《The Adventures of the Mask Maker》 First Quest: Slay 5 Goblins After registering for the guild, I immediately head to the quest board and looked at the available E ranked quests....hmm, slay 5 goblins and bring back their ears as proof? I can do that. I grabbed a copy of the request and left the guild. Heading towards the forest, I chanced upon a small party of fifteen goblins eating beside a large tent. Hiding behind some trees, I observed them until nightfall. Seeing the goblins all asleep, I decided it was time to attack. I grabbed my Ghost mask and put it on. Within a few seconds, I transformed into a ghost. Slowly, I drift towards the nearest goblin. I reached my hand out and phased through the goblin. Immediately, the goblin''s eyes flew open and a look of utter horror appeared on his face. And then he died without a chance to alert the others...more specifically, I phased his heart out and he dies quickly. Next, I moved on to the next one until I have successfully killed all fifteen goblins. Collecting the ears of 10 of the goblins, I prepared to head back but then I realized...all fifteen goblins were sleeping outside! Then...who or what is in the tent? Curiosity got the hold of me and I proceeded to venture towards the tent. Opening the flap of the entrance, I see...a large orc! So it seems that the orcs and goblins are tied together! No wonder the goblins are attacking villages...this was all instigated by orcs! Could this mean that orcs are really planning to attack the nearby village? I must inform the guild even though it probably won''t earn me the scouting request reward but as an adventurer, this is my duty. Before I leave to inform the guild, I restrained the orc and removed my Ghost mask. The orc woke up but could not escape the restraints. Squealing in anger and panic, it looked at me as if to say "What are you gonna do to me?!?" I looked at the orc and grinned a evil grin. Taking out my skinning knife, I walked towards the struggling orc. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. You guessed it! I needed a new mask. Now to make a mask, the face skin of the creature is needed. And it has to be fresh...as in the skin must be removed while the prey is still alive. Some people may say that this is inhumane...but this is necessary in order to retain the abilities of the prey. After skinning the orc, I immediately dried and preserved the skin and placed it in my bag so I can work on the new mask at home. Then, I slit the pig bastard''s throat. Leaving the forest, I quickly made my way back to the guild and presented my loot as well as notify the guild that the goblin attacks were instigated by orcs. Afterwards, I stood there waiting for my rewards.... First Customer - Kyuu Sitting at my table with a half finish cup of mead, I silently observed the remaining adventurers. It seems that my recently formed partner Oddfreak has left for home and a few other adventurers have retired to their rooms. Looking at the remaining adventurers, I stood up and clinked my cup. "Hey guys, I have with me 5 goblin masks each with 5 uses. These masks can be considered as low-grade magic items. Wearing these masks, you can transform into a goblin and gain the abilities of a normal goblin. Of course if you take the mask off or you sustain too much damage during a fight, the mask becomes unusable til after 24 hours. I would like to propose a trade...a mask for another item, anyone interested?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Hmmm...seems interesting, how about a few vials of poison or a fire crystal?" Someone said. Looking up, I see Kyuu - a dual wielding assassin capable of plant as well as water and ice manipulation. Smiling, I replied. "Ok, that seems like a fair trade, a goblin mask with 5 uses for a few vials of poison...by the way, how many is a few? And how strong is the poison? Can you describe to me the effects so when I use it during quests, I can adjust the dosage appropriately?" "5 vials of poison and 3 vials of the antidote. The poison is a fast-acting paralyzing agent that becomes lethal if left alone for more than 5 minutes. Three drops are sufficient to kill a normal human" "Okay, done deal. I''m only trading one goblin mask though." I said as I hand over one goblin mask. Second Quest: Slay 5 Hobgoblins Another day, another quest. Walking in to the guild, I notice a lot of adventurers looking at the quest board. I walk up to them to see what they are looking at. Apparently, there''s a request for help to prevent the orc invasion. Seems to me like its a large scale event. I probably won''t be able to go since my combat power isn''t that high. Scanning at the other quests, I notice that the goblins have successfully bred a hobgoblin. If my memory is correct, hobgoblins are a variant form of goblins. They are stronger, faster, and more intelligent than the average goblin. Man...I want to make a hobgoblin mask. Evil fumu-fumus can be heard from my vicinity...everyone looked at me and backed away slowly. Realizing my habit is showing again, I took a copy of the "Slay 5 hobgoblins" quest and embarrassingly ran out the guild. Walking back into the forest where I slain those goblins yesterday, I placed on my Werewolf mask. Once I transformed into a werewolf, I sniffed my surroundings trying to sniff out some goblins. After a few minutes, I smelled a little more than 100 goblins clustered in a group some distance away. Silently and quickly, I rushed over towards the goblins. By the time I reached the goblin group, it was almost noon. The goblins are currently cooking some sort of stew. By their side, I see 10 hobgoblins lazing about. Switching off my Werewolf mask with my Ghost mask, I quietly and transparently floated towards the goblins. Luckily because of the ghost''s innate ability to phase out and avoid detection, I was able to approach the goblin''s stew pot without being noticed. I reached into my backpack and pulled out a vial of poison that I recently traded with a goblin mask. When the goblin cook wasn''t looking, I poured the entire vial into the pot...hopefully, there''s enough stew in the pot to dilute the poison. Next, I waited for the goblins to finish cooking. In the meantime, I observed the hobgoblins. Two of the hobgoblins are red while the rest were black. I remember that different colored hobgoblins meant different innate abilities. For instance, black hobgoblins are the most common with no special abilities...just a stronger version of goblin. However, red hobgoblins have a fire affinity and can do some form of fire magic/ability. I couldn''t help but daydream about what I can get with a red hobgoblin mask...a permanent mask can be considered a C-rank magic item, while black masks can be considered as D-rank. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. While I was daydreaming, the goblin cook finally finished cooking. Because the hobgoblins were stronger, they were able to eat first. Seeing the hobgoblins eat huge amounts of the stew, I worried that the hobgoblins might take in too much of the poison and die instead of the intended paralysis. While the hobgoblins were eating, the poison took effect (wow that was way too fast...the goblins haven''t started yet). Struggling in pain, the hobgoblins went berserk. Thinking that the goblins poisoned them because of their previous abusive treatment, they started slaughtering the goblins. Some goblins ran and some tried to fight back. More than 90 goblins died before the hobgoblins collapsed with foam from their mouths. The remaining ten or so goblins walked up to the collapsed hobgoblins and poked them to see if they were alive or not. While the goblins were prodding, I immediately sprang into action. Switching to my Orc mask, I attacked the goblins and killed them. Looking at the hobgoblins, I knelt beside each one of them and checked their pulse...what? They''re dead?! Did...was the poison too strong? I cursed at myself for wasting such good material. However, luckily I knew a method to make masks with limited uses from corpses. In other words, they don''t have to be alive before face removal. However, limited use masks are a rank lower than permanent masks...in other words, what could have been a C-rank magic item can only be a D-rank and what could have been a D-rank can only be an E-rank item. With a sigh, I switched back to human form and took out my Skinning knife. I expertly removed the faces of the red hobgoblins and three of the black hobgoblins. Then, I removed the ears of the other 5 hobgoblins to be used as proof of quest completion. Afterwards, I hurried back to the guild to report my success. After reporting, I headed to the Tavern to see if I can trade my hobgoblin masks. Interactions with a few Adventurers In the Tavern.... "Hey, I''m currently trading 4 goblin masks each with 5 uses, 2 red hobgoblin masks each with 5 uses, and 3 black hobgoblin masks each with 5 uses. With these masks, you can transform into whatever the masks are made from. You can easily infiltrate the orc army with these masks. Anyone interested? Red hobgoblin mask can be considered as D-rank magic item and Black hobgoblin mask can be considered as E-rank magic item." I exclaimed while I sat and drank honey mead. I looked around but many seems to be uninterested. At the corner of my eye, I spotted Kyuu - my first customer. "Hey Kyuu...how about a red hobgoblin mask? It lets you become a red hobgoblin with some fire abilities/magic. This mask can be considered as a D-rank magic item...an entire two ranks above a goblin mask." "Hmm, sorry fire magic is completely incompatible with my abilities. But if you even happen to find one that has ice properties we can discuss this again." Kyuu apologized. "Ice properties are blue colored hobgoblins. If you meet some, send some my way. Make sure their heads are in perfect condition though. The better the condition, the higher chance I can increase the number of uses." I mused. "Hmm, then I''ll have to go hunting." Kyuu replied before leaving the tavern. Suddenly, a melodic voice appeared to my right. "Hmm...hobgoblin heads...." The owner of this voice was a Dragon-Elven hybrid by the name of Alliuna Palata. If my memory is correct, she works as a scholar/librarian...a keeper of knowledge. Alliuna walks up to my table and with a wave of her hand, many hobgoblin heads appear. There were 5 green, 8 violet, 9 black, 7 white, and 2 rainbow colored hobgoblin heads. Then, she turned around and walk away. As she left, I overheard her say "not tasty enough anyways." I see her walk to a table on the other side of the room and proceeds to glare...I mean watch curiously...at me. I shrugged and proceeded to look at the assortment of hobgoblin heads. Nice...free hobgoblin heads...score! Though upon further checking, most aren''t in perfect condition since there were teeth marks everywhere. Oh well, with these, I can probably make masks with 3-4 uses. If my memory is correct, green hobgoblins have Nature affinity, violet hobgoblins have Thunder affinity, black hobgoblins are Normal with no affinity, white hobgoblins have Holy affinity...but rainbow? There''s no such thing...they must have been diseased. I feel sorry for the one who took a bite out of them, she needs to go to a healer as soon as possible to see if she didn''t contract anything. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Activating my Maker''s Domain, I quickly made the masks. As for the rainbow ones...because they are diseased, the masks made from them are Cursed. Finally, finishing the masks, I laid them out on the table. "I have 5 green hobgoblin masks of 3 use (E-rank magic item), 8 violet masks of 3 use (D-rank), 9 black masks of 4 use and 3 black masks of 5 use (E-rank), 7 white masks of 4 use (D-rank), 2 red masks of 5 use (D-rank), and 2 cursed masks of 1 use (E-rank). If you want the cursed mask, be careful as upon wearing, you will get a huge boost in strength, speed, defense...but the after-effects is whatever made them cursed...in this case disease...will affect you. So, anyone interested?" "Interesting. Very interesting. He''s converted the Poison element back into the purer Nature element.... I guess that is easier for humans to use. Lacking poison immunity, they would probably have to be extremely careful not to harm themselves with the special element. He also doesn''t recognize the Darkness element, I heard it was taboo for humans. I wonder why.... All the elements should be equal, no?" Alliuna chuckled to herself. "Hahahahahaha!!!! Diseased? You call the heads of lesser divines diseased? Oh how amusing my family would have found that. Even humans realize gods are all sick in the head. Well, I guess belief in ones own invulnerability and supremacy is a type of disease, if not exactly the type he''s thinking of. But still...this is too much fun! I wonder what will happen next?" Though she was talking to herself, I was still able to hear her mutterings. These black hobgoblin heads that she gave me have Darkness affinity? Curious as to why she said that, I compared the ones I recently made with the black ones I made earlier. Hmm, oh I see. These heads are pure black but the 3 I got from guild quest are not as pure which makes them only normal affinity. As for rainbow being lesser divines? They''re hobgoblins...they can be considered as the second evolution stage of goblins...how can they be gods? Also, though humans view darkness as taboo, nothing is taboo in my line of work. When I told her this, she replied, "Humans have even forgotten what gods are.... How sad indeed this is. No, they''re just diseased. A sickness of the mind and soul, yet with interesting effects on the body" "Don''t know if they are gods or not but the final result is still a cursed mask. Do you want one?" I said. However, Alliuna has already left. With a shrug, I continued to advertise my wares. Second Customer - Fanz "I want red imp mask. No limit use. For berserkers. Preferably with great regeneration. State yer price." I looked up at the sound of this arrogant tone. The adventurer before me goes by the name Fanz Resovi?¨¢ Zeta - a gambling addict with an uncontrollable rage. Quickly replacing my grimace with a smile, I nodded "The masks I make transforms the user to whatever creature it was made from. If you want a permanent red imp mask...I would need an alive, good to perfect condition red imp. As for making the mask for a berserker class...the red imp would have to be a berserker class imp as well. I enchant the mask with a regeneration attribute, but I would need some troll blood. Get me those things plus unicorn blood and unicorn horn as payment and I can make you one." "When you say permanent use, do you mean that the mask will not break no matter how many times I use it? Also, I said mask didn''t I? Just mask with effect." Fanz said (Did I mention how arrogant his first impression was?) and proceeds to unload items onto the table. "Can you make it?" With a quick glance, I see 25 gold, a vial of griffin blood, a vial of high troll blood, a hellvine stem cell, a greater regeneration gem and a golden imp corpse. Then, I looked at that stupid grin of his. Seriously...this guy wants a RED imp mask...and he provides me a GOLDEN imp body? I nearly slapped my forehead at this thought. "So you want a mask that does not transform you eh...hmm that will be harder. Nevertheless, I need an ALIVE RED imp, troll blood, wraith essence, and dragon tears. As for payment, unicorn blood and unicorn horns" I smiled as I put away the gold coins. Fanz points at the items, "That thing is alive. I think griffin blood is superior to unicorn blood and here''s a griffin horn. I don''t want anything to do with those virgins. Isn''t that greater troll blood enough? As for wraith essence, I have this Satan Stamp. Exchange it for anything you want in hell for free. And dragon tears? Change it with God''s tears when Satan was going through puberty." That mouth of his...I just want to slap it a few times. However, never go against a customer...with this thought, I smiled and said, "Did you not want a red mask? Golden imp will get you a golden mask. As for unicorn blood and horns, i need it for an immortality potion. I don''t think griffin blood and horns produce an immortality effect. Dragon tears are needed to prevent you from transforming while retaining the abilities you want. God tears don''t have that kind of effect. Please follow my instructions. Mask making requires specific materials. Get me those items and I can make your mask." Man...Fanz''s face was very ugly at that moment. With a humph, Fanz turned around and walk towards a friend of his. "Napknight, you have those items right? Give me." After taking the needed materials, he drops them on my table. "There. Please work fast." After receiving the materials, I immediately activated my Maker''s Domain. Within the domain, I restrained the red imp. His eyes stared at me in horror. Taking out my skinning knife, I carved off the imp''s face. Annoyed by the shrieks of pain, I slit the imp''s throat instantly killing it. Carefully, I laid the face on the table. Instead of drying and preserving like I usually do, I immediately washed the face with high troll blood thus imbuing greater regeneration. Using the Satan Stamp, I exchanged it for some wraith essence which is used to produce a berserk like effect on the user. After an hour, the process is almost done. Using dragon tears, I lathered the incomplete mask in order to prevent the mask from transforming the user but still retain the necessary abilities. Finally, its done. Appraising the item, I note it to be a B-rank magic item. No limit in number of uses. Greater regeneration and berserk effects. Strength and speed of user increased by triple. 12 hour cooldown. Satisfied with my work, I deactivated my domain. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Here''s your mask. Now although there''s no limit to uses, however, there''s a cooldown. If you take your mask off, the 12 hour cooldown starts. Next time you want to order a mask, notify me." "Fufufufufufu....hajahahahahahahjaHAHAAHHAHHAHA! TSUTEKI! TSUBARASHI!! Now I can do that quest with Abaddon!" Laughing hysterically, the crazy guy left the Tavern. Well, it seems like the day is coming to an end. I got up and prepared to leave when a voice called out to me. "YOU!!! I am looking for a mask to mask the presence of a mask!" Confused at what this person wanted, I joked. "Wear another mask then." "I want a thief mask." Looking closely, I remember seeing this guy register at the guild receptionist table. PK - previously a pirate king now just a pirate and an alchemist apprentice. "I can make a mask that can give you stealth abilities but you need to provide the materials." "Do you need a thief''s body? What else?" This guy...does he not know what he''s saying? Does he really want to wear the skin of another human? Apologizing, I replied. "Oh that is a bummer. I don''t do human faces. Here, how about this, first tell me what attributes you want when wearing the mask...and I''m assuming you don''t want to transform?" "Stealth plus alchemy success, metal attribute, and preferably with no transformation." "Ok, I need any stealth type creature, the stronger the better, but it needs to be brought to me alive. Get me some Automata blood for the metal attribute. I can''t give you alchemy success but if you find some Gold of Extreme Luck, I can increase you luck by double. Higher luck means higher success rate am I right? Also, I will need dragon tears to prevent transformation. Are you able to get these items with your abilities?" "Stealth creature - yes, Automata blood - yes...I think there was an Automata in the guild." PK grinned evilly. "Gold of Extreme Luck - no." "Well good luck getting those items." Afterwards, it seems PK had forgotten about this exchange or the items were too difficult for him to obtain so he gave up. Either way, it doesn''t really matter to me. A Short Exchange and A New Customer Another day gone by...I was at the usual place drinking a nice cool mug of honey mead and trying to sell my masks. Suddenly a man walks up to me. He is Shadow - a seasoned tinker. "Ah, you can have this. Might be useful in the future. Just tell me if you have any good story when using them." Surprised, I looked at the things he placed next to me. An explosive, a mine, and what looks to be a blade trap. "Thanks, here...have a white hobgoblin mask (4 uses, 24 hour cooldown) with Holy affinity and 2 violet hobgoblin masks (3 uses, 24 hour cooldown) with Thunder affinity. They''re all D-rank magic items that transforms user to hobgoblins." Shadow nods and leaves with the masks. .......... An hour passes.... .......... "I got some masks in my inventory, if you''re interested in trading for one or if you have questions about them, ask me." I exclaimed. "Ohh...I''m listening. So what specific abilities do I get with each masks?? Or do I get different kinds with different masks??" A half-asleep man hugging a pillow asked. I stared at this guy and realized he was the one who helped Fanz get the materials he needed for the red imp mask - Shiyo - a master of sleeping and sleeping. "So I have D-rank and E-rank hobgoblin masks. These masks are transforming masks meaning they transform the user into a hobgoblin and lets the user acquire the hobgoblin''s general abilities. Different color gives different special abilities of that hobgoblin. For instance, the red hobgoblin gives you fire abilities. The masks I have are limited use masks ranging from 3-5 uses. If you take too much damage while wearing the mask or take off the mask, you will revert back to your original form and the masks will go into a 24 hour cooldown." I explained, "So, interested?" "So...how do we do this? Trade or money ??" "Trade...for some items of equal value." "All that I have from my last hunt are 11 normal slime nuclei, 5 goblin tooth, 10 pieces of orcs, 4 Wandering lizards (beaten up), 4 Green herbs, 5 Red herbs, and 3 Yellow herbs. When the three different herbs are put together, they can give a much stronger effect." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "What are the special effects of the herbs when used separately? Do you know?" I asked curiously. "I don''t know...but the green herb is the standard herb, while the red and yellow I haven''t tried using them separately yet." "Ok, I''m interested in the slime nuclei and the herbs. What rank magic items do you say they are? If no rank, then just say low grade or something." "Well they are normal ones so lowest rank I''ll start it at E: E-rank herb when all three herbs are combined and E-rank slime nucleus. How many will you take for one mask?" "I''ll give you 3 E-rank masks for the herbs and 2 D-rank masks for all of the slime nuclei...deal? If so, which masks do you want? Red=fire affinity, black=normal, green=nature, violet=thunder, pure black=darkness, and white=holy." "Ohh...I''ll take the E-rank (black, green, and pure black) hobgoblin masks as well as the D-rank (red and white) hobgoblin masks. That''s all I guess..." Shiyo hands over the items to me and I reach in my bag and grab the chosen masks. After receiving the masks, Shiyo holds out his hand. I took it. "Nice doing business with you. If you want a custom-made mask in the future, just contact me." Shiyo nods and then walks away. After finalizing the trade with Shiyo, I decided to open my Maker''s Domain. Once I activated my domain, I took out the herbs I traded and appraised them. Seems like the herbs are low grade items. The red herb turns out to be a minor flame herb, the yellow herb is a minor light herb, and the green herb...is really just a normal herb. The minor flame herb is good for making fire-related potions, the minor light herb can be used to make glow-in-the-dark paste, and the green herb is some sort of medicinal plant. Satisfied with the appraisal, I deactivated my domain. Now...wonder if there''s an alchemist who''s willing to convert these herbs for me in exchange for a mask or two.... PK Comes Again and The Rip-Off In Tavern.... "Hey Khaos. I heard you have a cursed mask...is that true?" PK asked one day. "Yes, but this cursed item...upon using will curse the user with whatever effects that made this a cursed item...in this case - disease. In other words, once you finish using, you will be afflicted with disease. Also, because the material was bad, the masks are one time use. Are you still interested?" I replied. "Oh, I see.... Hmm, want to trade? One white hobgoblin mask and one red hobgoblin mask is what I want.... If you want to trade, choose something from my inventory although I don''t really have much variety." "Ok, let'' me see what you have." I agreed as I rummaged through his items, "Give me 4 gunpowder kegs since both white and red hobgoblin masks are D-rank items. Also make sure you understand, white=Holy affinity and red=Fire affinity. Red mask has 5 uses and white mask has 4 uses. These masks are transforming masks - they transform the user into whatever creature the masks are made from. After enough damage or you take off the mask, you will revert back to your original form (healthy as if no damage was done) and there will be a 24 hour cooldown before next use." "Ok deal, thanks." PK said. He got up, took the masks, and brought out four kegs of gunpowder from his storage belt. "Here you go. Keep it away from fire and water....if it gets wet, then dry it before use." "Thanks." .......... Minutes later.... .......... "Hey Khaos, I want to order something." It''s that arrogant person again...what''s his name? Fanz? I looked at him with my best salesman smile, "Ok." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "I want you to make a lot of normal mask to sell. No effects. As for the bodies? On the way." Fanz grinned. Dumbfounded, my mind couldn''t process what he asked. Did he ask me to make normal masks? So, I asked again to make sure I didn''t hear wrong. "Why do you want normal masks that have no effects?" "Too sell. Our town lacks toys for children." He replied. Wow...did not know he was thoughtful. Maybe his arrogant attitude was due to being unable to talk normally with strangers...and deep down inside, he''s not a bad guy. "You gonna share the profits with me? I want at least half." "1%." Wow...this shameless bastard...did he just shamelessly say 1%? Upset, I dismissed him. "Ok, you can find another mask maker then. If its just normal masks, an expert like me can make 500 a day nonstop. If I sell them myself, I''ll get 100% profits. Thanks for the idea." "You don''t have a good reputation with your mask. It''s more profitable if I am the one selling it." Fanz explained. "0.9%." "Besides, I don''t need bodies to make normal masks." "It''ll lack its richness. 0.8%." "You don''t understand. Masks made from bodies are automatically transforming masks if dragon tears aren''t applied in the making process. For normal masks, I can use about anything...wood, stone, cloth, flowers, pancakes..." "Still can''t compare to the real one. 0.7%." "Hahaha, you still lowering? You''re getting 0%. Why? Because I''m the only mask maker in town and you are not on my good side." "Tch." Fanz muttered as he stormed off. Shameless bastard indeed.... First D-rank Quest: Slay 5 Lizardmen Waking up late in the morning, I walked in to the guild to see what new quest to take on. Hmm, slay 5 Lizardmen...I can do that. Taking a copy of the request, I hurried out the door. Walking around for a bit, I finally spotted some Lizardmen eating near the outskirts of the forest next to the town...a total of six Lizardmen. Silently, I walked up to their encampment and saw that the Lizardmen were eating...Orc meat?! Does this mean that the Lizardmen and Orcs are enemies? That''s is good news. We could use this information to indirectly cause some minor skirmishes with the orc army. If that''s the case...I took out my Orc Mask. After a few seconds, I transformed into an orc. Taking out a blade trap, an explosive, and a mine that I got from trading with Shadow, I first strategically placed the traps around the Lizardmen. Then, I threw the explosive into the Lizardmen cluster. The explosive landed in the fire pit and exploded with a deafening roar. The Lizardmen were blown back. Two of the Lizardmen who were closer to the fire died immediately, with burnt marks on their bodies and on their faces. Shoot...they''re unusable now.... Quickly, while the other Lizardmen are down, I rushed forward with my Skinning knife and slit the throats of two more Lizardmen. Taking my time, I carefully removed their faces, dried them, and stored them in my bag. The other two Lizardmen, seeing that they are at a disadvantage, turn tail and ran...in the direction of my traps. *BOOM*...the mine went off and torn apart the lower half of one of the escaping Lizardmen...instantly killing him. The last Lizardman was lucky as he only suffered some burns. The last Lizardman looked back to see if I was in pursuit and...stepped on the blade trap. With a swoosh, the blade trap activated and the blade swung towards the Lizardman. Seeing the incoming blade, the Lizardman jumped. However, he was not fast enough as the blade sliced off one of his legs. Seething in pain and terror, the Lizardman continued to limp onward without looking back. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Seeing the Lizardman a distance away, I took off my Orc Mask and proceeded to de-face the other Lizardman. Taking the tails of the 5 dead Lizardmen, I strode off towards the guild. Upon entering, I placed the Lizardmen tails on the counter in front of the guild receptionist. "Tails of 5 Lizardmen as proof of slaying them." .......... Some distance away in the forest, a large encampment of Lizardmen were eating and discussing plans for the future. Suddenly, a pained cry sounded out and the Lizardmen all looked to see who it was. Upon seeing a wounded Lizardman limp in and collapsed on the floor, an old Lizardman jumped forward and grasped the half-dead Lizardman. "Son...what happened?! Who did this to you?" The old Lizardman said. This Lizardman was the Chieftain of the Lizardmen clan. "Tell me who did this to you and I''ll swear upon the Dragon Gods to wipe out their entire clan!" "Lord Father...it...it was them pig bastards...there were 20 of them...they attacked with fire and swords." The injured Lizardman gasped. "They...they killed my guards...father...please help me...I want to live...please...hel-." With a final breath, the Lizardman died in his father''s arms. The Chieftain held back his tears and gritted. "Those damned Orcs...they will pay for this." Standing up, the Chieftain looked at his warriors. "Warriors! This is WAR!!!" "UUUUOOOOHHHHH!!!!" More Customers, More Reputation After Fanz stormed off, another adventurer walked up to my table and asked, "Can I commission for a mask? If so what do I need to trade for a plain white mask that has an owl shape to it? I don''t have anything useful to trade yet but I shall trade when I have enough stuff." "You want a normal mask or one with special attributes?" I asked as I observed this new customer. The adventurer standing in front of me was Nez - a druid holding a quarterstaff with a black raven perched on his shoulder. "Hmmm, can it be one that can changes colors. If not, then a normal one will do." Nez pondered for a bit. "Change colors eh?...hmm...can you capture a live E-rank giant Chameleon? They''re about as big as a cow." "Hmmmm, I can... I think with careful planning, but can we go hunt something outside the quest though?" "Yes, you can. Also, if you want, I can enhance the mask with a special attribute called Camouflage which lets you blend into the background if you wore all white." "It''s fine." Nez refused, "I got my magic for stealth. Plus I don''t dress in white anyway. I will wait for tomorrow to go Chameleon hunting." With that said and done, Nez left to go about his business. I turned back to the clusters of adventurers still in the Tavern and began advertising my skills and my masks. As I looked at my surroundings, I see Alliuna walking towards me. She handed a big black feathered wing and asked me to make a mask out of it. Curiously looking at the mask, I asked, "What''s it from?" "I''m not sure. I believe it may be from a Fallen Angel." Alliuna shrugged. "Ok, I''ll try." I replied. Since this dragon hybrid is already powerful, I will have to go all out. Opening my Maker''s Domain, I carefully inspected the wing. Apparently, this is a wing of a Demonic Vermillion - a creature on par with Dragons. With this material, I decided on a feathered mask. First, I de-feathered the wing and then carve off the meat. Next, I used the bones as my base reshaping it and condensing it so that it becomes a small mask...large enough to cover the eyes and some of the nose of the user. Then, I washed the mask in the blood while chanting some incantations...instilling magical properties and buffs into the mask. Then, I use the feathers to decorate the mask while still chanting nonstop. After an hour, I pricked my finger and let and single drop of my blood filled with my Maker''s Essence onto the mask. The blood, as if alive, spread out and covered the mask entirely - turning the mask red for a moment before dissipating back to its original white and black color. Finally done, I appraised the mask:
Vermillion Mask of Unholiness: A-rank If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. No cooldown No-limit Indestructible Stamina Drain 1% Special Attributes: Strength Increase x3 Speed Increase x3 Defense Increase x3 Fire Resistance 200% Darkness Resistance 200% Unholy Resistance 200% Special Skills: Power Drain - drains health and magic power at a rate of 1000 pts/sec Eternal Fire Imbuement - grants all attacks with fire so strong that it can''t be extinguished until there''s nothing left to burn Special Abilities: Revive - user can revive once
Satisfied with this work, I deactivated my domain and handed the mask to the customer. "Here, how''s this?" After looking at the mask, Alliuna claps in delight, "Well done. I am most impressed. Though I have to say, if this is your A-rank, what do you consider S-rank? Well, I can''t use half of its abilities but still, this will give me a valid excuse for using more powers than I''ve disclosed." It seemed that Alliuna misunderstood and thought that she needed to have the affinity in order to use the abilities...however, that is not the case. With the mask, even if the user is a normal citizen, he/she can use the abilities mentioned in the mask. I, however, did not mention this as it seems this dragon hybrid would only wear it for decoration. Just as I was about to hand the mask over to Alliuna, PK - that greedy idiot - suddenly cast his "Plunder" skill and stole the mask out of my hands. I smiled...hmph small tricks...and takes out my Ghost Mask. After transforming into a ghost, I turned myself invisible and fluttered towards PK. With a swipe, I take back the mask. But then, I noticed that PK was still smiling when I took back the mask. Realizing something was off, I asked him about it. PK said that his "Plunder" skill can not only steal items, but also skills (low version of original). Knowing that the only skill I used during my time at the Tavern was summoning my Maker''s Domain, I laughed at PK. I told him that Maker''s Domain can''t be stably activated if the user doesn''t have Maker''s Essence. I then told him that I can give him a drop of Maker''s Essence if he teaches me his Plunder skill (Maker''s Essence is basically life essence and can be strengthened by purifying and refining one''s blood while tempering one''s life force). PK agreed and taught me his skill. Turns out it was his bloodline skill, but seeing how he easily taught it to an outsider, I decided to douse him with a little more pure Maker''s Essence. This way, he will be able to level up his Maker''s Domain and increase his successes when crafting. After the exchange, I fluttered back. I took off my mask and turned towards Alliuna. "Here''s your Demonic Vermillion Mask. Use it with care." Blood Pill A day has passed since the D-ranked quest. I was sitting in the Tavern eating lunch and drinking honey mead. Suddenly, Fanz barged in and dragged me and Shiyo out. We were a little resistant, but Fanz insisted that we would regret it if we didn''t follow him. Grumbling, we agreed and we followed Fanz to a forest near the village. Fanz, then points at a huge pile of corpses and told me that those bodies are mine to use. "That''s it?" I asked. "Well, I found a map leading to some treasure." Fanz said. "We can share the profits." Knowing this shameless bastard, I declined. I took out my storage ring and immediately transferred the bodies in. Then, I activating Maker''s Domain and extracted the monster blood. I condensed the huge ball of blood in front of me...fusing the different kinds of monster blood...until I am left with a thick black colored ball of blood with a diameter of 1 meter. Appraising it, the fused and mutated blood is called Blood of the Monster Variant. It is extremely poisonous to non-monster species. I pricked my finger and added a small drop of my blood fused with some of my Maker''s Essence into the monster blood. After a few moments, the blood changed colors from black to crimson to pink to blue. Looking at this blue blood, I appraised it again. Now, it seems to be extremely poisonous to all non-monster species except for the Mask Makers. Taking this blood, I further condensed it while chanting incantations until it became a solidified ocean-colored blood pill. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Popping it in my mouth, I began cultivating. Now time is irrelevant in the Maker''s Domain so years in the domain is not even a second outside. After cultivating on the blood for months, I succeeded in increasing my power and life force by 3 times. With a smile, I proceeded with carving the flesh from the bones of the monsters. Taking the bones, I meshed them into sheets of bone materials and stored them for later use. The meat...while I was training with my master, we had monster meat many times and monster meat is good for nourishing the soul of a Mask Maker...so the meat, I stored for later consumption. Deactivating the domain, I looked at Fanz and Shiyo and said. "Thanks for the bodies, you can keep the map. Laters." Raid Against the Demon Orc News of the demon orc spread throughout the town. Everyone in the guild were preparing to fight the final boss. However...I know of something that none of the adventurers know. The Lizardmen clans are also preparing war and they will be marching towards the orc army soon. After I left the guild, I immediately head towards the Lizardmen encampment. Once, I neared their camp, I caught sight of a Lizardman running towards the camp. "That Lizardman must be the scout." I mused. Quickly, I sneak attacked the scout and broke his neck. Using my skinning knife, I removed his face and then made it into a mask. After I hid the body, I donned on the Lizardman Scout mask and transformed. After calming myself and mused over what to report, I hurried into the camp. "Chieftain report!" I exclaimed. "What is it? Have you found their fortress?" An old Lizardman said. Apparently, he is the Chieftain of the Lizardmen clan. "Yes, but I found out that humans and other beastmen are preparing to attack the orc armies as well. I heard that these humans call themselves Adventurers and that they are part of an Adventurer Guild." I reported. "Oh really?" Another elderly Lizardman replied. "Chieftain, what should we do? Should we call off the attack? What if those hairless monkeys decide to attack us as well? We can''t suffer a pincer attack from both adventurers and orcs!" "If I may, Elder...I overheard that these adventurers'' leader was asking for the help of many beastmen as well during their march towards the orc encampment. I also heard that they even considered asking us for help." I added. "Is that so?" The Chieftain asked. "I heard that the humans have a saying - ''The enemy of my enemy is my friend''. We can make use of this. If they see us attack the orcs and leave us alone, then fine." "But what if they attack us?" The Elder asked. "What are you afraid of? If they attack us, we''ll slaughter them too! Okay, it''s settled. Warriors! Take up your weapons! Le''s march!" The Chieftain is worthy of being a leader. Just a few simple words and he could dispel all forms of hesitation in the eyes and hearts of his warriors. All the Lizardmen cheered as they raise their weapons and started marching towards the Orc army. .......... An hour later.... .......... The Lizardmen army has arrived. In the distance, they can see many humans and beastmen in a fierce battle with many orcs. Without a moment of hesitation, the Chieftain urged his warriors to attack...attack those pig bastards. All the Lizardmen roared as they rushed towards the huge battle. Initially, there were many adventurers including Shiyo, PK, Quilink, Shadow, Mistral, and Speary that saw the approaching Lizardmen and tensed in fear and worry. However, when they saw that the Lizardmen were only attacking orcs, they calmed down a bit. So...two separate armies - the Lizardmen army and the Adventurers - attacked the Orc army, one group on each side. There were a few skirmishes between the Lizardmen and the Adventurers, but the main focus was on the Orcs. Seeing the chaos, I decided to leave and approach my next destination. However, an idea appeared in my head as I saw the Lizardman Chieftain fight near me. With no one looking, I hurried over to the Chieftain. With a swipe, I switched my Lizardman mask with my Orc mask. Raising my Skinning knife, I chopped off the Lizardman Chieftain''s tail. With a yelp, the Chieftain turned around. As soon as he turned around, a flash of light appeared and his head tumbled onto the ground. Many Lizardmen saw the head and roared in grief. "Chieftain!!! Warriors! We must avenge our Chieftain. KILL those pig bastards!!!" With new vigor, the Lizardmen continued slaughtering orcs left and right using their teeth, claws, and whatever weapons they could get their hands on...making the battlefield reek with blood and gore. In the midst of their berserk, I switched with my Ghost mask and turned invisible. Grabbing the Chieftain Lizardman''s head, I quietly left the scene. Finally out of the battle, I ventured deeper into the Orc camp. Since most of the orcs are on the frontlines battling Lizardmen and Adventurers, the center of the camp is loosely guarded. I quickly approached each guard and killed them by phasing their hearts out of their bodies. Finishing, I looked around. Spotting a huge hut, I phased through the entrance. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I see an Orc King sleeping soundly. "This lazy pig is sleeping while his soldiers are out fighting." I muttered. "Hmm, apparently this must be one of that dead Orc King''s brothers. If I kill him, I can use it to my advantage." Stolen story; please report. Slowly, I took off my Ghost mask and approached the Orc King. With a swipe of my skinning knife, I slit his throat...or so I thought. Right as my knife reached the Orc King''s throat, the Orc King woke up and rolled to the side. He got up and shouted "Guards! Guards! There''s an Assassin!" "Hahaha," I chuckled, "No one is going to come to your aid. They''re all...how should I say it...heartless." "You! You are one of those hairless monkeys!" "What is with you calling us humans hairless monkeys? You''re bald as well!" "You! Hmph, you will pay for that!" The Orc King sneered as he picked up his battleaxe and lunged towards me. Easily dodging the first strike, I prepared to counter with a thrust...but never did I know that this fat pig was very fast. Before his first strike finished, it suddenly changed direction and rushed towards me in a horizontal slash. I dodged in the nick of time - my hair cut short on one side. I jumped back to add some distance and took out my Basilisk Mask. The Orc King stared in astonishment as I transformed into a Basilisk. As I opened my Basilisk Eye, I found that the Orc King had averted his eyes. It seems that this Orc King has some experience in dealing with basilisks. With a humph, I rushed towards the Orc King and thrust out a kick. He dodged it and swung at my feet. I jumped up to avoid, but the battleaxe changed direction again and slashed upwards towards me. *SLASH* The attack slashed at my body and a big fatally looking wound appeared. I lay there on the ground, blood pouring and organs spilling out. The Orc King...seeing that I am near death loosened his guard and approached me. "Hahaha, you weak trash! Trying to attack me with cheap tricks and this measly amount of attack power? Ha!" The Orc King lifted his head back and laughed. Just at this moment, my mask wore off and I reverted back to human form. All the damage dealt to me while I was wearing the mask disappeared when I changed back. At 100% health and 100% stamina, I sprung back up and sliced with my Skinning knife. *Puchi*...and the Orc King weapon arm was dismembered. In pain, the Orc King grabbed is wound with his remaining hand and looked at me in terror and panic. "You! Why are you still alive?!" "Hahaha, this is just a special power of my masks. It is your fault for being too careless." I laughed, "Now...give me your face." With a lunge, I expertly and swiftly removed the Orc King''s face. The Orc King fell backwards and rolled around in pain. With so much blood loss, he died in a matter of minutes. Once I witness his death with my own eyes, I dried, preserved, and stored the Orc King''s face into my backpack. Then, I activated Maker''s Domain and began making the Orc King''s face into a mask. Quickly, I finished the mask and appraised it.
Orc King Mask: A-rank Transforms user into an Orc King Permanent/No-limit Indestructible 24 hour cooldown Abilities: Warcry of the Orc King - Command all orcs under Orc King rank Combat capabilities increase by 3 times when using a battleaxe Special Attribute: Charisma increases by 500% - all orcs under Orc King rank will listen to you without question.
Satisfied with the mask, I deactivated Maker''s Domain. Putting on the Orc King mask, I transformed into the Orc King. Picking up the battleaxe on the ground, I immediately feel an increase in power. I walked outside in disguise and activated Warcry of the Orc King. "RRROOOOAAAARRRR!!!! THE DEMON ORC HAS ABANDONED US TO THE ENEMIES!! ALL ORCS RETREAT BACK TO THE FORTRESS AND ATTACK THAT INSOLENT BASTARD!!! THE DEMON ORC IS THE ENEMY!!!!!!" With this roar resounding in the orcs ears, their minds...as if hypnotized...began to play one sentence...''The demon orc is the enemy!''. The eyes of all orcs flashed with anger, and the hearts of all orcs burned with rage. ''The demon orc has abandoned us? He is the enemy! KILL HIM!'' The orcs turned around and hurried back towards camp with the Lizardmen and Adventurers following closely behind. The orcs arrived at the fortress and started to attack the demon orc''s guards and the demon orc. Satisfied with my work, I reverted back to human form and joined the ranks of my fellow adventurers. Reviving Fanz Seeing Fanz dead and his soul leaving his body, I asked him in Ghost Language, "Hey Fanz...can I have some of your spirit essence?" Fanz''s soul looked at me with ridicule, "Can you take it from Hel''s lap? Could you fight the warrior of Freya? Can you stop Loki?" "If its Loki, then yes. Loki is a frequent customer of my master...in fact, he still owes my master a few favors." Fanz struggles but in the end, a part of his soul was taken. While I was calming down this agitated soul, Fanz let slip and called me "mortal". When I heard this, something dark inside me welled up. "Wait Fanz...you''re not human?" When I received the answer, I was immediately elated. Without permission from Fanz, I grabbed my Skinning knife and removed Fanz''s face. "No worries Fanz, I''ll use this mask for the better of our guild. Plus, there''s a reason I removed the fleshly face from your corpse. With this spirit essence I received from Loki, I can forge a mask that will reconnect your body with your soul. Freya has already spoken. You will get a title that will tell everyone that you are one of Freya''s warriors. Plus you''ll get a blessing so don''t feel bad." Taking the face, I activated Maker''s Domain and made a powerful B-rank mask:
Wrath of FanzZeta: B-rank Non-transforming mask No cooldown Permanent/No-limit Indestructible Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Abilities: All abilities of FanzZeta can be used. *If FanzZeta wears this mask, he will enter Berserker King mode and all his stats and capabilities x10
"Thanks Fanz." Then, I took the vial of FanzZeta spirit essence and made a binding mask: Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Soul of FanzZeta: C-rank Transforming mask Binding mask No cooldown No-limit Indestructible Special Abilities: Binds FanzZeta''s soul to his body - resurrecting him. Receives blessings from Freya, Loki, and Hel Spiritual connection with Freya increases x3
Satisfied, I deactivate Maker''s Domain and placed Soul of FanzZeta on his corpse. Fanz resurrects but he seemed pissed for some reason. "This isn''t how I''m supposed to revive Khaos. You ruined it!" Immediately after those words were said, the surrounding area suddenly cracked. I looked at the cracks that were increasing in the sky and on the ground. *SHATTER* The whole placed shattered as if shedding an illusion-type layer. I looked around, everyone was still fighting and Fanz was still dead. "Could all this have been an illusion?" I asked myself. But when I looked a the Wrath of FanzZeta in my hand, I realized that it may not have been an illusion but an alternative timeline created by the demon orc. So in the timeline created by the demon orc, I resurrected Fanz and created Soul of FanzZeta and Wrath of FanzZeta. But in the actual timeline Fanz is still dead...but how did the Wrath of FanzZeta appear in my hands? Could it be that because Fanz vehemently rejected the resurrection, it shattered the timeline? So the Soul of FanzZeta shattered along with that timeline since it ties in with Fanz''s resurrection. However, because I still kept Wrath of FanzZeta, it did not shatter and I was able to bring it over to this timeline. I looked at Fanz''s soul and said, "It seems like resurrection will depend on you now, here''s Wrath of FanzZeta. Don''t ask me where I got it from." With that said, I departed from the scene. How Fanz revived is not my story to tell. Another Day at the Tavern Part 1 Walking into the tavern after a long day of motivational speeches, I called for some honey mead. Sitting at a table, I took out a B-rank Lizardman Chieftain mask:
Lizardman Chieftain Mask: B-rank Non-transforming mask No cooldown No-limit Indestructible Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Boost all stats x3 Boost all nature-related resistances x3 Boost all earth-related resistances x3 Special Skills: Call For Help! - Summons Lizardmen (max 5), Summons Lizards (max 10) Warcry of the Lizards - Boosts allies morale 100%, decreases enemies morale 50% Wrath of the Chieftain - Turn user berserker mode: increases strength and speed x2. Can only be used once per day.
"Selling Lizardman Chieftain Mask! Here are the details! Starting price of 50 gold, I''ll sell to the highest bidder." I shouted, but it seemed like no one was interested in buying...either that or they were still too poor at the moment. ......... Half an hour later.... .......... "What other masks might you have for sale? I don''t think I can afford this one, but I am interested in how you make them." A goblin said as he came up to my table...wait goblin? "You can see what type of masks I have in my bag...the S-rank ones are not for sale. As for making...well let''s just say its a bloody process." I said as I observed this goblin. "Then I won''t ask about the Goblin and Hobgoblin masks. I am still intrigued, but since I am a monster myself, I have no use for these specific ones. Can I make a request?" "Sure...I generally make transforming masks, non-transforming masks, and other enchanted masks. However, if its transforming and non-transforming masks, I need the faces of whatever creature to use as a base. What kind of mask do you want? "I know that being a Goblin can unnerve certain people, so I need a simple mask that either hides my presence or can calm people down. If you can, just make the mask look like it relates to the enchantment. For example, a simple boring design for the hidden mask. I won''t be able to pay for it right now, so you don''t have to rush it. If there''s any problems, let me know. Thanks" "Hmm, ok. Oh by the way, I''m Khaos." I said as I showed him my guild card. "My name is Gabriel." Gabriel replied. "I am an author and talisman constructor." I looked at his guild card and noticed a very interesting skill of his - Cancel Escape. When I gave his guild card back, I said, "How about teaching me the Cancel Escape skill as payment for the mask?" "Hehe, this spell I learned from my Master. It is a barrier that stops enemies from fleeing. I recognize that this seems to be a BOSS''s natural ability in some places. Is this fine?" "Yes." "Haha, alright. So I take it you have a form of magic? First you must inscribe an object with the magic seal. Just manipulate your magic energy, or mana into the object. I used it on myself so the only way my opponent can leave the fight is after killing me. If it''s on an item, then that can easily be stolen or broken and the effect won''t be very beneficial." After teaching my the skill, Gabriel cautioned, "This spell can be used by manipulating your mana to activate the seal. Once activated, the spell will last for the duration of the mana within the seal, the durability of the object used for the seal, and/or the power of the enemy. If you are fighting a being three times stronger than yourself, the seal will shatter - harming the object used and canceling the spell. This will allow the opponent to escape. Be careful, as it is more like a last resort against tougher enemies." After learning how to perform the Cancel Escape spell from Gabriel, I pulled out a mask that I made for him. At a glance, this mask seems like an ordinary wooden mask made from white birch. However, when one looks at the stats, he/she will be amazed:
Mask of the Smiling Tree: D-rank Enchanted Normal Mask Indestructible No cooldown No-limit Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Increase Charm 300% - allows user to appear very friendly and likeable When worn, the mask blends with the user''s face Stamina Regeneration 10% per hour
I handed the mask to Gabriel. "Here, this mask will blend with your face so people can still see that you are a goblin. However, because of the charm increase, people will think that you are very friendly, likeable, and easy to approach and talk to. Also the Stamina Drain and Stamina Regeneration cancels each other out so you won''t feel any strain from wearing the mask. Hope this satisfies your requirements. If not, tell me and I''ll make another." "This is fine, I just figure a charming Goblin would be different. Hahaha! Thanks!" Gabriel said as he quickly put on the mask. With a smile, he departed from my vicinity. As I was sorting my materials, another adventurer approached me and asked, "Could ya make a mask out of a Mithril golem? I acquired its body parts when I encountered it while mining Mithril." Looking up I see Fang - a monster tamer. "Do you want a transforming mask or a non-transforming mask? Now if you want a transforming mask, you should understand that the mask will transform you into a Mithril Golem." "Ah...right. I quite like my current appearance so...non-transforming mask it is." "Ok, hand over the mithril golem''s head...and, if you''re not using it, the moonlight water and I''ll try to make something suitable. Is there any attributes you want added?" I said after looking at the stuff he had on hand. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Since I depend mostly on my tamed monsters to do the work, I would like an increase in defense and strength." Fang said as he handed over the materials. As I was receiving the materials from Fang, another adventurer approached with interest. This adventurer is called Speedy - a radiant demon assassin. She asked, "Um, can I request for a mask that heal the user and make the user immune to radiation damage?" "Yes sure, just wait a moment." As I was reaching in my bag to pull out more materials, Shiyo came and requested for another mask, "I want a Transformation Mask with the Orc King I killed. I''ll be giving you this 3 Town Returning Scroll as payment" After receiving orders from Shiyo, Speedy, and Fang, I activated my Maker''s Domain. Starting with Fang''s mask, I grabbed the Mithril Golem head and expertly removed the face with my Skinning knife. Then, I took the vial of moonlight water and washed the mask while chanting incantations. I took a few lizard and wolf teeth and crushed them into fine powder. Then, I dripped some of my blood filled with Maker''s essence into the powder and mix into a red paste. Using the paste, I drew symbols onto the mask. The symbols glowed for a few minutes before fusing and disappearing into the mask. Next, I washed the mask with dragon tears in order to prevent the user from transforming. Finished, I appraised my work:
Mask of the Mithril Tamer: A-rank Non-Transforming Mask No cooldown Indestructible No-limit Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Strength and Defense increase x5 Earth-related resistance +50% Lizard Charm - 100% increase in chance of taming lizard species Wolf Charm - 100% increase in chance of taming wolf species Golem Charm - 100% increase in chance of taming golem species Special Skills: Night Prowler - see and fight better at night - capabilities double at night
Satisfied, I move on to Speedy''s mask. Selecting the leaves of a high level healing herb, I made a green mask. Because I don''t have enough healing herbs, the mask is only big enough to cover one side of the face. Taking out some dragon blood and mixing with my blood (that is filled with Maker''s essence), I poured the mixture on the mask. While chanting incarnations, the blood spread out, covering the mask and turning it blue. After, I appraised the mask:
Mask of the Eternal Saint: A-rank Enchanted Normal Mask No cooldown Indestructible No-limit Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Dragon-level regeneration Immunity to all health-damaging effects Stamina Regeneration 10% per hour (counters the stamina drain) Special Skills: Healing Field - high speed healing of allies within 10m radius
Satisfied with this mask, I moved on with Shiyo''s mask. Taking the head of the orc king he killed from previous quests, I removed the face. After drying and preserving, I got to work. I took some boar blood and mixed with my Maker''s essence filled blood. Then, I rubbed the mixture on the mask. The mask turned red as I chanted incantations until it went back to its original color. Taking a minor flame herb and crushed it to a juicy paste, I drew symbols on the mask while chanting. After the symbols disappeared, I appraised the mask.
