《Tales of the Old World Demon Lord》


 Chapter 1 - Surpassing the providence of god

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 1 ¨C Surpassing the providence of god


    [Eternum Calendar 1974]


    The great city of the perpetual night, [Vertloch Skyreach] was lit aflame. With hellfire brighter than any day that the sun could conjure up, the virulent and noxious purging of the inferno consumed everything to the ground. The only standing structure of this once great demon capital was the [Demon Lord¡¯s Sanctuary]; a tall black monument to the power that was the Demon Lord¡¯s. The tower stood firm in all its ghastly glory as countless waves of knights adorned in blood red stormed the city and slaughtered everyone obstructing their way to the Sanctuary.


    The only bright side to this entire situation, aside from the devastating inferno, was that all of the non-combative citizens had been evacuated beforehand. The only remaining personnel were the Demon Lord¡¯s soldiers and the Demon Lord herself.


    ¡°Quickly! Storm the castle!¡±


    The ¡®Hero¡¯ barked orders to the knights; their mission statement was simple ¡®Kill the Demon Lord and end the war¡¯. However nothing in reality was truly that simple; though he was dressed in heavenly white armor and carried the title of ¡®Hero¡¯ his actions were far from what anyone would consider ¡®just¡¯. The dead and dying bodies of the Demon Lord¡¯s soldiers had piled up against the walls of the Sanctuary in a mocking manner. Every line of defense had fallen and nothing but stairs were impeding the knight¡¯s path to the Demon Lord.


    All of the Demon Lord¡¯s lieutenants had been either defending the citizens elsewhere, defeated, killed or captured. The only remaining person standing by the Demon Lord¡¯s side was a small boy no older than ten years of age. Though in comparison the Demon Lord herself wasn¡¯t that old looking either, she too looked around the same age though her actual age counted in the triple digits. The boy next to her was a mere human; with a blank expression on his face, his black hair covering most of his features and his green eyes staring into the void. ¡®At least him, I want to save at least him¡¯, the Demon Lord thought to herself as she gently caressed the side of his face.


    There was a loud bang on the final door leading to the Demon Lord¡¯s main chambers; where they were. It was being torn down from the outside and at any moment the knights and the Hero would storm inside to kill her. She looked back at the boy once more and made up her mind to do everything in her powers to protect him. She took a step forward, heavy but decisive as she prepared herself for combat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Morgant; I¡¯ll make sure that you won¡¯t be hurt. Ever.¡±


    The boy, name ¡®Morgant¡¯ slowly looked up at the Demon Lord. She was short; the size of a child, her clumsy red hair tied up in a amateurish ponytail. Two small horns protruding from the sides of her temples and curving forward. The dress she wore was rather revealing though with that childish body they were pretty ineffective and could be thought of more as a joke. Springing out from her back were small black vampire bat wings that hardly seemed like it could be used for flight; they were more decorations really.


    ¡°A- Astaroth¡­¡±


    When the Demon Lord ¡®Astaroth¡¯ heard her name being called out she almost felt tears running down the side of her face. The young boy , Morgant had not always been this void of emotions, something had happened recently that turned him into this near vegetative state but with the red knights storming their sanctuary she did not have enough time to find out what the cause was. However it had miraculously been cured, but also it was at the worst possible time.


    If the boy had stayed unexpressive then she could possibly have claimed that she kidnapped him for ¡®fun¡¯ and should she be defeated the young boy would be taken into the enemy¡¯s custody. At the very least his life would have been saved but right now that was out of the question.


    The light in the boy¡¯s eyes returned but with it was a powerful migraine.


    ¡°U- Urgh!¡±


    The crouched down and applied pressure to his temples to numb the pain but it wasn¡¯t enough. It only accentuated the pain further but all of a sudden everything went blank for the boy. Then images.


    Images of a life he did not live.


    Images of a person he was not.


    Images of a time that did not exist.


    Images of things that could change everything.


    The boy fell to his knees as he breathed heavily. As the oxygen entered his lungs and blood was pumped back to his brain everything started to become clearer. His blurred vision was slowly recovering and the sounds he couldn¡¯t hear were starting to come back.


    ¡°-gant! Morgant! Are you alright?!¡±


    The boy turned to look at the hysterical red haired girl who was calling his name. He stared at her for a few seconds as the memories were returning to him; everything was starting to fit into place.


    ¡°A- Astaroth¡­?¡±


    ¡°Morgant!¡±


    The young bodied Demon Lord embraced him with all her might, tears quickly falling down her face. He could feel the rapid beating of the girl¡¯s heart, ¡®she must¡¯ve been scared¡¯ he thought to himself. He returned her embrace as his own heart started to return to a normal pulse; he was ready to face the future now that he had remembered¡­ everything.


    Morgant slightly parted from her embrace and wiped her tears.


    ¡°Morgant?¡±


    She called out his name once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m here Astaroth, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    The boy touched his soft lips with hers. A powerful emotion started to surge within the Demon Lord¡¯s small body; she could feel her body becoming hotter with happiness. She wanted this moment to continue on forever but she knew that this wouldn¡¯t last any longer and that she needed to do something to ensure Morgant survived through this.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m happy, I¡¯m so happy that you returned my feelings but-¡°


    Astaroth wanted to say something but was cut off by Morgant who placed his index finger on her lips and shushed her. Morgant returned a smile and stood up, now in defense of her instead of the other way around.


    ¡°Morgant? What are you doing?¡±


    Astaroth panicked a little, his actions would only invite his death. She wanted to stop him; there was no way she could accept his death. She tugged at the hem of his shirt to stop him but Morgant only patted her head gently as he spoke back.


    ¡°Lord Erendel de Signa told me to look after you and that is what I will do. So will you trust in my judgment? Can you leave everything to me?¡±


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    Astaroth averted her gaze, blushing from both happiness and embarrassment.


    ¡°H- how could I refuse if you say it like that?¡±


    Morgant smiled at her response and took in a deep breath. No longer was Morgant a mere ¡®boy¡¯ but he was someone else entirely, he had ¡®awoken¡¯ to his memories. Those memories of a life he didn¡¯t live, of a time he that didn¡¯t exist and of a person he wasn¡¯t, they were as real as they could ever be. They were all him, a previous incarnation of him; they would be the guiding light to this second chance.


    Astaroth grasped tightly onto Morgant¡¯s hands.


    The final defense had broken down and the knights charged into the room and surrounded the two. They drew their swords ready to strike at the Demon Lord at any moment but they did not. They were waiting for someone else; they were waiting for the final confrontation between the ¡®Hero¡¯ and the ¡®Demon Lord¡¯.


    It was only right.


    The radiant figure of the Hero walked into the darkened room. A shield in one hand and a sword in the other, his armor had covered his entire body and his helmet obstructed his identity. Though it couldn¡¯t exactly be verified, the Hero had seemed like he was around his late teens or early twenties.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The hero asked in a deep voice that was further obscured by the helmet he was wearing. The hero was asking Morgant; he already knew of Astaroth¡¯s identity but he did not know of this mysterious young boy¡¯s who was holding dearly onto the enemy¡¯s hand.


    The boy smirked, maliciously at that and letting go of Astaroth¡¯s hand stepped forward to directly confront the hero. The boy stretched his arms in a welcoming and grandiose manner.


    ¡°Welcome Hero! You have done well in reaching up to here, but the time for games a over. I will be your final boss!¡±


    There was a brief moment of silence in the room.


    ¡°What manner of joke is this? Can the Demon Lord not defend herself? She has to use a mere human child to protect her?¡±


    The Hero became angered by this insulting gesture. Even after everything he had done to run this entire city to the ground the Demon Lord still had the galls to mock him.  He pointed his Holy Sword towards the small boy and lowly growled.


    ¡°Move, boy. I will kill the Demon Lord here and end this bloody war.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Hah¡­ hahahahahaha!¡±


    Morgant laughed back.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Dear, please forgive me. I merely thought you were making a joke but clearly by your posture you mean that for real. ¡®End this bloody war¡¯ you say; if you ask me that would simply be a matter of you moving your forces out of this country. [Vertloch] is a country of demons who just want to live peacefully, yet you attacked without justification or provocation. If you really wanted to end the war then you would have pulled back long ago.¡±


    The Hero stared back at the boy as he answered.


    ¡°The demons are filth that needs to cleanse from the world. That was the decree of the high lord, Nodens. I am his sword and I will carry out his justice, now move boy, lest you wish to also perish along with the filth behind you.¡±


    ¡°Nodens¡­ his occupation of [Earth] has not been legally recognized; ergo he is simply an illegal tyrant. When I find the time to do so I will make sure he is arrested under charges of dictatorship and genocide.¡±


    No one in the room, including Astaroth had any clue as to what Morgant was saying.


    ¡°Earth? What are you talking about? Cease this nonsense and move as I tell you to, boy, or I will cut you down here.¡±


    Morgant tilted his head for a second before realizing the error in his speech.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right you primitives call this planet [Eternis] now don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Primit- I have had enough. Then you shall die.¡±


    The Hero raised his sword with all intensions of cutting down the boy that was obstructing his path. To him even young children could not be spared if they stood against their god.


    ¡°Morgant!¡±


    Astaroth cried from behind him.


    ¡°Stop him.¡±


    Morgant waved his hands as he commanded and as though it was the most natural thing to do, several of the red knights that had accompanied the Hero moved in to block his movements. They clasped down on his arms, his legs and his torso making him unable make another move.


    ¡°¡­?! What are you fools doing?!¡±


    The Hero shouted at his own companions that had for some reason obeyed the young boy. However the red knights did not respond to anything the Hero said or moved as he struggled to free himself.


    ¡°Really, you primitives think violence is the answer for everything. Even after all these years the core nature of man does not change, those with power will rise to the top and those without will be subjugated to the last. It¡¯s no use struggling Mr. Hero, those men are no longer your companions but my minions now.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    The hero asked in anger. The adrenaline in his body multiplied as he moved ever so slightly forward but even the mighty hero could not move when several bodies were obstructing his actions.


    ¡°[Specimen Code 6623A9B4, matter reconstruction].¡±


    As Morgant stretched his hands forward and uttered something in a language that no one understood a small cylindrical object appeared from thin air. It was clear and filled with some sort of translucent orange fluid and in the middle of it was a small bug like specimen.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know what this is, but this is a ¡®computer virus¡¯ in physical, silicon form. With this I can reshape the very DNA of an infected person; I can change everything about them at my will. I can plant images in their head, change how they view the world, alter their personalities and memories. Heck, if I wanted to I can even change their hair color, their eye color, their voice, skin pigmentation and even gender. I have surpassed the very providence of god and made mine the entirety of what makes a human and I have already infected most of your subordinates here.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ are you?¡±


    The hero, asked. After having gotten so far and to the end of his journey he had been thwarted by a mere boy. No, a being that was potentially more threatening that even the Demon Lord. Morgant smirked as he introduced himself once more.


    ¡°Some called me Demon Lord, others referred to me as God. But I am more than merely that; I am [Sovereign].¡±


    <hr />


    This is a flash-forward chapter.

 Chapter 2 - Auf Wiedersehen, alter Freund(ARC 1 BEGIN)

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 2 ¨C Auf Wiedersehen, alter Freund


    [2084 C.E]


    Bloodied and ruined.


    The hallways continued to descend into further madness as the disastrous screams of the emergency sirens drowned out all other noise. The strobe of red lights painted the already wounded walls with more dread. A place in which even ghosts would scurry in fear, it was here; in such morbid tension that two men were at odds.


    One man leaned up against the wall with his blood attempting to recreate Munch¡¯s screamer. He gripped his wounded stomach in pain, yet a soft smile silently etched across his face. His final cigarette burnt to the tip of his lips as he puffed one last time and finally they fell gently into the pool of red ooze beneath him. Hissing quietly as they were extinguished by the liquid of life.


    Curled on the cold asphalt floor, the man slowly raised his head in blurred vision to see the face of the man that had shot him. With the gun¡¯s barrel still warm and steaming, an elderly man in a white coat dyed in his blood stood over him. Unlike the victim the perpetrator was not happy; distress writhing on his face as he tried to avert his gaze but unable to. Fear and anxiety crept up and shrouded his every existence; he could not forgive himself for this vile act of betrayal.


    ¡®What have I done?¡¯ the elderly man asked himself, but his mind already knew the answer. A single tear ran down his face as he acknowledged his crime, ¡®I¡¯ve done it¡¯. With this one admittance he had demolished everything that they had both worked so hard to build.


    ¡°How can you continue smiling? Don¡¯t you get it? I¡¯ve betrayed you! Say something!¡±


    The elderly man tried to lash out in anguish. He demanded an answer from the dying man; why could he be so happy when he was so torn?! What did he know that he didn¡¯t? Even now his dying friend looked back up at him with warm eyes that seemed to suggest he didn¡¯t mind how everything turned out.


    ¡°Hah¡­ haha¡­ betrayed me? No, you may have killed me¡­ but this is not betrayal. How¡­ how could you betray me when you haven¡¯t wronged me? Our goal¡­ from the start¡­ was to secure the future¡­ and¡­ if you think¡­. That this is the right way¡­ then I will¡­ defer to your judgment¡­ old friend.¡±


    They dying man explained as he continued to cough up blood. He could feel the beating of his own heart slowing down, ¡®it¡¯s time¡¯ he prepared himself mentally. Yet even as his life quickly escaped from him he remembered back fondly as he watched the elderly man, his best friend, kneel down and break into tears.


    ¡°I will do it. I will do it [Sovereign]! I promise you that I will secure a definite future for man. Whatever it takes, whatever needs to be done¡­ I will do it.¡±


    The elderly man replied as he gazed deeply into the dull eyes of his best friend.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ old friend¡­ thank you, Edmund Weisner¡­¡±


    With his dying breaths he thanked his old friend as he tried to form a final smile in parting. He passed away happily knowing that his will would be continued through the efforts of his dear friend. Once more the elderly man shed a tear at the corpse of his dear friend. It was also then that he found new motivations to finally accept what needed to be done to secure the future.


    This was the death of an evil overlord known as [Sovereign]. A joyous day for the entire world as they were freed from his evil grasp, yet that was merely due to their ignorance. All they saw was the face of evil, not knowing how the cogs were moving behind the scenes. In that inept ignorance what they truly may have done was slay the final hope for humanity¡¯s survival.


    Sovereign¡¯s ultimate goal was to secure a future for mankind. He did not promise a happy future, nor did he a prosperous one, merely the guarantee of a future. He understood that if nothing was done then the world would surely head towards its inevitable demise. Humanity itself was its greatest enemy; at the very least both Sovereign and Edmund Weisner had believed that humanity needed to be re-educated.


    He attempted to create a single, unified destiny for all mankind. Yet that all came to an end today as the oppressed masses expressed a sigh of relief; the world had been freed.


    Sovereign¡¯s closest confidante, Edmund Weisner would be hailed as the hero that killed the evil dictator. He would also be carrying the torch to continue his mission, albeit in a much more secretive way.


    However¡­


    With Sovereign gone, the future of humanity was now free game.


    He could only hope that his dear old friend would successfully carry on his will.


    ***


    [Eternum Calendar 1964]


    As the pure blue moon as its witness, a single human infant was born this day. His bright green eyes reflected the aquatic glimmer of the moon to create a perfect teal. The infant tried to grasp for its mother only to be met with empty space; it had been abandoned in front of a particular orphanage. This orphanage was no ordinary one as it was located in the heart of the nation of Vertloch, a nation of Demons.


    As the infant cried loudly for its mother, the matron of the orphanage came running to the door only to find the abandoned infant. Lying on the cold snow covered ground in a small casket. Such events weren¡¯t too terribly rare but every time it had happened it was always a sad occasion. Attached to the casket was a piece of paper that read ¡®His name is Morgant, please take good care of him¡¯. The fact the infant had been named meant that the parents did not abandon him without good reason.


    ¡°Poor child, to be abandoned this early.¡±


    The priestess who was the orphanage¡¯s matron picked up the crying infant in her arms. Since this was the nation of demons she had assumed the infant to also be one but one closer inspection it was not.


    ¡°Hmm? A human infant?¡±


    Perplexed she nonetheless brought the baby in.


    So began the life of Morgant, a human amidst the nation of Demons.


    ***


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Wake up Morgant!¡±


    Accompanying the hated chirps of the early morning birds was an unnecessarily loud and obnoxious voice. The voice carried it with malignant intentions of waking up the sleeping prince who had fallen asleep by choice. To make matters even worse than they already were the blinds had been opened up to let in the bane of all humans, morning sunlight.


    Even as the youth named ¡®Morgant¡¯ tried to shut his eyes away from the hated light it slipped through his eyelids. All he could see was a burning red and the cold winds that flew in through the open window did not make things any better. Eventually giving into the harshness that was reality he had opened his eyes to meet the demands of the bedside terrorist.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you waking up?! Wake up Morgant!¡±


    Shouted a young girl to an obviously sobering up young boy. They both stared into each others¡¯ eyes for a brief moment before the young girl responded with a hearty smile and ¡®Hi!¡¯ Her golden hair tied up into a ponytail sway from side to side by her eccentric behavior. Her clear blue eyes and cute snow white face reflected what could only be aptly described as ¡®innocence¡¯ incarnate.


    ¡°Hi¡­ Alice¡­¡±


    Morgant responded with a little less vigor. Scratching his hair slovenly, he yawned loudly as if to enact a final tribute of defiance towards the bedside terrorist. Seeing its ineffectiveness he got out of bed and begrudgingly marched his way to the toilet to make himself up for the day. He stared at the mirror that only reflected an unmotivated young boy. ¡®How unsightly¡¯ he gazed into his own green eyes as they felt somewhat ¡®off¡¯ for some reason.


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    It wasn¡¯t the first time he had felt such an abyssal emotion, in fact it was almost every morning that he did. It was as though a giant gaping hole had been torn into his heart, his very soul. That something was missing and it was always just out of his reach no matter how hard he wracked his brain.


    At first he had assumed it was because he was in this orphanage. A lot of orphans typically feel such an emotion when they realize the feeling of abandonment by their biological parents. However as time went on he understood clearly that it wasn¡¯t it, that it was something else.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Morgant grasped his head as a powerful migraine attacked him. It was a phenomenon that tended to happen when he dwelt too much on the subject. As if some sort of security was preventing him access, whenever he was closer to getting to the truth there would be something impeding his progress. This time was a little different however; enduring through the pain Morgant tried his best to remember, even if it was just a little.


    He searched and searched his brain.


    He drew closer to the memory he was lacking, or rather a memory that he shouldn¡¯t have in the first place. A silhouette appeared in his mind; the figure of a man in a white coat could be visualized but nothing further than that. None of the details of his face could be further recalled by that pathetic vision. Forgetting to breathe from his intense concentration he fell to the floor as he grasped for air. A loud bang coming from his fall alerted everyone in the orphanage that something had happened to him.


    A few seconds later the sounds of desperate running could be felt vibrating from the floor. The doors to the toilet almost flew off its hinges as a woman in grey robes appeared. To say she was pretty wouldn¡¯t be too accurate; while she didn¡¯t have a bad face she was more of the ¡®cool¡¯ type. Her long silver hair covered half her face, not because of stylistic choice but in an attempt to cover a long scar running down her left eye. On the top of her head were two fuzzy silver wolf ears and behind her were three wooly wolf tails of the same color.


    She was not human, a therianthrope by the name of ¡®Miko¡¯. She had a desperate look on her face as she slowly approached the young Morgant who was writhing on the cold tiled floors of the toilet.


    ¡°A- are you okay Morgant?!¡±


    She slowly picked him up only to be met with harsh burns from the boy¡¯s innate temperature. ¡®What is this absurd temperature?!¡¯ she thought to herself as she quickly brought him and laid him on his bed. She called for the other matron of the orphanage, a young woman by the name of ¡®Diana¡¯ to bring some wet towels and ice.


    After an intense session of nursing him back to health it was already midday when he had once again opened his eyes. Even before his blurred vision could be cured he felt tears running past his face.


    ¡°Alter¡­ Freund¡­¡±


    Morgant whispered to himself, not knowing that the word even meant. Yet in spite of this he felt a deep sense of nostalgia and pain as the words resounded continuously in his mind.


    ¡°Morgant?! Morgant! Are you okay?!¡±


    Wiping away the tears that had amassed on his eyes, the scene of several children and two adult women came into view. They were the caretakers and children of the orphanage, with worried expressions they came after hearing he had suddenly fainted.


    ¡°M- Miko¡­?¡±


    Morgant responded to her previous calling. Seeing him regain consciousness they all breathed a sigh of relief as one by one they returned to their daily activities. Three children of similar age stepped up after understanding that the situation was once more calm.


    The first was a young, stoic Elven boy whose hair resembled that of the infinite ocean. He had a small frown on his face when he had heard his friend had fallen sick but after seeing him get better he was the most relieved. His name was ¡®Ren¡¯, a boy who loved to tinker with machinery.


    The other was a demon child who came with an uneasy look on her face. She was from the Lamia race, a race of women whose lower half was that of a snake. Most of them had rough colorations but she had oddly gentle pink themed patterns running on her tail half. Even her hair color was pink. Her name was ¡®Celina¡¯ a young maiden who excelled at healing type magic.


    ¡°Alice, get off of him. He¡¯s still not fully recovered.¡±


    Miko tried to reprimand her.


    Finally was Alice who had jumped onto Morgant as soon as he had opened his eyes. She continued clinging onto him as though her life had depended on her doing so. Miko tried to pry her away but she refused to let go and even Morgant had given up on the mere thought as he was already used to her over abundance of skinship with him. However, considering the fact that they were the only two human children in the entire orphanage it was no surprise that she may have felt a sort of kinship.


    Miko took Morgant¡¯s temperature to find that it was back to normal levels. Seeing him back to his healthy self confused her as to what actually had happened to him that made him faint. When she tried to pry for information Morgant simply shook his head and responded that he ¡®didn¡¯t know¡¯.


    Having no other choice Miko left it up to that and decided to let him rest for the day.


    ¡°Morgant! I was so worried!¡±


    As soon as Miko left the scene Celina had also jumped onto Morgant and coiled around him. She wasn¡¯t really the type to show much affection in such a bold manner but to Morgant she made an exception.


    ¡°I guess this means that you¡¯re all better?¡±


    Ren asked as he walked forward.


    ¡°Yes, sorry for worrying you.¡±


    Morgant responded as he gave a dry laugh. The two boys met eye to eye and let out a small chuckle as they understood that everything was okay now. Rather than as friends they shared a relationship more akin to brotherhood.


    ¡°Say, what did you mean by that?¡±


    Continuing to cling onto his left arm tightly she perked up her head to meet his gaze and asked.


    ¡°¡®That¡¯?¡±


    Morgant repeated after her; he had no clue as to what she was talking about. It was true that a lot of his memories were fuzzy with him only remembering one distinct thing. That was the unknown silhouette of a man in a white coat.


    ¡°Umm~ what was it? Al-¡­ Alter¡­ ehh, Alt frew?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t quite recite what he had said and stumbled on her own tongue trying her very best.


    ¡°Alter Freund.¡±


    Ren answered for her.


    At hearing those words Morgant turned to the open window and offered a silent wry smile. He didn¡¯t know the meaning of those words or even what language it was, but he understood it to be something he was fond of. Or at the very least he felt that he needed to say something about it. That something¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel like I should say, ¡®Good Bye¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 3 - Mk 7 Gigandoll Power Frame

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 3 ¨C Mk 7 Gigandoll Power Frame


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    As Morgant tried to fall asleep he found himself unable to as mind numbing white noise continued to obstruct him. A gruesome imagery of a bloodstained operating table with a single powerful light shining into his face kept coming back into his mind. Various people who seemed like medical professionals were gathered around and digging around his body, conducting some unknown experiment.


    Fear; that was the only thing Morgant could feel as he burst up from his bed, unable to bear the painful and horrific image any longer. He panted heavily as the white noise dissipated, but the imagery was still very vivid in his mind. He wiped down his face with the sleeves of his clothes and sat unmoving for a period after that. By the time he had finally calmed down enough to regain control over his frozen body it was already well into the cool night.


    He glanced to his left to a slightly open windowsill and out to the large blue moon up in the sky. Deciding he needed to cool down his head a little more he got out of his bed to lean by the window. After feeling his body and heart rate all return to normal he slid down to crouch into a fetal position in the corner of the room. He silently wept as he unwittingly recalled the horrific scene; the sensation of it all was real. An ice-like knife thinly pressed up against his throat, the subtle scent of rusted metal and disinfectants.


    They were obviously not memories of his own experience; the kind of technology he saw in that dream was far beyond what he knew. Not to mention the body he had in that dream was slightly older than him, thus it couldn¡¯t be him. However, that did not make the painful experience any less. He pressed against his neck to confirm that it really wasn¡¯t his.


    Tears continued to silently fall from his eyes and down his face. As he continued to crouch into a ball in the corner, a small creak came from the door of his and Alice¡¯s room. He had already confirmed that Alice was fast asleep so it was not her but he was too afraid to even think clearly. He held onto his head as he covered himself and shut his eyes tightly.


    He could feel the sounds and vibrations of leather boots striding across the wooden floors of his room and closer to him. He opened his eyes ever so slightly only to see a large hand coming for him and unable to do anything at that moment he braced himself even more.


    However¡­


    ¡°Morgant¡­? Is everything alright?¡±


    Came a soft and womanly voice. A voice that soothed the eternal aching in his heart as his head was filled with warm familiarity. He slowly opened his eyes to see a soft featured woman with silky golden hair, her bright blue eyes reflecting the light of the pale moon. She, like Miko, wore similar convent-like robes but he had to admit the woman in front of him looked much better in them. Her name was ¡®Diana¡¯, the other matron of the orphanage and the person that took him in.


    She held a small, dimly lit candle balanced on a white plate as she stroke through his hair trying to calm him down. A few moments later Morgant had once more regained normalcy and opened himself up to her nursing. Placing the candle onto the side she easily picked up the child Morgant and placed him back on the bed. She continued to stroke his darkened hair and wiped the tear and sweat from his face with a soft smile.


    She didn¡¯t ask what was wrong, or what had happened. She merely continued to stay with him until he had fallen asleep for the second time. When she had confirmed that Morgan had indeed fallen asleep she gently got off the bed and slowly left the room as she whispered ¡®good night¡¯ into his ears.


    ¡­


    After finding the courage to do so, a few days later Morgant had asked for a consultation session with Diana. He avoided going to Miko as she seemed like the type of person who would not be able to tell him what he wanted to hear. So after making his way down to her office he slowly shut the door behind him as he sat down at a small tea table with Diana seated on the opposite side.


    She set down a small cup of tea as she smiled back at him and asked.


    ¡°Did you want to talk about what happened the other night?¡±


    He took a moment to collect his thoughts before he spoke. After taking a deep breath he shook his head to deny Diana¡¯s guess.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t about that but what happened after that.¡±


    ¡°After?¡±


    She repeated after him with a slightly perplexed expression. Morgant nodded.


    ¡°Every night since that night I¡¯ve continued getting strange visions. They aren¡¯t the same scary one I saw on the first night so it isn¡¯t really anything that bad. But I don¡¯t know what to do with them.¡±


    Morgant answered as he dropped his head and stared into the dark colored tea on the table. It had already cooled down to the point that it was no longer steaming.


    ¡°Hmm~ well dreams are complex so even I¡¯m not sure what they mean. Since you say it¡¯s nothing really scary then if you¡¯re fine with it why don¡¯t you try jotting down the things you see? Perhaps once you have a more solid image you might get an idea on what it is.¡±


    Diana suggested as she took a sip of her tea with a smile.


    Morgant thought about the idea and conceded that it was a pretty good one and decided to do so. To be honest he was scared; after the first dream of that violent scene he didn¡¯t really know if he wanted to find out more about those images in his head. However he felt a strange compulsion and obligation to find out.


    ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯ll try what you told me. Thank you Diana.¡±


    Morgant replied with an uneasy but determined smile as he left the office.


    ¡­


    The orphanage usually kept a strict timetable on what kinds of activities the orphans had during the day. Diana and Miko would teach them with a diverse range of subjects from magic, alchemy, math and music to physical combat. During the day the children would choose between the subjects that they wanted to learn about and attend the classes.


    Morgant requested that he get a brief hiatus from classes as he worked on sorting out his mind and the strange images. Usually Diana would want the children to be learning during the day but after seeing how torn up Morgant was about these dreams she reluctantly agreed. Even if he were forced to attend classes it was doubtful that he would digest anything he was taught.


    Thus Morgant started working on writing down the ideas he had gotten from his dreams. Several days went by and when he finally finished transcribing all of the images in his head to paper it was filled with odd looking gibberish and picture of a detailed stick man with no head.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    On one of the following afternoons Ren, Alice and Celina had come visited him in his room. A large piece of paper drawn with Morgant¡¯s ideas had been laid on his bed but he couldn¡¯t make out a thing of it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t make heads nor tails of it; it¡¯s frustrating me.¡±


    Morgant replied as he shook his head and clenched his fists tightly. Seeing Morgant tearing himself apart his friends wanted to do something for him but didn¡¯t really know how to approach the topic. However as though a flash of inspiration had come to Ren he found something interesting about the scribbles and gibberish that Morgant had written.


    ¡°Hey¡­ wait, doesn¡¯t this kind of look like¡­ a diagram of some sort? Or perhaps a schematic?¡±


    At Ren¡¯s words Morgant moved closed and concentrated closer on the scribbles and gibberish. When he thought about it that way Ren¡¯s words certainly had some merit; the picture of the headless stickman resembled some sort of object. The gibberish that was strewn all over the large paper was pointing to each individual part of the picture, perhaps they were some sort of explanation, or so Morgant thought. However he was unable to read his own gibberish so that didn¡¯t help any.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Staring deep onto the paper he felt as though he could start to understand some of the words. Of course whether the translation was correct or not was up for debate.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ ark, se¡­ven. Gigan¡­ doll, po¡­wer¡­ frame? Mark 7, Gigandoll Power Frame?¡±


    Morgant tried to read the title of the paper.


    ¡°Is that what it says?¡±


    Alice asked as she squint her eyes and tried to read it for herself.


    ¡°Hmmm, I think ¡®Mark 7¡¯ means it¡¯s the seventh type? Or the seventh generation?¡±


    Ren tried to dissect Morgant¡¯s translation to make sense of it.


    ¡°Why seventh? What about one through to six?¡±


    Alice asked with her big bubbly eyes full of anticipation. She was as much interested in what this was as Ren and Morgant were but she lacked the technical mindset to interpret what it was. To her this was an interesting adventure that they could work on as a group of friends.


    ¡°How should I know?¡±


    Ren retorted.


    ¡°Then ¡®Gigandoll¡¯, I¡¯m not sure what ¡®Gigan¡¯ means but maybe this is some sort of ¡®doll¡¯?¡±


    Morgant tried to make sense of the second part.


    ¡°So then ¡®Power Frame¡¯¡­ what could that mean? Power means strong¡­ and frame is something you put around pictures right?¡±


    Ren finished off the translation but from what they had gathered it wasn¡¯t too coherent. They were all back to square one with Celina innocently watching as the two boys wracking their heads as best they could to figure out this pile of scribbles. It was then that Alice opened her mouth once more.


    ¡°Hmm? Doesn¡¯t this kind of look like a skeleton? I remember that in one of my lessons Diana tried to draw one and it ended up looking like that.¡±


    At her words the two boys¡¯ imagination lit up as they hurried to review the drawing once more. They whispered ¡®hmm¡¯ as their eyes widened in newfound understanding of the picture.


    ¡°Alice, you¡¯re a genius!¡±


    Morgant commended as he promptly ignored the elated Alice after hearing the compliment. Morgant and Ren turned to each other and gave a nod.


    ¡°You thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    Ren asked.


    ¡°Yeah, this picture could be referring to a frame for a person. So this ¡®Power Frame¡¯ could be something that makes someone stronger when they wear it.¡±


    After confirming that they were both on the same page the hurriedly took the picture down to the orphanage¡¯s workshop to get started on a little project.


    ¡°Ah, hey! Where are you going?!¡±


    Alice shouted out as she tried to follow after them with Celina trailing behind meekly.


    ¡­


    A further several weeks went by and even Ren had requested some time off from his studies to help Morgant. However when Alice and Celina also asked for the same thing they were promptly rejected as it became obvious that they just wanted to play around. Ren and Morgant further secluded themselves in the workshop as they continued to work on Morgant¡¯s diagrams but they soon reached a dead end only after finishing the right arm portion of the power frame.


    ¡°What should we do? We¡¯re out of materials.¡±


    Morgant said as he fell dejected.


    ¡°I think we did a good job considering how uncertain the translations are. I¡¯m not even sure I understand what these ¡®wires¡¯ are but we somehow made them. Still, this is really quite something.¡±


    Ren replied as he held up the small machine-like skeletal arm. There were wires running through it all and metal railings that formed into a vague outline of a right arm all the way up to the shoulder. Ren tried to put it on his right arm and though it fit perfectly there wasn¡¯t anything that screamed out ¡®power¡¯. It wasn¡¯t even fully enclosed so it obviously wasn¡¯t for protection either.


    ¡°Haaa~ I don¡¯t know anymore, maybe we interpreted the diagram wrong.¡±


    Ren replied as he took it off and tossed it to Morgant. Curious Morgant placed on his arm and when it did the white noise that Morgant dreaded so much returned to him along with a powerful migraine.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    This time strange voices in a foreign language also accompanied the white noise.


    ¡°[Gigandoll Power Frame Mark VII, online. Error, missing core component].¡±


    The voice was oddly feminine but it did not seem like something that would come from a living being¡¯s mouth. It didn¡¯t appear that Ren could hear the same voice as Morgant could and even if he could there was no way to understand what it was saying.


    ¡°Morgant are you alright?¡±


    Ren tried to rush over to him to help him up but Morgant felt something was off and stopped him.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Morgant tried to stand back up but soon lost his balance from the pain and went flying face first. As he fell, with his right arm, he grabbed onto the nearest thing he could hold onto, which was the workbench, but when he did it made a loud snapping noise as the table was destroyed beyond repair. Not only that but as Morgant¡¯s right arm when through the table and onto the floor it created a small crater along with a small tremor throughout the orphanage.


    ¡°Wow¡­ that really is powerful.¡±


    Ren who had witness the whole thing as though it played in slow motion was left completely mesmerized. The loud noise and tremor had alerted everyone to the scene and what followed was a harsh reprimand from the two matrons of the orphanage.


    ¡­


    That night as Morgant slept a small figure had crawled into his room.


    ¡°Psst, hey Morgant. Psst!¡±


    It was Ren who had a devious smile on his face.


    ¡°Mmmgh? Ren? What is it so late at night?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no time to be sleeping; we need to continue building that power frame.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? We got into trouble because of that thing.¡±


    Morgant replied as he rubbed his eyes trying to adjust to the dark.


    ¡°Are you kidding? Did you see how powerful that thing was? Just imagine how much stronger it would be if we completed the entire thing? This is definitely something I don¡¯t want to just give up half way on. Please, let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Morgant stared into the young Elven boy¡¯s deep blue eyes and offered a sigh.


    ¡°Even if I wanted to continue we don¡¯t even have enough parts.¡±


    As if expecting that reply to come, Ren had already prepared an answer for that conundrum. He spoke, almost with an ecstatic glee.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ve got that covered. There¡¯s a small novice rank dungeon for beginner adventurers near our town called [Ingrid¡¯s Tomb]. We should be able to find the materials we need in there.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Even if it¡¯s only novice rank we¡¯re children; how could we even survive in that dungeon?¡±


    ¡°No, what are YOU talking about? We have the right arm piece of the power frame. Didn¡¯t you feel how powerful it was? We can easily defeat those low level monsters with that.¡±


    Morgant took a deep breath and sighed.


    ¡°You really want to do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    After giving into Ren¡¯s demand Morgant took out his outside outfit and slid the power frame¡¯s right arm piece right under it. Because it was only small metal linings and wires it wasn¡¯t too hard to conceal them and if he put on gloves on top of them it was perfectly disguised.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Trying to sneak out they opened the front door only to be met by a distinct high pitched, playful voice. They turned back to see both Alice and Celina all dressed up and ready to follow along with their little late night ¡®excavation¡¯ mission.


    ¡°You¡¯re bringing us along with you, right?


    Alice asked with a determined smile.

 Chapter 4 - Connecting to central server...

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 4 ¨C Connecting to central server¡­


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Under the tranquil guidance of the moon, four children made their way through the snow covered town of [Vertloch Snowdown]. A town of perpetual snow; with each step they took they left behind a small footprint that was quickly erased by another layer of snow. Despite being draped in thick clothing they could still feel the frigid temperatures of their hometown and every innocent breath they took created fog.


    ¡°Hey, um, guys. I really don¡¯t think we should be doing this.¡±


    Trailing behind the first three children was a meek young girl of the Lamia race, Celina. Her scaly and beautiful pink tail left behind a long continuous line as she slithered hastily to keep up with the others. She tried to protest their current actions as she understood well the voice of guidance from her elders and it was dangerous for inexperience children such as themselves.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Dismissed Alice, a rare human child in the continent of demons. With a carefree and adventurous look on her face she guided the rag tag team of children as their self-appointed leader. It wasn¡¯t that she was unaware of the dangers of a dungeon; certainly, she understood that even novice rank dungeons could prove fatal for children. However her curiosity and foolhardy nature got the better of her, superseding her own sense of mortality.


    ¡°As expedition leader I say this operation is a go!¡±


    She pointed forward and marched on with the other children groaning her energetic personality. As girls Celina and Alice were naturally close, however their personalities were a far cry from each other, perhaps even opposing. Whereas Alice was boisterous and rash, Celina was more timid. Due to this Celina¡¯s opinions were often times disregarded and overshadowed but in the end Celina continued tagging along without another word of complaint.


    Perhaps the only reason she could confidently continue on with them was because of a certain boy she was specifically trailing behind, Morgant. A mature-seeming and dependable, older brother type of person that stood as a pillar of confidence for her. Whenever she was in trouble she always knew he could be depended on for support, thusly she once more placed her trust in him and followed closely behind.


    ¡°Hmm? Is something wrong Celina?¡±


    Noticing her subtle gaze cast upon him, Morgant turned his head back a bit to ask. Curious as to why she was some intently focused in his direction. However Celina shook her head abruptly as she averted her eyes from him, a clear red blush arcing across her face, thankfully hidden behind her long pink hair.


    ¡°I- it¡¯s nothing. Please don¡¯t worry.¡±


    She replied.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Okay then.¡±


    Unconvinced, having no other reason not to accept that reply Morgant let it slide. The final child, a young boy of the Elven race whose hair shines with the deep colors of the ocean glanced back at the two. Though he did not show it on his face, his heart was pounding with excitement at the prospect of this expedition. Which is why seeing the two lagging behind without much motivation irked him.


    However both Celina and Morgant were his dear friends so any malicious thoughts about them quickly dissipated. For now his mind was only filled with the prospects of finalizing the construction of the power frame. As his mind wondered into deep contemplation about Morgant¡¯s schematics they had already somehow made it to the back of their home town. Now facing a large empty hole, the cave entrance to the novice rank dungeon [Ingrid¡¯s Tomb] presided colossally before them.


    They could only peer into a few meters within the cave entrance before all the light was smothered by the darkness. Like a contamination breach, small black mists leaked out from the cave entrance¡¯s floor that accentuated the eerie imagery of the tomb.


    ¡°Well, I guess they don¡¯t call it a ¡®tomb¡¯ for no reason.¡±


    Ren commented as he crouched down to take a closer examination of the miasma-like smog, even going so far as to place his hands into them. He knew it wasn¡¯t going to be too dangerous because a fair amount of adventurers often went in and out of this exact entrance.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    Alice asked from behind.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like anything in particular.¡±


    ¡°That so? Then let¡¯s go!¡±


    Alice rushed in without a second¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Ah, hey wait you idiot!¡±


    Ren shouted out as he rushed in after her. Unable to leave her out on her own in such a dangerous place Celina and Morgant also quickly followed suit. However as Morgant had taken a step into the cave he felt the strange feminine voice from before. The alien and melodic voice whispered directly into his brain.


    ¡°[Connecting to central server¡­ Log Identification: Director Callahad, Access Granted¡­ Welcome back Director].¡±


    Hearing the voice once more Morgant was frozen right in his tracks. He didn¡¯t hear the chaotic white noise from before and this time the voice sounded much more accommodating. However he didn¡¯t know just how much of it he could trust, especially one he couldn¡¯t understand. Yet something was telling him, deep inside his heart, that he should heed its advice, whatever it was.


    At the very least it didn¡¯t feel like these voices in his head were appearing at random. It was as though they were calling out to him, to his exact location. If that were the case then the answers he so desperately sought were bound to be hidden inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Morgant?¡±


    Celina, noticing Morgant had stopped running turned around and asked.


    ¡°O-oh, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Coming back to his senses Morgant ran in to regroup with Alice and Ren.


    ¡­


    ¡°Watch out! Stay behind me!¡±


    Morgant shouted as he engaged the enemy. The first floor was mostly filled with low level shadow entities such as ¡®shadow wolves¡¯, ¡®shadow bats¡¯, ¡®shadow rats¡¯. As expected or perhaps even exceeding their expectations Morgant was able to blast them away with a single devastating blow from his power frame-enhanced punches. To begin with these ¡®shadow entities¡¯ were a rather fragile construct and were easily killed, one could say that they were merely the appetizers for the floors below.


    Still, Morgant couldn¡¯t exactly let hapless children with no real self-defense techniques fight these monsters. In the end they were still feral and even if their bite wasn¡¯t as bad to beginner adventurers, to children with no defense it could still end up being fatal. Thus Morgant took the vanguard and guided their way deep into the depths of the novice rank dungeon.


    ¡°Now listen carefully Alice, we¡¯re not here to play around. We¡¯re here to gather valuable materials in order to finish our construction on the power frame.¡±


    Ren tried to warn, in vain, an Alice who was excitedly looking around the caves. Especially towards the shadow bats hanging off the ceiling and glaring down at them with redden eyes. After seeing Morgant¡¯s combat potential they didn¡¯t dare come down from then which worked to the children¡¯s convenience, even if was at the cost of some thrill or sense of adventure.


    Since the novice dungeon¡¯s layout wasn¡¯t so convoluted and was mostly just a straight path they quickly managed to reach the entrance to the second floor. A stony stairway decorated with demonic carvings, heading down towards what seemed to the abyss itself. However this was merely because the black mists shortened their view distance, nonetheless it did not make the entrance any less creepy.


    Yet it wasn¡¯t until the second floor that the real oddity of this dungeon had finally shown itself. The monsters, mostly skeleton warriors and other variants of the skeleton class, adorned with tattered armor and clumsy swords had decided not to attack. Instead they knelt down almost as though they were welcoming back a king to his home country; they made a pathway ushering the children to the heart of the dungeon itself.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°W- what¡¯s going on? Is this some sort of trap?¡±


    Celina asked, scared as she clung on tightly to Morgant¡¯s left arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ for the most part we¡¯ve only known monsters to be mere mindless beasts acting on impulse and instincts. So seeing them clearly acting on some higher prerogative is a bit unsettling. Still, it looks like they¡¯re telling us to go through. At the very least our goal here is to gather enough materials to complete the power frames but the rarer and valuable materials are further in.¡±


    Ren answered as he stared at the skeletons with observant intensity. He didn¡¯t dare go near them for fear of retaliation or sudden attack but merely shifted around trying to study them.


    ¡°So then our only choice is forward?¡±


    Alice asked.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s hard to say. Trap or no, I kind of want to go gather up the material but¡­ argh, why is this situation getting more and more complicated?¡±


    Ren scratched his hair in frustration.


    Morgant, who had been silent the entire time, had taken a step forward towards the kneeling skeletons. As he did the other children tried to stop him but the voices had drowned in the background of white noises that had at some point overtaken his hearing. The chaotic white static no longer annoyed or frustrated him. It merely gave him a heavy sense of nostalgia, and almost guided by it, he decided to descend to the lower floors.


    ¡®The secrets of everything lie here; I can get answers here,¡¯ he convinced himself as he near mindlessly strode forwards with a singular purpose. It wasn¡¯t as though he couldn¡¯t hear his friends calling for him but he greatly prioritized this once instinctive choice.


    Having no other choice his friends opted to follow closely behind him with wary expressions. The tall skeletal monsters knelt unmoving as though they were just statues but a clear movement of their glowing red eyes proved otherwise. The monsters were conscious of their own actions and had fully acknowledged the group of children they made way for. For what purpose, none of the children could even start to understand why.


    With great and horrifying ease they made it all the way to the stairway leading to the third and final floor. Every dungeon had a being known as ¡®dungeon boss¡¯ which were almost always located at the final floor. Defeating them meant conquering the dungeon and having access to whatever treasures were hidden behind. This meant that there were only ever two types of dungeons, the first were ¡®conquered¡¯ dungeons in which the treasures had already been plundered by adventurers that came before. The second were ¡®unconquered¡¯ dungeons which still had a massive cache of treasures hidden deep below.


    The only reason to re-enter a conquered dungeon was either for battle experience/training or to gather the rare materials that can only be found within certain dungeons. For this reason, even a conquered dungeon could yield a fair amount of money if the main intent was to gather materials and sell them. In fact most jobs that could be seen on adventurer quest boards were escort missions for various crafting professionals to harvest materials.


    In any case, the ¡®dungeon boss¡¯ for the novice rank dungeon [Ingrid¡¯s Tomb] was naturally an apparition by the name of ¡®Ingrid¡¯. She had been known to be a low rank ¡®Ghast¡¯ with fairly abysmal stats all round. She was magic oriented but wasn¡¯t strong and even though she had no physical body she could still be hurt by physical attacks. Combined with the low rank undead minions on the upper floors, there was no doubt that this entire dungeon indeed made for a beginner.


    However the participants this time around were a just four children with no real defensive capabilities on their own aside from Morgant. With uneasy stride they made their way down the creepily decorated stairway and came across a large open, dome like room. Several thick concrete pillars were set across the room to support the ceilings but that was the extent of it. It wasn¡¯t as big as they initially assumed it would be, but it was large enough to move freely and fight without too many hindering obstacles.


    When they came down they noticed another figure awaiting them. A girl; a short child-sized demon with two large protruding horns from either side of her temples that curved forward to half cover her forehead. Two small, flightless wings poked out from her back and a thin black tail started from just before her buttocks. Though she seemed like a child from every angle she wore clothes fit for a succubus but with her proportions it came off more as a joke.


    She had noticed their entrance but did not turn back to acknowledge them just yet. It wasn¡¯t due to any malicious reasoning but simply for sake of dramatic effect when introducing herself.


    ¡°Is that the boss? Ingrid?¡±


    Ren asked as he took on a fighting pose, though realistically only Morgant was capable of fighting. Deciding that the moment was right, the small child-like demon turned with great flare, plastered with a haughty smile on her face. She subtly laughed dramatically, ¡®hah, hah, hah!¡¯


    She opened her luscious pink lips to declare herself, forming the first word ¡®I am¡¯ before being completely ignored by Morgant who walked passed her as if she wasn¡¯t even there. So shocked by this she froze in place before returning to reality a couple of seconds later and reprimanding him.


    ¡°Hey! I was in the middle of my introduction and you just ignore me?!¡±


    She expressed outrage similar to a child throwing a tantrum. It seemed that she was not just a child on the outside but on the inside too. However Morgant continued to ignore even the cute outrage of the pint sized demon as her voice faded into the white noise in his head and walked to the center of the boss room.


    In a ritualistic manner, Morgant stood at the center of the room and waited a couple of seconds for the ¡®real¡¯ boss of the dungeon to spawn. The other children and the demoness watched him with curiosity.


    The demoness leaned into whispering distance of the children and asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s Morgant doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. He¡¯s been acting weird since the second floor¡­ wait, how do you know his name?¡±


    Ren asked as he picked up on that small detail. Acting as if she had been caught up in a lie she covered her mouth comically, trying to stop herself from saying anything further. Ren and Alice glared at her, pressuring her to give some sort of answer back but the demoness averted her gaze with cold sweat running down her back.


    Before they could start interrogating her something else happened that took their attention. A small translucent blue flame hovered around ghostly, circling Morgant before bursting up in a spectacular fireworks and forming into the figure of a slender woman.


    ¡°Ingrid¡­ the one demon that I cannot get a proper answer out of.¡±


    The demoness whispered to herself as she tensed up. However the next series of actions the humanoid blue flame took surprised even the demoness. Like the monsters on the floor above, Ingrid knelt down in front of Morgant and spoke in a foreign language.


    ¡°[I have been expecting your arrival Director Callahad, Welcome to Munitions Lab B741; GLADSHEIM].¡±

 Chapter 5 - Understanding his world

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 5 ¨C Understanding ¡®his¡¯ world


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°B¡­ 741¡­ Gladsheim¡­ just what¡­¡±


    Morgant¡¯s continual understanding of the foreign language spoken by the kneeling Ingrid was inconsistent at best. At times he felt he could fully interpret whole phrases, while at others even a single word could not be recalled. It was a near infuriating taunt that he couldn¡¯t wholly grasp the words even though it danced just on the tip of his tongue.


    In his frustration Morgant glanced around to distract himself for a while as he calmed down. Taking a closer examination of the walls on this room they were aligned by small runes and glyphs, the likes of which he had only ever seen once. They were similar symbols to the ones he himself drew on his diagram for the Mark 7 Gigandoll Power Frame, thus insinuating a heavy connection. ¡®This place really is where the answers lie¡­¡¯ he thought to himself but merely thinking would not yield proper answers.


    He needed to know and to know he needed to ask.


    Squinting his eyes and making a sour expression, his frustration started to eat away at his mind. Morgant knew this place or at least he had a somewhat esoteric understanding of what the purpose of this place was. The words came haunting back to him. ¡®B741¡­ Munitions Lab, Gladsheim,¡¯ most definitely not a tomb as the external name suggested. That being said his understanding of this place was no less sinister than a tomb; this place was where war could be perpetuated.


    ¡°[Is something the matter, Director Callahad?]¡±


    The humanoid figure of translucent blue flames asked as she gazed up at him. Still kneel she had an almost innocent seeming face for a haunting ghast, but as long as her words could not fully be interpreted she could not so readily be trusted. Morgant backed away a few steps to ensure some level of precaution as she asked him, not knowing what she was trying to say.


    Ingrid released herself from the kneeling posture and took a firm and inquisitive observation towards him. After a brief moment of study her actions and posture revealed the fact that she had understood or found out something about Morgant¡¯s situation. She raised and offered a hand towards Morgant, yet on closer inspection there is nothing but empty air. She then chants once more in the mysterious and foreign dialect.


    ¡°[Remedial unit, matter reconstruction].¡±


    Assuming that it was some kind of offensive magic spell, the demoness who had temporarily jointed their party came to Morgant¡¯s defense. She defended his entire body by using her own as a shield and activated several defensive magic.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you touch him! [Miasma Shield]! [Elemental Barrier]! [Demon Lord¡¯s Providence]! [Poison Defense]!¡±


    Following a series of brightly flashing lights, a formidable tinting glow surrounded the two of them. However, as they waited Ingrid¡¯s actions did not reveal any sort of threat, merely that of introspective study. Morgant instantly understood from her actions that both the demoness and Ingrid weren¡¯t enemies to be afraid of and let his guard down with a relieved sigh.


    A small and metal sphere was summoned on the tip of Ingrid¡¯s hand. After a few seconds it came to life and started searching the room around it by twisting its single orange eye around. It slowly started to hover around as though it were mimicking life and focused its visions by adjusting its glass covered eye. Rather than an ¡®eye¡¯ it would¡¯ve been more apt to describe it as a sort of glass, at least to everyone present the concept of a ¡®camera¡¯ was unknown to them.


    The small orb slowly hovered to Morgant¡¯s position as it scanned him with a blue light. At first the demoness who was protecting Morgant thought it was some kind of status ailment spell and tried to retaliate but she was stopped by Morgant.


    ¡°What are you doing? What is that?¡±


    The demoness asked but was promptly ignored by Ingrid who continued to stand waiting for the sphere to finish its task. Morgant placed a sympathetic hand over the small and flighty shoulders of the demoness to quell her frustrations.


    ¡°Thanks for your concern but you don¡¯t have to anymore. She isn¡¯t an enemy, I¡¯ve determined that much.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Unable to say anything to oppose him the demoness stood down. She relinquished all of her defensive spells on him and allowed Ingrid and the metal sphere to continue on with whatever it was trying to do. However she refused to budge from her defensive position until she herself could confirm that Ingrid wasn¡¯t a real threat to Morgant.


    Her actions were confusing to Morgant; he did not know her, a complete stranger, yet she was willing to throw her body as a shield to protect him. Compared to the nostalgic feelings he had with the entire kerfuffle with Ingrid, this small demoness dressed in comically revealing close was an even bigger enigma.


    ¡°Who are you¡­? To go so far to protect me?¡±


    He asked.


    To that question the demoness revealed a childishly cute smile; one that suggested an air of triumph. She placed her hands on her hips in a haughty manner to introduce herself for the second time now that she had his full attention. ¡®Fufufu!¡¯ she chuckled softly with glee.


    ¡°Behold! I am Astaroth, the one and only Demon Lord of the entire Vertloch continent! How¡¯szat? Are you amazed yet?!¡±


    What followed was an intense and painful silence; even Ingrid who had been actively ignoring her glanced away in shame. Ren, Alice and Celina started whispering to each other, passing around terms such as ¡®pitiful child¡¯ and ¡®delusional¡¯.


    ¡°Hey I heard that!¡±


    The self proclaimed ¡®Demon Lord¡¯, Astaroth shouted at the rude children that were talking behind her back. She waved her hands around and stomped on the floor as she threw an extremely infantile tantrum.


    ¡°Yes, yes, is that the dream you saw?¡±


    Ren sarcastically dismissed, bringing Astaroth nearly to tears.


    ¡°N- No! It¡¯s the actual truth! Why won¡¯t you believe me? You saw my amazing display of skill just now, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Astaroth tried to defend her position.


    ¡°Ah, yes, yes that? Certainly it was an amazing spectacle of light work, I think with some training even Celina could manage it.¡±


    Ren continued to banter.


    ¡°Why you little brat, you really need to take the words of your elders more seriously!¡±


    Astaroth shouted back in an equally immature manner, thus waning her argument even further. Though in the first place, with her physique no one would believe she was an adult at first glance, not to mention her attitude has completely been that of a child¡¯s. The two continued to exchange banter like water and oil as Morgant watched with an enlightened sense of amusement. However it wasn¡¯t before long that the conversation was interrupted by Ingrid once more.


    ¡°[I apologize for the delay Director. After a brief biometric scan I¡¯ve determined the cause of your confusion to be your lack of understanding for the language. I shall remedy that problem immediately so please stand by.]¡±


    Apparently having reached some kind of conclusion about whatever she was doing Ingrid made her way over to Morgant as well. From the inquisitive and expositional tone she was talking, Morgant had guessed that she had somehow identified the problem and came up with a fix for it. Thus he decided to put his trust in her and allow her to do whatever was needed. Having understood Morgant¡¯s intentions with an uneasy look Astaroth cleared the way for Ingrid to pass.


    The translucent ghast walked over elegantly and placed her right hand on his forehead. Reaching out to him, it was as though she had made contact with his soul directly. Upon being touched a heavy rush of emotions came crashing into his mind directly; myriad different unfiltered memories of someone else poured into every crevasse of his brain. It was impossible to process all of it and indeed, most of the things he saw were just as quickly banished to the abyssal depths of his mind. All of the images started melding together to make incoherent meshes, some even horrific and hellish while others were just a mess of colors like a broken kaleidoscope.


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    White noise filled his head once more when the powerful screeching static brought him to his knees. Morgant grasped his head in pain, trying to quell it however way he can; physically suppressing his head, screaming out aloud, shutting his eyes tightly, nothing worked. Seeing his pained state the other children and Astaroth quickly came to his aid.


    ¡°Arghh!! Gah¡­ it hurts!¡±


    Morgant screamed in excruciating pain.


    ¡°What did you do to him?!¡±


    Shouts Astaroth angrily, demanding an answer from Ingrid who ignored her dangerous gaze and continued to stare at the suffering Morgant. Unable to get any clear answers Astaroth tried to physically attack her but her body merely phased through. This was beyond the properties of a normal ghast, even ghasts had bodies made of miasma or other such horrific gases which could be attacked, but this one was like she wasn¡¯t even there.


    ¡°What the-?! Dammit! [Fire Bullet]!¡±


    Astaroth tried using magic instead but that too slid right through her near non-existent body and crashed on the wall behind her. It was the first time she had met such an unfair opponent; one who couldn¡¯t even be damaged. It was also the first time in her life that she felt as useless as she was right now and with it came a sense of guilt. She let this happen.


    ¡°Please¡­! Stop it!¡±


    Guilt-ridden she cast aside her pride as the self-proclaimed ¡®demon lord¡¯ and lowered her head in plea. Ingrid acknowledged her desperation and answered her briefly.


    ¡°[Do not worry, the Director is simply regaining an ability once lost long ago.]¡±


    Yet due to the language barrier that existed between them Astaroth could not be satisfied. As though she herself was being torn apart, a single tear ran down Astaroth¡¯s face as she glanced back to Morgant¡¯s pained expression.


    ¡°Morgant! Morgant! Wake up Morgant!¡±


    Alice screamed as a clear expression of terror filled her tone. She violently tried to shake him but Morgant remained still holding his head with an intense pain overriding all of his faculties. Celina tried desperately to cast whatever healing or ailment removal magic she knew but none of them had any sort of clear effect. Ren tried to get him into a more comfortable position so he could better endure his suffering but upon just a small touch of his forehead he almost burnt his hand.


    ¡°This is¡­ insane.¡±


    With widened eyes Ren commented, recoiling in horror as he saw his reddened hand. ¡®He¡¯s going through so much pain¡­¡¯ he thought to himself as he determined himself to help him regardless of the pain.


    Choking with the sounds of pain and fear, the boss room of the undead ghast truly lived up to its name this day. The walls reverberated shouts of children to bring out a more haunted imagery than ever before.


    Images flew viciously through the depths of his very mind and soul, yet all the while a small but noticeable change started to occur within Morgant. The insanity inducing white noise started to dissipate and in its place was intelligible words accompanied by the rush of images. The foreign language that he could only barely interpret before were now fully understood. With this new change the migraine also started to alleviate and with time Morgant¡¯s body temperature too returned to a normal state.


    ¡°Morgant?! Morgant, are you alright?! Say something, anything, please!¡±


    Seeing the horrific symptoms slowly dissipate from his body Alice tried calling out to him once more. In hopes that maybe this time he¡¯ll react, and though he still made the same pained face he no longer continued sweating as profusely. His breath was haggard and heavy but at the very least he was breathing, instead of choking on his own lock of oxygen like before.


    Morgant opened one eye and looked back up at the children who were huddled around him. With open mouths and down trodden eyes they awaited Morgant to make the first word.


    ¡°U- ugh¡­ my head¡­ [my head]¡­ it [hurts]¡­¡±


    Morgant spoke as he mixed Eternis¡¯ native language with the ¡®Old Language¡¯ of Earth. The children looked towards each other, thinking perhaps that Morgant was still traumatized by the intense migraine. Morgant calmly lifted himself back up to a sitting position and took several deep breaths to regulate his breathing.


    ¡°U- um, Morgant are you okay?¡±


    Celina asked as she tried to inspect his body temperature by placing her hands on his forehead. It wasn¡¯t as horrific as it was when Ren touched it but his temperature was noticeably still high.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m fine, thanks for asking.¡±


    Morgant replied as he gently removed her hands from his forehead.


    ¡°[It is a relief to see that you have overcome this ordeal, Director.]¡±


    Ingrid speaks in a tone as if to suggest that she was actually relieved to see that he had survived. Simply from her tone of voice and her previous actions of kneeling when they first met revealed the fact that Ingrid though too highly of Morgant to put him in actual mortal danger. So to him it sounded almost sarcastic when she said she was ¡®relieved¡¯, ¡®was she saying that she had actual emotions?¡¯ Morgant thought to himself.


    With that thought however entered another. His previous line of thought inferred the fact that he assumed she had no real ¡®emotions¡¯, ¡®how do I know she doesn¡¯t actually have emotions? Why did I think that?¡¯ he questioned his odd choice of reasoning.


    It wasn¡¯t just limited to this small piece of information that came to him at random. Numerous other things that he shouldn¡¯t have any idea of also entered his thoughts. However, by far the most insidious thing that he had ¡®obtained¡¯ the knowledge of was a figure and symbol known as ¡®Sovereign¡¯; a being that commanded the very elements of this planet many ages ago.


    Yet despite all these new knowledge, most of them were extremely vague at best and missing crucial parts to be understood in full context. To say the least all he was left with was a shuddering fear of the gaps between the ideas of the ¡®Old World¡¯. ¡®It would¡¯ve been better to not know,¡¯ it scared him, how much difference there existed between the tranquil peace of this world and the iron might of the old.


    ¡°[This is¡­ I can understand you¡­]¡±


    Morgant had just realized it but he finally understood every world spoken by Ingrid.


    ¡°[If that is truly so then I am glad. The transition from your old body to this new one was a long and delicate one, thus it is understandable that you have lost much of your old memories.]¡±


    Ingrid informed with Morgant standing there at disbelief of her words. ¡®Eh? What¡¯s she talking about?¡¯ is all he could manage to muster up even within his own mind. He understood the words she spoke but couldn¡¯t exactly come to terms with them.


    ¡°[It seems that you are still confused by a lot of things. That too is understandable and not at all unexpected, but worry not I will explain to you everything I know. If you would follow me, I shall guide you to the main lab.]¡±


    Before they could continue Morgant interrupted. He still needed one more answer.


    ¡°[Just tell me one thing.]¡±


    Morgant stood firm as he clenched his hands into a fist. It was neither determination nor courage that drove his current choice of words and actions, but an uncertain fear. Everything that has happened now would¡¯ve been absurd for any normal seven year old to come to terms with. Yet for some reason Morgant felt as though he could grasp at the foundations of a monolithic entity dwelling within his soul and guiding him to all the correct answers.


    ¡°[Yes, of course. Anything you desire to know, I shall answer to the best of my abilities.]¡±


    ¡°[Numerous incoherent memories run rampant in my head, but one thing is extremely clear to me. A being known as ¡®Sovereign¡¯ exists in all of them. Tell me, who is he?]¡±


    Ingrid took a moment to answer but she declared without hesitation or doubt in her voice.


    ¡°[You, Director Callahad, are Sovereign.]¡±

 Chapter 6 - Remnants, Ruins and Apparitions of the Old World

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 6 ¨C Remnants, Ruins and Apparitions of the Old World


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    A low tranquil hum reverberated off the pure white walls of the compact metal box that was the marvel of technology. An elevator; the interiors, impossibly clean beyond its definition, were cast a lit by the humbling glow of the magnetic lights above. It moved quickly and soundlessly as it descended deep into the depths of the world itself to dig out the graves of the Old World.


    It was a gloriously humbling experience for the single child that rode upon this incredible feat of old human ingenuity. Such contraptions did not exist in Eternis, or rather, moving platforms through the employment of magic did exist, but they were neither as graceful nor seamless. With just this small but significant elevator trip alone, Morgant could feel the vast disparity between the abilities of the two worlds.


    He took a moment to absorb in everything that had happened in the entire span of seven years he had lived. This one experience was enough to blow away everything in which he knew; monsters, magic, knights and demons, none of these pitifully ordinary mundanity could even come close to the exhilaration he felt now.


    It was the kind of experience that he would¡¯ve loved to share with his friends, yet unfortunately they were unable to come along. As Ingrid had confusing explained it to him, they were unable to pass through the ¡®DNA lock repulsion field¡¯ that existed at the entrance of ¡®Gladsheim¡¯. The children and Astaroth could not accept that and were ready to head out before Morgant was dragged into further madness. However, due to his adamant desperation to find out the truth they were left with no other choice but to let him go.


    ¡®Be careful and don¡¯t trust her words so willingly,¡¯ Astaroth gave a word of advice as she saw him board the bright white elevator.


    ¡°[Director, we are almost there.]¡±


    A small voice echoed from within the elevator; they were Ingrid¡¯s voice, yet she was not physically present. In fact, from what had been disclosed to him through hard to understand exposition was that she was never anywhere near the surface to begin with. That she was ¡®projecting¡¯ herself through the use of a technique called ¡®holography¡¯. It was also the same reason why Astaroth could not physically damage her, because she was never there to begin with.


    She had also used this hologram form to fool the adventurers that entered the dungeon. She would play the role of the low level boss and pretend to be defeated to avert any suspicions of this dungeon¡¯s true purpose.


    ¡°[What exactly are you?]¡±


    Since the elevator ride was unnaturally long, Morgant took the opportunity to ask a few more questions before he reached the main lab. With now a proper ability to fully recognize her words, the name ¡®Munitions Lab¡¯ felt many times more ominous than before. Thus to prepare himself he wanted to formulate his own predictions of what the actual lab would be like. To do that he needed more information.


    ¡°[In essence I am the Super Artificial Intelligence created for the purposes of maintaining all functionality of this facility; an ¡®operating system¡¯ if you will. As much of my core database has been damaged over the many years of decay I am currently unable to give you an exact detail of what I am. I apologize, but any information that I do have access to I will fully disclose it to you, director.]¡±


    Perhaps some may have thought this development to be suspicious. However Morgant had foreseen this outcome; of the memories that flashed before him as he was given the ability to speak the old world tongue, were things about that world. The fact that he knew nothing of such a spectacular world before today was proof that it either didn¡¯t exist or was from an absurdly long time ago. Granted, he was still a seven year old and was oblivious to many things about even his current world, but if even the self proclaimed Demon Lord knew nothing of it then perhaps there was some credit to its forgotten existence.


    At the very least, he was entirely willing to believe that the ¡®Old World¡¯ was more than just a hallucinogenic trip. This single elevator ride was enough to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt.


    ¡°[You keep referring to me as ¡®director¡¯, what does that mean? You also said that I was ¡®Sovereign¡¯ are they related?]¡±


    Morgant asked.


    ¡°[¡®Director¡¯ was your title of occupation and ¡®Sovereign¡¯ was your title of authority. That is what you told me, long ago.]¡±


    ¡°[Long ago¡­ is that something like my previous life? It¡¯s a little hard to believe.]¡±


    ¡°[It is understandable that you are not willing to believe in such an occurrence as that is only natural. Do not worry, in due time you will come to understand everything about who you were and what the Old World was like. I am here to help facilitate that process.]¡±


    ¡°[¡­ If you say so¡­]¡±


    As the gravity subtly shifted, Morgant could feel the elevator slowly come to a halt.


    It was the moment of truth; all the answers in regard to his strange vision of the Old World lied here.


    The elevator stopped; gravity returned to normal and he could feel the impact of his own weight. It was heavy, his stomach churned and his breathing haggard but determined.


    The doors slowly pried itself open; light from the outside entered with amalgamated fury from the light within. It temporarily blinded him with too much brightness, giving him both a temporary moment to prepare himself one last time and obstructing the truth that lied just before.


    Before his sight, his sense of smell returned to functioning order; the smell of the Old World, antique but powerful and cold. The smell of rusted metal, like blood, combined with the scent of dust, perpetuating the imagery of an aged and crumbled empire. ¡®Such a powerful entity, how could it come to an end?¡¯ Morgant asked himself as he basked in the air that had lain dormant for many undocumented ages.


    ¡°[Welcome Director, to B741 Munitions Lab, Codename: Gladsheim].¡±


    Once more Ingrid welcomed him to his rightful and beloved Old World.


    An ornate city of science and technological might; a place war was perpetuated but also where impossible victories were forged. Its aged and decadent walls eaten by time and the elements revealed to Morgant the beauty and marvel that was the power of the Old World. A supercomplex of buildings and facilities that were more of a city than a single simple laboratory, they continued to endure the through decay; aged but standing.


    ¡°[This¡­ this is¡­ the Old World¡­ ¡®his¡¯ world¡­]¡±


    Lost for words Morgant¡¯s mind froze up trying to even comprehend what he was looking at. Where the lab begun and where it ended, it stretched on, almost infinitely into the abyss. It wasn¡¯t perfect, most if not all of the buildings and facilities were lost to time and could almost crumble under their own weight. Broken pieces of glass and rubble strewn all across the floor as a flickering humming of light came illuminating from the floors below. It revealed the ancient dusts that were trapped within the ages of this frozen culture.


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    Plant life and other such greenery had started the process of overtaking back what was once theirs. Yet the unnaturalness of technology kept the harsh nature back for as long as they could. A silent and near ideological battle dragged on beneath his very feet.


    Morgant took his first step forward as he formally admitted himself into this frozen domain of his former self. Touched for the very first time in an unknown span of ages, Gladsheim¡¯s internal workings began to slowly come back online. The silent but still audible whizzing of machinery deep below could be felt from the soles of his shoes as he moved towards the center of the facility.


    There were colored guiding lines and name plates on every inch of the facility, so it was not hard to reach the command center. However Morgant decided to take his time to truly absorb the culture of this place.


    Propping his head upwards, Morgant couldn¡¯t even see the ceiling anymore as they were smothered by the abyssal darkness of distance. Easily several times larger than the small town he had known all his life, this place was just one of many that the being known as ¡®Sovereign¡¯ had at his disposal. Morgant thought he understood at least the base of its reach but seeing this impossible marvel he didn¡¯t know what to think anymore.


    ¡°[This is Gladsheim¡­ the ¡®house of light¡¯. This is¡­ the Old World¡­?]¡±


    This place was a reminder that the Old World truly existed and stood as a monument to its bygone glory. Yet at the same time, its flickering lights and the machines that tried to reactive itself served as an apparition that could not accept its decayed and desolate fate. It was sad, Morgant could almost see it as clear as day, the wonder works of this place; he could see the hundreds and thousands of scientists busily going about their day as they worked, the hundreds of machinery that operated infinitely without rest, the development of new projects that could pave way for the future, the soldiers that patrolled the areas with an iron guard.


    Yet all of those were just illusions; they no longer existed anywhere else but in one child¡¯s imaginations anymore.


    ¡°[Director, I apologize for the interruption but there are only a few facilities still capable of operation. I shall guide you to the Main Operations Command Center.]¡±


    Ingrid¡¯s computerized voice spoke through the still barely functional speaker systems installed throughout the lab. He followed Ingrid¡¯s directions as she told him to go left or right, along the way gazing at the ancient history that was the supreme authority of this entire planet. He asked himself once more, ¡®How could it all have come to an end?¡¯


    He was curious, ¡®this place must¡¯ve been indestructible¡¯. Unbeknownst the small, curious child, the fall of the great Sovereign came from within. Yet knowing this would not have alleviated the boy from the sadness he felt as he walked through the nostalgic halls of a place he¡¯s never seen. Tears silently ran down himself, not even Morgant himself realized this.


    ¡­


    It took over ten minutes to reach the Main Operations Command Center; a large domed structure whose walls were more cable and technology than they were rubble. Yet despite its grandiose appearance, it too was no exception to the great decay of nature. Some of the walls caved in to reveal the outside light and even a bit of nature¡¯s greenery had eaten through the innards of Gladsheim¡¯s brain.


    Some of the lights were not even in functioning order but Morgant didn¡¯t mind it and continued on. He walked into the deepest depth of the brain of this entire facility. A large holographic monitor was displayed, not requiring any physical screen it was saved from the elements. Ingrid had turned it on prior to his arrival to show him a small video that was saved specifically for him.


    On it was a man, wearing a white coat, a scientist¡¯s lab coat. Yet beneath it was a black businessman¡¯s suit. Was it some sort of fashion choice or was it a physical representation of symbolism? It didn¡¯t really matter, what mattered was the man¡¯s face. Morgant knew him; he had seen him so many times in the past few weeks. His face was obscured by thin, slick, metal framed glasses. His well-toned body leaked from even the double or triple layers of clothing. His hair was combed back to reveal the persona of a very intelligent but ruthless man; a kind of aura that could only be possessed by people who absolutely had a goal they needed to achieve.


    In his dreams, in his migraines, in his every waking moment.


    ¡°[Sovereign.]¡±


    Morgant blurted out the identity of the man on the screen.


    The man on the screen did not answer back. He couldn¡¯t for this wasn¡¯t a meeting but a recording left behind. ¡®Was he a soothsayer too?¡¯ Morgant thought to himself as he watched the recording that was left behind for his eyes only.


    ¡°[Welcome¡­ My successor, if you are viewing this then that means you¡¯ve found out or have come close to finding out the truth about this world. Should that be the case, then I assume that world is quite different to the world that is my ¡®now¡¯. I do not know if my¡­ if our goals would be accomplished, perhaps it may have been a foolish and impossible endeavor from the beginning, but if you have come to me now it must mean that you and I have some kind of connection. Just that alone is enough for me to entrust to you the future of whatever was left of the Old World. I give you to you the full authority of ¡®Sovereign¡¯.]¡±


    Without a single word Morgant stood in the darkness as the only source of light came from the holographic projectors on the ceiling. The dimly lit atmosphere accentuated the contemplative and thoughtful expression on his face as he tried to understand Sovereign¡¯s words. He took a single deep breath as he took in the Old World; he clenched his fists with renewed determination. He hadn¡¯t known what he truly wanted to do in this life, most orphans don¡¯t and even now he still had no clue.


    Yet there was a welling desire from within him; a nostalgic pride trying to burst out as he heard Sovereign¡¯s voice through the speakers. He was told he was sovereign, of course that was not easy to accept, but he did want to understand. About the man that brought the entire word to its knees and acted as a malicious guide towards a secured future.


    A small holographic screen appeared just before his view. Waving his hand around the interface Morgant explored through the options on the saved recordings. There wasn¡¯t just one, but many; hundreds even, all of them addressed to him specifically. However, as much as he wanted to stay here and listen to them all he folded his desire to do so at the current moment. For now his only mission was to take a small gander at the main laboratory of Gladsheim and return to his friends who were still waiting with bated breath top side.


    Out of curiosity Morgant decided to take one last look at the files saved on Gladsheim¡¯s mainframe, though most of them were inaccessible due to the damage on the physical database hardware. However one thing did catch his eye.


    A folder dubbed...


    [Kinesis Enhancement Project]

 Chapter 7 - Advancement of human destiny

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 7 ¨C Advancement of human destiny


    [2079 C.E]


    ¡°If you really needed to call me out all the way to the middle of nowhere you could¡¯ve at least timed it better. Suffice it to say, it was not a pleasant experience getting up at 3AM just to catch a flight half way across the world.¡±


    Moaned an elderly man adorned with the pure white intellectual coat of a scientist. Despite his age he seemed to be in near perfect shape, which was odd considering that he was a man dedicated to his art of science, only doing the bare minimum to maintain his physique.


    ¡°My apologies professor, but I thought you would¡¯ve wanted to be one of the first to see this.¡±


    Replied another man dressed in equally lavishing, white lab coat. He was quite a lot younger but nowhere in his being was in the least inferior to the elderly man. As if on cue, finishing their usual banter greetings their tone of voice and expressions shifted immediately to a more serious one.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t be talking about ¡®that¡¯ could you?¡±


    The elderly man asked as his eyes widened in surprise. Several thoughts were going through his head as to what the younger man was talking about, of which one immediately came to his attention. Trying to confirm his suspicions the younger man returned a wordless but malignantly intended, intellectual smile.


    ¡°Quite so professor, ¡®Test Sample 01¡¯ has been prepped for immediate surgery. All other procedures and precautions have been taken, thus all that¡¯s left for the project to go ahead is our direct presence.¡±


    At this moment the elderly man thought he was looking into the eyes of the devil himself. The younger man was the type of person who was willing to do anything, even going so far as to desecrate the providence of god, if it was for the sake of accomplishing his objectives. However the elderly man couldn¡¯t exactly blame him, after all he was from the same kind of strain.


    A haunting smile etched across the dry mouth of the elderly man; he too felt exhilarated at what was about to take place. Defiling the domain of god and controlling the destiny of humanity through their own strength. Could there be a more poetic expression of human ingenuity?


    ¡°So we¡¯re finally starting it¡­ the Kinesis Enhancement Project.¡±


    The younger man wordlessly nodded.


    ***


    A young woman in her late twenties lay unconscious and stark naked on top of a cold and plain operating table. Her arms and legs bound by advanced heavy metal locks that could never be opened without the operator¡¯s permission. Intense beams of bright light flashed on her face, waking her up only to have her desperately closer her eyes once more from the brightness.


    The light pierced through her eyelids causing her irritation to no end but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it as her limbs were bound. She tried to struggle but she couldn¡¯t break free and in the end she gave up and accepted the painful irritation. She knew where she was and she wasn¡¯t there against her will, in fact she had volunteered to be in this position. However it would be within acceptable parameters for her to struggle from the blinding light.


    Her charcoal black hair had turned amber brown from the pure intensity of the light. The back of her spine aligned with the flat metal table caused even more irritation from how chilled the table was.


    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±


    Several men and women paced around the operating table preparing everything for the surgery she was about to undergo. This wasn¡¯t any sort of operation to cure her of any ailment; if one had to put it that way then it was to cure her of the weakness of humanity. She was here to undergo a procedure to become the next step in human advancement; both a great honor and horror.


    All of the doctors were masked causing their existence to fade into the back of her mind. However there was one figure in the room that had caught her attention to the fullest, a man in a white coat whose perfectly chiseled face was hidden behind thin framed glasses.


    ¡°Sovereign¡­¡±


    She called out the name of the person who overlooked the preparations through his cold and calculating eyes. Perhaps it was some sort of fleeting affection for the man that she was here now volunteering on this absurd operation. Yet she did not hate this feeling, she embraced it; if she could become of any use to him, be it alive or dead, ¡®then so be it¡¯, she thought.


    The arrogant and all-important seeming man walked slowly over to her and gently caressed her face with a tender touch. He whispered into ears to reassure her.


    ¡°You do not have my permission to die yet; you¡¯re of much more use to me alive than you are dead. To me who has such high expectations of you, do not fail me.¡±


    She could feel the sincerity behind his words relish within her very essence. Of course she wasn¡¯t by any means daft; she understood the exact kind of calculative character that this man was. Yet still, through those words she found the strength to continue living and everything that she was, was for the sake of this man alone. His words were selfish but it was through that selfishness that he showed a touch of kindness; he really did not wish for her to die. That alone was enough.


    She would live, to fulfill his design.


    ¡°All signatures normal, environmental conditions are all stable. Director, the project can begin on your command.¡±


    One of the doctors spoke out as she checked out the several high tech and complicated looking machinery that was hooked up to the patient. There were two men in the room that had absolute authority, ¡®Sovereign¡¯ and his closest confidante. They both glanced at each other and gave a firm nod to suggest that they were both ready.


    ¡°Understood doctor, then begin the operation.¡±


    Sovereign gave the command.


    With a soft ringing sound all background noise started to fade away as the anesthetic was introduced into the patient¡¯s body. Her consciousness started to fade away and all that could be felt was the slow embrace of the darkness that could overcome the even the blinding torment od the operating lights.


    ***


    ¡°What do you honestly think is the likelihood of success for this operation?¡±


    The elderly man, Sovereign¡¯s closest confidante asked in a whispered murmur behind the operating table. In his mind he had estimated the success rate to only be hovering around the 45 ~ 46 %, but he knew that often times Sovereign had a different view, thus the question.


    Sovereign smiled maliciously as he answered.


    ¡°Objectively speaking I¡¯m probably with you that it¡¯s around 45 ~ 46 %, however taking into consideration the test subject¡¯s personality¡­ no, the maximum potential of the human will, I¡¯d have to say it¡¯s around 92 ~ 93 %.¡±


    Hearing that absurdly high success rate the elderly man raised his eyebrows with a somewhat minute concern about his sanity. As a man of science they tried their best to take out irrelevant external factors, but here he was, the greatest scientist embracing those irrelevant factors.


    ¡°A- are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Serious? Of course; have I ever been wrong?¡±


    Before the elderly man could even finish his sentence Sovereign had finished it for him. He gave a defeated sigh as he nodded his head, ¡®For the sake of the project, I hope he¡¯s not mistaken,¡¯ he thought to himself as he continued to observe the experiment.


    A few hours into the operation and with it almost being complete the patient started to get violent. Still being unconscious and mechanically restrained she began twitching and convulsing erratically. The doctors who were unable to continue the operation in this manner stepped back for a bit to wait for her to finish.


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    However it never did stop, the patient opened her eyes to see her body covered in blood. Her openings were not sealed yet thus even more blood started to spew, creating a rather horrific imagery of a surgery gone wrong in the operating room. Watching back in disbelief the doctors started to pace back to give room as the patient continued to struggle vigorously to escape from the mechanical clutches.


    ¡°AAHHHHHH!!¡±


    Screamed the patient, as she let out the ghastly wailing of a banshee everything around her started to tremble. The more she struggled the more blood would come out, thus causing her more pain but then she would continue to struggle creating an endless scene of a literal blood bath.


    ¡°Abort! Abort! Abort the surgery!¡±


    It was then something even more miraculous happened. The open surgical wounds on the patient¡¯s body started to heal at a visual pace. All the doctors and even Sovereign¡¯s closest confidante couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. The rate of self-repair was beyond anything physically possible but they couldn¡¯t deny their own visions.


    ¡°W- what¡¯s¡­ what?!¡±


    The elderly man looked towards Sovereign to try to find any clues.


    ¡°Hah¡­ it seems like the operation was a resounding success.¡±


    Sovereign scoffed as his usual cruel smile returned to his face.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The elderly man asked.


    ¡°I took some extra precautions before the surgery began.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Just a little pet project of mine. [Subdermal Nanite Armor] ¨C Nanomachines that imbue the host with several extraordinary abilities. High speed tissue regeneration is one of them. Of course those nanomachines would only come online if the surgery was a success. After all the entire purpose of this project was to push the limit of biotechnological synthesis.¡±


    Sovereign answered the elderly man¡¯s question.


    The elderly man asked back in shock and awe.


    ¡°Then¡­ that means we¡¯ve finally done it? She¡¯s a true [Psychokinetic]?¡±


    Sovereign once again smiled maliciously; with this humanity could take another step in its own destiny.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    However not everyone in the room was sharing the same level of exhilaration as the two top level madmen. The nanomachines in her body combined with her newly awakened psychokinetic powers gave her superhuman strength; enough to destroy the titanium clutches on her limbs and set herself free.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    With her new found freedom she screamed harrowingly as she unleashed a deadly wave of psychokinetic pulse. One that pushed away everything to the walls and even having enough force to destroy very ground in which she stood on. Everyone in the room had at least minor injuries as the stench of blood started filling up the place.


    However Sovereign stood perfectly unhurt with a immovable posture of a formidable foe. This caught the berserking patient¡¯s attention as she slowly made her way over to him. She stared him angrily direly into his eyes for a few seconds before screaming at him once more.


    Sovereign stared her down without even a shred of hesitation or fear in his eyes. As though he was looking down at a while beast and despite being considerably weaker he had the aura of a much larger monster.


    This mellowed the woman¡¯s rage as she lowered her head. She took a deep breath to regain her posture and mental state. It took a bit of time but she was soon able to reclaim dominion over her own corrupted mind and realized what she had just done. She immediately knelt down to Sovereign and tried to apologize but was stopped at the last second by him.


    There was a brief moment of tension even greater than when she was running berserk in the operating room. Everyone had their eyes on Sovereign and wondered what his next actions were going to be.


    He offered a hand to help her up.


    ¡°Good, you pass. Welcome Yui Kirisaki, to the [Upper Echelon]. From this day you will hence be known as¡­ [Nemesis]; the agent of despair for all those who stand in my way.¡±


    ¡°I hear and obey¡­¡±


    ***


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    The [Kinesis Enhancement Project], the name of that file had verily caught the attention of the curious child. Without hesitation or confusion Morgant easily navigated through the computer terminal as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Doing so he managed the open the intriguingly title file to read its contents.


    Unfortunately a lot of the contents of the file were corrupted and thus unable to be loaded correctly due to the aforementioned damage to the physical database server. From what he had manage to make out through the corrupted keys of the file this ¡®project¡¯ was to be the next grand step in Sovereign¡¯s design for old humanity.


    ¡°[¡­ To bypass human limitations through the employment of ¡®Psychokinetic Augmentation¡¯¡­ testing phase 3; use in conjunction with the Mk 7 Gigandoll Power Frame¡­]¡±


    Morgant started to mumble the words he could read through the article. Though most of it had been obscured he was able to get a mostly clear understanding of what it was trying to say. That being said, he had only minute knowledge from the old world and thus some words could not be properly understood. ¡®Psychokinetic Augmentation¡¯ was one of them. However there was one thing that happened to him recently that could be used to gain some insight.


    It was during when he and Ren were trying to construct the right arm of the power frame. After its completion a voice had spoken directly into his head, ¡®[Gigandoll Power Frame Mark VII, online. Error, Missing core component].¡¯ It had told him that there was a missing ¡®core component¡¯ and there was definitely a possibility that the ¡®core component¡¯ was this ¡®Psychokinetic Augmentation¡¯.


    Of course there was no real basis for this other than that one time evidence, but Morgant had felt that his speculation wasn¡¯t wrong. He turned to look at his own hands, they weren¡¯t the same hands that had the capability of creating something of this level, but somewhere deep inside was that power.


    ¡°[Psychokinesis¡­ If I had that ability then I could get stronger¡­]¡±


    Morgant whispered contemplatively, but ¡®for what purpose do I need power?¡¯ he asked himself. He never truly had any lifelong goals he wanted to accomplish that would require vast amounts of power. Even if he was ¡®Sovereign¡¯ in a different life, that was just it; it was a different life, right now he was ¡®Morgant¡¯.


    ¡°[Ingrid would it be too far into the realm of fiction for me to obtain such an ability?]¡±


    Morgant asked, remembering that he had someone who could give him some answers. It took a while for Ingrid to answer him, as he waited he could hear the subtle workings of mechanical processors in the background. She was trying desperately to access her database in order answer Morgant¡¯s questions.


    ¡°[My apologies for the wait, Director. To answer your question; it is entirely possible. Would you like to partake in the operation?]¡±


    Morgant flashed a smirk. He didn¡¯t need power, he just wanted it.

 Chapter 8 - Endgame

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 8 ¨C Endgame


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Morgant stared quietly at the contents of the folder for solid few seconds before snapping himself back to reality. He took a deep breath to regulate his exhilarated heart; contemplating how his life would change once he chose to walk the path of the ancient humans. The ¡®Kinesis Enhancement Project¡­ Sovereign¡¯s next step in human evolution,¡¯ a plan that should have long died out and buried beneath the sands of time. Yet here he stood, a young boy trying to uncover what was once greatest lost secret of ancient man.


    A power created for the sole purpose of taking control over humanity¡¯s own destiny. Ancient humans were weak, no, it wasn¡¯t just the ancient humans but even now they were weak. Every day the elements of nature would take hundreds of lives; they had to live at the mercy of their world and their own limitations. Thus to rise above the rules of nature, to rewrite the entire chain, Sovereign created this power, yet¡­


    ¡°[The power of Ancient humans, ¡®Psychokinesis¡¯ was usurped by nature.]¡±


    As if she had read his train of thoughts Ingrid had interrupted him. ¡®What did she say?¡¯ Morgant tried to quickly retrace her words.


    ¡°[Usurped by nature? What do you mean by that?]¡±


    ¡°[The product of this world, ¡®Magic¡¯, surely this phenomenon too would have its origins somewhere. The desperate power of ancient humans, without a host it was warped by nature and took on a different form.]¡±


    Morgant was a quick witted boy; he instantly understood what Ingrid was trying to say. His eyes widened as he took a look at his own hands, the hands of this world. ¡®The origins of magic¡­¡¯ now that he thought about it, if such power existed in the old world then there wouldn¡¯t have been any point in creating psychokinesis. At the very least, what he understood through his vision was that there was no such thing. ¡®Then when and where did it first originate?¡¯


    ¡°[It can¡¯t be¡­ but magic has existed since time immemorial!]¡±


    Why was he so angry at this small and insignificant revelation? Morgant himself could not accurately answer this question, perhaps it was because magic caused great strife in this world and he felt tangentially responsible as Sovereign¡¯s reincarnation.


    Or perhaps it was because what Sovereign had once painstakingly created was stolen and bastardized by this world. Twisting and turning the dimensions into a form no longer recognizable even to its original creator. That too was an understandable rage; if an enemy took your weapon and made it their own, it would be no less of an exaggeration to call the ensuing emotion as ¡®mortifying¡¯.


    ¡°[Psychokinesis is a power created specifically to enhance biotechnological synthesis. However even after the old world was lost the power continued to exist. Without the complementary conduit of technology the remains of that power was stolen and adapted by nature; Magic. This is also why fictitious creatures of myth have been spun into reality; through psychokinetic hyper evolution even minute animals were imbued with more power and mutated into law defying beings. Elves, demons, dragons and so on, they are all the result of psychokinetic hyper evolution.]¡±


    Ingrid explained, for a computer it seemed as though she felt actual disgust and contempt at what nature had done to her creator¡¯s work. Or perhaps it was the through untold ages she had to herself that she developed these personalities and formed her own opinion.


    ¡°[So then everyone already has psychokinetic enhancement within them? Then there is no point in me partaking in that potentially life-threatening surgery; I¡¯m a resident of this world also. I too should have the ability to channel magic.]¡±


    Morgant responded, for some reason feeling more and more desperate as he learnt about the two worlds.


    ¡°[That is incorrect, magic and psychokinesis may have had the same point of original but they have divulged too far apart and now can be seen as two completely different powers. As you already know, the purpose of psychokinesis was to augment technology, not to replace it as magic has.]¡±


    Morgant lifted his head and stared numbingly towards the blackened abyss that was the sky of the ancient city of Gladsheim. He could feel the pride of his former self seeping into his mind, slowly but surely corrupting him. Or rather it was himself that was amplifying the ideologies of Sovereign within him; as an orphan, even when surrounded by allies and friends he often felt lonely. A quiet approaching fear that one day everything he ever loved will leave  him, thus he felt a liberating satisfaction as he stood amidst the apparitions of the old world.


    To Morgant there was no greater feeling than knowing that he was once part of an incomprehensibly large and dominative entity. He didn¡¯t need to feel alone because what now had his back was not merely ¡®friends¡¯ or ¡®allies¡¯ but the entirety of an ancient power. As he understood these a quiet but arrogant smirk etched across his face.


    ¡°[Truly he could be called ¡®Sovereign¡¯. ¡®Evolution is merely adaptation to better suit the environment, but ¡®Technology¡¯ is mastery over those very elements. Because Psychokinesis was created with a specific purpose in mind, when it was developed into magic it turned into a concept that contradicted its core thesis.]¡±


    Morgant grinned, ¡®yes¡¯ he thought as he nodded to Ingrid¡¯s exposition. A strange and overwhelming surge of emotions rushed throughout his body as he heard those words. The old world of [Earth] was no more and the world he was left with was this one; the new world, [Eternis]. This world was a horrific world where magic wielding lunatics run rampant and distort the world to their liking; ¡®savages¡¯ that do not understand the very origins of their own gift.


