《Lilith, the Demon》 Chapter 1: The end is also the beginning Special thanks to uragiruhito for helping me improve this chapter. Hopefully, the chapter is better ??? Chapter 1 Free of any restraints or care, the clouds nonchalantly swam in the sky and gathered together. The clouds grew darker and greater, as more clouds began to gather together. Soon, the clouds that looked as if it was casually swimming in the sky, began to look rather intimidating. The frightening mass of dark clouds, began to slowly approach the ruins of a city. Buildings that once stood proud fell, leaving nothing but rubble and broken architecture. A crimson liquid spread along the whole area. A mighty fire raged through the ruins. The bright orange blaze danced through the homes, destroying them and lighting up the night sky. Sometimes the flames swayed with the wind. To the left it swayed, the mighty flames lit the surroundings, revealing the body of a young man caressing a limp body. The young man held the body, gently in his arms. His fingers, lightly sunk into the bodies pale white arms, that had been covered in a mix of blood and dirt. Trembling, the man quietly whispered to the body he was holding in his arms. "No, don''t leave me. Please." Under the man''s dark hair, tears began flowing out of his brown eyes without restraint. With lips that seemed to falter with every word, the woman in the man''s arms spoke. "I''m sorry, I couldn''t keep our promise. I really wanted to travel the world with you a bit longer.." The man began to tighten his hold on the dying woman. He looked directly into the beautiful pair of green eyes of the woman and couldn''t help but feel a deep sadness growing in his chest. The man couldn''t help but cry. The woman he promised to be with and protect was dying In front of him. He had failed to keep his promise, now the one he loved was dying. The woman returned his gaze. Her facial expression lightened, as if the pain from her wounds didn''t exist. She let out a smile. The stains of blood and dirt couldn''t suppress the beauty of the smile. Her skin slowly began to lose its color. In the arms of the man she loved, she departed with a few words. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings."It was fun, thank y-." Before she could finish, the life in her eyes dissapeared and her body lightened. Holding the now dead body of his lover, the mans chest tightened. As the feeling of loss began to grow, he began to think of the memories he had with her. They first met in a forest that held an unexplored dungeon within it. Together with a party of other adventurers, they explored many dungeons and lands around the world. He remembered the time when he love for her started to grow and how he had never found the courage to tell her, but somehow she ended up knowing either way. As time went on, their emotions grew even more. Sadly, they couldn''t live their life to the fullest, or perhaps they did. Dark clouds arrived above the thousands of dead bodies that littered the lands. The silence was broken by the sound of the first drop of rain touching the floor. Following the first drop, other droplets of rain fell on the ground below. The rain devoured the flames and kissed the bodies of the fallen as if rewarding them for their hard work of living their life to their fullest. A powerful roar rang throughout the area. Following the roar, sparks of lightning sprung from the clouds. Almost as if the gods themselves were angry, the sky roared endlessly. Drenched in rain, the crying young man yelled with all his soul. The yell itself carried the anger and frustration of losing his one and only lover. As though the thunders absorbed the yell, it synced with the mighty roars of the sky. As the thunder synced with the yells of the young man, a giant spark formed in the center of the clouds, increasing in intensity. Suddenly, a large lightning bolt sprung from the spark and struck the man. Screaming with agony, the body of the young man and the woman in his arms turned to ashes from the sheer power of the bolt. As the storm devoured the last of the flames, the once bright battlefield fell into darkness. --- Yay :) Chapter 2: The Big Man Himself Behold, the second chapter! Christian thee, my robot son, astroboy! Enjoy! \¡ã¡õ¡ã/ Kyle''s POV When I woke up, I was surrounded by millions of stars. The first thing I remembered was the death of Emily. My chest started to tighten, and tears kept falling. I can''t believe it. She died. I wanted to spend more time together. There were so many things I wanted to do with her. We haven''t even explored half the dungeons, or even the unexplored lands yet. As I sulked over Emily''s death, I noticed a star that shined brighter than the others. Strangely, just looking at it felt warm. I couldn''t help but feel a bit satisfied when I looked at it. Slowly I began reaching for the star. For some reason, I felt drawn to it. As I got closer, the pain in my chest slowly began to fade away. After what seemed to be like weeks of struggling to reach the star, I finally made it. For awhile, I just stared at it. Not really sure if I should touch it, but a strange sensation just made me want to reach for it. I raised my hand forward and reached for the star. The moment my hand touched the star, a bright light was emitted. Once the light faded, a familiar scene played in my mind. I saw myself holding the dying Emily in my arm. Reminded of her death, I began to feel depressed. Strangely, my chest didn''t tighten as it did before. As the memory of the scene played, I noticed that I could see much more than what I had seen during that moment. The dead bodies that littered the area was vividly shown in this scene, and the large bundle of dark clouds that headed towards my direction was vividly shown. What really caught my attention wasn''t that, but rather the words Emily spoke before she died. "It was fun," she said. I don''t know why, but it made me happy. I felt relieved. Realizing what her last words meant, I began to feel as if a big burden was released from my mind. *ping* #idkhowtousetheboxes No regrets. Accepting reality, and letting go, had allowed you to relieve your regrets. Due to having no regrets, you are able to pass on. After the strange message box dissapeared, a blinding light shone brightly, engulfing my body. Once the light settled down I found myself in a gigantic room supported by pillars with strange carvings. The pillars lined up, forming two columns that consisted of six pillars each that lead to a man sitting on a throne. When my gaze fell upon the man, his head lifted. His golden eyes pierced through the curtain of white hair that covered his face and landed straight on me. I could almost see the edge of his lips rising. "Young man, I see you have come." He spoke. His voice was powerful, I could have sworn that I felt the room shake due to his voice. Even though his voice was powerful, it had a soothing tone to it. Confused, I didn''t really know what to say. So, I asked what anyone would have asked in this situation. Well, probably... "Um... who are you, and where am i?" The golden eyed man made a complicated expression and cleared his throat before speaking. "Ahem, currently, you are in the God''s realm. Normally, after someone dies, their soul would be judged and reincarnated as the gods see fit. However, you are a special case." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The god seemed to be making a difficult expression as if he was trying to hide something. Due to my curious nature, I couldn''t help but ask. "Are you perhaps, hiding something?" With those words, the "god" slightly shifted in his seat. If my eyes aren''t lying to me, then beads of sweat are undoubtedly forming on the side of face. "Um.." Cough cough* "not really.." He replied. "Tell me!" "Well, so um.." "C''mon, spill it!" "Ok, ok. I might have "accidently" killed you. Ahaha...." An awkward smile formed on his lips when he said "accidently killed". He doesn''t seem to be lying. Although, it does sound rather unconvincing, there probably isn''t a better explanation as to why a huge bolt of lightning would suddenly appear and turn me to ashes. "So... you were the cause behind that huge lightning bolt." I narrowed my eyes and stared at him with judging eyes. Embarrassed, the god slowly shifted from his seat and changed the topic. " I apologize for what happened. However, shouldn''t you be glad that someone such as myself is granting you a new life?" "Hmm, I guess you''re right." Whilst pondering about he had said, I sudden realization struck me. With eyes filled with anticipation I shot a barrage of questions towards the god. "Will I he able to choose how my life will be like? What about my appearance. Blah blah." Amused, the god thought for awhile before replying. Although, I did kill him. Should I grant this human the ability to determine his life? Ah, I could do that. Hohoho. Hmm, mortal...mortal. Ahah! As if he found the answer to the most complicated math problem in the world, he wore the brightest and most satisfied expression. With a