《Overlord》 Prologue: The Beginning ¡°Hahaha! Run away, coward! Don¡¯t ever come back¡ªunless you have a death wish!¡± That was the last thing Riku heard as he ran towards the forest bleeding from a gaping hole in his chest. He knew that if he made it there, few would have the courage to go after him. ¡°He¡¯s almost at the forest! Stop him! 100 silver to whoever stops him from entering the forest and 5 gold pieces for the one who kills him!" The soldiers chasing him shouted. Alarmed, Riku looked up in pure exhaustion and saw an armed crowd gathering at the edge of the forest. He scanned the crowd and in a last-ditch effort screamed, ¡°Is this how you treat me? I grew up with most of your children. Some of you even saved my life more than once!¡± Riku gasped for breath and continued, ¡°Uncle Cecil, remember when I was 5, you noticed that I had a fever and carried me to the village doctor at midnight? Or even Yelmin. You are my best friend; we do everything together, why are you turning on me now? Aren¡¯t we family? Didn¡¯t we promise to stick by each other no matter what?¡± ¡°You are my best friend, Riku, you will always be. Please give yourself up. None of us want to hurt you, but it is the only way to guarantee the village¡¯s survival,¡± Yelmin pleaded. ¡°Bull shit! You guys are always looking to save your own skin. You guys wouldn¡¯t have shown up here if there wasn¡¯t money to be made. Hypocrites, the lot of you,¡± Riku gasped out. ¡°He¡¯s almost at the edge of the forest! You fricken idiots, block him!¡± shouted the soldiers.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The closer he got to the forest, the more Riku thought he was going to make it without anybody impeding his path. He got happy too soon. Umpf! His best friend tackled him to the ground and attempted to restrain him. Riku screamed in pain and felt a weight fly off of his body. He glanced behind himself. The villagers gazed¡ªand what remained of his best friend¡ªin terror. Yelmin had transformed into a mess of scattered limbs and guts. Riku resisted the urge to gag, got up and headed towards the forest as fast as he could. None of the villagers stopped him. Once he stepped into the forest, Riku knew he was safe; nobody would follow him in. He decided to keep running as long as he could towards the cave he found a few weeks back. As his body slowly gave out, his destination came closer and closer. Upon reaching the cave, his body gave out and he collapsed on the floor. With his last breath, he uttered, ¡°He better wish I die here because if I survive, I¡¯m going to kill him even if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡± ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, back at the village, the surviving villagers gathered in the village square on their hands and knees begging for mercy, ¡°Spare me! Please! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± As Mazark watched the scene with amusement, a soldier ran up to him and gave his report. ¡°Lord Mazark, the boy got away. We sent search parties after him and none of them came back¡ªtheir talismans broke!" ¡°Oh? The boy got away? If the men sent out to track them are all dead, why are you still alive?¡± ¡°Sir, I was the one monitor¨Caaaah!¡± The soldier burst into flame before he could finish the sentence. Lord Mazark made a sound of disgust, ¡°I spent two months training you idiots in magic, yet you still let me down. What should I do with you worthless maggots?¡± ¡°Spare us, Milord!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Die.¡± Lord Mazark laughed manically and projected his voice so that anyone within a 50-mile radius could hear, ¡°Boy, if you can hear this, you have won today. You better keep hiding because if I find you...¡± Ch 1: Awakening Riku woke up to water droplets falling on his face. He murmured, ¡°Yelmin, stop messing with me. Let me sleep in a bit longer.¡± He turned over on his side and groaned; he felt run down and tired. After sometime, reality set in and he remembered the events that led to his current condition. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yelmin, you deserved a better end. Wait for me in the afterlife; I will join you once I avenge you and kill that son-of-a-bitch whose lust for power turned our peaceful life upside down.¡± Having made his resolve, Riku opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He had collapsed at the cave entrance near a pool. Groaning loudly, Riku rolled over onto his side to get closer to the pool and see his reflection. ¡°Holy shit, I look terrible,¡± Riku said. Bruises covered his face and arms. He attempted to move his legs and yelped in pain. He looked down in shock: a branch had inserted its way into his left thigh. Multiple gashes covered his legs, but his flesh was wiggling, healing at a visible rate. His gaze proceeded upwards; and observed that the hole in his chest had all but fully healed. ¡°What¡¯s happening to me? Do I have some super healing powers now?¡± Riku decided to test out his theory and ripped out the branch from his leg. Blood gushed out of the wound. Within a few minutes, the blood clotted.Stolen story; please report. ¡°That old bastard will be in for a surprise when we meet again.¡± Riku smiled evilly. ¡°Now let¡¯s go and explore this cave some more.¡± Grunting, Riku rose to his feet, scanned his surroundings, and wandered deeper into the cave. He observed some strange markings on the right cave wall depicting a dance of some sort involving a staff and sword. With his hand against the wall, he traced the images depicted on the wall until he reached a dead end. On the wall was an inscription that read, ¡°What price would you pay for power?¡± Riku walked up to the wall and placed his hand against it. He felt a prickling cold sensation on his palm and tried to pull his hand away; he couldn¡¯t move his arm at all. He heard a voice in his mind stating, ¡°Good luck on your trial.¡± When the voice finished speaking, tremors filled the cave, Riku¡¯s hand was freed, and he tumbled down a hole that opened up beneath him. When he got his bearings back, Riku noticed that he had ended up in a cavern¡ªin the center of a circle. Around the circle, the pictures Riku observed were scattered around the cavern. Clang! A sound reverberated around the cavern, startling Riku. His head snapped upwards and was shocked by a pitch-black sword and a clear-blue staff floating in midair one on either side of the cavern. Words appeared out of nowhere around the weapons, ¡°A millennia ago, two legendary figures challenged each other to see who was strongest. They fought for thirty days straight only to collapse at the same time, their fall to earth created a huge hole in the ground. With their remaining energies, they created this cavern to pass down the skills that they had created over their lifetimes. You have the opportunity to become one or both of their disciples if you choose to undergo three trials. Will you sacrifice everything for this opportunity?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ch 2: Trials ¡°Very well. The first test will focus on your mental strength. Best of luck.¡± Riku was transported into a different dimension where an identical lookalike confronted him. ¡°What would you do for power?¡± it asked. ¡°I would sacrifice my soul to gain enough power to kill,¡± Riku said. Without further ado, Riku¡¯s mind flooded with images of what happened the past few days: he saw his parents killed trying to protect him, he saw the man who killed them laughed maniacally as he watched his parents burn, all the while feeling their pain. As tears streamed from his face, Riku screamed and apologized repeatedly for every one of the deaths that he indirectly caused with all the scenes accumulating towards the death of Yelmin. Riku experienced the shock and terror that Yelmin felt in his last moments and passed out. He awoke to see his lookalike staring at him amused. ¡°I am you; we share all our experiences. By forcing pain upon you, I tested your mental strength to see if you would break under torture, but it seems your lust for vengeance has become our identity and what keeps us sane. You have passed.¡± Riku was transported back to the cavern where he was told, ¡°Congratulations on passing the first trial. If you choose to stop, you will be given some valuable treasures, which if sold, you would be able to live a life full of leisure and satisfaction. To continue would be to risk death.¡± ¡°I continue.¡± With that, a sword appeared in front of him. Confused, Riku looked around and saw nothing else around him. He grabbed the hilt of the sword and a swordsman appeared and charged straight at him. Riku raised the sword and blocked the first slash. He dodged the second slash and got maimed in the leg by the third slash. Experiencing the icy cold touch of steel on his leg brought Riku back to reality. Hobbling on one leg, Riku jumped to the wall to steady himself. He brought the sword up in a futile attempt to avoid being stabbed. His leg healed, so he kicked out at the swordsman to create room. Riku bull rushed the swordsman to catch him off guard. He tripped. The swordsman sauntered over and raised the sword over his head and swung down. Riku felt the incoming danger and something flowed through his body and screamed out, ¡°NO!¡± The swordsman was blown away and crashed into the wall, head lolling to the side. Riku grabbed his sword and gingerly used it as a cane to lift his battered body up. He limped towards the swordsman and stabbed him through the heart with it and watched the body slowly dissipate. ¡°Congratulations on successfully passing the first two trials. If you decide to back out now, you will be given skill books to practice. If you were to practice these, you would be able to discover the true nature of your abilities and be able to harness them in some capacity. To continue would be guaranteed death. No one has ever passed the third trial.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°I have come this far. I will not be turned away by death. If I die, I want to be able to face my friends and family with dignity.¡± ¡°The third and final test is one of potential. Place your hand on the rock in the center of the circle.¡± Clueless, Riku reached out and touched the rock. Nothing happened. Depressed, Riku slowly took his hand off the rock. When he moved his hand off, there was an inscription on the rock. It said G1. ¡°You have passed the third trial. Your potential is limitless. As a reward, you will be given the opportunity to become the disciple of one or both of these two legendary figures depending on whether or not the weapons choose you as their owner. Go forth and select one weapon at a time. You only get once chance each. If both reject you, you will die.