《The Ascendant: Endless Reincarnation》 Prologue - The Wheels of Fate Turn Prologue - The Wheels of Fate Turn Boredom is underrated. For years, I¡¯ve patiently listened to my friends and colleagues whine about the lack of excitement in their daily lives. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to be a movie star or a billionaire¡¯s son? Aren¡¯t pro athletes so lucky, getting paid millions to do what they love? Heck, even being a traveling gourmet would be much better than being stuck inside a damn cubicle, they said. I understood where they were coming from, but I never shared their views. If there¡¯s one thing I learned from my parents, it¡¯s gratitude. The Brooks family never took anything for granted. How could I complain about my lot? I was born to loving parents in a safe, peaceful country. We weren¡¯t rich, but there was always food on the table and our heating was never cut off. And even though I graduated in the midst of a recession, I was still able to find a well-paying job. I have four working limbs and a healthy mind. That alone makes me luckier than countless other people. Yes, office work can be monotonous at times, but isn¡¯t that a luxury too? Never having to fight for survival or worry about where my next meal is coming from - it¡¯s pure bliss. My biggest dream was to continue living this happy and simple life. I had it all planned out: get married, have three kids, adopt a Welsh Corgi, and spend much of my retirement woodworking or fixing old motorcycles. Just endless days of idleness in my corner of the world. It would have been perfect! No matter how boring of an existence my life was, I cherished every second. So¡­ this is quite a shame. I really didn¡¯t want to die so early. * * * My legs were crushed, turned into a mess of shattered bone and flowing blood. It was a miracle that I hadn¡¯t passed out from the pain yet. People around me were screaming, but I barely noticed. My mind was completely in shock. Wait, is the boy I pushed out of the way fine? Yes. There he is. Thank god, he looks unharmed. I would feel really silly if I did this for nothing. That¡¯s probably his mother covering his eyes. Good call lady. You should probably book a therapist for the poor boy too.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The truck driver was almost hysterical. I¡¯m sure this memory will traumatize him, and he¡¯ll definitely lose his job, but he really shouldn¡¯t have been speeding like that. Stop signs exist for a reason man! Maybe his brakes failed, though. I¡¯ll give him the benefit of the doubt... not like I can chastise him in my current condition. For the next few minutes, I fought to stay conscious. Everything was covered in a red haze. The sound of sirens told me that I had been put in an ambulance, however, and we seemed to be moving pretty fast. Deep down¡­ I felt like I wasn¡¯t going to make it. ¡°Hang in there, hero.¡± One of the EMTs said, holding my hand. ¡°We¡¯ll get you fixed right up. Your parents are on the way to the hospital too.¡± Damn, sorry mom and dad. This will be a horrible experience for them. I can''t imagine how worried and afraid they are right now. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have tried to save the kid after all. But who could just stand there in that situation? I almost made it out scot free too - the truck only got my lower half. ¡°Don¡¯t let them see.¡± I said, in between bloody coughs. ¡°My legs.¡± ¡°No worries, we¡¯ll have a tarp or something ready in the ER.¡± The guy joked.
[Warning: Critical injuries sustained.]
...What? A small, translucent box had appeared in the center of my vision. It looked like a notification of some sort - though it only stated the obvious. What is this? The blue box floated, unattached to anything. When I moved my eyes, it followed to stay in my line of sight. The two EMTs didn¡¯t seem to notice it at all.
[Warning: HP severely depleted. Death imminent.]
¡°The message¡­¡± I wheezed, trying to speak. ¡°Easy champ, save your energy.¡± One of the EMTs said in a soothing voice, giving me a forced smile. ¡°We¡¯re almost at the hospital. Just hang in there a little longer.¡± His partner said. Both of their expressions were grim, though. They knew that the chances were low. Every second that passed, more of my strength left me. I tried as hard as I could to stay awake. A little longer! Let me say goodbye to my family, at least! However, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. My vision faded, and another notification appeared.
[You have died. Ending run 001.] [Soul anchored in Ascendant Sapphire Dancer¡¯s domain.] [Returning in 3...2...1...]
After a final breath filled with unwillingness, I fell into a world of infinite blackness. Authors Introduction Welcome to The Ascendant: Endless Reincarnation, a novel inspired by my love of roguelikes and other games with New Game+ mechanics. Since I¡¯d hate to waste a reader¡¯s time with a story not to their taste, I want spend a moment talking about my thoughts and plans for this novel. Not interested? Feel free to skip this introduction, you won¡¯t be missing out on much. Okay, let¡¯s talk about the premise. Isn¡¯t it wonderful seeing your character struggle to survive in the early game, then get stronger with each life until it¡¯s destroying Level 50 content at Level 1? Or passing legendary artifacts down to the next generation to trivialize the first bosses they run into? It¡¯s a rewarding experience, yet one you only gain after much grinding. This story tries to capture that feeling. It¡¯s the typical ¡°Weak to Strong¡± genre that you¡¯re probably very familiar with, using my preferred mix of plot devices: powerful treasures, battles against monsters, kingdom conflicts, and an ¡°Overworld¡± tying it all together. If you want to know what to expect from this, here are some slightly spoilery notes of what I have planned. This should let you know whether to drop this now or stay tuned.
  1. Our MC dies. Repeatedly. This shouldn¡¯t be a surprise, given the theme of the novel. Maybe it¡¯s because of old age, maybe it¡¯s because he gets shanked in a dark alley. Who knows?
  1. A slightly slow start. It takes time to turn an office worker into an overpowered existence. Richard learns to protect himself early - but kingdom or world domination? Heh.
  1. Even with the ¡°slow buildup¡±, I¡¯ll try not to spend too much time on any one Life / World. Many will just get a short summary (or else even 2000 chapters wouldn¡¯t be enough). For Lives that do get a spotlight, enough focus that the setting feels real, but not to the point that the MC never moves on.
  1. Game Elements are restricted. Normal people aren¡¯t aware of their stats. Worlds don¡¯t have ¡°Job Change Quests¡±, automatically respawning monsters, and things like that.
  1. No NTR, brainwashing, betrayal due to memory loss, or similar tropes. Too cheap.
  1. Some tragedy but not grimdark. I want a mix of slice of life fun, bloody action, and a little sadness.
  1. Wish fulfillment is real. This is first and foremost a story about someone getting strong to fulfill his desires. If I have to choose between realism and fun, I¡¯d go with the latter.
  2. I like cliches. You can tell by my use of Truck-san. Many of the characters you meet in this story will fit one fantasy stereotype or more. Please forgive my lack of originality.
  3. NO EXTREME TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT SHENANIGANS. I am very sorry, I like that genre too (Release that Witch is in my Top 5), but the balance of power levels in this story would go completely out the window if modernizing a kingdom was an option. This will be directly addressed in the plot later.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. That about does it. So without further ado, let¡¯s follow Richard Brooks on a journey that spans many lifetimes. I have written very little fiction before, however, so this will be rough at some points. Advice is always appreciated. Enjoy! Chapter 1 - New Ascendant Chapter 1 - New Ascendant How long did I float in that void? It might have been a few seconds, it might have been an eternity. Time seemed to have ground to a halt within its desolate landscape. But eventually, the blackness lifted. I slowly opened my eyes, and found myself lying down on a cold stone floor. As I sat up, I noticed something surprising. There was no pain - my legs had completely healed. The blood soaked clothes I previously wore had also been replaced by a set of plain white robes. ¡°Is this the afterlife?¡± I murmured, a little depressed. When my consciousness returned, I was half-hoping that I would wake up in a hospital room, surrounded by friends and family. But other than death, what else could explain this situation? It¡¯s over. My parents will be heartbroken. Both of them are old and have no other children, so this is going to hit them hard. Mom and dad are tough, though¡­ hopefully they can get past this. If nothing else, I hope they can take comfort in the fact that I didn¡¯t die meaninglessly. Well, there¡¯s no use moping around about what¡¯s already been done. Let¡¯s look for St. Peter or whoever is supposed to welcome me here. Climbing to my feet, I looked around the room I had woken up in. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. This building was a large dome made entirely out of gray stone. I¡¯d guess it was around the size of a large theater. The walls were covered in many carvings of a strange language I don''t recognize, making this place look like some kind of ancient temple. But it was well maintained; every inch was spotless and there wasn¡¯t a single crack in the walls. The dome¡¯s ceiling was made out of crystal clear glass, and through it I could see a starry night. There was a full moon in the center of the sky high above me, its gentle light illuminating the inside of the dome. ¡°How beautiful.¡± I said out loud. But this wasn¡¯t the time to stargaze. Behind me was a massive set of double doors, around three times as tall as I was. No matter how hard I pulled or pushed, though, they wouldn¡¯t open. There was no visible lock either; what¡¯s keeping them shut tight? After trying a little longer, I gave up and decided to look for another way out. Then I turned my eyes towards the middle of the room, where there was an ornate altar. Bathed in moonlight, the huge sapphire resting on top of it looked magical. If that gem were ever auctioned on Earth, I¡¯m sure its price would break records. The thing was the size of my head! I walked around, looking for any clues as to what I should do next. This was a strange place. What was most bizarre was that the dome was split into two very different halves. The side I woke up in was empty. Apart from the torches mounted on the walls and the cold stone beneath my bare feet, there was nothing to take note of. However, the other half of the dome was completely furnished. It had two ottoman couches, seven or so stuffed animals, a king sized bed, a tall wooden wardrobe¡­ and wait, is that a hot tub!? In other words, that side looked like someone actually lived there. Most likely a girl, judging by the pink sheets and toys. The modern furniture looked out of place inside this mystical stone structure. It created a jarring contrast, and made me question the decorator¡¯s taste.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I¡¯m feeling more confused with each passing second. This place doesn¡¯t seem like heaven at all. What is going on?
[Welcome, Ascendant. Tallying Karma points earned.]
This window again¡­ what is it this time? While I was dying, it warned me about how serious my injuries were and the loss of my ¡°HP¡±. Back then it reminded me of an RPG, and I almost laughed from how absurd it was. But I don¡¯t understand this new message. While I was thinking about what the notification meant, it suddenly expanded and multiple lines appeared beneath the original message.
[Survived for 28 years - 3 points awarded.] [Saved a child¡¯s life - 10 points awarded.] [Self-sacrifice - 10 points awarded.] [Strongest creature killed: ¡°Rabid Dog¡± - 1 point awarded.] [Reputation bonus - 1 point awarded.]
[Total Karma Earned - 25 points.] [Evaluation: ¡°D-¡± - Received 2 bonus points] [Current Karma: 27 points] [Unlocked Title: ¡°New Ascendant¡± - Beginner protection active until 10th run.] [Unlocked Title: ¡°Good Samaritan¡± - Good aligned characters are slightly friendlier.]
I stood there for a while in stunned silence. Was this supposed to be a summary of my life? I¡¯ve heard many religious interpretations of what happens after death, but this is¡­ out there. Karma is a familiar word. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s the idea that past actions can shape your future. People use it to justify morality, saying that good deeds are rewarded and evil will eventually be punished. That would explain why I got so many points for saving the kid. But then why did I get Karma for something like ¡°Strongest creature killed¡± and how long I stayed alive? That doesn¡¯t sound related to morality at all. This looks more like a list of achievements in a game, rather than a measure of how good of a person I was. If it¡¯s based on ¡°accomplishments¡±, then I¡¯m not surprised my total points are so low. I wasn¡¯t some kind of extraordinary figure. No great inventions or contributions to science. Still¡­ that evaluation is depressing. Getting a ¡°D-¡± grade on my entire life kinda hurts. If I knew that it would all end so suddenly, maybe I would have tried harder to leave my mark on the world. I don¡¯t regret how I lived, but there are definitely things I could have done better.
[Ascendant. Your journey must continue.] [Once you are ready to reincarnate, please approach this domain¡¯s Gateway.]
The previous messages disappeared, and another window popped up. Reincarnation? As the words sunk in, my face broke into a smile. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I said happily, and approached the altar in the center of the room. Given how the sapphire on top of it was now shining brightly, I guess this is the gateway it¡¯s referring to. I¡¯m not done yet. There is so much more I want to see and experience. Reincarnation is exactly what I wish for. If this place is giving me a second chance at life¡­ Then there¡¯s no way I could turn that down. Chapter 2 - The Karma Shop Chapter 2 - The Karma Shop I walked closer to the altar until I was right in front of the sapphire. The gem was floating in the air now, wrapped in wisps of blue fog. Should I just touch it and hope for the best? The air around it feels really cold, though. My hand might freeze if I try to grab it. Before I could do anything, another message appeared. [Do you wish to access the Karma Shop before reincarnating?] [Yes] [No] I guess this is where I get to spend the 27 points I received earlier. Though I¡¯m still not sure what Karma is or why this system exists, there should be no harm in checking out the shop. I mentally pressed [Yes]. The window closed and another one took its place. [Welcome to the Karma Shop! Please select one of the menus below.] [Items] [Stats] [Abilities] [Class (Locked)] [Settings] [Domain] Six options appeared in front of me. How interesting. This whole system was looking more and more like a low budget RPG. [Stats]? [Abilities]? That sounds like I can make myself stronger or get special talents for my next life. Maybe this is how NBA class athletes are made... I decided to suspend my disbelief for the moment. As weird as this whole chain of events might be, it¡¯s a fact that I¡¯m dead; all I can do is go with the flow. Being a gamer, the thought of ¡°starting bonuses¡± excited me too. But just in case, I tried to choose the (Locked) option first. [Insufficient points to unlock Main Class. 50 Karma needed.] Well that¡¯s a shame. My ¡°main class¡± sounds like it¡¯ll give me some sort of unique skill that would be really powerful. But it requires twice as many points as I have right now. Damn it, if only I saved a schoolbus full of children instead of just one kid. Shaking my head, I abandoned that silly line of thought and picked [Items] instead. [Please choose category of items] [Normal] [Soulbound] Two new choices. But what does Soulbound mean? As if the system could hear my internal voice, a small notification appeared. [Soulbound items are carried over to all of your future lives. If lost or damaged, they are restored to perfect condition upon reincarnation. Repair service is free only for Soulbound items with a rarity of and below. Normal items are permanently lost on death.] My future lives? I suppose I should have expected it. The system did say something about my previous life being ¡°Run 001¡±, so it makes sense that reincarnation isn¡¯t just a one time deal. But is this how it works for everyone? Will I get to keep my memories? No one on Earth has ever talked about this system. Maybe it''s because our minds are wiped after every death. That thought scared me a little. Even though ¡°Richard Brooks¡± is gone, I don¡¯t want my ego to disappear here. All of my experiences are precious to me. If my memories and personality were ever to be taken away, then that would be my real death. There¡¯s also the chance that not everyone gets to reincarnate, which is why nobody knows about this system and the whole Karma thing. That would mean that there¡¯s something special about me. But what? I¡¯m as average of a person as they come. Well, there¡¯s no use worrying about it right now. I selected [Soulbound]. Immediately, hundreds of new lines appeared inside the window. [Soulbound Items] [Note: You may sort displayed items by Price, Rarity, Type, and other factors.] [Dagger - 25 Points] [Short Sword - 40 Points] [Short Bow - 45 Points] [Greatsword - 50 Points] [Warhammer - 50 Points] [Halberd - 60 Points] [Leather Cap - 40 Points] [Leather Brigandine - 70 Points] [Alchemy Kit - 75 Points] [Short Sword of Flame - 100 Points] [Longbow of Accuracy - 125 Points] [Staff of Regeneration - 150 Points] [Armor Piercing Mace - 150 Points] [Lesser Tidal Staff - 400 Points] [Old Runic Breastplate - 500 Points] [Wings of Boundless Flight - 650 Points] If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I was a bit overwhelmed by the selection. Weapons, armor, even a pair of wings - is this really some sort of game? Not to mention the prices are way out of my budget. The only thing I can afford in the entire menu is a dagger, and I¡¯m not about to waste my points on something I can probably find in a kitchen. Still, I was curious and looked around a bit more. The displayed items could be changed just by thinking about what I wanted to see. For instance, if I thought ¡°show only melee weapons¡±, the shop would do so. I could also sort it by the item¡¯s rarity such as or . Finally, focusing my eyes on a single item would bring up a longer description. [Wings of Boundless Flight - Cloak slot. Manifests white wings, allowing the wielder to traverse difficult terrain with ease. 3 hour duration, resets daily. Compatible with all chest armors.] Hah, that sounds incredibly fun. Just the thought of zipping around the sky made me excited. I wonder what the maximum speed is? It would be like having my own portable jet. But the price tag on it is insane. 650 points¡­ that¡¯s like 25 times my life¡¯s work. I kept window shopping for a little longer, then I checked out the [Normal] items category. That was pretty disappointing, though. Only and items were for sale, at a fifth of their Soulbound costs. There was no other difference. While I could buy a normal dagger or sword, it seemed like a huge waste. These points aren¡¯t easy to come by, so I¡¯d rather avoid spending them on temporary weapons that I don¡¯t even know how to use. Let¡¯s check out the other menus then. First, [Abilities]. [Abilities] [Caution: Main Class locked. Purchased incompatible abilities cannot be refunded] [Blade Skills] [Polearm Skills] [Blunt Weapon Skills] [Archery Skills] [Fire Magic] [Water Magic] [Wind Magic] [Earth Magic] [Lightning Magic] [Light Magic] [Dark Magic] [Void Magic] [Movement Skills] [Utility Skills] Again, my sense of reality was assaulted. This is all straight out of a fantasy game, isn¡¯t it!? Learning magic would be really cool, but it makes me wonder again: why hasn¡¯t anyone on Earth ever showed off powers like these? Well, there¡¯s another possible explanation for that. Maybe I¡¯ll end up on a world other than Earth. If I¡¯ve learned anything from clich¨¦s, then having magic like this means I¡¯ll be summoned to a faraway kingdom as a hero. Either a wise old king or a buxom princess would be there to greet me. Then I¡¯ll be asked to slay a demon lord - who has a roughly 25% chance of actually being a cute, misunderstood girl. Alright, enough with the ridiculous tropes. While I would enjoy sightseeing on a different planet, something tells me it wouldn¡¯t really be that fun or relaxing. First things first; let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything worth buying here. I checked out the options - each submenu had hundreds or even thousands of choices. From the blade category¡¯s [Whirlwind Slash] to fire magic¡¯s [Fire Storm], it all sounded amazing. Unfortunately, even the cheapest tier of spells like [Lightning Spark] cost 30 Karma to unlock. The only thing I could purchase was a movement skill called [Sprint], which increases my running speed by 30% for twenty seconds. That sounds like it would come in handy if I ever needed to run for my life. It would cost 25 Karma though, so I wasn¡¯t too keen on it. Besides, I kept thinking about the warning the system gave me. It sounds like each class is only compatible with certain skills, so if I buy something here that I can¡¯t really use in the future, it would be a waste of points. It¡¯s probably best to learn my class first before messing around here. Let¡¯s check out [Stats]. [Stats] [Bonuses apply after rolling initial stats. Each point costs 5 Karma] [Strength: 0] [Agility: 0] [Dexterity: 0] [Constitution: 0] [Intelligence: 0] [Wisdom: 0] [Charisma: 0] Okay. After asking the system a few things for clarification, I think I got it. Strength: Physical might and explosive power. Self-explanatory, really. Agility: Speed and reflexes. Has a minor effect on stamina as well. Dexterity: Accuracy and senses. The trademark stat of rogues and archers. Constitution: Endurance, stamina, recovery, and basically how hard you are to kill. Intelligence: Memory, focus, critical thinking. Primary stat for mages, since it affects spellpower and mana. Wisdom: "Soft" intelligence, such as sensing when something doesn''t add up. Affects magic defense and mana. Charisma: Makes you better at things like negotiation and flattery. Significantly affects leadership. Every time a person is born, their body¡¯s ¡°stats¡± are determined. By spending Karma here, however, I will get a flat bonus for each roll. I can¡¯t underestimate this thing¡¯s importance. A few points here might mean the difference between being sickly or strong. Plus, each stat only costs 5 Karma to upgrade. This is probably the best place to spend my first points. Just in case, I looked at [Settings] and [Domain] afterwards. But there was nothing in those menus but a single disappointing message. [Available only after your 10th reincarnation.] * * * For the next twenty minutes, I thought hard about what to spend my Karma on. Constitution is pretty important. It affects how healthy and energetic my body will be, so that¡¯s always going to be useful. Agility would be nice to have too - in the event that I wind up in a dangerous situation, running away will be my best bet. I decided to raise both to 2, and then spent my remaining Karma on Strength. Being a little stronger than average is helpful for lots of things. [Stats] [Bonuses apply after rolling initial stats. Each point costs 5 Karma] [Strength: 1] [Agility: 2] [Dexterity: 0] [Constitution: 2] [Intelligence: 0] [Wisdom: 0] [Charisma: 0] Perfect. I still have 2 Karma remaining, but there¡¯s nothing that cheap in the shop. Okay then, I think I¡¯ve done everything I can to prepare. Let¡¯s do this. But how do I reincarnate though? Do I just ask? System, please reincarnate me now. [Request acknowledged, Ascendant. Closing Karma Shop.] Oh hey, it actually worked. I folded my arms and watched in fascination as more lines filled the screen. But the final one made my blood run cold. [Selecting random world¡­] [¡°Skosia¡± selected] [Planet Size: Average] [Terrain: 60% Land, 25% Water, 15% Ice] [Population Density: Low] [Sentient Races: 90% Human, 8% Beastmen, 2% Other] [Monster presence: High] [Climate: Temperate] [Danger level: Average] [. . . . .] [Warning!: Ascendant detected on Skosia] [Stated Affiliation: Eclipse] [New danger level: Extreme] No! What is it with that danger level!? Put me on a different world! I tried to tell the system to cancel the process, but that didn¡¯t help. The blue wisps of fog surrounding the sapphire immediately shot out and wrapped around me, preventing any escape. My eyes lost their sight and I quickly became sleepy. It didn¡¯t take long before my consciousness faded. [Climb to the summit of power and seize our legacy.] [This plane is your birthright, Ascendant.] * * * Several hours later¡­ A blue portal manifested inside the dome. Out walked a young woman, taking graceful strides like a proud cheetah after a kill. The soft clinking of metal on stone sounded as her greaves tread on the floor. She had bright golden eyes, rosy skin, and dark blue hair tied into a high ponytail. Two identical sheathed blades were strapped to her waist, and she was dressed in an ill-matched assortment of armor from various eras. Tall and beautiful, this girl stood with the poise of an experienced warrior. With a snap of her fingers, the two swords disappeared and her battleworn armor was replaced with more casual clothing. She nodded with a very satisfied expression on her face. ¡°Whew, that was a great run.¡± She said happily, stretching her arms. ¡°Five hundred points baby!¡± Lynn flopped onto the massive bed. It had been years since she had felt something this soft. Medieval worlds aren¡¯t exactly known for comfort. Even though she had become a Grand Duchess in her last life and owned a luxurious manor, there¡¯s just no place like home. After a few seconds of rolling around in the oversized bed, she sat up and pulled out a golden locket from within her shirt. It was time to check on her charge. ¡°Let¡¯s see how little Richard is doing. He should be married by now... eh!?¡± She froze. Instead of a tired office worker with a boring face, the locket¡¯s mirror was instead showing a completely different person. How!? Lynn quickly turned towards the center of the room. Seeing that the sapphire on the altar was glowing brightly, her smile disappeared. ¡°...Well, shit.¡± Chapter 3 - An Old Tale Chapter 3 - An Old Tale Countless eons ago, within the endless primordial chaos, seven gods came into being. Ruling over Light, Dark, and the Five Elements, they created everything we know today. The Seven Old Ones they were called, and it is them we have to thank (or curse) for our very existence. As time passed, the gods noticed that many great figures emerged from the sentient races they had made. Heroes and tyrants, champions and prophets, these people were the most awe-inspiring of their kind. Yet all of them eventually succumbed to death, their legacies fading into the mists of time. Wasn¡¯t it such a waste? Brilliant minds and valorous hearts, snuffed out far too quickly by the greatest poison of all: mortality. The gods felt pity for their creations. More importantly, they felt immense boredom. Deciding that it was time to shake things up a bit in the Pantheon, they all agreed to share a tiny fraction of their divine essence with any suitably talented mortal. It would bring an interesting change to a stagnant universe. What would the New Gods do with their powers? They were all excited to find out. However, an unexpected complication arose. The Seven Old Ones argued and bickered endlessly on every candidate. No matter how promising an individual was, they could never unanimously agree on granting them godhood. After many more years, the God of Light eventually came up with a bright idea. Why not make each candidate go through multiple trials to prove their worth? ¡°Let them show their will.¡± Said the God of Light. ¡°Let them show their might.¡± Said the God of Fire. ¡°Let them show their intelligence.¡± Said the Goddess of Water.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Let them show their fortitude.¡± Said the God of Earth. ¡°Let them show their adaptability.¡± Said the Goddess of Wind. ¡°Let them show their focus.¡° Said the God of Lightning. ¡°Let them show their ambition.¡± Said the Goddess of Darkness. And so they created the Ascendancy System. What better way to test a person¡¯s greatness than to drop them off in unfamiliar lands, filled with lurking dangers and hidden opportunities? Will they shape history? Can they live peacefully? Or will they meet an early, violent death? It was very good entertainment for the gods. Heroes weren¡¯t the only ones chosen to take part. Any being with a soul strong enough to endure the endless cycle of death and reincarnation was given the same chance. There were too few for the system to be picky. And in some cases, those with humble origins did better in the long run. Kings blundered about as street urchins. Peasants became fearless generals. The System brought out the latent potential within the chosen souls, while exposing the weaknesses of others. It granted power and suffering in equal measure. As time passed, the System learned how far it could push Ascendants without them breaking. But what was an Ascendant, truly? It mattered not if one had the heart of a cruel despot or a protector of the weak. Those with the strength to overcome hardship and accomplish great deeds were the only ones that mattered in the end. The best Ascendants were given the chance to challenge the God¡¯s Trial, which would grant them the true essence of divinity. These victors would then have the right to join the Old Ones in their Pantheon. Eventually, there were over a thousand gods in the Pantheon. The Seven Old Ones still reigned supreme, yet there was now more color to the universe. The New Gods used their powers according to their unique ideologies, shaping their little pockets of territory as they saw fit. But it would not last. Conflict arose - as it always does - and an epic war between gods resulted. Some say it was caused by the appearance of a hidden god, one with power rivaling the Seven. Others believe that their ideological differences simply became irreconcilable. Even now there are worlds bearing scars from the devastating battles that took place. Countless more worlds were destroyed entirely. No one knows who won¡­ but no gods have been seen for ages. Most now believe that the Divine War caused the total destruction of the Pantheon. Yet somehow, the Ascendancy System lives on. It has been countless lifetimes since then. Nobody knows how to access the God¡¯s Trial without a living deity¡¯s guidance, so the Pantheon remains shattered and empty. The Ascendants continue to fight, grow, live, and die. Meaninglessly, some would say¡­ but perhaps not. Chapter 4 - The Awakening Chapter 4 - The Awakening Southcreek village: a settlement at the far southeastern province of the Elswain Kingdom. Being surrounded by forests, its main trade goods were furs, lumber, and medicinal plants. The village wasn¡¯t wealthy by any means, but the inhabitants lead simple and carefree lives. Far away from any monster dens or the constant border skirmishes, its people knew nothing but peace. At the crack of dawn, peasants feed chickens and usher livestock out to the nearby meadows. Woodcutters, large axes hefted on their broad shoulders, would drag carts into the forest for another day of chopping spiralwood trees. Foragers often accompanied them to pick herbs, mushrooms, and other gifts of the forest. The village¡¯s three hunting parties returned at dusk. If their bounty was especially good, all of Southcreek would celebrate it with a large feast. Song and laughter, drum and dance - the loud festivities would last well into the night. Marriages were often held during these celebrations as well. Preparing the pelts was done by hunters too old or injured to go out into the wilds. Hanging, skinning, and curing was still hard work, but Southcreek was known throughout the kingdom for its fine animal hides. These veteran fur handlers took great pride in their craft and never cut corners. At the end of every third month, a trip would be made to the nearby town of Bask. There they would sell their wares, buy any needed supplies, and pay taxes to the local baron. In this chaotic and war-torn world, Southcreek can be considered an untouched paradise. ... Two children were playing in a shallow river, just a short walk away from the village¡¯s wooden palisades. One was a boy with short golden hair, while the other was a slightly older girl with purple pigtails. Laughter rang out as the two splashed water at each other. ¡°Gina!¡± The boy complained, sputtering. ¡°Ugh, it got into my mouth!¡± ¡°Then keep it shut.¡± Gina giggled, kicking another spray of river water in his direction. Caught off guard by her sudden attack, the boy stumbled and fell backwards with a cry. There was a soft thud as his head bumped into a rock on the river bed. ¡°Oww!¡± Gina doubled over in laughter. ¡°Thomas, why are you so clumsy? Come on, get up.¡± She walked over and helped Thomas to a sitting position. Her smile faded though, when she noticed the blank look on the boy¡¯s face. Thomas was completely expressionless. There was also a small trail of blood running down the back of his head, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± Gina gasped. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Hurry, we need to get you to mom.¡± She pulled and tugged on the child¡¯s arm, yet he remained completely unresponsive. ¡°Hey, Thomas?¡± The girl asked hesitantly, her face filled with concern. ¡°...Are you alright?¡± Thomas just sat in the water, looking dazed. * * * If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Memories entered my mind like a crushing torrent, and my head felt like it would split at the effort of sorting through them. I couldn¡¯t even see or hear anything because of the constant ringing. But the shock outweighed any mental pain I was suffering. My name¡­ is Richard Brooks. I died and was reincarnated. This is my second life. For the first six years, I had lived as Thomas, an ordinary boy in this tiny hamlet. But today, my dormant memories have finally awakened. It feels unbelievable. The ego of ¡°Thomas¡± was quickly consumed by my real self. Soon, there was almost nothing left of the innocent boy who was playing with Gina mere moments ago. His experiences melded with mine, and my personality took over. The ringing in my head also finally calmed down. [Awakening successful.] [Status screen is now available for viewing.] ¡°Thomas! Please say something!¡± I finally became aware of Gina¡¯s frantic calls. The poor girl had been shaking my shoulders for the past few seconds, and tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes. ¡°Um, I¡¯m fine now.¡± I said, gently taking her hands off me. ¡°My bad. Didn¡¯t mean to freeze like that.¡± ¡°Jeez, that was too scary.¡± Gina sighed in relief. ¡°I thought you finally became a real idiot.¡± What a rude childhood friend... she helped me to my feet, still looking a bit worried. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d fall over.¡± Gina apologized again. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s fine.¡± I answered, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m a little dizzy, though, so can we go back?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Your head is bleeding. Come on, let¡¯s have mom take a look at it.¡± As the two of us walked back to the village, I mulled over my memories of the past six years. Both of my parents died when I was very young¡­ there was an odd illness that swept over the village, killing dozens of people. My current guardian is Uncle Whitelaw, the village¡¯s smith and my father¡¯s only living relative. He¡¯s a grumpy old coot who I¡¯ve never seen smile. Gina¡¯s father died in the same plague that orphaned me. Her mother Hyacinth is a skilled herbalist, so she should have something for this wound. The last thing I want is a nasty infection; I doubt there are any well-equipped hospitals in this world. Then I recalled the system¡¯s message when I became conscious. Status screen is now available? As I thought of the two words ¡°status screen¡±, the following window popped up.
