ã€ŠTera: Still Untitledã€‹


 Chapter 1

    4, 254, 826/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    4, 391, 116/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    4, 527, 406/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    4, 663, 696/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    4, 799, 986/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    A blinding white light fills my vision, forcing me onto my knees as I buckle under an unknown force. Like all the other times before, I reached out with my hands, breaking the fall, squeezing my eyes shut, not that it helps. My fingers dig into the dirt, moist and strangely warm to touch. Slowly, I open my eyes, the hazy vision fades into clarity as my eyes adapts and begins focusing on the scene before me. I pant and wince, taking short shallow breaths as the cold air assaults my lungs with each breath. Velik be damned this hurts! The scene before me was nothing short of a bloodbath, the lifeless corpse of a castanic female lie sprawling, blood soaking into the dirt, staining my pale hands.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    The blood starts to fade and the body quickly disappears along with it, melting into the ground. My breathing slows and stabilizes, the pain in my chest no longer there. Standing, I pat myself down, brushing the dirt off me. Looking around, I stand in the middle of a plaza, inside a small empty city. The solitude though odd, felt natural.

    "Baldera". The words leave my lips in a raspy whisper, my mouth and throat parched from the long slumber. This is most definitely Baldera. Just not the Bandera I remember... Remember?! What... A splitting headache interrupted my thoughts as I once again crumble onto the ground, passing out from the pain.

    When I awaken again, I''m on my back, head resting on the lap of someone gently brushing brushing my crimson hair. Forcing my eyes to focus, looking up. The same female castanic that lay dead before me just moments before I passed out looks back down at me, a soft smile on her face. She looks familiar, definite someone I know. And then it hit me, everything is once again clear. Ivory hair, twin swords, castanic, it''s Estellda.

    "Hey." was all I could come up with before going into yet another coughing fit. Estellda laughs, her voice reverberates through the empty city, clear as a bell. She extends her hand, a potion in it. "This should help."

    And help it did, I instantly felt energized as the potion entered my system. Closing my eyes, I take long deeps breaths, regulating my pulse for a brief moment before slowly opening my eyes, looking straight at Estellda. "How long was I out?"

    "I''ll say about 5 minutes." Estellda grins, "I had my way with ya in that time..."

    "No I meant..." a hint of annoyance flashes across my face, ever playful this Estellda... "you know what I meant Esty."

    "Hmm... I''d say about 2 weeks, my time. Eme''s been doing a couple of emergency maintenance due to the new patch so the ser.. I mean world, my bad! keeps resetting. I haven''t had enough time to bring you back until now R..." I interrupt Estellda''s rambling before it gets out of hand, "So the world can... what''s the word you use... right. reset? anytime? Guess we shouldn''t be wasting anymore time."

    I stand, steady and sure, a single goal in mind. Turning to look back down at Estellda, still sitting casually, toying with the tips of her long curls. "Let''s go..?!"

    A short sigh escapes her lips as she stands up, dusting the dirt off her armor. "A ''thank you for bringing me back'' would be nice. It did take me like 4 days of nothing else just to achieve that." Estellda steps forward, striding past me and takes my hand as she lead the way.

    "You know for an NPC... you''re really not very friendly Red"

 Chapter 2

    NPC: Non-Playable Character, that''s what Estellda said I am. The concept still baffles me, what happens if I''m "playable" and by whom? Thankfully that''s not something I need to be worried about, a small reprieve from the plethora of other things that weigh on my mind. Then there''s this "EME" she keeps referring to, a seemingly all powerful organization with control over the world and the ability to change it at will, like how they made my beloved Baldera a barren soulless wasteland, so grim even the atmosphere is dark and gloomy. She called it "old pre-beta content" which I can only assume is an epoch of some sort that happened in the time I was asleep.

    It seems EME is currently in the process of changing the world again which is why it took Esty two weeks to get me back. Still holding onto Estellda''s hand, her warmth slowing flowing to me from our touch, I stop and gave her hand a short firm squeeze. "How many times did you have to be killed by me this time?" I ask softly with an uneasy look on my face.

    Estellda stops, tilts her head to her left and brings her hands up to her chin, a quizzical look on her face, "I honestly have no idea Red... too many times... a couple of hundred times... probably?" she shrugs and continues walking. "No it doesn''t hurt. In any way. Don''t worry about it." she adds sensing the uneasiness in me. "You sure you don''t want me contacting Treeshark or Spacecats about you? They might know something..."

    Again with those strange names. These new adventurers that arrived in my world after the first expedition, they almost always have really strange names. It seems this fish and feline duo are connected to EME in some way but even then, I''d much prefer to keep my... erm... situation on the low key. Especially when they can so easily change the world and according to Estellda, every time the world goes down I would be put to sleep again when it comes back up.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Estellda appears to be immortal, along with the rest of the new adventurers apparently. I wonder if I''m immortal too but who in the right mind would want to put that to the test? She said I''m an anomaly amongst the NPCs, and that by throwing her life at me repeatedly while I sleep, I would somehow "level up", her words not mine, and be awakened or "become aware". Bottom line is that every time I kill her in my sleep, I get closer to waking up.

    Once I''m awake, I become "friendly", her words again, and unlike other "NPCs", I can be added to her "party". That really helps since she would then have a healer in her party summon us out of Baldera as a magic barrier prevents me from entering the Oblivion Woods, hence barring me from the rest of the world. Estellda calls it a "collider" or an "invisible wall", regardless, I know a magic barrier when I see one and this is definitely what it is.

    Question is why it''s there and whether its purpose is to keep the new adventurers out or to keep something in. Which led me to wonder if I''m the one imprisoned here and why. My memory is spotty at best and it all comes back to me in a flood of pieces every time I awaken. I remember most things leading up to the announcement from the federation about the new adventurers to the Island of Dawn, then not much else.

    All I want now is to be free of the viscous cycle of sleeping and awakening. It''s taken over all of my thoughts and I have little to work with. I can only hope to find some answers at the Arcane Symposium in Allemanthiea. The last place I recall being where my team studied and researched a different mode of delivery for arcane magic. And it was a success it seems since the arcane cannon is now widely used by Castanics and High Elves. A class Estellda calls "Gunners". I suppose that makes me "Gunner-0".

 Chapter 3

    Estellda''s talking to herself again, at least that''s what it looked like to me as I watch her mumbling to herself, gesturing and then laughing out loud occasionally. She caught me watching her and recognised the judgy look on my face. She smiles and said "Just gimme a moment, I got a priest coming."

    I nod briefly in acknowledgment, turning my attention back to the mystery that is my awakening. So according to Estellda, she loves to just sit around in the middle of Baldera when she''s alone and don''t really feel like doing anything, she liked the quiet and serenity. She told me she found a way past the magic barrier by jumping. I have my doubts but I''ll believe her for now. With a grimoire called the Travel Journal, she was able to freely teleport into Baldera bypassing the obstacle of the magic barrier. A really convenient magic I would like to acquire too if possible.

    Apparently I wasn''t always there, and it was only recently that I start appearing in Baldera. She spotted me one day and I was apparently hostile to her, attacking viscously and relentlessly. She would fight me and die over and over, I was new to her and apparently unpredictable unlike other world bosses, a type of NPC as explained by her. She kept coming at me repeatedly after each death and resurrection, when I asked why she didn''t look for help, she said she wanted all the loot for herself, whatever that means. I later find out that it meant she intended to kill me and loot my corpse. Imagine my disdain.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She would do that whenever she was bored and then one day, like all the other times before, she died to my attacks. As she fell, struck down by my attack, she noticed a bright light emitting from me as wings of light exploded from my back. She watched me collapse onto my knees, a look of horror on my face as I noticed her corpse before me. Now that I think about it, how is she seeing all that while she''s supposedly dead? Her body fades away and the usual bout of confusion, headaches and physical pain ensues. She rushed back to find me collapsed on the ground, no longer hostile. She still chuckles whenever she recalls our first encounter, how pale I got after seeing her revived. I apparently went "ape-shit" crazy and started screaming my lungs out, running away from her as best as I could. Who can blame me? I saw her dead just moments before. It''s not normal to see her alive again, not normal at all. That was 4 months ago.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°hi! \o¡±

    I look around instinctively, wanting to find the source of the voice, before remembering what Estellda told me about parties and party chat. I¡¯m still not used to having voices in my head, voices that are somehow classified by color. Telepathy is now widespread and common, developed out of necessity in the early days of the Argon war. It made coordinating across races a lot easier without the need for language. It is however not without drawbacks, the new adventurers are a loud and rowdy bunch, the worst of them often speaking without restrain on what is often referred to as ¡°Global¡±. The topics discussed are often nonsensical and hate driven with an occasional rare gem, hardly anything worth noting most times. It is almost always better to tune that out.

    A floating image appears before me, requesting for my permission to be summoned. I look up towards Estellda, she waves and disappears, guess that¡¯s my cue. I accept and in a literal blink of an eye, I am now standing atop a fountain in the middle of a small but busy village. Beside me a pink haired castanic priest stands, she looked surprised, ¡°wow you¡¯re fast. You must have a killer PC¡± she adds as she lowers her staff. A killer what now? I wondered but kept my queries to myself, taking a mental note to consult Estellda about this at a later time. ¡°I erm... I guess....¡± replying awkwardly in as generic a manner as I can.

