《Primordial Law》


 The Beginning

    The sun reached its peak in a forest far from civilization that was filled with the noises of wildlife, and the sound of the wind gently blowing leaves around. It was a day that was going the same as any other, until an eerie silence began to build. In a certain location in the forest the animals that would usually inhabit the location were no where to be seen. They had fled because they had felt a sense of dread that came from this area. The trees started to shake violently, and the earth shook as if an earthquake was occurring.


    Out of nowhere an explosion rang out destroying anything in a thousand meter area. All that was left was crater that created by the explosion that was ten meters deep at its center. Once the smoke cleared the only things that remained in the area of the crater were three people unconscious.


    Asmodeus groggily opened his eyes as he started to wonder what had happened. The last thing he remembered, was that he was in a forest similar to this with his two friends. They had been experimenting with the powers they gained through their respective accidents. As he laid there he began to recallgaining his powers a few years before, when he was experimenting with creating a stabilized miniature worm hole.


    At the time he was an assistant in the lab that his parents had been in charge of. He had worked for years to develop a machine that could create a stabilized worm hole that wouldn¡¯t vaporize the surroundings. He had been performing a trial run on the latest iteration which was when the worm hole had started to collapse in on itself. Before Asmodeus could salvage the situation the wormhole imploded in on itself vaporizing the surrounding area and leaving a sixteen kilometer wide crater.


    A while later he awoke to find that lab and its surroundings were completely gone. When he started to try get up he found that it was unusually difficult to move. It felt like he could barely move his fingers, because it felt like his entire body weighed two tons. He tried to stand once more, and found that it no longer felt like he was trying to carry the weight of the world. His ears were still ringing when he heard a distant shout coming towards him. When he saw who it was he realized it was his childhood friend Atlas. Atlas had been on the outskirts of the forest when he heard the explosion. Fearing the worst outcome he immediately rushed back to lab. As Atlas got closer to where the lab was previously located, he started to notice from afar that there were no trees in the direction of the lab.


    Once he reached an opening in trees he realized that there was a massive crater. He began to grow worried about Asmodeus so he started to search the crater while yelling, ¡°Asmodeus where are you?¡± at the top of his lungs.


    When he finally reached where the lab was previously located he saw a disheveled Asmodeus who was lying in the center of the crater barely conscious. Beside Asmodeus was a man that Atlas didn¡¯t recognize. After the incident it took a month before Asmodeus awoke, only to find that he was lying in a hospital bed. It took him around four months to be able to move around without be hindered by feeling instability. Which was caused by his body becoming heavier and lighter at random intervals. In this period Atlas would visit him periodically, he told Asmodeus about the stranger that had been lying next to him in the crater. They were both puzzled by the appearance of this mysterious individual and his origin.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Atlas asked, ¡°How is he?¡± with look of interest on his face.


    ¡°He has stabilized for the moment, it wasn¡¯t certain what was happening to his body.¡±, Asmodeus replied.


    ¡°The doctors haven¡¯t been able to discern the reason for the instability in his body¡± he explained to Atlas while he had a puzzled look on his face.


    It took the mysterious individual six more months in order to regain consciousness. When Asmodeus and Atlas heard the news they rushed over to the hospital. They went to doctor who was in charge of the mysterious stranger, and Atlas asked, ¡°How is he Doc?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s stabilized, but appears to be very confused.¡± The doctor answer back.


    ¡°Are we able to talk to him now?¡± Atlas questioned.


    ¡°Yes just make it quick.¡± Replied quickly.


    They went in the room to see if they could get to the bottom of the mystery of the individual. The man showed a curious glance when they entered the room. He projected an attitude of a cold and arrogant individual.


    He asked with cold tone, ¡°Where am I?¡±


    They were surprised by the tone of his voice as they felt it had the absence of emotion. They quickly explained the circumstances around his appearance, and how it was linked to the explosion of the wormhole. This caused the man to show expression of trying figure out the situation.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Asmodeus asked while showing an expression of curiosity.


    Silence followed as the man questioned whether it was worth it to tell them his name. With disdain he replied, ¡°Kronos¡± with matter of fact attitude. Afterwards he regained his solitary attitude, they could not get any more answers out of him that day. So they decided to leave, only comeback every day to see if they could get anymore answers out of Kronos.


    Over the next two months they constantly visited Kronos during which they were slowing able to get more answers. Kronos explained at the end of the two months that he came from a future where he had been conducting an experiment involving time travel. It wasn¡¯t until he felt that his invention was complete, that he felt it was time to test the device.


    Initially when he started it everything seemed to be in order until an anomaly occurred mid-journey. This anomaly caused his device to malfunction, and violently vanished from the timeline. The last thing that he felt before he lost consciousness was unimaginable feeling of pain. Asmodeus offered Kronos at place to stay, which Kronos reluctantly agreed to. Over time Kronos grew to like both Asmodeus and Atlas, which caused him to a less cold tone to talk to them. Five years¡¯ time passed until the incident that caused them to be at their current location.

 Chapter 1: A New World

    Asmodeus who still felt uneasy from the abrupt transport started to look around at the new unfamiliar surroundings. The sun hung high in the sky blinding him for a few seconds, making it even harder to gain his bearings. It wasn¡¯t until now that he realized that he was in a crater. When he started to pay more attention to his surroundings he noticed Atlas and Kronos lying unconscious in the distance. He struggled to get up, swamped by an intense feeling of vertigo and nausea.


    He waited a short time until he finally felt that he had regained enough of a sense of balance in order to move. He started walking towards Atlas on unsteady feet as started to yell, ¡°Atlas are you alright?¡± In the distance Atlas started to rise from his slumber with a look of unease and discomfort.Atlas had a blank look on his face due to having no idea what had just happened. It took him a moment to realize that Asmodeus was calling out to him. Turningaround he noticed that Asmodeus was walking towards him and it took him a moment to realize what he was saying. When he was finally able tell what Asmodeus was saying he replied "Perfect", with an idiotic grin on his face.


    Complety disreagarding his unease Atlas startedrushing over towards Asmodeus. Noticing that Atlas had started to run towards him Asmodues call out for Atlas to slow down. When Asmodeus saw that he wasn¡¯t slowing down at all it caused him to flinch as a base reflex concerned that he was about to be tackled. It wasn¡¯t until Atlas was right next to him that he came to a screeching halt. Atlas had only stopped for a split second after which he spread his arms out, in order to give Asmodeus a huge bear hug. Atlas smiled as if he hadn¡¯t seen Asmodeus in years.


    With an ecstatic grin on his face he said, ¡°Its¡¯ good to see you buddy!¡±


    Asmodeus patted him on the back twice and said, ¡°Okay, okay I get it now can you please let me go?¡± with an annoyed expression on his face.


    ¡°Sure thing buddy.¡± Atlas replied while still having a goofy grin on his face.


    From a distance they heard Kronos say sarcastically, ¡°Get a room you two.¡±


    When Asmodeus heard this he grew angry yelling back, ¡°Shut up Kronos no one asked you.¡± Once Asmodeus looked towards where Kronos was, he became annoyed to find that Kronos was just sitting cross legged on the ground like nothing had ever happened. Kronos just had a slight smirk on his face like he was above the world and knew all things. Standing up Kronosstarted to walk over to where Atlas and Asmodeus were standing. Once he arrivednext to them he regained his cold attitude along with a sense of arrogance. He coldly asked, ¡°Asmodeus where you messing with your power when this occurred?¡±


    Asmodeus gave him a weird look before saying, ¡°Uhh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Then it must have been that your power had gone out of control bringing us through space to this location.¡± He smugly explained.


    ¡°It might have brought us to a different world or dimension using the fundamental properties of your power.¡± He continued sure of himself.


    ¡°Well no duh Sherlock! I figured that out pretty quickly, its¡¯ more a matter of where we are than how we got here.¡± Asmodeus replied with a tone of annoyance.


    Atlas who looked utterly confused by their conversation asked, ¡°Hey what are you guys talking about?¡±


    Both Asmodeus and Kronos shared a look of exasperation at Atlas¡¯s lack of intelligence. Asmodeus¡¯ look gradually changed to one of understanding, whereas Kronos¡¯ expression went to one of disdain. With an agitated gaze Kronosexplained to Atlas, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to understand what we¡¯re talking about, even if you tried.¡±


    Atlas just shrugged his shoulders, put his hands behind his head with his goofy grin still on his face and replied, ¡°OHHHHH ok sounds good¡±.