ASCENDANT - RICHARD BROOKS
Body Name: Thomas Age: 6 Race: Human
HP: 36/36 MP: 32/32
Affiliation: None Class: None 2nd Life
STATS
STR: 17 (16 + 1) AGI: 20 (18 + 2) DEX: 12
CON: 22 (20 + 2) INT: 16 WIS: 14
CHA: 20 LUK: 10 Stat multiplier: 40%
CONDITIONS
No active blessings or debuffs. Base stats lowered to 40% because of age.
This is interesting. First of all, my Dexterity is terrible. Damn, I should have put my points there instead. I don¡¯t know whether my stats are high or not compared to the average person, but apparently they¡¯re reduced because I¡¯m still a kid. Makes sense; stats are tied to my body, which still has a lot of room to grow. The bonuses I bought with my Karma seem to be active now too. Hmm, I wonder what I should do from now on. Staying in this village for as long as I can might not be a bad idea. It¡¯s a safe and peaceful place. But how should I spend my time here? Maybe I¡¯ll try to become a hunter. Going deep into the forest every day sounds fun, if a little dangerous. Because of that ¡°incident¡± with the truck, I¡¯m much more aware of my own mortality now... My daydreams were cut short the moment we entered the village, however, since another notification appeared. [Main Quest acquired: ¡°Learn to Survive.¡±] [Gain Novice proficiency in five survival skills.] [Reward: 25 Karma points.] Chapter 5 - A Herbalist’s Charm Chapter 5 - A Herbalist¡¯s Charm In a dark cave, half a continent away... Rukham dodged the large goblin¡¯s desperate swing, and stabbed it in the heart. Dropping its maul, the goblin chieftain staggered backwards, glaring at its slayer with pure hate and resentment. It had spent over a decade fighting and killing its own kind for supremacy. Now, after just three weeks as chieftain, this unknown warrior had invaded its lair and defeated it!? The goblin let out a frustrated roar, which was cut short when Rukham sliced the creature¡¯s head off. [You have slain the chieftain of the goblins!] [The Monster King ability of your main class was activated. This goblin horde has pledged its allegiance to you.] [Gained "Boiling Blood" temporary ability: Regeneration increased. Expires on death.] More fodder to swell his ranks. Goblins are weak even in large numbers, but that¡¯s fine. He wasn¡¯t going to use them against soldiers. [Emergency notification for Ascendant Headhunter.] ¡°Hmm?¡± Rukham looked up. It was rare for the system to contact him out of the blue like this. [Another Ascendant has awakened within this world.] [Affiliation: None.] ¡°Oh? This is interesting.¡± He smirked, standing up. ¡°No affiliation, so a wanderer¡­ how many runs has it been since I¡¯ve had a random encounter with one of my kind?¡± Excitement started to bubble within him. Duels were one thing, but a battle in an actual world was completely different. Would the opponent be one of those monstrous hidden overlords? Will they be evenly matched and have a thrilling battle? Or would Rukham crush the other Ascendant under his heel like a bug? Whichever it was, he was very eager to find out. Rukham cleaned the blood off his longsword and sheathed it. He stretched his arms, the heavy black armor on his body making no noise even as he moved. Then he collected his prize - the goblin chieftain¡¯s head - and stowed it away somewhere unseen. ¡°Shame it isn¡¯t a Guardian, but I¡¯ll take what I can get. I just hope he doesn¡¯t just kill himself immediately like the last one. That would be too boring.¡± The Ascendant donned a faceless gray mask with a black moon on its forehead - the mark of Eclipse. When he walked out of the cave, hundreds of red goblins were waiting there, standing at attention. There were other monsters as well. Massive arachnids. Tall kobolds with spears. Scrawny feathered beasts carrying bows. It was a sight that defied all common sense. Monsters under one banner, standing in orderly ranks. An impossibility brought to life by something that should not exist. ¡°Now then¡­ which kingdom should I search first?¡± * * * Southcreek is a tiny village with only three hundred or so people, but it has its own charm. The fresh air was filled with the sounds and smells of the woodlands. It was very different from the smog-filled city I was used to. Lush vegetation grew beside the cobblestone paths. All of the buildings were made of timber, and most have been standing for at least two generations. This was also a place with a strong sense of community. Everyone knew everybody else. As we walked through the village, I paid close attention to the people we passed by. There is old man Norwyn patching up his home¡¯s roof. Yesterday¡¯s heavy rain must have caused another leak. Those two kids using sticks to draw lines in the earth are twins. Their father is Gael from the third hunting party, one of the best archers in Southcreek despite nearing fifty years old. The cheerful voices of my fellow villagers filled the air. ¡°Oy Hans! Good timing, let me borrow your saw for a bit. Mine¡¯s too dull for this job.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even returned my sickle yet! Give it back before asking for something else!¡± ¡°Now now, we¡¯re in-laws right? What¡¯s yours is mine, and what¡¯s mine is yours.¡± ¡°Damien! Lunch is ready! Oh, where did that boy wander off to this time¡­¡± ¡°I think I saw him playing over at Conrad¡¯s house, Mrs. Bertha.¡± This charming noisiness is part of any normal afternoon in Southcreek. It felt strange. Every part of this place was familiar since I spent the past six years growing up here. Yet this was also the first time I¡¯ve ever really seen it. My head hurts at the contradiction. Blending the memories of two distinct people together like this can¡¯t be good for the mind, can it? ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Gina asked in concern. I became aware that my face had scrunched up while I was thinking. ¡°No, and I think the bleeding has stopped. It¡¯s a pretty shallow cut.¡± I answered. ¡°Mom still needs to look.¡± My childhood friend insisted, walking faster and pulling me along. ¡°A worm might have crawled into it or something! It¡¯ll get into your brain!¡± Gee, thanks for that wonderful mental image. Gina and her mother lived near the center of the village. As the community¡¯s most experienced healer (or rather, its only healer¡­), Ms. Hyacinth was always busy. Whenever she¡¯s not dressing wounds or setting bones, she¡¯d be brewing a new batch of salves and various herbal tonics. A few minutes later we finally arrived. I looked at the makeshift wooden sign above the doorway, which depicted a bowl and leaf - the most common symbol for herbalists in this world. Gina knocked on the door and we entered, being careful not to make too much noise. Distracting her mother might ruin whatever she¡¯s working on. We were greeted by the scent of freshly crushed leaves and stems, accompanied by faint mutterings from a familiar voice.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hyacinth was at her crafting table, surrounded by bowls, racks, and vials filled with all sorts of plants and oddly colored liquids. In front of her was a well-used black cauldron roughly the size of three fists. A flame roared steadily underneath it, melting the contents into a thick green paste. The herbalist¡¯s shaggy purple hair was tied into a ponytail, and her brow was furrowed with concentration. While gently stirring the contents of her tiny cauldron, she slowly decreased the heat until the fire was extinguished. Then before the solution had a chance to cool down, she added two types of chopped leaves and mashed it all together with her pestle. After the leaves were completely pulverized, Hyacinth poured her finished salve into a round clay pot. Wiping the sweat off her brow, Gina¡¯s mother turned to us with a smile. Man, Hyacinth is gorgeous - it really is tragic how she was widowed at such a young age. She¡¯s had more than one suitor since then, but they were all shot down mercilessly. ¡°Hey brats.¡± She said cheerfully. ¡°You¡¯re back early. Lunch¡¯s not ready yet, you know?¡± Given how terrible my Uncle Whitelaw was at cooking, I often ate with Gina¡¯s family instead and brought some of it home for him. In many ways, this woman had raised me more than my uncle had. ¡°Mom! Thomas is hurt.¡± Gina said urgently. She¡¯d been holding back earlier since Hyacinth was preoccupied, but the girl was really on the verge of panicking. ¡°You¡¯ve got to save him!¡± ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s not a big deal¡­¡± I said in embarrassment, subconsciously covering the back of my head. ¡°Come over here, let me see.¡± Hyacinth said, striding over. She grabbed me and turned me around. ¡°Good grief, that¡¯s one ugly gash boy. Where did you get it from?¡± Really? Was it that bad? I can¡¯t see it, but it didn¡¯t hurt too much. ¡°It was my fault mom.¡± Gina said, practically in tears. She then explained what happened. Hyacinth shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re lucky it wasn¡¯t worse. Slipping headfirst onto a rock isn¡¯t a joke.¡± ¡°It was my mistake. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to my footing.¡± I said, trying to ease Gina¡¯s guilt. Hyacinth grabbed a nearby jar filled with a green liquid similar to what she was making earlier. This one was a bit lighter in color though. She washed the back of my head with clean water to remove the dried blood, then covered it with a thick layer of the salve. It stung a little at first, then felt incredibly soothing. The pain had disappeared by the time she finished wrapping a bandage around my head. Wow, Hyacinth really does know her stuff. ¡°Both of you aren¡¯t allowed to play in the river for a week.¡± Hyacinth said firmly. ¡°Especially you Gina. You still haven¡¯t memorized the last two dozen herbs I taught you, right? Spend more time studying.¡± ¡°Yes mom.¡± Gina said obediently, looking at the floor. I nodded as well. Hyacinth sighed. ¡°Alright then. Gina, help me clean up. Tommy boy, head home before it gets dark, your uncle was looking for you earlier. And go to bed early to let your wound heal.¡± ¡°Yes Ms. Hyacinth.¡± I said, but my thoughts wandered back to the scene earlier. Hyacinth bent over her cauldron, skillfully adding one herb after another to create the perfect healing item - it was pretty amazing. I can¡¯t help but think, shouldn¡¯t I try to learn that myself? If I¡¯m going to stay in this village, I will eventually need a job. My pride doesn¡¯t allow me to stay dependent on Uncle Whitelaw any longer than necessary. Even though I¡¯m technically a child right now, my mind is still that of a self-respecting adult. What am I supposed to do for the next few years? Just play outside and do my chores? No, I want to earn my keep in this place. Becoming a herbalist seems like the perfect answer. It¡¯s a safe, comfortable job that I can do right now, and it¡¯s just a very valuable skill to have in general. It might even count towards the five survival skills I need to learn for that Main Quest the system gave me. Yeah, it¡¯s worth a shot. Instead of leaving, I walked over to Hyacinth and pulled her sleeve. She stopped tidying up the clutter on the crafting table and turned to face me. ¡°What is it kid? Feel dizzy or something?¡± She asked curiously. I took a deep breath, then looked her in the eyes and spoke. ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble¡­ can I help you with your work sometimes?¡± What I didn''t know then was that decision would end up having a massive impact on my future. * * * ¡°Good morning Mr. Norwyn. I hope you have a pleasant day.¡± I said cheerfully as I passed the old man basking lazily in the sunlight. ¡°A good day to you as well, boy.¡± Norwyn chuckled. ¡°My wife is making apple tarts right now. Would you like to come in and have some?¡± ¡°Thank you, but I have to hurry to Ms. Hyacinth¡¯s shop.¡± I declined, before bowing and going on my way. ¡°What a good child.¡± Grandma Clair said, coming out from their house. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see him opening up more now.¡± ¡°He used to be terrified of everyone but that friend of his.¡± Norwyn added, nodding. ¡°Though he still isn¡¯t playing with any of the other children¡­¡± A short while later I was in front of Hyacinth¡¯s shop. With a quick knock on the door, I went in and prepared myself for another day of learning and hard work. It¡¯s been a week since my awakening. Hyacinth was fairly amused when I asked to be her apprentice, but she decided to humor me. At first she only asked me to fetch ingredients from the shelves while she was working. I think she was expecting me to grow bored when she didn¡¯t let me use the cauldron right away. My first day on the job, however, surprised her - I diligently followed her orders and did my best to memorize every ingredient she mentioned. In just a few days I had already caught up to Gina in herbal knowledge, and Hyacinth was growing more and more impressed. She began teaching me in earnest about flame control, the interactions of different herbs with each other, which salves or potions work best for specific wound types, and so on. It was a ton of information to take in, but I did my best to keep up. Every night I would spend at least two hours studying the book of plants she gave me. It was pretty fun though. Hyacinth had a great way of explaining things in the most simple way possible. "Someone tripped and a sharp branch pierced right through their calf. What do you do first?" "Disinfect the area with a topical cream made from Bright Tassel leaves and crushed Yarrow flowers?" "Wrong. You remove the damn branch first, obviously. Hah! Just messing with you, that''s a decent answer. But what you really want to do..." That''s how our lessons usually went. Even back on Earth I was a decent student. Now that I¡¯m stuck in this backwater place, most of my modern knowledge is useless (my old job involved lots of excel sheets and online commerce) - so I¡¯ll take any chance to learn what I need to survive. ¡°That knock on the head really did your brain wonders, eh Thomas?¡± Hyacinth had remarked once, looking completely baffled. It was a fair assumption; this wasn¡¯t the kind of thing a six year old should be able to understand, but I absorbed everything she taught me. It wasn¡¯t completely effortless though. My mind actually feels a bit slower when compared to my previous life. My focus drops after a few hours, and memorizing things takes longer. Maybe it¡¯s because of the lowered intelligence stat? Aren¡¯t kids supposed to learn quicker though? Ah whatever, this was a minor disadvantage that I could easily make up for with effort. I had even started creating my own healing powders. No use of the cauldron yet - making these items was supposed to train my ability to measure ingredients and process them to a perfect consistency. Every beginner starts with something like this, but it was surprisingly hard. Tiny fingers and a dreadfully low dexterity stat meant that I kept messing up. So I had no choice but to take it slow and pay close attention to every step. The first two batches were total failures, but I made a semi-passable product on my third try. I was even rewarded with a notification from the system. [Item created: ¡°Basic Healing Powder¡±.] [Quality: Very Poor] [Slightly heals small cuts and bruises.] The evaluation of ¡°Very Poor¡± aside, I was ecstatic at my success. So happy, in fact, that I decided to make a small cut on my arm to test its effects. But wait, I should compare it to Hyacinth¡¯s work to see how big the difference is¡­ two cuts it is then. ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡± Hyacinth walked in just as I finished dragging the knife across my other arm. She stood at the doorway, her expression a mix of horror and confusion. ¡°Um, science?¡± I answered with a sheepish grin. After explaining what I wanted to try, she sat down and buried her face in her hands. ¡°There are easier ways to test your products. Good grief...¡± She muttered in exasperation. ¡°Weren¡¯t you too afraid to even see blood not long ago?¡± Nevertheless, she let me go through with the experiment (since the damage had been done anyway). The results were clear: Hyacinth¡¯s powder made one wound close almost immediately, and it took away all of the pain. The one I made was barely more helpful than a band-aid. My teacher then forced me to use a more effective item on that wound to prevent scarring. That''s one more thing I learned. Somehow, these "primitive" herbal products are more powerful than anything I''ve seen on Earth. Expensive potions can rapidly heal serious injuries and restore wounded soldiers to fighting shape. Hyacinth''s books even told of legendary elixirs that could regrow lost limbs. Maybe the plants in this world are infused with magic? It certainly seems like it, since you weren''t allowed to use too many at once, or it would have disastrous consequences. Oh, and apart from my reckless ¡°clinical trial¡±, Hyacinth was impressed that I had managed to make my own healing powder without her assistance. ¡°You learn fast, kid. Keep this up and you¡¯ll be working in the capital one day.¡± I don¡¯t really plan on going far away though¡­ I¡¯d usually be glad to explore a fantasy world, but the ¡°Extreme¡± danger level that the system showed me is still weighing heavily on my mind. It might be a good idea to just live out my days peacefully within this secluded province. At least until I finish that Main Quest. Chapter 6 - The First Milestone Chapter 6 - The First Milestone One morning I woke up earlier than usual. I was brimming with eagerness and ready to continue my lessons at Hyacinth¡¯s shop. After a quick breakfast of rye bread and red berries, I was already halfway out the door when my uncle¡¯s gruff voice called out to me. ¡°Thomas. Wait.¡± I stopped and turned towards Uncle Whitelaw. The large smith¡¯s graying hair and beard was already tinged with sweat. Whitelaw was the kind of man to get up and start working at three in the morning, and not stop until nighttime. The sound of hammer striking metal often filled every corner of this house. He was seated on a bench in the middle of his workshop, using a whetstone to sharpen a large machete. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the many scars on his body¡­ Whitelaw had a colored history, one he never wanted to talk about. Whispers around the village say that he used to be a soldier or a mercenary. He fought in a war against the neighboring Bulirin Kingdom many years ago, and only came back to settle down in this village once it was over. ¡°Yes uncle?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been spending a lot of time in Hyacinth¡¯s shop lately.¡± He said, not stopping his hands. I nodded. ¡°She¡¯s been teaching me a lot.¡± "Why?" ...What is he asking? Why is Hyacinth bothering to do this, or why I''m studying under her? "I just think it''s time that I start making myself useful." I answered him, shrugging. That plus I can''t think of a better way to spend my time than getting free lessons from a beautiful older woman. Uncle Whitelaw put his tools down. He wiped his hands on a nearby rag, then beckoned for me to come over. To my surprise, he clapped both hands over my shoulders and looked at me with an unusually gentle gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you to stop. It¡¯s good for you to learn.¡± He said calmly. ¡°But don¡¯t be in a hurry to grow up. There¡¯s plenty of time before you need to worry about your calling, hear?¡± After a short moment of confusion, I realized why he was telling me this. A few hours before I awakened in this world, Uncle Whitelaw had scolded Thomas for doing a poor job of cleaning the workshop. I think he even went on a rant about how kids these days were too lazy and didn¡¯t understand the meaning of a job well done. It caused the boy to run away in tears before meeting up with Gina and going outside the village to play. Now Thomas had transformed into a hard-working, eerily mature boy. There was no trace of the timid, bumbling kid who always hid behind his childhood friend. I guess my uncle¡¯s feeling guilty about losing his temper back then, and thinks that I¡¯m pushing myself because of what he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry uncle.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m doing this because I want to. I¡¯ll definitely be a great healer one day.¡± He froze. A look of understanding passed over his face. With a sigh, my uncle patted me on the shoulders. ¡°Good child.¡± Then he just pushed me towards the door, telling me to go. I think his eyes were a little watery too. Wait, did he misunderstand something? Ah whatever, let¡¯s just go. When I arrived at my teacher¡¯s shop, I was met with an interesting sight. Hyacinth was using her largest cauldron, stirring the contents with a wooden ladle. All she needed was a pointy hat and she¡¯d look just like an attractive witch. I¡¯m not stupid enough to say that out loud though. Without looking up, Hyacinth asked today¡¯s first question. ¡°Recite three herbs useful for treating a snake bite. Describe their appearances and where they grow.¡± I smiled and rattled off the answers. ¡°Correct.¡± She nodded approvingly. ¡°Now get over here and help me stir. My arms are killing me.¡± * * * Time continued to pass by. Before I knew it, it had already been six months since I awakened in this world. Most of my days were very monotonous; when I wasn¡¯t busy with chores like cleaning Uncle Whitelaw¡¯s tools or chopping firewood, I¡¯d be helping out Hyacinth with her work. We would also often go into the forest to gather ingredients - some just couldn¡¯t be bought in bulk. Those treks into the forest were fun. I quickly became pretty good at spotting and identifying common herbs. Gina would usually come along with us, but she never found much of use. The girl was too busy swinging on vines, climbing up trees, and so on. Wait, no, she DID find things. ¡°Hey Thomas, look - that¡¯s the entrance to a rabbit¡¯s warren! See the tracks and half-eaten grass?¡± It looked just like any other hole in the ground to me but I nodded along. Gina was apparently much more talented at detecting tracks and other signs of wildlife than useful plants¡­ kinda like a very energetic hound. She even disappeared into the woods once and came back with a rabbit impaled on a makeshift spear. After the massive scolding that followed (for running off, not for killing the adorable little critter), Hyacinth had just sighed and muttered something about ¡°taking too much after the father¡± under her breath. The rabbit became our dinner that night. We never went too deep into the woods, though¡­ Hyacinth said that wild beasts may have learned not to mess with armed hunters, but women and children are still easy prey in their eyes. That¡¯s an important lesson I ended up learning firsthand, to my dismay. I¡¯ll never forget that time we were almost attacked by a starving wolf. It had snuck up on me, and when I turned around I came face to face with the ugliest, skinniest mongrel I¡¯ve ever seen. The wretched creature had probably been driven from its pack, and was desperate for anything to eat. Its appearance instantly dug up an old trauma. See, I was attacked in the street by a rabid dog when I was fifteen. While I ended up accidentally killing it during the struggle, the mutt gave me several stitches to remember him by. Ever since that incident, I''ve had a bad phobia of large, aggressive dogs. Now, can you imagine what I felt when I was up against a god damn wolf? ¡°G-good boooy¡­ easy now...¡± I stammered while grabbing a nearby rock to defend myself with. The beast snarled and lowered its body, preparing to pounce. That¡¯s when I learned that Hyacinth has really good aim. A herbalist¡¯s knife - not even properly weighted for throwing - sank into the base of wolf¡¯s neck, sending it running back into the woods. She then had to help me calm down and stop shaking before we could go home. It¡¯s a good thing Gina didn¡¯t come along back then, or I would have never heard the end of it.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°This is why you¡¯re not supposed to wander too far.¡± Hyacinth had lightly scolded me. Lesson learned. * * * You might think that Hyacinth¡¯s daughter would be jealous of all the attention I was getting, but it was quite the opposite. Gina was incredibly grateful now that her mom wasn¡¯t constantly nagging her to take herbalism more seriously. The girl had always been a major tomboy, and she wanted nothing more than to join the hunting parties one day. Hyacinth needed a successor. The village can¡¯t do without a healer. Unlike her daughter, I¡¯m perfectly glad to fill that role. But if there was one thing that my childhood friend was mad about... ¡°Geez Thomas, you never play with me anymore.¡± Gina pouted, her feet waving idly in the air. Yep. Aside from our trips to gather ingredients, I¡¯ve been spending very little time with Gina since my awakening. Whenever we do play, the only times I¡¯m not bored out of my skull are when the two of us explore the outskirts of the forest. I¡¯m not a big fan of hide and seek or tag. Such is life as an adult in a kid¡¯s body - too grown up to enjoy simple games, too tiny and vulnerable to really do much else. ¡°I promise I will soon, okay?¡± I said, still concentrating on the swirling liquids in my cauldron. ¡°Boo.¡± She complained, sticking out her tongue. But she didn¡¯t say anything more - the girl knew how important it was not to disturb a herbalist at work. Right now I was making a batch of antidotes. Hyacinth had already given me permission to use any of her tools and all but the rarest of ingredients in her stockpile. And if I produce anything worth selling, she¡¯ll only take the cost of the materials and let me have the rest. Because of this I was tempted to just keep making the two items I had already mastered - Basic Healing Powders and Insect Repellant Creams. Both of them are in high demand in this village and Bask town, so they¡¯re great for making money. But instead, I kept trying out new recipes. As you might have guessed, this is because of the ¡°Main Quest¡± I was given. I can feel myself making steady progress. However there¡¯s no progress bar or other RPG-like mechanic to show me how close I am to achieving ¡°proficiency¡± in herbalism. All I have is gut instinct, and it¡¯s telling me that I¡¯m on the verge of some sort of breakthrough. So I keep challenging myself. These damn antidotes have been the bane of me for the past week. When Hyacinth judged the first one I made, she just shook her head. ¡°This is deadlier than what you¡¯re trying to cure, boy!