    The next couple of seconds felt like an eternity as I waited in silence, awkwardly shuffling my feet in the fountain, kicking up little splashes of water. Finally Estellda appears between me and the priest, a grey silhouette at first, like a living shadow before fading quickly into existence.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°I know the new loading screens are pretty nice to look at but does it really have to take so long...¡±, Estellda whines as she materializes, directing the rhetoric at the priest while stealing glances at me. She has the playful look in her eyes again, knowing full well I have no idea what she meant by ¡®loading screen¡¯. ¡°And Lube Town... Really?! Should I ask what you were doing here?¡±

    I may have been asleep for a long time, but I recognized this village, it¡¯s unmistakable. Feeling confident, I cleared my throat ¡°I believe you mean Lumber town Esty.¡±

    Estellda¡¯s face turned a slight shade of pink as she looked back at me, her eyes darting between my face and the priest¡¯s. With a puzzled look on her face, ¡°uhh I think everyone knows lube town is lumber town.¡± The priest turns to Estellda, narrowing her eyes, landing a playful punch on Estellda¡¯s arm, ¡°where are you finding these nubs?!¡±

    Estellda bursts out laughing, no longer able to contain her amusement. ¡°oh this never gets old!¡±. It took a while for her to compose herself but eventually it did happen.

    ¡°Thanks for the summon! We were stuck in a spot where unstuck wouldn¡¯t work. Good thing you¡¯re around to bail me out.¡± She turns to tilts her head in my direction and adds ¡°this is Red, she¡¯s new, sorta, so she¡¯s a lil weird at times but I keep her around for amusement¡±.

    She turns to look at me, grinning. I glare back at her. Amusement? I¡¯ll show you amusement the next time we¡¯re alone. ¡°And Red... Say hello and a thank you to Breeki Mi-OWW!¡± another punch lands on Estellda¡¯s arm from the priest, there are now 2 castanics glaring at her. ¡°fine fine! Red, meet Bree.¡±

 Chapter 5

    We exchange greetings, the traditional dance of the deva clans, it¡¯s nice to see some things remain unchanged. I¡¯ve come to appreciate the little things, little details I¡¯ve taken for granted in the past, they¡¯re now the only reminder I have of the world before the arrival of the new adventurers.

    ¡°Brb, cawffee!¡± Bree chirps enthusiastically, breaking into a dance. More words I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Estellda joins Bree, dancing along, their bodies moving with grace atop the fountain. I suppose ¡®cawffee¡¯ is the new word for dance. The light fades from their eyes as they enter some kind of trance. I¡¯ve seen Estellda do this countless times, she would be unresponsive as the light fade from her eyes, her face expressionless. The duration varies but experience tell me it would be best to go about doing my own stuff, she¡¯ll tell me when she snaps out of it anyway.

    Jumping off the fountain, landing lightly beside a popori. I¡¯ve been watching him, people come and go but there¡¯s always a small crowd around him, gold and items would exchange hands as he meticulously notes down each transaction into a ledger far too large for his tiny body. I continue wandering through the small town, bustling with activity, it¡¯s a lot busier than I remembered. There¡¯s a general sense of aloofness in the air, a good mix of conversations garnished frequently by laughter. A diverse mix of races would gather, sitting around campfires, some would be dancing, some would be in the same lifeless trance as Estellda and Bree. Interestingly many are stripped of their armor here, the females especially are largely wearing only their inner wear, not that I¡¯m complaining.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    It¡¯s heartwarming to see so many of the once warring clans together, gathering in a peaceful manner. I guess having a common enemy does bring people together, probably the only good thing to come of the Argon war.

    Despite all that, something bothers me even though I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it. Something just didn¡¯t feel right. I take a closer look at everyone again, trying to see if I can identify the source of my uneasiness. Everything appears normal, nothing really standing out or out of the ordinary, just a bunch of girls and the occasional guy having some friendly banter. That¡¯s right girls! There¡¯s a disproportionate number of females here and a seriously large percentage of Elins. That can¡¯t be good for the population. I¡¯ll have to ask Estellda about this later.

    ¡°Having fun?¡± Estellda jumps at me from behind, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

    ¡°Mmhmm. I¡¯ve always liked Lumbertown.¡± She starts giggling, I don¡¯t know why.

    ¡°Oh I bet you do. I can see how excited you are just being here again. I¡¯d wager you got wet the moment u got here¡± Her giggling escalates into a full laugh. I just stare at her, not understanding the humor.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m wet.¡± she lost it before I could finish. I was sure she would suffocate and die laughing. ¡°I got summoned into a fountain!¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°I have something for you.¡± Estellda thrust her hand towards me, a book in her hand. It¡¯s a travel journal. ¡°it¡¯s a 7 day version but that should be enough for you until the next reset.¡±

    Smiling, I reached for the magical tome. As I touch it, I can feel a faint vibration from the artefact, pretty awesome. ¡°Thanks Esty. I really wanted one¡±. I started flipping through it, disappointed to see only empty pages. ¡°Erm is this a prank?¡±

    Rolling her eyes, she added ¡°No. You have to record a location in it first. Then you can use it to get back to the exact same spot.¡± She takes out hers and flips through it, stopping a couple of pages in, ¡°see this is my entry for Baldera¡±, she points at the writing in the pages, ¡°Red¡¯s spot¡± it says, followed by a bunch of numbers.

    ¡°I see... Sorry about that, you do like pranking a little too much¡±

    "Well I didn''t think that would work, the trading, it''s surprisingly identical to when I trade with other players. Interesting..." Estellda trails off, deep in thought.

    "What do you mean? What''s so special? You just handed it to me."

    Estellda just grins without answering, confusing me further. I can¡¯t get mad at her at all, it¡¯s not fair. She led me to the Pegasus platform, handed the flight manager some gold and turned to me, ¡°you do remember how to ride a Pegasus no? I¡¯ll be right behind you¡±. I take the reins from her, the leather warm to touch, rays of light erupt from them. I feel my body lighten as my feet lifts off the platform, light rays racing around me, the traces of light becoming dense in the shape of a winged station. I hear a short neigh as the pegasus takes shape. Gripping tightly on the reins, I lurch forward with the acceleration as the powerful wings forced the air around me downwards. It only took a few flaps and already I could hardly make out the features on Estellda¡¯s face as I quickly ascend.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The pegasus circles around Lumbertown, the view breath taking, I forgot how much I liked pegasus rides. I caught a short glimpse of Bree still dancing on the fountain as the beast started picking up speed before making a straight towards the flight gates suspended in mid air.

    As I fly through it, pieces of reality peels away, leaving behind a blur of blue arcane magic. The space around me distorts and stretches, like flying through a living tunnel with no end in sight. Looking back, I see ripples forming in the arcane fabric, then a visible distortion before Estellda and her pegasus emerges from it.

    Our eyes lock, oh it¡¯s on! I tug hard on the reins making the Pegasus fly faster. I lean close to my Pegasus, keeping my profile as low as possible, knowing Estellda is doing the same to catch up. I hear myself laughing, it¡¯s been a while since I had such fun.

    The flight ended way too soon, one moment I¡¯m blazing through the fast scape, the next I¡¯m blinded by day light as I emerge on the other side, the city of Allemanthiea looms before me, the tall spires just as I remembered them to be. It¡¯s been too long, I¡¯m finally home.

 Chapter 7

    The city of Allemanthiea sits at the heart of Southern Shara, rising from the barren desert, a beacon of the successful melding between magic and technology. I am overwhelmed with memories and emotions as I slowly descend into the city on my pegasus. I moved here from Castanica in the heat of the Argon war, joining a weapon development team fronted as research, secretly funded by the Valkyon Federation.

    The High Elves had long sought to harness the power of the arcane but as extensive their research into magic was, attempts at containing magic with magic yielded little success. That¡¯s where the Castanics came in, as the best master craftsmen in Arborea, a consortium of the brightest engineers came together in pursuit of the solution to the arcane containment conundrum. Working together with the High Elves¡¯ Mysterium in the deepest chamber of Malachai¡¯s Lab, they quickly developed the Arccannon.

    Early tests yielded great results, the destructive power of the Arccannons were unmatched by anything that ever existed in mortal hands. Even then, the first generation Arccannon prototypes could only utilise a fraction of the arcane energy fed into it, hardly efficient. Then came the problem of construction, every shot fired from put unimaginable stress on the Arccannon body, the weapon would disintegrate and fall apart from the excess arcane energy breaking free. A weapon that harms the user more than the target is useless.

