《Hero's Ballad》 Chapter 1 (Book 1 - Prologue) Chapter 1: The fireworks burst into a plethora of colours. Each explosion caused subsequent smaller explosions which lit up the sky with disappearing diamonds. The small lake in the horizon reflected the bright colours causing an even more intimate atmosphere. Faces filled with awe littered the crowd watching the fireworks. Everyone watching were either with their friends, family, or a lover. It was the ¡®end of spring break¡¯ festival. To Kazu Tomoe, this was just a sign of his last year in high school. He had a letter in his hand reading, ¡°To Kazu Tomoe¡±. For a moment, he stared at it, not moving or looking away from it. Then, his arm lost its strength and his eyes turned towards the stars. The sea of stars make the fireworks feel lonesome, he thought. Scrunching up the letter, he put it inside his pocket. He walked away from the forest path back to the noise of the crowd. ¡°Kazu¡­¡± the boy looking to be about the same age as him stared at him. He was out of breath from running. After catching his breath, he said, ¡°I owe you one.¡± The boy ran along the forest path, disappearing into the darkness. Kazu coughed violently as he held his chest in pain and gripped the scrunched up letter. He walked away from the entrance of the path, ignoring the crowd and the beautiful explosions of flowers along the sky. His violent cough continued, but soon enough, his pained expression disappeared. People steered away from him when they met him in the sidewalk. They feared for their lives, thinking it was a contagious disease. But when they got near him, their eyes turned to remorse when they thought of avoiding him in the streets. Instead, they gently bowed and then went on to continue their walk. Upon reaching his destination, a doctor greeted him. He didn¡¯t show any emotion. Instead, he read the thick sheets of paper he held on a clipboard without uttering a word. ¡°Tomoe-kun. It would be best for you to stay here until-¡± ¡°No¡­ One more day.¡± Kazu turned away breaking eye contact, ¡°Let me have class tomorrow. Just¡­ one more day.¡± The doctor sighed and put the thick report to his side, then bowed deeply to Kazu. On the other hand, Kazu left the hospital. This time, he headed back home. As he left the hospital, drops of blood silently blossomed along the white floor. He covered his mouth while coughing as he left the hospital, and his hand became soaked with blood. ¡°Is Tomoe-kun not staying?¡± the nurse came up beside the doctor. ¡°Clean up the blood.¡± The doctor clenched the report he held and walked away from the scene like he was running. He stared at the report one more time, then gave a deep sigh as if his expression condoned a regret. His name plate near on the side of his chest read ¡°Kurou Tomoe.¡± *** Kazu stood in front of the window and opened it to let the morning sun light the dimly lit room. He grabbed the handkerchief on his study table, putting it in his pocket for later use. Even though the new sunlight poured into his room, it did not make his mood any brighter. Looking at his watch, it was now time to leave. It¡¯s when normal high school students would leave he thought. Exiting his room and descending the stairs, there was no sign of anyone home. However, there was a letter and a small lunch box on the small table just by the foyer. Have fun at school - Mom A weak grin escaped his face when he read the letter. He folded it and put it in his pocket, then to put on his underused shoes. Kazu exited the warm, loving house that raised him. The neatly kept grass and the laundry hanging outside made a calming noise as a persistent wind combed through the blades and pushed against the clothing. He opened the gate, its creaking complaint attracting the stares of other students already on their way to school. ¡°Good morning¡± said a student who passed by his house. He replied back with the same phrase, then walked the same way the students were heading. Along the way, the students¡¯ expressions turned blank when they saw him then greeted him with a polite bow. However, he only returned a weak bow to anyone who greeted him. ¡ª¡°Tomoe-kun.¡± A familiar voice came from behind. He turned his head around in a rush, but no one was there. The sudden turnaround attracted stares from the other students walking along the path. Was it my imagination? he thought. He arrived at school and quickly went to his designated class. He sat at the edge of the 2nd row from the blackboard, near the door. The seat beside him was still empty, it was where she would be. She was someone who gave him hope: hope to live on, hope to continue living for the next day and the day after that. ¡°Hey, did you watch last night¡¯s episode? What did you think of it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the episode quality going lower and lower¡­ it¡¯s turning out pretty bad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! It¡¯s like they want to kill off everyone.¡± ¡°The best parts of course are the dragon lady hehe.¡± Kazu listened in on some random conversations around the class riiing¡­. riiing... ¡°Alright, everyone get into your seats.¡± The teacher glanced at the empty seat. ¡°Mizuhara is absent today huh. Alright, let¡¯s start the class.¡± *** Morning classes ended. Everyone stretched their arms as they hurried on towards each of their cliques. Kazu stared down at his desk examining the cracks, blemishes, and markings on it. It was worn out and old. It was a contrast to his underused new looking clothes. Even his bag looked like it was bought yesterday. Even this desk has lived longer than me... He took out his lunchbox and opened it. Slowly, he started eating. Almost half of the lunch hour passed. His lunchbox still had most of its contents. BANG! The sliding door opened with a force that alarmed everyone in the room. ¡°Kazu!¡± The trespasser roared in anger as he walked up to Kazu¡¯s desk. The other students tried get in his way, weary of his hostile pose. Soon enough, his expression calmed. Kazu stood up and came closer. ¡°You already know what I¡¯m going to say. She...¡± Kazu turned his head down to the floor. ¡°Someone like me should just quietly disa-¡± ¡°No!¡± the boy shouted. ¡°We¡¯re best friends right?¡± Tears started running down his cheeks but his voice stood stern. ¡°So what if the doctors told you that?! Right now, what¡¯s most important for her is to be beside you! Don¡¯t you understand that?¡± Kazu¡¯s fists tightened. ¡°You changed everyone in this school! You can¡¯t say no one here is your friend¡­ we do that because you asked us!¡± The students let go of Jun. ¡°Look at Hiragi¡± he pointed at a girl on the edge of the class ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your help, her mother would¡¯ve died¡± ¡°What about Akira?¡± Jun, again, pointed at a different student, but this time, it was a boy who had held him back. ¡°If you didn¡¯t help him, we would¡¯ve still thought he was a thug. But you know, he¡¯s actually a really hard working guy with an unlucky face.¡± ¡°Kazu!¡± the sweet pitched voice interrupted the classroom. It was a student from the back of the class. She held her head low with a red face and big enough glasses to cover her expression. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would still be a shut in!¡± ¡°The girl who sees you as the world is out there right now.¡± Jun¡¯s said as a tear run down his cheeks. ¡°Please Kazu, go to her. Otherwise¡­ everyone in this school you touched with your kindness, we¡¯ll never forgive ourselves.¡± Kazu turned his head back up seeing everyone¡¯s attention on him. Many of the boys and girls had teary-eyed expressions as they looked back at Kazu. ¡°Alright.¡± His friends wiped their tears away with smiles on their faces as Kazu walked out of the open door. At first, his steps were slow. But by the time he reached the front door of the school, his pace couldn¡¯t be called walking anymore, not even running¡ªhe was sprinting. The last of the falling cherry blossom leaves filled his view. The scenery of the alleys changed one by one, blurring as he ran down hill the school sat upon. Passersby would give him weird looks wondering why he was running but he gave them no mind. Kazu let the wind, and gravity taken him as he struggled to go faster still. At the foot of the hill stood a house. He stood in front of its small gate looking at the window with pink curtains covering the room. Upon opening the gate, Kazu¡¯s reached up his hand to his chest, clenching it while he tried to catch his breath. Weakly knocking on the door, he didn¡¯t know whether she heard it. At this point, the pain became unbearable, and he collapsed on the floor. ¡°Kazu¡­?¡± The door creaked open and the girl stood in front stared at Kazu. Her signature chestnut hair flowed along the breeze of the wind. Her thin, delicate arms drew away the hair disrupting her view. He coughed, covering his mouth with his left hand while his right still clenched against his chest. ¡°Kazu?!¡± She knelt on the ground. Turning around Kazu¡¯s body, she moved away his hand covering his mouth. Blood dripped down the corner of Kazu¡¯s lips. ¡°This is bad. We need to go to the hospital.¡± In a swift motion, her hands reached to her bag taking out the cellphone. The strap on her phone held a small locket. Kazu smiled and grabbed her hand with his right to stop her from calling. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°...Aiko...¡± Kazu drew her closer to an embrace. ¡°I¡¯m... sorry. I-...¡± ¡ªKazu¡¯s body went limp. ¡°Kazu¡­ don¡¯t do this¡­ please don¡¯t...¡± Her words turned into a sob. She continued to dial the ambulance. Each second seemed to last much longer than it did. As she looked at his miserable state, tears fell down her cheeks, dropping on to his clothes. His breathing became slower and weaker each passing minute. ¡°Kazu¡­ you...you¡­ why!¡± She cried. ¡°-Ambulance¡­ is coming, so please... we¡¯ll go to school tomorrow, right? Right? Everyone¡­ everyone will¡­ will say ¡®hi¡¯ to you tomorrow, right?¡± The ambulance arrived and the men, getting out of the vehicle, quickly ran to the two on the ground. They lifted Kazu up into a stretcher and loaded him into the vehicle. She also boarded with him, holding his hands along the way to the hospital. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. *** Kazu laid down in the hospital bed with the medical ventilator attached to his face. A doctor opened the door, walking inside the hospital room to see Aiko caressing Kazu¡¯s hand. She sat beside him looking on with worry on her eyes. ¡°Tomoe-sensei, is he going to be alright?¡± He didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he grabbed a chair and sat beside her to watch his son bedridden with life support. The silence grew louder that not even the equipment noises can drown it out. ¡°How long does he have left?¡± she asked again in a toneless voice. ¡°It¡¯s been quite a miracle he¡¯s lived this long.¡± he sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to believe he¡¯ll live for another year?¡± This time, she was the one that didn¡¯t answer the question. The room turned silent again, then Doctor Tomoe started his hourly monitor check on the equipment. As soon as he was finished, he left the room, signaling a few nurses to remain on standby just in case. He looked back at the two, and pain once again surfaced in his eyes. Each step was light, his body seeming to float from the ground, as his heart beat fast with weak pulses¡ªhe didn''t want to accept the inevitable. Unable to withstand the pain, his face, a mask of iron broke, revealing his grief. ¡°Doctor, how is the Tomoe-kun?¡± The nurse from yesterday interrupted. He shook his head and said, ¡°He- I¡­ I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll make it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Doctor¡­¡± The nurse held both her hands up to her mouth. Suddenly, nurses appeared running the opposite direction he was taking. There was only one patient that way who¡¯d warrant such an urgent reaction¡ªKazu, his son. He ran with the nurses and asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°The patient in room 302 is in critical condition. Doctor, please hurry.¡± Appearing in front of the door, the life support monitor was going out of control. Electricity appeared in the room coalescing around Kazu. Aiko appeared to be unconscious at the edge of the room. ¡°Aiko! Kazu!¡± That was when the a circle of light formed below the bed. Piercing brightness filled the room, blinding everyone with its sharp light. For a few seconds, the whole room was white. Until finally, it calmed down; the bright light had dimmed until everyone could see the room. ¡ªThe whole bed and hospital equipment along with Kazu was gone. The room was empty and a hole in the ground let nurses and doctor see the room below. The patient below also gave a confused look. *** ¡°I have a slight headache¡­¡± Aiko rubbed the back of her head where the pain originated from. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a mild concussion. So what happened before I got here?¡± Kurou asked. She turned her head down. ¡°¡­At first, the monitors started making noise. And then I felt something push me away. That¡¯s all I remember¡­ Sorry sensei.¡± She pursed her lips when she saw his disappointed face from the side. ¡°Kazu¡¯s gone. We can¡¯t find him. There¡¯s no trace of him left. Are you sure he didn¡¯t walk away?¡± The frustration in his voice showed through, causing Aiko to shrink. She shook her instead of giving a vocal response. Everyone concluded it as a gas leak; an explosion taking the life of an innocent. Only Aiko and a couple of nurses saw the first part of the so called explosion. It was neither a gas leak nor an explosion; instead, it was something impossible. But they could not find a sliver of explanation in their heads. ¡°Tomoe-sensei, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Aiko left the hospital, not saying a word after her announcement. As she strolled in the veil of night, her gaze turned up to see the ocean of stars. Her side was cold; he would no longer be there when she wanted to stargaze. The times when she¡¯d feel his kindness, when he warmed her heart, she would no longer feel it. ¡°Kazu¡­ what did you want to say?¡± The alleys she weaved through pulled at every chord of her heart. Damaged walls, cracked roads, the neighbourhood that was full of life. She never would have thought that such memories would weigh so heavily. Time passed by quickly, and the silhouette of her house became visible. After entering, she did not talk to her parents nor her siblings lounging in the living room. As she ascended the stairs, the clock in the hallway continued ticking, yet the life in her eyes had stopped. ¡°...Where did you go?¡± She dropped herself on the bed, closing her eyes. Upon covering herself with blankets, she opened her eyes to see the moonlight and stars through her window. The stars, moon, and the Earth continued moving, not caring about the events in people¡¯s lives¡ªthat was how he described his life. Yet, why did my time stop? she asked herself. Soon, the stars became drowned in the morning light. A light knock on her door resounded, and the door opened. Aiko knew it was her mom, but she did not turn around to meet her. ¡°Are you going to school today?¡± Her mom asked. ¡°Nnn.¡± Aiko hummed in a low voice. When her mom left, she got out of her bed, still with her uniform on. With no smile nor life in her eyes, she stared at the picture of her and Kazu during the class trip. Whispering in a small voice, she said, ¡°You¡¯re out there somewhere. I¡¯m going to find you.¡± Aiko descended the stairs and left straight for the foyer. Footsteps from the kitchen approached her direction. Her mom, a woman in her mid 40s, handed her a lunch box, then started to walk back to the kitchen. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Kazu¡¯s gone.¡± She left without looking at her mom¡¯s reaction, she¡¯d already experienced enough sadness that day. When she arrived at school, Aiko saw a vase of white flowers on the desk beside her. The atmosphere in the room became dense and heavy. It was unlike the usual casual morning. The silence was heavy, and every student¡¯s attention was focused on the desk with the vase. Aiko forced a smiled as her tears fell from her cheeks. ¡°Be strong Aiko,¡± she said to herself. ¡°He¡¯s out there somewhere¡­ we¡¯ll find him again one day.¡± ***
Conversion started¡­ 0%¡­ 1%... . . . . All illnesses removed¡­ 2%...
Now entering Planet Ilmaira
Stats page and skills page populated. Voice command ¡°Status¡± avaiable. Voice command ¡°Skills¡± available. Acquired Status(es): Artifact Extended Status (In progress/Inactive), Hero Status (Active)
Welcome to Austere in the Asterian Kingdom. Current location: Ephermal Labyrinth Dungeon, Hall of summoning, Austere Church of Faer the Light God.
Warning: 15/95 hp
What is this? A game? Kazu opened his eyes in an unfamiliar room. Still lying on the hospital bed, he examined his surroundings. The old machinery behind his bed looked rusted and derelict. The joints of his bed and the metals were all rusted. The blankets on his bed had holes and were dirty enough that each time he moved, dust would fill the air. He got up causing a large amount of dust cloud to fill the air. Now standing, he looked at his surroundings more carefully. The room was large, it was as if the hall was meant to fit a hundred people. Dim lights hung on the chandelier exposing the paintings on the ceiling. Artistic pieces portraying depictions of war and a single light purging the dark filled the above scenery. Sculptures of magnificent scale and delicacy littered every wall, yet vines grew rampant from the cracks. Finally finding what he was looking for, Kazu noticed the large door in the middle of the room. Kazu went near it and tried to open it. This¡­ it¡¯s too heavy. Kazu¡¯s stomach grumbled in a scream for attention. I have to get out of here. Suddenly, banging on the large stone double doors could be heard. Bang, bang, bang. Muffled sounds came from the other side, but it was clear enough that they were swords clashing against metal. As fast as it started, the sounds behind the door settled down. That¡¯s when it started; the door opened slowly with a heavy grating sound. At the first hint of violence Kazu had already hid behind one of the sculpted pillars.
Hide (1) ability learned.
¡°Mom¡­ dad¡­ if this is a joke¡­ please get me out of here¡± he squeaked. ############ For anyone wanting to re-read the old version: here After chapter 17, I think they''re mostly outlines. I write outlines before writing the whole chapter. I find that writing outlines makes the writing process go faster (it takes 1 hour to write the story after writing the outline). Usually write outlines while in transit too. Because of this, I''ll delete all the current threads now that re-writing started. I chose to start in the beginning just because the outlines are done anyways. No release schedule though. Chapter 2 Chapter 2: The large stone doors flew open and a squad of large figures, obscured by the sudden brightness of light walked into the room. Kazu¡¯s eyes soon adjusted to the light and he saw the monsters that flowed in through the giant doors. There were 8 in total, appearing to be less human, more like what he imagined ogres to look like. They were all over 2 meters tall, muscular build, dark brown skin, and no hair. All of them, except one, held a club whose width could be considered the size of a small tree trunk. The last one, wearing more armour than the rest, held an oblong lump of metal, a crude weapon that seemed to embody its wielder in both length and width. The ogres looked around the room, searching high and low for something. It almost seemed like they were securing the perimeter. One of the monsters came close to Kazu, enough so that the smell of the monster made him gag inwardly, but the monster didn¡¯t seem to see him. Is it because of this ¡®Hide¡¯ ability? Kazu looked at his hands and his body, both appeared to be translucent. This can¡¯t be real right?¡­? He turned his head to peek around the corner of the pillar he hid behind. The ogres looked more relaxed and now turned their heads towards each other, nodding in unison. They finished securing the perimeter and now they turned their head towards the machinery in the middle of the room. It was in the middle of the complex runic patterns that seemed to glow a light blue under the dark. The monster wearing the most armour went ahead and examined the machinery. He pushed all the buttons, key noises even made Kazu believe that the monster had broken the majority of them. The medical equipment were already derelict so of course it didn¡¯t give any response. The monster examining it shook his head soon enough and examined the bed. He lifted the blankets up and an envelope fell from the sheets. Aiko¡¯s letter! Kazu stepped back in recoil, his actions sending a loose rock skittering across the floor. The noise echoed across the large room, drawing attention from all eight monsters. The leader, the one wearing the most armour, made a grunt and pointed in Kazu¡¯s direction. Shit, what do I do?! The ogre walked his way comically slow. Each step made Kazu¡¯s heart skip a beat; until finally, the ogre¡¯s breath could be smelled. The ogre looked in the corners of the pillar where Kazu hid, staring at each corner longer than before when they did the perimeter check. Kazu held his nose and mouth together to try and deafen the noise of his breath¡ªalso to avoid the smell. Soon, the ogre got tired at looking at the empty space and took a deep sigh. Kazu almost hurled and his eyes watered as soon as the toxic breath hit him.
Notice: The ogre¡¯s low intelligence couldn¡¯t detect you. Hide level up! Hide Lv. 2 - You will be harder to see.
The ogre walked back to the group. His steps were faster than before as he gave their leader a deep groan. Kazu shifted his attention to the door for a way out. Inch by inch, he moved his feet as to not make a sound. Beads of sweat dropped down across his cheeks, but Kazu didn¡¯t let them drip to the floor to prevent the noise. As soon as he got close to the door, the smell of metal came from outside the door. Kazu took a peek outside the door. Dozens of corpses lay outside the door. The corpses looked like medieval soldiers. Some were flattened to the ground and some were splattered on the wall. All had one thing in common, a disgusting amount of blood around them like a squashed mosquito after its meal. Kazu sneaked across the blood bathed hallway trying not to vomit. Along the hallway, an open door led to a room¡ªa room with windows, yet there was no sunlight. The room reminded Kazu of the old victorian homes he read of in magazines. Even with vines and dust everywhere, the interior of the room amazed him. He strolled along the room in awe until he reached the window. Kazu looked through the window examining the outside scenery. It was a pitch black scenery, nothing could be seen. Suddenly, large thumping steps came from outside the room. Kazu hid behind the door until the sound of the steps became weaker and weaker until it disappeared.
Update: Sneak ability learned, sub-skill of Hide. You can now walk normally while in hide mode.
Let¡¯s see if this really works¡­ Kazu walked at a normal pace. He looked at his hands and they were still translucent signifying that the ability did work. Walking along the hallway, he came up into another room. A burning cooking smell with fire crackling aroused Kazu¡¯s nose. Dammit, if my stomach grumbles right now, I¡¯d die immediately! Kazu sneaked away, managing to escape into an empty room. The empty room had a different look than the other rooms. This one was empty and a circular platform sat in the middle of the room. The runic inscriptions on the circular platform glowed in an ominous fashion. It pulsed in a beat like it was alive. What¡¯s this? Kazu touched the mud on the floor originating from the platform. Mud¡­? They look like footprints Kazu hopped on the platform and stood in the middle. He planted his feet where the 2 mud footprints were. The beating glow stopped and grew a monotone glow. A screeching noise filled the room. Then all of a sudden, loud thumping steps came from outside the door. ¡°ROAARHHGGG!~¡± An ogre appeared at the door, growling at the top of its lungs. As the ogre ran to kill Kazu, the runic inscriptions spun and it lit up brighter than before. It was like the scene in the hospital room¡ªthe last thing he remembered before he fell unconscious. The ogre swung his large tree at Kazu, but it was stopped by an invisible field. The ogre¡¯s tree disintegrated. It flew away in rebound slamming and cracking the wall from the impact. Soon, more ogres arrived at the door. Dozens of gaze pierced Kazu, all with the intent to kill. However, none moved in to kill. Instead, they just watched as the screeching and the light grew louder and brighter. Until finally, Kazu¡¯s vision of the dark room disappeared and replaced with a dripping wet cave. Large holes on the ceiling of the caves let light in allowing Kazu to see. Footprints on the ground were still fresh. They were of normal size so following the footprints might be a good idea Kazu thought. He dragged his feet along the path of the footprints tired from the stressing adventure he just had. On the way, Kazu saw some cooking equipment, but there were nothing in them even though the fire underneath the pots were still warm. Walking along the path, his stomach growled even louder for attention. Then, a brick wall of 5 meters tall blocked his path. Some bricks were missing on the wall, but they weren¡¯t enough to climb it. In a strife of luck, the sounds of metal clashing against each other echoed along the walls of the cave. Danger?!
Hide(2) activated
Kazu went into a corner and huddled himself up to make himself look the smallest. The noise of metal came closer and closer until it stopped just above the wall. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here.¡± A man in full metal plate armour appeared above. He had luxurious ornaments embedded into his armour, each one seeming to radiate a dim light. The crest on the top left chest part of his armour symbolized a lion.
Update: Observe skill learned
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Shh, quiet. I sense something watching us.¡± The woman next to him wore a robe that covered her entire body. Although it covered her entire body, it failed to hide her curves. She took off the hood of her robes to reveal her bright flowing crimson hair and a face that could only be called wild. However, she didn¡¯t open her eyes. She had a large scar running along both of her eyes which could only mean one thing. ¡°You over there in the corner. Is there a purpose for you to be here?¡± The crimson haired woman yelled. ¡°Oh, now that you pointed him out, I can see him.¡± the man in a lion crest armour gave out a coy chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m not dangerous. Please help me!¡± Kazu stood up with both hands up and deactivated hide making him visible and opaque to the man and woman above the wall. ¡°Hurry up and throw a rope down.¡± Ordered the red woman. The man grumbled in rebellion. He turned his head and waved his hand behind. A soldier came from behind and handed him the rope he was carrying. He tied it to a rock and threw down the rope. Kazu grabbed it and started climbing it. His hands shivered as he held on to the rope causing him to fall. Once again, he held onto the rope determined to climb. But again, his shivering hand could only yield out a fruitless attempt. ¡°Pick him up.¡± Ordered the red woman once again. ¡°Guuh!¡± The man turned his head towards her asking with his eyes if he really has to. The red woman didn¡¯t look at him. Instead, she looked on to Kazu with piqued interest. ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it again.¡± The man immediately jumped down the 5 meter drop with his heavy armour causing the mud below to splash on Kazu. Kazu bewildered at the sudden drop, swung his hands around like someone not wanting to be touched. It was a futile attempt as the man in armour picked him up in a swift and efficient fashion in a princess carry. In a sudden twist, the man jumped with extreme strength, causing Kazu to lose consciousness from the g-force, and landing on top of the wall with the red woman. They examined at Kazu with curiosity ¡°This guy¡­ is he a demon?¡± The man commented. ¡°He has pure black hair. That¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t exist right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll head back.¡± The red woman started walking away from the scene. ¡°Throw him in the prison for now. He might not be the one we¡¯re looking for.¡± ***
Conversion¡­ . . . 3%
Kazu woke up to the smell of human waste. There was no toilet; the stench came from the corner of the cell. The loose droppings and puddle of piss gave a gagging response to Kazu. His empty stomach only regurgitated stomach bile. Above the cell he sat in was a stone hanging from the ceiling. Its weak glow lit up the room albeit still being dark. Outside the cell, a hallway full of bars littered the scene. From each cell, moans of pain echoed in the empty hallway. A scream would pop up every now and then alarming Kazu. And sometimes, an inmate would shake the bars that imprisons him. At the end of the hallway, the door opened with a creak. A guard wearing leather armour with important parts of the armour covered in metal, headed straight to Kazu¡¯s cell. He held a sword on his waist, and his dagger already drawn incase of close combat. The guard clanged his dagger along the bars that restricted Kazu. ¡°Wake up!¡± The guard opened the door. ¡°Move!¡± Although reluctant to move, Kazu got up from the bed he sat in, stumbling to keep balance, and left through the tight door that could only fit one person. ¡°Hurry up! We don¡¯t have all day!¡± The guard pushed him forward tripping him in the process. They moved through the cells of the prison. Each cell were filled with either 2 or 3 inmates. They stared at Kazu with their hollow eyes. CLANG! ¡°You gotta help me man. I¡¯ve been here forever. I¡¯m innocent!¡± An inmate grabbed Kazu¡¯s legs through the bars. He wore nothing and the lining of his bones could be seen through his skin. ¡°Get back in your cell!¡± The guard stomped on the man¡¯s foot. The stomp forced out a loud crack from the man¡¯s bones. The old man screeched back into his own cell¡¯s corner. ¡°You dirty shit.¡± The guard once again pushed Kazu. Walking once again, Kazu didn¡¯t realize how long the hallway really was. The steps they took felt like forever and the growing anxiety stored inside of Kazu built up. Upon contacting the large door, the guard pushes Kazu aside. The door let out a thump followed by a creaking noise with its slow opening. The room they entered was lit with a few candles and brightly glowing stones planted in the ceiling. There was a crude table with a few chairs in the middle of the room. It was a typical guard room where they stayed in case someone gets passed the bars holding them. A door opened coming from the stairs opposite of the door Kazu entered in. The stairs led up and soon, the red woman and the knight descended it. The scar crossing both of her eyes made Kazu¡¯s eyes widen. She moved onto the chair as the man beside her pulled it backwards. As soon as she sat, the man pushed it just enough for her to sit comfortably in. ¡°Sit.¡± The guard pushed Kazu. He turned his head towards the guard seeing him in a straight posture unlike before. The guard moved his eyes back and forth from the chair and Kazu. Kazu took this cue to sit down. ¡°You may call me Sage.¡± Sage pointed at the man beside her and said, ¡°The man beside me is Philip Nemean.¡± ¡°Hey no fair! How come he gets to know my name but not yours?!¡± Philip retorted. ¡°Quiet.¡± Sage laid down both her hands on the table folding them together. ¡°And your name is?¡± ¡°K-kazu... My name is, uh, Kazu Tomoe.¡± ¡°Kazu Tomoe... ¡° Sage leaned forward as if inspecting him with her non-existent eyes. ¡°What a strange name. Are you from this land?¡± ¡°What? This land is¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Kazu stumbled on his words not knowing how to answer her question. If I tell them I¡¯m not from here, they might kill me or lock me up like those guys! ¡°I see.¡± An arrogant grin escaped Sage¡¯s face. ¡°Have the guard fed you yet?¡± Kazu¡¯s stomach growled. He put his hands on his stomach to try and lessen the noise. Sage¡¯s gaze turned towards the guard with an unsatisfied look. ¡°I can afford to have a few heads roll if you do not do your job properly again.¡± Sage giggled. ¡°Oh, buddy, she literally means your head will roll if you know what I mean.¡± Philip ran his fingers horizontally from one side of his neck to the other. The guard gulped and his face turned sour unable to utter anything. ¡°Well that¡¯s enough for now.¡± Sage stood up from her seat, then snapping her finger at Philip. ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?!¡± Philip blurted. She didn¡¯t give a response as she kept walking up the stairs into the central hall of the prison. Dozens of guards patrolled along the stone paved hallways each one carrying both a dagger and a sword. They all moved out of the way while bowing as Sage and Philip walked along the corridors. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that earlier. You¡¯re usually not that rough.¡± Philip pulled her hand forcing both of them to stop. ¡°You know something don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The legends and the future.¡± Sage put her hand on top of where Philip¡¯s hand gripped her arm. ¡°My eyes told me of a great being coming into our kingdom that will slay the Demon King. Right now, we can only hope that it¡¯s him.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Philip let go of Sage¡¯s arm. ¡°If that¡¯s it then shouldn¡¯t I give him exclusive training?¡± ¡°No!¡± Sage turned back and continued her walk to exit the building. ¡°The legends state that he must overcome his own ordeals. We cannot interfere with his life.¡± Philip sighed and shrugged as they walk along the corridors filled with guards. ################# Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The cool breeze flowed along the empty street filled with guards. Beside Kazu, the guard from his cell escorted him and opened the gate to let him out. The guard scratched his head all the while looking down as if wanting to say something. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about the way I treated you.¡± The guard moved to the side to let Kazu pass through the gate. ¡°I¡¯ve had a rough day. I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t take it to heart. Tell you what, if you wait here for a few more minutes until my shift is done, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner.¡± Kazu nodded. ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Now Kazu was alone. A scenic fantasy landscape filled his eyes. It was a view he never would''ve dreamed of. A large mountain in the east went up as high as the clouds blocking the entire view of the east. The sun sunk down in the west as if it was getting swallowed by the endless horizon of trees. And the walls of the capital reaching as far as the eye could see from left to right. This land of Austere was set on a hill to allow its citizens to view such scenery ¡°Hm? Your first time seeing Austere is it?¡± The guard returned with casual clothes. His brown ragged pants looked overused and his leather jacket didn¡¯t look any tidier than his pants. His boots were tattered in dirt. ¡°By the way, the name''s Brett Hseit.¡± Brett slapped Kazu in the back. ¡°Let¡¯s get along!¡± They marched down the empty streets. Kazu gave curious looks at the buildings nearby along the way. He opened his mouth, but decided not to utter his question. ¡°Boy, what is it?¡± Brett asked. ¡°Nothing¡­ haha.¡± Kazu let out a fake smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that why is this street so empty?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± Brett crossed his arms ready to give an answer. ¡°This here is the prison district. Only guards or military personnel are allowed in this district. Most of them are probably inside the prison tunnels in patrol.¡± ¡°Heeeh.¡± Kazu responded. ¡°You¡¯re really going to forgive me right?¡± Brett interlocked his hands together hoping for a positive answer from Kazu. ¡°Of course.¡± Kazu scratched his head at the sudden action. ¡°It¡¯s not like you did anything bad to me. You were just doing your job¡­ I think.¡± ¡°Phew¡± Brett wiped his sweat on his forehead. ¡°You know, my adventuring party had a falling out just this morning. That bitch Lizzie sure likes being such a drama bitch!¡± You¡¯re surprisingly one too¡­ ¡°You¡¯re looking at me like I¡¯m at fault aren¡¯t you!¡± Veins popped up in anger on Brett¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯m definitely not! I swear, if I get my hands on that woman I¡¯ll clobber her good!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not really making your image any better Brett. Sigh.¡± Kazu said. ¡°Say, you¡¯re an adventurer right?¡± Brett leered at Kazu with enough ominous intent to send a shiver down his spine. ¡°If you ever want a party, why don¡¯t you party up with me? I¡¯ll treat you good ha!¡± ¡°Is that an offer I can¡¯t decline?¡± Kazu grinned. ¡°Ha! Kid, I like you. You¡¯ll be in my party.¡± Kazu and Brett came up to a door in the empty street of the prison district. Brett knocked, then opened the door. ¡°Evening old hag.¡± ¡°Hmph. Just take your seat.¡± The old lady had a dry frown on her face while wiping dry a beer glass. ¡°The usual for you is it? What about for the kid?¡± Kazu scrambled his hands to take the menu. As he was about to read the menu, it was taken away by Brett who had a wide smile. ¡°He¡¯ll have the same.¡± Brett chuckled. ¡°Say, let me see your adventurer card.¡± ¡°A-a what?¡± Kazu¡¯s face knotted. Am I found out already? ¡°What!?¡± Brett slammed his hands on the table. ¡°You don¡¯t have one! Alright. We¡¯ll get one next thing in the morning! I¡¯ll build you up from the ground up.¡± Kazu sighed in relief. Thank god this man is like this. ¡°But that does get me thinking.¡± Brett stared at Kazu dead in the eyes and closed in on his face. ¡°Why were you in that dungeon if you¡¯re not an adventurer?¡± ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Kazu stumbled on his words as he tried to avoid Brett¡¯s breath. ¡°It was a special circumstance. I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Brett relieved his pressure off of Kazu. ¡°Well, every man has something they hide anyways. That doesn¡¯t matter to me ha!¡± ¡°Orders up!¡± The waitress put the plates on the table. ¡°Watch your hands. the plates are hot.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazu said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± She gave a bright smile to Kazu, then turned her head to Brett. ¡°You should follow someone¡¯s example of being polite.¡± ¡°Bah. I came here for food not service!¡± Brett took the silverware on the table and started eating right away. ¡°Sigh, I wonder how you ever met your wife¡­¡± She walked away with low shoulders. Along with Brett, Kazu began eating his own. It was a 12 oz. steak dripping with gravy with mashed potatoes and broccoli in the side. At least to Kazu, that¡¯s what it looked like. ¡°Hey Wendy!¡± Brett shouted at the woman behind the counter. ¡°Did you make his steak smaller than mine?!¡± ¡°Of course I did fool.¡± She put her palm on her face and then shook her head. ¡°Look at how small he is. He wouldn¡¯t be able to eat your portion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m paying for this you know!¡± Brett said. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°His portion will cost less.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Brett continued his meal. ¡°Kazu, you¡¯re not from here are you? Why don¡¯t you stay at my place for the night.¡± ¡°Is it really okay?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Of course.¡± Brett chuckled. ¡°But, I¡¯m going to need a bit of your help when we get home.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± *** They strolled along the path just outside of the south walls near the prison district. The giant trees covering the moon¡¯s glow gave the scenery a serene mood. The light breeze along the leaves of the trees calmed Kazu¡¯s heart. It¡¯s only been a day. He sighed. So much things happened ¡°Papa!¡± The loud scream of a little girl peeking through the window of the house caught Kazu¡¯s attention. Smoke came through the chimney of the house like a western house and the smell of food permeated as they got closer to the house. The door opened with a creak, and the little girl ran through it to meet with Brett. He lifted her up in joy spinning her once around. Her innocent round face, big eyes, with blond hair gave a sense of a warm family to Kazu. Her dirt tattered clothes must''ve been from playing around all day, Kazu thought. ¡°How was your day my little girl?¡± Brett laughed. ¡°It was like this papa.¡± She stared at him still with smudges of food on her mouth. ¡°We and mom went to the, um, the woods to gather leaves!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Brett put her down and patted her head. ¡°What kind of leaves?¡± ¡°Ene, they¡¯re not leaves.¡± A woman came through the door with a ladle in her hand. She held bright blue eyes with clothing fit to be a housewife. Her physique gave off a mature woman than the curvy body of the woman named Sage. ¡°They¡¯re herbs. And we need them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right Ene. Herbs and leaves are the same.¡± Brett joked. ¡°Don¡¯t teach her stupid things.¡± The woman turned her head to Kazu. ¡°And who is this?¡± ¡°Ah. This is Kazu Tomoe.¡± Brett shoulder slumped. ¡°Its fine for him to stay for the night right? He has nowhere to go.¡± ¡°Its fine but¡­¡± Her eyes closed half way. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you already eaten? And I cook everyday for you too.¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not my fault. He hadn¡¯t eaten since morning. I had to treat him.¡± Brett apologized. She groaned. ¡°Fine. but next time you don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re sleeping on the sofa.¡± Kazu walked up to them and bowed deeply. ¡°My name is Kazu Tomoe. I am indebted to your care.¡± Kazu got up from his bow and saw the bewildered faces of Ene and Brett while the woman had a knotted smile. ¡°U-unn. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Sene.¡± Sene went up to Brett and whispered in his ears. ¡°This kid¡¯s weird. Where¡¯s he from?¡± ¡°You know. I don¡¯t know myself.¡± Brett put his hand just above Sene¡¯s waist and guided her to the house. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first. It¡¯s chilly out here.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Sene reached her hand out to Ene. ¡°Ene, its your bedtime.¡± ¡°Heeh?¡± Ene¡¯s mouth wide open protested. ¡°But papa just got back home¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t follow your bedtime.¡± Sene escorted her to the stairs. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Muu¡­¡± Ene groaned. ¡°So where were we?¡± They all sat down in the sofa and Sene put down her ladle on the table. ¡°Are you perhaps from the east?¡± Just as Kazu was about to say something, Brett interrupts him. ¡°Sene is from Dragonweild. So she might be a bit more familiar to you I hope.¡± ¡°Sigh¡± She shook her head while holding her palm on her forehead. ¡°Its true that I was a foreigner in this kingdom so it was hard to adapt. I came from the central castle of Dragonweild. I guess you¡¯re not from there?¡± ¡°A-ah.¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes looked around in a frantic. ¡°I¡¯m more from the north¡­ you could say that.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ There are many unknown tribes in that land anyways. No need to fret over it.¡± Sene said. ¡°But your hair colour is really weird. It¡¯s pure black. And that name is something else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also my first time seeing that weird hair.¡± Brett crossed his arm. ¡°Does everyone in your tribe have black hair?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kazu nodded. ¡°I actually thought that black hair was normal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± Brett nodded. ¡°I guess its the difference in culture huh?¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky you met us.¡± Sene chuckled hiding her mouth with her hand. ¡°You might have made some mistakes with the difference in culture as I did back when I moved here.¡± ¡°Mistakes?¡± Kazu tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s right! When Sene first came here to Austere, you wouldn¡¯t believe what she did.¡± Brett gave his signature grinned. ¡°She rented out a horse. Took it out into the woods. Luckily, I was there before she could kill the poor thing. She was planning to eat the horse.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Sene blushed. ¡°At that time, I thought the phrase ¡°hungry that I could eat a horse¡± was literal¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Brett¡¯s gave out an obnoxiously loud voice. ¡°Papa!¡± The voice came from upstairs. ¡°You¡¯re too loud!¡± ¡°Ah, oops. Sorry dear.¡± Brett said. ¡°Anyways, another thing she did was when we were at a restaurant, her food was served. She walked out the door of the restaurant with the plate in her hand heading back to the inn we were staying at. She asked why I wasn¡¯t coming. And then-¡± ¡°Stop, please.¡± Sene¡¯s face was beet red with a pout. ¡°In the city I grew up in, we take the plates we get from ¡°restaurants¡± back home to eat okay!¡± ¡°That is some weird practices¡± Brett¡¯s face softened as he looked over at Sene. Kazu¡¯s face strained from faking the smile. He felt knots in his face he had never felt before from smiling. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Sene¡¯s pout became a soft smile. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We should head to sleep. Are you fine with the sofa?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Thank you very much.¡± Kazu again gave a low bow to Sene prompting a twisted up-turn of her lips. ¡°Sorry we don¡¯t have a guest room kid.¡± Brett patted Kazu on the shoulder. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Sene got up in a hurry and handed Kazu blankets. ¡°Good night¡± She smiled. Sene and Brett headed upstairs. Their loud steps could be heard in the main floor and it stopped just above the living room where Kazu stayed at. ¡°Status¡±
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level1
HP80/95
MP153/153
Strength4Vitality4
Wisdom8Intelligence6
Agility3Stamina4
Endurance9Luck1
Phys. R17Mag. R.21
Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status" [Inactive]
Skill list:
  • Hide (2)
    • Sneak
  • Observe (1)
This¡­ does everyone in this world have this? Kazu sighed. Oh, there¡¯s a help guide. Kazu clicked the ¡°Help¡± button with his imaginary cursor.
Help Guide: (Type subject for help)
Type? How the hell do I type without keyboards?! He scratched his head in frustration. Okay, let¡¯s try this. ¡°Description of Vitality¡±
Description: Vitality increases hp.
What the? So vague. Wait, that doesn¡¯t even tell me anything! ¡°Description of Hero Stats¡±
Description: Hero base stats are acquired. Base stats and stat gain are based on Hero status. They are:
  • 4 strength per level
  • 4 Vitality per level
  • 8 Wisdom per level
  • 6 Intelligence per level
  • 3 Agility per level
  • 5 Stamina per level
  • 0.5 Luck per level
  • 10 Endurance per level..
Gaah! That still doesn¡¯t explain my situation. Kazu put both of his palms on his eyes. Great, I can still see the UI even with my eyes covered. ¡°Is this really a game or is this real?¡± He sighed. ¡°It all feels too real. Pain, smell, sounds, the scenery¡­ everything feels too real¡ªCurrent Location.¡±
Location: Planet Ilmaira, Asteria Kingdom. Austere Outskirts, Brett¡¯s House.
Whether it¡¯s real or not¡­ right now for me, this is reality. Kazu clenched his fists. Aiko¡¯s letter¡­ I need to get it back... my last memory of that place. Kazu laid down on the sofa, covering himself in the blanket finally closing the day off. Closing the long, long day. *** ¡°Nee, Kazu.¡± Aiko pouted. ¡°Am I that hard to get along with?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± Kazu turned his head away. ¡°It¡¯s easy to talk to you, I guess.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you looking at me when I¡¯m talking to you?¡± Aiko forced Kazu¡¯s head to turn her way. ¡°S-s-stupid!¡± Kazu¡¯s face blushed a bright red. ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°W-what?!¡± Aiko, surprised, jolted backwards. ¡°Why are you making it so awkward?!¡± ¡°*Whistle* The lovebirds getting it on.¡± A boy from behind commented. ¡°Shut up Hishikawa!¡± Aiko fumed. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea or anything Kazu. I was forced t-t-to go with you okay!¡± Kazu¡¯s solemn smile came across Aiko¡¯s eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say it like that, Aiko.¡± *** ¡°...Kid?¡± The shadow shook Kazu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Brett?¡± Kazu muttered. ¡°Something happen kid? You had tears going down your cheeks.¡± Brett pointed out. ¡°N-no.¡± Kazu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Alright then. We¡¯re supposed to go to the adventurer¡¯s guild today to get your plate. Time to eat breakfast, it¡¯s last night¡¯s leftovers.¡± Brett lifted Kazu up by his shoulders. ¡°Woaaaah. What are you doing all of a sudden??¡± ¡°Waking you up of course.¡± Brett smirked. ¡°It worked didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Kazu gave brett a defeated shrug. ¡°Hi mister.¡± Ene stared at Kazu with bright big eyes. ¡°Your hair is weird.¡± Kazu patted Ene. ¡°That¡¯s not a nice thing to say to people is it now.¡± ¡°But its true!¡± Ene climbed over the sofa to get a closer look at Kazu¡¯s face, then the pressure of her stare intensified. ¡°Alright children. The food¡¯s all warmed up.¡± Sene clapped her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Ene jumped off the sofa, hopping along the floor straight into her chair in the middle of the table. Sene sat at the right of Ene and Brett sat in the left side of Ene. Kazu dragged his feet along and sat in the other end of the table in the middle. ¡°Dear, any plans for today?¡± Sene asked. ¡°We¡¯re going to get Kazu his own adventurer plate¡± Brett answered. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice.¡± Sene gave a quick gaze at Kazu. ¡°Are you sure about this? Look at how small he is. It looks like he¡¯ll break anytime.¡± ¡°My eyes don¡¯t fool me from potential!¡± Brett shouted. ¡°This guy has that potential. My instincts are never wrong about strength! HAHAHA!¡± ¡°Papa being unreasonable again.¡± Ene commented while chewing on her food. ¡°Aw come on. Its true though¡­¡± Ene¡¯s comment erased the smile from Brett¡¯s face turning it into an mild frown like that of a father trying to get on his daughter¡¯s good side. ¡°Your dad¡¯s right you know.¡± Kazu uttered out. ¡°I might become the strongest even.¡± That¡¯s right¡­ He smirked. With this game-like skill. I might actually stand a chance at becoming such a being. With my illness gone, and this fantasy like world, such a thing might even be a possibility for me. ¡°HAhAHAHAH!¡± Sene, brett, and Ene laughed at Kazu. ¡°You don¡¯t have to laugh that hard.¡± Kazu looked down as his face turned red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But it¡¯s good to have dreams right?¡± Sene commented.
Next Chapter
########### Editted in some details of Ene (I forgot to write in). 2015-04-26 Editted stat gains. 2015-04-28 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The New York stock market seen in movies described the scene of the adventurer¡¯s guild in perfect comparison; except, instead of business suits, they wore robes, armour, staves, and sword. Kazu passed along the terminals, although they were just posting boards, straight through the line of clerks handling the many requests of other adventurers. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Brett.¡± A man walked up to Kazu and Brett with a stocky build. ¡°Sorry about your group mate. Come join my group if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine.¡± He waved his hands to deny his worry. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about laying low for a while. For now, I¡¯m just helping this kid. Kazu, come introduce yourself.¡± ¡°Hello, my name is Kazu Tomoe. Nice to meet you.¡± Kazu bowed sprouting a widening of the eye on the man¡¯s face. His accent is pretty strong Kazu thought. ¡°Quite an odd one isn¡¯t he.¡± The man scratched his head. ¡°Name¡¯s Krey. Nice to meet you mate.¡± ¡°Enough of that.¡± Brett said. ¡°He¡¯s here to get his adventurer plate. I got a feeling this time Krey. He¡¯s got potential hehe.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Krey sighed and shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t trouble you. Good luck¡­ whatever it is you¡¯re doing. Do holler at me if you ever want to group up mate.¡± ¡°Will do Krey.¡± Brett chuckled. ¡°I could use a comedian with a thick accent¡± ¡°Aye, whatever.¡± Krey gave out another defeated sigh. ¡°Next in line please!¡± A clerk from the counter yelled out directed at Kazu and Brett. ¡°Hello missy. We¡¯re here for a plate for this guy¡± Brett pointed at Kazu. ¡°Alright then.¡± She took her pen and a piece of paper and for a few seconds, her swift movements wrote something on the paper. What the? Kazu¡¯s eyes widen. I can¡¯t read it. ¡°That¡¯ll be 1 silver coin. Please sign here and I¡¯ll get you your plate in the meanwhile.¡± She gave a quick smile then disappears into the room behind. ¡°Hey¡± Brett groaned. ¡°Quickly sign it.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± Kazu signed the paper. Brett¡¯s eyes squinted in response to Kazu¡¯s writing as Kazu wrote in his normal Japanese on instinct. ¡°That¡¯s some weird language you have kid.¡± Brett smirked. Soon enough, the clerk came back with a square plate on her hand. It was the size of a plate except square. It had a rough texture, almost like sandpaper and thin like paper. Runic inscriptions forming a border on its side piqued Kazu¡¯s interest, yet it did not do anything to compliment its aesthetics. Instead, the inscriptions on the borders made it look like a china. So it literally was a plate¡­ huh. Kazu was so done. ¡°Ok next is, I¡¯ll need you to prick your finger and drip blood on this plate.¡± The clerk gave her best professional smile to Kazu while giving him the needle to use. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t use the same needle for everyone so it¡¯s clean. On the other hand, Kazu was unamused as he didn¡¯t like needles. Having been to the hospital many times in Japan, who would¡¯ve that he would be afraid of needles Kazu thought. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not backing out now are you?¡± Brett grabbed Kazu¡¯s hand forcing the needle on to his index finger. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby! HEHEHE!¡± ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°See, it wasn¡¯t that bad now was it.¡± Brett grinned. The plate began to glow an ominous blue. A low hum radiated from the plate. The clerk gave it her best to keep a smile on her face, but her eyes betrayed her smile as they widen in surprise. Then, the glow and the sound stopped leaving only the altered plate. ¡°Weird.¡± Brett put his hand on his chin. ¡°Did that ever happen before?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ I¡¯ve never seen it do such a thing.¡± Her awkward smile changed back into its former professional smile. ¡°Your plate is ready. Have a look to see if everything is correct.¡± Kazu reached for the plate. He picked it up and read the plate with no luck. He sighed and pretended to read it to avoid suspicion¡ªwhatever that might be he thought.
Update: Learned Identify, a sub-skill of observe. 10 mana per use.
¡°Identify.¡± Kazu whispered. ¡°Did you say something?¡± Brett asked.
NameKazu Tomoe
RaceHalf Human, Half Dainv
ClassHero
RankD
Heh, this weird new ability is quite handy. Brett grabbed Kazu¡¯s plate in surprise. ¡°Hey hey, missy. His class is Hero. Are you sure this is correct?¡± ¡°I could get another plate, but a 2nd one will cost much more than a first. About 1 gold for a replacement plate.¡± The clerk tilted her head, still with a smile, but her eyes screamed scram to Brett. Brett, not paying attention, continued scratching his chin. ¡°Is Hero even a class?¡± Brett chuckled. ¡°What do they specialize in... Evil killing? HA! What a joke.¡± ¡°As I say once again, you could just pay for a replacement you cheap ass man.¡± Her eyes twitched and the corner of lips knotted with annoyance of Brett. These two¡­ they have history together or something? Kazu thought. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not a nice way to treat customers now is it Missy.¡± Brett grinned. ¡°The name isn¡¯t missy.¡± She pointed at the name tag on her chest. Ugh, I can¡¯t read it. ¡°It says Mizz. Close enough isn¡¯t it?¡± Brett again jabbed at her. ¡°At any rate, if this thing is really real, maybe you could actually do what you said last night. The best and all¡­ HA!¡± Kazu facepalmed as Brett¡¯s voice garnered the attention of everyone in line for the help desk. ¡°Ok¡­¡± Kazu tugged at Brett¡¯s sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s fine to go now right? Look at the line getting longer because of us.¡± Luckily, he didn¡¯t ask about the half thing. Even I don¡¯t know what that is. Kazu scratched his head. Maybe in this world, they don¡¯t really care much for races¡­? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing. ¡°Ah.¡± Brett brought himself up from leaning on the counter. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go. Ok, next is that thing over there.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kazu looked at the billboards lined up in circular patterns just like the stock market, except they weren¡¯t electronic. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Those are the quest boards.¡± Brett, beside Kazu, pushed him along to speed him up. ¡°Alright. Do at least 3 quests from the boards. There are also other boards scattered around the city. My guard shift is starting soon. Come back to the house once you¡¯re done three alright? Even a child can do these hehe.¡± ¡°Unn.¡± Kazu bowed. ¡°Thank you for showing me this.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Brett smacked his hand on Kazu¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ll see you this evening. Don¡¯t die now.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you this evening.¡± Kazu waved as Brett was already walking to doors of the guild leading outside. Now then, I guess I¡¯ll pick up the easiest one first. If I can get through this crowd. ¡°Identify.¡± Kazu whispered.
Listings: A rank quests.
  • Ogre subjugation
  • Drake subjugation
  • Ildderich Dungeon Mapping
  • Army sign up (Rank B and above) . . .
These are too high level. Kazu scanned the area. He spotted smaller and less brawn people at the other corner of the hall wearing questionable equipment and eyes as bright as children. I guess that might be the place for my rank. ¡°Identify.¡±
Listing: D rank quests.
  • Slime subjugation
  • Rabbit capture
  • Missing Pet
  • Herb gathering
  • Wood chopping help needed
  • Goblin Subjugation . . .
I¡¯ll get the herb gathering first just to see how this system works. Kazu took the paper posted on the wall. ¡°Identify.¡±
Herb Gathering: Task: Collect 10 Heb herbs, 0/10 Heb herbs Location: Outskirts of South Gate Difficulty: D Present to a clerk in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild with receipt and items after completion of quest.
I guess I¡¯ll take it.
Task Acquired
Outskirts of South Gate¡­ that should be near Brett¡¯s house isn¡¯t it? Kazu left the guild, avoiding the crowds of adventurers looking at the boards themselves. He marched down the familiar road he took from the prison to the restaurant to Brett¡¯s house. This all still feels too unreal. This world, this ability, and¡­ Kazu tightened his grip on the piece of paper, then put it in his pocket. If my cancer isn¡¯t really gone¡­ I don¡¯t think I would be able to do anything in this world. He arrived in the outskirts of the south gates. The wind blew through the narrow thicket of giant trees making a calming sound as the leaves brush against each other. Miles and miles of trees like a sea filled the horizon. Kazu ever so wondered in disbelief how this could not be real at all. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Kazu.¡± Sene, in the distance, waved at Kazu carrying a basket. Ene, just behind her mother, dragged a basket along with ¡°leaves¡± as she would call it. ¡°Good morning Ms. Sene and Ene¡± Kazu bowed to Sene. He then gave Ene a cheerful wave cheering Ene on as she carried her heavy ¡°leaves.¡± ¡°Are you here on a quest?¡± Sene asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Kazu nodded. ¡°I was wondering if you know where to get Heb herbs. Do you mind showing me around?¡± ¡°Oh, those herbs are plentiful.¡± Sene waved to Kazu to follow her. ¡°Come, now. You too Ene. Follow me closely if you don¡¯t want to get lost.¡± ¡°Muuu, this is heavy¡­¡± Ene dragged the basket with a pout on her face. They weaved through the thick trees, ignoring the wildlife with careful awareness. The grass grew thicker and taller as they moved deeper and deeper into the woods. Until finally, the sun was no longer visible and only rays of light passed through the leaves above covering the sun. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here.¡± Sene pointed out the colourful and bountiful amount of plant life she stood on. She picked up a purple plant by its root, uprooting it, then handed it over to Kazu. ¡°Make sure you pick them up by the root. They pay a bit extra that way.¡± ¡°Ah- thank you.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m tired. Can I rest for a while?¡± Ene begged. ¡°Alright.¡± Sene pats her on the head. She puts down her own basket by Ene and begins picking the purple weed like plants on the rich brown soil. ¡°You sure know a lot about plants Ms. Sene.¡± Kazu commented. ¡°Of course.¡± She brushes her hair up putting the loose hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯ve taken quite an interest in them ever since a certain something happened.¡± ¡°A certain something?¡± Kazu asked as he also picked the purple Heb plants. ¡°Is it alright to ask?¡±
Update: Gathering skill learned. The higher the level, the faster you gather.
¡°Yes... ¡° She got up with a stack of Heb in her cradle and gives it to Kazu. ¡°Uh- Thank you.¡± Kazu said in a low voice. ¡°It was the time when Brett was really sick and the healers of the city couldn¡¯t purify him. There was only an alchemist that accepted the job.¡± Her eye¡¯s gaze turned into a solemn mood as she looked at the Heb herbs she held in her hands. ¡°The alchemist took on the impossible job.¡± She continued, ¡°That day, my husband was at his worst and I thought I would¡¯ve lost him right there until the Alchemist barged in through the front door and laid his equipment on our dining table. He mixed a miraculous amount of leaves, powders, and liquids into a potion, and then told me to tell him to drink it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. After all that, the potion worked fast. His heavy breathing stopped and the colour of his face gradually returned.¡± ¡°You really love him don¡¯t you.¡± Kazu commented. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Sene¡¯s face blushed a bright red. ¡°Eww, Mom!¡± Ene turned away. ¡°Don¡¯t blush in front of me!¡± ¡°Ene, someday, you¡¯ll meet someone you love and you¡¯ll cherish them with all your heart.¡± Sene smiled with her blushed face but with angry eyes all the while pinching Ene¡¯s cheeks with both hands. ¡°Mooom!¡± Ene shouted. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Would there be potion be able to cure a problem with breathing?¡± Kazu interjected. ¡°-Just wondering.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sene tilted her head. ¡°Is there something wrong with your breathing?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± He stuttered. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Well alright then.¡± She turned her head to Ene. ¡°Ene, could you pass me my basket?¡± ¡°Yaay!¡± Ene carried Sene¡¯s basket up to her in a hurry. ¡°I want the ham! No vegetables. Ok mom!?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She took the basket from Ene then laid down a blanket to sit on. She opened it revealing numerous sandwiches row by row. ¡°Ham only for you Ene, and which one would you like Kazu?¡± ¡°Any is fine.¡± Kazu received the same as Ene except with vegetables. ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazu took a bite at the homemade sandwich, something that he was never allowed to have in Japan. Even the lunchbox his mom made on his last day there was a store bought bento. A tear falls down the side of his cheeks attracting both Sene and Ene¡¯s attention. ¡°You¡­¡± She breathed in. ¡°You¡¯re not from Dragonweild are you?¡± Kazu looked down, unable to answer her as he savoured the taste of the sandwich. ¡°I pretended not to notice about your lie last night, but I do know a lot about the tribes in Dragonweild as I travelled a lot and finally settling down here with Brett.¡± Sene took another bite of her sandwich before continuing. ¡°Black hair, unique facial features, the weird clothes you came in¡­ you¡¯re from somewhere else.¡± ¡°Then¡­ can I trust you?¡± Kazu trembled. Sene gave him a warm smile, although her warmth was interrupted by Ene chewing loudly at her sandwich. Yet, it made the mood between the three of them even warmer. ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t come from Dragonweild.¡± Kazu looked up, admiring the beautiful rays of light above the trees. ¡°I came from the north. The north Continent. Although the last thing I remember is waking up in the prison Brett found me in. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Technically, the north above the stars. But, I hope this works anyways. Kazu thought. ¡°I see. Memory loss is quite common these days because of the war with the demons using such forbidden magic.¡± Sene¡¯s eyes tightened. ¡°Is it?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°But at any rate, in Dragonweild, we call that continent the forbidden continent.¡± Sene continued eating her sandwich ¡°I won¡¯t pry into your business now that you told me the truth but, it¡¯ll help if you talk about it to someone. Although Brett isn¡¯t really a man that would¡­¡± She sighed. Ene got up from the blanket and closed up on Kazu with her wide stare. ¡°Brother is so cool! Hey, can I call you brother?¡± ¡°You already did Ene.¡± Sene put a palm on her face. ¡°Sure. You can call me brother.¡± Kazu smiled and patted Ene. ¡°Then brother, do you remember anything else?¡± Ene¡¯s wide eyes stayed in firm contact with Kazu¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ene.¡± A loose weak smile escaped his lips. ¡°I should head back and do my next quest. Brett wants me to do 2 more. Again, thank you for the herbs.¡± Kazu bowed. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Good luck on the next ones.¡± Sene waved as Kazu got up from his seat and walked back tracing the directions he came from. ¡°Good luck brother!¡± Ene shouted. Before meeting up with the main road, He stumbled upon Brett¡¯s small warm house on the left. They¡¯re good people He smiled. Now meeting up on the main road, a few people on the road took notice of him, staring at him even. He entered through the gate with the uncomfortable stares piercing through the back of his head. They were the common people and the guards who was staring at him. Kazu wondered if there was anything on his shirt, or maybe its his school uniform from Japan, or maybe the stacks of Heb herb he¡¯s carrying. He entered the guild and the amount of piercing stares went down; although there were still a few. ¡°Oh, welcome back.¡± The professional polite greeting of the clerk was the one from this morning Kazu thought. ¡°I¡¯m here to drop this off.¡± Kazu laid down the stacks of Heb herbs down the counter and presented the quest order to the clerk. The clerk¡¯s eyes stopped smiling, yet she kept smiling with her lips. ¡°Mr. beginner, these are the wrong types of herbs¡­¡± The clerk groaned. ¡°Whaat?¡± Kazu yelled in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure these were the correct ones¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± The clerk put a finger up her lips like she was telling Kazu to be quiet. ¡°I¡¯ll complete the quest for you because this is your first time taking a quest.¡± She pulled the cupboard just under the counter and opened a coin pouch taking out one, two, three, five gold coins. ¡°Here¡¯s your reward.¡± The clerk giggled. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you got these herbs. These are called Alma Matter herbs, and they¡¯re used for high grade healing potions. Although I can¡¯t give you it at the correct price because it¡¯s substituting for the Heb herbs and the request for Alma Matter are rare so you¡¯re in luck.¡± ¡°What would the original price be for Alma Matter if I had taken such a rare request?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°It would be 5 gold each instead of 50 silver each.¡± The clerk patted Kazu on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Whenever a gathering request comes up for Alma Matter, it gets taken down immediately anyways.¡± Kazu took a large exhale because of the defeat. I guess that would be Sene taking all the requests for herself huh.
Task complete: Herb Gathering.
Gathering level up. (Level 2) Description: Efficiency in uprooting increased.
Alright, time to get another quest. Kazu walked over to the D rank section again. If I want to get stronger, I¡¯ll need to do a subjugation quest¡­ but would my illness get in the way of that? Kazu reached for the slime subjugation quest. Whatever! It¡¯s now or never!
Task acquired
Slime Subjugation: Task: Kill 15 slimes. 0/15 Slime shards. Location: East Gate Outskirts Difficulty: D Present to a clerk in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild with receipt and items after completion of quest.
¡°Hehe, look at the kid taking the slime quest.¡± Behind Kazu, a man with a stocky build chuckled. ¡°How cute eh?¡± ¡°Hey, the bottom of the bottom have to do something.¡± The slim man beside him joins in on the laugh. ¡°I guess you could say hes bottom feeding! HAHA!¡± ¡°Tch, cut it out guys.¡± The clerk from earlier butted in. She turned her head Kazu giving him a small piece of film paper. ¡°It¡¯s your receipt. Oh, and if you¡¯re taking that quest, take the worm train; otherwise, it¡¯ll take you over an hour just to get there from here. Oh and it costs 1 silver per ride.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazu turned towards the door of the guild, then strolled away. ¡°Wait.¡± The clerk stopped him by his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s that way.¡± She pointed at the stairs leading down. Kazu saw some rough looking men and women going down and then gave the clerk a questioning look. She nudged him forward. He stumbled trying to get his footing back from her nudge. Is that woman a brute?! ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking!¡± The clerk held up her fist still with a smile on her face. ¡°Sorry!¡± Kazu hopped down the stairs to avoid her gaze. Kazu climbed downstairs. After a few steps, the steps turned into solid ground making it more into a cave than a tunnel. Dust and dirt fell from the ceiling as he walked through the stairs caused by the rumbling upstairs. The light dimmed out in the middle, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. Arriving at the end, the platform that looked like a train station gave Kazu a bliss of nostalgia. There was a hole in one the size of a train and another at the other side; it was the tunnel that the train goes through. Dozens of people stood by where the platform ended looking impatient as they did repetitive movements with their feet. The rumbling in the station got louder and the mumbles of the impatient people were drowned out. A worm, blue in colour, the size of a train came out the left end of the tunnel and stopping just before the right end of the tunnel. It carried with it a carriage, or a train car with dozens of wheels, all with glowing runic inscriptions. Kazu stumbled backwards in surprise, and he bumped into one of the people coming down the stairs. ¡°What¡¯s with this kid?¡± ¡°Who cares. Hurry up, the train¡¯s opening.¡± The doors opened. A woman came out of the door wearing a tucked in uniform in blue. She had her hair up in a ponytail, and her smile glistened bright compared to the glowing stones in the tunnel. The uniform obstructed the view of her build, but it wasn¡¯t enough to hide how slender she was. Kazu noticed the small wings behind her back and wondered if those were real or fake. It twitched every now and then piquing Kazu¡¯s interest even more. ¡°Folks, this is a blue worm. It only stops at major stop points and at gates. If you¡¯re stop is not a major stop point, you¡¯re in the wrong cart!¡± The woman yelled out. People started going in, Kazu as well came in the train still feeling uneasy about the worm. However, he instinctively took a seat beside a man who wasn¡¯t wearing armour, just plain cloth clothes. The familiar feeling of sitting in a train calmed Kazu¡¯s heart. But then, the man beside him stood up, walked away, and sat in a different seat. What¡­? Kazu knew it all too well. It¡¯s a form of discrimination. The cart rumbled, and the movement of the train could be felt more and more as it picked up speed. It was rough unlike the trains back in Japan. It was also less crowded¡ªNo, it was crowded. Kazu noticed everywhere was crowded, yet they didn¡¯t go near him. He caught a few people glancing at him, looking away just before he looks back at them. Suddenly, the rumbling of the train slowed down, then halted into a stop. It entered into a station, more packed than the one he got in from. ¡°Shopping district. One more stop ¡®til East gate folks.¡± The officer yelled. 4 men came in the cart Kazu sat in. Each one carrying a sword by their waist. The one leading them had bright violet hair and dark purple eyes. He gave off an air of arrogance with his smirk and narrow eyes. His armour was one grade above the beginner adventurers Kazu met in the guild. That was when all 4 of them set their eyes on Kazu in unison. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± The leader stepped into the empty space around Kazu. ¡°Black hair, black eyes, different kind of face. Not to mention the weird clothes.¡± ¡°Maybe its some kind of monster right boss?¡± One of the lackeys remarked. ¡°Of course!¡± His face lit up like a light bulb appearing to have gotten an idea. ¡°Monsters have no right to sit. Get up.¡± He flashed his sword¡ªit was more like a rapier¡ªat Kazu. ¡°His hair oddly reminds me of shit, doesn¡¯t it boss?¡± A different lackey commented. ¡°You have to remember.¡± The boss sighed. ¡°Monsters just shit everywhere they like. If you know what I mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not causing anyone harm. It would be good to just leave me alone.¡± Kazu looked up at the boss¡¯s eyes without turning his head upwards because of his lower elevation. ¡°Huuuuh?!¡± The boss growled, readying his sword to cut.
Next Chapter
################ Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The vibrations and rumbling of the train began. It picked up speed and the rumbling became more violent, but no one batted an eye. Instead, they read their newspaper, or looked on at the scene in the middle of the car. Beads of sweat ran down Kazu¡¯s cheeks as the man with bright violet hair leered down on him. His hollow eyes penetrated through Kazu¡¯s skin causing a shiver in Kazu¡¯s spine. He wondered if this was the situation Akira was in, the one who was ousted from society because of his appearance. His heart dropped at the sign of understanding of what Akira felt. It was an unpleasant feeling, but now, how can he get himself out of this situation, he asked himself. The man unsheathed his sword half way then says, ¡°Boy, don¡¯t make me say this again.¡± ¡°Boss, it¡¯s better to just do it by force. Look at this kid, he looks so weak. He even has a sword on his back!¡± The lackey from the right grabs Kazu¡¯s sleeve. He felt the threads of his uniform be pulled apart and it left a ripping sound. Kazu shook his arm off the lackey; his sleeve ripped off and his lips twist to a frown. It was the letter first, the first memory that this world took from him. Now, it was his uniform¡ªthe last memory he held of that place, that school. ¡°I said just leave me alone!!¡± Kazu shouted. The noise from the crowd rose, yet it wasn¡¯t enough to fill the train¡¯s noise. The violet haired man sheathed his sword back, then placed a hand on Kazu¡¯s head. His hand turned into a fist, lifting Kazu up by his hair. Kazu¡¯s face turn into a twist as the man punches him in his guts.
Damage 25 70/95 hp.
Suddenly, the crowd parted like the red sea. An officer with wings on her back came through the crowd. Her uniform failed to hide her slender body causing some of the men in the crowd to course their eyes from her feet to her face. Her golden hair, tied up into a ponytail, shone in the dim tunnels that the train went through. The slender V shape of her jawline gave her a soft beauty unmatched by the other women in the cart. She tilts her head as she looked on to the man holding Kazu. Her frowned lips twisted to a smile, but her eyes were cold as ice. ¡°There will be no fighting in the train folks.¡± Her voice carried an irritation. ¡°Huuuh?¡± The violet haired man let go of Kazu, causing him to fall on his seat in a coughing fit. ¡°What¡¯re you going to do about it?¡± ¡°Boss, look at her back.¡± The lackey from his right chuckled. ¡°Ohh?¡± His arrogant smirk came back. ¡°What¡¯s this? A clipper!¡± The wings on her back shivered. Her eyes twitched, then the smile on the officer¡¯s face broke and her cold eyes turned into a cold rage. ¡°Hey Fid, tell me what¡¯s a clipper going to do?¡± He mocks. ¡°Hahaha, clippers can¡¯t do nothing.¡± His right lackey points at the officer. ¡°So you¡¯re saying, they can¡¯t do anything about this?!¡± The man shouted. In the brief moment, Kazu sensed the same chill permeating down his spine. Suddenly, the violet haired man lifted his fist, striking at Kazu. Kazu had his eyes closed, but he felt no impact. He peeked through his eyelids to see what happened and saw the officer gripping the man¡¯s wrist. The man¡¯s hollow eyes widened and his lips twisted into a knot. He shook his hands off the officer¡¯s grip. ¡°Damn¡­¡± The man stumbled back. His eyes stared intently at the officer¡¯s eyes with no sign of moving. ¡°Sir, we at Worm Express don¡¯t allow violence in our trains.¡± Her eyes melted into a look of apathy and her smile formed back. ¡°If you feel the need to file a complaint because of our service, do so at the North gate in the customer service desk.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I rape you right now as compensation for the bad service?¡± The man hissed. ¡°Sir, that won¡¯t be possible because you are weak.¡± Her professional smile mocked the man as the tables have turned; now she was the one looking down at him. ¡°Boss, I think we should just leave it for now.¡± The lackey on his right muttered while the others nodded in agreement. ¡°Shut up!¡± The man shoved them away, drawing his sword. Suddenly, the end of the cart¡¯s doors opened from both ends of the cart. Officers in blue uniform surrounded the center of the scene. ¡°Sir, we thank you for your patronage in using our services. But please sheath your sword¡± Her smile turned to a smirk. The surrounding crowd¡¯s noise rose again as they whispered to each other why the man was causing such a scene. ¡°Tch.¡± With a metallic sound, the man sheathed his sword. ¡°Remember this. Watch your back when you¡¯re off your shift, clipper.¡± He spat. The man walked on to the door connecting the carts and opened it. His lackeys followed him to move to a different cart. Kazu sat there, still bewildered at such an experience. He never would¡¯ve thought he would be subjected to such violence so early on. It was, after all, a different world. There he thought violence was an everyday occurrence, and it was bound to happen soon enough. ¡°Kid.¡± The officer flicked her finger at Kazu¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Her head tilted and near Kazu¡¯s face made him blush a bright red. Her big eyes glowed a dim gold and the wings on her back flapped like a dog wagging its tail. The apathy from her eyes were gone, a curious gaze replaced it. She was like a child finding something weird along the mountain paths and then taking it home, examining it to see what it was. ¡°Y-y-yes.¡± Kazu hiding his face. ¡°Thank you officer.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± She patted his head. ¡°Just doing my job, young one.¡± She bowed to Kazu before walking away. Why is it when she bows, no one looks at her weirdly? The rumbling of the train slowed down and the vibrations lost their excitement. Upon entering the station, light shined through the window. ¡°East gate folks! The train will be stopped here for 5 minutes.¡± The officer yelled with her sweet voice. Kazu got up before the train went into a complete stop. The doors of the train open and the crowd pushes him in. He weaved through the crowds with precision like he was used to it. He saw the officer, outside the train, observing the crowd with a stern stare. ¡°Ms.Officer!¡± Kazu called out. ¡°Thank you again.¡± This time, he bowed to thank her. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it hahaha!¡± She put her hand on Kazu¡¯s head, caressing it enough to mess up his hair. ¡°But why are you bowing?¡± ¡°I am thanking you.¡± Kazu said. ¡°Oh? Is that what your bow means?¡± Her curiosity piqued. ¡°Bowing is usually only for service workers like me when we say goodbye to customers.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kazu muttered in surprise. It was similar to Japan but its more of a sign of respect. ¡°You probably come from a different place.¡± She slapped him in the back. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine~¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± He looked up at her and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°Good bye Sir customer! May we meet again.¡± She bowed, then saluted. *** Upon exiting the station, lush trees filled his view. Children of different heights, hair colour, gender played together. However, everyone either had a shade of purple, red or blonde as their hair and eye colour. No one had black hair. It answered the question lingering on Kazu¡¯s mind about why he was discriminated on and why Brett asked him about the weird hair colour¡ªblack. He walked along the path leading to the wall that reached for the skies. The wall was taller than the south side, almost twice as tall. Kazu reached the gates and a few guards came up to him. ¡°Halt.¡± The guard held his palm at Kazu. ¡°What¡¯s your reason for leaving through the south gate?¡± Kazu¡¯s lips parted, but no sound came out as if choking on his words. Thinking of an idea, he showed the note he took from the adventurer¡¯s guild. ¡°I came to do a slime subjugation quest. Let me through please.¡± The guard looked at the note to see. He held it, rubbing his finger to feel the thickness and examined the insignia on the bottom of the sheet of paper. The guard then hands the paper back to Kazu. The guard then steps sideways and moves back. ¡°Alright, you may go. Good luck kid.¡± Kazu crossed through the gate into the meadows. From a far, he could see the ocean of trees surrounding the meadows. Just on the border of those trees, jelly looking things crawled around. Alright. Let¡¯s see... Kazu stared at the nearest slime. ¡°Identify.¡±
Lv. 1 Slime
Update, Observe level up!