¡± Riku reached out to grab the staff. As his fingers came close, he felt some tingling and resistance and then the staff drifted five feet away from him. Riku chased after the staff, but every time he came close, the staff eluded him. ¡°Youngling, I will give you some advice. These weapons are sentient beings who will not accept just any master. You must prove to them that you are worthy. You have the power to bend both to your will; however, it¡¯s sad that you don¡¯t know how to activate your abilities.¡± Upon hearing this, Riku changed his method of attack. He attempted to harness the power he exhibited earlier. He plopped down searched within himself to see where his power was hidden. Upon not finding a conduct for power within his body, Riku gave up and attempted to bind the staff using brute force. As he got up, Riku a warm current passed through his body. He moved his arm and pointed it at the staff. An invisible force shot out and fought with the staff; trying to subdue it. After some time, Riku became fatigued and realized that his becoming weaker was due to his power taking energy from his body. He knew he had to wrap this up fast. If he passed out, he failed. Summoning his remaining energy, Riku condensed everything he had for one final shot. His surroundings warped and popped. Riku was thrown unceremoniously against the cave wall and fell to the ground. The last thing he remembered before he blacked out was a flash of white light and two weapons shooting straight at him. ¡°Ugh!¡± Riku said when he woke up. He slowly moved all the parts of his body to make sure nothing was injured. Groaning, he reached towards the wall to prop himself up. After making sure he was comfortable, Riku looked up and saw the sword and staff lying on the ground in front of him. He reached out, touched the spear, and flinched. A wealth of information regarding magic and summoning flowed into his mind. To test out his newfound knowledge of magic, Riku snapped his fingers and a spark flew out. His vision blurred as his head throbbed. It was difficult to keep his eyes open. Curious about whether a similar thing would happen if he touched the sword, Riku grabbed it. Tons of information regarding sword art and footwork rushed into his brain, overwhelming him. ¡°You have inherited the legacies of both heroes. I am so happy to have saved up enough energy and witnessed the birth of another overlord, who has the potential to shape the world. With my remaining energies, I will help solidify your foundation and teach you some basic concepts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Riku, the energy blast he released was sensed by mages all over the world. They knew they sensed the birth of a new overlord; one who could change the world if he wanted to. Sleeping in a castle halfway around the world, Mazark stirred and said, ¡°Not only did the boy manage to survive, but he also picked up some very fun weapons for me to play with when I kill him.¡± ¡°Milord, you awoke?¡± His butler peeped into the room. ¡°Yes, you halfwit. I am awake. Now go outside, gather my men, and send them to the continent of Asther. Tell them to find the boy and bring him to me, unharmed.¡± ¡°It shall be done.¡± Ch 3: Heros Beginning I ¡°Again!¡± Riku collapsed on the cave floor panting. For the past few hours, the voice put him to work imitating the movements portrayed all over the cavern walls. He never worked as hard before in his life. ¡°Why do I have to do this?¡± He asked. ¡°The engravings around you are the fundamentals. Without them, there is the potential of dying to amateurs. Remember, concentrate on the movements and focus your mind.¡± Riku struggled to his feet and imitated the movements again. As he went through them, Riku entered a meditative state. Time blurred; Riku¡¯s body moved on its own, copying the movements depicted in quiet serenity. ¡°This kid is quite talented. Not only is he flawlessly learning the movements which took my masters years to perfect, he is also improving upon them with ease. He is doing something not many beginners are able to do. I wish I could stay and see how he will change the world.¡± Hours passed and Riku exhibited no signs of slowing down. He reached for his sword and swung it around methodically, dancing from one position to another, executing each swing with perfection. Could Riku hold his own against multiple enemies? A swordsman, spearman, and mage were summoned to fight him. Riku stopped practicing footwork and turned to face the onslaught of attacks directed at him. He sidestepped a spear thrust, raised his sword to block an overhead swing, and vanished and reappeared in another location to avoid a fireball. His eyes narrowed at the mage, quite pissed at the interruption, and launched himself towards the caster. Alarmed, the mage conjured up an ice shield to defend himself. Roaring, Riku slashed his sword and a phoenix took shape. The phoenix probed the ice shield with its beak, retreated backwards, and charged straight at it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Crack! The shield collapsed in on itself. Time seemed to stop. Without hesitating, the phoenix grasped the spellcaster in its beak, chomped down, and cut him in two. The upper half of the mage crashed to the ground. His eyes glazed over. His mouth continued to open and close, making gurgling noises. His blood and guts were splattered all over the floor, fingers twitching slower and slower until they stopped. Silence overwhelmed the room. The viciousness of the attack stunned everyone to a standstill. The swordsman was quick to gather his wits and stabbed Riku from behind. Riku looked down, laughed manically, and snapped the sword in half with his hands, pulling a part of the sword out from his chest. The swordsman retreated holding what remained of his sword. Riku turned around and threw his sword at the swordsman, pinning him to the wall. Riku stalked towards his trapped prey, struggling to get free. Riku jumped in the air and landed on the sword¡¯s hilt, driving the sword deeper into the wall, causing his weakened opponent to writhe in pain. He laughed as the swordsman squirmed. The spearman took the opportunity and rushed at Riku, hoping to catch him off guard. Sensing bloodlust, Riku turned, grabbed the spear, pulled it out of the man¡¯s hands, and punched him in the gut. The man vomited blood and passed out on the ground. Riku turned back to the swordsman and toyed with the little pretentious shithead who caused him so much pain. He tortured the man, always avoiding doling out a fatal injury and watched with increasing amusement as blood pooled up at his feet. He let the swordsman bleed out and moved onto the spearman. He stabbed him repeatedly through the gut and watched as blood welled out of the wound. He glanced around the room looking for more enemies to maim and realized he had killed them all. Riku leaned on his sword to steady himself. Once his breathing returned to normal, he fell onto his knees and passed out. ¡°The amount of bloodlust, the boy exhibited is quite demonic. After he grasps the basics of spellcasting, I will teach him to hide his aura. It would not do for him to die young.¡± Ch 4: Heros Beginning II An itch on his nose woke Riku up. He lifted his arm to scratch it and was greeted with excruciating pain in his muscles and joints. ¡°Why am I on the ground, covered in blood? Last I remember, I was working on the third sword stance and improving my footwork,¡± Riku asked. ¡°You slipped into a meditative state and improved on the techniques inscribed all over this room and made them your own. Watch.¡± Spikes shot out of the floor and walls at varying intervals. Riku yelped and attempted to curl into a ball. His body moved involuntarily. He rose to his feet and jumped, kicked, spun, and occasionally used his sword to block any spikes that came too close for comfort. The attacks stopped abruptly, Riku gazed around in shock at the cavern at the number of spikes scattered all around the room. "Am I dreaming? There is no way I could have done this,¡± Riku asked. ¡°The stances you practiced the other day have become part of you. What you are experiencing is only the tip of the iceberg. Now sit up and meditate. Search your mind for the conduit and learn to harness it.¡± Riku grunted and sat down. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused his mind. It didn¡¯t work. He sat there for hours like an idiot. His facial expressions slowly varied from a serene smile to a more constipated look. ¡°This kid has no talent in magic at all. It seems that his earlier eruption was a fluke or an inherited defense mechanism. It might even be an inherited bloodline.¡± The voice pondered and said out loud, ¡°Kid, imagine an astral plane where your mind and soul are separate entities. Use your soul to examine your mind and body as well as the environment around you. You will notice several dark red points at various locations throughout your body. These points are the conducts that you have been trying so desperately to discover. By examining the environment from an external perspective, you will sense a dense amount of red sparkly air, to be harnessed when you cast huge magics that your body is incapable of doing on your own. ¡° Riku¡¯s face scrunched up as he attempted to dissociate his mind and soul from his body. He kept on failing; no matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed to happen.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Just as he was about to give up, he heard, ¡°Boy, you have no talent in magic. If I were the staff, I would never have chosen you. You¡¯re useless. You can¡¯t even practice most basic things that amateur magicians can perform. Hell, even a five year old can do better than you. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t go against the master¡¯s wishes, so I have to let you walk out of here with the staff. Get up, you useless lump of meat.¡± When Riku heard the voice¡¯s mockery of his talent, his eyes narrowed in anger; he curled his hands into fists and tried not to lash out. He dug deep within himself and sensed a flood of energy rippling through his body. His soul separated itself and he discovered the dense red air around him. He pushed his astral self to its limits and soared around the cavern. He disturbed some bats and observed that they had a few dark red points under their wings. Intrigued, Riku headed back towards his body to ask the voice about what he had seen. ¡°What you discovered during your astral projection is the glue that governs all life. All living things have dark red points radiating throughout their bodies. As they grow older, the number of dark red points slowly decreases with the end result of death. However, for some people¡ªmostly mages¡ªas they age, the number of dark red points increase.