《The Mythical Realm》 Chapter 1: Mall Heist Writer Eternal: Hello. Chapters will be posted as soon as I''ve written them. I try to focus on the story, rather than the action. Enjoy. Chapter 1: Mall Heist "I finally bought the jacket dad," a boy sighed as he left Men''s Macy''s. For the weekend, most items were 50% off. His dad promised to go with him to buy the white leather jacket on his seventeenth birthday, but his dad was busy. Again. His dad was a Ranker, a human who absorbed the power of some crystal and gained the ability to fight back against the monsters and demons ravaging the Earth. Most of the world changed after dozens years. Many small towns and villages all over the world were destroyed. Humanity now lived in walled cities far from one another. Air travel became too hazardous for commercial planes and sea travel was akin to suicide. Still, the most powerful countries endured and created railroads to connect to the various walled cities. Rankers were sent to small outpost cities to ensure the safety and sustainment of the now priceless railroad network. His dad was supposed to come back for the weekend. He looked up ahead as he heard screaming. He leaned his head forward and narrowed his eyes. He held his breath and leaned back as people got pushed out of the way. He was on the second floor of the mall and saw people get knocked off the rails and fall onto the first floor of the mall. "Move it kid!" a man roared as he slammed through him. His arms flailed as he flew and crashed in front of a clothing store. His leather jacket landed nearby, but was slightly outside his bag. Other people wearing black masks also pushed people out of the way as they followed the man who slammed into Nathan. "Hurry! The Rankers are catching up. Give us the items from the security box or we''ll kill you," the masked men roared. Lucien Lei grimaced in pain as he rubbed his right shoulder. He yelped in shock as he saw several people in tuxedos chase the man holding swords and guns. One man was even flying as another had fireballs in his hand. "Another new Ranker going rogue. He''ll be sent to the Disciplinary Camp before being judged whether to go to Ranker Prison. What an idiot," Lucien said as he rolled his shoulder. "Man it feels sore. No bruise though." Lucien groaned as he replaced his leather jacket back into his bag. He frowned a little as it felt heavier, but got distracted by the dirt on his new jacket. He grit his teeth in anger and left the mall. He didn''t know what that jerk stole, but he hoped he got caught by the masked men and not the Rankers. He waited until the limousine came and entered inside. As his dad was a Ranker, the government treated his family with free city travel and exemption from bills and taxes. Considering that only nobles could afford gas and bus fare was five dollars, a free limo service was VI.P. treatment. "Where to, sir?" his driver asked. "Lets go home. Rogue Rankers at the mall today. Any news from my dad?" Lucien asked as he sat in the limo. "Yes, but it is not public news yet. Mercenary Rankers discovered a zombie horde heading to several outposts. There are rumors that demons are leading them. Mr. Shen Lei is a Ranker of one of the mercenary organizations. He was dispatched with other Rankers to fight one of the hordes," his driver answered. "Oh. I guess that''s okay. Thanks," Lucien said and remained silent on the drive home. He thanked the driver as he arrived in the Lei Family Villa and entered his home. He grinned and pat his little sister''s head before going into the kitchen. He grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and headed to his room. "Yeah. That hurts," Lucien sighed as he pressed the ice pack on his shoulder. After the ice melted, he tossed the ice pack into his bathroom and looked at his shopping bag. Nodding, he took out his leather jacket and started cleaning the dirt off when he noticed a black satchel in the bag. "What''s this?" he frowned as he took it out. "Oh. Something is inside. It can''t be from the store. I don''t remember picking.....Ah! When that jerk bumped into me! Heh. Must be good stuff if Rankers and those masked guys wanted him." Lucien dumped the contents of the satchel onto his bed. His eyes widened as he saw two rings, six books, a black metal card, and a purple crystal fall out the satchel. He had seen those items before. These were Ranker items. Magical items! The crystal was even one that could make him a Ranker! "Oh damn. Hahaha. No way. Wow.....wow. I got a Spirit Heart Crystal. I can be a Ranker, like my dad. What idiot would not absorb a Spirit Crystal if he saw one? These books are even skill books! Fireball, Wind Cutter, and Thorn Blade are spells! Actual mage spells! These books containing Earth-Shattering First and Mountain Cleaver are warrior arts," Lucien sighed with praise. "Whoever owned the satchel was indeed ambitious and took a well-deserved risk. Pity for him that Lucien was the one to benefit from the heist. Still, the thief should still possess even more stolen goods to not notice the missing satchel. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "The latter two are warrior arts with no attributes, but the spells are rare. This Heart Spirit Crystal must have the thunder attribute. There''s definitely the another attribute. I''ve seen the bigger ones possess two," Lucien grinned and turned to the fourth book. "This book is actually a journal.,,, some tips about monsters and demons.... oh! The contents of one of the rings in the satchel. The green ring is a magical item. It adds 10% wind attribute damage to my attack and raises attack speed by 4%. This is a great item! The other ring is even a storage ring! It contains a 20x20x20 meter space inside! Wait a minute. There is a grey talisman in here.....a flying sword talisman. Not a real one but it can form a sword of grey energy to attack. Damn. If this satchel had so much, just what did the other, giant bag, have?" Excited, Lucien sat down on the ground in lotus position. He laid the crystal on his lap and imagined himself draining the energy of the purple crystal. His body trembled as a dark purple energy seeped out the crystal and entered his eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth. A faint image of an phoenix and a dark purple dragon appeared above his body before vanishing into his heart. The purple energy spread throughout his body. It seeped into his veins. It assimilated into the blood in his arteries. It strengthened his organs and vitalized his bones. Slowly, his heart took the form of an orange crystal-shaped heart. It still beat like a normal heart, but pumped both oxygen and spirit energy into his cells. Stinky black liquid seeped from his pores and sullied his clothes. "Thunder, darkness, earth, and fire attributes. The ring might even give me wind as I use it over time. My spirit totem is even a sword with a dragon beast spirit. The strange thing is, the Totem sword is not the same color as my Spirit Heart. Could it be some kind of higher tier Spirit Heart Crystal ? My god. Who did this guy rob?" Lucien paled as a dark purple sword floated before him. The Totem was a part of him, connected to his heart and soul by spirit energy. Possessing other Totems were possible, but those were rarely dropped after monsters were killed. Totems were the third rarest type of magical items, ranked just below Artifacts and Relics. All other magical items were ordinary and very inferior. Totem-type weapons were the best as they evolved over time. Other magical weapons had to be replaced as the Ranker''s level increased. Rankers saw the world as a videogame. They leveled up, but cultivation was possible to make them stronger than those at the same level. Such knowledge was contained in the journal. Lucien was so ecstatic to find out the storage ring even had another skill inside: Beast Tamer. He could tame up to three magical beasts. Luckily, his Totem already had a beast spirit inside or he would sacrifice a very powerful magical beast for the Totem instead. "I did not think this through. Ah man. I''m a Ranker now. I''ll have to fight from now on. I need to register myself. That way, I can receive training. The Ranker dojos provide captured magical beasts to kill and practice fighting against. I can level up killing them and cultivating," Lucien nodded. "Yeah. That will