    Plagued with countless problems, the future of the once shining gem of Castanic and High Elf collaboration seemed bleak. With the rising cost of the Argon war, the federation threatened to pull all funding. Hope came in the form of Jennes, a master crafter of magic weapons, he had the brilliant idea of harnessing the leaked arcane energy, directing it to be stored. With a proper channel, the excess arcane energy had somewhere to go and stopped breaking through the body of the arccannons.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    However, the solution is, as usual, not without drawbacks, the build-up of arcane energy corrupts and hurts the wielder. The arcane energy would burn the user, leaving scorch marks on their skin, bleaching the color of their eyes. Over time it would even corrupt their minds, amplifying their bloodlust, sending them into a murderous frenzy. I believe calling the stored energy willpower is a cruel and deliberate joke.

    In order for castanics to control arcane energy, we must be exposed to it before the curse of Baldar takes effect, before the arcane scars on our body surfaces. I was recruited as a child, my coming of age triggered prematurely, although not by much, from exposure to the Mysterium''s unique blend of arcane energy. I was young and clueless, eager to prove my worth to the federation. I was a fool.

    Only the two female testers of the original four, two pairs of a male and female castanics and elves, all recruited from young, survived the first series of combat trials. I watched in agony and fear as we slowly descend into madness, wondering when the inevitable would happen. The effects were especially adverse on male users, both the castanic and high elf male went berserk, destroying themselves in the process pretty early in the test phase. It was therefore no surprise when the decision to restrict the use of arccannons to female high-elves and castanics was made.

    The last real memory I have was of the night before the testing of the new arccannon. I shared a room with the high elf female, finding comfort in the shared unknowns of our fate. I remember falling asleep nervous and scared, it would be the first time the new prototype armor would be used in combat, I hoped it would deliver as promised. Considering the massive gap in my memory, it might not have gone too well.

 Chapter 8

    As the faint flapping of the pegasus¡¯ wings fade away, I find myself standing rooted to the flight platform. Silently I take in the familiar sight before me, the floor shimmers with a metallic shin, the streets brightly lit. Golden winged statues lined the path, glistening in the mid-day sun, almost impossible to look at directly. The air is cool and dry, a stark contrast to the hot desert air just outside the city. Everything seems so sterile, exactly as I remembered it to be.

    I notice only a handful of people in sight, I looked carefully at each of them, wondering if I would recognize anyone. Nope. I felt a tightness in my chest, a strange discomfort, pressure building up from within. Letting out a loud sigh, exhaling heavily, I¡¯d forgotten to breathe. As I caught my breath and gathered my thoughts, I wondered what I would do or how I would react had I met someone I recognized.

    ¡°So....¡± I feel a tap on my right shoulder, making me take a quick glance to the right before noticing Estellda on my left. ¡°Is this where we¡¯re gonna be standing now?¡±

    Estellda stands relaxed beside me, lightly stretching her arms and shoulders before resting her hands on her hips.

    ¡°We should probably move to the side before furry over there kills us with hi..err...¡± She tilts her head in the direction of the flight manager Ecrille, the female High Elf gracefully pats herself down, adjusting her robes, a blank expression on her face. "Damn... I could''ve sworn that all flight managers are po-"

    "Move it." Ecrille hissed.

    "-OK!" I feel Estellda wrapping her hands around my arm, hastily pulling me aside. She pulls me down the stairs, 2 steps at a time. As we reach the bottom, she shurgs, furrowing her brow, "what? I really thought it would be a popo". The Allemantheian guard chuckled briefly at her comment before disguising it with a short cough, then regained her composure. Estellda lets go of my arm, sitting herself down on the floor beside the guard, she leans against the partition by the side of the stairs, making herself comfortable. She then unsheathes her swords and proceeds to stare intently at the mesmerising celestial blades. I stare down at her puzzled.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "What? It took you 3 days to stop running away from me. Another week to actually reply to my greeting. A whooping 2 months before you come to terms with the fact that you''re an NPC, which I honestly don''t think you really quite grasp at all, and finally another month before you decide to leave Bal-" Estellda glances at the guard, "before you decide to leave that place in search of answers. This is Allemantheia! It means something to you. So until you''re ready to move from here, I''m just gonna look at these beautiful swords I have here."

    She''s right, about all of it. I still don''t quite understand this NPC concept, as far as I''m concerned, I''m real. Arborea is real. Everything I see, hear, smell, taste, touch and even feel is real. I have memories and a past. Estellda may have come from another world along with all the other adventurers since the first expedition but so did Arun and Shara. As creatures created by gods, some of which still walk among us, I can accept the existence of another world and other gods. That''s not to say I approve of these new additions to Arborea. The adventurers brought with them illusions from their world, strange fashion, weapons and armor. One of the popori lancers I saw at Lumbertown had a giant carrot for a lance. A carrot. That''s popori food, it makes no sense.

    I sit down beside her, resting my head on her shoulder, her warmth comforting. "Sorry, I know I''ve been difficult." Taking a deep breath, the cold Allemantheian air lending clarity to my thoughts. "thanks..."

    "Huh?" Estellda pauses, turning to me. "What was that again?"

    "Don''t push it."

    "See that wasn''t so hard." She smiles, "you''re ready?"

    "Mmmhmm..." I nod, apprehensive, standing and extending a hand towards Estellda. "As ready as I can be."

    She sheathes her swords and slides her fingers into my hand, I grip them firmly, helping her onto her feet. She brings out her map, "So... Arcane Symposium..." she rotates the map, tilting her head, matching the orientation to where we''re facing.

    "This way." I pull her along, she seemed briefly surprised and then she remembered, this is my turf.

 Chapter 9

    We move quickly and silently towards the Arcane Symposium. Walking through the streets of Allementhiea, I can¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Esty, what happened here? The city is almost empty.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Estellda appears to be caught off guard by the question, ¡°I¡¯ve never really thought of that since it¡¯s always been like this for me. Most of us, erm, adventurers gather at Velika and now Highwatch. Allementhiea is more of just a stop along the main quest line.¡±

    That reply raised more questions than answers. Raising my hands to my face, massaging my temples. One question at a time Red. Taking a deep breath, ¡°I understand gathering at Velika, it is after all the capital of the humans, founders of the Valkyon Federation. But the current Allementhiea is unlike the bustling city I remember. Scholars, academics and arch mages would walk the streets having heated discussions about magic, their latest findings or the newest spells they developed. There¡¯s hardly anyone but guards here now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Red... Allementhiea just never played much of a part in my journey through Arborea.¡± Estellda replied softly, the usual smile didn¡¯t return.

    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t know everything. Also what do you mean by main quest line? Are you on some kinda mission? You never mentioned that before.¡±

    ¡°Well I suppose you can say that, haven¡¯t really thought much of quests since I reached, how should I put this in NPC speak...¡± Estellda fell silent for a moment, ¡°since I completed my training missions? Oh we¡¯re here.¡± Evasive as always. I can¡¯t help feeling like there are things she¡¯s hiding from me or at the very least, only telling me things selectively.

    We step out of the connecting spire into the Arcane Symposium. One can see a clear divide of 3 areas here, the Mysterium on the right, accessible by yet another of Allementhiea''s iconic connecting spires. The library sits in the middle, clearly the centre piece of the Arcane Symposium, even now much of the activity is focused there. A lone guard stands before an elevator shaft on the left, seemingly lax security considering what lies at the bottom of it. Malachai¡¯s lab, where the high elves do much of their ¡®research¡¯. You can be assured that the elite guards are just hiding in wait somewhere out of sight, ready to dish out their specific form of justice.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The sight of the golden elevator door still fills me with dread. I spent hours in there, sometimes days firing shot after shot with the prototype cannons. We approach, as inconspicuously as possible, confident, like we belong and are heading exactly where we were supposed to.

    The guard glances up as we approach, scanning our faces but otherwise he did not react. About 10 paces away from him, he raised his right hand, ¡°That¡¯s enough, this is a restricted area. What business do you have here?¡±

    Estellda takes another step forward, omg what are you doing? The guard¡¯s body tenses noticeably, his knuckles going pale as he grips his spear tighter, ready. ¡°hello.¡± Estellda waves, smiling then bows, ¡°remember me?¡±

    The guard leans forward, squinting as he takes a closer look at Estellda. ¡°Oh it¡¯s you.¡± he replies, his expression deadpan but at least he¡¯s no longer tense. ¡°the hero of the Federation.¡±

    The what?! I turn to look at Estellda, she¡¯s already looking at me, a smug look on her face. Oh she planned this, that stupid grin, taunting me. She turns back to the guard, ¡°I need to check out Malachai¡¯s lab, I er... dropped something when I was here last time.¡±

    The guard eyes us intently, clearly suspicious, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. My orders are strict and simple. No entry for anyone unauthorized. Hero or not.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on! You let me in the last time!¡± Estellda whines, her voice audibly a pitch higher as she stomps her feet in frustration, pouting as she presses her full bosom together. She¡¯s trying to flirt her way in. She nudges me with her elbow, a wayward glance.

    ''Do it too!'' her voice urges me in my head.

    No. Just no. I glare at her, ''You disgust me.''

    ''Thank you :)'' she project her thoughts shamelessly into my head.