    In all honesty it was the first time that Morgant had felt this harshly about magic. It could be that the mere act of standing in the sanctum of the old world was reinvigorating the spirit of Sovereign within him. It rapidly consumed him with both pride and anguish yet it was not a feeling that at all hated. In fact the pride of his old world flared brightly from within as he decided to follow the impossible steps left behind by his former self,  by ¡®Sovereign¡¯.


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    He felt a powerful accord with his ideology.


    ¡°[To place the destiny of humanity in our own hands¡­ I see, Ingrid, I¡¯ve decided I¡¯ll partake in that operation.]¡±


    ¡°[Of course Director, then I shall commence with the preparations for the surgery. In the meantime director, there is one other place that you might want to visit before we begin.]¡±


    ¡°[And that place is?]¡±


    ¡°[It is merely a storage room, however in it is still one fully functional Mk7 Gigandoll Power Frame. As you¡¯ve heard countless times, our power was constructed to facilitate the synthesis between man and machine; as such that Power Frame will become an indispensible tool for your augmentation.]¡±


    It didn¡¯t even take a moment for Morgant to answer.


    ¡°[On my way.]¡±


    Guided by Ingrid¡¯s navigation he then left for the storage room.


    ¡­


    Upon opening the doors to the large storage facility, ancient dust flew out from the inside as the cogs of time started to move once more. With the Sleeping marvel of Sovereign¡¯s inventory disturbed it was unfortunate that Morgant could not witness its full splendor. Almost everything inside had decayed to time to a point where not even its former glory could be understood.


    Morgant walked through the halls of the storage room filled with a mass of unidentified mess. He wanted to ask about what each of these objects did and how they were created but doing so would sap too much time thus he conceded. Perhaps another day he could come back and ask those questions, for now he was here only for a single purpose.


    Making his way to the end of the hallway, encased in glass was a pristine, fully intact set of the Mk7 Gigandoll Power Frame. As Alice had pointed out beforehand the completed set looked a lot like a human skeleton, but once he thought about it the reason was probably because of the surgery he was about to undertake. Most likely the suit will be infused with him, no longer being an ¡®exoskeleton¡¯ and formally becoming his ¡®endoskeleton¡¯.


    ¡°[Ingrid, is this it?]¡±


    He asked just to make sure he was looking at the right thing.


    ¡°[Yes director. Please wear the Power Frame and make your way to the surgery room.]¡±


    Ingrid confirmed.


    Without hesitation Morgant pressed a small red button on the side that lifted the glass shielding that prevented his union with the Power Frame. A subtle white gas was released as a result but Morgant paid no mind to it. He then looked at the partially completed Power Frame arm on his right shoulder and touched for a bit.


    ¡°I guess I can save it.¡±


    Morgant spoke to himself as he took it off and gently placed it back on the floor. It was now useless to him but it was a reminder of what he could accomplish with his friends.


    He then stepped into the completed Power Frame set and placed the partially constructed right arm into the pod as a replacement. Though the Power Frame was supposed to be at least a ton or so he felt nothing as he walked with even greater stride towards the surgery room. His body felt weightless as a feather, he could feel the power of ancient humans at his fingertips; the sheer destructive force that he could no unleash was almost thought provokingly dangerous.


    As he was about to exit one more thing came to his attention. Just outside the corner of his eyes was a cylindrical tank filled with translucent orange fluid. Stopping in his tracks he walked over to gaze at what was inside. As he drew closer he spotted several black insects swimming inside, though they seemed neither alive nor truly dead. As though they were in a comatose state they simply continued to ¡®exist¡¯ within the translucent fluid which had been their entire world.


    Placing his hands on the glass he asked Ingrid.


    ¡°[Is this also part of Sovereign¡¯s work?]¡±


    ¡°[You are correct in that assumption, Director. [Specimen 6623A9B4] A living computer virus that is capable of rewriting an entire person¡¯s DNA, effectively changing them from the very core. That being said this project was left unfinished due to economic and technological constraints. At its current form the most the specimen is able to do is render a person into a drone.]¡±


    ¡°[Isn¡¯t that still completely amazing? To turn someone into a mindless puppet, just how many people would kill for the chance of such ability?]¡±


    ¡°[As is everything in Gladsheim, you are free to take them as you wish. However I suggest doing so after the surgery.]¡±


    Morgant stared back at the small bug that seemed to stare right back at him with its bulging red eye. ¡®To change them from the very core¡­ huh,¡¯ Morgant could only imagine how terrifying that prospect would be. ¡®Sovereign¡­¡¯


    ¡°A God or a Monster¡­ I wonder which category you¡¯d fit better into.¡±


    Morgant asked rhetorically to himself as he took his hands off the cylindrical tank.


    ¡­


    Lying naked with his back against the cold metallic table, Morgant looked up towards the blinding white light. Naked as the day he was born, with the faint scent of disinfectants in the air he closed his eyes as anesthetic was quickly introduced to his system. With his fading vision he could hear the voice of an older man playing the background. At once he understood that this was Sovereign¡¯s voice; a recording left behind only to play when this specific situation came to pass.


    ¡°[It appears that I haven¡¯t erred in my judgment when I made all of these recordings. You, my successor, have made the correct choice; by undergoing this operation you will be reborn with the full capacity of our epoch. Though I will never get to know what kind of world you live in, I do sincerely hope that this power is enough to help you accomplish your goals¡­ as it has¡­ as I hope it has with my own.]¡±


    With those fleeting words Morgant¡¯s world shifted from the bright flare to an all encompassing darkness. Much like the interior of a womb, all he could feel were the coursing life of the old world. Accepting the mantle of the old world he himself no stands to be reborn through its technology. It no longer matter that ¡®Morgant¡¯ was an orphan, the identity of his parents or why he was abandoned, because now he had a new origin.


    He was reborn as the Sovereign of Eternis.

 Chapter 9 - Testing the waters

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 9 ¨C Testing the waters


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Morgant? Morgant~ Hello Morgant?! No good, he¡¯s off staring into space again. I bet something really did happen back at the dungeon, just he won¡¯t tell us anything about it. That cheapskate!¡±


    Alice commented with a disgruntled expression, fluttering her hands wildly in front of Morgant¡¯s face trying to attract his attention only to end in futility. A few days had passed since the children had returned from their midnight expedition into the dungeon [Ingrid¡¯s Tomb]. Since Morgant had taken too much time with his ¡®exploration¡¯ into the depths of the dungeon morning had come by the time he finally resurfaced. Due to this the orphanage had gone into high distress mode as now four children had gone missing suddenly in the night and a massive search effort was conducted.


    After a great amount of effort they had been found idling around in the deepest part of the novice dungeon. Miko and Diana were the first to locate them and had swiftly reprimanded them after thanking the heavens that they were safe. As a result the four children were now temporarily forbidden from venturing out of the orphanage.


    With nothing much to do after classes the four children gathered around their room talking amongst themselves while playing with simple cards.


    ¡°Well, if Morgant is refusing to tell us anything it¡¯s probably for our own good.¡±


    Ren replied as he picked through his card and placed it on the pile in front of him.


    ¡°Yeah but¡­ Uuuu! I want to know! What it was that he saw! Tell us already Morgant! We¡¯re dying to know!¡±


    Alice placed her cards in her hands to the side and started to shake Morgant violently. With the ensuing shock bringing him back to reality from his dazed state. He threw up his hands in a conceding pose and answered with a soothing smile.


    ¡°Sorry Alice, even if I wanted to tell you I don¡¯t really understand it all myself. There wasn¡¯t much down there except for a few skeletons and an odd looking tomb.¡±


    Morgant made up a reasonable answer and replied. However the given answer wasn¡¯t satisfactory to her as she pried for more information whilst digging her face closer to his. She looked with a inquisitive stare as she asked.


    ¡°Are you sure¡­? Then how come it took you hours just returning if that was all there was down there?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it was a wide area with several hundreds of tombstones, just what you¡¯d expect from a place called [Ingrid¡¯s Tomb] after all. I was just curious so I looked around and by the time I had realized it hours had already passed.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~¡±


    Still unconvinced from his answer Alice involuntarily made a dissatisfied hum, however exhausting all avenues of questioning she was put to a stalemate.


    ¡°Alice, let¡¯s leave it at that. I¡¯m sure being surrounded by all those tombs was quite disturbing for him. I wouldn¡¯t want to remember such a creepy place either.¡±


    Celina came to Morgant¡¯s aide as she interjected to Alice¡¯s intense questioning. Alice perked her mouth up as she still wanted to know more but she conceded for now that it was true that even she didn¡¯t want to remember such a creepy place. With her interests slowly dwindling down the four children continued to play throughout their temporarily punishment.


    Looking back at the children in front of him Morgant could only express a calm smile. If there was one thing in this world that he truly appreciated it was the tranquil calm of such moments he spent with his friends. Throughout all of the violence and rampant destruction this world was capable of, this one moment was his solace. That being said, everything had changed since the day he returned from Gladsheim.


    The first change came in the form of hallucinogenic text boxes that only he could see. They had various titles such as [Inventory], [Analysis] or [Status]. He looked to his own hands that were now infused with the power of psychokinetic augmentation as well as the Mk7 Gigandoll Power Frame. They had both synthesized straight into his body and from the onlooker¡¯s point of view he was nothing but a normal child. Alas they couldn¡¯t be terribly far from the truth as his destructive capabilities far outweighed anyone in the orphanage.


    However just how far his powers extended was a mystery even to Morgant as he never partook in direct combat with them. He could only wait until such a time where he could test them truly came. For now there were other, much more vague avenues of finding out the answer, such as the [Status] menu that he could conjure up at will.


    Wanting to see it again Morgant had pulled up his own [Status].


    Morgant Fallon [Title: Sovereign]


    Age	 - 7


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 983 (Very High)


    Affinity - Composite Psychokinesis


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    Reading through the information about himself on the holographic text box several questions entered his head. The first was about the obvious addition of ¡®Fallon¡¯ to his name. For most of his life he had lived simply with his given name of ¡®Morgant¡¯ as only nobility truly had surnames. As an orphan he never even considered the possibility that he could have originated from a noble house, because if that was truly the case then even more questions would ensue. The surrounding circumstance of his abandonment was one that could not be ignored if he considered that possibility.


    For now he had decided to suppress the urge to dive deeper and find out. Right now he wanted to know more about the Old World rather than his origins in this world. Thus he moved onto the second thing that had attracted his attention, which was the concept of a ¡®threat level¡¯, which was further piqued by the addition of the description ¡®(Very High)¡¯. Yet with no real point of reference as to how high or low those numbers could reach they were meaningless by themselves.


    He was under the assumption those values were in relation to his current level of capability. Meaning that if he somehow found himself fighting himself it was most likely going to be an extremely tough struggle.


    Just for the sake of it Morgant tried using the [Analysis] text box on the other children. As expected several similar boxes appeared before him with minute information about them as well.


    Ren [Title: N/A]


    Age	 - 7


    Race - Elf


    Threat Level - 13 (Very Low)


    Affinity - Ice Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    Alice [Title: N/A]


    Age	 - 7


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 11 (Very Low)


    Affinity	- Fire Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    Celina [Title: N/A]


    Age	 - 7


    Race - Lamia


    Threat Level - 9 (Very Low)


    Affinity	- Light Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    Due to the extremely large disparity between their threat values it wasn¡¯t exactly too much of a help for Morgant. At the very least he had already instinctively understood that mere children wouldn¡¯t be too much of a threat in the first place. As if on cue another person had entered their little play session, the caretaker of the orphanage Diana.


    She crouched down to meet the children on eye level and explained with a pure smile.


    ¡°Hello, Alice, Ren, Morgant and Celina, I hope you¡¯ve all been properly behaving yourselves. I know it must be tiring to be cooped up in here all day so I¡¯ve talked it over with Miko a bit. We¡¯ve decided to give you a chance to run around within the perimeters of the compound a bit later today. What do you say?¡±


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    The three children were ecstatic about the news and nodded in agreement. All the while Morgant was observing the situation from behind. An adult would undoubtedly give a better reading than a child¡¯s, however there was one problem with the selected test subject.


    Morgant hadn¡¯t exactly known Diana as a fighter thus he didn¡¯t expect too much when it came to her prowess. Nonetheless he used [Analysis] on her just in case. As he concentrated his mind a small holographic text box that only he could see had popped up right in front of his eyes. The information that was displayed was minute but even such small amounts could become fatal in the wrong hands.


    With that in mind Morgant proceeded to read her results.


    Diana [Title: Priestess of Harmony]


    Age	 - 27


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 174 (Low)


    Affinity - Light Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    Those numbers were certainly higher than that of children however with only a sample size of one Morgant couldn¡¯t exactly jump to conclusions. He decided to take Miko¡¯s readings later as well just as a comparison but still kept in mind that he needed a large amount of readings to make sure. With him being forbidden to leave the orphanage it would be a while before he could get the actual results of his research.


    Like this Morgant spent his day pondering the possibilities of his power and gauging them to known people.


    ¡­


    A few more days had come to pass and Morgant and Celina found themselves in the classroom listening to Diana¡¯s lectures on basic arithmetic. Having seen the glimpses of the old world and becoming host to their ancient power Morgant¡¯s knowledge base had widened exponentially. Basic arithmetic and other such technical tasks had become trivial knowledge to him.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ummm¡­¡±


    However next to him a certain pinked haired snake girl was having troubles counting numbers higher than her own fingers. With a perplexed expression she furrowed her brows trying to figure out the answer to the question in front of her. With an almost pleading look she turned to Morgant and asked for assistance.


    Unable to turn down her large puppy dog eyes he returned a defeated smile and helped her.


    ¡°Hmm? 5 + 9? If you¡¯re having troubles counting higher than five then let¡¯s split the 9 into 5 and 4. That way we can change the question to 5 + 5 + 4. Does that make it easier Celina?¡±


    After explaining it to her in such a manner her expression instantly lit up with an ¡®Oh!¡¯ She quickly thanked Morgant and proceeded to recount the question with her hand.


    ¡°Um¡­ 5 and 5¡­ equals¡­ Oh I get it, the answer is 14! How is it Morgant? Am I right?¡±


    Celina asked with a lightened face. Meeting with the anticipated gaze Morgant couldn¡¯t resist patting her on the head as he told her that she was indeed ¡®correct¡¯. As they were working Diana casually passed by and smiled when she saw them adorably solving the question. She found that she couldn¡¯t interrupt them, especially Celina who had such a look of happiness on her face.


    Though there was a knock on the door which did interrupt their lessons. Miko stood from the hallways with a slightly worried look to her face as she called out Diana for a small discussion. Eventually Diana came back to instruct the class to continue working on their arithmetic problems as she stepped out for a little bit for business. Curious as to what she meant by that Morgant too temporarily left his seat telling Celina that he¡¯ll ¡®be right back¡¯.


    [Stealth Field], an ability he had gained after undertaking the Psychokinetic Augmentation. Though it wasn¡¯t exactly an ability that made him completely invisible to others it did manage to conceal his movements by eliminating secondary noise. Even for Miko who was part of the Beast-kin race that was said to have exceptional senses wasn¡¯t able to detect Morgant that was closely following them from behind.


    He eventually followed them as they entered the meeting room. Morgant of course stayed outside but decided to eavesdrop from just beyond the door.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly sure who they were meeting with but the voice of the guest appeared to belong to someone of a relatively young age. Perhaps late twenties or early thirties, at least that is what Morgant had assumed.


    ¡°Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.¡±


    The foreign voice spoke out as they stared their discussion.


    ¡°Not at all, though if mister Enrich has come all the way here, then that means they¡¯ve started to move, haven¡¯t they? The [Crimson Knights] that is.¡±


    It was Diana who spoke with a nervous tone. ¡®Crimson Knights¡¯ was not a term that Morgant had any idea of, at the very least in his minute knowledge of the current world and his understanding of the Old World, such a term did not exist. Most likely they were a reference to this world since both Diana and Miko knew about them. Also judging from their tone of voice it was unlikely to be a good thing either, though that came with both pros and cons.


    A possible confrontation meant that Morgant could further test out his abilities with the excuse of self defense. Though at the same time he would¡¯ve also liked to keep his powers confidential until he could confidently say that there wasn¡¯t too much danger in exposing them to the public. He had decided to withhold his judgment on this mysterious group until after he had personally met with them.


    ¡°Unfortunately so, there have been sightings of a few of their scouts and Lord Astaroth wishes for this place to take special care. Though I know not the reason why she is so interested in this place in particular it doesn¡¯t hurt to prepare yourselves.¡±


    The foreign voice continued.


    ¡®Lord Astaroth¡¯? Morgant thought back to where he had heard that name before. After a few moments of deep pondering he remembered that it was during when he had his expedition into [Ingrid¡¯s Tomb]. The small girl introduced herself as ¡®Astaroth De Signa¡¯ the ¡®Demon Lord¡¯. Though he still felt a little skeptical, with what he had just heard a little more consideration could be given to that self proclaimed title of hers.


    ¡°Yes of course, thank you for warning us. I do hope that nothing terrible comes out of all of this but just in case we will prepare what is necessary.¡±


    Diana replied.


    ¡°You have my gratitude. Oh and before I leave there was one other message from Lord Astaroth: ¡®Beware of the forest of howling wolves¡¯. Unfortunately I do not exactly understand what she meant by that but with her powers of precognition she must have seen some meaning to tell those words.¡±


    It was merely a hunch but somehow Morgant felt as though that specific message was intended for him. ¡®Precognition¡­ did she see through all of this?¡¯ If she truly were capable of seeing into the future it could be that this was one of her ways of preparing for some future event.


    ¡®Forest of howling wolves¡¯ were most likely a reference to the forest at night. There was indeed a small patch of forests just on the outskirts of the city, and something was bound to happen there. Again there was no basis for any of this but Morgant felt as though it was an invitation for him.


    ¡®Then I¡¯ll accept that invitation, Astaroth¡­¡¯.

 Chapter 10 - Blue period

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 10 ¨C Blue period


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut through the forest, it¡¯ll be much quicker that way.¡±


    One farmer said to another. It was an understandable suggestion as the two farmers were struggling to pull their heavy cargo along for too long. At the rate they were going they wouldn¡¯t reach their destination before sunrise but if they cut through the forest they could just barely make it before evening.


    The other farmer thought for a second.


    ¡°Hmm, but isn¡¯t that a bit dangerous? I mean, monsters live in that forest and with our cargo we¡¯d be at a disadvantage if we¡¯re attacked.¡±


    The other farmer interjected but his arguments were a little weak. This was because on the demon continent of [Vertloch] monster attacks were practically non-existent. The last time they ever even heard of one was decades ago. Suffice it to say, with the majority of the population, even farmers, were demons such stories never tended to arise.


    The first farmer scoffed at his friend¡¯s worries as he countered.


    ¡°Pfft, quit your whining. We¡¯re going through the forest, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°Fine, but only because I want to be done with this delivery.¡±


    However that was the first mistake made by these two farmers as they would soon find out. Two people would enter the forests but only one would leave with their life barely intact. Yet that was still not the end of the story, several more cases of random monster attacks on the outskirts of town were reported. With several reports starting to come in day by day the entire city of [Vertloch Snowdown], Morgant¡¯s hometown, decided to have an emergency meeting.


    ¡­


    On a rare occasion Morgant sat by idly in his room. In a contemplative daze he stared out through the window of his room to the white abyss of the world outside. Their city was known as [Vertloch Snowdown] a place perpetually covered in snow. The never changing purity of this city¡¯s climate gave to it a mysterious and tranquil atmosphere.


    The thought of going to the forest to meet with Astaroth had crossed his mind but he decided to put it off. If Astaroth truly had the abilities of precognition then she would see when Morgant would go and match that day. Thus there was no real reason to rush, plus he needed some time to think.


    Staring out to the serene scene Morgant took the opportunity to rethink and readjust to everything that had happened in the past couple of days. Once more he stared down onto his small hands as he thought to himself, ¡®Psychokinesis, the power of ancient man¡­ it just doesn¡¯t feel real¡¯. With a heavy sigh he stood up from his bed and walked over to the windowsill and opened it slightly.


    A cool breeze of snowy air came rushing past his face.


    ¡°Sovereign¡­ if you were here now what would you think of this world? A world with monsters and strife¡­ Would you scoff at the mindless entities of this world that struggle through their daily lives? Would you be disappointed at how everything you¡¯ve worked for has been bastardized? Or¡­ perhaps you¡¯d be angered because nothing you¡¯ve set out to achieve has been successful?¡±


    Morgant laughed wryly at himself as he asked the non-existent apparition. The truth was that Morgant was lost on what he had wanted to do now. Before all of this had happened he thought he would be like the other children; he thought he would graduate from the orphanage and follow a profession or trade and live peacefully in this city for the rest of his days.


    Yet since he had discovered the truth of this world he felt as though he now had an obligation to fulfill. However as to what exactly those ¡®obligations¡¯ were, even Morgant himself didn¡¯t know. In the recordings Sovereign had wished Morgant success in whatever endeavors he was pursuing but no such thing existed now.


    Whilst Morgant was thinking to himself his ears twitched to the sounds of his door creaking open. A certain silver haired woman in thick brown clothing walked over to him and sat by his bed with a slightly worried expression. Her silver ears hiked up as she waited for him to say something.


    ¡°Miko? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Morgant asked as she looked back at him with a small and uncertain frown.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you. You¡¯ve been cooped up in this room since morning and your friends are getting worried because of that.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ you can tell them not to worry. I just need some time to think to myself, is all.¡±


    Miko sighed at his response and after a brief moment of silence Miko asked straight out.


    ¡°Hey¡­ something did happen back in that dungeon didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hearing her question Morgant gave a bemused chuckle as he tried to answer in the vaguest possible manner. There was no way he would be telling her the full truth, not even the minute truth. He knew that Miko was the kind of person that would give the children room to think to themselves and not ask too many questions. Of course she would still be there if the children ever needed help; that distance and confidence she placed into those children were Miko¡¯s form of kindness.


    It was this facet of her personality that Morgant took advantage of to not answer her question.


    ¡°I wonder¡­? Being invited by an ancient apparition to the grand city of the lost ghosts; I don¡¯t think the question is ¡®if¡¯ anything had happened, rather ¡®what¡¯ had happened. Yet regardless, no matter how many times anyone asks I will simply reply with a smile and tell them that ¡®nothing much¡¯ happened down there.¡±


    By describing the situation Morgant took away Miko¡¯s ability to further question him. She could only respond with a perplexed and worried expression as she didn¡¯t exactly know how to deal him. In fact it wasn¡¯t just now but with this boy named ¡®Morgant¡¯ had always been a great enigma to both her and Diana.


    His expressions were hard to read and often times it felt like he¡¯d be the one seeing into their deepest thoughts. He was much smarter, cunning and illusive than the other children and barely even acted appropriately for his age. This problem was compounded even more ever since he ventured into the deepest part of the dungeon several days ago. Keeping everything to himself, yet also maintaining a social distance that made it extremely difficult to determine if there really was anything truly wrong with him.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Miko tried to say something but gave up half way. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to deal with him but simply that she didn¡¯t know how. Seeing the perplexed expression on her face Morgant let out another chuckle. He also took this time to closely [analyze] Miko¡¯s status.


    Miko [Title: Banished Fox]


    Age - 27


    Race - Therianthrope (Fox)


    Threat Level - 223 (Low)


    Affinity	 - Lightning Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    As expected she was a little higher than Diana in terms of threat values, but that¡¯s to be expected as Miko was a fighter. She was the one that taught the children self defense and other such related fields.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡±


    Miko asked.


    ¡°No reason, I just thought you looked cute sitting on that small bed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of your elders. Anyway if you have nothing else to do for the day then come with me.¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°The shopping district, we need to stock back up on supplies and I need a little bit of help carrying stuff.¡±


    Once more Morgant couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


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    ¡°I understand then please wait for me as I get dressed in the proper attire.¡±


    Miko gave a swift nod and exited the room. After making sure that she was outside of hearing distance Morgant pulled up another holographic text box in his mind. This time the title had read [Inventory] and underneath it was a list of items that were somehow stored away. He had asked Ingrid about this before and she had explained it as more of a ¡®matter transference¡¯ technique.


    The ¡®information¡¯ and ¡®matter¡¯ of the object would be digitized and stored away into a ¡®cloud storage system''. To recall the stored item Morgant had to input a specific command, that being the item¡¯s code or name followed by the command ¡®Matter Reconstruction¡¯. The item would then be recreated using the digitized code and matter.


    As a test run Morgant had previously stashed away some of his clothing just to see if it would accept it. For the most part only items from the Old World had ¡®item codes¡¯ thus all he had to call out was the item¡¯s name.


    ¡°[Jacket and muffler, Matter Reconstruction].¡±


    What Morgant was doing was interfacing with the cloud storage system through his augmentation, thus he only needed to speak out the command with his specific voice. It was also possible to take out these items without verbally chanting those commands but that method had to be done by telepathically interfacing with the cloud storage system and thus took far more concentration. Overall simply speaking out the command was much simpler, of course there would be times when not doing so could be advantageous.


    As he had expected his favorite jacket and muffler had instantly materialized into his hands. After feeling around with it just to make sure nothing was wrong with it he put it on and visually there was also nothing out of place by it.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He hummed and nodded to himself as he looked into this own reflection in the mirror. Dressing himself up appropriately he came down the stairs to see Miko waiting for him while surrounded by his friends. As they saw him coming down they waved to him with a smile on their faces.


    ¡°Morgant! Quickly!¡±


    Alice shouted with a happy expression.


    ¡®She tricked me,¡¯ Morgant thought to himself as he responded with a calm smile and waved back. Having felt his accusing glare Miko slightly shifted her gaze while pretending that she didn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°Umm, are you okay now Morgant?¡±


    Celina asked in a worried tone, her hands clasped together as though she were praying for his swift recovery. Seeing her like this Morgant couldn¡¯t find it in him to be displeased by the situation and decided to forgive Miko. Thinking back on it he felt that he was also out of it for locking himself in his room and making his friends worry like this.


    Only Ren had a smug look to him as if to suggest he knew that everything would turn out fine.


    ¡°Are we going or what?¡±


    Ren asked Miko.


    ¡°Alright then make sure to follow closely so you don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already been quite well acquainted with the layout of the city Miko. There¡¯s really no chance that we¡¯d get lost anywhere here, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Ren responded with a dismissive voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s just in case, you little brat.¡±


    Miko answered in her defense.


    ¡­


    Though covered in snow the city was bustling with business as usual. Various vendors and stalls were set up in the middle of town and were loud advertising their goods and services. Just beyond the town¡¯s square and vendors were the real market districts that had their own buildings. Those buildings consisted of item shops, blacksmiths, armorsmiths, grocery stores, restaurants, etc.


    Going just beyond that was the port and docks where many fresh goods were being unloaded off the boats at the pier. Several different races were hard at work transporting large, heavy looking crates. Those races consisted of [Dwarves], [Titans], some [Humans] and also [Elves]. With a marvelous cavalcade of races working in conjunction the city truly shined despite being a pure white desert.


    Since the snow would cause obvious problems within market districts and the town square a large open dome was erected. Thus the town square was fairly dry and easy to navigate through. It was there that Morgant and his companions were doing the grocery shopping for the orphanage.


    As they passed by several shop keepers called out to them, throwing them fresh fruits and vegetables for free. Everyone in the city knew the orphanage and understood of the struggles those poor children were going them. Thus oftentimes the citizens would donate some of their stocks to help them out even in minute quantities. Of course the most famous of the orphanage¡¯s children was their poster child, Alice who, along with her bright smile, brought cheer to everyone as she passed by with hyperactive spirits.


    ¡°So, are you really feeling okay?¡±


    Following the girls from a distance Ren turned to ask Morgant in a subtle voice. Though he didn¡¯t say it before, now that they had some time to themselves he asked.


    Morgant gave a small chuck in return and answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I really just needed some time to think. About myself and what I want to do in the future.¡±


    Hearing this Ren became silent for a brief moment. He hadn¡¯t thought about it all that much, about what he would do after graduating from the orphanage. He had always thought that he would be together with his friends in the city as they took on various professions. However after seeing Morgant¡¯s expression he thought that maybe nothing was as simple as how he wished things to be.


    They were all orphans so shouldn¡¯t they at least stick together? Or so he had thought until now.


    ¡°I see¡­ so, um, did you come up with an answer?¡±


    He asked nervously, but Morgant shook his head.


    ¡°No, but I¡¯m sure I will soon, I have to.¡±


    ¡°What do you-¡±


    Just as he was about to ask a large commotion started in the middle of the shopping districting. A man tattered in bruises and cut slowly made his way through the crowd of people as he trailed blood behind him. Some people screamed at horror as they saw his state and some tried to help him with various healing magic.


    The children and Miko too went to see what all of the commotion was about.


    ¡°Are you alright, guy?¡±


    One of the bystanders asked.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Another asked.


    The man tattered in bruises and cuts responded with hoarse voice. With clear exhaustion in his eyes he cried a little.


    ¡°It¡­ it¡­ it attacked!¡±


    He shouted and as he did many people stared to whisper amongst themselves, speculating as to what ¡®it¡¯ could be.


    ¡°Quiet people! Let the man talk!¡±


    One of the healers tending to the man shouted.


    ¡°Now, calm down and tell us. What exactly attacked you?¡±


    The man swallowed and heavily breathed in a few times.


    ¡°G- goblin¡­¡±


    At the answer everyone started to get confused. Goblins especially weren¡¯t really all that known for their strength and their intelligence was even less. They all started to make wild speculations as to what it really was since they couldn¡¯t just accept ¡®goblins¡¯ as the answer. However the man was not finished, he continued to reveal what really attacked him. He shouted just as he lost consciousness¡­


    ¡°G- goblin¡­ God¡­ it was¡­ a Goblin God!¡±

 Chapter 11 - Fate entwined

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 11 ¨C Fate entwined


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    As the night fell upon the soothing city of pure white, the orphanage too was encompassed by the spirit of slumber. All but three figures had given into the temptation of the tranquil darkness. Miko and Diana had decided to stay awake for a little longer to discuss upon some pressing issues, namely about the strange attacks around the city. Not only was this becoming an ever increasing hazard to the safety of the orphanage¡¯s children but they had also received a summons from the town hall calling for an emergency meeting.


    They were not the only ones to receive this summons, several other community members had also been called forth. The problem now was to decide who between Diana and Miko would be attending as the orphanage¡¯s representative. On the surface it seemed right to have Diana go as she was more experienced with diplomacy but since this issue pertained to physical threats Miko would also suffice.


    Unbeknownst to the two who quietly contemplated on their future actions, a third figure hid within the shadows and listened in. Morgant using his [Stealth Field] ability, which for the most part was a scent and noise suppressor, skillfully eluded their attention. The wellbeing of the orphanage and the city at large was also a huge issue for Morgant as well, not to mention his interest was piqued when the injured man revealed the attacker.


    ¡®Goblin God¡¯, no such monster of that title existed in the world of Eternis, or at the very least none to Morgant¡¯s knowledge. It could have been the mistaken judgment of the farmer that was brutally attacked; thinking that such a strong monster was god-like, but not necessarily a god. Or it could have been just a gap in Morgant¡¯s own knowledge and there indeed was an entity known as the ¡®Goblin God¡¯.


    Either way it was in Morgant¡¯s interest to find out about this monster in more detail.


    ¡°I think I should be the one going after all. Instead of me, having Diana around would make the children feel much safer since you¡¯re better at taking care of them than me.¡±


    Breaking the silence Miko spoke.


    ¡°But I¡¯m worried that if the meeting goes in a weird direction they might end up sending all combat capable people to deal with that monster. If that happens I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do.¡±


    Diana replied as she held her hands close to her rather voluptuous chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll try to avoid that route at all costs.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Diana wanted to interject but seeing the determination in Miko¡¯s eyes she just couldn¡¯t refuse. They were both two very capable women that would throw everything away if it was for the safety of the orphanage and its inhabitants. It was this very side of Miko that Diana had understood very well that caused her worry.  Because given the same situation she would dive head first with no hesitation to protect the children.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay Diana.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but try to avoid going directly into combat even if it¡¯s at their insistence.¡±


    ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Though still somewhat unconvinced Diana let out a sigh and conceded to let Miko attend the emergency meeting tomorrow. After having settled the matter the discussion had shifted its topic to what the true identity of this ¡®Goblin God¡¯ was. It was not only Morgant who had never heard of this entity but even for Diana and Miko it was a first time.


    ¡°What do you think it is? A real Goblin God? Or rather the more important question is how strong that thing is going to be. If it¡¯s too strong that will be a severe problem for this city that doesn¡¯t have a much of a fighting force. At best we only have a few hunters and low rank adventurers, if that thing can really live up to its name then¡­¡±


    Miko trailed off as she muttered in contemplation.


    ¡°Goblin God¡­ was it? I¡¯ve never heard of such a monster before but perhaps it¡¯s something like a Goblin chief? It could have been the mistake of that farmer, maybe he was embarrassed to admit he was defeated by a goblin?¡±


    A sound hypothesis, however Morgant shook his head; that was wrong. At the very least the tone and desperation in that farmer¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t lying when he was speaking about it. It may not have literally been a Goblin God but it was most likely something that strongly provoked such an imagery.


    Goblins weren¡¯t all that tough of a monster to defeat, even in groups they aren¡¯t too much of a threat as long as one knew what they were doing. They had fangs and fragile claws but lacked any real muscle structure to really capitalize on those features. Their intelligence didn¡¯t really amount to much and as a whole they were simply passed of subpar monster species whose only real strength was their easily replenishable numbers.


    Thus even if they were the chieftain of that species, they wouldn¡¯t exactly be evoking the image of a ¡®god¡¯. However the problem Morgant had was that the victim¡¯s voice didn¡¯t particularly sound like it was hyperbole. If the man wasn¡¯t lying but there was no way the goblins could evoke the imagery of a god then¡­


    ¡®A third party?¡¯ a thought instantly entered Morgant¡¯s mind. Of course this would only be the case if the initial two conditions were assumed correctly. Yet the idea of third party interference would explain away two glaring points of contention. In any case, if his theory was correct then this entire farce was orchestrated with malicious intents in mind against the city.


    That being said, no matter in which avenue Morgant had mulled his head over it an answer never came. No suspects ever came up in his mind as he tried to analyze from the possibility of the suspects being from an outside trading firm or any inside residents. There was no one perfect suspect; if they had motive they had no resources, if they had resources they had no motives. The more he answered his questions the more questions popped up, it was an endless cycle.


    Unable to reach any sort of conclusion Morgant inevitably returned to his bed and fell asleep. He had decided to see how things played out in the emergency meeting rather than trying to think of the answer by himself. There was also the possibility that an unexpected hint could come his way during the course of that meeting.


    ¡­


    That night, for the first time in a while, Morgant had heard the familiar melodies of white noise. Driving away all other noise and drowning him at the epicenter of it all it disrupted him as he tried to sleep. He tossed and turned about in his bed but ultimately was unable to continue and lunged up in a fit of annoyance.


    Sweat dropped past his forehead and his breathing became haggard. The white noise started dissipating further and further away like it had all just been a practical joke. Morgant clicked his tongue and tried to go back to sleep but something deep within him felt slightly off.


    He turned his head to view his surroundings only to find everything had been switched. As though he had slipped into the world of a mirror the windowsill that should have been to the left side of his bed was now on his right. He gazed passed the unfamiliar yet familiar window and towards the ominously glowing blood red gem in the sky.


    ¡°No, something is definitely not right.¡±


    He convinced himself once he saw the bloodied eye staring down back at him. He quickly got up to wake up the other children to warn them that something was happening but once he moved back to where Alice¡¯s bed should have been¡­ it was empty. It wasn¡¯t just her bed, no one was there; no one was in the orphanage.


    He was alone in this mirrored world.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even think straight as the slight difference of directions had put his mind greatly off track. He grasped his head as more sweat fell past his face, the situation was now getting to through to the depths of his mind. He grimaced and tried to confirm if all other rooms in the orphanage was empty as well.


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    Complete silence. Not a living soul existed in this realm aside from himself.


    ¡°Just what¡¯s happening? Is this an enemy attack?¡±


    He asked himself rhetorically with no anticipation of an answer, however one did indeed come. The soothing voice of an older man, just the melody of it was enough to put his mind to rest, yet it still retained its charismatic chord.


    ¡°[This is a world of my own invention. Level 5 Psychokinesis, [Sovereign¡¯s Domain]. Unfortunately the 5th level can only be unlocked through the death of the body. In essence it¡¯s more akin to leaving behind a will and a recording.]¡±


    Hearing the voice Morgant quickly turned back to see the figure of a tall man. His radiant figure stood as his white lab coat almost seemed to glow in the darkness. He pushed up his glasses and turned to Morgant with a sinister yet willful smile.


    ¡°[Greetings [Morgant Fallon], I am [Aran Callahad], though you probably understand me more as [Sovereign]. I have always wanted to meet you, my successor.]¡±


    In an instant Morgant understood what this was. Not only did he speak in the old world tongue but he had also identified him as ¡®Fallon¡¯. Even Morgant himself had only found this out a few days ago but if this figure was able to figure it out then most likely he too possessed Psychokinetic Augmentation to see through [Status].


    This ¡®God¡¯ standing before him was definitely the genuine article. Morgant couldn¡¯t even cower before his presence as everything, even fear was inhibited. It was as time stopped right then and there, perhaps the truth was that it really had stopped within this mirror world.


    ¡°[Sovereign¡­ then it¡¯s you; ruler of the old world.]¡±


    The figure smiled and nodded once.


    ¡°[You are indeed correct. It is thanks to you and the path that you¡¯ve chosen to walk that I am able to once again stand on my beloved Earth. Unfortunately a lot of my ¡®efforts¡¯ have disappeared from the face of the planet.]¡±


    Sovereign spoke as he slowly walked towards the windowsill and peered out. As he stared at the volcanic ire of the bloodied moon he grinned ever so maliciously. One that could even break Morgant into a cold sweat.


    ¡°[Whatever it is that you¡¯ve set to accomplish¡­ know that you have the ¡®support¡¯ of this planet, of my planet.]¡±


    ¡°[What does that even mean? Ingrid was like this too¡­ why are you old world types always so cryptic? Why can¡¯t you just tell me straight out what I want to here?]¡±


    Morgant stared up at the contesting gaze of his infinite greater¡­ and his former self. Once more a smile.


    ¡°[Becoming ¡®Sovereign¡¯ is more than just power; it is dedicating everything to achieving that status. You cannot ¡®become¡¯ sovereign , you must attain that title for yourself.]¡±


    ¡°[What about you? You¡¯re here now aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re Sovereign¡­]¡±


    ¡°[This form of mine is merely the product of a ¡®miracle¡¯. Only my will exists here so it is up to you to take up the mantle. You and I share one soul; it is because of this reason I know that you will succeed.]¡±


    ¡°[Succeed at what? I think you¡¯ve been mistaken but I don¡¯t exactly have a ¡®grand plan¡¯ like you¡¯ve had. As I am now I barely match up to your feet, how can you expect me to take your place? I am merely a single human, you¡¯re a god!]¡±


    Hearing what he had to say Morgant thought Sovereign would become angered. An incompetent and listless successor, who would want such a thing? But that wasn¡¯t the case, Sovereign crouched down and gently patted his head.


    ¡°[We¡¯ve all an origin, even I was not always what I was during my prime. You will find it eventually, something that you desperately want to achieve. Be it great good, or great evil, it matters not because you are me and what we want the most is the future.]¡±


    Morgant raised his head from a dejected state and stared back up.


    ¡°[Future¡­?]¡±


    ¡°[Indeed, that is all I¡¯ve¡­ we¡¯ve ever wanted for humanity. Power, justice, evil, psychokinesis and Sovereign, they are all tools we¡¯ve used to achieve that. Those very tools will now be passed down to you. All you need to do is live long enough to find the reason to master those tools.]¡±


    ¡°[I¡­ I might not live up to your expectations¡­]¡±


    ¡°[You will.]¡±


    ¡°[I might not continue on your will as you think.]¡±


    ¡°[You will.]¡±


    ¡°[I might not even have the same ambitions as you!]¡±


    ¡°[You do.]¡±


    ¡°[I might fail you!]¡±


    ¡°[You will not.]¡±


    ¡°[How can you know that?! How can you say that with such confidence when even I cannot?!]¡±


    Almost breaking down from the sheer pressure of his own destiny Morgant fell to his knees. On the verge of tears he stopped himself after hearing Sovereign¡¯s words.


    ¡°[Because it is your destiny as much as it is my own. It is the destiny that I build with my own hands and have chosen to pass down to you. My memories will soon overlap with yours and the line differentiating you and I will become arbitrary. However that is natural, because you and I are one.]¡±


    That was it. It was that simple. With those words alone Morgant no longer felt the crushing pressure of his obligations and ties to the old world. There was simply no longer a need to feel that way; he understood now. His own destiny¡­ he didn¡¯t have to let it crush him, he could just take control of it.


    After all, that was Sovereign¡¯s grand plan from the beginning.


    ¡°[It seems you¡¯ve understood.]¡±


    ¡°[I want¡­ I will become Sovereign of this world.]¡±


    Sovereign nodded and as he did so the world started to become disorientating to Morgant once more. He could feel it, the dimensions were starting to return to normal and there wasn¡¯t much more time to speak to him, to his ¡®God¡¯. However Sovereign knew what he wanted to say and spoke preemptively.


    ¡°[You¡¯ve mistaken one thing, I am not a ¡®God¡¯. I am something much more than that¡­ I am a Human.]¡±


    ¡­


    By the time Morgant had woken up the sun had replaced the moon as the king of the sky. The sounds of birds chirping could be heard entering through the slightly opened window to his left. It was back to normal, everything was there, Alice soundly slept with a delicate and defenseless expression.


    Morgant slowly got up and sighed as he bitterly laughed at himself. ¡®What did he even appear in front of me for?¡¯ he asked himself. Yet he already knew the answer to that, the reason he showed himself was to place Morgant on the right track. This world, much like the old, requires a ¡®Sovereign¡¯ and the only one who has been given the right to its mantle is Morgant.


    The melancholic feeling he had been suppressing inside his mind for the past few days had now dissipated. He felt much more refreshed than ever before.  As Morgant was about to get up he felt the panging of another memory entering his brain, an experience he hadn¡¯t felt in a while.


    A message to Morgant in the form of a memory; it was only a single scene of Sovereign speaking to an elderly man.


    ¡°[The enemy also exists amongst your own allies, that is an inevitable truth. The key to dealing with those weed is to let their own hubris grow to such a size where it becomes detectable. Then¡­ cut them from their roots.]¡±


    <hr />


    I''ve managed to proof-read it only once so there is bound to be some mistakes. I will definitely come back to fix those at a later date so please forgive me. If you do manage to find one please point them out in the comments if you have the time so I can identify them more easily. Also if you''ve enjoyed the story so far please also leave a comment and tell me what you''ve liked or disliked.


    Every comment helps me develop the story that much better. =)

 Chapter 12 - Emergency meeting

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 12 ¨C Emergency meeting


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    With the sun only now just beginning to reveal itself from the horizon¡¯s edge, Morgant stood in preparation for the day. No doubt it was going to be a long one and he needed this time to be alone. He slowly and numbingly shifted through his small wardrobe that was in the corner of the room. Going through most of the ones he owned he found none of them to be quite suitable for today¡¯s expedition.


    He stopped once he reached his favorite jacket and muffler hanging by the pole and contemplated on them for a while. It wasn¡¯t exactly the most excitingly themed article of clothing but they were his birthday present given to him last year by his friends. He looked it fondly before deciding to leave it for the time being as they weren¡¯t quite practical for sneaking about or, if need be, for combat purposes.


    Continuing to shift through his closet he came across a black and white formal vest and trouser combo. They appeared much more suited for fancy ball parties over fighting or sneaking, however with their slender and formal design it was far more practical than anything else in his closet. Yet holding them in his hands he found himself grinning as he found himself changing into them. As much as Sovereign was all about efficiency and practicality, presentation was also an important factor. He recalled more distant memories of Sovereigns; ¡®even if you lose, as long as you appear victorious, then you¡¯ve already won¡¯.


    Speaking of which, these memories of Sovereign¡¯s past continued to steadily flow into his head day by day. Though fortunately they weren¡¯t all trying to break into his mind all at once thus he was able to slowly decode and understand those memories. With them his understanding of the world, both now and the old, had enhanced to a far greater degree than any child on this planet. Effectively his body was still that of a seven year old¡¯s but with those enhanced memories flowing into him, he was much more than that now.


    There was no doubt that soon the distinction between the seven year old ¡®Morgant¡¯ and the enigmatic overlord ¡®Sovereign¡¯ would become an arbitrary one. As Sovereign had put it, they were both one and the same. Eventually once Morgant had attained the entirety of those ¡®old memories¡¯ it would effectively also mean the full revival of Sovereign.


    Yet even knowing this, that his identity would be far greatly overshadowed by Sovereign¡¯s, he wasn¡¯t scared or unhappy about this inevitable change. He embraced the identity of Sovereign whole heartedly, to the point where he found the identity of ¡®Morgant¡¯ as a worthwhile sacrifice. If there was one slight concern it would be what the consequences of this gradual change would bring to his current relationship with his friends. Indeed, it was hard to imagine that they¡¯d be repulsed by it nor would they distance themselves, but if it ever did come to that Morgant was fully prepared.


    Sad as it may be, he had an even larger obligation now. Though that being said, somewhere in the depths of his still ¡®Morgant¡¯ heart he trusted in his friends enough that their dynamic wouldn¡¯t change all that much. This was merely an intrinsic conjecture but he still believed in them wholeheartedly.


    Before he was about to leave he turned to the sleeping face of Alice on the next bed to his. He gave a quiet chuckle as he witness her cute reaction as he impulsively poked her gently on the cheeks. Then he gave a satisfied sigh and left, closing the door behind him quietly.


    The emergency meeting was to be held in the town hall¡¯s office with various key members of the community. From what he had gathered about it the ones who would be in attendance were ones that had large influences on this small town. The Adventurer Guild¡¯s leader, Merchant Guild¡¯s leader, the Mayor, the Townguard¡¯s captain, Miko and other notable members, they would all be gathering to discuss their future movements.


    Since Morgant himself wasn¡¯t invited and it would be much more difficult him to barge in as a mere child he decided he would preemptively break in and hide himself. It wasn¡¯t difficult, with the sun barely up and the town of perpetual snow still half covered in shadows he made his way skillfully through the small town and towards the town square. There a large government building stood overseeing all operations over the town with an air of arrogance and self-importance.


    Before he entered, Morgant thought about the flash back given to him by Sovereign once more. ¡®[The enemy also exists amongst our own allies, that is an inevitable truth]¡¯; Sovereign was much smarter and leagues more insightful than him so it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to assume he had figured something out. If that was truly the case then this small quote could be a hint as to who the true enemies are. Morgant¡¯s current conclusion based on that flash back was that the culprit related to this incident will be in attendance.


    Bracing himself once more he took a couple of deep breaths before activating [Stealth Field] once more and entered the town hall office. At the center of the town hall there was a moderately sized council room that could easily serve as the meeting¡¯s juncture. Or rather there was no other place then that that would be suitable, thus after easily navigating through to minute series of uninspired hallways Morgant made it to the council room.


    This wasn¡¯t any kind of military base nor was it any high level governmental office; there were no guards or strong locks that would stop Morgant for even a second. It was a small open area with several chairs surrounding one large circular table. Other pieces of furniture like sofas, portraits and cupboards were set along the walls but nothing more impressive than that. After bearing witness to the grand architecture that was the old world, something of this level just gave Morgant a sense of disappointment.


    In fact the room was so unimpressive that there weren¡¯t even any suitable places for Morgant to hide. The only real option was to hide away on small elevated platform where a large marble statue was placed. This hiding place was such a complete joke anyone would have stood out like a sore thumb and be found out immediately. The only real advantage for this place was that it was slightly elevated and people had a tendency to not look past their eye level without any sort of prompt or provocation. In addition to this however, Morgant had two more advantages that made this place suitable. The first was his relatively small body as a seven year old; the statue would likely not have been enough for any grown adult but for a child it was barely enough to completely conceal him.


    The second advantage was his [Stealth Field], an ability that could suppress his secondary noise and other presence indicators. If even Miko, whose senses were far beyond any beings¡¯ couldn¡¯t notice him then it was unlikely that anyone else would. With these three factors Morgant breathed a sigh and decided to go with it as he was starting to run short on time.


    Hiding himself while still maintaining almost full view of the council room below he awaited for the guests to arrive.


    ¡­


    One by one the guests started to fill the room, of them four stood out to Morgant immediately.


    The first was the Mayor, an elderly man with one horn protruding from the side of his left temple. A demon-kin, though they were not a rare sight on this continent of demons after all. Through his wrinkled and aging face he had an almost soothing face that could calm the heart and soul of anyone who stared into his deep blue eyes long enough. If they were judged by looks alone then Morgant would have skipped him entirely without a second¡¯s thought. Alas things were not as simple as that in the real world, ¡®the weed¡­ it couldn¡¯t be him, could it?¡¯


    Dalton [Title: Mayor]


    Age	 - 74


    Race - Demon


    Threat Level - 202 (Low)


    Affinity	 - Composite Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    The second was the Adventurer Guild¡¯s local leader. Since this town only had a small and unpopular novice adventurer guild this person didn¡¯t exactly have that much power and his overall posture reflected such a meek state. With his shoulders and back slumped forward he was a skinny Elven male with blonde hair that covered his eyes. Once more Morgant had to remind himself that looks could be deceiving and that there was still a very real chance that this man was the weed.


    Gerald [Title: Guild Leader]


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Age	 - 29


    Race - Elf


    Threat Level - 301 (Low)


    Affinity - Range Combat Mastery


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    Another man stood next to him, with a rather villainous looking face he even twirled his mustache as he idled about, the Merchant Guild¡¯s Leader. His clothes were lavishing and made of the finest quality fiber and his overall aura screamed out that he was the ¡®weed¡¯. Yet, this was too obvious for Morgant to even consider him to culprit, but there was the possibility that this was some sort of reverse psychology. That being said, with Sovereign¡¯s mentality slowly sipping in and corrupting his thought process, Morgant changed his mind. ¡®Book covers exist to be judged¡¯, for now this man was the prime candidate.


    Francisco Longmoore [Title: Guild Leader]


    Age	 - 38


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 107 (Very Low)


    Affinity	 - Fire Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    Across the table was a rather slender but fierce looking woman with short white hair and hypnotic red eyes. She had a dissatisfied expression as she sat down with her arms crossed. She was also part of the demon race as evident by her two very sharp fangs that couldn¡¯t be hidden behind her mouth. A ¡®Vampire¡¯ and also the townguard¡¯s captain. Morgant could easily guess why she was upset; over the course of the past few days a lot of the town¡¯s people had gone missing and now they were on the brink of finding out the culprit. The fact that it was some ¡®goblin¡¯ was probably what brought the sour expression on her face.


    In fact she was far too easy to read to be anyone of any worthy intelligence. Placing brawns before brains wasn¡¯t particularly a negative trait and in some cases were even advantageous but those kinds of characters also aren¡¯t the scheming type. She was the least likely candidate to be the weed.


    Yvonne [Title: Townguard Captain]


    Age	 - 32


    Race - Vampire


    Threat Level - 325 (Low)


    Affinity	 - Close Combat Mastery


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    There were other members of the community that had joined in the discussion as well but they weren¡¯t too much of note thus Morgant had only paid minimal attention towards them. For now he went over the four holographic boxes of personal information about the most suspect individuals in the room.


    ¡°I thank everyone for joining me in this dire hour of our small town. Now then, as you know there have been several disappearances happening around our town recently. However it was not until yesterday that we found out some fraction of the truth behind it thanks to a brave farmer.¡±


    The elder town mayor got off his seat and started to spin exposition. The others simply kept quiet and listened as the mayor went into detail about the case, yet none of it was information that Morgant didn¡¯t know already.


    ¡°U-umm¡­ is it true that the culprit was a ¡®Goblin God¡¯?¡±


    A feeble sounding voice came from the Elven leader of the Adventurer Guild, Gerald. He shirked back as everyone turned their gaze to focus on him as he spoke.


    ¡°Mmm~ we don¡¯t quite have confirmation but by the farmer¡¯s own words that seemed to be the case.¡±


    The mayor answered as he scratched his bold head.


    ¡°Oi, oi, you can¡¯t be serious. A goblin? Bah! Even I can kill those bugs in my sleep; there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the true culprit. No, what I think is that the true mastermind behind these attacks is one of us. This has the work of someone intelligent written all over it, I¡¯d stake my pride as a merchant on it.¡±


    The one who threw such an accusation was none other than the Merchant Guild leader, Francisco Longmoore. Listening in from above, Morgant was thoroughly impressed, though from the looks of it he was merely basing it off his gut feeling rather than any real deduction. Still, he wondered if it was a good thing that now everyone has the idea that there could be an enemy within their ranks.


    It was good because now the weed wouldn¡¯t be able to make any large movements because everyone is now guarded and closely observing each other. However on the other hand the opportunity to see everyone in their natural state was gone. It was often times when weren¡¯t conscious of other people¡¯s gazes that they tended to slip up on the most. Suffice it to say all this did was increase the difficulty of the mission but buy more time to figure it out.


    The crowd around the circular table started to become disorganized as they looked to each other with accusatory eyes. To bring them back to order, the mayor cleared his throat and coughed loudly to gather everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Ahem! It seems we¡¯ve gotten rather rowdy all of a sudden. In any case, though Longmoore does make an interesting point it will only hinder us to be suspicious of one another at this critical time. What we must do now is figure out a way to deal with the problem of disappearing town¡¯s people before we start throwing accusations.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting we set up an expedition party into the place where the town¡¯s people started disappearing? Because if you are, then I¡¯m game.¡±


    The townguard¡¯s captain voiced with an eerie smile.


    ¡°Perhaps in due time but for now I¡¯ve brought special guests that offered their assistance to our small problem.¡±


    The elderly mayor shifted his gaze to the door and told the outsiders to ¡®enter¡¯. As if on cue three people had entered the council room.


    The first was a rather young and slender looking man with long black hair. He wore an obviously fake smile on his face and wore clothes fitting for some kind of high noble.


    Enrich [Title: Emissary of Vertloch]


    Age	 - 24


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 147 (Low)


    Affinity	 - Ice Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    ¡®Enrich¡­? Where have I¡­ -?!¡¯ Morgant thought for a moment before he remembered where he had heard the name. It was a few days ago back at the orphanage, a mysterious stranger had come to visit Diana and Miko. From the way they had addressed him he seemed to be of a high position within the Demon Lord¡¯s forces. Though that being said Morgant wouldn¡¯t have guessed that he would be a human of all things.


    For now he decided to put that thought on hold as he [analyzed] the other two. The most eye catching of the three was a buff man adorned in silver armor that seemed to be made of the highest quality. However, while that in itself was rather impressive there was one other thing that instantly caught Morgant¡¯s attention.


    Sipher [Title: Praetorian Grand Knight]


    Age	 - 27


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 562 (Moderate)


    Affinity	 - Composite Combat Mastery


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    His ¡®threat level¡¯ were far higher than what Morgant had seen so far. As if his gilded armor wasn¡¯t enough, to think that his image fit his prowess perfectly was actually a surprise for Morgant. While compared to Morgant¡¯s own threat level of 983 this knight¡¯s didn¡¯t seem that impressive one also had to take into consideration that these values were relative.


    Morgant¡¯s own threat value was so high because he knew everything about himself and had the support of the old world. This man¡¯s threat value was decided from his actual combat skills thus was far more deserving of praise. ¡®Sipher¡­¡¯ it was just one more person that Morgant had to keep a watchful eye on.


    The last person was a small hooded figure, though she didn¡¯t really hide anything. A young girl perhaps only two or so years older than Morgant stood behind the knight. Or rather it appeared that the knight was keeping close guard on the girl, thus seeing this scene Morgant instantly understood their dynamic. It was unlikely that she was a warrior from the way she was dressed but she could still be a powerful assassin or mage type thus Morgant made sure and checked.


    However what he saw left him temporarily frozen.


    ¡°¡­ eh?¡±


    Este Fallon [Title: Runaway Princess]


    Age	 - 9


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 291 (Low)


    Affinity	 - Composite Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    <hr />


    Hey guys, enjoyed the chapter? Leave a comment!


    In any case, things will now start to get much more interesting and we will finally see Morgant in action soon! So be ready~

 Chapter 13 - Voices of reason

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 13 ¨C Voices of reason


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Are you insane?! Just how many people do you think have gone missing in the past week because of that monster?! Now you want us to throw even more victims at the problem?!¡±


    A loud voice shattered Morgant¡¯s dazed state of mind, bringing him back to reality. It was unknown exactly how much time had passed, however by the time he regained his composure the conference had already descended into a contest of shouts and accusations. Only the smallest semblances of a coherent conversation were taking place between the most prominent members of the group while others supported one of two camps.


    The first camp discussed plans to charge right into the heart of the problem and deal with it in a more direct fashion. They argued that waiting any more will simply result in more casualties thus they wanted to form a strong expeditionary team to defeat the ¡®Goblin God¡¯. Morgant thought about this proposition for a moment but had decided to abstain in making judgment until the end. If anything they had too little information as to what was truly going on to run head first into a problem that took many lives.


    The second camp discussed barricading their city with walls and trying to stave off the problem until it all blew over. This too was a flawed argument as it assumed that the problem could ever be solved through time. There was no indication to even think that this would be the case, thus in reality this option should only be called upon as a last resort. Not to mention with their city¡¯s main economic source and produce coming from overseas trade.


    ¡°What better time to do it now when we have the men, resources and the will to do so?¡±


    Francisco Longmoore, the leader of the Merchant guild proposed from the side of the expedition party. Thinking about it from that perspective he did indeed have a point. At the current moment they had enough resources and manpower to mount a counter offensive into the forest to deal with the problem. If they waited any more or if they decided to go with barricading themselves then both the will to fight and their resources would slowly dwindle. Attrition was rarely ever the correct option to play against an unknown enemy.


    Standing next to the Merchant Guild¡¯s Leader was Yvonne the Townguard captain. As a person known for her straightforward approach she, a kin from the proud vampire race, had found herself siding with the least likely of partners. It was an odd composition, a headstrong warrior captain with the sly and deceptive merchant.


    Yet his other peers did not see eye to eye on this matter. To them it felt as though Francisco was taking the lives of men in too distasteful of a manner, almost as resources and not actual lives.


    ¡°We, um, don¡¯t have any information about the enemy. I don¡¯t think we should be spending our men and resources in such a rash manner. I believe what we need to do now is set up a defensive wall and try to stall the enemy.¡±


    Gerald replied in a rather meek but somehow convincing voice. The supporters on his side all nodded their heads vehemently in agreement and tried to point fingers at the opposition about how they were too ¡®hasty¡¯.


    Defending his position with him was the town¡¯s mayor who only really supported him since it was the only option to avoid confrontation. His job as the mayor was to ensure the safety and prosperity of the town, thus he couldn¡¯t afford to voice such rash opinions as violence.


    Morgant didn¡¯t particularly like the barricading option himself, yet he couldn¡¯t deny that it would at least solve the problem of people going missing. For now it would be a decent, albeit temporary, solution to the problem. However they would soon have to act since Vertloch Snowdown wasn¡¯t exactly an entirely self-sufficient town.


    ¡°And you think walling ourselves in will give us that all important ¡®information¡¯ about the true culprit? Don¡¯t fool yourselves; what we need to do is seize the opportunity before we start losing our momentum.¡±


    Francisco argued back. It was subtle but to Morgant it seemed as though Francisco had somehow figured out that there even was a ¡®true¡¯ culprit. Whether it was through mere intuition or it was deductive reasoning, Morgant was thoroughly impressed by the outcome.


    ¡°But, um, if we do decide to attack the enemy we could lose everything. I think that you¡¯re underestimating them. This kind of situation has never happened before so we shouldn¡¯t be making hasty judgments.¡±


    In such a manner the discussion swung from one side to another without ever truly coming to an impasse. Soon there were no longer even traces of that coherent dialogue between the two camps as they descended into a forum of chaos and shouting; anarchy. At the current time Morgant continued to observe the situation with a slightly detached amusement and interest.


    Interestingly, Miko had been far removed from the conversation as soon as the camps split up. She merely stood at the back as she looked on without even being given a chance to voice her opinion. If she really had to pick a side it would have most likely been with Gerald¡¯s party as she had promised Diana not to venture into the enemy¡¯s territory.


    However, on the other hand if Morgant had to absolutely pick a side then it most likely would have been with Francisco Longmoore¡¯s. As the more proactive side it was also the one that was most likely to obtain the most amount of information. ¡®Nothing ventured, nothing gained¡¯, or so they liked to say. That being said he wasn¡¯t in total agreement with sending an entire expeditionary force, a small scouting party would suffice for the time being.


    Only after they had determined the true enemy, both in that forest and within this conference can a true decision be made. Otherwise, like the adventurer guild¡¯s leader, Gerald had said, it was a ¡®rash¡¯ and possibly even self-detrimental move.


    Morgant then turned his gaze towards the three ¡®special¡¯ guests that were invited for this small conference. They were now calmly looking back at the disorder as though they were watching some kind of theatre play out in front of them. Perhaps they had given up on joining the fray or perhaps it was a sense of arrogance that stopped them from even trying. Whatever it was Morgant was rather disappointed with their unresponsiveness to the entire situation.


    ¡°Hey, do you think we¡¯d give out to a bunch of low level goblins?! Are you looking down on me, bastard?!¡±


    One of supporters of Francisco¡¯s camp shouted across the room.


    ¡°Are you an idiot?! We don¡¯t even know what kind of monster is capable of kidnapping and killing so many people! We can¡¯t just blindly charge in like dolts, or are you exactly the kind of mindless mook that blindly rushes into a problem without even a forethought?¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    This time one of the supporters of Gerald¡¯s camp shouted back with added insults.


    ¡°What?! I just can¡¯t fathom how exactly you can stand back like a coward when so many of our friends and family are disappearing by the day! Don¡¯t you even feel a slight bit of outrage?!¡±


    As the voices started to drown out in the small conference room a single loud noise shattered the argument on both side. The round table in the middle of the room was snapped in half as the knight named ¡®Sipher¡¯ slammed his fists against it. He stood up, towering over most of the people in the room and looked down at them with a rather disappointed glare.


    He clicked his tongue before he spoke.


    ¡°You people with your constant bickering will not get you anywhere. You wanted information about the enemy? Fine, I¡¯ll personally go out and find out the truth in your stead!¡±


    Complete silence had filled the room as the argument on both sides had been forcefully ejected. Since it was true that their biggest problem was the lack of information they couldn¡¯t voice any objections towards a volunteer that actually looked quite capable. One by one, slowly, the people started to nod their heads and accept this route of actions and finally the air of conflict had died down as they started discussing when and with whom the Knight would take.


    However amidst of all of this, one person was not satisfied with this turn of events. Morgant clicked his tongue as he cursed at the knight in the back of his mind, ¡®Idiot¡¯. The most immediate problem was indeed the unknown enemy that loomed in the forest but the true enemy was a person on the inside. Since he had just killed the information Morgant was no longer able to mine any more information about the true culprit within their own ranks.


    ¡®[The key to dealing with those weed is to let their hubris grow to such a size where it becomes detectable]¡¯, it is what Morgant wanted to happen. Sovereign understood that people were most unguarded and compromised when they felt that they had already won. The key to dealing with inside traitors was to strike at those pivotal moments; however because of the actions of this ¡®Sipher¡¯ it was likely that the enemy would hide themselves even more.


    However it wasn¡¯t an entirely lost cause; Morgant now had a perfect chance to see a person with a threat level of 562 in combat. Though he wasn¡¯t exactly happy about this trade it was the best he could do with his limited interaction in this conference. With that said there was also one more person that caught his attention, ¡®Este Fallon¡¯, a young girl sharing the same surname as he.


    ¡®A coincidence?¡¯ Morgant asked himself as he stared at the hooded little girl. Even back when this planet was called ¡®Earth¡¯ many people shared similar surnames. At the very least jumping to conclusions could turn out detrimental thus for this judgment too, Morgant had abstained. It was also curious as to how she was titled, ¡®Runaway Princess¡¯, yet as to what that really meant was also shrouded in mystery.


    Another interesting fact was that her threat level was at 291, which was actually higher than most average adults. He wondered if she would also be joining in with Sipher on the scouting mission, though admittedly he would be fine with just seeing Sipher¡¯s capabilities since it was mostly to be used as a frame of reference.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, myself and my companion will be heading out to investigate early tomorrow morning.¡±


    Sipher decided and left with the hooded girl, not even giving anyone else to object or put in another word. Morgant shook his head and breathed a sigh as he thought about the prospect of getting up early in the morning again.


    With the sun soon to be setting it was time for the conference to disperse for the day. They would be meeting up once more after Sipher had returned with any information on the enemy. However the day wasn¡¯t over for Morgant, he had decided to visit a specific person from this conference to discuss potential plans. Those plans being for the identification and capture of the true culprit behind this mess.


    ¡­


    With the sun sinking back into the horizon the night had once more engulfed the entirety of Vertloch Snowdown. The meeting had been adjourned until Sipher was successful in his investigation into the forest. Alone, Morgant wandered through the snow covered city before arriving at a moderately sized trading post. This was the place that Francisco Longmoore had been conducting his trade and business and was conveniently closed for the night.


    Despite that various people came and went as though the place had not closed already. Morgant let off a smirk as he thought that the way of the merchant wasn¡¯t always so lavishing and gilded; they too had to put in effort to maintain their image and business. Whilst many people would blame them and point fingers at how they manipulate the lives of others they also fail to understand that in any field hard work and dedication is required.


    So then how does one impress such a figure to listen to the stories of a small child? A figure that has worked his entire life to build his wealth and legacy with his own hands? The answer to that question was not through money; good merchants are rarely impressed with what they already have in exceeding amounts. In any occupation, when one takes their skills above a certain threshold what truly impresses then is not their occupation but a sense of thrill. It no longer becomes a ¡®job¡¯ but evolves into a ¡®way of life¡¯ at that point.


    Francisco Longmoore, whilst a man that lived on his vices, was not entirely an evil one. With a keen ability to see through the shroud that blinds most people he was correctly able to deduce that another figure was manipulating the events from the shadows. Though his skills in detective work were still a little green, Morgant felt that this person could become a valuable asset.


    He was a merchant that dealt heavily in trade and exports, meaning he understood a lot about the other cultures and races. He also had the funds that could become great help in procuring resources that Morgant needed. He was smart and rarely manipulated by the flow of other¡¯s charismas or charm, not to mention he himself possessed quite a polarizing charisma. Being hated was as equally valuable as being beloved; of course it all depended on how it was utilized.


    But most of all, the reason Morgant had chosen him was simple.


    After all¡­ Francisco Longmoore was ¡®Human¡¯.


    Morgant smirked to himself as he activated his [Stealth Field] once more and entered the [Longmoore Trading Post].

 Chapter 14 - Psionic Armament

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 14 ¨C Psionic Armament


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Huh? Come again?¡±


    In the small head office of the Longmoore Trading post, two figures gathered to discuss the day¡¯s event. They were none other than Francisco Longmoore the owner of the esteemed trading firm and Yvonne the strong-willed townguard¡¯s captain. A small spark was lit between the two as Francisco had brought up a certain possibility.


    ¡°Like I¡¯ve said, there¡¯s probably a traitor amongst the people that were at the conference today.¡±


    Francisco answered as he swirled around his chair to gaze out at the darkened skies. He stared at his own reflection on the window lit by a small dusk colored flame. It was inevitable that a disagreement would arise between the two, after all their personalities and philosophies varied wildly. The only thing keeping them together as a team was that they both wanted to be more proactive about how the situation should be handled.


    Yvonne clicked her tongue as she replied.


    ¡°Are you seriously telling me to even consider such a prospect, knowing full well that it will no doubt divide this city even further? You know our town¡¯s going through some turbulent times, right? What we need isn¡¯t more divisiveness but unity to overcome this ordeal.¡±


    Yvonne didn¡¯t even want to think about it as it would mean to doubt the very people she had grown up with. This town was her home and everyone in it was her family; it was painful to even fathom the concept of a traitor amongst them. Yet at the same time she was also realistic enough to understand that this was merely just her wishful thinking. This was the main reason why she wasn¡¯t more adamant in defending her position. As much as she hated Francisco¡¯s character she had come to admire and value his intuition and judgment.


    They had been somewhat of a close acquaintance since youth so they had gotten to understand certain things about each other. Or at the very least Yvonne understood that Francisco was the opposite of her, she was always good at being straight forward but he was good at scheming and deceiving. Thus if that schemer, Francisco, deduced that someone in the city was deliberately causing these monster attacks then even she couldn¡¯t help but at least give some thoughts to it.


    In the end Yvonne shook her head in disbelief as she replied.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t accept that there would be someone from the town deliberately causing monster attacks. It just doesn¡¯t seem like something anyone from this city would even have the motive or character to do so. In fact you''re realistically the only person who would even think of such a thing."


    Francisco scoffs at her remark.


    ¡°Yvonne you¡¯ve really grown to be so na?ve when it comes to the nature of people. From all my years working in this field, if there was one thing I really learnt¡­ it is that someone always gains from another person¡¯s suffering.¡±


    At his response Yvonne breathed out a defeated sigh.


    ¡°You really are a villain aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hoh? I have never particularly seen myself as such; if anything I think that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s a little too green. The nature of people should always be subjected to scrutiny and suspicion, it is the only way you¡¯ll ever survive in this world.¡±


    ¡°It must feel really nice to always be suspicious of other people, huh? How good for you.¡±


    ¡°It really just comes with the job, you see.¡±


    As their disagreement died down and their conversation evolved into a mellow banter an uninvited guest had unexpectedly shown himself. They didn¡¯t know for how long or how he had even been in here but as soon as they heard his voice they immediately jumped from their seats.


    ¡°[Erst denken, dann handeln]. Mr. Francisco Longmoore is most probably correct in his assumption.¡±


    In surprise Yvonne drew the sword attached to her waist and was prepared to swing down with the determination to kill. However she had stopped at the last second after properly registering who the uninvited guest really was. Just a few inches off his face Morgant stood with an unflinching smile as he had revealed himself to the pair.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    Francisco Longmoore asked as he made a quizzical expression. Though he was most interested in how this small child was able to bypass all of the security down stairs and make it up without even being detected by the two people in the room. Yet he had tried to hide any hint of surprise after his initial reaction, after all having a poker face was the crucial element to his profession.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I know you; you¡¯re that Morgant brat from the orphanage that went missing a few weeks ago. Yeah¡­ you disappeared into that beginner level dungeon.¡±


    As Yvonne started to remember Morgant she lowered her sword and her guard. Finally after she had sheathed her sword she breathed another sigh relief as she fell back into her chair in a manner most ungraceful. The chair creaked loudly and for a while after that there was a moment of silence in the room. The still looming question was how Morgant had managed to enter this room without being detected by anyone.


    ¡°So? What do you want, brat? Isn¡¯t it way past your bedtime? Ugh¡­ I bet Miko and Diana are worrying about you right now, I can just imagine their tired little faces.¡±


    Yet the only answer Morgant had ever responded with was an unreadable smile. Though Yvonne didn¡¯t particularly feel anything from it, in an instant Francisco was forced to acknowledge the formidable pressure coming from within that iron guarded poker face. A sense of looming doom hovering at the back of his head, Francisco broke out into a sudden cold sweat.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Yvonne asked, slightly perturbed by the unmoving, doll-like lifelessness from Morgant¡¯s lack of reaction. Morgant slowly opened his eyes to reveal piercing green eyes that felt as though they could stab through someone¡¯s very soul. With those very eyes Morgant stared towards Yvonne and posed a question.


    ¡°Town guard Captain, Yvonne. Curious, why did you halt your attack?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    That was the only thing Yvonne could answer with as she couldn¡¯t understand where he was coming from. There was no real answer to his question, or rather the only answer was...


    "Why did I stop from cutting you down...? What? How can you even pose such a question?"


    "Because I''m genuinely curious as to why you stopped from connecting your attack. Was that arbitrary connection of ''knowing'' me enough to stop your blade? What would you have done if I truly was the enemy or if I was someone else using illusory magic?"


    To his question Yvonne was unable to give an answer that satisfied even herself. From a logical prospective everything he spoke about was true. If Morgant truly was the enemy then it would be her job to remove his threat. That being said it wasn''t as though she could simply cut him down for the same reason that it was equally possible that he was just an innocent boy. Yet for some reason she felt that this line of thinking was some ''off''.


    "Would you have cut me down if you had known that I was actually an enemy beforehand?"


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    Morgant continued his line of questioning.


    "At that point if I already knew you were an enemy then... without hesitation I would''ve-"


    Yet as she was about to answer his question she was cut off.


    "Incorrect, you would have done exactly the same thing as now, because at no point did you even consider my entrance as suspicious. You lowered your guard as soon as you saw my face without even question."


    Both Yvonne and Francisco understood their flaw at that point. As Morgant had said in no way was his entrance at all natural for a seven year old boy. If he truly was someone else then he would''ve used that hesitation as an advantage to take out the both of them.


    Feeling cornered by his logic Yvonne clicked her tongue as she stared down at this mysterious boy from the orphanage. She was unsure of what his true motives were or what he was even trying to tell her. It was at this point that Francisco interjected.


    "Boy, I don''t think Yvonne is truly to blame for her own inaction. If you were truly an enemy then you''ve the most curious way of expressing it. You''ve had the advantage on us with that undetectable stealth yet you''ve chosen to reveal yourself; proving that you never had an intention of attacking us. Yvonne merely responded to your lack of bloodlust with mercy, because if you really did attack she would have really unhesitatingly struck down."


    Before she even knew it a silent battle of logic and wit had started between the mysterious boy and the sly merchant. Yet in the end it was Morgant who gave up in the end with a condescending scoff.


    "Hah~ I guess there''s that too. Yet that still does not change the main theme of this discussion."


    Suddenly both Morgant and Francisco turned towards Yvonne and nodded. They had struck some sort of an accord that she was not even aware of.


    "What, what is it with you two? Ugh, never mind. What are you even here for boy? What is it that you''re trying to say with all of this?"


    Yvonne tried to change the topic, dodging her question Morgant responded with a request.


    "Originally I thought I''d come to form an alliance with Mr. Francisco Longmoore but it seems that it''s necessary to change your perspective beforehand. So, Townguard captain Yvonne, care for a little sparring session?"


    At the strange boy''s request Yvonne couldn''t help but accept. Boy or not, he was clearly different than anyone else and she had to find out what made him so special.


    ...


    As the Longmoore Trading Post was an obviously ill suited arena for combat purposes they had decided to move to a more natural environment.


    A snow covered proving grounds, softly illuminated blue by the twinkle of the large royal moon. It was the training field used by the townguards of Vertloch Snowdown.


    "Are you sure about this, boy? Despite her previous inept display she''s a lot stronger than she lets on. Not mentioning that she''s from the ''elite'' vampire race, she isn''t the captain of this little town''s guard for nothing."


    Francisco warned as Morgant and Yvonne stared at each other face to face. That being said with his ability to read the opponent''s threat level Morgant was well aware of Yvonne''s combat potential.


    "325. Low."


    Morgant smirked to himself as he once more read Yvonne''s threat level.


    "What?"


    Yvonne asked as Morgant randomly spewed numbers, to which he shook his head, replying that it was nothing.


    "Whenever you''re ready, please... come at me."


    Morgant spread his arms in a welcoming and accepting pose, almost condescendingly so. Yvonne clicked her tongue as she assumed he was mocking her. With her personality there was no way she was going to accept a handicap, much less from a child.


    "Are you mocking me?"


    She Asked in a quiet and accusing voice.


    "Nothing of the sort, though I can kind of understand why you''d be so hesitant to start off. Very well then, I shall take the lead, just please try and not fall behind too far."


    Without budging from his welcoming hug pose he utilized his psychic power for the first time for combat purposes. Several small pieces of rocks that were laying on the ground started to glow with a shade of blue and levitated around Morgant. It started slowly orbiting him before he flicked his wrist and pointed towards Yvonne.


    As he did one of the orbiting stones flew towards her at a relatively high speed. Yvonne frowned as she continue to believe that Morgant was mocking her, ''a rock...?''. She drew her sword, preparing to parry the incoming stone without much thought. However it did not go the way she had original envisioned it would.


    Immediately upon impact with her sword the flying stone exploded into a bright fluorescent blue pyre. Quickly it was followed by a powerful shockwave that managed to budge Francisco who stood quite away from the battle arena.


    The snow covered battleground instantly evaporated into white mist from the heat alone. For a while after that the entire area was dyed in a dreaded pyre of blue and lightning.


    "What...?! What kind of magic was that?!"


    Francisco shouted at the top of his lungs as he couldn''t even fathom what it was that he just witnessed.


    "[Psionic Fission]; psychokensis not magic."


    Morgant coldly replied; it put a damper on his mood for someone to even dare compare Sovereign''s technique to the savagery of magic.


    The raging blue flames continued to ravage through the arena yet not even a trace of Yvonne was evident. Morgant knew it certainly wasn''t as though she was completely eviscerated on the spot, he was holding back after all. It was unfortunate but he had no ability to detect life signs so all he could do was wait until the opponent decided to show herself.


    Waiting, Morgant and Francisco could feel the rapid elevation of their own heart beats. Revelation by a pair of blood a soaked eyes Yvonne stepped forth from the azure inferno. No longer any hesitation to call Morgant an ''enemy''; she was prepared to call this a ''fight'' between two equal parties.


    Clearing the hundred meter gap between them in only a few seconds, Yvonne drew her sword ready to strike down. With fiery red anger in her eyes her sword arced majestically down, aiming for Morgant¡¯s soft skin. A swing faster than what a normal human eye could ever hope to track, yet the attack did not connect.


    As though he had read her mind ahead of time her sword not only failed to connect but left her completely vulnerable. Taking advantage of her temporary loss of balance Morgant slithered the in, swept her legs and dragged her down by the collar, acquainting her face with the dirt floor.


    Looking down at the groveling Townguard captain with an arrogant smirk upon his face Morgant declared.


    "Experience and training does not make perfection. No matter how much a leech tries it will never be anything more than a leech. What makes perfection... is perfection itself; my humanity."

 Chapter 15 - Insurmountable

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 15 ¨C Insurmountable


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Kuh¡­ Dammit! This is absurd, how is it possible that I cannot land even a single hit?!¡±


    About an hour had passed since the fight between Morgant and Yvonne started, yet even after all this time Yvonne was unable to connect a single hit. Conversely she had been thrown across the field so many times that the battle arena no longer resembled what it had originally started off as. Bloodied and beaten, she refused to give up until she could land just one hit on her unreachable foe.


    Morgant sighed as he shook his head. Not even a single bead of sweat was produced from this entire farce as he stood arrogantly and with a unsatisfied smile on his face. He managed to counter, dodge and parry every single one of Yvonne¡¯s attacks which only made it easier for him as she struggled to get up after each time.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use; no matter how many times you try you will never be able to land a single hit on me. Like I¡¯ve said, ¡®perfection¡¯ isn¡¯t something you can attain merely by ¡®determination¡¯ or ¡®trying¡¯ hard enough.¡±


    Morgant taunted at her more and with each words they stabbed at her pride.


    ¡°S- Shut up.¡±


    Wiping the blood off the corner of her mouth Yvonne focused her vision. As a progeny of the elite Vampire race her powers were heightened by the fall of night. Enhanced physical prowess, night vision and senses; on paper she shouldn¡¯t have been struggling against a seven year old human child, especially during night. Despite this, no matter how many times she rushed at him, he effortlessly able to match her speed and power, reflecting all of her attacks and pummeling her to the ground each time.


    At this point it didn¡¯t even matter how minor the damage was, all she wanted to do was put a single scratch on him. She had long forgone the elegance of using her weapon as it lay stuck on the ground, neglected as she started to rely more on her physical properties as a Vampire. Her eyes glowed a deep crimson as she readied herself to rush once more.


    ¡°O- oi, Yvonne¡­ Don¡¯t you think you''ve tried enough? You¡¯re clearly outmatched; just give up.¡±


    Francisco warned from the sidelines, getting worried about his acquaintance¡¯s wellbeing. Even Morgant was starting to agree with him that she should be giving up right about now. However despite his protests she wouldn¡¯t give up; this was a matter of pride and to a Vampire there was nothing greater.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ not now.¡±


    She dashed in at breakneck speeds once more, kicking up a dust cloud from behind her. ¡®This time¡­¡¯ she thought to herself as she readied her fists to strike at the enigmatic human child known as ¡®Morgant¡¯. However, even with her superior speed and physical abilities, by the time she got into striking range he was no longer even there. Or rather it wasn¡¯t her that got into striking distance but that she was running into his. Morgant never threw a direct assault, what he did instead was use various grappling techniques to throw her off balance and let the ground and gravity do most of the damage.


    This time too was no exception. Her attacks failed to connect and Morgant grabbed her by the collar and used her own momentum to throw her towards the ground. A large quake followed by the cracking of the ground ended the exchange.


    ¡°Kuh!¡±


    As she hit the ground more blood spewed from her mouth. Morgant wasn¡¯t exactly going easier on her either and the result of that was a one sided fight. Perhaps that fact was the impetus that allowed her to struggle this hard; because the enemy also wasn''t holding back she believed that if she could overcome this brief moment she could get an advantage over him.


    However no matter how hard or how many times she tried it was an impossible feat; Morgant was to her an insurmountable foe. It was this fact that didn''t make sense to her, ''why?'' she asked herself. Logically speaking the situation should have been reversed, she was a lot older, had more experience and training, yet she was easily thrown apart despite this.


    She grit her teeth and slammed the ground with her bloodied fists.


    "Why?"


    Still laying on the ground she asked Morgant. For her to ask this question meant that it was finally gotten through to her that she would never land a hit on him. Biting her pride she asked for an explanation, to which, after seeing her desperate expression Morgant happily obliged.


    "You see the reason why there is such a huge disparity in our skills is because of experience and training. I don''t mean me, I mean that you have too much experience that you''ve locked yourself into a preconceived notion of how fights are supposed to operate. You rely one your intuition and training more than anything to predict my movements. While that in and of itself is fine against ordinary opponents, I wish that you didn''t treat me the same other people."


    Yvonne stood with an exasperated expression, what he was saying was the complete opposite of common knowledge. Having too much ''experience'' was her flaw? How could that even be possible?


    "I guess it can''t be helped that you still don''t get it. Then I''ll start from the basics, what ''training'', or in other words numerous repeated action really does for your body. They create brain shortcuts known as ''reflexes'' and build muscle structure in a certain way to maximize efficiency in that particular action. Then let me explain what ''reflexes'' are: they are essential shortcuts for the brain to take to allow immediate action without thought; for when you need to take an action but don''t have time to think about making. Your body automatically takes the action that you''ve ''trained'' your body to execute through those numerous repetition."


    "..."


    Yvonne felt a little robbed as she listened to Morgant''s explanation. Her life dedicated to training and constantly improving herself was being broken down to a basic science, but the worst of it was the fact that the art she devoted her life to was being exploited and used against her.


    Morgant continued.


    "For the most part it''s these kinds of involuntary actions that allow you to read an opponent''s next move; prediction. However if you''ve notice I don''t have any of these ''reflexes'' because I''m a complete amateur. That being said, my movements may not have any physical advantage to them but I do try to exert a bit of psychological pressure; taunting, flamboyant poses and a general mocking attitude. All of them help limit and control the opponent''s thoughts and actions."


    "Then even more so because you don''t have any experience, how could you predict my movements so perfectly?!"


    Yvonne shouted in an accusatory manner. She understood what he was saying but refused to admit that he could see those movements when he was an amateur himself; reading other''s movements was an ability one should only gain through experience.


    "What you fail to understand is that there is more than one method of prediction. Most fighters probably use an intuition-based prediction technique utilizing their experience as reference. However another way is through pure deductive logic."


    "What? What''s that even supposed to mean?"


    Smiling, Morgant pointed towards his own head.


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    "[Enhanced Kinetic Vision], you see this is the ability that differentiates me from everyone else. My brain can process information at a much greater speed than normal people, effectively allowing me to see and experience the world in slow motion. From there it''s a simple deduction; when you throw a punch your shoulders move. A kick? your chest. Preparing to dash? Your neck. Like this your body is all interconnected revealing minute signals beforehand which allows me to see your next movement as clear as day."


    "That''s... but if that''s true then there''s no physical way you could ever be defeated."


    It wasn''t Yvonne who spoke those words but Francisco who had been watching the entire thing play out. Having witness such a one sided battle on the side of a seven year old human child, he was just about to believe anything but this was a little hard to take in. If he knew one thing it was that every strategy is supposed to have a weakness... is what he had thought up until that point. ''Perfection...'' Morgant had spoken something about it, ''could it be?''


    "That is not entirely correct, with enough speed it is possible to overcome my Kinetic Vision, not only that but I am also vulnerable to sensory type magic. Weaknesses exist everywhere and in everyone, it''s only a matter of having the talent to conceal them."


    After a brief moment of reflection to herself Yvonne eventually stood up, dusted off the dirt on her body and calmly walked over to Morgant. The fight had ended with her eventual acceptance of her defeat. It was a small but noticeable change that had bloomed inside Yvonne; the entire point of this little battle, she felt she could understand it now. ''It seems that it''s necessary to change your perspective beforehand'' those words rang thusly in her mind. She clenched her fists, infuriated and mortified that she had to go through such embarrassing tribulations but the prize for her broken and beaten pride was the growth of her understanding.


    "The nature of people should always be subjected to scrutiny and suspicion... was it? Just like this boy... If I had never even bothered to ask I would never have guessed what kind of monster he was. Is that what you wanted to say?"


    Glancing towards Francisco''s direction Yvonne asked with a defeated sigh.


    "Certainly the boy''s strength was beyond even my own imagination but yes. Like this even the most unlikely of people can hide great secrets. Scrutinize their character; if they are true to their words then move on, but if they are truly hiding terrible secrets then you''ve just saved yourself a load of incoming headaches."


    Yvonne gazed towards the cold darkness, taking a deep breath, she gave in to their words. Certainly Yvonne would have preferred to trust in the words and honesty of her hometown''s residents but the world would never be so kind as to let her be so na?ve. For the sake of their own safety and everyone else''s, she needed to play the devil''s advocate and question their true allegiances.


    ...


    "So then boy, you said you''ve come to me to form an alliance to figure out the rat in hiding. Was that it?"


    Francisco asked as he rummaged through the supply closet in his office for some medical instruments. While the damage that Yvonne suffered wasn''t enough to require serious medical attention, being some bruises and small cuts all over the place, it was still a good idea to treat it.


    "Yes."


    After the three had composed themselves they decided to proceed with the main conversation. They had returned to the Longmoore Trading post to discuss the main topic at hand; the issue regarding the formation of their alliance and about locating the traitor hiding amongst their numbers. That being said Francisco had one more question to ask Morgant.


    "The fact that you''re forming an alliance with me specifically, I take it that means you''ve already crossed me out as a potential suspect then?"


    Morgant who without hesitation sat in Francisco''s chair gave a small nod as he answered.


    "Of course I cannot say with a hundred percent certainty that you aren''t the culprit, but you and Yvonne are definitely the least likely. More so now with everything that''s happened."


    Hearing his answer Francisco briefly ceased treating Yvonne who was quietly laying down on the sofa listening to the conversation. He then placed his hand on his chin and contemplated for a moment. He didn''t even have to ask how Morgant knew what went on during the conference, most likely he used that undetectable stealth technique to eavesdrop. At the very least they were all on the same page and had the same goals in mind.


    "Care to explain to this old man the logic behind choosing me? Though our meeting has been brief I can confidentially deduce what kind of character you possess. Taking that into consideration I don''t think that merely being the ''least likely'' is your true motivation in your choice."


    From the beginning, Francisco had detected a certain disparity in this situation, specifically it was with the information that was being exchanged between Morgant and himself. The only thing Morgant should have known about him was what was already known to the public. Yet despite this Morgant revealed quite a lot about himself, his personalities, his capabilities and his short term motives. For any merchant this would have been a good thing but for some reason Francisco couldn''t help but feel that something was a bit off.


    Noticing his discomfort Morgant grinned as he turned to answer his question.


    "Does it make you feel uncomfortable to not know what kind of game I''m playing at? Though I''ve revealed quite a bit of myself already you''re still trying to figure out my true character aren''t you? The real question you should be asking yourself is how much of what I told you is real. Well, we''ll have to put that matter on hold for another time."


    Francisco sighed as he resumed to treat Yvonne. With some of the cuts being in ''odd'' places his hand natural gravitated towards some risqu¨¦ areas, with Yvonne gently moaning as he touched them. Though that being said Francisco didn''t particularly feel much from such an intense situation as those places weren''t tender at all. None of it was the same as touching a woman, instead all he felt was the contours of an impressive muscle structure, in fact it was more akin to touching another man.


    Trying to stray his mind away from it he replied to Morgant''s comment.


    "Very well then I''ll stop dancing around the topic and ask you directly. Knowing you, it would''ve been more advantageous to simply investigate from the shadows yet by revealing yourself to us you could have potentially jeopardized the success of this witch hunt. Indeed your undetectable stealth and unexpected strength would offer more than I ever could if you had operated discreetly. So then tell me, what is it you want from me that you would risk that much?"


    Morgant leapt up from Francisco''s chair and slowly walked up to him. As Francisco was crouched down to bandage Yvonne they were able to meet eye to eye. Once again Morgant flashed a motive filled grin...


    "I was hoping this arrangement could become something a little more permanent. You see... I was just in the process of searching for a capable adjutant."

 Chapter 16 - Promise me

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 16 ¨C Promise me


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    It was only once Morgant had returned to the orphanage that he found out what it truly meant to be terrified. Even his nigh unbreakable fa?ade had started to lose its grip and falter from his face as a sharp and painful cold sweat ran down his back. He had to take a step back to gain some distance between himself and his foe; he had wanted to escape entirely instead but found that there was none.


    Cornered by multiple foes and numerous accusing eyes locked on to him, all he could do was silently await his judgment. In a desperate plea for help he shifted his gaze towards his three childhood friends that stood a little back off in the distance but they had all immediately averted their gaze, abandoned. Or rather that¡¯s what they had felt about him today; left behind by Morgant who wandered off somewhere on his own adventure. Suffice it to say a cold shoulder was their way of expressing their dissatisfaction and a suitable punishment.


