last pieces being a pair of black sturdy boots and a cloth mask similar to the one Lilith was wearing wear only covered the mouth, except slightly thicker. On another side was a bow and quiver. The bow reached 1.5 meters in length with both its limbs appearing to be reinforced by a certain type of black metal. Each limb had multiple magic runes chiseled into it giving it a beautiful finish while its bow string seemed to be made by weaving thin strings of the black metal mentioned before together. The quiver was made with the same design as the bow, at first glance may seem to be ordinary but was actually an interspatial storage device that allowed the user to store a large amount of arrows in. ¡°As expected of you Borri, even in such a short amount of time you¡¯ve managed to create such a set.¡±(Renya) ¡°Hohohoh, you¡¯re flattering me!¡±(Borri) Laughing loudly he passed the set onto Renya before taking Brutus¡¯s armor from his hand. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you further, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±(Renya) Waving his hand he left the room. ¡°(It should be noon by now, better grab some lunch I guess)¡±(Renya) As he thought to himself he continued to walk towards [Nocturnal Citadel], -?????- Just like that three days passed. With the occasional report from Amitiel, through a magic item used for communication, about their current progress, he spent these days enjoying the city life occasionally sparring with Brutus, with him winning almost every single time of course. As he was just getting used to such a life Amitiel returned along with his men. With their return another meeting was immediately issued to all the sentinels. ¡°Everyone has gathered. We shall now begin the meeting, Amitiel you may start.¡±(Renya) ¡°I was expecting at least a word of praise, or a pat on the head but, oh well.¡±(Amitiel) As he said in a joking manner he stood up, making the map of the area where the four town and villages were located appear. ¡°First of all our infiltration of the town and villages were successful.¡±(Amitiel) He said glancing over at Renya who wore a serious expression before continuing. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Not only that but we¡¯ve managed to gather information as to why the mines were abandoned. First I¡¯ll begin with the situation of the town among the four.¡±(Amitiel) He said pointing over to said Town. ¡°This town, like Lilith said, reeked of blood. Not only that but I discovered that the majority of the townspeople as well as all the miners are being controlled by demonic energy. Fortunately the one manipulating them appeared to be a lesser demon, maybe weaker. Thanks to that I was able to secretly dispel the the demonic energy on a selected few allowing me to gain Information.¡±(Amitiel) He looked over to the anxious Prynn, sighing and continuing his words. ¡°As to why I only freed a few, it is because freeing all of them at once from the control will alarm the culprit making him realize that a strong enemy is approaching, forcing him to leave making it even harder to catch him.¡± Hearing this Prynn calmed down. ¡°For the information I gathered, I will begin to state them. First would be the case of there being demon which everyone should know already, the next is about the world we are in. The continent we are in is the [Helia Continent] as we are currently in the borders of two large countries, with the [Aelynn Empire] in the north and the [Notus Empire] in the south. Based on the information, the two countries are in a peaceful alliance as the engagement of the two¡¯s royal family members has been announced a few weeks ago. Not only that but based on the equipment and the level of technologies this world has, this world should have little to no difference when compared to the [Altinea Continent]. But...¡±(Amitiel) ¡°But?¡±(Renya) ¡°The number of powerful people in this world seem to be significantly lesser compared to the [Altinea Continent]. It appears that the number of people like us are lower it seems.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°The information about the world can wait for now, do you have any more information about the town and villages?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, it appears that the Demon is getting ready to use the people for a mass sacrifice this is also the reason why the mines are empty as all the miners are part of the sacrificial group as well. Most likely the demon intends to summon a more powerful demon to control.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Your estimation on when he¡¯s going to do it?¡±(Renya) ¡°In a few days after controlling the rest of the people in the town, by then he should have enough sacrifice candidates.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°If he¡¯s going to sacrifice the people for a ritual, then why did the place reek of blood already?¡±(Lilith) She asked with her usual timid demeanor. ¡°They were the people who knew what was going on, the demon most likely killed them to keep them silent.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Do you know where the demon is at?¡±(Renya) Hearing his words Amitiel made a face of disbelief, as if unable to believe what he was hearing, ¡°Did you really think that ¡°I¡±, a Transcended Demon, would have a hard time tracking a lowly demon such as this?¡±(Amitiel) He said seriously but the wholeness of it sounded all too humorous, as if in a joking manner. ¡°Just say it.¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course I have.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Good. Let¡¯s not waste any more time. We¡¯ll attack the demon then capture him alive for questioning. Also Amitiel, assign someone to write a detailed report about your findings about this world then give each of the sentinels a copy including me. For now I¡¯ll assign the people who¡¯ll be part of the task.¡±(Renya) The rest of the people nodded to his words, especially Amitiel. -?????- [In the dense forest below a few dozen kilometers away from [Titan City]] ¡°These trees are taller than what I¡¯ve expected.¡±(Charlotte) She said while running alongside Renya, Prynn and Amitiel. All of them having an appearance of a novice party back in [Alt Online], if one didn¡¯t look close enough you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference. ¡°Of course, from what the townspeople told me this forest should at least be a couple hundred years old.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°So why did you take so long to report back?¡±(Prynn) ¡°Naturally I had to cover my tracks as to not alert the Demon.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Which took you a couple days to do so? I don¡¯t believe you.¡±(Renya) What he said was correct. For Amitiel, not being discovered by a demon of a much lower level shouldn¡¯t be a problem. In fact he could do so without even trying as he can basically suppress his aura then go around doing as he pleases. ¡°Tell me what took you so long?¡±(Renya) ¡°Naturally after finding out his location I¡¯ve already took note of him. As to what I was doing in the last couple day was gathering Information in the town, plus leaving so suddenly might arouse the suspicion of that demon so I waited a couple days before pretending to continue my travels.¡± In just a short while they¡¯ve reached the town. Just like what Lilith said, the town had numerous buildings, all built using advanced methods not looking crude at all. But just like her report, the town had a sense of dread in the air. Slowing down their pace, they walked to the entrance. With Amitiel taking on a completely different appearance from before the town guards didn¡¯t mind them too much and let them in the town after telling them that they came from the [Aelynn Empire] as travelers. Inside the town barely anyone was outside despite its size. Most of the places were closed, while the few open ones were empty. Looking around Amitiel guided Renya and the others towards the demon. After walking for a while they stood in front of a large building, it had a total of three floors and according to Amitiel, this place was where the town mayor lived. They entered inside as no one was standing guard at the entrance then proceeded towards the basement. After walking into a couple rooms they found a trap door leading to the basement. With Amitiel in the lead he opened the door and dropped down inside with the rest of the group doing the same. Once they dropped down what entered their vision was a gruesome place. The floor had wet blood stains splattered all over, the walls were the same and in the middle of the room sat a man with a pair of black horns on his forehead along with red eyes, wearing a shocked expression on his face. ¡°What are you doing here!?!?¡±(???) The man said in a panicked voice, quickly attempting to use [Hypnotism] on them. But to no avail was warded off easily, before he was restrained and thrown in to the corner by Amitiel ¡°Is he the one?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes. Not only that but he also appears to be the town mayor. From a mere glance I can tell he¡¯s not someone who is possessed. He must¡¯ve hid here for a while, earned the townspeople trust and then became the chief.¡±(Amitiel) He spoke in a cold tone, staring at the demon as if he was looking at a scum. ¡°Does he posses any valuable information?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, I actually already gathered all the necessary information we need.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Then why didn''t you just dispose of him?¡±(Prynn) She suddenly spoke. ¡°I needed someone who can easily dispel most of the demonic energy in the area. If I were to dispell them myself I¡¯m afraid that I might replace his demonic energy with mine making the effect worse.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°No, what I asked is why didn¡¯t you just ¡°dispose¡± of him?¡±(Prynn) She said the same words again putting an emphasis on the word ¡°dispose¡±. ¡°It wasn¡¯t part of my task to do so.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Enough, then do you know where the rest of people in this town are, as well as whether or not they''re safe?¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll head there after purifying him, and yes they are safe and sound. Apart from those that are already dead that is.¡±(Amitiel) He said pointing at the demon in the corner. Upon hearing this the demon became even more agitated, struggling more to break free of his restraints. ¡°Charlotte can please use [Purify] the demon?¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright.¡±(Charlotte) [Purify] a [Medium Grade lvl 6] skill that would cleanse a target using holy energy effectively removing all negative debuffs on the target, not only that but it can also be used on enemies like demons, undead or ghosts dealing high amounts of damage to them. *Shzzzz* ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!¡±(???) After casting [Purify], the demon¡¯s cry of agony quieted down as he slowly disintegrated into dust, leaving behind his clothes and a few other of its belongings. ¡°Now that the demon is taken care of the villages should return to normal.¡±(Renya) Looking over to Amitiel as if asking for his confirmation before seeing him nod enthusiastically and with that they returned to the surface of the town to the place where the rest of the townspeople are. Author Note: This chapter took longer than expected >.< I''m sure a lot of you are gonna feel that the demons demise felt anti climactic and yes I purposely made it so because ya know, Renya''s op n stuff a mere demon wouldn''t be enough to rustle his jimmies, If you want action well, your gonna see more in the future. For Now I hope the spar with brutus will satisfy you. Also Im gonna change the 4 villages to 3 villages and 1 town. Tomorrow expect the next post to be of similar time to this one but I''ll still post it so no worries~ Author Note 2: I made a map! yay~ As to not spoil anyone Ive only placed the [Titan City] location as well the tow countries near it so yeah~ Chapter 6 Gathering Information Chapter 6 Renya, Charlotte and Prynn followed Amitiel¡¯s lead towards the center of the town. Upon reaching the area they were shocked to find an enormous amount of people lying unconscious on the ground around the town square. ¡°Amitiel, if these people were here in the town square, then what was that demon doing down there in the basement?¡±(Renya) ¡°Simple, he used up a majority of his mana, therefore he needed a secluded area to rest in order to regain it. After doing so he will most likely begin the sacrificing ritual.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Does he not know that leaving a large number of people here is a dead giveaway, indicating that something is wrong in the town?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Of course he does. The moment people find out about it they¡¯ll look for him, leading them right to his trap. After that if he can¡¯t use [Hypnotism] on the victims, he¡¯ll kill them, if not maybe he¡¯ll do something worse.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid that people like us might come after him?¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course he is. The room we purified him in was filled with a large amounts of magic runes to make people unable to detect it. Too bad it¡¯s no use for [Devil Eyes].¡±(Amitiel) [Devil Eyes] a [High Grade lvl 10], much like its weaker version [Demon Eyes], is a skill that allows a person to detect life by highlighting them with a red glow, however its restrictions are more extreme as not only does it have an improved range, but as well as gives a short description on the desired target, much like [Inspect]. Just like the name states [Inspect] is a skill that shows information on a desired object. Since It is a skill that anyone will have immediately after starting the game it doesn''t have a specific skill grade. The skill has no restriction other than being unable to see information on objects depending on level difference. ¡°What was that demon¡¯s name anyways?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°It¡¯s included in the report that¡¯s being written right now. Just read it when we return.¡±(Amitiel) Hearing his vague response, Charlotte felt the need to purify this ¡°[Transcended Demon]¡± in front of her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be helping these people right now?¡±(Prynn) ¡°She¡¯s right. Charlotte cast a [Mass Purify] on everyone here. This should help them awaken as well as remove any of the remaining demonic energy lingering in their bodies.¡±(Renya) [Mass Purify] is a [Medium Grade lvl 8] skill and as the name suggests is a larger and more mana consuming version of [Purify]. ¡°Alright give me a sec.¡±(Charlotte) She replied fixing her robes a bit before pulling out a staff out of her [Inventory]. The staff had a pure white handle reaching 1.8 meter in length not including the tip. Speaking of the tip, the tip itself has a large aquamarine colored crystal orb with golden magic runes floating inside. Not only that but the Orb had a pair of white wings wrapping around it. This is an [Ancient Grade] staff called [Eir] named after the goddess of healing Eir. Holding [Eir] with both hands, she held it high above her head and started to cast [Mass Purify]. After that an intense light shone over the whole town square, covering everyone who was lying down on the floor. After a few brief moments, there were signs of people waking up. After a few people stood up and looked at their surrounding their eyes laid upon the figure of Charlotte holding [Eir] in her hands. Realizing this Renya became panicked. ¡°Charlotte! Hide your staff quickly before any more of them see you!¡±(Renya) ¡°Ah! My bad.¡±(Charlotte) Realizing her mistake she quickly stored [Eir] back inside her [Inventory]. But doing so was in vain as the people who saw her with the staff became even more surprised when she stored it inside her [Inventory]. Suddenly a middle aged man wearing clothes that looked more expensive compared to the clothes of everyone else walked towards us, watching his steps as to not step on any of the people who are still unconscious. ¡°Are you the ones who freed us from the demon¡¯s control?¡±(???) ¡°Yes, may I ask who you are?¡±(Renya) ¡°I am Lester Wynnsmith the current deputy mayor of our [Town of Velka]. I would first like to thank you for saving us from the demon. If possible may ask the name of our saviors?¡±(Lester) ¡°I¡¯m Renya, this is Prynn, Amitiel and Charlotte.¡±(Renya) After telling them their names Lester proceeded to bow a sincere bow, showing his gratitude even further. ¡°If there is anything dear savior would like please don¡¯t hesitate to ask!¡±(Lester) ¡°Well can we continue this conversation inside? We¡¯re attracting quite a lot of eyes from the crowd.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°But first please help these people!¡±(Prynn) ¡°Yes, I know.¡±(Lester) After calling over some people to help, Lester lead Renya¡¯s group to a much larger building compared to the one where the demon was in. He lead them inside a room that had 2 sofas opposite to each other and a coffee table between them insisting them to take a seat. After taking a seat Lester asked them if they wanted some refreshments to which Charlotte happily agreed to asking for some honey tea. As she began to enjoy the drink, he asked Renya a question, assuming he was the leader of the group, about their selves to which Renya replied to saying that they were travelers and that they have gotten severely lost. ¡°I see, although it is unfortunate for you to get lost, It was very fortunate for us that you came across this town.¡±(Lester) Realizing his words he continued hurriedly. ¡°Not that I am happy about the fact that you got lost! I¡¯m thankful tha-¡°(Lester) ¡°I understand your point no need to be so flustered.¡±(Renya) Cutting him off Renya spoke ending his words with an understanding smile which made Lester¡¯s face flush red out of embarrassment. ¡°Now we hope that you can help us by providing a few bits of information.¡±(Renya) ¡°I will do my best. But before that may I ask a question?¡±(Lester) ¡°You may.¡±(Renya) ¡°Was there a possibility that the mayor was possessed by a demon?¡±(Lester) ¡°No, usually when one purifies a possessed person the purification will only affect the demon itself not affecting the victim. But when we purified the mayor his body disintegrated to dust signifying that he was an authentic demon.¡±(Amitiel) He replied coldly. ¡°I see, then you can ask your questions¡±(Lester) ¡°Thank you, first of all I would like to ask about the mines we came across on our way here and as why they were abandoned.¡±(Renya) ¡°The mines were rich in minerals which became our main source of income as well as a specialty product of the Town as well as the few villages nearby. As to why they were abandoned, the demon hypnotized the workers into leaving for the sacrifice.¡±(Lester) Amitiel behind Renya, who acted as if he was someone who already knew, continued to remain silent as he was hoping that there might be new information that comes out from this conversation. ¡°If I may ask, what is your current job and level?¡±(Renya) ¡°There¡¯s no harm in telling, I have the job called [Apprentice Strategist] as well as the job [Warrior] and I am currently level 24.¡±(Lester) ¡°I see. (His level is similar to the town mayors of [Alt Online] This world shouldn¡¯t be too different to it logic wise.)¡±(Renya) Although he could''ve just used [Inspect] on the mayor, he felt that it was rude and that Lester is a good man deciding against it. Although Renya has changed in a lot of aspects, his morals still stand firm and that he still believes in a Confucianism like ideals. As he reached a temporary conclusion he asked another question. ¡°Then can you tell me how this whole mess started in the first place?¡±(Renya) Closing his eyes he thought for a good while and after a brief moment he finally spoke. ¡°A few days ago the mayor wanted to go over to the two nearest villages to have a chat with a few friends of his. We didn¡¯t think much of it as he would occasionally do this every now and then, even at times having these friends of his come over to having a drinking session that usually lasted until dawn. He didn¡¯t come back for a few days which was a normal occurrence whenever he did these drinking sessions. After a few days we finally heard news of him as he returned here. However he had a different feel to him, although vague it was definitely demonic energy. Before I knew it he had already hypnotized half the town, including me.¡±(Lester) ¡°He must¡¯ve planned this for a long time I suppose.¡±(Renya) Although reluctant he gave a nod to Renya''s words, with a hint of depression on his face he replied. ¡°Yes he must¡¯ve.¡±(Lester) ¡°Then can you tell me about your relationship with him?¡±(Renya) As he heard these words he felt all the more depressed. ¡°He was a good friend of mine. We¡¯ve known each other for a long time, even saving my life a couple times. Strangely enough he doesn¡¯t invite me whenever he has these drinking sessions, claiming that I should manage the town for him while he¡¯s gone, of course as the deputy mayor I have no choice but to do so.¡±(Lester) ¡°(No wonder.) I see, I¡¯ll ask a few more questions, after that can you guide us to an inn to stay for the night?¡±(Renya) ¡°No problems.¡±(Lester) After calling over one of his helpers he continued to ask the questions. Gathering all the information they needed, they¡¯ve discovered a few more things. After showing him gold coins that came from the [Altinea Continent], Renya asked if they could be used in trade in the [Helia Continent]. Surprisingly he discovered that these gold coins were made by an ancient empire and are still circulating up to this day. But after showing him the silver and copper coins of the [Altinea Continent] he became absolutely sure of it as he even grabbed a few coins from his pocket showing the same silver as well copper coins mixed in with a few other coins with the same sizes but different design. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Learning this Renya became more relieved as the economic power of [Titan City] still remains and that trade will be possible. But when he asked about the empire that made these coins Lester became unable to answer as he lacks the knowledge concerning it as he only heard it from a talk with a friend. Other than that they also discovered that the nearest city here belongs to the [Aelynn Empire], it is also the city where a banquet will be held for the engagement of the two countries. The city is named [Ostwald City] and it would take a few weeks to reach on horse carriage and around a week and a half on horseback. Before we were guided to the inn Lester asked a few questions. ¡°Are you people perhaps part of the [Hunter''s Guild]?¡±(Lester) ¡°[Hunter''s Guild]?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°You¡¯re not? I could¡¯ve sworn that you were.¡±(Lester) ¡°Tell us about this [Hunter''s Guild].¡±(Renya) After giving them a brief explanation they finally left for the inn. Based on what he told them, they found out that there exists different types of guilds in this world. The [Hunter''s Guild], as the name implies is a guild that specializes in hunting monsters and doing jobs that have a relation to monsters, like escort missions, subjugations, and generally hunting. He also told them that each of the guilds would have a branch in major cities and at times even in small towns like this for example. Thankfully Lester had a patient temperament allowing them to ask as much as they wanted. By the time they reached the inn it was already dark. They gathered in one of the rooms as per Renya¡¯s request. ¡°Now what?¡±(Amitiel) ¡°We discuss our next actions.¡±(Renya) He said glancing at everyone in the room. ¡°Tomorrow we pretend to set off for [Ostwald City] then we loop around back to [Titan City] when they lose sight of us. When we return we gather all sentinels and decide our future plans and objectives. Making our trip here we should have gained enough general information..¡±(Renya) ¡°What about the town and villages?¡±(Prynn) ¡°They can handle themselves. I¡¯ve used inspect on most of them before, they have decent levels for normal civilians.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Then do you know the origins of that demon?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°It¡¯s in the report, besides he¡¯s not that important to be taken note of.¡±(Amitiel) He replied nonchalantly which gave Charlotte another reason to purify him. ¡°Enough Amitiel, we¡¯ve got time and I also want to hear about his origins.¡±(Renya) ¡°*Che*. Alright I¡¯ll speak. The demon¡¯s name is Bach Guilar, he¡¯s a demon from the [Nether Realm] that got dragged all the way here a couple decades ago, most likely due to summoning ritual. He¡¯s probably killed the ritual initiator regaining full control of his body and by doing so he received the backlash for breaking the contract and was severely injured. He found this town, lived in it for a while then decided to use all its people for a sacrifice ritual to increase his strength.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°And your basis for all this?¡±(Prynn) She asked doubtingly. ¡°As I was restraining him I caught a glimpse of a contract mark on the back of his head.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Then his level and class?¡±(Renya) ¡°He was level 56. He had two Classes, one is the [Black Mage], the other is [Elite Illusionist]. Anymore questions?¡±(Amitiel) ¡°No, get some rest tomorrow we leave for [Titan City] as planned.¡±(Renya) Seeing everyone nod he left for his room to sleep. -?????- The next day as planned they left stating that they were leaving for [Ostwald City]. Being their benifactor they didn¡¯t have any suspicions as they bid their farewells. After arriving in [Titan City] they called all the sentinels for a third meeting. As all of the sentinels arrived they sat in their respected seats and waited for Renya to begin. In a short while after all of them gathered he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you have read Amitiel¡¯s full report.¡±(Renya) All of the sentinels but Prynn and Charlotte nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have a much easier time discussing our future actions and objectives.¡±(Renya) He said glancing at everyone before speaking again. ¡°First of all we still need to find more information about this world in general, such as magic, history and the likes. Even if we already got some information from the town it¡¯s still lacking. Naturally I don¡¯t like keeping secrets from you all so I¡¯ll be blunt. I want to travel around this new world.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words all the sentinels did not speak but revealed a smile. ¡°Lord Renya.¡±(Brutus) He said returning back to his formal way of addressing Renya. ¡°Yes Brutus?¡±(Renya) ¡°I want to speak on behalf of all the sentinels.¡±(Brutus) He said standing up and glancing at the rest sentinels, as if waiting for their affirmation. In a while all of them nodded with Brutus receiving their affirmation. ¡°Then Father, I would like to let you know that we can manage [Titan City] even without you present. Actually we¡¯ve already had this happen even when we were still in the [Altinea Continent] when you left for a long time.¡±(Brutus) Hearing his words Renya can¡¯t help but get embarrassed. ¡°Not only that, but I believe that you deserve a long vacation. After all you¡¯ve been managing, building and improving this city for thousands of years without a proper break.¡±(Amitiel) Hearing his words Renya became shocked, but before he could question him further another person spoke. ¡°Yes, I believe Lord Renya should be allowed to travel this new world. We can manage on our own.¡±(Lilith) She said with her timid voice. ¡°She¡¯s right you know father. Besides there¡¯s that magic device for communication that you made Orloth make so we can always contact you when the time comes, plus you can take a [Teleport] scroll with you so that you can always return here when we need you, or whenever you want.¡±(Charlotte) ¡°(She has a point I guess.)¡±(Renya) ¡°Actually I feel that Khali¡¯s ability to handle the city¡¯s affairs and economy is far better than father¡¯s, not only that but sister Laura¡¯s and Brutus¡¯s ability to command the army as well as Amitiel''s and Orloth¡¯s wisdom is better than father¡¯s.¡±(Charlotte) After hearing those words his face became complicated. Only after a while did he sigh and spoke again. ¡°Alright I see your point. You can handle things far better without me.¡±(Renya) He said dejectedly. ¡°No I¡¯m not saying that father is not needed. After all, without father none of us would be here in the first place, taking care of the city while you¡¯re away is the least we can do.¡±(Charlotte) She ended it with a smile calming Renya down. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. I¡¯ll leave in a few days, but make sure you¡¯re all doing something progressive, don¡¯t just sit in this mountain range just because you can.¡±(Renya) ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already made a plan in mind. But please do tell me what you originally planned for [Titan City].¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Alright, originally I planned on keeping our existence a secret. Only when we¡¯ve managed to get a proper grasp on the world did I plan on revealing the city and if possible I wanted to avoid getting caught up in war, as well as other country struggles.¡±(Renya) ¡°Almost the same as what I had in mind, so don¡¯t worry about a thing.¡±(Amitiel) He said ending his words with a smile, making Renya worried. ¡°Alright then, Khali.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes M¡¯lord?¡±(Khali) ¡°I¡¯ll leave the city in your hands.¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it to increase its fortune by the time you get back.¡±(Khali) ¡°Then I¡¯ll assign the leaders for the times that I¡¯m gone. The ones in charge and has the authority to issue out an order, with the consent of all sentinels of course, will be Amitiel and Orloth. For the ones who¡¯ll take full command of my armies when I¡¯m gone will be Brutus and Laura. As for the rest of the sentinels, please take care of [Titan City] while I¡¯m Gone. ¡±(Renya) Finishing His words they all nodded their heads. Seeing this he felt relieved knowing that [Titan City] is in the hands of people who are ¡°Slightly¡± more capable than him. Author Note: Hello~ This chapter was quite the pain in butt but I managed to finish i nonetheless as promised. As always theres gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2: Changed [Hunter Guild] to [Hunter''s Guild] Chapter 7 Little White Chapter 7 In the middle of the night Renya stood in the balcony of his room leaning his body against the railings. His eyes were that of a person who was looking off into the distance, lost in thought. ¡°(I never really did have the talent to command others, the best I did in the past was assign a group office workers in separate groups to finish in time, but even in that I never really took direct command of them. And besides, what I¡¯m commanding aren¡¯t a bunch of office workers, but a group powerful beings, each has their own needs and would not be satisfied with what an ordinary office worker would.)¡±(Renya) Although Renya is a man who has gained multiple kinds of experiences throughout his 40 year life, talent was not something one could get from experience. Although he would always do his best when the time comes, his job would always result in being just passable when it comes to the job of leading others. ¡°(I Guess leaving the future plans to Amitiel and the others is good enough for now. Not like i can come up with plans that could rival theirs.)¡±(Renya) Although he thought of things that way he still had a lingering feeling of fear, fear that something bad might happen while he¡¯s not around. But remembering that he can return any time he pleases with [Teleport], this fear was somewhat eased. [Teleport] much like the name implies is a [Low Grade lv 5] skill and as the name implies, allows the person to teleport to a designated location at the cost of mana. Feeling that today was too taxing on his mind, he decided to go to sleep. -?????- [Noon The Next Day] Just finishing up their spar Brutus and Renya stood face to face. As both of them wore their suits of armor with brutus in his 3 meter dragon form holding [Jormungand] and Renya holding a different weapon this time, the weapon was a curved blade as long as 2 meters and seemed to have been made with a white colored metal as well as having engravings giving it a beautiful finish. The hilt was made with the same metal as the blade as well as having the same design giving the sword an over all feel of ¡°purity¡±. But unlike like the previous two swords that Renya pulled out last time, the blade had a proper name, [Silver Fang]. Although not one of his preferred weapons, it was still a weapon that reached [Ancient Grade] making Renya name it. The two of them faced off as the spar was coming to a close. Considering that this may be the last spar they¡¯ll have for a while as Renya will be leaving soon, they went all out pushing their abilities to the limit, without using skills of course. With a fierce vigor, Renya dashed forward holding [Silver Fang] with both hands getting ready to deliver a swift cut the moment he gets close enough. Seeing this Brutus also prepared to charge forward using [Jormungand]. *BANG!!! With a deafening blast the two weapons clashed one last time as they are locked in place attempting to get an advantage against each other. Wanting to win this fight Brutus started to flap his wings to push Renya back, but learning his lesson from all the previous spars, he lead [Jormungand] downward while jumping making it pierce the ground where Renya once stood on became cracked in a spider web like fashion with [Jormungand] in the middle of it. With [Jormunand] in the ground he used this chance, he struck Brutus with all his might turning [Silver Fang] into a white flash of light. Just as it was about to hit, his enormous tail swept upwards facing Renya''s strike head on. *PENG!!! With Brutus having the highest defense among all sentinels, he felt confident that he should be able to block an attack of this level. Needless to say he was correct as the two forces faced off creating another deafening sound. His face of triumph only lasted for a brief moment as he felt Renya¡¯s presence disappear. He quickly sent his glance all around the field, but his face turned grim as he couldn¡¯t spot him at all. Suddenly he felt a sudden danger above him making him turn his head to face it, but he was far too late, he¡¯s already been hit by a downward slash sending him back 4 meters. Unlike last time, no cut could be seen on his armor, not even a scratch. But Brutus felt defeated nonetheless. ¡°How about we call it a day, Brutus?¡±(Renya) ¡°*Sigh, Alright, you must be busy making preparations for your departure so I won¡¯t bother you any further.¡±(Brutus) He said ending his words with a faint smile. Seeing this, Renya stored [Silver Fang] back into his inventory and proceeded to Orloth¡¯s room to pick up the items he requested after saying his goodbye to Brutus. In just a few minutes he''s already reached the front of his door. Knocking three times, it did not take long for some one to open the door. As the door opened to his surprise it was Orloth. ¡°Wheres Lemi?¡±(Renya) ¡°I sent her to get the items you¡¯ve had me prepare since I felt that you should be coming sometime this noon. Please, come inside while you wait.¡±(Orloth) Accepting his offer he went inside. Having a chat as they walked towards his desk before sitting down. ¡°So the reason you¡¯ve made me create all those items was for that.¡±(Orloth) ¡°You could say that.¡±(Renya) ¡°Right, then I¡¯ll be sure to take care of things while you¡¯re gone.¡±(Orloth) He replied calmly making Renya reassured. ¡°Then please do.¡±(Renya) As their conversation was just about to end it was interrupted the sound of the door opening. ¡°Orloth! I¡¯ve come back with items.¡±(???) Soon the figure of lemi could be seen walking towards them but upon seeing Renya she stopped on the spot and bowed deeply. ¡°Lord Renya!¡±(Lemi) ¡°Lemi you may stand, no need for such formalities every time we meet.¡±(Renya) ¡°Y-yes!¡±(Lemi) ¡°The items Lemi?¡±(Orloth) ¡°Ah! They¡¯re inside the bag.¡±(Lemi) She replied showing a small bag around the size a pouch in her hands before placing it on the desk between Orloth and Renya before leaving the room. ¡°Here are the items you requested me to have prepared. I hope they are of use to you.¡±(Orloth) He said before passing the bag to Renya. He checked the inside of the bag to check its contents, what he saw inside were 10 scrolls of [Revive], 20 scrolls of [Teleport], potions for healing as well as mana each in a set of a hundred and then some, and a small stone the size of a toddlers fist engraved in magic runes. Including the bag which should be the interspatial bag were all the items Renya requested a few days ago. ¡°Of course they will. Thanks for the hard work, I¡¯ll be on my way then. By the way my departure should be tomorrow morning.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words Orloth nodded. After storing the bag in his [Inventory] he headed towards Thali¡¯s room. He was greeted by the same doll as before he entered the room. Inside were a few spherical wooden sometimes metal objects covered in magic runes and circles they were all of different sizes but a majority of them were around the size of a basketball. Deeper inside sat Thali tinkering with one of the spherical objects. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Lord Renya. What brings you here today?¡±(Thali) ¡°I¡¯m here to check on your progress.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see, well please have a look.¡±(Thali) Coming closer, he stared at the sphere in Thali¡¯s hands. The sphere had different parts upon closer inspection giving it some movement, and after using [Inspect] he discovered that it had the ability to hover as well as use the skill [Stealth], a [Low Grade lvl 4] skill that allows the person to go invisible for a certain period of time. The sphere also had a round glass like piece, Renya assumed it must be the lens that allows the user to see through them. ¡°You¡¯re already done?¡±(Renya) ¡°Almost, it needs few more changes actually, like its size and the amount of mana it consumes after activation.¡±(Thali) ¡°I see, then let the other sentinels know about it after you complete it. Also, Have you completed the smaller battle golems?(Renya) ¡°Yes, they should be under construction in the [2nd Layer Underground Facilities] at the moment.¡±(Thali) ¡°I see, then I¡¯ll take my leave, my departure should be tomorrow morning.¡±(Renya) In the same way as Orloth, Thali nodded. Renya left the room heading towards outside to stroll around the city one last time before his departure tomorrow. As he was just about to go outside a figure suddenly joined him. ¡°Taking one last walk around the city before leaving father?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Yes, do you wish to join me?¡±(Renya) ¡°I don¡¯t have anything better to do so why not?¡±(Charlotte) Joined by her they took a stroll around the city, compared to the other times where he would do this Renya felt that this one is special since he was joined together by Charlotte. At times they would hold a conversation about the future and what would happen by then making the stroll all the more enjoyable. To Renya this became a special memory as this was one of the first times he¡¯s spent this much time with one of his ¡®children¡±. Being so he became prepared for his new journey ahead of him. With the sun having set they¡¯ve decided to return back to the [Nocturnal Citadel]. They had dinner along with Brutus and Laura making the atmosphere lively around them. With this Renya went up to his room to rest for the day. -?????- [Morning The Next Day] Wearing the equipment he had Borri prepare for him, Renya stood facing of a gate that had a height of at least 50 meters, these were one of the gates that lead to the outside of the city. Behind him stood all of the sentinels, excluding the 11th. ¡°This is it I guess.¡±(Renya) He said turning around to face the sentinels. ¡°Indeed. You don¡¯t need to worry about us, all you need to do is enjoy your adventure. But don¡¯t forget to use the communication device every now and then okay?¡±(Charlotte) She said ending her words with a bright smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll be sure to bring honor to the city while you¡¯re gone.¡±(Laura) She said with a proud look on her face, although a bit of tears on edges of her eyes. Luckily no one seemed to have noticed since a majority of them were in the same circumstances. ¡°Well maybe this time we¡¯ll be able to see Lord Renya bring back a wife or two.¡±(Amitiel) He said Jokingly to ease up the mood to which the rest of them laughed to, excluding Renya of course. Amitiel laughed along the other sentinels before he continued his words. ¡°By the way Lord Renya, what are we to do with Little White?¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Little White?¡±(Renya) Slapping his forehead he finally remembered who they were talking about. Quickly opening a window he played around with the screen before he finally closed it. Once he closed it, he looked over to the direction of the [Nocturnal Citadel] where a white dot could be seen traveling with unimaginable speeds. The white dot in a matter of seconds quickly transformed into an owl with bright golden eyes and beautiful white feathers. This was Little White. She was the first pet that Renya managed to obtain back when [Alt Online] was still in its early stages. Back when he originally obtained her, Renya became overjoyed about the occasion then proceeded to brag about her to his friends in College. Since she was his first pet he naturally took good care of her, even refusing to get other pets since he felt that he only needed Little White. However as his level became higher and higher and as [Titan City] became closer to completion, he had almost forgotten about her in the passage of times. Feeling bad for her he released her into the city letting her do as she pleased the moment it was finished. Now that he has seen her again he can¡¯t help but feel happy now that they¡¯ve been reunited again after a long time. As Little White reached Renya she flapped her wings several times before landing on his left shoulder. Naturally after Renya called her she felt that she can finally be reunited with her master even rubbing her small little head against Renya''s cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll take her along, since traveling alone can be pretty lonely.¡±(Renya) He said petting Little White¡¯s head to which she happily receives. ¡°Well then I¡¯ll be taking my leave, so farewell for now.¡±(Renya) He said somewhat reluctantly but looked away quickly as to not let the sentinels see his face. After the gate opened he walked through it realizing that they were still floating in the air, with the gate behind him closing rather quickly he was forced to jump down to the dense forests below making Little White fly around in the air for a while. After landing he surveyed his surroundings before fixing his clothing that got disheveled due to the fall. Not long after Little White has already landed on his left shoulder. ¡°Now then Little White, should we begin our journey?¡±(Renya) He turned his head to look at Little white who was nodding her little head. Being satisfied at her reply he set off to explore this new world. Author Note: Hello! This chapter is shorter compared to the others only reaching around 2.2k words in it compared to the usual 3k words I felt that I had to end it there to give you one of those "Our fight has just begun!" type of things. Also these 3k chapters (well 2.2k today) are mentally draining and I may not post a chapter tomorrow for a break. Probably not idk. Anyways only the future can tell so no worries~ Chapter 8 Hunteréˆ¥æªš Guild Chapter 8 Inside the dense forest near the [Town of Velka] was a hooded man wearing a dark blue colored mantle with a white owl perched on his left shoulder. He walked in a relaxed manner, fully immersed in the nature all around him. ¡°The forests in this world cannot be compared to the ones back in the [Altinea Continent] let alone earth, don¡¯t you agree Little White?¡±(Renya) He said talking to the white owl on his shoulder. The owl replied with a nod, as if understanding what he just said. ¡°We should be reaching the [Town of Velka} soon.¡±(Renya) He did not increase his pace, instead he slowed down a bit to enjoy the scenery more. But feeling that he was getting nearer he pulled up the cloth mask to cover the lower half of his face. After a few minutes he caught sight of the [Town of Velka], heading towards it. It did not take long for him to reach the entrance. Unlike last time where they were questioned by the town guards, he was welcomed with a smile this time. ¡°This town is pretty laid back, considering the fact that all of it''s citizens were just hypnotized the other day.¡±(Renya) He murmured to himself as he entered the town. After asking a few of the townspeople he learned of the location of the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] branch. Before he went there he noticed that the town has recovered rather quickly, making the town regain it''s lively atmosphere. Making his way towards the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] he came across a few people who were wearing adventurer like equipment signifying that he was getting close. But due to the equipment he was wearing as well as the white owl perched on his shoulder he attracted quite a lot of stares, but as Renya has gotten used to the glances back in [Titan City] he easily endured as he proceeded on his way. After walking in the town for a bit he finally reached his destination. The [Hunter¡¯s Guild] building stood out from the rest of the buildings in the street as its height reached 40 meters totaling 5 floors its width was a full 30 meters making it a rather large building. Even for a branch building it was still pretty big, showing just how massive it¡¯s influence is. Walking towards the entrance he saw a sign reading ¡°Hunter''s Guild¡± "(This place is pretty big, I guess being a hunter is a pretty popular choice in this world.)"(Renya) Entering the building he attracted everyones gaze thanks to his suspicious appearance and the white owl on his shoulder. Making his way to the rows of receptionists counters he went to the one where there weren¡¯t any people waiting in line. As he rang the desk bell, a girl with brown colored hair around the age of 16-17 came out from a room behind the counter. But became surprised upon seeing the owl on his shoulder. ¡°Welcome to th- Wah! Such a pretty owl!¡±(???) ¡°*Ehem¡±(Renya) ¡°Ah! Sorry about that. Welcome to the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] how can I be of service?¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said while sending a couple glances to Little White. ¡°Is it possible to join the [Hunter¡¯s Guild]?¡±(Renya) ¡°Join? Are you not a hunter of the guild?¡±(Receptionist Girl) The girl asked doubtingly as she stared at him from top to bottom, unable to see why this person who is wearing impressive looking equipment is not part of the guild. ¡°No, I came from a distant land where guilds like this don¡¯t exist. I just recently entered this country and heard about this place, I thought joining as it may aid me in my journey.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said believing his half-baked lie. Although the part about him coming from a distant land was true, the other part about the [Altinea Continent] being devoid of guilds was an absolute lie as it was overflowing with them. ¡°Then please wait a moment as I get the documents for joining the guild.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She went back to the room where she was just in to get the documents before returning with a piece of paper in as well as a crystal orb in her hands. ¡°Please fill the registration form, also please be reminded that you don¡¯t need to write down the level as the guild has its own way of determining it.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said handing Renya the piece of paper in her hands. Fortunately The words were in English allowing him to fill them with ease. The form itself only asked the general information of the person such as name, gender, age, class, and level although there were parts where it was optional, Renya understood as to why it was. He filled the form as follows:

Name:	Renya
Gender (Optional):	Male
Age (Optional):	19
Class(es):	[Elite Arcane Archer], [Thief Apprentice]
Level:

As to why his age was 19, he still maintained the same appearance from [Alt Online] and decided to refrain from writing down 43 which is his actual age. He handed back the from to the girl, although shocked she brought up the crystal orb on the counter, asking Renya to put his hand on it. Soon enough the orb glowed a faint blue color as the girl recorded something making a surprised face as she did. ¡°The level has been verified, it¡¯s surprisingly high I must say, and when you wrote down [Arcane Archer] you weren¡¯t kidding.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said with a shocked expression as she showed me the level part of my registration form. "(Is it pretty high?)"(Renya)

Level:

As to why it was 67, before Renya began his journey he used a skill called [Limit]. As the name suggests it is a skill that limits a player¡¯s skills and abilities. The skill was given to players who achieved level 200, allowing them to raise the level of the classes they wanted to try out. Not only that it also allowed them to play with their friends who had a much lower level than them, allowing them to play without ruining the fun of fighting monsters. The limit Renya placed on himself made it so that he will only get the appropriate skill level for an archer at level 67, apart from that the two classes [Elite Arcane Archer] as wells as [Thief Apprentice] were at its actual level even though the [Limit] skill allows one to decrease their class grade. Speaking of [Class Grade] the grades of each class is as follows from weakest to strongest, [], [ Apprentice], [Elite ], [Supreme ], and [ God/Celestial], however there are cases were the class would have a different wording such as [Arch Magus] [Arch Bishop] etc etc. ¡°Alright, now that you have filled the form you can pay the fee of 2 silver coins to create a [Hunter¡¯s Guild] card, this fee is optional as we can provide you other forms of verification for free. However it is highly recommended that you pay for one since it will not only serve as a verification but it will also allow you entrance through the country borders as well as give you a discount in some places.¡±(Receptionist Girl) "(It''s surprisingly convenient, being a hunter and all.)"(Renya) She said with a smile. Hearing her words Renya touched the interspatial bag that was attached to his waist, grabbing a handful of silver coins. Naturally he came prepared as he bought money along with him, the amount he bought was enough to buy two [Ancient Grade] weapons from the market back in the [Altinea Continent] meaning that it was quite a lot. As to why he used this instead of his [Inventory], he judged that it would not be too suspicious if he did so. Handing the money over, he was then asked to wait for a bit as she prepares the card. The wait was only for a short while as she came back with a card made of silver. The silver plate was blank on one side and had magic runes on the other, signifying that it was a magic item. She then began to engrave the card with words before casting a skill on it. ¡°This card will serve as a form of identification as it contains information like your name and rank. Please try not to lose it as you¡¯ll have to pay another 2 silvers when you do.¡±(Receptionist Girl) As she gave him the card the girl began to explain what the ranks are. The ranks from her explanation were divided into ranks: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E, and F, with F being the lowest and SSS being the highest. She pointed out that due to his level he¡¯s been assigned to [Rank: B] allowing him to accept missions of the same rank and below. After the explanation he asked her the average levels that one would normally have to which she replied. ¡°Well people around your rank should all be at least level 35+. Actually each rank is not really decided by what level one has but the skill they have as well as the contributions they make. For example, I heard there was this [Rank: S] hunter that was only level 41. But don¡¯t worry about these things for now, I doubt you¡¯ll stay in [Rank: B] for long with a level as high as yours.¡±(Receptionist Girl) ¡°Many thanks, will I be able to accept a mission right away?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, go over to the mission board over there and pick a mission of your choice but please keep in mind of its rank. After doing so bring the paper back here for verification.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said pointing over to the large board that was divided into six parts, each of them having a sign on top signifying the required rank of the mission. ¡°Will do.¡±(Renya) Finishing his registration, he stored the card into his bag and went over to the board for [Rank: B] missions. He skimmed through them attempting to find an escort mission that will go from here to [Ostwald City]. Unfortunately he found none, only managing to find missions for either subjugating monster nests that are near the area, or missions that require you to collect materials from strong monsters. Being disappointed he went back to the counter of the girl to ask a few questions. ¡°Where can I find escort missions that go from here to [Ostwald City]?¡±(Renya) ¡°[Ostwald City]? You¡¯re in luck! There''s some one who requested a mission that has you escorting a merchant carriage just this morning.¡±(Receptionist Girl) If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Can you please show me the Request?¡±(Renya) ¡°No problem.¡±(Receptionist Girl) After saying so she went back into the room then came back with a piece of paper in her hands. ¡°Here you go.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said handing him the piece of paper in her hands. Renya accepted it reading its contents. A merchant seemed to be hiring hunters [Rank: C] and above to escort his carriages from the [Town of Velka] to [Ostwald City]. The time limit for the registration of the mission is due tomorrow as the merchant is leaving two days from now in the eastern entrance of town. The request itself will last for 2-3 weeks depending on the events that happen during the duration of the mission, the rewards are 2 gold and 10 silver. Although minimal the paper had all the necessary information making judgement rather easy. After pondering for a while he decided to accept the request. ¡°Great! As the request said please go to the eastern entrance of the town two days from now.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said writing something down. ¡°Alright, also can you recommend me an inn to stay for the night? As well as directions on how to get there?¡±(Renya) ¡°No problem!¡±(Receptionist Girl) After being given directions Renya went out of the guild after saying his thanks. Coincidentally it was the same inn that Lester led them to the other day. Thankfully there was a different inn keeper this time, allowing him to avoid suspicion. Walking to the counter where the innkeeper was at he asked him about the prices for lodging. The inn keeper became surprised after seeing Renya¡¯s and Little white¡¯s appearance but quickly regained his composure before Renya reached his counter. ¡°How much for two nights?¡±(Renya) ¡°With or without meals?¡±(Inn keeper) ¡°With meals.¡±(Renya) ¡°Its 60 copper a night, so its 1 silver 20 copper.¡±(Inn Keeper) ¡°Here.¡± He said as he grabbed the amount from his bag. Much like in the [Altinea Continent] the conversion rate is 100 copper = 1 silver, 100 silver = 1 gold. After handing him the money he guided him to a room and gave him the key to it. Renya did not stay as it was still to early for him to sleep. After looking around the room he discovered that it wasn¡¯t half bad, the room had all the basic necessities such as a bed, table, and a chair. The room had a window where one could look out of, the bed and the pillows were soft and comfortable, the same as the room he slept in the other day when he came with Amitiel and the others. "(Like my room from before. Well I guess this room isn''t so bad.)" Finishing his inspection of the room he went back into the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] building to take up a mission he can do here since he felt that it would be boring to wait in his room waiting for two days. Walking inside he yet again attracted the gazes of many but they all looked away realizing it was him again. Walking up to the same girl as before. ¡°Hello again!¡±(Receptionist Girl) ¡°Yeah I came to take up a monster subjugation mission.¡±(Renya) ¡°Over there at the mission board, there should plenty for you to choose from.¡±(Receptionist Girl) Walking over to the board again deciding to pick the ones that would give him the most money, although he wasn¡¯t short on it, he decided to take them anyways since they could possibly raise his rank faster. "(I guess this mission should do.)"(Renya) The mission he picked up was about hunting down wyverns, naturally he had to hunt down 5 before he could turn them in for a reward. Just like back in the [Altinea Continent] wyverns are considered as the weaker cousin of dragons, as such they are smaller in comparison as well as only having two legs instead of four. However even the weakest wyvern is enough to kill a party of level 15 humans as their level are usually in the mid 30s. As such they require a party of lvl 30s in order to subjugate the safely. Not only that, they have a tendency to work in groups making them all the more difficult to hunt. The request gives out the reward of 7 gold coins and require you to bring back their tails for confirmation. You can also sell the materials you get from them to the guild giving you a price a decent price. Seeing Renya pick this request the girl became surprised, but remembering that he was level 67 she did not say much allowing Renya to take on the mission after a quick warning. After learning the general location of the wyverns he set out to hunt a couple of them since it was still early afternoon. Exiting the town and back into the mountain range he activated [Eagle Eye] giving his irises a blue glow before using [Wind Sprint] a [Low Grade level 3] skill that increases movement speed and agility. He glanced at Little White who was perched on his shoulder and said whilst petting her head. "Search for a group of wyverns for me."(Renya) To which she nods happily before flying off into the sky. He started running after her general direction and after a short period of running through the dense forest he sees the foot of the mountain range. According to what the receptionist girl told Renya they should be around the edges of the mountain range. Not long after Little white flew above him as he ran, looking at her figure she acted as if she was telling him to follow her to which Renya does willingly. Following Little White¡¯s speed was not a hard task for Renya thanks to [Wind Sprint]. In just a short while they neared an area that was filled with wyverns. The wyvern¡¯s number totaled 13, each one of them should at least have a wingspan of 6 meters and have a length of 5 meters. Renya took out his bow, grabbing an arrow from his quiver that had been stocked with arrows beforehand. Holding his bow horizontally and nocking an arrow then drawing it back, he prepared to shoot an arrow. He aimed at the wyvern that was nearby aiming at its left shoulder. He released the bow string hitting the shoulder of the wyvern disabling its ability to fly. Without waiting for the wyverns to react he shot another arrow at the second nearest wyvern, hitting it in the same spot then moving unto the next, but by the time he aimed at the third the wyvern, the rest of the wyverns in the area realized what was going on and started to attack. Seeing this Renya began to move running to the right into an area with a lot of trees to serve as his cover. With the wyverns being unable to pursue him by flying they landed on the ground dashing towards Renya with intense speeds. Not giving them a chance he nocked another arrow whilst running, turning his body around then aiming at the wyvern who was running the fastest, disabling it by shooting its knee caps causing it to writhe in pain on the ground. Such reflexes came from decades of playing [Alt Online] as well as the fact that this body is not that of an ordinary human, but a transcended one making movements of this level an easy task. Spinning his body he continued to run while disabling one wyvern after another. The other wyverns seeing their numbers dwindle started to hesitate on whether or not they should continue the pursuit, only after when there were two left did they start to retreat. But unfortunately for them Renya was not willing to let go of such excellent moving targets. He ran in pursuit disabling both of them before he decided to start killing them. He went to the nearest one unsheathing a short sword from his waist. The short sword was rather simple, being completely black, having a half meter long double edge blade that was only had half a fingers width as well a simple handle without any design on the guard and pommel. Although the sword was made with a black colored metal it had a blueish shine to it making it look rather mysterious. The short sword was a [Mythical Grade] weapon named [Lunar Edge]. It was a weapon that he made in his earlier years when he was still leveling up his blacksmith class while building [Titan City]. Brandishing the sword he began to kill the wyverns, cutting their tails then storing them inside his bag. Although the wyverns struggled using all their might, they were no match for a [Mythical Grade] weapon, and with a wound that disabled a fraction of their movement, killing them became all the more easier. As Renya began to walk to the last couple wyverns he discovered that there was another monster nearby, already feasting on the disabled wyverns. The monster¡¯s back as it ate was covered in a metallic like carapace with its fur being somewhat gray in color. The monster sensed Renya¡¯s presence and turned around. The monster was a bear with a height that reached 4 meters. ¡°Iron back bear? Good! This hunt has just gotten a lot more interesting!