    The guard is not impressed, ¡°I let Commander Fraya in, you just tagged along. I recommend you leave before I call for the legion. I wouldn¡¯t want to be the one responsible for scarring the hero of the Federation.¡±

    Estellda sticks her tongue out at the guard before turning away, pulling me along. ¡°All high elf males are gay confirmed!¡±

    ¡°I heard that! ¡± The guard shouted at us.

    ¡°You were supposed to!¡± Estellda hollers back.

    ¡°That it? We¡¯re just walking away?¡± I ask, disappointed and depressed.

    ¡°Of course not! But there¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting in as we are today. I¡¯ll think of something. You should check out the library for now, see if you can find any clues or at the very least, catch up on the events that transpired from when you first fell asleep.¡± She leads me towards the center of the Arcane Symposium.

    I suppose that¡¯s all we can do for now. We don¡¯t really have a real plan after all. ¡°So you¡¯re the hero of Valkyon? And apparently you know Commander Fraya?¡± I ask, baffled and disturbed by the thought.

    ¡°We all are and we all do"

 Chapter 10

    We stop abruptly, just short of the entrance to the library.

    "Wait what do you mean? Are you saying all adventurers from your world are heroes of the Federation? And you all know Commander Freya." I ask bewildered.

    "Well... Yea... It was part of our mission. Taking us from island of dawn all the way to highwatch. Along the way we would visit almost the entirety of Arborea. It was all laid out for us, preordained, like destiny. Well I guess there are some of us that ignored the quests and just focused on getting stronger..." Estellda replied in the most matter of fact way possible.

    I stare at her blank expression, watching for any signs or hints of her being dishonest. Nothing. "So what exactly happens on this mission on yours that apparently guarantees you hero hood?"

    "That happened so long ago it''s impossible for me to remember most of it." Estellda seemed annoyed, frustrated, "even if I do remember, it would take forever to tell you about all of it. I don''t think it''s something to worry about for now. Not until we break you free of your reset cycle."

    The reset cycle yes. That is indeed the more pressing matter. Breaking free will give me much more time to uncover the truth but more importantly, I would be able to focus on other things. "You''re right. But don''t think I''ll forget this. Once I''m free, you''re gonna tell me everything" moving on, I step into the library.

    The room before me isn''t very big by any standards but its walls are covered entirely in books, a handful of elves move around in the room, librarians going about their daily business, cataloguing and giving aid to anyone in need. We approach one of them, the one closest to us, a tall slender female in a long flowy robe. She carries heavy tome in one hand, the ancient looking binding of leather bound parchment floats inches above her palm. She moves from volume to volume, touching the spines of each magical book on the wall. As her finger tips touch a book, the 4 rings she wore on her fingers would glow in a different arrangement of colors. A magic circle would then appear above the pages of the opened tome in her hand, scribing arcane text onto the pages.

    She glances at us through her ruby rims and smiles, ''welcome to the library, just let me finish this row and I''ll be right with you'' she projects into our minds.

    "Alright! Thank..." Estellda stops as the librarian gave us a death stare.

    ''This is a telepathy only zone. Please use your inside voice.'' Satisfied to have silenced Estellda, the librarian turns back to her task, quickly scanning the rest of the magical books on the row.

    The tome in her hand closes, then flies towards an empty slot in the top left corner of the wall she was facing. It slides smoothly and cleanly into the wall, melding with the rest of the books. Up close, what I thought was a white robe patterned with black lace was in fact translucent, the dark intricate markings on the elves'' pale skin visible through the thin fabric.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The mark of the arcane is unmistakable but unlike the arcane scars on castanics brought about by a curse, her arcane scars are small and intricate, skillfully carved and obviously deliberate, the work of a master arcane tattooist. The scars extended up her hands around her shoulders, spiraling and swirling, then down the sides of her breasts to her hips before ending and around her thighs.

    ''Like what you''re seeing?'' she projects coyly as she smiles, noticing us staring. I look away blushing, Estellda leaned in closer, her face almost touching the elf. ''I intend to get more work done but they cut like a fembralisk and burn like a fangspawn. But you know that already, being castanic and all.''

    ''They''re beautiful! Can you turn around for me?'' Estellda cooed mentally, her eyes burning with passion. Estellda please! I elbowed her in the ribs. Do not offend another elf! ''Ow!'' Estellda hunches over grabbing her side. ''Not cool Red...''

    The elf chuckled, ''I''m Nayenne, how can I help you ladies today?'' crossing her arms under her heavy chest, accentuating them. Estellda''s eyes visibly widened, I can almost see her drooling.

    ''Red here''s been out of the loop for a while, so she''s looking for a refresher in history. We''d greatly appreciate it if you could point us in the direction of all the information you have available since the first expedition.'' Estellda rattles on the way she usually does when excited. Nayenne looks at me, I give her a slight nod.

    ''Everything? You sure?'' she questioned, a apprehensive look on her face. I nod again. ''Well then, just give me a moment while I bring you your request.''

    Nayenne turns around, showing us her back, she turns her head slightly and gave Estellda a playful wink. She dances, extending her hands, waving them purposefully in the air, the edges of her arcane scars glow faintly as the rings on her fingers flash a myriad of colors. Around the library, the spines of selected books on the high shelves begin to glow as they slide off, converging in the middle of the room, spiralling in a slow circle. More books fly off the shelves into the array, all of them glowing faintly, a mesmerizing sight to behold. ''I''m guessing you want them arranged chronologically.'' Nayenne''s voice sounds out in my head. That would make sense. I was afraid of where to start seeing so many volumes fly off the shelves. Did that much really happen while I was asleep?

    When the books finally stopped flying off the shelves, the swarm continues to spiral near the ceiling before settling onto a small table in the corner of the library, stacking one after another. The tower of books quickly grew and when it got too high, another tower of books sprouted beside the first. Nayenne turns to us as the last of the books settle onto the table. ''There you go love, have fun.''

    We bow to her, expressing our gratitude as we move past her, heading deeper into the library. She blew Estellda a kiss as she passes, Estellda almost tripped over herself. As I pass, she grabs my hand, gently but firmly. I turn to see her eyeing the rings on her hand, a dark glow alternately pulsing between crimson and a deep purple. ''Those eyes, this raw arcane... How are you still alive? Whatever magic you''re doing, you should stop before it''s too late.'' Her tone stern but the concern is genuine.

    I smile as I place my hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze as I brush it off, ''Thank you. I hope it''s not too late.''

 Chapter 11

    I sat in the corner of the library for hours maybe even days, pouring over every page of the books, taking in all that lost time. Estellda would come and go, periodically checking if I''m done, sometimes entering a trance as she sat silently beside or opposite me.

    Patiently I read everything, the betrayal and death of Samuel, the granting of the title "Guardian of Velika" to Estellda, whose name never appeared in any of the text, the corruption of Kaidun, the entrapment of Serion by the gods Thulsa and Akasha, the transference of the Core from Serion to Fraya, the awakening of Kelsaik by Thulsa, Killian and Icaruna, the final act of defiance from Thulsa to completely awaken Kelsiak, and finally the fall of Shandra Manaya, the argon queen, marking the end of the argon war. I read about the fight for noctenium amongst the alliance, the appearance of the reapers from the lake of tears and finally the on-going threat of the Archdevan invasion.

    It was confusing and inconsistent at times, especially the earlier events, there were multiple conflicting accounts and what seemed to be rewrites. There''s a larger force behind all of it, hidden in the shadows. As the saying goes, history is written by the victors, everything I''ve read so far appears to be proper, a little too proper.

    There was no mention of the archcannon programme, the only thing the public was told was that archcannons were jointly developed by the High Elves and the Castanics, not surprising considering the use and loss of children.

    When I finally finished, I sat in silence, pondering my next move. Across the table, Estellda sits leaning back in her chair, balancing on the two back legs, her heels propped up on the desk. She glances at me, ''Done?'' I nod. She takes her feet off the table, the chair levels out with a soft thud as she leans forward, resting her hands on the desk, ''Finally! Now what?'' I''m not sure. The information I just acquired is of little help, without access to Malachai''s Lab and actual records of what happened during that last test I remembered, I have nothing to go on with. This trip is fast becoming nothing but a waste of time, a dabble into history, a luxury I can''t afford with the impending reset.

    ''Let''s go see Commander Fraya.'' Estellda adds, my silence giving away my lack for a next step.

    ''One does not simply see Commander Fraya Esty. You don''t just drop by unannounced for a visit to Allemantheia''s highest command.''

    ''You wouldn''t, no, you couldn''t. But I can'' Estellda replies, that devilish grin on her face again. ''Unless you have something else in mind?''

    Nope. It''s worth a shot I guess, let''s see how far being with the "Guardian of Velika" can take me. Which reminds me, ''Are you really the hero described in the books? The one granted the title "Guardian of Velika"? I find it really strange that you did all these amazing things, standing shoulder to shoulder with legends, fighting with and against the gods. Yet your name never appeared once in the books. Even that guard didn''t seem to give you much respect even though he acknowledges you being a hero... Wait. Was he being sarcastic? That you want to be the hero but isn''t. Yes that would make sense. But that means you don''t know Commander Fray-''If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ''Stop'' Estellda interrupts my mental rant. ''I do indeed hold the title of "Guardian of Velika". Everything you read about the hero is true. I am the hero in the books.''