    With a defeated sigh he hesitantly gazed up towards his greatest foe yet and quickly lowered them back in apology.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry! Miko! Diana!¡±


    It was the first time either Diana or Miko had seen such a flustered Morgant, to the point that they were even wondering if this was genuine. They had to question if this was just a fa?ade because Morgant was a child who had it so well adjusted that even they, the adults, couldn¡¯t fathom what was going through his head. Morgant had always been a boy that went according to his own pace and usually maintained a heightened awareness of himself and his surroundings. Thus he wasn¡¯t really the type to make careless mistakes and if he ever did do anything that could be considered a ¡®mistake¡¯ it was most likely done intentionally.


    For this reason alone Miko and Diana had to make sure that Morgant really was reflecting on his actions. At the very least they wanted him to understand just how incredibly worried they had been when he disappeared. This time was no exception, they couldn¡¯t just easily let slide the fact that he had wandered off on his own for the entire day only to return once night had long past fallen. Diana crouched down to his eye level and placed a firm grasp on his shoulder whilst lecturing him in a stern but fair voice.


    ¡°Morgant¡­ I know that you¡¯re a very capable boy more than anyone else, but you also have to understand how worried we all were. I get that it can be frustrating; that you must feel like you¡¯re being trapped in this small town. However right now there is a strange and dangerous crisis going on in this town so more than ever I need you to be the one that maintains the order around here. It¡¯s becoming very dangerous around here so you can¡¯t be venturing off on your own like this. Please¡­ I want you to promise me that you won¡¯t try to disappear on your own again.¡±


    With the level of sincerity and desperation reflected in Diana¡¯s voice, Morgant was being driven into a mental corner. It wasn¡¯t that he was a person incapable of lying to someone¡¯s face straight out but at this specific moment, with every fiber of his being, he didn¡¯t want to disappoint her. He just couldn¡¯t do it; to the person who he could very easily consider his ¡®mother¡¯ of this world¡­ he didn¡¯t want to lie to her.


    However this was a promise that he would never be able to keep. He currently had his own sets of plans that were equally as important to the ¡®family¡¯ he had here. He felt the erratic beating of his own heart escalating, tightening up and choking him from within as beads of sweat poured from his forehead. He couldn¡¯t lie but he also couldn¡¯t promise her anything.


    Yet after once more meeting with Diana¡¯s sincere gaze he just couldn¡¯t help it. Being forced to choose between his family in this orphanage¡­ or his destiny, either choice would be cruel. Nonetheless a choice needed to be made and in this current state he was still more ¡®Morgant¡¯ than he was ¡®Sovereign¡¯. In his torn desperation he had seriously considered on turning his back on the old world to love peacefully with the people at this orphanage. It would be so easy to keep his promise with Diana and enjoy the rest of his days in a numbed splendor.


    To give up everything and experience this world as the normal boy ¡®Morgant¡¯.


    Diana could see it too, in his eyes as he struggled to come to a decision and how it was tearing him apart from the inside. It was cruel, she understood but this was a situation in which she was not allowed to back down. She loved him too much, she loved every child in this orphanage too much to let them wander around in such a dangerous period. Often times love is an ultimatum; a yes or no question no correct answer.


    She waited with bated breaths as the situation quickly escalated despite hardly any words being exchanged between the two. Seconds turned into minutes as in the end she could slowly trace the words forming on his mouth. ¡®I promise¡­¡¯ yet as he tried to speak those words they were interrupted by a small series of knocks on the door.


    Those three small knocks felt as though his entire mind was lifted from a terrible curse; liberating for Morgant as the entire situation had instantly been defused. Whoever it was that decided visiting an orphanage during the middle of the night was a good idea, Morgant could not be any more grateful towards them. Diana shifted her gaze to and from Morgant and the door but in the end she had to put the conversation on hold to go answer who it was.


    Upon opening to greet the person both Diana and Morgant were surprised by their guest standing on the other side. Francisco Longmoore, despite having already discussed what their individual roles would be in this endeavor he came to the orphanage. ¡®Did I forget to mention something?¡¯ Morgant thought to himself but that didn¡¯t sound likely this he simple continued to watch the situation unravel.


    He bowed graciously as he picked up Diana¡¯s hand and lightly kissed the top as if he was some sort of exotic prince. The dichotomy between his villainous aura and his gentlemanly actions were so great that they were almost perfect juxtapositions if he was supposed to be playing the role of a villain with good PR.


    ¡°Good evening Diana, it is so good to see you again after all these years. I see that time has been awfully good to you and that you haven¡¯t changed too much since the last time I saw you.¡±


    Francisco greeted with an ill-fitting smile and charismatic tone of voice. Seeming having his personality do an instant 180, Morgant was left speechless. Yet that surprise wasn¡¯t only contained to himself but Diana as well was unsure on how to respond to that. Even the other children and Miko who had all heard of Francisco¡¯s ¡®reputation¡¯ was left positively stunned.


    ¡°Francisco, is that really you?¡±


    Managing to break free from her frozen state of mind Diana uttered in surprise as she saw an old and familiar face. Replying to her enthusiasm Francisco chuckled and nodded in confirmation.


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    ¡°That¡¯s right. It does feel rather good to see the old orphanage again. How have you been Diana? It must have been awfully hard on you to take over the place after the passing of the old caretaker, you¡¯re still so young after all.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no it¡¯s been quite a ride but I¡¯m alright now. Especially after having Miko help me through this I feel like I have everything under control.¡±


    Diana replied with a pure mile that was almost wasted on someone with such a villainous reputation. It was as though their polar opposite auras, of purity and corruption, could be seen dancing around them with the naked eye. It was just a testament to how incredibly strange this scene was to the outsiders.


    ¡°Could it be that they somehow know each other?¡±


    Alice asked as she stealthily slid into Morgant¡¯s personal space, either having already forgiven him or that she had forgotten all about being mad at him for leaving her behind for an entire day. In any case the surprise interruption from Francisco was a god sent event that helped reset the entire awkward atmosphere in the place. ¡®As expected of my adjutant¡¯, he thought to himself, smirking in the shadows.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve heard stories from long ago¡­ but that is supposedly an alumnus of this orphanage during back when the old caretaker was still here.¡±


    Miko commented from the side. Though she had known about the man named Francisco and his connection to the orphanage she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to fully trust him. Perhaps it was merely because of all the negative rumors being spread about him or it was just his uncanny presence but Miko had decided to maintain a certain level of caution in his account.


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what it was all about huh? Still, I wonder what he¡¯s even here for, right, Morgant?¡±


    Noticing that the mood around Morgant had defused Ren took this chance to come over to his side. Placing a gentle pat on his shoulders Ren gave a confident smirk suggesting that ¡®no hard feelings¡¯ were between the two friends. Morgant giggled back and nodded in acknowledgement.


    ¡°So what brings you here so late at night Francisco?¡±


    Diana asked what they had all been wondering about.


    ¡°Ah, about that I came here to tell you about that boy.¡±


    Francisco pointed towards Morgant as he declared. With all the attention now being drawn back on him, Morgant took a deep breath to prepare himself. It was doubtful that Francisco was going to reveal anything about his capabilities, so then the only logical explanation he was going to give was about¡­


    ¡°Morgant? Did he do something?¡±


    Diana asked, but Francisco shook his head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that knowing you Diana, you probably would¡¯ve had a lot of questions and worries about him being missing for the entire day. I merely came here to shed some light on that regard; in actuality he was with me for apprenticeship purposes.¡±


    A brief moment of silence overtook the room as they tried to fathom what it was that he had just said. ¡®Apprenticeship?¡¯ Miko and Diana thought to themselves as they turned their eye towards Morgant who smiled back at them.


    ¡°What do you¡­?¡±


    Diana was about to ask for further clarification but it was unnecessary as Francisco planned on telling her a made up story.


    ¡°You see it was after the emergency conference had ended that I was heading back to the Trading Post when I met the young lad. Seeing the strong determination and craftiness of the boy I was convinced that he would make a terrific merchant. So that¡¯s how it was, since most orphans graduate into various fields upon graduation I was discussing with him the potential for an apprenticeship under myself. I am sorry for causing you any undue stress; it is entirely the fault of my selfishness.¡±


    Francisco answered as he bowed gracefully with a saddened expression, though of course it was all an act.


    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡±


    Though they weren¡¯t entirely convinced, when it came to Morgant certainly anyone was possible, or so Miko and Diana had thought. He was much brighter than most children and also indeed possessed a level of cunning and craftiness that fit the profession of a merchant well. It was obvious to see from that perspective why Francisco would be interested in taking him on as an apprentice.


    In the end, after meeting with Morgant¡¯s innocent and wishful glance Diana had conceded. The topic on her promise to keep him from acting on his own terms would no longer be brought out as she finally understood that someone like Morgant shouldn¡¯t be forced in. She walked over to Morgant and once more crouched down to meet him on eye level as she gently caressed the side of his face.


    ¡°I see¡­ I got it, then I won¡¯t make you stay in this orphanage against your will, but promise me that you will keep yourself safe.¡±


    That was a promise that Morgant could keep as he answered with a true hearty smile.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡­


    Sipher the ¡®Grand Praetorian Knight¡¯ and Este Fallon the ¡®Runaway Princess¡¯, it had been a while since they began their travels and during that time they had stayed at all kinds of places. From open air camps to run down inns, but by far their stay at the small town of Vertloch Snowdown was one of the better ones. They had managed to afford a medium sized room in a moderately clean inn to stay for the night that provided meals as well.


    It was a little noisy but that was half the fun of adventuring as well, thought that being said their true goals weren¡¯t to go on an adventure.


    ¡°Sipher, you think it will be alright tomorrow?¡±


    Este asked as she lowered her hood to reveal her long and shiny black hair. Such silky thread like hair accentuated the lines of her shoulders and collar bone but most of all they made her gem-like green eyes stand out perfectly.


    ¡°Do not worry princess, no enemy shall get past me.¡±


    Sipher answered as he also began taking off his armor pieces to rest for the night. As he did his well toned muscles became acutely visible beneath his underclothes. Several scars had been etched across his body but to a warrior those were badges of honor that told the tale of their fighting history.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re tough and all but we¡¯re not in the mainland anymore. This is the demon continent remember? Monsters will probably a lot stronger here so I want you to be careful okay? I still need you to fulfill your promise that you¡¯d stay with me till the end.¡±


    Hearing her words Sipher felt a profound sense of honor and duty. Placing his right hand over his chest and kneeling down to her he replied.


    ¡°Understood Princess. Nothing will pry me away from you, I guarantee it.¡±

 Chapter 17 - Assuming Direct Control

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 17 ¨C Assuming Direct Control


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Opening his eyes to the cold darkness Morgant found himself involved with the mirror world once more. The entire world, without sound and flipped reverse, served only to confuse his bearings and disorienting him to the point of nausea. Despite the fact that it was merely a minute change, Morgant could only see this once familiar room as something entirely foreign and threatening. He felt how pathetically fragile a mind was if this is all it took to completely put someone off their element.


    In spite of all this he knew the reason why he was here, it was because ''he'' had summoned him once more. After briefly scanning the room saw a familiar figure leaned elegantly off the windowsill to gave up at the fiery ire of the red moon. It was just the cherry on top of this backwards world to have a near insanity inducing blazing moon. Morgant clicked his tongue as he could feel the nausea slowly escalating to a full blown migraine.


    He placed one hand to the tip of his forehead and tried to put some pressure on it.


    "It''s the same everyday sight yet with only a minimal amount of changes it can induce a heavy dose of dissociation and rejection by the mind. I want to say you''ll get better as you get used to this place but on top of the dissociation there''s also the matter of this place being my personal space. It''s not an illusion but this also isn''t true reality, an juncture created by my own psychic powers; there''s no way you''ll get used to that kind of removal from ordinary reality."


    "Shut up for a second, the noise isn''t helping."


    Morgant replied in annoyance to Sovereign''s explanation that conveniently missed out on any sort of remedies for the situation. However the only reaction elicited by him was a bemused laugh as he continued staring towards the large red moon.


    "Why do you always stare at the moon whenever you''re here?"


    Morgant asked, grimacing through the pain but he wanted to change the topic to try and distract himself from the migraines. Sovereign turned back with a smile seeing the amusing little expressions that Morgant was making. He paused for a bit just to take a bit more time before answering seriously.


    "The moon is mankind''s greatest achievement. It is the status and symbol of our power to triumph over the forces of nature itself. Unlike the Earth that has gone through strife and turmoil time and time again the moon reflects the tranquil unchanging status of our accomplishments. Like a bright badge shining in the great vastness of the abyssal skies of this new world, it remains forever a reminder of what humanity is capable of. Know this Morgant: to ''Sovereign'' the moon is forever an ally."


    The moon, a never changing celestial body that sung the requiem of old humanity. For Morgant, born and of the new, it was just another unreachable shadow in the grand history of the old. ''An ally to Sovereign...'' Morgant quietly contemplated to himself. Certainly, perhaps it was fate or mere coincidence, but everything that''s happened so far has always been under the gentle guidance of the moon. ''If so...'' Morgant nodded once.


    "Is that so?"


    Morgant tried to reply in a nonchalant manner as to not let Sovereign catch him in a moment of sentimentality. Still, having seen through his fa?ade Sovereign gave a slight chuckle before delving into the real reason he had summoned Morgant.


    "What''s with you? Suddenly laughing at me like that; it''s creepy so cut it out. Anyway why did you bring me? Did you feel like imparting to me some of your wisdom? Or did you just come here to gloat?"


    Morgant asked as he breathed a sigh. He and Sovereign were one and the same, or supposedly that''s how it was supposed to be yet their connection was still incomplete thus creating a noticeable dichotomy between the two.


    "It wouldn''t do for me to interfere in the debut of the new Sovereign. This is your proving ground, make the most of it. No, what I summoned you here for today is to leave you with a suggestion."


    "Suggestion?"


    "Yes, I''ve been thinking about what you told me the last time I called you. The duty of Sovereign was always to preserve and continue the legacy of old humanity, yet that is no longer possible."


    "I''m well aware of that, what''s your point?"


    Morgant asked, still suffering from the adverse effects of the mirror world.


    "My point is this, that even though the old world is no more, remnants of it still exists buried all throughout this world."


    Through the pained expression on his face Morgant could still muster up a small smirk. He understood what Sovereign was trying to say and he had agreed that doing what he suggest would be worthwhile.


    "So what, you want me to become an archaeologist or something?"


    "Nothing of the sort but there is one thing I want you to uncover if you do get the chance."


    This time, as he spoke Sovereign had a solemn expression, as though remembering fondly onto a past that Morgant didn''t have access to yet. Though feeling a little left out Morgant gave a bit of time for the old apparition to himself. Opening his eyes after a brief moment of pause, through his glasses he gazed down at Morgant with one task.


    "During my reign there was a small group of elite individuals under my direct command known as the ''Upper Echelon''. Through them my power and dominion over the world was complete. Well that¡¯s all in the past now, but... if you have the time I would to know what became of them."


    "Ah, so even the evil overlord had some friends."


    Morgant jokingly replied but the comment was swiftly ignored by Sovereign.


    "I don''t think this would be a bad deal for you either since their fates were not known even to me. There is an opportunity here to learn much more than just from my life, I suggest you seize that chance. It could be that some of their technology has continued to remain over to this era, if that is so then it is possible that you could attain power even greater than mine during my peak. In particular it is possible that two of them are still alive, if they are it is crucial you gain their support."


    With that possibility looming over head Morgant froze up for a second. The potential for a genuine article of the old world to still be alive was staggering, almost unbelievable.


    "Two? Not one but two?"


    Sovereign nodded once.


    "The first is actually the central super AI. You''ve already met Ingrid haven''t you? A similar construct only many multitudes more advanced."


    Indeed it was possible for an AI to have survived through the transition of the eras, especially if there was already the precedent of Ingrid. If this AI does continue to exist then it would no doubt prove extremely beneficial, almost crucial even. He wanted to meet it, this...


    "What is it called?"


    Morgant asked.


    "A program known as ''Deus ex Machina'', a quite literal one at that. We often referred to it as simply ''Machina''."


    ¡®God of the machine¡¯, certainly it was a fitting name for an AI. Yet to the Upper Echelon who were made up of Sovereign level entities perhaps just ''machine'' was equally as fitting a name.


    "And the other?"


    "The second is Yui Kirisaki, or ''Nemesis'' as she was named after being inducted into the group."


    As Sovereign spoke her name Morgant felt that he knew who this person was. Searching through Sovereign''s memories she was a particular woman that was unusually enamored by him. She was also the first true success of the Kinesis Enhancement Project, however in the end she, unlike Machina, was still human.


    "How is that even possible? What, does the psychokinetic augmentation increase longevity as well? I don''t know exactly how much time has passed since the old world crumbled down but considering that the remnants of it are all buried deep underground I''d say it''s a bit more than a ¡®few¡¯ years."


    "The augmentation does increase one''s longevity, installing a state of the art powerframe into your body, it would be odd if it didn''t. However that''s not the reason; Nemesis was actually involved in two projects. The first as you know was the Kinesis Enhancement Project¡­ But the second, the one I had always envisioned humanity would have been destined for: ''Human Immortalization Project''."


    It was easy to deduce what the aim of that project was, especially to Morgant who lived in a world of titanic powerhouses and gods. Immortality was not something that was deemed impossible but when viewed from the perspective of the old world limited by their technology and knowledge it was an extraordinary gap to close. They did not attain it through some arbitrary ritual of magic or any other kind of voodoo hocus pocus but through pure dedicated scientific endeavor; through their own blood sweat and tears.


    "Aren''t you guys playing God a bit too much?"


    Morgant joked, he needed to for him to even compute the sheer magnitude of the old world; he needed room to breath.


    However Sovereign simply gave a sinister and dangerous smirk as he looked down upon the small fragile boy. For the first time Morgant felt as though the adjective ''evil'' would be an apt description for his overwhelming predecessor.


    "What unbecoming sentiments for the second Sovereign to have. After all... Humanity was destined to violate and trample all over the Providence of God."


    Morgant could feel his heart rate starting to jump; this situation is exactly what he had been looking for. A mission worthy for the second Sovereign; to reclaim all the apparitions of the old world. To him there was no more exhilarating of a purpose than this.


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    "I suppose if I get the time I can work on a small side project for you."


    ...


    Even before the sun decided to reveal itself onto the cold lands of Vertloch Snowdown, Morgant had already vacated his bed. Preparing himself for another long day he stared himself in the mirror unintentionally stirring back up the memories of what happened last night in the mirror world.  Thinking back on it objectively, if he decided to accept Sovereign¡¯s mission of recapturing the relics of the old world then it would mean that he would someday leave this small town. It wasn¡¯t anything to boast about or really anything at all but it was still the town he had known all his life. The thought of leaving it, potentially for good, was a little unnerving.


    He wryly smiled at himself for a bit before dismissing the thought entirely. For now it was best to just focus on the task at hand which was to trail Sipher¡¯s party as he investigates the strange phenomenon in the forest. Putting on his favorite black jacket he quietly left the orphanage that continued to sleep through the dusk.


    ¡­


    Since Morgant did not possess any sort of life sign detection abilities he had to search entirely with his eyes. It took him a little over an hour to find out where Sipher and Este were starting their investigation but eventually he did meet up and started to stealthily tail them from behind using his [Stealth Field] ability. Just to make sure that he wasn¡¯t hallucinating that time he checked up on Sipher¡¯s threat level again.


    ¡°562¡­ Moderate, so I wasn¡¯t mistaken then.¡±


    The iron clad knight that imposed a serious aura and strength behind every movement truly did feel as though his threat level was well deserved. Though Morgant was still an amateur in combat related fields, even he could tell that there were no gaps in Sipher¡¯s defenses.


    ¡°Fighting that kind of monster might be a little too unfair.¡±


    He commented as he saw the mighty figure walking through the forest. However if Sipher¡¯s threat level¡¯s were justifiably reflected in his movements then Este Fallon¡¯s was the complete opposite. According to her [status] screen it measured her age as ¡®9¡¯ yet her threat level was all the way up at 291. Despite the fact that it was still technically classified as a ¡®low¡¯ number relatively to Morgant it was an absurdly high number for a human child. If even Miko¡¯s values didn¡¯t reach such numbers then it truly told much about the girl¡¯s talents.


    ¡°Sipher, what kind of monster do you think it is?¡±


    Este asked as she followed a few steps behind Sipher. Just from their positioning alone Morgant could feel that it reflected a lot about their coordination as a team. Most likely they had been traveling for quite some time enough to figure out where they worked best on the battlefield. Este at the back as a magician and Sipher on the front line as a heavy tanker, it was the most synergistic combination for a two man squad.


    To Este¡¯s question Sipher shook his head.


    ¡°Even I do not know the answer to that princess. If the townsfolk¡¯s words ring true the most likely we¡¯d be fighting a variant of the Goblin. However Goblins are seldom much of a challenge, even in groups and yet they were still able to wipe out several people. Suffice it to say, whether it¡¯s because we¡¯re in the demon continent or if it¡¯s from any other external factors, those monsters are probably not normal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~ well if it¡¯s you, you could probably take care of the entire situation no problem.¡±


    Este replied with a rather cheerful tone of voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored that you grade my skills so highly but even I¡¯m not always going to be the strongest. There are many monsters and many other people who can far outdo even my own swordsmanship, which is why you need to be stronger as well, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I get that, don¡¯t worry I¡¯m training every day aren¡¯t I? Geez, you really do worry too much; we¡¯ll be fine~ we¡¯ll be fine~¡±


    Este answered, sticking her tongue out behind Sipher¡¯s back as a sign of rebellion against the uptight guard knight. To her nonchalant and childish answer the Grand Praetorian Knight could only chuckle back in a defeated tone.


    ¡°Princess¡­¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ we¡¯re doing this to find my brother after all; I won¡¯t drag your feet down Sipher.¡±


    The atmosphere unexpected turned solemn for a second as Morgant pondered on her words. With her sharing the same family names as him and with that last line it was almost certain that the two points could be connected. That being said Morgant didn¡¯t particularly feel like he wanted to reveal himself to them yet; how could he when he knew almost nothing about them?


    Even if Este was truly on this journey to find her ¡®brother¡¯, it was unwise to simply assume that Sipher was on the same boat. After what he had just painstakingly taught Yvonne not to do, there was no way he could so easily trust their motives at face value. At the very least he needed to uncover their true characters and motives before doing anything. Thus for the time being he decided to watch.


    A few more uneventful hours had passed since they had started investigating into the forest¡¯s strange phenomenon yet not a sigh had shown itself. At this point it wouldn¡¯t have been unreasonable for them to finish up the investigation and accuse the townspeople for lying. However the fact that they really did disappear was undeniable.


    ¡°There¡¯s really nothing here. I mean the forest is nice and all but not a sign of enemy monsters, is this even the demon continent? How can it be that I¡¯ve seen more monsters on the mainland than here?¡±


    Este complained as she sifted through the rubble to find anything interesting.


    ¡°It is said that the demon capital, [Vertloch Skyreach] releases an aura that suppresses monsters. This is the main reason why monster attacks are so rare in this continent despite being inhabited predominantly be demons.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that that¡¯s the reason why the monsters aren¡¯t showing themselves? What, how boring. Here I thought I would finally get some much needed exercise.¡±


    Este playfully commented as she pinched her own stomach.


    ¡°You have been enjoying the inn¡¯s food a lot lately.¡±


    Sipher sarcastically voiced.


    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t help it if they make the food so great here. But¡­ you¡¯re right, I really should start cutting down on the delicious food.¡±


    ¡°Just ask anytime princess, I¡¯m quite confident in my training regime so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll lose that unnecessary weight if you just-¡±


    Sipher was about to comment but before he could finish his sentence he was jumped on by the enemy. They had caught him completely by surprise, in fact it was a completely absurd notion that such a trained knight would fail to pick up on the enemy¡¯s approach.


    Several small bodies tackled him towards the floor but thanks to his experience and skills he quickly recovered, tearing them off his armor and throwing them across the forest.


    ¡°Sipher are you okay?!¡±


    Este shouted as she came rushing to his aid.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine princess, how about you?¡±


    "I¡¯m okay too, what was that?¡±


    Regaining their composure they glanced up to see the true identities of the enemies that had attacked them.


    ¡°Goblins¡­?¡±


    Este questioned as she continued to stare directly at the monsters. She couldn¡¯t even tell if it really was a goblin due to the odd additions to its bodies, specifically they were yellow crystals growing out of them. Their usually earthen skin tone was glowing a putrid yellow and even their eyes lacked pupils.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they are¡­ Kuh, but they don¡¯t seem alive to me.¡±


    Sipher answered as he tightly gripped around his sword and prepared to engage the enemy.


    As all this was happening down below, Morgant had been observing from high atop a tree still in his [Stealth Field]. ¡®Goblin God¡­¡¯ the farmer that was attacked had said something to that effect and certainly with the divine looking yellow crystals growing out of their bodies it would perhaps give such an effect. They certainly gave off a radiant aura but their actions were completely savage and without mercy; feral in other words.


    Morgant tried to [analyze] them to see if it would come up with anything. To his surprise it did.


    Goblin Fighter [Title: Crystalline]


    Age - ??


    Race - Goblin


    Threat Level - 241 (low)


    Affinity - Close Combat


    Condition -Undead


    Ailments - None


    External Effects ¨C Crystalline Curse


    ¡®Undead¡¯ and ¡®Crystalline Curse¡¯ were immediately drawn to Morgant¡¯s attention. He had never seen ordinary goblins before but from the way everyone had been talking about them they probably did not have a threat level of 241. The only explanation was that somehow this ¡®Crystalline Curse¡¯ was giving them more power. It didn¡¯t take much time to link up all the loose ends and he was able to form a basic kind of theory about what was actually going on.


    However he wanted to observe a bit more. This was, after all, to be his debut as the second Sovereign; it needed to be done with a manner most befitting of that title. For now, observe and collect.


    ¡°Crystalline Curse¡­ how interesting.¡±

 Chapter 18 - Dear Este

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 18 - Dear Este


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    The battle between Sipher and the Crystalline Goblin could easily be summed up as ¡®one sided¡¯ to say the least. Initially the goblin was able to get the upper hand with a surprise attack however after it had its presence registered it was all downhill for the ¡®Goblin God¡¯. That wasn¡¯t to say that the battle didn¡¯t yield any useful results for Morgant either; it may have been brief but through their display some interesting discoveries were uncovered.


    The first and most notable observation was the unnatural tenacity of this Crystalline Goblin. Even as its limbs were and torsos were torn apart it continued to crawl through the ground to try and fell its target. It was a disgusting sight as it dragged its torn apart torso through the putrid yellow mire of its own blood while it gargled and shouted in a blood curdling pain. The fact that it could scream in pain meant it could still properly register that sensation, yet despite that it ardently continued to follow its directives.


    ¡®Hmm¡­ or perhaps it really is a zombie¡¯, Morgant continued to study its movements and body structure as it crawled through the floor with its only remaining limb. Still dedicated to its cause it growled in a low humming tone until it eventually expired away from blood loss.


    ¡°I knew you could do it, Sipher. I mean, there¡¯s no way something like a goblin would ever be a match for you!¡±


    Este commented with a hint of enthusiasm in her voice. An understandable reaction to the disgustingly horrific scene as it was her first piece of action since arriving on the demon continent. Yet Sipher¡¯s expression did not meet with her expectations; a serious and contemplative shadow was cast on his face as he examined the felled monster.


    "I think it may be a little quick to rejoice, princess."


    He spoke and recognizing his pensive tone Este also adopted a more steady posture. Despite still being a child she was bright enough to understand the tension in the mood and react accordingly. That being said, while Sipher usually took on a humorless face at most occasions he was rarely, truly serious.


    "Have you figured something out?"


    ¡°Nothing significant¡­ though if I had to say, this monster is already dead.¡±


    "Well yeah, I wouldn''t doubt it after what you''ve done to it."


    "You misunderstand princess, what I mean is that it had been dead long before it appeared before us.¡±


    Sipher corrected her as he pocked the corpse with a long stick to examine further. With Sipher¡¯s observations being in line with what Morgant was able to confirm through his [analyze] ability, it was safe to assume that the theory was probably correct. However going by that assumption many more questions would then rise, mostly in the form was ¡®who¡¯, ¡®how¡¯ and ¡®why¡¯. Yet unfortunately there was no real way to obtain the answers to any of these questions at the current moment. Thus it was decided that Morgant would continue to tail behind Sipher and Este and pick up any further clues he could along the way.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t alive? You mean like they¡¯re undead?¡±


    Este asked as she looked over Sipher¡¯s shoulder to see what was going on with the corpse. She had seen many different corpses of monsters and even fellow people over the years, enough to the point where this kind of scene no longer fazed her as it should have. A fact that brought a little bit trouble to Sipher but he decided to put that matter on hold for now as he wanted to investigate more into the goblin case.


    ¡°Most likely that should be the case, however¡­ even undead exude a certain amount of presence of which I can detect. Yet this monster was completely invisible to my senses, thus I¡¯m not even sure calling it an ¡®undead¡¯ would be entirely correct.¡±


    ¡°Invisible even to your senses?¡±


    Este contemplated on that fact for a while before Sipher lightly tapped her on the shoulders without a word. Glancing up she saw several figures moving about behind the bushes until finally revealing themselves to be similar Crystalline Goblins as before. About twelve in all, each one more fierce looking than the last, perhaps feeling angered that one of their numbers had been so brutally dealt with. Of course that was merely the kind of vehement illusion of emotions that they gave off. In all likelihood they moved purely based on their instincts, anger and directives at all times.


    "What should we do Sipher? Run? Or fight?"


    Este asked in a slight burst of surprise from their creepy stalking entrance.


    "Our mission was to merely investigate what the true phenomenon in the forests were but leaving them alone like this would likely result in future victims. Not to mention that we still haven''t figured out what''s causing these variant of goblins to appear. So against my better judgment I suggest we stay. However that is only if you permit it, princess."


    Without even a moment¡¯s hesitation princess Este replied as she flashed a confident smile.


    "Of course, helping people whenever we can is the motto of the Fallon house after all!"


    She then raised her hands as a small ball of flames formed at the palm of her hands. Morgant had seen this ability being performed before by the self proclaimed Demon Lord, a spell known as [fire bullet]. From what he had known about this skill was that it was a low level elemental spell. While its damage output wasn''t anything to speak about, its quick casting speed, ease of use and overall utility made it an effective spell to use during combat.


    Perhaps it was just his imagination but he thought that Astaroth''s fire bullet was much larger and was cast more in an instant. Then again comparing the magical prowess of a nine year old girl to the Demon Lord may not have been an entirely fair one.


    The battle had commenced with Este''s fire bullet managing to incinerate an entire half of a goblin. Though the blast wasn''t enough to completely annihilate a single goblin it managed to pause the enemy long enough for Sipher to seize the opportunity to rush in and start hacking away. In the blink of an eye threeof the goblins were torn to shred by Sipher''s sword, yet they still held on to life as they struggled desperately in a pool of their own blood.


    While Sipher took the front lines, from the back Este continued hurling fire bullets towards the enemy with great ease. It was almost an amazing sight to behold; the scene of a nine year old girl happily lobbing fire at monsters. The goblins, managing to dodge a few of them rush past Sipher and, holding their primitive clubs up high, dashed towards Este''s position. However what they were rewarded with was not victory but a pierced torso as a large pillar of ice erupted from the grounds, impaling all enemies.


    ¡°Hah ha! Did you think you could get to me so easily? How do you like my [Glacial Pillar Trap]?! I¡¯ve already cast several offensive protection magic on myself before the battle had even begun!"


    Several of the goblins that made it past Sipher were all easily taken care of by Este''s guard trap. Impaled along a thin piece of sharp blue ice the goblins failed to die but we''re entirely incapacitated. They tried to struggle out but the more they did the more damage they suffered in turn, yet even though that was the case they endured on their self destructive path to freedom.


    Feeling a little abhorred by the sight Este spawned more fire bullets to blast away the zombie goblins. However she had summoned too many fire bullets at once as she felt squeamish about the view and nearly exhausted her entire mana supply. Unlike Sipher, Este was still a child thus using too much power had left her rather exhausted.


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    "That''s enough princess, I''ll take it from here."


    Noticing her haggard breathing Sipher point her to a comfortable looking rock and told her to catch her breath. Holding nothing back Sipher readied his blade before the few crystalline goblins before him. They paused for a moment after sensing his formidable pressure but ultimately they charged forward as though they were possessed by something. Their reckless disregard for their own lives made them not necessarily more difficult to fight but much more uncomfortable to cut down. It felt as though the only one who truly considered the goblins as living beings was the opponent himself.


    Sipher clicked his tongue in annoyance as he cut them down one by one, yet even his most powerful swings weren''t enough to completely kill them offin a single hit. The only true way to kill them was to damage them beyond recognition.


    They weren''t particularly hard to slay, only that they took more damage to do so than what was expected. Even for the ''Grand Praetorian Knight'' it was the first time facing such a ridiculous opponent; he was unable to estimate just how many strikes it took to completely kill one.


    "Kyahh!"


    As he was fighting the goblins the screams of his princess could be heard from behind. Instantly reacting to her voice he turned around to see that Este had been surrounded by even more crystalline goblins that suddenly appeared from nowhere. Normally he would''ve easily caught anyone getting too close to the princess but these monsters were different, they couldn''t be detected by normal senses.


    "Princess!"


    Sipher shouted as he abandoned his fight to go to her rescue but even at his top speeds it was obvious that he would never make it. ''No!'' he screamed within the depths of his mind as he desperately tried to get to her location but the goblins were just about in attack range. With Este''s protection magic failing to activate due to her depleted mana supply, even the talented sorceress princess was just about as vulnerable as any nine year old at this point.


    As his probably sister was about to be mauled to death Morgant thought about the situation for a little bit. Since he had the [Enhanced Kinetic Vision] and his cognitive capabilities were impossibly accelerated he had a bit of leisure to do so. He thought about how if the old Sovereign was in his shoes right now he would probably leave her to her death just to see what kind of reaction and abilities Sipher would unleash.


    However Morgant was not that kind of Sovereign... yet. He thought that it was possible that, even though they shared the same ideologies, there was still a fundamental discrepancy between the old Sovereign and himself. Perhaps in time as more and more memories are integrated with his own those disparities would cease to exist, but for now Morgant was still different enough to make a judgment that divulged from the choices of the old Sovereign.


    Morgant took a deep breath as he prepared himself. Several small rocks started orbit around him as they emitted a majestic blue tint. [Telekinesis], the ability to manipulate objects without physical interaction, using this skill Morgant carved and sharpened the floating rocks to form a sort of stone bullet. In addition he spun them around to give a drilling effect for extra penetration damage.


    Making a gun shape with his hand Morgant pointed towards the goblins that were just about to swing down. Since his Kinetic Vision allowed him to perceive everything in slow motion it wasn''t too hard to get a deadly accurate shot.


    "Bang."


    As Morgant spoke the stone bullets ceased orbiting around him and flew into the direction he point at.


    "Este!¡±


    Sipher called out to her from the top of his lungs as desperation and fear slowly sunk into the depths of his heart. Then finally the guilt, guilt that he had failed the house Fallon, of which he had sworn his undying loyalty towards, by letting their only known heir perish to the hands of mere goblins. All he could do now was pray that he would make it in time but even to himself he knew that was never going to happen no matter how much he wished for it.


    He reached out to her just to get a little bit closer, but then¡­


    ¡°Kyah?!¡±


    The goblins stopped in their tracks as their savage stone clubs were just few inches short from pummeling Este¡¯s face. The expression on their faces seemed to portray confusion as they themselves didn¡¯t understand why their hands had stopped moving. A large circular hole was bored into their foreheads as putrid yellow ooze leaked out in a gruesome manner.


    The ¡®Crystalline Curse¡¯ gave them pseudo immortality, yet with a large hole replacing where their brains used to be they couldn¡¯t issue any sort of commands to their bodies. The result was paralysis. Slowly Este opened her tear filled eyes to see that she was not yet dead and the goblins ceased to move. Confusion and fear continued to grip her until Sipher managed to finally get over and calm her down with a full body embrace.


    As though a father trying to relieve his daughter he stroke her hair until she was able to regain her lost composure. It wasn¡¯t just Este but Sipher could feel his own distraught heart also starting to relax as it synchronized with Este¡¯s. As the tensions and desperation started to leave his body he wryly started to laugh at himself, in happiness, that Este was somehow saved.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ S- Sipher, I¡¯m fine now, you can let go.¡±


    Este tried to struggle out of his grasp but he didn¡¯t want to let go and continued just for a short while longer. In his relieved mindset, and due to their uncanny ability to avoid detection, he had forgotten all about the crystalline goblins he had ignored to get to her. Before he had even noticed it they were in attack range and even got in a few shots but their pitiful attacks simply deflected off of his solid armor and in retaliation drove a sword through their skulls.


    He didn¡¯t kill them but just like before, without their brains they couldn¡¯t move their bodies. They froze in place, unable to die but also unable to budge an inch.


    He sighed as he let go of the princess in his arms who feeling flustered. However as he was about to rejoice in the battle¡¯s end and relax he was interrupted by another sound coming from behind. Three ominous claps, as he wasn¡¯t able to sense their approach he had assumed that more goblins had shown up and instantly launched his sword towards the target.


    However once he turned around he saw the figure of a small boy, no older than seven years of age. Dark, almost deathly colored hair and green eyes filled with the utmost clarity and near malignant confidence, he had noticed too late and his sword continued on its trajectory right for the boy¡¯s head. He tried everything in his power to stop, yet even though he had managed to stop his own arm, the momentum of the great sword in his hands wouldn¡¯t. He instinctively shut his eyes to avoid the gore but no sound ever came from the impact.


    Opening his eyes he saw an almost impossible scene; the sword had been stopped right in its track. The boy had effortlessly stopped it with two fingers. No words could describe how this was even possible, but the boy smiled innocently as he responded.


    ¡°[Zerst?rung des Gehirns; L?hmung.] Even if they don''t die so easily, without a brain they can''t move.¡±

 Chapter 19 - The integrity of the human spirit

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 19 ¨C The integrity of the human spirit


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    "Who... what are you?"


    Sipher asked as he gazed into the vastness of the unfathomable boy¡¯s deep green eyes. Eyes that were extremely reminiscent to that of his dear princess¡¯ yet at the same not truly so; they were similar in only shape and color but for everything they were like night and day. Este¡¯s eyes were filled usually with a sense of innocence and steadfast clarity, while boy¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but malignant and overwhelming confidence. It was almost frightening for Sipher to even contemplate about just what kind of adult this boy would eventually become should he continue to see the world through such lenses.


    Despite possessing such cruel eyes, the boy in front of him did not appear to have any intentions of becoming an enemy. Even though everything, from his purported carefree postures to his callously soothing smile laden with obvious hidden intentions, told him to be cautious, Sipher could do nothing but be mesmerized by his presence. The boy was dangerous for sure, if nothing else the fact that he could stop Sipher¡¯s sword was a testament to whatever unknown powers he possessed behind that carefree fa?ade. However for now all Sipher could do was continue to be ¡®cautious¡¯ as his guts told him that it was better to not turn the boy into an ¡®enemy¡¯.


    Still lodged impossibly tightly between the boy¡¯s two fingers the sword refused to move an inch no matter how much strength Sipher tried to put into it. Once more he tried to contest the boy¡¯s malicious green eyes just to see what he was playing at only to be returned by a devious and mocking chuckle, ¡®fufufu~¡¯. An invisible tug of war was taking place with the battle tilting to the direction of a seven year old boy against a heavily experienced knight. Eventually the boy conceded and let go of the sword but as he did Sipher was pushed back a few steps due to the momentum. Regaining his footing and posture it was now almost necessary, for Sipher¡¯s own sanity, to understand this mysterious boy¡¯s true identity.


    ¡°What-¡±


    Just as he was about to repeat the question about the boy¡¯s identity he was cut off by an answer, though not quite what he was looking for.


    ¡°Who or what I am isn¡¯t important right now; what is important are the origin of these creatures.¡±


    Shifting his gaze from Sipher the boy pointed to one of the unmoving goblins. They continued to idly stand there like a statue, unmoving now that they no longer possessed a brain to do so. Unable to die, unable to move and unable to even think, only experience; it was a fate that denied even the sweat embrace of death. It was obvious now that what kept the goblins sustained were the yellow crystals embedded onto their bodies, however nothing greater than that could be surmised from mere observation. What the true intentions of this were and the how they had operated were all shrouded in as much mystery as the boy.


    ¡°Not important? I disagree, you seem to possess similar abilities to avoid detection as these goblins do. You can¡¯t be expecting me to believe that you truly have nothing to do with them. If you really do not wish to answer¡­¡±


    Sipher drew his sword knowing full well that his attacks were already stopped once. This was less an act of caution or threat but more of a show of principle, that Sipher would not accept such nonsensical replies from a mere child. Yet even as the sword danced about him the boy¡¯s smile did not slip from his face, in fact he grew even more annoyingly arrogant as he saw through Sipher¡¯s ploy. He did not care and simply continued on with his own pace.


    It wasn¡¯t as though the boy¡¯s movements were particularly experienced, in fact the opposite could be argued. That the boy¡¯s posture and movements were filled nothing but openings and vulnerabilities, however that was precisely the point that made Sipher doubt. Those points were too clean and obvious, almost as though there were a trap and once he moved in for them there would be no way out if they were indeed so. The worst part was that it almost felt as though the boy understood this and used this fear of the unknown growing within Sipher¡¯s mind to exploit it.


    Sipher clicked his tongue towards this unfathomable ¡®foe¡¯; he truly was ¡®dangerous¡¯.


    ¡°My technique to avoid detection is solely my own and has nothing to do with those goblins. Whether you wish to believe that or not is, of course, entirely up to your discretion.¡±


    Belittling Sipher¡¯s conviction the boy started to pace about the frozen goblins in an academic manner; studying them and recording all the observation to his mind. He whispered to himself such phrases as ¡®hmm~¡¯, ¡®Ah¡¯, ¡®So then¡­¡¯ but never truly giving an opportunity for either Sipher or Este to join in.


    ¡°Even though the brain is removed they continue to cling onto life. Their tenacity is nothing short of disgusting¡­¡±


    The boy commented as he reached out to one of the goblins and touched directly with the protruding yellow crystal. He made more observations aligned with ¡®doesn¡¯t particularly feel alive¡­¡¯ or ¡®how does this work?¡¯ However no matter how much he studied it with his eyes there was no way he could come to any sort of immediate and detailed conclusion, thus there was only one course of action left. With the monstrous strength demonstrated to Sipher through the sword tug of war the boy ripped one of the crystals out of the goblins body.


    The goblin screamed for a good few seconds before falling down onto the ground as yellow ooze leaked out of their wounds. After struggling a bit more it had expired on the spot now that nothing was sustaining it.


    ¡°So they can still feel pain without a brain? Perhaps the crystal acts as a second brain and is connected to the nerve endings? No wait, do undead even feel pain in the first place? Hmmm¡­ [Analyze]¡­ so it¡¯s called a ¡®Monolith Shard¡¯.¡±


    Even after taking a closer examination of the crystal the boy concluded that no real results could be conjured out of just staring at it. Sipher and Este continued to watch as the boy whispered some incoherent words in a tongue that couldn¡¯t be understood by either of them. Once he chanted those magical foreign words the yellow crystal in his hands had disintegrated into oblivion, leaving not even a minute trace.


    ¡°[Monolith Shard, Matter deconstruction].¡±


    ¡°Eh? Huh?!¡±


    Este who had remained silent up until now shouted in surprise as no trace of the crystal was left in the boy¡¯s hands. It wasn''t just this that had surprised her about him, since the very beginning there was just something about this cryptic boy¡¯s presence that had resonated deeply within her. She had stayed silent up until now to understand what exactly it was that she was feeling but no matter how hard she tried she could not discern its true nature.


    On one hand it was as though she was looking into a mirror, the boy shared many suspect similarities to her  but on the other hand they were all wrong. Perhaps it was a mirror, but it was a horribly corrupted and distorted mirror if that was the case, oozing an air of foreboding and magnificence, she wondered what his incomprehensible endgame was. When she made sudden eye contact with him she had just as quickly averted her gaze feeling as though it would pull her into his pace and she would lose sense of herself.


    ¡°Your name¡­ can you at least tell us your name?¡±


    Este asked still trying to not look directly at him. Finally he shook his head as he answered with a somewhat distant and sad tone.


    ¡°[Wir Alle Haben Geheimnisse], I cannot; even you have some things you¡¯d like to keep to yourself, right? Este Fallon.¡±


    As he called her out by name it finally dawned on them the exceedingly apparent disparity in the information they had in each other. While it wasn¡¯t as though Este¡¯s identity was particularly a secret, they had tried to limit the number of people who actually knew her status. All they could do now was adopt a more defensive strategy and try to limit the information leak as much as possible.


    Sipher had even walked up and physically covered Este just in case.


    ¡°The difference in our understanding of each other¡­ isn¡¯t it a little unfair?¡±


    Este asked while hiding behind Sipher¡¯s large frame, yet to that question Morgant could only let out a small, amused scoff.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Information is everything¡­ ¡®princess¡¯; having it or not could be the difference between life and death. That being said, in this particularly situation I don¡¯t have any opposition to sharing what I know, unfortunately I do also see a lot of benefits in not telling you. So between those two choices I¡¯ve opted to let you figure out everything on your own time.¡±


    To his answer neither Este nor Sipher could respond; they couldn¡¯t really fault his logic nor force him to speak. After all, since he had technically ¡®saved¡¯ Este¡¯s life at the beginning they were on the losing side of the discussion. Knowing this the boy flashed an arrogant smirk as he casually tried to leave. Perhaps he had finished whatever he wanted to accomplish or he simply ran out of things to gloat over.


    It was a strange feeling that Sipher felt as he saw the small back starting to walk away. It was as though a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders but at the same time he couldn¡¯t help but feel that watching him leave now would be a wasted opportunity. He knew that once the boy was out of his sight it was possible that they¡¯ll never even meet again, especially with his ability to avoid detection from even powerful and trained warriors.


    ¡°Wait, boy.¡±


    Sipher called out, but as he did he found himself strangely out of things he wanted to ask. No, rather, it was that he had too much he wanted to ask but he was sure that the boy would not give him any real answers; he couldn¡¯t ask.


    The boy coldly turned back and stared with an almost death inviting glare.


    ¡°Hmm? Did you have anything left to say?¡±


    Far from charisma, the boy¡¯s underdeveloped and slightly high pitched voice did not evoke any sense of a real threat. It wasn¡¯t his voice however, it was his words and the way he spoke those words that actually brought on a very real sense of danger and foreboding. Enough to make a fully grown man, a decorated knight at that, to feel ''fear''.


    ¡°Are you sure you know nothing about these goblins?¡±


    The boy took a deep breath as he pondered on that question for a brief moment. It wasn¡¯t a smile, but an irritated frown that was next etched on his face. This only served to enhance the atmosphere of peril about him.


    ¡°I may¡­ have a few guesses¡­ I- ugh!¡±


    The boy dropped to the floor as he placed his hands on his forehead. A powerful seeming headache attacking him from out of the blue. It was a strange sight, the sight of such a formidable being now on his knees. Este¡¯s first instinct was to call out and see if something was wrong but Sipher had stopped her just in case it was something dangerous. One could never be any more careful with a being that could project so much insecurity in the Grand Praetorian Knight.


    ¡°That¡­ noise.¡±


    After that the boy, still on his knees stopped moving.


    ¡­


    [2082 C.E]


    ¡°Welcome back to the [Nexus], Director Callahad.¡±


    A computerized voice echoed through the small room Sovereign had just entered. It was a VIP room that could literally oversee all operations in the facility known as the ¡®Nexus¡¯. Pieces of electronic and monitors plastered over every wall, with scientists, engineers and soldiers alike all busily going about their day from below.


    Feeling constrained by his clothing Sovereign loosened up his tie a little as he fell down powerlessly onto a comfortable looking burgundy sofa. He let out a long sigh trying to catch his breath. He closed his eyes to absorb the happenings of the day and what other trials and tribulations would no doubt come for him tomorrow. There was no doubt he was feeling overwhelmed by the path he had chosen to walk but it was one that someone had to. Resigned to his fate he turned to his left and on the small table was a cup of whiskey.


    Gently picking up the small clear cup he slowly felt the soothing ooze of the cold brown alcohol run down his throat. He was so fatigued he couldn¡¯t even feel the taste but at the very least now his mouth wasn¡¯t dry. Feeling a bit of life coming back into him he asked the computerized voice.


    ¡°Machina, anything to report?¡±


    ¡°Nothing too unusual to report Director, only another small rebellion had broken out in the US, Italy and Central China, but that has since been swiftly dealt with.¡±


    The voice spoke out in an indifferent manner.


    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s usually what tends to happen when you take people¡¯s freedom and privacy away from them.¡±


    Another voice spoke as it entered the small VIP room. An elderly man in the top of his physique adorned over by a pure white lab coat. His once black hair was now being invaded by several strands of white causing a unique mix of white and black.


    ¡°Edmund.¡±


    ¡°Aran.¡±


    The two greeted simply by calling out their first names. They were the administration¡¯s number one and two; the two being who held the greatest amount of power and resources in the entire world¡­ and they were the closest of confidantes.


    ¡°What happened to Nemesis?¡±


    Sovereign asked as he glanced at Edmund¡¯s direction. ¡®Nemesis¡¯ being the first true success of the Kinesis Enhancement Project and thus the first super soldier, was tasked solely with being Sovereign¡¯s bodyguard. However at times he had lent her out to Edmund to aid in missions or experiments. This time was no exception but whereas usually she would accompany him back to Sovereign¡¯s side she was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°She went to suppress the local rebellion population we ran into on our way back. But I have to say, that girl is amazing; did you know she had already unlocked [Level 5 Psychokinesis]?¡±


    Edmund responded in a gleeful tone.


    ¡°Already? Our estimated projections theorized that it would take her at least seven years; it¡¯s hardly been three.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying that she¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it could do with the fact that she¡¯s a phase one psychokinetic¡­ only once the operations hit phases two and three does synthesis come into play. Phase two and three subjects will likely have considerably less psychic power but in exchange they will have more support from tech to help them master various situations and environments, while phase one subjects don¡¯t have that leisure since they have less tech but they do get more psychokinesis at their disposal.¡±


    ¡°Well yes, the entire point was bio/tech synthesis. Still, raw psychokinetic power is especially a spectacle once you see it up close.¡±


    In a manner reminiscent to a small child talking about their favorite toy truck, Professor Edmund Weisner spoke of Nemesis in the same regard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you. Still, these upcoming rebellions are a pain. Though I suppose once we get ¡®Gungnir¡¯ active that will all be a thing of the past.¡±


    Sovereign spoke as he changed topics.


    ¡°It is a little worrisome that we¡¯ll have to divert a lot of resources into quelling those rebels; it could delay our plans a little further than expected at this rate.¡±


    Changing his tone Edmund also commented with a grimace on his face. Walking up to the large open window of the VIP room he stared down at all the people hard at work to bring about the ¡®future¡¯ of mankind. It was for these people and the entirety of human future that both Sovereign and Edmund worked tirelessly to achieve their goals.


    ¡°I apologize for the interruption, Director. However on that point I do have a small suggestion.¡±


    Machina spoke through the room¡¯s intercom system.


    ¡°Hoh? Speak, I¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    Sovereign responded.


    ¡°I propose we remodel your [Subdermal Nanite Armor] technology and introduce a small ¡®virus¡¯ to the rebel populations. This virus will enter their bodies and once their brain shuts down their bodies will become an autonomous soldier fighting on our side.¡±


    ¡°Zombie soldiers is it? Hah, this computer is more devious than you; are you sure it was the correct choice in creating such an AI?¡±


    Edmund asked Sovereign.


    ¡°On the contrary ¡®Professor¡¯ Weisner, compared to you or I who can wipe out other humans without batting an eye, Machina is far more human. However, this time I will be declining its proposal. The one thing I don¡¯t need is an apathetic zombie slave army; human spirit is never to be trifled with or insulted in such a manner.¡±

 Chapter 20 - Land of the Dead

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 20 ¨C Land of the Dead


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    "[We do not desecrate the land of the dead unless that is what they will.]"


    A voice rang through Morgant''s head as the pain only served to accentuate that message over and over. With the constant white noise in the background disrupting every other thought all he could do was absorb those words like a sponge. Only when he had accepted those terms did the feeling of pain start to slowly subside. Hunched over with haggard breaths, an awful and tired look upon his face he silently cursed Sovereign for that unnecessarily painful flashback.


    "[Tsk, Dammit. Is this your way of telling me that you weren''t involved?]"


    Morgant asked in the old world tongue, of course no reply would come for him but he felt as though the silence was a tacit confirmation of that to be. A few seconds had gone by and slowly Morgant was able to regain his former composure as the headache and insufferable white noise dissipated. With a sigh of relief he stood up and faced the two confused faces studying him carefully but maintaining their distance.


    "Forgive me for that unsightly display."


    Morgant apologized, no longer possessing the same air of arrogant or overwhelming maliciousness. After his initial first impression there was no way they could ever see him as an ordinary child ever again, but right now without his overbearing aura he was at least much closer to one. With that in mind they approached him with a little less caution to help him up but they were refused. Putting his right hand up to halt them, what Morgant wanted most now was a little room to himself to catch his breath.


    "I''m fine; you don''t need to come any closer. In any case I don''t know anything about these monsters, sorry."


    "Wait, boy!"


    Sipher tried to stop him but before he had even had time to register Morgant''s  movements he was already gone. Though in truth all that had happened was that Morgant simply moved away from Sipher''s field of vision and with his stealth field was easily able to disappear.


    Managing to escape and avoiding the responsibility of explaining everything Morgant found himself up high on a random tree. It was like this every time with Sovereign''s flashback or if memory integration was too sped up. He needed time for himself to think about it and adjust accordingly but right now, with these new monsters showing up, such opportunities were sparse.


    Away from the sight of any monsters or wild animals, Morgant leaned his head softly against the sides of a tree. A pleasant scent entered his nose, accentuated by the tranquil echoes of the forests and rustling of leaves. A cool breeze brushed passed his face as the warm embrace of darkness overcame him.


    ...


    While Morgant was out trying to excavate more information about the incident from the front lines, Yvonne and Francisco were still cooped up at the Longmoore Trading Post. Feeling a little constrained from the lack of action they were taking Yvonne paced about the room in a very noticeable manner.


    "Settle down Yvonne, wasting energy like that won''t solve anything."


    Unable to concentrate on his merchantry work due to Yvonne''s restlessness Francisco slammed his pen down to scold her from behind his desk. Although the initial loud noise from the pen did catch her attention all he got back from her was an annoyed rebuke.


    "I don''t get how you can sit there so calmly and continue to do work while people are still disappearing from this town."


    "I prefer not to waste time driving myself insane about something so clearly out of my control."


    "Out of your control? Weren''t you the one who said that the true culprit behind the disappearances and attacks was someone in town? If you really believe in that shouldn''t you be investigating or something?"


    "And why, pry tell, must I do something like that? No one is paying me after all, certainly not you. Besides it''d be very hard to conduct an ''investigation'' when we don''t even know the nature of these attacks and disappearances. All we can do is speculate the most likely suspects from possible motivations and wait for the boy to bring more information."


    As Francisco spoke he could feel the harmful glare that Yvonne was giving off due to his poor choice of words. Seeing her angered expression he was quick to surrender; he wasn''t Morgant who hid absurdly monstrous strength behind the fa?ade of a fragile human boy. He knew that he would lose straight out in a fist fight with the town guard''s captain.


    With a defeat sigh Francisco threw up his hands to appease her anger.


    "Alright, I got it so please stop making that face. It''s exceedingly more terrifying if you do it with those vampiric eyes."


    The corners of her mouth turned ever so slightly upwards to form a subtle but satisfied smile, Yvonne gave an approving nod as she answered his plea by deactivating her ''vampiric'' gaze.


    "Great now let''s go."


    "Go where?"


    "Huh? You just said you''d take this a little more seriously so let''s go investigate."


    Another sigh, Francisco shook his head as nothing he told her was absorbed through her thick skull.


    "Now see here Yvonne, like I said, doing an investigation now would yield no results if we don''t have any of the initial parameters. Things like ''how they''re kidnapping people'' and ''what exactly is assaulting people'' are still in the unknown to us."


    Yvonne paused to think for a moment before responding.


    "So... what? Are you saying that all we can do is sit around and wait for Morgant to return with information?"


    Francisco nodded.


    "That''s what I''ve been telling you from the beginning. Though to be fair we don''t even have to look that far; I have a fairly good idea on who the potential suspect candidates might be anyway. That being said, I am a little curious as to whether the boy would come to the same conclusions as me.


    "What?!"


    Yvonne shouted, her loud voice echoing through the door and onto the lower floors of trading post for everyone to hear.


    "Argh, what is it? Shouting at me so suddenly..."


    "You just said you know who the culprits are."


    "No, I said that I had a good idea on who they might be; listen."


    "Whatever, just spill it out; who is it?"


    Ignoring Francisco''s refute Yvonne reach over the table and pulled his collar closer to her. Now face to face her question could now no longer be ignored. Reactivating her vampiric red eyes she gazed into his eyes deeply as though trying to hypnotize him into a confession. :


    "T-there are three."


    "Three?"


    "Yes, now would you mind getting your hands off my shirt? You''re a lot stronger than you look¡­ and I''m starting to suffocate."


    Realizing his face turning red from the lack of oxygen, Yvonne immediately let go and Francisco fell down violently onto his chair. Believing that she over did it she took a few steeps back in shame as the sounds of intense coughing came from beyond the table.


    "... Well, in any case there are three prime suspects. The first is the special guest that the mayor had invited without prior warning. I believe his name was ''Enrich'' or something to that effect. Though to be fair he''s only there because I don''t know much about him and thus is reason enough to be cautious of."


    "Just because you don''t know him he''s a suspect? Isn''t that a little unfair? Then what about that knight, Sipher and that robed girl he was with, shouldn¡¯t they technically be suspects too?"


    Yvonne interjected in the mysterious Enrich''s defense but all she got in return was a pitiful glare from Francisco.


    "Haven''t you learnt anything through your little fight with Morgant? It''s precisely because we don''t know him we should be cautious. As for Sipher and the girl, they are suspects but the boy has that side covered for now."


    "I... I see. Yes , you''re right; I''ll keep that in mind. So who''s the second?"


    "Gerald."


    "Eh?"


    "You know the Adventurer Association''s branch leader here at Vertloch."


    "I know who he is, but why him? With his timid personality he''s the complete opposite of suspicious if you ask me. I can''t follow your logic."


    "Well I didn''t expect you to with your... ''unfortunate'' brain."


    "Are you trying to start a fight? Okay... let''s step outside for a bit why don''t we?"


    Yvonne started to crack her knuckles as she menacingly approached Francisco.


    "C-calm down it was a joke. Ah, your eyes activated again, I''m sorry Ms Yvonne. Ahem¡­ where was I? Oh yes, as I said the second most likely culprit is Gerald. From my perspective that man has always been thirsting for something that he could never find in this small town."


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    Yvonne stared blankly back at him, unsure of what he was trying to say. As the Townguard captain she and Gerald had worked together on various different expeditions mostly security projects and monster subjugations. Yet during that time she had never felt as though he had been particularly out of place or did anything suspicious, at the very least he appear to be the kind of person who would pull these kinds of wretched stunts.


    ¡°What do you mean? He may be a little timid at times, sure, but other than that he¡¯s a respected member of Vertloch Snowdown. I¡¯ve never seen him as power hungry or shown any sort of inclination to do anything like this.¡±


    Francisco nodded his head in agreement to what she was saying; those were all true, however that¡¯s not the only truth.


    ¡°Trust me. That man may look timid but he¡¯s a lot more capable than he lets on. Just how do you think he became the administrative leader of the Adventurer¡¯s Association at the mere age of 27? I¡¯ll tell you now but you need to be a little bit more than just ¡®capable¡¯ to be granted such a title, even if it was just a beginner¡¯s branch. Besides, he¡¯s not a native to Vertloch either, so his background is a total unknown and therefore subject to suspicion.¡±


    While she understood what Francisco was trying to say, Yvonne was still unconvinced about putting Gerald as a possible suspect. Francisco did not know him as she did; he had never worked with him directly unless it was about budge concerns or any other type of investments.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ you¡¯ve never seen him on the battlefield. I¡¯m sure your mind would change if you do, because he¡¯s the kind of person that really knows how to take care of his own.¡±


    ¡°Are we though¡­? Are we one of his own, or are we just some no-name yokels from a no-name town in the middle of the demon continent? You¡¯re so caught up in appearances that you fail to see what lies behind those masks, think about it. You and I, we¡¯ve grown up here so we have some sort of attachment to this place and can call it home, but he¡¯s an outsider.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying outsiders aren¡¯t welcome?¡±


    ¡°I never said that, what I¡¯m trying to correlate for you is the obvious connections. He¡¯s young and he¡¯s and adventurer, yet he¡¯s stuck in his office all day handling administrative work in a small, irrelevant backwater town. You think that¡¯s what he wanted to accomplish by the age of 27?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t know, let¡¯s just drop this for now. Who¡¯s the last suspect you had in mind?¡±


    ¡°Mayor Dalton. Also you can cross Enrich off that list, he¡¯s an emissary from the Demon Lord herself; at the very least it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯s involved in any of this directly.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Francisco who had answered Yvonne¡¯s question but a familiar voice that came out of nowhere. They both stood up in surprise and turned to see who was behind them. The figure of a small child, though unlike last time where he had an arrogant posture and an almost infuriatingly condescending smile right now he had bags under his eyes and a realistic frown.


    ¡°What happened to you? You look¡­¡±


    Yvonne took out a piece of tissue from her pocket and mixed it with some of the water from Francisco¡¯s mug. She crouched down and wiped some of the fatigue off of Morgant¡¯s face but it was only barely better than before.


    ¡°Tired? Yes, I realize and I apologize for my appearance. Something¡­ came up.¡±


    ¡°We can do this later if you¡¯re so tired.¡±


    Francisco asked ushering him to the sofa. Morgant collapsed as all of his muscles started to untangle itself and a wave of relaxation overcame him. However he couldn¡¯t rest yet as there was still work to be done.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I¡¯m fine for now. Anyway you were talking about the final suspect, am I correct in assuming you also had Mayor Dalton in mind?¡±


    Asked Morgant, his eyes closed and lying on the sofa, it was almost as if he was talking from his sleep.


    ¡°Well yes, that¡¯s exactly who I had in mind.¡±


    Francisco replied as he returned to his chair and swirled it around to gaze out the window of his office. The sun dyed the small snow covered town a vibrant orange and as the light mingled in the snow below it created an ironic scene of warmth. As though drops of orange happiness were falling from the sky it was a scene that could only exist in the world of fantasy.


    ¡°Wait a minute you two, that doesn¡¯t make any sense; why would the mayor of all people be a suspect in of this? I mean he¡¯s the mayor, the one person that cares about the town more than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ which is exactly why he¡¯s a suspect.¡±


    Francisco replied in yet another vague manner that was a little too hard for Yvonne to fully comprehend the first time.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What he means is¡­ when you have something you desperately care about, more than anything in the world, wouldn¡¯t you go to extremes just to keep it safe?¡±


    Morgant chipped and answered for Francisco.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ but I don¡¯t see what this has to do with the current incident. Are you saying that the mayor is keeping the town safe by having monsters abduct and assault the townspeople?¡±


    ¡°About the abduction thing¡­ it could be some sort of trade.¡±


    Morgant changed the topics as he got up from the sofa to sit upright.


    ¡°A trade?¡±


    Asked Francisco. His brows twitched up, his interests piqued; the notion that a person could be ¡®traded¡¯ wasn¡¯t entirely a foreign concept to him however he had a feeling that Morgant wasn¡¯t talking exactly about ¡®slavery¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll explain now what I learnt from today¡¯s expedition.¡±


    Morgant spent the next hour or so explaining to Francisco and Yvonne about what had happened in the forest. About the goblins, about the ¡®crystalline curse¡¯, about Sipher and Este as well, none of it was omitted except for one part. His memories and the flashback he had been shown by Sovereign, there was no need for either of them to know that and Morgant had prepared to take the secret to his grave if necessary.


    ¡°A nigh immortal, powerful goblin shrouded by a golden aura with crystals and gems encrusted on its body. Well¡­ even I might be inclined to call such a thing god if I happened to stumble upon it."


    Francisco commented as he took a step back with his chair.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ horrible yes, but I still don¡¯t see how the mayor could possibly be involved in all of this. From what you¡¯ve just described to me it only sounds like some new and powerful variant of goblins popped up. Though it is a rare event, new variants do form all the time.¡±


    Yvonne added in the mayor¡¯s defense.


    ¡°The first stage is just goblins; those crystals make the subject turn nigh immortal and raise their strengths a thousand fold¡­ or at least enough to make goblins a serious threat. What do you think would happen if an already demon were to be subjected to that ¡®crystalline curse¡¯? Say¡­ a vampire like yourself.¡±


    Morgant replied.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the mayor¡¯s trying to make some sort of crystal zombie army? In the first place how can you tell if this is not just a natural phenomenon?¡±


    ¡°No, not the mayor, someone else is likely using him to achieve just that. That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s a trade. As for whether it¡¯s a natural phenomenon, those goblins had no sense of self preservation but they did have a purpose. They came at us with every intention to die for whatever ¡®cause¡¯ they believed in, that¡¯s not something you can make feral goblins do with a natural phenomenon. I believe someone was using those goblins from afar.¡±


    Morgant corrected Yvonne.


    ¡°So someone powerful enough is forcing the mayor to secretly trade villagers for ¡®safety¡¯¡­ is what you¡¯re saying, right boy?¡±


    Francisco theorized.


    ¡°Something like that, yet of course we can¡¯t just rule out the possibility that this is all mere speculation. It could still be the Adventurer¡¯s Association leader or anyone else so keep an open mind when you investigate. In the mean time I think I¡¯ll go back to the forest and search for more clues on how this ¡®crystalline curse¡¯ works and what exactly its functions are.¡±


    ¡°What, now? It¡¯s almost dark; you should go back before Diana starts worrying about you again. Why are you so adamant to do this all of a sudden?¡±


    Francisco tried to advise against it but Morgant¡¯s mind was already made up.


    ¡°Because they¡¯ve desecrated the land of the dead and I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re not going to be stopping at goblins after all, at the very least I want to crash the party if I¡¯m not invited to it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    Yvonne stopped him and declared with a confidant smile.

 Chapter 21 - Demon Lord

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 21 ¨C Demon Lord


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Several small pieces of rubble floated gently above ground as they emitted a faint blue tint. As the planets danced around the sun so too did these small blue stones, acting as both Morgant''s shield and sword. Abandoning all notions of stealth and caution Morgant and Yvonne made a daring straight line through the forest. His plan was now to draw out the enemy controlling those goblins through force and he was prepared to over turn the entire forest if he found it necessary.


    Several crystalline goblins showed up to contest his ceaseless violence through their sacred grounds. They drew their primitive stone clubs and charged towards him with every intent on giving up their own lives to stop Morgant. Yet in the end they could only accomplish half of what they had set out to do, that being that they were completely annihilated with a snap of a finger.


    The stones glowing subtly with blue ceased orbiting around Morgant and threw themselves towards the charging goblins. At a speed so incomprehensible to them they weren''t even able to register what hit them. However when the stones did collide, not only did it puncture through their soft skin but also exploded magnificently into a large fluorescent blue pyre. Violent lightning arced through the smoky aftermath of the great explosion and once everything was cleared not even a piece of the enemy remained.


    Only a large crater was left behind.


    "That''s... not even magic anymore."


    Yvonne commented from behind. It was the first time seeing such a display of pure overwhelming strength that she didn''t even know how to support Morgant. When she had heard that the goblins could avoid detection she thought she could at least watch his back and keep him safe but seeing this she finally understood that Morgant was indeed going easy on her back then.


    Hearing her comment Morgant stopped walking and turned back to her.


    "You''re right, this isn''t magic so please stop comparing them."


    "Not magic? Then what else could it possibly be?"


    In the time of Eternis, magic was everything. From wars to day to day living, everything in this world had revolved around the art of magic. So to a pure bred denizen of Eternis, a power that was potentially even greater than magic was incomprehensible.


    "A far greater and more ancient power than magic could ever hope to be. Tell me, have you ever though about the origins of the power you people use on a daily basis?"


    Yvonne stopped to ponder on his question for a while. ''The origins of magic?'' she asked herself, but no answer ever came to her. For her magic was the same as everything else natural in the world; just another law that existed in the universe. Like the air around her, or the ground beneath her feet, she didn''t try to question them and simply accepted them as they were. In fact it was the first time she had ever heard anyone raise a question to that effect, but this small premise was big enough to occupy most of her head for the past few seconds.


    "But magic... has always been, right?"


    She answered, her voice clearly filled with uncertainty, the same kind small children would use when lying to their parents. To her Morgant was more than an enigmatic figure who''s origins were shrouded in mystery; to her he was a being that tried to overturn everything she understood about her own life. It was this facet of the powerful yet fragile looking child that stopped her from truly even trying to connect to him. More so than the origins of magic or her own lineage, he was an entity she was unsure if she should even begin to question.


    "Magic is not the original, in fact magic is just-"


    Before Morgant could finish his thoughts they were interrupted by another batch of berserked crystalline goblins. However the quantity that slithered out of the woods were in far greater amounts than before. The number of goblins congregated was comparable to that of a small village. Or rather, judging from the varying shapes and sizes of these goblins it was very likely that an entire goblin village was forcibly turned into these monstrosity.


    Goblins weren''t particularly a friendly race of monsters, nor were they an intelligent one. However they were still trying their best to struggle in this world where power meant everything. To those creatures Morgant hadn''t felt much but he did feel just enough to help liberate their bodies from the crystalline curse.


    "These bastards just don''t learn do they?"


    Yvonne clicked her tongue in annoyance as she drew her sword ready to fight. However Morgant stopped her in the last second considering it to be both a waste of time and energy for her to cut all the enemy down.


    "Wait."


    With the snap of his fingers all of the floating stone rubble in his employ flew towards the amalgamated mass of goblins. Several series of large scale explosions went off all at once creating a marvelous chain of fluorescent mini mushroom clouds. For few seconds the darkened forest had become brighter than any day; not even the fury of sol itself could compare to the power that was Morgant''s [psionic fission].


    It took several minutes for all of the fallout and dust to settle down but once everything was cleared no trace of any goblins remained. Only dug up earth and the faint smell of burnt ashes could be noted from the aftermath. Yvonne''s shoulders trembled at the thought that this small child was capable of causing so much devastation. ''Something far greater and more ancient...'' she thought back to his words and shuddered at what this power was. The only thing she understood from all of this was that she was glad that she wasn''t his enemy.


    "Think that was the last of them?"


    Asked Yvonne.


    "Most likely, I possess no skill to detect life signs but they also have natural invisibility against detection which only only makes matters worse. Just keep your eyes straight and we should be able to avoid them."


    "R-right."


    As they were about to take another step they were stopped by a rustling of leaves from their left. With thinking it was the enemy Yvonne and Morgant got into position to retaliate as soon as they came out. From the sounds coming forth it appeared to only be one creature, ''''did I miss one of them?'' Morgant pondered if a goblin survived the bombing.


    However, what crawled out was not a goblin but a horned dear; a stag, yet not entirely what Morgant had remembered of the animals from the old world. It was a given that many things would have changed since then but what he saw didn''t even seem physically possible.


    Standing just over two meters tall, a body made entirely of glass. With a single step forward it cast away the darkness with its noble blue aura. Far too dexterous to be made of actual glass but also far too transparent and sharp to be anything other than glass. Its long thorny horns protruded majestically and brightly in the night air, its hollow but hypnotic straight straight into the souls of the opponent, it opened its mouth to form a low echoing hum. Unlike any sound that could be produced from an organic being but a fragile melody that could soothe even coldest of hearts; an unfair sound.


    Small glowing pieces of crystals hovered around it in a manner similar to Morgant''s stones.


    Yet to it Morgant felt no qualms about smashing the walking sculpture to tiny fragments. He let loose another batch of small stones that started to orbit around him once more in a menacing tint of royal blue.


    "W- wait Morgant."


    Yvonne stopped him by placing her hand on his small shoulders.


    "What is it?"


    "That thing is a [Horned Crystal Stag], it''s a powerful but docile creature. Not to mention that it''s also extremely rare, in any case I think we can leave it alone since it won''t att-"


    Before Yvonne could finish what she was trying to explain, one of Morgant''s stones flew past her face and collided into the ''Horned Crystal Stag''. A large bright blue explosion ensued but so too did a painful and melodic sound that was most likely the pained cry of the stag.


    "Oi! Why did you do that?!"


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    Yvonne protested.


    "Firstly Yvonne, all stags have horns. Secondly, that thing was in my way. And lastly, I know I said I had no skill to detect life signs but I couldn''t feel anything from that walking piece of museum artwork."


    "Are you saying that thing was cursed too? But it didn''t have any of that golden aura or seemed particularly berserk to me."


    Bursting through the dust cloud a golden light pierced through revealing the crystalline cursed version of the Horned Crystal Stag. Its once tranquil blue tone replaced now by a menacing glow of aureate, yet still somehow translucent. Even it''s orbiting crystals now gave off the same tainted color and it''s eyes no longer hypnotic but surged in bloodlust.


    "I stand corrected."


    Yvonne conceded.


    It cried out once more in a melodic tone yet this time sounding considerably more angered than before. In a fit of rage of being attack it shot the crystal shards surrounding its body towards Morgant and Yvonne. With both Morgant''s enhanced Kinetic Vision and Yvonne''s temporary vampiric boost at night, dodging the crystal shards were easily accomplished.


    However the Horned Crystal Stag wasn''t finished with its turn and continued a series of bombardment with its crystal shards. While for Morgant who could perceive everything in slow motion, dodging continued to be easy, but for Yvonne who''s speed only increased and had to react to everything in real time it was inevitable that she eventually got hit.


    "Ugh!"


    Screamed Yvonne as she fell and tumbled on the floor. Luckily she landed behind a rather large tree that blocked any continuous attack, giving her a little room to breathe. Observing the wound on her left thigh it wasn''t anything too terrible, just a small graze to the left but the cut was in fairly deep. There was no risk of bleeding out or contracting any sort of infections but it was unlikely she could move for a few moments.


    "Yvonne! Are you alright?!"


    Morgant asked as he also entered the protection of the large tree.


    "I''m fine it''s just a small cut. But seriously how are we supposed to kill that thing? Even your attack didn''t seem like it did as much as scratch that thing."


    Yvonne commented as she applied pressure to her leg to stop the blood. She grimaced through the pain but it wasn''t anything the Townguard captain couldn''t handle. Taking into consideration her pride for both her position and race Morgant didn''t speak of her injury after that.


    "I wonder... tch, that thing looks like it''d break if it fell over but it''s much stronger than even steel. Hmm... okay how about we try a heavier bullet?"


    "Heavier bullet? What do you mean?"


    "Just sit back and watch. I''ll handle this thing."


    Morgant closed his eyes to concentrate what little psychic power he had remaining on a single rock. He once again activated his telekinesis.


    "Now, to see if I can actually do this."


    The rock slowly rotated and carved itself into a perfect spherical design. Then one by one other pieces of stone rubble from nearby came to amass into a single point using the initial sphere stone as the center. However the clutch of this entire excise wasn''t to make a bigger rock, in fact the size of the rock didn''t change from the first spherical one. What was happening was that the rocks were forming into a much denser and heavier small rock.


    It took about a minute or so to prepare but the stone bullet was done. From the outside, aside from being a bit darker it was relatively the same size which Yvonne didn''t think much about. It didn''t help that Morgant was floating because it made it look weightless as well but from the sweat dripping from his face it was obvious a tremendous amount of strength was being put into just lifting it.


    "Is that it?"


    Yvonne asked, unsure of what was really happening.


    "Yeah... this is... it. Now just... give me a moment, I got this."


    Morgant dashed out from the tree and pointed the ultra dense stone bullet towards the Horned Crystal Stag. The stag started again to fire shots towards Morgant but it was never really able to land a direct hit. Finding a suitable opening Morgant aimed and shot the stone bullet towards the center of its body. As it flew it was obstructed by crystal shards from the stag, having sensed its imminent danger it tried to shoot it down. However it was too heavy for the pieces of crystal to make so much as a dent on it and in the end it pierced through the extremely tough exterior and stopped dead center of the stag''s body.


    Nothing happened for a few seconds but Morgant still smirked.


    "Bang..."


    As if on cue the stone bullet exploded from within the Horned Crystal Stag, shattering it into a million different pieces. Raging blue pyres roared even higher than before, shooting past the forest''s canopy and creating a semi flare in the night sky.


    After that, silence.


    Morgant fell to the floor in fatigue as his breathing became much more haggard. Sweat now pouring down from his reddened face all he could do was try to recover whatever energy he could. He dearly wished that no enemies would try to ambush them any time soon.


    Yvonne slugged herself over towards him and pat his little back.


    "G- good work. I don''t think any more enemies are going to show itself."


    "Yeah... I hope-"


    However reality wasn''t as forgiving as that. Not even being given a chance to finish his sentence the both of them heard more rustling through the trees. They tensed up at the pressure of anticipating if another horned crystal stag would show up, if that were the case then they would seriously be in trouble. Morgant wasn''t sure if he could even conjure up that ultra dense stone bullet for a second time but perhaps there was no choice but to try if worse came to worst.


    Yvonne drew her sword to fend off the enemy and give Morgant time to recover. She was even prepared to give up her life in this regard if it was for Morgant¡¯s safety, after all, even though she was unable to fathom the being that was this child, she was also an alumnus of the town orphanage. As his senior it was her duty.


    She stood up to defend but before she could react a robbed figure dropped from the sky and pushed her away. It was way quicker than anything she''s seen before and she was hurled until she hit the same large tree that protected her. Now tag teaming with the enemy and smashing her back, incapacitating her.


    "Yvonne!"


    Morgant cried out but before he could do anything the robbed figure pushed him down head first onto the floor. With the [Gigandoll Power Frame] integrated into his body he thought it would be easy to push the figure away with sheer strength but that was not the case. While the robbed figure did express surprise in the fact that this small child could contest their strength, it was not enough to relinquish their grasp on him.


    "Kuhh! Dammit, who are you?!"


    Morgant shouted, demanding to know their identity. Since his head was pushed to the floor and his arms were bound he wasn''t able to use his [analyze] ability due to the fact it needed direct line of sight with the intended target.


    "It seems that the secrets of the mysterious boy at the local orphanage runs deeper than I initially thought; you were all Diana and Miko talked about after all. How intriguing."


    Two more figures appeared from the shadows, though one of their identities weren''t masked by a shadowy cloak. Struggling against the strength of the robbed figure on top of him Morgant barely managed to look up at the two. He was instantly able to recognize his face and voice, they were one of the special guests that the mayor had brought over to help solve this case.


    "En... Enrich."


    Enrich crouched down to meet eye to eye with Morgant. His long black hair swaying gently in the night''s breeze, a cold enough grin that could chill any hardened warrior up to their bones and a cruel gaze as though he were looking at a mere rotten piece of meat. He smiled.


    "I''m honored that you know of who I am, Morgant Fallon."

 Chapter 22 - Demon Lord vs. Demon Lord

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 22¨C Demon Lord vs. Demon Lord


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    The lineage of ¡®Fallon¡¯, the one closely guarded secret that even Morgant himself had not known the answer to. Yet here stood a person of questionable origin that knew his secret? Though Morgant wasn¡¯t the type of person who liked to let his emotions reflect on the surface, for this one time he had grimaced. ¡®One step behind¡­¡¯ he mentally noted down the disparity of the situation.


    Witnessing his confused and uncomfortable expression was all Enrich required to understand each of their positions. Cold reading was as much a specialty of his as it was Morgant¡¯s, and with it he knew he held the upper hand. A widened smile chuckling behind his fa?ade, seeing the mysterious boy pinned down to the ground without any recourse, Enrich thought that it would take nothing short of a miracle to turn the situation around. If such a thing was even possible then even for him it would be hard to call this boy a ¡®human¡¯.


    ¡®How does he know? No¡­ they won¡¯t tell me, not when they don¡¯t have to¡¯, Morgant tried to calmly assess the situation as he continued putting up a struggle against the robed figure on top of him. He knew that they wouldn¡¯t talk because given the chance he would have done the exact same thing. There were very few situations where giving vital information for free to an opponent would ever be considered a logical move. The only times such were the case was when that information was either a lie, for leverage, deception or bait. He needed answers but there was no way to get it from this state; what was necessary was a way to equalize the playing field.


    Morgant changed his focus, just a little to the left was another robed figure, much taller and more menacing. Covered in that shadowy cloak it was as though the darkness itself was backing Enrich, if such was the case then it was no wonder why Enrich was feeling so confident in himself. ¡®Morgant was not the type of person to let his emotions reflect¡¯¡­ however there was one exception to that, it was when he could finally see the sliver of his own victory. This shadowy figure, this was exactly what was necessary, an equalizer.


    ¡®If I don¡¯t have any playable cards in my hand then all I have to do is steal theirs¡¯, he was convinced of a way to turn everything around. Since there were no visual indications to when he used the [analysis] ability, all it took was a direct line of sight then he could do it as covertly as he wanted.


    Enrich [Title: Emissary of Vertloch]


    Age - 24


    Race - Human


    Threat Level - 147 (Low)


    Affinity - Ice Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - None


    His status had not changed since the last time, which was a good thing because it served as confirmation that this was in fact the genuine article. Since they knew about his identity it could only be fair that he was to know theirs. Focusing up his vision upon the idle shadowed figure he activated his ¡®analysis¡¯ ability once again. ¡®Then let me peer into your true identity¡­¡¯


    Erendel De Signa [Title: Former Demon Lord]


    Age - 267


    Race - Incubus


    Threat Level - 1457 (Highly Dangerous)


    Affinity - Composite Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments  - None


    External Effects - Demon Lord''s Blessing (Enhance Magic)


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    Morgant let out involuntarily.


    At this initial revelation all Morgant could do was lay still as he tried to comprehend exactly what kind of big fish he¡¯s met. ¡®Former Demon Lord, 1457, Demon Lord¡¯s Blessing, Enhanced Magic¡­ That surname¡­ could it be Astaroth¡¯s?¡¯ Thanks to his naturally level headed nature and his [Enhanced Kinetic Vision] allowing him to process information faster he was able to come to grips with the reality of things quickly. The conclusion he had arrived at was that this person was most likely related to Astaroth, there was no doubt, if he had to be more specific it was possibly her father or something to that effect.


    Just simply uncovering this person¡¯s identity created more questions than answers, however this was exactly the step he needed in the right direction. It no longer mattered that Morgant was still technically behind in terms of the distribution of information, all he had to do now was ¡®convince¡¯ the other party that they didn¡¯t have such an overwhelming advantage. Through Sovereign¡¯s memory integration his acting talents had considerably improved, but not only that, he even got the chance to play his favorite kind of role; a villain. It was time to see if the Demon Lord himself could be outdone at his own game.


    Lowering his head he sneered once more at the thought as he whispered to himself in the old world tongue.


    ¡°[Fortuna smile upon me¡­ I¡¯ve stumbled upon a worthwhile prey. Kukuku~]¡±


    Seeing the former discomfort on his face disappear was not what Enrich had intended to pan out.


    ¡°What exactly is it that you find so hilarious about this situation?¡±


    Cold sweat ran down his back, though Enrich didn''t understand what Morgant had whispered to himself the fact that he was laughing wasn''t a good sign. Doubts that he would''ve ordinarily filtered as a bluff started to occupy more and more of his minds. ''Could he be planning something? There''s no way from that position...''


    ¡°Heh¡­ what is it that¡¯s so hilarious? If only you knew, which you definitely do not. Yet that is exactly what I find so humorous about it; aside from a few minute details surrounding the circumstances of my birth you know nothing else about me. By your own admission I was a ¡®mysterious boy at the orphanage¡¯, in other words an unknown. Despite that you continue to assume that I¡¯m all out of hands to play¡­ do you not find this funny?¡±


    Enrich sighed as he stood up to give himself room from Morgant. Wryly scoffing at him he shook his head as he wrote him off.


    ¡°Perhaps if the situation had been slightly different I may have some inclination to believe those words. The kind of person you are, I know very well because I too am similar. However it is exactly because of that similarity I can understand your thought processes¡­ A ¡®bluff¡¯, I would use the same tactics given the chance. The truth is simply that you really are out of cards to play.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t particularly wrong about that aspect; Morgant himself could feel that he and Enrich shared many of the same qualities. As Enrich had said, given the situation Morgant would¡¯ve most likely done the same thing, however the difference came not from a dichotomy of ideals or nature but through experience. It was true the Enrich was much older than Morgant but just like that Sovereign had much greater insight than Enrich.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not wrong but you are off. If you wish to continue believing in that then by all means; it only makes my job easier. However let me enlighten you about one thing, that is the ¡®unknown¡¯. It is both a very potent ally as it is an extremely dangerous force, so take that into account and I suggest you decide your next actions carefully.¡±


    Like love struck lovers the two stared long and hard towards each other. Lost in contest, everything else in the background faded into nothing else as the moment seemed to drag onto infinity. They fought, not through violence or strength but with words and deception. That being said, out of the two, it was Morgant who had the considerably more relaxed expression and in truth it was him who was starting overturn the argument.


    Enrich gazed down from a superior position and whispered with a cold smile.


    "Is that so? Then you may try."


    It was a tempting offer, not to mention it was one that Morgant couldn¡¯t possibly refuse. There would be no way for him to regain a foothold of the conversation if he broke the fragile momentum of the conversation. He needed the impetus of this situation to proceed to the next step, which was to break free of their hold on him. Against an opponent with a threat rating of 1457 it was impossible or at the very least unlikely to emerge victorious; all variables had to be taken in cautiously.


    The biggest obstacle in the way was the robed figure that continued to pin him down with their monstrous strength. Exploiting the properties of his own Enhanced Kinetic Vision¡¯s ability to perceive time slower, he ran several simulations in his mind to see if there were any ways to overcome this hurdle. In a split second he was able to come up with numerous different methods however the real problem was what happened afterwards.


    If the Demon Lord in hiding decided he wanted to join into the fray then all bets were off. Morgant needed to figure out a way to incapacitate all three opponents in a single move, if that was even possible. Time was also not on his side and every second wasted on thinking meant losing more and more control of the conversation. Once they ceased taking him seriously getting information out of them would only become that much harder. First impressions were very important after all and he couldn¡¯t afford to mess this up.


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    Tilting his head to the left the unconscious body of Yvonne could be seen slumped over against a tree. With that all of the pieces fell into place as though one large puzzle had just completed itself. Morgant flashed a grin, one that chilled even Enrich to the bone.


    ¡°Kyah?!¡±


    The hooded figure atop of Morgant shouted as they temporarily lost their grip on him. A sword had flown right towards them without warning, but it served as enough of a distraction to have the figure relinquish even a bit of their strength. Morgant had flung Yvonne¡¯s sword towards his suppressor with his telekinesis, though his initial thoughts was that she would deflect it and not recoil away. In either case it was equally as effect so there were no complaints.


    ¡°[Overload].¡±


    Morgant whispered to himself the name of another skill he had been hiding.


    ¡°[The use of the skill ¨C ¡®Overload¡¯ is ill-advised. Do you wish to continue?]¡±


    A computerized voice sounded from his head, speaking the words of the old world. He had heard this voice before when he was constructing the Gigandoll Power Frame with Ren. It was the voice of a limited assistance program installed onto the Gigandoll Power Frame. Its main role was to advice Morgant on the use of his equipment and abilities.


    ¡°[Do it!]¡±


    Morgant shouted as everything seemed to come to a pause, although not really. The truth of the matter was that his mind¡¯s processing abilities had been granted an extra boost as seconds turned into minutes. That being said, while his body also received a significant boost in terms of strength and speed it was not up to the level of his mental processing.


    His body felt as though it were made of lead; there was a considerable amount of lag as his body tried to keep up with the orders being sent out by his brain. Still he was able to perfectly execute what he wanted to, if only due to the fact that his mental processes gave him enough time to manually think over every movement.


    After successfully getting up from this prior position he turned around to see the aftermath. The hood of the robed figure flung open to reveal a timid looking pink haired girl that seemed strangely familiar. Her large, almost teary red eyes looking back at him with the fervor of an abandoned puppy, though it was not enough to penetrate his level headed nature.


    Lilith De Signa [Title: Demon Lord¡¯s Progeny]


    Age - 27


    Race - Succubus


    Threat Level	 - 394 (Low)


    Affinity - Close Combat Mastery


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments - None


    External Effects - Demon Lord''s Blessing (Enhance Strength)


    Morgant grinned what he saw, ¡®family of Demon Lords, how cute¡¯. What emerged was a young woman of the demon race, a Succubus to be more precise. With small bat like wings, a thin black tail and two small horns to the side of her face, and though she were wearing a robe, considering what Astaroth wore Morgant could only consider what kind of gaudy clothes she had underneath. Though the most eye catching part was not any of her demonic race traits but with what was attached to her chest, or rather her chest itself. They almost appeared like they wanted to burst out at any moment.


    For a second he wondered why her threat level was only 394; considering her monstrous strength that number ought to have been higher. However in retrospection he was quickly able to deduce that ¡®threat levels¡¯ were not a reading of an opponent¡¯s power but an indication of how much difficulty Morgant would have dealing with them.


    ¡®Female, timid, enhanced strength; insecure, self conscious¡­ valuable hostage¡¯. His plan was to take her hostage from the get-go but her attributes and characteristics only made it that much easier. Using his psychokinesis Morgant summoned more stone rubble sharpened to make a stone bullet and pointed several of them towards his former captive, ¡®Lilith De Signa¡¯.


    With that it was over. As he had set out to do, all three of the opponents were incapacitated in a single move. If they moved he¡¯d go in for the kill on Lilith, and though the ensuing combat with the former Demon Lord would not be easy, it would at least be better handled than if all three had ganged up on him.


    Morgant shot an extremely arrogant scoff towards Enrich as if to say ¡®See? I tried¡¯. It took Enrich a few seconds longer for him to register what had just happened but once he did his face had turned blue from a lack of oxygen. He had held his breath at what Morgant just accomplished, unable to even find the words to counter.


    In an uneasy tone Enrich suggested to Morgant.


    ¡°Wait, stand down Morgant; you¡¯re making a huge mistake. You don¡¯t understand who exactly you¡¯re dealing with, so stand down and we¡¯ll explain everything to you.¡±


    But to those words Morgant could only find endless joy. An admission of defeat from the man, who had skillfully planned out everything up to the point of pinning Morgant to the floor, but fell short. Of course in truth, despite what had all happened, he understood that they weren¡¯t exactly the enemy here. He had understood the instant he had registered Erendel¡¯s and Lilith¡¯s surnames, what was actually happening was a test, of which Morgant had considered himself to have passed with flying colors.