do. I have to tell dad. He might even give me a cultivation method." Lucien dialed on the home phone and said as his dad picked up, "Dad. It was my birthday yesterday, but I know you''re busy. I bought the white leather jacket." "I''m sorry Lucien. For missing your birthday and Lucy''s long passed birthday, I can''t apologize enough. This is the price to pay for me being a Ranker. You two shouldn''t be the ones to pay for it. If only your mom, Lucille, was alive.," his dad sighed. "The zombie horde was driven back. I''m being replaced and I am on the train home. I''ll see you soon and make it up to you. I promise you this time." "About that, I got a confession. I....became a Ranker," Lucien said but heard nothing. "Dad? Are you there?" "Did you see two beast spirits? One of them a phoenix entering your heart?" his dad asked. "Yeah. I absorbed a purple Spirit Crystal Heart and formed a Totem sword. It feels connected to my heart, but my Spirit Heart is orange. Wait, how did you know about the phoenix?" Lucien asked, confused. "We''ll speak about this when I get home. Do not use any spirit energy. Do not even cultivate. Do nothing until I get home!" his dad roared and hung up. "Crap," Lucien cursed silently. "I really didn''t think things through. Well, he knows now. I should read more of the journal before he comes back. The card must be important. I think I saw my dad have one in his wallet before." Chapter 2: The Hunted Writer Eternal: Sorry for the wait. Was busy thinking of some concepts and decided this entry would be focus. Moving on. Lucien Lei learns 3 spells and two warrior arts while becoming a Ranker. His dad is alarmed and tells Lucien not to do anything until he arrives. Enjoy. Chapter 2: The Hunted "Hey big brother. Did you see the news? Some guy broke into the Ranker bank and searched through countless safety deposit boxes. What are those?" Lucy asked as her brother came down. "It is like a storage in the bank used by rich people. What else did the news say about it?" Lucien asked, concerned as he sat next to her in front of the 46 inch plasma television. "A group of masked killers chased the ten thieves all the way to the mall. One managed to get away but was later found dismembered. I remember it means having your arm or legs ripped off," Lucy said, Lucien''s eyes narrowing as he watched the news. "What about the killers? Any clues?" Lucien asked. "No. All the Rankers who chased after the killers were found dead. Those people are scary," Lucy answered. "Alright. Go to your room. You have classes tomorrow," Lucien said, rubbing her head before she walked upstairs. "Sir, shall I report your new Ranker status to the City Lord?" Gerald asked. "No. Prepare my things. We are leaving this city and taking the train to Thousand Sword City. I am a Ranker now and direct descendant of my grandfather, an accomplished Ranker who still lives there. I will register myself as a Ranker there. Give them a nice surprise. Like my mother wanted: I am a cultivator now. I''ll finally be accepted by the my father''s house, like she wanted," Lucien ordered. "And what shall I tell to Master Shen?" Gerald asked. "Miss Lucy?" "Tell my sister where I will go after I have left. We talked about me leaving should I become a cultivator. Tell her to convince my father to move there as soon as she becomes a Ranker. Give my sister the Mountain Cleaver and Earth-Shattering Strike warrior arts. I''ll keep my Fireball and Thorn Blade spells. Spells are rarer than warrior arts, and my sister isn''t a Ranker yet. Giving her the Wind Cutter spell is enough. My father did not want me to be a Ranker, but he is softer to my sister. His guilt is greater towards her," Lucien replied giving the butler a green leather book. "Sir, are you involved with the robbers slaughtered today?" Gerald asked, stunning Lucien as the boy turned to him. "Your mother knew you would become a cultivator. As a baby, she loved you dearly. She knew the price of giving birth to another child. She was a brave woman. As your guardian, and later Lucy''s, I was to protect you from rogue Rankers as a Ranker myself. She knew your father never wanted his children to follow his footsteps. You''ve no idea how he lived among his family. Your father took his mother''s maiden name as his own: Lei. Unfortunately, your father looked more like his mother than his father, save for the eyes. Your eyes are blue, like your father and his father before him. Your father is half Chinese, if China still existed. You''re half of a half and look slightly like your father save your dark brown hair. Anyway, your mother left this for you. She had it modeled after your father''s jian, Chinese straight sword. The jian of the Han Dynasty were heavier and more sturdy, much like a longsword''s blade." "My mother left me a sword?" Lucien murmured as he held his new sword. It had a moon-colored guard with an Asian dragon carved on both sides, black stingray leather grip, a dragon bone pommel carved into a dragon''s head, and a mysterious kind of steel blade cold to the touch. As he drew it, his Spirit Heart seemed to resonate and the orange Spirit Heart became an iridescent purple as a purple aquatic dragon appearing above him before it vanished. "This is the kind of sword used by your father''s mother''s family, remade with much better material. Master Shen never mentioned his mother''s clan. I believe this sword belonged to Lady Lucille, but she changed the pommel into a dragon as it is the sigil of your grandmother''s clan. Wield it well," Gerald said as he gave Lucien a stone stamp. Lucien did not expect the weight and it fell out of his hand with a heavy thud on the ground. "Such a small thing is so heavy?" Lucien gasped as he picked it up. He saw many glowing rune lines on the stamp to form the shape of an aquatic dragon. "What is this thing?" "It has to do with the phoenix beast spirit that appeared," Gerald answered, seeing the shock on Lucien''s face soon after. "Yes. I sensed it. The phoenix is a bird of rebirth. Your mother''s Spirit Heart Totem had a phoenix beast spirit. She passed on some spirit energy into you before she passed. It enabled you to survive. Using a Spirit Heart Crystal is not as easy as when you used it. There are preparations. Rituals. You skipped all that like any mortal family would. After all, you did not have the resources. The stamp''s images change to the Ranker''s Spirit Heart beast spirit. Without one, you cannot survive assimilating it. Furthermore, your grandmother made the stamp and sealed to be used only for her bloodline. A Ranker sacrificing her stamp, she was either was in grave danger or had no hope to increase her cultivation further. How your parents managed to keep it, your father must be the one to tell you." Lucien remained in a stunned silence as he placed the stamp against his chest and watched it enter inside him. A dragon''s roar shook his consciousness and made him fall onto his knees. The purple aquatic dragon beast spirit''s serpentine body coiled around him, flames burning inside its mouth and claws. It nearly looked tangible and Gerald instinctively stepped back several paces in alarm. He watched as Lucien''s hair turned a dark shade of brown and his blue eyes gained a slight glow. "I feel so powerful," Lucien said with awe as the pain subsided. "Sir, you''re weak. You lack proper training and experience as a cultivator. You''ve only purified your spirit energy to a higher level. Even if you are more powerful than others who are at your cultivation, the experienced could kill you without you even knowing how you died," Gerald said bluntly. "Well that sounds depressing," Lucien muttered. "This is your life now. You are a Ranker. In the old days, such people were called cultivators. People kill for resources. People kill out of jealousy, for power, and for lust. If you lack the proper strength or backing, you will die a horrible death worse than that of mortals," Gerald said sternly. "This is no game. I know how much you want to see the world. Now, you have no choice. This is no city for Rankers. There are hardly any, save for mercenary groups and the Ranker City Guard. Thousand Sword City is indeed the wisest course of action. We must move quickly. No doubt, the killers will figure out you have the satchel. Does it carry anything of note?" "Just a journal," Lucien said. "Then that is their goal. I''ll have four earth golems escort you. You must leave. Now. Since you left two warrior skills and a precious spell for your sister, I''ll give you a Black Wood Bow and magical quiver containing a Black Iron Arrow. The quiver can infinitely recreate up to five of any arrows left inside by the owner. Bullets serve no use for a Ranker unless you are talentless in combat. I almost forgot to give you this Dark Obsidian Art and Lightning Fall Art. These are two elemental attribute battle skills are meant for bladed weapons. They are sure to protect you. Now you must leave. When they figure out you are not here, I cannot protect you," Gerald warned and his hand emitted a brown and red aura before touching Lucien''s chest. "Every cultivator, not present day Ranker, had a storage space in their very bodies. Only cultivators of old can awaken that latent ability. Its size will increase as your cultivation grows. Hide the journal in there." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lucien quickly did as instructed and put the journal in his hidden body space. Then, he opened his three remaining skill books. The books turned into varying colors of light and turned into runes as they branded themselves inside his mind. The two rushed outside the house and Lucien''s eyes bulged as the four giant stone lions appeared and came to life. "I have also gifted you with earth affinity and my Stone Fist Art as I infused my aura inside you. Do not underestimate the earth element. No matter how powerful, man needs the earth. It is not just an element for defense. Follow the path of the Magus, not the Warrior. Being a mage is more difficult than a fighter, but a mage can learn to create and manipulate the elements. In the long run, a Magus can be both a mage and a fighter. You don''t need to follow the Warrior path to learn warrior arts. You know enough spells and battle skills. Now, go. The train leaves within the hour. Your things are in the bags. I put them inside as you assimilated the stamp. Store them away. There are several stops on the way to Thousand Sword City. I cannot predict the danger. Here is a transmission talisman. You can communicate to me through it. Use it whenever you make a stop. I''ll buy as much time as possible," Gerald said, giving a jade talisman before ushering Lucien away. "Goodbye Gerald," Lucien said, tears falling down his face. "Tell my sister and father I''m sorry." "I will. Goodbye," Gerald said softly as he whistled, the four stone lions roaring before rushing off the hill towards the distant train station. Ten minutes later, fifteen men donning black cloaks and featureless silver masks appeared in front of the house. Gerald stared at them with a calm expression, closing his flip phone. The fifteen men drew various magical weapons and pointed them at Gerald. "Where is the satchel? We know the boy has it," one of the men threatened, his mask possessing a gold vine like design at the top of the mask adorned with thorns. "You children. You think you can threaten me? Please," Gerald chuckled as he flicked his wrist. Sand soundlessly flew from the ground and cut the necks of seven of the masked men. "Do you not know who I am? Weak little scum. Can''t even detect my body''s magical radiation. You must have made your plans on the day the new recruits of the Ranker City Guard took watch. No wonder they died." "Sand manipulation? An expert!" one of the eight cried in alarm. "The boy must be the son of a Ranker. He''s a Magus!" "Indeed I am. Now, tell me who you work for," Gerald said as the eight killers sunk in sand to their knees. Sand snakes coiled from the ground and began to tighten around their bodies, cracking some bones in the process. "The boy is not here! He must be headed for train station! Its a decoy!" one of the eight screamed as a black light began to shine from him. "Good luck comrades!" "Futile self-sacrifice," Gerald spat as he clenched his fist. The man emitting the black light burst blood as he was crushed to death in an instant. One of the remaining seven spat out a needle, distracting Gerald long enough to have five of them escape. "Five got away. No matter," Gerald said as the two left behind became squished sausage. "Two more should die from their wounds and sand I secretly injected into their bodies as their bones and skin cracked. Time to write today''s report. Master Shen will not be pleased. His son is a Ranker and I played around too much with his pursuers." Gerald waved his arms and the corpses and blood became fertilizer for the front yard as he headed back inside. A few yards from the station, people stared at the boy riding a stone lion as it charged past them, the lion in the center of a triangular formation with the three other earth lions. Lucien felt a chill run down his spine and looked back, seeing three men crash through a wall. "Fireball!" Lucien roared, but a tiny ember appeared and dissipated two feet away. "Huh? What kind of fireball is that? Do I have to train? That''s not the problem. I need to get away. Run faster! Faster!" Lucien screamed at the stone lions as ice spears crashed all around them as the lions ran in a zigzag to avoid enemy fire. Lucien took out his long time weapon: a six-chamber .35 caliber pistol. He fired a shot at one of them, the killer crying out in pain as he got shot in the left shoulder and crashed a few times on the ground. One of the killers threw a two meter thick fireball at the stone lion Lucien rode. He yelped in fright and pushed off the stone lion, grunting in pain as he got sent flying from the blast of the explosion as the fireball destroyed one of the stone lions. He destroyed a food stand before he stopped crashing on the ground. One of the lions grabbed him by the collar of his neck and threw him onto the back of another lion while the third spat several spikes of rocks at the killers. "Damn bastards! This was supposed to be a snatch and grab!" a killer roared with rage as destroyed a lion with a thrust of a spear. "Thirteen mages dead! Mages! Thirteen of them! I''ll kill that fucking brat!" The killer got stunned as a bullet ricocheted from the lower part of his mask. Lucien smiled nervously and clung for dear life as the killer cast five ice spears at once. A stone lion jumped in the path of the spears, bursting into pieces as the final stone lion was able to escape with Lucien. "That damned Magus!," one of the two killers hissed as Lucien disappeared from sight. "What do we do? The boss will kill us Why don''t we attack the train?" "No. We still have to bring the boss the gym bags the thieves took from the vault. We got our main objective. We won''t get the bonus, but it is a two-way split now," the other snarled and the two vanished in a burst of black flames as security showed up. "Oof," Lucien grunted as the stone lion broke apart in front of one of a train''s train cars. One of the personnel stepped forward and helped Lucien to his feet. "Lucien Lei?" the man asked. "Yeah. You know me?" Lucien answered. "Gerald called. Said four stone lions would escort you. Heard the gunshots and magic from all the way here. Some fight. You''re the one who used the gun, right? Keep that in your storage ring unless authorized," the man nodded and gestured onto the train. "Hope you''re ready to see the outside world. You''re just a turtle that hatched from its egg and survived the birds on th beach. You''ve only tasted a small piece of danger. Hope you know any spells. The railroads aren''t safe these days. Undead bastards and magical beasts are more daring and ferocious." "I really didn''t expect this. Should have stayed mortal and made preparations first," Lucien sighed as he dusted himself off before entering the train. "You ain''t the only one kid. Half the people who become Rankers used their Spirit Heart Crystals first chance they could. Should have seen the frontier towns. You''re lucky if the town isn''t destroyed before we even get there. You wouldn''t have lasted five minutes off the train," the train man laughed and closed the door behind them. "This walled city is pretty safe with so little Rankers. Your pursuers would have been much stronger in a different city. But hey, you still got here right? Still got plenty of time to train before someone or something tries to kill us." Chapter 3: Train 53 Writer Eternal: Lucien