    ''But?'' I sensed there''s a but coming.

    ''But so was Bree. And every other adventurer from my world for that matter. I told you it''s all part of our main quest. That everything is preordained. All of us were destined to become heroes, to defeat the argons. In fact, those events are probably unfolding for some player somewhere as we speak.'' Estellda explained.

    I listen to her explanation, trying to make sense of it. ''Are you saying that your life is scripted, that none of your actions are that of your own?''

    ''Not exactly Red. In this world at least, we are free to do what we want, for the most part. Think of it this way, the journey we make is determined by us but our destination is always the same. The outcome of each quest is and will always be the same. It might seem like we don''t have a choice but we do.'' Estellda stands up knocking her chair over, increasingly agitated. Nayenne looks over sternly, we both bow our heads, sending her an apology as we quickly left the library.

    "Sorry about that, it''s just a difficult concept to explain. I guess to you it would be like multiple parallel universes." Estellda apologies as soon as we step out. "You''re not a regular NPC either Red. If I hadn''t been the one that awakened you, I''d just think you''re some kinda crazy RP freak that refuses to break character and never sleeps or logs out. I can whisper, party and trade you. I can have Bree in party too which leads me to believe you can form a party with everyone, not just me. I can only speculate that when you levelled up, you stopped being an NPC and became a player. But without an actual person controlling you, you should still be considered an NPC. That and respawning at reset. Players don''t do that. Argghhhh!! This is mind boggling!!"

    So there are other reasons behind Estellda forming a party with me, introducing me to Bree and also handing me that travel journal. She''s trying to figure out what''s going on as well and not just goofing around. "I''m sorry Esty, with the way you behave sometimes, I forget you''re also trying to help."

    Estellda turns and gives me a hug, "You can feel this can''t you. You can feel the heat from my body against yours. But I can''t, because this is your world, not mine." She pulls away and moves swiftly in the direction of a teleportal. "Let''s stop wasting time wondering about what we don''t understand and instead focus on what we should be doing next." She activates the city teleportal, the blue orb in the middle shines and the 2 rings around it starts orbiting, "I''ll see you at Sharan Command."

    A blue magic circle appears around her feet, bathing Estellda in a pale blue light, swallowing her before disappearing in a flash, taking Estellda long with it. I activate the teleportal too then turned in the direction of Malachai''s Lab, taking one last look at the heavy golden gate of the elevator. The guard stands before it vigilant as ever, he smirks when he saw me watching. The answers lie in there. I know it. I definitely will get to the bottom of it.

 Chapter 12

    The air inside the Allemantheia headquarters feel dense and heavy, intimidating, small blue windows close to the high ceiling let light into the long room. Although not strongly lit, the lighting is comfortable on the eyes. A short flight of stairs on each side of the entrance lead down into the central area of the room where eight tall pillars line it length wise, four on each side, the same golden elvish figure with wings for arms atop each structure. In the middle, an administrative counter for battle grounds and guild administration.

    We move down the stairs and walk swiftly past the administrative counter, heading deeper into the room. At the end of it, a flight of stairs extend upwards onto an elevated platform where Commander Fraya resides. Fraya sits relaxed, leaning against the arm rests of her tall golden chair, taking long drags from her pipe. She appears restless and tired, above all she appears bored. Beside her stands Eyhian, her deputy, along with Loana, the garrison captain. A large oval table, various maps, documents and empty bottles of wine scattered across the surface separates them from Helean, Gellon and Karne, heralds of three of the provinces under the influence of Allemantheia in Southern Shara.

    With the exception of Fraya, they are engaged in heated discussion, the tension rising rapidly as each of the heralds fight to state their case.

    "It''s the same argument again, Karne''s going to be asking for reinforcements in Westonia, Gellon will want supplies for Val Palrada and Helean will say she needs both that and at a higher priority." Estellda whispered to me.

    "Again? It''s not the first time they argue about this? I guess I can understand, fighting on so many fronts. Must be hard allocating resources in a fair man-" I stopped when I see Estellda chuckling.

    "No not that Red, they''re NPCs, they always say the same thing."

    Fraya stirs in her chair, looking in our direction, she uncrosses her legs, standing. Everyone stopped talking as the Commander rises, waiting. She walks pass Eyhian, around the table towards the edge of the platform. "If it isn¡®t the Guardian of Velika. Have you come to rescue me from this monotony?" her voice booms with authority, echoing off the walls in the silent room.

    "Well that''s new..." Estellda quickly whispered to me before turning her attention to Fraya, she bows politely before replying, "Normally I wouldn''t dare disturb you from your responsibilities Commander Fraya but I have someone special with me today and we really need your help."Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    I step out from behind Estellda, looking up at Fraya, meeting her gaze. Her eyes narrow, the glyph lines on her body glows faintly, pulsing as she look me up and down. The arcane scars on me started to ache, a dull pain rising from the depths of my being, nothing but a mild annoyance.

    "I sense a strange arcane presence from your companion Estellda, strangely familiar but I can''t quite put a finger on it. It''s strong, erratic and raw. Resonating with the Core within me in a way I''ve never felt before." Fraya leans forward on the chains at the edge of the platform, taking a closer look. "Those eyes..."

    Without warning, Freya grabs her cloak, pulling it swiftly off her shoulders as she hurls it towards us. She leaps off the platform high into the air as her massive axe materializes in her hands. We caught a glimpse as parts of her body glow, just before her form disappears behind her cloak she threw in our direction.

    The shadow of the cloak grows as it quickly approaches and then just as quickly we are blinded as the cloak gets slashed cleanly in two. A fully armoured Fraya emerges fast approaching, axe held high and glowing as she smashes down on me.

    Estellda leaps over me, landing deftly on her feet as she let out a short cry and immediately brought her twin swords up into the shape of a cross before her. Fraya''s axe smashes through Estellda''s defense, pushing her body into me sending us hurtling through the air before crashing into the administrative table.

    Seeing their commander literally leap into battle, Loana was the first to react, drawing her sword form her hip. Next the guards in the room all moved towards us, spears raised. "You dare raise your swords against the Commander!" barked Loana.

    "Stay back!" Fraya shouted, her voice alone rooting everyone else in the room. "Estellda, explain yourself. Why have you brought an exiled into my home? How did you even get her out of Baldera?"

    She knows I came from Baldera! We staggered to our feet, Estellda propping herself upright with her swords, standing in the midst of splinters and debris. "Ex.. Exiled?" Estellda exclaims breathlessly then turns to me, "you didn''t tell me you''re a criminal Red. I trusted you..."

    "I didn''t know!" I reply exasperated as I help Estellda steady herself on her feet. "And I most certainly am not!"

    "Red..." Fraya hissed, she turns back and looks up at Eyhian. "didn''t Red perish along with Blue in the thetan will trial? At least that''s what you wrote in your report. Once we have her subdued, you better have a good explanation for me."

    Fraya turns her attention back to us, she lifts her axe off the shattered ground, the blade immediately starts glowing as she charges yet again towards us. I move away from Estellda, Fraya continues coming at me, perfect. Rapidly rolling out of the way as I reach behind my back, activating my arccannon. I''m still not exactly sure how long I was out for but once my hands come into contact with the cold metal of the arccannon, everything felt strangely right. Hello old friend, it''s been a while.

 Chapter 13

    Fraya¡¯s axe smashes another hole in the ground, exactly where I was a moment ago had I not rolled away. Taking aim, I fired a shot, she blocks it, then lunges towards me. Quickly firing a shot into the ground as I jump towards Fraya, propelling myself rapidly past her, soaring towards the higher platform, towards Eyhian.

    ¡°Stop running!¡± Fraya shouts, swinging her axe towards me, sending a wave of energy spiralling my way. Pointing the cannon to my right, firing another shot, propelling myself towards the stairs with the recoil. The energy wave grazes me, barely missing, as it crashes into Eyhian, sending him flying into Loana. I watch amused as they both land on the table, breaking it in half, the guards, as if awakened from a trance rushes in towards them, raising their guard.

    Turning my attention back to Fraya, hurling a time bomb towards her, she dodges as expected, bringing her axe up again. ¡°You mis-¡° Fraya grinds her teeth, putting her axe up before her face as a barrage of mana missiles fly her way, pushing her back. I continue firing at her, a scattered spread of rounds and stun grenades, interlaced with weak blasts, staggering and pushing Fraya away, keeping her guard up. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me Red.¡±

    I find myself smiling, adrenaline coursing through me, my body moving by itself, remembering the thrill of the fight. She must have noticed me smiling as well, she frowns, then a look of clarity, ¡°Velik be damned¡­¡± Fraya flies into the air, propelled by the blast of the time bomb going off at her feet, she lands sprawled, another round of mana missiles hit her before she can recover, sending her staggering down onto the ground again.