    Yet he wasn¡¯t done yet, this was still only the orientation stage. They didn¡¯t understand who they were really trying to test when they had set up this entire farce and it was Morgant¡¯s job to show them exactly who. With a callous giggle, Morgant answered Enrich¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°Hoh~ I don¡¯t understand? Funny, because that¡¯s not the way I see it. I believe I understand exactly who I¡¯m dealing with, right? Lord Erendel De Signa.¡±


    The winds of the forest stopped. Time itself appeared to have stopped. The rustling of leaves, the sound of insects, everything, had stopped. A pressure unlike anything exerted, not from anyone else but from Morgant. He turned his smiling gaze towards the shadowed figure; now that Enrich was defeated it was time for the next round.


    The situation had been completely overturned. Back to step one, but from different starting points.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The large shadowed figure of the Demon Lord stepped forward and gazed down at the boy who showed no signs of fear. A seven year old¡¯s gaze contesting the Demon Lord¡¯s, suffice to say it was not a very common sight.


    ¡°If I were to say, Lord Erendel De Signa, I think that it¡¯s you guys who doesn¡¯t get just who you¡¯re dealing with. ¡®Information¡¯ is the name of the game here. It doesn¡¯t matter how much power you possess, as long as I have more insight than you then nothing else matters. I will always find a way to win¡­ Just like¡­¡±


    Morgant trailed off as the air between the two became even more hostile to anybody that weren¡¯t them. Both Erendel¡¯s and Morgant¡¯s eyes shifted to the side, towards Yvonne¡¯s unconscious body. In the blink of an eye she stood up, her eyes glowing deathly red as the vampiric blood of her lineage coursed violently through her veins.


    She howled a blood curdling sound as she dashed towards Morgant with speeds greatly surpassing her performance from before. Morgant barely had time to register it, if it had not been for his currently ¡®overloaded¡¯ state it may have even been impossible.


    However she had stopped, just a few inches off Morgant¡¯s face with her claws. Or rather Morgant had stopped her with ¡®telekinesis¡¯. Manipulating solid and inanimate objects were simple, however it was an entirely different story when it came to living beings. Since there were so many moving parts both in and outside to take into consideration it was almost impossible, of course unless ¡®overload¡¯ was used.


    Even then a considerable strain could be noted in Morgant¡¯s face as sweat dripped past his face. Once more Erendel¡¯s and Morgant¡¯s eyes met.


    ¡°Yes just like that. See? I could stop her because I knew you¡¯d do that¡­ And I also know you didn¡¯t come here to fight¡­ so I can¡­ let my guard down now¡­ Information really is¡­ key.¡±


    Blood started to pour out slowly from his nose, his ears and his eyes. The aftereffects of using ¡®overload¡¯ were now starting to take a toll on his body. Unable to support himself any further Morgant fell to the floor an almost passed out. He was somehow able to hold onto a small sliver of his consciousness, enough so that he didn¡¯t fully become unconscious.


    All of his powers were now deactivated and even his other commands such as [status], [analyze] or [inventory] refused to pop up. The stones slowly but menacingly rotating around Lilith had also ceased functioning and fell to the ground harmlessly. Seeing that she was no longer in danger Erendel also relinquished his control over Yvonne as she too fell on top of Morgant, squashing him down with her heavy armor.


    Behind the shadowed robe a small but satisfied smile could be seen on Erendel¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ its seems that my daughter has chosen a rather odd man.¡±

 Chapter 23 - Regroup

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 23 ¨C Regroup


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    A low hanging moon; the royal light of the night sky¡¯s sovereign bearing its gentle glow towards a small boy. For that single fragile moment Morgant appeared no different than any other child. Though covered in cuts and bruises, the horror of what it should have been was washed away by a peaceful, sleeping face, of which smiled satisfactorily at overcoming a tall struggle.


    Neatly leaned up against the base of a large and welcoming tree, it was as though eternity itself could pass by without changing the quiet and tranquil expression on the boy¡¯s face. Thus as the boy slept, his three former opponents watched over him quietly until such a time he decided to arise.


    ¡°My apologies, Lord Erendel. I had thought I had covered all of our tracks but it seems that my efforts were insufficient as the boy was somehow able to figure out your identity. I may be prudent to figure out a counter plan for this compromise to some degree.¡±


    Enrich bowed in utmost sincerity, ready to give up his life as a way of atonement. That being said he knew better than anyone else that he was worth far more to the former demon lord alive than dead. It was not so much about being forgiven, rather what he wanted was for Erendel to know that such a failure of this magnitude would not be repeated a second time. This apology was merely an excuse to get that message across.


    Erendel raised his hands, a gesture that voicelessly expressed that all was ¡®fine¡¯. To the weak human bowing before him, it would take no more than a few seconds to completely annihilate him, however to such a being Erendel had given his full trust. Their relationship was not of friends, not even of master and servant but one born of mutual trust and partnership. He had relied much on Enrich as the same vice versa, to each other the other¡¯s triumph and failures were just as good or bad as their own.


    ¡°When he¡¯s sleeping he resembles any other child¡­ yet I wonder what it is that makes him so different then, when he is awake?¡±


    Erendel stared down towards the gentle face of the sleep boy as his figure cast a large shadow over him. Though he was not expecting any sort of answer he was given one, by the sleeping boy no less.


    ¡°What makes me different? There may not be one simple answer to your question¡­ but if I had to summarize it in a single word then I would choose ¡®understanding¡¯.¡±


    Morgant answered still with his eyes closed and having woken up just a few seconds prior to Erendel¡¯s question.


    ¡°Understanding?¡±


    Asked Erendel, not even pretending he was surprised at Morgant¡¯s sudden answer. Rather he was curious as to what exactly Morgant had ¡®understood¡¯ that made him the target of his esoteric daughter. Astaroth, as much as she was a child that moved largely based on impulses, with her gift of precognition she was also fairly well grounded in reality. She was good at judging other people¡¯s innate characters thus he wanted to know what exactly his daughter ¡®saw¡¯ in this boy to make him her chosen one.


    ¡°Yes, understanding about this world. All that I am, my ideals, my confidence and my actions, they are support by the truth that has long been hidden away from its denizens. You may not realize it, but behind me stands a power that is unfathomable to even the gods above. That is what makes me so different to anyone one else.¡±


    A brief silence overtook them, nothing but the sounds of rustling trees in the wind could be heard. Erendel looked down, not with an arrogant or superior gaze but with genuine interest. He wanted to know what this seven year old could possible understand that he, as the Demon Lord that has lived for centuries, did not.


    ¡°This ¡®power¡¯ is it related to the strange technique you have used?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly a part of it, though they are little more than apparitions now.¡±


    Morgant slowly opened his eyes and raised his head up towards the quietly contesting gaze of the former demon lord¡¯s glowing red eyes. Erendel sighed as he gave up trying to understand who exactly this small child really was, not because he wasn¡¯t curious but because he felt that it wasn¡¯t something to be understood as much as it was admired. Both this child and his daughter were impossible enigmas and that was just the kind of entities they were and he had respected that notion.


    ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Erendel thought, that there could be no better match for his daughter than this child. From the ancient past to the far future, the two complimented each other this regard; it was not something Erendel could supersede. With that thought Erendel gave a small but satisfied grin as he told Morgant.


    ¡°I leave my daughter in your capable hands; though she can be impulsive and hard to control I trust that you will be able to look after her.¡±


    Morgant snickered, though not with malicious intents he still spoke in such a manner.


    ¡°Well, if Papa Demon Lord asks me to, I won¡¯t refuse. After all, a power such as ¡®precognition¡¯, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever be willing to give up something so useful like that.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Do whatever you want.¡±


    Giving nothing more than his blessings and those parting lines Erendel walked away from the scene, leaving Enrich and Lilith behind to explain the situation to Morgant. Though he had a sneaking suspicion that Morgant had already figured out what was going on from the get go, it still couldn¡¯t hurt to lend the boy a small hand. Morgant may not have known yet, but Erendel understood that something bigger was at large and this small incident was just the tip of the iceberg.


    "Are you feeling better now? How about your injuries?"


    Enrich asked as he approached carefully with a sociable smile. That being said even if he gave off such a carefree mood, after all that''s happened Morgant was hard-pressed to believe his sincerity. Morgant averted his gaze to the side to see the calmly sleeping face of Yvonne also nestled up against the large tree. He sighed seeing that she was safe and turned back to Enrich.


    "I''m fine."


    Answered Morgant as he brushed him off coldly. He had no intentions of being dragged into Enrich''s pace now, what he wanted was answers to overdue questions. Despite this Lilith had come over and started casting light healing magic and tended to his wounds, though that being said her magic wasn''t anything to boast about. In fact half the time it had trouble activating itself as the effects flickered on and off.


    "I said I was fine, you don''t have to do this."


    "B-but you''re injured..."


    The pink haired progeny of demon lords, Lilith answered in an uneasy voice. From the moment she dodged Yvonne''s sword instead of outright deflecting it Morgant had deduced she had a timid personality. Matters of her self-conscious nature would''ve only worsened when coupled with her innate super strength and clumsiness at magic. Even now she wore a wary and uneasy expression that seemed to be perpetually on the verge of tears.


    "In any case I''m glad this situation was able to resolve itself before it came to anything truly irreversible."


    Enrich commented with the same smiling fa?ade.


    "You say that but didn''t you plan this entire farce?"


    "Ah, I was found out; was it that obvious?"


    Enrich answered back playfully as he shrugged. Seeing his annoying and carefree smug Morgant could only sigh.


    "Thinking back now, I feel so she stupid that I wasn''t able to see this coming. That time you met Miko and Diana at the orphanage you mentioned about not going near the forest, that was you luring me into this situation weren¡¯t it? You knew I was eavesdropping and used my ignorance against me."


    "That''s right. Though admittedly I had greatly underestimated your capabilities, which is why we arrived at this predicament. Well, as long as you understand that we aren''t your enemies then it¡¯s fine. Still though, I am genuinely curious as to how you knew about Lord Erendel''s identity"


    Morgant smirked.


    "I wonder? I think that¡¯s for me to know and for you to try your best to find out. After all you did say that you and I are alike, so it should be a cinch right?"


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    A slight but noticeable twitch in Enrich''s eyes gave away his discomfort at the situation before him. He could exactly deny Morgant''s words without seeming like a hypocrite for saying the same thing before.


    "Is that so?"


    Seeing his perturbed face Morgant couldn''t help but giggle to himself.


    "You don''t have to continue making that face, because it''s not like I told anyone. Rest assured knowing that Erendel''s secret hasn''t been compromised."


    Enrich sighed as the tension in his body left him.


    "You have my thanks."


    "Ah, but well¡­ you know it''s ¡®that¡¯."


    Morgant spoke as he got up from his sitting position and started to dust off the dirt from his pants. Though clumsily done and most of the bruises and cuts were still visible, Lilith was at least able to stop his bleeding and numb the pain.


    "That?"


    Enrich asked.


    "Yes ''that'', even if I didn''t know Erendel''s identity or even if all of this was real, none of it would have changed because my victory was assured from the beginning."


    "Why do you say that?"


    Glancing up towards the bright blue sovereign deity of the sky, Morgant took a deep breath basking at its gaze towards him. The light of which showered Morgant in a manner specific as if to claim him as its eternal champion. His usual lightless hair cast in its royal silvery, his smooth skin whose glimmering was made more prominent through the congealed blood and cuts.


    He reached forth for the celestial body high up in the darkened night sky. It was true that Morgant himself was far removed from the old world but more than anyone else in the current world, he was the closest to their former glory.


    It was not just any moon. It was ''his'' moon and for anyone else in this world who would claim otherwise he knew their words were empty. It was not worship or blind faith but a promise from the old world to him, of a destined greatness.


    "Because under the guidance of Luna my victory is destined."


    Morgant answered, without breaking sight from the sky.


    "Luna?"


    To Enrich this word was foreign but with quick deduction he was able to understand what Morgant had inferred. The unreachable celestial power that cast light towards night, if such a power had guided him then perhaps it was not so farfetched to believe in Morgant''s mysterious ''apparitions''.


    "Well, enough of that; I have questions and you have answers."


    "Yes, I guess that''s true."


    Enrich answered with a nod, knowing what specifically Morgant wanted to know. As he put it the ''minute'' circumstances surrounding his birth, they were of great interest to Morgant.


    "The lineage of Fallon, what do you know of them?"


    Enrich giggled at Morgant''s question.


    "As much as I don''t want to tell you, I do suppose you are the one person that has the right to know. That being said I do think that now isn''t a good time, of which I mean you really should be going back before they start worrying about you."


    Morgant understood well that Miko, Diana and his childhood friends would no doubt be waiting. Due to this he couldn''t exactly deny that this wasn''t the best time nor was it the best place to talk, however his curiosity was peaked. At the very least from what he had seen from Este, the Fallon lineage didn''t particularly seem like a normal one.


    "That doesn''t matter right now what I-"


    Morgant tried to answer back but before he couldn''t finish his sentence he was interrupted by loud coughing coming from his right. After all this time Yvonne had finally started regaining her consciousness.


    "Yvonne?"


    Morgant asked as he crouched to check up on her condition. With haggard breaths she nodded with a subtle smirk, signifying that she wasn¡¯t hurt too badly and all she needed was a bit of time to adjust.


    ¡°It seems you have some business to attend to, so I shall leave you to it.¡±


    Turning his back Enrich slowly started walking away from the scene with a hand wave back. Lilith also took notice and bowed out before gently floating away with her small, seemingly flightless pair of wings.


    ¡°Wait dammit! You haven¡¯t answered my question!¡±


    Morgant tried to chase after then but having underestimated the extent of the damage suffered from the use of [overload] fell down, planting his face against the dirt. Several of his wounds reopened as minute quantities of blood trickled down his face. As he was about to feel stupid for being in such a compromised position a voice echoed back from the darkness of the forest, it was Enrich¡¯s voice; a promise.


    ¡°Do not worry, I shall explain everything to you in due time. For now it¡¯s best to focus on the real problem that lies ahead.¡±


    Morgant rolled over to one side and stared back up towards the tranquil stars high above. Like a gigantic celestial river, a stream of stars shined their pitiful lights towards the small boy, showing them that even to the heavens there existed something above.


    ¡°Tch, that bastard got away¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Are you truly sure that they weren¡¯t the enemy? Enrich could¡¯ve just been telling you the stuff you wanted to hear to get you to come to such a conclusion.¡±


    Once more Morgant and Yvonne found themselves back at the Longmoore Trading Post in a situation reminiscent to before. Francisco had carefully started patching up the injured Yvonne who laid face down on the sofa, half naked. Periodically she whispered ¡®ah~¡¯ or ¡®mmm~¡¯ in a sensual manner.


    Morgant had just finished recounting the entire farce that occurred in the forest, including events relating to the former demon lord. At the very least, he had determined that Francisco was not likely to be a character that would spread word about the former demon lord.


    ¡°While I can¡¯t exactly discount that possibility, like I said before, it¡¯s extremely unlikely.¡±


    ¡°If you think that¡¯s the case then I won¡¯t speak any further about it. After all our primary suspects are the Adventurer Association¡¯s leader, Gerald and the Mayor, Dalton. However, it might take a bit of time in getting more specific information on Gerald, since he isn¡¯t originally from this continent.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ we might not even need a background check on them. Perhaps we can run past the trail the opponent has carelessly left behind and set up a trap in front of them.¡±


    Francisco ceased applying first aid to Yvonne to contemplate on Morgant¡¯s words. He raised his right eyebrow up to express his confusion then turned back towards Morgant who sat upon his chair.


    ¡°Have you figured something out about the nature of the enemy?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily but I do have a part of the puzzle. [Monolith Shard, Matter Reconstruction].¡±


    Morgant reached forth and summoned the small yellow shard he had collected from his expeditions into the forest before.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®monolith shard¡¯ you talked about before? Hard to believe that little thing could cause so much devastation in such a short amount of time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of a larger whole. Still, considering the actions the opponents have taken I¡¯m willing to be that they still don¡¯t understand the full functionality of this artifact.¡±


    At his words Francisco couldn¡¯t help but giggle to himself. His shoulders lightly shivering in amusement, Yvonne stopped to look up to see if something was wrong with him. After only a day she had understood that Francisco and Morgant¡¯s discussions happened on an entirely different plane to what she was used to, thus she had opted to keep her confusion of what Morgant had said was so funny.


    ¡°Aha¡­ is that what is it?¡±


    Morgant nodded back.


    ¡°The key to dealing with those weeds are to let their own hubris overcome them. Once they become bloated we can cut them down at their roots.¡±

 Chapter 24 - I was found out

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 24 ¨C I was found out


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    With a small snicker Francisco nodded to Morgant¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°If you want to push things into that route then I¡¯m game, or rather it would certainly be more effective than chasing after the shadow of an unknown enemy. Though I admit I am a little uncomfortable with the idea of facing a complete unknown; moving with only assumptions does have its fair share of drawbacks after all.¡±


    Closing his eyes from the darkness that could be seen from the window of the Trading Post, Morgant contemplated for a little while on that fact. Motive and resources, it was almost irrefutable that either Dalton or Gerald was the culprit; the only thing they were missing was the crucial evidence to support it. That being said, the entire reason Morgant had brought up the idea of setting a trap was so that the enemy would come to them instead of chasing from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost certain it¡¯s either Gerald or Dalton; they¡¯re both equally as likely to be the culprits and seem to have motives to do so¡­¡±


    ¡°Certainly I¡¯m in no opposition to that, however I¡¯d like to lean on one side more if possible.¡±


    In agreement Morgant nodded, going with a clearer assumption would help them prepare the trap that much more easily. Though in doing so they would sacrifice much of their ability to adapt if their initial assumptions were wrong, but since they were the ones taking initiative that point matter little.


    ¡°Say, what are your honest opinions on Dalton?¡±


    Morgant asked.


    Francisco had to temporarily stop his continued application of first aid on Yvonne to have a small moment of consideration. Yvonne shifted her gaze to him in wonder why he had stopped but didn¡¯t bother after seeing his serious face. After a few seconds his hands started moving about her injuries once more as he was able to come up with a suitable answer.


    ¡°In my honest assessment he¡¯s a competent leader. He knows how to run this town fairly efficiently, he¡¯s never shied away from outside trade and influences and understands well what the people here need and want. I suppose the best way to describe such a fellow would be as a ¡®benign pragmatist¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And if I were to suggest whether he¡¯d be the type to sacrifice a small number of villagers under his protection for the safety of the group¡­ how would you respond to such an accusation?¡±


    Once more Francisco froze up; such questions were not able to be easily answered. As much as Francisco was a thorough member of the small but closely knit town of [Vertloch Snowdown] he was also a merchant down to the core. Due to this his ability to judge people in his small town with objectivity far surpassed anyone else, yet that being said the Mayor was a hard person to judge. From Francisco¡¯s position he was able to see Dalton both as a realistic business partner and as a caring leader.


    However if he had to choose one answer¡­


    ¡°If he was given absolutely no choice in the matter then I would say he''s the type of person who''d do it, albeit begrudgingly."


    Morgant took a deep breath and nodded once more.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Morgant then moved up to the Francisco¡¯s table and took the piece of parchment on it to scribble down a name. Afterwards he stared at it for a good while pondering if that was the right choice but in the end decided to go with it. He brought the parchment up towards Francisco and Yvonne.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then I strongly believe that this man is the true culprit.¡±


    Francisco took a small glance towards the parchment and smirked at the name written down.


    ¡°What a coincidence¡­ I was just thinking the exact same thing.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems that we¡¯re in agreement. Yvonne, how good are your stealth and tracking abilities?¡±


    Morgant shifted his sights towards the half-naked woman laying face down on the sofa. The various white pieces of cloth and bandages wrapped around her limbs made her looked as though she had just survived from the front lines. She turned her face to her left and glanced back sideways at the boy.


    ¡°Huh? Well¡­ if it¡¯s after nightfall it would only be slightly worse than yours. Why, do I have to track someone? I mean wouldn¡¯t you make a better stealth and tracker than me?¡±


    Morgant shook his head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll have to be doing something else in the meanwhile, so tell me now if you aren¡¯t confident in your abilities because I¡¯ll look for another way if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    It was true that Morgant had unexpectedly defeated her and shown himself to be superior many times. However she too wasn¡¯t a pushover and had managed to get to her position as captain through her own efforts; she had pride in that accomplishment. Feeling as though her talents, and subsequently her role in the team, were belittled Yvonne answered back in a loud enough voice that rang through the entire Trading Post.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t underestimate me! I can do it just perfectly!¡±


    ¡°Good to hear that you¡¯re so confident, because tomorrow Sipher is probably going report on the findings of his investigation at the town meeting. So while that¡¯s going on your mission is to not lose sight of the person I''ve written down here, you''ll need to-¡±


    As Morgant was about to explain the parameters of the mission to Yvonne, a small knock from the door had interrupted him. For a moment silence had completely overtaken the room as Morgant, Yvonne and Francisco all look towards each other wondering if any of them had called for someone. A brief glance into each other¡¯s eyes revealed that this was not a planned portion of their secret meeting.


    Another knock prompted Yvonne to cover herself up with the sheets as Francisco stood up to greet their unexpected visitor. Upon opening the door a familiar silver haired woman stood waiting with a definite frown. Her silvery ears and tails slowly swayed from side to side though revealing a quiet and suppressed anger.


    ¡°Hmm? You are-¡±


    Though not personally, Francisco had met this woman before.


    ¡°Eh? M- Miko?¡±


    Morgant jumped up from the soft and comfortable armchair as he defensively tried to hide his body from her. It was embarrassment, but of a different kind, the kind born not of shame but of guilt. Riddled with several cuts and some severe bruises there was no way he could show such a disturbing state to her.


    However his state couldn¡¯t be hidden from Miko, not when her senses far outstripped his. From just being near his vicinity she could smell his blood ridden injuries and once she had realized that it was his she grimaced as she approached him. Despite knowing that his current state couldn¡¯t be hidden from her, Morgant still tried to pace away from her and covered himself further.


    Miko crouched down, pull up his sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt to see just what kind of injuries he had sustained. Even if it was a little she would¡¯ve been mad but sometimes injuries do occur and she would understand with a little explanation; however what she saw shocked even her. Large horrendous cuts and bloodied bruises worn throughout his body, to the point it amazed her that he could even be standing with such a nonchalant expression.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Francisco wanted to comment on those injuries as even he didn¡¯t know to what extend Morgant had sustained damage but was quickly shut down by Miko¡¯s anger filled glare. She wanted to accuse him of putting Morgant in such a dangerous situation but the worst part was that he didn¡¯t even know what kind of danger Morgant was put in.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Miko, I can explain this is-¡±


    Morgant averted his gaze in guilt as he tried to further talk his way out. However Miko was not going to let him do that, not after she had just seen the condition of his body. What she thought he needed now was medical attention and to never return to this vile place again.


    ¡°We¡¯re going home.¡±


    Those were the first words Miko spoke since arriving and they were the last. However those words filled with such disappointment and pain was what hurt Morgant the most. He could feel himself choking up as he wanted to object but he knew he couldn¡¯t; he didn¡¯t want to cause or show her any more pain.


    Miko grabbed Morgant¡¯s arms and slowly walked him out of the office, yet not before stopping in front of Francisco to confront him. She wanted him to know just how livid and disgusted she was in him, and to convey that message without words she slapped him across his left cheek with all of her strength. Francisco, being a man with not much frame, was swiftly pushed to the side as he landed against a wall.


    Yvonne wanted to object but being under those sheets couldn¡¯t.


    Morgant looked back once more to make sure that Francisco was alright. They made eye contact to confirm that, despite what had just happened, they both understood the details of the plan and that they would be meeting tomorrow.


    With that the door slowly and heavily closed behind them as the left.


    ¡­


    ¡°Mi- Miko¡­? It, it kind of hurts, my hand, so do you mind letting me go?¡±


    Being dragged by her hand across the cold whiteness of the darkened city of snow, Morgant told her, but in truth there was no way her grip would¡¯ve been strong enough to cause any amount of pain to Morgant. Especially when he had the Gigandoll Power Frame installed into his body, which had also increased his pain threshold, overpowering her would have been an effortless task. Yet with those words Miko only gripped tighter, subtly trembling by the shoulders as she heard his words.


    Noticing that she was doing the opposite of what he had asked, Miko quickly let go of his hands.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ um, are you perhaps¡­ mad?¡±


    Her face covered by her long silver hair, Morgant was unable to determine exactly what kind of expression she was making. The only indication were her trembling shoulders, yet that could have also been from the cold, though Morgant knew best it was not.


    ¡°Mad¡­? Do I look mad to you?¡±


    ¡°Aha¡­ well you¡¯re kind of acting scary right now, so I just assumed¡­¡±


    Morgant answered, laughing dryly but not fooling anyone with such poor acting. Even his attempt at writing of the entire situation with a joke failed as Miko fell down to her knees and meet eye to eye with him. She placed her hands on his shoulders as she lowered her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m scary? What are you even talking about? It¡¯s you that¡¯s the scary one isn¡¯t it? Even though you¡¯re scarred in such horrific injuries, here you are trying to make light of the situation by laughing it off¡­¡±


    ¡°Miko¡­ I¡¯m sor-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so inconsiderate! You don¡¯t even understand how I, how we all feel¡­ First you go missing for an entire day and now when I find you, you¡¯re covered in all manner of dreadful cuts and bruises. Even back before when you went into that dungeon¡­ when you just disappear like that... can you understand just how much that scares me?¡±


    Though she spoke otherwise, Morgant could kind of empathize with what Miko was feeling at the moment. Seeing her trembling figure and her words that sounded as though they were on the verge of tears, she had felt so fragile to him. He wanted to hold her closer and to relieve her but to promise that he wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous anymore was not something he could do. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ he had finally realized the extent of sadness Sovereign must¡¯ve gone through when he arrived to this new world through proxy by Morgant.


    To see everything that he had built up, everyone that he knew and loved, all his accomplishments and ideals for the world¡­ seeing that they¡¯ve all been reduced to ashes. It was only know he could fully empathize with the horror that Sovereign¡­ that the man known as [Aran Callahad] had just gone through.


    ¡°Sorry Miko¡­ but it¡¯s because I love you, because I love all of you that I need to do this. I¡¯m just on the cusp of solving this terrible incident that our peaceful town has been afflicted with. So please¡­ just give me some time.¡±


    Miko shook her head, she couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom what Morgant was talking about.


    ¡°What, just what exactly are you talking about?! What does any of this have to do with you?! Why do you have to go through all of this?! You¡¯re just a boy, you can leave everything up to the adults; there¡¯s no need for you to sacrifice yourself to this degree! That¡¯s not what I want; that¡¯s not what anyone wants! Morgant!¡±


    To her desperate bout Morgant smiled back, a true smile not born of a fa?ade. Just between these small moments he truly felt a bit of happiness by her words. Despite what Miko had wished for by her words, they had only served to strengthen his resolve to see this through. To make sure that no harm ever befalls onto anyone in the orphanage, Morgant was prepared to tear up the entire continent apart for that sake.


    ¡°Thank you Miko, it makes me really happy that you think that way.¡±


    ¡°Morgant¡­?¡±


    Upon hearing his strangely distant tone, as if to utter a fair well, Miko¡¯s grasp on him tightened. In response Morgant gently placed his hands on hers and, to her astonishment, easily pried her hands off.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry; when all this is over I will definitely return and this small but peaceful town will return to its former tranquility. I guarantee it.¡±


    Uttering those words Morgant moved just slightly out of frame from her vision and suddenly disappeared entirely. Not even a trace of him remained as though he seemed to vanish from existence itself and even with her superior sense tuned up to the maximum she was unable to find him.


    ¡°Morgant?! Morgant!¡±


    She desperately tried to find him but all she could see was the gentle darkness above clashing with the cold white below. Continuing to stay out of frame and utilizing his [Stealth Field] to erase his secondary presence, Morgant smiled back gently at her.


    ¡°To the person who managed to cause so much distress in this small town, justice is not what I seek, it is retribution.¡±


    Morgant swore in Sovereign¡¯s name towards the bright gleam of Old Humanity''s greatest achievement, the Full Moon.

 Chapter 25 - Power play

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 25 ¨C Power play


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Dyed by the excessive glare of the morning sun, the residents of the snow blanketed town had amassed once more to ponder their immediate future. With the large conference room of the town hall, an open forum was being held, though none had spoken as of yet. They had been waiting for the past half hour with bated breaths on the arrival of their scout that was to bring information on the enemy plaguing their quaint little city.


    Seated prominently in the midst of the room were three figures, though there were supposed to have been four. Dalton the Mayor of the city, Gerald the leader of the local Adventurer¡¯s Association and Francisco the head merchant of the Merchant¡¯s Guild, without a word they waited. The tension in the room was only accentuated further by the utter lack of any communication as a high pitched silent ping bored deep into everyone¡¯s ears.


    After a few moments Dalton took the opportunity of the silence to speak up. Specifically about the absence of Yvonne; he had kept his mouth shut until now because he had assumed that she was just running late but it became obvious that she wasn¡¯t going to come anytime soon.


    ¡°Is Yvonne not going to be attending the conference? Francisco, have you heard anything about why she isn¡¯t here yet?¡±


    Francisco looked and paused for a second before answering. He shook his head in denial, though in truth he had of course known about it before hand, after all he had planned her absence himself. Where she was and what she was doing now wasn¡¯t something anyone else needed to know thus he came up with a suitable fitting excuse that complimented his rather uncaring character.


    ¡°Who knows? As far as I know she hasn¡¯t been seen since last night. Though I doubt her of all people need worrying about; if anything she¡¯s probably the most capable person in the entire town.¡±


    While Dalton couldn¡¯t exactly have an agreeable expression to his words, he did admit that she had proven herself to be quite the capable fighter. Not only that but she was also a direct descended of the Vampire kin, one of the more elite races of demons, it was rather unlikely she fell victim to the same enemy that plagued their town.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t think this will bode fairly, I must also concede that she¡¯s strong enough to take care of herself. Thus I¡¯ll put this matter on hold until later to deal with¡­¡±


    Dalton answered as he breathed out a sigh.


    ¡°Indeed, or rather if you really just think about it her thought processes aren¡¯t exactly hard to understand. Knowing her she¡¯s probably ventured off to the forest to figure out all of this on her own; she¡¯s a person who can¡¯t sit still for five minutes like the rest of us.¡±


    Francisco answered in a dismissive and disinterested tone, but that was simply his pre-established character. Rather than a natural personality trait, his public persona was more of an act of careful planning. As a merchant being too nice or agreeable had its own fair share of problems but the worst were the restrictions on socially acceptable actions that could be taken. While being hated was also equally terrible in other ways, the amount of utility it gained from being able to deviate from social etiquette offered much more freedom to scheme and maneuver.


    By manipulating how others felt about him he could, to a certain extent, predict what their next actions were likely going to be. This was Francisco¡¯s principle as a merchant and his own being; to play the role of a villain for the sake of convenience.


    ¡°Well, erm, I suppose there¡¯s nothing to do but to place our trust in her ability to protect herself. After all she hasn¡¯t earned her current position for no reason.¡±


    With those words the conversation was lead astray by Francisco¡¯s careful manipulation and the matter of Yvonne¡¯s odd disappearance was left alone. Now that her tracks were covered, both Morgant and Francisco were free to play out the rest of their parts to lure the enemy into their trap. Thus having managed to continue reprising his role as part of the background Morgant was able to eavesdrop from a relatively secluded position in the conference hall.


    They did not have to wait long before the doors slowly decided to open to reveal the entrance of three prominent figures. The first was a heavily plated knight, followed swiftly behind by a small girl and a slender looking man. The small girl seemed no older than nine years of age but hidden under her mysterious burgundy cloak, she expelled a competent aura.


    Decorated with a false smile hidden with all sorts of ulterior motives was a beautiful, almost effeminate man with long black flowing hair. From the way he carried himself to his adorned and decorated clothing he felt much nobler than any noble that could possibly have existed. Indeed, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that this man was the very definition of a ¡®noble¡¯.


    That being said the two at the back were disregarded by the townspeople as they focused their attentions towards the leading knight. They tensed as the leaded forwards from their chairs waiting for him to speak.


    ¡°Oh~ you¡¯ve finally arrived Sipher. Now, quickly tell us of what you witnessed at the forest. Were words of the victims true? Were there really goblin gods?¡±


    Dalton stood up to greet the knight with a firm handshake, but quickly pushed forward for the main topic at hand. This was not a situation in which they could dally around and waste time after all. Sipher shot a pensive gaze towards the mayor as he thought about what to relay to the mayor, but after much deliberation he decided to withhold information regarding the mysterious boy they had met. If only for the fact that he did save the princess¡¯ life, it was the least he could do.


    ¡°Yes¡­ and no, I think the stories may have been exaggerated but there definitely was something there.¡±


    They all listened in carefully as Sipher started to explain in great detail about the cursed goblins that plagued the forests. About their tenacity, about their unstable berserker rage and general hatred towards all crossing opponents. All except one person were keen in this ¡®new¡¯ information; Francisco neither cared to look at nor listen in to Sipher¡¯s ramblings as he had already known in advance the situation at hand. Or rather, it was precisely the nature of the ¡®enemy¡¯ that he was interested in, but not of those monsters in the forest, but the mastermind that likely sat together with him in this very room.


    Their plan had already begun but it would take more than just attendance for it to bear any fruit. So as Sipher continued explaining as to what the natures of these goblins were Francisco subtly scanned the two most prominent suspects in front of him, Gerald and Dalton.


    ¡°The monolith shard¡­ and the crystalline curse¡­ We need to quickly do something about this before it spreads any further! If we gear up all able bodied combatants we should be able to mount a suitable offensive to destroy these scourges before they have time to amass an even greater threat!¡±


    Loudly pounding both of his hands onto the table, Gerald was the one who stood up and proclaimed this solution. Naturally everyone¡¯s attention shifted towards him with a lot of people showing an agreeable expression while some remained to be convinced. However it was Francisco who raised an eyebrow, staring back puzzlingly at the loud elf he asked.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t disagree that we should take some sort of proactive measures, what exactly would you have us do? Are those long ears of yours only attached to your head as mere decorations? Or did you not hear from this here adorned knight about how the enemy won¡¯t die even if they are slain?¡±


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    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Or what, do you have a solution to this problem as well? The problem isn¡¯t the enemy itself but those ¡®monolith shards¡¯ that are producing these abominations. Mounting an offensive will just have us all killed.¡±


    Francisco shot him back an accusatory glare. Gerald was not wrong in trying to take on a more proactive role now that they have more information, but the real problem was how they should take such actions.


    ¡°But waiting here won¡¯t solve anything either; we can¡¯t just hole up until we find a perfect solution. It may be too late for those goblins but if we act quickly enough we may be able to prevent other monsters from being mutated.¡±


    Francisco stood up from his seat and paced around to Gerald¡¯s side as he carefully caressed his beard in a contemplative manner.


    ¡°Prevent other monsters from being mutated? Whatever do you mean by that? I don¡¯t believe the good knight has brought up anything to that effect; indeed I was under the assumption that this was all just another new variant of the goblin race with a specific condition attached to it. That condition being that the monolith shard. Or was I the only who thought that?¡±


    Francisco turned to get an answer from Dalton and any others for their opinion. Both the mayor and Sipher shook their heads, suggesting that Francisco wasn¡¯t the only one with that thought.


    Gerald¡¯s eyes twitched wide as he temporarily ceased breathing. The fact that other monsters were vulnerable to the curse was not information Sipher knew because all he had faced were ¡®crystalline goblins¡¯. Francisco on the other hand was privy to such knowledge because he had been told of it by Morgant who had gone as far as entering combat against another cursed species; the Horned Crystal Stag. The question now falls, ¡®so then how does Gerald know?¡¯  Francisco asked himself with a dastardly grin.


    Of course the answer was quite obvious, ¡®Bingo~¡¯.


    ¡°I¡­ I just assumed that it was because it was called a ¡®curse¡¯. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not like goblins are the only species vulnerable to curses right? In, in any case, whether it¡¯s only goblins that are affected or not, we still have to do something or else more of the cursed goblin population will start showing up.¡±


    Gerald answered in a shaky tone. To this Francisco had a hard time trying to hide his smirk but somehow managed to get through suppressing it.


    ¡°Why now?¡±


    Francisco asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Why what?¡±


    Gerald replied back in confusion.


    ¡°Why have you changed your stance on the matter? Previously you had wanted to erect a defensive wall around the town to keep the people safe, but now you say you want to go on the offensive. Just what on Eternis caused this miraculous wind of change?¡±


    ¡°What? No, that¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s precisely because I want to keep the townspeople safe that I¡¯m now adopting a forward defense strategy. Since we now have a more solid understanding of the nature of the enemy we can take the chance.¡±


    Francisco carefully placed his hands atop of Gerald¡¯s shoulders. He flinched but didn¡¯t retort back and merely tried to suppress his subtle trembling.


    ¡°Of course, I definitely agree that we should do something proactive, but it is not like you said. We don¡¯t have a full understanding of the monsters and if anything we now have more of a reason to build defensive perimeters since the monsters are almost death defying. From your actions so far I¡¯d say it seems like you have a personal vendetta against these monsters and WANT to charge in and destroy them all.¡±


    ¡°N- no, that¡¯s not-¡±


    As Gerald was about to object Francisco leaned in and whispered into his ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you; after all, this town must be awfully boring for you right? You¡¯re still so young yet you¡¯re stuck doing administrative tasks day in and day out, you must never get any real chances to see any action, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you-¡±


    Gerald tried once more to answer back but was cut off.


    ¡°Ah, that reminds me, this may be a little deviating off topic but there was once a man I met in one of my business trips. He was a smart man, taught me many things too, but the one thing I never forgot were his words. ¡®An inferior man seeks validation, while a superior man validates others¡¯. Make of that what you will, I just thought you would benefit more from his words than myself at this point.¡±


    There was a brief moment of pause between the two men before the mayor interjected.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Francisco?¡±


    Francisco withdrew himself from Gerald¡¯s comfort zone and returned to his seat but not before flashing an arrogant, smothering grin towards Gerald.


    ¡°No, mayor Dalton, I don¡¯t believe anything is wrong. In any case, I do believe we should be doing at least something about the situation but we also shouldn¡¯t take it too hastily. At the very least I would like to wait until Yvonne returns.¡±


    Dalton thought about the proposition for a moment before agreeing.


    ¡°Yes, perhaps a day or two in deliberation may be necessary. Then I shall adjourn this meeting until a further date.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°So, did you manage to confirm it really was him?¡±


    As soon as the conference was adjourned Morgant and Francisco had returned to the Trading Post for further discussions.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you there? Then there¡¯s no need to ask me now is there.¡±


    ¡°Gerald¡­ was it. Hmph, I feel like this may have been a little too easy, though considering his personality perhaps not. Though I did prepare something just in case it really was Dalton, but it doesn¡¯t look like I need to use that.¡±


    Morgant responded with a cheerful fa?ade of a smile. Just like Francisco, Morgant was also the type that preferred to play the role of the villain due to the usefulness of its utility. That being said, unlike Francisco, Morgant was much more comfortable with the fa?ade on rather than letting his true personality out near allies.


    ¡°I do admit that I feel the same, but facing an opponent whose background I haven¡¯t truly confirmed yet, it¡¯s somehow uncomfortable. I fear that what we¡¯re trying to do may be a little too simple for my tastes.¡±


    Francisco commented as he fell down on his sofa with a sigh. The stress of the situation as it was coming to a peak had started to get to him but with strict discipline he banished such anxiety.


    ¡°We¡¯re only keeping it simple because we¡¯re operating on a lot of assumptions here. Anything more convoluted would¡¯ve required too much time and more information, something we¡¯re sorely lacking right now. Yet just as we know nothing of him, he knows nothing of us; it¡¯s a gamble at this point and the victor will be decided by who has the greater ¡®unknown quantity¡¯.¡±


    Morgant replied from Francisco¡¯s armchair.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well regardless, I think they should be arriving soon.¡±


    As if on cue there was a knock on the door and upon opening said door three figures had shown themselves. Sipher, Este and Enrich had been invited for a secret meeting with Francisco but what they hadn¡¯t expected was the inclusion of Morgant.


    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re that boy!¡±


    As soon as she entered the room, Este pointed as she recognized the arrogant green eyes and deathly pale black hair. Morgant smiled back and waved at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Este Fallon, Sipher¡­ and Enrich.¡±

 Chapter 26 - A practice in vanity

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 26 ¨C A practice in vanity


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    A calculative and uncanny smile that could pierce through the thick tension of the room¡­


    ¡°Hmm, well¡­ despite the circumstances, it¡¯s quite good to see that you are once again in good health.¡±


    An unbreakable fa?ade, Enrich spoke as he walked past Sipher and Este with a light stride. The two turned to each other, nonverbally trying to get a confirmation out of the other if they knew what kind of situation this was. After a brief moment, both Sipher and Este negatively replied to each other by subtly shaking their heads.


    To begin with, though they had only just recently met with Enrich, they had learnt enough about him to practice caution. Neither Sipher nor Este was the type to delve too deeply into politics thus neither could fathom Enrich¡¯s thought processes. As a natural corollary to this, it was only a given that the anxiety was accentuated further upon hearing that the enigmatic Enrich and the ¡®mysterious¡¯ boy knew each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s rather odd, because I sure don¡¯t fell all that particularly in ¡®good health¡¯. Not to mention that if your side didn¡¯t intervene in the first place I wouldn¡¯t have had a need to put in the effort of recovering back to ¡®good health¡¯.¡±


    Replied Morgant, sarcastically hiding from behind Francisco¡¯s large wooden desk. Half of his body, and subsequently most of this visible injuries he had sustained, were hidden behind the table thus ensuring that his complaint had no real impact. That being said, this small, minute banter wasn¡¯t Morgant¡¯s original intentions for the meeting so this was all intentionally planned.


    ¡°Haha¡­ now, now, isn¡¯t that water under the bridge? Not only did his eminence give you his full approval thanks to that, but you¡¯ve also subsequently, as you yourself have stated, gained a much more ¡®useful¡¯ ability in association with ¡®our¡¯ side. So why not let bygones be bygones and let¡¯s start over.¡±


    To Enrich¡¯s answer all Morgant could muster up was a disapproving sigh. Indeed as he had put it, thanks to Enrich¡¯s previous charade all possible obstructions and risk to contacting Astaroth were removed. If both father and daughter willed it, there would very remaining who would openly disagree with Morgant¡¯s and Astaroth¡¯s union.


    They had only met once but Morgant understood that Astaroth had harbored feelings of fondness towards him. Most likely she had ¡®seen¡¯ some kind of future with her ability for such sudden attraction. Even if he had to fake reciprocation and the emotions, he would do whatever was necessary to obtain the power of ¡®precognition¡¯ to his side. After all, there would be no better source of information than knowledge of a reality that hasn¡¯t even taken place.


    ¡®Information is power¡¯, Morgant was convinced of this; that no matter how powerful an opponent is or how just advantage they hold, information was the one thing that could change the tide of any battle. ¡®Honor¡¯, ¡®Glory¡¯, ¡®Power¡¯, ¡®Pedigree¡¯, ¡®Discipline¡¯, etc¡­ those were the values etched into the hearts and minds of the primitive populace but to Morgant they were far too archaic and worthless. He understood that ¡®Cunning¡¯, ¡®Exploitation¡¯ and ¡®Ruthlessness¡¯ would win out every time if given the chance.


    With another sigh Morgant finally decided to relinquish his spot on Francisco¡¯s seat. Slowly moving about the perimeter of the room he lightly tapped on the walls.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I suppose if you were to ask me whether I was satisfied with how the situation had progressed then I would by lying to suggest I wasn¡¯t, but then again¡­ it really hurt. Well whatever, you weren¡¯t followed on your way here, right?¡±


    Shifting topics, Morgant asked in a dismissive tone. While he had never specified the secrecy of this meeting it was implied by his personal invitation. What he was doing now by tapping across the walls was checking for anything out of place or hidden within the walls. Even though he wasn¡¯t able to sense the presence of other living beings he was still observant enough to deduce even a minute difference in a familiar environment to confidently pin point anything amiss.


    ¡°I may not be the most prominent fighter in our midst, but I still know how to cover my tracks. At the very least, to my knowledge we were not tailed.¡±


    Enrich replied, turning to Este and Sipher for confirmation as well. The two stared back for a moment before also giving a positive response. To their readily agreeable replies Morgant scoffed under his breath as he knocked against the wall one last time.


    ¡°I see¡­ if you¡¯re all that convinced of your own abilities then I won¡¯t doubt you. Now, I suppose it¡¯s time to get to the main topic of why I called you all here-¡±


    ¡°W- wait, wait, wait! Before we discussing anything else, why don¡¯t we talk about the problem of your true identity first?¡±


    However before Morgant could finish his sentence he was stopped by a gentle grip on his shoulder. Turning to his side Este stood back with a determined expression worn on her face, not letting him dodge away from this question he has kept for this long. She wanted to know who he was and why he saved her, it wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t grateful for it, she was. Yet in her honest opinion of him, he didn¡¯t seem like the type to do it without asking for some sort of compensation later down the line.


    With a refreshingly derisive smile, Morgant answered in a cheerful tone.


    ¡°My identity? As you can plainly see, I¡¯m a perfectly normal seven year old and a resident of this pure city of snow.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what part of you is to be construed as ¡®normal¡¯? Not only have you demonstrated an exceptionally strange power but you¡¯ve even somehow managed to gather all the obviously red flagged people in the same room.¡±


    Este responded as she pointed specifically towards Francisco and Enrich with her eyes. Seeing her take a defensive position, Morgant couldn¡¯t help but let out a small giggle. Even now he didn¡¯t know what kind of lineage the family of ¡®Fallon¡¯ possessed but if they were made of members like her then perhaps it was no big deal in the first place. He felt stupid for putting even an ounce of thought into this conundrum.


    Gently prying her hands off his shoulders Morgant took a deep breath to clear his mind. Barely managing to contain his laughter he was able to reply to her question, though it was not a very satisfactory one. Nonetheless she had accepted it.


    ¡°In due to I¡¯ll make sure to answer any outstanding questions you may have, however for now I believe it is much more prudent to focus our attentions on  resolving the little problem ailing our dear city.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°What? But I-¡±


    ¡°Princess, I think we should back off this topic for now.¡±


    It was Sipher who had stopped her after noticing the pressing stares of all the others gathered in the room. Also finally understanding their anxious looks Este decided to back off the topic as her partner had suggested.


    ¡°Fine, but after this is all over I¡¯ll have you explain everything. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Morgant replied with a grin, one that Este did not have much appreciation for as it felt as though he was mocking her with it. It was a bitter feeling, to be looked down upon and underestimated to such a degree by someone who was younger than her. Yet as Morgant and the others had pointed out, the current situation took precedence over her pride.


    Seeing that everything had been temporarily swept under the rug, Morgant returned to Francisco¡¯s desk and sat upon his chair. Secretly recalling a small yellow crystal, the [Monolith Shard] out from his [Inventory] he presented before his congress. It emitted a putrid and nauseating aura, yet they had all inspected it with great interests, wanting to figure out more about its possibly origins and mechanisms.


    ¡°That¡¯s the piece you took from that Goblin.¡±


    Sipher commented on the obvious before giving up on trying figuring out the secrets of the yellow crystal. He thus took a step back to give others the chance to decrypt whatever secrets laid insight this ominous artifact. After all his only true objective was to protect the young princess Este and nothing more, so whether this small, backwater city fell or prospered was really none to his concern. The only reason he had decided to help solve the problem ailing the city was because Este wanted to do so. Though if he was made to state one other reason it would certainly be to understand more about this ''mysterious'' boy who held rather unusual powers.


    ¡°Correct, I¡¯ve been studying this shard ever since, but ashamed as I am to admit it, I have not been able to understand completely the mysteries surrounding it. That being said, my efforts weren¡¯t exactly fruitless either; I¡¯ve managed to deduce some critical points to it. Well, I¡¯ll get the obvious out of the way; anything that dies within its effective vicinity will be afflicted with the ¡®crystalline curse¡¯. There are three main components to the curse¡­¡±


    The first component was the ability to give the afflicted nigh unlimited tolerance to pain. This was experienced firsthand by most of the people in the room thus they understood immediately. Even as their arms and legs were torn off their ability to continue on fighting did not decrease. However rather than calling it ¡®tenacity¡¯ it was more apt to call it ¡®obliviousness¡¯. The afflicted didn¡¯t even realize their bodies were being destroyed and only continued on with its stated task simply because it couldn¡¯t feel any of the pain. Thus the only effective way to handle them was to destroy their brain or their entire being.


    The second was their heightened natural prowess. This too was something most people in the room had experience themselves, namely in the form of fighting empowered goblins. Mere goblins were not strong enough to form any sort of threat, even to the most untrained civilian, however these goblins were different. Their crystalline curse increased their natural strengths many folds and reflexes to the point that they gave even the highly trained knight, Sipher, some problems. The only part that did not seem to see any increase were their defenses as Este had no problem demolishing them in large groups.


    The third component was the ability to mask the afflicted victim¡¯s aura, effectively giving them invisibility. As Morgant had a similar ability to them in this regard he had thought it would be easy to understand how theirs had worked but reality was not so comforting. The best he could do was come up with a few theories. One possible explanation was because of their lack of ¡®intent¡¯, since the afflicted have no wills of their own their subconscious intentions cannot be read. Another possibility was that the Monolith shard¡¯s aura masked the afflicted victim¡¯s aura to an extent where they seemed invisible.


    These were the results of Morgant¡¯s careful and extensive experimentation done on small insects and other lower life forms. After spending some time on it, he had come to understand certain things about the crystal itself as well. The most prominent being that the crystal had the ability to have a will of its own, though not necessarily a mind or any other faculties that could substitute for cognitive capabilities. Meaning that while it did not have desires or thoughts of its own, it could technically ¡®try¡¯ its best to carry out its purpose. Of course its purpose was decided upon by the one directly interfacing with the crystal or in this case the ¡®true¡¯ mastermind.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m rather impressed that you were able to figure out such details in the small amount of time you¡¯ve had. Although I must admit the part about how these crystals have the ability to form a will is a little disconcerting. If used correctly, or rather in this case, ¡®incorrectly¡¯¡­¡±


    Enrich responded to Morgant¡¯s explanation in a worried tone of voice.


    ¡°Ah, right about that, it¡¯s actually the reason I¡¯ve called you all here today. I think I¡¯ve understood what the mastermind¡¯s true plans are.¡±


    Once more Morgant had stolen the center of attention and brought it upon himself. As they all heard that he was able to deduce the motives behind this terrible incident they leaned forward intently.


    ¡°You have?!¡±


    Sipher immediately jumped up and asked, almost in a threatening manner.


    ¡°Yeah, his plan is probably to¡­ turn himself immortal. Immortality is his goal and everything else up to this point, the goblins, the dears, the missing townspeople, everything was just an experiment or practice for that.¡±


    Pausing in the middle of the sentence as well as repeating the mastermind¡¯s motive was all done for dramatic effect and emphasis. He wanted to make sure that everyone in the room had heard and understood what he was trying to say.


    ¡°Im- immortality? How¡­?¡±


    Este asked in a feeble voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s the crystals. By utilizing its special properties a person can afflict the crystalline curse upon themselves without losing their will or mind.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ how?¡±


    As Este asked further, Morgant answered with an uneasy grin.


    ¡°Simple¡­ by exploiting the Crystalline Curse.¡±

 Chapter 27 - A whisper of shadows

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 27 ¨C A whisper of shadows


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    As dead silence warped around the darkened office of the Longmoore Trading Post, a single shadowed figure stood by the open window side. The cold night breeze of the snow covered town entered through, chilling both the room and its unwelcome guest to an uncomfortable level. Despite this, the shadowed figure only scoffed at the cold¡¯s futile attempt as he gazed up towards the carefully contesting silvery light of the moon.


    It was as though the moon itself was trying to declare the unwanted guest as an enemy. Yet driven apart by a vast distance, the best either could do against each other was stare and to accept their unreachable fates. The moon¡¯s light slowly intensified, glimmering to reveal certain features of the shadowed figure lurking around the dead of night in a foreign office.


    His blonde hair now dyed silver and pale by the moon¡¯s glare swayed side to side in front of his face from the breeze. His colorless skin, now seeming even more deathly ill the man stood with his arms crossed in defiance of the sovereign of the night sky. Yet his most defining feature were his two long and stiff ears protruding from the sides of his face; an Elven kin.


    He stared out towards the accursed town that was indistinguishable from gaol and silently mocked the residents. They were to be his stepping stones to an even greater destiny that was promised solely to him; soon the town of demons will be washed away by the light of justice. Yet he had to admit that it had been an interesting experience, playing the role of an innocent resident of this backwater village. Perhaps an experience such as this may never come again; he had fun while it lasted, but life was about more than just ¡®fun¡¯.


    ¡°Fools¡­¡±


    There was work to be done. His ¡®true¡¯ allies will be coming soon and with them a great change onto this entire continent. However there was one thing that had still bothered him, an incredibly talented and intelligent human child with potential to become either a great ally or a great hindrance. While still a seven year old boy he had discovered almost every secret to the Monolith Shard and even uncovered some that he himself did not know.


    ¡°Ku, kuku~ Immortality is it? Certainly that sounds rather interesting. While it was never my true intentions, I do not mind changing it to be so.¡±


    The unwanted guest spoke to himself, yet not in a voice loud enough to alert any of the still barely active merchants on the floor below. Taking a deep breath to quell his exhilarated heart he sat upon the seat belonging to Francisco Longmoore, kicking up his legs on the desk in spite.


    It was a magnificent find and a theory that did indeed seem like a very real possibility. To ¡®exploit to Crystalline Curse¡¯, giving the user¡¯s attributes a considerable boost as well as nigh immortality. Taking out a small piece of the Monolith Shard the unwanted guest started at it as it shone against the lunar ray. He could almost taste the power calling out to him, tempting him to take the plunge and embrace its glorious and pure power.


    Softly caressing the side of the crystal he whispered seductively into it the words ¡®soon¡¯ as though it could understand him. There was no doubt he would do it, before anyone else has time to even figure it out, he would become an all powerful immortal. Yet there were still some loose ends that needed to be fixed, especially in regards to the boy in question who had discovered this secret.


    ¡°Still, that brat¡­ I was well aware of his abilities ever since he defeated my goblin and crystal stag, but to have the powers of this quaint little town wrapped around his little finger¡­ Tch, he¡¯s obviously going to become a huge nuisance if I don¡¯t do something about him soon.¡±


    He spoke as though almost arguing to himself, struggling to figure out just exactly what he wanted to do with the mysterious boy named ¡®Morgant¡¯. There was no doubt that if left alone he would become an incredibly difficult hindrance in the future, but with careful guidance and manipulation he could also become a great asset.


    The boy was smart, but he was still a seven year old and likely very na?ve about the world. Morgant was exceptional at battle but compared to what the unwanted guest had seen, his powers paled in comparison. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ he thought to himself as he covered his mouth with his left hand, tilting his head backwards while leaning on the chair in a melancholic fashion.


    ¡°I could become his new master¡­¡±


    Once this small city was destroyed, the boy¡¯s life would be turned upside down. Distraught and lost he would have no other choice but to turn to the only person left, that was the unwanted guest, Gerald the leader of this town¡¯s branch of the  Adventurer¡¯s Association.


    ¡°That could work¡­ but that¡¯s only a secondary objective. For now I should focus on the situation at hand. With that brat in charge I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have much time to finish up on the other experiments, not to mention that bastard Dian Cecht has been pressing me for some time. The majority of the tests have been complete so I should just hurry up and become and immortal then wipe out the city¡­¡±


    Gerald continued speaking to himself, plotting out various schemes and plans in his head. For a few seconds he had become lost in his own thoughts but a sudden noise from behind the door of the room had snapped him back into reality. The sound of two pairs of footsteps could be heard approaching quickly, and though there was no real need for Gerald to flee now that his plan had come close to its apex he decided to play it safe and hide.


    With the cover of darkness there it wasn¡¯t too hard to camouflage himself into the background.


    Slowly creaking open came in two figures, one of which held a small light to reveal their identities. A small boy and a middle aged man; Morgant and Francisco Longmoore respectively had returned to the office at odd hours. In the midst of his confusion as to why they did, as though they had somehow read his mind Francisco posed the question first.


    ¡°So? Did you find whatever it was that you forgot this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Mmm~ just a sec, I think I left it on your table before we left.¡±


    Responded Morgant as he took the candle from Francisco¡¯s hand and ran silently up towards the table. With the support of the gentle lunar light the table¡¯s surface was reflected silver, he glanced around a few times making insightful hums but after a while he sighed and ultimately gave up. Shaking his head he returned the candle back to Francisco.


    ¡°Sorry, it doesn¡¯t seem to be here. Strange, I thought it would be, guess I was mistaken?¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.He asked rhetorically.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find it eventually but I think now is a good a time as any to ask. About what you said earlier¡­ were you serious?¡±


    Keeping hidden within the shadows Gerald continued to eavesdrop as the topic had shifted to one that had greatly interested him.


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, about exploiting the Crystalline Curse? Yeah, some preparation is probably necessary but the basic theory all checks out. The Monolith Shard has the ability to ¡®accept¡¯ a will; if we can exploit this system it may be possible to transfer an entire mind into it. Though user¡¯s physical body will die but you can easily transfer your mind back to your original body after giving it the Crystalline Curse. In that manner you can loop around the whole ¡®having to die¡¯ part and gain effective immortality.¡±


    Hearing his explanation there was no room for Francisco to object since he had no real expertise on the Monolith Shard. If anything, Morgant could be considered the closest thing to a resident expert on it, having both fought the corrupted monsters and possess a small shard of it. Still there was one thing that bothered Francisco about the entire concept of exploiting the Monolith Shard.


    ¡°But then, what happens if the original Monolith Shard is destroyed? Doesn¡¯t that mean the user will die along with it since it¡¯s utilizing the Shard as a hub for its brain?¡±


    Yet Morgant shook his head, having already thought of a way around that issue.


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny such a weakness exists, to be fair nothing can truly be that perfect. Yet at the same time there are numerous ways to overcome or cover weaknesses to the point that they become negligible. The solution to the problem of the original Monolith Shard¡¯s vulnerability is to infuse with a certain kind of magic.¡±


    ¡°Certain kind of magic? Just exactly what kind are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Remember how I told you about my encounter with the Horned Crystal Stag?¡±


    Francisco was quickly about to recall such an explanation and upon doing so immediately started to see where the conversation was headed. He let out a small chuckle and nodded, ¡®I see, I see¡­¡¯ he whispered to himself.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you remember, great. That Horned Crystal Stag was corrupted during our first time meeting of it, yet it didn¡¯t even remotely appear cursed. Wearing its natural colors it managed to suppress, at least on appearances, the symptoms of the Crystalline Curse. In much the same way it may be possible to suppress the symptoms on the user as well as covering or at least hiding the entire Monolith Shard itself.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, but doing so would no doubt require a vast amount of magic.¡±


    Morgant shrugged as he prepared himself to leave the room.


    ¡°I never said it was a perfect cover, but in terms of practicality this is probably the most effective one. If you can think of something better I¡¯d like to hear it. Besides we¡¯re not talking about some ordinary technique, we¡¯re discussing the potential for immortality here, there¡¯s always some kind of price you have to pay for something on that scale, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose you do have a point. Regardless, that¡¯s your entire plan to stopping this disaster?¡±


    As Francisco stared solemnly at the strong will young boy ahead of him. Merely seven years of age yet willing to lay down his life and happiness to valiantly protect the city that had raised him. Francisco was almost ashamed to call himself an adult in front of the boy but he truly respected him for his determination.


    Morgant let out a gentle laugh as he answered.


    ¡°Someone has to do it right? Besides, it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t be gaining anything from doing this. This is immortality, you here?¡±


    Francisco sighed as he started to leave the room.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Very valiant of you, then whether this plan of yours succeeds or fails, we need to get on it, right?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t leave me behind!¡±


    Morgant shouted as he followed out after Francisco. Slowly as the doors shut behind them as they left the darkness engulfed the room once more. A small, bemused laughter following after once more breaking the fragile silence, Gerald had found it; the key to his destiny.


    ¡°Kuh¡­ kuku, so that¡¯s it huh?  Truly as he says, obtaining immortality will naturally come with a hefty price. Death of the body but immortality of the mind¡­ such a trade off may be worth the price. If it means I can one up ¡®that¡¯ bastard, then so be it. Sorry kid, but it looks like I¡¯ll be the one becoming immortal after all of this.¡±


    Gerald spoke to himself as he revealed himself from the shadows. More than anyone else, complete immortality was just on the tip of his grasp. Only one condition remained that truly hindered him from achieving it, that was the massive amount of magic required to camouflage the Monolith Shard after he becomes immortal.


    After all, what would be the point of immortality if right after he had gained it he could simply be killed off by having the Monolith Shard destroyed? Such a weakness took priority in behind hidden away, however the problem was where he could even find such a large source of readily available magic.


    After a small moment of contemplation an eerie smile etched across his face. He couldn¡¯t help feeling exhilarated by his own genius in coming up with a strategy to cover his weakness. There indeed existed a method of quickly obtaining such a vast amount of magic.


    ¡°Yes¡­ the ¡®Blood Ritual¡¯, if I used that¡­¡±


    The ¡®Blood Ritual¡¯ was a long outlawed technique that had been used only one in the entire recorded history of Eternis. Though that being said, that was in mentioning the only ¡®official¡¯ time, there were no doubts that it had been used numerous times ¡®unofficially¡¯ by a small number of maniacs. It was a sinister and twisted technique that could convert life itself into magic, or more specifically it could turn sacrifices into usable magic.


    The only time it was ever used was officially was when an ancient kingdom sacrificed the lives of its peasants in order to launch a devastating magical strike at an enemy nation. Of course this time, Gerald would be using to fulfill the purposes of his own design.


    Naturally, even if it wasn¡¯t on the same scale as bombing an entire neighboring country, it required numerous sacrifices, but there was a suitable city ripe for the taking. The pure white city of snow was to be destroyed regardless so what could possibly be the harm in sacrificing the entire city to convert them into readily available magic?


    Once more Gerald smiled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind¡­ now will they?¡±


    <hr />


    Woo~ two chapters back to back :]

 Chapter 28 - Desperation

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 28 ¨C Desperation


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Valiantly roaming through the dangerous hazards of the demonic forest, three brave children traversed in search of their missing forth. Lead by a small Elven boy with pale sea toned hair, he charged with bitter and single minded determination as he ignored the two girls following behind him at a distance. He wasn¡¯t going to give up in this futile search effort no matter how long it would take until he found even a remnant of his best friend.


    Their forth, Morgant, had had gone missing for the past few days and the only answer they had as to why was a vague and complicated set of ¡®reasons¡¯. Unsatisfied with the lack of information regarding the fate of their close comrade the three children had decided to take matters into their own hands. Sneaking out of the orphanage at the dead of night, lead Ren, they began their search through the monster infested forests.


    ¡°Hey Ren, can you wait a bit? Ren? I said wait!¡±


    Lagging behind the usually stoic Elven child were two girls who called out to him to allow them time to catch their breaths. Lost in his thoughts about the whereabouts and fate of his missing friend he had unknowingly sped up. By the time he had come back to his sense from his thoughts the sky¡¯s darkness had been replaced by the glaring streams of light piercing through the thicket of the demonic forest¡¯s canopy.


    ¡°What is it? I told you that you didn¡¯t have to follow me. If you want to rest, do it on your own time and stop interfering.¡±


    Ren harshly reprimanded as he showed no signs of ever stopping until the search was over. Continuing on with his current pace he was about to leave the two exhausted girls behind, however even they had their own pride as Morgant¡¯s childhood friends. They too shared part of the desperation and determination to find him and bring him back home safely.


    ¡°Stupid Ren, that wasn¡¯t what I was going to ask.¡±


    One of the girls spoke back in an equally informal tone of voice, Alice. Her long, golden silk-like hair tangled up by the ailments that were the forest¡¯s humid atmosphere. Light scratches and cuts could be seen on her leg as she had accidently ran into some sharp objects while traversing the harsh terrains of the ground beneath.


    ¡°Then what is it? If you hadn¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m kind of busy.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I just wanted to know if you really know where you were going, because from the looks of it we¡¯ve just been wandering round this forest at random. Are you absolutely, positively, definitely, truly, really sure you know where Morgant is?¡±


    Shaking his head in a disapproving manner Ren sighed as he dodged the question with another harsh reprimand.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ you get seriously annoying when Morgant isn¡¯t here to hold you back, you know that? Besides what are you saying now after coming out all the way here? Maybe you¡¯re the idiot here.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Whatever, out with it; do you or do you not really know where you are going? Actually now that I think about it all you said was that you were going to go and find Morgant. You never even said anything about knowing where he was and just stormed off before anyone could even ask. Could it be¡­? That your plan was to just wander around the forest randomly and hoping for the best?!¡±


    ¡°Y- you idiot, do you think I¡¯m you?! Anyway I¡¯m Morgant¡¯s best friend so if there¡¯s anyone in the world that knows where he is then it¡¯s definitely got to be me. I know how that guy thinks; he¡¯s most definitely gone off to solve the strange monster attacks and this forest is most likely the center of all the chaos. Naturally that means he¡¯s here¡­ just, somewhere¡­¡±


    Replied Ren in an unconvincing tone as he was being glared by a slightly disappointed Alice. She even sighed in some sort of resignation, a fact that irked Ren to no end but decided to let go as now was not the time.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m sorry; I guess I really was the idiot to think that Ren would know where Morgant was. Forget it, I¡¯m going to go on my own and find him.¡±


    ¡°Wha, what did you say?! Mind saying that once more, directly to my face?!¡±


    Unable to hold in from the compounded fatigue from hours of walking and the taunt from the usually dumb Alice, Ren lashed out, raising his voice throughout the forest. It echoed through the trees and even he himself could feel his own rage from the voice came ringing back to him.


    ¡°Hah! Sure, I said that I was an idiot to trust you!¡±


    ¡°You! Damn!¡±


    The two continued to stare each other down with childish anger and hatred burning in their eyes. It wasn¡¯t as though this amount of fighting would dissolve their years long friendship as fellow orphans but at this particular moment neither could stand the other.


    ¡°Ah, ah¡­ ah~ g- guys? P- please, let¡¯s stop this and c- calm down okay? We should get back on track to finding Morgant¡­¡±


    Trying to quell the infighting was third childhood friend, a shy and petite girl from the Lamia race, with her most distinct trait being her unnatural floral tinted hair, Celina. With her meek voice she mustered up the courage to step in to try to cease their banter but ultimately her protests fell on deaf ears. Neither Ren nor Alice, whom was usually quite friendly with Celina, had any interests in her stuttering objection.


    For a few more their verbal banter was traded back and forth until finally ending in an escalated full physical confrontation. Being children with none of their gender characteristics fully developed neither truly had the advantage over another. Or rather it was Alice who was usually more physical and outgoing that was able to completely overwhelm Ren to the floor.


    ¡°Hmph! Stupid Ren, did you really think you could beat me in a fist fight? Now stop getting in my way, I¡¯m going to be the one who¡¯ll find Morgant first! Come on, Celina, let¡¯s leave this loser to himself.¡±


    Despite her protests on going about the search on her own terms she had casually decided to drag Celina along with her. Yet something was slightly amiss; normally Celina would¡¯ve responded immediately to Alice¡¯s call but there was simply silence at her rally.


    ¡°Hmm? Celina?¡±


    Noticing the strange absence of any kind of response both Alice and Ren looked around to see what was going on. They turned to gazes to where Celina ought to have been only to be shocked at the horrific sight that they were met with. Paralyzing electricity flowed through their bodies as they struggled to even comprehend what it was that they were seeing.


    Several grotesque and hulking goblins, adorned with jagged pieces of disgusting yellow crystals, appeared without even making so much as a sound. They were quite large for goblins, at the very least compared to seven year old children they were gigantic and not enemies they could easily handle. A fierce chill ran down their backs as they stared into the ferocious but cruelly blank yellow glares of these monsters.


    Barely breaking past their paralysis the thing that had most given them fright was the sight of their friend. Held by her neck as though she were some sort of mere animal, Celina had been apprehended by the goblins. From the way she had been struggling to break free it was obvious that breathing to her was starting to become an exceedingly difficult task.


    ¡°C- Celina!¡±


    Having completely forgotten about her prior fear of the monster after witnessing her friend being taken hostage Alice charged the enemy. Taking out a small rusted knife that she had brought along for exactly this kind of occasion she dashed screaming at the goblins who made no response to her. They simply stood still, batting not even a single eye nor even a mocking laugh, it was the ultimate insult to disregard her to such an extent.


    ¡°You damned monsters! Let go of her!¡±


    A direct hit; Alice¡¯s rusted kitchen knife managed to slide right through the tough looking crystalline skin of the ominously aureate goblins. At that moment she almost jumped in celebration as she had thought that with this everything would be over. Though she wasn¡¯t quite sure as to who or what these goblins really were, from her knowledge goblins were the lowest of the low when it came to grading certain different types of demonic organisms. Though they would pose a little more threat to children Ren, Alice and Celina were a bit more capable than the average and thus goblins should¡¯ve been easy pickings.


    Those were her thoughts as her blade slowly sunk in to the monster¡¯s flesh. However her unjustified celebration ended right then and there with the monster¡¯s howling response. In a manner reminiscent of swatting down a pesky insect, the goblin retaliated with proportional enthusiasm and easily pushed back the small and desperate girl.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "A- Alice!"


    Cried Celina, even as she was being squashed by the neck and was finding it ridiculously hard to breathe she still called out in worry of her dear friend. Alice had tumbled back a few meters before being caught by Ren. After a brief inspection she had only sustained minor damage to her stomachs region but nothing she couldn''t walk off after small respite.


    "Oi Alice don''t under estimate them just because they''re goblins. If I''m right then these guys are what has the entire town spooked."


    Cautioning her to take more caution and less reckless acts, Ren calmly berated her.


    "How can you be so calm when Celina is almost about to die?! Don''t you even have a heart?!"


    Annoyed by Ren''s lack of the same fear and desperation that had gripped her, she lashed out at him with tear filled eyes.


    "I''m not. I''m not calm at all and in truth even now I¡¯m scared, but I can''t help but think about what Morgant would do if he were here. If it''s him he''d just calmly rescue Celina and be done with it already... but I''m not him, all I can do is imitate him. Still, I think even that is better than breaking down and getting us all killed. So stand up Alice, we''ll do this properly and we''ll do it together."


    Hearing his words Alice quickly wiped the tears off her face. Standing up she readied her knife once more, but this time she did not thoughtlessly jump in. Seeing that Ren gave a satisfied grin as he himself also prepared several small ice bullets.


    Small pieces of sky blue tinted icicles hovered around him, yet Ren had no desires to utilize them in an offensive manner. Loathed as he was to admit it but having very little practice with magic his offensive capabilities were much weaker than even Alice when holding a rusted kitchen knife. Instead these ice bullets were mainly used to provide cover fire and suppress the enemy for Alice who would be doing most of the actual combat.


    However their victory conditions were not to defeat the enemy but simply to rescue Celina. Once they freed her they would immediately shift their strategy in running away.


    "Are you ready Alice?"


    She nodded without saying a word, her gaze locked onto Celina''s struggling figure. As a member of the demon race Celina had much higher resistances thus she was able to endure a bit more punishment than normal humans or elves. This part of the reason her entire neck hadn''t been crushed yet but at the same time she would not last much longer if her friends dawdled much longer.


    With their minds in sync Alice dashed off towards the enemy once more. Her thoughts and actions now more focused more than ever she readied her rusted knife to strike. In response several other crystalline goblins moved in to intercept and impede her path but Ren had no desire to let that happen.


    "Like I''d let you!"


    Aiming with deadly precision Ren proceeded to bombard them with a volley of ice bullets. Taking not of his support Alice braced herself to run straight through once the goblins moved out of the way, yet however...


    "What?!"


    Alice shouted as she barely had enough time to dodge the massive arm thrust of the goblin''s retaliation. Not only did the enemy not budge an inch but it took the full strength of Ren''s magic as though it were just a gentle breeze. Not a hint of a grimace or any other sort of response was given. Though Ren''s magic wasn''t very practiced nor was it particularly powerful naturally, it still should have been enough power pierce soft skin.


    Certainly the ice bullet had pierced into the putrid yellow tinted skin of the goblins but they acted as though it did not have any impact.


    "What''s going on Ren?! What do we do now?!"


    Alice shouted back to him as she tried her best to dodge the goblin she was engaging combat with. The goblin was fast, almost unnaturally so, it was a miracle that Alice was somehow able to keep up. Somehow her body felt incredibly light yet powerful at the same time, she could move even faster if she tried but she felt afraid to do so.


    This was her first time in an actual fight to the death, without any sort of guidance or prior teaching outside of the basics taught by Miko, the most she could do was rely on her instincts. It was this that she was afraid of, she was well aware that she was only a seven year old, what possible battle sense or instincts would she have? Thus she didn''t want to over extend herself to the degree that required the reliance of instinct.


    "Ren?!"


    Alice called out desperately once more, yet when she briefly found the opportunity to turn back to see what was stalling him all she was met with was a blank expression. ¡®Has he given up?!¡¯ she thought to herself before being forced to focus back on her opponent¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°Ren! Hey Ren! Snap out of it! You want to save Morgant and Celina right?! Then snap out of it!¡±


    She continued to call out to him.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I- that¡¯s right¡­ I have to save them¡­¡±


    Finally being pulled back to reality by Alice¡¯s words Ren looked gazed up at the situation unfolding in front of him once more. His ocean colored hair swaying side to side as the sound of clashing blades entered his ears. For a moment he had found himself swallowed up in the deep darkness of futility, but through Alice¡¯s words he was able to realize something. ¡®If Morgant was here, he¡¯d never give up¡­ I shouldn¡¯t either.¡¯


    ¡°Sorry Alice¡­ Thanks.¡±


    Ren smiled back towards the small figure struggling up against the huge and bulking behemoth. Once more he prepared his ice bullets, they may be weak and perhaps they may be ineffective against these monsters but this was the best he could do. Even through futility and impossibility, if this was the best he could do then there was no other choice for him but to do it.


    Sparing no effort, Ren expended all the mana he had gathered and launched a massive flurry of ice bullets towards the crystalline goblin fighting Alice. Alice moved away just in time for the goblin to be hit by the dozens upon dozens of ice bullets. At first the goblin ignored them but slowly but surely it was whittling it down. Finally after a few moments its entire body was practically covered in ice and its movements were sealed.


    Taking advantage of such an opportunity Alice dashed in with the knife and aimed straight for the heart. The knife sank in without much resistance and with it being sealed inside the ice tomb it felt as though the battle was finally over. Only it really wasn¡¯t as there were still several more goblins that were just as strong if not stronger ready for its turn.


    Yet Alice could only wipe away her sweat as she readied herself for the next opponent. She waited for Ren¡¯s signal once more to start taking down the next one but that signal never came. Thinking that Ren was caught up in his own inner turmoil again she hastily looked back but that wasn¡¯t it.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Pinned down and having his head smashed to the ground, Ren had been incapacitated by the entrance of even more Crystalline Goblins.


    ¡°Ren!¡±


    She panicked, now with both her friends being captured and slowly killed she was at a loss on what to do. Yet if she did nothing they would both die, but if she saved one the other would most likely perish; it was a cruel choice for a seven year old to be given. However it was something she had to make, ¡®Celina¡­ should be able to survive for a bit longer, I¡¯ll save Ren first!¡¯ Alice decided as she was about to jump down from the Crystalline Goblin she had just saved.


    Even after having jumped off the huge body of the Goblin her feet never touched the ground. Confused and disoriented even she was at a loss on what had just happened. Slowly but surely she could feel her neck and face being mercilessly crushed. She choked and coughed only to realize that the Goblin she thought she had killed was not truly dead, instead, even with a rusted knife sticking out of its heart it still managed to move with deadly strength.


    A sharp pain ran through Alice¡¯s head as she could feel the pressure closing in on her. Helpless and desperate, in pain and lonely, she couldn¡¯t even feel the tears running down her face as she was slowly being crushed by the goblin.


    ¡°No! No! No!¡±


    She shouted but to no avail. ¡®Am I going to die like this?!¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to, she still had much more she wanted to experience.


    ¡°No! S- save me¡­ help me! Morgant!¡±


    Those were her last thoughts as everything faded into darkness¡­

 Chapter 29 - A necessary force of will

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 29 ¨C A necessary force of will


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    "Ugh... wha?"


    With pain writhing throughout his entire body, Ren¡¯s darkened vision slowly returned to him. Although he wasn¡¯t able to properly register what was happening around him, he could feel the movements of a turbulent maelstrom gushing past him violently. Fear slowly gripped over his heart as the darkness combined with the confusion overtook his mind. The thought that perhaps he might have been killed by the distorted crystal goblins loomed over him but the pain he felt had fortunately convinced him otherwise.


    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±


    He tried to regain his composure by standing up but the pains quickly ensure that that wasn¡¯t a current possibility. He could feel all manner of bruises and cuts all over with blood steadily trickling out, even breathing became more difficult as his consciousness fluctuated in and out.


    The only reasonable option left was for him to wait until he could truly start to see, but being confused and shrouded in menacing shadows, any seven year old would have lost their wits. Yet Ren endured, not because he was particularly strong or had such courage but simply because that was what Morgant would have done in his position. To him Morgant wasn¡¯t just his best friend but a role model that he took inspiration from and a figure to strive to become like.


    Shortly after he had succumbed to the pain and darkness the sounds of violent storms crackling across the floor could be heard. He also thought he could hear the heavily pained screams from the distance but due to the obstruction of the wind he wasn¡¯t so sure. The situation took a nose dive for the worst when the smells of burnt trees and soil were mixed in with everything else, yet he found it odd that he himself remained relatively unscathed.


    He forced his eyes open but was quickly met with heavy dust which prompted him to shut them just as fast. However, even if he had successfully maintained vision they were obscured by a raging sandstorm of black sands making them useless. He raised his hands in front of him to shield his eyes and tried steadily opening them once more, at the very least he wanted to have stable footing. He had been so gripped by fear that he didn¡¯t notice it before, but the first thing he had realized upon regaining vision was the fact that the crystal goblin pinning him down wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    "Uh! Alice! Celina!"


    Memories of the moments just prior to waking up came flooding back to him as he desperately called for his comrades. Surrounding him was an impenetrable veil of black winds and lightning that surged fiercely.


    ¡°A- Alice! Celina!¡±


    He rose up and called for them once more but as expected no reply ever came. He felt as though thousands of needles were being simultaneously stabbed into his heart; guilt and anxiety had now replaced his fear. After all he was the one who forced those girls into following him and now whatever their fates, were now on his hands. Distracted by the rampage in front of him he couldn¡¯t feel it, but tears trickled down his face as he fell to his knees.


    "Alice, Celina... Morgant."


    Scared, tired and alone, under these unreasonable conditions Ren felt an immense surge of powerlessness. However, as much as he would¡¯ve liked to simply lay back down until everything was over he couldn¡¯t bear to let that happen; something had to be done. Giving up was the one thing Morgant wouldn¡¯t have done, so there was no way Ren should either.


    Steeling his heart Ren mustered the last ounces of his strength and determination and put everything to face the crisis before him. Through tears, dirt and blood he managed to form even a false smirk in defiance but that was all he could do. He was unable to take the first step towards the chaos.


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    His legs refused to obey him; no matter how much he wished for it he couldn¡¯t take that step. ¡®Why¡­? Why can¡¯t I do it? Why can¡¯t I move?¡¯ he asked himself but deep down there was only one answer, ¡®fear¡¯. His friends waited for him, dead or alive, so he had a duty to find them but his body would not listen, instead he fell back in helplessness. He didn¡¯t want to know of Alice¡¯s or Celina¡¯s fates, it would be too much to find out if they had cruelly been killed off. He would never be able to face Morgant again if he came to know this.


    ¡°N- no¡­ dammit, why?¡±


    His entire body started to grow cold and the world before him disorienting into the distance.


    The sounds of slashing winds and black storms started to fade away into his mind and soon the world outside of his mind became completely mute. The darkness that he once thought was banished soon returned to him and engulfed him whole. Yet Ren could not determine if the sweltering feeling in his heart was that of relief or of dread. He was freed of the burdens of responsibility within this darkness but at the same time this meant he had abandoned everything.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to give up like this?¡±


    A voice appeared in his mind from within the darkness, a familiar and soothing voice that he had known for many years. It was the voice of¡­


    ¡°M- Morgant?! Are you there?!¡±


    Ren rose up in the darkness and met with a shining but astral figure of his dear friend. As though he were a ghost he appeared cold and distant but at the same time Ren could not be any more relieved to see him once more. This astral Morgant was neither delighted nor disappointed, simply an objective expression that Morgant would usually take. To Ren Morgant was never the type to outright judge, he would merely take the situation and make it somehow work in his favor regardless how the odds were stacked.


    ¡°If this is to be your choice then you must learn to live with the consequences of it. Giving up or standing once more, neither is truly the wrong answer¡­ there is never a wrong answer, all there is are the consequences to your decision. So then let me ask you once again: Are you sure you want to give up like this?¡±


    From those words Ren had realized; though they might have been something Morgant was likely to say, the astral figure in front of him definitely wasn¡¯t him. It was just the manifestation of his own desperate psyche trying to justify his cowardice. Or so it was supposed to have been but this strangely objective reprimand came to be from Ren¡¯s desires not to tarnish his friend¡¯s memory, thus a realistic portrayal of Morgant. In doing so, he no longer found justification but a crossroads to even harsher paths.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. What happened to Alice, Celina or even Morgant¡­ I want to see them but I¡¯m scared. What if I cross the winds and all I¡¯m met with are more of those wretched monsters? What if Alice and Celina didn¡¯t make it? What if something even worse lies beyond? I could never live with myself if that were the case, because it¡¯s all my fault that they¡¯ve been dragged into this mess¡­¡±


    The astral Morgant gave him a moment to compose himself before continuing his ultimatum.


    ¡°Do not be fooled, giving up is also a valid choice; it is by no means the coward¡¯s way out.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Ren started into the astral figure¡¯s eyes as those words sank into his heart. ¡®Giving up is okay? There¡¯s no way¡­¡¯ In a world where stories of valiant triumph and heroes were abundant there was no way giving up could be an acceptable path. Not only for society at large, but by his own admission, giving up meant to lose everything and only misery would remain afterwards.


    Yet as though the astral Morgant had read his mind he shook his head.


    ¡°Give up, cry, then move on and become a stronger person. Use that experience so as to never repeat such tragedy. The world is not so kind as to let you always have your way; there will be many times when you fail and many times when you¡¯re beaten to the ground. Frustration and desperation, often times giving up is the hardest path to walk, but it is only through those failures that an individual can grow.¡±


    Ren tightly clenched his fists, ¡®is this really okay?¡¯


    Before even giving Ren a moment to contemplate the astral Morgant continued speaking.


    ¡°Or will you choose to stand? To struggle until you can no longer feel even the flesh on your bones? This world may not be kind but that does not mean that you have to always submit to its cruelty. Fight until the bitter end, stand your ground and push back everything that gets in your way.¡±


    ¡®Fight¡­? Alice, Celina¡­ Morgant, they¡¯re all waiting for me, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ Once more Ren renewed his resolve and lowered his head with a pained expression. He was frustrated at his own inability to choose either path as they both carried equal amounts of pain and misery. But even as the fear of being pulverized by those grotesque goblins overwhelmed him another fear also loomed closely to his heart, perhaps one even more potent. The fear of losing everything, losing those who he had held dear to his heart, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it even more than confronting his own death.


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    ¡°The choice is yours to make; neither are wrong, but you will have to face the consequences of either decision. Do make them wisely.¡±


    The astral Morgant finished presenting his ultimatum and stood waiting for Ren¡¯s reply. Ren took in a deep breath and gazed back at the figure in front of him once more, this time with greater determination. Yet there was one thing that he wanted to ask, even if this person wasn¡¯t the real Morgant, even if he was just a figment of his imagination. He wanted to know¡­


    ¡°What¡­ if you were in my position , what would you do?¡±


    The astral  Morgant grinned back with an expression that suggest that ¡®obviously I would¡­¡¯


    ¡°You already know the answer to that question, do you not?¡±


    Ren gave off a small defeated and pitied laugh towards himself. Indeed, he looked down at his own small hands and realized just how pathetic this entire farce had been. He was scared and choosing to stand would most likely result in his own death, but he couldn¡¯t help but scoff at those inhibiting emotions of his. ¡®Morgant would stand¡­ even if it meant death.¡¯


    His courage was neither a product of strength nor a great will, but one born of fear and pride. To fight against an impossible odd, to try your best and struggle forward because ultimately that was the best anyone could ever do in his position.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve made my decision. Please take me back.¡±


    In an instant after making his decision the darkness was banished and once more he found himself contesting the chaotic veil of black storms.


    He was now able to take the first step forward to whatever fate awaited him.


    ¡°RAHGHHHH!!¡±


    An ungodly scream came from beyond the wall of black storms. Unknown as to what kind of horrific massacre was taking place beyond it, Ren reacted with a flinch but it was not enough to stop him.


    He took the second step.


    ¡°GAHHH!!¡±


    More bloodcurdling wails came. Perhaps they were the shouts of pain or perhaps they were brutal shouts of war. Either way Ren could no longer afford to turn back anymore.


    He took the third step.


    ¡°RAAGHH!¡±


    Ignoring the dreadful howls Ren started to pick up his pace.


    He took the forth step.


    ¡°AHHHHHH!¡±


    The fifth step.


    ¡°ARRRGGHHHH!!¡±


    The sixth step.


    Finally as he approached he found it exceedingly more difficult to breathe with the turbulent winds. He was now one step away from the impenetrable wind with his face just a few inches off. One more step and he will be met with the truth. His heart started to pound faster, almost as though they would jump out this very moment, but he needed to know.


    Were his friends alive? ¡­ or dead?


    ¡°GAAAHHHHHHAA!!!¡±


    ¡°Alice, Celina, Morgant. Just wait for me.¡±


    With now unbreakable determination Ren plunged himself through the maelstrom.


    ¡­


    "Hmm? This is... the connection has been severed? No, impossible; to be able to slaughter all of my goblins en masse before I was even able to sense the perpetrator... something isn''t right."


    Shifting through the darkness of the forest, one that even the day sky''s Sovereign had difficulty penetrating was an Elven male of a moderate build. Hidden by his shadow cloaked garbs his identity had been obstructed but this man was the Adventurer Association''s branch leader, Gerald. The only identifiable feature were his decorated bow and ornate quiver slung onto his back, were it not for those it would really have been difficult to tell him apart from actual shadows.


    Returning to his original thoughts he frowned. All of the crystalline goblins scattered about the forest were under his watchful eye. What they saw and experienced he too would see them in turn, yet despite this a small but sizable portion of his goblins had suddenly been annihilated. The worst part of it all was the fact that he didn''t even have the chance to register who or what it was.


    It irked him that this was happening right as he was finished with his Blood Ritual preparations. All that was required was for him to amass his crystalline goblin army and unleash them upon the small town as the ritual becomes active. The ritual required sacrifice and obviously the townspeople were unlikely to get slaughtered willingly, hence the need for the goblins. Once that was over the only thing left was to return to the monolith and turn himself immortal with Morgant''s technique.


    However he was getting anxious now that the dawn of his new form was just about to rise; this was the most sensitive part of the plan. To make sure that absolutely everything was going accordingly he decided to visit the place where he had hidden the monolith then towards the place the goblins had disappeared. He could only hope that it wasn¡¯t anything major.


    ¡­


    A large blood colored magic circle appeared in the sky of Vertloch Snowdown.


    Gerald¡¯s Blood Ritual was now in effect. All those who died within the effective range of the circle would have their remaining life force converted into usable reserves of mana for the caster. Slowly the pure white of the tranquil was dyed a blood red as mass panic soon descended upon the residents.


    Just beyond the borders of the town was a massive army of Crystalline Goblins waiting to be unleashed upon the city. Yet they did not initiate their attack as their master did not give the orders to do so. Gerald had temporarily become preoccupied by a small but noteworthy event in the forest and abandoned his post.


    ¡°Morgant¡­¡±


    Francisco Longmoore called out to the small child standing before him just on the edge of the town. They could hear the screams of panic coming from behind but they did not let it get to heart, they couldn¡¯t afford to. They spent the last few days in preparation and in letting Gerald prepare everything; this was now the most critical phase and one wrong move meant the annihilation of their entire town.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­ As long as no one dies the ritual won¡¯t amount to anything. Este, Sipher, please go around destroying the Blood Ritual¡¯s shrines, but do take your time, else Gerald will notice.¡±


    To prepare something on the massive scale as a ¡®blood ritual¡¯ it was necessary to set up various preparations and check points around the town. Small shrines were erected in order to maintain the ritual but they also served as the weaknesses of the ritual since if they were all destroyed the ritual would also come to an end.


    ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t mind but as long as we don¡¯t know where the ritual shrines are we won¡¯t be able to deactivate the ritual.¡±


    Este commented.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem; if everything went according to plan then Yvonne would¡¯ve left hints as to where those shrines will be. Francisco, please accompany them as you¡¯re the one who knows Yvonne the best and you¡¯ll be able to identify her hints.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, yes that¡¯s fine, but what about you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to go to him directly?¡±


    Morgant flashed a confident grin.


    ¡°Of course, I need to be there to make sure that everything goes according to plan. Since I don¡¯t usually go along with these types of strategies I want to see for myself how well it proceeds.¡±


    Francisco stared long and hard at the devious young boy who made a malicious grin, but it was Enrich who spoke up. They both had the same thoughts about this plan and wanted to ask the mastermind behind it his true thoughts.


    ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I do believe you were the one who told me that the ¡®unknown¡¯ should never be underestimated. So then what was your true reason you went along with this plan that¡¯s full of such elements? To even go so far as to act before you even truly understood who the real enemy was¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°No, I always knew the culprit was Gerald, that much I¡¯m certain. As to why I decided to go along with this plan despite the possible unknown variables, well that¡¯s also an easy to answer question.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    Morgant chuckled behind his grin, though not one of innocence but one of complete malice and hatred towards the enemy. The enemy who dared step foot in his home and endangered everyone he loved, to such a foe even complete annihilation was too good of an outcome. The only way to settle this was complete self-destruction.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the enemy is a completely and utterly brain-dead fool, with not an ounce of intelligence residing in that small, primitive brain of his. No matter how the situation plays forward, even if we were to fail in this endeavor I¡¯m certain that he will ruin himself one day. However I have no intentions of giving him the satisfaction of success, not even a single bit¡­ [Komplette Selbstzerst?rung].¡±

 Chapter 30 - The calm during the storm

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 30 ¨C The calm during the storm


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Destruction and chaos were concepts that often went hand in hand and this time was no exception. The demonic forests of Vertloch were characterized mainly by their dreaded and desolate landscapes yet not even a shred of such imagery remained as the torrents of violent winds smashed through the terrain. The only way to accurately assess this scene was to call it complete and utter pandemonium¡­ or so it should have been. Unlike the chaos around him the eye of the storm was unnervingly tranquil. Though he was still able to feel some effect of the wind brush around him it did not justify the massive riptide of air that should have been.