    Ignoring Atlas'' reaction Kronos started to survey their surroundings when he noticed the lack of vegetation in their area realizing the true scope of what happened to them. The area around them had been destroyed with no signs of life remaining. Offput he decided that they should try to find the nearest source of water as soon as possible. ¡°Let¡¯s find the nearest water source to recover.¡± Kronos ordered as if he was above them. Asmodeus rolled his eyes with a look of annoyance on his face, but followed his suggestion because he was far too lazy to argue with Kronos. Atlas stretched out his arms like his was about to do a workout answering back with a carefree attitude, ¡°Alright let¡¯s go.¡±


    They walked towards the edge of the crater where the vegetation started to grow in abundance. Once they reached the edge of crater, Kronos looked at where they had come from noticing the sheer size of the crater that they had come out of. Atlas asked out of curiosity, ¡°Ok where to now?¡±


    ¡°We should find some high ground in order to get a better lay of land as well as being able to locate a nearby source of water.¡± Kronos said with an air of arrogance.


    ¡°And exactly how do you propose that we accomplish this task oh wise and fearless one?¡± Asmodeus replying with a hint of amusement in his eyes.


    ¡°I will use the slight difference in elevation in order to ascertain the location of high ground.¡± Kronos stated as if it was common knowledge.


    When Asmodeus heard this he replied with an entertained gaze, ¡°I could have told you that much.¡±


    They started to trek through the forest noticing that the trees were of abnormal size. The trees were so thick that it would take ten men arm to arm to wrap around its base. Kronos led them through the forest with absolute confidence of where he was going. Eventually they reached a clearing that was a few hundred meters across at the top of a hill. When they had reached the peak of the clearing the view stopped them dead in their tracks. They stared out in breathless amazement at vastness of the forest they were in as it stretched off into the horizon. Towards the west there was a mountain range that stretched on with no end in sight. Each of the mountains were easily two to three times the size of Mount Everest.


    Atlas stood absolutely still with his mouth hanging open in amazement at the vastness of the world around them. Looming towards the north was a river whose enormity reached at least twenty four kilometers wide. Asmodeus couldn¡¯t even wrap his head around imagining the length of such a monstrous river. At the same time Kronos had already memorized the layout of the surroundings, planning a route in his mind. ¡°Ok enough gawking let¡¯s get a move on.¡± Kronos told with his usual cold and arrogant tone.


    ¡°Shut up I''ll move when I feel like it!¡± snapped Asmodeus.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Rolling his eyes Kronos replied, ¡°Well do you feel like moving now?¡±


    ¡°You know what, sure. Not because you told me to, but because I¡¯m too lazy to bother arguing with you anymore.¡±


    When Atlas heard this exchange he couldn¡¯t help grinning at the usual back and forth between Kronos and Asmodeus. He chose to remain silent this time since he didn¡¯t feel like adding fuel to the fire. The Sun hung low in the sky signaling that end of the day was near. They started heading towards the river hoping to make it before nightfall. The trek downward was more hazardous than the hike up the hill as the descent got steeper as they got closer to the river. The descent started to wear on their stamina making it harder for them to catch their breath. The slope wasn¡¯t very forgiving as it didn¡¯t allow for much leeway going down.


    It wasn¡¯t until sunset that they were able to see the river in the distance. Tired and hungry,they found a new source of energy knowing that they were close to their goal. Through the trees the sun setting shined on the river as the light reflected of the river showing its majestic might. It wasn¡¯t long before the sun dipped below the horizon line no longer visible.


    Atlas sensed a danger being projected from the surroundings, he grew more cautious by the moment. It wasn¡¯t until after the sunset that he could no longer bear the pressure given off by the surroundings deciding to say something to Kronos and Asmodeus. ¡°Hey I think we need to pick up the pace, this area is making me uneasy.¡± Although Atlas was the one to point it out, both Asmodeus and Kronos felt an ominous aura lingering in the air. The ground gradually leveled out as they went getting closer to their destination. The vegetation started to spread increasing the distance between the nearest trees.


    In the distance they saw a bright light, the sole thing visible in the pitch black of night at edge of the river. Each one of them involuntarily froze upon seeing the light source. In a hushed voice Asmodeus asked, ¡°What¡¯s the plan of action guys?¡±


    Curious as to the origin of the light source Kronos proposed, ¡°I think it best to investigate the source of this mysterious light source. It could lead us to people, at the worse it could be someone to cause us harm.¡±


    ¡°At which point using the combined abilities of myself and Asmodeus we should be able to handle whatever it is. If all else fails we will absolutely be able to flee.¡±


    Atlas felt confident about his ability to handle the situation, while Asmodeus was slightly unsure whether this was the best course of action. Expressing his wariness he said, ¡°Before we announce our presence to this unknown party and its potentials hazards. Let¡¯s get a better understanding of the situation and scout out the area as we proceed.¡±


    Annoyed at the explanation that Asmodeus provided he snapped back, ¡°Well that is a given, what idiot would willing walk into a situation without any earthly idea of what will happen.¡±


    ¡°LETTTSS GOOOO¡­¡­¡­.uhhhgh!!!!!¡± Atlas yelled before being hit in the stomach by Asmodeus, stopping him in the middle of his yell. Kronos gave both an ice cold glance that brought them quickly to a unearthly silence. Knowing better than to continue the discussion Asmodeus and Atlas choose not to comment on what Kronos had said. Kronos regained his usual demeanor, signaling to them that they should move on.


    The sounds of their feet stepping on branches and leaves seemed elevate as they got closer to the source of the light. The sound of the rushing river became crisper as they went along. Under the nighttime sky three shadows moved through the underbrush of the forest. Once they reached a suitable distance away from the light, the expression evident on their faces turned into one of astonishment. On the bank of the river were mangled looking creatures hunched over a fire pit. These creatures could have passed for humans if it wasn¡¯t for their sickly green bodies. On the head of the largest of the five creatures was savage looking skull of an unknown creature. Extruding from its head was misshaped horns similar to the horns of a ram.


    Scraps of cloth hung from these creatures waist looking almost like rags completely covered in dirt and grime. They resembled a more grotesque version of their world¡¯s mythical goblins. Of these five creatures the one with the skull helmet looked to be the size of average adult male, appearing to be in charge holding a glaive of unusual quality. The goblins around the leader were of a smaller stature about the size of a child each wielding a unique weapon. The one holding the glaive shouted a series incoherent grunts at the smaller goblins.


    The group of goblins eerily turned towards where they were located. Atlas showed an expression of excitement towards the looming threat, while Kronos had already to formulate plans that they could act on. He calmly went over to where Atlas and Asmodeus were crouching explaining to them his plan. When Asmodeus heard the entirety of the plan he silently nodded his head in approval. At the same time Atlas showed a resolute face ready to face anything that came their way.


    Only the sound of the goblins sprinting towards their location could be heard as if omen of what was to come. When the group of goblins finally reached where their prey¡¯s scent disappeared. Out of the silence came the sound of pain and agony, what was surprising was where it came from. From the neck of the goblin on the left protruded a piece of bark,it clawed at its throat desperate to remove the source of its pain. At the same time another goblin was on the ground writhing in pain as its knee had been punctured by a similar piece of bark. Life left the eyes of the goblin who had been stabbed in the throat falling to the ground lifeless.


    From the air Atlas pounced from atop a branch above the goblins bringing his knee down on to the neck of the goblin still rolling around on the ground in pain. As soon as Atlas knee made contact with the neck a crackling sound echoed off of the body of the goblin. The Large goblin started to shout the same strange grunts, rushing towards Atlas in an uncontrollable rage. It was closely followed by the smaller goblins albeit not able to run at the same speed of the larger goblin. Atlas just stood there smug as if everything was going according to plan.


    From another branch Asmodeus swung down increasing the weight of his lower body. He swung perfectly into the shoulder of the smaller goblin to the right of the leader. A crunch was heard as he connected with the goblin sending it flying into a nearby tree trunk. The body of the goblin slumped to ground its bones shattered upon impact with the tree. The last small goblin grew panicked fleeing from where it came from. Kronos gently landed on the ground rushing towards the fallen goblin¡¯s crude looking spear. The goblin felt as if its limbs grew sluggish, increasing its panic even more.


    Kronos scooped up the spear calculating the trajectory in his mind. As if he had thrown the spear a million times before, it flew through the air creating a whistling sound as it went. A thud was heard in the distance coming from the where the goblin was. It had fallen to the ground, the spear protruding from its back life leaving its body. In fit of fury the leader goblin charged towards Kronos dragging the glaive behind it creating drag marks behind it.


