Reinhardt had this sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. He had a lot he wanted to say, a lot he wanted to do. Yet, his mind wasn¡¯t working at all. It was like he was stuck in an infinite loop. He heard the same things over and over again without any moment of reprieve. It reached the point where his head crossed the boundaries of psychological turmoil and gave birth to a splitting headache.
And yet, underneath it all, in the midst of all the confusion, the pain and the doubt, Reinhardt knew what it all meant. It meant his separation with Lumina. His eventual plan to make her his wife could not come into fruition. It was the proverbial end of the line for them. He looked at the girl in question, gauging her reaction to the news.
Lumina''s tears welled up once again as things started to sink in. She was well past the denial stage by now. Instead of going through the usual route towards acceptance, she never had the chance to move on to the next. Right now, all she felt was fear and trepidation.
She was no stranger to the role of an Oracle since she was always at the receiving end of Reinhardt¡¯s stories. His impassioned talks to enlist in the division of the Templar Knights became a popular point of discussion. But for her, that was an excuse, another reason so that she could be with him. Still, she had learned a lot from those times.
Being an Oracle wasn¡¯t an easy task. A lot of responsibilities fell on her shoulders aside from serving as the direct link to their God. The most important duty was making use of her foresight to avoid disastrous events. From that to the usual tasks such as being the head priestess in performing divine rituals. She also appeared in public to boost the morale of the faithful. More than just a figure head, she defined what it was to have a lot on your plate.
Lumina also learned about the Templar Knights. They were a separate entity from the Holy Knight Corps and the Holy Knight Army. Their numbers increased or decreased during times of war, after uncovering assassination plots or as the need arises. There could be as many as to fill an entire squad or as few as two to serve only as bodyguards and aides. These knights were as skilled as a country¡¯s general and as competent as the best warriors in the continent. Only the best and brightest joined their ranks. And their duty revolved around protecting the Oracle. Providing their help in whichever way they could.
Still, these things didn¡¯t appeal to Lumina at all. All she wanted was to stay with Reinhardt. And now, all those things that she held dear were being threatened. And she dreaded the result. It meant being away from her beloved master...the person she held dear to her heart ever since she was a child. They can never be together anymore.
Lumina grew up wanting simple things. Being taken in as a servant in this family, despite her status as an orphan and commoner, was already a blessing. It would¡¯ve been easy not to follow through with Reinhardt¡¯s promise to keep her safe. The life of Lumina''s mother didn''t bear that much weight. After all, it was the duty of the servant to lay down their life for their Lord. So as recompensation, she served the house that treated her with kindness. Even more so because Reinhardt was a much gentler lord compared to his father.
It was only now that a new emotion sprung inside of her.
It was greed.
Something she had never felt before.
It was true that you never noticed that something was important unless you lost it.
For her, it was her freedom. It was the freedom to choose who she wanted to be and who she wanted to serve. Some might say she was being selfish, but she didn¡¯t care. For once, she wanted to be able to do something for herself.
Both Reinhardt and Lumina remained silent. All the life siphoned out of them. Resignation written all over their faces as they looked at the three visitors. Their hopes and dreams crumbled before them. Ironically, it will only remain as is, never to be fulfilled.
Lumina turned to her master with bloodshot eyes. "My Lord...I don''t want to¡" she trailed off, aware of the ramifications of her selfish request. She had a hunch that if she tried, he would definitely do something. It was something that both of them may regret afterwards.
Her appointment as an Oracle, though still not official, was one of those things that you can¡¯t reject. Excommunication would be the most lenient punishment they could hope for. If they were that lucky. But they could never be happy. Some of the fanatic followers might go to the extremes and threaten their lives.
Lumina wanted to cling to Reinhardt. She wanted to hear him say that everything will be alright. But he neither moved nor said those comforting words to her.
Reinhardt restrained himself. He was afraid that if he didn''t, he''d take Lumina''s hand and run away with her. Go to the edges of Infinitia where they could live life in peace.
He reined in his growing impulse to speak his mind. He knew that if he didn''t, he might tell her how he felt and end up making things more complicated. Turning things harder than they already were.
They both knew that letting their emotions take over would only end with bad consequences. Lumina could do nothing but weep while Reinhardt suffered in silence.
The bishop stood up and spoke the words that they both feared. "Oracle, you have to come with us to the holy capital city, so you may perform your duties as prophesied." And when she didn''t budge, the bishop nodded towards one of the knights. The guard followed the orders and started to lead her outside.
"Wait! You can''t do this! You can''t force her to accept something she doesn¡¯t want!" Reinhardt stood up as well, in the act of stopping what was about to happen. But the bishop spoke words that sliced through all his objections.
¡°Actually, we can. May I remind you, that if you try to prevent what was destined for the Oracle, we''ll arrest you for treason!" Those words were enough to root Reinhardt on the spot. It was the truth, going against the wishes of the church was tantamount to ignoring the orders of a king. He was powerless. Like a fish that floundered when out of the water. He could never resist such a strong tide. All arguments he had prepared rendered useless by that one simple fact. It cut through his case like a hot knife through butter.
"My Lord, no, please...I don''t want to go...please!" Lumina attempted to object and emancipate herself from the grasp of the knights. But they were all in vain due to her small frame. Her vision clouded by the renewed tears wandered over to Reinhardt. She pleaded for him to take action. But he remained standing, devoid of movement, almost like a statue. His shoulders hunched, unable to look her in the eye, knowing he had failed her.
It was quite vexing considering their mindsets were in sync. They both wanted to prevent Lumina¡¯s fate. Lumina had no power yet she wanted to avoid her destiny. While Reinhardt had the capacity to resist and yet he did nothing.
"Wait! I beg of you, please don''t take me away!" It only took a moment before Lumina found herself out the door. It took that much time for her to finally realize that the time for separation was now.
Hoping that her voice would still reach Reinhardt, she took a deep breath and yelled with all her heart. "My lord, I want to be with you!"
What else could she say?
Those words reached Reinhardt''s ears and it jolted him back to reality. Like a flash of lightning, his feet seemed to gain a life of its own. He was a few steps away from the door when his stride faltered.
What else could he do?
They were taking her away from him. Away from his reach, away from his life.
"Go after her Rein! You can still be with her! Remember our dream!" Reinhardt''s head snapped towards Kristov. His friend stood at the doorway that led to the kitchen.
The realization of what his friend said made his eyes grow wide, once again filled with a bit of hope.
If he couldn''t be with her...at least he could be by her side.
With renewed vigor, Reinhardt ran outside in time to see Lumina. She was being dragged towards the majestic carriage drawn by four white horses. It was parked right in front of the house.
"Luminaaaaaaaa! I will come for you! I promise!" He yelled at her, his eyes boring into hers as a smile formed on his lips.
Lumina stopped struggling and mirrored the same expression Reinhardt had on his face. They looked at each other for a long time, their eyes spoke volumes. After that brief pause, she nodded in acknowledgement. She wiped her tears, smiled at him one last time and went inside the carriage of her own accord.
Reinhardt stood there even until the carriage was long gone. "We have a lot of work to do Kristov, from now on we train day and night!" He said rushing out to the backdoor.
His friend scratched his head while standing by the window. "This is going to be a pain; well...at least this makes things interesting!" Kristov answered, his voice laced with amusement.
Deep inside, Kris felt dejected. The emotion didn¡¯t take root for his sake, rather it was born out of concern for both of his friends. There was truth in what he suggested. Reinhardt and Lumina could be together if they pursued their dream.
But that was it, they could never be together in the truest sense of the word. But for those two it would be enough. What he failed to understand was, what good would come out from suppressing such emotions? Sighing, Kristov shook his head in disbelief. He could never fathom how people in love think. The emotion was too alien for him.
~*~
The horns blared and songs of praise echoed throughout Phracea. The cheers of the people reverberated all over the city. All their eyes glued to a certain spot of the holy cathedral. On top of a veranda overlooking the whole city stood a person clad in white.
Immaculate. Saintly. Divine. Those words best described how the woman carried herself. Her dark hair shone with a radiance. The veiled crown she wore reflected the suns rays and created a halo-like effect. On her hand was a golden staff that had her symbol and little golden bells which jingled when she moved. The gown she wore clung to her ripe curves but it did nothing more than gain the reverence of the people. It revealed the Oracle''s symbol on the upper part of her breast which still had a faint glow.
Lumina passed the Spiritual Resonance. The mark she had was genuine which made this day an official event for the whole country. Their faiths uplifted, their hopes renewed. Yet for Lumina, it was the final nail in the coffin. It severed her ties to her own personal life. She now belonged to the people, she wasn''t entitled to her own freedom.
It''s been four months since she got to the capital. During that time, she met so many people that she feared she wouldn''t be able to remember their names. The clergy, the Templar Knights, her servants and the citizens of Phracea. And yet she longed for one specific person. The one person she now didn''t have a right for.
Lumina held back a sigh, her face plastered with a smile as she waved at the people. There was no reason to harbor such thoughts. She had to accept the bitter with the sweet. Since she now understood the importance of the role she played. Not only a puppet that followed the church''s orders but a shining beacon that made a difference.
The cheers grew louder as she stepped down from the veranda and entered her room. The servants bowed to her as they awaited her orders. Yes, this was her life now. She will always carry that flame, it will never die down. But for now, she needed to focus on what she could do.
~*~
A lone desert salamander burrowed deep within the ground in haste as it sensed the oncoming gallops. The sound started with a thrum. Constant yet changing, sometimes it¡¯s as quiet as one¡¯s heartbeat, then it shifts to a deep rumble like tribal drums. An ornate white and gold carriage appeared, drawn by four regal steeds. Flanked by cavalry on each side; two were guarding the rear while a helmed-knight led at the front. The knights wore armors colored blue and silver. But, the helmed-knight sported the opposite color motif of red and gold.
Basing on the emblem embellished on their armors, they were Templar Knights. They were escorting the carriage of the beloved Oracle of Feria. It was part of the Oracle''s duty to travel around the country and visit the places where they needed her. Right now, the destination was a remote village.
A new kind of illness has spread in this village. Although it wasn¡¯t lethal when contracted, the mortality rate was nine out of ten. Since one in every ten people died from the illness, it caused quite an uproar. According to rumors, it is likely that the demons were behind it. The citizens grew restless especially since the cure was nonexistent. This was where Lumina came in. The mere presence of the Oracle could bring wondrous results. By appearing on behalf of the church, she can renew the faith of Osiris¡¯ followers. Rejuvenate their dwindling devotion towards the God of Life. It was a testament of how faith shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.
They were on their way back to the holy capital of Phracea. The trip had been as usual, no other pressing matters happened. The Oracle pacified the people and let them know that the research division is doing their best to come up with the cure.
Curious of what was happening around, the salamander''s head popped out of its underground lair. It was about to come out of the temporary shelter but a sudden earthquake scared it into seeking refuge once more in the safe depths of Mother Earth. A deafening roar came from the distance which caused the horses to panic.
¡°Hyaaah! Calm down¡calm down...good boy! There you go¡¡± yelled the lead knight in front of the group, trying to pacify her scared steed. While the chauffeur did his best to placate the horses drawing the carriage.
The group heard from the locals that a rampant dragon made its nest in one of the caverns in the canyons. No one knew what drove the dragon away from its natural habitat into this derelict place. One would wonder why they were still trekking through this dangerous route. Even after they received warnings from the villagers.
They had no clue what caused the dragon¡¯s migration. Some theorized that the monster territories shifted due to the appearance of a powerful monster. The reason why they were stuck with this trail was simple. There was no alternate route to begin with. They had no choice but to pass through here to reach the village. They were grateful that nothing happened when they were heading there. Then again, they were unaware of this news and only found out when they arrived. It was the reason why everyone was on high alert.
¡°Stay on your toes! Do not let your guard down for a second, our priority is the Oracle''s safety and we must ensure her return to the capital!" she motioned for the chauffeur and the knights to continue with their journey. But a huge rumble resounded throughout the region before they had the chance to continue.
Squinting at the horizon, the helmed-knight checked the source of the commotion. From across the canyon, dust clouds gathered and covered a large area. The knight almost thought that it was a dust storm. But the rumbling of the ground persisted and intensified. The earth beneath their feet started to quake.
Many eyes widened in shock as beasts emerged one by one. The dozens of monsters moved like one body, running towards their direction.
It was a stampede!
¡°Maneuver the carriage near the cliff! And to everyone else, spread out and make sure to divert the beasts coming our way! Protect the Oracle, make sure no harm¡ª" the knight executed a well thought out plan in this dire situation. Like in their training exercises, each knight moved soon as she gave out orders. They moved near the cliff where they were sure to avoid direct collision from the stampede. A barricade was then set up, each gap filled by a knight to divert the attention of errant monsters. But before they were ready, a huge reptilian creature appeared out of the horizon.
It was...a dragon!
And it wasn''t any ordinary dragon. It was bigger than the ones you usually encounter in the wild. In fact, they wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the thing barrelling towards them was a grand dragon.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The categories on the different kinds of dragons had a lot of variations. The most common depends on the dragon¡¯s habitat. They were either land or sea dragons, whereas they call winged ones as sky dragons. But the widely accepted classification in the hierarchy categorized dragons depending on size, intelligence, and power.
On top of the food chain were the ancient dragons. They possessed knowledge and wisdom that rivaled the Gods themselves. Some held enough power that they were able to have a humanoid form like the God who had created them. The size of their dragon forms can encompass a whole castle, some were even bigger. Their existences believed to only be part of myths as it had been almost a century since one appeared.
The next on the list are the pseudo ancient dragons, also known as the dragonoids. They were purported to be children of ancient dragons. Though unconfirmed, it was a topic of wide debate that they were the ancestors of the dragonkin race. A lot of dragon scholars and sages are on a constant deliberation. Some deny them as the children of the ancient dragons. Instead they directly linked them to the God of War who had a dragonoid appearance. Their size may be questionable considering at most, they have the same size as humans. But no one could question their wit and power. Like the ancient dragons, they are adept at using dragon magic. Especially the ones attuned with their own element.
The third on the list are the grand dragons. Unlike the previous two, grand dragons do not have human faculties. It was more proper to think of them, and the dragons below them, as beasts. It doesn¡¯t make them less threatening. Sizes could vary from as small as two to three carriages while the biggest reported was able to destroy a mansion of considerable size.
Last but the least, the normal sized dragons. This is where the wild and domesticated ones belong. Some countries prefer to use them as mounts due to their resilience and tough hides. They also have more stamina and most considered them as intelligent creatures. They rarely had large forms, usually a few feet taller than regular horses.
Knowing that a charging monster was of a grand dragon scale offered little to comfort. As it usually took two to three groups of exceptional adventurers to take them down.
~*~
On top of the cliffs, surveying what transpired below, were two people. The bigger one stood with a brown muffler covering the lower half of his face. His light brown hair cut short and a bit unruly. The coat he wore extended down to the ground, covering what seemed to be heavy armor.
He reached up and grabbed an ornate sword and shield hanging on his back. ¡°I guess it''s time for us to make an appearance? Ready, partner?" The man looked down at the other person crouching down beside him.
Contrary to the burly guy, he only wore light cloth armor to focus on speed. He wore an identical brown cloak, except his didn¡¯t cover his face. He nodded back in response for confirmation. He stood up, and jumped from where they were watching without any preamble.
"Oy oy! Wait for me! This guy is always running ahead without me!" The muscled guy said before he jumped from the cliffs as well.
They both moved to slow down their descent. Otherwise they would go splat upon reaching the ground. The robust guy used his long sword, thrusting it deep on the sides of the cliff . While the other guy flung a grappling hook towards the cliff and used it as an anchor.
A normal citizen would gawk at what they did. That daredevil act was impossible for normal humans. Even seasoned veterans will think twice before replicating their action. ¡°Take care of the ground Kris! I''ll attack him from above!" Reinhardt said to his partner once his descent stopped. Making use of the rope, he ran on the sides of the cliff and took a different direction. He gathered momentum and jumped towards the dragon''s shoulder.
"Leave it to me! Hey! You ugly piece of shit! Down here!"
[¡°Banshee¡¯s Wail!¡±]
Kristov bellowed in front of the dragon, his feet firmly planted on the ground. The skill created distortions in the air, the winds shrieking like the skill¡¯s namesake. The monster took the bait, hook line and sinker. Its attention shifted to the first person who initiated the attack. Kristov had its undivided attention, since the skill focused on gaining aggro
1.
Reinhardt took the opportunity to take out his Nodachi. He spun the blade on top of his head with the blade part facing down and plunged it on the dragon''s chest.
Force and gravity played its part. Reinhardt¡¯s sword slashed down across the chest of the untamed dragon. If it were any other blade, it wouldn''t have pierced the dragon¡¯s thick skin and flesh. But what he wielded had an enchantment that allowed him to deal more damage to large creatures. It was a blade that was sharp enough to pierce the hardest metals, even the scales of dragons.
Meanwhile, Kristov had his sword and shield forged by a famous blacksmith. It took a lot of effort to get a blacksmith from the holy capital to forge his weapon. That was why he prided himself with his ¡°Sword of the Deep¡± fashioned from sea monster materials. Instead of focusing on attack, his weapons veered more on giving him defense. Even the sword itself had an attribute that weakened enemy attacks to a degree.
The monster roared, flailed and tried to swat Reinhardt away. From the way it reacted, it got angered by the damaged he dealt. Even with his speed, he was unable to dodge the attack with his sword stuck in its chest. He felt a stabbing pain when he got thrown off onto the side of the cliffs. His vision blurred and turned white for a moment. He knew that he may have fractured a rib or two due to the impact.
Reinhardt landed on the ground, right beside the carriage, and coughed out some blood. Gritting his teeth, he tried to get up on his feet so he could get back to the fight.
"Rein! Be careful! This dragon is a lot tougher than he looks!" Kristov warned before jumping out of the way when the dragon took a swipe at him using its tail. Without pause, the dragon reared back and used its fire breath to incinerate him.
[¡°Absolute Wall!"]
It''s a good thing Kristov¡¯s reaction time improved in the passing years through hard and rigorous training. If not, he would have been easily barbecued by the onslaught of the infernal breath.
While the dragon was busy, Reinhardt seized the opportunity to climb the dragon. He jumped towards his wedged weapon, applied more strength to pull it out and then used the dragon¡¯s chest as leverage to jump higher.
Rein rotated mid-air until he was upside down and drew out a small ornamental weapon. He made intricate movements with the dagger. It emitted light from its tip, leaving a runic circle as an afterimage. The light steadily grew brighter and fused with the small ornamental dagger. Once the light quieted down, it had taken the shape of a blade made of pure energy.
"This is the end for you!¡±
[¡°Combination Art: Twin Blades Temporal Slash!"]
The skill in itself didn¡¯t have anything to do with time. Rather, with the two blades in his hands, his potential for damage doubled. He could dole out twice as much in the same span of time.
Using a skill Reinhardt had learned, he kicked off on an invisible wall in the air while still airborne. He borrowed the force to add strength behind his assault and plunged down towards the dragon. He sliced with his blade and dagger turned sword. Once the carnage was over, he ended up crouched on the ground with both of his weapons on his sides.
The dragon howled in agony. It wobbled and somehow lost its balance. The huge body of the creature crashed on the sides of the cliff, causing the earth to shake from the brunt of the impact. Sensing that it was losing out on the battle, the dragon slowly stood up and ran off, escaping as fast as it had come.
"That was harder than I thought¡good thing it escaped. I¡¯m not confident we¡¯d actually win if it chose to fight to the death." Kristov walked towards his friend while sheathing his sword into his shield and placed it on his back.
Reinhardt did the same as he stood up and sheathed his sword and hid his dagger in his breast pocket. He had suffered a major injury. One that would take time to heal if not treated immediately with healing magic. But he acted like it was nothing and that he didn''t have any wounds at all. He didn''t feel the pain nor the rush of adrenaline that was still making its way through his bloodstream. He was more conscious of how his heart seemed to thump faster than when they were facing the dragon.
They were both headed towards the carriage when the lead knight intercepted them. The knight had drawn blades pointed at their direction. ¡°Who are you? What business do you have with the Oracle?" Before either of them could answer, the rumbling started once more. But instead of the earth shaking, small rocks started falling from above them.
They all looked up and were all rendered incapable of movement. A huge boulder on top of the cliff toppled over and began its descent towards the ground. Needless to say, with its trajectory, it was quite evident where it will fall. The ones on the receiving end of its descent were the carriage and all the people around it.
It was already too late, their reactions were too slow.
Reinhardt and Kristov knew it would be too late to do anything. All they could do was help diminish the casualties from this unexpected miscalculation. Their body tensed as they each started to make a move, Rein dashing towards the carriage.
[¡°Sword Saint Style Second Form! Frigid Dance of Icicles!¡±]
The boulder got assaulted by ice, frozen like a giant snow ball. A second after the transformation, a flurry of blades was unleashed upon it. It shattered and broke off into bits and pieces as if it were tiny diamond crystals falling from the sky. The bright orange sun created a myriad of colors and lights in the barren canyon as they reflected off of the crystals.
Reinhardt and Kristov stood in awe, their gaze stuck on the back of the knight.
The lead knight sheathed one of the blades and with the other hand slowly removed the helmet. Scarlet red hair flowed out and tumbled on her back, almost reaching her waist, as she turned to them.
"Now, tell me who you are!" The sweet voice that came from her lips only verified that she was in fact...
¡°A woman?!" uttered Kristov in shock, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Chapter 3: Destined Reunion (REVISED)
Reinhardt almost jumped when he felt "Lumina" move inch by inch, closer to where he sat. The carriage rocked every now and then while traversing an uneven terrain. He could feel his face burning up, positive that he was blushing to the roots of his hair due of the proximity.
This wasn¡¯t the reunion Reinhardt expected. It had been four years since he last saw Lumina. And yet, this is what happens.
The girl sat unperturbed, her gaze directed at him with a teasing smile plastered on her lips.
Reinhardt couldn''t even get himself to look her right in the eye. He took a gander then immediately look away. Like a shy little boy seeing his crush for the first time. It would''ve been different if the girl had been "Lumina" in the first place, but she wasn''t.
"Sorceress, would it be alright if you shifted back to your real form?" he said in a reserved tone. His eyes directed down, trying to avoid sneaking a glance at the ample bosom the woman had. The damned things were touching, and getting squeezed onto his left arm due to the cramped space.
"Ehhh? But I thought Sir Reinhardt preferred me in this form? Don¡¯t you like what you see?" The sorceress pouted and leaned in, pressing her chest closer to his whole upper arm.
"Oy oy oy! Wait a minute, don''t come any closer Sorceress! Please!" Reinhardt yelled in panic. Trying and failing to extricate himself from the minx that was torturing him. His reaction had the opposite intended effect. She laughed in glee and teased him more. The carriage shook a bunch of times. Sometimes it tilted dangerously to one side because of the ruckus.
Kristov wasn''t doing any better as he sat across them in the carriage. He and Miranda sat in silence. Like Reinhardt, he sported the same flushed face, unable to look at the girl beside him. Once he had time to think about it, he felt ashamed of his earlier actions. Contrary to how his friend was behaving, he kept his silence. Instead he adapted what he thought was a poker face to avoid getting dragged into the farce. Though of course, his tomato colored face betrayed his actions.
"Stupid woman!" Captain Miranda muttered in a hushed tone, gritting her teeth. How dare this¡this promiscuous woman to try and deface the Oracle. She¡¯s been with the Oracle since day one. And she has been her most trusted Templar Knight, and closest friend when they¡¯re alone. She knew that Lumina would never act as loose as what the sorceress was showing. Only her dignity as a knight stopped her from reaching over and chopping the woman on the head with her hand.
Miranda crossed her arms and bowed her head as she looked at her own chest. Compared to the Oracle, she lacked in that department. One of the two things she was insecure of next to her height. Following the lead of the burly man who sat beside her, she pretended not to notice the people in front of them. While sitting in silence, her mind drifted off to their meeting earlier.
~*~
"A woman?!" Kristov said with a bewildered look.
"I''m Miranda, Captain of the Knight Templars! I order you to answer my question!" the woman said, her blade still held at the ready.
Understanding what she had said, Kristov relaxed and flashed a genuine smile. His eyes twinkled like stars, as he approached the woman with outstretched arms. "Captain Miranda! I didn''t expect the captain of the Templars to be this young¡ª" he never got to finish what he wanted to say.
"Forgive my partner¡¯s straightforwardness, Captain!" Reinhardt interjected after backhanding Kristov. Albeit, a bit too hard, which knocked the man unconscious. Lying on a heap on the ground, his friend¡¯s head now sported a huge lump due to the impact of the blow.
"We are the new knighted Templars. We have come to help escort the Oracle back to Phracea." Reinhardt looked down distractedly at his friend, who stirred and groaned, trying to stand up from the ground. "The church sent us to ensure her safe return." he said while Kristov gingerly touched his aching head. "I hope you can forgive our intru¡ª" both men froze as they felt an ominous aura projected at them.
"Egh?! So you came rushing down the first chance you get when a monster appeared!?" The words that left Miranda''s mouth were full of sarcasm. Her menacing aura made her appear like a giant. With a face covered with shadows and red eyes expressing her murderous intent. Dwarfed by her presence, the two guys could only look on in silence.
After her words sunk in, loud metallic conking sounds echoed in the canyon. Close to how pots would sound if they were to fall on the floor. In the end, both Reinhardt and Kristov lay sprawled and semiconscious on the ground. With matching new bumps on their heads.
Miranda dusted her hands as if she had done an arduous task. "You are the Oracle''s protectors but it doesn''t mean you get to play heroes and save the day! That''s how we lost the two before you! Stupid ignorant fools!" Her anger was evident, but Kristov detected a hint of sorrow and regret in her tone. In that split second, a look of sadness crossed her face.
For some reason, Kristov had the urge to erase that sad expression. He was unable to get any word in because Miranda had already turned around to get back to the carriage.
"We will be riding with the Oracle! Stay on your toes!" Miranda motioned for them to follow her. After appraising that the two men did not have any mode of transportation. ¡®In the first place, how were they even able to find us without any means of transportation?¡¯
Miranda chose to ride with them inside the carriage. She didn''t completely trust them to be alone with ¡°Lumina¡±. And so, she relegated her horse to one of the soldiers before finally walking towards the coach.
Reinhardt lost his composure and rushed towards the carriage, overtaking Miranda. "Oy Rein! Don''t get carried away now!" Kristov said, not bothering to hide the excitement in his voice as he sensed the upcoming reunion. With a smile, Reinhardt nodded and opened the carriage door to once again see Lumina.
There she was, calmly sitting inside the coach. Her face covered by a long white veil coupled with an immaculate white gown which clung to her curves. Reinhardt could see how her body matured and ripened over the years. He was right that she was going to blossom into a beautiful maiden.
And yet when Reinhardt made a move to get near her, he noticed her stiffen. "Lumina? It''s me, I¡ª" he trailed off, perplexed as he felt something wrong. He didn¡¯t expect that Lumina would react that way when it was their long awaited reunion. And it wasn¡¯t the way he envisioned it to be.
It took a while, but it finally dawned on him, "Lumina¡? Is that...really you?" he asked with a voice filled with uncertainty and insecurity.
In response to his question, a loud popping sound filled the carriage.
Purplish smoke covered "Lumina" as if she exploded right there and then. When the smoke died down, in place of Lumina was a woman with light purplish hair and violet colored robes, "Hmmm? How did you know I wasn¡¯t the Oracle? My name is Violet! Nice to meet you!" the playful woman intoned in a sultry voice.
~*~
And that''s what had happened. Inside the carriage, Miranda explained to them the reason why Lumina had a double. The Oracle had been sick for a while now and she hardly ever left her room. It wasn¡¯t because her life was being threatened, which Reinhardt would¡¯ve preferred. Don¡¯t get him wrong, he neither liked any of the options.
If Reinhardt had the final say, it would be so that Lumina was safe and healthy. But he was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. He had to choose the lesser evil. Having assassins sent out for her life only meant one thing. He had to get rid of them. At least Lumina doesn¡¯t have to suffer.
To prevent rumors from spreading, Violet used her magic to become a "double" of the Oracle. She appeared in her stead, especially the ones that required a long journey. In doing so, no one would be suspicious of her absence. And the Oracle could still somehow ¡°perform¡± her duties, even if they had to resort to subterfuge. No one among the citizens, apart from her servants, knew Lumina in person. Since she led a pretty secluded life with Reinhardt, nobody knew how she acted. The plan was pretty much foolproof with a sorceress who used Illusion Magic.