wry smile, he spoke, "Ah, yes. Choose, young one." Glad that he could choose his own fate and such, Kyle rapidly began to voice his decisions. "I want to be a someone with high magical talent, and high physical abilities. I want to be good looking! I want to be the most powerful of all! Ahaha!" Kyle, lost in his own world, endlessly voiced his desires. God, amused with Kyle''s preferences, only nodded everytime Kyle said something. He couldn''t help but laugh inwardly, at himself. For, Kyle did not know what God had in store for him. A good amount of time had passed since Kyle began voicing what he wanted. Tick tock. Finally, he finished. "Is that all?" The god''s voice boomed throughout the room. "Yes!" Kyle enthusiasticly replied. "Then I shall begin your reincarnation." A warm light wrapped around Kyle as he slowly began to dissapear. As he was about to completely dissapeared he took one last glance at the god. The only thing he saw was a wide grin hanging below the gods nose. Suddenly, he was struck with a bad feeling. Chapter 3 I didn''t really know what to do with my previous plot, and I wanted to change the way things would go. I ended up changing the story a little. :/ maybe a little too much. Welp, I guess she''s not going to be a goddess, anymore. Chapter 3 What a way to start off my new life. Ever since I awoke, I have been staring at an indimidating figure. The figure, belong to a creature that I have never encountered, in my past life. Muscles, the size of boulders, bulged from every corner of its body. Thick veins protruded, along the minotaur''s purple arms. Hands, rivaling the size of a grown man''s torso, gripped onto the cold, metallic handle of two axes. For an unknown reason, I am, currently, residing in a barrier. It separated me, from external forces. If it weren''t for this, I wouldnt have been left unscathed, while unconscious. Like this, three days have passed. During those three days, I''ve learned something new. Out of boredom, I spent my time observing my surroundings. At first, I wondered, why hasn''t the minotaur attacked me yet? It knows I''m here. How come it only glances at me, from time to time, and continue to stare at the stone doors, in a battle ready stance. Using the knowledge of my previous life, I concluded, the minotaur is guarding the treasures within this room. Like the typical "final labrynth boss room", a monster stood guarding the treasures that layed within the room. Except, I, was the "treasure", along with a few gold, and the rusted weopons of previous adventurers, if that counts. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I thought I was a man. That is, until I took a closer look at myself. I had pristine, white skin, long black hair, and a beautiful face. Yup, I''ve been had. The god that was responsible for my reincarnation, turned me into a girl. Well, at least, I''m pretty... From time to time, the minotaur would turns around, to look at me. He would stare at me, intently, then snort. Many times, he banged on the surface of the barrier, and I would crawl to the other side frighten, that the barrier would break. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The more he continued, the ferocity of his strikes, would increase. At times, his strikes, were followed by intimidating movements. I could only stare at him, and pray to the god that reincarnated me, wishing for the barrier to remain strong. Like this, three weeks have passed. The minotaur continued to torment me, and I continued to pray, at the corner of the barrier. At some point, the ferocity of the minotaur''s strikes became so powerful, I could feel the barrier shake, with each consecutive strike. Scared out of my wits, I couldn''t help, but let tears flow down my tiny cheeks. Perhaps, it was due to my new gender, or maybe, even my "new life", my body would react differently. Normally, I would not be frightened to the point of bawling, and praying for my own safety. I don''t know, why. My actions just came to me, like instincts. I lost count, of the days i have resided in this barrier. I grew accustomed to the minotaur''s actions, and slowly built up my mental fortitude. Everyday, I would practice swinging an imaginary sword, or train my body. I did squats, did pushups, and ran around the little space I had, in the barrier. My body, began to feel lighter. Although, the area available was limited, I managed to gain some results, from my exersize. During the times, when I didn''t train, I would sit at the corner of the barrier, and wonder if any body was coming to defeat the minotaur. Of course, if I was in my former body, and wasn''t held in this barrier, I could have defeated the minotaur. But, for reasons, that I probably know of (cough cough* the god), I''m stuck in this predicament. I stared at the ceiling, exhausted. Is it already night? Pretending,as if i was staring at the night sky, I muttered my last words, before letting fatigue take over my body. "I seek, an audience" -- What, are your thoughts? Found, any mistakes? Please, comment! Thank you :) Chapter 4: The Truth I apologize for the lack of updates. Somehow, I lost motivation. I wonder if this chapter will be able to satisfy the readers. I plan on changing the title of this fiction. Recommendations are welcome. Chapter 4 Once again, I found myself in a large room. It was the same exact room I was in, when I passsed on and met God. Sitting atop the throne decorated with glowing stones, an eerily handsome man gazed down at me. "Oh? For what reason, have you called?" He asked, whilst rubbing his chin with his right hand. My eyes slightly narrowed. I stared at him, baffled. "..." , I was utterly and totally, at a loss for words. The man on the throne slightly grinned. The grin enlightened, and complimented his facial features. If I was interested in men, I would probably faint from extreme emotions. " Just kidding, I know why you are here." Hearing those words, I couldn''t help but believe he was playing with me. " Unsatisfied with your current predicament?" Booming laughter filled the room. Instantly, my face flushed. "Y-Yeah... I was hoping, you would help me." I replied, with a low voice and my gaze low. I could not help but feel embarrassed. Certainly, he had tricked me into thinking that I was able to choose how my next life would be like. However, I can''t really be mad at him. After all, I was dumb enough to believe in him. During my adventuring days, deceit was common. In this world, opportunities similar to this were uncommon. Even if you were given such an opportunity, it would most likely be fake. The god, had went through the trouble of giving me a second chance. This life that I have been granted, most likely, is better than the life I would have been granted, through the normal process of reincarnation. Asking for more, defininitely was shameful. The Gods hand didn''t leave his chin, but he had stopped rubbing. He looked at me with curious eyes. "It''s ok. Tell me, what do you need?" My eyes slightly brightened, and I looked up. With a relieved expression, I voiced my requests. "I think, I am a little too weak. I want to be stronger. I-I... don''t want to be stuck in that room till somebody comes to rescue me. I don''t have the knowledge to break the barrier, or leave the room, either. Please, help me." Immediately, after I finished, the god replied. " Ah, that''s right. Certainly, you are weak." The God began to ponder. Then, suddenly, he looked at me. He let out a big smile. " Hehe, for such a master piece to have such flaws." He continued to look at me, as if I was one of those renowned pieces of art. "Yes, yes. I shall grant you some power. It would be a shame if you were to die." My eyes beamed! Grateful, a huge smile developed on my small face. " Th-thank you, so much. Really..." "Haha, this much is nothing." As he finished, he suddenly appeared before me. The demonstration of speed was beyond that of anything I had ever experienced. I couldn''t even followed his movements. "Wo-" Before I could even display my surprise, he raised his hand and gently touched my head. His hands emitted a strange light, as it quickly entered my body. I could feel a huge amount of mana entering my body. The mana quickly spread throughout my body, reinforcing every cell it stumbled upon. Power began swelling inside of me. Slowly, a strange sensation began to engulf my body. Strange windows simultaneously popped up. - Your body has been reinforced with mana. Strength and durability has increased. Senses have been enhanced. Reaction been enhanced. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. - You have gained the ability to control mana. - Your body had changed.. Your has changed to the body you once held during your most powerful state, throughout your several reincarnations. - New skills have been obtained. The skills of your previous lives have been obtained, limited to your strongest life. + Resolute Smite - bring forth your wraith, destroy those that stand in your path. + Agony''s Embrace - With the agony you once held, cripple your enemies with pain. + Onslaught of Darkness - The light has abandoned you. The darkness is your only friend. Bring forth the rage you once held, and destroy your enemies. Deprive them of hope, and slaughter thy enemies. + Darkness mastery - You have mastered the mysteries of darkness, your power is enhanced in the dark. The light weakens you, Holy magic is your weakness. With the power of darkness. nothing is impossible. - You have regained the memory of your very first life. Images, voices, and emotions surged into my very soul. Images of things I have never seen, voices I have never heard, and emotions I have never felt. Suddenly, great rage began developing inside my soul. My very soul began to scream. " Why, why,why..." Tears began to overflow, and stream down my face. I couldn''t handle the sudden emotion, and the emotions began to swallow my soul. "Ahhhhh!!!" I screamed in pain. The very feeling of being abandoned by the world. Left to rot in cruel world. Tormented by the inhabitants. The very feeling of being betrayed by everything. The feeling of having nothing, absolutely nothing. A warm handle pressed against my face, gently wiping my tears. "To think you went through such experiences. I am truly sorry. Don''t let those emotions swallow you, it will bring greater pain." Those gentle words slowly dissolved the great wraith built inside me. I looked up at the being that had brought me out of my emotional state. A gentle expression was shown on the mans face. I felt so warm, so happy. How could I have forgotten, this man, no this God was the very being that has granted me another chance. He''s right, I shouldn''t succumb to the rage. I wiped away my remaining tears, and took a deep breath. *hahhuuu*. Sniff* sniff* " Thank you, for your help. I''m very grateful, venerable lord." I gently bowed, expressing my thanks. Booming laughter followed after. "HAHA, what''s with that? Somehow, that doesnt match your usual demeanor!" " H-huh? Y-you! Is that how you react to someone that just thanked you!?" I retorted. "Pfft, HAHA." The god couldn''t help but laugh. "Hmph!" I couldn''t believe a God could act in such a way. The gods laughter subsided. With a serious expression he began to express his condolence. " Ah, yes. Once again, I must ask. Please, forgive me. I have not checked the history of your soul. I didn''t know of your previous lives. To have thought you were actually the very first ''demon lord''." My heart tightened. " Yea..., It''s alright. I should be the one apologizing for causing so much trouble." "Haha. Anyway, it''s about time you go back." Once again, I expressed my gratitude. I gently bowed. Soon after, I was sent back. The gods last words being, "With great power, comes great responsibilities. Every life is important. Who are we, to decide whether another lives or not. Yet, taking lives is a necessity to live. One mistake, can change the entire course of history. I hope you do not make the same mistakes." Chapter 5: The Beginning! Chapter 5 I woke up, to the sound of battle. My eyes shot open. "Finally, people are here." The sound of battle, grew louder and louder, as it drew near. Not so long after, the noise stopped. Hoping that the adventurers would enter this room, I patiently waited. I stared at the doors. It stood there, not even moving an inch. "What the-, did they leave?" No,no! They can''t leave! If they leave, I''ll be left alone in this room, till someone helps me! Wait! I can''t jump into conclusion, so quickly. They just fought monsters. Perhaps, they are healing up and preparing for the next battle. That''s right, it is very important for adventures to prepare for battle. If one is careless, they will lose their life. For what seemed to be an hour, passed. I lost all hope. I can''t believe it. Did they leave? A wave of despair descended over me. "Wow..." Wait, how could I have forgotten! That''s right, didn''t I gain my former powers from god? What am I doing. I should just break this barrier, and leave myself. I raised my right arm in front of my, and gently pressed it against the walls of the barrier. With just a thought, the barrier instantly shattered. The minotaur seemed to have notice. It immediately turned around, from its initial position, and leaped towards me. With a mighty roar, the giant minotaur swung its left axe. The minotaurs entire weight, was behind the swing. The moment the swing reached half between the minotaur and myself, the shadows contorted. The shadows leaped from the darkness and wrapped around the minotaur. The shadows quickly surrounded the minotaur, leaving no trace of its body or weapons. An eerie, asymmetrical crescent moon appeared on the surface of the shadows. As if laughing, the crescent moon, bounced up and down before dissapearing. Crunch* The sounds of bones breaking could be heard. The shadows that engulfed the minotaur quickly reduced in size, becoming half its original size. Then, slowly, the shadows unwrapped itself, revealing a bloody mass of meat and deformed metal. Blood began to flowing from the body of the once living minotaur, and dissapeared in the shadows. I let out a huge sigh. It certainly felt great to relieve my pent up stress on the minotaur. Although, it was kind of brutal. I walked up, and reached for the doors. A cold sensation tingled my palms. "Finally.." I pushed slowly, savoring ever last bit of freedom. Light entered from the small opening. Not used to the amount of light, my visions blurred for awhile. When my vision adjusted, three figures stood a distance away from me. All, were staring at me. Awkward, I stepped out of the room and closed the doors behind me, and walked up to them. As I drew closer, they immediately raised their weapons. "Stay back! Identify yourself!" A young man with black hair, and eyes, stated. "Hmm?" Oh, right. What was my name again? Lil-Lilith, was it? " Lilith..." "L-Lilith?" The young man, and the other two, had a bewildered expression. " And yours?" I asked The young mans eyes narrowed." My name is Verath." "O-oh..., Verath? Sounds so cool..." My eyes slightly widened. " Why are you here?" Verath asked, with a serious expression. "Oh? I just happened to wake up inside that room. I plan on leaving this place, Do you guys know how?" Haha..., Of course I can''t tell them the truth. Well, atleast its not far from the truth. Veraths eyes narrowed in disbelief. He turned to discuss with the others. ------- Verath''s pov A demon with the name of Lilith? Legends often told stories of the first ever demon lord in history, Lilith. One of the strongest, and vilest beings to have ever existed in this world. Could she possibly be..., impossible. With a puzzled expression, Verath looked at this party members. "What should we do?" He asked "I don''t think she will cause any harm. We can invite her to our party! She looks kind of lost." A man with dazzling blue hair and eyes spoke. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "What about you, Lucy? What do you think?" Verath asked. "I-I think it''s ok." A young woman with light brown hair and eyes, replied. Verath turned around, facing the female demon, Lilith. " Alright, if you don''t mind. You can accompany us, till we leave this dungeon." The female demons eyes widened, and her a look of relief was shown. "Th-thank you. Then, I''ll be in your care." Lilith spoke. --- Lilith''s pov I walked towards Verath and his party members. As I got closer, the scent of meat cooking filled my nose. My stomach grumbled. Grrgle* The three looked at me. With a smile the blue haired young man offered some food. Grateful, I accepted the food and silently ate it. A girl with light brown hair, walked up to me. "Hello, I''m Lucy. Nice to meet you" She said, with a gentle smile. "N-nice to meet you. I''m Lilith." I stuttered. "Let me introduce you to the others. The man with blue hair is Laides, and the one with black hair, is Verath." "I-I see." I stuttered, again. It''s been a really long time, since I have talk to anyone in this form. I had nobody to talk to. But, now... I have people to talk to. I''m glad. A smile secretly formed. "Hehe, don''t worry. We aren''t bad people! Although, Verath is a bit mean, he doesn''t mean any harm." Lucy reassured. We finished up our food, and cleaned up. We set out to the entrance of the dungeon. The journey was rather quiet, as we had to look out for potential danger. In a dungeon, there exists alot of threats. Monsters were found almost anywhere in the dungeon. Traps were also abundant. Adventurers enter dungeons to hone their skills, and look for treasures. Or to gain fame, from clearing dungeons. The level of difficulty, for a dungeon, vary. The lowest being 1. The Highest being 7. As the difficulty of a dungeon increases, so the does the amount of danger, and treasures. Of course, the potential fame an adventurer can get rises, as well. Dungeons have many floors. The highest amount of floors a dungeon can have is unknown. The most floors ever recorded, is 100. Floors usually increase, as the difficulty of the dungeons increase. Many players give up half way, or even at the beginning of