¡± She said in exasperation. All of the following batches weren¡¯t much better. I think I¡¯m starting to get the hang of it, but you really don¡¯t want to take chances with anything related to venom or poison. Every failed product was immediately scrapped. I¡¯m feeling confident in this one though. Gina watched with interest as I added the final key ingredient: finely crushed leaves of the Krianna shrub. The moment I turned off the heat and transferred the cauldron¡¯s contents to a new container, the notification I had been waiting for finally appeared. [Item created: ¡°Weak Insect Antidote¡±.] [Quality: Average] [A general purpose antidote for treating venomous insect bites.] And to my great delight, it was followed by another one. [You have achieved Novice Proficiency in Herbalism!] [10% increased potency of items made from plant ingredients.] [You have gained the ability: ¡°Basic Plant Analysis.¡±] [Main Quest ¡°Learn to Survive¡± updated: One out of five survival skills learned.] My eyes lit up. Excellent! I was starting to wonder if I was going about this the wrong way. Before I could celebrate though, I felt a sudden rush of dizziness and staggered backwards. ¡°Hey!¡± Gina cried out. I managed to sit down on a nearby chair on time. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked, looking alarmed. ¡°Yeah, thanks. I think I just breathed in too much of the fumes.¡± I said with a smile. Gina calmed down then picked up my finished antidote from the worktable. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and bring this to mom. I wanna know if this one¡¯s good!¡± I nodded, but I wasn¡¯t really paying attention. Something incredible was happening to my mind. All of my knowledge regarding herbalism was being¡­ rearranged? It¡¯s hard to explain, but I feel like a lot of things have just become more clear. I got up and decided to try making something. But when I got to the stockroom, I experienced a pleasant surprise. Focusing on any of the plants there resulted in a system window popping up with the ingredient¡¯s basic properties. [Dwarf Milkweed (Common)] [Freshness: 7/10] [Helps reduce fever and cough.] [Taunting Coneflower (Uncommon)] [Freshness: 9/10] [Boosts stamina, energy, and virility. Causes anger and recklessness.] Amazing. I guess this is the Basic Plant Analysis ability I just received? It even works for plants that I know nothing about. What an absurdly good bonus. However, it didn¡¯t work for everything. [??? (Rare)] [Freshness: Unknown] It seems like it only displayed information for Common and Uncommon plants. If I don¡¯t already know a Rare plant¡¯s name or properties, I¡¯ll only see a bunch of question marks. Well, it¡¯s still a great ability to have. Now I should test my actual skills and see if there¡¯s been an improvement. Let¡¯s start with a basic healing potion. It¡¯s more or less as difficult to make as the insect bite antidote. I grabbed the necessary ingredients and quickly immersed myself in the work. Several minutes later... ¡°Hey kid, good job! This antidote you¡¯ve made isn¡¯t th-¡± Hyacinth¡¯s cheerful voice stopped. She stood at the doorway, watching in blank amazement. Chop the roots, crush the seeds, peel the stems, extract the sap. Adjust the flame, add the next herb. Watch. Listen. Smell. Wait for the perfect timing. My hands were moving faster and nimbler than ever before. I felt like I was in a trance, and my senses were heightened to their limits. Two hours passed without my concentration wavering in the slightest. So this is the power of having ¡°proficiency¡± in something... Low dexterity? As if such a thing matters when the action is as simple as breathing to you. These basic steps were ingrained in my muscle memory now. No, it went beyond that. They were instinctive. With a master¡¯s practiced ease, I extinguished the flame and bottled the finished healing potion. The system¡¯s familiar blue window appeared right afterwards. [Item created: ¡°Healing Potion¡±.] [Quality: High] [Rapidly heals internal and external injuries while restoring stamina.] [Herbalism Proficiency Bonus: +10% effect] Grinning, I turned around and walked over to Hyacinth. She had been watching quietly the entire time, totally dumbfounded. ¡°Please check this, teacher.¡± I said in a humble voice, presenting the potion. She grabbed the bottle. A quick look and a sniff of the contents later, Hyacinth just sighed. ¡°I¡¯m teaching a goddamn monster.¡± She muttered under her breath. Hey. I heard that! She affectionately ruffled my hair, and let out a low chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ll be as good as me in three or four years at most. Keep it up, kiddo.¡± She said. It was my turn to be shocked. Her smile was radiant, full of pride and joy. Chapter 6.5 - Shattered Destiny Chapter 6.5 - Shattered Destiny ... The sky was pitch black. There was no moon and the stars were blocked by thick clouds. So why was everything still so bright? Ahh¡­ that¡¯s right. The boy finally remembered when he saw the limp body of his father next to him. This is fire, isn¡¯t it? That man¡­ and those horrible creatures with him... I need to get up. That was the only thought running through the boy¡¯s head. But there was no strength left in his body. He had drained everything he had in that last magical attack, sending a blast of pure arcane energy at the invader. Unfortunately, it had only been reflected off his black armor like it was nothing. ... His mind was screaming from the strain of mana depletion, but something was driving him. A desire for vengeance. A crippling fear of death. Two conflicting emotions, yet both overwhelming. Using them as fuel, he somehow managed to crawl out of the burning wreckage of his home. He gasped to free his lungs of the black smoke that had filled them. There was a cough, followed by the sound of heaving as the boy vomited onto the grass. When he had expelled everything in his stomach, the young mage looked all around him. Every building in the village had been razed to the ground. His people were dead, broken in so many different ways. Stabbed in the gut with a kobold¡¯s spear, shot by hellfowl arrows, sliced in half by the armored invader... Should I run? Or should I find that monster leading them? He couldn¡¯t decide. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But before he could make a choice, it was made for him. Like a demon emerging from some foul nightmare, Rukham the Monster King walked in front of him. His gold-trimmed black armor was covered in freshly spilled blood. The young mage felt a chill run up his spine as he gazed at the gray mask adorned with a black moon. Was this the face of death? ¡°Sorry about the misunderstanding, human.¡± The masked creature said. ¡°I heard that there was a genius with strange magic in this village, so I thought¡­ ah forget it. No hard feelings?¡± Rukham extended a gauntlet clad hand, as if asking for peace. The boy mage immediately casted another spell, drawing upon his already depleted reserves of mana. Paying with his life, the fireball he conjured had enough power to devastate a company of soldiers. Yet it merely dissipated once it came into contact with the Ascendant¡¯s body. ¡°The locals are always so touchy.¡± Rukham sighed. ¡°It was an honest mistake.¡± * * * This was always the hardest part. It¡¯s fine when an Ascendant is as eager as he is - all Rukham needed to do was cause a commotion somewhere and the other one would come running to do battle. Six months had passed, that was more than enough time for the two to find each other. But when the opponent is a coward? Then Rukham had no choice but to track them down through rumors or wanton destruction, waiting for the System to give him the notification. At least the other Ascendant hadn¡¯t killed themselves yet. That means they¡¯re either hoping to avoid him entirely for this run or building up strength before the decisive battle. Maybe they¡¯ll even turn the various human kingdoms against him. It was quite common for weaker Ascendants to manipulate the locals. Rukham wasn¡¯t confident in openly taking on a country, leave alone an entire continent. ¡°Maybe I should destabilize the regions to make things harder for them.¡± Rukham muttered in contemplation as he studied the worn map he was holding. Sowing distrust between the human nations was easy. All he had to do was leave a few survivors during his raids and plant the right ideas in them. It wouldn¡¯t get in the way of his search for the other Ascendant. One step at a time. He was getting ahead of himself. ¡°Hmm, they say that the second daughter of Fernsworth Town¡¯s mayor has miraculous healing abilities. I think my legion is strong enough now¡­ just have to sneak past the kingdom¡¯s garrison¡­¡± Rolling up the old parchment, he called out to the hundreds of creatures waiting patiently behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 7 - First Trip to Bask Chapter 7 - First Trip to Bask ¡°Do you have everything you need?¡± Whitelaw asked while I hurriedly packed my bag of supplies. ¡°Yes uncle.¡± I said absentmindedly. Should I bring two extra shirts or just one? Better to be safe, it¡¯s a day and a half trek through the woods¡­ ¡°Stay away from alleys. Bask is safer than most towns, but even it has thieves.¡± ¡°Yes uncle.¡± ¡°Let Hyacinth do the talking. Don¡¯t wander out of her sight.¡± ¡°Yes uncle.¡± ¡°And take this.¡± He walked over and placed something next to my bag. ¡°Yes unc-¡± Hmm? I looked at the thing my uncle placed on the table. It was a short sword in an old, worn out scabbard. There was a symbol engraved on the weapon¡¯s hilt: a blazing sun with twelve rays, surrounded by the black silhouettes of five birds of prey. I picked it up and drew the sword from its scabbard. The slightly bluish metal gleamed, reflecting the sunlight coming in from the window like a faceted gem. ¡°WHITELAW¡± was engraved on the blade. Even though I don¡¯t know much about weapons, I could tell this was made from higher quality stuff than what my uncle uses to make farm tools. ¡°If you get in trouble with merchants or the town guards, just show them that blade.¡± He said. How enigmatic of him, talking like some sort of big shot. Does my uncle carry that much influence? I found myself wondering about his past yet again. ¡°What does this sigil mean?¡± I asked curiously, pointing at the hilt. ¡°It¡¯s the mark of our Elswain Kingdom¡¯s royal family.¡± He said offhandedly. Oh, that¡¯s cool. So this is what the royal family¡¯s crest looks like. ... Wait. What!? ¡°You¡­ we¡¯re¡­¡± I stuttered, looking at him with huge round eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t get any stupid ideas, boy. We¡¯re not related to them.¡± He explained, looking at me with some amusement. ¡°I just did a favor for one of the princes a long time ago. This sword was my reward. I don¡¯t really care if you lose or sell it.¡± ¡°What kind of-¡± ¡°Enough of that, get moving.¡± Whitelaw cut me off before I could ask more. ¡°Don¡¯t make Hyacinth and the others wait any longer.¡± He pushed me out of the doorway with my bag and shut the door behind me. Man. Talk about secretive. * * * Today was a day I had been looking forward to for the past few months. Southcreek sends a shipment of goods to Bask four times a year, and this was my first time coming along with the caravan. I hurried outside the village¡¯s palisades to a nearby meadow, where everyone was preparing to depart. When I arrived, the first thing I saw was the large amount of goods we would be escorting. There were six carts loaded with lumber, furs, dried meat, honey, and crates full of herbs and miscellaneous products. Of course, several of those crates held potions and medicinal items Hyacinth and I made. Each cart would be pulled by two workhorses through the forest¡¯s paths. ¡°Took you long enough, Thomas.¡± Gina giggled when I arrived. ¡°That pack is huge! How much stuff are you bringing?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Enough. Better to have and not need than the other way around.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Well, there should still be enough leftover space. Just hide it there so you don¡¯t have to lug that bag the entire way.¡± Gina nodded. She led me to the back of one of the carts, and helped me stow my pack right next to hers. ¡°Where is Hyacinth, by the way?¡± I asked her, looking around. ¡°Mom should be here soon. She went back to grab a few tools.¡± Right as she said that, I spotted Hyacinth emerging from the village¡¯s main gate. My teacher was dressed in her usual attire of a loose fitting yellow tunic with a thin leather vest. Comfortable breeches and laced boots ensured she wouldn¡¯t have trouble moving through the woodlands. Like any self respecting herbalist, she was also wearing a small pack for gathered plants. Her wavy purple hair was hanging loosely over her shoulders - looks like she¡¯s ditching the ponytail today. "Morning you two." She said cheerfully as soon as she arrived. "Thomas, did you even get any sleep last night?" "Of course I did." I answered, my arms crossed. Come on, I wasn''t that excited. Don''t treat me like a chil- oh right. Hyacinth nodded. "Good, because we''re going be doing a lot of walking today. Hope you ate a large breakfast too." "We''ve been taking long walks in the forest for almost a year now. I can handle this much." I said confidently. Given how much stuff was on the carts, there wasn''t enough space for people to sit. Well, Gina and I could probably get away with it. But we would feel bad if we were the only ones who could take it easy during this trip. I''m sure the girl has way too much energy to just sit still for hours anyway, so we decided to walk alongside the carts like everyone else. Fifteen people in total would be coming along for this journey. That many would be more than enough to deter wolf attacks, and there weren''t any bandits around these parts to worry about. It should be completely safe. * * * Hyacinth wasn''t kidding when she said it would be a lot of walking. Are we even headed in the right direction? This place looks exactly the same as everything we''ve passed in the last four hours. At least when Hyacinth and I gather herbs, we go to cool, shaded areas with lots of interesting landmarks like small ponds, flowering trees, and such. Meanwhile, this is just one long forest trail with the sun blazing high above us. I should have made an umbrella. Gina was even worse off. The poor girl would occasionally spot something in the distance that she''d want to check out, but Hyacinth wouldn''t let her go. "We can''t slow down the caravan just because you want to go chasing after prey." She admonished. "Aww... okay." Gina pouted. When midday came, our group pitched camp at a wide clearing. We took an hour long break to cook lunch and recover our energy. I helped Hyacinth and the others with cooking since I was fairly decent at it - back on Earth I made all of my meals, but I never really bothered learning more than a few basic dishes that I could prepare in minutes. Hmm, maybe I should ask Hyacinth to teach me more when we get back. The food she makes is always amazing. "Mr. Hans, can I try using your bow?" "Sure, but the draw weight is pretty heavy. Don''t force yourself." "Yay! Thanks!" I turned around and spotted Gina pestering one of the two hunters that came along on this trip. Hans, a lanky man in his early twenties with silky silver hair that went past his shoulders. He''s married to a baker named Madalynn, I think. I''ve never talked to him beyond the occasional greeting, but I''ve heard that he''s easily the best marksman in his generation. Old Man Norwyn claims that he''s probably going to become the next leader of Southcreek''s second hunting party. Gina then asked him how to hold and shoot it properly. While I was worried that Hans would get annoyed, he looked very happy to be teaching someone. "You''re Hyacinth''s daughter, right?" Hans said as he corrected her form. "Yup! Do you know my mom?" "Not very well, but I really looked up to your dad back then. He taught me a lot too." "Oh..." "Ah, sorry, sorry. I shouldn''t have brought it up." Hans quickly apologized. "No, it''s fine." My friend forced a smile. They went back to the archery lesson. I watched the two of them for a while longer before turning back to my food. Then I noticed an odd expression on Hyacinth''s face as she was roasting another batch of meat skewers. Damn, she must have overheard that conversation. Whenever anything reminds her of Gina''s dad, she becomes unusually quiet for hours afterwards. The pain of losing someone that important to you... I doubt it ever really goes away. * * * The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. At night we made camp, ate dinner, then went to sleep after assigning sentries in shifts. I didn''t get much rest though; sleeping outdoors was uncomfortable enough, but the loud snores from some of the guys in our group kept me up for hours. When morning arrived we continued on our journey through the forest. Right as the sun began to set once again, I spotted the stone walls of Bask in the distance. We had finally arrived. "Waa, it''s so big!" Gina said excitedly. Since she had never travelled outside of Southcreek and its surrounding woods before, this was her first time seeing an actual town. Her enthusiasm was charming. "You don''t look very impressed, Thomas." Hyacinth pointed out. I shrugged. During my previous life as Richard Brooks, I lived in one of the most densely populated cities on Earth, with countless skyscrapers that reached the heavens. Bask was certainly beautiful; it looked like a picturesque medieval town from a painting at this distance. But it wasn''t going to leave me gaping in awe. Well then, let''s go rejoin civilization, shall we? Chapter 8 - Disturbing News Chapter 8 - Disturbing News Bask. With a population of seven thousand people, it was the bustling and prosperous center of our remote province. This place had a completely different impression from the humble village we came from. Large stone buildings, armored guards patrolling the streets, merchants loudly hawking their wares... this was city life, or as close as you could get to it in a medieval world. All of the villages in the province did business here, so there was always a steady flow of people coming and going. If I ever get tired of living in Southcreek, this town would be a good place to stay too. The Merchant''s Guild was located near the town''s central plaza. It was one of the largest and most impressive structures in Bask, being five stories high and three times as wide as any of the buildings in the immediate area. That''s not even counting the numerous auxiliary warehouses they had scattered throughout the town. As far as I''ve heard, there were only two structures bigger than the guild''s headquarters: the local church to the God of Light, and Baron Humfort''s mansion in the northern district. After stabling the horses and their carts at the Merchant¡¯s Guild (we would negotiate the sales tomorrow), our group headed over to the usual inn Southcreek villagers stay at whenever they visit Bask: The Three Legged Pony, an establishment run by a former resident of our village. ¡°Evening Tom. Do you have enough rooms for us?¡± Hans asked as we entered. ¡°I always do, my friends.¡± Tom, the elderly innkeeper, answered with a chuckle. After determining who would stay in which rooms (I would be sharing one with Gina and the three women in our group), we proceeded to have dinner at the inn''s dining area. A single bite of the roast boar and I was in heaven. The vegetable soup didn''t lose out either, with a rich variety of flavors from freshly harvested ingredients. But being totally exhausted, we all went straight to bed right after eating. I was looking forward to the comfort of a soft, warm bed after two days of rough travel. But there was an unexpected problem. Or should I say opportunity? The room only had three beds, so Gina would be sleeping with Hyacinth. There wasn''t enough room for me to squeeze in with them. While I was standing there not knowing what to do, one of the two other women walked up to me then crouched to meet my eye level. She was a curvy blonde, and I think one of Southcreek''s bowyers. "I''m sorry, little Thomas, but there aren''t enough beds. Would you mind sleeping with me tonight?" The well-endowed blonde asked while smiling sweetly. When life gives you a gift, faking modesty or pretending to be shy is never the answer. Instead, be as honest as possible. "No, I wouldn''t mind at all!" I answered immediately. Maybe that was too eager; I could see Hyacinth facepalming out of the corner of my eye. "Great~!" She said happily, taking me by the hand. "If he touches anything weird, Amanda, I don''t mind if you make him sleep on the floor." Hyacinth smirked. The bowyer giggled. "Oh hush, don''t worry so much. Thomas is still just a kid." And so my first night in Bask ended on a high note, wrapped in the affectionate embrace of a beauty. The trip was worth it just for this. Man, I''ve missed this feeling. It''s been what, four or five years since my last relationship ended? The luxury of going to sleep and waking up next to someone every day is something your body never forgets. My ex was more petite than this lady, but I definitely enjoyed her company while it lasted. I wonder how she''s doing back on Earth? Well then, no point in reminiscing. I should get some shuteye. "Ahh... what a great body pillow..." Amanda murmured while falling asleep. "...So waa~aarm..." * * * The following morning I woke up completely refreshed. Amanda was still fast asleep, though her grip on me had loosened considerably. Not wanting to get out of bed, I just stayed like that for a while longer and indulged in the warmth. "Get up, cheeky brat." My teacher''s amused voice knocked me out of my reverie. "Five more minutes please?" I asked, pretending to still be drowsy. She simply grabbed the collar of my shirt and lifted me out of the bed. Damn, Hyacinth''s got some pretty good arm strength. "Noooooo..." I did my best to sound heartbroken. Hyacinth just laughed. "We''re leaving town at noon, so we need to hurry up and get our business done at the guild." She explained. I noticed that Gina was still asleep too. "Just the two of us?" "Yep. Gina wants to look at the town''s weapon shop, so the two hunters volunteered to take her with them later." Why am I not even surprised at this point? After a quick breakfast downstairs, Hyacinth and I left the inn. Our purpose at the Merchant''s Guild was simple: negotiate a good price for the crates of medicinal items we made. This was easier said than done, since the Guild had a strict monopoly on most goods within Bask. They purchased every shipment brought by the villagers wholesale, then distributed these items to various shops within the town (with a generous markup, of course). We couldn''t sell to any specific merchant, nor could we set up our own stall in the market unless we paid a hefty license fee. Fortunately Hyacinth had been dealing with them for years, and had a trusted representative within the guild named Lucas. He greatly respected my teacher''s skill, so he always paid well for the items she made. Those potions would then be sold as premium items to elite adventurers, army officers, young nobles in other territories, and other people who can afford to splurge on their consumables.