Mask of the FireStarter: A-rank No cooldown Indestructible No-limit Transforms user to Orc King Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Increase stats x3 Increase Fire resistance x3 Special Skills: Summon Will O'' Wisp (max 2) Fireball Summon Boar (max 3) Warcry of the Orc King - boosts allies morale 50%, decreases enemies morale 50%
Satisfied, I deactivated my domain and handed the three masks to the respective customers. "I expect payment of equal valued items/materials." "I''ll give you a sample of the complete radiant demon''s blood and the design of the radiation sword that i got from the organization that created me." Speedy replied. "As well as two kilograms of demon metal." "Hmm, what are the characteristics and capabilities of this radiant demon that you say?" I asked curiously, "Also, I don''t need this sword design so you can keep it." "Masters of speed and strength. They need some kind of radiation weapon to keep their radiation damage to a minimum. They also use the radiation to heal themselves no matter how serious the wounds are. If I have to say, they are near-immortals who have superior speed and strength." "Ok, I accept this payment." I said. Speedy handed over the items and left with the mask. Turning to the other customers, I see Shiyo reaching in his bag and pulled out some scrolls and some vials, "As payment I''ll be giving you 10 Town portal scrolls (sometimes takes you somewhere else). And if that isn''t enough, I''ll also give you 5 drops of Demon Orc blood." "Ok, deal. Here''s your mask." I replied as we confirm the deal. Looking at Fang, I see him still rummaging through his bag. "I have a few summoning books if you want." "Hmm," I mused as I looked over the books, "None of these interest me. How about this, write me an IOU contract stating that when you have something I need, you will give it to me." "Ok." Fang replied as he wrote the IOU. After we finished the deal, he left the tavern. Another Day at the Tavern Part 2 After receiving the items from Speedy and Shiyo, I activated Maker''s Domain. Taking the radiant demon blood and demon orc blood, I mix them with my blood. The Maker''s essence in my blood help remove all negative effects. Then, I condensed and refined the blood until it became a blood pill. Once I ate the pill, I began cultivating and circulating the effects in my system for a year. Now, as mentioned before, while in my domain, any number of years passed is not even close to a second outside. Soon after I finished cultivating with the pill, my speed, strength, defense, and regeneration increased by x2 while all other capabilities increased by half. Satisfied, I deactivated my domain. As I prepared to leave, a timid voice called out to me, "Can I get a mask made out of chocolate?" I turned around and sees Timon Meerkat - an explosives expert. "Sure, now is this for eating? What attributes do you want on it?" "Can you make it such that taking a bite of it would allow you to survive without air, water and food for a day." Timon asked, "Here is a couple of kilograms of chocolate, and take this fire dragon''s nose hair. It''s useful in alchemy." After receiving the orders, materials, and payment from Timon, I began to work. Activating my Maker''s Domain, I took out the couple of kilograms of chocolate and condensed and shaped it until it took shape of a simple mask. Since my client wants the mask to be edible and allows the user to survive without air, water, and food for a day after one bite, I took out a vial of Desolate Bacteria (this bacteria has been know to survive very harsh conditions; also very harmless to other species) and a tail of a Mint Lizard (a lizard that tastes like chocolate chip mint when eaten). I ground the tail to a paste and mixed it with the vial of bacteria. Then, I pasted the mixture onto the chocolate mask while chanting numerous incantations. Only when the paste fused into the mask did I stop chanting. Adding a bit of Maker''s Essence to the mask, I completed the creation. I appraised the mask and here is the results:
Eternal Chocolate Mask: C-rank No cooldown Can be destroyed (so use carefully) No-limit Edible; Mint Chocolate flavored Stamina Drain 10% per hour Enchanted Normal Mask Special Attributes: Increases magic power and combat power when eaten x2 Special Skills: Mark of the Desolate Bacteria - passive; when a bite of chocolate is eaten, user can survive in harsh conditions without air, water, and food for a day Growth of the Mint Lizard - passive; regrows mask after each bite
Satisfied, I deactivated the mask and handed it over to Timon. "Enjoy!" .......... An hour later.... .......... A huge ruckus exploded in the Tavern. Looking at the source of direction, I see Shiyo being chased by a couple of girls. As they neared my table, I overheard that the girls wanted to capture Shiyo. Thinking of a good opportunity to make a business deal, I called out to Shiyo, "I can make you a mask...for a hefty price." Stolen story; please report. Desperate, Shiyo said, "What mask? I''m listening." "It will let you evade anything...questions, orders, people, capturing...although it won''t stop others from finding and following you...but no matter how hard they try to catch you...you somehow escapes from their grasps like a slippery snake." One of the girls tried to threaten me not to make the mask, but I ignored her. I looked at Shiyo and said, "What do you think?" "My Savior!" Shiyo exclaimed, "What is the price? Name it!!" "Your blood...one jar full." "MMMMMy BLOOOOD!? You mean the Demonic Orc''s blood right.... You won''t get anything good with my blood." "I need your blood to make a mask." I replied nonchalantly. "When wearing this mask, I can summon you like a supporter to help me make my enemies fall asleep." Shiyo didn''t answer for a while. He kept running around in circles. When he was finally caught, he looked around desperately for an ally. I shook my head and looked him in the eye, "Do you have a choice? I am your only ally." "F-fine...just don''t do any shady things with it." Shiyo said in defeat. He took out a knife, slashed his hand, and trickled out a jar-full of blood. I take the jar of Shiyo''s blood and stored it into my backpack. Then, I activated Maker''s Domain. I take a jar of Evasive Water (this water evades all things and can be found in the clouds of the Middle Planes). Although, this water evades all things, in the Maker''s Domain, it is helpless. I forged the water to make a mask and add an Eternal Ice crystal (ice that is eternal, never melts). The ice crystal freezes the mask. Then, I add a drop of my blood that is filled with Maker''s Essence onto the mask. The blood spreads and covers the mask as I chant incantations. After the blood fuses with the mask, the mask turns red then purple and finally stops at blue. Satisfied, I appraise this mask:
Evasion Mask: B-rank No cooldown Indestructible Binds to User (Shiyo) - can''t be stolen or used by anyone else No-limit Enchanted Normal Mask Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Increases speed x2 Special Skills: Evasion - escapes from anything the user deems harmful; passive skill Turn to Water - when caught, can escape from capturing device by turning user into Evasive Water (lasts 1 min per use)
Finished, I deactivate Maker''s Domain. I looked around and saw Shiyo restrained by some sort of bindings. I flicked the mask onto Shiyo''s face. Shiyo immediately turned into Evasive Water and slipped through the bindings. "Godly mask." Shiyo exclaimed as he ran off. Now whether or not he was captured later on is his story to tell not mine. Ransacking the Orcs Storage Room Charging with my fellow adventurers, the Lizardmen, and the manipulated Orcs, we arrived in front of the seething Demon Orc. In unison: "CCCCHHHHHAAAARRRRGGGGGEEEEE!!!" Adventurers roared. "KKKKKKIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!" Lizardmen screamed. "OOOIIIIINNNNNNKKKKKK!!! OINK! OINK!" Orcs oinked (sorry don''t know what orcs would say). Everyone charged to attack the Demon Orc. Fireballs blazing, swords flashing, arrows piercing...but nothing seems to be effective against the Demon Orc. His wounds heal at an ultra fast rate...our most powerful attacks were ineffective and only served to tickle him. Laughing, the Demon Orc swung his huge weapon, instantly pulverizing tens of Lizardmen and Orcs. My fellow adventurers decided that if physical attacks and magical attacks won''t work, then they will dish out curses, hexes, poisons, basically any long-lasting debuffs. Looking at what seems to be a hopeless battle, I pondered at what I could help with. With my materials being limited, I cannot make a powerful mask to help out my fellow peers. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I looked around to see if anyone was looking my way before I slipped out and left the scene of the battle. Now many might think I was scared and ran away...nah, its just a strategic retreat. Moreover, I had another objective I wanted to finish. With an army as big as the Orcs''...they must have some sort of treasury or wealth...right? I hurried towards the fortress and entered quietly. Looking around, I see that there was no one here. After rummaging around, I finally found the storage room. Expecting to see rare treasures, I was left with disappointment when I saw mediocre weapons, some different herbs, a book or two, some metal and crystal ores, and what looks to be at most 500 silver. Not surprising now that I realized that the Orcs have only ransacked small villages. I carefully looked at the items and found that most of the weapons are on their last bit of durability. The herbs are mostly medicinal, with a few antidote and burns relief. The books, surprisingly are the basic acupuncture and basic bloodletting techniques...apparently someone in one of those ransacked villages wanted to be a doctor (doctors and healers are different in that doctors don''t know magic). Looking at the ores, I found that hidden within the pile of regular metal and crystal ores is fist-sized moon rock...hmmm, this may come in handy. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Realizing that it is late, I stored all the items in my bag and hurried out. It seems that many of the Lizardmen and Orcs are dead and most of my fellow adventurers have retreated. The Demon Orc seemed to be half stuck in a portal...it may take him some time to get out. Checking one last time to make sure I didn''t miss anything, I left and headed back to the tavern. More Guild Quests Part 1 Walking towards the guild, I paused at the entrance. There seemed to be a loud ruckus occurring within. Did someone come to pick a fight with us? I pushed open the door and strode in, hand at my masks ready to kick some ass. To my surprise, I see many adventurers gearing up. "Did the demon orc come back?" I asked the guild receptionist on duty (Shadow). "No, the guildmaster posted an update today. It says we can take as many as 6 quests. One quest above your rank, three quests at your rank, and two quests below your rank. There are also new quests posted on the quest board now." "Really? That''s great! Time to rack up some completions and raise my rank." I replied excitedly. I walked up to the quest board and looked at the surplus of quests. Hmmm, there''s some monster extermination quests, some expedition quests, some special quests, some gathering quests, and some limited (first come first serve) quests. After browsing for a minute or two, I decided to choose four monster extermination quests and one gathering quest. I walked up to Shadow and handed him the quests I will be taking. "Here, these are the quests I''ll be taking: Slay 20 slimes, slay 5 boar warriors, slay 8 rampaging rhinos, slay 5 cyclops, and gather 3 fire crystals." "Wow, that''s a lot. You sure you can do them all?" "No problem." .......... As I walked out of the guild, I decided to hunt some slimes first. Remembering that slimes reside in grasslands, I head north of the city. After walking a few miles, I arrived at the grasslands. Rummaging around the tall grass, I finally came upon a slime. This green little blob of booger-like existence with a dark green core in the center...shouldn''t be that hard, right? Taking my Skinning knife, I stabbed at the slime and pierced through its nucleus. The slime, after having its nucleus pierced, collapsed into "slime water". Curiously looking at the slime water, I thought. "Hmm, this can probably be used as a material." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Taking out a jar, I scooped the slime water into it. Then, I continued looking for slimes. Each slime I meet, I would just pierce the nucleus and then collect the slime water. Strangely, the fifth slime that I killed made a *SKREEE* noise when it died. Didn''t know slimes could make noises. As I collect my fifth slime water, I couldn''t help but get a bad feeling...as if being watched. *THUD*..I turned around and sees a giant slime in the distance. A giant slime is usually made when 10 or more slimes merge together. This giant slime is tough and can be considered as a D-rank monster. The nucleus is situated deep in the center...making it impossible to reach without being swallowed. "What to do?" I thought as I kept my distance. Reaching in my bag, I grabbed a violet hobgoblin mask I made in my previous quests. I put on the mask and transformed after a few seconds. Now, violet-colored hobgoblins have Thunder affinity and can do some basic Thunder skills. In my mind, I reasoned that since the normal slimes are made mostly from water, then their weakness would have to be thunder. With lightning coursing through my arms from the skill Paralyzing Sting, I approached the giant slime. The giant slime lunged towards me in an attempt to swallow me. I thrust out both my arms and plunged them into the giant slime. *Bzzzt*...the lightning spread around and throughout the giant slime. Paralyzed, the giant slime could not hold the bonds required to merge and collapsed into what looks like 15 slimes. The 15 slimes are still paralyzed and could not move. Quickly, I took off my mask, pulled out my skinning knife, and stabbed each slime - piercing their nucleus. After collecting the slime water in the jar, I left the grasslands and prepared to move to my next destination. More Guild Quests Part 2 Continuing on north, I finally reached the volcano. There''s still two hours before noon, so I hoped to finish collecting 3 fire crystals before lunch. The volcano is a hot spot for fire-related monsters and resources. Pulling on my Ghost Mask, I floated up to the mouth of the volcano. At the mouth of the volcano, I surveyed the area and saw a glint of red deep in the volcano. As I slowly floated down inside the volcano, I could see the heat waves. The people who explored this volcano must have suffered a lot from the heat. Soon, I arrived next to the red glint. As expected, the sources of the glint are a cluster of fire crystals. I removed my mask and the heat suddenly bombarded me. "Whew! The heat is killing me!" I exclaimed. I need to hurry or I will get heat stroke soon. Taking my skinning knife, I slashed at the cluster and cut off 3 fire crystals. Picking up the crystals, I muttered. "Couldn''t have been this easy right? This is after all a D-rank quest." As I turned to leave, the ground suddenly shook. Losing my balance, I fell onto the floor. "Ouch, what happened? Earthquake? Don''t tell me the volcano is about to explode?" I looked around and realized what sounds like heavy breathing coming from behind me. I slowly turned my head and sees a giant Rock Lizard! The fire crystals were growing on its back! No one told me about this! I scrambled to my feet and jumped backwards, increasing the distance between us. This only served to anger the Rock Lizard. It roared and charged towards me. Immediately, I place mask on me and transformed into a...goblin. Damn, should have looked carefully. The Rock Lizard rammed his head into me and sent me flying into a wall. Having sustained a significant amount of damage, the effects of the goblin mask wore off and I reverted back to human form. Luckily, my masks can act like a second life, all the damage I took as a goblin doesn''t carry over to my original body. Scrambling up, I ran. I don''t have the means to fight this monstrosity. My Werewolf Mask is still with PK. I grimaced and cursed at myself for not getting my mask back before I went questing. "It seems I have to make a mask right here right now with the limited materials I have in my bag." I sighed. Activating Maker''s Domain, a huge domain expands from within me and covered me as well as a huge area. Within this domain, time is irrelevant...meaning even if 10 years occurred in this domain, not even a second has occurred outside. I looked through my items and finally decided what to make. I took out the jar of Shiyo''s blood and a poor quality metal shield. Taking, the metal shield, I expertly knead it and shaped it until it looked like a normal metal mask. Pouring the blood onto the mask, I started chanting incantations of summoning and binding...allowing me to form a connection between Shiyo and the mask. This will allow me to summon him as a supporter anytime anywhere. The mask, stained with blood, turned a crimson color. Next, I add a drop of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence. The drop landed on the mask and spread throughout the mask, fusing into it. After chanting, I appraised the new mask:
Mask of the Sleepy Knight: C-rank No cooldown Indestructible Stamina drain 10% per hour No-limit Enchanted Normal Mask Can only use once per day Special Skills: Summon Napknight - summons Shiyo for one minute Absolute Sleep - affects all enemies that rank equal to user rank and below; sleep for 30 minutes
Satisfied, I deactivated my domain. The Rock Lizard, as if nothing had happened was still charging towards me. I put on my mask and summoned Shiyo. "Napknight! I chose you!" Shiyo arrives...he is half-asleep as usual. "W-what? W-where am I?" "You are in a dream Napknight." I said. "Look! That giant lizard wants to take away your pillow! Quick, use Absolute sleep!" Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "No one can take away my pillow!" Shiyo yelled angrily as he pointed his finger at the Rock Lizard, "Absolute Sleep!" After the spell was cast, Shiyo automatically de-summoned. The Rock Lizard had also fallen asleep. Wiping my sweat, I sighed in relief at such a close call. Looking at the Rock Lizard, I decided to take a few more fire crystals to keep for later use. Then, I put on the Ghost Mask and floated up and out of the volcano. "Finally done and its almost lunch time." I exclaimed, "Hmm, where to next?" .......... As I walked towards the east, I wondered about how I should deal with the Rampaging Rhinos. Not to mention, what would they taste like? Along the way, I met with some fellow adventurers who also did the rhinos quest. From their experiences, the rhinos have a hard time turning when they are in full charge mode. Hearing this advice, I thanked them and continue towards the plains. As soon as I arrived at the plains, I immediately spot a herd of rhinos grazing and drinking from the oasis. There were more than 20 rhinos. I can''t take them all head on. It seems like its time to use some stealth tactics. I pulled out my Basilisk Mask and transformed into a basilisk. Although a basilisk lacks in defense, it makes up for its weakness with speed and quick maneuvering. I approached the closest rhino and flaunted my feathers. I cawed in some bestial language and spewed as many insults as I know. Finally, it seems like one of the insults touched a nerve of the rhino. The rhino turned towards me and charged. Luckily the other rhinos only gave a glance and continued grazing. The charging rhino approached me fast and just as it almost rammed into me, I jumped to the side. The rhino''s eyes followed me and it tried to turn. However, it could not stop the momentum of the charge and stumbled over. Quickly, I lunged forward and activated my Death Stare. Our eyes met and the rhino died. Success! But, the difficulty increases now. The other rhinos, upon seeing the death of their family member, roared with anger and all 19 rhinos charged towards. Trembling in front of this stampede, I calmed my nerves and ran. Using my speed, I circled around the rhinos. Some of the rhinos turned their heads to follow my movements but their bodies couldn''t keep up. The rhinos in the front of the stampede tripped and fell, the rhinos in the back crashes and falls as well. Taking this chance, I cast out many Death Stares at the collapsed rhinos. At least 10 rhinos died from this skill of mine. Realizing that they could not win against me, the remaining rhinos hastily retreated. Satisfied but tired, I removed my mask. Whew, using masks all morning has drained most of my stamina. Looking at the 11 dead rhinos, I took my skinning knife and slit the throat of one of the rhinos. As the blood poured out, I cupped my hands and deeply drank the rhino blood. Then, I sat in a cross-legged position and began to refine the blood that I drank. After a few minutes, I was able to replenish some stamina from the blood. Looking at the rhinos, I collected the bodies and brought them over into my Maker''s Domain. While in the domain, I drained the bodies of their blood and stored the blood in jars. Then, I caught off the horns and deboned the corpses. I kept the horns as is while I ground all the bones into fine powder and stored them in a barrel. Additionally, I dried the organs and ground them into fine powder as well. The skin, I stored in my storage ring. I intend to sell the skin...the guild could make some really good leather armor with these skin. Finally, it''s time to taste the rhino meat. Storing most of the meat in my ring, I took the belly meat of one of the rhinos and roasted it. Soon, the scent of roasted rhino permeated the air. The rich flavor made my mouth water. Taking a slice of the finished meat, I took a bite. Delicious! Bite after bite...soon the meat was gone. I patted my stomach in satisfaction. Not only was the meat flavorful, it was also very nourishing and stamina-replenishing. Getting up and putting out the fire, I proceeded onwards to my next destination - the mountains in the far east.... More Guild Quests Part 3 Arriving at the mountains, I scanned the vicinity. What am I looking for you say? Caves...giant caves. Cyclopes have been known to reside in giant caves. Most cyclopes that live in caves however are not warrior type cyclopes but instead they are mainly shepherds. However, do not let your guard down with these cyclopes. Even if they appear friendly because they raise sheep, these cyclopes have been known to eat humans on a daily basis. While they take their sheep out to graze, they themselves would roam around the vicinity looking for a light snack. Spotting a large cave, I hurried over to the entrance. As I approached the entrance, I see a cyclops (let''s call him Shepherd) herding a group of sheep out of the cave. Quickly and quietly, I tiptoed to a boulder next to the entrance. When all the sheep left the cave, the cyclops rolled the boulder to block the entrance. Before, the cyclops completely shut the cave entrance, I slipped into the cave. Looking around, I realized that there were four cyclopes inside. Two were asleep (let''s call them Sleepy 1 and 2), one was eating what looks like a human (let''s call him Eater), and the other was making a stone chair (let''s nickname him Carver). "Sniff sniff...I smell the smell of a human." Carver boomed. "It''s probably just this." Eater said as he held up the half eaten human corpse. "No, I smell another." "It''s probably your imagination. Why would a puny human want to come here?" "No, I''m sure its-." "SHUT IT!" Boomed Sleepy 2, "We''re trying to sleep!" Carver closed his mouth but you can still hear him grumbling. Patting my chest, I sighed. "Whew, that was close." Taking out my Ghost Mask, I transformed into a ghost. I activated my invisibility skill and erased all of my presence. Carver looked around startled when he couldn''t pick up my scent anymore. He shook his head a bit and finally concluded that he must have imagined it. I floated towards the two sleeping cyclopes and picked up a fist size rock in each hand. Then, I phased the rocks into the hearts of Sleepy 1 and Sleepy 2. Immediately, the two cyclopes woke up screaming in pain. They clutched their hearts but could not rid themselves of the pain. Carver and Eater both rushed over asking what was wrong. Before they could speak, the Sleepy 1 and Sleepy 2 collapsed in the other two cyclopes arms and died. While the cyclopes were distracted, I switched to my Basilisk Mask. Sensing the sudden appearance of a presence from behind, Carver turned around to look. As soon as our eyes met, I activated Death Stare. Carver froze in shock and his eyes rolled over. With blood coming out of all six openings of his face, Carver pointed towards me before collapsing onto the floor and dying instantly. Eater looks at the dead Carver in surprise and angrily glared at the direction Carver was pointing at. When he saw me, he froze as well as blood began coming out of his openings. Collapsing onto the ground, Eater looks at me. "Y-you...." When the last cyclops in the room died, I removed my mask. I took out my skinning knife and gouged out the eyes of Sleepy 1 and Sleepy 2. Then, I removed their faces. Since Carver and Eater bled from all six openings of the face, their eyes and faces are damaged and unusable. I looked around the cave and looted some gold. An hour passed by and I heard the boulder at the front of the cave entrance move. As the boulder slid to the right, a voice sounded out. "Brothers! Guess what I found? An elf...and a female one at that!" Shepherd exclaimed as he walked in with an elf in his left hand. However, when he saw his dead brothers, he immediately dropped the elf and rushed to his brothers'' corpses. "W-who did this to you? WHO?!" "I did." I said as I jumped towards him. Shepherd turns around at the sound of my voice. With a double swipe of my skinning knife, I removed his face and gouged out his eye. The cyclops keeled over in pain. He roared and started swinging his arms wildly. I laughed at his misery and called out to him. Shepherd followed my voice and stumbled towards me. I ran towards the edge of the mountain and taunted the cyclops to come. Shepherd, mind clouded with pain and anger, rushed over and lunged at me. I rolled from under his feet and Shepherd tumbled down the mountain...his screams resounded throughout the mountain. Seeing him plunge to his death, I walked back to the cave. I spotted the unconscious elf and walked towards her. I moved her in an upright position and gently slapped her awake. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Nngghh....Don''t e-eat me!" The female elf shrieked as soon as she woke up. "Relax, you''re safe now." I said. "Stop! No...I don''t do hugs. Anyways, who are you?" The elf told me that her name is Emelelyn Oakenlake and she was a princess of the Wood Elf Kingdom - Oakenlake Kingdom. Apparently, her kingdom will soon be invaded by a monster army. She heard about the Adventurer''s Guild and wanted to go request help. I told her not to worry as I am an adventurer from the guild. I told her that I''m on my way back to the guild and can escort her back. As we proceeded down the mountain, I realized that I have one more quest to finish. But, where do boar warriors live? Maybe I can find some along the way back to the guild. .......... Along the way, I introduced myself to the Wood elf princess. But being the anti-social person that I am, it was hard to strike a conversation with her without it being awkward. So we trekked back in silence. As we approached the plains, I see a huge herd of Rampaging rhinos. Now, if I was by myself, I would be able to breeze past them with ease, however, there is now someone else with me. This complicates things. I turned to the elf and said, "It''s too much of a hassle trying to cut through here what with all those rhinos. Let''s circle around them, alright?" The elf nodded but her eyes showed a bit of disdain...like how I am an adventurer if I can''t take care of a herd of rhinos. I of course ignored her. So, we headed south for a while before proceeding towards the direction of the guild again. Soon, we arrived near a lake by some trees. We stopped by the lake and took a break and refilled our water supply. Suddenly a loud *OOOIIINNNNKKKK* echoed in the air. Turning my head, I see a small group of 5 Boar Warriors approaching our direction. The elf jumped up in fright and hid behind me. Taking out my Orc King Mask, I transformed...to the surprise of the elf. She jumped back and fell on the ground as memories of Orc attacks plagued her mind. Ignoring her collapse, I charged forward with my battleaxe raised. Being an Orc King, my strength overwhelms that of the Boar Warriors. Our head on charges crashes against each other, however, only the Boar Warriors flew back a few steps with shock on their faces. I jumped towards one of the Boar Warriors and brought my battleaxe on his head. With the momentum of the jump, my attack slashed through the Boar Warrior and split him in half. Without stopping, I took advantage of their shock and beheaded another Boar Warrior. "Ouch!" I flinched. A spear appeared at my lower side. In anger, I grabbed the spear and pulled the Boar Warrior towards me. I brought my battleaxe down and halved the enemy. Two more left...I looked around and saw one of the Boar Warriors running towards the collapsed elf. I roared and immediately rushed towards the Boar Warrior. Seeing that I won''t be able to make it there in time, I hefted my battleaxe and threw it at the Boar Warrior. The battleaxe sliced deep in the back of the Boar Warrior, killing him. Stupidly, I sighed in relief and let my guard down. I saw the terror in the elf princess''s eyes and realized too late as I felt a sharp pain at my throat. Looking down, I see a spear piercing my throat, the spear head and a good portion of the spear were out and covered in blood. I pulled the spear out of my throat and threw it at the last Boar Warrior. The spear pierced the Boar Warrior''s stomach, pinning him to the ground. I collapse from the blood flow and the elf rush towards me in tears. Of course, when the elf princess saw me revert back to human form - healthy and alive - she bit her lip and looked at me, feeling cheated of her emotions. The elf princess humphed and stomped away. I laughed in amusement. Then, I looked at the last Boar Warrior. He was struggling on the last threads of life. Before he dies, I took out my skinning knife and removed his face. I stored the face in my ring and went looking for the elf princess. Once I found her, I joked and teased at her a bit before persuading her to continue walking towards the guild. .......... Arriving at the guild after a long day of questing and near-death experiences, I walked into the guild. I submitted my quest report - all successes. Then, I told Shadow about the Wood Elf princess and her troubles. Shadow notified the guildmaster about the situation..but what happens is not my decision to make. I bid goodbye to the elf and headed home. More Guild Quests Part 4 After a tiring day yesterday and the creation of my clan - Society of Makers, I had initially decided to take a break from questing. However, when I saw the list of quests this morning, I couldn''t help but choose a few quests to do. After quickly scanning the quests on the quest board, I decided to choose the E-rank quests: bring one ice crystal and slay 15 kobolds, D-rank quests: slay 1 unicorn and collect 3 yeti skin, and the C-rank quest: slay 3 ice golems. Satisfied, I went to the reception table to notify the quests I will be taking for the day. Looking around, it seems that all the receptionists are busy. At the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the guildmaster. Since the guildmaster can also do receptionist work, I approached him and told him of the quests I will be taking. After getting the approval of the guildmaster, I left the guild and headed towards the tavern. Entering the tavern, I bought some food, water, and alcohol supplies. With these supplies stored in my bag, I turned and got ready to leave. At the door, I remembered that PK did not return my Werewolf Mask to me. Thinking about that, I remembered the troubles I encountered yesterday because I did not have the Werewolf Mask. So, I went up to PK and cast "Plunder". With a swipe, my Werewolf Mask appears in my hand. Placing the mask back in my bag, I strode out of the tavern. Looking at my map, I determined where I will go first. Hmmm, ice golems and yetis can be found in the snow mountains in the far east. Ice crystals can be found from many different sources. I recall that in the far east, there is a village of snow children (similar to yuki-onnas) located somewhere on the snow mountains. Snow children are harmless creatures who help lost travelers find their way out of the mountains. Blood from snow children can become ice crystals as soon as they are exposed to the air and freezes solid. I don''t really like killing harmless creatures, but I also don''t want to fail an easy quest. Unicorns are found in the forest to the west. Now, contradictory to popular belief, unicorns are not harmless creatures like they were depicted in stories. Unicorns can be considered as picky...they only allow virgin women to approach them. Anyone else, they will view as enemies and should be killed. Unicorns are considered prideful and intelligent. However, from the accounts of experienced hunters, I know that if I can succeed in angering the unicorns, then they will make rash actions. This weakness can be taken advantaged of. As for kobolds, well, they reside in the grasslands in the north. Most kobolds live in packs of 15-20 and have been at war with other kobold packs for quite some time now. After considering my routes, I decided to head to the snow mountains.... .......... After three hours of walking, I arrived at the foot of the snow mountains. Snow mountains...are justly named - the entire mountains are covered in deep snow. Since it was getting closed to lunch time, I decided to take a break. I found a medium-sized rock, wiped the snow off, and sat down. Rummaging through my bag, I pulled out a bottle of water and some food. While I ate, I kept having a bad feeling...that I should be prepared in case something happened. After I finished my food, I took out a bottle of rice wine and poured a vial of condensed Rhino blood. I shook the bottle to evenly mix the solutions. Done...Rhino Blood Wine complete. With this wine, I will have a source of stamina replenishment. Not only does the wine replenish lost stamina, but also temporary boosts strength and vitality. After finishing making the wine, I placed the bottle back in my bag and got up to leave. Suddenly, a ear-piercing wail erupted into the air. Turning around, I tried to find where the wail was coming from. Though I could still hear the wail, I could not see where the sound was coming from. Listening closely with my ears, I followed the sound. As I approached closer to the source, the wails intensify and sounds of battle can be heard. I pressed on and turned at a corner. There, I saw four adult white furred yetis surrounding a baby black furred yeti. The baby yeti was crying beside a corpse...that looked like a female yeti. At first, I thought that the adult yetis were consoling the baby yeti for the loss of his mother. But upon closer look, I see the adult yetis were shoving and slapping the baby yeti. With a ding in my mind, I realized that the adult yetis must have killed the mother of the baby yeti - a feud between two tribes of yetis maybe? You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. *EEEEEEEEEEE* I looked up and see one of the adult yetis raise his fist preparing to strike the cowering baby. Feeling righteous, I sprang into action. Knowing full well that I cannot take on four adult yetis at once, I decided to use some devious tactics...which some people would consider "cowardly." However, according to me, anything can and should be used in order to gain an upper hand in battle. My loud footsteps notified the yetis of my presence. They turned to look at me and roared at me as if to say "You looking to die?!" As I neared the yetis, I took out a mask - the Mask of the Sleepy Knight. Putting on this mask, I immediately summoned Shiyo. "Napknight, cast Absolute Sleep on those four yetis!" I exclaimed. *SILENCE! PILES AND PILES OF F***ING SILENCE!* The four yetis were looking at me in confusion. I turned around and looked at Shiyo...this idiot is curled up on his pillow asleep.... I walked up to Shiyo, bend down close to his ear, and said "El and Orphellia are here...." "GGGAAAAHAAHHAHAAAAHH!!!" Shiyo screamed awake. His face seemed to have aged a few years. "Relax Napknight, they''re not here." I assured, "I need your help. Can you cast Absolute Sleep on those yetis over there?" Shiyo glared at me and muttered some curses. He gave a half-assed wave towards the yetis and muttered the Absolute Sleep spell. Then, with a poof, he disappeared. Ignoring his attitude, I nodded in satisfaction. I turned to look at the four sleeping yetis...only to find three of them snoring on the ground. Where''s the fourth? Well, after he saw the other three suddenly dropped to the ground, the fourth yeti turned tail and ran in panic. Seeing the retreating yeti, I shrugged. "Oh well. At least there''s still three left. With their skins, I can fulfill the quest requirements." I walked up to the baby yeti who was nudging his mother''s body and observed his appearance. Turns out, this yeti looked entirely different from the other yetis. Realization struck me. Ah, so that''s what happened. Mother protects baby even though baby looks different from others. Other yetis hate difference and thus tried to attack and kill baby. The mother must have defended and was killed. Poor baby! I reached towards the baby and after a few minutes, I was able to assure him that I wasn''t a bad person and calm him down. The baby yeti got up and ran off. He paused a moment and seemed to urge me to follow him. So, I followed. After walking for a distance, I see another body...it seems to be the baby''s father. Oh, not a corpse, the father seems to be alive but barely breathing. Because I am not a specialist in medicine, I could not save the father. As I approached, the father looked at me and said a few words. I was able to understand some parts as I had learned the language of the Sasquatch, which was similar to the language of the Yeti. The words I was able to understand were something about taking care of the baby. Using Sasquatch language, I tried to assure the father yeti that I will take care of his baby. The father yeti nodded a bit, letting me know that some words must have gotten through. With a small heave, the father died. The wailing baby yeti finally couldn''t take the stress of losing both his parents and fainted from exhaustion. I buried the father yeti and the mother yeti together. Afterwards, I walked towards the sleeping yetis and removed their faces. Man...Absolute Sleep is so OP. Even with the pain from having their faces removed, the yetis are still fast asleep. After preserving the faces and storing them in my storage ring, I killed the three yetis. Then, I brought the corpses into my Maker''s Domain and began to work. First, I used the basic Bloodletting Technique and drained the yetis of their blood - storing them in a barrel. Next, I skinned them and stored the skin. Then, I deboned and separated the flesh from the organs. The organs are dried and ground to fine powder and stored in a barrel. Done with the task, I deactivate my Domain and walked to the unconscious baby yeti. I picked up the baby and continued up the mountains. More Guild Quests Part 5 Sometime along the way, the baby yeti woke up. Initially, the baby was frightened but I was able to calm him down. I tried to speak in Sasquatch language but to no avail. I tried saying some of the Yeti words that I picked up while conversing with the father yeti, but the baby didn''t not understand. It seems that the baby does not know how to talk yet. I recall from books and scrolls that depict yetis with good intelligence. So, I decided to teach the baby yeti the human language. But this is another story. As I walked deeper and deeper into the snow mountains, I couldn''t help but sense some hostility aiming towards me. I looked around and caught sight of a flurry of movements. I pursued the movements until I met a group of snow children...but these snow children were carrying...weapons?! Why? Aren''t snow children kind and harmless? One of the snow children approached me with an ice spear in hand. He pointed the spear towards me and words began to appear in my mind. "Who are you? What is your business here?" "I''m called Khaos - a simple mask maker." I stated, "I wish to acquire a drop of your blood. If tha-." Before I finished, the surrounding snow children started chattering endlessly and stabbed their ice spears towards my direction. "So you are with those despicable humans who came by yesterday? Scram! Our village do not welcome you. Step closer and get speared." "Wait! I''m not with those humans you have mentioned." "We don''t believe you." Desperately, I asked, "What can I do for you to believe me?" The snow child leader pondered a bit before saying, "Kill those humans and bring back their leader''s weapon." With no other choice, I agreed. Being shown the direction, I prepared to leave. Before, I left, I was able to convince the snow children into keeping an eye on the baby yeti (who I later named "Tyn" after the color of his dark silver skin and fur, this is unusual for a yeti which makes him a variant with both Ice and Darkness affinities). After half an hour of trekking through the snow, I arrived at a small encampment. Putting on my Ghost Mask and transforming into a ghost, I stealthily scouted the camp. The camp was pretty small with around 10 humans. The biggest threat I can see is the leader who is apparently an Ice mage. Curious as to why these humans want to attack the snow children''s village, I hovered around and listened to their conversations. From the bits and pieces, I was able to understand that this group of humans were monster poachers. Their main goal currently was to attack the snow children and sell them to slave dealers. Now understanding who these despicable people are, I immediately switched into my Werewolf Mask and began attacking the poachers. Quickly, all except the leader were dead. "Give it up mage and accept your death." I said. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Hmph, it is you who will die today." The mage replied as he cast a spell. Suddenly the ground shook as ice spouted forth. The Ice mage threw three items into the ice, which caused the ice to shift and shape until three ice golems stood before me. Now most people would panic at this point, but I was grinning ear to ear. Nice! Three ice golems, perfect for completing my quest. I charged forward and leapt towards the ice golems with my claws raised. *SCRATCH SCREECH SCRATCH* However, the defense of the ice golems was too strong. What should I do next? Before I could think of a solution, an ice arm appeared in my view. Barely raising my guard, I was sent flying. I crashed to the floor a couple of meters away. Clearing my mind from the daze, I thought hard. Then, I recalled that the Ice mage made the golems by throwing something into the ice...could those items be the core? I looked at the ice golems and see that each golem has a glowing spot in the center. I got up immediately and rushed towards the ice golems. I headed straight to the leftmost golem. Before I reached that golem, I abruptly changed directions and attacked the rightmost golem. I thrust my claws straight towards the core and pierced through. Without the support of the core, the ice golem crumbles into chunks of ice. Without a moment of rest, I turned and tumbled towards one of the remaining golems, dodging its arm in the process. I attacked and destroyed the second golem. At the corner of my eye, I see the Ice mage preparing to make more golems. I lunged forward and grabbed a sharp piece of ice and hurled it at the mage. The pierced through the mage''s mouth before he could uttered the spell. With eyes wide in shock, the mage collapsed. After a few seconds of struggle, the mage died. I stared at the last golem and rushed over. The golem raised its arms to knock me off my feet. I dodged sharply and kicked ferociously at its feet. The kick caused the golem to fall on his back. Without giving the golem a chance to get up, I straddled the golem and pierced its core. Finally, I was able to destroy the three golems and wipe out the poachers. I took off my mask, grabbed the mage''s staff, and headed towards the snow children village. When I arrived, the leader of the snow children saw the staff I was holding and excitedly proclaim that the staff was the weapon the leader of the poachers used. The snow children all thanked me for helping them in their time of need. "Is there anything we can do to repay you?" The snow children asked. "I''m on a quest to find some ice crystals." I answered, "Can I have some of your blood?" The leader of the snow children nodded his head and proceeded to prick his finger. Five drops of blood dripped out and before it touched the ground, the drops became solidified ice crystals. Taking the ice crystals and baby yeti, I left for my next destination. More Guild Quests Final Part Walking northwest, I finally arrived at the grasslands. Looking at the sky, I estimated that there is still an hour left before dinner. When I was E-rank, kobolds may have proven to be a difficult component. Although by themselves, they are slightly weaker than hobgoblins, but in a pack, they could take on a greater orc. Good thing I have increased my strength and is now a D-rank. I didn''t know exactly where the kobolds are, so I aimlessly wandered around. Around ten minutes later, I heard some barks and whines. I followed the source of the sounds and found a pack of 20 kobolds fighting a giant bear. Soon, the bear died but not before it brought 5 kobolds down with it. As the kobolds were licking their wounds...and I mean LITERALLY licking their wounds, I rushed forward and beheaded a few of them. The remaining surprised kobolds jumped up and rushed at me. I jumped backwards and kicked some dust into the kobolds face as a diversion. The kobolds who weren''t lucky enough to dodge had their eyes temporarily blinded. They fell on the floor in tears as they rubbed their eyes. The remaining kobolds who dodged unfortunately met their end as I took advantage of the diversion and beheaded them. The remaining 4 kobolds were still crying and rubbing. I looked at these kobolds with pity before I beheaded them. I counted the bodies to make sure I killed 15...and I did. Cutting off the tails, I decided to use these as proof of kill. I realized its getting close to dinner, so I decided to rest and eat. Since I initially thought that I would be able to finish the quests by dinner, I only brought enough food for lunch. I looked around for any edibles and my eyes landed on the giant bear. Hmmm, I heard bear meat is delicious. I brought the corpse of the giant bear into my Maker''s Domain and proceeded to drain the blood, debone, skin, and separated the flesh from the organs. I poured the blood in a barrel, dried the organs and ground them into fine powder and stored into another barrel. I stored most of the flesh, skin, and the bones in my storage ring. Deactivating the domain, I began cooking the meat. I held a chunk of meat towards the baby yeti who ate it with relish. The baby looked at me as if to ask for more and I chuckled while tossing another chunk. After we finished the bear meat, we decided to continue onwards. Destination - the forest in the west. ........... After arriving at the forest, it was well into the evening. Though there is still some light out, it won''t be long before it gets completely dark. I searched around the forest and soon found an unicorn. The unicorn was grazing near a pond. It looked majestic...but not for long. The plan I will be taking is to anger the unicorn and then have it charge at me with its horn pointing at me. Then, I''ll jump out of the way and the unicorn''s horn will lodge into a tree. This way, I can kill the unicorn with ease. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. So, I began. I shouted at the unicorn a threw a rock at it, startling it. The unicorn stared at me angrily and started neighing in rage. The unicorn pointed his horn towards me and charged. I jumped to the side and ran towards a tree. Turning around, I taunted the unicorn again. The unicorn charged again. I jumped again and looked to see if the unicorn was stuck to a tree or not, only to see the unicorn quickly stopping and turn around. Pretty good reflexes eh?...That''s bad, this will be tougher than I anticipated. But with no other plan, I continued this process. Half an hour later, the sky has finally dimmed. Though I can still see the unicorn, it would still prove dangerous if I don''t finish this soon. Tired, I looked warily at the unicorn. It seems the unicorn is also tired as it is standing some distance opposite of me and panting heavily. I took advantage of this and pulled out the Rhino Blood wine from my bag. Downing a shot, I immediately felt that my stamina restored a bit. My strength and vitality has also increased a bit. I downed another shot before putting away the wine bottle. Don''t want to drink too much or else it would have adverse effects on me. I picked up another rock and threw it at the unicorn. The rock smashed into the unicorn''s head. The unicorn neighed in pain and charged at me. I dodged and rolled to my side. Don''t know if its the fatigue building up or how dark it is outside that the unicorn couldn''t see properly, but the unicorn tripped during its charge and crashed into a tree. FINALLY!!! I silently shouted with my arms raised into the air. The unicorn has its horn stuck firmly in the tree. It tried to struggle for a bit, but because of the fatigue, it collapsed. I walked up to the unicorn and placed a small barrel under the unicorn''s neck. Then, I took out my skinning knife and looked at its glint and sharpness. Using the knife, I traced the line of where I want to cut on the panicking unicorn''s neck. I made a sawing motion to prepare myself...and then I jerked my arm back quickly. The slash was so fast that the unicorn didn''t notice initially. The neck looked as if there was no mark on it. Suddenly, a tear appeared on the neck and then blood began trickling out. The wound becomes bigger and bigger, and the blood pours out faster and faster. At some point, because of intense blood loss, the unicorn died. After completely draining the unicorn, I sawed off the horn. Finally, done with all my quests I led the baby yeti and we headed towards the guild. .......... Upon arriving at the guild, everyone turned and saw the baby yeti following behind me. After finding out that the yeti is mine, they stop paying attention to it. I walked up to the guildmaster and reported my quest completions. After turning in my report, I awaited for the judging and the rewards. Adventurer Guild Card Name/user id/nickname: Khaos Titles: Apostle of Lady Luck, Race: Human/Undead. Otherworlder (From Middle Heavens) Job/Occupation: Mask Maker/Mask User/Pill Refiner/Essence Manipulator Armor/Accessories: Mithril full body armor, Eye of Odin (left eye) Pets: Variant Yeti (Ice and Darkness abilities) named Tyn, Polyp (Darkness and Unholy abilities) named Agaricus Mounts: Desolate Firebird (Darkness and Fire abilities, Lesser Hatred) named Blackie, King Beetle Supporters/Allies: Earthworm Army, Ranger (Artificial Moon Elf using a binding transforming Moon Elf mask on a powerful Skeleton Archer), Stats:If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Weapons: masks (three main S-rank masks - Werewolf, Basilisk, Ghost), Skinning Knife Skills: Mask Making, Maker''s Domain, Skinning Knife Art, Basic Cooking, Blood Refinement, Blood Manipulation, Corpse Pill Refinement, Pill Refinement, Essence Refinement, Essence Manipulation, Blood Seal, Appraisal, Blessings of the Paragons (Dragon, Qilin, Phoenix), Plunder, Cancel Escape, Basic Acupuncture, Basic Acupressure, Basic Bloodletting, Basic Anatomy, Basic Joints and Bones, Multilingual, Flames of Wrath, Mask Recycle, Flow of Trees, Dragon''s Roar (fighting technique), Lava Shaping, Ice Smithing, Frost Armor, Shock, Rebirth by Fire (once a day), Seekers (tracking; control ghosts), All-Seeing (from Eye of Odin), Divine Blessing of Lady Luck, Meridian Destruction Art, OverLuck, Mark of Lum, Imbue Luck, Freeze, Clan: Society of Makers Shop: Society of Makers Shop Rank: A Solo Missions Completed: 140 Group Missions Completed: 10 Epic Missions Completed: 0 Total Missions Completed: 150 Mission Failed: 0 Gold: 41130 Guild Honorary Badge x2 Elven Token Dragonmen Token First Party Quest I walked into the guild and saw only a few people dawdling around. I walked up to the guild receptionist on duty and asked, "Where is everybody? Did they already left to do today''s quests?" "No, the guildmaster hasn''t posted up any new quests yet. That''s why not many people are here." The receptionist answered, "There are three limited quests that Shadow posted earlier if you want to look at them." "Ok." I said before I walked up to the quest board. Hmmm, subduing an ancient mithril golem - nah, not enough reward. Subduing a King Beetle - hmm, sounds easy...what else? Subduing a Feral Black Wyvern - don''t mangle the corpse? You got to be kidding me. Fine, I might as well take the King Beetle quest. Now, who should I party with.... I looked at the list of participants who had chosen the quest and found that Eun-Ha is still in a party of one. I turned around and scanned the room. Upon seeing Eun-Ha, I walked up to him and asked, "Hey, do you still need a party for the King Beetle quest?" "Yup." Eun-Ha replied. "Then, we can join together. I have a pretty good plan on how to beat those King Beetles without harming their carapaces." "Ok." After forming the party, we notified a guild receptionist before heading west to the forest. Along, the way, I learned about Eun-Ha''s abilities. Although it''s not bad, but it''s not enough. If we want to take on 3 King Beetles, which are as large as orcs and as fast as goblins, we needed to think of a more devious strategy. As we headed to the forest, we formulated a few plans. Shortly, we arrived at the borders of the forest. Preparing ourselves once more, we marched in. After searching for half an hour, we came across two King Beetles. Because we had agreed to lure them out one at a time, I picked up a rock and aimed at the nearest King Beetle. *THUD* The rock struck the King Beetle on its head. Due to its thick carapace, it did not feel any pain, however, we could see that it was annoyed. With a loud roar, it charged at us. Unfortunately, the roar attracted the other King Beetle and it also charged at us. This...was not the plan. With two King Beetles converging towards us, we had to think of something quick. Taking out my Werewolf Mask, I transformed into a werewolf. I howled at the nearest King Beetle and retreated left. The King Beetle sees me running and pursued after me. The other King Beetle continued heading towards Eun-Ha. After separating from Eun-Ha, I ran towards a fallen dead tree nearby with the King Beetle hot on my trail. When I heard Eun-Ha cast out the spell to freeze the ground, I jumped into a tree. The King Beetle''s eyes followed my movements but it couldn''t turn or stop. The frozen ground added with the King Beetle''s momentum caused it to slide uncontrollably towards the fallen dead tree. *CRAASSHH!* The King Beetle collided with the tree and the force of abrupt collision flipped its entire body upwards, causing it to land on its back. The King Beetle struggled to right itself but to no avail. I took off my Werewolf Mask and replaced it with my Ghost Mask. After I transformed into a ghost, I flew downwards next to the flipped King Beetle. I phased my arm into the King Beetle, intending to pull out its heart. However, due to my lack of knowledge on King Beetle anatomy, I instead pulled out a lung. While the King Beetle struggled to breathe, I reached in again and pulled out the other lung. Without its lungs, the King Beetle died in a matter of seconds. Dropping the lungs onto the ground, I turned to see how Eun-Ha was doing. Unfortunately, it seems that he wasn''t able to flip the King Beetle with his water barrier and is currently running around. "Eun-Ha! The King Beetle is too fast! Splash some water on it and then freeze it. You probably won''t freeze it completely, but at least you can slow its movements." I shouted. After seeing Eun-Ha flip the King Beetle on its back, I let out a sigh of relief. This guy is just too weak. He should come by my clan - Society of Makers - and get some good, affordable enhancements and power-ups. Eun-Ha called out to me and asked me to kill the King Beetle. It looked like he was struggling with my name but since it sounded about right, I decided to ignore it. I flew next to the flipped King Beetle. As Eun-Ha was thawing the frozen ground, I thrust my arms into the King Beetle and phased out both its lungs. The King Beetle struggled a bit as it tried to breathe before dying. With the second King Beetle dead, I stored the two bodies in my storage ring. "Come, Eun-Ha, one more to go." I said. The two of us continued searching the forest. Another half hour later, we came across a King Beetle standing next to a tree. The strangest thing is the King Beetle just stood there without moving. Upon closer look, I noticed what looks like an egg lying in a hole in the tree''s trunk. "See that in the tree trunk? Doesn''t it look like an egg?" I asked Eun-Ha, "Do you think its the King Beetle''s?" "I''m not sure...but probably you are right." Eun-Ha replied. "The King Beetle seems to be on high alert because of the egg, be careful." "Ok." "Here''s some Rhino Blood Wine. It''ll replenish some of your stamina as well as boost your strength and health by a small amount." I said as I handed Eun-Ha a shot of Rhino Blood Wine. "After you drink this, can you try to lure it in my direction? Once it leaves the tree, go take the egg. Make sure to check if there''s more than one." Once Eun-Ha lured the the King Beetle towards me, I immediately ran with the King Beetle hot on my trail...putting some distance so that Eun-Ha can steal the egg. After a while, I stopped and faced the charging King Beetle. I reached in my bag and took out Mask of the Sleepy Knight. Putting it on, I summoned Napknight. "Napknight, cast Absolute Sleep on that King Beetle!" I exclaimed. Napknight looked at the giant bug and almost fainted in fright. He pointed at the King Beetle and stammered, "A-absolute S-sleep!" As soon as the spell was cast, the beetle fell to a skidding halt. It was in a deep sleep. Napknight disappeared after his summoned time was up. I walked to the King Beetle, transformed into a ghost with my Ghost Mask, and phased out its lungs. The beetle died in a matter of seconds. After I stored the last King Beetle into my storage ring, I looked to see how Eun-Ha was doing. It seemed he met some trouble as he was currently fighting an even bigger beetle, which I assumed was the Queen Beetle. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Eh? Why is he naked? Was the Rhino Blood Wine too strong? But I only gave him half a shot.... As I stared at Eun-Ha, he started to unleash all kinds of water magic at the Queen Beetle. "Oi, oi, Eun-Ha, you''re being way too reckless! Calm down for a bit." I urged but to no avail. Although the alcohol has strengthened Eun-Ha''s attacks and speed, but it also seemed to decrease his ability to think with reason. As the Queen Beetle charged at him once again, Eun-Ha dodged immediately and grabbed at something off its back. Immediately after the beetle crashed into a tree and had its horn stuck in the tree, Eun-Ha froze its horn in place. When Eun-Ha walked up towards me, I immediately grabbed some spare clothes and threw them at him. Seriously...why is everyone in the guild so weird? After Eun-Ha received the clothes, I asked, "What happened to the egg?" "Ah..." Eun-Ha murmured, "So that''s what I forgot." "You forgot?" I asked, "What was so important for you to forget about the egg?" "HONEY!!!" Eun-Ha shouted delightedly as he showed me the honey he collected. "I got it from that Queen Beetle." Following his finger, I see the Queen Beetle still struggling to dislodge its horn. I walked up to the Queen Beetle and took out my Skinning knife, but I was hit by a water barrier that came from under me, making me lose my footing "What happened?" I asked the obvious culprit, who was still naked by the way, and he simply glared sharply at me. "What are you gonna do to the poor babies?" Huh? Babies? Is he perhaps talking about the eggs? "Didn''t I say that I want them? If you wish for one I''ll give it to you if there is more than one" "You demon! How can you steal those eggs! I know that we killed their father for the mission, but at least let the mother and babies alone! If you want eggs, I can cook you some chicken eggs!" Eun-Ha started to scream hysterically. How can someone get so drunk from so little alcohol? I tried to ignore Eun-Ha but he fired ice blocks at me. This is getting annoying. I have no other choice. I faced him and put on my Werewolf Mask and ran at him with the power of a werewolf. I don''t want to hurt him so I''ll have to be careful, since he is too weak. I fend off his barrage of ice blocks with my claws. After closing the distance between us, I kneed him in the stomach. But, he was faster than expected as he put the palms of his hands on my knee and instead of breaking his hands by the impact, he used that force to jump very high. In the middle of the air, he started to fire many water balls. Luckily, his reckless use of magic is causing his mana to run out. I ignored those attacks since they were weak, but the water didn''t dissipate after contact and instead was glued to my body and then the water slowly started to go near my face...he probably wants to drown me. "Hyaha! How''s that you cheat character! Even a normal guy like me can defeat you with proper strategy. Hahaha, now just obediently give up and let the mother and babies alone!" While he kept screaming stupid things he grabbed a branch of a tree and fired a few more water balls at me. Because it would take too long if I try to catch that monkey, I decided to simply let out the biggest howl I could. "Wooooooaaaaaaah!" The shock-wave of my howl dispersed the water around me and made Eun-Ha lose his balance falling off the tree branch he was grabbing on, in the middle of his fall, he recovered his equilibrium and tried to rotate his body to fall on his feet. However, I was faster and punched his back to avoid letting him do the same stunt he did before with my knee attack. The impact was too much for him, making him fall unconscious. Geez...I will never give him alcohol again. After taking care of the drunk Eun-Ha, I put the clothes I gave him before, stored his girly outfit in his bag together with his honey and returned to where the Queen Beetle was. I took out my skinning knife again and thrust it through the beetle''s eye. The Queen Beetle screeched in pain and struggled ferociously, so hard that it broke its horn in the process. The Queen Beetle smashed its head on the ground a few times trying to rid of the knife that was still stuck in its eye. However, with each smash, the knife pierces deeper in until finally, the Queen Beetle collapses. After a few minutes of blood loss and pain, the Queen Beetle died. I pulled out the knife and stored the Queen Beetle corpse in my storage ring. Then, I went to the tree where the egg was stored and checked the condition of the egg. Sadly, the egg was crushed. I looked inside the hole and found two more eggs...lucky! Taking these eggs, I placed them in my bag. Then, I walked up to Eun-Ha, stored his bags on my ring, carried him on my back and started to return to the town. "Come Eun-Ha, stop pretending to be drunk, the effects should have long dissipated by now." I said as I dragged Eun-Ha back to the guild. He seems really weak to alcohol. "Huh? Where I am? Since he finally wake up, I placed him on the ground. "Don''t you remember anything?" "I remember that we were on a mission, and in the middle I started to have fun, but I can''t clearly remember it." Does he really don''t remember anything! "Hah... don''t worry about that, it was just a side effect from a skill I did. We successfully finished the mission, here are your bags" I said that to him while taking out the bags from my ring. "Wow thanks and sorry for having me carry around all the way to the town." Once we arrived at the guild, we turned in the three King Beetles - carapaces intact and everything. I looked at Eun-Ha and said, "Nice partying with you. Come by my clan if you want some enhancements or power-ups." Gathering Resources Walking into the guild, I was immediately dragged by Shadow to the receptionist table. Surprised, I looked around to see what is going on. I see three other adventurers standing at the table as well. After Shadow and I arrived, I gave them a quizzical look but they only shrugged. Shadow then turned towards us and told us that there are three very important quests that needed us to take. The quests were already assigned to the designated adventurers. He is also taking part in one of the quests with another adventurer. That is all good but why am I the only one taking on a quest by myself? Must be because I solo a lot anyways. "So the teams are divided, now go do those quests as soon as possible." Shadow replied. "Ok." Everyone murmured. "Ah," I said, " before I start, I''m gonna take a few gathering quests to gather some materials." I went up to the quest board and said, "Here, I''ll take these three quests: gather chickens, gather moonlight flowers, and gather moonlight water." "Ok." Shadow agreed as he granted my request. .......... After the short meeting, I left to do the three simple tasks. I headed to the forest. Searching around, I finally came across a cluster of wild chickens. "1, 2, 3,...,10! Good, exactly ten." I clapped, "But why are there so many chickens just standing there for? Forget it, I''ll worry later. For, now capture them alive." I pulled out Mask of the Sleepy Knight from my bag and summoned Shiyo. "Napknight! Use Absolute Sleep on those chickens." Shiyo, however, was snoring on the ground. I rushed over and gave him a sliding kick to the back. With a pained expression, he woke up. He looked at the chickens and half-assedly gave a wave in that direction. Absolute Sleep was cast but not only were the chickens affected but everything in a 5 meter radius was affected as well, including Shiyo himself. Luckily, because I''m the one who summoned him, I was not affected by the spell. With a poof, Shiyo was sent back. I walked up to the chickens, grabbed a knapsack and tossed them all in. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I continued onwards deeper into the forest when I bumped into a rooster. The rooster looked very majestic, it looked as if it had monster blood coursing through its veins. So that''s why so many chickens were here together...they were vying for the affections of this rooster monster.... Shrugged, I grabbed the sleeping rooster and tossed it in my knapsack as well. Then, I continued walking. .......... As I made my way deeper into the forest, I came across many healing and poisonous plants. I picked them as I went, thinking that they may be of use to me later on. After gathering enough healing plants, I reserved 10 of them to later submit to the guild to complete my quest. After trekking in the forest for more than an hour, I finally found the moonlight water. The water is located in a small cave where the ceiling of the cave has a medium sized crack where moonlight can pour in. The small pond of moonlight water looked so clean and it glistened in the moonlight, basking in the moon''s essence. As I was mesmerized with the beauty of the pond, I caught a glimpse of blue and white. I turned my head and saw...moonlight flowers! Success! It would seem logical for moonlight flowers to grow where there are moonlight water and moonlight. I quickly took out three large-sized vials and filled them with moonlight water. The water glistened in the vials even when its not basked in moonlight. It seems that the moonlight water had retained the moon''s essence...no wonder they are called "moonlight" water. Then, I bend down and plucked 10 moonlight flowers - careful not to harm the plants themselves so that they may continue to produce moonlight flowers. Storing the flowers and water in my bag, I left the cave. I trekked back to the guild to turn in the items. Special Quest: Search for Civilized Monsters Part 1 After I gathered my materials and finished a few easy gathering quests, I prepared for my expedition to different monster clans. I opened my Maker''s Domain and pulled out the preserved Boar Warrior face. I needed to make a Boar Warrior Mask which I can use when I infiltrate a Boar Warrior tribe. I chanted a few incantations while dropping a drop of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence. After the quick work, I appraised the simple mask:
Boar Warrior Mask: E-rank No cooldown No limit Transforms user Stamina Drain 5% per hour Indestructible Special Attributes: Increase all stats 10% Increase Nature resistances 5%
Finishing, I deactivate my domain and headed west to the forest. My first target is a Boar Warrior tribe. After an hour, I arrived at the forest. Immediately upon entering, I heard a cry for help. I rushed into the forest and sees a young girl wearing a basket and running towards my direction. Behind her were two Boar Warriors. I lunged forward and placed the young girl behind me. Then, I raised my hand up and shouted in Common Bestial Language (common language that all animal-like monsters can speak), "STOP!" The Boar Warriors halted in surprise. They did not expect a human to know the bestial language. One Boar Warrior walked up a few steps and grunted, "Step aside human. That girl stepped into our territory. Hand her over or we''ll kill you too." "Can''t we talk this through peacefully?" I asked as I calmed the young girl down. "I''m sure the young girl didn''t mean it." "Hmph! You humans!...Always want to solve things peacefully and when that doesn''t work, you attack." The other Boar Warrior growled. "I''m sure we can work something out," I negotiated, "We could eve-." Before I finished my sentence, the Boar Warrior roared, "There is nothing to work out with! My patience is limited! Die!" The Boar Warriors lunged towards me with their spears raised. It seems that the Boar Warriors could not be reasoned with. There doesn''t seem to be any chance of forming a non-aggression pact with the Boar Warriors as they treat humans as inferior species. With a sigh, I equipped my Werewolf Mask and clawed at the incoming enemies. Due to recent increases in strength and speed, my attacks became stronger and sharper. In a matter of moments, one of the Boar Warriors was killed. The other Boar Warrior froze in panic and fear. It turned around and hurriedly retreated. I didn''t want it to alert its tribe, so I pulled out my Skinning knife and hurled it at the retreating figure. *PUCHI* The knife pierced the Boar Warrior''s back and it fell to the ground. Bleeding profusely, the Boar Warrior died after some minutes. I pulled out the knife and took off my mask. I walked to the young girl and urged her to go home now. As the young girl ran home, I looked at the dead Boar Warriors and sighed. "It seems that allying with Boar Warriors is a failure. Turns out I didn''t really need to make the Boar Warrior Mask. I guess I should head southwest and look for an Orc tribe." .......... As I walked through the forest, heading southwest to look for an Orc tribe, I chanced upon a small clan of Lizardmen. Judging from their numbers, they may be the surviving Lizardmen army who participated in the raid against the Demon Orc with us. Not wanting to sour any possibility of negotiations like with the Boar Warriors, I decided to transform myself into a Lizardman first. After becoming a Lizardman, I mixed in with the group of Lizardmen. While cutting down some trees with some Lizardmen, I tentatively asked, "I heard those hairless monkeys are looking to negotiate and form an alliance with some monsters. Do you think they will come here?" "Hmph!" One of the Lizardmen grunted, "Definitely not. Even if they come here, we will kill them on sight. Don''t you remember? During the attack against the Orc army, we suffered numerous losses from those monkeys as well. We may not attack them without reason, but if I ever find one near our territory, I''ll kill it and eat it." Hearing this and seeing how the surrounding Lizardmen were nodding their heads in agreement, I can confirm that the Lizardmen are a no go as well. While the Lizardmen weren''t looking, I quietly slipped away. With no successes so far, I made my way southwest deeper into the forest. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. .......... Heading southwest deep in the forest, I came across a small Orc tribe. These Orcs looked different than the Orcs we battled with during the Raid of the Demon Orc. These Orcs are taller than an average Orc, but they appeared to be less muscular - having the body of an average human warrior. On a closer look, many of the Orcs are warriors leading me to believe that this was a small warrior tribe. As I approached the tribe, one of the sentries caught sight of me. "Who are you? State your business!" The sentry spoke...surprisingly in fluent Common Human Language. "I am Khaos, an adventurer." I responded, "I''m here as an emissary. I would like to negotiate with your tribe''s chief in hopes of forming a lasting friendship between humans and your tribe." "I see." The Orc grunted, "Don''t move while I go notify the Chieftain." The Orc sentry left while the other sentries eyed my movements. Soon, the sentry came back with a larger Orc who had tribal tattoos all over his face and upper body. The larger Orc looked at me and said, "I am Dalthu, Chieftain of the Half-Orc tribe." Half-Orcs? No wonder they looked different. I immediately cupped my hands and bowed in greeting. "I am Khaos, an emissary of the Humans. We humans are looking for possible friendly interactions with monsters. I was wondering if we can form a non-aggression pact between your tribe and my guild?" "You are an adventurer? I heard you attacked many Orcs and even raided one of their strongholds. Is this true?" Dalthu asked. Nervously, I replied honestly, "Y-yes...is this going to affect our negotiations?" "HAHAHAHA!" Dalthu suddenly laughed as he heard my confirmation. "No, it won''t affect it. Hahaha! Any enemy of those damned Orcs is a friend of mine. Come! Join me for lunch while we discuss more in detail." After that, the Half-Orc Chieftain walked back to his tent. The sentry next to him urged me to follow. As I enter the tribe''s grounds, many Half-Orcs stared at me curiously. As I entered the Chieftain''s tent, I see him sitting on some tiger and bear furs. Beside him are two older Half-Orcs - one looked like a shaman, while the other looked like a battle-hardened veteran. An aromatic scent permeated the tent. In the center was a huge bear roasting over the fire. "Come sit." Dalthu said, "This two are my most trusted - Shaman Gurukk and Warrior Suhgan. They will listen to your negotiations with me." "Thank you Chieftain." I said as I sit on a pile of furs. "I am somewhat curious...why is that you hate Orcs so much?" "Hmph!" Suhgan grunted, "Those damned bastards treated us worse than insects! We were practically slaves. Our mothers were humans stolen by them and raped continuously. When we were born, we were beaten and starved daily. Only our mothers treated us nicely." "Oh, I see." I nodded. Suhgan seemed to angry to continue so Gurukk finished the explanation, "Orcs are known to value strength above all else. We Half-Orcs strove to prove ourselves to them, but to no avail. Although what we lacked in strength, we made up for intellect and cunning. Soon, some of us were valued by the Chieftain and were given better treatment." "If that''s the case, why did you guys leave and move here?" "When Orcs are done with the human women, they usually kill them and eat them. This has occurred to all of our mothers." Gurukk grimaced as if recalling a bad memory. "When Chieftain Dalthu saw his beloved mother being eaten, I exploded in anger and seemingly unlocked an ancient Orc bloodline - Wrath''s Touch. He led other Half-Orcs and rebelled, killing a lot of Orcs. But because their numbers were too great, we ran." "I see." "But enough of this, come, the meat is ready. Let''s feast." Dalthu replied. So, for the next hour, we ate the bear meat until only bones are left. After eating our fill, the Chieftain began showing around his tribe. The Half-Orc tribe is mostly a warrior/hunter tribe, but they have dabbled in Nature and Earth magics. They also possess extensive knowledge in traps as well as medicine. After being shown around, I asked them if they wanted to form an alliance with the Humans. They at first feared discrimination from the Humans, but after some persuasion, they agreed to send their shaman Gurukk along with a few warriors as escorts to discuss details of the alliance. I led Gurukk and his escorts back to the guild, where he met with Shadow and started to discuss alliance and possibly trade as well. As the negotiations are in process, I continued my quest and ventured east to the mountains. Special Quest: Search for Civilized Monsters Part 2 As I tread along the Great Plains towards the East Mountains, I heard to my right sounds of battle. Curious, I walked towards the sounds. There, I found an unknown creature fighting with a Rampaging Rhino. This creature looked like a minotaur but hairier with a bulkier upper body. His horns are extended to the side and he was clothed like humans. The rhino had knocked the young minotaur to the ground and was trying to pierce him with its horn. The young minotaur has one hand on the rhino''s horn and one hand on its head as he tried to push the rhino away. Seeing that the young minotaur is in need of help, I lunged forward with my Skinning knife drawn and beheaded the rhino. The rhino''s body collapsed and the young minotaur pushed it off his body. "Are you okay?" I asked in Common Bestial Language. Surprised, the young minotaur murmured, "Y-yes, thanks for the help." "I am called Khaos, an adventurer. What do they call you?" "I am called Chogan Cloudsnout, little chief of the Cloudsnout Clan." Chogan replied (little chief means first son of Chieftain and next in line to be Chieftain). "Little chief eh? So what is a young minotaur like you doing out in the Great Plains all by yourself?" "M-minotaur? I am not one of those warmongers. I am a Tauren." "Tauren? I''ve never heard of your kind." "That''s because we came from the mountains in the far east. But my clan did not fare well with the Minotaurs and decided to move here and live in peace." "Really? So that''s it. If you guys are peaceful friendly monsters, then why didn''t you help us when we passed here to battle a Demon Orc and its Orc army?" I asked. "We tried to recruit nearby friendly monsters." "We are a peaceful clan who don''t like unnecessary bloodshed." Chogan answered. "Here, it''s getting late, why don''t I invite you to my clan. I need to properly repay you for your help." Chogan led me to his clan, which turned out to be a village in the southern part of the Great Plains. As we neared his village, Chogan shouted of his return. And when questioning looks were cast in my direction, he explained that I had saved him from danger. It seems that the Taurens treat their benefactors kindly. The Chieftain berated his son a bit before warmly thanking me and invited me to have dinner. While we sat, I observed the foods they brought out. There were many unknown vegetables and plants. Although there were meat, it seemed the Taurens eat more vegetables. While eating, I discussed my purpose and wanted to invite the Taurens to my guild to discuss peaceful relations. Most of the Taurens are a quiet bunch...having lived in isolation from most of the world. Although, I had saved their little chief, they could only treat me as a benefactor but not as someone they could put their trust in. The Taurens felt that because there is little trust, then their isn''t much reason to form relations. After dinner, I got up and prepared to leave, but the Chieftain urged me to stay a few days as they had predicted a large rainstorm will occur soon. A few days later, a rainstorm really occurred! I was amazed at their accuracy in predicting the rainstorm. When I asked about it, the little chief laughed and said that their tribe has worshipped the sky for many centuries. The sky leaves numerous of messages to their shaman who then interprets the weather (possible Astrology/Astronomy/Weather Forecast skills) that helps them with their farming and other every day work. After the heavy rain, I bid the Taurens farewell and left for the mountains. I haven''t even walked for five minutes yet when I heard screams or anger and pain. It was coming from the Tauren village. I rushed back and saw a group of more than 10 cyclopes raiding the village. Although the Taurens are strong, but most of them have been weakened with peaceful life so their battle strength is slightly weaker compared to the cyclopes. I grabbed my Werewolf Mask and rushed in to help. With my help, the Taurens were able to fend off the cyclopes...but not without casualties. The biggest problem that occurred was that the Chieftain is severely wounded and in a coma. The Taurens did not have any advanced medicine that could help heal the Chieftain. The Chieftain was brought over to his bed while his son sat next to him with worry on his face. "The little chief calls for you." A Tauren told me. "Ok." I said as I entered the tent and walked up to Chogan. After a few minutes, Chogan began to speak, "You were right. We Taurens have lived in peace for too long. Our strength has decreased considerably as well as our healing knowledge. As acting-Chieftain, I''ve decided to consider your offer for alliance. It seems that we are in need of friends." "That''s great." I replied, "Don''t worry, I''m sure that we can help your tribe get through this mess. And maybe even heal your father." Chogan gave a sad smile and said, "Give me a day or two to bury my fallen clansmen. Then, I will go with you to this Adventurer''s Guild you talked about." "Ok, I got some business in the mountains. When I''m done, I''ll come and escort you to my guild." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. I bid farewell to Chogan and the other Taurens and headed farther east into the East Moutains. .......... Walking deep into the mountains, I was surprised at the number of human villages. I asked around to see if they needed any help or if they had been attacked by monsters recently. I was even curious at the statue situated in front of each village. The statue was that of a humanoid with black wings and a distinct long nose. When I asked the villagers, they all said the statue is of their god who would send his flying soldiers down from the heavens to fight off monster attacks. The villages even said that there was a village deep in the East Mountains that had made contact with the god and even built a shrine around a long black feather that was given to them by the god. Curious about this story, I decided to head deeper into the mountains in hopes of finding the village. After a day of walking, I finally found the secret village. The village was extremely hard to find as it was located between the Snowy Mountain and the Shadow Mountain. Upon entering the village, I was bombarded with the feeling of being watched. I looked around me but the villagers were all minding their own business. As I made my way to the center of the village, the feeling intensified. Not sure what''s going on, I heightened my senses and raised my guard. Seeing the shrine of the winged god, I made my way towards it. As soon as I reached the entrance of the shrine, the feeling disappeared. I paused a bit before pushing open the door. As the door opens, a large wave of energy rushed out knocking me back a few steps. After I situated myself, I looked inside and saw a large black feather. This must be the feather of the winged god. I stepped in and walked towards the feather. Looking at the black luster of the glistening feather, I was mesmerized. Suddenly I noticed a presence behind me. I turned around and...a bag was thrown over my head. I felt myself being lifted higher and higher as if I was being flown somewhere. I struggled but it seemed like I was bound by an invisible and magical restriction. I can tell that we are very far away from the village as the speed was very fast. A few minutes later, the flying stopped and I was dropped onto the ground. Feeling the restrictions disappearing, I sat up and lifted the bag over my head. I turned around and saw numerous of bird-like people...or is people-like birds? No, its humanoid birds for sure. "W-what do you want?" I stammered, "I d-don''t taste very good." "Hahahaha!" Laughter broke out behind me, "We mean you know harm...yet." I turned to look at the source of the sound and I saw...the winged god. He had a red body with a long nose. Large black feathered wings protruded from his back. He seemed young as his hair is still black. Furthermore, he''s huge - at least 10 feet tall...while sitting down! "W-who are you? What are y-you?" I asked. "I am known as Xeck Qoju - leader of the Tengu tribe. These birdmen are my retainers. You are on my island - Sky Island." Xeck replied as he fanned himself with a feathered fan. "Now that I have answered you, it is my turn. Speak! Who are you? And what is your business? I''ve been watching you since you started questioning the villagers about the statues. What is your purpose? If I don''t like your answer, I will kill you immediately." "Have mercy!" I cried, "My name is Khaos. I am but a simple adventurer. My purpose is to seek allies for my guild." "Alliance? Well you can forget about that." Xeck said dismissively. "May I ask why not?" I asked. "We of the Tengu tribe do not wish to involve ourselves to deeply with you humans. Furthermore...its a hassle." "Can you give us a chance? Perhaps we could at least form a trading relation?" "A chance eh? Do you know that the villagers below have worshipped us as gods? Well, I guess I can act like a god for once." Xeck mused, "How about a few tests to prove your worth? Firstly, if you can find us once more, then I''ll consider it as passing the first test." "Wait, what do you mean by finding you once more." "You''ll know soon enough." Xeck replied as he waved his fan at me. With a whoosh, I was blown out the doors all the way to the edge of the island. Another whoosh came and I was blown off the island. I screamed in panic as I fell, but I soon realized that I was falling rather slowly. I looked up at the distant island...and understood the meaning of the first test. Soon, I reached the ground. Looking at the sky once again, I could not even see a smidge of Sky Island. It seems like this first test will be hard. I looked around and saw that I am in the front entrance of the secret village. I looked at the village once more, sighed, and headed home. .......... Returning back to the Tauren village, I see that Chogan Cloudsnout has already finished their ritual burials. Together, we left and headed to the guild. Hours later, we approached the guild and see the Half-Orc Shaman already there. We entered the guild and I reported my failures and successes as well as the Tengu test. Golems and Other Monsters Part 1 After completing the special quest assigned to me, I went to the Tavern to rest and eat. While I was eating, I overheard some talk about new quests and new monsters to defeat. When I heard the word "giant", I could not contain myself...I want a mask of a giant! I hurriedly finish my food and scurried off to the guild. Looking at the quest board, I chose 6 quests - 5 extermination quests and 1 cleaning quest. I walked up to the guild receptionist on duty and said, "Shadow, these are the quests I''ll be doing today. I''ll be slaying 3 Ice Golems, 3 Fire Golems, 1 Cloud Giant, and 1 Tyrant Ent. In addition, I''ll be killing 5 rainbow slimes and collecting their gel or slime water as I like to call it. Finally, I''ll be going to the junkyard to clean for metals." Shadow looked over my quests before approving, "Ok, granted." Taking the quest list, I walked out of the guild door. .......... I walked to the big junkyard that''s east of the guild. Cleaning for metals eh? Shouldn''t be difficult, just tiring. Once I reached the junkyard, I pulled out my bottle of Rhino Blood Wine. Taking a few shots, I immediately feel an increase in strength and vitality. Feeling refreshed, I began to work. Metal pieces after metal pieces were picked...broken weapons, farming tools, metal trinkets...even Shadow''s broken irreparable spiders. After picking more than half a ton of metal parts, I prepared to leave. Suddenly, I heard a loud crash from behind. I turned around and see a large iron golem rising from a pile of metal. Where did this golem come from? Golems are created by powerful mages and tinkers and used to guard a specific place. However, this junkyard is fairly recent...so who created this golem? And why guard the junkyard? Not prepared to fight, I immediately ran. Luckily, the iron golem is fairly slow so I was able to escape successfully. Got to report this to the guild. .......... Continuing east, I ventured towards to East Mountains. After an hour of trekking, I reach the mountain where the rumors of a sealed elemental was being held. At the foot of the mountain, I see a couple of Ice Golems mindlessly wandering about as if to guard the mountain from intruders. Luckily, these Ice Golems also have cores shining brightly at the center of their bodies. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and transformed into a ghost. Time to go into stealth mode. I turned invisible and flew towards the nearest Ice Golem. With a swipe of my arm, I phased my arm into the Ice Golem and quickly phase out the magic core. Without the magic core''s energy, the Ice Golem couldn''t keep its stable form and collapsed into pieces of ice. The other Ice Golems looked around, their guards raised but because they could not sense my presence, they weren''t able to do anything about it. Smiling at these easy pickings, I continued attacking. Soon, another four more Ice Golems were plucked of their magic cores. Though I only needed to kill three Ice Golems, however, I needed five ice magic cores in order to make an ice-type mask. Afterwards, I decided to go to the volcano in the north to take on some Fire Golems. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. .......... On my way to the volcano in the north, I caught a glimpse of a giant plant-like stalk that reached the clouds. Curious, I wandered over. What is this? Could this be the pathway to the Land of the Clouds? Where the Cloud Giants live? I took out a shot of Rhino Blood Wine and downed it. Then, I looked at the giant stalk and started climbing. After an hour of climbing and refilling my stamina and strength, I arrived at the end of the giant stalk. It was an amazing sight. Land floating above the clouds...just like the Sky Island that the Tengus lived in. I wandered around the land until I see a giant castle with houses in the distant. So they lived like civilized beings as well eh? Then, how will I be able to kill them? After, aren''t giants just large versions of humans? I kept walking forward because I wanted to witness a giant. As I got closer, I see a huge fire pit and a huge pot. It seems like the giants are preparing a feast of some sort. However, when I looked at the contents of the pot, I grimaced...it was humans. Angry, I made up my mind and will attack at nightfall. I endured myself as I watched them feast on the humans. Finally, night came and the giants went to their individual homes to sleep. It is time to take action. I slowly crept to the guard house. I entered through a crack in the door. Looking around, I was fortunate to find only one Cloud Giant inside. The giant was currently counting his money...or rather his share of the money that was taken from the humans he ate today. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and flew up behind the giant. As soon as I reverted back, I grabbed my Skinning knife and descended towards the giant''s neck. With a stab, the knife went through. The giant howled in pain and he turned his head sharply. As he turned, the momentum carried me and the knife around his neck. Because of this, I was able to nearly indirectly behead the giant. With such a big wound on his neck and blood constantly flowing out, the giant collapsed as he tried to apply pressure to his neck. Before the giant died, I lunged at his face and removed it. With this extra wound, the giant finally died. Take in the huge giant face, I preserved it and stored it in my storage ring. The screams of the giant woke up the neighboring giants. They all rushed over to the guard house to see what''s wrong. Some were banging on the door and others were looking through the windows. When, they saw the dead giant, they immediately started to ram the door open. Realizing that I do not have much time left before being seen, I quickly looted the place...taking the coins (100 in total) and an ancient fancy looking book. Next, I put on my Ghost Mask again and disappeared. When the door finally opened and a few brave giants rushed in, I took advantage of the chaos to slip away. Running to the giant stalk, I jumped. Fluttering down, I had to drink a shot of Rhino Blood Wine to replenish the stamina I used up while running. Once I reached the ground, I walked west towards the volcano. Golems and Other Monsters Part 2 Finally arriving at the volcano, I began to survey the surroundings. Walking around, I catch a glimpse of what seems to be a small newly formed lava pool. Next to the lava pool are some Fire Golems listlessly standing there. Is there something in the lava pool? Or is the lava itself something worth making golems guard over? I was about to make a mask out of the ice magic cores and then attack the Fire Golems with ice blasts. However, fearing that the ice attacks may affect the lava pool, I decided to continue using my Ghost Mask and defeat the Fire Golems like I did with the Ice Golems. After transforming into a ghost, I turned invisible. Quietly flying over to the nearest Fire Golem, I phased my arm into the golem and phased its magic core out of its body. Like other golems, without the energy of the magic core, the Fire Golem was unable to maintain a stable shape and collapsed into rocks and lava. As for the rest of the five golems, I attacked using the same method. After finishing my attacks and collecting the fire magic cores, I looked at the lava pool. Approaching the lava pool, I realized that this pool was not a lava pool. The fluid/liquid in the pool was too thin to be considered lava. Realizing that there may be something special in the depths of the pool, I jumped in. Good thing I am still in ghost form or else I may have burned to death from the very hot pool of liquid substance. Descending deeper into the pool, I see a melon-sized, pearl-like substance. I waved my hand and stored the pearl-like substance into my storage ring. The pool began to change colors and cool down...becoming a regular pond in a matter of minutes. Deactivating my domain, I ascended and flew out of the pond. Turning back into my human form, I continued to my next destination. As for the pearl? Well, that''s another story. .......... As I made my way west towards the forest, I met with fellow adventurers who had bumped into a couple of Rainbow Slimes. These slimes, from what I heard, are resistant to all magic as well as physical attacks. Thinking of this, it seems I cannot attack them like I did with normal slimes in a few quests back. Guess I will have to continue using my Ghost Mask. As I hiked deeper into the forest, I was finally able to see some Rainbow Slimes in the distance. Wearing my Ghost Mask, I flew towards the slimes and phased their cores out. As soon as their cores were removed, they collapsed and became slime water or as what the guild calls it - slime gel, which was stored in a jar. Each jar held 5 Rainbow Slimes worth of gel. After collecting 3 jars and 15 Rainbow Slime cores, I walked southwards towards the center of the West Forest. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. .......... As I walked deeper into the West Forest, I noticed a group of Treants rushing towards me. Raising my Skinning knife, I prepared to fight. However, the Treants rushed passed me...ignoring me. If they''re not attacking me, then what''s making them run? I grabbed hold of a young Treant and asked it in the Language of the Trees. "What are you running from?" The young Treant was surprised by my words for a bit before responding, "There''s a huge Tyrant Ent. Its taking up all the resources of the land. We can''t nourish ourselves because of the lack of food, water, and sunlight. So, we''re moving." Seeing the young Treant join up with the others, I proceeded towards the Tyrant Ent. Seems like my target is here. Now how should I defeat this monster? With fire maybe.... As I approached the Ent, I was astonished at the size of that thing. It seemed too big and its roots/feet were deeply embedded into the ground causing it to unable to move. "I know you are out there," the Ent replied in Common Human Language, "I had sensed you as soon as you entered my forest." "Hmph! This is not your forest. It belongs to everyone." I pointed, "Stop taking all the resources and share with the other treants. If not, I''ll have to burn you to death." "Haha, just try it!" The Ent roared as it swung its arms at me. I rolled out of the way and equipped a red hobgoblin mask. Turning into a red hobgoblin, I can start using basic fire attacks. Throwing a fireball, it landed on the Ent. "Hmph! That tickles." Seems like I need more magic power. Building up my magic, I unleashed a huge fireball at the Ent, however, it only burned off some bark. Having used up all my magic, I ran out of choices. Taking off my mask, I tried thinking of another solution. Oh! That pearl-like substance I found in the lava pool! I quickly grabbed it out and threw it at the Ent. *PSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHSSHSHS!!*...followed by....*GGGAAAAHAHAHAAAAGHGHGAHH!!!* The Tyrant Ent burned to death and an entire area of 5 meter radius around the Ent was burned black. As I retrieved the pearl, I noticed a black ball emitting some serious dark energy. This must''ve been the monster''s core. Retrieving the core into my storage ring, I left the forest and headed back to the guild. Upon arriving at the guild, I submitted my reports and handed over the items. A New Friend Today, I decided to take it easy and do one or two quests. For now, I''ve selected the "Slay one Firebird" quest. It seems that these Firebirds are always protected by a few Thunderbirds. Now Firebirds are lesser descendants of the Phoenix and the Vermillion. These Firebirds are born like regular birds. As they grow older, their feathers began to appear. Each Firebird will grow bright fiery red feathers...the brighter the feathers are, the more likely for the fire to be more pure and stronger. To prepare, I decided to make some more masks. Opening Maker''s Domain, I take out the 5 ice magic cores I got from the Ice Golems I killed in the previous quests. I then condensed and fused the magic cores into one big ice core. Next, I pressed the core into a sheet and then shaped it into a mask that covers the upper half of my face. Taking the four ice crystals I got from the snow children, I liquefied the crystals and then I washed the mask with the liquid while chanting incantations to enhance the fire resistances, ice resistances, and ice-related attacks. The liquid enveloped the mask and fused with it after a number of incantations. Next, I take a jar of Rainbow Slime gel and mixed it with a drop of my Maker''s Essence filled blood. I lathered the incomplete mask with the mixture to further increase resistances to fire and ice as well as add some resistance to other elements. Finished, I appraised the mask:
Mask of the Frozen Giant: B-rank No cooldown Indestructible No-limit Enchanted Normal Mask Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Ice Resistance 200% Fire Resistance 200% Other Resistances 50% Special Skills: Ice Blast - Blast a wave of ice shards Frozen Touch - freezes a 5 m radius Ice Javelin - throws a spear of ice Ice Wall - raises a wall of ice
After making the mask, I began to make another mask. I take the 5 fire magic cores that I took from the Fire Golems that I killed in a previous quest. Like the ice magic cores, I condensed and fused the fire magic cores into one big fire core. Then, I pressed and shaped the core into a mask that covers the upper half of my face. Taking the 4 minor flame herbs, Fire Dragon''s nose hair, 10 fire crystals, and the two burns-relief herbs, I crushed and ground the mixture into a paste. Then, while chanting incantations, I applied the mixture onto the entirety of the mask. The incantations increases fire resistance, thunder resistance, and fire-related attacks. Afterwards, I take my last jar of Rainbow Slime gel and mixed it with a drop of my Maker''s Essence filled blood. The mixture is then lathered on the incomplete mask, enveloping it and fusing into it. Finally, I appraised the completed mask:
Mask of the Fiery Demon: B-rank No cooldown No-limit Indestructible Enchanted Normal Mask Stamina Drain 10% per hour Special Attributes: Fire resistance 200% Thunder resistance 150% Other resistances 50% Special Skills: Fireball - throws a ball of fire Fire Wave - throws a wave of fire Fire Wall - raises a wall of fire Melted Touch - melts anything within a 5 meter radius Special Abilities: Fire Eater - eats fire to replenish stamina
After finishing the mask, I realized I should also increase my stats. So, I began taking out all the monster blood I have and began to refine them. I took out the barrel of Yeti Blood and the small barrel of Unicorn Blood. Using blood manipulation, I condensed the Yeti Blood until it became a dark red fist-sized ball of blood. Next, I added a drop of my blood that is filled with Maker''s Essence and continued to condense while chanting a few incantations. After finishing refining the blood into a blood pill, I popped it in my mouth and started cultivating. After a few years of cultivating, my strength, defense, and vitality increased significantly. It seems my strength and defense has reached at least B-rank and my vitality has reached peak of B-rank. Next, I made a blood pill out of the small barrel of Unicorn Blood. After spending a year or two cultivating the Unicorn blood pill, my vitality and speed increased. Now, I feel that my speed has reached B-rank and my vitality has reached A-rank. What of my intelligence? Well, because of the teachings of my master, you can say my intelligence has already reached S-rank. As I packed up and sorted out my materials into my bag, I remembered the unknown Fire Pearl and the unknown Darkness Core. Taking them out, I appraised them:
Flames of Wrath: A-rank Wrath was a legendary demonic being who was part of the Seven Deadly Sins. Wrath is a natural enemy to all living things. His rage burns forever and won''t stop until everything thing is extinguished. The Flames of Wrath is just a smidge of Wrath''s rage that a legendary alchemist/mage was able to procure and shaped into pearl form. But, ever since the alchemist died, there was no way to contain the Flames of Wrath. Can be consumed.