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Let me remind you on something. You have no talent in magic. Your best hope in accomplishing anything significant lies in your anger. Promise me to never give into your anger unless you have to. Strap the sword into this belt and hide the staff in this ring. I also hid some potions and money in it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take this. I owe you too muc--¡° ¡°Rest up. In a few moments, you will be transported out of this cavern to a safe location in the forest.¡± That was the last thing Riku heard before he was induced into a coma and sent away. ¡°I hope the boy survives the impending calamity. Times are changing and I sense evil beings awakening from their slumber. Who is manipulating all this¡­?¡± ________________________________________________________________________________________________ As Riku slumbered deep within the forest, Lord Mazark was conducting a ritual deep within the earth. ¡°Ale swa meh lera¡­¡± Mazark¡¯s army of spellcasters kept reciting spells as Lord Mazark looked on from above. When the chanting hit a high note, Mazark screamed, ¡°In your name, Tyraas, I sacrifice these mortals to return thee to your original throne. In return, I hope to be blessed with power to destroy my enemies and promised a throne to sit on as you take over the world.¡± A dark fire rose up from within the earth and swallowed everything in its path. It stopped when it reached Mazark¡¯s feet. An eye opened and stared at him. ¡°HAHAHAHA! I FEEL IT! I feel the power running through my veins. Thank you, Tyraas. Thank you.¡± Ch 5: Sylvia Riku woke to the soft, graceful tones of a flute. He rolled to his side, disorientated. He was lying in a tent, on a cot with blankets draped over him, his sword and clothes were nearby. "Where am I?¡± Riku wondered out loud. The music stopped. Riku heard footsteps heading in his direction. Alarmed, he reached for his sword. Just as his fingers touched the hilt, the tent flap opened and the prettiest girl he had ever seen poked her head in. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re finally awake. We found you in a clearing three days ago. You were delirious and had a high fever. I was worried you would never wake up.¡± Riku attempted to sit up; however, upon seeing him move, the girl rushed over and restrained him. Her eyes flashed bright blue as she scanned Riku¡¯s body for any lingering ailments. Squirming beneath her piercing gaze, Riku felt exposed¡ªlike all his secrets were visible to her discerning eyes. ¡°Sorry for examining you so abruptly. I wanted to know whether or not you have fully recovered from whatever caused you to faint. My name is Sylvia.¡± ¡°Mine¡¯s Riku. I¡¯m curious, why did you save me?¡± ¡°When I first saw your face, I had this feeling that we met somewhere before. Be it a past life or even a passing glance in a village square, I knew no matter what the others said, I had to save you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Wait here, don¡¯t move. I¡¯m going to get some food for you.¡± Sylvia returned in a few minutes holding a bowl of soup and a small loaf of bread.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°It isn¡¯t a feast, but I hope you enjoy,¡± Sylvia said. The moment Riku laid his eyes on the food, his stomach rumbled and he scarfed down the meal with gusto. ¡°This is delicious,¡± Riku said with a mouthful of bread. Sylvia laughed and reached into her pocket, grabbed a cloth, and wiped Riku¡¯s mouth. Embarrassed, Riku blushed and attempted to wipe his mouth and slowed down finishing what was left of his meal. When Riku was done, Sylvia took the empty bowl away. Seeing Riku open his mouth to object, she said, ¡°You¡¯re still recovering. Don¡¯t worry about it. Go back to sleep, you look like you need it.¡± Nightfall came and Riku woke feeling refreshed. He made up his mind to leave the camp, feeling he had intruded on Sylvia¡¯s hospitality for too long. He grabbed his things and tiptoed out of the campsite. Riku chose a random direction to jog in and heard the joyful notes of a flute being played somewhere in the distance. Curious, Riku stopped, changed direction, and eventually came across a circular clearing. Sylvia sat in the middle of the clearing, playing the flute. She had a carefree expression on her face, as if nothing in the world mattered. Riku was mesmerized by the beautiful melody. Entranced by the music, he drew his sword and began to dance. Every movement Riku made was beautiful yet deadly. It seemed the music had heightened his battle sense and improved his agility. They stayed like that for hours¡ªdancing and playing¡ªengrossed by their craft. When the first rays of sunlight kissed their faces, the music accelerated making its way to a grand finale. Riku¡¯s movements became sharper and sharper as well, fluidly moving from one position to another, not wasting a single step. The music ended on a lovely note, waking Riku and Sylvia up from their individual trances. Sylvia opened her eyes and said, ¡°No one has ever been able to keep up with my tempo so effortlessly. Perhaps this is fate¡­¡± Riku said, ¡°I have so many questions: Who are you? What are you talking about? What magic did you use?¡± ¡°All your questions will be answered in time. But for starters, I am a dark elf. What you just heard was my one of my many magics. I specialize in healing but I can also improve my allies¡¯ strength through music. We need to head back to camp; the others should be looking for us by now. I will find you later today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sylvia uttered a spell and vanished. Riku stared stupidly at the spot Sylvia had occupied, hoping she would return and transport him back. When he realized that she wasn¡¯t going to, he sighed; he had to make his own way back. Ch 6: Jealousy It was midday when Riku sauntered back to the camp dragging the carcass of a two-headed earth dragon with him. Wide-eyed stares greeted him as he headed to the center of the enclosing and unceremoniously dumped the body next to the campfire. ¡°You sure took your time walking back. I was worried that you harbored a grudge and decided to not come back,¡± Sylvia said. ¡°Well if I decided to do so, I¡¯m pretty sure you would¡¯ve turned this forest upside down to find me,¡± Riku retorted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have needed to do that because I placed a tracking crystal on your body while you slept.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Clang! The sound of copper being mangled startled them. Out of the corner of his eye, Riku saw a man glaring at him, fingers grasping what remained of the plate in his hands. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind him. Arifin is overprotective; he¡¯s my bodyguard. Anyhow, that is some gift you brought back,¡± Sylvia said. ¡°Oh, the two-headed dragon? I encountered it on the way back. It thought that I was an easy target and attacked me. When it realized I wasn¡¯t, the dragon retreated and launched attacks at random intervals. After fending off some fireballs, tail swipes, bites, and mud balls, I got fed up and killed it. I brought it back as a thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°In that case, thanks! A dragon¡¯s carcass is extremely valuable. You must be tired after all that fighting,¡± Sylvia said. They headed back to his tent.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Upon reaching the entrance, Sylvia leaned in and whispered in Riku¡¯s ear, ¡°At midnight, meet me outside the campgrounds. I will teleport us back to the clearing. Make sure you aren¡¯t followed.¡± Riku strode into his tent, set his sword down, flopped onto his cot, and fell asleep. A few moments later, he was rudely awoken by the sensation of cold steel on his throat and a weight on his chest. ¡°Who are you and why are you in my room?¡± Riku asked. ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t talk unless prompted and don¡¯t move unless you have a death wish. Nod if you understand.¡± Riku nodded. ¡°Now that everything is clear. Who are you?¡± the voice asked. ¡°Riku.¡± ¡°What is your relationship with Sylvia?¡± ¡°She saved my life and we only met yesterday.¡± ¡°If you two met yesterday, why did she save you the first moment she laid eyes on you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Arifin? Ugh! Why¡¯d you hit me in the gut?¡± ¡°Answer the question. If you don¡¯t, you will experience much more pain.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why she saved me¡­¡± ¡°Fine. What did she say to you before she left?¡± ¡°Nothing. She told me to rest up.¡± ¡°If I find out you are lying¡­¡± Riku felt the pressure on his chest let up and the sense of steel on his throat vanished. ¡°Fucking jealous bastard. If he likes her, he should tell her,¡± Riku cursed when he Arifin left the tent. He promised himself that he would never be caught unaware again. Unable to fall asleep, Riku got up and walked to the center of the campsite for some food. After finishing his meal, he headed back to his tent and meditated. Midnight came. Riku slipped out of his tent and sensed someone following him. He changed directions and walked faster. Riku heard his stalker¡¯s footsteps increase in speed as well. He broke into a run, increasing the distance between him and his pursuer. He stopped, jumped into the bushes, and hid in the shadows. He saw his stalker stop and inspect the ground trying to track where Riku went. The pursuer heard a noise in the bushes and focused his attention on the surrounding bushes. As Riku crouched on the ground, not daring to move a muscle. His heart raced and he reached for his sword prepared to draw it, should his enemy find him. After searching for some time, his pursuer gave up and wandered off. Riku let out a sigh of relief, kept to the shadows, and left the campgrounds. Ch 7: Q&A The moment Riku set foot outside the campgrounds, a hand appeared out of nowhere and covered his mouth. Alarmed, Riku attempted to draw his sword only to be restrained. He turned his head sideways to try to catch a glimpse of his assailant. It was Sylvia. She smiled and mouthed out the words, ¡°Got you.¡± Without warning, an uncomfortable sensation permeated throughout Riku¡¯s body. It was like a full body itch he couldn¡¯t scratch. His body was vanishing piece by piece. Sylvia¡¯s hand squeezed his, reassuring him that everything was going to be all right. Riku closed his eyes and tried his best to ignore the constant itch. ¡°You can open your eyes now. We¡¯re here,¡± Sylvia said. Riku opened his eyes and was stunned speechless. They were no longer in the forest, but a garden. ¡°Where are we?