    However all of his concerns on that matter had been pushed aside as something else more important caught his immediate interest. A small and fragile figure of a lone child, floating peacefully above him as though an angel had slowly descended upon him, or more accurately the ¡®heart of the storm¡¯.


    Like a perfectly crafted doll, her porcelain colored skin accentuated the richness of her golden hair. Eyes closed, long eye lashes that drew out the image of a sleeping beauty. For a moment Ren had lost all sense of himself and of time as he felt unable to pry his eyes away from such a divine figure. A figure he had known virtually for his entire span of existence yet this side of her was a first for him.


    ¡°Alice¡­¡±


    He whispered aloud the true name of the figure hovering gently just off the ground. That being said, the kind of aura that she let out was far from tranquil, though herself was in such a state, black lightning surged across her, protecting her. In the form of two fleeting black snakes, slithering in and out of existence they guarded her with the intent on killing everything that came near.


    Their paralyzing glare briefly caught glimpse of Ren. He found himself stricken with fear and unable to approach his dear friend or even utter a single word. His childhood friend, who he had constantly thought of as just an annoying brat, was at the center of this massive pandemonium but his opinions of her did not change. Ren still thought of her as his close childhood friend and would have done everything in his power to ¡®save¡¯ her, if she even needed saving that was.


    "What the hell... she can be pretty cute too."


    As loathed as he was to admit, looking up at her this was what he had truly felt, other than the fear and paralysis that is. Alas it was no time to be worrying about such things as there were other more prudent questions that needed to be tackled.


    Strewn about the place were the dismembered bodies of those wretched Crystalline Goblins. Putrid yellow blood oozed out from their corpses, sliced and diced into parts with their original shapes no longer being recognizable. Ren could almost feel his throat tensing up, wanting to throw up but trying his best to keep it all in.


    ¡°Who did this¡­?¡±


    Of course even if he asked himself only one answer would ever come to his mind. It was painfully obvious as to the identity of the culprit- because he was looking at her, possibly in deep slumber but most certainly not yet dead. ¡®Alice¡­¡¯ he thought; a serene decoration against the swirling chaos that was the dreaded gush of cruel winds.


    He stopped to think about everything he knew, or rather everything he didn¡¯t know about Alice. ¡®Just what exactly did I know about her?¡¯ They had been friends for most of their short lives together, yet he unfortunately had to admit he didn¡¯t ¡®truly¡¯ know. He knew her personality, what she liked(Morgant), what she hated(being alone; ignored) and her general disposition. Yet the all important questions about the circumstances about her birth or who her parents were was a complete mystery. That was to be expected, being orphans, but that fact did not make him feel any better about it.


    ¡°Cough, cough.¡±


    A sudden sound derailed his train of thought.


    A survivor, a familiar survivor¡¯s coughing could be heard from the distant background. Immediately looking back to its origin Ren found traces of small movement buried deep beneath the disgusting pile crystal corpses. Breaking free from his petrifaction he cautiously made his way over, all the while making sure to stay clear of the black lightning snake¡¯s ire.


    ¡°Celina?!¡±


    Digging deeper he found the small serpentine body of his other childhood friend. Upon discovering her body his body tensed up as he carefully checked her vitals, hoping desperately that the worst hadn¡¯t come. He let out a sigh of relief as she was still very much alive, although the bruises around her neck looked extremely painful. His strength left him- glad, as he fell to the floor and let out a small chuckle.


    Not being very talented in the art of healing type magic, Ren felt useless to help her. All he could do was let her rest as he cleaned off the disgusting ooze of the goblin¡¯s blood from her body. He carefully rested Celina¡¯s head on his lap as he tried to make her rest as comfortable as possible for a swift recovery.


    ¡°Haa¡­ thank god they¡¯re still alive.¡±


    Of course the situation hadn¡¯t changed but just knowing that his friends had all made it out of that impossibly horrid crisis was enough.


    ¡°R- Ren?¡±


    A soft and feeble voice came from below him. Celina looked up at him, her eyes darting about in confusion but soon came to the realization that everything was finally over.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡­¡±


    She tried to speak but her throat had still been damaged and was unable to speak too much. It was a shame, since Celina had been at the center of it all she would¡¯ve seen everything. Ren wanted to ask but figuring that she couldn¡¯t speak he left the discussion for later when they all made it out safely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Celina, everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°Indeed everything is truly going to be okay¡­ Ahh~ I feel as though I¡¯ve been blessed by the stars themselves; I¡¯ve finally found you, Queen Morrighan.¡±


    A foreign voice came from the heavy vortex, with enough strength to traverse through such high pressure winds- it could only have been bad news. Ren gently rested Celina¡¯s body against a small boulder as he stood up to defend her. She tried to stop him from approaching such an obviously dangerous figure but her body disobeyed her- she could only watch and pray for his safety. Walking through the uninviting winds with nonchalant ease was a figure of dark fiery shadows. A small bow and quiver attached to his back all Ren could make out from the hooded figure was a dreadful grin filled with nothing but malicious intents.


    Appearing next to him was an enormous golden monolith, the same kind adorned by those horrendous goblins. It floated as it followed behind the shadowy figure. Even to Ren, who had no idea of the intricacies of the situation, he understood that the origins of those crystalline freaks were that monolith.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Was Ren¡¯s first question but of course a straight answer was unlikely to be given. In fact no answer was given as he was thoroughly ignored by the shadow man who approached Alice. Feeling an imminent sense of danger by his actions Ren quickly acted on his impulse and shot out a few [ice bullets] towards him.


    All of his glacial projectiles were swiftly intercepted and disintegrated in a single swing of the shadow man¡¯s arms. At best it had only served to delay him by a few short seconds. It was impossible; clearly the man¡¯s level was quite a bit above his own and there was nothing he could do to stop him. However Ren wasn¡¯t willing to give up, not when he had just gotten done finding the strength to move past his fears.


    He desperately rushed towards the man. If magic didn¡¯t work then he¡¯d try a physical assault. Even knowing that the result would not be much different he still tried.


    ¡°Tch, annoying brat. Do not bother me.¡±


    The shadow man drew his bow and prepared to shoot Ren down without mercy. It had all happened way too quickly and by the time Ren had done registering what was going on he was face to face with an arrow flying directly towards his head. His brief but content life flashed before his eyes as he tightly shut them thinking that it was all ¡®over¡¯.


    The arrows flew but did not directly connect with Ren and continued on its trajectory and hit the ground where he once was. When Ren opened his eyes he felt a bit of elevation and displacement as he couldn¡¯t feel the ground beneath his feet.


    ¡°Thank god I made it in time.¡±


    Another foreign voice came from directly next to Ren this time. Unlike the shadow man¡¯s, this was a female¡¯s voice that sounded a lot more benign, yet still rough in some areas. The source of the voice was extremely close, in fact Ren was being picked up by that person right now.


    Long, silky white hair was all he could see from such a close range.


    ¡°You okay kid?¡±


    The female voice asked.


    ¡°Y- yeah, thanks but please let me down.¡±


    In compliance she let him down as Ren was able to fully grasp the identity of the person who had just saved his life. He knew this person, almost everyone in his hometown did- she was the Townguard captain, Yvonne.


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    ¡°You followed me?¡±


    The shadowy figure asked, slight irritation could be sensed from his tone of voice. Yvonne grinned as she picked up on that. She responded with a haughty grin as she raised her hand up towards the sky.


    ¡°More than you¡¯ll ever know, Gerald.¡±


    A small wine colored ball of energy was gathered in the hand Yvonne raised towards the sky. Thinking that she was preparing some sort of massive attack, Gerald leaped a few spaces back and silently casted a few defensive spells on himself.


    Gerald had guessed wrong and offense was not at all what Yvonne was thinking. Instead the blood colored ball flew up high into the sky and briefly flashed a surprisingly bright red. It was only for a few seconds and seemed to serve no other purpose than to annoy and mock Gerald, but Yvonne¡¯s job was now complete.


    ...


    ¡°Out of my way!¡±


    Violently thrashing through the rigid counters of the demonic forest was a massive surge of dust and explosions. Rapidly advancing forward with no other disregard than its mission, it could only have been described as chaos incarnate. Yet not all was as it originally seemed as at the center of it all was but a mere child no older than seven years of age, Morgant.


    The enemy, scores of disgusting Crystalline Goblins, they had been waiting amassed in order to call forth the literal apocalypse on his small hometown. Morgant had no intentions of letting the situation ever escalate to that that level; however he was pressed for time. The Crystalline Goblins served that reminder of what would happen if he failed in finding his true target. Using his Psychokinetic abilities he tried to annihilate whatever numbers of them as he could to limit the burden on his comrades who would have to deal with these monsters if they ever started advancing.


    Entrusting the rest of the plans to his very capable comrades he had left the town¡¯s fate in their hands. That being said, having only met just a few days ago they still held many secrets from each other, thus he couldn¡¯t exactly say they were the most trustworthy of partners. Especially Sipher or Este, whom could have very well been his own blood related sister; they were too much of an unknown. So then why did he leave the security details of his beloved town to them?


    The simple answer was that he didn¡¯t really. There were a lot more pieces on the board than either of them could have realized, it was as Morgant had always said. The ¡®unknown¡¯ is both a powerful ally as it is a formidable foe. Secret exchanges and alliances were forged in the shadows as preparation for this crisis; more than what was plainly visible was at stake and no one person truly knew the entire story.


    Still, with all malignant intentions Morgant frowned as he charged through the enemy¡¯s front lines with reckless abandon. To stop this literal incarnation of a chaos god from tearing down their armies, countless bands of Crystalline Goblins engaged him.


    ¡°Tch, were there really this many Goblins crawling around the forest all this time? Disgusting, they¡¯re worse than cockroaches.¡±


    There were vastly more numbers than what Morgant had originally anticipated. It was to the point that he couldn¡¯t fully accept that this many Goblins actually existed and that it was easier for him to convince himself that they were just hallucinations. Yet none of that actually mattered as all he felt, other than disgust at their horrid and distorted bodies, was the satisfaction of blowing them apart en mass like ragdolls with his new ¡®rapid fire¡¯ [Psionic Fission].


    Thanks in part to this horrific event, in the past few days Morgant had become exceedingly more proficient at combat and mastering his abilities. Now levitating rocks and carving them into actual bullet shapes for extra penetration power all came naturally to him as breathing. In fact most of it was done subconsciously whenever he ¡®reloaded¡¯ by picking up more rocks from his surroundings. With these highly advanced, self-registered ¡®stone bullets¡¯, no barrier or shield could ever hope to stand up against him as they were torn apart as though they were wet tissue paper.


    Those Crystalline goblins may have had an unlimited threshold to pain but none of that really mattered when they and their neighbors were blown to smithereens.


    ¡°Persistent bastards, since they don¡¯t have any sort of self preservation they don¡¯t even have any real sense of fear either, huh? Tch, this is becoming such a pain.¡±


    Even after witnessing what Morgant was capable of, none of the Goblins even hesitated to approach him. This fact was only made worse when factoring in the part about these pests having total immunity to detection. Morgant was given little choice but to continue moving about as to not get ambushed from a blind spot as it could be fatal even with all his ¡®advanced¡¯ inner upgrades.


    ¡°Dammit¡­ so he had more of those things.¡±


    Morgant voice his complaints to the dreaded winds as a new breed of enemies emerged from the shadows. Though they weren¡¯t exactly unfamiliar, just one of them had proven itself to be a bit of a headache. ¡®Horned Crystal Stags¡¯, and not just one or two but dozens of them had all crawled out of the forests bearing their wretched golden lights. Their infernal red glowing eyes stared at him, like the Goblins these Horned Crystal tags only had a single thing in their mind, to ¡®destroy the enemy at all costs¡¯.


    ¡°Fine, I get it. That¡¯s how you want to play it right?¡±


    Morgant raised his hands and snapped his fingers and as he did several more ¡®stone bullets¡¯ formed around him. However these ¡®bullets¡¯ were different to those he had used up until now, darker in color with a much larger and sharper tips. When he summoned these bullets a holographic command prompt appeared before him, serving as a minor distraction but not by too much.


    Words like [skill analysis] and [skill integration] had popped up before a final command box appeared with the words¡­


    [New Skill Developed: [Psionic Armor Piercer]]


    Morgant flashed a triumphant grin.


    Several more [Psionic Armor Piercers] spawned around Morgant, each one for every Crystal Horn stag there was. They vibrated menacingly as though alive and with every intent to smash the enemy, eagerly waiting for Morgant to just give the order.


    There was a brief moment of silence between Morgant and the enemy forces as they stared each other down. Yet that peace did not last long as the battle started immediately after with an incredible volley of crystal shards being lobbed towards Morgant. Hundreds, if not thousands, were being hurled towards him at high speeds destroying everything in their path, be it trees or even other goblins. Giving him not even a moment to retaliate, all Morgant could do was quickly dash and roll behind a large stone boulder for cover until he could find an opportunity.


    ¡°Tch, I¡¯ve focused so much on my offensive capabilities that I¡¯ve neglected my defensive set. Can¡¯t be helped then, [Overload].¡±


    ¡°[Usage of the skill ¨C ¡®Overload¡¯ is ill-advised. Do you wish to continue?]¡±


    A synthetic voice asked from within his head.


    ¡°[Personally I don¡¯t want to experience that painful skill again but I¡¯m out of options here. Just activate it for a few seconds.]¡±


    ¡°[Commencing].¡±


    As though being ripped out of reality itself, everything around Morgant slowed down to a snail¡¯s pace. The wind, dust, crystal shards and leaf, everything moved so slowly that it was almost comical to Morgant. Since [Overload] was a skill that placed extreme amount of strain on his body he needed to do this before any real feedback occurred.


    Lunging out into the slow motion volley of crystal shards Morgant managed to effectively dance around them through the gaps to retaliate. The Psionic Armor Piercer bullets hovering around Morgant flew away from him at his command. Each of the bullets penetrated directly through somewhere on the Horned Crystal Stags¡¯ bodies and were lodged firmly within.


    Feeling the foreign objects lodged firmly into their body the Stags temporarily ceased their attacks but that was just the perfect opportunity for Morgant. He set off the explosions, leading up to a massive and spectacular display of pyrotechnics. Pillars of blue flame rose up high enough to carve a hole in the thick canopy of the forest. Smoke and dust was violently kicked about the place covering the entire area in darkness despite having the canopy shaved off.


    Once the smog cleared out nothing, not even the trees, remained but a large dusty crater. Feeling satisfied Morgant stared back at the huge hole in the ground for a bit more, mesmerized by his own capabilities. Even after all that he felt only a bit fatigued but nothing a little rest couldn¡¯t fix, ¡®yet this is only a fraction of the power capable to the old world¡­¡¯


    He took a deep breath to take it all.


    Suddenly the sky briefly flashed red for not even a second but Morgant instinctively knew what it was.


    ¡°Good work Yvonne¡­ Now let¡¯s finish this inane charade.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Siege of Vertloch Snowdown

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 31 ¨C Siege of Vertloch Snowdown


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Vertloch Snowdown, the pure city of snow white had become tainted by a dreadful hellfire of red. What was supposed to have been pale cold skies had now etched onto it a massive and eerie magic circle that showered upon the city its horrifying red gaze. With the gentle falling snow now dyed in with the colors of death, perhaps for the first time in the town¡¯s history it could truly live up to its name as a ¡®demonic¡¯ city.


    Instant fear and panic crept into the hearts and minds of the townspeople. Though no one could truly prove it was so, they had all heard stories about it. The nightmarish ¡®Blood Ritual¡¯ that had once taken the lives of entire cities for arbitrary and horrendous causes. Was it now their turn to face the wrath of this disgustingly abhorrent skill?


    They didn¡¯t want to die, of course no one ever did. In fear of their own lives some of the populace had tried to flee from the city however that had proved to be a much worse alternative. Surrounding the town was a massive horde of Crystalline Goblins that blocked off every possible escape path. To stay in town meant that they¡¯d eventually be killed off in some horrific manner and fed to the Blood Ritual, but running away they¡¯d simply be slaughtered on the spot.


    Their final fears had been ascertained; riding a massive cloud of dust from within the shadows of the demonic forests, the massive armies of Crystalline Goblins started on their warpath towards Vertloch Snowdown. With a unity that even the most veteran and hardened armies couldn¡¯t accomplish, these mere Goblins marched forward with a singular purpose: complete annihilation.


    With the disgusting yellow hand of their imminent and inevitable demise, the populace ran back and locked themselves into their own homes. Hoping- that somehow if they just laid low and covered their ears this entire nightmare would simply ¡®end¡¯. Though this act would only ever delay their deaths, they prepared their weapons in order to fight anything that came through their doors, knowing that all of it was hopeless.


    In that instance of hopelessness, a loud voice that rang throughout the entirety of the small city had convinced them otherwise. The voice of their leader, Mayor Dalton, using special magic had enchanted his voice to reach every citizen of his town.


    ¡°My citizens of Snowdown, there are no need for fear! Stay close to your family and hold them tightly. I have placed a large scale protection magic on all of your homes; so keep your doors locked and do not come out no matter what happens!¡±


    Yet simply telling people to not be afraid was a completely useless endeavor without any sort of guarantee of safety. This was a fact that was well understood by both the Mayor and Morgant, which was why the introduction of a third party was necessary.


    As the Mayor bravely announced to his entire town, a gigantic domed barrier made of hexagonal patterns had been erected, shielding the town. As the hordes of Crystalline Goblins collapsed onto this shield they were violently repelled away. All entrances to the town had been tightly sealed away, but this also subsequently meant that the people had been locked away.


    Even from within their locked homes they could see the effectiveness of the barrier protecting their city. That was without a doubt since they weren¡¯t already dead by this point. It was obvious that a shield of such proportions couldn¡¯t have been the Mayor¡¯s doing, it was too grand scale for such a feeble old man. However this was just the necessary boost of confidence that they had needed in order to once more place their trust onto their leader. The best that they could do was to make sure that they did not get in his way and offer any assistance that was necessary.


    ¡­


    At the center of the town was a small congress of key players crucial to dealing with this crisis. Mayor Dalton, Sipher, Este, Enrich, Francisco and finally¡­


    ¡°Lord Erendel De Signa, I am eternally gratefully that you have graced our town with your protection.¡±


    The former demon lord, Erendel De Signa, was indeed the ¡®third party¡¯ that Morgant had ¡®called¡¯ in for a favor. It was only with this great demon¡¯s support that Morgant felt at ease leaving the safety of his hometown behind. For Enrich and Francisco who had already been aware of the former demon lord¡¯s presence they weren¡¯t too shocked to see him take an active role in this endeavor, however for Sipher and Este it came as a completely out of left field surprise.


    ¡°There is no need to feel that way, because in truth I did not have any intentions of interfering. I am by merely an observer to this continent, a ¡®former¡¯; it is my daughter, the 157th Demon Lord of Vertloch, that currently possesses the ultimate authority on the affairs of this continent.¡±


    ¡°Demon lord?!¡±


    Este interrupted with a loud and surprised voice. She was well aware of the existences of such beings known as ¡®Demon Lords¡¯, almost every single person alive did. However just as with ¡®Gods¡¯ or ¡®Heroes¡¯, their existences were so fleetingly rare that she never thought she would ever have the honor of being in their audience.


    ¡°Actually, to be exact he is the ¡®Former¡¯ Demon Lord of Vertloch. The person who currently holds that esteemed position is the daughter, Astaroth De Signa.¡±


    Enrich calmly explained with a smile.


    ¡°B- but, eh? Why is such an amazing person even bothering to help this small town? Just what exactly is going on?¡±


    Though Este may have spoken in a tone of voice which suggested that Erendel did not care for the towns that were once under his employ, it was simply untrue. That being said, the Northern Demon Continent, ¡®Vertloch¡¯ was an extremely large one. What Este truly wanted to ask was why the former demon lord was in such a convenient position to immediately interfere in this crisis. The only logical conclusion, other than pure coincidence, was that there was someone or thing that drew him to this place before hand.


    Erendel closed his eyes as shifted back his concentration on maintaining the barrier. He answers her enquiry with a vague answer.


    ¡°Hmph, though I may now just simply be a ¡®former¡¯, but even then to go so far as to threaten me into action¡­ he has quite the confidence in himself, my future son.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? And ¡®Future son¡¯?¡±


    So many things were going on around her with myriads of unanswered questions. It felt as though she was the only one truly out of the loop, as if everyone was deliberately obscuring her way to the truth. She tried to confront the former demon lord with more questions but her efforts were impeded by Enrich.


    Looming over her with a slightly irritated smile he gently tapped her on her shoulder. He tapped twice, and no more than twice.


    ¡°Miss Este? Whilst ¡®I¡¯ do not mind if you want to continue asking questions that will lead nowhere, I do believe that we have a more prudent situation on our hands. I have absolute trust in Lord Erendel¡¯s capabilities, but even I must admit that this barrier is unlikely to be maintained infinitely. The enemies on the other hand have infinite stamina and will continue knocking on our front doors; so as painful as it is to admit it, time is not on our side.¡±


    All magic spells, either defensive or offensive, required the usage of ¡®mana¡¯. Although great being such as demon lords or gods had an overabundance of such resources at their disposal they were still finite. Each second was a ticking clock that drained more and more of the innate mana that Erendel possessed.


    Este replied readily with a hesitant nod, suggesting that she understood what was supposed to be on their priority list. Yet even still, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of unease writhing beneath her skin as she looked back on her allies. There were too many secrets even their plan was extremely obscure, to the point she didn¡¯t even understand half of it.


    At the center of it all was that mysterious boy, Morgant. ¡®Just who is he?¡¯


    ¡°Lilith.¡±


    Erendel called out to the winds and answering his summon was a figure that rose from the depths of his shadows. A young woman with cherry colored hair, two elegantly curved ivory horns protruding from either sides of her face, along with her small impish wings and tails, her true identity as a [Succubus] had been revealed. With a rather gaudy appearance in both attire and bodily proportions she kneeled before the former demon lord.


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather?¡±


    She answered his call with a voice somehow simultaneously innocent and seductive. Such was the natural charm of a full blood Succubus.


    ¡°Go in my place to help out ¡®his¡¯ companions to dispel the ritual. I shall stay here to maintain the barrier.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Grandfather¡­ Then I shall briefly take my leave from your side.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Now then¡­ mind filling us in on with this ¡®grand¡¯ plan of yours? That boy said that this town¡¯s guard captain left hints on how to locate those ¡®blood shrines¡¯ right? Also that you were the one person that could figure out those hints¡­ So? Where are they?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Sipher instantly got into interrogation mode with Francisco. The scene of a large and bulky man in a full set of plate armor looking down with in imposing gaze was not something Francisco was used to handling. However he was a merchant at heart and he would not back down from simple intimidation.


    ¡°Mmm, about that-¡±


    As Francisco was hesitating on just how he wanted to reply he was cut off. A loud shout filled with fury that not even the depths of hell could compare; the cry of a mother goose who had lost her young.


    ¡°FRANCISCO!!¡±


    Just barely being able to contain herself from instantly unleashing her full wrath upon him stood a tall silver haired woman. Two furry grey ears perking up and twitching in madness, her tri-tails stood up and pointed towards the clear target. Miko angrily dashed and grabbed Francisco up by the collar, smashing him against the wall with a hard enough force that it caused cracks to appear.


    ¡°Guh¡­ y- you¡¯re¡­ Miko.¡±


    ¡°FRANCISCO! What have you done?! Where is Morgant and the others?!¡±


    Not even a single tint of trust could be reflected in her eyes about the man she held up against the wall. Her eyes seemed to burn furiously with color of blood as it was dyed by the rays of the blood ritual¡¯s magic circle. Francisco did not resist; some part of him also felt responsible for leaving every burden of this operation on a small child. However she did not know¡­ that the Morgant he knew and the Morgant that she knew were two completely different entities.


    She grit and grinded her teeth waiting for his answer. Looking down at her as his neck was starting to get bruised he let out a small scoff. Seeing such a loving expression of anger, the kind that would do anything to protect those children, in some ways he felt relieved to leave the fate of the orphanage in her hands.


    ¡°What are you laughing at¡­? Where are they?! Answer me!¡±


    ¡®They?¡¯ Francisco pondered. ¡®Were more of the children missing?¡¯ Francisco didn¡¯t give much thought about it after that since there were only two possible fates for those unlucky children. The first would be that they met their end at the hands of the crystalline abominations. The second was that they met with either Morgant or Yvonne and were safe.


    In either case there wasn¡¯t too much use worrying over something he couldn¡¯t do anything about. All he could do was place his trust in Morgant and Yvonne, but of course Miko, who had no information about this, was unable to have the same leisurely expression as him.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?! Tell me!¡±


    She continued shouting at him for an answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about who the ¡®others¡¯ are¡­ but if you¡¯re asking about Morgant¡¯s whereabouts then he¡¯s over there.¡±


    Francisco pointed far off into the mountainous landscapes that were the demonic forest. Miko¡¯s eyes widened with rage even more as she heard such unbelievably nonchalant and irresponsible words coming out of this man¡¯s wretched mouth. ¡®He let Morgant go all the way there?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe it or even understand why he would do such a thing.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    She asked in a meek and trembling voice.


    ¡°It is of my belief that you have some grave misunderstandings about the boy you know as ¡®Morgant¡¯. He is far from powerless; in fact it was the boy himself who had come up with the entire premise of this mission.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What? ¡­ I don¡¯t understand? Kuh, say that again you bastard! I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t understand! I don¡¯t care if he was the one who came up with this ridiculous plan! I wouldn¡¯t even care if you told me he was the strongest being in the god damn world! What I care about is the fact that he is a child of the orphanage and as long as he remains as that he will forever be under my protection! A man like you¡­ a man like you will never understand that!¡±


    Violently dropping him to the floor Miko desperately ran towards the direction Francisco had point at. Be it through an entire horde of Crystalline Goblins, through demon lords or even gods, she ran. She ran and ran, to save the small and gentle boy that she had loved like a son for these past seven years. Even if she knew absolutely nothing about him, the fact remained that he was a child of the orphanage. Whether he had the power to avert this entire crisis didn¡¯t matter, what truly mattered to her was that he would remain safe until she had come for him.


    ¡°I- isn¡¯t that bad? I mean, shouldn¡¯t we stop her? She¡¯ll die if she goes out now with all of those Goblins just waiting at the front gates!¡±


    Este raised concerns but she was met with only an uncomfortable silence. As much as anyone wanted to stop her from recklessly diving head first into the enemy front lines, none of them could realistically do so. Neither Enrich nor Francisco were fighters by any stretch of the imagination and Lilith was specifically tasked with helping Morgant¡¯s allies destroy the blood shrines.


    ¡°It is unfortunate but preventing the Blood Ritual from taking place is our top priority.¡±


    Enrich cold replied. Indeed the life of a single therianthrope could be compared to the life of an entire town, yet that fact did not make it any easier of a pill to swallow. Este, born and raised to be honorable, could not fathom the trash she heard spewing from her ¡®ally¡¯s¡¯ mouth. Enraged by the cold hearted truth she was given no other option but to take matters in to her own hands.


    ¡°Sipher, go.¡±


    Este quietly commanded her guardian knight to abandon his life¡¯s sole purpose and duty. To chase after a woman he barely knew and put the princess¡¯ life at risk? Such actions were not something even the obedient Sipher would contemplate for a second.


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    He asked just to be sure he heard that correctly.


    ¡°Please, just go save her. That boy, Morgant, he¡¯ll be sad if she dies here.¡±


    Sipher sighed.


    ¡°Princess, as harsh as reality is, I will not simply abandon my post to chase after a complete stranger. It is as they say; the blood ritual¡¯s interruption is a much more prudent affair that needs to be stopped.¡±


    Este turned her back towards Sipher, not wanting to show him what kind of expression she was hiding.


    ¡°Sipher¡­ ever since my parents died you¡¯ve always been with me. I hope to continue that tradition a little bit longer, however right now I feel as though if I, even reluctantly agree with their argument without doing anything, I will lose sight of myself. My entire brief life, I was only taught honor and duty, so please don¡¯t let me waver from those convictions. Doing this is also a method of ¡®protecting¡¯ me, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sipher sighed heavily once more and took a small moment to ponder about it. Certainly under this grand barrier erected by the former demon lord, Este would remain relatively safe; he could leave without too much worry. Also if he left now it would be a trivial matter to catch up with Miko and accompany her throughout the forest in search of Morgant. There were a myriad of things that he wanted to ask that strange boy, most notably his uncanny resemblance to the Este.


    ¡°¡­ I understand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sipher.¡±


    With those words Sipher dashed off in order to pursue and secure Miko.


    ¡°He¡¯s surprisingly fast despite being weighed down by all that armor¡­¡±


    Enrich commented casually as though this entire problem had nothing to do with him. It bothered her that he thought this way but going back to the original concern, the cancellation of the blood ritual was most important.


    ¡°Whatever, so how are we going to locate those blood shrines?¡±


    Este asked as she focused her attention on Francisco. He sighed and looked a little hesitant to give an answer but seeing the situation around him, he decided to give in and properly answer her question.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I suppose I have little choice. During the past few days, Yvonne was tasked with closely pursuing Gerald from the shadows and tagging anything she felt was necessary.¡±


    ¡°I- I see, so all we have to do is locate those ¡®tags¡¯?¡±


    Lilith joined in with a rather unconfident voice.


    ¡°Yes, but while that sounds simple the problem is that those tags are most likely in vampiric runes that only vampiric kin can sense. Otherwise Gerald, as an archer, would¡¯ve easily tracked those tags long beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so then is there any other vampire besides Yvonne in this town?¡±


    Francisco shook his head towards Este¡¯s question.


    ¡°Then how do we find them?!¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have any bona fide vampires, but vampiric kin¡­ Haa, I suppose I have no choice.¡±


    It was a just a subtle change in Francisco¡¯s aura but with it everyone was now on the same page. The color of his eyes changed from his usual dull brown to a mesmerizing tint of silver. The mark of a vampiric ¡®familiar¡¯.


    ¡°Originally this power was given to me only for the purposes of self defense¡­ I suppose I should just be happy that I can be using it like this to save my hometown. Then for the sake of crushing Gerald¡¯s plans, please follow me- I¡¯ll lead you to those hidden vampiric runes¡­¡±

 Chapter 32 - The duty of a vampire warrior

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 32 ¨C The duty of a vampire warrior


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Tch, do not interfere, Vampire.¡±


    With a glare that could silence even veteran soldiers, Gerald looked down upon the demon known as the ¡®vampire¡¯. He looked at her as if she were no different from the bugs he had trampled on the way here. Such thoughts were deeply ingrained values and sentiments planted within him from a young age; in short the only feelings he had felt when looking at her were disgust and repulsion. It wasn¡¯t just her but all forms of demonic beings, whether weak or strong, he only felt that they no longer should be allowed to live.


    ¡°Heh~ your personally certainly took a complete 180¡­ or perhaps this was your true disposition the entire time? Well whatever, in any case I refuse. You¡¯ve long overstayed your welcome here so leave this place quietly if you want to live. I might just be willing to overlook whatever horrible detail you¡¯ve committed thus far.¡±


    Against such petrifying gaze Yvonne showed no inclination of a wavering spirit. The only reason she had offered to let him free was because she knew she would never win a direct fight, there were far too many handicaps. Not only did she have to keep an eye on the children and make sure no harm befalls them but she also had to deal with potential Crystalline monstrosities that could come out at any given moment. There was also a problem with Alice¡¯s currently unstable state and just how she was supposed to be dealt with was unknown.


    At her behest Gerald looked up through his shadow cloaked hood- a bone chilling green gaze.


    ¡°Leave¡­? Do not mock me, vampire. It seems you do not quite understand the predicament of your own situation. It is you who should be leaving, though whether I¡¯d be as charitable as to give you such an opportunity is another matter entirely. At this point one or two more dead pests won¡¯t change anything; I definitely will not be stopped when I¡¯ve suffered so much injustice just for this moment!¡±


    Gerald lashed out, letting out his pent up aggression. Yvonne could feel it, that this man was seriously on the verge of insanity and that he was extremely willing to commit just about anything to get what he desired. It was a dangerous situation and in truth Yvonne honestly felt like she wanted to escape but she couldn¡¯t abandon her duty as a member town¡¯s guard. Leaving behind those children was not an option she could afford but most of all she did not want to have to deal with the repercussions from Morgant if he ever knew harm befell his childhood friends.


    Gritting her teeth she tried to form a smirk, the kind that Morgant would¡¯ve made in this situation to aggravate the opponent. With uneasy sweat trickling down the sides of her face she could feel the moisture from her palms as well. Enduring the near painful anticipation she cautiously placed her hands to the hilt of her sword, ready to draw and taking a battle stance. The flare to call Morgant here had already been set off, thus her only reasonable victory condition was to stall for time.


    That being said, stalling wasn''t the only thing she was going to do and if possible she would also aim to defeat Gerald. With a quick assessment she had reasonably deduced that his current weakness was the existence of the Golden Monolith floating by his side. If she could destroy that, while it may not defeat him outright, it would most likely relinquish all the Crystalline monsters under his dominion. It was a worthwhile theory.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve lost all sense of sanity¡­ well, not that I was really expecting much from someone like you. I will not allow you to use my hometown as a playground for your disgusting and pointless experiments.¡±


    With those words she could feel the intensity from him burning in the air. The shadows around him reacted, as though alive, in erratic patterns and slithered in an offensive manner. From such a display Yvonne now had to take into consideration the possibility that those shadows could also be used offensively.


    Gerald slowly grabbed for his bow and loaded a long arrow, aiming it steadily towards her face.


    ¡°Worthless creature¡­ know your place.¡±


    He didn¡¯t raise his voice nor speak with any sort of passion but the cold and emotionless deep voice amped up the menacing nature behind it. He was truly angry.


    A quiet, suppressed tranquility warped in unbridled rage. Gerald released the his bow and launched a predictable missile toward her. A single arrow, ripping through the air as it whistled ominous, only that wasn¡¯t a single arrow. To the untrained eye it may have appeared as such but Yvonne was a member of the elite vampiric race and her sight sensitivity was among the greatest. She could see it subtly lagging behind the first missile¡¯s shadow, another several more projectiles.


    Though Yvonne¡¯s greatest condition was during the night, she still possessed greater reflexes and speed than any average human or elf. She was able to quite easily evade the incoming arrows and even positioned herself to take the counter offensive. Taking the opportunity for the enemy to reload she took a step forward with her hands still on the hilt of her sword to draw for an opening strike.


    Yet unexpectedly, just as she was about to rush right in a second volley of arrows came flying towards her at full throttle. It was much quicker than she had anticipated; in fact it was almost impossibly quick for an archer to follow up like this. Having no other choice she focused of evasion and took several steps back.


    However just like before, as she finished dealing with the second batch of arrows another round came at her.


    ¡°Kuh, what?¡±


    She was forced a few more steps back in order to not suffer any damage.


    This pattern persisted and every time Yvonne had successfully avoided a series of missiles another round came following extremely quickly after. The speed in which Gerald was reloading, aiming and firing was confusingly fast. Expending a little more stamina and effort she found an opening to glance back at just how he was accomplishing such a feat. What she saw surprised her, though she felt that she should¡¯ve predicted such an outcome. The shadows surrounding Gerald had multiplied and created several mirror images of him and assisted his assault.


    There were at least five or so shadows, since they were flickering in and out of existence there wasn¡¯t a fixed number.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    Yvonne clicked her tongue as she continued to focus on dodging and deflecting the myriad of arrows. As the situation progressed, if she was continually forced into a defensive position there was no way she could ever hope to reach the Golden Monolith to destroy it.


    ¡®No choice then¡­¡¯ she made up her mind to go on the offensive. At this point preserving the situation would eventually lead to her exhaustion and she would fail. There can be no gain without any sort of sacrifice, thus with such a mentality she steeled herself and charged forward at full speed.


    A dangerous volley of arrows flew towards her.


    A direct hit on her body, yet she persisted and moved forward.


    Long arrows pierced through her light armor as they stuck out but thankfully managing to avoid having any of her vitals hit. Enduring through the intense pain she moved forward, giving even Gerald a slight pause in his attacks at her tenacity.


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    He exclaimed as he dropped his guard. He did not expect her to brute force her way through. In just a brief split of a second, abusing her vampiric prowess, Yvonne had managed to cover several meters of distance and was standing just before Gerald within striking distance.


    Gerald was a highly trained archer and understood just with his body that close combat would be disadvantageous to him. His body unconsciously forced his body back into a suitable retaliation distance but this unfortunately opened the path directly to the Golden Monolith. This had been Yvonne¡¯s plan from the beginning.


    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±


    ¡°Dammit! As if I¡¯d let you!¡±


    At the expensive of losing his balance entirely, as Gerald fell back he forced himself to shoot another arrow. It was a [Power Shot], a standard skill for archers which used enchanted arrows for a deadly shot that could pierce through even full plate armor. The trade off was that it was a little bit more unreliable in terms of accuracy but that in itself was fine since the most common usage of the skill was as a battlefield control skill to put distance between the user and the opponent.


    If the opponent faltered and moved then the skill would have served its intended purpose. If the opponent endured then the skill would score a massive hit. Either way it was a useful skill, if not a little limited in the amount of ammunition it was possible to carry. Enchanted arrows were not so cheaply produced after all.


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    Even pushing her vampiric traits to its absolute maximum it was unsure if she could come out of this alive. Thus having no choice Yvonne dropped her pursuit of the Golden Monolith and fell back. Gerald, having given time and distance to regain his balance stood up to prepare another volley.


    The pattern had changed. No whenever Yvonne got brave enough to grit through the pain Gerald would launch a Power Shot to further deter her. Once more stalemate had return to their battlefield.


    By now Yvonne had suffered quite a bit of wounds and she was losing blood at a noticeable rate. If she persisted in this manner then she¡¯d die of blood loss before she died of actual injuries. It would be an ironic fate for a vampire to die in such a manner, not to mention it would be insulting to her kin. However she had no healing based magic of her own and the only skill she had to mitigate this situation was a vampire-centric spell known as [Life Sealing].


    This skill was the single most potent skill that had elevated the race of Vampires to its elite ranks amongst demons. It was a skill that instantaneously removed all damage on her and allowed her to fight back at full strength. Of course it wasn¡¯t an omnipotent skill that could give vampires effective immortality, this skill was merely a temporary fix. Once the duration of the spell expired than the wounds would reappear and she would take double the damage. Thus it was a spell only to be used when backed into a corner.


    Using this spell, she had instantly removed her wounds and the blood stopped leaking from her body. She also managed to regain the majority of her strength and stood up with renewed determination to fight. That being said she was now on borrowed time until the spell duration ran out and at that point she would most assuredly be killed if she didn¡¯t win.


    She took a deep breath and looked down at her now temporarily healthy body. There certainly did exist a method to reach the Golden Monolith through the Power Shot missiles but she was unsure if she could survive afterwards. She took a brief moment to look back at the Elven boy that was rested against a large boulder with his fellow Lamia friend, unconscious.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    She sighed as she focused her eyes at the worthless piece of trash Elf in front of her. With her eyes now shining with the true determination of a vampire, brightly with the color of infinite white she prepared her sword once more. Her only regret, as she scoffed at herself, was that she didn¡¯t bring her shield. She couldn¡¯t because it would be too much of a burden when she was tracking someone but that didn¡¯t make it any less regrettable.


    ¡°Wretched beast¡­ your meager attempt at mimicking sentience itself is disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Bastard, don¡¯t underestimate me! I am a vampire!¡±


    Shouting with enraged fervor she leapt into battle once more with her sword in hand. Charging with reckless abandon, the flare in her eyes trailed behind a light.


    Gerald breathed in slowly as he prepared his bow.


    ¡°That you are¡­ a worthless mosquito that has no place in this world! Now die!¡±


    The dark winds swayed between them as Gerald looked back at the disgusting mosquito charging right for him. He lashed out with equal viciousness as he and his clones drew back their bowstrings and unleashed a devastating volley even more intense than before. As he let go of the string a powerful shockwave reverberating from his bow came an equally devastating missile that rippled the air and left a trail behind it. Not just one or two but several shadow missiles also came lagging behind.


    Yvonne gripped the hilt of her sword with empowered ferocity and determination. She did not falter a single step as she rushed into the volley of arrows, managing to dodge a few but ultimately getting pierced by a few. She lost a few steps but near instantly recovered her momentum and rushed forward, taking advantage of the enemy¡¯s minute need to reload after such a powerful shot. Covered in holes and her own blood she would¡¯ve definitely needed to recover after such life threatening blows but she had a technique to temporarily mitigate all damage.


    She abused ¡®Life Sealing¡¯ to instantly remove all of her wounds. The only problem was whether she would be able to survive the incoming damage once the duration of the skill ran out. ¡®Hah¡­ I feel like an idiot,¡¯ she mocked herself but she was already past the path of no return; she couldn¡¯t give up now.


    Gerald¡¯s eyes opened wide open and as though everything, including himself, were moving at ultra slow speeds he had to witness with his own eyes his failure. Yvonne was now within striking distance of the Golden Monolith, of his most prized treasure.


    He could only watch.


    She raised her sword.


    She struck down.


    A loud crashing sound reverberated through the howling winds of the maelstrom.


    ¡­ He smiled and scoffed.


    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s eyes were glued to the Golden Monolith as not a single scratch was done to it. She slowly and hesitantly shifted her gaze towards the sword in her own hands.


    Broken.


    ¡°Fool, did you think that it¡¯d be that easy?¡±


    Now the position had been reversed. With her disillusioned and stunned state, Gerald was in perfect striking position and he once more shot deathly powerful missiles towards her. She only had a split second to evade them and though she was successful in avoiding most of them, one of them scored a direct hit to her shoulder, crushing her bones within her soft skin.


    Unable to put up any sort of resistance after her initial rush of adrenaline had dissipated, she was knocked back by sheer inertia of the arrow. She wanted to stand up and get back into the fight but she could feel it. The slow, cold, grasping black hands of death reaching right for her as the duration of her Life Sealing spell was near its end. The coldness of defeat had overcome her mental fortitude as she fearfully tried to cover herself with her arms. She couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore and the only thing that was on her mind was the pain that was soon to follow.


    She looked back up at Gerald who had a completely malicious smile etched across his distorted face. Tears fell down her eyes as she embraced herself. The luscious green forests painted with shadows from the Maelstrom of Alice¡¯s unstable magic and Gerald¡¯s shadows were completely overcome by a pure red.


    All the wounds that Yvonne had hidden away resurfaced in a spectacular fountain of blood. Almost drowning in a pool of her own blood she somehow made it through the pain. In fact she couldn¡¯t even feel the pain after becoming completely numb.


    She was losing blood at a terrifyingly rapid pace. The wavering and struggling of her consciousness took an even worse toll on her body as she tried to keep her eyes open. Her final scene before blacking out was Gerald preparing the last Power Shot missile.


    The final nail in her coffin.


    He fired it.


    Ripping the very air behind it, the terrifying requiem of a whistling arrow came towards her at full strength. She tightly shut her eyes to accept her fate¡­ yet that fate never came. ¡®Was it because of the numbness of my body?¡¯ she thought as she couldn¡¯t feel any particular pain or any obstruction to her thoughts.


    She didn¡¯t think she could but she tried opening her eyes once more. The world still seemed to be covered in a horrific red from her bloodied vision, but she could clearly see it. An arrow forcibly stopped mid air right in front of her face. As though alive it struggled violently in order to reach its intended target, yet it never could and continued to vibrate midair.


    Looking to her left was the figure of a small boy, but to her he now appeared to be a giant. Even through her bloodied red sight she could see the glowing menace that was in his green eyes, Morgant. Small, oddly shaped rocks orbited around him with equally murderous intent. Though they all seemed feeble she of all people knew exactly the kind of power capable of being unleashed from them.


    ¡­ He wasn¡¯t happy. After witnessing the kind of state his childhood friends were in he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    He declared furiously as he contested Gerald¡¯s cold gaze.


    ¡°Sub-human trash¡­ you have now forfeited your right to existence; I will no longer permit it.¡±

 Chapter 33 - Rescue mission

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 33 ¨C Rescue mission


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Mor¡­ gant?¡±


    Even as she wandered closely about death¡¯s door an odd sensation overcame Yvonne. A sighed with a sense of relief as all tension, anxiety and even pain started to dissipate from her body. All it took was the appearance of a small but significant power player in all of this to absolutely turn the tides of a losing battle. A boy no older than seven yet carrying the mysterious presence of a figure that was many times greater than what was initially apparent; it was the moment Morgant had stepped onto the field that all else seem to freeze in time.


    Scoffing and defying the very laws of nature and physics, a single arrow was stuck mid air as though time around it had ceased. The owner of the missile, Gerald, could only stare hopelessly awed at the complete mockery of assault. Such a display was but a small testament to the boy¡¯s alien prowess; an inconceivable power that, despite originating from it, this world did not understand.


    ¡°What¡­ did you?¡±


    Through the eyes of his crystalline army, Gerald had witnessed Morgant¡¯s powers before, yet even then the magnificence and elegance of it was far beyond his comprehension. It did not require any crude display of strength or any overtly oozing magic- as though he commanded nature itself the arrow stopped by his will. Just being in the presence of this small boy, Gerald could feel the air becoming several times denser and harder to accept. A slight gaze into the boy¡¯s eyes he could see things that he himself instinctively registered as something he wasn¡¯t supposed to see.


    An unending abyss to a power that dwarfed anything he had known.


    Morgant broke off their little staring contest as he crouched down to check up on Yvonne¡¯s critical state. He examined the small holes drilled into several places on her body and though they never hit any vital areas, the injuries were severe enough to be life threatening. She was losing too much blood too quickly from those unnatural entrances.


    It was an unfortunate fate that Morgant had no ability to heal others, or himself for that matter. Up until now he had focused solely on his offensive capabilities, a fact that slightly bothered him now. He took advantage of his [Enhanced Kinetic Version] passive ability that allowed him to accelerate his thought processes, effectively slowing down time for him to think about his next course of actions.


    Taking down Gerald wasn¡¯t going to be too difficult of a task but doing it while protecting the children and somehow keeping Yvonne alive was obviously not a feat he could realistically achieve. Time was of the essence and every second counted against Yvonne¡¯s continued survival, even now the situation was only getting worse.


    ¡®Tch, if only I had Sovereign¡¯s complete memories¡­¡¯ Morgant cursed himself and his own predicament. It was a missed opportunity that amongst the information and memories that he had so far inherited, most of them were useless in this situation. By now he had had strong grasp on what kind of person Sovereign was and what his specific expertise were. Amongst them, the most useful point was that Sovereign had intensive medical knowledge, knowledge about Old World medical techniques that could¡¯ve been used to perform an emergency procedure to save Yvonne.


    Alas Morgant could only silently watch as he had yet to receive even a minute fraction of such memories and skills. ¡®Shit¡­ what now?¡¯ his face soured as he listened to Yvonne¡¯s haggard breathing. HE had realized his mistakes then, that he had become far too reliant on the aid of the Old World to solve his problems for him, so much so that he had neglected the fruits of this world¡¯s labor. ¡®Magic¡­ if only-¡¯yet he stopped there.


    Surely if he had magic then it might have been possible to save Yvonne now, however there was no point in regretting it now. It was already far too late to be dwelling on such things, so if that was the case then there was only one course of action left. He had gotten to this point because he relied on the Old World then what use was there in stopping and doubting it now?


    He made up his mind to cross the point of no return ages ago. He had decided to call upon the knowledge of the Old World once more.


    ¡°[Ingrid].¡±


    He called out to a nostalgic name. Gladsheim had not moved anywhere and this place was still well within its domain so there was no reason Ingrid could not respond to his summons. In the first place it was Ingrid herself that had first called out to him from Gladsheim all the way to his orphanage so this should have been a given.


    Immolating bursts of azure flame cast throughout the maelstrom of Alice¡¯s unstable winds, a sea of blue flames lit ablaze the dreaded contours of the demonic land. The master ghast of Ingrid¡¯s tomb had awoken with a vengeful spirit, stepping foot onto the outside world to answer the call of its long ancient master. An elegant figure of a translucent mistress appeared before Morgant and knelt to the one who commanded.


    ¡°[I have answered your call, Director. What shall you have me do?]¡±


    A simple holographic interpretation; not physically present, yet it was undeniable that Gladsheim¡¯s influences were large enough to cover even the desolate forests of Vertloch Snowdown. Morgant could not help Yvonne, but Gladsheim had all the correct tools at its disposal to do so. It was then a natural course of action for Morgant to rely on those very tools passed down to him by his predecessor.


    It was sudden but not at all unexpected that Gerald wouldn¡¯t wait for them to be done. Nothing had gone the way he had planned it, ever since this ¡®boy¡¯ had appeared in front of him everything had gone awry. Backed into a corner he had no choice but to fight. He pulled back his bow and fired several arrows, trailed by even more shadow projectiles. Yet no matter how many times the same actions are repeated, without any new significant variables the same result was destined to occur.


    Those arrows were halted mid air just like the one from before. Slightly irritated by Gerald¡¯s rude interruption, Morgant twisted the arrows and flung them back to its sender. Instantly and effortlessly crushing the shadows that had assisted Gerald since the very beginning, Morgant turned and whispered through the howling winds in a low humming voice.


    ¡°Do not interfere, sub-human trash. I will deal with you later.¡±


    A sharp but simple message but it was deeply engraved into Gerald¡¯s head. With those honest to god disgusted eyes and voice filled with nothing but malice, Terror, the likes of which he had never felt before crawled up his spine. Not even the one he thought he feared the most, ¡®Dian Cecht¡¯ had come close to letting loose such a menacing aura.


    ¡°[Can you do it?]¡±


    Morgant asked Ingrid, continuing to converse in the old world tongue to exclude Gerald. The question was of course on whether Ingrid had the ability to save Yvonne, though it was more a rhetorical one since the answer was obvious.


    ¡°[Yes, it is indeed possible, however the problem is that I am currently only here as a means of projection. To start operating on her would require her to be transported to Gladsheim as fast as possible. That being said she has sustained an incredible amount of damage and moving her haphazardly may result in instant death.]¡±


    Morgant¡¯s face paled for a brief moment but soon returned to flavor. There was no time to be dawdling around and thinking about the possible repercussions. There was no real choice; it was either let her Yvonne die here or try to bring her back to Gladsheim with the possibility of her dying en route. To choose the option with a 100% mortality rate would be foolish.


    ¡°[Do you have a means of transporting her back without me?]¡±


    It was a valid question considering that the Ingrid currently present was nothing more than a projection with no physical influence. Even the sea of azure flames that appeared on scene was nothing more than an illusion. Yet despite this she gave a devious smirk as she replied merrily.


    ¡°[As much as this world has stolen from us, I have stolen in return.]¡±


    As she spoke the very grounds beneath their feet trembled as though surrendering themselves to Ingrid¡¯s will. Following the quick tremor was a brief moment of silence before the floor erupted into a spectacular geyser of sand and dust. Ripping and crawling themselves out from the heart of the ground were skeletal monsters adorned with howling dusk armor, aged yet still technically relevant.


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    ¡°[Hmm? Those are¡­ undead? I seem to recall seeing them before in the dungeon. So that too was your doing.]¡±


    Several undead knights slowly rallied themselves out of the ground to Ingrid¡¯s command.


    ¡°[Yes, during my stay in this era I have studied what little magic was available to be studied. Initially my plan was simply to use them as camouflage to blend in but their utility was far too great to pass by as simple idling objects. I had hoped that their vile presence hadn¡¯t offended you too much, Director.]¡±


    Sovereign¡¯s, and to an extent also Morgant¡¯s, principle dictated that the dead not be disturbed unless specifically asked to. It was a small arbitrary moral choice considering the extent of their willingness to bend others to their will, but it was one that they had followed through regardless. Due to the incomprehensibility of this one capricious choice, Ingrid was unsure if Morgant was going to be accommodating to her decisions of using undead units. Though luckily going in her favor was the fact that these undead were more aligned as ¡®summoned units¡¯ rather than ¡®resurrected units¡¯, so there was still room for oversight.


    ¡°[It¡¯s fine. Then please take her carefully back to Gladsheim and begin the operation right away.]¡±


    Morgant commanded as he breathed a sigh of relief and shifted his focus back onto the enemy. A cowardly deer caught between headlights, Gerald awaited for Morgant¡¯s inevitable judgment.


    ¡°[Understood, Director].¡±


    One of the undead knights carefully lifted Yvonne¡¯s powerless body in its arms and started to march slowly towards Gladsheim. It was not too far from their current location and if there were no obstructions then there was a very good chance that they would make it back in time to fix her.


    ¡°[Then, what shall I do about these children? Are they also to be taken back to the refuge of Gladsheim until the matter has been settled?]¡±


    Ingrid asked as she pointed towards Morgant¡¯s childhood friends.


    ¡°[Yes, please take them with you.]¡±


    Complying with his commands without even having relayed the orders through Ingrid, the skeletal knights carefully pick up the unconscious Celina and Ren to be taken back.


    ¡°Now then¡­ Gerald why don¡¯t we have a little chat?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°There! I see one!¡±


    The town of Vertloch Snowdown was not a particularly large one and navigating its simple layout wasn¡¯t too hard. Yet even still, finding a small box in the hidden deeply somewhere in town was not such a simple task. It was only because of good preparation and insight that the search team was able to have an easy time locating them.


    The first of the ¡®Blood Shrines¡¯ that were supporting this horrendous ritual was found. Hidden neatly behind a small run down building and far away from anyone¡¯s notice, it was only because of the ¡®Vampiric Runes¡¯ left behind by Yvonne that Francisco was able to locate them.


    A small and ornate black box oozing a strange and disorienting miasma, such a distinct object practically screamed its identity. As they approached the box an abominable smell insulted their noses.


    ¡°Ugh, what is that smell? I can¡¯t even begin to describe it¡­¡±


    Este commented as she swiftly covered her nose with her hands. Even then the smell continued to assault her to the point she was actively feeling sick from just being in its presence. Unable to withstand it anymore she pointed towards it and fired off a series of low level elemental missiles.


    [Fire Bullet], [Ice Bullet] and [Lightning Bullet]. A combination of all three elementary-level magic was enough to destroy the box. Upon doing so a burst of black flames erupted from the remnants, only to slowly dissipate with a howling cry of agony.


    A few more minutes later the reddened skies became slightly less menacing thanks to the weakening of the ritual. Noticing this small change the search team¡¯s expression lightened up as a small glimmer of hope shun in their eyes.


    ¡°Okay, now that you¡¯ve all gotten a good grasp of what these ¡®Blood Shrines¡¯ look like I will draw up a map for all of you. I think we would be able to cover more ground faster if we separated.¡±


    Francisco turned to address his team. A small platoon of men stood behind him eager to put an end to all of this horror. They were mostly comprised of the members of the Townguard who were now under his command now that Yvonne had disappeared.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Francisco to draw up a map of their hometown with the locations of all the Vampiric Runes left behind by Yvonne. After doing so he cut the map into small portions and handed them out to each of the search team members. With a small pause he took a deep breath to address his team.


    ¡°Unfortunately I do not think destroying these boxes will banish the crystalline monstrosities banging at our gates, but it will dispel the ritual. I can¡¯t say that we¡¯ll all make it out alive even if we stop this abhorrent ritual but what choice do we have but to try? If we want to survive through all of this then we have no choice but to start pulling our own weight.¡±


    Far from a motivational speech, the best Francisco could do was give them a serious wake-up call. Their situation had now descended to the worst possible one but they still need to do something about it. The team stayed silent but nodded all the same with determination to see this through. Even if they were to die to monsters they at least wanted to ensure that their deaths wouldn¡¯t be used as a basis for even further evil.


    The Blood Ritual needed to be dispelled.


    Wordlessly the members of the Townguard, Este, Lilith and even the Mayor went their separate ways to search for these Blood Shrines. The only member left were Enrich and Francisco, neither of which had much in the way of combat abilities.


    ¡°I wonder it was fine to leave everything up to that boy.¡±


    Enrich asks in a melancholic voice.


    ¡°I wonder¡­? He was the one who came up with the plan but if it was just to that extent even I would have some reservations. However the thing is that it wasn¡¯t just that, everything went exactly as he predicted down to even the kinds of action Miko would take. It¡¯s just so crazy accurate that I¡¯m not even sure what to think anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes well, even if everything is going accordingly, I believe in this specific situation that is both a good and bad thing¡­ considering the enemy.¡±


    A small silence interrupted the flow of their conversation as they both sank deeply into contemplation. There were only three people that knew 100% of what was going on behind the scene yet they were not the ones with the most strength. In a world where strength and power took on an entire dimension, intellect could only get so far¡­ or at the very least that¡¯s what both Enrich and Francisco had thought until they had met with Morgant.


    ¡°A ¡®God¡¯¡­ is it? Admittedly I know very little when it comes to the kind of power that boy employs- it doesn¡¯t feel entirely correct to call it ¡®magic¡¯. He himself called it ¡®psychokinesis¡¯, but I fear even with such an amazing power it might not be enough to deal with what¡¯s about to come.¡±


    Francisco whispers to himself.


    ¡°Oh? Even though you¡¯re the one who he approached to have as an adjutant you still don¡¯t quite have him nailed down yet do you?¡±


    Enrich responded with a small chuckle, slightly irritating Francisco.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that? A second ago you were seriously wondering if it was okay leaving everything to him.¡±


    ¡°That was simply my concerns as a reasonable adult; I meant to say that not about his talents but whether it was okay to leave such a heavy burden on a developing child¡¯s state of mind. If I am permitted to speak freely then I believe that you don¡¯t have enough insight on the boy.¡±


    ¡°Just what do you mean by that?¡±


    Enrich smirked.


    ¡°I mean exactly that. Do you honestly think that he was planning this entire thing only on a single dimension? He is certainly very distinct from anyone else in this world, and if my predictions are correct then that boy has one more trump card up his sleeves.¡±


    ¡°One more trump card?¡±


    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s easy for him¡­ to predict the movement of someone who can predict the future.¡±

 Chapter 34 - The dominion of humanity

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 34 ¨C The dominion of humanity


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡®Magic¡¯¡­ it was the mysterious force that had eternally been bound to this world since time immemorial. The power that gave men the ability to conquer and master their environments but at the same time it gave those very men the power to hurt and steal from others. From war to daily life, it had become a pivotal aspect of this world that it was difficult to imagine a world without it.


    Nor could anyone have imagined a power that exceeded this all powerful force that they had taken for granted. Dragons, Fairies, Demons, High Lords, Dwarves, Titans, Humans and even Gods, they were all bound under this mythical influence. Anyone who was a native to Eternis knew this as a fact.


    Yet it had occurred, in a small backwater continued that this belief had been challenged by the essence of another; an alien power that even basic comprehension of it was impossible. It was unlike magic that had adopted the numerous elements of the lands and had evolved through untold millennia. A force much purer in essence as it held one thing that magic never did and would never will- a defining ¡®purpose¡¯.


    ¡°Kuh! Damned brat! Just what in the god damned hell are you?¡±


    The first to be subjected under the true might of this mysterious power was but a small town adventurer leader. Elegant and subtle yet overwhelmingly oppressive; fighting against this power was akin to struggling against the heavens. A formula formed from beyond the veil of time, one that reached out to this world through a long forgotten abyss. It was the testament to a great epoch yet unknown to this current world.


    ¡®The savages of this world would never understand¡­¡¯ thought the small wielder of this magnificent power. With every step the ground trembled with awe and winds cloaked around him masking a protective barrier. In his presence everything, from the desolate mountains to the roaring heavens above, became an enemy to all who opposed him.


    ¡°Who am I? Isn¡¯t that obvious by now? I am a ¡®Human¡¯.¡±


    The small child answered with a smirk so filled with malice it was almost nauseating. A cold chill ran down Gerald¡¯s back as he took a step back in reaction to the boy¡¯s slow, methodical approach. ¡®Scared¡­? I¡¯m scared?¡¯ he looked down at his trembling hands and realized, for the first time in his life, what it really meant to ¡®fear¡¯.


    ¡°H- human? What nonsense are you speaking? The lowest race in all of Eternis¡­ you think that¡¯s a satisfactory answer?!¡±


    Even through what was left of his shredded pride and shame, a single act of genuine disappointment as the boy shook his head was more than mortifying. Gerald tightly clenched his fists, ¡®just what manner of fool does he take me for?¡¯ yet even if he wanted to retaliate he couldn¡¯t- he was too afraid of the consequences.


    ¡®Human¡­?¡¯ Indeed by appearances alone the boy looked to be the genuine article of the species, but there was no way that could ever have been the truth. To Gerald, humans were vile and lowly creatures that had only gained its status due to its sheer population and greed. They were only slightly better than demons that plagued the upper northern continents of Eternis.


    They were a talentless bunch that should never have the ability to produce such a powerful entity such as this boy. It was a belief that had solidly been ingrained into his very psyche as a default state of mind, yet even that too was tested as time dragged on. ¡®A trick! There is no other explanation!¡¯ he tried to delude himself with another possible theory but even this hurt whatever was left of his pride as it had meant that he had fallen for such an elementary tactic.


    The boy¡¯s illusive, sinister smile peeved Gerald, to see such a small arrogant brat acting as though he owned the entire world. Comparing their achievements side by side it was obvious that he should have been the more decorated one, yet how was it that he wasn¡¯t the one with the upper hand in this exchange?


    He had worked far too hard for it all to have come crashing down. He bit his pride and acted the fool for so long in this backwater garbage town, it was an unfair twist of fate to be bested by these yokels. He questioned the very authenticity of the reality that was playing before his eyes, refusing to even believe for a second that some droll human was able to best him. ¡®Impossible.¡¯


    Deciding to take the initiative Gerald stopped walking backwards and stood his ground with an uneasy smile. Unbeknownst even to himself, he tried to imitate the boy¡¯s method of exerting nauseating pressure.


    ¡°Damned brat, you¡¯re just human trash left on the side by other humans who didn¡¯t want you. No¡­ not just you but all of you humans, the only thing you¡¯re good at is being meat shields for the rest of us! You¡¯re a hundred years too early to be rebelling against someone your greater now stand down and stop getting in my way!¡±


    The boy stopped moving entirely. ¡®Did I do it?¡¯ Gerald thought to himself as he witness the for the first time the enemy¡¯s hesitation. He could see it, the subtle trembling of the boy¡¯s shoulders as fear gripped his heart. ¡®Yes, this is how it should have been¡¯.


    ¡°The way you look down on humans¡­¡±


    The boy started to speak but ultimately trailed off.


    Noticing the subtle increase in dramatic tension in the air, Gerald took a few steps back in preparation for something. This was not the ¡®fear¡¯ he thought he had seen in the child but something else entirely¡­ ¡®anger¡¯. He held tightly onto his bow, the one object that could permit his defiance against the small figure ahead of him. Up until now he understood that his assaults were ineffective against him but that was simply because of some trick. All he needed to do was understand just what kind of underhanded tactics he was using and everything should be going his way again.


    ¡°The way you look down on humans¡­ it really pisses me off. Trash tier savages like you and all of the inane races you represent¡­ ¡®Psychokinetic Hyper-Evolution¡¯ she says? Even though they were all just mere animals it seems that they¡¯ve become exceedingly arrogant in our absence.¡±


    Mumbling incomprehensible words the child¡¯s speech no longer seemed to be a conversation or message to Gerald but angered self monologue. Once more he resumed his slow, menacing approach but this time Gerald could feel the wrath in each step. All emotions were stripped out from the very terrain itself as only an overwhelming sense of dread and malice could be felt crawling deep within his skin.


    Faltering his grasp on the situation Gerald took a few steps backwards. As he did he pulled back his bow loaded with an enchanted arrow; a [Power Shot] unlike anything he¡¯s even attempted. Filled with the last remnants of his courage, it was the final act of defiance against this insurmountable foe.


    ¡°I no longer care if you¡¯re a human or not! I have come too far to be stopped here. Now die!¡±


    Howling with the terror of a banshee¡¯s scream, the missile ripped through the cold, desolate air with unwavering resentment. For obstructing and ruining everything, Gerald could only hope that this was the arrow that blew away all of his insecurities.


    Bet it the first or one hundredth¡¯s time, there was no change in the outcome of those attacks. No matter how powerful he made it, with the extent of his skills and abilities it was never going to be enough. The small boy did not move even a single inch as the enchanted projectile locked onto his head, but as it had gotten close the arrow ceased mid air. As though it had a will of its own and not wishing to offend the boy it stopped movement. To the extent of Gerald¡¯s vast knowledge on magic there was no magic or barrier spell that was capable of stopping a projectile in such a manner¡­ there shouldn¡¯t have been.


    ¡°Shoot once or shoot a hundred times, nothing will ever change.¡±


    The boy responded in a cold, distant tone.


    ¡°Stop mocking me! Lowly human scum!¡±


    Gerald yells as he draws for more arrows. A savagery and brutality, the likes of which he had never known himself to possess came welling out from the depths of his heart. He wanted to rip wide open that smug little mouth and to completely bathe the battlefield with his blood.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Mocking you? Tch, you barbaric savage, do you not understand that this is the true position you and your entire race ought to be in. The only thing even worthy of being called a ¡®mockery¡¯ is your attempt at defying fate.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! You little¡­ shit!¡±


    As Gerald loaded his bow his hands stopped moving against his will.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    The boy spoke and instantly he could feel an electrifying presence resounds around his body. ¡®Fear? Anxiety? Irritation?¡¯ Gerald tried to reason why he was in such a state but ultimately he could not think of any specific reason. Only one thing stuck in his mind- the boy¡¯s words rang over and over¡­ ¡®nothing will ever change¡¯.


    Desperation overcame him. Be it this boy or the god he had served, Dian Cecht, they had all looked down on him as if he were just a nuisance. ¡®Nothing will ever change?¡¯ Never before in his life did it ring far more prominently than now. ¡®Change¡­¡¯ Gerald realized something as he shifted his focus off the boy and onto the thing that had stayed by his side the entire time. ¡®The monolith¡­¡¯


    He had forgotten about it all of the commotion and chaos but there was one thing he could do to change everything. The one thing he wanted to do¡­ the one thing he was going to do was change.


    ¡°Heh¡­ hehehe¡­ Change! I will change everything!¡±


    Gerald shouted at the top of his lungs as he pulled out a small dagger from within his cloak. It was the boy¡¯s own intellect that was going to be his downfall. For the first time since their meeting he was grateful because with the boy he would never have been able to figure out the secret.


    ¡°Immortality! Power! Godhood! They are all mine! All thanks to you. Now witness as you tremble before the monster you have helped create!¡±


    Gerald placed one hand to the aureate monolith as he channeled his mana into it. The dagger in his other hand was not meant for the enemy but for himself. He will give up his own body and mortality for the chance to change into an entity far greater. It was a little worrisome to do this before having gathered the power to hide the monolith but it was virtually indestructible so there wasn¡¯t any real need to rush.


    Without a second thought Gerald plunged the dagger into his own heart¡­ all with a cruel smile as blood dripped slowly out of his mouth. Even as his vision started wavering all he could do was wait as he felt the slow pulses of his excited heart coming to a close. Once it was all over he would awaken as a god.


    Gerald fell to his knees as he found himself struggling to keep his body straight. All the strength in his body was starting to drain and even the initial pain from the self inflicted stab wound was dissipating. Sound ceased to enter his ears and even smell stopped being registered, he couldn¡¯t feel a thing as he was going numb¡­ yet even then he kept his exhilarated smile.


    ¡®Death¡­ so this is what it feels like,¡¯ Gerald whispered to himself as he closed his eyes to embrace it wholeheartedly. The final few seconds of his life counted down peacefully until it was violently interrupted.


    The bleeding from his heart stopped and his heart that should¡¯ve gone flat started to forcefully pump blood back into his body. Life was once more flowing into him and so was his consciousness. ¡®Is this it? Am I now a Go-¡¯


    Before he was even able to finish his own thoughts his face was smashed down against the ground. Like an anchor weighing down his body, a small foot managed to subjugate his entire body in a demeaning posture.


    ¡°You think I¡¯d give you the satisfaction of death so soon? No, not before I break you apart.¡±


    Confused Gerald stared at his own chest only to find that the dagger was still lodged into him. He should¡¯ve been dead but he wasn¡¯t and he could feel the painfully foreign object stabbed into him with every forceful heartbeat. He wondered how his heart was even beating.


    ¡°Wha¡­?¡±


    He wanted to speak up but his voice refused to exit his throat.


    ¡°It seems your miniscule brain still can¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on so let me explain. The only reason you¡¯re still alive right now is because I¡¯m forcefully pumping your heart with my powers. As soon as I stop doing so you will die permanently. There will be nothing after this and your dream of becoming the god you so desired will not come to fruition. This is your punishment for involving my hometown in whatever inane affairs of yours. I will make sure that you feel every painful moment of every second of your death.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Glaring up at the small boy¡¯s smirking figure from the ground, Gerald tried to resist. Alas his body refused to obey his commands and the only thing he could do was calmly wait for what the boy wanted to say.


    The boy leaned in to whisper into his ears.


    ¡°Can you feel it? With every pulse in your body you should feel that small metallic sensation in your chest. That is the very symbol of your own stupidity. Hey, tell me why you ever thought that killing yourself would be a good idea?¡±


    The boy asked as he snickered behind that reddened grin. The only things in his vision were two harrowing green eyes glowing against a desolate background and the smile from the god of death. Trampled beneath those small boots, yet being unable to oppose him, it was an eye opening frustration.


    The only thing Gerald could see as he stared at his face were those harrowing green glowing eyes against a darkened background and the smile from the god of death.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was no good, his voice refused to come out once again.


    ¡°Are you an idiot? What made you think that you were so special to overcome the Monolith¡¯s functions? You of all people should know after having tested it thousands of times against the lesser species- that whatever dies turns into those crystalline monsters.¡±


    Gerald¡¯s heart beat faster as he listened in. He couldn¡¯t be sure if it was because of his own panic at the realization of what he had just done to himself or if it was the boy¡¯s power that was forcefully doing it. Either way it was horrible thought to contemplate.


    ¡°Hey, did you think that just because you were the one commanding this Monolith you¡¯d be different? But still, I¡¯m grateful for your vast stupidity because that made my job a whole lot easier. In return allow me to reveal one important detail; everything you¡¯ve learnt from me about this Monolith was just a trap.¡±


    ¡®A trick¡­¡¯ at the very least Gerald had been right about one thing. It was indeed all a trick, though unfortunately his basis on what those tricks were had been way off. He had been duped and now he was about to face the consequences of losing a battle of wits against an opponent who knew nothing about mercy.


    ¡°Y- you¡­ re¡­ just¡­ hu¡­ man.¡±


    The force pinning his head against the floor intensified greatly as the sudden impact felt as though it would split his head wide open. The impact traveled through his head and managed to cause cracks to appear on the floor beneath him.


    ¡°That¡¯s completely correct! I am a ¡®Human¡¯! The only race that is truly relevant to this world! If ever I died and was reborn I would choose to be human every single time!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Immortality? You idiot, that kind of thing is hardly even an accomplishment anymore. Power? You couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the peak of what is truly capable of my¡­ of human hands. Godhood? Now why would I want to degrade myself to such a degree by picking up that tetanus infested mantle? Let me make this clear for you once and for all¡­ This world is a Human Dominion and I will not stand to let you thieves and cowards take that away from me.¡±


    Those would be the last words that Gerald would ever hear as the boy released his grasp. Slowly as he descended into the deepest part of the abyss, it was then that he had finally understood. That this boy known as ¡®Morgant¡¯ was an unfair entity; he was not a being without fault, he would lie, cheat and deceive but he was never once ¡®wrong¡¯.


    <hr />


    Chapter Summary:


    Gerald - Fuck you.


    Morgant - No, Fuck you... and your entire race... and every race that isn''t Human.

 Chapter 35 - Inheritors of heavens will

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 35 ¨C Inheritors of heaven¡¯s will


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    Despite being dubbed the ¡®Demon Continent¡¯ it was only really the case due to the majority of its residential populace being descended of demonic races. In truth much of the population was docile and relatively peaceful with there being minor exceptions. Throughout its history, it was only the actions of invaders and outsiders that tended to have any ¡®demonic¡¯ flare.


    The finest example of such incidents being caused by outsiders was the crisis that had beset upon the small backwater town of Vertloch Snowdown. It was a location that was largely irrelevant to the global narrative, yet the destructive force and ardent nature of the fighting was no different from actual war.


    Yet even amongst all of this chaos and destruction there were still much of the land that had still yet to lose its lustre. Like a carefully prepared oil painting the forests of the demon continent bloomed with aquatic and terrestrial colors. Marching through such a scene was a procession of deathly undead knights carrying wounded and unconscious passengers.


    Carefully stalking deep in the background, the cries of exotic animals and monsters could be heard. Yet none of them made even an attempt to attack; to these stalkers the law of the jungle was quickly overwritten by the terrifying sight of the army of death- marching in harrowing unison.


    It was but a small force of several two meter tall hollow skeletons decked out in ghastly dawn colored armor and weapons. Walking with perfect uniform stride they carried with them two children and a heavily injured adult woman as if being spirited away. Undead knights on their own weren¡¯t all that formidable under their armor, at best they served as front line meat shields to an even greater unit, but this time was a little different. Normally they were slow, uncoordinated and lacked the crucial intellect needed for actual battle, yet these flaws seemed nowhere present on this particular set. Their perfect synchronicity served as a voiceless reminder to the would-be predators that they were not to be trifled with.


    It was those sounds of excruciatingly coordinated stride brushing against the tall rustling grass that awoken one of the children from unconsciousness. A young boy of Elven descent with oceanic blue hair, rubbing his eyes as he coughed from the sudden intake of air.


    ¡°Keh¡­ Wha-?¡±


    Confusion compounded by disorientation; not only was the world around Ren an enormous mass of blur but due to being carried it was also shaky.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve regained consciousness. It¡¯s okay just a bit longer and we will reach our base so you can continue resting until then.¡±


    A voice, feminine yet complete unnatural and inorganic sounding. It was the first time Ren had heard such a voice, though on second thought it wasn¡¯t really. He had heard this kind of voice before¡­ a few weeks ago, back during their little scavenger hunt in [Ingrid¡¯s Tomb].


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Ingrid?¡±


    Not yet having recovered his proper vision he couldn¡¯t confirm that she truly was, but such a voice was distinct and unique. Mistaking her would be harder than identifying her.


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    A quick, emotionless response.


    ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t use our language? ¡­ugh.¡±


    Ren asked in the midst of trying to reopen his eyes, only to be met by an intense concentration of blinding light. He quickly closed them in response only to wait a little more to try again slowly.


    ¡°I am capable of every language. I have simply chosen not to use this one until now, however now that the situation has come to this I have no choice if I require your understanding.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Ingrid suddenly ceased to conversation in order to think about the answer, or so that¡¯s what Ren had thought from her silence. To him she was nothing more than a ghost of an old tomb, or so it should¡¯ve been. Her enigmatic voice and the strange coldness of her tone was unlike anything he¡¯s interacted with- it interested him. He wanted to know more about her.


    ¡°It¡¯s simply a matter of pride.¡±


    Giving such an anticlimactic and cryptic response, Ren couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed by it. The entire concept of ¡®language¡¯ was a vague one in this world since every nation chose to adopt one language throughout the entire globe. It was much more convenient that way in terms of trade and forging closer alliances. Thus the only real places where a difference of language existed was with monsters who made their own language.


    Thinking of that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if Ingrid did use another language, since she would have been classified as a ¡®monster¡¯. Yet Ren was still unsatisfied with giving her that label, there was just something about her that didn¡¯t quite fit in with the rest of the world.


    ¡°Pride?¡±


    Pride for language was not something Ren had easily understood as he had never experienced it. At best there was a difference in dialect that arose from different types of culture and language short hands but other than that there was no real barrier in understanding others.


    ¡°[Diversity in language does not exist in this world. You will not understand¡­ or perhaps you will.]¡±


    Ingrid responded, but as it was in a language he did not understand he was unsure on how to answer to it. However that very fact was the entire point of Ingrid¡¯s response. ¡®Ah, I see¡­ pride, is it?¡¯ Indeed Ren felt a sort of frustration and confusion from her foreign words and that feeling was the key to her ¡®pride¡¯. The ability to live in her own world with her own language, certainly there was some ¡®pride¡¯ in that.


    It was never about understanding, but about excluding. After all, from the beginning she was nothing but secrets, and it was those very secrets that gave her purpose to exist. It was her profession as a ghast, to maintain and guard those truths from everyone else. Though without any real confirmation, that was the kind of entity that Ren had concluded that she was.


    He breathed out a sigh. If she was never meant to be understood then he would do just that. To not understand her and accept the situation as is.


    Ren paused for a second as his vision finally returned to him. The first thing he had laid his eyes upon was Ingrid¡¯s faint and translucent figure. She was unlike any being he had ever seen before, despite this being his second meeting. Even for a ghost her appearance was distinctively unique; all other spectral beings had an aura of dread and coldness, yet see¡­ was still cold but in a much different manner.


    Against the soothing imagery of Ingrid surrounded were horrendous abominations, the undead knights upon which he rode one of. A chilling sensation crept up his neck as the hairs on his arms stood, but their docile mannerism soon left him rather relieved. On second thought there was no real need to fear them, they wer clearly under Ingrid¡¯s control and it wasn¡¯t as though he hadn¡¯t seen these knights before either.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    With a sigh he turned back to Ingrid to ask.


    ¡°You¡­ just what are you?¡±


    A ghost that controls undead, this wasn¡¯t a particularly outrageous setting. Yet something about her stood out and distinguished her as a true spectral entity. It wasn¡¯t particularly any closely guarded secrets that he wanted to know, he just wanted a general gist of what she really is. Though his first impression was ¡®ghast¡¯ even that didn¡¯t seem entirely correct now that he had a closer look at her.


    ¡°I am a being known as an ¡®Artificial Intelligence¡¯. The sole purpose for my creation was to function as a bridge between humanity and technology. A purpose that I had once thought was lost.¡±


    Of course even with that explanation Ren was unable to comprehend what she meant. He understood the individual words but their meaning in its entirety was lost on him. The thing he was most curious about was actually not about her but her relationship with his old friend, Morgant. However following that train of thought he came to remember what it was that he was just in the middle of doing.


    ¡°Mmh? Is that?!¡±


    Having noticed who was being carried by the first undead knight Ren raised an alarm. In the skeletal hands was a tattered and bleeding Yvonne who seemed to dance near death.


    ¡°She is the one you call ¡®Guard Captain, Yvonne¡¯. She was heavily injured during her battle against the enemy and thus is being brought to Gladsheim for emergency operations.¡±


    ¡°Emergency operations? You don¡¯t have healing magic?¡±


    To Ren the term ¡®operation¡¯ in regards to a medical context may have been an entirely foreign one. He had lived his entire life in a world that possessed magic that could instantly heal a person without any physical medical procedure, thus his confusion.


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    Having regained full consciousness only a few minutes ago, Ren was only now just able to recall the events that had transpired prior to this point. He was still on a mission to save his friends but his body was unable to endure. Ren¡¯s heart started to race as cold sweat crept up his back. The sound of his own frantic breathing could be heard but he ignored it as he shifted his gaze back and forth in panic.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ why did I forget?! I was in the middle of something¡­ Morgant! Celina and Alice too! Just exactly what happened and where are they?!¡±


    Ren commented, unable to hold in his anxiety as his usual expression of calmness faded from his face.


    ¡°The Lamia girl is over there. She hasn¡¯t regained consciousness but her life is in no danger.¡±


    Ingrid pointed to a nearby undead knight carrying a small pink themed girl. As Ingrid suggested, everything about her health aside from small negligible bruises was in fine condition.


    ¡°Celina¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmya?¡±


    Even though it was only in a small voice, Celina was able to respond to Ren¡¯s call and also regained consciousness. She gave a hearty yawn as she rubbed her eyes to focus her gaze, but upon doing so she had almost fainted on sight of the thing that was transporting her.


    ¡°Calm down Celina, they aren¡¯t enemies.¡±


    ¡­


    It took a fair bit of tries but Ren had eventually managed to calm Celina down enough to explain the situation as he understood it. Ingrid had also filled in the gaps for when they were unconscious thus they had a reasonable complete picture, even the situation back at the children¡¯s hometown was explained to them. Though it was mystery as to if they understood the extent of the crisis.


    ¡°I¡­ see, so something like that has happened.¡±


    Celina nodded uneasily through her hesitation and fears. It wasn¡¯t for long that Ingrid had observed these children but she was able to get a basic gist of their personalities. Celina by nature was a child that timid and this foreign situation only served to compound this feeling, yet she kept herself quiet as to not cause any more problems for her friends.


    ¡°Enough about that now. Tch, how could I have forgotten? Hey, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re an Artificial Intelligence or whatever, but you better start explaining where Morgant and Alice are. You know where they are right?¡±


    Over the years Ingrid had conversed with many entities from this world but none have ever been as meaningful as the one she had with this boy named Ren. Though he was of a foreign species, he was definitely her master¡¯s friend through and through. The determination gleaming in his eyes as he was one step away from finding his friend and returning to their daily lives was evident, yet it was this desperation and anxiety that had piqued Ingrid¡¯s interests. He had shown himself to be a fairly intelligent boy so he was aware that the situation was well above himself, yet he still continued forward.


    Those were the eyes that did not shy away from what was truly important. ¡®Will¡¯ and ¡®courage¡¯, concepts that was important both in this world and to the old Sovereign. Long ago before even this world began, her master had told her something similar, that the ¡®human will¡¯ should never be underestimated. Yet these children were not human¡­


    ¡°[Could the human will be inherited by those that are not human?]¡±


    ¡®Curious,¡¯ Ingrid asked herself. As this world was built upon the ashes of the old world it shouldn¡¯t be too strange for some of the old world¡¯s will to flow into the new. ¡®Perhaps not all primitive races of this world are irredeemable¡¯, she thought.


    After a long pause she turned her gaze towards Morgant¡¯s and Alice¡¯s direction. Her answer to Ren¡¯s frantic question was a slender blue finger in the right direction. She had not confidence that they could make any difference with their dismal power levels but still she was curious as to what they would do.


    ¡°They¡¯re there?!¡±


    Ren asked as he followed the direction of her fingers.


    Ingrid nodded, only once.


    Without a word further Ren got off the undead knight and started to dash in that direction. It was a mystery as to what he was thinking would happen once he got there, but there was no doubt that something in his psyche would change once he sees the situation for himself.


    ¡°W- wait Ren! I¡¯m coming too!¡±


    Celina also slithered off the undead knight and followed shortly after.


    ¡°Director¡­ I have sent them to you, curious beings that have inherited the will of old humanity.¡±


    <hr />


    I know it''s not a very exciting chapter but I think a bit of set up is necessary for what I want to write in the future. Please bear with it for a little while. :/

 Chapter 36 - Honest intentions

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 36 ¨C ¡®Honest¡¯ intentions


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°W- wait, p- please! Ren, where are we going?!¡±


    Rushing restlessly through the desolate and hostile terrains of the demonic forests were two children, an Elven boy and young lass descended of the Lamia bloodline, both desperately in search for their missing friend. Yet still not entirely sure as to what the exact situation entailed, Celina called out to Ren to no avail.


    Ren had become too engrossed in his own thoughts that he wasn¡¯t even properly navigating through the terrain. His tattered clothes and bruised skin was proof of this. ¡®Morgant! Alice!¡¯ those were the only words that resounded through his head as he darted his eyes all around searching for those exact figures.


    ¡°Ren! I said Ren! Please wait!¡±


    Celina tried once more yet it was still to no effect. Since her body was half that of a snake she was a little bigger than Ren was thus she had more difficulty in trekking through the tough contours of the land. Despite this she still refused to slow down and even as her body was also riddled with injuries she kept her pace with the small and nimble Elven boy in front of her, never losing sight of him even for a split second.


    They were both equally desperate to save their friends.


    ¡°Ren¡­ Eh? AH REN!¡±


    By the time they had both noticed the real situation it was already far too late. The events were already in motion and as though it played out in slow motion all they could do was hopelessly watch.


    Whilst not paying attention to their surroundings they had forgotten to notice the presence of their assailant. A straggling Crystalline Goblin had jumped out from a hidden bush, feral teeth headed straight for their smooth and fragile skins- certain death. Ren¡¯s eyes widened as he was the first to be confronted by those abyssal jaws. Desperation mixed with fear and anxiety to create an entirely new level of negative emotion, ¡®frustration¡¯.


    Too desperate to truly fear yet too afraid to become desperate, the emotions compounded atop of each other to create the frustration that was his hopeless reality. Angry at himself for not being able to do anything about what he was witnessing play out in slow motion, and angry towards an enemy that got in his way. With nothing he could to do, Ren shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. ¡®Perhaps I can get through this then rescue Morgant¡¯, he knew those were na?ve thoughts but all he could do was hope.


    Yet no matter how much he waited, the pain of being bitten by a feral Goblin never came. He could hear his own heartbeat slowly rising then slowly dropping once more as he began to take control of his own composure. ¡®Is it because I became numb of the pain?¡¯ prepared for the worst he opened his eyes, though what he saw made him quickly wish he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°A¡­ ah¡­ M- Miko¡­? Miko?!¡±


    The calm before the storm; his body had not yet truly realized what his mind was seeing. Right now time had stopped for him, or at least slowed down to a considerable amount that it had seemed that way. The only sounds he could hear were the cruel tranquility of swaying trees and a cool breeze.


    Standing before him was the slender figure of a woman he had known all his life. Her familiar scent swept by the winds, her hair as white as snow and those two fluffy ears struggling to find composure as they trembled from the pain, three silver tails also shivering and tossing about, the person who¡¯s back was turn to him was an entity very close to being called ¡®mother¡¯. She was one of two of the orphanage¡¯s caretakers, the exiled [Therianthrope], Miko.


    Silently gritting through the pain without a single word, her blood trickled slowly down from her shoulders. The goblin¡¯s sharp and jagged teeth had successfully pierced right through her thin leather armor and sunk beneath her skin, only barely missing her more vulnerable neck. The subtle yet disturbingly distinct cracking noises indicated immense damage to her collar bone as her left arm went limp from the having its strength drained.


    ¡°Miko?!¡±


    Celina cried out as she slithered up to her, yet even when she was so close she didn¡¯t know what else to do to alleviate the situation. As though her own left shoulder was being destroyed Celina clutched tightly and cried. Realizing her own powerlessness she became scared and only turned away without even finding the strength to help.


    Everything had happened so fast that even the victim herself wasn¡¯t sure what had happened. The only thing she realized was the pain on her left shoulder, her useless and limp left arm and the children that were behind her. The only thing driving her forward was the duty that she had to protect those small lives behind her- that¡¯s all that ever truly mattered to her. Though even for her one track mind the heavy burden upon her left shoulder was starting to eat at her composure as she grimaced, finally registering the long overdue pain.


    Unable to muster up enough strength to outright remove it or even instruct the children to escape, the only thing she could do was stand firm. To become a wall for the children¡¯s protection and hope that they would realize on their own that they needed to escape. ¡®It¡¯s okay¡¯, she told herself, ¡®they¡¯re bright children,¡¯ she hoped that they would understand the situation and do what needed to be done, ¡®please escape¡¯.


    ¡°Mi¡­ ko? What are you¡­?¡±


    Finally his body had caught up as a surge of adrenaline crept through his body. His heart rate jumped instantly to dangerous level and he started breathing in more oxygen than his small body could handle. He wanted to scream but his mind wouldn¡¯t allow it, because he knew that once he did he would lose himself in the chaos and desperation.


    ¡®Are you sure you want to give up like this?¡¯ Ren remembered, the advice that the imaginary Morgant had given him. The situation had not changed and everything was still a mess and as dangerous as before, the only thing that was really different was the clarity. Right now he understood in full what was going on but that small difference was all that was needed for a vote of confidence. Thanks to all that excess oxygen that had been pumped into the brain he found himself being able to think a bit more clearly.


    He wasn¡¯t like Morgant who could take on extreme levels of chaos at face value and shrug it off but he could still try to be.


    ¡°Miko!¡±


    Steeling his resolve he acted quickly and rushed to her side for support. The target didn¡¯t move a muscle as he approached with hostile intentions even as it noticed him. ¡®Is it mocking me?¡¯ he contemplated but quickly perished the thought; the enemy was just a feral beast that wasn¡¯t thinking about anything. ¡®In that case¡­¡¯ there was no need for hesitation, if the enemy wasn¡¯t then why should he be?


    The air around Ren grew a little more frigid as small pellets of ice started to form and once they were about the size of a small rock they flew towards the stationary goblin. Low level elementary ice magic, [ice bullet], they weren¡¯t anything spectacular but as a child this was the best he could do, so he did. A direct hit was scored onto the goblin and it started to ooze disgusting yellow blood from its wounds yet it did not cease its fatal clinging.


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    If once didn¡¯t work then all he needed to do was try again, then again, then again, and again, until it worked. Eventually the Goblin was riddled with small holes throughout its body yet even then it didn¡¯t stop. The ground beneath them had been mixed with both yellow and red blood, a scene that Ren didn¡¯t want to see. Desperately he continued his futile barrage towards the enemy until he himself fell to the ground exhausted.


    His reserves of mana weren¡¯t anything great to begin with. He was a child more invested in tinkering with machinery than practicing his magical capabilities, thus as a result he had quickly expended his small pool of mana and exhausted himself. Still he refused to give up and stood once more to prepare another volley of his ice bullets, it was at that moment he was forcibly stopped.


    A large but gentle hand was placed on his head, a signal to him that he didn¡¯t have to do anymore than that. Ren gazed up to a metal clad knight who rushed in to the rescue, like a hero.


    In a single mighty swing he cleaved the large body of the Goblin cleanly in half. The Goblin fell though its head still needed some assistance in being pried off of Miko¡¯s shoulder, but the day had been saved, for a short while.


    ¡°You¡­ are?¡±


    For Ren it was the first time he had seen this person but he felt an innate sense of safety just being under his presence. He radiated both a soothing aura of gentle protection and roaring strength, a true ¡®knight¡¯.


