《Virtual Reality: Two Worlds Collapse (Slow Update)》 Prologue (New) Prologue [Year 2034, time: 7:05 a.m.] It was the beginning of a busy day in Austin, Tx. The highways quickly filled up with vehicles of all sorts. From gravity propelled vehicles to hydro electric cars, it was the beginning of a usual morning. The buildings glistened with the suns ray as the solar panels took every ounce of light to power the gigantic structures. Many of these buildings were still empty, but soon people began to appear, though they were early knowing that the highway would most likely clogged if they waited any longer. It was honestly a normal morning¡­ though, there are a few who have a rather hectic morning in the beginning of the day. In a house, at the outskirt of the city, a boy was currently drooling on his bed. He was around the age of 17 though his appearance does make him look younger. With lightly tanned skin and an androgynous face, his friends sometimes make fun of him by commenting that his sister was more boyish than he is. As for the said sister¡­ ¡°WAKE UP ALREADY!¡± She immediately doused the boy with lukewarm water. To her chagrin, the boy merely smiled as he briefly whispered Comfy¡­ You can tell that she was upset and immediately hit him in the head. It wasn¡¯t hard enough to actually hurt the boy, but it was enough to wake him up. With eyes opening wide open for only a brief second, he quickly sat up on his bed. Groggily, he also noticed that the bed around him was wet. Ignoring this, he suddenly shifted his gaze towards the girl and smiled. ¡°Ahh¡­ good morning Sammy¡± ¡°Good morning dear brother¡­ Not! You know what time it is?!¡± The boy looked at the clock beside him. It read, 7:05. With a yawn, he quickly began sinking back into the bed. ¡°OH NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± With a pull, Samantha managed to pull his brother to his feet. ¡°Jeez, I know you hate mornings but there¡¯s a limit for everything. You even told me to wake you up earlier since our clubs meeting early today!¡± Upon hearing the word club, the boy immediately shook himself awake. Satisfied, Samantha separated herself from him as she quickly prepared their meal. The reason she was doing this is because, the two were actually alone. Their parents had died in an accident when they were visiting their family overseas. At that time, the two couldn¡¯t go with them since they still had to attend school. When they heard the news, the two were distraught. Yet, they were able to overcome their sadness and relied on no one but one another. From then on, the two learned to live with only themselves. Whether doing the laundry, cooking or cleaning. The two have completely mastered them¡­ though one is lazier than the other. ¡°Tyler, hurry up!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m coming¡± Tyler quickly went over to his sister. There, he started helping her prepare the food. In no time, the two quickly finished preparing and began eating. Today, it was a simple breakfast of eggs, ham, bacon and bread. They could have cooked better food, but even Samantha woke up late though she didn¡¯t openly say it. That¡¯s why they were rushing themselves. But soon, they managed to make a good meal. They then gave a short prayer before finally digging into their food. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not going to be home till late today so just eat without me¡± ¡°Is it because of your work?¡± Samantha nodded. ¡°Yeah, some problems showed up. As the manager, I have no choice but to fix it¡± She sighed as she begrudgingly finished her last piece of bacon. ¡°And we were supposed to watch a movie too¡­ ah, why does this have to happen now of all days?¡± Tyler couldn¡¯t help but smile. Samantha was a rather boyish girl. With her shortly cut hair and boy like attitude, you can almost mistake her for a young boy. But, you can¡¯t ignore her charm as a girl. With a figure just like your typical American model, you can¡¯t say that she can¡¯t make any guy fall for her. But it¡¯s her attitude that catches everyone¡¯s attention. She had a bright personality which was mixed with a hard working persona. She¡¯s the type of person that you can really rely on if you need help. Also, being around her can really brighten your mood. It¡¯s known in their school that her smile is infectious to the point that it can make even the hardest person smile. Even now, she was caring for her little brother who had invited her to watch a movie with him. But, in all honesty, even Tyler has a reputation of being relied upon. ¡°Its fine, we can always move the movie to another time. Plus, you¡¯re always working hard so I can¡¯t just¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad to have an understanding brother¡± She quickly hugged him and Tyler immediately blushed. You can really tell that the two cherished one another. Who would blame them? The two have looked out for one another ever since their parents died. If one felt sad then the other would comfort him or her. It¡¯s to the point that others began calling them a couple, but they all know that¡¯s just how much they cherish one another. Ending their breakfast on a happy note, the two quickly made their way to the bus station and got on one of the busses. It was 7:50 now. Their club¡¯s activity was supposed to be at 8:00. It¡¯s safe to say that they were late. ¡°Oh man, we¡¯re so late¡± ¡°I tried to wake you up. Several times actually, but even with that bucket of water, it¡¯s nearly impossible to wake you up¡± ¡°You did? I didn¡¯t feel anything though¡­ then again, I¡¯m a heavy sleeper. Ahh¡­ sleeping is such an amazing thing. A wonderful gift given by¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I understand. You¡¯ve already told me the story several times so you don¡¯t have to explain it again¡± The two chatted happily until they reached their destination. They got off the bus and soon met up with another guy. He looked pretty mad as his messy hair flew in the air. He then grabbed Tyler and placed him in an arm lock as he strongly ruffled his hair. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you we have activities in the morning? Huh! HUH!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, wait! That hurts. Stop, I¡¯ll never do it again so¡­ ouch!¡± Even though his hair was becoming messy, Tyler gave out a hearty smile. The same goes for the guy as well as his sister. This was honestly a common occurrence in this school, rather Tyler had become used to this sort of behavior. ¡°Oh, Mark. Did you catch our little princess?¡± Suddenly, an amused voice approached them. It was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her hair reached only to her shoulders, and she looked to be of the sporty kind though she can also be mistaken as the intellectual type with her black rimmed glasses. Mark smiled towards the approaching girl. He then placed Tyler in front of him as if he was a small animal being returned to its owner. ¡°Yeah I did. And now that we have him, we have some unfinished business to do¡± Tyler immediately shuddered as he was forcefully dragged into the school. Strangely enough, both Mark and the girl gave him a look filled with hidden intentions. _____________________________________________________________________________________ [12:05 P.m.] ¡°I can¡¯t believe you made me do that¡± Tyler sat on the chair with a slump. It¡¯s been a long day for him. To begin with, he was forced to hand out flyers to the student body. It was all recruitment posters for their club. Tyler honestly didn¡¯t mind about handing out flyers, but he had to do it while he cross-dressing as a female student. Since he lost a bet he made with Reya, he had no choice but to follow Reya¡¯s order. Of course, if it was Tyler that won, he would have had a chance of ordering Reya for a whole day. That¡¯s why he took the risk¡­ though he lost instead. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your fault for agreeing with the bet¡± Mark sat across from Tyler and set his tray down on the table. Following him was Samantha who sat on Tyler¡¯s right. She also began unpacking their lunch that she had kept in her locker. Followed by her was the sole person who was the center of his suffering. ¡°Yeah¡­ did you actually think that I would lose?¡± Reya sat at his left, a radiating smile on her face. Tyler glared at her, clearly showing her his embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s because you always buy premium items. That¡¯s why I lost¡± She shrugged. ¡°All is fair in war. Especially when somethings on the line¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ demon¡± ¡°Why thank you for the compliment¡± Tyler sighed, completely giving up. He then took his portion and began eating through the small meal he and Samantha prepared. Suddenly, Mark was beckoning for Tyler. ¡°Speaking of which man, how did it go?