My eyes shone at the words "Can be consumed". Hmm, an A-rank divine consumable. Good thing I have my Maker''s Domain. With it, I can consume this item without problems. But just to be on the safe side, I dripped a drop of my blood which is filled with Maker''s Essence. The drop of blood covers the pearl and fuses with it, making it less dangerous to me. Then, I ate the Flames of Wrath. Intense pain occurred as fiery hot rage burned inside me, covering every pore of my body. I sat down and started cultivating the Flames of Wrath. Centuries past inside my domain...after a very long time, I was able to refine and fully integrate the pearl into my body. My body''s capabilities increased by 5 times and I am able to sense that I have a fire affinity now and can use fire magic. Fire resistance tripled and any fire-related attacks have become flames of Wrath...burning until nothing is left. Then, I picked up the unknown Darkness pearl and appraised it:
Lesser Hatred: A-rank Hatred was once an Angel called Kristiel. However, she was betrayed by her fellow Angels who were jealous of her beauty and strength. Her beautiful white wings were forcibly torn from her body. Her beauty scarred with many burns and blade wounds. Her melodious voice poisoned and her tongue burnt off. Her meridians were broken and her strength depleted. Cast out of the Middle Heavens she lost her immortality, Hatred brooded daily, her mind filled with revenge and hate until the day she died. Her corpse did not decompose, however, her hatred seeped out of her body and covered her - reviving her, and manifesting her into pure Hatred. Lesser Hatred is a small miniscule portion of the original body''s hate that leaks out where ever she goes. Can be consumed.
Seeing that this Lesser Hatred can also be consumed, I smiled at the find. But since it is of Darkness affinity, I feel that my mind is not strong enough to handle it. So, I put it away for later. With my newfound increases in my capabilities, I decided that it was time to head north to go slay that Firebird. .......... Arriving at a Firebird Nest (cave on a cliff in a mountain actually), I decided to go stealth mode and sneak around for a bit. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and transformed into a ghost. Then, I turned invisible and fluttered in. After some searching, I found my target...or three of them in fact along with 20 Thunderbirds guarding them. The three Firebirds seem to be doing something. I approached to have a closer look. "Trash will always be trash. Hahaha!" One Firebird (let''s call him Firebird A) cackled at what looks to be a black shriveled lump. "That''s right, I still can''t believe you are my brother. Oh the humiliation!" Firebird B said. Of course these Firebirds were speaking in the Language of the Birds, and since I am multilingual, I can naturally understand them. I looked at the black lump carefully and realized that it was alive...it was a bird with shriveled black feathers as if it was diseased or something. Listening more into the conversation as well as the chattering gossip from the Thunderbird guards, I gathered that the black bird is the bastard son of the Firebird Patriarch...a mixed between Firebird and a 100,000 year old Nightingale Demon Bird. When the Firebirds left the groveling black bird, I fluttered up to it. Looking at it with pity, I muttered, "Pitiful." "What?! Who said that?" The black bird (let''s call him Blackie). "Crap, did I say that out loud?" I kept talking as my mind raced. "I am a friend." "Friend?" Blackie laughed in despite, "There''s no such thing." "Whether there is such a thing or not is not something you can confirm in the environment you are living right now." "What do you mean?" "The world is vast. Don''t determine that there will never be anyone out there that wants to be friendly with you just by how you are treated here. Why don''t you leave this place?" Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "But...my mother..." "Your mother? What about her?" "My mother is still here...she''s sick...and F-father said he will cure her when he completes his secluded training. I can''t leave until I see my mother healed." "Hmm, let me see your mother, maybe I can heal her." "I...I haven''t seen her for a long time. The elders say that her disease is contagious and that she is bedridden in that sealed cave over there." As we talked some more, I was able to understand that because of his mother, he endured insults and beatings from his family. After some more time, someone came by and called for him. When he left, I decided to pay a visit to his mother''s room. I was very curious as what type of disease that can cause a 100,000 year old Nightingale Demon bird to be bedridden. Still in my ghost form, I fluttered to the sealed cave that was holding Blackie''s mother. No matter how I look at it, this sealed cave doesn''t look like its keeping something from coming out...but rather keep something from going in. I walked up to the door and touched it. *SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS* Sizzling sounds came from the door as I pulled my hand back. It seemed the door is protected by a very powerful fire seal. Good thing I have strong resistance to fire. Gritting my teeth, I pressed forward until I was finally able to phase through. Immediately, a strong stench of rot permeated my senses. I looked around and saw far in the corner a withered, rotting, corpse. Some bones were sticking out, feathers have all fallen, and the flesh had liquefied. The Even though I dealt with a lot of bodies in the past, I still gagged at the sight. It seems the Firebird elders had lied to Blackie. His mother has died for a long time now. As I phased out of the sealed cave, I bumped into Blackie. Surprised, he looked around, "Who bumped into me? Is it you? The invisible person?" "Yes, you can call me Khaos. What was your name again?" "I...I don''t have a name yet." "Hmmm, should I give you one." "No...no need. I just got back from the elders. Father is going to come out of secluded training today. At that time, he will give me a name." "I see." I said, "How about I call you Blackie for now?" "Blackie? Sure, I guess." "Blackie...I have something to tell you." "What is it?" "You...your mother...she''s dead." "WHAT!!? You lie!" "It''s the truth. I just came from her room." "NO! I refuse to believe you." Blackie cried out, "That''s right, I''ll ask Father when he comes out." I tried to tell him its not a good idea, but he ran off. With a sigh, I followed. This is going to be messy. When I found Blackie again, he was talking to an old, more powerful looking Firebird. "Father! Please, I want to see mother." Blackie pleaded. The old Firebird glared at Blackie and growled, "Not possible. Get out of the way." "Is it true my mother is dead?" "Who...who told you that?" "I...I overheard it from the guards." The old Firebird glared at the Thunderbird guards who bowed their heads not daring to look up. Blackie mistook this silence as confirmation and continued to pester his father. Finally, his father gave in, "That''s right! Your mother is dead! Your mother has died for over 100 years now (Firebirds take a long time to mature so Blackie is currently around 100 years of age)!" Shock from the sudden confirmation, Blackie turned and rushed towards the sealed cave. His father, some elders, and some guards followed. When he tried to open the sealed door, he was struck by the intense heat of the fire seal. Gritting his teeth and blood flowing from his mouth and nose, he pulled the door open. As the smell flowed out and enveloped the surrounding area, he saw there in the corner of the room...his beloved mother''s corpse. "W-w-w-why? WHY? WHY? WHY?! WWWWWHHHHYYYYYY!!!!!" Blackie screamed in agony. "Hmmph, this whore thinks she''s part of our family just because she attracted the eye of our Patriarch." An elder said. "I''m asking...FFFAAATTTHHHHEEEERRRR!!!" Blackie roared in anger. The surrounding elders and guards flinched as if they could feel his anger. The Patriarch looked at Blackie and said, "This bitch didn''t know her status. She''s just a plaything to satisfy my urges." Upon hearing this, Blackie''s eyes flashed with hatred and anger. He turned around and glared intensely at his Father. With a roar, he lunged towards his Father. The Patriarch gave a cold snort and threw out a powerful fire attack at Blackie. *PPPFFFFFFFTTTT* Blackie spat out a mouthful of blood. His body caved in as raging fire burned his body. As he tried to put out the fire, his Father kicked him in the head...snapping his neck in half. Blackie died with anger and pain. "What should we do with the bodies?" An elder asked. "Guards, throw them down the mountains." The Patriarch grunted. "Yes!" Two Thunderbird guards saluted. The two guards dragged the bodies of Blackie and his mother and threw them in a bag. Flying to the edge of the cliff, they tossed the bag over. The Patriarch looked at the remaining remains of Blackie''s mother and cast a fireball at it. As the room burned, the Patriarch and the elders departed. I looked at the burning room one more time and sighed at the pitiful life of Blackie. Then, a black glint caught my eye. Fluttering into the burning room, I found the source of the black glint...Blackie''s mother''s beak. Picking it up, I stored it into my bag. Then, I floated out of the room. As I prepared to descend the mountain, I facepalmed myself. I forgot about the quest. As I pondered about who to kill, I overheard two Firebirds discussing Blackie''s demise. They were laughing and insulting him and it kind of irritated me. Still in my ghost form, I went towards one of the Firebirds and phased into its body. Due to my Flames of Wrath, I was able to avoid being burned by a Firebird''s fiery body. I pulled out my skinning knife and eviscerate its organs from the inside. The Firebird screamed once before dying. The other Firebird was surprised and before it could call for help, I phased inside it and attacked. With the two Firebirds dead, I collected their corpses into my storage ring. Then, I descended the mountain. Along the way, I saw the bag that held Blackie and his mother. Feeling sorry for them, I decided to give them a proper burial. I revert back to my human form and started burying the mother first. After burying the mother, I was about to proceed towards Blackie when I saw...his spirit floating over the his mother''s grave. In the Language of the Dead, I said, "Blackie...I''m sorry." "It''s not your fault." Blackie sighed, "Is...is this your true form?" "Yes, I am a human adventurer. My goal was to come here and slay one Firebird." I explained. "Y-you did? That''s good." "You...are you regretting?" "Yes...I regret not knowing about this sooner. I regret for believing Father...ah no...that bastard for so long. If I could turn back time, I would surely have my revenge." "You...do you want to live?" Shocked, Blackie looks at me, "You have a way?" "Yes. It''ll require some of your spirit essence." "As long as I can live, I''m willing to give you everything you need." "Ok." I said as I took a vial of his spirit essence. Then, I opened Maker''s Domain. Opening the vial of Blackie''s spirit essence, I poured it out on my worktable. The spirit essence flowed like oil. I rolled up my sleeves and began kneading the spirit essence while chanting incantations. Once a shape of a bird mask is formed, I added a drop of my blood that is filled with Maker''s Essence. The drop covers the mask turning it red and then back to its original transparent color. I appraised the mask:
Soul of the Desolate Beast: C-rank Transforming mask Binding mask (can''t be removed) No cooldown No-limit Indestructible No stamina drain Special Abilities: Binds Blackie''s soul to his body - resurrecting him Because the ghost is full of regrets - gains Darkness affinity Spiritual connection with Khaos - due to Maker''s Essence fusing with the soul
Satisfied, I deactivated the domain and placed the mask on Blackie''s corpse. In a matter of seconds, the mask binds Blackie''s soul to his corpse. During the process, black thick energy seeps out and envelops the body. After the successful revival, Blackie was transformed into a dark Firebird with black flames and red eyes. After seeing Blackie''s transformation, an idea occurred in my mind. I reach in my bag and pulled out Lesser Hatred. I fed it to Blackie who began cultivating and refining the pearl. Because of Blackie''s affinity, he was able to quickly finish his cultivation. With the help of Lesser Hatred, his body''s capabilities increased by triple, and his affinity with Darkness increased to new heights. Darkness resistance triples and any Darkness-related attacks triples and can poison the minds of his enemies causing them to doubt. Satisfied with his new powers, he looked at me and said, "Are you my friend?" "Yes." "That''s good. Thanks for being my friend. Strange, why do I feel a connection with you?" "It''s because of the resurrection process. Now we can sense each other no matter the distance and our bonds of friendship deepens as well." Smiling, Blackie looked at the mountain that the Firebirds lived at, "I may not be strong now, but I will have my revenge." Blackie looked at me and asked, "Blackie...that is the name you gave me right?" "Yes." "Then, Blackie shall be my name from now on." "That''s great Blackie. Come let''s go home." "Home? Where is that at?" "Adventurer''s City." I climbed on top of Blackie and we flew towards the guild. Arriving in a matter of minutes, I walked in to the guild and turned in my successful quest report. Blackies Mask and the Tengus Test After a few days of rest, it is time to complete some more quests and bring me closer to A rank. I walked into the guild and viewed the available quests on the quest board. Hmm, okay, let''s go with finding a wyvern nest and slaying at least one wyvern. What else should I pick? Oh? There''s too many ants? I heard fire is the best solution, time to test out my newly gained abilities. Hmm, it seems no one is taking my quest for finding the Tengu''s Sky Island...guess I''ll take it. I walked up to the guild receptionist and signed the quests that I''ll be taking. "I''ll take these." "Okay." Walking out of guild, I sent a mental transmission to my mount and friend Blackie. "Time to go gain some experience." A sharp screech pierced the sky, and a black flaming shadow speedily approached the guild at a distance. The shadow is Blackie. When he landed, I hopped on and we flew towards the Ant Nests in the south. .......... Because of Blackie, what would take hours by walking took minutes by flying, I was able to reach the Ant Nests quickly. Looking the numerous ant nests, I decided to chose a nest that was located further away from the rest. While the ants are still inside the nest, I carefully, quietly, and quickly brought out many firewood and made a small encirclement around the nest. Then, I wet the firewood and the nest with all the alcohol I have. Afterwards, I grabbed my mask - Mask of the Fiery Demon - and wore it. After gaining fire-based abilities, I cast a fireball at the nest. With the boost of my Flames of Wrath, any fire attack I use contains the Flames of Wrath and will burn continuously until nothing is left to burn. The fire starts spreading on the surface of the nest, but is contained by the firewood. Seconds later, many giant ants start pouring out of the nest and catching on fire. Most of the ants that flow out of the nest gets burned to ash quickly, however, there are some ants who took cover behind their burning comrades and jumped out of the fire''s range. "Blackie! Take care of those that escaped!" I exclaimed. *SCRREEEEEE!!* Blackie screamed before casting intense Darkness on the giant ants'' minds. The Darkness clouded and poisoned their minds that the ants started attacking each other. Then, Blackie breathed black fire at the ants - killing them. There were many ants but none were able to escape my and Blackie''s flames. After killing all the ants and flattening the ant nest to the ground, I jumped on Blackie and we flew east towards the hidden village between the Snowy Mountains and Shadow Mountains. .......... Seeing the hidden village below me, I could immediately feel a sense of being watched. Grinning, I told Blackie to fly up into the clouds. As we flew upwards, an indescribable sense of pressure fell upon us. So this is the real test eh? "Blackie! Hang in there. This is the real test, if we endure it, we''ll grow stronger." I shouted. This type of pressure is also sometimes called Spiritual Pressure which, if properly incorporated, can be used to help temper the body and the soul. We continue to ascend and struggle. At the halfway point, I was finally able to see a spot in the distance. That spot must be Sky Island. Knowing that the destination is in sight, we pressed on. At three-quarters of the way up, I found that Blackie could not reach any higher. So we descended to the ground. I racked my brains to see how I can increase Blackie''s strength. Suddenly, I remember his mother''s beak. I will use that beak to make a mask for Blackie. I told this plan to Blackie and after some thought, he agreed. Opening Maker''s Domain, I took out the beak. Now this beak was the only part of Blackie''s mother that did not show any sign of rot and decay. This means that the beak can be considered as a top grade rare material. I began to compress the beak into a ball and then knead the ball, shaping it into a bird-like mask. I take out the 8 darkness attributed hobgoblin masks and used a forbidden technique of mine "Mask Recycle" which recycles the masks into component materials - in this case Darkness-type component materials. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Then, I fused the component materials with the mask - forming a layer around the mask. I take out a moon rock from my bag and fused with the mask while chanting incantations. This moon rock added with the incantations will give the user the ability to see and fight better in the dark. In addition, I took a vial of Blackie''s blood to mix into the mask, allowing it recognize Blackie as the only owner. Finally, I add a drop of blood filled with my Maker''s Essence onto the mask which fuses with the mask granting it a few more increases in stats. After making the mask, I appraised it:
Mask of the Nightingale Queen: A-rank No cooldown No-limit Indestructible Binding Mask (only recognizes Blackie as owner, always worn on Blackie) Enchanted Normal Mask No Stamina Drain Special Attributes: Darkness Resistance 200% Light/Holy Resistance 200% Unholy Resistance 100% All Stats Increase 150% Special Skills: Cry of the Nightingale - a high pitch wail that poisons the mind and cause all enemies below A-rank to faint Special Abilities: Summons - any Nightingale species must obey user Wings of Darkness - grows two more wings made of pure darkness greatly increasing Blackie''s speed and affinity to Darkness Warrior of the Night - fights better and see better in the night/dark
Finishing with the mask, I decided to also create some pills for Blackie to further boost his strength and vitality. I took the two Firebird corpses I killed the other day and extracted their blood and monster cores. I crushed the cores to release the essence. Taking the essence, I mixed it with the blood. Then, I compressed and condensed the blood until two small blood pills were formed. Finished, I closed my domain. "Here." I said as I give the mask to Blackie. "This will fuse with you but will you give you many benefits." Blackie wore the mask and transformed. Now with four wings and an increase in size, Blackie could feel his overwhelming increase in capabilities. Then, I gave him the two blood pills. Blackie began cultivating as soon as he swallowed the pills and after a few hours, he was able to completely cultivate and refine the pills. "Ok. Let''s try this test again." I said as I jumped on Blackie''s back once again. We flew straight up...past the halfway point...pass the previous stopping point...all the way to the top - the pressure wasn''t as hard to overcome anymore. Landing on the Sky Island, we were greeted by Xeck Qoju. "Congratulations on passing the first test. I have seen your strength and determination." Xeck applauded, "Truthfully, there''s no other tests to give. I had thought you wouldn''t be able to complete the first test. I was wrong. We of the Tengu Tribes are willing to trade with Adventurer City. Here''s a feather of mine as a seal of approval." "Thanks." I say as I received the black feather. Then, Blackie and I descended once more and headed north to the North Mountains where I heard of a wyvern nest located around there. Exploring the Ash Plains Upon arriving, I immediately spot the Wyvern nest. There was a Wyvern sleeping in the nest. Lucky! I looked at Blackie and gave him a mental message telling him to use the skill Cry of the Nightingale as soon as I attack. Then, I jumped off Blackie''s back and raised my Skinning knife. The knife plunges into the Wyvern''s neck. The Wyvern woke up in pain and before it could attack, it was blasted by Blackie''s wail. The Wyvern''s mind could not take the sound attack and fainted, knife still protruding from its neck. I took the knife and slit its throat. The Wyvern dies. Quickly, I drained the Wyvern and stored its body in my storage ring. Searching the nest, I found many gold and resources. But the most curious thing that I found was a corpse...it seems humanoid but was mangled beyond recognition. I searched the body for any clues and found a beaten-up container. Opening the container, I see a letter and a seal. The letter was written in Common Human Language. It read:
The Demon King will attack you soon. I will stay and get more information. L.K.
It seems that the Human Kingdom has a double agent in the Demon King army. L.K. must be the double agent''s initials. The Demon King is getting ready to attack the Human Kingdom soon. I need to report this to the guild. I jumped on Blackie and we set off to the Ash Plains. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. .......... Once I reached the borders that connects Ash Plains to the North Mountains, I had Blackie stop in midair so to view the ground below. As the name describes, the Ash Plains really is covered in ash and lava. After sometime, I urged Blackie to continue flying. While continuing, I kept my eyes on the ground. Suddenly, I spotted movements. Fortunately, the sky is dark and the ground is black, whoever...whatever is moving below could not see Blackie''s shadow. I pressed Blackie to move closer. The creatures look like shadowy demonic beasts. I whispered to Blackie, telling him to follow the demonic beasts. After half an hour has passed, the shadow demons arrived at a huge cave. I could not see what is exactly going on there so I decided to have a closer look. I jumped off Blackie and equipped my Ghost Mask. Transforming into a ghost, I then turned invisible and phased entered the cave. After going through a long hallway/tunnel, I come across a big clearing. E-eggs! There were countless of large black transparent eggs! Each egg had a shadow demon inside. A weird sound was also occurring from a room. Shadow demons were coming out of that room each caring an egg. That must be where the eggs are produced! Not daring to go in by myself, I left the cave. I''ve decided to temporarily name this cave the "Shadow Demon Nest." I climbed on Blackie and we flew away. Flying deeper north into the Ash Plains, I scanned the ground for any clues of another location. Suddenly, I see another cave. At the entrance, I could see a deep red light coming out. I swooped down at the entrance. There were many unknown blood red crystals in the entrance and further back. I bend down and picked up a blood crystal shard. Taking it, I jump up on Blackie and flew east. I''ll temporarily call that mine the "Blood Crystal Mine." Traveling for a few miles, I caught sight of a small town...or what''s left of it. The town looked to be in ruins, most likely from the ash that caused the soil to be infertile. There is also mansion. The strangest thing is that there were light in the mansion. Could there be someone living in there? Or is it ghosts? I''ll temporarily name this town "Ghost Town." After finding three locations, I decided it''s time to head back. After flying back to Adventurer City, I submitted my quest completions and reported my findings. Speeding Through Quests with Blackie After receiving some more quests, I started flying towards West Forest hoping to find an evil Ent. As I neared the forest, I see some heavy rustling in the midst of the trees. I urged Blackie to descend for a closer look. As we approach the trees, I see a giant Ent massacring a group of Treants. "Save those Treants!" I told Blackie, "Make sure not to accidentally burn them." Blackie nodded his head in confirmation and flew towards the Tyrant Ent. As soon as the target is in range, Blackie breathed out a medium-sized black fireball. The fireball hit the Tyrant Ent, causing it to drop the Treants it was crushing with its vines. Once the Tyrant Ent lost its hostages, I bombarded the giant tree monster with two fireballs mixed with the Flames of Wrath. The fireballs hit the roaring enemy and started burning quickly. The Ent tried to put out the flames but the flames would spread to its arms and other parts of its body. Minutes...that''s how fast the burning went...pass and the Ent burned to ash. The nearby Treants thanked me for helping. Before they left, I asked them some questions, "Why are the Treants attacking the Oakenlake Kingdom?" "Oakenlake...?" One of the Treants pondered, "Oh you mean those Treants in the Vale. I heard they are being influenced by the dark forces...possibly even tricked to believing that the Oakenlake Kingdom is disrupting the Flow of Nature." "What is the Flow of Nature?" "It''s the natural order of all living things created by Nature. The Treants in the Vale have been sensing disturbances in the Flow of Nature, and they seemed to have been tricked into thinking that the Elves over there had something to do with it." "How can I sense the Flow of Nature?" "That...is an innate skill of the Trees." "Then, how does the Elves sense it?" "The first Elves received the blessings from Nature Herself...and this ability has been passed down to pure Elves through birth ever since." "Is it possible for me to get this blessing?" "You can''t get the original skill, but our Elder can pass a lesser version to you as a gift for saving us." The Treant replied as he led me to his Elder. The Elder Treant thanked me immensely before agreeing to pass down the blessing/skill - Flow of Trees: senses the disturbances of Trees; this skill is a minor form of Flow of Nature in that it can only sense disturbances in the Trees but not other living beings created by Nature. I thanked the Elder for the skill and left. I decided its time to head northeast towards the North Mountains. .......... Minutes later.... .......... With North Mountains in sight, I began to scan the surroundings for a Wyvern nest. Suddenly, at the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of flurry movements and fire. I turned around to look and...LUCKY! I see a Firebird fighting with a Wyvern. I urged Blackie towards the direction of the battle. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! When Blackie saw the Firebird, he seethed in anger, "That''s my sister...." "Kill or no?" "Kill." We flew towards the two fighting monsters. It was already too late when they realized our presences. I jumped off Blackie towards the wounded Wyvern as Blackie rammed into the Firebird. With my skinning knife drawn, I stabbed into the Wyvern''s back. The Wyvern bucked in pain as it tried to throw me off. Using the knife embedded in its back, I stirred the Wyvern into its nest. As the Wyvern tried to stand, I plunged the knife once more into its back...this time it seems that the knife has pierced its heart as the Wyvern screamed and then keeled over dead. Pulling out the knife, I looked to see how Blackie is doing. Blackie shrugged off the fire attacks from the Firebird as he bit into the Firebird''s neck. Then, Blackie flew upwards in a straight line as fast as he could go. Reaching a high altitude in a matter of seconds, the force of the ascend added to the grip of the neck by Blackie caused the Firebird''s neck to break. With its neck broken, the Firebird died. Once Blackie flew down towards the Wyvern''s nest, I stored the dead Firebird and Wyvern. Then, I searched the nest...only to find some poor quality weapons, gold, and useless trinkets. Afterwards, we flew a little bit north towards the giant beanstalk that connects to the Cloud Giants'' land in the clouds. .......... A few minutes later.... .......... Arriving at the beanstalk, I urged Blackie to follow the stalk as we ascended upwards. Upon arriving at the end, I spot a Cloud Giant farming in the distance. I sent a silent mental transmission to Blackie telling him that we will do a simple hit and run tactic. We will fly speedily towards the farmer and when we are in range, I''ll blast him and his crops with a fire ball. As soon as the fireball hits, we leave immediately. Blackie nodded his head in silent agreement. He quickly flew towards the farmer...100 meters left...90 meters...80...50...20...10 meters left. As soon as we approached the farmer, the Cloud Giant looked up to see what the noise was. I raised my hand and threw a bottle of alcohol on his head and then cast a fireball at him. The fire mixed with the alcohol spread quickly on the screaming Cloud Giant. The giant tried rolling on the ground to put out the fire, but it only served to spread the ever-burning fire to the crops. After a while, the giant burned to ash and the crops were destroyed. Satisfied, with this attack, we flew back and descended to the ground of the North Mountains. Then, we traveled back to Adventurer City to turn in the quests. Escorting Princess Emelelyn After finishing the quick quests with Blackie, I went back to the guild and prepared to escort Princess Emelelyn back to her kingdom. Apparently, she is worried with the situation over there and would like to check up on things. Before we set off, I prepared some supplies - food, water, potions, etc. In addition, I opened my Maker''s Domain and brought out a King Beetle egg. I placed the egg in the domain and waited. Many years past in the domain...the egg hatched and the King Beetle grew to maturity. Closing the domain, I escorted the princess on. We rode the King Beetle towards the East Forest. Upon reaching the East Mountains after a few hours, we decided to stop and have lunch. As we sat, I brought out sandwiches and water. I looked at the princess and asked, "You don''t eat meat, do you?" "No." Princess Emelelyn replied. Her air of superiority seemed to have been boosted from all those special treatment...different from how we first met. "Ok, then, here''s a tofu sandwich." After we ate, we continued to rest. I scanned the surroundings while the princess took a short nap. Why I didn''t do anything perverted to the princess while she slept? Well, that''s because she''s not my type - I like Dark Elves better. Anyways, I''m getting off topic. So, while I scanned the surroundings, I suddenly noticed some movements to my left. I woke the princess up and told her that there were movements. I told her that I''ll go check while she stayed put. Before she answered, I hurried after the sound. As I entered some bushes, I immediately put on my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Then, I made my way back and observed. What''s that you say? I''m using the princess as bait? Well...that''s not a lie. Anyways, while I waited, my guess was right and an assassin suddenly jumped out. The princess saw the assassin and jumped in fright, "W-who are you? What d-do you w-want?" "Hmph! Your life!" The assassin growled as he stabbed his life towards the princess. At this point, I ran forth and grabbed the assassin''s arm. The assassin stared in shock at his arm...why did his hand stop moving? Before he could think any further, I phased my other arm into his body and phased out his heart. The sight of a pumping heart scared the princess so much that she fainted. I dropped the heart and the assassin collapsed. I took off my mask and began searching the assassin''s body for clues on who sent him. As my hands patted his clothing, I felt a round thing in his breast pocket. I reached in and pulled out a metal badge. I walked up to the fainted princess and gently slapped her awake. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. When she awoke, she glared at me and said, "Did you use me as bait?!" "Uh...no?" "NO??" "Anyways what''s this? I found it on the assassin''s body." "Don''t try to chan-...wait! This is...this is the badge of the Elves Supremacist Faction!" "Elves Supremacist Faction?" "They''re a faction of nobles who disapprove the friendly interactions with non-Elves." "I see..." I nodded, "Anyways, you finish resting? Let''s keep going." I turned around and walked towards the King Beetle. Suddenly, I was slapped in the back of my head. Grabbing my head in pain, I turned and glared at the princess. The princess had her face turned and nose held high, "Hmph, you deserved it." Didn''t want to argue, I grimaced and nodded, "Fine, I admit...I deserved it. Now, let''s go" I turned around once again...and once again, I felt a slap. I turned around and glared, "What was that for?" "I felt like it." Gritting my teeth and enduring, I climbed on the King Beetle. I reached my hand to her and she grabbed it. Then, with a grin, I pulled with all my might. I pulled the princess up onto the King Beetle with so much force and momentum that she fell to the ground on the other side. "YOU!" "Sorry, my head still hurts...couldn''t think well." I reached over and pulled the princess back on. Then, I urged the King Beetle to continue forward. After a few hours, I arrived at the borders of Rainforest Vale. Since the Vale was a place that Princess Emelelyn knew very well, we were able to speedily maneuver through the forest. As we stirred through the thick forest, I caught sight of fellow adventurers: Eun-Ha, Reachii, Biel, and PK. It seems that they are also on their way to Oakenlake Kingdom to fulfill some missions. So we met up and decided to move together...afterall, safety in numbers am I right? Finally, after a while of traveling, we reached the kingdom walls of the West Gate. When the Elven guards saw Princess Emelelyn, they opened the gates and let us in. Shortly after, we were led to the main hall to meet with the king. Upon meeting the king (King Thrion Oakenlake) and the queen (Queen Ardwyna Bluegrass), my fellow adventurers and I presented ourselves as allies coming to help Oakenlake Kingdom deal with their crisis. The king thanked us gratefully and gave his permission, allowing the other adventurers to complete their missions. Once we left the main hall, I told the other adventurers to go do their business. Betrayal Princess Emelelyn then brought me over to another hall. It looked like a strategic room where the meetings are being held. There were a few Elves looking at a map. From their conversation, it seems that the Monster Army has sent two groups to attack their East and South Gates. She walked up to two male Elves and pointed to the older looking one. "This is my first brother, Crown Prince Thorhil Oakenlake." "Nice to meet you, your Highness. My name is Khaos." I said as I reached out my hand. "Likewise. I heard you saved my sister, haha. Just call me Thorhil...or do you prefer Brother-in-Law?" Thorhil replied as he shook my hand. "Haha, please don''t joke when there''s a crisis going on." I quickly responded. Princess Emelelyn seemed to be glaring at me, but I ignored her. The princess gritted her teeth for a bit before pointing to the other male Elf, "This is my second brother, Prince Morgal Oakenlake." "Greetings." I said as I reach out my hand. "Hmph." Morgal grunted as he slapped away my hand, "Emelelyn, why did you bring him?" "He''s here as a diplomat. With his word, we can receive help from the adventurers of Adventurer City." Emelelyn replied. Morgal turned his head back at the map on the table. "If he''s a diplomat, then he''s of no help with the battle going on outside." "But-!" "That''s okay princess, I''ll step out." I said as I turned and left the room. Hmm, maybe I should explore a bit. I walked around for a while before accidentally bumping into a noble at a corner. "Sorry." "Insolent cur!" The noble roared. "Do you know who I am? An disgusting animal like you running around without a leash!" A little angry at the noble, I said, "I am a diplomat from Adventurer City and a guest of the king. Is this how you treat guests?" "Hmph! The king doesn''t have any power. I do!" Suddenly, a warrior next to the noble said, "Advisor Forestwind, you''ve said too much." Advisor Forestwind covered his mouth and glared at me, "Hmph! Let''s leave." As they left, I muttered, "Plunder!" In my hands, a badge appeared. I observed the badge...it seems that Advisor Forestwind has ties with the Elves Supremacist Faction. When I thought about his words, I realized that Advisor Forestwind must be the faction leader. I decided to follow him and see what''s up. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and transformed into a ghost. Then, I turned invisible and fluttered behind the Elven noble. I followed him all the way to a room. As we entered the room, I see the second prince standing near the window with his back turned. When the second prince heard the advisor come in, he turned and said, "Is everything prepared?" "Yes Leader! We have over 80% of the Assembly members in our favor. Once you make the move, we will blame it on the Crowned Prince." "Good...good." So that''s how it is...the second prince is the real leader of the Elves Supremacist Faction. They''re plotting something...could they be trying to overthrow the throne?! I quietly left and immediately headed to the main hall where the king and queen were governing over kingdom-related problems. I took of my mask and knocked. As soon as I heard the king say ''come in'', I opened the door. "Ah...Adventurer Khaos...was it?" King Thrion said. "Yes, your Majesty." I replied. "What is it you need?" "I have some urgent news to tell you." I said. "What urgent news?" "The second prince is part of the Elves Supremacist Faction and so is Advisor Forestwind. They plan to overthrow you. They already have over 80% of the Assembly under them." I replied. "Hmph, that''s unlikely. I know my son and though he is arrogant, he won''t join a faction like that. You must be mistaken. As for Advisor Forestwind, I''ve already known." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "But I saw him and Advisor Forestwind-!" "ENOUGH! On the behalf of you saving Emelelyn, I''ll forget we ever had this conversation. You may leave." "But-." "YOU may leave." Reluctantly, I turned around and left. When I found Princess Emelelyn and told her of this matter, she too dismissed it. It seems the second prince has delude them too deeply. The princess showed me my room and told me that for now, I should just stay there. Then, she left. .......... Night fell; in King Thrion''s bedchambers.... .......... *Knock* *Knock*... "Come in." King Thrion replied as he looked out the window. "Father," Morgal said as he walked in, "you wanted to see me?" "Morgal, answer me honestly...are you part of the Elves Supremacist Faction?" Startled, Morgal stammered, "W-what do you mean? I''m not..." "Did you plot against me?" King Thrion said as he turned towards Morgal...only to feel a sharp pain in his left side. He looked down and saw a knife protruding from his body. Looking up, he saw Morgal, "Y-you!" "You left me no choice Father. Now DIE!!" Morgal exclaimed as he pull out the knife and stabbed again. At this time, the Crown Prince walked in, "Father, I think I have a good idea of wh-...Father! Guards! Guards! The second prince has betrayed us!" Guards started pouring in and rushed towards the second prince. The second prince dropped the knife and jumped out the window. As all Elven warriors (including the princes) are extremely athletic, the second prince was able to land safely on the ground. I rushed in from the sound and saw the bleeding king. Then, I rushed towards the window intending to capture the traitor...unfortunately, the second prince was too far in the ranks of the Monster army. It seems that not only was the second prince the leader of the Elves Supremacist Faction, but also a spy/traitor for the Monster army. Despicable! "Damn it!" I muttered. I turned and checked on the king. Unfortunately, the king has breathed his last. The guards seeing that the king has died, knelt before the Crown Prince, "Your Majesty!" "What did you call me?" Thorhil asked. "You are now the king, your Majesty." "You..you." "Now is not the time to mourn, your Majesty." I said, "The second prince is part of the Elves Supremacist Faction as well as a traitor of the Monster army. Who knows if the Elves Supremacist Faction is part of the Monster army as well or not. You should take care of these things." "Yes...you''re right. I''ll wipe out every last one of them. You must take Princess Emelelyn back. It''s too dangerous here." "I will." I exit the room and bumped into the princess. The princess cried, "Is it true? Father is dead?" "It''s true." "WHO! Who did it?" "The second prince." "Morgal you bastard!" "Princess Emelelyn, your brother has told me to bring you back to Adventurer City." "No, I want to see my father!" "Fine." Princess Emelelyn barged in and upon seeing her father''s body, she rushed to hug it and cried deeply. The new king, King Thorhil, urged his sister to leave the place. Finally, the princess agreed. I took the princess and we left the castle immediately. As we left, we saw Advisor Forestwind screaming and struggling in the arms of two Elven guards. "I didn''t know he was part of the Monster army! I didn''t know!" Advisor Forestwind screamed. ...And that''s the last we heard of him. Hurriedly, I brought the princess away. After many hours, we arrived back at the guild and I reported the results. Demon of the Forest: The Chimera After receiving the chain quest for B rankers from the guildmaster, I quickly called for Blackie and jumped on his back. We flew towards east towards Rainforest Vale. In a matter of minutes, we reached the forest. I scanned the grounds below and found the forest boss south of Oakenlake Kingdom. The forest boss was a chimera - a deformed flying beast of lion, goat, and snake hybrid. This creature was huge and could breath fire and spit acid. Currently, it was rampaging and eating a nearby herd of animals. I summoned Shiyo, "Napknight, use Absolute Sleep!" I exclaimed. Shiyo appears and cast Absolute Sleep on the giant Chimera. However, though the Chimera faltered a bit, it resisted the spell due to its strong mentality. I stared at the monster and thought up another solution. "Blackie! Use Cry of the Nightingale!" I urged. *SCREEEEEEEE!!* Blackie sounded out towards the giant Chimera, causing waves of Darkness-type sound attacks to invade the monster''s mind. The waves poisoned its mind and caused confusion and dizziness among other mind debuffs. The Chimera faltered, its mind''s defenses broken through and weakened. Then, seeing the Chimera''s defenses lowered, I had Shiyo cast Absolute Sleep again. This time, the Chimera fell asleep. It seems that even though the spell worked, the Chimera could wake up anytime. So, I cast a fireball filled with Flames of Wrath at the Chimera. Just before the fireball reached the Chimera, it woke up and rolled to the side; however, not until the fireball hit its right wing. The Chimera tried to put out the fire but to no avail since the fire of Flames of Wrath will burn until there''s nothing left to burn. The Chimera made its decision and bit the end of its wing and forcibly tore it off. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Without one wing, the Chimera cannot fly. Now, I have an advantage. I started firing fireball after fireball at the Chimera. The Chimera jumps to avoid, its mouth grinned as it thought about how simple my attacks and attack pattern was...but then it realized...that it was trapped in a encirclement of fire. There was nowhere to go and it could not fly away either. As it tried to determine a way to get out of its situation, Blackie hits it with a fire attack and a Darkness attack afterwards. Getting hit by both attacks, the Chimera collapses onto the ground. As it tries to get up, I fireballed it. The Chimera rolled around in pain but the fire kept burning...until the Chimera died and its body burned to ash. Finished, I flew back to the guild and reported my success. Sealing the Ice Elemental After turning in the chain quest, I once again jumped on Blackie and we headed towards Snowy Mountains, where an Ice Elemental was located. This Ice Elemental is very strong and can summon three minions to support it. Anyways, after a few minutes, we arrived at the cave in the mountain where the Ice Elemental was located in. Since we''re fighting an ice-type monster, I reached in my bag and pulled out the Mask of the Fiery Demon. Putting it on, my fire attacks and affinity increases by a lot. "You ready Blackie? Then, let''s go in." I looked at Blackie. We entered the cave and walked down the tunnel for around five minutes. Upon turning a corner, icicles suddenly shoots toward me. Quickly, I cast a fire wall in front of me which blocked and melted the icicles. It seems the Ice Elemental is close. Suddenly, Blackie looks to the left and breathed out a fireball. It seems the enemy is in that direction. The fireball hits in the distance and the Ice Elemental jumps out of hiding. As soon as it was in sight, I started casting fireballs at the monster. Some landed and some missed; however, even though my fireballs are mixed with Flames of Wrath which allows the fire to burn until nothing is left to burn, the eternal ice of which the Ice Elemental is made up of cannot be melted by any fire. Even without the fire''s ability, the force of the attack still knocked the monster back. I continued to bombard the Ice Elemental and Blackie continues to ram into it. Suddenly, the monster cast out a large amount of icicles towards my direction. I raised up a fire wall and was able to block many of the icicles...however, some still pass through and hit me in the chest. Fortunately, I''m wearing Mithril armor and added to my mask''s special attributes that increase my Ice resistances, I was able to avoid most of the damage. We continued to attack without pause until a shield appears and surrounds the Ice Elemental. Three Ice Minions sprang out of nowhere and started attack us. These minions'' defenses are high and it seems that they have health drain as well. While we were fighting off the minions, the Ice Elemental was recuperating. Thirty seconds later, all three exploded. The force of the explosion knocked me back and into a wall. Blood spurted out of my mouth as I reached in my bag and pulled out a small vial of Rhino+Giant Bear Blood Wine. Consuming the wine, I was able to regain some stamina, strength, defense, speed and vitality. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Getting up, I see the Ice Elemental dropping its shield. It seemed to have gotten gained someone of the minions'' abilities as it started draining my health. Rushing forth, I started casting fireballs and fire waves at the Ice Elemental. The amount of health drained and the amount of health taken equaled. At times, I would drink some blood wine to replenish my health. Once I reached the Ice Elemental, I cast Melted Touch which melts anything I touch with lava and strong heat. The Ice Elemental takes the attack and weakens. Then, I cast Melted Touch on the ground and pushed the Ice Elemental halfway into the newly formed lava pit. Because of its weakened state, coupled with the constant heat and burning of the lava pit, the Ice Elemental could not escape from the lava pit. Biting my finger, I drew a symbol of sealing with Maker''s Essence filled blood onto the Ice Elemental and performed an powerful Blood Seal. Chanting continuous incantations, the blood fused with the Ice Elemental and sealed it in place. Once sealed, I drew a circle of blood around the lava pit and set the blood on fire. The blood filled with Maker''s Essence won''t run out of effectiveness and the fire made of Flames of Wrath won''t burn out. After I''ve finished the seal, I jumped on Blackie again and flew back to report to client. More Quests with Blackie
Entering the guild, I looked at the quest board for any interesting or new quests. However, it seems that there were only old quests. So, I decided to go slay some monsters. After choosing the quests I felt were easy and quick to finish, I took the copy of the quests and jumped on Blackie. With a screech, Blackie took to the air and we headed south towards the desert. The first quest is to slay some Cyclops. From the map, I can see that this a Cyclops Hill in the south. Remembering how Cyclopes came and attacked Chogan''s home, I decided to help the Taurens vent some anger. Minutes later, we arrived at Cyclops Hill. Looking down, I see a group of 10 cyclops warriors marching north. It seems that their target is the Tauren Village. "Hmph, not on my watch." I snorted as I urged Blackie towards the group of Cyclopes. Blackie dove towards the Cyclopes, scattering them. As Blackie flew towards each Cyclopes, I took out my skinning knife and beheaded each Cyclops. After finishing off the band of Cylcopes, I removed an eye and stored it in my bag. Then, I looked at the corpses and burned them to ash. .......... After finishing off the 10 Cyclopes and collected the Cyclops eye, I headed towards the Ant Nest. Upon arriving at the nest, I scanned the surroundings and chose the furthest one from the rest. Using the method I used previously, I made an encirclement around the nest with firewood. Then, I poured alcohol on the firewood and on the nest. Then, I cast fireball that is made of Flames of Wrath onto the nest and the firewood. Fire spread out and continued burning. Ants started pouring out only to get caught in the fire. Blackie took out the stragglers and escapees. After minutes have gone by, all the ants were killed and the nest was burned to the ground. Finishing up, I jumped on Blackie and we flew towards the north to North Mountains. .......... Half an hour later, we arrived at the North Mountains. A battle was going on between a Wyvern and a Firebird. Approaching closer, I heard the conversation that the two battling beasts were exchanging. "Your kind killed my son!" The Wyvern roared. "Admit it you cowardly bastards!" "Hmph! Where''s your proof you fake Dragon?!" The Firebird snorted. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "There were flame marks all over his nest! Other than you vile creatures, who else can it be?" "Flame marks? Hmph! You wannabes are so stupid compared to the real Dragons. Just because there''s fire doesn''t mean it couldn''t be those adventurers." It seems the two are fighting over the deaths and destruction that was caused by me and Blackie a few days ago. I sent Blackie a mental message and told him to use the tactic we did previously. With a nod, Blackie charged towards the two fighting monsters. As we neared the monsters, we separated from each other. I jumped towards the Wyvern and Blackie rammed towards the Firebird. "Who are you?" The Firebird growled as it winced in pain. "Uncle, you don''t remember me?" Blackie asked with a evil grin. "Y-you...you''re supposed to be dead!" "Blackie! Kill him, don''t let him report back to the Firebird Patriarch!" I shouted. With a nod, Blackie charged towards the Firebird. The Firebird snorted and charged forward as well. *CRAASSSHH!* The two birds collided with each other. But, Blackie was stronger and pushed back the Firebird. Then, he reached towards the Firebird''s neck and smashed the Firebird into a mountain. While, they were fighting, I crashed the Wyvern to the ground. The Wyvern''s legs were broken from the landing and could not stand up. Jumping off the Wyvern, I cast a fireball at the Wyvern. The fire spread quickly and endlessly until the struggling Wyvern burned to ashes. I looked up to see how Blackie was doing. Blackie was faring better because he was stronger. The Firebird was thrashed around under Blackie''s throws and was soon battered to exhaustion. Collapsed, its flames seem to be dimmed significantly. When a Firebird''s flames dim, it represents that their health is diminishing and it dies when its flames are put out. The Firebird looked at Blackie and growled, "You won''t dare!" "Hmph." Blackie snorted before stomping on the Firebird''s neck, breaking it. After Blackie killed the Firebird, he grabbed the corpse and placed it at my feet. I stored the corpse into my storage ring. Then, I jumped on Blackie and we flew back to the guild. I submitted my successes.
Quests in New Locations New quests are available today. I decided to choose three B-rank quests while I wait for my promotion quest to be determined. After choosing the three quests, I showed it to the guild receptionist to await his approval. The guild receptionist looked at the quests and nodded his head, "Establish trade with Dragonmen Village - granted, Gather Morian''s Essence from plants - granted, and Sink one Pirate ship - granted. Here you go, take care." I took back the copies of the quests and headed out the guild door. I sent a mental transmission to Blackie who quickly flew over. I jumped on Blackie''s back and we flew east towards the Rainforest Vale. Upon arriving near the Jungle Lord''s Abode, I could immediately sense the disturbances in the trees using my skill - Flow of Trees. It seems that this evil immortal Morian is the true cause of the disturbances in Nature that had roused and angered the Eastern Treants. I could visually see the vitality or life essence of the plants and trees be invaded by an unknown essence. This unknown essence must be Morian''s Essence. I don''t have any skill to extract Morian''s Essence without damaging the plants and trees; however, if I open my Maker''s Domain, all Nature enveloped by the domain is under my control. So, I activated my domain and expanded the domain to its highest. A huge area filled with plants and trees were covered - about 10 meter radius. Using the skill Flow of Trees, I was able to distinguish the Morian''s Essence from the life essences of the plants and trees. While inside the domain, I began extracting the Morian''s Essence until all of Morian''s Essence were extracted from the enveloped area. Then, I condensed the essence so much that it liquefied. Then, I fill the liquid Morian''s Essence into a vial - filling one vial. I continue this process until I was able to fill 30 vials. After extracting as much Morian''s Essence as I can contain, I jumped on Blackie and flew north towards the Dragonmen Village in the Ash Plains. .......... After half an hour of flying, we reached the outskirts of the Dragonmen Village. Before we entered the village, I decided to increase my and Blackie''s resistance to fire as well as our fire-related attacks. Once we landed, I opened up Maker''s Domain and took out the following items: lots of Obsidian Worms and lots of Lava Fish. I take all the Obsidian Worms that I have and dried and ground them to powder. Then, I dried and ground the Lava Fish into powder as well. Next, I mixed the two powders and add a barrel of Wyvern Blood. Then, I added a few drops of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence. After chanting incantations and condensing the blood powder mixture, I was able to produce a small sized ball of mixture. Then, I evenly split the ball into two small pills. After a few more incantations, I finished refining the pills. I ate one and refined the pill - after years, I was able to completely absorbed the pill''s effects. My capabilities increased and anything fire-related (whether attacks or resistances) have increased significantly...almost tripled. Satisfied, I deactivated the domain and fed the other pill to Blackie. Like me, after Blackie finished cultivating the pill, his capabilities and fire-related effects increased significantly. After we finished preparing, we entered the village. The heat of the location was strong but because of our resistance, we didn''t feel any harm. As we entered the village, Dragonman guard came up to me and told me to stop. He looked at me up and down and asked if I was an Adventurer, which surprised me because he was speaking in Common Human Language - though not entirely fluent but still understandable. When I said yes, he told me to wait while he report to the Chieftain. A few minutes later, the guard came back and told me to come in to the Chieftain''s house. Upon arriving at the Chieftain''s house, I see an old Dragonman with big silver wings and gray beard. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Are you from the same group as that Dragon hybrid who was here a few days ago?" The Chieftain asked. "You mean Alliuna? Yes, I am." I replied. "Really? Welcome. What can we do for you?" "I was told by Alliuna that you had interest in trading with Adventurer City. But because she was short on time, the details were not discussed. So, I came instead to establish trade." "That''s great...and what about the other requests we asked?" "Oh yes, there will be other adventurers who will come and help you with that situation. For now, let''s discuss trading. What can your village offer to trade? And what do you want to trade in return?" "We can offer Dragon scales, tears, blood, etc. I heard that they are considered as valuable resources. In return, we would like to advance our society with crafted items, medicine, and technology. Will you agree to these terms?" "Hmm, okay. It''s a deal. Now sign this contract and will be trading partners." I replied as I gave the Chieftain a contract. After he signed the contract, I thanked him using the Language of the Dragons as my way of thanking him with respect. "You know the Language of the Dragons?" The Chieftain asked in surprise. "Yes, I learned it a long time ago." "Haha, it''s been a while since I heard this beautiful language...and so fluent too. Nowadays, the Dragonmen can only speak a mixture of Dragon Language and Human Language. I must thank you for letting me hear that language once more." "Is that so? You''re welcome. If you want, I have a book here that teaches the basics of the Language of the Dragons." "Really? I can really have it? Haha, thank you so much. Here, accept this book. It may be of help. This is to show my gratitude and further increase of friendship." "No problem." I replied as I received the book. I looked at the title and it said: Dragon''s Roar. This book is apparently a fighting technique developed by a Dragonmen ancestor. "Thank you. I''ll use it well. Haha, in a way, we have already done our first trade." "Haha, you''re right." After we finalized everything and celebrated the establishment of trade between Adventurer City and Dragonmen Village with a feast, I jumped on Blackie and flew southeast. .......... As we flew towards the Treacherous Port, I looked at the last quest - sink one pirate ship...easy enough. After around 15 minutes, we arrived at the ocean. Near the port, I see a pirate ship. Sneaking up towards the pirate ship, I told Blackie to use Cry of the Nightingale towards the ship. After the wave of Darkness-type sound attack hit the ship, screams of pain and confusion resounded the sky. Every pirate onboard the ship received the mental attacks and collapsed. Then, I cast a few fireballs at the ship, burning the ship and sinking the ship to the bottom of the ocean. After finishing this easy quest, we flew back towards the guild and submitted the quest completions. Ice and Fire After choosing some more quests to do while waiting for my A-rank promotion quest to be determined, I jumped on Blackie and flew south towards the Sand Desert. My first destination is the Redon Cave where the four meter long Poison Maggots are. My first quest is to slay 3 of them. Now poison is a tough element to deal with. I don''t have poison immunity nor do I have poison protection; however, I do have heat and heat is know to denaturize poison into harmless substances. Once I reached Redon Cave, I got of Blackie and told him to wait for me outside. Then, I strode inside. After walking a couple of meters down the tunnel, I see a huge Hard Beetle roaming about. Not wanting to be seen, I grabbed my Ghost Mask and transformed into a ghost. Then, I turned invisible and continued onward. After a while and tens of Hard Beetle encounters, I finally see my first Poison Maggot. I switched my Ghost Mask with my Mask of the Fiery Demon and started firing fireballs at the Poison Maggot. The Poison Maggot screeched in pain and tried to put out the fire on its body. But because the fire is fueled with the Flames of Wrath, it cannot be put out and will continue to burn and spread. The Poison Maggot called for help as it continued to stubbornly squirm around as if it could squirm away from the fire. Two more Poison Maggots came out of who knows where and charged towards me. I looked at the two maggots and Dragon Stomped in their direction. The ferociousness of my stomp shook the floors causing the Poison Maggots pause their movements as they tried to stabilize themselves. While they stopped, I threw two more fireballs at the maggots, catching them on fire as well. Minutes later and endless screeching of pain, the three Poison Maggots finally died. I wondered about why there wasn''t anymore Poison Maggots coming to help, but then I remember that Alliuna was here and destroyed their Queen. That''s why there are only a few Poison Maggots left. Finished, I prepared to leave, however, I see the slime on the floor that the Poison Maggots left behind and decided to collect it. I scooped up the poison slime into a jar and then left the cave quietly. I jumped up on Blackie and flew east to the Rainforest Vale. Flying all the way to the furthest east of Rainforest Vale, we arrived at the Witches'' Coven. They were on guard and suspiciously looked at us while we landed. One witch came up to me and asked, "Who are you and why have you come here?" "My name is Khaos and this is my friend Blackie. I''m an adventurer and I have come to deliver ingredients to you guys." I introduced. "Oh, I see." The witch replied as her expression softened upon hearing what my purpose was. Once I handed the ingredients to the witch, the witch thanked me and then I left. Nothing more to this...just a simple delivery. .......... After flying towards north at a nice pace, we finally arrived at the Ash Plains...more specifically, the Fire Giant Camp. We landed at a location a distance away from the camp. I told Blackie to hide in the clouds and only come out when I call for him. Seeing Blackie soar to the skies again, I started walking towards the camp. When I got close, I pulled out my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Moving closer, I overheard some Fire Giants conversing. "Those damned Frost Giants! This time we will wipe them all out!" Fire Giant A said. "That''s right, they won''t know what''s coming." Fire Giant B smirked. The Fire Giants and the Frost Giants have been enemies for many years. The hatred between these two Giant species is so deep that there has never been a compromise between the two and it is always "kill on sight" when they see each other. Realizing that the Fire Giants are preparing to send out a band of warriors to attack and raid the Frost Giant camp, I thought up of an idea...a "kill two birds with one stone" type of idea. I took of my Ghost Mask and boldly walked out into the clearing. When the two Fire Giants saw me, they immediately raised their weapons and shouted at me to stop. "Halt, who are you? Are you an enemy?" Fire Giant B shouted. "Calm! I mean no harm!" I exclaimed as I raised both my hands in the air to show that I am unarmed. "A human eh...what are you doing here?" Fire Giant A asked. "I''m on my way to kill some Frost Giants, but I got lost." "Frost Giants? Why are you killing Frost Giants?" Fire Giant B asked curiously. "Those damned sissies killed my family. I swore upon my life to wipe out all Frost Giants. That''s why I spent years learning fire magic." I growled as I demonstrated my prowess in fire magic. The Fire Giants nodded as they seem to believe that I was telling the truth. Their weapons lowered a bit. It seems I have gained some of their trust by playing with their weakness - their hatred towards Frost Giants. "When I heard that there was a Frost Giant camp around here, I immediately set out to wipe them out." I continued. "You...you guys won''t kill me because of this...would you?" "We are enemies of those Frost Giants as well. However, killing you or not will depend on our leader. You wait here while I report to the leader." Fire Giant A replied as he ran off towards the biggest tent in the camp. Minutes later, he came back, "Leader wants to talk to you. It seems he''s spared you...for now." Fire Giant A replied. I nodded and followed the two Fire Giants to the Leader''s Tent. Upon entering, I could sense an intense amount of killing intent showering over me. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "So you wish to wipe out all Frost Giants from existence? What''s your name?" A voice boomed. "Yes! It is my only purpose to live. I''m called John Doe and I''m a pretty good Fire Mage. Please let me live so I can fulfill this obsession of mine!" I hurriedly answered. "Hmm, very well. I can let you live and even let you kill some Frost Giants with us...however, if I see any funny movements coming from you, I will personally kill you." "You don''t have to worry! As long as I can kill some Frost Giants, I''ll follow your every command." "Good. Follow me." The leader smiled and then he got up and left the tent while I followed close behind. Once outside, the leader boomed, "Warriors! It is time to slaughter! It is time to raid! Let''s us bath in the blood of our enemies - the Frost Giants!" "Huaahghghhhhh!" All Fire Giants cheered. Afterwards, the leader told the rest of the Fire Giants that are participating in the raid that I will be fighting with them. We prepared ourselves and marched north towards the Frost Giant camp. About half an hour later, we see the enemy camp in sight. With weapons raised, we charged towards the camp. The Frost Giants, hearing our roars, were caught by surprise. Although many were able to bring out their weapons to fight, some of the nearest Frost Giants perished with our charge. I charged forward and Dragon Leap towards a Frost Giant. The booming landing of my leap shook the floors and cause many Giants to fall. Then, I headed towards the nearest Frost Giant and used Dragon Palm on him. The palm attack hit and Dragon Essence penetrated the body, causing ruptures of the internal organs. The Frost Giant died minutes later, blood leaking from his mouth. Another Frost Giant charged towards me and threw a punch in my direction. I used Tail Guard and blocked the punch, pushing his fist away. Then, I pulled out my skinning knife and removed his face. Preserving and storing the face, I then slit the giant''s throat and ended his pain. After killing two Frost Giants, I decided to slow my pace down and observe quietly. The battling giants seemed to ignore me partially due to my size making me hard to be noticed and mainly due to their hatred towards each other thus prioritizing each other as primary targets. As I watched the battle continue, both sides lost many casualties but it seems that the Fire Giants are losing more. While they were occupied, I caught sight of a wounded, fallen Frost Giant. It was crawling back towards camp. Curious, I followed him into a tent. Looking around, it seems to be a storage site. The wounded Frost Giant was rustling through a box. What he brought out were Eternal Ice shards! What is he going to do with those? The Frost Giant''s next action answered my question. The Frost Giant applied the shards onto his wounds, which absorbed the Ice Essence and thus healing his wounds. Before he completely healed his wounds, I decided to make my move. I leaped forward and stabbed through his neck with my skinning knife. As the Frost Giant collapsed and tried to pull the knife out, I Dragon Bite at his face...tearing part of his face off. After suffering from blood loss and lack of oxygen, the Frost Giant died. I pulled out my knife and stored the corpse. Then, I looted the storage. There were food, medicine, good quality weapons, furs, leather, metal ores, crystal ores, and 50 Eternal Ice. After storing all the valuable stuff into my bag, I cast a few fireballs and set the tent on fire. Then, I exit the tent just in time to hear the remaining Fire Giants sounding a retreat. I followed the Fire Giants in their retreat while the Frost Giants were struggling to put out the eternal fire. After we were halfway between the Frost Giant camp and the Fire Giant camp. We stopped to take a rest. Everyone of the remaining five Fire Giants were wounded...none of them had light wounds. While they were resting and ignoring my existence, I grinned evilly as my eyes flashed with killing intent. I Dragon Leap into the middle of their cluster, stunning the wounded Fire Giants who didn''t have the strength to steady themselves. All five Fire Giants collapsed onto the ground. In their moment of surprise, I removed the faces of two Fire Giants and slit the throat of another one. As the remaining two tried to get up and fight, I Dragon Stomp towards them causing them to stumble and bend forward. Taking advantage of this, I jumped into the air and Dragon Horn the nearest one in the chin. Because of my perfection of the Dragon''s Roar technique, the Dragon Horn packed a really strong punch. The attack to the Fire Giant''s chin obliterated his lower jaw. As he collapsed backwards, I used Flying Dragon Kick like a dive kick towards the face of the fallen Fire Giant. When my kick landed, his head exploded. Then, I Dragon Stomp on the ground again to destabilize the other Fire Giant. When, I saw him sat on the ground. I Dragon Palm his chest. The force coupled with Dragon Essence ruptured his lungs and obliterated his bones. Within seconds, the Fire Giant died. After killing three Fire Giants, I stored their bodies. Then, I looked at the remaining two who were still holding their faceless heads. Using Flow Like Wind, I appeared in front of them. With a swipe of my skinning knife, I slit both their throats. Then, I stored their bodies as well. Finished with all five of the quests, I called for Blackie and then I headed home to the guild to report my quest completions. Dragons Roar Technique After receiving the book Dragon''s Roar, I opened Maker''s Domain and began studying the book. After spending a few years in the domain, I finished reading and memorizing the book. Here is a summary of the contents: Dragon''s Roar - a fighting technique that a genius human ancestor of the Dragomen developed when she was watching her Dragon husband everyday. When mastered, each attack can imitate a Dragon''s attacks. An avatar of a Dragon can appear and each attack can produce sounds like a Dragon''s growl. Introductory: Basic: Intermediate:If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Advanced: Secret: Then, I began to practice. Now I don''t have much talent, but in my domain, I have time. So, I began practicing for centuries until I was finally able to grasp and master the technique. Feeling its power and the Dragon''s Essence flowing with me, I grinned and then deactivated the domain. Mask of the Bomber Decided to make a mask today. Opening my Maker''s Domain, I took out the jar of Shadow''s blood as well as a good quality shield. Taking, the metal shield, I expertly knead it and shaped it until it looked like a normal metal mask that covers the upper half of my face. Pouring the blood onto the mask, I started chanting incantations of summoning and binding...allowing me to form a connection between Shadow and the mask. This will allow me to summon him as a supporter anytime anywhere. The mask, stained with blood, turned a crimson color. Next, I add a drop of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence. The drop landed on the mask and spread throughout the mask, fusing into it. After chanting, I appraised the new mask: The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Mask of the Bomber: C-rank No cooldown Indestructible Stamina drain 10% per hour No-limit Enchanted Normal Mask Special Skills: Summon Shadow - summons Shadow for one minute Bombardment - area effect; throws many bombs at enemies for one minute Clockwork Spider - leaves behind a regular large clockwork spider as support when de-summoned
Satisfied, I close my domain and put the mask back in my bag. Forbidden Spring and Other Quests
After finishing making a mask out of Shadow''s blood, I left the tavern and headed to the guild to take some quests while still waiting for my A-rank promotion quest. Upon entering the guild, I see many adventurers applying for quests. As I squeezed through the crowd at the quest board, I scanned the available quests close to my rank and chose 3 B-rank and 2 C-rank quests. I took the 5 quests and showed a nearby guild receptionist. After he approved of my choices, I left the guild. Jumping on Blackie, we flew to the Unknown Lands in the far northeast. Arriving at the eastern ocean, we flew for a while before spotting a pirate ship. I told Blackie to hover above the ship before jumping off his back. With a Dragon Leap, I smashed into the boat fiercely causing the boat to capsize. Pirates scrambled out, some attacked me while others tried to save themselves. Using Flow Like Wind, I zigzagged to the nearest Pirate and Dragon Horn his chin - his whole head exploded from the power. Then, I moved to a cluster of three Pirates and Dragon Roar at point blank...causing blood to spurt out of their six orifices of their heads. Next, I Dragon Leap from one side of the sinking ship to the other catapulting many Pirates into the air who are then killed by Blackie. Suddenly a door opened and a Pirate with an eyepatch scampered out while holding what looks like a small treasure chest. With a push of my feet, I appeared in front of the startled Pirate leader. Bringing up my hand, I Dragon Palm the Pirate leader in the stomach, blowing him back towards the room he scampered out from and caught the chest he was holding. I looked at the Pirate leader and sees that he has died - his bones broken in all the weird places. I turned my gaze at the chest in my hands and peered inside...as I expected, it was full of gold coins and jewelry. Storing the treasure, I hopped on Blackie and we flew away. I looked back and took note of my work...one pirate ship sunk - check...more than 5 Pirates slain - check. .......... Flying westwards for a while, I arrive at Were-Clan Town. The guards looked at me suspiciously and asked what my purpose was coming to their town. When I said that I was sent by the guild to take their request of slaying some feral werebeasts, their expressions immediately changed for the better as they showed me the direction of where the feral werebeasts were spotted. I thanked them before I headed that direction. Upon arriving, I see several feral Werewolves. I grabbed my Werewolf Mask and transformed into a Werewolf. Then, I approached the feral Werewolves. When they saw me, they ignored me thinking that I was another feral Werewolf. As their backs are turned away from me, I approached behind the nearest one and Dragon Horn the left side of his chest. The force of my punch pierced through the feral Werewolf''s chest and punched his heart out. The remaining Werewolves turned in surprise. Taking advantage of the surprise, I Dragon Stomp towards them, causing them to collapse. Then, combining Flow Like Wind with Dragon Kick and Ferocious Dragon Tail, I one-hit ripped their heads from their necks. After killing all six of the Feral Werebeasts, I stored their bodies in my ring. I reported back to the Were-Clan and they thanked me with some rabbit corpses. I accepted the corpses and proceeded to cook one for lunch. Finished eating, I hopped on Blackie and we flew northwest towards the Fire Giant camp. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. .......... After a few minutes of fast flying, I arrived deep in the Ash Plains with the Fire Giant camp in sight. Now, last time I was here, most of the Fire Giants were marching towards the Frost Giant camp to raid. However, they were unsuccessful and all the Fire Giants died, including the retreated Fire Giants who met their demise in my hands. When, I arrive near the camp, I see that there were more Fire Giants - must have been reinforcements from the main camp from who knows where. As I observed the Fire Giant camp, I see a Fire Giant leader with a dazzling Fire Sword. Smiling, I get ready to steal the Fire Sword. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Then, I fluttered towards the leader tent. Entering, I see the Fire Giant leader preparing to sleep, his sword by his bed. Before I steal the sword, I decided to kill the Fire Giant leader. I approached the sleeping Fire Giant and took off my mask. I grabbed the Fire Sword and with a slash, I beheaded the Fire Giant before it could wake up. I stored the body and the Fire Sword and transformed into a ghost again. Invisible, I left the camp and made my way to Blackie who was sitting a distance away. Taking off my mask, I told Blackie that the quest is finished and that we should head southwest towards the Forbidden Spring in the Verdant Forest. .......... After an hour, we arrived at the Forbidden Spring. Now, rumor has it that the spring is a sacred spring guarded by unicorns and fairies. This sacred spring has been known to grant the drinker eternal youth. But whether this is truth or myth will be determined with this quest. As I looked at the Forbidden Spring and the unicorns and fairies guarding it, I decided to make a mask to disguise myself. Opening Maker''s Domain, I rummaged through my bag to see what I can make. I took out a rabbit corpse that I got from the Were-Clan and skinned the rabbit. Using its fur, I made a simple Transforming Mask that lets me transform into a small rabbit. As a rabbit, I could enter the Forbidden Spring vicinity and not be suspected by the guarding unicorns and fairies. I approached the Spring and took a drink. Hmm...nope no eternal youth effects...but the spring water produces a high level healing and replenishing effect. While the unicorns and fairies weren''t watching, I took out a jar from my storage ring and scooped up a jar full of the spring water. Then, I scampered off. Once I made sure the distance between me and the Forbidden Spring was large enough, I took off the rabbit mask and called for Blackie. Then, we flew back to the guild.