    ¡°Kuh¡­ you came¡­ after me? Sipher.¡±


    Miko asked as she fell to the floor clutching her damaged left shoulder. Seeing her rescued and safe Celina tackled into her with a large snake-like embrace. More so than her own pain Miko rubbed Celina¡¯s head to sooth her own emotional trauma.


    ¡°Yeah, they told me that I was the only one suitable to go after you. Now stop being stubborn and return to the town, they still need me back there.¡±


    The metal clad knight, Sipher spoke.


    ¡°No, not yet¡­ there are still two more children I need to rescue. So you take these to back to town first and keep them safe.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Miko refused as she tried to hand the two children over to Sipher.


    ¡°Stop being an idiot, there¡¯s no way you can do anything with an injury like that. These aren¡¯t monsters you can sense by ordinary means so you¡¯ll easily be overrun. We¡¯ll return to town first and think of a proper strategy to rescue the other two.¡±


    ¡°No! This can¡¯t wait! I¡¯m not going back until I¡¯ve found them!¡±


    Not wanting to wait even a single second more Miko stood up with uneasy footing and started to depart to find Morgant and Alice.


    ¡°W- wait Miko!¡±


    This time it was Ren who had called out to stop her, though stopping her was not her intention.


    ¡°Listen carefully, Ren, Celina. I need you two to go back to town first and wait for me. Okay? Be good little children and listen to what I have to say, okay? I¡¯ll surely bring back Morgant and Alice back with me¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, but I know where they are!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    At this point two things ran through Miko¡¯s mind. The first was the fact that it would probably take considerably less time to find Morgant and Alice if she had Ren guide her to them. However her maternal and overprotective instincts also tried to deny that kind of method as it would place these children in a considerable amount of danger. She had felt it herself, exactly how dangerous these creatures known as ¡®Crystalline Goblins¡¯ can truly be.


    ¡°Lead the way, don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll be sure to protect them with my life.¡±


    Sipher had made the decision in Miko¡¯s stead that couldn¡¯t choose either way. Ren looked up with a determined gaze and gave a stern nod.


    ¡­


    Through Ren and Celina¡¯s guide it took less than ten minutes to reach back at the point of Alice¡¯s unstable and mysterious maelstrom. Winds slashed and carved as it created new contours on the terrain. Overall, it was a dark, dreary and menacing feeling to just simply approach this place, almost as though the god of destruction had descended onto the mortal plane.


    ¡°W- what exactly is going on here?¡±


    Unable to hide her astonishment, Miko asked. Seeing the berserked vortex in front of her sank her heart in even more anxiety at the fates of the two children that was supposedly inside.


    ¡°Probably¡­ Alice. Something happened to her but we don¡¯t know what exactly that is.¡±


    Ren responded in a dejected tone.


    ¡°Alice?¡±


    When asked by Miko, Ren nodded.


    ¡°We were attacked by a bunch of those crystal¡­ goblins? We tried to fight back but it proved too difficult and as a result Celina was captured. After that I¡¯m not entirely sure what happened but when I came to all of the goblins were dead and I was inside that maelstrom. I think Alice was the one who unleashed this strange magic but I¡¯m not really sure how.¡±


    Miko was at a loss for words on how to answer to this story. These children were definitely ¡®special¡¯ in some way, not in the way a mother would think their sons or daughters were special, but in the genuine sense of the word. Morgant too had strange powers that were difficult to explain and sometimes he would have a distant gaze unbefitting of a child. Now it was Alice who was concealing such an enormous amount of power behind that carefree smile. ¡®Just what is going on?¡¯ Miko wanted to ask herself.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point dawdling here, let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on inside first before we make more judgments.¡±


    Sipher recommended as he took a step into the swirling vortex without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Having no other option Miko, Celina and Ren also followed wordlessly into the heart of the storm.


    ¡­


    ¡°Immortality? You idiot, that kind of thing is hardly even an accomplishment anymore. Power? You couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the peak of what is truly capable of my¡­ of human hands. Godhood? Now why would I want to degrade myself to such a degree by picking up such a tetanus infested mantle? Let me make this clear for you once and for all¡­ This world is a Human Dominion and I will not stand to let you thieves and cowards take that away from me.¡±


    Those very words resounded heavily through the violent winds. Coming out from the mouth of their dear friend were incomprehensibly cruel and arrogant words. A sadistic glare in his eyes filled with true hatred and disgust- not to an ¡®enemy¡¯ but to a thing that didn¡¯t even have the ¡®right¡¯ to exist.


    The defeated body of Gerald, the Adventurer Association¡¯s leader, laid on the floor, unmoving. He was in the truest sense of the word ¡®dead¡¯.


    ¡°M- Morgant?¡±


    Ren let out hesitantly, he wasn¡¯t sure if the person standing in front of him was his friend or something else entirely.


    Morgant¡¯s ears twitched at his voice but he didn¡¯t turn to face them- he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Ren¡­ Celina and Miko too¡­¡±


    Morgant spoke as he continued to refuse to look back at them. He knew that they would be coming back and he also knew that they would see this scene, of course he did because he had planned all of it. Yet still this didn¡¯t make it any less harder to act out knowing that his beloved ¡®family¡¯ would see such an unbecoming side to him.


    Still this was a necessary evil, even if it meant that he would be alienating his family away from him, even if he was to become hated. He still needed to do this because there was one more enemy that he needed to draw out and defeat. His hometown wouldn¡¯t be safe until the threat had all been removed.


    ¡°Morgant¡­ what are you-¡±


    Miko tried to ask but was cut off before she could finish her question.


    Morgant pointed to the eye of the storm, towards Alice who had been peacefully unconscious causing all of this chaos.


    ¡°Please, take Alice and get out of here while you still can. There are still things I have left to do here.¡±


    Unable to ignore that lonely back turned towards them, Miko tried to approach him. It didn¡¯t matter to her what he had done or who he was, as long as he was part of the orphanage he would be under her protection. He had far too underestimated the pride and determination she had as the orphanage¡¯s caretaker.


    ¡°Morgant¡­ come home back to us. Everything will be over soon so you don¡¯t have to bear with this all alone; you can talk to us, talk to me and we¡¯ll bear it together.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what kind of face he was making but she knew that she had to go to him, to embrace him. The child she had known since he was a baby, even after all these years she barely knew anything about him. He had always worn a soft undisclosed smile filled with nothing but secrets and darkness but still he was part of the orphanage and thus couldn¡¯t be ignored even if it was his plea.


    ¡°Morgant-¡±


    As she tried to approach she was stopped by Sipher who had grabbed onto her arm. He shook his head, a gesture to signal that it was dangerous to proceed any further and in her place he started to walk slowly towards him. Carefully placing his hands on the hilt of his sword he took a couple of steps, yet even he was stopped in his track.


    Small blue tinted pebbles in the shape of bullets hovered menacingly in front of his helmeted head. Sipher was already well aware of the kind of destructive power these small rocks were capable of yet he did not relinquish the grip on his sword. It was not faith in Morgant as a human that he wouldn¡¯t attack but faith in himself that he could survive the attack. Sipher scoffed silently as he continued his approach.


    ¡°I would not take a single step further if I were you; stop there. That is my advice to you as the Lord of this continent.¡±


    For the second time Sipher was stopped, this time by the sudden voice of a haughty and willful Demon Lord. Appearing through a mist of black shadows that amalgamated into single mass and eventually forming into a small figure. A short child-sized demon with two large protruding horns from either sides of her temples that curved elegantly forward to cover her forehead, two small flightless wings that poked out awkwardly from her back and a thing black tail that started from just above her buttocks. Her gaudy clothes fitting for her race as a [Succubus] only came off as an elaborate joke when combined with her minuscule proportions.


    ¡°You are¡­ Astaroth De Signa, Demon Lord of the Vertloch Continent.¡±


    Sipher commented as he took a step back from her presence.


    ¡°Fufu~ yes, that¡¯s right and you¡¯re nothing but a nuisance. Even if you can fool others you cannot fool his nor mine, so won¡¯t you take off that mask?¡±


    Astaroth laughed playfully as she answered. A smile backed by nothing but hostile intentions hidden away by her cute, child-like charm.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    It was not Astaroth but Morgant who answered in turn. He turned his head just slightly to reveal a sharp green glare.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I pity that stupid sister of mine, to be played around with like this. Well, I suppose she¡¯s partly at fault for having no sense of doubt to begin with, but don¡¯t think I¡¯m the same as her just because we¡¯re blood related. Isn¡¯t it obvious that the true culprit behind all this inane necromancy crap will show up if the experiment doesn¡¯t go accordingly? After all, ¡®errors¡¯ in research need to be observed closely as to make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again in future. Isn¡¯t that right, Sipher? No, [God of Healing], Dian Cecht.¡±

 Chapter 37 - Dian Cecht

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 37 ¨C Dian Cecht


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Dian Cecht? I apologize but I¡¯m not quite sure on who exactly you¡¯re talking about. In any case I¡¯m not such a person nor am I any kind of a ¡®God¡¯. I am simply a regular knight that has sworn undying loyalty towards the house of Fallon- that much I can guarantee without a shadow of doubt.¡±


    Sipher ceased his advances as he sensed near life-threatening hostility coming from the two small figures in front of him. Upon the violent stage of haggard winds and chaotic maelstroms, it was also everything from A to Z had gone exactly as the small boy had predicted. Sipher threw up his hands with a wry smile as he resigned to the currently disadvantageous situation.


    To this, Morgant¡¯s only response was a cold, emotionless stare from his gleaming green eyes. None of the excuses Sipher had interested him; in the first place his mind had already been made. Through the deafening and smothering tension in the air, the only thing that penetrated was their unyielding contest.


    Morgant shook his head in denial of Sipher¡¯s excuse.


    ¡°No, leaving aside whether you¡¯re ¡®Dian Cecht¡¯ or not, I can without a doubt say that at the very least you are not ¡®Sipher¡¯. More than anything else her presence here proves that something is amiss with you.¡±


    Shifting his gaze from Sipher to Astaroth, Morgant replied with a sigh. Astaroth De Signa, the reigning [Demon Lord] of the entire northern continent, she had possessed a unique power known as [Precognition]; the ability to glimpse into the future. With this, both her position and ability meant that every action she took, no matter how whimsical, had some sort of meaning and intention behind them.


    This was true even for the first time she had visited the small town of Snowdown. ¡®To meet Morgant,¡¯ that was her reason, a potentially significant figure that had the power to change not just the continent but to move the world. This time too was no exception, ¡®Dian Cecht¡¯ an opposing god, a notable figure. Though it was unknown to Morgant what exactly Astaroth had seen in her vision to make her come here, he trusted it was for the same reason he was here.


    ¡°How mean~ to treat people as though they¡¯re only useful as detectors. I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m more than just my ability and that a splendid body comes along with the prize, okay? Morgant~¡±


    Astaroth spoke in a deliberately playful protest as she turned back to give a quick glance accompanied by a ¡®cute¡¯ wink. There was no doubt that she had other ¡®ulterior¡¯ motives in coming to Morgant¡¯s aide but for now she seemed content to just play along with this ¡®interrogation¡¯.


    Morgant sighed once more as he looked back at her and silently cast his [Analyze] ability.


    Astaroth De Signa [Title: Demon Lord]


    Age - 189


    Race - Succubus


    Threat Level - 2041 (Highly Dangerous)


    Affinity - Composite Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments - None


    External Effects - Demon Lord''s Blessing (Precognition)


    ¡°Certainly, it is a little hard to ignore you¡­ in more ways than one.¡±


    Morgant answered as he fell into deep contemplation. ¡®Her threat level is higher than the previous demon lord¡¯s¡­ does it have something to do with her precognition ability?¡¯ Threat levels were not a direct indication of destructive capability or skill, but a numeric representation of a combination of elements that could be troublesome to deal with. It was entirely possible for someone with a lower threat level to defeat someone with a higher value.


    ¡°Oh~¡±


    Astaroth jumped slightly with joy before being having her happiness interrupted.


    ¡°W- wait, wait! How does her presence prove that something is wrong with em? I think you¡¯re gravely mistaken- I really am the genuine article; I am ¡®Sipher¡¯. If at least you don¡¯t believe my words then the princess can attest to the fact that I am.¡±


    Sipher objected as his voice escalated to near desperation. Being denied both his existence and identity, a sense of frustration crept within him. His face soured in an obvious manner as if knowing it was a futile struggle to hold onto a fake mask in this situation.


    ¡°This place is rather far from Vertloch¡¯s capital you see¡­ and for its leader to come all the way out here this backwater town without a reason would be too odd. Her ability is [Precognition], I¡¯m sure she¡¯s seen something to motivate her enough to take the effort to come all the way out here.¡±


    Morgant replied without even so much as an attempt at subterfuge. Truthfully speaking, he was almost absolutely sure that the person in front of him wasn¡¯t who he claimed to be, but there was still something off. His action was near perfect and Morgant could feel genuine desperation and frustration from just his tone of voice alone. Whether this was simply because Dian Cecht¡¯s disguise was that perfect or if he really was the genuine article, Morgant wanted to see it through. For this he had to take a rather forceful approach.


    ¡°For such anecdotal evidence? Couldn¡¯t she simply be here on a whim? From her attitude it looks like she¡¯s the kind of person who would do stuff like this based purely on a whim. Besides if you¡¯re so distrusting of my words then let us return to town and have the princess prove my innocence.¡±


    ¡°Hardly, I don¡¯t care what Este Fallon has to say, after all, she too is just an outsider. It¡¯s perfectly logical to assume that you guys are in cahoots and are playing this entire situation.¡±


    A cold reply.


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd! You think I¡¯m the main culprit just because I¡¯m an outsider? There¡¯s got to be a better way to prove that- I remember it so clearly, my entire life; my convictions, will and dispositions aren¡¯t something that can be fabricated so easily!¡±


    ¡®Certainly,¡¯ Morgant thought at Sipher¡¯s words. The words he spoke, the way he moved and even the small habits he had, they all seemed like something a genuine person would have from a long history. However that wasn¡¯t enough to convince Morgant, because contrary to Sipher¡¯s words, something like this was entirely possible to fabricate.


    ¡°The person known as ¡®Sipher¡¯ is not someone I ever knew so regardless of if you claim to have such a person¡¯s memories it is meaningless since I cannot verify them. Naturally Este Fallon¡¯s words are also subject to scrutiny for the same reason. That being said, even if what you say were true and you do indeed have that person¡¯s memories it could very easily be explained away by the fact that your powers of transformation or possession is potent enough to siphon a person¡¯s memories. You may not know it but memory extraction isn¡¯t something so hard as to be impossible.¡±


    To replicate a person¡¯s entire identity through artificial means was absolutely possible for old humanity. While it was doubtful that the same means were used or if even such techniques existed in this new world, since there was already a real world precedent it was unwise to rule it out completely. Magic and psychokinesis had originated from the same point so it wouldn¡¯t be too odd to find some points and techniques that had overlapped.


    For this reason Morgant did not trust a word Sipher had said. Seeing his unrelenting attitude, even Sipher was on the verge of giving up in trying to convince him otherwise. He sighed and turned back for support from the people he had arrived with, Miko and the children.


    ¡°It seems that no matter what I say you¡¯re already dead set on framing me as the mastermind. How about you, Miko? Are you also going to go along with what the boy is saying? Surely you must see the truth, that the real culprit is none other than that pathetic excuse of an Adventurer Association¡¯s leader.¡±


    Being suddenly prompted, Miko was unable to respond. ¡®Trust¡¯ that was the key principle that she upheld for all the children of the orphanage, however Morgant was a ¡®special¡¯ case. He was different, much too different than the other children for such a simple relationship.


    The way he spoke and the way he carried himself with an overwhelming and unrelenting aura, no child should¡¯ve had such a presence. He carried too many secrets and conducted himself in a manner unbefitting of his status, yet thinking back he had never once betrayed Miko¡¯s trust. Every action he had taken was to ensure the safety of the orphanage¡¯s members and on that single point Morgant and Miko found common ground.


    She smirked as she thought about it, ¡®so what if he¡¯s different?¡¯ Morgant was much a part of her life as she was in his, perhaps that¡¯s all that really mattered. In the end she decided to differ to his judgment and ¡®trusted¡¯ him.


    ¡°I wonder¡­ shouldn¡¯t we hear out the entirety of Morgant¡¯s words? I don¡¯t¡­ ah.¡±


    As Miko was about to answer his question she witness in slow motion an unpredicted event. It happened so fast that even she wasn¡¯t able to comment on it fast enough before it actually played out in front of her.


    With violet and aquatic colored bursts of flames, an explosion erupted at the location of Sipher¡¯s head. Dust and smoke rapidly expanded and engulfed the entire area in a sea of blinding ash. Unwilling to wait any further or continue on with the fruitless conversation Morgant had forced his hand to escalate the situation artificially.


    Through curtain of winds, the massive amount of dust and smoke had been quickly swept away. As the smoke cleared the truth of Morgant¡¯s suspicions had come to actualization. The knight formerly known as ¡®Sipher¡¯ stood silently as a large hole gaped through his head. That being said, it was not a gory scene, rather than blood and flesh that should¡¯ve been it was more akin to a broken piece of ceramic.


    It was ironically an even more dreadful scene than if actually blood and gore had occurred. The hole in his head revealed a hollow inside filled with nothing but a miasmatic and eerie black mist. The contents of the dark mist started to leak out as the hollow body of the knight moved once more, albeit in a tired and clunky manner. As though a rusted clockwork doll on verge of breaking down, he trembled as he stared back at Morgant through the black mist. A small burning red dot appeared in the empty eye socket as it danced in both rage and excitement.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Haah¡­ hahahahaha ha¡­ My, that was a really dangerous move, what would you have done if you were wrong? Be glad that you have such strong instincts but next time why don¡¯t you make absolutely sure that I really was someone else. An ordinary human would never have survived something like this.¡±


    Sipher continued to talk as though the hole in his head wasn¡¯t even there. With each passing second more of the black mist leaked out and shrouded around his body. As more the mist was released the body of the knight started to slowly break down; it had begun to disintegrate into dust and sand and being swept away by the winds.


    Morgant scoffed as a sense of accomplishment welled through his body. He was ¡®right¡¯, of course he was; there was not a time when he was never not.


    ¡°Instincts? Are you mocking me? Even I wouldn¡¯t move because of some innate ¡®instinct¡¯. Something like this isn¡¯t even worth being called a ¡®challenge¡¯; you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been careless in how you conducted this entire mess. Your biggest flop was leaving this idiot in charge.¡±


    Morgant replied with a sigh as he placed attention towards Gerald¡¯s deceased body once more. Some time had passed since he had officially ¡®died¡¯ and as a result even he was starting to be subjected by the Golden Monolith¡¯s parasitic curse. His body started to contort in all the right places to create a disgusting and horrific scene. His body had been overtaken by the crystalline parasites as it began to rupture itself and ooze terrible yellow fluids. Small crystals started to protrude and pierce out from beneath his skin, signifying the completion of the crystalline curse.


    In a way he had somewhat gained his most desired ¡®immortality¡¯. Raising from the dead he locked his gaze onto the target of his vengeance in life. The crystallized body of Gerald slowly inched his was awkward body towards Morgant specifically. Some of his innate hatred and will had been left to linger within and as a result it had targeted Morgant.


    ¡°M- Morgant! Behind you!¡±


    Shouted Ren as he quickly tried to warn Morgant, yet such a worry was unnecessary as this turn of events had long been foreseen. Only barely acknowledging the threat, Morgant had not even turned around and simply snapped his fingers. Several dozens of rocks crowed around him as they emitted a hypnotizing blue tint.


    The crystallized body of Gerald continued to harp ungodly sounds, that was not even recognized as intelligible speech. Once he had carefully stumbled his way into the assault range of Morgant¡¯s [Psionic Fission] the stones that had been gently floating about had flung themselves at full force into Gerald¡¯s body.


    Riddle with countless holes Gerald¡¯s body fell head first onto the floor. Not truly dead yet not truly alive either; the majority of his brain had been destroyed rendering him completely and uselessly immobile. For a period after this display of brilliant lithomancy there was a tense silence.


    It was Dian Cecht who had spoken out first to break the tension and resume conversation as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°I see, so I¡¯ve been rather careless in my approach, is it? Please do forgive me, I had previously thought that this continent was inhabited by mindless beasts but to think I¡¯ve found someone that may even be worthy of being called a ¡®threat¡¯. I¡¯m actually rather impressed; you¡¯ve even gotten the little Demon Lord dancing on the top of your palms.¡±


    As he spoke Dian Cecht¡¯s body held no more traces of Sipher as it had all been swept away as ash into the wind. What was left was an amorphous mass of black mist that produced a low humming growl. Gradually the mist shifted itself into a humanoid form, a figure reminiscent of death, an ironic representation of the god of ¡®healing¡¯. A character completely embraced head to toe in darkness, with the only point of note being contrasting white mask of a plague doctor on its face.


    Through hollow eye sockets a red glow ogled at them with dark exhilaration.


    ¡°So? Was it possession? Or may it was transformation after all¡­ Perhaps the person called ¡®Sipher¡¯ never actually existed either.¡±


    Morgant continued the conversation, deliberately not paying any heed to the new form.


    ¡°No, ¡®Sipher¡¯ was a person that really did exist at one point¡­ that is until the Fallon family was annihilated. All their members, retainers and guards perished, well except for one notable exception. I used their situation to my advantage and tried to pick up a few new puppets but¡­ I¡¯m actually glad you intervened; now I know of your existence, an even greater ¡®threat¡¯.¡±


    Dian Cecht scoffed haughtily behind his white beaked mask.


    ¡°That so? Good for you then.¡±


    Indeed. Now then, since you¡¯ve had the pleasure of asking a lot of questions, allow me to ask you one. You said that I was careless in my approach, but how exactly did you figure out that I wasn¡¯t the real Sipher? My disguise should have been perfect down to the mannerisms of the person.¡±


    As Dian Cecht asks, it was Morgant who giggled back with an arrogant stare.


    ¡°The possibility of a third party had came to my attention fairly quickly, after all, no competent person would seriously put this idiot in charge to conduct all of this precious ¡®experiment¡¯.¡±


    At Morgant¡¯s flawless argument Dian Cecht couldn¡¯t help but nod cheerfully. Not even a shred of pity or sympathy was extended to the corpse that laid sorrowfully upon the ground.


    ¡°Truthfully, still that¡¯s not reason enough. Surely there is more.¡±


    ¡°Well, aside from the fact that he was practically chanting out your name, I also heard some interesting information from a ¡®credible¡¯ source.¡±


    ¡°Interesting information?¡±


    ¡°Quite, about a mysterious group of self-righteous crusaders having covertly enter into this continent. I believe they were called the [Crimson Knights] or something similar to that effect. The curious thing is that you and Este had also arrived at this town at roughly around the same time. Truly curious, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Just because of that? You must be joking, if that isn¡¯t instinct then I don¡¯t know what is.¡±


    Morgant¡¯s sense of humor starting to wane on Dian Cecht.


    ¡°No, not instincts, ¡®observation¡¯. Above all I am a scientist, I¡¯ve already thoroughly conducted detail background checks into each and every person living in this town and have cleared my suspicion of them. The only suspects left were you and Este, but admittedly it was only after she appeared that my suspicions were fully actualized.


    Morgant explains as he subtly shifts his gaze towards Astaroth.


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re either working with or a part of the Crimson Knights are as plain as day. Perhaps if you didn¡¯t come to this town you may have avoided suspicion but that¡¯s a moot point, since you would¡¯ve had to come here regardless.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? When conducting research you need to witness the experiment closely or you¡¯ll lose valuable chance to collect data. Considering what a bumbling dolt Gerald was, you¡¯d be an even greater idiot if you really relied on him for all of the experiment¡¯s results.¡±


    Unable to hold it in, Dian Cecht chuckles once more as he nods.


    ¡°Hahaha! Certainly, I would never have let that idiot run all of this on his own.¡±


    ¡°Well, if I had to state one more reason¡­ it was probably to cause a ¡®distraction¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Distraction?¡±


    The smile on Morgant¡¯s face faded as he asked.


    ¡°Hey, leaving behind their god to be surrounded by enemies; where do you think the rest of the Crimson Knights are? If I had to hazard a guess they¡¯re currently marching their way through the demonic continent and towards the demon capital.¡±


    At Morgant¡¯s suggestion Astaroth¡¯s eyes twitched a little as she glanced back at him. No longer with her playful expression she now wore the face of a truly concerned leader. At such a worried face, Morgant smiled back and whispered to her, ¡®it¡¯s probably fine to leave them be for a little while, they¡¯re traversing foreign grounds so even they will have to move slowly and cautiously.¡¯


    Astaroth sighed as she decided to trust in his insight.


    ¡°Hmm, a curious guess, I would almost like to ask if you were just there while the plan was being conceived. Well no matter, this current situation is of more importance to me right now. So then, how should we proceed with this deadlock? Neither you nor I have any intentions of letting the other go right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ but why don¡¯t we take care of this first.¡±


    With another snap of his fingers Morgant summoned even more stones, [Psionic Armor Piercer]. Morgant pointed behind him and sent those dense rock clusters straight into the large Golden Monolith that gently floated about. Previously thought to be nigh indestructible, the stones dug through the large monolith as though rushing through butter and firmly planted themselves.


    A few short seconds later, along with a distinct spectrum of blue hellfire the Golden Monolith was reduced to mere dust. As a result even the crystalline curse that had been infecting Gerald¡¯s body had dissipated.


    ¡°Heee~ that¡¯s a great idea, how about we do this as well?¡±


    Astaroth joined in with a playful tone of voice as she too snapped her fingers in imitation.

 Chapter 38 - Parting gift

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 38 ¨C Parting gift


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    ¡°Heee~ that¡¯s a great idea, how about we do this as well?¡±


    Ripping apart the tide of malevolent tempests and through the harsh veil, three beings came to answer Astaroth¡¯s call. Normally they would have knelt down in the presence of their master, but the situation did not allow them to do so. Instead they prepared their individual weapons and poised themselves for battle.


    Cedric [Title: Slime King]


    Age - 89


    Race - Slime


    Threat Level - 1492 (Highly Dangerous)


    Affinity ¨C Close Combat Mastery


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments - None


    External Effects ¨C Slime King¡¯s Attribute (Physical Damage Nullification)


    A being adorned from head to toe in blinding white and noble blue armor, if ever there was such a being as a ¡®true¡¯ paladin, then without a doubt it would have been this person. He stood tall, almost two meters, behind his impenetrable tower shield and with his war sword in hand.


    Curious, Morgant had determined through his [analysis] ability that this person was of the [Slime] race. Yet with only simple glance not a shred of such attributes of the species could be identified on this being. Though Morgant¡¯s compendium of knowledge regarding monsters of this world wasn¡¯t large he had at least studied up on some of them during Diana¡¯s lectures. He had understood the species to have a simple, ¡®squishy¡¯ appearance with a minute sense of sentience.


    This appearance, though impressive, was rather redundant considering his race¡¯s specific attribute. [Physical Damage Nullification], what was the point of hiding behind such a thick plate of armor if damage did not affect what was inside? ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s armor to protect against magic based attack? Or to maintain a humanoid shape?¡¯ Morgant thought of various reasons but in the end decided to leave it until they were out of this current predicament.


    Arachna [Title: Spider Queen]


    Age - 124


    Race - Arachne


    Threat Level - 1583 (Highly Dangerous)


    Affinity ¨C Ice Element


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments - None


    External Effects ¨C Spider Queen¡¯s Domain (Periodic Ice type Elemental Damage)


    With ever breath, the air seemed to freeze as white fog appeared before her mouth. Just to be standing next to her was agonizing as the chilling tundra crept from below, unexpectedly. It was debatable whether her title should be ¡®Spider Queen¡¯ or ¡®Frost Queen¡¯ as either would be very fitting, yet her figure did not betray her name.


    Everything from the waist up was the complete imagery of a sharp beauty; her hair colored in silky black, carefully decorated by bloody red jewels, her skin deathly pale as though shunned by sunlight, yet her well-toned and slender body nullified her sickly complexion. With her battle ready red eyes she gazed upon the world looking for every opportunity to pounce upon the preys before her.


    Yet everything from the waist down was the complete imagery of a complete monster; eight extremely sharp, black and metallic legs supporting her as she tread the grounds. Each of her legs appeared as though they had enough power behind them to puncture through solid steel. Her domed abdomen, not unlike a spider was coated over by a similar metallic black carapace with the symbol of a large red skull etched upon it.


    ¡®She seems as tough as she looks.¡¯ Morgant complimented in his head as he studied her anatomy. ¡®A mixture of endo and exo skeletal frames? Doesn¡¯t seem particularly feasible or logical, but neither does the existence of a Lamia¡­ what did Ingrid call it again, Psychokinetic Hyper Evolution?¡¯ Yet he couldn¡¯t deny the existence that was right in front of him and simple accepted it as was.


    Her form could easily and aptly be described as ¡®beauty and the beast, all in one¡¯.


    Texzatopekmetziluxotl [Title: Immortal Emperor]


    Age - 672


    Race - Undead


    Threat Level - 1999 (Highly Dangerous)


    Affinity ¨C Close Combat Mastery


    Condition - Normal


    Ailments - None


    External Effects ¨C Siphoning Life (Periodic Life Siphoning Damage)


    ¡®The embodiment of death¡¯ was probably too apt of a description for this being. Morgant had seen skeleton knights many times before, yet not one quite as menacing or dreary as this one. That being said, there was a distinct regal aura coming from this skeleton knight. Armored in clean black armor with not a helmet but an aureate crown upon its skull it stood with his arms crossed as his royal red cape fluttered in the wind.


    ¡®It¡¯s smiling?¡¯ Morgant questioned himself. Surely enough, with his razor sharp teeth he smiled as he gazed upon the world as if imaging its destruction and annihilation.


    By Astaroth¡¯s command these three impressive figures had appeared to her aid. Each one of them with a higher threat value than even the previous demon lord, Morgant wondered to himself if the previous lord lost his position because he could not keep up in terms of power.


    ¡®Monsters of a different era¡­ well there were monsters in my time as well. It¡¯s rather refreshing for them to have an appearance befitting of their status,¡¯ Morgant smirked as he returned his attention to the original target.


    ¡°Hoh¡­ with only a single command you¡¯ve gathered a most impressive cavalcade of your prized champions. Really, what to do¡­? You¡¯ve put me at quite the disadvantage.¡±


    Dian Cecht remarked, yet his tone of voice betrayed his words as not a single twinge of discomfort could be found reflected by his body language. ¡®Well, I¡¯d have done the same,¡¯ Morgant commented silently in his head as he peered towards the arrogant standing ¡®god¡¯. Letting the enemy get a hold of even a glimpse of hesitation would be fatal, especially on this level against gods and high demons.


    ¡°Tch, is he enjoying this? Is he secretly a masochist? Or does he have some kind of trump card that we¡¯re not aware of¡­?¡±


    Arachna spoke, her voice did not betray her appearance, though only one voice it sounded as though two different voices overlapped. One, the sweet and soothing voice of a young maiden, the second, a crueler and harsher tone befitting that of a true monster. Her expressions soured when looking at Dian Cecht as though he was lower than trash, ¡®could she be underestimating him?¡¯ though Morgant wasn¡¯t doubtful about their abilities he knew the enemy was also equally formidable.


    The problem now was on how to proceed with the situation, or more specifically, predicting how Dian Cecht would move in revelation of his cornered state. Though Dian Cecht was at a rather disadvantaged situation, it was only compounded due to the fact that Morgant was also amongst the enemy. If it came to be about playing the role of a ¡®villain¡¯ then it was Morgant that had extreme proficiency in that aspect.


    There were two things worthy of note in this current situation, in other words two things worthy of being called a ¡®victory¡¯ condition for the enemy. The first of which was the Golden Monolith, however that had already been crumbled to the ground and thus was no longer of much value. The second thing, and most likely the more important object of note was¡­


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°You! Protect Alice!¡±


    As Morgant shouted desperately he pointed to the heart of the storm, towards the gentle sleeping figure of a small child. The most likely more important object of note was indeed Alice and whatever secret identity she possessed. Gerald had also shown quite the bit of interest as he tried to stop anyone from interfering with him approaching her. Morgant had a few ideas in his head as to what she really was but with no way of confirming them in this current situation the best he could do was secure her from the enemy¡¯s prying hands.


    Cedric nodded and made a straight line dash for the prize. Though Morgant was not his master and his real master was standing behind him, Cedric had obeyed his commands as if he were. They were allies so taking each other¡¯s advice was not a bad idea, especially when their opponent was a god, at the very least Cedric had thought of the situation in such a manner.


    Cedric¡¯s movements were unexpectedly fast for his metal clad and clunky looking body. In only a few brief seconds he had closed a distance of about a 100 meters, yet despite this impressive speed, Dian Cecht was a little faster. As Morgant had expected, the enemy¡¯s aim truly was Alice.


    Though he didn¡¯t have any particular reason to save Alice other than it being an ally¡¯s wish, he gave everything he had to not be overtaken. With the fate of the race appearing to be in Dian Cecht¡¯s favor, Cedric had to change up his plans or else he would truly lose. He stopped running and instead used the momentum to lob his great tower shield across the remaining distance.


    ¡°As if I¡¯d let you!¡±


    Cedric shouted with a gallant voice.


    A massive torrent of explosive dust expanded in the area which made it difficult for even Dian Cecht, who was wearing a mask, to successfully navigate. When the dust eventually cleared Dian Cecht found himself standing before a large white and blue figure, having lost the race.


    With impressive recovery, Dian Cecht didn¡¯t spend his time dawdling on what to do next but instead immediately proceeded to follow through with his backup plan. He turned his gaze from Alice to other vulnerable targets, namely Morgant¡¯s other childhood friends and Miko. Yet even with that kind of rebound in mind Dian Cecht found it hard to move in with the backup as something unexpected was impeding his ability to do so.


    ¡°Whoa¡­ he really was planning to take hostages. Not bad kid.¡±


    Arachna and Astaroth stood in their defense.


    ¡°I told you; my future husband is a master genius!¡±


    Astaroth replies with a playful tone and a hearty smile as she gives a thumbs up to Morgant.


    ¡°Heh~ to predict my movements to this extent¡­ it seems I really should be thankful that I¡¯ve stumbled upon your existence this soon. Who knows what kind of tragedy you will bring to us if I don¡¯t start taking into consideration your capabilities from now on?¡±


    Having all of his avenues to achieve his objective cut off Dian Cecht offered a small compliment to the boy who outwitted him. Morgant couldn¡¯t particularly see it beneath his mask, but he was sure that Dian Cecht was smiling at him.


    ¡°It goes both ways, now that I know of yours I¡¯ll make sure to give you more surprises in the future.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you.¡±


    Dian Cecht shifted his position away from Cedric and moved this original location in the middle. Though surrounded on all fronts, both he and Morgant spoke as if the confrontation was about to end and he would slip away. Of course neither Astaroth nor her champions had any inclination of making that easy, but to Morgant and Dian Cecht they knew how the song and dance would end.


    More so than anything else, to ¡®villains¡¯ the most important thing was them to understand their enemies. It would have been an overwhelming defeat for anyone else, but to Morgant and Dian Cecht, realizing each other¡¯s existence was the most bountiful of harvests.


    ¡°Really¡­ I cannot stop but wonder who you are¡­¡±


    Dian Cecht asked once more, to which Morgant simply scoffed as he dodged the question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not anyone in particular, just some no-name orphan brat who grew up in this small backwater town.¡±


    Morgant mocked.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether you believe me or not is entirely your choice. So then, what will you do now? Try again? Or will you escape?¡±


    ¡°Well, while don¡¯t quite like the idea of mindless beast encroaching upon her majesty, if it¡¯s you by her side¡­ then perhaps I will allow this small intrusion. Do not worry; I will definitely return to retrieve her. So until such a time, you best prepare yourself as well.¡±


    The winds shifted ominously as Dian Cecht gave his promise to Morgant. A great and dreadful presence slithered through the veins of the land and slowly a black mist oozed out. As though the very ground beneath their feet were bleeding the black mist stole the essence of everything it touched. The plants withered, air became stale and trees crumbled to the floor.


    Instinctively everyone jumped out of the way. Cedric forcefully took a hold of Alice and dragged her away, and as she was removed from the center the turbulence also ceased. Astaroth and Arachna also moved the children away from the scene as Miko followed shortly after.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to run?¡±


    Morgant asked the lumbering figure behind him, Texzatopekmetziluxotl. Through the darkened and cracked skull the ¡®Immortal Emperor¡¯ looked down upon him.


    ¡°Death does not scare the ruler of the dead.¡±


    A deep and reassuring voice came somehow through the teeth of the skeletal lord.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, that sounds about right. Still¡­ what an ironic power, for the God of ¡®Healing¡¯ to command ¡®death¡¯.¡±


    Morgant remarked as he slowly walked away from the black miasma that ate away at the land. Dian Cecht would use this opportunity to escape, the Golden Monolith was destroyed and most likely even the Blood Ritual was ceased. Even as everything return to its original status quo, boiling deep within Morgant was a desire to finish what he had started with Dian Cecht.


    Just as the God considered him, it was not every day that ¡®Sovereign¡¯ would meet an entity that could actually be considered a real ¡®threat¡¯. Morgant¡¯s heart raced fanatically as he found himself unable to remove the large and ominous smirk off from his face.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be sure to prepare myself for your second coming.¡±

 Chapter 39 - Gentle fallout(ARC 1 END)

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 39 ¨C Gentle fallout


    [Eternum Calendar 1971]


    A few days had passed since everything was over.


    The battle had drawn to a close with no real conclusion. With only a single ominous promise left up in the air, the snow dyed town of Snowdown had regained its ¡®normalcy¡¯.


    A town-wide memorial service was held for the people who had lost their lives or had gone missing during the ordeal. A solemn and sober mood elapsed upon the town as its residents tried to return to their daily lives. It was likely that in time the small, tranquil town would restore its lost lustre, but for now it was a time of quiet contemplation.


    Everything was over. The horrific Blood Ritual was stopped, the Crystalline Goblins had disappeared once the Golden Monolith was destroyed and the ringleader was defeated. What should have been a happy ending for the townspeople only served as a reminder of how truly powerless they were against an overwhelming evil.


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Morgant apologized in a soft voice as he turned away. Standing in front of him was a girl who was supposedly his older sister, Este Fallon, yet he was unable to meet her eyes as he told her the truth. Without leaving out any minute detail, he had revealed the situation to her and how Sipher¡¯s body was being used as a puppet by Dian Cecht.


    Her eyes grew more distant and colder than the very snow before her; she tried to deny this knowledge but reality was hard to dismiss. As an orphan his entire life, he had understood to some extent the kind of loneliness and sadness that she must have been going through. ¡®I¡¯m her family¡­ but also not,¡¯ Morgant thought to himself; they were related by blood but to each other they were as distant as strangers.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    Perhaps she had finally understood and accepted her cruel fate. Tears ran down her face as she fell to the cold concrete floor. It was a pain that Morgant only knew in theory, through Sovereign¡¯s memories, about losing a loved one. He grimaced looking over her trembling figure but he had deemed that it was better to get over this as soon as she could.


    All he could do was watch over her and comfort her as her small weeping was drowned by the harsh tundra of the land.


    ¡­


    As night fell, the orphanage had also recovered a twinge of its everyday normalcy. Yet it was undeniable that an atmosphere of awkwardness hovered in the air from the fallout of the event. Most of the children had returned to their usual vigor, yet four children held themselves back contemplating the traumatic experience that they had just gone through.


    Morgant sat down by his window, gazing up at the bright blue sovereign of the night sky. He had temporarily lost his sleeping place as Este was forced to lodge there now that she was a true ¡®orphan¡¯. The one piece of information that Morgant had withheld was the truth of his heritage and their blood relation, it simply wasn¡¯t the right time.


    Also sleeping on the bed besides his was Alice. She had not yet fully regained consciousness even after a few days had passed since the ordeal had ended. Luckily her coma seemed to be slowly lifted as she would sometimes react to outside stimuli. With this a breath of relief overcame her friends as they hopefully waited for the day she would open her eyes once more.


    During his quiet contemplation on what to do next, a peculiar guest had arrived riding the cold night air.


    ¡°Hi~ did you miss me, Morgant?¡±


    The appearance of a child-sized Demon Lord was not at all unexpected, or rather Morgant was expecting her to arrive even sooner. All the same, he sighed as he dryly laughed at her entrance.


    ¡°Astaroth¡­ isn¡¯t it about time you learnt about choosing the right ¡®time and place¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Now, now~ don¡¯t sweat the small stuff.¡±


    She announced playfully accompanied by her cheerful and hearty smile. Her soft features and skin accentuated by the allure of the moon, for a brief moment Morgant had lost his composure and was lost in her pace.


    ¡°Ahem, well I can pretty much guess at why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, really? As expected of my future husband, you know exactly what I¡¯m thinking~ This must be what they call ¡®the power of love¡¯, right? Ehehe~¡±


    ¡°If I had to, I¡¯d say it¡¯s much closer to the power of ¡®observation and speculation¡¯. Besides, you and I have shared no time together to develop any such feelings that could even remotely be called ¡®love¡¯.¡±


    At his heartless answer, Astaroth puffed up her cheeks as she turned away with a vain ¡®hmph~!¡¯.


    ¡°Well whatever, we¡¯ll cross that bridge when the time comes. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed but the real reason I¡¯m here is to ask what you were going to do next.¡±


    Astaroth¡¯s tone shifted into a much more serious and authoritative one. He had already understood this from before, but once again his thoughts that Astaroth was actually a fairly mature and competent leader was affirmed. Looking deep into her crimson eyes he saw many different things and among those were her true motives. ¡®So it¡¯s finally come to this,¡¯ he thought to himself, Astaroth¡¯s true intentions from the beginning was recruitment, or so he believed.


    Morgant had proved himself as a very capable strategist and a powerful combatant. It would be the desire of every leader to have such a strong piece on their side as war inevitably hung on the horizon. He didn¡¯t blame her, because if their situations had been reversed he would have tried to do the exact same thing.


    He cleared his through to also move onto a more serious tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure; to be honest there are so many things that need to be done that I¡¯m at a loss on where to even begin.¡±


    Unsatisfied by his vague answer, Astaroth tried to push him into making a more decisive choice.


    ¡°Hmm~ is that so? Then why not come with me to the capital? Eventually your destiny is to go there, so it shouldn¡¯t hurt to be a little ahead of schedule, right? I¡¯ll also do everything in my power to help you accomplish whatever ¡®goals¡¯ you had in mind.¡±


    At her proposal, Morgant chuckled. It was too according to the script that Morgant had in mind for the progression of his conversation that it was funny.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ You¡¯ll help me with my goals? Certainly it¡¯s the other way around isn¡¯t it? That from the very beginning you¡¯ve planned to involve me in your little war against those red bastards, or am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Was it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Aha~ of course it is. Well, I don¡¯t blame you and I do feel like giving those bastards a taste of their own medicine. I also think that a forward defense strategy isn¡¯t particularly that bad of an idea to protect this town.¡±


    As she heard his answer her expression lightened up. She leaned in closer to his face with her bright red eyes and an almost stupidly happy smile. Her face was so close that they could feel the other¡¯s breath softly blowing on their lips.


    ¡°Ah! So then-¡±


    Astaroth¡¯s brief moment of happiness was interrupted.


    ¡°I will not allow this.¡±


    A third party had abruptly joined the conversation, Morgant and Astaroth moved their faces away from each other. Slowly as the door crept open, the intruder¡¯s identity was revealed to be Miko. She had been there the entire time listening in on Astaroth¡¯s little night raid and proposal.


    Miko¡¯s boots tapped upon the wooden floor as she strode with a menacing stare towards Astaroth. Dwarfing over her child-sized opponent with her arms crossed she showed a hostile grimace.


    ¡°Miko?¡±


    Morgant called out to her, but was swiftly ignored after a small glance.


    ¡°Going to war? Do you think that there¡¯s any chance that I¡¯ll accept this kind of absurd proposal? Just what kind of horrible person would send a seven year old to the front lines? You really call yourself the leader of this nation with such shallow and dangerous thinking?¡±


    Carefully to not wake the other children, Miko talked down the Demon Lord. Her eyes seething with nothing but enmity towards the red headed queen; before being a citizen of this country, she was a guardian of the children in this orphanage, she was prepared to go against an entire country to protect them.


    ¡°Miko¡­ was it? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand your point of view, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too after the fact to suggest that he is a normal seven year old? You¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes just what kind of person he is, yet you still intend to coddle him like a child?¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    It was a strange feeling that Morgant was going through as he witnessed the scene of Astaroth and Miko bickering. On one hand there was a figure that was akin to a ¡®girlfriend¡¯ and on the other was a person that was very much his ¡®mother¡¯. It was almost comical, if not for the fact that he knew exactly how serious Miko could get when it came to the protection of the children.


    ¡°Of course I will, I am his guardian. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a Demon Lord or a God, I will not allow anyone to take him away from this place.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaking something but I never said that I¡¯d take him away from here forcefully. I was merely giving him the opportunity to reach even greater heights by coming with me.¡±


    ¡°Coming with you to the front lines of war you mean. He¡¯s only a seven year old that knows very little about the world, even if he is so truly talented it won¡¯t do for you to bring him to such a horrible place.¡±


    Even as she bore her fangs towards the leader of an entire nation, Astaroth seemed to have little intentions of reprimanding her for it. Both she and Morgant understood that Miko¡¯s feeling of enmity arose only due to the fact that she was prioritizing Morgant¡¯s well being. This was not something they could find it in their heart to fault.


    Still, what was needed to be said, was said by Astaroth.


    ¡°Only a seven year old? That I truly wonder¡­ still, I won¡¯t deny that my motives for wanting to take him with me are purely selfish. He has an excellent sense for understanding the flow of battle, superb strategic skills and other such unique qualities that make him perfect as a battlefield general. For such a person it wouldn¡¯t even be an exaggeration to call him this country¡¯s ¡®national treasure¡¯. However, you¡¯re right. Coming with me means that he will inevitably be dragged into a massive conflict spanning multiple continents and with it he will almost definitely be exposed to the harshness of true war; he will lose the ability to live a normal and peaceful youth.¡±


    ¡°Then you should stop-¡±


    As Miko was about to interject she was stopped as Astaroth continued with an embittered town. She herself realized the most that what she was doing was an atrocity, recruiting a child to war but she couldn¡¯t help it. She had already seen his future and this was his eventual destiny, so if that was the case then she had thought it was better to have him acclimate sooner and accept the cruelness of reality.


    ¡°Even I feel guilty about trying to drag him into all of this, but I can¡¯t help it¡­ this is for the best.¡±


    Astaroth answers with her voice becoming more and more hesitant and distant.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Miko could not understand, it was impossible for her to understand. Both Morgant and Astaroth were thinking on completely different planes than she was; they both had some sort of knowledge and experience that she didn¡¯t.


    For Astaroth she held the future and understood the bleakness of it.


    For Morgant he held the past along with all of the triumphs and failures


    In her mind she could sort of understand what Astaroth was trying to say, but her heart would not allow it. She tried to interject once more but was cut off, this time by Morgant.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Miko.¡±


    Morgant raised his hand to physically stop the argument. He looked back at her with a small smile.


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s fine? She just said it herself that you¡¯d be dragged into a war. This isn¡¯t something as trivial as a fist fight and is on a completely different level than the ordeal our town faced. This is actual war where people can die.¡±


    Yet upon hearing those words Morgant¡¯s expression turned exceedingly dark. Though this morbid aura had dissipated almost instantly, they could still feel the uncomfortable, lingering aftertaste as the unconsciously shrieked back. Standing before them was no longer just a secretive yet innocent child, but an incomprehensible and dark existence.


    ¡°¡­ Thanks Miko, but I already know. More than anyone else, just what kind of place war is¡­ I¡¯ve already known for quite some time.¡±


    ¡®Are you really okay with this? Becoming Sovereign means that you¡¯ll be at the center of all strife and hatred; an entity that perpetuate war.¡¯


    A sudden memory lapsed onto Morgant¡¯s mind. It was an imperfect memory, their faces had become obscured and their voices hard to determine. At the very least he was sure that it wasn¡¯t Sovereign¡¯s old friend, but someone also close to him.


    ¡°Morgant¡­?¡±


    Seeing the dazed state that Morgant had suddenly fallen into, Miko called out to him as she waved his hand in front of his face to get his attention. With a small chuckle he revived himself and asked with solemn expression.


    ¡°Are you not disappointed? That this is really the kind of person I am; always scheming something behind your backs, deceptive and suspicious of others. I know that, because Miko is such a kind hearted person, you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to accept even someone like me. But I myself cannot come to see it as fine to burden you like this.¡±


    At his reply Miko silently shook her head, not in anger or disappointment but simply out of ¡®sadness¡¯. It juxtaposed forcibly in his mind, both the silhouette of the figure in his mind and Miko¡¯s. As if silently questioning his trust in his ¡®family¡¯, to that Morgant had no real answer and only shamefully turned away, unable to meet her eye to eye.


    ¡°Do you honestly think that, Morgant? That you¡¯d be a burden to us? Stop being so selfish, just what exactly does a seven year old brat think he knows? Kids should act like kids. Also I¡¯m not so kind as to let you just walk away from here and do what you want with your life. Not just me, but everyone else here; your friends, Diana and even the people in town, they will all accept you no matter what. So don¡¯t leave, your true place is here with us.¡±


    "Don''t... go..."


    Amidst his hesitation, it was a weak and soft voice that had helped Morgant push his final decision. Alice, on the surface she still seemed unconscious so it was unknown if she was replying to the current conversation or if she was simply sleep talking, but it was enough. ¡®There¡¯s still a lot to do¡­¡¯ his mind was made.


    He turned to Astaroth.


    ¡°I wanted to ask about that precognition ability of yours.¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    Astaroth asked as she tilted her head slightly to the side. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ she hummed cutely, looking back with her large red eyes.


    ¡°How accurate are your visions?¡±


    ¡°My visions? Well, this ability isn¡¯t omnipotent and it can¡¯t be used for battling purposes, so pretty much the only thing I can see are small glimpses into the future. Even then since I don¡¯t know much about the full context surrounding it I¡¯m often confused, but that being said, whatever I do see, it will come true without fail.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Then one more question. In that vision of yours, am I besides you?¡±


    Astaroth smiled.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s been destined since a long time ago after all!¡±


    Morgant closed his eyes and took in the chilly night air. He nodded, ¡®I see,¡¯ whispering to himself he opened his eyes once more.


    ¡°Then in that case there¡¯s no reason for me to go with your now, because our inevitable future has already been set in motion, right?¡±


    Both Miko and Astaroth froze for a brief second. It was Astaroth who broke the ice, unable to hold back laughter.


    ¡°Ahaha~ certainly for sure. Alrighty then, I¡¯ll give up for today; knowing that you¡¯ll eventually come to my side is enough. Then¡­ I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the capital~¡±


    Astaroth¡¯s wings expanded as she positioned herself to take off from the windowsill. She turned back once more to blow a kiss and flew off into the night sky as the large blue moon gazed down at her with gentle serenity. Just as quickly as she arrived, she had disappeared.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that decision?¡±


    Miko asked, a little uneasy.


    ¡°Well¡­ there are still a lot of things here that need to be done. I¡¯ll be in your care until then, Miko.¡±


    <hr />


    This finally concludes the first arc. It actually took a lot longer than what I had originally anticipated but, well, it''s fine I guess.


    Now, unfortunately Morgant will have to take a little bit of a back seat for the second arc but I promise you that he will be back even better than ever! I do hope you all enjoy the second arc since there will be a bit more action involved with Nemesis.

 Chapter 40 - The right hand of God(ARC 2 BEGIN)

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 40 ¨C The right hand of God


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    ¡°Good, you pass. Welcome Yui Kirisaki, to the [Upper Echelon]. From this day you will hence be known as¡­ [Nemesis].¡±


    Enshrouded by a desolating darkness existed a tomb that dwarfed time itself. With fading lights keeping illuminated what was contained, it presented itself as a cylindrical glass tank. Filled inside was a strange orange tinted fluid whose fluorescent glow cast a sickly complexion on even the heartless steel floor. Connected through the floor via complicated mechanisms and wirings, it growled in a low hum. The ominous noise served as both the guard dog and a warning to keep what slept inside from being awoken.


    Floating gently within the center of the glass tank was a figure of a small girl, her long black hair swaying side to side under the direction of the orange water. Various complex gadgetry and wires protruded through and from her small body, digging deep into her flesh, they in turn connected her essence to the machine. With only a single glance it was unclear if it was the machine keeping the girl alive or if it was her that was used to power the machine as a battery.


    ¡®You do not have my permission to die yet; you¡¯re of much more use to me alive than you are dead. To me who has such high expectations of you, do not fail me.¡¯


    Her eyes twitched, slowly peeling open they revealed incredibly sharp blue irises that contrasted strongly with the overall orange hue around her. Bubbles brushed past her face as a familiar voice resounded in her mind; a memory of a long forgotten time, but to her it felt like mere minutes ago that she heard those words.


    Silently staring into the orange tinted abyss before her, an unknown period of time passed as nothing but blank thoughts filtered through her mind. Eventually though, as she started to recover more and more of her consciousness, the rusted cogs in her brains started to turn. From her near brain-dead and vegetative state a single prominent thought rose into her mind.


    ¡®He¡¯s¡­ calling¡­¡¯


    She replayed that strange voice over and over in her head. With her mind still mostly in an inactive state, the most she could do was move based on pure emotions. She tried to move but her body had refused to budge even an inch as the machines that wired into her were draining her of her strength. Some more time went by as the concept of what was happening to her finally dawned on her.


    Realizing the powerlessness and dreary hopelessness of her situation her eyelids became a heavy burden. An overwhelming sense of light-headedness overcame her and due to it she was forced to shut her eyes and dive back into the dark abyss. The dreaded darkness overtook her once more as she felt for the first time in an unspecified amount of time the emotions known as ¡®loneliness¡¯.


    An emotion that gave birth to desperation; fear slowly tangled around her, chocking her just as those wires did. Her heartbeat instantly spiked irregularly and her bright blue eyes opened completely as her consciousness fully returned to her. That being said, her mind was still in disarray and even thinking straight brought upon her a painful migraine. The constraints of her techno-bondage suffocated her as she tried to free herself, yet it was impossible for her current state as the machine continued eating away at her stamina.


    If strength wasn¡¯t going to work then the fallback method was obvious to her, she would use the vast psychokinetic powers at her disposal to manipulate the tank into opening. Even disoriented she was still able to produce enough effort to unleash a Psionic force to break the glass, or at least that should have been the case. Instead not a single scratch appeared as the glass gazed back at her mockingly.


    At an instant she knew what this was. ¡®Psion¡­ resistance,¡¯ it wasn¡¯t completely unknown for such materials to be in existence but they were so incredibly rare that they could have been easily written off as just a myth. In fact, the only people that should have even known and had the power to excavate such materials were the [Upper Echelon] members of the ¡®USSC¡¯. That was to say that the reason she was here was because one of them had created and put her into this cylindrical prison.


    She didn¡¯t want to think about it, ¡®a traitor¡­¡¯ amongst their numbers. They were all her friends and each of them had been extremely loyal to the USSC. Picking one out that was the most likely proved to be an even more impossible task. Still, she had to escape from this prison, else her mind wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it for longer. Thus she had put on hold matters regarding this situation¡¯s origin and decided to focus on escaping first.


    Mustering up whatever strength she could she formed a tight fist and proceeded to, unhesitatingly, smash it against the curved glass in front of her. The first strike hurt disproportionately to her capabilities; she was an elite soldier, there was no reason to have hurt this much.


    Upon a closer inspection she found that her hand was much smaller than the one she remembered having. It wasn¡¯t just her hands but her entire body had been shrunk to the size of a child. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ unlike her more educated comrades, she wasn¡¯t a scientist thus she couldn¡¯t explain why this was the case. The situation had plummeted into an exceedingly depressing state as it would be impossible to break through the glass with a child¡¯s body.


    ¡®No¡­ I¡¯m a soldier¡­¡¯


    Clenching her fists tightly she prepared herself for even more pain. She started pummeling at the glass container as she wordlessly endured the pain. Over and over, even as bruises started to form on her knuckles she continued without complaint.


    It was a missed opportunity; as a first generation psychic she did not have the luxury that many other later generations shared, namely the [Gigandoll Power Frame] implants that multiplied physical capabilities. Even with her child¡¯s body and strength if she had those implants then it would have been possible to smash through a glass of this caliber easily. Though what she lacked in physical capabilities were augmented by external armaments and unparalleled levels of psychokinetic potential.


    How even possessing such strong powers if it didn¡¯t work she was no different from a regular, powerless human. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours, once more an unknown amount of time flew since she started this impossible task. Whilst being small, a crack was eventually marked on the tank¡¯s glass, though it was her fists that suffered greater trauma. The blood from her wounds started to seep in and mix with the orange water to create a bath of wine smelling of rusted metal.


    Being double teamed by her own pain and the machine that sapped away her strength, continuing on with this charade looked more and more impossible. ¡®No¡­ there is one more way¡­¡¯ she grit her teeth as she let go of the tension in her body. Her stamina may have had been depleted due to her actions and the machine, but her psychokinetic powers still remained. It was true that the tank was highly resistant to her powers but her own body was not.


    [Telekinesis], it was the most rudimentary form of psychokinesis but it was arguably extremely useful for many things. Using this power it was possible continue on with her assault on the tank. Forcing that power upon herself she was able to move her own body without actually moving her body. Manipulating her own body she recklessly continued the self-endangering assault as the pain had already numbed her senses. It was akin to grabbing someone else¡¯s arm and smashing it across the window, but only that it was her own body.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    It could be that the hours had turned into days, but being sealed within this dark tomb with only the tint of orange for company she couldn¡¯t accurately say.


    Broken fists. Broken collar bones. Broken shoulders. Rapidly losing blood. Her current status was like a lifeless doll, dangling by wires and submerged into strange liquids. The only reason her life was still just barely preserved was because she had sustained with her powers.


    Her consecutive strikes across the vulnerable crack in the glass had finally overcome the integrity of the tank. A small hole was formed and the liquid inside was starting to seep out. It wasn¡¯t much but this could also be used for some inertial force to completely shatter the glass.


    She resumed her bloody strike.


    ¡­


    With a final stomp the glass impeding her freedom had finally shattered as the contents of the tank pooled outside. As she was pushed out, the wires and machinery that dug into her flesh were also violently removed in a fountain of blood. As she slid out of the tank an unfortunate accident occurred when she slit her stomach across some of the shards of glass.


    She fell painfully towards the cold steel floor in a pool of her own blood and orange liquid. Up until now she did not even grimace as her body was being broken apart but with the relief of freedom she also felt the income of pain rushing straight to her. She didn¡¯t utter a word but she did grimace with a sour expression as she tightly clutched upon the wounds of her stomach. Curling up into a fetal position she stayed that way until the pain would alleviate itself.


    Despite the status of her injuries being very life threatening, she did not die. In fact her wounds were healing faster than she was bleeding out. The cuts and bruises faded out at a visible pace with her skin returning to the white porcelain it was to begin with. ¡®I see¡­ I still have my nanite impants¡­¡¯ she breathed a sigh of relief.


    [Subdermal Nanite Armor], though not a full implant like the Power Frame, this was a natural one that imbued her with various boons. The first being a passive ability known as [Hyper Regeneration], which did exactly what the name implied.


    She stayed awhile after that to catch up with everything she had just accomplished. Laying stark naked upon the cold steel floor she looked up towards the black abyss that was supposed to be the ceilings above. She shook her head, ¡®it¡¯s impossible¡­ nothing comes to mind.¡¯ She retained much of her long term memories, who she was and what she did, yet her memories prior to being sealed here had vanished.


    She reached up towards the darkness as if to grab it and sighed.


    ¡°[Director¡­]¡±


    She sighed once more to herself and decided it wasn¡¯t good to stay in this current state. Though it was unlikely that any enemies would be lurking nearby it was still safer to examine her environments more carefully, and also to find something to wear.


    ¡­


    ¡°[This place is¡­ a USSC underground base, but why does it look so unused? Not just a few years or decades, but it feels as though it hasn¡¯t been used in centuries¡­]¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°[No, this makes no sense.]¡±


    Having wandered about the place for a while, everything about the place looked rather intact. Other than some of it the place having rusted and broken down due to age, most of the equipment were in one piece, albeit nonfunctional. Electricity in the lab was still full functional, since it ran on perfected nuclear energy it would have lasted millennia or more.


    This was good since most of the doors and lifts operated on electricity. Though if she really felt like it she could use her psychic powers to pry the doors open or fly up elevator shafts.


    Wandering about a bit more she came upon a familiar dressing room. It was vague but some small memories about this place had returned to her, namely that this was the last operating base of the USSC.


    ¡°[That¡¯s right¡­ I was stationed here.]¡±


    She opened the doors and found a small locker with her name on it, [Nemesis].  Opening it she found a small, black spandex suit gathering dust. On the left breast a small icon and the words USSC was marked, bringing a nostalgic tear to her eyes. She took it out and stared at it for a good while before dusting it off.


    Though it would have obviously been an ill-fit due to her shrunken size, this suit had a system known as [one-size-fits-all], that adapted to the user¡¯s body shape. Putting on the suit a synthetic voice played in her head.


    ¡°[Welcome back, user- Nemesis.]¡±


    This suit was made in order to compensate for the fact that Nemesis was unable to have implants as a first generation psychic. It had three primary functions along with a rudimentary support AI.


    The first function was [Stealth Mode] which masked her secondary presence.


    The second function was [Inventory] which gave her access to an invisible pocket to store any items into a cloud storage system to be recalled whenever.


    The third function was [Gigandoll Power Frame Mk VI, (Experimental)], which was an experimental version of the previous Power Frame to that was made into a wearable format. Though not as powerful as the Mk VII version, it was at least possible for Nemesis to wear.


    ¡°[At least I have something to wear¡­ my other clothes are too big for this body.]¡±


    Taking whatever medical supplies and equipment that looked important and storing it in her [inventory] she left the room.


    ¡­


    ¡°[That¡¯s¡­ ¡®Testament¡¯.]¡±


    After a few more hours of base exploration she came across a door with a wooden plaque on it. On it the words [Testament] followed by a heart symbol was drawn.


    ¡®Testament¡¯ was the name of another [Upper Echelon] member; a scientist who was rather obsessed with the concept of creating powerful and unique lifeforms through rigorous and almost horrific experimentation. To be specific he was rank 3, meaning he was the third most powerful person in the entire USSC.


    Incidentally, Nemesis¡¯s own rank was 7.


    She sentimentally placed her hands on the door and tried to open it physically but the lock was too adjusted. It would have been an easy thing for her to force it open with her abilities but she opted not to do that in order to preserve her comrade¡¯s room. Though the USSC was no more, she had still held a lot of respect for each of them and was thankful that she got to meet and fight alongside them all.


    With a dry scoff at herself she turned and walked away.


    ¡­


    Finally she came upon the mainframe.


    A large open area with various sub-facilities and practically a miniature city all contained within. She walked along the buildings, reminiscing about her past as she could almost see the spectres of the people who worked there just walking by. Though it was all in her own imagination, she could hear clearly the sounds of chatter and the whizzing of computer parts all in the background.


    Now, everything around her was on the verge of crumbling down due to a lack of maintenance. It had barely avoided that fate due to the immensely complicated and efficient design that went into this place. This place had been built to last and she was looking at that proof.


    Unbeknownst to her, as she moved around, she unconsciously wandered towards the middle where the command center was located. Upon the entrance read [USSC: Union States of the Sovereign Confederate], but to her it may as well have read, ¡®home¡¯.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wryly smile as she entered the building.


    ¡°[¡­ I¡¯m back¡­]¡±

 Chapter 41 - Affront to the throne

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 41 ¨C Affront to the throne


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    With the high noon sun hanging brilliantly upon the clear blue skies and gracing the lands below with productivity, two elegantly dressed men walk through shadowed archways. Though clearly out of their usual elements, their pacing and stride commanded admiration, respect and awe by anyone that passed them by. In truth they were not simple decorated nobles, but the highest ranking nobles that ruled the entire western territory of a supercontinent known as [Ariadyne].


    The center continent, also a supercontinent known as Ariadyne was ruled by four kings known as [Tetrarchs]. For a long time the four territories of Ariadyne, North, East, South and West, have co-existed in an fleeting illusion of ¡®peace¡¯ and ¡®non-aggression¡¯, however recent events have shaken this fragile balance of power.


    ¡°Father, isn¡¯t it about you told me about this¡­ ¡®Errick Rommel¡¯ person? From what I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s just a low ranking country baron, so then why is it that we have to come all the way out here to meet him specifically? It should be the other way around!¡±


    The younger of the two men asked the other. He was [Leon Crow Xix Ariadyne], the first prince and first in line to succeed the throne of the West Tetrarchy. Still at the tender age of 18, he had a lot to learn about the nation of which he would one day succeed. Yet, if normal circumstances had applied, then in this case his question would be quite valid. There was no reason for a national leader to specifically go over to meet a low ranking countryside representative; all that would have been needed was a royal summons.


    For a brief moment the older man, [Aidus Crow Xix Ariadyne], the current West Tetrarch, had paused. In his neatly combed long burgundy hair were streaks of white mixed in, suggesting either his aged status or stressful lifestyle.


    ¡°Sometimes official positions do not reflect the true leadership of a country. Even in this country, there are many powerful people that, if gathered, could potentially have the ability of overthrow the throne.¡±


    However hearing this only served to anger the first prince and fuel his ignorance. To him the throne was supposed to be a symbol of absolute power and everyone else had to obey. Of course at the same time it was a symbol of responsibility to the nation¡¯s people. In essence it was a give and take relationship where the people would trust and follow the throne, and in return the throne would ensure the safety, security and the prosperity of its subjects. Yet to see his own father, the one who sat upon that aureate throne, undermining its power was not something he wanted to witness.


    ¡°What do you mean by that, father?! Are we not the rulers of this nation?¡±


    Aidus cleared his throat as he adjusted his collar. Thinking that his son was still a little green about how the cogs truly turned the great machine that was their country brought him a little uneasiness for the future.


    ¡°We are in name, and though we don¡¯t lack any in a political sense either, there is more to government than just projecting that power.¡±


    Yet even as his father explained, to Leon it was impossible to understand; he knew the words but the concept was not something he could easily fathom. That being said, Aidus could not help but to think that some of the blame rested on him who raised his son in such a manner. ¡®Respect the throne, respect the people and always do what you believe is right,¡¯ that was the motto that the Crow Xix Ariadyne family had lived by.


    For a period after that the two men ceased their conversation and continued walking in utter silence. With the occasional servants of the house that they intruded upon bowing to them as they passed, they reached the door to their destination without event.


    ¡°Leon, you would do well to remember not to anger or disrespect in any way the master of this house. He is a person that has faithfully served our family for a long time and someday may even become a person you would come to rely.¡±


    The first prince frowned, but did not answer his father directly. He averted his dissatisfaction gaze scoffing at the idea, ¡®rely on some low ranking baron?¡¯ Seeing his son¡¯s attitude, Aidus only sighed as he knocked on the door. This was also a point that soured Leon¡¯s mood more, as it should have been the master of the house that would open the door and show his hospitality. It was a matter of etiquette.


    ¡°Please, come in.¡±


    The voice of the master that came from behind the rich wooden doors sounded strange. It didn¡¯t sound natural, like it wasn¡¯t something that a living being should be able to actually produce.


    ¡®Please come in?¡¯ Leon thought, not only did this low ranking baron show disrespect by not showing the representatives of the throne hospitality but he didn¡¯t even bother to greet them properly. He actually was beginning to doubt if the master was truly even a genuine noble with such appalling social etiquette. This was almost at a level of spitting on the throne and would be a worthy excuse for execution, though the West Tetrarch usually didn¡¯t emphasize on such practices.


    Without hesitation his father opened the door and even bowed as he met with the master of the house. Leon gasped, almost recoiling, but stood firm to see just what kind of character this ¡®Baron Rommel¡¯ was to command such admiration from his own father, the West Tetrarch.


    ¡®Strange¡­¡¯ was not a word that even came close to what Leon was looking for to describe such a man. Dressed in a clean white suit decorated with several odd looking medals decorated upon his left chest, with golden silk shoulder pads he stood as though we here some divine figure. Even the bright sunlight leaking into the room emphasized him as some kind of divinity. However the awe-inspiring impression ended there upon gazing at his face, or rather towards what was on his face. A helmet, with a cross slit revealing a single menacing red light from behind.


    ¡°What is that?!¡±


    Leon asked, shrieking back meeting the sight of the ominous being. He was no ¡®divine¡¯ entity; even the demon lord wouldn¡¯t be a match for such an evil looking gaze.


    ¡°Leon, you¡¯re being disrespectful, I have warned you to keep your wits about you on this regard. Ahem, my apologies Lord Rommel, my son is still not used to his official position, please do forgive his ignorance.¡±


    Once more his father, the leader of the West Tetrarchy, lowered his head in order to gain forgiveness from a low ranking baron. Such an absurd situation, Leon wanted to shout out in protest but couldn¡¯t because of the shock.


    ¡°Hahaha~ it is of no concern, I can understand fully the reason for his dissatisfaction and behavior.¡±


    With a quick laugh Errick Rommel had easily defused the situation by raising his hand to signify that everything was forgiven. Seeing this relieved Aidus, he finally lifted his head but not before glaring harshly towards his son¡¯s rudeness.


    ¡°F- father¡­ just what is this?¡±


    ¡°First Prince Leon, your confusion and anger is understandable. Certainly from your point of view, my actions and the actions of your father may have seemed rather unnatural and even contradictory, but there is a reason for all of this.¡±


    ¡°Reason? Just what kind of reason could justify this level of disrespect?¡±


    ¡°Leon-¡±


    As Aidus was once again trying to reprimand his son, Errick Rommel had intervened.


    ¡°Tetrarch, do not blame your son, he is merely confused. I think it is best if we explained from the beginning our arrangement and situation.¡±


    Aidus sighed and nodded that it was indeed best to explain the situation to his son who would one day be taking over.


    ¡°I understand. Then listen well Leon, this person is only a baron by choice; if the situation had differed even slightly he would have been the one sitting upon the throne and not us. Lord Rommel is someone who could even be considered one of the ¡®founding fathers¡¯ of our entire country.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Founding fathers? How is that even possible? That was centuries ago!¡±


    ¡°It is entirely possible specifically because he isn¡¯t quite ¡®living¡¯ in the traditional sense. He is an entity that has existed since long before even the conception of our country; an ancient being known as a [Ghost Armor]. In essence he is a spirit who exists by possessing a piece of armor. Hence the reason he wears that mask, it is not an affront but his genuine appearance and also the reason I cannot simply invite him to the main castle as it would cause problems.¡±


    Leon¡¯s eyes widened, a single thought came to him as he heard this absurd revelation.


    ¡°Huh? A ¡®Ghost Armor¡¯? Then¡­ then doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s just a monster?¡±


    ¡°Leon!¡±


    Angered by the sheer stubbornness of his son, Aidus had thought his only recourse was to disgracefully dismiss his son from this meeting. However Errick Rommel had interrupted before the situation could escalate to that level.


    ¡°Hahaha! Yes, I suppose that is one way to see it; a ¡®monster¡¯. However I would much rather prefer it if you used the term ¡®Cyborg¡¯ instead. It really means the same thing if you get down to the essence of it after all.¡±


    ¡°Cy- cy¡­ borg?¡±


    Leon repeated with a hint of confusion in his voice. It was not a term he was familiar with and his only thoughts were, ¡®is that a type of monster?¡¯


    ¡°Indeed, indeed~! Then, allow me to official introduce myself and make acquaintance to the First Prince of the West Tetrarchy. I am known as Errick Rommel, previously I have served as the Grand Admiral to a nation known as the [Union States of the Sovereign Confederacy], ¡®USSC¡¯ or simply just ¡®the Confederacy¡¯ for short. However that nation no longer exists and now I serve as a baron and secret advisor to the West Tetrarchy.¡±


    Instantly, several questions went through Leon¡¯s head as he heard Errick¡¯s introduction, none of them having any real answers to them or even coming close to making sense. He had never heard of a nation called the USSC, not even in old archives kept in the library of the main castle. In the first place, the opponent was supposed to be a ¡®ghost armor¡¯, meaning a monster so, it was obvious to Leon that his words should be subject to scrutiny.


    ¡°That is not a country that I¡¯ve ever heard of, besides what¡¯s to say that you¡¯re not still part of that country? Or that you¡¯re not some spy for another?¡±


    ¡°Leon¡­!¡±


    ¡°No father, if I¡¯m to someday succeed as this country¡¯s Tetrarch then I need to be absolutely sure of the people I will be dealing with. So far the only thing I¡¯ve witnessed from this man is his affront to the throne, therefore, I cannot in honest intentions accept this man. Be it a monster, ghost armor, demon, ¡®cyborg¡¯ or anything else, I don¡¯t care, but he does not acknowledge the leadership and chain of command on which our country operates. I can only see this as a failure on his part to grasp the direction in which our country should be headed.¡±


    It was an odd feeling that Aidus felt as he heard his son talk, a part of him was a little proud to hear such devotion to his country, but it had mostly been washed away by a seething fury. Even after issuing his son several warnings about his behavior, his failure to rectify his attitude only left disgrace towards the very crown he was so proud of.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I have understood your intentions well, first prince. If you truly do not feel that I am worth your acknowledgement then you are free to leave. I will not fault you, if you believe that this is the direction that the West Tetrarchy needs to move then so be it. It is you who will be succeeding as the next head of the Crow Xix family, not I.¡±


    ¡°Lord Rommel!¡±


    Aidus tried to object but Errick raised his hands to silence the Tetrarch. Errick was not mad, it was unsure if he even carried the capacity to express such emotions, but all he felt was respect for the boy. To be able to speak out to that extent and express his undying loyalty to his nation, it was a scene that Errick had seen many times during his service to the USSC. Putting it simply, it was ¡®nostalgia¡¯.


    Unable to find any points to refute in his opponents reply all Leon could do was clench his fists begrudgingly. He could not strike back at him physically, that would truly bring disgrace to the throne, even if it didn¡¯t it felt futile trying to hit a metal helmet with bare hands. He was no longer a child and he no longer had to walk under his father¡¯s shadow fearing every repercussion for his decisions, what he needed to do was stand and affirm his own beliefs through his own experiences. Thus what he truly felt he needed to do right now was leave.


    ¡°I shall bid you fair well. Perhaps next time we meet you will do me the proper courtesy instead of disparaging the throne.¡±


    With those words Leon stormed out of the room as his clothes fluttered elegantly behind him. As the door shut harshly behind him the final image of his father was of him bowing to apologize once again to the low ranking baron.


    ¡­


    ¡°You have quite the child; he has a lot of spirit, an admirable quality for the young Lord.¡±


    Errick Rommel spoke with a light tone as none of the previous incident¡¯s tension fazed him, but also thanks to that Aidus was also able to look past the situation. There was a specific reason that he had come for Errick Rommel¡¯s guidance in the first place and more so than his son¡¯s aberrant behavior, this matter took precedence.


    ¡°I¡¯m thankful that you are such an understanding person. Since we have lost quite a bit of time already, I¡¯d appreciate it if we could move onto the true reason why I¡¯ve come here today.¡±


    Errick Rommel sat quietly for a few moments before answering, this time with a much more serious tone that his synthetic sounding voice could produce.


    ¡°Could it be about the movement of the Southern Tetrarchy? No¡­ perhaps I should call them the ¡®nation of the red knights¡¯: [Heaven State] or so they¡¯ve begun to call themselves.¡±


    In response to Errick Rommel¡¯s reply Aidus let out a small chuckle covered by his hand.


    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re already aware of the situation. Indeed, that is the reason I¡¯ve come to you; for your counsel regarding this matter. In the past several months they¡¯ve been harassing our borders and have become a general nuisance. We¡¯ve tried to deal with them as best we can but all negotiations have failed and it truly seems like they intend to escalate this into a full scale war. How do you think we should proceed, Lord Rommel?¡±


    Hearing the question of the West Tetrarch, Errick stood up and moved over to his large wooden desk. Upon it was several unfinished paperwork regarding the state of affairs on his estate and land and the governance of the small town under his lordship. Seeing this only highlighted some truth to the first prince¡¯s words about how different the position between the small time baron ¡®Errick Rommel¡¯ and the West Tetrarch ¡®Aidus Crow Xix Ariadyne¡¯.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ there was some truth to your son¡¯s anger. He seems to think that your reliance on me, a low ranking baron, is a disgrace to the throne and a sign of weakness. What are your thoughts on this regard, Tetrarch Aidus Crow Xix Ariadyne?¡±


    Aidus sighed as he went along.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything of it. Even if he is right, I will not do anything to change my actions as this is what I believe is the correct path. Even if I¡¯m weak or a disgrace, as long as it can save and guide the people under my governance then I will do what I must.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t quite clear, but for a brief second Aidus thought he saw Errick Rommel smile beneath that mask, if that was even possible. As he spoke the single red glow behind his mask grew brighter and more exhilarated.


    ¡°I see, in some ways you¡¯re quite a lot like ¡®him¡¯. Very well, Tetrarch, I shall stake my name as the Grand Admiral of the USSC to do everything in my power to lend you my aide in this regard. Let us ¡®deal¡¯ accordingly with those who would dare intrude upon our domain.¡±

 Chapter 42 - For whom you fight for now

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 42 ¨C For whom you fight for now


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    With a face seething red with anger and disappointment, the first prince, Leon stormed cantankerously out of the ¡®secret¡¯ conference with the fraudulent baron. Shutting the door loudly behind him he tried to ensure that both his father and the baron understood the extent of his ire. So absorbed within his own anguish he did not pay any heed to the cautious servants who bowed nervously as he passed by.


    ¡°Prince Leon, has the meeting ended so soon? I do not see the Tetrarch with you however¡­¡¯


    Lost in his thought, before even Leon himself had even realized it, he had already returned back to the stables where he had left his mount. Spotting his approach was one of his attending knights who stood to greet him with a formal salute.


    Due to the secretive nature of this visit only a handful of people were even aware it was happening. Thus in order to keep it that way they also had to limit the amount of bodyguards they brought along with them. That being said the guards that they did bring were no ordinary knights either, but an elite unit known as the [Praetorian Knights]. They were the best of the best with each member having an impressive resume of grand accomplishments and history behind their belts. Some were legendary, top tier Adventurers while others were gallant war heroes.


    ¡°Nicholai¡­¡±


    Leon spoke out the name of his guard as he sighed as the shame of what he had just done finally getting to him. He hung his head low and tried to cover his paling face with his hands but the truth could not escape his attendant¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Aha, so milord has let his emotions get the better of him once again. Well, that was something that should have already been expected, we are talking about milord after all, aha~¡±


    The attendant who casually disregarded the vast difference in status between himself and his lord was also Leon¡¯s personal knight and a close confidante. A bespectacled knight by the name of [Nicholai], who was rather scrawny and feeble looking for a man who was supposed to have been a member of an elite unit of warriors. He had a clumsy and disheveled hair which, along with his large round glasses, obscured half of his face, his arms were also slender and looked like it barely had enough power to carry its own weight. His fragile figure was only spared from looking like a skeleton by his left shoulder cape and overall bulky and decorated clothing.


    From a small first glance anyone would have the thought that this person was extremely ill-fitted for combat purposes and indeed that was the truth. In fact, it was the master, who was supposed to be the target of his protection that was the obviously more capable combatant. Since this was the case the reason he was initially chosen was not for his combat potential but rather for his intellect.


    Instead of outright protecting his master with proper combat skills, he was the type to ensure that such dangerous opportunities never presented itself before the first prince. By moving behind the scenes and planning everything beforehand he was able to manipulate most situations to suit his master¡¯s advantage.


    ¡°Just what exactly do you think you¡¯ve understood? Stop making that face, it really wasn¡¯t my fault this time.¡±


    Leon tried to justify his actions until now yet the act of his avoiding direct eye contact was all that was needed for Nicholai to continue his condescending nod.


    ¡°I see, I see, so it wasn¡¯t milord¡¯s fault this time¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°Like I said it wasn¡¯t! Also, stop calling me by my formal title, I don¡¯t need there to be needless distance between you and I; you¡¯re supposed to be my confidante so just continue calling me ¡®Leon¡¯ like you did when we were kids.¡±


    To the first prince¡¯s request Nicholai smiled brightly as he answered.


    ¡°Of course, milord.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ ugh, whatever, anyway let¡¯s pack and return to the main castle before I start losing my mind.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But what about the Tetrarch? Should we not be waiting for him to finish with his business so we can all return together?¡±


    ¡°Just forget about him; it looks like he means to be busy for quite a while so I¡¯m going back to the main castle before him. Besides, it¡¯d cause a massive uproar if both of us were gone from the main estate for too long.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose that¡¯s also true, then the other Praetorian Knights will stay here and return with the Tetrarch, while I¡¯ll leave first with you.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Hmm? Hey, what¡¯s going on at the entrance?¡±


    As the two were packing up their equipments for the plan to return to the main castle they noticed a small gallery gathering by the town¡¯s entrance. With curiosity getting the better of them they decided to immediately investigate what the problem was. Yet upon arriving at the scene of the crime it was actually a lot worse than what they were initially anticipating.


    A young woman in bloodied and torn clothes, evident by the horrific trail of blood behind her she had dragged herself quite a distance to seek medical attention. Responding to her distress the some of the villagers tried to heal her with their rudimentary healing magic but it was just not enough.


    Slowly the woman lifted her head and met the eyes of the first prince. With tears and desperation coiling onto her face she whispered to him in a painfully feeble voice.


    ¡°P- please¡­ help¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ want to die¡­¡±


    However, just as Leon was about to help her up and take her to the cleric he was pushed aside by Nicholai. What the young woman received was not help or medical assistance; it was in fact quite the opposite.


    The chilling and distressing sound of a metal blade scrapping its scabbard, a cold and emotionless swing that emphasized murder encompassed by the notion of protection. The thin but well designed sword that had been attached to Nicholai''s waist had been unsealed and with an emotionless slash it cleaved neatly through the supple skin of the young woman''s. Her lifeless body flopped onto the ground, unmoving, as the very dirt beneath her was dyed in the color that once sustained her.


    It was so very sudden that no one in the vicinity even knew how to even react to it. However, the feelings of terror finally seeped deep into the minds of the villagers as they shouted in distress; they then took a few steps back in fear. It would have taken only a moment of rational thought to understand that they weren¡¯t going to be cut down next. Alas they were too scared and only continued to observe the situation from a distance.


    ¡°Wha¡­ Have you lost your mind?! What the hell did you just do that for?! Nicholai!¡±


    It was the first prince who truly reacted first; enraged, Leon grabbed Nicholai by his collar and shouted to his face. His eyes reflected disbelief that his closest friend had just slain an innocent woman right in front of him for seemingly no apparent reason. With half a mind to beat him down he yet held himself back because he knew that Nicholai was not the kind of person to just do this kind of thing without a proper reason.


    Leon repeated his question in a softer voice while relinquishing some of the strength in his hand that was apprehending his friend.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because it was suspicious.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Suspicious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, do you not think so as well? The harassment on our borders from the South Tetrarchy has been rather precise in how they hit us. In only a few short months they¡¯ve managed to decimate several villages, almost as if they have a solid knowledge of the geography and location of the West Tetrarchy. However that shouldn''t be the case since the map of our country is a close guarded secret.¡±


    There was indeed a small possibility that the map was leaked however Nicholai did not believe that it was. Since it was such a crucial data the West Tetrarchy has been exceedingly careful with it, otherwise the nation itself could collapse. There was no way that any country was incompetent enough to not grasp the significance of this, and it was because that the West Tetrarchy did that they were able to survive for so long.


    While the first prince agreed that this fact was rather suspicious he didn¡¯t understand what that had to do with the situation at hand.


    ¡°So?! What does that have anything to do with why you just struck down that innocent and defenseless woman?!¡±


    ¡°Like I said, this is part of their plan; to let a straggler escape in order to track them down to their next target village. If it¡¯s a citizen that¡¯s lived around this area for a long time then they¡¯re sure to know the location of the nearest village.¡±


    ¡°Still! That''s no reason to kill her off now; if she''s made her way to this village then that means the enemy already knows this location, so killing her here would make no difference! We should be the ones protecting them, not killing them!¡±


    ¡°Even if it was unknowingly, to lead the enemy onto your own countrymen''s doorsteps, is that not at a level worthy of treason?¡±


    Nicholai replied coldly as he pushed up his glasses.


    ¡°You, you think everyone thinks on the same level as you?! Not everyone is a genius like you; these people are ordinary civilians that just wanted to live!¡±


    Leon pushed back as he gripped onto Nicholai''s collar even tightly than before. Yet despite his initially scrawny appearance, Nicholai was able to undo Leon''s grip easily and freed himself. Dusting his clothes he met the gaze of his prince and continued with his explanation.


    ¡°Milord, you''ve always given me the freedom to act and speak as I pleased with you so I have thus done so. However it is my mistake to not have given you my full intentions beforehand, for that I apologize. Then allow me to explain to you my second, more important, reason for slaying this woman.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Second reason?"


    ¡°Ineed, you see I''ve previously sent some of the knights under my command to do a little investigation on the sites that were attacked. In doing so we''ve managed to dig up some interesting findings. It''s that those attacks weren''t done by simple brigands or soldiers of the enemy nation but there were signs of massive carnage. Almost as though a horde of monsters ran amok in the village, however the most surprising thing was that there were no corpses left behind.¡±


    ¡°There were no corpses? Why?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, perhaps the enemy thought to use them for some kind of ritual or perhaps¡­¡±


    Interrupted by an enraged growl, Nicholai and Leon turned to see the source, only to find the corpse of the woman stumbling slowly towards them. Jaggered golden crystals protruding from her wounds, soulless dead eyes, drooling as she staggered clumsily.


    "Well, that answers that question."


    Leon spoke as he reached for the sword on his hilt.


    ¡­


    ¡°[Tch, all of these computers are broken.]¡±


    Deep within the heart of the earth, the sole survivor of the USSC underground base, Nemesis had been searching for clues as to what had happened since the time she had been put on Hydrostasis. Yet her search had proven to be quite difficult as she was unable to access any of the data base as all the computers had degraded beyond use from age and a lack of maintenance.


    Another problem that had impeded her from early on was the fact that she didn¡¯t have any mechanical implants that would have otherwise allowed her to interface easily with the holographic console. She had to use the archaic method of manipulating a physical mouse to open documents and such. This unnecessary step only added more time than it should have but there were no other options than to do this, thus she struggled on.


    ¡°[In the first place who are the bastards that put me into Hydrostasis? Or rather, why didn''t they just kill me instead of going through all of that trouble?]¡±


    If the purpose of putting Nemesis into Hydrostasis was to remove her then it would have been faster to kill her. Since they had enough strength to force her into that situation it was a reasonable assumption that they could indeed kill her, however they didn''t. Following that logic, it was very likely that the goal then was not to remove her completely but to seal her for the time being. In other words whoever put her into that situation wasn''t necessarily an enemy, thinking this helped somewhat alleviate the clouded mood she got from having consider a possible traitor amongst the Echelon members.


    Since complete stasis was an impossible feat even with the level of technology achieved by Sovereign''s world the second best thing was to slow down aging to such a degree where it could be perceived as permanently stopped. It was ''Testament'' who had proposed the idea of [Hydrostasis]; specifically it was a technique that siphoned a person''s life in order to prolong them in an artificially static state.


    Spending a year of a person''s life could artificially prolong them in stasis for up to 20 ~ 30 years. That being said it was a completely different story if the subject had already undergone the [Human Immortalization Project], in that case it was theoretically possible to be put under stasis indefinitely.


    ¡°[Could it be that they wanted to stall me out for this long? Tch, I don''t even know how long it was that I was in stasis so I can''t get a definite answer. Still, by the looks of this place... well it''s probably over a few decades to say the least... but why?]¡±


    Nemesis paced around the room trying each and every intact computer she could find but even among the ones that did technically function, most of their data had been corrupted. She continued her vain search a long time, to the point that she lost count of the hours fleeting away from her. However none of that mattered to her; after having become immortal the concept of a mortal, fleeting time had become so foreign.


    ¡®Time¡¯ was precious because it was finite, however when it turns infinite a lot of the perspective of value are lost. Seconds, minutes, hours and days all seemed relatively the same to her. To her conscious mind it had only been a few years since she even became immortal but she was already starting to feel the burdens of it. She could finally understand why some people would call such a grand gift a ¡®curse¡¯.


    On the other hand, it was specifically because she had lost so much of her perspective of time that she was able to work through untold hours without any complaints. Hours and days may have passed but to her it was all the same as she scrolled through computer after computer, trying to find one that would give her some answers. At the end of her long search she was given a sliver of hope for her tedious struggle.


    Archived in the deepest recesses of the USSC¡¯s databank, there was a single video log that had survived the thrashing of time. Nemesis¡¯s heart started to pound as she found herself unable to move her hands further due to the anticipation. She didn¡¯t even know if the speakers on these computers were functional anymore but she still needed to try. Her breathing intensified as she felt the beating of her own heart while manipulating the cursor over to the application containing the video log.


    She double clicked to open them. The moment she did so the entire screen turned dark. She didn¡¯t know how to react to this; the misery of her own heart sank into the darkness just as the monitor did. These computers were so old that it wouldn¡¯t have been a surprising development if they really did break down and turn off at random.


    However her worry quickly turned around into attention as something happened to the black screen.


    ¡°[Ahaha~ I got you, didn¡¯t I?]¡±


    The video recording had started to play, or rather it had been doing so this entire time and was only made to appear as though it broken down. Nemesis¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the laughing figure on the screen. Long black hair, pale complexion, bags under his eyes, serene blue eyes, and an overall sadistic presence¡­ ¡®This type of prank, that playful and annoying voice¡­¡¯


    ¡°[Testament.]¡±


    It was not a voice that she could have so easily forgotten, especially not after having the luxury to hear it so many damn times that it ascended into a new dimension of annoyance. Yet now, hearing this nostalgic taunting laugh that transcended through time put her uneasy mind to peace. The corners of her mouth involuntarily curved up to form a soft smile as she thought, ¡®this way of doing things, it really is just like him¡­ Testament.¡¯


    Other than Sovereign who she had mostly shared a professional relationship with, it was Testament that she could truly have considered her first ¡®real¡¯ friend. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly why but a single tear rolled down the side of her face amidst her soft smile. The truth may have been that an extraordinary amount of time had passed since she went to sleep, but to her conscious mind it had only been a few days since she last saw Testament in the flesh.


    She could still envision his sadistic but friendly smile. She would always be the first one that he would come to show what kind of sick experiments he¡¯s been doing. Despite his personality and exceedingly vile reputation, to her, he was an overall pleasant person to be around.


    The fact that she couldn¡¯t ever meet him again was starting to ache at heart.