learns of the thief''s fate and that the killers remain at large. His butler, Gerald, agrees going to Thousand Sword City is the best choice after realizing that Lucien was involved with the mall heist incident. Thanks to Gerald''s stone lions, Lucien escapes from the masked killers in pursuit of the satchel. Chapter 3: Train 53 "Welcome aboard Train 53 headed to the capital. Be advised that we are not at all responsible for the safety of passengers when a passenger wrongs a Ranker on board, personnel or otherwise. There are several stops along the way and there is no guarantee the train stations are still standing when we make our stop. Entry into private cars is forbidden to all non-VIP passengers. You will beheaded if caught in violation of said rule. Next stop: Black Canyon City. As we travel through the canyon, please keep all metal shutters down on all windows in the event of magical beasts or other dangers," a man said in the P.A. before the train left the station. "We are scheduled to arrive at Black Canyon City in the morning." "So fancy," Lucien muttered as the train car he appeared in looked like a ballroom for high class business events. Several leather seats had tables adorned with gold utensils and servants were on standby for food and refreshments. He noticed that all but table had all seats occupied. Men, women, and several teens wore lavish clothing and emitting a kind of magical radiation exclusive to Rankers. "This is your red crystal boarding pass. With it, you can enter the V.I.P. train car of any train in the empire. Bind it by putting your spirit energy in it and keep it safe. Your seat is at the lone empty table right next to the door. Refreshments and meals are free. Do be wary not to explore so far down the train. To the left is restricted to personnel and contains areas like the engine room and kitchens. To the right is one more V.i.P. train car and several regular passenger cars," the train man smiled. "After a moment, a server will come by to give you food or beverages." "Thank you," Lucien said, the train man smiling as he left towards the front of the train. As he sat down, he bound the red crystal card and admired it. Even for Rankers, possessing an Imperial Boarding Pass was expensive. Mortals primarily used a copper, silver, and gold coin system. 100 copper=1 silver, 100 silver=1 gold. As for Rankers, they used purple and red triangular coins. These coins were created from rare crystals containing spirit energy. Red coins were 10,000 purple coins and could not be converted into mortal currency. The spirit energy inside a red coin was so pure and ancient, a mortal would have his life force sucked dry simply by making contact. Red coins also could be drained for spirit energy and replenished itself over time. Only a fool would actually exchange a red coin for a purple coin. Even if the spirit energy is miniscule, many bountiful resources paled in comparison to the purity and ancient power inside the red coin. Naturally, a red boarding pass was made of an immortal-ranked crystal and tiny shards of a red coin. Lucien had inherited three red coins and seven thousand purple coins. In terms of purple coins, he had a small fortune. His mother died in childbirth when he was five, but she told him that his father''s mother was the reason she and Shen could get married and left an inheritance for him. Lucien had stored the money in his spatial ring before he went downstairs and saw the news. "Here it is! Look, there are free seats by that table there," a little girl cried as he burst into the train car, all the V.I.P. passengers staring at the little girl. "Maddy, we can''t be in here," a muscular man said, trying to catch the girl. "All the other train cars are full. We can''t even order food. If my father hears about this--" the little girl began until her older brother came and shushed her. "Sorry everyone. It is her first time on the train and the other V.I.P. car is too crowded," the boy bowed in apology. Gour more people arrived behind the siblings, all four dressed in a red robes with a white and purple flame phoenix on their backs. Their robes matched the muscular man and every passenger could tell the siblings were people of some background. "You can sit at my table. It can seat eight people," Lucien said, feeling pity for them and turned to a server. "Can we get some food too?" "Of course," the server said, waving his hand. The security narrowed their eyes and nodded, allowing the seven to enter the train car. "Sorry about this. My name is Xin and this is my sister, Ling," the boy began, Lucien seeing the boy was around his age. "What is your name?" "My name is Lucien," the blue-eyed V.I.P. replied shortly after he was asked to change into a white and black robe with gold leaf designs on the sleeves and bottom of the robe. Similar robes were given to all V.I.P.s in their train car and were low-grade magical armor with unique effects. "Mister Lucien, why allow us a seat at your table?" the muscular man, Shigure, asked as he laid his katana against the table. "Pity. Believe it or not, I became a Ranker just hours ago. Then again, my father and butler are Rankers. Where are you headed?" Lucien asked. "The capital," Ling answered, licking her lips before eating the food as it arrived. "Are you nobles?" Lucien asked. "Yes. Where are you headed?" Xin asked. "Thousand Sword City. Another reason I invited you here is that I suspected you were Rankers. I''ve always admired them, but know as much as public knowledge is given to mortals. My father.....never wanted me to be one. He never spoke anything related to Rankers," Lucien said silently. "I lack information on the new path I am walking." "Well, I can have Owen and my guards give you advice until we reach Thousand Sword City," Xin said, Owen nodding in approval. "The train ride is very dangerous and the V.I.P. cars are the only ones guarded with the most personnel. Even the material of the train cars are more sturdy and difficult to break. I will return your kindness in turn. I would be fine, but my sister is still a mortal. Even a blast from spells or warrior arts could kill her." "My thanks," Lucien grinned and inclined his head to them. "Not so fast," a nineteen year old girl said as she stood up from her table. "You were led in due to affiliation with a Ranker named Gerald, right?" "Yes. Why?" Lucien asked as he stared at the beautiful Chinese girl. His eyes narrowed as her nine companions also stood up, all ten looked ready to draw weapons. "Is your father Shen Lei, son of Marquis Richard Salvatore?" the girl asked. "Yeah. My father was discarded by my grandfather and took his mother''s maiden name. What of it?" Lucien asked as the servers and other occupied tables watched in silence. "How do you know who I am? I don''t believe my butler told anyone else I was going to come aboard." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "House Salvatore? Your grandfather is one of the lords of the 24 minor provinces? You do have some background," Xin said with slight praise. "Not the descendent of a duke who lords over one of the five great provinces, but you are of noble descent as expected." "I don''t know anything about my father''s house or clan," Lucien began as his sword appeared from his spatial ring. "What do you want from me?" "Your father was a powerful lieutenant in the Imperial Army. He served in the imperial army during their conquest, and they now rule all twenty four minor provinces besides the main five central provinces. Your grandfather led the charge against the small province of Yan," the girl began but was interrupted by a loud bang. All eyes turned to the back of the train car to see two men donning black clothes and silver masks. The larger man created ten ice arrows, all of them shooting toward Lucien. Lucien tried jumping to the right, using the side of his sword to shield his chest. Two arrows managed to hit his sword, freezing and shattering it like glass in an instant. The other V.I.P. passengers and Xin''s guards were about to move but the other man held a vial in his hand, a toxic gas rolling within. If it broke, everyone would be implemented by the gas. "I don''t care about reporting back. I need that bonus!" the large killer roared as he rushed toward Lucien. He scoffed and waved his hands as Lucien took out his pistol. The pistol