What they didn¡¯t expect was the appearance of people from Lumina¡¯s past. Miranda learned from Reinhardt and Kristov about their history with the Oracle. How they were childhood friends. She was grateful that they weren¡¯t enemies or spies. Another thing to be thankful for was the fact that the secret wasn¡¯t revealed. It would¡¯ve been disastrous if it happened while they were out and about in town where the villagers could witness it. It would¡¯ve been hard to explain their deception to the residents. That was the down side of Illusion Magic. If anyone expressed their doubts about the illusion in the open, then it nullified the effects.
Miranda felt indebted. At the very least, she could trust them since they were Templar Knights. It was a good practice to always be wary of new people you meet. But with their position as the Oracle¡¯s new guards, it was better to be open with them.
"Captain Miranda! We''re nearing the teleportation gate. The portal will open and we will arrive in Phracea shortly." The chauffeur reported. A few moments after, they all felt a grainy sensation. It felt like millions of feathers were tickling their skin. People who experienced it before would say that it was like soft sand caressed their whole body. Some said it was like low voltage current passed over them as they felt the effects of the teleportation.
~*~
It didn¡¯t take long for the group to arrive in the holy capital city of Phracea. But as always, they had to go through the formalities of Lumina¡¯s return. The people waited and stood on the sides of the streets as they welcomed the Oracle. They waved, some even tossed flowers in the direction of the carriage.
Reinhardt and Kristov witnessed how much the people adored Lumina. It¡¯s already been four years since she was officially instated to her position. One would think that these ceremonious events would¡¯ve mellowed down. But quite the contrary, the people held grander celebrations for her every time she performed her duties.
This time had actually been a lot plainer. It was less extravagant than the treatment Lumina received before. It so happened that the harvest from the crops were becoming scarce lately. As the Oracle, she requested for the citizens to restrain themselves. Stop overspending on her account. It was already enough that they honored their patron God through festivals.
The people felt touched, since their revered Oracle put their well-being first before herself. Her plight had the intended effect. To prepare for the coming winter and to avoid starvation, they acquiesced to her plea. In exchange, they expressed their fervent reverence through actions such as these.
The carriage passed along the main street at a slow pace. True to her role as the double, Violet transformed back to Lumina¡¯s guise. Opening the windows, she waved at the crowd with all the grace she could muster. Her actions earned cheers from the citizens. The Oracle became exalted as someone next to a God. That was because the people and the Oracle shared something in common. An irreplaceable and undeniable bond, they were mortals.
As the moments ticked by, Reinhardt grew more and more impatient. Not expecting such a warm¡and snail paced welcome, it took every ounce of control he had. Only decorum stopped him from jumping out of the carriage and heading to the church in advance. That would be a mistake. People would question a knight who left the ¡°Oracle¡± to fend for herself. True, she wasn¡¯t the genuine article, but no one else knew that. Lumina would have a harder time if someone found out. For now, he contented himself with the idea of their real reunion. ¡®I¡¯ve already waited four years, what''s a few more minutes?¡¯ he thought to himself.
After what seemed like a million years, well at least for Reinhardt, they finally arrived at the church. They wasted no time and headed straight to where the Oracle was. Along the way, Violet transformed back to her original form and bid her farewell. Sensing the need for privacy, Miranda and Kristov elected to remain outside the room. Reinhardt could barely stop himself as he burst into Lumina''s chambers.
The Oracle¡¯s room was huge to say the least, it was even bigger than the modest home Reinhardt had in the forest. There was a vanity dresser to the left side of the room, right next to it was the entrance to the walk-in closet. On one end were two upholstered couches, a sofa and a small table where people may relax.
In the middle of the carpeted room lay a huge round bed. Pure white curtains hang on the wall and are connected to the frames of the bed. That was where a lady, with skin white as snow,hair black as the evening sky and lips the color of rubies slept. "Lumina¡" the mere sight of her took his breath away.
Reinhardt had mixed emotions. His heart broke at the sight of her forlorn appearance in bed that he wanted to weep. And yet, his heart leapt with joy for finally being at her side. He uttered the words he usually said whenever he returned from a long day of training. "I''m home..." he said with bated breath while he waited. He blinked a few times, trying to suppress the tears forming in his eyes.
Her disheveled hair moved as she turned her head in his direction. A small welcoming smile formed on her lips as her mouth opened. "My Lord, welcome home¡" she said in a weak voice as a drop of tear fell down her cheek. Reinhardt''s hand went up to brush off the tears. Yes, he was definitely home. Her presence made it that way.
~*~
An incessant clicking echoed through the hallways of the church. The cold and empty passages and the marbled stone floors lent to the acoustics. It further accentuated the sound. The culprit behind this was a petite woman who hurriedly ran. The heels of her shoes hammered on the concrete floor.
Click! click! click! click!
Yet, these sounds went by unnoticed by the people inside their chambers.
"I officially welcome you to the Holy Church of Osiris, Reinhardt and Kristov. I heard a lot about you from the General of the Holy Army. I have read your exploits from the recommendation letter he sent. He spoke of you with high regards and with fondness." Almost a week had passed since Reinhardt arrived in Phracea. But due to conflicting schedules, he only had the chance to meet the esteemed bishop now.
Click! click! click! click!
"It is an honor to hear that from you, Your Eminence. We will do our best to not fail our commander''s expectations." Reinhardt bowed, fondly remembering his time in the army due to the old man''s words. It took a while before he and Kristov were able to enlist in the army. And through the years, while they rose up in the ranks, they were under the tutelage of one person.
The bishop that came for Lumina years ago was actually a well-known Paladin. He was a war veteran in the countless wars with the demons. People knew him in the battlefield as the Raging Sword of the Raging Tides. With the legendary Mirage, Tiamat at his side, he was unstoppable. The Paladin''s expertise in his quick draw technique using the katana was also famous.
Reinhardt could still remember one of the last things that their teacher taught them. It was the reason why they were able to become Templar Knights.
~*~
"Teacher, we have come..." Reinhardt had said as he saluted his mentor.
"We''ve come old man!" Kristov''s lively voice cut in as he did a less formal way of saluting.
The old man''s left eyebrow twitched, a second later, a loud bang resounded in the barracks. The soldiers within their encampment all looked alert for a minute. The tension died down when they saw the reason for the loud sound. It was Kristov face-planted on the ground, smoke rising from the lump that appeared on his head.
"I told you to address me properly especially when we''re in the barracks!" The veins in his forehead visible as it throbbed with anger.
"Forgive us General! We''re so used to calling you Teacher that we forgot propriety!" Reinhardt bowed his head in shame. For the past year that they''ve been in the military, the old man had taken quite a liking to both of them. This didn''t earn any ire from their fellow knights because the two had shown promise at the beginning. There were rough edges here and there, but all conflict was resolved quite peacefully.
And so they took the chance and requested for the old man to teach them. Reinhardt knew that if he had tried to fight him when he came for Lumina that time, he would''ve undoubtedly lost. Seeing that the two were eager and sincere in their quest to learn, the general accepted.
"We came to ask if you could tell us how we can become Templar Knights." Kristov intoned, already standing beside Reinhardt. The question didn''t even surprise the general. He had a hunch that the two joined the army and asked for his guidance because they aspired to join the Oracle''s guards.
"There are two sure fire ways to become Templar Knights." The old man sighed, as he started his explanation. "First is to become a war veteran, with experience and skill under your belt. Since we are at a period of peace, this will be hard to achieve. That brings us to the second one which is a faster choice, yet it is quite unpredictable. You¡¯d have to profess your faith to Osiris as your patron God to fulfill the main requirement. There are merits and demerits to choosing Osiris as your God. You will gain access to an ability that only his devout followers are able to use, the power to summon your Mirage. A physical manifestation of your soul. But keep in mind, Osiris as a God is very¡ territorial.¡± Although being omniscient wasn¡¯t in the scope of the Gods powers, he still had to pause and think of the right term. There wasn¡¯t a risk to get smote but better safe than sorry.
¡°Other Gods are lenient in letting their believers worship different Gods. Only Osiris frowns upon this practice.¡± The Infinitia populace had a polytheistic view in their religion. It¡¯s attributed to the fact that Gods live with them, however this didn¡¯t translate to the views of all the Gods. There are some who preferred subjects who served only them and Osiris was one of them.
¡°As one of the demerits, once you go on Osiris¡¯ path, your magic gets restricted. All your magical energy will be converted and added to your spiritual energy. You can¡¯t cast magic directly, but not to worry because your Mirage will be able to. If, and only if, they follow your orders. The key to making your Mirage submit to your wishes is for you to master your spiritual energy.¡± The two tensed up, upon hearing that they won¡¯t be able to access magic once they choose Osiris. It was a well-known fact that a lot of people relied on magic in almost everything. Having it inaccessible all of a sudden would cause people to have second thoughts. It would be tantamount to chaining one of their feet to the ground.
¡°You will need a lot of spiritual training as this ability is very different from magic. Magical energy is inborn to all citizens of Infinitia. But Spiritual energy becomes controllable only once you proclaim your patron God. You would need to learn to harness and control this. Without it, your Mirage will go berserk and consume your soul!¡± the old man barked at them like a general preparing his men for war.
It was quite interesting that the old veteran did not mention something important. That he had reached the pinnacle of the two ways he mentioned. His achievements earned him the title of Arch Paladin and made him an honorary Bishop of the church.
"Another thing you have to consider is that no one can control the form of their spiritual manifestation. Their forms are decided even before you summon them. They''re modeled after your personality and predetermined by the Gods themselves.¡± He paused, letting all the information sink in. The two seemed to be sweating now with the things he mentioned.
¡°Don¡¯t sweat the details, even normal citizens are able to access this power. Lucky for you two, I can sense that you carry the potential of being an Awakened. You¡¯ll have to get your spiritual levels checked to confirm whether you¡¯re suited for this. But as early as now, I say train while you still have time! Before we go into the details of your spiritual training..." the old man paused and made a move towards Kristov. The poor guy was hyperventilating with excitement.
A loud bang resounded, while heaps of soil flew off in every direction. Reinhardt had a deadpan look as he glanced disinterestedly at his friend. By now he was already used to seeing him disciplined. Kristov still had a lot to learn, as self-control and reservation weren''t his strong suite. He had a tendency to be overly excited.
The old man cleared his throat before he continued. "By tapping into the powers of the God of Life and Creation you create a body for your Mirage. It requires great stamina, determination and spirit to create a tangible, physical manifestation. Some use dolls as catalysts or hosts but people who have mastered the art do not need them. For example¡" to punctuate his words, the old man struck his orbed staff on the ground. He focused on the ornate tattoo on the inner part of his wrist. Nothing happened. A few seconds passed, and the skies darkened, lightning flashed, and thunder roared.
A dragon''s wail pierced through the skies. A huge serpent-like dragon the size of four to five carriages appeared. It weaved in and out of the clouds. Reinhardt, Kristov, and soon all the soldiers in the area stared transfixed at the heavens. Then the dragon vanished in thin air as if it never appeared in the first place, leaving nothing but clear skies. "It will take time for you to manifest your own and even more time for you to fight alongside with them. But if you persevere and strengthen your resolve, you will be able to do more than that. A word of caution! There had been instances that Mirages from Nifleheim have answered these calls. Those who hide darkness in their hearts are more susceptible. More often than not, it leads into something not to be desired." The general closed his eyes upon seeing that his students have absorbed every word he said.
There was another thing that the general left out on purpose. The forbidden summoning ritual consumed the life force of the one who summoned it. Doing it will unleash the full power of their spiritual partner. But ultimately the price would be their lives.
"Once you complete your training, you will have to go to Phracea. You will undergo a trial if the God Osiris acknowledges your potential. If you are worth it, you will pass and earn his blessing. As a reminder that you passed the test, you will receive a mark on your body. It is a symbol of your bond with your mirage. This is what you will focus on when calling upon your partner." This is when things will get hard for his students.
The regimen for achieving a stable control on spiritual energy is rigorous. It starts with trying to master Spiritual Awareness. It¡¯s a skill that allows one to sense the spiritual energies in the environment. The next step requires gaining some sort of control on your basic spiritual energy. Spiritual Stabilization allows you to refine your control. As a base for your training, it will help especially on the next phase which is Spiritual Formation. It¡¯s the final task in mastering Spiritual Magic. Training your spiritual energy so that your reserves grow is important. This allows you to prolong the manifestation of your Mirage.
The old man already had a letter prepared for the two once he deemed them ready to take on the challenge. It¡¯s a recommendation letter for them to become Templar Knights should they pass the trials.
"Can I ask you one thing general? How did your Mirage become that big?" asked Kristov.
Reinhardt was curious and wanted to know too.
The old man smiled at them, "What do you think?" and with a hearty laugh, he left the two who in turn shook and scratched their heads.
~*~
Click! click! click! click! BANG!
The huge double doors created a loud sound which brought Reinhardt back to the present. It revealed Erina, her robes bellowing behind her. Her heels clicking as she entered the room without hesitation.
"Bishop Maximus! I''ve discovered something! Something terrible! I''ve finally found the reason for the Oracle''s unexplained illness! The Oracle''s life is in danger!" The woman said hysterically, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Control yourself Erina! This is no time to get hysterical! What do you mean her life is in danger?" The old man with bushy white brows looked at her with intensity.
"Bishop Maximus! It¡¯s¡it¡¯s written in the records. The Oracle''s life force gets drained every time she uses her powers. If she doesn''t stop¡she might...she might!" You could see through her expression that she actually cared about the Oracle. She didn''t have a direct connection with Lumina. And yet, they still became friends. It was almost like fate had brought the three together. Erina, Lumina, and Miranda became close the minute they met each other. It could''ve helped that they were in the same age bracket, so most of their interests were the same.
The reason for Erina¡¯s distress was her fear of losing a dear friend. Growing up, she had a hard time forming relationships with other people her age. It was the consequence of having a rare gift, the stigma of a genius. When you outshined the others and cast a big shadow, it became harder for people to see through the real you. That was why she clung on tight to this newfound friendship as if her life depended on it.
The bishop who looked calm before now carried an exhausted appearance. He turned around and silence befell them while Erina sobbed on the sides.
After what seemed like a long time, the old man spoke, "I already know of that fact. The higher echelon of bishops is not kept in the dark about this." The words he uttered turned the worry in Reinhardt and Erina''s face into utter disbelief.
"Your Eminence, you¡already knew? And yet you let her continue using that power?!" Reinhardt''s voice sliced like a knife, and if it were only a weapon, the old man would''ve dropped dead already. His eyes filled with accusation stared at the old man in front of him.
The bishop had a stiff expression once he turned back to them. "And what do you expect us to do? Let thousands die and let the demons roam in Feria? To let them wreak havoc? Everyone cares about the Oracle but if it came down to it, the good of the many far outweighed the good of one. You should know that some form of sacrifice must be made to maintain peace! And the church has succeeded in doing this for hundreds of years!" Maximus'' expression looked more and more menacing as he continued.
¡°You!¡ª¡° Reinhardt muttered. Yet, his advance got halted by Erina''s outstretched hand. "There¡there has to be a way, your Eminence! Our God Osiris will never let something like this happen! I stake everything in my pride as the head researcher of the church! I will find a way to save Mistress Lumina!" And with that she left and ran outside of the audience chamber.
Reinhardt stilled himself. Both his hands clenched until they turned white, not minding the bite of his fingernails as they dug deep into his palm. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to punch the old man in the face.
Despite the horrifying truth that Erina revealed, the bishop''s face remained passive. Everyone was fooled by his aura of kindness, his kind and warm demeanor that took you in. But every shred of respect that Reinhardt once had for the man was now gone. He knew that hiding behind that warmth was a cold and calculating person. That this bishop was a vile snake hiding in sheep skin. Reinhardt turned around and headed for the door without so much as a goodbye. He had to, otherwise he might have done something that would have cost him his post.
~*~
"Sir Reinhardt...you are him aren''t you?" Erina''s voice sliced through the silence, jolting Reinhardt back from his thoughts.
What Erina asked wouldn¡¯t have made sense if Rein hadn¡¯t seen her distress over Lumina¡¯s condition. The way she emphasized one word made him understand somehow. He nodded with hesitation at the girl.
"Then please¡please trust me! I will find a way...I will find a cure for Mistress Lumina! I swear with my life! Just please...please Sir Reinhardt! Trust me and wait. In the meantime, don¡¯t leave Mistress Lumina¡¯s side. I am sure she would like it if you were always there." Erina uttered the words with so much passion. It had so much conviction that it rendered Rein speechless.
Against Reinhardt¡¯s better judgment, he actually nodded. He completely ignored how his body, mind and soul wanted to object. "I''ll agree to your request, one month...I will give you one month. And I will not sit idly by, I will help you with your research." Reinhardt was still a scholar by nature. He had read a lot of books during his education and it turned into a hobby throughout the years. He trained his body the whole day, while on evenings he enriched himself by reading books and scrolls.
"Mhhm, be with Mistress Lumina, I will take care of everything." Erina''s hair moved as she shook her head.
"And don¡¯t worry Rein! I will do my part! I will travel all over Feria and investigate. There¡¯s bound to be a myth or two that can help us! So the only thing you have to do right now is to spend your time with Lumina!" came the forceful voice of Kristov who appeared behind Erina. Due to the ensuing commotion, Rein forgot that Kristov was waiting outside the room.
Reinhardt sighed with exasperation. With a resigned smile he nodded at the two people who promised to help him solve their current dilemma. He couldn¡¯t reject their generous offer, after all, he wanted to be with Lumina as well.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Chapter 4: Song of Hope (With Chapter ART) (REVISED)
"Don''t fail me now Horus!¡± came a scream from Reinhardt as he gathered spiritual energy and made it flow through his sword. In response, his Mirage who took the form of an incarnation of a Sky God, fed on the energy. It used its power to coat Rein¡¯s sword in flames.
¡°Immortal God of the skies, Come forth!
Take flight to the heavens and burn all creation!
[Ultimate Skill! Blazing Sun Storm!]¡±
Reinhardt jumped into the air and used his skill to create an invisible foothold to go even higher. Horus soared to the opposite side of his master. One of the perks of being an incarnation of a God of the skies was being able to hover on a whim. There was no need for the Incarnation to materialize its giant wings. Most of the Mirages were able to float or glide.
¡°Hyaaaaaarrggghhh!¡± The two dove diagonally down, leaving an X mark from the afterimage of the flames. From where Reinhardt¡¯s sword and Horus¡¯ claw met, a small explosion happened. It created a huge hole on the body of the gigantic plant monster. The murky green liquid that was undeniably its blood oozed out of the opening.
Sensing that the fight had ended, Reinhardt and his Mirage loosened up. Exhaustion started to set in as he felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins finally run out. He lost his grip on the sword, and it fell and plunged into the ground. With his energy depleted, Rein dropped to his knees, coughing out blood. That was one of the signs that an Awakened had used up his spiritual mana reserves. It took an enormous toll on the body. In Reinhardt¡¯s case, it was harder since his Mirage was unique.
~*~
"Once we finish the ritual, let''s meet up alright?" Kristov said in a low tone, his face full of tension. He and Reinhardt had completed their trials. Fortunately, they both passed with flying colors. Now all that was left was to perform the summoning of their Mirages.
It was prohibited to divulge the contents of the trials. But based on their spent appearance, one would assume that it wasn¡¯t a walk in the park. The tests created by Osiris gauged a person''s resolve. It was very different from the exams held to check magical prowess. Theories about the Mirage test circulated throughout the years. The most popular among which mentioned that it''s unique for each person.
¡°Don¡¯t worry Kris! We¡¯ve come this far together. We¡¯ll see how it works out together.¡± Reinhardt chuckled as he tapped his friend¡¯s back. He didn¡¯t want to let Kris know that he worried more than he let on. Many thoughts crossed his mind. ¡®What if the Mirage we call on, the manifestation of our soul, isn¡¯t strong enough?¡¯ as being the most prominent. One requirement to become a Templar Knight was to be able to summon your Mirage. But it wasn¡¯t a simple rule that anyone who had the potential could easily meet. Your Mirage had to be a powerful one.
Mirage¡¯s also had their classifications. There was a significant disparity in the strength of these spirit manifestations. It all depended on what category they belonged to. First in the list are the Divine Beasts. Sentient beings granted favor and blessings by the Gods and given a particular task. Some were even said to be the children of these powerful beings. The researchers theorized that Awakened that belonged in this category were unique. They were extraordinary since they were the reincarnations of these divine beasts.
Mythic beasts and humanoid Mirages are a step below the Divinities. Different powerful creatures belonged in this level. They ranged from dragons, to unicorns, treants, and chimeras. Beasts that are above par when compared to common animals found in the wild. Humanoid Mirages, on the other hand, had a lot of variety. It didn¡¯t mean that humanoid ones only take the shape of humans. Some take the form of beastmen or nature folk. These types of spirit manifestations could have different classes. From warriors, mages to other support classes.
And below the first two were the Mirage. Not to be confused with the global name. The sentient beings manifested through an Awakened¡¯s spirit is called the same. But the terms got adapted and passed on throughout the years. Nowadays, people refer to Mirages through their classifications. The people shortened the name for Divine Beast and replaced it with Divinities. Mythic Beasts was replaced by Mythics and finally, Mirage. This group contained the typical monsters you see everywhere. From slimes, dire wolves, lions, as long as they could typically be found in the wild.
The spiritual reserve of the Awakened was vital. The previous determined the length of time a Mirage could stay in physical form. If two Awakened with the same amount of spiritual power were pit against each other, the one with a Mirage belonging to a higher category would win.
The room inside the stone doors that Reinhardt got led into was circular in shape. The cobblestone floors had a runic circle which glowed to life as if it sensed the presence of a person about to undergo awakening. The priest who guided him here motioned for him to come closer and step inside the circle.
On each corner of the runic circle were different symbols in differing colors. The one on the northern part had a floating light blue orb with wings attached to it. The eastern symbol had a pearl with a sea green and aqua blue coloring that seemed to swish around. The symbol at the western end had an irregular shaped crystal with angry colors of red. Sparks of ember flew in every direction every few seconds. On the southern part was a brown triangular crystal with green plants surrounding it.
It was easy enough to know what they were. Any citizen of Infinitia would know which Gods those symbols represented. They belonged to the triumvirate Gods and Goddesses who governed the sky, earth, and sea. Not to forget the symbol of the renegade God who reigned over fire.
Situated in the center, right on top of where Reinhardt stood, was a golden cross that the God of Life used as a symbol. True, Osiris didn¡¯t like his faithful to worship any other Gods. But he required the intervention of the four Gods of the elements in the summoning ritual. The balance of the four elements and the powers of creation breathes life into the Awakened¡¯s Mirage.
¡°Close your eyes and concentrate. Let your spiritual energy flow through your whole body¡¡± the old priest ordered him. ¡°Visualize, imagine an enclosed room deep inside you. Use your spiritual energy and fashion a key to open it.¡±
Reinhardt followed the directions calmly. He closed his eyes and manipulated his energy. His body emitted a faint yellow glow as his energy reacted and grew denser. He envisioned a solid square room in a dark space. With his yellow spiritual energy enclosing it, causing the cube shaped object to glow. Droplets of sweat formed on his temples as he struggled to change the form of his energy. With great difficulty, he finally succeeded, and an actual golden key appeared out of thin air. Imagining a lock, Rein manipulated the key into the hole and turned it slowly.
The glowing cross on top of him emitted a blinding light. Subsiding after a few seconds, a faint drop of light drifted downwards. It connected with Rein and absorbed the spiritual energy he was emitting. Four lights from the other stones drifted towards the center. The orbs dashed in circles, rejoicing with the golden light before they combined in Reinhardt¡¯s chest.
Reinhardt¡¯s eyes flew open as warmth suddenly seared his chest. It was a weird feeling because even though he experienced intense heat, he did not feel any pain. After a while, the golden orb of light shot through the air, the glow it emitted stronger than before. The light whizzed around in the air, leaving a golden ring as an afterimage.
The priest looked at the Mirage about to take form in the air. This was what usually happened when performing the summoning ritual. Any moment now, the spirit would take its final shape.
Reinhardt could only look in awe as his Mirage flew at a speed that was almost impossible to follow. If it weren¡¯t for the afterimage it left, he wouldn¡¯t know where to look. As moments passed, the ring started to disappear, one end disengaging from the other. As the light refocused on the glowing orb, it began to take a different shape.
A sudden shriek startled Rein. Unaware that his mouth had opened in anticipation. The sound that echoed inside the room was melodic, a sound that was easy to the ears.
¡°A bird?¡± He whispered, wondering if it would be enough to get him a spot in the Templar Knights.
The glowing light gained shape, it grew and started to take form. Light separated into different directions as its head, wings and claws took form. But it didn¡¯t stop from there; it grew bigger and bigger until it lost the bird shape.
¡®Ahhh¡a humanoid Mirage. So he possesses a Mythic¡¡¯ The priest thought.
A few feet from the ground, the light enveloping the Mirage burst into tiny specks. After the lights had dissipated, it revealed the Mirage''s real form. It had a unique helm in the shape of a falcon, with its face hollow and comprised of darkness. The only way to know that there was a face in there somewhere was the glowing golden eyes. On the right side of its face, covering his right eye was a bright and rotating yellow and orange symbol of the sun. He wore a red and gold ensemble. The shoulder pads he wore protruded with a falcon shaped design. The chest area had a round jewel that emitted a radiant glow. His hands had golden retractable claws, formed from condensed light. While in the waist area, was a huge symbol of the sun. A fascinating fact must be the creature¡¯s height which was almost two meters tall.
¡°Thy name is Horus, an avatar of the skies and a facet of the God Osiris. I have heard thine call!¡± he spoke thus, earning an audible gasp from the priest.
¡°Impossible! This is¡this is impossible!¡± Reinhardt¡¯s gaze snapped towards the priest as the old man kept uttering those words. Turning his gaze back to his Mirage, Rein reached his hand forward. The giant stood still for a moment, its golden eyes narrowing at his gesture. For what felt like years, Rein didn¡¯t budge and kept eye contact. Hesitantly, while maintaining eye contact, the hulking figure reached out. Horus placed his hand on Rein¡¯s outstretched palm.
Reinhardt was so focused at the moment that he never heard the priest scurrying out of the door.
¡°Oy Rein¡are you al¡ªholy shit! What the heck is that?!¡± Kristov dashed inside, hinting that he had finished his summoning ritual. He got worried when he saw a panicked priest who hurried out of the room. What Kristov didn¡¯t expect to see was the creature standing before them. ¡®Wow¡¯ and he thought that he would surprise Rein with the form his Mirage took. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that it would be the other way around.
~*~
History got rewritten during that day. The God Osiris himself did not refute the Mirage¡¯s claim to be one of his incarnations. That only meant one thing. There was a stronger classification on top of the Divinities, the Incarnations.
Reinhardt took a deep breath. He filled his chest with air while his eyes never left the monster. It let out a final garish roar before bursting in flames. With one last shriek, it disintegrated and became ash.
An asinine smile appeared on his lips. The people around him cheered at their success. The noise died down as soon as it began when the room shook. Hidden mechanisms embeddded in the thick walls got triggered once the floor boss died. No one was surprised anymore as it happened every time they cleared a floor of the tower.
Everyone looked on with anxiety at the door that appeared. Each of them had the same thought running through their minds. ¡®Is it another staircase which leads to a new floor which has a much more fearsome creature?¡¯ some thought. ¡®Are we going to suffer more casualties than we''ve already had?¡¯ some wondered in anxiety.
The head count before the skirmish was almost a hundred knights and adventurers. They bravely entered the perilous tower and fought valiantly. At the moment, only about forty remained standing. Everyone expected injuries to happen. Monsters were mindless creatures after all. They¡¯re named as such for a particular reason. The creators of the beasts made them for a certain purpose. That is to either to defend or to slaughter. These creatures had the same way of executing the said order. That was to erase anyone who dared to oppose them.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
It wasn¡¯t a hard thing to comprehend. If you faced waves after waves of monsters, someone was bound to make a mistake. That error led to their demise. While most of the members felt exhausted from the long and endless battles, they still fought on. And they did it all for the sake of finding the elixir to cure the Oracle.
Reinhardt limped forward, his legs trembling and threatening to give out. But that didn¡¯t stop him from moving towards the stairs that led to the final floor. If the old records and rumors were right, the tower had a hundred levels. Feeling a new surge of energy wash over him, he persisted, step by agonizing step. The rest of the group followed behind with their guards up. Each of them knew that there was no turning back now. They have come too far, and the deaths of their comrades will be in vain if they did not follow through.