Update: Scan learned, a sub skill of observe.
If I remember correctly, scan in FF games identify the details of a monster. Kazu scratched his head. I hope this does the same thing. ¡°Scan!¡± << Quantifying scan results >>
Status
NamePink Slime Lv. 1TypeWater
HP40MP20
Attack Rating0-1AttackWater Throw
Description: These pests eat the vegetation nonstop. They drops hardened slime on death.
Ha! It works. Kazu took a few steps closing in on one. He lifted the sword Brett gave him. It was a thin sword, like a straight katana¡ªno, it was more like the Chinese jian sword. Kazu bent the sword sideways and sure enough, it bent, but it didn¡¯t damage it. Kazu swung the sword around and it was perfect. The weight of it was perfect for a beginner. He looked at the pink slime wobbling like it didn¡¯t even notice Kazu. Its wobbling gave Kazu goosebumps because of the foreign sight. It was more disgusting than what the games on earth made them out to be. If this is real, would I really die if I reach 0 hp? Kazu¡¯s heart sank at the thought. No, no, no. If I don¡¯t do this. I won¡¯t survive. Kazu swung downwards at the slime in front of him. The impact made a ¡®blorp¡¯ sound and his sword went straight in the slime. The slime continued on its happy wobbling like nothing happened. ¡°Aree?¡± Kazu¡¯s became dumbstruck. He lifted his sword up again, forcing its way out of the slime¡¯s gelatin body. Kazu, once again, struck down at the slime. Yet again, the slime just swallowed the sword. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Kazu repeated the movements of striking numerous times to no effect.
Ding! Learned Sword Mastery (passive)
Ding! Learned Sword Proficiency (passive)
Sword Mastery (passive) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: Increases damage by 1% when using a sword.
Sword Proficiency (passive) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: Increases fluidity of movements when using a sword.
Ugh! Kazu scratched his head. This isn¡¯t what I wanted! For a whole half an hour, Kazu whacked the slime to no success. The slime would form again when his strike cut it in half. Sometimes, it wobbled harder as if to mock Kazu. Alright, one last time. Kazu held his sword up against the slime. If this fails, I¡¯m totally giving up. He struck through the slime, but this time, he heard a clang when the sword took impact on the slime. [[ 5 damage > Pink Slime ]] The slime wriggled around and high pitched noises cried in pain. Kazu noticed the shiny marble inside the slime. He had just grazed it when he struck that last swing. Damn, I¡¯m really stupid. He facepalmed. Kazu struck his sword at the marble inside the slime. It took a direct hit with Brett¡¯s sword causing a cracking sound. [[ 25 damage. Critical Hit! > Pink Slime ]] The slime gave a higher pitch noise. A hexagram appears on its body, it was preparing to attack. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Suddenly, it shoots out a water ball. It was like a snowball except it was water. [[ 0 damage > Kazu ]] It¡¯s really throwing water?! Kazu laughing, struck the marble with efficient force. This time, the marble fell apart. Soon, the high pitch noise coming from the slime disappeared. [[ Gain 10 xp. ]] [[ 70 xp till level up ]] Kazu panted. The adrenaline rush of killing something flowed through his veins. His eyes dilated, flickering through the memories of the dying slime. He clenched his hands on the sword. I¡¯m alive!!! His eyes shined, reflecting the intense light of the sun. Once again in his life, he was able to do something on his own, he thought. After being diagnosed with the cancer, it was the end of his physical activities. He set his eyes on another slime. His eyes locked on a slime just a few meters away. He ran to it, forgetting about his lung cancer at the peak of his adrenaline. Dragging along him, his sword laid low. He struck upwards right at the marble, the slime¡¯s heart. [[ 35 Damage, Critical hit!! > Pink Slime ]] The hexagram appeared on the slime. Without waiting for it to activate, Kazu stabbed through the slime¡¯s heart. [[ 15 Damage, Overkill > Pink Slime ]] [[ Gain 10 xp. ]] [[ 60 xp till level up ]] The slime melted. Kazu¡¯s heart beated at an increase rate, but the adrenaline finally ended its course. His mind, calmed down and saw the hardened slime where the slime dissipated. It was in the shape of a shard. He picked it up. It was soft.
Item: Hardened Slime Description: Used for alchemy. It has a disgusting taste.
He went back to the previous slime he killed and saw the hardened slime still there, glistening as the sun spread its light right down on it. [[ 2/10 Hardened slimes ]] Kazu pounced at another slime just in the middle of hte meadow. Another slime fell¡ªmelted¡ªat Kazu¡¯s hands. [[ Gain 10 xp. ]] [[ 50 xp till level up ]] Kazu noticed 2 slimes wobbling their way across to him. While they were wobbling, they emanated a high pitch noise¡ªmost likely their war chant. They have a war chant? Kazu chuckled. Their aura turned white and a hexagram appears. 2 water balls shot through the air aimed at Kazu¡¯s head. They weren¡¯t fast; it was like a water balloon flying at him. The water balls splashed on impact with his head. Some got on his eye, causing him to scratch his eyes. [[ 1 damage > Kazu 94/95hp ]] Kazu laughed. This is the first time I¡¯ve had such fun in a long while. Kazu readies his sword, preparing to pounce at the 2 slimes who struck him. The 2 slimes already readied their hexagrams and shot out another 2 water balls. Kazu dodged them, then whacked the sword twice at the heart of the nearer slime. [[15 damage > Pink Slime] [[ 25 damage, Critical Hit!! > Pink Slime ]] [[ 3/10 Hardened slimes ]] The first slime melted, leaving behind a shard. Next was the slime beside it. Kazu bursted into laughter when he saw what the slime was trying to do. It was running away; or in this case, it was wobbling away. It wasn¡¯t as fast as a walk, so Kazu caught up to it in no time. He whacked the slime twice, and it fell like the last one. [[ 4/10 Hardened slimes ]] [[ 40 xp till level up ]] Suddenly, after his laughing fit ended, six slimes surrounded him. How convenient he thought. Except, there was a blue slime amongst the 5 pink slimes. Its heart was bigger than the pink ones, it could mean only one thing. ¡°Scan¡± << Quantifying scan results >>
Status
NameBlue Slime Lv. 2TypeWater
HP55MP25
Attack Rating1-2AttackWater Throw
Description: These pests eat the vegetation nonstop. They drops hardened slime on death.
Kazu sighed in relief. The 1-2 attack rating still didn¡¯t pose a threat to his 95 hp. The blue slime began to glow, and a hexagram appears inside of it. Once it released, it threw a water ball at a higher velocity than the pink slimes. [[ 1 damage > Kazu 93/95hp ]] Kazu decided to take out the one that does damage first. He swung, in this case whacked, his sword downwards at the blue slime. The slime was knocked back, from the unrefined force of Kazu¡¯s strike. However, the heart didn¡¯t crack. [[ 10 damage > Blue Slime ]] It let out a scream, a screech more like. All the pink slimes glowed and their hexagrams aimed at Kazu. The blue slime also glowed, stronger than the pink slimes. Kazu struck down again at the blue slime. [[ 14 damage > Blue Slime ]] The blue slime ignored the pain and released its hexagram in a screech. 6 water balls came flying at Kazu, all aimed at different parts of the body. [[ 1 damage > Kazu 92/95hp]] He was now completely soaked from feet to his head, yet he smiled and continued his onslaught on the slimes. [[ 31 Damage, Critical Hit > Blue Slime ]] The blue slime screeched, melting away. All the pink slimes trembled and their wobbling weakened. Kazu¡¯s eyes closed half way, somewhat feeling sorry for the slimes needing to die. He sighed and killed the slimes one by one. At the 4th slime he killed, Kazu leveled up.
Level up! Check stats window for more information.
Kazu ignores the message for now, and heads for the 2 remaining slime. [[ 40 damage, Critical hit!! > Pink Slime ]] [[ 40 damage, Critical hit!! > Pink Slime ]] Their hearts bursted as they were crushed with intense force of the sword. Kazu widens his eye, astonished at how much difference in power level 1 to level 2 was. This skill¡­ His breathing slowed. It¡¯s real. My lungs, they¡¯re also fine after so much swinging. On his blank face staring at the sword with the shards on the ground, tears formed around the corner of his eyes. He bent legs, landing his knees on the grassy ground to pick up the shards. As he picked up the last shard, he sobbed. The amount of burden the epiphany lifted up from his shoulder gave him too much relief, so he cried. He put the shards in his pocket and left the field. *** Kazu climbed back up the hill towards the East Gates. The guard on the gate narrowed his eyes at black haired child entering the city. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°No¡­¡± The guard muttered in a low voice. ¡°You may pass.¡± Not even looking at the guard, he continued his stroll. On the way to the train station, he saw a billboard just by the plaza. It was made sturdy and made of stone but the inner part of the board was wood. The top of the build board presented a chiseled ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Guild Quest Posting.¡± ¡°Identify.¡±
Listing: Quests.
  • Slime subjugation
  • Rabbit capture
  • Deer hunt
  • Fisherman¡¯s Bodyguard.
  • Goblin Subjugation . . . For higher rank quest. Go to main hub at South Gate.
Kazu took the Goblin subjugation, crumpling it up into his pocket left pocket making sure it wasn¡¯t with the hardened slimes.
Goblin Subjugation: Task: Kill 15 Goblins, 0/15 Goblin ears Location: Woods, East Gate. Difficulty: D Present to a clerk in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild with receipt and items after completion of quest.
At the corner of Kazu¡¯s eyes, he spotted the violent violet man with his lackeys searching for something in the plaza. Sneaking along the crowds of the plaza, Kazu weaved through to get out. Once again, the giant East Gate filled his view and the same guard stared at him, not leaving his eyes off him as he walked by. Kazu paid him no attention, content on just finishing the task. He walked along the meadows, seeing the many slimes around the fields. Just to his north through the trunks of the trees, he spots a pond. If there is water, there is life. Kazu sighed. Goblins must be nearby that pond. Trekking across the trees with large roots protruding out of the ground, Kazu saw a small cave. He hid in a bush near a giant tree when he heard a rustling of leaves. 8 green looking animals strolled in just in front of the cave. ¡°Scan.¡± Kazu whispered.
Status
NameGoblin Lv. 2TypeHumanoid
HP60MP10
Attack Rating15-21AttackWeapon Dependant, Bite, Kick, Punch
Description: Green humanoids that look like gremlins. They are considered as a pest because they ransack livestock and farms near where they live.
Kazu drops a sweat when he read the attack rating. 4-5 hits from any goblin could be his last. Kazu crouches down, activating his sneak skill. His body becomes translucent and now, any creatures with low intelligence wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. With patience, he waits for a goblin to get separated. Soon enough, the 8 goblins shouted at each other, bashing each other with their hammers made of rocks. The fight settled down, and most of the goblins left leaving only 2 behind. The 2 goblins started dozing off, one even started sleeping. I guess this is the best I¡¯m getting. Kazu threads his steps lightly, placing each step to not make a sound. A ding sounds sounds from his left ear, but the popup dialogue didn¡¯t pop up in stealth mode. He got close enough to the goblin to be able to smell its foul breath. In an instant, he put his left hand on its mouth while the sword crept through its throat. [[ Instant kill > Goblin ]]
Skill learned: Assassinate Lv. 1 (Active) Description: Can only be used in Stealth mode.
Kazu slowly put the body of the dead goblin on the ground to not make any sound while the goblin beside slept. After putting the body down, he took a step to the side and now, he was in front of the other goblin. [[ Gained 36 xp ]] He hovered his sword right on the center of the goblin¡¯s sleeping forehead. Letting only the weight of the sword and his hand itself slide through its forehead. Its eyelids parted, revealing the distorted green pupils. However, it didn¡¯t scream. Instead, the life of its eyes lost its shimmer as the blade ran its course through its head. [[ Gained 36 xp ]] Kazu¡¯s eyes wide open, ran towards the pond. Bile vomit coursed through his throat out into the pond. This is something I have to get used to he thought while tightening the grip on his sword.
Next Chapter
################ Gaaah! RRL was down earlier... I couldn''t get this out. Consistent 4k+ words after this chapter yay. I don''t like short chapters. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The bright sun leered down at the pond, reflecting its light like a mirror. A ripple at the edge of the pond ruined the peaceful mirror image of that pond. Kazu washed his mouth off of the vomit, clenching onto his sword. He stood up, then put himself into a crouch. Stealth he thought to himself. It activated, and his body became translucent. He chose where to land each of his steps to maximize silence. The two bodies of goblins laid dead silent. Kazu sliced through their ears, surprised blood didn¡¯t spill out. He put the two ears in his left pocket. Hiding beside the cave, he waited for the goblins to come out. Tch. Kazu clicked his tongue. This is taking too long. He entered the cave. The cavity was 2 meters tall. It was dark, mossy, and a disgusting smell lingered in the air. Kazu reached his hands on the side of the cave walls. As soon as his palm touched the wall, his hand jolted back to its original position, wiping away the sticky stuff onto his pants. God damn goblins. His face knotted. How do they live in such a disgusting lifestyle While walking, Kazu saw a dim light in the hallway of the cave. The shouting originating from that room of the cave became louder as he got closer and closer. They were shrieks of a gremlin talking to each other. In this case, they were goblins that were the size of a large baby. Their disgusting smell permeated throughout the cave causing Kazu to gag. Kazu peaked at the corner of the opening of the cavity in the cave. 3 goblins around a small stone table shouted at each other, then laughing after hitting one another. Kazu readied his sword and thought to himself Assassinate His body moved automatically, swerving through the litter along the ground without making any sound. The first victim had its throat sliced open. Kazu used the skill again¡ªguessing correctly that the skill doesn¡¯t have a cooldown¡ªthen the next victim had its heart pierced right through. The two kills were instant kills, not even showing a number to describe the damage done to them. Each goblin gave 36 xp. The next goblin already started running away from the chaos. Its eyes wide open as it ran away from the black veiled shadow killing its comrades, but it was too late. The shadow already activated the skill again, and the pounce was on its way. Kazu¡¯s body moved automatically against its will following the assassinate command. His body leapt through the air, gliding across the room with extreme speed. The goblin tried to block with a bluish red gem in his hand, but the gem shatters and the sword struck through the back of the goblin¡¯s neck, incapacitating it in an instant. [[ Stamina low ]] [[ Instant kill > Goblin ]] [[ Gained 36 xp ]]
Update: Stealth level up.
Update: Assassinate level up Description: (2.7->2.5) Stamina use on every activation is decreased.
Kazu laid down on the ground before slicing up the ears of the goblins. After he activated the skill a third time, his body was flooded with fatigue. Help > Stamina description
Stamina: Allows user to cast physical skills. If the user reaches below the minimum threshold of stamina, extreme fatigue is put on the body. If the user reaches 0% stamina, the user immediately goes unconscious. Minimum stamina threshold: 20%.
Damn. That¡¯s dangerous Beads of sweat along Kazu¡¯s cheek dropped on the floor. ¡°Stats¡±
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level2
HP200/200
MP305/305
Strength9Vitality8
Wisdom17Intelligence12
Agility6Stamina9
Endurance19Luck1
Phys. R41Mag. R.34
Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status" [Inactive]
Skill list:
  • Hide (2)
    • Sneak
    • Assassinate (2)
  • Observe (2)
    • Identify
    • Scan
My hp went up by a lot from just one level. Kazu smiled. But still, I can only do a maximum of 2 assassinates or else my body is going to go limp Kazu looked at his hand carrying the sword. His hand shivered and the sword made a rattling noise. He tried to control his shaking hand, but it made it worse by almost dropping the sword. His face turned sour as he knew the reason why his hand was shaking¡ªkilling isn¡¯t easy. Guess I¡¯ll give up for now. He sighed. I hope brett forgives me for not doing a 3rd. He tried standing up with shaking legs, but fell on the ground. The thud echoed through the cave walls. Soon, loud familiar shrieks of the gremlins came from the deeper parts of the cave. It was the other goblins. Kazu used stealth, then ran away. His footing fumbled along the rough cave floors as his legs still shook from the thought of taking lives with his own hands. His face twisted into a frown when he looked back and saw dozens of goblins chasing after him. Reaching the end of the cave, the sweet smell of grass reached Kazu¡¯s nose. He jumped to a nearby bush right away and silenced his breathing with his shaking hands. Ugly green giant gremlins¡ªgoblins poured out of the cave. Kazu¡¯s eyes squinted and his lips curled down. He counted more than 30 goblins ran out of the cave. That¡¯s more than what I expected. There¡¯s no choice left but to give up for today. He thought. The goblins all went in one direction. Kazu smirked at the sight. Goblin¡¯s are really stupid aren¡¯t they. Kazu limped along the tough terrain of the giant trees. He dragged his feet through the giant roots, tripping now and then while trying to control the shaking of his legs. In the corner of his eyes, he saw a violet light spark. Kazu jolted his body to hide behind a tree. He peeked his head to see what was ahead. His face turned cold with despair. The violet haired man with his lackeys were looking for something and they were near him.
Update: Awareness (passive) learned, a sub skill of observe
Awareness Lv. 1 (passive) Description: Able to use the 5 senses to see where things are. Range of skill increases with each level.
¡°Where¡¯d that blacky go?¡± The man growled. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have gotten far. He was just at the plaza!¡± Shouting will just give off your position stupid, Kazu thought. Kazu heard the rustling of grass around him expecting it to be one of the men. However, he sighed in relief seeing the goblin. To think I would be happy to see this guy. The goblin looked across the direction where Kazu hid, but the reflection in the eyes of the goblin saw nothing as it turned its head away from Kazu. Its eyes turned towards the direction of the violet haired man, staring at him for a moment. Then, it shrieked like it was going to die. The goblin ran towards the violet haired man, surprising them even. ¡°Huh?!¡± The violet haired man stepped backwards. ¡°Tch, stupid goblin.¡± The goblin was cut in 2 without any resistance. Suddenly, a rumbling echoed in the forest, ruining the peaceful waters of the pond. From all directions, goblins surrounded the 4 men. The goblins stopped just before they got into melee range of the men they surrounded. Then, that moment, a red light circle appeared in front of the lackey named Fid¡ªthe second in command Kazu thought. The red light circle bursted into flames and a fireball the size of one goblin blazed through the crowd. It carried the goblins it hit, scorching them along the way until exploding in midair causing even more damage. The fireball alone killed a dozen of goblins. ¡°Boss.¡± Fid wiped his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can cast another¡­¡± ¡°Tch!¡± The boss eye brows contracted. At the same time, he bit his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s kill our way out of these pests.¡± The goblins charged at them, but any goblin that came near them met their death. Their heads were sliced through their necks with no resistance. Blood spurted out of their necks staining the clothes of the men hacking them down. Kazu gagged at the massacre that just happened. He couldn¡¯t control it and vomited bile from his empty stomach. ¡°Boss!¡± Fid pointed at Kazu¡¯s direction surprising the other 3 men beside him. ¡°There¡¯s something over there!¡± They jumped over the giant roots and over the mounds of dead goblins to where Kazu hid. Looking down at the corner of the tree, nothing was there. ¡°Boss! He¡¯s running away!¡± Fid pointed at the direction Kazu ran. He ran towards the meadows where there were other people hoping that they would help him. The grass grew thicker as Kazu got closer to meadows. He tripped on a root falling down on loose mud. Steps from behind him got closer until he saw the boss of the group standing just a meter away from him. The boss looked down at him; his face was red and his eyes drew in killing intent sending a shiver down Kazu¡¯s spine. The boss jumped down onto the muddy ground splashing some on Kazu¡¯s face. Three splashes around Kazu followed suit. He was surrounded by the thugs and the first one to take action was the boss. The boss kicked him in the face. [[ 41 damage > Kazu 149/200 hp ]] Stealth wouldn¡¯t be useful in this scene. Kazu curled up in pain. The mud will give off my position¡­ am I going to die? ¡°Look at how pathetic this insect is.¡± The boss smirked and his arrogant eyes filled with ecstasy. ¡°Boss, wouldn¡¯t it be bad if we kill him?¡± A different lackey from Fid spoke up. ¡°Shut up!¡± The boss shouted. ¡°Who told you to talk?!¡± The man stepped back. His giant build almost reaching 2 meters tall proved ironic for his soft spoken words. A metallic noise of unsheathing echoed in Kazu¡¯s mind. The boss held his sword just above Kazu¡¯s thigh. In an instant, he stabbed through Kazu¡¯s thigh. ¡°GGYAAAGH!¡± Kazu yelled in pain. Birds around the trees fluttered away making the forest even quieter than before. [[ 97 damage > Kazu 52/200 hp ]] [[ Bleeding, 1 hp/minute ]] The damage prompt was ruthless to Kazu. It was telling him that he had no chance of living he thought. ¡°Boss.¡± The giant man stepped back in. ¡°I really think we shouldn¡¯t kill him¡­¡± ¡°Shut up I said!¡± The boss shoved back the giant, but he didn¡¯t budge. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I want with this pest.¡± The giant sighed clenching his fist together enough to make a sound. ¡°So.¡± Kazu coughed. ¡°This is what you do?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± The boss stuttered. ¡°Pick on weaklings just to satisfy your desires?¡± Kazu mocked. The boss picks Kazu up by the hair, putting his face up right next to his. ¡°I dare you to say that again to my face.¡± His breath reached Kazu¡¯s face and the crazed purple eyes of the boss right next to his own. ¡°It gets you off right?¡± Kazu chuckled, then it turned into a low laugh. ¡°Picking on weaklings because you know yourself as a weakling. Next you¡¯ll blame me for being a demon and that I must be killed¡ªbut you know it all yourself that¡¯s just an excuse to trample on weaklings like me. Hehehe¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The boss punched Kazu in the face sending him flying away on solid ground. [[ 12 damage > Kazu 40/200 hp ]] If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.[[ 5 impact damage > Kazu 35/200 hp ]] ¡°What I think doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The boss laughed scaring the 3 behind him into a shrink. ¡°What matters is¡­ is the death of all demons!¡± ¡°He.¡± Kazu chucked again. ¡°You know nothing of demons if you¡¯re trying to kill me. Why not try killing yourself?¡± The boss¡¯s face went red with anger. His eyes locked on Kazu¡¯s neck and swung his sword. ¡°Die brat!¡± Ting! clang! The sound of metal clashing against something hard rang through Kazu¡¯s ear. Again, there was no impact when he closed his eyes to received the blow. He peeked through the lids of his eyes to see beautiful small pure white wings flapping and glowing under the shade of the trees. She wore leather armour, and her leather boots covered her legs all the way to her thighs. Her tight clothes wrapped around her slender curves, a sight that could only be described as alluring. The free flowing hair danced along the wind carrying with it a soothing smell. She turns her head slightly to Kazu and her bright smile warms his heart¡ªcalming it that everything will be okay now. ¡°Shit! She¡¯s a caster!¡± The men surrounded the boss, covering him from the woman who appeared. The one in front was the giant and the rest were at the side of the boss. They pointed their swords against her. Their eyes were firm and calm unlike the man behind them¡ªtheir boss. A red circle of light appeared on Fids palm. ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± She smirked. A blue circle appeared in front of her, much faster than Fid¡¯s. An icicle flew at Fid interrupting his concentration; his circle disintegrated into powder flying into the wind to disappear. ¡°Boys, if you don¡¯t want to get hurt. It¡¯s better to just call off this murder.¡± Her lips turned into a smile, but her eyes were cold as ice. ¡°Tch.¡± The boss stepped in front of the tree. ¡°Just because you know a few spells doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re stronger than us.¡± He flashed his adventurer plate. It had a C¡ï meaning he was eligible for promotion to B. ¡°Oh. How cute.¡± She mocked with her hands covering her mouth. ¡°Cute little C ranks trying to cause trouble.¡± The next moment, she flashed her own. It displayed a B¡ï. ¡°You know, being A rank means that you have to be drafted into the military for the war right?¡± Her posture relaxed as if to mock them even more. ¡°But for B ranks, its only optional. Haven¡¯t you heard of the rumors of people not wanting to take the promotion quest just to stay out of the war?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The boss waved his hand in a horizontal swipe. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re B¡ï. What makes you think you can fight as alone?¡± His smirk returns and the arrogance in his eyes lit up again. ¡°Giant, cover Fid. Endel, go to her side to flank. I¡¯ll go from front.¡± ¡°Wow. Telling me your plan. Aren¡¯t you stupid?¡± The woman laughed. She unsheathed double daggers from her waist. The jester hat patterned hilt on the daggers glowed green and her body as well glowed green. ¡°Raym Harley, engaging!¡± ¡°Harley or whoever you are doesn¡¯t matter. Just die!¡± The boss thrusts his sword forward, but misses causing him to lose his balance falling on to the mud. ¡°Agck!¡± The dagger lit up in a flash and an icicle lands at the boss¡¯s feet. In the meanwhile, Endel was already in a slashing motion as his sword was about to land on her. Suddenly, her eyes closed half way, enough to freeze someone with her cold eyes. Her body becomes a blur and then Endel¡¯s body flew away with frozen shoes. The glow on her right dagger disappears. A man dropping down on the mud creating a splash was heard coming behind the giant. The giant had his weapon already sheathed knowing full well of the defeat. ¡°Fid!¡± The boss shouted. ¡°What are you doing?! Blast her!¡± ¡°I-i-I Cant!¡± Fid ran away like a dog with its tail between its legs. The giant who was beside Fid sighed and walked away as well without uttering a sound. ¡°Traitors!¡± His face was still beet red from anger. ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough?¡± The woman came up to him. ¡°Clipper bi-¡± Before he could utter the last word, the woman kicked him right in the face knocking him unconscious. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for calling me a clipper.¡± She turned her head back at Kazu with wings flapping again like a dog wagging its tail. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Kazu had his arms covering his eyes moving it away to see the beauty kneeling down beside him. ¡°I don¡¯t think I look okay. Am I okay?¡± Her head turned to his bleeding thigh. ¡°Just wait a second.¡± She reached for her pocket pulling out a piece of paper with a circle encasing a hexagram. It had runic inscriptions written in the spaces between the lines. She puts it on top of the wound. Kazu¡¯s face twists as the sting of pain engulfs his left thigh. In a brief moment, the paper on top of the wound soaked red glowed green. The blood soaked in the paper disappeared and the pain in his left thigh disappeared along with the blood. [[ +100 Heal > Kazu 135/200 ]] ¡°This should cover you for now.¡± She stands up and dusts her clothes off. ¡°Try standing up.¡± Afraid of standing up, Kazu looks at her face that seemed to glow under the shadow of the trees. He takes a deep breath and moved his left leg, then stands upright. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Yep. heehee.¡± She smiles. ¡°You¡¯re lucky he didn¡¯t hit the bone so it was easy to heal. What were you doing out here anyways?¡± ¡°A-ah.¡± Kazu looks down staring at his hands. ¡°I was supposed to kill goblins, but it was harder than I thought. And then those guys came along.¡± ¡°Must be your first time seeing the life of something wither away.¡± Her solemn stares gave an ambient vibe as the wind passes through the trees above making a calming sound. She grabs his hands and drags him towards the meadows. ¡°Tell me, before you went out to kill goblins. Did you try killing the slimes?¡± ¡°Of course I did.¡± He blushed looking at her hand interlocked with his. They reached the borders of the forest and steps into the meadow where he killed the slimes. Hundreds of slimes blue and pink rallied across the meadow wobbling through it to get to the edge of the forest where the pond laid. Through the thick thickets of trees, Kazu saw the slimes entering the pond disappearing into it. ¡°Young boy. Sometimes, killing is necessary.¡± She sighed in with a relaxed smile and warm eyes unlike before. Before talking again, she sat down in one of the giant roots of the tree, then patting it to tell Kazu to come sit with her. ¡°Look at all the slimes. Slimes aren¡¯t actually bad, they never hurt humans, but goblins do. The goblins hunted them en masse in the pond so they had no choice but to evacuate. In order for them to live, they needed lots of water and the vegetation here gave that so it caused them to eat all the plants.¡± She turned her head to look at Kazu. Her eyes glittered as it reflected the swaying leaves above. She grabbed his hands then said, ¡°For a beginner like you, you need to understand killing isn¡¯t bad. But it is always gray. You understand?¡± Kazu nodded, unable to utter his words as his lips parted to try and say something. He looked at her wings still flapping with excitement. His hands reached for it, then pets it. ¡°Hyaah?!¡± She jumped off the root. ¡°What are you doing???¡± ¡°I was just curious what that was.¡± Kazu laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was real.¡± ¡°Of course its real!¡± Her face blushed pink. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of Nayans before?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± A question mark seemed to appear on Kazu¡¯s face. ¡°Its my race¡­¡± She looks down with her still blushed pink face. ¡°Although I¡¯m only half¡­ It¡¯s a race with wings ok! And they¡¯re very sensitive! I¡¯ll forgive you this once just because its your first time seeing one¡­ and you¡¯re kind of cute.¡± She said those last words in a whisper and Kazu didn¡¯t hear them. ¡°So will you let me touch them again?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Of course not! Hmph!¡± Her lips turned into a pout and her eyes still riddled with embarrassment. ¡°Listen here young boy, never call anyone a Nayan a clipper or you¡¯ll get beat.¡± Kazu nodded and understood it well now that the context is in place. Clipper would probably mean something about clipped wings, Kazu analyzed. Suddenly, water sprouted out from the ground right in front of us. It spun and spun until it all it reached a height of 2 meters. The spinning stopped splashing Kazu and the woman with water. In front of them, a shape of a woman made of water appeared. She had a giant marble shining brightly as the sun reflected and refracted in her body of water. ¡°Scan¡±
Status
NameLleya Water SpiritTypeWater
HP10000MP25000
Attack Rating???AttackWater spells
Description: The peaceful water spirit that resides in East Pond. Her powers were sealed by the witch doctor of the goblins that lived beside the pond causing her to despair as her kin were hunted one by one.
¡°By shattering the gem the witch doctor held, you have unsealed me. I thank you young hero. Now my race can live in peace in the pond. Young hero, I would like to hear your name.¡± The water spirit floated in the direction Kazu. She ignored the woman beside him and Kazu knew the water spirit was talking to him. Kazu¡¯s eyes turned into a warm gaze and his lips parted in a sigh. ¡°My name is Kazu Tomoe.¡± ¡°Young Hero Kazu Tomoe, take this as a gift. Raise it well¡­ May your journey be filled with delight and prosperity.¡± The water spirit melted into the ground leaving only a puddle. In the middle of that puddle, a blue gem laid sparkling brightly under the sun. Kazu picked up the blue gem and examines it. In the middle of the gem, it had a mysterious vortex spinning around making it even more beautiful.
Acquired: Water Spirit Egg
¡°My name is Raym Harley.¡± She smirked. ¡°You¡¯re one lucky fellow or should I say ¡°Young Hero¡±?¡± ¡°It was just luck! I¡¯m no hero¡­¡± Kazu¡¯s face blushed. She strolled away into the meadows leaving Kazu behind. ¡°Will I see you again!!?¡± Kazu shouted. She stopped in her tracks, then turns her head back again with the cutesy smirk. ¡°Who knows?¡± Her silhouette in the distance disappears. Kazu gets up from his crouch and walks the same way she did towards the gate. He slumped his way through the hill and enters the gate ignoring the stares of the guards. Climbing down stairs of the worm train station, there were only 2 other persons waiting for the train. He stood on the while looking around the station with only his eyes. The station lacked decoration, it was more like a hole dug in the ground and stone laid up on a foundation. The rumbling of the train soon came, and the whole station vibrated with dust falling from the ceiling. A blue worm came through the tunnel and then stopping right at the other end of the tunnel. The door opens then an officer comes out, this time a man, and then shouts, ¡°This is the blue worm! Next stop is Shopping district and then this worm goes out of service at the South Gate.¡± The three men, including Kazu, hopped in through the doors and sat in a seat. Kazu closed his eyes to doze off to ignore the rough train ride.
Conversion 3% . . . 4% . . . 5%
Inventory unlocked. Command: ¡°Inventory¡±
What the hell is this conversion thing¡­ Kazu¡¯s eyes widen at the pop-up. ¡°Inventory.¡± A menu pops up and a 30 x 30 square grid pops up. On top of the dialogue, it said ¡°Inventory¡± and 900/900 slots unused. Kazu reached for his pocket taking out the water spirit egg. He touched the water spirit egg onto the dialogue causing a ripple of light. The other passengers directed their eyes towards him, then continued reading their newspapers. Kazu then dropped the water spirit egg into the dialogue prompting a blue gem icon to appear in the very first box. The dialogue on top changes to a 899/900 slots unused. This is technically cheating isn¡¯t it? Kazu smirked. Next Chapter -> ############ If you spot any mistakes, please tell me and I will fix it. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Lights turned on in the streets and also in the buildings around. The rowdy stock market-like place didn¡¯t have much people anymore making the dim lighting of the place give it a gloomy atmosphere. Constant chatter between clerks were now audible; trivial things such as clothes, food, celebrities. By celebrities, they mean the high rankers of the guild. Kazu comes in through the door with his torn pants just by his thigh and ragged clothes. It attracted the attention of the dozens of adventurers left in the guild at this hour. He walked up to the counter of the clerk he was most familiar with. ¡°Welcome back Mr. Kazu.¡± She smiles. Kazu¡¯s face lights up, ¡°You remember me?¡± ¡°Of course I would Mr. Kazu.¡± Her head tilts. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I remember such an out of place person?¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Kazu¡¯s face droops down. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do for you at this hour?¡± She said. ¡°Ah.¡± Kazu reaches for his pocket and takes out the 10 hardened slime shards along with the request. ¡°I want to submit this in.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She pulled out the cupboard, taking from it a coin pouch, then puts down the pouch on the counter. ¡°Here is a coin pouch. It contains 14 silver. 1 silver each for pink slime shards and 5 silver for the blue shard.¡± ¡°Eh? 5 silver?¡± Kazu asks. ¡°Yes¡­¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Slime shards are commonly used in alchemy. No ones been getting them so their price is rising.¡±
Completed Slime Subjugation task. Gained 500 xp
Level up! 3 xp left till next level.
I even leveled up, this is great. Kazu¡¯s lips turns into a sly smile. He was gradually getting used to the world, it wasn¡¯t long until his true nature comes out. ¡°I¡¯ll keep note on that! Thanks!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right Mr. Kazu, have you heard?¡± The clerk asked. ¡°Heard what?¡± Kazu gave off a clueless tone in response. ¡°They¡¯re saying the Water Goddess of the pond just outside of East gate visited someone in the meadows!¡± The aura around turned into flowers while she held her hands together like she was dreaming of a prince. ¡°You were there weren¡¯t you? I bet the Water Goddess of the pond met with a really handsome prince! Hii!¡± The fangirly scream shrieked across the room. ¡°They say because of that hero prince, all the slimes went back to the pond.¡± Her eyes sparkled as she dreamed of the imaginary character, who was actually Kazu. ¡°Ah, that face. You don¡¯t believe me don¡¯t you?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes lowered at how normal she is¡ªrotten girl. ¡°N-no. I believe you!¡± Kazu tried his best to put on a smile. ¡°Anyways, thanks to him, the slimes aren¡¯t ruining the vegetation anymore.¡± She sighed in relief. ¡°If that would have been posted as a quest on the board, I¡¯d say it would be around A rank.¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Kazu cringed his teeth at the loss of opportunity. ¡°Mhmm.¡± She rested her elbows on the counter and then rested her head on her hand still looking up in a dreamy state.
Completed Hidden Task, Unseal the Water Goddess. 2000 xp Gained.
Level up! (3 -> 7) 320 xp till next level.
Assassinate Leveled up.
Scan Leveled up.
Observe Level up.
5 levels! I didn¡¯t expect that to happen¡­ Also my other skills. Kazu¡¯s sly smile grew larger. He turned his head back to the clerk and then said, ¡°I should head back Ms. Clerk.¡± ¡°Call me Mizz.¡± She smiled, yet some irritation showed around the corner of her lips. ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯m going to see you again soon.¡± ¡°A-alright. Ms Mizz.¡± ¡°Be careful at night Mr. Kazu. Good night.¡± She bows. ¡°Good night!¡± Kazu walked along the floor of the guild with a sly smile on his face. He opens up his inventory and deposits his money. He now has 5 gold and 14 silver. While walking, he admired the number displayed on the currency dialogue of the inventory. He closed the dialogue after drooling over the money and opened the stats window.
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level7
HP700/700
MP1050/1050
Strength28Vitality28
Wisdom56Intelligence42
Agility21Stamina35
Endurance35Luck4
Phys. R126Mag. R.154
Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status" [Inactive]
Skill list:
  • Hide (2)
    • Sneak
    • Assassinate (3)
  • Observe (3)
    • Identify
    • Scan (3)
¡°Ooff!¡± Not looking in front of him, he bumped head first with the man in white armour. He fell on his butt causing a loud thud in the adventurer¡¯s guild to echo. The man looked down at him without turning his head down. His armour had an exquisite design that looked like it was made for ease of movement while protecting its user as much as possible. He had an insignia in the middle of his chest plate symbolizing a snake. He stood at 180 cm with half of his light violet hair held into a tidy bun; the rest flowed along his cheeks carefully canvassing his youthful face. He had a mole just under his left eye that emphasizes his beauty even more. Kazu even asked himself if this was a man or woman. ¡°Are you not going to move boy?¡± The man sounded out a toneless voice. ¡°U-unn. Sorry.¡± Before Kazu could get up, the man¡¯s legs moved. His legs clamped onto Kazu¡¯s side, then dragging him out of the way. What the hell is with this guy? So rude. Kazu, dumbfounded, stared at the man walking away towards the help desk. Fast foot steps soon followed. The clerk from the counter came running to Kazu. ¡°Are you ok Mr. Kazu?¡± She said. ¡°Its fine.¡± Kazu got up, dusting off his backside. ¡°That guy has mental issues.¡± ¡°Sshhh!¡± She put a finger on her mouth as a gesture to silence Kazu. ¡°Don¡¯t say that outloud, he might hear it. It¡¯s best not to offend people like that¡­ he¡¯s A rank you know¡­!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kazu lowered his head in a shy motion. ¡°Sorry, it just came out of my mouth.¡± ¡°Its fine, Its fine.¡± She pinched Kazu¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re still new at this. Hurry and head home. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± She winked. While walking out, Kazu waved in a forced smile. Will I see her tomorrow? Ha¡­ *** ¡°My¡­¡± Sene holds her hands over mouth. ¡°Are you planning on staying for a while Kazu?¡± ¡°Unn¡­¡± Kazu closed the door behind him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for freeloading Ms. Sene¡­¡± Kazu bows. ¡°Haha, brother is bowing again.¡± Ene laughs and Sene chuckles along with her. ¡°Its fine.¡± She tilts her head while looking up at the ceiling. ¡°It would¡¯ve been good if Brett told me sooner. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve bought more ingredients for tomorrow¡¯s breakfast¡­¡± ¡°If its money I can give some of my earnings to you or Brett.¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes droops down as if he didn¡¯t want to part with his loved one¡ªmoney. ¡°This way, I wouldn¡¯t be freeloading and such.¡± ¡°No no. That¡¯s what you earned.¡± Sene goes back to the stove tasting her stew. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re already well off.¡± She flashes the purple herb she has in the pocket of her apron. It was the Alma Matter herb Kazu mistook for a Heb herb. Kazu¡¯s shoulder drops thinking that the moment a request is out for those herbs, she¡¯s already taken them. The bountiful amount of money for those request will never be earned by him. ¡°My husband, Brett, is also wealthy on his own.¡± Sene sighs. ¡°He¡¯s just drafted in as a guard. He doesn¡¯t really have to work¡­¡± Kazu imagines the rough look of Brett. Him wealthy? Kazu shook his head off the possibility, but since Sene was the one that said it, Kazu rethinks his logic while scratching his head. A sly smile appears on Kazu¡¯s face if he did land such a good friend. ¡°Aah, brother is making a weird face.¡± Ene, on the dining table¡¯s chair, said with her eyelids half way closed. Suddenly, Ene gets off the chair, rushing towards the window. ¡°Papa!!¡± Kazu covered his ears at the sudden scream that could almost break a glass. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that Kazu.¡± Sene had her palm on her face. ¡°That¡¯s what she always does when she feels that Brett is near.¡± BAAAM! The door slams open. Brett walks through the door like it was an everyday occurrence. He shouts, ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Papa!¡± Ene comes running at him as he crouches down to receive her. He lifts Ene up and spins her around like a father giving his child a roller coaster ride. He puts her down, patting her on the head, and turns his head to Sene as she was already on her way over to him. ¡°Welcome home.¡± Sene gives him a kiss. ¡°Dinner will be ready soon.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Still with his wide smile on his face. ¡°Papa, Kazu doesn¡¯t like the yelling. Quiet down voice.¡± Ene broken language was fit for a child her age. ¡°W-whats this?! Ene¡¯s giving me a command! Nooo!¡± His knees collapse to the ground, and his shoulder comes to eye level with Ene. ¡°No shouting papa.¡± She holds up her hands to Brett¡¯s cheeks, distorting it to make weird faces out of Brett¡¯s face. ¡°Hm?¡± Sene looks at Kazu wide eyed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Kazu?¡± Kazu had a tear running down his cheek. He stumbles with his hands, and then finally getting a grip on it, he wipes the tears off with his ragged sleeves. ¡°N-no¡­its nothing. Its just nice to have such a warm family.¡± ¡°Kazu, you perhaps¡­ remember something?¡± Sene asks. ¡°Huh? What does he have to remember?¡± Brett interjects, but Sene gave him a look to quiet him down. ¡°Yes. I remember the cold and the emptiness of the house everday. They were never around the house. My mom always worked only coming home every night after I was asleep and my father only came home once a week.¡± Kazu looks down. ¡°Seeing everyone like this¡­ it¡¯s a first for me¡ªto be around such warm people.¡± Sene¡¯s eyes were watery, and soon tears fell on her face as Kazu ended his brief memory. She walks to up Kazu, embracing him. It calmed Kazu¡¯s heart. All of the thing he said of that time was true. His familial situation forced him to be more independent; and since that is so, he was forced to figure out how to do things with efficiency that yields the most profit¡ªwhich can be things other than currency. After all, when he was walking back home to Brett¡¯s house, he was already trying to figure out how to exploit the adventurer¡¯s guild. ¡°Kazu, we¡¯ll be family from now on. You¡¯ll be our son from now on.¡± Sene tells him after parting her embrace. Brett walks up to him along with Ene and slams both his hands on Kazu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll now be family!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Ene yells. ¡°That¡¯s all good¡­ but.¡± Kazu¡¯s face twists in an awkward smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Sene too young to be my parents?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Brett gave a questioning look. ¡°How old are you Kazu?¡± ¡°I¡¯m 17¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± This time, it was Sene¡¯s turn to yell out loud. ¡°But how do you look so young?!¡± ¡°Are you jealous of the boy¡¯s youth or something dear?¡± Brett jokes. In response, he received an elbow to the side while she pouted at him. ¡°Well¡­ Brett¡¯s 29. My age would be around there too. You can call me Sene or¡­¡± Sene put on a sly face, the first time Kazu sees her do that. ¡°Or you can call me Mom.¡± ¡°Pfft, she¡¯s 25- Oww!¡± Sene continuously kicked brett for saying her age. Ene joins in by climbing on Brett and covering his eyes while laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll just call you S-sene I guess.¡± Kazu stuttered at her name, still not used to not addressing her with a Ms. Even though she was 25, she gave an alluring image of a mature woman. Maybe its her motherly nature¡­ Sene takes Kazu by his hand leading him to the dinner table. She sat him across where Ene sat yesterday, then sits down at his right side. ¡°This is where you¡¯ll sit from now on. Oh how I always wanted a son.¡± Her last sentence was said in a whisper so Kazu didn¡¯t hear it. The rest of the family followed. Brett sat to the left of Kazu and Ene sat straight across the table from him. Brett clears his throat and Sene jumps off her seat like she forgot something. She did forget something, she forgot to put the food on the table. On the other hand, Ene gets off her seat too and helped with setting the plates and forks in order. ¡°Thank you Ene.¡± Kazu says. Brett gives her a pat on the head when she gives him his plates and fork. The family together starts their dinner. It was a type of roast beef with spices. The homemade feeling put a knot in Kazu¡¯s throat. He ate it, cherishing each bite. ¡°So Kazu. How¡¯d the quests go?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Kazu looks down at his food. ¡°Brett, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do a third one. I only managed to finish 2.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Brett turns his head to Kazu. ¡°There¡¯s no need to say sorry. I was joking about the 3 quests you had to do-.¡± Sene looks at Brett with eyes that could pierce a wall. ¡°Err-... what did you do for that 3rd one..?¡± Sene¡¯s eyes calmed down then turns her attention to Ene who made a mess around her mouth by biting off more than she could chew. She wiped off Ene¡¯s face with the napkin beside her already prepared. ¡°It was a goblin subjugation quest¡­¡± Kazu whispered. ¡°Oh? HAHAHAHA!¡± Brett laughed out loud and the table shook along with his laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to get that one. That one can be given as a promotion quest to C. I was expecting you to do labour quests like herb gathering, wood cutting, weed rooting to build you up in strength and familiarize yourself with Austere.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve told me that in the first place!¡± Kazu retorted. I almost died because of this man! I guess the fact that the goblins group up and crowd you would make it hard¡ªtoo difficult for me anyways. ¡°Anyway, after dinner, I have something to show you. Maybe ...s..Sene would know what it is.¡± Kazu commented. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s finish eating first.¡± Sene replied while wiping off Ene¡¯s face. *** The dim light that the magic stones produced in the house lit up the place well, but it wasn¡¯t enough to drown out the moonlight coming in from the window. A blue gem sat on the table just behind the window sparkling with glee as the vortex inside it reflected the moonlight causing it to twinkle like a star. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Brett asked with a face that could only be called clueless. ¡°A water spirit gave it to me earlier¡­¡± Kazu answered with eyes also curious as to what it was. ¡°Appa-¡± ¡°-Wait. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the one the water goddess visited on the pond?¡± Brett closed in his face to Kazu. ¡°The guards stationed in the East Gate all talked about it. I didn¡¯t think it would be you.¡± ¡°My. Isn¡¯t that great.¡± Sene interrupts. ¡°Yes, I know what this is. This is a water spirit egg, but the one I know never ever hatched¡­¡± ¡°Mama! Its an egg?! Can we eat it?¡± Ene tried to get her hands on the gem, but her hands were put away by Sene. ¡°No, this is an egg you can¡¯t eat.¡± Sene scolded. ¡°Muu.¡± ¡°Let me try something¡± Kazu declared. ¡°Scan.¡±
Status
NameWater Spirit EggTypeWater
HP1MP1
RarityRare
Attack Rating0-0AttackNone
Description: A water spirit egg that will hatch into a water spirit.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Instructions:
  • Carefully place in a bowl of water.
  • Place bowl in a place with lots of moonlight.
  • Just incase, do not let it sit on the sun. The egg will overheat killing the egg.
  • Wait 7 days to see your surprise!
What the- I didn¡¯t expect the instructions¡­ It must get more detailed the higher scan levels up! Kazu squinted his eyes in surprise at the dialogue. ¡°Is that your magic Kazu?¡± Sene asked. ¡°Yes... Do you have a bowl and can you please fill it with water?¡± Kazu looked at Sene with a pleading look. ¡°Brett¡­ our son¡¯s growing up. *Sob* He¡¯s already using magic!¡± Sene walks away while wiping her imaginary tears off her face. They¡¯re not even going to ask me about it? This magic excuse is really convenient for people living in this world. Well with this, I now know I can scan items too, and it gives more detail as it levels up.-*-*- ¡°So dramatic.. wait, you¡¯re already calling him son?!¡± Brett sighed. He got up and slaps Kazu in the back then said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this to Sene. Oh and we need to get up early tomorrow. We¡¯re all going down to the adventurer¡¯s guild¡­ and we kind of need to get you clothes and armour. hehe.¡± ¡°Yay shopping!¡± Ene jumped in joy. ¡°Ene, come here, its bed time.¡± Brett picked her up, putting her on his shoulder. Kazu looked down his clothes. His pants were torn, his sleeve was about to fall apart and overall, his whole outfit was dragged in dirt, mud, litter making it smell. I haven¡¯t even gotten a bath yet¡­ Sene comes back with a bowl full of water. She handed it over to Kazu with a curious look on her face. Kazu took the blue gem egg and then carefully puts it in the bowl. ¡°There!¡± Smiling with accomplishment, Kazu puts the bowl right at the edge of the window and let it bathe with the sunlight. ¡°The requirements is water and moonlight?¡± Sene asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what my ¡®magic¡¯ told me.¡± Kazu avoided Sene¡¯s eye contact. ¡°It also told me to not let it sit out in the sun too long so I¡¯ll have to place it away in a table where theres no sunlight.¡± ¡°My... that¡¯s fine. We can place it on the Brett¡¯s study room¡­¡± Sene turns her head towards the stairs with a worrying look. ¡°He never uses it. I don¡¯t know why he even built that room. Maybe we can renovate it to give you a room. Sorry about letting you sleep on the couch Kazu¡­¡± ¡°Its alright.¡± Kazu shook his head to deny her worry. ¡°Oh, and if you want you can use the bath. Its in the basement so just take that door over there.¡± She pointed out the door that looked heavier than the other doors in the house. ¡°Alright. Then I won¡¯t keep you up. Good night Sene.¡± ¡°Good night Kazu.¡± She climbed up stairs. Guess I¡¯ll have to even with these dirty clothes¡­ At that thought, he heard someone climbing downstairs. It was Sene again with a pair of clothes. ¡°I almost forgot. You can use this after you take a bath. Good night again.¡± She smiled while handing the clothes over to Kazu.¡± ¡°Unn. Good night again.¡± This looks like something Brett would wear¡­ *** The next day at the shopping district just north bound of the South Gate by train, a lively amount of people walked in and out of the shops on the streets. Besides Kazu, a tall man with blond hair, rough face, and a child on his shoulder walked along him in the streets. It was Brett carrying Ene on his shoulders. Besides Brett, a blonde woman that gave off a motherly nature and purity¡ªshe was Sene. ¡°Come on Kazu!¡± Brett shout garnered the attention of the vendors and even the shopkeepers inside their shops. ¡°Men don¡¯t need much time to decide on the clothes they wear! Be a man Kazuuuu!!¡± ¡°Brett, be quiet.¡± A large ¡®#¡¯ sign on appeared just on the motherly woman. Her 3 words sealed Brett¡¯s mouth almost instantly. ¡°Come now Kazu. Enter this store.¡± They entered the store and Sene goes off into the aisles with quick steps. She took off some clothes from the racks, carrying it with her free hand while her other hand searched through the clothes for viable clothes. She waved to Kazu saying ¡°Come here.¡± Like a doting mother, she held up the clothes to his body to see whether they fitted. If they didn¡¯t fit, she threw the clothes to the attendant of the shop. Her awkward smile gave the impression of someone trying her best to keep up her appearance. After she¡¯s gone through the clothes in her hands, she hands over the clothes that caught her attention. ¡°Here. Come, try this on.¡± She dragged Kazu by his hands, throwing him into the dressing room. ¡°Our son is so cute. I¡¯ve always wanted a son.¡± Her eyes sparkled while she looked on the empty corridor of the dressing room waiting for Kazu to come back out with his new clothes. ¡°Ene, you too. I picked up some clothes for you to try. Go try them on!¡± ¡°Muuu. I want to stay in Papa¡¯s shoulder.¡± Ene pouts her head down looking at Sene with puppy dog eyes. After a while, the family finally paid for the clothes. Kazu already wore one of the outfits to replace the rough looking hand me down from Brett. It was a red tunic paired with loose black cloth pants, not loose enough to lose its complexion¡ªit was just the right size. The outfit was paired with boots that reached up to the ankles. It was light and even though it had a high reaching point, it didn¡¯t obstruct the user¡¯s movements which marked its great craftsmanship. Ene¡¯s clothes also changed into a layered one piece. The outer layer was blue and the inner layer was white. It contrasted her blue eyes and blond hair portraying her like an angel. And she did have wings, small little wings flapping about in excitement. ¡°Oh, this is the first outfit that let her have her wings out. This is great!¡± Brett shouts. ¡°On the other hand, for Kazu¡¯s armour¡­ I think we¡¯ll need some custom made ones. We¡¯ll get to that later.¡± But who¡¯s the one with the wings, Brett or Sene? Kazu¡¯s smile turned to curiosity as his eyes gazed on to the three in front of him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Kazu?¡± Sene asked. ¡°N-nothing.¡± Kazu shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry to the guild.¡± They arrived in front of the adventurer¡¯s guild. Brett, carrying Ene, didn¡¯t go inside. Along with Sene, he sat in one of the picnic-like tables just outside the adventurer¡¯s guild. Since they brought Ene who was still a child, the adventurers roaming around the vicinity stole a few glances at the group sitting down in the table. In a place where there were muscle for brains, swords or magic as answers, and where the reward is all that matters, a child in such a place was rare. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start eating for now.¡± Sene put the basket on the table, opening it, then handing each one of us a sandwich. Ene, with a bright face, anticipated getting the one with no vegetables. ¡°Who are we waiting for?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for my party of course.¡± Brett replied with a full mouth. ¡°A new party?¡± Kazu continued. ¡°Not really.¡± Brett finished chewing before answering again. ¡°They¡¯re people I¡¯ve known for a good while¡­ Well, I met them through Sene. Look, here they come now.¡± On the furthest left, a man with rough build who Kazu met the first time he came to the adventurer¡¯s guild walked in. He was Krey, the thick accented man, red hair, scars on his face making him look like a seasoned adventurer. Beside him were two women. The purple eyed violet hair woman with a baby face looked nothing like herself when she was behind the counter. She had light armour on one of her arms and covered herself with leather armour on key parts of the body. Her armour hugged her body as if to show off her hourglass shaped curves. She was the clerk Kazu was familiar with who wore a loose uniform preventing any kind of sexiness to appear outside. The other woman was Raym whom Kazu still had a vivid memory of. Her signature jester double daggers on her waist proved to be terrifying to fight against. Her body was more akin to a slender young woman in contrast to Mizz beside her. ¡°Oh! Sene¡¯s great sandwichs.¡± Raym took the sandwich Sene had in her hand ready to be given out to her. ¡°Thank youuu.¡± ¡°Aye, Tis all but sandwiches and no man food?¡± Krey¡¯s eyes drooped down in disappointment. ¡°Ene is soo cute.¡± Her eyes turned downwards, then her expression turned into disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s too bad her cuteness is wasted if this guy is the father. Sigh.¡± ¡°Missy, did you try to put on those clothes to try to impress someone?¡± Brett mocked witha grin as retaliation. ¡°W-w-what?!¡± Her face became flushed red as her eyes jumped around trying to avoid any eye contact with anyone. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself Brett! Its not like I wanted t-t-to-¡± ¡°-Now that everyone¡¯s here, heading to the dungeon would be a great idea.¡± Her words had fire in them. However, no one knew exactly where it was directed at. ¡°That¡¯s right. We should start heading out.¡± Brett put down Ene from his shoulders down on the table top while she finished her sandwich. ¡°Are you mad at something?¡± He covered his mouth while whispering on Sene¡¯s ears. ¡°No, how could I possibly be mad at something.¡± Sene spoke out loud., instead of whispering back to Brett. The four waved good bye with forced smiles to Sene, Ene, and Kazu. They headed for the worm train placed below the adventurers guild. ¡°What was that about?¡± Raym asked carrying the basket Sene gave her. Both Brett and Mizz shrugged, looking at each other with clueless faces. As they were coming up to the stairs leading to the worm train, they saw a crowd just on the A rank boards which was right beside the stairs leading to the train. They hear a loud thud crashing on the floor signaling the end of the fight. ¡°Ignore it. This happens almost everyday.¡± Brett sighed. ¡°Older brother, that¡¯s her!¡± From the crowd, a bright violet haired man pointed at Raym causing the group to stop. ¡°Lad, let us pass peacefully and we won¡¯t bother ye¡¯r fight aye.¡± Krey said with a low voice. ¡°Oh. Weren¡¯t these guys with the black haired brat outside?¡± The man beside the violet haired man started speaking. ¡°The name¡¯s Adraine Kies. I assume you already met my brother Nedraine.¡± Adraine smirked as if he looked down on the group of four. He started walking down the floor heading straight towards Brett¡¯s group. His stare only gazed at Raym with disdain on his face. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready, clipper. Whenever you¡¯re off guard, I¡¯m going to catch you and clip those wings off myself.¡± Raym gripped her dagger, but was stopped by Brett shaking his head to say ¡°no.¡± Raym¡¯s lips parted then said, ¡°A rankers like you should just lay your head down like the weaklings you are. Crap like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be stepped on by my own feet.¡± she smirked, yet there were still anger in her eyes. ¡°Ha¡­ haha¡­ HAHAHAHA!¡± Adraine laughed. ¡°That black haired kid who was with you. He dirtied my armour. You should watch his back too. For you guys, I only need a bit of luck to find you outside. But both of you need as much luck as you have to avoid me out there.¡± He continued his laugh all the way down to the doors of the guild. Nedraine looked back still with anger in his expression. ¡°Whew, what the hell did you do to that guy Raym?¡± Brett joked. ¡°Kazu didn¡¯t tell you? Hehee... don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Raym skipped down the stairs. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Aye, that evil lad is rank A.¡± Krey scratched his head. ¡°Does the missy know why hes not in the war?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mizz, not missy!¡± Mizz shouted. ¡°If I recall correctly, his family paid off the generals to keep him here. They gave him the position as one of the Queen¡¯s royal guards.¡± The worm train arrived. Raym greeted the familiar officer who let the people in the train with a quiet salute. Each of them took a free seat and sat beside each other. ¡°Where are we headed to?¡± Raym asked. ¡°We should be heading to the north gates.¡± Brett answered. ¡°Ohh, the Comine Dungeon?¡± Raym¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°That¡¯s rare. Normally people avoid that because of the unorthodox monsters.¡± ¡°Yeah, but its the monsters have the highest chance of having a monster core.¡± Brett sighed. ¡°I wanted to get one to give Kazu an armour infused with one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Raym expression turned into a sly smile while Mizz and Krey sighed like they were expecting a tease from Raym. ¡°You¡¯re doting on him? Aww that¡¯s so cute. Ene needs to be careful not to lose you. Ene fighting!¡± Brett blushes a pink red. ¡°Well¡­ we kind of taken Kazu as our son. Sene and I, I mean. But yeah, that¡¯s what Sene says.¡± ¡°Guuuh.¡± Mizz interrupts. ¡°Brett is actually blushing?! Krey, the world might end.¡± ¡°Aye. Men like Brett shouldn¡¯t blush.¡± Krey chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t spread it to me mate.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Have you guys heard of the rumors in Ephermal¡¯s Labyrinth Dungeon in the east gate?¡± Raym whispered. ¡°They say, a ghost roams around the walls of its maze.¡± ¡°A g-g-ghost?¡± Cool feet took over Brett¡¯s nerves. ¡°Something like that don¡¯t exist!¡± ¡°Sigh, I can¡¯t believe such a tall man like you is afraid of them ghosts.¡± Krey jabbed Brett¡¯s side with his elbow. The train stops, they then leave the station. Walls 20 stories high surrounded their view. The walls were 5 times bigger and higher than the walls in the East gate, and 10 times the size of the walls in the south gate. *** The storage room was dusty, and it made beautiful trails of light as the light showers in from the window. Kazu examined the wooden boxes, all of them were unlabeled so he didn¡¯t know what he was looking for. ¡°Sene, what are we looking for?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Ah!¡± Sene shouted just around the corner of where Kazu searching around in. ¡°I found it. Come here Kazu, quickly.¡± ¡°Oh, its a training dummy¡­?¡± Kazu said. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± She smiled with anticipating excitement. ¡°This is the training dummy Brett used. Now, its your turn to use it. Carry it to the backyard.¡± Her blush and smile didn¡¯t waver a flinch knowing full well of how heavy the dummy was. ¡°Moom, stop blushing again.¡± Ene pouted. Kazu, with a red face, carried it all the way over the backyard. It landed with a thud on the grass, then Kazu collapsed on the grass. Luckily, I leveled up yesterday. I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve been able to carry this if I didn¡¯t. Kazu sighed in relief. His face then changed into a smirked, Wouldn¡¯t this be a great chance to do some of those over the top moves from games? He readied his sword, resting it on the ground. Lowering his posture, he rhythmed his breathing. Then in an instant, he dashed towards the dummy in a low altitude. As soon as he was within target, he jumps up with his right leg and then swung the sword upwards. CLANG! The wooden dummy made a large sound and the ground made skid marks as it was knocked back a bit.
Thousand Winds Style Skill Tree Unlocked.
Rising Wind Blade now available.
Rising Wind Blade (active) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: During low altitude dash, single target enemy to deal a single slash causing a knockback and violent slash damage. Direct hit applies 1.65x Attack damage and near misses will cause 0.9x attack damage.
Sword Mastery Level up to 2
Sword Mastery (passive) Lv. 2 (0%) Description: Increases damage by 5% when using a sword.
Sword Proficiency Level up to 2
Sword Proficiency (passive) Lv. 2 (35%) Description: Increases fluidity of movements when using a sword.
The dust settled soon while Kazu observed the numerous pop up dialogues he was bombarded with. Kazu¡¯s eyes closed half way in disbelief. So¡­ it worked? ha¡­ haha. Sene and Ene watched Kazu with forced smiles, afraid to disturb his creepy laugh. Next Chapter >> ########## Thanks for reading. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 [[ 484 Damage > Dummy ]] [[ Gained 10 xp. 310 till next level. ]] ¡°Mom, Look!¡± Ene shouted. ¡°Brother has a weird smile.¡± ¡°Kazu, is there anything wrong?¡± Sene forced a smile, looking at him while he laughed at the dummy. ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking, this training started to become fun.¡± They looked at Kazu with question marks above their heads. On the other hand, Kazu¡¯s sly smile turned into a face of satisfaction at his new found discovery. ¡°Ene, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t disturb your brother while he¡¯s training.¡± ¡°Muu¡­ I want to play too-¡± Ene answered. ¡°That¡¯s not playing, that¡¯s training.¡± Sene interjected. ¡°Same thing!¡± With a pout on her face, she dragged along the empty basket behind her while following Sene into the woods. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Before going into the woods, Sene turned her head to look at Kazu. ¡°Brett won¡¯t be back for 3 days. Until then, do your best training by yourself.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Kazu waved as Sene and Ene disappeared into the woods. ¡°Thousand Winds Style Skill Tree.¡±
Thousand Winds
Rising Wind (Active)Class. CLv 1. (2%)
Forward Gale (Active)Class. BLv 0.
Gale¡¯s Return (Passive)Class. CLv 0.
Tenth Slice (Passive)Class. DLv 0.
Shockwave (Active)Class. DLv 0.
Fool¡¯s Wind (Active)Class. ALv 0.
Reach Lv 10 in Fool¡¯s Wind to unlock intermediate set.
There¡¯s only one Class A? He sighed. I guess it¡¯s just the beginner set. A lot of C and D class though... He scratched his head as he came closer to the dummy. There he saw the scar from his attack on the dummy looking like it was closing by itself. Kazu touched where he hit the dummy and felt a bit of warmth coming from the scar. It was slow, but the warmth was enclosing the scar on the wooden dummy. ¡°Scan.¡±
Status
NameMagic DummyTypeNone
HP5000MP10
RarityUncommon
Attack Rating0-0AttackNone
Description: A dummy that heals itself. Useful for training.
¡°That makes sense¡­¡± He turned his head towards the sword Brett gave him. He didn¡¯t know whether the value of the damage was consistent or not if it strikes the same place. So, with the almost indestructible dummy, he would test it, he thought. Taking a few steps back, Kazu once again readies his sword. He set his eyes on where the scar disappeared and then rhythmed his breathing just like before. << Rising Wind >> Kazu¡¯s body moved automatically following the command. His body, low in altitude dragging the sword with both hands, jumped at the dummy at an amazing velocity. As soon as the dummy was in striking range, his whole body stopped, transferring all the momentum into the sword already on its way upwards to slice at the dummy. A large amount of wind gusted everywhere with no sense of direction. The dust cloud covered the entire backyard¡ªit was the only place where grass wasn¡¯t prominent. On the corner of his eyes, he saw the damage indication. [[ 477 Damage > Dummy ]] [[ Gained 10 xp. 300 till next level. ]] The damage was consistent, he concluded. Satisfied with his answer, he brought up the skill tree again. With his eyes, he clicked each one skill to see what they do. All of them used 2 stamina each, except shockwave using 50 mana. However, they were grayed out meaning they couldn¡¯t be activated¡ªFool¡¯s Wind wasn¡¯t even clickable. Their descriptions, however, gave a hint to Kazu at how they are unlocked. The first one Forward Gale describes a diagonal slash while standing up straight and ¡°Thrusting the wind forwards.¡± Kazu scratched the back of his head in utter confusion at the description, but he tried it anyways. He straightened his back, then positioned his sword in front of him. Again, he rhythmed his breathing before doing anything. Then, in a sudden burst of strength, he made a diagonal slash¡ªit hit the dummy with an impact that echoed through the trees. However, nothing happened. There wasn¡¯t even a prompt for the amount of damage the dummy received. Maybe this is a ranged attack¡­ it does say ¡°Thrust the wind forwards¡±. Stepping back a couple of meters. Kazu again put his sword in front of him and rhythmed his breathing. He set his eyes on the shoulders of the dummy, then stroked his sword diagonally with all of his strength. Again, nothing happened¡ªnot even a gust of wind. That was all fine, however, Kazu wasn¡¯t someone who would quit after 2 tries with no results. Readying his sword again, he tried over and over without stop. He gained 10 xp with each hit. After a few hours, he had swung over five hundred times¡ªearning himself a couple of levels. Kazu was now lvl 12. He thrusted his sword again and felt bit of wind gusting forward. Did he do it? He asked himself. The wind continued gusting forward without any of his movements, so he looked back and saw all of Austere placed on the hill. It was the wind coming down from the hill that Austere sat on. Kazu scratched his head in irritation. Stupid hill! Stop giving me hope! He swung the sword up and down on the ground in irritation. Then, he felt a slight sense of wind gusting around him as his body stumbled forward from his imbalance. The feeling of the wind felt like the wind in the end of Rising Wind strike. What¡­? He shook his head in disbelief. I was just swinging randomly- wait, let me try something. Kazu again took the same stance and calmed his breathing. His eyes set again on the shoulder of the wooden dummy. When his sword steadied itself in front of him, he instantly swung in a diagonal motion and his right foot thrusted forward to give it more power. A burst of visible violent gusts came rushing towards the dummy. It was as if the wind was sweeping through the area like a violent condensed typhoon. The dummy was cut multiple times, absorbing all of the gust¡¯s violent tendencies. [[ 855 Damage > Dummy ]] [[ 9 hits, Gained 10 xp ]]
Forward Gale now available.
Forward Gale (active) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: The body and the sword thrusts the wind into a motion to create a violent gusts with the power of decimating everything in front of the master of this technique. Maximum of (9) hits. Applies 0.5x damage multiplier.
Tenth Slice (Passive) Unlocked.
Tenth Slice (Passive) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: Adds (1) more hit to multi-hit skills.
Gale¡¯s Return (Passive) Unlocked.
Gale¡¯s Return (Passive) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: Adds a suction effect to all wind skills to keep target in place.
Seeing the dialogue of leveling up sure feels good! It¡¯s like the feeling of starting a new game and seeing yourself level up numerous times. Satisfied with his progress, his lips twisted itself into a sly smile. ¡°Ah¡­ brother is at it again.¡± Ene sneaks in a comment. Kazu didn¡¯t notice them arrive. Reading over the dialogue boxes gave him too much satisfaction. ¡°Ah, ha.. hahaha! No, its not like that.¡± Kazu tried to hide his smile, but unknown to him, it still showed. ¡°Did something good happen Kazu?¡± Sene tilted her head after asking. ¡°Well¡­¡± Kazu glanced over at where the dummy was. ¡°It¡¯s that over there.¡± He pointed at the dummy, looking all worn down with multiple scars. ¡°Aah, Mr. Dummy.¡± Sene rushes over to it. ¡°Poor thing¡­ did you really do this much damage to it?¡± ¡°...haha, I¡¯ve been recovering my memories and I remembered the style I used to fight in.¡± Kazu said. ¡°I see.¡± Sene tried to lift up the fallen down dummy with no success. Ene tried to help her, yet all they did was look cute trying to lift up the heavy object with futility. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Dummy¡­¡± Sene sobbed. ¡°I can¡¯t help you stand up.¡± ¡°Mr. Dummy!¡± Ene shouted. Sene wiped her tears away and then stood up like nothing happened at all. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt yourself too much Kazu. Dinner will be ready soon.¡± Her sincere caring smile appeared once again as if she forgot about ¡°Mr. Dummy¡±. She went inside the house while Ene was still looking at the dummy with curious eyes. Ene looked all over the dummy like she was looking for something. Her curious eyes wandered everywhere along the dummy¡¯s body and her hands moved swiftly trying to find something. ¡°Ah! I found it hehehe¡­¡± Ene said with a mischievous tone. Her hand was inside the head of the dummy. Then a ripping sound came following it as she pulled her hand back. The green glow on the dummy that recovered the damage disappeared. In the next moment, the dummy fell apart from each limb. ¡°AHhhh!¡± Kazu yelled. ¡°Ene noooo!¡± Ene still had her innocent, yet mischievous eyes looking at the paper she ripped. Kazu grabbed her away from the paper with the inked on runic inscriptions. ¡°Muuuuu!¡± Ene groaned. Footsteps from behind them came running in. It was Sene with a hand on her mouth. ¡°Mr. Dummy¡­ is dead¡­¡± Her feet collapsed and now she was kneeling on the ground wiping away her imaginary tears. ¡°With that said, could you get another self-restore scroll from the combat training center, Kazu?¡± She recovered in an instant after getting up and patting herself off of the dirt. ¡°u-Un¡­¡± ¡°I killed Mr. Dummy hahaha!¡± Ene, without knowing what shes done, laughed in her usual innocent tone. ¡°Kazu, I¡¯m sorry about Ene.¡± She tilted her head again, a signature of her air headed motherly nature habit. ¡°She has a grudge on that dummy. Brett and I don¡¯t really know why¡­¡± ¡°Its fine. I¡¯ll get another.¡± Kazu forced a smile. It was a small thing. Almost laughable because he didn¡¯t expect it, he thought. ¡°Then here¡¯s 5 gold coins.¡± Sene handed him some money. Kazu¡¯s eyes sparkled at the sight of it. She continued, ¡°They can also teach you skills there, so its actually a good thing. But come back soon, Dinner will be ready in an hour.¡± ¡°Un. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Kazu patted Ene¡¯s head. *** Before he left to the combat center, Sene gave Kazu a piece of paper to point him the direction of the combat center. It was a map drawn like a child made it. Even Kazu¡¯s drawings were better, he thought. Kazu scanned the map and it now appears to him in a dialogue box just at the top corner of his eyes. In the middle of the map, what appears to be Brett and Mizz talking with the subtitle saying ¡°Adventurer¡¯s guild.¡± Mizz¡¯s image was distorted and she was breathing out fire. She had a tail, although Kazu didn¡¯t know what that symbolized. While Brett¡¯s on the other hand was drawn quite well¡ªalthough exaggerated amounts of armour could only mean knight in shining armour. Two buildings north of the adventurer¡¯s guild, a building with a lion stick figure sat. The lion figure was on a leash tied to a nearby pole. The subtitle described ¡°Combat Center.¡± There were other unnecessary parts on the map like a winged girl 4 buildings east of the adventurer¡¯s guild. The building was described as a Tavern by the amount of beer cups centering around the building. Ene and Sene was just outside of the South Gate drawn as a queen and princess with crown and wings behind their backs. Kazu facepalmed at the sight of this childish map. Soon enough, he arrived 2 buildings north of the adventurer¡¯s guild. There were numerous dummies on the field meaning and a sign above the entrance of the space. Kazu scanned it and it detailed, ¡°Austere Guard Department¡± He wondered if this was the right one, but the map definitely pointed him towards this direction. Kazu decided to walk back for now since Sene¡¯s house isn¡¯t that far so he could ask. But as he was about to walk away, he was stopped by a man with armour that gave off an image of a lion. ¡°Oh? If it isn¡¯t Kazu Tomoe.¡± The man walked up to him, catching Kazu before he could walk away. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Kazu looked at the man, checking out his armour. The man felt familiar¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me in the prison?¡± The man said. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Philip Ne...mean?¡± Kazu muttered with no confidence. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± His bright eyes didn¡¯t waver any sign of moving away from Kazu¡¯s eye contact. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kazu opened his inventory and took the ripped restore-scroll. ¡°I¡¯m here to replace this.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hoo, is that your magic?¡± To Philip, it looked like Kazu took something out from thin air. He had no idea of Kazu¡¯s abilities. It made him want to train Kazu under his guidance, but Sage¡¯s orders were absolute. Philip shook his head, and then said, ¡°Alright. That¡¯ll be 5 gold. Go to that storage over there and find it yourself. It should be labeled. Oh and make sure to not open the big red box.¡± Philip looked in Kazu¡¯s eyes with firm resolution implying that he was serious about that last line. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ ok.¡± Kazu started heading to the direction Philip pointed him at. A guard comes up to Philip and says, ¡°Sir, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have noticed the red box if you didn¡¯t pointed it out.¡± ¡°Tch, stop being such a smart ass. That was my plan.¡± Philip rebuted. ¡°Sir, you mean you wanted him to open it?¡± ¡°Stop asking the obvious. Go back and hit those dummies a thousand more times.¡± ¡°Sir¡­ but that book in that red box, I heard its impossible to learn¡± ¡°Ha, let¡¯s just hope he learns it then.¡± *** Dust floated in the air and the red light dawning light from the sun passed through the small windows and crevices of the storage house. Kazu was in the middle aisle of the storage house. He dusted off the labels and scanned them one by one to look for the scrolls he needed. The first thing that caught his attention was the ¡°Combat Style Books.¡± He opened the cupboard with the label and saw three different coloured books. He picked up the first book, it was red. There were no sign of damage on the book or any book rot at all considering the amount of dust in the room. The moment he put it up to his face, a dialogue comes up.