froze and shattered as a smaller, faster arrow of ice shot it. "Think I''ll fall for the same trick twice?" "That was sword was left for me by my mother and grandmother," Lucien snarled as he got up, all eyes widening as a purple aquatic dragon spirit appeared and coiled around him as he took out his Totem Sword. His spirit energy rose and a foot-sized fireball was thrown from Lucien''s left free hand at the charging man. "Just stay down!" the killer roared as he broke through it and slammed his shoulder into Lucien, the killer''s black cloak covered with ice to protect him. Lucien coughed blood he flew over a table and slammed his back into the wall. As he coughed phlegm, a few of the golden leaves materialized and hid themselves under the table. "You downed the boy. Now grab what we came for and lets go!" the other killer roared. "No. No. I want to take my time breaking the bones of this brat. He shot Anthony dead," the larger man refused as he threw the table out of the way. "Now---" The larger man had no time to finish his sentence as Lucien roared with rage. The golden leaves straightened like daggers and pierced the larger man in his chest. Lucien charged forward and used his weight to push his Totem Sword through the killer''s chest. The killer screamed as dark and thunder spirit energy began to kill him from the inside. Everyone stared silently as flames covered Lucien''s left hand. The color of the flames changed into a purple and maroon instead of orange and yellow. Lucien placed his hand on the mask of the killer. The killer screamed as his silver mask was melted through. All of a sudden, the flames and Totem Sword disappeared as Lucien collapsed onto the floor. The gold leaves also returned to his robes. "Bastard! Bastard!" the killer roared, his forehead and some of his hair burned to form a black brand in the shape of a hand. The other killer rushed to the other man as he tossed the vial into the air. Several Rankers rushed to grab the vial, some pushed aside by the other killer as he grabbed his comrade. "You fool. Even if a fledgling, you don''t underestimate a Ranker!" the other killer snapped and turned to Lucien with a black talisman in his hand. "We''ll be back for you." The two killers vanished as the black talisman enveloped them in a sphere of black light and disappeared. Xin and Ling rushed to Lucien and one of their guards began emitting a light onto the unconscious boy. Lucien''s wounds were quickly healed and even the bloodstains were gone. "Why doesn''t he wake big brother?" Ling asked as Lucien remained unconscious. "He overexerted his spirit energy. He won''t wake for quite some time. What I want to know is how the killers got on board. They had to get help. We saw Lucien escape on the stone lions while waiting in the long line to the commoner train cars," Xin said looking at one of the train Rankers as they arrived. "It was a mistake on our part. On behalf of the crew of Train 53---" the Ranker began before Xin snapped his fingers. "The young lord wasn''t asking for an apology. He ordered an investigation," Owen growled and showed a cyan crystal badge to the Ranker, positioning himself so that none of the other passengers could see it. "Tha, that badge!" the Ranker trembled. Why, oh why, did such an esteemed group enter the train in a commoner car? "Well? Are you just going to stand there?" Owen barked. "No sir. We''ll investigate straight away," the Ranker blurt and led other Rankers of the train out the train car. "Now, who is Lucien to you?" Xin asked, turning to the girl and her companions from before. He was surprised that Lucien actually had a dragon beast spirit. After hearing about Lucien''s lineage, the boy who helped him and his sister was not as simple as he expected. "Our sect had gotten word that Shen Salvatore was alive and lived in the previous city under his mother''s clan name. Initially, we meant to confront Shen Lei and ask him the fate of one of our sect elders but saw Lucien Lei enter with four stone lion golems as we were about to leave the train car. His face matched the portrait and so we waited here," the girl answered. "Then why show hostility?" Owen asked. "Instinct. I sensed killing intent and thought it was him," an old man answered as he pat the girl''s shoulder. "I am one of the sect elders of these people here. The masks of those assassins cloaked their spirit energy, but not killing intent. A real assassin could subconsciously shield killing intent even face-to-face with his target. Any one of us could have stopped the man holding the green vial and killed them both. Am I wrong?" "No. Our young lord ordered us not to as he wanted to see Lucien fight. The boy is indeed a greenhorn, but he''s got a strong will to live," Owen said as all the V.I.P.s relaxed and sat down. "I doubt the boy has the answer you seek." "We guessed that. That is why I put a marking talisman back at the station. I expect the assassins did the same. We''ll leave now," the old man said as he pulled out a yellow talisman. The nine disciples bowed respectfully before all ten were swallowed in a ball of yellow light and vanished. "What happens now big brother?" Ling asked. "We eat first and wait for him to wake up. Our food is cold so we''ll order another meal," Xin said as his men secured Lucien on the chair first before dining. Chapter 4: The Ten Kingdoms Writer Eternal: Lucien survives an assault by the masked killers he thought he left behind. Now, the train approaches its first stop and things do not go as planned. Chapter 4: The Ten Kingdoms Lucien awoke after two hours, his body sore with pain. Memories not of his own caused his head to ache with pain. These were the memories of the purple aquatic dragon before it was killed and made a beast spirit. Most memories were that of an Asian dragon that exhaled rivers of purple and maroon flames. In other memories, he was a young man with long dark purple hair slaying demons and humans with a sword. "You''re awake. Good. We''ve nearly reached Black Canyon City," Xin said as he saw Lucien open his eyes. "I''m alive," Lucien murmured as the memories stopped. "What happened? Is he dead?" "No. I assume you missed his vital organs, and the other assassin took them both away. The girl and her group are gone. They are of no consequence," Xin answered. "And my sword?" Lucien asked and noticed the sheath had no sword inside. "Destroyed. It looked like a rather old and low-grade magical sword. I must admit, we could have intervened," Xin replied. "However, I wanted to see what you could do. Take this sword as compensation." "My enemies are too strong. They know I''m on this train line. Who can say this new sword won''t shatter tomorrow?" Lucien said as he thanked Xin with a nod and held a longsword. "I can take you away from here. From this continent. All you must do is ask," Owen said, stunning Lucien. "How is that possible?" Lucien gasped. "With this," Owen explained, taking out a clear orb with blood bubbling within. Such a sight sent shivers down Lucien''s spine as he could feel a dangerous aura from the blood. "This is a Blood Transport Talisman. Each use consumes one drop of blood. Quite miniscule really, and only requires demon blood no matter how weak. Each use is unpredictable, but always sends a Ranker to a continent not found on the map consisting of ten kingdoms. If you truly want to escape with no traces, this orb is it. I must warn you. You can even appear in the demon kingdom and other dangerous places. Furthermore, communication to this continent is still possible but leaving the ten kingdoms is near impossible without reaching certain conditions." "I just became a Ranker. I don''t even know the cultivation stages or how to progress. Still, I can definitely escape and still contact my family and butler. However, won''t you be kicked off the V.I.P. train car once I leave?" Lucien asked. "That is no issue. We just needed to enter the train incognito and only had to wait until someone vacates a table. Someone already has," Xin said, pointing back at the table the girl''s group previously occupied. "As compensation for being exiled to the ten kingdoms, you are given a random cultivation and your Spirit Heart is enhanced. Improving one''s Spirit Heart is extremely difficult and a tremendous later on. What do you say?" "I''ll have to confer with my butler and let