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As we walked along Bask''s streets, I enjoyed the gentle warmth of the morning sun. But the tranquility was soon broken; a troublesome scene was happening outside one of the shops we passed by. Two guards were tying up a young boy''s arms with rope. Was he being arrested? The kid was really scrawny and dressed in dirty rags. A merchant (who I assume owned the store) was watching it happen with his arms crossed, and there was also a frail looking, shabbily dressed old man trying to persuade the guards. "Hands off! I didn''t steal anything." The boy glared at the two guards accosting him. "Lies! What was this doing in your pocket then?" The merchant brandished an expensive looking gold necklace studded with gems. The child didn''t say anything and just looked away. "Please, forgive my grandson." The old man in tattered clothing bowed deeply to the store owner and guards. "Let me take responsibility..." "I''m sorry, but the law''s the law." One of the guards said in a firm voice. "We can''t overlook this since the stolen item is so valuable." Ugh, this gives me a bad taste in my mouth. The grandfather and child both looked terribly gaunt, like they haven''t eaten a proper meal in weeks. I''m sure that the kid was driven to steal by desperation. Instead of locking him up, shouldn''t you be giving them a proper meal? Hyacinth was gripping my hand tightly as she watched. Her expression was no less displeased than mine. "...refugees...staying in Lumor lands is suicide... been getting worse..." "Can''t really blame them. Even Fernsworth town burned... hundreds dead..." I overheard snippets of conversation from two nearby adults who were watching the commotion as well. "So this is what Lucas was talking about." Hyacinth said, frowning. "Are they really from outside Elswain?" I asked her. "Yeah. Thousands of people have fled from the Lumor Kingdom in the past half year. Something is riling up the monsters there... attacks have become much more frequent and vicious. It doesn''t help that the army can''t even retaliate." I stared at her in shock. "What? You mean Lumor''s army isn''t strong enough to subjugate them?" "No, they can''t even find the damn creatures." Hyacinth shook her head. "All of the known dens, nesting grounds, burrows - emptied out. It seems like they are constantly migrating now, slipping past the soldiers to strike at vulnerable settlements or small patrols." I shuddered. The implication was clear. I''ve read in Hyacinth''s books that monsters have incredibly high birth rates, strong bodies, and dangerous special abilities. An orc can tear you in half if you let one grab you. Hellfowl can fly for short bursts, spit corrosive bile, and even use primitive bows. Goblins are weak, but tunnel through the earth and easily fight in the dark. Now if these monsters had grown smart enough to employ hit and run tactics... "Monsters are sometimes rallied by a highly intelligent leader of their race, but for it to happen to so many different species at the same time? Unheard of. Casualties are rising every month, and the people of Lumor take it as a terrible omen. Other than the major cities or heavily fortified towns and forts, I don''t think any place there is safe any more..." "And now countless people are running away." I finished her sentence in realization. "How bad is it that there are refugees all the way here?" Hyacinth just shook her head. "Let go!" The guards had finished binding the boy. His grandfather was kneeling, forehead pressed to the ground while begging them to have mercy. ... Ah, screw this. I can''t just sit here and watch. My moral code is simple: I''m no hero of justice. There''s a lot of pain and suffering in this world that I can''t do anything about, such as the monster epidemic in Lumor. I have no delusions of going out into the world to right its many wrongs. But when something is happening right in front of me, I will do my best to help. This meddling nature of mine is what got me killed in my previous life though... Letting go of Hyacinth''s hand, I strode forward with determination. To my surprise, she didn''t call out or try to stop me. "Excuse me." I walked up to one of the guards and tugged on his chainmail sleeve. "What is it kid? We''re a bit busy right now." The man said in annoyance. "Can you please let that child go this time? He''s young and hungry; most people would steal if they were starving. I''m sure that he''s learned his lesson." I said in a polite voice. Let''s conveniently ignore the fact that I''m even younger than the kid they''re arresting. "Fuck off boy." His partner said, glaring at me. "This is none of your business." "Wait, can you just-" "I said fuck off!" The guard snarled, raising his fist in a threatening gesture. Sigh. I guess just talking won''t get us anywhere. While praying that Uncle Whitelaw hadn''t just been messing with me, I unstrapped the short sword from my belt and drew it halfway out of its scabbard. "Can you reconsider?" I asked coldly, displaying the sword in a way that showed off the hilt. "Are you drawing a weapon at us, runt!? I sh-" "No problem at all, sir." The first guard immediately slapped a hand over the other''s mouth. "Please forgive us for our rudeness." "It''s fine. But in return..." "Of course, sir." The guard immediately responded, bowing. "It''s a minor matter, as long as the boy promises not to do it again." "Very good. Please carry on then." I beamed. I watched in satisfaction as the two guards untied the child and walked away. One of them looked baffled, but knew better than to speak up and ask why his partner was being so servile all of a sudden. The merchant left too; with the stolen necklace back in his possession, he didn''t really care too much about what happened to the young thief. When all three of them were out of sight, I heaved a sigh of relief. What if that gamble didn''t work? "Um, thank you." The freed boy finally spoke up. "We will never forget your kindness, young lord. I don''t know how we can repay this favor." His grandfather spoke as well, bowing to me. I hastily waved my hands. "Please don''t worry, I was just passing by. And I''m not a noble either." There were whispers coming from the nearby people. Looks like I''ve caused a bit of a scene. Better wrap this up quickly. "Don''t steal again, okay? The guards won''t be as forgiving next time." I said to the boy. "Oh, and take this." I untied a small leather pouch from my belt and handed it to the child. That pouch contained all of the pocket money I had brought for this trip; it held a total of twelve silvers and a few coppers. Since five silvers was enough for a family to live on for a month, this should solve their immediate food problems. What happens after... well, I can''t really do anything about that except wish them the best. The grandfather continued to thank me profusely. I just waved goodbye to them and then briskly walked away, grabbing Hyacinth''s hand. She had stood there the entire time, watching my little act with a relaxed smile. "You handled that decently. Abusing the royal sigil... I didn''t know you had the guts." Hyacinth chuckled as we continued on our way to the guild. "That was scary, you know? I was hoping you would help." I sighed, looking up at her reproachfully. "If that oaf had actually tried to hit you, I would have stabbed him." My teacher answered lazily. "But I wanted to see if you could resolve it on your own. Good job." Oy, that''s a bit of an overreaction, isn''t it? Stabbing a town guard would have gotten us thrown in jail too. I really hope she was just joking. * * * "What the hell was that all about?" "Idiot, didn''t you recognize the symbol on his sword hilt? And the moonsteel? You almost hit a child with a connection to the crown." "Eh!? You''re shitting me." "I thought my heart would give out there. You owe me a beer for saving your dumb ass." "Damn, we need to report this to the captain and Baron Humfort." "Yeah. Also, don''t you think there was something... strange... about the woman behind him?" "No. Wasn''t she just his mother?" "Hmm. Must have been my imagination then..." Chapter 9 - Rising Tensions Chapter 9 - Rising Tensions When we arrived at the Merchant''s Guild, Hyacinth approached one of the clerks and asked if her usual contact was in. After receiving confirmation, the two of us headed up to the second floor of the building. We passed by numerous open offices, where there were people studying complicated sheets, loudly arguing over things, and having nervous breakdowns. Huh, this place reminds me of my old office. It''s nice to see that desk work looks the same no matter where you go. Lucas was a thin man whose features reminded me of an elderly hawk. He was dressed simply for a merchant, with subdued colors and no jewelry except for a wedding ring on his left hand. If you saw him on the streets, you would think him to be a quiet scholar or librarian instead of someone working in trade. However, I could tell that the fabric of his clothing was fairly expensive. It looked as soft as velvet. Perhaps it''s made of silk, or this world''s equivalent of it? "Hey Lucas." Hyacinth casually greeted him, plopping down onto the empty chair facing the merchant''s table. I remained standing near the doorway in shock. Good grief, her ability to make herself at home was amazing. "Welcome back, Ms. Hyacinth." Lucas didn''t seem to mind her lack of manners at all. He''s probably used to it. "I have inspected the contents of your new shipment. Excellent work as always, though there were some that appear to have been made by someone else?" "Yeah. Thomas, get over here." She gestured for me to approach. I walked over to the right side of her chair. "Ah, is this the apprentice you were bragging about so much last time?" Lucas asked while looking at me curiously. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lucas. I am Thomas of Southcreek." I bowed. "Such manners! Well met, young one. Have you been teaching him etiquette as well, Hyacinth?" "As if I would be bored enough to do that." My teacher rolled her eyes. "Indeed, what was I thinking... if you taught him how to behave, it would ruin the poor boy''s future." Lucas responded in a dry voice. Pfft. I stifled my laughter, causing Hyacinth to glare at me in pretend anger. "This kid here is a natural. A genius at potion making." Hyacinth then said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "If I had the means to send him to the capital, he might even become a true alchemist one day." Alchemy was the next step for master herbalists. When you start adding ingredients like Troll''s Blood or Harpy Feathers to your formulae, it can dramatically boost the power of your potions. But the difficulty level was far higher; a single mistake can turn your brew into a lethal poison. Only two or three out of a hundred herbalists have the natural talent to learn this dangerous trade. The cost of education and monster ingredients made it even more restrictive. "Oh? That''s very high praise, coming from you." Lucas said with his eyebrows raised. "Though I see your point. The boy is so young, yet the potions he made can compare to the work of a fairly experienced apothecary." That''s because I have one hell of a cheat. I rarely ever mess up now that I have Novice Proficiency. How big of a difference would the next stage make? "My talent isn''t much. I owe it all to my teacher." I said humbly. This was also true. Hyacinth has spent countless hours training me without expecting anything in return. "Hah! Hear that, Lucas?" Hyacinth said, grinning proudly. "I''m the best." "Yes yes, you are truly amazing." Lucas said in a voice drier than the desert. "Now then, let''s move on to more important matters..." The negotiations were surprisingly short. Lucas and my teacher had long ago agreed on prices for her work, so that only took a few minutes to go over. It was my part of the shipment that needed to be discussed. Eventually, they agreed on a price that was much higher than I really expected. I ended up getting over fifty silvers from that one shipment. My teacher would later tell me that Lucas gave us a good deal because he hopes to keep my business too in the future. "We look forward to gaining another associate of your caliber, Hyacinth." Lucas said while smiling. "That day will come sooner than you think. Thomas is gaining on me every day." She smirked. * * * The discussion then turned to recent events, such as the rise of monster activity in Lumor. "Do you not mind Thomas hearing about this? He seems a bit young..." Lucas said hesitantly. "It''s fine. This brat is more mature than most adults I''ve met." Hyacinth answered dismissively. "I sometimes worry that he''s possessed." "Well, fine. A troubling rumor has emerged over the past two weeks..." Lucas began, his brows furrowed. "They say that someone is manipulating the monsters." "That''s not much of a surprise. Only an idiot would think that this was a natural event." Hyacinth said. "Yes, but there have been a few survivors of the attacks. They say that the one controlling them... is a knight of the Bulirin Kingdom." "What!?" She instantly shot up in her seat. "That''s preposterous! There''s no way Bulirin would use monsters!" This continent is split up into three equally large territories. Elswain rules the east, Lumor is in the west, and to the north was the Bulirin Kingdom. There have been many wars in the past between all three countries; borders regularly shift as each nation gains or loses, so diplomatic relationships were quite icy. Right now we had a fragile peace, which was maintained by the fear of one country growing much stronger than the others and becoming the dominant force. But why did Hyacinth look so agitated at the claim that Bulirin is behind these atrocities? Our relationship with them was worse than with Lumor in recent years. Lucas shook his head. "I don''t believe it either. However, the survivors swear that the knight was wearing Bulirin''s colors and was controlling the creatures through a strange magic orb. Lumor is on edge right now, looking for something to blame for the attacks, so most people there have jumped on these claims." "And how has Bulirin responded?" I asked curiously. "They denied it, of course." Lucas answered. "Quite furiously. They are now lashing back, accusing Lumor of using their own incompetence at monster subjugation as a pretext for war." Hyacinth just shook her head, sinking back into her seat. "I suppose that the warmongers on both sides are making noise?" "Of course. It doesn''t help that many of Lumor''s border villages were attacked, yet not a single Bulirin property has been targeted yet. Tensions are rising between the two every day." "Wait, do you think that there are any Lumor refugees in Bulirin lands right now?" I asked, a terrible idea coming to my head. "Most likely, given that it is nearer than... ah. Oh dear." Lucas seems to have realized what I was implying. "If Bulirin citizens grow angry enough at the accusations, it might not be long before some of those people get hurt." Hyacinth said darkly.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "That could be enough to spark the war, huh?" I sighed. * * * The mood within the office was noticeably gloomy from that point onwards.Thus, it wasn''t long before Hyacinth decided that we should return to the inn. But just as we were getting ready to leave, there was a short knock on the door. Two people entered; one was a heavily armored knight with a giant broadsword, and one was a short, fat man with a frog-like face. The man was dressed in gaudy silk clothing of many different colors. Is he a noble or a jester? The massive gold signet ring on his left held a coat of arms, however, so I can only assume it''s the former. "Hello, Lucas." The short nobleman said, smiling. "Pardon if we are interrupting something." Lucas immediately rose to his feet. "Not at all, Lord Humfort, Guard Captain Alvaros. Please come in." What!? What was the baron doing here- Oh. This is probably related to that stunt I pulled earlier, isn''t it? I looked at Hyacinth, and saw that she was looking at the baron with interest. But she didn''t get up from her seat to greet him. This woman... she''s probably shameless enough to not hold the Elswain King in any regard. The guard captain looked somewhat pissed at Hyacinth''s insolence, but he didn''t speak. Baron Humfort also just kept smiling as he sat down on one of the chairs Lucas had prepared. Crap, this isn''t going to be one of those events where a corrupt noble tries to imprison or execute us for treason, right? He looks like exactly the kind of person to do that. Will we have to flee for our lives? I immediately began looking for escape routes. "Hey there Humfort. It''s been a while." Hyacinth said casually. ...No title. Not even a "sir". I don''t know whether to laugh or cry at my teacher''s antics. At least she didn''t use his first name. A vein popped on Captain Alvaros'' forehead. But before he could say anything, Humfort himself spoke. "Hello, Hyacinth. I am glad to see you doing well." Baron Humfort answered, chuckling. "My wife and daughter have been asking about you. Will you not visit the mansion one of these days?" "Sure, but I have to look after my apprentice right now. Maybe on the next trip." My teacher answered with a smile. "Is little Sophia doing well these days?" "Yes, she has made a miraculous recovery. Thank you again for your help back then." "It was no big deal. Besides, Sophia''s a sweet girl." Alvaros and I were dumbfounded by this exchange. Lucas didn''t look surprised at all, though, so it seems like he was aware of this unlikely relationship. Once my breathing calmed down a bit, I pieced things together from their conversation. Looks like the baron''s daughter was very sick in the past, and Hyacinth helped save her. No wonder she dares to act this lax towards him. Lucas politely excused himself from the room, saying something about getting tea. It seems like he sensed this won''t be an ordinary conversation. "Hello, Thomas. That is your name, correct?" Humfort then said, looking at me. "When I last met Hyacinth, she mentioned that she had taken in a talented apprentice." Has this woman been bragging about me to everyone? I''m touched. "Yes. I am Thomas of Southcreek, Lord Humfort. It is a pleasure to meet you." I bowed to him politely. He laughed. "Odd, this fruit seems to fall far from the tree. Being Hyacinth''s student, I half-expected you to be even wilder than her." "He''s a good kid." Hyacinth said proudly, as if it were her achievement. "At any rate, Thomas, I believe you know why we are here." Humfort said. "May I take a look at your royal symbol?" Ah, there it is. Without a word, I pulled out the sword and handed it over to him - point facing towards me, of course. No need to make the captain antsy. Baron Humfort carefully took the shining weapon and inspected it. He paid close attention to the bluish steel, the royal crest on the hilt, and most especially the name "WHITELAW" engraved on the edge. After a few minutes of silence, he nodded and handed it back to me. "This is most definitely a genuine symbol, granted by one of the princes." Baron Humfort finally said. "Was this given to you by someone in your village?" "Yeah. It''s from his uncle, Southcreek''s smith." Hyacinth answered in my place, right as I was wondering if I should tell the truth. "Oh. Do you know the identity of the owner, Hyacinth?" Humfort then said in surprise. I took note of his use of the word ''identity''. "Yes. It''s not much of a secret, really. I would have told you if you asked before." She shrugged. "I see." The baron looked troubled for a bit. Then he sighed, and turned towards me again. "I haven''t heard the details, so I''d like to ask what happened earlier that you felt the need to display this to two of our guards." "The two idiots were suspiciously vague on that part of the report." Captain Alvaros then chimed in, speaking for the first time. After a short moment of hesitation, I began telling them the story of how I had seen the two guards arresting a child for stealing. Both Alvaros and Humfort had a look of concern, which changed to confusion, then anger. The baron seemed like he couldn''t believe it when I told him about the pitiful state of the grandfather and child. "I had specifically given my minister a budget of five gold coins - taken from my personal treasury - to use in housing and feeding any Lumor refugees that come to Bask." Humfort said, his voice dangerously low. "This is a diplomatic matter. Why am I only just now hearing about this?" "Those two didn''t mention it was a child from Lumor." Alvaros said, sounding just as angry. Oh damn. It looks like this is more complicated than I thought. My initial belief was that the baron just didn''t care about the Lumor citizens that had fled to his territory, but to think that it was something like this. Had the minister pocketed that small fortune, then used his power to cover it up? I may have stirred up something big. Hyacinth had a huge grin on her face, like she was watching the most fascinating show in the world. "Looks like your minister has some explaining to do." My teacher remarked. "Indeed he does. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, boy." Baron Humfort said. "You can rest assured that the two you met earlier - along with any other Lumor citizens in our territory - will be treated with appropriate care." "I''ll start the investigation once we get back." Captain Alvaros said. With that, the unexpected meeting came to an end. Baron Humfort and Alvaros headed out first, then I and Hyacinth said goodbye to Lucas. It won''t be long before we have to get back to Southcreek, so the two of us decided to return to the Three Legged Pony to rest for a while. There''s been a bit too much excitement for a supposed-to-be routine visit to the Merchant''s Guild. "Hahaha! Great job kiddo, you may have just accidentally toppled one of the most powerful men in this town." Hyacinth laughed heartily. "It''s his fault for being so sloppy." I simply said. "If you''re going to pocket public funds, don''t leave any traces." "That''s much more cynical than I expected from you." She said, surprised. I shrugged. "Do you think that the baron really didn''t know anything about this, though?" "Don''t judge Humfort by his appearance. The guy loves luxury and has terrible fashion sense, but he''s a better person than the vast majority of nobles." Hyacinth said as we walked. "He''s a doting father who thinks of all citizens in this province as his children." I nodded seriously. If that''s the case, then perhaps he really did just trust the minister too much. We would receive a letter from the Baron two weeks later. The investigation confirmed that his minister was embezzling funds from several projects - the relief fund for Lumor refugees was only a small one in comparison. It seems like he had tasked several corrupt guards with harrassing Lumor citizens to drive them out of town, and planned to just tell the Baron that he had relocated them to one of the outlying villages in the territory. But he didn''t work fast enough. Funnily, the two guards we met had not been part of this scheme; it was pure coincidence that they caught the child thief, which is why they reported our encounter to the baron and captain without even realizing the implications. After a failed escape attempt, the minister was imprisoned and all of his wealth was confiscated. His private residence, in particular, was used to temporarily house the twenty seven Lumor refugees that were currently staying in Bask. This news would eventually find its way back to the Lumor Kingdom, greatly improving the populace''s opinion of Elswain. Though as a result, a larger number of people began escaping towards our kingdom instead of Bulirin. This then put Bulirin on guard against us. They feared a potential alliance between Elswain and Lumor, making the volatile political situation even worse. The threat of war had somewhat engulfed our kingdom as well. And to think that all this happened because of one young thief and a meddlesome herbalist. * * * Baron Humfort sat in his study, rubbing his head in exhaustion. The mountain of reports in front of him seemed to have no end. "Dear, don''t overwork yourself." A stunningly gorgeous brunette massaged the weary baron''s shoulders. "I can''t afford to slack off. Until I train a suitable replacement, I''ll have to take on the minister''s former duties as well." Humfort sighed. "Our province won''t fall overnight, you know. If you get sick, the people will only become more worried." His wife insisted. "...You''re right. I''ll head to bed soon." The baron nodded. "There''s just one more letter I have to send." "Oh? To who?" "The palace. High Templar Whitelaw has decided to reveal himself and is in good health. The third prince can finally stop worrying." Chapter 10 - A Princes Memories Chapter 10 - A Prince''s Memories Many people think of Elswain''s royal palace as some magical paradise, cut off from the rest of the world. Flowering gardens, beautiful maids, carefree days of indulging in fine wine and fine food... In reality, it is more like a center of endless bureaucracy. Sure, there were the occasional balls and feasts to liven things up, but an ordinary day in the palace consisted of learned men running around, desperately trying to keep the country together. Not an easy task considering that they were only armed with quills and parchment. Officials, clerks, ministers, and all of the other busybodies dared not slack off in their duties for a second. How could they? The royal family worked harder than any of them. It wasn''t always like this, though. There was a time not long ago when the palace was a place of hedonistic debauchery and pointless excess. But the last two generations of Elswain royalty have been blessed with remarkable temperament. Through their efforts - both in peace time and in the last war with Bulirin - the kingdom was now more unified than it has ever been before. One particular room in the palace was smaller than the others. It would be easy to mistake it for a servant''s quarters, if not for the towering bookshelves taking up most of the limited space inside. This was the private work area of Elswain''s youngest Dragon Prince, who was well-known for not liking crowds or wide open spaces. Some may even call him a hermit. Inside was a young man whose flowing black hair almost reached his waist. A pair of black glasses accentuated his narrow eyes, which were currently studying a thick ledger of accounts. His frame looked so delicate that one would think a gentle breeze could make the prince stumble. However, those who were aware of his wartime achievements knew better than to dismiss him as a feeble scholar. The sound of a quill scratching parchment filled the tiny room. Livingnell province is suffering from drought... the harvest there will be insufficient this year... perhaps House Coulport can provide aid. Nicolai knew that this kind of work should be delegated to his subordinates, but the young man found that progress was simply much faster when a royal signature was attached to the orders. Besides, his stubborn pride would not allow him to take it easy. There was a series of short knocks on the door. "Come in." "Prince Nicolai. A letter has arrived from Baron Humfort of Bask." A black robed man entered the room and bowed. "Let me see it." The prince answered softly, taking the roll of parchment from his attendant. With a disinterested face, he broke the seal and began to peruse the contents of the missive. Yet it was only a few seconds later before his eyes widened. After reading the entire letter, he put it down and sat there in silence for a few seconds. The attendant was used to this behavior, however, and did not speak. "Please leave me for now." Nicolai finally said. "Yes, my prince." The attendant answered, bowing deeply again before exiting the room. Third Prince Nicolai read the letter again, a slight smile appearing on his face. Memories of a time long past started filling his head as he stared at the familiar name in the missive. A man he hadn''t heard from in years; one of the most incredible people he had the privilege of knowing. "You''ve finally shown your face again, old fogey." * * * Felix. Tybalt. Nicolai. Elswain''s three Dragon Princes are known for their unique strengths and unbreakable brotherhood. Neither of the younger princes have any desire to compete for the crown, yet all three brothers work together for the good of the country. Such a solid foundation can only be envied by houses suffering from petty infighting and power struggles. But just a decade ago, the Third Prince showed no signs of being as talented as his two older siblings. Felix was a natural ruler; he had a firm grasp of the hearts of men, and could keep the more "problematic" noble houses in line with his overwhelming charisma. Tybalt was the most talented swordsman Elswain had seen in a thousand years - often called the Sword Saint, he was undefeated in duels. As for Nicolai? He was a shut-in who could not even look the palace guards in the eye while speaking. Felix and Tybalt loved their brother all the same, and fiercely defended him from the harsh gossip of the courtiers. Yet Nicolai knew how everyone saw him; an incompetent blemish on this generation of the royal family, better suited to library work than leading the nation. "Big brother, you sure about this? Maybe he should just sit it out..." "The war with Bulirin is reaching its climax. Sheltering Nicolai will only make him a bigger target of scorn in the future. Don''t worry, he''ll be assigned to a safe place. Lord Father will give him the fifth battalion." "Really? That''s good then." In this world, a royal family''s sons were always expected to lead soldiers in times of war. Even if they did not have the capacity to be generals, they should at least be officers and see actual combat. On paper it should have gone well. The fifth battalion was far from any serious fighting, and the Third Prince had studied in the academy; his knowledge of military tactics should have been enough to direct his troops in small skirmishes. It did not go well. ... "Enemy attack! They are trying to block off the pass!" "There must be over three thousand of them! How did they get past the sentries!?" "Where is the prince? Get him out of here! Protect him with your lives, men!" "Help!" The presence of Elswain''s youngest prince was somehow leaked to Bulirin within a week of his arrival at the camp, resulting in a massive pronged attack by two regiments. Bulirin aimed to demoralize the enemy kingdom by taking the head of one of its royals. Heavily outnumbered, the fifth battalion was quickly routed. At the time, the Third Prince was barely nineteen years old and had never before experienced life and death combat. It was too much for the young man to handle. Their escape path was blocked off. Nicolai watched, frozen in place, as his personal guards were cut down one by one. The screaming, clashing metal, spraying blood, and spilled innards overwhelmed his senses. This was hell. Am I really... just going to die here like this? What have I ever done for Elswain? These soldiers... my guards... what are they dying for!? Useless he might be, but Nicolai knew that his death would be a huge blow against the Elswain Kingdom regardless. This was a mistake. He should have never agreed to this and just suffered the shame of being called a coward. It would have been better than handing Bulirin such a huge opportunity. An axe wielding attacker managed to slip past his dwindling retinue and swung at Nicolai''s head. The Third Prince had just enough presence of mind left to parry the blow and stab the man in the heart. It was his first kill... while he was distracted by that, another Bulirin soldier broke past the defensive formation and managed to land a blow on the prince, cutting a gaping wound into the left side of his body and knocking him to the ground.