Around the Continent in Two Hours After choosing some quests to take, I hopped on Blackie and we speedily flew southeast towards the Wyvern Nests in the East Mountains. As we neared a Wyvern Nest, I cast a fireball fueled by Flames of Wrath at the Wyvern sleeping in its nest. With a pained screech, the Wyvern started rolling and struggling as it tried to put out the fire. One misstep and the Wyvern fell out of its nest down the mountain where its nest was perched at. Of course the Wyvern''s body is sturdy so the fall only broke a few bones and caused some bruises. However, the Wyvern couldn''t move due to exhaustion and was eventually burned to death. Its screams still echoed the night. Before, it completely burned to ash, I leaped down from Blackie and tore off one of the Wyvern''s wings. Storing the wing, I hopped back on Blackie and flew to the Wyvern''s nest. Exploring the remnants of the nest, I spot some mangled, half-chewed corpses and treasure. After finishing storing the treasure, Blackie and I flew at our fastest northeast towards the Unknown Lands. .......... An hour later, we arrived at the eastern ocean. There, I spotted a pirate ship with pirates celebrating on board. I grabbed my mask - Mask of the Bomber made from Shadow''s blood and summoned Shadow. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Shadow, use Bombardment on that pirate ship." I shouted. Shadow appeared and threw many bombs at the ship. Many pirates died from the explosions and fire. I can count more than 15 pirates died from the explosions and the rest burned to death. Soon, the force of the explosions caused the pirate ship to sink. When Shadow disappeared, a regular large sized clockwork spider appeared. Before the spider fell into the ocean, I told Blackie to grab it. Then, we flew directly towards the Frost Giant camp in the Arctic Tundra. .......... Arriving at the Arctic Tundra in less that five minutes, I caught sight of the Frost Giant camp. I dropped the clockwork spider into the midst of the camp and told it to rampage. The clockwork spider rampaged and all of the Frost Giants were distracted. Taking advantage of their distraction, I snuck into a tent and looked around. Spotting an Ice Spear, I took it and snuck out. Unfortunately, the clockwork spider was captured and destroyed. I saluted the spider for its bravery and help, then I jumped on Blackie and we flew back to the guild where I submitted my quest completions. The Slime Part 1 Khaos''s POV On a regular day in the Verdant Forest chopping down some lumber, I came across a normal slime. I eyed it for a moment thinking that it would stupidly attack me but it just lazed around like a cat. Curious at this strange slime, I walked over and squatted beside it. Even then, the slime seemed to ignore me as it just jiggle around. How interesting.... I grabbed a nearby stick and poked at the slime. Unlike other slimes who would stick onto the slime, this slime to have shrugged the stick off and even avoided when I tried to poke at it again. Is this slime depressed or something? It''s pretty lethargic. After a while of observing this odd creature, I got up and started chopping wood again. Slime''s POV "Ugh...why did I reincarnate as a slime?!" The slime sighed. "I used to find these buggers disgusting and dangerous." That''s right, I was a reincarnated being. In my previous life, I was a young boy who lived in a village in the East Mountains. But due to the Orc Army invasions, me and my village met out end. Now, I had reincarnated. Initially, I wanted to take revenge after waking to find myself alive...but now...it seemed useless. I had reincarnated into a slime. Although slimes are weak, but they are still stronger than the average villager...but that''s just it. Normal slimes like me can''t be stronger than that. How can I avenge my village now? *RUUMMMBBLLEEE!!* Ugh! My stomach has been growling nonstop since I was "born"...how are slimes produced exactly? Anyways, I have eaten some plants and some small insects but these did not satiate my hunger. Why am I so hungry? I didn''t know slimes could get hungry in the first place! *RUUMMMBBLLEEE!!* Ugh, I looked at the other slimes and they seemed be eating small animals as well as each other. Aghast by the sight of seeing the "cannibalism" as well as the small animals dissolving in the partially transparent bodies of my fellow slime brothers and sisters, I rolled away to a safe distance. Rolling away for some distance now, I finally stopped in a clearing. Sigh! So hungry! I mused. Suddenly, I see a human approach the clearing and proceeded to chop at a tree. The human was rather tall and had black hair. He looked to be of eastern descent. The human was wearing mostly black clothes and carrying a long knife at his side. A small bag was slung over his shoulders. After chopping down one tree, the human finally took noticed of me. Scared, I froze. "I''m not here...I''m not here...I''m a rock...I''m a rock...." I repeatedly chanted. However, the human still approached. He squatted down and looked at me. By this time, coupled with the hunger, I was feeling a little depressed and started to ignore the human. Fine, if the human wants to kill me, then so be it. I closed my "eyes", or rather if I had any that''s what is happening right now, and awaited my doom. But...nothing happened...well except for a constant prodding on my side. The human was poking at me with a stick! Finally, irritated by the prodding, I pushed away the stick. To my surprise, the human did not get angry and instead started to poke again. This time, I was prepared and I dodged the incoming stick. I looked at the human and dared him to poke again. After a few minutes of what seemed to be a stare-down, the human got up and continued chopping. Curious at this strange human, I edged towards him. Even when I reached near the human''s feet, the human seemed to ignore me. What a strange person! This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Khaos''s POV Hmmm, the slime is inching towards me...is it going to attack? No...it seems to be just curious. Maybe this is a young slime who has never seen another creature before...but if that''s the case, what is it doing all the way out here? Where are the other young slimes? They usually appear in clusters...after all, safety in numbers right? Ignoring the slime, I continued chopping. Finally, I chopped down my second tree. At the corner of my eye, I spotted the slime just a foot or two away from me. Is the slime observing me? Curious! Curious indeed. What a strange creature! I turned towards the slime and squatted down beside it. I reached in my bag and brought out a chicken leg...do slimes eat cooked food? They should right? They''re not picky eaters. I handed the chicken leg to the slime who started to eat it with relish. Hmm, must have been hungry...so then why didn''t it attack me? Maybe I''m too strong hehehe. I reached in my bag again and pulled out a whole roast chicken. Then I shoved it into the slime''s face who proceeded to consume it...bones and all. Oh! What''s that? An air bubble? Did it just burp? Incredible! How interesting this little fellow is. "Interesting little fellow...." I muttered. "Well, run along now. I''m heading towards a human village and they don''t treat well towards monsters." I got up and started heading south. When I looked back to see if the slime left, I was surprised that it was following me. Did I just tame a little slime with food? Slime''s POV Once I reached near the strange human''s feet, he had just finishing cutting down another tree. Suddenly, the human turned around and squatted...his eyes observing me like a hawk. Did he get angry and wants to kill me now? I shivered at the thought and sighed in depression at my fate. However, I was surprised. The human reached in his bag...and pulled out a chicken leg. Looking at the finely roasted chicken leg, my mouth - if I had one - couldn''t stop drooling. The human tossed the leg towards me and I quickly devoured it. Oh the rich taste, how I missed it...crap! I ate too fast. I looked at the human expectantly...will I get another? The human reached in his bag and pulled another leg...no!...a whole roasted chicken! The human shoved the whole chicken in my face and I quickly consumed it. I was so hungry that I even ate the bones. With a satisfying sigh, I burped...how embarrassing. "Interesting little fellow...." The human muttered. "Well, run along now. I''m heading towards a human village and they don''t treat well towards monsters." Seeing the human leave, I pondered deeply. If I can follow this kind human, will I not have to worry about food? But he''s going towards a human village and as a former villager, I know the fears they would have towards monsters like me. Ah screw it. I''ll just stick close to that human and maybe he''ll take me in. With my decision confirmed, I hurried after the human. When the human turned his head back and saw me following, I panicked thinking that I might get rejected. But the human shrugged and continue south. Did I get accepted? The Slime Part 2 Khaos''s POV While heading towards the village, I turned my head back a few times to see if the slime was still following. Surprisingly, the slime has made its decision to follow me. Hmmm, how will I explain this to the humans in the village? My supporter?...nah who will believe...my pet?...that seems doable. I guess I should go with that. After making my decision on how to explain the slime to the humans, I continued walking. Soon, it was lunch time so I decided to take a break. I brought out a few sandwiches from my bag and gave some to the slime. The slime seems to be very happy as it gobbled up the food. Upon arriving at the human village, the slime and I were met with some glares. Villagers with farming tools crowded around me readying to attack. They would have already if not for the chief of the village. "Stop!" The chief shouted. "Why? There''s one of those hated slimes! If this human is with that slime then that makes it an enemy as well." Villager A asked. "Woah guys! You''ve mistaken. This slime is one of my tamed monster pets. It doesn''t attack humans." I tried to calm them down. "Who would believe that you ugly bastard?!" Villager B pointed. "Do you want to incur my wrath?" I replied as thick killing intent leaked out and permeated the surroundings. The villagers paled and backed off a step or two. The chief raised his hand and said, "Hold, adventurer! Please calm yourself. You guys should calm down as well." "But..." Villager A protested. "NOW!" The villagers all resigned and lowered their heads. The chief, after making sure that no one else were going to make rash decisions, turned his attention to me. "Are you the adventurer we asked for to help us with our problem?" "Yes." I answered. "That''s great. We request help to kill some...uh...slimes...." The chief said awkwardly. Looking at the slime next to me, I realized...yep this is awkward. I reassured the chief that the slime next to me has no problem fighting other slimes. After I received the quest and the location of the slimes, the slime and I headed towards the location. Slime''s POV The human turned his head back a couple more times. Is he making sure I''m really following him? Well, I am and I''ve made my decision. Nothing is going to stop me from following this person. After a few hours of traveling, we stopped to take a rest. The human brought out a few sandwiches and fed me some. Excited, I rushed over and inhaled the sandwiches. Satisfied, I feel...happy. After some time of rest, we continued towards the human village. Upon arriving, I could see the glares of the villagers. I know that they are staring at me. Suddenly, a whole lot of villagers surrounded me and the human. They were waving around their farming tools at the human. The villagers were arguing with the human about me. It seems my presence is a burden to the human. A sad feeling appeared in me...am I...will I be abandoned? It''s likely. I was just about to leave when I heard the human...defending me?! If I had tears, I would be crying right now. This human...I will follow him forever. Even though I''m weak, I will still prove myself to be of use to him. Once the human received the quest - a slime slaying quest, we moved towards the location. Slaying slimes...I can do it...I hope. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Khaos''s POV Once I approached the location of the slimes, I observed the surroundings. The slimes, as expected, were not normal slimes. Instead, they were a cluster of Thunder-type violet slimes. There were more than 30 of them. I looked at the slime next to me and said, "Stay here. It''s too dangerous if you follow me while I''m attacking those slimes." After making sure the slime heeded my cautioning, I charged towards the violet slimes. With a Dragon Leap, I landed in the middle of the slime cluster and the force of my landing stunned the slimes and blew them back. Taking out my skinning knife, I rushed forward. Taking advantage of the stun, I stabbed the knife into each slime and pierced through their cores. After about ten, the stun effect wore off and I repeated the process by Dragon Leaping again. Finally, after two more Dragon Leaps, I defeated all 30 of the violet slimes. Finished, I bend down and started collecting the violet slime gel into a few jars. Suddenly, I see the normal slime rushing towards me. Sensing something wrong, I turned around...and see a large violet slime lunging towards me. My hands are full with jars...my body is in a disadvantageous position...damn...this is going to hurt. Slime''s POV Once we arrived at the destination, I could see the large number of violet colored slimes. Why are they violet colored? A different species? The human turned towards me and said, "Stay here. It''s too dangerous if you follow me while I''m attacking those slimes." Are they really that dangerous? Upon closer look of the violet colored slimes, I could see...what''s that?...sparks? Could these slimes be of thunder-type? How come I don''t have any special affinities? As I pondered over this, the human leaped into the middle of the slime cluster. Wow...when he landed, there was like a shockwave! The slimes blew back and the human quickly killed off nearly a third of the slime cluster. The human does this another two times. After killing off all the slimes, the human bend down and began collecting the slime water...why does he need that? Maybe confirmation of kills? Suddenly, I see a large violet slime. It was rushing towards the human, who had his back turned away from the danger. In panic, I rushed forwards towards the human. The human saw me and immediately knew what was wrong. He turned around...but he couldn''t defend himself. The large violet slime leaped towards the human! NOO!!! I sped up and leaped as well. Human...friend...I will protect you! The Slime Part 3 Khaos''s POV I closed my eyes and braced for impact...*CRRAAAASSSSSHHHH!!*...I shuddered and flinched...but there was no pain...there was no impact. I peeked open my eyes and what I saw surprised me. The large violet slime''s attack was blocked by the normal slime. The collision knocked back both slimes. Taking advantage of this situation, I rushed towards the large violet slime and Dragon Swipe the slime. With one ferocious swipe, I was able to tear a large portion of the slime out. Seeing the slime core in the open, I grab my skinning knife and pierce through the core. With the core gone, the bonds that holds the slime in place are gone and the large slime collapses into many small violet slimes, which then collapses into slime gel. With a swoosh of my hand, I collected all the slime gel into a jar. Then, I checked my surroundings to make sure there isn''t any more threats before rushing over to the normal slime. Checking the slime, I can see that there was a crack in the slime core. There''s no help...it''s...it''s dead. I got up and prepared to leave when I sensed a ghostly presence. I turned around and see a young male ghost! "Who are you?" I asked in the Language of the Dead. The young ghost surprised that he could understand me replied, "I am...the slime." "What?!" I exclaimed, "How?" "I somehow reincarnated into a slime...I used to be a villager before the Orc Army attacked." "Reincarnation! That should be possible but not like your type." "What do you mean?" "When you reincarnate, you''re soul becomes that of the new body. In other words, if you reincarnate from a human to a bird, then you''re original human soul becomes a bird soul. To keep your original human form...is rare." "I see." The young ghost sighed, "What''s the point in knowing that? I''ve already died. It is nice knowing you...I guess this is goodbye." "Wait!" I said as I stopped the ghost, "Do you want to live?" "Yes! You have a way?" "Naturally. But I can only resurrect you as a slime and the chance is slim. Do you want to take this chance?" "Um...*sigh*...I''ll do it." "Ok." Slime''s POV I rushed towards the large violet slime and crashed into it. *CRRRAAAASSSSHH!* The collision knocked both of us back. I didn''t know I was that strong.... Ugh, the pain...I could feel something cracking. The vision is getting blurry. As I laid on the ground, I see sparkly lights like fireflies. Suddenly, a bright white flash...then darkness. Don''t know how long has passed, but suddenly a mysterious voice called out to me. Immediately, my blurred trance broke and my vision became clear. I looked around and saw that the large violet slime was gone. I looked at the source of the mysterious voice and saw the human. Is he talking to me? Or rather, how can I understand him? I think he asked who I was...how should I reply.... "I am...the slime." I replied after some thought. The human was surprised and asked me how that was possible. I told him that I was reincarnated and that I used to be a villager. After some short talk, he told me that he had a way to resurrect me but the chances are slim. I thought about it for a bit...I don''t want to be a normal slime...but I don''t want to go through reincarnation again, I mean who knows what I will turn into next.... After some thought, I decided to take the chance. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Khaos''s POV With the young ghost''s permission, I used Essence Manipulation and controlled his spiritual essence into a vial. Then, I collected the young ghost''s slime gel and slime core. Next, I opened Maker''s Domain and started rummaging in my bag. I took out a jar of normal slime gel and mixed it with the young ghost''s slime gel. Then, I take the vial of spiritual essence and poured it on the worktable. I added some Rhino, Giant Bear, Yeti, Wyvern, and Werewolf Bone powder. Mixing the powder-essence mixture into a few grams of melted Demon metal, I was able to make a liquid solution. I chanted a few incantations in order to fuse and mix the solution evenly. Then, I poured some of the hot solution into the crack of the slime core. I chanted a few incantations to solidify and bind the solution to the slime core. Then, I take the remaining solution and wrap around the slime core - forming a layer. After chanting a few more incantations to bind the rest of the solution to the slime core, I added a drop of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence. The blood spread throughout the core, turning it red. I chanted a few more incantations to make the blood blend with the core, magically enhancing it. Then, I place the core into the slime gel mixture and then added a few more drops of blood. After chanting some more, I completed the resurrection process. Now all that''s left to do depends on the slime''s willpower. I close the domain and placed the slime onto the ground. Nothing happens for a few minutes and I worry that I might have failed the resurrection. However, all of a sudden, the slime started to jiggle. Then, unexpectedly, the slime turned into pure black color and then grew in size...but it did not look like a large slime. I appraised the slime to check its stats:
Name: ??? Title: The Devourer Race: Polyp (can be evolved) Affinities: Darkness, Unholy Skills: Darkness Wave, Darkness Blast, Devour, Possess, Animate, Telepathy
Surprised, I analyzed the stats. Race - polyp...and can be evolved? Affinities to Darkness and Unholy?...well I guess that''s possible. But to even have a Title?! Amazing! I look at the slime and said, "How are you feeling?" "Good. Thank you so much." The slime said...or at least that''s what I heard in my mind...could this be telepathy? "So, what will you do from now on? Will you follow me as a supporter?" "Don''t worry, I''ll do my best. I won''t let you down." "Great! Let''s call you Agaricus then. You can call me Khaos." "Thank you...Khaos." Beating Back Some Pirates A group of pirates were on a Pirate ship sailing south and southwest towards the South Sea. These pirates were experts on water as they easily sail through dangerous obstacles. Finally, they landed on the Sand Desert. A large group consisting of 30 pirates scampered off board. The leader was holding onto a staff...a magical staff, is he a mage? "You sure he''s here?" Pirate A asked. "Positive." Pirate leader said, "This magical staff was given to me by the Pirate King. He says this staff is equipped with a moon shard as well as other enchantments that can "light" the way and guide us to the previous Pirate King @pirateking36 ." "Seriously, why is the Pirate King so paranoid?" Pirate B asked, "I mean, the previous pirate king lost his place. That bastard was beaten half dead. There''s no way he recovered from those wounds." "No matter, our task is to kill him and bring back his head before the Pirate King can finally calm down." The pirates kept walking north until they reached the borders of the Great Plains. Adventurer City was in sight. As they quietly rushed over, I just walked out of the city gates. I had just chosen some quests to slay some pirates and sink their ship as well as collecting a moon shard. What a coincidence for me to see pirates rushing towards me. Is this a godsend? I immediately Dragon Leap towards the pirates and the shock caused a minor earthquake, causing the pirates to collapse. Then, I took out my skinning knife and slit the throats of 15 of them, including the Pirate leader. The remaining pirates, scared for their lives, ran off back to their ship. I looked at them grinning and proceeded to loot the dead pirates. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The staff in the hands of the Pirate leader caught my interest. Looking at it, I was surprised at my luck. A moon shard embedded in the staff - what a find. I took my knife and dislodged the moon shard. Then, I look at the pirates in the distance. I called Blackie and jumped on his back. Next, we gave chase and followed the retreating pirates. Soon, I see their ship. Seeing the remaining pirates board the ship and prepared to sail away, I cast a few fireballs at the pirate ship. Because my fire was fueled with the Flames of Wrath and can''t be extinguished until there''s nothing left to burn, the fire continued to burn the ship as well as the pirates on board until the ship sank to the bottom of the sea. Satisfied with my lucky break, I return to the guild and submitted my report. A-rank Promotion Quest Part 1: Tengu Tribes in Sky Island Finally, my promotion quest has arrived. Hmm, the Tengu Tribes in the south part of the East Barrier Mountains and the Traveling Fortress in the south part of the Unknown Lands.... Seems I have to find our more about these two locations and then get permission to place beacons for easy locating. Once I finished preparing by buying necessities at the Tavern, I immediately set out towards the Tengu Tribes. Initially, I want to call Blackie, but he has busied himself with training and previous quests, so I decided to let him rest for a few days. I journeyed southeast towards the villages in the south part of the East Barrier Mountains, meeting some monsters along the way - but nothing I can''t beat. After a few hours of constant-paced walking, I arrived at the south part of the East Barrier Mountains. I decided to sit down and refuel my hunger and stamina. I took out a loaf of bread and some roast chicken. In addition, I also took out my newly concocted Rhino-Bear Blood Wine - an alcohol made from rice wine and a condensed mixture of Rhino blood and Giant Bear blood. This new blood wine provides good stamina/vitality/strength/defense boosting effects. While I was eating, I occasionally stop all movements in order to hear for any unusual sounds. After all, this is the East Barrier Mountains...who knows what kind of creature will come and attack me while my guard is down. Suddenly, I hear a scream and then some fighting. Looking around for the source of the sound, I turned and see smoke in the distance. If I remember correctly from last time I was here, there is a small village in that location. I quickly packed up my stuff and hurried over to the village. When I arrived at the village, I see bandits...but they were all defeated. Looking around, I see a Tengu who was taking care of some wounded villagers. Upon closer look I remember who he was. This Tengu was sitting next to Xeck Qoju last time I was at Sky Island...what was his name again?...ah...Votak Oren. "Hey, Votak! Long time no see." I greeted. Votak turns around and sees me. With a smile, he greeted back. "Long time no see Khaos. What brings you here?" "I have some business with Xeck Qoju. Do you think I can meet him?" "Hmm, probably. He''s not entirely busy these days...though he is preparing for marriage soon." "Oh really? Who is the lucky woman?" "A human...unfortunately and a villager at that." Votak sighed, "Oh, not to be mean, but we''re afraid that Xeck''s pure bloodline will be tainted with the union of human blood." "I see...but human blood may be considered as inferior with higher races like your Tengu race. So it might not affect the purity of Xeck''s bloodline." I assured. How I know this? Well, I do have years of blood research under my belt...I mean how else can I have such high mastery of blood manipulation and blood refinement? "Really? I''m happy with Xeck''s choice but some elders are not. Do you have a way to proof that the bloodline won''t be tainted with human blood?" "Naturally." "In that case, follow me. I''ll bring you to see Xeck immediately." Votak beamed happily as he reached and grabbed me. Then, we flew upwards towards Sky Island. Once we arrived, I was impressed at the changes the Tengus were doing for the wedding. It seems they will be doing a traditional Eastern-style wedding. There were red decorations everywhere. When we entered the main hall, I see Xeck talking with a human woman. Xeck was smiling way more than ever and he would sometimes tell jokes...JOKES!...Xeck telling jokes sure I can understand, but for a woman to actually laugh at his jokes is something even I find astonishing. When I arrived, Xeck looks up and exclaimed, "Khaos! Nice to see you. What brings you here?" "Business as usual, but first let me congratulate you of your engagement." I replied. "Thank you. Oh this is my beloved, Sakura." Xeck introduced. Now as a villager, the woman does not have a last name - only nobles and distinguished people have last names. "Congratulations Sakura, you are a lucky woman." "Thank you." Sakura said. "I see you have some business with Xeck. So, I won''t disturb you." Once Sakura left, Xeck turned and look at me. "So, what brings you here? What business are we talking about?" "Trading business of course. What type of things will you offer and what type of things are you in need of?" "Oh, that eh? Hmmm, let me think." Xeck mused for a while, "What we need are medicine and vegetables. Ores, crystals, and raw metals are needed as well. Oh and heat-generating items or warm clothes would be appreciated. It gets quite cold up here sometimes...I don''t want Sakura to get sick." "Medicine, vegetables, ores, crystals, raw metals, clothing, and heat-generating item...ok got it. Now what are you able to offer?" "We can offer talismans (enhancements, evil-warding, luck, etc), weapons (bastard swords, daggers, elven curve blades and katanas, falchions, greatswords, kukris, longswords, punching daggers, rapiers, scimitars, short swords, and two-bladed swords), potions (healing, replenishment, antidotes, etc), and wind-type magical fans." "Hmm, okay. I''ll report this back to the guild. Oh, by the way, can I place beacons on Sky Island so that we can find you better?" "That would be a problem. We don''t want to be found so easily. It''s against the rules of our tradition." "Well, rules are meant to be broken. From what I heard, you broke one recently when you fell in love with Sakura." "Yea...it caused a huge uproar within the tribes. The elders weren''t happy with my actions." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "What''s wrong with marrying outside your species?" "They''re afraid for the purity of my bloodline. They did not like how the humans betrayed us in the past so now they did not like the idea that humans will taint the purity of my bloodline." Xeck sighed. "The Tengu''s past? Can you tell me more about it?" I asked. Xeck looked at me for a moment before nodding. Then, he proceeded to tell me the origins and history of the Tengu tribes. "My Tengu tribe has existed for thousands of years but our ancestors came from another place - a stronger race existing for millions upon millions of years." Xeck began, "Our ancestors were deities of a higher realm of existence. You can already tell but my Tengu tribe consists of two distinct types of Tengus - the Karasu-Tengus (identified with bird''s head and beak) and the Konoha-Tengus (humanoids with wings and long nose). The Karasu-Tengus descendant from the Devourer - Karu - who served as a loyal of retainer of Saruta - the long-nosed Earth god. Saruta''s role was to guide deities from the higher realm to the lower realm and guards the portal that makes this happen. In the past, Saruta and Karura were worshipped as kind deities. Karu was not only known to eat dragons for breakfast but was known to protect children and bestow wisdom. Saruta was also known for protecting humans. However, because they were worshipped more by the humans of the lower realm, the other deities became jealous and they decided to frame Saruta and Karu. They spread lies about how the descendants of Saruta and Karu were evil, mischievous beings who abduct children, burn buildings, steal, kill, and trick the lower realms. Through connections with the higher ups, the jealous deities were able to convince the higher ups to pin a huge punishment to Saruta family and Karu family. They were given a choice - kill their descendants to escape punishment because of past notable achievements or be banished to the lower realms together with their descendants. Saruta and Karu did not want to kill off their innocent descendants so they agree to be banished to the lower realms. So, the higher ups decided on the verdict and destroyed their immortality and forcing them and their families be exiled to the lower realm. Initially, our Tengu name meant Heavenly Patriots but now its been referred as Heavenly Dogs (used as an insult)." "Wow, that''s harsh." I said. "Yes it was. Now, even though many years have passed, we are still trying to fix the false rumors about us." "So why do you not live in the mountains with the villagers? Why insist on staying on this Sky Island?" "In the past, the humans were frightened by our appearances and the rumors about us. They did not trust us even though we helped them so much before the rumors started...it was like we were betrayed. So, to avoid this problem, the first Tengus used most of their innate magic to lift a plot of land up to the sky thus forming the Sky Island. We have been living on the Sky Island for so long, its become our home. It would seem awkward to live on the grounds below now." While we were still conversing, another Konoha-Tengu barges in. "Your Leadership, I advise you again. You cannot marry that human. We can''t destroy the purity of your bloodline." "Elder Oro Krulu! Why do you continue to persist about this matter? What can I do to convince you?" Xeck grimaced as he looked at the Tengu. "If I may, I know of way to convince him as well as any other Tengus who do not approve of your marriage choice." I replied. "Really? Then, please do so." Xeck told Oro to call all the other elders to come to the main hall. He also told a guard to notify Sakura to come as well. When everyone arrived, I started my explanation. I told them that when dealing with bloodlines. It is preferable to have a pure mutual union of the blood of husband and wife usually acquired when the husband and wife are from the same race. It is also commonly believed that the union of the blood of husband and wife of different species could taint the purity of the bloodline. However, I stressed that that was not necessarily the case. I described to the audience that humans'' blood is considered very inferior compared to higher races like Tengus. The union of blood of Tengu and human won''t affect the Tengu bloodline because of the inferiority of human blood. At first the elders did not believe, so I offered to do an experiment. Xeck and Sakura agreed and willingly gave a few drops of their blood - blue blood of Tengus and red blood of humans. Using blood manipulation, I merged the two types of blood. After fusing the blood, instead of producing a purplish mixture, the red dissipated after a while and the mixture became blue. "There it is. The two blood types merged but the red blood of Sakura was overpowered and dissipated by the blue blood of Xeck. This means that the children of Xeck and Sakura will continue to have pure bloodlines." I replied. As the saying goes - seeing is believing. After the elders saw blue and red blood mixture become blue again, they finally approve of Xeck''s and Sakura''s marriage. Xeck was happy with my help that he gave me permission to place beacons on the Sky Island. After celebrating the marriage between Xeck and Sakura, I placed the three beacons at three different locations of the Sky Island. I told Xeck that the beacons are sensitive to the interference of magic and asked him to help with that problem. Xeck wrote a few talismans and placed on the beacons which helped protect the beacons from magic interference. Finished, I left Sky Island and descended down to the mountains. A-rank Promotion Quest Part 2: Traveling Fortress in the Unknown Lands After landing on the mountains, I headed northeast towards the Unknown Lands. I heard from Alliuna''s accounts that the Traveling Fortress was somewhere at the southern part of the Unknown Lands. To avoid the dangers on the ground, I leaped into the sky and used my secret skill Roaming the Skies. A projection of an oriental snake like Dragon appeared and enveloped me. The Dragon Essence in the projection helped lift me into the air and push me where ever I want to go...in other words, I''m FLYING!! Anyways, I flew straight to the Unknown Lands. With my level of mastery, it only took an hour to accomplish. Looking at the most updated map the guild could provide, I was able to pinpoint the location of where the Traveling Fortress used to be. Now according to the information provided by Alliuna, the Traveling Fortress moves at a kilometer per hour among the mountains. So, I decided to scour the lands slowly. Soon, after a few hours, I was able to see the Traveling Fortress sitting a moving mountain in the distance. Arriving at the entrance of the Traveling Fortress, I was greeted by a humanoid guard. The guard seems to be a high-level stone golem. It proceeded to lead me into the fortress. Suspecting that it could be a trap, I raised my guard before venturing in. The stone guard led me to a room. In the room stood a male human. The human male greeted me and introduced himself, "Good day to you. I''m known as Guo ZiLang (Guo is last name, ZiLang means purple wolf). Who are you and what is your business here?" Judging from his name and his appearance, I assumed he must have been of Eastern descent. I greeted in response, "My name is Khaos - an adventurer. I''m here for diplomatic purposes. I represent the Adventurer City in the far west. I would like to know what the purpose of the Traveling Fortress is and whether or not if you want to form a trading business with us." "Hmm, sure we can form a trade. Being unable to stay at a fixed location, we sometimes find ourselves in lack of certain resources. Trading for these needed resources could be beneficial. As for what kinds of resources...well, we would like to trade ores, crystals, raw metals, lumber, monster cores, and monster parts for medicine, weapons, armor, potions, and foodstuffs." "Hmm, that seems good. Let''s sign the contract and affirm this business deal." I said as I pulled out a contract and pen. ZiLang signed the contract and I retrieved it. "As for our purpose as a moving fortress, well...its a curse - an unbreakable curse." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "A curse eh? Tell me more about it." I said as interest flashed in my eyes. "Well, I guess I should start from the beginning." ZiLang began, "We were once natives of the East Barrier Mountains. We lived happily while governing the surrounding villages at the foot of the mountains. However, one day everything changed. All of a sudden many of the neighboring mountains as well as the mountain our fortress was on began to move. At first we thought it was an earthquake but when we saw the mountains gradually move away from the rest of the East Barrier Mountains and into the Unknown Lands, we began to worry. All the villages at the foot of the mountains were destroyed and many lives were lost in the process. Though the shaking from the movements is noticeable, luckily we had procured a magic item that keep the fortress from collapsing. Anyways, we didn''t know why the mountains were moving and we tried with all our abilities to figure out why. That...was 1000 years ago. It has been a thousand years and we haven''t died yet. We can still reproduce but people stopped aging at 40 years. We can be killed as we soon found out when we first encountered a nest of wild beasts. That''s why we call this a curse." "I see." "We have been moving around the Unknown Lands many times now. I did notice however that we have been inching closer and closer to the center of the Unknown Lands...could there be something there? If possible, we would like to request your Adventurer City to help find the cause of the movements and if possible stop the mountains from moving. Also, can you guys help us scout what''s going on in the heart of the Unknown Lands and why these moving mountains are circling towards it?" "Ok, I''ll see what my guild can do. Oh by the way, what are those treants doing? Are they part of the curse too?" "Those? Oh, they''re not treants...they''re wood-like monsters called Woodskins. We saved a few of them during our monster encounters and they swore loyalty to us. Now, they travel where we travel and provides us with lumber that they grow themselves." "Ok, it''s late and I should get going. Can I set up a few beacons to let my guild know of your exact location at all time?" "Sure, if it helps." With the conversation ended, I flew out of the fortress and placed a beacon on the fortress''s highest tower, one beacon on the back side of the moving mountain, and the last beacon on the front side of the moving mountain. After I finished, I used Roaming the Skies and flew back to the guild to report my findings. Preparations In order to prepare for my upcoming quests, I decided to make some pills as well as some masks. I brought out my bag and rummaged through the collection. I took out the three Primordial Emperor of Fire feathers that I got from Alliuna, the 28 fresh mermaid corpses, an electric wisp in a bottle, frost essence from an ice elemental, and the Earth-type Guardian Dragon corpse. After I brought out the items, I opened Maker''s Domain and proceeded with some pill refinement. Using the Corpse Pill Refinement technique, I took the Earth-type Guardian Dragon corpse and started refining it...condensing it and further refining it. The corpse dries up and then breaks apart into chunks. Then, the chunks further dry and break apart until the chunks become fine powder. Next, using a small fire, I began liquefying the powder while making sure that none of the essence escapes. After liquefying, I began to compress and condense and refine the liquid. As the refinement is occurring at a steady pace, I added a drop of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence to the mixture. After a while, an A-rank pill is formed. Appraising the pill allowed me to see that the pill will, upon consumption, increase all of my stats significantly. In addition, it would also increase my affinity to Earth and increase my Nature resistance. Satisfied, I moved on to the next items - the three Primordial Emperor of Fire feathers. Now feathers are a part of a body so I can also use Corpse Pill Refinement technique to refine the feathers into pills. I took the feathers and started refining it...condensing it and further refining it. The feathers dry up and then break apart into chunks. Then, the chunks further dry and break apart until the chunks become fine powder. Next, using a small fire, I began liquefying the powder while making sure that none of the essence escapes. After liquefying, I began to compress and condense and refine the liquid. As the refinement is occurring at a steady pace, I added a drop of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence to the mixture. After a while, six S-rank pills are formed. Appraising the pill allowed me to see that the pill will, upon consumption, increase my Fire affinity, increase my Fire resistance, and also grant me a chance of special ability - Rebirth by Fire (a skill that allows to me to, upon near death, turn into fire and revert back into original form healthy and not wounded as if the fire burned away all the injuries; can be used once a day) Taking the electric wisp which is essentially a large amount of condensed Lightning Essence, I began using Essence Manipulation to expand the electric wisp and break it apart into pure raw Lightning Essence. Then, using Essence Refinement, I started condensing and refining the essence while chanting incantations. Then, I mixed a drop of blood filled with Maker''s Essence into the Lightning Essence. After a while, I was able to make a B-rank pill. Appraising the pill, I see that the pill will increase my affinity with Lightning, increase my Lightning resistance, and also gives me a chance of getting a skill - Shock (Lightning surrounds a part of the body allowing me to be able to use that part like a taser). Next, I took the Frost Essence and began using Essence Refinement. I started condensing and refining the essence while chanting incantations. Then, I mixed a drop of blood filled with Maker''s Essence into the Frost Essence. After a while, I was able to make a B-rank pill. Appraising the pill, I see that the pill will increase my affinity with Ice, increase my Ice resistance, and also gives me a chance of getting a skill - Frost Armor (Ice surrounds a part of the body like armor and defends that part from attacks). If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. After making the pills, I began mass producing some masks. I took one of the mermaid corpses and removed the fins of the mermaid tail. Then, I started shaping the fins into a eye mask. I decorate the mask with mermaid scales. Then, while chanting incantations, I dropped a few drops of mermaid blood onto the mask. The blood spreads around the mask enveloping it and turning the mask into a crimson red color. After a while, the blood fuses with the mask and the color of the mask reverts back to its original bluish color. Finally, I dropped a drop of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence onto the mask. Finally, after a few more incantations, the mask is completed. I appraised the mask:
Mask of the Water Maiden: C-rank No cooldown Stamina Drain 10% per hour Indestructible No-limit Enchanted Normal Mask Special Abilities: Allows user to breathe underwater 100% increase in swimming ability 5% regeneration per hour while submerged in water
Satisfied, I put away the mask and begin to do the same to the other 27 mermaid corpses. After making a total of 28 masks, I began refining the mermaid remains forming one big pill. This pill, upon appraisal, will boost my vitality and affinity with Water. In addition, it will increase my Water resistance as well. After finishing, I took the Earth Dragon pill, the Lightning pill, the Frost pill, the Mermaid pill, and three of the Primordial Emperor of Fire pills. After eating the pills and cultivate them one by one, I soon feel a huge increase in my capabilities and resistances. In addition, I have gained the Shock, Frost Armor, and Rebirth by Fire skills. After a hundred years of cultivation, I closed my Maker''s Domain. Suddenly, I sensed a disturbance in my vicinity...this feeling...familiar. Looking around, I see PK nearby. He must have "Plunder" something from me again. I checked my storage bag and ring and found that none was missing. Must have been a skill then...I walk past him and quickly cast my "Plunder" skill at him and looted the Seekers skill, which allows me to track and sense ghosts. Next, I flew towards the Arctic Tundra using Roaming the Skies. Upon arriving, I see a number of Frost Giant camps along the borders. In addition, I also see a number of Fire Giant camps opposite to the Frost Giant camps...are they going to have a large scale war or something? I shrugged and ignored my urge to find out. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Then, I arrived at the nearest camp and searched for the storage tent. Upon finding the tent, I began looting it of Eternal Ice shards. I repeat this process with other camps until I had over 1000 Eternal Ice shards...that shows how many Frost Giant camps are there along the borders of the Arctic Tundra. It also shows just how many Fire Giant camps are out there as well. After getting over 1000 Eternal Ice shards, I headed back to the guild. Slaying and Making With my preparations complete, I used Roaming the Skies and flew to the southeast towards the Sea of Serpents. After an hour of flying, I arrive near the body of water. Once I put on the Mask of the Water Maiden, I dove into the water. With the mask on, I can now breathe underwater and swim very quickly. In addition, I get a small regeneration boost while submerged in water. I began swimming while looking around for any signs of a Sea Serpent or a Lesser Kraken. After a few hours of searching, I see a Lesser Kraken fighting with a Sea Serpent. It seems the Sea Serpent has the upper hand. As I swam slowly towards the two sea creatures, I realized that they were too focused on their battle that they could not see me approach them. Seeing that I can take advantage of this situation, I hurriedly swam below the two sea creatures. I look at the two creatures and planned out my next move. First, I will activate my Frost Armor skill to form a layer of ice on my chest. Then, I use the Shock skill on both of my hands and arms. Swimming upwards towards the two monsters, I placed one hand on each creature. *BZZZZZZZZTTTT!!* Both creatures...coupled with the water...were shocked into momentarily paralysis. Then, I quickly swam to the top to look at the conditions of the two monsters. The Lesser Kraken is suffering from multiple lacerations and blood loss while the Sea Serpent seems to be lightly injured. I swam towards the Lesser Kraken and Shock its head some more. Then, I use Dragon Palm and attacked the head of the Lesser Kraken. The force of the Dragon Palm shocked into the Lesser Kraken''s body, rattling and rupturing the internal organs. More blood flowed out from the Lesser Kraken and it soon died after. I turned my attention towards the Sea Serpent and was met with ramming attack from the Sea Serpent''s head. Fortunately, my Frost Armor blocked most of the attack. However, I was still injured and I immediately swam backwards to put some distance. I looked at the Frost Armor on my chest and see it break into pieces, a purplish bruise appeared on my chest. Luckily there is a regeneration boost while under water or I would not last the battle with this Sea Serpent. Taking out my Skinning Knife, I circled around the Sea Serpent while taunting it to make the first move. Maybe it got tired of waiting or maybe it gave in to my taunts, the Sea Serpent surged forwards with jaws open. Taking out a shard of Eternal Ice, I used the skill Ice Smithing to form a small ice spear. Then, I mixed in some raw Maker''s Essence with the ice spear careful not to have the essence fuse into the ice spear. Then, I threw the ice spear at the incoming Sea Serpent. Using Essence Manipulation, I controlled the Maker''s Essence in the spear to control the spear. The spear shoots forward into the Sea Serpent''s mouth. I move the spear so that it pierces deep within the Sea Serpent. Then, I cause the essence to explode outwards causing the spear to burst into many pieces of essence controlled ice shards. The ice pierces into the organs of the Sea Serpent and began to freeze the monster from the inside. The Sea Serpent struggled in pain for a while before completely froze on the spot. Having killed the Sea Serpent, I removed the Eternal Ice shards and stored it into my bag. Then, I stored the Lesser Kraken''s corpse into my ring. Finished, I leave the waters and swam to land. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Using Roaming the Skies, I fly towards the Jungle Lord''s Abode where Morian''s main body resided. As soon as I landed, I was detected by Morian. He shot vines at me. I immediately wore the Mask of the Fiery Demon to increase my Fire abilities. I raised a fire wall to block the vines and then fired a bunch of fireballs at the plants. The plants burned quickly, but Morian''s regeneration was quicker. Soon, the fire did not do any substantial damage. I landed on the ground for a quick second and cast Melted Touch at the ground. The ground instantly turned into a puddle of lava. Then, I leaped into the air again using Roaming the Skies and manipulated the puddle of lava into a Lava Spear using Lava Shaping skill. I threw the Lava Spear at the abode, but it was blocked by a large number of vines. Suddenly, a vine came at my blind spot and slammed into my side. I crashed into the ground and many vines grabbed my limbs. With a scream of pain, I was pulled apart into six pieces...or that''s what would have happened. As I neared death, I activated Rebirth by Fire (a new passive skill of mine) which turned me into fire. I reformed back into a human and started attacking again. I cast numerous number of fireballs at Morian until all my magic was depleted. I took off my mask and switched with Mask of the Bomber. Shadow was summoned and used Bombardment on Morian. I know that the bombs will not deal much damage at Morian, but it can be used as a distraction. I approach Morian and implanted some of my Maker''s Essence in it...why I did this...well, I''ll tell you later. After I transferred some Maker''s Essence into Morian, I retreated. Judging from Morian''s actions, I can tell that he has not discovered the Maker''s Essence as it disguises itself to regular plant essence. Hopefully, Morian will absorb the Maker''s Essence...then...then, I will be able to continue my plan. Once, I put some distance away from Morian, I continued flying eastward to the Sacred Land of Orcs where the Lamia Hive was located. Upon arriving at the Lamia Hive, I see a Lamia feeding on a human male. Using Flow Like Wind, I immediately appeared behind the feeding Lamia and with a swoop of my Skinning knife, I beheaded the unsuspecting Lamia. Then, I collected the corpse into my storage ring. After that, I took to the skies - flying northwest towards the Sea of Fire in the Ash Plains. After a few hours, I arrive at the Sea of Fire. I circled around, following the borders of the Sea of Fire to determine where has the shortest distance to the Fortress of Ira. After making a complete lap, I determined what part of the lap had the shortest distance to the Fortress of Ira. Once I made my way there, I used Lava Shaping skill and pushed apart the lava to make a path towards the fortress. Then, using the over 1000 Eternal Ice shards and the Ice Smithing skill, I began to make an extravagant bridge. After making the base of the bridge, I still had over 400 shards of Eternal Ice left over. Then, I use the remaining shards to make the rails of the bridge to prevent any lava from flowing onto the base of the bridge. Now, one should know that Eternal Ice cannot be melted by lava...ever so I don''t have to worry about the bridge being destroyed in the future. After finishing my Eternal Ice bridge, I named it "Eternal Ice Strait." Finished, I move back to the guild to report my completions. Slaying and Trading Taking a few quests today to appease the boredom I''m experiencing. I chose three slaying quests and one trading quest. Leaving the guild, I sent a mental transmission to Blackie. Its been more than a week now, so I guess I''ll take Blackie out for some hunting and gaining experience. When Blackie arrived, he was overly excited. It seems he too was feeling bored from resting for a week. I hopped on Blackie and we flew towards the Wyvern''s Nest in the southern part of the East Barrier Mountains. Upon arriving near the vicinity of the Wyvern''s Nest, I see fire and blood everywhere. Bodies of baby Wyverns littered everywhere. Did something happen? I urged Blackie to move in slowly and quietly. Soon, sounds of battle can be heard as roars and clashing sounds resounded the skies. When we approached behind one mountain, we see a large Firebird in battle with two smaller-sized Wyverns. Amidst the sounds of battle, a conversation between the flying monsters can be heard. "Why did you kill my babies?!" One of the Wyverns screamed (let''s call her Wyvern A) "Hmph! It was you false Dragons who attacked and killed my little brother." The Firebird retorted. "PROOF! Where''s your proof?" Wyvern B questioned. "Right before he disappeared, he sent me a message saying he was battling a Wyvern. Now, there''s no sign of him and his life essence seems to have disappeared as well." When I heard this, I gave Blackie a questioning look. Blackie responded via mental transmission, "The Firebirds are able detect the life essence of others once they are strong enough. Also, messages can be sent quickly through wisps of fire. The Firebird over there is one of the three Grand Elders and is also the older brother of the last Firebird we killed." "I see." At first it seems that the Wyverns are losing, but suddenly as if by a twist of fate, the ferocity of the battle caused some rocks above to loosen and fall on top of Wyvern B. Seeing Wyvern B distracted, the Firebird took advantage and pierced the Wyvern in the eyes, blinding him. Wyvern B screamed in pain as he flailed around and eventually crashes into a nearby mountain. Injured, Wyvern B tumbles down the mountain into the depths below. There were no signs of movement or any other sound so it was concluded that Wyvern B was dead. Wyvern A saw Wyvern B fall to his death and was angered. She charged towards the Firebird and was able to ram into him, pushing him into another mountain nearby. Seeing both Firebird and Wyvern on the ground, I leaped off of Blackie and using Roaming the Skies, I appeared before the two collapsed flying monsters. With a whirl of my skinning knife, I beheaded both the Firebird and the Wyvern. Then, I stored the Firebird''s and Wyvern A''s bodies into my storage ring. I leaped down to the bottom of the mountain and checked to see if Wyvern B is dead or alive. Finding out that he was barely alive but unable to move, I walked up to him and asked (in Language of Dragons), "Your wounds are severe and I have no way of helping you. Should I put you out of your misery?" Wyvern B was surprised for a moment by my ability to speak Dragon-tongue. "Fine. Make it quick." "Before I do so, any requests I can help you with?" "...Yes...take my claws and give it to my father the Wyvern Lord. He won''t harm you and he''ll know that I have perished. Tell him to avenge me." With a sigh, the Wyvern closed his eyes. I raised the skinning knife and chopped down. After, I removed the Wyvern''s claws and stored them into my bag, I store the rest of the body into my storage ring. Then, I flew north in search of a Roc to slay. After searching around, I finally see a Roc hunting some deer in the distance. Wow...perfect for a sneak attack. I waited for the Roc to finally succeed in capturing a deer and is starting to eat it. While its in the middle of eating, it is natural for it to lower its guard. I urged Blackie to hover above the Roc as I waited for the right opportunity to attack. Seeing my chance, I fired a fireball at the Roc and then jumped down with my skinning knife in hand. The fireball hit the Roc and before the Roc could react, my knife plunged deep into the Roc''s body. Jumping backwards to distance myself, I pulled out the knife. Blood squirted out from the Roc''s body as the fire continued to burn. The Roc tried to take to the skies but Blackie met it with a fireball of his own. The Roc was hit in the head by the fireball and crashed back into the ground. Minutes later, the Roc died from blood loss and burns. After defeating the Roc, I hopped back on Blackie and we flew straight towards the Treacherous Ports in the Unknown Lands. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. After a few hours, we arrived at the entrance of the Treacherous Ports. Once I got off of Blackie, I told him to wait for me outside of the port and hide himself from being seen by others. Then, I walked into the port. Looking around, I can see "propaganda" of who really owns the town. It seems that there are two groups that are in war with each other over the ownership of the town. One group was a bandit group who prided in their "fairness" and the other was a pirate group who loves to show off their "ruthlessness." Thinking about it, I may have a better chance of forming a trading relationship with the bandit group than the pirate group. So, I decided to ask around about the bandit group. Maybe because I was nosing around looking for their information, but suddenly someone smashed something hard at the back of my head. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I turned and saw my attacker...a bandit. Never knew waking up could be so painful.... As I woke up, I flinched at the pain searing the back of my head. I looked around and see that I am tied to a chair. A group of bandits were standing in front of me and another one sitting in front of me...he must be the leader of the bandits. "So you''re awake. I heard you were asking around for us...why?" The bandit leader calmly asked. "I wanted to form a trading relationship with you." I replied. "Oh really? Why us?" "Because I believe you guys are the real owner of this town." "Haha, quite a tongue you got there. How do I know you''re not a spy of those goddamn pirates?" "Do I look like someone who goes around saying ''ARRGGH, where''s me treasure!''" "Haha. Speak, do you even have what we want?" "What do you guys want?" "Hmm...do you have a Fire Pearl?" "Uh...." "Of course you don''t. The only one is with the pirate group." "If I can get the Fire Pearl, what will you offer." "Your life." "Haha," I laughed dryly as I looked around the room. "How about that stone eyeball?" "That old thing? Sure, its useless anyways. What you thought it was treasure? Haha, for a merchant, you sure do not have an eye for things...haha, maybe that''s why you want that stone eyeball haha." "Haha, maybe. So is this a deal?" "Fine, it''s a deal. You release him." The bandit leader said as he told one of his subordinates to cut my bindings. Once, I was released and thrown out of the building, I headed towards the sea. Arriving at the docks, I see a huge pirate ship. This must be the Pirate Leader''s ship. I took out my Ghost Mask and transformed into a ghost. Turning invisible, I entered the ship. Searching around, I finally found the Fire Pearl...it looked more like a red cannonball. Taking the Fire Pearl, I left the ship without anyone noticing me. Upon arriving back at the bandits'' base, I presented the Fire Pearl to the leader. The leader looked at the pearl in surprise and threw the stone eyeball to me. "Did not know you have the capabilities. Here''s the stone eyeball. Haha, you''re an interesting fellow. My name is Westby Claridge the Butcher - Big Boss of the Silver Bandits. Will you leave your name?" "My name is Khaos the Mask Maker. Maybe in the future, we could trade more." After finalizing the trade and finished introducing ourselves, I left the port and hopped on Blackie. We flew back towards the guild to report my completions. Slaying Some More Finishing my promotion quest a day early, I decided to take a rest. I have finally ranked up to A-rank making me one of the few A-rankers of the guild. After a night''s rest, I decided to take some A-rank quests. I went to the guild and looked at the A-rank quests available. Gathering and exploration type quests are too complicated to do for now, so I decided to choose some slaying quests. Using the secret skill of Dragon''s Roar, Roaming the Skies, I leaped into the air and flew quickly towards Redon Cave in the Sand Desert. I heard that there is a Queen Insect (of the Hard Beetles) in the cave. Upon arriving at the cave, I first took a shot of Rhino/Bear Blood Wine - boosting my stamina, strength, defense, and vitality. After preparing, I ventured in. Walking down the tunnel, I encounter many Hard Beetles. These Hard Beetles are big like King Beetles...some grows to the size of a Queen Beetle. The difference between Hard Beetles and King Beetles is the hardness of the carapace. However, even with the tougher carapace, the Hard Beetles still die under my Dragon Palm which utilizes shockwaves to damage the internal organs. After killing a number of Hard Beetles, I found a large room. At the center of the room rests a huge beetle...it was at least ten times larger than the average Hard Beetle with eggs popping out of it at a constant rate. The Queen Insect sees me and its antennas started to move. Soon, tens of Hard Beetles appeared to defend their queen. I rushed towards the nearest Hard Beetle and Dragon Palm it on its side. The shockwave of the attack disrupts and ruptures the internal organs of the Hard Beetle. Before confirming its death, I Dragon Leap towards two Hard Beetles, lifting them off the ground and I Ferocious Dragon Tail one while Dragon Ram the other. Both attacks were powerful and sharp, thus allowed me to one-hit kill the two Hard Beetles. After killing three Hard Beetles, a path to the Queen Insect was cleared. I charged towards the Queen Insect and rolled to the side as it spat a mouthful of acid at me. Rolling to the side of the Queen Insect, I could sense its fear and panic. With a Dragon Palm and a Dragon Horn, I ruptured the Queen Insect''s internal organs and pierced open its hard shell to let the bloody mess flow out. After a while, the Queen Insect died and the summoned Hard Beetles became listless at the loss of their queen. Done, I left the cave and used Roaming the Skies to head east towards the Wyvern''s Nest in the East Barrier Mountains. .......... Nearing the Wyvern''s Nest, I see a Wyvern fighting a Roc. Amazingly, the B-rank Wyvern was on par with the A-rank Roc...maybe because they are fighting on the Wyvern''s home turf. So, why is a Roc all the way out here on unfamiliar grounds? Did something happen to its territory? Landing on the peak of a mountain close by, I observed the two flying creatures fighting. Waiting for them to exhaust themselves, I took out my Ghost Mask and transformed. Seeing the two creatures break apart and exhaustingly land on the peaks of two adjacent mountains, I decided to make my move on the closest one - the Roc. I snuck up behind the Roc in my invisible ghost form. With a jump, I phased my hand into the head of the Roc and quickly phase out its brain. The Roc immediately bled from its head and then collapsed. I quickly disposed of the brain and hid myself. The Wyvern, seeing the Roc collapse, flew over to investigate. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. When the Wyvern chomped on the Roc''s neck to make sure it was dead, I appeared before the Wyvern and took out my skinning knife. With one fell swoop, I beheaded the Wyvern. Then, I stored both corpses into my storage ring. .......... Using Roaming the Skies skill again, I flew east towards the Jungle Lord''s Abode in Rainforest Vale. Rumors has it that there are quite a few number of Guardian Dragons in the vicinity. Upon arriving near the vicinity, I landed and quickly transformed into a ghost. I ventured towards the abode quietly when suddenly, a blast attack shot towards me. I quickly dodged the incoming blast attack. How did the Guardian Dragon know I was coming? Oh...stupid question...Morian must have notified it of my presence. With my cover blown, I revert back to human form and pulled out my skinning knife. The Guardian Dragon charged towards me while launching a few mud blasts. An Earth Dragon eh? I dodged the blasts by rolling forward and fired a few fireballs at it. Of course, being of Earth-type, the dragon didn''t receive much damage even with the constant burning of the everlasting fire. The Guardian Dragon swiped its tail at me, which I blocked with Tail Guard. Then, I Dragon Swipe and Dragon Bite at the dragon. The dragon swiped its front claws at me and pushed away my attacks. I jumped in the air and Dragon Leap, causing a small earthquake and unsettle the dragon''s balance. As the dragon tried to stabilize itself, I rushed in and Dragon Claw it. The dragon leaped backwards to dodge the attack but was still nicked, a small trickle of blood flowed out. I used my skill of Blood Manipulation to forcibly draw out the blood from the dragon''s wound. Suffering from the large blood loss, the dragon stumbled and collapsed. As it tried to get up, I appeared at its side and Dragon Palm it. With a boom, I ruptured some of the dragon''s internal organs. The dragon collapsed in pain. I approached its head and Dragon Horn it...spearing my fist into its head - killing it immediately. I stored the body and left towards the ocean for my last quest. Once I arrived at the ocean, I continued to float in the air. I fired a few fireballs fueled with the Flames of Wrath at the Pirate Ship below me. I could see many pirates jumping off the ship to escape the fire. The Pirate Ship soon collapsed from the burning and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Finished, I headed back to the guild to report my completions. Taking It Easy Finishing a week of hardcore questing, I decided to take a week off and relax. I decided to help manage the guild''s tavern, an easy task that earns money. After a few days of managing the tavern, I decided to take one or two slaying quests to exercise my lethargic body. After choosing a few quests to do today, I walked out of the guild and headed towards the North Mountains. After a few hours of traveling the Great Plains, I spot on the ground some weird tracks. The footprints look like horse tracks but judging by the position of the tracks, they look like they belong to two-legged hoofed creatures. Wonder what type of creatures are these.... Anyways, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go check out this new type of creature. As I followed the tracks, I made a turn left of the Great Plains. After a few miles, I see an encampment in the distance. The owner of the tracks are actually Satyrs!...but how? Why are Satyrs all the way over here? Judging from the camp, they must have recently moved here. Using my Ghost Mask, I turn invisible and approached the camp. The Satyrs are speaking in a variant type of the Language of the Beasts so I could understand most of the words. From what I gathered, the Satyrs came from the Mortal Grasslands, but because of some powerful beast terrorizing and causing them to move from their ancestral homelands. Apparently, there are some monster tribes like the Centaurs who have stayed behind to try to fight off the monster. Hearing enough, I ventured away from the camp and headed north to the Ash Plains to kill some Ash Beasts. After arriving at the Ash Plains, I explored around to look for some Ash Beasts. After searching for a while, I see a herd of Ash Beasts resting by an oasis. Now Ash Beasts don''t have one specific look but instead, they are any animal/monster who have survived and continued to live in the Ash Plains. Upon closer look of the herd of Ash Beasts, I see that they are a type of giraffe-wolf hybrid. Their bodies are like that of giraffes but their necks and legs are not as long and their heads are that of wolves. I sat in hiding while waiting for the Ash Beasts to finish resting. Once I see them start to leave, I stealthily followed them. Without them noticing, I speedily crept up behind the slowest Ash Beast and beheaded it with my skinning knife. I catch the head and the body to prevent them from landing on the ground with a loud sound. After quickly storing the body into my storage ring, I quickly followed the Ash Beast herd again. Catching up to the next Ash Beast, I slashed with my skinning knife and beheaded the second Ash Beast. Continuing this process, I had slain 10 Ash Beasts and stored their bodies. As I see the herd run away, I was surprised at my speed. It seems I have raised my speed to the point where even enemies do not notice my kills. Next, I hurried southeast towards the North Mountains to kill some Rocs. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. After another two hours, I arrive at the North Mountains...wow...those Firebirds sure are busy these days.... First, it''s the Wyverns now it''s the Rocs...are the Firebirds trying to overtake all of the North and East Barrier Mountains? Oh...shouldn''t dally too long. I look up just in time to see the remaining wounded Rocs fleeing. Quietly, I follow the Rocs. After following them near a valley away from the Firebirds, I decided to make my move. I approached the fleeing Rocs from behind and cast a couple of fireballs at them. Given how high my level of accuracy is, I was able to hit all of the Rocs with my fireballs. The Rocs screamed in pain as some crashed into nearby mountains while others plummeted to the ground - falling to their deaths. Using Flow Like Wind, I appeared before each Roc that crashed into a mountain and slit their throats. After killing all the Rocs, I collected their beaks before they burned to ash. Finished, I return back to the guild to report my quest completions. Once I finished my quests, I headed back to the tavern to order a drink or two of nice cold honey mead. Upon arriving, I see Fang. He was busily sorting the contents in his bag. I sneaked a peek at the contents and saw four books written in Middle Realm language...my home realm. Remembering the IOU he owed me, I asked him for the four books. He handed them over since he could not identify or read the books. Upon receiving the books, I identified them:
  1. Meridian Destruction Technique - S rank
  2. Dislocation Technique - A rank
  3. Thousand Poison Art - S rank
  4. Earth-Meld Escape Technique - B rank
The contents of these books, I will look into later on. For now, I put the books back into my bag for later use. The Eye of Odin After receiving some quests, I sent a mental transmission to Blackie telling him it''s time to gain some experience. We decided to head north towards the North Mountains to kill a Firebird. After a few minutes of flying, we arrived. Now previously, I had found out that the Firebirds are amassing their armies and wiping out Wyverns and Rocs that lived in the North and East Barrier Mountains. Anyways, after searching a while for a Firebird, I spot a Firebird toying with a wounded Wyvern. "That Firebird is Third Cousin...he is the second strongest of the younger generations after my Second Brother." Blackie said as he saw the Firebird. "What should we do with him?" "Let''s kill him while he''s not paying attention. But before we attack, cultivate on these quickly." I said as I fed Blackie the three Emperor of Fire pills that I had leftover from previous pill making session. After eating the pills, Blackie spent two hours cultivating the pills completely, which raised his abilities in Fire significantly as well as giving him the skill - Rebirth by Fire. While he was cultivating on the pills, I kept observing the Firebird as he continued to toy with the Wyvern. It seems the Wyvern cannot hold on much longer. As soon as Blackie finished cultivating on the pills, I mentally told him to fly into the air...higher than the Firebird. Next, I used Roaming the Skies and charged towards the Firebird from behind. With a Dragon Palm, I rammed into the Firebird before he could finish off the Wyvern. *BOOOMMM!* The palm attack crashed into the Firebird and stunned him. The Firebird flew upwards into the air and was met with a fireball from Blackie. The Firebird crashed into a nearby mountain. As he staggered to his feet, I used Flow Like Wind and appeared before the Firebird. With my skinning knife pulled out, I beheaded the Firebird. Once I collected the corpse into my storage ring, I turned around and approached the fallen Wyvern. The Wyvern looked at me with defiant eyes as if to say "Just kill me." Reaching towards my bag, I pulled out a healing potion and forcibly fed the Wyvern. "What did you do-?" The Wyvern sputtered a bit before realizing that the effects were helpful with his healing. "W-why did you help me? Haven''t your kind been killing us off these days?" "I have more enmity with the Firebirds than with you Wyverns." I replied. "I see...then...I can leave right?" "Yes...oh wait! I need to see your Wyvern Lord." "The Wyvern Lord?! Why do you want to see him?" "I have a message I need to give to him." I replied as I pulled out the Wyvern claws I got from the Wyvern of previous encounter. "These...these are Young Master''s claws! Where did you get them?" "I found your Young Master dying from a Firebird''s attack. He told me to warn his father of the Firebird attacks and to avenge him of his death. These claws are proof of his words." "I''ll take them and report your message to the Wyvern Lord." The Wyvern said as he took the claws and left. Seeing the Wyvern off, I head off to the distance. After a few minutes of speedy flying, I arrived at the Lamia Hive in the Sacred Land of Orcs. Looking below, I see a herd of Lamia feeding on a bunch of Orcs. Once, Blackie hovered above the cluster, I jump down and Dragon Leap in the middle of them - stunning them. Then, with my knife flashing, I slit everyone of their throats. Then, I used a fireball to burn the bodies to ash. Upon finishing the quick killings, I hopped back on and headed directly south towards the Jungle Lord''s Abode in the Rainforest Vale. Upon arriving at the Rainforest Vale, I jumped off of Blackie and told him to hide and patrol around in the skies only appearing when I call for him. As I walked over to the Jungle Lord''s Abode, I began absorbing Morian''s Essence from the surrounding plants using Essence Manipulation, converting the Essence into liquid using advanced level Essence Manipulation, and storing them into a jar. After absorbing three times, a sudden roar resounded in the sky. A giant Guardian Dragon flew over and pounced towards me. Quickly, I jumped out of the way. Hmph! A few days ago, this type of dragon would have prove too much for me; however, now I could easily defeat it. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Using Flow Like Wind, I circled around to the dragon''s side and Dragon Palm its side. The force knocked the dragon a few feet away. Not giving it any chance to regain its balance, I charged forward and Dragon Horn its head. I grabbed the dazed dragon''s neck and jumped into the air, carrying the dragon with me. Reaching an apex, I Dragon Throw the dragon and slammed its body heavily into the ground. As I fall towards the dragon, I pulled out my knife and aimed at the dragon''s open belly. Suddenly, I heard a sound to my left. I glanced in that direction and sees a vine shooting towards my head. Sparing no time, I threw the knife into the dragon and killed it. Turning my head to face the vine, I brought up my hands to block...however, the vine snaked around my guard and aimed for my head. With some quick reflexes, I jerked my head to the side but I wasn''t fast enough and the vine pierced into my left eye. A second vine appeared and slammed into my body. It seems that Morian is personally going to attack. I reached to my left eye...and felt nothing...it seems my eye was gouged out as blood flowed continuously out and into my hand. My mind spun with pain as I tried to think. I reach into my bag and hurriedly grabbed out the Mask of the Bomber. In the process, I accidentally pulled out the stone eyeball I exchanged with the Bandits in Treacherous Ports. Now some of you may be wondering why I exchanged a Fire Pearl for a measly stone eyeball. Well, the reason was because when I appraised it, I found that the item had a name! But it showed ??? meaning that the level of this item is at least two ranks higher than my A-rank. In addition there were some special attributes/abilities but they were also ???. Anyways, I put on my mask and summoned Shadow. "Shadow! Quick, cast Bombardment!" I screamed as I winced in pain. Shadow immediately threw many bombs in the area. I quickly stored the dragon corpse into my storage ring and grabbed the stone eyeball with my bloodied hand and called Blackie over. Hopping on Blackie, we flew away. Shadow, having finished bombing the area, disappears and leaves behind a clockwork spider to buy me more time to escape. As we flew away, I felt my hand tremble. I looked down at my hand and see the stone eyeball shining. Suddenly, the eyeball shot out from my hand and flew into my left eye socket. Pain pierced my skull as I winced and screamed. Blackie looked at me worried, but I told him to continue flying after struggling through the pain. After a few moments, the pain resided and...I can see with my left side again! The stone eyeball has fused with me and became my new left eye. Suddenly, a message appeared in my mind. Upon closer look, I see that the message details the status of the stone eyeball:
Eye of Odin: SSS-rank Binding item - binds to user until death. Special Attributes: Increase all capabilities by 2x Special Abilities: All-Seeing - sees all; night vision, heat vision, x-ray vision, microscopic vision, telescopic vision, etc
What an incredible item! Now that all is well, I head back to the guild to report my successes. On the way a Wyvern appeared in front of me. It was the Wyvern I saved previously. The Wyvern flew towards me and greeted, "I have report your message back to the Wyvern Lord. He has declared war with the Firebirds and hope that humans will consider a ceasefire with us. We do not want to lose any more warriors." "Ok, I''ll see what I can do." Battle at Frost Giant Camp After receiving my quests for the day, I jumped into the air and used Roaming the Skies. A dragon made of Dragon''s Essence gushed out from within me and enveloped me. After the dragon avatar was formed, I flew towards the Arctic Tundra in the north. Once I reached the destination, I descended to the ground. Looking around, I see quite a number of Frost Giant camps near the border...a war with the Fire Giants must be occurring. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Upon closer investigation of a nearby Frost Giant camp, I see that not only are there Frost Giants, but also Frost Spirits. The Frost Giants and Frost Spirits are currently fighting against the Fire Giants and Fire Spirits. Looking through my bag, I decided on my plan of action. Opening my Maker''s Domain, I reach into my bag and pulled out a Fire Giant face and started crafting it into a simple Transforming Mask. Once finished, I put on the D rank mask. As soon as I transformed into a Fire Giant, I rushed into battle. I approached a nearby Frost Giant and rammed into him, knocking him forward into another Frost Giant. Then, I immediately cast a couple of fireballs and the knocked down Frost Giants, killing them. Next, I spot a Frost Giant summoner that summoned a couple of Frost Spirits. With a few Frost Giants blocking my path to the summoner, I decided to use Storming the Dragons and fiercely rushed into the blockers. Quite a number of Frost Giants were knocked back from my charge. Arriving in front of the surprised summoner, I took out my skinning knife and slit the Frost Giant''s stomach, disemboweling him. While he laid dying, he ordered his Frost Spirits to attack me. With a humph, I cast a few fireballs into the Frost Spirits. Though the fire does not damage their spirit bodies, the force was still able to knock them back. Using Essence Manipulation, I took control over their spirit bodies and manipulated their essence. With a flick of my hand, I caused the Spirit Essence in the Frost Spirits to explode outwards. Without the bonding agent of the Spirit Essence, the remaining Frost Essence disperses, which technically meant killing the Frost Spirits. Then, I stored the Frost Essence into a jar. After killing the three summoned Frost Spirits, I cast a fireball at the dying summoner and quickened his death. After killing a few more Frost Giants and Frost Spirits, I hear a resounding roar in the skies. Turning around to look, I see three Frost Giant summoners in a summoning formation. The three summoners have pooled together their mana/essence and summoned an Ice Elemental. "Hmph! They think an easy Ice Elemental could be a threat to me." I coldly muttered. Using Storming the Dragons, I rammed into the three summoners and Dragon Stomp in their vicinity. The ground shook and the summoners lost their footing. With a few Dragon Horns, I punched a hole into each of their chests. Initially, I thought that if I kill the summoners, then the Ice Elemental would disappear but it seems that the Ice Elemental was a permanent summon. No big deal though. I used Flow Like Wind and appeared in front of the Ice Elemental. With a wave of my hand, I Dragon Swipe the elemental, knocking it down. As it got up, I used Dragon Bite to break off a piece of the ice that surrounds and protects the core. Suddenly, an arm comes flying and hits me in the side. With a numbing pain, I was knocked aside. I got up slowly and used Dragon Breath to build up my resistances and strength as well as to calm my mind. Don''t want to be dazed while still in battle. Next, I used Scales of Dragons to increase my defenses. Time to end this. I used Dragon''s Tornado and creates a tornado using a series of hand movements that mimic the flapping of a Dragon''s wings. The tornado roars towards the Ice Elemental and periodically rips off chunks of ice. Once I see the core in view, I unleashes Dragon Summon and form a dragon avatar made of Dragon''s Essence via a flurry of hand movements. Then, I manipulate the essence in the avatar and send the raging dragon towards the Ice Elemental''s core. *BOOOOMMM!!* The core was hit and the Ice Elemental collapsed. After killing the Ice Elemental, I started killing a few more Frost Giants and Frost Spirits. Once I filled up a jar full of Frost Essence and killed off about 20 Frost Giants, I decided it was time to leave. Don''t want to put too much attention on me for killing too many enemies...after all the more you kill, the more you are known...and I don''t want to be well known...got to hide in the shadows you know? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Anyways, I put on my Ghost Mask and turned invisible again. Then, I slipped away. Heading east, I arrive at the ocean. Scouring the waters near the border, I see a few pirate ships. I jumped into the air and using Roaming the Skies, I flew towards the nearest pirate ship. The pirates below probably mistake me for a real dragon. As I approached the ship, I see the pirates running around and aiming cannons at me. With a Dragon''s Roar, I fired a sound wave attack at the pirates and the pirate ship. The force of the attack caused cracks and splits on the ship as well as fainting a number of pirates. Then, I fired a few fireballs at the ship and burned the ship as well as the pirates into the bottom of the waters. After killing off a pirate ship, I flew south towards the storm in the distance. Why you ask? Well, usually a Storm Elemental can be found within a storm...obviously. Arriving near the storm, I can see the Storm Elemental raging in the center. This is going to be tough. Fighting an A-rank monster while watching out for random lightning attacks. However, there is a way to finish this quickly and strategically. Observing the Storm Elemental, I see that the monster rarely moves from the center of the storm. So, I send a sliver of Maker''s Essence towards the Storm Elemental and marked it. Now, I can feel where it be not matter where I look. Then, I flew upwards all the way above the storm and searched around until I found the Maker''s Essence on the Storm Elemental. Then, I made a solid platform from Dragon''s Essence and stood on top of it. I reached into my bag and grabbed the mask - Mask of the Bomber. Wearing it, I summoned Shadow and ordered him to cast Bombardment towards the center of the storm below. Constant booms and explosions occurred as countless bombs were dropped onto the Storm Elemental from above. You can tell whether or not the Storm Elemental is weakened by the size of the storm - the smaller the storm, the weaker the Storm Elemental. Finally, after a minute, the size of the storm decreased by two-thirds. Next, I descended from the Dragon''s Essence platform and used Flying Dragon Kick at the center of the storm. Entering the storm, I kicked at the Storm Elemental and pushed it to the sea. As the Storm Elemental crashes into the sea, I use the rebound force to jump up into the air and then, while in the air, I cast a number of fireballs at the half submerged Storm Elemental. Seeing that the Storm Elemental isn''t burning well, I threw a few bottles of high content alcohol at the monster and increase the ferocity of the fire. Finally, the Storm Elemental is destroyed. As I killed off the Storm Elemental, I see from the corner of my eye, a Sea Serpent peered at the battle. Taking advantage of its curiosity, I used Flow Like Wind and appeared before the Sea Serpent. It lurched back in surprise, revealing more of its body from the waters. With an uppercut, I Dragon Horn it into the sky. Then, I use Dragon Ram to send it even further up into the sky. A Sea Serpent is useless and defenseless in the air. With my knife pulled out, I made sashimi out of the Sea Serpent. Once I finished killing the Sea Serpent, I flew back to the guild to report my quest completions. Questing Part 1: Ancient Pyramid Questing time again. I got up early in the morning and headed over to the guild to look up some quests. Hmm, after choosing some quests, I showed them to the on-duty guild receptionist and acquired his approval. Today''s quests will take a while...maybe a week. So, to prepare, I head over to the tavern and stock up on food, water, and alcohol. Then, I went to a general store and bought some necessities like tent and sleeping bag for camping and flint for fire making...can''t use my fireballs since they will burn too fiercely. The quests I choose will be exploring places so I think it would be too inconvenient to bring Blackie. So, I decided to take Agaricus out for some experience gathering. Agaricus, these days, have been stored in my storage ring as he attempts to familiarize with his newfound powers. Now, you may wonder how I could store a polyp into my storage ring...well, Agaricus isn''t really organic as he is technically an Undead. Anyways, once everything was bought and prepared, I left the city and headed towards the Ancient Pyramid, my first destination, in the Sand Desert. After a few hours of journeying, I arrived at the entrance of the building. Now, according to the quest, there have been rumors of people who were thought to be "dead" reappearing near the vicinity and inside the pyramid. The owner of this pyramid was scared out of his wits and has requested the guild''s services. I walked up to the owner who described that the pyramid was a tomb for his ancestor. He pointed out that he saw flicking lights deep inside the pyramid and went in to check. To his horror, he saw faces of people who he thought should have killed by his greedy tyrant of an ancestor so many years ago. Naturally, he did not take a closer look and exited the pyramid immediately. Nodding with understanding of the situation, I told him to wait for my return outside. Then, I unlocked the sealed doors and ventured in. Not yet 10 meters into the large pyramid, I began to sense a slight disturbance in the surroundings. The air or rather the atmosphere of the environment had become thick and slimy feeling. There''s a rotten smell of corpse and preservatives. Suddenly, my ears picked up a distinct ghostly sound. Immediately covering my ears, I scanned my surroundings carefully. The sound was the wail of a Vengeful Ghost - a powerful sound attack that can poison the minds of the victims causing dizziness, confusion, disillusionment, and even paralysis if exposed for too long. As I continued to scan around me, I caught sight of some small movements to my left and to my right. It seems the causes are here. Now there are many ways to appease Vengeful Ghosts. The easiest is to kill the cause of their deaths, however, their cause had long died and I can''t kill the current owner who is also the client. Need to build up trust with clients in order to ensure future prospects. Anyways, I can try to talk to it. Hopefully they are only at the Vengeful Ghost stage. What I mean by this is that a group of Vengeful Ghosts will constantly leak out a type of emotion fused with dark essence called Hatred. After a certain number of years of constant leaking of Hatred, the Hatred will form into a new being that is much more powerful than a Vengeful Ghost. Anyways, as the Vengeful Ghosts approached me, I greeted them using the Language of the Ghosts hoping that they are not too obsessed and cannot hear my words, "Greetings vengeful ones. I am called Khaos, an adventurer. I come bearing peace and harmony." *WWWAAAAIIIIILLLLLL!!* It seems they have stopped moving but they still wailed constantly. So, I continued, "I offer you peace...a way to appease your suffering. Will you accept?" Hearing this, some of the Vengeful Ghosts stopped wailing and stared at me intently. Then, one of them spoke, "Will you kill the owner of this pyramid?" Naturally, the ghost was referring to the original owner and not the current one. I shook my head and answered, "The owner and the cause of your grievances had died many, many years ago." "Then, what can you do to appease us? If the owner is dead then, kill off all his descendants!" This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "I can offer you a proper burial ritual to let your souls rest in peace. Please, don''t be unreasonable as to kill off innocent people. Don''t blame the faults of the ancestor on the descendants. You were once people too and you should know this as well." Many ghosts nodded, their complexions better and less angry. They seemed to found some inner peace as they agreed to my offer. With a wave of my hand, I manipulated their Spirit Essence into separate vials - each ghost in each vial. After finishing, I looked up and see one more ghost left. I asked him what he wanted to do. "I agree as well...but I must warn you...we...our constant anguish had created something more sinister that lurks in the deep corridors of this wretched place." "Don''t tell me...a Hatred was formed?!" "Yes...I believe that''s what you call it, but I''m not too sure." "Don''t worry about it. If its a Hatred, then it''s no big deal. I will be able to handle it." I replied as I waved my hand again and manipulated the last Vengeful Ghost''s Spirit Essence into a vial. After I corked and stored the vials back into my bag, I venture deeper into the hallway to meet with the Hatred. As I walk further in, I could sense a deep terrible feeling as if something extremely dangerous is in my midst...hiding...watching me. I shrugged off this feeling and brought out Agaricus and had him feed on the dark miasma. As I venture forth with Agaricus close behind, I looked around for clues on where the Hatred could be hiding. Suddenly, I heard a swoosh. With my guard up, I turned to meet the source of the sound. My eyes widened in horror as I saw my opponent. This was not Hatred...but an evolved form known as Anguish. I jumped back to evade its attack. Anguish is formed after Hatred becomes so thick that its body solidifies. Anguish comes in many forms. The one I''m looking at currently looks hairy humanoid with four arms, two of which are holding curved blades. The monster''s mouth gaped widely - almost covering half its upper body - as if frozen from screaming in anguish for so long. Sharp teeth protruded from its lipless mouth and a mulitude of long, hairy "tongues" frolicked around everywhere. I am not prepared enough to take on this monster. This vile monster is very tough with high defense and high vitality. In addition, it has increases in strength and speed. Now judging from the size of this 9 foot monster, it is still in its early stages of the evolution. Don''t know about its special abilities as they differ with each Anguish, but the common unique ability that all Anguish have is the active skill ''Darkness Boost'' where strength, defense, and speed increases 10% every 5 minutes while in the dark and health and stamina replenishes 25% every 10 minutes. To kill this monster, one needs to be proficient in Holy abilities as it is immune to other affinities and it feeds on Chaos and Darkness type abilities. With a Dragon''s Roar, I pushed it back and hurriedly exited the pyramid with Agaricus stored back into my storage ring. I closed the doors and placed a seal on the doors and the surrounding walls. This is to prevent Anguish from leaving the pyramid. Maybe someone else with the necessary requirements can come and destroy this vile creature. After sealing up the place, I told the owner that the "people who died" are gone but because there is a vile monster still inside, it is best that he does not enter it until another more capable adventurer comes to finish it off. Finished, I walked off into the distance. After a few miles, I arrive at a nearby grassland, and drew up a burial ritual on the ground. I poured out the Spirit Essence of the Vengeful Ghosts and buried them properly. Their vengeance disappeared and their essence dispersed as they prepared to attend the reincarnation cycles. Done, I hurried back and reported my findings and success. The Vengeful Ghosts have been put to rest but there is still the matter of the Anguish located deep in the pyramid. I''ve sealed off the doors and the surrounding walls so the monster can''t escape. But I think Villain will be here later to kill it. Questing Part 2: Ashen Boneyard After turning in my results for the Ancient Pyramid, I headed north to the Ashen Boneyard in the Ashen Plains. According to the quest report, the Ashen Boneyard had a lot more ash than normal and a local ashenologist said that there were too much ash to be natural and that the grounds may have been part of a sort of ancient incineration site. The purpose of my job is to go and check out the site to confirm whether or not the ashenologist''s assumptions were correct. After finishing eating lunch, I head over to the site. Hours later, I arrived at the scene. Wow, there is a lot of ash...at least 5 feet deep full of solidified compressed ash. After searching quite some time, I could not find any traces of man-made incineration. Isn''t the local ashenologist wrong? Isn''t this just a regular old piece of ash-filled land? Looking around, I see some mountains nearby. Could some of those mountains be inactive volcanoes? Then, wouldn''t these ash come from those volcanoes? Deciding that the cause of the ash was due to the volcanoes, I prepared to turn around and leave. However, I suddenly sensed a faint demonic feeling. I scoured the land carefully once more to look for any clues to what the cause of the demonic feeling was. I walked deeper into the Ashen Boneyard and wandered around for a bit. I could feel my essence being drawn out ever so slightly...this feeling was familiar...but I could not figure out what it was. Shock hit me as I realized after careful thinking. This feeling...I hope it isn''t what I think it is. I pulled out a shovel from my storage ring and started digging the ash. After clearing out five feet deep worth of ash, I was able to confirm my realization...I was right. What laid on the ground before me...was ancient demonic symbols/runes. Feeling the symbols, I could feel the residue energy from it. I was right...this isn''t a incineration site...but a demonic ritual grounds. These symbols/runes are part of a very large ritual circle. From what I gathered, these ash must be from humans...to have five feet deep spanning over a kilometer diameter of ash must have required more than 5 billion humans and other humanoids. They must have been trapped or sealed within the ritual circle and burned to ash with demonic fire. Judging by the shape of the symbols, I gathered that they were drawn by Acolytes of the Abyss - an ancient order of demonic worshipers consist of non-human and non-humanoid supremacists. They were trying to summon something evil with all these sacrifices and I can tell that the summoning was successful. I dread at the thought of what was summoned.... Could have been a powerful demon...but knowing that the world wasn''t destroyed, I figured that the demon must have been killed or sealed...somewhere, maybe nearby. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I reported the findings to the ashenologist, who looked stricken at the answer. I left hurriedly back to the guild to report the findings as well. As I talked with the guild receptionist, I told him that the guild should send someone or a group to the site and see if they can clear away the ash and remove the ritual circle since it''s still drawn but because there are no more sacrifices, it can''t activate. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry, am I right? Also, I told him that maybe someone should scout the region to see if they can find out whether or not the demon is killed or sealed...if sealed, find out where but don''t attack as the demon is very powerful. Questing Part 3: Cure to Therianthropy Next on my list of quests is a set of risky...risky quests. I decided to move to the nearby Verdant Forest to prevent any distractions/interference/interruptions. The original quest requested by the Werebeast clan was to find a cure to their "disease" or "curse" depending on the Werebeast. There are two general types of Werebeasts:
  1. Those who look human most of the times and can change when needed
  2. Those who are permanently transformed
Make sure, however, you don''t confuse the second category with Beastmen. Beastmen cannot change into a human no matter what cure is used. Anyways, I digress. Now, some would like to have a cure at hand in case they have to merge in with the Human society while others would like to use it to permanently rid themselves of their Werebeast status so that they could enter the Human society to live as humans. Naturally, there are those who do not want to become human so the cure wouldn''t apply to them. Anyways, I can not test experimental cures on the Werebeasts...who knows what kind of dangerous side effects can occur and if a Werebeast were to die because of the experiments, that would be detrimental to the trust of our prospective clients/allies. So, the guild has issued a prerequisite quest in order to take on the quest made by the Werebeasts...turn into a Werebeast. Why this is risky? Well, do you have confidence in creating a safe cure? I know I don''t. Now, there are many different ways for Non-Werebeasts to become Werebeasts:
  1. Get bitten
  2. Get scratched
  3. Consume Werebeast blood
  4. Get cursed to become a Werebeast by a Witch
  5. Eat Beast and Human meat that were sacrificed in front of a demon altar
  6. Contract a pact with a demon
  7. Eat the petals of a Beast Flower grown by using a Werebeast as fertilizer
  8. Werebeast potion
  9. Lastly, the more dubious method...drinking the water collected at the footprint of a Werebeast in its transformed state
All these methods for becoming one...yet there isn''t a safe way to cure it. Now what did I mean by "safe" cure? Well, there is a known cure so far...and that is to kill the one who turned you into a Werebeast. Of course for those who are born as Werebeasts, the only way is to kill the original Spirit Beast God Therian. However, there are two problems to that:
  1. It is near impossible to accomplish this feat
  2. Once Therian dies, all Werebeasts will become human even those who do not want to change...so you can see the opposition in that.