¡±(Renya) He said wearing a fierce smile behind his cloth mask. Author Note: I just couldn''t resist to write this one >.< The conversations in this chapter is rather short as I''m only describing what Renya is doing even if it is 3k words again. I feel ashamed as to not add his inner monologue thanks to it being a somewhat third person perspective, hopefully I will be able to include his thoughts in the near future, but for now an arrow to the knee! As always there will be a chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2: JAYZUSU KOREISTO!!! This chapter was a literal wall of text that I was too blind to see! Made more spaces making them easier (hopefully) to read ;~; Author Note 3: SHITTTOOO!!! I forgot to add the reason why he was 19 yrs old! Author Note 4: Ive been really blind this time, A wyvern is a pretty strong monster it shouldn''t be disabled that easily or so. So I made them writhe in pain since jayzus christ your knee caps had just been obliterated by an arrow. Should make the event more believable ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) Also I think that a wyvern needs to be standing up to do a proper flight since its wing span is longer than the body length as well as considering the fact that they are surrounded by trees making flight all the more restricted. I think I dodged the bullet this time with that plot hole *Whew Author Note 5: Holy shit no5! Anyways, Changed the Receptionist''s Desk to counter! I had a hard time remembering the word counter so I had to use desk kek. Chapter 9 Iron Back Bear Chapter 9 ¡°Iron Back Bear? Good! This hunt has just gotten a lot more interesting! You''ll serve as a much better target practice compared to these wyverns!¡±(Renya) As the bear heard his words of provocation it became infuriated. Although the bear can¡¯t understand English, let alone any form language, it can still understand that Renya was currently provoking it just now. *GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! With a fierce roar the bear began charging Renya. Seeing this he retreated back into the forest. But not caring at all, the bear charged forward pushing down all the trees that blocked its path with ease. As he ran, Renya pulled out an arrow from his quiver, nocking it and began pulling the bow string. As he casted [Arcane Shot] a [Low Grade lvl 5] skill the arrow that he was holding became covered in a blueish energy white, as the energy gathered more and more he spun his body around aiming at the bear¡¯s head. The arrow flew in a straight line leaving a bright streak of blue light that illuminated the somewhat dark forest, heading towards the Iron Back Bear¡¯s forehead. Sensing an imminent danger the bear tilted it¡¯s massive head to the left, making the arrow gaze the side of the bear¡¯s face before obliterating a good portion of its right shoulder, as wells as parts of its neck. But instead of cowering in fear it became more enraged charging madly towards Renya. Realizing that the bear¡¯s speed will eventually overtake his, he turned around and began charging at the bear with an arrow that was fully drawn in his hand. As the distance between them was only a few dozen meters it did not take long before the distance became less than 10 meters. Renya leaped over the bear¡¯s hulking figure shooting the arrow midair, piercing the area where the [Arcane Shot] destroyed causing the bear great amounts of pain as the arrow sunk deep into his flesh tearing through his bones and muscle. The Iron Back Bear limped in the ground in pain before washing all the pain away with anger. Turning its body around to attack Renya it soon realized that there was another [Arcane Shot] aimed at him. Before it could even react the bolt of light pierced through hit¡¯s forehead instantly killing it. Although the Iron Back Bear was level 56, Renya was still ten level ahead of it making the fight slightly more difficult. He went near its body and untied the small bag from his waist, he planned on storing the whole bear cadaver in it. Suddenly, the bag¡¯s mouth opened just enough to fit bear inside swallowing it whole before returning to its original size. With his hunt almost finished, Little White came back landing on his left shoulder. In her mouth were a total of 5 tails that should belong to a wyvern. ¡°Good job, with this it should be a total of 16. That Iron Back Bear should¡¯ve eaten two of the wyverns beforehand, well this should be enough.¡±(Renya) Returning back to the [Town of Velka], he went straight to the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] to claim his reward. ¡°You killed 16 of them?¡±(Receptionist Girl) ¡°Yeah, here take a look.¡±(Renya) He said pulling out 16 tails that were still somewhat bleeding from his bag before handing them over. The girl reacted fast grabbing a metal tray below the desk for the tails to be placed in. She wore gloves and began examining each of the tails before speaking. ¡°These are wyverns alright.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said with a wry smile. ¡°Also, I also killed another monster along the way, what do I do with it?¡±(Renya) ¡°You can sell it to the guild for money, of course if you manage to kill and collect enough of them you may be able to turn in a quest or two.¡±(Receptionist Girl) ¡°I see, well I managed to bring the whole body with me. Is that fine too?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, actually the guild prefers whole cadavers since we¡¯ll be able to salvage more parts and gain the pelt if it¡¯s body isn''t too damaged.¡±(Receptionist Girl) ¡°Do I pull it out here or do you have a room for it?¡±(Renya) ¡°Ah! Please follow me.¡±(Receptionist Girl) He followed her into another room. The room had rows of tables as well as several people inside with monster in hand for them to sell. She led Renya into a vacant spot asking him to place the body on the table that was around 2 meters in width and was 6 meters in length. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes please do.¡±(Receptionist Girl) ¡°Alright then.¡±(Renya) As he finished his words, the body of an enormous 4 meter tall bear landed on table, almost crushing its support. ¡°*Eeeeek! An Iron Back Bear!¡±(Receptionist Girl) Although he heard her voice, he wasn¡¯t able to see her figure since she was blocked by the enormous body of the bear. Since the room was rather quiet, her scream resounded in all directions attracting the attention of everyone as well as startling Little White. But as soon as they saw the body of the bear they couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°Was it such a big deal?¡±(Renya) He tilted his head with Little White mimicking him. ¡°It is! An Iron Back Bear is an extremely powerful monster that would usually require a party of [Rank: A] to subjugate! Not only that, but they usually live deep in the mountain ranges. How the heck did you encounter this one?!?!¡±(Receptionist Girl) As soon as the words left her mouth, Renya as if lightning had struck him realized something. Although when Amitiel said that there were much lesser people in the world like them, he misinterpreted it as ¡®Lesser people that are level 200¡¯ not ¡®Lesser people that are not level 100+¡±. He thought that since it was a monster that he randomly encountered whilst hunting that it should be pretty weak. ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) Although his expression is not shown due to the cloth covering half his face, he was making a face that had the words ¡®I fucked up¡¯ written all over. ¡°*Sigh. Well you are level 67, I guess killing a Iron Back Bear is an easy task to you. Please wait a moment, I need to call my boss since I can¡¯t verify nor salvage the body.¡±(Receptionist Girl) She said walking out of the room. ¡°(Shit, I really screwed things up this time.)¡±(Renya) In a short while the girl returned with a woman beside her. She had fair skin, a charming face, brown hair that reached shoulder length that curved inwards, her ears were long and pointed upwards signifying that she belong to the elven race, and was wearing the same red colored vest as the girl but with a more professional look to her. When the sight of the bear caught her eyes she did not panic one bit, even smiling lightly as she greeted him, at times glancing at little white who was on his shoulders. ¡°Hello, my name is Elena Breyer. I am the current manager of this guild branch, nice to meet you, and I must say, I have never encountered an owl as adorable as yours. What¡¯s his name?¡±(Elena) ¡°The pleasures all mine. It¡¯s a she, and her name is Little White.¡±(Renya) Unconsciously he replied in a generic salaryman like manner as if out of nature. But luckily she seemed to have interpreted it as courtesy not minding it all. ¡°*Ehem. When Gina said someone managed to kill an Iron Back Bear I was expecting something something along the lines of her exaggerating a large mountain grizzly.¡±(Elena) Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Manager!¡±(Gina) She said with a pouted face. ¡°Alright my bad. Anyways are you sure you want to sell the body here?¡±(Elena) ¡°Why?¡±(Renya) ¡°Well you can probably fetch a much higher price if you were to sell it in [Ostwald City]. And with that interspatial bag you¡¯re carrying you won¡¯t need to hire a carriage to bring its body, not only that but placing it inside that bag of yours can somewhat preserve its freshness raising its price even further.¡±(Elena) ¡°Well I really don''t care about whether I can make a profit or not, more as I care more about getting rid of this body right now.¡±(Renya) ¡°Why so?¡±(Elena) ¡°Carrying that thing it my bag takes up a lot of space. This bag ain¡¯t infinite you know.¡±(Renya) ¡°*Fufufu. Alright then we¡¯ll buy the whole body for 70 gold and 30 silver, assuming you¡¯ve yet to remove the core.¡±(Elena) ¡°It¡¯s still intact.¡±(Renya) ¡°Good. We¡¯ll pay immediately after doing a quick inspection which finish around morning tomorrow. For now you can rest for the day, it is getting dark already.¡±(Elena) ¡°I¡¯ll leave it in your care then.¡±(Renya) He said leaving the guild building. By the time the whole affair was over, the sun has almost set dyeing the sky red. Going back into the inn he requested for the meal that he payed for beforehand to be sent to his room. Not a moment after his meal already arrived. The meal sent to him was a soup that had vegetables and bits of meat in it along with a few pieces of rye bread. Although the cooking cannot compare to that of the chefs in the [Nocturnal Citadel], the meal was decent and was enough to fill his stomach. After eating and feeding Little White he had an urge to go for a stroll, walking out of the inn he ventured the rest of the town as the streets are lit with the rows of magic lamps. Even at night the town was still lively, letting Renya enjoy the stroll. Among the adventurers he walked passed he would hear a mention about an Iron Back Bear being killed, causing Renya further distress. Walking by a familiar street, he caught sight of Lester who was talking with a few people, at times laughing making them seem rather close. Not wanting to be seen he went back to the inn for a good night¡¯s rest only after reading a portion of Amitiel¡¯s report to better understand this world. -?????- Waking up in the morning, Renya went down to eat his meal, bringing it up to his room just like yesterday. After feeding Little White he went to the guild to see if they were done verifying the Iron Back Bear. ¡°Renya, Little White!¡±(Gina) After seeing them come closer she greeted them. ¡°Is it done?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, hand me your card for a sec also here¡¯s the reward.¡±(Gina) She said handing over a pouch full of coins as she accepted Renya¡¯s card. She placed her hand over it chanting some magic over it, adding a few magic runes to its back. After she finished, she handed the card back while asking a question. ¡°By the way, do you plan on taking any missions today?¡±(Gina) ¡°Yeah, why ask?¡±(Renya) ¡°Nothing, so what mission are you going to take this time?¡±(Gina) ¡°The wyvern one again I suppose.¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright, be careful not to kill another Iron Back Bear again.¡±(Gina) After leaving the building he managed to come back around late afternoon with more than 20 wyvern tails. Instead of staying at the inn for dinner he wandered around the town searching for a good place to eat before ending up in a place that Gina recommended. The restaurant was named [Wisp¡¯s Trail], with such an intriguing name, Renya decided to have a meal here. Entering the restaurant with a white owl perched on his left shoulder, he attracted a lot of attention, some even began discussing about his recent feats of hunting an Iron Back Bear and such. ¡°Uhm, welcome to [Wisp¡¯s Trail], we hope you enjoy your stay!¡±(Waiter) Seeing the boy become flustered by his appearance he just nodded his words before he took seat in a vacant spot, before he picked up the wooden menu on the table picking out his meal. The restaurant itself had a simple and elegant design giving the place a homely feel. A waiter came up to him with a rather nervous look before asking him about his order. ¡°Well I guess I¡¯d go with Pork Ribs?¡±(Renya) He said looking at the owl at his shoulder. As if understanding his words Little White began to nod his head up and down multiple times. ¡°A serving for two.¡±(Renya) ¡°That¡¯ll be 14 silver.... please.¡±(Waiter) The last words of the boy seemed incomprehensible to Renya, but he paid the 14 silver nonetheless. After a while the boy came back with our meals. Naturally in order to eat Renya had to take his mask off, to which he does. Thankfully the lighting, although it was good, was not enough to reveal all his facial features as he ate making all the onlookers disappointed. As he ate, Little White who was originally on his shoulder landed on the table eating her share. While eating, he tried to listen to a few of the conversations going on around them, revealing bits of information to him. ¡°Damn, my party and I couldn¡¯t find a single wyvern today. What¡¯s up with that?!¡±(???) ¡°Well I heard from a friend of mine about this guy who hunted wyvern packs.¡±(???) ¡°Damn it. What¡¯s the next good thing to hunt besides wyverns?¡±(???) ¡°Mountain Wolves?¡±(???) Losing interest on the conversation between a warrior looking man and an archer he payed attention to another group of people. ¡°Do you plan on heading to [Ostwald City]? I heard there¡¯s a huge banquet that¡¯s been planned over there.¡±(???) ¡°Nah! Traveling there is pretty dangerous, I heard that bandit activities had increased near the borders. Not worth going over there now for a few swigs on wine.¡±(???) ¡°Since when were you this reserved? Back then you¡¯d even run around the whole town naked for a few drinks of wine.¡±(???) ¡°That¡¯s different!¡±(???) After listening to the two people quarrel, they finished their meal and went back to the inn to prepare for tomorrow. Author Note: Hello! I''ve decided to make the chapters Only as long as necessary. For example, this chapter is only around 2.1k words, but no worries~ they won''t decrease to anything less than 2k words and I''ll try to make each chapter nice and packed! Also this got posted pretty late due to me binge reading the latest chapters of TMW >.< Theres gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2: I prolly wont post a chapter the day after 10 as I would be cleaning all previous chapters from any of my monstrosities! So yeah sorry bout that :c Author Note 3: CHAPTER 1 HAS REACHED 1K VIEWS!!! Even follows are nearing 100! Thanks for le support c: Chapter 10 New Companions Chapter 10 After another day passed hunting wyverns and listening to rumors, it was finally the day of departure for [Ostwald City] Finishing their breakfast, Renya and Little White went out to the eastern entrance early in the morning in the hopes to get familiar with the client. Unfortunately after reaching the gates he discovered that the client has yet to arrive even though the carriages were already there being guarded by a few town guards. He did not realize that Gina forgot to tell him that the client would come around noon, forcing him to sit and wait around the area the whole morning for nothing. Around an hour before noon a few hunters had already gathered. The people who came mostly wore either light leather armor, robes or heavy plate mail. The equipment they wore wasn¡¯t bad as Renya could tell they were better than what a majority of the hunters he passed by in town wore. As he was waited under the shade of a nearby tree with Little White rested on a nearby branch, most of the glances landed on him making him the topic of conversation as they wait. A few moments later a party of hunters walked forward to greet him. ¡°Hi!¡±(???) The boy with light brown hair wearing plate armor greeted energetically. ¡°Hello.¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m Chris, I¡¯m the current leader of this party.¡±(Chris) He said looking at the girls behind him. ¡°Renya, pleasure to meet you.¡±(Renya) He greeted him after standing up. ¡°Are you by chance participating in the escort mission?¡±(Chris) ¡°Yes, I assume you¡¯re part of it as well?¡±(Renya) Hearing his words Chris nodded before speaking. ¡°You''re an archer right? We happen to be missing someone who can deal with enemies at a long range and we could always use an extra hand.¡±(Chris) After pondering for a moment and considering the fact that hunting wyverns alone every day or hunting alone in general, would get severely boring. He spoke. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s better than hunting alone anyways.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words Chris and his companion revealed a relieved expression. ¡°Many thanks! To be honest, my party and I are nervous about this escort mission.¡±(Chris) ¡°Is it because of the bandit activities increasing?¡±(Renya) ¡°Not just that, I''ve heard rumors about demonic activities being on the rise all around the continent. There supposedly was a Nether Rift opening up in the western region.¡±(Chris) ¡°Oh? Western region?¡±(Renya) ¡°You don¡¯t know? Well it¡¯s the western most region where both countries have yet to expand upon, its often called a Dark Sector.¡±(Chris) ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) ¡°Ah! By the way this is Nana, She¡¯s a level 28 [Thief Apprentice],¡±(Chris) He said pointing at the short haired girl wearing thief like equipment, ¡°Jennifer, a level 32 [Magic Swordsman] as well as [Swordsman Apprentice],¡±(Chris) Pointing over to the tall red haired woman with slightly dark skin wearing light armor with a sword attached to her waist, ¡°and my sister Maria, a level 27 [Priest Apprentice].¡±(Chris) and lastly pointing at the girl with light brown hair wearing a clean robe. ¡°Also I¡¯m, a level 30 [Knight Apprentice] and all of us are in [Rank: C].¡±(Chris) ¡°Instantly revealing information about yourselves, aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯m a bad person? Or if I¡¯m some evil necromancer that will get you killed later on? I also want to know why you¡¯d invite a stranger like me to your group actually.¡±(Renya) ¡°No it¡¯s fine, you seem like a good guy and as I¡¯ve said, we¡¯re lacking an archer in our group. Plus my intuition never failed me when it comes to judging people, telling you this much I can earn your trust better this way.¡±(Chris) He said finishing his words with a bright smile. Hearing his somewhat ridiculous statement, Renya wore a wry smile, taking off the cloth that covers half his face to show them his face. ¡°Alright you¡¯ve got me convinced, I¡¯m a level 67 [Elite Arcane Archer] as well as a [Thief Apprentice] like Nana, hope to get along with all of you.¡±(Renya) Their faces froze the moment those words left his mouth. The calm looking Jennifer was the first to retort. ¡°You¡¯re lying right?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Actually no.¡±(Renya) He said showing them his guild card after pulling up the cloth mask. After seeing the card for themselves their shock grew even further. ¡°Are you sure about joining us? I mean we can understand if you want to leave, since your level is twice ours and all.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°She¡¯s right! You do realize that it¡¯s actually disadvantageous for you if you join us you know? And you¡¯ve heard us mention our levels, why still join us?¡±(Nana) ¡°But I thou- Ah!!!.¡±(Chris) As he was about to finish his sentence, Maria pinched his arm causing it to turn red. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve wanted to join a party and I don¡¯t really mind the level gap.¡±(Renya) ¡°Are really you sure?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°It¡¯s fine really.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! Welcome to the party!¡±(Chris) After a few more minutes of introductions the client finally arrived. ¡°*Ehem, I am Charles Barrius, the one who hired all of you to guard my carriages. I¡¯ll be in your care for the duration of the trip. Also the food can be provided by us unless you¡¯ve bought your own. Charles appeared to be a tall slim man wearing robes and a pair of glasses, he was somewhat handsome with long well-kept blonde hair. Although he doesn¡¯t seem all that bad, he reminded Renya of Orloth in a way. ¡°Please gather, I would like to confirm all the hunters who are part of the escort mission.¡±(???) Said a man beside Charles. Not long after he started mentioning names to see if the hunters were present or not as well as see if there are any stowaways beforehand. In a short while, everyone had been called, including Renya and his newly joined party. Their numbers amounted to 31, with there being a total of four carriages that are to be protected. Their group finally set off after arranging the positioning, with Renya¡¯s party was placed in the rear carriage. As their group followed the road, which was on an open plain, to [Ostwald City]. Along the road Renya had Little White make rounds around their vicinity every hour or so to make sure that they get a proper grasp on their surroundings. Not only that but he¡¯d also ask about a few things that he¡¯s unfamiliar with every now and then. Fortunately the number of monster they¡¯ve encountered thus far was only a small amount making the amount of injuries almost nonexistent. After traveling for a good while, the group finally came to a stop in a forest as it was already too dark to see much of the road. Renya and his party set up a temporary camp along with most of the hunters near the carriages. Their camp consisted of two simple tents and a camp fire. Renya forgot to bring a tent of his own since he usually logs off every time he rests while traveling long distances in [Alt Online], making him rather embarassed. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring a tent?¡±(Chris) Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°Yes....¡±(Renya) ¡°Well you can sleep with me in mine if you want. I mean we are party members after all.¡±(Chris) ¡°N,no. I need to do something later on so it¡¯d be pretty inconvenient to sleep in a tent.¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright?¡±(Chris) As they settled down to have their dinner that was cooked by Maria, Renya would occasionally feed Little White a bit of rations from his bag. ¡°So what¡¯s his name?¡±(Nana) ¡°It¡¯s a she, and its Little White.¡±(Renya) ¡°Oh. Then what kind of owl is she?¡±(Nana) ¡°A White Frost Owl.¡±(Renya) ¡°White Frost Owl?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Let¡¯s just say she¡¯s an owl that born in an ice filled land.¡±(Renya) He said giving them a vague answer. Understanding his intentions Jennifer did not question further, but Nana begs to differ. ¡°Then how did you two meet?¡±(Nana) ¡°how did we meet?¡±(Renya) He said caressing the white owls back who was on his left shoulder while slightly reminiscing. ¡°Well, it was quite the event. It happened a long time ago and my memory of it is pretty vague. But I still do remember bits of it.¡±(Renya) ¡°Would you mind telling us?¡±(Chris) ¡°No, not really. Then let¡¯s see, it started while I was traveling around a snow mountain range. My level wasn¡¯t this high at the time so I was having quite the hard time traversing the area there. After that I fell in some ravine or something, but I managed to fall onto one of the ledges I discovered her unhatched egg that was just about to hatch, of course when she did I had to face off a couple hundred monsters that she attracted with her cries.¡±(Renya) Although his story wasn¡¯t the most touching, it was close to what happened. Naturally the mountains he was in weren¡¯t normal snowy mountains, but extremely dangerous mountains that have temperatures below 0¡ã and are filled with monsters that are level 60+. Her cries when she hatched weren¡¯t normal ones as it was enough to break his in-game eardrums making the situation all the more ridiculous. After telling his story he finished his meal and decided to go out for a walk together with Little White. Reaching a far distance away from their camp, he reached out for a stone the size of a toddlers fist in his bag before applying mana to it. Not long after he heard a woman¡¯s voice answer. ¡°¡±(???) ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me Charlotte.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°No, well yes but I wanted to ask a few questions concerning the two countries, as well as the current activities of Amitiel, Orloth and [Titan City] in general.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Well I want to know about the two countries situation, assuming Amitiel gave you all a brief summary after I left.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) From what Charlotte explained, the two countries [Notus Empire] and [Aelynn Empire], are both countries that are heavily populated by humans. Not only that but the country [Notus Empire] is a country that specializes in steel and industry, while [Aelynn Empire] is a country of magic. As to why they are holding an alliance in the hopes of possibly merging the two countries together is because of the threats they are receiving from the western region, or the Dark Sector. This Dark Sector is apparently not a place that the two countries have yet to expand into, but an area they don¡¯t dare touch as the amounts of powerful monsters are numerous there. And for the engagement itself, it was to be held a few weeks from now as the banquet is taking place in [Ostwald City]. ¡°And the reason why Amitiel didn¡¯t include this information in the report he gave me?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) Continuing her words, the activities of bandits in the border of the two countries seem to be the cause of the constant attacks they received when they were still in the western region as well as the supposed Nether Rift, forcing them out to the borders. When asked about it, Charlotte simply replied that Amitiel has yet to find information about the supposed Nether Rift. ¡°Where did he get this information?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Then how¡¯s [Titan City]?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°I see, any more noteworthy changes?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Congratulate him for me. Well I asked all that I wanted to know. I think I should head back to camp.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Yeah, found myself a small party as well.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°...¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°.......¡±(Renya) Even without seeing her face, Renya could tell that she was having a lot of fun teasing him. Deciding that he should return he ended the call with a few words of goodbye before heading back into their camp. Discovering that a majority of them were already asleep, he went up the nearest tree and found a decent branch before sleeping on it with Little White resting on the branch above. Author Note: Woot Wooot! 10 Chapters around 2.1+K long! Plus the story reached 100 followers! Kanpai~!!! Unfortunately this chapter was cut short as all that happened has happened, Hopefully the next will be around 3k words. There will be no chapter tomorrow as i will be cleaning, fixing and editing the rest of the previous chapters. Heres the world map tho, added extra continents and will prolly add the locations of the city next chapter. The gray areas will be the Dark Sectors BTW Author Note 2: I think I should Replace the synopsis....... Yeah I think I should. Suggestions are well accepted so don''t be shy to post your synopsis of the story below! Chapter 11 Bandit Attack Chapter 11 ¡°Renya!¡±(???) With a sudden voice waking him up, he almost fell down from the branch he slept on. He looked down at the person who called him and saw Chris and company. Noticing that he woke up Chris spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for departure, you should eat your breakfast at least.¡±(Chris) ¡°Really? What time is it?¡±(Renya) ¡°It¡¯s early morning, we¡¯ll depart when everyone is ready. Just eat your meal and get ready so we can depart early.¡±(Nana) Renya jumped down from the branch, after landing Little White flew over to her usual spot on his shoulder. Walking over to the fire, he grabbed a clean nearby bowl and spoon. Pouring some of the porridge into his bowl, he began his meal along with Little White. ¡°You¡¯re quite the heavy sleeper you know that?¡±(Chris) He said as they walked closer and sat around the fire. ¡°Am I?¡±(Renya) ¡°I mean, only after we started yelling at did you wake up.¡±(Chris) ¡°You¡¯re quite careless out here, even when you sleep you shouldn¡¯t let your guard down. Who knows when a sudden attack might happen, well I guess with your level you¡¯re not really worried about attacks, but you should still be careful.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°My bad.¡±(Renya) He replied while eating. ¡°Really careless aren¡¯t you? *Sigh*. We picked up quite the troublesome companion.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Well I guess as long as he can get the job done I¡¯m fine with his ridiculous attitude.¡±(Nana) ¡°We¡¯re the ones who invited him to join us in the first place. Besides I think Renya should already know about the dangers of this world with his level and all, in fact he should know about it more than anyone else here.¡±(Chris) ¡°Well you¡¯re half right. I just recently arrived in this continent so I don¡¯t know much about this place.¡±(Renya) ¡°Really? Then where did you come from?¡±(Nana) ¡°Best if I don¡¯t tell you.(You wouldn''t even believe me if I told you that I came from another world.)¡±(Renya) Somewhat pouting from his reply Nana spoke. ¡°Just finish your meal so we can reach [Ostwald City] faster!¡±(Nana) After a while, he finished his meal and began making preparations. The escort mission resumed with us guarding the rear caravan. Much Like yesterday, he sent Little White on rounds to survey the area around them. Their journey remained uneventful with the occasional attack from low leveled monsters. After a few days of getting along with Chris and the others, they arrived at a tall grass plain with a few trees here and there. The peaceful journey ended as Little White finally found some suspicious activity a few kilometers ahead of them. Flying back to Renya she made a loud cry to signal that something is wrong. Her sudden behavior made Chris and the rest of them somewhat surprised. ¡°What is it?¡±(Renya) After asking, Little White began making body gestures. Unable to understand what she is doing he opened a window to the side. Little White has discovered large amounts of suspicious humanoid activity ahead. Threat level: Extremely Low Distance away: 3.7 Kilometers ¡°Where are they?¡±(Renya) Little White looked at the direction where the carriages forward. ¡°What did she say?¡±(Chris) ¡°Some activities up ahead, around four kilometers ahead of the caravan.¡±(Renya) ¡°Are you sure?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Pretty sure.¡±(Renya) As he was about to run to the front to warn the others a sudden voice stopped him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±(???) The carriage¡¯s driver spoke after hearing their conversation, not long after a few of the hunters began coming over to listen. ¡°She discovered suspicious activity around four kilometers ahead.¡±(Renya) He said looking at Little White who had a somewhat triumphant look. ¡°Bandits?¡±(Male Hunter) ¡°I¡¯m not certain, but it most likely is.¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m gonna warn the others, you should ready your weapons in case they attack.¡±(Renya) After speaking Renya darted towards the front most carriage. ¡°Where''s Charles?¡±(Renya) ¡°What do you need him for?¡±(???) A tall hunter wielding a two short swords replied. ¡°There''s activity ahead, most likely bandits.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words the tall hunter ran to the frontal carriage where Charles is in. He returned a moment later, asking Renya to come with him to Charles. ¡°How can you be sure?¡±(Charles) ¡°She seen it.¡±(Renya) He said pointing at the white owl. ¡°That owl? Well I¡¯ve seen her fly over us a couple times already, I¡¯ll trust your report. Even if there are no bandits it wouldn¡¯t matter, better safe than sorry.¡±(Charles) After hearing his report Charles began making commands to prepare for the battle ahead. Not long after, a few people wearing hunter like clothing walked towards us. ¡°Are you travelers heading to [Ostwald City]?¡±(???) One of the suspicious hunters spoke. ¡°Yes, why ask?¡±(Charles) ¡°Are you perhaps merchants?¡±(???) ¡°Why does it matter to you?¡±(Charles) Unbeknownst to Charles, a several dozen figures began stealthily moving across the tall grasses. The instant Renya noticed something wrong he opened his [Demon Eyes], allowing him to see the figures all around them. All of the sudden, Renya pulled out his bow nocking an arrow and shooting at the suspicious hunter¡¯s kneecap making the arrow pierce all the way through with its tip protruding out his leg causing him to fall down. With this Little White flew into the sky and prepared for an attack. Although surprised at Renya¡¯s sudden actions, Charles seen through the bandit¡¯s act and began issuing commands to prepare for a battle. Not wasting his time, Renya shot another arrow towards the other bandit¡¯s kneecap disabling both of the bandits. After the arrow hit he began nocking another arrow to aim at one of the nearest bandits in the tall grass. With [Demon Eyes] highlighting the bandits, shooting at them became much easier. He shot arrow after arrow decreasing their numbers but unfortunately he was only one man, the numbers of the bandits must''ve exceeded 50+ and by the time he disabled five of them, the bandits already surrounded them and began their attack. Charging forward, some of the stronger hunters managed to fend them off, but the weaker hunters began having trouble fending off two at the same time. After using [Inspect] on everyone he realized that the bandit¡¯s levels were slightly higher than theirs. Thankfully Little White assisted everyone by providing support via sneak attacks. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Seeing this, Renya began using [Multi Shot] a [Low Grade lvl 3] skill. All of the sudden his bow had 4 illusionary arrows appear around his currently nocked arrow, as he shot the arrow the rest of the illusionary arrows followed after branching of to their own individual targets. In the distance, Chris and the girls began fighting the bandits that made it to the rear carriage. Lucky for them, the amount of bandits attack them are significantly less compared to the frontal carriage. With Chris as the vanguard and Nana and Jennifer attacking every time they see an opportunity, their group was doing fine even without Renya¡¯s help. While Renya and the rest fend off the bandits, Charles hid inside his carriage, not wanting to be attacked. All of the sudden a fireball flew directly at Renya, dodging by twisting his body, using as minimal movements as possible he shouted while the fire ball hit one of the wagons causing a small fire. ¡°They have mages!¡±(Renya) With the sudden news, the rest of the hunters became even more vigilant with some of their mages casting water magic to extinguish the fires. With his priorities changing from disabling bandits to stopping the mages, he began rushing to where the fireball came from. Seeing Renya charge to the mages, the bandits nearby ran towards Renya blocking his way causing him to stop. With a bandit brandishing his sword then slashing downward, he parried the attack using the upper limb of his bow. He grabbed an arrow from his quiver then stabbed it deep into his left thigh. Not waiting for Renya to react, the rest of the bandits began attacking him. Skillfully using his bow as if it was a sword, he parried their attacks as they came using every opportunity to pull out an arrow then stabbing it in their thighs and at times kneecaps avoiding their vitals. In a short while, Renya managed to subdue a total of 7 bandits before he began charging again to the mages. Seeing his pursuit the mages changed their target from the carriages to Renya. With fireballs and other kinds of spells flying at him, his task became all the more difficult. Nonetheless, he still managed to just barely dodge all the spells. Not a moment after, he arrived where the Mages are firing their magic. As he arrived he discovered that they numbered around 10+ making him irritated. Not wasting time, he dashed to the nearest mage sending his knee into his stomach causing him to fall to the ground convulsing before fainting. Seeing this scene, the mages in the vicinity momentarily stopped their barrage of spells before aiming directly at Renya without caring about the mage he just took down nearby. With spells flying at him, he kicked the ground sending his body forward to the next mage doing the same as before. Unfortunately, unlike before where he could anticipate their barrage of spells since he can see them for a good period of time before they hit, he wasn¡¯t able to dodge all of the spells this time since they¡¯re at such a close range giving less time to react. ¡°(Fuck!)¡±(Renya) Getting hit by a fire ball, his body got pushed back, making him clench his teeth in pain as well as take two steps backwards before rushing towards another mage. He said as he sent a punch to a nearby mage¡¯s face, making the mage hit the others behind him. Unlike in [Alt Online] where you can adjust the amount of pain you experience, realty is a whole lot different. Although this type of pain should be unbearable to someone like Renya, he manages to bear with it since he had his pain sensors in [Alt Online] set to a high level in order to make him dodge better back when he was still a beginner years ago. After spending a good amount of time beating the mages, he finally managed to subdue all of them. Tying them up he ran back to the carriages to see the situation. Surprisingly the hunters back near the carriages managed to do fine. After fending the bandits off for a while, the last remaining few finally retreated leaving a large number of either unconscious or dead bandits. Although the amount of injuries were large, there were none who actually died making a good conclusion to the fight. Heading back while dragging the mages, Charles and the tall hunter greeted him with Little White who has finished her job landing on his left shoulder. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been busy.¡±(Charles) ¡°Not enough to make me sweat.¡±(Renya) He said as he placed the tied up mages near where the rest of the bandits were. ¡°I must say, your contributions are significantly more than the rest of the people here. And for that I think I should increase your pay, won¡¯t you agree?¡±(Charles) ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to decline on that offer. By the way, what are you gonna do with them?¡±(Renya) He said as he pointed at the unconscious bandits behind him. ¡°Well, although we could take them with us and claim a bounty on them, that will take up space on our already limited carriage. Besides, bringing them with us will cause more trouble than leaving them here, we don¡¯t even know if their bounty is worth all the trouble. So what we¡¯ll do is take all their valuables and weapons, then leave them here.¡±(Charles) ¡°Fair enough.¡±(Renya) He said as he left for the rear carriage. ¡°Also.¡±(Charles) His sudden words made Renya stop in his tracks. ¡°I noticed that most of the people you¡¯ve attacked are still alive. I mean, if you positions were reversed, I doubt they¡¯ll let you live, why so?¡±(Charles) ¡°Whether they live or die, is not something for me to decide after meeting them once. However, if they still persist on killing me after I gave them a chance, then death is the only thing that will await them.¡±(Renya) ¡°Heh.¡±(Charles) After their brief exchange, Renya went back to the rear carriage. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re actually pretty good! I guess we didn¡¯t make the wrong decision having you in our team, and I have to thank Little White for her help.¡±(Chris) He said with a joyful expression. Little White had a triumphant look while Renya looked at them and saw that they only had light injuries with Maria having been unscathed. ¡°Of course he is. Anyone whose managed to reach such a level would atleast be this competent.¡±(Jennifer) She said with a hint of disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that was a compliment or an insult. Anyways you should go rest.¡±(Renya) ¡°Will do after we finish cleaning up the aftermath of the battle.¡±(Chris) He said as he looted a nearby bandit¡¯s belongings. When he did, Nana and the two girls began collecting all the valuables, storing them in their bags. As for Renya however, he doesn¡¯t have interest on such cheap items. Having nothing to do he decided to drag the rest of bandits onto one spot to clear out the road. After a while they finally finished, allowing them to continue their journey after resting for a while. Although there were a lot of injuries, they were mostly flesh wounds allowing them to walk. Author Note: Hello! I didn''t manage to post a chapter yesterday due to RL I apologize T_T Actually I never specified that I will post the day after *fufufufu Anyways this chapter will only be 2+k words long and expect the majority of the other chapters to be the same length. Those 3k words chapters were actually somewhat pre-made a few months ago, I never got around posting them, well prologue to chapter 2 are the rest are made after posting the series. 2k so I can post daily(Hopefully) 120+ Followers wooo! But still no reviews, which is fine although it will be helpful to the series if there are some super critical ones cant ask for too much lel. Like always theres gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2: 3k chapters is honestly hard to do :( I would have to spend the whole day sitting on my PC writing and editing a single chapter, sometimes deleting whole paragraphs and sequences since they didn''t feel right, just writing this chapter made my back hurt even with all the breaks I take. I hope you understand, this is my firs series after all ;~; Chapter 12 Ostwald City Chapter 12 Just like that, their journey was coming to an end after traveling for another few days. Apart from the first encounter with the bandits, nothing much happened other than a few attacks by low leveled monsters and thanks to Little White¡¯s constant watch on their surroundings, their journey became all the more safe. It was around early morning when they were about to catch sight of [Ostwald City] when a sudden group of people wearing identical sets of full plate armor greeted them. The armor they wore was made with a somewhat reflective material giving it a grandeur shine. Since Renya and company were assigned to the back, they weren¡¯t able to hear what they were talking about. ¡°The army?¡±(Renya) ¡°They should belong to the [Aelynn Empire], look at their insignia.¡±(Jennifer) She said pointing at one of the knights, Renya, Little White, as well as Chris and the two girls looked at the direction she was pointing at. By using [Eagle Eye], he managed to observe the insignia in greater detail. It was the side portrait of a golden dragon on circular decorative badge. The dragon had short horns and appeared to be a Golden Scaled Dragon, a level 130 dragon monster. As to how Renya recognized it immediately was because it was a dragon that he and his friends would frequently hunt due to its scales which sold for a large sum allowing him to fund [Titan City]¡¯s construction. The moment he realized what it was, he let out an awkward chuckle causing Chris and company to look at him with a confused glare, to which he smiled wryly to. ¡°*Ahem*. I¡¯m guessing this is because of the marriage or something that should be happening a week from now.¡±(Renya) ¡°They don¡¯t want any incidents happening during the marriage, of course their gonna start increasing the security of the city.¡±(Chris) ¡°Well I guess it¡¯s understandable. Actually I never asked why you guys wanted to come here in the first place.¡±(Renya) ¡°Well, my family lives here, the same for the rest of them actually.¡±(Chris) ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) Throughout the mission, Renya would chat with Chris and the others every now and then, increasing their intimacy even if it was just a little bit. He discovered that they are good childhood friends that became hunters to either support their families or simply because they enjoyed such a life. Of course, their conversations usually consisted about them asking Renya for a bit of advice to which he naturally gives, they are party members after all. ¡°So what will you do after you arrive in the city?¡±(Nana) ¡°Of course I¡¯m gonna have to find an Inn. Can¡¯t be sleeping in the streets now can I?¡±(Renya) ¡°No not that kinda stuff! As in what are you gonna do apart from temporarily settling in?¡±(Nana) ¡°Well I guess I¡¯m gonna accept a few more missi-.¡±(Renya) ¡°Wait for us if your gonna hunt! Just go around the city and tour around it. Actually I think Maria has nothing to do since Chris can just visit their homes in her place.¡±(Nana) She said turning her head to the quiet Maria. ¡°I know! Why don¡¯t you show Renya around the city Maria?¡±(Nana) ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±(Maria) ¡°Good! Then Maria will guide Renya around the City while we visit our families.¡±(Nana) ¡°Are you really okay with this Maria?¡±(Chris) He said walking up to Maria. ¡°I don¡¯t mind as long as he doesn¡¯t mind it too.¡±(Maria) She said turning her small head to Renya. ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than having nothing to do all day. Why not?¡±(renya) ¡°Then its settled!¡±(Nana) Before they realized it, the knights has already reached their carriage and asked the carriage driver to allow them to inspect it¡¯s contents, to which the driver allowed them to. The knights then proceeded to ask Renya and the other hunters to back away politely as they began their inspection. Fortunately they asked nicely making Renya and the rest willing to. Opening the entrance, they began thoroughly searching all the carriages nooks and crannies They finished their search, returning everything to the way they were before leaving to join the rest of the knights in the frontal carriage. However, just before they left, one of the stronger knights sent a second glance to Renya, to which he reacts to by remaining calm, not flinching one bit giving the knight a surprise, making him smile behind his face plate. ¡°Do you know each other?¡±(Jennifer) She asked as she noticed the small exchange between the two. ¡°What do you mean?¡±(Chris) ¡°No, from his aura I can tell that he should at least be level 50+.¡±(Rena) ¡°I see, you better not make trouble then. He should have a high position in the army if he¡¯s reached that level.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°I know.¡±(Renya) After the knights finished their inspection, they allowed them to proceed to the city. At the entrance, they were greeted by a few guards welcoming them to the city. As one would expect of a city that is having such a joyous occasion, the overall atmosphere was lively. Every street they pass would have a few people either drinking or talking happily. Not only that, but [Ostwald City] itself is a beautiful city, increasing this sort of atmosphere. As contrast to [Titan City]¡¯s beautiful structures that give a fantasy like feel, [Ostwald City] gave a more formal and European look. They went around the city before stopping at a specific shop. When the carriages stop, Charles gathered every hunter that participated the escort and began giving them their pay. Surprisingly, the pay they received was higher than what they were promised which was 2 gold and 10 silver, although not much, but an increase of 40 silver making it 2 gold and 50 silver made all of the hunters happy. After the distributions they left satisfied. Just like what they¡¯ve planned earlier, Chris, Jennifer, and Nana all left to see their families, leaving Renya and Maria alone together. ¡°Now what would you like to see first?¡±(Maria) ¡°The [Hunter¡¯s Guild] please.¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright follow me.¡±(Maria) They walked around the city, but due to Little White¡¯s appearance, they¡¯ve attracted quite a lot of attention, especially children¡¯s. Every now and then a child would start pointing happily at Little White, but would find it hard to approach due to Renya¡¯s appearance. Along the way a girl approached Maria and Renya. ¡°Maria!¡±(???) Said a cute looking girl around 15 years old who had brown hair along with pigtails. She wore a red blouse and a black knee long skirt. ¡°Cassie!¡±(Maria) She responded happily in contrast to her usually quiet demeanor. ¡°How have you been! I haven¡¯t seen you in the city for quite a long time.¡±(Cassie) ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, I was with my brother in the [Town of Velka] hunting.¡±(Maria) ¡°I see, whose he? Ah! What a cute owl! What¡¯s his name?¡±(Cassie) ¡°It¡¯s a she, he¡¯s Renya and the owl is Little White. We met in the [Town of Velka] and he¡¯s also my party¡¯s archer, he¡¯s pretty strong too.¡±(Maria) After her introduction Renya waved as a greeting. ¡°I see! Why are you two all alone by the way?¡±(Cassie) ¡°Well, It¡¯s been decided that I will be the one to show him around the city since I had free time and all.¡±(Maria) ¡°I see. Hey, mind if I tag along?¡±(Cassie) This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°I don¡¯t mind but I don¡¯t know about him.¡±(Maria) She said looking at Renya. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, as long as you can show me a majority of the city its fine with me.¡±(Renya) They continued their way to the city¡¯s [Hunter¡¯s Guild], only taking them a few minutes before they reached it since it was surprisingly close. The building, unlike the one in the [Town of Velka], was much larger, standing in at least around 50 meters and was around 40 meters in width. Entering the building, they were greeted with a large amount of stares, fortunately it was lesser compared to the one in the previous building as a majority of them were too busy minding their own business. They walked up to the long table counter that had multiple receptionists on standby with most of them dealing with hunters. He rang the desk bell to signal the receptionist. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna accept a mission are you?¡±(Maria) ¡°What do you mean?¡±(Cassie) ¡°Before joining us, he actually hunts alone. His reason for joining our party was pretty simple. He said that hunting alone is quite boring so he said ¡®Why not?¡¯.¡±(Maria) ¡°Quite the interesting guy. *hehe*¡±(Cassie) ¡°Anyways, are you gonna accept a mission?¡±(Maria) ¡°I won¡¯t, I just wanna take a look at the available mission, that¡¯s all.¡±(Renya) All of the sudden a middle aged man with brown hair greeted them. Although he was surprised with Little White, he quickly regained his composure. ¡°Welcome to the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] How may I help you?¡±(???) ¡°I¡¯d like to see the available missions for [Rank: B] hunters.¡±(Renya) ¡°Please show me your card or identification to verify your rank.¡±(Receptionist Man) Hearing his words Renya grabbed the card from his bag and passed it to the man. While all of this was happening, Cassie and Maria began chatting amongst themselves. ¡°[Rank: B]!?!? How on earth did you get someone like him to join your party? Isn¡¯t your party [Rank: D]? ¡±(Cassie) ¡°Of course not! We managed to rank up to [Rank: C] a few weeks ago.¡±(Maria) ¡°But still, he¡¯s still a rank higher than you guys.¡±(Maria) ¡°I already explained why he joined us!¡±(Maria) ¡°(She surprisingly acts childish in front of friends. I guess that¡¯s the kind of girl she is.)¡±(Renya) He thought as he listened to their conversation while he waits. ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed, please head over to the mission board to view the missions available to your rank.¡±(Receptionist Man) He said pointing over to the right where a huge board can be seen. After giving it a quick overview, they left after giving the receptionist a goodbye. After leaving the building Maria finally spoke. ¡°Where do you want to go now?¡±(Maria) ¡°Well-¡°(Renya) As he was about to finish his words his stomach let out a loud growl, signaling his current hunger. ¡°A good restaurant it is.¡±(Maria) Hearing her words, Little White became overjoyed since she was quite sick of eating low quality rations and wanted good quality food. Just like what Maria said, they went over to a good restaurant that was recommended by Cassie. The restaurant was named [White Dove]. The inside had a white color scheme, making the restaurant look clean. ¡°What a cute owl! *Ahem*. Welcome to the [White Dove]! Cassie! How are you today?¡±(Waitress) ¡°I¡¯m doing fine.¡±(Cassie) She replied in a friendly manner. ¡°(No wonder she recommended this place.)¡±(Renya) As Renya thought to himself they were guided to a table. Taking a seat, Renya noticed that a majority of the customers were females and that the males were usually here together with a female friend or lover. Since Renya came to this restaurant with such an adorable owl, he became the topic of conversation to a few of the people there. Picking up the menu, he began looking through the foods that would interest him. ¡°Renya, why are you even wearing that face mask?¡±(Cassie) ¡°For convenience.¡±(Renya) ¡°Convenience how?¡±(Cassie) ¡°I don¡¯t have to explain everything to you do I?¡±(Renya) ¡°*Humph!*¡±(Cassie) While they were having a small chat, a waitress came over to get their orders. While Cassie and Maria picked two soup dishes, Renya picked two servings of a dish that had a lot of meat. After they finished ordering, Little White flew from his left shoulder to the top of the table. ¡°Little White seems pretty smart for an owl. Are you a [Monster Tamer] by chance?¡±(Cassie) ¡°What do you mean?¡±(Renya) ¡°I mean, she looks as if she can understand human language, plus she¡¯s pretty obedient, for a monster that¡¯s not on a slave contract.¡±(Cassie) ¡°Well that¡¯s true. I guess it has something to do with the fact that we¡¯ve been together for such a long time.¡±(Renya) ¡°How did you meet?¡±(Cassie) ¡°Well...¡±(Renya) Their meals arrived as Renya began retelling the story of how the two of them met. They then continued showing Renya around the town after they finished their meals. ¡°What else do you want to see?¡±(Maria) ¡°What about that huge church like building over there?¡±(Renya) He said pointing at one of the massive structures that pokes out despite all the buildings in the area. ¡°That¡¯s the Cathedral of the [Church of Lux]. It¡¯s where the marriage between the two country prince and princess is taking place.¡±(Cassie) ¡°Let¡¯s go there! I¡¯ve also been wanting to see the cathedral for a while.¡±(Maria) ¡°([Church of Lux]? Why does it sound so familiar?)¡±(Renya) As Renya was lost in thought, he was suddenly dragged by Cassie and Maria towards the cathedral. Not long after, The three of them managed to arrive at the cathedral. The cathedral itself is massive, even bigger than the [Hunter¡¯s Guild]¡¯s building and much like all of the city¡¯s structure, its color consists of almost entirely white giving it an elegant look. Around the entrance of the cathedral stood a number of people. In the crowd of people, Renya spots a familiar figure and the figure does so as well. It was the knight from this morning They lock gaze ignoring everyone else around them as the knight slowly made his way towards Renya, ignoring the man he was just talking to. ¡°Hello, I believe we¡¯ve met before.¡±(Knight) He said as he removed the helmet he¡¯s wearing, revealing a handsome young man. He had short blonde hair and wore a charismatic smile that would be hard to hate. Author Note: So I''m having troubles with microsoft word 2013 since the magical red zigzag wont appear on my mistypes I''m very distress I tried googling this but to no avail. I hope to find a fix for this in the future. For now tho I will rely on RRL''s red zig zag. As always there''s gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Chapter 13 Second Prince Chapter 13 ¡°Hello, I believe we¡¯ve met before.¡±(Knight) The handsome man with short blonde hair said after he arrived a few meters before Renya. His words contained a hint of charm in it, making Renya feel uncomfortable. ¡°From before yes.¡±(Renya) He replied as the two locked gazes. As Cassie and Maria realized what was going on, they became stupefied as they recognized who the knight was. ¡°¡°The prince!¡±¡±(Cassie and Maria) They shouted at the same time but quickly quieted down. Their reactions startled Renya when he heard the word ¡®prince¡¯, thankfully he was covering half his face, making him look as if he was maintaining his somewhat calm demeanor. ¡°Prince? So you were the prince, I¡¯m assuming you''re of the [Aelynn Empire] due to the insignia on your armor.¡±(Renya) ¡°You are correct, but I believe you¡¯re not from around here?¡±(Prince) ¡°Indeed, actually I¡¯ve just recently entered the continent.¡±(Renya) ¡°No wonder you don¡¯t recognize me, I believe we¡¯ve yet to introduce ourselves?¡±(Michael) ¡°Then I guess I should introduce myself first. I am Renya, a hunter and this is Little White.¡±(Renya) He said looking at the white owl who had a cautious look on his left shoulder before returning his stare back onto the prince. ¡°I¡¯m Michael, the second prince of the [Aelynn Empire]. It is a pleasure to meet you both.¡±(Michael) He smiled at the owl and ended his introduction with a slight bow, causing the surrounding spectators to be quite surprised. ¡°Then what does the prince want with a lowly hunter like me?¡±(Renya) He asked with a fierce glare. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think of you as a lowly hunter. The fact that your level should be around mine, if not higher would be enough to tell me that you¡¯re no ordinary man.¡±(Michael) ¡°You¡¯re flattering me.¡±(Renya) Unconsciously Renya felt that the prince was a man who was easy to get along with, however he still felt that this prince had hidden intentions, making it hard for him to trust him. They are strangers to one another after all. ¡°*Ahem*. No need to be so cautious, I don¡¯t have any ill intentions towards you. Actually why don¡¯t we continue this talk in somewhere more private? That is if you have the time for it of course.¡±(Michael) ¡°I don¡¯t mind, as long as they are allowed to follow, they are my guides to the city after all.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see no harm in doing so, please follow me.¡±(Michael) He said as he guided Renya and the two girls inside the cathedral. After a while, they¡¯ve arrived in a private room. Going inside, they saw a few maids on standby as well as two sofas facing each other with a coffee table that had some snacks on it in the middle, the room was well lit and had a royal feel to it. After they entered, Michael had them sit on one of the sofas while he sat on the other side. ¡°Now that we¡¯re somewhere private, may I ask as to why the prince would be interested in me? I don¡¯t remember ever doing anything to catch your attention. Besides, what is the country¡¯s prince doing inspecting carriages of all things.¡±(Renya) He said as he crossed his arms in his chest with a fierce look in his eyes which caused some of the maids nearby to be displeased with his attitude, fortunately the prince appeared to not mind his behavior and said his reply. ¡°Straightforward aren¡¯t you? Actually, just your existence alone is enough to draw me in. Any person who reached level 50+ is either a well-known man, or a powerful figure in both countries. But then there¡¯s you. As for the carriages, I can¡¯t let anything bad happen to my wedding now can I?