Another set of stairs appeared before them upon opening the door. But unlike the others which curved upward, this one went straight up. The stairway was dark, long and narrow so very unlike the others they''ve encountered. At the end of the stairs, light shone through, illuminating the end of the path. Rein held his breath and walked the last few steps, only to suck in his breath at the view before them.
It was a garden! A garden unlike any they have ever seen before. And it was on top of the massive tower! Reinhardt''s eyes surveyed the surroundings. His gaze moved through the beautiful flora and the rare fauna within this paradise. Some of which, he has never set his eyes on before.
One thing dwarfed the others with the presence it exuded. It caught everyone¡¯s attention due to its grandeur. In the middle of the garden was a crystal clear lake, so pure that you could even see the bottom if it even had any. There was a small dirt walkway that created a path to the middle of the lake where a tree stood with pride.
Its trunk rose high and dwarfed the others. The thickness and vibrant color showed that it had grown sturdy over the years. What was puzzling was it had thick and lush leaves. Something felt off especially if you consider the height of the tower and the powerful winds. Yet, the leaves shifted around like it was nothing, as if it was dancing with its playmate. It seems all the foliage up in this garden had this kind of resiliency.
But that wasn¡¯t all. Hidden among the branches and leaves were little golden orbs, sparkling and shining. Reinhardt crept towards the tree, and he saw a small stone podium. A stone tablet lay on top, engraved with words that he had been looking for. It was the same song that brought him here.
~*~
Click! Click! Click! Click!
By now, no one minded this kind of event that happened almost every day within the church hallways. No one was a stranger to the head researcher¡¯s habit of running around. Erina¡¯s heels were the culprit behind the clicking noise.
"I''m sorry, my Lord, I''ve been nothing but a burden to you ever since you arrived here in the capital." Lumina looked up at Reinhardt, the man she adored and studied his face. Under those warm dark eyes, were dark circles attributing to his lack of sleep. To Lumina, it did little to mar his handsome features. She always asked if something bothered him, but Rein always shrugged it off. He always told her not to worry about it. If she were to make a guess, it had something to do with her illness.
¡®But how could I not worry? Something is clearly troubling him.¡¯ Lumina thought. Her eyes roamed his face and searched for clues. Contrary to what people thought, she couldn¡¯t heal whatever it was that was ailing him. It was not part of her powers as the Oracle. She did not have the affinity for healing magic nor did she even know how to harness it.
¡°Sometimes I wish I had a soothing voice. Bards could rejuvenate one¡¯s soul. It could either cure someone¡¯s illness or heal their wounds.¡± Lumina once said in one of her previous conversations with Reinhardt. She couldn¡¯t tell him, that she wanted to have that ability so she could sing for him.
All Lumina could do was place her hands on Reinhardt¡¯s jaw and look at him with her soul pouring out of her eyes. He stiffened for a bit, but after a while, she saw him relax and close his eyes, savoring the moment. It was the only thing that she could think of doing for him. Moments like these served as a constant reminder that we only find real peace with the people we love.
Click! Click! Click! Click! BANG!
Lumina suppressed the need to sigh at the sudden intrusion. The brief magical moment she and Reinhardt had. That short and temporary moment of peace was yet again disrupted. That contentment and peace she saw in Reinhardt''s face were gone. It was once more filled with anxiety.
"Mistress Lumina! Sir Reinhardt! I have great news!" Erina yelled. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran towards the veranda connected to the Oracle¡¯s room. "I finally found the cure! All this time it''s been there all along!" Erina muttered making Lumina and Reinhardt exchange looks. Understanding dawned in both their eyes. Lumina¡¯s expression said that she has already accepted her fate. Reinhardt wore a different expression, as fires of determination burned in his eyes.
"What do you mean Erina? What did you find out?" Reinhardt asked while his facial expression shifted. From relaxed, anxious and now forlorn. Though his eyes weren''t affected and it brimmed with curiosity. An inkling of hope had sprung in his chest.
"Remember when Kristov returned from one of the Villages in Elet? He mentioned one of the elders talking about a passed down legend in their tribe. About an elixir of life that could cure any illness. Well, I couldn''t get it out of my head. I had this feeling that I¡¯ve I heard it somewhere before. So I started pouring over the books in the ancient library which I''ve already read before. But I couldn''t find it!" the contrast between what she said and the emotion she conveyed only served to confuse the two more.
"So I decided to take a walk in town and clear my head. And that''s where I chanced upon a bard singing the Hymn of Feria! It''s in the hymn! The answer is all in the hymn!" And with that, Erina recited the hymn to them. She placed emphasis on the part in question.
"The light that provides warmth and joy¡¡±
~*~
In the holy city of Phracea, a woman with light golden hair stood in one part of the city. She donned a white dress with blue linings. Her round eyes were full of warmth while her thin lips moved to the tune of the music produced by her harp. People flocked around her, enchanted by her sweet and alluring voice. The one she sang was an age-old song, one known by all the citizens of Feria. Her voice weaved through the tune and modulated. Her skillful fingers caressed the strings of her harp with softness.
¡°...the seeds of life the people enjoy
the sea that brings its blessing and bounty
the earth with gifts of plenty
when the light starts to fade
and decay sets in the glade
when things aren''t right
let your hope take flight
go with me, come along
and listen to my holy song
Up in the sky, a tower will rise
faith and courage will suffice
you will find the gift of life
you will find the gift of life¡¡±
Reinhardt and Lumina stiffened upon hearing the entirety of the hymn. They¡¯ve known the song as long as they could remember. It never occurred to them that the song would hold such meaning. It was after it got brought to their attention that they understood. It was ingenious indeed. None of them thought it was possible. That the hymn in itself, a song of praise in the country of Feria, would serve as an answer to their dilemma.
"I''ve crossed referenced it with a lot of books, and it all points out to Goddess Jordr¡¯s Forbidden Tower! Mistress Lumina...Mistress Lumina! I...I did my¡ªmy best! And I fin¡ªfinally found it! Mistress Lumina!" Overcome with emotion, Erina bawled like a child, almost unable to get her words out.
Lumina scrambled to her feet and went to the crying girl. It took a bit of an effort, but she did make it. Despite Erina''s intelligence and post as the head researcher of the church, she was still a girl. A girl barely out of her teens thrust through these hardships. It was also why Lumina treated her like a little sister. After crossing the gap between them, Lumina took Erina¡¯s small frame in her arms. She hugged the girl who cried even harder as a result.
"There, there. Don''t cry anymore Erina...there''s no more reason to be sad. Thank you¡" her voice above a whisper as Lumina stroked the girl''s hair. She was not ignorant of the effects of using her powers, how she deteriorated every time she took a peek into the future. But she couldn¡¯t stop...wouldn¡¯t stop. Otherwise, many people''s lives would be at stake.
They were too focused on their emotions that they failed to notice another spectator. The person watched in silence from one of the rooms overlooking the Oracle¡¯s veranda.
~*~
At first, Reinhardt didn¡¯t want to believe it. He came here expecting to find a treasure box of some sort that contained an elixir. At least, that was what they all believed. So he did what most people do, he assumed. That wasn¡¯t what went through with his head right then. He wasn¡¯t sure how much of the apples he had to get for Lumina. ¡®Do I only need one? Or should I get a lot of them?¡¯ that was his current conundrum.
Reinhardt reached for an apple after a brief pause. It was better to take action than to keep procrastinating. Once he plucked one golden fruit, the winds grew fierce. It reached a point where they had to cover their eyes. Squinting at the tree, Reinhardt looked surprised as the apples in the tree vanished one by one. In a panic, Reinhardt tried to reach for another one. But the apples disappeared before his outstretched hands.
When the winds died, Reinhardt had one apple left in his hand. The people stared in amazement. It garnered more reactions when the writing on the tablet disappeared and got replaced by a proverb.
¡°Greed consumes all¡¡±
Reinhardt shook his head. There was no use crying over spilled milk. Besides, the Goddess of the Earth wouldn¡¯t have made this mechanism if one fruit wouldn¡¯t be enough. He chose to put all his trust on this. Reinhardt turned and faced the Templar Knights and adventurers around him. He raised the arm holding the apple and cheers erupted. With this, Lumina will finally be okay. Not only will she live, but Feria will enjoy a lasting peace. Of course, he cared more for the former rather than the latter.
~*~
Silence filled the whole city of Phracea. In every house and structure, everyone bonded in grief. The clouds darkened and the skies flashed and rumbled, the sky united with the citizens of Feria.
In a gloomy room within the church, a soft thud disturbed the silence. Something round and golden rolled away on the floor. From where the thing fell, Reinhardt stood frozen. He stood at the foot of the bed in silence. At the sides, the maidservants of the Oracle cried aloud. Strong enough that people outside the room could hear them.
Kristov was one of those people who didn''t enter the room. He wanted to give Rein some privacy. His fist shook, and he couldn''t stop himself from punching the wall. The realization that they lost someone dear to them was too painful to bear.
Erina whimpered, while Miranda¡¯s mouth opened then closed, just to open again. She wanted to say something to pacify the man in front of her. It was the first time she had seen Kristov in this state. They have known each other only for a short period. And yet, during this time she was able to take a glimpse of the muscled man¡¯s character. He was the happy-go-lucky type. He always offered a smile, always shared a laugh with his friends and comrades. And yet this guy right here, this big man in front of her was biting his lip to keep himself from sobbing. All this time, a steady stream of tears flowed down his cheeks.
Miranda reached out to touch Kristov¡¯s shoulder, intending to show him that she cared. She experienced the surprise of a lifetime when he whirled around. He pulled her outstretched arm and buried himself in her hair as he wept. Her body shook at the intensity of the man¡¯s cries, and yet she didn¡¯t mind. For now...she would allow this, this closeness, this warmth. Because for now, this was the only thing she could offer him.
Back inside the room, Reinhardt trudged forward, heading to Lumina''s side. The girl lay still in her bed. ¡°Mistress Lumina...fought to stay alive, Sir Reinhardt. To the end, all she thought of was you. She even did her best to write you a letter. Before she...before she¡ª¡± the head maid couldn''t finish and began sobbing harder.
"Please...leave us¡" Reinhardt said in a hoarse, tear-choked voice. Once the maids left, Reinhardt reached over and took Lumina''s hand in his. He cupped it with both hands and almost didn''t want to let go. One of his hands reached up and touched her cheek, then felt her silky smooth skin and caressed her hair. He inched closer and with one swift move, cradled her head on his chest. He hummed a song that he used to sing to her when they were still kids, right after the assassination plot happened.
Reinhardt would sing to Lumina at night. He did it whenever she woke up screaming from her nightmares. The experience traumatized her, and it plagued her dreams almost every night. The only thing that could pacify her was Reinhardt¡¯s song. As he hummed, droplets of water fell on Lumina''s cheeks. And more fell as Reinhardt''s emotion burst forth like a surging tide.
"No¡.no¡noooooo¡!¡± He kept muttering those words, trying to deny what had happened. His gaze fell on the letter that slid down from Lumina''s lap when he grabbed her. While trying to breathe, he reached out and took the letter, opened it and started to read. As he read, he felt Lumina''s sweet voice reverberate in his head.
My Lord,
If you are reading this, it only means one thing. I may not have been able to keep my promise after all. I¡¯m sorry¡those are the only words I can think of saying. I was unable to stay by your side forever. But don''t cry, my Lord, for I leave on a warm sunny day. I am not alone, the birds are calling out to me, and they¡¯re telling me that I will soar to new heights. And that I will experience new things. Don''t be sad. This is only a temporary separation...just like last time. We will see each other again, and this time we won''t get separated. Be happy for me, because now I can finally be true to my feelings. I love you, Reinhardt. I have always kept you in my heart, and I will always treasure the memories we have. Sorry if I kept this from you for a long time. My only regret is that I was unable to say this when I was still alive. Please forgive me. Do not blame yourself. Try to forget me and live a happy life. And please take care of yourself. Be wary of the people around you. Nothing is what it seems. Till our next meeting¡
I love you¡
Lumina
Lumina¡I''m sorry...I''m sorry if I won''t be able to stop. I can''t...I don''t want to¡" Reinhardt''s wide shoulders shook with agony. His labored breathing grew louder breathing in itself became too hard for him. Tears splattered all over the parchment. It only meant that Lumina cried as she wrote her final words to him. Only now fresh tears joined Lumina¡¯s as his fell on the paper.
If pain he felt right now could kill, he would''ve died already. In fact, he wished he had died at that moment. Dying on a battlefield with fatal wounds would¡¯ve been a better way to go compared to feeling this kind of agony. "Lumina! Luminaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" His outcry resounded throughout the whole church. A voice filled with anguish, a tone coming from someone who had their heart ripped out.
A few hours passed, and Reinhardt stayed where he was, sitting still as he hugged her body closer to his. The letter tucked safely in his breast pocket. "Why did you let this happen?" his steely voice pierced through the darkness. Within its confines emerged a robed figure.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Reinhardt 5 (With ART!)
"I never wanted this to happen...I wanted her to live to-" Maximus stopped midsentence, when in a flash, Reinhardt was at his side with a blade perched on the old man¡¯s throat. "LIES! You weren''t surprised. I thought that when you opposed in retrieving the elixir...you wanted it for your personal use someday! But you weren''t surprised at all when we showed you an apple! You never batted an eye, you knew! You knew that the elixir came from a tree that bore many apples! Tell me, WHY! If only¡ if only we got there earlier, we could''ve saved her!" His voice filled with pain, sorrow masked with hatred at the man in front of him.
Reinhardt was on the verge of committing murder at this point. Yet, the most Reinhardt could do was cause a small wound as the blade pricked the old man¡¯s skin. The sword fell on the floor, the metal clanging as the weapon hit the marble floor. His hands dropped to his side, losing all the strength he had.
Reinhardt didn¡¯t quite understand why the bishop had refused to offer support when they informed him of their findings. He had a suspicion that the old man was saving the elixir for himself or for some selfish reason he couldn¡¯t fathom. It would¡¯ve been better if that were the case. Shock was an understatement when he found out that the supposed elixir was actually one of the dozens, if not hundreds, of apples on a gargantuan age-old tree that could be used on a person that needed it. So he didn¡¯t understand why the old man wouldn¡¯t agree to letting Lumina have the cure.
"Because her death was necessary..." The old man intoned; despite the circumstances he remained calm. The words slashed through Reinhardt¡¯s grief, his shoulders which rocked with unbearable pain stilled.
"Throughout my rein as the leader of the holy church, many oracles have passed away. All those times, they served their purpose to uplift the faith and spirit of the citizens of Feria. With the attacks of the demons and the deaths caused by the plague weakening their faith, something had to be done. If we don¡¯t take action, the influence and power of the church will weaken with each passing day!" The face of the bishop morphed, looking more grim and ominous.
As this transpired, his voice took on a feverous pitch, "Not only do they lose faith, but they start to question the teachings! But the Oracle! The symbol of hope! The guiding light of Feria becomes an instrument in preventing a revolt from happening! Her death causes grief which serves as a balm to the people¡¯s weary hearts and the passing of the duty to another oracle renews their faith! You see it is neither my fault nor the church''s, it''s the fault of those wretched worms! It''s their fault for going against the church! It''s their fault for-Gwaaah!¡± Reinhardt''s couldn¡¯t stomach anymore of the demented bishop¡¯s ramblings. Not bothering with the fact that the man was the highest ranking official in the church, his fist moved on its own. It connected with the bishop¡¯s face and sent the old man flying across the room.
"You son of a bitch! You don''t have any right! You''re not in any position to say who dies and who gets to live!" It took every fiber of Reinhardt¡¯s being, every ounce of self-control he had not to kill the old man.
¡®So it all came to this?¡¯ he thought dejectedly. The deaths of countless Oracles and especially of Lumina...of his Lumina were just a ruse to keep the church''s hold on the people. Lumina¡¯s efforts to unite, help, and to protect them from demon attacks were all in vain. It was a vicious cycle that had to be stopped. And he will do everything in his power to make sure it ended with Lumina''s death.
"I''m taking her with me¡" Reinhardt said with finality, still evidently suppressing his anger. He would give Lumina a proper send off, a proper burial. He owed her that much.
Before Reinhardt could reach her, purple lightning rained down on him, sending him to his knees. He didn¡¯t even have time to react. Looking up, his eyes met with the bishops. Maximus stood straight, his staff pointed at him. As always, the old man''s face remained calm but one look was all it took for Reinhardt to realize that there was a change in the man''s demeanor. He could feel the ominous aura and the murderous intent directed at him. The two heard Kristov, Miranda, and Erina calling out from outside the room due to the commotion but neither paid any attention as they were focused on each other.
"I will not let you have her. You didn''t have her in life! You will not have her in death!" Purplish light slowly appeared on the priest''s body. His soft and warm voice replaced by a steely edge. "If only she agreed...she would''ve been alive up until now. I would have given her the cure, the cure that has been kept secret and passed down only to the grand bishops. She only needed a drop to keep herself from experiencing the deteriorating effects of using her powers!¡± The old man didn¡¯t have the same look he had once before. A sagely old man with warm eyes exuding knowledge and wisdom now looked demented. Reinhardt saw only the shell of the man of who the bishop once was. Right now, the one standing in front of him had crazed eyes as he recounted the details of Lumina¡¯s death.
¡°I offered her life and in exchange I-I wanted to have her...to stay with me. But she refused! She rejected me all because of you! You mindless scum! You took her from me! So if I can''t have her, no one will!" The grand bishop''s face twisted into an evil sneer. Tears and snot flowed freely down his face, yet he didn¡¯t seem to care. Gone was the composed, warm and gentle fa?ade only to be replaced by a monstrous persona. Anyone who saw him right now would doubt that he was the same man. Some may even go as far and say that he''s been possessed by a demon of Nifleheim.
"Rise great serpent of Nifleheim,
devour those who hinder your path!
[Serpent of Despair, Ouroboros!]"
The purplish glow emanating from Maximus'' body grew bigger reaching the ceiling of Lumina¡¯s room. The edges of his spiritual energy started wriggling, as if growing long tentacles. The energy slowly grew in mass then materialized into a huge serpent like dragon. The moment it materialized it let out a screeching roar and flew towards Reinhardt who was taken by surprise. From his knowledge, a Mirage was a person''s reflection deep inside.
¡®So does this mean...that this was who Maximus was deep inside?¡® he wanted to smirk at the irony. A huge serpent to represent the grand bishop of the church was an outrage. ¡®It fits him.¡¯
If Reinhardt was going to die here and now, he''ll make sure to take down the person responsible for all of this. He reached down and took the dagger hidden on the right side of his boot and threw it towards the bishop. The dagger sailed through the air towards the bishop while the dragon soared towards the air and tried to attack him. The dagger pierced through the bishop¡¯s chest whereas Ouroboros was stopped when the air in front of Reinhardt blazed with blinding light and there appeared Reinhardt''s own Mirage, Horus. "Go! I''ll buy you some time!" The hooded figure shouted in an otherworldly voice as he met the serpent head on and held it back using only his bare hands.
Reinhardt understood what his Mirage wanted to do, he didn¡¯t waste any time and ran towards Lumina''s body and carried her. "Noooooooooo!" The old man screamed, the purple aura surrounding him intensifying and in response Ouroboros started growing even more. It forged through ahead with Horus still trying to intercept it.
Reinhardt barely escaped as he carried Lumina on his arms. He ran towards the veranda and jumped down without a moments hesitation. Moments later, Horus appeared right before them to break their fall.
"Don''t let them get away! Destroy everything if you have to, just find them and bring Lumina''s body back to me!" Despite the almost fatal wound, Maximus was able to unleash his power making Ouroboros grow exponentially bigger. The serpent''s head looked back at the old man for a second before screeching out loud and flew towards the stained glass windows on the ceiling.
The door opened with a bang as Kristov, Miranda and Erina came in. "After him! He''s gone mad! He tried to kill me in his anger! He took the Oracle''s body and unleashed that villainous demon from Nifleheim! He''s a traitor! I order you to kill him on sight! He can''t have gone far without anyone noticing him!" The old man barked his orders to the shocked trio.
They looked at each other in disbelief before they went out one by one. No one even dared to ask why a dragon of that size could have belonged to Reinhardt. It was common knowledge to practitioners of Mirage magic that a person¡¯s powers are multiplied when they get consumed by the darkness. When this happens the monster produced is even stronger than the original Mirage that the person possessed. There was a price to pay for this power boost however as a person¡¯s soul is eroded and they lose control of their sanity.
Killing Reinhardt was not in Kristov, Miranda and Erina¡¯s intention as they hurriedly went to the city to try and find him. They wanted to know what had happened and they all knew that it was a race against time. It was only a matter of time before a holy edict comes out ordering for a headhunt of Reinhardt.
~*~
"Ensure the safety of the citizens! Man your stations! Show the strength of the Holy Army of Feria!" The soldiers issued a battle cry. Everyone pumped up from the captain commander¡¯s pep talk. The sky was as dark as coal, thunder roared from the heavens, rain poured and lightning slashed down towards the earth as if the gods were in a foul mood and wanted to take it out on their creations. Within the blackened thick clouds, a huge purple body moved all over as if mocking the puny humans who stood along its path. A gigantic head the size of a carriage peaked through the clouds and barreled down the path towards a group of soldiers who were setting up a canon.
"Runnnnnnnnnn! Gyaaaaaagh!" all they could do was scream as Ouroboros wiped them out by ramming them with it''s gigantic head. "Attack!! Now''s our chance while it hasn''t hidden in the clouds!" The commander barked to the soldiers. In retaliation, they attacked the serpent that was careening down their way, or the right term would be they tried attacking as the swords, axes, and guns did nothing to it''s hard scales. Annoyed by the attacks, the serpent stopped moving and looked at them with menacing eyes. It reared back and unleashed a garish black smoke from it''s mouth. With a flourish of its lithe body, the smoke spread further and faster, reaching the soldiers.
People screamed as they got hit with the concentrated smoke and fell down to the cold hard ground. They coughed and gasped for breath with eyes closed and in tears. The dragon roared and once again headed towards the heavens, every now and then coming down on the ground in a different location of the city and wrecking as much havoc it can. It Destroyed infrastructures and injured random citizens or soldiers unlucky enough to cross its path.
"Captain! Status report, twenty-four people have been fatally wounded and were rushed to the infirmary. They are now being tended by church healers. Forty-six have been injured but half of them insisted on still joining the battle.¡± One of the stout knights said without pause.
¡°Captain! Many of our soldiers are being injured, why haven''t we dispatched the Templar Knights---I''m sorry for overstepping my bounds!" The private apologized after the captain gave him a pointed gaze.
The continent of Feria had its own military which served different purposes. The big organization was split into three. The Holy Army, the Holy Knights and the Templar Knights. The first dealt with international matters, while the second protected the citizens and the clergy within the cities and villages. The last one was a special unit dedicated for the protection of the Oracle. In terms of strength, the first and third could be said to be evenly matched. What the army lacked in power, they also made up with numbers. While the Templar Knights capitalized on quality over quantity. If it came to a caste system, the Holy Knights who served as the protectors of the citizens were considered to be on the lower end.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
"The Templar Knights only answer to two people, the Oracle and the Templar Commander! The death of our oracle has lessened their morale and they are probably dealing with conflicts internally! Don''t be afraid! Raise your heads! We are the Holy Knights of Feria! It is our sole duty to protect the capital and it''s citizens!" Despite his old age, the captain held himself with authority, hiding the fact that he was at a loss as to how they could probably stop the rampaging Mirage which was causing chaos in the city.
~*~
On top of one of the tallest towers with bells, a lone girl stood. Her pink hair reaching up until her shoulder, her face covered in a fox mask while her neck had a unique muffler. She wore very light clothing. On her left waist were two round metallic blades with leather bound metallic grips in the middle. "Hmm¡I think big brother needs my help in fixing this¡" She sighed knowing the predicament that her brother must''ve gone through. It''s been almost a month since she and Reinhardt met. Her brother paid her a visit to inform her that he would be gone on a quest to retrieve something important. He had asked her to keep a close watch on the Oracle. Being the ¡°obedient¡± sister that she is, she ceded to his request.
That didn¡¯t necessarily mean they got along well. In fact, it was quite different from when they first met almost six months ago. Ophelia sought him to enact her vengeance. She wanted to avenge her mother, to get revenge on the man that had stolen their honor. During that time, Ophelia wanted answers, answers to questions she just couldn¡¯t figure out. Like why society had to dictate who was fit to be a ruler. Like how she was prejudged and deemed unworthy to take over the family estate just because she was a woman. It wasn¡¯t her choice to be born as a woman. Circumstances such as these made her loathe society in itself. How the norms dictated how things should be instead of accepting what could be. Lacking any answers, she lashed out at the only person she could blame. The person who perpetuated the stigma and usurped her inheritance, her right as the next master of the Cromwell family.
It was truly an interesting first meeting. It was no big deal, she just tried to assassinate him really. The ensuing battle ended in a stalemate of course, but Lia had a hunch Rein was pulling his punches. And she hated him all the more. But he tried to reason with her, asked her to have a serious talk. Hesitantly, she retracted her claws and listened with apprehension. When Reinhardt was finished, Lia did not respond. She got up and left quietly. Finally understanding why Reinhardt was the heir. Well for now at least. She hasn¡¯t entirely given up on becoming the heiress. A good strategist knows when to just take things slow, patiently wait until the perfect opportunity presents itself, then pounce and make sure to obliterate the opposition.
"Well...better help out as much as I can then!¡±
¡°Reaper from the Shadows, Patron of the Arts!
Beguile, Imprison thy witnesses!
[Child of Literature, Fumiko!]¡±
Lia took off her muffler and threw it in the air where another female clad in eastern clothing appeared after a puff of smoke. On her neck was the muffler that Lia had on previously. The word kunoichi1 comes to mind if you consider her overall appearance. "Fumiko...it''s time for us to show how much we improved, get ready--"
The ninja who floated on air acted as if she never heard anything, "Hmp!" intoned the ninja, and with a flourish of her muffler, turned around midair and produced a book. The floating Mythic immersed itself in reading the book, not paying any mind to its master.
"Oy oy! Fumiko! This is not the time to ignore me! A lot of people are getting hurt down there! You have to help me stop that thing!" Lia stomped her feet in frustration to get the Mythic¡¯s attention. The silent ninja sighed and looked down, staring at the dragon. Fumiko finally nodded, her pink hair swishing.
"Alright! Let¡¯s do our worst and beat the crap out of that creature!" Lia reached down on her waist and took her chacrams on both hands. Fumiko on the other hand ripped paper from her book and fashioned a sword made out of it. With a nod at her Mythic, they both disappeared in thin air in a flash.
~*~
On a hill overlooking Phracea, an old man stared quietly at the ensuing chaos. A soldier ran towards him in haste "Status report general! Ouroboros, the serpent of despair appeared from Nifleheim. It is believed to be unleashed by the Templar Knight Reinhardt. Insiders have told me that he was in grief due to the Oracle''s death, he went mad and attacked the grand bishop and is now being hunted! On a side note, an unknown awakened appeared with her mirage in tow. The awakening is working to take down the monster." The soldier bowed down once the commander acknowledged his report.
¡®So it has come to this? Why...Reinhardt? I sensed that there was darkness hiding within you...but never in my imagination would you succumb to this...this will be my last lesson to you as your mentor!¡¯ The old man stabbed his staff on the ground, a rumbling thud echoed throughout the hill. The air grew tense and the winds grew stronger while water surged from where the staff was embedded.
"Come oh great serpent of bounty!
Show your mercy and wash away the enemies'' sins with your surging waves!
[Great Primordial Mother, Tiamat!]"
The old man chanted with conviction, his brows knitted as he focused all his energy in summoning his Divinity. Crashing waves sounded throughout the hill, mimicking the ferocious sounds made by angry waves. Contrary to when Ouroboros was summoned where roaring thunder and a high pitched screech was heard, a melodious sound reverberated all throughout Phracea. The dragon''s wail so refined and enchanting that it could be called a song in itself.
~*~
A number of footsteps resounded in the empty halls of the church as three people made their way to get outside the church. It was evident by their pace that they were hell bent on getting out as soon as they can. ¡°Kristov! Stand down! I order you this instant as your Templar Commander!¡± Miranda¡¯s authoritative voice echoed, slowing the steady pace of the three. Kristov was a few steps ahead of them, Miranda was a few steps behind him, while Erina, now with hands to her knees as she tried to regain her breath, followed on tow. By now, they were almost outside, with the big windows overlooking the city. From where they stood, they could see what was currently happening in the city.