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Your head is mine, Elswain!" The soldier roared, but he was killed by one of Nicolai''s last few guards before he could land the final blow. "My prince! Please, hold on, reinforcements will arrive soon." That guard immediately rushed to the fallen prince''s side. An arrow pierced the young man''s throat in that moment of distraction. Another death. From the original one hundred members of his personal guard, only twelve were left now. Every time one of his men was struck down, Nicolai''s heart ached with guilt. If only they had been assigned to one of his brothers... they would not have died so needlessly. Just as Nicolai was coming to terms with his coming death, that man arrived. He leapt down from the cliff face behind Nicolai''s final stand, plummeting almost fifty feet and crashing down onto the Bulirin forces. The massacre began. Swinging a fearsome warhammer, moving at a speed impossible for a normal human being, and dressed in shining plate armor embossed with the God of Light''s emblem, this man was obviously a templar. His hammer crushed skulls into paste, and white bolts of arcane energy hit the Bulirin soldiers like God''s smiting fist. A chant resonated even as the templar fought - the prince''s last twelve guards felt their wounds close and their strength return. If the Bulirin soldiers had swarmed in like a tide then, without regard for their own lives, it would have been easy to defeat the templar and take the prince''s head. But apart from fanatics, who would possibly have the courage to face something like that? They hesitated too long. The templar and guards were able to clear a path through the encirclement and escape into the reinforcements that had just arrived. Elswain''s counterattack was swift, but in the end they were only able to kill a few hundred Bulirin soldiers before the rest pulled out. However, they were able to find the spies and turncoats that had leaked the information, and Prince Nicolai survived - it could be said that this battle ended well enough. If only the damage to the prince''s psyche wasn''t so heavy. * * * Prince Nicolai sat in front of the campfire. It was almost midnight, but he couldn''t find it in him to sleep. A set of heavy footsteps approached, and someone sat beside him. High Templar Whitelaw patted the prince''s back like a kindly uncle would, completely ignoring proper decorum. They were not even in the same army, as the Church of Light''s templars moved independently of the kingdom''s soldiers. Of course, the Third Prince said nothing. Even if the templar or one of his guards had punched him right then, he would only feel as if he deserved it. "So many were lost because of me." Nicolai finally spoke. "Yes." The templar simply agreed. "...How do I face their families? They died protecting the useless prince." "Then make their sacrifice worth it, mopey runt. There has to be something worthwhile in that head of yours. Or were those years of studying and reading all for nothing?" Nicolai shook his head. "I''m not like my brothers, they can-" "Damn right you''re not like them." Whitelaw interrupted. "Felix could have rallied the fifth battalion into a steady defense, and held the line until reinforcements arrived. Tybalt wouldn''t have been caught in that attack in the first place. He''s dumb as a rock but his sense of danger is extraordinary." The Third Prince winced. How did this templar know his brothers so well? Or was it that they were simply that famous? "But you have to stop thinking of what the other princes could have done in that situation. Because it doesn''t mean shit. The only thing that matters is what you''re capable of. "You are not Felix! Rousing the troops with superb leadership and passionate speeches isn''t your forte. "Nor are you Tybalt. You cannot inspire the men by charging into the fray and overpowering the enemy. "Find your strength, Nicolai. What do you know? What can you do better than your brothers?" Whitelaw stood up, brushing the dust off his armor. A fairly pointless action given how it was still covered in Bulirin blood. He walked off, leaving some final parting words that partially snapped Nicolai out of his catatonic state. "A thousand good men died to protect you today. Don''t spit on that sacrifice with your self loathing. Until you save a thousand of our soldiers in this war, you do not even have the right to feel sorry for yourself." * * * And so the Third Prince stayed. Despite the insistence of his older brothers, Nicolai refused to retreat to the capital. Instead, he asked to be given another chance. The King of Elswain granted that wish and gave him command of the fourth regiment. This was a far larger and more dangerous assignment than before, yet it was where the young man''s talent would truly begin to shine. Using his personal war chest, Third Prince Nicolai first focused on improving the army''s logistics. He recruited a large team of skilled builders and laborers, erecting bridges at strategic locations to boost the army''s mobility. Nicolai then remapped all of the baggage train routes - the new paths may have been more complicated, but they significantly reduced the time it took to get supplies to the front line. His way of managing the regiment was somewhat odd as well. Nicolai scrapped the old training routines, choosing instead to implement new ones that were far more demanding. They were designed to simulate the stresses of actual battle, while also testing the discipline and cooperation of each squad. If it were not for the promise of monetary rewards and better equipment for those who performed best during these exercises, it may have caused a rebellion. Near the war''s end, these new training methods would be adopted across the entire Elswain military. Nicolai also greatly expanded the team of scouts and spies within the regiment, bringing in a few experts from the capital to train the new recruits. He wanted more detailed information on Bulirin''s movements, the terrain of the battlefields, and so on. This proved immensely effective at tipping the odds in their favor. The one thing that his soldiers were dissatisfied about was the seemingly cowardly decisions that the Third Prince made. He would never fight a battle unless they had a three to one advantage. Some opportunities were passed up because Nicolai felt like he did not have enough information to act on them. And when they did battle, he relied heavily on ranged volleys and harassment to break the enemy before engaging. Was the general too afraid to fight? When he learned of the growing discontent, Nicolai called an assembly. "If I have to choose between killing a Bulirin soldier or saving one of my men, I will never hesitate to choose the latter. Your lives are worth far more to me than the enemy''s! Remember that!" Nicolai had none of his eldest brother''s oratory skills. In all honesty, any prepared speech would have sounded horrible coming from him. But it was a different matter when he spoke his true thoughts as they came. This was the honest sentiment that guided his actions.... his strong words echoed throughout the camp. "Elswain does not need martyrs or heroes! It needs brave veterans who will continue to guide the next generation!" Some scoffed at the prince, thinking him naive or soft. But it struck a chord in many of the soldiers. They were used to hearing generals speak about the glory of battle or to seize victory even at the cost of their lives. Here was a leader who spoke directly to the fear that was inside them, rather than condemning or ignoring it. The prince will not throw us away mindlessly. Under his command, we have the highest chances of returning home alive. And if we die carrying out his orders, we are sure to die with purpose, dealing a heavy blow to the enemy. "You who cut the enemy''s head today, will still be needed tomorrow to harvest the fields! Train hard so you do not throw away your lives meaninglessly!" This lord... doesn''t see us as chess pieces as all. Each death weighs on him deeply. While some may have disdained that weakness, many others felt that this was a leader they were willing to truly follow. From then on Nicolai''s soldiers obeyed his orders without question, trusting the prince to safeguard their lives... or at least sell them dearly. And the results were staggering. They ambushed marching battalions, tracked down and burned Bulirin granaries, captured officers and exchanged them for Elswain prisoners of war... when the ceasefire was finally declared between the two kingdoms, the fourth regiment had lost less than a tenth of its soldiers. As for how many they killed and the merits they rendered? Surpassed only by those under the command of Felix and Tybalt. * * * For his services during the war and for saving the Third Prince from certain death, High Templar Whitelaw was granted a symbol of the crown. The moonsteel short sword gave him an honorary rank that was equivalent to a baron, and allowed him to meet with any Elswain noble should he wish to. The royal family would have showered him with gold, lands, and titles too, but he refused all of them. "Are you really leaving?" Third Prince Nicolai asked the templar, who was now dressed like any ordinary commoner. The two had become good friends during the war, and Nicolai often consulted Whitelaw on many things. "Yeah. I plan to travel the continent for a bit, then settle down at my old village. I heard my younger brother has a son now, and I''d like to see him." The man answered him, yawning. "I don''t want to be bothered there either unless it''s important. Don''t like my past knocking on my door." "...Understood." Nicolai sighed. He envied the templar - it would be nice if he could drop his own responsibilities too. "Heh. I want to relax for the rest of my years, but if the kingdom needs me... well, you know where I am." * * * Nicolai once again rolled up the letter from Baron Humfort, then stowed it in a nearby drawer. All these years he had wanted to check up on his old friend, but he knew that Whitelaw didn''t want to be reminded of those days. The war had scarred all of them, so Nicolai respected his wishes. But now this had arrived. What did it mean for Whitelaw to make his presence felt like this, yet refuse to send an actual letter? Nicolai could think of one explanation: Whitelaw was saying that he''s ready to come back if - and only if - it was truly necessary. He still wishes to stay in retirement, but he was probably concerned about the trouble that was stirring. As the kingdom''s strongest White Magic user, he''s definitely a significant war asset even now. I do not want my old post back, but I am prepared to fight if Elswain needs me. That is just like him. Nicolai chuckled, then contemplated paying a visit to Southcreek Village in order to catch up with the grumpy old coot. But he shook his head. Just enjoy your peaceful life, Whitelaw. Right now we still have everything under control. Chapter 11 - Much Less Tiny Chapter 10 - Much Less Tiny Three years later... Gina nocked an arrow in her bowstring, aimed at the target, then let it fly. The projectile soared across the sixty yard distance before sinking into the target - a crude wooden sculpture that vaguely resembled a deer. Her arrow was two inches off the red painted area on the thing¡¯s body, but it was still an amazing shot as far as I was concerned. My friend''s talent had blossomed over the past few years. Not just with the bow - she¡¯s already joining the hunts once a week. The stories I¡¯ve heard from other hunters paint her as a terrifying predator that stalks silently through the underbrush, cleanly dispatching prey with a single shot. While I¡¯m sure it''s exaggerated, the fact that she¡¯s bringing game home isn¡¯t made up. She has yet to kill anything larger than a six month old boar, but getting a buck is just a matter of time at this point. ¡°Aww, missed again.¡± She said, her cheeks puffed out. ¡°If it was a real deer, I think that shot would still bring it down though.¡± I said, trying to cheer her up. ¡°Not good enough.¡± Gina shook her head while nocking another arrow. ¡°If I miss the vitals, the deer will run for a really long time. The party can spend hours tracking it without finding a body.¡± And it would be extremely cruel to the animal too. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that a gut shot ruins the meat. Nothing worse than tainted venison.¡± A lazy voice wafted out from behind us. I turned around to see Hans, our archery teacher, casually strolling towards us with a basket in his hands. The lanky young man with shoulder-length silver hair is now Southcreek¡¯s undisputed best marksman, and recently became the leader of our village''s second hunting party. Gina became his prot¨¦g¨¦ shortly after that trip to Bask (surprising absolutely no one), and I eventually started learning how to shoot from him too. Hans was the reason Hyacinth allowed Gina to join the hunts in the first place. As laidback as this guy might look, no one holds a candle to him in the woods. He is probably the only one who can rein in Gina¡¯s reckless tendencies to scout ahead or chase after startled game. ¡°Good morning Mr. Hans.¡± Me and Gina greeted him at the same time. "Hey kids." He answered, stifling a yawn. "Thomas, you paid attention to her form, right? Take a shot at it too. Thirty five yards." "Understood." I nodded seriously, picking up my own bow and walking a little past the thirty yard marker on this makeshift practice range. With practiced hand and focused eye, I nocked an arrow and aimed at the deer sculpture. I am one with the bow - it is an extension of my body. All I have to do is imagine the arrow hitting the target and the wind will take care of the rest. Steady... gotta control my breathing... fire! The arrow soared spendidly through the air and ended up missing the deer by two feet. It sank into a tree some distance away. Turns out that psyching yourself up with a pretentious inner monologue doesn''t guarantee a hit. Fiction has lied to me. "Ahh..." The disappointed voices of my childhood friend and instructor came from behind me. "Well, it was pretty close. Try again." Hans said, trying to reassure me. "You can do it Thomas!" Gina cheered. Okay, fine. I''ll definitely get it. But first I need to calm down and focus. This is a shot I''ve made before, it''s not that hard. After regaining my calm, I fired four arrows in quick succession, skipping the stupid thoughts this time. Two of them hit the deer but missed the red painted area symbolizing the "kill" zone. One hit dead center in the target area - a perfect shot that would have punctured both lungs. The last arrow missed the deer, but only by a few inches. Better than the first one at least. Still, this was pretty discouraging. I''m a bad shot at any distance past twenty five yards. It''s a barrier that I haven''t been able to break, even after months of dedicated practice. At my current level of skill, I don''t think I would be of much use if I ever did come along with the hunting party. Meanwhile, Gina never misses within fifty yards, and has fairly good accuracy at sixty. She''s had more time to practice than me, of course, but the girl has an overwhelming advantage in talent too. I know that her dad used to be an even better hunter than Hans is now, so it probably runs in her blood. But I think the biggest difference maker is my naturally low Dexterity. My body has grown a lot over the past few years; I''m finally capable of lifting heavy stuff and using bows with respectable draw weights. However, this damn Dexterity stat is the one thing that has barely moved. Here''s what my status screen looks like these days:
ASCENDANT - RICHARD BROOKS
Body Name: Thomas Age: 10 Race: Human
HP: 41/41 MP: 36/36
Affiliation: None Class: None 2nd Life
STATS
STR: 25 (24 + 1) AGI: 29 (27 + 2) DEX: 18
CON: 32 (30 + 2) INT: 24 WIS: 21
CHA: 30 LUK: 10 Stat multiplier: 60%
CONDITIONS
No active blessings or debuffs. Base stats lowered to 60% because of age.
It''s barely over half of my current Constitution! On the other hand, I''m faster than Gina at a full-sprint and I have much higher stamina than her too. I''m confident that I can beat most people in a contest of pure mobility, such as getting to a designated spot in the forest first. My Pathfinding Proficiency will see to that. Oh, and for some reason Luck didn''t increase at all. I think it''s a static value that normally can''t be changed, which is why I couldn''t spend Karma on it while I was dead. We continued shooting in turns for a while longer before Hans called for us to stop. "Let''s have lunch first. I brought sandwiches for you two." I pumped my fist in celebration while Gina jumped up with a happy ¡°Woo-hoo!¡±, all thoughts of practicing gone. Yes, sandwiches. My second proudest achievement since awakening is introducing this convenient snack (and the concept of toasted sliced bread) to Southcreek village. It wasn¡¯t long before every hunter and woodcutter started packing sandwiches for their trips into the forest. I heard it¡¯s even catching on in Bask, but I¡¯ll have to wait until my next trip into town to know for sure. Gina slung her shortbow around her shoulder, and the three of us sat down on the grass. Hans opened the basket he brought and started handing out sandwiches. In the absence of plastic, each was wrapped in broad leaves taken from nearby trees. It was charmingly rural. ¡°Your wife makes the best sandwiches, Mr. Hans!¡± Gina said happily, practically inhaling her food. I took a bite and nodded vigorously. Yum, shredded pork and venison is such a nice combination. Deer meat is pretty lean, so the fatty pork is an excellent complement that really deepens the flavor. With fresh crunchy lettuce and homemade dressing, this tastes heavenly. Hans laughed. ¡°Why do you think I married her? Madalynn can make a feast out of kitchen scraps.¡± We talked, ate, and relaxed for a while longer. Then my archery instructor suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Hey Thomas, you''re good at making stuff, right?" Hans said. That''s an odd question. "I like to think that I am." I shrugged. "Being a herbalist and all." "Yeah, that''s what I mean." Hans nodded. "Maybe you don''t have to be good at archery..." He finished his sandwich and stood up. I stared at him in confusion. What was he talking about? "I''ll be heading back first, you two have the rest of the afternoon off. Thomas, keep your schedule free tomorrow." "Um, okay." I nodded. While I''m not sure what he''s thinking of, I''ve learned to just go with the flow when it comes to this whimsical man. * * *Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Let''s take a step back and go over everything that happened over the past three years. Lumor has mostly gotten their shit together and ramped up the army''s patrols, significantly reducing the number of monster attacks. It hasn''t stopped completely, though, and they''re no closer to finding the mysterious knight behind this. Bulirin still denies that it has anything to do with it. Relations between the two kingdoms have worsened to the point that a few battalions are permanently stationed at their borders, ready to fight at a moment''s notice. Trade has stopped completely between them as well; caravans are immediately accosted by the military. Minor skirmishes happen every few weeks, and full-blown war seems unavoidable within the next year. But the worst part is that the monster attacks have spread to Elswain as well. Even though we had several forts in the area conducting regular patrols, five border villages and a small town were razed within two weeks, sending shockwaves throughout the kingdom. The capital immediately sent out a call to arms, moving more of our military forces nearer to the border as a means of defense. Unfortunately, this also meant that the bulk of the Elswain military was now within striking distance of several Bulirin castles and strategic territories... This could be interpreted as a severe violation of the ceasefire treaty with Bulirin. But what else was our kingdom to do? We needed to protect the border territories. People there were already in mass panic, and a large number had started moving inland. Elswain was not eager to go to war with Bulirin; Hyacinth said that the memories of the last conflict were still fresh in the populace''s mind, and even the more cynical lords wanted Lumor and Bulirin to fight it out by themselves and leave us the strongest nation in the continent. Nevertheless, it''s hard to rationally judge the actions of a country you were at war with barely a decade ago. The Bulirin royal family publicly denounced the movements, calling us opportunistic vultures looking to stab their kingdom in the back during these turbulent times. Those pompous idiots... that is not the kind of statement you make to a country grieving over its dead citizens, especially when one of your knights is the biggest suspect. In response, Elswain only further increased the number of soldiers we had stationed there. Diplomatic talks have ceased entirely. Rumors say that a Lumor emissary will be visiting the Elswain capital soon, though, and a formal alliance between our two nations seems to be in the works. With any luck, the combined might of two kingdoms will be enough to prevent an actual war with Bulirin. I can''t imagine them having the guts to take on both armies at the same time, even if they may have the strongest military right now. So what have I been busy with? Well first, those regular trips into the forest paid off in an unexpected way. I got two different survival proficiencies: Gathering and Pathfinding.
[You have achieved Novice Proficiency in Gathering!] [Detecting and harvesting useful plants is now easier.] [Main Quest ¡°Learn to Survive¡± updated: Two out of five survival skills learned.]
The benefits aren''t as dramatic as when I first achieved Novice Proficiency in Herbalism, but it''s still a very nice skill to have. Within fifteen feet of me, useful plants are highlighted in a faint yellow aura. I can even detect those growing underneath the roots of trees or in other dark, out of the way places. The efficiency of my actions have also improved; I don''t get stung by thorns anymore or accidentally damage the more delicate plants as I uproot them. My ability to gather herbs soon surpassed my teacher¡¯s. She was slightly miffed about that at first - seeing a kid with twice your haul must have been pretty embarrassing. But eventually she just got lazier and made me do most of the work while she stood guard (preventing any more ¡°wolf incidents¡±). Thanks to this, I doubt I''ll ever have trouble finding ingredients again in the future. But I''m even happier about the other skill I learned.
[You have achieved Novice Proficiency in Pathfinding!] [You are better at finding hidden trails and maneuvering through wild terrain.] [Main Quest ¡°Learn to Survive¡± updated: Three out of five survival skills learned.]