¡±(Michael) ¡°True, but I¡¯m guessing that you want to convince me to your join your country¡¯s force.¡±(Renya) Maintaining his demeanor, he made a somewhat rude remark causing the nearby maids to become even more infuriated. After hearing his, Michael let out an amusing laugh. ¡°Assuming things now aren¡¯t we? Well I won¡¯t lie to say I never had such intentions, but having surplus strength is always good however I did not invite you over for such things. Since you just recently came to the [Helia Continent], your fame should not be that high. But I doubt things will stay that way so I wanted to hopefully build a good relationship as early as I can.¡±(Michael) ¡°Oh? I feel that you¡¯re not telling me all that there is to it. Besides you barely even know me I doubt inviting me to join your forces would be a good move.¡±(Renya) He replied in a questioning tone, making Michael smile revealing his clean white teeth. ¡°Indeed, one of the reasons I¡¯m doing this is because the help of an individual like you in the near future is going to be quite priceless. As for why I¡¯m not doubting you is because you seem to be a good man like myself. ¡±(Michael) ¡°Good man, on what basis?¡±(Renya) ¡°That owl on shoulder is quite the obedient fellow, and I¡¯m not seeing any signs of him being on a slave contract meaning you legitimately tamed her, and the two girls you are with are people I¡¯m quite familiar with.¡±(Michael) He said looking at Little White then glancing over to the two girls, Little White tilted her head giving a confused look while the two girls who remained silent before Renya replied. ¡°It¡¯s a she, and I see your point. But is that all there is to it?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my mistake. *Ahem*. Actually I have an intuition that you¡¯re not the type of man to do something that you¡¯ll regret. Is that enough to clear your doubts?¡±(Michael) ¡°For now, back to what you¡¯ve said about the near future. Does it have something to do with the increase of the demonic activities happening in the Western Region?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, it¡¯s also the reason why we¡¯re having the alliance now, and my marriage to the princess of the [Notus Empire] is one of the many things we have to do in order to solidify the cooperation of both countries. I¡¯m surprised you see that far into my intentions, I can appreciate a smart man like you. So what do you say?¡±(Michael) ¡°I don¡¯t mind it if it¡¯s this much, besides, since I¡¯m staying in this continent for a while, it¡¯s affairs will eventually find its way to get me involved one way or another.¡±(Renya) ¡°Good! Then please accept this as a token of our friendship.¡±(Michael) He said as he threw a badge that had the [Aelynn Empire]¡¯s insignia carved onto it. It had a strange luster to it that made it shine like a mirror. ¡°This is?¡±(Renya) He said looking at the badge he just caught. ¡°It¡¯s a badge that signifies that your related to the royal family in one way or another. And don¡¯t even think about giving it to someone else, its magic will latch on to the mana of next person that touches it that isn¡¯t part of the royal family. Meaning it will only reveal that unique luster as long as you hold it, the moment another touches it, it¡¯ll lose that luster. Don¡¯t worry, if you touch it again it will return its original luster since your mana is already embedded into it.¡±(Michael) ¡°I assume this is something that will grant me special privilege in both countries.¡±(Renya) ¡°It also serves as a way for me to contact you, in case I do need your help.¡±(Michael) A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I see, then we should get going. It¡¯s getting pretty late.¡±(Renya) He said while he stored the badge into his bag ¡°I won¡¯t bother you further. Show them the way out Hilda.¡±(Michael) He said as a woman wearing a maid¡¯s outfit came over, she had black hair tied into a bun with a few strands somewhat loose. She bowed and showed them the way out of the cathedral. The moment they got out, Cassie and Maria started bombarding Renya with questions. ¡°Why did you accept his offer? I know he¡¯s the prince and all but still.¡±(Maria) ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t seem all that bad. Besides the badge he gave could come in handy in the future.¡±(Renya) ¡°You seemed pretty calm when talking to the prince, have you dealt with that kind of situation before?¡±(Cassie) ¡°More or less. (But I don¡¯t think corporate bosses count as royalty.)¡±(Renya) ¡°You also got that badge.¡±(Cassie) ¡°Is it such a big deal? A lot of people should have this kind of thing if he can just give this to a person he just met in a single day.¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course not! That badge is only given to either well-known or powerful people who are associated with the [Aelynn Empire]¡¯s royal family, why did he want give you one anyways? I know he mentioned something about your level, tell me!¡±(Cassie) She said hurriedly, with a hint of envy on her expression which made Renya silent. ¡°It¡¯s 67, calm down Cassie.¡±(Maria) ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t he just [Rank: B]?¡±(Cassie) She asked doubtingly, as if refusing to believe the words that came out of Maria¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s true, I just registered a few weeks ago. Anyways, the sun is already setting can you show me a good inn?¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright follow me, I happen to know a good one.¡±(Cassie) After speaking she guided the rest of them to an inn called [Green Horn Inn]. Walking to the entrance, Renya discovered that there were a lot of people, mostly hunters, going in and out of the inn. As for the Inn itself, it had a western feel making it stand out from all the European styled buildings. ¡°Is this an inn for hunters?¡±(Renya) ¡°You can call it that, I mean, a majority of their customers are hunters and due to the discount if you¡¯re form the [Hunter¡¯s Guild], their services focus on aiding hunters mostly but of course there are the occasional merchants but they¡¯re somewhat rare.¡±(Cassie) ¡°Why do you sound as if you know a lot about the place?¡±(Renya) ¡°Well my family does own the place, along with the rest of the places we visited, excluding the cathedral of course.¡±(Cassie) She said revealing a mischievous smile which made Renya glance at Maria who was acting as if she had nothing to do with it. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stay in this place. By the way do you want me to escort you two back? It¡¯s already so late after all.¡±(Renya) ¡°Why don¡¯t you just escort us to a good restaurant to have dinner? Watching your ridiculous exploits really made me hungry.¡±(Cassie) ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m also getting pretty hungry, what do you say Maria?¡±(Renya) He said looking over at Maria who gave a slight nod saying. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡±(Maria) ¡°Then It¡¯s settled, follow me I know a good place nearby.¡±(Cassie) Her mischievous smile returned as she began guiding them to a restaurant. Now that the sun has set and the city has turned the street lamps on, Little White stood out more than ever since her white feathers gave a faint gleam making a few people stare at her feathers. Much like what Cassie said, the restaurant really was nearby as they arrived there after a single turn down the street. Looking at the restaurant from the outside, it had a completely different feel from the previous one. It had a western feel to it much like the [Green Horn Inn] did. Upon closer inspection Renya discovered that the restaurant¡¯s name was [Green Horn Restaurant]. ¡°I can tell that your family also owns this place.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, c¡¯mon inside I¡¯m starving!¡±(Cassie) She said dragging both of them inside causing Little White who was on Renya¡¯s shoulder to be disheveled. With their sudden entrance, the waiter waiting outside for customers became startled but regained his composure when he saw Cassie. ¡°Welcome to the [Green Horn Restaurant]. Please enjoy your stay.¡±(Waiter) After the waiter greeted them, Cassie continued dragging them onto the nearby empty table. Not even waiting for Renya and Maria, Cassie began calling over a waitress then placed an order immediately after she arrived making Renya and Maria to make an order. "Two servings of your recommended meat dish.¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯ll have what she¡¯s having.¡±(Cassie) Hearing their orders, she left the table, leaving the two people somewhat upset on not being able to place a proper order. As it was too quiet, Renya began to ask Cassie a question. ¡°So what is your family, Cassie?¡±(Renya) ¡°My family? Well my dad is supposedly an entrepreneur who owns a lot of businesses, stores and restaurants. My mother is a secretary who helps my dad in his job and my older brothers and sister inherited a few of the business and stores my dad owns lessening his burden.¡±(Cassie) ¡°Then what about you?¡±(Renya) ¡°Well I¡¯m not old enough to inherit one of dad¡¯s business and I¡¯m still learning.¡±(Cassie) ¡°You seem pretty carefree with a family like that.¡±(Renya) ¡°You could say that.¡±(Cassie) After finished their chat, they waited a few more minutes before their meal arrived. As usual Little White flew down from his shoulder and began devouring her meal. They only had a small exchange of words throughout the meal before it ended. Paying for their meals, Maria reminded Renya to be in the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] early in the morning. To which Renya nods to returning back to the [Green Horn Inn]. Author Note: Whew! This chapter took longer than expected to write since I had to make sure I don''t leave any plot holes. Thankfully I don''t really say what time I release it and just say tomorrow *fufufufufu* and I managed to fix that microsoft issue. Turns out I have the language set to my native one making all the misspelled words not count as a mistake in spelling since my language uses the English alphabet as well lol I also seen some people question on whether or not this is a harem or not and I can assure you it''s not, there''s only gonna be 1 love interest or maybe 2? But it definitely wont exceed more than 2. Like always, there''s gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Chapter 14 Small Reveal Chapter 14 Walking back to the inn, he noticed that there seemed to be a lot more people entering compared to those exiting. Making his way to the counter, he had to wait in line for a short time before he could ask for a room. But due to his rather shady appearance, a few people in line began focusing their attention to him as well as the white owl on his shoulder. Noticing their stares, Little White turned her head a full 180¡ã to look at the people who were staring at her. This caused a few people to be startled, with a few females finding her action to be cute. Finally reaching the inn keeper¡¯s desk, he seemed to be a calm man who didn¡¯t seem fazed by Renya¡¯s appearance. ¡°So how much for a night?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not from around here. It¡¯s two silver a night, an extra silver and 50 copper if you want meals, but if you¡¯re part of the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] you get a discount of 20 coppers. We also provide services for repairing equipment, for a price of course.¡±(Inn Keeper) He said in a calm voice as he sized up Renya¡¯s equipment. ¡°5 days, no meals.¡±(Renya) He said as he handed 9 silvers along with his [Hunter¡¯s Guild] card. Just like before, he didn¡¯t seem to be surprised with his rank and just handed him his key while giving him directions. ¡°Here¡¯s your key, your room should be in the third floor.¡±(Inn Keeper) Accepting the key with a nod Renya began making his way to his room. On the way, he noticed that a few of the hunters he passed by weren¡¯t wearing a majority of their equipment and appeared to be heading down stairs to have their meals. Reaching his room, Renya entered it with the key he was provided with. Upon going inside, he noticed that compared to the previous inn he was in, this was a lot better. The room was bigger, it had no windows however and much like the previous inn, there was a table and two chairs as well as a small chest to store items. There was also a bath room, but it was rather small, enough for a single person to bathe in as there was a small tub can be refiled by a magic tool. Feeling that it¡¯s been a while since he last took a proper bath, Renya went inside after removing his equipment, seeing him strip made Little White somewhat shy as she flew across the other side of the room, looking away from Renya. After his bath, Renya equipped some normal clothes he had prepared for beforehand. Finally sitting on the bed, he found that it was a lot softer too, but didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it as he grabbed the small stone from his bag and began pouring mana into it. Not long after a sudden voice entered his mind. ¡°"(???) He said in a humorous manner. ¡°Enough of your nonsense Amitiel, where¡¯s Charlotte? Actually never mind, I need to ask you a few questions.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°*Ahem*. Amitiel.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I¡¯m assuming your men has already gathered a lot of information by now.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Good. Then do you have any information concerning the second prince of the [Aelynn Empire]?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Yeah, he gave me the [Aelynn Empire]¡¯s badge or something. He said it as a token of friendship.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡± (Amitiel) He said giving a sarcastic emphasis on the word ¡®powerful¡¯. ¡°67, apparently it¡¯s still pretty high.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Then who''s the person with the highest level in the continent?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amiriel) He said in a bored manner as if they didn¡¯t sound all that amusing to him. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Now back to Michael.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I think I can tell that after my encounter with him. Give me more specific details about him.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°What are your impressions of him?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take your word for it. Also, how many units do you have stationed in [Ostwald City]?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡± ¡°Then tell me how¡¯s [Titan City] doing at the moment.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Well it¡¯s understandable that staying in the city all your life can get boring, but I doubt that it¡¯ll be that easy to get a proper foothold for the city in this world in such a short time.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Well, you can tell me about the two continents in the future, it¡¯s time for me to go.¡±(Renya) After a few words of goodbye, Renya turned off the item and stored it back into his bag. He placed the bag to the side and lied down on the bed while Little White flew on the empty side of the bed and began to sleep as well. -?????- Morning the next day, Renya woke up and wore all his equipment and along with Little White, went to the [Green Horn Restaurant] to have their breakfast. After doing so they went straight to the town¡¯s [Hunter¡¯s Guild]. Entering the guild, the amount of people inside were much less compared to yesterday. Considering that it was still early in the morning, Renya picked an empty table and sat down to wait for Chris and the others. While waiting, Renya and Little White looked around the building, observing all the hunters that interest them. As far as levels go, he could guess without using [Inspect] on them. Renya could tell that their levels were usually around the mid and upper 30s and at times, early 40s. When he looked at their equipment however, he found them to be made in mostly refined iron at times steel. Before he knew it, Chris and the other¡¯s silhouette appeared in the building. They looked around for a bit before spotting Renya on one of the tables and began walking towards him. ¡°So how did you like [Ostwald City]?¡±(Chris) He asked with a wide grin. ¡°It¡¯s a nice city I guess.¡±(Renya) He answered while still sitting. ¡°You guess? That¡¯s quite rude.¡±(Nana) She said while pouting. ¡°We¡¯ll it¡¯s a good city, nothing more nothing less, certainly better than a few cities I know.¡±(Renya) ¡°What are they like?¡±(Nana) ¡°Horrible, in a level where you could die if you take a wrong step.¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m not even gonna ask where that city is.¡±(Nana) ¡°Anyways, Why don¡¯t we pick a mission first?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Alright then, should we go with an easy [Rank: B] mission? We should be able to handle that kind of difficulty.¡±(Renya) ¡°We can¡¯t pick [Rank: B] missions since our party is only at [Rank: C] and I doubt we¡¯ll be able to take a mission of that level as a whole.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°*Sigh*. Then we should at least pick one of the more difficult mission to increase our rank faster.¡±(Renya) ¡°I don¡¯t mind as long as it¡¯s not too dangerous, what about you girls?¡±(Chris) When asked, Maria and Nana gave a light nod. ¡°Alright then it¡¯s decided. I¡¯ll go and pick out the mission, wait here for a while.¡±(Jennifer) After speaking, she went over to the mission board to pick out a mission. While they wait, Renya called Maria over to a place where Nana and Chris can¡¯t hear. ¡°Maria.¡±(Renya) ¡°What?¡±(Maria) ¡°Have you told them about what happened yesterday?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, not yet.¡±(Maria) She answered whilst shaking her head. ¡°Well we should tell them as early as we can.¡±(Renya) ¡°Why?¡±(Maria) ¡°In case there comes a situation where we might need it. Better to explain things early than to wait till the last second. Besides, we¡¯re party members aren¡¯t we?¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright then.¡±(Maria) After finishing their small talk, They both returned to where Chris and Nana are seated. ¡°What was that about?¡±(Chris) He asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later when Jennifer gets ba-¡°(Renya) ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±(Jennifer) Jennifer returned carrying a piece of paper as Renya was about to finish his words. ¡°Actually, we ran into the second prince yesterday, turns out he was the level 50+ knight we came across during the inspection.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see, then what happened after you met?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°He invited us over to have a little talk. Turns out he wanted my cooperation in the near future, in exchange, he gave me the [Aelynn Empire]¡¯s royal medal.¡±(Renya) ¡°*Ugh* Being near you is mentally draining.¡±(Nana) She groaned in complain. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think having the medal is such a bad thing, it might actually be of use to you in the future.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°I agree with Jen, although pulling it out carelessly might be a bad idea, I think you can handle owning it.¡±(Chris) ¡°Alright now that you know about the medal¡¯s existence, we should verify the mission Jennifer picked and be on our way.¡±(Renya) He said looking at Jennifer who was still holding onto a piece of paper. ¡°This is the mission I picked.¡±(Jennifer) She placed the piece of paper on the table allowing us to all see it. ¡°Grey Wolves?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re wolves that usually lives in the nearby forests. As far as I know, their levels usually range from mid to late 20s. I think we should be able to handle this much.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°I see, (How nostalgic, these Grey Wolves)¡±(Renya) Seeing his expression that was looking off into the distance, Chris dragged him by the arm to verify the mission and begin their first hunt as a party. Author Note: So after someone pointed out that it''s a harem even if it is just 2 I decide to only have 1 female lead. Besides, I only originally planned on having 1 romantic interest for Renya, I only added the ''maybe two'' as a passing thought so yeah. As always theres gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Chapter 15 Grey Wolves Chapter 15 After Renya and his party members finished verifying the mission, they went to a nearby store to purchase a few supplies before heading out. Inside, a bald middle aged man with a fearsome beard wearing a brown apron on top of his plain clothing was sitting behind the counter. Seeing them enter, he recognized Chris and the others. ¡°Chris? I haven¡¯t seen you lot in a while.¡±(Bald Man with a Fearsome Beard) Hearing him speak, Chris spoke as he made his way to his counter. ¡°Yes it¡¯s been a while Tobei. We just came back from Velka recently and came here to get a few supplies for hunting.¡±(Chris) ¡°I see Nana has grown taller over the last few days.¡±(Tobei) He said as he spotted Nana walk in. ¡°What are you talking about!?!? I¡¯ve always been this tall!¡±(Nana) She replied pouted. ¡°Ah Jennifer, calm as ever.¡±(Tobei) ¡°Good to see you Tobei.¡±(Jennifer) She replied with a faint smile. ¡°And Maria, as lovely as ever.¡±(Tobei) Maria smiled as she heard him. ¡°By the way who¡¯s he?¡±(Tobei) He asked being startled slightly while looking at Renya and Little white who had just entered the store. Fortunately Chris didn¡¯t manage to see what just happened and proceeded to introduce Renya. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s a new party member, we met during an escort mission. Hey introduce yourself.¡±(Chris) ¡°Pleasure to meet you I¡¯m Renya.¡±(Renya) ¡°Tobei, and no need for formalities, makes things easier to be honest.¡±(Tobei) ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) He nodded lightly. After seeing his Reply, Tobei turned his head to Chris and asked a question. ¡°So what kind of supplies are you needing?¡±(Tobei) ¡°The usual please.¡±(Chris) ¡°Alright.¡±(Tobei) He said as he went back to a room behind the counter. Not long after, he came back with two large bag in hand, placing It on top of the counter. ¡°Here you go. It¡¯s a silver and 30 copper.¡±(Tobei) ¡°Thanks.¡±(Chris) He said handing over the payment. ¡°Is that all?¡±(Tobei) ¡°Yeah, we should get going. See you Tobei.¡±(Chris) He said handing Renya a bag then carrying the other over his shoulder. ¡°Careful out there.¡±(Tobei) He sent them off with a wave. Walking outside, Renya asked a few questions while they head towards one of the exits of the city. ¡°You¡¯re a regular of his?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yeah, we usually go to his store before we go out hunting.¡±(Chris) ¡°You know his level?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, I never really asked him.¡±(Chris) ¡°I see.(It¡¯s better to not tell them for now.)¡±(Renya) During the time that Renya and Tobei met, Renya tried to see his level based on his aura. Unknowingly Tobei did the same thing making the two of them startled for two different reasons. For Renya, he became surprised at the fact that Tobei¡¯s appeared to be in the late 50s. As for Tobei however, he became startled at the fact that he couldn¡¯t tell his level no matter how hard he tried. ¡°Was he an hunter at one point?¡±(Renya) He asked, making Chris ponder for a bit before giving an answer. ¡°Now that you mention it he did say something about being injured in his old profession this one time when he asked him about himself.¡±(Chris) ¡°Is that so?¡±(Renya) Before they realized it, they managed to reach the nearest exit. After talking with the city guards, Jennifer led the way as they exited the city and started heading towards a nearby forest. After a short while, they managed to reach the outskirts of the forest. Compared to the ones in the [Town of Velka], the trees are much shorter, even so, they still manage to block out a good amount of light making it darker the deeper you go inside as the trees gets denser as well. ¡°This should be enough.¡±(Renya) They stopped as they heard Renya spoke making Jennifer doubt him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°This is your first time hunting Grey Wolves right?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, we already encountered them a few times already.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Really? When and where?¡±(Renya) ¡°When we were still hunting in this city, we took on a goblin subjugation mission and encountered them along the way.¡±(Chris) ¡°The area you encountered them should have been in a forest like this right?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, the place we encountered it was similar to this one, how did you know?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°I used to hunt these types of wolves a couple years back. They don¡¯t live deep in forests like this one since if they go any deeper, they won¡¯t be able to hunt for food as there will be stronger monsters that can easily kill them. So we should start roaming areas like this where there are large amounts of weak monsters.¡±(Renya) ¡°Are you sure?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Well as far as I know at least. I don¡¯t know if my knowledge applies to these Grey Wolves.¡±(Renya) ¡°Well, as far as our knowledge goes on Grey Wolves, we should trust Renya since he¡¯s hunted them before.¡±(Chris) ¡°We don¡¯t really have a choice do we?¡±(Nana) She said while Maria nodded. ¡°Why does it sound as if listening to me is the most dreadful thing in the world?¡±(Renya) ¡°Why can¡¯t we just use Little White to search for the wolves?¡±(Nana) ¡°She can¡¯t search for them that way, the trees are too low and if she flies too high, the trees will end up blocking her line of sight.¡±(Renya) ¡°Can¡¯t she just fly under the trees and fly back to us if she sees them?¡±(Nana) ¡°Well¡.¡±(Renya) With that, their party began visiting areas like the ones Renya mentioned while Little White searched for Grey Wolves. It did not take long for them to encounter an enemy. ¡°Shhh.¡±(Renya) This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. He said while raising his hand to signal everyone to stop. With this they all quieted down, activating [Eagle Eye] he began observing the enemy. Around 30 meters in front of them stood a pack of Grey Wolves numbering around 15. They appeared to be in a middle of a hunt as they are on the move, surveying their surroundings. Thankfully, the light seems to be a bit too dim to notice Renya and the others giving them an opportunity. ¡°Should we attack?¡±(Chris) ¡°We could take them, their numbers should be enough for us to handle.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°We should.¡±(Renya) He said while he grabbed an arrow and nocked it, he then aimed at the wolves, waiting for Chris¡¯s signal. ¡°Wait for us to close in before you shoot.¡±(Chris) He said quietly. Hearing his words Renya gave a nod, the rest of them who were using melee weapons began closing in on the wolves. As they were only a few meters from the wolves, Renya shot the arrow, hitting the furthest wolf. While he did so, Chris and the others began their assault on the wolves. With Chris acting as a vanguard, he managed to attract most of the wolves allowing Nana and Jennifer to attack the wolves safely. While they were doing so, Renya, instead of killing all of the wolves at once, only shot the wolves that they were about to attack their blind spots in order to let them gain experience. In a short while, the number of wolves has already decreased to around 7. As they were gaining the upper hand against the wolves, a few of them started howling attracting the nearby Grey Wolves as well as the other monsters nearby. Not long after, another pack of Grey Wolves appeared with their number being around 9, not only that but a few Forest Bears that were around level 25+ as well. Seeing that they were being outnumbered, Chris and the others began to slowly retreat back to Renya as they tried their best to fend off the absurd number of monsters using their respective skills to do as much damage as possible. Luckily, the wolves would also attack the Forest Bears shifting their targets from Chris to the Grey Wolves. No longer acting defensively, Renya began nocking then shooting an arrow one after another effectively reducing the number of monsters in the area. After a while of fighting, Chris and the others managed to get close enough to Renya to talk. ¡°What are the chances of another pack of wolves showing up?¡±(Chris) He said while he bashed an attacking wolf with his shield. ¡°At most, the Grey Wolves will call for reinforcements once, if they still can¡¯t kill the enemy, they¡¯ll retreat.¡±(Renya) He answered as he shot a Forest Bear in the head, killing it instantly. As time went on, Chris and the two girls would occasionally get cut by the wolf¡¯s and bear¡¯s constant attack. Thankfully, Maria would heal him before those injuries could cause them any harm performance wise. *Screech!!! Just as they were about to finish off the bears and wolves, a sudden screech was heard throughout the forest. In the distance, a white dot can be seen. In just a few moments, the white dot became an extremely terrified white owl. When Renya saw her, he became confused as to why she was so frightened only to find out later. *CRASH!!! CRACKLE!!! Behind her, trees started falling down rapidly, as if there was something bulldozing them down. Suddenly, an intense aura of death filled the whole forest, making everyone who was fighting too terrified to move. *GUHOOOOOOOO!!! A sudden monstrous scream filled the area causing further distress to Chris and the girls. Then, in the distance, a large silhouette appeared, charging behind Little white on all fours. As it got closer it¡¯s features became more visible. An enormous grotesque bull like figure that stood at around 7 meters, mangled heaps of rotten flesh and bones bundled together for a body, a large bull¡¯s skull for a head, 7 sets of thick black horns that go all the way to the spine, and red glowing eyes that can make one collapse with intense fear. ¡°Necrotic War beast! We need to leave now!¡±(Renya) Even without Renya warning them, they would¡¯ve ran either way as they can tell that they are not a match for a Necrotic War Beast since it¡¯s level is usually in the late 60s. As they ran, Little White kept flying over them as if trying to guard them from the beast. Fortunately, the war beast slowed down as it began attacking the previous Grey Wolves and Forest Bears. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. Just keep running!¡±(Renya) ¡°What! You can¡¯t do thi-¡°(Jennifer) Before she could even finish her words, Renya has already began running back to face the Necrotic War Beast to face it head on. While he did so, Little white flew alongside him as if wanting to help. ¡°Stay with them. I can handle this on my own.¡±(Renya) Although reluctant, she understood as she flew back to Chris and the others. As he drew close to the Necrotic War Beast, he activated [Wind Sprint] to give him a speed advantage. Arriving close to the Necrotic War Beast, he discovered that it had finished killing all the monsters in the area they were previously in, leaving behind a bloody puddle, filled with scraps of flesh and bone. The Beast stood in the middle of the puddle before he sensed Renya¡¯s presence making it charge forward, knocking down the nearby trees as he attacked Renya. Not waiting for the beast to arrive he pulled out an arrow and began activating [Arcane Shot] as he retreated backwards creating some distance between the two. Not long after, the [Arcane Shot] was finally ready as he aimed towards the center of the beast and shot the arrow. As the arrow reached the beast, it suddenly used it¡¯s horns to block the attack, needless to say, it actually repelled the attack as the arrow bounced and shot a nearby tree instead. ¡°*Tsk*(This is more troublesome than what I originally thought it would be).¡±(Renya) Whilst Running, he began to activate another skill called [Arcane Multi Shot] a [Medium Grade lvl 7] skill. All of a sudden, six illusionary [Arcane Shot]s began forming around the first arrow. He spun his body and shot the beast with the skill. As the arrows flew, the beast became troubled but pushed forward nonetheless, blocking a many [Arcane Shot]s it can with its horns. Fortunately, four out of the seven arrows hit the bull drastically slowing it down. Renya then used [Shadow Walk] a [Low Grade lvl 3] skill that turns the user invisible for a few minutes to vanish from the beast¡¯s line of sight, the rushing behind it with the help of [Wind Sprint]. *GUHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! With his disappearance the Necrotic War Beast let out a more beastly howl than the first. With this, Renya became affected as his [Shadow Walk] became dispelled revealing his figure that was almost behind the Beast. Contrary to its large appearance, the Necrotic War Beast twisted it¡¯s body and began charging at Renya again. ¡°Shit.¡±(Renya) He cursed as he began retreating again. Author Note: *Fufufufuf* Another Cliff! It was already at 2.1k Words and it''s 8:00PM here. I slept pretty late last night and woke up pretty late as well. If I manage to wake up early tomorrow, perhaps I can make a 3k word chapter. Also, although it may look as if I don''t read the thank you comments since I don''t reply to them, I do and I really appreciate them! Also, a person on the chapter yesterday asked if Little White is gonna be a love interest, sadly she will not be as his love interest will be a resident of this new world. As always there will be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Chapter 16 Necrotic War Beast Chapter 16 As Renya began running to avoid the Necrotic War Beast¡¯s pursuit. Shooting at the beast as many times as he can using normal arrows, he despaired as he realized that it is ignoring the large amounts of of arrows that are stuck onto it. ¡°(Am I gonna have to resort to releasing the [Limiter]?)¡±(Renya) Just as the Necrotic War Beast was slowing down, the red glare in its eyes became even fiercer, making Renya realized that it has become enraged. It¡¯s body began pulsating as its muscle like flesh began moving and re building making them appear larger and stronger. Watching the beast charge, he aimed at its joints in the hopes to disable it. But instead of hitting the beast and piercing it, it¡¯s body became several times stronger as it deflected the arrow as if it was nothing. Not only that, but the Necrotic War Beast gained immense speed as the distance between the two became nonexistent in mere moments. Renya, who had a slower reaction time due to [Limiter], was struck by it¡¯s hard skull sending him flying a few dozen meters before he hit a tree. Seeing him become somewhat stunned, he proceeded to charge yet again, destroying a few trees in the process. ¡°(Fuck, this guy!)¡±(Renya) Standing up and regaining his composure, Renya didn¡¯t hesitate any longer as he stored his bow in his inventory and unsheathed a black short sword that had a blue glare from his waist. Seeing [Lunar Edge], the Necrotic War Beast did not even flinch as it continued to madly charged at him. Seeing this, he disabled the [Limiter] that severely weakened him. His aura filled the forest making the Necrotic War Beast shiver in fear as it stopped dead in its tracks, glaring at Renya with its glowing red eyes. Brandishing [Lunar Edge], he slowly walked towards the Necrotic War Beast who stood still. As he finally reached it, he stood in front of it, [Lunar Edge] in hand. It did not dare make a move in Renya¡¯s presence as it waited anxiously for his next move. Renya, who realized that the Beast was scared stiff, gained insight on how terrifying a level 200¡¯s aura can be. He found a large nearby rock to sit on as he pulled out a small stone from his bag and poured mana in it. ¡°¡±(???) ¡°Amitiel, I encountered a Necrotic War Beast in the vicinity of [Ostwald City]. It¡¯s currently scared stiff as I removed my [limiter].¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Which means there¡¯s something going on in the western region. The talk about a Nether Rift opening in the area should be true.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I see, then should I make a report on it to the prince?¡±(Renya) ¡°You should, I believe that there will be a large scale assault on the city in the future. Tell him about that possibility as well.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Alright, make your men report to me about your findings on the western region when you receive them. I need to go.¡±(Renya) Shifting his gaze onto the Necrotic War Beast, it sensed what was about to happen and began to attack Renya as a last resort. *GUHOOOOO!!! A Fierce roar containing all of its strength was let out, however it did not sound all too powerful as it was drowned in Renya¡¯s aura. As it did, it charged forward rushing Renya with the full intent of not dying without a fight. *Swishh* A sound akin to wind can be heard as Renya cuts down the Necrotic War Beast in two in the middle without much effort. With its large figure falling into the ground, it¡¯s originally grotesque appearance became disfigured as it¡¯s figure became unrecognizable apart from the large skull and numerous pairs of horns that remain, half buried in the piles of rotting flesh and bones. Thinking it was not wise to stay around it¡¯s corpse as well as learning his lesson from last time, he ran to the city in the hopes to catch up with Chris and the others after activating [Limiter] again. -?????- Near the out skirts of the forest, Chris and the others arrived exhausted. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go back and help?¡±(Maria) She asked while she panted. ¡°I know... But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be much help.¡±(Jennifer) She answered dejectedly while she slightly lowers her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to go back and help.¡±(Chris) Mustering up the courage, he decided to go back. With Little White hearing his words, she became happy as she perched on a nearby tree and watched them plan their next move. ¡°Count me in, even if he is quite annoying at times, he¡¯s still our party member.¡±(Nana) She with an annoyed tone, but her worried face says otherwise. Hearing her words Chris gave a strong nod as the two of them looked at Jennifer and Maria. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±(Jennifer) She said while Maria just gave a nod. With this, Little White flew down from the tree as if implying that she wanted to join them, her action made Chris and the others smile at her behavior. With their course of action having been confirmed, they turned around only to see Renya in a messy state making them surprised as they ran to his side. ¡°Renya!¡±(Chris) He shouted with some tears in his eyes. ¡°You okay?¡±(Jennifer) She asked with a worried expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit beaten up from trying to fight that monster.¡±(Renya) ¡°And what about the monster? Did you manage to beat it? What was it anyways?¡±(Nana) ¡°You think I can beat a monster that terrifying? It¡¯s a Necrotic War Beast, a monster that is used by demons and it¡¯s level usually in the late 60, I caused some damage to it, but not much. I lost it while I was trying to escape when the situation became too dangerous.¡±(Renya) He said as he made a troubled expression. ¡°Why did you even try to face it on your own? You could¡¯ve died you know?!?!¡±(Nana) She said in anger which made Renya smirk behind his cloth mask. ¡°Well, I had to at least buy you guys some time. Besides, I¡¯m alive and somewhat well aren¡¯t I?¡±(Renya) ¡°*sigh* let¡¯s go back and report to the guild so that proper measure could be taken.¡±(Jennifer) She heaves a sigh of relief as they hurry to the guild to make a report. As they went through the town, their appearance made everyone they passed focus on them. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Finally reaching the guild, everyone looked at them with a surprised expression. Renya and Jennifer came to the man from before while the rest of them rested. ¡°Back already? That was fast.¡±(Receptionist Man) ¡°No, we had to leave early.¡±(Jennifer) She said with a grave expression. Seeing this, the man became quiet as he waited for their explanation. ¡°Do you know what a Necrotic War Beast is?¡±(Renya) The moment he mentioned the words ¡®Necrotic War Beast¡¯, a majority of the veteran hunters became silent as they heard the words, making their eyes focus on Renya. Not only them, but when the rest of the hunters saw this happen, they couldn¡¯t help but become silent and do the same. ¡°Yes, I know what they are.¡±(Receptionist Man) ¡°Then I don¡¯t need to explain how dangerous they are.¡±(Renya) He nodded at his words with troubled expression as he realized where this conversation was going. ¡°We encountered one when we came to hunt in a nearby forest. Although i managed to fend it off as my party members escaped, I wasn¡¯t able to kill it as it was too strong.¡±(Renya) He said with a serious tone. Even if he is telling a lie, the chances of there being another Necrotic War Beast in the area is high. When the receptionist heard his words, his face went pale as he could tell that he wasn¡¯t lying, not just him, but the rest of the hunters who heard him became pale as well. ¡°I¡¯ll report this to the manager, please wait for a moment.¡±(Receptionist man) He gave a light bow before leaving and as he did Renya and Jennifer went towards Chris and the others. As he did, the atmosphere of the guild building became noisy as they started discussing about what they¡¯ve just heard. As he sat down next to Chris and the others, Maria suddenly spoke up. ¡°What exactly is a Necrotic War Beast?¡±(Maria) ¡°From the name itself, what do you think?¡±(Renya) He said in a monotone voice. ¡°It¡¯s used for war? Then that means....¡±(Maria) ¡°Yeah, a high chance of war happening.¡±(Renya) ¡°But why?¡±(Maria) ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure.¡±(Renya) Even in [Alt Online], the reason of war between different races was always changing, at times it would be because of territory conflict, Internal conflict causing a country to go into civil war giving other countries an opportunity to attack causing an even greater war, and at times, simply because they want to. Hearing his reply, Maria became somewhat depressed. Nana then tried to cheer her up by switching the topic and as they were talking amongst themselves, a sudden voice interrupted them. ¡°Sir Renya.¡±(???) Turning his head around, Renya saw the receptionist man from before and as he saw Renya notice him, he spoke. ¡°Please follow me as the manager would like to see you, he said to bring your party members along with you as well.¡± (Receptionist Man) Standing up as he nods, Renya and the others followed the man to the upper floors of the guild building into a room. Entering the room, it was a small well lit room as it was only around 5x5 meters large. The room itself had minimal decorations as there was a desk and behind it was a middle aged man sitting on a chair. He had black hair, amber colored eyes, had brown skin and wore the same type of clothing as Elena from before. He sat there with his eyes focused on us before he spoke. ¡°Greetings, I am Evans Vicellio, the current manager of this guild branch.¡±(Evans) ¡°I¡¯m Renya, and these are my party members.¡±(Renya) He said as Chris and the others slightly nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go straight to the point, is it true?¡±(Evans) ¡°Why would I have a reason to lie?¡±(Renya) He said as he started paying attention to his gestures. ¡°There are many, many reasons. For example, you could say it to prevent the access of trade routes, or you wanted the specific forest for yourself and wanted to keep people from going inside, or perhaps you wanted to prevent the wedding that is going to happen in a week from now.¡±(Evans) Although he said it in a flat voice, Nana still felt irritated from his behavior. ¡°Then would I do such things if I had this?¡±(Renya) He said as he pulled out the medal that Michael had given him and showed it to him. Once Evans saw the medal, his face twitched slightly as he replied. ¡°I see your report is not a fraud, however we¡¯ll send a few of our best men to scout the area to confirm. If it has left the area, there will be nothing we can do, however if we do encounter them, we¡¯ll make a notice on the guild as well as alert the people of the city.¡±(Evans) ¡°And what if I was lying all this time?¡±(Renya) He asked with doubt to which made Evans chuckle. ¡°You could say all the most ridiculous lies in the world, such as a demon king appearing in the nearby forest and we¡¯ll still have investigate it because of the badge. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not that I doubt your news, it¡¯s just that I want to see the people whose managed to survive from an encounter with one of those beasts.¡±(Evans) He said with a mischievous smile making Chris and the others open their mouths. ¡°You mean you believed the story since the beginning?¡±(Nana) She said with a raised voice. ¡°Yes, in fact, I was kind of expecting this kind of news sooner or later. [Ostwald City] is not the only city where the Necrotic War Beast has been spotted. Anyways, you should rest for the day, and expect a reward for warning the guild beforehand.¡±(Evans) He said as they sent them on their way. Author Note: This has been uploaded super late like 10:30PM late! Jayzus I wont say much cause I am tired, I didn''t manage to wake up early ;~; plus Amber Sword wasn''t helping one bit in my writing speed. But I triumphed! There was also a request for me to draw the Necrotic War Beast, another reason why it''s so late, and I did. And as always, there will be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ I need to go to sleep now~ I decided to use the pen and brush instead of digital and the small black bar and the man is around the size of Renya so yeah kek. Sorry for le bad quality ;~; PS: That monster does indeed have thumbs, well the frontal limbs do as the hind legs are hooves! Author Note 2: I just realized I broke my consistency of only using 2 words as a maximum for a chapter title NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Author Note 3: The series is pretty close to 200 followers wooo~! Chapter 17 Upcoming War Chapter 17 As they walked out of the guild building, they were at a loss on what they should go now. ¡°looks like we¡¯re going to have to stop hunting for a while.¡±(Chris) ¡°Now what do we do?¡±(Nana) ¡°Well, my parents own a shop where I can help out in. What about you guys?¡±(Jennifer) ¡°Our mom and dad owns a restaurant that me and Maria can help run, and Nana¡¯s sister should have a store as well, which leaves us with Renya¡¡±(Chris) He said while their gazes shifted to Renya. ¡°Well, I can easily avoid a Necrotic War Beast so I think I¡¯m gonna keep hunting.¡±(Renya) ¡°Are you insane?!?!¡±(Nana) She asked with a loud voice, making startling Little White and attracting the glances of a few people passing by, to which she doesn¡¯t mind at all. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a way to earn money at the moment.(Which is a total lie¡)¡±(Renya) ¡°Then how about you work at our place for a while? We¡¯re missing a waiter at the moment and maybe you could fill in?¡±(Chris) He said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d really rather not.¡± He said with a wry smile behind his face mask. ¡°Then at least get a temporary job in the city.¡±(Chris) ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any normal jobs that require an archer.¡±(Renya) ¡°*Sigh*¡±(Chris) ¡°I think it shouldn¡¯t be all too bad if it¡¯s Renya whose the one hunting.¡±(Jennifer) They all looked at her when she said so. ¡°He¡¯s the most experienced out of all of us and considering his stubborn nature, I think he¡¯ll do it either way, even if we do persuade him.¡±(Jennifer) Hearing her words, Nana glanced at Renya before sighing helplessly. ¡°Fine! I don¡¯t care anymore!¡±(Nana) She said while she walked away from the group. Seeing her leave, Maria spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave as well, be careful.¡±(Maria) She said as she followed Nana, leaving Chris, Jennifer and Renya behind. ¡°Well I need to go back home and tell our parents about today, watch yourself okay?¡±(Chris) ¡°Me too, careful out there.¡±(Jennifer) They said as the went on their way, leaving Renya behind. ¡°Now what?¡±(Renya) He asked Little White as he pondering for a moment, he decided to go back in and take another mission. After entering, he picked the hardest mission he could find and went to verify it with the same receptionist. ¡°You¡¯re.. taking another mission?¡±(Receptionist Man) He asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±(Renya) He replied with a monotone expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there was a Necrotic War Beast near the city?¡±(Receptionist Man) ¡°I never said that I was afraid of it. I¡¯ll just run again when I see it, besides, I got nothing else to earn money from.¡±(Renya) Using the same excuse, he managed to somewhat convince the man, allowing him to proceed with the mission. After hearing a few words of warning, he continued to make his way to the exit and as he was, he noticed that there were a lot less hunters leaving through it, making him realizing that the rumor about the Necrotic War Beast has already spread. But paying no heed to it, he continued on his way to his destination. As for the mission he picked this time, it was about destroying a kobold village in the outskirts of the city. As the kobold villages were already marked in the map, making this an easy task for Renya since the maps can be purchased for a few coppers in the guild. As he drew close to the nearest village, he as well as Little White sensed a faint trace of strange energy in the area causing them to twitch slightly. Focusing on the energy again, he was sure that it was demonic energy, making him curious as to why there was such a thing nearby. The moment he drew closer the kobold village, he felt the demonic energy grow stronger and denser. He looked into the distance and saw what appears to be the kobold camp in an open field, what remains of it that is. The primitive looking village was completely decimated, leaving nothing but puddles of blood in the area. As he drew closer, he discovered that the blood stains were still fresh, The moment he saw that, he increased his pace, and he quickly reached the village in a brief moment. ¡°(According to the mission, the only way to get proof that you¡¯ve destroyed the village is by killing the chief and collecting two of its longest canines as well as collecting 10 kobold tails.)¡±(Renya) He said as he searched for the kobold chief¡¯s remains which should look like a larger kobold with longer fangs. Unfortunately, he could not find it¡¯s corpse as it was most likely eaten whole like the rest of the kobolds, leaving nothing behind. Getting somewhat irritated, he decided to go to the next area in a much faster pace. Unfortunately, the village was already destroyed as well, making his irritation grow even further. After going through village after village, he finally found one that was untouched. The village was positioned inside a forest, making it a bit hard to reach. Grabbing the bow from his inventory while nocking an arrow in the process, he activated [Eagle Eye] giving him better vision. He climbed a nearby tree to give him a better view of the village. He discovered that the village was much larger than the previous ones, not only that, but inside the village were a bunch of lizard like humanoid monsters that had light teal colored scales and red colored eyes. Each one of them was around 1.5 meters tall with the kobold chief standing at 2 meters. ¡°Little White, fly into the air and kill the kobolds without any of them noticing.¡±(Renya) A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.She nodded her head as she flew up one of the trees, and scanned for available targets. Seeing her do so he aimed at the kobold who was standing the furthest from the village, shooting an arrow straight through its head, giving it a swift death as it fell down lifelessly. Since the arrow was somewhat silent, the other kobolds did not notice one of them die. After he began shooting the kobolds, Little White started her attack as well, as she would swoop down and claw out their throats before flying back up before any of the kobolds noticed. Thankfully, the area was dim as the trees blocked a majority of the light, although not enough to hide Little Whites figure, since she was fast with her attacks it made it hard to see her. Killing kobold after kobold, they managed to successfully kill a majority of them before they finally noticed it. They started to panic as they didn¡¯t know where the attack was coming from as Renya and Little White were well hidden by the trees. Seeing them react this way, Renya and Little White continued their hunt as they decreased their number until the only one remaining was the kobold chief. Watching his people die, one after another made the kobold chief terrified and knowing that he was the only one left, he started running away. But unfortunately for it, Renya had already shot an arrow through it, giving it a swift death. Dropping down from the tree, he went over to the Kobold Chief to collect its canines as Little White flew to his side landing on his left shoulder, gathering kobold tails along the way. After doing so he decided to head back as it was already getting dark since he spent all his time searching for a nest. Returning to the city, the sun had already set as Renya visited the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] to complete the mission. After going inside, he noticed that the overall atmosphere of the guild was gloomy. Walking to the counter he asked the man from before about the situation. ¡°Out of the ten people the guild sent, only three returned.¡±(Receptionist Man) His answered as his voice contained a hint of dread. ¡°Then they encountered the Necrotic War Beast?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes¡ four of them¡.¡±(Receptionist Man) ¡°I see, *sigh*¡±(Renya) As he heaved a deep sigh, he completed his mission, granting hem 7 silver and 50 copper. After he received the reward, he went to the {Green Horn Restaurant] to grab something to eat. After Renya and Little White ate they returned back to the [Green Horn Inn], walking straight to his room as he took a bath then sat on the bed. Little White flew to Renya¡¯s side as she felt something strange. All of the sudden, two figures appeared in the room, a man and woman who were wearing assassin like equipment. They both kneeled the moment they saw Renya as they spoke. ¡°¡±Greetings Lord Renya.¡±¡±(Man and Woman) The said at the same time. Seeing them both did not surprise Renya as much as it did to Little White because he already sensed their aura beforehand. ¡°Stand, I¡¯m assuming that Amitiel has some news for me?¡±(Renya) They stood up then they both nodded. ¡°Should I call him myself or will you explain it to me?¡±(Renya) ¡°Sir Amitiel asked us to have you call him.¡±(Man) ¡°I see, you may go.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words, the two people vanished into thin air. Seeing them leave, Renya grabbed the stone from his bag and activated it. Not long after, a man¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°¡±(Amitiel) Even though he could not see him, Renya could tell that he was smiling at the moment. ¡°Tell me what you discovered in the western region.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Did they discover the fact that I killed one of them?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) He said in a comforting tone. But such words were not enough to calm Renya down, he felt responsible for the deaths of the men. ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) He replied with a weak voice, making Amitiel click his tongue. ¡°<*Tsk*, you are too easily affected by the lives of trivial beings M¡¯lord. Think about things this way, even if you had not killed the Necrotic War Beast, they still would¡¯ve sent the other four as they would think that you became heavily injured, resulting in even more damage, killing even more people. It¡¯s either that or the other.>¡±(Amitiel) He maintained his comforting tone as he waited for Renya to calm down. After thinking for a moment, he decided let Amitiel continue. ¡°Continue.¡±(Renya) ¡°<*Ahem*. They appear to be gathering their forces as they set up a temporary base near the area. They are almost ready for war it seems, they¡¯re just waiting for the right time to attack.>¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I see, then should I warn the prince?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Will do, [Titan City] should be near the western border right?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Good, is that all?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) He said as Renya ended the call. Deciding that he should rest, he went to sleep. Author Note: Alright so, I need to first mention that I won''t be able to post a chapter tomorrow as I''ll be visiting my Abuela AKA Grandmother ( I call her Abuela) Don''t worry cause I''ll post on sunday and I''ll only be able to use my phone to send a few messages to the comments. Also I''ve been doing some extra work on a little something ;) expect to see it on sunday or monday. Chapter 18 War Preparations Chapter 18 Waking up in the morning and putting on his equipment, he left his room together with Little White who flew up on his left shoulder and headed downstairs. Passing by the numerous hunters that were loitering in the lobby, they seem to be talking about numerous rumors. but paying no heed to them he went out of the inn. Unlike yesterday, there seem to be more people than before. A majority of the increase of the people seem to be hunters who are only wearing a few of their equipment. Seeing this, Renya could guess that the news of the Necrotic War Beast was more terrifying to the hunters than what he thought. Not only that, but the city¡¯s atmosphere which was lively and filled with life, became filled with a hint of dread. Not only that, but it appears the amount of gazes that were usually attached to him increased by at least two folds. Sighing at this outcome, he went to the [Green Horn Restaurant] as usual to have a meal. Inside, much like back in the inn, was filled with people who were too busy talking about the beast to pay attention to Renya. After being greeted by the waiter, he sat down to order two servings of a light meat dish. By coincidence, a familiar girl entered. Catching sight of Renya and Little White, she made way to sat down on the empty seat directly across Renya. Her actions attracted quite a lot of attention to the nearby people, but Renya seem to not mind her. ¡°So what do you want with me Cassie?¡±(Renya) As Renya said, the girl who sat in front was Cassie, unlike the other day where she wore a white one piece dress and removed her pigtails to let her brown hair down making them reach her waist. ¡°Nothing much, I saw you enter so I thought that I should have my breakfast here as well. Do you mind me sitting here?¡±(Cassie) She said with a smile, making a few of a nearby hunters who were sitting nearby stunned. ¡°I see, well knock yourself out, I don¡¯t mind if you sit there.¡±(Renya) He said while he leaned back and closed his eyes. Seeing him do so, made her pout while she makes an order for a soup dish before asking him a question. ¡°You¡¯re quite the rude, not even complimenting my new look.¡±(Cassie) She said, making Renya open his eyes before slightly leaning forward. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want the praise of a person like me. Anyways, it¡¯s good and all but what¡¯s it for?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m trying it out for the prince¡¯s wedding a few days from now.¡±(Cassie) ¡°What kind of wedding is it anyways, apart from it being a royal one, do you need an invitation to get in?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yeah of course you need one, don¡¯t all weddings do? Well only people who have a relation to the royal family as well as famous ones are getting invitations, and of course I have one since my family is quite famous. You should be getting one soon if I¡¯m not mistaken. ¡±(Cassie) Hearing her answer made Renya blush a bit out of embarrassment. ¡°I see, well why are you wearing it now?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m trying it out, didn¡¯t you hear me the first time? ¡°Well why do you have to wear it out here in public? Who knows what might happen to a certain girl if she does something like that.¡±(Renya) ¡°Bah! Who dares do something like that to me? I have people to protecting me when the time comes.¡±(Cassie) Sighing at her ridiculous reply, the waiter came back with their dishes. As Little White flew down from his shoulder to have her meal, Cassie asked a question that she forgot to ask as she was carried away about her talk about the wedding. ¡°I heard it was your group that encountered that monster everyone¡¯s been talking about.¡±(Cassie) She asked while she was blowing on her spoon that soup in it. ¡°Yeah, we escaped safely if you¡¯re worried.¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course I know you got out safely, Maria dropped by my house yesterday and told me.¡±(Cassie) ¡°Then why do you need to ask me if you¡¯ve already asked her?¡±(Renya) He asked while he was chewing his food. ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full. Anyways, she only told me about what happened, how she never really fought it. I just thought that I should ask the person who did.¡±(Cassie) ¡°All you need to know is that I managed to fight against it to but some time for Chris and the others and escape in the end.¡±(Renya) He said making Cassie pout at his vague answer. Not questioning him further, they finished their meals and went on their way as they went on their own separate ways after a few words of farewell. Just as he was about to go to where Michael was at, he realized that he had no idea where he was. Narrowing his eyes, he began to head towards the cathedral while he hastened his steps. Passing by the many streets before the cathedral, he reached the cathedral and unlike before, there seemed to be a lot more people decorating the area. He walked up to a woman who was wearing formal attire and was ordering a few people around. ¡°Hello, do you know where the prince is?¡±(Renya) The woman was surprised upon being asked the question out of nowhere, but she replied in a decisive manner upon seeing Renya¡¯s appearance. ¡°And who are you?¡±(???) ¡°An acquaintance of his.¡±(Renya) He said as he pulled out the badge, making her flustered before she deeply bowed and politely replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my behavior, please forgive me.¡±(???) ¡°I don¡¯t mind, since I am dressed suspiciously. About the prince?¡±(Renya) Hearing him forgive her made her relieve as she spoke. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±(???) She said while she gave a few orders before going inside the cathedral. After a short while of waiting, he sat down on a nearby bench and waited for her to return. Not long after, she came back with a person with her, it was Hilda. ¡°Mister Renya, please follow me.¡±(Hilda) She gave a slight bow as she said so, hearing her, Renya replied with a nod before she followed after. Knocking three times before they were given permission to enter. Renya entered first as Hilda followed after. Much like the first time, it appeared that it was the same room as before. However, there was a different person with him this time who was sitting across Michael. It was a beautiful elven woman with golden irises who looked to be around 18-19 years old, she had fair skin as well as ashen blonde colored hair tied into a side ponytail. She wore a clean white elven robe on top of her equipment. Not only that, but it there appears to be two more elves standing at her side. The two of them lock gazes releasing their auras as if trying to test each other out, only for Renya¡¯s weakened aura to be defeated by her. Feeling her aura overpower his, he guessed that her level should at least be in the early 80s. Despite his face being hidden behind his face mask, she can tell his current expression just by looking at his eyes. Feeling satisfied by her win, the edges of her mouth curved slightly upward. Seeing this made Renya feel that she was quite childish despite her level, making him chuckle. Her smile remained and glanced at Little White as Renya did so, Michael who sitting across the elven woman spoke. ¡°It appears an exchange between you two happened while I wasn¡¯t aware of it.¡±(Michael) Hearing him speak, the elven woman chuckled a bit before speaking. ¡°It wasn¡¯t much but it appears that you know this person?¡±(Elven Woman) Michael smiled as he replied. ¡°Yes, we met a few days back. It also appears that his party was the one who reported the sighting of the Necrotic War Beast.¡±(Michael) ¡°Is that so? What¡¯s your name?¡±(Elven Woman) ¡°I believe you should introduce themselves first.¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright then, I don¡¯t see why not. I am Talia Haeves, an envoy of the [Cynnabel Empire], a pleasure to meet you.¡±(Talia) She said while she stood up from the sofa. ¡°Renya, a hunter, and likewise.¡±(Renya) He said as he shifted his gaze from her to Michael. Seeing this, he gave a light nod before looking at Talia. ¡°Miss Talia, do you mind it if Renya is to sit next to you? We appear to be lacking chairs at the moment.¡±(Michael) He said making Talia chuckle for a bit before replying. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±(Talia) ¡°Then don¡¯t mind if I do.¡±(Renya) He said while taking a seat in the same sofa with a bit of a distance between them, Little White who felt that her presence was not needed, flew into Renya¡¯s lap, lying down and took a nap. Seeing them act so casual made one of the elves displeased with the other one not minding at all. ¡°Quite a carefree owl you have there. What¡¯s her name?¡±(Talia) She asked while she observed the sleeping owl. ¡°Little White.¡±(Renya) ¡°*Ahem* Now then, before we continue our talk, I would like to ask you why you dropped by today?¡±(Michael) He asked Renya who was leaning his back onto the sofa. ¡°Nothing much, apart from the demonic army that¡¯s gathering in the western regio-¡°(Renya) ¡°Demonic army?¡±(Talia) She said with a surprised expression cutting him off. ¡°I received a certain news that the rumors about a Nether Rift in the western region is indeed authentic. I stopped by to give you a heads up.¡±(Renya) Hearing this news made Michael¡¯s expression turn serious, he then asked another question. ¡°And what made you sure that the news is authentic?¡±(Michael) ¡°I believe that the Necrotic War Beast¡¯s appearance in the nearby forests is enough to tell you what¡¯s going on. Or perhaps you believed that it was only coincidence that the Necrotic War Beast appeared?¡±(Renya) Hearing his words made him heave a deep sigh. ¡°No, I believe you. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a problem that I didn¡¯t want to deal with right now.¡±(Michael) ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you didn¡¯t foresee something like this.¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m not a perfect man. I originally expected them to attack in a few weeks from now.¡±(Michael) He said with a bit of dismay before he spoke. ¡°Can you tell me the specifics as well as how they were able to gather this fast?¡±(Michael) ¡°Well, there¡¯s the fact that the Necrotic War Beast appearing is not a coincidence. They¡¯re most likely there for scouting, not only that but with four of them appearing in the nearby forests, it¡¯s likely that they¡¯re gonna attack [Ostwald City] first. As to why they were able to summon their forces this fast, it¡¯s because the Nether Rift is quite large.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see, what are the possible time of their attack?¡±(Michael) ¡°I can¡¯t tell, but they¡¯re almost finished gathering their forces. They can attack anytime they want if they want to.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words, the room went silent for a while. Suddenly Talia who was keeping silent all this time spoke. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we begin preparing for the attack? The [Cynnabel Empire] will send as much reinforcements you need through teleportation so they can arrive instantly.¡±(Talia) He gave a nod to her then said. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°My thanks Miss Talia, we should start preparing. The wedding can wait I suppose.¡±(Michael) Michael said looking down before he spoke again facing the two of them. ¡°Then how should we prepare for the attack?¡±(Michael) He faced the two of them as he spoke. Renya who was returning the stare spoke. ¡°Do you not have strategists of your own? And why am I even part of this meeting?¡±(Renya) ¡°As of this moment, the only people we have who has sufficient knowledge is me, and a couple others who aren¡¯t here at the moment. As to why they¡¯re so few, we originally didn¡¯t expect for such an event to happen. Also, you were the one who gave us this news in the first place, of course you¡¯re going to help.¡±(Michael) ¡°Not like I have a choice do I? Then shouldn¡¯t you call them over?¡±(Renya) ¡°I can¡¯t, besides, they won¡¯t be able to help much as I am a much better strategist than them.¡±(Michael) He said with a jeer. ¡°Quite cocky despite being a prince.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words of disdain made Hilda, who was nearby, infuriated. Talia made a light chuckle then spoke. ¡°Then I shall do my best to help.¡±(Talia) Seeing her do so, Renya decided to help a little bit as well. ¡°I¡¯m not really a professional strategist, I don¡¯t even have the job [Strategist] and as far as tactics go, the best I can do is provide you with a few advice.¡±(Renya) Naturally, Renya whose played [Alt Online] would understand a lot of strategies applied by the different guilds who goes on war against each other, there are even times when the guilds would use tactics straight from the ¡®Romance of the Three Kingdoms¡¯ and at times would even apply ridiculous tactics that would either result in a glorious victory or a crushing defeat. These guild wars compose of two or more sides fighting against each other for either territory or grudges. Since there were quite a lot of these wars, they were usually recorded then uploaded online in forums, Renya would watch them frequently just for the heck of it, not only that but he has also joined several wars in the past as his friends would drag him into it despite the fact that he belongs to a neutral faction. ¡°I understand. Then shall we begin? Although you are here, I only need to hear your opinions as much as possible but please give your suggestions as well.¡±(Michael) Talia nodded at his words, while Renya just listened as if lost in thought. ¡°Then the first thing we should be doing is to-¡°(Michael) ¡°Hold on, before that I just need to ask you something on my mind.¡±(Renya) Renya cut him off with a question that he suddenly thought of. ¡°And that is?¡±(Michael) ¡°What is an envoy of the [Cynnabel Empire] doing here?¡±(Renya) He asked as he looked Talia right in the eyes. Since it was his first time hearing the name of the country, he naturally took note of it and was able to memorize the name. After pondering for a moment, Talia spoke returning the stare. ¡°I see, we came here today to discuss about the demonic activities happening in the western Region, we came here to hopefully help with the problem.¡±(Talia) ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you just go straight to the king and tell him that?¡±(Renya) Wanting to find out more, he asked immediately after she finished. ¡°Well, as much as we wanted to, the king is too ill to answer us and Michael¡¯s brother is out of the question as he currently not in the country right now.¡±(Talia) ¡°(The king of the country is Ill? I¡¯ll need to ask Amitiel about that later¡.) Then what about the [Notus empire]?¡±(Renya) ¡°There¡¯s a different envoy of ours there right now. Are you satisfied?¡±(Talia) She asked with a slight smile. ¡°Not quite, I also want to know why the [Cynnabel Empire] wants to form an alliance with both countries. ¡±(Renya) ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be obvious? The [Helia Continent] is not the only place to have an increase of demonic activities in it¡¯s dark sectors.¡±(Talia) ¡°(So this continent isn¡¯t the only one receiving these attacks.) Alright, that¡¯s all I wanted to know.¡±(Renya) ¡°I get the feeling that you are very ignorant of the world.¡±(Michael) He said as he gave Renya a look of pity making Renya annoyed. ¡°Alright, then I plan on submitting a mission in the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] to have hunters help out in fighting against the attack. Renya, can you submit the mission on my behalf? I¡¯m going to be busy gathering and assigning all the soldiers and militias I can in the meantime.¡±(Michael) ¡°*Sigh* Alright, I have nothing better to do other than do missions at the moment. Well tell me the mission¡¯s specific details.¡±(Renya) ¡°Have them gathered by tomorrow morning at the western entrance, it¡¯s still early right now and you should tell them to urge the hunters to join the pay will be 3 gold and 50 silver and limit the mission to [Rank: C] and above. You can use my name if you have to and it¡¯s fine if you let Evans tell the hunters about the current situation, makes it all the more easier to announce to the normal citizens. Report back to me after you do so.¡±(Michael) After he finished, Renya gave him a nod to confirm that he heard him. ¡°Then Talia, I¡¯m going to count on you to send as much reinforcements you can. Come back to talk with me once you¡¯ve finished gathering them.¡±(Michael) ¡°Will do.¡±(Talia) ¡°Then what tactic are you gonna apply when the enemy attacks?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯ll need to send a scout to get an over view on the enemies forces, either way we¡¯ll wait for them until they reach the open plains then attack. We don''t have that much of an advantage in the forest. Any suggestions?¡±(Michael) ¡°I don¡¯t think the enemy plans on just attacking from outside. Knowing that the rift is bigger than usual, they must¡¯ve planned on this attack beforehand and they should a few people who¡¯ve infiltrated the city. There was a case in the [Town of Velka] a few weeks ago about a demon infiltrating the town.¡±(Talia) ¡°You know about that incident?¡±(Renya) ¡°I keep track of all the incidents that involve demons. I also heard that there was a powerful priest who helped defeat the demon. They call her was a saint since they saw her hold an incredible looking staff in her hands, or so the rumors say. Any ways, if that woman is still here I¡¯d say our chances of winning would increase.¡±(Talia) ¡°Well too bad she¡¯s not. Then should we start searching for demons in the city?¡±(Michael) ¡°We should.¡±(Talia) ¡°*Sigh* I¡¯m really not cut out for this kind of thing.¡±(Renya) He said while muttering to himself since he couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to help out due to the fact that the two were a lot more experienced in this field than him. In a short while, their short meeting ended with temporary plans that could easily change should something unexpected happen. Although Renya can¡¯t say that it was the best plan there is, it was good enough since the amount of time they have to plan was a bit limited. After they ended, Renya woke Little White up and was the first person to walk out, leaving the two people behind. ¡°So what do you think of him?¡±(Michael) He asked while looking at Talia. ¡°I can¡¯t say much I¡¯ve only just met him recently but I can say that he¡¯s a decisive man. He did not care about the fact that I¡¯m another country¡¯s envoy, nor did he care about your position as a prince.¡±(Talia) ¡°Is that so? I just think of him as a very ignorant man.¡±(Michael) He said as he left the room laughing. -?????- Outside the cathedral, he did not waste time and began heading towards the [Hunter¡¯s Guild]. It did not take long since he had memorized a few of the streets. Reaching the building, he entered and saw that there were a lot more people than yesterday. Being slightly confused since it should be the opposite, he went to the man from before and asked him a question. ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden increase of hunters?¡±(Renya) ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s a request to hunt down the Necrotic War Beast. The reward is 120 gold, and if they managed to kill it cleanly, it increases to 150.¡±(Receptionist Man) ¡°Anyways, I need to talk to Evans, actually you need to tell him that this is a request from the second prince.¡±(Renya) He pulled out the badge to make things much easier. Naturally, the moment he saw the badge, he did ask any more questions as he ran to the guilds upper floors to report to Evans. Since he pulled out such and eye catching badge and the fact that Renya, a man who had an owl perched on his shoulder, was quite the well-known figure around the city, made the people who saw it curious as they began talking amongst themselves. Not long after, the man came back and guided Renya towards Evans¡¯s room. Inside, sat Evans as he asked him to sit down on the chair in front of him. Seeing him, Evans was quite troubled by his sudden appearance and with him telling him that it was a request from the prince made him all the more troubled. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±(Evans) ¡°An urgent request by the second prince.¡±(Renya) He said in a monotone voice, as if it wasn¡¯t that important, but Evans could tell otherwise. ¡°Quickly tell me.¡±(Evans) He said while using a calm tone. ¡°It¡¯s a request to gather as many hunters to fight an upcoming attack. The prince told me to have them gathered at the western entrance. The reward is 3 gold and 50 silver, he also said to limit the request to people who are [Rank: C] and above.¡±(Renya) ¡°An upcoming attack? Is it perhaps from the western region?¡±(Evans) He asked as his gaze turned from troubled in to a serious one in mere seconds. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s an army that could attack at any moment, that¡¯s why the prince told me to urge the hunters to join.¡±(Renya) He said with a straight face behind his face mask, making Evans realize that he¡¯s being serious. ¡°I see, I¡¯ll announce it right away.¡±(Evans) He said as he went out from the room, with Renya and Little white following after him. They reached the lobby of the building where a majority of the hunters became silent the moment they saw Evans and Renya appear. They could tell that something bad happened just from Evans¡¯s expression. Since it was already so silent, announcing the request became all the more easier. ¡°I am Evans, the current guild manager of this branch. I would like to announce an urgent request for all [Rank: C] and above hunters, by the second prince. The request is to gather at the western gate tomorrow to prepare for an upcoming battle against an invading demon army. The reward is set at 3 gold and 50 silvers, the guild will also increase your reward depending on your achievements, that is all.¡±(Evans) After finishing his speech, he requested his men to make a notice in front of the guild for all hunters to see. Hearing the request, the hunters became extremely noisy as they started talking amongst themselves, some were excited, some afraid, and some just didn¡¯t care at all. Renya who finished his task decided to go and back and report back to the prince. Author Note: Hello I am back! and I''m back with a vengeance! as this is the longest chapter I''ve ever done. This chapter is around 3.8k words long, a hundred longer than what i originally promised! Whew, the series managed to gain alot more followers since the last time I checked and I''m glad with this development! What I am upset about is the fact that people seem to think that Renya would be affected by the deaths of those people from the previous chapter which is not true, I only added that to increase his character progression a bit and he will not begin to be depressed for every person that gets hurt or dies because of him, he''s stronger than that kek. Sure he''ll feel bad, it''s a natural emotion, but it wont go anything beyond that. Maybe I''m wrong I don''t know. Please point out any of the plot holes I left out and as always theres gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note 2: You may feel that Renya became the lackey of the prince, but it will not become that way I promise, i feel like you don''t have faith in me as an author ;~; jk. Author Note 3: I am listening to all the posts, and I will consider all of them to improve the series. And I am only replying to a few of the post that doesn''t ask for things that are too spoilery. Mostly a few questions about general stuff. Author Note 4: As to how long this took, it was around 8 and a half hours, breaks included of course. The chapter tomorrow may or may not be 3k, maybe 2.5k. Only my finger''s fatigue can tell~ Chapter 19 Providing Help Chapter 19 As he headed back to the cathedral, he paused for a moment before he changed his mind. Since he felt that what he just learned could be useful, he decided to return to the [Green Horn Inn] to talk with Amitiel. Walking inside, he noticed that there were less people from this morning. Passing by, he gave the inn keeper a glance before he went to his room. Inside, he started to call Amitiel after he sat down on a nearby chair with Little White flying on top of the table. ¡°¡±(???) He heard a woman¡¯s voice a few moments after. ¡°Charlotte? Call over Amitiel, I have something urgent to discuss with him.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) Not a moment after, Amitiel spoke. ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I just came back from warning the prince, turns out they weren¡¯t prepared for the attack.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) His words contained a hint of disdain towards the prince. ¡°There was another person there in case you didn¡¯t know.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) He says with a hint of pride. ¡°Yeah, she came for an alliance to fight against the rise of demonic activities in both country¡¯s perspective dark sectors.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I see, then is she trustable?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Renya) ¡°So far, she doesn¡¯t seem to be a person who¡¯s with an ill intention. I think I can trust her thus far.¡±(Renya ¡°¡±(Amitiel) Telling him the details of the prince¡¯s plan, it did not take long for him to finish. Afterwards, Amitiel became quiet as he pondered for a while before he spoke again. ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Apart from soldiers and war beasts, what else?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Do you think this town¡¯s forces are enough to fight against them?¡±(Renya) ¡°Frankly, no. The average level of the demons are higher than what a majority of the city¡¯s forces are, even if we include the hunters, it¡¯ll only delay their demise by a few hours at best. Not only that, but if the battle is not finished fast, not that they can finish it fast, those necromancers will take advantage of the piles of corpses that¡¯ll be pilling up in the battle field. Those mages will also be in a good position since they¡¯ll be coming from the forest, in fact, if they were to strike at night, the chances of their mages being founded and attack is going to be extremely low, especially if they are to move around. In every aspect I look at it, it¡¯s going to be a slaughter, unless a certain man helps them of course.>¡±(Amitiel) ¡°It¡¯s gonna be like that?¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Why am I the one to do it? Actually can¡¯t you just send Lilith¡¯s forces straight to their base and kill them there?¡±(Renya) Hearing his reply made Amitiel laugh. ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, but how will I do things? The only way I can see things going is me screwing up one way or another.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) His words gave Renya a bit of courage, they both became silent for a while before Renya spoke. ¡°None for now.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Take care then.¡±(Renya) Taking his leave, Renya went out of the inn after Little White flew to his shoulder. After he left the inn, he went towards the direction of the cathedral. Along the way, he caught sight of Talia who appeared to be busy talking with a few people in the town square. Since he felt curious as to what they were talking about he decided to take a closer look. However the moment he got closer, a few elven men suddenly came forth to block the way for him. Thankfully, Talia managed to see the commotion caused by him. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±(Talia) ¡°Miss, this suspicious looking man came over.¡±(???) The elven man pointed at Renya who was behind the rows of elven men. As Talia saw him, he asked the men to let him through, although reluctant, they eventually made way as she mentioned him being an acquaintance of the prince. ¡°Renya? What are you doing here?¡±(Talia) Looking closer, he noticed that she was only around 1.7 meters tall, forcing him to slightly look down on her. ¡° I was finished with my task and saw you on the way. I was curious so I decided to drop by.¡±(Renya) ¡°is that so?¡±(Talia) She said as she gave him a slight smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, can I ask you a few questions?¡±(Talia) ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±(Renya) ¡°What¡¯s your current level?¡±(Talia) ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you already know?¡±(Renya) He asked while he wore a grin behind his face mask. ¡°As far as I know, it should be in the late 60s, correct?¡±(Talia) She asked, to which Renya answered to by giving a light nod. ¡°Then I assume that you should be in the early 80s.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, I¡¯m surprised you were able to guess right. Can you tell as to why? Or do you perhaps own the skill [Clairvoyance]?¡±(Talia) ¡°No I don¡¯t (I actually do), it¡¯s just that I am used to seeing people of your level.¡±(Renya) ¡°Oh? Can you tell me what kind of place would have a large number of people?¡±(Talia) You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. She asked with a hint of curiosity in her golden eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±(Renya) He said, making her slightly pout. ¡°I understand. Then can I ask about that owl of yours?¡±(Talia) ¡°Little White?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, she¡¯s quite interesting, in that she doesn¡¯t appears to be an ordinary White Frost Owl. Her level is higher than what it seems actually.¡±(Talia) She asked as she stared at Little White and as if feeling the glare, she looked back. ¡°You¡¯re correct, she is a special kind, I won¡¯t tell you her level though.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see. Well I was actually just finishing up managing the reinforcements. Why don¡¯t we both head to back?¡±(Talia) She asked with a smile. ¡° I don¡¯t mind.¡±(Renya) With that, the two of them headed towards the cathedral. Along the way, a few males became distracted by Talia, but quickly start cursing the moment they see Renya who was walking besides her. She doesn¡¯t seem to mind the stares, the same could be said to Renya. Along the way, Renya sees a familiar face. A girl with light brown hair tied to a pony tail wearing an apron on top of her waitress outfit can be seen sweeping the front of a restaurant. The restaurant had the words [Ember Tongue] placed on top of it in a large sign. As they drew closer, the girl saw Renya waving her hand as a greeting. Seeing this Renya quickly recognized the girl despite the slight difference in appearance and waved back. ¡°Maria.¡±(Renya) He said as Maria came closer. However, she stopped half way with her mouth slightly agape the moment she saw Talia¡¯s figure standing next to Renya. Seeing her reaction made Talia make a lovely chuckle, different from her usual one. Hearing her voice made Maria¡¯s surprise to grow even further. ¡°*Ahem*¡±(Renya) Coughing lightly to pull her back into reality, after she regained her composure she started asking Renya questions. ¡°Who is she?!?!¡±{Maria) ¡°An acquaintance.¡±(Renya) ¡°That¡¯s quite rude, our relationship should at least be friends by now.¡±(Talia) ¡°I don¡¯t think exchanging a few words after meeting in a single day is enough to be called friends.¡±(Renya) He retorted back making her slightly pout. Afterwards, Maria asked a question. ¡°I see, what brings you to our restaurant by the way?¡±(Maria) ¡°We were just passing by coincidence, I didn¡¯t even know where your restaurant is.¡±(Renya) ¡°Do you want to come in? I can guarantee you¡¯ll get your money¡¯s worth!¡±(Maria) She enthusiastically asked Talia who was beside Renya, making her smile in the process. ¡°I¡¯ll drop by later since we need to be somewhere right now.¡±(Talia) She declined politely. ¡°I see, well I won¡¯t take much of your time then, take care.¡±(Maria) She said to her with a slight bow before she went back to sweeping the front of the shop. Seeing her go, Renya and Talia went on their way. While they headed for the cathedral, Talia asked Renya a few questions along the way. ¡°Who was that girl? Was she your lover? No that seems unlikely¡¡±(Talia) She asked while putting a finger to her chin, tapping it a few times. ¡°Of course she¡¯s not, she¡¯s a friend, as well as a part of a party I joined.¡±(Renya) ¡°Really? I can tell you right now, the level gap between you two is extremely high.¡±(Talia) She said while exaggerating things by spreading her arms in a lovely manner, causing Renya to silently stare at her while the two of them walked. Seeing his response, she continued. ¡°What I mean is, I think it¡¯s quite disadvantageous to both sides of the party if there¡¯s such a large level gap, unless the rest of your party members are around the same level as you or higher, I doubt things will work out well. In fact, I think that by doing so, you¡¯ll be hindering their growth.¡±(Talia) After a moment of brief silence, he spoke. ¡°I see your point.¡±(Renya) He said as he became lost in thought, seeing him do so, Talia remained quiet as to not disturb him. He realized that being in Chris¡¯s party will make them unconsciously rely on him by knowing his high level will save them when the time comes. Although it won¡¯t affect them much right now, when the time comes that that Renya has to leave, their party won¡¯t be able to cope with dangerous situations. Thus hindering their growth as hunters. Making a mental note about the realization, the two managed to reach the cathedral. On the open area outside, Michael could be seen talking with a few people that are dressed in formal attire. As we got close, Michael sees us and stopped talking to the people as he made way to us. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±(Michael) He said while he glanced at Renya. ¡°I got the job done, quit complaining. What else do you need for?¡±(Renya) ¡°Nothing much, just show up tomorrow morning at the western gate.¡±(Michael) Hearing him say so, he quickly went his own way. ¡°I have also finished my part, I have assigned a few people to guide them to you when they finish coming over.¡±(Talia) ¡°Thank you Miss Talia. I¡¯ll send a few people over if I ever need you on something.¡±(Michael) ¡°Will do.¡±(Talia) She then gave him a light bow before following after Renya. Seeing the two leave, Michael can only heave a sigh of helplessness as he went back to talk with the people he was talking with from before. After a while, Talia managed to catch up, surprising Renya. ¡°What are you doing?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re heading back to the girl form before.¡±(Talia) ¡°And your basis?¡±(Renya) He said while his eyes looked at hers while the two walked. ¡°You looked hungry.¡±(Talia) With that, the two of them headed over to [Ember Tongue]. [ IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ ] Author Note: he first time I wasn''t able to fulfill the promise with out notice,I''m so ashamed. Not only that bit I wasn''t able to do 3K plus or anything this time cause lately whenever I type for long periods of time, my arms and fingers as well as wrists start to feel painful, I can barely squeeze out this chapter sorry ;~; I''m not dropping the series cause of this problem do''t worry. There maybe no chapter tomorrow as I''ll be going to a doctor for check up. I ain''t dropping this series! Posts may not be as frequent, but I''ll aim for at least 4 chapters a week for now but it may change depending on what they say on my check up tomorrow. Author Note: All better now, and I fixed the chapter that was fucked up by the recent RRL changes... Thank god for those back ups. Notice/ Recomendation Hello, it''s me. First of all I''d like to point out that I''ll go on hiatus for 1 week at most, reason is that i managed to obtain RSI and was recommended to stop using the computer in general for a while. The reason why I used this is to let other people know of what happened. Alright, this is the second reason for posting this, and that is to promote this VERY HIDDEN gem called ''Euphoria'' that I''ve come across, the guy started earlier than me but his series has received less attention. His work is very well done, comparable to many great works in quality, I shit you not. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Here is the link and you should give it a try, this is the best I can do for you while I''m away. http://royalroadl.com/fiction/5812 Keep in mind that I''m promoting this not be cause he asked me to, but because his work is just that hidden. Until I am in a condition to continue the story, I will be resting. Thank you all and goodbye. Chapter 20 The Calm Chapter 20 Heading to the [Ember Tongue] for lunch, the two of them walked in a steady pace since they didn¡¯t have much to the at the moment. Nearing the entrance, Maria¡¯s figure could be seen, sweeping the front of the store and at times wiping the tables placed in front. As the two drew closer, Maria eventually noticed them and waved towards them. After the three arrived at the front of the restaurant, Maria greeted them. ¡°That was fast, what did you two do anyways?¡±(Maria) ¡°Nothing much, we just ran an errand for an acquaintance.¡±(Renya) With Talia to his side slightly nodding. Not questioning further about the manner, Maria asked a different question with a smile. ¡°I see, well did you came here to eat?¡±(Maria) ¡°Yes, since it was already noon, we decided to have lunch here.¡±(Talia) She said sending Renya a glance. ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see, then please follow me.¡±(Maria) Following her instructions, the four of them went inside only to be greeted by a strong smell of herbs and spices as well as the slight rise of temperature that made it quite comfortable. Inside, the restaurant had a vibrant color scheme of red and a few shades of orange that blended well with its lively atmosphere. Seated in the chairs where people are mostly hunters who are talking amongst themselves whilst eating. There would also be a waiter or waitress carrying meals and bringing them to their respective tables here and there. The restaurant was lit by a large furnace like object surrounded by a wooden circular counter that had four entrances, emitting a bright orange glow at the center where a few people are using the heat from it to cook. Seeing this made Renya amazed and understood why it was called [Ember Tongue]. The strong smell of food assaulted their noses as the made way towards a vacant area with a slightly large empty two person table that was against the wall. As the two of them sat down, with Talia sitting across Renya, she spoke. ¡°This is quite the place I must say.¡±(Talia) ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s my dad¡¯s prided restaurant after all.¡±(Maria) ¡°He¡¯s quite the clever man isn¡¯t he? Placing the area where they cook the food at the center as well as making it in the open to let the smell emanate throughout the whole restaurant, making the meals all the more appetizing.¡±(Talia) She said as she looked at Maria. ¡°Hahahaha! As expected of an elf, I can appreciate people who can understand such things.¡±(???) All of the sudden, a man with light brown hair who had a thick short beard wearing a large brown apron came to their table behind Maria whilst laughing heartily. Seeing him made Maria flustered, causing Talia to smile. ¡°D-dad?¡±(Maria) ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised, I saw you bring them inside yourself so I decided to drop by. Anyways, what¡¯s your names? By the way I¡¯m Andrew, Andrew Johansson.¡±(Maria¡¯s Dad) He said while he wore a wide smile as he sent his gaze to Renya and Talia. Not minding his slightly rash behavior, Renya spoke first. ¡°Renya, a party member of Maria, pleasure to meet you.¡±(Renya) He replied, giving him a slight nod. Andrew strongly nodded. ¡°I heard about you from Chris and Maria. I must thank you for taking care of them and keeping them out of trouble.¡±(Andrew) He said as he gave Renya a deep bow making Maria who was behind him more flustered before moving his gaze into Talia. ¡°I¡¯m Talia Haeves, an ¡®acquaintance¡¯ of Renya.¡±(Talia) She said with a sweet smile giving the word acquaintance a slight emphasis. Andrew nodded before he noticed the Owl on Renya¡¯s shoulder ¡°And what about that fellow on your shoulder. Quite the eye catching one isn¡¯t he? Especially in a place like this.¡±(Andrew) He said while he observed Little White whose feathers shone in an orange color and was too busy paying attention to the food that was being made in the middle of the room to listen. ¡°It¡¯s a she, and she¡¯s Little White.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see, haven¡¯t seen a owl like her before, and as hungry as well. Anyways, you came here because for a meal right? What do you want to eat? First meals on the house as my thanks, your meal too Ms. Talia.¡±(Andrew) He smiled as he took out a small note pad and pencil. ¡°Thanks, we¡¯ll just give me two servings of your best meal dish.¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright, what about you Ms. Talia?¡±(Andrew) ¡°Hmmm¡¡±(Talia) She hummed as she went through the dishes in the menu on their table. After almost a minute, she finally spoked pointing out a dish that had a balance between vegetables and meat. Andrew left, leaving Renya and the two girls behind. Picking up a nearby chair, Maria sat between the two before speaking. ¡°So your name was Talia? Where are you from?¡±(Maria) ¡°Yes, and I come from the [Sylva Continent].¡±(Talia) ¡°The [Sylva Continent]?! Why are you so far away from your home?¡±(Maria) ¡°Well, I can¡¯t tell you about that sadly.¡±(Talia) She said as she gave Maria a smile whilst narrowing her eyes easing her doubts a bit. ¡°I understand, then what¡¯s the relationship between you two?¡±(Maria) ¡°That came out of nowhere hasn¡¯t it?¡±(Talia) ¡°I¡¯m just curios, Renya made no mention of you before after all.¡±(Maria) ¡°I don¡¯t have to mention every person I¡¯ve ever met do I?¡±(Renya) ¡°That¡¯s true¡ But I still want to know.¡±(Maria) ¡°We¡¯re just ¡®acquaintances¡¯ nothing more. As he¡¯s said before, we¡¯ve just met today.¡±(Talia) Giving a glance to Renya who crossed his arms and leaned back a bit, Maria became even more curious. ¡°I see, then how did you meet?¡±(Maria) ¡°You¡¯re a surprisingly nosy person.¡±(Renya) ¡°She¡¯s like this when something piques her interest.¡±(???) A voice of a boy was heard. Turning around, he saw Chris¡¯s figure wearing similar clothing to Maria¡¯s except it¡¯s style was more oriented for men. ¡°Hey.¡±(Chris) He smiled before coming closer, taking a nearby chair and sitting between Maria and Renya. ¡°I¡¯m Chris, Maria¡¯s brother. Sorry about my sister¡¯s behavior Ms. Talia.¡±(Chris) He said whilst scratching his head. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, she¡¯s an adorable one really.¡±(Talia) Hearing a beautiful woman compliment her made Maria blush a bit. ¡°Anyways, you must also be Renya¡¯s party member, am I correct?¡±(Talia) ¡°Ah, yes. Did he tell you that?¡±(Chris) ¡°Actually no, I just guessed since you¡¯re Maria¡¯s brother.¡±(Talia) ¡°I see.¡±(Chris) Not a moment after a loud shout coming from the center was heard. ¡°Chris! Get your slacking bum over here!¡±(Andrew) ¡°Ah, yes! Sorry, I need to go.¡±(Chris) He said as he placed his chair back to its original spot before walking away in a hurry. Not long after he left, a waitress came with their meals on both hands, placing them down the table before leaving with a smile. On Renya and Little White¡¯s plate were a rather large slab of grilled pork, topped with diced green onions with a few garnishes to the side. Seeing her meal, whilst being stimulated by the smell of food from all around her, Little White flew down and began to gobble down her meal. Since he was about to eat, he pulled down the face mask, slightly revealing his face to Talia who was in front of him. Even though she tried her best, Renya noticed that she was peeking at his face as much as possible trying not to be noticed. Finding this amusing, he decided to tease her a bit. ¡°Is there something on my face Talia?¡±(Renya) ¡°N-nothing.¡±(Talia) She said blushing slightly as she ate her meal. Seeing her do so, Renya chuckled a bit before he began eating as well. Whilst eating, Talia stopped eating and asked Renya a question in a low voice. ¡°What do you think are the likelihood of the city withstanding the attack?¡±(Talia) Hearing her ask, he stopped eating as well. Little White on the other hand, continued gobbling her meal. ¡°Low¡ I received news from my sources that they have more Necrotic War Beasts. Not only that but they also seemed to have necromancers, although their number is uncertain, the fact that they are present lowers the chances of survival lower.¡±(Renya) He said with a hint of confidence. ¡°Will the city last if they had more reinforcements?¡±(Talia) ¡°Probably, although it¡¯s unlikely that they¡¯ll let them reach this place before they start the attack.¡±(Renya) With his words throwing cold water onto her hope. She bit her lower lip as she looked down with a hint of dread on her expression. ¡°Why go this far.¡±(Renya) He asked lightly whilst putting down his utensils, making Talia baffled before replying. ¡°Excuse me?¡±(Talia) ¡°You¡¯re just an Envoy aren¡¯t you?¡±(Renya) He said, while looking straight into her eyes, attempting to see through her. Looking straight back, she wore a sad smile before speaking. ¡°I see you¡¯re still suspicious of me.¡±(Talia) ¡°Talia, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not suspicious of you, I¡¯m just curious as to why you¡¯d go this far for this city. You obviously don¡¯t have any previous ties with it, why continue to worry about it? You have access to transportation magic right? You can always send your men back the moment it becomes too troublesome.¡±(Renya) He said, making Talia silent, making their area quiet apart from the sounds a certain white owl is making while eating. After a short while, she spoke. ¡°I just don¡¯t enjoy doing nothing whilst innocent people die.¡±(Talia) She said whilst returning Renya¡¯s gaze with one that was filled with determination. ¡°(I think you and Prynn would get along very well.)¡±(Renya) Fixing his posture whilst laughing in a non-mocking manner, he spoke. ¡°I see. *Ahem* Sadly our food is already starting to get slightly cold. We should finish it.¡±(Renya) Picking up his utensils, the two of them continued their meals. Without them noticing, Little White has already finished her meals, and was currently lying on the table, sleeping. Finishing her meal before Renya, Talia leaned on the chair while exhaling a deep sigh. ¡°How do you even know these things? And who is that source of yours?¡±(Talia) ¡°Best if you don¡¯t know. There things in this world best left untouched.¡±(Renya) He said in a humorous manner, making her giggle a bit. ¡°I should be the one saying that.¡±(Talia) She said in whisper. Naturally Renya would hear it and wanted to say something but he decided against it as he remained silent. Finally Finishing his meal he called over a waitress to have the plates taken. The waitress unexpectedly, after picking up their plates, placed the two glasses of iced tea she was carrying on their table. Placing it down with a smile, Talia accepted it with a smile as well. Talia took a sip before Renya followed after. ¡°So what now?¡±(Renya) ¡°What do you mean?¡±(Talia) ¡°What are you going to be doing after this?¡±(Renya) ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have anything much to do. So I¡¯m at a lost at the moment.¡±(Talia) She said whilst placing a finger on her chin. ¡°*Sigh* I¡¯m quite the same as you. Apart from helping Michael, I don¡¯t have many things to do.¡±(Renya) Since it was decided that he will provide help, he doesn¡¯t really care what Michael does. As the two pondered for a while, the sound of Little White flapping her wings as she woke up caught their attention. Looking at the two with slight confusion, Little White stood still and fixed her stare at the two. After a short while, the three of them heard two sets of footsteps approaching their table, as their area was more quiet than the rest of the restaurant, it became easy to hear them. Turning their heads, they saw Chris and Maria carrying their meals on trays. After coming close enough, the two of them gave short greeting before the two of them grabbed a chair of their own to sit on, before placing their trays on Renya¡¯s rather spacious table. ¡°You guys on a break?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, we¡¯re actually done of the day.¡±(Maria) ¡°Is that so? But why sit here?¡±(Renya) ¡°Is it bad that we sit here?¡±(Maria) She asked with a hint irritation. Shrugging his shoulders he took another sip of his iced tea, he moved his glance onto Talia who was doing the same. ¡°Actually, we wanted to ask you two about something.¡±(Chris) He said while he picked up his utensils as he began cutting the piece of grilled meat which was similar to the one Renya and Little White had. Taking a bite, Maria continued what he was about to say. ¡°There were a lot of hunters talking about a mission commissioned by second the prince this morning. It¡¯s about an attack by the demons from the western region isn¡¯t it?¡±(Maria) ¡°*Sigh* Best if you don¡¯t join that mission. You¡¯re still so young and that mission is not something you two can handle.¡±(Talia) This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.She said whilst giving them a concerning look, Chris, after putting down his utensils, and Maria looked slightly down. But looked back up a few moments after. ¡°But still, we can¡¯t just sit around and do nothing.¡±(Chris) ¡°Right, we¡¯ll do what ever we can to aid in the fight!¡±(Maria) They said with a frim Resolve, guessing that the two are not going to back down, Talia heaves a sigh of helplessness before moving her glance to Renya. ¡°Then you should at least keep a watch on them for the time being.¡±(Talia) ¡°For the time being?¡±(Chris) ¡°Yes, you should let Renya leave your party afterwards. I don¡¯t think that him staying for a long period of time is beneficial to both sides.¡±(Talia) Saying so in a straight face, Chris and Maria was not surprised and replied. ¡°I understand. That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t remain friends right?¡±(Chris) He asked Renya whilst he wore a wide smile that was slightly similar to the one Andrew gave. Without hesitation, he gave Chris and Maria a fierce smile that became visible since he¡¯s yet to pull up his face mask. ¡°Of course not.¡±(Renya) Satisfied from his reply, Chris along with Maria continued their meals while Renya and Talia slowly drank the rest of their drinks with Little White flopped down on the table as she started to to take a nap. As they were just finishing, Maria gave out a suggestion. ¡°You mentioned something about having nothing to do after this right?¡±(Maria) ¡°Yes, what about it.¡±(Renya) ¡°Chris plans on getting a new sword from a nearby smith since his old one is not really cutting it against the monsters we¡¯re up against. Why don¡¯t you tag along?¡±(Maria) ¡°I don¡¯t mind, what about you?¡±(Renya) ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing. Perhaps we¡¯ll be able to help?¡±(Talia) Clapping her hands together after putting down her utensils, Maria spoke. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided then.¡±(Maria) With that, Chris and Maria changed their clothing into something more casual than their waiter/waitress outfits before Maria and Chris guided them to the store. -?????- Passing through several streets, the sight of a large store next smithery that had a couple large men forging can be seen. The amount of people leaving and entering was quite a few. Drawing closer, Renya asked. ¡°That¡¯s the smith you wanted to go to?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yeah, the weapons there are good, and the store has a great reputation.¡±(Chris) ¡°Is that so?¡±(Renya) He said with a hint of doubt. Walking through the double doors that had a guard on each side, they saw a large spacious room filled with a wide variety of weapons and armors displayed on racks with some of them being inside glass casings. There were a total of three counters, each with a beautiful woman behind it as well as a few dozen guards all over the store. After walking inside, Talia and Renya drew a few gazes to them but they did not mind them at all as they maintained their calm composure. Chris and Maria dragged the two of them to a nearby rack that had a sword on display whilst explaining a few things. Apparently, the store allowed people to pick up the weapons that were displayed on the racks, that is with the knowledge of having the full responsibility of their action as well as compensating for the weapon in the case that they do break or damage it. As for the ones in the glass casing, you needed to gain the permission of the blacksmith in order to try these weapons. Grabbing a nearby straight sword made of a shiny silver like metal, Chris swung it in an open area in order get a good feel on it before asking Talia and Maria a few questions. Feeling that he was being ignored, Renya decided to walk to a nearby rack that caught his attention. The rack had a short sword made with bluish metal, the hilt¡¯s guard appeared to be engraved with a few magic runes giving it an exquisite finish. He grabbed the sword by the grip before swinging it lightly a few times in an open area, causing Little white to be slightly disheveled. Thankfully, the sword did not break as he only lightly swung them a few times before stopping, any more than that would¡¯ve caused the blade to break as it couldn¡¯t withstand Renya¡¯s swings. He admired the sword for a brief moment before applying a miniscule amount of mana to the sword, causing it¡¯s edges to glow a faint blue color. Placing the sword back into its rack, he went around the store for a long amount of time in attempt to observe the quality of this world¡¯s common weaponry. Feeling that they weren¡¯t half bad, he noticed that a majority they were slightly better than the ones you can buy from the beginning stores in [Alt Online]. Finishing his inspection, he came back to check on the weapon Chris is using at the moment. ¡°I think this sword is good.¡±(Chris) He said whilst brandishing a straight sword that had a dull dark grey color to its blade, the guard and pommel were made with a black iron with its grip being made of leather wrapped into a spiral pattern. ¡°It looks strong, and the wright isn¡¯t that bad. What do you two think?¡±(Chris) ¡°If you feel that it¡¯s good then you should get it.¡±(Maria) ¡°Well, the sword looks as if it was made with good metal and the sharpness isn¡¯t bad. I think that the sword should last a long time.¡±(Talia) They said, giving their honest opinion about the weapon. Not a moment after, Renya has arrived before them. ¡°Don¡¯t get that sword.¡±(Renya) ¡°Huh?¡±(Chris) He said in confusion as Renya swiftly grabbed the sword from Chris¡¯s hands. Baffled with his sudden actions, he asked him a question while slightly raising his voice. ¡°What do you mean?¡±(Chris) ¡°The sword is poorly made.¡±(Renya) He said as he slid his glove covered fingers across the surface of the blade before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s only been sharpened, the blade has been tempered poorly. I doubt it¡¯ll last after a few dozen swings.¡±(Renya) ¡°Really? How can you tell?¡±(Maria) ¡°Yeah, the forging process is good enough to hide it from even an experienced blacksmith. If not for the fact that I forge swords myself, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell.¡±(Renya) As one of his classes was the [Blacksmith God], his knowledge concerning weapons and the process of making one is extremely vast since the forging system was as close as one could get when it comes to forging weapons in a virtual environment. ¡°I see, then isn¡¯t it a fraud to sell weapons like these?¡±(Talia) ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t have a decent grasp in the laws of this country.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then what now? Should we report this to the authorities?¡±(Chris) ¡°Nah, it¡¯s too troublesome to do so and as for your weapon, just get that one.¡±(Renya) He said whilst pointing his finger onto a nearby sword that was slightly longer than the one Chris had picked. The sword¡¯s blade was made with a steel like metal that gave a faint luster, the hilt was identical to the on from before, only being different in terms of material. ¡°Alright then.¡±(Chris) Trusting his words, he began swinging the sword around, trying to get a good feel on it. Stopping his swings, he gave Renya a suspicious look as he he held the sword with both hands. ¡°This sword is better than the previous one. How could you tell?¡±(Chris) ¡°As I¡¯ve said, forging weapons is a hobby of mine, plus I know a friend who can forge weapons really well. I learned a few things about forging from sticking around him for a while.¡±(Renya) Using Borri as an excuse, he managed to dispersed their doubt for now as they went to a nearby counter and purchased the weapon. While Chris and Maria paid for the weapon, Talia asked Renya a question. ¡°Is this friend of yours related to the one from before?¡±(Talia) ¡°Of course not.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then does he belong to the place you¡¯ve mentioned from before.¡±(Talia) ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like Maria.¡±(Renya) He said, to which Maria reacted to by giving him a piercing glare. Shaking the glare off, he spoke. ¡°*Ahem* he does. Are you satisfied now?¡±(Renya) ¡°A bit, but If you tell me where that plac-.¡±(Talia) ¡°No way.¡±(Renya) He replied instantly, making Talia pout. The purchase ended peacefully as they made way through the exit. But before Renya, who was at the back of their group, could leave, an old bulky man with a strong aura called him back inside. Seeing that he didn¡¯t appear to have any malicious intent, he asked Chris and the others to go without him if they wanted whilst Talia wore a worried expression as she too felt the old man¡¯s aura. Following the old man who guided him inside the building with caution, the old man turned around after the door closed. ¡°First of all I would like to thank you for spotting that disgraceful work of mine!¡±(???) He said as he was in the brink of shedding tears while he made a deep and resolute bow. ¡°Eh?¡±(Renya) He muttered out in confusion as he originally thought that he came here to either bribe or silence him about the incident. ¡°I would like to thank you for managing to prevent this sword from being sold.¡±(???) He said as he pulled out the dull gray sword from before. ¡°I blame my carelessness for placing such a poorly made weapon for sale. A person¡¯s life could¡¯ve been taken due to my fault, so I sincerely thank you for being able to prevent such an event.¡±(???) ¡°N-no, it wasn¡¯t such a big dea-¡°(Renya) ¡°It is! My and my brother¡¯s prided weapons have earned the trust of the hunters of this city, it¡¯s only natural that we pay back that trust by providing them with only the highest of quality of weapons we can for a reasonable price.¡±(???) He said with a loud voice wearing an extremely resolute expression whilst emanating a strong aura, scaring Little White, making her feathers to slightly go up. Renya remained calm as he didn¡¯t feel any murderous intent from his aura as he continued. ¡°I see, I only did so for a friend of mine.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then how can I ever repay this favor?¡±(???) ¡°Eh, just don¡¯t let it happen again.¡±(Renya) He said as he didn¡¯t feel the need to accept a reward from them. But the old man thinks otherwise. ¡°That can¡¯t be! At least allow me to give you any form of compensation.¡±(???) ¡°Then just consider that you owe me a favor.¡±(Renya) ¡°May I know your name then?¡±(???) ¡°Renya, a hunter.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then I am Darell, a retired hunter. Please do call me should you ever need my help and as long as it is for a good cause, I shall help you with the best of my ability.¡±(Darell) He said with a firm voice, as if he was introducing himself to his girlfriend¡¯s parents, which felt uncomfortable to Renya. Calming himself down, he answered back with the same amount of strength. ¡°Will do.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then I won¡¯t take any more of your time.¡±(Darell) He said as he guided me out of the store. To his surprise, Chris and the others are still outside, waiting for him. ¡°So you waited for me?¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course, unless you want us to leave you behind?¡±(Talia) She said as she gave him a mischievous smile. ¡°No, not really.¡±(Renya) He replied in calm manner. ¡°What did the old guy say anyways?¡±(Maria) ¡°He thanked me for preventing Chris from buying that sword.¡±(Renya) ¡°He did?¡±(Chris) ¡°Yeah, had something to do with the store¡¯s pride.¡±(Renya) ¡°That¡¯s strange, I could¡¯ve sworn that he¡¯d try to bribe you or something to keep you from spreading rumors about the store.¡±(Maria) ¡°Can¡¯t judge a book by its cover now can we?¡±(Renya) ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. What was his name? I¡¯ve never seen that old guy in that store.¡±(Maria) ¡°Darell.¡±(Renya) ¡°Huh? Why does it sound familiar?¡±(Talia) She said, making them ponder but to no avail. Seeing that the sky was already dyed in crimson red, they went back to the [Ember Tongue] to have dinner. Back in the [Ember Tongue], they chatted as they ate, making it a rather calm atmosphere. Finishing their meals, Chris and Maria stayed in the [Ember Tongue] to help out a bit. As the sun has already set, Renya and Talia went on their separate ways after a few words of farewell. ¡°Well, see you tomorrow then.¡±(Renya) ¡°I suppose, today was enjoyable, please do invite me again.¡±(Talia) She said with a lovely smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t even invited you in the first place.¡±(Renya) He murmured in a humorous tone as the two went on their way. Reaching the [Green Horn Inn] he went straight to his room, taking a bath before he and Little White went straight to sleep. Author Note: I''m back! Stronger(Well I still can''t write for extremely long periods) than ever! Back with an even greater vengeance with this refined 4.3k word chapter! The chapter had been worked on by me for the last couple days, so it should have a rather high quality. Theres also that new cover that I worked on in my free time out of boredom! Heres a higher reslolution: I''m also now eligible to have a donation button so click this if you want to support me!>[Donate] Expect the next chapter in the next few days as it would be of same length as this one so no worries~ Author Note: I just checked the view count on the 19th chapter and was shocked to see 6.7k views... It''s also a bit f*cked up, I''ll fix it if it doesn''t fix it self with in 3 days. Might be some glitch in the format... Chapter 21 The Storm Author Note: Fair warning for those expecting a short read, it''s not. Chapter 21 Waking up, Renya woke Little White before taking a quick bath. Walking downstairs, he noticed a large number of hunters who were wearing all of their equipment at the inn¡¯s lobby with a majority of them either preparing themselves or waiting for a friend or companion to finish theirs. Ignoring his presence, he went outside and headed straight towards the [Green Horn Restaurant] as it was closer to western entrance than the [Ember Tongue]. Making his way there, he discovered a few hunters who had the same idea as the restaurant was crowded with them. Feeling that he¡¯d be wasting time by waiting, he grabbed a piece of bread that he bought beforehand from his bag. The bread had a light brown color and had a round shape. Sniffing it a few times before tearing it open, he confirmed that it was still fresh enough to eat before nibbling on it and moving it towards Little White¡¯s face for her to bite at times. Going towards the western entrance, he spent the time eating bread, grabbing another if he finished the current one. As he proceeded, he noticed that the number of hunters he passed by increased the closer he is to the entrance. Reaching the entrance, he discovered that it was filled to the brim with hunters who have most likely signed up. The western entrance was around 30 meters wide allowing the large numbers of hunters to easily fill the area around it, making it rather hard to go through. The atmosphere of the area was rather gloomy as a majority of hunters only talked in whispers. Looking at the very end of the sea of hunters, stood Michael on a tall platform that had been built beforehand. He looked at the hunters for a good while before clearing his throat. As the area was already quiet to begin with, his voice was heard by a majority of the hunters, causing them to go silent. ¡°I would like to thank you all for coming here today. As you all know by now, the city is at the brink of being attacked by an invading demon army. Not only that, but I have sent scouts to their army, only for them to be wiped out if not for the fact that three of them got lucky and managed to get back. Their reports also state that the enemy¡¯s forces are stronger than ours at this moment.¡±(Michael) With his voice containing large amounts of power, his words were easily heard by the hunters, causing a large number of them to become dismayed. Seeing all of their faces change made Michael¡¯s expression to be slightly anxious, but he immediately replaced it with one that was filled to the brim with confidence. ¡°Although we may seem to be at a disadvantage, we have not lost the fight! We still have forces that can overturn the tide to our favor! The [Cynnabel Empire] has provided us with over a hundred and fifty top grade archers and fifty mages, along with the help of their envoy, Talia, an [Elite Elemental Magus].