¡± he asked. "Right now we are in a land long forgotten by man and elf. I call it The In-Between because it is the glue that binds the world of the living to the world of the dead.¡± ¡°Can anyone find us here?¡± ¡°No, The In-Between has many defense mechanisms and even more random places. Even if Arifin placed a tracker on you, he would find it impossible to follow you here. Things aren¡¯t what they seem to be in the realm of The In-Between. I know you have questions that you want answered, so feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°What was real reason you saved me? I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s that bullshit excuse you gave me.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°You¡¯re sharper than you look. The truth is, our world is currently at an impasse. The Hegemon¡ªour council of elders¡ªscried the world and noticed that the balance between good and evil has begun to move towards evil. Frightened, they sent groups of elves to find the reason. After several years of tracking, one of the groups sent out discovered a certain Lord Mazark as the mastermind. My companions and I were sent out. We stalked him to your village and watched as he decimated it and the surrounding area to find you. Curious to why he acted so viciously, my companions and I split up. Some of us were to follow Lord Mazark, while the rest of us searched the forest to find your whereabouts. The day we found you, we received our final transmission from the other group¡ªMazark was summoning Tyraas¡ªand we haven¡¯t heard from them since.¡± After an awkward silence, Riku lowered his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. I wasn¡¯t close to many of them. Now it¡¯s my turn. Why does Mazark want you so badly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is the day before he attacked, I found a cave while exploring the forest. When I crept by the cave opening, a voice called out to me telling me to venture inside. Curious, I slipped inside and a diagram showing a man with four horns on the cave wall. The voice told me to touch the center of it, but I didn¡¯t. Maybe Mazark was after the being that was sealed in the cave? ¡° "Hm¡­ Did the voice tell you its name?¡± ¡°Yes, it said its name is Pol.¡± ¡°Just to confirm, I want to be sure that you didn¡¯t touch the center of diagram.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Why?¡± ¡°Pol was the king of demons a millennia ago. His power is limitless. He draws his power from the hate radiating from mankind. To seal him, hundreds of the best spellcasters sacrificed their lives to cast the spell. Your encountering him only reinforces the theory that dark forces have begun to move in this world. I agree, Mazark is probably after you because he wants to find Pol¡¯s resting place and release him into the world. Perhaps he is after you because he thinks you hold the potential to stop his plans.¡± Riku evilly smiled and said, ¡°He better be afraid. The day we meet, is the day he dies¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I need to discuss with Arifin what to do.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Ch 8: Attack Part I Sylvia teleported Riku back to the forest, where they appeared in a clearing near the campgrounds. ¡°If you walk along this path, you will make it back to camp within the hour. I¡¯m going to head back first to avoid suspicion,¡± Sylvia said. ¡°¡­¡± Riku waited in the clearing for a while before beginning his trek back to the campsite. A mile in, the sound of a stick being stepped on startled Riku. He stopped and set his hand on his sword hilt, while his eyes scanned the surroundings for enemies. The glint of an arrowhead peeking out from the undergrowth caught Riku¡¯s eye. Swoosh! An arrow was shot at Riku. He sidestepped, plucked the arrow out of the air, and gazed at it in amusement. Disregarding his safety, Riku drew his sword and charged into the bushes; intending to flush out his attacker. Fuck, the arrow was a trap. He dropped into a defensive stance and kept his sword in front of him; ready to lash out at the poor, unlucky soul who attacked first. Riku waited in anticipation only to discover that five masked men had formed a circle around him.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What are you waiting for? Make your move!¡± Riku growled. ¡°You are him?¡± one of the masked men asked while holding up a memory stone engrained with Riku¡¯s likeness. Riku grunted. ¡°Under Lord Mazark¡¯s orders, we are here to offer you an invitation to his home. This is the greatest honor you will ever experience.¡± ¡°If I refuse¡­?¡± ¡°Then we have no choice and will have to bring you in by force.¡± Riku swung his sword at his nearest attacker only to watch helplessly as his sword sliced through a tree stump and his target reappear where the tree stump used to be. ¡°Nice try, but no ordinary swordsman can hold his own against the five of us; we were personally trained by Lord Mazark himself. An ant like you could not possibly do any damage to us at all. It would do you good to just give in,¡± the same masked man sneered. Riku cursed, ¡°What the fuck am I to do here? If the masked men are this strong, how can I even hope to match up with Mazark?¡± Unwilling to go down without a fight, Riku kept his sword drawn and crept around in a circle, eyeing his enemies. Riku heard a voice in his head saying, ¡°I finally wake up from my slumber and find out my new master is a weakling, what the fuck is going on? What was Erol thinking?¡± Riku looked at his sword confused and asked, ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Yes, dipshit. Why are you so weak and why the fuck are you my new master?¡± ¡°You were the one who approved me as your master.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure I would remember if I accepted an idiot as my master. Erol must¡¯ve pulled something behind my back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ch 8: Part 2 ¡°I subdued you in the cave with my own power. Erol didn¡¯t play a part at all,¡± Riku grumbled. ¡°Prove it. Let me search your memories. If I find out that Erol tampered with the results, I will destroy you.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you search my memories. In return, when you discover that I wasn¡¯t lying you must help me get out of this mess.¡± ¡°Deal. I will tell you my true name and teach you the correct way to use me. You may have my previous master¡¯s memories, but they are nothing if you can¡¯t use them. The sword¡¯s spirit enveloped Riku¡¯s consciousness and sifted through his memories; pausing briefly on various key points throughout Riku¡¯s life. Every time it paused, Riku winced in pain. Meanwhile, not even a second had passed in the real world. When the spirit got to the memories involving the incidents in the cave, it paused and took its time figuring out what happened. It paused interested on the scene where Riku released his power. Hmm¡­ this child did not lie. I¡¯m curious at the power he unleashed. If he figures out to release it, he would be a force to be reckoned with. Maybe that¡¯s why the staff and my subconscious mind chose him as our new master. "Kid, my name is Dragic. I will help you out. Remember the feeling when your consciousness separated itself from your body? I¡¯m going to need you to do that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take over your body and teach those amateurs a lesson.¡± "I thought you were going to teach me, not use my body to perform attacks.¡± ¡°I am, but given our current circumstances, you will die before I can teach you anything.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Riku disassociated himself from his body and watched as the sword spirit took control. ¡°You have messed with the wrong person for the last time. I will give you one last opportunity to leave with your lives intact,¡± the sword spirit said. The masked men looked at each other and laughed. They moved into a defensive position and steadied themselves to stop any attack directed against them. Unfortunately they did not anticipate Riku vanishing and then reappearing behind one of them, his sword held above his head and an evil smile plastered on his face. Riku swung down and cut one of the masked men¡¯s head off before any of them could react. He reached down, grabbed the head, and chucked it at one of the other masked men, who caught it.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re next!¡± Riku said and pointed his sword at his target. His prey locked eyes with two of his companions and nodded. They vanished, while his mark stayed still. Riku smirked, slid his sword back into its sheath, and charged straight ahead. Five feet away from his target, Riku rapidly unsheathed and then sheathed his sword. Multiple black slashes appeared and moved towards his prey, who tried to defend but failed. His remaining companions watched in horror as he was cut in half, his body parts absorbed by the dark skull that arose. The two masked men reappeared behind Riku and blew darts, intending to knock him out. They were shocked when some of the black slashes changed direction and headed towards them. No matter how hard they tried to dodge or defend against the attack, it cut through obstacles and latched onto their location within seconds. Resigned to their fate, the men detonated themselves, thinking it was better to kill themselves than be killed and absorbed by Riku¡¯s attack. ¡°You¡¯re the last one. How would you like to die?¡± the sword spirit asked the leader of the group. ¡°I don¡¯t believe this. How did this happen?¡± the leader dropped to the knees in shock. ¡°Prevent him from moving and detonating himself,¡± Riku told the sword spirit. The sword spirit swung the sword and cut off the masked man¡¯s hands. Riku asked the spirit for control of his body back and then said, ¡°Not so fast you suicidal freak. Tell me everything you know.¡± The man raised his head, glared at Riku in hate, and said, ¡°You should be more worried about your companions. We set up a formation and killed and trapped most of them.¡± "You fucker, die,¡± Riku said and cut off the man¡¯s head. Worried at what his attacker said, he sprinted back towards the campgrounds, where he discovered Sylvia on her knees crying. He looked around and saw the campsite in shambles and the heads of its former inhabitants impaled on stakes on the outskirts of the camp. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said to Sylvia. ¡°Who would do this?¡± she asked. "On my way back I was ambushed by Lord Mazark¡¯s men. I killed them,¡± Riku replied. ¡°So it was Lord Mazark¡¯s doing?¡± "Yes.¡± ¡°I will kill him. I will rip his head out and leave his body impaled on a stake for crows to eat.¡± ¡°You know I have a vendetta against him. Join me on my mission to end his life.