    As it ran it started to feel heavier than usual creating deeper imprints into the ground. At the same time its vision started to seem sluggish making it confused and disoriented. Asmodeus, Kronos, and Atlas all charged towards the leader goblin the adrenaline of the fight or flight response kicking into overdrive. Kronos picked up a short dagger from a goblin corpse as he ran toward the freakish creature. Asmodeus stopped running to pick up a small rock throwing towards the goblin¡¯s knee. While the rock was in midair it instantly exploded with a burst of speed. It made contact with the creature¡¯s left knee crushing it into dust, the goblin letting loose a heart rending screech as it fell to one knee.


    Atlas and Kronos ran side by side towards the Goblin at a dead sprint. When they got closer the goblin leader swung the glaive over its head towards them. As it came down like lightning,both Atlas and Kronos felt as if it was moving at a snail¡¯s pace. Splitting apart Atlas went to the right and Kronos moved slightly to the left. The glaive slammed into the ground creating a dust storm in its wake. Unable to see through the dust the goblin looked left and right trying to find its prey. It suddenly felt a crunch reverberate through its body as Atlas delivered a powerful low kick to its uninjured knee. It could no longer stand the pain falling down on both knees looking defeated. It let loose a roar that caused the leaves of the tree to sway at its might. Kronos rushed up with the dagger plunging it in to the head of the goblin from below its chin.


    The eyes of the goblin first showed an expression of anger before turning to one of horror. It only took a moment for the goblin leader''s eyes to turn lifeless. Kronos withdraw the dagger from the goblin looking at the creature with contempt. To express some of his disgust he kicked the now dead goblin making fall backwards to the ground.

 Chapter 2: The Beast Strikes

    Kronos looked down at the corpse of the leader goblin sneering in contempt. He felt satisfied and strangely tired, as he had used the last five years getting used to his abilities. Except this time it seemed as if he couldn¡¯t sustain his abilities for as long. Asmodeus ran up beside Kronos noting the strange glaive lying on the ground. He decided to investigate so he bent down to pick up the glaive, noticing the usual heaviness of the weapon. Upon further inspection he took note that this metal had unusual characteristics not seen in their world.


    ¡°Kronos you should see this I don¡¯t recognize the alloys used in this weapon.¡± Asmodeus said with a pondering expression.


    As Kronos turned towards Asmodeus he saw Atlas walking towards them. When he faced Asmodeus he finally paid more attention to the glaive in Asmodeus¡¯ hands. The glaive gave off an unusual pressure not usually seen on weapons.


    ¡°Hey Asmodeus let me see it.¡± As if a command Kronos told Asmodeus.


    Smirking as if he knew more than he let on he replied, ¡°Alright future boy let¡¯s see if you recognize the alloy.¡±


    Kronos took the glaive from Asmodeus hands noticing that it was heavier than it appeared. After few moments of examining the glaive the heaviness seem to fade. It got to the point where it no longer felt heavy to Kronos. Taking a liking to this type of weapon he told Asmodeus and Atlas, ¡°This is mine now.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhh man I wanted that.¡± Atlas replied with a disappointed gaze.


    Asmodeus had a look of exasperation at the attitude of Kronos shaking his head and letting out a sigh. It was not worth the effort to argue with him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we head to the fire pit that the goblins had set up so that we can recoup and rest?¡± Asmodeus suggested. ¡°Sounds like a logical plan of action.¡± Kronos said as he nodded his head in agreement. With a content expression Atlas answered back, ¡°That sounds good, that fight was waaay more brutal than usual.¡±


    Before heading toward the fire pit in the distance, both Atlas and Asmodeus decided it would be best to be armed. Asmodeus spotted a crude quiver and bow on the back of one of the defeated goblins, wondering why it wasn¡¯t used during the fight he came to the conclusion that the goblin must have died too fast and as such wasn¡¯t able to use it. He felt that the bow would serve as an appropriate weapon as he had honed his bowman skills over the past five years by hunting an assortment of game.


    Atlas preferred a simpler approach as he had practiced mostly close quarters Martial Arts in the past. Since he decided to go for a simpler style of fighting he walked over to another fallen goblin looking for a weapon. Noticing that it had a dagger in its hands he forcibly pried it from its dead, cold hands. Bringing the knife closer to his face to observe its edge he noticed that the dagger was relatively crude with a pattern similar to shark teeth along its edge.


    Pushing their way through the bramble in the dark forest it didn¡¯t take them long to find the familiar glow of the fire pit. The river flowed past on the right with a soft sound, the pale Moon reflecting and rippling across its surface. Leftovers from the goblins presence was scattered around the fire, mostly bones of animals and bits of left over flesh from their meals. As Asmodeus cleared away all the garbage with a burst of gravity away from them Kronos walked towards the fire to check if there was enough fuel to last the night, satisfied with what he found Kronos went towards a boulder on the riverside to take a seat. He was surprised at how tired he was considering how little he used his abilities.


    With a curious stare Kronos asked, ¡°Asmodeus did you feel a difference when you used your gravity manipulation?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact yeah. It did feel slightly off when I altered the gravity around that leader goblin.¡± Asmodeus replied taking note of the large amounts of energy he felt missing. ¡°When I slowed down the time for the goblins, it felt as if my energy was being drained alarmingly fast. I think this new environment is putting a higher strain on using our powers.¡± ¡°Yeah I know what you mean, when we got here I felt really off, as if my internal energy changed somehow. I have no idea why though but I¡¯d like to know because if this continues this could become a problem.¡± Asmodeus replied.


    Chiming in Atlas said, ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that we just fought goblins, you know those things that are supposed to be fairy tales!¡±


    Both Kronos and Asmodeus silently nodded their heads in agreement. Kronos started to form a plan of action for tomorrow, going over any possible scenarios in his head. Asmodeus stared to extrapolate a reason as to why they were more exhausted than they should be from such a light usage of their powers. While Asmodeus and Kronos were focused on future problems, Atlas being completely oblivious to his surroundings, happily hummed a random song as he bobbed his head side to side. One after another they eventually fell asleep, with Atlas falling over and beginning to snore very loudly, limbs in every which direction.


    The next morning Asmodeus woke to the sound of birds singing above in the trees. Looking around he saw that Kronos was already awake sitting upright with his legs crossed on a boulder as if in meditation. Deciding not to disturb Kronos he continued to look around trying to figure where Atlas had slept. Or rather he would have if not for the fact that Atlas was snoring loud enough for it to echo clearing telling others where they were. Growing annoyed with Atlas¡¯ loud snoring Asmodeus quickly stood up and started walking towards him. Stopping dead in his tracks right next to Atlas with his leg brought all the way as he prepared to kick Atlas. Unleashing his kick as forcibly as possible he planted his foot into Atlas¡¯ side immediately waking him. Upon feeling a kick into his side Atlas¡¯ exclaimed ¡°Ow!! That hurt, what the heck just hit me.¡± He quickly looked side to side puzzled as he tried to find the source of his pain.


    ¡°Quiet down idiot, I hit you in order to stop your obnoxious snoring.¡± Asmodeus snapped at Atlas incredibly annoyed.


    ¡°Shut up the both of you!!! I am trying to concentrate here.¡± Kronos told them with an aggrieved look on his face while sending an angry glare their direction.


    Asmodeus sighed annoyed at the situation he found himself in, replying in an irritated tone, ¡°Mind your own business and go back to your Meditating.¡±


    Ignoring Asmodeus'' comment, Kronos hopped down from the rock and walked toward the fire stopping by the river to catch some fish in order to cook them. Atlas ran over in joy when he saw the fish as he had not eaten anything the day before. Still slightly annoyed with Kronos he decided to ignore him, following Atlas towards the cooked fish.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Once we finish eating I think it best that we head out. We should follow the river to see if we can see some form of civilization.¡± Kronos explained.


    ¡°Ehh, might as well¡± Asmodeus lazily answered back not feeling like arguing with Kronos right now.


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine with me.¡± Atlas replied having no concerns about following that plan.


    When they had finished their meal Kronos stared to kick dirt into the fire to put it out. Asmodeus went to pick up his bow and arrows slinging his quiver across his shoulder. He held his bow at the ready with his right hand knocking an arrow onto the slack bow-string. They began walking along the river with the sun still high in the sky.


    As they walked birds that looked like nothing they had ever seen before flew overhead, darting from one branch to another. Occasionally a large bird would swoop down from the sky scooping a fish out of the water. Hours passed as they continued to walk along the now roaring rivers. The sun now hung at its peak in the sky, not a single cloud in the sky signaling that it was now high noon.