¡±(Michael) He said as Talia slowly walked up the stage while wearing a calm expression, as a roar of cheers came from the hunters who¡¯ve gained their morale. Talia wore, apart from the same cloak from yesterday, a silver circlet embedded with a golden gem in the middle that complimented her ashen blond colored hair and golden eyes. She held a silver staff that was littered with magic runes and had a ring as large as a coconut at its tip. As Renya looked at her, he noticed that she too was looking at his direction causing their eyes meet for a brief moment, before Talia looked away. Michael, who wore a wide grin at the sight of the cheers, spoke. ¡°Not only that! A former great hunter has joined our forces, further increasing our chances of victory!¡±(Michael) ¡°(Hmm? Another trick up his sleeve?)¡±(Renya) As he pondered who it was, his question was answered as a tall figure clad in a fierce set of grey colored armor, although it was old and battered, the armor gave an all the more imposing aura because of it. The figure carried an enormous great sword, that was a head taller than him over his shoulder. Stopping where his figure could be seen. Renya immediately realized who this was. ¡°That old man?!¡±(Renya) He said out loud as he was unable to contain his surprise. Fortunately, the people around him didn¡¯t pay attention to him as they were as baffled as he was, for completely different reasons of course. ¡°Darell the Behemoth has joined our forces!¡±(Michael) He said causing the hunters to become intoxicated as they gave out a cheer that was louder than the one they gave to Talia. The hunters who were once dismayed regained their morale as they all chanted his name in unison. ¡°¡±¡±¡±DARELL!!! DARELL!!! DARELL!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°(They went insane because of him! Is he that big of a figure?!)¡±(Renya) As he pondered about Darell¡¯s background, Michael spoke, causing everyone to go silent. ¡°With this, our chances of winning have been greatly increased! But even so, we must not be careless, as even the simplest mistake will cause our downfall. Preparations will be needed as¡..¡±(Michael) As Michael said his speech Renya felt a familiar person¡¯s glare. Knowing what it probably meant, he turned around and left for an alleyway that was a good distance away. As he went deeper into the alleyway, a single shadow suddenly appeared in front of him. The shadow took the form of a man In an instant. The man wore black assassin like clothing and was down on one knee whilst lowering his head. ¡°Lord Renya.¡±(???) He said in a respectful tone. ¡°Speak.¡±(Renya) ¡°I have a message from Sir Amitiel.¡±(???) ¡°Is that so? Are there people nearby? ¡°No M¡¯lord, We have just surveyed the area and have a few men preventing people from entering through the use of illusions.¡±(???) ¡°Good, then tell me the contents.¡±(Renya) Nodding his head, the man began to convey Renya the message. -?????- [Talia¡¯s POV] I sat inside a large tent, that was being used as a base of operations, arranging a few documents. Since Michael expected the army to come from the west, he had set up a few of these tents on the western side of the city. After Michael finished informing the hunters on what we¡¯re up against, as well as giving them a brief summary on what he plans to do, I was made to manage the organization and listing of the hunters who are participating. Fortunately, things went down better than what I originally expected. As to why I am doing this, we¡¯re a bit short handed at the time as we need to get this done today to make preparations much easier. But I wonder why did he leave? I searched the crowd of hunters from the platform at the time only to see him leave after the introduction of Darell. As I was pondering as to why he was not here, a voice called out to me. ¡°Miss Talia, how are things on your end?¡±(???) Turning my head around, I saw Michael who showed a slightly tired expression. Understandable since dealing with that many people would tire me as well. ¡°Things are proceeding smoothly, we¡¯ve had no problems so far with hunters.¡±(Talia) ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±(Michael) He said whilst he sat down on a nearby chair. ¡°Have you seen him? Knowing his personality, he should¡¯ve at least said hello, or maybe even help us list all the hunter¡¯s that are participating.¡±(Michael) He heaved a long sigh as he leaned his entire body on the back of the chair. Seeing him like this allowed me to see another side of this prince. ¡°I did see him amongst the crowd of hunters. But he left midway after you introduced Darell.¡±(Talia) ¡°Is that so?¡±(???) A voice that should belong to an old man echoed in the tent. Standing at the tent¡¯s entrance was Darell. I must say, his presence is quite the overwhelming one as the air inside the room completely changed the moment he entered. Although I am strong enough to do the same, I don¡¯t. ¡°Yes, I believe you two know each other from yesterday?¡±(Talia) ¡°Oh?¡±(Michael) ¡°Indeed! Ahahahahaha! I¡¯m sorry, you we¡¯re also there and I¡¯ve forgotten to introduce myself to you as I didn¡¯t recognize you at the time.¡±(Darell) Darell doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Although I¡¯ve only been introduced to him this morning, he gives the impression of a good uncle and from what Michael told me at the time, he came to him at around midnight yesterday, he apparently came out with the sole intention of helping us fend off the demon army. Thinking so, I replied with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±(Talia) ¡°Still, that Renya kid is something else.¡±(Darell) Hearing him mention his name made the two of us listen. ¡°What do you mean Mister Darell?¡±(Talia) ¡°He¡¯s the youngest person I¡¯ve seen reach that level. And his equipment is not something that even the best blacksmiths I know can make.¡±(Darell) His impression is the same as mine, even that mantle of his could easily surpass mine in terms of quality alone. After Darell said so, Michael let out a sigh before voicing out his thoughts as well. ¡°*Sigh* And apart from being a hunter, he¡¯s someone whose existence appeared out of thin air. He also never gave out any surnames making it rather hard to connect him to any lineages in both the [Notus] and [Aelynn] Empires.¡±(Michael) ¡°*Hehe* So he had something like that going on.¡±(Darell) Since were on the topic about Renya, I decided to voice out my thoughts as well. ¡°And that owl. He claims that it¡¯s a White Frost Owl, but it¡¯s feathers are much whiter and have a more silvery look. White Frost Owls tend to live in cold regions as far as I know, meaning he shouldn¡¯t be a person from this continent.¡±(Talia) ¡°*Ahem* Let¡¯s not pry in too deep. We might discover things that we aren¡¯t supposed to. He¡¯s not an evil person and that¡¯s all we need to know.¡±(Michael) ¡°¡°Agreed.¡±¡±(Darell and Talia) We said in unison since what he said makes sense. I feel that the place he talked about is a truly terrifying place if it is able to produce a man like him, but I just can¡¯t help but feel curious. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave, me and Darell still have a few more things to take care of, tell me when Renya comes by.¡±(Michael) ¡°Will do.¡±(Talia) Hearing my reply, he turned around and left the tent along with Darell. With them out of the way, I continue whith my task of arranging the documents given to me and after a while of Arranging the Documents, I finally finished several hours later as I put them all inside an envelope before placing it on top of Michael¡¯s desk. Going outside the tent, the sky already has a tint of orange in it. Finishing my work load took way longer than what I¡¯ve expected. Looking around, I caught sight of hunters, soldiers as well as a few civilians here and there working together to build a barricade facing the forest. The barricade was around 3 meters tall and was almost complete, only missing a few planks of wood in some gaps. I then tried to search for Michael but a familiar figure entered my field of view. ¡°Talia~!¡±(???) The figure of Maria who was running towards me wearing a clean set of robes while waving her hand along with his brother Chris, who wore plate armor walked towards me while carrying a few bags behinds him. Behind them were two girls, one tall and one was rather short with the two carrying a few planks of wood each. I called out to them as they neared me. ¡°Maria, Chris, and these are?¡±(Talia) ¡°Ah, you haven¡¯t met them before. Well this is Nana¡±(Maria) She said whilst pointing her index finger to the short girl who appeared to be wearing thief like armor. ¡°and this is Jennifer.¡±(Maria) She said, pointing at the taller one who was wearing leather armor this time. ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡±(Nana and Jennifer) The two of them bowed at the same time in front of me. How polite. I too gave the two of them a slight bow, causing them to be slightly flustered. ¡°Likewise. So are you also here to help?¡±(Talia) ¡°Yes, we were surprised to know that you were the envoy of the [Cynnabel Empire].¡±(Maria) ¡°Me too, although I can slightly understand why you didn¡¯t tell us yesterday.¡±(Chris) ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Talking with you guys would¡¯ve been a lot harder if I were to say that I¡¯m the envoy of the [Cynnabel Empire] right from the start.¡±(Talia) I ended my words with a bright smile as to calm them down. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±(Chris) ¡°Oh right, did you by chance come across Renya?¡±(Talia) ¡°Renya? Well we did a few hours ago.¡±(Chris) ¡°Is that so? Where is he now?¡±(Talia) ¡°I don¡¯t know. He never said where he was going.¡±(Chris) ¡°Then did he say anything to you?¡±(Talia) ¡°He said that he needed to do something, he was pretty vague with his answer when we asked him. He said something about preparations.¡±(Chris) ¡°And he left like that?¡±(Talia) ¡°Yes, he also didn¡¯t appear to be in a hurry at the time.¡±(Maria) Really that guy is just so irresponsible at times. ¡°*Sigh* So are you here to help set up the barriers?¡±(Talia) ¡°Yes, we were assigned to help carry the materials over.¡±(Chris) ¡°I see, then have you seen Michael?¡±(Talia) ¡°The prince? We last saw him around the western entrance. Darell was also with him, they were talking with a few people.¡±(Maria) ¡°I see, then I won¡¯t bother you further.¡±(Talia) ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±(Chris) Giving them a slight bow, I headed for the entrance. But sadly, I was only able to spot Darell who was busy talking with other hunters. As I came into his field of vision, he seemed to have politely asked the hunters who he was talking with to leave as he made his way towards me. ¡°Miss Talia, I assume that you are done with the work you¡¯ve been assigned.¡±(Darell) He said with a smile. It feels as if he treats me like a person whose younger than him, even though I¡¯m sure that I should at least be a decade or two older than him. Getting these thoughts out of my head, I ask him about Michael. ¡°Yes, have you seen Michael?¡±(Talia) ¡°Michael? He left a while ago together with a few acquaintances. He said that he¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±(Darell) ¡°I see.¡±(Talia) As I was about to leave, I turned my head only to see a glimpse of a hooded man wearing a dark blue mantle with a white blur over his left shoulder. Was that Renya? Thinking so, I tried to look over at the direction where I originally spotted him, and to my surprise, it was him. He didn¡¯t appear to be in a hurry as he slowly made his way towards us. Ugh¡ Is he really going to take his time walking towards us? I underestimated him, he really did take his time walking towards us. ¡°Where have you been?¡±(Talia) ¡°Me? Nothing much really, I only took care of a few things.¡±(Renya) He¡¯s acting suspicious, best to keep my eye on him for now. ¡°Is that so?¡±(Talia) As I was trying to question him further, Darelll stopped me. ¡°*Ahem* Mister Renya.¡±(Darell) ¡°Darell, so you were ¡®that¡¯ Darell.¡±(Renya) He said it as if he already knew who ¡®Darell the Behemoth¡¯ was. I guess he did his own research which was quite surprising. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t introduced myself properly at that time.¡±(Darell) ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyways, what are you guys doing here? I expected you to be organizing some documents somewhere.¡±(Renya) ¡°Well, I was, but I have already finished. Then what about you Mister Darell?¡±(Talia) ¡°Me? I was giving some advice to a few of the [Rank: A] hunters that have joined the mission. Even If I¡¯m already retired as hunter, my ties with the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] still run deep. Consider it my considerations for my juniors.¡±(Darell) ¡°So you¡¯re already retired? It¡¯s no wonder why you¡¯re working at that store.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, It¡¯s the best I can do for them. That¡¯s also one of the reasons why I¡¯ve made such a big deal out of that one incident.¡±(Darell) ¡°I see. Then what rank did you reach?¡±(Renya) ¡°At my prime. I was able to reach the rank of [SSS]. But now? I¡¯m barely even considered a [Rank: SS]. Why don¡¯t we continue this conversation in somewhere more private?¡±(Darell) ¡°We should, what about you?¡±(Talia) ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±(Renya) Saying so, Darell guided us into one one of the nearby tents. Inside were a few chairs and tables, I believe this is the place where Darell and Michael discussed things earlier. ¡°Then what do you think of the chances of us winning now?¡±(Talia) I asked him after we were all seated. He leaned his body back before speaking. ¡°The same as before, low.¡±(Renya) ¡°Eh¡?¡±(Talia) The two of us became stunned after hearing his words. Low? You¡¯re joking right? ¡°Was that a joke Renya?¡±(Talia) Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡±(Renya) His eye¡¯s aren¡¯t lying¡ ¡°Why?¡±(Darell) Immediately standing up, he asked with a slightly angered tone mixed with hints of slight dread. Renya however, calmly looked at him in the eyes. ¡°I received another piece of information. They have around 10 or more Necrotic War Beasts as well as a High Demon or two.¡±(Renya) Silence. We couldn¡¯t utter a single word after hearing this piece of news. ¡°Yes, a High Demon. From what my source says, the high demon¡¯s level should at least be around the later 80s. So unless you two can deal with them along with a pack of Necrotic War Beasts ravaging the city our chances are low.¡±(Renya) ¡°Who is this source of yours? Since he¡¯s strong enough to be able to acquire this information, he should be strong enough to-¡±(Darell) ¡°Fight against them? Don¡¯t be ridiculous, he¡¯s only good at gathering information. Besides, he¡¯s already left the continent.¡±(Renya) ¡°I-I see.¡±(Darell) No, I refuse to believe that we have no chances. ¡°Then is there anything you or anyone of us can do to increase the chances of winning?¡±(Talia) ¡°Winning¡¡±(Renya) He murmured as he closed his eyes for a brief moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ll do something about it.¡±(Renya) He said whilst standing up from his chair, walking out of the tent leaving us behind. He said that he¡¯ll do something about it? But what¡ No, we can¡¯t just sit around and do nothing, we still don¡¯t know whether or not he can actually help. We need to do something ourselves. Standing up from my chair after a brief moment, I made my way to the entrance of the tent. But to my surprise Michael came inside. ¡°Is something wrong Miss Talia?¡±(Michael) ¡°Yes, did you seen Renya just now?¡±(Talia) ¡°Renya? Has he finally decided to give me a visit?¡±(Michael) ¡°Did you not see him?¡±(Talia) ¡°No? I didn¡¯t see him on my way here.¡±(Michael) ¡°But he had just left?¡±(Talia) "Strange."(Michael) Feeling that his sudden disappearance was strange, Michael decided to change topics since it''ll only be a wild goose chase if we pursued this topic further. ¡°*Ahem* Tell me about the things you talked about. It could be useful if they had something to do with the demon army.¡±(Michael) ¡°Will do¡¡±(Talia) I turned around and looked at Darell, his face is quite serious, as if he was in deep thought. Walking back, Michael spoke, causing me to stop midway. ¡°Is there something wrong? You two look as if you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±(Michael) He said whilst he smiled and chuckled softly. But his smile did not last long. We quickly told him about the information Renya had given us. Let¡¯s just say that he wasn¡¯t all too pleased with the information that he¡¯d just received. Calming himself down, he called over a few people, presumably his men and asked us to stay behind to come up with a few strategists and counter measures. Our planning did not take long but as it was already late when we started, the sun has set as the full moon hung over the sky. Looking at the torch lit barricade, I was amazed at the level of efficiency the workers had. But I guess telling them that the enemy could attack at any time had a great effect on them. Taking a closer look, It seems that there are people atop the barricade who were carefully watching for any movements in the forest. They¡¯ve also been made to make camps within the barricade with the full intention of sleeping here as to be prepared for the attack at any moment. It¡¯s already night, I should return to make my report for the higher-ups. *HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!!!* Someone¡¯s used the horn?! Turning my head, I could see numerous pairs of glowing red eyes coming from the forest. They must¡¯ve realized that we¡¯re starting to prepare and decided that nighttime was a good time to attack. Making my way to find Michael, he had already left to start making commands. ¡°Quickly! Gather all the hunters and prepare for battle!¡±(Michael) With a slightly panicked voice he calmly made swift commands. I should call my men as well and just as I was about to go towards them, a sudden voice called out to me. ¡°Miss Talia, I have gathered all the rangers, they are ready to move on your command.¡±(???) Re¡¯loth, a trusted assistant provided to me by my older sister. He seems to take care of almost everything for me. He seems like a nice person, just a bit strict at times. Bah! Not the time to be thinking of such things. ¡°Thank you, have them follow the plan we¡¯ve made before hand.¡±(Talia) ¡°Will do.¡±(Re¡¯Loth) Leaving after giving my commands, I head towards Michael who was almost finished equipping his armor. Glancing at the forest, their movements seemed to have stopped, as if they were waiting for something. ¡°Michael, how are the preparations?¡±(Talia) ¡°Everyone¡¯s just about ready. How¡¯s your rangers?¡±(Michael) ¡°Good as well, they should be in position by now.¡±(Talia) ¡°I see, then what are they doing?¡±(Michael) He said whilst he glanced over at the forest where inside were countless glowing red eyes that are as still as a rock. ¡°Those demons, they look as if they¡¯re waiting for something. It can¡¯t be the High demons can¡¯t it?¡±(Michael) ¡°It¡¯s likely that they are.¡±(Talia) ¡°*Tsk*¡±(Michael) He clicking his tongue, looking as if he¡¯s still maintaining his calm, but I can tell that he¡¯s about as nervous as one can get. He¡¯s not the only one, I feel that my back become drenched in cold sweat as I await the demon¡¯s next move. As the hunters and soldiers stood at their assigned positions behind the barricades, they await the enemy to make their move. A long time passes, the demons have yet to make their move, each passing moment feels like an eternity. Why?! What are they waiting for? And where is he? I haven¡¯t seen him show his face this entire time! All of the sudden, the air became filled with thick miasma, enough to suffocate a weak person to death as what we¡¯ve been waiting for arrived. A figure slowly made its way out of the forest, covered in thick, visible black miasma, it was the first demon to actually leave the forest. The demon had dark grey skin, along with a set of black horns that curve backwards, he wore a pitch black robe in a way where his upper body is bare exposing a few pitch black tattoos covering his chest and limbs with his lower half wearing a set of long tassets made of dark metal that was placed on top of his robes. Behind him were the figures of four other grey skinned humanoid figures, each with their own set of black horns that curved backwards. ¡°Humans and elves.¡±(???) The topless demon spoke, causing tremors to run amok the whole area. His voice contained a hint of his aura that even I don¡¯t think I can rival. ¡°Surrender your city, and we¡¯ll consider sparing a few of you. We¡¯ll give you a brief moment to think this over.¡±(???) ¡°What do you plan on doing?¡±(Talia) ¡°Not surrendering of course, I¡¯d rather kill myself than to let innocents die for me.¡±(Michael) ¡°Good, then we need to stall them for a bit while we come up with a way to deal with that demon.¡±(Talia) ¡°What¡¯s the point? Do you even know what our chances of winning are?¡±(Darell) ¡°The same as what Renya said, low. That demon out there, even I don¡¯t think we can beat it with all three of us working together.¡±(Talia) ¡°Then what if Renya were to help? Didn¡¯t he say something about seeing what he can do? I¡¯m starting to think that he ran away.¡±(Michael) ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe that he¡¯s that kind of person.¡±(Talia) ¡°Why trust his words so much?¡±(Darell) ¡°It¡¯s a gut feeling of mine. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the kind of person to leave just like that.¡±(Talia) He sighed upon hearing my reply. ¡°Then let¡¯s just hope that this gut feeling of yours is correct.¡±(Darell) Closing his eyes and calming down his breathing, Michael walked forward and leapt on top of the barricade we¡¯ve made. ¡°I am Michael, the second prince of the [Aelynn Empire]!¡±(Michael) He shouted loud enough for the demons across the field to hear. The topless demon laughed for a brief moment before speaking. ¡°I am Serri¨¦ a [Transcended Demon]. Then tell us your decision? Would you like your life to be spared at the cost of everyone else¡¯s?¡±(Serri¨¦) Everyone became silent after hearing the demon¡¯s declaration. Those who understood what a transcended being is turned pale as they realized that they¡¯re up against one of them. Even I understood what they are, a being that reached the peak of their being as they transcended into a much more powerful form. Silence, the surrounding soldier and hunters became silent as they anxiously awaited Michael¡¯s decision. He stood there silently for a while. ¡°Hahahahahahahaha!¡±(Michael) He gave out a proud laugh after a while. He spoke as he continued his words. ¡°Do you really think that lowly of me?¡±(Michael) He said whilst wearing a wide grin on his face as he dropped down and return to the spot where he was before. ¡°As pleasing as the offer sounds, I refuse. I don¡¯t plan on sacrificing an large amounts of lives for my pitiful one.¡±(Michael) ¡°Is that so?¡±(Serri¨¦) He said as he gave out a small laugh that echoed throughout the area, allowing us to hear it. ¡°Then you shall die along with everyone else here. Begin the assault.¡±(Serri¨¦) ¡°Shit. Prepare for the attack!¡±(Michael) The earth shook as seven Necrotic War Beasts charged along with several hundred demons. Their seemingly unstoppable charge caused a few of the hunters and soldiers to lose their morale. Biting my lips, I prepared to cast a large scale spell to hinder their movements. But just as I was begin my chant, a blue flash swept across the field at unbelievable speeds leaving an extremely deep crevice as it did, killing all the Demonic War Beasts along with a couple hundred demons. If not for the fact that I had my eyes focused on the field as well as the fact that my vision is a lot better compared to others, I would¡¯ve completely missed it. Just as I was about to exclaim my surprise, the entire field shook as the area where that flash travelled became engulfed in bright blue flames, not even leaving a single speck of ashes behind as it completely devoured all the demons who were caught in it. ¡°What?!¡±(Michael) Reacting much later than me, Michael shouted as he became baffled at the scene that unfolded in front of him. ¡°Who dares?!¡±(Serri¨¦) His voice contained a hint of fear, without a doubt, out of everyone here, he must the one whose received the biggest shock. ¡°*Hmph*¡±(???) Just as I was beginning to calm down, a soul shattering voice resounded throughout the area. Turning my head to search for its source, I easily found it. High in the sky, a figure clad in a breath taking set of armor appeared hovering over thin air. The armor was without a doubt the most beautiful set that I¡¯ve seen in my life and it doesn¡¯t appear to be made of silver, but some form of highly reflective alloy. But what caught my eye the most was the pair of glowing blue eyes that were akin to a flame behind the helmet. The eyes moved for a brief moment, making me feel as if our eyes met for a brief moment. Eh? Why did our eyes perhaps meet? No, that¡¯d be impossible. Regaining my composure, I observed his weapon. On his hand was a curved silver blade that appeared to be much longer than him and on its tips danced a bright blue flame that made me realize that he was the one who killed the demons. Serri¨¦ probably realized this as well as his angered voice shouted out. ¡°*Che* Attack him!¡±(Serri¨¦) Following his commands, a barrage of spells and arrows flew towards the figure at high speeds. But the figure did not panic, in fact, I¡¯m starting to think that he might be sneering at Serri¨¦. Just as the Arrows and spells were about to hit, the figure slowly dragged his sword, making a full sweep, causing a wall made of blue flames appear in front of him. The flames devoured the attacks leaving nothing behind as the attacks finally stopped. ¡°Is that all?¡±(???) With a clear voice that belonged to a male, he mocked Serri¨¦. ¡°*Tch* Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡±(Serri¨¦) Enraged at the figures provocation, Serri¨¦ grunted as a large pair of black wings grew from his back. With a single flap, his body was propelled a couple hundred meters into the air, flying straight into the figure. But almost as if he was swatting down a fly, he sent Serri¨¦ crashing down in an instant with a single flick of his hand. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!¡±(Serri¨¦) An inhumane roar escaped his mouth as his rage became endless. Almost as if like an animal, Serri¨¦ flew his battered body back to the figure, only to be swatted back down directly into the middle of the whole field. ¡°Are you done? Then I believe that it is my turn.¡±(???) His figure vanished after muttering those words. ¡°Eh?¡±(Talia) Looking around the whole area, his figure appeared where Serri¨¦ crashed down. He tightened his grip on his blade before stabbing it straight into Serri¨¦¡¯s heart. ¡°GAAAAHH!!!¡±(Serri¨¦) All of the sudden, Serri¨¦¡¯s body became engulfed in blue flame and much like all the previous demons, not a single speck of ash remained. Silence. The entire field was filled with fear and silence. Seeing a monstrous demon like Serri¨¦ die like a dog planted fear into the heart of everyone that witnessed it. He stood in the middle of the field as the four demons that came with Serri¨¦ dare not move from their positions. After a brief moment, he started to walk slowly towards the forest where the demons stood. ¡°Now then, surrender immediately and I¡¯ll make sure that your deaths are as painless as possible or perhaps run as to make things more interesting?¡±(???) The figure spoke in an amused manner as he gave the demons an option. Not being able to withstand the pressure the figure gave out, the Demons fled in all directions including the high demons, causing the figure to laugh a bit before murmuring a few words that were too soft for me to hear. The figure then turned its head, looking straight at us. He did not emit the pressure he had from before as he only silently looked at us. Suddenly, his figure vanished, only to appear on top of the barricade. ¡°Consider this a lending hand from me.¡±(???) He spoke as if we owe him our lives, causing all of us to silent, but he¡¯s not that far from the truth. All of the sudden, my body started moving on its own, as if trying to satisfy my curiosity. ¡°M-may I ask you a question.¡±(Talia) What am I doing!? ¡°Go ahead.¡±(???) ¡°Are you perhaps a friend of Renya?¡±(Talia) ¡°¡¡±(???) Oh no. Is he angry? I think he¡¯s angry. What do I do?! ¡°Hahaha¡¡±(???) And just like that, he disappeared as his body became engulfed in a bright light. ¡°Eh?¡±(Talia) Author Note: Well this was one heck of a chapter to write. I promised this in a few days, completed it in almost a week. Promised it to be done tomorrow, took two more days to finish. This was so hard to write. But I have triumphed! Huzzaaah! This should wrap up the firs arc or volume or book of ''Black Titan''. Next couple chapters will be significantly shorter and will be about Renya''s POV along with the epilogue and the marriage, the marriage that we''ve all forgotten by now. I''m sorry for the lateness of this chapter, I hope you forgive me ;~; As for the donation button, it was more of a joke. I''m not taking donations cause that''ll be ridiculous lmao. I wonder how many people actually clicked it kek. Expect the next chapter in a couple days from now as I''ll be taking a day short break so no worries~ PS: There may be a typo or f*ck up in grammar or two. By all means please point them out! Author Note 2: I just realized that the series has reached 100 favorites and 400 follows! Consider this post as a celebration of both! Author Note 3: Fixed a few wordings, but not all of them. Chapter 22 In Media Res Chapter 22 [Renya¡¯s POV] [Several Hours Ago] ¡°So what you¡¯re telling me is that a transcended demon appeared near the rift?¡±(Renya) Standing in the alleyway, Renya asked the man clothed in black after hearing his report. ¡°Yes M¡¯lord.¡±(???) ¡°Alright, you are dismissed, send a message to Amitiel for me. Tell him that I¡¯ll be paying a visit soon.¡±(Renya) ¡°Will do.¡±(???) Nodding his head, the man vanished along with a few others that were hiding in the dark. Confirming that their presence were indeed gone, Renya was about to leave the area familiar figure caught his attention. ¡°Oh, Renya!¡±(Chris) Outside the alleyway, Chris and the rest of the party made their way towards Renya. ¡°So what are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be heading towards the western entrance?¡±(Chris) ¡°Or did you get lost?¡±(Maria) She followed up teasingly. ¡°No, I need to do some ¡®preparations¡¯. I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡±(Renya) Making an emphasis on the words ¡®preparation¡¯. He left the area unhurriedly, causing Chris and the others to be taken aback before they proceeded towards the western entrance. Walking for a brief moment, Renya reached a secluded area. He then made a quick surveillance of the area before taking out a [Teleport] scroll from his bag. He then poured mana into it causing a bright light to engulfed his and Little White¡¯s figure. By the time the light became dull, the whole scenery around him completely changed. The surrounding buildings were then replaced by black pillars with black walls behind them. in the middle of the room stood a pitch black throne. Beside said throne was a beautiful woman that had golden brown hair and a wore white robe. Seeing Renya appear, the woman walked closer before bowing her head. ¡°Father, welcome back.¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡±(Renya) Drawing closer, she stroked Little White¡¯s feathers before saying. ¡°And I see Little White is doing well.¡±(Charlotte) Causing Little white to nuzzle her head against Charlotte¡¯s hand. ¡°Anyways, where¡¯s Amitiel?¡±(Renya) Removing her hand from Little White, she replied. ¡°Follow me please.¡±(Charlotte) Smiling sweetly, Charlotte lead Renya to where Amitiel was. Along the way, Charlotte asked Renya a question. ¡°Father.¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Yes?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯ve received news from Amitiel that you were being rather ¡®intimate¡¯ with a certain elf, is it true?¡±(Charlotte) Maintaining her sweet smile she asked whilst looking directly into his eyes. Feeling her gaze, Renya felt uncomfortable as cold sweat started dripping from his back. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t call it intimate. Nothing more than acquaintances.¡±(Renya) ¡°Is that so?¡±(Charlotte) She said whilst ending her words with a small chuckle. After a while, the two of them reached an area that was deep within the castle. The walls no longer had the pitch black color but had a tinge of violet in them. As the two went deeper, they soon stopped in their tracks as they were faced with a large. The double door was similar to the one leading to the throne room but was much smaller in scale. All of a sudden, the doors opened, revealing Amitiel who wore a ¡®friendly¡¯ smile on his face. He then proceeded to bow as he welcomed Renya into the room. ¡°Welcome Lord Renya to my quarters.¡±(Amitiel) Walking inside, Charlotte and Amitiel followed after. ¡°Enough, now about that message you¡¯ve sent me.¡±(Renya) The room itself was large and spacious, emanating an ominous feel that caused Little white to be slightly distressed. The size was was around 30x30 meters and the walls were pitch black and apart from the numerous pillars that had violet glowing markings all over it surrounding the room. At the middle stood a large and complicated hexagonal table that had a set of black skulls emitting a violet glow in its eyes at each point. On the surface of the table were countless runes that had a violet glow and at the middle was a plain looking crystal orb held in place by a few black chains. Surrounding the table were six chairs on each side of the hexagonal table. As Renya sat down, Amitiel and Charlotte followed after, sitting a chair apart from one another. ¡°Where¡¯s Orloth and the others?¡±(Renya) ¡°Orloth and Prynn are busy conducting a few experiments of their own about this new world. As for the others, Borri is still managing a few things in the [Inner Crafting Stations]. Lilith is out on a task I¡¯ve assigned her. Brutus and Laura are out in the mountain range doing a patrol of the surrounding area. Thali is performing some maintenance on the golems. And Khali, the most carefree of them, is currently lazing about and is counting his wealth.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I see¡ Then, about the message you¡¯ve sent me.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, the transcended demon we¡¯ve spotted in the Nether Rift. Apparently this said demon is a high ranking officer in this world¡¯s nether realm. What we¡¯ve also found out is that the [Altinea Continent]¡¯s Nether Rift has a vast similarity to this world¡¯s.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Similar how?¡±(Renya) ¡°Their appearance and properties are the exact same apart from the fact that it connects two different planes. I would¡¯ve thought that this was a Nether Rift from the [Altinea Continet], if not for that fact.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Then have you discovered anything that links this world and the [Altinea Continent]?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, not at the moment, the human archives we¡¯ve visited only dates back to the last thousand years or so. But we may be able to if we are to view a few of the elven archives of this world. Since elves have one of the longest life spans, they should know a thing or two.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Which reminds me Father. Wasn¡¯t that elf ¡®acquaintance¡¯ of yours an envoy of the [Cynnabel Empire]?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Yes, why ask?¡±(Renya) Narrowing her eyes into crescents, she gave him a smile before saying. ¡°Oh nothing.¡±(Charlotte) Seeing this made Renya roll his eyes gave a light cough Amitiel before speaking again. ¡°*Cough* Back on topic, the demons have started making a move. They seemed to have received news of your recent actions. They¡¯re likely to attack tonight as well.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°That¡¯s when I come in, correct?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, now what I wish for you to do is to make things as, ¡®flashy¡¯, as possible. You need to give them an overbearing feeling of awe, one that will give them a lasting impression on you.¡±(Amitiel) Making a few gestures with his hands, he made his whole sentence seem like a joke. But Renya was fortunately able to understand what this meant. ¡°Then tell me, how is this going to help in the future?¡±(Renya) ¡°It¡¯ll make negotiations with the parties of this world much easier. Now then, I have asked Borri to prepare the [Black Iron Furnace] beforehand. I believe that you need a new set of armor to be crafted. It doesn¡¯t necessarily need to be better than your [Nidhogg] or even the [Draco Catulus], it doesn¡¯t even need to be an [Ancient grade] set as well. It only needs to be something that leaves a deep impression on them.¡±(Amitiel) If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.¡°Something that leaves a deep impression on them? Wouldn¡¯t [Nidhogg] work just fine?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, we need to keep that and [Devourer] as a trump card. I suggest that you head there now while the sun is still up.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Then I¡¯ll do just that.¡±(Renya) Standing up, he faced Charlotte before. ¡°Charlotte, can you take care of Little White for me for the time being?¡±(Renya) ¡°I don¡¯t mind, come here Little White¡±(Charlotte) Gesturing her to come closer, Little White happily flew towards her, perching on her left shoulder before leaning her head on hers. Seeing her satisfied look, Renya left as he went straight towards the [Inner Crafting Station]. As he was about to leave the castle, a sudden thought entered his mind. He opened a window of what appeared to be his [Inventory] as he started manipulating it. Not long after, a faint white light shimmered over his body. changing his previous hunter attire into his original equipment which consisted of a white polo, black pants and shoes. ¡°(So I could still do something like this?)¡±(Renya) Feeling satisfied, he continued on his way towards Borri. In the distance. The sight of the [Black Iron Furnace]¡¯s chimney could be seen emitting a strange black smoke that had a mystical appearance. As he proceeded, he noticed a subtle change in the atmosphere of the city. Although it still maintained its bustling liveliness, the city became more peaceful than before. As he pondered about it, he realized that he¡¯s already reached the entrance of the [Inner Crafting Station]. Just like before, the whole area was dyed red from the heat the furnace emanated. With the [Black Iron Furnace] being actually used, the rest of the workers apart from Borri and Renya left. In front of the [Black Iron Furnace] was Borri, wearing his usual attire but wielded an enormous hammer on his left hand. Seeing Renya enter, he mounted the large hammer on his back before coming to greet him. ¡°Lord Renya! It has been a while.¡±(Borri) ¡°Yes, it has been. Now, my blacksmithing skills have gotten rather rusty, I want you to take the lead in this one.¡±(Renya) Nodding his head in a way similar to a chicken¡¯s head he said. ¡°Of course! Of course! I don¡¯t mind at all! Now I believe we should use some highly reflective material, Crystal Sylver and Moon Essence should do the trick.¡±(Borri) Nodding at his words, Renya pulled out a few silver like ore that emanated a faint silver glow and an aquamarine colored material that shared the same glow as its color and looked to be in an almost liquefied state, from his [Inventory]. ¡®That amount should be enough for a full set of armor. Now the design should be extravagant as Amitiel have said. Not only that, but we¡¯ve only until the time that the sun is up.¡±(Borri) He said as he dismounted the hammer on his back, swinging it downward as it caused a miniature tremor to run through the area. Shockingly, the strike did not even leave a single scratch on the floor. Borri then threw the hammer towards Renya. Renya managed to just catch it causing him to fumble a few times. Stretching his neck, he released the [Limiter] that was restraining him as he brandished the hammer a few times before nodding towards Borri. Grabbing the materials that Renya has produced, Borri placed them inside the Black Iron Furnace to prepare them. After he did so, the two of them began forging the pieces. The process has lasted a total of four hours. With Renya doing the hammering and Borri the one adjusting the angle of the piece to be struck. One might think that what Renya has said from before to be false since the two of them don¡¯t appear to be making any mistakes at all. Even Renya himself became surprised that he managed to keep up with Borri. Despite the fact that he¡¯s only mastered the in-game system, not actual forging. Throughout the entire process, Renya felt information about certain things flow into his head. Like where to strike this time after striking that, how much strength he should use in this specific strike, what angle he should strike this etc etc, allowing him to easily forge the pieces. Before long, the two of them have managed to complete all the pieces. Each revealing a smooth surface despite being in an unpolished and unquenched state. Wiping his his forehead, Borri spoke. ¡°Lord Renya, I thought you¡¯ve said that you were rusty? Actually, what I should be saying is, ¡®As expected of Lord Renya¡¯ hohohohohoho!¡±(Borri) Making a hearty laugh, he patted Renya¡¯s back a few dozen times. Looking at Renya now, His White polo remained white and clean, the same goes for his pants and shoes, but the same could not be said for his hair. His hair was messy and his forehead was covered in sweat since his body was too close to the furnace, revealing a rather disheveled look that added a bit to his charm. ¡°No need to praise me so much, we still have a lot of work to do.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll go prepare the oil for the heat treatment.¡±(Borri) Walking towards his quarters, he came back out whilst carrying a large metal barrel under his arms. Pulling out a large quenching tank. He started pouring the contents of the barrel into the tank. Looking at it closely, one could¡¯ve easily mistaken the liquid to be water due to its crystal clear appearance. But if one were to observe the liquid further, they¡¯d discover that the liquid had the same consistency as well as have the faint scent of oil. ¡°This is Holy Oil?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, I thought that this will give it a more divine-esque feel.¡±(Borri) Filling the tank half way through. The two of them began quenching the pieces that were finished being heat treated by the [Black Iron Furnace]. They then begin checking their conditions for any warps or faults in the pieces. Finding all the pieces to have been successfully quenched, they proceeded to polish the pieces. With the two of them working on the pieces on a grind wheel, the pieces were all polished in no time. ¡°*Hahh* We¡¯re done, all we need to do now is to add the finishing touches. Placing the last of the pieces on top of a table that moved into the area beforehand. Borri exhaled a sigh of relief. Seeing this made Renya wipe the sweat that formed on his forehead. ¡°But we still need to assemble the pieces.¡±(Renya) Not speaking any further, Borri nodded his head as he proceeded towards his quarters and took out a sturdy mannequin made of metal. He mounted the mannequin in front of the table as the two of them began assembling the armor. A brief moment passed as the armor became fully assembled. Feeling satisfied, the two of them looked at one another and nodded their heads at the same time in approval. Being swept away in the mood, Renya smiled as he said. ¡°Last touches?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡±(Borri) With that, the two of them began engraving details onto the armor. The two of them worked together and at times observed the whole piece to see any areas that could be worked on. After an hour or so of engraving, the whole set was finally finished. Walking forward, Borri started engraving a symbol of a cross onto the center of the chest piece. After he finished doing so, the whole set started glowing an immense radiance. ¡°It¡¯s done already?¡±(???) Turning their heads, the figure of Charlotte along with Little White who was perched on her shoulder appeared. As she walked closer, the radiance emanating from the armor slowly dimmed down. ¡°I think so, Borri what grade is it?¡±(Renya) Placing his hand on the surface of the armor, he said. ¡°It¡¯s an [Ancient Grade]! A fine work I must say! Hohohoho!¡±(Borri) ¡°That¡¯s great. Father, Amitiel asked you to head over.¡±(Charlotte) ¡°*Sigh* Then Borri, I¡¯ll leave the enchantments of the armor to you.¡±(Renya) ¡°With pleasure!¡±(Borri) Seeing him have no objections, Renya followed Charlotte towards Amitiel. Author Note: So I guess I''ve held out a bit on this chapter, taking for granted the fact that it was one of the last chapters for this arc. Sorry about that. Expect the next chapter tomorrow as this is the first out of three as the epilogue? Maybe four, depends really. Anyways, the schedule became random now, no longer have I been doing dailies and have been posting them every few days. I feel that this is unbecoming of me so I will try to make up for this! Again, expect a chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Chapter 23 Divine Cleansing Flame Chapter 23 Following Charlotte to where Amitiel was, the two of them returned to Amitiel¡¯s quarters. At the door, Charlotte spoke. ¡°Amitiel is waiting inside Father.¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Are you not coming inside?¡±(Renya) ¡°I have something to take care of at the moment. It may take some time so I¡¯ll have to return Little White.¡±(Charlotte) Petting her head, Little White flew from Charlotte¡¯s shoulder to Renya¡¯s. After Charlotte left, Renya opened the door to Amitiel¡¯s quarters. Inside, Amitiel sat near the hexagonal table from before. He appeared to be talking with a someone through a magic tool. ¡°It¡¯s done? Good, report the results to me later, I have urgent matters to attend.¡±(Amitiel) Putting down the stone in his hands, he stood up and turned towards us. His face revealed a calm devilish smile as he came forward and bowed. ¡°Lord Renya, you¡¯re done forging the armor I presume?¡±(Amitiel) Making his way towards one of the chairs, Renya answered as he sat down om a laid back manner. ¡°Yeah, I left the enchantments to Borri, it shouldn¡¯t take that long for him to finish.¡±(Renya) Sitting down at the opposite side, Amitiel said. ¡°As expected of you. Now then, my men have reported that they¡¯ve begun setting up the defenses. But from their observations, those defenses of theirs will not last long. They will, at most, delay their deaths by three minutes.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°*Sigh* And you reckon we do something about it?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, even if we did, it¡¯ll all be for naught since you¡¯ll be the one fighting the demon army. What I need you to do M¡¯lord is to make a brief appearance-¡±(Amitiel) ¡°And tell them about the rest of the forces to further their feeling of helplessness? I doubt that, their morale is quite high at the moment thanks to Darell.¡±(Renya) ¡°Oh I doubt that¡¯ll last long. Keep in mind that Darell is already quite old. Those old bones of his won¡¯t be as strong as his prime, at most, he¡¯ll be able to ¡®barely¡¯ defeat a monster in the late 70s.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Then their strongest war potential is actually Talia?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, that envoy of the [Cynnabel Empire]. Already considered as a young powerhouse at a 103 years old. She¡¯s considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the empire, and is the younger sister of the current Empress. Also, did I mention that she is chaste and single? I must say, you have good taste in women M¡¯lord.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°¡¡±(Renya) Being too speechless to retort, Amitiel continued. ¡°Having her as your first lover isn¡¯t so bad. Her level is at the late 80s and is quite the prodigy when it comes to elemental magic, in this world¡¯s standards that is. Her personality is quite good, as far as observations go, she is a generous and selfless woman. You should just pursue her M¡¯lord, I¡¯ve heard that her suitors are quite plenty but I doubt they¡¯ll be able to top you.¡±(Amitiel) If not for the fact that Renya has a firm composure, he would¡¯ve been as red as a ripe apple long ago. But still, being single for all his life, his face had a hint of redness as he coughed to stop Amitiel¡¯s supposed ¡®nonsense¡¯. ¡°*Cough* Back on topic Amitiel.¡±(Renya) ¡°Right, what I need you to do is to give them more information about the demon army and don¡¯t mention anything about the transcended demon. Telling them about the High demons is fine. Head towards the alleyway from before, my men have secured the area making it safe.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡±(Renya) ¡°Please return afterwards, we still have a few more things to talk about. ¡±(Amitiel) Standing up, his body became covered with a faint white light as his previous attire switched into his hunter¡¯s. Activating his [Limiter], he glanced at Little White who was at his shoulder. Renya checked her condition before he pulled out a [Teleport] Scroll. Not long after, Renya and Little White became covered in a bright white glow as the two of them vanished from the room, leaving Amitiel behind. ¡°*Sigh* Now that that¡¯s settled.¡±(Amitiel) Grabbing the magic tool from before Amitiel said. ¡°I believe it¡¯s time to move onto the other continents.¡±(Amitiel) Back in [Ostwald City], the figure of Renya along with Little white who was perched on his shoulder can be seen. The two of them made their way towards the western entrance. As they did, they¡¯ve noticed the figure of Talia and Darell who were near the gate. Talia appeared to be the first to notice him. Walking closer Talia was the first to speak ¡°Where have you been?¡±(Talia) ¡°Me? Nothing much really, I only took care of a few things.¡±(Renya) Giving him a suspicious look, she continued ¡°Is that so?¡±(Talia) ¡°*Ahem* Mister Renya.¡±(Darell) Speaking in an unsurprised tone, Renya replied. ¡°Darell, so you were ¡®that¡¯ Darell.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t introduced myself properly at that time.¡±(Darell) ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyways, what are you guys doing here? I expected you to be organizing some documents somewhere.¡±(Renya) ¡°Well, I was, but I have already finished. Then what about you Mister Darell?¡±(Talia) ¡°Me? I was giving some advice to a few of the [Rank: A] hunters that have joined the mission. Even If I¡¯m already retired as hunter, my ties with the [Hunter¡¯s Guild] still run deep. Consider it my considerations for my juniors.¡±(Darell) ¡°So you¡¯re already retired? It¡¯s no wonder why you¡¯re working at that store.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, It¡¯s the best I can do for them. That¡¯s also one of the reason why I¡¯ve made such a big deal out of that one incident.¡±(Darell) ¡°I see. Then what rank did you reach?¡±(Renya) ¡°At my prime. I was able to reach the rank of [SSS]. But now? I¡¯m barely even considered a [Rank: SS]. Why don¡¯t we continue this conversation in somewhere more private?¡±(Darell) ¡°We should, what about you?¡±(Talia) ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±(Renya) Following him inside a nearby tent, Renya then explained the current situation, and how their chances of winning was low. Revealing the fact that there were 10 or more Necrotic War Beasts as well as the existence of a high demon. Talia and Darell¡¯s reactions weren¡¯t all that pleasant. Saying that he¡¯ll do something about it, the two¡¯s reaction didn¡¯t change as he made his way outside the tent. Using a [Teleport] scroll, he managed to leave without anyone noticing. Returning to [Titan City], he appeared back in his throne room. Seeing that no one was around, he went straight towards the [Inner Crafting Station] in search for Borri. Entering the [Inner Crafting Station], what entered his sight was not an empty area, but an area that was bustling with activity. At the center stood Borri and in front of him was the set of armor they¡¯ve worked on. The armor now gave out a noticeable cyan glow emanating from within the gaps of the armor. Not only that, but its surface was highly reflective that one could¡¯ve easily mistaken it to be made of mirrors. Noticing Renya¡¯s presence. Borri came forward and greeted him. ¡°Lord Renya! The set has been enchanted and is ready for use. By all means, please do try it on!¡±(Borri) ¡°Alright then, Little White.¡±(Renya) Signaling Little White, she flew from his shoulder, landing on a nearby lamppost. Seeing her do so, Renya dismounted the set of armor from the mannequin with the help of a few others. Storing all of the pieces in his [Inventory]. Not long after, his hunter¡¯s attire became replaced by the armor. Although the armor felt a bit big to Renya, that soon changed as the armor started adjusting itself to better fit Renya. Not only that, but his vision wasn¡¯t obscured in any way, despite the fact that his whole face is covered with a visor without any holes. Feeling the armor¡¯s adjusted, he began making quick movements to test it. ¡°How does it feel?¡±(Borri) ¡°Comfortable enough. Doesn¡¯t hinder much of my movements, it¡¯s pretty light too.¡±(Renya) ¡°Great! Now what should we name it?¡±(Borri) Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.¡°[Gleam of Moonlight]? I reckon this armor could easily reflect the moonlight, so why not name it so?¡±(Renya) ¡°[Gleam of Moonlight]¡¡ I like it! Hohohohohoho!¡±(Borri) Hearing his approval, he stated to un equip the armor when a black fog that had a violet glow appeared nearby. Walking out from the fog was Amitiel. ¡°Lord Renya, it appears that you¡¯re done with your task, not only that but you and Borri have finished building the armor.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Any more tasks for me?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, no no! I wouldn¡¯t dare give you another task. All you need to do now is to wait until the time we receive news of the attack. Until then you are free to do as you please. Unless you don¡¯t really care for the people in [Ostwald City], which is fine as well.¡±(Amitiel) With a slight disdain, Renya clicked his tongue as he said. ¡°*Che* Call me when you do receive news.¡±(Renya) To which Amitiel smiles towards and says. ¡°With pleasure.¡±(Amitiel) With that, he vanished into the black fog. ¡°Don¡¯t feel to upset over Amitiel M¡¯lord, you¡¯ve dealt with this attitude of his for centuries. I doubt that this much will be enough to incur your wrath, Hohohohohoho!¡±(Borri) He said in a joking manner, which triggered a few questions in Renya. Switching out the armor for his casual clothing, he asked Borri a few questions. ¡°Borri, for how many years have you worked for me?¡±(Renya) ¡°Lord Renya, I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯ve worked for you, rather I have been serving you for over four millenniums. But might I ask you, why ask now?¡±(Borri) ¡°N-no, it¡¯s nothing. (How old am I?!)¡±(Renya) Feeling cold sweat gather in his back, he decided not to ask any further, making Borri slightly confused. ¡°Is that so?¡±(Borri) ¡°Anyways, since I have free time, why don¡¯t we have a good drink? I haven¡¯t been able to have a drink of good alcohol ever since I¡¯ve started travelling.¡±(Renya) ¡°Hohohohoho! Of course! I have a few bottles of fine wine at hand, let¡¯s have drink to celebrate the creation of a successful piece!¡±(Borri) With that, the two of them drank a few cups of wine together with a few other dwarves and at times, humans and elves. Sometime in the middle of the drinking. Little White attempted to try the wine hat everyone¡¯s been drinking, only to get intoxicated immediately after a few sips. Getting sober, she didn¡¯t attempt to drink more as she went up on a nearby lamppost to take a nap. After a few hours passed, the sun has already set as the full moon hung over the sky. Amongst all the drinking, Renya and Borri still appeared to be sober. Feeling his alcohol tolerance increase to a terrifying level, he felt satisfied at the same baffled at the change. ¡°Lord Renya, I''d hate to ruin your fun, but the demons are starting to make their move.¡±(Amitiel) Out of nowhere, Amitiel appeared. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll take my leave now Borri.¡±(Renya) Raising a cup filled with wine, Borri replied. ¡°Fortunes of war be with you!¡±(Borri) Nodding towards his words, Renya prepared to leave after wearing his hunter¡¯s attire. All of a sudden, Little White flew into his shoulder, surprising Renya a bit. "Little White, be a good girl and stay here, I''ll pick you up later so don''t worry."(Renya) Nodding towards his words, Little White flew back onto a nearby lamppost and began to sleep. Smiling a bit after seeing this, he left the area. Using another [Teleport] scroll, he returned to the same alleyway. This time however, another person appeared to be waiting for him. ¡°Lilith?¡±(Renya) ¡°Lord Renya.¡±(Lilith) Making a firm salute by putting her right hand over he left chest, she said. Looking at his surroundings, there appear to be a large number of shadows in the area, with all of them kneeling down on one knee. ¡°Why are you here?¡±(Renya) ¡°I have finished my recent task and I wanted to assist M¡¯lord.¡±(Lilith) Speaking in a flat but resolute voice she said. ¡°I see, then I suppose you¡¯re here to help me eliminate the demons?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes and no M¡¯lord. I¡¯ve come to assist you, but Amitiel¡¯s asked me to capture them, not eliminate. They might contain valuable information. Also M¡¯lord, Amitiel said that it was alright to kill the transcended demon to instill ''fear'' into the spectators minds.¡±(Lilith) ¡°Is that so?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, M¡¯lord, the attack is starting. You should equip the armor.¡±(Lilith) ¡°Ah, thanks.¡±(Renya) With his [Limiter] off, he wore the [Gleam of Moonlight]. Using a skill called [Fly], a skill that players unlock upon reaching level 200. His body shot upward at unbelievable speeds. ¡°(Just like back in the forge¡)¡±(Renya) Quickly grasping the method on how to fly, he felt no forms of discomfort when flying. Looking off into the distance, he noticed a large gathering of demons, as well as the transcended demon Amitiel talked about. He then grabbed [Silver Fang], a two meter long [Ancient Grade] weapon made from Crystal Sylver, before applying a skill onto it. ¡°[Divine Cleansing Flames]¡±(Renya) [Divine Cleansing Flame], a [God Grade lvl 17] skill, is a direct upgrade from the skill [Cleansing Flame] which is a [High Grade lvl 13] skill that came from the [Flame Sword God] class. The skill, as the name implies, is a skill that is similar to [Purify]. But instead of applying it to a target, it is applied to the weapon, giving it a purifying skill. After applying the skill to [Silver Fang], the blades¡¯ edges gained a blue flame that danced in place. Confirming that the skill has been successfully applied, he proceeded to fly forward to get a better grasp on the current situation. ¡°Do you really think that lowly of me?¡±(Michael) Hearing a loud voice, he stopped flying as he began to listen. looking down, he discovered Michael who appeared to be standing on top of the barricade. ¡°As pleasing as the offer sounds, I refuse. I don¡¯t plan on sacrificing an large amounts of lives for my pitiful one.¡±(Michael) Opposite to Michael stood the transcended demon. ¡°Is that so?¡±(Serri¨¦) He said as he gave out a small laugh that echoed throughout the area. ¡°Then you shall die along with everyone else here. Begin the assault.¡±(Serri¨¦) ¡°Shit. Prepare for the attack!¡±(Michael) Seeing the charge of the of the Necrotic War Beasts and demons. Renya activated another skill to eliminate the incoming wave. ¡°[Sword Wave]¡±(Renya) Using [Sword Wave] a [Medium Grade level 7] skill, he waved his sword across, causing an enormous crescent made of blue flames to appear. In a fraction of a second, the crescent swept across the field. Leaving an enormous crevice behind, completely obliterating all of the demons that were in the charge. ¡°(Did the skill get stronger?! The skill would¡¯ve at most killed them with the flames, not leave a ridiculous crevice like this!)¡±(Renya) Feeling the sudden change of power of the skill, Renya became baffled. Author Note: So as promised here''s another chapter, but it doesn''t end there! Expect another chapter after this to end Renya''s POV during chapter 21! You might find these chapters to be boring af but they are much needed for the exposition! Anyways, if you are to google what Nidhogg is and remember what [Dragon Catulus] is, you''d get an idea as to what the armor [Nidhogg] looks like! Horaay for Norse mythology. Also, I wanted to reveal a bit more about Renya with this chapter, and raise some flags. Alright, as always, expect another chapter tomorrow so no worries~! Le Daily Casul is Back! Chapter 24 Questions Chapter 24 ¡°Who dares?!¡±(Transcended Demon) ¡°(Shit, focus Renya! Act overbearing!)¡ *Hmph*¡±(Renya) looking over the crowd below, his eyes met with Talia¡¯s for a brief moment before glancing towards the transcended demon. The demon revealed a troubled expression, almost as if he¡¯s struggling on whether or not he should attack. Seeing this made him sneer a bit, but his expression was hidden by the faceplate. ¡°*Che* Attack him!