the dungeon, because they couldn''t go to the next floor. In order to advance a floor, one must travel to the deepest part of the floor and find the teleportation circle. Teleportation circles safely teleport the adventurers to the next floor. Usually, the teleportatin circles are guarded by powerful monsters, also known as the boss. Boss monsters are very powerful. The monsters in the floor can''t compare to the boss. Many adventurers lose their life challenging boss monsters. The strongest boss monster ever recorded, is the nine-headed hydra. --- Soon, we found the exit. Ah, the smell of nature. It''s been so long. I filled my lungs with the clean air and the smell of nature. Verath looked at me with a strange expression. The other two just laughed. "Haha, how long have you been in the dungeon for you to miss the air so much?" Laides asked. "A few weeks, I think." I responded. "Haha, no wonder. By the way, where are you heading? We are planning on going to the capital." Lucy asked. Capital? Oh, I wonder which kingdom we are on. Now that I think about it. I don''t have anywhere to go. "U-um. I don''t really have any destination. Can I accompany you, a little longer?" I asked Verath, once again, look at me with a strange expression. " Tch, what a pain." He mumbled, while walking away. "H-huh?" My face flushed. "I''m sorry" I said dejected. "It''s ok, Lilith. He''s a little mean, but once you get to know him, not that bad." Laides said, with a reassuring smile. "O-ok." I replied. "Haha, off we go! To the capital!" Lucy yelled. Chapter 6: An Old Companion So bored ;/ Chapter 6 It''s been a week, since I have formed a party with Verath, and his friends. We arrived at the outskirts of a huge city. The walls protecting the city, stood 25 feet tall, and had giant flags hanging on silver poles along the walls. Soldiers clad in armor can be seen walking along the walls. Somewhere, near the middle of the wall, a huge gate was open. Travelers, and merchants could be seen, lining up to enter the city. "Amazing! So many people." I said, quite suprised. "Is it your first time in a city?" Laides asked. "Not really, but it''s been a long time." I replied As we approached the gates, our party attracted the gaze of many people. Verath seemed to have been annoyed, as he let out a displeased grunt, mumbling something. As for me, I didn''t mind. Although, it was kind of awkward. Laides walked ahead of us, and Lucy grasped my hand. She gently tugged my hand, motioning me to hurry up, with a smile. At this moment, Laides turned around to look at us. With a giant smile, he raised his right arm to cover his eyes, protecting them, from sunlight. Looking back at us, Laides shouted. "Finally, we''re here! The Capital of Gressant Kingdom, Grein!" Shortly after, Laides began laughing. "What a pain." Verath grunted. Laide''s actions attracted the attention of many people. Especially, the women. He was quite the looker. His blue hair danced in the air, as the wind blew upon it. Whilst giggling, Lucy, once again, tugged on my hand. "Let''s go! It''s your first time here, right? It''s going to be fun" I nodded my head, and increased my pace. As we entered the city, we headed straight for the guild. The streets were busy with people. Merchants, were trading with customers. Adventurers were buying equipment, and food. Others, were touring and buying what they found appealing. The guild was located at the west side of the city. It was a huge building, four stories tall. The walls of the building were made of finely processed wood. One would probably mistake it for a high class inn, if it weren''t for the large amount of adventurers going in and out of the building. Many adventurers were asking around forming parties, or accepting quests. We walked straight to the front desk. A beautiful, and busty female attendant was there. "Hello, miss. We would like to hand in our quest." Laides said, handing her the pelts and body parts, of monsters we have hunted. "Oh, my!" As the attendant saw the items, she couldn''t help but gasp."Amazing, these are the scales of an Earth Tyrant, an S class magical beast!" Many adventurers heard those words, and focused their attention on us. Vareth let out a sigh. An Earth Tyrant, was a mighty magical beast of the S rank. They are a sub species of dragons. Commonly refered to as, Earth Dragons. They were wingless, but had great vitality. Their scales, were almost impossible to pierce. "Hmph, an Earth Tyrant is nothing." Lucy boasted, puffing out her chest. "I-I see. If you dont mind, may I ask what rank your party members hold?" The female attendant asked, looking at us expectantly. "S rank" Laides replied, with a smile. "Amazing! As expected of someone who has slain an Earth Tyrant!" Adventurers of the S rank and above are extremely rare. Out of the million adventurers only 200 of them hold the S rank. As for the SS rank, only 20 people are of that rank. As a result, S ranks are known as one of the strongest people, and are often recruited by kingdoms. Every S rank are very powerful. Not only can they fight powerful magical beasts, they can also defeat thousands of soldiers by themselves. SS ranks, on the other hand, are even stronger. They can fight against an army by themselves, and kill terrifyingly powerful magical beasts. Many SS ranks are sought by kings, but most do not want to lose their freedom as an adventurer. We received 5000 gold for all the items. Another 500 gold for completing the quest. Adventuring, huh. How easy it is, for an adventurer to make money. Should I register as one? I began to ponder. It shouldn''t be too bad, i thought. "U-um, I would like to register as an adventurer!" I spoke. "Oh! It''s quite rare, for a young lady such as yourself to become an adventurer." "R-really?" She brought out card. "To register, we need a drop of blood. The blood is required to display your status." The attendant spoke. I pierced my finger tip, using magic, and let a drop of blood on the card. The card began to glow. When the glow subsided, my stats were shown on the card. Name: LIlith Race: Human Rank: SS "H-huh? Rank SS?" I asked, puzzled. "You just registered and your already rank SS? How?" Lucy asked, wide eyed. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. " M-magic?" I replied, confused. Every adventurer, starts off as an F rank, when they register. Ranks can be raised through hardwork, like accepting quests. "It Isn''t strange for one to start off at a rank higher than F. Once an adventurer registers, the system immediately records the data, permanently. Even if you quit, and register again, the data immediatley assigns you with the rank you have reached. Of course, it is possible to lose ranks with negative performance." The attendant replied. "Oh?" Now that I think about it. Certainly, I was an adventurer for quite awhile in the past. "Woah, that''s so cool! Lilith, you never told us you were an adventerur in the past!" Lucy said. "Haha..." I didn''t know how to reply. Both Laides and Verath, looked at me. With a serious gaze. Verath left, shortly after. Not knowing what to do, I followed after Verath. The other two, had some business to take care of, and went there own ways. Vareth wandered around town. He visited weapon stores, and blacksmiths. Everytime, he would leave with a dissapointed face. I would just followed him, since I had nothing to do. Upon reaching a certain weapon shop, of a reknowned weapon smith, a certain sword caught my eye. The sword sat at the corner of the store, in its scabbard. It was familiar. A black scabbard, with an intricate design. The hilt of the sword, was worn from its countless experiences in battle. The guard, was circular in shape, and had what resembled clouds decorated along the surface. Samidare (early summer rain), I thought. It was a sword forged by an incredible blacksmith from the east. The words speed, and cutting edge, were top quality. Samidare, was my only companion in the past. Verath was on the other side of the store. So, he didn''t notice the sword. Immediately, I walked up to the shop keeper. "Hello, mister." Hearing my words, the weapon smith turned around. "Oh, how can I help you, Young Miss." "I would like to buy a sword." I replied "Please, choose. Which do sword do you wish to buy?" I raised my arm, and pointed at the sword that was collecting dust in the corner of the shop. The mans eye''s slightly widened, as I did. "Out of all the swords displayed, you chose an old sword collecting dust?" He asked. "Yes, it''s a sword I must have." I replied, with earnest eyes. The man gently picked up the sword and placed it on the counter. "This sword is not for sale-" The man spoke. "Please! Please, it''s something I must have. Is their anything I can do?" I asked. Samidare, was a sword that I couldn''t just give up, and throw away. We had along history. The mans eye narrowed, and stared at me, intently. "There are certain requirements you must meet." He said. "If you meet those requirements. You can have the sword." I nodded my head. " 400 strength, 400 dex, and a level of atleast 1000." The