Pathfinding is amazing. No matter how many branches or leaves are scattered on the forest floor, I never lose my footing. Are the paths muddy due to heavy rain? No problem, I won''t slip. My speed while moving through the woods has greatly improved, and it''s less draining on my stamina now too. I''m confident that apart from Hans and a few other veteran hunters, nobody in Southcreek can catch up to me within the forest. Unfortunately, neither of my two new proficiencies gave me a unique ability like Plant Analysis. Its a shame, but the passive benefits are still great. As for Herbalism? My skills were good enough that Hyacinth was basically pushing all of her work on to me now (not that I¡¯m complaining - it¡¯s nice practice). Since we¡¯ve already covered everything she knows about potion making, for the past few months she had mostly been teaching me how to treat actual injuries, like dressing and bandaging wounds or setting broken bones. The wounded hunters I practiced on were not happy whenever I screwed up, but it was good motivation for me to get better fast. I think I¡¯m pretty decent now, and I feel like I''ll get a proficiency related to it soon. * * * It was the day after our archery practice. I was busy working in Hyacinth''s shop when Hans walked in. "Hey Thomas, the caravan from Bask just came back. Here''s a letter and two packages from Lucas." Ah, finally. But why are there two packages? I took the letter and the items from Hans. One was the usual leather pouch, filled with silver and copper coins - this was the payment for the last shipment of medicinal items I had made for Bask. The other package was a long, thin object wrapped in gray cloth and bound with cord. Well, let''s read the letter first before opening it. Dear Thomas, I hope this message finds you in good health. Thank you for another excellent batch of goods. I dare say your skill is already equal to Ms. Hyacinth''s. These potions will serve our soldiers well if - Gods forbid - any large scale combat occurs at our borders. Captain Alvaros also wishes to thank you for taking the trouble to fulfill his custom order. The "Dragon''s Desire" worked far better than he had hoped. You should have seen the way he strutted into my office the following day. As such, he insisted on giving you this additional reward on top of the agreed upon fee. This is a one handed iron spear that is commonly used by Elswain''s military officers. There was a surplus of them in the barracks, and Alvaros thought that you might like one. While I cannot agree with him giving away military equipment like toys, I believe you will use this responsibly. Please reconsider making the "Dragon''s Desire" a regular product - I am certain that there is a huge market for it. Oh, and here is a list of the products we would like for the next shipment. The Merchant''s Guild thanks you again for your work. - Lucas I shook my head. No way in hell, Lucas. Do you have any idea how hard it was to sneak around Hyacinth''s back while making that thing? I had to come up with so many excuses... maybe when this body is older and she''s less likely to care about me making that kind of stuff. Alvaros really shouldn''t have given me another gift, though. The payment for that potion was extremely generous already. But as I unwrapped the long package, I couldn''t help but let out a whistle of admiration. The spear''s five foot long shaft was made of glossy ironwood that was both lightweight and flexible. Its leaf shaped spearhead shined in the sunlight, and I could tell at a glance that it was razor sharp. There was an iron buttspike at the bottom of the spear for added utility or as a backup point if the spearhead breaks. Ho, this seems like a really nice weapon. If it''s meant for officers, then it''s probably better than most of the stuff you can find in shops. I wonder how much this cost to make? Uncle Whitelaw once mentioned that Elswain''s troops tend to prioritize mobility over power. This weapon seems like a good example of that concept; it''s very lightweight and shorter than what you''d normally expect from a spear. You could almost mistake it for a javelin. However, the reach and weight is actually perfect for me to use with both hands right now. "Ooh, not bad." Hans said admiringly as I practiced swinging and stabbing with my new weapon. "Is that a reward from the guild?" "Something like that." I answered, shrugging. There''s no way I can tell him about the guard captain''s "problem". "Anyway, it''s perfect for where we''re headed. Bring it along with you." "Oh right, you wanted to take me somewhere today... can it wait fifteen minutes? This potion''s almost done." "Sure, no problem." Hans took a seat to watch me work. I put the spear down on a nearby table, then turned back to the bubbling cauldron. Because of the current delicate situation, all of the inner provinces have been ordered to send troops and supplies to the front line. Bask is no exception. Since the demand for healing items is especially high right now, the Merchant''s Guild has contracted me on behalf of Baron Humfort to produce a set number of potions, powders, and salves every three months. These would be carried by our province''s soldiers as they make their way to the border. Right now I was working on an extremely strong anaesthesia with an equally potent drawback: the Nervekiller Brew. An essential item in any army or hospital, it was used to put patients under while doctors operated on them (surgery actually does exist in this world, surprisingly enough. Not everything can be fixed by healing potions). Or more commonly, it is used to ease a dying soldier¡¯s suffering. Simmer the solution until its volume decreases by roughly 25%... extract the oil from Nightshade flowers and put in three drops every fifteen seconds... My hands didn''t stop working until I bottled the brew and saw the familiar notification.
[Item created: ¡°Nervekiller Brew¡±.] [Quality: High] [Removes all sense of pain for six hours.] [Backlash: Lose sight, mobility, and significantly decrease hearing during effect.] [Herbalism Proficiency Bonus: +10% effect]
I felt a chill run up my spine as I read the notification. This was an item of last resort; something that you only take when the pain is too overwhelming to bear. It doesn¡¯t heal anything, yet it renders you completely helpless for six hours. How terrifying would that sensation be? This wasn¡¯t something a slightly injured hunter would take. Willingly locking yourself into a world of darkness, just to escape from the pain¡­ many don¡¯t ever wake up after taking it. The soldiers who would one day drink this potion I¡¯ve made, what kind of horrors will they experience? "Hey, Thomas? You ready yet?" I snapped out of my distracted state. "Yeah, let me just put this away and clean up." A few minutes later, Hans and I left the village, with my new spear strapped to my back. Chapter 12 - Whatever It Takes Chapter 12 - Whatever It Takes The two of us moved through the forest at a respectable speed. Hans knew that I could keep up with him easily so he didn''t bother slowing down. He''d duck under branches, jump across narrow streams, and slide down muddy slopes while I followed right behind him. In just an hour, we had covered a large distance and were pretty far from Southcreek. "Hey Hans..." I said, sitting down as we took a short break. "Hm?" "Most of the troops have been sent to the front. Soon the kingdom might start drafting from the villages." "Yeah. When that happens, I''ll probably have to serve. I''m too good of an archer to ignore." "Doesn''t it scare you?" "Of course it does." He answered lazily, not sounding the least bit concerned. "Especially since it means I''ll have to leave Madalynn and the baby." Silence fell again. To be honest, I was a total stranger to war. Reading books or watching documentaries back on Earth could never compare to the real thing. There''s a tension hanging in the air these days that no amount of food or song can get rid of. The last time I went to Bask, the streets were sparsely populated and it felt like everyone was on edge. I sense an invisible pressure bearing down on me too, as if it''s screaming that things can''t - no, won''t - stay like this. It''s a suffocating feeling, like a terrible calamity will come for us soon if I don''t do something. Maybe it''s right. I have a growing suspicion that this conflict is somehow related to me. Perhaps I''m even meant to stop it one day like some hero of justice. That''s how this setting usually goes, right? I''m an Ascendant - whatever that is, I know it''s not normal. There''s another one like me on this world too. The system''s "danger rating" rose sharply when that fact was revealed, so it''s another thing that worries me. I don''t know what exactly will happen if we ever meet. Somehow I doubt that he''ll be nice enough to explain what kind of existence we''re supposed to be. Damn it, I want nothing to do with any of this. Can''t everyone just calm down and let me live here undisturbed? "You know..." Hans continued. "Elswain has seen seven wars in the last two hundred years, yet Southcreek has never been touched. This village is our sanctuary; it''s our responsibility to keep it safe for future generations." "I see." I answered quietly, mulling over his words. A few faces came to my mind right then. Yeah, I have a family of my own too, those who made me feel completely at home in this strange new world. I''m not interested in becoming a hero, but if it''s to protect the people I care about... "You don''t have to worry, kid. The army doesn''t accept anyone younger than sixteen." Hans chuckled, seeing my expression. "Plus, your skills make you too valuable to put on the front line. You can save hundreds of our troops - Humfort would never throw that away." "..." Hans was trying to reassure me, yet I could only feel a slight sense of guilt at his words. It''s hypocritical, isn''t it? My only desire is to live a carefree life; I don''t want to fight, but at the same time I feel like I''m making other people die in my place. While I understand that I really am more useful in a herbalist''s workshop than on the battlefield, it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. * * * "Ah, we''re close. Do you hear that?" I listened carefully. Soon I could hear the faint sound of a distressed animal grunting and squealing. "Is that...?'' "Yeah. Looks like we got lucky." Hans grinned. "I only set it yesterday and we''ve already got ourselves a little piggy." We entered a heavily shaded part of the forest. The trees here were hundreds of years old and towered high into the sky. They formed an impressive canopy that blocked off much of the sunlight. Even though it was the middle of the day, I could barely see the forest floor. The thick carpet of fallen leaves certainly didn''t help, but we were still able to find our way to the source of the noise. "Considering how energetic it is, it was probably caught less than an hour ago." Hans murmured, crouching down. It was a small wild boar - barely more than a suckling - held captive in a cleverly hidden wooden box trap. I could see the remains of a bait inside the box next to the shivering animal. The young boar continued to squeal and push against the cage, trying desperately to escape. Looks like bacon is on the menu. "Gotcha." Hans laughed. "Pretty small, but that''s expected. The older hogs are smarter."Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Ignoring the animal''s cries, Hans began explaining how the trap work. It was a fairly simple contraption with a single entrance - the door was designed to close once anything of a certain size entered. What''s more, it was in a shaded and hidden area where the caught animal would not be exposed to the elements. The box looked sturdy enough to keep the tiny boar in and any curious predators out. "We''ve seen boar tracks around here before, so this one likely strayed too far from its sounder." "Sounder?" "The herd." "Oh. Come to think of it, I don''t think I''ve ever seen any traps before in the forest." "Most hunters look down on trapping." Hans explained. "It''s seen as a poacher or coward''s way of doing things. That''s why we avoid setting up traps unless times are tough. But as far as I''m concerned, the method doesn''t matter - whatever it takes to put food on the table, you know?" I nodded. That''s something I appreciated about Hans - he erred on the side of pragmatism. "The path of the hunter has many branches. We use the bow, but some prefer to surround the animal and take it down with long spears. Others rely on trained dogs or falcons. You''re smart, patient, and good with your hands, so I think that making traps would suit you best. It''s not something you get to brag about to the girls, but that doesn''t matter. "With what you''ve learned from Hyacinth, you''ll never have trouble earning a living in any town in this continent." Hans continued talking. "What you need is a way of feeding yourself if that''s not an option, such as if you ever get lost in the wilderness or if you piss off a noble and have to run for your life. Chasing after food every day wouldn''t be reliable enough with your archery skill - no offense - so trapping is more efficient from a survival standpoint." That makes sense. While it takes time and energy to make the traps, after setting them up you only have to check them once or twice a day. The traps can only catch small game, but they will free up the rest of my day to focus on other things like building shelter or foraging. "When we get back to the village, I''ll teach you how to make basic traps. But don''t worry, I''ll still welcome you in the hunts any day if you ever feel the itch." Hans chuckled. "Hah, maybe I''ll take you up on that." I answered with a smirk. "My range is terrible, but if I can sneak within twenty five yards of a buck, it won''t matter." "Just make sure you don''t get gored by its antlers when you miss." "Oy, you''ve got no confidence in me at all..." The two of us laughed. Then I turned back to the poor boar that was still stuck in the trap, staring at us with terror filled eyes. Aww, it''s actually pretty cute. Such a shame that we can''t keep it as a pet - wild boars are extremely dangerous when they grow to full size. "So... how do we get it out?" He patted me on the back. "You''ve got a spear. Stab it through the gaps. After it''s dead, I''ll open the trap and take it out." He explained. "I''ve never killed anything larger than a rabbit!" "Don''t worry, I''ll show you where to aim. Just thrust hard, don''t make it suffer." "That''s exactly what I''m afraid of! Come on, you do it, I don''t want to torture the poor pig." "No no no, this is a valuable learning experience. You''re not wimping out on me today, Thomas." After a little more idiotic back and forth between us, I finally gave up and decided to just get it over with. I walked over to the trap and held the spear tightly with both hands. Sorry about this, little piggy. Paying close attention to Hans'' advice, I forcefully stabbed downwards into the trap with my spear. There was a short high pitched squeal, followed by total silence. "Good job. You actually got it on the first try." Hans said, impressed. "The spear is pretty sharp." I answered a bit shakily. I''ve killed a rabbit before (on Gina''s insistence), but it was over so quick that it didn''t make any noise. This was different. Hans then crouched down to open the trap. He pulled out the bloody pig''s body then beckoned for me to come closer. When I did, he pressed a hunting knife into my hands. The silver haired young man grinned at my confusion. "Time to teach you how to field dress a boar." * * * We ended up checking three more traps after that, one of which had snared a fat rabbit by the feet. Hans left the honor of killing and dressing it to me. While we were checking the traps, Hans explained how each one worked and why he chose to set it up in that location. Every place was near some obvious signs of wildlife, maximizing the chances of catching something. We didn''t bother resetting the traps, though; Hans didn''t feel like checking them again tomorrow. "No matter what, never leave a live trap unchecked for more than a day." He stressed. It was extremely cruel to let a wild animal die of starvation or exposure. "The other hunters won''t mind you using traps if you''re just trying to learn, but it''s different if you make an animal suffer." We made our way back to the village, with two burlap bags on my back containing the animal carcasses. It was almost dusk by the time we returned. but Hans still dragged me off to his house to begin teaching me how to make each of the traps he had showed me today. It didn''t take long for me to understand the principles behind every design, and how to use them effectively. "Good. I think you''ve got the gist of it, but let''s pick it up again tomorrow morning." Hans said in a satisfied tone. "Anyway, want to have dinner with us tonight?" "Sure!" I answered immediately. Hyacinth''s cooking was great, but I would never pass up a chance to taste Madalynn''s stuff. Dinner with the young hunter''s family was fun, if a bit chaotic. It''s amazing how much fuss a newborn can kick up. Madalynn deftly set the table while Hans and I tried to soothe the baby until she finally fell asleep. As expected, the food was amazing. The suckling boar''s meat still had that distinct "wild" taste, but it was very tender and gelatinous thanks to the high amount of collagen in its flesh. I lavished the chef with compliments in between huge mouthfuls of food - though I did try to preserve my table manners, unlike the man seated next to me. Hans you lucky bastard, getting to eat like this every day... When I finally bade my gracious hosts good night and made my way back home, I was so stuffed that I could barely walk straight. Unsurprisingly, Whitelaw was still working when I arrived. He snorted in contempt when I stumbled into the house like a drunk pigeon. Afterwards, he grabbed my new spear and berated me for not cleaning the blood off properly. I answered half-heartedly, too full to care, so for the next hour he went on and on about how I should respect my equipment more. As I sat there listening to him preach, I couldn''t help but smile. At that moment, I couldn''t even remember why I was so worried about the future. With so many good people on my side, I was sure that no matter what comes, it wouldn''t be impossible for us to deal with. I thought that even if something dangerous were to happen, it would be years later and we would see it coming. We lived in one of the safest parts of the kingdom, far away from any real threats. That complacency would prove fatal. If only I understood back then what kind of enemy we were up against, I would not have wasted so much time. There are so many things I could have done differently. The System had given me a fighting chance against an impossibly strong foe, but I squandered it. If only... Chapter 13 - Stench of Blood Chapter 13 - Stench of Blood Apparently, proficiencies develop at different speeds. It took me several months of hard work to get Novice Proficiency in Herbalism. Gathering and Pathfinding took even longer, but that''s mostly because I didn''t focus on those two at all - they just popped up thanks to my regular trips into the forest. My previous belief was that it takes an average of six months to learn any skill. Guess who just got Novice Proficiency in Trapping after two weeks of messing around?
[Gained Novice Proficiency in Trapping!] [Trap making and setting speed improved by 10%] [All traps are more effective and harder to detect.] [Main Quest ¡°Learn to Survive¡± updated: Four out of five survival skills learned.]
I was so sure that I would get Wound Treatment first, since I''m just a hair away from it... If I had to guess why trapping was so easy to gain proficiency in, I''d say that it''s because of the complexity involved. There are a hundred different factors you have to take into account when making a potion; the intensity of the flame, how skillfully you prepare the ingredients, even the material of the container used has an effect on the final product. Traps might seem complex at first glance, but as long as you know how to make them and set them up in the right place, there''s not much room for human error. After successfully catching my tenth rabbit with a drowning snare, that system notification popped up. The bonuses were fairly modest but still made a noticeable difference. I got better at placing and concealing my traps, increasing the success rate. Then when I found a recipe for an Animal Lure potion and started spiking my bait with it, the number of critters I got every day skyrocketed. It was almost ridiculous - I had to give some to the neighbors since there was no way we could eat all of it. But there was one event when the special bait ended up luring something too big, and the trap was destroyed by the time I went to check on it... how regretful. Anyway, it''s probably time for me to stop doing this. The only reason I decided to pick this skill up was to finish my main quest (archery was just taking far too long for me to master, and I wasn''t even sure if it would count as a survival skill in the first place). While Southcreek''s other hunters are giving me a free pass right now, some may eventually become resentful if I continue using "dishonorable" hunting methods when they aren''t really necessary. * * * Today would be the last day I''d go into the forest to check my traps. After this, I''ll dismantle all of them and focus my attention on other things. My Elswain officer''s spear was slung on my back in case I ran into anything dangerous along the way, but I honestly wasn''t too worried. I had a very reliable companion today, after all. "Hey Thomas~, I was wondering... what will you even do with all that money you get from Lucas?" Gina''s round eyes stared at me with curiousity. Her head was tilted slightly to the side, the two purple twintails almost reaching her shoulders. It''s hard to think that this innocent looking young lady was actually a skilled huntress who kills wild beasts without any hesitation. Ahh, this girl will definitely grow up to be a peerless beauty like her mother. Hopefully she won''t inherit Hyacinth''s attitude and foul mouth, though. "Well, I don''t really know. Maybe I''ll buy property one day in Bask or some other large town." I answered her, shrugging.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Ehh!? You''re leaving the village?" She gasped, looking devastated. Gina immediately latched onto my arm. "No way!" Looking at her stubborn appearance that seemed like she would drag me home by force if necessary, I couldn''t help but laugh. "Don''t worry, I''m not moving out of Southcreek. Maybe I''ll just open a store or start a business as a hobby, you know? I''ve got a few great ideas that I''m sure would be a hit." "But... that would just make you richer. What are you even planning to spend it all on?" Once again, I shrugged. To be honest, I absolutely did not need that much money to live here. This village already has everything I could ever want, so why do I still keep building my wealth? Perhaps it''s an old habit from my previous life; while my family wasn''t poor, we didn''t have much breathing room either. A fire or other disaster could have wiped out any meager savings we had. That''s probably why I feel anxious if I don''t have a nice little emergency fund tucked away somewhere. Besides, wealth is a form of power too, so it''s better to have it than not. We arrived at the first trap near a riverbank, which was unfortunately empty. "This is a drowning snare." I explained. "Once triggered, the noose drags both the animal and that rock into the water. I''ve caught a few rabbits and squirrels with this one before; drowning puts the critter out of its misery fast, while the rushing water keeping any scavengers away." "Oooh." "Yeah, but needing water limits its usefulness." I crouched down next to the snare and carefully deactivated it before putting the parts in my rucksack. Gina watched with interest as I worked. After several minutes of walking, we got to the next one, which was a snare that used a bent sapling. Any animal that triggers it would be caught and suspended a few feet off the ground. This one was empty too, yet parts of the bait were missing. Damn, looks like it didn''t activate for some reason. "Don''t touch the noose. It''ll rip your finger off." I said sternly when I noticed Gina staring at it. "Okay." Gina answered while grinning. She picked up a stick and poked at the bait. The noose immediately snapped upwards, knocking the stick right out Gina''s hand and sending it flying in an impressive arc. Well, that''s one way to disarm the trap I guess. I removed the components and stored them away, while Gina looked around with a slightly odd expression. "What? Did you notice anything?" I asked her. She shook her head. "It''s just that, this place smells kind of... weird? Nevermind." Perhaps that was the first sign. Her senses had always been unnaturally sharp, so she must have noticed that there was something different about this part of the forest. But we decided to go ahead and check out the other traps anyway. Every single one was empty... one of them - a wooden cage trap like the one Hans had used to catch the boar - had been torn apart. I first thought that it was done by a hungry wolf that wanted whatever was inside, like what happened before with the spiked bait, but there were no claw or bite marks on the shattered wood pieces. No, it was more like the cage was hacked apart by some sharp instrument. Feeling completely unnerved, Gina and I immediately decided to head back home. There were still a few left that I needed to deactivate, but something was wrong and we weren''t going to stick around any longer. * * * "It''s okay Thomas, you''ll catch something next time." Gina stuck her tongue out at me. Maybe she was just trying to lighten the mood. "Give me a break. Today''s just unlucky." I sighed. "Mm-hmm, don''t worry. Your big sister will make you something nice when we get back home." She giggled. Somehow, it was profoundly depressing that such a young brat was calling herself my big sister. I''m older than your mom, you know? But before I could refute, she froze in her tracks. There was a trace of fear on her face as she quickly looked towards the left of the forest path. She was staring at something far off in the distance. While I had no idea what it was, I could tell that Gina had sensed something again so I immediately brought out my spear. "What is it?" I asked her. "There''s... blood. A lot of it." She said in a slightly shaky voice. Could someone have been attacked by a beast in those thickets? Dying to wild animals was rare around here, but it can happen. I thought about ignoring it entirely and coming back with some adults from the village, but by then it would be far too late to help any survivors. "I''ll go check it out. Stay here." I said firmly. If the victim was still alive, I may be able to save them with the potions I brought. "No! I''m coming with you." Gina immediately shook her head, drawing her bow. After a short moment of hesitation, I nodded. Bringing her there would be dangerous, but splitting up isn''t exactly safe either. If there''s some kind of predator lurking around this part of the woods, we would stand a better chance if we worked together. Both of us had grown up here, after all, so it shouldn''t be too hard to escape even from a pack of wolves. It didn''t take long for me to notice the overpowering smell too. A short distance away from the path, we finally saw where it came from. My childhood friend''s viselike grip on my arm was painful, but I barely even noticed it then. "Thomas..." She whimpered. "Yeah." I answered grimly. It was a scene from a nightmare. There were around a dozen corpses in the clearing. Men of varying ages, dressed in furs and covered in freshly spilled blood. Some bodies were riddled with primitive looking arrows. Others were impaled onto the ground or nearby trees with spears. Still others were covered in vicious gashes, or crudely torn apart by some creature''s brute strength. Only a few faces were still recognizable amidst the carnage, but there was no doubt who these dead men were. Southcreek''s first hunting party. Chapter 14 - Siege of Hoggards Pass Chapter 14 - Siege of Hoggard''s Pass Some time ago... The harder you look for something, the more it evades you. Perhaps there was some truth to that saying after all. Rukham glanced at the healing potion in his left hand, casually swirling its contents. Calling it a potion was a disservice to all real alchemists - this was a pitiful amateur''s work that wasn''t even fit for his vassals to consume. For it to be carried by the army, how should he say it... as expected of an E Class world. However, there was something very special about this bottle that had immediately caught his attention. "Item Analysis." He murmured, wanting to check it again.