Anyways, back to becoming a Werebeast. I guess I''ll take the third option - consume some Werebeast blood. Now, in my storage ring, I have some Werewolf corpses that have been kept fresh. So, I took one out and drew out a shot of blood. The blood was watery and black...like ink. Here goes nothing...with a flip of my head, I downed the glass of Werewolf blood. Grimaced at the bitter and sour taste, I anxiously wait for the transformation to begin. Suddenly, my heart started beating very hard and very loud. My eyes bulged as blood started rushing to my head. Feeling dizzy, I fell on my knees. Pain shoots out from every corner as I knelt there on the ground on all fours. Without warning, my muscles began to move and change...my bones began to change. My eyesight blurred a while as hair start growing from every part of my body. At a climax moment, I tilted my head backwards and howled as my transformation neared completion. Once completed, I collapsed on the ground exhausted. After becoming a Werewolf, I developed a sudden urge to run...to hunt...to kill. Logic and reasoning escapes my mind as I start running through the forest. After an hour, I woke up...how...when did I fall asleep?...I turned around to look, it was dark outside. I could taste something wet...furry...iron.... Oh fuck...please don''t be human. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I scanned the ground...until my eyes landed on the corpse near me - half eaten and...thankfully only a deer. Whew! I looked at myself and found that I am still transformed. I guess I passed the prerequisite...turn into a Werebeast complete! Once I calmed down and began to think rationally. I decided to first clean myself. After I finished washing myself in a nearby stream, I opened my Maker''s Domain. Thank goodness I can still use my skills otherwise things would have been awkward and depressing. With my Maker''s Domain activated, time becomes irrelevant inside. Thousands of years inside the domain is barely half a second outside. The timer on my blackouts and such will not be affected...thankfully, I won''t have to worry about blacking out again while in my domain. With this thought, I can research a cure in peace. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. There are many directions I can take to cure Werebeast-ism...or the more scientific term - therianthropy. For the methods of turning, methods 1, 2, 3, and 7 can be seen as a transferring of a virus and can be considered curable via medicinal means. Methods 4, 8, and 9 can be seen as a curse and can be considered curable via magical means. Lastly, methods 5 and 6 can be seen as a demonic possession of sorts and can be considered curable via exorcism. Each of the three main categories can be branched off into countless of subcategories. Given my current capabilities, I think going with the medicinal direction is the best possible choice. Besides, some Werebeasts want a cure at hand so something like exorcism or magical which requires immediate use might not be appropriate. Having decided to choose the medical approach, I began extracting some of the Werewolf blood and started studying it. Then, using advanced Blood Manipulation, I was able to find that the blood contained three main components:
  1. Regular blood
  2. Wolf-type genetic material
  3. An unknown substance...which I believe must be the Werebeast virus
The wolf-type genetic material seems to be in a symbiotic relation with the Werebeast virus. When I separated the Werebeast virus from the wolf-type genetic material, the genetic material denaturizes and becomes inactive. Next, I was able to extract the strain of Werebeast virus...or mutation if you preferred to call it that...and placed the strain in a vial. To make a cure out of the virus, there are two known ways to use. The first way is to weaken the virus where the virus is weakened so that it becomes dormant but there is a chance that this method will not produce the necessary result and would further boost the immunity towards similar cures. Thus, I shook my head and decided not to use this method. The second method is to use destroy the virus by making a cure that only targets the virus. This method generally uses a different types of valuable and rare plants to make the cure and thousands of years to test it...but I don''t have the resources for such an expensive experiment, so I decided to use the more painful option - lots and lots of heat. Now...how much heat is enough to fully destroy the virus? I take the vial containing the virus and held it in place. Then, I started to heat the vial. Generally, if successful, the virus will denaturize and disperses into harmless components. However, how much heat will it take would depend on the strength of the virus. After heating the vial to an unbelievable intensity of 1000 degrees or about as hot as lava, the virus finally denaturized and dispersed. Now we''re getting somewhere. While in my domain, I cast out a few fireballs and started to manipulate the Fire Essence of the fireballs and extracted the essence out. Then, I started to manipulate the extracted essence in order to make it hotter. In addition, I removed the Flames of Wrath in order prevent any mishaps from occurring. Once the Fire Essence reached about 1000 degrees, I added some of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence and started kneading the mixture. After compressing the mixture while chanting many incantations, I made a pill. This pill, when consumed, will burn the Werebeast virus away...however, there is a problem - the pill is too hot. We don''t want the consumer to die from internal burning or lighting up with fire so to speak. So, I reached in my bag and grabbed a large chunk of Eternal Ice. Take a small piece from it, I extracted the Ice Essence from it and increase the coldness to about -1000 degrees in order to counteract the pill. Then, I mixed the essence with a few drops of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence. After some more chanting and mixing, I finished the liquid. Taking out a small piece of wood and some string, I made a necklace. I marked the necklace with the liquid while chanting incantations of binding and fusion. The liquid spread evening on the necklace before fusing into the necklace. Finally done, I deactivated my domain and put on the necklace while eating the pill. Immediately, I feel the effects of the pill as it started to target the virus within me. Without the necklace, I can see that I would burn to death if I didn''t have high fire resistance. The necklace was perfect in counteracting the heat of the pill without disrupting the actual purpose of the pill. After a few minutes, I revert back to my human form. To make sure that the cure is permanent, I stayed in the forest for a few more days. Luckily, the cure was permanent. Finally, I opened my domain again and start mass producing the pills and necklaces until I produced 200 pills and 200 necklaces. I name the pills - Therian''s Bane and the necklace - Summer''s Relief. Done, I head back to the guild to report my success. Werebeast cure complete I told them...made 200 Therian''s Bane pills and 200 Summer''s Relief necklaces which can be given to the Werebeast clan when they need it. I''ll leave it with the guild for safekeeping for now. Questing Part 4: Successful Trade After the ordeal of becoming a Werewolf and finding the cure, I decided to take the "Establish transit to Far East Islands" quest and the Slay 1 Sea Serpent quest. First, I decided to go to the Treacherous Ports in the far eastern past of the Unknown Lands. Maybe I''ll be able to negotiate for a permanent boat to use for transportation. Using Roaming the Skies, I flew all the way to the Treacherous Ports without any interruptions. Upon arriving, I see a group of bandits led by Westby Claridge. They must have saw my Dragon Avatar form. When I landed, I cupped my hands in greeting. "Nice to see you again Treacherous Ports Master." "Haha, not yet, not yet...but soon." "I can help make that happen...for a price." "Haha, as always, I see your mind is on business. Tell me, what is your purpose here? Is it to trade again?" "You can put it that way. I came here today as representative of the Adventurer City. My purpose for coming is to establish a transit to the Far East Islands. Do you think you can give me...or rather, trade me access to a boat for...oh, I don''t know...something important and profitable to you?" "Hmm, can you guarantee no harm to be done to my brethren by your fellow adventurers if I give you guys free access to this port?" "Yes, I guarantee it." "I don''t trust those words. I need someone of a higher social standing than you...say your guild''s guildmaster or a staff member to personally come here to sign a written contract. Don''t worry, I will give you face and not cheat your guild with loopholes." "Um, okay, that can work. I''ll just tell Shadow to come by. He works for the guild. So, now that that worry is solved, should we move on with the trade?" "Fine, how about this...I''ll take up on your earlier suggestion. For access to a boat just for you guys plus crew members who will navigate the boat to the Far East Islands, I want you to drive off the remnants of the Pirate group in this port. Can you do that?" "Naturally, you can leave it to me." After being pointed out that most of the pirates...in order to regroup from the fighting, left on their main fleet and are currently somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Being bandits and lacking certain sailing skills, Westby and his group could not chase after and could only wait on land. Accepting the task, I jumped into the air and using Roaming the Skies, I flew into the skies. After scouring the ocean, I finally found a large group of pirate ships...unluckily for them, they just encountered several giant Sea Serpents and are engaging in combat. Nice! I can finish the task given by the bandit leader and kill some Sea Serpents...two birds with one stone. Diving downwards with my skinning knife in one hand, I started off with a few fireballs at some of the ships. Then, very quickly, I beheaded one of the Sea Serpents. After sinking some ships and finishing off the last Sea Serpent. I stored their bodies into my storage ring and continued sinking ships. Minutes later, only one ship remained...the biggest one and most likely the captain''s ship. I boarded the burning ship and killed any pirate stragglers. I approached the cabin and kicked open the door. *BANG!* A gunshot sounded off and a bullet hit me in my right shoulder, exiting through the other side. I winced in pain. Using Flow Like Wind, I appeared in front of the Pirate King and kicked him in the stomach. He flew backwards and dropped his gun. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I looked at the collapsed Pirate King and pointed my knife at his throat. "A pitiful end to a pitiful Pirate King." "Hahaha...you thought I was the Pirate King? I''m just a small fry. The Pirate King is as strong as Leviathans. My life is connected to a soulstone. When I die, the soulstone will break and he will immediately know who killed me. Prepare yourselves...hahahah!" Shrugged at his threat, I killed the false Pirate King. With the last of the pirates dead, I headed back to the port and told Westby. Satisfied with the results and not too surprised that the "Pirate King" was a fake, he gave me a token that will grant free unhindered access to the user and told me to give it to the guild staff member who will come to sign the contract. Westby said that by the time the staff member arrives, he will have a large ship prepared and ready. I took the token (let''s call it Westby''s Token) and headed home. I reported the results to Shadow, the guild receptionist currently on duty. "Pirates at the Treacherous Ports are mostly extinguished so the pirate quests are probably done. Westby''s Token is given to you so you must take it and go sign a contract with Westby Claridge the current leader of the Treacherous Ports. He has already given us a ship and crew, just need your agreement to his conditions - no attacking the bandits in Treacherous Ports. Also, it seems the pirates were only a small group of the much larger faction. Oh and also, just to clarify with the new quests regarding Highwaymen...in the Treacherous Ports, it is ruled by the Bandit Leader Westby "The Butcher" Claridge and his group of Silver Bandits. After successfully destroying a rival group (the Pirates), they were able to obtain ownership of the ports. However, recently, there is a small faction of Highwaymen - people/bandits who did not want to pledge loyalty to the Silver Bandits - stirring up trouble. The Treacherous Ports has sent us requests to ''thin their herd''." .......... Some thousands of miles away in a large island.... .......... *CRAACCKK!* A small glowing stone within a large number of similar glowing stones shattered and crumbled into pieces. The person attending the stones saw that shattered stone and immediately rushed outside. He ran towards a large building and entered. Inside, a large man (this must be the Pirate King) sat in a throne-like chair made from monster bones and furs. To the left and right side of the man sat various strange looking men and women. They were holding some sort of meeting when they looked up at the disruption. "What is it?" The Pirate King commanded. "Sir, one of the soulstones shattered." The man reported. "WHAT?!" The Pirate King roared in surprise as the some of the surrounding men and women jumped to their feet as well. "Who''s soulstone is it?" "It''s Chief Petty Officer - Pirate Elwell the Mad." "Hmph...don''t scare me like that...just a small fry. Tell me, what happened to him?" "He was killed...according to the soulstone, he was killed by an adventurer called Khaos." "Hmph! Insolent adventurers. Those damned adventurers keep hindering my path. Sound the horns! Place a bounty on this Khaos...500 gold for his head!" Wanted Taking my quests, I hurried out of the guild. With a leap into the air, I used Roaming the Skies and flew eastwards towards the Crooked Mountains in the East Barrier Mountains. Upon arriving at the Crooked Mountain, I begin to "sense" around for Living Stone. Now Living Stones are originally stones but have been constantly struck or charged by lightning that somewhere along the line, the ordinary stones became Living Stones pulsating with life. After sensing around, I was finally able to find some. However, there were a lot of Living Golems wandering around the Living Stones. Since, I only need to mine one Living Stone, then I should just do a "quick in, quick out" strategy. Once I decided on my plan of action, I began to approach the Golems. As soon as the majority of the Golems are grouped closely together, I Dragon Leap into the cluster, knocking them back and onto the ground. Before they could get up, I pulled out my Skinning Knife, swiped at a nearby Living Stone, and sliced off a chunk of Living Stone. Then, immediately after, I jumped back into the air and using Roaming the Skies, I flew away. Heading south of the Crooked Mountains, I approach my next destination - Crooked Mountain Castle. Reports have shown that there are many Storm Elementals and Lightning Wisps wandering the main halls of the ruined castle. The quest entails collecting Lightning Essence, which is basically the Lightning Wisps in its dispersed and raw form. After arriving at the location, I grabbed my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Wandering into the main hall, I spot a number of Storm Elementals and Lightning Wisps. Taking out a bottle, I began using Essence Manipulation on the nearest Lightning Wisp. The Lightning Wisp struggled for a while before exploding and dispersing into its raw form. The essence is then collected into the bottle. The surrounding Storm Elementals and Lightning Wisps are wary of what had occurred, but because they did not see me, they could only raise their guards and wander about more cautiously. Taking advantage of my invisibility, I continue extracting Lightning Essence until the bottle was filled. After I finished, I quickly left the castle. I flew further east towards the Lamia Hive in the Sacred Land of Orcs. When I arrived near the Lamia Hive, I spot a battle occurring. Now, when people hear about a battle at Lamia Hive, they usually think it is between Lamias and Orcs or Lamias with humans. However, what surprised me was that the battle was between a group of Lamias with a group of Ogres. Since when did the Orcs successfully evolved and bred Ogres? This is newsworthy and I need to report this to the guild. While the battle quickly comes to an end, the Lamias lost and they retreated towards their Hive. As they retreated, I took out my Ghost Mask and approached one of them from the side. With a thrust of my hand, I phased its heart out. Using the Hit-and-Run strategy, I ran immediately after killing the Lamia. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Looking at the sky, I realize its almost dark. The sun is quickly descending. I sped up towards the Treacherous Ports for my last two quests. Along the way, Lady Luck came by to say hi. In front of me...blocking my path...is a group of about twenty Highwaymen led by a Highwaymen Lieutenant. "Hand over all your valuables!" The Lieutenant commanded. "No." I answered with a snort. "Then die! Men get him!" The Highwaymen and the Lieutenant charged towards me. Strange...with just me (one person), do they need to have everyone charge over? It''s like they know of my prowess...suspicious. I pulled out my Skinning Knife and met their charge. *SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!* After a number of slashes, I killed off everyone except the Lieutenant. For him, I chopped off his weapon arm. I pointed the knife at him and said, "Speak! Who sent you?" The Lieutenant closed his mouth refusing to speak and continued to glare at me. I did not have the patience and so I castrated him. "AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!" The Lieutenant screamed in pain. "Speak! Or I''ll slit you throat!" I venomously voiced. "Ok, ok, I''ll speak. It''s this bounty - 500 gold for your death." The crippled cried out as he pulled out a wanted poster. "Will you spare me?" "No." I said as I took the poster. It did not have my picture, but my name, occupation, and details were on there plus the 500 gold reward for my death...and only my death, "Those damned Pirates!" "But you said you won''t cut my throat!" "I did." I said as I fired a fireball at the unlucky bastard. The Highwaymen Lieutenant screamed as he burned to death. I reported my killings to the Treacherous Ports and then headed back to the guild. Increased Security Got many things to do so I''ll quickly speed through some quests. I walked into the guild and chose 6 slaying quests - 3 B rank, 3 A rank. I look through my map and plan for the best, shortest route to take. After deciding on the path to take, I hurriedly left the guild and called for Blackie. Jumping on Blackie, I headed towards the first destination - the North Mountains. Scouring the skies, I spot a Roc flying towards a cave...must be its nest. I urged Blackie to charge towards the enemy. Once the Roc was in range, I fired a fireball fueled with the Flames of Wrath at the Roc. The Roc screeched in pain before crashing to the foot of the mountains. It rolled around trying to put out the fire, but to no avail. The fire continued to burn fiercely until the Roc died. Leaving the Roc to burn to ash, I hurried over to the giant beanstalk in the vicinity. While following the length of the beanstalk, we ascended to the clouds. Upon entering the clouds, we arrived at the place where Cloud Giants lived. Ever since the increasingly number of Cloud Giant deaths by adventurers, the land of the Cloud Giants have become very vigilant. Patrol guards have increased and there is even a small army camped out along the borders of the town. A wall has been erected with gates and archer towers replaced the guard towers. In short, defenses and security have increased by triple. However, that''s just good for me - more people means higher chance to kill someone...sure there will be less chance to go for a solo kill, but with my stealth capabilities, it won''t be a problem. I grabbed my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Floating near the soldiers encampment, I approached a tent. As luck would have it, there was a soldier sitting near a table, back turned towards me, and writing on some notes. Approaching the soldier, I suddenly freeze because the soldier turned around abruptly. Did he see me? Impossible! "Strange, I thought I felt some killing intent coming towards me?" The soldier muttered, scratching his head, "Must be my imagination." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Whoops, so I was leaking too much killing aura. Calm mind....calm heart...calmness....and SLASH! Death...came to bring away the soul of the soldier...but there was no soul to bring. Why? Well, I fed the soul to Agaricus for his breakfast. After killing the Cloud Giant, I left the camp and descended back to the ground below. Continuing north, I arrive at the Ash Plains where as usual, Lady Luck comes and helps me out. Five deer like Ash Beasts were grazing the blackish, purplish plants on the ground. I hopped off of Blackie and Dragon Leap in the middle of the group. The shock stunned the five Ash Beasts and I threw Agaricus at them. Agaricus got to work and quickly consumed them all. Then, we got back on Blackie and flew straight for Lamia Hive. Upon arriving, I dropped Agaricus onto a Lamia. As Agaricus fell, he opened up his mouth and *GULP!*...swallowed the Lamia whole. After killing the Lamia, we flew towards the ocean. Now I can''t drop Agaricus in the ocean since he doesn''t have very high Water resistance and will be disadvantaged in the waters. So, I took a deep breath and jumped into the water. Using Dragon Roar, I shook the waters causing an explosion underwater. The force of the explosion expelled water upwards like a geyser. When the water cleared, nothing. Receiving the mental transmission from Blackie that there was nothing, I continued swimming underwater and Dragon Roaring a few more times until my breath ran out. I swam upwards and breathed in a breath of fresh air. Going back down, I did this process a few more times, until finally, a Lesser Kraken appears. Blackie, seeing the Lesser Kraken, flew towards it and chewed off a huge chunk of the Lesser Kraken. When I swam upwards, I boarded on top of Blackie and waited as the dead Lesser Kraken floated on the waters, its blood seeping out and painting the waters red. After a few minutes, a Sea Serpent, lured by the smell of blood, appeared. Taking advantage of the distracted Sea Serpent, I jumped towards the emerged Sea Serpent and beheaded the Sea Serpent with my skinning knife. Finished, I return back to the guild. Skirmishes with Morian and Retaliation Upon arriving at the borders of the Rainforest Vale, I immediately began to use Essence Manipulation to control two types of essences in the plants nearby. Morian''s Essence had rooted itself deeply in the plants, completely mixing and blending in with the plants'' essence. After a few minutes of pulling and exerting, I was able to pull all of the Morian''s Essence from the plants'' essence. I collected the essence and stored it in a jar. I was just about to finishing gathering my second batch when a giant Guardian Dragon flew out of nowhere and barreled towards me. I jumped backwards to dodge, losing focus and letting the Morian''s Essence back into the second batch of plants. Fortunately, before I let go of the Morian''s Essence, I secretly injected some of my Maker''s Essence and mixed it into the Morian''s Essence. When the Morian-Maker Essence mix mixed back into the plants, I could feel the essence coursing through the plants and back to Morian''s main body. Because my Maker''s Essence cannot be sensed by beings that cannot generate their own Maker''s Essence, they would not be able to feel or sense my Maker''s Essence coursing through their veins or in their vicinity. Anyways, back to the real problem at hand. I peeked at the Guardian Dragon and found that it was a Poison Dragon. Wonderful! I needed some poison to train my Thousand Poison Art. The Poison Dragon charged towards me, mouth open as if getting ready to fire something. Just as it was about to do so, I used Flow Like Wind and appeared below the dragon, under its mouth. With a powerful Dragon Palm upwards at its bare chin, I knocked its mouth closed just as the first vestige of its Acid Breath appeared. With the mouth closed, the dragon''s Acid Breath backfired and went up its nose, melting the insides. The dragon jerked its head upwards and squinted in pain. Taking advantage of the moment, I took out my Skinning knife and slit the dragon''s throat and chest with two very fast slashes in succession. The Poison Dragon groaned and collapsed, dying. I walked to the side and thrust my knife in, penetrating the heart and ending its misery. Afterwards, I stored the dragon into my ring and left. However, before I stepped out of the Rainforest Vale, a wave of visions/mental messages attacked me. I stumbled and collapsed outside the borders of the Rainforest Vale and into the East Barrier Mountains. My mind could not process the overload of information and collapsed. When, I came to, it was dark. Luckily, the place I fainted at was devoid of living things. I cannot remember much of the mental attack...all I could remember is pain...despise...sadness...imprisonment...and...and...Morian''s bastard?! .......... The next day, I went to collect more Morian''s Essence from the plants in the Rainforest Vale. As I walked towards the destination, I saw a few hundred figures flying in the sky from the direction of the Rainforest Vale. As the figures draw nearer, I see that they were dragons...hundreds upon hundreds of dragons! There were Earth-type, Poison-type, and even Plant-type dragons. Upon closer examination with my Essence Manipulation, I can see that there are some dual-type dragons as well. These dragons...where did come from and where are they going? Could it be? Could they be Morian''s Guardian Dragons? But why are they flying away from the place they''re tasked to guard? I looked behind me at the direction the dragons were flying towards...isn''t that Adventurer''s City?! This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Morian...he must have summoned most of his Guardian Dragons and sent them to besiege Adventurer''s City! I immediately put on my mask - Mask of the Bomber and summoned Shadow. I told Shadow of the situation and then de-summoned him. When Shadow left, he left behind a normal clockwork spider. I stored the spider into my storage ring. Seeing the last of the dragon vanguard army flying away, I jumped into the sky and pulled out my Skinning Knife. With a swipe, I beheaded one of the unsuspecting Guardian Dragons. The other dragons were too busy focusing on their destination that they did not notice the death of one of their comrades. I quickly stored the Plant-type Guardian Dragon corpse and went on my way. As I approached the borders of Rainforest Vale, I started manipulating the essences in the plants - separating Morian''s Essence from the plants'' essence. For every 6 parts of the Morian''s Essence I extracted, I mix my Maker''s Essence with the other 4 parts and fuse them back into the plants. After extracting a few vials, I sensed a disturbance within the trees with my skill Flow of Trees. Morian must have sensed my actions and has made a move against me. I jumped back out of the Rainforest Vale, but a ripple of destruction smashed into me. This ripple attempted to rip my soul from my body...but because I do not have a soul or rather my soul is bound to my body, I survived the ripple. Seeing me still alive, another ripple shot towards me from the distance. This time, this ripple attacked my body and attempted to vaporize me. As I "died" I used Rebirth by Fire and resurrected. At this time, I have left and hurriedly flew back to the guild. That was a close call. .......... After reporting the situation of the dragons, I headed out once more to go collect some Morian''s Essence. Arriving near the borders of the Rainforest Vale, I quickly collected Morian''s Essence using Essence Manipulation. My efficiency and proficiency have increased significantly from previous quests and such things like extracting essence is easy. After extracting a batch of essence, I noticed a disturbance in the trees using Flow of Trees. Not wanting to experience what I had last time, I immediately left the premises. Reporting back to the guild after this short quest, I wholeheartedly prepared for the upcoming siege. The Dragons Invasion: Day 1 Knowing that the dragons are speedily approaching the city, I set forth to intercept them and try to slow their paths down so that the citizens of the city can safely evacuate on time. First, I need to prepare. I flew north on top of Blackie towards the Frost Giant camp. Currently, all the Frost Giants are waging war with the Fire Giants, so I safely infiltrated the camp and stole a bunch of Eternal Ice shards - about 1000 of them. After looting the camp, I flew forward with Blackie as fast as we can. After a few minutes, we arrived a distance in front of the approaching doom. The dragons are still in the middle of the East Barrier Mountains somewhere around Snowy Mountain. They have sent some scouts ahead but the main army is still here. Reaching through my bag, I pull out all the Eternal Ice shards and started using Essence Manipulation to extract the Frost Essence inside the shards. Minutes later, a gigantic swirling ball of Frost Essence appeared before me as cracked and empty Eternal Ice shards lay at my feet. With one hand keeping the giant ball of Frost Essence afloat in the air, I reached into my bag once again with my other hand and pull out the mask - Mask of the Frost Giant. Wearing the mask, I feel a significant increase in my Ice-type capabilities. I manipulate the giant swirling ball of Frost Essence and sent it into the clouds above. Manipulating the essence and integrating them into the clouds, I was able to summon a huge blizzard covering an area from the Junkyard to the Snowy Mountain. The blizzard raged onto the flying dragons, slowing their pace considerably. The Poison-type and Plant-type dragons continued flying but fortunately, the Earth-type and Dual-type dragons could not. Their joints were frozen stiff from the blizzard and they had to land to recuperate and wait for the storm to end. This blizzard of mine will rage on for a day and the slow effects will last for thirty minutes even after the dragons leave the blizzard''s range. As I let the Poison Dragons and the Plant Dragons continue on past me, I charged over to the Earth Dragons and Dual-type Dragons on the ground below. The dragons see me but they reacted too late due to the slow effects. I hopped off Blackie and Dragon Leap near a group of Earth Dragons. The shockwave of my landing rumbled the earth and knocked back a few of the dragons. Using Storming the Dragons, I arrived in front of my first target - an Earth-type Dragon. I rammed into its side with my Skinning Knife in hand. *PUCHI!* My Skinning Knife pierced through the rock-hard skin like tofu. Spinning around, I pulled out the knife and beheaded the Earth Dragon. *BAM!* A giant rock smashed into my back and knocked the breath out of me. Gasping for air, I rolled aside and got back to my feet. I rolled again in front of another Earth Dragon and jumped just as another giant rock came flying towards me. *CRAASSHHH!!* The giant boulder smashed into the unlucky dragon, knocking it to its side. Taking advantage of this, I aimed my knife at the soft spot of the belly of the collapsed dragon and disemboweled it. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Using Flow Like Wind, I swished around the group of dragons, swiftly dodging the incoming rock attacks, dealing some lacerations, and collecting corpses. Three more Earth Dragons and one Dual-type dragon died by my hands. After a few minutes, I felt a slight dizziness and fogginess in my eyes. Surprise appeared on my face! I''ve been poisoned! The Dual-type dragons have been leaking out an odorless poisonous gas! Covering my mouth, I immediately turned tail and ran. Using what little strength I have left, I beheaded two more Earth Dragons and collected their corpses. I was lucky that they cannot move well due to the slow effects. I hopped onto Blackie and we flew away back to the city. .......... At night.... .......... Venturing out into the night, I speedily rushed towards the grounded Earth Dragons and Dual-type dragons near the Snowy Mountain using Flow Like Wind. Upon arriving, I nod in satisfaction at the still-raging blizzard storm. The grounded dragons are too tired from resisting the slow effects that they are all in hibernation while recuperating. Stealthily, I put on my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. With not a single noise, I floated towards the sleeping dragons. Skinning knife raised, I *SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!* and beheaded three Earth Dragons. The remaining dragons stirred in their sleep as they sensed the lingering smell of blood. But they were too tired to care. I checked to see whether the dragons are still asleep or not. Upon confirmation that they were, I proceeded to chop three more Earth Dragons to their deaths - silently, but quickly. After killing 6 Earth Dragons, I didn''t want to take any more risks as I see more dragons stirring restlessly, so I collected the corpses and headed back to the guild. Intermission and Shop Opens Maker''s Domain, I take out a bunch of corpses and started extracting their blood and made many, many blood pills from them. Then, I took must of the raw essences I had on hand and converted them into essence drops. Afterwards, I made some more Therian''s Bane and Summer''s Relief. Upon finishing making the products, I proceeded towards the tavern. "Society of Makers: Shop is available now. Selling blood pills, Therian''s Bane pills, Summer''s Relief necklaces, and essence drops at the moment. Come buy while supplies last. We also buy useless materials/resources/weapons from you as well. We can also help sell your products for a small fee of 1%." I broadcasted in the streets and in the tavern. "Can I have two Earth Dragon Blood Pills? It''s 200 gold right?" Dancchi replied as she reached in her bag to pull out 200 gold. "Yes it is, here is your pills." I answered as I gave two pills to the first customer and received the gold. "Oh also, do you want to buy some of my blood?" Dancchi asked. "Your blood? Sure! What are the effects?" "The three energies in the blood are Chaos, Valz, and Photon. They combine into one new energy that I call Initius. My pet slime and my body were rebuilt by Biel by some kind of ritual. After that ritual, my body and my pet combined and the slime has now become my blood." "So...your blood is made out of slime? Then, I probably cannot use it." "Oh, okay then." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "However, I can extract the essences from the blood and convert them into essence drops. I can make 4 types: Chaos, Valz, Photon, and Initius. Essence drops are basically resistance boosting "candy" with a special skill or two granted and will generally last 15-45 minutes. What are the general effects of each essence?" "Photon is Light and Electric type. Chaos is...well Chaos-type. Valz is Dark and Poison type. Finally, Initius is, I think, Holy type." "Okay, I think I can make 5 essence drops of Chaos, 5 essence drops of Valz, 5 essence drops of Photon and 1 essence drop of Initius from one jar of your slimy blood. There''s no market price since there''s no market yet so I''ll calculate an appropriate price. If separated the three essences are low A rank and can be sold at 65 gold for each drop. The Initius Essence is mid A rank and can be sold 70 gold per drop. Since I can get 16 essence drops per jar, I''ll pay you 950 gold for a jar." "Not a bad deal. Here''s a jar of my slime-blood." "Okay. Here''s 950 gold." When the first satisfied customer left with her items, a second customer approaches my table. The adventurer is called Takako - a D ranked new adventurer. He said, "Can I have 5 Wyvern Blood Pills please?" "Okay, that''s 125 gold." I replied as I hand him 5 pills and received the gold. Next, Balthazzar - a Fallen Angel - walked up to my table and asked for two Fire Giant Pills. I said the two pills cost a total of 130 gold. He agreed and we exchanged our items. The Dragons Invasion: Day 2 Another day has passed.... By this time the blizzard I cast yesterday should have stopped. The grounded Earth Dragons and Dual-type dragons should be waking up from their recuperation. They will be here in no time...thankfully we have prepared enough and finished evacuating all the citizens. I walked out of the city walls and look into the distance. Many black specks could be seen...they must be the Poison Dragons and Plant Dragons. I walked further out towards those specks and began forming a huge fireball. This fireball of mine is fueled with the Flames of Wrath which will cause the fire to burn continuously, without the possibility of being extinguished, until nothing is left. After an hour or so, the fireball has become bigger than the guild. After that, I condensed the fireball until it becomes the size of a watermelon. At this size and firepower, the condensed fireball is very unstable. One prick and *BOOM!* explosion everywhere. I held the condensed fireball and peered at the incoming danger. They looked to be about close enough. Taking the fireball with me, I hopped into the air using Roaming the Skies and floated in the air. With a sharp flick of my hand, I send the condensed fireball into the clouds. The fireball traveled up until it reached a peak. Then, it arced and descended towards the middle of the flying dragons. With a slight movement of my fingers, I disrupted the Fire Essence within the fireball. With this small disturbance, the unstable fireball exploded outwards. Pieces of fire rained from the sky onto the flying dragons...essentially what I call the Rain of Fire. As the fire bombarded the unsuspecting dragons, many were quick to dodge the incoming attacks but there were quite a few unlucky ones as well. The fire hits the dragons, causing them to crash to the ground. The burning dragons rolled on the ground trying to put out the fire, but to no avail...they kept burning and burning and burning until nothing was left. Tallying up the amount that had died to the fire, I counted 22 Plant Dragons and 16 Poison Dragons. The surviving dragons quickly spotted me and charged towards me. The Poison Dragons all started firing Acid Spit, Acid Breath, Poison Breath, etc at me and the Plant Dragons shot vines upon vines towards my direction. With a wave of my hand, I manipulated the poison with the Poison Attacks and extracted the Poison Essence which I then stored in a few jars. Without the Poison Essence, the attacks were harmless. As for vines, I ignited a Fire Wall and stopped all the incoming vine attacks. I rapid-fired a few hundred fireballs at the flying dragons and used the cover of the fire to rush in. As the dragons attempted to dodge the fireballs, I would behead any dragon that were unaware of my presence in their midst. About 9 more Plant Dragons died by the fireballs and 6 more Poison Dragons died from my knife attacks. Quickly, I collected the 6 Poison Dragon corpses for later experiments. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I was too caught up in the bloodshed when I realized too late that there were no more fireballs to cover my presence. Stuck in the middle of the angry dragons, I decided to make a quick retreat. I reached into my bag and brought out my Ghost Mask. Putting it on, I immediately turned invisible and descended to the ground. With my presence gone, the angry dragons searched frantically for any sign of me, but unfortunately they could not find me. Giving up, the continue forward towards the city. Once I reached the ground, I pulled out a town portal and teleported back to the city. .......... At night.... .......... Venturing out into the night after a day of battle, I decided to visit the tavern to sell some blood pills and essence drops. It''s near midnight but I''m sure there''s people resting and replenishing in the tavern. I was halfway to my destination when all of a sudden, a mental transmission sounded in my head. It was from Blackie. "What is it?" I asked. "Dragons...hundreds of them flying towards Delta Town!" Blackie replied. "WHAT?! How?...Are those dragons the Earth Dragons and Dual-type dragons that were grounded by the blizzard from yesterday? Did they change plans?" "No...these dragons...they''re Dual-type dragons for sure...but they''re Earth and Plant type." "A new type?! Oh no...how long are they going to be there? How many are there exactly?" "It''s a little dark...about 200 I think. At they''re speed...they''ll be there at midnight." "SHIT! How come we didn''t see them coming?" "They seem to have the Camouflage ability. Low rankers cannot detect them. Even I had trouble if not for my heat-sensing abilities." "Damn it. No time to lose. I need to tell Shadow." After closing the mental transmission, I rushed back to Shadow, "SHADOW!! STOP INCREASING YOUR HAREM! THERE''S BIG TROUBLE...AND NO YOUR CONDOM DIDN''T BREAK!" The Dragons Invasion: Day 3 Since Reachii had already wiped out all the dragons attacking Delta Town, I decided to focus on the dragons flying out of the teleportation circle in the cave. There seems to be about 200 of them. But, before that, I started making a condensed fireball. I first reached in my bag and pull out the mask - Mask of the Fiery Demon. Wearing it, my abilities in fire increased significantly and the firepower increased as well. Then, I started generating a huge fireball - as big as the city itself. After the giant fireball was created, I started using Essence Manipulation and condense the fireball until it is as big as a normal house. However, these seems to be too big. I can go smaller...but not out here. Activating Maker''s Domain, I continued to condense the fireball. Finally, after half an hour, I was able to condense the once gigantic fireball into a orange-sized super condensed fireball. The fireball has been condensed so much that an outer layer of solid Fire Essence was formed. I take this fireball and placed it in a spherical container with a string attached. Done! Fire bomb completed - I dub it the Wrath Bomb. I hand this Wrath Bomb to Shadow and told him that he should use it to ignite the city when all the dragons are trapped inside. This bomb can be ignited if it''s Fire Essence is disturbed inside the container. Fortunately, the container will prevent most outside disturbances. The flames of the fireball is fueled with Flames of Wrath and won''t be extinguished until all is burned to ash. Use with caution I told him. .......... After creating the Wrath Bomb and handing it to Shadow, I headed out towards the teleportation circle near the cave. Upon nearing the cave, I see many dragons coming out of nowhere and flying into the skies. The dragons number close to 200 and there were a mix of Earth, Plant, and Poison Dragons...no Dual-types it seems...well not any I can see. These dragons seem to be stronger than previous dragons. It''s time to use the Art I learned a few weeks back - Meridian Destruction Art. With a leap, I used Roaming the Skies and flew into the air. While staying afloat, I activated my Eye of Odin. The Eye of Odin is the stone eyeball that replaced my left eye a few days ago after Morian pierced it out. With the Eye of Odin activated, I was able to see all the Acupressure Points as well as the weaknesses of the dragons in front of me. Initially, the Meridian Destruction Art requires needles to attack humans and beasts with weaker skin/hide. However for super tough skin/hide, fingers and fists are used. I trained for a hundred years in my Maker''s Domain to increase the strength and toughness of my fingers and fists. Now, my fingers and fists can penetrate anything. After confirming the Acupressure Points of all 200 of the dragons that came out of the teleportation circle, I charged forward. The dragons seeing me charge in also charged forward. Breath attacks came at me from all directions. With a few waves of my hands, I extracted all the essences from the different attacks and stored them into jars. Once I reached the first wave of dragons, I lifted up my forefinger and middle finger and jabbed at the jaws of the dragons. The pressure points at the jaws were pressed and caused those first 10 dragon unable to close their mouths. With a flick of my finger, I shot 10 Therian''s Bane pills into their mouths. The 1000 degrees F attacked the dragons from the inside and burned them inside out. 10 dragons down...190 dragons left. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. For the Earth Dragons, I don''t think fire or intense heat would affect them much so I decided to use another method to kill them. With my Eye of Odin, I peered into the depths of the Earth Dragons and saw their weak points...their death points. I Dragon Leap to the middle of a cluster of Earth Dragons and balled my right hand into a fist. *POW!* *BAM!* *POW!* Death points activated and many Earth Dragons fell and died instantly. I continued this two techniques until all of the dragons were died. I then collected the corpses of the dragons and stored them in my storage ring. Tired, I headed back. I''m done for the day. .......... The day is nearly over but some of the dragons are stubbornly attacking outside the city walls. We needed to lure them into the city in order to set off the trap we had installed for them. Now, how do we lure them in? Some tried to taunt them or forcibly pull them in and some tried to attack them and then retreat...hoping for them to pursue. However, these dragons have enough intelligence to not fall for such petty tricks. Sure there are some that do but they can easily blame it on their mentality. Ever since their eyes turned purple, they have entered berserk mode and lost most of their reasoning. They can coordinate with simple commands but most of the time, they''ll be rampaging wherever they fly to. As I pondered about how to lure these berserk dragons into the city, I recalled that these dragons were produced by Morian and listens to Morian''s commands. Now, how does Morian transmit his commands to the dragons? Can''t be via voice...that''s it! He uses his essence to communicate with his subordinates. I reach in my bag and took out a jar of Morian''s Essence. Using advanced Essence Manipulation, I controlled the essence so that it could send out a message and sent that message to all of the dragons outside the city. The message told them to attack the enemies within the city. No matter what happens, charging into the city takes priority. After receiving the fraudulent message, the dragons outside the city walls all stopped what they were doing and charged towards the city. As they entered the borders of the city, I used Meridian Destruction Art and pressed the pressure points of their wings, paralyzing them and causing them to be unable to fly. The dragons - their wings have stopped working - crashed to the ground inside the city. The collapsed dragons tried to stabilize themselves and stand up, but the wave of dragons behind them crashed into them as those dragons'' wings were paralyzed as well. This process goes on and on until a giant pile of dragons were formed and all the dragons are inside the city. "Now is the time, Shadow!" I shouted. The Tragedy With the trap in place and about to activate, I decided to head over to Delta Town to both avoid the explosion once the trap starts and to check up on the status of the Delta Town. I heard that half of the town has been leveled due to some people''s *cough* Reachii *cough* lack of restraint. I hopped on Blackie and we flew over to Delta Town. Even from far away, I can see the smoke and the essences of Death fluttering in the skies. I urged Blackie to travel faster. Last I recalled, Princess Emelelyn evacuated to Delta Town. Uh...no...before you think elsewhere, I''m not worried about her...I just think that since she''s a valuable ally and we, the adventurers, should worry for her safety. Anyways, we quickly reached Delta Town. Upon landing, I could finally clearly see the exact destruction...the exact status of the town. I hopped off of Blackie and quickly asked around for Princess Emelelyn''s whereabouts. After asking a few people, I found out...unfortunately...that Princess Emelelyn was injured and hospitalized. I hurried over to the medical tent and couldn''t help overhearing the screams of anguish...particularly that of Princess Emelelyn''s screams. Preparing for the worst, I lifted up the flap of the entrance of the tent and walked inside. There...squirming on a bed...was Princess Emelelyn. Her body was a mess. She was covered with burns and melted flesh. Her limbs were all broken...or as the healers described...shattered. From the reports of the healers...she will never be able to move those limbs again. Her face was melted off leaving a skull-like appearance. It was a tragedy. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Princess Emelelyn was screaming in pain and sorrow. She had just seen what have become of her and...the trauma is too overbearing. I reach towards the princess and grabbed her hand...or what''s left of it and tried to comfort her and calm her down...saying stuff like how we can heal her and let her regain her original appearance. After some comforting, she calmed down...her eyes blank. I don''t know if my comforting got through to her or if she just gave up but at the very least, she was calm. Otherwise, with all that thrashing, who knows what further injuries could occur. I pulled out my mask - Mask of the Sleepy Knight - and had Shiyo cast Absolute Sleep on her so that she could at least sleep peacefully for thirty minutes. While the princess was sleeping, I dragged a healer to the side and asked about her situation. The healer says the situation is slim...and that there is less than 1% chance of restoring her appearance. Suddenly, a slight stirring sound shocked me as I turn my head to the princess sleeping on the bed...could she have heard this? Impossible! She should be asleep from the Absolute Sleep spell...unless Napknight did a shitty job again. Fearing the consequences, I ordered the healer to not mention the low success chance to Princess Emelelyn. Once I got the healer''s agreement, I left the tent. Whew...how am I supposed to notify King Thorhil of this unfortunate occurrence? Maybe Shadow should do it...after all, he''s a staff member...yea.... Memories It is the day after the Dragons'' Invasion. Delta Town, though half-destroyed, is finally safe from dragon attacks. The surviving able-bodied citizens and low ranked adventurers were busy helping with the rebuilding of the town. Princess Emelelyn was sitting in a wheelchair while gazing at the garden view outside the medical tent. Her whole body was bandaged up. Her limbs, though healing, were still crippled. She stared trance-like into the garden of flowers. These flowers were of a beautiful blue with two layers of petals. Anyone gazing at them would smile. People walking by would see the princess gazing intently and thinks that she is entranced by the beauty of the flowers. Anyways, the princess was busy thinking of some past memories. It was just after the betrayal of her second brother. She was made unconscious and brought back to Adventurer''s City by the Mask Maker. When she woke up, she was initially very angry and tried to run back a couple of times...but after some time, she was persuaded to stay at the city where it was safe. The days went by as boring as ever...everyday was the same - eat, stare out the window, sleep. This went on for a week until one fateful day...she met a young man. The young man was named Frank...he was a young merchant working for the Crafting Branch of the guild. Frank was a tall, broad shouldered man with brown hair and green eyes. The first time they met, Princess Emelelyn was gazing out the window of the inn she was staying at. Suddenly, she saw a young man holding a small book walk by. A small pocket-watch fell out of his pocket while he rummaged around his pocket for a pen. The young man didn''t pay attention and was busily writing in his small book. Princess Emelelyn wanted to say something but was too shy to speak out. After struggling with herself a few more times...coupled with the fact that the young man was walking farther and farther away, Princess Emelelyn finally spoke out. "Hey! You! You dropped your pocket-watch!" Emelelyn shouted. "Huh? Oh! Thank you for telling me!" The young man turned in surprise and saw the pocket-watch on the ground. He walked over to the pocket-watch and picked it up. The young man looked up and glanced at Emelelyn with a smile, "The name''s Frank...Frank York, what''s yours?" "Emelelyn Oakenlake." The princess blushed as she replied, charmed by the handsome smile. "Emelelyn? That''s a beautiful name. As thanks, let me treat you to a meal?" "O-okay." After this short exchange, the two continued to meet more often. Their friendship grew and finally...after a month, love blossomed. The day Frank asked her out, he gave her a beautifully engraved silver dagger sheathed in a beautiful gem encrusted leather scabbard. When she received it, she cried tears of joy and told Frank that she will treasure it forever. Everything seemed to be going perfectly until the disastrous day.... .......... Three days ago.... .......... "Come on Emelelyn, we need to hurry! The dragons are coming and we need to evacuate to Delta Town." Frank shouted in the midst of the evacuation. "Wait, let me get my dagger." Emelelyn replied. "Forget about it, I''ll buy you another. Let''s hurry to safety." "No! This is your first gift to me. I can''t lose this precious thing." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Oh Emelelyn...fine. Come, let''s go." The couple hurried towards the airship, packing light and carrying only necessary items. Once aboard, they waited patiently and anxiously as the airship took off. Hours later, they arrived to Delta Town where the couple rented out a living space. "When will the Invasion be over?" Emelelyn muttered towards Frank. "I''m sure it will be over soon. Don''t worry, I''ll be here for you." Frank smiled as he embraced Emelelyn. .......... Yesterday.... .......... Dragons started attacking at the early hours of dawn. Rocks flew out and crashed into buildings, crushing many people. Poison gas leaked out everywhere and acid melted the town. An A rank adventurer arrived and killed off all the dragons...however, the destruction and rampage caused by the adventurer not only destroyed the dragons...but also leveled half of the town to the ground. "Hurry, Emelelyn! We need to get to safety." Frank shouted as he pulled Emelelyn along. Suddenly, a half-melted building collapsed towards Frank. With a spurt of movement, Emelelyn pushed Frank out of the way. The building crashed into Emelelyn. Trapped under the building, Emelelyn cried out towards Frank, "Frank! Help me! I...I can''t feel my legs...or my arms!" Frank reached out his arm but fire and acid crashed down on the rubble. Frank looked at Emelelyn, panic in his eyes. He mouthed one word and left. "Sorry...." Sorry...sorry...sorry...sorry...sorry.... The word repeated itself in Emelelyn''s mind as excruciating pain slowly creeps up on her. She refused to believe that Frank had abandoned her. She shook her mind of all distrust...she believes that Frank is just...just going to ask for help...that must be it. Then...Emelelyn blacked out. .......... This morning.... .......... "AAAARRRRRRGGGGHGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Emelelyn screamed as she woke up and waves of pain crashed into her. Healers ran in to restrain her and calm her down. After Emelelyn calmed down, she tried to ask what had happened to her and where Frank was. All she got was that she fell under some rubble and was rescued soon after. "My dagger! Where is my dagger?" Emelelyn cried out as she frantically searched around. Upon seeing the dagger laid on top of a nearby table, Emelelyn reached out, grabbed the dagger, and embraced it. At this moment, Frank walked in. Emelelyn saw Frank walk in and happily cried out towards him. She saw his face...and then saw his grimace...his disgust. She saw him push her away. She saw him turn his eyes away. She saw him turn his back towards her. She saw him walk away. "Why...?" Emelelyn mumbled. Maybe it was the pain or maybe it was the medications or maybe it was both, but Emelelyn erupted...she pulled out her dagger and stabbed Frank in the shoulder. Frank turned around and pushed Emelelyn away. He scowled and tore the dagger from his shoulder and threw it onto the ground, "You ugly bitch! You''re lucky I even considered seeing how you were doing! Hmph!" Frank didn''t want to stay any longer with this crazy woman and hurriedly left the tent. Emelelyn cried as she picked up the bloodied dagger. She saw her appearance and finally understood. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Desolation Present time.... .......... *Sigh!* Princess Emelelyn sighed a painful, sorrowful sigh. She couldn''t help think about what had happened with Frank every time she sees the blue flowers. Her heart broke into pieces already. If she could cry, she would have already but her tears have long dried out. Now, she''s stuck on this wheelchair, unable to move from the spot. Why must she be reminded of Frank every time she sees those flowers? Who...who was the idiot that planted those blue flowers? These flowers are called Anemone flowers...and they symbolize fading hope...the feeling of being forsaken. Staring at them was not helping her poor soul. Her beloved left her...there''s less than 1% chance of getting her original appearance back...she will be unable to run and feel the wind through her hair ever again. Her hands gripped tightly at the dagger as she stared off into nothingness. "Life...there''s no more meaning...I...I should just end it...." Emelelyn muttered as she looked at the dagger in her hand. Suddenly, a hoarse, dark voice resounded, "I can help you." Emelelyn glanced around in surprise, "W-who said that? Where are you?" "I am in your mind. Don''t worry about who I am, just know that I can help you." "Why would you help me? What can you gain from that?" "I just want to help an unlucky soul." "But-!" "Who was it that abandoned you? Who broke your heart? Who played with your innocent feelings?" "F-Frank...that scum!" "Then let me heal you." "How can I trust you?" "Fine...I''ll tell you who I am. I am Desolation." "Desolation! I''ve heard of you. You are an evil Demonic Entity - one of the first Demon Gods. No! I don''t need your help, leave me." "I am not evil...just misunderstood...a fellow unlucky soul. Here...let me show you something." .......... Back at the guild.... .......... If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "So how''s the situation with the survivors in Delta Town?" Shadow asked. "It''s alright...however, Princess Emelelyn had met an unfortunate occurrence." Khaos replied. "Oh? What happened to her?" "Her limbs were shattered. Her body were full of burns and melted flesh. The healers say there''s little to no chance of healing her and restoring her original appearance." "Oh...maybe I or Hikari can concoct something that can help?" "No...no need. Don''t heal her." "Why not?" "I have a better, safer way. Who knows what kind of negative side-effects your half-baked concoctions would bring." .......... Back to the medical tent in Delta Town.... .......... A image appeared in front of Princess Emelelyn. It was Khaos and the guild staff...Shadow? Maybe. Emelelyn asked curiously, "What''s this about?" "Just watch." Emelelyn stared at the moving images and overheard the conversation involved. "So how''s the situation with the survivors in Delta Town?" Shadow asked. "It''s alright...however, Princess Emelelyn had met an unfortunate occurrence." Khaos replied. "Oh? What happened to her?" "Her limbs were shattered. Her body were full of burns and melted flesh. The healers say there''s little to no chance of healing her and restoring her original appearance." "Oh...maybe I or Hikari can concoct something that can help?" "No...no need. Don''t heal her." The image cut off, leaving a stunned Emelelyn, "T-that''s it?!" "Do you understand now? They do not want to heal you...they have forsaken you." "No...no...no...NO!!" Emelelyn cried out in despair and covered her face with her hands. "They may have abandoned you but not me. Come with me. I will never abandon you." Emelelyn lifted her head up, eyes blank...and muttered, "Yes." A dark portal appeared in front of her and Emelelyn walked in. Transformation In a desolate place far away. This place is located in the far west...hundreds of kilometers away from the Human Kingdom as well as the Demon Kingdom...a place that hasn''t been mapped yet. Suddenly, a dark portal appeared and a figure walked out. It was Princess Emelelyn. "Where is this?" Emelelyn asked. "Welcome to my humble home!" A voice replied. Emelelyn turned her head to the source and sees a shadowy figure. "You must be Desolation...strange, I thought you were more...monstrous." "Just goes to show that the stories aren''t always true...just like how I''m not evil." "Ok...so about my appearance?" "Hasty one eh? Nevertheless, I promised and I, Desolation, always keep my promises." The shadowy figure replied. With a wave of his hand, dark magical powers swept towards Emelelyn and enveloped and restored her. After a few minutes, the darkness dispersed and Emelelyn appeared...she has been transformed. Princess Emelelyn walked up to a nearby red-colored lake looked at her new appearance...her original brown hair was now pure white. Her skin a light bluish color. Her eyes now a deep, blood red. Fang-like markings appeared at the bottom of her eyes. "Satisfied?" "It''s ok...what is this power I''m feeling inside me?" Emelelyn asked as spider-like legs emerged from her back. "It''s the power of desolation and despair. I have also given you the power of spiders. With these powers, no one will bully you ever again. You can take revenge against those who stepped over your innocence." Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Thank you Lord Desolation! How can I return the favor?" "Become my priestess...my servant...and protect my children." "Your children?" "Yes...the Drow Elves. Guard them as their goddess. From now on, you shall throw away your old name. I will bestow you a new name...Lolth...Queen of the Spiders...Goddess of the Drow Elves." "Lolth.... Thank you Lord! From this day forth, I will let everyone know of my name!" Lolth bowed. Then, she turned around and looked around. Seeing the bloodied bandages and the dagger, which were what''s left of her possessions, she waved her hand and cast some dark magical powers that enveloped the bandages and the dagger. The dark power poured into the bandages and the dagger, causing it to be corrupt and transform. After a few minutes, two figures appeared from the bandages and the dagger. From the bandages, a male figure appeared and from the dagger, a female figure appeared. The male figure had white eyes and blood-red hair. A mask appeared on his face as if to be permanently stuck to it. His skin is of a darker blue hue and he vaguely look like Frank. The female figure had long white hair and black eyes with a cold countenance. A dagger appeared by her side. Her skin is of a lighter blue hue and she vaguely looked like Lolth''s past appearance. Lolth looked at the two figures and replied, "From now on, you are my subordinates. You, the male, will be known as Raun the Masked Lord. You, the female, will be known as Kiaran the Vengeful Dead." "Yes Madam." Raun and Kiaran bowed in respect. "Come! It''s time to meet the Drow Elves." Gathering Information After the invasion, we - the adventurers - have lost our city. Now, we have set up a temporary...possibly permanent residency at the port Delta Town. New quests have been updated and rumors spread aplenty in the tavern. An unfortunate event occurred yesterday...Princess Emelelyn had disappeared. Her whereabouts unknown. I worry for her safety...after all, she was recently under emergency and intensive care - having suffered heavy injuries and disfigurements. As I had promised her brother - the current king of Oakenlake Kingdom - King Thorhil that I would take care of her...it is my responsibility to bring him the bad news. *SIGH!*...This is going to be tough. I decided that I will go visit Oakenlake Kingdom today - better late than never right? Since I''m going out anyways, I might as well take some quests as well. I visit our branch guild and looked at the quests. Hmm...might as well do a few "Gather Information" quests. After choosing three quests, I headed out. Quest 1 talked about rumors of a potential threat occurring near Delta Town. My mission is to go and authenticate these rumors. Upon exiting the guild, I started to patrol around the town. Nothing seems to be amiss until I caught sight of a suspicious character sneaking into an alley. I decided to follow the person. I sneaked towards the person and caught him talking with another person. I pulled out my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Then, I moved closer to hear in on their conversation. "When will the Pirate King be here?" Character A asked. "The Pirate King won''t be here. However, he will send one of his generals along with a 100 ships each ship with 100 pirates to attack this town. They will arrive in about a month. I don''t know the details of who he will send but you know how his generals are...every one of them can contend an A ranker." Character B answered. "You know, I''ve always wondered...why did the Pirate King set his eyes on this measly little town? Isn''t our goal to search for the 1st generation Pirate King''s buried treasure?" "It''s because those damned adventurers keep getting in our way and killing off our men. Just a few weeks ago, some adventurer wiped out the group of pirates we had stationed in Treacherous Ports and killed Elwell the Mad." "Oh you mean Khaos that weird freak of nature?" "Weird freak of nature eh?" I asked them abruptly. "Yea...he is ugly and creepy looking t-?!" Character A continued but paused when he realized that Character B was looking at him funny. Immediately, they turned around and saw me standing there, my mask taken off so they could see me. They cursed and tried to reach for their weapons, but I jabbed at their Death Points causing them to bleed out of every pore of their bodies. "Hmm...so the pirates have made their move eh? Good thing we still have a month left to prepare." Having discovered that there were some truths to the rumors of potential threat to Delta Town, I decided to proceed towards my next destination - Adventurer''s City. .......... After half an hour of traveling, I can see Adventurer''s City...or what''s left of it. It seemed my Wrath Bomb did a number on this place. The whole place was leveled completely to the ground. There weren''t anything salvageable...ash everywhere. Rummaging around, I see that there were no survivors...all dragons that are caught in the blast were either disintegrated or burned to death. Nothing else to see here. As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of a blood trail. What?? Did someone manage to survive through the explosion? Incredible! I followed the trail to a small cave in the borders of the Verdant Forest. Judging from the drag marks, it has to be a dragon. Approaching the cave, I could see signs of death. Whoever dragged itself into this cave has long died. But, just to make sure, I entered the cave to confirm. Traveling deeper into the cave, I finally arrived at a huge pile of blood and rotting flesh. The stench was terrible...but I''ve smelled worse. Wrinkling my nose, I surveyed the damages. The dragon is long dead...however what caused all these blood and gore? I kicked some guts away and saw...on the ground...a magic circle! Looking at the language and the symbols used, it seems like the dragon reported back to Morian before it died. That''s unsettling. It seems Morian knows that the invasion failed and though Adventurer''s City is gone, the adventurers have re-positioned themselves to another place - Delta Town. Hopefully, Morian won''t attack us soon. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. .......... After confirming the condition of the ruined Adventurer''s City, I got ready to venture towards Oakenlake Kingdom in the Rainforest Vale. After a hour of traveling, I arrived at Rainforest Vale. I feel extremely wary since all of Rainforest Vale was Morian''s territory. Just be entering the forest, Morian will immediately be notified of my presence. Hopefully, he is too tired to care after summoning all those Guardian level Dragons. Anyways, I think that is the case since Morian hasn''t made any move against me so far. Upon reaching the castle, I requested an audience with the king. Once I was granted, I was led to the main hall where King Thorhil sat on the throne. "Welcome Khaos! It is good to see you! I had heard of the Dragon Invasion to your city. I hope nothing severe had happened to your guild." King Thorhil greeted. "No...though we lost the city as well as many citizens, we were still able to fight off the dragons so it wasn''t entirely a loss." "That''s good. So, what brings you here? Do you require assistance? Need help rebuilding or resources?" "That...." I hesitated...then proceeded to reply, "I''m afraid there is some bad news." King Thorhil immediately frowned, "Bad news? Why are you telling me this?...No...no no no no no no no no...it can''t be...did something happened to my little sister?" "I...your sister was...your sister received severe injuries during the invasion." "How bad? Tell me!" King Thorhil roared as he stood up in anticipation and worry. "She...her limbs were crippled and she suffered burns all over her body and half her body was melted by acid." "This!" King Thorhil, upon hearing the news, staggered and collapsed back to his chair. "Where?" "Um...." "WHERE?!" King Thorhil roared, "Where is my sister?" "We couldn''t find her. She...ran away." I answered apologetically, "I''m truly sorry." "You-!" King Thorhil tried to say but blood welled up in his mouth forcing him to spit out a mouthful. "King Thorhil! Are you alright?" A minister asked. "King Thorhil...don''t worry, we will find her. We-" I tried to assure him. "No." King Thorhil dismissed, "I trusted you...I placed my sister''s life in your hands hoping that she will be safe...but...you...you let me down." "I-." "Leave me. I see that it was wrong of me to place so much trust in you adventurers. I want to withdraw from this alliance." "King Thorhil, please reconsider!" "No. That is final. Minister...see him out." King Thorhil replied as he ordered the minister to send me out. Once out of the main hall, I turned towards the minister, "Please persuade King Thorhil to reconsider." "I think it''s for the best if we become neutral. Besides, the monster army has retreated so we won''t be in much trouble. Don''t worry about finding Princess Emelelyn, we will handle it. The door is that way, please see yourself out." *SIGH!* I grimaced and left the castle. It''s unfortunate we lost an ally...hopefully we can renew our alliance in the future. It is a good thing for the Oakenlake Kingdom to be finally in a period of peace. The Monster army retreated but that doesn''t mean they won''t come back. Maybe at that time, we will be able to become allies again. With another sigh, I headed back to town. Rats and Fishing It''s been a week since I got back from Westby''s son''s birthday party. I had finished my vacation and decided to look at some quests. Oh? I thought...explore a possible fishing spot near the sea next to Delta Town? That''s seems interesting...but I need to prepare. Hmm, guess these other quests will be sufficient to prepare for fishing. First, I traveled north to hunt some young Desert Worm. After searching and digging a while, I found a nest full of Desert Worms. These young worms are all 10 feet long with teeth on one end. I pulled out my Ghost Mask and turned invisible. Taking advantage of my abilities, I pulled out my skinning knife and killed the nearest worm. Before any of the other worms found out what was wrong, I collected the corpse into my storage ring and disappeared. I repeat this process 9 more times and killed 9 more young Desert Worms. After meeting the quota, I head west to the Verdant Forest. I heard that rat tails make good fish bait as well. Looking in a cave I found a large nest of about 200 rats. In the center of the rats is a larger rat...possibly their leader. Casting a fireball into the center to create some chaos, I began slashing at any of the rats that ran towards me in a panicky confusion. After killing about half of the rats and burning the other half, I began collecting the tails. Eh? Where''s the rat leader''s corpse? Don''t tell me...it escaped? I quickly searched around the perimeter of the cave and found a hidden backdoor. Entering the backdoor, I was led to a passage. Venturing through the passage, I found myself outside. There was a blood trail in front of me...I believe it must be the rat leader''s. I followed the trail until I saw the rat leader. It was crawling deeper into the forest....suspicious. After killing the rat leader, I continued forward in the direction the rat leader was crawling desperately towards. After some time, I arrived near the borders of the Verdant Forest...there was a huge cave, at least 100 times larger than the cave I found earlier. Turning into a ghost, I ventured in. Immediately, I see a huge amount of rats...there must be at least 5000 rats not to mention that there were at least 200 rat leaders. Heading deeper, I see a huge rat about 9 feet tall standing on its two feet and speaking the Language of the Beasts to his 10 rat generals who were also standing on their two feet and looked to be about 5 feet tall. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Listening in on the conversation, I found out that the 9 feet tall rat is the Rat King a C rank creature. He plans to summon all his warriors to raid and completely swarm the Verdant Forest. Remembering that our allies the Half-Orcs are in the Verdant Forest, I decided that the adventurers need to stop this. I hurriedly crept out of the cave and headed back to Delta Town to report. After reporting the rat swarm to a guild receptionist, I head to the ports and the nearby borders. Searching around, I finally found a good spot for fishing. The spot is about a kilometer to the east of Delta Town. There''s a perfect flat rocky platform that extends out to the sea. Taking my fishing pole, I put some worm flesh on the fish hook. After unleashing the fishing pole, I waited for a while. Suddenly a tug...with a pull, a Speedy Tuna emerged from the end. It resisted a bit before being pulled out of the water. One Speedy Tuna down, four more to go. After fishing 5 Speedy Tuna, I decided to test out that theory of rat tails being good fish bait. Wonder what kind of fish I''ll pull up.... Placing a bloody rat tail onto the end of my fish hook, I cast the fish bait out into the sea. Waiting a bit, I felt a tug on the string. I with a jerk, I pulled out a weird looking fish. Hmm, this looks like salmon...but there''s a distinct black shine.... I activated my Eye of Odin and observed the fish...hmm...Obsidian Salmon. Wonder if this is edible.... Suddenly, I sensed danger. I looked towards the sea and saw a huge sea serpent raging towards me. The sea serpent must have been attracted by the blood from the rat tail. It jumped out of the water and lunged at me. I dodged to the side, letting the sea serpent bite nothing but air. After the sea serpent missed, its side was exposed. Throwing a Dragon Horn attack from below, I uppercut the sea serpent. With the sea serpent rising into the air, I slashed out with my skinning knife and made some sea serpent sashimi. Finished, I head back to the town. Gens Memories Part 1 While the other adventurers are fighting off the bandit and highwaymen army that decided to populate near the ruined Adventurer''s City, I decided to go check up on the status of Morian. It seemed that there wasn''t any noticeable occurrences from Morian since the Dragon''s Invasion. Not wanting to go alone, I took Agaricus with me as I hopped on Blackie. We flew quickly towards the Rainforest Vale. Upon arriving, I sensed something wrong. There is significant disturbances within the trees. As we descended for a closer look, I was utterly shocked. Vines have embedded themselves in small animals and large amounts of life essence are being absorbed by the vines! Morian has gone berserk! He''s beginning to eradicated life starting from the weakest creatures! Why does Morian need to absorb life essence? Could he still be injured? And summoning all those dragons was too tasking on him that it further his injuries? This could be a good chance to retaliate. I probed the forest with my Maker''s Essence and suddenly vast amounts of information came pouring into my mind. I screamed in pain startling Blackie. He looked at me questioning, but I waved at him to not worry. Then, I fainted. What seemed like minutes later, my eyes opened. I looked around and knew that I''m not in the outside world. It seemed that I have traveled into a dream-like dimensional space. I walked around and see a tunnel. Walking down the hallway, I saw scenes...memories...posted on the walls. It seemed that the memories were of someone as he or she interacted with Morian. This must be the memories of the illegitimate son!! .......... Inside the Memories - Morian''s son POV.... .......... "Please...he is your son." A woman begged. "Mother, don''t beg him. It''s demeaning. If he doesn''t want us then so be it. Hmph! I don''t even want to be considered as his son." I responded as I glared at the seated figure in front of us. "Hahaha!" Morian roared with cold laughter. "As expected of a whore''s son! Like son like mother, arrogant and doesn''t know their status." "Please sire, its not his fault. He''s too young to know better. Please...please take him in." The mother continued. "Mother! It seems that we aren''t welcome here, let''s leave." I urged as I attempted to drag my mother out. After a few successful attempts, I was able to take my mother away. "Mother, don''t worry. Even without him, we will live happily and without problems." "I just wanted what''s best for you son." The mother sighed. .......... "Sir, having a bastard child outside is too dangerous to your status." A close servant mentioned to Morian. "Hmm, you''re right. See to it." Morian mused before making his decision. "As you wish." .......... "Run mother, run! He''s catching up!" I urged as I tried to drag my mother along a mountain pass. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "No son, leave me...I...I can''t run anymore." Mother huffed as she tried to push me away. "Save yourself, I''ll try t-to hold them off." "NO! How can I be so unfilial as to leave you to your doom. We''re both going to get out of this." "My son...." "Say no more, come mother, I''ll carry you. That damned bastard. He dared to attack us. I told you he wasn''t a good man." "Haaaa...it seems my eyes were blind. I was too stupid to not realize." "Don''t worry mother. I''ll protec-!" I began but a thudding impact smashed into my shoulder and a searing pain coursed through my body. I winced and glanced back. An arrow protruded from my back. The pursuers have caught up. My mother was screaming as she tried to stop the bleeding from my back. Ignoring the pain, I positioned myself in front of her and faced my enemies. "No where to run or hide. Just accept your doomed fate." A masked pursuer called out. "Why did Morian want to kill us? We didn''t do anything against him." I questioned. "Just blame it on your birth. Our lord does not like unwanted burdens." "Haha, so we have become unwanted burdens...." "Enough of this. Archers, fire!" Arrows flew forward and penetrated into my body. Luckily, my mother was unharmed. However, what I didn''t expect to happen next was due to the immense love of my mother. When another set of arrows came flying towards me, my mother covered my body with hers and took the attack. As she laid dying in my arms, I screamed with utter despair. I looked at the attacks with murderous intent in my eyes. I stood up and charged towards them. *BAM!* The leader of the pursuers slammed his palm into my chest, sending my flying in a bloody mess across several meters and skidded to a stop by the edge of a cliff. Blood spewed out from my mouth as I felt my mind growing weaker and weaker. "Mother, forgive me." I replied as I jumped down from the cliff into the depths below. "No!" The attacker ran towards the edge of the cliff and peered down. Because of the height of the mountains, it was near impossible to see the bottom. "You men! Find him! If he''s dead, I want to see his body." "Yes sir!" .......... "Did you find him?" "No sir. There was a river below. I reckon he must have floated downstream. But no worries, he was severely injured. Even, if he didn''t die from the fall, he will die from the disasters he will face downstream." "What do you mean by that?" "Thousand Venom Cave is in that direction. The stream enters the cave via an entrance. There has been known to be many poisonous plants, animals, and insects living in that cave. Poisonous gas permeates the air. It would be impossible for him to live through that." "I see. I guess this is fine. You guys keep on guard for a few months just in case while I report this to the lord." .......... Gens Memories Part 2 "Wow, this Morian character is a real bitch." I muttered as I continued watching the memories on the walls. The scene flashes to a cave...this must be the Thousand Venom Cave. A bloody figure appeared half submerged and half on land. It was the son. Is he dead? No, he''s breathing...barely. Suddenly, a figure appeared. The figure observed the boy in front of him and carried him away. The scene then switches to the boy lying on a makeshift bed. The boy groaned a few times before waking up. He stared at the ceiling, confused. He sat up and blinked a few times. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around...where was he? What was this place? Is he dead? "You are not dead." A voice replied in his mind. Surprised, the boy asked out loud, "W-who are you? Why can I hear you in my head?" "I cannot speak, so I can only use my telepathic powers to communicate with you." "Where are you?" "Here...to your right side." The boy turn to his right and saw a girl. She had blonde hair and a slim body. Her eyes were silver and her skin a sickly tone. The girl had a ghastly scar on her throat. Maybe that was the reason she couldn''t talk. "Who are you?" "My name is Chidna, granddaughter of Echidna - mother of all poisonous monsters. What is your name?" "My name...." The boy began but he stopped. He was initially called Mortimer...but it was a name that signified his relation with Morian. So, he decided on a new name, "My name is Gen." .......... Time elapsed and the scene switched again. Now, a new memory appeared. Gen looked older...in his late hundreds (non-humans age slower). Gen had fallen in love with Chidna and they lived together for a long time. However, even with this happy life, Gen could not forget his vengeance towards Morian. Over the years, he continuously trained and cultivated until he was very, very strong...at least 1,000 times stronger than what he was back then. The two couple were happily strolling near the Thousand Venom Cave they were spotted by the servants of Morian. "So this is where you were hiding?" It was the attacker who killed his mother! "You!" Gen attacked the attacker without a word after. An immense fight broke out. When Chidna was severely injured, Gen exploded and fiercely tore the enemies to pieces. He carried his wife back to the cave and laid her on the bed. She was bleeding profusely and had fainted. Gen quickly stop the bleeding and dressed the wounds. However, he sees Chidna stop breathing. In a fit of anger, he charged towards Morian''s residence - revenge flashing in his eyes. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. .......... "Morian! Get out of here!" Gen roared as he rampaged Morian''s residence. Morian flew out and started to attack Gen. Gen attacked - they were on par. Both Gen and Morian transformed from their human forms to their Giant Beast forms. There are 4 general forms of a beast - human form, beast form, giant beast form, and godbeast form. Morian was a giant tortoise with the Rainforest Vale on his back. Gen transformed as well - into a giant Genbu, a giant turtle with a twin-headed snake tail. The snake tail is a genetic aspect from his mother''s side. His mother was Nagi a daughter of Python - the God of Snakes. But because Python was killed, that was why Morian treated badly of his mother. Even in giant beast form, they were still on par with each other. Massive damage to the landscape occurred and both suffered some injuries. When Gen thought of his dead mother...of his dying wife, his eyes burned with rage and he forcefully exerted his strength to transform into a rare 5th form - demonbeast form. As a demonbeast, he had an upper hand against Morian and was able to severely damage Morian, cracking his shell and blinding one of his eyes. It looked like Gen will be winning. However, in a last act of desperation, Morian consumed the life essence of all his servants, incorporating their power and vitality into his. This was the boost he needed to evolve into a godbeast. Now, as a godbeast, Morian was slightly stronger than Gen''s demonbeast form. However, forcefully becoming a godbeast has severe backlashes. When Morian defeated Gen, he knocked Gen into the coastal area near the ocean. Using the remaining bits of his strength, he split the earth surrounding Gen, making a prison that is unbreakable from the inside and threw the prison into the bottom of the ocean. Using too much strength, Morian transformed back into giant beast form and started hibernating. As Gen fell to the bottom of the ocean, he screamed in rage, "I will be back! And when I do, you will die!" .......... The scene switched back to the Thousand Venom Cave. Chidna...she''s still alive! But she too entered into a coma-like hibernation. .......... Presence of a New Monster While I was drinking some honey mead in the tavern and looking for people to party for a quest or two, Dancchi came along and asked for help finding some rocs. I said sure and we set out to find some. Now, I don''t know if the other adventurers know this or not but recently, the firebirds have gotten more aggressive and they have all started attacking wyverns and rocs. Both the wyverns and the rocs have declared war on the firebirds so they are currently battling in the North Mountains. Thus, we decided to head over to the North Mountains to look for some rocs. Lo and behold, a large encampment of wyverns appeared near the borders of the North Mountains with the Great Plains. Since we the adventurers are on temporary truce with the wyverns, we were able to proceed past their camp without harm. While we walked past the camp, i asked around for some information on the rocs. Turns out that even though the rocs and the wyverns are fighting the same enemy, sometimes, the rocs will raid their camp. The wyverns were happy to direct us to the rocs camp which were situated northeast of their camp...further into the North Mountains. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. After a few minutes of traveling, we arrived near the rocs camp. Currently, the rocs were resting and tending to their injured. I told Dancchi to do what she wanted to do while I go loot their storage room. So, while Dancchi kills some rocs and causing a huge stir/distraction, I snuck into their storage tent and took all of their medicines, ores, money, weapons, and food. While I was looking around, I caught sight of an interesting object...it was a peacock feather. However, this was not any ordinary peacock feather...this was the feather of a Simurgh. It appears as a peacock with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion. This feather isn''t just from any Simurgh...from the quality of the feather, I can confirm that it''s from at least a Simurgh demi-god. With this feather...I may be able to track its species. Anyways, I stored the feather and the other items in my bag before setting the storage room on fire. Then, I head out to see how Dancchi was doing. Misunderstanding So we''re getting ready for the Morian''s raid event and I''m busying with preparations. Previously, I saw a fellow adventurer come back with some Morian''s Essence that they extracted. What they didn''t know was that the Morian''s Essence they had extracted was mixed with some of my Maker''s Essence. Without their notice, I extracted the Maker''s Essence from the Morian''s Essence and store the Maker''s Essence into a vial. Then, I head towards the Tavern. Now, some may ask...why did I do that? Well, what they don''t know is that the Maker''s Essence can be used to store memories from Morian''s point of view. With that objective in mind, I opened the vial and absorbed the essence. .......... I find myself in a scene right before Morian met Gen for the first time. The room was empty except two figures - one was Morian, the other was a servant. "Have you heard? It seems that I have a son." Morian said cheerfully. "It took me a million years...but finally." "Lord Morian," the servant replied - his face showed dissatisfaction for the ''son'' that Morian conceived. This is because the woman Morian mated was not of Morian''s race. This interspecies breeding was considered taboo and many of Morian''s subordinates were dissatisfied. "I don''t think that child is yours." "What do you mean? Are you still mad about my relationship with another species?!" Morian frowned. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "No...that''s not it. I''ve seen the child...he...he''s not a tortoise." "Well of course there''s going to be a mix." "No...he...I saw him swim...." "What?! You''re saying...that he''s a...." "Yes...he is a turtle.... I believe he is the son of our enemies the turtles." "That can''t be...." "It is the fact. You can probe my memories if you still doubt me." "Hmph! I''ll do that. If you lie, I will kill you." Morian scoffed as he probed the servant''s memories. His face paled at what he saw next. "It...it can''t be...that WHORE!" .......... Looking over a few more memories, it seemed that Morian had made many poor decisions in his past and rejecting Gen seemed to be the changing point. All those poor decisions piled up and stabbed him in the back. Because of those decisions coupled with the stress he had to experience, Morian lost more and more of his sanity with each passing day. Finally, before he fought with Gen, he lost his sanity completely. He devoured all of his subordinates and lost his mind. Even when he fell into hibernation, he was still raving mad about his life...about his decisions...about his lover - Gen''s mother. However, what he did not know and what the servant left out was that the only reason Gen could swim and breathe underwater was due to the fact that his mother is a sea snake. Chidna Once I found out the Thousand Venom Cave was located, I quickly headed over there. After experiencing the memories of Gen and of his life with Chidna in the cave, I felt a bit of nostalgia and wanted to see the cave for myself. Upon arriving, I could see the thick Poison Essence enveloping and permeating the cave. This place was truly the most poisonous I''ve ever encountered in this world so far. The best way for me to not be affected by the poison is to become a ghost. I grab my Ghost Mask and put it on. Turning into a ghost, I floated in. Even as a ghost, the poison felt a bit dizzying. I figured if even my S-class Ghost Mask (which makes me into a S-class ghost) could be slightly affected by the poison, any ghost/spiritual beings below S-class would be severely affected. As I venture in the depths of the cave, I closed my eyes and tried to feel the surroundings with my senses. I realized suddenly...that there was a powerful guardian spirit in this cave! The poisonous guardian spirit is currently dormant...hopefully the adventurers who will venture in won''t accidentally wake it up. This spirit...judging from its abilities...might be almost near S-class...however, that''s my rough estimation. As I venture in deeper, I realized that this place was practically a maze with many traps. But from the memories I received from Gen, I realized there''s deactivation levers, buttons, and secret doors...but I don''t know where they are. The walls are fragile and unstable...too much damage will cause the cave to collapse. I can sense that Chidna is in the center of the maze. The door to Chidna''s room can only open if a few select buttons and levers were activated. These buttons and levers are placed randomly throughout the cave. Only once the buttons and levers are activated will the door open. If the door was forcefully opened, then the cave will self-destruct. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Luckily, I don''t need to worry about that since I can phase through. Phasing through to the center of the maze, I found Chidna. The room was round, no corners...how? I phased out and saw the exterior to be square.... Ignoring this, I''ll leave it to others to figure it out. I phased back in and approach the sleeping beauty. Chidna had green hair, orange eyes, light purple skin and a long green tail. There''s a very thin layer enveloping her, keeping her safe from the poison in the surroundings, however, one touch from an outside force will surely break this layer and exposing the weak and comatose Chidna and endangering her. The poison in the surroundings is the most potent, most lethal, and most thick than any other place. Once I was a foot away from Chidna, a wave of memories washed over me...this was Chidna''s memories! Looking through the memories...I realized in horror...that Chidna...she''s pregnant with Gen''s child! There was room below this room where she was sleeping at! The door to the basement is below the bed that Chidna laid on. Phasing down, I was amazed at what I see...it was a baby''s room...full of baby toys, a cradle, baby clothes.... I shook my head in resignation. We''ll have to see what the adventurers will do. Chidna places more importance on her child and when we try to heal her, she will put most of the healing towards the child. But Gen, doesn''t know of the child and places more importance on Chidna. So the question is...can we save both? Or would we have to save one and lose the other...but who? Save Chidna? Or save the child? Or...can we save both? Calculating the percentages of success...saving the child will be 80% success, saving Chidna will be 50%...saving both will be 10%. Tracking the Simurghs While everyone else was taking part in the Morian raid quests, I decided to look for the Simurghs...and hopefully, interact peacefully with them. The Simurghs were proud creatures, however, they were also very loyal beasts. Initially, from the records of history, I had presumed this species to be extinct given the destruction they experienced by the gods a few millennia ago. With how fresh and new the feather I found looked, I can assume that there were at least a couple of survivors...possibly hiding in a very hidden location. Luckily, with my skills and luck, I can track these Simurghs with the help of the feather. I took out the feather and extracted some of the essence. Then, I consumed the essence...or rather, I absorbed the feather''s essence. Immediately, my senses peaked. Essence...pure, raw essence - if consumed - can be considered as a drug. In other words, take too much, and you might become addicted...might become too dependent on it...an overdose if you will. With the essence within my body coupled by my ability to manipulate essence, I can sense any essences that were comparable to what I absorbed. Involuntarily, my body turned towards the west...it seems the Simurghs or maybe more of their essences were towards the west. I called for Blackie and we flew towards the west. After traveling for a while and consuming the essence two more times...since the effects were limited, we arrived at the far edge of Pine Forest where there was a valley. I patted Blackie''s back signaling him to descend to the valley below. Upon arriving, three shadowy figures emerged from the cave and lunged towards me. I dodge quickly and jumped off of Blackie. Equipping my Werewolf Mask, I slashed out my claws at the three figures and with my strength, I was able to instakill all three while still in the air. As I land, I looked at the corpses of the monsters that attacked me. Luckily, I did not sense any Simurgh essence from the three attackers earlier so I was able to attack without fear of ruining any chances of befriending the Simurghs. The three bodies were black humanoids with bat-like wings...these were lesser devils! Devils were once humans who were tempted and absorbed demonic energy, turning themselves into half human half demon...aka devils. Lesser devils were either humans who received their demonic energy from regular devils or the devils'' offsprings. What were devils doing here where the Simurghs should reside? Could they be in trouble? I hurried inside the cave the lesser devils flew out from and saw...a large group of devils performing execution on a group of Simurghs. There was a S-ranked Demon with these group of devils. Looking at the bloodbath, I can tell that they had already commenced the execution and had already killed more than half of what remained of the Simurghs. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Immediately, I switched to my Ghost Mask and started killing the devils. However, he was only able to kill half before he was found by the Demon. The demon was S-rank...and his capabilities was at least two times mine. I won''t be able to win. Grimacing, I decided to use a forbidden technique - OverLuck! OverLuck permanently transfers half of one of my stats into my luck. I chose my defense. Instantly, my luck tripled. When the demon rushed over to attack, suddenly, from below the earth, a huge earthworm emerges and literally tore the demon in half. To one-hit kill a S-ranked demon, this earthworm must be at least a SS-rank monster. The earthworm continued to devastate the rest of the devils. Once they all died, the earthworm approached me. Cautiously, I thanked the earthworm and asked why he had saved me. The earthworm, whose name was Lum, told me in the Language of the Worms that it was to repay a debt. When I asked what debt, he told me that earlier, I had saved a worm from death...that worm was his favorite great-great-great-grandson. Lum reached forward and blessed me with a mark. This mark would allow me to summon earthworms to fight for me. Afterwards, Lum dove into the ground and left. I approached the frightened Simurghs...there were only ten left...all relatively young. To be shaken and traumatized to such an extent, I pitied the once proud creatures. Years of solitude and hiding had deterred from their original radiance. In their language, I comforted them and assured that they were safe. I offered to find them homes if they decide to follow me. I know what you guys are thinking...and its true, I''m taking advantage of these Simurghs'' situation and winning some long-lasting loyalty. After a few minutes, the Simurghs agree. I got up and hopped on Blackie. We flew back to the guild with the ten Simurghs following close behind. Now...I just need to find a place for them to live...*cough* *cough* Shadow *cough* *cough*. Party Quest with Ruriha Just two more party quests and one more epic quest and I''ll become S-rank. I know Shadow is still working on finding an appropriate epic quest for me, so all that''s left is the two party quests. Hopefully, I can finish them quickly. Hmm, now who needs help? As I scanned the Tavern, I silently prayed to my goddess Lady Luck to show me the way. Immediately, my sights landed on a newbie named Ruriha. It seems like he needed help as I heard him muttering to himself. I walked up to him and asked, "Hey, I heard what you said just now. Want to party up with me?" The E-ranker looked at me and muttered ''kamen rider''...huh? Do I look like a kamen rider? I thought as I looked at my brown leather armor and bag. I touched my face to check if there was an insect mask...but I felt something else. Oh! That''s right, I was still wearing my new mask - Mask of Illusions. I would appear as whatever the other party wants to see. And I guess, since a kamen rider is a hero of justice who helps others in need, this is what this E-ranker is seeing me as. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Why are you helping me?" Ruriha asked. "Because Lady Luck showed me that you needed help. Plus, I need to finish some party quests to rank up." I replied...but he probably heard something like ''Saving someone from trouble is common sense!'' "My name is Khaos by the way. So, won''t you let me help?" .......... After partying together, we decided to do an easy rabbit killing quest. When we arrived at the location of Wandering Rabbit sightings, Ruriha asked me if I know of a way to easily catch these slippery little bastards. I reassured him that because I am a worshipper of Lady Luck, I get a blessing that increases my luck significantly. Rabbits will come to me instead. When the rabbits came, Ruriha attacked. I let him kill most of them. While I one-hit 3 of the rabbits, Ruriha killed the other 7. It seems that he needed more experience as it took him quite a while and he was quite inefficient. This guy still got a long way to go. Once we finished, we headed back to the guild to turn in the quest and received our rewards. Tritlas the Pale King "So bored...when are they going to finish the first part of the Morian Event Quest?" I muttered. It has been months since the adventurers had started moving against Morian. However, there was no news of their completion. In order to ward off my boredom, I decided to check up on the war between the Frost Giants and Fire Giants up in the north. Last time I was there, there were literally hundreds of Frost Giant camps and Fire Giant camps and they were in the middle of an all out war. I packed up some stuff and called for Blackie. We headed towards the Ash Plains. With Blackie''s speed, we were able to arrive in a few minutes. Looking at the ground from above, I surveyed the scene that appeared before me. There were a lot of destruction and deaths. Bodies from both sides littered the battlefield. I stared at the corpses...good materials just ready to be picked. I jumped off of Blackie and put on my Ghost Mask before I landed. After transforming into a ghost, I immediately turned invisible. In my invisible state, not only was I invisible, but I also erased all signs of my presence. As I roamed the battlefield, carefully avoiding the fights, I started collecting any and all of the useful materials such as fresh corpses, equipment, weapons, etc. Suddenly, I spot a corpse in the far left of the battle. This corpse was of a Frost Giant but his attire was completely different from the others. He...looked like a messenger or a scout of some sort. I walked up to the body and searched through his belongings. Oh...a letter...from the Pale Lady?! Isn''t that the Queen of the Frost Beings? What does she want? I opened the letter and read the contents. What''s this? Check up on the Pale King that was confined at the bottom of the Iceberg Sea?! If the King is weak, then kill him? Interesting...I''ll got take a look, could be worthwhile. As I stored the letter into my bag, I looked around at the battle. I still have a few quests to complete...shouldn''t be too hard. Still in my ghost form, I fluttered over to a few of the combatants. On one side, we have the Frost Giants with their Frost Mages who could summon Frost Spirits to battle. In addition, a group of Frost Mages could pool their mana together in order to summon an Ice Elemental. On the other side, we have the Fire Giants and their Fire Summoners who had tamed and summoned some of the nearby Ash Beasts. In addition, a group of these Fire Summoners would pool their mana together and summon a Lesser Flame Demon. With a few thrusts of my hands, I phased my arms through three Fire Giants'' and phased out their hearts. Then, I twirled my Skinning Knife and beheaded three Ash Beasts. I would kill more but I didn''t feel like it. Next, I headed to the Frost Giants side and started casting Fireballs at the Frost Beings. Each of my fireballs were doused with Wrath. The wrath will make the fireballs burn until there was nothing left of the original target to burn. I three some of the fireballs at the Frost Giants and incinerated three of them. Not to mention, a few of the Frost Mages were burned to death from the fireballs. One of the fireballs smashed into an incompletely summoned Ice Elemental. Though it was summoned, the process to finalize its power was unfinished. But, nevertheless, an Ice Elemental died, so I would count this as a completion. Now, unfortunately, the Frost Spirits do not have physical bodies, so the fireballs just pass right through. However, luckily, I knew that ghosts and spirits alike were essentially only clusters of essence that have taken shape. I charged towards three Frost Spirits and waved my hands, dispersing their essence using my Essence Manipulation technique and destroying them. Finished with my quest, I stealthily left the battle scene. After running a few miles, I arrive at the Iceberg Sea. Now according to the letter, there should be a prison of some sort...maybe a seal at the bottom of the sea. Taking off my ghost mask, I rummaged through my bags and pulled out the mask - Mask of the Water Maiden - a non-transforming mask. With this mask, I can breathe and fight underwater. Putting on the mask, I dove into the water. There were a number of fish in this sea...what''s this? This fish has fur! That''s new...wonder if it tastes delicious or not.... As I swam deeper, I found more and more new types of fish. Most of these fish tend to avoid me since the level of my aura that I''m giving off is worlds apart from them. Suddenly, something swam past me very quickly. I scanned the dark depths, straining my eyes to see. There was a faint outline of something long...is it a sea serpent? I readied my skinning knife and followed the outline. It was coming. It charged at me and I dodge to the right. At the moment of the dodge, I caught a glimpse of the creature that attacked me. It looked similar to a sea serpent...but it had legs. This...this is a water dragon! As the water dragon charge towards me once again, I sneered at it and lunged towards it as well. With a slash of my knife, I wounded the water dragon. It howled as it rushed away. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Realizing that it had retreated, I continued my dive. Near the bottom, I caught a few glimpses of glittering blue...upon closer inspection of one of the clusters, I realized that it was a type of new ore - Blue Iron. I broke off a piece and inspected it. This Blue Iron is a type of metal ore found in the depths of very cold and very dark regions. Blue Iron can be used to create armor and weapons with initial Frost attributes. This is a perfect find. As I pocketed some of the Blue Iron, I searched around the bottom of the sea some more. Suddenly, a voice resounded in my mind. "Why have you come here? Who are you?" I rubbed my head in slight discomfort before answering politely, "I am Khaos - an adventurer - I seek the one known as the Pale King." Now why am I being polite you ask? Well, for someone or something to speak directly within my mind, he or she must be incredibly powerful and I don''t want to offend someone in this cold and dark place...a place where I''m not in an advantageous position. I scanned around nervously hoping for a reply. "Why do you seek the Pale King?" "I wish to know about his relation with the Pale Lady and why she has ordered your death." "You don''t seem to be a Frost Being of any sort. How did you come about this information? Did that vile witch send you to kill me?" "I took it off a Frost Giant corpse. I''m guessing that you are the Pale King since you knew about Frost Beings and the Pale Lady." After some pause, the voice continued, "You are right. I am the one you seek. If you are a friend, show me some proof." "I have with me a hundred Frost Giant corpses." I replied as I took out the corpses from my storage ring. "Is this enough proof?" "Haha, it is. Fine, I will tell you my story. I am known as Tritlas the descendent of Poseidon and the original leader and owner of the Arctic Tundra. The vile witch that you call the Pale Lady used to be a mistress of mine. She got too greedy and allied herself with demons to overthrow me. Weakened by her surprise attack, I was pushed and sealed to the bottom of this wretched sea. Many...many years have gone by. My strength is nil. Even if you were to remove my seal, I won''t have the strength to leave the sea." "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Hmm, the Pale Lady may not know this, but I have one trump card left. If given enough Eternal Ice, I can resurrect into a baby but with my original memories retained. I would like it if you and your fellow adventurers could bring me Eternal Ice shards for me to use. I need about 1000 shards." "Sure, you can count on me." "Thank you. Oh and watch out for those water dragons. They were assigned by the Pale Lady to guard this place." "Okay." I bid farewell to the king and headed back to the surface. Then, I left for the guild. There should be a few new quests now for the guild to put up. Hmm...there''s the D-ranked Fur-Bearing Fish to catch as well as identify and catching other fishes in the Iceberg Sea, the B-ranked Blue Iron to mine, the A-ranked Water Dragons to slay, and the B-ranked Eternal Ice Shards to give to Tritlas within the month. Delivering Chidnas Child It has been a few hours since I have received news of Chidna''s freedom from her eternal sleep. The team tasked to rescue her has brought back both her and her unborn baby. As soon as I saw Chidna, I immediately checked her life essence. It seems that she is recovering well, though she is still weak from malnourishment and deficiency. Chidna looked around in wonder as she took in the unfamiliar scene. Humans and non-humans were cohabitating together and peacefully at that. There were even interspecies relationships. Back then, interspecies relationships were uncommon and mostly came from political reasons. Even her relationship with Gen would have been frowned upon if outsiders knew. Chidna observed her surroundings...the languages spoken were new to her. However, Chidna''s learning capacity is high as she was quick to pick up the language. Although broken, she asked, "Where...is...me?" "You are at the Adventurer''s Guild." Shadow replied. "We saved you because we wanted to befriend you and your husband Gen. We would like request his help in dealing with Morian." "Guild...where...Gen...." Chidna shook her head as she could not think and formulate the sentences. She felt helpless at being unable to communicate. Suddenly, I walked over and gazed deeply into Chidna''s eyes. As our eyes locked, I spoke in the Ancient Language of the Gods, "My name is Khaos. We, the adventurers, are currently at war with Morian. We would like to request your husband''s help." Chidna looked at me in surprise, "How do you know the Gods'' Tongue? No...nevermind that, you said Morian? You''re at war with them? Wait...my husband? He''s alive?" "Yes. We know where he is imprisoned, and we will soon free him. Will you help convince your husband to help us defeat Morian once and for all?" "Yes...thank Mother, Gen is alive. You hear that child?" Chidna sighed in relief as she looked at her womb, "You hear that my child? Your father is alive-kuuaaaa!" Chidna collapses onto the ground in pain. I rushed over and checked her pulse...shit! She''s going into labor! Who can help her give birth? I don''t have a clue in that field.... .......... The moment everyone saw what is about to happen, the whole crowd of adventurer started to murmur among each other. And the reason for that murmur is that some has said that Chidna is going into labor. And that is one of the most unexpected turn of event for every one of them. The Guildmaster, Shadow, is also in the same state of mind as the other. Confused and totally caught by surprise. He who is the wielder of Picatrix, doesn¡¯t know what do at the situation. Of course, he knows how to do the labor process. He also knows how to do the labor process for a lamia as Wiya¡¯khiy has ¡®injected¡¯ the knowledge of it into his mind. But all of those are only theoretically. Doing it in real life is a very different matter. And handling a procedure that might spell the life and death of somebody is not helping his worried mind. ¡°M-My Lord.¡± Suddenly, a voice from behind him took him away from his confused mind. He looked back and saw his lamia retainer, Chalusi. She looked at him with a rather timid expression, but somehow Shadow could see that her eyes have some sort of determination in it. ¡°I t-t-think I can help with that.¡± ¡°You do!?¡± ¡°E-Eek?!¡± Shadow, to being told something he never expected to hear, grabbed her shoulder in lightning speed, surprising the poor lamia instantly. But he was grabbed by his wife, Erdatiel, that also gesture him to calm down and stopped scaring his retainer. He nodded weakly and then looked at Chalusi. Ignoring the clamor that was happening around him. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Is that true, Chalusi? Is that true that you can help her? With her child labor?¡± ¡°I c-can. I have been trained by the e-elder in my village to help for them to deliver their child.¡± Hearing that answer from her, Shadow let out the biggest smile of the day. Who would have thought that the answer was so close to him? He rejoiced in his heart at that. ¡°T-That¡¯s great! Then we can¡­¡± Then Shadow stopped and realized that there are some conditions that they might have to solve first. The first is that since Chidna is a poisonous being, just touching her blood might poisoned the one helping it, in this case, Chalusi. Then the second part is Chidna¡¯s condition. She is terribly malnourished and weak. An operation or something will decrease her condition further and risk killing her. So before Chalusi can help her deliver her child, they must be able to fulfill those conditions. ¡°QUIET ALL!!!¡± Shadow¡¯s shout reverberated through the room, silencing everyone. He then started to explain his plan and about how that Chalusi can help Chidna in that matter. At first, there was confusion again as they murmured. But then Dancchi and Reachii came to him. Dancchi said that she can ask Midori to keep the poison at bay since Midori is very accustomed to poisonous substance and she is her guardian until recently. Then by supplying initium energy to make a thin membrane-like shield to Chalusi¡¯s body, the poison can also be deflected. Reachii in the other hand, will concentrate on Chidna¡¯s and the baby¡¯s health. She will supply them with constant stream of life force combined with Midori supplying poison substance. Dancchi also will assist by securing their lifeline so that their condition is more stable. After formulating the plan, Shadow and the others quickly go to their station to prepare for said operation. After that, the operation started and everyone concentrate and pour their whole effort on their job. To keep Chidna''s alive. To keep her child alive. It was a race against time. It was a long and difficult procedure. But in the end, they managed to done it. While Chidna''s was still unconscious, she is breathing regularly. The child is also in good shape. In the end, they managed to save the mother and the child. .......... Once Chidna gave birth to a large black egg, I went over and placed my hand on the egg. The life essence in the egg seems stable at first...but then I realize that there were some abnormalities. I can''t tell for sure what those abnormalities were but it doesn''t seem to be negatively affecting the child''s health. Upon closer examination, I realize the egg still had at most a few days more before it hatches. I handed the egg to Chidna who wrapped a warm blanket around it and slung the wrapped egg over her shoulder. "Don''t worry Chidna. Your baby is safe...though I could sense that there were some abnormalities." I told her. "What abnormalities?!" Chidna exclaimed in dread. "I''m not sure...we''ll have to see once it hatches." "Oh...okay." "For now, we need to go rescue your husband Gen. The baby will hatch soon and you probably want the baby to see both you and your husband first right?" I replied as I recall that monster/animal babies tend to view the first beings they see as their parents. "Yea...." I handed Chidna over to the guild who will continue taking care of her. Then, I talked with the guildmaster to organize a five man party in order to free Gen from his underwater imprisonment. Party Quest and the Red Dwarf When I heard of Chidna''s successful rescue, I was about to do a party quest with Balthy. We were heading towards the North Volcano to kill off some Fire Spirits. I hopped onto Blackie while Balthy got on his transportation and we speedily rushed towards the volcano. Upon arriving, I used my Essence Manipulation to sense the surroundings for any highly-dense clusters of Fire Essence. After all, a Fire Spirit is basically a large clump of concentrated Fire Essence. After spotting some nearby, I muttered a silent prayer to my goddess Lady Luck before I motioned Balthy to follow me. Soon, we arrived near the mouth of a cave at the bottom of the volcano. Peering inside, I see a large pool of lava. By the lava, there was a large amount of Fire Spirits...close to 20 of them. Why are there so many at this particular spot? Are they guarding something? Could it be that there is a treasure at the bottom of that lava pool? I took out a Fiery Breeze pill and popped it into my mouth. This Fiery Breeze pill is a pill that boosts my cold abilities as well as enveloping me with a cool breeze that protects and further increases my resistance to fire. Then, I motioned Balthy to prepare for the attack. .......... I had heard news of Chidna being rescued so according to a prior agreement, I chose a quest and went on it with Khaos. The quest I had chosen was to slay 5 fire spirits and Khaos seemed to have no problem with it. He seemed to talk less than Hikari and that was fine by me. I teleported to the volcano and 3 seconds later, Khaos came riding in on his mount. That thing was fast as hell, I wonder what it tastes like. I stowed that thought for later and Khaos motioned me over to a cave at the bottom of the volcano. While I was thinking of different things, he must have located them using his methods.We arrived and looked at them to notice that there were at least 20. They had to be guarding something and I figured Khaos must have figured that out as well. He nodded towards me which I took as ''prepare to attack'' and I did so. I put a thumbs up in his direction and he nodded. I then teleported right into the middle of them and unleashed an ice spell that obliterated at least half of the opposition.Before I could get the rest, I looked around and saw that Khaos had taken care of the rest fairly easily. .......... I rushed in to the cave and start casting Freeze on the Fire Spirits. Although this low-level Ice magic can''t do much damage to the Fire Spirits, it can however slow their movements down. Once slowed, I raise my hands and aimed them at two of the spirits. With quick flicks of my fingers, I controlled the Fire Essence within the Fire Spirits and dispersed them, essentially destroying their intangible bodies. Then, I took out a jar and manipulated the Fire Essences into the jar. I continued on with this process until Balthy and I finished off all 20 of them. Then, I told Balthy to wait for me while I search the bottom of the lava pool. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I took out my mask - Mask of the Fiery Demon and wore it. This mask increases my fire abilities and increases my resistance to fire and heat. Then, using the Lava Shaping skill, I parted the lava pool. As I climbed down, I could hear the sizzling below my feet. Good thing I wore my mask...I can imagine how hot the floor must be. As I continue to search, I finally came across what looks like a red orb. I reached out to touch the orb only to jerk my hand back in pain. This burning sensation was unbelievably painful...wait burning sensation?! Even with my mask on, I could be burnt? This red orb is dangerous. I calmed myself down a bit and activated my Maker''s Domain. A field gushed out from within me and enveloped the surrounding area including the red orb. Now anything in the range of my Domain will be rendered harmless to me. I reached down once again and touched the red orb...surprisingly, it isn''t solid. In fact, it is a gas!...A heavy gas at that! I took out two jars and coated the inside with my Maker''s Essence in order to protect the jars from the gas. Then, I stored half of the red gas in each jar. After I finished extracting the gas, I appraised it:
Name: Red Dwarf Rank: S Type: Heavy Gas Potential Uses: Unknown Notable Attributes: Unknown...may increase heat resistance...may increase Fire abilities
This item is so powerful, even my Appraisal skill can''t fully identify its uses. Well, I guess we''ll have to do the old fashioned way - trial and error experimentation. Anyways, I deactivated Maker''s Domain and climbed out of the pool. Then, I handed one of the jars to Balthy as it can be considered his share of the treasure. Then, we headed back to the guild. Defense Against the Undead Army Hearing the announcement for defending against a large Undead army and how most of the Undead were weak to Fire Magic, I thought...wasn''t this a quest just for me? With my abilities in fire, I decided to go ahead and help out a bit. Who knows...maybe I can get some good materials too. I walked out of the tavern and sent a mental transmission to Blackie. Seconds later, Blackie arrived. I hopped on his back and we headed towards the battlefield. When I arrived, I see that quite a few adventurers were already here. I patted Blackie''s back, signaling him to continue flying and fire Fireballs at the enemies below. Then, I jumped off of Blackie''s back. Immediately, I cast a large Luck Boost Area Field which increases the overall luck of my allies with the field. Then, I rushed into the disarray with my Skinning Knife drawn. I began decapitating Zombies and Jianshis and burning Draugrs and Skeletons. As I continued to attack, I sensed an eerie feeling...this was danger! I rolled to the side just in time to dodge an arrow. To actually cause me to feel danger, whoever fired this arrow must be strong. I turned around to look for a powerful monster...but I only saw a Skeleton Archer. Can''t be.... No, it is! The Skeleton Archer started running towards me and rapid firing many arrows that curved and slanted and hid in the shadows of other arrows. This Skeleton Archer must be a powerful archer or hunter when it was alive. It was unfortunate that he had died and was pitifully raised as a mere Skeleton Archer. I decided that I want this monster. I raised my speed up with one of my Dragon''s Roar Techniques and charged forward. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a mask of a Moon Elf whose corpse I found and looted in the Arctic Tundra. Apparently, a tribe of Moon Elves once lived there. Anyways, taking the mask out, I made a few marks on the mask to make it into a binding mask. Then, I charged into the Skeleton Archer''s range and placed the mask on it. After a few squirms, the Skeleton Archer transformed. He had become a moon elf. With my mask, I have permanently made him into a Moon Elf and given him speech as well as other living qualities. This method was essentially like an inferior version of the method my master used when he helped created the first existences. I then placed a Mark of Deathsworn onto the Moon Elf causing him to forever serve under me. With my new helper, which I named Ranger, we continued to fight off the Undead army. Overall, we each had killed close to 30 Zombies, 20 Skeletons, 20 Draugrs, and 10 Jiangshis. Apparently they dropped some kind of stone which I picked up...are these monster cores? I wasn''t sure. Maybe the guildmaster knows. Pocketing them, I continued killing and collecting. .......... After killing some more Undead, I realize one important thing...for a Lich King, his army was missing some generals. Maybe, he''s saving them for later? Anyways, while Ranger and I fought deeper into the ranks of the army, I once again felt that dread I felt from Ranger. *ACHOOO!* Whew.... I was about to rub my itchy nose when I felt a saber miss my head. Wow, thank Lady Luck...if I didn''t sneeze, my head would have been disconnected from my neck. I turned around to see my assailant and found a Draugr in heavy armor carrying a two-handed sword. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Ranger, this one is mine. Take care of any interference." I roared amidst the battle cries. Ranger nodded his head in understanding and I charged towards the Draugr. Raising my Skinning Knife, I smashed it towards the Draugr. Surprisingly, it blocked the attack. As I kept slashing, the Draugr kept dodging. I even used feints and counters yet this monster was still able to dodge...it''s not memory...can''t be muscle memory either...could it be bone memory?! Actions that were used so much that it seeped into their bones...only grandmasters were capable of such feats. I see...like Ranger, this Draugr was a powerful figure when it was alive. Now, it''s haplessly summoned as a mere Draugr...a pity to this monster as well. I want it. Reaching in my bag, I pull out a mask of a Minotaur. Holding this mask up, I made a few marks on the mask to make it into a binding mask. Then, I froze the Draugr with a Freeze spell and then charged into the Draugr''s range and placed the mask on it. After a few squirms, the Draugr transformed. He had become a Minotaur. With my mask, I have permanently made him into a Minotaur and given him speech as well as other living qualities. I then placed a Mark of Deathsworn onto the Minotaur causing him to forever serve under me. Afterwards, I decided that there''s not much to do left so I decided to leave the battlefield with my two new servants and let the others handle the rest of the situation. I walk up to the guildmaster and submitted the stones I collected from the monsters. .......... After hearing that monsters were attacking Aeternus, I hurried back to set up a few defenses. As I approached Aeternus, I started gathering Holy Essence. Once I arrived, I had gathered a massive amount of Holy Essence. With my Essence Manipulation, I enveloped a thick layer of Holy Essence around and on Aeternus. With this condensed Holy Essence in place, any Unholy monster will feel weak when they get too close and any Unholy monster will die when they touch any part of Aeternus. Next, I set up a Luck Boost Field to increase the luck of Aeternus, allowing it to avoid disasters more often. Finished, I went back to my adventures. .......... Once I received a notice that the Undead army was retreating and the raid was almost over, I decided to visit the battlefield one more time. As I approached the grounds, I saw many corpses of Zombies, Skeletons, Vampires, etc. There was a thick layer of Death, Ghost, Phantom, and Unholy Essences in the air. Using Essence Manipulation, I separated the mixture of essences and stored a condensed version of each in a jar. Each essence was condensed so much to the point that they became raw liquid form. After storing the essence, I started manipulating all the Blood Essence that were on the ground and combined the blood mixture. Initially there were some bloods that were not compatible with each other, but with my high level of blood manipulation, I was successful in mixing the bloods...although the mixture was unstable. I stored the active mixture into a special container that contains a protective layer of my Maker''s Essence. Next, I started collecting all the corpses on the field - Zombies, Skeletons, Draugrs, Vampires, etc. Now you may wonder why I''m collecting all these...well, I''m gonna make an Abomination. After finishing collecting most of the usable monsters into my storage ring, I quietly left the battlefield. Rescuing Gen Part 1 Khaos''s POV: After hearing about the rescue mission, I went into my room and brought out two masks from a sealed box in my storage ring. To break the seal, blood of a Maker was needed. I took out my Skinning Knife and sliced my right hand. I placed the bloodied hand onto the box. The blood flowed into the box and the seal glowed. With a *pppsssshsshhshhh*, the seal disappeared and the box opened. I lifted up the lid and smiled at the contents in the box. There were twelve SSS-ranked masks in the box that my master made and gifted to me. I took out two of the masks - Lady Luck''s Warmth and Divine Touch. Lady Luck''s Warmth was a mask with only one attribute (Supreme Luck) and one skill (Luck OverBoost) and this mask was bound to me and only me. Anyone else who dared to wear it or even possess it without my permission will instantly have all of their luck absorbed. The second mask Divine Touch was a mask with only one attribute (Supreme Regeneration and Recovery) and one skill (Resurrection). Like Lady Luck''s Warmth, Divine Touch was also bound to only me. Anyone else who dared to wear it or even possess it without my permission will instantly have all of their health and lifeforce absorbed, killing them. The only problem with Divine Touch was that it can only allow me to heal others and not me. I looked at the other ten masks in the box and closed the lid. Maybe next time, I''ll bring them out for a spin. I resealed the box and stored it in my storage ring again. Taking the masks, I stored them in my bag and headed towards the Tavern. .......... Shadow''s POV: An airship flying the flag of the Adventurer Guild roamed across the sea near the Sea of Serpent. The guild heavily armed ship is flying a bit lower than usual and maintaining a steady speed, as if not to disturb the tranquility of the ocean. But with the amount of weapon drawn and aimed all around, it is clear that they are not on a peace mission. On the deck of said airship, one could see five different individuals stood with a rather relaxed expression. Well, two were wearing masks, so it was not quite the right expression. But almost none of them let out any feeling of urgency or danger. That was proof of how confident they are in their own skill. ¡°Okay, we are going to be near the place in 2 minutes.¡± My voice filled the deck as I stood in front of my large mechanical spider, Arkley. I, then, pulled out four identical boxes from inside my spatial gloves and placed them near the group of four. ¡°Inside each box you can find two sets of potion. The first one is this,¡± I pulled out a small potion filled with dark blue liquid and then continued, ¡°This is the deep sea potion. By drinking this, you can withstand the deep sea pressure and also breathe underwater easily. The effect is about 2 hours, more or less.¡± Then I put that potion back into the spatial gloves and pulled out another, this time filled with dark purple liquid. ¡°The next one is this. By drinking this, you can see in dark area. The side effect is that your eyes will glow slightly, so be careful as you might alert the enemy. But don¡¯t worry, it is only a slight glowing. The potion will be in effect for about 2 hours too.¡± After that, I put the potion back into my spatial gloves and then looked at them. ¡°There are 3 bottles for each potion. I also put 3 bottles of rejuvenation potion there. I know that you have powerful magic, but please use the potion if possible to conserve your magic. We don¡¯t know what will happen there.¡± I took a deep breath and then pointed at the location of their mission. ¡°We will drop the rescue team there while I and Dancchi will go a bit far to wreak havoc there. We will distract the monsters as best as we could. When you''re done rescuing Gen, swim up and then call me via the emblem. I will teleport the ship there and then teleport us to the special in Aeternus. Try your best to conceal his presence before we get to the chamber. After we get to the chamber, all magic will be nullified, so you can rest assured it will be sufficient to conceal his presence. Due to the ship¡¯s size and Gen¡¯s possible size, we only have three chances to do it at most.¡± Then a sudden metallic sound came. All of them looked at the source and found that it was from Arkley, tapping his metal mandible. ¡°Master Shadow, everyone, we will arrive in 15 seconds.¡± ¡°Thanks, Arkley. Okay, everyone, get ready! We will rescue him!¡± The other four nodded and they all get to their position. .......... Biel''s POV: ¡°Thanks, Arkley. Okay, everyone, get ready! We will rescue him!¡± Shadow exclaimed. I walked until I reached Dan. I took her hand and gave her a soft kiss, "Please take care honey~~." After I gave the three Water Breathing Potions to her, I walked to the border of the ship and jumped. While falling, I let out a huge amount of Chaos energy from my body, a quantity big enough to break the reality around me. I concentrated it in a sphere around me, and then I use the hole in reality to make a sub-dimension around me. Soon after I finished the dimension, I or rather the Dimension I made hit the sea and submerged. As I dove deeper and deeper, it started to become dark. I started to use a combination of Life-Force detection, Death-Force detection, and Energy Flow detection to understand what was around me. I detected many sea monsters which obviously can''t detect me because I''m technically outside this dimension. I used Mind magic to peek in their minds and discovered that they were being Influenced by the Seals on Gen''s prison...so that was why they were protecting it. I ordered them to leave the area as fast as they can...an order which they were incapable of ignoring. Soon, I found myself near a giant earth mound, which I easily identified as Gen''s prison. I didn''t even need to look to understand which curse was put upon it. It''s in fact one which I have in my blood, so it will be as simple as breathing to remove it. But from the look of the Death magic on it, I will need some time to dispel it. I started to analyze and work on it while the others arrive and do their work. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. .......... Balthy''s POV: I watched Shady give his thanks to some guy that I didn''t know the name of. Never bothered to learn. Biel saddled up on Danchi and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before employing her magic and jumping into the water. Not one to be left behind, I used shadow magic to phase me out of the material plane and dove in the water. Through the darkness, I could see many figures both distant and close but I couldn''t get an exact read on their number, nor did I try to. I descended lower and lower before hitting a mound. I noticed that all the sea monsters were fleeing at a fast pace. Biel must have done something. I found my way to the seal I was in charge of and stared at it. I had no clue on what the hell to do. Might as well study it quickly so I could dispel it. .......... Khaos''s POV: Taking the potions from Shadow, I store them into my bag. Then, I grab my mask - Mask of the Water Maiden and put it on. This mask of mine lets me breathe and fight underwater. Before I jumped into the water, I activated my Eye of Odin which will let me see in the dark as if it was daytime. Then, I jumped into the water and swam after what I believe is Balthy. Upon arriving, I see both Biel and Balthy studying the seals they''re assigned to break. I don''t see any sea monsters nearby so I assumed that they had taken care of the monsters already. Reaching into my bag, I grab a deep sea potion and consumed it. Then, I took off my mask and switched it with my mask - Lady Luck''s Warmth. With this mask on, my luck as well as the luck of my allies increase exponentially. Hopefully this will decrease any chances of failure when we began the unsealing process. .......... Dancchi''s POV: Bi went down before me, deri. I should do it before her but she beat me into it, deriyo? Well¡­ she¡¯d be all right deri. But then what about my part if she went down first derika¡­. Ah, just do it deri. I dove downward and right before I plunged into the ocean I activated [Angelic Layer] deri. With this, I didn¡¯t need Shadow¡¯s pill, deri. And I can fly underwater like the ocean was nothing but air, deri. No water pressure, no movement restriction, deri. Ugh, I still need the pill, deri! I don¡¯t know why but it¡¯s hard to breathe even inside [Angelic Layer]¡¯s dimension, deri. Perhaps because it needs the actual air to be transferred inside derika? And since it¡¯s in the ocean that the air was very restricted derika? Uhh, I don¡¯t know¡­ Since [Angelic Layer] emits faint light, I don¡¯t have any difficulties in seeing the deep underwater, deri. It was just a bit hard since the seeing distance wasn¡¯t that far, deriyo? Maybe it won¡¯t be too much of a hassle deri¡­. Because all the aggressive creatures were heading straight to me, deriyo? Un, krakens, megalodons, all sorts of big dudes were coming to me, deriyo? First it was kraken. Two krakens against one angelic fox, deri. I tried a new skill, deri. [Thunder Orb] - it was an orb made of initium with the attribute of Deena¡¯s scorching thunder, deri. The size was a little smaller than my head, but I could see the dense electric streams inside it, deri. It was also shining brighter than me, deri. With the way it floated around, I think it also ignored the gravity, water resistance, and inertia, deri. Much like the Angelic Layer, deriyo? It was small, but when I tried to make it shoot a thunder, *ZABOOOOM!* A condensed dense ray of laser came out, deri. A single attack, and the giant sized kraken was done for, deri. It also produced an intense water whirl due to its trajectory effect, deri. And even more monsters were sucked into the whirl deriyo? Most of them were harmless small fishes so I could ignore them, deri. And then there were 2 megalodons, deriyo? I killed one of them by that laser again, deriyo¡­. Ah, haven¡¯t named this laser derika? Let¡¯s call it [Railgun] deri! Because it shot straight like a train on rail, deriyo? And then when the second megalodon came, a strange, much more bigger creature came deri. I could not see how big it was, but it swam graciously like floating, deri. It appeared slow, but it was an illusion because of its sheer size, deri. You know, when you see a building collapse from afar it looks like falling slowly, right? It was like that too, deriyo. It was like a thick, transparent red-orange blanket, deri. And it enveloped the massive sized megalodon in one wrap, deri. The megalodon¡­ maybe it ate the megalodon in one gulp, deri. Scary¡­. But thank god I didn¡¯t need to kill this mysterious and beautiful creature, deri. It left after it ate megalodon, deriyo? I stood watch and there was nothing else happening, deri. But when the rescue team did something, I saw numerous of signs coming for them, deri. So I deployed 3 Thunder Orbs and baited them to my place, deri. And the result was not disappointing, deriyo? Big fishes, mini leviathans, deriyo. Uhh¡­ can I just call them ¡°Levi Fish¡± derika? Despite the size, they could swim faster than megalodons, deri. Oh, they manipulated the water pressure to support their movement, deriyo? So they have brains even though they looked fugly deri. Didn¡¯t matter, deriyo? Even though all 5 of them attacked me simultaneously by shooting water jets and ice needles, as long as they couldn¡¯t breach Angelic Layer¡¯s dimension they couldn¡¯t touch me, deri~. But then again, why couldn¡¯t I breathe easily if I can defend against big attacks like these? Um, um, whatever, deri. I killed 3 of them because I didn¡¯t want their attacks strayed to the rescue team, deri. With only 2 of the Levi Fishes left it was easy to control their directions, deri. I kept playing with them because it was a good way to getting rid of boredom, deri. There weren¡¯t any other monsters, deri. Maybe because they were afraid of those Levi Fishes, derika? Rescuing Gen Part 2 Shadow''s POV: ¡°Arkley, is everything ready?¡± ¡°A few second more, Master Shadow.¡± ¡°Tell me if it ready.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Shadow.¡± Wearing a trench coat, I pulled out my spy glass and surveyed the whole situation around the sea. On the surface of the sea, I could see a lot of waves and ripples, and also some occasion small explosion. I knew that the explosions were coming from Dancchi, the other member in charge of making distraction. At one glance, it looked enough to just let her do it. But I did not want to take any chances. ¡°Master Shadow, everything is loaded and ready to go.¡± A slight metallic sound came from behind me, but I kept my eyes on the surface of the sea around the prison. ¡°Aim every cannon at the sea around the prison. Make it so that it hit in a random place.¡± ¡°Understood, Master Shadow.¡± ¡°As for the ballista, let them be ready to shoot at enemies that may attack us from the sky.¡± ¡°Understood, Master Shadow.¡± Arkley then tapped his metal mandible as to response to his master¡¯s order. Then the deck was filled with various sounds of engine and gear moving around. ¡°It is ready.¡± ¡°FIRE!¡± Sounds of explosions came after I issued that firing command. The ship shook after each cannon released their load toward the sea. Thick cloud of smoke covered the whole deck, making visibility close to nothing. When the smoke dissipated, a figure of me still holding onto my spyglass could be seen. A small smile decorated my face. Below the airship, various explosions courtesy of both Dancchi¡¯s skill and also my ship''s bombardment could be seen. Pillars of water reached the sky as each explosive round detonated inside the sea. It was truly a scene of chaos. ¡°Load the next one!¡± ¡°Yes, Master Shadow.¡± Just after that, I finally put back the spyglass. I then leaned onto the railing while looking at the chaos below. ¡°Let¡¯s hope the distraction is enough. Go release him quickly.¡± .......... Biel''s POV: Using my Mind magic to create many parallel minds to watch over the details and using analyzing magic, I studied the Death magic in the Prison and noticed that it was a variant type of the spell "Vrash''s Wrath". It''s a problematic spell where its formations and effects change depending from each caster and each target. But its weak point is that if the spell wasn''t used by a powerful and wise Death magic user, its formation will have holes. I start to use my own Death Force to flicker within the formation, bringing it in and out again while searching for its holes. After some minutes of scanning a good part of the whole formation, I found that not only were there holes, but there were also some parts of the formation that were relatively weak. So, I created more parallel minds to start to flicker with these parts and slowly alter them. Whenever I find one hole, I made a parallel mind and used it to start to inscribe a small magic formation that will be inserted in the hole which will be used to corrupt the rest. After some more minutes, I finalized the analyzed information and confirmed that all the weak parts were altered. After that, I created formations to fill all the holes. I touched the prison while swirling black runes and magic formations surround the prison and me. All that I have to do now was wait for the others to finish their preparations. .......... Bathy''s POV: Yup, it as I suspected.... I have absolutely no clue on what I''m doing. I mindlessly stared at the seal for a couple of seconds and wondered what the hell it was, the only clue was the faint familiarity I felt with it. Probably because of the fact that the seal and I have both demon and divine parts. Hmmmm.... If only I took the time to study seals. So far, all I know was that a seal was basically a lock, and all locks can be bypassed. So all I have to do was find the correct combination? Simple enough but well, I don''t know where to start. I can sense that the seal has something to do with blood however, so I started with that. I nicked my arm with a summoned sword and manipulated the blood to appear next to the seal. There was a definite correlation between the blood and the seal as they both started vibrating slightly. I used my aura to infiltrate into the seal and after exploring, I found that inside of it was basically a three-dimensional maze - four floors. But, something wasn''t right. The hell was the point of the maze without a door or anything? I thought about it for a couple of seconds and in that time, Biel seemed to have finished her seal. I sighed internally and continued thinking. It was a maze, it resonated with blood. Maybe if I guided the blood through it? That wouldn''t work, the blood was corporeal and the seal''s maze well, wasn''t. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Then, what if I extracted the essence out of my blood and guided it through? It was plausible. So, I tried. Extracting the essence was easy, but as I got further into the maze, the maze started changing and becoming more complex...something it didn''t do when I originally examined it. Eventually though, after some time, I made it to the end. Remembering the warning about having to unseal the seals at the same time, I left a piece of my aura to restrain the essence from moving as I came back to my senses and waited for Khaos to finish preparing for his seal. .......... Khaos''s POV: As I see the others get to work, I decided that I might as well get started as well. I closed my eyes for a while as I mentally and spiritually prepared myself. After a while, I opened my eyes and immediately activated my Eye of Odin. Coupled with my ability to sense essence, I scanned the prison and saw traces of Gen''s life essence mixed with the essence of the prison itself. I must admit, the essences have been blended real well. Slowly, I raised both my hands and begin manipulating the two essences with my Essence Manipulation skill. Sweat trickled down my temples as I concentrated on the job. Slowly, I divided the mixture of essences into two distinct parts - Gen''s life essence and the Prison''s Earth Essence. Then, while keeping these two essences separated, I moved the Earth Essence as close to the surface as possible and Gen''s life essence as close to the core as possible. This way, the life essence will be as close to Gen as possible. I looked at the others to make sure they are ready. On a count of three we will begin unsealing. Hopefully they know that immediately after unsealing, Gen will be exposed and his body will be very weak to the pressures of the sea. I can quickly equip my Divine Touch mask to heal Gen and recover his stamina but it is better if we can leave the sea as soon as possible. Anyways, I nodded towards the others and raised a hand...3...2...1.... .......... Biel''s POV: Seeing Khaos''s signal, I made my countdown as well...3...2...1...0.... I push my hand into the Earth Prison and make a grabbing motion, sinking my fingers into the rocks and calling the curse on it. With a pull, I tore the curse off. At the same time, the flaws on the magic formation that I corrupted shone bright and started to activate all the formations. However, the Runes and Circles that were floating around the prison rushed toward it and connected themselves into the formation. While I pulled my hand back, I brought out a dense black fog that whirled around me as a maelstrom. The formation shone with intense black light, but then, the parts I made and corrupted started to shine with a dark gray light. Instantly the gray light started to expand, turning what was once black runes into gray ones. Then they collapsed...destroying the formation...and making the magic erase itself. I opened my mouth and sucked the destroyed magic towards me. As the ominous black vortex rushed into my mouth, I closed my mouth and absorbed the contents. .......... Balthy''s POV: Seeing both Biel and Khaos unsealing their portions, I rapidly unleashed the aura that was holding down the essence. What followed after was fairly anticlimactic as the door simply burst open, unlocking the seal completely. My disappointment was cured, however, when I saw a large amount of Demon/Divine essence coalescing behind the door. I stared at it peculiarly before understanding what was going to happen. I was only momentarily surprised before I used my own blood essence to encase the Demon/Divine essence as one layer. I wrapped that with my aura, effectively making two layers for extra protection. I gritted my teeth as it exploded and my face became pale. It harmed me a bit. Feeling that it may be useful in the future, I merged my aura and essence with the Demon/Divine essence and stored them for safekeeping. .......... Khaos''s POV: 3...2...1...0.... As soon as I finish counting down, I made a pulling gesture with my hands. As my hands pull outwards, the Earth Essence expands and the Life Essence contracts. After some extreme breaking point, all of the Life Essence was sucked into the prisoner while the prison exploded outwards, debris flying towards me and my fellow adventurers. Not wasting a single moment, I rushed towards the weak body in the center of the explosion and placed Lady Luck''s Warmth on Gen''s face. Then, I swallowed the potions Shadow gave me that lets me breathe underwater and see in the dark. Next, I wore the mask Divine Touch which will help speed up the recovery of Gen''s health and stamina. Alright! It''s time to head back up. Hopefully Shadow knows we''re done and teleports us back to the ship. Rescuing Gen Final Part Biel''s POV: After the Prison exploded, I saw that Khaos was put something on Gen to help him recover. So it''s time to hide him eh? I instantly expanded the mini-dimension that I made and pulled them in. That way it would be impossible to find them as they won''t be even in our dimension. Afterwards, I sent a telepathic message to Shadow and Dan. "Things are done here~~." .......... Dancchi''s POV: Oh, they''re done, deri! Now, I must go back as well, deri. But I have to make sure there''s no monster tailing us...and there were some, deri. So, I made smaller [Thunder Orbs] and sent them away, deri. They followed my shiny orbs, deriyo? Good thing those fishes were dumb, deri. Threat levels aren''t always accompanied by intelligence, deri. After I made sure the Levi Fishes are far away, I teleported to Bi, deri. I clung to her until Boss teleported us out, deri~. .......... Shadow''s POV: A wide grin appeared on the my face as I received the report from the rescue team. They have successfully retrieved their target. I then jumped to the edge of the ship and saw that they were not far from the ship. Meanwhile, the ship continued to bombard the sea around them without stopping. It was a good thing that they have done their mission very quickly as my ammunition stock was running low. ¡°Arkley, prepare the teleportation device. Set it to full power.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Shadow. It will be ready in 5 seconds.¡± ¡°Plenty of time for us. Go straight to them!¡± Another grin appeared on my face and then I pulled out my spyglass. At the end of my spyglass was the rescue team. After I bit the button inside my mouth, a slight flash appeared on the place where I just stood and then I teleported right next to the rescue team. Without wasting a single second, I threw the spiders onto them and they attached themselves to each and every one of them, including Gen. The spiders themselves were attached to me with some special cable. I then bit the button again and a slight flash appeared where our place was originally in the ocean. The group itself appeared on top of the deck with a loud ¡®thump¡¯ sound due to the sudden weight addition to the wide deck. I was on my knee, breathing roughly and sweating profusely. It was evident enough that the last teleportation took a lot for me. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°A-Arkley! Teleport! NOW!!!¡± ¡°Acknowledged. In 3¡­2...1..., teleportation device activated.¡± A large buzzing sound filled the area around the airship and a loud booming sound followed soon after that. The whole ship then vanished into thin air. At the Adventurer Guild HQ, a lot of the guild staff have been standing there in standby. The same serious and tense expression could be found on their faces. Then suddenly a loud explosion happened on top of the area. They all looked at the explosion and then a single shout came from a single elf. ¡°Retrieval team get ready! Anti-magic squad deploy the magic circle now! Clear the way to the null magic chamber! Move! Move!¡± It was Erdatiel. She who was in charge of the ¡®welcoming committee¡¯ barked order after order the moment she saw the Guild¡¯s airship appeared. Thanks to that, the landing of the airship was done very smoothly and an army of guild staff stormed the deck to retrieve their target together with the rest of the rescue team. Among the staff, as expected, was Erdatiel. She found me leaning onto Arkley with a pale face and my eyes closed. But the moment she stepped near me, I opened my eyes and moved looked towards her. ¡°Job well done, Guildmaster.¡± She praised. A small tired smile appeared on my face. ¡°Thanks, Erd. Has everything been dealt with?¡± ¡°The rest of the team had moved together with Gen and they will enter the null magic chamber while being covered by the other team. We are constantly monitoring the magic flow around the place and so far not a single ounce of magic energy has been leaked out of the perimeter. Our scout has also reported that the magic wave around Aeternus has done its job to cover any sudden magic presence Gen would give.¡± ¡°Ah¡­..wonderful¡­. I guess the battle will be next, eh?¡± A slight frown appeared on her face, "Don¡¯t die like last time, Shadow.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh? What a quick and firm answer. Are you really Shadow?¡± A light snicker came from her. In turn, I just let out a small smile. ¡°I need to be alive to at least pay back my debt to that damn turtle. I¡¯ll chop that damn turtle to pieces for destroying our city.¡± Reunion of Husband and Wife Chidna was in her room in the Tavern recuperating on the bed. She looked at the large black egg wrapped in many blankets that nestled next to her. She could feel it...the child would hatch soon. Suddenly, Chidna coiled up - her senses alert. There was a familiar feeling...a sensation she had missed for so many years. She turned her head trying to sense where that familiar aura was. Upon finding it, she grabbed her egg and slithered out of the room. She slid down the stairs and out of the Tavern. An airship had just arrived from the horizon and was about to land. Chidna slithered closer as the ship landed...this feeling...could it be Gen? As she looked on with hopeful eyes, a group of figures approached the rails of the ship and a ramp extended out from the ship to the ground below. As the group descend, Chidna could make out the people who had saved her as well as the mask user...Khaos...who promised her that he will save her husband. They''re back from the rescue mission...could it be? As she looked on, Khaos approached her. "W-Were you successful? D-Did you rescue him?" Chidna asked as she brought the egg in her hands close to her chest with anticipation. Khaos looked at her and nodded, a smile plastered on his face. Chidna cried with joy as she heard his confirmation. She followed Khaos''s finger towards the back of their group. Shouldered by two adventurers was a man of haggard appearance. It was her husband - Gen! At this point, Gen had seen Chidna as well. They looked at each other hesitantly, years of separation had made their reunion...awkward. Gen abruptly broke out of his trance as tears rolled down his eyes. He looked at the naga before him, a word escaping his lips. "Chidna...." Upon hearing her name, tears welled up in Chidna''s eyes as she rushed into him. Gen slowly and weakly lifted his arms and embraced her...feeling her warmth. As he confirmed that she was real, Gen cried as well. "Chidna...my beloved wife! I thought you were dead! How...how is this possible?" Gen asked as he looked at his wife lovingly. "I was able to access some of your memories and through that, I was able to find out that your wife and child were alive." Khaos explained. "Child?" Gen looked up in surprised and finally saw the large black egg in Chidna''s arms. "Is this...mine?" "Yes!" Chidna smiled. "This is our baby." "M-My baby!" Gen smiled as he thought about being a father. As the two looked at their baby egg, it suddenly trembled. Chidna squinted in surprise and exclaimed that the egg was about to hatch. Khaos told everyone to step back and give the future parents some room. After all, they need to be the first ones the baby sees after hatching in order for imprinting to be a success. Everyone stepped back but they all strained their necks to see the newborn baby. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. *CRACK!* *CRACK!* *CRACK!* A large piece of the egg broke away and a head poked out...it looked like a dragon''s head?! As more and more pieces of the egg fell, the baby scrambled out with all of its strength. After acknowledging Gen and Chidna as its parents, the proud father and mother brought the baby over for everyone else to see. And what a sight it was! The baby had a normal turtle shell with small spikes but its neck and tail were incredibly long. The baby had a dragon-like head with whiskers and horns. Its four leg were long and sturdy as well. What kind of hybrid creature was this? Khaos looked at Gen and Chidna expectantly, his eyes hinting his curiosity. Gen chuckled as he saw that everyone else were wondering the same thing. He told everyone that the baby was a rare hybrid called the Dragon Turtle. "Have you decided on the little guy''s name? Wait! Is the baby a guy or a girl?" Shadow asked. "Ah...look at our excitement here. We nearly forgot to check the gender. Hold up a bit." Chidna replied embarrassingly as she checked the baby. Suddenly, Chidna cried out in alarm. "The baby! There''s no reproductive organs!" "What?" Gen exclaimed in disbelief as he reached over and checked as well. "I-It''s true! What happened?" "I think I may know what the cause of this unfortunate occurrence is. It''s probably due to this...." Khaos replied as he proceeded to explain about the baby''s condition during Chidna''s coma and how there may have been some side-effects from the environment. "...but don''t worry, I''m sure someone in the Adventurer''s Guild could have a solution to this problem." "No! No need...although this can be considered as a setback, but Dragon Turtles were considered the strongest as asexuals. Maybe once the child had reached a certain power level, then the child can use its own power and choose what gender it wants to be. It''s for the best. I don''t want my baby to become a boy only to find out its behavior is that of a female and vice versa." Chidna rejected as she explained her reason. "Okay. So what will you be naming the child?" "We have decided this long ago. No matter if the child was a boy or a girl, we would name him or her Genna." "Genna? Good name." "Thanks." "Well, you it''s getting late, you guys should get something to eat. Come, I''ll show you around." Khaos replied as he led the family of three to the Tavern. "Okay! Nothing to see here, everyone go back to your business and your quests. We will also need to prepare for the final battle soon." Shadow replied as he motioned the crowd to disperse. Whittling Morians Treants Hearing that Morian has awaken and that the adventurers were laying siege on his territory, I quickly headed towards the guild to check out the raid details. After confirming a few things, I left the guild and summoned Blackie and Agaricus. Once they arrived, I told them to go to the Rainforest Vale and kill a number of Treants and Ancient Treants. I specifically tasked Blackie to aim at their bodies and Agaricus to collect their leaves, prioritizing the leaves of the Ancient Treants. I plan to forge a few masks using those leaves. I also cautioned to Agaricus to look for a black Ancient Treant. If he can find one, I want him to not only take the Ancient Treant''s leaves but also the seed that it will definitely drop. After issuing my tasks, the two supporters of mine immediately took off. As they headed for battle, I rushed towards the Tavern where Gen, Genna, and Chidna were staying. I need to heal Gen as well as explain to him what we want him to do for us. While I was explaining to Gen, Blackie and Agaricus had arrived at the scene. Immediately, they started attacking all kinds of Treants and Ancient Treants, burning them to smithereens and collecting their leaves. After explaining what Gen needed to do in our siege against Morian, he agreed despite the worry Chidna had initially displayed. However, after some promises, we were able to persuade her to agree as well. I left the family of three to recuperate while I headed towards the battlefield. Riding a dragon made from Dragon Essence, I quickly arrive at the location. A little bit in the distance, I saw Blackie and Agaricus raining terror and fire on the enemies below. As I near my two supporters, I saw that they were fighting with a coal-colored Ancient Treant. Perfect! As Agaricus plucked the leaves from the Ancient Treant, Blackie attacked it with fire blasts. Seeing the coal-colored monster persisting, I rushed towards the monster and punched a ten-ton punch. With a thundering boom, my fist exploded into the tree monster, puncturing it. While my hand was still within the Ancient Treant, I enveloped some simple Fire Essence around my fist which lit the Ancient Treant on fire from the inside. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The Ancient Treant screeched in pain before collapsing. While it burned, I caught a glimpse of a golden pearl-like substance that fell from within the dead monster. Quickly, I picked the object up and examined it. Yes! This was what I was looking for...this was the Seed of Flora - a seed with unimaginable power if consumed. However, that was only one of its properties. The other one...the lesser known property...was that this seed could be planted and give birth to a Treant King. Pocketing the seed into my storage bag, I whistled for Blackie to land. With a leap, I hopped on Blackie''s back with Agaricus and we flew towards Camp E behind Jungle Lord''s Abode. Time to weaken this Immortal Monster and prepare it for the final kill. New Subordinate After the adventurers defeated Morian and Gen was chosen as the new guardian of the Rainforest Vale, the adventurers decided to head back to the guild to rest and celebrate. However, while the last remnants of the fighting force withdrew from the battleground, I quietly made my way towards the site where Morian had been killed. The scene of the death was still fresh as I could feel the death essence lingering in the air. Nevertheless, I was not worried as my goal was not affected. I closed my eyes and felt around for my Makers Essence. Now, in the past few quests and skirmishes with Morian, I had injected or mixed some of my undetectable Makers Essence with Morian''s Essence. This was not only to spy on Morian, but also for something else...something more important...gathering rich Morian''s essence upon Morian''s death. After a few seconds, I felt a sliver of my Makers Essence and followed after it. Upon arriving at a clearing, I found a large amount my Makers Essence all gathering in a pit. Entrapped within the layer of Makers Essence was over 80% of Morian''s Essence. Nice! I jumped into the pit and started meditating. In a flash, I quickly absorbed the rich essence that used to be Morian''s. With this boost in essence, my stats increased dramatically. However, something happened at the later stages of my meditation. A sharp, numbing pain coursed through my body. I roared with pain but no one could hear me. My body started transforming...transforming until I became a large turtle - about the size of a mountain. I had basically become a mini-Morian! Dammit! Is this permanent? I calmed my nerves and continued to meditate. Maybe, I will revert back once I absorbed all of Morian''s Essence. But...after many hours of absorbing, I did not completely revert back to my original form. My body had shrunk and become more humanoid, but I looked more like a turtle beastman than a human. What do I do now? As I pondered about my predicament, I recalled something from the past when I was sifting through information I had gathered from Morian with my Makers Essence. Morian...had a clone body! And a weak one at that! Morian had recently - in the past thirty years - created a clone body in case his main body had died like what had happened now. Maybe Morian''s clone body could figure out what was wrong with me and how to cure me. Anyways, no one noticed the clone body because it was located somewhere else. In fact, the clone body is actually in Oakenlake Kingdom! Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I rushed towards Oakenlake Kingdom. Thankfully, though the kingdom had seen a lot of fighting and damage, it was still standing. I slipped in while the elves were busy reconstructing and headed towards the Mother Tree. Now here''s the twist...did anyone remember that elf that was turned into a tree? The second prince - Morgal Oakenlake? Notice how his name was Morgal and not a name that began with Th- like Thrion and Thorhil? Instead, the name Morgal had Mor- like with MOR-ian? That''s right! Morgal was...is the recently created clone body of Morian! Now, the main issue comes...how do I get Morgal to revert back to his original form? Well, that''s impossible, but I have another way. I reached into my bag and pulled out a treant leaf. I folded the leaf using a special method I chanced upon in the past and made a horn. This was the one-use, mini-version of the Treant''s Horn. I lifted the small horn to my lips and aimed at the tree. With a breath, I blew the horn causing a leafy rasp to emit. This sound traveled to the tree and caused it to shake. With a deep sigh, the tree came to life and uprooted itself from the grounds. The tree of Morgal had became a treant! However, the effect of the Treant''s Horn only lasts for an hour. I looked at the confused Morgal and described his situation to him. Then, I gave him two options - tell me how to revert back and become my subordinate or revert back to a tree in an hour''s time. Obviously, Morgal did not want to become a tree again and so, he complied with the first option. Turned out, I only needed to wait a few more hours before my transformation becomes complete and I revert back to my original form. I smiled with satisfaction at the answer Morgal gave me. I reached into my bag and pulled out all 121 Five-Colored Leaves I was rewarded for my participation in the raid against Morian and fashionably created a mask. This binding mask will not only keep Morgal in a tree-like humanoid form, but also have him submit to me for eternity. After reverting back and acquiring a new subordinate, I headed back to the guild to look for some quests. War of the Avians - Plead for Help It has been a few months since I last visited the North Mountains. I wondered for a bit on whether or not the war between the Firebirds, the Wyverns, and the Rocs had reached a turning point or not. Last I ventured into the battleground, I found that there was a falling out between the Wyverns and the Rocs. Not to mention, the Firebirds were at an advantage. Since there were no news of the war-bent beasts, I assumed that they have reached a standstill. Either that or the Firebirds were defeated. Nevertheless, this is worth checking out in order to determine and locate any possible future threats. I strode out the tavern after a hearty breakfast and looked towards the sky. With a sharp whistle, I called for my companion - Blackie, making sure to notify him to bring Agaricus along. I have some need for the slime...excuse me...polyp''s abilities. Seconds later, a black fiery dot appeared in the sky. With my Eye of Odin, I could clearly see that it was Blackie. As the dot grew bigger, I took a step back to give Blackie some room to land. After another second or two, the black Firebird variant landed gracefully...a black slimy head popped up from behind Blackie. "We''re here. What will we be doing today?" Agaricus spoke as the telepathic words entered my head. "We''ll be checking out on the war in the North Mountains." I replied, noting the aggressive annoyance Blackie showed for a brief moment. "Don''t worry Blackie, soon, we''ll end those monsters that have ruined your childhood. I promise you that." The black Firebird bowed his head and chirped his thanks. After I checked my bag one last time to make sure I have all my supplies, I hopped on Blackie''s back and we flew towards the North Mountains. As we took our time leisurely flying towards our destination, I observed the grounds below for any signs of suspicion. None...so far. Once we were only a few hundred meters away from the location, I caught sight of the extreme wear and battle-torn landscapes. The war had taken a large toll on the environment and needed to be put to a stop once and for all or else all of North Mountains and the surrounding regions could face certain destruction! Upon seeing the North Mountains, I urged Blackie to descend. I didn''t want to be spotted and get mistaken for an enemy by the paranoid and war-torn combatants. Once we landed near the foot of the North Mountains, I looked at the scenery behind me. I recalled last time that there were massive armies camped in the North Mountains and in the borders of the Great Plains. But, now, not a single soul in sight. Could the Rocs and the Wyverns advanced? Could they have pushed the Firebirds into the North Mountains? I strained my ears to listen for any sounds of battle...after a minute or two, I could hear some slight screeches. With my multilingual abilities, I was able to discern the screeches to be war cries of the various participants of the war. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "The fight is up ahead. Blackie, go scout the situation. Remember to fly low and avoid detection until I arrive." I whispered to the black Firebird. I turned towards Agaricus and replied, "You follow me. Stay behind me and don''t attack unless I say so." The two supporters of mine nodded their heads in agreement. Blackie leapt into the air and took off deep within the mountains while Agaricus and I ventured forth along the stony paths. Along the way, we caught sight of bodies strewn everywhere and a thick death lingered in the air. Blood and burnt smells cringed my nose as I looked around. To many, the bodies on the ground may look like rotting, polluting corpses. But to me, they were treasured materials ripe for the picking. I nodded towards Agaricus who immediately understood. He slithered towards the corpses and rifled through the parts, sifting the good materials from the waste. While Agaricus was busy collecting materials, I surveyed our surroundings in case there were any stragglers. Suddenly, I noticed a slight stir from the corner of my eyes. I hurried over to the movement and removed some of the debris to reveal a Wyvern, its wings torn and a its stomach ripped open with guts spilling out. Even with its wound that can prove to be fatal for any human, the Wyvern was still filled with vitality. However, the Wyvern peered at me with frightened eyes. It was terrified of my presence as it could not defend itself if I was to attack it. I placed my palm on the Wyvern and calmed it down as I spoke to it in the Language of the Dragons. "Calm down. I will not harm you. Can you tell me the situation here? What happened to the war? Where''s the Wyvern Lord?" "You can speak the Dragon Tongue? No...you even know of our Wyvern Lord! Y-You must be the Mask Maker." "I am he. How did you know that?" "The Wyvern Lord spoke of you. Please...you must help our Wyvern Clan...please!" "Calm down. Speak. Tell me what exactly happened." War of the Avians - Demon Bone Wyvern "Those damned Rocs!" The Wyvern coughed as it spat out a curse, "They had withdrawn from the war. Sure we didn''t care if they withdraw or not, but not only did they withdraw, they had also notified the Firebirds of our battle plans. Those wretched chickens!" "What happened next? What of your clan?" "When the Firebirds attacked...they took us by surprise. Tens of our brethren fell before we could retaliate. However, our blessed Wyvern Lord still managed to drive back the enemies. All the able-bodied Wyverns followed the Wyvern Lord and chased after the fleeing Firebirds. That was two days ago." "And you don''t know what has happened now?" "You are very wise. That is correct. I fear for my lord and my fellow clansmen. Please...I heard you are an adventurer...please accept my request. Help save my clan." The Wyvern coughed a few times and stared fervently at me. I looked into his eyes and replied, "I do not do things for free. What will you give me for my help?" "I thought so...c-can I trust you to complete the request?" "You can." "Then, I offer myself." "Yourself?" "I am not stupid. I know that I have a few more days to live. Even if I survive, without my wings, I am nothing. Kill me and use my body as materials. That is you payment." "Courageous!" I exclaimed when I heard the Wyvern speak its reason. "May I know your name?" "I am Sulnu - daughter of Krosgund son of Erzegac." "Sulnu...I, Khaos, disciple of Zero will uphold your request and accept the payment." Sulnu smiled at my answer before her eyes waver and subsequently dim. Sulnu had finally let go as her soul departed from the world. I placed my hand over Sulnu''s eyes and closed them. Then, with a wave of my hand, I reached out...and grab a hold of Sulnu''s spirit. This move of mine surprised the ghostly figure. She looked at me with fear and respect. She did not expect that I had such a formidable ability. What surprised her even more was what I had said next. "I can give you another life. Do you want to take it?" "You...how is this possible? H-How can I hear you? How can I u-understand you?" Sulnu whispered, her eyes widened with shock. "I am multilingual...that means I can speak the Language of the Dead as well. So, my offer still stands. What will you do?" "I...my past life is done and I have no regrets. If you offer me a chance for another life, then I will gladly accept. I, Sulnu, daughter of Kros-...no...that was the past me. I, Sulnu, will serve you for the rest of my life. You have my word." "Good." I smiled as I waved my hand once more and swiped Sulnu''s soul into my storage ring. Then, I turned my gaze to the dead Wyvern corpse and told Agaricus to disassemble it. After Agaricus completed the job, I tasked him to bring out all of the bones he had acquired so far today. Soon, a small mountain consisting of Roc, Wyvern, and Firebird bones appeared. I rummaged through the bones and began selecting. Now some may wonder what I am doing. Well, being an Undead, I have acquired some interesting abilities that I have not shown so far in my days as an adventurer. I felt that today was the day to display my hidden cards. After a good amount of time, I finished selecting the materials for my spell. Taking the bones, I rearranged them until I made a skeletal abomination. The skeleton before me had a Wyvern''s head, four Roc wings, a Roc''s front legs, a Wyvern''s hind legs, a Firebird''s body, and a Wyvern''s tail. With that done, I reached into my storage ring and brought out Sulnu. Carefully, I held the soul in my hand while I activated my Maker''s Domain. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Immediately, a giant black dome expanded from within me and enveloped me as well as a five meter radius of my surroundings. Within the domain, the ghostly essence of Sulnu''s soul flowed like oil. I rolled up my sleeves and began kneading the spirit essence while chanting incantations of Mask Making magic. After a shape of a mask was completed, I added a few drops of my Maker''s Essence-filled blood onto the mask, changing the color to red. Chanting some more incantations of binding and strengthening, the reddish color diminished and the mask changed back to its original transparency. I placed the binding mask on the skull of the skeleton. However, before I released my hand, I started chanting another set of incantations. This was a set of magic chants that was discovered by me when I was searching the ruins of a well-known necromancer who tried to create life from the bodies of different dead dogs. Anyways, the contents of this set of chants was to give the creature I making certain capabilities. The only downside is that what those capabilities were, I have no clue. The chants allow the creature to acquire three distinct abilities randomly from a list of one hundred possibilities. Soon after, I finished my incantations and a glow surrounded the skeleton. I stood up and backed away, giving the process some room to develop. Shortly, the glow intensified and I covered my eyes to avoid the flash. When the light diminished, I looked and saw the creature stand before me, looking at me with a curious expression...that is, if it had a face. "How are you feeling?" I asked. "A-A little weird...like I don''t fit...." Sulnu murmured hesitantly. "That''s normal. After all, this isn''t your original body. But, don''t worry, you''ll get used to it." "If you say so." "By the way, can you see your status? "Yea...." "Tell me what they are." "Okay." Sulnu said before describing her stats to me. After listening to her descriptions, I made a mental note on the summary of her status.
Name: Sulnu Race: Demon Bone Wyvern/Undead Affinities: Affinities change depending on bone type - currently Darkness, Unholy, Death, Fire, Wind, and Earth Skills: Incorporate, Death Wave, Demonic Possession, Fireball, Wind Blast, Earth Pound
When I asked what each of her skills represent, Sulnu told me that Death Wave was basically unleashing a wave of pure Death Essence causing wither damage and slowly killing everything the wave hits. The wave travels a distance of 20 meters before dissipating. Incorporate allows her to take certain bones of enemies she had killed and use them as her own, taking in any skills of the enemies. The skills taken were limited to one per bone. The three spells - Fireball, Wind Blast, and Earth Pound - were results of the three different types of bones her body was made from. Finally, Demonic Possession allowed her to demonize and possess a certain number of creatures as her subordinates. I was satisfied with her skills and decided to bring her along as we venture deeper into the mountains. War of the Avians - Kill About an hour later, we arrived at a cave in the middle of a mountain. We could see fire spewing out everywhere and hear sounds of fierce battle and screams of pain. Sulnu felt calm despite having previous close ties with the Wyvern Clan. When I asked her about it, she said that although the Wyverns were family once...they were now strangers. She explained how the apathetic feelings she have now may be partially due to the way she was created. She told me not to worry about it much since she did not. I nodded in understanding as I turned my head towards the battle in the distance. I mentally sent a transmission towards Blackie, notifying him that we have arrived. After a few seconds, the black Firebird variant arrived and landed in front of us. He glanced at Sulnu as I introduced her to him. Knowing that the Demon Bone Wyvern is our ally from now on, he nodded his head and turned his attention to me. "What of the situation?" I asked Blackie. Blackie looked at me and sent a thought transmission, "There were deaths everywhere. The Wyverns have lost many of their warriors including their Wyvern Lord. The Firebirds have cornered the Wyverns in a ravine, toying with them and preventing them from flying out." "How many Firebirds are there?" "105 of them." "Hmmm...did they notice you? Were you followed?" "Obviously not." "That''s good." "So, what will our plan be?" Agaricus interjected. Our minds were telepathically linked since we were in a party, so everything that Blackie had said was automatically transmitted to everyone else. I looked up at the morning sky and pondered a bit. "Let''s make haste. We need to take this time when the Firebirds were distracted and ambush them." "Okay." Everyone agreed. I looked towards the mountains and with a powerful leap, I landed halfway up the nearest mountain in front of me. Not turning around to wait for the others, I continued climbing the mountain. Upon arriving at the peak, I looked down and saw the Firebirds in the distance. I counted the number of enemies and found that there were 103 Firebirds. Strange...why was there two missing? Suddenly, a sharp squawk sounded as two Firebirds appeared from my blind spot and dove towards me. The noise alerted the other Firebirds as ten of them split from the main group and headed in my direction as well. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Get ready for battle!" I humphed as I took out my skinning knife and lunged towards the nearest Firebird. I raised my left hand and aimed my open palm at the Firebird. "Freeze!" The Firebird froze as thick ice enveloped the bird. However, due to its affinity to fire, the ice quickly melted. Nevertheless, that short period of time was all I needed. With a thrust, I stabbed my knife into the heart of the defenseless beast, ending its life instantly. As the Firebird fell, I did not look towards the second Firebird as it furiously pierced towards me. Just when the Firebird reached a foot away, it stopped abruptly. Its eyes widened with shock. It winced in discomfort and felt something was missing. The Firebird slowly looked down and saw a huge hole in its breast. A weird, black fluid protruded from the opening. This...what is this? It was Agaricus. The polyp had used its skill, Devour, and consumed a part of the Firebird. As Agaricus''s eyes met the Firebird''s, he gave an eerie grin and dove into the opening. The Firebird squirmed as it could feel the polyp course through its veins, pain increasing exponentially and a numbing sensation erupted in its body. Suddenly, the Firebird let out a loud squeal of wretched pain...and then silence. The ten Firebirds that just arrived as reinforcements had witnessed the polyp''s attack. They had heard the painful squeal of their comrade. Just as they could not stand the silence any longer and daringly approach the frozen-state Firebird, the flaming monster exploded. As guts and gore rained down on the surrounding area, Agaricus emerged from the torn corpse belching and patting his stomach. He had "devoured" all the nutrition and good things in the Firebird before "expelling" himself outwards. The Firebirds hung there in silence, a hint of fear slowly crept up from behind them and placed a firm hold on their hearts. However, that fear lasted for only a moment as the Firebirds remembered who they were and the honor and bravery they displayed throughout their lives as warriors. With a sharp cry, the ten Firebirds charged towards the black polyp, talons and beaks out ready to pierce and tear. War of the Avians - Annihilated But they did not get the chance to strike. Suddenly, a sharp forceful wind pushed at them and caused them to steer off balance. They crashed into each other trying to regain their stability and tumbled to the ground. What was that? The Firebirds looked around in confusion, wondering where the wind came from. Was there a Roc nearby? Their sights finally landed on Sulnu after a few dazed glances. Was this skeletal monstrosity the cause? "Who are you?" One of the Firebirds screeched angrily at Sulnu. "Die!" Sulnu roared as she jumped towards the Firebirds and landed heavily in the center of the group. The ground shook fiercely as cracks formed beneath Sulnu''s feet. The Firebirds collapsed as their legs gave way. This! This was the Wyverns'' special skill - Earth Pound! How did this monster learn such a move? But, before the Firebirds could think anymore, Sulnu lunged forward with her mouth open wide and she bit into one of the Firebirds. Even though, the Firebird in question had its body enshrouded with flames, the fire did not harm Sulnu. Sulnu clamped her mouth, refusing to let go of the Firebird and before the other Firebirds could do anything, she took to the skies. The other Firebirds flew after her screaming for her to let go of their cousin. Suddenly, a black streak flew past them. They veered their bodies and avoided the black streak. What was that? Before they could react, two Firebirds screamed in pain and plummeted down to the ground. What happened? The rest of the Firebirds looked at their fallen brethren and found that they were on fire...not with their own fire...but with a black fire. The black fire enveloped the two Firebirds, consuming their fire and continued to burn the two bodies to dust. "Who did this?!" One of the seven remaining Firebirds roared as they scanned their surroundings. "I think I know who did this!" Another Firebird exclaimed, "You remember that Firebird from back then? The black one." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "You mean...him?! Isn''t he de-!" Before the Firebird could finish, blood spewed out of its mouth as a claw pierced through its body. The other Firebirds gasped with shock as they saw Blackie perched on top of the Firebird, a menacing killing intent flooded the area. The other Firebirds shuddered as they froze in their spots, their bodies refused to move. Blackie surveyed the six Firebirds and with a glint in his eyes, Blackie disappeared in a black blur. Six whooshes...and six heads rolled to the ground. With a flare, all six bodies erupted in black flames, burning the bodies quickly and completely. All this occurred in a matter of minutes. The different ways these twelve Firebirds died did not escape the notice of the remaining 93 Firebirds. Quickly, the leader of the Firebirds nodded towards the group and immediately, 50 of them turned and rushed towards us. Immediately, I sent Sulnu a command. I told her to use her skill - Death Wave. Sulnu understood and took a few steps forward to meet the charge. With a loud roar, a deathly aura emitted from her body and swept over the fifty Firebirds. Although the skill was new and did not have enough killing strength, the withering power did slow down and even cripple some of the enemies. Nevertheless, all fifty Firebirds collapsed to the ground, Death Essence lingering on their bodies. Without giving them time to recover, I sped forward and soared to the skies. Using an advanced form of Essence Manipulation, I pulled the fifty Firebirds together by pulling their essence together. Then, I raised my hand and called forth my Flames of Wrath. With a menacing smirk, I threw the fireball into the pile of Firebirds. Screams of pain and death erupted as the Firebirds tried to put out the undying Flames of Wrath. But, the Flames of Wrath could never be put out until the substances they are burning had been reduced to nothingness. I watched as the Flames of Wrath made quick work with the Firebirds, leaving behind nothing...not even ash. War of the Avians - Face The remaining Firebirds gaped in surprise and fear. Fifty Firebirds...dead...just like that. Seeing that they could not take the aggressive route, the leader of the Firebird decided to see if there was any way to offer a peaceful negotiation. The leader still hold some charisma power over his subordinates and when he flew towards me, his warriors looked on expectantly. "This one is Pyre son of Ferno. We must have some misunderstanding and I represent my army and apologize to you for any inconveniences you have met thus far. We are currently at war with the Wyverns and it''s nearing the end. May I ask you to give me some face and allow us to finish this war?" The Firebird leader greeted. "You want me to give you face?" I slowly asked. "Yes, please accept my reque-!" Pyre attempted to reply but suddenly, he felt a searing pain on his face. A thick liquid-like substance flowed down his face, wetting it. Pyre gingerly touched his face and winced at the pain. He looked at his fingers and saw...blood? Pyre gasped in shock and looked at the person in front of him. The Firebird leader couldn''t help but notice the thing in the human''s hand. It...it was.... Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Sorry." I replied as I looked at the thing in my hand, "I only take faces." "Kuuaaahhhh!!" Pyre screamed as he finally realized what was in my hand...it was his face. Pyre reached up and tried to cover his face but the pain stopped him. "YOU! YOU BASTARD! I''LL KILL YOU, YOU MOTHERFU-!" But that was all the Firebird could say before I beheaded him. I didn''t really mind cursing...but if curses were directed at me, I tend to get...edgy. I looked at the remaining 42 Firebirds and flicked my wrist, signaling my supporters to destroy them. War of the Avians - Ending the Battle Without a word, Sulnu dashed forward and sent out another Death Wave towards the remaining Firebirds. Most of them were hit by the deadly wave of Death Essence, but some were lucky enough to react and ascend. However, they did not fly far when their bodies erupted in black flames as a black blur sped through their midst. The unlucky ones who were hit by the Death Wave fell to the ground below where they were met with a dark blob. The blob suddenly expanded and a suction force pulled their weak bodies towards the blob. This was a special skill of Agaricus called Devour. It allowed the young polyp to absorb everything and anything like a black hole. In just a matter of seconds, the remaining 42 Firebirds met their end. Silence echoed the mountains. The Wyverns, having heard the commotion of the fight, cautiously peeked from the ravine they were trapped in. They looked with horror at the gore staining the mountains and confusion at how there were no corpses in sight. A brave Wyvern flew out of the ravine and landed a few meters away from me. The Wyvern looked at me curiously before turning its gaze on my companions. When it saw Blackie, it yelped in surprise and hopped back. "Relax. He...We are not your enemies." I replied in the Language of the Dragons. "I recognize you. You are the Mask Maker. Why have you come?" The Wyvern stated after swallowing his fear. "I was requested by Sulnu to aid the Wyvern Clan in the war. I have completed the task." "Sulnu? You know my daughter?! Where is she? Is she okay?" The Wyvern asked breathlessly. "You are Krosgund son of Erzegac?" "I am. Please tell me, what of my daughter?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "I''m sorry. Your daughter has died like a warrior." I replied as I stole a glance at Sulnu who was standing behind me, impassively. "T-That!" Krosgund stammered as tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away before gazing towards me, "She was indeed a good warrior. I am proud of her." "Well. I have completed this task. I heard the Wyvern Lord was killed in battle. Who will be the one to take his place?" "That will be me. I am the nephew of the Wyvern Lord." Krosgund replied after sighing once more. "Well then, Wyvern Lord...if you need anything. You know where to find me." "Yes. Thank you for your help. Though this battle is over, the war with the Firebirds is not. Once we regroup, we will strike at the Firebirds at their main base. As we have lost many of our finest warriors, we are a bit shorthanded. I was wondering if we could request aid from the adventurers? "Um...I know I will help out as there is some hate between my friend and the Patriarch of the Firebirds. As for my fellow adventurers...I''ll need to discuss it with the guildmaster. If I receive a confirmation, how will I contact you?" Krosgund pondered for a bit before plucking off a scale from his body. He gave the scale to me and said, "I am giving you permission to use my scale, dipped with my essence, to make a mask. I''m sure with your capabilities, you will be able to make a mask that can communicate with me." "You''re right." I chuckled as I received the scale and stored it in my bag. "Well, take care. I''ll be going." "Thank you savior for helping us." Krosgund bowed as I climbed on Blackie and flew away with Sulnu and Agaricus close behind. Siege Preparations Part 1 After ending the war between the Firebirds and Wyverns, I headed back to the guild to prepare for the next stage. As soon as I returned, I notified the guildmaster of the situation. However, because of our recent battle against the immortal - Morian, the guild was also short on able adventurers. It seems I will have to do this on my own. Thus, I decided to prepare. I needed my own army. It was time to call everybody...my supporters...and my allies. Everyone! Listen up! I exclaimed as I sent a mental transmission to all of my supporters. It is time for battle. Everyone prepare and meet me outside the Tavern. With that said, I decided to prepare some things as well. First, I went to the Tavern and bought a number of alcohol bottles. Then, I went into my room and decided to grab a few items from my bag. I need to make a few weapons, pills, and other things. Hmm...what kind of things should I make? Ah! Don''t I still have a King Beetle mount? Such a low-leveled monster...it''s definitely time for him to get an upgrade. In fact...maybe I should give a few of my weaker subordinates upgrades as well. Since there will be a lot of things to take out of my storage bag, I decided to activate my Maker''s Domain. Once the domain was set, I began rummaging through my bag and pulling out a ton of things. Those things were:
  1. x4 vials of paralyzing poison
  2. x9 medicinal herbs
  3. x4 antidote herbs
  4. x3 vials of antidote
  5. x2 kilograms of Demon Metal
  6. x29 poor quality weapons
  7. x3 Rhino horns
  8. x3 Cyclops eyes
  9. x5 tons of Rhino meat
  10. x1 barrel of Rhino blood
  11. x3 Yeti skeletons
  12. x1 ton of Yeti meat
  13. x1 barrel of Giant Bear blood
  14. x1 ton of Giant Bear meat
  15. x3 tons of monster meat
  16. x1 Queen Beetle corpse
  17. x1 King Beetle egg
  18. x5 Ent twigs
  19. x207 Wyvern corpses
  20. x202 Firebird corpses
  21. x78 Earth Guardian Dragon corpses
  22. x51 Poison Guardian Dragon corpses
  23. x92 Plant Guardian Dragon corpses
  24. x1 Dual-type Earth and Poison Guardian Dragon corpse
  25. x1 Sea Serpent bone
  26. some sheets of Arachne silk
  27. x1 large boulder of Living Stone from Crooked Mountain
  28. x18 Vampire fangs
  29. x1 Black Vampire metal knife
  30. x1 skeleton from Dead Man''s Rest
  31. x1 Cloud Giant heart
  32. x5 kilograms of Iridium
  33. x5 kilograms of Orichalcum
  34. x5 jars of Morian''s Essence
  35. x4 Morian''s Essence potions
  36. x1 jar of Poison Maggot slime
  37. x1 jar of Frost Essence
  38. x1 Frost Giant corpse
  39. x19 good quality weapons
  40. x6 Fire Giant corpses
  41. x1 Refined Eternal Ice
  42. x5 Werewolf corpses
  43. x1 Fire Sword
  44. x101 Roc corpses
  45. x1 Lesser Kraken
  46. x1 Lamia corpse
  47. x10 giraffe-wolf hybrid Ash Beast corpses
  48. x5 Sea Serpent corpses
  49. x1 Living Golem core
  50. x1 bottle of Lightning Wisp
  51. x200 jars of Poison Essence
  52. x200 jars of Plant Essence
  53. x200 jars of Earth Essence
  54. x1 young Desert Worm corpse
  55. x1 Seed of Flora
  56. x1 scale of Krosgund
  57. Dislocation Technique
  58. Thousand Poison Art
  59. Earth Meld Escape Technique
That was a lot of items to take out. Initially, I wanted to take out the necessary items to make the things. However, when I looked at the surplus of corpses and whole skeletons, I decided to make a small army. This will take a lot of time...but yet again, time is irrelevant in the Maker''s Domain. And so, I organized all the materials in place and began working. First, I''ll make a number of concentrated blood pills. No...scratch that, I''ll make one super concentrated blood pill. I glanced at the amount of blood I have and made a mental note. Hmm...I have Rhino and Giant Bear...I could use the blood from the fresh, well-preserved corpses...nah. I got other uses for them, let''s just use Rhino and Giant Bear. After I gave it some thought, I decided to use the barrels of Rhino and Giant Bear blood. Since the blood isn''t from monsters, there were no toxins in the blood. I extracted the blood from the barrels and compressed the fluid before me. While I condensed the ball of blood, I chanted incantations of blessings and buffs in order to further enhance the qualities the blood will provide when consumed. What was a giant ball of red slowly darkened as it condensed into a black pellet. I took this black pellet and appraised it. Nice! This blood pill can increase the consumer''s strength, endurance, and stamina by at least a level. Not much use for me but for one of my weaker subordinates, it would be extremely helpful. So, I put the pill to the side and mused over the rest of the materials...what should I make next? Well, since King Beetle - let''s name him Kabuto - is the weakest of my subordinates, I should make a few items to buff him up. I took the two kilograms of Demon Metal and started to flatten, heat, and temper it until I successfully refined the Demon Metal and purified it completely. Taking the slab of Refined Demon Metal, I began to knead it like dough while mixing it with some of my Maker''s Essence. Then, I used my Flames of Wrath and started to heat the metal until it flowed as freely as water. As I kept the temperature fixed, I began to compress the liquid metal. This process was a little tough but somehow, I managed through and finally, I produced two vials of Heavy Refined Demon Metal. Now, many may wonder what could I do with the two vials of liquid Demon Metal...well, I''m going to carve a mask. Masks come in different variations. There were the more generally accepted masks that people wear...and then there were the rarer and more obscure masks. Masks...in the most obscure term...is a pattern of some material used to cover or imprint. In other words, tattoos and even etchings can be considered as masks. In this case, I will be etching a ''mask'' onto the King Beetle. This will only need one vial, so what should I do with the other vial? Remember, I have another King Beetle egg. That''s right, I will hatch that egg within the Maker''s Domain using heat from specially controlled Flames of Wrath mixed with a gaseous mixture of herbs and plants. Hopefully, I will be able to produce a variant King Beetle. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Well then, enough thinking, time to carry out the plan. First, I take the King Beetle egg and cast a few streams of Flames of Wrath, having them circulate around the egg. As I controlled the heat and the speed of the circulation so that every place received an even amount of heat, I threw all of the medicinal herbs, antidote herbs, vials of antidote, and vials of poison into the flames. The materials immediately disintegrated into gas. Trapped within the heat of the flames, the gas could only fuse into the egg. Now, I''ve never incubated an egg before and if it fails...well, I can serve it as egg tonic. Hopefully it doesn''t fail though. Anyways, after a few minutes, the egg trembled. It''s working?! I immediately cancelled the flames and set the egg on the floor. Cracks began to spread along the egg until *SNAP*, a piece of shell fell from the egg and an antenna emerged from the opening. The baby King Beetle struggled for a few moments before completely splitting the egg in half. What crawled out of the egg was something different from Kabuto. I guess they can be considered a King Beetle as long as they are beetles and regardless of the type. For instance, Kabuto looks more like an ironclad beetle with one large horn. This new beetle, however, looked more like a tiger beetle with furry legs and two long feelers. The striped pattern on its exoskeleton looked like the stripes of a tiger. When it scurried out, I could sense a poisonous aura emitted from the King Beetle. But enough of that, the speed of the King Beetle was tremendously fast. I have never seen a beetle zip around like that! I decided to name him Kon. With the poisonous aura coupled with the incredible speed, this King Beetle clearly ranked at least in the A-rank...vastly different from Kabuto who was only a D-rank. Not to mention, Kon is still a baby while Kabuto is full grown. Now that Kon was born, I quickly marked it with the Mark of Servitude. Then, I linked my mind with his so that we can communicate telepathically. Ah! Kon...is female? Then, I misunderstood...the egg I got wasn''t that of a King Beetle but of a Queen Beetle?! This is wonderful! After all, Queen Beetles are at least five times stronger than King Beetles. I can''t name her Kon anymore...let''s call her Kalia. I looked at Kalia and probed her mind. Kalia, can you hear me? I telepathically asked the Queen Beetle who was looking at me curiously. Are you talking to me? Kalia asked. Yes, you''re name is Kalia. Kalia...I like that name. Are you...mother? Haha, no. I chuckled. It seemed Kalia is undergoing imprinting. I''m not your parent. I am your guardian. You can call me godfather. Godfather...godfather...godfather.... Kalia murmured as she remembered my face. Once the imprinting was successfully finished, Kalia replied, I''m hungry godfather. Here''s some food. I replied as I reached into my storage bag and grabbed a few pieces of meat and vegetables. As Kalia fed on the food, I drew a long thin needle from a pouch under my belt and swiftly inserted it into Kalia''s neck, aiming for the pain acupoint near that region. With the needle in place, Kalia won''t be able to feel any pain from the neck up and the needle won''t affect Kalia''s eating in any way. Alright! Now, I drew a small knife that looked like a scalpel and began to carefully scratch at Kalia''s forehead. Soon, a pattern formed...it was the Mark of Transformation. I carefully poured a vial of Demon Metal into the cracks and spread the liquid until the indented pattern was filled. As the Demon Metal solidified, I placed my hand on the mark and chanted many incantations to increase Kalia''s stats. Gradually, the Demon Metal shone a dark luster that enveloped Kalia, covering her like a thin layer of metallic armor. When the incantations came to an end, the light dimmed and revealed a transformed Kalia - her exoskeleton now a dark, iron-like color. Kalia, on the other hand, did not pay attention to her external changes and continued to happily gobble up the food. I patted Kalia on the head and expertly removed the needle. Kalia looked up at me curiously and, as if sensing something was different, looked at her body. When she saw her color change, she was a bit surprised, however, when she felt that nothing bad was wrong with her body, she continued eating. After Kalia went back to eating, I silently appraised her again. The results were to my satisfaction. They were:
Name: Kalia Race: Queen Tiger Beetle/Variant Affinities: Poison/Earth Abilities: Poison Gas, Antidote, Bullet Slam
Not bad for a child. Though the skills are lacking, Kalia will learn more as she grow older. Anyways, with that out of the way, I looked over the items left and pondered over my next step. Since there were a lot of corpses, I decided to apply the Mark of Animation on them in order to resurrect them. The Mark of Animation was exactly the same mark used on me when I died. However, with my current skill level, my Mark of Animation won''t be as perfect as my master''s. The corpses will resurrect, however, they will not have much free will. All that''s left in them were battle instinct and mindless servility. Nevertheless, I began to arrange the corpses in rows and began marking them with the Mark of Animation. Hours later, all 763 corpses were resurrected. Looking at my small army, I nodded in satisfaction. Setting them aside in my storage bag along with Kalia, I looked at what''s left of the things I had pulled out and laid before me. Siege Preparations Part 2 Hmm...there were the three technique manuals that I got from a fellow adventurer a long time ago. Maybe it''s time to study them. I reached over and grabbed the three manuals - Dislocation Technique, Thousand Poison Art, and Earth Meld Escape Technique. I flipped through each of the manuals and found that the Earth Meld Escape Technique was the easiest to learn. So, I began studying the technique. Earth Meld Escape Technique requires the user to be ''One with Earth''. Naturally, I am far from that. In addition, the quintessence of the technique is to join or meld with the earth in order to escape. So, I began meditating...focusing my mind and opening my acupoints. I began to absorb, ever so slightly, the Earth Essence from the ground. Weeks went by...months...years...finally, I was able to open my very own magic core. Unlike the magic cores of monsters, my magic core could house many magic acupoints. However, I needed lots of resources in order to unlock each acupoint. The first one is always the easiest as it only required the absorption of essence. In my case, I had unlocked the Celestial Earth Acupoint from the years of constantly absorbing Earth Essence. Now that I had formed my own magic core and unlocked the Earth-Attribute acupoint, I can begin the second phase of training. Similarly to the first phase, the second phase also requires a lot of meditation. However, instead of meditating to open acupoints and absorb Earth Essence, this time I needed to focus on becoming one with the ground. Essentially, I needed to form solid connections with the earth beneath me...I needed to fuse with the earth. I don''t know how long this will take but I have all the time I need. And so, years went by until finally...I became one with the earth. The earth was a part of me...and I was a part of the earth. We are all parts of a whole. When I awoke from my meditation, I found myself a few hundred meters below the ground, my body completely assimilated into the earth. I could freely move as if I had phase through the ground. So this was Earth Meld Escape Technique? It is worthy of its high rank. Now that I had learned the Earth Meld Escape Technique, I moved on to the next manual - Dislocation Technique. Dislocation Technique is a martial arts skill that allows the user to accurately dislocate his or her enemies'' bones and joints. It required a strong background in human anatomy...especially bone and joint structures. There are 206 bones and 340 joints in the average human body. However, for rare cases involving people with high potential, they have been known to have 360 joints. In my case, I am one of the rare cases and thus I have 206 bones and 360 joints in my body. The technique manual was essentially a textbook detailing the different bones and joints in the human body as well as how each dislocation would affect the body. This type of martial arts skill does not only require extensive amounts of memorizing and comprehending, it also required massive amounts of practice. Thus, I began practicing the moves on myself. Some may wonder why I would practice such a painful martial arts on myself and not use one of the many soldiers I had resurrected. Well, one...they aren''t human and two...practicing dislocation techniques on myself can serve as a form of body tempering...especially focusing on the bones and joints areas. Thus I began to practice. Years went by as my proficiency increments. Finally, after a decade or so, I mastered the technique. Now, with two down and one left, I decided to take a break and do something else. I looked at the rest of the materials that lay before me and picked up the large boulder of Living Stone. Hmmm, what can I do with this? Should I make a mask out of it? No...it seemed...wasteful. As I glanced at the other items, I saw the Living Golem core. Aha! I can make myself a golem! But a simple golem would be useless in combat and could at most be served as an one-use shield, especially against the powerful monsters I will soon be facing. What should I do to make it stronger? Ah, I got it! With my plan in mind, I began to work. I took out my skinning knife and approached the two meter high boulder of Living Stone. I raised my knife towards the Living Stone and began to carve. About an hour later, the Living Stone became a stone skeleton. After learning the Dislocation technique, my understanding of the human skeleton had reached a profound stage. With my mastery, it was easy for me to carve a complete skeleton. However, for a stone skeleton, at best it could be considered as a mannequin of sorts. It can''t display the flexibility that a human makes due to the lack of joints. To make up for this weakness, I cut up a number of Arachne silk - known for its elasticity and flexible strength - and attached them to the stone bones. Thus, the Arachne silk could be served as alternative joints for the golem. Since stone is relatively weak, I decided to boost the stone skeleton''s defense by plating it with Orichalcum and Iridium. Orichalcum is a legendary rare metal that has been known to contain unlimited power. In the ancient times, this metal was used as a power source. In other words Orichalcum will provide the golem strength, power, durability, and energy. Iridium is known as a very hard and resistant metal. It is known to resist high temperatures as well as corrosion. With Iridium, the golem will be able to have high defense, endurance, and resistance. With that in mind, I took the five kilograms of Iridium and the five kilograms of Orichalcum from the pile of materials. With Flames of Wrath, I loosened the bonds of the metal, making it easier to mold. Then, I enveloped the metals on the stone skeleton in three thin and even layers first with Orichalcum and then with Iridium. Next, I take the Living Golem core, the Cloud Giant heart, the five Ent twigs, and the bottle containing a Lightning Wisp from the pile of materials. Now the Living Golem core, by itself, can reanimate a vessel but there will be nothing but mindless instinct for the golem. That is not what I wanted. I want a golem with instinct and a mind of its own. Thus, that is where the Cloud Giant heart comes in. Any heart would do but since I only have a Cloud Giant heart, well...it''s the one I can use. And so, I started to crystallize the heart, while preserving its properties. To crystallize a heart, it will take years of waiting and the usage of a sticky resin made from plants. This process is known as nature polymerization. First, I take the five Ent twigs and crushed them into fine powder. Then, I mixed some of the Cloud Giant heart''s blood with the powder along with some of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence. I mixed the mixture until it became a sticky resin-like paste. Then, I covered the resin onto the heart, making sure that the paste was evenly spread across the heart. Next, using constant and continuous high temperature and pressure, I hardened the resin into amber. This process took five years to complete. Finally, with a crystallized heart, I compressed it until it became the size of a small ball. Taking the amber ball, I began fusing it with the Living Golem core. By fusing the two objects together, I was able to create a solidified artificial soul. A soul is generally a condensed form of emotions and instinct. The Living Golem core makes the instinct and the crystallized heart makes the emotions. Then, I inscribed a Mark of Deathsworn on it. This will make whoever holds the artificial soul have undying loyalty towards me. Then, I placed the core on top of the skeleton''s sternum - in the middle of the manubrium region. I chanted incantations of binding and fusion as I pressed the core into the sternum. Once the core fused completely with the skeleton, two golden glows flickered in the skeleton''s eye sockets. With three short flickers and one final burst, the skeleton sat up. It looked around, confused. Currently, the animated skeleton is only a mindless golem with nothing but utmost loyalty to me. What''s next is to give it some free will and thinking ability. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. To do that, I need a spark of life - the Lightning Wisp. The Lightning Wisp is basically a condensed form of Lightning Essence. Think about it, a condensed form of pure Lightning Essence was able to produce a wisp - a spirit with free thinking. With this wisp, I can grant my golem the ability to think and make decisions. Not to mention, there were many connections and relations between bio-electricity and consciousness. Of course, I''m not a master in this field, but I know enough to conclude that in order to give something ''consciousness'', I would need some sort of electrical power source. Thus, I took the Lightning Wisp from the bottle and pressed it onto the skeleton''s forehead. After a series of incantations of fusing and binding, the Lightning Wisp was successfully integrated into the skeleton. At first, nothing occurred. But suddenly, lightning coursed through the skeleton''s body and stunned my hand. I backed away from the golem and waited for its consciousness to activate. *Hong!* The skeleton shuddered as the lightning continued to course through its body. After a few seconds, something changed within the skeleton''s glowing eyes. It seemed...brighter...energetic. The golem looked at me with curiosity and loyalty, a fine display of consciousness. I nodded towards it and told it that I am his creator. The golem bowed in gratitude for the chance at life. Of course, I am not done with it yet. After all, I have only finished creating the inner portion of the golem. What''s next is the outer portion. Initially, I had thought before that just this skeleton was enough...but as I brought it to life, I thought...maybe...I should attempt to create a flesh golem similar to the legendary Frankenstein monster. Thus, the next step is to create the golem''s flesh...and I have with me a plethora of flesh. I began digging through the tons of monster meat, looking for suitable parts for my golem. After finding all the necessary body parts and the accessory body parts, I began attaching them onto the golem. I used special Arachne silk thread to sew and bind the parts together as well as attach them to the skeleton. As for the accessory parts, I attached the wings of a young Earth Drake and gave it armor-like plating from the appendages of various Mithril Scorpions. I even attached an Unicorn horn on the golem and its eyes came from a Phantom Nightcrawler. Once completed, I took the remaining flesh and compressed them...until a ball of flesh about the size of my fist appeared before me. At this point, I continued to squeeze and compress the ball of flesh. However, this time, I started chanting incantations of buffs and enhancements in order to boost the properties of the flesh ball while turning it into a flesh pellet. In addition, I dropped a few drops of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence in order to nullify any negative effects the consumption of this flesh pellet could cause. Lastly, I ended the process with a small burst of the Flames of Wrath. This flesh pellet, when consumed, will grant significant boosts in stats. It can directly send an A-rank to S-rank. That''s how potent this pellet was. I will feed this pellet to Kabuto in hopes of him breaking past his current rank and reach to about the same rank as Kalia. Now that the golem was completed, I linked my mind to the golem and told it that its name, from now on, is Stein. Stein only nodded in silence. With a smile of satisfaction, I appraised the creature. The results were as expected:
Name: Stein Race: Abomination/Flesh Golem Affinities: Earth/Lightning/Plant/Nature Abilities: Summon Lightning Wisps, Tunneling, Absorb Nature
Stein was an A-rank supporter with three starting abilities. I''m sure that as it grows stronger, it will gain more abilities. I was surprised that it gained the Lightning Affinity from the Lightning Wisp, but I guess that can be dismissed as a blessing. I sent Stein into my storage bag and moved on to the next preparation step. Now that that was over, I decided to finish studying the last manual - Thousand Poison Art. As I flipped through the pages, I realized that the way to learn this art was simple. All I needed to do was to inject my body with many toxins...so much that my body develops resistances and an ability to produce my own poisons and antidotes. The book told me that I should start small...maybe with a weak spider bite and move up to something as strong as an Azure Kraken. However, I''ve already developed a strong resistance to poison. In addition, I do not have the required materials to learn this art step by step. So, I decided to speed things up. Taking 100 jars of Poison Essence, I pour them out into a large crater. Then, I submerged in the middle of the pool and began to cultivate. At first, the poisonous essence permeated into me with such painful intensity that I could not stand it even with my high resistance. However, as I gritted through, I was able to slowly adjust and get used to the pain. As the toxins broke down my body, my incredible regeneration quickly recovers what was destroyed. I sat in the essence pool for a good five years before my body was completely tempered by the poisonous essence pool. Next step is to temper my internal organs. I opened my mouth and began to consume the poisonous essence. At first, my body began to convulse because of the pain, but as time went on, I was able to withstand the destruction the Poison Essence was bringing to my internal organs. After I binge drank all of the Poison Essence, I began to meditate. Many years went by before I was able to fully absorb the Poison Essence. With the completion of the Thousand Poison Art, I can now freely produce my own poisons as well as my own antidotes. The only downside, as I found out later on, was that my arms had turned a dark purple as if bruised and my face had hints of green below the eyes and at the corners of my mouth. Nevertheless, everything else was the same. I can hide the green with a mask and the purple with long sleeves or gloves. Siege Preparations Part 3 So, what''s next? I scanned the rest of the items and saw the scale I received from Krosgund. I was told to make it into a mask to communicate with him if the Adventure Guild agreed to his proposition. However, that failed...so I guess I don''t need Krosgund''s scale now. I grabbed the scale and put it back into my bag. Maybe I should return the scale to Krosgund since it has lost its intended use. Once I put the scale back, I exhaled in exhaustion as I looked at the remaining materials. The essences I have out are to be used for my supporters. As for the three Yeti skeletons...I guess I have a few binding masks lying around somewhere in my bag. Hmm...okay, it''s decided! Let''s make some weapons! I took the 29 poor quality weapons plus one of the good quality weapons and melted them. Then, I began to temper the metal pool by purifying it and removing all of the bad qualities. Next, I separated the large pool of liquid metal into three equal pools. I used each pool to shape and make a sharp and durable katana. Then, I began polishing the three blades, making sure to keep in perfect condition. After all, smithing isn''t my strong point, so I need to place extra attention towards making and finishing the blades. While I was working, I noticed a sensation...a presence? Impossible, other than me, there shouldn''t be anyone else in the domain. I looked around but I could not see anyone. I closed my eyes and tried to locate the presence. It seemed to appear near the pile of materials! I opened my eyes and step back in shock. In front of me was a skeleton...no, the skeleton from Dead Man''s Rest! It stood before me, two blackish glows staring towards me...through me. It was as if it could see the deepest part of my soul. By habit, I hastily checked the skeleton''s status and was shocked at my discovery.
Name: ??? Titles: God of Death/Harbinger of the Undead Race: Undead/Grand Lich God/ Affinities: Undead/Unholy/Darkness/Death Abilities: Summon Undead, Darken the World, Death Wave, Unholy Boost, Death Seal, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ??? Specials: ???, ???, ???