¡± ¡°How did what go?¡± ¡°You know? The Alpha test¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot about that¡± ¡°Forgot about what?¡± Samantha interjected between Tyler and Mark¡¯s conversation. She looked confused, especially since Tyler was seemingly hiding something from her. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Ah, didn¡¯t I tell you sis. I signed up to become an alpha tester for the new virtual reality system the Golgo Company¡¯s created¡± ¡°Virtual reality? Yeah, you never told me anything¡± Although she gave an indifferent voice, you could tell she was interested. Her ears were slightly twitching¡­ a trait that was instantly seen by Tyler. ¡°Yeah, apparently they¡¯ve finally made a system that jacks you into the virtual world¡± ¡°That kind of sounds dangerous¡­¡± Samantha couldn¡¯t help but frown as she started to think about several things that can horribly go wrong, but she was immediately calmed by Tyler¡¯s smile. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve already went through several orientations. You can say that I¡¯ve been training just for this day¡± ¡°Is that why you were late coming home these past few weeks?¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry for not properly telling you¡± Samantha sighed. She already knew that Tyler was the type to forget things so she really didn¡¯t care. Still, something was gripping her heart. As if something wrong was going to happen. But, she also knows that virtual reality was a new age of entertainment. Even she has a gamer side to her, something that is also inherent in his brother. ¡°Man, I¡¯m so jealous¡± This time, it was Reya who joined in. She stretched her hands to the air, giving a short sigh. In actuality, everyone in their club was a gamer. That¡¯s because, their club is actually known as the game maker club. As the name implies, they actually like creating and playing games. You can say it¡¯s in their blood. Especially with Reya whose dad was the president of a gaming company specialized in creating Role playing games as well as gaming computers. ¡°Still I wonder why they rejected me.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m surprised that they did seeing as your dad owns a gaming company¡± Reya then shrugged. ¡°Well, whatever it was they must have their reasons. Anyway, you better tell me how it goes alright. At least I¡¯ll be able to fantasize about it¡± Tyler chuckled as Reya¡¯s face began to blush. He couldn¡¯t help but think that, aside from being a demon, Reya also had an adorable side to her when it comes to video games. ¡°Did you just think about something rude?¡± Tyler immediately shook his head as he shuddered thinking, Women sure have sharp intuitions. -_____________________________________________________________________________________ [9:23 P.M] (Will all testers please approach your designated area?) After waiting for hours, it was finally time for Tyler to try the new virtual reality system. Of course, he was waiting with Reya and Mark but they were quickly made to leave. They were pretty mad at the people working there so he promised them that he was going to make dinner for them next week. The two happily accepted and merrily went away. Did you two plan this? That was the only thing going through his head when he saw their happy faces. But soon, people with white coats began entering the room he was in pulling him away from his thoughts. As they began checking him for any abnormalities, he quickly remembered his parting with Reya. Remember to be careful. Also, if something happens just stop what you¡¯re doing ok? He couldn¡¯t help but smile as he remembered the worried look his sister gave him. ¡°Hello Mr. Hall¡± Suddenly, one of the workers called out to him. He was carrying a tablet with him that seemed to contain information about Tyler. ¡°I will be your advisor for today. Simply call me as number 03¡± ¡°Umm¡­ alright?¡± Tyler had an awkward look on his face though the man didn¡¯t take notice of it. He asked him a couple of questions as well as taking basic measurements of Tyler. After finishing all the measurements, they both exited the room and entered another. There, a capsule could be seen. ¡°If you can please enter the capsule, we can initiate our testing¡± With a nod, Tyler quickly entered the capsule. There, the man quickly went about attaching cables on the capsule. He then placed several electrodes unto Tyler¡¯s body which was meant to concentrate the electrical output of the body into the machine. ¡°I should probably explain this. You have been selected to partake in this momentous experiment of human success. Here, you will be sent to a different world to experience it like never before. You should make sure to be prepared for anything¡­¡± The man kept explaining many things to Tyler. To Tyler though, this was something he already knew. He was a gamer who enjoyed playing role playing games. Since virtual reality was perfect for Rpg¡¯s, he already assumed that the rules should be the same. Yet, when he explained this to the man, he just shook his head and kept explaining more things. Rules, locations and tips. He didn¡¯t stop explaining it. After several minutes of this, Tyler couldn¡¯t help but worry about the situation. Suddenly, he felt a slight shudder. The man also seemed to take notice of it but continued what he was doing. Actually, he seemed to be moving faster than before. Suddenly, Tyler remembered his sister¡¯s warning. His body began to act for him, but the man noticed this. ¡°Hogur mana xeist vlacom¡± A huge light covered Tyler before he could do anything. When it disappeared, he realized that his body could no longer move. ¡°Don¡¯t try to escape. Not when were this close to our goal¡± The man instantly switched his tone. His clothes even changed from the normal white coat to that of a black jacket. On his back, a white cross that covered his back could be seen. At this point, Tyler began to fear as he struggled to move his body. Ignoring him the man kept working but stumbled as the room shook. ¡°Shit, the Templars really are quick¡± He said that to no one in particular as he continued working on Tyler¡¯s capsule. As soon as everything was in place, he took out a chalk out of thin air and began to draw runes on the ground. These runes were then surrounded and connected by interlacing circles. With each line completed, a blue light began to appear. As this happened, the man began to chanting a song. ¡°Wir vecum no¡¯se sit yumir, Wir vecum no¡¯se sit yumir¡­¡± Over and over, the man kept chanting. Suddenly, the door was torn asunder as men with white cloaks appeared. ¡°STOP HIM¡± A young voice rang out through the room as people surrounded Tyler and the man. ¡°Heh¡­ you¡¯re too late dogs of the Order. INERT WIS¡± The man instantly jabbed his hand into the ground. He then turned towards Tyler, a sadistic smile on his face. ¡°With this, the commandment¡­ is broken¡± The man was instantly killed in front of Tyler, the blood spilling over the capsule. Yet, he didn¡¯t seem to feel fear. Instead, he felt really calm. ¡°GET THIS OPEN NOW!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t! The pressure¡¯s too much to handle!¡± ¡°WE CAN¡¯T JUST LEAVE HIM! LET ME GO!¡± ¡°I cannot. Please, you must not¡­¡± ¡°TYLER! TYLER, DON¡¯T GO¡­ Do¡­ go¡± Tyler could no longer bear it as his eyes began to slowly close. He could feel his entire body slow down. As strange as it sound, Tyler couldn¡¯t explain it in any other way. But, the sense of peace that he could feel was very similar to that of entering his dreams. ¡°Tyler¡­ wake up¡­¡± Those were the last words Tyler heard before he completely gave himself to the darkness. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Author Notes: So, here it is. The new prologue for this story¡¯s revamp and re-edit. Now, what you guys should know. Things that I didn¡¯t change -Tyler is still M.C -He is still O.P Things that I did change -Tyler¡¯s personality -O.P. But he needs to work for it -Writing style (This is completely based on my American style. My other stories are based on Japanese influence) -Characters -Setting -Skills -and many others. Yeah, I pretty much changed the stories premise, origin and actual plot. With this, I hope to accomplish an actual story of this. Can¡¯t promise anything though so don¡¯t get your hopes up. Here is the main thing though. This will have a slow release. I¡¯m very much committed to the blue city and I¡¯m trying to pull it from the void that I threw it in. Also editing that one heavily soon TT.TT Chapter 1 (R-18) Author Notes: Warning, there is a rape scene here. Now, I will go ahead and add R-18 for any chapters with explicit sexual content. But do trust me when I say that this is not going to be one of those sex all the time story since I¡¯m not very good at writing those in the first place. Aside from that, you have been warned. Also, I can already feel people typing so I¡¯ll be blunt with it. You, as the reader, have the choice of either continuing or dropping this series¡­ really, that¡¯s all I can say lol. Now, to those who are willing to continue reading, enjoy. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1: The Day His World Was Changed (R-18) Dreams always had the tendency to distort what is real and what is not. In one instance a person could be driving a car and in the next, he would be driving it in space. That¡¯s why, many people anticipate the time they go to sleep for the sole fact of experiencing things that they can¡¯t experience in real life. Tyler was one of them. He, who was beset by many things, loved to sleep for the dreams he saw could only be described as paradise. The dreams he had were of his family when they were together, laughing and smiling and joking around in their happy home. In his dreams, he can truly be at peace. ¡°Tch¡­ it failed again. Get her out of here and move on to the next¡± Suddenly, he was ripped away from his dream as a hand grabbed him by the neck. Fully aware of what was happening, Tyler panicked as he grabbed hold of the man¡¯s arm trying to break free. ¡°Feisty one ain¡¯t she. Whatcha think?¡± ¡°Just throw her into the dungeon. She¡¯s not even worth our time right now¡± Dungeon? Tyler pondered as he continued to thrash around. He looked back and noticed that he was pulled out of a capsule. Suddenly, memories began flooding back. ¡°Where¡­ where am I?¡± ¡°Oh, she can talk. Well that¡¯s a first¡± The man ignored his question as he continued to drag Tyler along the floor. As for Tyler, he tried to remember what happened. From separating with his friends to getting on the virtual reality system. Then, like a movie, he remembered the scene of someone being murdered right in front of him. The commandment¡­ is broken Such a line could only make him feel uncomfortable. Tyler then felt his entire body behind pushed forward. ¡°Stay there for a bit. If you act nice, no one will hurt you¡± The man gave him a lecherous gaze, though Tyler didn¡¯t take note of it. Rather, he was still surprised at what was happening around him. He didn¡¯t even bother saying anything to the man who left. Then, something else caught his attention. First of all, his clothes. He was wearing a one piece shirt that fell all the way to his knees. It¡¯s like what those patients wear in a hospital. But, that¡¯s not what got him. ¡°These are!¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he held the two protruding things from his chest. W¡­ why do I have breasts? The words didn¡¯t come out as he continued staring at the anomaly in front of him. Then, fearing for the worse, he slowly brought his hand to his nether region. Touching a rather sensitive part, he let out a soft moan that would have destroyed any man¡¯s reason if they heard her. With this though, he finally figured out the truth. ¡°I¡­ turned into a girl?¡± Her soft voice rang out in the room. It finally made sense to her why the men were referring to him as missy. It¡¯s because she really was a girl. But, something else was beginning to claw at her mind. Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a virtual game? That thought stuck with her as she remembered what happened earlier. Yet, the thought never occurred to her until now. That¡¯s because, everything was too real. The man¡¯s grip on her neck, the floor that she stood upon and the smell of the sooty air. Everything was too real. She remembered during the orientations that the virtual world could never copy the real world since the nerves could never be fully integrated into the system. But, this world that she was in. It felt too real. I need to log off ¡°Menu¡± Nothing happened. Surprised, Tyler tried it again. ¡°MENU!¡± Still nothing. She remembered in her last orientation that the virtual reality world we will be experiencing had a menu feature. This allowed us to control our inventory, our skills, character information and the general menu. It also had our log off button so we can quickly go back to our world. Yet, now¡­ nothing was showing up for her. ¡°MENU! MENU! MENU!¡± She kept shouting this over and over again, hoping to leave this dreaded world. She no longer stood but was sitting on the floor, yet she continued to shout out the menu hoping to be saved. Yet, she hasn¡¯t noticed that this wasn¡¯t the virtual world she was expecting to see. She forgot that in the orientation, the virtual world they prepared was one filled with a colorful setting, one were the grasses were at their greenest. As she kept shouting, Tyler finally noticed a small window behind her. She slowly crawled over to it and saw parts of the outside world. Tall buildings could be seen from either side. They were rusty in color and had gears and steam all over the place. Looking past that, was an endless desert that never seemed to end. Shifting sands was all its merits while red rocky cliffs could be seen in some places. ¡°Just¡­ what is this?¡± Tyler didn¡¯t want to accept it. That he was a girl, that he was in a world he never expected to be in. That the sensation of the world around him is telling him that this was real. That right now, he was trapped in some unknown place. He didn¡¯t want to accept it¡­ but reality was harsh on him. He was a smart kid and he knew that everything, no matter how much he denied it, was real. She can only sit silently at the thought of being in an unknown place. ¡°Finally ye quieted down¡± The man who dragged her from before reappeared. Tyler was instantly on guard though that only made the man smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be so guarded. No matter what ye do. You won¡¯t be able to escape anyway¡± ¡°Just who are you people? What do you want from me?¡± The man shrugged as he took something from his side. He then threw them towards Tyler. She tried to dodge it but the objects dug themselves into her hands. She screamed as her hands were lodged right into the metal wall behind her. ¡°I¡¯m really tired of the girls running away, I hope you don¡¯t see me in a bad light¡± Tyler tried to control her breathing but the pain was unlike anything she¡¯s felt before. The man once again gave her a lecherous smile. ¡°Now then. Let me explain a few things. For one, you are a mistake. We intended to summon a hero to fight for us, but instead we got you whose power seems to be at the very lowest. Now, normally we would have given you to our soldiers. You know how it is with them, morale and all. But at this point, we¡¯ve already given them ten girls. They were rather fine girls too, so giving them another girl would just be pampering them. But, we can¡¯t just have you do nothing since we¡¯ve took the trouble of summoning you, so your job is simple¡± Suddenly, the man took out a knife and lashed out towards Tyler. Her clothes immediately fell on the floor, her bare skin was now showing. Even though the pain was making it hard for her to think, she knew what was going to happen. Even though she used to be a man, she already knew that for a girl, her chastity was something to be protected. She couldn¡¯t help but scream out as she tried to hide her body from the man¡¯s gaze. ¡°Hehe, you sure are a fine girl. Now, as for your job. I want you to have fun with my boys. You see, I¡¯ve already taken several prizes myself. But my boys, they¡¯ve been itching for a fun time. Oye, you three! Get in here already!¡± Suddenly from behind them, three more men entered. ¡°You sure got a first class treasure boss¡± ¡°Yeah, just look at her. Just imagining how she would feel is giving me an erection¡± The three kept talking about many profane things as they slowly walked up to Tyler. Dread began to fill Tyler as they slowly approached her. Looking at her hands which were nailed to the wall, she tried to forcefully pull them out. Instead, pain was the only thing she got from doing that. This time though, she managed to contain her scream. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s trying to get out¡± ¡°Well wouldn¡¯t you? If I was a girl and saw someone as ugly as you, I would run for my life¡± ¡°You bitch¡± Two of them began fighting each other, but the other one kept his focus on Tyler. ¡°Hey Boss, you sure I can take her first?¡± ¡°No problem at all. Honestly, I was going to let you three decide whose going first, but¡­¡± He paused as he stared at the two morons who were fighting. ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re up first. Lucky you¡± Excitedly, the man removed his pants showing a monstrosity that Tyler never knew could have existed. She began to shudder and placed her body even more firmly on the wall. ¡°No¡­ NO! You don¡¯t understand! I¡¯m a guy! A GUY!