Kristov slowly decelerated before finally stopping. ¡°Listen here¡captain! I may not know many things, and you can discipline me later for breaking the rules and for not following orders, but I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯ll just listen to an edict telling me to kill my friend! I have to know¡I- I have to hear it from him first hand!¡± his voice was low yet every part was punctuated as he made his feelings known.
¡°I won¡¯t order you to kill Reinhardt! But at least listen to reason! Look all around you! Everyone is in a state of panic! The whole city is a mess and we¡¯re under attack! Can¡¯t you see that huge monster out there?! That is a calamity class monster! And it came from Nifleheim basing on the miasma it is releasing! Monsters like that don¡¯t just appear. Whoever is controlling it possesses power that most of us can¡¯t even imagine!¡± This was where she stopped and let it sink in. No one from the Templar Knights had that kind of power. ¡®Except one!¡¯ And yet she didn¡¯t have the heart to point this out.
It wasn¡¯t a secret that Reinhardt Cromwell¡¯s name became known in the inner circle because of the fact that he summoned the strongest recorded Mirage in the history of the church. With that kind of Mirage, there was no reason to doubt that upon corruption, it could turn to something as massive as the monster wreaking havoc in the city.
¡°We need your help. That stubborn old fool is refusing to budge and wouldn¡¯t let us handle the situation. Damn ego of his! Because of his foolish pride, we have no choice but to cover up for him. I don¡¯t know how long before he realizes that he is over stepping his bounds. And so, I¡¯ve already dispatched the other Templar Knights to help evacuate the citizens.¡± The captain commander of the holy army seemed to be under the impression that the special unit dedicated to protecting the Oracle is currently having internal strife. Instead of communicating with Miranda, he refused to listen and just pushed on in attacking the rampaging dragon.
¡°In any case, we are still soldiers of Feria! We are still honor bound in protecting the citizens! The Ora-Lumina¡ she wouldn¡¯t want us to abandon those in need.¡± No one would deny what Miranda stated. Everyone knew that at the very least, Lumina wanted to protect Feria¡the whole Infinitia. Not only from demon attacks but from calamities. She wanted to save lives even at the cost of her own. And as her friend, it was up to Miranda to honor that.
¡°I¡¯m¡sorry. I know. I know Lumina wouldn¡¯t want me to do that. But I¡¯m the only one Reinhardt has right now. Lumina wouldn¡¯t want me to just ignore this and watch on the bylines while Rein gets hurt.¡± Kristov said while gritting his teeth. From the way his facial muscles were set, Miranda knew that it would be impossible to get through to him. Heaving a long and weary sigh, Miranda closed her eyes as she didn¡¯t want to see him run off. It took a lot of will for Miranda to do this, especially since she upheld and valued her principles. This will be the only time she will turn a blind eye and ignore this infraction of the Templar Knights Code. If it were any other time, she would do what is right and follow the rules.
The orders of the grand bishop could not be completely ignored. Especially since the circumstantial evidence point towards Reinhardt. If it weren¡¯t the case, it would be easy for Miranda to ignore the orders and instead challenge the words of the bishop. The code of the Templar Knights aren¡¯t just a set of rules. It also protects the Templar Knight from outside influences. Whatever crime a member commits is dealt with internally. In cases such as these, the only thing that Miranda could do was to help capture Reinhardt alive. The trial that will decide his fate will have to come after.
It was just one of those situations wherein Miranda didn¡¯t have any form of control. The powerlessness and helplessness gnawed at her. Before Lumina died, she asked¡no, desperately wished would be the proper term, for Miranda and Erina to look after Reinhardt.
¡°I¡¯m sorry Lumina¡but this is the only thing I can do for you right now¡¡± her voice barely a whisper while looking up. ¡°Father¡I wish-I wish you were here to help us¡¡± and then her anxious expression melted and was replaced by determination. Nodding to Erina who now stood beside her, Erina ran again and went the same path Kristov took.
~*~
Kristov squinted his eyes as the light burst forth from the double doors he opened to reach outside. His eyes wandered around, looking at the chaos all around, while his mind tried to process what he had to do. First, he had to look for Reinhardt as soon as possible. And if heaven permits it, he had to find him first before the others do. He was just wasn¡¯t comfortable knowing other soldiers and Templar Knights were also after his friend. Kristov dreaded that he would have to break up a fight or worst, put down one side just to help the other. When that time came, he didn¡¯t know whether he¡¯ll be able to go against Reinhardt especially since he owed him a lot.
¡°Come on Reinhardt¡where are you?¡± Kristov muttered as he took off running to the side, leading off to a set of stairs that circled around and connected to a bridge that one of the towers in the church. As he neared the entrance to the tower, a disctinct sound made Kristov slow down. He knew that sound, he knew that he has heard of it before. If his memory served him right, that sound came from the Mirage owned by the general of the holy army. It was the cry of Tiamat. ¡®The general has returned?¡¯ From what he could remember, the general was supposed to have been sent to the borders where news of international disputes were happening.
At least now Kristov had room to breathe. He can focus on his search knowing that someone far stronger than him will be able to help take down that monster. He was about to go when a scream made his head snap to his right. Since Kristovwas standing on a higher ground, he could clearly see below the streets. On a corner of the street nearest to where he was, a kid sat on the sides. It was quite obvious that the little girl either got left alone during the ruckus, or got lost while trying to evacuate. His muscles tensed as he tried to suppress his instincts. ¡®She¡¯ll be alright¡her parents must be looking for her. Yeah¡they¡¯d find her soon.¡¯ He tried to comfort himself and yet he barely made another step when his feet pivoted.
¡°Damn it! Damn it all to hell!¡± He yelled before running back to the edge of the bridge and jumping off of the edge. Kristov focused on the tattoo that symbolized his mirage, willing all his spiritual energy to summon his spiritual partner.
¡°Lord of the Jungle, Purveyor of Light
Show thine courage! Be my might!
[Winged Lion, Regulus!]¡±
With a deafening roar and dazzling red-orange lights, a huge snow white lion erupted in the skies. It swooped along the heavens and caught Kristov before he went splat on the waters below. ¡°Regulus! You know what to do!¡± Kristov just couldn¡¯t help himself. Even if he wanted to turn around and go back to his original plan, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to just abandon someone in need. The Mythic answered with a proud roar before flying towards the little girl.
¡°Reinhardt¡don¡¯t go and die on me!¡±
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Reinhardt 6 Part 1 (With ART, and new POLL!)
A blurry object got catapulted towards a stack of crates and a crashing sound followed. "Gaaah! Fumiko! Why didn''t you save me! You could¡¯ve easily used your Paper Art to break my fall you know!" Ophelia yelled at her Mirage who appeared at her side after a few seconds. The Spirit merely looked away with indifference. "Oy oy! I''m your master remember! You should be¡ª¡° Her mouth remained open in mid-sentence, her attention totally drawn in by the spectacular scene unfolding before her eyes. Everyone in Phracea stopped moving. The cause of their action was the sound that resonated all over the city. Everyone stood open-mouthed as they beheld the changes in the skies.
The heavens parted, and an immense serpent, which was equally big as the first dragon, came flying down. It had a simple white colored motif which made it appear both noble and divine. Just below its magnificent head were two white wings that spanned about a fourth of its body size. The wing frame was made of bones and connected by a clear colored membrane. White glittering scales also covered the whole length of its body. Both the wings and the scales shifted colors as the light got reflected, producing rainbow sparkling lights. Its underbelly had a bluish and greenish tinge which swished around, creating an illusion of moving waters.
The dragons clashed in the air, their agile bodies somewhat dancing to a tune as they moved gracefully around. Poisonous breath was met by water breath, two forces clashing and ending in a stalemate as the attacks both dissipated. It was quite clear that both Divinities were closely matched.
"We shouldn''t fall behind just because help arrived! Let''s go!" Ophelia intoned, hands on her hips as she disappeared with Fumiko into thin air. They reappeared above Ouroboros and together initiated their own attack. Lia concentrated her energy on her chakram, the weapon¡¯s entirety being engulfed by a pink aura. It sizzled with energy, arcs of light flashing every few seconds. Fumiko, on the other hand, slashed her paper sword in the air and about fifty paper cranes appeared in puffs of smoke all around them. Lia let her energy flow towards her Mythic as she chanted the words to activate their ultimate skill.
¡°[First Act: Requiem of the Flying Cranes!]"
Lia and Fumiko yelled in sync as they both unleashed an attack. The chakram grew almost five times its original size as it soared towards the body of the monster and made huge gashes of wounds on the scales of the dark serpent, Ouroboros. In concert with her attacks, the flying cranes that are wrapped with pink energy collided and exploded in the same place where Lia¡¯s attacks landed. The attack made the dragon roar in both anger and agony. Temporary losing its focus for a moment before facing off with its main adversary, Tiamat.
"Don''t leave us out of the battle yet!" Kristov yelled as he suddenly appeared on air, seated on Regulus¡¯ back. ¡°It¡¯s all up to you now buddy!¡± With that, his body glowed red-orange as his spiritual energy spiked up. Cold sweat started appearing on his forehead as he struggled to control the outflow of energy. It had only been six months since he summoned Regulus. And although it took him far longer to master controlling his spiritual energy, using it to supply his Mythic was a different thing. It required not just focus but also precise control.
The winged lion roared proudly and opened its mouth. The air all around them grew hot as a reddish orange ball of energy formed in front of the Mythic¡¯s mouth. The ball combusted, caught fire and grew bigger. The size became almost half as big as Regulus.
[Flaming Red Nova!]
Taking damage after damage, the dark dragon finally took notice of the other enemies around it.
~*~
"Lu Yin! Lu Yang! Please protect them with your water barrier!" Miranda who was on the ground following the scene happening in the skies appealed to the two dragon kids standing beside her.
"Alright, mama! Leave it to us!" answered Lu Yin, preparing to cast the spell. "Lu Yang! Help me¡hurry!" the girl stopped chanting, the runic circle on her hands disappearing. She made a move to pull the sleeves on the boy¡¯s clothes but the boy wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Come on! Mama¡¯s depending on us!¡± the little girl intoned, waving her little arms in the air, her eyes closed in frustration. The girl had a black ensemble, the top she wore had very long sleeves that it extended over the length of her arms. Her trousers ended in a balloon style, complimented by knee high socks. On her head was a lavender beret with a curious almost teardrop-shaped brooch with a crack in the middle.
Lu Yang didn¡¯t budge, the defiance clearly etched on his youthful features. Instead of agreeing, he crossed his tiny arms on his chest and abruptly turned his head to the side. Unlike his twin sister, Yang didn¡¯t like it when the ¡°old woman¡± ordered them around. He wasn¡¯t a kid anymore and yet Miranda treated them as such. That¡¯s why he¡¯s making a stand and always made it to a point where he defied her and didn¡¯t follow her requests. The boy had clothes that were almost identical to Lu Yin but the ensemble was in white. The lavender beret he had on had a white brooch with an identical shape as well except it didn¡¯t have a crack on its design.
Miranda owed a lot of things from the twins. Contrary to what people thought, she didn¡¯t get the position of Templar Knight Commander because the general of the Holy Army was her father. Her prowess in battle, attitude as a knight and her unique Mirages gave her rightful claim to it. Before Reinhardt¡¯s Incarnation, hers was one of the unique Mirages to have been discovered. Two spiritual beings who symbolized two facets, totally different parts that embodied different powers and two opposite sides that contradicted yet complimented each other.
Her Mirages may not be Divinities or Incarnations but at their category, they¡¯re on top of the power metrics. Lu Yang is the male Mythic who represented Light, Wind, and Fire. Lu Yin is the female Mythic who embodied Darkness, Earth, and Water. If we consider the fact that each of her Mirages could control three kinds of elements, it would tantamount to Miranda being able to control all primary elements. Having all the requirements necessary for the part, Miranda bagged the role and became one of the youngest captain commanders in history.
To the untrained eye, you would mistake the twins as toddlers, weak and defenseless. Well, except for the curious dragon horns that protruded on their heads. It was an error in judgment that countless enemies have made. But it was a different story where Miranda was concerned. For her, they will always be kids.
Miranda crouched down so her eyes were level with those of the twins¡¯. Once she was settled in nicely, she turned to face the little boy. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a wrapped candy, and offered it to Lu Yang. From the side of his face, Miranda knew that the boy had seen her actions through his peripheral vision. Candies and sweets were especially the weakness of the little boy, on the contrary, his sister had a penchant for picture books and art materials. It was a thing of wonder how spiritual manifestations even had their own personalities. It was even more surprising that the spirits could ingest food.
The faint blush turned crimson as the little guy tried his utmost to resist the temptation. With a sudden blur, the candy disappeared on Mira¡¯s outstretched palm. Yet, the boy didn¡¯t make any move to fulfill his end of the bargain.
Miranda sighed while scratching her head, not understanding why Lu Yang had this defiant personality. It often made her wonder if she was like this in person. Since these spiritual manifestations were said to be a reflection of the soul, most Mirages had a facet of their personality taken from their awakened¡¯s persona. ¡®Am I really this stubborn?¡¯ she could only smile sheepishly, mocking herself inwardly.
¡°Lu Yang, I know you don¡¯t want to grant my request. But, look up there. You see father¡¯s Mirage, Tiamat fighting right? Don¡¯t you want to grow up real fast and be a full-fledged dragon too?¡± This finally had the intended effect as the little dragonling looked up at the sky with interest. Capitalizing on the idea that her Mythics liked Miranda¡¯s father as if he was their own, she tried a different approach. The feelings were reciprocated by her father since he thought of the Mythics as if they were his children. Technically speaking, they were his daughter¡¯s spirit manifestation.
Miranda knew she was getting close, she just needed a little more push. To seal the deal, she chose to play the trump card she had which worked great in combination with her previous card. ¡°I know you want to get stronger so you can protect your little sister. If you help them, then it will be like training. And someday you¡¯ll become just like Tiamat. Maybe even stronger!¡± By the end of her musings, Lu Yang was staring in wonder at the skies. Lost in his own little world, his eyes literally sparkled like stars, his mouth agape. It was not a secret that the kids idolized Tiamat, wanting to become like her someday. Especially the little boy, who always acted tough, always trying to protect his sister. An overly protective brother, that was the best description for Lu Yang. Something that puzzled Miranda until this day.
Once the little boy¡¯s disillusionment passed, his eyebrows knitted together in determination. Nodding to his twin sister, the two moved in sync. Their little arms moving in circular motion as small octagon-shaped runic circles appeared in front of them. Feet moving in tandem, they performed complex movements that would make famous dancers proud.
The two made use of their skills and since they were about to cast a water element spell, Lu Yin took the reins while Lu Yang provided support. It was part of the ¡°unique skill¡± that they possessed called Gemini. One of the uses it had was that one can provide support to the other to boost the potential of the spells being cast or skills being executed. Individually, their powers already packed a serious punch, but through Gemini wherein the one who supports channels energy to the other, the resulting spell is magnified twice.
As the twins reached the climax of their spell, Lu Yin stood in front of her brother. She stood on one foot before somersaulting backward and landing on top Lu Yang¡¯s shoulders. Their small runic circle drifted towards each other, joined and became a larger version. This ritual wasn¡¯t usually needed. The twins usually just had to have close proximity or had some form of contact to use their spells. But since the magnitude of the spell that Miranda requested was of this caliber, they resulted to performing this dance.
[¡°Azure Water Barrier!¡±]
Bluish light shot out of their outstretched palms, it soared through the skies at incredible speeds and burst into three directions. The spell protected Ophelia and Fumiko individually while it treated Kristov and Regulus as a single unit and erected a bigger barrier for them.
Miranda contented herself with making sure that none of the citizens or soldiers were caught in the crossfire. Casting a support magic here, curing an injured person with heal there. There was just so much to do that she could only sigh in exasperation. Her time was wasted, instead of directly assisting with the battle, she was stuck down here to help the citizens. Not that she didn¡¯t consider helping the needy not a priority. But her time could¡¯ve been put to good use if she did her real job. And it was all that old fool¡¯s fault. Taking a mental note to bring down hell on that bumbling idiot, Miranda looked around to confirm if all civilians have been evacuated.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
¡®Where could Erina be?¡¯ Miranda thought to herself, a bit worried that the researcher was nowhere in sight when they arrived together at the scene. ¡®I hope she¡¯s alright.¡¯
~*~
The battle raged on for almost an hour. The effects of the conflict could be seen clearly from the state of the participants. The commander, who unleashed Tiamat, was on his knees and breathing heavily. Both hands perched on the orbed-cane to support his weight and to avoid falling on the ground. With one eye closed, he stared at the skies, watching as the two sides swapped blows. From the eyes of an untrained citizen, you would think that the battle had come to a stalemate. But he was different, and the people fighting by his side probably knew as well, that they were slowly losing the fight.
The powers loaned by the darkness aren¡¯t just strong. It can also be said to be self-sufficient since it draws its power from the negative emotions from its surroundings. It mainly feeds off of the fear to sustain itself.
¡®I¡¯m sorry Mira, father won¡¯t be returning for dinner again¡¡¯ Graham had a lot more he wanted to say. After what happened to his daughter when she was still a child, he vowed to himself that things would change. He promised to spend more time with her, to dote on her and give her all that she ever wanted. It was his guilt that finally opened his eyes to the truth. That he wasn¡¯t alone, even if his wife passed away, she left him a part of her. His only wish was that he could¡¯ve prevented what happened to Miranda, if only he¡¯d realized his misgivings as a father sooner. It wouldn¡¯t have had to end this way.
Things have gone pretty well after that dark time in their lives. Mira grew up to be strong, compassionate and bright. Graham was even prouder when his daughter became the Templar Knights Commander. And he can say with head held up high that he didn¡¯t pull any strings nor raise a finger for her to get the post.
In terms of physical abilities, Mira could easily take down a well-grown man. No, she wasn¡¯t that strong. Instead, what she lacked in height and strength, she made up with her agility. His daughter was also skilled in the use of weapons, inheriting the sword saint style from her mother¡¯s side of the family. During her knighting ceremony, it was made official when the knighthood officially awarded her with the title of Sword Saint.
Miranda¡¯s swiftness and dual-wielding cutlass style also earned her the title of Crimson Lotus of the Battlefield. She had also graduated top of her class in one of the most prestigious universities in Infinitia, found in the Einheid Dukedom. Any father would be proud at all those accomplishments.
Graham didn¡¯t want to worry Miranda so he kept her in the dark about what he felt for Lu Yin and Lu Yang. Yes, they were like his children since they were reflections of Miranda¡¯s soul. And he truly did feel happy whenever he saw them. What Miranda did not know was that Lu Yang looked like her when she was still a child, hauntingly so. The very memory of Miranda as a child brought stabs of pain, slowly gnawing at his heart. It must have been fate¡¯s twisted sense of humor that made Lu Yang that way. It was the karma he couldn¡¯t run away from. It wasn¡¯t just guilt, it was shame, for what kind of father would feel that way when remembering their daughter as a child.
~*~
Kristov¡¯s shoulders heaved, soot and gashes all over his face. ¡°Not yet, not just yet!¡± He screamed as he and Regulus dove down towards the enemy. He jumped from Regulus¡¯ back and landed on the dragon¡¯s back, he thrust the sword into the hard scales, and used the momentum of his dash to widen the laceration as far as he could. Regulus unleashed a torrent of fire as the Mythic flew side by side Kristov. The dragon wiggled its body, dislodging Kristov¡¯s sword and flinging him away as if he were just some parasite.
¡°Damn it! Where is this thing getting its strength?¡± Kristov yelled as he saw the newly created wounds close up. Their attacks were completely useless as the dragon kept regenerating and if at all possible, it grew stronger and became more resilient. If he only kept his composure and didn¡¯t let his emotions get the best of him. He¡¯d remember from the lectures and the books he read about Mirages that those which were summoned from Nifleheim were tough to beat. You had to concentrate your energy and use it in its rawest form. Or better yet, use all the energy you can expend to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop. Meaning you had to overwhelm it with power, nuke it so much that it doesn¡¯t get the chance to regenerate.
Regulus sliced through the air as he retrieved Kristov on his back. ¡°Maybe we should try a different tactic?¡± A disembodied yet calm and gentle baritone rang inside Kristov¡¯s head, the kind that could sooth ones nerves. The Mythic seemed to have sensed the turmoil in his awakened¡¯s emotions as their soul synchronization fluctuated. ¡°You have to calm down Kristov. Think, what could we do in a situation like this?¡± Although sentient beings, the Mirages only possessed the knowledge their awakened¡¯s had. Most of the time, they possessed superior wisdom and judgment but they never knew more than what their partner¡¯s knew.
¡°The miasma¡this, this is a Mirage from Nifleheim!¡± Kristov almost lost his composure, if it were true that Reinhardt was responsible for this creature, then it might be too late already. ¡°No! I¡¯m not going to allow this to happen! Regulus! The only way to defeat it is by using pure spiritual energy!¡± They may be unable to vanquish it but at least they can inflict a wound that doesn¡¯t regenerate as fast as the ones they previously dealt. It will buy the captain enough time to deal a lethal attack on it.
¡°Hey you!¡± Kristov yelled at the two women fighting alongside him. ¡°Use your spiritual energy on it! Don¡¯t use elements!¡± The more help he could get the better. After all, they were fighting a monster far beyond their expectations. ¡°Kristov watch ou-!!¡± Regulus tried to dodge the oncoming attack but he was too late. The damage would¡¯ve proven fatal. Thankfully, a blue barrier got erected between them in time. Kristov didn¡¯t have to think who casted the spell, he knew from their battle simulations who was capable of producing a strong water barrier of that kind.
Muttering his thanks, Kristov focused his attention on the monster. ¡°Do it now Regulus!¡± He ordered. The winged lion roaring as it soared towards the dragon. Kristov coated his sword with pure spiritual energy. The blade hummed to life as red orange energy surrounded the blade. Regulus also created a red orange ball of pure energy. ¡°Take this! [Spiritual Slash!]¡± Kristov switched to a backhand grip and using his free hand, put pressure on the pommel and thrust it towards the ball of energy Regulus created. The effect was instantaneous, the blade burst through the ball and a stream of energy shot towards the dragon. The energy which pierced through it appeared like a spear.
The attack succeeded as the monstrous enemy flinched. On cue, the general seemed to have decided on a last resort attack. Since doing the usual wasn¡¯t wilting away the enemy¡¯s energy, the last ditch effort was to give it all they¡¯ve got. Kristov looked down and saw the bright flashing lights on a hill, at the same time, the general¡¯s Divinity emitted a strong light that almost blinded him.
~*~
Graham refocused his attention to the task at hand and took a deep calming breath. He tried to make peace with himself. Apologizing to both his late wife and daughter for being a horrible husband and a lacking father, he closed his eyes and focused his spiritual energy. "I will not let you do any more harm!¡±
[¡°True summoning! Go forth! Primordial Mother Tiamat!"]
A bluish aura appeared beneath Graham, it formed a small circle with the edges moving like ocean waves. His body underwent changes, glistening bluish scales appeared sporadically all over his body. Fins materialized behind his ears and on his elbows. His eyes shone an unnatural blue color. All around him, water and snow raged.
The forbidden spell got invoked, bright blue lights engulfing the body of the great white serpent. While blanketed by the radiance, its length and size grew further. On its head, a horn composed of a bluish crystal protruded. As the changes were ongoing, Tiamat kept on roaring, its melodic voice permeating the thick fog covered air.
¡®I know Tiamat. I¡¯m sorry I had to do this. This will be our last battle together. So please, drive back the evil threatening the safety of Feria. We¡¯ve had a good run, thank you for always standing by me.¡¯ Graham answered in response to Tiamat¡¯s wail. His face was resolute with determination, his eyes raw with emotion.
The general knew what was at stake, he knew that after the true summoning he performed, the great Tiamat will take his life force in exchange. The Mirage didn¡¯t have a choice either as it was part of the covenant made when an awakened gains this power. People always wondered why Mirages ¡°devoured¡± the souls of their awakened after a true summoning. No one knew the answer. Not the scholars or researchers. Not even the Mirage themselves. Eventually it became an accepted fact that if you wanted greater power, you¡¯d have to be ready to face the consequences.
Graham had no other choice, he knew that as Reinhardt''s mentor, it was his duty to correct the wrongs of his student. Surrounded by bluish lights, he disappeared from where stood on the hill and reappeared at the top of Tiamats''s head. "This is my last lesson for you Reinhardt!¡±
Repent and confess thy sins!
Quell thy anger oh great mother of the seas!
[¡°Ultimate Skill! Raging Waters! Flurry of Snow and Ice!"]
Tiamat¡¯s crystal horn glowed, energy being gathered at its tip. When the energy receded, the great dragon opened its mouth and a blue ball of energy started growing. A beam of pure blue energy was then shot out, leaving water, snow, and ice on its wake. The dark dragon Ouroboros not having a chance to shield itself from the oncoming onslaught, received the full brunt of the attack. It let out a screeching roar before the ice totally engulfed its body.
When Kristov realized what was happening, his eyes widened. ¡°Oh shit! Regulus let¡¯s get away from here!¡± And good thing he sensed what was about to take place, had he not they would¡¯ve turned into that crystal block as well. Checking around the skies to make sure the two women didn¡¯t become an ice cube, he found himself staring at a ball made of some sort of material.
¡®Is that paper?¡¯ Kristov thought distractedly. ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus! What do you think will happen to the city if that ice statue drops on it?¡± Regulus¡¯ words snapped Kristov back to reality. ¡°Hey! Pink-haired girl! Give it your all! We have to smash this thing to smithereens!¡± The girl seemed to have gotten it as both women got enveloped in pink energy. ¡°I need your help on this one Regulus!¡±
In response to Kristov¡¯s request, the winged lion¡¯s body glowed red orange. An orb of the same color enveloped both him and his Mirage. He closed his eyes, and concentrated all the remaining energy he had left. The ball grew further, the energy growing thicker and more condensed that it covered the two of them entirely.
¡°Herald of Victory! Harbinger of Light!
Purify them with your holy flames!
[Ultimate Attack! Dash of the Holy Lion!]¡±
Kristov and Regulus charged forward, plowing through the ice, wrapped in blazing hot fire. They smashed through the frozen body of the monster, leaving thousands of ice chunks.
¡°That¡¯s not going to be enough!¡± yelled Ophelia as she unleashed her own ultimate attack. The enlarged spiritually charged chakram whizzed through the air and sliced the chunks of ice into smaller pieces. Hundreds of paper cranes also appeared in the sky and exploded one after the other creating an almost domino effect, decimating what was left of the debris. Once the barrage of attacks were finished, the once frozen huge body of the monster was nothing more than shaved ice pouring from the sky producing tiny glittering diamonds.
Graham got teleported back on the hill where he once stood. Tiamat¡¯s head turned to his direction before slowly fading away into nothingness. He fell down on his knees, body bloodied all over due to the strain of using such power. ¡°It has been done..." he said before collapsing on the ground.
¡°General!¡± Simultaneous screams of worry came from the general¡¯s men as they saw their leader on the ground, blood seeping out of his wounds. A mere second ago, they were all in awe with eyes wide and mouth gaping. But now, they were all gathered around, while the Lieutenant General shouted orders towards their subordinates.
¡°Go get a healer immediately!¡± It was to be expected, to the country of Feria, General Graham was considered as a national treasure. He was a legend in terms of his accomplishments in war. His power so immeasurable and vastly superior compared to others that he was considered as the strongest force of the country. The loss of such talent would deal a large blow to their military power. Not only that, since the general was an honorary bishop, he had exerted his power in making sure that the military received proper subsidiary to maintain it. Without him, the Lieutenant General didn¡¯t know how they would be able to cope.
¡°Please¡¡± The Lieutenant General, looked down in haste, startled that the General still had energy to talk. The old man¡¯s hand reached up and grasped his subordinates shoulder so that he would hear him. ¡°Tell my daughter¡I¡¯m sorry. Take care of¡Ophelia¡¡± And with that, his hand dropped down, life undoubtedly escaping him.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Reinhardt 6 Part 2
The rain may have stopped but the wreckage left by the battle left a savage mark in Phracea. Though damages in infrastructure were kept at minimal due to the interventions of the army, there were still some reparations to be made. Everywhere, people can be seen sitting on the ground or standing with their backs to a wall for support, some due to injuries while some were due to exhaustion. Ophelia was one of those, her small frame slouched on the ground. Her Mirage Fumiko was currently in her standby state, appearing only as a tiny version, about an eight of her original size. It was a form that Mirages took to preserve spiritual energy usage.