man spoke, with a low voice. " Do yours stats meet the requirements?" I nodded once again. His eyes twitched. Surely, that is impossible, he thought. " Then, show me you status." "Un." I replied, and opened showed him my status. Name: Lilith Race: Human Level: 5932 Attribute: Darkness Health: 24332 Mana: 14324 Strength: 6932 Dexterity(agility): 9432 Wisdom: 5932 Intelligence: 2343 Endurance: 9523 Attack: 14325 "Holy...." The weapon smith''s eyes bulged, and his mouth slightly opened. "How is this possible, such high stats!" "When your life is full of danger, you gain experience really fast." I honestly replied. "... Well, since you meet the requirements just take it. Normal people cannot use such a weapon. It''s already bound, anyway. If you are the master, you should be able to unsheathe it" He spoke. "Don''t worry" I said, confidently. The old man''s brow raised in curiosity. I held the blade and drew it, without hesitation. From the sheath, a silver blade appeared, without a single trace of chipping. Hehe, as beautiful as ever. The man was at a loss for words. "To have thought...." "Finally, It''s been so long!" I felt a sense of relief. Verath walked over, with sword he chose and placed it on the table. "How much." "5,200 gold" The man replied. Verath placed the gold on the desk, picked up his sword, and left. I followed after him. "Sigh, I just lost two of my best swords in one day. I''m going to go out of business." The weapon smith spoke. Chapter 7:Legends Very short chapter. I tried to bring out a certain feeling from the readers in this chapter. Hopefully u guys felt it. Chapter 7 Holding Samidere, left me with a strange feeling. Together, we have killed many. Everyone, who stood in our path, was cut down. Everyone, I found as a threat, I cut down. Thinking of all those people I have killed, a strange sensation tugged at my chest. The tugging on my chest, grew. I grasped my chest, and my expression slightly changed. It''s painful. This feeling, what''s happening? For awhile, I stood there, grasping my chest, waiting for the pain to subside. When it did subside, I cleared my mind and look around. The streets were crowded, and many people often bumped into each other. I looked around, once more. Carefully, inspecting my surroundings. Verath! Verath wasn''t here. What am I going to do? If he''s gone, I''ll have to rely on myself. Yet, again. Thinking back to the past, I had no one to rely on. It wasn''t a pleasant experience. Nobody lent me a hand. I was always alone. Only accompanied by my sword, and the presence of my enemies. I don''t want that. At least, not anymore. I shook my head, and ran around looking for Verath. Verath, where is he. I couldn''t help but wonder, as I ran around the city. After quite awhile, I noticed the streets in this area had less people. Given Veraths attitude, I am sure he likes quiet places. I immediately began searching the area. --- Verath Pov After finding a quiet place in town, I laid down on the open field of grass that cover the area. It wasn''t strange for a city to have an open field of grass. Most kings preferred to have such fields inside the city. Mainly, because they believed nature improved the beauty of the city. The gentle breeze blew, comforting my exhausted body. That girl, she''s strange. Definitely, strange. An SS rank that doesn''t know of the level 6 dungeon, Minotaur''s Den, is unheard of. Never has she displayed her abilities before us, either. Verath began pondering, trying to identify the girl know as Lilith. Throughout, the Gressent continent, many legends are told. These legends depict the lives of individuals who''s names were carved into history. One of the most famous legend being, that of a legend that depict the life a demon. A demon known as Lilith. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lilith was a demon, in every aspect. A demon that killed where ever she went. Her blade, showing not a shred of mercy. Lilith was made famous after slaughtering thousands. The people grew tired of Lilith''s vile acts. The church began crusades, to bring justice to the demon, Lilith. Guilds and kings, placed bounties, rewarding the individuals that have slain the demon. In the end, the demon was killed. Following the news of Lilith, no parent has ever named their child with the same name as the demon. They were afraid. Afraid, that the church would brand them as heretics. The church was a powerful force. Lilith''s crusade, brought forth power and wealth to the church. It''s been 5000 years, since Lilith''s death. Through time, history is forgotten. But, of course, some individuals stumble upon the knowledge. 5000 years, it wouldn''t be strange if the people already forgot about the demon, and began using the name "Lilith", without being afraid of being branded as a heretic. "A demon, huh..." Vareth thought, as he gazed at the sun setting in the distant horizon. At this moment, the sound of another sitting on grass could be heard. Vareth tilted his head, gazing at the person that had decided to sit next to him. "Hmm?" Lilith looked at him in surprise. Her head slightly tilted to the side. The distant setting sun, enlightened the features of the individual. Beautiful black hair, stuck to her body, emphasizing the shape of her body. Clear skin, and a mesmerizing face. Dark eyes, that held a deep gaze, stared back at him. A strong breeze blew, causing her dark hair to dance alongside the breeze. As Verath met her gaze, his face flushed. He turned back to his initial position, and mumbled. "Nah, impossible." Chapter 8 Another short chapter. For now I plan on developing the characters relationships. Slowly building up for an important part of the plot. Hopefully, I can build it up well, and boom. Plot attacks you with feels. I wonder if this counts as a spoiler, lol. Chapter 8: I frantically searched the area, and stumbled upon a huge meadow. Looking round, my gaze fell upon a figure that sprawled along the grassy field. It was Verath. I silently walked up, not wanting to disturb his train of thought. He seemed to be thinking of something. He showed a complicated expression. He mumbled some words, before I sat down next to him. Rustle* Hearing the noise, he turned around to face me. Oops, did I disturb his train of thought? His faced turned red. Is he angry? Verath turned back around, facing the setting sun, and began mumbling something. A gentle breeze blew across the meadow, causing the grass to dance around. Naturally, my hair flew along the wind. I set my gaze upon the distant sun. Only half the sun could be seen, but it''s beauty wasn''t decreased in the slightest. The setting sun gave off a strange sensation. It''s appearance calmed down my body and mind. Mental and bodily fatigue grew apparent, steadily increasing. The sudden increase in weight, on my lap, brought me out of my daze. Verath seemed to have fallen asleep, as his head softly fell on my lap. I wonder if my lap is comfortable. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Soon, only 1/3 of the sun was visible. The light emittin from the sun, grew darker, into an orange hue. "It sure has been a long day." I thought, as I looked Verath''s sleeping face. His hair covered his eyes. Carefully, I moved my hands to brush his hair to the side. He had a calm and peaceful expression on his face. His appearance betrayed his usual demeanor. Usually, he would find everything bothersome, and do things at his own pace. But, his sleeping face gave off the impression of an innocent young boy. Before I knew it, I fell asleep. --- When I woke up, the extra weight on my lap wasn''t there any longer. I stood up, and stretched my body out. When did I fall asleep, I thought. I looked around, and spotted Verath. He was practicing with his sword. Swinging it, up and down. Sometimes, performing sword skills. Improving his body, and abilities. Noticing my presence, he stopped, and walked up to me. "So, what are you going to do now?" He asked. I silently thought about my plans. I had none. "I don''t have anything I plan to do." I replied Verath turned around, and started walking off in the distance. And, as usual, I followed after him, as if it was the most natural thing to do. Chapter 9: The Stinky Elephant Chapter 9 A mighty throne, adorn with beautifully glowing stones. As beautiful as it was mysterious, the stones dimly lit the dark hall, vaguely revealing a pale man. Eyes closed, the man repeatedly tapped upon the armrest of his throne, using his pale index finger. After a dozen taps, he stopped. As soon as he did, the dimly lit stones on the man''s throne, began to shine brighter. Slowly, following the growing light, mighty pillars began to appear throughout the hall. Carvings of mighty beings, decorated each of the pillars. A different creature, for a different pillar. Below each drawing, traces of words could be found. One specific pillar, eerily black, emitted a faint sound. Ting* The sound grew stronger and stronger, as it repeated, again and again. Upon closer inspection, one might notice, a peculiar piece of art. Painted in red, a trail of blood slithered along two animals, a lamb and a wolf. The trail of blood did not end there. Further down, the trail of blood ran across an ancient language, one long forgotten. ''With life, there is death. Seperate, but never parted. It shall be swift. Elude, you cannot. I will land the blow of mercy. Sin dwells in us.'' - Lilith --- "Why are you following me?" Verath asked, with an irritated expression. " Is there a problem?" I replied, not sure what to say. Further ahead, a huge crowd was rustling around a huge merchant stand. Interested, Verath and I decided to head over. "Stop following me!" Verath shouted. His face turned red, very red. It reminds me of a tomato. "Hm... Tomato." While comparing Verath''s angry face with a tomato, I skipped towards the crowded merchant stand. People were excitedly pushing over each other, trying to bid for something. "900 gold pieces!" A man yelled. "950!" "955!" Gold? Hm, I think I have some gold. I opened a dimensional pocket, and counted the amount of gold I had. 1000..., 2000? I didn''t bother to count the rest, I had too much to count. So much gold! I got so excited, I accidently yelled the amount of gold I counted. "2000 gold pieces!" I yelled! "What the hell?" With a sigh, a dejected old man walked away. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "2000 gold pieces! Going once! Going twice! And... sold!" The Merchant yelled. Then, the merchant gestured for me to come up to him. "Huh?" Confused, I walked up to the merchant, and he handed me a piece of paper. "What is this?" I asked, face brimming with curiosity. "It''s a first class ticket to the Gressant tournament! Aren''t you happy? You will be able to sit next to the royal family of the Holy Empire!" the merchant replied. "IDIOT! How can you be so stupid?" Verath scolded, his face turned into a tomato, again. "Hehe..." Although I didn''t know why he was mad, I couldn''t help but chuckle. His face looks so cute, when he is mad. Seeing me laugh, Verath opened his mouth to say something, but didn''t. He held up his right hand between his brows and rubbed it. "Breathe... In and out." Verath started to do weird stuff. He seems to be breathing deeply, is he sick? Before I could ask, he turned around and walked away. Why is he walking away? "Verath! Wait up! Hey!" "Shut up! Go away!" Verath started running. Why is he running? I chased after Verath''s sillouhete in the crowd. Why is he so fast? Ahh, what ever! I increased my speed and swiftly evaded the people in the crowd. Closing the distance, I reached out my arm. Before I could grab him, I tripped over something below my left leg. "STOP! Wait up---" . "No, you wait! You didn''t pay for the ticket!" The merchant furiously yelled, from behind. I reached out to grab a hold of something, to support myself from falling. Although I managed to grab something, it was loose, and fell with me. "Ow.." I raised my head, to see where Verath had went too. Instead of seeing Verath, I was greeted by an unsightly, smelly elephant with hair. Or so I thought. The Merchant that was chasing me, got onto his knees and started to pray. "May the lord have mercy upon this poor soul..." "Y-you... little wench!" A skinny man who looked like a rat angrily yelled. "How dare you embarrass our boss like this.. unforgivable!" "To pull down our boss''s pants, how daring. You are courting death!" A big group of smelly men walked out, from behind the stinky elephant. Chapter 10: Boom x3 Chapter 10: The man, who previously had his pants between his ankles, quickly pulled up his pants and reached for the broad sword on his back. Following his movement, his underlings also reached for their weapons. The Merchant that was praying on the floor fumed and passed out. "DIE!" Thick energy enveloped the skinny rat-like man''s dagger. The air surrounding the dagger begun to swirl around it. His voice echoed in my mind. A familiar feeling, once again, enveloped my mind. Red vein''s bulged from my eyes, and my pupils narrowed but quickly returned to normal. The rat-like man appeared in front of me and the dagger in his hand shot forward. A berserk energy surrounded my right arm, directly clashing against the surroundings in a meter radius around me. Veins once again begun to bulge from my eyes, turning redder by the passing second. My right arm flew past the dagger within the mans flimsy arms. The area around my arm rippled as it sliced through it, heading towards the the rat-like man''s head. Anger enveloped my mind. How long has it been, since I have heard that word? The word that followed me throughout my journey in life, cursing me before my enemies. Truly irritating! How dare this lowly creature dare demand my death! The rat-like man couldn''t react to the speed of my strike, and could only wait for his inevitable demise. "Sh-" The rat (^.^) uttered. As my arm was about to pierce through his skull, I shifted my body . With my palm, I struck his face directly into the floor. A loud crack resounded before a horrendous impact resounded around the area. The air in the area of the man''s head shifted, and bound him in the area. Following the impact of my palm, his head directly plummeted into the earth. A horrifying sound resonated throughout the city, as it happened. A giant crater formed, with the rat-like man''s head as the cause. The brawl didn''t end with that. I didn''t give any of the other smelly men a chance to react. The moment my palm made contact with the rat-like man''s head, and the force within my strike entirely traveled to the target, I sprung towards the other two men and struck them into the ground. In total, three huge craters were made, but only only one huge sound was heard. They were all struck down so fast, without even a millisecond difference between the hits, the three men struck the ground at the same time causing only one huge sound to be heard. People yelled and scurried across the city. They thought they were being attacked by enemy forces, or even monstrous beasts. However, the people who were watching the brawl didn''t bother to scurry about. They knew what caused the ruckus, and it wasn''t monstrous beats, or enemy forces. It was a woman who was offended by three hooligans. Loud rumbling noises resounded from the eastern area of the city, where the brawl took place. Hundreds of soldiers clad in armor, were running to the origin of the sound. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Halt! No one in this vicnity is aloud to leave!" The commanding officer of the soldiers exclaimed. An investigation was held, but no one could find the one who caused the ruckus. ------------------ In the alleys of the city, a lone woman could be seen slowly walking between the buildings. A murderous aura exuded from her body. Along with her blood shot eyes, she didn''t resemble the former care free girl, Lilith. Right at this moment, she resembled a fiend that has awoken in the depths of hell. The homeless beggars the usually lived within this area were no longer here. They ran, as they were frightened beyond belief. In their eyes, Lilith was definetly an evil demon that has infiltrated their city and caused the ruckus. "Hmph..." Lilith couldn''t help but frown in displeasure. In her mind, she couldn''t help but wonder why everyone was so annoying. She felt like killing everyone present in this city. In the midst of her thoughts, she was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a figure wrapped in a black cloak. Golden pupils with narrow pupils stared at her, from under the hood of the cloak. Lilith recognized the person, it was Verath. "You..." Verath spoke, from under his cloak. Lilith didn''t respond, nor did Verath continue to talk. The silence between them seemed to last for an eternity. She continued to stare at him, sizing up Verath and suddenly spoke. "Show off..." "What? What are you talking about?" Vareth was utterly confused. What could she possibly mean by that, in this situation. "Hmph" Without responding, she walked away. Vareth''s figure swayed and vanished. ---- "Here ye! Here ye! Today is the last day of the Gressant tournament, sign up now." A weird man with a messy beard advertised. By the end of the evening, 206 people signed up for the Gressant tournament. "Is this where you sign up for the tournament?" A woman asked. Her voice flowed like the river. It caught the attention of the fluffly beard advertiser. "Indeed, it is. Would you like to sign up?" He responded. "Yes. Is it alright if I register my friend?" "Yes, it should be no problem as long as your friend has consented." With a mischievous grin, the woman registered two people and walked away. Whew* One of the application verifier whistled. "A gorgeous lady. I wish I had a wife as beautiful as her" He collected the application papers, and read the applicant names to himself. "Lilith and Verath? Good luck." - Longer! ^^ Chapter 11: Amateur of the Sword Merry X''mas. Shrouded in darkness, Lilith sat atop the roof of an inn. Her legs dangled in the air, as she gazed upon the floating lanterns lighting up the streets below. Such