Hell¡¯s Demon Sect Manual
Information Storage available for later use (Uses one inventory slot): Y/N?
With his eyes, he clicked yes, then a ding sounded in his head. Upon opening his inventory, an icon that looks exactly like the book appeared. He tried to take it out, but it only prompted him a dialogue.
Absorb information now: Y/N?
His eyes widen, Don¡¯t tell me, I don¡¯t have to read it to learn the information? Once again, he clicked yes and hundreds of images flashed across his retina. Another dialogue box prompted him saying ¡°Hell¡¯s Demon Sect Manual Learned.¡± However, with the knowledge he gained, it also warned him of something. Since he started with the wind attribute, his affinity with Earth became lower meaning it will be hard to learn Earth based skills. If he does learn it, his attacks will be weaker than the regular power. Huh¡­ I don¡¯t it really matters. Kazu shrugged off the warning without a care. He doesn¡¯t have to learn it if its going to be useless anyways, he thought. On the cupboard again, he picked up the blue book. The dialogue prompted him of the name of the book, ¡°Infinite Rings Sect Manual.¡± He saved it in his inventory. Then, picking up the brown book, ¡°Core¡¯s Grasp Sect Manual¡±, saving that too in his inventory. He put back the books in the cupboard with care to not tear or leave any clues about his snooping around. That was when he remembered what Philip said. He needed to find the big red box. In the first place, if Philip didn¡¯t mention it, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten curious. It¡¯s his fault for telling me, Kazu thought. He turned his head around deeper into the storage room. And as if the dawning light from the sun was guiding him, it displayed the big red box in full view. Kazu¡¯s lips twisted into a sly smile and his eyes also turned into a mischievous gaze. His steps creeped towards the big red box shining like a holy grail. The lid creaked as Kazu lifted up the lid of the red box. There, he saw a thin dusty gray book.
Wanderer
That was the name of the book. It had no indication or whatever of what it meant. Kazu picked it up like the other books and it prompted him a different dialogue.
One of three paths of Thousand Winds Style: Wanderer. Choose path to Wanderer: Y/N? Warning: Cannot be reverted.
Kazu had a dilemma. He didn¡¯t know what it was about nor did he know what it will do to his skill. However, he did know one thing¡ªhe couldn¡¯t store this book. It meant one thing: this book was beyond precious. With that said, Kazu chose yes.
Wanderer¡¯s Thousand Winds, path chose.
Wanderer¡¯s Wind now available.
Wanderer¡¯s Wind (Passive) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: Giant Sword affinity. Increases strength of gusts, gales, or wind when using a Giant Sword. Normal attacks with Giant sword creates violent gusts that deal 0.6x of weapon damage in 3 meter aoe cone. 15% Increase in base damage. 15% Increase Phys. R
Kazu¡¯s stare turned into contempt. Giant swords? Where would he get that, he thought. He complained about how those weren¡¯t useable at all. They weren¡¯t practical in fights at all. It didn¡¯t give enough mobility and it was just heavy. However, he was still satisfied that he got the other 3 styles. So now he looked for the self-restore scroll. It was in the front of the storage house which was on the opposite end of the big red box. His eyes widen as he closed the lid of the red box. ¡ªThe book was gone. It was nowhere to be seen inside the box. The empty blackness of the box made Kazu¡¯s heart skip a beat. The red box had intricate golden gildings designed in ancient nordic like patterns. It meant the book was extremely valueable. Kazu didn¡¯t notice it but the book disintegrated into dust after he used it. Under where he read the book, a pile of dust could be seen and a piece of the cover page still remained. Consumable book¡­ What the hell?! He swept the dust under the box so no one could see it. He sneaked back his steps to the front of the storage to pick up the self restore scroll and left right away after getting it. ¡°Got what you were looking for?¡± Philip came in from behind causing a jitter in Kazu¡¯s steps. ¡°Y-y-yes. I did.¡± He put his hands on his mouth to stop it from stuttering. If Philip finds out that the book in the red box is gone, he might kill him, Kazu thought. However, Kazu¡¯s worries were dispelled in an instant as Philip winked at him. Don¡¯t tell me, he planned this...? But does he know the book is gone? ¡°Alright, good night Kazu Tomoe. May we meet again.¡± Kazu left before Philip could find out about the book. Behind Philip, the guard from before walked up to him and said, ¡°Sir¡­ the book is in the red box is gone.¡± ¡°Sorry my junior, I couldn¡¯t quite hear what you said.¡± Philip turned his head towards his subordinate in a slow motion as if he couldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°The book in the red box is gone.¡± ¡°WHAT?!¡± Philip ran towards the the storage room, immediately opening the red box¡¯s lid. It was empty. There was no sign of the book at all. Philip closed his eyes turning his head down in disappointment and contemplated whether Kazu took it with him with his weird magic. Upon opening his eyes, he saw a trail of dust leading into box¡¯s bottom. He lifted up the box and saw a pile of dust with the a piece of paper. The paper was from the book, it was a piece of the cover. In this case, it was much worse. The book was destroyed, but he didn¡¯t know why. Why was the book destroyed? ¡°Sir, what exactly was that book?¡± ¡°That book was one of the legendary styles in the ancient era of Austere¡­¡± Philip sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll take the blame for this, Sage did warn me not to help him.¡± ¡°The sage did?!¡± The subordinate stepped back a few steps. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the rumors sir? Everything she says will come true¡­ She even threatened us by telling us how we¡¯re gonna die!¡± ¡°What?¡± Philip looked on to his subordinate with unbelieving eyes. ¡°You actually believe her?¡± ¡°Of course we do! She can tell what we ate a few months ago. Its really scary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lump me in with your nonsense. We all know fortune telling is a hoax.¡± *** Kazu ran back to the house and was greeted with a sweet aroma of cooked food. He opened the door to see Ene already setting up the table for 3. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Welcome back.¡± Sene responded. After setting up the table, Ene ran down towards Kazu. ¡°Brother, welcome back.¡± Kazu patted her on the head and said, ¡°I¡¯m back Ene.¡± Ene ran towards the gem bathing in moonlight. ¡°Dinner will be ready soon. How was the trip to the combat center?¡± Sene asked. ¡°It was an interesting experience¡­¡± ¡°My.¡± Sene turned towards Kazu, tilting her head. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°No, I just a met a friendly lion.¡± Kazu joked. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. So Mr. Lion is still fine¡­¡± Sene looked down to the side. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kazu eyes widen. ¡°No, its nothing.¡± Sene¡¯s eyes were on fire while gazing past Kazu. ¡°Just a story of my youth. Come, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± She held up the pot with oven mitts and places it in the middle of the table where the cork sat. Ene and Kazu gathered around the table, each one sitting in their own designated family seat. ¡°Mr. Lion used to adventure with us. It was Me, Brett, Raym, Krey, Mr. Lion, and Mizz.¡± Sene started the conversation during dinner. ¡°I was always worried about Brett being the front line. So Mr. Lion kept teasing me behind Brett.¡± Her voice turned rough like anger seeped into her tone. She also squeezed her as soon as Mr. Lion was mentioned by her. Kazu responded with a dumbfounded expression. So Sene also has a side like this¡­ ¡°Kazu, *sob* are you not interested in my stories¡± Somehow, Kazu imagined tears running down her cheeks as she looked at him with eyes filled with sadness. ¡°No no no, not at all.¡± Kazu shook his head. ¡°Please, continue.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m glad it doesn¡¯t bother you.¡± She wiped away her imaginary tears. ¡°Brett back then was really dense you know.¡± Before continuing on, Sene sighed and looked at Ene focused on eating. ¡°One day, he slipped up and was wounded in a fight. After healing him, I couldn¡¯t help but confess right there. We were all B¡ï back then and he wanted to climb higher, but I told him I wanted to settle down.¡± Sene blushed a pink red. ¡°Muuu, Moom! You¡¯re embarrassing¡­¡± Ene covered her eyes, peeking through her fingers looking at her mom. ¡°One day, you¡¯re going to like someone too.¡± Sene said while pinching Ene¡¯s cheek. ¡°The group disbanded after that. Everyone went different ways I guess, but we¡¯re all still here. Krey stayed an adventurer, the 2 girls found a job and Mr. Lion went back to his family.¡± ¡°Did Phil-¡± ¡°Call him Mr. Lion.¡± Sene interrupted. ¡°Ok¡­ Did Mr. Lion continue advancing his rank?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems probably since he¡¯s from a royal family.¡± ¡°Heeh.¡± At this point, everyone had their plates finished. Suddenly, splashes of water from the bowl bathing in moonlight could be heard. Everyone halted their dinner and ran up to the bowl. The gem was wiggling around like an egg hatching from its shell. After a few minutes of watching the gem jump around the bowl of water, the first crack appeared. With each movement, the crack became bigger and bigger. Then for a moment, it stopped with the cracks covering the whole gem. In a brief instant after a minute, the gem shatters and a large vortex of water spun around the room, soaking the near side of the sofa and the surroundings. Kazu looked at Sene. She smiled in return as if to tell him she didn¡¯t mind. The vortex spun in a violent manner just like the time Kazu met the water goddess of the pond. Then, the vortex stopped in a splash revealing what was inside it. A girl made of water and the height of Ene appeared. She was transparent, and the moonlight refracted behind her as she floated down the table onto the wooden floor of Sene¡¯s home. A bright vivid sparkling ruby gem was inside her where the heart should be. Kazu scanned her in the spur of the moment.
Status
NameWater Spirit BabyTypeWater
HP1500MP3500
Attack Rating???AttackWater Spells
Description: A baby water spirit. How cute!
Next Chapter >> ############# Thanks for reading. If you think the wording or the way things are described could become better, please tell me. Criticism is important! Also, summer semester started for me. T_T Kuhuhu Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Kazu put his hand behind her head, checking to see if she was real. She was transparent, made of water and taking the form a little girl. Having a child like appearance, she could only be compared to Ene. On the other hand, Ene, with her wide eyes, stared at her with curiosity. She hid behind Sene¡¯s legs like a shy child, but she was not. Still near the water girl¡ªthat¡¯s what Kazu dubbed her as for now¡ªher head turned to look up at Kazu. Although she had no eyes, only a silhouette of where eyes should be, Kazu felt her stare. He stepped back a bit to turn his head towards Sene who had her hands covering her mouth. ¡°Another¡­¡± Sene whispered. ¡°Another?¡± Kazu questioned. ¡°Another daughter!¡± Sene walked up to it and knelt down to so she was eye level with her. ¡°Hello.¡± Ene said. The water girl waved back and the silhouette on her face that looked like lips turned up into a smile. Her smile had a child like innocence, a child that has yet to see the world¡ªlike Ene who was full of life. ¡°Let¡¯s see, her name¡­¡± Sene tilting her head while her slim index finger supported her chin and then continued, ¡°Lene. That¡¯ll be your name.¡± Lene faced Kazu to look as if looking for a confirmation. Even without her pupils, Kazu felt the eye contact, so he nodded. She turned her head back to Sene and nodded. Sene embraced Lene, ¡°My daughters are so cute!¡± Wait here, I¡¯ll get a basin and fill it up with water. She disappeared into the back of the kitchen leaving Kazu and Ene behind with Lene. Ene, now without her cover, stared into Lene¡¯s eyes. For a few minutes, they stood there without movement as if they were talking to each other with their eyes. Every now and then, Ene would nod or shake her head. The silence under the window¡¯s moonlight was broken when Ene slowly moved up to Lene. Ene poked her, then ran away to hide behind Kazu¡¯s legs only to peak out her head in an act of shyness. Steps from behind followed suit, it was Sene with a basin of water. She put it down in front of Lene, then tilted her head saying ¡°You have to use this for now. Ok?¡± Lene nodded so Sene patted her head. Splashes of water could be heard when she patted her head. Retracting back her hand, Sene wiped off the water on the apron she wore. The following moment, Lene jumped into the basin, splashing the water everywhere and also soaking all 3 of the family members. ¡°Muuu¡­ I¡¯m wet.¡± Ene groaned. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s dry you up.¡± Sene said. Suddenly, a dim circle of light formed in above Lene¡¯s head. Runic inscriptions appeared in that circle. ¡°This is¡­ water magic.¡± Sene gasped. The moist in their clothing floated in the air like droplets of water. Moisture from the furniture also floated into the air. Droplets of water spun around where the dim circle of light centered, and it formed a ball of water. Once everything was dry, the water ball in the air drop into the basin with no splash. ¡°Thank you Lene.¡± Sene patted her new daughter once again. With a caring smile on her face, she welcomed her new daughter with all her heart¡ªafter all, that¡¯s who she was. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been wondering.¡± Kazu interrupted. ¡°Is it a family thing where you name your children like that?¡± ¡°Yes it is.¡± Sene gestured to Ene to come to her instead of hiding behind Kazu. ¡°All the women in my family always had an ¡®Ene¡¯. But only the purest gold blond daughters have the name of Ene.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Kazu left his mouth open. ¡°Does that mean your family has a long history?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Sene sighed as if she was about to say something long. Kazu¡¯s ears opened with curiousity. ¡°Too bad I forgot all of it. Hehee.¡± She cupped her hands in a fist and bumped her head with it. It was a gesture very familiar to Kazu. Like those girls that try to be cute, but with Sene, it was more believable than those annoying girls. Kazu and Sene¡¯s conversation was then interrupted with water rippling around. Lene was stretching her arms and doing yawning motions. The moonlight refracting on the body of a water spirit under the dim light of a house was a rare sight. Kazu couldn¡¯t help but be awed even after seeing all the fantasy landscapes and magic. ¡°My¡­. Lene seems to be sleepy. She must be tired after doing her first spell.¡± Sene stroked Ene¡¯s long hair who was still behind Sene holding on to her side. She then picks up the yawning Ene scratching her eyes. ¡°Sorry about your room Kazu. I don¡¯t know when it¡¯ll be ready, but good night.¡± With her free hand, she patted Kazu who was taller than her. ¡°Good night.¡± As soon as Kazu saw Sene disappear to the floor above, he whispered, ¡°Good night Mom¡­¡± Kazu laid down on the couch, watching the gem like beauty under the moonlight. His eyelids fell down with weight behind it, and his mind drifted through the memories of the day. There was one image stuck in his memories¡ªAiko¡¯s letter. ¡°Status.¡±
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level12
HP1200/1200
MP1800/1800
Strength48Vitality48
Wisdom96Intelligence72
Agility72Stamina60
Endurance120Luck6
Phys. R264Mag. R.216
Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status" [Inactive]
Skill list:
  • Stealth (3)
    • Sneak
    • Assassinate (3)
  • Observe (3)
    • Identify
    • Scan (3)
  • Wanderer¡¯s Thousand Wind Skill Tree Spoiler :
    • C - Rising Wind Blade (active) Lv. 1
    • B - Forward Gale (active) Lv. 1
    • C - Gale''s Return (passive) Lv. 1
    • C - Tenth Slice (passive )Lv. 1
    • D - Shockwave (active) Lv. Inactive
    • A - Fool¡¯s Wind (active) Lv. Inactive
    • A - Wanderer¡¯s Wind (passive) Lv. 1
Kazu smirked. With every level he gets, he was one step closer to taking back the letter from that place. The towering height of those ogres no longer seemed to intimidate him, at least that what Kazu thought. With his new skills and new found strength, he thought it would be enough. With that lingering in his mind, his eyes drifted to sleep. *** BOOM! A loud explosion outside shook the whole house. The blast came from the backyard and it woke up Kazu. Even though his mind was in a panic, He reached for the door in a panic seeing if everything was alright. Running to the back, clouds of dust covered the entire vicinity. ¡°*Cough cough cough*¡± Walking out of the dust cloud, Sene had her eyes closed, coughing, while holding up her hands to her mouth. ¡°Lene! Where are you?!¡± Lene came out of the dust cloud unscathed, although how would you tell if water is damaged anyways, Kazu thought. Inside Lene, Ene was holding her breath Lene let go of her. It was like watching a young child get out of the pool, except it was side ways because the pool was walking. ¡°Is everyone ok?!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°It seems everyone is fine. No need to worry.¡± Sene coughed, but gave her best to smile. ¡°Its just the dust.¡± ¡°What happened here?¡± Kazu, bewildered, said with wide eyes. Sene giggled at how worried Kazu was. ¡°Really, it was nothing. Lene accidentally bumped into one of the beakers causing a reaction of sorts. Luckily, Lene grabbed Ene before it could explode.¡± Kazu walked up to the three and embraced them with his bewildered expression. ¡°I was so... so worried.¡± ¡°There, there. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± Sene patted Kazu in the back while he hugged everyone. ¡°Brother¡­ it¡¯s not Lene¡¯s fault okay?¡± Ene muttered. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± After calming down, Kazu sat on the dirt still with a heart beating fast. ¡°Be more careful next time, right Lene?¡± Sene scolded. Lene¡¯s body seemed to shrink under the pressure of the mother figure in front of her. Having her face looking down, she looked up then nodded to Sene like a sincere child understanding how dangerous it was. On the corner of Kazu¡¯s eyes, Ene creeped in from the side to Lene. She pulled on Lene¡¯s sleeve and pointed towards the woods. Sene noticing this said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t play too far.¡± ¡°Yay! Let¡¯s go!¡± Their faces lit up like light bulbs as they were already running towards the woods where Sene frequents. ¡°We¡¯re lucky it wasn¡¯t a harmful explosion. I¡¯m sorry about that Kazu.¡± Sene sighed. ¡°Your plate is already ready for breakfast inside. Then you can get back to training or free time.¡± Kazu looked over at the dummy just a few meters away. It was still sideways, tumbled over from yesterday. Thinking about what to do after breakfast, he decided to spend his free time instead of training. Kazu headed back inside, sighing in relief. He saw the plate neatly placed with the knife and fork on the side. Yet, there was something missing. Sitting down on the table, he stared at the knife and fork set and found out what was missing¡ªchopsticks. He didn¡¯t have to use chopsticks, its just that it was more comfortable having them accessible. Guess I¡¯ll make some later. He started eating the warm breakfast prepared by Sene, cherishing each bite. Even though the soup tasted bitter, the warmth of the cozy house made its taste sweet. After finishing his plate, the tension in his body released from the shock earlier. The pain from his muscles creeped in due to yesterday¡¯s training. His body groaned in rebellion when he tried to get up from the chair. Suddenly, the door bursted open and the light bulbs as faces flooded the room with its light. ¡°Ne ne ne, brother lets go somewhere.¡± Ene pulled on Kazu¡¯s arm while Lene pulled on the other arm with her face saying ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He clenched his teeth as the pain surged on both his arms. ¡°Stop stoooop¡­¡± Kazu whispered in defeat. With blank round faces in confusion, both let go of Kazu¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom said we could. Pleeease.¡± ¡°Alright alright.¡± After catching his breath, he looked at both of them having expectant gazes. They were faces you couldn¡¯t say no to, so he sighed. He clenched his teeth and prepared his heart to get up from the chair. In one stroke of his legs, he got up while ignoring the pain. ¡°Ok, why don¡¯t we go to East Gate?¡± ¡°Really, that far? Ok!¡± Ene shouted while Lene only nodded in response. Kazu limped to the door, hiding his miserable state. ¡°Kazu, have fun.¡± From a far, Sene waved sitting down with her chemistry set. Kazu waved back with a forced smile on his face, deeply sighing after. He limped along towards the South Gate which was uphill. It made his sore body scream in pain forcing an even more miserable expression in which he hid. ¡°Brother, is something wrong?¡± Ene asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. My body is just sore from the training.¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Why not ask mom to heal?¡± Ene suggested. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother her hehe¡­¡± Kazu clenched his fists at the sound of the suggestion. Dammit! Why didn¡¯t I think of that¡­ *** The commute to the East Gate was rough. Having a water spirit and a Nayan child with him brought too much attention. However, none dared to raise a question because they were still children. Kazu too still looked below the age of an adult. In fact, 19 was the age of an adult in Austere. Upon exiting the East Gate, they saw the empty meadows waving in beautiful patterns as the wind stroke through the grass. Calming sound of the trees ruffling along the wind somewhat relieved Kazu¡¯s fatigue. Safety was no longer an issue in the meadows and near the pond in the East Gate because the guardian of the pond was back, protecting all friendly life. Kazu strolled through the meadows to get to the pond right across the meadow. Beside him, Ene with a curious gaze looked forward. She held Lene¡¯s hand who was made of water. Even though she had no eyes, it could be assumed that she wore the same curious gaze that Ene wore as both of them looked left and right at the scenery before them. ¡°Lene, do you know who we¡¯re going to try and meet today?¡± Kazu asked. Lene shook her head, splashing some water on to Ene. ¡°Who are we meeting?¡± Ene asked. ¡°We¡¯re meeting Lene¡¯s mother.¡± Kazu answered. Her eyes sparkled even more with curiosity, letting go of Kazu¡¯s hand even to run ahead to the pond. Lene, who was holding Ene¡¯s hand, was forced to follow her. Once they reached the pond, Kazu saw them sit just at the edge of the pond looking at the small fishes eating the algae. ¡°Brother, hurry. I wanna meet her too!¡± Ene shouted through the trees. They weren¡¯t far enough to be lost, so Kazu, contemplating whether to scold them or not, let it go. Arriving just at the edge of the pond, he gazed upon the center of the pond. ¡°I¡¯m back, Ms. Lleya.¡± Kazu patted Lene¡¯s head without turning his head. ¡°Your daughter was born. Although she soaked the whole living room when she came, we welcomed her warmly into our family. We named her Lene if you don¡¯t mind. I thought you might have wanted to know since, after all, she is your daughter¡­. Your daughter is one brave girl. She saved Ene from a possibly dangerous explosion today. She¡¯s also very smart you know, being able to cast a spell just minutes just after being born. After her dramatic entry yesterday, I instantly became attached to her¡­ she¡¯s become family.¡± After talking to himself for a while, a whirlpool in the middle of the pond started swirling. The whirlpool rose from the pond and a vortex of water gently came towards the 3 on the edge of the pond. Reaching the edge of the pond, the vortex stopped, although this time it was a gentle stop unlike her first entry with Kazu at the edge of the meadow. Lleya didn¡¯t answer Kazu immediately after arriving. Instead, her eyeless gaze was set on Lene. Several minutes passed like this, and only the calming sound of the trees gave Kazu entertainment while Ene stared at Lleya and Lene as if she could hear them talking. ¡°Young Hero Kazu Tomoe.¡± Her eyes broke eye contact with Lene, turning her head to Kazu. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble this one caused. She wanted to meet you as soon as possible so she broke out of her shell with her own will.¡± ¡°I see.¡± A warm smile enveloped Kazu¡¯s expression. It was a rare smile Kazu gave, an expression that never sees the light of day. ¡°Take good care of my child Young Hero Kazu Tomoe. Although I already know that you, in your heart, will do so. And also forgive her generously while she is still learning.¡± ¡°Of course I will. Our family will give her all of our hearts.¡± Kazu laughed. ¡°...¡± ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Upon receiving no comment while still being stared at, Kazu¡¯s face turns into worry. ¡°No.¡± Warmth radiated from her. It wasn¡¯t violent, it was a cozy kind of warmth that both Ene and Kazu felt. Lleya¡¯s head turned upwards and then said, ¡°No one has ever talked casually to me in a long time. It was nostalgic. There was only one being who talked to me casually before. She was my master who helped me be born into this world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazu said, ¡°She must¡¯ve been a nice person.¡± ¡°Indeed she was.¡± Her gaze dropped down back to Kazu. For a few minutes of silence, she was commentless until her eyes moved to Ene. ¡°That girl beside my daughter, may I know her name?¡± ¡°I am¡­ Ene!¡± Ene shouted. ¡°I see. Young Hero Kazu Tomoe, Ene is a special child. With you around, I am relieved that she will be always safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect both of them the best I can.¡± Kazu patted both of them. ¡°Ene, Lene, I think we shouldn¡¯t disturbed her any longer don¡¯t you think?¡± Kazu asked. Ene and Lene nodded with Ene still being awe struck. ¡°One more thing Young Hero Kazu Tomoe, if power is ever needed, go to that dungeon and one will find it.¡± She pointed to a well that was seemingly out of placed in the thick woods. Even with the trees in the way, the well stuck out like a sore thumb. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Farewell Lleya.¡± Water splashed around everywhere and the vortex that formed around Lleya swallowed her whole body. Before disappearing, Kazu heard a slight giggle that resonated from where she disappeared. Unknown to Kazu, he didn¡¯t call her any formalities in his good bye. Lleya didn¡¯t mind it and liked it enough to giggle. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Moving his body, he didn¡¯t feel anymore soreness in his muscles. He noticed the water glowed a dim green under the shade of the trees. Kazu grinned, Such a nice water spirit. ¡°Alright, who wants to be carried all the way to the house?!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°Me me me!¡± Ene had already reached Kazu¡¯s shoulder with her skillful climbing. She must do this a lot with Brett¡­ Lene on the other hand pointed her arms up towards Kazu. She jumped into Kazu¡¯s arms, carrying her into a princess carry. Her head laid onto Kazu¡¯s chest and she didn¡¯t seem to move. She fell asleep immediately after entering Kazu¡¯s arms. ¡°Ene¡­ sshhh.¡± He whispered. Ene nodded and made a gesture zipping her mouth shut. *** Arriving at the house in the outskirts of South Gate, Kazu noticed the fallen beakers and broken glass on the chemistry set Sene was using. The surrounding was quiet, too quiet¡ªthe eeriness made goosebumps on Kazu¡¯s skin.
Killing Intent Detected
Killing intent? Thats oddly new¡­ ¡°Aaaah!¡± A woman scream¡ªno, it was Sene¡¯s voice coming from the backyard. Kazu put the two down who were fast asleep from being carried, but was woken up by the scream. He ran as fast as he could to the backyard. Before entering the corner of the house to view the backyard, numerous men appeared on Kazu¡¯s vision because of his ¡°awareness¡± skill. He put a hand on his sword coming through the corner and saw Sene backed into the corner of the storage house. She had parts of her clothes ripped off and the middle of her breasts were showing. Some of the men around her looked familiar, 5 of them were. It was Adraine, Nedraine, and 3 of his lackeys along with other lackeys. ¡°Hooo, look what we have here.¡± Adraine waved his sword around to intimidate Kazu. ¡°The main dish has finally arrived, although this one won¡¯t be as tasty as the the other one.¡± ¡°Kazu, run!¡± Like hell I will! He was pinned down. If he left, they would¡¯ve done unspeakable things to Sene. Not to mention, the kids inside the house would¡¯ve been much worse. In this day of age, they would¡¯ve been all sold to slavery right after being used, kazu thought¡ªalthough he didn¡¯t know the exact situation on slavery. ¡°Mooom!¡± Ene shouted from behind Kazu. ¡°Wait wait wait wait, what¡¯s this?¡± Adraine pointed at Ene. ¡°Ned, tell me if that¡¯s really a Nayan child. Oh, and beside her, is that a water spirit?¡± ¡°Yes older brother.¡± Nedraine licked his lips. ¡°That¡¯s a jackpot!!¡± ¡°How much did you say a child was for?¡± Adraine asked. ¡°Around 1 diamond coin, last time I checked hehehe.¡± Ned answered. ¡°AH SHIT!¡± Adraine slammed his sword on the ground. ¡°Now you¡¯re just making me want that child more Ned. Why do you have to be like this?¡± ¡°Hehe, that isn¡¯t a bad thing older brother.¡± Ned pointed his sword at Ene. ¡°Hey giant, nab that child right now!¡± Without delay, the giant stomped his feet to where Ene and Kazu were situated at. Kazu drew his sword, readying to get into a fight. Ironically, his sword was out of place considering he was way bigger than it. It made it look like a short sword when he carried it, but in fact it was a long one. ¡°Scan.¡±
Status
NameGiant Lv. 28StyleEarth¡¯s Grasp
HP2940MP690
Attack Rating700-730AttackEarth¡¯s Grasp Skill Tree
Description: Known for his monstrous strength exceeding even rank B¡¯s.
Beads of sweat ran down Kazu¡¯s face. If he gets hit by the Giant, it would take at least half of his hp, and letting him hit a vital point was out of the question. The giant stampeded into Kazu¡¯s direction with his sword. Each of the giant steps seemed to shake the ground with a loud thud. Kazu readied his sword and activated << Forward Gale >>. Violent winds gathered around Kazu, then the swing of his sword thrusted that small violent typhoon towards the giant. The giant eyes widen in shock when he saw the distortion of the air. He braced himself by guarding his face with both his hands at the cost of his momentum being broken. The gust scratched up his hands and face that weren¡¯t protected by armour. It also tore away any of the thin parts of the armour in his chest. However, he wasn¡¯t blown away. Damage indicators also didn¡¯t show up, confusing Kazu. But, Kazu knew that it took a lot out of the giant to withstand that directly. His heavy breathing gave that away to Kazu. Soon enough, the Giant dropped his sword then collapsed on the ground only to keep himself up with his hands.
Beings with high intelligence will have no damage value given when damaged. Please scan again to see opponent¡¯s hp.
The popup solved Kazu¡¯s problem following the turn of events. On the other hand, Kazu knew that scanning the enemy to see minor information would risk seconds in the battle field. Those seconds can either mean life or death. However, level up ding still sounded in his head meaning that it did count as a win. But, it was no time to check his stats. ¡°What was that just now?!¡± Adraine shouted. ¡°I-i-i-I thought h-h-he was weak. I swear h-he w-w-was brother.¡± Ned¡¯s voice trembled. Adraine¡¯s face lit up like a red chili. He tightened his grip on his sword and looked at Sene. The woman close to him was the perfect hostage, all the more because she was a Nayan whom he thought were inferior beings. Suddenly, a splash of water pounced in between Adraine and Sene. Lene had formed her hands as blades, blocking Adraine¡¯s strike instinctual strike. Yet, when Lene saw Adraine¡¯s face, he was grinning. ¡°Stupid insects.¡± It was in broad daylight; Adraine¡¯s shadow wasn¡¯t where it was supposed to be. Instead, Adraine was invisible yet the shadow moved at Kazu in an alarming speed. Kazu remembered, it was one of the Hell¡¯s Demon Sect skills, Illusory Veil. It creates an illusion that does a brief set of motions, but the user was else where waiting to strike at a perfect opportunity. Kazu, was caught in that trap as Adraine was already in motion. Kazu¡¯s mind went into overload to try and get out of the situation. In his mind, he searched for every way to turn the situation around¡ªthere was only one choice that seemed like impossible to him. << Rising Wind >> Kazu activated. He aimed slightly to the left of where the shadow moved. Everything looked like in slow motion. He saw the full range of movements and saw the outline of Adraine¡¯s body twisting away in disbelief. The outline turned opaque at Adraine¡¯s sudden movement to block whatever Kazu was throwing at him. But, the strike directly hit him in his fully armoured chest. It scratched his face, and his left eye was slashed by the wind. First step, the wind gathered. Second step, the upwards swing. In the blink of an eye, both steps were executed causing a loud gale of wind to shoot up to Adraine. While he was getting knocked back, Adraine tried to move out of the way, but something kept him inside of the strong gusts. Little did he know, it was Gale¡¯s Return passive¡¯s effect. ¡°-This bastard¡± Putting one of his hands on his left eye, he looked at Kazu with serious anger. ¡°Kazu run!¡± Sene shouted. In the spur of the moment, Kazu ran into the trees, clenching his teeth at the thought of not being able to do more. Sene and the others ran the other direction ¡°Leave the women.¡± Adraine commanded. ¡°Let¡¯s take this insect who cut my eye first.¡± He tightened his grip on his sword and ran to follow Kazu inside the forest. All his lackeys followed him into the forest, including his brother. While searching, Adraine¡¯s left hand glowed green. It was a healing spell and as he put back his left hand in a comfortable position, his left eye was back to normal. Meanwhile, Kazu was out of breath from running. Up ahead, he saw an out of place well. I see¡­ He grinned. This is where I¡¯m going to die. He rested his back on the well and faced back in the direction of Sene and Brett¡¯s house. Silhouettes of men could be seen up ahead, it was the Adraine and his lackeys. His light purple hair and his violet haired brother were unique amongst the rest. They were more dangerous than all the lackeys combined. If they weren¡¯t there, Kazu was certain he would win. Adraine stepped over the tall grass into the short grassed area around the well. He had the same arrogant smile his brother had when he was about to kill Kazu. I won¡¯t be as lucky as last time... ¡°Insects like you should die like an insect. A slow, painful death.¡± Adrained whispered to him while lifting him up by his hair. ¡°Shut him up and tie him up. But first¡­¡± Adraine stabbed both of Kazu¡¯s hand right in the middle. ¡°GAAAAAH!-¡± His scream scattered the birds. Adraine smacked him right in the cheek, knocking Kazu out unconscious. ¡°Tch, so noisy. Hurry up and tie him down. Throw him down the well after.¡± He walked away to leave the trivial things to his lackeys. They did what their boss told them to do, all of them feared for their lives. Only Ned followed his brother, silently watching on to what the lackeys were doing with the body with a grin on his face. Adraine and Nedraine headed back to the house with the women. When he came back, his face distorted into a frown. He saw a solid barrier set up around the house spanning down all the way to the storage so they couldn¡¯t even loot the place. Barrier¡¯s were a tricky deal, and Adraine didn¡¯t want to try and break it. It would require twice the amount of magic needed to break a barrier. All the more, she was Sene, one of Brett¡¯s old party members. They were popular in Austere, being the only B ranks to complete S rank quests without handing them in. Yet, it was only rumors so the council couldn¡¯t send them into war. Philip Nemean was also in their side. With this conclusion, it wouldn¡¯t been better to just leave the barrier alone instead of breaking it. Their deal was already done with the black haired inferior being killed a slow death in an abandoned well. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Huh? But older brother, there are still women inside the house. If we can just break-¡± ¡°Are you a fool? Don¡¯t you see that this is an S rank barrier. Even I can¡¯t break this.¡± ¡°S rank?!¡± Ned lowered his head in defeat and walked away with his older brother. *** A few days later, Brett, Krey, Raym, and Mizz were on their way down to Brett¡¯s house. Brett carried a large bag, clanging with precious materials. Brett had a satisfied face on as they trekked their way on the road back home. ¡°Haaa, must be nice being Sene having the handsome Brett missing her everyday he¡¯s away from her.¡± Mizz commented. ¡°Not to mention the cute cute cute child Ene saying ¡°Papa!¡± everytime he comes back home.¡± Raym added. ¡°Err¡­¡± Before answering, Brett gave up and sighed. Then Brett¡¯s eyes widen in both surprise and worry. Entering the corner of where the house was at, Brett dropped the stuff he was carrying and so did the others. They saw the marks of a fight happening and the emergency barrier was set up, it was a no-brainer that something happened. The signature ¡°Papa!¡± shout from Ene wasn¡¯t heard. ¡°Sene! Let me in!¡± Brett banged on the barrier. The barrier disappeared following Brett¡¯s shout. Brett, along with the others, barged into the house. They saw Sene collapse on the floor while Ene rested on the sofa. Ene woke up scratching her eyes. Then, her eyes bawled into once she saw Brett ¡°Papa¡­ uuuuu.¡± She ran to Brett crying her eyes out. Brett picked her up, carrying her as she cried on his shoulder. He came closer to Sene, supporting her head up with his free hand. ¡°Sene, what happened?¡± Brett asked. ¡°Kazu¡­ save him..¡± She fell unconscious after saying those few words. ¡°Ene, its alright hush hush, don¡¯t cry.¡± Brett stroked her back to comfort her. ¡°You have to tell papa what happened Ene. Be strong.¡± Ene nodded. ¡°Uuu¡­ they to-took broth-ther¡± ¡°Point where.¡± Brett pleaded Ene. She pointed towards the abandoned well, Brett knew where it was perfectly was. ¡°Raym, stay with Sene. It looks like she held up the barrier for 2 days straight.¡± Brett commanded. Nodding to Brett¡¯s command, Raym went over to Sene and picked her up to lay her down the sofa. On the sofa, a blue gem sat. It was the same gem that the water spirit gave Kazu. ¡°Nnn!¡± Ene shouted at Raym reaching her hand for the gem. As Raym didn¡¯t want to delay the situation, she gave it to Ene who immediately embraced the gem as if it were a living thing. The rest rushed to the abandoned well, following Brett closely. Swiving through the forest, they saw the well up ahead. There was blood dry blood on the green grass and drippings of it going inside the well. ¡°Brett, this is¡­¡± Krey muttered. ¡°They threw him down the well. Shit!¡± Brett kicked the side of the well causing a loud bang. The birds around flew away at the sudden noise. Brett, without saying anything, dragged his feet back to the house. ¡°That wasn¡¯t really a well. Its a teleporter leading to the Ephermal dungeon. I looked at it and it was dead. It could take a few months for that thing to recharge.¡± Putting Ene down, Brett grabbed his shield and sword. He placed his sword at his waist and his shield behind his back. ¡°Brett!¡± Mizz stopped him by his arms. ¡°Are you really going? That¡¯s suicide you know!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Brett shook her hand off. ¡°You can¡¯t stop me.¡± ¡°For all you know, he could be de-¡± BANG! Her last word was interrupted by Brett slamming his fist on the wall. ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± He sighed and then said, ¡°He¡¯s family. Everyone in this house is family. I would all do the same for all of you.¡± ¡°Lad¡­¡± Krey readied his warhammer at his waist causing a clanging of metals. ¡°I¡¯m going with ya.¡± As if her lips were sealed, Mizz couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯m going with you too.¡± Coming from upstairs, Raym¡¯s foot steps on the stairs sounded loud. ¡°Brother¡­*sniff* you gotta save him¡­*sniff* Dad¡­!¡± She snuggled her face onto Brett¡¯s leg to try and hide her bawling face. ¡°Fine! I¡¯m going too.¡± Summoning up her courage, Mizz finally shouted out her stance. ¡°That kid¡­ he better be alive.¡± ¡°He will be.¡± Brett clenched his fists. ¡°He¡¯s a strong one.¡± ***
Convertion 6% 7% . . 8% 9% 10%
Artifact ¡°Extended¡± Status now [active]
Location: Right Wing, Church of Fae, Ephermal Dungeon. Austere City, Astera Kingdom.
Kazu woke up with a sore body. Darkness engulfed his vision. The only relief he had was the loose rope tying down his hands. He twisted his hand around until it finally came off. Soon enough, he got used to the dark and was met with a familiar yet different scene. The room was decorated like the place where he teleported from in the dungeon he came from. He looked down. Sure enough, he laid on a teleporter similar to the one that transported him to safety. His face became grim as he saw the non-existent beating of the teleporter. It was dead. Next Chapter >> ############# If you see any mistakes or things that can be improved, please let me know. They''re important! Thanks for reading. The story also reached half way point of hte arc. 36.5k words in total since this chapter and averaging at 4k words per chapter so far! Edit: BB codes seen to bug out after 5k words. Editting posts adds random stupid bb codes around the place. Chapter 10 (Revised) Chapter 10 (Revised!) Dim light outside seeped in from the cracks of the door. The air was cold, and the moisture in the air ran rampant. Water droplets crashed on to the stone floor creating an eerie atmosphere. The howling wind didn¡¯t alleviate the goosebumps on his arms nor the chill passing through his spines. There was also a musty smell in the air As he stepped off of the platform of the teleporter, his shoes came into contact with the sticky floor. Dark red liquid clung on to his shoes each time he stepped. Each step released crunching noise sound; it was the maggots getting squashed by his feet. When he saw this, he let out a gag, holding on to his stomach to stop himself from vomiting. He jumped over the rotting flesh being eaten by maggots onto dry floor. He thought to himself, if the ropes were tied any tighter, that would have been him in a month. He came closer to the door, bending over to put his ear on top of it. Metal chains clanging against each other could be heard, but they were far. It was as if he was in an abandoned prison in the medieval era. Both soft whispers and shrieking screams echoed throughout the hallway. The atmosphere was much different from the place he was summoned in. Compared to the haunted house feeling of the previous location he was in, this area of the labyrinth felt more like a haunted insane asylum. Suddenly, large foot steps from behind the door crashed loudly against the stone floor. It was going in the direction of where Kazu was at. << Stealth >> He hid around the corner of the medium sized room, activating his skill to hide his presence. Once again looking at his arms, it was translucent. It was a feeling that he could never get used to; a feeling of being invisible. The door slammed opened, a giant ogre standing 3 and a half meter tall. Huge pustules on its back spurted out white liquid; it smelled worse than the rotting flesh in front of the platform. It sweeped the rotting corpse away from the platform and then examined it. Its eyes was fixated on the runes; though, seeing as how the eyes were blankly staring at the platform, it looked more like the ogre was pretending it knew what to do, Kazu thought. Kazu took this chance to scan the monster while it was distracted.
Status
NameOgre Lv. 45TypeEarth
HP9563MP169
Attack Rating???AttackClub Swings
Description: An ugly looking giant.
After examining the platform, the ogre looked around the room like it was doing a perimeter check. The ogre turned its body around, then Its eyes centered on the corner where Kazu was at. Am I found out already?! But the moment Kazu thought that, the giant ogre sighed, drifting his view away from where he sat. Its shoulders drooped after sighing again. With its heavy footsteps, it crushed the whole corpse it swept earlier with one foot. It left through where it came from, leaving an echoing trail of loud thuds on the ground from each step it took. After a few minutes passed by and the large steps finally disappeared into the distance, Kazu, crouching in the corner, stood up wiping the sweat running down his cheeks. He walked back to the platform to see what the ogre was looking at. Unsurprised, there was nothing interesting about the platform that he didn¡¯t already know. He tiptoed his way to the door that the ogre left open. Before peeking his head out the door, he observed the noises around the area first to make sure that he was certain no one will be just around the corner ready to chop his head off. After making sure of that, he peeked his eyes around the corners of the large doorway that was enough to fit a 3 and a half meter man. Ghastly sounds came from both directions. Whispers came from the left and shrieking screams came from the right; both had metal chains clanging around as if the chains were being dragged on the floor. The hallway had chandeliers giving off a bit of light. Each chandelier were far apart from each other making them look like moons in the darkness of the dungeon. Following his instincts, Kazu decided to take the right path instead of the left path. He felt that there was something wrong in the voices of ghastly whispers and giggles. On the other hand, the screams were more honest because they were screams of pain. Kazu would rather die of pain and knowing his enemies¡¯ face rather than die from the fear of the unknown. Going down the right path, there were numerous bones scattered on the floor; some were thick and big, some were the size of a human. However, they all had one similarity: they were all cleaned to the bone. Even from afar, the bones had teeth marks on them meaning that something killed their prey, then ate them all the way to their bones. The endless corridor with the endless amount of rooms seemed to go on forever. But after wandering a bit more with his stealth ability, just to be sure, he came across an intersection in the hallway. The chandelier lighting up the intersection was brighter than the previous ones in the middle of the hallways. It was bright enough to see the floor. Kazu didn¡¯t know whether the floor was originally red, but that was the colour of it. *Step step* Mild foot steps from down the intersection echoed through the hallway causing a slight shock to Kazu¡¯s nerves. By instinct, his legs sprang him towards the nearest room just as the steps were about to reach the corner of the intersecting hallways. He entered a room without a door¡ªalthough unlucky, he took it anyways. That was when Kazu noticed something. Even though he was already hiding behind the room, he could see their silhouette through the walls. It was his awareness ability that activated on its own. Through his hearing, he could tell where their exact location was, shown as outline silhouettes. Their figures were humanoid meaning they could be friendly. However, that thought disappeared the moment one of the humanoids spoke. ¡°Ss¡­ Kill everything that moves. Hisss¡­¡± ¡ªThe monster spoke in a weird snake-like voice. It sounded like something a human couldn¡¯t make which made Kazu wonder how he understood them. The monsters split apart and one headed to the direction Kazu was in. As it got closer, Kazu tried to get information from it through the wall. << Scan >>
Can¡¯t scan through obstructed view.
Tch. Kazu didn¡¯t know the status of the creature. However, since they were shorter in height and slimmer than himself, he might stand a chance against them. It was all based on his confidence the other day. He was sure that if he got the upper hand, he would win. So with that said, he picked up a rock big enough¡ªa pre-emptive strike could decide the whole fight. He only needed one strike at the head of the creature and it¡¯ll be game over for it. After knocking it out, interrogating it would be a good idea. Kazu thought. Being able to understand its language means that he too could talk to it. He could hear his own heart beating loud enough to drown out the silence, shrieks, and whispers in the air. The closer and closer it gets, the louder his heart beated. He tightened his grip on the rock and clenched his teeth for the upcoming action. And finally, the silhouette was about to cross the doorway to get in range¡ª ¡°ROAAAAAAARRHHGGG!!!¡± A dinosaur like shout came from the left direction of the hallway. It shook the glasses, the walls, and the chandeliers.
Afraid Effects: 10% decrease in stats for 10 minutes.
THUD THUD THUD THUD. The giant steps ran towards the man in a sprint. He also saw the outline of the hostile ogre coming at an incredible speed. It was carrying a massive club the size of a tree trunk. The posture of the ogre was similar¡­ it was the ogre from earlier when Kazu was in the teleporter room! As soon as it got close enough to the man, it jumped. It put its club behind it for a downwards smash at the man. BAAAM. A loud explosion shook the entire area¡ªno, it felt like it shook the whole dungeon. Dust clouds covered the entire doorway. However, due to Kazu¡¯s ability of awareness, he could still see the 2 silhouette outlines. Even before the dust cloud dissipated, the ogre picked up its club in a leisure way like the battle was over¡ªas if it thought it had already won. But from Kazu who could see the outlines, he saw that the ogre actually missed which means the ogre couldn¡¯t see because of the dust clouds. ¡°Hiss.. stupid upper level beings Ssss¡­¡± The dust cloud settled when the man said that. It put the towering ogre back into its combat stance. There, Kazu saw the man¡¯s appearance under the dim lighting. It had no face. Apart from wearing loose robes, it had nothing else which caused confusion in Kazu. How does it defend itself? He wondered. The ogre took another swing at the monster, but the strike didn¡¯t hit the target. It had moved on top of its giant tool, the wooden club. ¡°GRAAAARGHHH.¡± With its free hand, it tried to grab on to the monster as it stood on its club. Again, the ogre missed. The monster this time was situated just beside the club. This time, the ogre tried a different approach. Upon getting both its hand on the handle, it immediately set off the club into motion sideways towards the monster. The scraping noises hurt Kazu¡¯s ears, but the fight continued. ¡°Sss¡­ stupid¡± The monster twisted its body, jumping 4 meters into the air. It was now face to face with the ogre. The ogre¡¯s eyes turned red in anger. Kazu could see the veins popping out of its eyes as if it was kill or die. On the other hand, the monster, while still in the air, its hands grew like tentacles. The monster whipped at the ogre¡¯s face. Surprisingly, it was blocked by its armoured hands. It took another swing upwards at the monster who was still in the air. The monster¡¯s body twisted mid air to change its direction then landing on the wall. Immediately after landing, it shot itself towards the ogre landing right beside its leg in a blink of an eye. A huge smile cracked open on its face, ranging from where its left ear should be all the way to the right ear. Its mouth showed numerous needle like teeth, smiling and staring at the leg of the ogre. With its tendril like arms, it swept it across the ogre¡¯s legs creating the sound of a blade cutting through flesh. No, it was more painful than that. It was as if the whip sliced the flesh into two halves. With that, the ogre fell on the ground, still fighting for its life. It tried to claw at the monster, but it was too fast. The monster got into some distance from the ogre. Then it made a spring like shape with its tendril like hand. It sprung it to stab a hole right in the middle of the ogre¡¯s head. What followed was a perfect empty circle showing the insides of the ogre¡¯s brain. Once the ogre collapsed dead on the floor, its brain matter and blood spurted out of its head. Everything that happened was too fast, yet Kazu¡¯s eyes could keep up with every movement each monster made. When he woke up earlier too, he felt his body was lighter than before, much to his surprise since he woke up from being beaten to a pulp by Adraine. However, it wasn¡¯t the time to check his stats and figure out why the things were happening in his body. In his current situation, he needed to be the most alert as he can be. ¡°Sss kukuku Hiss¡­¡± Kazu¡¯s body trembled at the terrifying horror before him. With his eyes seeing more detail than before, he saw every pore on the blank face of the monster. The fresh blood dripping from its hands made Kazu¡¯s heart thump wildly. << Scan>> Even then, he had to scan it to know; otherwise, if he had no information about it, he would be the one to die like that ogre.
Status
NameTainted Ghoul Lv. 51TypeUndead
HP5850MP3375
Attack Rating???Attack???
Description: The creature that lurks in the shadows of the night. A non-existent face which plants the seeds of nightmares within humanity.
The ghoul stood there with the easy victory. It licked its lips after lifting up one of the legs of the ogre it just killed. The leg was ridden with pustules, yet it didn¡¯t seem to care as if it''s non-existent eyes stared at something delicious. Opening its mouth, the hundred needle like teeth dug into to the leg, biting off a large chunk of the flesh. It ate in at an amazing speed leaving only the bone of the leg to be visible. The teeth marks it gave to the bone were familiar, they were the teeth mark that was left behind on the bones scattered around the hallway. It meant that these beings were the ones ¡°eating¡± the prey in the hallways. The word ¡°prey¡± echoed loudly in Kazu¡¯s mind. This world operated in the rules of jungle¡ªsurvival of the fittest; Kill or be killed. Weakness: the word that grinded Kazu¡¯s mind into numbness. It dropped his heart into a despair knowing he himself is weak. But, what is it to be strong? Kazu asked. The answer was obvious to him: it was to be able to survive no matter what situation is. It was because he was weak that he was discriminated on. Because he was weak that led harm to his loving family and even hurting the one who he cared about the most. And because he was weak that he ended up in this cold dark hell. With this in mind, Kazu didn¡¯t hate the people who discriminated against him. ¡ªHe hated himself for being weak. However, that didn¡¯t mean couldn¡¯t exact revenge. He didn¡¯t hate Adraine because he was just following the rules. Kazu hated Adraine simply because he was a top class asshole. This and that are different. Not hating him because of the rules of the jungle and hating him because of personal reasons; that¡¯s how Kazu concluded it. But right now, an indomitable force was in front of him. All he could do to get strong was survive which meant not giving out his position. By the time he shrugged off his momentary monologue, the ghoul had already consumed the whole ogre. Only the bones and the stench was left. Soon enough, the ghoul left, walking towards the path it originally intended on walking. His foot steps were light as if he walked in leisure; as if it thought it was invincible. Was it allowed to do that? Yes, it was. Because strength was what let it do whatever it wants. Its footsteps disappeared into the darkness, but Kazu didn¡¯t go out yet. He knew that its steps were more silent than the ogres so waiting a few more minutes to go out would be a good idea for safety. As he got out of the door, the stench of the dead ogre left him gagging for air. Finally not able to keep up with his gagging, he let out a hurl of bile. After throwing up, he set up his awareness to its maximum to make sure no one heard him. Lucky for him, there was nothing, and his vomit was drowned out by the screams and whispers in the eerie hallway. He distanced himself away from the empty carcass of the ogre to prevent himself from making the same mistake. Next was to plan his route. There were 3 routes he can take, straight ahead, left, right, and going back was not an option. The ghoul that was with the other ghoul in this intersection went straight ahead. Thinking like this, Kazu didn¡¯t want to go straight just to meet up with that ghoul. His only options were either left and right. But those options too were shattered as he saw the red light in the distance just straight ahead. It was a red velvet like light seeping in from a crack on the wall. From the distance, he could not tell whether there was a door leading to the room where the crack was in. However, going straight ahead would mean that he may meet up with the ghoul. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Not only that, the shrieks were coming from the direction of the light. Yet, there was a discerning voice in amidst those screams. *sob sniff sob* Kazu heard a woman crying. The cry was more of sadness rather than pain. Its tone was very innocent; not yet defiled. Kazu couldn¡¯t be helped but be entranced by the voice. Not because it was a sweet voice of a woman, but because the voice of the sobbing was familiar. He was sure he had heard this voice before, yet he can¡¯t point his finger directly at where. He tiptoed along the corridor to make as little noise as possible along with his stealth skill. Kazu was almost half way there, halfway to the red velvet light on wall. But, as he thought, it wouldn¡¯t go smoothly. The screams kept coming closer and closer to where he was. Clashes of metal, flesh being cut, walls crumbling, all of these sounds came closer to him with each step. It was as if it was they were coming to him instead of him coming to them. Ignoring the noise, Kazu persisted on with his trek towards the light. And then at last, he was in front of the crack in the wall that seeped out the red velvet light. The sound of the woman¡¯s cry was as clear as day. And now, he peeked through the cavity. There, he sees a mountain of bones. On top of that mountain of bones, a rusted sword stood up above. Kazu looked up even further to see the ghost like woman floating while crying. What amazed Kazu wasn¡¯t because he saw a ghost, but because the woman was an exact replica of what Aiko looked like. Her slender shoulders, small yet attractive chest, thin arms, perfect V shape cuteness of the face could not be other than Aiko herself. The only difference was the hair being pure silver and her eye colour being gold with a sparkle of amethyst purple. BAAAAAM! Behind him, dust cloud rose up from the impact on the floor. What dropped was the body of the ghoul that separated from the ghoul earlier. The ghoul got up from the floor, immediately jumping backwards as if to avoid something. In an instant, a large pole impaled itself onto the floor where the ghoul was at before. There, a large four legged spider with the body of a bee appeared from above landing right in front of the pole. Its four legs supported the oversized body of the bee standing at 2 and a half meters tall. The ghoul on the other hand was shorter and slimmer than Kazu himself. << Scan >>
Status
NameLord of the 2nd Floor, Euopth Lv 63.TypeHomunculus
HP9450MP315
Attack Rating???AttackStinger, Kick
Description: The boss of the 2nd floor in the Ephermal Labyrinth Dungeon.
It was 12 levels higher than the ghoul. This level difference could be seen in the fight. When the ghoul whipped its two tendril like arms at the monster, they were flung backwards and was met with a counter attack in the shape of a projectile pole. It shot the poles through its oversized stinger. The ghoul tried to dodge the pole, but it was too slow. One of the legs of Euopth kicked the ghoul in mid air, making it bounce on the walls like a ball. Upon landing on the floor, the ghoul squirmed to run away, screaming like it depended on its life. On the other hand, the four legged monster casually walked over to the squirming ghoul. Deciding to end its misery, it fired a pole right at the ghoul¡¯s head. As soon as Kazu thought it was over, its stinger pointed itself towards Kazu. On the stinger, it had orbs that had pupils meaning those must be its eyes. They stared at where Kazu was. It can see me? However, it moved slowly like it wasn¡¯t sure whether something was there or there was nothing there. At this point, the stinger was near Kazu¡¯s head. The mouth of the stinger opened to reveal a sharp pole that looked like steel. The pointed end almost touched Kazu¡¯s forehead. ¡°KURRAAAAK¡± A scream from straight ahead echoed. The stinger did fire, but it missed. With his new found reflexes, Kazu dodged it by moving his body a bit to the right. The stinger¡¯s eyes were no longer at Kazu and was now staring at the darkness down the hallway. Suddenly, it jumped up on to the wall. Following that, it sprinted along the wall causing loud tremors and shaking the chandeliers. Kazu knew this behaviour. It was the behaviour shown by animals when they were at war. He didn¡¯t know why nor does he want to know. There were also signs on the walls about past battles. Kazu turned his head back and saw what the stinger did to the wall. He was glad that the stinger had fired anyway. Earlier, he had already found out that the room he wanted to get in had no door. Seeing the stinger had made the gap in the crack wider, he was now able to fit himself in to squeeze through it. However, when he tried to squeeze through the large hole in the wall, he felt a burning sensation when he got too near the stinger. Stepping back a bit, he put one hand forward to see if the stinger had acidic properties. As his hand got nearer, the burning sensation became stronger making him retract his hand in a hurry. All he has to do now was avoid the stinger. The wall was big enough to go through it even with the stinger. Kazu twisted his body sideways to squeeze through the cavity on the wall. He kept his distance away from the stinger with care. His nose felt a bit of burning, but it was mild. Squeezing through inch by inch, he held his breath. Finally succeeding, he let out a big sigh knowing that there weren¡¯t any monsters here through his awareness skill. Trotting towards the rusted sword, he noticed that the woman wasn¡¯t there anymore. Kazu turned his head in rapid succession to see where she was in the room. The awareness skill didn¡¯t detect her earlier which caused a shock to him. Despite him looking around the room, it was empty. Loneliness wrapped itself around his heart. The trek to this room felt like days of being alone. Even then, he continued forward. He stepped over the unidentifiable bones littered around the room, making his way over to the rusted sword. When he got there, he saw a familiar envelope just beside the rusted sword. He picked up the envelope that read ¡°To Kazu Tomoe.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but let out a solemn smile where no one could see it. Slow tears ran down his cheeks, relieved of finding his last memory of Japan. Setting his eyes on the rusted sword, it didn¡¯t look like it was usable. It was a little bit shorter than the sword Brett gave him and the rust had seeped into the metal of the blade. Yet Kazu felt something weird about the blade. At any rate, he didn¡¯t have a choice whether to take the sword or not. It was the only weapon he could find. Wrapping his hand around the hilt of the rusted sword, he felt a strange sensation. Yes, it was a pulse. The rusted sword had a pulse, but it was weak. << Scan >>
Status
NameRusted SwordTypeLong Sword (?)
Durability13/100
Rarity???
Attack Rating???Attack???
Description: An ominous sword.
Passive Effect: 25% Lifesteal.
What the¡­? Kazu scratched his head. Maybe I need a higher scan level to identify the unknown properties¡­ An even larger question dawned on him when the << Wanderer¡¯s Wind >> activated when he gripped the sword. The sword was shorter than sword Brett gave him, yet it activated the passive effect. Kazu swung the sword around and sure enough, it created gusts of wind just like what the skill described. BOOOOM! The wall exploded into rubbles. Kazu stared at the dust cloud, waiting for it to settle. As soon as it settled, his heart dropped. It was the disgusting four legged spider Euopth. ¡°GRRAAAAAAARKKK¡± It screeched in a frequency that made Kazu¡¯s ears ring in pain. Clenching his teeth, he pciked up the rusted sword beside him and tightened his grip on it. He readied himself for the fight that might decide his fate. I WILL SURVIVE!
Afraid debuff removed
<< Rising Wind >> Kazu decided on a pre-emptive strike while the monster was screeching. The scenery in his eyes changed in rapid succession, much faster than before. He crashed into the already broken wall and a bit of his hp took a blow. Euopth took this chance and launched a projectile at Kazu. Kazu saw the projectile coming at him like it was in slow motion. Every detail in the air, every light refraction, every spec of dust, he saw it. So, he jumped again to move away from the projectile¡¯s path. Upon jumping, away, he hit another wall due to his uncontrollable new strength. More of his hp came down as. Just from the crashes alone, it took 632 and 444 damage. Since he hasn¡¯t seen his new stats yet, his hp should have been red barred by now. Yet the bar on the top of his view didn¡¯t even move. ¡°KRORRAAAAAAAK!¡± Euopth let out another massive scream, shaking the area they stood in. Kazu took this chance, he ran away. He jumped towards the broken wall, jumping over the large boulder made from the rubble. There, he saw the intersection while Euopth was hot on his tail. He dashed forward to the intersection and once he landed in the middle, he jumped sideways. To the beast behind him, when he landed on the intersection, it looked like he disappeared into a blur. Euopth squirmed itself around the walls of the intersection desperately looking for its prey, but Kazu was no where to be seen. With its insufficient intelligence, it had no idea where the prey went and soon enough, Euopth became bored. He went back into hunting the ghouls that littered the dungeon. *** The humidity in the room was high and dripping water dropped on to the floor making an irritating noise in Kazu¡¯s ears. It was a rather large room, big enough to fit about 50 people which meant this was a mini-hall. Chandeliers across the ceiling lit up the place with a dim light, but it was not enough to see the condition of the floor; after all, the ceiling was 20 meters high in this room compared to the 10 meter high ceilings outside of the room.The dungeon didn¡¯t make sense, nor did it make you want to understand its structure. Kazu, with wide eyes, finally came to his senses after almost getting killed by a monster. ¡°Status¡± It was his first thought.
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level13
HP4462/5538
MP4668/4668
Strength217Vitality185
Wisdom166Intelligence173
Agility220Stamina211
Endurance250Luck13
Phys. R4293Mag. R.5117
Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status" [Active]
Skill list:
  • Stealth (3)
    • Sneak
    • Assassinate (3)
  • Observe (3)
    • Identify
    • Scan (3)
  • Wanderer¡¯s Thousand Wind Skill Tree Spoiler :
    • C - Rising Wind Blade (active) Lv. 2
    • B - Forward Gale (active) Lv. 1
    • C - Gale''s Return (passive) Lv. 1
    • C - Tenth Slice (passive )Lv. 1
    • D - Shockwave (active) Lv. Inactive
    • A - Fool¡¯s Wind (active) Lv. Inactive
    • A - Wanderer¡¯s Wind (passive) Lv. 1
What the hell are these insane stats?! He shouted in his mind. He tried clicking the Artifact Status icon, but it was grayed out. All it said was that ¡°It was now active.¡± Irritation once again swelled up but at the same time, a rush of relief. He couldn¡¯t click the status, but he knew it was the cause of the significant increase in his condition. The rusted sword in his hand was also mysterious. Even though it was rusted, its double sided blade was razor sharp. The only downside to it was that the durability was almost 0. It also activated << Wanderer¡¯s Wind >> passive which was exclusive to a type of weapon. But what brought the mystery all together was that it had a pulse. It felt like it had a beating heart, like it was alive. It reminded Kazu of the ghost that was crying. Kazu shook his thoughts away before goosebumps started showing up. So, in the empty room, he brought himself to the middle. There were 4 pillars lined up for him to test his control on his own strength. Once again, he readied himself. He jumped forward aiming at the spot where the 4th pillar stood. The images in his vision rapidly changed¡ªBAM. He crashed into the wall with no idea what happened. The distance he wanted to jump was about the same distance his << Rising Wind >> was used on the dummy. He repeated it multiple times so the amount of strength he needed was correct. Yet, it was not correct. He knew it was the cause of the new stats. The new stats altered his body and the conversion was also altering his body without consent. He picked himself up from the crater he caused on the wall. It took about 400 hp of his life when he crashed, but he didn¡¯t care about that. Right now, he focused all his mind to understand his new power and to control it. Otherwise, survival through this hell would be the last of his worry. He punched the wall beside him causing a sizeable crater on it. Again, he was shocked at his sudden found strength. Next Chapter >> ############## If you see any mistakes, clunky word structure, or anything that can be improved on, tell me! Thanks for reading. Do note about the last chapter with his conversion, so don¡¯t be baffled about the stat changes. (Wait, what am I saying... Arifureta has even more ridiculous stat gains...) Ty for FirstDragon for feedback. Updates + Info This thread will keep track of updates and miscellaneous information regarding the fiction. This thread will also answer questions about the story. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ---- April 22, 2015 - Restart of series May 11, 2015 - Revised Chapter 10 June 18, 2015 - Revised Chapter 1 (Prologue) Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Small rocks fell on the floor causing mild noises in the mini hall he stood in. The crater on the wall still had his fist lodged in it; it was a sight he thought wasn¡¯t possible with his strength just days ago. Strength wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed in him; his hearing, smell, and touch also became much more sensitive than before. It explained the boost that his awareness skill took, being able to even form an outline through a wall and all. Now that he became aware of the changes in his body, whether he wants it or not, he was left no choice but to adapt to it. Survival is the one thing left in his mind; adapting to the situation became the most important course of action as of now. Otherwise, fighting his way out of the dungeon is but a fleeting dream. 4 pillars sat in each side of the room; it was a perfect spot to practice his control over his movements. The 4 pillars became landmarks. On each of these pillars, Kazu would jump to the landmark to practice the amount of strength he required on set distances. Moving his body just before the first pillar which marks the first landmark, he expanded the range of his awareness to its maximum. The feeling of knowing everything that was happening in his surroundings made Kazu feel at ease. Every drip of water and every breeze of wind that passed through the hallways, his awareness carried all of that information back to Kazu. Everything that happened over 6 rooms away, Kazu felt it. Now satisfied with the ease of no monsters being near him, Kazu set his eyes on practicing his control. Seeing that even a little amount of power in his legs would send him flying, his first landmark would be the 4th one which was around 20 meters away. Just on the foot of the pillar, a line he drew earlier sat just beside it. He readied himself looking at the where that line, the landmark. Then, putting strength on one of his legs, he jumped forward aiming at the line. Wind from the sudden speed blew his hair apart. The first pillar sat 5 meters away from where he started, but the amount of strength he put in his jump made it feel like it was as easy feat. Back in Japan during his high school, no one ever passed 5 meters in long jump. Yet, his body was still being propelled by the force of his jump. Now he was nearing the 2nd pillar marked at 10 meters. However, his speed still didn¡¯t drop and quickly passed the 2nd pillar. The 3rd pillar marked at 15 meters also passed in a blink of an eye after the 2nd pillar was passed. His eyes caught all of this as he observed with his new found reflexes which made everything seem like slow motion. Now at the 4th pillar, his body felt like it wasn¡¯t going to stop soon and the last stop was the wall at 25 meters. Even though it didn¡¯t do much damage, it still hurt. He stuck his foot to try and force a stop. Upon doing that, he skidded trying to stop his own momentum. It created a line like scar on the floor and also causing some scratching noises along the stone paved floor. His body just stopped right before the wall, preventing him from taking any damage or getting hurt. Continuing on, Kazu walked back to his original starting point. His eyes furrowed and his lips in a smirk, If it isn¡¯t this hard, then it wouldn¡¯t be worth it, he thought. He turned his head to look at his pants. The new pair of pants that were bought with Sene¡¯s money were now in tatters. Clenching his fist, he readied himself again for another attempt. As his body dropped down into a sprint stance, he rhythmed his breathing just like before when he learned about the skill tree. Then, in a burst of strength, he jumped towards the 4th pillar. However, this time, he didn¡¯t try to put just enough strength needed to go to that point. Instead, he aimed to stop himself by creating an opposing force to stop his own momentum. The first 3 pillars flashed before his eyes and upon arriving at the 4th pillar, he kicked the ground opposite of the direction he was going in. It created a gust, but not enough to create a noise. Kazu, again, skidded along the floor with a failed attempt at neutralizing his movement. His body stopped a meter before hitting the 25 meter mark of the wall. The last attempt he made, his head was just a hairline away from the wall. Even though it was not what he was looking for, it was still progress. Even more so because it was a new method. Again, Kazu placed himself back on the starting point. Repeating the sequence of actions from before, he was now a meter and a half away from the wall. Going back again on the starting point, he repeatedly practiced the simple movement again and again for hours. Crasshhh! Sometimes he would overshoot and other times causing him to crash on the wall. ¡°Oof!¡± Sometimes he would trip. ¡°Dammit!¡± And other times, he would undershoot the amount of strength he needed. But gradually with each repeat, his landing was inching its way to his desired landmark. The wind howled loneliness of not being able to talk in this dark place gave him a sense of determination. To go back to the light with his own strength drove his determination into insane levels. ¡ªKazu himself didn¡¯t know whether his own sanity was chipping away with each minute that passed by from his training. So after a few more hours after a countless attempts, Kazu was now able to land on the 4th pillar with perfect precision. The range between the 4th pillar and the wall became rubble because of those countless attempts. Now, all he needed to do was aim for the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st pillar. So again, he repeated the grind. He knew that everything depended on movement. Without it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to activate his current bread and butter skill: Rising Wind. So, investing a couple of more hours into practicing movement, he set his goal to be able to land on each mark he placed. This time, however, it took considerably less amount of time to get the amount of precision he wanted. If he had used around 4 hours to take the 4th pillar, it took him less than 3 hours to land on the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st pillars. Once again to confirm himself of his own mastery, he rushed to the 4th pillar, then placed himself back to the starting line. Then to the 3rd, and then to the 2nd. Kazu looked at the 1st pillar¡¯s line. Through out all these dashes, he had used a consistent amount strength meaning he used the same amount of strength for 4th, 3rd, and 2nd. The trick he used was to stop based on timing instead of using just enough force to land on a certain spot. The first pillar, in this case, was by far the hardest one to handle. It was too close and required very little room for error. So, breathing in, he prepared for the his last dash until he can finally say that he¡¯s mastered his own body. He exhaled, then his body flung into the air almost instantly reaching the 1st pillar. In that moment, with near perfect execution, his momentum stopped right at the 1st pillar¡¯s line.
Wanderer¡¯s Thousand Winds Footwork intermediate skill partial unlock.
Wanderer¡¯s Thousand Winds Footwork (passive) Lv. Max Description: Sudden changes in body composition will now instantly adapt to current muscle memory. 2 Disabled effects hidden.
With this, Kazu gave a heartfelt smile at the effort he put in. Wiping off his sweat, he read the dialogue that just popped up. His eyes furrowed as he read the description. The wording wasn¡¯t specific much like the other mastery passives he discovered. Trying out what the description said, he jumped up as he normally would just before the sudden change in his body. Much to his surprise, the jump didn¡¯t go very high. He reached a normal height as he didn¡¯t put any strength or effort into the jump. It was the same amount that he was able to jump just before he was put into this dungeon by Adraine. Kazu sighed in defeat asking, Then what have I been doing up until now¡­ Nevertheless, he tried jumping once more just to touch the ceiling above which was 20 meters high. He put just enough strength into his legs and jumped up while looking at the ceiling. Just before his head reached the ceiling, his momentum slowed down and his head touched the ceiling just by a hairline. Yet, it wasn¡¯t time to be rejoicing. A sense of weightlessness dawned on him. The feeling of the mid stop before the fall when one jumps up. And when his body stopped in mid air, he was left with a distance of 20 meters between him and the floor. Even though he won¡¯t take that much hp damage, the impact from the floor will still hurt him as much as it does normally. ¡°Wait¡­ no no no noo!¡± Panicking in his mind, he grabbed the rusted sword on his waist and swung around it around mid air with no clue as to what to do. His face twisted into an ugly knot as he watched the floor come closer. After figuring out panicking won¡¯t help him from the hurt, his eyes turned to the pillar just beside him and back to his sword. Kazu swung his sword at the pillar, impaling it to slow down his descent. Small rocks flew down his face as the sword skidded vertically through the pillar, but it was still much better than receiving the pain from the impact with the floor. Just before the floor, his body came to a complete halt from the fall. Kazu gave our a big sigh of relief. A smile formed on his face right after the sigh. The skill he received was much more remarkable than he thought. It allowed him to be able to exert the exact amount of force he needed to arrive at the destination. Of course, only if it was within his capacity. Although right now, he didn¡¯t know how far he can dash to or how high he can jump. Shrugging off his excitement, he stepped back on the starting point on behind the 1st pillar. Looking at each pillars from 1st to 4th, he wanted to test whether he can apply his precision to Rising Wind. Again, he rhythmed his breathing and dashed off to start the first sequence of the skill. Upon reaching the desired distance in the blink of an eye, the second sequence initiated through muscle memory. Stomping his foot on the ground to stop all the momentum and transferring it to the tip of the blade slashing upwards from the ground, the sword reached its peak height creating a sharp noise caused by the wind hurling upwards in razor sharp like forms. Kazu could see the formless sharp shapes of the wind gusting upwards in a violent gale. If there was ever an object in front of him, he would be sure that whatever it was would be minced. This was the Rising Wind skill. And now that he got a boost in strength, the wind was more violent than before. Even he, himself, was scared of it. The grind continued. Stepping back to the starting spot, the aim this time was the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st pillars. Both 3rd and 2nd pillars were easy to reach. Although it took 4 attempts to clear the 2nd pillar. The first pillar being the closest one would be the hardest one. And in the end, clearing the 1st pillar took more than 10 attempts. Finally satisfied with his control, Kazu decided to lay down his back on one of the pillars. He was far away from the front entrance of the mini hall. The front entrance door was where he came from and should be where Euopth would be. Should the monster ever come, there was a back door a few steps away from where Kazu sat at. It was a different door that led to a different part of the labyrinth, but he still decided that it was his escape route. Just as he was about to rest, few steps from the front door resonated along the hallways. This information was brought to Kazu¡¯s attention with no lag. As a result of the imminent danger, he hid behind the pillar and waited for the monsters. His eyes narrowed as the door opened with a creaking sound. A total of 3 zombies with tattered clothes dragged in their feet into the mini hall. << Scan >>
Status
NameZombie Lv. 18TypeUndead
HP4950MP90
Attack Rating200-200AttackPoison, Bite
Description: Due to its undead nature, it has no vital points and have limitless stamina.