The name is blank?! And there were ten unknown skills along with three special skills! In order for this to happen, this Undead''s level must be at least in the SS rankings. What is this Grand Lich God doing in the mortal world? "Who are you?" I asked cautiously. If this skeleton is a high level monster, then human speech should be no problem. "I am the God of Death, the Harbinger of the Undead, the Grand Lich God - End." The Grand Lich God replied. "Y-You...what do you want?" "You interest me. You...an Undead...acting like a human. Why do you do such a thing?" "Because I am human." "Idiot. Humans are weak creatures. They die easily and quickly. Each human life is only a moment in time. But we Undead, however, are eternal. Come! Cast away your humanity and embrace your Undead self. I command you." "N-No...." I replied as I struggled to resist his command. The power of a Grand Lich God who is known to be the closest being to death and the Undead was tremendously hypnotic. It took my all just to resist. "Why do you uselessly resist? What is so good about being a human?" "Many things! But the most important thing isn''t about being human. It is about serving under you. I am not a mindless zombie and you have no control over me. I am Khaos - Disciple of the God of Creation and Apostle of the Goddess Lady Luck! It will be you who will serve under me!" "Hmph! A mere disciple dares to contend against me! Death Seal!" End roared as he made a few gestures. Suddenly, dark magic shot from below me and grabbed a hold of me. All of my movements were sealed. I could not move...I could not think...I could not breathe. But...but I will not give up! My eyes flared up with determination and I roared in my mind. With a stroke of luck, the Grand Lich God loosened his hold of me in shock when he saw my determination and I was able to break free of the Death Seal. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Interesting. Fine then, I''ll give you a chance. Defeat me in battle and I''ll submit to you. However, if you lose, you will become my mindless servant for all of eternity!" "Who''s afraid of who! Challenge accepted!" Immediately, I unsheathed my skinning knife and charged towards the Undead. End smirked (or at least I think he smirked) and raised his hand. But nothing happened. End stared at his hand in surprise and quickly dodged the slash I sent his way. "What happened?! How come I can''t use Summon Undead?" "Haha, that''s because you are in my domain." "That doesn''t explain anything. Even in a mere human''s domain, I can summon Undead - especially with three skeletons right there." "But my domain isn''t human made. It was given to me by my master - the God of Creation." "Dammit! So that''s why...curse you! Take my Death Wave!" "Hmph! OverLuck! I sacrifice half my mana!" I roared as I used the double-edged skill OverLuck. This skill boosts my luck to the extreme at the cost of permanently halving one of my stats...in this case my mana. Luckily, mana is one of my more useless stats. Anyways, once my luck skyrocketed, the Grand Lich God''s Death Wave suddenly lost its effectiveness. "What! What happened?" End gaped in surprise. This was the second time his skills did not work. He refused to believe that it was a coincidence. "At the cost of half my mana, my luck has reached its maximum. You cannot defeat me because my luck is better than yours. I use Plunder!" I explained before raising my hand towards the Undead. With a swipe, I stole one of his abilities. Lucky! I got the Summon Undead skill. "Curses! If only I wasn''t weakened!" "Oh? You were weakened?" "Hmph! Don''t stick your nose in where it doesn''t belong! Unholy Boost!" End snorted as he boosted his stats. Then, he rushed towards me with his fists raised and ready. I snickered at the sight of the charging Grand Lich God. Trying to compete against me with fists? Laughable. Him a mage and me a warrior. It''s clear who''s going to win in a fist fight. End thrust his right fist towards me and missed. I had sidestepped to his back and gripped his spine. Hehe...its a good thing I learned that Dislocation Technique before this happened. With a sickening wrench, I completely dislocated the Undead''s spine. All of his spinal discs were pushed out of place. As End grunted in pain and collapsed to the floor, unable to move, I sneered at him. "Do you give? If not, I can dislocate more places." "If I wasn''t weakened, I''d have wiped the floor with you." End gritted through his teeth. "Hmph! Even if you weren''t weakened, I''d still win. In this domain, I am king." "Dammit!" "So, what will it be? Submit to me and become my subordinate or die and be resurrected as a Deathsworn?" "Kuh!" "Make your choice now while I still have the patience!" End sighed dejectedly and responded after some thought. He agreed to become my subordinate. With no time to waste, I formed a spiritual contract with the Grand Lich God. With a powerful subordinate like End, I can finally see certain victory against the Firebirds. After I formed the contract with End, I marked him with the Mark of Servitude. Then, I appraised him again but somehow I still wasn''t able to see the ten abilities that were censored, not to mention the three special skills. When I asked him about this matter, he proclaimed that it was because he was severely weakened when he fought against the previous God of Death for his position. After he raised his strength to peak condition, the skills will naturally be revealed. In addition, he will also gain three more skills that are specific to the God of Death position. Nodding in satisfaction at my gain, I dismissed End and stored him in my storage bag. Siege Preparations Part 4 After that was done, I went back to the three katanas I was finishing. Upon completion, I reached over to get the jar of Poison Maggot Slime. Then, I smeared the slime onto the blades in order to both preserve their quality and coat them with poison. I added a few drops of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence onto the blades in order to keep the poison in peak condition forever. Next, I set the three katanas to the side and grabbed the eighteen good quality weapons. Similarly, like what I did with the poor quality weapons, I melt down the good quality weapons and began purifying the metal pool. After I completed tempering the liquid metal, I began to form it into a large tower shield. This shield will be given to Minos. I dropped some of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence onto the shield in order to keep it in peak durability forever. Next, I took the eighteen Vampire fangs, the metal knife from a Black Vampire, the Sea Serpent bone and the three Rhino horns. I''ve decided to use these materials to fashion a sword for Minos to use. Luckily the Sea Serpent bone was rather long and whole - about six feet. I can use it to make the sword. The three Rhino horns are about the same length as the bone - about seven feet long. First, I arranged the three Rhino Horns so that the longest one is on the ground. The Sea Serpent bone had been polished to provide a sharp edge with eighteen small slots and a larger slit at the end. I placed the bone on top of the Rhino horn and then, I attached the two shorter Rhino horns, one on each side of the bone. Next, I insert the eighteen Vampire fangs in the small slots and the metal knife in the large slit. With the toothed greatsword in near completion, I finished with a few touches like adding some blood filled with my Maker''s Essence to increase the durability and effectiveness of the sword. As to why I attached the metal knife at the end, it was to not only serve as a handle, but also as a medium between the user and the Vampire fangs. After I appraised the metal knife, I found out that it was used as a sacrificial knife by the Black Vampires (whereas Black Vampires were the priests version of Vampires). When the sword attacks an enemy, the Vampire fangs will automatically suck in the leaking vitality and transmit it to the metal knife. Whoever holds the handle part will naturally get the vitality. Thus, this gives the toothed greatsword a drain-type ability. In addition, the greatsword can not only slash, it can also pierce using the three Rhino horns. After finishing this greatsword, I named it Depletion. Next, I moved on to the weapon I''m going to make for Ranger. Since Ranger is an archer, I decided to use the Fire sword, the three Yeti skeletons, and the three Cyclops eyes to make a Fire bow. I melted the Fire sword with my Flames of Wrath and tempered it by removing any impurities. Then, I compressed it while steadily decreasing the temperature until a red metal ball was formed. This was basically a Fire orb. I then flatten the orb a bit so that the shape will be more elliptical than spherical. Next, I took the three Yeti skeletons and turned them into bone sheets. I added some of my blood filled with Maker''s Essence onto the bone sheets while chanting incantations of flexibility, durability, and strength. Next, I began layering the sheets and compressing them until a large bow was made. I attached the Fire orb at the center of the bone bow. This will grant the arrows that are shot from this bow to be packed with fire damage. Now, all that''s left was the string. I heard from a master craftsman years ago that the lens of a Cyclops''s eye can be made into glass-like tubes. Then, couldn''t I make these lenses into strong glass-like string? I began digging at the three eyes and removed the lenses. The rest of the contents, I discarded as waste. Then, I took the lenses and started finely cutting them into long tube-like pieces. I braided the three long tube-like pieces to make a strong rope-like string. I used this string to attach to the bone bow. Finally, I was able to fashion a large bow for Ranger to use. I added some more blood filled with Maker''s Essence to keep the durability and flexibility at its peak condition forever. Then, I tested it out. When I pulled the string, a magical fire arrow appeared. Amazing! With this ability, Ranger won''t run out of arrows. I named this bow - Shooting Star. Finally, I was done. All that''s left are a few hundred jars of essence, the refined Eternal Ice, and the Seed of Flora. I reached over and picked up the golden orb known as the Seed of Flora. Once I plant this seed, I can grow a Treant King. However, the method of incubating this seed is different from planting normal seeds. Instead of earth, I needed pure Earth Essence. And so, I made another crater and poured all 200 jars of Earth Essence into the crater. Then, I dropped the Seed of Flora into the center of the crater. Nothing occurred.... Maybe the process takes some time. I sat by the pool and waited...and waited...and waited. Twenty years had passed by in a flash. Did I do something wrong? Why isn''t anything happening? Could it be...a dud? Just when I was having my doubts, a domineering presence erupted out and filled my domain. This! It came from the Earth Essence pool! A huge whirlpool appeared from the center of the pool as the Earth Essence was ferociously sucked into the center of the whirlpool. I could see a glint of gold from the center. The golden glow intensified as more and more Earth Essence was absorbed. It''s here! Finally! In a matter of seconds the entire Earth Essence pool was completely sucked dry by the Seed of Flora. However, just as I was expecting a large Treant to pop out from within the seed, something unexpected happened. The seed cracked and split open, revealing a small bud. What? All that Earth Essence and all those years and all I get is a bud?! No...wait, that isn''t right. I recalled something. This bud was only the intermediate stage. I need to begin nourishing the bud with Nature Essence as quick as possible in order to bring out the best results. But I don''t have Nature Essence...dammit! I can only use the next best thing. Plants and Poison are all part of Nature. I grabbed the 200 jars of Plant Essence and the 100 jars of Poison Essence and dumped the contents onto the bud. As soon as the essences touched the bud, the essences were immediately absorbed. After a few minutes, the jars were completely empty. The bud had bloomed into a small green tree. It was not enough. What can I do now? Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I thought and pondered. Wait! What if.... I''ve decided. I will feed the sapling my Maker''s Essence. Maker''s Essence is a special form of essence that can be used as a substitute for anything. Although it isn''t pure Nature Essence, it can at least produce similar qualities. There was nothing left to lose. If I didn''t feed the sapling, it will become a tree. If I feed it with the wrong kind of essence, it will lose its form and self-destruct. Either way I will not obtain a young Treant King. That''s why, I rather take the risk instead of doing nothing. I placed my hand on the sapling and began injecting my Maker''s Essence into it. Thankfully, I have a surplus of Maker''s Essence or else...whew, don''t want to think about the consequences. Anyways, the greedy sapling seemed to like my essence. It''s a good thing the Maker''s Essence was compatible with Nature Essence. As the sapling continued to drain my essence, it began to mature. This process went on for a year or two. Finally, the sapling finished sucking away my Maker''s Essence. Its skin began to change - from green to brown and finally to dark blue. Because of my essence, the color of the sapling deviated from the original black hue to that of a dark blue color. The sapling grew into a young tree. The roots stretched out and began to intertwine. They began to resemble legs. The changes were quick and apparent. The young tree quickly became a human-like Treant. It was the birth of a new Treant King. I shall name him Fior. Fior had dark blue hair, light blue skin, dark green eyes, and looked like an early teenager. He wore clothes made from leaves and bark. A wreath of leaves perched on his head. I marked Fior with the Mark of Servitude and linked my mind with his. Then, I appraised him:
Name: Fior Titles: Child of Nature Race: Treant King Affinities: Nature/Earth/Poison/Plant Abilities: Summon Nature''s Warriors, Earth Bend, Poison Mist, Plant Snare
The skill weren''t bad for a young Treant King. I can''t wait for him to mature and see what new and better skills he will acquire in the future. After finishing growing the Treant King, I dismissed Fior and stored him in my storage bag. Then, I deactivated the Maker''s Domain. Once outside, only a few seconds had passed. I could immediately sense that my other supporters have already arrived and are waiting outside. I grabbed my bag along with the leftover materials on the ground and headed outside. I looked at my supporters - Blackie, Kabuto, Ranger, Minos, Morgal, Tyn, Agaricus, and Sulnu. I approached Tyn and gave him the jar of Frost Essence and the refined Eternal Ice. I told him to consume them and absorb their strength. Tyn obediently complied and began cultivating the items. While he was busy meditating, I gave Ranger the Fire bow - Shooting Star - and one of the poison katanas for him to use. I gave Minos the towering shield and the toothed greatsword - Depletion. Next, I approached Kabuto and gave him the blood pill. He immediately consumed it and after a few minutes, he was able to fully absorb the contents and boost his overall strength. Now, he is strong enough to eat the flesh pellet. So, I gave him the flesh pellet which he quickly consumed as well. Because the flesh pellet was refined from a few tons of meat, the processing of this pellet would take at least an hour. While Kabuto cultivated and absorbed the flesh pellet, I brought out the other subordinates I had in my storage bag as well as the 763 monster army. I gave the two poisoned katanas to Stein for him to dual-wield. Then, I took out the jars and potions of Morian''s Essence and handed them to Morgal, who immediately understood my intentions. He quickly opened the containers and consumed the contents. Being a clone of Morian, Morgal was able to quickly absorb the essence with no incompatibilities. Once he finished absorbing the essence and increasing his powers by two-fold, I glanced towards Tyn and Kabuto to see if they had finished as well. It seems that Tyn and Kabuto had finished. That''s good. Finally, I headed over to Kabuto and commanded him to stay still. Then, I reached towards my pouch and pulled out a long acupuncture needle. I jammed the needle into Kabuto''s neck, sealing off any pain receptors from the neck and above. Then, I took my scalpel and etched the Mark of Transformation on Kabuto''s forehead...right above his horn. I carefully poured the last vial of Heavy Refined Demon Metal into the cracks and spread the liquid until the indented pattern was filled. As the Demon Metal solidified, I placed my hand on the mark and chanted many incantations to increase Kabuto''s stats. Gradually, the Demon Metal shone a dark luster that enveloped Kabuto, covering him like a thin layer of metallic armor. When the incantations came to an end, the light dimmed and revealed a transformed Kabuto - his exoskeleton now a dark, iron-like color. Satisfied, I removed the needle and withdrew it back into my pouch. Kabuto gazed at his transformation and grunted happily at his sudden increase in power. I appraised Kabuto and was satisfied with the results.
Name: Kabuto Race: King Beetle Affinities: Earth Abilities: Piercing Horn, Earth Stomp, Roar of Titans, Gigantification
Not bad! I''m surprise Kabuto''s rise in ranks from D-rank to A-rank allowed him to unlock the abilities Roar of Titans and Gigantification. After everything was completed and prepared, I sent out a widespread mental transmission to everyone. It was time to set out! I jumped on Blackie and we marched towards the North Mountains. Dispersing the Firebirds Part 1 With my army, we speedily marched towards the North Mountains. After a few minutes, we arrived at the borders of the mountains. In the distance, I saw Krosgund - the Patriarch of the Wyverns. It seems he was scouting the area for any ambushes. I urged Blackie to fly ahead. Once Krosgund noticed our presences, he and a few of his brethren flew out to meet us. "Krosgund, I''m sorry I wasn''t able to convince my guild to help. However, I was able to create my own army to reinforce you." I replied as soon as we met in the middle. "Really, that''s wonderful!" Krosgund roared happily, "We welcome this much needed help. Come! Let''s head towards the main camp." "Ah, yes. Here''s your scale back." "Oh, that''s alright. You keep it. Maybe in the future, you''ll have some use for it. Come, no more wasting time. Let''s go." With a few signals, I gestured my army to follow suit. As we traveled deeper and deeper into the mountains, I couldn''t help but notice a sensation of disappointment aimed at my back. When, I sneaked a peek over my shoulder, I could see the three other Wyverns casting disdain glares at my back. Blackie had also noticed the glares and was about to snap at them when I reached over and patted him on the neck, urging him to ignore them. Can''t blame them...after all, we humans were in a sort of enmity with them just a few months ago. Some people will hold grudges despite alliances, and I''m sure Wyverns are the same. Guess I can only try my best to prove to them my trustworthiness. Anyways, minutes later, we had arrived at the main camp. I looked around and grimaced...as I expected, the Wyverns had took a huge loss in the recent war. There, in front of us, were a measly 200 Wyverns...there were even some young Wyverns in the midst. I turned towards Krosgund and whispered, "Is this all the able-bodied warriors you can manage?" "Unfortunately, yes. Will there be a problem?" "Hmmm...." I replied as I scratched my head and looked around. "Currently, I don''t think we have a good chance of success." "Even with your army? How much are we talking about?" "Around 50%. However, if you can let me handle the strategic commands, then I''ll be able to manage about 70%." "70%...fine. We''ll follow through with what you say." "Good, in that case, we should...." I trailed off as I spoke about one of many strategies and backup strategies we will be using during the siege. It was late in the afternoon when we finished our strategic meeting. I looked at Krosgund one more time and sternly asked if he understood everything. When he nodded his head, I clapped his shoulder and wished him good luck. Krosgund bowed towards me out of respect and turned to leave. Once Krosgund left to command his troops and explain the strategies we will be using, I mentally communicated with my subordinates and prepared them for what''s to come. Tonight...our first strategy will begin!Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. As night fell, I sent the young Desert Worm in my army to scout ahead. While the Desert Worm scouted the fortress, I turned towards the others and asked once more if they understood the plan. As soon as the Desert Worm comes back with information of the number and the position of the guards, we will begin an attack on five sides. They nodded that they understood. I clapped once in satisfaction and ordered them to divide themselves into seven groups based on their abilities. After a couple minutes of waiting, the young Desert Worm came back. I asked him what he had found out from the scouting. The young Desert Worm glanced at me murmured. There were around twenty guards per side and judging by the tremors on the ground, there were roughly a thousand Firebirds moving about from within the fortress. Of course, this is a rough estimate as the young Desert Worm wasn''t sure how many were sleeping. Okay, its within my expectations. I signaled to Krosgund that it was time to move out. First off, the seven groups will get into positions. The first two groups will attack the front gate. One group consists of the toughest warriors with the most health - I''ll nickname them the Shield Group - and the other group consists of the strongest warriors with the most damage output - I''ll nickname them the Sword Group. Then, three groups of balanced proportions will be placed on each of the other gates. They will be called the Hammer A, Hammer B, and Hammer C groups. The next group will consist of the fastest flying warriors. I will name this group the Arrow Group. Finally, the last group will consist of me and my direct subordinates. I name this group the Spear Group. We will also be positioned before the front gate. Once the groups were in position, I signaled for the Shield Group to begin attacking. The Shield Group, led by one of the Wyvern Elders, charged into the front gates after raising up a storm and drawing a lot of attention. As the Shield Group clashed with the front gates, many Firebird warriors congregated at the front gate to ward off the Shield Group. I quickly scanned the enemy numbers and noted that at least five hundred Firebirds were focused there. Quickly, I gave a mental order, telling the Hammer Groups to begin attacking the other three sides. After receiving my message, the three groups began to attack. Because most of the enemies were focused on the initial attack at the front gate, they were caught off guard by the attacks at the other gates. As the enemies distributed themselves and rushed towards the three gates, I waved my hand and signaled the Sword Group to attack as well. The Sword Group, led by Krosgund, charged forward and placing significant pressure on the front gate. As casualties on both sides rose steadily, the fighting on the four sides had reached a stalemate. I immediately ordered the sixth group to attack. The Arrow Group, originally circling the fortress from above, immediately nosedived towards the fortress''s center. Swiftly, they descended into enemy territory and started attacking the Firebirds who had their backs turned away from them. The Arrow Group consisted of a number of Firebird warriors and their main goal was to cause mass confusion from within as well as trying to open the gates from the inside. More and more lives were taken in this war until all of a sudden, the front gate trembled and peeked open. The Arrow Group had succeeded! "Spear Group! The front gates are open, charge!" I roared as I led my group forward, piercing through the groups of battle-worn warriors. With a fierce punch, I smashed the gates apart and rammed my way through. We''re in! Dispersing the Firebirds Part 2 But we did not stop there. As soon as our group entered, we kept charging forward as we slaughtered our way through. Both Morgal and Fior unleashed a number of vine-based and nature-based attacks to ensnare the Firebirds, preventing them from moving. But, since the Firebirds were of Fire Attribute, it took them a matter of seconds to escape. However, those seconds were ample time for my other subordinates to attack. Of course, we did not waste our time on the Firebird warriors outside. The main target is inside the large cave. Thus, we continued onwards, decimating those that stand in our way. Those that we skipped, were blocked by the Sword Group and Shield Group who had successfully entered as well. While that was happening, I waved my hand and signaled the Arrow Group to help the other three gates. Finally, after tens of Firebirds fell in our hands, we broke through the enemy lines and entered the cave. It felt quite...too quite. Not only was it dark, there were also no sounds. Was there a trap waiting for us? I ushered Sulnu forward and asked her to scout ahead for any traps or enemies. With her affinity towards the Death, she was more sensitive towards signs of life. Maybe the Firebirds in this cave were strong enough to hide their presences. Or maybe they had cowardly retreated. Either way, we soon know the situation. After a couple of seconds of scanning, Sulnu glanced over and told me that there were thirteen powerful life forces actively displaying themselves and close to a few hundred weaker life forces fleeing away. It seems the thirteen powerful life forces were the last line of defense. They were trying to stall us while their children ran away. I would have given chase, but the thirteen life forces were the main issue. Killing them will solve everything and end this fruitless war. I signaled my group to give up pursuit and head towards the thirteen life forces. As we near the thirteen, even I could sense their overwhelming pressure. I was impressed. It seemed that they are preparing their last stand. I was also a bit worried as I know that cornered beasts overcome their limits and fight back with more strength that originally possible. As we edged closer, we noticed a light. The light came from an open space - a large cavern. When we walked through the entrance to the cavern, we noticed thirteen Firebirds standing at the opposite end. It was the Patriarch of the Firebirds and twelve other Firebirds, each of different colors of flame. I asked Blackie about them and he replied that they were the twelve Grand Elders. Each lived for nearly ten thousand years and they were all direct descendants of a phoenix from the branch family. The phoenix, though weak even in the branch family, was all powerful in the Adventure World. Naturally, his children were powerful as well. However, my subordinates aren''t weak either. We can take them on. Plus, its a perfect way to test out my subordinates'' capabilities. As I approached the Firebirds, the Patriarch of the Firebirds glanced over. His eyes lingered over Blackie for a few seconds before staring at me.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "I am Raas, Patriarch of the Firebirds. These are my Firebird Clan''s twelve Grand Elders." I cupped my hands in salute and boldly spoke, "Enough formalities. Why should I remember the names of the dead?" "YOU!" One of the Grand Elders vehemently roared but was stopped by the Patriarch. "I know you''re trying to buy time as your descendants escape. So, how should we do this?" I replied as I ignored the Grand Elder who spoke out. Patriarch Raas squinted his eyes as he scrutinized me and my group. "I''m sure your subordinates are very powerful. If we attack at the same time, I fear this cavern won''t be able to support the pressure. How about this? Let''s duke it out one-on-one?" "Oh...tournament-style right? I presume this is a fight to the death?" "It is. So, are we in agreement?" "Sure. You first...who do you sent out?" Patriarch Raas looked at his twelve Grand Elders and voiced, "Who among you will take the first fight?" "I will!" A bluish Firebird screeched as he hopped forward a few steps. The Firebird was blue and had a cold sensation seeping from his body. I was shocked at this sight. How can a Firebird emit coldness? This is too contradictory! When I asked Blackie who he was, Blackie replied that although he did not know who the Firebird was, he had heard rumors of the blue Firebird and his nickname - the Frozen Hellbird. This Firebird was known for using more ice-based attacks than fire-based as according to legends, his mother was an Ice Empress - one of the few powerful Snowbirds of the far north. "I am one of the Twelve Grand Elders - Cul the Frozen Hellbird. Who amongst you will die by my hands?" The Grand Elder roared as he surveyed my group. Before I asked my subordinates, a message flashed in my mind. It was from Tyn! He volunteered to go first. I nod in confirmation as a surge of happiness sprang from within me. At least Tyn did not grow up to be a coward. Such bravery, even against danger, was highly valued. Tyn, having received my notification, rushed forward and swiftly arrived in front of Cul. "I am Tyn and you will be my stepping stone to power." "Hmph, what arrogant words! Brat, prepare to die!" Dispersing the Firebirds Part 3 Tyn and the Firebird rushed towards each other. Tyn, being a variant Yeti with Ice and Darkness Attributes, was powerful with a solid defense and a devastating offense. Last time I checked, his Ice abilities had reached A rank and his Darkness abilities had peaked B rank. Although not much is known about the Grand Elder Tyn is fighting, one thing we know for sure is that this Grand Elder was more proficient in using Ice abilities. With Tyn''s high resistance towards Ice attacks, at least he will have a good advantage in this fight. As the two warriors neared each other, Cul suddenly flapped his wings and ascended. With another flap, Ice Essence began to form and circulate around his wings. Suddenly, long sharp icicles appeared and shot towards Tyn. Not good! Although Ice attacks won''t work against Tyn, the sharpness of the icicles could cause some considerable damage. Luckily, Tyn was aware of it as well as he quickly retreated a few steps, allowing the icicles to miss and embed themselves into the stony floor. Tyn snarled at Cul and rushed forward with his right arm raised. His eyes flashed black for a moment as a Dark Ball emerged from his hand. The Dark Ball rushed towards Cul who dodged by descending to the ground. To his surprise, Tyn was waiting for him. The young Yeti must have predicted his move! Tyn sneered at the approaching Firebird and raised both hands to meet him. With a growl, Tyn unleashed a large Ice Spike from his palms. The Ice Spike shot towards Cul who hastily pulled himself to the side. However, Cul wasn''t fast enough as the Ice Spike grazed his left wing. Like Tyn, Cul was resistant to ice-based attacks but was not resistant towards piercing attacks. When the other Firebirds saw Cul wounded by the Ice Spike, they shuffled agitatedly as if they wanted to rush in and kill the furry bastard. But their objective was to buy time for their descendants to escape, not fight in an all-out battle. Cul too knew this as he ruffled his wings before charging towards Tyn. With a sharp peck, Cul pierced his beak towards the young variant. Tyn held out his right hand, palm facing upwards. Ice began to form around his hand. Having refined the Eternal Ice, Tyn was now able to quickly generate Ice Essence out of thin air. His hands began to move as he shaped the Ice Essence into an ice spear. Grabbing a hold of the ice spear, Tyn faced the charging Firebird and threw the spear at his enemy with all his might. The ice spear rushed towards Cul, shocking the Grand Elder. This speed was too fast! Cul knew he won''t have enough time to dodge and so he decided to meet the attack head on. The Frozen Hellbird opened his beak and spat out a large ball of Fire Essence. This Fireball blasted towards the ice spear, colliding with it. In an explosion, steam poured out from the melted mix and Cul sighed with relief. However, what he didn''t expect was that Tyn had fired an ice needle as soon as the explosion occurred. The second ice attack pierced through the steamy explosion and penetrated into Cul''s head. Cul screamed in agony as he tumbled backwards from the force of the attack. The ice needle had embedded itself in one of his eyes. Blood and watery fluid ran out from his right eye as Cul whimpered in pain. Luckily, the needle wasn''t long enough to reach his brain or the consequences could be dire. Cul gingerly reached over and grabbed the ice needle. With a tearful jerk, he removed the needle. Fresh blood squirted out from the wound, sending searing pulses of pain in Cul''s head. "Cul! Are you alright?" Patriarch Raas cried out with worry. "I-I''m fine.... This bastard, I''ll kill him!" Cul roared as the blood and pain induced a berserk-like state in the Firebird''s mentality. This wound...he must get his revenge!This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Hang in there Tyn! You''re doing well." I encouraged as I was worried Tyn might get distracted by the large killing intent emitted from his opponent. Thankfully, that was not the case. Cul took to the air once again and started firing many ice attacks as well as fire attacks. There were Ice Needles, Ice Spears, Ice Blasts, Ice Waves, Freeze, Slow, Fireballs, Fire Waves, Fire Arrows, Fire Breaths...these were all attacks that didn''t require much mana usage. The attacks crashed into Tyn who held his arms up to guard. Dust clouds formed from the impact, obscuring our view of Tyn. After more than a thousand explosions, Cul finally stopped as he panted in exhaustion. Though the mana needed to use each spell was small, after a thousand spells, the accumulated mana needed starts to pile up. Cul laughed maniacally as he was sure that no one could escape his onslaught. However, he stopped...for Cul saw something...or rather, he saw his opponent still standing with his arms in a guard position. I-Impossible! This young variant Yeti...survived all that?! No! He must be unconscious...that must be it! "Still standing eh? I commend you for your courage. Even though you''re unconscious, to be able to still stand is a feat itself." Cul chuckled as he glanced at the motionless Yeti. Cul glanced towards me and my group and sneered, "This is my win. Send out your next warrior!" "Hahaha!" A laugh ran out causing Cul to tremble. The Frozen Hellbird traced the sound of the laughter to where the Yeti was standing. His eyes squinted with astonishment as he saw the young variant lower his arms and reveal a sneering face. His body practically unhurt from the barrage of attacks. "You think such weak attacks could hurt me?" "No! That''s impossible! How are you still unhurt?" Cul gaped. For the first time in his life, he felt...fear. "Hmph! It''s time to end this!" Tyn roared as he lunged into the air, arriving at eye-level with the Firebird. "Not if I can help it!" Cul roared as he prepared for his final move - Deep Freeze. With this attack, he will completely freeze the enemy in a special type of ice that can never be melted. The cold will seep into his opponent and freeze every part every cell of his entire body. "Take my ultimate attack - Deep Free-!" "Dark Silence!" Tyn roared before Cul could finish his spell. Cul quickly found that he could not finish his spell. He tried to open his beak to talk but he found that he couldn''t speak. A muting spell! Cul tried to formulate a spell in his mind to break the spell but he found that he couldn''t form spell formations as well. This spell...what is this? He looked at the young variant Yeti in astonishment. Don''t tell me this spell was an inherited magic spell? "You may be wondering what had happened right? Well, let me tell you. I just cast a powerful muting spell called Dark Silence. This spell is something that I created after receiving some enlightenment from an adventurer. With this spell, not only can you not speak, you cannot form no-chant spells either." Tyn explained as he puffed out his chest with pride for his accomplishment. "Now...prepare to die!" Tyn lunged up into the air once again and hurled an Ice Ball towards Cul. In an attempt to dodge, Cul flew to the right. However, it seemed the young Yeti had expected this as he was smashed into the ground by a furry fist. The Yeti landed in front of the crumbled Firebird and raised his leg. With a few sickening stomps, Tyn broke Cul''s wings. Cul cried out in agony but due to the muting spell, no sound came out. Tyn then raised his hand one more time and formed an ice sword. He was about to behead the Firebird. "No! Don''t! Please spare him!" Patriarch Raas and the other Grand Elders roared but they shouts were futile. Tyn sneered once more before slashing down. A head flew up and tumbled to the ground. It rolled a few meters and stopped by the Firebirds'' feet. The Patriarch collapsed onto the ground as he stared at the wide-eyed head. Anger seemed to seep through his body as he glared at Tyn. However, all he saw was the young Yeti''s back as Tyn made his way back to my group. "Alright, we won this battle. Who is next?" I replied nonchalantly. Dispersing the Firebirds Part 4 "We are." Fior replied as he and Morgal approached the stage. I looked at the Firebirds and asked, "Two-on-two, how about it?" "Good...good...good." Patriarch Raas muttered as he glanced at two of the remaining Grand Elders. "You two, kill them." "As you will." The two Grand Elders bowed before approaching the stage. These two Firebirds looked alike and had black feathers with fiery appearances. Who were they? I glanced at Blackie who in turn told me that those two were brothers from the same mother - a Death Owl. The older brother was called Nigt and the younger brother was called Darc. Both brothers inherited their mother''s attribute - Death Attribute. Death Attribute eh...not to mention the inherent Fire Attribute from the father. This is disadvantageous to Morgal and Fior who were both of Nature Attribute. I was about to call them back but Fior looked at me meaningfully and told me they got it. Nodding towards their confidence, I waved them onward. "Who are you youngsters?" The Grand Elder Nigt asked as he stared at the two opponents approaching him and his brother. "Shouldn''t you give your name first before asking?" Fior replied as he sized the Firebird who had spoken. "Hmph! How rude!" Darc sneered, "It seems you lot need to be taught a lesson." "Nigt! Darc! Enough talking, kill them!" Patriarch Raas roared. The two brothers nodded towards the patriarch and flew into the air. Deathly aura flooded the vicinity. It seems the two Firebirds were preparing to unleash a powerful attack. Suddenly, Sulnu spoke in my mind. Master! Those two are about to cast Death Wave! Sulnu urgently replied. Fior! Morgal! You heard her? I said as I transmitted what Sulnu said to the two combatants. The two subordinates nodded as they split apart, distancing themselves from each other. Morgal reached out with both hands and shot vines from his hands. Having absorbed the pure Morian Essence, Morgal''s power had boosted exponentially. Vines shot from him and slithered towards Nigt. On the other side, Fior too unleashed a plethora of vines from the ground. The vines shot up towards Darc, attempting to ensnare him and drag him to the ground. The two Firebird brothers sneered at their attempts and swiftly unleashed the Death Waves. The Death Waves collided with the vines, withering them and crumbling them before they could reach their targets. With not a moment to spare, both Firebirds dove towards Morgal in an attempt to take out the weakest opponent. Morgal raised some vines before him to form a wall and block the diving Firebirds however, he was too late as the Firebirds pierced through the opening of the vines. Morgal, seeing his defense unsuccessful, retreated a few steps. Fior rushed forward to help Morgal. Being a Treant King, it was natural for him to take care of his fellow Treants even if it was an Half-Treant like Morgal. With a fist balled, Fior punches forward and a large earthen fist emerges from the ground. This was a variation of the magic spell - Earth Bend! The earth fist shot forward and arrived at the Firebirds'' blindside. With a loud crash, the earth fist smashed into Darc sending him flying into Nigt. The two Firebirds lost their balance in the air and tumbled into the ground. The two Firebirds angrily scrambled to their feet, however, Nigt stumbled and collapsed once again.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "What happened brother?" Darc cried out as he saw Nigt trip over. "My wing! I think it''s broken!" Nigt screamed. "Damn it! Was it from the fall? What should we do now?" "You go high, I''ll take low." "Alright." Darc agreed as he flapped his wings and ascended from the ground. Nigt, with his wing broken, could only stay on the ground. "Brother, same plan." The two Firebirds charged towards Morgal once again. Fior rushed forward once more to stop them but Darc suddenly swirled around and shot a fireball imbued with deathly aura at him. Fior raise his hand to block the attack. The fireball collided with his hand, withering and burning it. The wither began to spread up his arm and towards his body. Fior, in an attempt to rid himself of the withering, slashed off his arm. The arm fell to the ground and continued to burn into ash. While all this was happening, the two Firebirds rushed towards Morgal once more and was able to successfully unleash two magic attacks - one fireball and one Death Strike. Morgal screamed in pain as his body lit up in flames. He couldn''t regenerate properly as the Death Strike had withered away his regenerative cells. Fior lunged towards Morgal to check on his situation but he was blocked by Darc. While Darc blocked Fior''s path, Nigt charged forward and pierced Morgal''s shoulder with his talons. Morgal grunted with pain as he tried to knock away the Firebird on top of him. Nigt sneered and raised his other leg, ready to pierce Morgal''s head. Was this the end?! Seeing this, I could not just sit back. I had to do something. I secretly waved my hand a bit and procured two transparent ice needles. With a flick of my wrist, I sent those two needles one after the other towards a major vital point of Nigt''s. The first needle collided with Nigt''s flaming body, ripping open the fiery defenses and providing an opening for the second needle to enter. The second needle pierced into Nigt''s vital point causing him to pause. This was enough time for Morgal to fling the Firebird off of him. Because the needle had pierced one of Nigt''s vital points, his overall strength had diminished and his mana went disarray. As Nigt struggled to stabilize his mana, Morgal reached over and pierced Nigt in the chest, completely erupting the Firebird''s heart from inside. As the Firebird collapsed and his life force dispersed, his brother Darc turned and screamed in loss and pain. This moment of distraction caused him his life as Fior took advantage of the situation and unleashed a dense mist of poison. Darc inhaled the poison and collapsed. His body twitched uncontrollably before coming to a halt. His entire body changed color from black to purple to green and finally stopping at white. Fior rushed over to Morgal to check on his situation. Once Fior removed the debuffs on Morgal, he began to help the Half-Treant with his healing process. "Seems like we won this round too." I replied after I checked on Morgal''s status before leering at the Firebirds on the opposite end. "No! That cannot be! You cheated! I saw you!" Patriarch Raas roared as he stepped forward menacingly. "Bullshit! Where''s your proof?" I roared back. "I saw you with my own eyes! You shot two ice needles into Nigt!" "Oh...well I tried." I muttered before sending a mental transmission to my subordinates. It was time to rush them. As the Firebirds angrily stepped towards me and my group, I took the initiative to charge forward and meet them by surprise. Dashing forward like a shooting star, I crashed into Raas and the two of us broke through a wall to another room. The remaining nine Grand Elders froze in unexpected shock which was ample time for Fior to grab Morgal and withdraw from the battle. While Fior carried Morgal to a safe distance to heal him, the other members of my group charged into battle with the Grand Elders. Dispersing the Firebirds Part 5 As soon as I sent Raas crashing into another room, I parted from him in order to add a few meters between us. Though my earlier tackle couldn''t have injured the Patriarch of the Firebirds, I was sure that I had knocked the wind out of him. As Raas tried to get a second wind, I was already preparing for an attack. In a few seconds, I had formed and suspended a few hundred ice needles in the air. With a release of my arm, I launched the ice needles towards my enemy. Raas saw the incoming attack from the corner of his eye and flung himself back, however, he did not realize the intensity of the attack. At least ten of the ice needles were able to penetrate his fiery body. Though the damage was minimal, it was still shocking for the arrogant Firebird. In a fit of anger, the Firebird soared into the air and shot a number of fireballs towards me. Instead of dodging back like any other person, I took a risk and rolled forward. Success! I was able to dodge the incoming fireballs. As I steadied myself after the tumble, I drew out my skinning knife and held it like a dagger with the blade pointing down. Once I steadied myself, I jumped towards Raas and stabbed with my knife. Unfortunately, Raas expected my intentions and dodged the attack. With a swipe of his wings, the Firebird smashed me back. Not giving him any chance to continue the assault, I rolled to the side and quickly got on my feet. Seeing Raas dive towards me, talons out and ready to strike, I sharply raised my hand while channeling Earth Essence. The ground erupted forth as an earthen wall emerged. I had initially tried to smash the wall into Raas, but I did not expect his reactions to be so quick as the Firebird veered off and threw himself to the ground in order to avoid being hit. "Divine Flames of the Phoenix!" Raas roared as he unleashed one of his clan''s inherited techniques. Flames surged from his body as the color of the flames intensified into a crimson hue. Suddenly, the flames flew out from his body some meters above and manifest into a bird-like figure. With a deafening screech, the writhing flames shot upwards in an arc before diving towards me in an unbelievably fast speed. I flipped backwards and dodged the attack. The flaming bird pierced through the ground. What penetrating power! As I glanced at Raas, I noticed he seemed to be a bit haggard. That attack of his must have drained a great deal of mana. Chance! I lunged forward and thrust my knife towards the Firebird''s heaving chest. That''s when I saw something weird...Raas was smiling?! Not good! I lurched to the side quickly as I suddenly sensed an immense danger fast approaching me. The bird of flames shot out from the ground and slashed my left arm. Inconceivable! This attack...not only was it homing, it also did not diminish in power! Kugh! I clutched my wounded arm. Blood kept pouring out and flames started sprouting out from the gap. Dangerous! I need to put out the fire!This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I hastily tried to pat the flames out but it was too strong. Pain continued to spread throughout my arm. Decisively, I withdrew a few acupuncture needles from my pouch and insert them in key points on my arm to block the pain sensors. As my mind calmed down, I attempted to freeze the flames from my arm. However, that was a failure as the flames melted any attempts at cooling and did not show any signs of weakening. Seeing the flaming bird dive towards me once again, I hopped back a few times to gave me some distance. Then, I began to brainstorm for any ideas to heal my arm. Currently, although I don''t feel pain, it did not mean my arm wasn''t wounded. Not being able to feel pain can be regarded as a double-edged sword. As I continued to think, I hopped around a few times to avoid the homing attack. If I can''t freeze or cool down the flames, then I must fight fire with fire...literally. I began to generate the Flames of Wrath within me, making sure to focus most of my energy on my left arm. By this time, the flames from the attack had spread up to my shoulder. I must hurry before the flames reach past my arm. Flames of Wrath began generating within the vicinity of my left arm until finally, a burst of blackish red flames burst out and began consuming the crimson flames. When the flames disappeared, my wound naturally healed with the help of my excellent regeneration and healing potions. With the remaining Flames of Wrath, I compressed them into a small ball and threw the ball towards the flying bird of flames. With my precise throwing skills, I was able to land the ball on the flaming attack. The divine flames writhed as the Flames of Wrath merged with the crimson flames, consuming it until nothing was left. Raas stared in disbelief at the flames that just disappeared...or rather consumed. This was the divine flames of his ancestor! How...how strong must that blackish red flame be? Impossible...there must have been some kind of cheap trick involved. That must be it! Raas turned his gaze away from the fading flames and glared at the human before him. Hated enemy! He must die! Raas roared with anger and dashed forward. Human! Die! Taste my Talons of Reigning Supreme! As I nodded with satisfaction at the disappearing flaming attack, I heard a piercing shout of anger. I looked to the source of the yell and saw Raas charging towards me, his talons aimed at me. I sneered. Hmph! Want to contend with me with physical prowess? I''ll show you what it means to be a frog in the bottom of the well! I positioned myself in a fighting stance and began gathering energy within me...or more precisely, Dragon''s Essence. After reaching a certain amount of essence, I propelled forward to meet Raas, my hand forming a five-fingered claw and thrusting forth. Dragon Bite! Dispersing the Firebirds Part 6 The nine Grand Elders attempted to kill the enemies before them. However, what they didn''t anticipate was the power each of their enemies hold. The nine Grand Elders had initially assumed that the power of the enemies that didn''t fight were as strong as the ones who had fought. If the others had the same strength and prowess as Tyn, Fior, and Morgal, then they would have been difficult but not impossible to deal with. After all, the three Grand Elders who lost their lives were considered the weakest three among themselves. However, that was not the case. As they met each other in full force, the slime rushed ahead and spat out some sort of jelly-like substance towards them. Everyone parted and flew off in different directions. The jelly-like substance splashed onto the floor where it began to sizzle. It was a type of strong acid! But they did not have the time to worry about it as two screams erupted. Two bodies fell to the ground, their heads gone. "Xan! Haly!" One of the Firebirds screamed. The two headless bodies were naturally two of the remaining Grand Elders. They had died way too fast. The other Firebirds furiously scanned their opponents for the culprit until their eyes landed on the two bloodied heads lying next to the feet of the black Firebird. That was right. It was Blackie who swiftly and mercilessly ripped off the heads of the two former Grand Elders. It was something that he and Agaricus had planned ahead of time. As soon as Agaricus forced the charging enemies to separate from each other, he would attack the nearest enemy. Unfortunately for Xan and Haly, they were the closest ones to Blackie. There was no personal grudge as the hatred Blackie has was towards the Firebird clan as a whole, Xan and Haly was just unlucky. Anyways, as soon as the remaining Grand Elders saw who it was that had killed two of their own, they roared in pain and loss and converged towards Blackie. However, this was what Blackie had intended. He needed to divert the Firebirds attention to him so that his fellow comrades could ambush and deal some significant damage. The Firebirds lunged towards the black Firebird, intent on tearing him to pieces. With only Blackie in their bloodshot eyes, they did not notice the slight and swift movements edging towards their blind sides...until it was too late. Kabuto lowered his horn in order for Kalia to climb on. With a heave, he launched the young Queen Beetle into the air. Kalia arched towards the nearest Firebird and spat out a deadly viscous liquid, melting away the Firebird. The screaming Grand Elder plummeted to the ground where Kabuto had his horn raised up. With the help of gravity, the Firebird collided with Kabuto''s horn and was impaled. She struggled fiercely for a while but with each struggle, she slid further down the horn and the pierced wound grew bigger. After a few seconds, the Firebird breathed her last breath and died. Nearby Firebirds heard her scream and turned to look but was bombarded with a few more screams from the opposite side. Two more Firebird Grand Elders had perished from decisive attacks. One from Sulnu who had disoriented one of the Firebirds with a Wind Blast, causing the Firebird to stumble in the air. As the Firebird drooped down to steady himself, Sulnu landed on his back and clamped her jaws onto the Firebird''s neck. The Grand Elder struggled in pain as he screeched out a deafening shout. The Firebird tried to flare up his flames in order to burn and shake off the bastard on top of him. However, not only was there no reaction, but the pain in his neck increased. His strength began to seep out and his mind clouded. Seconds later, he died from suffocation and blood loss. The other Firebird that died was killed by Agaricus who threw a glob of slime accurately onto the Firebird. This slime was different from the acid that he spewed out earlier and instead, it was a small clone of his. This clone, once it collided with the Firebird, it began to consume and absorb regardless of the fiery flames on the Firebird. No matter how much the Firebird tried to burn or tear off the slime, it continued to expand and consume his body. The slime continued to relentlessly grow as it covered up the Firebird''s body and eat away his flames...his flesh...his essence. With a heart-wrenching scream, the Firebird died as his corpse fell to the ground. Once the slime completely engulfed the body and consumed it, it began to slither back towards Agaricus where it merged with the main body. The nutrients and the essence absorbed was then transferred to Agaricus. The remaining four Grand Elders, having witnessed the deaths of three of their own, halted their movements and quickly retreated to the ceiling of the cavern. They had underestimated the strengths of their opponents and were now outnumbered. They needed to distance themselves from the enemies in order to regroup and think of a plan.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "What should we do?" One of the Firebirds asked as he glanced at a blood red Firebird, who seemed to be the oldest and strongest member of the remaining Grand Elders. "What can we do?" The blood red Firebird grimaced. "We already know that this will be a losing battle. Our objective isn''t to win but to buy time for our young ones to flee. They are the keys to our clan''s survival." "I-I know that...I''m just can''t accept this humiliating outcome. Kuros...Janei...Nil...they all died without inflicting any damage. It''s essentially a dog''s death!" "Flit! I forbid you from destroying their reputation! They may have died worthlessly, but they were able to hold up the enemies'' time...which is the time our descendants needed in order to escape!" "I-I''m sorry. I misspoke." "Now all that''s left is to decide on our next step. What should we do in order to buy more time?" While the Firebirds were conversing, Ranger glared at them as he walked towards their direction. Ranger looked back and motioned Minos to follow. Stealthily, they were able to get within fifty meters from the Firebirds. Ranger motioned Minos to hoist his tower shield up and protect Ranger from any attacks in case the Firebirds noticed them and started attacking. Then, Ranger reached towards his back and pulled out three arrows. Upon nocking the three arrows, he took aim and fired those arrows towards the Firebirds. Quickly, before the arrows covered a lot of distance, Ranger nocked another arrow and swiftly let it fly. The arrow followed behind the three arrows, hiding in the three arrows'' shadows. The Firebirds immediately sensed danger and saw the incoming arrows. From their point of view coupled with the fact that they did not see the arrows being released, they did not see the hidden arrow. The Firebirds scattered hastily, allowing the three arrows to fly past them. One of the Grand Elders sighed in relief but suddenly a searing pain coursed through her left wing. She glanced over and saw an arrow sticking out of her wing. How? Didn''t she dodge all three arrows? No way...there was a fourth! With one of her wings out of commission, the female Grand Elder could do nothing but spiral to the ground where a giant minotaur met her with a swing of his toothed greatsword. Like the three Grand Elders before her, she too had died without doing anything. While the three remaining Firebirds tear up at the sight of losing another one of their clan, the Grand Lich God End stepped up and raised his hand towards them. With a grunt, a wave of dark essence smashed emitted from his hand and crashed into the three Grand Elders, disorienting them and sending them tumbling down to the ground. Stein was ready for them as he unsheathed his two blades and started hacking away at the fallen Firebirds. While they were being taken care of, Blackie was staring at the hole in the wall...or rather at the place where me and his father went. Not good! Blackie thought as an uneasy feeling washed over him. He glanced to the others and told them that he will go check on me. He personally knew the power of the Patriarch of the Firebirds and that any distraction could prove harmful to me. Without another word, Blackie rushed into the hole. Dispersing the Firebirds Part 7 Talons of Reigning Supreme! Dragon Bite! Two figures collided with one another, causing an explosion of dust. As the dust cleared, any bystander could see a human in a deadlock with a powerful-looking Firebird. Patriarch Raas sneered at me and roared something about how with his strength, it would take him five breaths to defeat me...hmph! Laughable! After a few seconds of struggling, we broke apart. I threw a right hook at Raas who weaved to the side and countered with a fierce peck. I reacted instantly by grabbing Raas''s neck, preventing his attack from landing. In retaliation, Raas erupted as the flames on his body intensified. The temperature of his flames became hot enough to melt Ice Golems. However, with my high resistance to heat coupled with the Flames of Wrath running through my veins, such weak flames posed no threat to me. With some annoyance, I swung the Firebird over my shoulder and slammed him heavily onto the ground. Ouch! I winced in some pain and discomfort. This bitch actually managed to pierce my arm with his beak! With a shout, I angrily tossed Firebird some meters away. As I stopped the bleeding on my arm with some medicinal herbs, I withdrew my skinning knife and cautiously approached my enemy. It was time to get serious. Raas had already struggled to his feet and glared at me as he silently observed my movements. It wasn''t the right time to act rash. He needed to take his time and fight with a clear mind or else he would suffer greatly. Patriarch Raas, upon seeing my approach, began to edge on the right. Not wanting the Firebird to disappear to my blind side, I turned my body in order to keep my eyes on him. Suddenly, Raas screeched before he started running towards me. I held up my knife in order to meet the charge. At about five meters away, the Firebird opened his mouth and started spewing out a number of Fireballs at me. From between the spacing between the numerous Fireballs, I could see that the Firebird had kept charging, his speed no slower than before. Hmph! This retard thinks he can use the Fireballs as cover and attack while I defend against the Fireballs. Fine. I''ll play your game. Using an accumulation of Earth Essence, I raised up an earthen wall to block the incoming attacks. The Fireballs smashed apart the wall and Raas charged through. With a thrust, he kicked out with all his might and beheaded his enemy...or so he thought. As soon as his leg penetrated his enemy''s head, he felt that something was off...the head...it felt lacking. Sensing something amiss, Raas hopped back and peered at his opponent. As he thought! As soon as he stepped back, he could see that his enemy was beginning to fade away. What was this? An illusion? A clone? No. He was wrong on both assumptions. This was an...my afterimage. As soon as I erected the earthen wall, I swiftly stepped away from my original position. The speed at which I rushed away caused me to leave behind an afterimage. When Raas smashed his talons into my afterimage''s head, I was already behind him. I brought my skinning knife down and slashed the Firebird in the back. Tch! Unfortunately it was too shallow as Raas dropped to the ground and rolled forward a couple of times. As he scrambled to his feet, he waved his wings a couple of times, unleashing a number of feather-like flames. My eyes widen in shock as I grimaced at the numerous flames darting towards me. Shit! I may have underestimated his mana capacity. Hmph! I want to see how much mana he still have left. I waved my hand a couple of times in front of me while generating and accumulating Ice Essence within me. Hundreds upon hundreds of ice needles appeared before me. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the ice needles towards the flames. My ice needles collided with the Firebird''s flames, lowering their power and intensity but not completely extinguishing them. Seeing this happen, I continue to produce more ice needles and hurl them at the flames. It was too late when I realized my mistake. I had been too focused on the flames that I did not notice that Raas had slipped away. I frantically looked for that damned Firebird. Right! Left! Above! No! Behind! As soon as I turned around, a wing appeared in my view and uppercut me high into the air. Before I could recover, the Firebird flew beside me and stomped on my gut, his talons piercing through. With some strength exerted, the Firebird pushed forth his leg and the two of us descended to the ground below.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. BOOM! Burning pain coursed through my sides as blood poured out like a raging river. Stifling a grunt, I nearly bit my tongue off. I raised my knife and tried to slash at the Firebird''s leg but he quickly noticed my intentions and kicked the knife out of my hand. Then, he lifted his free leg and aimed at my head. Is this the end? Raas kicked out with his leg, the talons approaching closer and closer. I gritted my teeth in reluctance and anger. I can''t accept this fate! Just before the talons pierced my head, a black figure appeared from the corner of my eyes. It was Blackie! Blackie drilled towards Raas and knocked him away from me. I quickly scrambled to my feet only to drop down on one knee as I winced at the pain from my wound. Quickly, I withdrew a few acupuncture needles and inserted them in key points around my wound. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. I crushed some medicinal herbs and melted them into liquid. Then, I applied them on the wound. Next, I reached into my storage bag and pulled out two pills. These were high grade healing pills. I crushed one and applied the powder on my wound and I ate the other one. Miraculously, the wounds quickly closed. I moved around a bit and felt my stomach. Still a bit sore but that was all. I looked up and saw that Blackie and Raas were still fighting. It seemed Blackie was losing. I stood up and took a deep breath. After I calmed down my nerves, I bent my knees and began moving my hands in a winding and circulating manner. In a few seconds, essence began to gather and form at my core. This essence was known as Dragon''s Essence - a special type of essence used for cultivating and mastering the Dragon''s Roar Technique. After accumulating enough essence, I stepped forward and cupped my hands to my mouth. With a deep breath in, I began to channel the Dragon''s Essence into my vocal chords and roared, the hands helped channel the sound towards Raas. This was one of the intermediate-level skills - Dragon Roar. The sound-based attack smashed into the Firebird causing him to stagger back a few steps. He shook his head a couple of times to clear away the confusion that played about on his mind. As he stabilized himself, he coughed out a spurt of blood. The attack must have caused some internal damage to the Firebird. While Raas incapacitated for a bit, I hurry towards Blackie to check on him for any injuries. Luckily, Blackie only has a few bruises and minor scratches. Without waiting for the opponent to recover, we dashed forward and kicked out. Both our kicks landed on Raas''s chest, sending him flying. The Patriarch of the Firebirds tumbled to the ground and laid there, blood pouring out of every orifice. He tried to prop himself up but there was no strength left. He collapsed once more. Raas, without any strength to sit up, just laid there laughing. "What are you laughing at?" Blackie snarled as he and I slowly edged our way towards him. "Unfilial brat! Is this how you treat your father?" Raas sneered as he spat out another mouthful of blood. "Damnable bitch! You killed me! Why should I treat you as a father? Do you even act like one?" "Hahahaha.... I should have cremated you when I broke your neck!" "Enough talk. Time to die!" Blackie roared as he took another step towards Raas. He remembered his dead mother. He remembered the way this damned Firebird had treated his mother. With a fierce glint in his eyes and anger welling from his heart, Blackie unleashed his skill - Cry of the Nightingale. The point blank high-pitched wail smashed into Raas and penetrated his skull, poisoning his mind and causing his eyes to roll up. The pain induced by this sound attack caused so much pain to Raas''s mind that his brain exploded and gushed out. The Patriarch of the Firebirds had finally died. I reached over with my skinning knife that I picked up earlier and beheaded the Firebird. Holding the head, I reunited with the rest of my party. They had just finished killing the rest of the Grand Elders. When they saw me walk towards them, they knew immediately that they had won this battle. After I checked on my subordinates and healed any injuries, we exited the place. Outside, the rest of the armies were still fighting with each other, oblivious of the victories we had made inside. With a huge roar, I drew everyone''s attention towards me. "LOOK AT WHAT''S IN MY HAND!! THIS IS THE HEAD OF YOUR PATRIARCH! YOUR LEADER IS DEAD! SURRENDER OR DIE!!!" Dispersing the Firebirds Part 8 Initially, the Firebirds had an upper hand to the battle. However, when the remaining Firebirds that were fighting outside heard my declaration, they could not believe their ears. Some tried to dispute my words by examining the head and prove that it wasn''t the Patriarch''s. But, when they realize that it was in fact the Patriarch''s head, they froze in shock. Many began to pick up on their reactions and they too realize that...their leader was dead. Panic rose in their hearts as their morale decreased significantly. Many dropped to their knees and began crying. Soon, every Firebird began to wail. The wails resounded in the air and echoed throughout the mountains. The echoes of wails booming throughout the mountains had shook even the North Volcano. Every monster within the vicinity raised their heads up, curious at what the sounds were. Somewhere deep in the heart of the North Volcano, a sleeping figure stirred slightly. Its eyes slowly opened and it tilted its head in order to listen to the wails more clearly. Suddenly, as if the figure had thought of something, its eyes opened wide and flashed with a glint of anger. With a deep roar, the figure flew out of the North Volcano and sped through the mountains towards the source of the wails. "Stop crying!" Krosgund roared with displeasure at the sight of the mourning Firebirds. He even reached forward and killed a few Firebirds but the others did not pay attention to his actions and continued to mourn. The Firebirds, having lost their will to fight, could only surrender. They hung their heads low with sorrow and defeat. As I surveyed the defeated enemy, I nodded with satisfaction before speaking out once more. "Krosgund! The Firebirds have surrendered. Although some of the younger generations have escaped, but this should be enough right? Anyways, treat those who have surrendered as prisoners of war. Do what you want with them." "WHO DARES!?" A voice boomed out suddenly. I looked up and saw burning red figure shoot towards our direction like a meteor. The figure cratered the ground at the center of the battlefield causing smoke to arise and spread from the crash site. An eminent aura burst forth causing many Wyverns and Firebirds to cower with fright. Two golden glows flashed in the smoke as it moved around. When the smoke cleared away, a magnificent bird-like creature came to view. This creature had reddish gold flames enveloping his entire body. Could this be...the legendary Phoenix, the Firebirds'' ancestor? There was a vast difference in appearance between Firebirds and Phoenixes. The Phoenixes were bird-like mythical creatures with flames constantly enveloping their entire bodies while the Firebirds were bird-like creatures of flame colors. Anyways, the Phoenix stood up and scanned the area. As if sensing something, he swiveled around and glanced towards me. When he recognized the head in my hand, his eyes squinted and killing intent spewed out from him. Ignoring the pressure, I glared back at him coldly. "You must be the ancestor of this Firebird clan." "Who are you?" The Phoenix growled, ignoring my statement. Such an imposing arrogant manner. I glanced towards Blackie standing next to me and sent him a mental transmission. Any confidence? Yes. Blackie nodded in confirmation. In that case...I stared at the Phoenix and sneered, "I am Khaos the Mask Maker. Remember who it is that kills you." "Impudent!" The Phoenix roared as he kicked off the ground and...disappeared? No, this was a movement technique! I quickly channeled some Life Essence and Dragon''s Essence in order to increase my defenses as I raised my hands up to guard. BOOM! I spat out some blood as the Phoenix tackled me, sending me high into the air. My arms were numb from the impact and there was little to no strength in them. I grimaced at the strength of this Phoenix. Though he was just a "trash" from a branch family, his strength was still a ways above my own. However, with Blackie...maybe I''ll manage. The Phoenix flew up into the air and sharply descended, his leg pointed towards me with talons out ready to pierce. This! Wasn''t this Talons of Reigning Supreme? Hmph! Immediately, I calmed my nerves using Dragon Breath. Then, I activated Scales of Dragons to increase my defense. Bending my legs, I positioned myself below the diving Phoenix and jumped using Dragon Leap. In the air, I too positioned myself so that my leg aimed towards the Phoenix. This was another of my intermediate moves - Flying Dragon Kick. Let''s see whose kick was stronger! The power of my Dragon Leap tripled the effects of Flying Dragon Kick. As soon as we collided, a large explosion of force leaked out to the surroundings. The Phoenix rebounded back and landed on the ground after a few flips. He took a few steps back before coming to a halt, shock emanating from his eyes. I, on the other hand, crashed into the ground, my leg numb and my ankle twisted. I gently rubbed the sore area and checked that nothing was broken. I tried to stand but my leg was still sore and thus I couldn''t stabilize myself as I fell to my knees. Seeing my injury, the Phoenix dashed forward fired a plethora of fireballs towards me.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Unable to move, I could only improvise. I smashed my hand onto the ground, using Dragon Palm, and pushed myself up. Though I dodged the majority of the fireballs, there were two that collided with my lower body. The attack flipped me around a few times before I tumbled to the ground once more. I rolled around a few times to extinguish the flames on my legs. I cannot waste any more time. I need to end this quickly or my stamina and energy will give out before I do. Struggling to stand, I barely held myself up. The Phoenix sneered at my stubbornness and charged once more. My eyes flashed once as I thought of a plan. Gritting my teeth, I stomped the lesser of my injured feet on the ground towards the Phoenix. This was one of the beginner moves - Dragon Stomp. The ground shook from my stomp, causing the Phoenix to stumble momentarily. Then, I manipulated the Dragon''s Essence in my hands in a series of movements to form a Dragon avatar. I glared at the Phoenix as I completed the secret technique - Dragon Summon. I thrust my hands forward and the Dragon avatar roared towards the Phoenix. The Phoenix, realizing that he had no time to dodge, raised his wings up to guard. The Dragon avatar exploded into the Phoenix, causing him to spurt out a few mouthfuls of blood. He took a few steps back and collapsed on one knee. The Phoenix sneered at me and wiped his beak. "You are dead! Die!" The Phoenix flared up his flames until they became blood red and shot towards me like a shooting star. Blackie rushed in front of me and fired a few Fireballs towards the Phoenix. The Fireballs smashed into the Phoenix but did little to no damage. In fact, they did not even slow the enemy down. Blackie squinted his eyes in contemplation before taking a deep breath. With a sharp wail, he used Cry of the Nightingale. The sound attack collided with the charging opponent, poisoning his mind but the Phoenix was unstoppable. Blackie did not want the Phoenix''s attack to smash into me and so he decided to sacrifice himself and rushed towards the Phoenix to meet his charge. Naturally, I tried to order him to step down but he ignored my words. If only my legs could move.... Sighing bitterly, I could do nothing but complement him. With a series of hand movements, I summoned Dragon''s Tornado and sent the wind-based attack towards the Phoenix in hopes of slowing him down. The tornado collided with the Phoenix and he seemed to pause for a moment. However, the Phoenix burned his flames more brightly and pierced through the tornado. Blackie and the Phoenix crashed into each other and it seemed for a few seconds that Blackie was able to halt the Phoenix''s movements. However, Blackie let out a sharp cry all of a sudden before he was sent flying back. The Phoenix had lost a lot of momentum and his speed decreased significantly. I quickly checked on Blackie and was happy to know that he was still alive though severely injured. I glared at the Phoenix who had completely stopped in his tracks. He was bent over panting as the attack had used a lot of his energy and Fire Essence. Not giving him time to recover, I gathered the Dragon''s Essence to my mouth and unleashed the Dragon Roar. With his defenses down, the Phoenix was susceptible to the sound attack and his mind suffered from mental damage. In the Phoenix''s confusion, I withdrew some acupuncture needles and threw them at the him, paralyzing him. Then, using Storming of Dragons, I rammed into him and knocked him back. I grabbed his throat with one hand and his left wing with another. With a sickening wrench, I used what remained of my upper strength and tore his wing off. The Phoenix screeched with pain and kicked me away. I tumbled back a couple of times before stabilizing myself in a kneeling position. With out a moment of respite, I raised my skinning knife and jumped into the air. I brought the knife down onto the collapsed Phoenix and pierced his heart. The Phoenix struggled horrendously for a few moments as I clung onto the knife for dear life. I almost let go a couple of times, but I held the knife firmly in place. Finally, the Phoenix''s eyes began to fade and slowly...he perished. When the Firebirds saw that their ancestor was killed, they fled for their lives. The Wyverns gave chase and started slaughtering more of the Firebirds. I had killed a Phoenix! Quickly, I severed the head and placed the severed neck of the head to my mouth, letting the fresh blood drip into my mouth and down my throat. I had heard that by drinking the blood of a Firebird, my healing prowess would increase significantly. Then, if I drank the blood of a Phoenix, wouldn''t my wounds heal instantly? After downing a few gulps of the blood, I brought the rest of the blood to Blackie for him to drink as well. It was a miracle! Our wounds completely healed as if we were reborn and I could even feel my stats increase by a good portion. I gestured for my army to follow the Wyverns and wipe out any surviving Firebirds. They had not chosen to surrender so they can only die. As my army left with the majority of my subordinates, I got up and began to collect the fresh materials on the ground. Firebird corpses everywhere...such treasure! I couldn''t collect the Wyvern corpses though...since I was allied with the Wyverns. If I were to do so, it would be disrespectful. Anyways, as I gathered the corpses into my storage ring, Blackie helped out by showing me the treasure vault that the fortress held. All was good until suddenly...a sharp pain erupted in my body. I collapsed in writhing pain as I clutched my stomach. To my right, Blackie also collapsed in pain. What happened? Dispersing the Firebirds Part 9 The pain started to spread until it reached every part of my body. The throbbing sensation persisted for a while until the pain began to move once more. The pain started to converge towards my head. Soon, all the throbbing, numbing pain presided in my head. I grabbed my head as it felt like my head would explode any moment. Suddenly, images began forming rapidly in my mind. I screamed in pain with the overload of images. As soon as it happened, it stopped. The pain...the images...all gone. As my mind calmed down, I began to sort through my mind. These images turned out to be memories of the Phoenix. Oh? What''s this? Is this a technique? Burning Meteor Strike - this was one of the many innate techniques of the Phoenix Family. The Burning Meteor Strike was the attack that I had experienced earlier when the Phoenix flared up his flames and charged towards me like a shooting star. Now that the technique''s methods and mastery is in my hands, I naturally will make good use of it in battle. As for the other images...apparently, they were the memories of the Phoenix that was killed. The Phoenix came from a main family that had originated from a higher realm. In that realm, their world was dying from diminishing resources and overpopulation. In order to look for solutions, the Phoenix Family sent out members of the branch families to different lower realms in order to scout for potential resources and migration. The group that the Phoenix I killed was in had descended to this world and scattered across the world. Though the Phoenix that was killed was just a "trash" from the branch family, he was still extremely powerful in this world''s standards. Judging from his strength, he could easily be a SS ranked monster. But since he died in my and Blackie''s hands, this SS rank could be a low level rank. Nevertheless, this meant that other than the Phoenix I killed, there were still a few other more powerful Phoenixes roaming in this world. Anyways, with the Phoenix that I killed, after he created a few descendants like the Firebirds and the lesser Phoenixes - Fire Birds - he started to hibernate in the North Volcano for ten thousand years. Because of his pure Fire Essence that had permeated into the volcano over the years, different monsters in the vicinity were mutated and lived in or near the volcano. Now, without the continuous charging of Fire Essence from the Phoenix, the North Volcano would deplete its pure Fire Essence in a number of years before becoming a regular volcano. At this point, there won''t be any more fire-type monsters produced and those fire-type monsters that were attracted to the pure Fire Essence would leave as well. As for the portal that the Phoenixes used to travel between realms, apparently it was located somewhere in the far northwest and it seemed that the portal was still fully functional. Though, it required a huge amount of Fire Essence to power the portal and I mean a gigantic amount.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. After sorting through most of the clear memories, I''ve become somewhat curious about the Phoenix Family. I''ve decided that later on, I''ll make a trip to their world and visit them. As for the more vague memories...well, there''s nothing I can do about it. May as well wait for some stimulus to trigger the vague memories. Once that was done, I glanced over to Blackie and noticed that his aura and prowess had improved significantly. It looked like he was on the verge of evolution. I stood up went to check on Blackie. He seemed to be sleeping right now. Not wanting to disturb him, I let him sleep a bit longer as I walked up to the Phoenix corpse. With a wave of my hand, I stored the corpse into my storage ring. I will be going to make a flesh pellet out of the corpse for Blackie''s evolution breakthrough sometime in the future. Then, I continued collecting corpses and treasures. An hour later, I had completely cleaned out the entirety of the fortress of any valuable items. Suddenly, my ears picked up some flapping sounds. I looked up and saw Krosgund and his army, along with my army, approaching the fortress. Once Krosgund landed in front of me, I waved my hand and asked about the situation. "What about the Firebirds? Did you kill them all?" "Unfortunately no. About a hundred of them escaped. What about the people from your side?" Krosgund shook his head. "We''ve managed to kill off the upper echelons of the clan including their ancestor. But some of the younger generations have escaped." "Should we give chase?" "No need. Without the support of their strong generations, these young ones will never rise back to power." "I see. Well, this cause for a celebration! Come, join us." Krosgund beamed happily. "Alright." And so, we left the battlefield and headed back to the Wyvern''s Nest. Along the way, I made a check on how many warriors are left in my army. All of my direct subordinates were naturally still alive. However, for the rest of my army, I can say I have lost a great deal. Of the 763 resurrected warriors, only 143 warriors were left. Amazingly, the young Desert Worm was still alive. As for the others, there were 32 Wyverns, 47 Firebirds, 21 Earth Guardian Dragons, 13 Poison Guardian Dragons, 7 Plant Guardian Dragons, and 22 Rocs. Although I lost many warriors, I can still make more given the plethora of Firebird corpses I had collected from the battlefield. Soon, we arrived at the nest where we partied throughout the night. When morning arrived, I bid farewell to Krosgund and the Wyverns. Then, we headed back to the guild. Upon arriving, I posted the results of the siege as well as what had happened to the scattered Firebirds as well as the memories I acquired from the Phoenix.