That battle was too close. If it dragged more than it had, she may have really exhausted her spiritual reserves. Especially since it hadn¡¯t been a long time since she became a Spiritual Contractor.
A Spiritual Contractor is different from an Awakened. Yes, they operated on the same basic principle that they create a tangible manifestation of their souls. But that¡¯s just one of the few similarities it had. For one, contractors did not lose their ability to use their magic powers when compared to awakened who did. The sad thing was, although they had access to variety, they lacked the necessary spiritual power reserves. Since awakened converted their magic power reserves to spiritual reserves and added it, they basically have almost twice the capacity of contractors.
Another big difference is the way the summoned beings are given forms. The modern day Awakened summoned by Phracea military personnel and licensed individuals use a ¡®mark¡¯ which serves as a gateway. In other terms, a unique tattoo symbolizing their summon is used as a means for the spirit to cross the boundaries of the spirit realm into the physical realm and use their Awakened¡¯s spiritual powers to have a tangible body. Whereas spiritual contractors use different mediums depending on the type of powers they tap into. Ophelia¡¯s for instance used a ¡°memento¡± from the Mirage as a medium. When she first met Fumiko, the Mirage had given Ophelia her muffler.
¡°We need to train more Fumiko¡we got lucky this time.¡± Muttered Ophelia as her hand reached up to wipe her forehead. The Mythic paid her no mind, acting like she didn¡¯t hear anything, and instead produced a book also minuscule in size. The Mythic busied itself with reading but flinched when she felt a menacing aura behind her. About the same time a huge shadow towered over her small form.
¡°Oy oy...you¡¯ve been ignoring me a lot lately! Maybe I should start doling out your punishment.¡± Eyes that seemed like a mischievous cat¡¯s came up behind the Mirage. Ophelia grabbed her partner¡¯s tiny form, ensuring that she held her pretty tight so there won¡¯t be any escape. The little spirit squirmed with gusto, her eyes shaped like x¡¯s as she tried to escape but to no avail. With little spiritual reserves left, it was impossible for her to grow into her original form or to rematerialize somewhere else.
¡°Hey¡thank you for your help earlier!¡± came a deep voice, a bigger shadow cast upon Ophelia this time. She looked up at the source of the voice and first saw the hand being offered to her. She looked up to see a guy with sandy brown hair, his features rugged and battle worn, soot, and scratches all over his face and armor.
"My name is Kristov! Nice to meet you---" Kristov paused with an expectant look on his face. "Lia¡you can call me Lia.¡± The Ophelia answered, taking his hand as she stood up. Fumiko still held on her other arm, who lay helplessly and was twitching from the treatment she received.
¡°Sorry if I can¡¯t stay long! I still have somewhere else to go to!¡± Kristov apologized while he placed his closed left fist across his right chest. That was the equivalent of a knight¡¯s salute, which knights do, not just to greet someone of higher power but to greet civilians as well.
Before Ophelia had the chance to say it was fine. The man had already hightailed it out of there. ¡°Big brother¡where are you?¡± her words lingered to the open air, none having the answer to her question.
~*~
The scene shifted and yet the events that transpired earlier were being duplicated, albeit the lack of a hulking knight to help Miranda. Falling down on her knees, she let out a huge puff of air as she tried to clear her head.
The twin mirages got wrapped in a puff of smoke and changed into their standby forms to conserve energy. Lu Yin flew and stood on one of Mira¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Are you okay mama?¡± The little girl¡¯s worried eyes scanned Miranda¡¯s face, her small mitten wrapped hand resting on her mama¡¯s flushed cheeks.
¡°Hey¡hey you! You¡¯re fine right?¡± The other twin said hesitantly, trying not to sound too concerned as he stayed afloat, his arms crossed on his chest.
Miranda looked up this time and raised on of her arms to pat Lu Yin on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me Lu Yin, Lu Yang. I¡¯m just a bit tired but I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She said as she tried to pat Lu Yang as well, but the male spirit avoided her.
¡°Who says I¡¯m worried about you!¡± The angry boy turned around rambling words, ¡°Stupid woman getting all tired! You have to be better than that to deserve my power!¡± The little guy turned around mid-air and created a small puff of fire ball, slammed it on a nonexistent grand and stepped on it to release his anger. ¡°Stupid stupid woman¡making us worry!¡± the last part was muttered too low that it didn¡¯t reach Miranda¡¯s ears. He continued abusing the little ball of flame, puffs of smoke rising from his head.
¡®I wonder where Laureant, Z, Lorelai and Coreen is...¡¯ She hoped that they were fine and were able to accomplish the tasks she gave them.
¡°Captain!¡± Miranda¡¯s eyes snapped to the arriving knight. From the way he looked and the frantic way he ran towards her, she somehow knew that something wasn¡¯t right.
¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She asked in a commanding tone, something only a superior officer could do.
¡°The¡the general¡we received word that the general perished from the battle¡¡±
~*~
Miranda didn¡¯t even know how she arrived back at the church. All seemed so vague as people looked at her with sympathy. Things she didn¡¯t quite notice as she was still reeling from the news. She knew that her father had arrived back from his mission at the borders seeing as his Mirage appeared to fight off that monster. For a long while, doubts plagued her. She couldn¡¯t¡wouldn¡¯t believe the news until she sees the visible proof that her father had passed away.
Upon her arrival, Miranda was led to an antechamber, the door cluttered by flocks of people trying to get in. The only reason they were unsuccessful was due to the two well-built guards standing in front barring the path. ¡°Clear the way, the Templar Knights Commander is here!¡± One of the guards bellowed, clearing the path from the knights all around. The sea of people parted like an ocean as Miranda strode inside, Lu Yin and Lu Yang in tow.
Miranda¡¯s outstretched hand stopped as her palms connected with the cold door. She hesitated. Afraid of what she would find on the other side. It just felt final. The two Mythics kept their silence, controlling their own impulse to open the door themselves. When Miranda finally had the courage, the door slowly creaked as it opened, the haunting sound adding to the grave atmosphere.
What appeared before Miranda was the body of a man lying on the bed. He could¡¯ve been sleeping, if not for the wounds and the blood all over his body. His armor had been taken off and his body was half covered by a pure white blanket.
¡°Grampa!!¡± The twins simultaneously yelled as they flew over Graham¡¯s body. Puffs of smoke covered them as they returned to their original form and settled on top of the bed on the sides of the old man. ¡°Grampa! Wake up! Please wake up¡¡± Lu Yin had her tiny fists scrunched up on Graham¡¯s clothes as she tried to shake him awake. Tears forming on her eyes, big splotches appearing as droplets fell, the girl sobbed while she continuously tried to rouse the man before her.
Lu Yang who knelt on the other side tried to suppress his tears, only to fail miserably as beads of water fell freely from his eyes. Snot started forming on his nose as he tried to muffle the sobs wanting to escape. The young Mythic tried to be the pillar of salt among the two, as always, but this emotional upheaval was just too high for him to conquer. He finally gave in and bawled loud, his arm rising up to cover his face in shame.
¡°Lu Yin¡Lu Yang¡you have to give Miranda some time with her father¡¡± Coreen intoned, Miranda didn¡¯t even notice her presence. The four Templar Squad Leaders stood on the side of the room with somber expressions on their faces.
The twins didn¡¯t respond but they both floated away and stood on the side.
Miranda¡¯s feet moved slowly, step over each agonizing step. She knelt down on Graham¡¯s side, her hands reached up to cup her father¡¯s face.
¡®Father¡¡¯ She called out inside her head, her mind going completely blank, the words echoing loudly in the deafening silence.
The floodgates opened as the dam finally broke. Tears flowed freely, like a leaking faucet, water fell nonstop with no signs of it ending. Still no one heard anything from Miranda. Not a sob, not even a squeak.
Miranda reached into her satchel and produced a white handkerchief. Unfolding it, she started to wipe the dry blood, for a lack of a thing to do. She was trying not to break down, to keep her dignity as a knight. To not look disgraceful in front of her subordinates. Her father deserved more than that.
¡°He used true summoning to fight off the enemy Mirage. He¡died a true hero¡¡± A voice pierced the silence, and Miranda recognized it as the Lieutenant General. ¡°He told me¡to tell you¡he was sorry¡¡±
After those words, Miranda choked, unable to stop the buildup of emotion as all her memories of her father came flooding back. How he would read to her when she was a child. How he would stay with her during stormy nights. How he taught her how to wield a sword. How he was with her while she graduated the top of her class. Everything flashed before her eyes.
To avoid sounds from leaking out, Miranda buried her face on Graham¡¯s chest. Whatever the Lieutenant said next was lost on deaf ears as her emotion finally gave way. Everyone could only look on in silence as Miranda¡¯s shoulders wracked with silence, while her Mirages held each other¡¯s hands trying to get support from each other.
~*~
A ghost town¡rather a deserted city. It was the most apt description one would come up with when describing the capital right at this moment. Apart from the occasional droplet of rain falling from the trees, nothing else could be heard. The conflict culminated with the victory of the knights of Feria, but Reinhardt''s emotions were still on a rampage. He was in a secluded area within Phracea, with his body soaking wet from the rain. Beside the ground he sat on, a newly formed mound of soil was formed beneath the tree. On top of it was a makeshift tombstone. ¡®That scum¡¡¯ He thought to himself. That dictator managed to pin all the blame on him. Insanity inched slowly at the corners of his mind, the absurdity of the recent events almost too hard to process. One thing he knew was right was that he was just too tired. The conversation he had earlier with Erina played throughout his mind.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
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"I knew you would be here, Sir Reinhardt!" Erina huffed, skidding to a halt. Right now, they were at the elder tree, a secluded area in Phracea which had a pond and in the middle of it was an island like area with a magnificent tree in the middle. She knew where Reinhardt might be because it was the couple¡¯s favorite place. They often lounged below the tree and even did picnics there. Only the two and Erina knew about the location.
Reinhardt didn''t even react when he heard the voice. He was too busy, too emotionally drained to even care. Strong and bloodied hands raked at the soil as he made grave deeper. It had been three hours since this madness started. Yet, that length of time seemed to last forever. Even those his hands had blisters and blood mixed with the dirt, Reinhardt didn¡¯t take notice. He was just too numb from the pain he felt. He did not care. It was all for Lumina¡¯s burial. Not caring a whit of what was going around Phracea. He didn''t even give a shit if Maximus'' Mirage destroyed the city and annihilated its inhabitants. He wanted to get revenge on Maximus, but the sane portion of his mind told him that it wasn''t the best time considering what happened.
Erina hesitantly moved forward to where Lumina was lying. She knelt down and stroked Lumina¡¯s hair, tears springing to her own eyes. "Sir Reinhardt, please¡let me¡¡± Slowly standing up, Erina placed her hands on Reinhardt¡¯s shoulder. If he did this on his own, he¡¯d have skinned himself after the grave was at an acceptable depth. When Reinhardt stepped out of the area, Erina chanted an earth elemental spell, showing that she wasn¡¯t an awakened like most of the people in Feria. By the time she was done, the ground had been cleaved with the ideal depth for a burial.
¡°Sir Reinhardt¡what really happened? I can¡¯t believe what Bishop Maximus said. I won''t believe it..." was all Erina could say. Reinhardt wouldn¡¯t go as far as to attack the grand bishop just because the Oracle had died. Some of the screws in the old man''s head may have been loose but since he had been a benevolent ruler and it was enough for Erina to believe that he meant well.
"He knew about the cure, Erina. He knew about it a long time ago. In fact, the grand bishops had some of the elixir.¡± At this point, a throaty laugh escaped Reinhardt, his hand swiped at his cheek. ¡°But he never told us about it. Lumina needed just a drop. Just a drop so she wouldn¡¯t suffer the detrimental effects of using her powers! At first, I thought it was for his own selfish reasons...that he wanted the cure for himself..." He had to stop for a minute to breathe, otherwise he would''ve exploded once again. "And I was right all along!¡± By this point, a self-depreciating laugh escaped his lips. ¡°It was indeed for his own selfish reasons! He wanted Lumina for himself!" His muddied hands went up to smack his own forehead at the thought, his shoulders still shaking with laughter.
"And when Lumina rejected him, the son of a bitch decided she should die! He decided that she deserved to die! That son of a bitch!" He roared at the end, his shoulders shook not from laughter but from anger. His eyes blazed with hatred. "I will avenge Lumina...I will make sure that he pays for what he had done! He will die by my hands." He said while looking at his dirty hands, imagining the different ways he could accomplish his goal. Yes, if he had to dirty up his hands just to make sure this kind of thing never happens again, then that he will do.
Erina couldn''t say anything, all this time she had her hands on her mouth. She had to stop herself from gasping too loud due to her shock from Reinhardt''s revelation. Deep inside her heart, she knew that Reinhardt wouldn''t lie to her. But still, she can¡¯t let him. She feared the repercussions of what he was plotting. Reinhardt would be branded a criminal, an enemy of the country, wanted in all the corners of Infinitia.
"Sir Reinhardt, he is still the grand bishop of the church...you can''t do that!" Erina protested, her head snapping up to meet Reinhardt''s eyes. She wanted to make sure if he was saying those words because of his grief. One look was all it took, and she knew that he was serious. He was indeed going to exact vengeance through his own hands. She looked down at Lumina''s face and somehow she knew what the Oracle would''ve wanted her to do, what she would''ve wanted her to say. "You can''t, Sir Reinhardt! Lumina wouldn''t want you to! She wouldn''t want you to dirty your hands like that! If what you''re saying is true then come with me and face the trial. I''m sure that the people will listen to you!" It was a nice sentiment. The irony was, she knew her suggestion wasn¡¯t in the least bit convincing. Maximus held a huge influence in the church. No one would dare oppose him and his authority. In Erina¡¯s heart, she wanted to tell Reinhardt to run, to go away and forget all of this ever happened.
"You don''t know what you''re talking about Erina. Everyone in the upper echelon of bishops knows the side effects of using the Oracles powers. It slowly saps you of your life force and eventually, you will die. Countless Oracles died in different times because every person is unique and spiritual life force differ per individual! That''s why there wasn''t any suspicion behind their deaths! None of them knows about the cure because Maximus withheld the information from them. A cure that he could have given the Oracles so that they may live longer. But he didn''t! To him, they were just expendable toys they can use to keep the power of the church! It¡¯s our words against his. It¡¯s a conspiracy!"
Those words resounded in the silence and Erina could only look up at him in desperation. "Sir Reinhardt¡please...don''t do this. It won''t solve anything and it might make things worse. It won''t change the world if you killed bishop Maximus! They would just replace him with a new bishop from the upper echelon who thinks the same way he does. It won''t change a thing!" She was pleading now, wishing and hoping that he would stop.
Erina''s words had more impact on Reinhardt than she thought. Every single word embedded itself in his mind. She was right...nothing will change. The world will be the same...no matter what.
A sudden epiphany.
Then it hit him. The sudden realization made him gasp for air. "You''re right...if I kill Maximus...it won''t change a thing. It won''t change Feria...it won''t change the world..." Reinhardt intoned which almost brought a smile to Erina''s lips thinking that she had won the argument.
She wanted to believe she did, if it weren''t for Horus appearing suddenly in a flash of bright yellow light. "No Reinhardt! You mustn''t let darkness seep into your heart. You musn''t----Nooooooo!" A dark aura started to rise from Reinhardt and the darkness grew to envelop Horus. The Incarnation struggled against the darkness but to no avail, his master''s heart has already been shrouded in darkness. When the aura dissipated, a Mirage that looked identical to Horus stood there but instead of the bright and warm light he gave off, the light seemed to vanish where he stood. There was an absence of light, gentle warmth was also sucked away and replaced by bitter coldness. His eyes that once glowed the bright yellow-orange of the sun now shone the brilliant blue of the moon. The Mirage¡¯s vestments also changed. Reinhardt barely noticed the change in his Mirage and instead faced Erina "If I can''t change Feria...if I can''t change Infinitia...then I will destroy it." He said as his once gentle dark eyes slowly changed to crimson red. All the warmth and light gone from his eyes and they now looked lifeless as if Lumina took away the very light that made him alive when she died.
"No...Sir Reinhardt! You shouldn''t let the darkness take control! This isn''t you, don''t let the demons of Nifleheim take control of you!" Erina''s horrified eyes grew as she turned from Reinhardt to the Mirage.
"Get out of my way Erina. I won''t harm you because Lumina holds you dear in her heart. But if ever you stand on my path, I won''t hesitate to cut you down. I won¡¯t be as merciful next time." Reinhardt stood and finally took Lumina''s body in his arms, he slowly lowered her body into the grave and slowly refilled it with soil. "Leave." He muttered with finality as he put the finishing touches on the grave.
He couldn''t even say goodbye to Lumina because as far as he knew he wasn''t the old Reinhardt anymore. All of the things that shackled him as a human didn¡¯t exist anymore. All of the people he cared about are gone from his mind and in his heart, he would never care about anyone ever again.
Knowing that there wasn''t anything else Erina could say that could possibly bring Reinhardt back, she took one last look at Reinhardt and with tear-filled eyes vowed that she won''t stand idle and just let these things unfold. She won''t get in his way, because even if she didn''t want to admit it, Erina wanted justice for her beloved Oracle. For her sister. She wouldn''t just let the darkness destroy the man that Lumina had loved. With a final look, she turned around and started running away from Reinhardt.
Drops of rain started to fall from the sky once more, weeping at the state Phracea was in and crying for the souls that had been lost. The drops served as a balm to Reinhardt''s soul as he looked up with closed eyes and let it soak him. He took a deep breath and stared at the sky and momentarily cursed Osiris and the other Gods for allowing a cruel fate to befall upon him and Lumina.
A sardonic smile appeared on his lips as he vowed to himself that once he destroys the world, he will go after the Gods, he will meet up with the creators of Infinitia and have a little "chat" with them andgive them a piece of his mind. And then, maybe then he can finally meet up with Lumina. This was just a temporary setback just as Lumina had said, a fork in the road wherein they would have to take different paths. But in the end, their paths will cross once more and they will be together. He stood up abruptly and gave Lumina''s tombstone one last look before turning around. "We have much work to do Horus..." And with that, the two disappeared covered in black smoke.
~*~
Rustling sounds jolted Maximus from his slumber. With weakened eyes, he searched the darkened room for any sign of presence. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±
The rustling sounds got louder, and from the dark corner of his room emerged a woman. A muddied long white gown adorned her body, her gait unsteady as she inched forward. The red eyes stared right back at Maximus who, through shock and the adrenaline, sat upright. Due to the exertion, the bishop had a coughing fit, blood spouting out of his mouth. ¡°Lu-Lumina?! Is-is that really you?!¡± The man¡¯s crazed eyes look at her, the emotions shifting from longing to regret then to horror.
The woman stopped upon hearing the name. A demonic grin appearing on her lips revealing sharp teeth. The crimson eyes glinted with rage, with hate for the living.
¡°It¡¯s¡it¡¯s not my fault! I didn¡¯t want this to happen¡if you just. If you just said yes¡¡± He wasn¡¯t able to continue as the woman leapt towards him, her thin arms and dainty fingers closing around her neck. ¡°Please Lu-mina¡¡± The bishop choked, gasping for air. Still weak from the lethal wound he suffered. Even after he was healed by the best healers of the country.
In answer to his plight, the woman started to laugh maniacally. And then with a burst of smoke, the once visage of the late Oracle changed. In her place, a woman who had light purplish hair and violet eyes stood. ¡°My my¡what a savage. You let her die¡and now you apologize? Humans are so fickle beings. You always rely on your emotions, that¡¯s why you¡¯re so weak.¡± The mage robe clad woman¡¯s voice was dripping with venom. With a flick of her wrist, she threw the old man to the wall. The bishop collided with it and slumped down on his bed.
¡°What¡have you done to Lumina? Is she alive?¡± the old man¡¯s voice weak and filled with fear. He may be powerful but he couldn¡¯t even compare with this woman.
¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Whatever we do with her, is none of your business. For now¡I have come to deliver a message.¡± And the Oracle started to relieve herself of her duties by informing the bishop about her master¡¯s plan. As Violet revealed each and every detail, the grand bishop¡¯s eyes kept growing bigger in bigger. And yet, he couldn¡¯t defy their orders. It was already too late for him.
~*~
The scorching sun glared all throughout the desert. Its heat razed everything that was weak enough to succumb to its power. Up in the clear blue sky, a bird flew gracefully, unfazed by the merciless heat. A lone figure cloaked in a thin brown cloak walked towards the hill. He walked normally, even though he didn¡¯t have a camel with him, as he crossed the desert.
Logically speaking, what he accomplished shouldn¡¯t be possible. No ordinary human would be able to traverse the desert without the proper mount, food, and water supply. And yet here he was doing that exactly.
As he neared the hills, the man removed his hood and revealed his face. Sweat trickled down his temples but it didn¡¯t diminish the peerless beauty he possessed. He had this enchanting look about him, owning a face that can cause envy even from the Gods. And yet, he looked quite clueless. Looking over the hill, he finally spotted his destination. The gypsy community in the desert country of Esperanza.
The air around him seemed to shimmer and sparkle as he smiled. His blue eyes glinted as his once sweat soaked appearance was replaced by a refreshed look. ¡°Let the games begin¡¡± he said in a singsong voice as he happily trudged down the hill. The air played with his silky light golden hair and breezed through his clothes. His arms swinging carelessly like a child¡¯s, his movements carefree and his smile dazzlingly bright.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Chapter 7: Welcome to Infinitia! (With Chapter ART)
A soft thrumming permeated the silence. The upbeat music accompanied the vibrating gadget, alerting of an incoming call. A door opened and a lanky man came out, only wearing his boxers. He had a towel draped over his shoulders, his left hand using it to wipe the excess water from his hair.
"Hello?" Came the baritone voice.
Silence.
"...It''s okay." He answered in a controlled tone. ''Not really...'' Yet his inner voice begged to differ.
Another brief pause as the guy listened to the caller.
"No need to apologize. I was about to call and say I wouldn''t be able to make it anyway...Yeah, I''m busy..." ''No you''re not. You''ve been anticipating this day for a long time...''
He moved on to his bed and fell on it with the phone still held to his ear.
"It''s alright. See you soon..." ''Yeah...maybe next year.''
Lucas ended the call. For a minute, he remained still. Then he sat up with a swift movement, the hand holding the phone raised up and poised to throw the phone against the wall.
''...''
''Nevermind...'' Phones aren''t cheap nowadays, destroying one so he could vent wouldn''t be worth it.
So instead, he settled with the next best thing. He stood up and kicked the side of the bed.
A loud bang resounded as his foot connected with it.
Something he regretted immediately as he hopped in place, his hand clutching his injured foot.
A few minutes and some curse words later, Lucas found himself seated on the bed. His gaze fell on his clock.
The green indicator flashed on 7:56 p.m.
There''s still time. Instead of focusing on his throbbing toe, he opened his phone and messaged his friends.
"Hey...took a rain check. Turns out I can play with you guys after all."
He looked at the bottom of his phone and saw his friends'' avatar''s move down. An indicator with round buttons appeared in an instant.
OtakuGirlXX, ArcticMonkey, Spartacus are typing...
" ??(???????)?? Yayy~!!"
"Great! See you there Luke!"
"The gang is complete!"
His friends'' reply came in succession. Their reactions made a smile appear on his face. Atleast some people were excited to see him. He completely forgot his recent pains, both emotional and physical.
The online game, Infinitia Online was about to go live. He wasn''t supposed to make it. This day was his birthday after all. If things went the way he planned, he''d be in a restaurant with his family. But as per usual, the schedule changed. He should''ve learned by now. And yet, he kept hoping.
''Is it really wrong to hope to be with my family during my birthday?''
Lucas shook his head to clear it out. Pity parties aside, he needed to get something to wear. Otherwise, he''d risk getting a cold. He went to the cabinet and took out clothes he can get comfortable in. Performing a body check before he immersed himself in the game, he realized he wasn''t that hungry. He''ll check things out with his friends, maybe finish a quest or two then if he gets hungry, he''ll just log out.
He looked at his laptop, situated on his bedside table. A browser was opened to the Infinitia website.
The site didn''t have a lot of information. It was quite straightforward, actually. It only had the name of the game on top and a timer with a simple instruction that sat below it.
''Plug in your Virtual Reality Console while staying on this page. Press the Play button once the countdown reaches zero.''
Great reviews about the game have spread through the entire gaming community. Gaming and reaction videos from alpha and beta tests of the game spread through the internet like wildfire. Naturally, his gaming buddies knew about it and two of them even participated in the tests.
Game popularity is usually dictated by the innovations it presented. It had to offer something new compared to the other VRMMORPG''s in the market.
In the case of Infinitia Online, there wasn''t much hype about it in the beginning. Only that an unknown company created and produced the game. Other top games had the backing of well-known companies. So it was only natural that people ignored it.
It all started with a game teaser in its official website. The caption read, ¡°Would you like to live in a world separate from your own? One where magic exists and you get to play the hero?¡± which at the time seemed too common for a catch phrase. The publicity didn''t work. The game didn''t gain a following and after a time, the developers went silent. A few months later, the underestimated game made a comeback with a gameplay video to boot.
The game brought new meaning to the word virtual reality. The former could be disregarded as the latter gave it more emphasis. The graphics was too genuine. As if it was a movie shot in real life and polished with awesome effects. At first, debates and speculations ran wild about its authenticity. Some people remarked that it must have been a short movie opening to promote the game. Whilst others hoped that it was the real thing.
The whole conflict reached its conclusion as they released gameplay videos and more details. Suffice to say, the reaction and attention it gathered was more than overwhelming. Some game elements and features were also revealed.
There were some features that were the same as most games. They dulled the pain sensation to avoid detrimental effects on the body. They also imitated some human biological conditions to make things realistic. But the pervasive truth was that the "graphics" were beyond its years. "It¡¯s like I got transported to a different world and wore helmets and swung swords!¡± "It''s so real that I could actually feel the fine hairs on my avatars skin when I ran my hand through it!" "I actually perspired after I did some monster hunting!" were some of the reactions posted through different sites.
Because of these reasons, and coupled with peer pressure, Lucas finally caved in. He got roped in by his friends to try out the game.
¡°Well here goes nothing!¡± After sending a message to his friends that he would be logging in, Lucas placed the Virtual Reality Gear on. He felt as if his body got sucked into a vacuum and after a few seconds, everything went black.
~*~
When Lucas came to, he found himself standing in a dark room. ¡°Wow, the developers did good...¡± he murmured to himself.
¡°¡¡±
¡°What am I standing on?¡± he observed when he felt a wet sensation on his feet.
¡°Water?! Am I standing on water?! Hmmm¡¡± His gaze went up as light flashed a few steps from where he stood. It was a floating crystal shard, hovering up and down. The object seemed to beckon him.
¡°I guess that¡¯s the log-in panel. Might as well get through with this.¡±
Reaching out to the crystal, he heard a voice echo inside his head. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Tir! Thank you for responding to our cry for help! What¡¯s your name?¡± a soft female voice said coupled with a flash of silvery white light.
After the blinding light show faded, a girl about the size of a twelve year old floated in front of Lucas. She wore lacy white vestments and her face radiated with an expectant smile. On her head was a white beret with a feather design.
¡°I¡¯m Luca¡ªwait a minute! If she¡¯s asking for my name then she must mean my character name right?¡± Lucas started to say but the rest turned to mumbling as his right hand went up to rub his chin. He wasn¡¯t really good with names. Usually, he settled with names of actors he liked. This time, it took a while before a name of a certain actor crossed his mind. Well, not really. More like the character that the actor portrayed in the movie. He was about to say his new name when he hesitated.
His eyes had a deadpan look. Remembering the times when his friend Mikhail had used ¡°pet¡± names. Just because his friend found it hard to pronounce the names he chose.
¡°Oh¡Leonardo Di Caprio this time? I¡¯ll call you Leo.¡±
¡°You got that from Robin Williams this time I presume? Meh, will call you Rob!¡±
¡°Now it¡¯s Johnny Depp? Too wordy, Jon will be okay!¡±
Those memories made him cringe. So instead of using the real character name Ulrich, he chose to change how it was spelt. Alric. Yes, that would suffice.
Upon reaching a decision he looked at the waiting girl who had her head tilted to the side ¡°I¡¯m Alric! It''s spelled as A-l-r-i-c! Nice to meet you!¡±
Yes, he didn¡¯t choose a jester¡¯s name. That would be too hard to live down. Yes, the character and portrayal was great. But he didn''t have what it took to carry that name.
The girl chuckled, ¡°Hello Alric! Before you enter our world, may I ask you a few questions?¡± and as she did she floated towards him.