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°What do you mean their talismans shattered?¡± ¡°Milord, all five shattered at once.¡± ¡°The boy must have gotten stronger. Very well, send some trackers after him and tell them to observe his movements. I am willing to wait and see how strong he gets before he comes to challenge me¡­¡± "It shall be done.¡± Ch 9: Heart2Heart Riku and Sylvia spent the rest of the day burying the remains of her companions. Night came when they finished. They sat at opposite sides of a campfire, eating cold bread in silence. Sylvia had wrapped her arms around her knees, barely eating. ¡°Were you close to any of them?¡± Riku asked. ¡°No, only Arifin, but the others and I have been through too many life and death struggles. To say I won¡¯t miss them is an understatement.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why do you think Mazark¡¯s men decided to massacre my companions? Many were innocent bystanders.¡± "A large part of it must have to do with me. I¡¯m sure he wants to drive me deeper in despair¡ªnot only did I get my village razed to the ground, I also got people who weren¡¯t involved beheaded and their heads impaled. He wants me to know that I can keep running away from him, but no matter what he will find me and destroy the places I find salvation in¡ªno place to call home. As a result, I will head to his layer and confront him. If you want to blame anyone, blame me.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t entirely your fault. We started off the feud by attempting to interfere with the workings of the world. Because we moved to stop Mazark¡¯s plans before they came to fruition, we might¡¯ve sped things up. What if I had been there¡­?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself for their deaths and don¡¯t get caught up in the hypotheticals. What you should focus your mind on for now is the present.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± ¡°Good. There¡¯s something on my mind, Sylvia. Did you happen across Arifin¡¯s corpse when we were laying your companions to rest?¡± ¡°No¡­?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t either.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯s alive?¡± Silvia asked. "Possibly, but don¡¯t you find it curious to how five invaders successfully infiltrated your campsite when you weren¡¯t here; killing everyone but Arifin? I know Arifin has feelings for you¡­¡± ¡°NO! I don¡¯t believe Arifin is a traitor and played a hand in this massacre!¡± ¡°Ok, calm down. It¡¯s late; get some rest. I will take the first watch.¡± Without a word, Sylvia threw blankets over herself and plopped onto the ground, breathing angrily. Riku chuckled and reverted his attention to the fire. He became lost in his own thoughts about the events that occurred in the past few days. ¡°Sorry for throwing a tantrum earlier. I couldn¡¯t¡ªand still can¡¯t¡ªwrap my head around the possibility of Arifin being a traitor,¡± Sylvia softly said, snapping Riku from his stupor. "It¡¯s ok. You¡¯ve known him for years; whereas, I¡¯ve only known him for a couple of minutes.¡± ¡°They say people who aren¡¯t close to the person in question are more in tune with the particular person¡¯s faults¡­¡± ¡°Forget I said anything. Go back to sleep.¡± "Riku, what are we going to do now? I have lost all means of contact with the council.¡± ¡°Go sleep. We will discuss everything in the morning.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Night.¡± Ch 10: Plans Sylvia woke to the aroma of soup. She stretched and opened her eyes. It was daytime. She sat up and saw a steaming pot above the campfire and Riku was nowhere to be found. Frantic, she threw off her blankets, reached for her staff, her eyes darting left and right looking for any signs of movement. ¡°There¡¯s no enemies around us, Sylvia,¡± a voice said from behind her. Upon hearing his voice, Sylvia turned, ran to Riku, and hugged him. ¡°Where ¡®d you go? I thought you either left me or were abducted by enemies while I slept.¡± ¡°I noticed a river nearby and decided to clean myself a little.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me and let me know?¡± "You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn¡¯t want to wake you¡ªespecially after what transpired last night.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Wash up if you¡¯d like. I¡¯ll be here when you come back.¡± Sylvia folded her blankets and walked to the river. Riku watched her go before turning his attention back to making breakfast. ¡°That elf girl is really cute. You got lucky with this one, boy,¡± Dragic suddenly spoke. ¡°She¡¯s a friend.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°Where did you go after the fight?¡± ¡°I was exhausted from yesterday¡¯s fight so I rested. Normally, I¡¯ll be awake. Don¡¯t worry, nobody will hear us talk to each other. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Back to the main topic, don¡¯t tell others of your abilities. People easily get jealous of others and since your abilities are not the norm, you have a big target on your back.¡± "I know.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Furthermore, a tracking signal has been placed on your body and you are being watched by multiple shadows.¡± "Can you help me avoid them?¡± ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m going to try and remove the tracking signal. When the elf girl comes back, after she eats, have her play a tune that can paralyze enemies for some time and escape during then. I will give you the signal.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Sylvia came back to the campsite looking refreshed. She grabbed a bowl, scooped soup from the pot, and settled down. Riku busied himself by packing helpful items for their journey. ¡°Riku, what will do now?¡± Sylvia asked. ¡°My end goal is to find Mazark and make him pay for his transgressions. For now, let¡¯s head to the nearest town or city and collect information. Afterwards we can head to your village. I will accompany you there, but I will not stay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow you where you go. I want my part of the revenge as well.¡± ¡°Ok. When you are done with your meal, Sylvia, take out your flute and play a calming tune that can paralyze any who hear it in the surrounding area.¡± ¡°Mm? Sure? But why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. When I give the signal, begin playing.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Riku went back to packing items into various bags. When Sylvia finished eating, she joined him. ¡°NOW, BOY!¡± Dragic said. ¡°Sylvia, take your flute out and play.¡± Sylvia took out her flute and began playing a hauntingly beautiful tune. Entranced, Riku stopped what he was doing to listen and forgot what he had to do. He stood there for some time until he was brought back to his senses by Dragic. ¡°BOY, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND RUN! OTHERWISE THE CHANCE I MADE FOR YOU WILL BE WASTED!¡± Riku reached down, hurriedly filled it with random items, and then reached out and grabbed Sylvia¡¯s hand. Together they sprinted into the forest. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ "How did the boy evade you and your team? You¡¯re some of the better trackers I have trained.¡± ¡°Milord, I don¡¯t know. He found out that we had placed a tracking signal on him and somehow erased it. The boy then had his companion play a paralyzing tune with her flute and we fell into her spell.¡± one of the trackers lay on the ground groveling. ¡°Useless fucks. Tell me how do you want me to punish you for failing my orders?¡± ¡°Milord, grant mercy. Retrain me and my group so that this will never happen again.¡± ¡°Heh. You¡¯re right. If I retrain you guys, I will have no more slip ups.¡± ¡°Thank you, Milord. Thank you for sparing our lives!¡± "Milord?¡± The tracker looked up, saw multiple red flashes, and fell limply to the floor along with his companions. ¡°Retrain you guys my ass. I¡¯d rather train zombies before I train you dipshits again.¡± Mazark mumbled a few words and the dead bodies before him rose back to life. He conjured a picture of Riku in front of the zombies and left it there. ¡°Memorize this picture. I want you to go out, find this boy, and bring him to me. I¡¯m done waiting for him. The longer I wait, it seems the stronger he gets. I need unlimited power fast¡­¡± Ch 11: Lost? ¡°I can¡¯t go on. Can we stop?¡± Sylvia panted. ¡°Yes, we should be safe now,¡± Riku said. They stopped running and sat underneath a large oak tree. Riku unsheathed Dragic and propped it against the trunk. ¡°Why did we have to run?¡± ¡°We were being stalked and observed by enemies.¡± "Lord Mazark¡¯s men?¡± ¡°Maybe, I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡± "Mnn.¡± ¡°Do you happen to know where we are right now?¡± Sylvia looked at their surroundings, shook her head, and said, ¡°Unfortunately not. After we ran off, you kept on changing directions at random so it¡¯s impossible for me to approximate our current location.¡± ¡°Ugh. Is there any way to approximate our location?¡± ¡°Yes, but we will have to wait until nighttime.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°When the moon is brightest, I can use the dew that pools up on the plant leaves to summon spirits. Depending on their mood, these spirits may show us the way.¡± "Okay. Let¡¯s set up camp and rest here. I¡¯m going to check the surroundings for any enemies. Stay here.¡± ¡°No. We either go together or stay here. We will set up camp when we get back.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Riku picked up Dragic and chose a random direction to walk. Riku kept his sword in front of himself, ready to strike. Sylvia stuck close to him. ¡°Dragic, are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, I am currently scanning your surroundings for hostiles.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Thanks.¡± Riku and Sylvia quickly circled their way back to the oak tree. They set up camp and began preparations for their dinner. Afterwards, Riku stood up and began practicing footwork while Dragic offered up advice. ¡°Boy, you¡¯re doing this wrong. Move your left foot a bit to the left, plant down your right foot, and place your weight down on it. From there, unsheathe me while sliding your left foot forward and slash sideways. Use my sheath to defend.¡± "Dragic, Didn¡¯t I use this move in the cave and summon a dragon?¡± "Yes.¡± "Why didn¡¯t a dragon show up this time?¡± ¡°You lack a connection with the earth.¡± "What do you mean??¡± ¡°There are many veins of power in the earth. The footwork you are doing is designed to draw upon that power and channel it through your body and by extension me.¡± ¡°Oh. How can I learn to harness this power?