The zombies eyes turned itself towards where Kazu was. ¡°What?!¡± Kazu gasped. He turned on stealth just before scanning the zombie so it had no way of detecting it. Looking at the zombie, Kazu noticed that it had no eye sockets. Stealth had no meaning to it in the first place. From his information about zombie movies, some zombies don¡¯t even use their sight. Instead, they used smell. This would be the most probable reason for the situation right now. In addition to that, zombies are slow- The zombie ran at Kazu like a mad man. Its inaudible grunts became more audible as it got closer to him with the pace it ran at. The slight shock of its running posture caused a twisted frown on Kazu¡¯s face. Seeing the zombies run at him, those many forced zombie movie dates with Aiko memories resurfaced in his mind. It was the trauma of the past! Shaking off his head from the sudden shock of the past, he started running around the mini-hall. Even though the zombies were running, their speed was nowhere near Kazu. Yet his face right now showed a face of a man that has just seen a ghost. In this case, a zombie. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He ran laps around the mini hall as the zombies chased after him. A total amount of 10 laps around the hall before Kazu became fed up of running away. His eyes set itself on the zombie¡¯s neck. By decapitating its head, it would, without a doubt, drop dead. << Assassinate >> His body swerved through the 2 front zombies as his hands automatically moved through its set instructions based on the assassinate command. In one sweep of his rusted sword, the 3rd zombie¡¯s head flew a few meters away. However, the 3 zombies still ran at him, now with one headless zombie. It didn¡¯t make sense, Kazu thought. In all of the zombie movies he had been forced to watch, all the zombies died by destroying or decapitating the head. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be dead!!¡± Kazu shouted while running quick on his feet. Tears ran down his eyes in a comical fashion with no clue as to what to do. Running a few more laps around the mini hall, he realized that these zombies had endless stamina. If anything, the one to be exhausted will be him, he thought. Figuring that out, his eyes fixated itself on the pillar. The pillar had been cut in half horizontal wise. Specifically, it was the first pillar. As soon as he reached the first pillar, he jumped up to rest on the flat surface of the cut pillar. The ragged breathing he huffed soon enough came to a halt, yet his heart still beated at a heightened rate. It was, of course, because of the frightening look of the zombies. The ghouls that killed the ogre was much less scarier looking than the zombies. At least, when it wasn¡¯t fighting. Looking down at the zombies, the thought of being eaten alive by these flesh eating humanoids crept in goosebumps all over Kazu¡¯s arm. It was long ingrained in his body that these zombies are truly the most terrifying monsters of this dungeons no matter what anyone says. It was Kazu¡¯s trauma that led to this illogical bias. His head snapped back away from the zombies. Each of their jumps caused an unnerving sound causing even more unease in Kazu¡¯s heart. Clenching his sword and gritting his teeth, his hands gripped his chest to calm down his heart. He ironed his resolve and turned his head back to the zombies. The holes in their skin, rotting skin and face, purple colour, and the disgusting stench made Kazu¡¯s eyes watery. Not to mention, the headless zombie had maggots protruding out of its neck. Standing up on top of the flat part of the pillar, he brandished his sword. Its rust mark made it seem unreliable and unremarkable. But to Kazu, this sword felt special, yet he couldn¡¯t point his finger on why. Left with no choice, he only had one range attack: Forward Gale. << Forward Gale >> The skill successfully executed and a loud boom forced itself to echo through the hallways at a piercing decibel. It was like the sonic boom of a jet passing through with a low altitude. The gusts, no, it couldn¡¯t be called gusts anymore, it was as if a storm manifested itself in a small space in front of Kazu. The storm hurled itself towards the 3 zombies. In a blink of an eye, rotting flesh scattered everywhere. Minced meat stuck to the walls, the floor, and the pillar Kazu sat at. A bit of shiny purple dust stuck to the grounded meat that scattered everywhere. In that instant, all 3 zombies died. [[ 1200 xp gained ]] A strict silence fell on the whole dungeon. The whispers, the clanging metal chains, the screams, and the howling wind all came to a halt. Time had stopped in that instance. . . .
Danger!!
¡°KRRAAAAAAARK!!!¡± Suddenly, a scream reached Kazu¡¯s ear. The familiar scream came from Euopth from the front door. Even the whispers in his ears grew louder. The chains clanging against each other became more violent and the screams became more painful. Last but not least, the howling wind¡¯s tone became deeper and more daunting than before. Loud noises came from the front door. The sounds of both foot steps, metal chains, and haunting grunts. Monsters ran at the direction of the mini hall Kazu sat. Each of the monster¡¯s steps permeated anxiousness. Even from a far, the needle like bloodlusts still reached his very being. Putting strength into his feet, Kazu rushed towards the back door. After he ran out the door, he heard loud crashes from the mini hall he just left. Now running opposite of the direction Euopth was at, he felt a surge of monsters marching towards the mini hall in front of him. Even from that direction, monsters ran at the direction of the hall he used for training. He swerved through the hallways taking random turns on the intersections. Doors upon doors passed by his eyes while trying to evade the onslaught of monsters coming at him from a far. With each sound the monsters made from a far, he could see their outlines through the walls and estimate just how far they are. By this alone, he avoided the sight of the monsters by a hairline. Then, a room with an opened door crossed his sight. In a swift fluid movement, he entered the space. It was a small room, a broom closet to be more exact. Unidentifiable materials scattered the shelves that looked to be cleaning materials. Some brooms rested on the shelves, but they were hollowed up from the unkempt condition of the dungeon. ¡°Die¡­ Die..! Die!!!!!¡± The whispers in his ears became screams. Pain from down his spine crept up onto the back of his head. The legs that were supporting him collapsed onto its knees crashing against the floor. His expression contorted into an ugly face as he hugged his head from the massive headache. ¡°Kill!! Die!!!¡± ¡ªIt was insanity creeping up into him. The dungeon¡¯s ambient noises chipped away at his sanity little by little. Cold sweats dropped down his cheeks and his heart rate climbed up to over 180 bpm. The shivering of his body became more violent as every second passed by. Images and memories flashed before Kazu¡¯s eyes. His body began to feel light until he was suspended on the air. Blink. *** A familiar door appeared in front of him. The lonely yet warm house he loved appeared around him. He was inside putting on his shoes as he took the traditional lunch box on the foyer¡¯s table. Upon opening the door, a boy named Akira stood in front of the door. ¡°Oy Kazu. Let¡¯s go.¡± Akira grunted. ¡°U..un¡­¡± Kazu replied. His dirty blond hair reflected the sunlight giving off the illusion of gold. It was an unnatural hair colour in Japan, but no one noticed his foreign characteristics. Everyone took offense to his blond hair marking him as a delinquent. However, Kazu saw through the facade. The intimidating surface was crisp, but the inside was as soft as a cloud. ¡ªStereotyping caused this. Blink. The scene changed. He was now in a hospital with a girl in uniform crying on the chair beside the hospital bed. Her name was Hiragi. Her mother laid on the bed with extensive life support. Light passed through the window creating rays of serene light. ¡°Kazu-kun¡­ thank you¡­¡± Hiragi had a smile on her face as she cried beside her mother. Her hand held onto her mother¡¯s hand, caressing it ever so softly. They were not tears of sadness; they were tears of happiness. The mother had a successful kidney surgery that was long overdue. Due to their poor financial standings, the hospital kept on delaying their surgery. That was when Kazu was visited by the cancer wish foundation after being condemned to die in a year. He used his wish to force the hospital to operate on Hiragi¡¯s mother. Still, the hospital resisted on practicing the surgery on the poor family¡¯s mother. This caused a public outcry on the general populace against the hospital. A month later, the hospital gave in and prepared the arrangements to the family. ¡ªCorruption caused this. Blink. Again, the scene changed. A rhythm of droplets dropped on the basin of the drain in the kitchen. The dust in the air formed ray of lights against the narrow space along the curtain. Each sofa pillow was kept in a neat uniform and there were no traces of litter on the coffee table. Step, step, step. A girl with big glasses came down the stairs staring with a blank face at Kazu. ¡°Tomoe-kun?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be late...¡± She put on her shoes and opened the door as Kazu followed her. Her name was Mako. Because of her glasses and gloomy looking nature, everyone ignored her. This behaviour of her classmates led her to be unable to become friends with anyone leading to her shut in lifestyle. In an accidental meeting in the library, she was the one that showed Kazu how interesting the world of books was. She did not only showed him books, she showed him various narrative mediums such as mangas, film, games, art, and even her own web novel. In return, Kazu helped introduce her to people in the class. Through this, she gradually became more sociable until she was able to make friends on her own. ¡ªPrejudice caused this. Blink. In front of his house again, the whole homeroom class appeared. Akira lead in front. His eyes were blank, covered in darkness. No hint of emotional expression could be seen on his face. It wasn¡¯t only Akira. Everyone had the same expression. Blank, dark, cold, devoid of any emotion. ¡°Admit to yourself.¡± A voice came from above. ¡°You did all of your deeds for personal fulfillment of your pitiful remaining life.¡± ¡°What¡­ no!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°I did it for them!¡± ¡°Of course you did. Hehehe.¡± The cold laugh from the mysterious voice sent out chills. ¡°Then, of course, you didn¡¯t think of using Akira as a shield against real delinquents?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kazu shook his head. ¡°What about the hospital.¡± A fiendish large smile on the sky formed. ¡°You already knew that it would cause the hospital¡¯s reputation to take damage. Wasn¡¯t that just your shallow revenge?¡± ¡°No!¡± Kazu waved his hands around in denial. ¡°That was to save a life!¡± ¡°Heh, sure it was.¡± The sinister voice continued. ¡°And that girl Mako. You only helped her because it was fun to have someone more pitiful than you.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Kazu cried. ¡°Those are¡­ lies!¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Hahaha!¡± Blink. *** The scenery changed back to the broom closet of the dungeon. Whispers from all directions screamed of death. At this point, death didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea, Kazu thought. ¡ªDeath, a method to release all the burdens of his current life. A release of all the pent up pain, stress, and worries. Even with the amount of pain Kazu was in, his expression contorted face softened to the idea of death. The clenched fist softened as if giving up on life as it was. ¡°Haa¡­¡± A deep exhale escaped his breath. Suddenly, a warm sensation permeated from his the rusted sword on his waist. Light originating from the sword, little by little, swirled around Kazu. It was a warm yellow with traces of purple enveloping his surroundings as if to protect him. ¡°Kazu¡­¡± A sweet voice whispered in his ear. The voice drained out all the other sounds, noises, and whispers that drained him of his sanity. Upon opening his eyes on the ground, he saw the feet of the ghost figure. Its skin was smooth, glowing a dim warm yellow light in the darkness. Little by little, the pain faded from his body. The whispers of death no longer could be heard nor the damning chill that seemed to attack him. Before long, Kazu could feel his sanity going back to normal and the pain completely disappeared. The ghost in front of him also disappeared before he could look up to see her face. However, the warmth coming from the sword persisted to protect him. He held up the sword with a curious gaze. The appearance of the sword changed. Rust on the sword were no longer there and it''s metallic silver shined a dim yellow. Its rhythmic heart beat felt stronger than before. It was truly a mysterious sword. << Scan >>
Status
NameMelcrossTypeLong Sword (?)
Durability¡Þ
RarityAncient
Attack Rating1800-2100
Description: A sword infused with the soul of a higher being.
¡°...Melcross?¡± Kazu whispered. The heartbeat of the sword grew faster as he whispered its name. It was a reaction when people first meet and they say each other¡¯s name. Because of this, Kazu realized the sentient nature of the sword. The durability also changed. It can¡¯t break? Kazu asked himself.
Ping pong! Melcross equipped
A surge of power flowed through Kazu¡¯s veins after the dialogue popped up. ¡°Wait¡­ so I didn¡¯t have it equipped before?¡± Confusion ran through his face. The dialogue meant that the other he wielded before wasn¡¯t recognized as equipped by the system his ability operated on. He let out a deep sigh, smiling, with his gaze still on the sword. Next Chapter >> ##################### Thanks for reading. Comments, feedback, proofreading are welcomed with utmost appreciation! Chapter 12 Chapter 12 In the dark cramped room, the howling wind¡¯s chilling cold no longer invaded his body. Light seeped in from the corners of the door and from its chipped cracks. A musty smell lingered in the room from the unused cleaning products. Of course, the place Kazu sat in right now is a broom closet. The miraculous event with the sword reminded him of the envelope in his pocket. At that thought, he took out the scrunched up envelope in his pocket. Creased lines appeared all over the envelope due to its rough handling. The envelope read ¡°To Tomoe Kazu.¡± He took out the paper from the already opened envelope and unfolded the cute stationary paper inside. Each unfolding turn of the paper made his heart beat. To Kazu¡¯s surprise, the sword¡¯s heartbeat also grew faster. ¡°To Tomoe Kazu, At the usual spot through the trees. Please, I¡¯ll be waiting for your answer there during the fireworks.¡± A solemn smile escaped his face from reading the short 2 lines. The girl that wrote this never dragged her word around. Instead, she was always straight to the point¡ªblunt even. Yet she took the time to write out this letter and wait for an answer that should have been demanded on the spot. Those actions showed that she cared a lot about the other and didn¡¯t want to rush. Kazu folded back the stationary, putting it back in the envelope. He tucked it back into his pocket with care as to not create anymore creases. Both Kazu and his sword¡¯s heartbeat calmed down after putting away the sensitive material. Now, Kazu stood back to his original goal; to survive. Expanding his awareness, loud moans and grunts from zombies resonated behind the door. Their outlines shown through the wall. Counting each one, they numbered a total of 23 zombies near the door. Since the zombies didn¡¯t see through sight, he couldn¡¯t use stealth. His eyes turned to the stale cleaning products sitting on the shelves. An idea popped into his head. Zombies that relied on their sense of smell usually smell ¡°life.¡± These are things such as body odour and smell of breath. Since these cleaning products don¡¯t count as having life, the zombies wouldn¡¯t notice him if he the lifeless scent all over him. Taking one of the bottles filled with oozing liquid, he applied the disgusting liquid all over his clothes. The liquid has long lost its acidic properties long ago and became stale, so it was safe to apply on the skin too. A few minutes passed by from carefully applying the stenchy liquid. Kazu stood up and prepared to take on the zombies. Then with his left hand, he covered his mouth and opened the door with his right. On instinct, he activated stealth just in case. 5 zombies appeared in his vision, all of them walked to one direction as if controlled by someone. Even though he still shivered at the sight of zombies, there was nothing he could do but to conquer the fear. Shaking his head off the fearful thoughts, the zombies didn¡¯t notice him so it was safe to say that his idea worked. Yet another problem arose. Kazu already knew that the zombies wouldn¡¯t die with just beheading so that was out of the question. In the tattered clothes of one the zombie, Kazu saw a glittering purple light in the middle of its chest. He crept in closer to the nearest zombie to see the object in its chest. Upon closer inspection, it was a diamond shaped gem lodged right on top of where its heart should be. The size of the gem came close to the size of a slender finger. It emanated a mysterious aura and a slight string of power stuck to it. Is this what¡¯s keeping it alive? Kazu asked. Brandishing his sword, Kazu prepared to stab the gem hoping to cut it in half. And then, in one lunge, he felt a direct hit on the gem. The sword had cut the gem in half like butter. After a second, the gem shattered into a purple powdered substance. Following its shatter, the zombie fell on the ground. [[ 400 xp gained ]] Kazu turned his head at all the zombies. All of them had the same finger sized gem. His eyes narrowed as his course was set¡ªkill all of the zombies using this weakness. Even in the games that Mako or the sports that he used to play before being diagnosed, he would find every way he can to exploit the glitches or rules of the game. Spamming one move? Why not! For once, it was perfect for the situation. All he needed right now was to gain xp to be able to defeat whatever comes at him with brute force. Nothing else mattered. With that said, he slowly crept up behind another zombie. As soon as he got close enough, he stabbed it right in the chest. The gem on its chest turned into purple powder and the zombie collapsed on the ground with no signs of vitality. One by one, the zombies fell from an invisible being. A shadow slowly swept through the zombies. It killed them in order as to not leave one out. Dead zombies scattered on the floor of the hallway totalling 23 unmoving bodies.
Level up! (15)
Shockwave now available!
Shockwave (Active) Description: Causes around self knocking everything away in a (10) meter radius. Cost: 300 mana
Fool¡¯s Wind now available!
Fool¡¯s Wind (Active Toggle) Lv. 1 (0%) Description: Summons a pulsing typhoon centering around the user and creating massive AoE damage in a (10) meter radius. Pulse damage is 2.25x damage of weapon. Activation costs 75 stamina and pulses every (1) second with each pulse consuming 5 stamina.
Kazu reached level 15 in his status also unlocking the last 2 skills in the beginner set of the skill tree. The effect of Fool¡¯s Wind surprised him. Seeing that his sword had 1800-2100 attack rating, it would mean every pulse would cause over 3600 damage. The skill was also a toggle which meant that it can run forever. However, it had a high activation cost of 75. Right now, he only had 243 stamina which would mean the activation itself requires a third of his whole stamina pool. At most, this skill would be used as a last resort, Kazu thought. Closing all of the dialogues, Kazu wandered forward towards where the zombies headed to. A large amount of corpses laid on the ground as he walked along the corridors. Both large, and small bones scattered everywhere. There were scars on the wall, craters, blood, cleaned bones, and unknown liquids splashed at random. Looking at all of these, they were the signs of large scale combat happening recently. Kazu strolled further into the unknown, not knowing what¡¯s up ahead. He trusted his instincts instead of his logical intuition to swerve through the hallways and intersections. In simpler terms, he followed the corpse trail. Following the trail of corpses for an hour, he had killed a total of 26 wandering zombies along the way. It leveled him up to 18. As he got further, sounds of large clubs clashing against flesh and walls echoed in the direction of the corpse trail. Kazu peeked through the corner of the intersection. A large clash between zombies and ogres blocked his path. The ogres were getting pushed back by the huge amount of zombies that were much smaller than them. Even though it only took one swing of their big hammer to crush a zombie, the zombies persisted on biting the ogres with no care for their life. Each time a zombie bit to the flesh of an ogre, the flesh around the bit part would turn purple. The purple tinge on the skin spread slowly across the ogre¡¯s body. When the whole body of the ogre turns purple, the ogre drops dead crushing several zombies with its massive body. After a few seconds, the ogre¡¯s body twitches. A few seconds more, it got up facing the other ogres. The ogre that stood up had no pupil, showing only the whites of its eyes. It drooled with no control over its mouth as it grunted and moaned in a violent manner against its fellow ogres. That moment, a gem the size of a finger appeared on top of its chest where the heart was placed. Its broken platemail let Kazu see the gem. In retrospect, the ogre had turned into a zombie from the poison. Now, the zombie ogre brandished its giant club against its former friends. Kazu saw all of this. That must be the reason why the ogres were getting pushed back. Yet, a glitter appeared on Kazu¡¯s eye. A spark of an idea. All the zombies were pre-occupied meaning that there would be less chance of him being detected by them. In summary, this was a gold mine of xp. 26 zombies earlier got him up to level 18 from 15. How much levels would he gain after killing hundreds of them? First tactic was to block the flood of reinforcement of the zombies. They were coming from all directions of the intersection. Even in the hallway he crossed from, several zombies already gathered. Kazu had no idea where they came from, but right now, it would be best to just take the xp. In a swift and silent manner, Kazu stabbed through each zombie¡¯s chest. Everything that met his blade dropped instantly following their gem bursting into powder. One after another, zombies came like robots being sent to their deaths. The flood of xp gave Kazu an ecstatic satisfaction. Inside, he was laughing at the easy mechanics of the zombies. For hours, Kazu exploited the zombies, killing everything within his reach. Of course, he let a bit of zombies go through him so the combat line wouldn¡¯t be pushed back or pushed up too close to him. He maintained its perfect balance. Doing this, he had killed over 300 zombies which made his arm somewhat sore from all the stabbing. He was now level 31 with no effort at all. Although since he had passed lvl 18 long ago, the xp zombies gave diminished little by little with every level up. He shook his head and gazed at the fight. What was the point of the war between the undead and the monsters? In normal dungeons he played in games, monsters from different floors naturally didn¡¯t attack each other. It was because they lived in the same area and unwritten rules were in place. However, this sight was definitely that of a war. Clueless to the big picture, Kazu shook his head to forget the whole thing. ¡°KRRAAAAARK!!!!¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. A sudden shout from where the ogres fought vibrated the whole hallway. Chandeliers from above shook from the noise and Euopth¡¯s body could be seen through the veil of shadows. A large amount of pressure covered the battlefield. Several needle like poles shot through the air aimed at each zombie and one at Kazu. He saw this in slow motion so it was easy to dodge. Following this, smaller spider like bees followed Euopth from the ceiling. Hundreds of trolls, ogres, and other unidentified beings marched through the hallway. It was now time to run. He already got his dues worth so there was no point in staying longer. Going back to where he originally came from, he swerved through the hallway much faster than before. If anyone ever saw him, he would be like a blur in the wind¡ªa shadow. In under a minute, he entered the broom closet he used for shelter. *grooowl* Kazu lowered his stance to get a lower center of gravity and to prepare for a fight. He looked everywhere to figure out where the sudden noise came from in the broom closet. *grooooowl* Again, he heard it, yet he couldn¡¯t see where it came from. His palm became sweaty, and even his awareness skill couldn¡¯t find out where the noise came from. *groooooooowl* Kazu looked down at his stomach growling in rebellion. Ah¡­ what the hell. I¡¯m hungry Kazu sighed in relief. Opening up his inventory, he touched one of the sandwich icons. A few days earlier, he had gotten some sandwiches from Sene. Curiosity lit up in his eyes upon getting the idea of perishable foods. What would happen if he stored the sandwich in the inventory? Would it spoil or not? Because of this, he had stored sandwiches in his inventory at different days. However, he had forgotten about them so he hadn¡¯t had the chance to take them out. This was the perfect time to see whether they spoil or not. Even if they were spoiled, Kazu would still eat them he thought. Right now, food became the most important thing in his inventory. He reached for the sandwich icon in the inventory menu and the space around his hand rippled. The texture of the sandwich reached the tips of his finger as he gripped on it. Pulling the sandwich out, he saw it in perfect condition. It was even slightly colder than before meaning that the space in the inventory was refrigerated. Even in the beginning when he unlocked the inventory, he thought that it the whole system itself was a cheat. But now, it definitely is a cheat¡ªa cheat meant to be exploited even further! Taking out 2 more sandwiches from the inventory, he ate all of them. 16 sandwiches remained in his inventory. The next time he eats, the sandwiches would be rationed, Kazu thought. As he finished the sandwiches, his eyelids became heavy. Exhaustion took over every part of his body. He had lost track of time ever since he woke up in the dungeon near the teleport platform. With that, he didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯s been up for. But he knew that he had been awake for more than a day. If doesn¡¯t sleep now, he may fall unconscious at the worst possible moment. Kazu laid his back down on the shelf. Putting his overcoat over his body, he let his eyelids slip down to go to sleep. The position was uncomfortable, but the exhaustion made it tolerable. At this important time, 3 huge bodied monsters invaded Kazu¡¯s awareness range. Their eyes seemed to be searched for something. Everytime they passed by a door, they kicked it down then searched every inch of the room. Room by room, they inched closer to the broom closet Kazu sat in. Then, by the time they were next door, Kazu used his << stealth>>. Baam! The door slammed open from the force of the kick. What Kazu thought to be normal ogres were now in front of him; except, they weren¡¯t normal. Each one stared at him with their single eye¡ªthey were cyclopes. Their eyes stared right into Kazu¡¯s eyes as if they could see him through his stealth. << Scan >>
Status
NameCyclops Lv. 30TypeOrc
HP9000MP2250
Attack Rating900-1200AttackSmash, Kick, Punch
Description: Stated in the legends, these beings can see through all illusions. They are hunted for their single eye that provides true sight.
Before he could read the dialogue, his question was answered quicker than he thought as the cyclops in front swung his large bat at him. With nowhere to go, Kazu slid through the legs of the cyclopes. From both sides of the hallway, more cyclops came from all directions.
Warning: Exhausted. Stats reduced to 15% of original (except HP and MP). Stamina is below threshold; skills disabled.
The dialogue drew the last draw from Kazu. Even though he had just gotten so much levels earlier. Even though he wanted to survive. Such a situation was still thrown at him¡ªan inescapable situation. Kazu ran in a random direction hoping to get away. However, his speed was low. It felt like he was running like a normal person back in Japan. Compared to his speed, the cyclopes were much faster. In front of him, there was a blockade of cyclopes and the cyclopes from behind him caught up almost immediately. A hopeless situation, Kazu thought. Brandishing his sword, he swung its blade behind him. His slice wasn¡¯t fast, so it was blocked by the cyclops that charged at him from behind. The next sequence, Kazu saw the world going round and a massive number appeared as a damage indicator. The huge bash from the cyclops sent him flying to the air taking away half of his hp. Kazu¡¯s mind went into overload and adrenaline rushed to every vein in his body. It temporarily removed the restraint of exhaustion, but he didn¡¯t know how long it would last. Dashing forward, he used Rising Wind to blow away one cyclops¡­ then two.. then three¡­ and several more. Even though they looked huge, their skin was easy to cut through with the sharpness of the blade. Their bodies were also light, full of fat and no muscle. A couple more of cyclops died and the adrenaline in Kazu¡¯s body dimmed down. The exhaustion effect in the corner of his eyes again popped up. The overload was over. Kazu stood still for a few seconds. After that, his body collapsed on the ground and his breathing became deep. He fell unconscious right after the adrenaline stopped. The surrounding cyclopes sighed in relief as the black haired monster in front of them stopped its rampage. A fully armoured cyclops signaled his comrades with a hand gesture. Then, steps drew in closer to Kazu as the cyclops closed in on Kazu¡¯s body. It drew its club preparing for a smash at the being that killed a few of its comrades. In that instant, it put all its strength to its arm while putting all of its weight into the strike. Bam! Clouds of dust formed where Kazu¡¯s body laid. The cyclops sighed in relief as the deed finished. However, the cloud of dust dissipated and one of the cyclops from the crowd pointed at where the body was. There, Kazu¡¯s body laid in perfect condition. A dim yellow light with purplish extracts covered Kazu¡¯s body like a barrier. The sword on his waist also glowed a violent yellow. The cyclops that smashed the body tripped backwards as it looked up to see the ghost floating on top of the body. It shivered with no control over its body even though it was used to the cold of the dungeon.. The ghost, on the other hand, had a slender body, gold purplish eyes, silk smooth clothing. Her cherry red lips were small and her nose felt like perfectly sculpted. Her very being gave an impression of art, an impression of frailty. Yet to the cyclopes, they were all afraid. Immense pressure froze all of them in fear. All the cyclopes knew, in that instant, she was a higher being. A god? No. Such things don¡¯t exist. A higher being meant a being with utmost power. That was the ghost. An existence with absolute power. The tripped cyclops, being the nearest from the Kazu, tried to crawl away from the scene. Suddenly, a circular ray of light slashed across the cyclops. In that next second, the body of the cyclops was cut in half from its head down to its crotch. Blood sprayed out of the veins to signify the cleanliness of the cut. Then, every cyclops in a 5 meter radius was beheaded by the same ray of light. The ghost drew a circle. By instinct, the cyclops understood that whoever stepped in that circle will die. ¡°KRAAAAAARK!!!!¡± Euopth¡¯s cry came from the hallway. Dozens of needle poles cried in a sharp tone as they tore through the air. They were aimed at Kazu. Yet, it was futile. The needle poles seemed to disappear as they reached the 5 meter radius. That was when Euopth landed on a nearby chandelier. ¡°grmbmmm¡­¡± It grumbled and understood the situation. Even Euopth shivered at the sight of the ghost. His eyes seemed to avoid the eyes of the ghost¡ªa fearless animal actually felt fear. ¡°Kraaarrrak.¡± Euopth screamed. In that command, all of the cyclops turned away from the unconscious Kazu and the floating ghost. They marched to the direction opposite of where they came from. After a few meters, all of the cyclops, trolls, ogres, goblins, ogre shamans, faded into the darkness of the dungeons. Kazu and the ghost was now alone. The ghost showed a sincere smile. It was warm and seemed to relax the tension in Kazu¡¯s face. ¡°Kazu¡­ in my past life, I promised to protect you and love you. Who knew that the accident that befell on me after your death would lead me to this life. Now that I found you again, in this life too, I will keep my promise.¡± The ghost whispered. "But for now, only until you wake up... my power grows weaker by the day...." Next Chapter >> ############## Short chapter. As always, thanks for reading! Comments, feedback, proofreading are welcomed with utmost appreciation! Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Waking up from the cold, Kazu looked around his surroundings. He fell unconscious when the cyclopes surrounded him. Around him, a dozen bodies of cyclopes laid in a circle. They were probably distracted by something and left him alone, Kazu thought. Picking up his sword, he felt the heartbeat of the sword was much weaker. Although he didn¡¯t mind it, the fact stuck to the back of his mind. He felt like he only slept for a few hours, but it was enough to feel refreshed. Before figuring out what to do next, he entered the door in front of him. A body presented itself poled to a wall. Smaller versions of the needle pole Euopth uses nailed the body on the wall. Its arms wrapped in heavy black iron bracelets with chains connecting them. << Scan >>
Dead, no status available.
Tch. Kazu clicked his tongue. He then opened his inventory to take out a sandwich. Eating after waking up was important. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Being left with the ordeal just before falling unconscious yesterday, Kazu couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh.
Conversion reached 20%. Conversion dialogue will now only pop up during milestones. Assist mode now available to disable.
¡°Hm?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Assist mode, disable.¡± His user interface showing his health and mana all disappeared. For a few seconds, he panicked. Ever since coming to this word, his reliance on the ability became more and more with each passing day. Now, for it to be gone was suicide! ¡°Inventory!¡± Nothing showed up. ¡°Status!¡± Nothing interesting happened. His face darkened. Did he unknowingly just turn off his ability without learning how to turn it on first? No, that can¡¯t be, Kazu thought. ¡°Assist mode, undisable!¡­?¡± Again, nothing interesting happened. Kazu banged his head on the wall. Being in the dungeon, it was no place to experiment in his ability. There was no reason to! As long as he relied on his strange ability, he would be able to get out. But curiosity got the better of him. And now, he¡¯s in this predicament. ¡°Assist mode, On!¡± ¡°Assist mode, Turn on!¡± ¡°Assist mode, Able!¡± ¡°Assist mode, force on!¡± Every keyword had no effect. Kazu had always hated voice commands. They were a gimmick in technology and they were a gimmick now. It made everything more complicated than it should be contrary to its supposed function, he thought. Laying down his back on the wall, he gave up to turn it back on. Slight irritation crept up to his face. However, one last try, he thought. ¡°Assist mode¡­ activate.¡± His vision turned into a computer like boot-up command line. Millions of code appeared in his vision that seemed to ingrain itself into his brain. No, he could say that the information flowing through his eyes were knowledge he already knew. The boot up just reminded him of such knowledge. Through all of this information, he figured out that his strange ability had already ingrained itself in him when he came to this world. He just wasn¡¯t made aware of the information stored inside him. Finally, he had complete understanding of what the conversion meant, and what that meant to his changing body. Kazu got up from the floor, staring at his hands. He knew he was no longer human and knew that he was invaded by ¡°something.¡± Although he was thankful for the ability it gave him, a part of his heart still yearned to be human. What would happen once he returns back to Earth? What would happen if they found out he was an alien? Those thoughts lingered in Kazu¡¯s mind. Yet even with that knowledge, there¡¯s no use in groveling over it. The answer will eventually come to him as long as he continued surviving. ¡°Assist mode, HP/MP parameters disable. Damage indicator disable. XP indicator minimize.¡± He found out that HP and MP were fake. It was an approximate quantification results of observation of one¡¯s, or a being¡¯s, vitality or life force and ¡°energy¡±. In simpler terms, hp and mp are useless. Damage indicator was also useless. At higher levels, they became more inaccurate. If he gets too reliant on the damage indicator, then the inaccuracies of it might cost him his life, Kazu thought. However, there was one truth in all of that. And that is the level ups. Each level up gave him a boost of strength. That was true and that''s because his ability changes his body structure to be more rigid, flexible, and have higher reflexes with each level up. This goes along with memory capacity counted as intelligence and processing speed counted as wisdom. Sigh. *** After leaving the room, he followed the trail of corpses back to the part where he killed hundreds of zombies. There were still linger walking corpses in the path he took. Each time he passed by, a stab went right to their chest. Kazu did not look nor confirmed his kill on the zombie. A blank expression sat on his face as he walked through the corpse ridden corridors. Monsters stronger than a zombie never appeared for the whole duration of his walk. Swaying from side to side, he persisted wandering the dungeon. His eyes, lifeless. Each stab at a wandering zombie looked robotic. He was no longer following the trail of corpses. Instead, he followed the breeze of the wind on a whim. Suddenly, a cyclops spotted him. It was alone and so was he. The cyclops brandished its club and rushed at the pre-emptive strike. However, Kazu¡¯s eyes were still unlit. The club swung at his head. But to him, it looked slow. Every detail, every scratch, every burn on the club, Kazu saw them as it aimed at his head. Yet his instincts still kicked. Dodging the club by a hairline, his body flipped backwards three times. Now lunging forward, he aimed his blade at the neck of the cyclops. A surprise came to Kazu when his blade was deflected by a wooden bat. Looking closer at the cyclops, it had more armour than the cyclops he faced yesterday. A sense of superiority permeated with every move of this special cyclops. The beating of Kazu''s heart grew faster. In front of him, the monster was no longer the brainless zombies he killed hundreds of. This one had skill. Even though he had killed several cyclops yesterday, they felt weak compared to this one. Launching himself again, the cyclops deflected every attack Kazu threw. If it wasn''t for his own brute strength and profound reflexes, he would have lost long ago. Kazu realized all that XP grind fruited to nothing. Strength was useless without actual skill. With Mako, he could never win against her even if she used weaker characters. Kazu bit his lips hard enough for it to bleed. Narrowing his eyes, he focused all of his concentration into the fight. The cyclops¡¯ surprised Kazu once more. It also boasted of its agility, flipping from side to side, backwards, and jumping on walls to change directions in rapid successions. In fact, Kazu was the one being pushed back. << Scan >>
Status
Name(Captain) Cyclops Lv. 37TypeOrc
Description: Leader of the cyclopes battalion of the 2nd floor, Ephermal Dungeon.
Even though he had already admitted that the statuses were useless, habits die hard. Tch. Kazu clicked his tongue. For a second, he had been pre-occupied by the dialogue popping up. The cyclops saw that chance and lunged at Kazu at full speed. Bam~! All the air in his lungs escaped. The strike of the club sent him flying several meters away. However, Kazu didn¡¯t back down. Once he got up from the ground, he lunged at the cyclops. On the other hand, the cyclops had already anticipated Kazu¡¯s reaction. A sly grin showed on its lips as the prey jumped right into its trap. It saw Kazu as a weakling that relied on brute strength¡ªwhich was true. Predicting the movements of such opponents were an easy task to such an experienced veteran of combat. ???: Get back! The perfect timed upwards bash from the cyclops missed Kazu just by a hairline. He had backed off just at the right time. Dumbfounded at the voice, Kazu¡¯s eyes searched everywhere for its original. Although, the sweet voice sounded like it came from his head. His awareness skill also didn¡¯t pick up any other signs of life other than him and the cyclops. ???: Left! Kazu side stepped to the left. A whirlwind passed by him as soon as he left the space. ???: Duck! After ducking, gusts of wind passed by where his head should be. The voice saved him a total of 3 times. Knowing that this was a losing battle, Kazu ran away using his fastest speed. The corridors passed by his vision. Whenever he saw a door up ahead, the next split second, it was already behind him. However, it wasn¡¯t time to be rejoicing. Grunts and loud smashes of the ground resonated behind him. The cyclops chose to pursue him. Beads of sweat ran down Kazu¡¯s cheek. The impact from earlier took a lot out of him. He didn¡¯t know whether he could keep running or not. But little by little, the distance between him and the cyclops grew. It was the heavy armour the cyclops wore. Without it, the cyclop¡¯s speed might have been equal to the injured him, Kazu thought. After a few minutes of constant running, the distance became too great for the cyclops to see him. Kazu succeeded in shaking off the pursuer in his juke. Looking at a random door, he entered it in nonchalance. The awareness skill has yet to fail him, so his trust on its ability is still full. Kazu¡¯s eyes turned towards his sword. Reaching out to it, he trusted the sword on the floor to let it stand by itself. ¡°I know you can speak. Who are you!?¡± Kazu demanded. ???: ¡­ ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t speak. I¡¯ll leave you here.¡± Kazu furrowed his brows in irritation. Of course, that was a bluff. Kazu knew that leaving the sword would be suicide. However, without knowing who he¡¯s dealing with, how could he trust a talking sword? Step¡­ step¡­ step¡­ He took slow steps to the door making sure to take each step as loud as he can. His hands reached for the door¡¯s knob, twisting it, then turning it. The door then made a creaking noise from its ungreased joints. ???: Fine, fine! I¡¯ll tell you¡­ in one condition. The sweet familiar voice resonated in Kazu¡¯s ear. ¡°What condition?¡± Kazu grinned as he moved back to his original position. ???: I¡¯ll tell you when you get out of this dungeon. ¡°Huuh?!¡± Kazu roared. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re worth trusting if you don¡¯t tell me who you are first?!¡± ???: Didn¡¯t I save you earlier? With your pathetic skills, how can you survive this dungeon without me?! ¡°What?!¡± Kazu stumbled a few steps back. It was a low blow, according to him. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t know that!¡± ???: Pfft, you can¡¯t even tell how bad you are at fighting. Go ahead and die! ¡°Heeeh.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°If you wanted me to die in the first place, you wouldn¡¯t even save me. Puuii¡± He tried to spit to show his disbelief, but of course, that too, failed. Instead, it made him look stupid. ???: Hahahaha, did you just try to spit right now? The sword laughed. Somehow, the conversation felt natural to Kazu. His normal conversation attitude naturally came out unlike his time with Brett¡¯s family. Although in that case, it was because he was still bewildered at his current situation¡ªtransported to a new world. ¡°Shut up!¡± Kazu¡¯s ears turned bright red. ¡°At any rate, I still don¡¯t know who you are! And that means I can¡¯t trust you. Hmph.¡± ???: So stubborn! Fine¡­ The sword groaned. I¡¯ll do anything you say once we¡¯re out of this mess¡­. With half of his faced the other way, Kazu looked at her with one eye. ¡°Anything¡­ like what?¡± ???: My¡­my body will be yours! ¡°B-b-b-body?!¡± Kazu shouted. ???: What are you staring at?! Don¡¯t look at me with those lecherous eyes! ¡°Bah! Who would look?!¡± Kazu, once again, stumbled backwards unable to stop his blushing. ¡°You¡¯re a sword! A flat sword!¡± ???: Guah! Flat?! The sword threw away all of the context within Kazu¡¯s words. Instead, the word flat struck a chord on her nerves. Suddenly, dim yellow purplish light swirled around the sword. On top of the sword, a female ghost appeared. The ghost, more opaque than before, stared down at Kazu. Pure silver hair ran down her shoulders all the way to her waist. Her frilled dress grasped at every curve of her body, yet didn¡¯t cover her tempting slender neck and collarbone. Kazu¡¯s eyes narrowed downwards to her chest and said, ¡°Ha! You are flat!¡± Stolen story; please report. Bam! The air split, making a noise from the sudden motion of Kazu¡¯s body. A small crater appeared on the wall where he crashed. ¡°So what if I¡¯m flat!?¡± She shouted. ¡°You¡­ you... you¡­ always like this!¡± Bam, bam, bam, bam! ¡°No more¡­!¡± Kazu groaned in pain. ¡°I give up.... I submit¡­ help...¡± ¡°*Sniff* Don¡¯t *sniff* tease a lady¡¯s insecurity!¡± She wiped her tears off with her oversized sleeves. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll trust you now that you¡¯ve shown yourself¡­¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes turned to look at her face to face. Then, his eyes turned downwards as if checking her out. ¡°Gyah! What are you looking at?!¡± She screamed. ¡°Nothing nothing¡­¡± Kazu mumbled. ¡°You really look like someone I know.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m not. Hmph!¡± She pouted. Looking at her straight in the eyes, he continued, ¡°Kazu Tomoe. My name.¡± ¡°U-un¡­ Melith Cross. Its fine to call me Mel.¡± Her gaze turned downwards and a hint of red formed on her cheeks. In turn, Kazu also became embarrassed at the sudden awkwardness. A few moments of silence passed by, Kazu coughed to gain back her attention. ¡°So, why are you a ghost?¡± ¡°What?! I¡¯m not a ghost!¡± Mel shouted. Before continuing her dialogue, she exhaled and crossed her arms in pride. ¡°I¡¯m a greatsword! Look!¡± She pointed at the sword stuck on the floor. Its rusted blade, chipped at certain places, and worn down handle made her statement unbelievable. ¡°Ah- a rusted sword.¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Shut up!¡± Her hands swung in exaggerated movements. ¡°You¡¯ll see once my power comes back!¡± In response, Kazu gave a slight nod¡ªa sign of both agreement and disbelief so that an argument can be avoided. ¡°Right now, you¡¯re weak!¡± An imaginary cold arrow made its way to Kazu¡¯s heart saying those exact words. However, it was true. He relied too much on the ability and treated the world as a game. As long as he leveled up, it would be the end of all possible threats, he thought. Nevertheless, the cyclops, a few levels higher, showed him up. With his inflated stat gain, he should have beaten the cyclops. Yet, in game terminology, the cyclops stomped him instead. ¡°Your raw strength is fine because you have that.¡± Her eyes looked at him in a questioning manner. ¡°But, you don¡¯t know how to fight and you don¡¯t have any fighting experience.¡± 2 more imaginary arrows penetrated Kazu¡¯s heart. Exploitation and abuse of mechanics were his best assets after all. Her cold words told him that he had no way of surviving in this dog eat dog nature. ¡°Right, That¡¯s it!¡± Mel¡¯s eyes turned to Kazu. ¡°Why¡¯re you on the ground?¡± ¡°Leave me alone. I¡¯ll just weep in this corner.¡± Kazu dragged his body to the corner of the room. Then, he laid down in fetal position. ¡°This position is the best when you¡¯re depresse--- Ow, ow, ow!¡± With one hand on his collar, Mel dragged him back to the middle of the room. A fed up look a mother would show to her son or daughter swept across her face. ¡°Anyways. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t smile please¡­¡± Kazu blushed. ¡°-It¡¯s scary¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Mel shouted. In reality, Kazu opted to tell a lie. Her smile made his heart skip a beat and his earlobes heated up to a bright red. Even more so because she looked like Aiko. Kazu knew that such a coincidence was impossible, yet wanted to believe that such a coincidence could be possible at the bottom of his heart. *** Large bones, cleaned of its meat, impaled the walls. Several hollowed out exoskeletons of the spider bee lookalikes littered the hallway. A single man in black hair walked up to the grand scene of what looked like a massive fight between the undead and the living monsters. On his waist, a rusted sword giving off a faint yellow light. Yet when he entered the scene, his expression neither looked surprised or disgusted. Instead, a simple yawn escaped his breath. The reason for that is¡ª Mel: Kazu! Hurry up! Stop being so slow! Why are you yawning at a time right now?! If you¡¯re tired go sleep! Wait, don¡¯t sleep, keep walking forward! The constant nagging of the sword. ¡°Agggh! Shut up!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°How would you know how to get out in the first place?!¡± Mel: Don¡¯t question me! I¡¯m older than you! Haven¡¯t your parents ever taught you not to be rude to your elders! ¡°Grandmo-¡± Bam! The gravity around his area forced him down on the ground. Cracks on the floor stretched out, then creating a crater in a meter radius around Kazu. Mel: Stupid! ¡°Fine fine! Just stop!¡± At that signal, the heavy gravity around him dissipated in an instant. Eyebags could be seen under Kazu¡¯s eyes even though he had a full sleep earlier. But with the constant nagging, exhaustion came just around the corner. Suddenly, large steps from behind Kazu resonated in the dark hallways. The steps didn¡¯t sound as large as an ogre, but it had a huge build compared to trolls. Kazu smirked as he saw the outline of the being¡ªa cyclops wearing full armour. ¡°Mel, you sure this¡¯ll work right?!¡± Kazu whispered. Mel: Of course. Fighting is my specialty unlike someone! Another stab at Kazu drained away his mental energy. << Rising Wind >> Creating a boom from the sudden change of speed, Kazu lunged at the cyclops just before it turned the corner as a surprise attack. Stomping his foot on the ground, the blade tore through the air aimed at the neck of the Cyclops. Mel: Stop aiming for the neck! Its obvious he was expecting that! Tackle him to avoid the kick! Clang! The club blocked his blade, numbing the Kazu¡¯s fingers and hands on the handle. A kick already made its way to Kazu¡¯s side as the cyclops looked at him with a smirk. But before it landed, Kazu forced his body to move forward, tackling forward creating a thud. ¡°Guuh!¡± The cyclops screamed, surprised, his smirk disappeared from his face beneath his mask. Clenching his club, it spun its body to regain footing on the floor. BOOOOM! A loud sonic boom pierced its ear coming from the direction of his opponent. Large gusts gathered in a gale. Hundreds of blades became visible as the wind took on a visible manifestation. It hurled at him, in a split second, his left hand tore apart from his body even with the armour on. Of course, the skill Kazu used was Forward Gale. Mel: Good, good. Keep following my instructions and you¡¯ll learn. ¡°We just made a loud noise you know!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°What are you going to do about the monsters coming at us?!¡± Mel: Stop talking and focus on the fight. ¡°This guy still alive?!¡± Kazu widened his eyes. The cyclop¡¯s stumped arm¡¯s already stopped bleeding. For a monster, it had naturally high regeneration. Monsters in the dungeon weren¡¯t normal, they were fed by the magical nature of the dungeon itself creating wild variations of the normal monsters outside. This was especially true to the monster named Euopth, one of the masterpieces of the dungeon and king of the 2nd floor. The cyclop¡¯s skin turned red and lunged with extreme speed. Its pupil were no longer in the center of its eye, only the whites showed. Berserk adrenaline rushed to its brain and to every fiber of its muscle provided massive amounts of strength. Bam! Clang! Whoosh! Kazu managed to block its first strike, then a counter attack at its neck¡ªalso blocked by the cyclops. His next attack missed as the cyclops flipped backwards. Mel: I told you stop aiming at the neck... ¡°I can¡¯t help it *sob*¡± Kazu cried. Clang! Clang! Clang! The cyclops and Kazu were at a standstill. Neither one backed down from each other and both were even in terms of skill. However, Kazu had Mel teaching him so the more the fight gets dragged out, the more amount of openings he saw as he learned through her instructions. But it was too late, dozens upon dozens of cyclops, ogres, trolls, goblins, and spider bees marched in from the direction of the piles of bodies. There was no time to finish the fight with the cyclops. Mel: Run now! *** Again, Kazu had his back against the wall in the dark room alone with the sword, Mel. Dripping droplets in the room irritated him with his enhanced senses. Each drop sparkled a reflection from the light that seeped into the room through the cracks of the door. Sounds of footsteps, crawling, and grunts came from a far as he waited for it all to calm down. Mel: Stop aiming for the neck. We didn¡¯t kill that thing because of you! Kazu dared not to speak because the army of monsters were still near him. But after a while, the noises came down and the army went out of range of his awareness. ¡°Telling me not to aim for the neck isn¡¯t gonna help!¡± Kazu cried out. ¡°In the first place, where am I supposed to aim for a kill?¡± Mel: Stupid stupid stupid¡­ sigh. A ghost faded in beside Kazu with her back against the wall. Her narrowed eyes turned to the man beside her. Seeing him ask that question with sincerity, her lips turned up into a pout and another sigh ran through her mouth. ¡°Fighting isn¡¯t the same as killing.¡± Her head turned upwards, looking away from him into the distance ceiling. ¡°Fighting¡­ its as if you¡¯re dancing. Its supposed to be majestic, yet you fight like you¡¯re using a club or a bat. Even with the skills you use, you look at the sword like it''s a tool to kill.¡± Mel stood up from where she sat. Each step she took gave a hint of grace until she ended up in the middle of the room. She turned her body to face Kazu and her eyes narrowed in concentration. ¡°You¡­ for some reason obtained the Thousand Winds Style and the Wanderer¡¯s route.¡± Her lips turned into a seductive smile. ¡°I was the one who wrote the Wanderer¡¯s route for the Thousand Winds, but I never wrote the Thousand Winds style itself¡­ so how did you...?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes shifted down to avoid her gaze. In truth, he had no idea why it unlocked. One day, while he was practicing moves from the games he played, the skill tree unlocked itself. For a split second, a light blinked in Mel¡¯s narrowed eyes as her gaze caught Kazu¡¯s. Light that seeped in from the door reflected on her eyes. The bewitching gaze stole all of Kazu¡¯s attention. ¡°I see...¡± From watching his eyes alone, Mel understood everything Kazu went through. She smiled at him, feeling sorry for what he had to go through. Then, the sword by Kazu¡¯s waist floated. It softly breezed to Mel¡¯s hand. ¡°Since you only learned the skills, you have no idea of what the swordplay is. Watch carefully and ingrain this dance into your very soul.¡± Shiiiiinnn! The rusted blade transformed into a Great Claymore. Sparkles of purple and golden light spread out from the sudden transformation. Golden veins ran through it and formed a cross right in the middle of the blade. Liquid that glowed light flowed through the veins, beating with the cross in the middle as the heart. The blade itself measured at 2 meters without the handle and its flat side measured to be around 30 cm. Numerous unknown inscriptions glowed in purple and gold. Celtic patterns formed the hilt, it was as if the snakes were alive. ¡°¡ªMelcross.¡± She whispered. Suddenly, she swung the sword that was taller than her. Once the first swing finished, she would swing another with little effort. Grace permeated every step and every swing of the blade. Impossible movements, yet those very movements she did made them possible. Each movement founded the philosophy of the whimsical wind. Kazu could only describe it as dancing with a giant¡ªthe giant¡¯s name, Wind. Her beautiful dance made Kazu¡¯s eyes water as he didn¡¯t allow himself to blink. To blink is to miss a part of the beauty.
Sword Mastery and Sword Proficiency deleted. Affinity with any other weapons greatly reduced.
Learned Dance of the Wind (Beginner)
She finished and the sword went back to its normal rusted sword look. Step, step, step... her graceful steps made its way in front of Kazu who laid his back on the wall. ¡°Kazu, you should already know this.¡± Her eyes narrowed with an expression of sadness. Then, she knelt down to level her eyes with him.¡°You are no longer human. I know of your ability. You are becoming... converting into my species, but you are still far away from completion.¡± ¡°If you promise to help me find a way to unseal myself...¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be yours.¡± Next Chapter >> #################### Thanks for reading. Feedback, proofreading, comments are greatly appreciated! Spoiler : I need help with writing prose... when I read it, I''m not that happy with my descriptions or the way its written Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°If you promise to help me find a way to unseal myself...¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be yours.¡± Half of her face had reflected the light seeping in from the door. Light glittered in her eyes like it created its own glow. Kazu could hear her breathing as she closed in on his face. She was close enough for Kazu to see his own reflection on her eyes. ¡°What?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Be mine... as in your body?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Mel jumped back with a flushed face. ¡°No! I meant I¡¯ll help you if you help me¡­ that¡¯s how it works right?¡± If the lighting were any brighter, Kazu would¡¯ve saw her ears in a bright red colour and her cheeks as red as a rose. And just as Kazu narrowed his eyes to focus, Mel turned around to hide her face before Kazu could take an even closer look. ¡°But what do I exactly have to unseal?¡± Kazu asked. Before answering Kazu, Mel bit her lips. Irritation caused her to scratch her thumb with her index finger. Then, at last, she looked back at Kazu. ¡°To release me from this sword.¡± Mel pointed at the rusted sword lying on the ground unattended. ¡°I was sealed into this sword. And since you¡¯re converting, I think you¡¯d have a chance at it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m getting into. How can you expect me to accept just like that?¡± Kazu barked. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Her shoulders drooped down at Kazu¡¯s answer. The look of disappointment from her forced smile put a heavy burden on Kazu¡¯s heart. ¡°Then Its fine¡­ but at least help me get out of this dungeon.¡± Kazu wanted to retort again, but couldn¡¯t help but keep quiet. The disappointment that ran on her face guilt tripped him too much. Was it because of his jealousy of her strength? He thought. No, it was deeper than that. He couldn¡¯t bare to see a girl that looks and sounds like Aiko. To him, she was fake, an illusion. Having her by his side will hurt him in the long run¡ªthat was Kazu¡¯s logic. Soon after, the ghost disappeared and light flowed back into the sword. Its heartbeat rhythmed again on the metal and handle of the sword. After picking up the sword, Kazu left the room, determined to escape the dungeon. *** Bam! Clang! Clang! Clang! Bam! Kazu danced with the rusted sword facing the same full armoured cyclops. Dodging or blocking every attack of the cyclops, Kazu¡¯s skill was no longer equal to it. The memories of the graceful dance ingrained itself to his body. His movement now moved in fluid motions in and out of combat with the cyclops. What Kazu lacked now was insight cultivated by continuous fights, battles, and wars. Each stepping stone must be treated with care. His first stepping stone¡ªthe cyclops in front of him. Shiiiin! Sparks flew as Kazu deflected the blunt weapon of the cyclops, but he didn¡¯t stop there. The sword seemed to grasp the wooden bat of his opponent and throw it behind him. This sequence of moves caused the cyclops to tumble in imbalance. Kazu took this chance to do a point blank << Rising Wind >>. With that, the match ended. Counting from his encounters of the cyclops, he had a total of 3 attempts facing the same opponent. On that 3rd attempt, Kazu won. Mel: Watch your footwork. You took too long to end that fight when you were clearly better than the opponent. No trace of change in his facial expression when he heard her say that. The sweet voice from a few hours ago now sounded cold. This was a given as their relationship turned sour when Kazu declined her earlier. Their talks in between fights also became non-existent. However, he didn¡¯t mind it. Mel: To the humans, these cyclops are usually classified as high B rank monsters. Up ahead, ogres. Low A rank monsters. Don¡¯t let your guard down, they¡¯re stronger in groups. Kazu nodded. << Stealth >> Step by step, he closed in on the lone ogre. It had its back away from Kazu, walking away. Pustules on its back and arms protruded from the skin. The ogre didn¡¯t seem to be on alert as its face showed no sign of focus. For a while, Kazu followed the ogre and found out that it was moving in circles. It was patrolling, he thought. << Assassinate >>
Opponent must be equal or lower in level.
Tch, Status!
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level31
Strength518Vitality440
Wisdom397Intelligence412
Agility524Stamina502
Endurance595Luck31
Phys. R10237Mag. R.12202
Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status"
Even knowing that the status was just an assist method, some had full reliance on it. << Assassinate >> skill was one of these. From the beginning he acquired the skill, the skill took control of his body whenever he activated it. Trying to do the skill on the ogre, Kazu confirmed his suspicions about the skill. Mel: Kill it. On the sound of that command, Kazu lunged his sword at the back of the ogre; also breaking the stealth¡¯s effect. The sound of the wind attracted the attention of the ogre making it turn his head to the back. Its eyes widened as Kazu took a full swing at its upper spine. Surprised at the sudden encounter, the ogre tripped forward letting out a weird grunt. Kazu¡¯s sword took a full swing and a miss. But his next attack come at a ferocious speed. It didn¡¯t let the ogre have any time for recovery, at least, that¡¯s what he thought. A shock came to Kazu. As the ogre got up from the floor, it had kicked Kazu up. He flew back several meters. Had it not been for his quick reaction, blocking in time would have been impossible for the normal human. [[ Due to successful block, Phys R. neutralized the damage ]] ¡°Grooooaaarghhh!¡± The ogre screamed. A smirk appeared on Kazu¡¯s lips. Last time it screamed, a terrifying debuff fell on him. This time, however, such effects didn¡¯t attach to him. Mel: Do Rising Wind to close in and cancel the 2nd sequence. After that, jump up to strike at its head. << Rising Wind >> Kazu lunged at the ogre from several meters away. Air around him gathered, creating an ear piercing noise. At that speed, he stomped the ground just below the ogre. The sword swung upwards with all the momentum and wind gathered at its tip. Mel: What are you doing?! Yet an impenetrable wall presented itself in front of Kazu. The ogre had put up its defense with its two hands that seemed to cover its whole body. In that moment, the swung was already in mid motion. Clang! Mel: Run! The ogre deflected the sword as it twisted its body in an unbelievable angle to avoid the sharpness of the blade. Its ugly orange eyes caught contact with Kazu¡¯s. Both anger and caution presented itself behind the eyes of the monster he faced. A split second after the block, its fist, covered in gauntlets, set in motion. Boom! The fist slammed him into the ground. He bounced up in the air from the force and before he could recover, another fist came at him. Boom! The slam sent him flying tens of meters away. Kazu recovered in mid air and used this chance to escape. As he ran away, his head turned back to look back at the ogre. It didn¡¯t move from where it stood and a smirk appeared on its face¡ªa rebuttal of his earlier smirk. Kazu¡¯s eyes furrowed and clenched his teeth in irritation. After running away through a few more corners, he stopped in the middle of the hallway. No monsters appeared in his range of awareness. The area around Kazu had no bones nor signs of any battle. Small tables situated on the walls still kept their original form. It was safe to say that this area is well outside of the battlefield. Mel: Why didn¡¯t you follow what I said?! ¡°Alright that one was my bad.¡± Kazu¡¯s grip tightened. ¡°The ogre looked slow so I¡­¡± Mel: Don¡¯t underestimate anyone, ever. If you followed my instructions, you would have past through his defense. So predictable, so predictable! ¡°I get it!¡± Kazu shouted. With each conversation they had, all they did was fight. If she had a different appearance, maybe he would be able to accept her more easily, he thought. Nevertheless, she had the appearance of her. *** Wandering back into the red area, he took each step with caution. He followed the soft breeze of the wind flowing through the hallways hoping that it would lead to freedom. In the distance, an ogre appeared. Its arms held on to a trunk of a tree and the signature pustules covered its body. The smell of its stench reeked even more than the ogre he met before. As usual, it was walking away in a patrol like demeanor with its sloven face. Without waiting, Kazu lunged a pre-emptive strike at the ogre. Since it was a surprise attack, Kazu aimed for one of its legs. The air made a sharp noise and upon contacting with the thick leg, the flesh cut apart like butter. ¡°Graaarghh!¡± The ogre screamed. It dripped into its own bloody mess, yet the spurting blood halted in just a minute. Its regenerating capacity was even more scary than the cyclops. Kazu saw it with his own eyes. The moment the ogre fell on its cut off leg, it reattached its own leg and the fibers of its muscles reattached like worms hugging each other. Yet, its breathing became ragged. Mel: Now¡¯s your chance! Finish it off with Forward Gale! Whoosh! The air split into a blades hurling itself from point blank range. Those blades came from below the ogre that stood towering over the being that caused its manifestation. Slice, slice, slice. However, what awed Kazu was not the ogre dying so quickly. He followed Mel¡¯s instructions to the word so he didn¡¯t have time to do a proper stance for Forward Gale. He struck with Forward Gale from Rising Wind¡¯s position. It activated and the noise felt more clean. The sound it made sounded more like Rising Wind than the actual Forward Gale. Mel: That¡¯s right. Depending on the temperament of the stance, Forward Gale¡¯s properties will change. Although Kazu couldn¡¯t see her, he imagined she would have a proud smile on her lips from saying that. Even though he couldn¡¯t accept her, he admitted, in his mind, she knew more about the style than himself. Thud... The ogre dropped dead with numerous gaping wounds on its body and its eyes showed no signs of life. Intestines and stomachs bulged out from the wounds on its abdomen. Its stench made Kazu¡¯s eyes water, but he did not hurl. Killing hundreds of zombies steeled his nerves against such a sight. Kazu¡¯s eyes narrowed at such a scene. The taste of complete victory rested on the top of his tongue, but he didn¡¯t show satisfaction. He knew that this was just the beginning. ¡ªAnd there it was. A cloud of dust far away in the distance of the hallway headed its way towards him. ¡°Mel.¡± His sterned his own stance and prepared for the battle. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you!¡± Mel: Of course. The beating heart of the sword grew fast. Two ogres came. One of them wielded a tree and the other wore gauntlets. When Kazu saw the one with the gauntlets, anger ran through his veins. As he gathered strength to his legs, his grip tightened. When they reached the distance of 20 meters, his body shot itself like an arrow low on the ground. The air let out a sharp noise as he streamed through it. The ogre with tree shaped like a bat prepared a baseball player like stance. As soon as Kazu reached the perfect distance for his tree, Kazu pushed up on the ground. His body flip forward and now, he was behind them. Mel: Go for the gauntlet, he¡¯s more dangerous. Rising wind then jump like last time. << Rising Wind >> Kazu appeared below the gauntlet ogre. Its fists already positioned in defense like an unbreakable wall. However, the gauntlet ogre¡¯s eyes widened when it looked up. Kazu positioned himself above, completely passing through the gauntlet¡¯s defense. Whoosh! << Forward Gale >> But it wasn¡¯t over there. The other ogre kicked away the gauntlet ogre. In turn, the ogre¡¯s leg blew apart, but not without striking Kazu. Bam! The ogre hit Kazu like a baseball, sending him flying tens of meters away. Blood dripped from the corner of Kazu¡¯s lips and his breathing became ragged. Mel: This is bad. Ogre teamwork is notorious, just run! ¡°No!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°I need to¡­ to win!¡± Mel: Don¡¯t be careless I said! You can¡¯t win right now... ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯ve been put through.¡± Kazu cried. ¡°I would rather have died back in my world where my friends were¡­ where she was! ¡°When I first saw you as a ghost¡­ I was surprised. But now, I think I regret meeting a sword like you.¡± Mel: W-wha¡­? ¡°I¡¯m saying you look exactly like her!¡± Kazu collapsed on the floor, coughing up blood. ¡°I can never see her again. So tell me¡­ how can I ever accept you?¡± The ogres closed in and the first to reach him was the one with the gauntlets. Its fist created a violent gust and the giant wall of a fist came hurling at Kazu. Looking at this sight, Kazu¡¯s blood boiled even further. A state of overload ,he felt during the verge of his life, steeped into his blood. The movements he saw became even slower. Details of the scenery looked sharper and he felt every centimeter of the wind around. He would have rather died back on Earth than to be put through all of these miseries. At least dying with friends, he wouldn''t be alone and she would be beside him. It was all taken away from him. Stolen. Yet in this world, power ruled over everything. The fist of the ogre in front of him symbolized all of that as it laid down an arrogant smirk. There was no way to go back¡ªwithout power. No way to live¡ªwithout power. No way to see her again¡ªwithout power. In a swift movement, Kazu moved his arms that held the sword right in front of the fist. Using the blade instead of the flat, he slashed open through the metal into its bones. His eyes furrowed in pain, the amount of concentration it took gave Kazu intense fatigue. Every fiber of muscle in his body screamed at him to rest. But he continued. ¡°Grooooorrgh!¡± The ogre screamed. Mel: Hold the sword high and slide down into a spin right below the ogre with the tree. Ignoring the disoriented gauntlet ogre, kazu slid towards the ogre holding the tree like bat. As soon as he got between the legs, he spun, slicing both legs at the same time. Mel: Forward Gale. In that exact moment, he took on the normal stance and let the sonic boom of the Forward Gale. The wind skewered the ogre and the gauntlet ogre in a line. Mince meat blended in with metal splashed all over the wall. More blood coated the floor and turned it into an even deeper red. With the guidance of Mel, much to his distraught, Kazu convincingly killed both ogres in a small amount of time. Few hours passed by encountering all sorts of monsters. From ogre shamans to ogres of all kinds to spider bees and cyclops. With the guidance of Mel, Kazu survived all of them. Yet during this time, Kazu and Mel avoided all casual topics or conversations. Ogre shamans were easy as they didn¡¯t have any physical strength nor skills to run away. They casted weak magic that didn¡¯t even make Kazu flinch with his innate magic defense as long as he blocked properly. During the time he met the shamans, his scan ability leveled up and now named itself ¡°Detailed Scan¡±. Detailed scan gave out information on the opponent¡¯s stats, however, it consumed 5000 mana. Each time Kazu used it, he would feel slight exhaustion. However, he was still able to use the previous version, ¡°Scan¡±. And through this new ability, he found out that his stats were generally higher than the monsters. At any rate, ogres of all kinds ranging from fully armoured to ones that wielded huge metal poles took on Kazu with much more effort. The full armoured ones surprised Kazu with their extreme agility much like the cyclops he had a hard time with. What irritated him was that there were more of them than he imagined as he has not encountered an armoured cyclops in a while. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. He freely used Forward Gale with no care about attracting attention. In fact, he used it to wear down the upcoming battle with Euopth. Since Euopth would always run after him when it heard the sonic boom, he ran around with no care each time he used Forward Gale. Staying at one spot too long became a bad idea. However, he took short breaks in between to fill himself up and to get rid of the built up fatigue. The amount of effort he put in all went into one goal¡ªto get out of this damned world. Even with his lung cancer back on Earth, this place felt like hell and Earth felt like paradise. ¡°Status¡±
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level46
Strength518Vitality440
Wisdom397Intelligence412
Agility524Stamina502
Endurance595Luck31
Phys. R10237Mag. R.12202
Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status"
In the span of those few hours, his status reached a level of 46 with monstrous stats. Since he himself became a monster through conversion, he was confident that he could take on Euopth after tiring him out. ¡°KRAAAARAK!¡± Euopth screeched. With furrowed eyes, Kazu smiled. The 4 meter tall towering beast presented itself¡ªBoss of the 2nd floor. its body was wide, almost covering all of the 10 meter wide hallways. Yellow and black stripes covered its insect like fur. On its stinger, an eye looked at Kazu with bloodshot like red linings. The anger on its eyes could also be seen on its heavy breathing. For hours, it kept on chasing Kazu. With that said, who would not be angry at their prey continuously running away? The prey it saw also had an arrogant smirk on its lips. Blood boiled even further as Euopth saw this. Suddenly, Euopth let out a barrage of needle poles at Kazu. << Scan >>
Status
NameNeedle PoleTypeOrganic Metal, Poisoned, Physical
Attack Rating???-???
Armour piercing, Unblockable.