¡°Ummm¡sure! She might be asking about my character¡¡±
The girl twirled around and shouted with glee ¡°Yaaay!¡±
¡°First things first, what will be your race?¡± She asked her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
¡°Oh! Asking that all of a sudden huh? There isn¡¯t even a choice? Well¡an elf would be nice--woah!¡± He yelled when small particles of light engulfed his whole body.
When the light faded, the first thing he noticed was that he wore different clothes. It was mostly made of leather and cloth and had a green and yellow theme. Apart from that, he noticed something felt a little different.
He raised his arms and observed them. He seemed more slender than his usual build.
¡®I wonder if I look any different¡¯ and just when he thought of it, a floating mirror appeared in front of him.
¡°Whoa! I take back what I said! I look nothing like before!¡± That was putting it lightly. In actuality, Lucas'' appearance became more feminine and refined. The word androgynous popped into his head as the more apt description. For a more common term, he seemed to have transformed into a ¡°beautiful¡± man. However, the most noticeable difference was that he had pointed ears.
He did different poses in the mirror. Imitating the models in the commercial ads he had seen. ¡°Wow! I definitely look like an elf! Complete with the pointed ears. Not to mention the green eyes! This is awesome!" He got a little bit sidetracked, excited at the level of detail. Gone were the days that you looked at a monitor and used sliders to change your avatar''s appearance.
"But I¡¯m curious, let¡¯s see¡how about an orc?¡± This time he wasn¡¯t that surprised, well not enough to elicit a yell and embarrass himself.
First, he noticed was his height and built. He was a bit taller than his elven form and his build a little bulkier. Complexion-wise, it was light green and he had tattered clothes on. He looked like an orc alright, complete with two canines sticking out of his lips.
With a huge smile plastered on his face, Alric tried different races. From a vampire to a werewolf, a demi-human and every single race he could think of. Most of them were available but there were some he tried that seemed to be nonexistent in the game. The NPC beside him remained patient, awaiting for him to settle on his final choice.
¡°To have so many choices at my disposal, and this is the first question. This is hard¡¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯d go for a human?¡± He said and finally returned into his normal appearance. The only difference this time was his eyes which looked bigger than his small squinty ones. Bigger than his usual European Asian eyes.
¡°Are you satisfied with the way you look?¡± The girl asked which made Alric look at the mirror. He always had unruly hair in the real world and he didn¡¯t want to have that problem within the game.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°I was wondering if I could have easy to style hair?? One that isn¡¯t...like mine?¡± He said with a sheepish look. With a flurry of lights, his hair changed to a shorter and cleaner look.
¡°Will that do?¡± Tir asked afterwards.
Lucas'' hand went up and ruffled his hair. True to his request, his hair didn''t get messed up. After his hand left his head, his hair had turned back to its "fixed" form. He wasn''t the vain type of person. The only reason he requested it was because he disliked fixing his hair if he had to go somewhere important.
"Yeah. This''ll do. Thanks!" He answered as he turned back to Tir.
¡°Are you more inclined to using magic in a battle or fighting with a weapon?¡± The little girl asked, her face taking on a more serious look.
¡°Well, I would say I¡¯m a mixture of both? I like to be able to attack my enemies with a weapon. But I also want to use magic when the need arises.¡± He explained. In the games he played, he usually played a hybrid character. He played the role of mid-vanguard, he stayed in the middle of the formation. He did this to protect the mages and healers at the back while dishing out damage as well.
¡°Wow! What a unique class! I wonder how you¡¯ll turn out to be? That will be it! Enjoy your stay in our world!¡± The NPC answered which kind of confused Lucas.
He didn¡¯t know that she was asking about a class. Before he was able to react, the NPC twirled around and burst into bright lights. He covered his eyes not knowing what to expect next.
The sudden noise reached Lucas'' ears, prompting him to open his eyes.
"Wait...you''re not Lucas here. You''re Alric! You have to start referring to yourself as Alric from now on." Alric said to himself.
To avoid being the victim of the stampede of people, Alric started walking. The ruckus came from incoming players ported from the character creation screen. Previous experiences from games told him that this must have been the Beginner Town. The place where newly created characters first appear.
¡°The developers really deserve an award for this game.¡± Alric said, his eyes roaming around to look at the infrastructures and things in front of him. What he saw made his eyes shine with wonder as a medieval looking town appeared before his eyes. He saw other players talking to the local NPC''s, some with user interfaces out.
¡°Let¡¯s see if we can access the menu somehow.¡± Once he thought about it, a glowing round button appeared in front of him. ¡°Hmmm not even a tutorial? It¡¯s worth a try I guess.¡± He said pressing the button.
A window appeared in front of him. The menu looked like the stereotypical ones you usually see in MMORPGS. The categories that appeared were the usual. From Character Status, Inventory, Traits, Abilities, Friends List and more. He clicked the first button and his Character Status screen popped up. It showed him the usual status with detailed stats.
¡°Let¡¯s see. My character name is¡ right¡Alric. And my race is human. But my class...why is it greyed out and has question marks?¡± He asked himself upon seeing ¡®???????¡¯ on his class window.
¡°Maybe my class isn''t finalized yet?¡± He said skipping the class part and checking his stats. What appeared to him was a spiderweb-type diagram. Most MMORPG''s had numbers to quantify stats. Infinitia Online, in its quest to be unique, only provided a web diagram.
¡°My strength and magic is balanced but it¡¯s not that high. I have normal agility and above average dexterity. And of course, it¡¯s up to me to have low luck. I wonder how they calculate these things¡not much player choice eh?¡± He scratched his head in confusion.
He was about to check his weapons tab when a button appeared in front of him. It had a phone design complete with the face of a person that somehow looked familiar to him.
¡°Yo Lucas! Where are you?! We¡¯re here at the beginner¡¯s hall, come here and go get your starter pack!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll head over there now. Geez Mikhail, you¡¯re as impatient as always.¡± Upon hanging up, Alric followed the troves of new adventurers.
After passing by a few buildings, a large structure appeared before Alric. It covered about a whole street and it looked more like a city hall. In front of its steps, a guy with a large build was waving at him.
¡°Mikhail?¡± Alric trailed off as he was unsure if the person waving was his friend. To a certain extent, he expected different races. He knew that there would be different avatar appearances but he didn¡¯t expect his friend to go this far.
¡°Oi! Lucas! Come quick! We¡¯ve all been waiting for you!¡± Alric''s large friend confirmed who he was with a grin. The smile revealed sharp incisors, more so than normal humans, underneath his lips. They had about the same height in real life but his friend looked more like a brute with his body size in the game. What more, his skin seemed to have a light reddish hue. If that wasn''t enough, he had horns on each side of his head.
¡°Call me Alric here, anyway what¡¯s up with that?¡± Alric intoned, pointing at the horns on his friend''s head.
¡°Alric huh? I was half expecting you to name yourself from actors again. Well, it¡¯s easy to remember since it¡¯s a German name. My cousin¡¯s name is Alric!¡±
Alric had a sarcastic smile on. He would rather die before he let Mikhail know the name was indeed from an actor¡¯s character in a movie.
And with that Mikhail gestured on a panel invisible to Alric. In the end, a small button with his friends smiling face appeared in front of him.
¡°Thor is trying to add you as a friend!¡±
YES
NO
¡°Thor? Really?¡± Alric said with a raised eyebrow. Maybe it was time for him to get back at his friend.
The burly man scratched his head. ¡°Well¡I couldn¡¯t come up with a name that fit my character.¡± Then he shrugged.
Well, that was a let down. Alric didn¡¯t even have a chance to snipe at his friend for choosing a goofy name. It was a God¡¯s name. But it didn¡¯t automatically make it sound cool. In fact, it sounded goofy.
Alric pressed the yes button and after doing that the panel disappeared.
¡°Kind of expected you to be this plain. You didn¡¯t choose to be a human did you? Didn¡¯t I tell you that the Human race doesn¡¯t have very beneficial racial skills?¡± His friend had said as they walked through the large hallway.
¡°There were too many to choose from and I didn¡¯t know which one would benefit my ideal class. I¡¯ll just wing it. How about you? What race did you choose? And where are Jessie and Reina?¡± Alric asked absentmindedly as his eyes wandered all over the place.
¡°I chose to be a Dragonkin Demi-Human! It has great advantage when it comes to stamina and defense which is perfect for the Guardian class I¡¯m aiming for. Jess and Reina are up ahead and checking out the beginner equipment you can receive.¡± His friend Thor had answered but everything he said fell on deaf ears. Alric stood transfixed at a scene in one of the doors in the hallway that lead outside the building.
A girl stood there, her long white robes covering her from head to foot. She stood amongst the crowd, yet she seemed to stand out above the rest. The way that she awkwardly scanned her surroundings fascinated Alric. How the hood of her robe fell on her shoulders as she moved which revealed hair the color of the clear blue sky. No¡it seemed like it was more of the color of sapphire¡or was it¡the color of the blue sea? Her hair color must have been changing by the way it caught the light from outside.
¡°Alric! Are you listening!¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, Thor¡¯s eyes followed what he was looking at and whistled upon seeing the girl.
¡°Don¡¯t fall for those types! You know that this is the online world. Although we can¡¯t change genders we can always change the way we look.¡± Thor chided dragging his friend by the collar of his clothing.
¡°Hey! Wait! Thor! You don¡¯t have to drag me around!¡± Alric intoned and his eyes automatically went back to where the girl stood but she wasn¡¯t there anymore.
¡°Yeah, she must have been an elf¡from the way she looked.¡± He murmured only to himself, not intending for his friend to hear.
¡°There they are! Jessie! Reina-chan! Alric has arrived! And look at what our plain friend chose for a race!¡± Thor teased as he gave Alric a whack on the back.
Thor stressed his name so that the two would immediately pick up on his character''s name. Basic online gaming etiquette dictates that real world names weren''t allowed. The character name used by a player is as good as the real name. It replaced the one the player had in real life. It was a way for players to protect their privacy. Some even use it to cosplay a character they liked. There aren''t any laws restricting real name usage. It''s still the player''s prerogative whether they would use their real names for games.
Even if it was a joke, the hit still stung a little. Maybe because his stats did not have enough Vitality to begin with. He caressed his stinging shoulder and turned to the side where Thor acknowledged the women. ¡°Sup Jessie! Reina-san!¡± Alric said absentmindedly, not really knowing where among the crowd their friends are. In response to them, two women turned in their direction.
A stunning scene unfolded in Alric''s eyes.
The two beautiful women who stood in front of them had totally different appearances. Yes, he knew their real appearances in the real world thanks to social media. But with the level of realism this games¡¯ graphic engine had, it was still a sight to behold. If you add the fact that their race also seemed unique when compared to his.
The first one named Jessie had short green hair up to her shoulders. She wore beginner equipment but what stood out were the two things that seemed to protrude¡or come out of her back. They were a pair of wings, which even at a state wherein it was folded, already reached below her buttocks area.
In contrast, Reina donned a yukata and had a more natural look. Her black hair tied on the back that reached below her shoulders. The typical appearance of a Japanese woman. It fit because she is Japanese in real life. It was also the reason why they added -chan and -san after her name. She didn¡¯t stand out that much compared to the former. Well, if not for the light blue ball of fire hovering above her head.
¡°Hey Alric! Call me Jess here! And glad to see you¡¯ve finally arrived!¡± said the rather tomboyish Jessie whilst Reina bowed awkwardly
¡°H-hello Al-Alric-kun!¡± The black haired girl blushed from her stuttering. Reina wasn''t usually like this in the games they played. Well, not the virtual reality ones at least. This game had that effect. It would be easier to say that they got transported to a different world instead. Everything screamed reality.
But not quite. A friend invite icon also appeared in front of Alric as the two women worked on their panel. This was what made it a game. Floating icons, user interfaces and menus don''t appear in real life. Not like this anyway. Maybe if you were in a science fiction movie.
¡°Hello, sorry for being late. By the way, can I ask you something?¡± Alric said after accepting their invitation. His sudden shift in topic made the two girls look at each other.
¡°What race did you choose? Jess, are you perhaps a¡harpy?¡± Alric asked, his eyebrows knitted in curiosity. Upon finishing the sentence, Thor burst out laughing. Though it was short lived as Jess conked him in the head.
Thor swayed with eyes like swirls, before he fell face first on the ground.
Jess cleared her throat and answered Alric''s question as if nothing happened. ¡°I¡¯m one of the Featherfolk Demi-human races. I chose it because it¡¯s very agile and of course because of their innate skills!¡± She said, unfurling her wings which surprised some of the people around.
¡°Jessie-chan! Put your wings down. S-Sorry Alric-kun, Jessie-chan is too happy with her race.¡± Reina said trying to calm the laughing Jess.
¡°Eh¡it¡¯s alright Reina-san. How about you? What¡¯s your race?¡± Alric studied how Reina looked. But nothing in her appearance clued him in on what her chosen race was.
Feeling as if she was being observed on a microscope, Reina lowered her head down in shame. Her face flushing red.
Thor laughed even harder upon Alric¡¯s question. During the time Alric asked Reina, he was already standing next to them. As if he didn''t face plant earlier on the floor.
Jess was quick on her feet, her agile foot connecting with Thor''s body. The burly guy flew across the room and destroyed the wall on the side. Dust covered the area and people looked on at the ensuing scene.
¡°Amazing! Even the environment and the objects within this game can be destroyed or manipulated too. The level of detail.¡± Alric didn''t even react to Thor and Jess'' antics. Not even how what happened was impossible if Physics was involved. This was a game after all, and it even had a fantasy setting too. Though he somehow questioned Thor''s capabilities as a Tank. If you consider that one kick from Reina''s slender legs would send him flying.
Mentally shrugging at the lack of common sense, Alric casually returned his gaze to Reina. By now, their group was already used to Thor and Jess acting like that. The four of them have known each other for a while now. Alric and Reina weren¡¯t strangers to this comedic strip from Thor and Jess. Especially since the latter two knew each other, far longer than Reina and Alric did.
¡°Umm¡I¡¯m a yo-¡yokai¡¡± Reina answered in a small voice that Alric had to make sure he heard her right. Seeing Alric stare at him, Reina¡¯s face colored even more. Among the four, Reina had the more vibrant imagination. Actually, one can even say that she¡¯s the one with the most otaku tendencies. It could be attributed to the fact that she had exposure to the culture since she grew up in Japan.
¡°Oh! That¡¯s¡quite unique Reina-san! I¡¯ve never heard of that kind of race in any VMMORPG before!¡± He tried to brighten up the atmosphere to pacify Reina whose face was about to burst in flames. He could almost see smoke rising from her flushed face.
Alric didn''t even need to ask Reina what a Yokai was. He was a bit of an otaku himself. That''s why he knew Yokai were ghosts and supernatural creatures in Japanese Folklore.
¡°E-ehh! Th-thank you Alric-kun!¡± Reina answered not minding the ruckus happening in the background. As usual, Jess and Thor were in another one of their spats.
¡°Damn woman! I told you to stop being violent!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll stop being violent if you stop being a dickhead!¡±
¡°By the way, what¡¯s your class Reina-san?¡± Alric continued, focusing instead on his conversation with Reina. One thing he learned to master while being friends with Thor and Jess was to tune out unnecessary noise. Right now, they were the source.
¡°Oh¡I don¡¯t know as of yet¡it hasn¡¯t been ¡®discovered¡¯ yet as I haven¡¯t met the system requirements for my class to appear. I do have the basic skills of a caster so that should mean my class is a magic type one. How about you?¡±
One of the things that made Infinitia Online popular was that classes weren''t determined upon character creation. Yes, you''re given a choice whether to play a ¡®Melee¡¯ or ¡®Caster¡¯ type. The developers made it that way to determine whether you¡¯re inclined to using weapons or magic. That was the reason why some people at the beginning had question marks on their class window.
But recent guides stated that the questions at character creation influenced it. If answered specifically, you can get a higher percentage on a desired class of your choice. So one can say that they prefer to fight using weapons at a long range to end up being an archer. Or they prefer to use magic to heal and support comrades to end up as a healer.
Even so, these roles are never generic in the sense that there are only a few people who have the same. According to rumors, the chosen race and fighting preference affects this. But there might still be a hidden factor to calculate what your class will be.
Aside from the ¡°base¡± type you start off with, you can ¡®discover¡¯ your first class as you play the game. By that they meant, by selecting skills, gaining experience and exploring. Rumors mill about an advanced class which happens after a ¡®revelation¡¯. You get higher bonuses to stats and get better skills. And yet, no one has been able to prove this.
The possibilities were endless. The classes discovered include Wizard, Sage, Necromancer, Bishop, Saint, Bard and Gypsy from the common magical types. The common physical types include Brawler, Berserker, Samurai, Warrior, Ranger and Sniper. Others reported to have attained rare ones such as War Chieftain, Warlock, Soul Reaper, Puppeteer and more. That was the main reason why Infinitia Online was dubbed as an otaku¡¯s dream world.
¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why. I haven¡¯t discovered mine too. I mean, I seem to have access to the basic magic skill tree. And the fighter skill tree as well so I¡¯m not sure what class I am inclined to.¡± Jess and Thor must have heard the conversation and returned with pouts on their faces.
¡°Really? That¡¯s kind of risky Alric! Hybrid characters are quite rare because they usually end up falling short by the end. As per your class discovery, don¡¯t worry about it. You can go about your way and level up and choose the skills you want. You don¡¯t even have to worry about it. Jess here already got her base class discovery and changed to it.¡± Reina pointed to Jess who gave him a peace sign while doing her proud stance once more.
¡°Really?! Then what is your class Jess?¡± He asked, very curious about how this class change happened. Up to what he has read in guides and walkthroughs, he still can¡¯t picture how class changes exactly happen.
¡°I¡¯m a Ranger! Well, I got the discovery when I spent my skill points on archer class skills and when I picked a bow for a starter weapon. A system message appeared asking if I wanted to go on with the class advancement. I guess my choices and race altered the common Archer and made me into Ranger.¡±
Alric had a look that said ¡°Oooh!¡± on his face which seemed to make Jess smile wider. ''So that¡¯s how it worked! By spending your skill points and choosing your weapon you can discover your class!''
Alric had lots of questions crossing in his mind. Like which path should he focus on. Especially since he had both branches open for him. He also wondered whether his weapon choice would affect it somehow. Another good point he had was if changing weapons affected class.
¡®Hmmm¡that¡¯s an interesting thought¡¯
¡°Well, why don¡¯t you finish choosing your weapons Reina-chan and Alric! We¡¯ll wait by the entrance for you two!¡± Before Alric could even ask about Thor¡¯s class, the two had already disappeared and left him and Reina alone.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Chapter 9: The Yggdrasil Seed (Skill) System (With TONS of New ART!)
The Yggdrasil Tree, otherwise known as the World Tree or the Tree of Life, was mainly connected to Norse Mythology. It was an enormous mythical tree that connected the nine worlds. It also represented the world; the myths even went as far as to say that if the tree died, the world itself would perish.
Infinitia Online aptly named their skill system as the Yggdrasil Seed System. Not that it had anything to do with gates to the other realms. They named it that way as it was meant to represent life. It showed the abilities that a person may learn. True to its namesake, it had complex mechanics that they introduced to players. The uniqueness of the game didn¡¯t stop from the detailed graphics or the artificial intelligence.
¡°Alric-san, have you perhaps checked your skill tree?¡± Reina looked at him with questioning eyes.
Alric felt the heat buildup in his face. To disperse it off, he laughed and scratched his head. ¡°Well, I never really had the chance to. Sorry about that, but can you tell me about it?¡±
¡°Go ahead and open your skills tab.¡± Jess motioned as they all approached him.
Alric opened his panel and found the ¡°Skills¡± tab. It was the first time he looked at it, and he was surprised at the animation at the beginning. It showed a silhouette of a tree, then it zoomed in and showed a fruit falling. The fruit changed into a seed upon reaching the ground. Once the seed got embedded in the soil, it started to emit a faint glow; Once the animation ended, information popped up on his screen.
The words ¡°Yggdrasil Seed System¡± were on top of the window. On the right part of the menu, the words plastered were ¡°Available Skill Points: 3¡±. The seed in itself kept glowing while the words ¡°You discovered your first skill!¡± kept blinking.
¡°Hmm¡¡± Alric intoned, his right hand scratched his chin thoughtfully.
¡°What do you know? You¡¯ve already discovered an ability. Ability discovery is said to be rare as it required certain conditions. Go ahead and check it. A prompt will appear if you want to keep it or you want to discard it. If you go with it, you¡¯ll be spending one skill point though.¡± Thor said, excited at what the skill was.
Alric was about to tap the seed when Jess interjected.
¡°Alric, it would be better if you hear everything first. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to be impulsive with your choices. Rumors say you can¡¯t recreate your character in this game.¡± The green-haired girl said, her tone admonishing.
Sensing that the explanation would take a bit of time, Thor sat whereas Jess prodded one end of her bow on the ground.
¡°Alric, haven''t you been reading the guides? The reason why Infinitia Online is popular is due to the freedom of customization. It isn¡¯t just race or appearance, what makes it fun are the abilities.¡± Thor supplied while getting ready to explain.
¡°In the beginning, you have inherent racial traits and abilities. You cannot spend ability points on the former, but you can freely spend it on the latter. We¡¯ve already told you that different races have racial traits. Mine, for example, allow me the racial trait of ¡°Flight¡± and ¡°Far Sight¡±, Thor and Reina probably has the same with theirs.¡± Jess looked at Reina as if to ask for assistance.
¡°It''s one of the reasons why I told you not to choose the human race. To begin with, they rarely have any valuable ones. Just being in the Dragonkin race gives me bonuses to stamina, vitality, and strength.¡± Thor said, airing out his grievance at his friends choice.
¡®Well too late to regret that now¡¡¯ Alric said to himself. Despite his lingering feelings with his family situation, he was never the type to dwell on things.
¡°Let¡¯s move on to gaining ability points. It happens every three levels, meaning you get one point to spend every time your character levels up three times. You also get one bonus for every ten levels. As of the moment, the level cap is one hundred, so if you compute it with the bonus, you get a total of forty-three points. By undergoing ¡®discovery¡¯ and ¡®revelation¡¯ or in other words your first and second class advancements you also get five free points for each respectively. So that brings it to a total of fifty-three, well, fifty-six if you count the three points you get in the beginning.¡± With that Reina looked at Thor intending for him to continue the explanation.
¡°Only a total of fifty-six points?! Then what¡¯s the point of saying there are thousands of possible skills in this game when they give so little?!¡± Alric stated in exasperation. It was a good thing he hadn¡¯t used up any of his points yet. Otherwise, there would¡¯ve been a chance he messed up. He wasn¡¯t a perfectionist, but when it came to gaming, he liked to plan out everything.
¡°Hmm¡that¡¯s why you have to spend them wisely since you can only gain so many points. You don¡¯t have to worry though, even though you only get a few points, there is still a ton of things you can do.¡± Reina said, her arms up and trying to pacify Alric.
¡°The developers, as you can see from your menu, called this the Yggdrasil Seed System, wherein you can see the detailed map of your skills and spells connected by branches of a tree. To prevent confusion, you should remember the basics by learning the terms. The ones used in this game are different. Abilities are known as seeds, masteries as roots, and skills and spells as blooms. Memorize that.¡± Jess stressed the last portion so that Alric won¡¯t be confused at the following explanations.
¡°Before we go into the main topic, let''s first talk about something important. Look at the glowing seed on your screen. Below it is an orb with a soul shaped thing right? Yes, that¡¯s a character core. They dictate whether you¡¯re a melee, a caster or a hybrid. The melee¡¯s orb was colored white, and the casters¡¯ was black while the hybrids got gray. It provides damage checks to your skills. Caster''s will have higher damage output with spells; Melee players will do more damage with skills while somewhere in between are Hybrids.¡± Jess pointed at Alric¡¯s screen as she explained. ¡°Meaning Caster¡¯s can also get a skill that does physical damage, but its output won¡¯t be on par with a melee character. And vice versa. Unlike normal ability slots, character cores do not possess blooms. They only have roots, five of them. The difference is that they provide both passives and supplemental skills. ¡± She added, making sure that Alric took note of this.
¡°Supplemental skills can be anything as long as it is not a stand alone skill or spell Alric-kun. Take mine, for example; I created Overcharge which is a Caster supplemental skill which allows me to spend more magical power on a particular spell which allows me to double or triple its damage output. Of course, the delay on spell activation is longer while the skill is activated. The longer I delay it and infuse my magical power with the spell, the stronger it gets. Oh! And Jess forgot to add that the first and second root is open and can be filled with a supplement at level one. You unlock the third at level thirty, the fourth at level forty and the fifth at level fifty. Another important thing Alric, whatever unique skill you come up with in your core can apply to all your skills or spells.¡± Reina used her spell as an example. She knew that by using hers, it would be easier to make Alric understand. She also gave the prerequisites to open up the other roots.
¡°Now that we¡¯ve got that out of the way let''s move on to the exciting part! How do you get abilities, skills, and spells!¡± Thor said excitedly, his sharp teeth showing as he grinned.
¡°Players can plant seeds in slots which will cost one point. These abilities can be elements, elemental adept, weapon skills, and weapons adept and much more. By the way, the difference between elements and adepts is easy. The former has the active spells and skills whereas the latter has the passives. For example, a mage uses points for both the fire element and fire adept. They will be separate but linked abilities. The first ability will have blooms that have active spells such as fireball. The second ability contains passive and supplemental blooms which serve to increase proficiency in the said element or weapon. It can be anything, such as increasing the number of fireballs spawned in one spell or maybe even making the fireball bigger.¡± Jess started, hoping she got her point across.
¡°In your case, if you spend one point in your discovered skill, it will fill up an ability slot. Thus, ¡®planting¡¯ seed to start your skill ¡®tree¡¯. The first skill or spell is free but for each new one, you will spend one ability point. Are you with us so far?¡± Thor paused, letting his friend absorb the information. When Alric didn¡¯t reply, he continued.
¡°Let''s move on to the specifics. Once you¡¯ve set an ability, you can now create skills or spells. As was said earlier, you get a free point to spend and create your first spell or skill. There are five bloom slots which you can fill up. Take note that your choice must be related to the parent ability. As was mentioned earlier, for a fire element ability, you can create a fireball spell. Likewise, a sword ability can have sword bash as its first skill. The first and second blooms are accessible at level one. You will unlock the third, fourth and fifth at levels thirty, forty and fifty respectively.¡± Reina watched Alric¡¯s reaction. Hopefully his friend wasn¡¯t confused as of yet.
¡°Now let''s talk about Masteries, otherwise known as roots. Those are the circles with stars on the right side of each ability. Upon creation, the system decides the number of masteries an ability can have, ranging from three to five. You can say that each root corresponds to mastery level. It gains experience every time you activate skills or spells related to your parent ability. Unlike character core roots, only the first is unlocked at the beginning. Mastering one root opens up the succeeding one, and it gives you a bonus. An upgrade from a selection of passives that would provide different benefits to your ability. It could be additional damage, less magical power consumption or faster activation. It can even be an added attribute or status effect.¡° Thor finished, took out a beverage food item, and took a swig.
¡°Last but not the least are the ¡®core¡¯ abilities. Remember when we said that some abilities have three or four upgrades, not five? Well, a good way to maximize them is to set it as an ability core. No one knows the impact of doing this yet. All we know is that it automatically upgrades your roots to five stars. There might be a hidden or bigger effect in the future. But at the moment, we can only guess it would be substantial since it won¡¯t be called an ability ¡®core¡¯ for nothing.¡± Jess shrugged, wondering herself when they would implement that update.
¡°Did you get all our explanations so far?¡± Reina asked, hoping that they were helping him understand the system.
Alric was quiet the whole time, trying to get as much info as he could from their explanations. He organized the critical points in their explanations and summarized them in a way he could easily understand. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Racial Traits were decided at the beginning. By allocating points, a player gains abilities, and you get a total of fifty-six points. Character cores have three kinds; Melee, Caster, and Hybrid cores provided damage checks to spells and skills. Once the primary ability or ¡®seed¡¯ was planted, the player can create spells or skills out of that ability by using their points. When someone mastered a root, they will be able to add passive upgrades to the ability. Masteries ranged from three to five, and the system predetermined it. It was the same with blooms which had five skills or spells per ability.
¡°Wait¡you said earlier that after I ¡®planted¡¯ my first ability, the first skill or spell I choose is free right?¡± When they all nodded, Alric continued, ¡°Then is it applicable to all new abilities I take?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Answered Jess, somehow guessing where Alric¡¯s line of questioning was going.