¡±(Transcended Demon) Following his commands, a barrage of spells and arrows flew towards Renya at high speeds. But Renya did not panic, in fact Renya started to sneer at transcended demon. ¡°(This guy¡)¡±(Renya) Calmly waving his sword that still had the [Divine Cleansing Flame] on, a large wall of blue flames appeared in front of him. The flames devoured all of their attacks, leaving not leaving a single one behind. ¡°Is that all?¡±(Renya) He said in a mocking tone, causing the transcended demon to be infuriated. ¡°*Tch* Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡±(Transcended Demon) Enraged at the Renya¡¯s provocation, the transcended demon became enraged as a large pair of black wings grew from his back. With a single flap, his body was propelled a couple hundred meters into the air, flying straight into Renya. ¡°(This guy doesn¡¯t know when to give up.)¡±(Renya) Feeling slightly irritated, he sent the transcended demon crashing down in an instant with a single flick of his hand. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!¡±(Transcended Demon) An inhumane roar escaped his mouth as his rage became endless. The demon then leapt towards Renya persistently. But just like before, the demon was sent crashing down into the middle of the field. ¡°(This guy really doesn¡¯t know when to give up.) Are you done? Then I believe that it is my turn.¡±(Renya) Using the skill [Flash], a [Medium Grade lvl 6] movement skill, Renya¡¯s figure vanished. Renya then reappeared in front of the transcended demon. Tightening his grip on [Silver Fang], he then sent a stab directly into the demon¡¯s heart. ¡°GAAAAHH!!!¡±(Transcended Demon) All a sudden, the demon¡¯s body became engulfed in blue flame and much like all the previous demons, not a single speck of ash remained. ¡°(Now that that¡¯s over.)¡±(Renya) He then started to make way towards the forest where the rest of the demons stood. He gave them a quick glance, sending shivers uncontrollably down their spines. Seeing them be like this gave Renya a bit of adrenaline, causing him to speak in an amused manner. ¡°Now then, surrender immediately and I¡¯ll make sure that your deaths are as painless as possible. Or, perhaps run as to make things more interesting?¡±(Renya) Not being able to withstand the pressure Renya gave out, the Demons fled in all directions. Seeing this, a shadow appeared in front of him. ¡°Lilith, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±(Renya) He said whilst speaking in a miniscule voice, the shadow then disappeared after Renya finished his sentence. Remembering the other¡¯s existence, Renya then turned his head, looking straight at them whilst decreasing the strength of his aura. Using [Flash], he disappeared from his original spot, only to reappear on top of the barricade. ¡°Consider this a lending hand from me.¡±(Renya) He spoke completely in his character as an overbearing person, rendering all of them to be speechless. ¡°M-may I ask you a question.¡±(???) In the midst of the silence a woman spoke, it was Talia. Hearing her speak caused Renya to be slightly surprised, but he continued playing his role and said. ¡°Go ahead.¡±(Renya) ¡°Are you perhaps a friend of Renya?¡±(Talia) ¡°¡¡±(Renya) Speechless, her question made Renya speechless, which in turn caused him to be amused at her assumptions. She, however, looked even more nervous at his silence. ¡°Hahaha¡¡±(Renya) He swiftly used a [Teleport] scroll, leaving before anyone could even react. A moment later, Renya found himself at the [Inner Crafting Station], wearing his full set of armor and still somewhat amused. Changing his attire to his casual one. Borri, who was nearby, noticed a change in his expression. ¡°Lord Renya, is there a problem?¡±(Borri) Renya then waved him off as he said. ¡°No, you¡¯re over thinking things.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see?¡±(Borri) Changing his attire into his hunter¡¯s, he glanced at Little White who was sleeping on a nearby lamppost. ¡°Little White, come.¡±(Renya) Abruptly waking up, her eyes were half closed as she tried to search where Renya¡¯s voice came from. She looked around a bit before landing her gaze upon Renya before she flew down and rested on his shoulder, even leaning her little head on Renya¡¯s. Caressing her head for a bit, Renya shifted his gaze to Borri¡¯s. ¡°Borri, tell Amitiel that I¡¯ll be going back to [Ostwald City] as a hunter and have him to prepare a few more [Teleport] scrolls for me. I¡¯m running low on them.¡±(Renya) ¡°Will do. Take care then!¡±(Borri) Nodding to his words, he activated his [Limiter] before using another [Teleport] scroll. Going back into one of the previous alleyway, he quickly realized that there might be people around but quickly heaving a sigh of relief as the alleyway was deserted. Walking out of it, he caught sight of the hunters who were teturning from the western gate. ¡°(Well this is¡)¡±(Renya) He was speechless yet again as a majority hunters were expressionless with a few of them still shaking with fear. Walking back into the entrance, he saw Darell, Michael, Talia, and a few others he doesn¡¯t recognize. They appear to be discussing something when Talia caught sight of Renya and fixed her stare onto him. After the rest of them noticed her fixed stare, they too focused their attention unto Renya. Reaching a conversable distance, Talia immediately asked him a question. ¡°Was it your doing?¡±(Talia) She asked in a hurried manner, but Renya appeared to be unfazed. Even Little White, who understood the situation, tilted her head cutely in response to play along. ¡°What is?¡±(Renya) Discovering it to be amusing to tease her, he replied with a slight sneer. ¡°Are you really going to do this?¡±(Talia) ¡°Do what?¡±(Renya) ¡°Answer this seriously, are you really related to the silver armored man?¡±(Michael) Michael was the one who asked this time whilst wearing a face that wasn¡¯t going to take another one of Renya¡¯s vague answers. ¡°Oh, him? You could say that.¡±(Renya) Ending his words with a ¡®He he¡¯, a few of the nearby hunters doubted his words as they sent him a sneer. ¡°*Heh* I find it hard to believe your words.¡±(???) If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.One of the hunters that Renya did not recognized replied. His mocking expression did not last long as Michael and Talia sent a fierce glare into his direction, making him take a step back. ¡°Might I remind you that the whole reason that we even knew about the attack is because of him?¡±(Michael) Hearing his words, the previous sneering expressions contained a hint of shame in them. ¡°Anyways, how did things go, from the condition of the field I can say that it went well.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, that acquaintance of yours killed an entire horde of demons that could¡¯ve destroyed the city in a single sweep. Not only that but he also managed to kill a transcended demon with ease.¡±(Michael) ¡°So he did something like that? ¡®As expected¡¯ I suppose.¡±(Renya) He said in an uninterested manner, even giving a flat emphasis on the words ¡®As expected¡¯. Naturally these words of his gave birth to a few suspicions in the listeners hearts, especially Talia¡¯s. ¡°So what are you to do now?¡±(Renya) ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to make a report to the capital.¡±(Michael) ¡°Ah, I see. Then I won¡¯t be bothering you any further.¡±(Renya) Turning around, he set out to a nearby restaurant. Although he and Borri drank quite a lot, alcohol did not fill his stomach. Unexpectedly, he heard the sound of a single pair of footsteps coming from behind him. ¡°Talia.¡±(Renya) ¡°I want answers, so why don¡¯t I take you to a nearby restaurant?¡±(Talia) She said with a sweet smile, causing Renya to feel his facial muscles stiffen as to how stubborn Talia is being. He heaved a sigh of defeat as he eventually said yes to her offer. Walking together for a while, Talia maintained her silence as she led the way to a ¡®nearby¡¯ restaurant. A few moments later, they arrived at what appeared to be a remote area with little to no pedestrians. Nearby was what appeared to be a simple looking restaurant, it had no specific styles nor did it have any eye-catching names. The sign outside simply said [Restaurant]. Dragging him inside, the chairs and tables were arranged in a way that each table would be somewhat private as small wooden wall would divide each section of them. Picking a nearby table for two people, the two of them, with Talia taking the lead, sat down. She then picked up one of the paper menu that was folded on top of the table. Doing the same, Renya picked up the remaining menu as he started to choose his own meal. A waiter came by to ask our meals before leaving after listing them down. Like always, Renya picked two servings of a dish with a lot of meat, while Talia picked one that had a balance of vegetables and meat. Silence, throughout the entire time, apart from ordering, Talia did not utter a single word to Renya. After a period of silence, their meals arrived, only then did she finally speak. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t ask much questions so far.¡±(Talia) ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t ask a lot of them.¡±(Renya) ¡°Oh? Do you take me to be a curious woman?¡±(Talia) ¡°Actually I do.¡±(Renya) Hearing him made her pout a bit before eating for a short while. Little White flew down from his shoulder as she began eating her meal, Renya soon followed after. ¡°This is the second time we¡¯ve had a meal with you asking me questions. Why can¡¯t we have a normal meal for once?¡±(Renya) ¡°When I get my answers, I¡¯ll maybe consider doing so.¡±(Talia) The two of them then continued eating before they finished all of their meals. Only then did Talia ask him a question. ¡°Tell me, what is your relations to that man?¡±(Talia) ¡°Let¡¯s just say he owes me a few things.¡±(Renya) ¡°Did he come from that place you¡¯ve mentioned?¡±(Talia) ¡°Where else would he come from?¡±(Renya) ¡°Why save this city?¡±(Talia) ¡°He felt like it.¡±(Renya) Being slightly infuriated with his answer, she said. ¡°Felt like it?! You mean to tell me that he saved the lives of countless people because he felt like it?¡±(Talia) ¡°Well, what else reason could there be?¡±(Renya) ¡°He owed you something didn¡¯t he?¡±(Talia) ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t have to use it in order to have him help the city.¡±(Renya) ¡°*Sigh* The only thing your answers do is give birth to even more questions.¡±(Talia) She said whilst leaning her head on her right hand with a slightly defeated expression. ¡°Well you can keep asking me if you want. Whether I answer your questions is a whole other matter.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then at least tell me this, are there others beings of similar power to him?¡±(Talia) Looking as if he gave it some thought, Renya answered. ¡°Of course there are. That place is filled with beings that are much stronger than you and me combined.¡±(Renya) ¡°Then how were you able to survive in such an environment?¡±(Talia) ¡°I was born in it, naturally I adapted to such a place, forging me into the man that I am today.¡±(Renya) He said whilst make a few silly hand gestures. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve managed to survive in a place filled with terrifying beings like him. Oh right, since you¡¯re quite close to him, can you tell me his level? I¡¯m pretty sure it should be around 150s¡±(Talia) ¡°150s? You¡¯re thinking is far too na?ve. He¡¯s already level 200.¡±(Renya) ¡°200?!¡±(Talia) She shouted out loud, causing the few customers to look at their direction. Quickly apologizing to the onlookers, she sat back down with a red face. ¡°Are you sure he wasn¡¯t aren¡¯t lying?¡±(Talia) ¡°I¡¯ve meet a few people who are at least around level 150 and their auras are nowhere near his level.¡±(Renya) ¡°I-I see.¡±(Talia) ¡°Why so surprised?¡±(Renya) ¡°Nothing, I just feel lucky to have managed to live through this day.¡±(Talia) ¡°Oh? Looks like a transcended demon isn''t something you guys can fight against.¡±(Renya) ¡°Of course not! I just feel glad that this whole ordeal is over.¡±(Talia) Heaving a sigh of relief, she leaned her body back as she relaxed herself. ¡°By the way, are you going to attend Michael¡¯s wedding?¡±(Talia) ¡°Wedding? Oh, right. I don¡¯t know, he hasn¡¯t given me an invitation yet.¡±(Renya) ¡°I see, you should expect to see it tomorrow or so.¡±(Talia) ¡°Why so certain?¡±(Renya) ¡°Because the [Notus Empire]¡¯s princess will be arriving in a few days.¡±(Talia) Author Note: This chapter has not been edited in any way at all and has only been lightly proof read by me. Why so? If you haven''t heard today is mother''s day, so I''ve spent a majority of the day with my family. Anyways, I''ll do the cleaning tomorrow along with chapter 25. Also I''m doing a poll to see if you guys want the PDF of the whole first ark er book since I''ll be finishing this arc or book in chapter 26 or so. Anyways, as always, there''s gonna be another chapter tomorrow so no worries~ Author Note: Chapter has been edited. Chapter 25 Wedding Reception Chapter 25 ¡°In a few days? Shouldn¡¯t traveling from the [Notus Empire] towards the [Ostwald City] take a few weeks? Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯ve never heard news of the upcoming attack?¡±(Renya) ¡°Actually, they did. They were a few days of travel away from this city, but they made a temporary stop on a nearby town. They said their next moves depends on how things go.¡±(Talia) ¡°Is that so? Well I have other things to take care of, So I¡¯ll take an early leave.¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright, take care out there.¡±(Talia) ¡°Same goes for you.¡±(Renya) Standing up, Little White flapped her wings and flew towards Renya¡¯s shoulder. Leaving the restaurant, he head straight towards the [Green Horn Inn], and into his room. Feeling mentally tired he swapped out his clothing for his more casual ones before he went to sleep. Not minding the men hiding in a shadow that were supposed to give him a report. While Renya slept soundly, the shadows never left the room. Which made Little White anxious. But eventually, Little White fell asleep near Renya¡¯s bed after a while. -?????- *Knock Knock* ¡°Sir Renya? Are you inside?¡±(???) Waking up to the sound of a woman¡¯s voice. Renya reluctantly parts with the soft bed to greet the person outside. ¡°I¡¯m coming, no need to be so loud in the morning.¡±(Renya) Opening the door, the person outside was a woman who wore a red vest on top of formal attire. With Renya wearing his casual attire, her face face was dyed with a faint color of red as she stuttered. ¡°S-sir Renya.¡±(???) Seeing the opposite party made him yawn before straightening his slightly hunched posture. ¡°What is it?¡±(Renya) ¡°I was sent by Prince Michael in order to hand you this invitation.¡±(???) Handing him a sealed letter, Renya accepted it as he said. ¡°Oh? So he finally decided to send me one. Well give him my thanks, I have a few things to take care off so I won¡¯t be able to do it myself.¡±(Renya) ¡°Will do! Also, due to all the recent events, the date of the wedding written in the invitation is not concrete. we¡¯ll send another letter to notify you of the absolute date!¡±(???) Taking a bow, she left in a hurry, leaving Renya alone in the quiet corridor. Closing the door, he sat down on the bed as he opened the letter. Reading its contents, he discovered that the wedding is to take place inside the cathedral, and the date appeared to be today. ¡°Lord Renya.¡±(???) All of a sudden, a shadow appeared. From the shadow appeared the figure of a man wearing a black assassin like clothing who kneeled with on knee on the ground whilst bowing his head. ¡°You fell asleep immediately after entering the room, so I never had the chance to give you my report.¡±(???) ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°No need to apologize M''lord.¡± Standing up, he pulled out a bag from what appeared to be his [Inventory]. ¡°Sir Amitiel assigned me to give you this bag. Inside are a total of 100 [Teleport] scrolls which should last you a while.¡±(???) Accepting the bag, Renya transferred all of its contents into his [Inventory]. ¡°What else did he have you do?¡±(Renya) ¡°He needs you to head back to [Titan City], although he¡¯s not asking you to hurry. He said that you should still head back as soon you can.¡±(???) ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll head back in a bit.¡±(Renya) Putting on his hunter¡¯s attire, he called over the half-awake little White over to his shoulder before heading towards the inn keeper¡¯s desk downstairs. As he neared, the inn keeper noticed him started to get nervous. ¡°What can I do for you sir?¡±(Inn keeper) ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be gone for a bit and if there¡¯s a letter that¡¯s for ¡®Renya¡¯, hold on to it for a while. I¡¯ll pick it up when I do return, and also, here¡¯s a gold coin for the trouble.¡±(Renya) Tossing him a gold coin, he made way to leave the inn. As he did, a shadow visible to only him followed after, leading the way as if to guide him somewhere. Naturally trusting him, Renya followed after and was led towards an empty alleyway. ¡°Lord Renya, this area should be safe.¡±(???) ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be off then.¡±(Renya) Giving Renya a salute by placing his right hand over his left chest, he watched as his figure became engulfed in a white light, eventually disappearing. -?????- [Titan City] Inside a dark room, Amitiel stood together with Lilith. In front of them was one of the high demons they¡¯ve managed to capture. The high demon was bound using a milky white chain which had golden runes etched into. Apart from her head, her whole body was wrapped in the white chain. Not only that, but Lilith had a dark ominous looking dagger secured near her neck. ¡°So, your level isn¡¯t bad, we¡¯d get some use of you, perhaps even get you to ascend?¡±(Amitiel) ¡°I will never betray her majesty!¡±(High Demoness) As the demoness shouted so, Lilith brought the dagger closer to her neck, scaring the high demoness. ¡°*Hmph* Do you realized that I alone can easily crush your entire realm if I wished to? Let along my lord?¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Your lord?!¡±(High Demoness) ¡°You¡¯ve met him before. The man in silver that killed that transcended demon of yours.¡±(Amitiel) Hearing the words ¡®man in silver¡¯ the demoness immediately to shiver uncontrollably, causing Amitiel to smile from ear to ear. ¡°Oh? It appears that you¡¯ve developed a form of trauma because of him. But keep in mind, I can be a much more terrifying demon than him.¡±(Amitiel) He said as he slowly increased the power of his aura with each word. After a few seconds- no, after half a second of being affected by Amitiel¡¯s aura, the high demoness gave in, eventually pledging her loyalty towards [Titan City]. Removing her bindings, the demoness was immediately sent to work as she was made to give them all that she knows about the nether world and this world in general. She wasn¡¯t the only one as the demons who were captured, the intelligent ones that is, were tasked with a similar task. Although they were confused as to why, they were given a simple answer by Amitiel. ¡°We came here, to your world, without any prior knowledge about it. But that doesn¡¯t mean we came here powerless.¡±(Amitiel) Hearing his words, the demons would immediately started giving as much information they can. In the throne room, Amitiel, together with Brutus, Charlotte, Laura, and Lilith were lined up side by side as they waited. After a while, a bright light entered their vision, and out from that light came Renya together with Little White. Bowing their heads, they said in unison. ¡°"""Welcome back Lord Renya(Father, M¡¯lord).¡±"""(Amitiel, Brutus, Charlotte, Laura, and Lilith) Nodding his head, Renya waved his hand to signal them to stop bowing. ¡°How are things on your end? I¡¯ll stay here for a few days, but I still need to attend the marriage of that prince.¡¯(Renya) ¡°Oh? It seems that the prince has finally decided to invite you.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°*Ahem* Amitiel, I need you to-¡°(Renya) ¡°Yes, yes, call you should the time of the wedding be close.¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Yeah, right¡ So Brutus, Laura, and Lilith, it has been a while.¡±(Renya) ¡°So it has, father.¡±(Laura) ¡°It¡¯s been a while M¡¯lord.¡±(Brutus) ¡°Y-yes! It has been a while¡¡±(Lilith) ¡°How have you two been?¡±(Renya) He said as he glanced at Brutus and Laura. ¡°We¡¯ve spent most of our time patrolling the mountain ranges below. Thus far our work has been quite boring as no worthy opponent has appeared.¡±(Laura) ¡°I see, then take care still.¡±(Renya) "¡°Will do.¡±"(Laura and Brutus) Bowing their heads, the two of them left as they still have to continue their duties. ¡°Lilith.¡±(Renya) ¡°Lord Renya!¡±(Lilith) With a surprised tone, she said. ¡°Keep up the good work.¡±(Renya) Almost as if pitying her, he patted her shoulder to which she bows her head and said. ¡°Yes, M-m¡¯lord.¡±(Lilith) ¡°*Ahem* Now then Lord Renya, we have a few things to discuss¡¡±(Amitiel) With that, the two of them, together with Charlotte and Lilith, left the room. -?????- After staying in [Titan City] for a few days, Renya has discovered that Amitiel has managed to successfully infiltrate, with the help of Lilith, all of the major cities in not just the [Helia Continent], but as well as a few cities in the two remaining continents, [Sylvia Continent] and [Avium Continent]. Receiving this news made Renya surprised at how quickly Amitiel works. Giving him a few words of thanks, Amitiel became pleased. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The longer Renya stayed, the more changes he¡¯s noticed. The originally busy [Inner Military division] became silent in the afternoons as they¡¯d be out, training themselves to increase their levels. By the time Renya returned, the overall level of the [Nocturnal Citadel Soldiers] increased by 5 levels or more. Not just that, but it appeared that the crafting stations have started increasing their skill levels as well. And since the armaments they¡¯re producing are no longer being sold, the stock on them became plentiful. In a short while, an entire week had passed without much events. Renya spent the days talking with a few of the sentinels, and at times helping out in a few things. In his room, stood Renya who was wearing his casual attire and was looking over the city through his balcony and on his head sat Little White. *Knock knock knock.* ¡°Lord Renya, the time of the wedding has been decided, it will happen in three day¡¯s time.¡±(???) Standing in place, he did not open the door, but instead yelled out his answer. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave, tell the others of my departure.¡±(Renya) Once the figure behind the door left, Renya replaced his clothing with his hunter¡¯s attire before his figure became covered in a bright light. His view changed from the previously luxurious bedroom, to a rather average one. Seeing the change, he exited the room as he went downstairs. After the inn keeper seen his arrival, he immediately walked forward and greeted him. He then proceeded to hand Renya a letter with a familiar seal before going back to his counter. Already knowing its contents, he went outside. ¡°Now to get some formal clothes¡¡±(Renya) As a previous assistant manager, he understood that events like these require proper attire. Feeling that his hunter¡¯s equipment wouldn¡¯t work, he decided to go around and search for a store that sells them. Although he could¡¯ve gotten some in [Titan City], he felt that wearing clothes like those would be too extravagant and he¡¯d become too suspicious. Whilst strolling around the city, a familiar figure entered his view. ¡°Oh? Renya?(???) Cassie and Maria. The two of them wore casual clothing as they drew closer to Renya. ¡°Where have you been? We haven¡¯t seen you in days!¡±(Maria) ¡°Me? I was busy with a few things.¡±(Renya) Rolling her eyes, Cassie glanced at the letter in his hands as she said. ¡°So, you finally received your invitation? And I suppose that you don¡¯t have a single type of ¡®formal¡¯ clothes now do you?¡± With a hint of slight embarrassments, he said. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t.¡±(Renya) ¡°Good! We happen to be buying some formal clothes as well!¡±(Cassie) With that, the three of them went around selecting a few clothes before settling on a few. -?????- [The Night of the Wedding Reception] The wedding went smoothly as there were no interruptions that came from the onlookers. Speaking of the wedding, the princess was a rather beautiful woman, she had silver hair and purple eyes that carried an air of royalty in them. Paired together with Michael, the two can be considered as ''prefect'' for one another. Inside the cathedral, the whole area was cleared of the long benches and were replaced with chairs and tables. The whole area looked extravagant, as one would expect from the wedding reception of royalty. In the middle was a long table that was filled with fine food and delicacies. Of to one of the sides, stood a beautifully dressed Talia. She wore a caramel white colored dress that matched the color of her hair, a few accessories, and light makeup as her hair was braided into a side tail. To her side was Cassie, Maria. As to how Maria got in, she was good friends with Cassie so she decided to bring her along. They chatted amongst themselves as they waited. ¡°So, which one are you going to dance with?¡±(Cassie) She asked with a slightly devilish smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe that guy over there?¡±(Maria) ¡°Ooh! He¡¯s the son of a well-known travelling merchant. You have fine taste Maria!¡±(Cassie) As they chatted, they noticed that Talia didn¡¯t appear to show much interest. Cassie then decided to tease her a bit. ¡°Miss Talia, are you perhaps waiting for Renya?¡±(Cassie) ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±(Talia) Seeing her this flustered, her devilish smile grew even further, causing Maria to give a wry smile. During the time that Renya left, these three have managed to get closer as they would spend the days chatting and going around town. Naturally they¡¯ve discovered that her interest in Renya was surprisingly high compared to the rest of them. Even going as far as asking them what he was like when he was around them, out of pure curiosity of course. As their group chatted amongst themselves, waltz music started, and almost as if on cue, a group of well-dressed handsome men went forward and flocked Talia with their requests to have a dance. Maria and Cassie who were off to the side had almost been ignored as only a few boys their age came by for a dance. To which they gladly accepted. Talia however, became distressed at the amount of people who wanted to have a dance. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted a familiar figure dressed in a black formal attire. Getting an idea, she quickly announced. ¡°I¡¯m severely sorry, but I already have a partner.¡±(Talia) As a smile curved into her lips, the surrounding men became bewitched as some even swallowed down their saliva. They watched as her figure walk forward, wondering in their hearts as to who was the lucky bastard. To their surprise, she walked towards a man who was dressed in a black twin tailcoat and under it was a dark grey colored vest on top of a white long sleeved buttoned shirt, the man also wore black pants and shoes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right Renya?¡±(Talia) She said as she linked arms with Renya. Without his hood or face mask, his face could easily be seen. He had his hair slightly combed back as a few strands were a bit messy and his somewhat sharp eyes were shown. He then decided to play along as he decided to pull Talia closer to him. ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±(Renya) Wearing a rather arrogant smirk on his face he faced Talia first before moving his glance towards the men. Being so close to one another, Talia slightly blushed. Seeing her reactions made a few of the men furious but they did not do anything else as they remembered that this was the prince¡¯s wedding reception. ¡°Now then Talia, how about we have a little dance?¡±(Renya) ¡°Dance? You? I didn¡¯t even know you knew the definition of it.¡±(Talia) Rolling his eyes, he let go of her arms as he placed his right hand on her hip and held her left hand with his other. Seeing him so proactive made Talia¡¯s blush to grow redder, but not wanting to lose face, she went on the offense as she started leading the dance. Sadly, her attempts were futile as Renya managed to be a step ahead of her as he¡¯s been taught how waltz a few days ago by Charlotte in preparations for this event. The two of them struggled as they danced, wanting to get an advantage over the other. Without them realizing it, their dance had become the main focus of the ball room as the others even stopped dancing as they made space for theirs. The two¡¯s dance to other¡¯s point of view was an extremely refined and pleasing one to watch. But to the two of them, their dance had been nothing but struggle to gain dominance. As their dance became more and more intense, the song reached a finale, forcing the dance to stop. Afterwards, a wave of claps was heard as the onlookers applauded them for the dance. Getting washed along the mood, the two decided to bow as they went outside, not arm in arm of course. As the two of them reached a rather empty area, the two sat on a nearby bench as Talia said. ¡°So, you could dance after all.¡±(Talia) ¡°What do you take me for?¡±(Renya) ¡°My bad, I just found it surprising, that¡¯s all.¡±(Talia) ¡°I see.¡±(Renya) "Where have you been by the way? I didn''t see you in the ball room the whole time."(Talia) "I was having a nice chat with the newly wed pair."(Renya) ¡°Then, what do you plan on doing now? I reckon the only reason you¡¯re still here is because of this wedding, now that¡¯s it over, where do you plan on going next?¡±(Talia) Hearing her question, Renya leaned on the bench before answering. ¡°I suppose the [Notus Empire]¡¯s looking interesting, I guess there?.¡±(Renya) ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll give you this then.¡±(Talia) Throwing an object towards Renya, he caught it only to discover that it was a badge of sorts. The badge was an oval shaped silver plate that had a tree embedded into it along with a few gems to its rim. ¡°This is?¡±(Renya) ¡°Should you ever reach the [Cynnabel Empire], show this badge to any individual and you¡¯ll know where to find me.¡±(Talia) ¡°Thanks.¡±(Renya) ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±(Talia) ¡°Then I won¡¯t.¡±(Renya) Ending his words with a small laugh, the night eventually ended. Author Note: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! It''s done! But not edited! I''ll do it again tomorrow and sorry about the lack of chapters yesterday ;~; I pad broke and I spent the whole day trying to fix it, and alas, it still is. This should mark the end of the first Book/Arc as I''ll be doing some mass editing and fixing in the next couple of days. Thanks you! For reading the series! I hope the my skills in writing will only get better from this point on as I write more and more books/arcs! There won''t be a chapter in a few days but after I do release one. It''s gonna keep going until something happens lol. You guys are great! 539 followers?! That''s a lot! I expected that we''ll stay in 200 or something but I was dead wrong! And a solid 4.5? You guys must be loving the series which is great news to me! Love all of you and again, thank you for reading this! Also, the poll for the PDF of the first arc was a neck to neck 59.72% on yes and 40.28% on no. I''m gonna post the link to the PDF along with Chapter 26 so no worries~! Author Note 2: Edited and proofread! Chapter 26 For The Journey Author Note: It''s been a while hasn''t it? Chapter 26 In a vast desert that had multiple flowing rivers of varying sizes across it, a single figure can be seen traversing through. The figure wore a white colored hooded mantle as well as tunic with a slightly darker color, dark brown pants with a couple pockets along with gloves of the same color topped by hard leather armor with multiple pieces that had all been dyed black. The figure also wore a pair of black sturdy boots and a warm grey colored cloth mask that only covered the mouth. Mounted on the figure¡¯s back were a pair of bow and quiver and on his waist was a sheathed curved sword. The bow reached 1.5 meters in length with both its limbs appearing to be reinforced by a certain type of silver metal. Each limb had multiple magic runes chiseled into it giving it a beautiful finish while its bow string seemed to be made by weaving thin strings of the silver metal mentioned before together. The quiver was made with the same design as the bow, at first glance may seem to be ordinary but was actually an interspatial storage device that allowed the user to store a large amount of arrows in. As for the sheathed curved, not much detail can be seen. ¡°Damn, when Amitiel said that there was going to be a ¡®rather large desert¡¯, I never expected it to be this vast!¡±(???) The figure cursed as he kept on walking forward. But as soon as he took another step, the sand beneath his feet started churning as they moved about. In front of the figure erupted an enormous worm like monster. Its skin had a rock like exterior, sprouting multiple cracks here and there as the large worm like monster dug its way out of the sand. As it did, its head was shown revealing a monstrous appearance. Its head was divided into four which opened to reveal the uncountable amounts of sharp yellow teeth, from its mouth spewed out a green pus like liquid. As the liquid fell from its mouth, it slowly corroded the sand it landed on, causing it to slowly erode into a dark yellow substance. The worm like monster opened its mouth widely before a deafening roar followed after. *GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!* ¡°A Sandstorm Hunter? It¡¯s been a while since I saw one of these.¡±(???) The figure said as he dismounted the bow from his back. The figure then grabbed an arrow from his quiver, nocking it swiftly as a bright blue light enveloped the arrow before shooting it directly into the Sandstorm Hunter¡¯s mouth. Its previously wide open mouth immediately closed shut before a yellow liquid starting dripping from the gap in its mouth. A few moments later, the Sandstorm Hunter limped towards the figure before it slowly fell down lifelessly on the ground. *Swish* ¡°Little White, what is it?¡±(???) The figure looked at the white owl that landed on his shoulder, asking it a question. Soon, a window opened in front of figure.
Little White has discovered large amounts of monster activity ahead.
Threat level: Extremely Low
Distance away: 12.5 Kilometers
Seeming a bit unfazed by the window, the figure grabbed a small stone that had been engraved with multiple magic runes from a small bag that had been attached to his waist. ¡°Amitiel.¡±(???) Soon after, the voice of a woman responded. ¡°¡±(???) ¡°Oh? Charlotte?¡±(???) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°*Tsk*, tell him to call me when he returns.¡±(???) ¡°¡±(Charlotte) ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±(???) ¡° ¡±(Charlotte) Placing the stone back into his bag, the Renya stood still with Little White on his shoulder. ¡°This is gonna be a long trip...¡±(Renya) Renya sighed as he continued on his journey. -?????- [Several Days Ago] [Ostwald City] Inside the [Ember Tongue] sat Renya together with Little White on his shoulder, seated across him were Chris, Maria, Nana, and Jennifer. All of them, apart from Nana, had relatively calm faces. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡±(Nana) She asked in surprise. ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna be heading towards the nearest city in the [Notus Empire]¡¯s country.¡±(Renya) He said as he leaned back on his chair. ¡°Well, I expected something like this to happen.¡±(Jennifer) ¡°*Sigh* same, although I didn¡¯t think that it¡¯d be this soon.¡±(Maria) As the three of them calmed down, Chris spoke. ¡°Well, I kind of assumed from the start that you only joined us for the heck of it. It was fun though!¡±(Chris) ¡°Yeah, sorry about my sudden leave.¡±(Renya) ¡°It¡¯s fine, really! It is!¡±(Chris) Chris said as he waved his hands around in rebuttal. ¡°We can still remain friends right?¡±(Chris) Hearing his words, Renya gave out a small chuckle before responding. ¡°Yeah, of course we will.¡±(Renya) Nodding in affirmation, Chris asked a question. ¡°Since you¡¯re aiming for the nearest city from here, shouldn¡¯t it be [Ferron City]?¡±(Chris) ¡°I think so.¡±(Renya) ¡°Well, you should be careful, I heard that the deserts in that area are extremely dangerous. I¡¯ve also heard rumors about the monsters there, they¡¯re known to be extremely savage. So much so that one had to have an extremely well-armed party to travel across some of its parts.¡±(Chris) Listening to his warnings, Renya gave him a nod as he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind then.¡±(Renya) He stood up from his chair as he grabbed several vials from his bag before placing them on the table. As he did, Chris and the others became somewhat wide eyed. After Renya finished placing the potions down, Chris immediately asked. ¡°Potions?! Why do you have these?¡±(Chris) ¡°What? Are they rare or something?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, they¡¯re not, but they¡¯re extremely expensive right now.¡±(Jennifer) She replied with an amazed expression. ¡°Oh, Is that so? Well, take them as a gift from me. You might need them in the future.¡±(Renya) He said as he grabbed a few more potions, placing them in front of them. ¡°Are you sure?¡±(Chris) ¡°Yeah, I have a plenty to spare. Giving you guys this much isn¡¯t a problem.¡±(Renya) ¡°Thanks!¡±(Chris) ¡°The least I can do for you guys. Well, I plan on leaving at dawn tomorrow. So no need to see me off.¡±(Renya) ¡°But still!¡±(Chris) ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll probably meet again soon.¡±(Renya) With that, Renya walked out of [Ember¡¯s Tongue]. ¡°Leaving so soon?¡±(???) As he did, he came upon a familiar figure waiting for him. Standing near the entrance was a beautiful elven woman with golden irises who looked to be around 18-19 years old, she had fair skin as well as ashen blonde colored hair tied into a side ponytail. She wore some relatively simple elven-like clothing. ¡°Talia.¡±(Renya) ¡°It¡¯s been three days since the last time we met. And here you are, about to leave for [Ferron City].¡±(Talia) She said as she crossed her arms. ¡°Well, I did tell you beforehand.¡±(Renya) ¡°Well, you did. But you never told me when you were going to leave. If not for the fact that I chanced upon you here, I would¡¯ve never known.¡±(Talia) ¡°My bad then.¡±(Renya) ¡°Never mind all that, Come with me.¡±(Talia) ¡°Where to?¡±(Renya) ¡°To where Michael¡¯s at of course.¡±(Talia) ¡°Why do I want to pay a visit to him again?¡±(Renya) ¡°He wanted to see you. Besides, he be able to help you in a way.¡±(Talia) ¡°Fine¡¡±(Renya) With that, the two of them headed for the Cathedral. Passing through the multiple buildings, the liveliness of the city returned since the conclusion of the attack. ¡°Things are looking well for the city.¡±(Renya) Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°It is, thanks that friend of yours, the damage done to the city was nonexistent. Apart from the fear they acquired after seeing his display, nothing else major happened and everything went back to normal.¡±(Talia) Hearing her mention ¡®his friend¡¯. Renya wore a slight smirk. He then continued to ask. ¡°Back to normal? You guys never sent anyone to investigate the Nether Rift?¡±(Renya) ¡°We are planning to, though gathering the necessary people required to do a thorough investigation will take some time.¡¯(Talia) ¡°I see, well that¡¯s good.¡±(Renya) After a while, the two of them reached the cathedral. Unlike on the day of the wedding, the decorations have been removed. As the two of them entered, they caught sight of Hilda who was walking towards them before they were immediately guided inside by her. Just like before, they were guided inside the luxurious room Inside sat Michael who wore a set of white formal attire and a woman who was dressed in a similar fashion. The woman had a slightly darker skin color compared to Michael, her raven black hair being tied into a full braid and her eyes had an amber color, making them stand out. ¡°It¡¯s been a while Renya.¡±(Michael) ¡°Not long enough Michael.¡±(Renya) ¡°My my, already so lively?¡±(???) ¡°They¡¯ve been quite hostile these days haven¡¯t they, Diana?¡±(Talia) She replied to the woman named Diana. During the wedding reception, Renya met Diana as he congratulated Michael for the wedding. Since then, the two of them remained became somewhat familiar with one another as the amount of interactions they¡¯ve had have been quite a few. ¡°We can¡¯t really do much about them really.¡±(Diana) ¡°Anyways, why did you want to talk about?¡±(Renya) ¡°You¡¯re heading towards the [Notus Empire] right?¡±(Michael) ¡°Yeah, what of it?¡±(Renya) ¡°Diana.¡±(Michael) He called her name as she replied with a nod. Diana then took out a silver badge like object before throwing it towards Renya. Catching the badge, Renya inspected it. The badge had an intricate cross engraved in the middle with two crossed curved swords at the bottom and on the it¡¯s rim read ¡°Through metal, our bodies are encased. With coal, our souls are fueled¡±. ¡°Quite poetic.¡±(Renya) ¡°Why thank you, it was my great great grandfather who said those very words.¡±(Diana) She replied with a bit of enthusiasm. ¡°So, what am I to do with this?¡±(Renya) ¡°Similar to the badge I gave to you. It shows that you are, in one way or another, related to the royal family of the [Notus Empire]. By the way, it works the same way as the badge I gave you.¡±(Michael) ¡°This is great and all, but what did I ever do to deserve this badge even?¡±(Renya) ¡°Oh, consider it as a sign of gratitude from me.¡±(Diana) ¡°Right¡¡±(Renya) ¡°Oh please Renya, it¡¯s not like I have a hidden agenda or any of that sort.¡±(Diana) She said as her eyes turned into crescents. ¡°Alright then, now that that¡¯s settled, don¡¯t you have a journey to prepare for?¡±(Michael) ¡°Yeah¡ I¡¯m guessing that that¡¯s all you had me come here for.¡±(Renya) ¡°I was kind of expecting something else.¡±(Talia) ¡°Well, all that needs to be said have been said. Adding anymore would make it useless chatter, no? I wouldn¡¯t want to delay your trip after all.¡±(Michael) ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯ll do too.¡±(Talia) Just as the two of them were about to leave through the door, Michael spoke. ¡°Ms. Talia, we have a few things to talk about that concerns the three countries. So please do stay behind.¡±(Chris) ¡°Alright.¡±(Talia) She said as she turned around. But as she was about to go back, she looked back at Renya as she said. ¡°Take care out there.¡±(Talia) Stopping briefly, he replied. ¡°Will do¡±(Renya) With that, the two of them parted ways. After Renya arrived outside the cathedral, he went straight towards the [Green Horn Inn]. Walking inside, the amount of hunters that are in the lobby are far fewer than before. ¡°Yo.¡±(Renya) He said to the inn keeper. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±(Inn Keeper) ¡°So how many nights do I have left?¡±(Renya) ¡°Till the day after tomorrow.¡±(Inn Keeper) ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be taking my leave then.¡±(Renya) He said as he walked outside. ¡°Shall we go back home Little White?¡±(Renya) He asked the white owl on his shoulder. -?????- [Titan City] [Nocturnal Citadel] In the throne room, a bright light appeared in the middle of the room. As soon as the light became dull, the figure of Renya and Little white became clear. ¡°Now then, where¡¯s Charlotte?¡±(Renya) Looking around the room, not a single person could be seen. Not minding the lack of people, he removed his hunter¡¯s attire, replacing it with his casual clothes, before going outside. But just as he was about to reach out and open the massive door, it opened. On the other side stood Laura, who was opening the door, and Charlotte. ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve returned home father?¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Yeah, for a while only though.¡±(Renya) ¡°For a while?¡±(Laura) ¡°I wanted to make a trip to the [Notus Empire]. So I came over to prepare a few things. Have you seen Amitiel?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, he should be on his way here.¡±(Charlotte) ¡°Yes, I am indeed on my way here.¡±(???) Behind the Laura and Charlotte stood Amitiel. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, Lord Renya is on his way to [Ferron City], which is the nearest city of the [Notus Empire].¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±(Renya) ¡°Excellent, would you be kind enough to lend me the equipment that you¡¯ve been wearing for a while.¡±(Amitiel) Doing as he asked, Renya handed Amitiel his hunter equipment. Not long after, a man dressed in assassin¡¯s attire appeared from out of the shadows. Amitiel handed his equipment to the man, after the man received Renya¡¯s equipment, he immediately disappeared into the shadows. ¡°Now then, apart from preparing for your journey, you also wanted to hear the current state of the city I reckon?¡±(Amitiel) ¡°Yeah.¡±(Renya) ¡°Understood, then I shall give you a detailed report on the city¡¯s state of affairs.¡±(Amitiel) With that, the two of them continued their talk in Amitiel¡¯s room. Charlotte and Laura did not follow after since the two of them had a few thing that they had to take care of. As for Little White, she herself decided to stay with Charlotte for the time being. Inside the room, Amitiel began explaining their current grasp on the world. Apparently, his men have begun their travel towards the rest of the continents, the [Sylvia Continent] and the [Avium Continent]. Not just that, but the prisoners they¡¯ve captured when the attack on [Ostwald City] have been integrated into our ranks and are obediently doing as they¡¯re told. Their treatment has been fair, they¡¯ve been given a proper home in the city. Not only that, but the benefits they¡¯ve been given far exceeds that of what they had when they worked under the Demon Queen. Hearing his words, he felt a bit skeptical since this ¡®is¡¯ Amitiel we¡¯re talking about. After mentioning the recently acquired forces, Amitiel then continued on suggesting Renya to stay for a few more days as he¡¯s having Borri make some improvements on his equipment for his trip. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not in a rush to head towards [Ferron City].¡±(Renya) ¡°Good! May you enjoy the next couple of days.¡±(Amitiel) With that, Renya left the Amitiel¡¯s room. Author Note: Hello! I am back! The PDF can be found >>here<<! I''m so, so, so, so, sorry! For the lack of any chapters. I just got stuck in editing hell for the longest time, and that I''ve lacked the time to do some editing. Even forgetting to edit at times even! But thankfully, you guys care still! You went over to my Novel Updates Forum profile page and bugged me about the series, and so, I finally finished thanks to you! Now that I''m starting a new arc, I can work a whole lot faster than when I did the editing. However, I can no longer do the daily chapters that I promised. However, I''ll try to write as much as I can during my free time! I only hope that you can understand my circumstances! Other than that, please do point out some mistakes that you find in this chapter AND the PDF! Since I may have missed a sentence or two in both. Chapter 27 Along The Journey Chapter 27 After leaving Amitiel¡¯s room, Renya walked along the corridor as he thought about his next course of actions. While he was doing so, a figure walked up to him. ¡°Father.¡±(???) Turning his head, what he saw was Laura, she appeared to be wearing her casual clothing which consisted of a white blouse that has intricate patterns and a knee length dress with the same design. ¡°Laura? Is there something wrong?¡±(Renya) ¡°Nothing, I just dropped by to say my greeting.¡±(Laura) She said as she bowed courteously towards Renya. ¡°I see? Then are you busy?¡±(Renya) He asked, causing her to ponder for a moment before answering. ¡°Not really.¡±(Laura) ¡°Then can you accompany me around the city?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, I have a bit of free time since Brutus is the one in charge of patrol for the day.¡±(Laura) With that, the two of them headed outside. The two of them then spent a bit of time roaming the city. Renya would often be greeted by the city fold, to which he would greet back. Along the way, Laura started asking Renya about his travels, to which he would reply and would start telling her the stories of his travel to which Laura listened to curiously. After a while of walking around, the sun had begun to set as the two of them settled at the citadel¡¯s kitchen to have a meal. As they did, another figure joined them at the relatively large table. The figure had a relatively short height, together with short platinum colored hair Golden colored eyes a long pure white dress that drapes on the floor, it has an exposed back that lets her use her silver colored almost transparent wings ¡°Prynn.¡±(Renya) ¡°It¡¯s been a while Lord Renya.¡±(???) She said as she sat down next to Laura and Renya. But soon, another figure walked towards them. ¡°Lord Renya, it has truly been a while since we¡¯ve last had a nice chat together!¡±(???) On his way to the table, a short and chubby dwarf wearing a light brown vest on top of a red long sleeved buttoned shirt can be seen. ¡°It has indeed been a while Khali.¡±(Renya) Sitting down on a vacant seat in the table, Khali made a small chuckle. After they settled down, Renya called over a nearby maid to have them prepare a meal for the four of them. Afterwards, Khali began asking Renya about his travel before proceeding to talk about how prosperous he¡¯s going to make the city once they enable trade amongst other countries in the continent. Prynn then began to scold Khali about not over doing things and be to be more considerate towards the people of this world. To which, Laura strongly agrees with. Not just that, but the four of them had a warm talk with one another, similar to that of a family, a slightly strange family that is. After they ate, the four of them went on their separate ways with Renya heading straight towards his personal quarters. Feeling a bit tired, he decided to go to sleep after taking a bath. Just like that, three days have passed. During these days, Renya spent them together with the sentinels, talking to them and even helping out with a few things such as patrolling or in the construction of the last remaining batch of golems and other projects. During his stay, he discovered that Thali, together with Borri, had begun utilizing the enormous stock of magic cores and materials that Renya has accumulated over the years as they¡¯ve begun to make airships, with an especially enormous one that is going to be using another magic core of the [5th Evil God, The Spatial Calamity, Kolade Mora]. In the second day of his stay, he stood in the [2nd Layer Underground Facilities] together with Borri and Thali. Inside, the [2nd Layer Underground Facilities] had an enormous open area that Renya originally planned to serve as a storage for the golems that he would make for the future, but became a hanger where construction undertook. In it, a large array of multiple golems and ships are being built. Seeing the 500meter long black steel frame of a ship that¡¯s undergoing construction, together with a dozen other ship frames that were around 200 meters in length, left him slightly agape. ¡°So this ship, its purpose is for war?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, and to be precise, it¡¯s for carrying golems to different areas over long distances as well as serving as a battleship. Although we can use mass teleportation for transporting them, it becomes a bit inconvenient when it comes to the ones the size of Titan Golems.¡±(Thali) ¡°I see, but thinking about going to war against another country or nation, we have to prepare for the worst after all.¡±(Renya) Nodding their heads in agreement, Renya continued. ¡°I appreciate the hard work you¡¯ve done up until now. But don¡¯t overwork yourselves, okay?¡±(Renya) ¡°Hohohoho! Lord Renya, overworking is a word that does not belong in our dictionaries! Besides, we can¡¯t overwork ourselves with just this much and unless we are forced into a fight to the death, our bodies will always remain at its peak condition no matter what activity we do, with a few exceptions that is. Hohohohoho!¡±(Borri) ¡°Indeed, no need to worry so much M¡¯lord. This is for the city and your sake after all.¡±(Thali) ¡°(That¡¯s right, they¡¯re the same as me. They¡¯re no longer normal beings, but transcended ones.)¡±(Renya) Thinking so, he nodded his head. Transcended beings, a state on reaches after reaching level 100, unlike their non-transcended counterparts, transcended beings gain a significantly stronger body and become stronger in all aspects in general. Not only that, but their racial traits become more powerful. Not only that, but when a transcended being reaches level 200, the quirks of being a transcended becomes even stronger and they are given the skill [Fly] which as the name suggests, allow the user to fly. Continuing his words, Renya said. ¡°I guess that I was getting worried over nothing.¡±(Renya) ¡°Hohohoh! It just shows how much you care for us Lord Renya!¡±(Borri) He laughed heartily as he proudly said. ¡°Now then, shall we continue with the construction M¡¯lord?¡±(Thali) With that, Renya and the other two began resumed their work in the underground facility. On the fourth day of his stay. Renya was in the [2nd Layer Underground Facilities], helping with with the construction of the ship when one of Amitiel¡¯s men came to him. ¡°Lord Renya, here are your equipment.¡±(???) Coming closer, he gave him bundle of armor, together with a bow and quiver. Looking at the set closer, he discovered that its appearance has somewhat changed. The originally dark blue colored hooded mantle turned into a white one, while the rest of the set had little change apart from the color. However, the bow and quiver were the ones that received the most change. The black metal limbs turned into a silvery white with its string becoming of the same material, the quiver had the same design as well. Looking at the bundle of equipment again, he discovered a sheathed curved sword. Grabbing it by the scabbard, he unsheathed it, revealing a glass like blade which had golden magic runes engraved in it. After sheathing the curved sword back into its scabbard, Renya nodded in approval. ¡°These are some decent equipment, the armor became a [Mythical] grade set that¡¯s approaching [Legendary] in terms of quality while the weapons themselves are [Legendary].¡±(Renya) Hearing his praise, the man nodded before replying. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.¡°Lord Renya, Sir Amitiel assigned me to give you this map.¡±(???) He said as he grabbed a small rolled up map from his breast pocket. Renya accepted the map, giving it a quick look before storing it in his [Inventory]. ¡°Sir Amitiel also asked me to relay you this message, .¡± Nodding his head in reply, Renya spoke. ¡°Give Amitiel and Borri my word of thanks. *Sigh*. Now then I should get going now. Give the others a notice of my departure, no need to make my leave all that grand.¡±(Renya) Saying those words, Renya headed towards the surface of the city. Giving it one last glance, he opened a window before closing it again a few minutes after. Renya then equipped his equipment, donning the white hooded mantle. A few moments, a white owl flew towards Renya, landing on his shoulder. Petting her head, both of their figures became enveloped in a bright light as they appeared in the forest below the city. Looking around, he glanced at the enormous [Titan City] above that casted a shadow so great that one could¡¯ve easily mistaken the time of the day to be night should it be casted over one¡¯s house. Grabbing the map that was given to him, he looked over the city he planned on visiting this time around, [Ferron City]. Seeing its location, Renya headed west together with Little White. After half a day of walking, Renya began seeing a drastic change in environment. The amount of trees in his surroundings decreased more and more, the humid air became dry together with the soil beneath his feet. Traveling for another hour on foot, the soil became sand, the trees were no more, and the temperature increased. Deciding to stop his travel for a while as the sun is about to set, he discovered a nearby river that appeared to be flowing towards the direction where he¡¯s heading. Looking off into the distance, he discovered another river heading in slightly different direction and looking over again, another river appeared. ¡°For a desert, this area has a lot of rivers¡¡±(Renya) Walking closer to the river, he kneeled down to scoop a handful of water. Seeing his actions, Little White flew down from his shoulder as she began drinking water from the river. Bringing the handful of water to his face, he drank a mouthful before shaking off the excess water on his hands. ¡°It¡¯s pretty cold as well.¡±(Renya) Feeling dumbfounded by the phenomenon, he decided to not mind it for now as he stood up. ¡°Little White, let¡¯s go.¡±(Renya) Hearing his call, she looked over before flapping her wings as she flew on top his left shoulder. Seeing her seated comfortably, the two of them continued their travel. Before they knew it, the sun has set as the desert became dark with the only source of light being the moon and the starry sky. Not only that, but the cold desert wind had begun blowing in the night, carrying sand from one place to another. To many, these sources of light might be a bit too dim to see, but to Renya and Little White, these are more than enough. ¡°The night sky¡ without the lights from the city nor the villages, is more beautiful¡ don¡¯t you think so Little White?¡±(Renya) Immersed in the light and beauty of the night sky, Renya said and as if responding to his words, Little White nodded her head as she admired the night sky as well. Just like that, the two of them spent the night traveling whilst admiring the night sky until dawn the next day. Not feeling a bit of fatigue, Renya questioned as to why he could go on without any form of rest before realizing that he never needed rest in the first place, physical rest that is. Realizing that the sleep he¡¯s been getting are nothing more than habits he acquired back from when he was still human. For the next two hours, the desert has been silent, with nothing but the dry wind blowing. As far as Renya¡¯s estimates go, they should be a third of the way towards [Ferron City]. But just as he was starting to get used to the silence, he could see the sand several kilometers away in front move in large amounts. ¡°Little White, go scout the area ahead.¡±(Renya) With that, Little White flew away from his shoulder to the skies. As she did, Renya groaned and complained. ¡°Damn, when Amitiel said that there was going to be a ¡®rather large desert¡¯, I never expected it to be this vast!¡±(Renya) -?????- [Current Time] With the corpse of the Sandstorm Hunter lying lifelessly in front of Renya and Little White, Renya prepared for the other monsters ahead on his path as he carried on with his journey. As his did, the sand a couple kilometers away began moving at a rapid pace. As it did, the sand made a motion as if something was crawling underneath it that was moving towards them. ¡°Another one? No, there¡¯s two of them.¡±(Renya) Pulling two arrows from his quiver, he signaled Little White to get off his shoulder, to which she follows as she flew away from the scene, creating a rather large gap between here and the ground. As she did, Renya nocked one of the arrows into the bow in his hands as he prepared to shoot. But, almost as if the Sandstorm Hunters knew what to expect, they split apart as the attempted to do a pincer attack. ¡°(They¡¯re a lot more intelligent from what I remember them to be.)¡±(Renya) He thought so as he stood still, slightly bending his knees as he anticipated the attack. Within moments, the sandstorm hunters were only a dozen meters away from Renya, showing how terrifyingly fast they can move in the desert. But, unfortunately for them, Renya had long anticipated their attacks. As the two Sandstorm Hunters surfaced, opening their mouths as they pounced towards Renya. But as they did, Renya made an enormous leap, pulling his bowstring midair causing the arrow to glow a faint blue color. Releasing his pull, the arrow shot through the head of one of the Sandstorm Hunters, killing it instantly as it crashed forward due to the momentum it gained as it surfaced. But Renya did not end there, he pulled his bow, nocking the other arrow in his hand as he did before it too began to glow in a faint blue color. Releasing his pull yet again, the other Sandstorm Hunter died in the same manner as the other. Landing on his feet. He surveyed the area ahead with [Eagle Eye] in the case that more Sandstorm Hunters come. Fortunately, they seemed to have ran away which made Renya ponder about their intelligence. A few moments later, Little White returned as she landed on his shoulder. Looking at her appearance, she appeared worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±(Renya) Asking her a question, a window appeared in front of Renya.
Little White has discovered a severely injured friendly human ahead.