my family know where I am going," Lucien said, getting up to inform Gerald through his Transmission Talisman. Gerald was alarmed that the killers would go so far as to attempt assassination in the train, and agreed the best course of action was to go to the elusive Ten Kingdoms. "How are you getting there?" Gerald asked, communicating via telepathy through the Transmission Talismans. "A Blood Transport Talisman," Lucien answered. "What? Only the imperial family possess those. It is how they safeguard their lineage should their dynasty be wiped out. Very rarely are those not of the imperial clan in possession of the mystical orb. The blood aside, the orb is the true treasure. These people you befriended are not ordinary. The late imperial emperor and the current emperor have not handed out Blood Transport Talismans in decades. The boy must be a scion of one of the previous dynasties. It is no small wonder they are traveling in secret now," Gerald said, shocked. "The assassins certainly won''t find you now." "Is the Ten Kingdoms really not on the map? Even that of modern Earth in the legends?" Lucien asked. "Yes. It is completely isolated, like a secluded dimension connected to ours. Every person sent to the Ten Kingdoms is rumored to create a new constellation in the sky in the form of the beast spirit of their Spirit Heart. That aside, it is certainly like a medieval fantasy world. Spells and warrior arts are more abundant, goblins and dragons roam the lands, magical beasts are even more powerful, and the demons rule one of the ten kingdoms. From the annals of a Ranker who returned two years ago and gained fame, the undead are the greatest threat and comprise the human and all magical races. Being an undead is worse than death," Gerald warned. "Your father will have no choice but to train and allow Lucy to become a Ranker. Rankers have extended lifespans and it will take decades for you to return. I''ve already had two Transmission Talismans made to communicate with yours before you bound it. We''ll speak from time to time. Train hard and return. Your family waits for you and I will guard them well." "Thank you Gerald. You know, you are certainly the most powerful and mysterious Ranker I''ve ever met," Lucien laughed, Gerald chuckling before the transmission ended. "Ready?" Owen asked as Lucien sheathed his new longsword and rejoined them. "Yeah," Lucien nodded, putting away his talisman. "Good. You must know that many Rankers serve the kingdoms as knights. Warrior arts are popular, but magic spells are the best. If you know any, it will serve you best in the Ten Kingdoms and saves you many, many purple coins. Your new sword is red cloud steel, a rare magical-grade metal found only in the Ten Kingdoms. Learn their ways, their fighting styles for cultivators both Warrior and Magus. Then, find a way to return and take back your life by slaying your enemies. Without power, you will fall to their blades. You''ve angered them past the boundaries of sanity and fear of imperial retribution. No one but yourself can protect you," Owen warned and held out the orb. "Touch it and you are gone. When the orb is used, all life in the vicinity will not remember you used the orb save the owner. The assassins won''t find out where you''ve gone." "Thank you. Thank you all," Lucien said and touched the orb. Lucien''s eyes widened as a single drop of blood escaped the orb and covered him in a sphere of blood-colored light. Lucien lost consciousness as the orb vanished from the train. His purple Spirit Heart shined within his chest, gaining more vitality and enriched the spirit energy inside his body. In a dimension isolated from Earth twenty stars formed a new constellation in the night sky. It formed the shape of an Asian dragon, but one star was bright red. It represented the eye of the dragon and shined with nine others. Humans, magical races, magical beasts, demons, and the undead all noticed the appearance of a tenth red star. Howls, roars, screeches, and screams blasted the silent night as the tenth star was an omen of what was to come. Another Ranker from the outside world had come. Not just any Ranker, but the tenth approved by the mysterious force that created their dimension and their very ancestors. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. On a small hill overlooking a large city, the sphere of blood light appeared. From the light came a seventeen year old dressed in a white and black robe with golden leaves on his sleeves and hem. The blood sphere congealed into a drop of blood above the head of Lucien Lei. An image of a white crane shined from the blood and the blood froze into an ice cube, sinking into Lucien''s body to grant him affinity to water. With fire, earth, water, and thunder; it was only a matter of time before Lucien gained the wind affinity to reach the five affinity limit. This limit is implicated on all people who lived the Ten Kingdoms. Lucien was now part of that limit but there were also benefits. Once the limit was reached, they could not be changed or lost. Choosing to master more than one was incomparably difficult but even more rewarding. The people who lived in the Ten Kingdoms would not have to worry about having their futures affected by unforeseeable events once the affinity limit was reached and their path set. Lucien''s body trembled and the purple aquatic dragon spirit and Totem sword came out of Lucien''s body. It was as if it were affected by the majestic white aura of the crane spirit. Lucien''s affinity to darkness was lost and Lucien''s bones and flesh were vitalized and improved. The aquatic dragon spirit was freed of the taint of darkness and its connection to Lucien grew due to his gained water affinity. Lucien''s eyes opened as the dragon spirit and Totem sword returned into his body. He looked around as the ground was razed from where he stood as the crane spirit vanished. Lucien also learned the Slumbering Dragon technique, a battle skill that improves a cultivator''s body the more it is mastered. He could even cultivate while sleeping. Lucien was surprised by the sudden changes and noticed the starry night sky "So this is the Ten Kingdoms. Wow. I''ve never seen the night sky so clearly. The sky even has red stars and two moons," Lucien sighed with wonder as he gazed at the night sky. A part of him felt at peace, the tensions and fears of the last few hours all gone. He just closed his eyes and enjoyed the gentle breeze. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and headed toward the village as the first signs of dawn appeared. "Halt! State your name and purpose," a guard in silver armor warned as he held a hand before a young man wearing a black shirt and pants. Naturally, this was Lucien. He had changed from his robes, folding and storing it in his now two meter hidden storage space within his body. He also stored his spatial ring and had a bag tied to his waist containing only five gold and seventy five silver. He looked ordinary and without any precious items. The only thing really standing out was the sword at his left hip. "My name is Lucien Salvatore. I just woke up on the hill with no memories of where I was earlier. I strongly believe magic was involved," Lucien said, reciting the excuse mentioned in the journal. Turns out, the Ten Kingdoms was mentioned and that the journal''s ancestor once came from there. "Oh. You must be the last of this month''s eighteen outsiders. Only seventeen arrived. One was tracked to wander as the rest still slept, but believed dead. You must be him," the guard nodded, believing it to be true as it was not his first time encountering outsiders. Lucien could hardly believe his luck, but was not foolish enough to correct the guard. "Well, I did wake up in the middle of nowhere with nothing but my name. I found this longsword in a ruin and bound it," Lucien said, nodding at his sheathed sword. He drew it to reveal a shining black sword with a red hue. The knight''s eyes widened upon seeing irregular patterns on the edges and sides of the sword in the form of clouds. "Red cloud steel, one of twenty magical types of metal found only in the Ten Kingdoms. Not the most powerful or best magic-grade metal, but it is indestructible and ever-sharp. It is a very heavy metal and has a famous history behind it. The fallen giant race used weapons made with red cloud