¡°Then what¡¯s stopping others from exploiting the system and just getting tons of abilities? Since the first skill or spell is free anyway? They¡¯ll be able to get two points while only using one.¡± Alric had had to inquire. Personally, he didn¡¯t like game breaking exploits as they didn¡¯t bid well for online games. If he was right, then this was something that the developers had to rethink.
In reaction, Alric¡¯s friends burst out laughing. ¡°Leave it to you to think of these things. Don¡¯t worry; the developers covered their asses on this one.¡± Jess answered with confidence.
¡°The blooms belong to different categories of power Alric. The bottom two represent beginner, the next two represent advanced, and finally, master skills or spells. You see if someone wasted all their points and get tons of abilities just to exploit the system, then they will be stuck with beginner skills or spells only.¡± Reina explained patiently, satisfied when Alric nodded at her explanation.
That made sense. If players were allowed to exploit the system through that, then it was already game over. The developers did the right thing by putting a limit on the strength of the spells or skills created.
¡°By the way, there are rumors that the development team is going to include elite and godly abilities, but the latter is totally unrelated to the Yggdrasil grid, so no one knows how it will work. But I¡¯d like to get my hands on them, being godly and all would be so-¡±
Before he could finish his sentence, angry veins appeared all over Jess¡¯ face. Sensing that Thor strayed away from the subject, Jess automatically raised her bow and used it to bash Thor¡¯s head towards the ground.
¡°First, let''s check this¡¡± Alric said, completely ignoring Thor as he tapped on the glowing seed. It opened a description of his discovered skill.
¡°Nice going Alric! That should be a rare skill! I didn¡¯t know you knew how to use different weapons in real life!¡± Thor said, already standing and undaunted from Jess¡¯ assault.
¡°Well, technically it¡¯s one type of discipline I know. It just so happened that it taught us to wield a lot of different weapons.¡± Arnis specialized in the usage of different weapons. And since Alric knew the technicalities on handling those weapons, it must have activated this skill. If Thor didn¡¯t learn it, then it must mean that it wasn¡¯t based on the different weapons players wielded in different games. Alric knew for a fact that his friend tried different weapons in various games, meaning the developers once again implemented a feature that only considered real life knowledge. Knowing how to wield weapons in games was worlds apart when compared in real life.
Alric was a bit concerned at the words ¡°Limited¡± attached to the skill though. But since there¡¯s another word that said ¡°Locked¡±, it meant that there must be a way to unlock the skill¡¯s potential. He tapped on the seed once more, and another window popped up. It asked him if he wanted to keep the skill. He clicked on accept, and the seed stopped glowing and grew roots on the right side. Five buds sprouted on the left, one of them already glowing.
The first bud glowed incessantly, and upon tapping it, it asked him if he wanted to add a new skill. Alric clicked on ¡°No¡± and postponed it for now. He wasn¡¯t really up to the idea of creating a physical skill at the moment. What he wanted to try was magic. Every player would be able to relate to how he felt. Closely tied to katanas, magic was one of the things that you had to try when you entered a fantasy world.
¡°I don¡¯t know what skill to get as of yet. For now, I want to get a spell which I can use if the need arises. I still don¡¯t know which element to take though. Speaking of which, which ones did you choose?¡±
¡°I chose fire! Well, because I¡¯m a dragon!¡± Thor announced proudly.
¡°I chose light magic because I like how it can be used as a distraction. I¡¯ve also thought up of different ways I can apply it to.¡± Jess said.
¡°Ummm¡as you have already seen, I will be focusing on ice element magic. It¡¯s a bit different to the usual fire element I picked in our previous games. But I think I want to try out different things. I¡¯m also trying to learn crowd control to broaden my repertoire.¡± Reina explained, wanting to let everyone know why she chose a different element in the first place.
The response of Alric¡¯s friends made him rethink his choice. In a party, it was crucial to have a balance of elements. It allowed for diversity and flexibility when dealing with enemies. So if he were to adjust his skills based on theirs, the remaining elements were earth, water, wind, and darkness.
Alric did an ability search and clicked on the water ability seed. Another information panel popped out which detailed the mechanics of the element.
After reading the description, Alric clicked the wind ability seed as well.
They were both great choices. Seeing as Alric was the type to check everything before deciding, he checked on the darkness and earth element descriptions as well. It seemed that both darkness and earth elements were geared for support. Although one focused on subterfuge and damage, the other focused on support and healing.
Since there were no healers in their group, the wise choice was to get the water element. But somehow, Alric never imagined himself as the healer or a support type character.
¡°You don¡¯t have to choose right now. You can also unlock secondary elements like ice and lightning by adding the necessary elements.¡± Seeing that Alric was conflicted prompted Reina to cheer him on.
¡°In that case¡I will choose the water element, but I will focus on the destruction path¡¡± Alric tapped the water element seed, and it was planted on another slot in his skill grid. His three friends looked helplessly at each other because of his choice but decided not to say anything.
Truth be told, with the way he was choosing his spells and with his current stats and weapon, one can say that his build was all over the place. It neither focused on attack nor magic. His chosen weapon also wasn¡¯t a favorite. And to top it off, his chosen element was geared towards healing and support and yet there he was trying to use it for offence. None of them said a word. They¡¯re used to it by now. Somehow, Alric¡¯s style has melded well with their own. Even if he usually chose hybrids, his style often did well in the team mechanics.
¡°By the way Thor¡what the hell was that skill?¡± He gave his friend a deadpan look.
Hearing his comment and seeing his reaction, Thor responded by laughing and scratching his nose, ¡°That¡well, it¡¯s a basic provoke skill for a tank¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°Hey! Hey! Stop giving me that look! Alright, so I didn¡¯t know what name to give it! And besides, the execution looked good anyway! Don¡¯t judge!¡± Thor answered hurriedly, a bit flustered by Alric¡¯s reaction.
¡°Judging¡judging really hard.¡± Jess replied with a smirk while Reina suppressed her laughter.
Instead of replying to his friend, Alric chose to talk to the two women who had smiles on their faces. ¡°But Jess¡¯ and Reina-san¡¯s skills looked impressive! I¡¯ve seen other players use their skills and it seemed to differ from yours. And we can name our skills? How do you do it?¡±
¡°The skill creation function is unique for everyone, and it''s like this. You hold out your hand in front of you and think of the effects of your skill. Then picture in your mind how it would look, like what words are needed and how does it get activated, also the visual effects that will come with it. Then finally you name the skill, and if the system accepts the conditions, a crystal will appear¡¡± And with that, a floating gem appeared on top of Jess¡¯ outstretched palm. She closed her fists, shattering the crystal and poised her bow at the ready. She took out arrows from her quiver and nocked it on the bow.
[¡®Triple Arrow Shot!¡¯]
It would¡¯ve been impossible in real life but since it was a game and with the skill assist system, Jess was able to release three arrows in one shot. The released arrows embedded its pointed ends on the body of one of the gummies which ultimately made the monster explode from the impact. The little creature didn¡¯t even have a chance to fight back.
¡°Ooooooh!¡± It was the only thing Alric could say; his hands were clapping, and his eyes looked on in wonder.
¡°That was awesome Jess! I want to try it too!¡± Excited to see his own spell, Alric immediately held out his hand and closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t notice that Reina and Jess still seemed to have something to say.
Alric imagined the first spell he wanted to have. After a while, he opened his eyes expectantly and looked at his outstretched palm. The light started to gather on his palm making his eyes go big. And then¡
A mechanical buzzing sound resounded, much like the ones you heard on a game show when you answered incorrectly. A red colored X icon appeared instead of a crystal which surprised him. If that weren¡¯t enough, he noticed shadow loom overhead making him look up. A second later a hard thump was heard as a basin made of iron fell on his face.
Jess¡¯ hand went up to cover her face, Reina on the other hand panicked and went towards the semiconscious Alric. ¡°Ehh! Alric-kun!? Are you alright?!!¡±
On the other hand, Thor couldn¡¯t control himself and burst out laughing. ¡°That was¡.hahaha! Epic! Hahahaha! Leave it to Alric to fall for something like that! Ahahaahaa-¡±
A loud conking sound this time. The situation became worst as there were now two people laying on the ground with swirls where their eyes should have been.
¡°Holy sh¡ªwhat the hell!¡° Alric yelled once he regained consciousness. He had one hand on his forehead, rubbing the tender bump now forming on it.
Once the situation calmed down, ¡°There are certain limits to skill creation! Just now, what skill were you trying to make?¡± Jess asked after clearing her throat.
¡°Well, I wanted to make a water dragon which will devour my enemies¡.¡± Alric answered dejectedly.
¡°Alric-kun, you were creating a beginner spell, so there are lots of limitations to it. Otherwise, the ability system implemented would be in chaos. At this level, you could create balls of water orsmall projectiles made of water, but you can¡¯t make a dragon right off the bat.¡± Reina waved her hand around trying to calm down Alric who was still pouting.
¡°I understand that part! But what was that iron basin for?!¡± That part he really couldn¡¯t connect with his failure.
¡°Well¡the developers¡¯ seems to have quite a sense of humor. By the way, the punishment differs every time. Flower pots, bombs, a pail of water, they get weirder and weirder.¡± Jess answered making a face that said ¡°The developers are funny, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped!¡± while shrugging her shoulders.
Alric heaved a sigh before trying once again. He raised his right arm in front of him, with his palm facing up, and closed his eyes.
¡®A basic water projectile spell that when cast causes damage to the enemy.¡¯It was the most basic thing that he could think of regarding the effects of the spell.
¡®After I cast the spell, a single serpent made of water emerges and attacks the enemy.¡¯He didn¡¯t have problems with an incantation and spell name.¡®Devour! Sea Serpent!¡¯Not bad for a first spell, he thought to himself.
Alric opened his eyes slowly and tensed up, wary of whether his skill creation failed and vigilantly checked his surroundings. His reaction was proven needless though as soon after blue-green light gathered on his palms giving birth to a crystal. He mimicked Jess and closed his hand into a fist and shattered the crystal. In exchange, his skill panel emitted a glow. The first bloom in his water element ability changed color from green to pink to indicate a spell. Upon tapping the bloom, the name[¡°Sea Serpent¡±]appeared with its description.
¡°Congratulations Alric-kun!¡±
¡°Way to go Alric!¡±
¡°Nice one buddy! Why don¡¯t you go ahead and try the skill? I wanna see how it looks too!¡±
Upon his three friends egging, Alric opened up his palm and found his target gummy.
[¡®Devour! Sea Serpent!¡¯]
A bluish green runic circle appeared in front of his palms. A second later a snake made of water launched itself towards the gummy.
The magical attack damaged the gummy but it was only able to shave off about half of it¡¯s hit points. Unlike Reina¡¯s spell which obliterated the enemy, his lacked the ¡°oomph¡± to deal a significant damage. Alric knew the reason could have been due to his average intelligence and his weapon not providing a high magical attack. On a side note, he checked his character class and found it still undiscovered.
Even so, he didn¡¯t feel down as he was still elated about his new spell. To show that he didn¡¯t feel depressed about it, Alric followed up with a downward strike, did a pivot and ended with a thrust from the side. The gummy finally died from the assault and left monster drops.
¡°That was really cool Alric! Now let¡¯s finish this quest so we can return to the farmer¡¯s wife.¡± Thor mused.
¡°Roger that!¡± And with high spirits, the party cooperated in exterminating the gummies spawning around them.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Chapter 9: The Yggdrasil Seed (Skill) System (With TONS of New ART!)
The Yggdrasil Tree, otherwise known as the World Tree or the Tree of Life, was mainly connected to Norse Mythology. It was an enormous mythical tree that connected the nine worlds. It also represented the world; the myths even went as far as to say that if the tree died, the world itself would perish.
Infinitia Online aptly named their skill system as the Yggdrasil Seed System. Not that it had anything to do with gates to the other realms. They named it that way as it was meant to represent life. It showed the abilities that a person may learn. True to its namesake, it had complex mechanics that they introduced to players. The uniqueness of the game didn¡¯t stop from the detailed graphics or the artificial intelligence.
¡°Alric-san, have you perhaps checked your skill tree?¡± Reina looked at him with questioning eyes.
Alric felt the heat buildup in his face. To disperse it off, he laughed and scratched his head. ¡°Well, I never really had the chance to. Sorry about that, but can you tell me about it?¡±
¡°Go ahead and open your skills tab.¡± Jess motioned as they all approached him.
Alric opened his panel and found the ¡°Skills¡± tab. It was the first time he looked at it, and he was surprised at the animation at the beginning. It showed a silhouette of a tree, then it zoomed in and showed a fruit falling. The fruit changed into a seed upon reaching the ground. Once the seed got embedded in the soil, it started to emit a faint glow; Once the animation ended, information popped up on his screen.
The words ¡°Yggdrasil Seed System¡± were on top of the window. On the right part of the menu, the words plastered were ¡°Available Skill Points: 3¡±. The seed in itself kept glowing while the words ¡°You discovered your first skill!¡± kept blinking.
¡°Hmm¡¡± Alric intoned, his right hand scratched his chin thoughtfully.
¡°What do you know? You¡¯ve already discovered an ability. Ability discovery is said to be rare as it required certain conditions. Go ahead and check it. A prompt will appear if you want to keep it or you want to discard it. If you go with it, you¡¯ll be spending one skill point though.¡± Thor said, excited at what the skill was.
Alric was about to tap the seed when Jess interjected.
¡°Alric, it would be better if you hear everything first. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to be impulsive with your choices. Rumors say you can¡¯t recreate your character in this game.¡± The green-haired girl said, her tone admonishing.
Sensing that the explanation would take a bit of time, Thor sat whereas Jess prodded one end of her bow on the ground.
¡°Alric, haven''t you been reading the guides? The reason why Infinitia Online is popular is due to the freedom of customization. It isn¡¯t just race or appearance, what makes it fun are the abilities.¡± Thor supplied while getting ready to explain.
¡°In the beginning, you have inherent racial traits and abilities. You cannot spend ability points on the former, but you can freely spend it on the latter. We¡¯ve already told you that different races have racial traits. Mine, for example, allow me the racial trait of ¡°Flight¡± and ¡°Far Sight¡±, Thor and Reina probably has the same with theirs.¡± Jess looked at Reina as if to ask for assistance.
¡°It''s one of the reasons why I told you not to choose the human race. To begin with, they rarely have any valuable ones. Just being in the Dragonkin race gives me bonuses to stamina, vitality, and strength.¡± Thor said, airing out his grievance at his friends choice.
¡®Well too late to regret that now¡¡¯ Alric said to himself. Despite his lingering feelings with his family situation, he was never the type to dwell on things.
¡°Let¡¯s move on to gaining ability points. It happens every three levels, meaning you get one point to spend every time your character levels up three times. You also get one bonus for every ten levels. As of the moment, the level cap is one hundred, so if you compute it with the bonus, you get a total of forty-three points. By undergoing ¡®discovery¡¯ and ¡®revelation¡¯ or in other words your first and second class advancements you also get five free points for each respectively. So that brings it to a total of fifty-three, well, fifty-six if you count the three points you get in the beginning.¡± With that Reina looked at Thor intending for him to continue the explanation.
¡°Only a total of fifty-six points?! Then what¡¯s the point of saying there are thousands of possible skills in this game when they give so little?!¡± Alric stated in exasperation. It was a good thing he hadn¡¯t used up any of his points yet. Otherwise, there would¡¯ve been a chance he messed up. He wasn¡¯t a perfectionist, but when it came to gaming, he liked to plan out everything.
¡°Hmm¡that¡¯s why you have to spend them wisely since you can only gain so many points. You don¡¯t have to worry though, even though you only get a few points, there is still a ton of things you can do.¡± Reina said, her arms up and trying to pacify Alric.
¡°The developers, as you can see from your menu, called this the Yggdrasil Seed System, wherein you can see the detailed map of your skills and spells connected by branches of a tree. To prevent confusion, you should remember the basics by learning the terms. The ones used in this game are different. Abilities are known as seeds, masteries as roots, and skills and spells as blooms. Memorize that.¡± Jess stressed the last portion so that Alric won¡¯t be confused at the following explanations.
¡°Before we go into the main topic, let''s first talk about something important. Look at the glowing seed on your screen. Below it is an orb with a soul shaped thing right? Yes, that¡¯s a character core. They dictate whether you¡¯re a melee, a caster or a hybrid. The melee¡¯s orb was colored white, and the casters¡¯ was black while the hybrids got gray. It provides damage checks to your skills. Caster''s will have higher damage output with spells; Melee players will do more damage with skills while somewhere in between are Hybrids.¡± Jess pointed at Alric¡¯s screen as she explained. ¡°Meaning Caster¡¯s can also get a skill that does physical damage, but its output won¡¯t be on par with a melee character. And vice versa. Unlike normal ability slots, character cores do not possess blooms. They only have roots, five of them. The difference is that they provide both passives and supplemental skills. ¡± She added, making sure that Alric took note of this.
¡°Supplemental skills can be anything as long as it is not a stand alone skill or spell Alric-kun. Take mine, for example; I created Overcharge which is a Caster supplemental skill which allows me to spend more magical power on a particular spell which allows me to double or triple its damage output. Of course, the delay on spell activation is longer while the skill is activated. The longer I delay it and infuse my magical power with the spell, the stronger it gets. Oh! And Jess forgot to add that the first and second root is open and can be filled with a supplement at level one. You unlock the third at level thirty, the fourth at level forty and the fifth at level fifty. Another important thing Alric, whatever unique skill you come up with in your core can apply to all your skills or spells.¡± Reina used her spell as an example. She knew that by using hers, it would be easier to make Alric understand. She also gave the prerequisites to open up the other roots.
¡°Now that we¡¯ve got that out of the way let''s move on to the exciting part! How do you get abilities, skills, and spells!¡± Thor said excitedly, his sharp teeth showing as he grinned.
¡°Players can plant seeds in slots which will cost one point. These abilities can be elements, elemental adept, weapon skills, and weapons adept and much more. By the way, the difference between elements and adepts is easy. The former has the active spells and skills whereas the latter has the passives. For example, a mage uses points for both the fire element and fire adept. They will be separate but linked abilities. The first ability will have blooms that have active spells such as fireball. The second ability contains passive and supplemental blooms which serve to increase proficiency in the said element or weapon. It can be anything, such as increasing the number of fireballs spawned in one spell or maybe even making the fireball bigger.¡± Jess started, hoping she got her point across.
¡°In your case, if you spend one point in your discovered skill, it will fill up an ability slot. Thus, ¡®planting¡¯ seed to start your skill ¡®tree¡¯. The first skill or spell is free but for each new one, you will spend one ability point. Are you with us so far?¡± Thor paused, letting his friend absorb the information. When Alric didn¡¯t reply, he continued.
¡°Let''s move on to the specifics. Once you¡¯ve set an ability, you can now create skills or spells. As was said earlier, you get a free point to spend and create your first spell or skill. There are five bloom slots which you can fill up. Take note that your choice must be related to the parent ability. As was mentioned earlier, for a fire element ability, you can create a fireball spell. Likewise, a sword ability can have sword bash as its first skill. The first and second blooms are accessible at level one. You will unlock the third, fourth and fifth at levels thirty, forty and fifty respectively.¡± Reina watched Alric¡¯s reaction. Hopefully his friend wasn¡¯t confused as of yet.
¡°Now let''s talk about Masteries, otherwise known as roots. Those are the circles with stars on the right side of each ability. Upon creation, the system decides the number of masteries an ability can have, ranging from three to five. You can say that each root corresponds to mastery level. It gains experience every time you activate skills or spells related to your parent ability. Unlike character core roots, only the first is unlocked at the beginning. Mastering one root opens up the succeeding one, and it gives you a bonus. An upgrade from a selection of passives that would provide different benefits to your ability. It could be additional damage, less magical power consumption or faster activation. It can even be an added attribute or status effect.¡° Thor finished, took out a beverage food item, and took a swig.
¡°Last but not the least are the ¡®core¡¯ abilities. Remember when we said that some abilities have three or four upgrades, not five? Well, a good way to maximize them is to set it as an ability core. No one knows the impact of doing this yet. All we know is that it automatically upgrades your roots to five stars. There might be a hidden or bigger effect in the future. But at the moment, we can only guess it would be substantial since it won¡¯t be called an ability ¡®core¡¯ for nothing.¡± Jess shrugged, wondering herself when they would implement that update.
¡°Did you get all our explanations so far?¡± Reina asked, hoping that they were helping him understand the system.
Alric was quiet the whole time, trying to get as much info as he could from their explanations. He organized the critical points in their explanations and summarized them in a way he could easily understand. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Racial Traits were decided at the beginning. By allocating points, a player gains abilities, and you get a total of fifty-six points. Character cores have three kinds; Melee, Caster, and Hybrid cores provided damage checks to spells and skills. Once the primary ability or ¡®seed¡¯ was planted, the player can create spells or skills out of that ability by using their points. When someone mastered a root, they will be able to add passive upgrades to the ability. Masteries ranged from three to five, and the system predetermined it. It was the same with blooms which had five skills or spells per ability.
¡°Wait¡you said earlier that after I ¡®planted¡¯ my first ability, the first skill or spell I choose is free right?¡± When they all nodded, Alric continued, ¡°Then is it applicable to all new abilities I take?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Answered Jess, somehow guessing where Alric¡¯s line of questioning was going.
¡°Then what¡¯s stopping others from exploiting the system and just getting tons of abilities? Since the first skill or spell is free anyway? They¡¯ll be able to get two points while only using one.¡± Alric had had to inquire. Personally, he didn¡¯t like game breaking exploits as they didn¡¯t bid well for online games. If he was right, then this was something that the developers had to rethink.
In reaction, Alric¡¯s friends burst out laughing. ¡°Leave it to you to think of these things. Don¡¯t worry; the developers covered their asses on this one.¡± Jess answered with confidence.
¡°The blooms belong to different categories of power Alric. The bottom two represent beginner, the next two represent advanced, and finally, master skills or spells. You see if someone wasted all their points and get tons of abilities just to exploit the system, then they will be stuck with beginner skills or spells only.¡± Reina explained patiently, satisfied when Alric nodded at her explanation.
That made sense. If players were allowed to exploit the system through that, then it was already game over. The developers did the right thing by putting a limit on the strength of the spells or skills created.
¡°By the way, there are rumors that the development team is going to include elite and godly abilities, but the latter is totally unrelated to the Yggdrasil grid, so no one knows how it will work. But I¡¯d like to get my hands on them, being godly and all would be so-¡±
Before he could finish his sentence, angry veins appeared all over Jess¡¯ face. Sensing that Thor strayed away from the subject, Jess automatically raised her bow and used it to bash Thor¡¯s head towards the ground.
¡°First, let''s check this¡¡± Alric said, completely ignoring Thor as he tapped on the glowing seed. It opened a description of his discovered skill.
¡°Nice going Alric! That should be a rare skill! I didn¡¯t know you knew how to use different weapons in real life!¡± Thor said, already standing and undaunted from Jess¡¯ assault.
¡°Well, technically it¡¯s one type of discipline I know. It just so happened that it taught us to wield a lot of different weapons.¡± Arnis specialized in the usage of different weapons. And since Alric knew the technicalities on handling those weapons, it must have activated this skill. If Thor didn¡¯t learn it, then it must mean that it wasn¡¯t based on the different weapons players wielded in different games. Alric knew for a fact that his friend tried different weapons in various games, meaning the developers once again implemented a feature that only considered real life knowledge. Knowing how to wield weapons in games was worlds apart when compared in real life.
Alric was a bit concerned at the words ¡°Limited¡± attached to the skill though. But since there¡¯s another word that said ¡°Locked¡±, it meant that there must be a way to unlock the skill¡¯s potential. He tapped on the seed once more, and another window popped up. It asked him if he wanted to keep the skill. He clicked on accept, and the seed stopped glowing and grew roots on the right side. Five buds sprouted on the left, one of them already glowing.
The first bud glowed incessantly, and upon tapping it, it asked him if he wanted to add a new skill. Alric clicked on ¡°No¡± and postponed it for now. He wasn¡¯t really up to the idea of creating a physical skill at the moment. What he wanted to try was magic. Every player would be able to relate to how he felt. Closely tied to katanas, magic was one of the things that you had to try when you entered a fantasy world.
¡°I don¡¯t know what skill to get as of yet. For now, I want to get a spell which I can use if the need arises. I still don¡¯t know which element to take though. Speaking of which, which ones did you choose?¡±
¡°I chose fire! Well, because I¡¯m a dragon!¡± Thor announced proudly.
¡°I chose light magic because I like how it can be used as a distraction. I¡¯ve also thought up of different ways I can apply it to.¡± Jess said.
¡°Ummm¡as you have already seen, I will be focusing on ice element magic. It¡¯s a bit different to the usual fire element I picked in our previous games. But I think I want to try out different things. I¡¯m also trying to learn crowd control to broaden my repertoire.¡± Reina explained, wanting to let everyone know why she chose a different element in the first place.
The response of Alric¡¯s friends made him rethink his choice. In a party, it was crucial to have a balance of elements. It allowed for diversity and flexibility when dealing with enemies. So if he were to adjust his skills based on theirs, the remaining elements were earth, water, wind, and darkness.
Alric did an ability search and clicked on the water ability seed. Another information panel popped out which detailed the mechanics of the element.
After reading the description, Alric clicked the wind ability seed as well.
They were both great choices. Seeing as Alric was the type to check everything before deciding, he checked on the darkness and earth element descriptions as well. It seemed that both darkness and earth elements were geared for support. Although one focused on subterfuge and damage, the other focused on support and healing.
Since there were no healers in their group, the wise choice was to get the water element. But somehow, Alric never imagined himself as the healer or a support type character.
¡°You don¡¯t have to choose right now. You can also unlock secondary elements like ice and lightning by adding the necessary elements.¡± Seeing that Alric was conflicted prompted Reina to cheer him on.
¡°In that case¡I will choose the water element, but I will focus on the destruction path¡¡± Alric tapped the water element seed, and it was planted on another slot in his skill grid. His three friends looked helplessly at each other because of his choice but decided not to say anything.
Truth be told, with the way he was choosing his spells and with his current stats and weapon, one can say that his build was all over the place. It neither focused on attack nor magic. His chosen weapon also wasn¡¯t a favorite. And to top it off, his chosen element was geared towards healing and support and yet there he was trying to use it for offence. None of them said a word. They¡¯re used to it by now. Somehow, Alric¡¯s style has melded well with their own. Even if he usually chose hybrids, his style often did well in the team mechanics.
¡°By the way Thor¡what the hell was that skill?¡± He gave his friend a deadpan look.
Hearing his comment and seeing his reaction, Thor responded by laughing and scratching his nose, ¡°That¡well, it¡¯s a basic provoke skill for a tank¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°Hey! Hey! Stop giving me that look! Alright, so I didn¡¯t know what name to give it! And besides, the execution looked good anyway! Don¡¯t judge!¡± Thor answered hurriedly, a bit flustered by Alric¡¯s reaction.
¡°Judging¡judging really hard.¡± Jess replied with a smirk while Reina suppressed her laughter.
Instead of replying to his friend, Alric chose to talk to the two women who had smiles on their faces. ¡°But Jess¡¯ and Reina-san¡¯s skills looked impressive! I¡¯ve seen other players use their skills and it seemed to differ from yours. And we can name our skills? How do you do it?¡±
¡°The skill creation function is unique for everyone, and it''s like this. You hold out your hand in front of you and think of the effects of your skill. Then picture in your mind how it would look, like what words are needed and how does it get activated, also the visual effects that will come with it. Then finally you name the skill, and if the system accepts the conditions, a crystal will appear¡¡± And with that, a floating gem appeared on top of Jess¡¯ outstretched palm. She closed her fists, shattering the crystal and poised her bow at the ready. She took out arrows from her quiver and nocked it on the bow.
[¡®Triple Arrow Shot!¡¯]
It would¡¯ve been impossible in real life but since it was a game and with the skill assist system, Jess was able to release three arrows in one shot. The released arrows embedded its pointed ends on the body of one of the gummies which ultimately made the monster explode from the impact. The little creature didn¡¯t even have a chance to fight back.
¡°Ooooooh!¡± It was the only thing Alric could say; his hands were clapping, and his eyes looked on in wonder.
¡°That was awesome Jess! I want to try it too!¡± Excited to see his own spell, Alric immediately held out his hand and closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t notice that Reina and Jess still seemed to have something to say.