Threat level: Extremely Low
Distance away: 7 Kilometers
¡°What¡¯s a person doing in the middle of the desert?! Bring me to where this is!¡±(Renya) He exclaimed as he urged Little White to guide him towards the person. Author Note: Aye! I have good news and bad news, bad news is, I can no longer post a chapter a day since I no longer have as much free time as I did a couple months ago. The good news however, is that I am still able to post 2-3 chapters a week depending on my schedule! And as long as I don''t have somewhere to be on the weekend, mainly Sunday, I am sure to be able to post a chapter that week. And that the reason there wasn''t a chapter for the longest time is that editing is a lot more boring and procrastination triggering than writing. Also, there are a few of you that happen to be in the NUF that''d ask me about the next chapter, so there''s that! Chapter 28 Encounter Chapter 28 Following Little White, Renya made great haste in order to reach the place where Little White found the person. After a while, they arrived in front of what appears to be a collapsed and bloody figure. Behind where the figure laid was a long and bloody trail. Looking at it now, Renya felt a bit nauseous but he quickly regained his composure as he began to inspect the bloody figure. Turning the figure over- ¡°A girl?!¡±(Renya) After turning the figure over, Renya discovered that the figure was actually a blood soaked young girl. The girl had short black hair and her face had multiple wounds here and there. She was dressed in an old and ragged light brown cloak that had multiple tear marks which revealed even more wounds. Shocked as to how a young girl such as this could receive such injuries, and how she ended up in this desolate desert in the first place made Renya freeze on the spot for a brief moment before he immediately calmed down as he began to address her injuries. Grabbing a handful of varied potions from his inventory, Renya immediately began pouring its contents down the girl¡¯s mouth. After he finished emptying the potions, the wounds of the girl began to slowly heal. Seeing this, Renya could not help buy heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Now then, what am I supposed to do with you¡¡±(Renya) Feeling lost on what to do with the girl, he waited for her to regain consciousness. But to his surprise, the girl woke up a few seconds after alter when her injuries were just about to completely heal. But as she did, her eyes opened widely, revealing a pair of bright blue eyes. The girl then leapt backwards whilst giving Renya a fierce glare. ¡°Who are you?!¡±(???) Seeing her act like this, Renya became surprised at first but he immediately suppressed it as he replied in a joking manner. ¡°That¡¯s pretty rude you know? Aren¡¯t we supposed to introduce ourselves first before asking that question?¡±(Renya) Hearing his reply, the girl retracted her glare as she looked down instead. A few moments later, she glanced back up at Renya before muttering. ¡°.. na¡ la¡.¡±(???) She muttered in a whisper, making it hard to hear even for Renya. ¡°Hmm?¡±(Renya) ¡°Nabila¡¡±(Nabila) She replied in a much clearer manner, causing Renya to walk closer before crouching down to look at her at eye-level. ¡°Nabila, is it? That¡¯s a good name, mine¡¯s Renya.¡±(Renya) ¡°¡Renya.¡±(Nabila) She echoed, causing Renya to chuckle a bit. ¡°So, what are you doing in this oh so wonderful desert?¡±(Renya) ¡°Somewhere to be¡. need to hurry¡.¡±(Nabila) Not minding her strange speech pattern, Renya replied. ¡°Hurry? Hurry where?¡±(Renya) ¡°Stranger¡ can¡¯t tell¡.¡±(Nabila) She said as she took a step away from Renya. ¡°Fair enough.¡±(Renya) Seeing her act like this, Renya said as he stood up. ¡°Where do you plan on going now?¡±(Renya) ¡°Secret¡ can¡¯t tell¡..¡±(Nabila) After saying this, she turned around and began walking away from Renya. But after a seconds, she immediately stopped and walked back to where Renya was at. ¡°Don¡¯t know¡ where to go¡ lost¡..¡±(Nabila) Nabila said as she wore a somewhat depressed expression. ¡°I can help you with that.¡±(Renya) Renya then walked towards Nabila which made her take a step back, but seeing his rather expressionless face, she calmed down. He then pulled out the map given to him by Amitiel from his [Inventory] before handing it over to Nabila. ¡°Here. ¡±(Renya) ¡°¡Map?¡±(Nabila) ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll need it.¡±(Renya) He said as he urged her to take it. ¡°Don¡¯t need¡.¡±(Nabila) She replied as she shoved the map back. ¡°Then aren¡¯t you lost?¡±(Renya) ¡°Not lost¡¡±(Nabila) ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that you were a while ago?¡±(Renya) ¡°Follow you¡ for now¡¡±(Nabila) ¡°Suit yourself.¡±(Renya) Shrugging his shoulders, he took a good look at the map in his hands before glancing at the sun. He then looked at Little White who was on the ground, she understood what his glance meant as she flew towards him before landing on his shoulder. The two of them, with their new found companion, continued on their way to [Ferron City]. -?????- [A Few Days Later] The three of them draw closer to [Ferron City]. During these days, Renya became used to Nabila¡¯s silent and expressionless company. She would always be following closely behind him, even asking for some food on multiple occasions to which Renya generously gave. It came to point where she¡¯d regularly join Renya¡¯s and Little White¡¯s meals. Throughout the entire trip, Renya did not stop to rest other than to drink or eat. Which made him shocked since Nabila was able to follow him just fine. Deciding not to ask her questions, the two got along just fine. Renya also decided not to use inspect on her, feeling that it was rude to do so without permission. But judging from the Aura she was emanating, Renya deducted that she was no different from an average human which made him baffled at first, but he quickly dismissed the thought as he decided not to delve in any further. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°So, what do you plan on doing once we arrive at [Ferron City].¡±(Renya) ¡°Don¡¯t know..¡±(Nabila) ¡°Eh? You don¡¯t know?¡±(Renya) Hearing her Reply, Renya turned around and gave her a glance. She then looked back at him before giving him a weak nod. Heaving a sigh, he stopped in his tracks as he turned around and faced Nabila. ¡°You know, I may be able to help.¡±(Renya) Hearing his words, Nabila¡¯s usually stiff expression softened a bit. ¡°You cannot help¡ too dangerous¡¡±(Nabila) Giving out a small chuckle, Renya replied. ¡°Really? How dangerous?¡±(Renya) ¡°You¡¯ll die¡ immediately¡¡±(Nabila) Silence, Renya became silent for a brief moment before answering back. ¡°Is that so? Well, we¡¯ll never know until we try.¡±(Renya) Hearing his response, she didn¡¯t say another word, only giving a weak nod. ¡°Mhm¡¡±(Nabila) With that, the three continued on their way. The next day, the three of them finally caught sight of the [Ferron City]. Even from a far, the city was gave out an oppressive feeling of being an impenetrable fortress. It was surrounded in by a tall white wall and its tall and towering buildings were dyed white. The buildings themselves looked as if they were built to withstand the strong winds as they barely had and corners, giving its buildings a unique look. Glancing back at Nabila, Renya realized that they will look extremely suspicious if she were to enter the city dressed in the ragged robe. Opening his [Inventory], he quickly scanned through his items as he searched for a set of clothes. Not a moment after, he pulled out a clean white robe that had magic runes etched to its edges before handing it over to Nabila. However, Nabila didn¡¯t respond as she blankly stared at Renya before muttering the words. ¡°[Inventory]¡.¡±(Nabila) Pretending not to hear her words, Renya asked with a worried look. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±(Renya) ¡°N-nothing¡¡±(Nabila) Nabila replied as she replaced her robe with the one he gave. While she was changing, Renya turned the other way as he pondered. ¡°(She knows something¡ Something about us perhaps¡)¡±(Renya) ¡°Done¡¡±(Nabila) Turning around, Nabila¡¯s appearance had completely changed, her previously rugged look had turned into elegance. Although her face was a bit dirty, she was elegant nonetheless. Grabbing the clean part of his mantle, he walked closer to Nabila as he wiped the dirt off her face making her struggle away but failed to do so nonetheless. ¡°There, now then, let¡¯s say we head into the city?¡±(Renya) Feeling a bit defeated, she reluctantly nodded. As she did, the three of them headed towards the city. As they approached the gate a guard that¡¯s heavily armored stopped them. ¡°Halt, you must show valid identification to be allowed entrance into the city.¡±(Guard) Feeling that his [Hunter¡¯s Guild] card would only allow him and little white to enter and not Nabila, he pulled out the badge Diana gave him instead. Seeing the badge, the guard immediately replied ¡°Apologies for not recognizing you sir! Quickly! Open the gates!¡±(Guard) He gave a deep bowed as he apologized ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±(Renya) After the gates opened, Renya, together with Nabila walked inside. But before they could proceed any further, he asked the guard from before for directions. Given a map instead, Renya thanks the guard before heading on their way. Inside the city, the road was paved with dark red brick like stones that had no parth-ticular pattern, what so ever. The roads were several meters wide and a pillar was erected in the sidewalk at an interval. The buildings weren¡¯t densely packed like the ones in [Oswald City], but they had a space in between allowing the wind to freely flow in between them. While walking along the street, Renya asked Nabila. ¡°Where do you want to go first?¡±(Renya) ¡°Hungry¡¡±(Nabila) ¡°Really? We just ate a while ago though? Bleh, you know what? I¡¯m getting sick of rations anyways.¡±(Renya) With that, the three of them entered a nearby restaurant. Entering the restaurant, its interior was mostly made of stone, looking over a few of the tables, Renya discovered that the utensils used are made of metal. As they walked inside, they headed for an empty table in a corner and waited for a waiter to come over. While they waited, Renya asked the question again. ¡°Where do you want to go first after this?¡±(Renya) ¡°I¡¯ll know¡ when the time comes¡..¡±(Nabila) ¡°Eh? Really? How?¡±(Renya) He said enthusiastically which caught her by surprise. ¡°When I see-¡.. Can¡¯t tell¡..¡±(Nabila) As she was about to finish her words, she stopped. With Renya disappointed, the two of them remained silent until a waiter came along and took their orders. As usual, Renya had two portions of a meal, one for him and one for Little White while Nabila had an even heavier meal than what Renya picked. The two of them were silent throughout the meal, apart from the clattering of utensils, it was complete silence in the corner. A few minutes later, the finished eating. After paying for the meals, Renya and Nabila headed out into the streets. Author Note: Yo, it''s been another long delay, again. My weekends have been getting busy these days, and it took some effort for me to write this, sorry for the delay of chapters, life''s been in the way. Good news though, in a few more weeks, my schedule should loosen up. Allowing me to write more chapters! Hopefully.... Again, please do point out the mistakes you see! Chapter 29 Proper Weapon Chapter 29 ¡°Now that I think of it, do you even have a proper weapon at hand?¡±(Renya) Renya turned around, giving Nabila a meaningful stare. To which Nabila replied by staring back before weakly shaking her head from left to right. ¡°I see, let¡¯s see if we can find you a good weapon then.¡±(Renya) With that, the three of them headed towards the nearest blacksmith. As to why Renya didn¡¯t give Nabila a weapon from his collection, he felt it¡¯d wrong to give her a ridiculously strong weapon right off the bat. Along the way, they discovered the amount of people in this city were quite numerous, showing the ability of this city to sustain itself despite being in the middle of the desert. However, after giving it some thought, Renya realized that this is probably due to the abundance of rivers flowing through this country. Passing by multiple streets and alleyways, the three of them arrived before the blacksmith store. As they did, the figure of a topless and small but burly man appeared, a dwarf. The first one he¡¯s encountered at that. He wore a baggy set of brown trousers and on his waist were a variety of tools. He was currently laughing as he chatted with a few people who wore hunter like equipment. The people he was talking to appeared to be all smiles and praise. As Renya and the others approached, they heard the burly dwarf¡¯s voice. ¡°Hahahaha! You won¡¯t be able to find anything like this in this desert! I, Stravo, am the greatest blacksmith around!¡±(???) Stravo said as he flexed and flaunted his upper body, causing Renya to freeze on the spot. Looking at his shop, it appeared to be an open kind, meaning the store itself is outside. All around it were rows upon rows of intricately designed weapons and armor. To Renya¡¯s surprise, the amount of people who¡¯re viewing these equipment were numerous. However, upon closer inspection, he discovered that these weapons and armor are no different from average, if not mediocre, equipment. Not only that, but the people who are viewing the equipment are relatively weak as well. Snorting in disdain, Renya said. ¡°Let¡¯s look for another blacksmith¡¡±(Renya) He tuned and left as he realized that the Stravo¡¯s level was a mere 15 and his skills in terms of forging are nothing more than average. Apart from a few skills that make the weapons he creates look pretty, the rest of his skills are pretty average. However, before the three of them could leave, Stravo has already noticed them. ¡°Ah! Hello there! Did you come here to have a look at my weapons? I tell you, my weapons are the best of the best! Guaranteed!¡±(Stravo) Stravo said as he ran after Renya, carrying a sword in hand causing Renya to send a glance back. ¡°Uhm, no. We were just about to leave.¡±(Renya) He said, turning around as he continued on his way. But Stravo was persistent, Brandishing the sword in his hands, he rested it on his shoulder before shouting at them. ¡°What? I could¡¯ve sworn that you were searching for a blacksmith! Fear not, I have no shortage of weapons and for a low price, I¡¯ll even forge custom weapons if you so desire! But for a reasonable price of course!¡±(Stravo) Feeling a bit annoyed, Renya pretended not to hear Stravo and so did Nabila. Even Little White¡¯s interest towards him was almost nonexistent. Apart from sparing him a glance, Little White did the same as Renya and Nabila did. Seeing that they aren¡¯t interested in what he has, he felt as if his pride had just been prickled. Feeling a tinge of anger, he quickly said. ¡°Peh, not like you can afford my equipment to begin with! I mean, look at your pathetic armor! That dainty bow, that sword as well! Quite miserable.¡±(Stravo) He said in disdain. However, deep inside, Stravo was regretting his actions. After giving Renya¡¯s equipment a more thorough look, he was baffled to see that their grade was something he was unable to discern. Renya, being the calm person that he is, did not mind his words. Apart from pausing briefly, he turned his head back, giving Stravo a look that contained the might of a transcended being. With one glance, Stravo froze in place, not daring to move at all. Getting a bit fed up, Renya and the others continued on their way to the second nearest blacksmith. Leaving Stravo in the dust. ¡°(What¡ what was that¡. A monster?!)¡±(Stravo) As he was left in deep thought, the group of hunters from before walked up to him. A male hunter tapped his shoulder, before asking. ¡°Hey, Stravo? Are you okay?¡±(Male Hunter) ¡°Yeah, you look a bit pale?¡±(Female Hunter) Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Ah?! Ah! Yes, I am fine hahaha!¡±( Stravo) He said as cold sweat dripped form his forehead. ¡°Is that so? Then about the armor you told us about.¡±(Male Hunter) ¡°Ah yes, right this way!¡±(Stravo) He said as he guided the hunters to his shop. As he did, he made a small reminder in his thoughts. ¡°(Never cross with that man again¡ He¡¯s too frightening!)¡±(Stravo) -?????- While Stravo was busy with his shop, Renya and company had already reached the next blacksmith. Looking through the windows, Renya managed to discern the equipment inside. Compared to Stravo¡¯s store, the store in this one was a lot more humble with their equipment. Although the amount of customers this one gets is fewer, they look like the kind who¡¯ve been baptized through no few number of battles and skirmishes. In short, experienced warriors. Entering the store, what they saw was a tall brown haired middle aged man at the counter. Walking directly towards him, the man greeted them. ¡°Welcome to my store! What can I do for you?¡±(Man) ¡°Hmm, well I was looking for a decent store that sold weapons since this little girl is in a need for a good one.¡±(Renya) Renya said as he looked behind, gesturing at Nabila to come forward. Doing as Renya said, the man looked a bit surprised, but he hid this well as he asked a question. ¡°What are the little lass¡¯s preferences?¡±(Man) When the man asked, Nabila stood still as she looked around before landing her gaze upon a sword that hanged on the wall. The sword had dark green blade while its hilt had the plain color of dark steel. It looked a bit dull as it didn¡¯t really have much design, but it was a weapon after all and not some fancy decoration. Giving the sword a closer look, it appeared to be taller than Nabila herself. Even the width of the blade is thicker than her limbs. ¡°Oi oi, you¡¯re not thinking of using that weapon now are you?¡±(Renya) Renya said as he gave her a worried look. However, her usually calm and emotionless face didn¡¯t have a hint of change. As if she wasn¡¯t affected with Renya¡¯s worries. The man on the other hand looked relatively calm. After looking at Nabila in the eyes, he gave a slight nod before picking up the sword from the wall. Seeing that he won¡¯t be able to change her mind, all Renya could do was watch from the sidelines. He watched as the man handed Nabila the large sword, to which she grasped by the hilt. A few moments later, the man let go of his grip on the large sword. But to his surprise, Nabila was able to hold the large sword, that looked to be around a meter and a half long, properly. ¡°Lass, you¡¯re quite strong!¡±(Man) He said as he gave a small chuckle as cold sweat started forming on his forehead. Renya on the other hand became wide eyed, but he quickly hid his shock as he observed Nabila¡¯s aura. He soon discovered that she should have a level that neared around the 90s. Quickly, questions started appearing one after another, although he was suspicious before, his suspicion became even more evident now. Holding the sword for a while, Nabila went to a more spacious area of the store as she began to make slow and simple swings as to not hit anything by accident. However, as time went on, the swings became evidently faster and faster until it came to a point where the sword started to become a blur. Even Renya became surprised of her showcase of skill, let alone the man. She swung the sword around for a full 5 minutes before finally stopping and casting her gaze onto Renya¡¯s, as if she was pleading for something. ¡°Fine, how much for that sword?¡±(Renya) He said reluctantly as he walked over to the man who froze in place, tapping his shoulder to wake him from his trance. This action by Renya caused Nabila¡¯s blue eyes to shine a bit brighter. ¡°Ah! Yes. The sword is.. 30 gold, but for the lass here, it¡¯s 25 gold.¡±(Man) ¡°Hmm, that expensive?¡±(Renya) Although the price was something Renya can afford, he was still curious as to why it was priced this way. After all, when he turned in the reward for hunting down a monster like a Necrotic War Beast is 120 gold and 150 at most ¡°Well, the sword itself is actually priced at 50 gold, but since the number of people who prefer large weapons like these are few in number, we decided to decrease its price in the hopes to increase its sale. Not only that, but the materials we used in this sword includes the crushed bones of a Sand Behemoth. ¡±(Man) He said proudly as he set his gaze on the sword on Nabila¡¯s hands. ¡°Is that so?¡±(Renya) Giving the sword a glance, he confirmed that it was indeed forged with the crushed bones of a Sand Behemoth, and the amount they used is no joke. Confirming that his words we¡¯re true, he grabbed 28 gold pieces from his small bag, placing them on the counter. Seeing that Renya paid a bit more than what the man asked, he just smiled and accepted the payment. ¡°Consider the sword yours. Please, feel free to look around our store more! After all, people like you are hard to come by.¡±(Man) ¡°We¡¯ll do so then.¡±(Renya) Looking around the store, Renya and Nabila ended up settling for a sturdy chest plate and gauntlets that fitted Nabila¡¯s small stature. After paying for them, the two of them left the store. Realizing that night was soon to fall, the three of them headed for an inn. However, a sudden uproar happened on the streets. Turning his head to see, he realized a large number of people in hunter like equipment arrive in groups. They appeared to be heading towards the city gates. Feeling a bit curious, Renya decided to head towards the nearest Hunter¡¯s Guild. As he did, he noticed that it wasn¡¯t just that one group heading out. There were numerous group heading towards the city gates. Finally arriving at the Hunter¡¯s Guild, the three of them entered and as they did they became greeted by the sight of a near empty building. Apart from the guild staff, the guild building was devoid of any hunters. Walking over the the counter, Renya asked the man behind it. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with the sudden disappearance of people here?¡±(Renya) Asking that question, the male receptionist made a face of surprise. ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t know? Then you must¡¯ve arrived here today then, I haven¡¯t your face like yours around before, same goes for the girl and owl.¡±(Male Receptionist) He said, giving Nabila and Little White a good look. ¡°Well, recently there have been a sudden increase in attacks on the city at night. Sometimes at day even. We¡¯ve been trying to figure out the cause but the amount of monsters that show up are increasing by the day. They¡¯re just way too many! You¡¯ll need a full party of high ranked hunters just to be able to leave the city in once piece at this rate.¡±(Male Receptionist) The receptionist sighed as he ended his sentence. ¡°Is that so? By the way, how common are Sandstorm Hunters here, specifically on the path from here to Ostwald City.¡±(Renya) ¡°You got attacked by those on the way here from Ostwald City?! That shouldn¡¯t be! There shouldn¡¯t even be any Sandstorm hunters on that path! At most there¡¯d be desert wolves and snakes, but that¡¯d be it! You¡¯re lucky to even survive the attack!¡±(Male Receptionist) The man said in a frantic manner, making Renya realize the severity of the situation. ¡°You¡¯re a registered hunter right? Can I borrow your Guild Card for a while.¡±(Male Receptionist) Naturally complying, Renya gave the man his card. He accepted it and took it near a crystal orb that was on his desk. After a short while, he returned the card. ¡°Sir Renya? I¡¯ve received info from the main quarters that you¡¯ve been promoted to [Rank: A].¡±(Male Receptionist) ¡°Really? That¡¯s good then. Though I¡¯d like to know more about the recent happenings.¡±(Renya) Seeing his rather nonchalant reaction towards the promotion, the receptionist became a bit disdainful, but he decided to keep these thoughts to himself and began to explain the recent events. ¡°Well, it happened a couple months ago with the event of a strong earthquake together with an attack by a sandstorm hunter in the middle of the afternoon. It was sudden, so we weren¡¯t able to prepare for it. The amount of casualties that day weren¡¯t all that much, but it was quite the horrific event still. Since then, the city began increasing the guards on watch duty. However, the following day another earthquake occurred. Although it was weaker, what came next was an attack of a few Sandstorm Hunters as well as a few Great Sand Beetles. After that, the earthquakes became weaker and weaker but the amount of monsters that attack became more and more. Although the sturdy walls are able to keep them out, I doubt they¡¯ll last at this rate.¡±(Male Receptionist) ¡°Then do you know the cause of all this?¡±(Renya) Hearing his question, the receptionist¡¯s face turned dark. It took a while before he could be able to reply. ¡°Well¡ no, and so far things aren¡¯t looking all that well. The last group we sent to search for the cause was able to return but they were missing a few people. As for the ones we¡¯ve sent before them, they¡¯ve yet to return. As to what the last group discovered, it was just a silhouette of an enormous figure.¡±(Male Receptionist) ¡±Enormous figure?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, although it was vague due to the sandstorm, they were able to make out the figure.¡±(Male Receptionist) ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s all I need for now. I¡¯ll pay another visit tomorrow to take a quest.¡±(Renya) Turning around to take his leave, he noticed that Nabila stood in a trance behind him. Tapping her shoulder, he shook her a bit to wake her up. ¡°Something wrong?¡±(Renya) ¡°No- no.¡±(Nabila) ¡°Is that so? Okay then, let¡¯s go take a look at what¡¯s happening near the walls.¡±(Renya) Chapter 30 The Highlander Chapter 30 With the three of them rushing to the scene, they start to notice that the sound of battle became louder and louder, and as it did, the tide of the battle didn¡¯t seem all that favorable for the hunters. ¡°Looks like things aren¡¯t getting any better for the people here. Little White, go look around and see where weakest link would be.¡±(Renya) Immediately taking off, Little White began going around the city walls while Renya and Nabila followed after. Since the situation was looking dire, Little White flew faster than usual. But Renya and Nabila had no trouble keeping up with her. After several streets and turns, Little White dived back down to Renya¡¯s side as she flew by his right shoulder. She glanced at Renya, signaling him to follow after to which he and Nabila did. Soon they arrived on to the scene at the western gate of the city. ¡°Quickly! Barricade the main gate! If they break in then all hope will be lost!¡±(???) Turning his gaze to where the voice came from, he saw a middle aged topless man on top of the walls who wore a set of thick dark leather tassets with his upper body and face being covered by a myriad of white paint. His skin was of a slightly darker color his head was devoid of hair, looking a bit savage even. Below him were dozens of hunters who wore full sets of leather armor, the same type of armor as the man and had face paint instead, albeit less intimidating. ¡°You there! Get out of here and ask for more reinforcement from the guild!¡±(Man) He said as he held his crimson two-handed saber with one hand before pointing it at Renya and Nabila. As he did so, Renya stepped forward. ¡°We¡¯re more than enough for reinforcement. Nabila, help out down here and little White, stay behind just in case. I¡¯ll take care of the immediate threats.¡±(Renya) ¡°Mm..¡±(Nabila) She replied as she was handed her newly bought weapon, to which she gracefully swung a few times. Renya then activated [Wind Sprint], a [Low Grade level 3] skill that increases movement speed and agility, before sprinting towards one of the buildings before leaping forward and kicking the walls of said building to propel himself towards another taller building. He repeated this process a few times before reaching the top of the wall where the man from before stood. ¡°What the?! Where did you come from?¡±(???) He said before noticing the bow strapped to his back. ¡°Blah! Forget about it, I need your help the other archers in shooting the sand beasts down below!¡±(???) Not questioning him any further, Renya followed his instructions. However, His way of doing so was a tad bit different from what the man intended. Renya re-casted [Wind Sprint] before jumping down the wall, sliding as he did since the wall was slightly inclined, straight to the fray below. ¡°This idiot! Quickly! Provide supporting fire and try to prolong the life of the idiot!¡±(???) The man said as he jumped down after Renya in an attempt to save him. But as he did, Renya began his fight against the sand beasts which consisted of Sandstorm Hunters, Great Sand Beetles which look to be enormous 3-4 meter tall and 4-6 beetles with a golden brown colored exoskeletons with a bright red gem like colored eyes, and a Desert Salamander which looked like a large salamander that has a dry dessert rock like skin with multiple horns protruding out from its head all the way to the tail. Renya shot an arrow filled his currently limited level 67 strength, causing the arrow to go straight through the Great Sand Beetle¡¯s supposedly impenetrable shell. Seeing this scene caused the man¡¯s eyes to widen as he descended from the wall. But Renya did not stop there, he continued to pull three arrows, one after another as they flew straight to their targets, killing the beasts instantly as the arrows pierced through their heads seamlessly. The man was a bit speechless, but he did not sit idle the moment his feet touched the ground. He immediately began an assault on the other desert beasts in order to diminish their numbers. The man was good, a skilled and talented warrior as he stabbed and slashed his two-handed saber at the beasts¡¯ vitals in the most efficient way possible by him. He moved along the battle field, seeming to dance even as he did so. While the two of them fought in the field, the archers from above provided support by shooting the beasts that the two aren¡¯t able to focus on. A few minutes after the brawl outside began, Renya and the man eventually met up as they fought. ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re pretty damn strong, HAAHH!¡±(Man) He shouted as he stabbed his two-handed saber in between the cracks of a Desert Salamander¡¯s stone skin while Renya shoots an arrow by the man¡¯s shoulder and into a Sandstorm Hunter¡¯s gaping mouth as it was getting ready to attack. ¡°Not so bad yourself.¡±(Renya) And with that, the two of them began working together in sync to kill the threats around them one by one before they eventually cleared the area. ¡°*Hahh*... Explain yourself.¡±(Man) The man said, holding his two-handed saber with one hand before pointing towards Renya as he caught his breath. Renya glanced back and pondered for a second. ¡°Explain myself? Hmm¡ Well, I came, I saw, I slaughtered¡ With a bit of help from you of course.¡±(Renya) Stolen novel; please report. The man didn¡¯t answer back for a while, as if lost in deep thought. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±(Man) ¡°Renya, a hunter. Yours? ¡°Renz, a proud warrior of the Western Tribes.¡±(Renz) ¡°Western tribes huh?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, a tribe near the border of the dark sector and the Notus empire. I am not surprised that you have never heard of it.¡±(Renz) ¡°Really? Is it that secretive?¡±(Renya) ¡°No¡¡±(Renz) He said as he closed his eyes before making his way towards the gate. ¡°Open the gate!¡±(Man) And with that, the large and severely beaten and mangled metal door slowly opened to just enough for the two of them squeeze through. As they did, they were greeted with a round of cheers from the nearby hunters and city guards. Amongst the crowd was Nabila with Little White on her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again in the future most likely. Till then.¡±(Renz) He mumbled by Renya¡¯s side before going on his own way with his men. As for Renya, he went to where Nabila and Little White were. ¡°So, how were things inside the city?¡±(Renya) He asked Nabila as the two of them walked side by side. ¡°Boring¡¡±(Nabila) ¡°Is that so?¡±(Renya) He said as he placed his hand on her head before rustling her hair a few times before looking up to see the sky redden as the sun sets. ¡°Let¡¯s search for an inn then get something to eat.¡±(Renya) -?????- [In an inn inside Ferron City.] A group of men from are celebrating as they filled a long stone table with food and drinks. The overall atmosphere of the inn was merry and festive, almost as an event of great significance occurred and of course, it did. ¡°Brother Renz! Let us celebrate our victory for today!¡±(???) ¡°Yes! We managed to defend the city yet again!¡±(???) The men around Renz joyfully drank and ate food. However, the same cannot be said about Renz. His face was of complete annoyance, and his nonexistent eye brows furrowed. ¡°You lot, you drink and cheer for a small victory. The only reason we managed to hold the gate was because of that archer! If not the gates would¡¯ve been broken long ago!¡±(Renz) He said as he slammed his fist on the table. ¡°Not only that, but today¡¯s attack came earlier than what we expected! This means that they could come and strike at any time! And we¡¯re sitting here celebrating over a small victory?! Keep this in mind, that we¡¯ve yet to hear back about the tribe! Our friends, our families could be dead for all we know! This isn¡¯t the time for petty celebrations.¡±(Renz) The room became silent after. The face of his men darkened, and the other customers and staff even so. But the silence did not last long, as the doors of the inn swung open. ¡°Hmm, this place is not so bad¡¡±(???) At the doorway stood Renya, Nabila and Little white on her shoulder. But seeing the quiet atmosphere in the inn, he became a bit confused. ¡°Did I walk into the wrong inn?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, just at the wrong time.¡±(???) A woman beside the counter replied before giving Renya and the two a sweet smile. ¡°So, welcome to the [White Iron Inn], what can we do for you?¡±(Inn Keeper) ¡°We¡¯re looking for a place to stay at for a while. A few days, but a week at most. Around four days?¡±(Renya) ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a three silver and fifty copper a night.¡±(Inn Keeper) ¡°That¡¯s a bit expensive.¡±(Renya) ¡°Can¡¯t help it, the decline of the supply of food is slowly decreasing by the day due to the attacks. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re gonna have to increase it to 4 silvers by the end of the week.¡±(Inn Keeper) The inn keeper said as she heaved a long sigh. ¡°Well, we can only hope for the best.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yeah¡ The best¡¡±(Inn Keeper) She muttered under her breath before quickly returning to her previous state. ¡°AH! I¡¯m sorry about that! I didn¡¯t mean to make the mood all depressing haha~¡±(Inn Keeper) ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Any ways, we¡¯ll stay for four nights.¡±(Renya) He said as he placed fourteen pieces of silver on the desk. ¡°Oh, and how much for a meal?¡±(Renya) ¡°50 Copper per meal, today¡¯s dish is Salamander stew with a potato side dish.¡±(Inn Keeper) ¡°Three servings, just place the meals to our tables when they¡¯re ready. Need to talk to a good friend in the meantime.¡±(Renya) ¡°Okay?¡±(Inn Keeper) The inn keeper replied in a confused manner as Renya placed a silver and a silver and fifty copper on the table to pay for the meal before heading towards a peculiar location in the inn. Soon Nabila and Little White followed after. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while.¡±(Renya) ¡°And by a while you mean a few hours?¡±(Renz) ¡°Yeah, fancy meeting you here.¡±(Renya) He said as he and Nabila took a seat on the vacant chairs on Renz¡¯s table. Renz¡¯s men were a bit irritated that these tow just joined them nonchalantly, but seeing Renz¡¯s calm and indifferent face, they decided to let things be for the mean time. ¡°You can go back, I need to have a talk with this man.¡±(Renz) As he said that, his men went on their ways and went outside of the inn. ¡°Did I ruin the moment? Cause I could¡¯ve sworn that you guys were in the middle something.¡±(Renya) ¡°No, just a quick reminder of our current situation.¡±(Renz) ¡°I see, you won¡¯t mind if we are to join in the conversation now would you?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, actually I would like you to join us. You appear to be someone new to this city after all.¡±(Renz) He then crossed his arms before leaning back on his chair. ¡°Yeah we are.¡±(Renya) ¡°And that child¡¡±(Renz) He said as he directed his gaze at Nabila. ¡°Hmm? Nabila? She¡¯s strong, don¡¯t let her small appearance foo-¡±(Renya) ¡°I know.¡±(Renz) Renz cut him off before he could even finish his sentence. ¡°Really now, did you use an [Inspect] her or something?¡±(Renya) ¡°Inspect? I¡¯ve never heard of such a skill, but no. [Warrior¡¯s Intuition].¡±(Renz) Hearing him not know about [Inspect] made Renya a bit confused. But he decided to not question it any further and keep it at the back of his mind for now. ¡°I see, but [Warrior¡¯s Intuition] huh. Are you a Berserker?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, something close, but not a Berserker. An [Elite High Lander], what about you?¡±(Renz) ¡°Hmm, an [Elite Arcane Archer].¡±(Renya) ¡°Heh, I expected as much. And the girl?¡±(Renz) ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Hey Nabila can y-¡±(Renya) ¡°Don¡¯t want to tell¡¡±(Nabila) ¡°Okay¡¡±(Renya) For a second time, Renya was cut off again. He then had thoughts of using [Inspect] on her, but thought otherwise. ¡°Well then, back on topic. The recent attacks, how much do you know?¡±(Renz) ¡°It¡¯s been increasing ever since an massive earthquake occurred, and there have been an increasing amount of monster attackers with each quake that occurred afterwards.¡±(Renya) Hearing this, Renz nodded. ¡°You know enough. Though I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve heard of the enormous figure in the sandstorm?¡±(Renz) ¡°¡¡±(Nabila) The moment he mentioned the figure, Nabila flinched for second, but it was enough for Renya to notice. ¡°¡ Yeah.¡±(Renya) ¡°We¡¯re the last group that managed to get back, with heavy losses however.¡±(Renz) He narrowed his eyes as he said this. ¡°The only reason we managed to survive was because the path we travelled was one that we knew like the back of our hands. The path back to our tribe.¡±(Renz) He then closed his eyes after saying this. ¡°You plan on going back there?¡±(Renya) ¡°Yes, we have to.¡±(Renz) Opening his eyes, he looked back at Renya. ¡®I see, well since the golem you saw is along the way I might as well help. I want to know the cause of this. I¡¯m guessing Nabila does too.¡±(Renya) He said as he glanced at Nabila who sat by his side to which she glanced back. She looked back in silence for a while before eventually nodding her head, which put a smile on Renya¡¯s face, even though it was half hidden by the white the cloth mask. ¡°*Cough* You wish to help us?¡±(Renz) ¡°Yeah, at the same time we want to see that figure.¡±(Renya) ¡°*Sigh* Fine, but with your capability, you could easily go and take a look yourself.¡±(Renz) ¡°Nah, I¡¯d rather kill two birds with one stone.¡±(Renya) ¡°Alright then. But I wish to know, what is your reason for doing so?¡±(Renz) ¡°Simple, you don¡¯t look as bad as you do.¡±(Renya) After he answered, the corner of Renz¡¯s mouth curved slightly upwards. ¡°Uhm¡¡±(???) ¡°Hmm?¡±(Renya) He turned his head, only to see the inn keeper carrying three trays at once. ¡°Ah right, sorry about that.¡±(Renya) He then stood up from his chair before moving it out of the way to allow the inn keeper to place the trays on the table. After she did, Little White hopped down form Nabila¡¯s shoulder and began eating her portion while Nabila followed after. ¡°That owl¡ Is she a snow owl?¡±(Renz) ¡°No.¡±(Renya) He paused his sentence as he took a sip of the stew. ¡°She¡¯s a White Frost Owl.¡±(Renya) ¡°Never heard of it.¡±(Renz) ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as common in these areas.¡±(Renya) He said as he took another sip, before eating a bit of the mashed potatoes. ¡°This food is pretty good.¡±(Renya) ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s because the chef is a [Rank: B] retired hunter who¡¯ve hunted lots of monsters all around the continent back in the days.¡±(Renz) ¡°Hmm, do you know the guy?¡±(Renya) ¡°No, it¡¯s just that he visited our tribe once back in the days. I recognized him, but unfortunately he didn¡¯t recognize me.¡±(Renz) He said as Renya sipped some more of the stew before answering back. ¡°You¡¯re telling me this because?¡±(Renya) ¡°Even though we may know the path to our tribe like the back of our hands, we don¡¯t know much about everything else. That man however, he knows a more than us about this desert.¡±(Renz) ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but where can we find him?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to search for me. I already heard enough.¡±(???) Looking behind his chair, he sees a small statured man dressed in an apron. ¡°You are?¡±(Renya) ¡°Kyle.¡±(???) Chapter 31 Ancient Era Chapter 31 With his Entrance, Kyle ended up surprising Renya due to his appearance. His hair was a shade of grey, his eyes red and his skin being a healthy shade of brown, despite the fact that he looks well over the age of 50. He wore a simple brown apron on top of his clothes with a few stains here and there. ¡°I¡¯m already aware as to how difficult this task is. But this will affect all of us eventually, helping you out now won¡¯t make much of a difference. Though keep in mind that I¡¯m not what I used to be¡¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine old man, just tell us what we need to be cautious of.¡± Renya replied abruptly, making Kyle narrow his eyes a bit before speaking in a solemn tone. ¡°Although confidence is good, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t underestimate the desert. Mere words cannot amount to experience. Bring me along.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m fine with that. What about you Renz?¡± He said, glancing at him. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. Though I¡¯m a bit worried-¡° ¡°Of my age? Don¡¯t worry, worst case is you leave me for your sorry hinds haha!¡± Kyle cut off as he gave a vigorous laugh. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We leave as soon as we-¡° *RUMBLE* A powerful earthquake occurred, cutting Renya off. It continued for a while, causing some of the food on the table to fall off before ending. ¡°I believe that that¡¯s a sign that we should start moving as soon as we can. The sooner we get to your tribe the better.¡± Renz said as he glanced at Renya and Kyle before continuing. ¡°Alright, gather your supplies and meet up on the western gate before dawn.¡± Renya and Kyle nod before going on their ways. Renya, together with Nabila and Little White left the inn to get ready but before they could, Renya had his clothes pulled by Nabila. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t finished eating¡¡± Hearing this made Renya froze as Little white nods in agreement on his shoulder. Wondering how to deal with this, he comforted the two as he searched for a stall that sold food and luckily enough, there was one selling meat skewers. With the two little gluttons satisfied, he went around the city gathering supplies that they might need before storing everything in the inventory. After doing so, they head for the inn and went to sleep.

????

An hour before dawn, Renya and Nabila were already getting ready to set off. Nabila wore a thick white robe one top of grey colored clothes to protect herself from the heat and wind. Renya wore the same set as before, making his clothes match Nabila¡¯s. Little White remained the same as ever as she rested on Renya¡¯s shoulder. After doing so, they immediately head for the western gate. There they saw Renz and his group together with Kyle. As they drew near, Renz couldn¡¯t help but comment. ¡°You¡¯re rather late.¡± ¡°I can also say that you¡¯re rather early.¡± Renya snappily replied back. Renz¡¯s group that totaled 14 stared at the rather short Nabila in disbelief, but decided not speak out their thoughts considering Renz hasn¡¯t either. ¡°Well, now that you¡¯re here we can set off.¡± Kyle said, beginning their journey. The began heading west, towards the Dark Sector, towards where Renz¡¯s tribe is at. Doing so, they encountered a few desert beasts along the way. However, the further they go, the more they realized something. ¡°The attacks are becoming more frequent, they¡¯re all coming from the same direction as well. There¡¯s something that¡¯s forcing them to flee!¡± Kyle replied in shock, making the other¡¯s, excluding Nabila and Renya, to somewhat darken. ¡°It must be that thing in the sandstorm then.¡± Renya said as he and Little White glanced at Nabila beside him, who happen to be glancing towards them as well. Furrowing his brow, he whispered. ¡°You know something about that thing?¡± ¡°¡¡± Silence, but her expression showed it all. Her look of worry was something she could not hide. ¡°It¡¯s fine, if you don¡¯t want to say then don¡¯t. I don¡¯t mind that much.¡± He replied with a smile, caressing her head as a means of comforting her, before turning back with Little White Hooting a bit towards her as if saying that it¡¯s fine as well. However, as the two did so. ¡°I know where it came from¡¡± ¡°Where?¡± Renya could not help but ask. ¡°The Ancient Era¡¡± ¡°Ancient Era?¡± Hearing an unfamiliar term, he could not help but repeat her. ¡°Un¡¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The Ancient Era¡ They call it the reign of gods.¡± ¡°Gods?...¡± Hearing her words made him dumbfounded as well as making Little White tilt her head. This made him remember a certain event in the past, when he tried using the gold from the original game to that currency exchanger. Realizing the connection, he went silent for a moment. This sudden act of his made Nabila confused as to what she did wrong. Only after realizing what he was doing did he clear his thoughts. [Quick recap since I haven¡¯t updated in a while, when Renya was exchanging his coins, the currency exchanger said how the coin he gave was from an Ancient empire.]Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Do¡ Do you know?¡± ¡°Maybe. But I¡¯m not too certain.¡± Renya replied with a wry smile. ¡°Oi, we¡¯ve got to get moving now.¡± Renz shouted at them with a hint of annoyance. ¡°Yeah I know, a few things just came up. Nothing too serious though.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, let¡¯s get a move on.¡± With that their group continued on their way. Encountering even more and more desert beast along the way. By midday, they saw sight of an ominous raging sandstorm that covered half the sky in the distance. Although it looked fierce, it did not move at all, staying in place as a few faint flashes of light, presumably lightning, formed every now and again. ¡°This is¡ This was not what it was like a few days ago..¡± Renz uttered, causing Renya to ask. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It was a lot calmer then, I don¡¯t remember it being this strong¡ Can we even get through it?¡± A hint of worry flashed in his eyes as he saw the storm in the distance, thinking about his tribe did not make his expression grow any better. The same goes for his subordinates, they shared the same sullen look as Renz. ¡°No use getting depressed over things we¡¯re not sure of. Who knows, they might still be fine on the other side of that storm you know?¡± Hearing his words, he nodded his head in agreement, wiping his worry away temporarily. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s quicken our pace!¡± With that, the group made their way to the sandstorm. By the time they reached the edge of it, the sun began to be blotted out of the sky as an eerie green glow replaced it in its stead. ¡°This is¡¡± ¡°Dungeon Break? At such a huge scale too.¡± Commented Renya, having seen such a phenomenon before. ¡°What do you mean? A Dungeon break?¡± Renz asked as his brows furrowed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s when a Dungeon remains unchecked for a long period of time, when it does, the monsters begin to swarm out of it due to the excess build up¡. Or so they say.¡± Renya explained as he was baffled by the sight as well. (A Dungeon Break¡ Wasn¡¯t this just an excuse they made just to get the players to go run the less popular dungeons as well?) He thought to himself, glancing at his back he saw a pair of clear blue eyes staring intently at him in shock as she whispered incomprehensible words. ¡°You know¡¡± Confused, Renya could only raise an eyebrow as to what she said. ¡°Dungeon Break you say? But I don¡¯t remember there ever being a dungeon around here.¡± Kyle said in disbelief, wondering where this dungeon could be. Causing Renya to ask. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve hunted in this desert for all my life, I¡¯ve never encountered any dungeon, a few ancient ruins here and there but never a dungeon¡¡± ¡°No use wasting time now, its best we confirm it ourselves-¡° *RUMBLEE!!!* Before Renz could finish, an earthquake, even more powerful than anything they¡¯ve encountered before occurred, causing a few of them to land on their backs. Even Little White is not spared as she became a bit flustered due to the quake. ¡°This is!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Kyle shouted as he urged the rest of them. Not wasting anymore time, their group ran through the sandstorm. Although the wind was strong, they wore thick robes that helped protect their body from the violent winds. As for Little White, being a high leveled being meant that it could endure the winds as if it were the spring breeze, causing a few of them to wonder in curiosity. Soon, their group reached the depths of the storm, and along with it, the tremors of the ground became more and more obvious. In the distance, an enormous figure could be seen, slowly heading towards their way. ¡°It¡¯s heading our way!¡± The moment those words escaped Renz¡¯s mouth, a swarm of desert beasts flooded their way. The group immediately took on their battle stance, with Renya being the one to charge at the vanguard after sending Little White out to keep a look out. He went forward, plucking the string of his bow with every arrow taking two to three demon beasts down at once, without pausing his march, he outpaced everyone in the fight, being a few meters ahead of everyone else with Nabila following behind. [Little White has confirmed the mob count: 47] [Little White has confirmed the mob count: 43] [Little White has confirmed the mob count: 49] [Little White has confirmed the mob count: 52] ¡°There¡¯s no end to them!¡± Renz shouted as he realized the number of beasts out number them. Although Renya didn¡¯t need his reminder, he activated a few skills to speed things up. ¡°[Arcane Shot]!¡± Renya shouted as a blue streak of blue light lit up the area it passed through, slaughtering an endless number of them as it shot through effortlessly. ¡°This!!!¡± Someone shouted in surprise. ¡°[Arcane Barrage]!¡± Soon a bolt of blue shot to the sky before splitting into a large number of blue light and like rain falling from the sky, it fell down like lightning, killing countless desert beasts. ¡°Haha! Amazing! I didn¡¯t expect you to be this strong! Come one, let¡¯s show our worth!¡± Renz exclaimed in excitement after seeing Renya¡¯s display of might. Eventually his vigor spread amongst his mean as they all shouted with all their might as they began killing at an even quicker pace. ¡°Goodness, the youths nowadays are too vigorous.¡± Kyle said as he let out a laugh that is as vigorous as them, shooting his bow precisely at an absurd pace. ¡°¡¡± As for Nabila, she was situated behind Renya, protecting his rear just in case, but him being ate the front meant that she face just as many beasts as Renya himself. Despite the fact, she showed her prowess with his comically enormous sword, with each swing cleaving a beast or two in half. [Little White has confirmed the mob count: 30] [Little White has confirmed the mob count: 24] [Little White has confirmed the mob count: 11] ¡°Good! Just a few more!¡± Renya shouted. ¡°RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!* A powerful earth quake occurred, as the rest looked into the distance. The figure, more obvious than ever, gazed at them with its bright and powerful gaze as it remained unhindered by the desert storm. Nearly everyone in the group froze as they saw this ghastly sight, a few of them felt their knees go weak even. ¡°It saw us!¡± ¡°Of course it did!¡± Renz rebutted his subordinate. ¡°Finish up the rest of the beasts! We¡¯ll worry about the big guy later!¡± Renya shouted as he let out another barrage of arrows. ¡°OU!¡± Renz and the others replied as they cleaned up. The moment they did, the felt the tremors in the earth become even stronger, only to realize that the giant figure was getting closer. ¡°How do we deal with that thing?!¡± Renz started to become nervous as he realized that the figure is even bigger than what he thought it to be. ¡°We should run away and head for the tribe immediately.¡± Kyle suggested as his brows remained furrowed. ¡°No, it¡¯ll follow us to the tribe if we do that.¡° Renya declined, causing Renz to grow frustrated. ¡°Then what do we do?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll distract it, you go straight to the tribe and ensure they¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°What! Are you mad?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll be able to out run something that moves that slow, plus I believe my attacks are showy enough to catch its eye, in fact it might¡¯ve been attracted to us because of it in the first place.¡± ¡°Are You sure about this child?¡± Kyle said with worry in his eyes. ¡°This, I¡¯ve faced worse situations before. This is nothing new.¡± Renya replied confidently as he smiled, though it was hidden behind the cloth mask. ¡°Alright, you can entrust Nabila to us.¡± ¡°No¡ I stay with him¡¡± She decisively said. ¡°This¡¡± Hearing her words made Renya hesitate, but seeing her look, he decided to let her stay. After recalling Little White, they quickly made plans on how they¡¯ll handle things. Renz marked the location of the village on his map, before he, Kyle, and his group took a somewhat roundabout way in order to avoid getting seen by the giant. But before they did so, Renya gave them a few dozen potions just in case. Although they were reluctant at first, they accepted his good will in the end. ¡°Alright then.¡± With that, Renya pulled his bow, as he shot a dozen [Arcane Shots] towards the giant in the distance to get its attention. ¡°GUHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡± An loud and mechanical shout resounded through the desert, causing the already violent wind to blow even stronger. Seeing this, Renya glanced at Nabila who was beside him before asking. ¡°Hey, tell me about the Reign of Gods.¡± ¡°This¡¡± ¡°Can you tell me?¡± ¡°You¡ Won¡¯t believe¡ Ridiculous¡¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve had my fair share of ridiculous events. With the things I¡¯ve experienced I doubt that there¡¯s much that can surprise me.¡± ¡°Okay¡¡± Reluctantly, Nabila began telling him about the Ancient Era. But before they could even begin. *RUMBLE!!!!* The figure came into view. It stood at a monstrous height of 150 meters, mostly made of Obsidian like rock that is littered by enormous blue runes all around. It stood on its two legs, its head had a pair of eyes and three enormous spikes protruding out of its back, making it look all the more sinister. ¡°Egg¡¡± ¡°Eggs? Hungry?¡± Nabila asked in a confused manner. Realizing that he used an inappropriate term, he corrected himself. ¡°Evil God Guardian.¡± ¡°Eh¡?¡± Her eyes widen in shock at what she heard. After all, even the lowest leveled Evil God Guardian still belongs to the upper 120s. And this one in particular is a level 140. As to what an Evil God Guardian is, they are sub-boss category enemies that you encounter before being able to fight the actual Evil God itself. They are usually in a group of 3-4s, which is making Renya rather worried that another two or three pops out along with this one. ¡°This is going to be troublesome.¡± ¡°You do know¡!¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°Ancient Era!¡± She exclaimed as her gaze became more frantic. ¡°I¡¯m not sure! But let¡¯s put this off for later. Let¡¯s take care of the big guy first.¡± ¡°Un..¡± With that, they shifted their gaze to the Guardian that¡¯s heading their way. Chapter 32 The One Misplaced in Time Chapter 32 *GUHOOOOOOOO!!!* A powerful shout resounded through the desert, causing powerful bursts of sand to head Renya¡¯s way. ¡°Let¡¯s take of this big guy first, then we¡¯ll talk.¡± After saying so, he mounted his bow on his back before pulling out [Silver Fang], an Ancient Grade weapon he made. It material was of a white metal, emitting a faint glow not being affected by the darkness around it, the sword was 2 meters long giving one a sense of purity as they looked at it. ¡°!!!¡± Nabila¡¯s expression turned to that of shock when she saw the weapon, even she could feel the strength of it with just its presence alone. Renya paid no mind to this however as he focused his attention to the Evil God Guardian. ¡°Little White!¡± As he shouted her name, the white owl emitted a great white and gold radiance, she grew to the size of car, her wing span increasing to a monstrous length of 12 meters, he feathers became fierce as they grew sharper and emitted a chilling light with a hint of gold, her originally calm eyes became fierce as their glow intensified. And if one were to look closely, a gold tattoo like mark in the shape of a crown appeared on her fore head. [Name: Little White Level: 167 Race: Divine Frost Owl Description: A Divine Frost Owl, an extremely rare race of Owls said to have existed even before the Altinea Continent¡¯s existence. The only way to distinguish them from normal White Frost Owls are their ability to summon enter their Divine State, where their size and overall combat ability improves drastically, after reaching level 150.] ¡°!!!¡± Yet again, Nabila¡¯s expression becomes even more excited. As Little White transformed, she immediately flew towards the giant guardian, crashing towards it with her large body as it became surrounded by a a blueish white and gold barrier. Due to the impact, the giant guardian staggered backwards, almost falling back even. Renya did not fall behind as he used the skill [Great Leap] and headed towards one of its legs. Releasing his [Limit] as he did, he released a powerful strike towards its leg, causing a deep horizontal gash across it to appear on the surface. ¡°You¡¯re a tough one!¡± Renya exclaimed. Although he was indeed surprised, it was not because his attack didn¡¯t do much since it was just a strike without a skill, but was because of how much stronger he was compared to the game. Normally he¡¯d need to attack with a skill to cause the same level of damage, however it seems like it was not the case here. Activating [fly], he flew back to put some distance between him and the guardian. Almost instantly after he did, the guardian released a powerful aura that caused the winds to stir. ¡°It entered its second phase already?!¡± Shocked from the sudden change of events, he couldn¡¯t react quickly as he was blown back by the winds. Stabilizing himself, he reassessed the guardian in front of him. The runes around its body glow an intense orange color as the aura grew stronger by a few folds. Before long, its enormous arms swung upwards, causing another earthquake to occur. ¡°This is!!!¡± As soon as those words left Renya¡¯s mouth, the sky became covered with an enormous magic circle, covering several kilometers. ¡°God tier skill! Little White!¡± Almost as if she didn¡¯t even need his command, she flew towards the frightened Nabila as she covered her with her wings. As for Renya, he realized that Renz¡¯s group will be dragged in by the skill at this rate, he didn¡¯t hold back as he casted a skill of the same grade. ¡°[Sword God¡¯s Challenge]!¡± After activating the skill, the area around Renya and the guardian became separated from everything around it by a , almost as if created an arena out of the current plane. Not only that, it ended up disrupting the skill the guardian was casting. ¡°Whew¡ Now then, it¡¯s just the two of us until either of us dies. Then again, there¡¯s no point tell you this no?¡± The guardian ignored his words as it swung its arms at him in rage. ¡°Glad we can agree on things.¡± He replied despite the lack of a response from the other party. After doing so, he replaced [Silver Fang] with devourer [Devourer], the strongest weapon in his arsenal. ¡°Now that I¡¯m here, I don¡¯t need to fear a third party seeing the fight.¡± The grip he had on Devourer tightened, the blade had a simple hilt, the material it had was black and devoid of any other color, even light did not shine upon its surface, almost as if it were consuming it. If one were to describe it, it was akin to having the abyss forged into a sword. ¡°[Dimensional Cutter].¡± Just like that, a God Tier skill was casted. It traveled almost instantly towards the guardian, causing a line to appear across it spanning a ridiculous length that grew longer than the guardian itself. *pakin* Akin to the sound of glass cracking, the golem was split into two as its separate halves slid off in different directions and causing an earthquake as it fell. It did not take long for the glowing runes to become faint and weak before vanishing completely. ¡°Whew, it may not be showy but it did the trick. Just that its wastes too much mana.¡± Renya sighed as he scratched his head a bit, grabbing a high tier mana potion from his bag before chugging it down. Although he was strong, his mana reserves weren¡¯t infinite. ¡°Maybe I was a bit too showy¡ I don¡¯t think anyone was around, maybe Renz? Well I¡¯ll worry about that in the future.¡± Before he realized it, the area slowly returned to normal and dozens of meters away from him he saw Nabila inside Little White¡¯s wings before flying towards them.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Strong¡ Deceived me¡¡± She said with a pout as her blue eyes narrowed a bit, causing Renya to sit down to her eye level. ¡°It¡¯s not that I wanted to deceive you, hey! I told you I was strong didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Unconvincing¡ Felt weak¡¡± ¡°This¡¡± Renya¡¯s cheek twitched a bit. ¡°Well, do you still think that I can¡¯t help you now?¡± ¡°I believe¡ Can help¡¡± ¡°Good, now tell me about the Ancient Era.¡± ¡°This¡ Status¡¡± ¡°Your status? Do you want me to view your status?¡± Nodding as he asked, Renya used [Appraisal], a skill that levels up with the user, on Nabila. [Name: Nabila-37 Level: 98 Title(s): [Lone Survivor], [Misplaced in Time] Race: Human (Trial Subject) Description: A human from the Ancient Era that¡¯s been sent to distant future as time mage research. Believed to have been a failure, no efforts have been made to retrieve her.] ¡°What the $%*#.¡± Indeed, even Renya could not help but be baffled at what he saw. ¡°Something¡ wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Renya pulled the cloth covering his face down to reveal a calm smile as he caressed her head. He could not help but sympathize with the child in front of him, after all, their situation is more or less the same. Although she did not know why he was suddenly acting so warm, she did not reject his display of affection. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°Un¡¡± She felt her nose go sour, confused as to why her face ended up making a strange expression. Little white, who had turned back to her much smaller form, flew to her shoulder and began comforting her as well, despite not knowing why they were even doing so in the first place. Calming down a bit, Renya stood up. ¡°Now then, you wanted to go somewhere right?¡± ¡°Yes¡ Follow¡¡± Wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeves, she led Renya somewhere. But before doing so, Renya stored the giant body of the Guardian inside his [Inventory]. Despite how ridiculous it looked, he managed to do it. Her speed was amazing despite being so small, enough to keep up with level 100 agility centered classes despite not being a level 100 herself. Soon they found themselves at the center of the sandstorm, the center of the Dungeon Break. On the sand laid ruins of an enormous building with a hole, presumably the entrance, spanning a kilometer or so. Gazing into the hole, he felt a strong presence coming from inside. ¡°I recognize this place.¡± ¡°Home¡ Where?¡± ¡°Eh?.... Your home?¡± ¡°Yes¡ Home¡. Here..¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this where the site where the 6th Evil God first emerged?¡± ¡°?!¡± Her expression changed for the worse upon hearing his words. However, remembering that she was sent here through Time Magic, he felt that the coincidence of this place being where the 6th evil god emerged was fitting. After all, the evil god that emerged here was [6th Evil God, ], a boss that came with the increase of the level cap to 160. ¡°Holy %$*#! No way! It was said that that guy¡¯s descent was due to an accident that happened in an experiment! Could it be?¡± His brows furrowed deeply the more he thought about it. Nabila on the other hand felt weak on the knees after being told such absurd events. Realizing that he was terrifying her, he stopped as he began comforting her. (This is bad, shouldn¡¯t scare her too much. Though I should call Charlotte and the others about this.) While he was thinking so, he felt a hand grasp the hem of his clothes as a pair of moist eyes glanced at his face. ¡°Are they¡ Gone?¡± ¡°They?¡± ¡°Sisters¡¡± ¡°I¡ Don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t say for sure that they are.¡± All of a sudden, she bursts into tears. ¡°Ah!¡± It was too abrupt that Renya became very troubled. Not knowing what to do, he moved instinctively as he pulled her to his embrace. Even Little White joined in. ¡°Ah¡ Uuu¡.¡± Her sobs lasted for quite some time before she managed to calm down. She lifted her head from his bosom, her eyes were completely red and some snot was even leaking out of her nose, but Renya did not mind. Taking his sleeve and wiping her face clean, he apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ It¡¯s fine¡ Not your fault¡¡± ¡°What will you do from now on?¡± ¡°I.. Don¡¯t know¡¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you come with me?¡± ¡°Come..?¡± ¡°I may not look like it but I¡¯m a king you know? Well, a Lord¡ But I¡¯ve got my own territory! Your welcome to stay there if you want.¡± ¡°Really?... But¡ Can I follow you?¡± ¡°Are you sure? But why follow me even?¡± ¡°Can trust¡ Good person¡¡± ¡°What if I were a bad man just waiting for you to do just that?¡± ¡°No¡ Kind.. wouldn¡¯t do that¡.¡± ¡°I see, then welcome aboard.¡± Saying so, he caressed her head a bit. ¡°I need to call over some people, so give me a second.¡± After seeing her nod, he immediately contacted Charlotte. A familiar voice rang in his head. After a while, another voice spoke. With that, Amitiel went off. ¡°That was¡?¡± ¡°Hmm, a subordinate. They¡¯ll be coming soon, they may look intimidating but they¡¯re good people you know? Ah, Especially Charlotte, I feel like you¡¯ll like her a lot.¡± He said with a smile. Hearing him say those words, she could not help but beam a slight smile at him, causing him to be caught off guard, one should know, she has not made a single expression since they¡¯ve met. ¡°Ahhh, I should probably go to where Renz and the others are¡ I forgot about them!¡± Realizing he¡¯d forgotten about their group, he sent Amitiel and a message that he forgot about something so he¡¯ll be right back. Together with Nabila and Little White, the three of them ran towards where Renz marked the map. As they did, the sky gradually returned to its originally blue color. Soon, a large village can be seen by the river side, and eventually, he saw a group of robust men gathered together with Renz at the lead. ¡°Oi! It¡¯s Renya! He¡¯s alive!¡± Renz shouted in excitement and to his side was a woman. She had black hair, a dark skin color and was dressed in thick light brown cloth, she seemed rather intimate with Renz. ¡°Still alive I see?¡± ¡°Alive? I should be asking you that? What the hell was with all that light? I thought you were only going to distract it? Don¡¯t tell me you ended up fighting that thing? And what¡¯s with that silence afterwards?! I thought you were already dead!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯ve faced worse? You worry too much, or do you have a crush on me?¡± Renya replied with a chuckle. ¡°You!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough Ren. I thank you for your hard work in his stead. I am Misha, Ren¡¯s Wife.¡± [Casul_Reader: Yes, she called him Ren instead or Renz, kind of like a nickname?] The woman courteously bowed her head. ¡°No, we just happened to head the same way, we didn¡¯t do much. I¡¯m Renya, and this is Nabila and Little White.¡± ¡°Tsk, acting all humble- Aaaaah!¡± His words got cut off as his waist was fiercely pinched and twisted by Misha. (Terrifying¡) He could not help but comment in his mind. ¡°Such a young child? When I heard it from Ren I couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°I.. Stronger than¡ him¡¡± Hearing her words, a vein popped on Renz¡¯s forehead, but he did not dare speak out loud with Misha around. ¡°He may act like this but he¡¯s very soft hearted.¡± ¡°Soft hearted?! When have I ever bee- Aaaaaagh!!!¡± Yet again, he received another pinch, one more brutal than the last. ¡°Forgive me yet again, he has trouble keeping his mouth shut at times.¡± ¡°N-no¡ It¡¯s fine, really, it¡¯s fine.¡± He could not stutter a bit at the sight of a tough and large man like Renz bending to his knees at the mercy of another. He gave the impression of being someone who¡¯d rather break rather than bend after all. ¡°I can understand why he¡¯s been so tensed this whole time.¡± ¡°Really now? I thought the worry was unnecessary.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, the village was able to defend for the most part as the sandstorm never grew any further than it did.¡± ¡°I see. ( Well Dungeon Breaks tend to have a limited range to them.)¡± ¡°Though it was getting a bit difficult with almost all the trade routes blocked.¡± ¡°I see, well I plan on going back in.¡± This time around, Renz stood up with a fierce expression. ¡°Oi! Do you realize how dangerous it is to go back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do fine, I only came here to see how you are and fortunately, it turns out you guys are doing fine.¡± ¡°I see, then is there anything we can help you with?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Anyways, it¡¯s good to see your village is alright. We¡¯ll see each other again maybe?¡± ¡°Yeah, take care out there. I don¡¯t want to hear any news of you being found dead in some parts of the desert.¡± ¡°Aye. I¡¯ll pay a visit when I finish what I need to do.¡± With that, Renya and the others ran back to the sandstorm. The sun was already beginning to set by the time they reached the entrance again, however, due to the sandstorm they couldn¡¯t really tell apart from the area getting darker. Soon, a faint light could be seen flickering in the distance, eventually becoming a group of 6 lights whose glow grew even stronger. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Friends¡?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, kind of?¡± He said in reply, calmly caressing her hair with his hand to calm her down. Chapter 33 On the Vessel Chapter 33 In the vast desert, a large intricately designed boat like vehicle traversed through the golden sands. Inside, a small group of the most influential individuals gathered. ¡°This is rather worrisome, it looks even worse than what you described it to be.¡± A handsome youth with short blonde hear who wore a set of white noble¡¯s attire spoke as he glanced out the window, in the distance was an enormous sandstorm that looked sinister as lightning flashed every now and again from its dark green depths. ¡°It grew stronger¡ Michael, it looks like I¡¯m going to have to ask for your assistance in trying to solve this.¡± A girl with amber colored eyes whose skin color was a tone darker as her head was full of raven black hair said in reply. The youth glanced at her with warm eyes as he grasped her hands. ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re married already, isn¡¯t it only natural that I provide my help?¡± ¡°Michael¡¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± With a cough, the pink stained atmosphere was immediately withdrawn as a woman with golden eyes together with platinum blonde colored hair glanced at the two of them. She wore a set of light beige colored dress and if one looked closely, they will see that she has a pair of pointed ears. ¡°I would prefer it if you two keep private affairs¡ private.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± The handsome youth then proceeded to scratch the back of his head. ¡°I sense a faint hint of envy in your tone Talia, missing Renya already?¡± Hearing her reply made Talia roll her eyes before responding back with a pout. ¡°Oh my dear friend Diana, that guy doesn¡¯t even know how to give a proper farewell. He¡¯s as stiff as a brick! How could I miss such a guy.¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re not very good at being honest. Though I¡¯m not wrong at assuming that you¡¯re interested in him, am I?¡± ¡°No¡ I¡¯m just curious about his background.¡± ¡°Really now? I see, I see. Then why don¡¯t you try getting married to him then? That¡¯s one way to know about his background.¡± ¡°!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two girls to yourselves for now, I shall go out to get some fresh air.¡± Silence immediately ensued. ¡°Ahem, I hope you don¡¯t take offence to my word, I was just joking!... We¡¯re still friends right?¡± ¡°Hahh¡. I know, don¡¯t push it too far! It gets a bit annoying.¡± Grinding her teeth a bit, she breathe a soft sigh. ¡°Tell me honestly, as your dear friend, will you tell me something?¡± ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t be unreasonable.¡± She said with a glare. ¡°Hehe, well then Talia, are you hoping that you¡¯d see him here?¡± ¡°¡¡± She did not speak for a while as she glanced downwards, before eventually giving a light nod. Seeing this, Diana¡¯s grin bloomed even wider. Noticing her ears glow red, she ended up laughing. ¡°Oh my, it looks like our dear Talia might be in love.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Outside the room, Michael can be seen leaning on the railing of the vehicle as he appreciated its intricacy. ¡°A fine beauty isn¡¯t it?¡± A dark skinned man spoke from behind him. His looks bare a close resemblance to Diana as his eyes are of the same color. ¡°Brother Reyner, this vehicle of yours are wonderful! I wonder how it runs, magic crystals? Monster cores? Or perhaps a magic engine that runs on a special fuel?¡± His words flowed out like a broken faucet as his excitement could not be hidden. ¡°Haha! It seems that you¡¯ve taken a great interest in this vessel of ours, but you¡¯re mistaken if you believe that it is run by magic. As a prince, you should know that our country is not a magically inept.¡± ¡°Ahem, I got too excited. The airships in the capital simply cannot compare to the speed of this vessel! If possible-¡± ¡°Impossible my good brother, this thing can only work on sand and not soil. But we are making good progress on this field as well. Just that that damned storm is causing even more and more inconveniences.¡± [The two thats are intentional] He closed his eyes as he rubbed his forehead before continuing. ¡°We¡¯ve lost contact to one of our major cities, the one nearest to your territory. Not only that, but nearly all of the trade routes have been disrupted in one way or another¡ All because of that damn storm.¡± ¡°This is a serious problem indeed. It looks like I¡¯ll need to get as much help as I can from the capital.¡± ¡°Much appreciated brother, I-¡° ¡°No need, are we not family?¡± Hearing his words, Reyner could not help but give him a manly bear hug, to which Michael nearly choked from.