¡± ¡°For now, focus on your footwork. When I think you are ready, I will teach you.¡± "Fine.¡± Syliva sat in the shade watching Riku practice his footwork and became inspired. She brought her flute to her lips and played a sorrowful tune, expressing all the turmoil she had experienced. Nightfall came. Sylvia kept on playing her song. Riku had long finished practicing his footwork and leaned against a tree trunk. His eyes half closed as he immersed himself into Sylvia¡¯s song. ¡°That song was beautiful. What¡¯s it called?¡± Riku asked the moment Sylvia put down her flute. ¡°The song has no name. I was compelled by something to write this melody. I shall consider it a tribute those who have passed away defending this world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s night. Come, let¡¯s see if fate smiles upon us and has the spirits help us along on our journey.¡± Sylvia picked up her staff and drew a large circle on the ground. At intervals she placed a rock or a branch around the outer ends of the circle¡ªto symbolize life and death. When she finished, she looked up at the moon and judged its place in the sky. ¡°Great. We still have some time before the moon is at its peak. Go to the nearby bushes and collect as many dewdrops as you can.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Riku went to the nearby bushes and used an empty canteen to collect dewdrops. He collected half a canteen full before Sylvia told him it was time. He handed the canteen over to Sylvia and watched as she mumbled words in a foreign language while she sprinkled dewdrops at random around the circle. The moment the moonlight enveloped the circle; the dewdrops began to shine brightly. ¡°What¡¯s goi¡ª¡° Riku opened his mouth to ask. ¡°Hush, they are coming,¡± Sylvia replied. They watched as the dewdrops slowly gathered at the middle of the circle and then condensing upwards and forming a human shape. ¡°Why have you summoned us here against our will, elfling?¡± the spirits asked. ¡°We have offerings for you,¡± Sylvia said while pointing towards the opposite end of the circle where a stack of berries lay. ¡°We were enjoying our freedom and zipping around freely when suddenly we were called here. Now speak, elfling! Why have you summoned us?¡± ¡°My honorable spirits, the world is currently at an impasse. My companion and I were heading towards a nearby city when attackers sidetracked us. We are what¡¯s left of a once numerous group and we are hoping that you could help show us the way back¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Ch 12: The Deal ¡°No?¡± Riku and Sylvia asked simultaneously. "We won¡¯t help you. You trapped us here against our will.¡± ¡°We were le--!¡± Riku began before Sylvia cut him off. ¡°Honorable spirits, what my companion is trying to say is, we have exhausted all possible options before requesting your help.¡± ¡°Did you try teleporting?¡± the spirits asked. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work in this situation because I have never visited any human city. I need to have a destination to teleport safely,¡± Sylvia replied. ¡°That has nothing to do with us. Release us, elfling. Let us roam freely once more.¡± Resigned, Sylvia reached down to break the circle. When her hand was about to remove a rock, Riku¡¯s hand grabbed hers. Startled, she raised her head, glared at Riku, and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°No, what are YOU doing?¡± Riku asked. ¡°I¡¯m freeing the spirits and letting them roam free again.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t going to do that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You said it before. The world is at an impasse. Humans and elves aren¡¯t the only ones affected. Everyone is. The spirits must have a reason why they won¡¯t help us. Perhaps they are scared?¡± ¡°Human, we changed our minds. Release us this instant and we will make your death as painless as possible!¡± ¡°See, Sylvia, something is scaring them.¡± ¡°WE ARE NEVER SCARED! HUMAN, RELEASE US!¡± ¡°No,¡± Riku said. ¡°Dragic, have you sensed what is making the spirits so disagreeable?¡± ¡°No. Spirits are more susceptible to the inner workings of the world. Their current behavior is indicative that evil is stirring and making its mark on this world.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Dumbass. Do I have to spell everything out for you? The demons who once terrorized the world are stirring. As the demons awaken, they require nourishment in the form of spirits or worse¡ªhuman sacrifices. ¡°You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Kid, I know you and the girl wish to reenter civilization as fast as possible. Blackmailing the spirits won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Then what will?¡± ¡°Let me talk to them. Perhaps I can convince them to show you two the way out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Riku shuddered when Dragic took over. Alarmed, Sylvia caught him before he hit the ground. ¡°Riku?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Haha! Human, we knew you couldn¡¯t keep up that false bravado. See, you are trembling in our presence. Now be a good boy and release us,¡± the spirits goaded. ¡°No.¡± Riku raised his head and growled. ¡°Human, you are messing with forces you cannot possibly imagine.¡± ¡°I can take you on and win.¡± ¡°You are pushing it. Boy, be careful of what you say next.¡± ¡°Why should I? You¡¯re in there and I¡¯m here. You can¡¯t move a muscle without our permission.¡± ¡°Argh!¡± the spirits collectively cried in pain when lightning shocked them. ¡°See, you should be bargaining with us. Not demanding us to release you.¡± ¡°Why you impudent bast---!¡± the spirits stopped what they were saying when Riku raised his hand. ¡°If you say something I don¡¯t like, I will shock you. Worst case scenario is we leave you here; ready to be absorbed by a demon at any time,¡± Riku said. ¡°Ugh. We will show you the way out, human.¡± ¡°No. Since you were uncooperative earlier, the deal has changed. We will release you on one condition.¡± ¡°You greedy human. Fine, what do you want? Be careful what you wish for.¡± ¡°My companion and I have set our eyes on killing Lord Mazark and putting an end to his evil. What we want is for all free spirits to help us along the way.¡± ¡°We do not speak for all spirits.¡± ¡°What one spirit hears or experiences is conveyed to every other spirit. All spirits have means of communicating with each other internally.¡± ¡°You are somehow knowledgeable of our inner workings human.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. Do you agree to our condition?¡± ¡°We want to know whether you are lying or not. Let us sift through your memories.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that stupid? The moment I let you sift through my memories, you take over my body. I¡¯ll give you 5 seconds to convey our message and give me an answer. If your answer is unsatisfactory, I will leave you here as easy prey.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°5!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t w-.¡± ¡°4!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± ¡°3!¡± ¡°2!¡± ¡°You¡¯re bluffing!¡± Riku turned around and began walking away. ¡°1!¡± ¡°Fine, all the remaining free spirits agree to your proposition. We will help you on your journey to slay Mazark. You must promise us one thing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You seal any demons you see along the way.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Release the spirits now, Sylvia.¡± Sylvia reached down, removed a rock, and broke the formation. The spirits rushed out in glee¡ªcircling around nearby trees, enjoying their freedom. After a while, they settled down, consolidated their form, and began leading the way out of the forest. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°Mazark, welcome back.¡± ¡°Milord, why have you summoned me today?¡± ¡°The boy has recruited the spirits to help him. To counteract this, I need more human sacrifices. We need to throw the world into greater disarray.¡± ¡°Yes, Milord. If there¡¯s greater disarray, will there be more demons awakening?¡± ¡°Yes, that is a likely outcome.¡± ¡°Will it awaken Pol?¡± ¡°Pol has always been awake. His power is currently sealed in a forgotten cave that the boy stumbled across. If the boy continues to elude us, the only way to find his location is by awakening all the other demons. Together we can rewrite history and unseal Pol even without knowing his location. When Pol is unsealed, you and I will be granted seats of honor at his table and unlimited power.¡± ¡°Mwahaha!¡± Ch 13: Into the Tunnels Part I ¡°Spirits stop. Let¡¯s wait till daybreak before passing through this tunnel,¡± Riku said. ¡°Fine, human. We must warn you about something anyways.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The undead are pursuing us; therefore, we must keep moving and enter the city as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Mazark¡¯s doing?¡± "Yes. We witnessed your previous escape from the trackers using a paralysis tune; however, none of your tactics will work on the undead.¡± "What do you mean?¡± ¡°The zombies can¡¯t hear or feel anything, you dumbass. You can stab them, play music to paralyze them, or even cut off their heads and they will still pursue you. Please use your fucking brain. It¡¯s there for a reason,¡± Dragic interjected. ¡°The undead will continue to fight or pursue their target and they won¡¯t stop until they fulfill their master¡¯s orders,¡± the spirits said. "Is there any way to fight or elude them?¡± Sylvia asked. ¡°Many have tried, none have succeeded.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°What are our options?¡± ¡°If we stay and fight, while we could fend them off for some time, but they will overwhelm us at the end. There is only one option. We have to head to the city and hide there.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Goddammit kid. Use your brain. The undead have a keen sense of smell. Hiding in a densely populated area will mask your scent and give you more time to formulate a plan of attack,¡± Dragic said. ¡°Hiding in the city will increase our chances of survival,¡± the spirits patiently said. ¡°Have you two rested enough? We need to hurry.¡± "Dragic, keep sensing our surrounding area and make sure that we won¡¯t be ambushed. I have a bad feeling about this tunnel.¡± ¡°You worry too much, boy. I know what to do.