The battle of his lifetime came with Euopth¡¯s initiative. Kazu ran seeing as there was no chance of blocking the needle poles. From the first time he saw Euopth, he had scanned her. From her HP alone, he figured Euopth won¡¯t be able to take much damage. He only needed one chance¡ªone clean strike! Kazu ran through the halls searching for areas suitable for fighting. Behind him, Euopth kept up with her large body and surprising speed. After running for a while the numerous intersections stopped. He persisted following the direction of the wind until a large hall presented itself in his vision. It looked like a place where people entered the building¡ªan entrance hall. Except it was huge. The entire hall could fit over 500 people, he thought. There were stairs that lead up. From behind him, he could hear Euopth¡¯s crawling speed. Kazu ran up the stairs to continue following the wind without hesitation. The path became straight, but he didn¡¯t care. As long as he followed the wind, he wouldn¡¯t get lost. Then at the end of the path, 2 huge stone double doors blocked his path. ¡°Mel, you think we can cut through here?¡± Kazu asked. Mel: Forward Gale should be able to cut through this thickness. BOOOM! The stone doors shattered, but not completely. The wind busted a large hole onto the door. From that large hole, cracks permeated from it. With no hesitation, Kazu entered the unknown room. His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the hall. ¡°Ephermal Labyrinth Dungeon, Hall of summoning, Austere Church of Fae the Light God.¡± Kazu whispered. This place began everything in his new life. From the highs and lows of his short life on this world, this place started it. Kazu looked at the paintings everywhere and the sculpted pillars. It wasn¡¯t as big as the entrance hall, but it could fit 100 people inside. Chandeliers above glowed a dim light showing the artistic paintings of a single light purging the dark. However, the hospital bed and the medical equipment were no longer there. Bam! ¡°KRAAARARAAAAK!¡± Euopth smashed through the stone double doors. Immediately shooting out her needles at Kazu, she jumped up far using the darkness in the ceiling to conceal herself. Kazu managed to flip backwards to dodge her couple of shots. In retaliation, Kazu shot out his own ranged attack, Forward Gale. Continuous streams of both needles and wind shot in multiple directions aimed at each other. Euopth still used the low visibility from ceiling to its advantage. However, that¡¯s when Kazu smirked. As Euopth changed her position, huge rocks fell on her when she stepped onto a different platform of the ceiling. With her weak defense and vitality, those rocks might injure her. Mel: She¡¯s coming down. Slice up her legs first before anything else. Her agility will hinder you in the future if you don¡¯t take care of them now. Kazu nodded. Euopth climbed down one of the pillars. The red in its eyes became an even deeper colour. Anger piled up on top of anger made her body shiver. ¡°KRAAAAAAAAAKKKK¡± She screamed. Such treatment was not fit for the queen of the 2nd floor. Everyone that dared stand her way would have been killed by now, so why has the little insect not died? These thoughts ran through her head as she spat out countless of needles at the human. However, the human zigzagged through them. Each needle only missed by a hairline. Why couldn¡¯t she hit him?! Slice. Her front leg broke off. Splashes of green acidic liquid splashed all over. A few drops fell on Kazu¡¯s chest. ¡°Agghh.¡± Kazu groaned. Mel: Tch, it has acidic blood. Again! But follow up Rising Wind with Forward Gale. Also she¡¯s going to use her bleeding to prevent your movement. Euopth crawled at Kazu with amazing speed. She waved her broken leg around to splash acid everywhere. No longer did she see Kazu as prey. Instead, she now saw him as a threat. To her, it became a kill or die situation. Each droplet of acid in the air caused the surroundings to heat up. Kazu avoided all of the droplets just by a bit, but some still managed to land themselves on him. It was obvious he¡¯s going to have to break through such tactics through force. With only Mel¡¯s guidance, the beginner Kazu could not avoid all of the droplets. Again, Kazu rushed in with Rising Wind. This time, he used Forward Gale to cut one of the limbs- Boom! One of other limbs kicked him up, a mistake on his part not factoring in the other 7 legs of the spider. Now mid-air, there was nothing he could do and the expected needle came piercing at him. Kazu twisted his body to minimize the damage. The needle scratched his side just above his waist. But still, it caused a lot of pain and poison started running over his body. He fell several meters away, landing just behind a pillar. Mel: Kazu!! She cried out. Can you hold out? ¡°Yeah.¡± Kazu groaned while holding his side. ¡°Tell me what to do.¡± Mel: But you¡¯r- ¡°Just do it!¡± Kazu screamed. Mel: Play dead like you¡¯re hurt and can¡¯t move anymore. On Mel¡¯s command, he put full trust on her. Kazu pretended to be hurt, making the rusted sword support his weight. He breathed heavily to make it even more believable. And sure enough, it walked towards him at a leisure pace like it had already won. ¡ªBut it was all a ruse. Due to its sadistic nature, it will finish off most of its prey through an execution style. And since Kazu pretended to be hurt, his status reverted back to that of a prey. When she came in range, she showed her stinger just in front of Kazu¡¯s face. Euopth narrowing her eyes on the stinger, she slowly brought out its stinger like the time she finished off the ghoul; truly a sadistic behaviour. Kazu¡¯s eyes narrowed, choosing where to strike. Then suddenly, Euopth¡¯s eyes widened looking at something behind Kazu. Mel: Do it now! In that instant, the beast jumped back in defense. Kazu took this chance to attack with << Rising Wind >>. When he got into attack range, he aimed at the stinger, assuming it was the head. Kazu¡¯s rusted sword was now in mid motion towards the stinger. CLANG~! His sword was blocked by a needle, also losing all the wind built up by Rising Wind. Irritation swelled up in Kazu¡¯s stomach while he was still in motion. << Rising Wind >> He used it again, keeping up his spacing with the beast¡¯s jump. ¡°AAAAH!!¡± Kazu screamed. Mel: Forward Gale from Rising Wind! As soon as the beast and Kazu landed in unison, the swing came in already in motion with its storm like wind. A slice upwards created a beam of light produced by the rusted sword¡¯s reflection of the dim light. Following that light, a storm of razor sharp winds shot up at Euopth¡¯s body. Numerous cuts appeared all over its body; all of its legs were cut up by the wind; and lasty, it was made into minced meat once the effect of the wind was over. The fatal flaw of Euopth: weak body. The one chance showed itself. There, it ended it in an instant. Silence fell upon the room. Only the sizzling sound of Euopth¡¯s blood made disturbed the silence. Looking at the hall, the whole thing became ruins. The pillars remained, but most of the ceiling sat on the floor of the hall. Step¡­ step¡­ step¡­ Kazu looked back at the sound coming from the stone doors he entered from. A man in dark robes covering his face stepped in from the destroyed stone doors. He had heavy metal bracelets covering his wrists and loose metal chains that hung from it. The staff he wore glowed in ominous green with a skull on the top of the staff. 2 ghouls in butler suits stood in each of his side. Clap¡­ Clap¡­ Clap¡­ ¡°Child¡­ well¡­ done¡­¡± Mel: This is bad. He¡¯s not someone you can win against. Run. ¡°Now child¡­. give¡­ me¡­ that¡­ sword¡­¡± Confused, Kazu walked the other direction. He knew where the portal was and as long as its functioning, he can get out of this dark place. But his troubles weren¡¯t over yet, a ghoul blocked the door he wanted to exit from. It stood at a cat like stance, ready for an attack. Mel: Kazu! Run now! Suddenly, hundreds upon hundreds of ghouls ran down from the pillars and dropped from the ceiling. The sheer amount of ghouls shocked Kazu. He was confident in fighting them one on one, but this became a totally different matter. ¡°Kill him!¡± The mysterious man shouted. Kazu pounced at the ghoul blocking his way. The ghoul twisted its body into an impossible pose causing Kazu¡¯s pounce to miss! However, that wasn¡¯t Kazu¡¯s goal. He continued his speed and passed the ghoul. ¡°Stop him!¡± The mysterious man commanded. The scenery of the familiar hallway sped through his vision. Kazu took each turn with aggression, although his speed wasn¡¯t enough to outpace the ghouls. His earlier battle with Euopth took a hefty amount of his stamina and endurance. But finally, he reached his destination. Mel: That¡¯s¡­! The platform glowed an ominous yellow. Still active, he thought. Despite that, hundreds of ghouls screamed at him from behind as he entered the room. Once he took on the platform, he needed a minute for it to activate. The amount of time it needed to activate was too long! A battle of attrition begun. << Fool¡¯s Wind >> Ghouls flooded the room up to the ceiling, damping the whole area black. Kazu stood at the center of the room on the platform being the only light in the room. A storm of blades came dancing out every second with him being the center. Every time it shot out, numerous ghouls would die. But even then, endless amount of tendrils lashed at him. He endured the ones from the back and blocked all of the lashes coming from above and in front. Mel: Kazu! Their teeth put a fright on his face. The ogre from yesterday died by one of these and eaten clean to the bone. It was not a death Kazu wanted. All he could do was endure the pain. Half a minute passed. Hundreds of ghouls died and Kazu¡¯s body ragged with whips. Kazu¡¯s sword slipped off his hand and a bright shining light enveloped Kazu like an orb. Mel took on her ghost form and blocked all the incoming attacks using her last bits of energy. Suddenly, the platform initiated. The runs around the platform spun until it reached a velocity in which it made a solid line. It became brighter and brighter until light filled the room that seemed to purge the darkness. Mel: Kazu-kun, Good-bye. Tears formed around the corner of her eyes as she looked back at kazu. Aiko?! The teleportation begun His vision became distorted, then faded into the light. But before that, he forced his hand to grab the hilt of the sword. The scenery, now, was a dripping moist cave with light passing through the cracks of the cave¡¯s ceiling. He could hear the chirping birds, the leaves scraping against each other from the breeze wind, and the warmth of the sun. ¡°Aiko!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me¡­ Aiko!¡± Kazu punched the floor of the cave as he looked at the sword on his other hand. Its heartbeat was at its weakest. *** ¡°Brett, you can¡¯t be serious.¡± Mizz exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for him for almost 2 weeks. Don¡¯t you think¡ª¡± ¡°Mizz.¡± Krey grabbed on to Mizz¡¯s arm to stop her from saying that last word. ¡°Mizz, if you want to go back, you can.¡± Raym turned her head towards Mizz as her eyebrows turned down. ¡°We¡¯ll keep going until we find him.¡± ¡°Careful!¡± Mizz shouted. ¡°There¡¯s an ogre just around the corner!¡± ¡°Alright, stand back. I¡¯ll be in the front. Krey, back me up. Raym, make sure to look for an opening and Mizz, make sure to keep an eye out on other monsters near us and heal whenever one of us gets hurt.¡± Brett commanded. ¡°¡±¡±¡±Understood¡±¡±¡±¡± The ogre came around the corner, setting its eyes set on the group. ¡°GROOOOOOOARRRGHHH!¡± The atmosphere shook as the ogre shouted with all its might. Everyone¡¯s expression tensed as they saw its tree sized club it used for its weapon. However, even with its menacing size, with Brett¡¯s team¡¯s perfect composition, the ogre was clearly outmatched. In a blink of an eye, the ogre laid dead on the ground. ¡°Eeeww.¡± Mizz gagged. ¡°Fortunately these things are only troublesome in large groups. At most its low A rank right?¡± ¡°Mizz, keep your eyes focused. We¡¯re not here to play around.¡± Brett snarked. Mizz eyes widened after Brett¡¯s comment. ¡°There¡¯s a group of humans coming our way. Brett, your friends?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t recall. Everyone, guards up.¡± Two men with purple hair came over from the corner. Adraine and Nedraine, Ned for short. They had their weapons drawn, obviously looking for a fight. ¡°Well, well. Look what we have here.¡± Adraine smirked. ¡°Older brother, let me have the nayan bitch.¡± Nedraines eyes were full of lust as he stared at Raym. ¡°Look, we¡¯re not looking for trouble. If you leave us alone, no one gets hurt.¡± Brett commented. ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s going to get hurt?¡± Adraine put out his hands as it to intimidate Brett. Arrogance and pride permeated all over his body. Even more so with his prided armour with multiple gems. ¡°Brett, his armour and those gems¡­¡± Krey commented. ¡°Aah, I know.¡± Brett replied. Next Chapter >> ##################### Thanks for reading. Spoiler : I don¡¯t think anyone wants to go through 4 more chapters of pure fighting in the dungeon so I summarized it. Chapter 15 - The Sword (Book 1 - End) Chapter 15 Broken walls of a derelict building scattered the area. One could peek through the holes of the walls and still be able to see what was happening on the otherside. This was above ground, yet it was still considered part of a dungeon; First Floor Ephermal Labyrinth Dungeon. The reason is, of course, the labyrinth like structure that lead to the entrance of the dungeon itself. A group of four came surrounded by men numerous men. Brett¡¯s party consisted of himself, Krey, Mizz, and Raym. They all had a tense stare as they looked at the man in the luxurious plate armour, Adraine. ¡°You know the drill, put down your weapons and let us have our way.¡± Adraine laughed. ¡°Older brother, there''s more of us. Let¡¯s just kill the men hehe.¡± Ned commented. Adraine frowned at his younger brother¡¯s suggestion. Considering it never came to his mind. He knew the value and strength of each member in Brett¡¯s party. If it ever came down to a fight, all 30 of his party members would¡¯ve died and the last stand would¡¯ve came to him and Brett. It was something he wasn¡¯t confident of. ¡°Hmph, like we¡¯ll give into that easily!¡± Raym shouted. ¡°Adraine, don¡¯t you think your arrogance invaded your brain?¡± Adraine¡¯s eyes stared into Raym¡¯s eyes. The mere voice of an inferior being to him sent blood up to his head in anger. ¡°If money¡¯s the problem, I¡¯ll pay.¡± Brett groaned. ¡°Brett-¡± Raym shouted. However, Krey¡¯s hand stopped her just as she was about to say her next words. Adraine¡¯s eyebrow raised. His hands reached for his chin, considering Brett¡¯s offer. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite.¡± ¡°Older broth-!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Adraine shouted. His eyes turned back to brett and said, ¡°How much?¡± ¡°2 Diamond coins.¡± Brett answered. ¡°Brett¡­¡± Krey whispered. Both Mizz and Raym covered their gaping mouths with their hands. Krey, on the other hand, looked dumbfounded. 2 diamond coins was equal to 2000 gold. Its the savings Brett had built his entire lifetime. ¡°Whaaaat?¡± Adraine¡¯s gave off a demeaning tone. ¡°That¡¯s all? 2 little diamond coins won¡¯t even impress other nobles!¡± ¡°Hahahaha, just that? You gotta be kidding me! Hah!¡± Ned laughed. Everyone in Brett¡¯s party clenched their teeth to endure the humiliation. Other members in Adraine¡¯s party all laughed with them. ¡°Alright, alright, calm down everyone.¡± The laughter died down as soon as Adraine commanded. ¡°How bout this. I¡¯ll take your two diamond coins, but you¡¯ll give me that winged bitch? Of course, that guarantee is only for today. 2 diamonds is too little, if you know what I mean.¡± Brett¡¯s eyes were almost popping out from the anger the man in front induced in him. In his party, everyone were family. If one dived, everyone dived, If one ate, everyone ate. ¡ªAnd if one got in trouble, everyone got in trouble. Brett put his hands around the hilt of the sword on his waist. Do or die, a last resort. ¡°Lad, hahaha, shoulda done this in the first place.¡± Krey laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right! This is more fun.¡± Raym licked her lips as her fingers ran down the double daggers behind and above her waist. ¡°Its not my fault if you die on your own kay?¡± Mizz shook her head, yet her lips formed a smirk under her light purple hair. ¡°Hahaha, come on Adraine. Let¡¯s see whatcha got?!¡± Brett shouted. Adraine¡¯s face lit up like a red hot balloon. He thought he was being reasonable with his offer, but he greatly underestimated their familial feelings for each other. Now it came down to the last situation he least expected. Dozens of magic circles appeared on the battlefield. Mizz began casting her routine spells before a battle. Speed, protection, strength, to everyone and a barrier around herself. Some of the men in Adraine¡¯s party gasped as they saw her chantless incantations and a dozen circles of light appearing in a span of a second. ¡°What are you doing! Attack!¡± Adraine pushed his brother into the front. Support mages on their side had just started their chanting while offensive mages began to look for advantageous positions. Archers on Adraine¡¯s side climbed the derelict walls and trees surrounding the area and the warriors prepared a frontal assault. In the span of a few seconds, everyone went into battle mode. Clang! ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Krey laughed. The first strike of the battle. ¡°Krey! you berserker maniac!¡± Raym shouted as she jumped up the walls aiming for the archers and other supports she can pick off. Brett charged at Adraine, but in front him was Nedraine, his little brother. A slight frown appeared on his face from looking at Nedraine. The younger brother was always treated as a scapegoat for his older brother¡¯s misdeeds. It twisted the younger brother¡¯s personality into what it is now. ¡°Move brat!¡± Brett shouted. ¡°Brett watch out!¡± Mizz shouted. A smirk appeared on Ned¡¯s face. Suddenly, an explosion from his back sent Brett flying forward. ¡°Arggh.¡± Brett groaned. However, he steadied his balance and sterned his face. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do more than that to bring me down.¡± ¡°Yaaah!¡± Ned grunted. A sword came flying at Brett¡¯s face. In that instant, a circle appeared just below where the sword would meet Brett¡¯s face. Clang! Looking back, Brett gave a thumbs up to Mizz. She used a small barrier to block the weak sword. If Adraine swung it, she¡¯s convinced the barrier would have shattered at his strength. ¡°Raym! Get the pesky offense mages! Krey! Protect Mizz! Mizz, on me!¡± Brett commanded. ¡°Archers keep moving around! Don¡¯t let the winged bitch get you and target their caster!¡± Adraine shouted. ¡°Mages, what are you doing?! Focus on Brett!¡± Neither side gave in. Brett¡¯s party¡¯s defense was absolute; no openings. On the other hand, Adraine stood behind the front lines overseeing everyone in his party. No matter what he commanded, none of his tactics worked on Brett¡¯s party. His younger brother was also already knocked out just seconds after the battle started. Even his front line warriors were single handedly getting beaten by Brett. Most were B ranks, but there were also A ranks in his warrior line. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, they¡¯re stronger than A ranks?!¡± Adraine¡¯s face continued to grow red from anger. The battle continued. It became a battle of attrition, yet casualties on his side numbered more than Brett¡¯s. In fact, all 4 members of Brett¡¯s team were still alive. As his combatants were getting downed one by one by Raym, anger finally reached his logical side. Adraine drew his sword and the jewels situated near his knees glowed. Whoosh! Adraine swept through the battlefield going passed Brett. ¡°What?!¡± Brett shouted. The next moment, he heard loud overpowering clashes of metal behind him. His head turned back and saw Adraine exchanging blows with Krey. Little by little, Krey¡¯s defense worn down by the constant smashes by Adraine. And soon, the other warriors that passed through Brett got to Mizz who currently played the most important part of the team, support. 3 warriors hacked away at her shield. With each strike, the glow of her shield dimmed. Then, as if a glass broke, her shield shattered into bits of lights. And with it, her vitality took a blow because of the connection with her life force and her shield. ¡°Mizz!!!!!¡± Raym shouted. ¡°You bastards!¡± Raym zigzagged through the arrows aimed at her. Her dagger lit up like a flash and three icicles landed on the three warriors that surrounded Mizz. They froze up in an instant once they impacted with the icicle. Boom! A knee hit her on the stomach. Her body went into fetal position from the pain that hit her stomach. Adraine¡¯s speed were nothing they¡¯ve seen before. ¡°Mate, you rely too much on equipment!¡± Krey shouted as he swung his axe at Adraine. But an explosion met his back. Raym was no longer there to keep the mages entertained. Brett¡¯s whole formation fell apart with Mizz being incapacitated. Just like that, the battle of attrition came to an end and Brett knelt in defeat. *** Numerous candles lit up the room. Books upon books piled and scattered everywhere. Giant paintings of grand battles littered the stone walls from corner to corner. The name of this place was Sage¡¯s Tower situated in the Austere Palace. ¡°Philip!¡± Sage shouted. ¡°I said Philip Nemean!¡± The semi circular door opened without the person even knocking for permission to enter. A man entered. He had his golden blond hair neatly pushed back. No signs of arrogance nor pride showed up on his expression, except a sign of boredom. On his chest, he wore a full plate armour designed in the fashion of a lion. Ornaments and jewellry covered his armour, yet his armour still permeated the strength. ¡°Yeah, yeah. What is it now?¡± Philip Yawned. ¡°Today, the sun sets high with no clouds obstructing its view, correct?¡± Sage asked. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, obviously.¡± Philip replied. ¡°Did a man come to you 2 weeks ago on this very day about a certain dungeon?¡± Sage asked again. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Philip¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Wait, why am I even surprised that you know?!¡± ¡°In such a bright day, do you know why rain will fall on all of Austere?¡± Sage picked up a book and laid it down on her study table. She whispered, ¡°No¡­ not yet...¡± ¡°Can we just get on with the point?¡± Philip grumbled. ¡°Come Philip Nemean.¡± Sage strolled over to the door, exiting it. As he saw that, Philip shrugged. There was nothing he could do but follow. Now at the gate of the palace, the gate opened when she commanded ¡°Open.¡± A carriage arrived soon after she stood a few steps away from the gate. Step, step, step. Her climb onto the carriage drew the attention of the driver with its grace. Next, Philip climbed up to the carriage with roughness in his demeanor. ¡°Driver. To the Adventurer¡¯s guild. Go slow.¡± Sage said. Her soft voice caused the driver to widen his eyes. Such a graceful lady, yet her destination was opposite of gracefulness itself¡ªthe adventurer¡¯s guild. Sage snapped her fingers and the carriage started rolling. ¡°Mind telling me where we¡¯re going?¡± Philip asked. ¡°Adventurer¡¯s guild.¡± Sage answered. ¡°And why are we going there?¡± Philip sighed. ¡°To go adventuring.¡± A smirk appeared on Sage¡¯s face. As soon as Philip saw her expression, his face paled. He knew that this current expression meant there was no way to get any information out of her. His eyes turned to the coat of arms pin on her chest. In small letters it read, ¡°Heroic-rank¡±. Violence is not the answer, he sighed. The carriage treaded softly through the streets. 50 men, clad in armour, lined up in 3 single files behind the carriage. Upon reaching their destination, the door of the carriage slammed open. Philip walked out first, scratching his head. Before, his hair was kept neat but after the ride, countless frizzed hair messed up the neatly kept hair. Following him, Sage steps on the stairs of the carriage put on an air of grace. Everyone paid attention to the woman in the loose crimson robe that failed to hide her curves. A scar ran across her eyes and she had her lids closed the whole time. However, everyone knew she had sight through other means. Mouths gaped as they saw the badge on her chest; the badge that signified a rank. Step by step, her shoes hitting the floor resonated loudly in the silence of the adventurer¡¯s guild. She stopped just in front of the clerk. ¡°The woman in violet hair named Mizz. Where is she?¡± Sage asked. But as soon as the woman in front of her opened her mouth, Sage interrupted again saying, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she took a day off. Tell me where she is.¡± The clerk looked down like a child being scolded by a stranger. ¡°...I heard she went to the labyrinth dungeon¡­?¡± The clerk answered. ¡°Good. That makes sense.¡± Sage replied. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Philip roared. All the adventurer¡¯s eyes turned towards the man in the lion-esque armour. A few gasped at the man¡¯s courage. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you plan to go there again!?¡± Philip¡¯s brows furrowed and he crossed his arms. ¡°Of course not.¡± Sage chuckled. ¡°Look at all the soldiers willing to follow me.¡± Her finger pointed at him. With her temperament, she assumed all the soldiers he lined up for her will also follow her into the labyrinth dungeon¡ªjust like last time, he thought. Philip could only let out a sigh at her remark. Step, step, step. Her steps once again hit the floor causing an echo in the adventurer¡¯s guild. The usual rowdiness of the guild was silenced by presence alone. Once she came near the carriage, both Sage and Philip entered. ¡°East Gate outskirts.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± The driver lashed the horses and the carriage took off. During the ride, Philip scratched his head even more. Irritation caused him to itch uncontrollably, but not just any kind of irritation. Irritation originating from the woman in front of him was the sole cause of such a disorder! ¡°Philip Nemean.¡± Sage voiced. ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°Do you know about the birth of dungeons?¡± Her smirk sent a bewitching mystery to Philip. ¡°History lesson now is it¡­¡± Philip sighed. Of course, he knew what she was about to say next. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Dungeons form naturally. In the deepest place of that dungeon, a crystal sucks the mana out of the environment around it. Humans, spirits, higher beings, are subjected to this rule too.¡± Sage pulled the curtains on the window to let light in. ¡°Dungeons get deeper and deeper as it sucks out nature¡¯s energy. However, do you know the history of our Ephermal Labyrinth dungeon?¡± Philip¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No, I don¡¯t... Tell me.¡± ¡°A king once brought a sword from the lands of Dragonweild. It was given to him as a present from the great Charles of Dragonweild who united the country. But this sword was not normal. Along the way back to Austere of Asteria, the king became mad. The sword had caused his insanity, sucking away at his energy. ¡°Heroes from all over the continent tried to stop the mad king. After managing to kill those several heroes, the heroes retreated and set up a barrier around the king to trap him. In that place, the king died of his madness. ¡°Once the heroes confirmed his body, they took the sword and threw it down a well. They knew the sword was alive and it devoured its owner.¡± Sage¡¯s monologue ended when the carriage stopped. Both got out of the carriage, and set their first foot forward into the entrance of the labyrinth dungeon. Walls and trees became thicker as they strolled deeper into the dungeon. ¡°Tell me Philip Nemean.¡± Without looking at the man beside her, Sage asked. ¡°Was the sword good or evil?¡± ¡°Of course it was evil. Such a sword shouldn¡¯t exist!¡± Philip shouted. Philiped turned his eyes and saw her large smile. It was a rare scene that do not happen by mere coincidence. Was his answer incorrect? The thought lingered on in his mind they walked with 50 men marching behind them. ¡°Answer me once more Philip Nemean.¡± Sage commanded once more. ¡°Is a hero born or made?¡± ¡°Is that a trick question?¡± Philip furrowed his brows. ¡°I¡¯ll go with born. The mentality of a hero is born through lineage!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Her laughter stopped the march of the army. Beside them hung a cliff of 5 meters tall. ¡°Go pick up the man in the cave below this cliff. Make sure you bring all his belongings.¡± Her lips once again showed a mischievous smile. Every word she said had a bewitching mystery behind it. Philip had long ago gotten used to it. So, following the command, Philip jumped down. The moist in the cave left him sighing with disgust. After walking for a minute, he found a body with its fist clenched onto a rusted sword. Philip turned over the body of the body and whispered, ¡°Kazu Tomoe¡­¡± He picked up the body, but the rusted sword fell off from the grip of the unconscious body. Upon picking up the sword, Philip noticed its heartbeat. The rhythm of its beat felt like it was increasing. However, with a shrug, he left the vicinity. He¡¯s seen many swords with a heartbeat. Others were fake and only had a heartbeat because of a repeated vibration spell on a gem. Seeing the rust on the sword, it must have been that, Philip thought. Now getting out of the cave, he jumped 5 meters up with leisure. His eyes turned to the imaginary eyes of Sage. In response, she nodded. ¡°Come, Philip Nemean.¡± Again, she strolled deeper into the first floor of the dungeon. Soon, metal clashing on metal echoed through the forest of walls. As they got closer, the sounds became louder. And soon enough, they arrived at the peak of the fight. They saw numerous men attacking a party of 4. The party of 4 were exceptional in their skill, but the other side had numbers. In the wars of attrition, numbers always win. Finally, the group of 4 came down to their last member. The blond haired rough looking man kneeled at the luxurious outstanding violet haired man. Philip drew his sword and all of his men drew their swords in unison. As he was about to take a step forward, a hand reached to his side stopping him. Sage still had a smile on her face and said, ¡°Throw the boy into the fray.¡± The command drew a frown on his face. ¡°But this guy is half dead you know?!¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± The air vibrated with power coming from Sage. ¡°Throw the boy into the fray Philip Nemean.¡± Again she commanded him. A chill ran down his spine. Without further delay, Philip threw Kazu in with his rusted sword. ¡°Sorry kid.¡± *** Kazu¡¯s eyes parted as the impact with the ground shook his consciousness awake. Around him, countless laid motionless. What caught his attention was Brett kneeling in front of the violet haired man. The violet haired man swung his sword across Brett¡¯s chest. Thud¡­ His body laid motionless. Kazu felt the thud on the ground and it woke up his half closed eyes.
Warning: Exhausted. Stats reduced to 15% of original (except HP and MP). Stamina is below threshold; skills disabled.
¡°Brett!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°Oh?¡± Adraine turned his head to Kazu. ¡°Great! I was looking for you.¡± An arrogant smile upturned from Adraine¡¯s lips. The bloodlust in Adraine¡¯s eyes pierced Kazu. From the bloodlust alone, cold chills went up from his spine. Stab. Adraine appeared in front of Kazu, stabbing his thigh. Yet, he couldn¡¯t let out a scream. A twisted expression appeared on Adraine as if he looked down on Kazu like a boy playing with ants. Danger screamed at Kazu¡¯s every senses. The man in front of him was the very personification of both fear and hate to Kazu. With his front from Adraine, Kazu crawled back in fear. He tried to grab the space around him, but he could not find what he searched for. Adraine stepped forward and the smile on his face became more evil with each step. With every other step, he would slice or stab at the insect in front of him Kazu¡¯s clothes tore even more from Adraine¡¯s play. Blood painted the ground beneath him with each crawl he took. Then at last, Kazu¡¯s hand felt a familiar touch. However, Adraine had his sword brandished in a stabbing stance. This time, it would aim for a vital. Whoosh! The sword pierced Kazu¡¯s shoulder blade straight through. The rusted sword situated itself between his heart and Adraine. ¡ªRain fell on the field soaking everyone and blurring the blood on the ground. Dozens of magic circles floated in circular motions around Kazu. A green glow enveloped him. It was a warm soothing feeling. All of the wounds on his body closed and strength brought itself back to Kazu¡¯s hands, arms, legs, body. The fear in Kazu¡¯s eyes disappeared and the beating of the sword grew stronger and stronger. ¡°Mel, I haven''t answered you yet right?¡± Kazu whispered. Thump. Kazu¡¯s heart thumped loud in his head. It grew in speed. ¡°Mel, I promise¡­ as long as you never disappear from my side forever!¡± Kazu shouted. Boom! Mel: Kazu¡­ of course~! The air vibrated. Shockwaves permeated from the sword. A ray of light appeared from the bottom of the sword¡¯s hilt. Soon, the ray of light moved upwards in a slow yet strong personality. The rusted sword transformed into a majestic Great Claymore. Its blade, 2 meters in length, drew fear in the hearts of enemies. The flat of its blade measured at 30 cm, and on that flat, veins of liquid gold and a haze of purple flowed. The veins drew a cross on the flat. Snake like celtic patterns looked as if they were alive drew its hilt. A sword named¡ªMelcross. The sword that was lodged in Kazu¡¯s chest disintegrated. At this sight, Adraine stumbled backwards, falling flat on his butt. ¡°T-t-thats the Devourering Sword, Melcross!¡± Adraine squealed. ¡°D-d-demon!¡± Putting his hand on the hilt, power surged through Kazu¡¯s veins originating from his hand. Kazu¡¯s eyes turned to Adraine who still sat on the ground in shock. ¡°Get up.¡± Kazu commanded. ¡°I won¡¯t on the ground or without a sword.¡± The arrogant words of the insect in front of him threw away all reason in Adraine¡¯s mind. He crawled to get Brett¡¯s sword and without delay, he lunged at Kazu. ¡ªSlow. The swings were like looking at grass grow to Kazu¡¯s eyes. With each swing from Adraine, Kazu blew it away with one hand on the sword. In the overload state, nothing can stand in his way, he thought. ¡°AAAHH!¡± Adraine swung again. Peng!!! The sword in his hand broke in half from Kazu¡¯s own swing. No, Kazu sliced through the sword. Such a slice even awed Philip hiding behind the wall while watching the scene. ¡°First, you demeaned me.¡± Swing. The fibers of Adraine¡¯s left leg sliced open. ¡°Then, you hurt my family.¡± Swing. Adraine¡¯s right arm flew away. ¡°Then most importantly, you hurt ME.¡± Stab. The 30 cm wide blade cut through Adraine¡¯s right leg. His eyes and mouth opened wide in fear. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Kazu again swung his sword with one hand, and the blood splashed away from the claymore. ¡°Live the rest of your life like the insects in your fantasies.¡± Adraine¡¯s fell out of consciousness. Both shock and fear overwhelmed his system. . . . Clap, clap, clap. Sage came in from behind the wall. ¡°Well done Kazu Tomoe.¡± Sage smiled. A bewitching beauty appeared from under the shadows of the leaves. Kazu stared in awe as she avoided all the dead bodies. ¡°Kazu Tomoe, do not worry about your family and their friends. Had we been a little later, I would have not been able to heal them in time. In fact, no one here is dead¡­ except maybe for half of Adraine Kies.¡± Sage smirked. ¡°Philip Nemean, carry the two women over there and those 2 men over there.¡± The snap of her finger cleared Philip¡¯s dumbfounded state. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± 4 soldiers ran down the sea of bodies and picked out Raym, Mizz, Krey, and then Brett in that order. ¡°Kazu Tomoe, you must be tired. Follow the men to the carriage and rest there.¡± Sage said. Kazu nodded in reply. A slight blush appeared on his face and his shape seemed to shrink at her presence. ¡ªThe rain weakened as Kazu exited the field. ¡°Anything else?¡± Philip narrowed his eyes at Sage. Another smile appeared on Sage¡¯s lips. ¡°A baptism of a hero¡­¡± They strolled back to the entrance of the dungeon. To Philip¡¯s surprise, 2 carriages awaited them. ¡°First Carriage, leave.¡± Sage said. At the command, the first carriage left. Kazu and his unconscious family sat inside. All of them rested, except Kazu who looked out the window with Mel resting the end of the blade on the floor, and the hilt on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me this was all planned?!¡± Philip flabbergasted. ¡°Philip Nemean. Heroes are not born, they are made. The hammers of his trials refine him with every strike. Through this, his steel becomes stronger and sharper. And with that steel, his legacy will be born. ¡°I, Irimhind Crimfaine, with my own eyes will write down his story. In that book, his travels, his feats, his heroics, his downfalls, his defeats shall be recorded. A hero, dressed in the clothes of a demon, will write something new in the passage of time in the world of Ilmaira. Hahaha!....¡± Her neverending laugh echoed through the forest. Epilogue. In Southern Gate outskirts, loud noises came from a small house. Trees surrounded it and only using the path leading to the main road could one see this cozy house. Black smoke ran up from its chimney and a sweet aroma filled the vicinity. ¡°¡±¡±¡°Welcome back Kazu!¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°Un!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°Welcome back brother!¡± Ene hugged Kazu¡¯s foot. After patting Ene on the head, his eyes turned to the giant claymore sitting just by the window. Beside it, a bowl of water sat with a sparkling clear blue gem inside. A warm smile escaped his face as both entered his vision. Mel: I¡¯m still mad at your for looking at that crimson whoever! Kazu chuckled at Mel¡¯s response. No one noticed and everyone celebrated the return of Kazu. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Krey shouted. ¡°Come on, is that what you always think about??¡± Mizz snarked. ¡°Dibs on the leg¡­ or maybe the whole turkey!¡± Raym shouted. ¡°Come now Ene, its your favourite ham.¡± Sene carried Ene up and fed her with some ham. ¡°Welcome back, son.¡± Brett patted Kazu on the shoulder. ¡°Un, I¡¯m back.¡± Arc 1 - The Sword - End. ########### Thanks for reading. Heres both Chapter 15 and epilogue. Sorry for the long wait even though the chapter was almost half done... I had classes to do. Arc 1 total of 64709 words. 4313.9 words per chapter. Spoiler : I loved the response from chapter 14, would like to see more of that... Chapter 16 (Book 2 - Prologue) Chapter 16 - (Book 2 - Prologue) 1 year has passed since ''The Sword'' Arc. Books upon books piled up littered along the stone floor. With it, numerous paper scattered on the floor hid the stone floor. The candles lighting up the room looked to be too close to the books. Some candles were even on top of books and dripping wax onto the book. Paintings larger than life were put up on the stone walls; each one had grandiose battles taking place. Even though the lone window of the room let the breeze of wind in, the scattered paper and books didn¡¯t seem to be affected by the wind. A crimson haired woman sat on the desk just by the window. Her hair fluttered from the wind blowing in as she read the book on her desk with intentful eyes. After a while, her eyes widened. ¡°Philip!¡± She shouted. ¡°Philip Nemean! I say Philip Nemean!!!¡± ¡°Sage¡­ What is it?¡± A man with narrowed eyes sat on the sofa just behind the desk of Sage. Sipping on a cup of tea, he had no energy in his expression compared to the woman who was shouting. ¡°Philip Nemean!¡± Sage stood up abruptly, and the chair she sat on fell backwards. In a rather sudden turn, her eyeless gaze turned towards the man with an indifferent face. ¡°I found it!¡± She shouted. ¡°Found what¡­?¡± Philip replied. After asking that, a mischievous smile upturned from Sage¡¯s lips. Her feet moved in a skillful manner, avoiding all book obstacles in her way. Sitting down on the sofa with Philip, her bright mischievous smile never left once. ¡°Strings of fate constantly shift and move around. It is a fluid object that changes whenever it likes or according to the will of its owner.¡± Sage stated. ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t fate supposed to be set destiny?¡± Philip replied. ¡°Wrong, Philip Nemean. Fate is not such a simple matter. Let me ask you, Philip Nemean. How does one see an invisible being?¡± Sage asked. ¡°If it''s Hell¡¯s Demon combat style, it should be pretty easy. Air is distorted so light distorts around the pseudo-invisibility.¡± Philip answered. ¡°No, I am asking how do you see something truly invisible. If the skill of Kazu Tomoe had been any better when we first met him, he would have been truly invisible.¡± Sage said. ¡°What?! I thought that was from the combat style. The combat style did originate from the demon continent. What would that mean...¡± Philip¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah forget it. Just tell me what you found.¡± ¡°He is not from this world.¡± Sage picked up one of the books beside her, opening it to reveal a chapter. ¡° As you already know, there have been previous accounts of beings not from this world being recorded in history. However, none were in the form of a human. Demonic monsters are usually summoned, not humans. Come, Philip Nemean.¡± Standing up from her seat, she strolled her way to the door. She kicked some books that were in her way causing countless papers to fly up in the air. The papers and books fell with a loud thud as if they were attracted the floor. An indifferent expression forced itself back onto Philip¡¯s face. He hurried to follow her, moving skillfully to avoid any of the books on the floor. The book on Sage¡¯s desk caught a glance of his eye. It read ¡°Chapter XVI - Strings of Fate¡±. *** Sage and Philip walked along the streets of Austere. 10 guards followed them from behind for minimal protection. The bustling streets of Austere became quieter than normal each time they passed by. Murmurs could be heard among the commoners. Mostly, teenage and young adult women pointed their sparkling eyes at Philip while whispering into each others¡¯ ears. ¡°Look Philip Nemean. Wind is invisible.¡± Sage said. ¡°Haa..¡± ¡°Yet we see that it''s affecting everyone. Specifically, the flowing hair of women staring at you.¡± Sage snarked. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not my fault they¡¯re looking at me!¡± Philip said. ¡°Do you get it now Philip Nemean?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean the thing earlier?¡± Philip scratched his head. ¡°Yeah¡­ but what are you getting at?¡± ¡°Ha...hahaha!¡± Sage laughed. Her laugh attracted even the soldiers following behind them. ¡°For once, I cannot see the thread of a being. His very being is just like a wind to me.¡± Her feet stopped mid-walk and her body turned to the man beside her. Turning her head upwards, her closed eyes met with Philip¡¯s eyes. ¡°To see the invisible thread, look at the threads being affected by the invisible thread. There, an outline of a thread will appear. Such is the rule of seeing the invisible fate. It moves in a more erratic motion than the rest of the threads in the loom. ¡°During the event last year, his invisible thread went berserk. Even I could almost not predict the outcome of the invisible thread.¡± Sage said. ¡°If I recall correctly, that whole thing was caused by the brats in Kies family right?¡± Philip replied.. ¡°Yes it was. How are the brats if I may ask?¡± Sage asked.. ¡°The whole family was executed. They ran an illegal slave trading route of Nayans.¡± Philip smiled. ¡°Your smile is ugly Philip Nemean.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Yet, it fits you.¡± ¡°Ah- Tch! They deserved it so of course I would be happy.¡± Philip stumbled backwards. ¡°Come Philip Nemean. Follow me.¡± Sage commanded. ¡°Always will, Sage.¡± *** Sage stopped in front of a large manor. The two guards in front of the gate saluted Philip and Sage. Philip returned a wave, but Sage ignored both the guards. Right after, the gate let out a creak in a signal of it opening. Little by little, the gate made an opening, yet Sage waited until it fully opened. When the gate completed its movement, it shook, creating a dissonance of noise. Sage, with her majestic stance, strolled in with pride. Even the door was already opened by a maid at her arrival. Once she has entered, the maid who opened the door for Sage and Philip followed just behind them. A grand foyer presented itself once they entered. 2 sets of stairs flowed from each side made from marble. A white carpet with black edges flowed along the stairs. A door sat in the middle of where the 2 stairs met at the bottom. ¡°Then I will take my leave.¡± The maid from behind said. Upon hearing this, the door opened and a butler with 2 coat tails made a gesture to lead them in the room. Sure enough, Sage and Philip entered the room without hesitation. ¡°Master Frederick will be with you shortly.¡± The room had 2 sofas facing each other and a coffee table in the middle. Steam rose up from the cups of tea already placed on the table with cup coasters. Sage sat down first while Philip gave her an uncomfortable look. ¡°Sage¡­ why are we here?¡± Philip asked. ¡°To meet with Frederick of course.¡± Sage answered, smiling at her own answer. Knock Knock. Hearing the knock, Philip quickly sat down beside Sage to not look awkward. Still, the door opened without waiting for a response. A man with a stocky figure came in. He wore a dignified tunic with elegant patterns, but not enough to effeminate the man wearing it. It was blue and the patterns were white, giving off an aura of wealth. His wrinkled face gave off a wiseful strength in his demeanor. He wore his blond hair in a messy fashion, yet it did not demerit his figure any less. On entering the reception area, he made no hesitation to sit down first before talking. The butler closed the door behind him and then stood behind Frederick. ¡°I believe you already know why you¡¯re here.¡± Frederick said. Philip tried to not let out dumb expression upon hearing this. Instead, he felt a bit of irritation because he was not told about this meeting so he didn¡¯t have any time to prepare anything ¡°Where is the fellow that will be guarding my daughter?¡± Frederick continued. ¡°Do not worry Frederick Rye. The man I have prepared is an outstanding warrior.¡± Sage said. ¡°If it''s Sage saying this, then I¡¯m relieved. May I ask who he is?¡± Frederick asked. ¡°He is a man named Kazu Tomoe. I believe he will exceed your expectations.¡± Sage answered. ¡°I see, but I¡¯ve not heard of this name before. Is he really that strong?¡± Frederick eyes narrowed in disbelief. ¡°I say this once again Frederick Rye. Do not worry.¡± Sage¡¯s tone commanded the man. His appearance seemed to shrink under Sage¡¯s pressure. ¡°O-ohh¡­ then have this.¡± Frederick handed over an envelope to Sage. After receiving the envelope, Sage handed it over to Philip with an indifferent gesture. ¡°Remember, he shouldn¡¯t reveal himself in front of her. Act as my daughter''s shadow that protects her from a far.¡± Frederick sighed. ¡°That will be no problem for that man¡¯s personality.¡± Her lips upturned into her mischievous smile. ¡°Then we will take our leave. Come, Philip Nemean.¡± The door closed behind the 2. Philip had a look of exhaustion on his face. On the other hand, Sage kept her mischievous smile while leaving the manor. ¡°Sir, wouldn¡¯t it have been better for the man beside Lady Sage to protect the young lady?¡± The butler beside Frederick commented. ¡°Its not possible¡­ Sage is too stubborn.¡± Frederick furrowed his brows. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope the man they pick can do the job. At least for what we''re up against, and I don''t even know who they are.¡± Step¡­ step¡­ step¡­ A lady with straight blond hair flowing down to her elbows came down the stairs. Her blue dress complimented her bright blue eyes and blond hair with foregrounds of white and light blue. She had a blank expression as she looked at Frederick. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Study well Riona.¡± Frederick said. A carriage arrived in front of the gate as Riona stepped down the path leading to the gate. *** Outskirts of Southern Gate, Austere. A vast forest covered the entire horizon. Wind blew through the forest and the leaves scraping against each other made a calming noise. Rays of light seeped in from above the forest, yet a man laid on the foot of the trees without motion. Mel: Kazu! Don¡¯t die! The claymore beside him shouted, but it was through mental connection. A claymore with glowing golden veins with a haze of purple laid flat on the ground. The 2 meter length blade exceeded normal standards and its 30 cm width gave it a monstrous appearance. Mel: Get up! Kazu! You have to get up! Mel: Kazu, nooooo! ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m trying to sleep!¡± Kazu groaned. ¡°Stop being so dramatic!¡± Mel: But the forest is so boring! It would just be better to cut all of this¡­ and maybe eat them¡­ If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Like hell I can eat trees.¡± Kazu opened his eyes as if something caught his attention.
Lv 25 Large Boar
A giant boar stared at Kazu. With a 2 and a half meter long body and 1.8m height, its giant hooves the side of his Kazu¡¯s head stomped on the ground. Killing intent permeated around its body, preparing to kill the small puny human in its eyes. A large grin escaped Kazu¡¯s lips. ¡°Dinner¡¯s served.¡± The boar dashed towards Kazu with its two horns protruding from its mouth. However, the fight ended in an instant. Without using any skills, Kazu stabbed the head of the boar with the large claymore on his hands. The blade went through the boar¡¯s skull like butter, stealing its life in an instant. Thud. The boar fell on its side with no more signs of life. Air escaped from its gaping mouth, but the boar no longer breathed. Its tongue stuck out limp without life. ¡°Mel, you know the tongue is the best part to eat?¡± Mel: Stop! Don¡¯t remind me! Guuu! Suddenly, the bush that the boar came from rustled. A little girl made of water came out from the bush. Her height appeared to be just under 120 cm. Looking at the scene, the water girl placed herself near Kazu. She turned her head upwards to look at him face to face. ¡°Lene, don¡¯t tell me, you were hunting this?¡± Lene nodded. A slight shyness appeared on her face, yet she kept her eye contact with Kazu. From behind the tree, two men and a woman walked in at the situation. They were Brett, Krey, and Raym. All 3 seemed to have been conversing intently. ¡°Brett, it''s your fault for losing such delicious meat!¡± ¡°You¡¯re blaming me?! Wait, where¡¯s little Lene?¡± ¡°Aye, calm down Raym. A big pig like that can¡¯t possibly run forever.¡± The three stopped in front of a fresh dead boar. Brett¡¯s face took on a conflicted expression upon looking at the dead boar. ¡°Kazu, how can you let Lene kill a boar by herself?!¡± Brett shouted. ¡°You went that way?!¡± Kazu face palmed. ¡°I killed this by myself... Why are you letting Lene hunt anyways?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Cute little Lene shouldn¡¯t be hunting. Stupid Brett!¡± Raym ran up to Lene, hiding her from the boar. ¡°Not it.¡± ¡°Not it.¡± Krey quickly said. ¡°Not it.¡± Kazu followed. ¡°Gah!¡± Brett shouted. ¡°This was clearly a trap I say!¡± ¡°Have fun carrying the pig lad.¡± Krey chuckled. ¡°Good luck Brett, hehe.¡± Kazu laughed. *** ¡°Welcome back Brother.¡± Ene jumped onto Kazu¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Kazu patted Ene¡¯s head as he embraced her. Putting her down, he wiped off the dirt from Ene¡¯s face. Leaves hung from the knots of her blond hair, so Kazu took those out too. They were not leaves; in fact, they were precious Alma Matter herbs, or Alma Herb in short. Shortly after, the rest of the party came in the house. Lene, who was with Raym, hid behind her legs. ¡°Aah! Lene ditched me and went with papa. So unfair!¡± Ene pouted. Lene looked down. ¡°Heehee, come on let¡¯s play!¡± Grabbing Lene¡¯s hand, Ene dragged her out the house. ¡°Careful playing outside Ene, Lene!¡± Raym shouted. ¡°Brett, hurry up with the boar already!¡± ¡°Aye lad. Stop dillydallying.¡± Krey poked. ¡°Really? No one is going to help me?!¡± Brett cried. Suddenly, Sene stepped in the scene from the backyard and saw the situation. With a curious expression on her face, she stared at the boar and then said, ¡°Not it.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± Brett shout could be heard through the door. ¡°Carry it over to the backyard okay?¡± Sene kissed Brett on the cheek while trotting inside with a smile. She entered the house with a merry attitude, closing the door behind her. The body of the boar made a scraping noise as Brett dragged it to the backyard with heavy steps. ¡°Sene... so heartless¡­¡± Raym commented. ¡°What was that?¡± A cold gaze swept across everyone, chilling everyone¡¯s skin. ¡°N-n-nothing.¡± ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± Still with her smile, Sene went upstairs to change into cleaner clothes. At this remark, everyone sat down on the sofa. Kazu went ahead and put down Mel just beside the window, then sitting down with everyone. A relaxed atmosphere fell on the house and everyone loosened their muscles. Slap! A large hand impacted Kazu¡¯s back causing him to fall forwards onto the table. ¡°Happy birthday son!¡± Brett shouted from behind him. ¡°We know this isn¡¯t really your birthday, but how old are you now?¡± Krey asked. ¡°Ah-, this year, I guess 18.¡± Kazu answered. ¡°You guess? Hah!¡± Brett laughed. ¡°Fine fine, I got it. I¡¯ll be 18 this year. Can¡¯t believe it¡¯s already been a year since I came here though.¡± ¡°Back then, you looked like a weak twerp. Look at you handling a large boar by yourself.¡± Raym grinned. Quick light steps formed from above heading to the stairs. Sene came down stairs with a new set of clothes. Brown in colour but with layers, it looked like something meant for getting dirty. In this case, she prepared herself to cook a whole boar. ¡°Dinner will be ready soon. Wait for it ok everyone?¡± Sene said in a light tone. ¡°Okay¡± Everyone said in unison. She exited the house from the back door that lead to the backyard. When she opened the door, a large board laid in front of a spit roast already set up. The door behind Sene closed with a click after she got out. Knock Knock. ¡°Anyone expecting anyone?¡± Brett asked. ¡°Maybe Mizz¡­ but she doesn¡¯t get off work in an hour.¡± Raym commented. ¡°Come in.¡± Brett said. A lady with crimson hair flowing all the way to her waist came in. Her dark gray robes covered her entire body, yet it did not hide her curves. A large scar formed across both her eyes¡ªshe was blind. Her lips were crimson red as well, upturned into a bewitching smile. Beside her, a man in lion-esque patterned suit with a worried expression on his face stood. He wore his hair in a combed back neat fashion. Neither a sword nor any combat armaments were on his side. With a gesture of a hand, 10 men from behind him posed in an at ease stance. ¡°May we sit down?¡± Sage asked. ¡°Ung.¡± Brett signaled Krey and Raym sitting on the sofa to get out. Immediately, Philip and Sage took the seat they occupied while Krey and Raym sat on Kazu¡¯s sofa with Kazu being in the middle. On instinct, Raym blurted out ¡°Its tight.¡± The small sofa was meant for only 2 persons. ¡°Kazu Tomoe, you are now 18 this year, correct?¡± Sage asked. ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± Kazu replied in a weak voice. His eyes turned to the man beside her, Philip. He had his hand up to his face as if saying everything was going wrong. A man with a fed up expression, or an expression that showed how he had experience this kind of situation many times already. When Kazu answered, Sage¡¯s expression turned mischievous. She snapped her finger. With that snap, Philip presented Kazu an envelope with slight discomfort showed on his face. Upon receiving the envelope, Kazu flicked his finger at the edge of the envelope. Wind sliced through the paper letting him take out the contents of the envelope. ¡°Wind attribute¡­ how ironic.¡± Sage whispered under her breath. ¡°This is¡­¡± Brett put his hands over his mouth when he saw the contents. Everyone beside Kazu also widened their eyes. ¡°This is an invitation to Royal Academy of Austere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sage said. ¡°The start of school starts in winter¡ªnext month. 18 is the minimum age requirement for the academy, but people also need high grades in their education before 18. However, with this, such trivial stuff is not needed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes narrowed as his gaze turned towards Sage. ¡°Catch?¡± Her tone came to a question. Philip beside her whispered into her ear and her expression understood what Kazu asked. ¡°Ah, I see. You see Kazu Tomoe, I need you to protect someone.¡± ¡°Uwaah, so direct.¡± Philip commented. ¡°There is a student at the academy that will be needing protection. We need you to protect this student.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Her name is Riona Rye. When you see her, you will know it''s her.¡± Sage said. ¡°Wait, what do I get out of this?¡± Kazu interjected. ¡°Money.¡± Sage replied. A sparkle in Kazu¡¯s eyes lit up. In his eyes, money is never a bad thing. Seeing as this is in a civil society, he shouldn¡¯t meet any strong opponents so it will be as easy as sitting in front of a computer chair. ¡°However, you cannot make any contact with Riona Rye. Only in dire circumstances can you save her. Otherwise, you fail the mission.¡± ¡°Tch¡­ Alright. That makes this an even more agreeable mission. Hehe.¡± Kazu¡¯s smile looked evil. It was greed for money. A fleeting dream that have always been on his mind was to be rich. Even back in Japan, money could do anything. Maybe even in this world, it can do anything. As long as he has money, he can hire people to research a way to go back to his homeworld, Kazu thought. ¡°Oh boy, here he goes.¡± Brett sighed. ¡°Aye¡­ greed is etched into this lad¡¯s bones.¡± Only Raym agreed with Kazu, giving him a thumbs up. ¡°Then, a shake of hand will seal our agreement.¡± Sage reached out her right hand to Kazu. After shaking each other¡¯s hands, Sage and Philip left the vicinity of Brett¡¯s home. They followed back the hidden path onto the main road then entered Austere through the southern gates. ¡°Hey Sage, I thought we weren¡¯t supposed to involve ourselves with him. What''s with you?¡± Philip asked. ¡°Fool. That was before I could see his thread in the loom. Now, I¡¯ve figured out a method guide his thread, would it not be better to lead him to the greater good?¡± Sage replied. ¡°However, it is still dangerous to mess with his thread too much. We may only do little nudges on that invisible thread to weave it into a better future, for everyone.¡± ¡°Future¡­ wait, don¡¯t tell me this mission has something to do with the inevitable demon war?¡± Philip gasped. ¡°Philip Nemean. It is good that your intelligence is rising. Follow me and let us watch as I record his actions. Hahahahaa!¡± Sage laughed and attracted even more stares from both guards and commoners. ¡°You know¡­ you should really stop laughing like a maniac....¡± Philip sighed. ################# Thanks for reading. Book 2 has started! Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Under the evening moonlight, everyone sat outside around the roast pit. The fire flickered under the large boar that spun on top of the fire; half of the boar was already eaten. With smiles on everyone¡¯s faces, everyone laughed as they told each other stories from the past, the present, and their future goals. ¡°That bastard!~ Give me that drink!¡± Mizz drank the contents of the large mug. ¡°He was checking me out you know!? The look on his face was so creepy!¡± ¡°Bah, you can¡¯t help it can ya?¡± Krey laughed. ¡°All men adventurer¡¯s are like that aye.¡± ¡°Kazu! Have a drink!¡± Brett slammed his stocky arms around Kazu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ah- no, it¡¯s fine.¡± Kazu stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll head inside first.¡± ¡°Already Kazuuu?¡± Raym¡¯s flushed face let out a groan, yet a smile of bliss lingered on. She wobbled around just by sitting on the log. Everyone was drunk and it was a happy sight that Kazu could never get used to. Kazu nodded. Leaving the drunkard¡¯s circle, he twisted the door¡¯s knob, opening it, and saw Sene, Ene, and Lene sitting around the table. ¡°Sorry Kazu, I hope they didn¡¯t bother you too much.¡± Sene tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m used to it, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Kazu replied. Kazu¡¯s eyes turned towards the table under the window beside the front door. A small envelope sat on that table. Walking up to the table, he picked up the envelope. When he looked at it, a sigh escaped his lungs as he took out the contents of the envelope. To Kazu Tomoe, The Royal Academy of Austere is honoured to invite you to the Royal Academy of Austere as a special exception student. Your academic studies starts in the 11th moon of the 306th year. Please meet with the principal of the academy a week in advance to be given the included accommodations that accompanies this letter and for the aptitude test. Regards, Yuli Aramod, Royal Academy of Austere Dean. ¡°Brother!¡± Ene ran to Kazu¡¯s side, forcing a hug. Her head turned up to meet eye to eye with Kazu. ¡°Do you have to go?¡± ¡°Ene, you can¡¯t be like that.¡± Sene pulled Ene away and kneeled down to reach eye level. ¡°You¡¯re starting school too. Besides, Ene, your school is in front of where Kazu is going so you can visit him anytime.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± Kazu¡¯ blurted out. ¡°Really¡­ these two.. If there is a school for students above 18, wouldn¡¯t there naturally be one for those under that age?¡± Sene shook her head. ¡°Ene, much better?¡± ¡°Unn!¡± Ene¡¯s eyes sparkled as she nodded to her mother, Sene. Meanwhile, Lene pulled on Kazu¡¯s sleeve, looking up at him with an intentful stare. Her face had no distinct facial features, yet Kazu knew that she too was worried about him leaving for a while. After a little while, Sene giggled, disturbing the ambience. ¡°I raised such worry-ful children haven¡¯t I.¡± Kazu also knelt down to face both Lene and Ene. Patting them on the head, he gave off a warm smile. ¡°Ene, Lene, I¡¯ll be here during the weekends. Don¡¯t worry too much okay?¡± Ene and Lene nodded in unison. ¡°Then I¡¯ll head up first.¡± Kazu said. ¡°Brother is tired already?¡± Ene laughed. Instead of replying, Kazu patted her head once again. After climbing up the stairs, he walked to the door furthest to the right. The room used to be Brett¡¯s study that was never used. Upon opening it, 2 bookshelves beside the window entered his view. The books were kept in an organized manner and they all still looked brand new. Glancing to the bed, a ghost with silver hair wearing a white one piece dress laid on the bed. Her eyes furrowed as she put on a pout when her eyes came across Kazu. Mel: NYAA! I hate that crimson haired woman! Why¡¯d you shake her hand?! ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re mad about?¡± Kazu sighed. Mel: So arrogant! If I wasn¡¯t sealed¡­ I would eat her! ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you swing that way?¡± His lips turned to a smirk. Mel: GYA! You know what I mean! ¡°Aah, so noisy. Why are you always shouting¡­ At any rate, we need money.¡± Mel: Money? Just rob a bank. ¡°Why does it lead to that?!¡± Kazu shouted in surprise. Jumping on the bed, he laid himself just beside the ghost of Mel who was still pouting. Mel: Its the easiest way to earn money. Heehee. Her expression turned into a more malicious grin. Unlike Kazu¡¯s greed for money, her expression was more akin to a woman who imagined of food in front of her. If she could drool in her ghost appearance, she would¡¯ve, Kazu thought. Mel: Yaaah! Get out of the bed! Thud. Mel pushed Kazu off the bed causing a loud thud on the floor. Getting up from the floor, Kazu scratched his head in annoyance. Even though Mel was in spiritual form, she still had the ability of touch. ¡°That¡¯s my bed you know!¡± Kazu shouted. Mel: Hmph! That¡¯s what you get for holding that woman¡¯s hands! ¡°That¡¯s called a handshake. Do you know what a handshake is?!¡± Mel: Shaking hands, holding hands, hands touching, all the same thing! ¡°This stubborn-¡± ¡°-Kazu?¡± Sene knocked on the door before opening it. ¡°Are you talking to anyone?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes glanced at the bed. Seeing Mel¡¯s grin, frustration caused his ears to go bright red. To Sene¡¯s eyes, Kazu was the only one in the room; Mel didn¡¯t appear in her vision. Such situations had happened many times over the past year. ¡°No, not anyone. Is there anything wrong?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°If you could take Ene and Lene to their bedrooms¡­¡± Sene tilted her head with her brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°A-alright. I¡¯ll be right down.¡± Kazu said. The door closed right after Kazu replied. His eyes now turned to the woman on the bed beside him. The invisible woman, who was visible to Kazu, had a satisfied smile on her face. Her playful demeanor never changed, he thought. Kazu got up from the floor and reached for the door. After opening it, he closed it slowly and then whispered, ¡°Old lady.¡± Mel: Gah!? I¡¯m not old! Climbing downstairs with leisure steps, his eyes meet the 2 children he was asked to take care of. Ene scratched her eyes to try to get rid of the sleepiness that took her. On the other hand, Lene laid down on the sofa already fast asleep. Lene¡¯s control over her body of water became much better so she doesn¡¯t soak anything she touches anymore. Thus, the sofa was safe from being wet. ¡°Ene.¡± Kazu opened up his arms. At this sign, Ene reached for Kazu and ended up being carried by his right arm. With a bit of difficulty, Kazu carried Lene with his left arm, carefully as to not wake her up. With care in his steps to not fall over, he climbed up the stairs, then turning right to the furthest room. Ene and Lene¡¯s room was directly in front of his door. Kazu entered their room and first laid Ene on the bed. Beside the bed, a large basin of water sat under the window. Moonlight flowed in from the window, hitting the basin of water. The basin was Lene¡¯s bed. Water spirits under the moonlight grow much healthier than those water spirits that don¡¯t bathe in moonlight. Sene was the only one to have such consideration, Kazu thought. ¡°Goodnight Ene.¡± Kazu kissed Ene on the forehead then Lene. ¡°Goodnight Lene.¡± Kazu stood up to prepare to go back to his room. However, Sene stood in his way with a peaceful smile. A mild blush appears on Kazu¡¯s cheeks. ¡°How are the others?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say its going to be hard to clean up tomorrow.¡± Sene giggled. ¡°I see.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°I should go to sleep too.¡± ¡°Un. Goodnight.¡± Sene said. ¡°Goodnight.¡± Kazu left the room and entered the room directly in front. Entering his room, the translucent looking girl, Mel, still had her pout on. She had her eyes furrowed and annoyance lit up in her eyes. Yet her childish anger made Kazu snicker a bit. Mel: I¡¯m not old! Take it back! At this response, Kazu put a finger on his mouth. Ene and Lene both slept just at the other side of the door. Arguing with Mel will inevitably lead to shouting. Instead, Kazu sat on the bed beside Mel. His hands reached her hair, stroking it, caressing it. Looking at Kazu, Mel¡¯s cheeks turned red as she tried to avoid eye contact with Kazu. ¡°Mel.¡± Mel: Hm? ¡°Do you have any idea how we can unseal you?¡± Mel: I don¡¯t know. But I just have a feeling with you, we¡¯ll be eventually be able to. ¡°Puhahaha..¡± Kazu laughed. Mel: Why are you laughing?! ¡°Nothing, nothing. I should¡¯ve expected such an answer. We never really did talk about it this past year haven¡¯t we.¡± Mel: Training is more important of course. I can¡¯t have you dying during the adventure. Her joyful nod gave off a fulfilled satisfaction. ¡°Status.¡±
Status
NameKazu Tomoe
Level98
Strength1637Vitality1392
Wisdom1254Intelligence1303
Agility1656Stamina1588
Endurance1882Luck98
Phys. R38572Mag. R.32363
[/i][/i] Unique Traits:
  • Hero Stats
  • Artifact "Exended Status" [Active]
Skill list:
  • Hell¡¯s Demon¡¯s swordplay
    • Stealth (9)
    • Sneak (9)
    • Assassinate (8)
    • Awareness (MAX)
    • Identify (Basic)
      • Scan (7)
      • Detailed Scan (2) (5000 MP Mana cost and additional 600 stamina cost)
  • Wanderer¡¯s Thousand Wind Skill Tree Beginner set Spoiler :
    • C - Rising Wind Blade (active) Lv. 9
    • B - Forward Gale (active) Lv. MAX
    • C - Gale''s Return (passive) Lv. 5
    • C - Tenth Slice (passive )Lv. 5
    • D - Shockwave (active) Lv. 1
    • A - Fool¡¯s Wind (active) Lv. 9
    • A - Wanderer¡¯s Wind (passive) Lv. MAX
    • A - Dance of the Wind (Beginner)
    • Reach Level 10 (Max) of Fool''s Wind to unlock Intermediate set.
  • Wanderer¡¯s Thousand Wind Skill Tree Intermediate set Spoiler :
    • A - Wanderer''s Thousand Winds Footwork Lv. partial unlock
Mel: Don¡¯t look at the status screen anymore. That¡¯s just numbers, doesn¡¯t mean much skill. Just follow my lessons and you¡¯ll be fine. She smirked. ¡°Of course.¡± Kazu closed the dialogue. ¡°Let¡¯s head to sleep. Training still continues tomororw.¡± Mel¡¯s translucent figure faded. Tiny light particles scattered out in the room, then floated back to the claymore standing beside the window. The projection¡¯s energy returned back to its container¡ªthe giant claymore. Facing his back against the claymore, a brief smile appeared on Kazu¡¯s lips. Same old blunt and prideful Aiko. *** Heavy snow fell on scenery and visibility became poor. Pure white blanketed the thick trees of the forest. Each step caused a crunching noise on the snow. Bunnies, foxes, and other wildlife could be seen running around the trees; either to run away or to catch their prey. Kazu strolled through the thickets of the forest with a fur coat covering his entire body. Behind his back, a giant claymore covered in cloth hung. Mel: It¡¯s still cold! Go back home and wrap me up with some more cloth! ¡°Look right here, we¡¯re already imposing on Sene with the amount of blankets we took. How can you expect me to get more?!¡± Kazu groaned. Mel: More cloth, more cloth, more cloth! ¡°Stop acting like a child. Its not like you can get a cold hehe.¡± Kazu smirked. ¡°Serves you right for taking up my blankets last night!¡± Mel: Gyah?! Crunch¡­ crunch¡­
Lv. 71 Fire Lizard
A large red lizard appeared in front of Kazu. Its 3 thick sharp claws were the size his arm. Its height reached up to 3 meters and appeared to be over 9 meters long. Heat emanated all over its body, melting all the snow around it. The eyes of the lizard stared at Kazu¡¯s whole body with killing intent. ¡°Woah, this is one big Fire Lizard.¡± Mel: Hurry up and skin it! I¡¯m freezing. ¡°How much is their skin worth again?¡± Kazu asked. Mel: 20 gold per foot. 3 months ago when we captured one, I think. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ 1 meter is around 3 feet so¡­ 18 feet!¡± Kazu¡¯s glittered with dollar signs. ¡°Money!¡± The lizard stared at the man talking to himself. On instinct, it knew that the small human was underestimating it. Even though itself was classified as a lizard, it had some intelligence of its far brothers, the dragons. ¡°Rooooaaar!¡± The Fire Lizard¡¯s eyes shone and charged at Kazu. Mel: Oi Kazu! Don¡¯t mince the skin! ¡°I know!¡± Kazu shouted. In a flash, the battle was over. Kazu seemed to disappear for a brief moment until he appeared below the head of the lizard. The shine of Melcross reflected along the snow as Kazu stood there motionless. Putting back Mel on his back, the lizard''s body fell on the soft snow creating a weak thud. ¡°Inventory¡±
789/900 slots unused.