    ¡°[Ah~ well, Nemesis, if you¡¯re watching this message then it means that you¡¯ve recovered from Hydrostasis. Your body must have undergone quite a bit of change since the last time you were conscious. The reason for this is because Hydrostasis deteriorates your body during your sleep, for most people this means that they age, but because you¡¯re an immortal your telomeres have been extended infinitely. So since you can¡¯t age forward you¡¯ve conversely aged backwards. Either way, I¡¯m sure your current form is quite a lot weaker than it was previously.]¡±


    Nemesis stared down at her child-sized body.


    ¡°[So that¡¯s why?]¡±


    ¡°[I mean, it is a shame that I can¡¯t be there to taunt you but I can imagine your immature, pint-sized body hopelessly flopping about the base. It is quite an amusing thought to envision; the dichotomy between your status as an elite soldier and child is too great~]¡±


    Nemesis sighed.


    ¡°[Testament¡­ you really never change.]¡±


    ¡°[Now then, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware but the world you know no longer exists. In fact it has probably changed beyond even your own recognition. Which is why Dr. Testament is here to help you along with your journey into the new world~]¡±


    After speaking those words the playful smile disappeared completely off of Testament¡¯s face. His overall town and aura changed as he continued.


    ¡°[Still, even if it¡¯s like this I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re okay. I don¡¯t really know what kind of place the future is but I can imagine, after all I¡¯m a person with an abundance of imagination¡­ Nemesis, in the end Sovereign was right. That guy is always right. From the start his mission was never to bring out the potential of humanity, rather it was to hold back the darkness of it. So when the floodgates holding back humanity¡¯s arrogance was opened everything was swept away. The USSC, the Upper Echelon, civilization as you knew it¡­ everything. We¡¯re just broken remnants of a time that no one probably even remembers, but undoubtedly we were here.] ¡°


    Testament paused once more. Taking a deep breath he faced the camera and as though his glares were jumping through time and space itself she felt its weight.


    ¡°[Nemesis, if you have ever considered me as your friend then there¡¯s one thing I would like you to do.]¡±

 Chapter 43 - Desperate plea

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 43 ¨C Desperate plea


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    ¡°[Nemesis, if you have ever considered me as your friend then there¡¯s one thing I would like you to do.]¡±


    Nemesis took a deep breath and sighed, disturbing the nostalgic old air around her. Her bright, almost gleaming, blue eyes powerfully shun through the darkness tinted atmosphere that was her long abandoned home. Between the silently encroaching static and the ever-present slow whirling of ventilation blades, all she could register was the loneliness and her own minute presence in this extraordinarily huge underground base.


    Left behind by both her time and country, the only thing that still connected her to the two was the small screen before her. The man within that screen looked back hesitantly with an uneasy smile. ¡®Friend¡­?¡¯ the thought never crossed her mind that Testament or any other members of the Upper Echelon were something as trivial to her as merely ¡®friends¡¯. Her comrades and countrymen were more than that, almost an extension of her own self.


    Witnessing once more the state of this place and hearing the melancholy of Testament¡¯s voice brought her back to reality. As though a part of her soul was being chiseled out, she dryly laughed to herself as she continued watching. ¡®Who would want to be friends with you¡­ idiot¡¯, she quietly insulted in her heart, though not really meaning any harmful intent.


    ¡°[Haha~ knowing you, you¡¯d probably reject me outright but¡­ well, just hear me out first.]¡±


    Her attention focused, she continued watching the monitor, analyzing every part of detail in its content. From the smallest of movements to every nuance of Testament¡¯s spoken words, she knew that this was the only way to actually see past him front. He had usually guarded himself heavily with that carefree, sadistic fa?ade of his so she had learnt to read past the lines to his true intensions.


    Despite the progress bar on the recording indicating that the video was still playing, Testament had not spoken a single word a while. It appeared exceedingly apparent that he was finding it very difficult to put to words his actual request for her. Since it wasn¡¯t as though she could pull him out of the monitor to smack him around until he talked, she simply waited. The longer this awkward silence continued the more irritation and frustration she started to feel, even then she waited for her comrade to speak.


    ¡°[Tch, just what is it? Spill it out you bastard.]¡±


    She insulted in vanity towards the emotionless monitor that stared back at her. It wasn¡¯t exactly as though she was expecting any sort of answer, it was just that she wanted to release her pent up anxiety. This was most likely going to be the final mission she ever undertook as a formal member of the USSC; from one member to another.


    Testament¡¯s next words could very well become the entire defining point for her uncertain future. Whatever his request was, she planned on dedicating everything she had in fulfilling it; this was both her pride and duty as the 7th ranked member of the USSC¡¯s [Upper Echelon].


    As if it had responded to her feelings and resolve, Testament had also found the determination to finally speak his mind. His voice was still evidently shaky and hesitant but in the end he decided to leave her with his final request. ¡®Honesty¡¯ was never Testament¡¯s best policy so it came as something of a shock to her that his next words contained just that.


    ¡°[Aha¡­ well, you see Nemesis, ¡®she¡¯ was my biggest failure¡­ both as a scientist and as a person. Before I explain further I just want you to understand that you don¡¯t have to do this if you don¡¯t want to, I couldn¡¯t burden you with cleaning up after my mess. It would tarnish my pride as the 3rd ranked member of Echelon, but still I wish you would as a ¡®friend¡¯. Haa~ this is my final request, please take ¡®care¡¯ of her for me.]¡±


    ¡°[Huh?]¡±


    Testament was getting too far ahead of himself for Nemesis to properly understand what he was even talking about. ¡®In the first place who is ¡®she¡¯?¡¯ pronouns and vague requests, these factors made it difficult to determine what it was that he wanted her to do.


    ¡°[Sorry, you¡¯re probably getting confused by my words.]¡±


    Testament apologized in sync with her reaction as though he was aware of the vagueness of his own request.


    ¡°[Enough. Just tell me what you want. Geez!]¡±


    Nemesis fell back onto her chair, slouching backwards in a manner most inelegant. She sighed, staring up towards the abyssal ceilings of darkness before refocusing her attention.


    ¡°[I suppose I should start from the very beginning, when you were first created¡­ Nemesis, you were ¡®his¡¯¡­ Sovereign¡¯s greatest accomplishment and from you came a string of many, even grander achievements. So every time I saw your face it only reminded me of my own inadequacies as a scientist compared to him. It was frustrating¡­ even though we started at the same time that guy got ahead of me¡­ it was those feelings that eventually drove me to commit my greatest failure.]¡±


    Testament paused for a moment as he took a small sip of his tea to calm himself down. He contemplated for a brief moment as he savored the taste and flavor of his tea in his mouth before resting his cup back on the table. His eyes went distant reminiscing his past trying to continue his story.


    He dryly laughed at himself.


    ¡°[Sorry Nemesis, I feel like I should take this opportunity to apologize to you. To be honest the entire reason I first tried to get close to you was in order to find out just what kind of monster Sovereign had created. I wanted to see if I could recreate his accomplishments and produce something similar, perhaps with my own twist. Yet somewhere down the line those feelings changed from a pure scientific curiosity to a genuine friendship¡­ at the very least, I think of you as my dear friend.]¡±


    Nemesis sighed.


    ¡°[Haa~ you idiot.]¡±


    She shook her head as she continued watching.


    ¡°[However everything changed the moment he was killed. With him gone I think a large void occupied within me, eating me up from the inside with an unquenchable frustration. Even more so than him outstripping me, the fact that he was gone hurt my pride more. I started to emulate everything he would do, thinking that perhaps I could fill that void by myself. That if I acted like him then I could at least come to some sort of a conclusion. Of course, looking back now I can only cringe at how stupid that sounds, but the truth is I really did come to some sort of a closure¡­ after I created ¡®her¡¯.]¡±


    Once more heavy silence overtook and settle down around them, but this time it wasn¡¯t as long as the previous times and Testament continued right away. Perhaps he was forcing himself in order to get the message across, that if he stopped now he wouldn¡¯t be able to continue the recording. The momentum needed to be kept.


    ¡°[Like he did with you, I also created a psychic based on the first generation; a pure psychic with no inherent adaptive potential for technological augmentation. That being said the overarching experiment was a resounding success; I can say with confidence that she was an even more powerful psychic than you were at your prime¡­ but the real problem lied in the experimental sample that I was working on¡­ she ¡­ was just a child.]¡±


    Testament stopped to mockingly laugh behind his breath as he combed his hair back with his fingers. Reminiscing his failures he too slumped back onto his chair and breathed a heavy sigh.


    ¡°[I was too preoccupied with the experiment itself that I failed to recognize the needs of that child. She grew far too powerful too quickly and without the flexible mind of a fully matured adult or guidance from a parental figure, she came to have a lot of deficiencies as a human being. She had no qualms about killing people en masse if they got in her way and the opinions of other people might as well have been white noise to her. Well, the constant environment of experimentation and augmentation probably didn¡¯t do anything to alleviate her suffering either.]¡±


    ¡°[Testament¡­]¡±


    It was the first time she had seen Testament in such a melancholic state. The kind of person she knew him to be was more of a sadistic figure that would never show such sentimentality. ¡®He¡¯s the same but¡­ he¡¯s changed too,¡¯ she thought to herself as she smirked warmly at his development as a person. A mad scientist that may have learnt what it means to be a ¡®human¡¯ at the end.


    ¡°[¡­ In the end she proved too difficult to control or tame and thus I was forced to seal her away into indefinite Hydrostasis. Even I¡¯m not entirely sure on what happened to her after that and I may never have the luxury or the right to know that information for as long as I live. Since she¡¯s also undergone the [Human Immortalization Project], it could be that she¡¯s still sleeping in that very location¡­ or that she¡¯s being used by someone else to reap havoc¡­ I can only hope it¡¯s the former. Either way, if you ever do get to meet her someday, well, as to what you want to do with her, my greatest failure, I¡¯ll defer that to your judgment.]¡±


    Testament smiled one last time through the monitor.


    ¡°[But I do hope you¡¯ll treat her in a manner most suitable. Even if it¡¯s unofficial, she¡¯s the final member to our Upper Echelon¡­ [Symphony], my one and only daughter.]¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Kuh! Just what is with this woman?! Even after all those injuries she just won¡¯t stay down!¡±


    Leon asked with haggard breaths, hunching over from fatigue yet still remaining vigilant for the enemy¡¯s movement just in case. He grimaced as he wiped the slow dropping sweat off of his forehead, turning to Nicholai for an answer to his mostly rhetorical complaint. Alas it was to be expected that even Nicholai,  who specialized in information analysis and intelligence gather didn¡¯t have a definitive answer.


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    ¡°Who can say? But if I had to guess then it¡¯s more than likely that the reason is probably because the host is actually already dead. To me it looks like it¡¯s the doing of those jagged gold crystals that¡¯s still animating her corpse.¡±


    The fight was mostly over, yet the crystalline zombie woman continued writhing on the floor with enough vigor to put up a decent fight if they got too close. It was a grim sight, to see the dead with so much haunting vigor; they could only speculate on what it was so angry towards. Even rendered immobile after having her limbs separated from the main body, she crawled towards them with her chin with life-mocking tenacity.


    ¡°Tch, do her a mercy and just finish her off. I can¡¯t bear standing to watch this revolting scene.¡±


    Leon waved as he walked off to lean against a nearby wooden fence to recover his stamina. His complexion paled, not because of having been in this life threatening brawl, but because of the implications that this zombie woman brought by existing. It was almost a guarantee that more victims like her existed if Nicholai¡¯s previous comments about there being no corpses left behind in the villages that were attacked. ¡®Are they trying to amass an army of these zombies?¡¯ killing soldiers who were prepared to die was one thing, but turning hapless and innocent villagers into monsters was crossing the line.


    He couldn¡¯t forgive them for doing such a horrendous act, ¡®do they think they can just do whatever they want because the gods are on their side? Those bastard¡­¡¯


    ¡°Perhaps you should find more suitable place to rest if you are not feeling too well, Milord?¡±


    Nicholai immediately returned to his side with a satisfied smile. Taking a slight gander behind him there was a disturbing sight that could only be described as ¡®total annihilation¡¯. Like a toy that¡¯s been abused, the woman¡¯s disembodied parts laid strewn across the site of carnage, drowning in a pool of her own vile, yellow blood.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve cleaned it up a little.¡±


    Leon suggests as he grimaced and sighed.


    ¡°I refuse, why do I have to do something like dirtying my hands by touching something that vile? That¡¯s work for the peasants.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Haa~¡±


    Leon couldn¡¯t find any strength to retort and simply accepted it as it were. As he was about to suggest with resuming their previous plans of returning to the main castle was interrupted by frantic pleas of help.


    ¡°P- please! Someone! Please help!¡±


    Running towards the town with a desperate and terrified looking on his face, someone who appeared to be an original inhabitant of the village fell over by the entrance. After seeing what happened with the previous woman the villagers acted a little more cautiously but once they identified that the man was indeed a part of their village they rushed over to help him.


    Nicholai walked through, parting the crowd of peasants with his drawn sword. He gripped tightly onto the sword¡¯s handle as he crouched down in front of the man with a serious face. Ready to strike down if necessary, he checked for any signs of injury. The previous woman came half dead but this man showed no obvious signs of injury and was in relatively good health; it was unlikely that he would turn into another zombie.


    ¡°You, start explaining.¡±


    Nicholai instructed coldly.


    "We, we were attacked!"


    Far from being scared of Nicholai¡¯s intimidating aura the man crawled up from the ground and tightly grabbed onto his clothes as he cried. He was more afraid of what he had just seen than he was of Nicholai¡¯s deliberately imposing attitude.


    ¡°M- monsters! Human monsters suddenly appeared out of nowhere! We couldn¡¯t even hear their movements, like they were completely nonexistent up until the moment they attacked us! You¡¯ve got to help, please! There are still more of us back there!¡±


    Nicholai pushed up his glasses as he sighed.


    ¡°Unfortunately we are not a charity case here. Forget about your friends and-¡±


    ¡°Where are they? Your friends, that is.¡±


    Before Nicholai could properly reject the desperate man¡¯s plea, Prince Leon jumped in and accepted it in a heartbeat. Nicholai stared at him for a good few seconds before sighing once more in resignation.


    ¡°Right, milord was always this kind of person. However, I really would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t increase my workload so much. If something ever happened to you they¡¯d dock my pay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your primary concern? Well whatever, yeah, I¡¯m that kind of person after all.¡±


    Leon smirked as he got atop of his horse and started to ride towards the direction that the man pointed to.


    ¡­


    ¡°There seems to be some sort of commotion going on outside. Is it okay to just leave it be like this?¡±


    The West Tetrarch, Aidus asked as he calmly placed down his tea cup, quietly making a small pinging sound as it contacted with the glass tea table. He stared down at the tea then stared back up at Baron Rommel who had not drunk any of his tea; there was no feasible way for him to do so with that metal helmet. He had only laid out tea for himself as a means of formality.


    ¡°I suppose it is a little worrisome. Please, excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Agreeing with his guest, Errick Rommel stood up and called for a servant by knocking on his door. After a few moments had passed a knock returned from the other side, opening the door a neatly dressed servant stood waiting for his orders.


    ¡°Would you kindly please check up on what the commotion going on outside is about?¡±


    ¡°Right away, milord.¡±


    The servant nodded as he walked away. After several minutes had passed another knock came from the other side of the door. The same servant had returned after completing his mission and relayed to him about the rather disturbing situation that just went down outside.


    ¡°Milord, it seems that there was some kind of altercation happening at the entrance of the village. I¡¯m not entirely sure how to put it but, I¡¯m told a ¡®woman covered in golden crystals¡¯ had been running berserk until the First Prince and his Knight had slain her.¡±


    ¡°And¡­? What happened to my son afterward?¡±


    Aidus stood up and asked the servant.


    ¡°It seems that afterwards a member of the hunting party returned in distress about being ambushed by similar people covered in golden crystals and that the other members were in trouble. The First Prince and his Knight had just left to attempt a rescue.¡±


    Hearing this Aidus felt uneasiness about the whole situation.


    ¡°For now we should go check up on the situation. Would you like to join me, Tetrarch Aidus?¡±


    Sensing his anxiety, Rommel suggested.


    ¡­


    ¡°This is quite¡­ a horrific sight.¡±


    Aidus commented as he stared down with a grim expression towards the mutilated corpse of the woman covered in golden crystals. The pool of putrid yellow blood bubbled softly around her mouth as she wasn¡¯t entirely dead but only severely immobilized. To be alive even in such a state, she could not even be considered a ¡®living¡¯ being. Aidus had the thought that perhaps she was something more akin to Errick Rommel- a ghost or undead.


    Errick Rommel stared down in deep silence as the single small red dot hidden behind his helmet glowed ever more intensely. He knelt down to take a closer examination and even went as far as to touch the vile blood spewed on the ground.


    As Errick calmly tried to analyze the yellow blood in his hand he tried to think of how she managed to slip through his detection. ¡®How did she manage to get in? The detectors that I¡¯ve placed within a 15km radius of this village should have alerted me to her presence¡­ yet somehow she managed to avoid detection?¡¯


    Errick tried rubbing the yellow blood around, only to find that it soon crystallized into the same golden crystal that protruded out of her body. As interesting as this was, he wasn¡¯t really concentrating and only saved the images to his storage through his camera lens eyes. It was more pressing to solve the reason why she managed to get through detection than it was to identify her.


    The villagers¡¯ safety came first.


    ¡®This world¡¯s residents shouldn¡¯t have access to [Stealth Field] technology so it¡¯s probably not that. Could it be a type of magic that functions similarly?¡¯ he thought but soon shook his head. [Stealth Field] was a tech based ability rather than a psychokinetic one, thus there was no chance for it to have evolved into magic.


    ¡°Hmm?!¡±


    His thoughts were cut short as the detectors went off in his head. Someone was approaching the village with frightening speed.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Lord Rommel?¡±


    ¡°It seems that someone is approaching the village¡­ this speed, I have a bad feeling.¡±


    ¡°Bad feeling?¡±


    Errick didn¡¯t answer Aidus¡¯s question and simply pondered. The speed of approach was on the level of a bullet train. There were very few entities, that didn¡¯t have origins in the old world, which had this kind of capability. Even to Errick Rommel¡¯s long existence in this world, he had only known of one such person.


    He whispered to himself as he raised his head.


    ¡®It couldn¡¯t be¡­ Dagda¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 44 - Stepping towards the light

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 44 ¨C Stepping towards the light


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    Contrary to its lush, vibrant serenity, the inner depths of the forest was smeared with the stench of blood. Immediately upon entering such a dreaded domain, the First Prince and his Praetorian Knight, was assailed by a wave of nausea. Fighting the urge to hold tightly onto their noses, and subsequently handicapping themselves in doing so, they soldiered through with reluctant determination.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ll be able to rescue any of them, much less all of them.¡±


    Nicholai commented, noting the thick smell of death all around them. Unlike Leon, his face was straight and almost seemed to be unhindered by the horrendous smell. It wasn¡¯t particularly that he was undisturbed by it but simply more disciplined enough to not show such obvious signs of discomfort.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to at least try to rescue anyone we can then we can get out of here as soon as possible. We might also have to think about relocating the village afterwards, we can¡¯t have them living in such close proximity to this abhorrent place. In any case our first priority should be to find any survivors.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I think they¡¯re all dead and we should just give up and leave now. However knowing milord, you wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until we confirm every tetanus infested corpse of these peasant villagers. Really, it¡¯s rather annoying that you¡¯re always increasing my workload by voluntarily putting yourself in such danger.¡±


    Nicholai shook his head in disapprove as he spoke freely, even going as far as to hurl insults at his own master. Yet this was their relationship; before being master and servant, these two were close childhood friends that shared most of their childhood together.


    Speaking freely and comfortably was just another way that they showed their trust at each other. Leon trusted that Nicholai would always act in his best interests and in exchange allowed him free reign in how he went about accomplishing this- even if it was at the cost of constant arrogance and bad mouthing.


    But at the end of the day Leon knew that Nicholai was never serious with these insults and Nicholai knew where the line was and to not overstep his welcome. Their relationship was one that was born through mutual understanding, close friendship and trust.


    ¡°You really have a nasty little mouth, you know that?¡±


    Leon stated, letting out a resigned sigh as he knew that even flat out telling him to stop would stop Nicholai.


    Having already gotten accustomed to the foul stench of dread around them, Leon¡¯s body relinquished a lot of the initial tension he had built upon first entering. Enough that he could freely exchange banter as he casually strolled through enemy infested territories.


    ¡°Well I do take pride in my arrogance; it¡¯s already a splendid art-form at this level.¡±


    ¡°Haa~ you, hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Nicholai wordlessly extended a hand before Leon, a silent gesture to stop moving. Following his gaze Leon immediately understood why they had to stop.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡±


    The deceased bodies of the villager¡¯s hunting party that had been ambushed by crystalline zombies. They lay strewn across the forest¡¯s leafy terrain as a wine colored ooze leaked out from their bodies, feeding the soil with horrific nutrition.


    ¡°Well, I assumed as much¡­ still, from the looks of it, they haven¡¯t died for too long. Be very cautious milord, the enemy are definitely around here somewhere.¡±


    Scanning around his surroundings carefully Nicholai started to slowly approach the corpses. He placed his hand to the hilt of his sword, ready to cut down any enemy that appeared and the corpses before them were also no exception to his blade.


    In an attempt to test out a theory he had, Nicholai struck down unhesitatingly through the back of the corpse with the pointed end of his blade. Exhibiting an almost immediate reaction, the corpse rose up in berserker rage, letting out a blood curdling scream that silenced the entirety of the forest.


    ¡°RRAAaaGghHHH!!¡±


    Just as the woman before, parasitic golden crystals shot out from the wounded area. It encompassed through and around, turning him into a lumbering mineral field of death. Not giving Nicholai even a moment to spare it lunged towards him head first, ready to bite away a chunk of anything it could sink its teeth into.


    However Nicholai was still a trained knight, without losing even a single second to hesitation, he dodged to the side as he retracted his sword and swiftly decapitated the reanimated corpse. It was something that he had observed beforehand from his fight with the woman, but without its head the main body of these disgusting crystalline zombies becomes immobile- though the head remains alive.


    One by one the other corpses followed suit as they began reanimating themselves, augmenting their wounds with golden crystals. ¡®Is there really no way to flat out kill them? What kind of sick form of immortality is this?¡¯ Nicholai thought, grimacing for the first time towards their disgusting tenacity for life.


    Using the same tactics as before, he successfully decapitated all of them. Their bodies and heads rolled to the floor, immobilized permanently.


    ¡°I suppose, these creatures would be rather hard for ordinary peasants to deal with, even if they were from a hunting party.¡±


    Nicholai commented as he pushed up his glasses in botheration.


    ¡°Tch, just what are these crystals? Some kind of magic? A curse? An unknown form of parasite? Just what¡­!¡±


    Leon clenched his fists as he gazed down at the still barely moving head of the decapitated corpses. The fact that the only way to deal with these monsters was to desecrate the body of the dead was sickening to him.


    ¡°Milord, I really do think it¡¯s best if we leave the forests right now.¡±


    ¡°Leave now? There may still be some survivors; we can¡¯t just leave now.¡±


    Unlike before, Nicholai¡¯s face was serious. This was a recommendation as a proper member of the Praetorian Knights as opposed to his usual jest as a friend.


    ¡°The forests are too quiet and the fact that I can¡¯t even feel the enemy¡¯s presence is rather worrisome. It could be that there are no enemies and this is just my imagination but considering the situation I¡¯d say that it¡¯s more than likely that there are more of those crystalline zombies still lurking about.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Just a bit more, I want to at least search their camp. I know I¡¯m being stubborn and am needlessly putting myself in danger, but I want to at least make sure.¡±


    Nicholai stared for a few seconds until he eventually gave in.


    ¡°Understood, but I can only allow you to do so until we find their camps, after that we must return.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡­


    It was at the hour mark that the lushness of the forest disappeared on them, replaced by the creeping sensation of a disconcerting silence. Leon and Nicholai continued their march forward, their hands married constantly to the hilt of their swords as they scanned the forest with ardent vigilance.


    ¡°Milord, we¡¯re almost at the camps.¡±


    Nicholai informed as he pointed to the rushed footsteps marked upon the forest¡¯s murky floor.


    ¡°Mmm. Let¡¯s make haste then.¡±


    In order to leave the oppressive forest even just slightly faster they started to rush towards the camping grounds that the hunters had set up. They had already guessed in their hearts, but the camping grounds were completely trashed with signs of there being a massive struggle. The grounds were carved, still fresh blood was painted across the floors and trees and to make matters worse the corpses had all conveniently disappeared.


    ¡°Milord¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Nicholai nodded in agreement before taking one last glance back at the ruined campsite. Pity was not an emotion that he had given out to many people but for these peasants that he had a minute pleasure of interacting with, he felt it only fair to give them a moment¡¯s thought.


    This situation had escalated much further than he had originally anticipated. As more corpses disappeared, the likelihood that there really was a hidden army of those crystalline zombies could no longer be ignored. They were nigh unkillable and even gave some trouble to Nicholai who was a member of the elite Praetorian Knights. If such a literally monstrous army was unleashed then it would no doubt spell certain doom for the West Tetrarchy.


    This was the one thing he couldn¡¯t allow to happen. He lived there after all. Just as he was coming up with various contingency plans for how to deal with this kind of situation, something had distracted him.


    ¡°Kyaa! S- someone! Please help me!¡±


    Screams of desperate please echoed through the forests. The voice was real, vibrant and full of life, with this there was no chance it belonged to any kind of monster or animal; this was a person- a small child to be more specific. Unfortunately since the contents of this screams were a distress call, it was also very likely that actual monsters were in the vicinity.


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    Leon and Nicholai turned to each other with a quick glanced before nodding to each other wordlessly. Agree with the other¡¯s opinion that this was indeed happening they rushed towards the scene of the crime.


    ¡°A survivor!¡±


    Leon cried out as he could finally see the victim. A small girl perhaps no older than eight years of age clung high atop of a tree, crying and fearing for her own life. Two crystalline zombies tried reach her, clawing and attacking the tree in order to make her trip from the shock. With each attack the girl lost more and more balance and it was only a matter of time until she would eventually give in from fatigue and fall into death¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Nicholai! I¡¯ll leave the one on the left to you, I¡¯ll take the one on the right!¡±


    Without even waiting for his reply Leon leapt into the fray, grasping tightly onto his sword he liberated its head from its shoulders. He took a glance to his left to see if Nicholai needed help but all he saw was the writhing of a crystal infested corpse.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s safe to come down now.¡±


    Leon called out to her, sheathing his blade and spreading his arms to catch her. Trusting strangers was not particularly a bright idea but compared to reanimated corpses of her fellow villagers, these two men were better. It took a while for her to calm down and finally understand that it was over but after getting over her initial shock she managed to draw out the courage to come down.


    Leaping into the open arms of the First Prince, she felt the tension and anxiety instantly dissipate from her body. Her large, rounded brown eyes became watery from the tears. Just remembering the image of her mutated villagers scared her, shuddering throughout her body she clung on tightly to the first prince¡¯s clothes.


    She even thought that at any moment she could possibly turn into one of those monsters. Stroking through her teddy bear colored hair gently, the first prince alleviated her worries, comforting and holding her until she could cry no more.


    ¡°There, there, it¡¯s all over now.¡±


    ¡°Milord, I suggest that we leave as soon as we can.¡±


    Nicholai suggested, vigilantly scanning around for enemies though yet still unable to pick up on whether there really were any. For a person who based his entire skill and art to information manipulation and pre-planning, to be blinded to this degree was not only a disgrace to his honor but an irritating weakness. His usual lifeless demeanor evaporated from his face, only to be replaced by a frown filled with unending ire.


    ¡°Agreed, we should-¡±


    But before the First Prince could agree to anything a harrowing laugh came from the shadow of the forest.


    ¡°Kekekekeke~ Aww, leaving so soon already? But the fun¡¯s just about to start and I really wouldn¡¯t want you to miss any of it, kekekeke~!¡±


    A sinister, high pitched voice interrupted them; a bone chilling greetings from the hands of death itself. Even as they clearly heard the cold voice, neither Leon nor Nicholai could actually feel any sort of presence behind them.


    ¡°Kekekek~ Fools, you¡¯ve played right into my trap!¡±


    Continued the sanity draining laughter.


    ¡°Tch, why don¡¯t you stop hiding like the coward you are and show yourself?¡±


    Nicholai tested, pointing his sword to the direction he thought the voice originated from. Yet the only response that resounded back was a chilling silence.


    Nicholai scoffed at this.


    ¡°Hmph, not that I was actually expecting anything from gutless peasants¡­ but you continue to disappoint me either way.¡±


    Once more only silence responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Let us leave milord, I do not wish to waste any more of my time entertaining this fool who cannot leave even the comfort of his own shadow.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ you bastard, you¡¯ve done it now.¡±


    Out of the shadows stepped, not one but almost an entire platoon of men all dressed from head to toe in a grand white, military escape overcoat. Almost ghastly in their appearance, it wouldn¡¯t have been too much of a stretch to suggest that perhaps they were more undead than even those crystalline zombies. Each of them wore plain white mask that obscured their identities, but more interestingly those masks had no clear eye slits to see out from. It literally was just a blank white surface- impractical design for any sort of combat.


    Even as they stepped onto the light their presence was still somehow concealed perfectly, ''could it be an illusion?'' Nicholai thought to himself as he scanned them.


    Standing in front of all these glastly looking, masked men was one that didn''t wear a mask and was thus most likely to be their leader. A blue haired Elf with hawk-like features, spotting an incredibly sharp gaze, he smiled hauntingly as he stared back at Nicholai. Strapped neatly to his left waist were two small, black daggers that gave off a chilling aura.


    ¡°Oh~? You¡¯ve finally found the courage to come out of your hiding? Your father must be really proud of such accomplishments.¡±


    Despite the opponent''s rather formidable form and numbers, Nicholai continued to mock them. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he couldn''t feel any sort of presence from them that he was starting underestimates them, or that he was prepared for even this kind of unforeseeable crisis.


    ¡°Tsk, you seriously don¡¯t know who you¡¯re dealing with, do you?¡±


    The leader elf of the enemy clenched his fists and grimaced with displeasure.


    ¡°No, can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve ever seen or heard of you lowly peasants before. I¡¯m not particularly that interested in learning either.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, I shall enlighten you.¡±


    ¡°I just said that I didn¡¯t want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°We are the Heaven State¡¯s [Order of Light]! And I am its Field Director, Nazarym Zard!¡±


    Nicholai took a deep breath then sighed.


    "Yeah no, I really don''t care."


    ¡­


    Before a large white door, Nemesis stood in quiet contemplation. Taking a deep breath she glanced back to the deserted place that was once her home. The place that was once brimming with life and research was now no more than a haunted house with only the unsettling sound of ventilation blades whirling at constant intervals.


    She turned back to the large white door. Beyond this door was not only the exit to the underground base, but also to a world that was drastically different than the one she knew. Between the familiar desolation and an uncertain new world, she briefly wondered which would be worse to stay in indefinitely, but she decided to go.


    At the very least Testament¡¯s last request needed to be accomplished. Placing her hand on the door she tried to push, it didn¡¯t come to her as a surprise that it didn¡¯t even budge. Not even with using the strength given to her by the [Mark VI Gigandoll Power frame(Experiment)]; nature was an ominous force that could overcome even technological accomplishments given the right amount of time.


    ¡°[Should''ve known that wouldn''t work¡­ then how about this?]¡±


    Well, it may have been at one point but technological mastery had also reached a point where not even nature could reach. Using her psychokinetic powers she forcefully pushed the door open, creaking loudly and painfully through the steel floors.


    Beyond the door was a large open room, about the size of a football field. The whole room and the floor beneath it was one gigantic elevator that would take them directly to the surface. Of course there were other ways into the facility but this was the main one.


    Nemesis gazed up to a dark void. She glanced around the room but it was simply far too big and time consuming to search for the activation button.


    ¡°[Guess¡­ I¡¯ll just fly.]¡±


    She spoke to herself as a small blue tint surrounded her.


    It took her around ten minutes of straight line flight to reach to the top of the void. Once she arrived all of the exits except one were sealed away by rubble and aged steel. She could have easily pried away the rubble to use the other exits but there was a chance of damaging the facility in doing so, thus she decided to use the one exit that was still open.


    At the end of the path was a small cave and just beyond was light- non-artificial light.


    She stopped and took a deep breath. She could hear it, the chirping of birds, the whishing of winds and the scent of fresh air. Her heart raced as she clenched her fists, she took a step forward only to stop right after that, she tried to turn away but she couldn¡¯t even do that.


    She mocked herself for being so indecisive and hesitant; she was supposed to be some elite, super soldier yet she was horribly afraid of the outside world. A world where the USSC doesn¡¯t exist, a world where there was no one she could call an ally.


    Yet she still had to go.


    In order not to dishonor everything that they¡¯ve fought for, she needed to step into this unfamiliar world as the USSC¡¯s last emissary.


    To show whoever was out there that they existed.

 Chapter 45 - Insurgents to the state

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 45 ¨C Insurgents to the state


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    Gentle winds brushed past her face, carrying with it an unfamiliar, but not at all unpleasant, scent. Her hair swayed to the rhythm of the breeze, she stood in quiet contemplation with her fists clenched and breath held as she mentally prepared herself. Before her was a blinding light- the light of the ¡®new¡¯ world, of ¡®this¡¯ world.


    It was a light that was not of her own. She moved her hand over to her chest, laughed dryly at the racing anticipation and anxiety of her own beating. Such a melancholic emotion was not something a former super soldier should have felt, or so she thought but she couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡®Nervous¡­¡¯ was an understatement, there had only been one other time she had felt in a similar manner.


    ¡°[It feels¡­ just like the time I met ¡®him¡¯.]¡±


    She sighed to herself.


    Sovereign, the mastermind behind the Confederacy; she wasn¡¯t quite sure if these evoked emotions that sweltered within her were overall positive or negative. For certain, her first impression of the ¡®almighty¡¯ leader couldn¡¯t be any worse. An overbearing man who¡¯s cold and calculative gaze could drain even the most hardened of soldiers. Illusive and enigmatic; he was the most overwhelming villain that the world had ever seen, so it was naturally that no one would actually have the pleasure of meeting him.


    Yet first impressions were useless for that man, because in the end everyone was converted over to his side. Only stubborn and ignorant fools would oppose him.


    ¡°[It¡¯s really all gone¡­ isn¡¯t it?]¡±


    She asked herself in vain, knowing all the answers beforehand yet not being able to truly accept them. She wondered to herself if this was a weakness, to dwell upon something that cannot be regained. Or if this was a strength, to strive towards rebuilding a goal once long lost.


    ¡°[Haa~ it¡¯s not use.]¡±


    Perhaps if she was someone like Sovereign or even Testament, who had the necessary will and intellect to regain the lost, then it could have been a boon. Right now her thoughts and emotions were simply needless nostalgia. Instead of constantly looking back at the world that no longer existed, for her it was better to move on with just the knowledge that the old world had existed.


    She sighed once more, releasing her fists and slowly her relaxing her muscles the tension in her body was eased.


    She took one small step forward¡­


    Then another step¡­


    One more step¡­


    Before she even realized it herself she stood staring out from the entrance of the cave. The small breeze evolved into a fully fledged gale carrying the scent of an organic world, along with it a picturesque view to a lost paradise. Just as she was released from the cavern¡¯s entrance she was met with boundless expanses of a world that could only be seen in fiction.


    Looking down below was a sea of greenery. Being the first time she had seen, smelt, heard, felt something like this Nemesis was completely mesmerized. Before this, the only kind of world she knew was of heaven defying citadels that were a testament to humanity¡¯s ingenuity. Compared to the monuments erected by human hands that scraped skies, this fragile sea of trees was nothing impressive, yet she couldn¡¯t help but stare dazedly at their tranquility- a monument to nature.


    Lost in the moment, it was unknown even to her own self of how much time had passed since she started to stare out into the vast unending open. By the time she had recovered enough consciousness to turn away from its gripping mesmeric illustration the sky had already started to burn orange.


    ¡°[Ah¡­ I should get going.]¡±


    She told herself as she started to descend to the base of the mountain. Looking back one last time at the final piece that was once her own home, she smiled bitterly before turning away.


    ¡­


    ¡°[What¡­ is that supposed to be? Another one of Testament¡¯s creations?]¡±


    As soon as she got to the base of the mountain she had already encountered a resident of this new world. Bearing its teeth and claws, it clearly had no intentions of talking things out.


    ¡°[No, his monsters should have at least a bare minimum amount of intelligence to know not to attack a USSC member. This is just¡­ a wild beast.]¡±


    A large snow colored bear; upon its hind legs it stood over three and a half meters, claws the size of a person¡¯s arms that looked like it could easily decimate through steel, even its fur seemed to have the tensile strength of steel but more prominently along its chest and arms it wore a plate of steel armor, or what appeared to armor was just a heavily fortified patch of skin and to top it all off a black horn pointing forward protruded from the left side of its head.


    It roared with the ferocity of a hundred thunders, shaking the forest to its core with just the echo alone. Towards Nemesis, looked down at her through its burning white eyes, and although she couldn¡¯t understand the speech of mere animals, she got the gist of what it wanted to say. ¡®You¡¯ll die for stepping onto my territory,¡¯ as far as mindless beasts and animals go that was most likely the extent of their thoughts.


    Exerting power through violence and if things didn¡¯t go their way they immediately retaliated. Nemesis flashed a smirk; she didn¡¯t hate these kinds of direct opponents because they were at often times the easiest to deal with. She didn¡¯t know what other locals of this world would call this monster but for this kind of direct beast a direct name was fitting.


    ¡°[A Horned, armored bear¡­ I suppose that¡¯s the best it deserves.]¡±


    Without a losing a moment to hesitation the ¡®horned, armored bear¡¯ charged straight for Nemesis. Rushing on all fours and only when it got within striking distance it shifted back to two legs and prepared its hideously sharp claws. With its large steel girder like arms, it swung down carrying with it massive wind pressure that distorted the very air around her making it hard even to breathe.


    However it suddenly stopped, just a few millimeters short of actually landing a direct hit on Nemesis. With the simple flick of her left hand, Nemesis¡¯s unfairly powerful [Telekinesis] was activated, forcefully stopping the bear¡¯s massive and overbearing body. This disparity was made even greater by the fact that Nemesis¡¯s current body was that of a child¡¯s, yet their overall strength was apparent in this single moment.


    Telekinesis was not an ability that could easily be used on other living beings, however Nemesis was different- she was a ¡®First Generation¡¯. Nemesis smiled once more, a pure smile that was filled with happiness. ¡®This is the difference between adaptation and mastery,¡¯ between monsters that evolved through nature and a weapon created through human technological mastery, Nemesis was happy to know that humanity was still far superior.


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    Ecstasy coursed through her entire body, exhilarated she almost lost herself in her own internal pleasure. She cleared her throat and started once more.


    She gazed back at the burning white fury of the bear as it struggled to move an inch of its body, her own eyes gleaming blue as she activated her psychokinesis. She smirked once more, mocking the efforts of this monster as it tried to exert its strength upon her- a mistake worthy of capital punishment.


    ¡°[Then in accordance to USSC laws¡­ as an insurgent to the state, you shall be duly executed without delay.]¡±


    It growled back at her angrily, still unable to comprehend what she was saying or what was happening to its own body. Of course it couldn¡¯t, in the end the opponent was a mere mindless beast that acted on instinct alone.


    Slowly the bear¡¯s body started to float off the ground. The heavy pressure upon its body had lifted and it managed to regain control over its own body, however being imprisoned in midair it couldn¡¯t escape from its position. It roared furiously trying to get down, flailing its arms and legs, its sense of balance being lost as it was now in a position it was never meant to be.


    With her unoccupied right hand Nemesis displayed more psychic abilities. [Psionic Javelin], as the name implied it was a very forward skill that created a javelin of pure pisonic energy. A long, transparent silhouette of a spear appeared floating just off of her hand.


    Though it was still just a beast it sensed an overwhelming sense of impending danger to its life. It struggled even harder than before trying to shake off this mysterious spell but no matter how much it tried its feet never touched the ground.


    Still with her Telekinesis, Nemesis toss the hulking body of the bear into the sky and with her other hand she simultaneously threw the Psionic Javelin. Time slowed down and its entire life flashed before the bear as the spear pierced through its thick, steel plated chest as though it were tissue paper. It was pinned across a large tree, unable to move and heavily bleeding out it couldn¡¯t even utter another growl.


    ¡°[Still alive? Quite the tenacious one¡­ then as a mercy I shall send you off painlessly.]¡±


    Despite having said that, the bear was already in a considerable amount of pain. Nemesis prepared one more Psionic Javelin and tossed it straight through its head, destroying any chance that it could perhaps survive through this doomed encounter. The second javelin not only pierced through the bear¡¯s skull but even completely disintegrated the tree it was pinned to as well as decimating parts of the land behind it.


    The bear¡¯s lifeless corpse fell onto the floor with a disgusting flop. A pool of blood slowly dying its snow colored fur into an abhorrent wine color.


    This was how the terrible legend of the king of the forest had come to an end.


    ¡­


    ¡°None of you move! I will take on that bastard by myself! For having insulted the Order of Light I will utterly destroy this fool!¡±


    Nazarym shouted with pure unadulterated rage, loudly echoing through the trees. His sharp, Elven face distorting horribly with his anger, he drew the two black daggers attached to his waste and pointed one of them towards Nicholai. His frown being caught in the reflection of his own dagger he gripped even more tightly, ¡®I¡¯ll kill him!¡¯


    ¡°Milord, I suggest you take that child and escape while you can.¡±


    Nicholai whispered back to Leon was clutching onto a scared little girl.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t just leave you here with all these enemies! You¡¯ll die!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll let that child die and possibly even yourself just so you can stand with me? No, at the very least don¡¯t forsake the life of that child, please leave this to me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Prince Leon was unable to respond to that kind of cold and logical response. Truly the child¡¯s life will be lost if he decided to fight here and possibly even his own life wouldn¡¯t be spared. As a person who was dutybound to protect the lives of his citizens, even if it meant abandoning a comrade, he needed to place them first. However his heart was conflicted, how could anyone abandon not just a comrade but a friend who he had grown up with his entire life?


    It was a cruel decision to make.


    Yet sensing his hesitation Nicholai offered a few more words to alleviate his guilt.


    ¡°Milord, it will be fine. I have no intentions of falling here.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re enemies from the [Heaven State], there¡¯s no way you can take them all on!¡±


    Nicholai smirked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for doubting me but rest assured. I have a small trump card up my sleeve for just these kinds of occasions. I¡¯d also rather not have you see this if possible.¡±


    Leon stared back at Nicholai for a solid few seconds before sighing and turning away. Being friends with him almost since birth there shouldn¡¯t have been anything that Leon didn¡¯t know about him, much less some kind of special ¡®trump card¡¯. However this situation had gotten too out of hand so the only choice was to place his trust in his friend.


    ¡°Is that so? Then, don¡¯t die¡­ that¡¯s an order.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Of course, milord.¡±


    Carrying the small child under his arms, Leon made a dash for it into the thicket of the forests. Under the orders of Nazarym the masked men did not even attempt to give chase, standing perfectly still as though they were mere puppets. Seeing their lack of initiative Nazarym lashed out them angrily.


    ¡°What are you fools doing?! Chase after him!¡±


    The masked men all nodded in sync as they prepared to leave. However as they turned to give chase one of the masked men was instantly crushed under a burning stone pillar that suddenly dropped out of the sky. Buried under a pillar of stone and fire, sinking in a pool of yellow blood the man died without even getting a chance to struggle. He soon disintegrated with not even a speck of his corpse remaining.


    ¡°Hmm, so those men were also infected by that urine colored crystal. No wonder I couldn¡¯t feel anything from them, and since I can¡¯t feel your presence you must also be the same way, huh? Well, no matter because I won¡¯t let a single one of you escape.¡±


    Nazarym turned to look back, clenching the two daggers in his hands to the point blood dripped from his palms- a sinister yellow liquid.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not a knight, you¡¯re a mage!¡±


    ¡°Aha~ I guess the secret¡¯s out. That¡¯s right I¡¯ll crush every single one of you who dares to give chase¡­ no, on second thought I¡¯ll crush every single one of you regardless.¡±

 Chapter 46 - Better than you

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 46 ¨C Better than you


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    [Magma Pillar], it was the name of the spell Nicholai had used to complete decimated one of the masked men. Even after the initial descent of the pillar of hellfire the spell¡¯s effect continued to linger in the form of a burning piece of terrain that prevented opponents from approaching. Yet ignoring their comrade¡¯s utter destruction the rest of the masked men continued in their attempt to pursue after the prince.


    Annoyed by their mindless devotion to orders, Nicholai dropped even more Magma Pillars on top of them in order to seal their movements, even killing some of them in the process. Eventually a long line of burning pillars had been erected to prevent any of the masked mean from leaving the area. Despite his warnings, one of the masked men still continued to give chase and came into contact with the inferno pillar only to burst into flames.


    The masked man looked down at his own body that was being burnt to cinders but didn¡¯t even utter a sound to acknowledge the intense pain that should have been. Standing in his own pyre he simply looked back at Nazarym before slowly being consumed entirely and made into ashes. Seeing this, the remaining masked men also turned to Nazarym having decided to cease their pursuit and futile waste of their own lives.


    ¡°Tch, useless damned puppets. Whatever, I¡¯ll just kill the prince by my own hands later, first is you.¡±


    Nazarym pointed his black dagger towards Nicholai who was wearing a satisfied expression on his face. Seeing the arrogant demeanor he frowned once more as he bit the side of his lips to calm himself of his seething anger. A small amount of yellow blood dripping from his lips, since he wasn¡¯t able to feel pain the entire act was pointless and his anger had not subsided.


    ¡°You¡¯ll kill the one I¡¯ve sworn to protect? I see, so now that you¡¯ve made that very real, legal threat this means I can finally consider you a true enemy of the West Tetrarchy. Normally I would¡¯ve had to capture you partially alive in order to extract information but since you¡¯ve elevated yourself into a fully fledged enemy of the state I can take my time in killing you to my heart¡¯s content.¡±


    Said Nicholai as he pushed up the frames of his glasses, a sinister smile and gaze hidden beneath those innocent features of his youthful face. At this moment he was acting neither a Praetorian Knight nor a friend of the First Prince of the Tetrarchy, right now he was just a bloodthirsty monster with a prey in sight.


    ¡°Bastard, you really want to die don¡¯t you? Even arrogance should have its limits.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and for once I completely agree with you that you should shut the hell up before I decide to part you of that shitty little tongue. You¡¯ll kill the prince later? Are you for real?¡±


    Nicholai glared back, the final reflections of light fading from his eyes. For the sin of having threatened the life of the prince, the only thing he could think about was the complete and utter destruction of the fool who stood before him.


    ¡°Tch, whatever¡­ just die!¡±


    Seeing as any further talking wasn¡¯t going to yield any productive results, Nazarym shifted tactics and charged for a direct assault instead. In order to prevent Nicholai from simply defending against a very obvious head on attack, Nazarym strafed from side to side as he quickly closed the distance.


    In retaliation Nicholai lobbed the low level spell [Fire Bullet] from the tip of his sword. They weren¡¯t very powerful but their almost instant cast time and immediate effects served very useful for a quick paced battle. Yet even then, Nazarym¡¯s speed proved a little too difficult to land any of them.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    ¡°Right back at you!¡±


    Nicholai shouted as he swung down his sword once Nazarym stepped into striking distance. His sword burst into flames with an applied spell known as [Flame Enchantment], barely missing the opportunity to cleave off a piece of the enemy¡¯s face.


    Seizing the chance where his opponent had just slightly lost balancing after finishing his attack Nazarym went in for a swift counter attack. After sweeping Nicholai''s leg with a low kick he went in for a direct attack, preferably in a vulnerable area or his arm to make the opponent drop his weapon. However as he got close he noticed Nicholai''s subtle smirk, sensing some sort of imminent danger he once again switched tactics and opted to make distance between them instead.


    An erratic burst of flames exploded from within Nicholai, with Nazarym only just barely managing to get away with small burns. Parts of his clothes were instantly seared off, making Nazarym briefly internally panic at what could''ve happened if he decided to go through with the counter attack.


    "Tch, [Flame burst]? You know some extremely annoying techniques."


    Nazarym commented, spitting out a bit of blood that was swimming in his mouth.


    Flame Burst was an advanced level defensive fire spell that uses the caster''s position as the center and sends out a shockwave of flames. While it was indeed a powerful attack, since most mages tend to stay at the backline and away from the enemy, there were many who decided to forgo learning this skill. Yet as a combination fighter/mage it was an extremely useful spell for close quarters combat.


    ¡®This bastard is so annoying, dammit!¡¯ even though Nazarym clearly held the speed advantage, they were all negated by the sheer proficiency and utility of Nicholai¡¯s magic.


    In order to rethink his strategy Nazarym shifted backwards, but Nicholai had no intentions of letting this momentum die. He decided to go on the offensive as he summoned another Magma Pillar at Nazarym¡¯s location, of course knowing full well that it would be evaded.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    Nazarym yelled as he jumped to the right in order to dodge the falling pillar of death. However taking this moment of panicked movement, Nicholai leapt into the fray directly with his burning sword, slashing at his opponent wildly because even a single scratch would have been fine. The Flame Enchantment on his sword would also start to burn the opponent so he could just count on that residual damage to finish of the enemy.


    Unfortunately all of the attacks had been parried or evaded by Nazarym''s agile movements. Flipping backwards with his impressive acrobatic prowess, Nazarym kicked Nicholai away, ending the close skirmish.


    ¡°Goddammit! A flame mage who¡¯s proficient at close combat, are you for real? You¡¯re such a pain in the ass!¡±


    ¡°My, I didn¡¯t expect you to praise me all of a sudden, but thanks.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t praising you, dickhead. You¡¯re an eyesore!¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good to hear, I was seriously starting to wonder if anything I was doing even got to you. Since you¡¯re so fast, like the rat you are. Well then, now that I know you¡¯ve been struggling why don¡¯t we step this up a notch?¡±


    Conducting his hands in the air, Nicholai summoned several series of Magma Pillars. Hellfire crashing down onto the earth as Armageddon played right in front of the two, turning the once lush greenery into a volcanic radiation zone. The clear blue skies were now blanketed by sickly thick smog of ash and dust, the grounds beneath them turning charred black and even the trees petrified white. Breathing was proving to become quite the challenge and seeing even just a few meters ahead was near impossible due to the black smog around them.


    ¡®This bastard¡­ is he trying to suffocate me to death?¡¯ Nazarym thought to himself as he continued to evade the falling cinders.


    Seeing his opponent ruin around like a headless chicken, trying to avoid instant death, Nicholai couldn¡¯t help but flash a bemused smirk. This kind of mockery and arrogance did not escape Nazarym¡¯s notice as he shouted, now more angrily than ever.


    ¡°Why the hell are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh. No reason.¡±


    Responded Nicholai, still wearing his smirk he continued dropping even more Magma Pillars, enough to seriously creating a maze within the battlefield. Not only that but the battle had entered ¡®sudden death mode¡¯ as the destructive force and scale of the pillars had suddenly taken a substation increase. ¡®What the hell? His spells are getting stronger?¡¯ Nazarym¡¯s eyes widened as he was seeing something that shouldn¡¯t have even been possible.


    Typically the power of a mage¡¯s spell tended to gradually lose power as the battle dragged on since their mana reserves were being drained¡­ ¡®yet the power of his spells are increasing in strength?!¡¯ The blast radius and size of the Pillars increased to double its original version, making it even difficult for Nazarym¡¯s speed to dodge.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Bastard, what did you do?! Why the hell are your spells getting stronger?!¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t care to explain it to you. Why should I?¡±


    Nicholai slashed down with his sword despite the fact that Nazarym was nowhere near striking distance. This action caused confusion in Nazarym for a brief moment until he saw the real intentions behind it, a fiery shockwave shot out form the blade, slicing and burning everything in its path. Being caught by sheer surprise, the attack had unexpectedly scored a direct hit across Nazarym¡¯s upper torso.


    Like a violent fountain, yellow blood gushed out from the large wound. However Nicholai didn¡¯t relent from just t his single attack, he sent a few more waves of fiery blades, all managing to hit Nazarym without much trouble.


    Nazarym fell to his knees as he tried to grip the wounds. He did not feel the pain thanks to being infused with the power of the [Golden Monolith] but he could feel his very essence escaping him. Nicholai took this moment of weakness and leapt in to pierce through the enemy''s chest with his sword.


    ¡°Guh¡­!¡±


    Yellow ooze trickled down the blade- a direct hit through the chest.


    ¡°Now then, I¡¯m going need you to die here.¡±


    ¡°Guh¡­ You¡­ You¡­ You idiot~¡±


    With a cruel and chilling smile that could freeze time itself, Nazarym forcefully took a hold of the sword that was firmly lodged into his chest. Taking it by the blade he shattered it completely, putting Nicholai temporarily off balance and with swift low kick he fell to the floor.


    ¡°Kuh!¡±


    Nicholai coughed as Nazarym stomped on top of him with his right leg. He glared down with a sinister and triumphant smile.


    ¡°Too bad~ just like you, I wasn¡¯t actually a fighter either! I¡¯m really a cleric~ kekeke~¡±


    Placing his hands on his chest a light shines from his hands. Near instantly all of his wounds and even his clothes that were charred off were healed and repaired, [Greater Healing]. A silvery light swirling around him in a protective manner, Nazarym cast the light type magic known as [Holy Barrier] upon himself, a skill that increases the caster¡¯s resistance to elemental attacks.


    Nicholai raises his trembling hand and unleashes several volleys of Fire Bullets, yet they prove ineffective as they rebound off of Nazarym¡¯s Holy Barrier.


    ¡°Tch, you piece of- Kuh!¡±


    Before Nicholai could even finish his thoughts, Nazarym stomps on him with enough force to cause him to cough blood.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you get what¡¯s happening here but, it¡¯s over you idiot, you¡¯ve lost. So after I kill you I¡¯m going to go kill that stupid prince buddy of yours, then that kid, then everyone in that village, then I¡¯m going to raid the entire goddamned West Tetrarchy¡­ and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it! Kekekeke~¡±


    Nicholai¡¯s heart starts to rush as blood pumps forcefully into his brain. With a bloodshot glare he stares up defiantly at the figure lording over him, the worlds ¡®I¡¯ll kill you¡¯ failing to escape Nicholai¡¯s tongue.


    Seeing the anguish and hopelessness in his arrogant victim¡¯s eyes, a feeling that could only be described as ¡®ecstasy¡¯ courses through Nazarym¡¯s body. Nazarym continues to stomp down without mercy and beats the downed Nicholai to a bloodied pulp, and as he suffers more and more damage the effects of his persistent magic, namely the Magma Pillars, start to dissipate from the battlefield. The black smog, dust and ash in the air all clear leaving nothing but a charred battleground.


    In one last response, Nicholai attempts to escape the situation through the activation of his defensive fire spell, Flame Burst. A massive eruption of hellish flames release from his body but even this final desperate move proves ineffective against Nazarym¡¯s Holy Barrier.


    Once more Nazarym stared down with a bone chilling smile- everything was over.


    All the cards in Nicholai¡¯s hand had been played and defeated.


    ¡°No matter how much you pretend to be a warrior by swinging around that sword, in the end you¡¯re still a mage. Once you rid a mage of their effectiveness they turn into a punching bag¡­ like this!¡±


    Nazarym stomps down and kicks Nicholai to the side.


    ¡°What? No more words from that incessant tongue of yours? Well whatever, it was fun while it lasted¡­ fool.¡±


    While he was freed from being beneath Nazarym¡¯s boots the pain coursing through his body was too much to overcome. Struggle to even stagger away all Nicholai could do was crawl through the blackened ashes he himself created through his magic, choking violently from the dried air.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Nazarym asked, snapping his fingers to command the masked men who had been quietly watching the entire battle from the sidelines. They moved on his orders and restrained Nicholai to the floor.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I send you off to the afterlife with a bang?¡±


    Nazarym pointed to the sky in preparation to cast another light type magic spell. After a short delay a small ball of light had formed gently floating in the sky, a spell known as [Heaven¡¯s Wrath]. Like a second sun in the sky it illuminated across the entire area with a searing brightness and marking Nicholai as its intended target, it quickly descended with breakneck speed.


    Upon just the smallest bit of contact the orb of light exploded, the entire battlefield bursting into a bright whiteness that seemed as though it was erasing existence itself in a local area. Everything had been annihilated, the ground beneath them turned from ashes to just dead sand and the tall trees that survived the inferno pyre of Nicholai¡¯s magic no longer even existed. Even the masked men that were supposed to have been Nazarym¡¯s allies were not spared.


    Still, somehow Nicholai had managed to cling onto dear life but even that wasn¡¯t likely to last long. With his final moments of consciousness he looked up to see the overbearing figure of Nazarym cruelly smiling back.


    ¡°Considering after all the blabbering you¡¯ve done in this fight it¡¯s an ironic way to die isn¡¯t it? Not even being able to utter your final words you¡¯ll die in the middle of nowhere with the knowledge that there was nothing you could¡¯ve done from the beginning. Well don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sending your dear prince over to you after I¡¯m done with him too.¡±


    For the closing act, Nazarym held up his dagger as though he was about to sacrifice a lamb to the gods. He prepared to take the opponent¡¯s life.


    ¡°Farewell, idiot.¡±


    Nazarym lowers his dagger, yet just before the final climax was about to be attained, it had been interrupted.


    ¡°Eh? Wh- what¡­ when, how did you?¡±


    A ghastly black metal hand ripped and burst through his chest, crushing his heart, lungs and anything in between. For a solid few seconds all thought in Nazarym¡¯s head had been erased by the sheer surprise of this turn of events. The fact that someone was able to sneak up on him was inconceivable.


    Shifting his head slightly to the left he tried to see the identity of the person who just attacked him. Yet all he was met with was a black helmet with a single red glowing eye staring back at him with contempt. It spoke to him.


    ¡°Hoh~ I¡¯m impressed you haven¡¯t died after I just crushed your lungs and heart, you can even still speak. Is this the kind of immortality you youngsters achieved nowadays? Though I can¡¯t say I¡¯m too fond of this method, it lacks any sort of elegance.¡±


    A voice that didn¡¯t even seem like it belonged to anything organic, Errick Rommel.


    ¡°W- who are¡­¡±


    Nazarym asked, vomiting up his own yellow life fluid. It would have killed just about anyone else, but Nazarym was special as he held the power of the Golden Monolith¡¯s immortality. That being said, it was still a daunting sight to see a hand stick out of his own chest. Unable to keep composure he hesitatingly asked for the man¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Ah yes, how could I have forgotten my own introduction? I am Grand Admiral Errick Rommel of the USSC¡­ but you already knew that, didn¡¯t you? Dagda¡­¡±


    Retracting his own hands from Nazarym¡¯s chest, Errick started to clean the disgusting yellow liquid off of his shirt with his handkerchief. No longer being supported by Errick¡¯s arm, Nazarym¡¯s body fell to the floor with a loud thud, though not completely dead he had been heavily incapacitated for a time.


    Turning around Errick finally acknowledges the figure that has been waiting for him across the charred battlefield. A hulking figure covered in dark grey, almost iron colored skin, smiling with excitement. The figure speaks¡­


    ¡°Fufu ~Yes¡­ it¡¯s been 100 years, Errick Rommel.¡±

 Status on the current progression of the story

    Hey guys, sorry that this isn''t a real chapter. I''m not so diligent as to upload with such frequency. In any case, I really just wanted to take the time to tell you, because people have been wondering, that the main character, Morgant will not be appearing for the entire duration of this arc.


    This means that at least for the next 10 - 15 chapters he will not appear at all. If you are displeased by this fact, please file your complaint to upper management. I will try to make it at least interesting see Nemesis do things but please do try to understand my decision on how I have chosen to progress this story.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I will make some side chapters to give you my idea on what happened to Morgant and the rest, but that will be the extent of it.


    Once again, thank you for reading until now and I hope you continue to enjoy.

 Chapter 46.5: Side Story - The Future of the Fallon Family

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 46.5: Side Story ¨C The Future of the Fallon Family


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    -Morgant Fallon¡¯s PoV-


    Staring out into the open window of my room, I feel a quiet sense of tranquility from the carefully falling snow. I couldn¡¯t help but smile, even bitterly, at how everything went back to normal even after such a grand disaster. Looking below the small backwater city returned to its bustling state as people rushed to and from the markets, the portside was fairly lively as well after overseas trading resumed.


    Well, since the town itself wasn¡¯t damaged during that entire kerfuffle all that was really required was a return to ¡®normalcy¡¯ in the people¡¯s minds. Of course not everything could be returned to normal, a lot of people had died after all, but even with grieving and heavy hearts they tried their best to strive past their darkness. I can only commend the strength of these citizens, this ¡®new¡¯ world may not have the strength and will comparable to the ¡®old¡¯ world, but they are still trying.


    They are not human, at least the vast majority of them aren¡¯t, but I can still see that a little bit of humanity¡¯s will had been inherited by them. I think it¡¯s a good thing, perhaps I was a little bit too fixated on the external appearances of a human that I failed to see what truly mattered. My own prejudice and superiority to my own kind isn¡¯t something I can easily throw away, it has already become a core aspect of my personality, but that doesn¡¯t stop me from appreciating the determination of the other races.


    I smile once more, with my breath a small white fog, right¡­ I don¡¯t hate this moment at all.


    ¡°Umm¡­ sister? Can I ask what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Suddenly I feel a heavy burden being placed on my entire body, turning back with a slight glance it¡¯s Este. She looks at me with a bright smile, her face almost reminds me of my own due to the similar colorations and features, though if I had to say she looks a lot more innocent. It¡¯s a very odd feeling; is this what having siblings were like? Isn¡¯t she just a female clone of me?


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, nothing¡­ Fufu, I just thought that Morgant looked a little lonely staring out the window~ so I just¡­ Teehee?¡±


    She tries to laugh it off but really what is she doing? She¡¯s already ten years old this year, though while I can still consider that as an extremely young child, she¡¯s not only an older sibling but also an orphan. Those two characteristics are traits that should have accelerated the growth of her maturity, though if I really had to describe our relationship, it would be that she was the younger sister.


    I suppose if we compare the actual length of life experience, I would technically be older, but still¡­


    Oh well, it¡¯s not that I particularly mind having this girl be this clingy it¡¯s just that there is some serious competition for the ¡®Morgant Cup¡¯.


    ¡°Este! What are you doing?! You¡¯re bothering Morgant!¡±


    Right, the high pitched voice of a very familiar childhood friend rushes towards us. Trying to pry her away from me Alice tugs at Este¡¯s clothes. To counter her, Este tries to put distance between them by using her longer reaching legs, since she¡¯s older and she¡¯s using the longest and strongest part of her body Alice obviously loses out.


    I can almost see Alice¡¯s eyes starting to tear up, but she doesn¡¯t and tries to leap into the fray again. Their fierce competition only increases in intensity and they escalate to tugging each other¡¯s clothes. Just what do these girls think they¡¯re doing on someone¡¯s back? Well, since I have the [Mk 7 Gigandoll Powerframe] implanted into me I don¡¯t really feel that much of a burden but¡­ still, they have way too much energy.


    I suppose it¡¯s a good thing that they¡¯re getting along; I was actually a little worried about how Este would act after losing Sipher. The first few months were horrible, she was just a shut in, so having no choice to open her up, I told her the truth about our relationship. I¡¯m sure she had a difficult time in believing me, considering that our personalities were like heaven and earth, but still I think over time she couldn¡¯t deny the similarities between us. It also helps that Enrich joined into to convince her, that guy¡¯s social skills are way too good.


    As for Alice¡­ well, I¡¯m not really sure if I completely understand what she is. The only things I really understand about her are that she isn¡¯t a normal human and that Dian Cecht is after her. I have come up with several theories but all of them are just mere speculation and even Alice herself doesn¡¯t know what she is, heck she wasn¡¯t even conscious through most of that horrible event.


    But if I had to put it in one word¡­ ¡®God¡¯. Or at least some kind of super powerful, sentient weapon. Either way, I don¡¯t want her falling into the hands of Dian Cecht or anyone really.


    ¡°Oi, guys knock it off. Can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re bothering him?¡±


    Coming to my aid were my other two childhood friends, Ren and Celina. Nothing much has changed about them, actually it¡¯s frightening how nothing in the orphanage has changed even after all of that. Though I guess that¡¯s a point I should be happy with.


    Though if I really had to point out one notable change, it¡¯s that Ren sometimes gets a distant look in his eyes when it¡¯s just the two of us. Could it be that my true character really affected him to that degree? Even if that were the case that can¡¯t be helped and is something natural. If he comes to hate me for it, I can¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°A- Alice¡­ Miss Este? U- ummm I think Morgant doesn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Celina tries but she¡¯s overwhelmed by the two beasts throwing a fit behind my back.


    I smile bitterly once more and resume my glance out the snow blanketed city. If life could continue like this forever then even I might be a little content with that, but I know for a fact that this can¡¯t be. Dian Cecht and his merry gang of Crimson Knights are running amok out there. For now Astaroth and her army has subdued them and the war has been going on for a year without much change, but I¡¯m sure even that¡¯s going to come to a stop.


    ¡®Eventually your destiny is to go to the Demon Capital¡¯¡­ she even said something like that. She had confidence in those words, meaning that she probably saw something with her future vision. If the situation where I would be required to go to the Demon Capital arises then it¡¯s all over for the demons.


    So for now the only thing I can do is enjoy what little time we have left.


    ¡­


    ¡°Eh? The true identity of the [Fallon] Family? I guess they¡¯re like kings?¡±


    After having gone out of my way to visit him about the truth of my origins, this is the answer I get from Enrich. A vague answer that doesn¡¯t really explain anything, also at this point ¡®kings¡¯ are kind of a weak existence don¡¯t you think? I¡¯ve already met a ¡®slime¡¯ king, a ¡®spider¡¯ queen, the ¡®lord of death¡¯, the ¡®demon¡¯ lord and even a God.


    ¡°Mind explaining further?¡±


    I objected to him finishing his explanation there. I avoided asking Este about the truth out of consideration to not drag out bad memories, but the same can¡¯t be said to this man.


    ¡°Hoh? I thought that someone of your calibre would have already figured out your origins even without my explanation. After all, aren¡¯t you the one who drove even Demon Lord Erendel into a corner?¡±


    He smirks as he looks down at me. That sadistic smile¡­ this guy, he¡¯s actually fairly weak when it comes to straight up physical confrontation, so why does he act so triumphant?


    ¡°Aha~ I see, so you wanted to die that badly, huh? Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner? I would¡¯ve gladly helped you achieve this grand dream of yours~¡±


    I say as I pick up a nearby pencil with my [Telekinesis] and flaunt it about him threateningly. His face goes a bit pale but he still tries to maintain a minimum level of dignity even in the face of death. I guess it¡¯s because he knows I¡¯m not seriously going to stab him just for not answering a simple question.


    ¡°Now, now, why don¡¯t the two of you stop? If you really want to fight then take it outside of my office.¡±


    Francisco tells us from across the room. We¡¯re in his office- actually this place kind of became a secret lair for evil masterminds, namely Enrich, Francisco and myself. Then there¡¯s Yvonne who¡¯s quietly leaning against the wall without even bothering to acknowledge the chaos in front of her.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    About Yvonne¡­ it¡¯s a bit anti-climatic but we managed to save her from dying using the technology of Gladsheim. Since she was unconscious the entire time she naturally has no knowledge of that place. It¡¯s actually quite a frightening prospect if you think about it; having been carried off when you were unconscious then having some mysterious surgery performed on you without your permission then returned back to your normal environment. It¡¯s like some of those stories of UFO abductions.


    Though it really is amazing, that even after fighting against a god, that we were able to all return alive. However that and this are separate issues.


    Releasing my telekinesis I fall back onto the comfort of the couch.


    ¡°From my knowledge there are four Tetrarchs in the Center Continent. Considering the Fallons were a family of humans the only reasonable conclusion is that they were from the center continent where the majority of humans reside.¡±


    Even though I say that, there are also numerous other races that live in the center continent. Elves, Fairies, Titans, Dwarves, some demons, etc. but two biggest populations are of course the Humans and the Elves.


    ¡°Yes, quite.¡±


    ¡­ That¡¯s it? That¡¯s the only answer I get?


    Well, to speculate a little more, of those four Tetrarchy, the Fallon family wasn¡¯t one of them, or rather we couldn¡¯t be because we were wiped out and the four Tetrarchy are very much still standing. The only living members of our family are Este and myself, though I can¡¯t entirely rule out the possibility of another survivor I think it¡¯s safe to assume that it¡¯s just us two for now.


    The center continent is actually divided up into five countries. The Four Tetrarchy surrounds a fifth country that¡¯s in the dead center of the center continent. Though rather than a ¡®country¡¯ it¡¯s more accurate to say that it¡¯s a city; a ¡®Megalopolis¡¯. Since it has its own autonomy it¡¯s similar to how the ¡®Vatican¡¯ worked in the old world, only on a scale that¡¯s many thousands of times grander.


    I believe the center country was known as the ¡®Grand Capital¡¯, a really simple name.


    ¡°Then¡­ the lords of the Grand Capital?¡±


    I whispered out under my breath but Enrich¡¯s eyes lightened up suggesting that I was dead on. He gave me a satisfied nod as though he were testing me or something and confirmed my suspicions.


    ¡°As you¡¯ve correctly speculated, the Fallon family has been the lords of the Grand Capital for many decades. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call them the true rulers of the entirety of the center continent of Ariadyne¡­ That was until seven years ago¡­¡±


    He spoke those last few words with a heavy tone. This guy, just what¡¯s his backstory anyway? From the fallen Fallon clan to the previous Demon Lord, those are some extraordinary connections. He looks back up at me and smiles- creepy¡­


    Still, seven years isn¡¯t exactly a long time.


    ¡°So? What exactly happened seven years ago that lead to the collapse this mighty family?¡±


    I asked him with an extremely indifferent tone, but to be fair they really were strangers. To me the only real family I had were those rowdy bunch at the orphanage and Este, at this current time I didn¡¯t care too much about what happened to the rest of my family since I never knew them. The only point of interest was that they were lords of the Grand Capital, but the only reason it piqued my interest was so I could understand the political climate.


    Enrich looked up at me with a rather surprised expression, he probably thought I¡¯d be sad or something. Then he returned to his usual false smile after understanding why I was so indifferent.


    ¡°A rebellion¡­ no, I suppose an invasion is closer to the truth. It happened only in a single night, but men cloaked in ghastly black robes raided the Fallon castle and a small scale war broke out. Through fire and blood every trace of the Fallon family was destroyed and well¡­ I guess you can figure out the rest, right?¡±


    Este escaped with Sipher¡­ no I suppose he was already Dian Cecht by that point. If that¡¯s the case then the instigators of the raid were probably members under Dian Cecht¡¯s command. The enemy of a God¡­ just what did the Fallon family do?


    Or could it be¡­


    ¡°Then who are the current rulers of the Grand Capital?¡±


    I asked, just to make sure.


    ¡°Eh¡­ I believe it was the [Noire] family that took over. They were the family with the second most power in the Grand Capital so it was only natural for them to step up when all of the members of Fallon allegedly perished.


    ¡°Then any chance that they conspired with the raiders in order to gain the seat of the lord that way?¡±


    However Enrich shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, or at the very least unlikely. The Noire family sent a lot of aid to prevent the Fallon family from perishing, to the point that the Noire family almost perished themselves. As a result they¡¯re extremely weak, and they¡¯ve only barely managed to maintain control over the Grand Capital out of the populace¡¯s respect for the Fallon family. In order not to ruin everything they¡¯ve built the entire city is miraculously helping each other.¡±


    What a nice story, though I guess that in itself has some serious problems with it. Namely concerning the relationships with the other four Tetrarchy. Perhaps it was obvious by my facial expression as to what I was thinking but Enrich seems to have caught on.


    ¡°By that look you¡¯ve figured it out then.¡±


    I nodded. A battle for true succession.


    If everything Enrich has said is true then the best the Noire family can do is hold onto a status quo that will eventually be destroyed with even a small hint of a shake. Someone else has to step in and finally solidify the ruling party in order to secure the country¡¯s future and it seems all four Tetrarchy are willing to take that role.


    From my knowledge the Grand Capital is the center of economics, trade, innovation, inventions, class and etc. Basically it¡¯s a utopia and is in perfect geographic location to spread whatever it develops. This kind of place, it¡¯s natural that any country would want to get their hands on it.


    Enrich nods.


    ¡°Right, because of this the relationships between the four Tetrarchy have started to break down. With the increase in animosity between each other small skirmishes have also erupted.¡±


    ¡°Well, obviously.¡±


    As I answer indifferently, Enrich stares at me with a smile.


    ¡°What is it? You¡¯re creeping me out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, I was just wondering what you were going to do about it.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m going to do about it?¡±


    I parroted his words and thought to myself. Remaining impartial and watching as the situation unfolds itself might be entertaining in its own right but I suppose I can¡¯t just sit this one out.


    Ever since I found Gladsheim I¡¯ve been wondering what I wanted to do with my life and this power. If there was anything I wanted to do it was probably best to take advantage of this turmoil to promote my own agendas.


    Looking back at Enrich, then at Francisco who was quietly working on his own and finally to Yvonne, I sighed.


    ¡°Honestly I don¡¯t have the slightest bit of interest in taking revenge or anything like that, just so you know. Whatever I do next is purely because I want to.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then what is it that Morgant wants to do?¡±


    Enrich asked, smiling. Glancing to the side I could also sense that Francisco and Yvonne were subtly smiling as well. Eagerly waiting for my reply, well, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to let them in on my plan.


    ¡°The Grand Capital¡¯s geographic location is too good to pass up for the fruition of any of my other plans, I¡¯ll conquer it eventually.¡±


    Right¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking this past year about what to do and there is only one conclusion I¡¯ve come up with¡­


    I¡¯ll revive the [Union States of the Sovereign Confederacy].

 Chapter 47 - Fate between Gods

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 47 - Fate between Gods


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    Looking around, it was the same regardless of the direction she decided to take.


    Nemesis couldn''t help but let out a heavy sigh, it was fine that she successfully managed to find her way out of the underground base, but now she no longer had a solid destination. The world had changed so much that not a sign of any concrete jungle could be detect, only actual jungles. With no point of reference all she could do was run around in circles looking for something to catch her interests. However even aimless wandering had its limits, a horribly chilling thought crept into her head as she suddenly stopped walking, ''don''t tell me this world is devoid of sentient life?''


    She hastily shifted her gaze around, certainly aside from that ''Horned, armor bear'' there was nothing else that could even come close to being considered ''sentient''. She shook her head, ''no but there should at least be some immortals from the old world that''s still around... right?'' she tried to convince herself.


    Resuming her pace she tried to shake that kind of thought out of her head. Such a frightening prospect was not something she wanted to deal with; it would have been better if she were surrounded by enemies than to live in a world with no intelligent life. For the time being her best option was to wander around until she got a hold of her current geographic bearings, but in the meanwhile she still needed something to occupy her mind.


    Since she had the freedom of being out in the open she decided to test the functionality of her [Environmental Battle Suit]. Of the three functions she couldn''t quite test out the ''stealth mode'' feature since there wasn''t anyone else that she could use it on, thus she decided to postpone it for later.


    The second function was the inbuilt [Gigandoll Power Frame MK6(Experimental)] unfortunately it wasn''t able to be completed before the collapse of the USSC. It wasn''t as powerful as the later MK7 implant type nor could she utilize the ''interface'' options that most later generations of psychics used. What was left was merely a strength enhancer but that in and of itself was already very valuable.


    She took a deep breath and clenched her fists. After having mentally prepared she unleashed her attack towards a house sized boulder that had been conveniently placed in front of her. It didn''t take much effort in fact even after preparing herself she still held back quite a bit of strength, but the boulder had completely disintegrated into microscopic fragments, not only that but the blast range also encompassed and destroyed the trees and bushes behind it.


    "[Mmm, works perfectly.]"


    Other than just raw physical strength, her jumping and sprinting capabilities had also been multiplied to a exceeding degree. At the very least there shouldn''t be many direct threat to her life in the foreseeable future.


    Next was the [Inventory] function however since she did not have the ''interface'' feature she could not see what items had been stored in her inventory. She could still store and withdraw items but she needed to physically memorize both the item code and the item itself in order to access them. It was a hassle every time but after having been a soldier on the front lines for many years her equipment and their item codes had already been cemented into her long term memory.


    She closed her eyes and thought to herself for a bit. Her temporary hesitation was not due to having forgotten what she wanted to summon but because the item had a bit of lingering sentiment to her. She bitterly laughed to herself under her breath as she slowly chanted.


    "[Weapon Code 5887E6Q3... Matter Reconstruction.]"


    Materializing in her hand was a long katana, almost too big for her now child-sized proportion. Lengthwise it exceeded her height, the handle was decorated in an exquisite and elegant blue design, the sword guard was minimal with simply an oval shape but even this part was extremely fitting to the overall aesthetics. Yet, if it was just a matter of having an excellent craftsmanship, then it would not have much merit or value to the USSC''s most elite super soldier.


    No, the true value of the sword was in its blade. Of course that would be a given for any sword, good or bad. A blade so reflective that it crossed the boundary between a normal metal and a mirror, in fact this was no ordinary metal. The long, slightly curved, single edged blade was made not out of anything that seemed even remotely feasible; a liquid metal known as ''mercury''. It had been strengthened and solidified using a secret technique known only to the USSC''s top secret weapons research team. In other words, it was now a lost art with near 0% chance of replication.


    Nemesis clutched tightly onto the sword and gazed deeply into it. Held now with both of her hands instead of the usual singlehanded swordplay she was used to. She scoffed at herself once more as she thought back to why Sovereign had given her this specific sword.


    The sword itself had no name, if anything the designated weapon code 5887E6Q3 was its official name. Yet it did have a reputation and a nickname, a rather ominous one at that. ''Comrade Slayer''... Nemesis thought to herself, recalling the blade''s purpose.


    A blade created for the sole purpose of slaying opponents who shared similar properties with her- fellow psychics. Or to be more specific it was to hunt down traitors and deserters who could become a potential threat. She smiled bitterly once more as she saw her own reflection against the extremely reflective surface, though it had become a little distorted from the properties of mercury.


    This sword was both proof that she was very trusted by Sovereign but at the same time an awful burden. Still, she carried it with pride knowing that eventually it would become a necessity; this burden was her responsibility and her''s alone, as a member of the [Upper Echelon].


    Yet everything was already in the past and now even the purpose of the blade had been lost. It was still usable but a blade that had lost its purpose was nothing more than a sentimental heirloom from a country that no longer existed. Recalling the sword back into her inventory Nemesis sighed as she continued to walk forward.


    At the very least it still had one final job... ''Symphony...''


    ...


    Smiling eagerly, bearing his sharp, jagged teeth a lone God stood towering. Ashen grey skin, unlike any complexion that could be considered ''healthy, or even ''unhealthy'' it was an oddly brutish color, as though all tone had been drained. Yet through those menacing grays one could easily see a formidable muscular structure that even put gods to shame, retracted, he was the apex of what a ''God'' should be.


    ''Dagda'', the God of Warriors, he himself was the very model of a warrior. Standing before him was the apex of preys, an opponent that could not only fight him as equals, but in the past had even given him a taste of defeat. Since his epic defeat he had lived these past one hundred years solely for the purposes of defeating this insurmountable foe.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Errick Rommel..."


    Dagda called out as he licked his own lips. Every hair in his body tingled with heavy excitement, and with every heart beat it was a count down to what he had lived this entire past one hundred years for. He couldn''t hold himself back and his chest felt as though it would burst open with sheer anticipation.


    He took a step closer.


    He was feeling the very edge of his limitations holding back, but he knew he had to wait. It was a matter of formalities against an opponent that he, as a God, had recognized as truly ''worthy''. He needed to give the enemy this great honor, to allow Errick Rommel to prepare himself so he could be defeated at his prime.


    These past one hundred years was torture but the one thing that Dagda felt relieved about was that Errick Romeml was an immortal. He didn''t have to worry about the possibility of him aging and losing his lustre. The opponent was a [Ghost Armor], an undead so to speak, or as he liked to put it a [Cyborg], so he could wait on Dadga for forever.


    "I see, so it really was you... Dagda. I had hoped our inevitable meeting would have been delayed for a further two or three hundred years. I suppose destiny is not something that one can elude so easilt."


    Errick Rommel shook his head. Dagda''s eyes flashed open as he heard the sounds of that mysterious voice that resembled nothing alive. ''It''s truly him!'' Dagda already knew but he couldn''t help but burst out with even more excitement as he confirmed this fact. It wasn''t an illusion, ''this is real!''


    "No, I have waited far too long for this moment! I won''t let you deny the very purpose of these past one hundred years!"


    Dagda took another step forward.


    "Ah... is that so? I suppose I am also partly to blame for entertaining excited children. Very well Dagda, then I shall be your opponent."


    ...


    As though submerged completely under water, a cold darkness encompassed around Nicholai- trapped within his own subonscious.


    ''Ah, I must''ve fallen unconscious,'' he thought to himself, yet even though he was trapped within this desolate realm a horrific pressure unlike anything he had felt before infiltrated his mind. Like a silent dagger piercing his heart, he could do nothing but only to shudder in the helpless darkness at whatever was happening outside. He could feel every muscle in his body trying to retract from whatever was the origin of that terror.


    "...lai..."


    For a brief moment he thought he heard something. He shifted around the darkness but saw nothing, of course, this was inside his own mind so who else could come in here? He also wondered if he even wanted to leave his own subconscious knowing that something monstrous was waiting for him.


    "...Nic...lai...!"


    He heard someone''s voice once more, he looked around but there was no one.


    "... Nicholai...?!"


    Looking up he could see a small slimmer of light shining down. ''This voice...'' he had heard it many times in his life so he could not be mistaken about it. It was Prince Leon''s voice, ''but that shouldn''t be,'' he had already told him to get out of the forest while he still could. There was no way he would forsake the life of a child just to rejoin him in a futile battle, so then was it really him?


    "Oi, Nicholai! Open your eyes!"


    With those words he felt a rush of adrenaline push him out of his submerged consciousness. He was dragged towards the silvery light and as he emerged the light of day penetrated his retinas.


    "Ugh..."


    He has flinched back in pain and returned his eyes to the darkness.


    "Nicholai, you okay?"


    "Milord? Why are you still here? I thought I told you to leave the forests already! Did you really choose to abandon a child for the sake of saving a comrade?!"


    Nicholai lashed out, rather uncharacteristically. He was usually the calm and condescending type but right now all he could feel was bitterness and anger, ''is it because I lost?'' Nicholai asked himself. After acting so arrogantly, to have lost in the most embarrassing way was a major disgrace to his name.


    "What are you talking about? I''ve already returned the child back to the village and came back to save you!"


    "You''ve come back to save me? I think you''re making a grave mistake; the enemy was far more powerful than I thought. He could attack at any moment so please try to prioritize your escape."


    After a brief moment of silence Leon let out a small chuckle.


    "By ''enemy'' do you mean that?"


    ''That?'' Nicholai wondered, finally opening his eyes he followed the gaze of the prince to a horribly wounded body. Laying upon the floor in an ooze of vile yellow liquid, it was Nazarym''s body though upon closer inspection he wasn''t yet truly ''dead''. A soured expression as he gripped tightly onto the large gaping hole in his chest, he had been severely immobilized.


    "What.. who did...?"


    Nicholai couldn''t even fathom what kind of destructive force went through his chest to cause such a large wound. Nazarym was nigh immortal but seeing him grasping for air in what appeared to be pain almost made him worthy of sympathy.


    "Yeah... I couldn''t believe it at first either but... tch, that monster is actually more monstrous than I had originally thought."


    Though he used a reluctant tone, when Nicholai examined his face Leon had a shuddering smile plastered on his face. Nicholai understood, it was the kind of expression that one would usually give when a situation becomes too exciting for a person. So then, he wondered, just what exactly was happening for his usually straight laced, dutybound and calm childhood friend to make such an unbecoming face?


    Following his gaze once more his sight fell onto to men. One large, darkened brute easily standing over three meters tall, the other did not even appear human yet carried an air of malignant elegance.


    "That''s...?"


    Nicholai didn''t know who to cheer for as they both seemed equally destructive and malicious from his view.


    "It''s that suit of armor wearing a nobleman''s clothes, that''s the baron of this town, Errick Rommel."


    Nicholai shifted up his glasses.


    "I see, and the other?"


    A small pause. Prince Leon replied in an uneasy tone.


    "... I''m not to sure but I heard him call himself ''Dagda''..."


    An ice like chilling shock instantly ran down Nicholai''s back, scraping against his very composure. ''Dagda...?'' he repeated to himself. It wasn''t a common name, in fact it was common knowledge that only one being carried that name.


    "You mean...?"


    Nicholai quickly looked over to Leon is surprise.


    "Yeah, if that''s true then without a doubt our opponent is a ''God'', and not just any but the strongest one."

 Chapter 48 - Heaven Realms strongest

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 48 - Heaven Realm''s strongest


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    ¡®The God of Warriors, Dagda,¡¯ with such an entity as their enemy, Leon wondered to himself if victory was even a realistically attainable goal. He took a slight glance to his side, there Nazarym laid upon the ground soaked and struggling in a pool of his own putrid yellow blood. Yet even whilst there was no doubt in his mind that it was Baron Rommel who dealt such a huge crippling blow to the enemy that even Nicholai recognized as ¡®powerful¡¯, triumph over a god seemed still far from reach.


    He shook his head, ¡®even if he was strong the opponent is an absolute existence.¡¯ A being worshiped and followed by millions but if that wasn¡¯t enough, out of all possible hostile gods to appear, it had to be ¡®Dagda¡¯ who was known to be the strongest. ¡®It¡¯s impossible,¡¯ Leon convinced himself, wallowing in his own powerlessness against an inconceivable opponent.


    Seeing his subtly trembling figure, Nicholai tried to calm him down by placing his hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°Milord, are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You do not appear fine in the slightest, well be that as it may, we best leave the vicinity immediately.¡±


    ¡°Huh?! What for?¡±


    Nicholai sighed as he pointed towards the two figures that were on the verge of breaking out into a no holds barred battle to the death. In each of their ¡®eyes¡¯ all that was reflected was each other, thus there was no doubt massive carnage would ensue. Even now, as Leon stood still he could feel the air slowly suffocating around him, the pressure of the two alone was enough to cause the very air to become tense and hard to breathe.


    ¡°In the event that Baron Rommel loses, it would be more advantageous for us if we were already in a position to retreat.¡±


    ¡®In the event he loses?¡¯ Leon repeated in his mind, he knew it was not a matter of ¡®if¡¯ but ¡®when¡¯. Still, to turn tail and run while an allied combatant was fighting to the death for his country seemed a little cowardly. Could he still call himself the protector of this country even if he turned away from this situation? When he eventually succeeds as Tetrarch this one moment would undoubtedly come back to haunt him.


    ¡°You mean to turn tail and run? How could you even think of¡­¡±


    However Leon himself couldn¡¯t honestly finish that sentence. He clenched his fists tightly and grit his teeth, he had already known that he couldn¡¯t afford to lose his life here. To lose his life meaninglessly here for the sake of his cheap pride would be the worst kind of disrespect he could do to his own country. Even a Tetrarch filled with regrets was better than no Tetrarch at all.


    ¡°Milord, because I¡¯ve been with you since childhood I understand your sentiments the most. To be honest at this point I doubt we¡¯d even make it that far if left now but we still need to prioritize your safety before anything else. You are the future Tetrarch of this nation, you must understand that your life is not just your own and that you have a duty to succeed and guide this country. As your knight I simply refuse to allow you to throw away your life like this. Now please come this way.¡±


    Nicholai extended his hands, despite being riddled with near fatal wounds he still appeared to be in even more of a solid figure than Leon. Was it because of the differences in their discipline that Nicholai acted as though he had everything under control? That he could make life or death choices so simply as though they were mere trivialities, or did Nicholai already know from the beginning what he wanted to protect the most?


    Leon could only bitterly laugh at his own pathetic attitude. He took a deep breath and sighed, taking Nicholai¡¯s hand.


    "I understand."


    Though it was only for a brief, fleeting moment that Leon had met and exchanged dialogue with the Baron but it now felt as though it had been a lifetime. He had drawn many different conclusions about him but as negative as they were, in the end he finally understood one positive thing. That Baron Rommel, while many things, was certainly not a coward; when it truly mattered, he was a grand hero who¡¯d given his life for his country. ¡®I promise your death will not be in vain,¡¯ with that final thought Leon Crow Xix Ariadyne chose to turn his back with a resolute determination.


    Leaving bitterly he whispered ¡®farewell¡¯ under his breath and turned around. Yet it was at that moment the fight between the God Dagda and Errick Rommel had commenced.


    Who could have thought that it would turn out like this? Even his own determination was overpowered as Leon couldn¡¯t help but


    Leaving bitterly he whispered ¡®farewell¡¯ under his breath and turned around. Yet it was at that moment the fight between Dagda and Errick Rommel had commenced. Who could have thought that it would turn out like this, even his own determination was overpowered as Leon turned back to see what was happening.


    Their opening move a collision of their fists, a mere collision of their fists yet in less than a second a fearsome and horrific shockwave screaming like a wild banshee screeched throughout the forest. Instantly turning the forest into a haunted one a large scale explosion took place at the epicenter of their collided fists and soon a magnificent dust cloud engulfed the area.


    ¡°What the-?!¡±


    Leon ¡®s eyes widened in complete shock, a cold shiver running down his spine he couldn¡¯t help but have every fibre of his being tremble at the scene. ¡®A mere clash of fists?!¡¯ he briefly thought his eyes were playing a trick on him, otherwise it would make no sense! When the dust clouds settled down the figure of two titanic beings joined by their knuckles were revealed, strikes of lightning arcing across the two as their brute strength was transformed into a physical phenomena. A small hurricane started to swirl around them as gravity itself was being altered from the sheer force of their physical power alone.


    Dagda smiled, one that turned the crown prince¡¯s blood to ice in an instant. Quickly breaking off from their contest of brute strength, Dagda retracted. Forcing Errick to be temporarily shifted off of his balance, he went in for an uppercut with his unoccupied left arm. Whether it was due to sheer luck or pure skill and experience, Errick had somehow managed to evade the giant swing in a matter of milliseconds. A good thing too as the force of the air pressure alone was enough to part both the air and the ground behind them leaving a massive fissure.


    ¡°W- what¡­ was that?¡±


    Leon asked, but Nicholai shook his head with equal confusion and awe-stricken fear.