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s head out,¡± Riku said. They lit torches and cautiously ventured into the tunnel. When Riku stepped foot in the gloomy passage, he wrinkled his nose as a damp, repugnant smell drifted into his nostrils. He waved his torch from side to side, trying to identify the source of the smell. Riku brushed his hand against the wall and felt dust and grime on his palm. A crosswind blew through the underpass, scattering rocks and blowing dust into the damp air. ¡°It appears no one has used this tunnel in a long time,¡± Sylvia said. ¡°Indeed, elfling. The path we are showing you is a long forgotten one. This is where the first spirit¡ªour king¡ªwas born. We¡ªlater spirits¡ªdecided to enshrine this location and collectively cast a spell to deter outsiders from entering. You two are the first outsiders in a millennia to enter this holy ground.¡± ¡°We are honored, but if it¡¯s sacred ground why are we allowed to enter?¡± Sylvia asked. "You said it before. The world is at an impasse, thus rules must be broken. In addition, we are your allies even though your companion used despicable underhanded means to garner our support.¡± ¡°Haha. Sorry about that, but I had no choice,¡± Riku sheepishly said. "We understand. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but never do it again.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ch 14: Into the Tunnels Part II ¡°Will the undead follow us through here?¡± Riku asked. ¡°That is a possibility. Now shut up, human, you are annoying.¡± ¡°HAHAHA! Boy, he¡¯s got that right. Every other sentence that comes out of your mouth is a stupid question. Do you even use your fucking brain?¡± "¡­ I¡¯m going to ask you all my questions now.¡± "Fine.¡± As they progressed deeper into the tunnel, Riku continued to feel a prickling sensation on the back of his neck. ¡°Dragic, are we being watched?¡± ¡°Not that I can tell.¡± ¡°Are you sure? The unpleasant feeling I felt when we entered the underpass seems to have amplified.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯ll extend the range of my sensors. If I pick anything up, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± "Okay.¡± Umph! Lost in his thoughts, Riku walked into a wall and didn¡¯t notice that his companions had stopped. ¡°Idiot,¡± the spirits said. ¡°Why did we stop?¡± Riku asked, ignoring the glaring pain in his right shoulder. ¡°That wasn¡¯t there before.¡± ¡°The fork in the tunnel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know which way leads out?¡± Sylvia asked. "Unfortunately, we don¡¯t know. We have consulted with other spirits and they don¡¯t know which route is the way out. Our best bet is to choose a route and see where it goes.¡± ¡°¡­¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Human, take the route on the left. Have your companions take the path on the right,¡± a voice said to Riku. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Riku asked while looking left and right. "Wow, it seems he keeps getting dumber and dumber by the minute.¡± ¡°No, I heard a vo---,¡± Riku began before drifting off. ¡°Boy, I heard him too. He¡¯s using his mind to talk with us.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± "Do as he says. Don¡¯t try to disobey him. He might be a supreme expert, who secluded himself years ago to focus solely on gaining insights into the world.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It might be a trap, but it also could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don¡¯t worry, you still have me and the staff if things go south.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Riku said and made up his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s split up. Sylvia, you and the spirits will take the route on the right. I¡¯ll go left. If you find the way out, hide out somewhere near the entrance for three days. After three days, head to the city and hide, I¡¯ll find you two there. If I get out first, I¡¯ll do the same.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Sylvia said. ¡°As much as we hate you, human, for blackmailing us, I have to agree with the elfling. We shouldn¡¯t split up. It¡¯s too risky. We don¡¯t know who or what we are dealing with, so it¡¯s best to stick together.¡± ¡°I disagree. Splitting up is the best option we have available. You said it¡ªwe don¡¯t know who or what we are dealing with. Because of this, taking different paths makes the most sense. It guarantees the survival of the party.¡± ¡°Riku¡­¡± Sylvia said, her eyes pleading. ¡°Human, we misjudged you. We thought you were a brash, idiotic adventurer trying to take on forces beyond your control, who knew you actually have heart. Very well, it shall be done. We will take the path on the right. Let¡¯s meet in three days, best of luck.¡± Riku nodded and watched them head off. ¡°Do you think it was a bad idea to split up?¡± ¡°No, that voice asked for you and you alone. If we brought the others, who knows how the unknown expert would react.¡± ¡°True. Shall we head out now?¡± "Yeah, I¡¯ll continue to scout the path ahead, but I don¡¯t have any hope of discovering anything.¡± Riku took a deep breath and unsheathed Dragic. Riku held the sword in one hand, the torch in his other hand, and ventured into the left tunnel. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°Milord, the zombies tracked the boy to an underpass. When they tried to pursue, some unknown force deterred them. It appears the boy is not alone.¡± "The spirits and the elfling are helping him.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one thing to do.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°Fucking numbskull, use your brain.¡± ¡°Uhhh...¡± ¡°Why do I have to spell everything out for you?¡± ¡°Mercy, Milord!¡± ¡°Ugh! You disgust me. The tunnel leads to the capital of Aster. It¡¯s said to be the largest stronghold in the world. If I were the boy, I¡¯d head there to seek sanctuary.¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°Fucking idiot. Direct the zombies to take down the capital. I want you out there with three hundred of my best men. Once you take over the stronghold, lie in wait for the boy to arrive. Capture him alive and kill all who attempt to stop you. Don¡¯t screw this up. I¡¯m getting impatient.¡± ¡°Yes, Milord.¡± Ch 15: The Tomb (I) Crash! Rocks fell from the ceiling, covering the entrance to the tunnel. Startled, Riku glanced backwards and cursed¡ªhe no longer had a way to escape. He gulped. The whites of his knuckles showed as he gripped the hilt of his sword and ventured deeper into the tunnel. Screech! Riku ducked to avoid a colony of bats that were disturbed by the sound of rocks falling. After the sound of fluttering wings vanished, Riku raised his head and tried to determine the location the bats flew off in. "Boy, give up on trying to find an escape route. It¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°But the bats?¡± ¡°Went to a huge cavern with a small pinhole-sized opening on the ceiling.¡± "¡­¡± ¡°Keep walking, boy. There¡¯s no other option left to us. If we die, we die. To be honest, if the voice had wanted to kill us, we would be dead by now. There¡¯s no place to run. Let¡¯s pick up the pace, it won¡¯t do us any good if we kept the voice waiting for long.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Riku continued to venture deeper into the tunnel until he reached an empty cavern. He walked to the center of the area and gazed around. Surrounding him were five statues¡ªall in different poses¡ªon pedestals. Each had a snarl on their face, their weapons drawn as if facing down an enemy. Their blood-red armor was artistically designed with scales lightly etched on. Furthermore, the armor seemed to move with every breeze in and out of the cavern. It almost seemed as if the statues were alive. ¡°Dragic, do you know who they are?¡± Riku asked. ¡°No. Whoever they are, they are from a time long past. I don¡¯t even know the names of the weapons they wield. The way the statues are placed it seems they serve a purpose¡ªto intimidate all who find their way here.¡± ¡°Did we walk into a trap?¡± ¡°Who knows? As long as you don¡¯t tick off the expert who told us to come here, we should be fine.¡± ¡°Okay. What should we do?¡± ¡°Idiot, don¡¯t just rely on sight. Use your senses and you will see that not everything is as it seems.¡± Riku separated his conscience from his body and gazed around the room. He noticed that a bubble surrounded him. He was disassociated from reality. The five statues he observed earlier weren¡¯t on their pedestals¡ªthey took up positions around the bubble, their weapons placed in defensive positions. ¡°Dragic, I don¡¯t fancy our chances if we have to fight.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Boy, I said it before, the statues only exist to intimidate. I doubt they would attack us¡ªunless you do something stupid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Look behind you.¡± Riku turned and observed strange glowing white lights leading up to a small opening in the cavern wall. He reached out and attempted to touch one of the lights only to pull his arm back quickly. The bubble wall shocked him. Enraged, Riku returned to his body and swung Dragic at the wall¡ªin an attempt to pierce through¡ªonly to cry out in dismay as his sword bounced off the wall and his momentum carried his upper body into the wall. "HAHAHA! Boy, you have a one-track mind. It¡¯s always attack first, worry about the consequences later.¡± Riku¡¯s eyes narrowed and he spat out, ¡°Then what does the genius suggest we do?¡± "No need to get testy with me.¡± "Fine, I apologize. Can you please tell me what our plan of action will be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little better. Anyhow, this barrier appears to have a glaring weakness.¡± ¡°How do we exploit this weakness?¡± "Don¡¯t be so impatient. Honestly, I wonder how your parents dealt with you. You don¡¯t seem to have any manners.¡± Riku mimed chucking the sword at the wall. ¡°Hold up, kid! I apologize for talking about such a sensitive subject.¡± ¡°Get to the point. How do we get out of here?¡± Riku asked. ¡°The bubble¡¯s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. The bubble seems to be designed to repel primarily physical attacks. Perhaps if you use your magics, you might be able to break through.¡± "You know that I suck at this right?¡± ¡°Well, which idiot decided to walk into the center of a cavern without inspecting it for traps?¡± ¡°Me¡­¡± "Yup. Now get to work and break us out. I think the bubble is going to blow soon.¡± Riku cursed. He retreated deep within himself and disassociated himself from his body. He observed that the red meridian lines bunched together whenever he attempted to harness his magics. ¡°Good, you are becoming self-aware. The sad part is¡ªit¡¯s unnecessary. The bubble is gathering energy. It¡¯s going to explode. Hurry up, boy!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Riku redoubled his efforts to harness his magics and with every continuous failure, he became disheartened. ¡°Sorry, Dragic. It has been a fun ride, but it appears our journey ends here.