    All of a sudden Atlas sensed a powerful presence nearing them. Before he could tell Kronos and Asmodeus however a gigantic creature walked out of the forest in front of them. It cast an imposing figure, standing at a towering height of three meters tall. At first glance it resembled a bear but upon closer inspection one would notice that instead of fur it had triangular shaped spikes extruding from all over its body. The pattern of the spikes resembled that of a medieval suit of armor as it gave off a silver metallic sheen in the sunlight. It turned its head toward them showing its eerily red eyes.


    The group just stood there motionless for what seemed like an eternity, finding themselves suddenly gripped by a feeling of dark dread. Kronos held his glaive with the blade at the ready, steadying himself with all of the Martial Arts training he had done during the past five years. Asmodeus fully notched the arrow in his hand drawing the bow fully as he prepared to fire at the slightest hostile movement. Atlas widened his stance holding onto his dagger as he lowered himself in order to be prepared for anything.


    When the beast fully noticed them it let loose a heart-wrenching roar with a half-crazed and bestial expression. It then proceeded to charge at them with reckless abandon, as if not caring about anything this prey in front of it could do. Asmodeus let loose an arrow aimed at its left shoulder while increasing the arrow¡¯s weight, rapidly increasing its power and speed as it was released. Mid-flight Kronos further increased its speed by accelerating the arrow¡¯s time causing it to move even faster. The arrow slammed into the beast with a sound similar to a sniper-shot as it embedded itself into the beasts left shoulder. Surprisingly it barely slowed down the beast only causing it to release another terrifying roar, enraged at the injury caused by this prey.


    Kronos and Asmodeus were astonished by the thickness of the beasts hide as the arrow that had enough force to punch through a blast shield barely hindered it. Atlas charged towards the beast from its right, while at the same time Kronos rushed in towards its left. They were using the same tactic that they had used to take down the leader goblin, as it was an effective three-pronged attack.


    As Kronos and Atlas rushed towards the beast, Asmodeus let loose several arrows combined with his gravity enhancements hurtling them towards the beast. Unlike before the beast now knew what to expect from the arrows this time, using its dagger like claws to swipe them out of the air. While it was distracted Kronos increased his speed even further upon seeing that the beast showed an opening. The beast finally realized that Kronos was getting close, causing it to swipe towards him.


    At the instant when the beast started to attack it felt an overbearing pressure out of nowhere. As its slowed claw neared Kronos it slowed by an even greater factor when Kronos slowed its time. Even with Asmodeus and Kronos slowing the beast down, Kronos barely slid underneath the swipe. As the beast¡¯s attention was on Kronos, Atlas jumped towards the beast¡¯s right shoulder. With his dagger outstretched it pierced through the shoulder becoming stuck in the process.


    In fury the beast flung out a backhanded sweep of its claw towards Atlas so fast that none of them could react. The back of the claw slammed into Atlas sending him flying into a nearby tree knocking him out in the process as he slid down it. As it was finishing its swipe, Kronos swung his glaive horizontally at an incredibly fast speed, gouging out a huge chunk of the beasts flesh leaving behind a gapping wound on its side.


    The eyes of the beast revealed a furious and unyielding gaze towards Kronos. It swung once more at an even faster speed, despite its speed and strength being immensely affected. As the claw hurtled towards Kronos¡¯ head, an arrow pierced through the claw flinging it backwards. Enraged it looked towards Asmodeus as it began to charge towards him in sheer fury. It ran towards Asmodeus at an astonishing speed considering its size. Before Asmodeus could even fire off another arrow the beast was upon him.


    It pounced towards him knocking him down to the ground after which itbegan to furiously swing its claws at Asmodeus¡¯ head. Asmodeus barely batted away the claws by using his gravity to send fast punches from the ground. He did this by using his gravity at the last second before contacting the claws to increase the impact of his fists. From underneath the beast he saw Kronos and Atlas running towards him, with Atlas being closer.


    He yelled at Atlas, ¡°Jump¡±. Baffled for a moment, but quickly getting what Asmodeus had in mind he jumped high into the air. As he went up he started to soar high into the sky as Asmodeus decrease his bodies gravity, looking down at the beast he point his dagger at its head. As he hung in the air, Asmodeus was finally able to get free from the beast. He retreated a good distance away by decreasing his weight until he felt almost weightless. He turned around towards the beast to see Atlas about ten meters above the beast¡¯s head. After a brief pause Atlas started to plummet straight down towards its head.


    As he fell it felt as if his speed increased even further, which was caused by Kronos speeding up the time it took him to fall. Atlas rocketed towards the beast stabbing through its head like a meteor. He slammed the head so hard into the ground that it caused a cloud of dust to rise. When the dust settled a small crater could be seen with Atlas in the middle on top of the now headless beast. When Asmodeus and Kronos saw that the beast was finally dead, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of relief. As the sense of relief came over their bodies they plopped down to the ground utterly exhausted. Atlas was sprawled out on the beast¡¯s body breathing heavily.


    It took them a few minutes to recover and move about normally. Kronos and Asmodeus walked over to the now dead beast. When they got close Atlas hopped off of the beast¡¯s back and exclaimed, ¡°Well that was a bundle of fun.¡± Rolling their eyes at the comment Kronos then added, ¡°Definitely not what I had in mind for today.¡±


    Atlas had look of sheer joy when he asked, ¡°So guys do you think I can eat some of this thing?¡±


    The reason he asked it this way was because as long as he could remember he had a unique ability. This unique ability allowed him to eat anything while gaining some of its qualities. This was also the reason why he was able to shrug off the beast¡¯s attack like it was nothing. Over the past few years he had consumed some of the hardest metals on earth. This allowed for his body to gain enhanced strength and durability.


    Not seeing why he shouldn¡¯t Asmodeus replied, ¡°Sure, knock yourself out.¡±


    Atlas showed an enormous grin on his face as he walked over to the dead beast¡¯s body. He leaned down and started to eat parts of the beast¡¯s body, in particular its brain, heart, and claws.

 Chapter 3: Civilization at Last

    Atlas stood up with a content expression on his face. He grinned widely at Kronos and Asmodeus happily exclaiming ¡°Well that was delicious.¡±


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re happy man, just make sure to bring that corpse with you cause I¡¯m pretty sure we can use it for something.¡± Asmodeus replied with a slight smirk on his face. Atlas then proceeded to grab the beast by its ankle and dragged it behind him as he started to walk over towards Kronos and Asmodeus.


    ¡°About time you got done eating, now it is time to get moving!¡± Kronos barked at Atlas.


    As the high noon sun beat down on them they continued to walk along the river, making sure to stay alert as to prevent such an incident from happening again. Atlas, as oblivious as ever, began to whistle one of his favorite tunes from Earth with a cheer filled sound. Asmodeus walked next to him with his bow on his back and his hands behind his body with a peaceful look on his face. While Kronos walked to the left of Asmodeus making sure to walk slightly in front of him with a pondering look on his face.


    As the day wore on and their walk continued the group noticed that the trees¡¯ were gradually thinning out. As the sun started lowering half way past mid-day they spotted a massive structure in the far distance. Intrigued the group started to head towards that direction and it quickly became apparent that is was a colossal stone bridge. Arriving near the base of the bridge they saw that it appeared to stretch far into the horizon with no apparent end in sight. The river, which was similar to white river rapids at this point, rushed by underneath the bridge with nary a single crack or scratch appearing on the bridge supports. Picking up their pace the group hurried towards the start of the bridge in hopes of civilization. When they finally reached the front of the bridge they stopped and marveled at the sheer size of the bridge. It looked much like a medieval stone bridge with massive support columns the size of redwoods and arch¡¯s the size of overpasses but with little to no damage on its surface signifying that it was either recently constructed; which was doubtful as it appeared to be an ancient structure, or made of highly stable materials unlike any found on Earth.


    ¡°Woooow, that bridge is freaking massive!!!¡± Atlas screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Shut up you fool, do you want everything around us to know that we¡¯re here and possibly get us killed,¡± Kronos growled at Atlas with a large hint of anger in his voice.


    ¡°Whoops sorry I wasn¡¯t thinking about that.¡± Atlas replied running his hand through his hair in guilt. Ignoring Kronos¡¯ expression of annoyance Asmodeus asked, ¡°So should we try crossing this long apparently unending or do we use the smaller path leading away from it?¡±


    ¡°It is unclear at the moment how long this bridge is so we should follow the path to the right,¡± Kronos answered back. ¡°Yeah we could do that oooorrr we could just see where this giant bridge leads.¡± Asmodeus quipped back at Kronos. Asmodeus and Atlas then started to walk towards the bridge only for a sound similar to an explosion to ring out as a giant shadow rushed out from the water. Asmodeus stiffly looked to his left to see a massive creature hurtling through the air that was reminiscent to a sea leviathan. With two jagged pincers next to a set of six eyes, three on each side, and numerous gigantic spikes protruding from its back set in rows of three the leviathan jumped clean across the span of the bridge. While abruptly turning around Asmodeus stated ¡°Yep how about we go this direction¡± completely ignoring what he had previously said. Atlas looked wide-eyed at the monstrosity slightly drooling while it went over the bridge commenting back, ¡°That sounds good to me.¡±


    While rolling his eyes Kronos was clearly exasperated at the reaction of both Asmodeus and Atlas. Deciding that it was better to not mention what they had just seen he turned towards the heavily beaten gravel path and began to walk down it without an ounce of hesitation. Atlas and Asmodeus followed behind him in a slightly embarrassed silence. The path appeared to have been used recently and often due to the lack of vegetation by its side.