[Item: ¡°Healing Potion¡±.] [Quality: High] [Rapidly heals internal and external injuries while restoring stamina.] [Herbalism Proficiency Bonus: +10% effect]
There was no mistake. This item was made by someone with "Proficiency". After over four years, he had finally found a trace of the other Ascendant. Rukham had already given up on the fruitless search, since his opponent was obviously a master of stealth and misdirection. No matter how thoroughly he looked or burned, the other Ascendant skillfully eluded his grasp. He had even disguised his ears so he could sneak into human taverns and listen to rumors, but it was all useless. With much reluctance, he decided to just continue with his original plan of destroying all three major kingdoms once he had built up enough strength. That was the best way for him to earn Karma and would draw the rat out eventually. But then this random Elswain patrol he wiped out just happened to hold a vital clue. It was almost too convenient how he had stumbled upon it. The System probably had a hand in this - looks like the other one was penalized for hiding like a coward. Or maybe it was on purpose? Could this be a clever trap meant to lure him in? No, that''s too unrealistic. This is almost certainly just ''fate''. But even though Rukham was delighted by this unexpected turn of events, something was wrong. His instincts warned him that following this lead and attacking the Ascendant now would make the situation spiral out of his control. Maybe it will even expose his identity to every human kingdom and make it impossible to continue putting the blame on Bulirin. If the three nations put aside their differences... well, it wouldn''t be impossible to win anyway, but it would be much harder. His sixth sense had been honed over thousands of years, so he was confident that this prediction was accurate. What should he do? Would he act now and possibly ruin his chances of a perfect run? Or would he wait for ten years until his legion was large enough to rampage throughout the land unchecked? He smirked. It wasn''t even a choice. Missing out on easy Karma was nothing if he could cross swords with an unknown Ascendant right now. The title of "Headhunter" wasn''t just for show; he was a battle maniac beyond help, and when had his faction ever shied from doing things the hard way? Plus, if Rukham wins, the "bounty" he''d earn would be enough to cover his losses. If he dies? The senior members of Eclipse would make fun of him for a few centuries, but he would learn something from the experience at least. A wounded soldier - the only survivor of this Elswain patrol - groaned in pain underneath his foot. The young man couldn''t be older than twenty, and he looked scared out of his mind at the armored figure standing above him. Didn''t the rumors say that it was a Bulirin knight? Impossible, he thought. This was no knight; this was nothing less than a vicious demon lord. How did they get it so wrong!? "Tell me, boy. Where do you come from?" Rukham asked the wounded soldier lazily. "T-the town of Bask, sir." He answered quickly in terror. "P-please, I''ll do anything, don''t kill m-" "Oh, shut up." Rukham sighed. The soldier immediately ceased his blubbering. "If you don''t want to end up like your friends, tell me everything about your home and where this potion came from." Without a moment''s hesitation, the soldier immediately began spilling any details that came to mind. Most of it was useless, but when Rukham learned about the two herbalists who regularly supplied Bask''s Merchant Guild with high quality healing items, he ordered him to elaborate. Unfortunately, the soldier only knew that they came from a village near the town. "Alright, fine, that is enough. I''ll show you mercy." Rukham finally cut him off. "Thank you for letting me live, great one!" The Elswain soldier almost cried in relief. "Who said anything about living?" Ascendant Headhunter said in genuine surprise. "I just meant that your death would be cleaner than the others." One slash later, the man''s head was sent flying. Rukham thought about putting this head into his storage, but quickly decided against it. He would accept even a lowly goblin chief, but there was no value in a coward. It would only taint his collection. "That far into Elswain land, huh... a distraction might be needed." He could get away with a simple disguise in these frontier lands, but the deeper he went into a kingdom, the more likely it was he''d run into someone capable of seeing his real self and powers. Rukham wasn''t afraid of normal soldiers. Even if there were ten thousand of them, their weapons couldn''t break through his Regalia''s defenses. No, the only thing that posed a threat to him in this E Class world was the kingdoms'' "elite forces" - its knighthood orders, royal wizards, and ancient noble houses. No matter how weak a world might look at first glance, there are always a few nasty surprises waiting for overconfident Ascendants. That''s how the System worked. As such, he couldn''t just openly stroll into the heart of enemy territory, or he might find himself covered in layers upon layers of restrictive spells. That would be followed by a very slow, painful, and humiliating death. Something like that happened to a member of Eclipse over three thousands years ago, and poor Crimson Era still hasn''t lived it down. "Ah." Rukham finally thought of something. His lips curled up into a playful smile. "If the final act really will happen after this... then why not use those cards now?" * * * General Vigil drummed his fingers on the table impatiently. It had been over a week now with no news. He expected the worst, but could not help but hope... A Lumor soldier walked into the tent and saluted. "General, one of our scouts just came back with an urgent report." Vigil''s heart sank as he took note of the man''s grim expression. When he unfurled and read the parchment, it took only a few seconds for his breathing to grow ragged with rage. His hands trembling, the old general looked at the soldier with a steely gaze. "Prepare my horse. I want to see it for myself." ... The gruesome spectacle was sighted on top of a grassy hill, not far from their main encampment. It was much worse than the letter described. Vigil and his personal guards looked solemnly at the display, their fists clenched in silent anger. There were thirty naked corpses impaled on stakes. Burn marks, disfigurement, and other signs of torture were visible even from a distance. On each body hung a sign, bearing insults like "filthy Lumor dogs" or "this one cried and wet himself". Such vicious cruelty... there''s no question who was responsible. To see the brave soldiers of his kingdom reduced to this was already more than what General Vigil could tolerate. But even worse, one of the dead men was his son, who had been part of the squad that disappeared last week on a simple reconnaisance mission. Vigil insisted on making young Rodrick climb up the ranks by his own efforts. Who would have thought that decision would result in such a tragedy? My foolish pride led to this... but with the Gods above as my witnesses, I swear that I will make Bulirin pay. "General, we should cut them down and give them a proper burial." Vigil''s second-in-command said quietly. "No." Vigil answered in a disturbingly calm tone. "I want every single one of our men to see this and carve it into their hearts." Turning his horse back towards the direction of the encampment, Vigil took a deep breath. The cool wind that blew through the meadow did nothing to soothe his rage. His hesitation lasted less than a second. If the royal family would one day demand his head for this betrayal, then so be it. Blood must be spilled to appease the fallen. Each man here would be buried with hundreds of Bulirin skulls as a final offering. "Enough skirmishes and blustering. We will marshal all of the forces under my command and march for Hoggard''s Pass." "But General, we have not yet declared war! The capital stated that-" Vigil drew his sword and pointed it at the man''s neck. "Did you not hear my orders? Is this not enough of a declaration of war for you?" He asked in a bone chilling voice, gesturing at the mutilated corpses. "U-understood!" The second-in-command answered, then started barking orders at his own aides. Perhaps if it were only thirty "ordinary" soldiers that were killed and disgraced, Vigil would not have acted so rashly. Calmer heads may have kept things together until the true enemy was revealed. But fate had other plans.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Even Rukham could not have predicted that his little trick would work so well. When the Lumor soldiers were being tortured and interrogated, the general''s son never once broke or mentioned his parentage, afraid that he would be used as a bargaining chip by the "Bulirin" devils. It was not known even by his entire squad, so the young man died with his secret kept. Alas, his determination was meaningless, as the war''s beginning was guaranteed the moment he was captured. Lumor''s military would descend upon the unsuspecting Bulirin forces. * * * The fortress of Hoggard''s Pass was a strategic point near the Lumor-Bulirin border. It controlled access to three key provinces of the Bulirin Kingdom, and was thus a cornerstone of their defense. Naturally it was very heavily defended, but over the last few months the soldiers there had been growing complacent. Peace talks were finally progressing, and it seemed like it wouldn''t be long before Bulirin could clear its name and demand compensation from Lumor for the grievous accusations. They were looking forward to gloating at the damn savages that had dared to besmirch their country''s name. That peaceful illusion was instantly shattered by the first Lumor trebuchet salvo. "Attack! We''re under attack!" "I can fucking see that, you moron! Why are they here!? There was no declaration!" "Send riders and birds to all nearby camps and forts. Their numbers are massive, we need reinforcements!" "The commanding officer! Shit, he actually got buried in the rubble... what kind offucking luck-" Despite the chaos and their fortress commander losing consciousness in the first bombardment, the Bulirin soldiers showed their training. It only took a short time for all of the men to get to their posts. Soon the tower-mounted ballistae were firing massive bolts at the far away trebuchets, attempting to disable the fearsome siege engines. Crossbowmen were lined up on the walls, ready to shoot once the advancing Lumor horde was in range. Vats of boiling pitch were ready at the gates, and the Bulirin riders were moving at full speed towards allied forces, seeking help for Hoggard''s Pass. At the Lumor battle camp, General Vigil watched with grim satisfaction as his trebuchets continued to bombard Hoggard''s Pass. He could not afford to go overboard, however; the objective was to take and hold the fortress, not level it to the ground. The more damage he dealt to the fortifications now, the harder it would be to hold it until the rest of the Lumor army arrived to consolidate their position. The walls must be won with the blood of his men. Bulirin''s soldiers are the most heavily armored on the continent, and their crossbows are truly fearsome. They excel in defensive battles like this. To take Hoggard''s Pass will require an unimaginable sacrifice... but I am prepared to pay that price. "How much time can you buy us, Wind Shroud?" Vigil turned and asked the young woman standing to the left side of his horse. She was a beautiful mage with long green hair, though one would not be able to tell from a distance. Most of her body was hidden underneath a thick brown robe, and a plain wooden staff was held in her delicate hands. One may have even mistaken her for a pilgrim. But this girl was one of the few trump cards held by Vigil, a precious talent who can sway the flow of any battle. "With so many defenders... a little over two minutes without risk. Four minutes with a sixty percent chance of survival. Seven minutes if you are willing." The beautiful green haired maiden answered in a soft voice. "We need ten minutes. Do it at any cost." Wind Shroud was startled, then bit her lip and looked downwards in resignation. "Understood, General Vigil. I shall obey." "Thank you." Vigil said quietly. And please forgive me, he thought to himself. This was another sin he would likely have to answer for. Later, when the Lumor infantry charged towards the walls with siege ladders, Wind Shroud rode in front of them on top of a white horse. The first wave of crossbow bolts fired, hundreds of lines that screamed death. Pulling back her hood then raising her hands, Wind Shroud summoned every ounce of power she had to protect the Lumor army. The girl was a hedge wizard, a mage who grew up without any formal tutoring in how to control magic. This was a rare existence in this world where any sign of magic would guarantee you a comfortable life. She was completely untrained in the arcane arts and had only one ability: a wall of wind that makes ranged weapons useless. But that ability was mastered to such a terrifying degree that not a single Bulirin bolt hit Lumor flesh while her shroud was active. She remained there, her arms raised and eyes closed in concentration, as mana rapidly poured out of her body. A little longer... it''s only been three minutes... Cracks were already starting to show in her shroud. A bolt finally hit a Lumor soldier... the first casualty of their side. But that was meaningless, since the ladders were steadily drawing closer to the fortress walls. Once they engaged the defenders in close combat, their chances of success would rise drastically. Wind Shroud''s brain was in searing pain by now. Permanent damage was being done to her mind and body because of the strain; she had never attempted something of this scale before. Her skin paled and her lush green hair started to lose its color. After an unexpectedly strong burst of pain, she spat out a mouthful of blood, and the shroud wavered; in that instance, over a hundred Lumor men died. No! Not yet! I will not break... AHHHH! She had been the target of Bulirin''s hate ever since they realized what was going on. Finally, a bolt had gotten past her defenses and pierced her left thigh. Wind Shroud grit her teeth, using the physical pain to distract her mind from its approaching collapse. The shroud regained its strength once again, and Lumor advanced unimpeded. Seven minutes... no, has it been eight? I don''t know... Regardless of her determination, there was a limit to any one mage''s power. Her shroud broke once again, and hundreds of bolts soared towards the Bulirin forces. Roughly a third of them were aimed at her. The girl looked blankly at the wall of bolts, her bloodshot eyes seeing but barely comprehending. Ahh... I failed. I''m sorry, dear Vigil. Ten minutes was too hard. I''m tired... Several nearby soldiers tried to pull her down from the horse and shield her, but they were too slow and simply doomed themselves to the salvo as well. It would not have saved her shattered mind anyway. The first bolt burrowed into her shoulder. The second one into her breast. The third into her stomach. The fourth into her arm. The fifth into her forehead. All of the rest were unfelt. A fair distance away, Vigil and his honor guard watched as Wind Shroud''s body was roughly thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the projectiles. The general clenched his fists, guilt eating away at him. To use and throw away such a sweet girl... it was something he would strongly hesitate to do under normal circumstances, but this was a battle he could not afford to lose. Regardless, the girl''s sacrifice had done it. The Bulirin crossbowmen were only able to fire two more rounds before the first wave of berserk Lumor attackers reached the top of the fortress walls. They swung wildly at anyone stupid enough to block their path. Unafraid of death, they kept coming until they managed to carve enough room on the walls to let them fight on level ground against the Bulirin soldiers. That was the beginning of the end for the defenders. As Lumor morale surged, however, deep horns sounded in the distance. From both the western and eastern paths, tall banners flew above the thousands of men marching in their direction. Their heavy footsteps shook the ground with a rhythm louder and more domineering than any drum could possibly produce. "Oh? Looks like the Bulirin reinforcements are here." Vigil''s second-in-command said dryly. "Good. It was starting to get boring." Vigil answered with a chuckle. The general rode forward, calling upon his heavy cavalry, archers, and reserve forces. "Men! It is time to pay back the Bulirin devil scum who have slaughtered our brethren and pillaged our lands for so long! Those vile beasts despicable enough to even side with monsters, today we shall put them down with our own hands! We are the righteous, and we shall be victorious!" Deafening cheers answered Vigil, as the army''s bloodlust soared to the skies. This was a day for heroics and impossible feats. No matter how many of their brothers died, the survivors would charge onwards. Every grievance, every frustration Lumor had suffered over the past few years... it would all be repaid today with interest. A pity it was towards the wrong people, but many of these men wouldn''t live to find that out. The dead are truly fortunate. The battle raged on and off for over twelve hours, and resulted in a staggering number of casualties on both sides. Thousands of bodies littered the fields and walls. In the end, Lumor''s army succeeded in pushing the Bulirin reinforcements back and Hoggard''s Pass fortress fell to them. Not a single defender was spared... and a few were tortured in revenge for what happened to the thirty. "Vigil''s Rage" was not the bloodiest battle in Skosia''s history, but this one was special. Historians would call it the greatest waste of life to have ever occurred because of when it happened - mere weeks before the start of humanity''s War of Survival. This battle was Lumor''s victory. Soon it would become its most bitter regret. * * * A few days later, in the Elswain royal palace... "Nicoooooo!" An oaf crashed into Prince Nicolai''s private study, opening the door with such force that a large stack of books tumbled to the floor. There was no need to even ask who it was. Only two people in the world called him by that nickname, and only one of them would ever behave this shamefully. The Third Prince''s expression immediately soured and he rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Putting his quill down, he turned to greet this noisy intruder. "For God''s sake Tybalt, I told you to knoc-" "Nevermind that!" Second Prince Tybalt cut him off, waving his hands in an incomparably excited fashion. "Lumor''s fucking done it!" Nicolai frowned. "Done what, brother?" "They attacked Bulirin! Several regiments attacked and took Hoggard''s Pass. They''ve been holding it since against repeated assaults. It''s finally starting!" Nicolai shot to his feet, grabbing onto Tybalt''s shoulders with frantic urgency. "Is this information reliable?" "Of course it is, Nico. Would I be in such a rush otherwise?" Tybalt rolled his eyes. The Third Prince felt dumbfounded as he sank back into his chair. This doesn''t make sense. Why would they start the war now!? We worked so hard and things were finally cooling down... and even if they were determined to attack, the Lumor emmissary has yet to arrive here to discuss our alliance. It makes no sense! "Why did they do it?" Tybalt shrugged. "My guess is the northern lads did something stupid to drive Lumor over the edge. We''ll find out eventually. Anyway, mom and dad have called for a royal assembly in two hours. Don''t forget to come!" The idiot Second Prince walked out of the study, humming a tune in merry anticipation. He had felt stifled all this time, being all but useless in governance, so he had long wished to return to the battlefield. It looks like he would soon have his wish granted. On the other hand, Nicolai was racking his brain trying to understand the situation, and figure out a way to defuse it. No, it''s impossible to defuse anything at this point. Things have gone too far. Unless my guess is right, and some other party truly is manipulating things from behind the scenes. I need to find proof of that if we''ll have any hope of preventing a war of annihilation between the other two countries. It was not that Nicolai cared about the fate of Lumor and Bulirin. But he knew that the ones to suffer most would be the peasantry. In addition, he (and some other members of the peace faction across the three kingdoms) somehow felt that this was all a prelude to a far greater calamity... if he was right, then it was all the more important for humanity to stand united. Could it be one of the dark cults? They may have gained the power to control monsters somehow, and are trying to increase conflict in the world. If we''re looking at who would benefit most from humans killing each other, then the remnants of the Beastman race come to mind. They definitely still want revenge for us massacring and enslaving their people. Wait, non-human? It couldn''t be... All of the descriptions of the mysterious figure leading the monsters mentioned a tall, thin figure dressed in Bulirin knight armor. Disregard the armor for a bit; while it was extremely difficult for an outsider to gain a set, it wasn''t impossible. Which non-human race has powerful magic and most closely matches the description? The elves. Nicolai took a deep breath. It was almost sacrilege to point a finger at them. They were the "chosen" of the God of Earth. Less than a hundred in number, the elves were eternal guardians of the sacred glade in the center of the continent. All three human kingdoms have respected their sovereignty of that area for the past thousand years, since the fury of the elves was a terrifying thing to behold. And truly, it made no sense to suspect them. What could they possibly hope to gain by doing this? They were reclusive freaks who barely showed their faces once a century. But if it really is one of them pulling the strings... I must send a knightly delegation to the sacred glade at once and find out for sure. But while waiting, it''s important to keep the situation from growing any worse. The hawkish nobles will definitely jump on this chance, and urge the Elswain royal family to declare war on Bulirin as well. Since Lumor seemed to have the upper hand right now, attacking from the east would cripple Bulirin and allow Elswain to seize valuable lands. They would argue that sitting out would allow Lumor to establish a terrifying foundation that may threaten Elswain in the future. The peace faction will be hard pressed to hold its ground in this assembly. Hopefully Felix and I can convince Tybalt not to support those shortsighted idiots... With a sigh, Nicolai tore up the previous letter he was writing and pulled out a fresh roll of parchment. There were more important matters to attend to now. Chapter 15 - Tooth and Nail Chapter 15 - Tooth and Nail Flies had already made their home in some of the remains. I watched one of them crawl out of a dead hunter''s mouth, then lazily float over to another body. Fighting back the urge to vomit, I grabbed Gina''s hand and walked away from the gruesome scene. "We need to leave. Now." Why? Why are they here? This is all wrong. No matter how elusive the monster hordes may be, they''ve never been able to penetrate this deeply into any territory before. Every attack has been on isolated frontier settlements or small patrols. How were they able to get into one of Elswain''s inner provinces without sounding any alarms!? And why were we targeted? There are at least a dozen castles, forts, and cities in between us and the border. Confusion. Fear. Disbelief. A maelstrom of emotions welled up inside me. Gina, the normally headstrong girl, was fighting back sobs. She was even more shaken up than I was. While the girl was officially part of our village''s second hunting party, I''m sure she was on good terms with the other ones too. Seeing her seniors brutally torn apart like that... it''s amazing that she''s holding it together at all. "Thomas... the village?" She asked faintly. I nodded. We needed to get back to Southcreek immediately. Staying in these woods was suicide, and the village would probably be attacked soon as well. We had to get back, tell everyone what happened, and ride the fastest workhorses we had to Bask. Only there would we have any chance. The logistics of evacuating three hundred people would be a nightmare, though... we didn''t have nearly enough horses for everyone, and using carts would make us a big, slow moving target. But as I was pondering what to do once we got back, Gina tugged on my sleeve. "I''m sorry, I didn''t notice right away. They''re here." She said, her voice filled with tension and anxiety. Right on cue, nasal snarls emerged from behind the surrounding trees. Small, green-skinned creatures that I''ve heard plenty about, but have never seen in person until now. There were seven goblins. Four in front of us, three behind, spread out wide enough to prevent us from making an easy escape. Each of them was armed with a hatchet or short blade. This was a dangerous situation... but why was my mind so calm? Perhaps I was still in shock from the carnage I just saw. Regardless, all that mattered was to get myself and Gina out of this mess in one piece. "Gina, we-" Without a word, Gina immediately shot an arrow at one of the closest goblins. It pierced the creature''s heart with enough force to knock it backwards, killing it instantly. Seemingly unfazed by their companion''s death, the other goblins took that attack as the sign to charge, waving their crude weapons and letting out guttural cries. Gina let another arrow loose, but this one only nicked the face of the closest goblin. The monster let out a high pitched screech, distracting my friend enough that she fumbled while pulling out her next arrow. Right as the nearby goblin jumped at her, though, I positioned myself between them and held out my spear, bracing it tightly against my body. With the goblin''s momentum working against it, the spearhead sank right into its fragile chest. The monster struggled weakly for a bit, then let out a death rattle before slipping off my spear. "Just keep shooting. I won''t let any of them near you!" I shouted, trying to ignore the disgust I felt at killing an intelligent being for the first time. "O-okay!" She nodded with determination, nocking another arrow. Gina fired at the third goblin; it tried to dodge, but the projectile tore a hole in its throat. The monster fell to the ground wheezing as it clutched its rapidly bleeding neck. Three down, four to go. But the rest were right on top of us now. Stay calm. There are more of them, but I have longer reach. Plus... I grabbed a potion from my pack and threw it at one of the goblins. Luckily, it was stupid enough to swing its weapon at the bottle, shattering it in mid-air. Two of the creatures were drenched by the solution inside, and their movements became noticeably sluggish. Hah! The Nervekiller Brew is a strong enoughanaesthetic that even getting it on your skin will have a mild paralysis effect. It should wear off in a few minutes, but that will hopefully be more than enough time. Without giving me a chance to pull anything else out from my pack, the two unaffected goblins attacked me in a frenzied rage. I used my spear to try and get some distance between us, but I could barely keep them at bay with my clumsy swings and thrusts. Every time I blocked one of their attacks with my spear shaft, the other one would be right there to capitalize on it, making me stagger back awkwardly to dodge. Thank god for my high agility and steady footing; I would have died three times by now otherwise. Gina didn''t want to risk hitting me, so her next shot took down one of the semi-paralyzed goblins instead. "Thomas! Hold on, I''ll be right there." Gina was about to draw a hunting knife to help me. "Stay back, I''ve got this under control!" Call it arrogance, but I didn''t want to put her at risk, even while I''m being overwhelmed. One slash found its mark on my left leg. It was a shallow cut, but goddamndid it hurt. Am I really going to die to these low level mobs!? Feeling unreasonably angry, I decided to throw caution to the wind and switched to offense, attacking the left goblin with a flurry of thrusts, leaving myself completely open. I grit my teeth as the right goblin''s hatchet sank into the side of my body, but I was prepared for the blow and it didn''t do much damage.
Warning: Moderate injury sustained! You have been afflicted with ''Bleeding''. Current HP: 27/41
Bugger off, System, I know. It''s just a flesh wound.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The left goblin did not expect me to focus exclusively on it and was flustered by my attacks. Finally, my spear pierced right through its torso and came out its back. Get shish kebabed, you vermin. But when I tried to pull my weapon out to defend myself against the other, still very much alive monster, there was an unexpected snagging sensation. Fuck. My spear was stuck. Seeing my crisis, Gina immediately fired at the goblin closing in on me, but missed since she was trying not to hit my back. I avoided the first hatchet slash by a hair''s breadth, and then somehow blocked the second one with the stuck spear''s shaft. The ironwood finally snapped underneath the impact; I kicked the dead goblin away, then used the spear''s bottom half I was left with to defend myself. "Officer''s weapon my ass, who designed this piece of crap!?" I roared in frustration. Of course, it was actually my fault for not knowing how to wield it properly. If it weren''t for my high agility, or if I was using a flimsier weapon, I''d already be dead by now. Why didn''t I ask Whitelaw to teach me proper spearmanship? I had only asked him once, and he angrily brushed it off by saying I was too young. If only I had insisted more... no, that''s the least of my mistakes, isn''t it? The frenzied goblin continued swinging its axe, but missed again and hit a tree right behind me. Seeing the opportunity, I stabbed the creature''s stomach with the broken spear''s iron buttspike. While not as effective of a weapon as the spearhead, it was still sharp enough to pierce into the goblin''s soft abdomen - the monster let out a screech, spraying me in the face with its foul saliva. "Ugh!" I staggered backwards, fatally distracted. "Thomas! Down!" I instinctively obeyed her shout and dropped to the ground, my eyes still closed due to the goblin''s mildly acidic spittle. There was an uncomfortably close whistling sound above my head, as if a weapon had narrowly missed decapitating me. Then there was the familliar sound of an arrow being let loose, followed by a high pitched scream. I quickly wiped the remaining spit off my face using my shirt, then looked around. The goblin I had stabbed with the buttspike was on the ground, moaning in pain, while there was another one of the green skinned bastards nearby with an arrow sticking out of its left eyesocket. It was the second goblin that I had hit with the Nervekiller Brew. He was dead now, of course. Damn, Gina. Nice job. There were no other goblins in sight, so I unconsciously let my guard down at that moment. But when I heard the faint sound of something tunneling through the ground, I quickly remembered something very important. Goblins can burrow. Emerging from the earth like some hideous Jack-in-the-Box, the goblin pounced on my companion. Gina had managed to draw her hunting knife in time, but was too shocked by the monster''s sudden appearance; her swing missed, and she was brought to the ground by the flailing mass. She screamed as the goblin began viciously clawing at her, its sharp nails tearing into skin and flesh. "GET OFF HER!" I picked up a dead goblin''s weapon from the ground - a crude falchion covered in dried bloodstains - and ran forward faster than I''ve ever moved before. The dumb creature momentarily stopped its onslaught to stare as my sword whistled towards its neck. Its throat was slashed... not good enough. I shoved the bastard off Gina and began violently hacking away at anything I could hit. The goblin''s shrieks came out gurgled because of the neck wound I inflicted. Finally, after my blade cleaved its head open, the monster fell limp. "Gina!" I quickly dropped the falchion and held onto her shoulders. Her face had several long gashes from the goblin''s relentless scratching. Small bits of flesh had been torn from her arms too while she was trying to defend herself. As bloody and horrific as it may look, it was nothing life threatening or crippling. But to think that I promised I wouldn''t let any of them get close to her... "Ahaha, thanks Thomas. You were so cool back th- aahHHhh......" She couldn''t finish her sentence before letting out a pain-filled whimper. "Shit, I''m so sorry. I wasn''t cautious enough." "Silly, what are you apologizing for? It doesn''t hurt at all." She lied. "...Come on, let me heal you." I could only be thankful that the burrowing goblin did not have any weapons. If it had somehow stolen the knife... After a quick look around to make sure that there were no other threats, I pulled out several items from my pack. Gotta clean the wounds first, then disenfect them with a cleansing powder. After that, I made her drink a healing potion to recover her strength and greatly speed up her body''s natural regeneration. I carefully dressed the injuries while making sure that it wouldn''t affect her vision. The first aid treatment was finished. There''s no telling what kind of foul toxins might be in a goblin''s claws, though, so we still needed to get back home as soon as possible so that Hyacinth could take a look at her too. Those deep scratches on her face will definitely leave scars... shit, I can''t afford to feel guilty right now. Blaming myself can wait until after I get this girl to safety. Like some sick joke, a System notification appeared the moment I finished bandaging her arms.