steel to slay dragons before they fell to the undead after they fled to an unknown land. I''m surprised you found such a sword. Treasure it," the knight murmured with slight reverence as Lucien sheathed his sword. "Good. Now, go to the Mercenary Guild where the others are waiting. There is still one group of five left. Join one of the profession guilds. Mercenary Guilds are loyal only to their nation, but the profession guilds are loyal to themselves no matter which of the eight human kingdoms you reside in." "Profession guilds? Why join the Mercenary Guild too?" Lucien asked. "You got twenty silver for joining the Mercenary Guild and your party gets to live in your own villa. There are no homes for sales here and the inns cost a fortune. This city is one built in the frontier, magical beasts and other dangers just waiting in the wilderness. The cost of joining a profession guild is also ten silver, so you really only get ten silver. These guilds provide warrior arts and spells for cultivators. If you get famous enough, you''ll be included in the next available semi-annual immortal academy and sect recruitment," the knight explained and noticed Lucien''s green ring. "Another magical item. Is it a storage or spatial ring?" "No. It has wind enhancement effects," Lucien said. "I see. Storage rings are expensive, spatial rings even more so as their storage capacity can be more than fifteen meters and can be bound to the soul to prevent theft. However, the Mercenary Guild can give you a storage ring for two gold. Good luck," the knight smiled and granted him access. Lucien entered the city and noticed merchants actually selling non-attribute warrior arts or battle skills. Lucien knew three battle skills, two of them for bladed weapons! He could only sigh with relief as each battle skill cost dozens of silvers. He noticed a shop for mages and looked at the spell books in display. He only knew two spells, Fireball and Thorn Blade, and thought it was enough. Battle skills were like martial arts: practice in order to master and perform it quickly and effortlessly. Spells were even more powerful and required even more practice. "Excuse me," Lucien said to a guard after buying a storage ring for two gold. "Where is the Mercenary Guild?" "Down two blocks and make a right. It is the largest building and can''t be missed," the guard answered, Lucien nodding his thanks before heading down the road. He paused as he arrived before a large building with two black drake statues on either side of the gate. The drakes looked so lifelike and radiated an ancient and powerful aura. Lucien stepped back in fright before realizing they were just statues. As he passed them, he noticed that the drake horns on the wingless European dragons were real. Drakes were lizards large enough to rival some dragons, had dragon blood, and possessed no wings. "Wow. The wingless dragons of legend really do exist. They''re not even true dragons, but they''re so impressive. The aura from their horns alone made me sweat," Lucien sighed with praise as he stood before the doors. Finally, he could train like other Rankers and took a path those on Earth did not. Once the day came when he could finally leave the Ten Kingdoms, he would kill the assassins and reunite with his family. Chapter 5: The Mercenary Guild Chapter 5: The Mercenary Guild Lucien opened the door and noticed people sitting around tables in groups of six. Some of them wore clean armor while others wore faded armor that had many scratches. All eyes turned to see Lucien stare back at them. The first thing the mercenaries did was observe the new face. Their eyes narrowed as they noticed the green ring, the white jade storage ring, and the longsword at his side. Lucien was grateful for the hidden body space. Inside was his spatial ring with his seven thousand purple coins and three red triangular coins. The frontier town might value gold and silver more, but Lucien also noticed an auction house. He also had thirty gold and ninety silver in the spatial ring as backup. If there was a method to scan a storage ring, people would only notice the few dozen silver and three gold he had left. However, he was not like the eighteen outsiders randomly brought to the Ten Kingdoms. He chose to enter and still had his memories and items. "Hey, I''ve never seen him before," a six foot tall boy with scratched steel armor whispered to his five companions. "Think he''ll join our party?" "He has too. All the other parties, including the two parties of six that came with us, have not lost any members yet," a brunette with a long braid nodded. "I don''t see a dog tag. He''s not a mercenary!" a black haired boy with two axes at his side cried. His outburst did not go unnoticed and all eyes turned to gaze at him before turning to Lucien. Only outsiders registered with the Mercenary Guild. Once you reached a high enough status, you can join a cultivator academy or sect. This was because it was hard to enter any cultivator organization without proper backing. "You lost kid? This is the Mercenary Guild," the barkeep asked as Lucien walked over to him. "I know. I''m the one who went missing. I left the seventeen others as I was curious. I woke up with no memories except my name, how to move my body, and literary skills. They slept for a long time and I figured I wouldn''t get any answers from them. I got lost and fell through a hole. Made a profit though. Apparently, my longsword is red cloud steel and I became what the guard called a Ranker or cultivator," Lucien shrugged. "Haha. What a lucky brat you are." "If I was truly lucky, would I be here?" "True. I assume you were informed about the twenty silver fee and the ten silver fee to join a profession guild?" "Yeah, I''m not going to join a profession guild. Found a few cultivator techniques and learned the spells and battle skills." "WHAT? You found such a treasure trove? Was it all in the storage ring you wear?" the barkeep yelled in shock, everyone in the room envious and jealous of such crazy luck. "No. I bought this white jade storage ring for two gold on the way here," Lucien answered with a chuckle. "I don''t recognize that sword. This means none of the mercenaries or people of this town died and left it behind. Perhaps there was an area we overlooked." "I heard it is a frontier town with magical races and beasts threatening it. What kind exactly?" "Ah, you know. Goblins, orcs, and the occasional troll. Trolls are stupid but spells have no effect. It is the orcs we really have to be concerned with. Their numbers are growing faster than goblins. You must realize, goblins rape just about any race and the impregnated female always gives birth in four days. They are a breeding menace, but the orcs are gathering in higher numbers. Something is happening." "That sounds bad. So, I don''t have to join a profession guild?" "Just join the Mage Guild. There are two guilds that depict both paths of the Ranker or cultivator. Profession guilds are sub branches with very specific styles and motives. If you know your own spells, joining the Mage Guild is acceptable. Joining the profession guilds is easier, but academies and sects are more likely to recruit from the Warrior and Mage Guild. The price of admission is prior knowledge of at least one skill, no prior membership to the profession guild, and one gold. The profession guilds have a simultaneous membership, but its members rank less in the official Ranker guilds." Lucien hesitated before taking out a gold coin. The barkeep smiled and gestured to a dummy at the wall surrounded by a steel barricade at the back and side. Lucien lifted his left hand and a fist sized fireball formed and hit the dummy. "Excellent. Spell confirmed. Here is your Black Sun Mercenary dog tag. It is a magical item that contains a map of the city and known areas around it. It shines a gold light to depict the locations of our Black Sun Mercenary Guild, the Mage Guild, and the villa of your current mercenary group." "He is! He has to join us. Go get him!" the braided girl said and ushered the boy with two axes before turning to the other boy in scratched armor. "Go to the villa and tell Ralph and Luna that we got our sixth group member." As the armored boy lumbered out the building, the braided girl and other boy walked up to Lucien. Lucien noted a small axe, short sword, longbow, and