    As the day wore on the group continued to walk down the gravel path and unbeknownst to them there was a set of eyes observing their every move. He had the appearance of an older scout roughly in his mid-thirties with a heavily built body and a short stature. Leaving his hidden spot amongst the upper branches of the trees he dashed away from branch to branch at a break neck pace making almost no sound. As the man bounded through the trees he eventually arrived at the boundary of a small town with a staggeringly tall wooden wall about twenty meters high. He leapt down from the tree he was in, and gracefully landed on the ground without so much as a single leaf being disturbed or single branch being snapped. He ran towards an arched wooden gate reinforced by steel. On the sides of the gate there were two guard towers overlooking the entrance and tree line.


    As the scout approached the gate he yelled loudly, ¡°Open these gates, I have an urgent report for the Skymaster that needs to be delivered as soon as possible.¡± Alarmed one of the guards on the tower glanced at the man recognizing who it was after a moment. Silently the guard turned to his side to signal those down below to open the gates to let the scout in. The gate slowly creaked open with just enough space for the man to squeeze through as the man ran forward. As soon he was through the gate it began to close back behind him creaking as it closed shut with a large wooden board slamming back in place.


    The scout then proceeded to run through the town heading towards a moderately sized two story building directly down the main road. This building or rather hall was built out of rough cut stone with a wooden terrace above the entrance supported by several vertical beams with half of it being made out of stone which merged with wood the rest of the way up. The roof had five square pyramids placed at highly strategic locations with one for each of the four corners and the largest in the dead center of the roof. These pyramids were made out of an unusual metal that projected off a sense of power.


    As the scout approached the door he passed by a signboard which had a thundercloud pierced diagonally by a jagged sword similar to a flamberge. Continuing past the sign into the building he started to head towards a stairway on the right of the hall that went upwards. Understanding the urgency of his message he quickly walked up the stairs with the steps creaking with each step. Rounding a corner he saw another flight of stairs with a doorway at the end of them with the same symbol as the outside signboard.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Once he reached the door he promptly knocked three times with a short rustling sound coming from behind the door. After a brief moment there was silence followed by a voice seemingly out of nowhere stating, ¡°You may come in now.¡± The voice had a deep baritone voice with an air of someone in high command. After hearing this confirmation the scout proceeded to open the door to reveal a man leaning against a large desk with a few papers scattered about. This man cast a very imposing figure as he had a large amount muscles with a height that let him tower over others. Going up to his head he had a scar across his left eye seemingly caused by a blade. He also had a bald head that reflected the light of the sun nearly blinding the poor scout.


    Glancing downwards the scout promptly stated, ¡°A party of three stocky men in unique cloths are heading our way.¡± The bald man projecting an air of authority while questioning, ¡°Are they armed?¡±


    ¡°As far as I could see one had a bow and arrow strapped to his back. While the largest of the three carried a glaive about the same size as his body. As for the last one¡­. Well I don¡¯t think we need to worry about him.¡± The scout reported to the bald man.


    ¡°And pray tell why shouldn¡¯t we have to worry about the third individual?¡±


    ¡°He seemed utterly oblivious to his surroundings and he even yelled out before that obviously not aware of where he was. The only odd thing is the fact that he was dragging a dead beast behind him.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± the man replied while pondering over this piece of news. Coming to a conclusion he stated, ¡°I shall greet these individuals in order to determine whether they are hostiles or not.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that is wise sir?¡± the scout questioned at the man¡¯s sudden interest. ¡°Are you insinuating that I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing? Now correct me if I¡¯m wrong but last I checked I¡¯m the Skymaster and you are the subordinate.¡± The bald man angrily stated as he glared down at the scout.


    ¡°Not at all sir!!¡± the scout said frightened by the glare he was receiving from the bald man.


    Around the same time that this discussion was happening Atlas, Kronos, and Asmodeus remained completely unaware of the attention that they were drawing. After a while longer of walking they started to notice signs of civilization with several indents in the road that looked to have been formed by wagon wheels. Along with these treads there were also several footprints that appeared to be very fresh. As more and more traces of people started to appear the group grew increasingly on guard with their bodies highly tensed in order to be ready for anything. As sun finally started to set a large wall was visible in the distance immediately drawing the groups¡¯ full attention.


    ¡°Ugghh finally some semblance of civilization aside from that bridge awhile back,¡± Asmodeus exclaimed.


    ¡°Agreed, let go check it out but remain cautious¡± Kronos answered back.


    As the group got closer to the wall they were able to spot a huge wooden arched gate with metal linings. The sun started to completely set as they got closer to the foot of the gate. Out of nowhere they heard a voice loudly yelling ¡°Stop where you are, someone will be out shortly to greet you.¡±


    ¡°Well at least we can understand their language,¡± Atlas happily said as he shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Let me do the talking here Atlas.¡± Kronos stated at Atlas in order to keep him quiet.


    Slowly the gate crept open creating a gap barely wide enough for a large muscular man to walk through who was waving his hand at them. The man got a closer look at the three strange individuals in front of him. The man on his right towered at two meters tall with spiked pitch black hair with a set of intimidating red eyes. On the mans¡¯ back was a large glaive that was about the size of his body. The figure in the center of the group was a dark skinned man with braided white pulled behind his head with a black bandanna. A few loose strands drifted to the front of his face with his eyes being a piercing yellow color. He also cast a towering figure standing at one and nine tenths of a meter with a longbow and quiver strapped to his back. The final man on the left stood at 1.8 meters tall with short shaggy dark red hair, with light blue eyes. Oddly enough he was dragging the carcass of a large beast behind him.


    ¡°Greetings young men my name is Skymaster Doug, might I inquire your purpose for being here?¡± stated Skymaster Doug. Asmodeus turned to side, snickered and said to himself ¡®What kind of name is Doug¡¯. Ignoring Asmodeus, Kronos replied, ¡°We came here hoping to gain information as to where we are.¡± ¡°Well you are in the kingdom of Astride in the town of Amsterdam. Though I can¡¯t help but notice your strange attires. People round here usually do not have those kind of cloths.¡±


    ¡°We came from a very far away land where these kind of clothes are more common place.¡± Kronos stated. ¡°Ahh that make more sense, though what is most odd about your group isn¡¯t your cloths but the unusual level of mana that you all are emitting¡± stated Skymaster Doug.


    ¡°Hey so what is this mana you speak of???¡± questioned Atlas with a confused look on his face. Surprised Skymaster Doug spoke, ¡°It should be common knowledge as far as I know.¡±


    Before Atlas had a chance to speak again Kronos interjected, ¡°We came from a very small village so we are not aware of most common knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well to put it simply there are two main forces in the world; Mana and Ki.¡± Skymaster Doug explained. Continuing he stated, ¡°Mana exists in every living and non-living thing in existence and is the basic for all magic. Ki on the other hand is the body¡¯s mana converted to internal energy that circulates through all the meridians of the body. Ki¡¯s main purpose is to allow its practitioners to gain increased speed, strength, and endurance.¡±


    ¡°So how would one go about utilizing Ki and magic!!¡± ,Asmodeus asked with a pondering expression.


    ¡°Well as for the nature of magic I am not entirely sure as I¡¯m predominately a practitioner of Ki but I can refer you to the local mage so that he can further explain it. For Ki though you have to circulate it through your body clearing out any impurities in your meridians allowing for greater physical strength.¡±


    Asmodeus, Kronos, and Atlas just stood still while digesting this new piece of information surprised at all this news.

 Chapter 4: Power Systems

    ¡°Although this is a lot of information to take in, I can¡¯t find any reason for you to stand out here.¡± Skymaster Doug stated while observing the deep expressions on the groups face.


    ¡°So would it be possible for us to see this mage tonight?¡± Asmodeus asked


    ¡°I am afraid not. The mage will not be available until sometime tomorrow,¡± Skymaster Doug replied.