¡± ¡°A guy?¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The man looked at her in confusion. Then, as if nothing happened he began to approach Tyler once again. Frantically, Tyler began explaining his predicament. How he was a guy in his old world and how he somehow took the form of a girl in this world. ¡°That¡¯s why, even though I have this body, I¡¯m really a guy¡± The boss looked at her with a questioning look. He seemed to be thinking about something as his eyebrows scrunched up. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then maybe you are the hero we¡¯ve been waiting for¡± The two men who were fighting before were now paying attention. They too listened attentively to the situation before them. ¡°¡­ so what should we do boss?¡± At the sudden remark, Tyler immediately had a ray of hope. To him, it seems as if the group has accepted the fact that he was a guy who was turned into a girl. ¡°Well, we might as well bring her to the counsel. Only they know what to do. Take her hands and release her. Make sure you heal them so she won¡¯t be uncomfortable¡± The subordinate nodded as he reached over towards Tyler. Tyler sighed in relief as he relaxed his entire body. ¡°You didn¡¯t actually think we would let you go did you?¡± Tyler gave an unsounding scream as she felt something penetrate deep inside of her. ¡°Ahh¡­ Ahh¡± She looked down and saw the place where she and the man were connected. She could only stare in shock before the man began thrusting his way into her. ¡°You know, we were with the soldiers when they had their way with the girls. Some of them were also failures who told a sob story about being guys. But, did you actually think we would believe you? This body of yours is proof that you are a girl, a virgin one to be exact¡± The man smiled as he continuously thrusted into her. With each thrust, Tyler felt an unimaginable pain. Slowly, she felt her reason begin to degrade. Why is this happening to me¡­ why? Her mind was beginning to blank as she was ravished savagely by the man. Please¡­ someone, anyone¡­ kill me¡­ ¡°Oh, she¡¯s tightening even more now. Good, since I¡¯m almost ready to release it inside of you¡± Tyler began to moan, though the life in her eyes was slowly vanishing. Blood began to appear as the man kept thrusting in and out of her. Soon, a tiny drop finally fell to the floor. [Alchemic system activated. Necessary ingredients have been met. Listing: Two ingots of orichalcum, three sheets of spider wool, twenty ingots of iron, one pound of marble¡­] Light began to flood the room surprising everyone. The man who was ravaging her took a step back and joined his perplexed comrades. ¡°What the?¡± ¡°This is!¡± ¡°IT¡¯S A SUMMONING SPELL!¡± The four men looked towards the girl whose eyes no longer reflected life. Within those eyes though, they saw a deep seated anger that was nothing like they¡¯ve seen before. ¡°Shit, KILL HER!¡± The three prepared their weapons. They then lashed out towards Tyler. [Necessary component for activating Guardian Class Servant: The Blood of Chastity. Status- met] Pressure entered the room and the four men were instantly pushed backwards. The winds grew even more chaotic as red sand turned the place into a small sandstorm. And yet, there a red barrier had formed around Tyler. Soon, the air began to calm. Huge portion of the place had dissapeared. Not only that, in the middle of the room, a person could be seen. She was in full heraldic armor that had chain mail reaching to her thigh. The design gave her a crusader look which was perfectly matched with a short sword and a shield. As for the girl herself, she had long silver hair that reached to her waist and her eyes were pure red. ¡°Don¡¯t make any sudden movements¡± ¡°We won¡¯t boss¡± ¡°This is such a pain¡± The four men regained their postures as they stared at the girl. As beautiful as she was, the four knew that she could be troublesome. But in their minds, they saw it as an easy win for the fact that the summoner must have been a rookie in magic. Slowly, they approached the crusader. To their surprise though, she didn¡¯t pay them any attention. The summoned being quickly walked towards her master and healed her hands. During the summon, the items used, aside from the surrounding area, were Tyler¡¯s one piece dress as well as the two orichalcum knives that were used to nail him to the wall. That¡¯s why she was free now since the items used to restrict her were used to summon the crusader. [Goddes of nature, ruler over the forest. Grant me strength and grant me power, to heal the one I truly favor] A green light began to cover the two of them. Soon, Tyler felt better as his wounds began to heal. But, there is something that can never be healed by magic and that was his mentality. ¡°Forgive me master for not being here earlier¡± Tyler didn¡¯t take heed of the heartfelt apology. Rather, her stress and fatigue had already caused her to fall sleep. Knowing this, the crusader took off her cloak and placed it around her master. One of the men saw this as an opportunity and immediately jumped upon the crusader. To his surprise, he never got the chance to swing his sword. Instead, a pain erupted on his chest as he was impaled unto the wall by a lance. ¡°You who have dared to hurt my master. This will be your end¡± The girl said this with neither force nor anger. Instead, she had a calm and collected figure as she raised her hands to her side. [Imperial Armus] Another lance began to form on her hand. At the sight of this, the three remaining men couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s the highest known arming spell known to humanity!¡± ¡°She¡¯s an S class¡­ S class being¡± The three men finally realized their mistake. In their minds, defeat was guaranteed since an S class being was never heard off ever since the years of the Divine War. If they only knew that Tyler had a high pool of mana and was gifted with the alchemic lineage of magic, then they would never have done what they did to her. Because her power was hidden until now, they ended up raping the poor girl supplying the most important recipe for summoning this divine being. The Virgin Blood of the summoner. ¡°Uwoohh¡± The boss immediately ran up to the crusader. Not even moving, the girl tilted her shield to the side. It caught the blade of the man¡¯s knife forcing him to slide past her. Not wasting anytime, the crusader turned her body around and forced the lance right through the man¡¯s heart. With a last breath, he fell. His blood painting the ground red. The other two saw this and immediately tried to run away. [Burn thy enemies into oblivion] The girl raised her hand towards the men. [Dragon Breath] Instantly, flames erupted from her palm creating a flamethrower of some sort. The men¡¯s agonizing screams could be heard as they quickly burned to a crisp. ¡°Monster¡­¡± The crusader caught the word of the man she¡¯d impaled first. Surprisingly, he was still alive his genitals open for anyone to see. Noticing who he was, the girl¡¯s impression drastically changed. Anger could be seen on her eyes as she quickly walked over to him. ¡°For the disgrace of my master, you aren¡¯t worthy of such a tool¡± A sword appeared on her hand. Wasting no time, she brought it done on the man¡¯s genital completely chopping it off. He screamed as he struggled to break free from the lance. He continued to thrash but soon, he died from blood loss. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve taken revenge, I can never regain what my master has lost. For that, I curse your spirit into the confines of hell¡± Suddenly, a white apparition could be seen in front of her. This apparition had a face that was filled with shock and fear. Soon, red tendrils began surrounding it, tearing and eating away its body. Soon, nothing was left of it. With this, the crusader walked back to her master. She then took the helpless girl into her hands and quickly jumped through the windows. She made sure to hold her master securely as they roughly landed on the ground. She studied her master¡¯s face which seemed to be at peace. Rather, Tyler was trying to cuddle to the warmth that he somehow felt. The crusader smiled. She then kissed Tyler on the forehead. A small Greek omega symbol appeared but it quickly disappeared imbedding itself into Tyler¡¯s skin. The crusader giggled. ¡°With this, our contract is made master¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ Author notes: So, yeah. I¡¯m really going all out with this revamp. P.S: You guys are probably confused with my placements of ¡°he¡± and ¡°she¡±. I did that on purpose to show how chaotic his mind is right now concerning his mentality of identifying himself as either girl or boy. Next chapter though, I¡¯ll be using she since the mentality is forced unto him by now. P.S.S: It''s probably going to be a fast release for a while since I''m waiting for my editor to come back with the latest chapter of Blue city. Chapter 2 Chapter 2: A World of Metal and Monsters ¡°Hurry up and get those crates on the cart!