    I can feel the stored arcane energy rising, fuelling my bloodlust, a vicious cycle. My arccannon crackles with yellow lighting as I feel it reaching its limit. Red tendrils of arcane spreads out in an intricate web from my eyes, scorching my skin, the tips of my horns glow fiery red, igniting the air between them forming a fiery halo. I lock eyes with Fraya as she straightens herself, using her axe for support. Pointing my arccannon at her, a soft hum fills the room as the arcane energy condenses at the exit of the barrel, a bright arcane ball growing. Multiple panels on the arccannon surface, unfolds and slides apart, increasing the diameter of the barrel as the various valves containing the stored arcane drains. I sensed that familiar sinking feeling in my gut as my feet float off the ground, the dense ball of arcane energy bending light and even gravity around around me.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    A white blur flashes before Fraya, ¡°No Red! Stop!¡± Estellda stands with her twin swords up in a cross before Fraya. Too late! I can¡¯t stop the release. I watch in horror, the arcane ball glows a blinding white, as I desperately try to shift the heavy weapon, attempting to modify the course of the impending carnage. A pale green flashes across my eyes, as a bubble of light appears around Estellda, green light spirals around Estellda as magical glyphs of the same color circles around her in bands.

    The arcane ball explodes, the recoil sends me flying towards the wall behind me. A white hot beam fires at Estellda and Fraya, grazing the sides of the bubble, popping it instantly, it hits a pillar point blank, obliterating it, clips another pillar before finally leaving a massive hole in the side of the room. The golden elvish statue original atop the first pillar crashes through nothing onto the ground, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air.

    I land gracefully on my feet, deactivating my arccannon, smoke from the blast still trailing from it. The arcane drain extinguishes the fiery halo above my head as I watch intently, waiting for the dust to settle. A vortex suddenly appears, cutting through the room, sucking in the dust and debris, revealing Estellda and Fraya, both unharmed, as it exists the newly formed hole in the wall.

    ¡°Holy¡­ what the hell is going on?¡± a high voice pierces the room as a healing puddle drops down on Estellda and Fraya. I turn to the voice, a familiar staff wielding pink haired castanic approaches cautiously, stepping lightly through the destruction.

 Chapter 14

    Everyone in the room fell silent, accentuating the sound of the howling wind as the cold internal air rushes out the hole meeting the hot desert air. Bree walks slowly towards Estellda and Fraya, keeping an eye on me as she approaches.

    ¡°Since when did we get destructible environments?¡± Bree asks aloud, ¡°and why are we fighting with Red?¡±

    Destructible what? Is she referring to the hole in the wall? Is that supposed to be something new? Having breakable walls?

    Estellda turns to face Fraya, taking a few short steps back then kneels, placing her swords on the ground before her. ¡°My apologies Commander Fraya, we harbour no ill intentions. We are here purely to uncover the truth. We just... Reacted when you suddenly leaped at us.¡±

    Fraya looks down at Estellda, kneeling before her, then towards me. Her face expressionless as she stares into my eyes. I raise both my hands, showing my palms before slowly kneeling. I look up at Fraya again, the same expressionless look on her face, she tilts her head towards her axe, visibly tightens her grip on the weapon, then looks at me again. Recognizing her hint, I slowly reach behind my back, activating my arccannon then slowly places it on the ground before me. Satisfied, her grip relaxes, then she turns to Bree.

    ¡°What? I just got here!¡± Bree grumbles then relents, dropping on one knee, presenting her staff before her. The axe disappears from Fraya¡¯s hand as she slowly walks pass Estellda towards me. At the mid point between me and Estellda, she kneels down reaching under the lose rocks and rummages around before standing back up again holding her cloak, covered in dirt and slashed cleanly in two. She sighs and throws it towards one of the many guards surrounding us, ¡°I want that fixed. I don¡¯t care how.¡± She turns and continues walking towards me.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    She stops before my arc cannon, reaching down, wrapping her hands around the handle. Ugh! Such bad manners! It¡¯s common etiquette to never touch anothers¡¯ equipment, it¡¯s soul bound for a reason. Clenching my teeth I glare silently at her as she turns my cannon around in her hand, looking closely at all parts of it. ¡°Fascinating, I¡¯ve never seen a prototype cannon so... bare... before. There are no fail safes built in at all. I¡¯m honestly surprise it didn¡¯t just disintegrate in my hands after the stress from that Baldar¡¯s Vengeance.¡± She places the cannon back down then kneels, staring me in the eyes again. ¡°Those eyes and the arcane burns, yet you do not appear to have lost your senses, highly irregular indeed. Eyhian, why was Red exiled to Baldera? She doesn¡¯t seem that dangerous. I mean she clearly is, judging from that hole in the wall, but she doesn¡¯t seem Baldera level dangerous. We reserve that status for the likes of Shandra Manaya and quite possibly Dakuryon. If Red is alive, what about Blue? What else have you hidden from me Eyhain¡±. Eyhain remains silent, seemingly unfazed.

    ¡°Captain Loana, please take the guards and escort the heralds and administrative staff to safety.¡± Eyhain ordered, his voice flat.

    ¡°Commander? ¡± Loana turns to Fraya, unsure if she should follow the Deputy¡¯s orders.

    Fraya stares at Eyhain, raising her brow, amused. ¡°So it¡¯s that kinda explanation. Clear the room captain. Make sure we¡¯re not disturbed.¡± She turns to look at us, her gaze moving from Estellda to me then Bree and back to Estellda again. ¡°Guardian Estellda¡­¡±

    Estellda meets Fraya¡¯s gaze, then nods. ¡°very well, Captain escort Guardian Bree out as well-¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Bree exclaims annoyed, protesting as Loana and her guards close in around her. Estellda puts her hands together, bowing apologetically at Bree. ¡°this is so unfair! I wanna play too!¡±

    ¡°Keep an eye on her.¡± Fraya adds just as they exit the room.

 Chapter 15

    4, 254, 826/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    + 136,290 exp

    4, 527, 406/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    + 136,290 exp

    4, 799, 986/4, 800, 000

    + 136,290 exp

    + 136,290 exp

    A blinding white light fills my vision, forcing me onto my knees as I buckle. Like all the other times before, I reached out with my hands, breaking the fall, squeezing my eyes shut. My fingers dig into the dirt, moist and warm. Slowly, I open my eyes, the hazy vision fades into clarity focusing on the scene before me. I pant, taking short shallow breaths, wincing as the cold air assaults my lungs. Velik be damned this hurts! The lifeless corpses of two castanic females lie sprawling, blood soaking into the dirt. Two bodies? That¡¯s new... New?! Was the body count unexpected? Urghhh! A splitting headache interrupted my thoughts as memories flood into mind. Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fists as I held my breath, then slowly released my breath, controlling the pain.

    The throbbing in my head slowly subsides. Good, I didn¡¯t pass out this time and the memories are coming back faster too. The bodies on the ground starts to fade along with the blood soaked into the ground. I am alone again on my knees in the middle of the familiar plaza. Looks like I made it through another reset.

    Slowly I get on my feet, patting myself down, brushing the dirt off my body. Let¡¯s see if I sustained any permanent damage. I reach into my inventory, my fingers closing around a leather block. Smiling I pull it out. The Travel Journal from Estellda is still with me, excellent. Time to put in my first entry. Opening the tome, flipping to the first empty page, I reach for the tip of my horn with my finger, pressing hard, breaking skin. A droplet of blood grows on my finger tip, oozing from the tiny would. I drew a circle with my blood on the magical tome, the pages immediately started glowing as a circle of light envelopes me, then etches symbols into the pages of the tome.

    The lights didn¡¯t linger for long as the page fills with symbols. Satisfied, I close the tome, noticing a small print etched into the leather on the back of it.

    Time Remaining: 2 days 3 hr

    ¡°Red! You¡¯re not unconscious!¡±, a faint voice reaches my ears. Turning in the direction of her voice, two castanic females approach swiftly, the white haired castanic rode atop a white wolf wearing a red fiery sash, the other pink haired castanic rode beside her on a deep purple wolf with a violet sash.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Hey Esty,¡± I smile, happy to see a familiar face. ¡°And Bree?¡±

    Both Estellda and Bree dismounted, unsummoning their wolves as they approach me. Estellda dons her usual cuirass made from dragon leather, trimmed with golden scales, her twin celestial swords hang loosely from her back. Bree however isn¡¯t in her usual robes, neither is her staff present. Instead she wore an identical leather cuirass, dragging a giant sword behind her.

    ¡°Yep, this is my slayer main.¡± Bree replies cheerfully.

    I let that sink, then look blankly at her.

    ¡°Oh right, you¡¯re an NPC.¡± She knows now. I turn to Estellda, she looks away. ¡°so erm¡­ I have a toon for each class and I made all of them look the same and they¡¯re all named Bree-something so it¡¯s less confusing.¡± Bree continues her explanation.

    ¡°Toon?¡± I¡¯m getting confused again.