    ¡°Oh¡­ ok, then guess tomorrow it is,¡± Asmodeus replied.


    Skymaster Doug signaled the tower to open the gates which crept open revealing a small town with numerous wooden buildings scattered about what appeared to be a main street. Observing the town Kronos showed a slight interest in its layout but was more concerned about this so called mana and Ki that Skymaster Doug spoke of. Although they were allowed in the group still felt as if they were being watched while the followed Skymaster Doug down the main street. Dragging the large beast behind himself Atlas was probably the reason for all of the strange stares however.


    They continued to walk through the town until they came across an old fashioned inn. Noticing the group¡¯s glances Skymaster Doug commented, ¡°Here is a place where you all can stay. You can tell the innkeeper that tonight is on me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks so much for your help man.¡± Atlas cheerfully replied.


    ¡°No thanks needed. Meet me tomorrow at the entrance to the inn and I¡¯ll bring you to meet the mage. I¡¯ll also give you more in depth information about Ki.¡± Skymaster Doug said. ¡°Oh and one more thing I can keep an eye on that beast corpse for you until the end of tomorrow. That way you don¡¯t have to worry about it until you¡¯re ready to sell.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that Doug.¡± Asmodeus casually commented back.


    Finishing his statement Asmodeus follow the group through the front door of the inn to find that despite its appearance it had a very quaint atmosphere. On the far left wall was a stone fireplace reaching all the way up to the second floors ceiling. Two very comfortable looking chairs sat in front of the fireplace which currently had a roaring fire going. To the right of the chairs were two long wooden tables with several chairs lined around them. Looking to his right Atlas noticed a wooden counter with a door behind it in the center. Running up to the counter Atlas proceed to ring a golden bell several times in order to get someone¡¯s attention.


    From out the door walked a man of average height with a very lean build. The man proceeded to ask, ¡°So how can I help you young men tonight?¡± while he rung his hands together as if he had just finished working.


    ¡°We were told by Skymaster Doug that we could get a free room at his expense for a night.¡± Asmodeus said while giving off a slightly friendly feeling.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Since that¡¯s the case I¡¯ll go ahead and bring you to your room. Right this way please.¡± The man replied.


    Noticing how quickly the man gave them their room Kronos took note, making a mental reminder to not mess with the Skymaster for now.


    ¡°By the way name¡¯s Axle, just let me know if you need anything¡± the man named Axle told them.


    ¡°Thanks man¡± Atlas replied with a gleeful smile on his face.


    Both Asmodeus and Kronos elected to remain silent. Coming out from being the counter the Axle walking in from of the group leading them towards a staircase on the right hand side of the room. Walking up the stairs to the second floor which had two doors on the left and two doors on the right Axle guided them to the end of the hallway to door on the left hand side. He turned around and commented with a cordial attitude, ¡°This will be your room for the night.¡± Outstretching his hand he revealed a key stating, ¡°Here is the key for your room. If you need anything else please come find me downstairs. I hope you have a good night.¡± Taking the key from him Asmodeus replied with a short thanks as Axle walked past him. Without saying anything more Axle turned around and walked back down the stairs as no more conversation was necessary.


    ¡°Well that sure was convenient¡± Atlas said while shrugging.


    Exhausted the group proceeded into their room ready for some shut eye. Walking in they noticed that the room was of a moderate size with a small desk on the right hand side with three beds spread evenly apart. As if in accordance with a unspoken agreement all three walked towards separate beds with Kronos taking the bed closet to the desk, Asmodeus taking the bed on the farthest right, and Atlas taking the be in the middle. Too tired to think of anything to say they plopped down onto the beds, passing out as soon as they hit the sheets.


    Several hours passed before the sun slowly rose shining into the room from windows located in front of the desk. Atlas slowly woke up with a smile on his face as the morning light hit his face. Stretching while he sat up he glanced around to check if the rest of the group was up only to find Kronos and Asmodeus tiredly looking at him while they sat on their beds.


    He exclaimed, ¡°So are you guys ready to get a move on?¡±


    With an irritated side glance Kronos said, ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up you dunce.¡±


    Asmodeus chimed in, ¡°Yeah bro it¡¯s really hard to wake you up in the morning man.¡±


    Ignoring their replies Atlas joyfully said, ¡°Let¡¯s go guys!!!!¡±


    Hopping of his bed Kronos grabbed his glaive from beside his bed as Asmodeus grabbed his bow and arrows which were propped against the front on his bed. As they all got up Kronos was the first to be out the door as he proceeded to head downstairs. As the group headed down the stairs Axle heard them coming as he prepared to greet them at the foot of the stairway. When he saw them coming down he courteously questioned, ¡°May I interest you young gentleman in a light meal?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Giving the other two no time to respond Atlas loudly said, ¡°For sure man I¡¯m starving¡­¡± While he said this his stomach rumbled loudly.


    Whacking the side of Atlas¡¯ head Asmodeus said, ¡°Come on man can''t you keep your stomach under control!!!¡±


    ¡°Owwwwwww that hurt¡­.¡± Atlas sullenly said as he tried to contain his hunger.


    Walking over to the table on their right hand side, they plopped down onto their seats around the table. Axle went to the door behind the counter opening it and walking through. The group just sat there in silence waiting for the food to arrive. It only took a few minutes for Axle to come out with the food that looked surprisingly delicious. When Atlas saw all the food he couldn¡¯t help himself from staring, licking his lips ready to dig into the meal. At the same time Asmodeus and Kronos displayed an expression of annoyance, flabbergasted at Atlas¡¯ attitude. It didn¡¯t take long for the groups to finish their meal, and once done they headed to the front of the inn.


    As soon as they walked out of the building they saw Skymaster Doug with his back to the doorframe. Sensing that the group was behind him Skymaster Doug turned around and told them, ¡°Morning gentlemen. How are you doing this fine morning?¡±


    Kronos coldly stated, ¡°Just fine.¡±


    Skymaster Doug went on to say, ¡°I took the liberty of selling the beast¡¯s corpse for you so that you would not have to go through the trouble of dealing with merchants. It sold for a considerable amount.¡± Outstretching his hand with a bag of coins jiggling as he raised his arm. ¡°And here you go, seven silver. I had it converted to copper pieces for you convenience.¡± Reaching out and quickly taking the bag from his hands Asmodeus asked, ¡°Are we finally able to see that mage now?¡±


    Ignoring Asmodeus¡¯ rude action as if it was of no importance to him Skymaster Doug explained, ¡°Yes, he should be ready now so I¡¯ll take you right to him.¡±


    The group eagerly followed him relieved that they can finally find out some new information of this strange world. Skymaster Doug walked with a brisk pace leaving them behind almost effortlessly. Although his initial brisk pace was hard to keep up with the group took next to no time at all to catch up with him walking side-by-side once they caught up. The group continued to walk for a while until they came up to a strange building that was made of a very unusual stone. It gave off a very unfamiliar but powerful air that they had never come across on their world.


    Walking up to the front door Skymaster Doug knocked on the door twice promptly asking, ¡°Hey Jouhn you there?¡±


    It took but a second for the personal to arrive opening the front door. From the shadows of the inside of the building a hunched figure appeared. Coming closer the figure was revealed to be a hunched back old man who was carrying what appeared to be a wizard¡¯s staff. Casually glancing at Kronos, Atlas, and Asmodeus he turned to look at Skymaster Doug asking, ¡°Is there anything is can help you with Skymaster Doug?¡±


    ¡°No not me my old friend. But you can help these young travelers. They wanted to get a better understanding about mana so I brought them over to see you.¡± Skymaster Doug replied


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Well go ahead and come inside this might take a while.¡± Jouhn told the group leading them to some tables inside the building. Signaling to one of the assistants to bring some tea for them he waits until the tea has arrived before starting to explain. ¡°Well lets¡¯ start with the basics. Mana is an ethereal substance that exists in every signal object and thing in the world. It is a form of the purest energy that acts as the foundation for all things in existence. All living things have the ability to tap into this energy source in order to perform great feats. From the smallest bird to the largest demon beasts all things start off with an inherent amount of mana in their bodies. In people this mana manifests as a drop of life, it is what allows the races to do what they do.¡±


    Taking a break to take a sip of tea Jouhn continues, ¡°Now while the amount of mana that exists in a given person depends on what race you are the future growth of said mana relies on one¡¯s talent. This talent determines how quickly this source of mana, also known as a mana pool grows. Now all mana pools grow over time but in magicians this is ever more apparent. Magicians focus on drawing in mana from their environments in order to rapidly speed up the growth of their mana pools. As a mage grows older and stronger this mana pool can rapidly increase in size from the smallest of droplets to the largest of seas. Any questions so far?¡±


    Speaking up Asmodeus asked, ¡°So how does the size of ones mana pool correlate to how strong that person is?¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ excellent question.¡± Jouhn replied, continuing ¡°While there is a direct correlation between the size of ones mana pool and strength it is easier to use the commonly accepted Star System. The Star System consists of 5 levels starting at 1-Star Mage and continuing until 5-Star Warlock at its strongest. A better way to think of the peak 5-Star Warlock level is to compare it to the might of an S-Class adventurer, although those kind of people are incredibly rare. Skymaster Doug could easily be considered as a Ki fighter of this level.¡±


    Stunned by the way that Jouhn presented these facts the group had a look of surprise on their faces. The was that Jouhn spoke left no doubt that he knew exactly what he was talking about. They also amazed at his ability to talk for that long without making a single mistake in his explanations.