    ¡°I do not know¡­ just with arm-strength alone he parted the grounds¡­ I may have horribly underestimated powers of the Gods, but more importantly, for the Baron to take on such an attack directly and even repel it¡­ just who is he?¡±


    Leon shook his head this time.


    ¡°I¡­ father said that he was a being known as [Ghost armor], an undead. However even I am hesitant to believe if that is honestly true.¡±


    Having his attack evaded Dagda''s fists flew threw the air magnificently, knocking him off balance and leaving him vulnerable to counterattack. Not wanting to waste it on a simple punch, Errick had instead opted to kick using the entire force of his titanium forged body. A lightning fast kick, before Dagda could even register that an assault was happening his opponent¡¯s leg had already reached his unguarded sides.


    As Errick¡¯s foot connected a small but noticeable crack appeared on the iron colored complexion of Dagda¡¯s skin. Followed quickly by a rapidly explosion of air that once more covered the battlefield in dust and dirt. Dagda¡¯s body was tossed out of the explosion as though it were a rag doll, smashing through several trees before stopping only a few dozen meters away.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°AHAHAHA! YES THIS IS IT! ERRICK ROMMEL! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT!¡±


    Enjoying the full brunt of even being knocked away, this was truly the kind of battle that Dagda had spent his past one hundred years training for. Seeing the nasty grin on his enemy''s face, Errick couldn''t help but feel disturbed but decided to entertain the child a bit more. As a being that dwarfed history itself it was the duty of Errick Rommel that some beings simply cannot be overcome- that a monster called the ''old world'' existed.


    ¡°Come child.¡±


    Errick scoffed behind his dusk black helmet, his single red ¡®eye¡¯ gleaming even brighter as though a singular focused inferno burned within.


    Recovering almost instantly, Dagda lunged back with a ominously exhilarated smile on his face. For his large hulking body his speed was incomprehensibly fast, almost immediately covering a distance of 70 meters to engage once more. Yet even at the sight of this extreme physical capability, Errick did not seem the least bit surprised and casually entered close quarters combat with his nemesis.


    Their movements were too fast for either Leon or Nicholai to properly track, only being able to see a flurried blur. All they could do was watch a torrential whirlwind of pressure and dust swirling around the entire battlefield. Gazing back with equal awe and fear as to how the outcome of the battle would pan out; in this situation victory for either side seemed equally possible.


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t believe it, this strength to fight against even a god¡­ just what¡­?¡±


    Leon could even adequately explain to himself what it was that was happening in front of him. A power that could not only stand up to a god but to go as far as pushing him back to this extent. ¡®This is the power that created our country?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but recall his father¡¯s words as he called Errick Rommel a ¡®founding father¡¯ of this nation.


    ¡°I see¡­ I suppose this explains why the Southern Tetrarchy never bothered to attack us until now.¡±


    Nicholai calmly analyzed as he pushed up his glasses.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Leon asked, though still unable to turn away from the epic battle of continental super powers that was happening before his very eyes.


    ¡°[Heaven State] I believe they call themselves now? The Southern Tetrarchy knew all along the existence and power of Baron Rommel. That¡¯s why despite possessing three deity level beings on their side they never dared to even launch a small skirmish until now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t our peace due to the ¡®non-aggression¡¯ treaty that all four Tetrarchy signed?¡±


    Nicholai shook his head.


    ¡°Milord, for a country that possesses three deity level beings, that kind of treaty would merely equal toilet paper. Especially now of all times when the political situation at the Grand Capital is all a mess they¡¯d have no reason to hold back. No, even before all of the Fallons were wiped out seven years ago I¡¯m sure the South had been conducting military operations all over the place.¡±


    ¡°So then what, you¡¯re saying that it was Baron Rommel¡¯s presence alone that has been holding back invasion from the South Tetrarchy?¡±


    Holding his breath Leon cursed himself, biting down on his lips until a small trickle of blood fell down. ¡®How could I have possibly known that?!¡¯ if he had known prior then he would¡¯ve understood the reasons behind his father¡¯s actions.


    ¡­


    ¡°Errick Rommel! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve gotten weaker! You¡¯re not even blocking half my attacks!¡±


    Hurling a monstrous barrage of explosive punches, it was slight but Dagda was starting to push Errick back. Only due to the efforts Errick¡¯s naturally armor plated body was most of the impact mitigated. However, as Dagda had pointed out, it was starting to be of concern that Errick was only able to track and defend against half of the attacks thrown at him. ¡®He¡¯s stronger than before,¡¯ Errick thought as he continued to be pushed backwards.


    Losing ground in this meaninglessly open battleground wasn¡¯t particularly a cause for worry, but against Dagda it was starting to become a bit of trouble. The reason for this was due to Dagda¡¯s specific nature, he was a being that would be overly immersed in battle, especially one where he could exhibit his full force. It was to the point that he could subconsciously influence himself to become even stronger just by the sheer drunkenness of his ¡®victory¡¯.


    So seeing Errick be slowly pushed back only served to excite Dagda more, with his punches becoming more wild and potent.


    ¡°AHAHAHAHAAA!¡±


    The two fought bare handed, yet through an exchange of blows even the grounds beneath their feet trembled and quaked fronly their fearsome strength. Unable to withstand their pressure the grounds gave in and started to crack and split. Their footing became unstable due to this, though being experienced warriors on both front it was only cause very minute positional problems. However Errick thought to take advantage of this fact, scanning through $the ground¡¯s structure in the midst of trading blows.


    ¡®There!¡¯ Errick had located a soften ground and lead Dagda to it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! Aren¡¯t you going to fight back?!¡±


    Dagda asked as he wore a large heavenly grin on his face.


    ¡°Careful child, of what you wish for!¡±


    Timing his steps perfectly, Errick stepped upon the soft grounds sinking into it and avoiding a heavy punch from Dagda. Since it was only his altitude that was affected and not his entire body as it would have if he had chosen to dodged, Errick had gained another perfect opportunity to retaliate.


    ¡°Wha-!¡±


    Witnessing Errick¡¯s change in altitude yet not being able to do anything in the midst of an attack Dagda could only watch in slow motion as Errick¡¯s fists started to glow a bright blue. A cold blue inferno erupted out of Errick¡¯s hands as he connected it against Dagda¡¯s open chest.


    [Kinetic Repulsion], it was a [technical skill] that didn¡¯t necessarily increase the damage of one¡¯s attack but did dramatically increase the knock back radius of the opponent. His fists smashed through Dagda¡¯s solar plexus, causing it to crack open revealing a softer white inside. He regurgitated his own vomit from the sheer shock, leaving his mental state unstable.


    A massive pulse of force erupted outwards, hurling Dagda back several hundred- almost a kilometer through the forest. Destroying every tree, boulder and obstruction as he made his mark upon his flight, and as he crash landed his body¡¯s iron colored skin started to crack. He landed head first into the ground knocking him out for a solid few seconds, but that was exactly the length of time Errick needed to prepare.


    ¡°[Weapon Code 9145U7X2, Matter Reconstruction.]¡±


    Errick chanted in a language foreign to this world. An intense flare brightly lit from his hands and once the light died down it was replaced with a foreign object. A large night colored weapon that this world had never seen before, held lengthways with six ominous barrels pointing forward. Far too bulky and cumbersome to be used as any sort of melee weapon but also too convoluted to be a simple ranged weapon.


    It was a weapon that one day the new world would come to recognize as a ¡®Minigun¡¯.


    ¡°Sorry child, but I too have my pride as a member of the [Upper Echelon]. I simply cannot have you win even a little. I shall have you fall here.¡±

 Chapter 49 - From ashes, desperation

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 49 ¨C From ashes, desperation


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    ¡°Hmm~ this ought to be enough, though taking into consideration that overgrown child¡¯s absurd physical capabilities, it would not surprise me if he somehow managed to withstand everything with no so much as a single scratch.¡±


    Taking advantage of this brief moment of respite given to him, Errick commented to himself as he calmly surveyed the battlefield before him. Cold and disdainful winds brushed past him as they centered themselves about to a specific location of the forest. Howling ominously, forcing Errick¡¯s focus towards the distance he could see that something was about to come.


    He had to prepare himself for the second strike.


    ¡­


    ¡°Guh?! Tch, that skill again!¡±


    Dagda roared furiously with unbridled rage. His veins almost popped out from his forehead through his iron colored carapace-like skin. In his tantrum he casually blew away several trees that were innocently standing beside him.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    He took a hold of his own head, trying to force himself to calm down and regain composure by apply pressure. Yet with his orientation severely disrupted from Errick Rommel¡¯s previous attack he couldn¡¯t even manage to stand straight. He tried but quickly fell back to the dirt floor, vomiting out whatever was in his mouth. Every inch of his body was in pain but most of all his head pounded excruciatingly as though it had been struck down by continuous lightning bolts.


    Even his sight wasn¡¯t spared; nothing seemed coherent- up was down and left was right, the world began to spin around inside his head as though trying to fight him. Unable to do anything he knelt down to the floor and stared at the dirt beneath him. Beads of sweat dripped down past his forehead, ¡®one hundred years¡­¡¯ he reminded himself with a painful grimace.


    ¡®Nothing¡¯s changed since then!¡¯ through his pain he was forced to remember back to when he had first faced off against Errick Rommel. It was no different from how it was now; at the time he had so severely underestimated his opponent that he was thoroughly destroyed. Just skittering that memory filled his mouth full blood.


    ¡°As if I¡¯d lose like this! Not again!¡±


    Dagda slammed the floor with his large fist, as a result the entire floor caved in around him. When the dust and debris finally settle down so too did his frustration.


    He took a deep breath then breathed out, he continued to repeat these actions to clear his mind and refocus on what was truly needed to be done. Giving himself a brief moment of respite to get his orientation back in order, slowly but surely the world returned to a state of normalcy and order. He now had one goal before him: defeat Errick Rommel, but to achieve this was not such an easy feat.


    Something else was necessary. More power¡­ more strength, more speed, more defense, more skill more insight¡­ the list was endless, even after he had slaved away the past one hundred years in arduous training. ¡®No, this is how it should be!¡¯ slowly getting back up to his feet he reorganized his thought and came up with a conclusion.


    ¡®There is still one more way,¡¯ though he did not particularly like using this method because he wasn¡¯t quite adept at controlling it. However even if it was a power that would easily go berserk it was still his power so if it could defeat the enemy then it was the same as him finally taking down Errick Rommel. With those thoughts he closed his eyes and focused everything he had into the deepest recesses of his very soul.


    A blinding like flashed through the forest, so intense that it had briefly drained everything of color. Dyed with a bright white, it had somewhat subsided but the light continued to exist as though painted onto Dagda¡¯s two arms. They crawled from his hands up to his elbows before forming into a more solid shape.


    ¡®To overcome an entity that dwarfs gods, heh~¡¯ it should not have been a sentence that should have even been pondered but reality was cruel. He tightened his fists as the light died down a little more, turning themselves into a pair of silver white gauntlets that encompassed his arms. Yet their distinct purposes weren¡¯t for defense but to attack.


    [Spirit Weapon]- A living weapon that was forged from a portion of the user¡¯s own soul. Not only were they many magnitudes greater than regular weapons, but since they were connected to the user¡¯s soul they would also grow more powerful alongside with the user.


    Exhibiting no less than a suffocating divine aura, the pair of silver white gauntlets let out a howling screech. Just with the act of wearing them Dagda felt the weight of his own power starting to multiply and even take on physical phenomena. The nearby trees and plants withered and died as they were suppressed by the sheer pressure. Seeing this he could no longer hold back his blood curdling laughter, ¡®this is it!¡¯ he thought as he drew a haunting grin.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Even the simple echoes of his voice could create miniature earthquakes through the forest. A surge of adrenaline rushed through his entire body, everything was screaming at him to finally ¡®take revenge¡¯.


    ¡°This is the moment I¡¯ve been waiting for! Errick Rommel!¡±


    Tearing up the terrain behind him, Dagda rushed full speed with no regard for anything. Leaving behind a trail of complete destruction, the only thing that existed in his eyes was the grand enemy before him, Errick Rommel. In just few short seconds he had returned to the primary battlefield and seeing that deathly black metal body he could feel every muscle in his body tingle with excitement.


    Dagda briefly sensed the shift in the mood and looking at the opponent¡¯s hand there was something. He didn¡¯t exactly understand what that ¡®something¡¯ was but he knew enough to know that it wasn¡¯t just him that had decided to step up the game. ¡®That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll trash you either way!¡¯ the second round had just begun.


    The physical embodiment of destruction and chaos, Dagda charged straight for his opponent. Winding back his fists in order to prepare the most devastating attack he had ever unleashed in his entire life, he shouted.


    ¡°Errick Rommel!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, so you¡¯ve decided to come back after all, child.¡±


    His opponent scoffed at him, having already caught onto what Dagda¡¯s next plan of attack was going to be, yet that didn¡¯t matter. Dagda was never one to come up with convoluted plans in the first place, for him the most direct approach was the most fitting. Overwhelming and unflinching power, that was how he had overpowered every competition up until now and it wasn¡¯t going to change. This was the kind of ¡®God¡¯ that he was- the wrath of the heavens themselves!


    The weapon in Errick¡¯s hand started to rapidly twist and rotate, for a brief moment even Dagda was left confused as to what it would actually do. It didn¡¯t resemble any melee or ranged weapon he knew but despite this, smashing through his hesitation he resolved to continue on his unstoppable rampage. Or so that was how Dagda was supposed to have operated but from the very depths of his subconscious everything screamed at him, warning him to avoid direct confrontation with that weapon at all costs.


    A small flash of light shot forth from Errick¡¯s weapon and accompanying a loud bang something came whizzing at Dagda¡¯s face with unparalleled speed. If he had chosen to disregard his instincts or had been a second late, then there was no doubt a small hole would¡¯ve drilled through his skull. ¡®Wha¡­!¡¯ he couldn¡¯t even see what it was that was propelled from those barrels but there was no more time to think because the opponent¡¯s assault was far from over.


    It had just begun! A storm of small ¡®something¡¯ came flying at him at a speed that he didn¡¯t even know existed. All he had time to think about was his next direct actions as he tried his best to strafe side to side in order to avoid the flurry of miniature chaos.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The speed of those small pellets were so incredibly fast that even as Dagda dodged to all sides he was still eventually hit by a few of them. They effortlessly penetrated his iron plated skin leaving a small dark hole through to the other side, smoking and even burning a little inside. Following the gush of blood, the pain was intense, unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before in his life but it wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t endure.


    The destructive capability of a single one of those small pellets weren¡¯t anything particularly noteworthy, but the main problem was their seemingly infinite numbers and the absurdly high speed they were being launched. He couldn¡¯t avoid all of them and if things continued he would eventually be riddled with holes.


    There was only one saving grace.


    ¡°Tch, your regenerative capabilities are as annoying as ever.¡±


    Errick commented calmly, not letting up even a moment of rest for the enemy. Looking down at his own body, as Errick had said, he hyper regenerative powers were kicking in. Those small holes in his body was sealing up almost as fast as the bullets were penetrating them. Yet it was also undeniable that he was being damaged faster than he was regenerating, so even he couldn¡¯t afford to face the flurry head on.


    ¡°The annoying thing is your damned weapon!¡±


    Even if it was slight, a ¡®fair¡¯ weapon was one that gave the opportunity to counterattack. It was through the wielder¡¯s and the opponent¡¯s skill that wove between these small vulnerabilities that a fight could truly flourish in to a magnificent choreography. That was how battles were supposed to have been conducted but this weapon was completely one sided. It fired continuously without tiring, without rewinding and without reloading. The time between pellets to react was smaller than microseconds and even then it was impossible to dodge all of them.


    It was only barely thanks Dagda¡¯s near infinite stamina that he was able to run across the entirety of the battle field multiple times without tiring. Through perseverance and determination, a brief miracle was given to him in the form of a temporarily cease. Errick¡¯s weapon burnt up, beet red as it let off steam from the six connected barrels. ¡®A cooldown time!¡¯ as he had expected even this absurdly unfair weapon had a weakness.


    Having spent the majority of his life in fights, Dagda had come to realize that all weapons had at least one method of counter. Even this weapon that he had only seen for the first time in his life was not an exception. Without wasting the opportunity given to him Dagda instantly leapt in for the engage.


    In a split second¡¯s decision, Dagda charged and appeared right before Errick who helplessly held onto his useless weapon. Dagda attacked before Errick could even retaliate, throwing his fists to the opponent¡¯s face, hoping it would end his suffering in a single move. However something wasn¡¯t right, Errick did not show any signs of panic, instead he calmly pulled out something from his pocket. A small pencil-like object with a red tip and the moment it was pressed everything before Dagda faded into complete white.


    ¡­


    ¡®Your attack patterns are too easy to read, child,¡¯ Errick thought to himself as he took out a small switch from his pocket. Even with Dagda¡¯s physical prowess having a major upgrade from the addition of his new toy, it was no use. If he couldn¡¯t properly land a hit then it was the same as not having anything at all; no different from before. Be it speed, power or skill, what truly mattered above all else was the ability to understand the flow of battle.


    When the enemy would run, when they would defend, when they would attack and when they would engage. If all of these points were predicted beforehand then it was a simple matter of moving in opposition to counter them. Everything was already set up before Dagda had even returned to the fight; Errick had summoned more than just his minigun- the entire field was littered with [Landmines].


    The battlefield erupted into a grand pyre of explosions then into a tower of sand and dust clouds. The once bright blue skies were pained in the color of darkness with the rising smog. Having burnt nearly all of the oxygen along with the immolating smog, it would not have been odd for anyone to have choked to death long ago. However the two that were caught up in the epicenter of it all were a special exception to this.


    With the artificial night descending upon the battlefield seeing became a challenge. However being equipped with inbuilt [nightvision] capabilities, Errick was easily able to navigate his way through and out of the dust clouds. Though his clothes had become a little dirtied it was a cheap price to pay for immobilizing the strongest god known to this world.


    Unfortunately even for his high tech body, the smog caused small interferences with his sensors and thus made it hard to detect Dagda. All that was left was simply to wait for the results of the explosion; was the enemy dead? ¡®Not likely, but it should have at least highly immobilized¡­¡¯


    As Errick was in the midst of thinking to himself he felt a small change in the air pressure. ¡®Tch, he survived?¡¯ Errick aimed his minigun once more into the blackened dust cloud and hailed randomly through it. From the sounds coming from within the smoke it appeared that at least something was hit but being unsure he continued to fire into it.


    Yet in a sudden turn of events the dust clouds were blown away, what appeared instead was Dagda¡¯s hulking frame, but it had changed. All of the iron colored carapace had disappeared, replaced entirely by equally bulging snow grey skin marked with ominous black patterns. Behind him were two large, death colored wings, flapping as it blew the dust away. There were signs that bullet had penetrated through his skin but they were already almost done healing themselves in just a fraction of second.


    ¡®His hyper regeneration was improved?¡¯ Errick took a step back. Gazing into the enemy¡¯s eyes it no longer reflected any signs of controlled consciousness but the vicious instincts of a berserker beast. With those two enormous wings he flew straight for Errick at a speed much faster than before. In just a split second he covered a range of a few dozen meters, appearing instantly and managing to catch Errick off guard.


    In a single punch he burst through the metallic plating on Errick¡¯s chest to the other side.


    ¡°Kuh¡­ y- you think that would b-be enough to stop me?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Errick was stuttering as he spoke but his vocal processors had been damaged. Still with Dagda¡¯s arm in his chest Errick grabbed onto it and with one fell snap tore it clean off the enemy¡¯s shoulders. Dagda screamed in unholy pain as he backed off and fell to his knees.


    Dagda fell to his knees as his neck was cleanly exposed for the taking. Errick didn¡¯t want to waste this chance and decided to finish the battle by decapitating him with his minigun. He raised the cumbersome weapon to the sky and swung down as if it were a sword for Dagda¡¯s neck, however it was surprisingly intercepted.


    Dagda¡¯s severed right arm had rapidly formed out of his shoulders to stop the minigun. Dagda pulled it down, dragging Errick along with it as he was temporarily knocked off his balanced. Thus taking this advantage Dagda threw the strongest punch he could muster with his unoccupied left hand. With an empowered fist, the strength was enough to puncture through the thick titanium helmet, destroying the single red eye at the center.


    Then silence¡­

 Chapter 49.5: Side Story - The Grand Admiral

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 49.5: Side Story - The Grand Admiral


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    -Errick Rommel''s PoV-


    In the end I lost. Dagda had grown to be too powerful and I had failed to realize that fact.


    [Internal Systems Failing¡­]


    Too many damaged parts and too little time to initiate the self-repair program. No, even if I could repair myself in time the fact that he could push me back to this brink means it¡¯d be meaninglessly to continue. I¡¯d just be destroyed over and over, as many times as I reconstruct myself¡­


    Right, useless.


    [Core Functions Shutting down¡­]


    It¡¯s over.


    Ah¡­ am I going to die like this? How pathetic of me, the one who was hailed as the Grand Admiral of the Sovereign armada, reduced to a fumbling coward. I wonder when it all changed. When did I start to become so weak and complacent? Has my stay in this world truly influenced me to this extent?


    [Requesting Initialization of Self-Repair¡­]


    Request denied.


    Really, these primitives are far too much trouble, so weak and vulnerable. I grew too soft and now I¡¯m playing the price¡­ I suppose I¡¯ve lived long enough.


    It was a long, arduous life but I can¡¯t say that it was at all unsatisfactory. In the end I was taken out in a glorious battle against the strongest god of this world¡­


    Yes, this death truly isn¡¯t a bad one.


    [Initiating Program RE8111]


    ¡°Initiating what?¡±


    A strange program was activated from within myself.


    ¡­


    ¡°Admiral¡­¡±


    Before me was a vast and unending darkness that stretched literally into infinity. Where it began and where it started was all a complete mystery to me, yet as I continued to gaze into it something had deeply resonated within my heart.


    Although this eternal night has me completely surrounded it wasn¡¯t as though it was smothering me. In fact I was able to see my own silhouette perfectly fine. So if I had to make a comparison it would be the kind of feeling one would get if they stared off into deep space. A vast and un-starry sky; a hypnotizing darkness, I felt as though if I just kept staring into it I would either lose myself or find peace.


    Beneath me I could feel the sturdiness of the hardened ground. It was a shade of black that was a little lighter than that of the shadows above so off in the distance I could see some sort of corrupted horizon of darkness forming.


    Still, standing within this empty void that was neither cold nor hot, I was left to compare myself to this infinity. ¡®I¡¯m an immortal,¡¯ in the past I thought that to myself many times and followed through with the grace and grandeur that this title carried. However standing here I could truly start to feel the weight of my own insignificance. ¡®Immortality¡­ what a joke,¡¯ is all I could think to myself as I let out a bitter laugh.


    Indeed there was a time that I believed everything ¡®he¡¯ talked about¡­ No, even now I still believe in them but I have lost the will to continue living by them.


    Humans were titanic creatures, they may be dwarfed by the grand scope of the universe but in our own rights we were ¡®infinite¡¯. We conquered the planet, the moon and even set our sights upon the stars. Eventually, I believed that we would catch up to the grandeur of the universe. Yet in the end we were never able to attain that glorious next step, for that we have only ourselves to blame.


    ¡®He¡¯¡­ Sovereign talked about the unity of man and the potential we could achieve but ironically he was betrayed, by his closest friend no less. Well, I¡¯m sure Edmund Weisner had his own reasons for doing what he did and even Sovereign seemed to have realized that in the end. It¡¯s a distant memory now but I sometimes think back fondly at it, about a time that no one in this new world remembers. As ¡®infinite¡¯ as he believed us to be, ¡®time¡¯ washes away everything with a curse known as ¡®eventuality¡¯.


    The ¡®future of mankind¡¯ that he would constantly talk about, it was not the perfect utopia that everyone wanted. Such a thing would be impossible to establish. Yet even if it was possible I believe that he would want to have nothing to do with it; Sovereign believed in many things but ¡®peace¡¯ was never one of them.


    Peace, freedom, gluttony, stagnation, hesitation, desperation¡­ and eventually extinction. ¡®If we achieved peace, we would stop growing as a species,¡¯ or so he would say, but he did believe that we should all strive for peace¡­ just that we should never actually achieve it- that this was how it was supposed to be.


    Certainly after Sovereign died there was ¡®peace¡¯, then slowly the world choked on itself¡­ slowly it stagnated. Nothing changed and we found ourselves wasting away. It¡¯s funny when I think back to this point. If Sovereign hadn¡¯t died back then; if Edmund never betrayed him, then this entire world, this new world would never have been born.


    I can¡¯t help but wonder to myself that if he still lived whether we would have already conquered even the distant stars. In the end I suppose it¡¯s a meaningless point to dwell on, now that the situation has devolved into this state all we can do is strive on. Perhaps in the future there maybe another ¡®Sovereign¡¯ that tries to do the same¡­


    If that time comes, I wonder if I would be able to stand behind him.


    As I was lost deep within my own thoughts something peculiar happened to this abyss. The ceilings started to crack as a stream of bright white light started flooding in. As the darkness caved in more and more the smothering light started fill the void.


    Yes¡­ it was like this the first time I came to this new world. The age of darkness was banished; with Sovereign slain and the Confederacy gone the new world began. It was an unpleasant change, to see everything that we¡¯ve worked so hard for be washed away by the passage of time. The curse of eventuality stood triumphantly over our history and accomplishments.


    Bit by bit, the crack in the abyssal sky widened and started to disintegrate the darkness. It was the same; I was once again powerless to stop this change and could only stand and watch. It was mortifying but eventually I would get used to it. Time corrodes even the strength of one¡¯s undying conviction.


    Such a horrifying thing.


    ¡­


    The darkness was devoured by the light and once that light subsided I soon found myself before a very familiar scene. Standing before me now was a moderately sized home, red bricked roof and brown walls, three floors, a large back garden filled with beautiful and colorful flowers, an elegantly designed front gate¡­


    I remember this place; or rather I could never forget it. This place¡­ it was my home. It was my home before everything, before even the birth of the Confederacy. Ah, despite the painfully grand length of time that has passed since then I could still remember this scene as clear as day. Inside my house my beautiful wife would be waiting for me, my adorable daughter would jump out at me to greet me as I returned.


    However¡­ I gazed down at my own body, covered by plates of darkened metallic armor. It was no longer the soft, warm skin as a normal human¡­ so if I were to approach the house like this would my family even remember me? Would they accept me as part of their family?


    I sighed¡­ no, even if they didn¡¯t this was what I had chosen to become. I was not coerced into this but from the freedom of my own humanity I decided to become this. Of course this was after my family had already been¡­


    ¡°Admiral.¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    A deep, nostalgic and authoritative voice. When was the last time I had heard this voice? I turned my metal plated helmet head to the side, gazing intently at the owner of this voice with my singular mechanical red eye.


    ¡°Sovereign¡­¡±


    I spoke out his title¡­ his name. Neatly combed back jet black hair, evil-looking and menacing green eyes that could pierce through your very soul, slender but knife sharp features, standing there in his white lab coat over his business suit¡­


    He perked up his glasses with his left hand and stared back at me.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been a while, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Been a while? You¡¯re already dead so either everything up until now was an illusion or¡­¡±


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    I trailed off but Sovereign seemed to have understood what I was trying to say. He smiled back at me. What an evil smile, it¡¯s a mystery as to how he rallied the undying support of countless millions with that kind of expression. It was just the most perfect smile befitting of a sadist.


    ¡°It¡¯s the latter¡­ this had all been preprogrammed of course.¡±


    ¡°Preprogrammed?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°In the beginning stages of the USSC there were two main projects, the [Human Immortalization Project] which aimed to create immortal psychics and the second¡­ the [Human Mechanization Project], for the soldiers who wished to continue fighting even after death¡­ of which you were the first. [RE8111] It was then that this program was installed into every subject and was set to activate when you came very close to losing your life.¡±


    Of course, how can I forget the two most prominent projects of the Confederacy? Our goal was to combine those two projects together to create the ultimate super-soldier. In any case ¡®if I came close to dying,¡¯ I see, so my fight with Dagda was already over. Due to a miscalculation I had lost so now I¡¯m sent here.


    ¡°Is that so? Then may I ask what program this exactly is?¡±


    ¡°As I said this program would only activate in the event that you came close to losing your life a second time. Well, I called it a ¡®program¡¯ but it¡¯s more like a ¡®reminder¡¯. Since your body is no longer made of flesh and blood you can be easily rebuilt but the human mind is still very prone to faltering from great setbacks, thus this ¡®reminder¡¯ would be activated once you reached that point.¡±


    I see, truly something he would come up with. So then my next question¡­


    ¡°Reminder?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re well aware of my firm beliefs, are you not?¡±


    What Sovereign believed in above everything else¡­ well there could only be one answer to that question. Of course what he believed in was¡­


    ¡°The power of the ¡®human will¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m glad that you knew me very well Admiral. Even though your body is that of a machine¡¯s, you are still undoubtedly human; you are the living epitome of human achievement. So then, let us rekindle that deep, burning ¡®human will¡¯ that you have lost.¡±


    He smiled once more. Evil.


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡±


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    A chill ran down my back as I froze in place. A small, soft voice came calling from behind me but I was too afraid to look back. How long ago was it that I had heard it? I felt as though I could cry but with this body of a machine¡¯s I couldn¡¯t¡­ eh?


    I felt something slide off from the side of my face. Warm, watery¡­ when I touched my face something was wrong. It was warm and soft¡­


    ¡°Papa~!¡±


    Slowly turning around I faced the owner of this soft voice. She only came up to my waist but she latched on tightly with a smile. She looked up to me with that bright blue gaze of hers, her blonde hair softly rubbing against my clothes. I was hesitant but I reached out and stroked her hair, silky and soft¡­ just how long has it been since I¡¯ve felt her hair like this?


    I crouched down and embraced her wholly.


    ¡°Papa~? I- is something wrong? You¡¯re smothering me~¡±


    Tears fell down the side of my face, I couldn¡¯t help it. My daughter¡­ Felicia Rommel. How I¡¯ve missed you.


    ¡°Felicia¡­¡±


    I called out to her. Unable to free herself from my tight grasp she simply accepted the situation allowed me to continue. Perhaps she sensed my uneasiness but she in turn tried to calm me down by stroking through my hair.


    Truthfully I understand that this is probably all just a simulation created by Sovereign¡¯s program, yet even then I¡¯m still grateful. For me to have this kind of chance to see my family again, even like this, I can feel my heart gradually finding peace. For just a little bit more, though I¡¯m entirely unsure of how much time had actually passed, I stayed like this. I never wanted to go.


    ¡°Admiral.¡±


    Sovereign placed his hand on my shoulder. Was it time?


    ¡°Papa¡­¡±


    Felicia started to speak with that soft, gentle voice of hers. I eased my grip and she pushed me back slightly but smiled as she continued.


    ¡°Thank you for not forgetting about me for all this time. It was a short while but mother and I, we were both happy because you were there for us. However, papa still has a job he has to do right?¡±


    ¡°Felicia¡­?¡±


    I could feel my heart pounding hard through my chest. Despite just having been reunited we were going to part ways like this so soon. However, I should still be thankful that we even get to say our goodbyes; back then I couldn¡¯t even see them off as they were taken from me so suddenly.


    ¡°Papa, I trust you. That you can do the job that you have to do without looking back¡­ we want to always see the strong papa that has tried his best to protect us. That¡¯s the kind of papa I love, so please¡­ don¡¯t give up.¡±


    Felicia took a few more steps away from me and smiled brightly. Seeing that I couldn¡¯t help but smile back at her.


    She was right, nothing was over. There was still a job that I had to do. My family, Sovereign and the Confederacy are all gone but there are still people that require my help. It was just a little bit, but I¡¯ve come to think that the residents of this new world aren¡¯t so bad, some have even inherited the will of our world. So to do what I couldn¡¯t do back then, I will protect the ones under my providence to the best of my ability.


    I turned back to see the vile, arrogant and evil man that was the closest being to a god I¡¯ve ever seen.


    ¡°Thank you Sovereign. Even if this was just a simple recreation, the fact that I could even see them like this was enough for me. I see, so this is the ¡®human will¡¯ you¡¯ve so proudly boasted about; the strength that draws a person to do their utmost. To see your ambitions through or to protect the people you love, it is the power to help accomplish those goals.¡±


    It truly was just a ¡®reminder¡¯. He had shown me what it was that I had fought for all this time. Even if my family was gone there was a reason I continued to fight and even now that reason hasn¡¯t completely diminished.


    I do not completely hate them, these primitives of the new world. They¡¯re weak, annoying and demanding but I¡¯ve watched over them for so long I¡¯ve come to enjoy their company. They¡¯ve even taken to calling me a ¡®baron¡¯¡­ Those fools, if I die here then it would also be a death sentence for that village under my protection.


    If I died here¡­ Dagda would continue to rampage. He¡¯d destroy everything.


    I guess it is still a little too early for an immortal to die.


    ¡°It was never anything complicated to begin with; all anyone needed to do was realize.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    After a brief silence Sovereign nodded and spoke up.


    ¡°Admiral, there is one more thing I prepared. Since this program has been activated it must mean that you have lost and are on the verge of dying. Well, I suppose ¡®dying¡¯ is not really the correct word for you, but either way the fact that you¡¯re in a losing situation is no different.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I may have underestimated my opponent a little. The new world has their own method of accomplishing what they desire, but I¡¯ve looked down on them a bit too much since they were primitive. This is the price I¡¯ve paid.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case, whoever the enemy is or how powerful they are, none of it should be a concern to the USSC. We are beings that have climbed to the top of this world and had our sights set upon distant stars. There is no spawn of this world that is greater than us¡­ and I shall prove that to you.¡±


    ¡°Prove it? How, though I don¡¯t like to admit it, the opponent is this new world¡¯s ¡®God¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Be it a god or a devil, it doesn¡¯t really matter. There is no heaven in the clouds and no hell beneath the soil, however there does exist something above the clouds.¡±


    I had an ominous feeling, a creeping sensation against my back. I couldn¡¯t hold back my smile, if he truly was talking about what I was suspecting then surely. Above the heavens there is an even greater power, the one mark left behind by humans that nature had dared not to disrupt.


    ¡°I see¡­ certainly it exists- a way to prove our superiority¡­ the [Skyfall Project].¡±

 Chapter 50 - No Future

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 50 ¨C No future


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    Not trees, not winds, not insects, not animals or monsters¡­


    Leon could not hear anything; everything had fallen into a suffocating silence as though time itself had eroded away. Nothing moved and nothing spoke, all he could do was stand helplessly as the heavenly battle of god-tiered beings drew to a close with a single victor. From the beginning he had already known that only one person would ever come out alive, but he had hoped that it would not be this person.


    Slowly through time and space, Errick Rommel¡¯s mechanical body fell onto the floor. With a quiet ¡®thud¡¯ time began to inch along once more and the suffocating pressure had been lifted. Yet then, ¡®why does it still feel so horrible?¡¯ Leon thought to himself, infinitely preferring that intoxicating stillness rather than the progressing degeneration of this situation.


    A large gaping hole through that nigh impregnable metallic chest plate and one through his helmet; their one and only hope of defeating this behemoth of a god, laid defeated and dead. Perhaps ¡®dead¡¯ wasn¡¯t quite the correct word to use for an undead like Baron Rommel, but such trivialities no longer mattered. ¡®Dagda seriously beat him¡­¡¯


    Standing with overwhelming pressure, tall with a paper white body marked with ominous black runes and patterns, huge bulking death colored wings¡­ ¡®Dagda¡¯, the strongest entity of this world emerged victorious over his opponent¡¯s lifeless body. ¡®This feeling is¡­ ah, hopelessness,¡¯ Leon instantly felt the strength in his legs leave him as he fell to the floor with that single fleeting thought.


    The strongest allied being in the West Tetrarchy, Baron Rommel, was now no more. Understanding this fact, Leon¡¯s heart started to tremble and beat faster; worry, fear and terror started to overtake him. ¡®Now there¡¯s no one to stop him,¡¯ it didn¡¯t matter if they gather an army of the remaining strongest warriors in the country, it was impossible to fight against this unfair deity.


    Leon¡¯s breaths became more haggard as he found the excess of air pumping through his body hard to control. His head started to feel light and even his vision started to blur, though he had done nothing but watch it was as though everything had come crumbling down on top of him. The future of his country... heck, even just the next ten minutes became a clouded prospect.


    It was extremely unlikely that anyone stronger than Baron Rommel would appear and even then if such miracles did occur whether they were friend or foe was also a concern. In this moment however, with Baron Rommel gone Dagda was free to continue his rampage uncontested. Not only that, but the entire Southern Tetrarchy could now freely move in and invade their country without much fear of recourse. It didn¡¯t matter if Leon, the future Tetrarch, lived or died anymore, this country was doomed.


    ¡°Milord, please calm down for now. This is not the time to be losing yourself like this; we first need to figure out our next course of actions.¡±


    Sensing his momentary mental break down, Nicholai reached out to him, lightly tapping on the shoulder to snap him out of his own daze. Nicholai¡¯s unchanged and unhesitant voice, it was this that allowed Leon to calm down and regain his composure. After all, how could he lose hope when his retainer was still holding it together? With a sigh he was able to let go of all his tension and find a sense of liberation. ¡®Right, what to do next¡­¡¯ that was the most important thing, not to break into depression.


    Yet of course knowing this did nothing to change the direness of the situation at hand; Dagda was still uncontested. Though he was momentarily preoccupied with his own high stupor from his victory against Baron Rommel, it was only a matter of time before he moved on.


    ¡°Milord, I suggest you retreat to a safer place immediately. I will try to buy you as much time as I can in the meanwhile.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re saying that despite everything you just saw?!¡±


    Leon clenched his fists tightly, turning to meet Nicholai¡¯s unflinching gaze he understood that this proposition was a completely serious one. It was the duty of a Praetorian Knight to give his or her life for their master. However to Leon, Nicholai was more than just his retainer or knight, he was his closest friend. How could he ever send him off to fight an impossible battle that was so obviously a death sentence?


    ¡°Milord¡­ no, Leon, we¡¯ve known each other for practically our entire lives so I think you¡¯ll already know what I¡¯m about to say¡­ but if it was anyone else I¡¯d have probably already abandoned them to their deaths. However you are the one person I want to see live through all of this; it¡¯s fine if you just escape on your own. Leave the country and start life anew someplace else¡­ just continue living. I¡¯m not asking this of you as a retainer but as a friend.¡±


    A resolute but somewhat melancholic smile, Leon could not sense any sort of hesitation from Nicholai. ¡®He¡¯s really going to¡­¡¯ yet even knowing that it was a death sentence he could not bring himself to stop his friend. It would tarnish the determination and pride of a knight. He would oblige Nicholai¡¯s request to escape but Leon would not abandon the country. As Nicholai¡¯s duty was with him, Leon¡¯s duty was with the country.


    ¡°Fine¡­ but I want you to come back alive. That¡¯s not an order as your master but a request from a friend.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Certainly.¡±


    With a deep breath, Leon turned his back against his friend for the second time in one day. At the very least, it was prudent to inform the current Tetrarch, his father, about what was going on. Perhaps if even possible, to send the other Praetorian Knights that came with them as reinforcements. Though knowing Nicholai¡¯s personality it would definitely not appreciate such wanton exhaustion of their war force for such petty reasons.


    ¡­


    ¡°Hmph, he¡¯s finally left. Now then, I went and tried to act cool but how do I stop this monster?¡±


    Nicholai shook his head, ¡®no, I don¡¯t have to stop him; I just have to stall him for a bit.¡¯ That being said, as he gazed at the ghastly white figure marked with death colored ominous markings he couldn¡¯t help but shudder. Even when fighting Nazarym who he had admitted was a lot stronger, he didn¡¯t feel that much. Yet standing only a few dozen steps way from this monster he could feel a bone chilling petrifaction that crept up his spine.


    ¡°Haha¡­ probably about two or three minutes would be my absolute limit.¡±


    The only saving grace in this dreaded situation was that Dagda had preoccupied himself. Stalling himself as he gloated over Baron Rommel¡¯s corpse was nice of him but Nicholai could only hope that it would be enough time for Leon to make it out of the forest. Knowing Leon he probably wouldn¡¯t abandon the country but making it to the capital¡­ ¡®at least the capital would offer more defense than this backwater village.¡¯


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Kuh! Lord Dagda!¡±


    Someone shouted desperately from behind him to garner Dagda¡¯s attention. Hearing this voice Dagda reacted and snapped back to reality from his self-intoxicated high. When the enemy god turned to face them, it was as though Nicholai could see his own life flashing before his eyes¡­ ¡®just because of a mere gaze?!¡¯


    There was only one person who should¡¯ve been behind them, but that person was severely crippled¡­


    ¡°Tch, dammit!¡±


    Nicholai glanced back and saw Nazarym calling out from the ground. ¡®Bastard!¡¯ he thought as he dropped down a large [Magma Pillar] on top of him. The burning cinder of molten bricks came crashing down, instantly eviscerating whatever was left of the immobile enemy. It was only a momentary act of impulse but this course of action left a deep regret.


    Nicholai turned to see how Dagda had just perceived that kind of hostile action but once he looked back Dagda was no longer there.


    ¡°Where did he¡­?!¡±


    Before he could even track him with his eyes, Dagda instantaneously appeared before Nicholai. Towering him with a needlessly overwhelming stature, ¡®so fast! No, attack! Attack! Just attack!¡¯ Nicholai told himself as he drew his sword and slashed away towards the enemy.


    The sword couldn¡¯t even penetrate the soft looking white skin and broke itself. Losing balance from his own failed attack Nicholai stumbled vulnerably forward, letting Dagda get in a clear chance for an attack.


    Perhaps Dagda was taking pity at such a non-threatening and weak opponent or he was just toying with him but when he threw a punch it seemed completely half-hearted. There was no real sense of speed or power behind it yet despite this it was obviously a fatal attack. The difference in power between a small human and a titanic god was overwhelmingly unfair, but thanks to this Nicholai was given a small, albeit hopeless chance to evade.


    Nicholai contorted his body to the side, but even then Dagda¡¯s punch connected with his right arm. Almost in an instant, as though he never had one in the first place, Nicholai¡¯s right arm was blown away into dust. With just that half-hearted attempt of an attack, he was tossed across the field as though he were garbage.


    Intense pain coursed his right shoulder only for a brief moment before the numbness kicked in. Recovering only thanks to his own considerate nerve systems giving him the chance to do so, he crawled back up onto his two feet. Holding very tightly onto his torn apart right side he tried his best to apply pressure in order to stop the bleeding.


    This entire exchange took place in less than ten seconds. ¡®Ten seconds¡­ I couldn¡¯t even last a minute,¡¯ had he severely overestimated his own abilities? Or was this god on such a level that he wasn¡¯t even registered as a proper threat? Nicholai felt as though even this ten second was only because Dagda was taking it easy on him and if the enemy truly felt like it he wouldn¡¯t have lasted more than a microsecond.


    ¡°Hah¡­ hahaha¡­ absurd.¡±


    Nicholai couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his own situation. The fact that he couldn¡¯t last too long was exceedingly depressing but it was just funny how some no name country Baron could last almost defeat this monster. ¡®How did he even manage that? Just who his Baron Rommel?¡¯ more than this god, Baron Rommel was a bigger enigma.


    ¡°Why do you laugh?¡±


    Dagda¡¯s skin returned from an unsightly and sickly pale white to its more palpable iron grey. The two large wings behind him also disappearing into the ether, with it a lot of the pressure had lifted. In addition it seemed that some of his controlled consciousness had returned from that berserker rage.


    ¡°Laugh? Ah¡­ yes, I¡¯m laughing because this world is just full of unfair things. When you can no longer cry or defy those unfair things, all that is left is to laugh. Whatever, just finish me off; as long as you¡¯re alive this country is doomed to fall and I do not wish to see it with my own eyes, that kind of future.¡±


    ¡°Doomed? Certainly there is no hope for this country but completely erasing it was never his eminence¡¯s plan.¡±


    ¡®His eminence?¡¯ it almost sounded as if there was a being that was at an even higher hierarchy than Dagda from the way he phrased it. ¡®Ah, Nodens is it?¡¯ Nicholai remembered. Indeed there was one, though not necessarily physically stronger, the leader of all gods, ¡®Nodens¡¯.


    ¡°Well, it is a future that no longer has anything to do with you. Then as you requested I shall send you off.¡±


    Dagda prepared his fist. A single blow would do. With that it was possible that not even a tiny shred of him would remain after this. Even his corpse would be there to witness the perishing of this country that he had once called home, perhaps that in and of itself was a horrendous blessing.


    Staring back at his reaper of death through his shattered glasses, Nicholai sighed as he chose to close his eyes. Nicholai whispered to himself with a wry smirk.


    ¡°Leon, sorry for not being able to uphold your request¡­ but you always knew that I was a liar.¡±


    Death¡­ did not come for Nicholai however. No matter how long he waited, Dagda¡¯s final finishing blow did not connect with him and there was no pain. ¡®Am I already dead?¡¯ was death always so painless? Curious Nicholai opened his eyes.


    He was not yet dead and Dagda was still standing ominously in front of him but there was another addition. A harrowing black metal hand stabbed through that iron grey chest, cracking around it. A small trail of almost black, dark red blood trickles out of Dagda¡¯s mouth as he makes a horrifyingly disturbed expression.


    ¡°Guh¡­ how¡­ you? Why¡­¡±


    Dagda couldn¡¯t even speak.


    ¡°Painful, isn¡¯t it? Having a large gaping hole in your chest, that is.¡±


    A familiar unnatural voice spoke from behind the large hulking body. It was the second time in one day that Nicholai was put into this position and saw this kind of scene. Not knowing how to respond to this situation, or what to even make of it; everything was already beyond his comprehension that all he could do was simply make light of the situation and ask.


    ¡°Is stabbing your hand through other people¡¯s chest some kind of fetish or something?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    A jolly resounding laugh completely unfitting of this situation.


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t quite say that it¡¯s my ¡®fetish¡¯, rather it¡¯s more like a ¡®signature move¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 51 - A realm above the heavens

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 51 - A realm above the heavens


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    ¡°Dear child, do try to avoid disappointing me any further than you already have.¡±


    Despite Errick Rommel not possessing any sort of an expressive, physical face, it was painfully clear to Dagda that he was being mocked. Simply with that condescending tone of voice it was enough to drive him to the point of insanity. Yet before that there was something that needed to be brought into question.


    ¡°Bastard¡­ why are the hell are you still alive?!¡±


    Dagda shouted as his face contorted with rage and shock. If he couldn¡¯t be defeated even after all of this then what was the purpose of those past one hundred years? Was he that inconceivably strong?


    Yet before he could further explore into that enquiry, Dagda started to cough and spew up blood. He had almost forgotten from the shock of the enemy¡¯s revival but there was a foreign object stabbing through his back and into his chest. An intense bout of pain rushed all throughout his body as those cold metallic hands grabbed at his very essence.


    A thick trail of blood trickled down from his chest and mouth, sliding down the iron grey carapace skin of his. It painted the grounds beneath them with a deep wine color. Dagda had confidence in his own regenerative capacities and knew that they were far beyond anything in this world. That being said, however potent they may have been, if there was still a foreign objecting sticking out from within him them a direct recovery was impossible. He needed to remove Errick¡¯s hand, yet found it impossible to muster up enough strength to do so forcefully. ¡®More¡­ more, I need to move! Get away!¡¯ in a desperate attempt Dagda flung himself forward.


    A sharp pain ran down Dagda¡¯s back as his very being was shocked to the core, literally. He could feel it, the cold mental hands of death grasped at his still beating heart. He understood his own body enough to know that even if his heart was crushed here he would still probably be safe. He couldn¡¯t die and self-regeneration was boosted to an extraordinary degree.


    Time was running out and the options available to him were starting to become more and more like distant fantasies. If his heart was crushed he would be ¡®killed¡¯ only for a brief moment but even then it was an unknown length of time. During the time of his submission it was a gamble as to what Errick might try, so a little precaution was in order.


    "Bastard...!"


    He was unable to muster enough physical strength, thus thought to enhance his attack with a combat skill instead. Dagda took a step forward, quickly removing Errick''s hand away from his open wounds and then instantly stepped back in for the counterattack.


    Clenching his fists as tightly as he could he hurled the first punch. Blazing with a bright blue and intense inferno, Dagda¡¯s hand burned in a benign flame. Yet despite the serenity of its color scheme it was anything but. Aiming for the ¡®enemy¡¯ Dagda connected all of his body''s momentum to his fists and launched a counteroffensive.


    As fast as he possibly could, Dagda threw his fists towards the enemy''s face and for a moment it seemed that even Errick didn''t understand what was going on. However as his fists neared its target, it was extremely quiet, but in that moment Dagda heard something.


    "Hmph... [********]"


    A shallow mocking scoff accompanied by words he could not understand. Errick''s head moved only a few short inches to the side yet that had been enough to completely avoid the burning fist. In an instant this immortal monster had made such a precise movement look as though it was the easiest and most natural thing in the world. ''He''s faster...?!'' Dagda thought to himself, he could no longer even properly track the enemy''s movements with his eyes. Before he had even finished his own movement, Errick reacted and once more reached for his heart.


    "Kuh...!"


    A knife sharp pain stabbed at him, shocking Dagda at his very being. Blood started flow out from his mouth as though an uncontrolled fountain. The taste of rusting metal compounded by his blurring vision overwhelmed his other senses.


    Dagda''s heart had been crushed. Unable to breathe, unable to hear and unable to see... the very world around him sank into the depths of the abyss. Not by another god, not even by a living being, but a by just a possessed suit of armor, his strength and very reason of existence was undermined. Yet this fact was not a point of grief or depression for Dagda, but a joyous moment; to know that there was an even greater height that he could strive for and eventually defeat.


    Dagda couldn''t help but smile as everything sank further into the abyss. He would be back, his hyper regenerative ability would undoubtedly revive him and he would continue to fight. His final thoughts as his consciousness escaped him, were about how wonderful it would be for this fight to drag on into infinity...


    ...


    [Overload].


    It was a technical skill that dramatically increased Errick¡¯s physical capabilities along with his overall speed and reaction time. Of course the drawback of using such a high leveled skill was immense physical feedback, sometimes to the point of death on most organic bodies. However rare exceptions such as fully mechanized beings did not suffer these drawbacks, that being said their human minds were still vulnerable to the adverse affects of prolonged usage.


    The soundless and nigh frozen world that Errick had spent the past few minutes, which felt like days, had finally returned to its original state. This time it was Dagda¡¯s temporarily deceased body that hit the dirt floor with a quiet ¡®thud¡¯. Errick lightly touched at his own chest, everything was repaired and functioning perfectly. With disdain he turned his gaze, to stare down at the enemy that caused him to suffer damage. His sacred body that was forged from the lost technologies of the Old World; it was not something that primitive beings of this world should come close to even scratching.


    It was simply blasphemous and presumptuous of them to do so.


    ¡®This child is causing too many problems too quickly, it would be best to get rid of him now,¡¯ Errick sighed metaphorically. Reaching into the air he chanted the foreign words of the Old World.


    ¡°[Weapon Code 6813M9Q2, Matter Reconstruction].¡±


    Several small, highly mechanical orbs appeared in his hands. Making subtle clockwork noises as they activated themselves they started to float about Errick for a short period. As though a conductor he moved his hands to direct them and the orbs flew into place, planting themselves firmly into the ground. ¡®This should be enough to hold him in place,¡¯ he nodded.


    It had been a long and arduous day, to even go so far as to provoke Errick to invoke the ancient powers; Dagda was truly a threat that needed to be taken care of.


    ¡°I¡­ is it over?¡±


    A small pained and stuttering voice asked from a little further ahead, a boy probably no older than in his late teens. Beaten to the point of near death, it was both simultaneously a sad and valiant sight. The boy struggled to grasp at his shoulders from his torn off arm, obviously he was suffering from immense pain.


    ¡°No, no it is not. However I will make sure that it is so. As for you, you will need to get as far away from here as possible.¡±


    Seeing the boy almost about to pass out from the sheer blood loss and fatigue, this was all Errick could do for him for now. The boy contemplated for a little while before letting out a resigned sigh, it was painfully clear that his pride had been shattered by Dagda¡¯s overwhelming nature.


    ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    The boy staggered up and started to move away from the battleground. Yet before he completely vanished from the scene he stopped and asked Errick one last question.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not been a Praetorian Knight for a long time but being from the capital a lot of information gets passed around. I pride myself in being able to master the flow of that information and have a generally good grasp of what¡¯s going on around the country and what kind of entities inhabit it. However it is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen or heard of someone like you. Someone who¡¯s so immensely powerful yet so hidden away¡­ just who, what are you?¡±


    Though he did not have a proper face, the boy could tell that Errick was making some kind of a metaphorical smirk. He bowed with utmost elegance, even in the midst of a battle against a world ending god he did not lose an edge of grace.


    ¡°Confederate Upper Echelon, Rank 6, Errick Rommel. At your service.¡±


    ¡­


    "This... isn''t good. I can''t seem to walk in a straight line."


    Due to the blood loss, Nicholai''s vision and sense of balance where failing. Yet somehow or another, with haggard breaths and uneasy stagger he managed to find his way back to the village.


    Entering from the front gate he had attracted a lot of attention, a good thing as it would mean that he would get medical attention that much faster. The people were a little cautious at first but quickly came to his aid and helped him move to the center of the village.


    "NIcholai?!"


    As soon as he arrived it was his old friend, Leon, who had come to take him. As Leon was about to call for medical assistance, a member of the medical team tagging along with the Tetrarch in his visit, rushed over to heal him. A young woman with light brown, almost caramel colored hair with serene and distant blue eyes, rushed down to Nicholai''s aid.


    She too was part of the elite unit known as the Praetorian Knights, though not on the front lines, rather supporting from the back. A Praetorian Knight Cleric by the name of Yudina Dragonov, being around a similar age group as Nicholai and Leon, they were all naturally close friends.


    Crouching down near him, Yudina started to softly chant under her breath. A small magic circle forming beneath them as it surrounded the two in a serene light blue glow. The pain coursing through Nicholai''s right shoulder slowly faded away and in a matter of seconds he was able to regain much of his composure. Nicholai sighed as he gazed at his own missing right side.


    "Yudina..."


    As Nicholai was about to thank her she flicked his forehead.


    "Seriously, I know it was for Leon but did you really need to be so reckless? Knowing you, I''m sure you could''ve come up with at least nine different ways to handle that situation."


    To her criticism Nicholai had no retort, truthfully as she said, it would have been possible for Nicholai to come up with a more sounder plan that a suicide rush, but at the time his mind was in a completely panicked state. Under immense pressure and a limited amount of time this was the best he could come up with.


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    "I have no excuses."


    Yudina could only shake her head and sigh at his meek response.


    "However I have to ask, why is milord still here?"


    Nicholai shifted his gaze back to Leon, his sharp eyes almost piercing through the prince''s very soul. Simply dawdling in this village was not much better than staying in that forest, it was for the reason for his escape that Nicholai sacrificed everything.


    "To ignore the plight of loyal subjects, that is to truly be unworthy of the ruler''s seat."


    It was not Leon who came to answer that question but the Tetrarch himself, Aidus Crow Xix Ariadyne. Accompanied by a small squad of heavily armored knights he presented himself with grace befitting his station. Standing tall and commanding yet also calm and accepting.


    "Your grace... but it is far too dangerous to stay here."


    Aidus nodded.


    "That is precisely why I must stay to see to it that these villagers are not harmed."


    Nicholai could only hold in his frustration at this overzealous father/son combination who regularly disregarded their own positions. Their constant flirtation with death were more than just frequent and they couldn''t understand Nicholai''s desperation to see that no harm befell them. Yet even so, this dilemma was his cross to bear as was theirs to ensure the prosperity and safety of the nation''s citizens.


    "Well, don''t make that kind of face Nicholai. We get that you''re worried about us and we''re grateful for your constant caution. However right now we can''t just ignore the villagers here that are in directly in harm''s way."


    Leon tried to ease Nicholai¡¯s worry, gently tapping him on his stiff shoulders. Nicholai sighed as he nodded, ¡®I suppose it¡¯s impossible to change their core nature after all. Well, they wouldn¡¯t be the people I¡¯ve come to respect if they weren¡¯t like this.¡¯ Taking a quick glance it was obvious to him that the Prince and Tetrarch Aidus were planning to evacuate the villagers.


    As powerful as he was, it was unlikely that Dagda came alone, so the most reasonable assumption in this case was that the armies of the Southern Tetrarchy were discretely moving in the background. If Dagda happens to lose then the opposing army would probably retreat for the time being but if Baron Rommel loses then all bets were off. Worst case scenario the West Tetrarchy would lose its Tetrarch along with the heir to the throne.


    ¡°Moving with the villagers would be too cumbersome; if there''s an enemy army then they will easily catch up with you.¡±


    Nicholai coldly analyzed, propping up his half shattered glasses.


    ¡°About that, before he left apparently Baron Rommel left behind some directions to a secret bunker that the villagers can temporarily take refuge in. I¡¯m not too sure how secure it is but it¡¯s our best shot for if the enemy does break past our southern borders.¡±


    Answered Leon with a thumbs up.


    ¡°Is that so? Then how long until we¡¯re ready to completely evacuate?¡±


    ¡°About an hour.¡±


    Nicholai thought for a moment about the logistics of moving an army. Navigating a large force through foreign terrain would require a bit of effort and time so the estimate of an hour should be more than enough time. Yet just as Nicholai¡¯s guard was about to drop a loud scream had alerted everyone in the small town. A high pitched scream of a female villager, coming from the direction of the village¡¯s entrance, ¡®can¡¯t be Dagda¡­ who?¡¯ Nicholai couldn¡¯t come up with any answer.


    It was impossible that the enemy army was already here.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Yudina immediately stood up and glanced to the direction of the village entrance.


    ¡°Whatever it was, we won¡¯t find out by just standing around!¡±


    Leon exclaimed as he was the first to dash out to the origin point of the horrified scream.


    ¡°Milord?! Dammit! Your Grace, please find shelter for now I¡¯ll be sure to bring back the prince.¡±


    Having very little choice, Nicholai and Yudina quickly followed after him. The remaining Praetorian Knights heeded Nicholai''s advice and guided the Tetrarch to safety.


    Arriving at the scene of the crime it was a horrendous sight. A river of blood spewed all across the entrance of the peaceful, countryside village. Deceased bodies of former inhabitants had been strewn about the place as though they were mere rag dolls that were disregarded by a bored child.


    Only a single figure stood, reveling in the blood and gore. This figure alone was the only ¡®clean¡¯ thing surrounded by a reddish wash of a wine colored field. However this grotesque and brutal sight was not the thing that had truly brought a shock to Nicholai, no, what truly surprised him was the identity of this person.


    He was supposed to have died; Nicholai himself was the one who dealt the finishing blow.


    ¡°Tch, are you a cockroach? How are you still alive? ...Nazarym.¡±


    A subtle but psychotic smile, the white figure surrounded by a sea of red looked back at him. Knife sharp facial features, gazes that felt as though it were stabbing through his soft mortal flesh, Nazarym almost seemed truly happy surrounded by chaos and death.


    ¡°Still alive¡­? Ah, so then you¡¯re the one who killed ¡®me¡¯.¡±


    Nazarym smiled as he replied, in a tone that implied that he had forgotten who it was the killed him.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    As Nicholai was about to further the conversation Nazarym had suddenly vanished from the spot. Only a small puff of dust remaining in his stead, ¡®what speed¡­¡® before he could even finish the thought in his head, Nazarym appeared mere inches away from Nicholai. With a black dagger in hand so sharp that it could part the air themselves as they arc down towards him with frightening speed.


    ¡°Nicholai!¡±


    Impulse, desperation, friendship, duty, etc¡­ it didn¡¯t matter what it was that propelled him, but at that moment in time Nicholai saw Leon jump in front, intending in full to receive the fatal attack in his stead. He wanted to shout to object, to stop the prince from doing what he was doing right now, ¡®what are you doing?!¡¯ he wanted to reprimand but the words didn¡¯t come out fast enough.


    A guillotine; the howling black dagger of death fell at lightning pace. Yudina and Nicholai reached out to intercept, but they both helplessly understood that they would never make it in time. Yudina pre-emptively started to cast her healing magic circle beneath them and Nicholai was getting ready to rush in for a point blank counterattack on Nazarym.


    They couldn''t stop the attack so they both instinctively understood that the next best thing was to remove the threat then focus on healing Leon.


    Of course all of these predicted series of events did not go accordingly for any of the individuals involved. Just before the dagger hit the prince, Nazarym ceased himself, as if to suggest it was just some kind of a joke. However from the struggling and burning expression on his face it was unlikely to be the case. Petrified? Fear? Hesitation? Nicholai tried to figure out why but none of those suggestions really made sense.


    Indeed, Nazarym had stopped in place, almost as though he were petrified, however that wasn''t exactly the case. Nicholai, Leon and Yudina simply looked back in confusion as to why he was acting like this, but their speculation time was cut short as an extremely dense black miasma started to envelope Nazarym¡¯s entire being. Soon a large black sphere was the only thing in front of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Leon asked as he stared deeply into the abyssal void of the black sphere.


    The black sphere twitched and soon began to violently shrink in select intervals. With Nazarym still trapped within, the black sphere shrunk down to about half the size of a normal person. The process of shrinking was not instant but cruelly gradual as if to prioritize suffering over a clean execution.


    Nicholai could only imagine the extreme horrors Nazarym was currently going through. Terrifying and trauma-inducing sounds leaked out from the abyssal sphere, accompanied by the acoustics of crushing bones, ripping flesh and excruciating shouts of pain.


    The black sphere shrunk again.


    And again¡­


    And again¡­


    And again¡­


    And again¡­


    And again¡­


    It was now the size of a golf ball¡­


    And again¡­


    And again¡­


    The sounds of crushing bones and tearing flesh¡­ the brutal shouts of intense and cruel pain¡­ none of it sounded anymore. For a brief moment there was only total and utter silence as the three looked on with a mixture of disgust and nausea at the implications of what was going on inside the sphere. Yudina was unable to bear thinking or watching and turned to hide behind Leon. She even tried to cover her ears and shut her eyes but the brutal imagery rushed through her mind.


    From the small black sphere gently hovering in mid air, now no bigger than the size of a small pebble, grotesque yellow fluids started to leak. It dripped to the floor at a slow and methodical pace. Once a small puddle was made on the dirt floor the black speck fell in, bubbling up for a few milliseconds before nothing else happened anymore.


    A bone chilling silence.


    Nazarym had died a second time¡­


    It was then that Nicholai felt some sort of exotic and immense pressure from above them. Shifting his gaze up towards the sky he saw a small figure of a child shadowed by her back against the sun, hovering midair similarly in the manner the black orb did. Most of her features were darkened by her own shadow but he could see clearly through all of that.


    A pair of gleaming blue eyes, completely void of any sort of emotion or sympathy. She looked down at them as though she were watching mere ants, however they were not the same empty eyes as those arrogant fools, this time the vast superiority was very genuine.


    ¡°Goddess¡­¡±


    That was the word fleeting from Nicholai¡¯s mouth; his true thoughts about her. It was the only way he could ever accept the existence of such a supreme being without going insane.


    <hr />


    A bit of a delay in release, but in exchange the chapter is slightly longer. =X

 Chapter 52 - White End

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 52 ¨C White End


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    [Adaptive Form].


    That was the name of the core ability that defined the deity known as ¡®Dagda¡¯. Even on its own it was a rather powerful ability, allowing the user to shift into a form more suited for its current environment and situation. It would not be an exaggeration to call this power the epitome of nature¡¯s creation. Immortality accompanied with the ability to instantaneously adapt¡­


    Once more Dagda had been revived.


    His iron grey carapace had disintegrated into the ether as it did before, yet what now hatched from the cocoon was not the same white berserker but a red demon. A shining coat of blood colored skin, large crown like horns encompassed his forehead, eyes burning with red and white fury. His fingers were replaced with sharp black blades that seemed like it could dice through solid steel. The only points of similarity were the ominous black markings etched all over his body and the large death colored wings on his back.


    ¡®¡­ Speed and agility,¡¯ Errick Rommel thought to himself as he observed the new form. He did not quite understand in full the exact mechanics of how this ability operated but if he had to guess it was ¡®adaptation¡¯. Prior to this Errick had shown overwhelming power, thus the ability took on a berserker form in order to compensate. Now with the use of [Overload], it most likely felt that power was meaningless if it could not hit, thus to compensate it shifted its focus to speed.


    Whether all of this information was true or not remained to be seen, however Errick Rommel was an immortal being with more battle experience than anything on this planet. His intuition, his human cognitive function accompanied by his myriad of experiences was telling him that this was the case.


    Dagda rose up from the floor, smiling ominously and bearing his shark-like jagged teeth at Errick as he did. Yet before Errick even had the chance to reply to this odd behavior Dagda had completely vanished from the spot almost instantaneously. His hunch had proven correct; Dagda¡¯s speed had indeed increased tremendously. That being said, it was not as though it was at all unpredictable, Dagda was not so fast that Errick could not see the general trajectory of the attack.


    ¡®Overload,¡¯ Errick commanded in his own mind as the world came to a grinding halt. Soundless stagnation overtook everything with the exception of one thing. There was now an opponent in which he could duel with in this frozen world.


    Dagda appeared behind him, trying to strike Errick¡¯s back to enact some sort of revenge. This kind of movement was not only completely within expectation but also droll and a boring waste of a move. Errick did not have to do much in order to parry the attack. However even as he saw the attack coming he did not choose to do anything about it and thought to accept the attack in full.


    As expected, the brutal red hand penetrated through Errick¡¯s back, black claws shining piercing through out onto the other side. With a large, hearty grin plastered all of his face, Dagda relished in his own achievements, thinking that he had overcome Errick as the revenge he so desired was given to him. What he had failed to realize was that organic beings and mechanical beings were quite different in how their bodies functioned, especially in regards to the nervous system.


    Being completely mechanized, Errick did not have much reason to continue keeping his ability to feel pain. While it was important for contextual reasons on organic beings, with his ability to survey his environments at high speeds to understand the full context it was entirely unnecessary. Thus taking advantage of this Errick calmly proceeded to grab Dagda¡¯s arm and tore it off with ease.


    ¡°Raaaghh!¡±


    Dagda shouted in pain. Not even allowing the enemy enough time to fully express his pain, Errick moved in and delivered a swift punch to the gut. This time activating the [Kinetic Repulsion] ability along with it, Dagda flew all the way across the broken forest.


    Wasting no time in this brief opportunity Errick chanted more words. His speed and power was about the same as Dagda¡¯s, thus what was necessary now was more firepower. With his near infinite ability to regenerate, the only feasible way of defeating Dagda was through the [Skyfall Project]. It was a weapon that could destroy him on a molecular level, however there was one drawback, and this was that only Director Sovereign could access the full capacity of the weapon.


    While other Upper Echelon members were also given access to the weapon however their output was limited to about 20%. With that amount of power it was unknown if Dagda could survive that kind of blast. In order to eliminate any sort of doubts Errick had deemed it necessary to whittle the enemy down as much as he could beforehand.


    ¡°[Weapon Code 9829I7B2, Matter Reconstruction.]¡±


    Materializing into his hand was a miniaturized missile launcher. Mounting it on top of his shoulders he aimed towards the sky a shot a few projectiles high up. This was not as a test but for preparation.


    As expected, Dagda recovered much quicker than the last time and even managed to cover a large amount of distance in mere seconds. Appearing just before him with his bladed claws, yet this time trying to be unpredictable did not go for a full frontal assault and instead disappeared into the wind just as fast as he appeared.


    ¡°No matter.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter where Dagda appeared from next because before he could even appear, or more precisely, just as he appeared the missiles landed back towards Errick¡¯s location. Erupting and encapsulating everything with almost a nuclear level inferno. A large portion of the forest was ¡®cleansed¡¯ away in a purifying nuclear fire, not even the ashes of trees remained, everything turning into a black charcoal desert.


    Errick¡¯s own armor plating was resistant to the kind of explosions caused by his own weaponry. This kind of trait was designed more specifically in order to reduce accidents from friendly fire, however it had evolved into a legitimate strategy to abuse them. These kinds of direct point blank attacks were regularly used by mechanized soldiers who took advantage. At first it was just a slightly effective way the lower level soldiers did things but somewhere down the line even Errick had adopted the strategy. A suicide attack without actually killing oneself; it was both very surprising and hard to deal with for the enemy.


    Though this kind of blast would kill just about anything on the planet, Dagda was one of the very few exceptions. Crouching down before him, both of his arms destroyed, one of his wings completely torn apart and the other also almost gone, the horns on his head except one small portion had also been broken off, Dagda could hardly even breathe with this intoxicating and burning air.


    ¡°Dagda¡­ you¡¯ve certainly grown a lot more powerful than the last time. So much so that you may even come to pose a real threat to us one day, thus in order to avoid that future, let us end everything here. This is a final act of mercy from me.¡±


    Out of his left breast pockets, Errick took out a small switch like object with a red button on top of it. Unable to move, unable to speak and unable to even hear what Errick had just said, Dagda could only just stare menacingly at Errick¡¯s hand. ¡®Your first mistake was your own existence,¡¯ Errick thought as he unhesitatingly pressed the red button.


    ¡­


    As though it were alive, the grounds beneath Dagda¡¯s foot growled in a low, daunting hum. It started to shake, first very subtly then progressively it became more violent then eventually even devastating, turning and carving up the land. It wasn¡¯t an earthquake; it just didn¡¯t feel like that, rather it felt as though something many times worse was happening.


    ¡®He did something¡­ again!¡¯ Dagda thought to himself as he glared at the switch like object in Errick¡¯s hands. The very air around him started to intensify, gaining the property of ¡®weight¡¯ as everything now pushing down to suppress him. Even the blood in his veins felt like it would rip his flesh asunder and jump out of his body. Just the act of kneeling on the floor became a struggle and breathing was no longer possible.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Wha¡­ aaa¡­ kuh¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even talk, moving his mouth was impossible as well.


    Yet even though they inhabited the same space, Errick Rommel seemed completely unaffected by this mysterious shift in the world¡¯s property. Standing tall, Errick ¡®observed¡¯ him through that singular red glare as though a child coldly staring down at ants he was about to kill. This feeling of humiliation and suppression was starting to eat away at his very sanity. Frustration, desperation, anguish¡­ various negative emotions welled up inside him, trying to burst out but even they were suppressed by this horribly oppressive atmosphere.


    ¡°Graviton Detonators¡­ perhaps your world has not yet understood the properties of gravity but we have already mastered it. What you are feeling now is the intensification of the gravitational force in the local area. Specifically it¡¯s a 400% increase to everything, your weight, the air molecules around you¡­ even your own blood should feel that much heavier.¡±


    Such an explanation had not sufficed enough for Dagda to understand what was going on but he got the gist of it. He turned back to his own torn off right arm, it should have already healed by now yet it didn¡¯t. Even though he could see itself trying desperately to repair back to the way it was, nothing happened. His self-regeneration ability was being impeded by this oppressive air.


    ¡°Tissue regeneration requires oxygen to recover effectively, however with the intensified gravity your lungs and blood aren¡¯t able to properly pump that oxygen to your wounds. Though given enough time you¡¯d probably heal anyway but the process will be extremely slow and I do not intend to give you that leisure.¡±


    Helplessly Dagda could only stare back with a sharp glare. Bearing his fangs did nothing to improve the situation. It merely served as a silent protest from a defeated dog.


    ¡°Truly¡­ you have entertained me greatly. An immortal¡¯s life can be rather boring at times, but there are also a lot of genuinely interesting things in this world. You are amongst one them, however all things must come to an end.¡±


    Errick stretched out his arms in a grand fashion and started to chant in a foreign language.


    ¡°[********** ****** ** ******* *********, ***** ****: ***** *******. *** ****** ********. **** ** ****.] Good bye.¡±


    Speaking those final words Errick stared up towards the blue skies. Following that gaze Dagda did the same and upon doing so saw an impossible sight. A small slit in the very sky, opening up as though an eye. A black an empty void surrounded a blood red spherical object¡­ ¡®The moon!¡¯


    Upon realizing what it was that he saw¡­ everything dissolved into white. Colors faded off the objects and shapes were blurred out. All that was there was an empty white void along with an extremely tempting sensation of fatigue overcoming him. Dagda felt that closing his eyes now would most likely mean that he would never again open them, however he could not help himself.


    His eyelids felt so extremely heavy, his feelings of frustration and desperation seemed to evaporate as though they never existed. If this was what accepting ¡®peace¡¯ felt like then it was an insidiously cruel force. He could almost feel a smile etching onto his face as his consciousness continued to fade away.


    He was tired¡­


    He wanted to sleep¡­


    Forever¡­


    ¡®[Do not die¡­]¡¯ a mysterious, almost aroma like voice echoed through Dagda¡¯s mind. Language similar to the ones spoken by Errick Rommel, yet he somehow found that he could understand. Just hearing it once was enough to invigorate his corroding spirit; rekindling a desire to rise once more and to face his greatest nemesis.


    Dagda gradually opened his eyes back to the cruel white void. Doing so revealed that he was no longer alone; a transparent silhouette of a feminine figure embraced him lovingly, as though a mother holding her child. A small transparent dome was erected around them, shielding him from both the oppressive gravitational force and the white light that was siphoning away his life.


    ¡°[Fight¡­]¡±


    The mysterious figure spoke to him. Once more a powerful, invigorating force circulated through his very being, filling him up with a strength that even he didn¡¯t know existed. ¡®This power¡­ I can win!¡¯ he thought to himself as he clenched his fists.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I can win.¡±


    He repeated to himself as he smiled.


    ¡­


    ¡°*******¡­¡±


    Like a god Nemesis peered down at the hapless inhabitants of this world from the air. No doubt they were frozen with awe at her mere appearance. One of them even called out to her but they were not in words she could understand. However this fact did not bother her even in the slightest, to her the words of primitives and mindless animals were both too insignificant.


    The only real solace in finding out about the existences of these primitive beings was that there was at least some sort of ¡®intelligent¡¯ life in this new world. Though she loathed the very idea of labeling them as ¡®intelligent¡¯ as it would put her and them on the same level, for now it was only used as a purely scientific category.


    ¡®They look human, but also not¡­¡¯ she thought to herself. In physical appearance they looked no different from the humans she had known all her life, however there was a key difference in their aura. Perhaps it was her decades of experiences as a soldier or her intuition as a psychic but something at the back of her mind told her that they were ¡®different¡¯; not true humans. It was this ¡®difference¡¯ that repulsed her- to her they seemed like nothing more than imposters wearing human skin.


    When she first appeared it was apparent that some kind of altercation was happening and she stepped in and killed one of them on a whim. It wasn¡¯t as though she was trying to save the other three, she merely wanted to test out the defensive capabilities of this world¡¯s residents. In fact she had half a mind to outright slaughter the other three as well just on sheer scientific curiosity alone but refrained from doing so.


    There was also no real reason for refraining to kill them, though if one had to absolutely conjure up one, then it was because they held human forms. She wasn¡¯t a complete psychopath; even the ¡®super soldier¡¯ Nemesis had some reluctance to kill other humans. If they did anything suspicious or hostile then she would instantly massacre them without a second thought, however as long as they did not bother her in any way then whether they lived or died was irrelevant.


    Humans went about their way without caring about how ants lived or died, thus in the same way she chose to let them live¡­ purely on a whim.


    ¡°*** *** ***?¡±


    One of them seemed to pose a question but she couldn¡¯t understand. No, from their tone of voice what they were trying to ask was obvious but she continued to feign ignorance. Right now she had more important priorities on her mind and just confirming the existence of neo-humans was enough for her.


    She decided to ignore them and leave, however the moment she turned around to do so something else had caught her interests. Something extremely worrisome but also at the same time it was something that filled her with sense of ¡®hope¡¯.


    Hope that she was not truly alone in this world¡­ Far off in the distance in the direction of the forest was a light; an extraordinarily bright pillar of light raining down from above the clouds. In an instant she knew what this light was.


    ¡°[The light of Gungnir¡­?!]¡±


    Uprooting the two nearest houses with her psychokinetic power she thought to use them as smashing weapons. The grounds shook and crumbled as the houses were violently torn from their rightful place and hovered around her. Without wasting any more time she flew towards the light pillar at top speeds, disappearing just as quickly as she appeared.

 Chapter 53 - Providence of Immortals

    Tales of the Old World Demon Lord


    Chapter 53 ¨C Providence of Immortals


    [Eternum Calendar 1972]


    Connecting by a massive pillar of light, the skies literally fell towards the lands below. This purifying pylon ¡®cleansed¡¯ anything that was unfortunate enough to be caught up in its wrath, leaving not even a single trace behind. Observing this near world ending phenomenon from a close but safe distance away was a single humanoid figure. Adorned in an elegant white militaristic uniform, various badges and medals lined up against his left breast pockets, he stood tall with his arms behind his back- Errick Rommel. Through his singular red lens he focused intently into the white void, waiting patiently for everything to finally be over.


    ¡°Dagda¡­ you were simply too powerful for your own good.¡±


    He spoke in an authoritative yet slightly melancholic tone. He shook his head, almost in a manner to suggest he was retracting that prior statement.


    ¡°While ¡®power¡¯ itself is not evil, the threat it presents is vast and is therefore necessary to¡­ ¡®weed¡¯ out before it becomes too troublesome.¡±


    He lowered his white hat just enough to cover half of his large red eye. ¡®You don¡¯t have to understand; this is just how we do things,¡¯ he thought to himself. A sense of relief hovered around him as he bid his final farewell towards the one problematic yet entertaining constant in his immortal life. Indeed this was how the Confederacy had operated; weeding out future threats before they had a chance to bloom.


    Their overall outwards arrogance and domineering attitude was merely a show; planning, plotting, scheming, weaving contingencies and proper cultivation, that was how the Confederacy had ascended to their techno godhood. It was not through any effortless feat of luck or coincidence that they were able to grasp the future of mankind in their hands.


    Errick quietly gazed at the god of destruction, the light pillar. ¡®It¡¯s over¡­¡¯ a final thought crossed his mind. By his own estimations it should have been impossible for the enemy to avoid fate this time around. He let out a metaphorical sigh as he slowly turned his back to leave, yet it was only for a brief millisecond that an ominous thought crept into the deepest recesses of his mind. He felt that something wasn¡¯t right, that something at the back of his head was telling him that nothing was truly over. His intuition, born from countless centuries and millennium of experiences, such a finely honed skill was not something to be taken lightly.


    Errick waited¡­


    Seconds passed, though they felt like hours¡­


    Minutes passed, yet it seemed like they were days¡­


    He watched as the light of Gungnir began to dwindle a little more with each passing second. He waited¡­ then some more, until finally the bridge connecting the heavens to the earth had vanished in its entirety. Yet nothing was revealed, a thick layer of dust and smoke smothered the entire area.


    When the smoke finally settled, the revelation of the impact was much grander than what he had initially anticipated. A large gaping chasm about fifty to sixty meters in diameter drilled through the crust by the heavenly orbital laser. The hole seemed to stretch deep into infinity as even when Errick peered down with the most enhanced optical equipment the bottom was still covered by an impenetrable darkness.


    ¡®This kind of damage¡­ there¡¯s no way he would have survived,¡¯ Errick told himself. Even he would not stood a chance against that kind of direct impact. While his opponent, Dagda, was recognized as the strongest deity to grace this world and even held the power of infinite regeneration, destruction on a molecular level was not something anyone could easily escape. He breathed out once more a metaphorical sigh as he confirmed in his heart that the enemy was destroyed beyond recovery.


    Although there was still one lingering curiosity that plagued him as he stared down towards the unending abyss, an intrinsic one. As fellow immortals, this situation had rather piqued Errick¡¯s curiosity, about what it felt like to ¡®die¡¯ as an immortal. It was a question that ailed almost every sentient being, even after being immortalized as an eternal machine, this curse did not escape him.


    In his vast period of existence he had not come close to death. With regular maintenance and the fact that there wasn¡¯t an opponent that came close to making him taste defeat, there was just no chance to. Even in the unlikely event that he was damaged beyond the recovery capabilities of his natural repair programming, he could instantly summon more spare parts from his [inventory] to replace ones too heavily damaged.


    All in all, he was severely over prepared to actually die; he would not die and he would not be able to satiate the curiosity of mortality today. He shook his head, nothing was going to come out from the chasm and the fight was over. The immortal ¡®deity¡¯ that wreaked havoc across the world, claiming to be its ¡®strongest¡¯ was dead. His only regret about this was not having the chance to ask Dagda before he died, ¡®how it felt to be dying¡¯.


    It was too late now.


    Or so how wonderful it would have been for the rest of the world if that had truly been the case. No, fate was not to be. At that moment a fearsome presence echoed through the bottomless chasm. He shifted his sights, focusing intently once more, anticipating and bracing himself for what was about to come.


    ¡®It¡¯s coming!¡¯ he shouted in his mind as he felt a dreadful and malicious pressure erupting from the abyss. An incredible rush of translucent force burst out at breakneck speeds, ascending towards the skies and ripping apart the clouds. He witnessed as this mysterious power froze him in place, a chill ran down his non-existent organic spine. Just from that brief display, he had already figured out the nature of what this unnatural phenomenon was¡­ or rather there was only one thing it could have actually been.


    Knowing this fact did nothing to alleviate his petrified state. His mind, as highly advanced as it was from being mechanized, was still limited by a lot of its human comprehensions. ¡®Psionic residue¡­?!¡¯ that rush of force was no doubt the residue left behind by a psychokinetic power, however that shouldn¡¯t have been possible. This entire world, much less Dagda, wasn¡¯t aware of even its existence. Yet it could not be denied that in that instant what Errick observed exploding from the chasm was indeed a trace of psychic power.


    ¡°Haaa¡­haa haa~ Getting distracted now, are we?¡±


    A low and demonic voice spoke to him from behind. In his brief moment of distraction and contemplation due to the prior mystery, Errick had completely forgotten to take into consideration Dagda¡¯s location. Errick tried to turn back to retaliate as he activated his ¡®overload¡¯ ability, however it was already too late. Dagda was in perfect position, and even in the midst of striking without delay. Claws darker than the blackest night skies and tougher than time tested steel, Dagda slashed down with everything his body allowed him.


    Errick only barely managed to avoid the complete destruction of his body, yet the price in doing so was losing his left arm and balance. Taking advantage of the momentum, Dagda continued his assaults. A powerful shockwave repulsed from Errick¡¯s abdomen as Dagda smashed through his defenses with a kick.


    Errick was hurled back several dozen meters, sliding through the charcoal desert and towards the direction of the bottom chasm. Just as he was on the verge of falling right in, he managed to grab a hold of the edge with his right arm. With no real ability to fly his only option was back up. Yet upon attempting to do so was resisted by Dagda.


    The situation had reversed almost instantaneously. Summoning more weapons, using skills, jumping away¡­ everything had a slight delay; the moment he tried to do anything was the moment Dagda would retaliate.


    Dagda crept closer, violently stomping on Errick¡¯s hand in an attempt to make him fall. Looking up a large and exhilarated grin, both Errick and Dagda knew what the outcome of the next few seconds would be. He could see it now, the surge of victorious liberty flowing through Dagda¡¯s very core. Why wouldn¡¯t he be? Who else could claim to have survived an orbital bombardment head on?


    ¡°Haa¡­ that last attack of yours¡­ I¡¯m not sure what it was but a little more and you might have actually been successful. Unfortunately for you it seems that the heavens are on my side.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you think you can kill me with just this?¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Who knows? To me, all I hear are the meaningless ramblings of a loser. However I will be generous enough to allow you your final words¡­ speak so I may savor them for all of eternity.¡±


    Dagda grinned further, bearing his sharp, jagged teeth.


    ¡°¡­ House.¡±


    At his words Dagda stopped for a brief moment, confused as to why those were Errick¡¯s chosen final words. Yet the confusion would have been instantly solved from Errick¡¯s perspective, from the skies a large object flew towards them on a crash course trajectory. The speed, so intense that it managed to create a ripple of sound and space behind it as it breached the sound barrier. A rogue house, flying towards them at mach speeds, an unsual sight but not at all ineffective if it coming at that kind of speeds.


    Even with Dagda¡¯s speed adaptation and Errick¡¯s overload ability, the house surpassed their reaction times. It soared through at breakneck speeds only to erupt into a sea of dust and explosions as it reached the intended target. Dagda who had his back turned didn¡¯t even register it as everything exploded into darkness around him- he wasn¡¯t able to because he couldn¡¯t hear it coming.


    Only when the already decimated battlefields was blown to smithereens, with dust clouds reaching the skies themselves, the ground plates contorting upwards and mangled in the mess of an explosion, a true earth shattering quake rippled in the area and nothing resembled its former state anymore did Dagda truly feel the impact.


    In a last ditch attempt Errick decided to jump off the ledge to avoid the attack. He¡¯d fall in and slowly climb up later, but something peculiar happened instead. Not only was he unharmed, he did not even fall into the chasm, floating gently off within the smoke filled devastation zone.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    He could not fly, not with his own strength anyway. It also didn¡¯t feel like it was any kind of magic that was helping him levitate, that wouldn¡¯t have made much sense either. It was a familiar sensation that encapsulated his body, a feeling that he had felt long ago.


    ¡°[What are you doing, Grand Admiral?]¡±


    A small, feminine and slightly childish voice spoken in adult-like intonations came from behind him. ¡®Old world language?¡¯ he thought to himself, turning his eye to the owner of the voice. He understood the words but did not recognize the voice, it wasn¡¯t anyone who he knew but clearly they recognized him.


    He came face to face with a small female child. Long black hair, clear and piercing blue eyes, an arrogant yet vain posture with her hands on her waist and chest puffed up as though she were some kind of actual authority. He did not know this child but this power and mannerisms, ¡®psychokinesis¡­ and¡¯¡­


    ¡°[Could it be¡­ are you perhaps Nemesis?]¡±


    The small child nodded, the corners of her mouth perking up to form a smirk. If he could, he too would have smiled at this reunion, however it was cut short by a violent interruption. A large stone pillar flew straight towards them, blowing apart the clouds of dust to reveal the perpetrator, Dagda. Angered by the appearance of a new player, not to mention one strong enough to cause actual damage to himself; Errick Rommel was hard enough but someone of this caliber was a death sentence even to the immortal body he possessed.


    The pillar surfed over the brown clouds. If it had hit then any average being they would have been instantly eviscerated. However the members gathered here were no normal people, they were beings that exceeded gods¡­ they were ¡®humans¡¯- humans of vastly superior the Old World.


    The pillar was instantly halted mid air by Nemesis¡¯s vast psychokinetic capabilities, squashed into a size no bigger than a bug and then dropped down into the bottomless chasm. What proceeded next was a counter attack, a large shadowy silhouette brewed just behind the thin veil of the dust clouds- a second house. Dragging behind all of the dust with it the house flew almost incomprehensibly fast towards Dagda, crashing into him directly once more.


    ¡°[He didn¡¯t die after the first hit¡­ what is he? Another one of Testament¡¯s experiments?]¡±


    Nemesis tuned back to him for answers. If she didn¡¯t even know the name of this world¡¯s pivotal deity, it became clear to Errick that something must have happened to her. Well, his first hint was her shrunken and de-aged body.


    ¡°[Ah¡­ no, he¡¯s something like this world¡¯s ¡®god¡¯.]¡±


    Nemesis twisted her face, confusion mixed with concern for Errick¡¯s mental health. He could tell what she was thinking, ¡®Gods¡¯, the kind of mystical beings with super powers that could distort destiny; in the eyes of the Confederacy they were nothing more than superstition. Or rather, even if they had actually existed, the principle of the Confederacy was that man should guide his own destiny and the will of a ¡®divine¡¯ entity was entirely irrelevant.


    ¡°[I can see that you¡¯re having some doubts about my mental state but I assure you, in this situation it¡¯s a lot more literal than you think. Even if he isn¡¯t truly a god in the technical sense, he¡¯s still a being hailed as one by the residents of this world.]¡±


    ¡°[This world¡­ just what is-]¡±


    ¡°BASTARD!¡±


    As she was about to ask a question, Dagda flew with vengeful fury and maddening dissatisfaction. His two large, black wings violently flapping away the dust clouds as he traversed the air towards his sole target of revenge. His fists erupted with a bright and devastating blue flame, headed straight for the small face a female child without hesitation. Yet it wasn¡¯t quite able to land the hit.


    A spear that could only be seen as a translucent silhouette shot up from below, penetrating through Dagda¡¯s abdomen as though it was tissue paper. Caught off of his guard, an intense pain dispersed through his entire body and momentarily stunning him.


    Dagda¡¯s high speed regeneration kicked in, covering over the hole in his stomach at a disgustingly visible pace. Nemesis soured her face as she hurled more of her [Psionic Javelins] through him from below. His arms, legs, wings, shoulders, a portion of his face, they were riddled in holes like cheese. For the final touch Nemesis activated her [Black Orb] ability with a dense, dark fog enveloping around him in a suffocating manner.


    Errick stared, frozen in awe from the overwhelming brutality and power of her abilities. Their destructive capabilities were on an entirely different plane of existence. Errick himself was only a strategist; he was never a frontline unit and his main duty in the Confederacy was to lead the soldiers under his command. However Nemesis was different, she was a true fighter; the nemesis to all enemies of the Confederacy.


    Yet Dagda was no slouch in battles either, in a spectacular feat of pure willpower, Dagda¡¯s right arm burst through the heavy black gasses eating away at him. He was trying and almost succeeded in breaking out of the black orb prison.


    Nemesis responded by exerting even more power in the crushing capabilities of her black orb. For a while the battle seemed to be swaying side to side. Dagda¡¯s sheer will power was enough to fight against Nemesis¡¯s psychic powers. Most likely, even for the Confederate super soldier, an incredibly tenacious opponent like Dagda was a first.


    ¡°[Hmph.]¡±


    Nemesis frowned. Instead of continuing with this suppressive tug of war, she opted to change tactics. Instead of trying to crush him, she simple tossed him away as though he were a piece of garbage. Unfortunately this also meant that the direction that the hostile deity was thrown towards was the vulnerable village under Errick Rommel¡¯s protection.


    ¡°[Ah!]¡±


    Shouted Errick.


    ¡°[Something wrong?]¡±


    Nemesis wasn¡¯t oblivious to the fact that there was a village full of hapless inhabitants there, she just didn¡¯t care that much. Errick could see this in her eyes, the lack of sympathy and yet he couldn¡¯t really blame her for thinking this. He too had similar thoughts when he first came into contact with the beings of the new world. Nemesis did not have a lengthy experience of co-existence with them- of course she wouldn¡¯t feel much for them.


    ¡°[Nemesis, it¡¯s best if you killed Dagda right away instead of playing with him. He¡¯s a lot more trouble than he¡¯s worth and could potentially become a threat in the future.]¡±


    ¡°[I didn¡¯t have any plans on letting anyone who touches USSC allied forces live.]¡±