    ¡°hmm¡­ like a body. My erm¡­ consciousness can exist only in one body at a time. Is that better?¡± Bree looks at me quizzically.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ it¡¯s an adventurer thing again right.¡± Bree nods. ¡°And Estellda, does she have other erm¡­ toons?¡± I turn to Estellda.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure every adventurer has multiple toons after some time.¡± Estellda states flatly. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling Red?¡±

    ¡°Head still hurts a little but otherwise I¡¯m fine. Didn¡¯t pass out this time and the memories are coming back faster. I even had time to check the travel journal you gave me. I still have it.¡± I smile weakly at them.

    Estellda grins, ¡°That¡¯s great! You¡¯ve been out for-¡°

    ¡°About 4 days.¡± I finished for her. Both Estellda and Bree seemed taken aback by that. Good, I¡¯ll let them wonder a bit.

    ¡°H¡­ How-¡° Estellda stutters.

    ¡°Travel Journal Esty, says it¡¯s got 2 days plus left on the back.¡± I answer confidently.

    ¡°I told Bree, hope you don¡¯t mind. Also we managed to cut down the time it takes to awaken you by half, which is nice.¡± Estellda said in a low voice, worried about my reaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m glad to be wake up to people I can trust. Also after the incident with Fraya, I would rather have more time to work with before a reset happens. The last thing I remember was¡­ ¡± I trail off, trying hard to recall my last memory, remembering isn¡¯t as easy as it seems and I need more time to process and reorganise my thoughts, especially so shortly after awakening.

    ¡°So you remember the fight with Fraya, interesting¡­ do you remember what happened after?¡± Estellda questioned.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I remember? I¡¯ve always remembered the things that happened when I¡¯m awake.¡± Something isn¡¯t right.

    ¡°Well because Fraya doesn¡¯t. None of the other NPCs we encountered have any recollection of the event. In fact Allemantheia headquarters is in a pristine condition, it¡¯s like the fight never happened¡­¡± Estellda explained. Then she smiles, a certain clarity in her eyes, ¡°and I think I know exactly why.¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡°You know why, you know EXACTLY why?¡± I give Estellda a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Well¡­ not everything, just the part about Allemantheia headquarters, why it¡¯s undamaged.¡± Estellda replied. I narrow my eyes, squinting at her, not convinced. ¡°You know how I told you we¡¯re all on a quest?¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm¡­¡± I nod. ¡°I remember you telling me that but I don¡¯t think I really understood what you meant.¡±

    ¡°Well I figured as much, your reactions aren¡¯t really what I expected when I told you.¡± Estellda draws her swords, stabbing the tip of one lightly into the ground, the drags it across the dirt in a straight line. ¡°Imagine that as the timeline in Arborea.¡± She walks to one end of the line, ¡°What¡¯s the last major event you remember before falling asleep Red?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose that would be the appearance of the Island of Dawn, the call for adventurers from the Federation. I was already in the arccannon development team then. My last memory was the night before the test for the new armor that would protect us from the stored arcane in the arccannons.¡± I answer as I step away from Estellda, giving her more space.

    ¡°Right.¡± Estellda draws a short line perpendicular to the first long line. ¡°Let¡¯s say this is when you fell asleep.¡± She takes a few steps down the long line and draws another short line intersecting it, ¡°and this would be when I first entered Arborea as a Castanic.¡± She draws a zig-zagging line from that point along the longer line as she speaks ¡°all that stuff your read about in the library, all the events involving the guardian of velika happened in this jagged part of the time line. Eventually it leads up to this,¡± She stops, and draws a big cross about four fifths of the way down the long line ¡°the defeat of the Argon Queen, Shandra Manaya. So far so good?¡± I nod, observing the crude drawing on the ground.

    ¡°Good. Here¡¯s where it gets interesting¡± She grins as she moves back down the line towards the Island of Dawn marker, ¡°Every adventurer from my world enters Arborea at this point in time. If they follow the progress of the quest, they would walk down the same path.¡± She draws another line parallel to the first. ¡°Take Bree for example, she would enter Arborea in the exact point in history as I did. Even if Shandra Manaya¡¯s already been defeated in my timeline, it hasn¡¯t happened yet for Bree.¡± Estellda starts drawing multiple lines parallel to the first, ¡°And that is the same for every adventurer, even as we speak, there are new adventurers entering Arborea at that point in time.¡±

    I continue looking at the picture Estellda scrawled in the dirt, then back up at her. She¡¯s smiling, an expectant look on her face. ¡°You¡¯re joking right? Bree... tell me she¡¯s joking.¡± I turn to Bree, waiting for her reply.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure I got here before she did but everything else she¡¯s said so far is accurate.¡± Bree nods as she replies. I turn to Estellda again, then back to the drawing, trying to take it all in, to visualise the idea.

    ¡°It gets better.¡± Estellda says excitedly. ¡°Remember how I said all adventurers go through the same events through the quests? It¡¯s like we¡¯re all reading the same book and the main character in it is the reader. So in certain portions of the quest, we get to experience the events like we¡¯re watching a movie!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a moovy?¡± I ask. Bree bursts out laughing.

    ¡°Urghhh¡­ damnit Red! Bree a little help, what¡¯s a movie...¡± Estellda annoyed with having to explain something I¡¯m pretty sure is common knowledge to adventurers again.

    Bree composes herself, leaning on her sword for support. ¡°Ok you know those stage performances at Pleasure Street in Castanica?¡± I feel my face and the tips of my ears turning a shade of crimson as memories of my home city surfaces in my mind, ¡°Well I may have caught a glimpse of that passing by the entrance¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t allowed to watch the performances at Pleasure Street, only adult Castanics bearing the curse of Baldar can and I was already at Allemantheia when that happened, but that didn¡¯t stop me from sneaking a peek from the roof tops. We all did when we were young, how else were we to learn the dance of the deva?

    ¡°Right¡­ That blush is telling Red. Now imagine if you can somehow record the image and sounds of the performance and then replay it over and over whenever you want.¡± Bree explains ¡°so in our quests, we sometimes observe these events like that. All adventurers would see the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! We call that a cutscene and while we¡¯re experiencing that,¡± Estellda continues, taking over from Bree, ¡°the world doesn¡¯t actually change. You remember reading about how we got the title of the Guardian of Velika on the Steps of Velika? That ceremony took place in such a cutscene. No one else but the adventurer experiencing it can see it happening at the Steps of Velika.¡± She points to one of the lines parallel to the main line ¡°because it took place in a parallel timeline.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that right now, that event is happening to some adventurer in Velika?¡± I ask, still not a believer.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure at this point in time but it¡¯s a very real possibility.¡± Estellda smiles, happy that I¡¯m getting it.

    ¡°So how does that explain what happened at Allemantheia headquarters?¡±

    ¡°It explains it perfectly! That was your cutscene Red! We were able to see it too somehow, well Bree only saw the end but that¡¯s not the point. I suspect it¡¯s because we were in your party!¡± Estellda exclaims as she jumps and dodges around me all excited.

    ¡°But how do you know it¡¯s my¡­ moo¡­ what did you call it again?¡±

    ¡°Cutscene¡± Bree said flatly.

    ¡°Right. That.¡±

    ¡°Because when we went back after the world came back up, before we started your awakening process, we didn¡¯t see get to experience the same scene!¡± Estellda continues running circles around me, ¡°you were on a quest Red. That NEVER happens for an NPC!¡±

    <hr>

 Chapter 17

    A quest. I let the concept sink in, silent and unmoving. A quest in itself isn¡¯t a foreign concept to me, I¡¯ve been on countless quests in my time back at castanica, running random errands for merchants and visitors. Escorting the occasional popori or human to the various camps outside of the city, it¡¯s surprising how much they fear the wolves, those pups were hardly a threat. There were also the boring quests like gathering of resources, nothing unmanageable for the young me.

    Born in the heat of the Argon war, I never met my parents. I wondered the streets of castanica along with the other orphan castanics, fending for ourselves, scrapping a living by running errands for the adults. Estellda called me a walking cliche, but such is the reality of war. When I saw the call for young castanics to participate in a ground breaking project on the noticeboard in the plaza, I ripped it off, keeping it for myself and never looked back. It was my calling, a chance to be great. Little did I know it would take me to the city of elves.

    The formation of the Valkyon Federation was a great stimulus to trade. Castanica may be small but it¡¯s always busy, no doubt in part due to the activities in Pleasure Street. The other races would flock there just to catch a glimpse of the forbidden. The other obvious reason for traders and visitors would be the excellent weapons and armor crafted by our master craftsmen.

    This quest however, if I¡¯m actually on it, is very much different. If it really is a Estellda described, this quests allows me to bend time and space much like the adventurers. If NPCs and adventurers are governed by a different set of rules, then it seems the adventurer rules started applying to me since I awaken. I am however still affected by the world resetting. If I can somehow make more adventurer and less Npc rules apply to me, it¡¯s very possibly the key to me breaking free of the reset cycle.

    ¡°Red. You there?¡± Estellda¡¯s face suddenly comes into focus before me as she stops spinning around.