    ¡°Do you have any further questions for me at this time?¡± Jouhn asked already growing tired of this conversation.


    ¡°I think we are good for the moment.¡± Kronos replied with the same tone asn, like they had reached a mutual agreement in their heads. After what Jouhn led them outside the building shutting the door behind them as he was going back to what he was previously doing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple more questions to ask you Skymaster Doug.¡± Asmodeus stated.


    ¡°You may ask me anything you want. As long as I have the answer I¡¯ll provide it as long as the answer is not confidential.¡± Skymaster Doug stated.


    ¡°Can you please explain how the Ki system a little further. You gave us a brief description yesterday but I¡¯d like to get a little better description today.¡±


    ¡°I can certainly do that for you. Lets¡¯ see¡­. Well to start off Ki is fundamentally man at its base, but unlike mages who use external mana to cast spells Ki warriors use their internal mana to fuel their body. This form of energy is commonly used by warriors in order to enhance their muscles and strength. Similar to the mage system the strength tiers uses the Star System and starts at 1-Star Warriors and ends at a 5-Star Master. The main uses of Ki are the enhancement of physical strength, increased endurance, and an increase in speed. In order to achieve the higher star levels and Ki warrior must open the 12 main meridians and 8 sub meridians in their body. Through the opening of their meridians a warrior starts the long process of clearing out any impurities in the body allowing for them to be less susceptible to major diseases as well as allowing for a much more vast flow of Ki throughout the body.¡± Skymaster Doug explained.


    Taking a breath he continued, asking, ¡°And what was your second question?¡±


    ¡°Is there any sort of large group where warriors and mages can gather to do quests and sell monster parts?¡± Asmodeus asked.


    ¡°Why yes there is. It¡¯s called Underneath the Sky which has several branches throughout each county and I am one the Skymaster of this lesser branch¡± Skymaster Doug replied. ¡°So any more questions?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how would someone go about joining this organization¡± Atlas interjected with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t do that here. You would need to be evaluated at one of the larger cities in order to join and gain a ranking. After that you can report the results of any quests you take which would increase you¡¯re rank. Also the higher your rank is the more profits you can gain as you will be allowed to take higher ranked missions which are provide on notice boards inside the main office.¡± Skymaster Doug replied.


    ¡°How is the ranking setup?¡± Kronos asked.


    ¡°Well rankings usually run from F to A with the highest rank S having to be granted by Underneath the Sky headquarters. The S rank promotions are the least common however as that kind of rank requires you to be unfathomably strong, which is very uncommon.¡± Skymaster Doug replied.


    Finished with their questions the group stopped to ponder over all the new information that they¡¯d gained. What with the introduction and explanation of mana and Ki it was a lot to take in. They stopped walking in order to fully digest this chunk of information so it took them a few moments to fully understand all that they were told.

 Chapter 5: Gathering of Arms

    It took the group a few minutes to finish mulling over and memorizing this new set of information. Being the most intelligent one in the group Kronos was the first to finish digesting all of it, with Asmodeus finish slightly after while Atlas being the last. Kronos started to ponder about the process of joining the Underneath the Sky group, because it seemed to be the best way for them to gain even more knowledge. Taking a moment to organize his thoughts Kronos asked Skymaster Doug, ¡°How would we go about getting to larger city where we could join Underneath the Sky?¡±


    Slightly startled for a split second by Kronos¡¯ forwardness Skymaster Doug quickly recovered and replied, ¡°There are two ways to get to Avitius, the largest city nearby. The first way is to go over the Bridge of Leviathans which judging from the direction you came from you must have already seen it. You know that large bridge across that ravine. The second way is to use the transfer gate, which requires more money than you could possibly possess. Of course for people who can¡¯t pay the fee they can also use a seal of approval from a Skymaster which isn¡¯t too impossible to get.¡±


    ¡°So which way would take the shortest amount of time in order to get there?¡± Asmodeus added in before Kronos got a chance to ask.


    ¡°Well strictly speaking the Bridge of Leviathans would be the best option, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend going that way this season as this is the time of year that the Sea Leviathans are most active.¡± Skymaster Doug continued saying, ¡°In all honesty I¡¯d recommend taking the transfer gate in order to get to Avitius. Of course I¡¯m willing to give you my seal of approval, but only if you help me out with a slight task.¡±


    ¡°And what task might that be Skymaster Doug?¡± Atlas happily asked.


    ¡°Oh nothing much, there¡¯s just a local band of bandits holding up near here. My manpower is too low at the moment to deal with them so to prove yourself worth of my seal. That is why I would like your help in dealing with these punks.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think we may just take you up on that offer.¡± Asmodeus replied back to Skymaster Doug.


    ¡°Good. The most we know right now is that the bandits headquarters is sequestered somewhere in the woods east of here but we don¡¯t know the exact location. We also know that they number at least fifteen strong. Keep an eye out for the vice-captain and captain though, because you are barely their match.¡± Skymaster Doug informed them, ¡°So knowing all this do you think you¡¯re up for the challenge?¡±


    ¡°Oh there is no question in my mind about whether or not we can handle it. Just be prepared to hand over that seal Skymaster.¡± Kronos arrogantly remarked with a smirk on his face. For once Asmodeus fully agreed with Kronos albeit preferring to be more respectful as he replied with an air of confidence, ¡°No problem Skymaster, this¡¯ll be a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear how confident you all are. Well if you need supplies for your trip the weapon shop is two buildings down from the inn that you were staying at, and you can get dry supplies and rations from the innkeeper.¡± Skymaster Doug replied while chuckling. The group nodded their heads, acknowledging this new information.


    ¡°Now if there is nothing else to discuss I have business to attend to.¡± Skymaster Doug stated as if in a rush to get back to his guild work.


    ¡°Yeah I think we¡¯re good for now, we¡¯ll come find you again when finish this task.¡± Asmodeus said while taking a mental note not to be rude. Skymaster Doug still gave him a heavy ominous feeling as if warning him of impending danger.


    Skymaster Doug started walking away from the group until he went past a corner and down an alley where he went out of sight. As he was walking down the alley a shadow dropped down on one knee behind him. Upon closer inspection one would notice that it was the same scout that had been tailing the group from the day before. Standing up the scout quickly asked, ¡°Are you sure that we can trust them to take care of that group of bandits?¡±


    Skymaster Doug took a short moment to think before replying back, ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, it¡¯s bad for your health, and besides if they aren¡¯t able to complete the task then it¡¯s no skin off my back since that¡¯d be a potential threat terminated.¡± As if reconsidering his words he quickly added, ¡°Either way I think it would be best for you to continue to tail them. As long as they don¡¯t¡¯ try to cause any trouble for this town it should be fine.¡± He continued to speak with his once cheerful expression melting off his face to be become more emotionless and expressionless stating, ¡°But the moment they do something that might be considered a threat to us and our people take them out.¡± With a crisp ¡°Yes Sir¡± the scout¡¯s image abruptly shattered as he faded into nothingness.


    Unaware that they were being talked about the group proceeded to head towards the weapon shop. Which was in a very easy to find location it being the only building that loud clangs could be heard coming from. Taking a glance at the building Atlas noticed that it was made completely out of heavily compressed stones. Above the door hung a wooden sign with the symbol of two swords crossed. Eager to see what the shop had to offer, Atlas walked ahead of Kronos and Asmodeus opening the front door to the shop.


    The shop had a certain roughness to it as all the walls had barrels lined up that were full of several different weapons. Above the barrels were shelves lined with higher quality weapons. Toward the back of the shop was a giant granite counter with a door behind it that appeared to lead to a smithy. Sitting behind the counter was a short gruff looking man with a course brown beard. The man had a very muscular build with arm that was as thick as a normal man¡¯s thigh.