¡± ¡°Boy, why the fuck are you giving up? It¡¯s not over yet.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it, Dragic. I can¡¯t seem to use magics.¡± ¡°Boy, I¡¯m going to apologize beforehand for what I¡¯m going to say next.¡± ¡°What do you me--?¡± Riku asked. ¡°You¡¯re a useless as fuck master. I accepted you as my master because of the potential I saw in you, but I¡¯m guessing it was only a fa?ade. You have no talent at all. Maybe that¡¯s why the staff accepted you then fell sleep after confirming you as its master. It was too embarrassed it decided a useless fuck like you is his master. After the events of the past few days, I have to say the same. You are a fucking idiot who pisses me off with his stupid questions. I really regret waking up for this.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Riku angrily began. ¡°Kid, shut the fuck up. You are a talentless joke, who can¡¯t even escape from a trap you got yourself into. You¡­¡± Dragic said and drifted off as he saw the transformation Riku was going through. A shining halo of red light had appeared above Riku¡¯s head. Dark, red, and black scales materialized across his body. His fingernails dug deep into his palm, drawing blood. Tattered black wings grew out of Riku¡¯s back. Sharp incisors protruded out of Riku¡¯s mouth. Swirl tattoos emerged above Riku¡¯s left eye and drifted downwards to his chin. Riku opened his eyes and Dragic gasped. Riku¡¯s left pupil had become a vertical slit. His right eye had become a pool of darkness¡ªif one looked closely, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see their reflection. ¡°My god, does the boy know his own origins? He seems to be either half-dragon or half-demon,¡± Dragic said. Riku roared and the ensuing shockwave shattered the bubble he was stuck in. ¡°Haha! Very good, human! It appears I underestimated your origins,¡± a voice boomed. Riku cocked his head to the right, trying to identify where the voice came from. Upon figuring out the location, he drew his right arm back, threw Dragic, and charged towards the small opening in the cavern wall. ¡°Human, you are millions of years too young to try and fight me!¡± Ch 16: The Tomb (II) Riku opened his mouth and spat out a fireball. His eyes widened slightly when a geyser of water shot out and extinguished his fireball. A snarl died in his mouth when he noticed that the column of water changed direction and headed towards him. He rolled to his right and diverted the incoming wall of water with mini tornados that occurred when he flapped his wings. Crash! The geyser of water slammed into the wall and caused the tunnel that Riku had walked through to collapse. Riku¡¯s eyes widened as he observed how much damage the attack did. ¡°Heh, your master has some skill in this form. You sure you don¡¯t want him to stay like this forever?¡± the voice said. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t appreciate being thrown around.¡± ¡°Haha! I will end this in one move then.¡± Cracks appeared in the space around Riku. Frantic, he flew towards the opening in the cavern wall, only to stop with the appearance of more fractures in front of him. Sensing his impending doom, Riku opened his mouth and a large fireball appeared. He bunched his hands into fists and made to charge straight through one of the cracks around him, in an attempt to break through. ¡°Boy, don¡¯t do anything rash!¡± Dragic cried. ¡°Goddammit! You¡¯re right. If we keep your master in this state, he¡¯s going to kill himself.¡± Boom! Time stopped as Riku froze, and watched helplessly as a fist appeared from a fallen rock and punched him sending him flying across the room with blood spraying from his mouth. He crashed against the wall, his chest caved-in, and his head lolled to the side. Slowly, the wall crumbled in on itself and Riku fell to the ground¡ªface first¡ªwith a thud. He lay there motionless.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Shit, did I use too much strength? I only wanted to snap him out of his transformation before he lost hims---,¡± the voice said before breaking off. "Ugh. What happened, Dragic? Am I dead?¡± Riku asked as he lifted himself up to a sitting position. ¡°Why was I lying face down on the floor?¡± ¡°Boy, I¡¯ll never make you mad again?¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± ¡°When you got extremely angry, you transformed. One roar from you shattered the bubble.¡± "Quick boy, thank the hidden expert who snapped you out of the trance and while you are at it, apologize for flinging me at him.¡± Groaning, Riku got onto one knee, cupped his hands together, and said, ¡°Thank you for sparing my life, sir.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t troublesome,¡± a voice boomed. ¡°Now come, walk into my room. Let me take a look at you.¡± Riku gingerly stood up, limped to the cavern wall, and walked through. He stopped in his tracks as he took in the contents of the room. Scrolls of different martial art techniques decorated the surrounding walls. Weapons of different shapes and sizes were placed on racks aligning the walls. Chests containing gold, pills, and even more scrolls littered the floor. Riku directed his gaze towards the center of the room, where an open coffin laid. Dragic was propped up next to the coffin. ¡°Sir, thank you once again for sparing my life,¡± Riku said reverently. "Come closer. Pick up your sword while you are at it.¡± Riku walked up to the coffin and picked up Dragic. "Sir, can I ask why you insisted on my companions and me going in separate directions?¡± _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, Sylvia and the spirits made it out of the tunnel and laid in wait for Riku. ¡°Elfling, it has been three days. The human said to leave a note for him and head to the city.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Elfling, the human chose his own path. He might¡¯ve known something we didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°No! Riku said he would be back in three days. Let¡¯s wait a bit longer for him.¡± ¡°With every passing second, the danger of being discovered by enemies increases. Even Riku would not want us to risk our lives to wait for him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­¡± "If you are so concerned, leave a note for him. When he comes out and finds us not here, he will naturally know we went to the city.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ch 17: King of Spirits ¡°I insisted on separating you from your companions because I wanted to have a talk with you.¡± ¡°About what?¡± Riku asked. ¡°I want to know why you are attempt to fight a battle you have no hope of winning.¡± ¡°As long as one is still alive, there is no such thing as no hope.¡± ¡°True, true. Still, shouldn¡¯t you be discouraged?¡± ¡°My master is too thickheaded to even get discouraged,¡± Dragic said. ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°To be honest with you, I¡¯m only fighting to get revenge.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the rest of the world thinks of me, but that¡¯s all I care about. I don¡¯t want to be hailed as a hero, rallied around like a martyr, or even given titles from a king. I want to be my own self and determine my own path.¡± ¡°Well said! It¡¯s not a good reason, but it¡¯s a reason nonetheless.¡± ¡°Sir, can you tell us your identity?¡± ¡°I am the King of Spirits.¡± Riku¡¯s mouth dropped, he got on one knee, and said, ¡°Milord, once again, thank you for saving me.¡± "You¡¯re welcome. Now let me get straight to the point. You blackmailed my subjects in an effort to gain their cooperation. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Riku felt the temperature in the room drop several degrees. He knew one wrong word could lead to his death.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. He took a deep breath and coldly said, ¡°I had no choice. They refused to cooperate and we were running out of time.¡± "Do you regret what you did?¡± ¡°No. It already happened. I¡¯m past the point of regretting. All I can do is move on.¡± ¡°Very well. Most of the time you seem like a goofball, but from your words, I sense that you seem to have tyrannical tendencies. I wonder which is your true self¡­ Do you pretend to be dumb on purpose? Or are you really dumb with some flashes of brilliance?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think that the boy is naturally an airhead who doesn¡¯t know what he is saying at times,¡± Dragic volunteered. Without a word, Riku picked Dragic up and threw him across the room. ¡°If that¡¯s all you wanted to talk about, we are done here. I need to reunite with my companions,¡± Riku said. He got up and headed to the exit, making no move to bring Dragic with him. ¡°Boy, aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± ¡°No.¡± Stunned, Dragic fell silent. He levitated himself and prepared to follow Riku regardless of the situation. ¡°Riku, the barriers the ancient ones have set up to chain the demons are weakening. I called you here because I need your help,¡± the Spirit King urgently said. "What¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll awaken your true power and unlock the memories that the guardian in the cave transmitted to you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There is no why. The world is stuck in an impasse. Reason and logic hold no form here. All you have to do is complete one little task for me.¡± ¡°Okay¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a talisman for you take with you on your journey. You are to personally hand it to Queen Islandi of the elves. She will know what it¡¯s for.¡± ¡°Very well. You have a deal. Can you transport me to my companions now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riku felt the space around him warping and fought the urge to throw up. He closed his eyes and hope the spinning would quickly end. After what seemed like hours, the squirming stopped. He opened his eyes and noticed he was no longer in the cave anymore. ¡°Thank you for all the help you have provided me,¡± Riku said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, boy. I wish you the best of luck. A word of advice though, Mazark¡¯s men are attacking the city. You would do best to avoid it.¡± "Are my companions there?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± the Spirit King laughed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Riku felt the Spirit King¡¯s presence disappear. He looked around and searched through the surrounding undergrowth in hopes of finding any clue to where Sylvia and the Spirits were hiding. After searching for hours, he found no trace of them and knew that they must¡¯ve headed to the city to seek cover. Despite knowing the potential danger, Riku made up his mi