technology was foreign to Lilith. She had never seen such a thing in any of her previous lives. Lilith could not help but let out a sigh. The lanterns were so simple, yet it held such an elegant appeal. Even in the night time, the streets were bustling with people. To Lilith, everything felt so different. How long had it been since she saw such liveliness, and peace. In the past, peace was but an illusion. The emotions built by the constant wars between countries, and organizations, would always lead to another strife. Lilith eye''s followed a certain pair of people, a man and a woman. They embraced each other, and enjoyed the services of the kingdoms markets, and merchant stalls. Their intimacy was beyond anything Lilith had ever experienced. Her life was lonely. Everyone she called a friend, either died or betrayed her. They cared about their own survival more than their friendship. She didn''t have a home, or even a family. A deep emptiness grew in her chest, and she could feel her heart beating harder. She raised her knees towards her chest, and hugged them. She rested the side of her head against her forearms, and continued to observe the lively crowd in the distance. "Not fair." Lilith murmured. She raised her left arm and reached out towards the lively crowd, her hands opened and closed, as if trying to grasp something. After a few more attempts, her hand stopped and fell on the wooden roof beneath her. "I''m..." Lilith whispered, but stopped her sentence. Her gaze softened, as she continued to stare at the same place. The moisture in her eyes began to slowly overflow, and gently began to navigate its way down her cheek. Her mouth moved, as she whispered the continuation of her sentence. ------ "Ladies and gentlemen, behold! The great tournament of the Gressant continent, the Gressant tournament!" The announcer purposely stretched the last part. The crowd went wild. The greatly anticipated tournament has finally begun. From nobles to commoners, students to teachers, warriors to farmers, everyone gathered together from around the continent to watch. "The day has finally come, and great warriors have gathered here to compete for the position of the strongest! Who will win, and who will lose? Let their efforts and skills decide the outcome!" "Woooooohhhhhhh!" The cheers from the crowd was deafening, many people felt their ears going numb. The waves of people in the audience energetically cheered, as the next line was spoken. "Today, the royal family has come to watch and cheer for the warriors!" Following those words, a certain group of people stood up and bowed. They sat at the highest spectators seat, adorned with great chairs and assistants, along with food. "As always, the tournament be a 1 on 1 match. The opening fight belongs to Drax, the leader of the Draxxen Mercenary group!" The announcer yelled. The crowd went wild with cheers and delight. Drax is a powerful mercenary of the B rank, who rose through the ranks of the guild, and became successful with his mercenary group. He had a big reputation in the continent. "And his opponent, a newComer that has yet to be noticed, Lilith!" As the announcer spoke, everyone began to turn their heads to find Lilith. Several minutes passed, and no one showed up. "Ugh... contestant Lilith, please show up and step onto the fighting platform!" After a moment, a petite cloaked figure walked into the platform with a bag full of fried nuts. " And... here she is! Fight start!" The crowd was unexpectedly silent, the audacity to have the royal family wait, and to enter the arena with food? Even a seven year old child knew better. With the signal to begin, Drax grabbed his claymore, and took a stance. His sword was held with both hands, and the blade pointed towards the area between Lilith''s brows. "Little missy, the fight has begun, why are u eating your fried nuts? Ready your weapon." Drax informed. Many warriors held pride, and would find this moment very offensive. However, Drax did not really care, as it was not his style. He was more of a carefree individual that liked to go with the flow. Lilith didn''t respond, and continued to eat her fried nuts. She didn''t even fix her stance into a battle ready stance, she just stood like a normal person eating their food. Drax couldn''t help but comment, "Well, if that is how it is, do not blame me for attacking." He quickly closed the distance and thrusted his claymore towards the hand Lilith used to hold the bag of fried nuts. The attack was so quick many people found it hard to keep track. Skilled fighters amongst the audience nodded their heads in approval. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. What happened next shocked everyone. With but an empty hand, Lilith stopped the blade, and caught it between her thumb and index finger. Drax tried to pull his sword back, but it did not budge. Lilith held an iron grip on the sword, with only two fingers. Visible shock appeared on his face. Lilith continued to chew on the nut in her mouth. When she swallowed it down, she let go of the sword to grab another fried nut. At this moment Drax pulled back his weapon and increased the distance. He had under estimated the opponent. He had to think of another way to fight her. He slowly closed the distance, and took on an offensive stance. "You have some skill! Here, try this attack!" Drax roared. He swung his claymore from below. A thick concentration of mana followed the sword''s path., a sword skill. Lilith caught sword with her two fingers again. The mana on the blade fluctuated and burst, causing a huge explosion. The true essence of the strike was to severely damage the opponent on impact, explosive strike. Drax smirked, the opponent had taken the strike head on, it was his win. Drax tried to pull his sword back, once again, only to find it impossible. He couldn''t believe it, for someone to block an explosive strike from a claymore was unheard of. Explosive strike is a very powerful attack that can even break walls of stone, and the weight of the claymore should have added more power to the strike. As the dust cleared, the crowd went silent. "A strong one has appeared." A man with red hair spoke. "Indeed. I wonder if she is stronger than the higher ups." A woman beside the red haired man spoke. "Hmph. Do not question their power." The red hair man replied. Drax pulled back his blade, as Lilith released it. She was no longer eating her fried nuts. The bag and the nuts were destroyed from the explosive attack. "Formidable, why don''t you fight me seriously. From now on I won''t hold back." Drax warned. Lilith drew her weapon, and took on a defensive stance. She was a defensive swordsman. Lilith calmly waited for Drax to make his move. Drax made his move, only to have all his attacks useless. Lilith blocked every single strike with ease. He did not want to waste too much energy, so he took on a defensive stance, and prayed the opponent will lose her patience and make a mistake. Drax noticed his opponent''s reaction towards his strategy. Lilith''s eyes narrowed, and she slowly closed the distance. When she was a meter away from Drax, her sword suddenly struck out towards Drax with frightening speed. He could barely see it, he tried his best to parry the strike, as it was too late to dodge. As his claymore met the Lilith''s blade, a heavy force pressed down on Drax, and immediately dissapeared when he thought it was too much for him to handle. Drax felt something cold lightly tap against his neck. Lilith''s blade touched his neck, but she did not bother to cut it open. Beads of sweat ran down Drax''s forehead as he realised he could have died. "Compared to your offensive capabilities, your defense is lacking." Lilith spoke. Drax slowly replied, "That attack! What was that attack? Weren''t you a defensive swordsman?" "Amateur..." Lilith replied without any care. "Victory, Lilith!" The announcer spoke. Drax and most of the spectators didn''t understand, the final move Lilith displayed. A defensive swordsman using offense strikes? In truth, Lilith''s technique could be considered an offensive technique given its nature, but it was actually a defensive feint. If both the swordsman waited to defend against the opponents strike, how will they win? Many people would ponder and find several conclusions, but the most effective way is to perform a feint. If they won''t attack you, you make them attack. Lilith pressured the opponent with her strike to make him try and stop it, and countered Drax''s move. From the start, Lilith was always defensive, she only gave the illusion that she was on the offensive with that feint. In theory, such a technique sounds easy, but it was actually very hard to pull off. It is very hard for swordsman to follow their offensive or defensive styles to the utmost limit. Some people would learn both styles to accommodate for the ''gaps'' in the styles. Only master of the sword can create offense with defence, and defence with offense. It was only natural for Lilith to call Drax amateur in the way of the sword. He gave up his offensive style to go into