    ¡°Yeah, just thinking about what you said.¡± I focus my attention back on Estellda ¡°go on.¡±

    ¡°Great! I thought you went afk for a moment, didn¡¯t think NPCs could do that.¡± Estellda moves back towards the drawing on the ground.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Afk? Oh that trance you adventurers sometimes get into. Yea.. I was just thinking about what you said... Please go on...¡±

    ¡°OK back to the time line.¡± Estellda steps towards the last untouched fifth of the line, ¡°currently we¡¯re somewhere here in the patch, we just got Gunners and the level cap got raised to 65.¡± She turns to me and adds ¡°A patch is what we call it whenever eme makes a great change to the world and erm level cap would be...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kinda like a limit on how strong we adventurers can get.¡± Bree explains for Estellda. It¡¯s great that they¡¯re explaining the jargon before I even ask now.

    ¡°Remember how I said you weren¡¯t always in Baldera? That you only recently appeared? The fact that you¡¯re a gunner is too much of a coincidence. I¡¯m convinced it¡¯s related somehow.¡± Estellda draws a new line intersecting the main timeline to mark the location of the patch. She then draws a short line parallel to the main timeline, much like the timeline for adventurers. ¡°This is your line Red, from the moment you awaken.¡±

    ¡°So you do think I¡¯m an adventurer like you.¡± I said, a strange feeling in my gut as I refer to myself as an adventurer.

    ¡°Kinda sorta but not quite at the same time.¡± Estellda moves to the adventurer lines, extending them so they¡¯re about the same length as the main timeline. ¡°See our timelines will follow the flow of the main timeline, yours does too, just starting at a different point in time.¡± She steps back closer to my timeline, ¡°However, your timeline ends everytime the world resets.¡± Estellda draws a line parallel to mine. ¡°And you get a new timeline because you always respaw... You always reappear at your original level until we awaken you. You following so far?¡±

    I nod. ¡°Mmhmm...¡±

    ¡°Good. So the thing about quest cutscenes, at least in Arborea, is that unless you complete the entire sequence, you¡¯d have to do it again. I can¡¯t say with certainty that this is the case but I¡¯m pretty confident it is.¡± Estellda smiles, ¡°the last time the world crashed before we could find out much but this time we can plan our moves carefully before talking to Fraya.¡±

    ¡°So... If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re saying we should fight Freya again?¡± I don¡¯t really like where this is going. Even though I know I can just awaken again, it¡¯s not a pleasant experience and definitely not something I want to do over and over again.

    ¡°Who said anything about fighting?¡± Estellda¡¯s smile widens into a grin. I felt a chill run down my spine. I really don¡¯t like where this is going.

    <hr>

 Chapter 18

    Estellda continues grinning as she starts waving her hands in the air, ¡°let me just grab something from the cash shop for you¡±

    ¡°The cash shop would be where we adventurers spend the currency of our world in exchange for items in Arborea.¡± Bree explains, ¡°this why you brought me along Esty? To explain things for you?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely, don¡¯t forgetting sacrificing you to Red so she awakens faster. ¡° Estellda continues grinning as her hands move about in the air as if manipulating an invisible object. I don¡¯t know how long she would take so might as well start thinking of a plan of my own.

    Unlike Estellda and Bree, the encounter with Fraya felt like it just happened moments ago, I have no concept whatsoever of the passage of time when asleep. After Bree was escorted out of the room by Captain Loana, the only ones left were me, Estellda, Fraya and Eyhian.

    Eyhian dusted himself off before approaching us. Both sides stood still and said nothing, we just stared at one another, separated by the debris field. The wind howls from the massive hole in the wall, a constant reminder of the battle that transpired. Finally Fraya turned to Eyhain and said, ¡°Mind fixing up that hole in the wall? That howling is really distracting.¡±

    Eyhain nodded, opening the tome in his hand. He started chanting a short spell as a small transparent blue bubble started to grow just inches above the open tome. Eyhain continued chanting as he reached for the ball, then hurls it towards the hole. The bubble grew as it traveled across the room, past us, and plugged the hole in the wall perfectly, silencing the wind.

    ¡°Much better. Now we talk.¡± Fraya said, speaking as if the fight never happened.

    ¡°Great! First we have some questions for Deputy commander Ethan and of course some questions and a request for you too Commander Fraya.¡± Estellda spoke without restrain, excited and upbeat.

    Fraya lifted her pipe to her lips and took a long slow drag, her eyes narrow as she turned to face us, she then blew the smoke in our direction. Estellda didn¡¯t seem affected by the scent of the smoke. Allementhiea headquarters always had a weird mixed scent of parchment and something else, a dull fragrant of crushed fruit but with a hint of something burning. It seemed like I just found the source of the smell.

    ¡°Questions... And a request? Guardian Estellda, do not mistake my kindness for weakness. As long as we are in this room, in this city, any questions or requests will be made by me.¡± Fraya takes another drag from her pipe, ¡°you guardians are all the same, always speaking as if we were made to serve you. Now tell me how you got Red out of Baldera. No before that, tell me how you got in.¡±

    ¡°Well to be honest, the first time I got there, I was summoned by a friend. Then I just recorded the location inside my travel journal.¡± Estellda replied.

    ¡°A summon? I suppose your friend got in with a summon from another friend then?¡± Fraya furrowed her brow, clearly unhappy with the answer.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what happened with my friend too.¡±

    Fraya pondered for a moment, reflecting on Estellda¡¯s answer, ¡°Ridiculous. Eyhain, did the magic barrier around Baldera fail? You told me something like this could never happen. We erected that barrier for the safety of the people, we told the public it was taken over by the Argons so they would stay away. Yet here we have an exiled, standing here outside of Baldera. Word of this must never leave this room.¡±

    Eyhain, reached for his tome again, hovering his palm over the book as the pages started flipping rapidly. He placed his hand on the opened tome once the pages stopped moving. A faint glow radiates from the book where he touched it while his eyes glowed faintly, a light of an identical hue. ¡°The magic barrier is intact Commander, there are no records of anyone crossing the barrier. As for Red...¡± Eyhian lifted his hand off the tome again as the pages started to flip. The pages flipped to the end of the tome, Eyhian frowned, then started flipping back towards the front. The pages continued flipping back and forth multiple times as Eyhain¡¯s frown grew. Finally he closed the tome, ¡°It appears information about Red and Blue are missing.¡±

    Miss-¡°Missing?!¡± Fraya interrupted my thoughts, ¡°What do you mean missing. You record everything diligently in that book of yours. EVERYTHING.¡±

    ¡°Yes Commander, I¡¯m unable to locate the information with the tome. If the information does indeed exist, considering the link to the arcane engineer project, it would most probably be in Malachai¡¯s lab archives.¡±

    That caught our attention, I glanced over at Estellda, out eyes met, Malachai¡¯s lab was exactly where we wanted to be.

    ¡°Malachai, brilliant as he was, isn¡¯t the neatest or most organized. ¡®There is order in the chaos¡¯ he would often tell me, excuses. He just hates paperwork but who can blame him. Are you saying we would have to scour through volumes of un indexed and unsorted research manually? Like we¡¯d have to physically look through everything to find the information, page by page. What are we savages?¡±

    Eyhain shrugs, then nods. ¡°If I¡¯d been given the authority to ensure that all our research be properly documented, regardless of the researchers¡¯ rank or authority, we would be having a very different conversation.¡±

    ¡°Now is not the time to be bringing that up!¡± Fraya fumes, their bickering amused me.

    ¡°Guardian Estellda, are you confident that you will be able to keep Red in check?¡±

    Estellda chuckled, bowing her head to hide her laughter, ¡°When have I ever failed a quest Commander Fraya, I had always delivered good results.¡±

    ¡°Very well then, speak with Eyhain and make the necessary arrangements for a quest, I will grant you access to the lab.¡± Fraya commanded. That was weird, she spoke as if Ethan wasn¡¯t in the room. As I looked over at Eyhain, an orange question mark appeared above him, floating just inches above his head. I wonder what that meant, glancing at Estellda, she didn¡¯t seem to notice the change.

    ¡®Esty, do you see that above Eyhain¡¯s head?¡¯ I projected my query to Estellda mentally.

    ¡®I know right?! It¡¯s horrible he seriously needs a new hat, what were the devs thinking?!¡¯

    ¡®H...Hat? NO! Not that... Is that what you were thinking about this whole time? Really? I meant that giant orange question mark floating above his head.¡¯

    Estellda snaps her head towards me, her eyes wide in bewilderment. ¡®Orange question mark. You see an orange question mark floating above Eyhain¡¯s head?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah... You don¡¯t see it?¡¯ puzzles by her response, ¡®am I hallucinating?¡¯

    ¡®Oh wow... Thats amazing!¡¯ Estellda replied ecstatically, ¡®Go talk to Ethan quick!¡¯

    ¡®Me? Fraya said for you to talk to Eyhain though..¡¯

    ¡®Just go!¡¯

    I moved towards Eyhain but before I could reach him, Fraya reached out and grabbed my arm. ¡®Where do you think you¡¯re-¡® Fraya didn¡¯t finish her sentence as she and I both watched in awe as purple lines started growing from her hand that gripped me. We were both frozen as the purple tendrils grew and spread from her hand to all over her body. Then everything stopped and there was nothing but white and silence.