????

In front of Renya stood 6 figures: Brutus, a tall handsome Transcended whose height reached a towering length of 2.3 meters. His hair is black as he wore a set of bulky yet beautiful black armor whose designed screamed ¡°Tank!¡± as it glowed a faint divine radiance. Charlotte, a tall, breath taking beautiful woman when compared to others with golden brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a white elegant robe that¡¯s littered with golden runes which glow the same divine radiance. Laura, a woman taller than Charlotte whose beauty does not lose out in comparison whose hair is a color of silver which gradiates to black and wore a set of beautiful, slim, white armor. A complete contrast to Brutus¡¯ set. Lilith, a dark elf whose height and beauty, which cannot be hidden behind her veil, rivals that of Laura. Her hair is of a pure silver as she wore a set of black scale like armor which streamlines her body¡¯s shape well to emphasize speed. Amitiel, a demon with a dark skin color and ashen colored short hair and had horns protruding off the sides of his head that curved backwards. His eyes glow a sinister red as he wore an intricate black sleeveless set of clothes. Finally, Prynn, a fairy, the shortest of the six. She has shoulder length platinum colored hair and wore a beautiful pure white dress. All their clothes and equipment giving out an ancient and oppressive aura. As for their Individual auras, Nabila felt as if she was looking at a group of legends from the Ancient Era of long past.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Father, this is?¡± Charlotte asked Renya as she glanced at Nabila who hid behind him together with Little White. Seeing her anxious expression, he knelt down and caressed her head to calm her down. ¡°This is Nabila, treat her like a younger sister. She¡¯s been through a lot, so don¡¯t be harsh.¡± He said as he glared at Amitiel. ¡°Ahem, M¡¯lord, you should know my character is of a proper gentleman. You should know that I am only cruel to- Bah!¡° Immediately, his actions prompted a smack on the head from Brutus. ¡°Amitiel, you¡¯re already frightening the child.¡± ¡°No¡ It¡¯s fine¡¡± ¡°M¡¯lord, you should know that I¡¯m not the best at dealing with kids. Besides, I need to get back to the city. Although management has been rather easy thanks to how you¡¯ve made it, I need to manage our intel gathering.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Combat isn¡¯t your forte, you can return.¡± ¡°My thanks M¡¯lord.¡± With that, he disappeared from sight as he became a flash of light in the distance. Seeing him leave, Nabilla calmed down a lot better. ¡°Haha! Nabila right? He may look like so but he¡¯s a good fellow.¡± Brutus said as he kneeled on one knee to look at the child in front of him better. To his side was Prynn as her eyes, together with Charlotte, lit up. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello¡¡± ¡°Ooooh! I can feel that you¡¯ve reached a pretty high level, about to reach transcendence even?! Amazing! Ah!!! Little White¡¯s taken a liking to you?! Unfair!!!¡± Prynn exclaimed as she went around Nabila almost swallowing her whole with her curiosity. ¡°Prynn, you¡¯re scaring her you know?¡± ¡°Ah! My bad hehe~¡± With a smile she scratched her cheek. The two then began to ask Nabila questions as they showered her with affection. The scene immediately became warm, as if the three have been long lost siblings that have just now reunited. The others looked at this scene in disbelief as they underestimated the ability of Prynn and Charlotte to socialize. ¡°Laura, how have you been?¡± Renya asked the tall cool beauty. ¡°All has been fine M¡¯lord. The strength of the soldiers have increased steadily. Some have begun attaining a higher class tiers even.¡± ¡°No no, I meant how have you yourself been.¡± ¡°Ah! Well, I¡¯ve been fine. Brutus has accompanied me for a few spars over the days as to not let my skill deteriorate. But I¡¯ve been meaning to have a match with M¡¯lord.¡± Her eyes shown a hint of expectation as she spoke, glancing at Renya with a longing look, causing him to cough. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do so after this expedition.¡± Hearing his words caused her nod in satisfaction. ¡°How about you Lilith?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡ I¡¯ve been¡ fine?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes¡ My team have been somewhat idle however. B-but that does not mean our skill has degraded!!! We¡¯ve been hunting every chance we get to increase our levels! Just that there hasn¡¯t been any prey worth hunting¡.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I have a feeling that you¡¯ll be one of the ones moving the most in the future.¡± ¡°It would be our hon-r!?¡± Talking too quickly, she ended up biting her own tongue. Seeing her silly behavior caused Renya to smile warmly before patting her shoulder and giving her words of encouragement. ¡°Then Brutus, I feel that you¡¯ve been well these days.¡± ¡°Of course! My men have slowly raised their levels! There have been no casualties so far as we¡¯ve just began exploring more of the terrain around us, sadly we¡¯ve found nothing worth looking into.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, it would be better that way to be honest.¡± ¡°Alright, should we start now M¡¯lord? This seems to be the domain of the if I am not mistaken.¡± ¡°It is, Laura, I want you to lead the vanguard with me. Brutus stay near Charlotte and the rest, although I don¡¯t wish for Nabila to come along with us, this place holds great importance to her.¡± Brutus nodded to his words as he gave a fearless smile. ¡°Lilith, I¡¯m counting on you to scout ahead.¡± ¡°You can rely on me M¡¯lord.¡± Her words lacked her usual clumsiness as it carried an air of decisiveness. ¡°Good, Charlotte, Prynn we should get going. You¡¯ll get more chances to talk later.¡± ¡°¡°Alright!¡±¡± ¡°Nabila, are you ready?¡± ¡°Un¡¡± Seeing her unease, he caressed her head again before thinking to himself. (I¡¯m afraid this¡¯ll become a habit of mine at this rate.) ¡°Don¡¯t worry Naby! We¡¯ll be here to protect you! Especially Brutus, his head is filled with nothing but thoughts of protecting those who can¡¯t protect themselves! He¡¯s silly that way.¡± Prynn commented as she poke fun of Brutus, causing him to furrow his brows. ¡°Naby?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the nickname we¡¯ve decided to give little Nabila~¡± Hearing Prynn¡¯s enthusiastic tone of voice and how Nabila didn¡¯t seem to mind, Renya just gave a wry smile. ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s start.¡± As he said those words, he put on [Serpent¡¯s End]. A dark set of armor that has a tint of red that has a few pieces of divine material like silver, giving the armor and otherworldly look. Another noteworthy detail is that the helmet had a long dragonic tail like appendage that moved like a living being with a mind of its own. On its tip is double edged short sword whose quality does not lose out when compared to a [Ancient Grade] weapon. [Casul_Reader: I feel like Draco Catulus sounds dumb so we¡¯re just naming it Serpent¡¯s End, its color changed too from black and silver accents to dark red and silver accents. Hey, my naming sense was pretty bad back then, I sometimes cringe at it when I see some of them every now and again *shivers*. But it¡¯s been done so I¡¯ll just roll with it.] He gave of the feeling of a valiant leader, causing the eyes of the sentinels, even Nabila¡¯s, to light up. With that, the the seven of them entered the dungeon. Immediately, the scenery changed from the oppressive desert to an immensely wide, quiet and ominous hall way. ¡°Just like in the [Altinea Continent].¡± The enormous hallway was littered with blue crystal like rocks that gave the pitch black walls a hint of dark blue. ¡°Alti-neya¡.?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ right, do you know the name of the continent during the Ancient Era?¡± ¡°No¡ Only know¡. Many strong people¡¡± Hearing her words, the sentinels¡¯ expression to a turn for sympathy as they focused their attention towards the poor girl. ¡°How did you know about this place then?¡± ¡°I¡ was thought few things¡ how to get back¡. one of them¡.¡± He could not help but caress her head yet again, he felt pity for the poor girl who knew little of the world she lived in then and now. Seeing the atmosphere so tense, Brutus spoke. ¡°The place looks as if it hadn¡¯t aged a bit huh.¡± ¡°Of course it hasn¡¯t. It¡¯s the domain of that time god remember?¡± Prynn said as in scolding manner, causing Brutus to make a strange face. ¡°Brutus has a point Prynn, Aeva Unn is long dead. This place should¡¯ve lost his influence long ago yet here it is still.¡± Renya replied. Although he was sure that it wasn¡¯t Brutus¡¯ actual point, it did make him reach that conclusion. After each of the Evil Gods gets beaten the first time, more lore gets provided for the players to read through. Although others can still fight the boss, the first time would always be the most special as the players who managed to do so would get special rewards and the special title [God Slayer]. Renya happen to be someone who did just that, on two Evil Gods even! happen to be one of them. This special title would give one the ability to fight on nearly equal grounds with an Evil God, boosting all stats and abilities when faced with one. ¡°As far as Evil God domain goes, after the master dies, the effect on the domain slowly diminishes.¡± Charlotte commented. ¡°That¡¯s how it should work, however I encountered a guardian a few hours ago near the area.¡± ¡°¡±¡°¡°!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°Though it might just be a remnant as it was alone. But still, there still might be a chance that that something caused all this to happen.¡± ¡°Then we should get M¡¯lord.¡± Laura suggested. ¡°Alright, Lilith.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± In an instant, her body became shrouded in black fog before disappearing completely. Seeing this scene made Nabila to blink a few times. ¡°She!!!¡± ¡°She¡¯s an assassin, specifically a [Divinity¡¯s Shroud]. A special kind of assassin, one that integrates their bodies completely into darkness. Unlike the typical poisons or traps, the focus more on dark magic.¡± Renya explained, as she was one of the sentinels he created much later than the rest, he had more chances to use the systems that got implemented during the updates. For example, a scroll dropped from quests or bosses that allow a player to gain a special class gained only through such means. [Divinity¡¯s Shroud] is one of these items, when the class scrolls first came out, you could not use them on NPCs, however that was changed in a patch much, much later on after the countless protests of players who wished to give their NPCs a unique class outside of the presets. After he explained it briefly, the group immediately set out and began exploring the dungeon. With Renya and Laura leading the vanguard, Brutus behind them and finally, Nabila and Little White in between Charlotte and Prynn. However, the deeper they went, the more perplexed they got. ¡°Empty?¡± Laura furrowed her brows as she saw the results so far. ¡°Mhm, empty.¡± Lilith released her skill, revealing her figure as she confirmed Laura¡¯s question. ¡°Strange¡¡± ¡°Indeed, who knows? Maybe we were just getting tense for no reason at all! Haha!¡± Brutus joked as he spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s not jinx ourselves Brutus.¡± ¡°Yes M¡¯lord¡¡± ¡°Let¡¯s continue on, maybe there will be something in the boss area.¡± ¡°Boss-su¡?¡± ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s a term we use to describe the strongest monster in a dungeon. I doubt it¡¯s a common word though so don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± ¡°Okay¡¡± After the short exchange, the group headed for the Boss chamber. Much like the rooms before, the area had crystals all around. However, this time around the whole area was much wider in compared to the rooms before, easily reaching 2-3 kilometers in diameter. In the middle of the area was a large magic circle that had lost its light. ¡°A broken array? This doesn¡¯t make sense at all!¡± Prynn exclaimed. However, the moment she did, the whole array lit up as a blinding blue light lit up the entire area. From the middle of it, a shadowy figure began materializing. It stood at around 40 meters tall as thick and sinister blue aura emanated from its body. Soon, its facial features became obvious. It revealed itself to be a menacing white bearded old man, however his eyes when opened glow a fierce blue light, on the crown of his head protruded 7 pitch black branch like horns as the aura around his body congealed into a dark blue tattered robe. The old man pulled a scythe made of crystal like parts that are suspended in thin air. ¡°Mortals, thou shall suffer for thy insolence of disturbing my slumber!¡± His voice carried a terrifying strength that caused one¡¯s soul to shiver to its very core. Sadly, Renya and the others are no mere mortals! As for Nabila, thanks to Renya and the others shielding her from blunt of the attack, she did not feel a thing. ¡°Aeva Unn, I never thought I¡¯d see you again.¡± Hearing his voice and recognizing his set of armor, Aeva Unn began trembling. As if he was recalling a nightmare from the past. ¡°It¡¯s y-you!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, one of the main reasons you fell from divinity.¡± Renya replied with confidence, when really, he¡¯s just taking advantage of the thought that he might recognize him as one of the players who played an active role in taking him down and pulling him from divinity. Seeing his little ploy work, let alone Aeva Unn, even he was greatly surprised. Chapter 34 Divinity Chapter 34 Aeva Unn stared at the man in front of him in shock. His pupils fiercely staring at Renya as a surge of bloodlust erupted from his body. ¡°You fool! You dare strike with just this small group? Have you bastards gone senile over the millenniums?¡± ¡°Hmph, still the old bastard that you are. Do you think we are like you? Remaining the same as the world passes by?¡± Renya could not help but mock. After all he felt that his mental age is still in its 40s! Despite his character being millenniums old already, as far as he knows, he still feels as if it had only been a decade or two since he started playing this game. ¡°You¡. You have reached divinity?! Impossible!!! We¡¯ve sealed the realm of divinity from you mortals!¡± ¡°Did you hit your head? Or have you been asleep for too long and became ignorant of the world? We¡¯ve destroyed that seal of yours long ago. What surprises me is how you¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°No! Impossible! No other god would dare release that seal!¡± ¡°Not impossible, there was one willing enough.¡± Immediately, his eyes became blood shot as he began to remember about a peculiar goddess. ¡°That¡.. That bitch!!!! AGGGHHHH!!!!¡± His scream echoed out in the enormous room as he held is head in rage. ¡°Seal of Divinity? Is he talking about that seal father?¡± Charlotte asked, being one of the more knowledgeable sentinels, she¡¯s read many record of the so called Seal of Divinity. ¡°Yes, the one we managed to break after the combined effort of everyone.¡± Renya could not help but sigh in reminiscence. During that year, the next and final tier of each profession had been revealed. Each class had tier system that added a suffix or prefix to class name to determine the current capabilities of each player. Starting from [Apprentice], here would be where the player begins his class, after training for a sufficient period, the suffix [Apprentice] would be removed and only the name of the class would be displayed. After the player became more and more experienced, they would then be given an [Elite] prefix to their class to signify their prowess. Once the player became even more experienced and have finished a special class specific quest, they would then be given the [Supreme] suffix. These suffixed did not just signify one¡¯s ability, they also give a significant increase in terms of power, but also in skill proficiency. The higher the tier of the class, the more powerful the skills they use are. Even a simple low grade skill could be equivalent to a High grade skill if used by a high enough leveled player. However, after the [Supreme] suffix came the [God] tier, something player coveted dearly as they begged the creators to give a hint on how to obtain it. Sadly, the never budged as the players later realized that it was a part of the story line of [Alt Online]. ¡°That seal was the one thing that kept us from reaching the realm of Divinity. We managed to break it thanks to the help of the Goddess of wisdom, Leonora. She aided us in the hopes that we could stop these Evil Gods from wreaking havoc across the lands.¡± ¡°Seal¡ of Divinity¡ Are you¡ a God?¡± Hearing their conversation, Nabila could not help but utter such words. After all, being told that the rather whimsical Renya was actually a God would make anyone question the individual¡¯s sanity. However, after seeing his might she chose to believe such a conclusion. Hearing her question, he could not help but wryly smile. But as he opened his mouth to answer, he got cut off by the immense surge of evil aura released from Aeva Unn. ¡°Since you have broken the seal¡ Then my brother¡¯s works have been for naught¡.You shall pay for what you¡¯ve done¡ ¡± He muttered as he fiercely glared at Renya, looking as if he wanted to eat him whole. His body began emitting a divine radiance that enveloped the surroundings in an evil light. ¡°I¡¯d be doing myself a demerit if I let you stay alive. Laura, Lilith, we¡¯ll engage him head on. Brutus, protect the the four and the remaining sentinels, provide support. Also, little white, take care of Nabila.¡± With a calm and steady voice, he announced his plan of attack. With a nod from their heads the sentinels together with Renya began their attack. Lilith disappeared from sight as Brutus took a defensive stance, raising his shield. Laura and Renya rushed at the menacing Aeva Unna while Charlotte and Prynn began chanting powerful magic. As for Nabila, she hid behind the two mages as she watched in great amazement. But before Renya could begin his attack, he felt a surge of energy flow throughout his body. ¡°[God Slayer] is taking into effect. That¡¯s good.¡± Pulling out [Devourer], he grinned a bit as his strength increased by a significant amount. Fortunately, Aeva Unn was too lost in thought to notice. In a flash, two figures released powerful blows that shook the entire room as it crashed onto Aeva Unn. He who was in a daze immediately had a grave look as he was knocked a step back. Considering the fact that he was 40 meters tall, his step made the room tremble at his size. He became furious. ¡°How dare you mortal scum!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already transcended, to call me mortal scum is akin to calling yourself one.¡± ¡°This aura!!! A damned God Slayer?!¡± ¡°Hey, it was you who I got this from in the first place, how could you forget? Or can gods truly become senile?¡± Renya rebutted, causing him to become even more fervent. His enormous scythe turned into flashes of blue light as he swung it at unbelievable speeds. (He¡¯s entering his enraged state already. Looks like I can¡¯t judge things based off what I know from the game.) As his attacks went their way, the two began avoiding each by hair¡¯s breadth, causing him to focus on the two entirely. But the moment he got careless, a golden flash appeared at his back that immediately dived straight onto it. ¡°Aagh!!!!¡± Aeva Unn exclaimed as he felt a searing pain on his back. Lilith¡¯s figure leapt away from his back as he sent an attack towards the figure. Fortunately, Lilith was extremely nimble as she immediately blended into the shadows, disappearing from sight. Seeing that he can¡¯t locate the pest responsible for his suffering, he searched frantically around the the room before landing his sights onto four people. Brutus, who saw his gaze, had his body grow larger and larger, looking as if a miniature dragon wearing armor. As his body enlarged his weapons did so as well, he prepared for his attack. Aeva Unn didn¡¯t head for them immediately as he had to deal with Renya and the other two, not only that, but he felt that half-hearted attacks will not do much against the man guarding the other three. ¡°[Elemental Fury]!¡± ¡°[Heaven¡¯s Smite]!¡± But before he could respond, two powerful magic struck him, causing him extreme pain. Charlotte and Prynn had finished their chants, releasing a breathtaking explosion of magic to occur around his body. Renya and Laura did not remain idle, the did not plan to let him catch his breath as the two began increasing the pressure they gave to Aeva Unn as their attacks became more and more vicious.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Aeva Unn wasn¡¯t gaining the upper hand as he got pushed into a corner. One should know, Aeva Unn was only a boss at level 160. The difference in level can be seen as Aeva Unn is slowly reduced into a sorry state with the combined effort of the three. However, all of a sudden a great burst in power forced Renya and the others to retreat temporarily. ¡°To think that I¡ Aeva Unn¡ was reduced into such a state because of you damn mortals¡ No¡ Inferior Gods!!!¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make you less than dregs? No- scratch that, less that divine dregs? I often forget that you¡¯re divinity too.¡± ¡°Father, I don¡¯t think you should enrage him any further.¡± Charlotte chided in. ¡°Indeed M¡¯lord, it¡¯s rather¡ unbecoming¡.¡± Lilith replied as he gave a rather awkward smile. ¡°Yes¡ A warrior should respect one¡¯s opponent.¡± Brutus joined in. ¡°Well¡ I¡¯ve got a bit of a grudge with this guy he he.¡± Renya awkwardly scratched his head. He was the first boss he¡¯s ever suffered great losses to kill after all. ¡°It was due to him that I had to halt building process of the City for a long time.¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s him?!¡± Charlotte smacked her lips and exclaimed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± Hearing his confirmation, Charlotte could not help but scowl. Being one of his first sentinels, she could probably remember such a time. The same goes for Laura, being the first sentinel he¡¯s created, she knows the City¡¯s history the most. ¡°Eh?¡± Brutus, Prynn and Lilith both let out a sound of confusion. ¡°M¡¯lord once suffered great loss after a fight with him, even if he did emerge victorious the gains did not outweigh the cost.¡± Laura sighed as her brows creased. The rest could not help but have their eyes widen. ¡°Youuuu!!!! You dare neglect my existence and start this pointless banter?!¡± Aeva Unn exclaimed in anger as the light around him exploded, causing the whole room to quake, revealing a gaping hole on the roof. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with the old man first, then we¡¯ll discuss things.¡± With that, the others nodded in agreement. ¡°This is will not be the last you see of me¡.¡± Aeva Unn screamed as his body morphed into an enormous and evil crow with a wing span that¡¯s as wide as 300 meters. It had seven eyes a set of crown like horns protruded out of its head. The enormous crow flew out of the gap and into the sky as it released a screech that could shatter souls. ¡°He¡¯s entered his final form! He¡¯s gonna take the battle outside, follow him!¡± Activating flight, the sentinels followed after as Nabilla rode Little White out of the dungeon. ¡°Take Nabilla to safety! It¡¯s too dangerous for the both of you!¡± Renya shouted as he instructed Little White to fly out of harms reach with Nabila on his back. ¡°Let¡¯s end this as quickly as we can!¡± With his command, the guardians followed suit. They began using powerful skills to combat the enormous crow. Renya put on a different set of armor this time, a completely black set that made one felt as if they were staring at the void itself. It had a fierce design, enough to intimidate anyone with just looks alone. But not only that, the design was similar to [Serpent¡¯s End] as it had a tail like appendage that was even longer that the previous. The armor did not just stop at appearance as its aura gave one a sense of emptiness in the heart as fearful aura crept their skin. It was akin to staring at a supreme being that was from the depths of the void. ¡°[Nidhogg]! Father finally revealed his trump card!¡± Brutus exclaimed in surprised before getting reprimanded by Renya, the group then began their assault. Lightning and gales occurred as the battle between the two forces intensified. The earth shook as each clash caused an incredible amount of force was released. Although Aeva Unn is a God tier boss, he¡¯s still lacking when compared to Renya¡¯s group. After all, trying to beat a level 160 boss with a group full of level 200 elites is equivalent to a person opening nuts using sledgehammers. Soon, the enormous crow is beginning to lose its strength as its aura grew weaker and weaker. ¡°Alright, just a bit more!¡± Renya shouted as the group¡¯s morale grew into greater heights. However, a minor disturbance occurred as in the distance, a large group of soldiers are uniformly heading towards their direction as they escorted a ship like vessel. Fortunately the sandstorm obstructed their view for the mean time. ¡°This! Increase the frequency of attacks! A group of humans is heading our way! We really need to end it now if we don¡¯t want them to die!¡± As he shouted, the group placed their utmost effort to put an end to Aeva Unn. ¡°Arrrrrghhhh!!!! Mortal! You have angered me for the last time!¡± With a shout, a magic circle tens of times wider than the one the Guardian formed appeared. The sandstorm dispersed under its might, showing a sky covered by the blue and ominous magic circle. As it did, the soldiers who saw the scene in the sky had their mouths agape as they witnessed the might of the magic circle, some had even directly collapsed on the ground out of fear. ¡°Gods¡?¡± A religious soldier muttered as he saw the scene of Renya¡¯s group flying in the air as they fought Aeva Unn. Some of the soldiers could not help but panic at the sight. Renya decided to go all out as [Devourer] shone a dark yet divine radiance extending to a length of 25-30 meters long. The divine energy felt devoid of matter, as if it would consume anything whole. Shocked by its increase in power, he inspected the blade. [Name: Devourer Grade: Divine (incomplete) Description: A blade forged by one of the best Smith Gods, able to sever and devour all things with its flames, the devourer is the first to have reached the special grade of [Divine], despite the fact that it is still incomplete.] For the first time since coming to this world, he had inspected his sword and was shocked to see a grade outside of [Ancient]. After all, one would get tired of looking at the same thing countless of times and he¡¯s already inspected his weapon countless times in the past. (Divine!?) He could not help but exclaim in his heart, he felt as if this opened a new door of possibilities for his class as a blacksmith. Although he was greatly surprised, he quickly suppressed his feeling of joy as he focused in his current fight. Despite everyone else¡¯s attempt at attacking Aeva Unn, none of their attacks could stop his casting despite how deep the wounds they cause. ¡°Come forth O¡¯ burning flames from the depths of the empty void, heed my call as your God and bend to my will, [Devouring Flame]!¡± Immediately, the sword¡¯s radiance transformed into a black flame, the kind one could not help but feel the chill of its emptiness. The soldiers who saw this appear felt coldness from the depths of their hearts. ¡°Such¡ such a fearsome flame!¡± They could not help but exclaim to themselves. After all, they were a few kilometers away from them yet they still felt its effects as clear as day. The sentinels also noticed this change as they gave way for Renya to use the skill and as they did, Renya sped forward at Aeva Unn like flash of black lightning. His divinity leaked out as it amplified the aura that had been emanating from his armor, causing the soldiers to forcibly kneel in reverence. But disregarding the fact, Renya¡¯s attack finally flew out, causing an enormous blade of black flame to launch out, seemingly devouring all in its path before finally reaching Aeva Unn. Having felt the dreadful attack head his way, he could not help but stop his chant for the fear of his life which caused the enormous magic circle to fade and disappear. Sadly, it was for naught as the blade had already reached him, cutting him in half. The moment the blade of flames passed through his enormous body, it ignited him whole, causing a great amount of pain to course through his body. The pain was akin to having your insides burnt by a searing rod except a thousand times more painful. ¡°Argghhhhh!!!!¡± His pitiful cries made one¡¯s heart tremble in fear, the attack was just too dreadful! Even the sentinels could not help but shudder a little, let alone the soldiers a few kilometer away. As the flames burned his body, its enormous size kept dwindling down into smaller and smaller pieces before eventually, nothing but a head sized bright orb remained. Renya flew towards the orb before fetching it with his hand. ¡°A magic core huh.¡± Renya could not help but size the crystal up, although he had seen the exact same crystal countless times before, he was still amazed to see it appear again in this world. However, as he was immersed in observing the crystal, a noise sounded out from his head. [You have gained the Divinity of The Calamity of Time, Aeva Unn, granting your Divinity an increase in strength.] ¡°Eh?¡± He could not help but be agape at the sudden notification. ¡°Father, are you okay?¡± Charlotte who had long flew by his side, together with the others, asked. ¡°Yes, I just received some interesting information.¡± ¡°Yes M¡¯lord?¡± Laura could not help but ask. ¡°My Divinity¡¯s strength increased after defeating that guy.¡± Hearing his words, the rest could not help but be dumbfounded. After all, the term Divinity is something that had been rather familiar to them, each having possessed one form of Divinity. As to what Divinity is, it is a status one is given after having reached level 200 as well as having a class that had reached the [God] tier. Although they have received this status, everyone just assumed that it was a status that did just confirmed that they have, indeed, reached the peak of the game. Apart from a great status boost, it also allowed one to use [God] grade skills with ease though other than that, nothing much. It did not even have an explanation as to why it was there and it was only now that Renya had seen some change to this status of his. [Divinity: 12.5%] After seeing the percentage as well as the lack of description, he became even more dumbfounded. ¡°¡±Your divinity?¡±¡± His words made Prynn and Charlotte furrow their brows. As for Laura and Brutus, since they didn¡¯t know much about Divinity other than it means a person had reached a godhood of sorts. Hearing it got stronger, they automatically assumed that it just meant that Renya got stronger in general. ¡°As expected of M¡¯lord.¡± Laura could not help but praise. ¡°Indeed! An occasion worth celebrating!¡± Brutus chided in. As for Prynn, Charlotte and Lilith, they began pondering the meaning of what Divinity is in the first place. Although one could assume that it meant godhood like what Brutus and Laura assumed, they could not help but think that it signified something else. As they started exchanging thoughts, a white silhouette flashed as Nabila sat behind Little White¡¯s enlarged figure. ¡°Amazing¡¡± Chuckling lightly, Renya picked her up as he carried her himself. ¡°You¡¯ll see even more amazing things from here on out.¡± Caressing her head, he continued. ¡°About your home, I¡¯ll send people to investigate the ruins more to find a clue about them and now that-¡° ¡°No¡ This much¡. Fine already¡¡± As those words left her mouth, she gave a sweet smile as she glanced at everyone, causing everyone to smile back. Although their meeting had been short, it had been the warmest moment she¡¯d spent her entire life. ¡°Then let¡¯s head back for now.¡± Renya proposed, but before they could teleport out, he realized the group of soldiers who had long prostrated themselves. He pondered for a little before making a decision. ¡°Hmmm¡ The rest of you head back, I¡¯ll talk to them.¡± Chapter 35 Return Chapter 35 [Talia POV] We stood in the ship, watching the event unfold through the window as a burning figure, like blotted black ink floated in the sky hovered far away from us. Around him were figures who are just as awe inspiring, although a bit lacking compared to him. For some reason, his figure overlapped with that man from before and at times even over lapping with Renya¡¯s. But that¡¯s impossible, the aura he emanates... It¡¯s too much¡. I feel my mana become rampant with just his presence, as if he were subduing me just by existing. ¡°Michael, can you feel it?¡± With a weak voice I asked, even if he was kilometers away I was still affected. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s rather unpleasant.¡± I can understand how he feels. With the face he¡¯s making, I can tell that he¡¯s enduring a lot of pressure. But before I could continue, the figure in the sky unleashed a godly skill as its immensity can be felt till here, almost as if I was the one on the receiving end of it. I felt my blood go cold, before I¡¯ve realized it my back is starting to become drenched with cold sweat. Fortunately everyone else is more or less in the same situation and as the attack descended, the enormous crow was separated in two along with the enormous formation in sky. I could not believe the events unfolding before my eyes. ¡°Such strength¡ comparable to the gods in the legends¡¡± A guard near us muttered as he saw the event unfold. I agree, this level of strength is something only the most ancient of text in the grand elven library could describe. I originally thought that this was nothing more than the exaggeration of events, who knew I¡¯d get to see a live demonstration one day. ¡°What now? I feel as if that group is one that is on our side¡. But I can¡¯t be sure¡¡± Michael¡¯s worried voice caused me to wake from my stupor. ¡°Indeed, they might¡¯ve already noticed our presence¡¡± Diana added. ¡°Then it¡¯s likely that they¡¯d come over at any moment now.¡± I said with a sigh, dealing with beings that could kill us with a simple sneeze, fear gripped my heart as I prepared for the worst. Dear sister, there¡¯s a chance that I won¡¯t be able to return from this trip¡ Then, as we began to prepare ourselves, I felt an overwhelming gaze scan our location. ¡°Let¡¯s brace ourselves.¡± Before we could fully prepare, he was already hovering a dozen meters away. ¡°You are?¡± Contrary to what I expected, his voice was soft, calming and familiar even, lacking his previous splendor. ¡°Your excellence! W-we are an army from the Notus Empire! We came here to uproot the main cause of the dreaded sandstorm!¡± One of the braver captains spoke, causing the figure to go into deep thought. Although the silence was unnerving, there was nothing we could do about it. ¡°Well, I can tell that you¡¯ve already witnessed what happened. Though fear not, we came with no ill intent as we¡¯re here for the same reason.¡± ¡°I-is that so! We give our whole hearted thanks for your assistance!¡± I heaved a sigh of relief, dealing with these lofty beings is never easy¡ ¡°Mhm¡¡± Before I realized it, he was staring directly at us. His stare was piercing, although it did not hurt, it still felt rather uncomfortable. But this gaze feels¡ familiar? ¡°We¡¯ll meet more in the future. For now I suggest you avoid getting near the vicinity of this area for the next few months.¡± With that, his figure turned into a flash of light that flew like lightning towards the horizon. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again¡?¡± Michael who stood beside me began pondering deeply, even Diana did so as well. With that, I began to grow more and more interested in the place Renya mentioned from before. Such grand beings must be common place there¡ ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Miss Talia? Are you okay?¡± Diana asked me with a concerned tone, I could not help but grow embarrassed at my own self. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡ I just wondered if that figure and the one from that night are related to one another.¡± ¡°Hmmm, it is possible. They both control flames, although this one seems more terrifying than the previous. They are beings beyond our comprehension, their levels must¡¯ve long past the 100 mark.¡± Hearing her words I nodded in agreement as I added. ¡°They were capable of flight, and seem to be very proficient at that. I can only compare my elder sister¡¯s ability to theirs, and even then she¡¯s still quite lacking¡¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s not worry about it too much. They¡¯re on our side and the crisis had been resolved, this is worth a celebration!¡± Michael was too joyous at the event. Although we don¡¯t know much about those beings, based on their actions so far, they¡¯re on our side and are willing to help. I should really ask him about this issue the next time we meet¡. ¡°Ooh Talia, you¡¯re making a rather cute expression. Are you perhaps thinking of Renya?¡± ¡°¡.¡± ¡°Oooh! You¡¯ve become a bit red!¡± At her teasing, my face had become rather unsightly¡ ¡°Haha, I too am rather curious as to where he is at the moment.¡± Indeed¡. I wonder what he¡¯s doing right now, is he doing fine I wonder?

????

In front of a grand and imposing throne room, a figure wearing pitch black armor appeared. ¡°Haahhh¡¡± As the armor vanishes, Renya revealed his figure looking rather tired. His shoulders moved up and down as he took in deep breaths. ¡°This isn¡¯t becoming anymore easy, it¡¯s becoming more and more stressful.¡± He massaged his brows, walking towards the throne before slumping down to rest. But before he could close his eyes, he felt someone¡¯s presence behind the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The door swung open, and walked in was Laura. She had a dignified look as each step was full of elegance.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°M¡¯lord.¡± Giving Renya a bow when she reached him. ¡°Rise, you don¡¯t need to be so formal if it¡¯s just the two of us.¡± Her gaze softened as her lips curved in to a slight smile. ¡°Father.¡± Seeing this caused Renya to raise the corners of his lips, like a father watching over his child. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°I wanted to let you know that Nabila is currently being taken care of by Charlotte.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m a bit tired from the fight, so I can¡¯t take care of her right now.¡± ¡°Rest, I¡¯ll have the others take over management for a little longer.¡± ¡°Hmmm, have some people oversee that dungeon in case it flares up. Have them guard the perimeter around the area but make sure they don¡¯t kill anyone.¡± ¡°What if they came with ill intent?¡± Pondering for a moment, Renya rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Killing them would be too much, that¡¯d be the same as bullying children in the playground. Have them captured and kept captive before handing them off the Notus Empire. It¡¯s their lands, it might be bad if we enforce our own rules on their territory.¡± Hearing his reply, Laura made a beautiful smile. ¡°Father is kind with a vast heart. Even if you could do as you please with your level of strength, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯d be embarrassing if you praise me that way hehe.¡± Chuckling in embarrassment, he scratched his cheek. ¡°As you will, rest well father.¡± With a slight bow, she left the room before closing the door. Seeing her leave, Renya slumped further on his throne. Despite having fought even more intense battles back in the game, battles here would result in actual deaths. Being a modern man that he is, death is something he still feared as well as something he would not wish upon others if possible. Having his hands stained with blood he did not mean to have would be too haunting to him. Having rested for a good while, the sun is close to setting by the time he opened his eyes. Standing up, he felt his whole body become slightly sore. ¡°Perhaps resting on a throne made of divine metals would not be the most ideal spot¡¡± Stretching his limbs, he made his way to out and around the citadel. The grand d¨¦cor that covered each hallway made him nod in self-satisfaction after seeing it again after a long while. ¡°M¡¯lord.¡± Each guard and servant greeted with utter respect wherever he went the citadel. He gave them a slight wave as he made his way to the dining room. Inside the dining room was an enormous room that could easily fit several hundreds of people and still have room to spare. But to his surprise, a familiar face could be seen stuffing her head in food together with a white owl on one of the enormous long tables. ¡°Liking the food so far?¡± The moment Renya spoke, the girl and the owl froze in place as they glanced at his figure. ¡°Renya¡ *gulp*¡± Renya could not help but smile. ¡°Charlotte brought you here?¡± ¡°Un, she had to go¡ Matters to take care of¡ Told to eat first¡ Will come back soon¡± (Her speech got a bit better. That¡¯s a good sign.) He thought to himself as he continued. ¡°Is that so? Well, continue though don¡¯t over eat. It¡¯d be bad for you, you too Little White.¡± ¡°Un..¡± Although she remained a girl of few words, he felt that she had a more spirit in her voice. ¡°Which is good.¡± He thought to himself before sitting next to them as he started eating as well. As Renya was about to finish, a figure drew close to their table. She had a green and vibrant hair colour, wearing a simple green dress that had a leaf pattern design to it. ¡°M¡¯lord!¡± She gave him a cheerful response before making a deep bow. ¡°Its fine Sylph, we¡¯re all family here so no need.¡± Renya waved his hand, causing her to raise her head as a wide smile that caused flowers to bloom around her appeared on her face. He could not help but to smile wryly after seeing this. ¡°Should I say as expected of a dryad?¡± ¡°Yes..?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. What brings you here?¡± ¡°Ah, well it¡¯d be rude not to greet you M¡¯lord. I was on my way to deliver ingredients to the kitchen when I saw M¡¯lord. Oh! This child is?!¡± Seeing the busy Nabila, Sylph eyes li up. ¡°Nabila and treat her like a little sister, she¡¯s been through a lot.¡± ¡°Okay! Nabila, you can call me Sylph! Or big sister would fine too!¡± She stared at the lively Sylph before uttering. ¡°Big¡ sister?¡± ¡°Ooooouhh!¡± With renewed vigor, she began talking more and more to her. Thankfully, Nabila was not too bothered by it as she attempted to match her pace. Sadly, the keyword in the paragraph was ¡°attempted¡±. Sylph¡¯s enthusiasm was just too much for timid Nabila to handle. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, mind others too Sylph.¡± His voice was like a bucket of cold water poured on top of her as she froze the moment she heard him before scratching the back of her head. ¡°Hehe¡ My bad M¡¯lord. I seldom see new faces so I got a little too excited.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, just don¡¯t get too carried away. Anyways, I only came to grab some dinner. Keep watch of her for a bit.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Coming over to Nabila¡¯s side, he caressed her head, causing her eyes to turn in to thin slits. Little white seemed to have gotten jealous and had hopped over to receive affection as well to which he generously give. ¡°Take care you two. Sorry I can¡¯t show you around Nabila, I have a few urgent things to discuss with Amitiel at the moment.¡± Hearing his words, she glanced upwards with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡. Big sisters¡ Very kind to me¡.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯ll come see you once I finish settling the matters alright?¡± Seeing her nod, Renya left them as he contacted Amitiel to have the sentinels managing the city to head to the meeting room. He then made his way to the room. Inside, only Amitiel could be seen seated to his spot around the grand round table. ¡°How¡¯s the city been?¡± ¡°Honestly M¡¯lord, we barely did any work.¡± Taking a seat at the most grand throne, Renya relaxed his posture. The mood was not that serious, more casual even despite the furnishing of the room itself. ¡°Is that so? Nothing troublesome came up?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Amitiel then gave him a slight smile. ¡°We even have a surplus of products, enough supply another country. In fact, our weaponry is starting to overflow. Borri might just have to halt movement in the Inner Crafting Stations. Speak of the devil.¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you M¡¯lord.¡± A short yet largely built dwarf stood at the entrance. He had the temperance of a cheerful uncle as he mustered a hearty laugh. He wore clothes befitting of a hardworking blacksmith as he outfitted some work attire. ¡°Borri, been well I see?¡± ¡°Of course! Although it has a new skin, this world is more or less the same as ours.¡± He spoke with vigor, causing his long beard to sway. ¡°It won¡¯t be far till you can let your weapons shake continents and tear mountains apart.¡± Amitiel added as Borri sat down on his respected spot. ¡°Hehe.. I¡¯m afraid that mine will not be able to compare to M¡¯lord¡¯s. His might even sink a continent whole! Hahahaha!¡± Borri replied. Rearing this rather absurd conversation, Renya could not help but wryly smile. Although he felt that sinking a continent might be an exaggeration, tearing mountains seem possible. Unfortunately, or fortunately for the residents of this world, Renya has no plans to do either of them. ¡°Hohoho, M¡¯lord! When will we begin selling wares to the coin bank- I mean, respected nations of this world? I cannot hold my excitement!¡± A voice rang out from the door. A rather mischievous dwarf stood as his body radiated in anticipation. ¡°Khali, as greedy as ever.¡± Amitiel called out. ¡°The feeling of profit is too addicting Amitiel! Oh if only you can experience this joy with me!¡± Khali enthusiastically shouted out. His overflowing energy caused Renya¡¯s cheek to twitch a few times, causing him to wonder if having increased his enthusiasm then had been a good idea in the end. ¡°Sit down Khali, we still have Orloth, Thali and Maya.¡± ¡°Ooh? The 11^th Sentinel.¡± ¡°Yes, you did call her Amitiel?¡± Renya¡¯s gaze made Amitiel¡¯s smile to stiffen. ¡°Well¡ I¡¯m not too familiar with her M¡¯lord, I have no ways to contact her even¡¡± ¡°This¡¡± ¡°It is fine Lord. I need not their calls, only you will and I shall be at arm¡¯s reach.¡± A blue orb of blue light flew over to her spot to the left of Renya. His stern expression softened as he glanced at the wisp that took the burden of managing the entirety of the city. Feeling his glance, Maya slowly became more and more and unease as her body shook. ¡°Lord..?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you¡¯ve done a wonderful job maintaining the city.¡± ¡°Ah! N-no¡ It was not much¡¡± Her voice grew quieter the more she spoke. So even wisps like her can become shy, Renya thought to himself. ¡°Ahem, apologies for being late M¡¯lord.¡± ¡°Apologies as well. Orloth and Khali quietly made their way to their spots as they all waited for Renya to formally begin the meeting. ¡°Well then, now that everyone is here we can begin. One of the first things I want to say is that you all have done an excellent job maintaining the city. I thank you for agreeing to my rather selfish wish of handing the work that I should doing to you.¡± Giving them a sincere smile, he gave his heartfelt thanks. The sentinels were immediately startled as Orloth humbly spoke out. ¡°M¡¯lord, compared to the millenniums you¡¯ve spent handling the city, the few months¡¯ worth of time is nothing of praise.¡± ¡°Indeed, you have taken care of everything splendidly since the day you invited me to join your endeavors.¡± Amitiel added. ¡°Nonetheless, I give you my thanks. I still have a few personal matters to handle but after that I will take over management again.¡± ¡°Lord, even if you take leave the management to us for a few centuries we would not mind.¡± ¡°If we were still in Altinea that would¡¯ve been fine, however, we¡¯re in foreign lands. Although we¡¯ve discovered that our strength can easily topple a country or two, it appears that the Evil Gods might still have a chance of making a second appearance.¡± Tension filled the air as he finished his sentence. ¡°The Evil Gods, excluding the 8^th, can easily be handled by us. However, based on what I¡¯ve seen so far, they can¡¯t even handle the weakest of transcendent. Well even if they can, not without a price.¡± ¡°M¡¯lord.¡± Amitiel spoke. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why trouble ourselves with these lesser beings?¡± ¡°Good question, why not?¡± His voice filled with resolution as he spoke. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Why not? What else are we to do with our strength if we don¡¯t do something about the Evil Gods?¡± Amitiel could not find words to rebuke him, Renya did not mind his question, it was reasonable after all. Why bother over a problem that can barely affect them? But for some reason, Renya could not help but remember a certain lovable elf, or a certain group of teens, perhaps a prince even that he could call a friend. ¡°Besides, it¡¯d be a shame to see an interesting world such as this fall to ruin due to our negligence. I won¡¯t be able to sleep at peace if that were to happen.¡± Seeing their Lord¡¯s resolve, the rest went quiet. ¡°I feel like we were sent here for a reason. I also came to realize that this world and Altinea are the same, although a different era or time.¡± Speaking slower, he began recounting all his suspicions. ¡°Which is why I also gathered you here. Khali.¡± ¡°Yes M¡¯lord!¡± ¡°You wished to make a profit in this world correct? Then start preparing, we¡¯ll begin trade with this world soon.¡±