quiver behind the girl''s back. "Hi. My name is Raven," the braided girl smiled. "I became the leader of the third group of the eighteen of us. We thought you were dead. I''m a hunter and Sven here is a berserker. The armored boy who left is Benkei. He''s a warrior and wields a bastard sword. Another boy, Ralph is our priest and Luna is our summoner." "It is a type of mage specializing in summoning magic. What she summons is really random and might even fight us," Sven said, seeing Lucien''s face frown. "She also knows various spells, but needs practice. We all do. I guess this is our way of saying welcome. I know you just joined the Mage Guild, but what weapons do you wield and is there more than one spell you know? Battle skills?" "I know the Fireball spell and Thorn Blade spell too. As far as battle skills, I know the Lightning Fall sword art and Stone Fist technique," Lucien answered, not revealing his Dark Obsidian or Slumbering Dragon techniques. The first was a darkness and earth attribute bladed weapon battle skill while the other was a body cultivating battle skill. He also had the grey flying sword talisman hidden away as well as his small fortune. Many mercenaries stared at Lucien. The veterans were only mildly surprised as they never heard of his battle skills before. Only two mercenary groups were envious. They were the remaining twelve who also arrived that month and none of them knew so many Ranker techniques. Most learned only the one skill offered for free while the truly skilled of the twelve had a chance encounter and found skill books. A man burst in, blood trickling from a wound as he fell to his knees. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Lando?" the barkeep frowned. "......the south gate. Orcs....south.....guards fell----" the man named Lando rasped before falling on his face, an arrow lodged in his back. "Lando!" the barkeep roared, lifting his chubby body over his bar to reveal muscular arms as he rolled the man over. ".....sorry boss. We couldn''t hold," Lando coughed, blood blurting out. "Healers! I need a damn fucking healer! Don''t you die on me Lando! You still owe me a bucket of ale and sixty two silver," the boss roared. "You forget the five coppers," Lando laughed and held his arm, his expression stern as three men in white priest garbs came and shined light onto Lando from their hands. "The orcs got the goblins serving. They''re riding on Green Iron Boars!" "Impossible! How could they work together?" the boss asked. "How did the gate fall?" "Trolls. Ten of them. Something is leading them. Strange thing is, they don''t even seem to care when we shot their kin down before the trolls knocked down the gate with boulders. They''ve gone mad," Lando said, his breathing stable due to the priests. "Boss Cao, Jing died. Jing Cao died." "My brother...." Cao began before standing up to roar at the mercenaries. "What the hell are you lot doing? There is a fucking raid out there! Go kill them!" "YES!" the mercenaries roared and charged, the building full of chaos as the groups yelled their orders. "What is going on?" Lucien asked as only Raven and Sven did not follow the mercs out besides Cao and the priests who were healing Lando. "A raid. The largest this year. Only happens when their numbers are too great. It is their means for population control, but the two races never worked together. The trolls never gathered in groups greater than five," Cao growled. "You lot better stay off the center of the streets. Use long range if you can. A goblin cavalry is relentless and boars tusks sharper than steel, even more so." "Lets go! My axes are getting rusty and need to be bloodied before sharpening," Sven laughed and rushed out the door. "Can you fight?" Raven asked, taking out her longbow. Lucien''s Black Wood Bow and his quiver appeared from his storage ring and nodded grimly. The two nodded at Cao and stepped outside. "Move!" a man roared, shoving Lucien against the wall after Lucien rushed out the doors. "Everyone remain calm and head to your designated shelter number. Do not push! Hey! I''m talking to you woman!" a guard roared as a pregnant woman pushed a skinny woman out the way. "Chaos. Pure chaos. I love it." "Just head to the gate Sven. Run along the buildings." "What about the others?" "Benkei will be with them. We''ll shoot and cover for Sven." "I see them! First blood on me!" Sven laughed as they saw two giant green boars charge into view. Two goblins directed the boars while two others shot with arrows. Lucien drew his bow and aimed one of his Black Iron Arrows. He shot the arrow and it pierced through the chest of one of the driving goblins. The boar reared back and crashed onto the ground, crushing the leg of the second goblin on its back. "I killed one. I took a life," Lucien muttered. "It is okay. They''re not human. Think of all of the people they''ve killed. Eaten. We need to kill them all," Raven soothed before shooting at a boar. It only snarled as the arrow bounced off it and charged at her. "Sven!" Raven roared. "Yeah. My turn," Sven shrugged, brandishing his axe. As the boar got closer, Sven dived to its right. Sven''s left arm swung and chopped off the left foreleg of the trunk. Bones cracked and screams echoed as the boar fell on its left flank and rolled, killing the two goblin riders instantly. Lucien cringed as one goblin head was crushed into a meat pie. "We got more incoming. I''m heading on ahead," Sven said as he wiped the blood off the boar''s body. "Take your time to adjust. You''re a Ranker now. Fighting is in your blood. If not, you''ll shed enough blood or die. You got a neat quiver and longsword. The only way you''ll die is if you let the goblins and orcs take your head without a fight," Raven said, patting Lucien''s shoulder before chasing her friend. Lucien watched his new party members run off. He stared at his bow and nocked another arrow as he saw a goblin chase after a woman on foot. His arms shook and missed, hitting the wall. He breathed out slowly and aimed. His next arrow flew true and hit the goblin under the ribs and above the waist. Lucien held his bow softly as he drew his sword. The metal glinted as the sun shined upon it. Lucien raised his arm and closed his eyes as he cut the goblin''s neck. His heart lurched as his sword got stuck and swung again after wrenching the sword free. A part of him actually felt elated and excited he killed the boar and all those goblins. It terrified him and freed him of his apprehension to fight back. "Just another day to live. Another day," Lucien murmured to himself as he cleaned and sheathed his sword. Lucien didn''t notice the memories of the purple aquatic dragon affecting his personality. With all the memories flashing through his mind previously, Lucien was able to adapt. Lucien didn''t notice the air get colder around him as he walked to where Raven and Sven headed. Blue lightning would crackle behind him with purple and maroon flames burning the earth where he stepped. It did not go unnoticed by the three people standing on a roof nearby. "That one has an ancient beast spirit. Its affinity to water and thunder is exceptional," one of the three cloaked people muttered. "Thunder may be the boy''s affinity while water and flame is the beast spirit''s. The two seem to be out of control. Perhaps the beast spirit underwent a metamorphosis and was cleansed of an incompatible element affinity it had when alive." "Is he dangerous?" a hooded woman asked. "Not yet," an old voice answered. "The beast spirit seems purified. The strange reaction will settle in time as fire and water will neutralize one another. The boy might also have other affinities. The fact that there is a beast spirit means this kid is not ordinary. Usually the noble and ancient clans of the Ten Kingdoms have so many affinities due to their vast resources. The raid of the creatures is the priority. Some mercenary found something that riled them to such an extent that this....incident is occurring. At first I thought it was the boy who found such an item. It appears I was wrong. Continue the search." The three cloaked Rankers stared at Lucien once more before changing to a new target. Lucien felt a tingle around his ears and turned to see the empty spot where the Rankers had been. Lucien scratched the back of his head in confusion before walking to rejoin his party.