¡± A loud shout could be heard in the midst of a loud crowd. There, a line of wagons could be seen. There was a total of 14 of them each pulled by two horses. In these carts, crates were being piled in one by one. Sack filled with fruits, flour and some sort of black powder were also being loaded in. Suddenly, one of the boys dropped a sack. ¡°Oye, you. Careful with that. You want to blow us up!?¡± The poor boy shivered as he stared at the intact sack. In it, the same black powder in the carts could be seen. The man, seeing that the boy froze up, sighed and walked over to him. ¡°Give me that. As for you, only carry what¡¯s safe. Aright? I can¡¯t have a major accident happen here since we¡¯re already late¡± The boy nodded enthusiastically as he ran back into the storage room. As for the taskmaster, he quickly went back to directing the others. It took a bit longer, but soon the cargo were loaded. He then ran to the lead cart and got on the very top of it. Here, he had three guards. One manning a mounted crossbow. The other two were a female mage and a male archer. ¡°Is the caravan ready?!¡± ¡°Carriage 1 ready!¡± ¡°Carriage 2 ready!¡± The response kept going until the final carriage gave the clear signal. ¡°We will be passing the Trees of Voraya. Be alert at all times! Now, get this train moving!¡± A man pulled out a whistle and blew on it. The sound immediately permeated the air and soon the caravan began to move forward. They made their way through the winding streets of the city and soon, they came upon a huge gate. The caravan immediately stopped as a guard walked towards the lead cart. ¡°Sir, I know it may be an inconvenience, but we have to check your carts first¡± The taskmaster immediately knitted his brows as his guards looked at one another in confusion. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just for safety measures¡± ¡°Safety measures? For us to leave the city?¡± ¡°I know it sounds weird, but there were some problems. We just have to make sure that you¡¯re not housing anyone suspicious¡± Strange as the request was, the taskmaster decided to let them check their carts. After all, he really didn¡¯t have anything to hide. When they were given the green signal, several guards began walking along the train. In each cart, they began sifting through them. Of course, it was discourteous to damage the goods. That¡¯s why, they didn¡¯t jab their pikes through the crates or sack in order to search them. Instead, they had one of their mages check each cart individually for anything or anyone suspicious. As soon as the final cart was checked, the guard signed a piece of paper and handed it to the taskmaster. ¡°Here¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ is there anything happening?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s none of your concern¡± The guard conveniently dropped the conversation as he went back to his post. As for the doors, mechanisms could be heard as several loud noises rang. ¡°Squad two and three, prepare for intervention!¡± Two groups of soldiers began setting up a perimeter in front of the gate. In the front, a line of musket men could be seen. Behind them, they were covered by the dense line of pike men. Mages could also be seen chanting small enforcement magic on the men. Small explosions could be heard atop of the walls but no one seemed to care about that as they focused their attention towards the gate. Soon, the huge doors began opening. As soon as a small slit opened, several creatures could be seen making their way towards them. ¡°FIRE!¡± A series of gunfire flooded the entrance. The creatures didn¡¯t stand a chance as they were mercilessly torn apart. ¡°Reload! Magicians, cast holy magic!¡± As the guards were fending off the strange looking creatures, the taskmaster saw his opportunity. ¡°GO!¡± Soon, the lead cart barreled through the creatures killing many. Behind him, the other carts followed after him. They were instantly surrounded by many strange creatures. ¡°DO NOT STOP! AS LONG AS YOU DON¡¯T STOP, YOU WILL BE FINE!¡± As he said this, he immediately shot one of the creatures with a flintlock pistol. His men followed suit, shooting as much arrows and bolts they can. The entire caravan made a beeline towards the forest and soon darkness engulfed them. This forest was a really dangerous place. It was possible that they could have taken the desert route, but it was a longer trip. Plus, by going through the forest, they can save more money by buying less supplies and more products. Furthermore, they have a peace of mind knowing that after they leave the forest, a holy barrier would block off the remaining creatures that would chase them. That¡¯s why many risk going through this trade route. The taskmaster, is one of these said people. Even though he¡¯s lost some men in the past years, it was still a small sacrifice to make. ¡°These guys are never ending¡± The mage couldn¡¯t help but say that out loud as she blasted another creature with a fireball. Now, the creatures themselves were of many kinds. They all had the form of wolves, tigers and other fierce animals. But, that¡¯s not what makes them special. They were all demonized monsters. With glowing red eyes and red miasma surrounding them, they had a fierce appearance as well as a big appetite. ¡°Don¡¯t relax. If you let them too close, were all dead¡± The three nodded as they continued their onslaught. At this point, they¡¯ve managed to reach the outskirts of the forest. The taskmaster saw this and waved a yellow flag above him. The mages of the caravan saw this and began chanting holy magic. ¡°B-class variants! Undead, Humanoid!¡± The taskmaster gave an alarmed look as a scream permeated the air. He looked behind and saw a man being pulled into the dense forest. ¡°Carriage 8 gunner¡¯s been taken!¡± ¡°HERE THEY COME!¡± Suddenly, more appeared. This time though, they all managed to kill them before they got too close. Arrows upon arrows whistled as some of the demonized undead were bolted to trees. Whatever the archers and crossbowman¡¯s missed, the mages made quick work of pulverizing them into the ground. As for the rest¡­ ¡°Barrier completed. We have one hour till it dissapears¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. We only need an hour¡± The train of carriages continued speeding through the dark forest. Around them, dark black vines hanged from the eerie trees. Red eyes could be seen looking at them from the very depths. But the mercenaries knew that as long as the barrier held up, the ghouls wouldn¡¯t dare of attacking head on. That¡¯s why they were bidding their time, waiting for the barrier to disappear. But the taskmaster knew about this. That¡¯s why he told everyone to charge through the forest. In doing so, he was confident that they would make it out of the forest in no time. Minutes began to past but soon, he began seeing the edge of the forest. ¡°Stay alert. We¡¯re nearly out of this god forsaken place¡± Everyone began to relax after hearing this. ¡°AHHH!¡± Suddenly, a new scream appeared. This time, it was accompanied by a huge crash. ¡°Carriage 9 was taken out!¡± ¡°What!¡± The taskmaster couldn¡¯t believe his ear. He turned around and sure enough, a carriage was overturned. There, in its place, was a huge wyvern. Its wings were big enough to cover the entire road and its body was as big as two carriages. The monster flapped its wings creating pressure in its surroundings. Everyone that was close were instantly knocked backwards. The other carriages behind the one that was destroyed were forced to stop. The mercenaries, who were waiting in their carriages, flocked out with weapons in their hand though you can see the fear in their eyes. ¡°Reccile, lead the other carriages out. I¡¯m coming back for them¡± ¡°Alright but you better not die on me!¡± With a nod, the taskmaster jumped off of the carriage and landed on the cold hard floor. The other eight carriages passed by him, while the last carriage stopped. Here, several more men came down. They all had muskets. ¡°Fire at will!¡± The men didn¡¯t even get into formation as they began firing at the wyvern. The bullets, though, only seemed to annoy the monster as it focused its attention on them. ¡°That¡¯s right you little bugger, look right over here¡± The man took out his pistol and shot it right at its head. Just like the rest, it simply bounced off harmlessly to the floor. ¡°Figures¡­ I really need to work on the accuracy a bit more¡± He then stashed the pistol on his side and took the sword from his other side. It was a beautiful sword. With a weighted body that slimmed to the base of the hilt, it seemed to focus on kinetic power. Its hilt was very similar to those seen in sabers, but the overall appearance was more similar to a broadsword than a saber. There were also writings embedded on the fuller which were glowing blue. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s still up to you partner¡± He ran towards the monster as his men continued to fire. The monster immediately used its claws and tried to swipe him into the air. He simply jumped over it while slicing the monsters wrist. It screamed in agony as it tried to go for another swipe. This time, he slid under it and stabbed directly at the monsters stomach. The wyvern immediately began to fly but the taskmaster didn¡¯t let it. Using his sword, which was still embedded in its stomach, as a footstool. He managed to jump to its neck and then quickly jumped on its back. He then took out a small knife and sliced at its wings. It wasn¡¯t easy since the blade didn¡¯t have as good an edge as his sword, but it did the job. The wyvern only made it above the tree line before it fell out of the sky. Here, the other mercenaries began surrounding it. They tried to cut it the same way as the taskmaster, but they couldn¡¯t do it as deep as him. ¡°Tch¡­¡± ¡°The skins hard!¡± The two men jumped backward as its claws slammed on the spot they were on previously. As for the taskmaster, he quickly jumped from its back and took back his sword. Blood began to spill everywhere but soon evaporated from the fireballs. Explosion after explosion hit the massive creature. Burnt flesh could be smelled as the wyvern screamed in pain. The taskmaster, not missing the chance, ran up to monster. With a quick slice he managed to tear through its neck and soon, its breathing stopped. ¡°Get the carriages prepared. Get everything off of the cart and make sure the wounded are fine¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The mercenaries saluted before heading towards the broken carriage. ¡°Semir!¡± He looked back towards the exit of the forest. There, Recille could be seen riding a horse. With a smile, Semir gave a friendly wave to her. She then stopped her horse beside him and got off. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to watch over the other carriages?¡± ¡°No, you told me to lead them out. You never told me that I couldn¡¯t come back¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ true. Anyway, why did you come back?¡± She began to blush. ¡°I¡­ I had to make sure that no one got hurt¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t trust you¡­ ah, whatever. Is everyone fine?¡± With a red face, she walked towards the mercenaries who were quickly loading the cargo. Semir smiled. He knew that she had feelings for him. It¡¯s just, he really likes to tease her a lot. ¡°Whoa!¡± Suddenly, one of the mercenaries jumped back from the carriage. ¡°Oye, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Theirs¡­ people in the cart!¡± Semir had a confused look on his face. He then ran over to flipped carriage. There, he saw two people. One was a female knight in heraldic armor. The other was a young girl who was wrapped gently in cloth. If you look closely, it appears she was wearing some sort of cape. Probably part of the knight¡¯s armor. Now, as to why the mercenary jumped back, the knight was pointing her sword towards them. With a deathly glare, she held on to the girl like her life depended on it. Semir couldn¡¯t help but think that she was someone important. Slowly, not to scare the knight, he walked towards them. ¡°Hello. There¡¯s probably circumstances on why you¡¯re on our cart, but is it possible for you to move a bit. We need to get these into our other carriages before our barrier runs out¡± He gave a friendly smile but the girl kept glaring at him. His face was beginning to cramp, but he didn¡¯t let it show. ¡°Please, if you have circumstances. Then we can talk about it later. Right now, were in a very bad place to be so if you can please¡­¡± ¡°I want you to take us to the nearest city¡± The knight immediately interrupted him. He couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed, yet he didn¡¯t dare let it show. ¡°I see. But you do understand that¡­¡± ¡°If it is money, I have it. That¡¯s why, I want you to take us to the nearest city¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°So will you take us or not?¡± The knight didn¡¯t let him finish at all. This irritated him even more seeing as they were running out of time. ¡°Look here mam, were in the middle of one of the most dangerous forest in the continent. If you can kindly move from where you are, we can negotiate AFTER we get out, ok?¡± For a moment, everything was silent. Not even a cricket chirped. Then, the girl slowly moved to the side, her sword pointed towards them. Seeing this, the mercenaries began their work again. Soon, everything was finished and they all got back into their carriages. At this point, the barrier had already broken. The crossbow gunners were unloading bolts after bolts into the incoming horde while magicians had chanted one spell after another. As for the knight, she got on the rear cart, to the members chagrin, and began killing any ghouls that got near. Soon, they left the forest and you can see the ghouls chase for a second, stop and then leave. The mercenaries sighed in relief. In front of them, the wide open fields welcomed them. Here, the cows were grazing as farmers casually waved at them. Some even complimented them for their bravery in going through the forest. But soon, a new obstacle appeared in front of the caravan. ¡°Take us to the nearest city now!¡± ¡°Again, I would¡­ but it¡¯s still far away¡± Semir looked clearly unhappy as the knight kept pestering him. As for the girl she was carrying, she was currently being tended by their mages. ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯re looking to go to another city, why did you even leave the first one anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Now, get us to the nearest city. I paid you didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Again, that¡¯s not how it works. Plus, the nearest city is Dankshire, which was the city we left. Honestly, if you want me to bring you to the nearest city, then we¡¯ll have to go back there¡± With this, the knight immediately quieted down. This confirmed Semir¡¯s superstition. He knew that the incidence at the gate earlier proved to be linked towards the knight. In other words, he unknowingly helped a possible fugitive escape capture. Already, he knows that he has to make a decision. Either, capture the two girls and bring them back. Or comply with them and bring them into another city. As he was thinking this, a loud scream could be heard. ¡°Master!¡± The knight immediately jumped off the carriage and went to the fourth one. Semir stopped the entire caravan as he too went over to the carriage. There, a heartbreaking scene could be seen. The girl was pressing her body on the wall as the mages tried to calm her down. But what broke Semir¡¯s heart was the fact that the girl didn¡¯t care about the female mages at all. She was only looking at the male mage in absolute fear. ¡°STAY AWAY!¡± The girl¡¯s voice cracked as she broke down into tears. Confused, the man tried to approach her again. ¡°Do not approach my master¡± The knight immediately pointed her swords towards us, as she used her body to shield the crying girl. Semir, seeing everything, now understood that something had happened to the poor girl. With this, he made his decision. ¡°Oye, knight. How about I make you a better deal¡± ¡°¡­ Go on¡± Semir then took out a small pouch. This, of course, was filled with money. ¡°How about you join our caravan. With this, you won¡¯t have a problem with money. Plus, housing will be taken care of, though we¡¯re usually out in the countryside most of the time¡± ¡°I thought I made myself clear. You are to br¡­¡± ¡°Hold on, listen to me first. I know that you wanted to be brought to a different city¡­ but, I think I kind of grasped part of your situation. At this point, my offer is the best since no one would know where to find us. In other words, it would be hard for someone to track you¡± Semir emphasized his words, hoping that his intuition was right. This proposition immediately caught the knight¡¯s attention. This further confirmed Semir¡¯s hypothesis that someone was chasing them. Whoever that is, he didn¡¯t know, but he does know that this pair might be more special than what they show. Not only that, there¡¯s a part of him that really wants to help the girl. She reminds him of his sister who killed herself after a despicable noble caught her. As Semir recollected his sad past, the knight continued to think about their situation. She bit her lips as she looked at both her master and at Semir. ¡°How can I guarantee you won¡¯t betray us?