A dialogue box appeared in front of Kazu. Then, he lifted up the claw of the fire lizard to touch the dialogue box. Following that, the fire lizard¡¯s body disappeared into thin air. A little lizard icon popped up in Kazu¡¯s inventory took up 1 slot. Mel: I told you to skin it! ¡°As if I could skin it! I¡¯ll burn my hands¡­¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back. Its almost time.¡± Kazu headed back to the house through the thick forest. Snow kept falling without end. This year, it was his 2nd experience with the never ending snow. Heat stones must be placed on the outside roads and forest paths in order for people to be able to go through them. They were stones embedded with fire magic, hence the name heat stones. As such, the path Kazu took also had heat stones, placed by himself, yet the snow was still 3 inches thick. Salt was not used to melt snow for one reason: salt is an expensive commodity. Since salt was expensive, magic was used to answer the problem of rising snow levels. Weaving through the forest, Kazu now entered the familiar realm of being near the house. He had explored this part of the forest many times over the years for his training with Mel. Surprisingly, all the wildlife near Brett¡¯s house were all harmless such as foxes, bunnies, deers. Since he went out further today, he encountered the fire lizard who was at the foot of the small mountain range near the southern gates. Crunch, crunch, crunch. His eyes turned downwards to observe the blurred footsteps he had left earlier. In just an hour, the ceaseless snow hid the track of his steps¡ªa dangerous trait of the snow. The forest in winter was much less harmless; however, it was much easier to get lost since most of the landmarks are hidden by the snow. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Different sets of feet crunched at the snow in front of him. A women and 2 little girls entered the path he took. ¡°Kazu, what happened to your jacket?¡± Sene asked. Putting his arms in front of himself, Kazu noticed that his jacket was burned. The ends of the fur were charred and parts of the white fur became black. ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± Kazu scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t worry me any further Kazu.¡± Sene frowned. ¡°Brother, brother, what did you get?¡± Ene looked up at Kazu with sparkling eyes. Her eyes hungered for adventure. ¡°Hehe, it was a giant fire lizard!¡± Kazu smirked. Mel: Ha~ You let your jacket get burnt! Still need more training! ¡°Waaa, that¡¯s so amazing.¡± Ene eyes widened. ¡°Let me see okay?¡± ¡°Once we get home.¡± Kazu answered. Ignoring Mel, Kazu lifted Ene up to carry her. Lene also came beside Kazu and took his right hand. She didn¡¯t need to be carried. Her affinity with water let her easily weave through the snow. Instead, she opted to hold Kazu¡¯s hand like a child not wanting to get lost from their parent. All four continued on the path to the house. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Crunch, crunch, crunch. ¡°Kazu, after this, we¡¯ll go to Ene and Lene¡¯s school first then I¡¯ll go with you to your academy alright?¡± Sene said. ¡°Un.¡± Kazu nodded. Soon enough, they arrived at the house. Upon entering the house, Brett was taking a nap on the sofa with his mouth wide open snoring. Brett¡¯s nature was akin to a bear during the winters. He had no energy doing anything and always wanted to sleep. It was his weakest time of the year. ¡°Brett.¡± Sene shook his shoulder. ¡°Brett¡­.¡± ¡°Huh.. wha, what? I¡¯m awake. I¡¯m not sleeping. No, I¡¯m awake.¡± Brett¡¯s eyes blinked back and forth trying to focus. ¡°Its time to go.¡± ¡°Muu, I want to see the lizard brother killed. Muuu!¡± Ene cried. ¡°Ene, we¡¯re already late and it''s dangerous! Hurry up and change to your uniforms.¡± Sene squeezed Ene¡¯s cheek. ¡°Lene, you too.¡± Lene shook her head, not wanting to wear clothes. Her figure couldn¡¯t be said obscene in public since she had no distinct features. At most, her body was a water silhouette of a little girl. Yet Sene¡¯s stare caused her to shrink a few sizes. Giving up from the pressure, she quickly climbed up the stairs with Ene to change into clothes. Sene¡¯s stare turned to Kazu who still wore his casual home clothing. A loose fitted shirt, and old fashioned brown denim jeans that looked like military pants back on Earth. Kazu tried to avoid her eye contact, but it was all for naught. The third child of the house climbed up stairs and changed to his own uniform, after putting Mel down beside the window. ¡°Sene, anything happened?¡± Scratching his eyes, Brett looked at Sene¡¯s furrowed brows. ¡°Nothing~¡± Sene replied with a joyful tone. *** Inside a huge hall, many children lined up side by side with their parents. All the children had a clueless look on their face while their parents wore proud faces while some were tearing. A man walked up to the stage of the hall wearing a red coloured dignified suit with white floral patterns. He had dark purple hair worn in a neat combed fashion. His very being permeated intelligence with his effeminate characteristics. Following him, another man with a different coloured suit of blue with no patterns wlaked up to the stage. He held a glass orb on his hand and whispered to the man who came before him. ¡°Welcome to all parents enrolling their children. I am Elliot Rose, Dean of Roseful Academy. I am joyful to see the amount of children enrolling this year. May this year be a good year for everyone. ¡°Now, parents on the first row, please walk up to the stadium and escort your children to take the aptitude test.¡± The man in the red suit finished his speech. Soon after, the parents in the first row escorted their children to line up for the test. One by one, the parent¡¯s children put up their hand to the glass orb. The orb would shine in varying a brightness of varying degrees. Each child will also have a different colour. ¡°Child, your name please.¡± Elliot said in a soft tone. ¡°Mark Osgoode.¡± Following the child¡¯s reply, Elliot held out the orb in his hand to the child. Elliot nodded which signaled the child to reach his hand out to the orb. The orb glowed green and its brightness was average compared to the children before him. ¡°Earth beginner, aptitude 6. Well done Mark Osgoode.¡± The child smiled happily and went off the stage with his parents. Both parents wore a proud look on their eyes and their posture. ¡°May the next child proceed.¡± The child wore her hair in a bun. With a slight push from behind, the mother nodded to her child with caring eyes. ¡°May I know this cute girl¡¯s name?¡± ¡°... Lily Witmeadow.¡± Elliot raised up his hand again with the glass orb. With a slight nod, the child put her hand on the orb. Slowly, the orb¡¯s light glowed red. Its glow grew brighter than the last child. The mother sighed in relief upon seeing this. ¡°Fire beginner, aptitude 8. Very good Lily Witmeadow.¡± The child came off the stage with her parents. They joined the rest of the parents whose children had completed the aptitude test too. There was a low murmur among them throughout the test, but it wasn¡¯t enough to disturb the ceremony. ¡°Next child please¡­ perhaps 2 will take the test?¡± ¡°Yes, being a spirit should pose no problem I hope?¡± Sene asked. ¡°Of course not. Then please, child, your name?¡± Elliot first looked at Ene. ¡°Ene Hseit.¡± Her eyes were wide, nervous to not make any mistakes. Following Ene¡¯s response, Elliot again lifted up the orb. Ene took her palm up to touch the orb. After a few seconds, the orb started glowing. First, it was a mild blue colour; however, its brightness continued to grow in strength. Soon enough, the growing glow stopped at a certain interval much brighter than the rest of the children who took the test so far. Elliot¡¯s eyes widened as he saw this. *ahem* Hesitating to say the results, a cough from a certain direction came¡ªBrett. Brett avoided eye contact with Elliot while Sene stared at him intently. Kazu also stared at the orb with curiosity in his eyes. ¡°Water adept, aptitude 4. Surprising Ene Hseit.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze turned to the water spirit beside Ene, ¡°And this one¡¯s name is?¡± ¡°Lene Hseit.¡± Sene spoke for Lene. In response, Lene nodded when her name was said. ¡°I see.¡± Elliot again lifted up the orb. Without hesitation, Lene¡¯s palm touched the orb. The orb¡¯s glow grew at a rapid pace. It grew until the blue almost looked like white, stopping just at that interval. ¡°Thi-this. Water Intermediate, aptitude 9. As expected of a water spirit.¡± Elliot stood up and signaled the Hseit family to exit the stage. They were the last ones to take the test. After the family exited the stage, Elliot took back the podium and inhaled for a short speech. ¡°The aptitude tests have ended. Exploring the school is allowed to everyone until next week. All classes start next week. Thus concludes our opening ceremony. May everyone have a good week until then.¡± Elliot climbed down the stage and exited the hall through the door beside the stage. All the parents dispersed to the corridors of the school. Most parents were lead by their child who hungered for exploration. Even Brett and Sene were lead by Ene to explore the school. Lene also had her eyes wide to see the inner rooms of the school. As they conversed, they were lead by Ene and Lene through the corridors. ¡°Ah, what was that thing about adept and beginner about?¡± Kazu blurted out. ¡°Oi oi, Kazu, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know? Didn¡¯t you have some rough fights with some adventurers before?¡± Brett scratched his head. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with me knowing what those are?¡± Kazu interjected. ¡°Aptitude is the current strength of your element. Once it reaches 10, it breaks through the next rank. There are 8 ranks overall. Beginner, adept, intermediate, advanced, master, sky, heavenly, and god.¡± Sene sighed. ¡°I thought I told you to read the books in the shelves¡­¡± ¡°Ah- books are boring.¡± Kazu said. ¡°That¡¯s right! Books are boring!¡± Brett followed up. ¡°Huh? Then why¡¯d you have a study?!¡± Kazu poked. ¡°Tha-that¡¯s because!¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a closet book lover.¡± Sene smirked. ¡°Shhh! We¡¯re in public!¡± Brett shouted. ¡°You know that then why are you shouting¡­¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°Kazu, you should head over to your academy.¡± Sene said. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Almost forgot.¡± Kazu stopped his walk. ¡°Brother is going already?¡± Ene asked. ¡°Mhmm. He¡¯ll be back before dinner.¡± Sene commented. ¡°Okay! Brother, see you at home!¡± Ene shouted. Lene waved goodbye to Kazu, but without hestiation, Ene and Lene continued to drag Brett and Sene around the corridors; leaving Kazu. *** A large gate towering over 3 stories tall, and 5 meters wide, blocked his entry. The letters in the gate read ¡°Royal Academy of Austere.¡± Complex patterns of both floral and geometrical patterns formed the rails of the gate. Its metal was made of black iron that seemed to radiate heat. ¡°You, over there. What¡¯s your business?¡± A guard walked up to Kazu. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go to the principal¡¯s office. How do I get in?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°You don¡¯t. You¡¯re not fooling me even with that uniform!¡± The guard readied his sword. ¡°Die demon!¡±
Lv 31. Guard
To Kazu¡¯s eyes, the swing of the sword was extremely slow. Watching paint dry would be faster than watching the guard¡¯s sword slice through the air. With expert precision, Kazu moved out of the sword¡¯s path. He had dodged the sword just by a hairline. However, he remembered his mission. One of the key points of the mission was to not let himself stand out. With this in mind, he pretended to stumble backwards and fall flat on his butt. ¡°You almost killed me!¡± Kazu shouted. Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch. A girl with straight flowing blond hair walked up to the scene. Her face didn¡¯t emanate any kind of emotional response when both the guard and Kazu stared at her. She wore a dress like coat made of cloth, yet looked warm enough to be superior to fur. Her lightless blue eyes and perfectly shaped facial structures made her look to be a doll. ¡°Guard, is there any reason to cause a commotion?¡± The girl spoke. ¡°Lady Riona, this man is a demon pretending to be a student of this academy. As such, I engaged him in a battle.¡± The guard spoke. ¡°Fool. Have you no eyes to see he has no horns?¡± Riona clicked her tongue. ¡°You are merely bullying the weak. Open the gate and begone, guard.¡± The guard¡¯s face distorted into a frown. Anger swelled up inside him, causing his face to become red. His eyes turned to the man lying on his butt on the snow, yet he didn¡¯t dare speak another word. With a snap of a finger, the gate opened. With no hesitation in her steps, Riona trotted forward to the academy. Kazu followed suit, leaving a few steps between their distance. The sounds of the crunching noise became loud as the silence between them grew. Numerous coniferous trees surrounded the path, making the path look like a forest path. It continued like this until they encountered a fork in the path. ¡°...Excuse me?¡± Kazu said. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me.¡± Riona commanded. Kazu sighed. ¡°...Do you know the way to the principal¡¯s office?¡± ¡°I said don¡¯t talk to me!¡± Riona stopped her feet, then turned her posture to meet eye to eye with Kazu. ¡°I didn¡¯t stop you from getting killed because I care about you. I merely stopped the guard from killing you because I did not want to see the act of killing in front of myself. I am not your friend nor am I someone you should talk to. Begone.¡± She drew her steps faster to get away from Kazu. Soon enough, the falling snow blurred her figure until Kazu couldn¡¯t see her anymore. Tch, this is the girl I¡¯m supposed to be protecting!? What a bitch! Kazu observed his surroundings to look for a clue as to where he should go. Spotting a sign covered in snow, he brushed off the snow to reveal the letters. ¡°Identify.¡±
North Path: Main building East Path: Residential Area North West Path: Academic Facilities West Path: Practical Application Facilities
The north path is my best bet¡­ Continuing to follow the path, appearances of students became more frequent. None of them payed attention to him. However, students would glance at him for a second and then revert back to what they were doing. After a while, Kazu managed to find the front door to the main building. Upon entering it, numerous students strolled around with merry conversations. The men wore dark blue suits fit for indoor winter wear while the women wore dark red blazers that complimented their skirts; all the women wore thigh high socks. The wall in front of the main door read ¡°<- Main office¡± Kazu followed the sign. Some students stared at him, but their stares didn¡¯t last long as well. After a couple of more doors, a sign on a door read ¡°Main Office.¡± Without knocking, he came in through the door as he saw numerous teachers sitting in front of their desks. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Kazu said. ¡°Yes?¡± The nearest teacher answered. The male teacher wore glasses that complimented his complexion. Even though he wore his hair backwards in a neat manner, it would seemed he used his hands to comb it; it made his hair look messier than when brushed with an actual comb. He wore a more relaxed tunic than the suits that students wore; a distinguished look. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the principal¡¯s office. I don¡¯t know where it is.¡± Kazu said in a low tone. ¡°Ah, you must be the invited student. Such a rare occurrence. My name is Jay Oswald¡± Jay patted Kazu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Come, follow me¡­ uh¡­¡± ¡°Kazu Tomoe.¡± ¡°Kazu. Strange name huh.¡± Jay commented. Opening the door, they left the main office and walked further along the corridor. Jay¡¯s posture seemed to be great as he walked with a certain amount of dignity. Yet there was a slight relaxed expression in his stance. He would be that cool-teacher, Kazu thought. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here.¡± Jay said. A wooden double door blocked his path. The door knobs were made of gold, and a metal plate in front of the door was also made of gold. The plate read, ¡°Principal¡¯s Office.¡± Turning the knob, Jay signaled Kazu to come in. ¡°Hohoho, I see. Boy, do you have the letter?¡± The old man laughed. His hair turned white from old age. On his desk, his name etched into a triangular wooden name plate. It read ¡°Alfred Cobb.¡± Kazu searched for the envelope in his pocket, almost forgetting about it. Handing over the letter with 2 hands, the old man named Alfred took it in a gentle manner. Immediately, Alfred took out its contents and unfolded the paper. ¡°I see, you are Kazu Tomoe, and you already know my name I hope.¡± Alfred said without turning his head. ¡°Then shall we have a little tour?¡± *** 3 men gathered the attention of the students wandering around the halls as they toured the main building. Kazu walked beside Alfred and ¡°As you already know, this is the main office.¡± Alfred declared. Teachers could be seen through the windows of the main office. They spoke to students who came in and out of the front door. Some had worried faces, but most had a stern expression. ¡°Its best to keep the main office at the front of the school. This is just a security method to protect the students whenever a crisis happens such as an intruder. Alright let¡¯s move on.¡± Alfred continued walking. Soon, they reached a set of grand stairs. ¡°Most of the classes are held upstairs in the main building. However, there¡¯s also a building further in the northwest path for academic facilities. About more than half of the lessons take place in the main building and the rest are held in the academic facilities. ¡°There is also the practical application facilities. Most students that use that are in the knight course route. Now, let¡¯s move along.¡± ¡°Question¡± Kazu stated. ¡°Yes?¡± Alfred replied. ¡°What do you mean by Knight Route?¡± ¡°Oh, hohoho.¡± Alfred chuckled. ¡°There are 2 routes students can choose. Sorcery and Knight¡­ but for you, you have to choose the sorcery. I¡¯ve already been informed of your situation. hohoho.¡± Jay¡¯s brows furrowed at the remark. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine then.¡± Kazu commented. ¡°Should we continue?¡± ¡°Yes, we shall.¡± Alfred said. ¡°Oh, supposed you have questions in the future, ask old Jay here if I am not available. However, he may not be able to help with that. If you know what I mean.¡± ¡°Un, that¡¯s fine.¡± Kazu answered. ¡°So now, here we are at the cafeteria.¡± Alfred¡¯s eyes widened. It was a large hall where hundreds of students sat at different tables. Each students had their own clique. All their meals looked luxurious and varied. From fish, to beef, to poultry, they were all dipped in just enough sauce to meet the quality standards of the school¡¯s reputation. Of course, all were cooked perfectly. However, what caught Alfred¡¯s eye was not that. Numerous students were lined up to take their plates from the lunch lady; all of them had a look of discomfort with frowns on their faces. Usually, lineups in the cafeteria never happened. It only happened in special occasions such as a troublesome student or a wrong order. Neither of those applied to this situation. A woman with flowing hair all the way down to her waist, standing at 164cm tall, blocked the students from getting their plates. Her eyes illuminated of gold with a purple haze and her facial features were delicate. She wore a white one piece dress with its frills fluttering each time she moved. ¡°Nyaah! Lady I asked for 4 plates!¡± ¡°Student¡­ we can only give you one plate per meal period¡­¡± The lady behind the counter had a worried look on her face. Her eyes darted around the room to look for help while her brows furrowed. ¡°This is too little! How can you expect me to be full from this?!¡± ¡°Excuse me, little miss.¡± Walking up to the scene, Alfred initiated a conversation with the supposed student. ¡°Yah, old man. She won¡¯t give me more plates. What¡¯s wrong with this?¡± ¡°Little miss, it''s best not to be greedy with food.¡± Alfred commanded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen your face around here¡­¡± ¡°I do not think she is a student from here, Principal Alfred.¡± Jay commented. ¡°Mel¡­¡± Kazu whispered. ¡°Puu, of course not. I¡¯m not a student! Oh, Kazu! Come here! Take a plate and give it to me kay?¡± Mel put on an excited expression. ##################### Thanks for reading. Criticisms, comments, proofreading, feedback are all welcomed! Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Alfred Cobb, the principal, sat behind his desk looking at the two young adults in front of him. The business suit attire he wore gave a feeling of formality, yet his messy white hair gave hint that his personality did not tend towards neatness. Compared to him, the other man wore his hair in a neat manner. The exquisite design of the frames of his glasses made him look even more intelligent. His broad shoulders and strong demeanor fit just right with the taste of the women of this world. ¡°Kazu¡­ who may this young woman be?¡± Alfred asked. ¡°She¡¯s n-¡± ¡°I¡¯m his partner!¡± Mel cut off Kazu. ¡°Cut the nonsense child. How did you get past the gates?¡± Jay slammed his fist on the desk. Both Mel and Kazu showed no response to the intimidation. Instead, Mel¡¯s eyes narrowed as she swung her legs back and forth while Kazu yawned. ¡°Calm down, Jay.¡± Alfred cleared his throat. ¡°Now, what brings you here young miss?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Mel gave out a prompt answer. ¡°For the food!¡± ¡°Young miss¡­¡± Alfred furrowed his brows. ¡°You¡¯d be able to enjoy the food if you were a student. Now you aren¡¯t, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Then make me a student!¡± Mel shouted. ¡°You see, this is one of the most prestigious schools in all of the country. Do you know what you are saying Ms¡­.¡± ¡°Melith.¡± Mel responded. ¡°Ms. Melith, there are only three ways you can enter the school: by graduating with outstanding marks in school, as you know, schools and academies are different. Second is by being from a noble house. And lastly, by invitation.¡± Alfred sighed. ¡°Hah! You said invitation didn¡¯t you?!¡± Mel¡¯s eyes shined while giving a smirk. ¡°If you invited Kazu, that means you also invited me!I¡¯m his partner after all.¡± Kazu came closer to Mel and whispered, ¡°Psst, I thought you couldn¡¯t change to human form. What¡¯s with this?¡± ¡°Aah, shut up! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m talking to these two!¡± Mel pushed Kazu away. ¡°What?! In the first place, you made me look like a fool for a whole year! And now you just turn into that form?!¡± Kazu countered with a shove. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault I was stuck in that blood-sucking dungeon for a long time!¡± Mel pointed at Kazu. ¡°You should¡¯ve come and gotten me earlier!¡± ¡°Dungeons don¡¯t suck blood, Mel; they suck energy! You were there when Sage told us!¡± Kazu yelled. ¡°Gyaah! Don¡¯t mention that tramp!¡± Mel stood up and clenched her fist. ¡°Were you taken by that woman!?¡± ¡°Why does it always come to that?! So what if I have? Maybe I¡¯ll go to her right now!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°Gu! Kazu you idiot!¡± Mel¡¯s fist landed on Kazu, who had already prepared to block. The shock sent Kazu a few steps. ¡°Oh, I like where this is going.¡± Kazu eased his stance. Reaching for the pocket of his jacket laid down on the chair, he took out a brown paper bag. ¡°-Thats?!¡± Mel shouted. Kazu let out a smirk. Following that, he took a piece of jerked beef from the brown bag. ¡°For a girl, even back then, you always liked these right?¡± ¡°My weakness¡­¡± Mel¡¯s knees hit the ground. Her eyes turned up to face Kazu with a pout that looked like a puppy begging for food. ¡°Umm¡­ excuse me¡­¡± Alfred interrupted. ¡°¡±What?¡±¡± ¡°Jay and I have come to a conclusion.¡± Alfred proposed. ¡°If she is your partner, then it would mean she is also in the mission. In that case, we¡¯ll give her special permission to enter the school.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jay nodded, ¡°However, the aptitude tests are starting soon. Please follow me to the auditorium.¡± *** A total of 9 rows with 15 students in each line, lined up in front of the stage. The scenery was like the one in Rose academy, but the students were all young adults. Of course, no parents showed up except for the parents of nobles. They wore distinguished clothes such as business suits, patterned robes layered in complementary colours such as blue with white, red with gold, and black with red. The dresses of the ladies of noble houses were exquisite and complex. To Kazu Tomoe, all of them seemed akin to the works of Alexander McQueen who Aiko once mentioned. However, the women¡¯s expressions could be described as flaunting. Step, step, step, step. Students whispered amongst each other as the principal, Alfred, walked up to the stage. He stood up on the podium with his unkempt hair. Although, he looked unclean earlier, his business suit gave a commanding aura down on the entire auditorium. It was enough to sway the young adult students¡¯ hearts, except one. Riona Rye, on the first row of the students, stood with a blank expression. She did not bat an eye at the man who came up the podium. Her lifeless eyes gave anyone who stared at her a chill down their spine. Yet such a freezing stare did not affect the woman beside her who had glanced her way. ¡°Riona, look at that teacher.¡± The girl beside her whispered, pointing at male teacher with glasses, Jay. ¡°Cynthia, shush.¡± Riona put a finger on her mouth. Before starting his speech, Alfred cleared his throat. Then, he glanced a bit at Jay as the man whispered to him in an inaudible tone. At the end of their conversation, Jay nodded and Alfred resumed staring at the student body. ¡°Students. Welcome to your first year in the Royal Academy.¡± Applause followed this first line. Most of the students wore a proud posture. ¡°Getting in the Academy means that these students had spent most of their childhoods practicing their craft. Hard work and dedication let them pass through their previous schools. Students, be proud of yourselves.¡± Another round of applause followed. ¡°Here at the Royal Academy, we refine and nurture our students to the very best in orde¡­.¡± The speech continued as Kazu, way in the back row, dozed off. Turning his eyes to his right, Mel wasn¡¯t even standing. She sat down with her legs crossed while eating the jerked beef Kazu had given her earlier. ¡°Mel, you still haven¡¯t told me why you can change to that form.¡± Kazu asked in a low volume. ¡°I guess I recovered enough energy. Its fine right?¡± Mel answered. ¡°Sure for now¡­ but how are you going to be dorming?¡± Kazu sat down with Mel. Students stared at both of them with strange eyes. The two held a leisure conversation during the formal speech by the principal of a renowned school. Even though the students heard their conversation, none of them had any idea of what they were talking about. ¡°Aren¡¯t I going to dorm with you?¡± Mel prompted. Sudden enmity gathered around Kazu as the male students stared at him. Mel¡¯s delicate features had attracted the male students ever since she arrived at the cafeteria earlier that day. Her cherry pink lips, golden eyes with purple haze and a dress that complimented her soft and delicate legs. The male students even forgot to ask if she was cold in that kind of dress, especially now, during the winter. Meanwhile, the girls let out a pink aura of their own in admiration of Mel¡¯s declaration. At the edge of their eyes, they saw Kazu who held the attraction of such a beautiful girl. His appearance was a disappointment their eyes in comparison to Jay Oswald standing on the stage. However, they sensed a mysterious pressure radiating from the black haired student. None of them knew where to put their finger on why that is. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I don¡¯t think dorming works like that.¡± Kazu whispered. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter at all. I¡¯ll go wherever you go.¡± Mel claimed. The female students, who listened in on their conversation, had no idea of the context. With that said, the corner of their ears went bright red with Mel¡¯s further proposal. Their fantasies and wild imagination played out in their heads on repeat as they heard Mel¡¯s words. Alas, all of them were expected to succeed in the academy. Few expected romance considering the little time left after studies. On the other hand, the male students¡¯ faces paled. With Mel¡¯s words, none of them dared to even think of trying to take Mel for themselves. Honour was still honour; therefore, committing adultery or coveting another man¡¯s woman would tarnish their own reputations. ¡°My speech has concluded. Jay Oswald, bring out the orb.¡± Alfred said. ¡°Yes principal.¡± Jay went through the curtains of the stage. Upon walking back, he rolled in an orb five times the size of his head. The orb was much bigger than the one used in Roseful Academy. A strange light emitted from the center of the orb. ¡°First row of students, please walk up.¡± Alfred commanded. The first row of students marched up the 3 steps of the stage. Each one had a thumping heart, nervous of their result. On the other hand, Riona had no worry on her face. Instead, she had a mild yawn. ¡°Erinn Greyheart¡­ now taking the test.¡± The first student walked up after pronouncing her name. She held out her hand to the orb and touched it with her palm. A red glow burst forth inside the orb. Pink and green light swirled around the orb orbiting the red glow. Erinn¡¯s eyes widened at the unknown light swirling with her original red glow. ¡°Students, some of you may be wondering about the different lights in the orb. Those lights are a reflection of character, traits, personality, and one¡¯s heart. Pink symbolizes caring, and green symbolizes timidness. It will play a role in determining your class in this academy.¡± Alfred declared. ¡°Erinn Greyheart, Fire intermediate, 2nd rank aptitude, Class A. Please proceed down the stage and continue watching the ceremony.¡± A sigh of relief came from Erinn. When she heard the word ¡°timid¡±, it had a negative connotation in her ears. However, the principal still placed in Class A making all her worries disappear. Coming from a noble family, such disgrace would have never been allowed if she had not placed in a class lower than A. With this, her mother, on the side, also eased the tension on her face. ¡°Cynthia Renards, now taking the test!¡± Cynthia grabbed the orb with her palm. Her eyes stared at the orb with stern a stern look and her posture gave off confidence. The orb glowed green. Its glow shined slightly brighter than Erinn¡¯s. With it, a mix of red and blue danced around the green glow. ¡°Confident and flexible. Cynthia Renards, Earth Intermediate, 4th rank aptitude. Class A.¡± Alfred declared. Without waiting for the principal to ask her, Cynthia came down the stairs by herself and stood beside Erinn. When she came near Erinn, Cynthia reached out her hand to shake. Following this, Erinn couldn¡¯t help but shake her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you. I guess we¡¯ll be classmates.¡± Cynthia smiled with confidence. Erinn nodded instead of giving a vocal response. The overwhelming confidence Cynthia showed drowned her own which made her voice stick in her throat. ¡°Riona Rye, taking the test.¡± Murmurs from the audience rose a couple of decibels louder. All the students spoke to whoever stood beside them as the beauty declared her name. Some had a tone of admiration while some had spoke with fear. But everyone had the same thought: she was the niece of the dean, Yuli Aramod, a man placed on the heroic ranks. Riona put her palms on the orb. Little by little, a blue light shined. It pulsed low and high like a beating heart until it stopped into a monotonous bright glow. Its glowed much brighter than the previous two contestants. Centering around the central glow, 3 swirls of light appeared. A dark gray glow jittering as it orbited the central glow. A pale green swirled in a slow movement around the center. Finally, a dark blue sphere floated way below the central orb. Alfred¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the three colours. The murmurs of the audience grew even louder with the mystery of the 3 swirling colours. Riona herself became shocked after the 3 swirling colours appeared after her bright blue orb shined. ¡°Riona Rye, Water Intermediate, 9th rank aptitude. Class¡­ U.¡± A loud voice wanted to burst through Riona¡¯s vocal chords, to deny Alfred¡¯s placement. Anger in her eyes lit up and the temperature around her dropped by a couple of degrees. Alfred could only look on at Riona with narrowed eyes emanating pity. The aptitude test continued after the large event of Riona¡¯s placement. A couple of students were also placed in Class U, but none had a strong response to being placed in it compared to Riona¡¯s silent anger. The average of the student body was Adept 7-9 with some exceeding intermediate 1 in their elements. Most of the lower aptitudes were placed in Class B or C. Students who were at adept 9, 10, and intermediate 1 had a chance of getting in class A but most were put in Class B. Overall, 133 students came before Kazu and Mel. 51 students had Earth alignment, 28 fire, 44 water, and 10 wind. This diversity of elements were natural. Fire and wind were much harder to control since those elements didn¡¯t take a physical form. Water and Earth had physical forms which meant a lot more people used them and also had more uses in real life scenarios. ¡°Kazu Tomoe taking the test, I guess.¡± Before walking up to the orb, Kazu yawned. Mel also sat down on the stairs of the stage while chewing on her beef jerky. Now placing his hands on the orb, it slowly pulsed with a colourless light, a white light¡ªthe wind attribute. When it reached its brightest point of white light, it turned gray. One gold swirl floated around the gray glow. Much like when Riona took her test, loud murmurs rose up in the student body. But this time, they were more akin to why such an ominous colour presented itself. In addition, none of the students knew what the gold swirl meant. At this point, Alfred and Jay whispered to each other. None of their voices could be heard under their breath. Kazu also didn¡¯t want to use his awareness skill to listen in on such a trivial matter, he concluded. After a few minutes, Alfred raised his figure and said, ¡°Kazu Tomoe, Wind intermediate, 1st rank aptitude. Class U.¡± The student body¡¯s murmurs exploded into a roar. Faces were littered with confusion that demanded an explanation of the colour. Even Riona¡¯s lips twisted into a frown when she saw the ominous colour of gray. ¡°Students!¡± Alfred shouted and a shockwave of pressure pressed on to all the student¡¯s lungs. ¡°Due to impurities in his wind, it has turned a gray colour. Did you not see the gold swirl? It is the colour of greed; hence, impurity in his attribute. Now Kazu Tomoe, please join the other students.¡± All the confusion in the students¡¯ eyes disappeared after the explanation. In everyone¡¯s minds, they knew who to avoid the most¡ªthe student named Kazu Tomoe. When Kazu moved to join the rows of students, their eyes avoided contact with his. Along with that, they jittered away and their lips down turned with disgust. ¡°Hahaha! Stupid Kazu. Watch me get the best one out of all the students!¡± Mel shouted loud and clear. The volume she shouted at caused Kazu to put a palm on his face. At the same time. everyone¡¯s eyes glared at her with doubt as their brows furrowed. ¡°Melith cross whatever whatever.¡± Mel immediately touched the giant glass orb. Once she touched it, a distinct white light appeared in the center of the glass orb. It grew and grew until it occupied all of the glass. Once this finished, its brightness grew until a certain point, much like Kazu¡¯s. The white light then turned gray, but it did not stop there. It grew darker and darker by the passing second. It stopped only until it reached a pure black colour. Not a single whisper sounded in the auditorium. Of course, to the students, this meant this one had the most malicious of ill wills. Naturally, they all stepped back and even tried to block Mel¡¯s body from their view with their hands. ¡°Melith Cross, wind intermediate, 3rd rank aptitude¡­ Class U.¡± Alfred sighed. ¡°Hah, stupid Mel. Yours is even blacker than mine. Serves you right!¡± Kazu shouted, breaking the silence. ¡°Guh- Shut up!¡± Mel jumped off the stairs. ¡°Give me that bag!¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Mel snatched the brown bag Kazu kept in his hands. Tears formed around her eyes and she whispered to herself, ¡°I¡¯m a good girl¡­ guuu.¡± ¡°The tests have ended. All students proceed back to your dorms or homes. Classes start next week. That is all.¡± Alfred signaled Jay to come over and quickly left the auditorium with him. Quick steps echoed in the empty hallway. Alfred picked up his pace even faster as Jay followed him. Their faces grew tense as they felt an immense aura coming from Alfred¡¯s own office. Alfred swallowed his spit before opening the door. When they entered, Alfred bowed down to form an almost 90 degree bow. Jay followed suit, still with a confused look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the courtesies. I¡¯m just here for a quick visit.¡± The man, in front of the desk, announced. Both Alfred and Jay relaxed their postures following this announcement. A young man wearing a dark blue business suit stood in front of the desk. It was layered in a light blue dress shirt that one could mistake for white from a far. On his hand, he held a staff with a turquoise gem embedded on the top. It emanated a strange odour of the salty ocean,yet it calmed the senses. The man kept his blond hair long enough to be shoulder length and his facial features exuded a cool type of masculinity. ¡°Sir Yuli, what brings you here today?¡± Alfred¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°How¡¯s my niece?¡± Yuli asked. ¡°She is doing well¡± Alfred cleared his throat and then continued, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid to inform you that she is placed in Class U¡­¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Yuli laughed. ¡°That¡¯s fine, that is fine! And, may I ask how our guardian did?¡± ¡°Sir Yuli, apparently he had a partner so we had to take them both in the academy. Unfortunately, he scored lower than Riona, with his impure gray wind attribu-¡± ¡°Did you just say gray?!¡± Yuli shouted. The paintings trembled from the vibrations caused by his roar. ¡°Y-y-yes Sir Yuli, his colour was g-gray.¡± Alfred squealed. ¡°Fools!¡± Yuli turned his back. ¡°I bet none of you have ever seen colours higher than advanced... For the wind attribute, once you reach master, your wind attribute becomes gray.¡± ¡°Sir Yuli, his partner earned a black colour this would mean?¡± ¡°Black?¡± Yuli turned around in a hurry and gripped both sides of Alfred¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Was it a pure black?¡± ¡°...Yes¡± The pain of the grip constrained his voice, but Alfred managed to let out the answer. Jay stared at the man before him confronting the principal like that. A crest, in the shape of a coat of arms, pinned on Yuli¡¯s chest read ¡°Heroic-rank¡±. Being a new teacher, this confirmed all the rumours he heard about the dean of the academy. The crest itself inspired awe, and in some, fear. Just now releasing his grip, a large smile turned up from Yuli¡¯s lips. His arms fell limp as he moved away from Alfred. Once he stepped a few steps back, he turned around and said, ¡°Ha¡­ what luck we have. Frederick¡¯s little girl- no, my niece! Such wonderful bodyguards that would have cost fortunes to hire.¡± *** ¡°Pfft, even in this form, I¡¯m even more limited than when I¡¯m in my sword form.¡± Mel commented. ¡°Being able to move myself like this feels good though.¡± ¡°Heeeh... That means I don¡¯t have to carry you around everywhere.¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes turned to the girl beside him, Mel. She wore a loose fitting dress that seemed to only fit around the waist and shoulders. The frills on her dress fluttered with each step on the snow. She wore white ankle heel boots that illuded the eyes from the real length of her legs. ¡°On a side note, aren¡¯t you cold in that?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Not really.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Look below, I¡¯m warming up the air around me.¡± Sure enough, the snow melted each time she stepped. The falling snow also did not pile up on her clothes. A grin forms on her face when Kazu finished checking her out. ¡°Heehee, Kazu so perverted¡ªchecking me out in public.¡± ¡°Tha-!¡± Bam! A loud sound of an object hitting metal shook the trees from sheer force. At this point, Kazu and Mel reached the fork where all the paths interconnected. 2 boys stood against each other in the middle of it and a large encirclement of students interrupted the pedestrian flow. One of the bows held a blunt sword and a shield on his left hand. The other participant of the fight held a single short staff with a small blue gem. The students cheered on the fighters as usual for entertainment. ¡°Dirty mage!¡± The knight lunged at the mage with his shield up. The mage jumped back and chanted, ¡°Oh great god of water. This disciple asks forth one¡¯s power. Strike, water sphere!¡± ¡°Haha, water sphere? Its just a ball stupid!¡± The knight easily blocked it with his shield. Upon seeing the easily blocked spell, everyone held their breaths for the end. However, a large amount of water invaded between the two fighters. The body of water encased both the mage and knight that were fighting. It halted everything. Even the cheers of the bystanders came to a silence. ¡°...Ocean¡¯s cage.¡± Riona whispered. Her signature cold gaze surrounded both the mage and knight who were fighting. On seeing the two¡¯s faces, a click of a tongue described her thoughts about the whole fiasco¡ªannoying. She looked at them with demeaning eyes and said, ¡°You¡¯re in my way. Get out.¡± On that command, both water encasing hurled themselves at the trees in opposite directions. The bubble of water popped once it impacted the trees, releasing both offenders. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Her steps continued and turned to the path leading to the Practical Applications facility. Once she disappeared, conversations between students continued and everyone carried on with their walks. Most of the student went to the direction of the dorms while some to the front gate to exit the vicinity. ¡°Hey, if I recall correctly, you¡¯re Kazu right?¡± A stranger came up to both Kazu and Mel. His eyes wandered around their faces, halting at Mel¡¯s eyes. However, Mel broke eye contract as soon as she noticed. He wore the same dark blue suits everyone everyone wore, except he had khakis. His hair was wavy, but it only complimented his relaxed attitude. Both arms and legs were built well and complimented his posture. Certainly, he was someone who was above average in appearance. ¡°Yeah, you?¡± Kazu replied. ¡°The name is Leonard Beulen, in class B. Mind if I chat along the way to the gate?¡± Leonard asked. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes turned to Mel. ¡°She doesn¡¯t mind either so it¡¯s fine. But aren¡¯t you afraid of my... bad luck¡­ is it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s some bull crap anyways.¡± He rested his bag behind his shoulder. ¡°Everyone has something dark in them whether they¡¯re the most innocent person or not. Doesn¡¯t matter, no point in going on about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty laxed.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°Know anything about that girl?¡± ¡°Riona?¡± Leonard snickered. ¡°Funny you ask. To be honest, everyone hates her. But, what¡¯s that gotta do with me? Nothing, that¡¯s what. As I see it, she might just need friends to loosen up. But hey, she¡¯s mad all the time so that can¡¯t ever happened.¡± ¡°Hah, so you¡¯ve actually tried to be friendly with her?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°What man hasn¡¯t? Have you seen her body?¡± Leonard turned his head to Kazu. ¡°Not to mention, her face looks like a doll. Anyone would want her. But then again, you see, her face is always like a doll. Her face only changes when she¡¯s mad.¡± ¡°You must be a creepy stalker or something.¡± Kazu joked. ¡°She can¡¯t be as bad as the people randomly fighting on the path. After all, earlier this morning¡­¡± ¡°Sure she isn¡¯t. But those guys are different. Its that, y know? Sorcerers and knight rivalry.¡± Leonard spat. ¡°Its stupid I tell ya.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Well, let¡¯s just hope we don¡¯t bump into those guys. Otherwise...¡± A large grin appeared on Kazu¡¯s lips. Kazu and Mel parted with Leonard after exiting the gate. They headed south through the main street of the city. A person could walk straight through the main street until he reaches the gates. However, it was a street exclusively popular to carriages. Ever since winter arrived, the popularity of carriages fell as they took longer to reach their destination than walking. Furthermore, the worm trains didn¡¯t operate in the winter. The giant worms migrate south, via underground, to a much warmer climate. Their lives depended on warmer temperatures as their skin wasn¡¯t thick enough to handle the cold. On the way south, Mel nudged Kazu¡¯s arm. As Kazu¡¯s eyes turned to her, she held up the empty brown bag. All 3 pounds of beef jerky gone in a single day. *** Practical Applications Facility. The facility was climate controlled by heat stones placed in even distances from each other. Two women wearing tight gear with padding on the vital spots stood at opposite sides of the mini stadium. Beads of sweat ran down their cheeks. Both of them gasped for air to regain their breathing. Riona¡¯s clothes were dirtied by the earth magic while Cynthia¡¯s clothes were wet from Riona¡¯s attacks. Neither of them yielded defeat. But as they stared at each other¡¯s eyes, a smile formed on Cynthia¡¯s lips. ¡°You know... shouldn¡¯t this be enough?¡± Cynthia smirked. Riona nodded. Both of their stances eased into a more relaxed posture. At the same time, they reached for the bench. Cynthia collapsed on spot while breathing heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it too much. It¡¯s just a class.¡± Cynthia commented Riona clenched her fist. ¡°It¡¯s already evening. Are you sure you¡¯re alright going alone? Your house is outside of the south gates right?¡± Cynthia asked. ¡°Un.¡± Riona left the stage and entered the locker room. A memory of her father rose up from her heart. You¡¯re perfect.... Riona. Those words that day stuck in her heart. 3 words repeated on an endless loop played inside her head. Yet that perfection broke with the class placement of the principal. Bam! A dent on the locker appeared. ¡°Oi oi, don¡¯t ruin my locker.¡± Cynthia walked in. ¡°Go home and get plenty of rest alright?¡± Riona, again, nodded at the single person she can call friend. After showering and drying herself, she left without saying goodbye to Cynthia. Heavy snow fell. It hid the stone pavement that were there just a few weeks ago. Every step she took made a crunching noise. Crunch, crunch, crunch. The scenery of the falling snow didn¡¯t calm the fire in her heart. She forced her legs to tread fast through the snow to escape from the fires of her mind. Until a noise stopped her. She came across a restaurant with loud customers inside. The noisy family filled her whole view. Each one had smiling faces. ¡°Family¡­ something I can never have.¡± Riona whispered. After treading the snow for a long while, she finally exited the south gates. Her home sat south of the southern gates. It was due to her family¡¯s production business that they were allowed to build a mansion outside the walls. Her father expected her to be perfect in order to inherit and protect the family legacy. With her father¡¯s words, which came from the only one she knew as family, there were no other answers other than ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly, in the middle of her walk, growls from all directions could be heard. She looked back, but the south gate was too far. Her energy was all but expended with from her practice with Cynthia. However, she did not yield. She lowered her stance. Soon, the wolves jumped out from the trees and encircled her. They were more used to the snow¡ªrunning away became the last and worst option. ¡°Roar!¡± A wolf jumped at her from behind. Its claws barely grazed her hand, but blood still spilled on the snow. The presence and scent of blood made the wolves¡¯ restless. She raised up her hands and a blue light emitted around her body. All the wolves went on alert, discarding their restlessness, and drew their movements with more care as they felt the energy gathering. Power started forming, but as she gathered it in her hands, the light started flickering. Her eyes furrowed to concentrate¡ªalas, it was not enough. Her fatigue from the spar earlier did not let her draw anymore energy. And with that, the light flickered even more until fading away. ¡°This is how it ends? hahaha¡­¡± She let out a weak laugh. Her stance no longer showed its strength. Instead, it showed complete submission to death. ¡°Raaarg!¡± Again, a wolf jumped at her from behind. It aimed for her neck as she closed her eyes. Whoosh! A large gale flowed across her. With her eyes still closed, the bite that came at her never met her neck. She opened her eyes and turned to see a man in a black coat. His face couldn¡¯t be seen as he stood against the moonlight with his hood on. However, she saw eyes with the fierceness of fire. In contrast to her who had cold freezing eyes, he was much different from her. Riona¡¯s eyes swept across the man¡¯s figure and caught the giant claymore that was held in one hand. Its blade alone exceeded 2 meters with a width of 30 cm. The snake like patterns of its hilt seemed to be alive as it reflected the moonlight on its golden scales. No, it was alive. Veins of gold and purple haze stretched along the blade, circulating around in a rhythmic pattern. The man swept his hand to create a gale of enormous strength. In one fell swoop, the wolves turned into minced meat before it could even let out a squeal. Then his figure blurred. The man appeared behind her in an instant. Consequent thuds sounded as bodies dropped softly on the thick snow. A circular painting of blood formed around her¡ªall of the wolves died in an instant. The man looks at her one more time. But this time, his gaze looked disappointed rather than apologetic. Without saying a word, the man disappeared with a large gust. Riona, that night, arrived at the mansion with a frown on her face. ¡°Welco- Lady Riona, your hand!¡± The maid immediately ushered her inside and applied first aid. However, Riona clenched her wounded hand into a fist. Her tight grip caused the blood to flow more rapidly than before. ¡°That bastard!¡± Riona shouted. Not even saying a word before leaving, it made Riona furious. His eyes also looked at her with disappointment¡ªsomething she never experienced in her life before. But most of all, her arrogance did not tolerate such a quick and messy way of dealing with the situation. It was as if he wasn¡¯t even aiming to save her. Her rage caused a fire to burn within her heart, yet the layer of ice encasing these flames only seemed to grow thicker. *** ¡°Achoo!¡± Kazu sneezed. Mel: You need to change that coat. It¡¯s all burnt. ¡°Hm, you¡¯re right.¡± Kazu jumped over another branch. ¡°To think those damn wolves followed me. Wonder what Riona was doing there?¡± Mel: Hmph! Why do you care? Quickly, let¡¯s go home. I wanna eat. After jumping several more trees, Kazu arrived in front of the cozy house¡ªhis family¡¯s house. After a year of living in that house, he could no longer keep the warmth from flooding into his heart. Everyone in the house, including those that visited, he never once forgot to think of them when he trained out in the forest and mountains. ################## Thanks for reading! Spoiler : On a side note¡­ anyone here play Osu? Chapter 19 Chapter 19 It¡¯s early in the morning and the sun hovered just above the horizon. Even though there were no clouds, the never ending snow persisted to fall from the sky. The heat stones did their job properly as they warmed the path, letting people through. Inside the house of the Hseit family, Sene stood in front of the opened door. What appeared in front her eyes was a man and a woman sharing the same bed. Although it appeared they hadn¡¯t done anything last night, it didn¡¯t calm Sene¡¯s anger. A thick yellow light formed around her body. Her eyes stayed stern on the bed Kazu and the unknown woman slept in. She used a barrier spell, a type of barrier that imprisons a certain space. ¡°nnnnn¡­. nyah! Barrier?!¡± The woman on the bed jumped up to escape. However, she was too late. The barrier had already encased the whole area, and the woman crashed into a solid layer of energy. ¡°Release me at once!¡± The woman was, of course, Mel. At this point, Kazu had already woken up and saw Sene¡¯s face filled with anger. He knew that Sene rarely gets mad, but when she does, the devil himself would fall flat on his butt with the terror she instills. ¡°Se- I mean mom! This isn¡¯t what it looks like!¡± Kazu, who had just woken up, alerted himself awake. ¡°Heeh? It isn¡¯t? Then you already know what it does look like.¡± Sene¡¯s tone chilled the room. Her eyes glanced at Mel and resentment rose up from within her eyes. It was the resentment of a mother whose son was being stolen by a woman right before her eyes. Her maternal instincts were strong; therefore, her resentment would be that much stronger. Not even Mel, who was a higher being, could break through the barrier made of such strong emotions. ¡°I demand to be released! Yaaaah!¡± Mel kept hitting the barrier like a child in tantrum. ¡°Mel, calm down! You¡¯re making it worse for yourself!¡± Suddenly, the barrier¡¯s bubble began to shrink. It shrinked until it pressed on to their bodies. This was Sene¡¯s unique punishment method¡ªto trap the one who made her mad on their own beds. Kazu had only seen this done to Brett once when he broke her favourite vase. For a whole month, Brett couldn¡¯t move from the bed and was fed tasteless porridge. Such a thought made Kazu¡¯s heart tremble in fear. Now, both Kazu and Mel were forced down on their beds. Soon enough, they could no longer move. Even lifting a finger was out of the question. However, only their heads were safe from the pressure. ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like! I can explain- I¡¯ll explain!¡± Kazu shouted. ¡°Kuh, kuh, kuh, to think barrier magic could be used so creatively.¡± Mel grinned. The door on the other side of the wall opened. Following that, Ene and Lene peeked out from the corner of the door. Ene had a gaping mouth while Lene hid her face with both hands. Then, the final player showed up. Brett looked in the room, and a large smirk turned up from his lips. ¡°Hoho, Kazu~ Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have the balls.¡± Brett chuckled. *** Everyone except Lene and Ene sat around the dinner table. The younger two were at the stairs eavesdropping in on the matter. Brett looked at Kazu who sat beside a girl. His pride was evident by the clear smirk on his lips. Beside him, Sene did not look at Kazu. Instead, her eyes went straight to Mel whose eyes wandered around the room. For the past year, he¡¯d always been good, Kazu thought. Always arriving home before a set time and helping out around the house. Not once has he been scolded. Not even back on Earth where his parents were neglectful. Today, that ends. This will be his first taste of punishment from a parental figure. So, glancing beside him, Kazu nudged Mel. Her wandering eyes retracted and focused on the situation. His eye contact alone told Mel of the situation they were in. Now Mel also understood the situation. ¡°Kazu.¡± Sene slammed the table with her open palm. It drew everyone¡¯s attention as it resounded throughout the silent house. ¡°In just one day of being in that academy, you already brought a girl? What¡¯s more, you didn¡¯t even tell me!¡± Sene shouted. ¡°You¡¯re wrong-¡± Kazu covered Mel¡¯s mouth as soon as something went out of it. Anything that might come out of Mel¡¯s mouth may be detrimental to his standing with Sene. With that thought alone, it was better to anger Mel and apologize later than to further infuriate Sene, Kazu thought. Yet Mel¡¯s eyes became different. While he held her mouth, she looked at him with stern serious eyes. The attitude she portrayed with her eyes alone loosened his grip on her mouth. She was different. Different in the way that she displayed a sudden maturity. Her posture also became more lady like¡ªmore elegant than the nobles themselves. Brett and Sene¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden display. Earlier, Mel emitted a refreshing childlike atmosphere. But now, she displayed a great aura that even they couldn¡¯t comprehend. They looked at each other as if to ask with their eyes, yet no answer came. ¡°My name is Melith Cross. I know of you, Brett and Sene Hseit. I¡¯ve always watched you from the side.¡± Mel spoke in a calm tone as if she had gone through this countless of times. ¡°Melith Cross... Melcross?¡± Sene brought up her hands to cover her mouth. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Your suspicion is surprisingly correct. I am Kazu¡¯s sword.¡± Mel announced. ¡°Some¡­ something like that¡­ is it even possible?¡± Brett asked. ¡°Of course it is. For the thousands upon thousand of years I have lived, I saw the impossible become possible. Even the word ¡®impossible¡¯ to me has now become redundant.¡± Mel took a quick glance at Kazu. Her eyes flickered for a single moment as her eyes caught his figure. ¡°That¡­ that doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Sene slammed the table again. ¡°You were in my son¡¯s bed!¡± ¡°Kuuh!¡± Mel was taken aback by the blunt words; her face also became red and heat started rising up from her neck. ¡°So what!?¡± ¡°Now ladies, calm down. All this shouting in the morning-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Sene shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about your son¡¯s chastity?!¡± ¡°My chastity?!¡± Kazu blurted out. ¡°Is that really a problem? I mean he¡¯s a guy and-¡± ¡°You useless father!¡± Sene cut off Brett and tears formed around the corner of her eyes. ¡°My son is being taken away!¡± Her tears then formed into a bawling cry. She couldn¡¯t accept losing him so fast. Just last year, he had joined the family, fed him, cared for him, and even mourned for him when he disappeared. Now a woman appeared by his side, even if she was his supposed sword, she couldn¡¯t accept it, Sene thought. ¡°Dear, I think you''re overreacting¡± Brett said. ¡°Hmph.¡± Sene turned her back to Brett. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand a mother¡¯s pain.¡± ¡°Sene, host mother of Kazu, I think you misunderstand something. I have been with Kazu for far longer than you imagine.¡± Mel reported. ¡°For a while, we were separated. Now, however, we have found each other again. I thank you for taking care of him.¡± ¡°Oi Mel!¡± Kazu shouted. Letting out such critical information may compromise his position in Austere, he thought. His own black hair had caused him many painful events. However, his worries did not lay there; at the very least with his own strength, he could live in this world¡ªperhaps even prosper. But what about those around him? Sene, Brett, Ene, and Lene were family. If people were to find out he was summoned, people like Adraine would be the least of his worries. They would, without a doubt, target those he cared about. ¡°I see¡­¡± Sene¡¯s eyes became hazy with thought. ¡°So that means Kazu has also lived for that long¡­ correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, he¡¯s even older than me.¡± Mel responded. ¡°Kazu, you need to know this too. When you were summoned here, the only possible way you could have lived would have been if you were sealed in a state of magic suspension.¡± ¡°Summoned?¡± Brett¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Kazu, you know of this?¡± Kazu didn¡¯t reply to Brett¡¯s question. Instead, he looked away in guilt for not telling them earlier. However, their eyes still probed him for an answer. No longer able to hold back, he abruptly got up from his chair and left the house, not even putting on his coat. ¡°Kazu!¡± Brett shouted as he got up to give chase, but a tug from his sleeve drew him back. ¡°He¡¯ll come back.¡± Sene said. ¡°This is his home.¡± ¡°If you have any questions, perhaps I may be able to answer them.¡± Mel stated. ¡°Then I just have one.¡± Sene declared. ¡°Who are you to Kazu?¡± A weak smile floated across Mel¡¯s face. For a moment, she closed her eyes and her vivid memory of Earth came rushing in. The day Kazu left her side was definitely the most memorable time of her life. Not even her death just a week after Kazu¡¯s supposed death compared to losing the one she cherished the most. Her painful experiences after her reincarnation also did not compare to the sheer pain of not being by his side. Who was he to her? She thought about how to answer that question. Then, her eyes opened with a slight purple haze as she stared at the two loving parents. She breathed in and said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who will always be at his side.¡± *** The serene snow fell on Kazu¡¯s hair, causing it to pile up. He sat, hugging his knees, in front of the house with his thoughts in chaos. Would Brett, Sene, Ene, and even Lene still accept him if he were not from this world? At first, he imagined their disdainful looks pointed at him. Their stares threw him in a spiral of emotional turmoil. To think that just yesterday, they were getting along so well¡ªlike family. But now, the truth will be out. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. But in all of that small information Mel blurted out, Kazu figured out one key factor¡ªnone of his friends, biological parents, or anyone he knew back on earth would be alive today. If I just kept Mel shut, it wouldn¡¯t have¡­ Suddenly, the door opened. Mel wearing her frilly dress that fluttered in the outdoor winds stepped out. Her eyes turned down to the side of the door where Kazu sat. She sat down with him and hugged her knees as well. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say those things.¡± Kazu mumbled. ¡°Nn. I didn¡¯t.¡± Mel replied. ¡°Then why?!¡± Kazu turned his head to look at her. Glints of light reflected off her eyes. She didn¡¯t have a remorseful expression; instead, she gave him a serene smile. ¡°Because.¡± Her lips moved. ¡°They¡¯re your family.¡± At the end of her sentence, the door opened once again. This time, it was Sene with a worried expression on her face. ¡°Kazu, get in. It¡¯s cold outside.¡± Sene commanded. ¡°Aren¡¯t you disgusted by me?¡± Kazu stood up. ¡°Mel clearly told you that we¡¯re not from this world!¡± ¡°You stupid son!¡± Brett slammed the door open. ¡°What¡¯s that gotta do with us being family?!¡± ¡°Wha..?¡± Kazu¡¯s heart raced. ¡°No matter who you are, what you are, or where you came from.¡± Brett crossed his arms. ¡°None of those things matter! Look at Lene, she¡¯s not even human, yet she¡¯s family!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right Kazu.¡± Sene smiled. ¡°As long as we¡¯re all together, such things don¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± The word came out clearer this time. As he noticed this, tears formed in his eyes and flowed out like a river. His overthinked his situation and only thought about what the worst case scenario instead of what Brett, Sene, or even Ene would think. They were his family. And for once, he felt the strength of what being a family is. They¡¯re knots that tighten with each pull. These situations of being true to each other was what tied families tighter together. Kazu had overlooked and underestimated the strength such bonds. No matter what the future may hold¡ªeven if his past was leaked¡ªhe¡¯d face it with conviction and fortitude, Kazu thought. As long as he does his best, it¡¯s good enough. With that, the heavy burden of keeping it in now released from his shoulder. Sene embraced Kazu and Brett followed suit. Ene and Lene who watched from the stairs also joined them. On the side, Mel stood as she watched the heartwarming scene. From the embrace, Kazu¡¯s looked at Mel from the edge of his eyes. Thanks Mel. Mel: It¡¯s nothing. Kazu¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Mel¡¯s response. It sounded like she heard him thinking. Naturally, he wants to know how. ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean you can sleep in the same bed.¡± Sene commented. ¡°Kazu, guess you¡¯re back at the living room sofa. Hehe.¡± Brett chuckled. *** ¡°Breakfast is ready~¡± Sene shouted. Mel appeared and sat first at the table before anyone else and her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Ene and Lene came next who went straight to Sene to help with preparing the table. Brett and Kazu came lazing in next. The food settled on the table quickly and everyone started eating. Despite food appearing in front of her, Mel tried holding back her appetite so she doesn¡¯t eat everything on the table. But even then, she had the most food on her plate. ¡°You¡¯re one lucky man Kazu. She¡¯s pretty and eats well! Hahah- ow.¡± Brett rubbed the spot Sene hit. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they should still sleep in the same bed!¡± Sene declared again. ¡°But mom sometimes let me sleep in brother¡¯s bed?¡± Ene noted while the wings on her back fluttered in the mood of excitement. ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± Sene argued. ¡°He¡¯s your brother, and you¡¯re young. Of course that¡¯s allowed. But Mel is a fully grown woman so that¡¯s absolutely not allowed!¡± ¡°Nayan tradition is it¡­¡± Brett sighed. ¡°You also didn¡¯t let me sleep on the same bed until we we¡¯re married. You¡¯re being way too traditional with Kazu whose young and-.¡± ¡°I am not! A no means no!¡± Sene huffed. ¡°What about this.¡± Kazu interrupted. ¡°Its alright if she goes back to her sword form right?¡± Brett and Sene¡¯s turned their eyes to Mel, still with a look of disbelief. No one would believe anyone who claims that they can change from a solid tyrannical claymore to a soft gentle looking girl. ¡°Mel.¡± Kazu said. ¡°But I still wanna eat¡­ you can¡¯t make me!¡± Mel argued. Her noble behaviour had since long ago disappeared when food appeared within sight. With it, her childlike mindset took over demanding she stuff her mouth with food. ¡°Mom, how much beef jerky do we still have in storage?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°About a couple dozen of pounds¡­¡± Sene tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡± Mel¡¯s eyes twitched when she heard the answer. Hearing that answer, her favourite food was brought up to the conversation by Kazu. Knowing Kazu, it was a bribe. ¡°Fine I got it!¡± Mel abruptly shouted. First, she stood up and wiped off her mouth. A sudden golden light burst up from the back of her left hand. An instant later, her whole body became swallowed by that golden light, not leaving a trace of her human form uncovered. The light began to shrink into an orb the size of a regular ball. Once again, it started changing. Little by little, its form changed into a silhouette of a claymore. Then, with a loud sound of glass breaking, the golden light shattered into countless flakes of light. The grand figure of Melcross appeared. Gently floating, the large handle of the hilt firmly arrived in Kazu¡¯s hand. A round of applause followed with all four members in the dinner table having gaping mouths. Sene had the most shock in her eyes. Unlike conventional magic, she knew that there were sword with the ability to transform, but none of them could transform into a sentient being. Even then, all of them were had the strength to shake the countries themselves. So how strong would the sword in front of her be? Suddenly, as if in reverse, the performance once again started. The claymore formed into a ball of light and then turned into a silhouette of a girl. Light shattered and the beautiful traits and physique of Mel appeared. ¡°Hehehe, can I eat now?¡± Mel giggled. ¡°Nope, today¡¯s the final day of our training. We can¡¯t waste anymore time!¡± Kazu grabbed Mel by her hand and rushed out the door. ¡°Brother¡¯s sword is funny.¡± Ene added. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going out with Lene after breakfast!¡± ¡°Alright, be careful okay?¡± Sene patted Ene¡¯s head in response and looked at Lene with caring eyes. ¡°Un!¡± Ene replied while Lene nodded. ¡°Sene, do you believe everything she said?¡± Brett pondered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sense any maliciousness in her eyes¡­ she¡¯s so pure like a child.¡± Sene sighed. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll give up! A woman cannot enter a man¡¯s bed until marriage!¡± *** A square with thick walls, measuring 1 kilometer on each side sat a few kilometers away from the Southern Gates of the capital. The walls surrounded an enormous mansion that occupied the center. It was a building designed with the baroque style, creating an even deeper impression on those who would see its facade. Inside the mansion, Riona Rye marched to a double doored room. The plate on the door read ¡°Office¡±. WIth no sign of hesitation, she opened the door. ¡°Father!¡± She bowed. ¡°Riona, what brings you here?¡± He hummed in a low voice as he closed the folder in his hands. ¡°Father, please forgive your daughter. I was placed in a lower class¡­ Class U.¡± With one knee on the floor, Riona kneeled. ¡°Class U¡­¡± Frederick looked up at the ceiling as if in deep thought. Class U had always been a class full of misfits, but that is not what Frederick looked at in the situation. Students who were put in Class U usually have unpredictable personalities. It was a much more different environment than Riona, his daughter, was used to. At that thought, his eyes turned to Riona with a slight look of worry. When Riona saw her father¡¯s gaze, she interpreted it differently. She couldn¡¯t help but clench her fist to expect a following punishment. After a couple of seconds passed, Frederick hummed in a low voice, ¡°I see¡­¡± His voice vibrated with command. ¡°You may go.¡± Riona got up quickly and opened the door. A clear gulp could be heard as she marched back the way she came. Sweat gathered up on her neck while she walked down the hallways. ¡°Maid, prepare a coat and my equipment.¡± Riona demanded. ¡°I am to depart for the Academy.¡± Two maids at the side bowed and left in a hurry. Riona¡¯s face cramped as she thought of the tone her father used. Father, are you that disappointed that you wouldn¡¯t even punish a disgrace such as myself? she thought. I will study and train even harder to prove my worth! #################### Thanks for reading. Thank you to SilentComfort for editting and proofreading! Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Light snow fell on the cloudy day, and the footprints of countless people ruined the smooth surface of the snow. Numerous parents walked their children to Roseful Academy. With bittersweet smiles on their faces, mothers and fathers parted with their children as they entered their first day of classes. In front of the school¡¯s doors, Sene knelt down to meet Lene and Ene¡¯s eye level and said, ¡°Remember, watch out for each other. Don¡¯t forget your bags when you change classes. Eat everything in the lunch box, even the greens. Be friendly to other children. And¡­¡± Tears formed at the edge of Sene¡¯s eyes as she looked at Ene and Lene once more. Ene wore a blouse layered in a cute small blazer that fit her just right and also accommodated her small fluttering wings trembling with excitement. It was meant for winter and would change into a more airy vest once it got warmer. The white floral patterns on the blazer looked natural instead of embroidered into the fabric. Her skirt was in the likeness of a rose, deep red in colour, and the signature of school. It was the winter version of the skirt, and the academy required its wearers to wear socks that meet up to the thigh for even more insulation. Otherwise, they would have to wear dress pants. However, that was out of the question with Sene¡¯s feminine personality¡­. Lene, being a water spirit, her uniform was much simpler than Ene¡¯s. She wore a bracelet and a necklace that signified her membership of the Roseful Academy. The necklace bore a resemblance to a rose tied on vines to create an exquisite design. A deep blue gem engraved itself on the center of the rose¡¯s stigma to contrast the red petals. On the other hand, the bracelet looked like a vine. One couldn¡¯t tell whether the bracelet itself was alive. Without touching it first hand, no one would know that, in fact, it¡¯s made of jadestone. ¡°Both of you, don¡¯t talk to any boys alright? They¡¯re all pi-¡± Brett groaned as Sene punched him in the stomach. Her reddened eyes turned back to Ene and Lene. As she watched them, the feeling of not wanting to let them go welled up from her heart. The first day of school was inevitable, and reluctance to part with her children overwhelmed her. ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble for the teachers and follow what they say, alright?¡± Sene gave lukewarm smile as she gently pushed them forward. With excitement on their faces, Ene and Lene nodded before entering the school. Brett and Sene turned to face Kazu. Seeing them turn his way, it was his turn to say goodbye; although for him, it¡¯ll be goodbye for five days. Youth Academies require their students to go home everyday while the Royal Academies did not let their students out during the weekdays. When Kazu thought about him staying away from home, his heart became heavy. As he looked at both Brett and Sene¡¯s faces, they had a complicated expression, more so Sene. Her eyes trembled with even stronger reluctance. ¡°I guess I better get going.¡± Kazu nodded. ¡°Make sure you do your job properly hehe.¡± Brett nudged Kazu with a smile. ¡°Mom.¡± Kazu opened up his arms for an embrace. Seeing this, Sene jumped into his arms, hugging her son once more before he left. While she was in his arms, ¡°Make sure to come back every weekend ok? I won¡¯t permit you to skip even a single break!¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Kazu patted her back. ¡°I should go, I¡¯m already late.¡± Sene let go of Kazu as she moved back to Brett¡¯s side. She kept her smile as they watched Kazu walk away from them. His back moving away in the distance caused a slight tug to pull at Sene¡¯s heart. Even Brett by her side gave a heavy hearted expression beside her. *** The open gate, towering three stories tall, let the in the incoming mass of students flood through. In front of the gate, Mel leaned on the brick column. A male student stood in front of her, chatting her up, but her lips didn¡¯t part once. Instead, Mel looked at him with apathetic eyes as if he wasn''t even there. ¡°Mel, let¡¯s go.¡± Kazu waved at Mel. The male student turned his attention to Kazu, sizing him up. When their eyes met Kazu¡¯s hair, his face distorted into disgust. ¡°Buzz off, nobody.¡± The male roared. However, he fell on the snow as Mel pushed him out of the way. Her eyes lit up with excitement and her lips drew a bright smile. ¡°Kazu! You¡¯re late!¡± ¡°Yeah. Sorry bout that.¡± Kazu scratched his head. ¡°Did you find what you were looking for in the forest?¡± ¡°Un, no problem!¡± Mel gave a thumbs up. ¡°Hold on!¡± The male grabbed Kazu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Senior¡­¡± Kazu avoided eye contact. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± the male snorted. ¡°Leave her with us and we¡¯ll let you go.¡± ¡°Senior, I don¡¯t understand. Why would I leave her to you?¡± Kazu gave a faint laugh. ¡°Punk, still don¡¯t get it?¡± After saying this, the male shoved Kazu down to the snow. ¡°Get it now?¡± Uh oh, Kazu thought before he could get up. ¡°Yaaah!¡± Mel screamed, her fist tightened ready to blow the man away. ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± The male closely leaned on Mel and said, ¡°Girl, you can scream as much as you want later when we get indoors. What d¡¯you say? Hehe¡± As the male came close to Mel, his hands caressed her upper arms and slowly slid down to her hands. With her fist tightened, Mel glanced at Kazu who shook his head saying ¡°No¡± in a whisper. ¡°Disgusting.¡± Mel pushed the male before he could go down any further. Then, she went over to Kazu, helping him stand up. ¡°Oi, oi, oi.¡± Again, the male shoved Kazu down. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m already being nice here?¡± He pointed at the pin on his breast pocket. The pin shaped diamond was gold in foreground and black. It had two bars in a vertical formation, signifying a year 2 student. ¡°Trash.¡± A voice came out of nowhere. ¡°Who said that?!¡± The male yelled. ¡°I did.¡± Riona¡¯s figure stood towering with power over the male. A blue light began to radiate from her. ¡°Shi-¡± ¡°Ocean¡¯s cage.¡± Before the male could finish his sentence, he was encased in an orb of water, 2 meters in diameter. Then, Riona flicked her finger, and the orb smashed at the gate. ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Kazu stood up. Without even meeting eyes, Riona entered the gate and disappeared into the distance. The guards around the gate lifted up the male and also carried him in. ¡°Tch, where were they when we were getting harassed?¡± Kazu complained. When he said this, the guards glared at him with disgusted faces. Paying no attention to it and walking through the main gate, Kazu was reminded of one important matter. His narrowed eyes turned to Mel and said, ¡°Mel¡­ where¡¯s our class?¡± ¡°Hah! How should I know?¡± Mel boasted with vigor. ¡°I only need to know where the cafeteria is, and negotiate with the principal¡­ maybe even bribe him. Hehe.¡± ¡°Hah? That doesn¡¯t help our situation at all!¡± Kazu spat. ¡°Hmph, education in this world is meaningless. Anyways, let¡¯s have an early lunch, mid day snack, and dinner, and midnight snack right now.¡± Mel sped up her pace with enthusiasm. Due to Mel¡¯s speed, Kazu and Mel caught up with Riona; although, they didn¡¯t dare follow her too close. ¡°Psst, Mel,¡± Kazu whispered. ¡°She¡¯s most likely going to the class. Stick near her.¡± ¡°Eeeeh?¡± Mel cried. ¡°What about the cafeteria?¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Kazu bumped her head. ¡°Is food the only thing on your head?¡± ¡°Guuuh¡­¡± Mel rubbed her forehead where Kazu bumped it. Riona went straight through the path and soon enough, the silhouette of the main building could be seen. As they got near it, Riona went inside and the two following behind her, Kazu and Mel, also entered the building. They saw Riona taking quick glances behind, but they ignored it, thinking it was nothing. However, when Riona reached the stairs, she stopped and turned around to meet the 2 followers. ¡°Why are you following me?!¡± Riona fumed. ¡°Hah! We¡¯re not following you!¡± Mel pointed at Riona with confidence. ¡°We¡¯re imitating your route!¡± Kazu facepalmed. ¡°W-what?¡± Riona stumbled on her words before saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?!¡± ¡°Nope its not. Following is when you follow someone see? Imitating is different hehe.¡± Mel crossed her arms. ¡°Now keep on moving woman. We don¡¯t have all day.¡± ¡°You dare call me woman!¡± Contrary to the calm nature of water, the blue light once again radiated around her body. ¡°Ocea- Huh? What¡­?¡± The gathered blue light disappeared in an instant before she could activate the spell. Kazu hid his grin as he saw this. He had dissipated the energy around her to stop the activation. The technique was one of the things Mel had taught him from the past year; however, it works only on sorcerers with less control. ¡°You!¡± Riona leered at Kazu. ¡°What did you do?!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t do it.¡± From behind, Jay Oswald came in at the scene. ¡°You three, late on your first day? Come see me after 4th period.¡± ¡°Remember this black sheep.¡± Riona gritted her teeth, stomping up the stairs. Mel stuck out her tongue behind Riona. ¡°Hmph, her attitude almost ruined my appetite.¡± ¡°Idiot, this is your fault.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°Teacher Jay, could you lead us to Class U?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jay, with a slight grin, put both his hands at his back and ascended the stairs. Mel and Kazu followed suit. ¡°So, what do you think of our grumpy princess?¡± Jay chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s a tough one,¡± Kazu conceded. ¡°Especially with this one beside me.¡± ¡°We just have to protect her. It¡¯s not like we have to get along with her. Hmph.¡± Mel snapped. ¡°That¡¯s right. Its better if you don¡¯t get too close to her.¡± Jay turned on the corner. ¡°Just don¡¯t make her hate you too much; otherwise, she¡¯ll take too much notice of you.¡± ¡°Hear that Mel?¡± Kazu poked. ¡°Let¡¯s try to avoid her from now on, alright?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± Mel turned her eyes down. ¡°It¡¯s not like you need my permission.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here.¡± Jay presented the door to Class U, then excused himself with a bow. Unlike the other doors they passed by, the door had clear scratches on it and even some foot prints. It looked more worn out than the rest and the name plate of the class hung crookedly. Caring little about the state of the door, Kazu entered the room and saw an unkempt room. All furniture in the room was similar, whether it was the podium at the front or the student issue desks in the rear, all suffered from massive amounts of vandalism. The room had a total of 5 columns and 6 rows of seats. Ten students sat in the classroom. He recognized none of them, mostly due to his ignorance in the aptitude tests. When Kazu and Mel walked in, the man nearest to the door whistled and said, ¡°Niiceee.¡± Riona sat in the middle of the front row with the cleanest desk. Glancing at the back of the room, there was a missing desk on the last row. She must¡¯ve took the best one Kazu thought. Kazu decided to sit on the second row by the windows. Naturally, Mel followed, sitting beside him. In front of Kazu sat a light purple haired male student with a miserable look on his face. He stared down at his desk giving him an air of loneliness. Beside him, a tomboyish looking girl with short red hair ate her sandwich stuffed with meat. Her desk connected with the the desk beside her as she leaned a bit on his side. From time to time, she would offer him a bite of her sandwich, but he would shake his head without saying anything. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Bam! With a loud stomp, the door crashed open. A man with bulging muscles came in. He wore a tank top and military pants. His steel toed boots were up to his ankles tightened to the extreme. Scars littered his skin emitting an aura of a veteran. His big nose, stubbled beard complimented the strength of his towering eyes. In one word, everyone in the classroom described him as the epitome of ¡°Manly.¡± ¡°Baldr Ironrock!¡± The man commanded, then stared at the student in front of Kazu. ¡°Now, starting from the wuss over there, stand up one by one and introduce yourselves.¡± ¡°Lawrie Flay-¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± Baldr laughed as he slapped the podium. ¡°Oh.. oh¡­ that¡¯s great. Seriously, what¡¯s your name boy?¡± ¡°My name is Lawrie- ¡°Hahahahahahahahaha!¡± Baldr continued his laughter. ¡°Stop, you¡¯re killing me. That can¡¯t be a man¡¯s name. Hahaha!¡± The students in their seats all put on distraught on their expressions. None of them could believe that a teacher can laugh like that just at a student¡¯s name¡ªeven if it''s the infamous ¡°Class U.¡± Soon enough, the teacher¡¯s laugher ended and wiped the tears off his eyes. ¡°Sorry bout that.¡± Baldr straightened his posture. ¡°Now, where were we? Ah, Lawrie Flay. Well?¡± ¡°... Again, my name is Lawrie Flay. I¡¯m a student from Audley Academy. I specialize in water magic, adept, 7th rank aptitude.¡± ¡°Water specialty for a man? Do you really call yourself a man?¡± Baldr¡¯s brow furrowed as he looked at Lawrie with curiosity. ¡° Well, whatever. Next!¡± ¡°Cristen Butcher. Fire magic, adept, 9th rank. I¡¯ll say this now: all the girls who dare stare at Lawrie will die by my hands!¡± Cristen boasted. ¡°Good introduction. That¡¯s what I like to hear.¡± Baldr clapped. ¡°Next.¡± ¡°I am Riona Rye. Water intermediate, 9th rank.¡± Riona ended her statement there. ¡°Huh?¡± Baldr smirked. ¡°Little princess, little princess, you need to add more to your introduction.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Riona crossed her arms. ¡°Hm, whatever.¡± Baldr shrugged. ¡°Next.¡± ¡°Daniel Wingflood, fire magic, adept, 8th rank. Cristen¡¯s already taken, what about the rest of the girls in the class?¡± Daniel winked towards Mel, yet both Kazu and Mel were yawning at the window. His face distorted into a fake smile, and then sat back down. ¡°You, black hair, your turn.¡± Baldr glared straight into Kazu¡¯s eyes without blinking. ¡°Kazu Tomoe, wind intermediate, 1st rank. Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m just trying to graduate.¡± Kazu yawned. A small grin appeared on Baldr¡¯s lips. ¡°Good. Next, the beauty.¡± ¡°Hehe, Kazu, he called me beauty, jealous?¡± Mel snarked. ¡°Melith, um¡­ Rocss! Wind magic, intermediate, 3rd rank. Let see¡­ I like to eat, drink, and sleep. Mostly eat!¡± Mel sat back down with a confident smile. Her gaze turned to Kazu as he whispered, ¡°What¡¯s with that last name?¡± ¡°Sshhh, didn¡¯t you forget Sene found out my identity just from my name?¡± Mel whispered. Kazu understood. From her name, Melith Cross, Sene found out her identity as the cursed sword from history books. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if the teacher, or any of the students, connected the dots. But even if they did, would they believe her? Kazu wondered. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Baldr snorted, taking a quick glance at Kazu. ¡°In fact, I forgot your name the moment you said them. Now, can anyone tell me what you these 6 children did when they said their names?¡± The students in the class looked at each other except for Riona. She stared straight ahead into Baldr¡¯s face, who wasn¡¯t paying attention to her. ¡°Everyone, the seat you''re sitting in right now should have a number on it written with black marker.¡± Baldr declared. ¡°That will now be your seat and name from now on. My question from before still stands, so?!¡± Since Riona had taken a desk from the back and put it in the front, she had the number 22. Kazu had the number 5 while Mel had 6. The rest were in order except for Riona. ¡°Hmph, no one knows huh. First of all, welcome to Royal Academy of Austere. Out of the hundreds of thousands that graduate Youth Academies around the country, you have managed to get this far. This academy will be your home for the next 5 years. A map of the whole Academy can be taken from the office lounge, just ask any of the teachers. In this Academy, you will not learn what you¡¯ve been learning in Youth schools. ¡°Youth Academies babysit their children. They teach them nothing but to increase their aptitude. But that¡¯s for a good reason! Magic, and even the practice of sword, are both dangerous! According to popular belief, Aptitude grows the fastest during infancy up till teenage years. Is this correct? Riona answer.¡± ¡°Teacher Baldr, that is true. Infant and teenagers until 18 still have developing minds; therefore, their aptitude grows the fastest. Its just like how children can learn language easily from their parents.¡± Riona smiled with confidence. ¡°Wrong!¡± Baldr smirked as Riona¡¯s confidence broke. ¡°It only seems that way since in beginner to adept, and the first half of intermediate require very little energy. Because of that, cultivation is fast. A child¡¯s mind is so young, how can they understand the complicated nature of energy? Never underestimate aptitude! In fact, a mature mind can breeze through from beginner to the end of rank of intermediate. That¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± One of the female students in the back shouted. ¡°Heh, if you don¡¯t believe me, travel to Dragonweild once. I¡¯d say their teaching methods are superior to Asteria¡¯s.¡± Baldr chuckled. ¡°Most of you are probably wondering why you¡¯re in this class? This class isn¡¯t really the lowest class, as most of you have already figured out. Actually, it¡¯s for problem kids like you, especially little princess here. ¡°Now, back to my question. What did these 6 children do wrong in their introductions?!¡± Baldr observed each of them one by one. Everyone, except Mel and Riona, avoided his eye contact. Kazu had his eyes at the window, so he didn¡¯t count as avoiding eye contact. ¡°First of all, in this Royal Academy, throw away everything you know about aptitude and ranks and whatever! Don¡¯t even put it in your introductions. All that is meaningless garbage! In the world of skirmishes, battles, and wars, aptitude is meaningless. It is what you do with that power that matters! ¡°There is no meaning to power without skill. A tiny drop of water can pierce through a rock with enough precision. A small ember may ignite a whole forest. A tiny pebble may pierce through a man¡¯s armour. And wind, its sharpness alone can cut through the toughest of diamonds. ¡°You are all put in Class U because all the teachers know that none of you can fit in the normal classrooms. All of you need to be tempered into fine steel. Little princess, that means you¡¯re rough around the edges.¡± ¡°You dare?!¡± Riona stood up. ¡°I grew the most out of everyone in the youth academy, you dare insult me?!¡± ¡°Little princess, didn¡¯t you hear me from before? Aptitude is meaningless.¡± Baldr stared down Riona. ¡°Did you not see your pitiful Ocean¡¯s Cage? Even though in the gates, the man was only 1 meter and 80 tall, yet you use a 2 meter radius sphere for an Ocean¡¯s Cage. You probably already know this, an Ocean Cage is an advance ranked spell, and the perfect form is a rectangle!¡± ¡°You!¡± Riona gritted her teeth in anger. However, she could not deny him; she could only sit back down quietly. ¡°All of you already know you can learn a spell even its even a god ranked spell. However, you might die if you use a spell that¡¯s too high ranked. Hahaha!¡± Baldr commented. ¡°Once you graduate from Class U, only then I will remember your names. Now, all of you, go to the Practical Applications Facility, block A-2!¡± Baldr slammed open the door and left in a hurry. As the students get up from their seats, they talked to the one beside them. However, Daniel had no luck as Riona was the only one beside him. ¡°Did you really have to say that?¡± Lawrie nagged. ¡°Aw, Lawrie you¡¯re mad at me? Come here, let¡¯s go.¡± Cristen locked her arms onto Lawrie, dragging him to exit the room. Everyone left soon after, except Riona. She stared at the blackboard. A few drops of blood dripped on the desk. Her nails had dug in to her hand from clenching her fists throughout the humiliating class. Baldr, you will regret this day, Riona swore. *** The class entered the dome building, and warmth filled the air. There were two doors before they entered the main area of the facility. One for male and one for female. Those were the locker rooms placed right after the entrance. The main area had 4 large dirt rings, each one 25 meter radius. Light stones from above lit up the whole dome. Baldr stood in the center of the four dirt rings and stared as his class entered. ¡°For most of you, this is probably the first time you entered here. Water, go to ring 1. Earth, ring 2. Fire, ring 3. Wind, ring 4.¡± Baldr commanded. Everyone went to their designated rings as instructed. Their faces filled with excitement since they knew that no other class would start practical applications right on the first day. But that was all broken when the familiar evil smile appeared on Baldr¡¯s face. ¡°Earth students, you have to levitate 5 pieces of earth, each one the size of your head for 1 hour. Water students, you keep up a 5 meter radius sphere of water above your head for one hour too. Fire students, keep the adept spell flamethrower active for a whole hour. Wind students, levitate your body for one hour! Hahahaha!¡± Baldr laughed. ¡°What?! That¡¯s impossible! Our energy would be expended after just 10 minutes!¡± Daniel rebelled. ¡°Huuuh?!¡± Baldr grunted. ¡°I¡¯m the teacher. My word is the law. In 3 months, you must be able to hold your spells for 5 hours!¡± ¡°Are you trying to kill us?!¡± Lawrie cried. ¡°Something like that¡­ that¡¯s not possible!¡± Thud. Kazu dropped his body on the ground, and Mel laid herself beside him. Their actions were not rebellion nor was it because the assignment was too hard. To them, it was the opposite¡ªtoo easy. Mel had trained Kazu in this method for over a year in an even harsher regime. Kazu alone could fly for 10 hours straight without stop. Floating just above the ground was child¡¯s play. Once more, Baldr looked at the students¡¯ faces, all filled with grief. A grin formed on Baldr when he saw the little princess¡¯ face. Riona had a face full of determination. ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for?! You only have 3 months!¡± Baldr exited the arena after his announcement. While walking back to the main building, he came across Alfred, the principal. The old man had a complicated expression when he met Baldr¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your training is just as harsh every other year¡­ but you know Riona is there. Aren¡¯t you afraid of him?¡± Alfred sighed. ¡°Hmph, the training isn¡¯t for... training. Its for disciplining their minds. I don¡¯t care about what he thinks.¡± Baldr stated. #################### Thanks for reading! Ty to Silentcomfort¡¯s editing! Chapter 21 Chapter 21 The other students in class U were practicing with all their effort. None of the students lasted beyond 20 minutes of their assigned duties. Most gave up, except for Riona. Creating a 5 meter radius water sphere to her was child¡¯s play. However, it took a lot of effort to keep and maintain the spell. Such magic was not meant to be kept in place; instead, it was meant to be cast at someone¡ªor something. While keeping the water sphere in place, the best she could do was 30 minutes before having to rest again. Her eyes wandered around the dirt rings; everyone had sweat soaked p.e clothes. They all changed to more suitable clothes after Baldr had left, knowing that this task would be tough. However, her eyes caught the two laying down side by side having a casual conversation. ¡°And there she was. She stole my crepe!¡± Mel groaned. ¡°Muuu, you were there Kazu. Stop smiling!¡± ¡°Oh was I? I remember someone forgetting their wallet.¡± Kazu laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ you probably would¡¯ve cried if I didn¡¯t buy you another.¡± ¡°Hmph! I would¡¯ve¡­ almost- wait, maybe¡­ no I wouldn¡¯t!¡± Mel stumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t cry!¡± ¡°Just remembered, something about that.¡± Kazu turned to face Mel. ¡°When we were in that trip, were you really forced to-¡± ¡°You two!¡± Riona shouted. Riona strode her way to ring 4, entering it. The steps she took were heavy, and her sweat made her exposed skin shine. Looking at the two on the ground, she couldn¡¯t help but feel anger at their leisure attitude. ¡°-forced to go with me?¡± Kazu continued after being interrupted. ¡°Hm? No, why would you think that?¡± Mel narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡­ forgot?¡± ¡°No, maybe it was just the-¡± A water sphere dropped onto Mel and Kazu, disrupting their happy conversation. Kazu coughed as the water dropped in time when he inhaled. Riona towered in front of them with an expression that could freeze someone with a touch. ¡°You failures have no excuse for not practicing.¡± Riona said. ¡°Why not just leave this academy?¡± Mel kept her mouth shut, following what Kazu wanted from the earlier discussion. After recovering his breath, Kazu stood up to meet eye to eye with Riona. ¡°Easy for you to say. Only someone with suuuch high talent and upbringing can say that.¡± Kazu spat. ¡°Look around you. Everyone¡¯s done. This class is a joke.¡± ¡°If you already know, then why aren¡¯t you making an honest effort to rise above a joke?¡± Riona gritted her teeth. ¡°Wait wait wait, hold on.¡± Kazu waved his hands around. ¡°First off, why do you care?¡± ¡°Youuuu!!!¡± Riona growled. ¡°Have you no pride?!¡± ¡°See, that¡¯s a matter of perspective.¡± Kazu shrugged. ¡°Its not like I want to reach the top. Right Mel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mel followed up. ¡°The top is full of pansies!¡± ¡°Then leave!¡± Riona ordered. ¡°You two are a distraction to everyone!¡± ¡°Hmph. Fine.¡± Kazu quickly turned around to face the exit. ¡°Mel, let¡¯s go.¡± Kazu and Mel headed out of the dome. The fact that they never changed to gym clothes irritated Riona even more. Their leisure attitude mocked everything she had worked for. In the Youth Academies, she did not do the minimum required. Instead, she surpassed the maximum to please the one figure who was the world to her. But after seeing these two, she wondered how they even managed to get in the Royal Academy. Did she put so much effort for no reason? Riona looked at the remaining classmates. None of them had determination. Most were slouched on the ground, others were playing with the grass, dirt, or whatever they could hold. ¡°Everyone. Right now, we may not be able to last until an hour. However, the professor would not give such an impossible task. Do not lose hope!¡± Riona pleaded. Her short motivational speech riled up some of the students who were in the same boat. Kazu also heard it from afar as he and Mel exited the facility; but at this rate, they were never going to reach the goal set by Baldr. An ember of pity swelled up from his heart, and Mel looked at him, noticing this. ¡°Hmmmm, Kazu¡¯s sooo kind.¡± Mel grinned. ¡°Shut up. I didn¡¯t do anything... yet.¡± Kazu nudged her. Kazu and Mel decided to go back to the main building due to Mel¡¯s nagging about ¡°cafeteria, cafeteria, cafeteria.¡± The whole class up till now wasted all morning practicing. Other students who were in different classes, that just ended, also entered the cafeteria. Students made a line in front of the lunch lady and some stared at the two already eating today¡¯s menu; pasta. At this point, a man sat beside Kazu, bumping him a little with his rough landing. His eyes went straight to Mel¡¯s face and he whistled in a flirt. The man¡¯s name was Daniel Wingflood, and his eyes were filled with infatuation. It was Kazu¡¯s first time seeing a man, other than himself, look at Mel like that in front of him. Although for him, it was different from infatuation and more towards care, and most likely more. ¡°Kazu and Mel right?¡± Daniel. Mel rolled her eyes, ¡°Why not just buzz off, loser?¡± Daniel held his heart like a man getting shot in the chest by a bullet¡ªan arrow in this world. ¡°Straight to the point. Hurts you know?¡± ¡°Good, maybe you¡¯ll learn to avoid fire.¡± Mel insulted him. However, Kazu knew the man beside him would have no idea that it was an insult. Mel used an idiom back on Earth where a man who does not know why they should avoid fire is actually stupid. The second was that the man beside him is a fire mage. ¡°You¡¯re eyes give off such beautiful radiance of fire. Being attracted to you is nature taking its course.¡± Daniel made a shape of a rose with fire, handing it to Mel. ¡°Say, why not hang out with me?¡± Mel blew away the fire with wind magic and said, ¡°Your pick up line lacks cheese.¡± ¡°Pick up? Who says I¡¯m trying to pick you up.¡± Daniel winked. ¡°I¡¯m just a man who can and will appreciate you much better. So, what do you say?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Kazu took out a wheel of cheese from his inventory, also taking out a cheese grater. ¡°Tell me when to stop.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough cheese. That ability¡¯s so handy, hehe.¡± Mel stuffed her mouth with more pasta. The jealousy in Kazu¡¯s heart calmed down when he brought Mel¡¯s attention back to himself. For the past year, he had only her as company with his training. Naturally, they talked about random stuff and their state of relationship never came up in the conversations. However, Kazu didn¡¯t mind; he felt the feeling was mutual between him and Mel. ¡°Neat trick¡± Daniel smirked, putting one of his hands on Kazu¡¯s shoulder.. ¡°Kazu-bro, why not lend me her ¡®till tomorrow?¡± Of course this guy was picking Mel off him. Daniel didn¡¯t know, but Kazu¡¯s view of him fell to the bottom when he said that inappropriate remark at the beginning of class. Now, his question pricked the last of Kazu¡¯s patience, and he had very little to begin with for these kinds of men. ¡°Don¡¯t call me bro, you¡¯re disgusting.¡± Kazu shrugged off his hand. ¡°Just pray you don¡¯t meet me outside the school.¡± ¡°Woah woah woah- don¡¯t get so mad.¡± Daniel scooted away to get some distance. His whole body became covered in goosebumps. Being a pampered noble, he wasn¡¯t familiar with the sensation was that took over his body, but he knew that he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°That¡¯s right, get out of my face.¡± Mel snarked. Daniel didn¡¯t utter another word as a chill ran down his spine when he met Kazu¡¯s eyes. The mood became normal again with Kazu and Mel being the two lone people on the table that could fit 10 to 15 persons. After Kazu¡¯s gaze turned back to Mel, she lowered her head, looking at her food to hide the flush on her cheeks. It made Kazu feel embarrassed himself when she suddenly turned away. Inside him, a sort of nostalgic feeling rose up when the silence fell between them, yet Kazu couldn¡¯t place his finger on where this might have happened before. Mel had cleaned her plate and was the first to disrupt the silence. ¡°Guu¡­ come on. I can only get one plate anyway. Cheapo principal!¡± Kazu sighed with a smile on his face. She didn¡¯t let him finish the rest of his meal, but he didn¡¯t care. During practice earlier, they ate some of Sene¡¯s sandwiches from the stash he built up since last year. Since they don¡¯t perish in his inventory, he could keep them stored forever. Exiting the main building, they headed towards the main gate to exit the academy. On their way over, they were stopped by Leonard, the man who introduced himself during the welcoming ceremony a week before classes started. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Kazu?¡± Leonard said, ¡°Where you headed?¡± ¡°Un, Just outside. Maybe a restaurant.¡± Kazu replied. Since his training with Mel, they undertook countless subjugation quest. Going to a restaurant once in a while wouldn¡¯t hurt even with his penny pinching attitude. ¡°Outside? Students can¡¯t go outside ¡®till classes finishes.¡± Leonard said. ¡°Then we have curfew before sun down.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters anyways,¡± Kazu jested, ¡°We¡¯re class U students.¡± ¡°I.. I see.¡± Leonard coughed, ¡°Hey, did you hear? There was a rumble in the PA facility earlier. Wonder what that was?¡± ¡°PA Facility?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Probably the practical applications whatever.¡± Mel answered. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. And I was there!¡± Leonard bragged. ¡°I¡¯m telling you man, Riona has real talent. She might be able to get a seat in the heroic ranks before she turns 40. That¡¯s like¡­ she would be the youngest! Its just too bad-¡± ¡°-What¡¯s that gotta do with me?¡± Kazu sneered. ¡°All I can say is, good for her. She¡¯s none of my business.¡± ¡°Heroic rankers are a bunch of nobodies.¡± Mel clenched her fist. ¡°All they can do is gang up on one person, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Leonard eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them try and subdue anyone¡­ Wait, you mean the mad king? That¡¯s just a legend, nothing else. Heroic-ranks are the real thing. The strongest beings walking on Ilmaira.¡± ¡°Pfft, so what if they¡¯re strong?¡± Kazu criticized. ¡°Then what? What¡¯s the point of that power in the first place?¡± ¡°Mmmm, Kazu, you¡¯re too humble.¡± Leonard shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re in class U. After the first class, I think everyone understands that Class U is the class of geniuses. But they won¡¯t admit it. So they started a fight. But I don''t know if those were first year students¡­ well whatever. So, why are you trying to become stronger?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Mel¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So that we don¡¯t die while traveling to taste all the food! Hehe.¡± Leonard laughed, ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re a funny one. Aren¡¯t you curious what happened to your class though?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Well, at first, Riona won against the first couple of students who charged at her.¡± Leonard sighed. ¡°But for some reason, she couldn¡¯t gather enough mana and they beat her up when she collapsed.¡± ¡°Wait, what do you mean by beat up?¡± Kazu stopped walking, grabbing Leonard¡¯s arm. The gate was just ahead. But he couldn¡¯t find a way out of the prickling feeling that he¡¯s forgetting something. ¡°Beat up. They stomped her on the ground. Most of the students in Class U too, except one got away.¡± Leonard answered. ¡°Teachers won¡¯t do anything about it, I tell ya. They¡¯re probably still at the PA facility right now. If teachers interfere, student¡¯s are gonna complain about favouritism after all.¡± Kazu turned back, marching at a greater speed. He knew bullying can turn ugly anytime, and that was still back in Japan. What about with supernatural tools students can use to bully the target? With that, bullying can turn for the worst at any given time. ¡°Kazu, remember, only if its life threatening.¡± Mel commented. ¡°Aah, I know.¡± Kazu answered. Leonard was no longer behind them. Both Kazu and Mel breezed through the empty path. Taking the westbound path, they saw some students outside the entrance of A-2 facility, looking inside. Ignoring them, Kazu entered with Mel. They saw everyone in class U, except Riona, huddled in one of the rings. Riona was passed out in the adjacent ring covered in dirt and burns. Her gym clothes were ripped showing more skin, but none at her private or vital parts. At this sight, Kazu let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Kazu look, its that dumb guy from this morning.¡± Mel pointed. The man pointed at Kazu and Mel at the same time while whispering to the other man beside him, who was much bulkier. However, since Riona¡¯s life still wasn¡¯t at risk, he sat down at the side of the entrance. Kazu patted the space beside him to signal Mel to sit down with him, and sure enough, she did. ¡°So sly Kazu. Hehe.¡± Mel grinned. ¡°Look at what you did, he¡¯s coming towards us now.¡± ¡°Heh, let him come. I just wanted you to sit down with me.¡± Kazu smirked. ¡°Time to cause trouble?¡± Mel joked. ¡°Maybe trip him.¡± Kazu answered. Kazu formed a small gust in his hand. Then, he threw it at the two men walking up to them. When the gust reached them, they tripped, planting their faces on the dirt. ¡°Hah, you tripped all of them. You¡¯re in trouble.¡± Mel laughed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t me.¡± Kazu followed up. ¡°Right guys?¡± He looked at the students crowding the entrance. Kazu knew they saw nothing. Wind magic was the most covert of all the wind elements. Detecting the activation of wind magic itself was hard. Only if one was a wind mage, then they could detect it, but that would mean they¡¯d have to be stronger than him to detect the weak gust he formed. So, the students shook their heads and said ¡°Nothing. We saw nothing.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Nodding to their answers, Kazu saw the three men towering over him. Both of them had 2 vertical bars on their pins; they were second year students, and now, it all makes sense. ¡°You from class U?¡± The bulky student asked. ¡°So what?¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Uwaah, tripping from nothing. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Mel snickered. ¡°Hmph.¡± The bulky student ignored Mel. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°Go where?¡± Kazu yawned. ¡°Mel, you have any idea where I¡¯m going?¡± ¡°Nope. He probably has no idea what he¡¯s talking about. He looks like a gorilla.¡± Mel laughed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s a gorilla. Why am I talking to a gorilla?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°He¡¯s pretty smart for a gorilla. I¡¯ve never seen a talking one before. Puhahahaha.¡± Mel burst into a laughing fit. The bulky student¡¯s face became a bright red, ¡°Who you calling a gorilla?!¡± He sent his head sized fist towards Kazu¡¯s head, but he missed. The fist created a crater on the wall beside Kazu¡¯s head. Suddenly, the student grabbed Kazu by the collar and threw him onto the ring. None of the students heard a loud thud that was supposed to happen a few split seconds after the throw. Instead, a cloud of dust covered the four rings in the center. Anyone observing couldn¡¯t see what happened to Kazu. Soon, the dust cloud settled and the figure of Kazu could be seen. Kazu laid on his side with one of his legs up and his head resting on his hand. He wore a lazy expression, even yawning. ¡°How dare you mock me!¡± said the gorilla. ¡°I am Gorn Igg, Earth intermediate 4th rank. I¡¯ll make you regret making fun of me like the rest of your class.¡± ¡°Earth? That fits your gorilla appearance. Hahahaha!¡± Mel laughed. ¡°Gornilla, hahahaha!¡± Kazu held on to his stomach, laughing. The ground under the Gorn violently pushed up for an instant, rocketing him towards the rings. While in the air, he shot some rocks at Kazu, but none hit their target. ¡°For someone who runs his mouth, all you can do is dodge?¡± Gorn smirked. ¡°Can¡¯t blame me.¡± Kazu shrugged. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell if that was shit you¡¯re throwing or dirt.¡± ¡°Hmph. Keep talking. You won¡¯t have a mouth soon.¡± Gorn¡¯s smirk left his face. ¡°Eat this!¡± Brown light formed around his foot. Stomping his foot, cracks began to appear on the ground. The cracks forming on the floor began to drift towards Kazu. It was Kazu¡¯s first time seeing this kind of spell, so he made a slight hesitation on deciding whether to dodge it or not. And when the crack reached him, the violent cracks emitted a terrifying low buzzing noise. The crack shot out numerous spikes made of earth. A spike missed Kazu¡¯s cheek by a hairline, and blood dripped from the scratch. ¡°Not bad.¡± Kazu wiped the blood. ¡°But what¡¯s the point if it can¡¯t catch anything?¡± ¡°Hmph, we¡¯ll see later.¡± Gorn rebutted. ¡°Prepare to die, lowlife.¡± Gorn immediately launched himself to Kazu. A brown aura formed around his body. When Gorn got in range of Kazu, 6 spikes went up from the ground, blocking Kazu¡¯s exits. The giant fist Gorn wielded looked menacing as it got closer¡ªat least to anyone other than Kazu. To Kazu, the fist looked slow, like a lobbed ball up in the air. He could easily dodge it and maybe even yawn in between to show off. But no, that would blow his cover. Instead, Kazu let Gorn hit him, albeit being cushioned by wind so he takes no damage himself. At the moment of impact, Kazu flew back a few meters. During his flight, he noticed the cracks on the ground follow him, surrounding where he would land. So, before landing, he redirected his trajectory with one hand to slip out of the encasement. ¡ªThat was a wrong move. Gorn had a face filled with excitement. Just as Kazu flew pass the encirclement, spikes shot upwards while he was in mid air. It trapped his leg, and he could no longer move. The dirt was hard, more rigid than rocks and felt more like metal rather than dirt. ¡°A fly will in a trap will always get caught. Hmph.¡± Gorn chuckled. ¡°Now, let me rip off that loose mouth of yours.¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m sure we can work this out. No need for violence right?¡± Kazu forced a smile. ¡°Violence is for the strong. Weak little wind mages should just stay put and be quiet.¡± Gorn stomped his way to Kazu who was a few meters away. Each step he took gave an illusion of a small earthquake. ¡°Now, what did you say I look like?¡± Gorn asked. ¡°None of this has to happen if you just walk away.¡± Kazu tried pulling out his stuck leg. ¡°No one has to get hurt.¡± ¡°You said I was a gorilla?¡± Gorn shot Kazu a scornful look. ¡°Come on. Say it. Say it. I¡¯m telling you to say it!¡± ¡°Alright alright, if I say it, you¡¯ll leave the whole class alone right?¡± Kazu pleaded. ¡°That¡¯s up to me. Heh, you weaklings need to learn your place.¡± Gorn punched him in the stomach. ¡°Now say it. Say the thing you said earlier.¡± ¡°Promise me if I let you beat me up, the rest of the class goes.¡± Kazu coughed. His fist were tightened, but he couldn¡¯t retaliate. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he disobeyed Sage¡¯s instructions. That was the only thing keeping the gorilla in front of him alive. Gorn stomped on Kazu even more. The pathetic look on Kazu¡¯s face thrilled him. Each stomp sent pleasure to every fiber of muscle in his body. No, it wasn¡¯t the stomp that sent the pleasure. It was the fact that he was dominating another live intelligent being. ¡°You worthless puke.¡± Students wanted to stop Gorn before he could kill Kazu, yet none of them moved. Kazu was different from them. He had black hair, black irises, and different facial structure. His traits could only lead them to see a demon. However, their hearts told them that this was a classmate who passed the aptitude tests a week ago. They never thought that such a violent scene would appear in front of them in the first day of classes. ¡°Maybe after I¡¯m done with you, I¡¯ll go get that girl of yours.¡± Gorn whispered closely to Kazu¡¯s ears. ¡°Look at her.¡± Gorn lifted Kazu¡¯s head by the hair. ¡°She¡¯s so cute. Say, what type of mage is she?¡± ¡°Wind.¡± Kazu grinned. ¡°-Ugh!¡± Gorn gutted him for grinning, but Kazu kept his grin. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Wind mages are weak. Useless. Maybe I¡¯ll take her as a mistress? I¡¯ll violate her until she screams hahaha-¡± ¡°¡ªYou shitty gorilla.¡± Kazu¡¯s voice filled him with a chill. White light faded in, creating an aura on Kazu. A large gust formed around him, then it flew outwards, sending Gorn several meters away. Sure, it was one thing that Gorn beat up his classmates. He didn¡¯t have any emotional attachments to them yet. However, something deep down, Kazu didn¡¯t like the sound of Gorn talking about Mel. ¡°Didn¡¯t I goddamn say I didn¡¯t want to fight?¡± ¡°Like wind mages can even fight. Wind can¡¯t even attack!¡± Gorn laughed. ¡°Oh it can¡¯t?¡± Kazu threw a few wind blades at Gorn, although they were dull. Reacting in an instant, Gorn set up an earth wall harder than metal. The wind blades fell apart on impact with the wall. ¡°Pathetic little wind. I¡¯ve never fought against one before. Not one. They¡¯re always knocked out early in the beginning of tournaments.¡± Gorn belittled as he turned away from Kazu. ¡°I could walk up to your girl right now and probably violate her. Hahaha!¡± Kazu¡¯s anger reached its boiling point. He no longer cared about the circumstances in his actions. Instead, he declared it. ¡°Sage! If you can hear me right now, then screw your stupid orders. You don¡¯t control me. You don¡¯t control anyone! I¡¯ll do what you want my way.¡± The white aura around Kazu turned gray. He held up a sword made of solidified air in front of him, striking a pose. In one gentle sweep, he let out a single strand of Forward Gale¡ªonly one blade. The blade sliced into Gorn¡¯s wall like butter. It split the wall into two parts, revealing the man, Gorn, behind it. Before Gorn could even turn around, a sphere of wind, as hard as metal, hit the back of his head, knocking him out unconscious. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± Gorn¡¯s underling came running at Kazu. It was the male student who picked a fight with Kazu at the gate. Looking at his face, Kazu knew he had no idea what just happened. He doesn¡¯t blame him. None of the students probably knows what happened either. Wind magic is invisible after all. With a simple dull wind blade, Kazu threw it at the male student¡¯s face, also knocking him out unconscious. He ignored the crowd of students gathered at the door who most likely had no idea why the male student fell, and the noise they made fell into the background. Turning around to face Riona, he knew she was watching ever since the beginning. He felt her ragged breathing as early as when he and Mel entered the facility. Her breathing wouldn¡¯t have been so rough if she was unconscious. Riona, realizing she had been caught, picked up her body and looked up at Kazu. ¡°What? You¡¯re going to say I¡¯m pathetic for not being able to defend myself from these bullies?¡± Kazu sighed and said, ¡°No. I came here to apologize.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riona¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For earlier.¡± Kazu crouched down to her level. ¡°Its not that I don¡¯t want to practice. Its that I¡¯m just lazy by nature, and that can¡¯t be solved by you. Besides, I have my own ways of practicing.¡± ¡°But that won¡¯t help me or anyone in the class to achieve our teacher¡¯s assignment!¡± Riona argued. ¡°That¡¯s not my point.¡± Kazu smiled, tilting his head. He copied Sene¡¯s way of scolding a child and giving advice. It worked especially well for stubborn, and most of the time clueless, children. ¡°If you keep this up, you¡¯ll break. No, everyone will break. So relax.¡± ¡°I get that, but-¡± ¡°Shhh... I¡¯ll tell everyone a secret tomorrow that¡¯ll help us achieve the goal in 3 months.¡± Kazu stared into her eyes with full confidence. Riona¡¯s eyes trembled when she saw his eyes. There was no way she could believe him. But for some reason, something told her to believe him. Maybe it was his confidence. Or maybe even the spectacular performance he just showed. She knew he was hiding something. Kazu stood up and marched back to the door. Mel also stood up waiting for him to get near. She didn¡¯t act when he was getting beat up since it was all a show. This sort of kindness he presented to people were what attracted her and the bits of memories they held together in the past flooded in with intense feelings. When he held her hands, a green light flashed, healing Kazu¡¯s bruises. It was her reward to Kazu for showing her the nostalgic scene of a helping hand. On their way out, Leonard stood on the path, blocking their way. ¡°Don¡¯t you already have a reason?¡± Leonard probed. ¡°Reason for what?¡± Kazu asked. Leonard¡¯s eyes quickly glanced at Mel then back to Kazu. ¡°Your reason for strength. Earlier, you were saying at how it''s meaningless.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Kazu dragged Mel along with his steps. ¡°Kazu! You¡¯ve already found your own meaning for seeking strength. Haven¡¯t you?!¡± Leonard shouted from afar. Turning around, Kazu replied, ¡°Aah, that¡¯s right. Strength is meaningless if you seek it blindly. Its sad to say that Riona is going forward through that dark fog. I found mine a year ago.¡± His grip tightened on Mel¡¯s hand. Kazu and Mel left without waiting for Leonard¡¯s response. Mel taught him that strength is meaningless without skill and both combined can be called power. But Mel had also taught him there was no meaning behind it if you don¡¯t have a motivation behind that search. She had taught him all of that in that dungeon and now, he wants to earn a place beside her¡ªdespite the large gap he felt he had to close. At least, that¡¯s what he thought. Mel had already accepted him, placed him beside her and valued him much more than even herself. She knew what he thought, and she was the single person who fully understood him. So, she looked at him and said, ¡°You know¡­ I did say that I was forced to go with you on that trip.¡± ¡°So you did, and I do remember.¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Nope, you don¡¯t remember at all. Hmph.¡± Mel pouted. ¡°After that, you said ¡°you didn¡¯t have to say it like that¡± right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kazu confirmed. ¡°After that, I dragged you to a bench and told you that I forced everyone to force me to go with you.¡± Mel added. ¡°Because I thought I might not get enough courage¡­ you know? I needed a little help from the class hehe.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazu sighed in relief. He held her close to his chest by her shoulder, glancing down at her flushed cheeks. ¡°Then I guess all my worries were for nothing.¡± ¡°Jeez, so embarrassing. I¡¯m not repeating any embarrassing things from the past anymore. Hmph!¡± Mel kept her pout and ran ahead, waving Kazu to hurry up. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Kazu took a deep breath. ¡°I get mad at you, I got mad for you, and you also do the same for me. I won¡¯t let anyone ruin this.¡± ################## Thanks for reading. Ty SilentComfort :D Chapter 22 Chapter 22 A guard stood beside the gate, leaning against it while daydreaming. He looked short compared to the gate which towered over and caged in the students of the Academy. The falling snow didn¡¯t pile up on the gate, instead melting as the stone pillars radiated heat. It was a functional and necessary trait of the gate so that it could operate even in the winter. If snow were to pile up, the gate would be rendered inoperable. As Kazu and Mel neared the gate from inside, the guard noticed them, putting his hand up to order a halt. It was the same guard that tried to ¡®kill¡¯ Kazu when he first entered the academy. A small grin formed on Kazu¡¯s lips as he continued walking. The guard didn¡¯t expect Kazu to keep his pace. ¡°Student, stop!¡± Kazu stopped at the guard¡¯s palm and said, ¡°Anything wrong officer?¡± ¡°Uuuu¡­ why is he stopping us?¡± Mel asked. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re from last week.¡± The guard looked at Kazu from down to up. ¡°I see. Forgive me the other day student. You must get a lot of reactions like that because of your¡­¡± ¡°Nn, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Kazu shrugged. ¡°So, why¡¯re you stopping us?¡± ¡°Students are not allowed to leave the academy until classes are over,¡± The guard answered. ¡°I hope you understand what I mean¡­ I¡¯ll lose my job, you know?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not leaving.¡± Mel smirked. ¡°We¡¯re stepping outside temporarily to eat more lunch.¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡± The guard¡¯s eyes widen in dumbfound. ¡°That- that... is this girl serious?¡± ¡°Look,¡± Kazu leaned on the guard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We all know this rule is dumb. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll tell anyone you let us through, right?¡± ¡°M-my job still remains.¡± The guard stumbled on his words. ¡°Hehe¡­ unless you bring me something from outside. Scratch my back and I¡¯ll scratch yours. How ¡®bout it?¡± All three grinned. It was fortunate that Kazu had not judged the guard based on his first impression. If he had, he would have not been able to make friends with such a useful friend. From the way the guard spoke, Kazu knew he didn¡¯t care as much as the job as he said he did. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m Kazu and the girl here is Mel,¡± Kazu said. ¡°Call me Steve.¡± A sparkle formed in Steve¡¯s eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a tavern just a couple blocks south. Once you come back from your midday snack or lunch or whatever it is, just bring me a pack of the steamed buns from there.¡± ¡°A tavern... Oh you mean Yonders Tav? The Roseful Academy is a block away from that place¡­ can¡¯t say I can complain though,¡± Kazu mumbled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that more convenient for you?¡± Mel asked. ¡°Hm, what''s that?¡± Kazu shot back. ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know¡­ it''s not like I didn¡¯t know you wanted to use this as an excuse to check up on your cute little sisters.¡± Mel¡¯s words hit the exact mark and her smirk oozed confidence. Kazu couldn¡¯t help but step back a little. Of course that was his reason to go through all of this trouble. He wanted to know how they were doing even if only half of the day passed by. But with his worries came along some logic; he knew of the blatant discrimination in this world. Ene and Lene being different might be subjected to it, especially during lunch time. ¡°Gu- Alright. What¡¯s it matter? Let¡¯s go. And stop reading my mind!¡± Kazu barked. ¡°I¡¯d like to open the gate for you guys but¡­ the principal will notice it.¡± The guard forced a smile. ¡°Maybe you can climb it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, no need to open the gate.¡± Kazu patted the guard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mel, ready?¡± ¡°Yup, let¡¯s go! Food!¡± Mel drooled looking at the top of the gate. Wing gathered below Kazu and Mel. It swirled into a vortex, creating an entrancing scene of whirling snow. Steve couldn¡¯t help but cover his face from the gusts originating from the two. It was his first time seeing a wind mage taking flight, and he didn¡¯t know the wind that wind mages produced would be this violent. Suddenly, a loud bang hit the bare pavement of the path and the two rocketed up 3 stories then landing at the other side of the gate. The skill Kazu and Mel used was not the normal skill a wind mage would use. Kazu realized it during their training and encounters with adventurers that wind mages were able to fly, unlike other type of mages. After he asked Mel about it, she taught him her special method of flight. Her method was fundamentally different from the wind mages they encountered. She taught him to use the wind like a rocket instead of something that¡¯ll levitate your body. Although the method was more violent, it allowed the user to be faster, and more efficient. However, precision only came with practice. Walking down a couple of snow filled blocks, the Roseful Academy¡¯s building filled Kazu¡¯s view. Much to his surprise, children were already leaving the academy, and parents were anxiously waiting to see their children after their first day. The older students of the academy walked side by side heading in different directions with their cliques. Ene and Lene came out with bright faces just in time as Kazu spotted Sene and Brett. A small sigh of relief escaped his breath when he saw their expressions. ¡°Kazuuu, what about the food? Uuu¡­¡± Mel cried. ¡°We¡¯ll get to that later.¡± Kazu dragged Mel. ¡°Stop resisting will ya?!¡± ¡°Nyaaaah! But the food! Lunch hour is almost over!¡± Mel bawled, dropping on the snow to let Kazu drag her limp body. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Kazu picked her up in a princess carry. ¡°Fine fine fine! I¡¯ll walk. Uuuu¡­.¡± Mel dropped down from Kazu¡¯s arms. ¡°Oh, Kazu. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in class?¡± Brett called them over as soon as he noticed them. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have class. We were placed in Class U after all,¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Brother is skipping class. That¡¯s bad right mom!¡± Ene shouted. Lene slowly shook her head, disapproving of Kazu¡¯s tardiness. ¡°That¡¯s right Ene, and you too Lene. Don¡¯t become bad girls and skip classes. Your brother is a bad influence hehe.¡± Brett added. Rolling his eyes, Kazu knelt down to meet the eye level of the two young girls. ¡°You see, brother is just protecting a grumpy blond lady. There¡¯s really no reason for me to be in class anyways.¡± ¡°Kazu. Even then, you shouldn¡¯t skip classes should you?¡± Sene scolded, ¡°There are lots of people who want to go to the Royal Academy, but they can¡¯t. Think about how lucky you are compared to them.¡± ¡°Heehee, Sene¡¯s got you there.¡± Mel eyes laughed along with her snicker. ¡°Tch, this is your fault. Damn glutton,¡± Kazu retorted. ¡°Gyah?!~ I¡¯m not fat!¡± Mel yelled. ¡°Alright, calm down everyone. Since you¡¯re hungry anyways, let¡¯s all go to a restaurant.¡± Sene held both Ene and Lene by their hands to lead the way. The family arrived in a restaurant just across the tavern Steve requested the buns from. They sat in a rectangle table. Sene sat in between Lene and Ene to give them both equal attention. Brett, Kazu, and Mel sat at the other side of the table. ¡°Lene,¡± Kazu called, ¡°Everything good in school?¡± She nodded with excitement as she swung her legs back and forth sitting down. The food Lene ate wasn¡¯t what the others ate. Her food consisted of an assortment of leaves that grew near the pond of East Gate. Most of the restaurants started carrying the dish just for water spirits after they heard of Lene¡¯s appearance. It would have been odd if her presence in the city didn¡¯t cause a stir in people¡¯s minds. The people believe that being visited by a water spirit was good luck so they started carrying edible foods for water spirits. Lene¡¯s gaze turned to her right, looking at Ene. ¡°Mom! Lene says she wants to eat some of the seafood.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s not good Lene.¡± Sene tilted her head. ¡°This is considered junk food for water spirits¡­ you¡¯re still growing and need to eat healthily.¡± A few bubbles propped up Lene¡¯s transparent body. Her disappointment can be seen through it. ¡°That¡¯s right, Lene.¡± Kazu smiled. ¡°If you eat healthy now and grow strong, you can start accompanying me in exploring.¡± Lene¡¯s hesitation faded and quickly ate her dish. She wanted to grow quickly to be beside Kazu who she admired ever since she were an egg. His promising words filled up her motivation to the brim. When Kazu saw this, the images of Lene being beside him as they explore this world became something he longed for. He also didn¡¯t want to let Lleya down, but that was a minor part of what he felt. In truth, he felt a strange attachment to Lene, like a father to a daughter. It was a different type of attachment compared to his relationship with Mel. He wanted to nurture Lene while he wanted to love and be beside Mel. ¡°Kazu, how¡¯s your first day?¡± Brett interrupted. ¡°Hah! Kazu beat up someone. Nyahahaha. Aren¡¯t you proud!?¡± Mel exclaimed. ¡°Mel, wha-¡± ¡°Kazu!¡± Sene¡¯s eyes furrowed. ¡°I knew it¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have let you gone to school. I¡¯m a terrible mother! Brett! Scold your child!¡± ¡°Hooo, how big was he? What was his face like?¡± Brett joked, but when he saw Sene raising up her knife, he quickly changed his expression and said, ¡°Oi, Kazu. That¡¯s not nice. Uhh¡­ go run laps around the house.¡± Brett gave up trying to find a punishment and his expression became serious, ¡°That¡¯s for the mission right?¡± ¡°Aah. It is,¡± Kazu nodded. ¡°The girl I¡¯m protecting is more bothersome than I thought.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be a walk in the park if a heroic-rank requested a mission from you.¡± The grim on Brett¡¯s face became darker. ¡°Most likely, this isn¡¯t a simple bodyguard request. Otherwise, Sage or someone more known than you would¡¯ve taken up the job.¡± ¡°I was suspicious of that too,¡± Kazu added, ¡°Mel you felt it too right? Whenever we¡¯re near Riona, I would feel like dozens of eyes are watching us.¡± ¡°That Riona girl, her last name is Rye right?¡± Brett asked. ¡°Yeah. A week ago, I saw her walking down the South Gate road. That was near our house,¡± Kazu commented. ¡°Well of course. The Rye family owns a large patch of land,¡± Brett crossed his arms. ¡°They¡¯re one of the only producers of high grade alchemy ingredients. Though I don¡¯t know what happens inside their walls¡­¡± ¡°Makes sense, but that doesn¡¯t explain her attitude¡­ I feel like she just keeps working or learning like a¡­ a programmed robot,¡± Kazu said. ¡°A robot?¡± Brett and Sene looked at him with wide eyes hoping for an explanation. Being in an age where technology has yet to exist, of course none of them would know what a robot is. ¡°Its uh¡­ Oi, Mel.¡± Kazu nudged. ¡°A golem! Stupid Kazu!¡± Mel shouted, some food fell from her mouth as she was stuffing herself full. ¡°That¡¯s a weird comparison you¡¯re using¡­¡± Sene tilted her head. ¡°You mean she¡¯s does everything like a zombie?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes narrowed at Sene. He knew what zombies were and even fought against them numbering in hundreds. ¡°No no no, not like a zombie. She¡¯s angry all the time so she¡¯s more like a golem following the master¡¯s orders. Right?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s a girl full of boiling water!¡± Mel added. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s like that, don¡¯t involve yourself too personally with her.¡± Brett scratched his head. ¡°But going back, you said you feel like being watched when you¡¯re around her?¡± ¡°Yeah, and I know the cold stares I get aren¡¯t from the students either. They¡¯re further, like they¡¯re looking at us from above,¡± Kazu whispered in a low voice. ¡°Brett.¡± Sene focused her eyes on her husband. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Sage. Tell her to cancel his mission right now. You heard what Kazu said right? Its dangerous. This is too much for our son who just turned eighteen!¡± ¡°Sene, I understand that,¡± Brett¡¯s eyes turned back to Kazu, ¡°But it depends on what he wants.¡± ¡°Mom, thanks for worrying. I think I-¡± ¡°-Kazu! I know you want to protect her, but this is more than that right now,¡± Sene voice trembled, ¡°There¡¯s a war going on in the north right now and you don¡¯t know so¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter! We¡¯ll go to Sage after this and cancel!¡± After Kazu had disappeared that day a year ago, Sene almost fell into depression. She didn¡¯t want it to happen again and she knew those things watching her son were people like Sage, planning their schemes every step of the way. In Dragonweild, her whole family died by their invisible hands; only she managed to escape. ¡°Sene, I think you know it¡¯s not our choice.¡± Brett sighed. ¡°Kazu is a grown man now, eighteen years old, just a year away from his coming of age. You already know Kazu won¡¯t leave this alone too right?¡± ¡°But¡­ but¡­ it''s dangerous. What if-¡± ¡°Trust me a little, mom.¡± Kazu cut off Sene. The smile on his face radiated confidence and a warmth that seemed to seep into Sene¡¯s heart. ¡°Besides, with my partner, I think we¡¯ll be able to endure any hardships we face.¡± Sene took a deep breath to fully calm herself down. ¡°Is this what you really want?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. Let me do it,¡± Kazu affirmed. *** The moon hovered above, and the dim light on the gate gave poor visibility in the snowy weather. The sudden appearance of a boy and girl falling from the sky shocked Steven, causing him to trip backwards. However, when they handed him the familiar boxed package, he took it with eager hands. Kazu and Mel chuckled at his innocent joy and headed for the dorms, chatting along the way. When they entered, an angry looking man blocked their passage inward. ¡°Hi?¡± Kazu forced a smile. The man was over two meters tall, resembling the muscular ogres back in the dungeon without all the disgusting additions. His muscles still formed silhouettes outside his slightly loose leather clothing and the broad shoulders enshrouded the two of them. On his chest, he wore a name plate saying ¡°Dorm Master, Elck.¡± ¡°You two, students of the academy?¡± Elck inquired. His low pitched voice caused the air to shake. ¡°Yes¡­ we are,¡± Kazu answered. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Sshhh, Kazu. That¡¯s rude.¡± Mel whispered. ¡°We are students! So let us pass¡­ oh guardian!¡± ¡°Hmph. Who are you calling guardian,¡± Elck muttered. ¡°Where are your badges?¡± ¡°Badges?¡± Mel slightly glanced at Kazu then turn back to Elck.¡°Oh guardian! We know not of these badges you speak of!¡± ¡°Stop calling me guardian!¡± Elck yelled and his eyes became red. ¡°You need to have your badges, otherwise I won¡¯t know which room you have.¡± ¡°Oh Guardian!¡± Mel held both of her hands in prayer. ¡°Forgive us for we do not have these badges!¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you- you¡¯re making fun of me!¡± Tears fell from the Elck¡¯s eyes much to Kazu and Mel¡¯s dismay. They did think such a muscular and big man would cry at Mel¡¯s joke. ¡°Go away! You¡¯re probably not students anyways!¡± ¡°Nnn!?¡± Mel stepped back a bit. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! I really thought he was a guardian, Kazu!¡± ¡°Jeez, how did it even end up like this?!¡± Kazu panicked as he looked at the giant crying. ¡°Aaah, what do we do? What do we do?!¡± Suddenly, the door behind them opened. ¡°¡°We didn¡¯t do anything!¡±¡± Jay stepped in the scene, wide eyed as he carefully tried to decode the scene. Elck, who was crying, was in fetal position with pathetic cries for his mom. Mel, behind the counter of the dorm master, was scrummaging through the cupboards looking for something. The third culprit, Kazu, was behind the door trying to hide from Jay. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand what happened.¡± Jay sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have your badges so I bet Mel tried to plead to Elck, albeit in a mocking tone, to let you pass through so he ended up crying. Of course you guys panicked and now we¡¯re in this situation. Correct?¡± ¡°Tha-that¡¯s amazing. How¡¯d you do that?¡± Kazu forced a smile. ¡°Here to help by any chance?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I am.¡± Jay shook his head in exasperation. ¡°Here, your mother left this by the gate for you.¡± Jay handed over the familiar envelope to Kazu. It contained the invitation letter and a diamond shaped badge with one vertical line. ¡°You really should thoroughly read your letters. And here, for your partner.¡± Jay left a badge on the counter, the same one Kazu received. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you registered for a room. Just tell Elck, by my order, that you¡¯re allowed to share a room. Of course, you guys can still go to different rooms, but that¡¯s your choice.¡± Kazu nodded, ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Leaving immediately after giving Kazu and Mel their acquired identifications, Jay again left with a sigh. He didn¡¯t want to get involved too much with the duo, it would prove to be more bothersome in the future should he get close to them early on. Especially because they were connected to Sage, whom he thought was the most bothersome figure in all of Austere, even more so than the shadowy character of Yuli Aramod. After Elck calmed down, he registered them in the same room. Mel apologized for her words and they found Elck to be a really kind and timid man, almost to a fault. Kazu, in particular, had a slight dissonance in his mind on his impression of Elck. He was big, a polar opposite of his personality. ¡°A gentle giant, huh,¡± Kazu mumbled. ¡°He is, isn¡¯t he?¡± Mel opened their room, immediately jumping on the bed. ¡°So sooooft. This is like a hotel.¡± Entering the room as well, Kazu looked at everything in the room. The tidiness surprised him and he couldn¡¯t help mutter the same thing Mel said, ¡°Like a hotel¡­¡± ¡°Mel, try opening the window,¡± Kazu said. ¡°Muu, it¡¯s cold outside. Why open it?¡± Mel rebelled. ¡°My suspicion still stands. Someone was watching us during the fight with the gorilla.It¡¯s best if we secure the whole academy¡¯s perimeter,¡± Kazu whispered. At first, Mel brushed off Kazu¡¯s suspicion. But as she thought about it more, she also didn¡¯t like being watched by people who hid behind a wall. They had spent a year together training and she was the one that taught him to be cautious whenever he felt the presence of a stare. Kazu felt uneasy if he didn¡¯t do this during those times. He couldn¡¯t let it go,even more so now as it became his mission. ¡°Mel, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Mel responded.
Stealth (9) activated
Both of them flew out the window with and Kazu expanded his awareness to its maximum. A number of students still roamed around the campus, but no one could see the two, several meters above the ground. They checked every corner of the school, forming their own mental map of the academy. ¡°Kazuuuu, how long are we going to do this for?¡± Mel groaned. ¡°Just a while longer, there¡¯s one more building we haven¡¯t checked.¡± Kazu pointed at the highest point of the academy tower. Gliding over to the roof of the tower, he expanded his awareness to reach inside. The images of everyone in the room became clear and even their dialogue was as if Kazu was beside them. It was thanks to his skill Awareness which had reached maximum level some time ago. Relying on his heightened awareness, Kazu became party to the happenings within the room. A man and Sage stood in front of a sculpture. The crystal white stone had been chiseled into the figure of a woman holding up a basin. However, the water wasn¡¯t transparent; It showed the images of the scenes before and after Kazu¡¯s fight with Gorn. ¡°Sage, this kid, where is he from?¡± The man¡¯s hand bled, from his nails had dug through the rough skin of his palm. Sage stopped him from interfering with the bullying of the student named Gorn Igg. ¡°Ask Philip Nemean.¡± Sage smirked. ¡°Do not worry about your niece. I have taken the liberty of setting someone up beside her, as you can see. Now do you understand, Yuli Aramod?¡± ¡°Hmph. You¡¯ve always been cunning.¡± Yuli¡¯s eyes furrowed. ¡°Next time this happens, I¡¯ll fix the child myself. Alfred.¡± The gray haired man walked up with his head down. ¡°You called¡­?¡± ¡°Expel Gorn Igg and the rest of his siblings. Insects like them don¡¯t deserve to be in my Academy,¡± Yuli commanded. ¡°Sir Yuli, please refrain from that decision. The Igg family is one of the major Earth families in Asteria. It could be-¡± ¡°Alfred, are you so nearsighted that you couldn¡¯t see what the Igg brat did over the last year?¡± Yuli interrogated him. Alfred did not answer his question. It was true he didn¡¯t know, but the strength of Igg¡¯s family scared Alfred. Wouldn¡¯t they pin the blame of their children¡¯s expulsion on him? Alfred was more concerned over his own life and family. ¡°That insect crippled some of the most talented last year. Just like what we saw right now. He was prepared to cripple my niece!¡± Yuli slammed his fist on the marble basin. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t so tolerant, I would¡¯ve killed his whole family. Hmph.¡± ¡°Oh Yuli Aramod. You are shortsighted yourself.¡± Sage added, ¡°It¡¯s fine to expel him. But that would just bring vengeance. Just kill the brat¡¯s father. That will teach him.¡± The bewitching smile appeared on Sage¡¯s lips. Yuli knew he¡¯d dug himself a grave and now Sage was having him lie in it. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bite. But I¡¯ll pin the blame on you if things turn for the worse.¡± Yuli disappeared, leaving Sage and Alfred alone. ¡°Philip!¡± Sage shouted. ¡°Philip Nemean!¡± The door creaked open. Philip came through the door with an irritated expression and said, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Prepare a carriage. We¡¯ll leave for Iapetus immediately.¡± Sage giggled at his frumpiness. She gave a sly glance above, crossing gazes with Kazu through the ceiling. Philip grumbled, following Sage out the door. Once she left, Alfred took a deep breath now that the pressure has been lifted off his shoulders. ############## Thanks for reading! Thanks to SilentComfort for the editing/proofreading! Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Kazu and Mel were inside their dorm room. Plush red blankets with furry corners covered two queen sized beds. Mel had the bed closer to the bathroom while Kazu took the one near the windows. ¡°She saw us,¡± Kazu said, lying down on the bed. ¡°So what? Its not like she can do anything against us anyways.¡± Mel shook her fist. ¡°That damn vixen¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel it? Something¡­ something felt different when she saw us.¡± Kazu paused. ¡°I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡± ¡°Her eyes didn¡¯t have a bad feeling, I know,¡± Mel said, ¡°She¡¯s just one of the many eyes that were watching, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°If you knew, you could¡¯ve hurried up and told me already!¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°Though you did confirm my suspicious. There¡¯s about a dozen eyes watching Riona.¡± ¡°Un. You got that right. I think I have an idea where they came from.¡± Mel jumped at the bed. ¡°Other than that, there¡¯s no use if we can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s that you don¡¯t want to do anything.¡± Kazu sighed again. ¡°Mel, first, can you tell me where you think they are?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna. I would tell you, but that would just make you do something stupid. Like always.¡± Mel lifted up her head. ¡°Its not that I don¡¯t want to help. It¡¯s that I can¡¯t. Since I¡¯m still recovering, I¡¯m only as strong as you right now. The ones watching us are much stronger than the current you. We should actually thank them for not attacking PA whatever facility.¡± ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll trust you on that one.¡± Kazu clenched his fist. ¡°But there¡¯s really nothing we can do?¡± ¡°You can continue training and I just need to recover. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± Mel chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hint. A couple of those gazes are already in this academy. Those ones are pretty weak, so we should be able to pluck them out. The problem is...¡± ¡°Figured as much,¡± Kazu said, ¡°There were too many onlookers to figure out who the gaze belonged to. Otherwise, getting them by the neck would¡¯ve been easy.¡± ¡°What about that guy Leonard? Or maybe Daniel? You know, the guy that tried to pick me up.¡± Mel snickered. ¡°Nah. Can¡¯t be any of those,¡± Kazu argued, ¡°The feeling I got was similar to the time-¡­ you remember in the dungeon when you protected me from the whispers?¡± ¡°Yup. Of course I remember.¡± Mel blushed, covering herself in the blankets. ¡°That- the- uh... you didn¡¯t have to read that stupid letter!¡± Mel remembered the time in the dungeon when she saved Kazu from the whispers. When Kazu recovered, she was surprised to find that he had held onto the letter. Even though it was crunched up, she knew he kept it dear to his heart. Just the thought of him keeping it as a memento made her heart race and her ears turn bright red. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the letter,¡± Kazu continued, ¡°The dark feeling that time felt like it was squeezing my chest.¡± ¡°Hmmmph. Then you already know where most of the eyes came from. ¡± Mel jumped out of the bed. ¡°Give me the letter. I¡¯ll show you something special.¡± With a flick of his hand, Kazu took out the letter from his inventory. The letter was in the same crunched up condition as it had been. He had always kept the letter safe; it was his last remaining connection back to the past. He cherished it even more now that knowing he could never go back. When Mel said the truth, it struck him like lightning. Although he was reluctant to let go of the letter, he gave it back to the girl who wrote it, knowing she might do something harmful to it. ¡°Watch carefully.¡± Mel commanded. She was confident Kazu could learn this even though it will be his first time seeing her own ¡®magic.¡¯ He was, after all, almost the same as her. The training she gave him also had a purpose: to increase his capacity for magic, something this particular type of spell required vast amounts of. At the same time, she didn¡¯t know how Kazu would react. Would he be open to the idea that he¡¯s no longer human? What would be the purpose of showing him her, or her race¡¯s, magic now? That would just incite his determination to help Riona even more; consequently, she would be dragged along. Yet she could only sigh at those thoughts and begin casting. The letter began to float and a circle of light formed in front of it. Then, inscriptions wrote themselves on the magic circle, and smaller circles formed inside the main circle. Kazu knew each smaller circles were sections in the spell, but he didn¡¯t know how he understood. He also understood what the purpose of the spell was. ¡°Mel, This¡­ this is¡± Kazu stammered. ¡°Un. I figure you already know what this spell does, huh?¡± Mel smirked. ¡°This is a spell that tells you the past of an object depending on the time frame you wish to see.¡± ¡°But how can I understand this?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes were wide open in disbelief, ¡°This¡­ it doesn¡¯t make any sense. It¡¯s also not any of the languages I¡¯ve seen on this world.¡± ¡°Calm down ya pansy.¡± Mel giggled. ¡°I told you before didn¡¯t I? You¡¯re becoming the same as me. It¡¯s only natural for you to understand your native language.¡± ¡°And what am I becoming?¡± Kazu asked. It wasn¡¯t Japanese he saw. The inscriptions were alien, different from any of the languages he recognized back on Earth. ¡°Just something¡­ not entirely human,¡± Mel answered. ¡°Now Kazu, memorize this spell circle.¡± ¡°Memorize it?¡± Kazu half smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. That thing is way too complex. That-¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Mel insisted. Kazu could only yield to her as her eyes looked at him full of confidence. He didn¡¯t think he could memorize the complex patterns of the circle. But when he began concentrating on memorizing each symbol, line, circle, positions, and size on the circle, the knowledge began coursing through his mind. The placement of each symbol made sense as well as what each section does and what they do to activate the spell.
String format learned: SR.AL.S.true-system.peereys.Target=X.date=set/YYMMDD(true/false).Rext.A/Vparsecnv.cir.RecordsofthePast.srB.AlA.sC
Learned: [BAC] Records of the Past
¡°Alright, now you¡¯ve learned it. Remember that string whenever you want to use this spell.¡± Mel¡¯s eyes furrowed and her lips turn into a frown. ¡°I¡¯m activating it!¡± The circle pulsed with light and the whole room vanished. Kazu stood inside the familiar murky darkness. Even though he knew it was just a vision, it felt as if he had been taken back to the past, back to where he almost died. The smell, whispers, clanging sounds, and heavy feeling on his chest, he heard and felt all of them. That was when he noticed the man collapsed on the floor in the small closet room. He tried lifting up the man¡¯s shoulder, knowing it was himself. But his hands passed through him like a ghost. Kazu remembered that it was around this time when the nightmare took him over, and just as he thought, a dark purple mist engulfed his body. Looking up, the purple mist came from outside the door. Suddenly, as if the world shattered, the vision disappeared. He was now back in the dorm room. ¡°Understand now?¡± Mel forced as smile as sweat dripped down her chin. She let herself fall onto Kazu¡¯s chest. ¡°Oi.¡± Kazu picked her up, putting her down on the bed. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this you know.¡± ¡°I wanted to,¡± Mel paused for a moment, taking a moment to catch her breath. ¡°The eyes are probably from those dwelling under the dungeon. Bastards¡­¡± ¡°Aah. We¡¯re probably in for a bad fight.¡± Kazu moved back to his bed. ¡°Let¡¯s go sleep. Don¡¯t waste anymore energy.¡± ¡°Un. Good night.¡± Mel said. ¡°Good night.¡± Kazu caressed Mel¡¯s hair. The look on her face worried Kazu. He had never seen her lips this pale before. Considering she said that she was at her weakest, the spell must¡¯ve taken a lot from her¡ªmore than what he should have let her use. But what¡¯s done is done, and now Kazu knew who he¡¯s fighting against. The images he saw in the vision told him who they were fighting. The squeezing ominous feeling came from the dungeon. To be exact, it came from those who dwelled in the dungeon. Perhaps even deeper than the floor he fought in. During the past year, he had asked Brett about the Ephermal Labyrinth Dungeon. The deepest a man had ever gone in that dungeon was no furthermore than the 5th floor. However, no one knows how deep the dungeon reaches. Kazu knew one thing: the lesser lich, who almost took his life, was connected to this mystery. A sudden thought passed by his mind, does Sage know? *** The next morning, Kazu and Mel strolled through the academy¡¯s path side by side. Kazu had an irritated expression. He was not a morning person, especially in the winter where snow falls without pause. On the other hand, Mel had her usual one piece dress, ignoring the fact that its winter. She had happy jumpy expression as she skipped slightly ahead. ¡°What are you so happy for?¡± Kazu grumbled. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t get in my bed. Your damn tossing and turning all night¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± Mel hummed. ¡°But it¡¯s so cold at night. Can¡¯t help it y¡¯know?¡± ¡°You say that now with those kinds of clothes in winter?!¡± Kazu retorted. ¡°These clothes are actually very warm.¡± Mel grinned. ¡°You wanna try?¡± ¡°As if!¡± Kazu, again, grumbled, ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous my dress is so pretty.¡± Mel laughed. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Kazu ignored her jokes, ¡°You¡¯re ok now, right?¡± ¡°Un. Kinda hungry though.¡± Mel rubbed her stomach. ¡°All you think about is food. That has nothing to do with last night,¡± Kazu replied, ¡°Aah¡­ so much stuff happened on the first day. Today might be troublesome as well.¡± ¡°Nnnn¡­ don¡¯t think so.¡± Mel paused, looking around for a moment and continued, ¡°Think about it. They were watching from the very beginning, they¡¯re probably being cautious. Since they saw you, who was hiding your strength, they would naturally re-evaluate the danger level to their plan.¡± ¡°You know, sometimes you actually say things that makes sense.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°If only food didn¡¯t distract you as much as it does¡­ but that does makes sense. Now the question is, why are they targeting Riona?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Mel laughed. ¡°I just thought of something funny! Maybe because she¡¯s pretty and a virgin. They probably want to use her as a sacrifice to some greater god they believe exists. Hehe.¡± ¡°Somehow, that thought gives me goosebumps,¡± Kazu mumbled. ¡°Do gods really exist?¡± ¡°Of course gods exist!¡± Leonard interrupted from behind. ¡°Sup Kazu, Mel. Heading to class now?¡± ¡°Yeah, you?¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to miss one,¡± Leonard said, ¡°You hear what happen yesterday?¡± ¡°Of course, I was there wasn¡¯t I?¡± Kazu joked. ¡°No no, not that.¡± Leonard shook his head. ¡°Talking about that Gorn fella. He got expelled from the school. Good riddance.¡± ¡°Huh? Why expel him over a minor fight?¡± Kazu feigned ignorance. ¡°Hah, it¡¯s not just a minor fight, Kazu,¡± Leonard¡¯s widened, ¡°Oi, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Absolutely no idea.¡± Kazu looked over at Mel. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Not a clue! Hahaha!¡± Mel laughed. ¡°Who cares anyways. Gorillas should stay in the wild.¡± ¡°I do admit he looks like a gorilla¡­ but that doesn¡¯t excuse the sins he¡¯s done since last year.¡± Leonard shook his head in a sigh. He couldn¡¯t understand why the two walking beside him cared so little about such big news. ¡°What? Did he harass students just to show his strength?¡± Kazu chuckled. ¡°He was so weak hehe.¡± ¡°No, not at all. He did much worse and cruel deeds,¡± Leonard face became grim, ¡°Since he entered last year, he crippled a lot of students who were stronger than him in the same year. Some even the year above him. Those students will never be able to use magic again¡­ tch.¡± ¡°Huh? So what?¡± Kazu snickered. ¡°It¡¯s not like they won¡¯t be able to live again. Right Mel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mel¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°They would have more time eating than training everyday!¡± ¡°It would be nice if reality is really like that.¡± Leonard muttered. ¡°The nulled are usually treated harshly. Some don¡¯t even get jobs to support themselves. Families that house nulled persons have it tough just for keeping them. I bet all those students he crippled were disowned by their families.¡± The word nulled echoed inside Kazu¡¯s mind. It felt derogatory much like the word clipper. A slight unease crept up his heart as he thought about Ene who was a Nayan. He knew his younger sister could be soon subjected to such blatant racism. Kazu knew the racism in this world was much harsher than the ones he experienced in the first world country of the Japan. It almost even lead him to death¡¯s door. All he could do was grow stronger; to survive and overcome future occurrences of it. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Heh, maybe I should¡¯ve crippled him there. Ahh, I¡¯m way too nice.¡± Kazu clenched his fist. ¡°Ah- In other news, did you hear about the ghost?¡± Leonard whispered, changing the subject ¡°Ghost?¡± Kazu¡¯s glanced at Mel. She moved her eyes away, avoiding eye contact. ¡°Yeah. Some people say they saw footsteps on rooftop and other remote places in the campus.¡± Leonard muttered in a low voice. ¡°What do you guys think it is?¡± ¡°Kazu¡­ this is definitely a ghost!¡± Mel¡¯s face lit up, ¡°We have to catch it!¡± Just as Mel said that, the front door of the main building blocked their way. Upon entering it, Kazu and Mel separated from Leonard. When Leonard disappeared, Kazu lightly hit Mel¡¯s arm. ¡°Owww~¡± Mel rubbed the part Kazu hit. ¡°Why¡¯d you hit me¡­ Uuu¡­¡± ¡°Stupid, those ghosts were us!¡± Kazu grumbled. ¡°Muu~! Of course I know that!¡± Mel shouted. ¡°But I wanna catch a ghost anyways! I wanna eat one¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ how do you even eat a ghost?¡± Kazu looked at Mel with narrowed eyes. Now entering their classrooms, all of the students were already in place. Daniel sat the nearest to the door, yet he looked down as Kazu and Mel came in. Baldr sat on the teacher¡¯s desk with a lazy face, balancing a pencil on his forehead. Kazu liked Baldr. He was straight forward man, with no hidden meanings behind his words. Baldr reminded him of Brett, although more exaggerated. On the surface, he didn¡¯t look like he cared about his class. But Kazu knew that yesterday¡¯s performance was his method of showing how he cares about his students. ¡°Melith Cross and Kazu Tomoe.¡± Baldr called out. ¡°Both you, late!¡± ¡°Guu! You, how¡¯d you know my name?!¡± Mel yelled out in surprise. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Baldr pointed at the clipboard. ¡°It¡¯s right here in the student list.¡± ¡°Stupid Mel, your plan failed hahaha.¡± Kazu sat down in the same seat, one seat away from the window. Mel, following suit, sat beside him right beside the window. ¡°Maggots!¡± Baldr yelled with a smile. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll teach you the stupid thing this country teaches you! Hahaha! ¡°Can anyone tell me why aptitude is important?¡± Immediately, Riona raised her hand up. She had a face full of confidence, but all Baldr did was grin at her. In that instance, Riona¡¯s expression became shy, and a linger of regret curled down on her lips. ¡°Little princess, alright, answer.¡± ¡°...Aptitude is the measure of your strength in your element. Teacher, although you said it is not important to raise it early in childhood, the amount you raise it to is a measure of your talent!¡± Answering, Riona stayed true with her eye contact on Baldr. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you half a point for that answer. It¡¯s about half right.¡± Baldr smiled, satisfied with her answer. ¡°First of, aptitude is a measure of your strength. But it¡¯s not really like that. Hm, how do I explain this¡­ Any of you heard the two theories about aptitude?¡± No one answered. Baldr continued, ¡°First of, there is the Asterian theory. They teach you in youth academy that aptitude means stronger and higher means better. That¡¯s what all of you learned and probably believe that. I¡¯m from Dragonweild, and that place has its own theory. Aptitude is an understanding of your element and does not necessarily mean strength. ¡°Both have merits. Its true that the higher aptitude you have, the better you can perform stronger which means your spells are stronger. It also means that you can use higher level spells without using as much energy. On the other side, because your aptitude is higher, your understanding of your element is also naturally higher. This means you can perform spells at a more efficient level. So, strength naturally also goes up. ¡°Again, this is just to go back to my point yesterday. In Dragonweild, it¡¯s useless to say your aptitude to people you¡¯re dueling. Once the opponent knows what level you are, they¡¯d be able to think up some plans to take you down with their advantage or disadvantage.¡± ¡°Sir, why are you telling us all of this?¡± Riona asked, ¡°Since we¡¯re not in Dragonweild, shouldn¡¯t we be using the Asteria theory then?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m the teacher.¡± Baldr laughed for a moment. ¡°Also, from now on, none of you are allowed to cultivate your aptitudes. From now on, you all will only be increasing your mana capacity! Hahaha! Sooo, all of you continue doing what you did yesterday. The goal is still in 3 months.¡± ¡°Huuuh?!¡± Daniel interrupted, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Your teaching methods don¡¯t work. Can¡¯t you see none of your students want to spend their time mindlessly doing one thing? Tch, you can¡¯t even call yourself a teacher.¡± Baldr shot a look at Daniel and said, ¡°Fine with me. Wussies and sissies from Wingflood family don¡¯t deserve my lessons. Leave now if you want! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Teach, teach, over here,¡± Kazu lazily called out, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean we should be spending more time in the PA facility than the classroom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Baldr shouted, ¡°All of you, go back to your practices! Hah!¡± The students in the classroom stood up one by one, dragging their feets behind as they leave the classroom. All of them were reluctant to do the same training everyday just to meet the goal. In one word, it was mindnumbing. They still couldn¡¯t accept such methods and almost half of the class went to the cafeteria, including Daniel. Kazu and Mel headed straight to the PA facility along with Riona and a few others who were determined. The two other that joined them were named Jonathan and Roy who introduced themselves during the walk to the facility. ¡°Kazu,¡± Riona glared, ¡°You said you were going to tell us a secret. This better not be a trick.¡± ¡°Relax, relax.¡± Kazu grinned. ¡°First, we should warm up. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Un un. Who¡¯s a fire attribute here?¡± Mel asked, ¡°Warm up my sandwich.¡± ¡°Tch! Not that warm up.¡± Kazu nudged Mel¡¯s arm. ¡°I mean, first, let¡¯s try to do what Baldr told us to do first.¡± ¡°Alright. If this is necessary then¡­¡± Riona stepped on to the dirt circle. All the other students also stepped inside their respective circles and closed their eyes, concentrating. Corresponding colours of light according to their attributes lit up an aura around them. Then, their spells materialized. Fire spewed out a consistent flame, water levitated a water sphere above themselves, earth levitated 5 pieces of earth. Kazu and Mel did nothing. Instead, Kazu nodded seeing all of their spells in action. He knew this method was going to go nowhere in 3 months let alone reach the goal of 5 continuous hours of use. It¡¯s true that Mel had him do something similar, but it was more efficient than this kind of brutal training. This method taught them how to run first instead of how to walk. To Kazu, this was obvious, but none of the classmates seemed to share his view. No, that was not it, Kazu thought. It was their pride that kept them from seeing the flaw in their method. Especially after being taunted by Baldr, their own teacher. ¡°Stop stop stop!¡± Kazu waved his hand. ¡°What? Is there anything wrong with our spells?¡± Riona glared again. ¡°You guys¡­ are you stupid or something?¡± Kazu jested. ¡°You dare insult our efforts?!¡± Riona yelled. ¡°Woah, calm down.¡± Kazu stepped back. ¡°So, here¡¯s the thing. All of you are too wasteful. Why not start lower and gradually bring yourself up?¡± ¡°Hmph. Here I thought you were going to tell us a method,¡± Riona retorted, ¡°Guess you were all talk.¡± ¡°That was the secret,¡± Kazu sighed, ¡°Yeesh, start from the bottom then work your way up. You know? Start with a smaller sphere, a smaller fire, or less rocks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mel shouted, ¡°You! Fireman. Make your flame small so I can warm up my ham.¡± ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you have a sandwich¡­?¡± Jonathan smiled weakly. Kazu wanted to retort that a fireman is someone who saves people from fire, but he ignored it and focused his confidence on Riona. ¡°Hmph. Fine.¡± Riona again readied herself, this time, procuring a sphere half the size. ¡°Easy right?¡± Kazu smirked. ¡°I feel like I can hold the sphere for hours.¡± Riona¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But how is this method going to help us reach the goal?¡± ¡°Stuuupid.¡± Mel chucked. ¡°Obviously, the more you get used to spending energy, the faster your mana capacity adapts. Burning off your mana too fast won¡¯t get you anywhere y¡¯know?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Riona nodded. Everyone nodded with her and seemed to accept Kazu¡¯s advise with a slight doubt. But when they tried it out for themselves, they felt something they never felt before, much like Riona. Their mana burnt off bit by bit as they expended energy. They felt a tinge in their body with every bit of mana expended. All of them looked at each other and knew that it was their mana capacity growing. However, none of them knew why it grew at such a fast pace. Instead, they could only accept it and continue with Kazu¡¯s method. ¡°Oi Mel, stop bugging fireman and come here.¡± Kazu called out. ¡°Nn?¡± Mel skipped over to Kazu with a smile. ¡°Jealous?¡± ¡°As if. Look at his face. He looks so relieved you¡¯re gone.¡± Kazu jabbed. ¡°Nya?! I¡¯m not even that bad¡­¡± Mel pouted. ¡°Kazu, how do you feel?¡± ¡°Fine. Why?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Wait¡­ I don¡¯t feel the stares.¡± ¡°Hah! I¡¯m right!¡± Mel put on a mischevious smile. ¡°I win the bet!¡± ¡°What bet?¡± Kazu muttered. ¡°You know, the one I said that there will be less things happening on the 2nd day!¡± Mel reminded. ¡°That was a bet?! Wait, I didn¡¯t even know we were betting- I never doubted you about- aaaah, know what, nevermind. I give up.¡± Kazu shook his head, then thought for a moment before continuing. ¡°Say Mel, don¡¯t you want to reap some rewards from Sage? Hehehe.¡± ¡°Guh! Why are you bringing up that woman!¡± Mel gloated, ¡°But¡­ yeah. go on.¡± ¡°Think about it.¡± Kazu grinned. ¡°She¡¯s a heroic-rank. Lots of money right? Money means food right? You like food right?¡± Mel started drooling. Kazu hit her right at soft spot, and she knew she couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. She knew the amount of money those people amassed. Luxurious foods would be nothing for them. The only question left in her and Kazu¡¯s mind was ¡®How can we let this chance go?¡¯ Mel wanted food, and Kazu wanted to relieve himself of the future financial problems that will be caused by Mel. The plan was perfect. With those thoughts in sync with each other, Kazu and Mel laughed, staring at the ceiling of the dome. Riona and the others looked at them as if they were mad. ¡°Kazu!!¡± Baldr barged in with a grin. ¡°Come here.¡± Kazu scuffled over to the entrance of the facility wondering why he was called. Baldr¡¯s gaze at the group on the rings gave him a slight idea; however, he didn¡¯t know whether it would be a good or bad thing. ¡°¡®That¡¯s your doing?¡± Baldr asked. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re on about. Heh.¡± Kazu replied with a slight chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me boy.¡± Baldr put a palm on Kazu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the only one in this group that¡¯s gone through this before.¡± ¡°Aaah. So what.¡± Kazu shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not even significant.¡± ¡°Oh, for you it isn¡¯t.¡± Baldr¡¯s face came closer to Kazu. ¡°To these brats, it¡¯s probably something they would¡¯ve never came up with.¡± ¡°What? Something like that, even an 8 year old can come up with that.¡± Kazu joked. ¡°True enough, but 8 year olds don¡¯t have pride yet. Something tells me you don¡¯t have that too.¡± Baldr scratched his head. ¡°I saw your result on the aptitude tests boy. You¡¯re not normal. Maybe you should try reaching for the top!¡± ¡°Hmph. For someone who says aptitude isn¡¯t important, you¡¯re sure basing me off that,¡± Kazu retorted, ¡°Strength is meaningless anyways. I just want to survive. Nothing else.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! I like you kid!¡± Baldr shouted. ¡°Strength really is meaningless. But so what? Its good to have anyways. That¡¯s what I think. But hey, maybe you¡¯re not cut out for the adventure. Ah well.¡± Baldr patted Kazu¡¯s back causing loud thuds, ¡°Keep up the good work. Remember, 5 hours in 3 months.¡± After Baldr left, a group of men came in. They had shield shaped badges with 2 vertical lines. The shield shaped badge meant that they were knight students. All 5 men had a distinct air of nobility with an aura that emanated strength. Kazu thought that they must be some of the top students in the 2nd year knight section of the school. ¡°We¡¯re here to see Riona Rye.¡± The man in the middle said. ################# Thanks for reading! Thanks to Silentcomfort for editing! Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Kazu found the current scene amusing. He didn¡¯t care if the five men were there to cause trouble. In fact, he welcomed it since there was nothing to do for the rest of the day. His statement to Sage yesterday liberated him from the burden of having to keep his strength in check. If they were to fight now, it might give him a bit of entertainment and more information on how strong people his age were. He knew Gorn Igg from yesterday was above average, but he didn¡¯t know by how much. After all, Gorn struck class U when most were tired. For all Kazu knew, Gorn was a dirty player who struck when the enemy was down, tired, couldn¡¯t fight back. ¡°You are Sir Kazu I assume? My name is Alan Stone.