Alric imagined the first spell he wanted to have. After a while, he opened his eyes expectantly and looked at his outstretched palm. The light started to gather on his palm making his eyes go big. And then¡
A mechanical buzzing sound resounded, much like the ones you heard on a game show when you answered incorrectly. A red colored X icon appeared instead of a crystal which surprised him. If that weren¡¯t enough, he noticed shadow loom overhead making him look up. A second later a hard thump was heard as a basin made of iron fell on his face.
Jess¡¯ hand went up to cover her face, Reina on the other hand panicked and went towards the semiconscious Alric. ¡°Ehh! Alric-kun!? Are you alright?!!¡±
On the other hand, Thor couldn¡¯t control himself and burst out laughing. ¡°That was¡.hahaha! Epic! Hahahaha! Leave it to Alric to fall for something like that! Ahahaahaa-¡±
A loud conking sound this time. The situation became worst as there were now two people laying on the ground with swirls where their eyes should have been.
¡°Holy sh¡ªwhat the hell!¡° Alric yelled once he regained consciousness. He had one hand on his forehead, rubbing the tender bump now forming on it.
Once the situation calmed down, ¡°There are certain limits to skill creation! Just now, what skill were you trying to make?¡± Jess asked after clearing her throat.
¡°Well, I wanted to make a water dragon which will devour my enemies¡.¡± Alric answered dejectedly.
¡°Alric-kun, you were creating a beginner spell, so there are lots of limitations to it. Otherwise, the ability system implemented would be in chaos. At this level, you could create balls of water orsmall projectiles made of water, but you can¡¯t make a dragon right off the bat.¡± Reina waved her hand around trying to calm down Alric who was still pouting.
¡°I understand that part! But what was that iron basin for?!¡± That part he really couldn¡¯t connect with his failure.
¡°Well¡the developers¡¯ seems to have quite a sense of humor. By the way, the punishment differs every time. Flower pots, bombs, a pail of water, they get weirder and weirder.¡± Jess answered making a face that said ¡°The developers are funny, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped!¡± while shrugging her shoulders.
Alric heaved a sigh before trying once again. He raised his right arm in front of him, with his palm facing up, and closed his eyes.
¡®A basic water projectile spell that when cast causes damage to the enemy.¡¯It was the most basic thing that he could think of regarding the effects of the spell.
¡®After I cast the spell, a single serpent made of water emerges and attacks the enemy.¡¯He didn¡¯t have problems with an incantation and spell name.¡®Devour! Sea Serpent!¡¯Not bad for a first spell, he thought to himself.
Alric opened his eyes slowly and tensed up, wary of whether his skill creation failed and vigilantly checked his surroundings. His reaction was proven needless though as soon after blue-green light gathered on his palms giving birth to a crystal. He mimicked Jess and closed his hand into a fist and shattered the crystal. In exchange, his skill panel emitted a glow. The first bloom in his water element ability changed color from green to pink to indicate a spell. Upon tapping the bloom, the name[¡°Sea Serpent¡±]appeared with its description.
¡°Congratulations Alric-kun!¡±
¡°Way to go Alric!¡±
¡°Nice one buddy! Why don¡¯t you go ahead and try the skill? I wanna see how it looks too!¡±
Upon his three friends egging, Alric opened up his palm and found his target gummy.
[¡®Devour! Sea Serpent!¡¯]
A bluish green runic circle appeared in front of his palms. A second later a snake made of water launched itself towards the gummy.
The magical attack damaged the gummy but it was only able to shave off about half of it¡¯s hit points. Unlike Reina¡¯s spell which obliterated the enemy, his lacked the ¡°oomph¡± to deal a significant damage. Alric knew the reason could have been due to his average intelligence and his weapon not providing a high magical attack. On a side note, he checked his character class and found it still undiscovered.
Even so, he didn¡¯t feel down as he was still elated about his new spell. To show that he didn¡¯t feel depressed about it, Alric followed up with a downward strike, did a pivot and ended with a thrust from the side. The gummy finally died from the assault and left monster drops.
¡°That was really cool Alric! Now let¡¯s finish this quest so we can return to the farmer¡¯s wife.¡± Thor mused.
¡°Roger that!¡± And with high spirits, the party cooperated in exterminating the gummies spawning around them.
Volume 1: Plight of the Gods | Chapter 10: Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop (With Announcement!)
Instead of returning immediately after the quest, Alric, Thor, Reina, and Jess decided to explore a little bit and ended at the small patch of forest found just a little ways from the starting field. It wasn¡¯t their intention, but in the course of having fun, they drifted within and decided to level up as much as they can.
That was how they usually played; their party liked to grind levels whenever they can. It wasn¡¯t enough for it to be called grinding per se, they just wanted to stay on their toes before plowing on to higher level terrain. Their system usually consisted of trying to kill at least twenty of each kind of monster in the area. Apart from the needed number of monster to be exterminated, they also killed more than what was necessary. Then, when they had time, they also explored the vicinity.
They were about to call it quits when they heard growls coming from a particular area. Thinking that it was another adventurer or maybe an NPC that needed help, the group ran towards that direction without hesitation.
And so Alric and the group came upon a clearing within a forest which had a lake that flowed downstream.
The source of the noise came from a pack of wolves, about six of them. One of which looked bigger than the rest stood in front and was about to attack someone.
Or was it something?
Basing on the height, and how the wolves poised for attack, the monsters¡¯ target seemed to be something real small.
¡°Yuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyu!¡± a small squeaking sound was heard amidst the howling and growling.
¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Reina intoned as she tried to see the cause of the commotion, being the last to arrive at the scene.
¡°Something is being attacked by those wolves!¡± Answered Alric with a sense of urgency.
¡°Jess! Do you mind?¡± Thor yelled as he poised himself for battle.
¡°No need to ask me!¡± The green haired girl replied. Her back emitted a glow and an instant later, her wings burst forth with a shower of white lights. She unfurled it and hurriedly flapped them. The winds grew from the pressure as the featherfolk soared upwards.
It was one of the tactics that Thor came up with during the group¡¯s strategy meetings. It has been particularly useful during rescue missions wherein they did not have any idea where their target is. The featherfolk ranger stopped after flying for about twenty feet to survey the situation.
¡°I¡¯ve got visuals on seven wolves and their attacking¡wait a minute¡¡± Jess blinked a few times and even activated her [¡®Hawk Eyes¡¯] skill which allowed her to see at a further range. ¡°They¡¯re¡little creatures!¡±
¡°We know they¡¯re creatures! What kind!¡± Thor yelled as he readied his equipment. The wolves have already noticed their presence and shifted their attention towards them.
¡°I don¡¯t know! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen them! They look like jelly Pillsbury doughboy-looking creatures!¡± Jess yelled back exasperated before lowering her altitude and settling on a tree trunk up high where she can freely snipe their enemies.
¡°Gotcha! [¡®Lion¡¯s Roar!¡¯]¡± Thor activated his provoke skill, ultimately getting the attention of the monsters.
Alric stayed behind to protect Reina, while the mage started casting her spell. Before the first wolf was able to pounce on their tank, Reina already launched her attack.
Flurry of Ice, [¡®Snowflake Assault!¡¯]
This time, Alric was in closer proximity to hear Reina¡¯s chant. Three snowflakes flew towards the first wolf, it froze some of its body parts, making it howl in agony. Thor followed up with a cross slash to finish it off.
The second and third wolf took this chance to attack Thor while he was busy but a spell and arrows from the back thwarted their advance.
¡°Devour! [Sea Serpent!]¡±
¡°[Triple Arrow Shot!]¡±
A stream of water shaped like a serpent and three arrows flew towards the approaching monsters. The two attacks split and launched towards different targets. Both successfully hit their intended mark, but the results were the same with the first wolf, the damage wasn¡¯t enough to instantly kill them. One of the wolves quickly recovered and jumped sideways; its attention shifted to the player who dealt the damage.
¡°Don¡¯t generate too much aggro! Alri¡ª¡° Thor was about to tell Alric to take care of the wolf which got away from him but the next instant,
¡°Eviscerate thine enemies! [Ice Lance!]¡±
Reina let loose another spell which pierced the wolf cleanly, the long projectile entered the mouth and exited out of its behind.
The wolf didn¡¯t even have time to react; it plopped dead on the ground. From the way they succumbed to the attacks, it was apparent that the creatures weren¡¯t that high leveled. If any player ventured to make a guess, the monsters would be around three or five. The leader of the pack was a different thing though. Unique monsters tended to be above the average levels of the monsters of their kind. Some were just a few levels above while others had as much as ten.
The other wolf that was hit finally recovered and tried to attack, but Thor intercepted and slashed twice which ended its life.
Down to four, Alric intercepted another wolf which also ran past the group¡¯s tank. He ran towards it and used his momentum to jump in the air, holding his staff on one end and bringing down the other end swiftly on its skull.
The monster yelped in surprise as the maneuver kept it pinned on the ground. Taking advantage of the time that the monster was sprawled and defenseless, Alric rotated clockwise. He withdrew his weapon and split it into two. Using the momentum, he brought down the right stick followed by the left, ending the three-part combo. The wolf twitched and drew a few breaths before it finally died.
The thought of killing a creature that looked like something from real life didn¡¯t even cross the party¡¯s minds. Yes, it was too realistic, and the sight of the razor sharp fangs instilled fears in their hearts, but the need for survival prevailed. Plus, their instinct to save helpless creatures won them over.
¡°Doing good guys! Keep it up but don¡¯t overexert-Aghh! Jess watch it with your arrows!¡± Thor yelled as an arrow flew past him, missing him by an inch.
¡°It¡¯s not my fault! The wolves are moving too fast, and an aiming assist system doesn¡¯t exist in this game!¡± Jess yelled back in return. The two of them always found something to fight about and an ongoing battle didn¡¯t stop them from bickering.
The only good thing was, Thor and Jess never got distracted anymore. They were so used to it happening that it was second nature for them. Not that it was something like an achievement.
¡°Look lively you two! The leader is already making its move!¡± Alric informed them as he intercepted the remaining two wolves which ran past their tank. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this Thor! Delay the boss as much as you can!¡±
~*~
It¡¯s always been like this with him. By now, he¡¯s already used to being in these kinds of situations. Ever since he was born, or ever since he could remember, he had already received such treatment. From the time when he was abandoned as a spriteling, up until now that he was near his coming of age, all his kind avoided him and treated him like a parasite.
A cursed sprite.
That¡¯s what everyone called Hakuryuu.
It was easy to guess why Hakuryuu would be called as such since he did not possess what most sprites had. He lacked an element. Instead, his type was named as null, meaning having no element. A null sprite.
There are different kinds of sprites found in Infinitia. The first category was split into two, the domestic and wild sprites. Domestic sprites thrived with civilizations. They were found in homes, shops, inns and wherever they are needed. For example, fire sprites stayed in smithing shops. Water sprites often populated wells or aqueducts. It was normal for households to have more than one sprite with a particular element as they made chores much easier. Wild sprites on the other end are caretakers of nature. They ensured that flowers bloomed, trees grew, the waters and air remained pure.
A sprite without an element is no help at all, another reason why they¡¯re considered useless.
Many stories have been attached to null sprites. Being cursed and signs of disaster were just some of them. None of which have ever been proven. Still, rumors had a mind of its own. It spreads faster than wildfires in dry forests. It was nasty enough that it could ruin the reputation of someone or something just by existing.
The Sprites usually alienated those who do not possess any element. Since null sprites were rare in the first place, the stigma grew as time passed. That¡¯s how it usually is when someone out of the norm springs up and causes confusion. Not that it was intentional. You can¡¯t find fault in their rarity as it was a known fact that null sprites do not live long.
Typically, normal sprites born with an element absorb the surrounding mana associated with their element. It¡¯s a good reason why their habitats were next to their birth elements. You are likely to see water sprites near bodies of water while a volcano would have an abundance of fire sprites. Null sprites, on the other hand, are unable to get nourishment from the surrounding mana. That could be attributed as the main reason as to why they die out. Null sprites eventually ceased to exist and faded out of existence.
And so here they were stuck in this tribulation. It all started as an innocent stroll. But it quickly devolved into this mess when his curiosity, on what spritelings were doing outside the village boundaries, got the better of him.
Wolves, who were naturally sensitive to elements, noticed their presence and preyed on the two troublemaker spritelings. They were about to get devoured when he swooped in, brandishing a twig and placing himself between the spritelings and the wolves.
What the null sprite did was nothing short of heroic, to be more accurate, it bordered on suicidal. One look and you would see that the sprites were in grave danger. Aside from getting outnumbered, there was no way they could probably escape these monsters.
¡°Yuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyuyu!¡±¡¯Run! I¡¯ll try to hold them off!¡¯ Hakuryuu seemed to say to the spritelings. And yet none of them moved. They stayed rooted to where they were and kept shivering from fear.
The courageous sprite was about to lose hope, and he resolved himself to the fact that they wouldn¡¯t return unscathed from this event. There was no silver lining in this situation. If they were lucky, at least one of them might survive, and being on the forefront meant it wouldn¡¯t be him.
Hakuryuu closed his eyes, waiting for his imminent death. He hoped that it would come swiftly. That¡¯s when he heard the sound of incoming footsteps running towards their direction.
¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±
¡°Something is being attacked by those wolves!¡±
¡°Jess! Do you mind?¡±
¡°No need to ask me!¡±
Hakuryuu opened his eyes and saw humans running towards their direction. His labored breathing normalized a little as the attention of the wolves shifted. Still, he remained vigilant and didn¡¯t let his guard down, uncaring whether he¡¯ll be able to do something once the wolves indeed try to attack them.
It happened so fast. The large wolf, the leader of the pack, seemed to break free of the tank¡¯s provocation by besting him. The muscled man fell on his butt as the wolf tackled him head on. Instead of helping his remaining wolf pack members, he rounded up and turned his attention back on its primary prey.
The world seemed to slow down for Hakuryuu; all sounds muffled as a huge shadow loomed over them. He could practically see the rows of sharp teeth descending towards his direction. Wanting to fly away as far as he could and yet his body won¡¯t move, none of his limbs followed his command. Bracing for the inevitable, he closed his eyes and waited for the end.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
A few seconds past, seconds which seemed like a lifetime, and yet Hakuryuu still felt¡alive. Was he eaten whole? That was the first thing that entered his mind, and so he slowly opened his eyes fully expecting to find himself inside the jaws of the wolf. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise. His button-shaped black eyes blinked a few times to make sure he didn''t see an illusion.
One of the humans who helped the sprites, the smaller of the two men, intercepted the wolf¡¯s attack. The wolf had its jaw embedded on the guy¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Yu?...¡± Hakuryuu muttered in shock, at a loss of what to say, nevermind the fact that the human probably won¡¯t understand him. But he was surprised at what the human did. It was the first time in his life that someone did something for him.
~*~
Alric made a grave miscalculation. Yes, he was able to fend off the attacks of one of the wolves somehow, while Reina and Jess took care of the other.
But between all that, the leader of the wolves switched tactics. It anticipated that Thor would be defending with his shield. The wolf shifted mid-attack and opted for a head-butt which propelled the hulking tank of his feet.
Alric realized a second too late that the wolf intended to attack the small creatures instead of advancing towards him. He summoned all his strength and dashed towards the creatures. ¡®Damn it! I won¡¯t make it in time!¡¯ Mentally berating himself, he did the only thing he could think of at a time like this. Using his staff as a throwing projectile would be useless as it neither had a point nor enough weight to make it an effective throwing weapon. It will be like throwing a bark of a tree.
Aiming to defend using the staff wasn¡¯t an option either as Alric didn¡¯t have the time to set up his footing. It will just end up with him being endangered more. Dismissing the idea of using his arm to fend off the attack as he was still unsure if it was possible to lose an arm, with the knowledge of how realistic the game is, he opted for the next best thing.
¡°Devour! [Sea Serpent!]¡±
Alric¡¯s hand outstretched and directed at the predator. The attack made the wolf drawback for a second, but it resumed its intent once the magic projectile sailed past it.
Alric succeeded in creating a time lag; it was all the leeway he hoped to achieve. Making it just in time; he felt the sharp pain of several sharp objects piercing his skin. His mind flashed white as the jaw closed in, blood sputtering everywhere as the jagged teeth of the wolf sank into his shoulder. He groaned in pain, as he was left momentarily immobilized.
¡°Alric-kun!¡±
¡°Alric!¡±
¡°You moron!¡±
Came the responses from his friends.
¡°It¡¯s my job to get hurt! Don¡¯t go stealing other people¡¯s roles now!¡± Added the furious tank who was masking his worry by sounding pissed.
Thor felt responsible for what happened, he let his guard down and failed to read the movement of the enemy. As a result, he was unable to perform his job flawlessly. It was the tank¡¯s job to intercept attacks and in worst case scenarios to take damage for the team. Best case would be that no one from the party aside from him took damage.
The tank wasn''t arrogant; Thor knew that it was normal for unpredictable things to happen in battles. And yet he couldn¡¯t stop himself from feeling guilty.
¡°[Shield Bash!]¡± Thor yelled as he maneuvered himself to the side and thrust out his shield, knocking the wolf off of Alric.
¡°Flurry of Ice, [Snowflake Assault!]¡±
¡°[Triple Arrow Shot!]¡±
Jess and Reina followed up with attacks which gave Thor ample time to support Alric into a standing position.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Thor checked his friends HP bar and found that it decreased considerably from the attack.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about me¡let¡¯s just finish this off¡¡± Wincing, Alric raised the staff once more.
¡°Alright, let''s make a pincer attack. Jess! Keep sniping it with your arrows! Reina-chan! Finish it off with your ice lance spell!¡±
¡°Gotcha!¡± ¡°Will do!¡± The two replied simultaneously, all of them understanding Thor¡¯s tactic.
The plan right now was to overwhelm the wolf boss, and it will be easy to execute since their positions allowed for the best tactical advantage. Jess and Reina were at one side, Thor standing between them and the wolf while Alric stood on the opposite side, protecting the creatures from their assailant. The wolf had to be wary of attacks from the front and back.
A few seconds passed, and the two men moved in sync, rushing forward to attack simultaneously. Jess chose the right time to let loose a few arrows which hindered the wolf¡¯s movement. Failing to dodge, it received the full brunt of attacks from the two melee characters.
Reina had her right arm raised and her eyes closed as she muttered an incantation. She was using a passive skill of hers that allowed her to multiply the damage and effects of her spells. The spell didn¡¯t require an incantation but being the otaku-chuuni that she is, she felt it was a waste not to do anything while her spell activated.
¡°Envoy of frost, emissary of darkness
I call upon thee, great wolf of destruction
In accordance with our blood covenant
Destroy the boundaries of space
Magic thrummed in the air as Reina continued her chant. A light blue rune circle appeared beneath her; it grew bigger as she continued to gather magical energy. The mist formed into small particles of snow which then grew in length. At first, the size was the same as the ones that Reina usually released, but with her continued release of magical power, the ice lance grew three times its size.
Grant thy wish, son of J?tunheimr
Turn this world into a frigid wasteland
Show mercy to thine unfortunate souls
Eviscerate thine enemies! [¡®Ice Lance!¡¯]¡±
The huge wolf tried to evade the relentless attacks raining upon it. Eventually, its movements became sluggish as it accumulated damage after damage from the incessant barrage of attacks.
Once Reina shouted the release of her spell, Alric and Thor jumped to the side in a practiced way. Clear evidence that they were no stranger to these kinds of tactics borne from years of playing together.
The wolf got caught in surprise at the sudden retreat of its opponents that it failed to notice the ice lance heading its way. In a split second, the sharp edge bored into the wolf¡¯s chest area and continued its trajectory. The whole length of the weapon completely embedded into the monster with both ends sticking out on each side. It appeared as if the whole monster got struck by a huge barbecue stick; only the pole was made out of pure ice.
The monster looked almost majestic, with its larger than usual build signifying its status as a pack leader of fearsome monsters. His great head raised to the heavens as if in supplication, one of its front paws poised to strike. With the ice lance, his form was locked into place, ice starting to eat at the surrounding flesh. Blood spilled on the ground and around the area, the liquid slowly froze as the spell spread out its effects.
¡°Everyone alright?¡± Thor, being the party leader, made sure that everyone was alive. Or at least not in the brink of death.
¡°We¡¯re okay!¡± Answered Jess as she flew down from the branch she perched on during the entire battle. The ice mage ran towards Alric with a worried expression, her actions a response in itself that she was also alright.
¡°I¡¯m fine¡nothing a little potion won¡¯t cure.¡± While Alric was reaching for the potion from his pouch, his gaze drifted to the little creatures whom they saved.
The gray colored one seemed to have calmed down, although the gaze it was giving him appeared to be a bit intense. After a while, it turned around and went towards his two friends.
The two little creatures, one colored bluish green while the other is sky blue, have stopped shivering by now but they were still sitting on the ground.
The gray colored one reached out a flabby little appendage, which can only be considered an arm, to help the two.
What happened next surprised their so called ¡°saviors¡±. Instead of accepting the outstretched arm, one of the creatures stood up and slapped the arm away.
¡°Kikikikikiki! Kiki! Kiki!¡± The little blue-green thing intoned, the pitch of his voice getting higher as he talked hinting that it must have been screaming.
The sky blue one followed suit and stood up. It picked up a little stone and threw it towards the gray one. The only thing the poor creature could do was cover himself with his tiny hands.
¡°Hey!¡± Alric interjected, worried at the ongoing conflict.
¡°That¡¯s not very nice!¡± Reina called out, just behind Alric¡¯s comment.
The two little things flinched from being called out. They hurriedly floated up and fled towards some bushes where they vanished from sight as if they were sucked into a portal of sorts.
The gray creature was the only one left by this time, and the little thing looked deflated. It turned towards the group and stared at Alric once more.
Alric¡¯s head tilted to the side, unsure what would happen next. And yet he didn¡¯t break eye contact with it. It stared at him with a look full of respect before it slowly bowed its head as if to show its gratitude. Before long it slowly hovered in the air before it also disappeared in the same place where the first two creatures entered.
¡°Alric-kun, you really should drink that potion. I think the wolf¡¯s bite had a bleeding effect¡your health is still decreasing.¡± Reina intoned in worry, peeking at her friend''s yellow health bar that indicated he received considerable damage. Enough that put the bar to less than half, about a third of the normal health left.
Infinitia Online wasn¡¯t like other RPG¡¯s where health points and mana points had a numerical coefficient. Instead, players referred to the health and mana bar through percentage.
So how did players measure their overall vitality and mana expenditure? Through experience. Not the kind that you earn from defeating monsters, but actual practice in battle. It relied on the player¡¯s skill to monitor these values. That was why it was important for healers, mages, and tanks to be vigilant.
A lot of factors played a part in determining these, but the only confirmed ones include level, race, passive abilities, chosen class, equipment, and titles. Usage is also a primary reason since tanks which always took damage seemed to possess more health whereas mages possess a higher mana capacity. True, people can say that status is directly proportional to health because always using your magic points and constantly being wounded directly increased their primary status, vitality, and intelligence. Then again, some bonuses or upgrades directly affect the health and mana without adding to vitality and intelligence.
And although rare and hard to come by because of the rarity of its ingredients, status raising potions is also a factor.
Aside from the confirmed factors, there were also unconfirmed rumors circulating. The most prominent one is that ¡°state of the mind¡± and ¡°state of the body¡± affects the health and mana bar. It doesn¡¯t necessarily add to the overall total but in the usage. Regarding the ¡°state of the body¡± rumor, it''s said that if your character was ¡°fit¡± within the game, then it would give a positive effect on damage mitigation. It seemed as if it were tailored to real life wherein physically fit people tend to have better health. The ¡°state of the mind¡± pertained to how focused and psychologically healthy you are which translated to how faster and more efficient the brain processes information. With this, spells seemed to require less mana to cast and the casting time became shorter compared to being preoccupied or psychologically unhealthy.
Alric obediently drank the potion he fished out of his satchel. As he drank the potion, the sharp prickly pain he felt started to dull. His eyes weren¡¯t on the health bar on the upper left of his screen. His attention was drawn to the equidistant deep gashes in the shape of thick teeth around his shoulder area. The wound stopped bleeding the moment he started drinking but seeing the wound close up, the muscle and skin regenerating until the injuries were no more than just pink round shaped spots where the wounds initially were, was a thing of wonder.
What bothered him now was that his beginner equipment was already damaged. Pretty soon, he¡¯d have to have it fixed or maybe upgrade it to something more suitable for his level.
¡°What do we do with these?¡± Asked Reina, looking at the wolf carcasses littered around the area.
¡°We collect it and either sell it whole to the butchers, or we get their fur for equipment or their meat for food.¡± Thor answered, using previous knowledge from online games.
Looking at the wreckage left by the intense battle, Alric still can¡¯t believe what happened. It was a good thing they grinded levels a bit with the gummies. He had full confidence that they somehow won the confrontation just because they earned a few levels and some ability points.
The new skills and spells demonstrated by his party mates were the fruit of that labor. They each gained enough points to create them.
Thor opted to get an ability involving offensive shield usages, thus taking Weapons Mastery: Shield. It is an ability that is different from Shield Mastery. The former focused on weaponizing the shield to be useful in battle while the latter aimed at increasing it¡¯s defensive usage. Then his first skill Shield Bash was born, plans included adding a staggering or dizzying effect when hit by his shield bash.
Jess, on the other hand, focused on enhancing her damage and aim with the bow through Bow Mastery. The first bloom she took in this ability was Ranger¡¯s Grip. Her skill lessened the trembling of an archer¡¯s aim. Automatic aim assist skills did not help in aiming for monsters. That would defeat the purpose of having a long ranged weapon, and it would also become overpowered and unrealistic.
Their ice mage chose to use the supplement skill she created from her character core. Overcharge, a passive skill that allowed the caster to enhance the damage or effects of the spell by not releasing it immediately. The mage''s continuously poured in mana into the spell and only released it once they¡¯re satisfied with the strength of the spell they want to unleash. Most spells only grew in size or numbers, but in rare occurrences, the spell changed form and created a much more powerful version.
Alric really needed to step things up and figure out what he wanted to do with his character. That was the only way he could be of more help to his team. ¡°There¡¯s still time, why don¡¯t we train our levels more before going back?¡± Everyone gave their affirmative, and proceeded to hunt wild boars they found populating the area.
~*~
Alric found himself smiling looking at how he and his friends moved naturally as a team. Just like how Thor envisioned it, everyone had their roles to fill, and they moved as if they have one and the same body. While this may sound trivial, team dynamics isn¡¯t something you can learn overnight. The biggest contributor is still team battle experience.
By now, they could read not just the body language of their teammates, or flawlessly follow the issued orders of Thor. Instead, they have learned to read the atmosphere, the status of the battle they are in and react to the situation.
But still, that wasn¡¯t the reason why they played games together. It was the unspoken reason that they enjoyed each others company.
They killed a few more mobs even after hitting their quotas before deciding to call it quits and head back towards the quest giver.
The NPC thanked them graciously and gave them their reward of one hundred silver nuggets. Apparently, that¡¯s what the currency is called within the game. Although the currency is named as such, it didn¡¯t look like real silver nuggets. In fact, it looked like coins that had symbols on each side. Thinking that the name sounded like chicken nuggets, Alric felt his stomach growling.
The effect was instantaneous.
Alric¡¯s companions had startled reactions as they looked at him. ¡°W-what? What¡¯s wrong?¡± He thought it was weird that his friends had baffled looks.
¡°That¡¯s weird. This game didn¡¯t have that kind of system before. I didn¡¯t hear that hunger or satiety system will be implemented either.¡± Mentioned Thor who had one of his hands on his chin.
Things started to look up¡or so Alric thought. It was just on his luck for this thing to eventually happen. It was him, of course, things were bound to take a turn for the worst. All his life he¡¯s been guarded and came up with an understanding that fate just wasn¡¯t on his side. That was why he was always vigilant for these things; it was always like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just when he thought that things would be alright¡
Alric¡¯s friend, who always dealt with things lightly and laughed out loud, had a brooding expression. That in itself caused them all to worry.
¡°Hey! Thor! You¡¯re scaring us¡maybe you just didn¡¯t hear about it. There¡¯s no reason to¡ª¡±
Panic.
That was what Jess wanted to say but before she could finish screams erupted from within the town. It was mind boggling because it was loud enough to reach their ears. They were already outside the city walls, but it was still overwhelming.
Up until the present, Alric couldn¡¯t erase in his memory the sounds of the wails of despair and the shouts of anger made by the players of the game that reverberated all throughout the town. The noise was loud enough for even adventurers outside the gate to hear them.