¡± ¡°Sad to say, you can¡¯t. You¡¯ll just have to trust us¡± You can see her eyes flinch a bit. For a moment, a tense atmosphere surrounded them. Then, the knight sighed as she sheathed her sword. Semir gave a relieved breath. ¡°Good choice¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean I trust you. Right now, this is the best option that my master and I can have. Just remember, if I see any possibility of harm towards my master¡­¡± She gave out an overwhelming amount of bloodlust. It was to the point that the other members had trouble standing. Semir, although he was sweating, remained standing. ¡°¡­ I will kill you myself¡± ¡°Agreed¡± She immediately stopped her bloodlust and began caring for the girl. Straightening himself up as he urged the fallen mercenaries to stand, he realized that he didn¡¯t even know their names. ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t asked. What are your names?¡± The knight kept comforting the girl, not muttering a single thing to him. Semir, with a sigh, began to exit the carriage with the other members. ¡°Diana. That¡¯s my name. As for her, her names Mikaila¡­¡± Although it was a short answer, Semir couldn¡¯t help but smile. To him, that reply shows a possibility of them getting along well. In other words, their relationship is in the middle ground and not in the negative side. This made him happy, seeing as he really wanted to help Mikaila. And the only way he can do that is by first making peace with Diana. With this happy thought, he quickly walked back to the lead carriage. ¡°I see that you managed to snag a couple of new companions¡± Reccile said in a pouting tone. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. They seem to have their circumstances and I really want to help them¡± ¡°Hah¡­ you only did that because the knight had a huge rack, right?¡± ¡°Oye, what am I? Some kind of pervert?¡± She gave a confirming nod which only made Semir sigh. He then began to ruffle her hair. At first, she tried to stop him. But soon, even she was enjoying the experience. With this, Semir couldn¡¯t help but think about Mikaila¡¯s circumstances. The girl, the guards. They were both linked together. And normally, when the guards are involved, then the higher ups, the nobles and the government, are involved. It just begged to differ¡­ who was right and who was wrong. Did the girls do something or was it the government or the nobles. That¡¯s something that Semir knew, he will never find out. ¡°I wonder what really happened in the city¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ Author Notes: So, still actually have time for this. Now, I haven¡¯t been working on the other two stories because of two good reasons. One, it¡¯s kind of hard to make the middle point of the story, so I¡¯m still trying to figure out what to write. And secondly, I may have screwed up the formatting for blue city and spirit blessings. That¡¯s why I have to go back and check each chapter to make sure that I have everything in place. Also, for blue city¡­ I accidently deleted the prologue. Whoopdi doo¡­ am I a genius or what (this was said sarcastically)! Anyway, I have to find a way to fix that since I don¡¯t like chapter 1 and prologue being together¡­ ugh its going be a pain. Now, to the major news for this story. I have none, lol. Also, expect the M.C to be weak for a while. Like I said, I¡¯m going to have her earn her right to be O.P. Also, do not worry. Last chapter is probably the last rape scene in this story. I¡¯ll keep writing and fixing my other fictions as best as I can. So please forgive me if they¡¯re really slow to come by. P.S: Just a reminder, this is based on a steampunk, fantasy type story. Chapter 3 Chapter 3: Darkness Is the Light Winter had finally arrived as snowflakes fell from the sky. The trees had all lost their leaves as they began to hibernate from the cold, cold weather. The animals were also hibernating, many have stocked food upon food to last the winter. For some, this would be their last winter as they starve from the lack of food that they couldn¡¯t gather. ¡°Push!¡± Grunts came from a group of people as they pushed themselves at a cart. The cart was stuck in a pile of snow, the muddied road helping in keeping the cart from moving. This didn¡¯t deter the group as they kept pushing. The group in question was an assortment of people. From different age to different genders. Artisans to soldiers. They all struggled to push the cart forward, uncaring of the differences in profession and status. In this group though, there was one person that stood out. It was a girl with silver hair and red eyes. She was dressed in mercenary type clothing, but the arrangement of her clothes almost hinted that she was, in fact, a crusader knight. ¡°Almost there! Push!¡± As if focusing all of their strength, the group pushed as hard as they could. Suddenly, the cart leaned forward and soon, the momentum caused it to break free from the frozen muddy ground. Everyone shouted with a cheer as they congratulated one another. The silver haired girl immediately left though before anyone had the chance to talk to her. This was a common thing in the caravan. The two girls, Diana and Mikaila, have become a rather mysterious topic to the members of the caravan. Having only joined them two months ago, they were the newest additions that had a very undefined past that no one knew about. It was rumored that only the taskmaster, Semir, knew the full story. As for everyone else, no one knew anything about them. Some tried to get close to them, but Diana merely pushed them away. As for Mikaila, it¡¯s known that she wasn¡¯t very fond of talking since no one has heard her speak. Although she¡¯s managed to move about herself, many had seen deep into her eyes and immediately felt pity for the girl. Her eyes were very akin to the many slaves they had seen. Slaves, which have lost their light and only sought an end to their miserable life. ¡°Mikaila, are you here?¡± Diana immediately opened the flaps of one of the carriage. There, Mikaila sat holding her legs at a corner of the carriage. Slowly, Diana approached her with a fruit she had found on one of the trees she found. ¡°Here. It¡¯s not lunch time yet, but I thought you would want to eat something¡± Mikaila didn¡¯t say anything, rather she only gave a short nod. Diana took out her knife and began to peel and cut the fruit into several pieces. She then placed one of the piece towards Mikaila¡¯s mouth. Slowly, Mikaila began to chew and a fruity taste spread across her taste buds. It was an apple. A fruity apple whose juice has properly matured of making it a top class fruit. For many, this fruit would have instantly calmed you down. For Mikaila, it only reminded him of his home. Unknown to Diana, the juiciness of the apple was very comparable to Samantha¡¯s homemade pies. Pies, that Mikaila knew, were very far away from her. Tears began to stream from her eyes, yet she didn¡¯t make a single sound. Diana could only sit there, anxious of her master¡¯s sadness. She didn¡¯t know why Mikaila was crying, yet she knew it was probably caused by the apple she gave her. She felt vexed, angered even. She was angry that she wasn¡¯t able to save her master back then, angered that she can only try to calm her master, hoping she wouldn¡¯t kill herself. Yet, she hid these anxieties deep in her heart and gave a heartwarming smile towards Mikaila. ¡°It¡¯s alright master, I¡¯m here. So please, try to rely on me more. Ok¡­¡± Her words slowly trailed away as she cradled the girls head on her chest. Soon, Mikaila began to calm down as she silently listened to the soft cadence of Diana¡¯s heart. The two girls didn¡¯t even notice that the caravan was moving as they seemingly created a world of their own. Hours passed before Diana finally noticed that they were on a different road. She lightly placed the now sleeping Mikaila on the floor where a small sheet was spread out. She then took a hay pillow from one of the corners and placed it underneath her head. After tucking her in, she made her way to the flaps and slightly opened them. Although it was still snowing, the sky was rather clear. The trees around them also retained some of their leaves. Diana then stared at the leaves. They were pure black. She also noticed that the caravan was actually moving slowly, slower than what she was used to. She immediately got off the carriage and ran for the lead carriage. On top of the carriage, Semir spotted her running for the carriage. ¡°Diana? What¡¯s the big rush?¡± ¡°Why are we moving slowly?¡± ¡°Is this¡­ perhaps your first time being here?