defence. There were many ways for an offensive swordsman to defend, without going into a defensive style, and it can only be mastered with enough experience. Many new techniques and possible strategies come with experience, and careful analysis of the results of battle Chapter 12: Gathering of Weirdos What did you guys get for christmas? I got $50 . :) Sorry, my writing sucks. --- "Ah, what a great opening fight! Everyone, it is time to begin the second match of the tournament!" "Verath, and his opponent lovelin!" Cheers and claps echoed throughout the area. The audience was looking forward to a good fight. Lovelin walked onto the platform, his hair was short, and his sideburns were sharp on the edges. He had a muscular figure, about 200cm tall, and a tiny mustache with pointy edges. "Verath, if you do not enter the platform in 20 seconds, it will count as forfeit." After the count down finished, Verath did not step up, and the victory went to Lovelin. "Hohoho, of course, nobody can match up to me. Hohoho." Lovelin spoke. Following his words, Lovelin suddenly fainted on the spot and started foaming from his mouth. Vareth didn''t know why, but he found Lovelin''s words quite offensive. The crowd went silent. "Healers!" The announcer shouted. He was surprised with the sudden outcome. Lilith who was sitting in her seat with a new bag of fried nuts, was dissapointed. She had thought it would be amusing to see Verath competing. She forfeited her next match, and left the stadium. Lilith wander around the city, looking for something to do. Near the eastern checkpoint, she found Vareth and two other familiar figures getting ready to depart. It had been awhile since she saw Lucy and Laides. They left the city and began to travel on foot. Lilith also left the city and rushed towards them. "Vareth~!" Lilith yelled joyfully. Alarmed, Vareth turned around to face Lilith, with a displeased expression he replied. "Why are you here, stop following me around!" "But... aren''t we friends?" Lilith spoke, she stared at Vareth with expectation. Vareth didn''t know how to respond, he turned around and began walking. His pace increased a little, but it was hard to notice. "Haha, if it isn''t Lilith." Laides welcomed Lilith Lucy playfully walked up to Lilith, grabbed her hand, and pulled her after Vareth and Laides. "Hurry up, we don''t want to get lost." A strange expression appeared on Lilith''s face. She didn''t really know how to describe how she felt. Her mind was filled with relief. Secretly, she was happy. The group stopped, and turned around. Lilith just stood still, sort of lost in her own mind. The other three stared at a large tree behind them. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Come out, we know you are there!" Lucy warned. A figure hesitantly walked out from the shadow of the tree. A tanned young man walked out, with a claymore on his back. It was Drax. "I didn''t mean to startle you guys, I just happened to stumble upon you guys." Vareth rolled his eyes in respose. "Yet another stray dog." "Haha, everything is fine. Here, why don''t you join us." Laides reassured "Haha, if that is fine with you. I will be in your care. My name is Drax." Both men walked together and began to talk. They would strangely laugh out of nowhere, from time to time. This only added to Vareth''s temper, as his brows creased even more, and he walked while rubbing his temples. Lucy began to explain the route they are going to take to their next destination. They were heading to the Dark Land, a continent to the west of Gressant. It was believed that the Dark Lands was one of the most dangerous places in the world. High leveled monsters and adventurers gathered there, to explore the dungeons, and fight against the forces of darkness. The forces of Darkness, better known as the cursed beings, are cursed beings that come out of the rift between space that exists in the Dark Lands. Their fighting power average around A-class. The stronger ones being S class, very rarely SS and above. The group will head towards Sea City located at the western edges of the continent, to find a boat ride to the Dark Lands. Transportation to the Dark Lands weren''t rare, because the actual danger is on the continent rather than the seas bordering it. However, that does not mean there are absolutely no danger in the seas. The seas are well known for the amount of exotic creature that love with in it, incredibly powerful beasts that live within it, and pirates. Although pirates the average fleet of pirates aren''t powerful, once in awhile, a powerful fleet of pirates might appear. It was rumored that the king of pirates that ruled the seas was strong enough to lay waste upon empires. "Don''t you have a mercenary group to manage?" Lilith asked. "Hahahahaha, warriors are free, we do as we please. I left the mercenary group. I suddenly had the urge to start traveling the world." Drax responded, he was as carefree as ever. Vareth rolled his eyes. Lucy clapped her hands, with a smile. Laides just laughed. Once the plan was decided, Vareth began to walk away, signaling the start of their adventure Chapter 13: Port City Three weeks passed, since Lilith and the rest departed from the capital city. Along the way, they got to know each other better and spent most of the their time bragging about their feats. Lilith of the other hand, didn''t really talk. Only when she needed to, did she talk. They finally arrived at the port city. This city in particular, was a very popular trade destination, as it was located right between the Dark Lands and the continent of Gressant. Most of the population consists of adventurers that wished to travel to the Dark Lands. Walking towards the port, the group saw a great amount of gigantic ships docked. Merchants, adventurers, and even regular people boarded the ships. "We made it! Glad we didn''t miss the ships." Lucy spoke. Her eyes sparkled with interest, as she stared at the items other adventurers had. Lucy noticed the high quality equipment of several dozens of adventurers. Leather gauntlets made of the hide of powerful beats, and swords forged from the magical ice of the Ice Giants of the Glacial Peaks. "The ship should be taking off in a few hours, why not restock our supplies and fix our equipment?" Laides suggested. Hearing those words, without a response, Verath went to take care of his business. "Man, how friendly." Drax sarcastically commented on Vareth''s behavior. Lucy shrugged. "He''s like that. You''ll get used to it. I think..." She scratched her head, mumbling the last sentence. Lilith departed from the group, and searched her way towards the library. Upon arrival, she noticed the colossal size of the library dwarfed that of the other buildings around it. As expected of a library. Lilith went around each floor searching for history books. She wanted to find out more information about the past and new historical events. Her slim fingers brushed past several books on a bookshelf. Her eyes hastily read through the titles. Surprisingly, the language was still the same, Lilith had no problem with reading the words. Lilith took out a several dozens of books, yet none of them held the answer to her questions. Dejected, she made her way back to the port. Not wanting to waste time walking through a crowd of people, Lilith travelled through the alley ways. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Lilith wasn''t the only one travelling through the alley ways. Thieves, homeless, and some adventurers used this route. With the intention to avoid them, Lilith merged into the shadows of the buildings and silently made her way towards the port. Several meters ahead, a group of adventurers were chatting while walking. "The Dark Land sure is fascinating. There, the adventurers are insanely powerful. I heard some people there can destroy armies with the flip of their hands." A young girl with blond hair spoke. Fascination filled her eyes, as they sparkled with endless vigor. A young man with red hair responded, from beside her. "I sure hope I could be as strong as them." A smile lit his features, as he thought about the possibility. "Ah! Wasn''t it rumored that the watchers were currently present in the Dark Lands." A brawny man spoke. "That''s right!" The last of the group, a female with blazing red hair spoke. The group realized they could no longer walk, a compelling force stopped them from moving. "H-hey... What is going on." Everyone panicked. Behind the brawny man, a shadowy figure appeared out of the shadows. The figure had no distinct features, only the outline of a figure could be seen with dark, bottomless eyes. Noticing the figure, the adventures gasped in shock, and increased their efforts to escape the compelling force. "What the fuck!" "Shit...!" Tendrils of darkness flew out of the surroundings, and wrapped itself around their mouths. Everyone tried their best to free themselves. Some tried to invoke magic, but their mana was absorbed by the darkness. "Quiet down." A whisper entered their ears. "Perhaps, you can tell me more... about these ''Watchers''."