[Gained Novice Proficiency in Wound Treatment!] [Healing speed and effectiveness increased by 10%] [Treated wounds are much less likely to be infected. Treated poisons become less effective.] [Main Quest ¡°Learn to Survive¡± completed! 25 Karma has been awarded. Congratulations, Ascendant!]
The completion of the Main Quest was even accompanied by a celebratory tune. At that moment, I could only feel an overwhelming amount of hate towards whoever designed this System. "Thank you. That feels a lot better." Gina sighed in relief as she leaned on me. The girl was mentally exhausted. "I''m sorry, Gina, but we have to move. These things are probably just scouts." I said gently. "Don''t worry, your big sister is totally fine now." She answered, forcing a grin. "Let''s go. Ah, wait, your wound!" I felt confused for a second, but then noticed the large amount of blood that was still seeping out from my abdomen. Oh right, that wound. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, all of the pain and exhaustion hit me at once. I bit my tongue to regain my focus, then started pulling out more healing supplies from my pack. After quickly treating and bandaging that injury (plus all the little cuts on my body), another notification appeared.
''Bleeding'' status cured. ''Weak Health Regeneration'' status gained. Current HP: 24/41 (Regaining 5 to 7 HP per hour).
Okay, finally done. I still felt like vomiting somewhere, but that would just waste what little was left of my energy. Since my spear was useless now, I picked up the falchion again - it was made for a goblin''s small, clumsy hands so it wasn''t too hard for me to wield. I gave it a few test swings, then grabbed Gina''s hand as we began walking back home. Should we run as fast as possible? We were both tired, and it would be equivalent to announcing our presence to any nearby monsters in this forest. But at the same time, trying to be stealthy might just doom us too. If there are any kobolds around, they''d be able to smell us no matter how silently we stalked through the woods. Not to mention any other monster types with strong tracking abilities or senses. "Hey Gina-" As I was about to tell her, however, another System message appeared.
Main Quest Acquired: "Escape NOW!" Do not return to Southcreek Village and go to Bask on foot. Reward: 30 Karma points Bonus Objective: Keep Gina alive. ---OR--- Bonus Objective: Use Gina as a distraction. Reward: 15 Karma points
...Is the System telling me to abandon the village and let everyone there die? Chapter 16 - Weight of Responsibility Chapter 16 - Weight of Responsibility Abandon the village and go to Bask on my own? Like hell I would do that. "Gina. If we keep running, we can get back to Southcreek in a little over an hour." "Mm." She nodded. "But you''re hurt pretty bad..." "I''ll be fine now that the wound has been treated. Follow my lead, and tell me if you sense anything weird, okay?" We set off, keeping a steady pace as we moved in the direction of home. The deep gash in my abdomen throbbed as I ran, making me grit my teeth in pain. A small amount of blood leaked out and stained the fresh bandages. I don''t know if ignoring my main quest is the right decision, but it makes the most sense. Why would the system want me to go directly to Bask? It would mean two days of crawling through these monster-infested woods with no supplies. The village isn''t that far from here, and going there first means I can grab a horse. It''s safer, faster, and most importantly, allows me to warn everyone still in Southcreek. Maybe following the quest is the "hard way", which is why I''ll be rewarded if I successfully pull it off. If that''s the case, then this is fine. I don''t care too much about Karma anyway. But maybe the village has already been destroyed. Which means I''m getting myself and Gina killed with this detour. That''s the thing, isn''t it? It''s not just my life I''m gambling with here. If I choose wrong, this girl dies too. Just means I have to move even faster then. In the end, my resolve is weak. If there are two possibilities and I have no way of knowing which is right, I would rather choose the one where I might save everybody. ... Damn it, why did the monsters have to come here of all places? It''s too early. My body is only ten years old with no special abilities - how am I supposed to deal with a crisis like this? I knew that this world was going to be dangerous, which is why I was happy to stay in place until I became an adult. But it looks like trying to keep a low profile was the wrong move. Danger has come knocking on my front door. Aren''t stories like this supposed to be more convenient for the hero!? Who says you''re the "hero"? And you know why they''re here. The monsters are after you. You put everyone in danger! Those hunters died becau- No. I shook my head strongly, getting rid of those thoughts. I can''t afford to be distracted right now. There''s plenty of time for self-blame later. * * * We had been running for almost twenty minutes when Gina grabbed my arm and sharply pulled me to the ground. I didn''t bother asking her what the matter was, as I immediately tried to control my breathing and blend into the underbrush. After a few seconds, she pointed at something a short distance away. Three creatures landed on a nearby clearing, their wings stretched widely. They looked like massive diseased vultures. Dull black and red feathers adorned their bodies, and their large hooked beaks were designed to rip into flesh with ease - one of them still had traces of blood on its beak. Parts of their plumage seem to be have fallen out, exposing gray skin covered in small boils. If they stopped slouching and postured at full height, they would probably be over six feet tall. The Hellfowl is an interesting species. They are scavengers native to Lumor''s hilly regions, and travel in flocks of five to ten birds. Most are content to pick apart the carcasses left behind by stronger predators, eating and dissolving even hard bone. However, they have sharp talons and can vomit corrosive bile, making them extremely dangerous when provoked. It''s why humans don''t bother exterminating them, and peasants merely try to steer clear of their nesting grounds.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When food is scarce, the Hellfowl do resort to hunting. But due to their cowardly nature, they prefer attacking from a distance. Their large wing muscles ended in appendages that resembled fingers, giving them some measure of dexterity. They would fly around the prey, dropping sharp sticks or rocks until it was weakened enough for them to dispatch. Some even learn how to use crude bows (though they obviously cannot fly while wielding one). These three fowl seemed to have no weapons, and no other companions in sight. "Should I?" Gina whispered. I hesitated. We couldn''t risk a frontal confrontation with these monsters. They were too large and deadly. Even if I had three lives, I don''t think I''d be able to kill one with just this falchion I''m holding. So it will be all up to Gina to drop them with an arrow each before they realize what''s happening. If they take to the air, it''ll be much harder for her to land a clean shot. And if they attack us immediately, we''re dead meat. "Wait. They might move." I decided it wasn''t worth the risk. Fortunately, two of the creatures took flight just a short while later. But one stayed behind, preening its feathers. We had no more time to waste, and there was no telling when more would come, so I gave Gina the signal to fire. She slowly rose to a crouching position and readied her bow. An arrow soared and pierced right through the fleshy sac at the base of the creature''s neck, spilling a large amount of bile. The monster squawked hoarsely and spread its wings in an attempt to fly, but Gina''s next arrow hit its shoulder, dropping it to the ground. We watched as the Hellfowl tried to crawl away, only to wheeze and collapse in a feathery heap. Looks like the first arrow had punctured its airway. We approached it cautiously. When it was clear that the bird didn''t have enough strength left to attack us, I moved closer to it and chopped its head off with my falchion. ...I''m getting too used to bloodshed, aren''t I? To think that even killing a pig was hard for me not long ago. Yet here I am, executing a monster and my arms are only slightly shaking. Gina sighed in relief. "I''m glad it was that easy. I only have two arrows left." I looked at her almost empty quiver and nodded. "Great shooting. When we get back, make sure to brag to Hans. Your trophies blow his out of the water." She giggled. * * * The rest of the journey was mercifully uneventful. At one point we had to sneak past five massive arachnids that were feasting on a live stag, but they were too absorbed in their meal to notice us. I''ll never forget the animal''s cries though - Gina had to cover her ears as we walked away. When we finally saw the wooden gates of Southcreek, I sighed in relief. Everything seemed completely normal; looks like we were able to get here before anything else. The two of us were physically and mentally exhausted, but making it back here was only the first step. I don''t know if the attack will come in two hours or two minutes, so we needed to quickly spread the word to everyone in the village.
You have returned to Southcreek Village. Main Quest "Escape NOW!" failed. ... No Karma has been deducted because of Beginner Protection. New quest on hold. Conditions not met.
As expected, I ended up failing the Main Quest. But I''m glad to see that I didn''t receive any kind of penalty. So that''s what Beginner Protection is for, or at least part of it... I could hear gasps the moment we ran into the village center. Our clothing was in tatters and stained with huge splotches of dried blood. The bandages around my abdomen and Gina''s arms left no doubt that we were badly wounded. As several of the adults rushed forward to ask what happened, I cupped my arounds my mouth and began shouting. "There are monsters in the forest! Many of them are headed in this direction. We need to leave now!" "Please! Spread the word and get the horses ready, we don''t have much time!" Gina added, half in tears. Perhaps some of them would have laughed or scoffed in disbelief under normal circumstances. It did sound like the kind of childish prank that Gina would pull. But our bloodied appearance helped sell it - there was no way they''d think these injuries are fake. An uproar immediately began, as the villagers talked in panicked voices. I felt irritated; what are they wasting time for? I should have brought a goblin head and thrown it at them... "There''s no way, we''re miles from the border!" "We can''t just leave everything behind..." One of the men looked skeptical. "Are you sure you saw it right? You weren''t just attacked by wolv-" "I''m a huntress, I KNOW WHAT A WOLF LOOKS LIKE! GET MOVING!" I stared in disbelief at Gina, who had screamed in rage at the person doubting us. The man looked startled, then nodded and immediately ran off. It set off a chain reaction as people began scattering in every direction to their homes to tell their families. A few stayed behind to ask if we needed help, but I waved them off. Looks like this girl had a bit of Hyacinth''s attitude in her after all. "Come on, we need to find your mom and Uncle Whitelaw." I grabbed her hand again. "Mm." She nodded, sniffling a bit. Her home was nearer so we headed there first. I really hope that Hyacinth didn''t decide to go out into the forest today... Chapter 17 - Lost Innocence Chapter 17 - Lost Innocence The streets of Bulirin are a terrible place to grow up in. There was once an orphan girl cursed to live a life of misery. Her father passed away in a mining accident before she was even born, and her mother died in childbirth. It makes you wonder if she did something terrible in a past life. Without any relatives willing to take care of her, the infant was placed in one of the most crowded orphanages in Ashbourne City. Her early childhood was... tolerable. The orphanage''s matron was a vile old woman who worked them to the bone, but the girl didn''t complain. She dreamed of being adopted by a kind merchant who would take her on as an apprentice. Maybe she would even catch the eye of a handsome prince one day. But when she overheard the matron planning to sell her to a brothel, she ran. The girl grabbed what few possessions she had and fled by jumping out the second story window. A pretty young lass alone on the streets of Ashbourne... by all rights, her fate was sealed right then. She was destined to become some rich man''s pet or wind up dead in a back-alley, her corpse broken and violated. But the girl refused to accept that fate. It didn''t take long before she threw away her childish dreams of meeting a kind prince or becoming a merchant, and picked up a dagger instead. Like a fish in water, she quickly adapted to life at the dark underbelly of society. Theft, extortion, even murder... there wasn''t anything she hesitated to do to ensure her survival. The girl killed plenty of men twice her size and thrice her age. Though that doesn''t mean she avoided killing those younger than her; competition between street urchins can be fierce. Her tenacity and viciousness continued to grow, and she eventually gained the attention of a well-known band of ruffians in the area. They reached out to her with an invitation. The girl knew that she wouldn''t be able to survive for long on her own so she reluctantly accepted. But to her surprise, she fit in with the outlaws immediately. Her talents bloomed as she participated in heists, robberies, and turf wars with rival gangs. At the age of fourteen, Hyacinth became one of the most notorious members of the Jagged Knives. Her style of fighting was particularly cruel. The Jagged Knives taught her how to create several highly illegal poisons, and from then on she always used envenomed daggers. A single scratch could incapacitate foes with excruciating pain, making them easy to finish off. Eventually, Hyacinth even earned herself a title in the city''s underworld - the "Poisonflower". Depending on who was speaking, that title carried respect, fear, or disgust. Her body count grew almost every day. If she had not chosen to break into a certain house on a certain winter evening, that is how the story would have ended. Hyacinth would have continued to kill, and would have eventually been put down by Bulirin''s law enforcement with the rest of her gang. But for the first time, fate decided to be kind to her. Having heard a rumor that an old apothecary''s home contained great wealth, she broke into it in the middle of the night. However, the owner of the house wasn''t asleep. Hyacinth had already drawn her dagger when she noticed that the old man didn''t look afraid or even startled by her intrusion. "Hello child. Would you like some tea?" Accepting a drink from a stranger was suicide in her line of work, so she said no. But for some reason, the girl felt compelled to stay. Hyacinth spent hours silently listening to the man talk about his life, only leaving when the sun rose. She was back the next day, and the day after that. On more than one occasion, she treated the apothecary''s home like a safehouse, fleeing there to hide from her enemies. The old man never complained, and even healed any injuries she suffered. "If you''re going to keep getting into trouble, then you might as well learn how to patch yourself up." He finally said in exasperation. The lessons were fun. Hyacinth was a natural at herbalism. and found it more satisfying than making poison for her comrades. The old man never asked for anything in return. But one day, when the girl stumbled into his home covered in vicious stab wounds, he decided that this arrangement couldn''t continue. After healing Hyacinth, he gave her an ultimatum; leave the Jagged Knives or never show her face in his house again. "Your talent is wasted like this. Give up that way of life... you can save so many people with those hands. Why must you kill?" She found it difficult to answer. Why did she insist on living like this? In truth, Hyacinth was scared of the person she had become. The girl only killed in the past to protect herself, but she was slowly starting to enjoy it. The apothecary offered her a fresh start, and a place where she would never have to worry about hunger, the cold, or being killed in her sleep. And so she stopped. She accepted the apothecary''s offer to become his formal apprentice. It wasn''t a moment too soon, as most of her gang was destroyed a week later in a trap set by the city''s guardsmen. The following months were some of the happiest in Hyacinth''s life. Their time together was short, but it was the first time she had ever felt the warmth of "family". Soon the old man reached the end of his lifespan, and he had one final request. "In my eighty years of life, you are the only apprentice I have ever taken. Promise me... you will use your talents only to help others from now on." "Yes... teacher." "Heh, you won''t call me father even now? Fine, that''s more like you anyway." Hyacinth promised, and she would keep that promise for the next few years. She inherited the old man''s home and workshop, earning a living with the skills he taught her. Every time she dressed someone''s injury or alleviated their sickness, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. It was a form of atonement for her, a girl who had killed dozens of people - not all of whom truly deserved it. For someone with a childhood like hers, this was already a "happy ending". But she made one mistake. The war with Elswain erupted and Hyacinth became busier than ever producing medical supplies for the Bulirin Army. Because of those dealings, she got to know a certain captain. One day, the young man asked her nonchalantly if she was able to make poison as well - preferably of the colorless and undetectable variant. The army needed a large quantity of it for an operation against the Elswain army, and would pay very generously. He assured her that it wouldn''t be used against non-combatants, and he would keep his source secret. Why shouldn''t she help them? Bulirin was her home. Even if the use of poison was technically a war crime, every dead Elswain soldier meant that one of her own people might be saved. Hyacinth hesitated for a long time, but the payment was too tempting. She accepted the request. ... The officer lied. Spies used the poison on the water supplies of three villages, seeking to starve the Elswain army and weaken their front line. It would have worked if not for the changes enacted by Prince Nicolai - the improved efficiency of the enemy''s suppy lines reduced their reliance on frontier villages and foraging. In the end, this act merely deepened the hate between the two nations. When she learned what had happened, Hyacinth felt numbed. This was the result of breaking her promise. Hundreds of innocent men, women, and children died because of her greed. It was a sin she would have to bear for the rest of her life.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. She felt an overwhelming amount of guilt. But more than anything, she felt rage. A seething, black anger that had laid dormant for so long... * * * Gaining access to the officer''s tent was easier than expected. The captain was a well-known philanderer, and he would have a different courtesan almost every night. Dressed like a common whore, Hyacinth was able to walk straight into the army camp without being stopped or questioned by any of the patrolling soldiers - though their lascivious stares made her skin crawl with disgust. Ignoring the cat-calls, she soon arrived at her destination. Standing outside the captain''s tent were two guards. They eyed Hyacinth with mild surprise, though neither reached for their weapons. "Strange, the captain didn''t mention... ah who cares. Go on in." One of them sighed. "Thanks, darling~." Hyacinth blew a kiss at the guard, who only rolled his eyes. Her target was cleaning a sword when Hyacinth walked in. The captain looked up with a mixture of surprise and suspicion... which was quickly replaced by desire when he saw the woman''s partially exposed chest and supple legs. Ba-dump. Hyacinth''s heart rate rose the moment she locked eyes with the man. Barely suppressing her rage, she was able to show him a sweet smile. She only had one shot at this. If he recognized her too early... "What''s this? A surprise from my brothers?" He grinned, standing up to greet the mysterious beauty in front of him. "Yes, my captain." Hyacinth answered seductively, drawing closer and running her hand along the officer''s jawline. "Think of it as a reward..." Stab. "For all the people you killed, you bastard." Hyacinth lowered her thin veil, her expression turning ice cold. "You-!" The man tried to reach for his sword, but staggered backwards and collapsed to the ground. Of course, the dagger was coated in a paralyzing venom. It incapacitated the captain and made him unable to scream, while leaving his sense of pain intact. Hyacinth made the next hour a living hell for her prey before finally slitting his throat and putting him out of his misery. After quickly fixing her clothes and cleaning the blood off her hands, she walked out like nothing happened. "Oh? You''re done early." One of the guards outside the tent remarked. "The captain usually keeps ''em overnight." "Your dear captain is in a bit of a foul mood right now. I wouldn''t disturb him if I were you." Hyacinth winked. "...Ah. I see." The man''s face flushed and he nodded. "Must be the ale." Miraculously enough, she was able to leave the camp without getting caught. However, it didn''t take long before the Bulirin army discovered the officer''s corpse and put two and two together. Hyacinth stole a horse and fled for her life across the border. She would forever be exiled from her homeland. It was a small price to pay for revenge, but the guilt hadn''t eased at all. Perhaps it was misdirected anger. After all, Hyacinth was the one who decided to accept the request in the first place. The captain only lied about the targets, but it was a covert operation... wasn''t that expected? And in the end, poisoning those villagers really was supposed to help Bulirin win the war. From a certain point of view, the man was only doing his job. But even if Hyacinth understood that logic, she couldn''t accept it. When a killer feels used or betrayed, violence is the only possible reaction. * * * She spent the next year traveling across Elswain, healing people for free in random villages. No matter how many she saved or how much they thanked her, it never lessened the guilt weighing on her heart. Hyacinth constantly felt suffocated, and nightmares plagued her every night. At the height of her exhaustion, she even began to hallucinate. Ghosts of the countless people she killed haunted her every step. Yet the girl pushed on, determined to atone as much as possible before death finally claimed her. Her suffering continued until she met him, in a tiny village named Southcreek. Gina''s father was a timid, delicate-looking man without much common sense. When he stumbled upon the half-dead Hyacinth wandering through the forest, he took her home and practically force-fed her deer soup in a panic. Despite Hyacinth''s protests, the man kept fussing over her, saying that she was as thin as a rake and needed to eat properly if she wanted to survive. Can love blossom from annoyance? Because during those first few days, Hyacinth had to fight back the urge to hit him multiple times. As days turned into weeks, however, she became fond of the young hunter''s presence. His pure and simple minded nature was amusing to her, a girl who had grown up seeing the worst humanity had to offer. Hyacinth didn''t know why, but just being with him gave her some semblance of peace - or at least a good distraction from her thoughts. She settled down in the village as the nightmares slowly began to fade. It wasn''t long before she laid claim to the young man, snatching him up before one of his many admirers could make their move. Hyacinth got along with everyone in Southcreek, since healers are quickly accepted by the community. Her closest friends were a young couple who shamelessly invited themselves over for dinner three nights a week. When Gina was born, those two often babysat the girl to give Hyacinth and her husband time to themselves... though that became more difficult once they had a child of their own. "Honestly ''Cinth, I think Thomas likes you more... I feel defeated as a mother." "Oh, nonsense. Kids will always be more fond of their par- Gina! No running inside the house!" "Haha, she''s growing up so fast!" In the entire village, the only one who treated Hyacinth with any hostility was Whitelaw. The smith had recognized the faint traces of her Bulirin accent. Although Whitelaw didn''t think that she was a spy, someone from a former enemy kingdom showing up in their neck of the woods was highly suspicious. If he had known what kind of past the young herbalist was hiding, he would have probably killed her on the spot. Apart from that, life was perfect for a while. But Hyacinth always felt that it was better than she deserved. Perhaps that was true... The plague struck without warning. People died in hours after contracting it, and the sickness spread without regards to health or age. Hyacinth''s efforts and Whitelaw''s healing magic kept the casualties to a minimum, but they were unable to save the people most important to them. Gina''s father died and so did both of Thomas'' parents. It was so sudden that there weren''t even any tearful goodbyes. This is my punishment, isn''t it? Because I dared to forget. The following months were a dark time for Hyacinth and Whitelaw. Only the need to look after the children left behind by their loved ones kept them going. Ironically, it was this tragedy that would finally reconcile them... the two confided in each other about their troubled pasts, finding support in shared misery and regrets. While they never could become "friends", they did their best to work together and raise the poor souls left in their care. ... It''s been so many years since then. Hyacinth chewed on a blade of orange grass as she reminisced about everything that had led to this point. I can barely even remember their faces these days. I don''t know if that''s a good thing or a bad thing, really. Maybe it was time to let go. She had been stagnating for almost a decade. While the grief will never go away, at least she was used to it by now. There was still plenty she could do to make herself useful in this messed-up world. Going to the Elswain capital and starting an orphanage there might be a good idea. But first, her most important job was to look after the two brats until they were old and strong enough to stand on their own feet. Maybe she would even live to see them get married. Gina seemed to be completely attached to the boy, and while Thomas was acting aloof now, that will probably change in several years. Hah, seeing those two together would be all I could ever ask- "Tie it properly! If the harness gives at the wrong time, we''re dead!" "Wait, has anyone seen the elders?" Her thoughts were interrupted by panicked shouts coming from outside her home. What is this commotion? Just as she stood up to check, the door flew open and two small figures staggered in, practically collapsing on the floor in exhaustion. Hyacinth''s blood ran cold. * * * I''ve never been so glad to see my teacher lazing around at home. And in normal circumstances, I would have found her horrified expression pretty funny. The last time I saw Hyacinth so flustered was when she walked in on me cutting my own arms to test the healing powder I made all those years ago. But given the seriousness of the situation, I couldn''t even crack a grin. "Mom!" Gina immediately ran over and jumped into Hyacinth''s chest before breaking down in sobs. All of the tension and fear she''d been holding in finally gave way. "Gina! Thomas, what in the world happened to-" "No time." I interrupted her hurriedly. "Monsters are here, first hunting party was wiped out. Grab whatever we need and go!" My tone was commanding and more than a little disrespectful - but what could I do? Every second counted. Hyacinth''s eyes sharpened. After patting Gina on the back, she disappeared into one of the adjacent rooms. It was only a few seconds before she returned with a small burlap bag and a new belt around her waist. The leather belt held several daggers, and I could tell at a glance that these weren''t meant for gathering plants. "Come on. You''ve told the others?" She said, grabbing Gina''s hand. I nodded. "The word should have spread by now." It was finally time to leave. But our biggest problem remained... getting over three hundred people to safety with the limited number of horses we had.