¡± She remained silent though that only helped confirm Semir¡¯s question. ¡°For a knight, I was sure you would know what this place is¡± ¡°Well, are you going to explain it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t compete with her straightforward attitude as he began his explanation. ¡°Where currently in the forest of lost souls. Now, you¡¯ve been with us for the past few months so you already understand how this world is filled with labyrinths¡± ¡°Yeah. Is this forest another labyrinth?¡± He nodded his head. ¡°Precisely. As you¡¯ve seen, the labyrinths cover the majority of this world. Many cities were made to protect themselves from these labyrinths, each one focusing on technology capable of stopping that particular quadrant of the labyrinth¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like with the trees of Voraya. The huge wall would stop any type of monsters from entering¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Yes. Even the men were trained to fight the monsters specifically seen in that area¡± Until now, Diana didn¡¯t really bother learning about the labyrinths. That¡¯s because she was more focused in helping Mikaila as well as defending the caravan. As far as she knew, the labyrinths were merely areas filled with monsters that needed to be kill. That¡¯s why she really didn¡¯t care about the labyrinths. But now, she was curious. She didn¡¯t expect for Semir to explain to her the idea behind these labyrinths. Rather, she only wanted to know why they were going so slow. With the direction the conversation was going, she knew that the labyrinth they were in now must be special to the point that they were going through it slowly. ¡°Ok, so why exactly are we moving slowly?¡± Semir pointed around them. Diana stared into the forest, but all she saw was the dark leaves and snow around them. ¡°Do you see it?¡± ¡°See what?¡± ¡°¡­ The smoke?¡± Diana, albeit confused, looked even more clearly around them. Suddenly, the mist surrounded them. There was no warning and the heavy fog immediately covered their caravan in Diana¡¯s view. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t see it before¡± Diana stood their gawking as Semir looked through a glasses type object. He then leaned towards Reccile who was driving their cart. ¡°Move the cart a bit to the left. Their appears to be a cliff on the right side¡± Reccile nodded as she urged the horses to the left. The caravan behind them followed, avoiding the huge fall that could have killed them. ¡°How long¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°How long have we been in this fog?¡± Semir noticed that Diana¡¯s voice was slightly shaken. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, wondering what was wrong with Diana. ¡°The fogs been here the moment we entered the forest. It¡¯s just, you need to know it¡¯s there before the fog actually shows up¡± The concept was highly confusing for Diana. She didn¡¯t understand what Semir meant by his words. This highly irritated her and she was angry. Not at Semir, nor at the forest known as an illusionary labyrinth. But at herself. Since she was summoned, she¡¯s wanted to protect Mikaila from anything. Seeing as she was a servant, she wanted to make sure that nothing bad can possibly happen to her master. Yet, at this very moment. She didn¡¯t even know that she was walking through an illusionary world. A place that if she ventured far from the caravan, can have her going in massive circles. It is at this point that she finally realized, I am weak¡­ But, it truly isn¡¯t her fault that she was weak. Instead, it was natural. Her summoning contract was a rather special form of alchemic magic. The magic system was usually activated at high perils. In other words, it was a last resort for many female mages. That¡¯s because their summoned beings gain an increase in their stats in order to save their masters from the peril. But, after the peril is resolved, the second part of the contract activates. The summoned being loses all of its powers and is demoted back to level 1. Of course, by training as well as killing monsters and other deathly creatures, a summoned being may rise back to their former power. Diana understands this¡­ yet, seeing her master. She could not hope to move very far from her. What can I do¡­? Diana constantly asked herself this question. To train away from her master or to take care of her. But, their journey has led them to many unforgivable instances. In one case, a rogue mercenary group tried to kidnap Mikaila and several other female mercenaries from the caravan. They were immediately dealt with, but this caused Mikaila¡¯s trauma to return. In another case, the caravan was almost overrun and they had to fight for their very lives. Mikaila was almost killed as a monster managed to break through our line and headed straight for Mikaila. That¡¯s when we found something out. Monsters tend to seek out Mikaila. ¡°Wait, are there any monsters here?¡± ¡°No. As far as I know, there aren¡¯t any here¡± Relief filled Diana¡¯s face as she relaxed. But, Reccile said something worrisome. ¡°Ahh¡­ there¡¯s no monsters here, but there are ghouls. But, we should have that covered since we have several holy magicians in the caravan¡± Suddenly, Diana felt something wrong. She stared back towards Mikaila¡¯s carriage though nothing seemed visibly wrong. She felt it though, her masters suffering. Without caring for herself, she jumped to the ground and headed for the carriage. ¡°Oye, Diana? Shit¡­ something must have happened¡± A whistle pierced the air and the caravan immediately stopped. Diana didn¡¯t pay anyone any attention as she ran towards the carriage. She then opened the flaps and their stood an ominous figure. A shadowy figure whose eyes were a swirl of chaotic red and whispery black smoke. Even though she was a divine being, Diana shook at the sight though she still took her sword out. She looked at Mikaila¡¯s condition and saw her squirming uncontrollably. She was having a reaction akin to that of a person in seizure, her eyes were wide open in fear. Diana felt her master¡¯s emotions. Pain, suffering, confusion, she felt them all. Normally, Mikaila hid her emotions from her but now, the link was at its strongest and she felt every ounce of pain she was experiencing. ¡°GET AWAY FROM HER¡± A red aura surrounded Diana as she charged towards the monster. It is futile young spirit for I cannot be hit. I do not exist in the plane of understanding, therefore the mortal plane cannot harm me Her sword cleanly passed through the being. She was shocked, yet her anger stopped her from realizing the futility of fighting the being. Slicing and jabbing, she kept trying to kill the figure in front of her. She even began using elementary based magic to no avail. As she did this, Mikaila was beginning to become unstable. A dark aura began to surround her and Diana noticed that her life was beginning to disappear. ¡°NO STOP!¡± She stopped trying to hit the dark figure as she quickly knelt towards Mikaila. She cradled her in her arms as the girl was enveloped by the darkness. Desperately, Diana began to swat the surrounding film away. No matter how much she tried, though, the foggy smoke would always come back. ¡°Why are you doing this? WHY!?¡± Continuing her futile struggle, the figure didn¡¯t answer her vain question. Instead, it closed its eyes as if it was waiting for something. As this scene happened, Semir and the mercenaries were trying to get in. A strong barrier blocked them though as many were pushed back. They kept striking at the barrier, cursing at the fiendish figure inside. As this happened, something unexplainable happened. A small light began to appear near Mikaila¡¯s heart. It was small, but warm. Tiny, but bright. Diana, in tears, stared at the light. In her mind, she began to feel calm. As if the pain from earlier was nothing more but a dream. Then, the figure opened its eyes. Gone was the chaotic swirl of black and red. What replaced it was sea green eyes that was seemingly able to calm the darkness around them. I have done my part. Remember this gratitude for in the near future, I too require something of equal value. Diana shook, fearing that they¡¯ve unknowingly made a contract with a devil. But, the figure didn¡¯t look at them. Instead, the figure was looking at the sky as it slowly disappeared. Soon, even the barrier broke as the men who were striking it fell into the cart. Lastly, the dark film that surrounded Mikaila vanished. Diana began to shake her awake, hoping that her master was still alive. Then, the girl slowly awake. ¡°W¡­ where am I?¡¯ Everyone froze in their spots as the calm and beautiful voice of the girl could be heard. The girl tilted her head in confusion as she watched the people before her. ¡°Master¡­¡± Diana once again began to cry but was only met by a confused gaze. No one really cared though as they all felt joy in their hearts. That¡¯s because the girl whose eyes were dead, were once again filled with life.