    Upon noticing that he had customers, the short man quickly went out from behind the counter to greet them. Upon coming out from behind the counter he took Kronos, Atlas, and Asmodeus by surprise. It turned out that the man looked like the epitome of a dwarf from Germanic lore. While the group was gawking in sheer surprise the short man roughly quipped while chuckling, ¡°What you ain¡¯t never seen a dwarf before?!¡±


    ¡°Sorry our bad, you just took us by surprise,¡± Atlas joyfully remarked.


    ¡°No problem lads s¡¯not the first time I¡¯ve caught someone by surprise nor will it be the last. Name¡¯s Argus by the way. Now what can I help you kids with?¡±


    Kronos decided to remain silent as he was still looking around the shop checking out all possible weapons that he could utilize. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a new bow, arrow, and quiver as these just won¡¯t cut it anymore,¡± Asmodeus replied while pulling his bow from his back.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Glancing at the bow Argus nodded his head while turning towards Atlas asking, ¡°And how bout you lad what kinda weapon are you lookin fer?¡±


    Atlas quietly thought to himself before replying, ¡°I¡¯m looking for a weapon that works well in close quarters combat. Preferably one that could be worn on the hands, as I¡¯m more of a fist based fighter.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho that¡¯s certainly an interesting choice of weapon, since that¡¯s the case I¡¯ll deal with you first.¡± Argus said while looking at Asmodeus, ¡°We¡¯ve got some cast iron and steel bows that¡¯ll cost ya round 1 silver a piece. I¡¯d recommend the cast iron bow as lookin at yer build you look like a kid that needs a bow with a high pulling force.¡± Moving over to a different area he continued, ¡°As fer arrows I can sell you a bundle of sturdy wooden arrows with barbed steel tips for about 15 copper a set which comprises of 12 arrows.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­. Alright sounds good to me, I¡¯ll take 5 sets of arrows and the cast iron bow.¡± Asmodeus responded while calculating the cost of all the goods he needs. Seeing that Asmodeus was satisfied with his choice, Argus walked over to a shelf grabbing a silver looking bow. After that he went towards a shelf next to the counter that was full with several different quality arrows. He shifted through the items until he picked out 60 arrows and a large wooding quiver.


    ¡°Here you go lad, this¡¯ll amount to 1 silver and 60 copper pieces, quivers on the house.¡± Argus said while he held out his hand to Asmodeus


    Asmodeus quickly counted out the amount needed out of his bag of coins before handing them over to Argus. Once Argus had the coins he proceeded to hand over the bow, arrow, and quiver to Asmodeus. Quickly shifting his new equipment over his shoulder Asmodeus, he then proceeded to hold out his old stuff while asking, ¡°So would you be willing to buy this hunk of junk from me?¡±


    ¡°Hmmph¡­ I suppose I could dismantle them for parts. I¡¯ll give ya 35 copper for all of it.¡± Argus told Asmodeus in a very business-like manner.


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Asmodeus quickly replied back to Argus who took out 35 copper from the coins Asmodeus just gave him and handed it back.


    ¡°Now on to you lad, I¡¯ll show you my assortment of fist typed weaponry.¡± Argus said as he turned his attention towards Atlas.


    Walking towards the back of the store Argus proceeded to grab a crate from the top shelf. Bringing the crate back up to the front he opened it up revealing what was inside. Looking into the box Atlas saw a multitude of odd weapons. While he was looking through the crate one particular weapon caught his eye. The weapon looked similar to a sloth¡¯s claw with three curved blades extending out of what looked to be a vambrace. At the back of the vambrace it had three slightly curved pieces of metal that appeared to be meant to wrap around the arm. On the surface it had a twin skull design etched into the dark red metal that made up the rest of it. On the underside of the hand guard had what appeared to be a handle wrap is a soft fur.


    Instantly liking the ferocious air that the pair of weapons emitted, Atlas immediately decide to get this weapon set. Seeing the look of interest of Atlas¡¯ face Argus commented, ¡°Ah bout time someone came in who wanted these claws. Cause yer the first person to show such an interest in them I¡¯ll sell em to ya for just 1 silver and 15 copper.¡± Atlas quickly nodded his head to agree with the amount, so he looked towards Asmodeus who proceeded to pay Argus the amount needed for the weapons.


    Upon seeing the other two members of the group finishing up, Kronos decided that it was time for him to say what he wanted. With little hesitation or deliberation he informed Argus of his choice stating, ¡°I¡¯ll take ten of your cheapest throwing daggers.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing kid, that¡¯ll be 2 silvers in total,¡± Argus told Kronos with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Asmodeus quickly pay the man we don¡¯t have all day,¡± Kronos commanded Asmodeus as if he was his servant.


    Slightly glaring at Kronos, Asmodeus commented, ¡°Shut up man¡­ well whatever no use arguing about it.¡± sighing immediately afterwards. After quickly handing over the money to Argus, the group decided that they should grab the rest of their supplies before heading out. So they left the weapon shop, and proceeded to head towards the inn.


    When they arrived back at the inn they noticed that Axle was behind the counter who nodded at them in greeting.


    ¡°What can I help you with young men?¡± Axle asked.


    ¡°Oh sup Axle. Could we get some rations, and dry supplies that could last us a few days¡¯? We¡¯re planning on heading out soon, so it would be much appreciated.¡± Asmodeus answered.


    ¡°Sure thing, I¡¯ll be right back with you order.¡± Axle answered back without batting an eyelid. It didn¡¯t take him long to return with three large hiking-packs worth of supplies.


    ¡°With this amount of supplies it should last you all a few days. However this won¡¯t be on the house so you¡¯ll have to pay a total of 2 silvers.¡± Axle informed the group.


    Deciding that they was no use arguing with a man who was providing much needed supplies Asmodeus quickly nodded his head before handing the money over to Axle. After quickly picking up the backpacks, the group left the inn giving their thanks to Axle for his hospitality. Noticing that it was still early in the day the group decided to leave town to look for the bandit camp.


    Walking with a brisk pace the group quickly headed towards the gate that they had used to enter the town. The guard in front silently nodded towards them, as he had already been informed of their impending arrival. He quickly opened up the gate enough to allow the group passage as they left.


    Upon exiting the gate the group proceeded to head east towards the direction of the bandit camp. They started to trek through the forest of towering trees. The sun shone through the leaves creating small shadows that shifted with the wind. It wasn¡¯t long before the sun reached its peak in the sky causing even deeper shadows to appear around them.


    Becoming aware of a foreboding sense of danger Atlas stopped to tap into the ability he gained from consuming the beast causing metallic plates to emerge from his skin, while also equipping the claws he had just acquired. Taking note of Atlas¡¯ actions, both Asmodeus and Kronos prepared themselves for any possible danger that could be heading their way.


    When the group started to walk again a giant shadow struck out with a blur aiming towards Atlas. Before Atlas could react he was bitten by a behemoth of a viper. Although Atlas was caught completely unaware due to his prior preparations the bite was unable to puncture his skin. Confused by the fact that its¡¯ powerful fangs were unable to piece its prey the viper grew angry. Before it could act on this anger, it found itself being stabbed by Atlas who had reached over his back in order to impale it with his claws. Making sure that he had a firm grip on the viper Atlas proceeded to fling it over his shoulder high into the air.


    After sailing through the air the viper landed back onto the ground, after which it coiled up preparing to strike at this prey that caused it pain. With its¡¯ body fully exposed in the sunlight the group could finally get a glimpse of its full appearance. It was a large purple-scaled snake that looked to be about three meters long, with its body having a mosaic of patterns on its scales. Hissing out in pain from the wound that Atlas had caused the snake reared back ready to lunge once more.


    The viper lunged out at Atlas in anger only to find that it wasn¡¯t moving as fast as it normally could. As it flew towards Atlas it felt an unusual weight pressing down upon it. This feeling of extra weight caused its head to lower mid-flight. Seeing that his gravity powers worked Asmodeus proceeded to let loose two arrows from his new bow toward the viper. Further amplifying the arrows power with gravity, the arrows rocketed toward the vipers eyes fully puncturing them stopping just short of the brain. Satisfied with the results Asmodeus focused all of his gravity powers on the snake causing it to slam into the ground. Before the viper could even react to all of this, Kronos dashed toward it with his glaive in hand. Speeding up his bodies time caused him to move even faster. As Kronos charged forward he managed to get right next to the vipers neck. Arriving at his destination he lifted his glaive over his head violently bringing it down with as much speed and force he could muster. Slamming the blade into the neck of the viper he felt it pass through the vipers flesh, before finally severing its head from its body leaving behind a crater due to the excess force.