¡± The man in the middle said, staring into Kazu¡¯s eyes. He was the tallest of the bunch with short red hair. His facial structure was masculine and crude, much like the caucasians that were always portrayed on TV back in Japan. ¡°So what?¡± Kazu yawned. Rumors must¡¯ve spread about yesterday already, but to even get his name surprised Kazu inside. ¡°We wish to see Riona Rye,¡± Alan said, ¡°May we enter?¡± ¡°You know, I don¡¯t really know,¡± Kazu said, blocking the way in. ¡°Is there any reason why we can¡¯t see her?¡± Alan asked. ¡°No no, just one reason.¡± Kazu crossed his arms. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of class.¡± ¡°This is class?¡± Alan paused for a moment to look inside. ¡°I see. May I know what this exercise accomplishes?¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± Kazu shrugged. ¡°Ask the teacher? Hell, you can see I¡¯m not even bothering with it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not participating in class activities, then intruding for a bit does no harm,¡± Alan insisted. Kazu sighed. ¡°Look, can¡¯t you take a hint? No means no.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Sir Kazu, I do not understand at all,¡± Alan had an oblivious face, ¡°Surely since you¡¯re not doing the class exercise, it is ok for us to intrude for a bit.¡± At this point, Kazu couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°See here, everyone in our class right now don¡¯t want to talk to second years. You know, after they got roughed up by them yesterday.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t see the problem, Sir Kazu.¡± Alan scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m a knight. Knights hold honor next to their heart!¡± ¡°Aaah¡­¡± Kazu shook his head. ¡°You may be just stupid or something.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± One of the other ¡®knights¡¯ shouted. ¡°I am Krishan Wingflood. I challenge you to a duel! Insulting a knight¡­ you¡¯ll pay for that!¡± Krishan was a bit shorter than Kazu. He wore his purple hair in a ponytail. Purple, the same as Daniel. Both of them had an effeminate face, something Kazu loathed. Just the sight of pretty boys alone made an itching creep up the back of his head. ¡°Nn? Wingflood?¡± Kazu narrowed his eyes. ¡°Shoo, challenge not accepted.¡± ¡°Calm down Krishan.¡± Alan patted his head, then turning his head back to Kazu. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can understand the problem together.¡± ¡°There is no problem!¡± Kazu shouted annoyed, ¡°Just leave and this will all be over!¡± ¡°Again, we have matters to attend to here. As a knight, we must do our duties. Right men?¡± Alan raised his chest. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± A different man from behind spoke. ¡°Such a great speech¡± Another man from behind cried. ¡°Boss is so awesome!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll correct myself,¡± One of Kazu¡¯s eyes twitched, ¡°You¡¯re all stupid.¡± ¡°We are not stupid!¡± Alan shouted, ¡°We are knights. Now please, let us do our duty.¡± ¡°Aah, I give up¡­¡± Kazu sighed, ¡°What duty are you going on about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked, my dear good friend Sir Kazu.¡± Alan smiled. ¡°Our duty is to relay this letter to Riona Rye given to us by the principal. We do not know of the contents of this letter. However, we do know of its importance.¡± ¡°Just that?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Just that.¡± Alan stated. ¡°Alright, hand it over. I¡¯ll send it over,¡± Kazu said. ¡°I cannot do that!¡± Alan widened his eyes, shouting. ¡°The letter must be given to Riona Rye with my two hands. Entrusting our duty to a common folk like you may lead you to burden!¡± ¡°Knight Alan, it is not like that at all. Riona Rye entrusted me with her own hands,¡± Kazu lied, holding in his laugh, ¡°By passing me the letter, you are passing it onto Riona herself.¡± ¡°Oohh!¡± Alan marveled, ¡°I understand now. Then, I, Alan Stone, willfully entrust you with this letter in hopes that you safely courier it to Riona Rye.¡± Alan handed Kazu a letter, closed with a wax seal. ¡°Boss!¡± Krishan shouted angrily, ¡°How can you trust this man who insulted you?! I say he¡¯s lying!¡± ¡°Fool!¡± Alan yelled, ¡°Knights have no need for lies. His words do not have any malice; therefore, they are trustworthy words.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s not a knight!¡± Krishan argued. ¡°Krishan, your mind is much too young.¡± Alan shook his head. ¡°Sir Kazu is indeed a knight. He defeated the vile tyrant Gorn of the Igg family yesterday. Even going as far as to protect his own classmates from harm. Who are we, us lowly ranking knights, to judge such a splendid knight?¡± ¡°B-boss¡­¡± Krishan gritted his teeth. A small tear formed at the edge of his eye. ¡°This lowly knight eyes were clouded with prejudice.¡± Krishan turned his eyes to Kazu, ¡°Sir Kazu, forgive me. May your journey on delivering the letter be safe, and thank you for protecting Riona.¡± ¡°Brothers, let us depart. Our duty is completed.¡± Alan raised his chest again, walking out, but not before bidding Kazu his farewell. Before walking away, Kazu shook his head, not wanting to figure out what had just happened. Dragging his feet back over to Mel, he felt a little disappointment. Kazu wanted a fight. Instead, he received and watched a comedy scene. ¡°Kazu. I¡¯m going out for a bit.¡± Mel interrupted his thought. ¡°Where to?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°To eat. Hehe. Sene gave me allowance!¡± Mel snickered. ¡°Tch, you sound so proud,¡± Kazu jabbed, ¡°Want me to go with?¡± ¡°Nnn,¡± Mel shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go alone. You need to stay here and watch them, just incase. You know I¡¯m not that nice to use my magic for other people.¡± ¡°Hmph, boooring.¡± Kazu yawned. ¡°How long are you going to be gone for?¡± ¡°¡®Til just before class is over.¡± Mel waved while running to the exit like a child. He knew what she meant. Even though the class can expend their energy longer without tiring themselves out, this method of training also had its downsides. A person could continue to expend their energy without having actual mana to fuel their expenditure, and they wouldn¡¯t know when to stop. Kazu experienced it himself, an injury that could not be cured with this world¡¯s magic. Mel told him that since she was there, he was lucky. Kazu used Detailed Scan on the envelope before going over to Riona. His breathing became ragged from using a high cost skill. However, he got what he wanted. It showed him the contents of the letter, but a bit of guilt rose up from his heart from reading it. Dear Riona, my daughter, By the time you get this letter, it¡¯ll be winter time. The winters here in the north are very cold. Are you doing well? How¡¯s Daniel doing? Remember to keep yourself warm, even during your practice. Make sure you follow what your father says. He might be cold, but you know that¡¯s how he is. Anyways, I¡¯m writing this letter to you to tell you of my health. Mother is doing fine. The doctors say I¡¯m slowly recovering from the illness. At most, they¡¯ll discharge me in a few more months. I¡¯ll be hoping to see you then. Love, Eireen Rye Kazu headed over to Riona and called out, ¡°Oi, Riona, there¡¯s a letter for you.¡± ¡°Who is it from?¡± Riona took the envelope from Kazu. ¡°Man named Alan Stone? Maybe. Dunno.¡± Kazu shrugged. Kazu watched Riona as she read the letter, a variety of expressions flashing across her face. A part of him wanted to ask what was wrong, another part of him told him to stay out of it. She must¡¯ve had problems in her family, he guessed. He watched her scrunch up the letter into her pocket, something he was able to relate to. At that time, all he thought about was to ignore the letter, hoping someone else would come along to solve it for him. No, in that wooded path, he wanted someone to tell him to straighten up and nudge him forward. Still, even if he understood a tiny bit of Riona, the words never left his mouth, and he went and sat down the edge of the facility, watching his classmates¡¯ progress. She nodded at him with a solemn smile, then continued her training. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Hours went by, and Kazu had stopped most of the students from continuing with their practice half way to lunch time, allowing them, after some, rest to continue. Riona was the last to be stopped by Kazu, just before the 3rd hour mark. None of them reached the goal of 5 hours. Despite that, Kazu knew it was a starting point, and he kept a mental note of how long each classmate held their spells. Without knowing how long they can last, they wouldn¡¯t know how much they were progressing. As Mel had done coaching for him, Kazu would do it for his classmates. When lunch time hit, Kazu saw everyone relax their postures. Looking at his classmates, they were slightly exhausted, but in much better condition than after yesterday¡¯s disaster, even if Gorn had beaten them up. After showering off their sweat, everyone went to the cafeteria with growling stomachs. Kazu sat on the cafeteria table alone. He wondered what Mel was doing, and why her adventure for a restaurant would take as long as the end of classes. But as he was about to start imagining the mountains of food in front of Mel, he heard a couple thuds beside and around him. ¡°Yo,¡± Cristen placed her tray on table facing Kazu. Following her, the timid Lawrie sat beside her with a sigh. ¡°Lawrie,¡± Cristen nudged,¡°Tell Kazu what you wanted to say.¡± ¡°U-umm¡­ thank you for helping the class out,¡± Lawrie mumbled. ¡°Its nothing much.¡± Kazu smiled. ¡°We¡¯re all in the same class together, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°You make it sound so easy.¡± Lawrie sighed. ¡°Sure enough, your training method was simple. Still, if it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have told anyone else about it. Maybe only Cristen.¡± ¡°Heeh, for someone that looks so innocent, you¡¯re pretty sneaky,¡± Kazu said. ¡°Anyways, I know it¡¯s not about that you came to me right?¡± ¡°Hmph. Can¡¯t we sit with a friend?¡± Cristen snorted. ¡°Or are we not your friend?¡± ¡°Calm down Cris,¡± Lawrie trembled, glancing at Cristen then back to Kazu. ¡°Though, it¡¯s true we sat with you because we¡¯d like to be friends with you, but there is something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Is it my black hair?¡± Kazu joked. ¡°Eh? No, it¡¯s not,¡± Lawrie replied, looking confused for a second. ¡°Do you have any connections with Sage?¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oi, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re with that woman?¡± ¡°Haaah?¡± Cristen grunted, ¡°Watch your mouth Kazu. I respect you, but you better not pair my Lawrie with anyone else. Lawrie, stop dancing around the topic already!¡± ¡°Ahem, alright.¡± Lawrie inhaled and said, ¡°I assume you already know about the ¡®eyes¡¯?¡± ¡°Yep, what of it?¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Good. That means you¡¯re already up to date with everything happening around Riona.¡± Lawrie nodded in confidence. ¡°Before I get into the blunt of the subject, do you have any sort of relationship with Riona?¡± ¡°Even if I did, why should I tell you?¡± Kazu smirked. ¡°For all I know, you could be one of the enemy¡¯s pawns.¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny how you mention pawns when Sage is playing you by her fingertips.¡± Lawrie smiled, yet to Kazu, his smile had no sincerity. ¡°Rest assured Kazu, these cafeteria tables have silencing spells. No one can hear us nor can we hear them. Although clairvoyants can still hear you by sneaking in a string.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t assure me one bit,¡± Kazu said, ¡°Let¡¯s just put it this way: if I see you being suspicious around Riona, she¡¯ll be the last thing you see while your head rolls on the floor.¡± ¡°Idle threats are, at most, idle, Kazu.¡± Lawrie sighed. ¡°But if that is your goal, then would it not be correct if I assume you were put on the job by Sage?¡± ¡°Meh, no point in hiding it. Although I¡¯m doing it in a completely different method than what Sage said to do. So what?¡± Kazu answered. ¡°Good news for you. We¡¯re in the same position as Sage,¡± Lawrie declared, ¡°Although you mention chess pieces, there isn¡¯t really two sides on that table. There are three or four sides. Maybe even a fifth, ever since the incident with Gorn Igg.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling me all this?¡± Kazu waved his hand. ¡°All I have to do is do my job, and it¡¯ll be done. No point in making it more complicated.¡± ¡°But do you not wish to know what Sage is or what I even said earlier about clairvoyants?¡± Lawrie said, dumbfounded. ¡°Nope.¡± Kazu chuckled. From the small bits of information alone, Kazu could guess what clairvoyants were. He also knew of them from supernatural shows back in Japan. There was no need to further inquire Lawrie about it. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?!¡± Lawrie shouted. ¡°You are the fifth side. The commotion you caused yesterday drew in a lot of the other sides attentions, including me.¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re a clairvoyant. I kinda guessed that already.¡± Kazu sipped his glass. ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± Lawrie frowned. ¡°Although I don¡¯t like Sage, if you had stayed true to her instructions of hiding yourself, the plans of everyone defending Riona would¡¯ve turned out well.¡± ¡°Hm? How¡¯d you know about my instructions?¡± Kazu asked with a grim face. Clairvoyants could only focus on the future and present, not the past. Lawrie should have not known him before class started yesterday, Kazu thought. ¡°It seems you underestimate the students of this academy, Kazu,¡± Lawrie retorted with a smirk, ¡°A lot of students have their own goals. Do you think everyone whom had the most connections with Riona were put in one class together? No, Yuli Aramod is smarter than that, but he let Sage meddle with his affairs creating a 3rd side in this hidden fight.¡± ¡°Tch, so what?¡± Kazu argued. ¡°Are you an idiot or something?¡± Cristen interrupted, ¡°Lawrie is saying that you should take responsibility in creating a 5th side. I may be stupid, but I know we¡¯re the fourth side.¡± ¡°Cristen is right,¡± Lawrie added, ¡°If you choose a side, it¡¯ll simplify things. I¡¯ll tell you the truth: we¡¯re the side that wants no casualties on all sides of the board.¡± A glint of sparkle appeared on Kazu¡¯s eyes. No death for any side meant that Lawrie also didn¡¯t want any deaths on the enemy¡¯s side. It was a naive statement, something Kazu knew was impossible. But it gave him a hint: Lawrie didn¡¯t know who the enemy was, and the question remains if Sage knows or not. ¡°So in the end, you¡¯re trying to sell me a place on your side of the board,¡± Kazu clarified, ¡°Let¡¯s say I do bite. What do I get in return? Sage is offering me money. What can a student like you do for me?¡± ¡°Hmph. You don¡¯t even know of the Flay family?¡± Cristen snorted, ¡°It makes me curious what Sage sees in you.¡± ¡°Damn snobby rich kids.¡± Kazu pretended to spit. ¡°I¡¯ll bite. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I want you to fix Riona and her father¡¯s relationship,¡± Lawrie said. ¡°Huuuh?! Can¡¯t you do that on your own?¡± Kazu blurted out. ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Lawrie countered, ¡°The way to fix it is through Daniel. I watched your interaction with him yesterday. He is quite afraid of you, so you¡¯ll be able to oust him into convincing Riona to reconcile with her father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing this relationship will have something to do with the future?¡± Kazu stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. I¡¯m not doing this for free y¡¯know,¡± he lied. During the conversation, Kazu observed their faces. Both of them had not shown any malice or any mischief for the whole duration. They were more trustworthy, compared to Sage who kept all her plans to herself. Kazu left the cafeteria table without eating and searched for Daniel without delay. #################### Thanks for reading. Spoiler : This one is a very short chapter. I wonder what that means o.o Thanks to Silentcomfort for editting! Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Kazu found Daniel in the library. He didn¡¯t approach yet. First, he observed him. Piles of books laid idle on the table Daniel sat in front of. Some books were thin and some were thick, but all the books had one thing in common; their hard covers were blue. He saw the diligence in Daniel¡¯s eyes as he read the books. Daniel¡¯s expression was much different, more sincere, compared to yesterday¡¯s sleazy attitude. However, there was a hint of desperation in Daniel¡¯s eyes. As to the cause of that desperation, Kazu didn¡¯t want to know, but he would have to know, if only to further his own plans. Kazu watched the scene, he couldn¡¯t help but let go his ill impression of Daniel. He hated pretty boys that would hit on every girl they saw; however, they were still human. The facade humans donned in no way represented their true selves. The scene in front of him led Kazu to believe that Daniel was a man who would put on such a mask. He couldn¡¯t judge him, not for what he did yesterday. It was one of the reasons why he didn¡¯t hold tightly to first impressions. Kazu walked over to Daniel with his lips in a twisted frown. He had never intimidated anyone, at least not on purpose. He didn¡¯t remember how he did it yesterday. Regret built up in his mind. Being too nice is a sin, Kazu thought. His kindness, to this day, had only led him down a path, one which didn¡¯t give him skills or resources in the art of being a jerk; a disposition he had found himself hard pressed to emulate. Daniel lifted his head up, noticing Kazu walking in his direction. His chair stumbled backwards, and his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost¡ªin this case, a demon. Daniel¡¯s hands trembled as Kazu sat down in front of him, then it stopped after he took a deep breath. ¡°Is there anything¡­?¡± Daniel¡¯s voice shook. ¡°Nothing at all!¡± Kazu boasted, ¡°Any reason why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see already?¡± Daniel answered, turning his eyes away. ¡°I see books, blue books. I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s happening here Danny?¡± Kazu said. ¡°I¡¯m reading the blue books¡­¡± Daniel grumbled. ¡°Reading. Hmm. Reading is definitely great.¡± Kazu narrowed his eye. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m studying¡­?¡± Daniel¡¯s eyes glanced back at the book. He turned the page while mumbling in a low enough voice that Kazu couldn¡¯t hear. Kazu leaned in closer to pretend to want to hear his mumbles, although he did hear his mumbles, he didn¡¯t pay attention to the insults. The mumbles stopped right before he got too close and Daniel¡¯s hands, again, began to tremble. Right next to Daniel¡¯s ears, Kazu whispered, ¡°Is that a question or are you telling me?¡± ¡°I-I-I¡¯m telling y-you.¡± Daniel screeched his chair back. ¡°Oh, is that so.¡± Kazu threw himself back at the chair behind him, causing a loud thud. ¡°At any rate, I need to ask you something.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll answer anything!¡± Daniel yelled, surprising even Kazu. ¡°Then, what are you reading?¡± Kazu asked ¡°These books are tomes of research done by some of the most¡­¡± Daniel stopped and gritted his teeth. Kazu could tell the man in front of him didn¡¯t want to say the last words. A moment of silence fell between them. Pages of books turned one by one reached Kazu¡¯s ear. He felt the soft air that swirled as students moved through the alleys of book shelves. The library had a solemn silence, yet the man in front of him trembled in fear. Maybe. If so, his plan worked¡ªintimidation is the best form of interrogation, Kazu thought. ¡°The most what, huuuh?¡± Kazu grunted. ¡°The-the-the most powerful water mages of all time!¡± Daniel squealed. ¡°Water? Wasn¡¯t your element fire?¡± Kazu rubbed his chin, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re learning about water magic to pick up girls?¡± ¡°No!¡± Daniel slammed the table. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ really.¡± ¡°Heh, isn¡¯t that what you do all day anyways?¡± Kazu smirked, ¡°It¡¯s kinda weird seeing you here studying like a good student.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Daniel shouted. His face became a hot red, and he clenched his fist as he stared into Kazu¡¯s eyes with unyielding resolve. His mildly long nails dug into his skin, but not enough to cause bleeding. Kazu knew it was not the kind of redness that came from embarrassment. Instead, it was anger. Of course, he did all this on purpose; otherwise, there would be no point in talking to him. But from Daniel¡¯s reaction, Kazu could tell that he hit the jackpot. ¡°What would you know?¡± Daniel let out a faint laugh, ¡°That¡¯s right. You know nothing. You¡¯re just someone who appeared randomly last year, I heard¡­. sorry about yesterday, alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here about yesterday,¡± Kazu said, ¡°I¡¯m here about something else.¡± ¡°Then get to the point already.¡± Daniel grumbled, ¡°I need to study.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll cut to the chase.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Riona?¡± ¡°No relationship.¡± Daniel flipped the page. ¡°Now leave me alone.¡± A slight gust blew around the table, flipping the pages of the open books, even cluttered Daniel¡¯s hair. Kazu no longer felt the calm air in the library. The smell of rotting books, dust, and perfumes of the women in the library reached his nose once he took control of the wind. The violent gusts replaced the calm winds that followed his every will and gave him all their senses. ¡°I¡¯ll leave when I want to.¡± Kazu stated. He saw Daniel¡¯s face with a mouth that seemed to forget it was open. Kazu held a palm out at Daniel, then formed it into a grip like a hand holding a sword. The wind swirled and formed at his fingertips and the light distorted. Once the shape of a sword formed, Kazu gripped it, a sword made of condensed air. Daniel¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the materialization of air. ¡°So, what¡¯s your relationship with Riona?¡± Kazu asked again. ¡°Kazu, you know how to materialize mana?¡± Daniel asked. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Kazu answered, ¡°I¡¯m just making the air solid, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°Idiot, that¡¯s what I said,¡± Daniel mumbled, ¡°Is this real?¡± ¡°Of course it is,¡± Kazu said, ¡°Touch it.¡± As Daniel touched the ¡®solidified wind¡¯, as Kazu calls it, he felt like he was forgetting something. The mood became somewhat light, opposite to what he wanted, and Daniel¡¯s eyes wide and his fingers observed and touched the sword. Daniel¡¯s expression showed no more hints of fear; curiosity replaced it. ¡°Oi, oi, oi.¡± Kazu drew his sword back, but Daniel held on to the sword, pulling him back with him. But as Kazu saw Daniel falling on top him, he flipped over into a roll and reversed the situation. ¡°Daniel!¡± A girl called from afar behind the labyrinth of bookshelves. The situation looked bad. Kazu had the sword a breath away from Daniel¡¯s chest, positioned right over his heart. To a person, who was unaware of the situation, it might look like a demon, Kazu in this case, was attacking Daniel. Before they created a commotion, Kazu stood up and sat back at his seat; Daniel also did the same. A girl with a diamond shaped badge with one vertical line barged in. She wore her blond hair short with hair clips parting her fringe. Her uniform was unique in the way that she didn¡¯t wear the mandatory skirts for girls. Instead, she wore the dress pants boys wore. Kazu could describe her as the tomboy of the first year. ¡°Hm? Who¡¯s this?¡± Cynthia looked at Kazu from bottom to top. ¡°Nice to meet you, the name is Cynthia.¡± ¡°Ooh, nice to meet you. Kazu here.¡± ¡°Cynthia, what do you want?¡± Daniel blurted. ¡°Rude, I was just checking up on you,¡± Cynthia¡¯s eyes furrowed, ¡°You¡¯re still at it? This is pointless.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Daniel said, ¡°Even if it is, I¡¯m still going to look for it.¡± ¡°Daniel, you said you were going to answer me earlier right?¡± Kazu asked, ¡°I¡¯ll change my question. If I¡¯m assuming correctly, what¡¯s this have to do with Riona?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± Cynthia answered. ¡°I¡¯m guessing Lawrie sent you, right Kazu?¡± she smirked. ¡°Tch. If you said that earlier, I would¡¯ve been willing to tell you some stuff. Damn Lawrie¡­¡± Daniel added. ¡°Well, I did find it odd why I wasn¡¯t put in the same class as class U,¡± Cynthia remarked, ¡°Did Lawrie tell you anything?¡± ¡°Anything can mean anything. If you know him, you can be more specific than that right?¡± Kazu said. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m being cautious, just my own precautions.¡± ¡°Lawrie did tell us about you and we know what¡¯s happening around Riona.¡± Cynthia sat down beside Daniel. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell us that much. He just told us to tell you what we know. But you are really different. To be honest, when I saw you up on that stage a week ago, I thought you were a demon. Hehe, guess not." ¡°Everyone says that. I¡¯m used to it,¡± Kazu said ¡°Then first off, did Lawrie tell you that Riona¡¯s being targeted?¡± ¡°She¡¯s what?!¡± Daniel stood up as he shouted. ¡°Sit back down, Daniel,¡± Cynthia commanded, ¡°Did Lawrie tell you that?¡± ¡°No, I know from someone much more bothersome than Lawrie.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°Sage. She might be watching us right now. Heh.¡± ¡°Tch. That goddamn fox. Don¡¯t worry about getting watched. Some guards saw her heading out of the city in a rush.¡± Cynthia crossed her arms. ¡°Do you have an idea who the people targetting her are?¡± ¡°Actually, I do,¡± Kazu stated, ¡°But Lawrie and Sage don¡¯t know. Back to my question: what¡¯s Daniel¡¯s relationship with Riona?¡± ¡°I said I have none!¡± Daniel yelled. ¡°Are you stupid or something?¡± Cynthia turned to Daniel, ¡°Then should I just return all these books back to their shelves?¡± ¡°This is research. Leave me alone,¡± Daniel grumbled, ¡°None of you would understand anyways.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really stupid aren¡¯t you.¡± Cynthia forced a smile. ¡°Stop running away, Daniel!¡± ¡°Danny boy. You know, I was like you once. Maybe I still am,¡± Kazu commented, ¡°Carrying everything on my shoulders, not relying on anyone.¡± Kazu remembered his last day in Japan. The classmates, who he had took considerable care to, followed what he said to do; he thought that his words, his actions, would lessen the burden on them. It wasn¡¯t until it was too late, at the very end that he understood the situation he had created was opposite of what he wanted. The tears flowing down the girls¡¯ faces and the reddened eyes of the boys, both told him more than enough: the burden was no longer on him, it was on his classmates. ¡°This isn¡¯t about you anymore Danny,¡± Kazu said, ¡°It¡¯s about Riona. I know you trust Lawrie and not me, but believe me. I need to know about you, Riona, and her dad.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Daniel turned his head over to Cynthia with trembling eyes. A warm smile formed on Cynthia¡¯s lips, a contrast to her tomboyish demeanor. ¡°No matter what you say, I¡¯ll be right here with you and Riona.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really get what this has to do with¡­ Fine,¡± Daniel said, ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°First, your relationship with Riona,¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Let¡¯s just say we¡¯re close friends, Riona, Cynthia, and I.¡± Daniel answered, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other even before we entered Roseful Academy. We met Lawrie and Cristen in that academy.¡± ¡°So whats your relationship with Riona?¡± Kazu persisted. ¡°We¡­¡± Daniel paused and looked down on the book. He fiddled with his hands and the pages before continuing. ¡°We like each other. Liked, anyways. Until three years ago.¡± ¡°What happened three years ago?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°She became the way she is now. I don¡¯t know¡­ ok?¡± Daniel shook his head. ¡°Three years ago?¡± Cynthia looked up as if recalling something. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that when that family, I forgot their name, but they were in conflict with the Rye family over alchemy production. The family suddenly disappeared.¡± ¡°You forgot? Do you know anyone that knows of what happened in that conflict?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°We could ask Lawrie,¡± Cynthia suggested. ¡°Not now. We could always ask later,¡± Kazu declined, ¡°Oi, Daniel, what about Riona and her father. What do you know about them?¡± ¡°As far as I can remember, they¡¯ve never had a good relationship from what I saw. Right Cynthia?¡± Daniel turned to Cynthia. ¡°Un. That¡¯s right. Though, he never does anything bad to Riona,¡± Cynthia added. ¡°What about her mom?¡± Kazu continued. ¡°Her mom¡­?¡± Daniel¡¯s eyes glanced at the unopened books. His eyes widened, ¡°I remember! I can¡¯t believe I forgot why I¡¯m researching¡­ sorry Cynthia. It was to help Riona cure her mom. Her mom was cursed three years ago.¡± ¡°I see¡­ ¡± Kazu mumbled. A few thoughts popped up in his head. Developing a way to cure the curse might have gave Riona enough resolve to search for strength. However, Kazu couldn¡¯t connect the few dots between the Ephermal dungeon and Riona. ¡°Has Riona ever been to the Ephermal dungeon?¡± Kazu continued. ¡°No. None of us have ever been there,¡± Cynthia answered, ¡°That place is too dangerous for anyone who hasn¡¯t graduated yet.¡± Kazu scratched his head, ¡°That¡¯s alright¡­ then do any of you about the curse placed on her mom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s name is Wraith¡¯s Hand.¡± Daniel raised his hand, ¡°It¡¯s a curse that seeps away your element out of you. Once your drained, it takes your life and transfers it to the person who cast it. The only way to remove is the Immortal¡¯s Blessing. A god rank water magic spell¡­ but it¡¯s been lost since King Charles died.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯ve been researching?¡± Cynthia commented. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s lost?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read many books, especially on the topic of water sorcery.¡± Daniel sighed. ¡°My relationship with Riona took a turn for the worse when her obsession for strength grew, and I¡¯ve had no luck this past three years on my research. That didn¡¯t seem to help our relationship.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I get it. I don¡¯t blame you Danny.¡± Kazu smiled. ¡°Despite all that, I don¡¯t see any reason why Lawrie says I have to reconcile Riona and her father.¡± ¡°Knowing that girl¡¯s stubbornness, maybe she¡¯s preparing for the worst incase she doesn¡¯t reach her goal in time,¡± Cynthia remarked, ¡°You know, to support her father if her mother ever dies.¡± Although he got closer, it still didn¡¯t answer the connections Kazu was searching for. A slight itch from his back rose up through his spine. He looked into Cynthia and Daniel¡¯s eyes, and saw they didn¡¯t have a reason to lie. Kazu scratched his head again, ¡°Do any of you know why Riona would get targetted?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that one is easy,¡± Cynthia laughed. ¡°She¡¯s rough around the edges and stubborn to a fault. Wouldn¡¯t that be telling people to not like her as a person?¡± ¡°You¡¯re certainly right about that.¡± Kazu sighed. ¡°But that leaves me with one last question. What does that have to do with reconciliation?¡± For a brief moment, silence fell on the table. All three of them looked in different directions to try and think of connections. Reconciliation with her father made no sense in a fight, Kazu thought. Yet he had a feeling that he was missing something. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to ask Riona herself? Or maybe even her father,¡± Daniel suggested. ¡°Right. We¡¯ll go ask her father first,¡± Kazu said, ¡°Both of you are coming with me.¡± ¡°Daniel, be a good boy and clean up these books first.¡± Cynthia snickered. Daniel took as many of the books as he could carry. He stumbled along the way as he headed to place them back on their original shelves. Kazu saw Cynthia¡¯s half closed gaze as she stared at Daniel. Somehow, he understood the deep regret in her eyes, something his father portrayed with his every visit to the hospital, yet different. ¡°You like him don¡¯t you?¡± Kazu commented. ¡°Yea¡­¡± Cynthia mumbed. ¡°You probably think its pretty cliche. Well, that¡¯s just how it is. I just hope Daniel and Riona start to get along again.¡± ¡°Maybe when this is all over, he can be honest with her,¡± Kazu said. It was something he did way too late, and he almost paid the price. *** Light snow fell from the sky. The cold seeped into Kazu¡¯s skin and a slight shiver ran down his spine. Daniel and Cynthia replaced the spot Mel took by his side, yet the casual conversations kept the warmth of walking side by side with someone. The three arrived at the gate in hopes to pass through without difficulty. However, a woman in a plain red gown, a man in lion-esque armour, and a man wearing blue robes stood in the way. Sage held a staff made of wood twisting from top to bottom with a black pearl on top. Philip, on the other hand, had his sword ready and the jewels embedded in his armour glowed according to their colour. The unknown man held a staff made of blue wood with an azurite rock embedded on its top. Both the man and woman in front of Kazu¡¯s party wore a complicated expressions while the man¡¯s eyes looked impatient, but Kazu knew they were ready to fight. ¡°Kazu Tomoe, follow me.¡± Sage treaded past Kazu. ¡°Leave what you are about to do for later.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening, Sage?¡± Kazu asked as he followed her with quick steps. Daniel and Cynthia followed suit as well. ¡°I was wrong.¡± Sage answered, ¡°We need to go to Riona right now. She¡¯s in danger!¡± ¡°Irim-, Sage. Yuli isn¡¯t back yet,¡± Philip said, ¡°Are you sure we can hold off without him?¡± ¡°Fool!¡± Sage shouted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Hurry. We need to hurry!¡± As they arrive at the westbound path to the PA facilities, Kazu felt a familiar feeling. A dark mist filled the path. Cynthia and Daniel¡¯s expressions grew complicated. Kazu knew they were not used to the feeling of something seeping away at their sanity. Then, they met a being that should have stayed in the darkest parts of that dungeon. A ghoul stood in front of them. Bloodstains scattered the ground and the marred snow hinted at a struggle, yet there was no body. When the ghoul noticed the approaching party, countless more appeared. ¡°Philip, dispose of them.¡± Sage commanded. ¡°Already done.¡± Philip walked ahead and met the ghouls. They swung their tendrils at him, yet none hit him. Instead, when a tendril whipped at him, it fell to the ground in pieces as a result. Philip pierced the ground with two hands on his hilt. Then, numerous pillars of fire erupted upwards below each ghoul. The party didn¡¯t have to stop walking. It was over before they arrived at where Philip stood to fight the ghouls. Each turn, there would be more ghouls and Philip would clear them. As they got closer to the PA facility, the mist gradually became a thick miasma. A white light formed around Sage, purifying the air around the party. ¡°Sage!¡± Kazu grunted. ¡°It would be nice if we could know what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°I said I was wrong!¡± Sage hissed with a frown, ¡°I overlooked the possibility of you being disobedient. They got to her first.¡± ¡°Do you even know who they are?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°No.¡± Sage gritted her teeth. They arrived at the PA facility. Sage put her hands together as she looked up at the sky above the dome. She glowed with white light and a giant circle of light with complex inscriptions formed above the dome. ¡°Philip, Kazu, Frederick, hurry. I won¡¯t be able to fight with you. I can only block him from escaping!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Philip nodded. ¡°You two, stay here.¡± Sage pointed at Cynthia and Daniel. ¡°But Kazu is going. How can we stand by and watch?!¡± Daniel shouted. ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t blame me for your deaths.¡± Sage declared. When Kazu entered the facility, he saw Riona encased in a dark translucent substance. Next to her, another familiar figure stood. The figure¡¯s face was wrapped with dirty cloth and only one eye peeked out from it. It wore black torn robes that fluttered as if it were under water. It was the lesser lich Kazu encountered as he ran to escape the dungeon. ¡°What do you think that is?¡± asked Kazu. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. As long as we secure her, we win.¡± Philip ran in without hesitation. But when his blade was about to hit, it was met with a metallic clang. Earth protruded upwards right in between the blade and the lich. Another spike protruded upwards with lethal speed straight towards Philip, missing by a hair¡¯s breadth. Philip managed to evade backwards and saw two figures right behind the lich. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the Igg family head, Harek, and his shitty little son, Gorn.¡± Philip smirked. ¡°You best explain your actions right now or you will be charged with treason!¡± ¡°Heh, did you know your justice is hypocrisy, Philip?¡± said Harek, ¡°Oh what a wonderful day with the snow falling. Its the best kind of day to have a fight with the personification of hypocrisy¡ªPhilip Nemean.¡± ¡°Hypocrisy?¡± Philip blurted out, ¡°When have I ever withheld my own set of rules or guidance to make you call me a hypocrite, Harek Igg!?¡± Before continuing the fight, Philip leaped back to Frederick and Kazu. ¡°I¡¯ll distract Harek. Kazu, you try to deal with the lich. It¡¯s not that strong, Harek is more of a problem. Frederick, stay back and help Kazu anyway you can. Run back to Sage if you think you¡¯re in danger.¡± Philip whispered. ¡°Ok¡± Kazu thumbed up. ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± Frederick mumbled. Philip lashed back out into the battle field, Kazu also stepped in. Wind gathered at his fingertips and formed the solidified air. Kazu pounced at the lich, but was met with a dark orb and a clash of metal echoed in the air from the impact. His eyes widened at the surprise. Another orb formed above Kazu, dropping down on him. Kazu dodged to the side and swung a counter at the lich. Despite the speed of his attack, the orb that blocked his sword before moved at an alarming speed to once again block the trajectory of his swing. This time, it was different. The orb turned dark red, then, it exploded in front of him. The explosion hurled Kazu several meters away and his body rolled and ragdolled over the rough ground. The lich smiled and the cloth on its face tore apart to show the shark like teeth. ¡°You piece of¡­¡± Kazu lifted himself up with one hand. His face and body were both covered in wounds. Sharp rocks embedded themselves into his chest as he ragdolled across the ground. They pierced through his ribs, crushing most into fragmented bone, taking hold just barely above his lungs. He felt each one pulse in agony and eat away at his breath. It was painful, but nothing that he¡¯d not fought through before. Despite that, it was unnerving to fight without Mel by his side. He never realized until now, just how much he relied on her voice to guide him through battle. Now, he began to recall the feeling he¡¯d experienced last year, during his fight to the death. He was irritated, it was a mistake to let himself get hit. ¡°Heh, you must be pretty old, right? Goddamned lich.¡± Kazu said. Once again, he pounced at the lich. When he hit the orb, the sword made of air shattered. He spontaneously called up more swords, swinging away at the lich while ignoring the screaming pain of his body. Each sword he conjured shattered like brittle rocks with each impact. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am old. I¡¯m immortal.¡± The lich replied, his voice a rough groan of crumbling rock. ¡°Tell me one thing: what¡¯s your deal with Riona?¡± Kazu chuckled, but even that stung his lungs, before tearing a violent cough from his throat. ¡°Ack¡­ don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re after her because she¡¯s pretty and a virgin?¡± ¡°Boy. You, who is not even human, why do you fight for them?¡± The lich commented. ¡°Why do you meddle in our affairs?¡± ¡°Huh? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Kazu coughed. ¡°Answer my question dammit!¡± Kazu decided to change his tactics. He threw several dozens of forward gale. It wrecked the small rings. However, without the sharpness of Mel¡¯s blade, none of the wind¡¯s blades pierced through the orbs. ¡°Your question poses no significance.¡± The lich grumbled in a low tone. ¡°For he is the only one who knows... Now die.¡± The lich grinned. Multiple dark orbs formed around the lich. Then, raising up his one hand, all the orbs hurled themselves at Kazu. Kazu leaped to the side and saw the place he was at disappear in a bigger explosion than the last. With his condition, he knew he would die if even one hit him. ¡°Kazu!¡± Philip shouted as he fought with Harek and Gorn. ¡°Where¡¯s your sword!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Kazu dodged another set of orbs. At this point, he noticed Riona¡¯s eyes open. She squirmed inside the vessel, but there was no hint of it breaking. ¡°Riona!¡± Frederick shouted from the entrance. An envelope fell from Riona¡¯s pocket as she fought the substance encasing her. Frederick saw this, and the cloud in his eyes disappeared. He ran at Riona with the staff beside him. ¡°Frederick, stop! It¡¯s a trap!¡± Philip shouted. Suddenly, Leonard appeared from the ground. A spike propelled Leonard towards Frederick. The dagger in his hand penetrated the armorless man, biting deep into his gut. It stopped Frederick mid sprint and his gaze turned down, taking in the sight of Leonard who held still the dagger in his body. Leonard twisted the dagger to deal the final blow. His face twisted into disgust as he heard Frederick¡¯s vitals rupture. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Analee¡¯s boy.¡± Frederick coughed blood. ¡°So you were alive. Haah¡­¡± ¡°This is revenge, old man.¡± Leonard whispered. ¡°An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A life for a life.¡± Leonard pulled back the dagger. Frederick fell on the floor. A pool of blood formed around his body. The muffled sobs of Riona could be heard through her prison. Tears tumbled down her cheeks and her face distorted in despair. The grief in her eyes was evident. Kazu witnessed all of it. All his thoughts flew from his mind. An innocent person died in front of him, a father to someone he knew. The scene provoked a similar despair in Kazu. What if his family died in front of him? He imagined the body of Sene without her warmth, a home without Ene who always selflessly gave everyone a bright smile, and a life without Brett, his father who had opened a true home to Kazu. His blood froze as he thought of Lene. She aged and matured drastically, but she was as close to him as any of them. What if they died? Kazu imagined it and for a brief moment, the air became still. ¡°Mel!¡± It came out as a hoarse whisper at first, but as the air seemed to thaw from its frozen state, his voiced gained momentum. ¡°Mel!¡± Kazu shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Mel!! Come to me!¡± The air swirled with the violence of a raging typhoon. A tear fell from Kazu¡¯s upturned face. A bright light shone through the fabric of reality as space itself tore. Then, a loud bang shook the whole area. ¡°Kazu!¡± Mel shouted. Her eyes scrambled all over Kazu. One of his eyes was lacerated by flying debris, and the pieces of rocks lodged in Kazu¡¯s chest let blood flow unstaunched. Her eyes turned blank, turning its gaze to the lich. The resentment in her eyes was apparent, but Kazu could only feel relief when he saw her. ¡°Mel.¡± Kazu coughed. He reached out to Mel, pulling her into his embrace. ¡°Lend me your strength.¡± Light swirled around her, a haze of both gold and purple. It engulfed her body until those who watched could no longer see a single glimpse of her. The light shattered into countless fading diamonds. A sword emerged, one that Philip, Riona, and the lich all recognized¡ªMelcross. #################### Thanks for reading. Comments, feedback, criticisms are all welcomed! Thanks SilentComfort for editing this chapter that needed it [b]bad[b]¡­>.>! Chapter 26 ################### Chapter 26 Kazu rested the giant claymore on his shoulder. It made him feel calm. Was it Mel? He didn¡¯t know. But he knew the familiar feeling of the wind was back. It wasn¡¯t the muted feeling he¡¯d been subjected to when Mel took on the form of a human. Since Mel left, the wind felt weak around him. It terrified him. Now, faced with someone he couldn¡¯t beat, in this case underestimated, he shouted for Mel. He¡¯d expected to be punished for his hubris, to have his hopes dashed; instead, his hopes had been fulfilled, he had called for her aid¡ªand she answered. Kazu examined the lesser lich several meters away from him. The confidence in his wind came back to him, and the lesser lich seemed to become a smaller being. Yet his confidence did not alleviate the pain on his chest. The sharp pieces of rocks stuck out from all over, rasping against his lungs. It didn¡¯t look good. It stung, like alcohol being poured onto his gaping wounds, but these rocks screamed and burned; it would neither purify nor alleviate the wound. They were shrapnel that ate away at his very stamina. It was every bit worse for Mel as well. She hadn¡¯t told Kazu that when she teleports, she gets nausea, an embarrassing curse as she calls it. Looking at Kazu¡¯s wounds, she couldn¡¯t recall the exact string she needed to perform her healing spell, all thanks to her spinning head . Thankfully, Kazu pulled her back before she pounced on the lesser lich with her bare fists. But it wasn¡¯t all that better. She was now stuck in her sword form with nausea and no way to dispel whatever she ate for the past hour. ¡°Leonard!¡± shouted Kazu and the air vibrated a deep bass. A dramatic pause came afterwards. The fight on the side with Philip and the Igg family paused for a moment, but continued again when Harek took the chance for a kill. Kazu slowly opened his mouth and continued, ¡°The f**k man?!¡± [/i]Mel: I don¡¯t think this is the time for that kind of humor¡­ On the other hand, I think I¡¯m going to hurl.[/i] Leonard was the one that raised sharp rocks along the trajectory of his skid. If it was him last year, he would¡¯ve succumbed to the stalagmites the moment he crashed onto them. Kazu knew it was an attempt to kill him, but he didn¡¯t know why. Leonard was friendly, at least he felt sincere during the short conversations they had. Maybe that was a ruse. Kazu shook his head, straightening his train of thought. Why did it matter why Leonard did that? To Kazu, all that matters now was that he¡¯s an enemy and invalidated Riona¡¯s safety. There was one thing left to do. The claymore clanged as Kazu lifted it up to ready it for a strike. He saw the fear in Leonard¡¯s eyes. Despite that, Leonard still held his unyielding posture. Kazu knew he stood no chance were it a one on one match. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake Leonard,¡± said Kazu. ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t make choices I regret even if they are mistakes.¡± Leonard spat. ¡°We could¡¯ve been friends Kazu. It¡¯s just too bad the witch got to you first.¡± ¡°No Leonard. I don¡¯t think we could¡¯ve been friends,¡± replied Kazu, ¡°I saw your eyes when you stabbed Frederick. No hesitation for taking a life. ¡± Leonard chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t know the deeds that man did! That man doesn¡¯t deserve his life.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Kazu retorted. ¡°We¡¯re in the present, Leonard. I don¡¯t know what happened in the past. But who cares? The past is the past.¡± ¡°Hahahaha, you really think it¡¯s that simple?!¡± Leonard shouted. ¡°So what? Am I just supposed to let go of the man who killed my only family?¡± Kazu choked on his words. He understood that too well, and there were lives at stake. Frederick¡¯s heart was still beating, and he had to finish this fast. He put on a poker face before replying again, ¡°Don¡¯t stall me Leonard... I can cut you down anytime I want.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh,¡± Leonard grinned. ¡°You would¡¯ve done it already if you had the guts-¡± With one fell swoop, Kazu shot out a forward gale towards Leonard before he could his breath. It had every inch of Kazu¡¯s killing intent. The air around the millions of wind blades rumbled the air in the dome. The blades hit the ground a meter in front of Leonard. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, Leonard. I¡¯m not that nice of a person who treats others¡¯ lives poorly. Killing a person, Leonard? I would kill you right now if I knew how you fit into this puzzle.¡± Kazu lied. Kazu didn¡¯t want to take another chance. Sage already blamed him for the acceleration of the other side¡¯s plans. What would happen if he were to take out a piece on the board? The way Leonard was placed on the board, he felt something amiss. Though, by the time he thought this, it was too late. The lesser lich stuck his hand through Leonard¡¯s chest from his back. The pain on Leonard¡¯s face faded as his life with it. ¡°Through the endless darkness, tortures a ravaged being. Heart of a tortured soul. Thine become mine own. Become my power, become my darkness. Sacrifice for the Great God Hekaes!¡± Mel: Kazu be careful. That ritual is to temporarily make him into a full lich. Can¡¯t help- Guuuh. Too dizzy. Leonard¡¯s body decayed into dust, and darkness filled the room. The Lich stood at the center of where the darkness originated. ¡°Otherworldly being. Your foolishness astounds me.¡± The Lich hummed a low laugh. ¡°If you still dare to block my master''s path, prepare to die.¡± ¡°Leonard¡­¡± Kazu¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°You goddamn bastard.¡± Kazu appeared at the Lich¡¯s side and a trail of dust shot up behind him. Of course, he used Rising Wind. A dark orb appeared between him and the Lich, blocking the view of his enemy. It was tough, but Mel¡¯s sharpness dug halfway into the orb, and the orb shattered in half. Fool¡¯s Wind, that was the next move. Kazu anticipated the dark orbs surrounding him as they turned into red explosive orbs. He couldn¡¯t use Fool¡¯s Wind before, at least not without a real sword. Materialized swords weren¡¯t counted as real swords so he couldn¡¯t use any of the skills in his arsenal in the fight earlier. It was different now. The wind was with him. It guided him as Mel would. He knew couldn¡¯t rely on her forever. Relying on her felt like he was only receiving in the relationship. Still, it amazed him. He was fighting on his own through the experiences and knowledge ingrained in the very fibers of his muscle by Mel. The wind pushed away the surrounding red orbs. They exploded a few meters away from him. The smoke dusts clouded his view, and he no longer knew where the Lich was. Kazu closed his eyes and raised his awareness. He listened to the wind¡ªthe images of his surroundings transmitted directly into his mind. Neither the darkness nor the smoke that covered the entire field mattered any longer. Kazu sensed the Lich approaching from behind, a claw extended with monstrous nails ready to pierce his flesh. Several orbs spawned in front of him, effectively trapping his escape route. A cautious opponent, Kazu thought. The next pulse from Fool¡¯s Wind came, pushing away all the orbs that blocked his path. The Lich retreated back into the smoke when he noticed his attack failed. Dozens of orbs appeared behind the Lich and launched themselves at Kazu. Still with his eyes closed, Kazu swerved through all the oncoming orbs. Each orb grazed his tattered clothes, exploding behind him. ¡°Damn Lich! Danmaku games should all go to hell!¡± It was no time to be spouting out needless remarks, Kazu sighed. ¡°Very well, otherworldly being. Taste the lowest degree of my chill.¡± The Lich¡¯s body glowed a dark purple and the darkness swirled slowly around the room. Mel: Hahahaha! Did you hear that Kazu? ¡°Lowest degree of his chill¡± he said. Hahaha! Blurrghh¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have laughed. ¡°Tch, not a time to be laughing. The air is starting to freeze.¡± Kazu gritted his teeth. His control over the wind became sluggish as the Lich contested his control over it. He had to think of a plan to finish this fight fast; otherwise, it would become a battle of attrition, and that wasn¡¯t an option. While Kazu had been confident when he held Mel earlier, that confidence had disappeared when the Lich killed and absorbed Leonard. Anger also took over his mind, and now it was too late. Again, he underestimated the Lich. Never again would he underestimate any opponent, he vowed. The Lich continued his onslaught against Kazu. Each explosion battered his body and caused his wounds to bleed even more. The fight wasn¡¯t looking good. Every opening he took seemed like an illusion as if the Lich had already anticipated him. Kazu released multiple Forward Gales, his primary attack. Some curved as Kazu became desperate to land even a single hit, but it was all for naught. The gales dispersed with calculated explosions from the orbs. He decided that it was either close quarters combat or he wouldn¡¯t even touch the Lich. Yet that too was fruitless. Rising Wind was linear, predictable. Whenever he got close, a sense of danger would surround him. At his last bout of trying to get near, he made a misstep, attacking from a range too far to reach the Lich. An explosion behind tore away his consciousness. Regret. That¡¯s all he felt. The view of the Lich¡¯s grin faded away. It was then Kazu realized his delusion. He wasn¡¯t strong. He thought he was, but he was wrong. A pretender. That¡¯s what he was. Mel was in disbelief when Kazu fell unconscious. The shock sobered her up. Kazu had been doing well up until now. Something must have happened to him apart from his wounds, she thought. She noticed the air, the strange feeling it gave. The feeling felt familiar. Mel clenched her ethereal fist. She knew what it was¡ªthe signature magic of demons, the one that engulfed Kazu into a state of insanity back in the dungeon. It blocked stimuli, and in this case, probably Kazu¡¯s perspective of the fight. To Kazu, it may have looked like he was doing nothing to the Lich. However, since she was a third perspective, she saw that he was doing well, even damaging the Lich several times in the countless attempts at close quarters. It was too late. She didn¡¯t realize the darkness took a hold of his mind. A mistake she could only blame herself. Her figure formed back into human and her knees dropped on the ground beside Kazu. She knew only one way to remedy the situation. She needed to use that. Mel held off healing Kazu. Her logic conflicted with her emotions. It would be fine as long as Kazu didn¡¯t wake up before the fight finishes. A part of her wanted to heal him now instead of waiting for later, seeing his sorry state. Another part of her told her ¡°What would he say when she sees him in that kind of form?¡± If she healed him, he would wake up sooner. That thought made the choice obvious. She began laughing, at first a low hum. Her laugh grew until it filled the whole dome, dissipating the darkness. ¡°Spouting such nonsense earlier, Lich. It was amusing. Now you¡¯ve committed a grave sin. You know your life is already mine, right?¡± Mel¡¯s eyes glowed red. Black wings darker than the abyss spread from her back. They had no feathers and were reminiscent of a bat¡¯s. The wings had countless mouths opening and closing, drooling and licking. It was grotesque, enough that when Riona looked at Mel¡¯s wings, her mind numbed itself. From fear? Maybe. Others were not so lucky. A sting in the back of the head, that¡¯s what the Lich felt when he saw the wings. The very shape of it ate at anyone¡¯s sanity when one¡¯s sight took in the cavernous opening. It was something supernatural in a world of magic, something without reason nor logic, something that shouldn¡¯t exist. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°A feast. Maybe not. For your sins, it¡¯ll have to do.¡± Mel¡¯s smile distorted with pleasure as she looked upon the lich, much like a predator looking down on its prey. The Lich summoned hundreds of orbs and several dozens of ghouls in a panic at the cost of his remaining mana. The eye that peeked out of his robes told Mel everything she wanted to know¡ªthe eyes of the prey clawing at every chance to run away. He pointed at Mel, and the ghouls began their charge. Dust covered their part of the dome from the ghouls¡¯ stampede. Mel walked lightly with no ounce of fear in her eyes. Instead, her face was filled with ecstasy. When the ghouls met her, they simply disappeared into a purple mist. The mouths on her wings all expanded slightly as fluids and flesh rained upon them. A vacuum compressed the material as the wings cried for nourishment; finally, their hunger would be sated, if only for a little while. Then, in a bout of impatience, Mel dashed over to where the Lich stood, her hands molded into claws, clutching at his throat. The lich seemed to lose his faculties as the orbs simultaneously exploded in the surroundings. The Lich laughed before saying anything. ¡°Monster¡­ I pale in comparison.¡± He coughed. ¡°How much suffering did it take, Melcross?¡± the Lich asked. ¡°Suffering as it may, it still led me back to him,¡± Mel retorted, ¡°The cost was well worth it.¡± ¡°I can only imagine the pain you¡¯ve went through.¡± He coughed again and glanced at Kazu with narrowed eyes. Mel held up his head near her and whispered into his ears, ¡°That¡¯s where you committed your sin,¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ He will still die as long as you¡¯re beside him,¡± the Lich said, ¡°I know of you, Melcross. He will not last long with you around.¡± Mel slightly tightened her grip. She knew what the Lich was referring to, and she knew why the others who held her became insane. That¡¯s why she was unsure. Would Kazu also suffer the same fate? ¡°Let me ask one question, Melcross,¡± pleaded the Lich. ¡°For the millennia you¡¯ve lived in this world, you¡¯ve seen every event there is in this world¡¯s history; with that knowledge, do you believe that the humans are worth protecting?¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t. Of course. They¡¯ve done many evil deeds, especially to the demon race.¡± Mel grinned. ¡°But so what? As long as he is by their side, then I will also take their side.¡± ¡°Demon race. Hah.¡± The Lich coughed. ¡°That¡¯s our branded name by the humans. To them, we may be demons. To us, we are ordinary citizens of this world. We are still alive, yet the world is so cruel to us. No. The humans are cruel to us.¡± ¡°Those things don¡¯t matter to me, and you know that Lich,¡± Mel commented. ¡°Any last words?¡± ¡°Yes. I do,¡± the Lich answered. ¡°Master, if you hear me, I have met an impassable being. Forgive me, I cannot complete this task. Forgive me, if this hinders the Lord¡¯s plans.¡± Mel crushed the Lich¡¯s neck, effectively beheading him. She fed the head to her wings. The aberrant mouths greedily fought for it, and the rest of the body followed it afterwards. Then, Riona¡¯s cage and the lingering darkness around the dome disappeared along with the Lich¡¯s life. The fight was clean, at least to her standards. Pieces of flesh and purple blood splattered the ground. The result was like a dozen bodies put in a blender and then sprayed back out minus the portions devoured by her wings. Mel could hear Riona vomiting in the background. Luckily, the body of her father lay near her prostrate form rather than close to the field of battle, leaving him free of the abundant gore. But Mel¡¯s worst nightmare came true. When she glanced back, Kazu was already awake, staring at her and her malformed wings. Her heart dropped when she saw his widened eyes, a feeling she hadn¡¯t felt in an eternity. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. Would he call her a monster? She imagined him calling her that, a voice filled with disgust and loathing. The sound echoed endlessly in her mind. Mel wanted to run away, to teleport away. Wanted to, anyways. She couldn¡¯t, not with the remaining energy she had left. However, just as when her thoughts was about to spiral her into depression, Kazu¡¯s eyes softened, and a smile formed on his expression with the familiar warmth he always showed her. ¡°Mel, you¡¯re not thinking of running away, are you?¡± Kazu panted with laboured breaths. She was at a loss for words, wanting to say something but couldn¡¯t. What could she say to explain the situation or her appearance? Nothing came to mind, not an ounce of an excuse. Mel retracted her wings, and they disappeared from reality like an illusion. ¡°You¡¯re not scared?¡± Mel asked. ¡°Stupid.¡± Kazu laughed, wincing as the pain rebelled against his movement. ¡°I¡¯m more afraid of dying, Mel. You know why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mel asked reflexively. Because I won¡¯t be able to see you anymore, Kazu wanted to say as he stood up. He spread out his arms, inviting Mel for a hug, and she took it. A part of him feared Mel. The display she showed counted as abnormal even by this world¡¯s standards. Yet the larger part of him accepted her unconditionally¡ªhe didn¡¯t need a reason. ¡°It hurts you know.¡± Kazu commented on her tight hug. ¡°Ah- sorry.¡± Mel moved back abruptly. She raised her hand and a green glow surrounded Kazu. The rocks lodged in his chest squirmed out of his flesh and the wounds closed soon after. ¡°I¡¯m keeping a lot of secrets from you, you know?¡± Mel said. ¡°You¡¯re still ok with that?¡± ¡°Its fine. You¡¯ll tell me when you¡¯re ready,¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m more curious about how you heard me¡± ¡°Muu¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t figured it out yet?¡± Mel sighed. ¡°Figured out what?¡± Kazu looked at her curiously. ¡°Hah! You call me stupid, but you¡¯re one too!¡± Mel grinned. ¡°You can talk to me in like telepathy, you know!¡± ¡°Haaah? How¡¯s that my fault?¡± Kazu said in an exaggerated tone. ¡°How would I know without any hints in the first place?!¡± ¡°Hints? There were lots of hints!¡± Mel yelled. ¡°Like that time when you were bonding with your family a few days before school started?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! You can¡¯t call that-¡± ¡°Children!¡± Sage shouted from behind. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to be quarreling.¡± Behind Sage, Daniel and Cynthia searched around the dome. The flesh splattered floor made them gag. The stench also distorted their faces. ¡°What the hell is this¡­?¡± Cynthia covered her mouth. ¡°There!¡± Daniel yelled, pointing at Riona. They ran up to her, and Cynthia tried to pick her up from the ground, but Riona shrugged off her hands. Riona continued to stare blankly at her father¡¯s body. ¡°Riona?¡± Daniel shook her and was met with the same reaction, or rather, lack thereof. Kazu, with Mel and Sage, stepped into the scene. He knelt down to Riona¡¯s eye level. ¡°Riona, he¡¯s still alive.¡± Riona swayed her head to meet Kazu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t lie. My father, he¡¯s not breathing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, Riona Rye,¡± Sage butted in. ¡°Although there is poison in his system, and he might die if not treated with an antidote.¡± Riona rushed up, gripping Sage by her shoulders. ¡°Can¡¯t you do anything?! Like, like, like a detoxification spell! Right? You¡¯re the kingdom¡¯s Sage, right?!¡± Sage shook her head, ¡°The poison is a toxin and a curse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Riona¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, Riona Rye.¡± Sage grimaced. ¡°Wraith¡¯s Hand?¡± Kazu blurted out. Riona¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Kazu. She then turned to Cynthia and Daniel, ¡°You told him?¡± ¡°Father¡­ no¡­no...¡± Riona collapsed back down to her father¡¯s side, sobbing. Riona¡¯s sobs affected everyone. Especially Cynthia who couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. She sat down with her friend, embracing her as well as crying with her. The tomboy now looked like an actual girl as tears began dripping down her cheeks. Daniel also started crying, but he kept his distance. ¡°You¡¯re the only one to blame Riona,¡± Kazu stated. ¡°Kazu! Be quiet!¡± Daniel roared. ¡°I saw it, the look on your father¡¯s eyes when he saw you trapped.¡± Kazu ignored Daniel. ¡°Your father was the one that told me to protect you. Hired, in this case. Your father...¡± ¡°Will you not stop, Kazu?!¡± Cynthia shouted. ¡°Is a great father. He was a bit misunderstood, as well as having a troublesome daughter,¡± Kazu continued. The sobs continued as well. ¡°He never hated you. He really loved you. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have kept so many people around you, hoping to protect you from afar.¡± ¡°No¡­ he really hated me¡­¡± Riona squealed. ¡°Family is family, Riona,¡± Kazu stated. ¡°You¡¯re his daughter. There was no way he could hate you.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Riona shouted. ¡°A bystander like you knows nothing!¡± ¡°I know more than you,¡± Kazu retorted. ¡°I was in your shoes long ago.¡± ¡°Liar¡­¡± Riona¡¯s voice weakened. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t.. don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Then see for yourself. Mel.¡± Kazu glanced at Mel. She understood what he wanted. Why wouldn¡¯t she? She knew him best. Kazu kept his silence as he let Mel do her work. Actions would speak louder than words, especially now. A mix of blue and green light swirled around Frederick¡¯s body. Everyone understood the enormous amount of energy gathering. It wasn¡¯t hostile nor a threat. The light was warm and serene. Then it disappeared as fast as it started. Kazu felt Frederick¡¯s breathing became stronger as well as the beat of his heart. Looking at Mel, he didn¡¯t know how to thank her or show her how grateful he is. ¡°You¡¯ll treat me later, okay?¡± Mel closed her eyes and leaned herself on Kazu. To her, the spell was a minor favour. Still, she understood it was a giant deed to the ones receiving. Especially to Kazu. She felt happy just doing him a favour. Frederick¡¯s eyes slowly opened. He saw Riona, her daughter, crying beside him as he laid on the ground. His hands reached up to her cheeks and brushed the tears away. A gentle smile floated across his face as he wordlessly comforted his daughter. He fell back unconscious soon after. ¡°Father¡­¡± Riona¡¯s eyes widen as if she had come to a realization. She cried louder, embracing her father. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°A cursed sword with the highest holy spells. The irony, right Melcross?¡± Sage snickered. ¡°Philip Nemean. I¡¯ve already healed you. Stop playing dead. Hurry up and come here.¡± ¡°Tch, can¡¯t a man get rest once in a while.¡± Philip stood up. His armour no longer looked majestic. The fight dirtied it, quite literally. ¡°Before we talk, let¡¯s move to another place.¡± Sage swept a gaze on the field, before beginning her path to the exit. ¡°The stench here is unbearable.¡± ¡°Yes, Sage¡­¡± Philip responded, signaling everyone to follow before scooping up Frederick. ¡°Oh and one more thing.¡± Sage stopped in her tracks. ¡°Once we get back, put the PA facilities on lock down and begin decontamination.¡± ¡°A man really can¡¯t get rest, huh.¡± Philip glanced at Kazu who shrugged in response. ########### Really late chapter! Exams are finished and I now have 2 weeks off. Thanks for reading. Comments and criticisms are welcomed! As always, thanks to SilentComfort for editting! Chapter 27 - Strings of Fate (Book 2 - End) Chapter 27 (Book 2 - Epilogue) Kazu sat opposite of Philip and Sage in the Rye mansion reception room. Mel sat beside him, swinging her legs. The decorations distracted his eyes as he tossed and turned in his seat. Fancy everything, Kazu wanted to comment, but Sage¡¯s defeated posture hinted that a serious discussion was about to take place. Mel didn¡¯t take notice of this at all, or at least ignored it, and merrily helped herself to the tea and biscuits. ¡°Philip Nemean, start your report,¡± Sage commanded. ¡°Report? You really can¡¯t call this a report.¡± Philip grumbled. ¡°Get on with it, however you like.¡± Sage waved her hand, not caring about how Philip worded his report. ¡°34 students were harmed during the attack, 6 of which are dead. Most of the students that were harmed were in the dorms. Baldr is also seriously injured from protecting the students. Fortunately, most of the other professors were able to ward their classrooms, preventing the ghouls from harming anymore. Other than that, I strongly suspect the lesser lich is Grendel Igg.¡± Philip stated. ¡°Grendel Igg¡­? state your suspicions.¡± Sage commanded. Philip cleared his throat to try and hide his quick glance at Mel, ¡°During his fight with Kazu, I noticed he wore a necklace.¡± ¡°And you suspect the necklace is the heirloom of the Beulen family?¡± Sage smirked. ¡°I can only take your word for it,¡± Philip sighed. ¡°Maybe the experiment worked. You know, three years ago.¡± ¡°In a way, yes. However, I think it would be better for us to see it ourselves, right Kazu Tomoe?¡± Sage shifted her gaze to Kazu. Kazu understood. Sage referred to the spell Mel taught him. He knew she watched everything, but it still irritated him. Like most normal humans that lived in modern Earth, he liked his privacy, and he didn¡¯t take too kindly to Sage¡¯s constant eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like being watched, Sage, and you know that,¡± Kazu assumed, ¡°Let¡¯s first get some payment for my job.¡± ¡°Name your price, and it''ll be done,¡± Sage replied. ¡°5 diamond coins,¡± Kazu demanded. ¡°5 diamond?! You- you¡¯re robbing us!¡± Philip shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not cheap, knight man.¡± Kazu smirked. Beside him, Mel made the same face to irk the disgruntled Philip even more. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re asking me to cast a spell even the Sage can¡¯t cast.¡± ¡°Philip, give him the money.¡± Sage commanded. 5 diamond coins equaled to 5000 gold coin, and it was a steep price. Kazu¡¯s original intention was to let them haggle it down to 1 diamond coin, but unexpectedly Sage agreed. Without hesitation, Kazu took the 5 glittering blue diamond coins from Philips trembling hands. Mel: Nice, Kazu! Now buy me some more of these biscuits! ¡°As you know, clairvoyants can only see the future, not the past. Please, Kazu Tomoe, show us the past.¡± Sage urged. ¡°Alright, now I just need an object.¡± Kazu looked around. ¡°Anyone got one that I can use?¡± ¡°I see, an object is needed for the spell. I assume it needs to be an object that had visual view of the incident that happened 3 years ago?¡± Sage said. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. I think.¡± Kazu replied. ¡°Stupid Kazu!¡± Mel interrupted. ¡°Just use the whole house!¡± ¡°Fine, fine! Stop shouting. Jeeze.¡± Kazu grumbled, then expanded his senses to touch every corner of the house.
Records of the Past¡­
The spell activated and Kazu felt his mind took a dive, almost losing his consciousness. He ignored the feeling and watched the spell work itself as the inscriptions floated around the room, swirling into a floating circle on top of the coffee table. The ethereal runes gathered in front of the audience and once they formed the complete circle that Kazu learned from Mel, it pulsed gently. The whole room vanished, reappearing again momentarily; this time, the room looked different. It reflected a time from many years ago, as seen through the brighter appearance of many objects. The group observed the non-existent scratches on the hardwood floor which were there a second ago; the tea and biscuits on the coffee table were gone too. And then, the records began¡­. An aged hand opened the door. A girl, a younger Riona, and a woman entered the room. ¡°Please wait here, Mrs. Beulen. I¡¯ll return with my parents shortly.¡± Riona said. ¡°No need to be so formal, call me Helena,¡± Helena giggled as she sat down. ¡°I¡¯m sure they already know I¡¯m here. Why don¡¯t you keep me company while I wait?¡± ¡°Alright then. Please get my parents,¡± Riona commanded butler. She sat down opposite of Helena. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you. How are you doing with your aptitude?¡± Helena asked. Riona smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve reached the first rank of intermediate of water mage.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really going at it, aren¡¯t you,¡± Helena said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have fun, be active, maybe play around with other children?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Riona replied, her eyes darted around. ¡°You really want to be an alchemist that much?¡± Helena prodded on. Riona nodded, shyly looking down. Helena giggled again, ¡°So how¡¯s Daniel doing? He¡¯s going to be your partner in alchemy right?¡± Riona shook her head, her ears beat red. ¡°No, my mother can be my fire too. My mom¡ªI mean mother¡¯s fire is pretty¡­ and-¡± ¡°No need to change the subject,¡± Helena grinned. ¡°I was just teasing you.¡± At this point, Kazu noticed the difference between the present and past. In the past she had a softer, warmer air while in the present, that warmth was sealed in a layer of ice. He wanted to point this out as a joke, but the two others, Sage and Philip, looked engrossed in the record. As for Mel, she left as soon as the record started. Kazu concluded she would have probably been bored anyways. The scene disappeared and changed into Frederick¡¯s study room. Frederick sat behind the large desk while Eireen, his wife, stood beside him reading the documents over his shoulder. ¡°I have no idea what most of these items are in the recipe and there¡¯s even a corpse listed,¡± Frederick sighed. ¡°She can¡¯t expect us to create whatever this thing is.¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know what they are, but the instructions are simple enough,¡± Eireen said. ¡°A 2 meter water sphere spinning at 60 revolutions per minute caged in a box of fire. Mix all the ingredients together with a swirl in the middle, then wait an hour. It sounds like a beginner recipe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what matters.¡± Frederick leaned back on his chair. ¡°She always gives us these weird materials and recipes, but she never tells us what they do or what they¡¯re used for.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but she¡¯s our friend. Besides, she¡¯s paying us to do it, so what harm is there?¡± Eireen said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this one, Eireen,¡± Frederick groaned. ¡°And you know my hunches, most of them are right.¡± ¡°Fine, if you¡¯re feeling that worried, this will be the last one, ok?¡± Eireen consoled. ¡°Alright... no more next time,¡± Frederick mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m a bit worried about Riona though. Isn¡¯t she advancing a little too fast?¡± ¡°She wants to catch up with her old man, don¡¯t you know?¡± Eireen laughed. ¡°I feel like she¡¯s forcing herself,¡± Frederick said. ¡°Slow her down, maybe. Tell her she¡¯s perfect the way she is, something like that.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell her yourself? She¡¯s our daugther.¡± Eireen joked. ¡°You know I can¡¯t, and you always laugh when I choke!¡± Frederick confided. ¡°Well, she is more open to me than you. Maybe you should stop being so introverted!¡± Eireen said. ¡°You know how much I want to spoil her,¡± Frederick grumbled. ¡°But her personality is a bit on the strong side¡­ she got it from you after all.¡± ¡°Oh hush. Only you say that. I don¡¯t know whether that¡¯s even a compliment or an insult.¡± Eiren laughed, obviously taking it as a compliment. ¡°Though, she is more on the introverted side, like someone here.¡± Frederick turned his eyes back towards the recipe, preventing any more casual dialogue, ¡°Are we really sure about this?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s go, Helena should be waiting for us.¡± Eireen locked her arms with her husband and dragged him from his chair. As they stood to leave, 2 knocks lightly rapped at the door and it opened with an almost inaudible creak. Eireen interrupted the butler before he began his announcement, ¡°Yes, we know. Please prepare some tea and biscuits. Thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, madam,¡± replied the butler. The scene changed back to the reception room. A maid opened the door for Frederick and Eireen, and they heard Helena giggling while Riona looked down, blushing, as if to avoid attention. ¡°Riona, thank you for keeping Helena company,¡± Frederick stated. ¡°It¡¯s no problem, father.¡± Riona replied. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, Riona. Maybe you should head to bed or...¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll rest for the night. Good night, father, mother.¡± Riona declared, then left immediately passing by Frederick and Eireen. ¡°Oh Frederick. She¡¯s a growing girl. She¡¯ll open up in the future.¡± Eireen laughed. ¡°You¡¯re girl is very talented Frederick. Soon, she¡¯ll be an alchemist like you if she partners up with Daniel.¡± Helena added. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get to business shall we, Helena?¡± Eireen changed the subject. ¡°That we should. The recipe did say it¡¯ll take an hour, right?¡± Helena asked. ¡°Yes it did. But surely, you expect us to do this without knowing what its for,¡± Frederick replied. ¡°Frederick, you worrywart. It¡¯s really nothing dangerous.¡± Helena said. ¡°If it¡¯s nothing dangerous, then why don¡¯t you make it yourself?¡± Frederick raised his tone. ¡°You know as much as I, Frederick. I¡¯m simply not as capable as the both of you,¡± Helena countered. ¡°The two of you, enough.¡± Eireen clapped once. ¡°We already decided this will be the last one. That is unless you tell us what the mixture produces.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Helena said. ¡°I planned for this one to be the last.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s waste no time and head for the alchemy room,¡± Eireen said. The three walked out of the reception room. Frederick led the way, guiding the other two to a door much different from the others. The door had no visible mechanisms to open it, a nondescript door made of iron. Frederick placed the palm of his hands on the center of the door. A blue glow emanated from his arms, travelling down his skin, leaving luminescent trails as his palms met cold metal. The light merged with the door, revealing the countless runes etched into the iron. When the last rune lit up, mechanisms inside echoed with rhythmic noises. With one last loud thump, the door opened and Frederick continued his lead. The room contained all sorts of articles: vials, flasks, burners, tubes, stones etched with runic patterns, herbs, colourful plants, multicoloured liquids, and even a corpse mummified in bandages, not a single slip of skin showing. Kazu knew one of the herbs, Alma Matter that grew behind the house inside the forest. An overbearingly large round stone table laid at the center of the room. It seemed almost perfectly circular with its radius three times the size of Eireen¡¯s height, the tallest of the three in the room. A dip towards the center gave it a shape more akin to a bowl rather than a table. ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± Frederick declared. ¡°Helena, put all the items on the table, like what the recipe says¡­¡± Helena meticulously picked each herb carefully that were present on the shelves at the edges of the room and threw them all inside the table. She then grabbed a different vials and poured all them in at the same time. Next, she grabbed the corpse, bedding it on top of the collection of herbs. ¡°I¡¯m starting.¡± Frederick stated. ¡°Nature¡¯s Spring.¡± An orb of water, 2 meters in radius, the size specified in the recipe, formed and floated a few inches above the table. ¡°I can never get used to how fast you activate that spell.¡± Helena commented. The spell was similar to Ocean¡¯s Cage used by Riona during the aptitude tests, but Kazu also knew it was different. It had less impurities and was more sensitive to changes in mana for a more controlled flow inside the orb of water. He also knew that with Riona¡¯s skill level, in this case, aptitude, she wouldn¡¯t be able to form a Nature¡¯s Spring as pure as the one Frederick made. Immediately after, Eireen conjured up a box of flames that encased the floating water orb. At that signal, the water orb inside the box started moving in a gentle rotation of 60 revolutions per minute as required by the recipe. Nothing happened in the scene for over 40 minutes when they started, but it seems that only Kazu dozed off while Philip and Sage watched on intently. Even Riona and Frederick joined watching the record, although Kazu didn¡¯t remember exactly when they¡¯d joined the party. Just as Kazu was about to yawn, a tremor shook the scene. ¡°Frederick, what was that?¡± Eireen asked. ¡°Something¡¯s happening. The reagents are all fighting the process. They don¡¯t want to fuse.¡± Frederick groaned, sweat dripping down his cheek. ¡°Somethings wrong! We need to stop!¡± Eireen shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t stop! It¡¯s almost there. Just a little more.¡± Helena said with a twist of a smile. ¡°Damnit! Eireen! Energy is surging inside, we need to prepare for an explosion!¡± Frederick grunted. ¡°Alright!¡± Eireen conjured up a new layer of flame, forming it into a sphere containing both the box flame and the water orb inside. ¡°No, no, no!¡± Helena yelled. ¡°Stop the spell! I need that body back!¡± ¡°Helena, we can¡¯t! It¡¯s going to explode!¡± Frederick denied. ¡°Explode? No, there can¡¯t be. Don¡¯t let that body explode. I need him back!¡± Helena shrieked. She jumped up on the table and conjured herself armour from water. ¡°Helena! Don¡¯t do it! It¡¯s just a dead body!¡± Eireen panted as she mentally exhausted herself to fortify the two spells in order to contain the incoming explosion. Helena ignored Eireen. She tore open the first layer of flames that were supposed to contain the accident, then the next. When she touched the water with her water clad hand, it caused a violent chain reaction as every ingredient seemed to dissolve into a purple solution. When the purple colour spread throughout the whole orb, it exploded, sending everyone flying into the walls. Within the vision, Helena had disappeared, and none of the spectators felt any desire to identify the residual matter of the explosion. It was a curious case. Though Helena disappeared, the corpse that lay peacefully in the middle of the table was intact. The explosion had torn through most of the bandages and the flesh could be seen. There, Sage, Philip, Frederick, and Kazu saw it: the heirloom of the Beulen family. The scene continued. A spectre floated about in the alchemy room, entering through the walls. It held a dagger dripping with a purple substance. It hovered next to Eireen, laying its dagger bare against her stomach. Eireen tried to resist, but it was no use, the explosion had robbed her of her faculties. The spectre, against expectations, brandished the dagger and stabbed deeply into her gut. Her expression twisted in pain. Then, the spectre disappeared in a cloud of mist along with the corpse. Frederick crawled over the cobblestone floor, face stricken with fear as he took the vision of Eireen bleeding out. He held her hand and infused her with his magic. The wounds closed but poison remained, tainting her veins black as it quickly spread through her body. Another explosion shook the room. This time, it came from the door. Troops of soldiers swarmed the room, Philip amongst them walked casually compared to the altered soldiers. ¡°Mr. Rye, the house servants alerted me that the explosion came from this room, minus the one I made. Sorry about your door.¡± Philip yawned. ¡°Philip, please, save my wife. She¡¯s been poisoned!¡± Frederick croaked. ¡°Huh? Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s see,¡± Philip leaned down, his eyes flashed for a brief second. ¡°I see. Frederick, if I may ask, were you conducting demonic rituals?¡± ¡°No¡­ certainly not.¡± Frederick coughed. ¡°It was supposed to be a simple alchemical procedure.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re wife has been cursed with Wraith¡¯s hand,¡± Philip stated. ¡°Wraith¡¯s hand? My mother is poisoned?¡± Riona barged in. ¡°Soldier number 12, take the young lady away for now.¡± Philip commanded. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Sir, my name is Alex.¡± ¡°Soldier number 12, why haven¡¯t you taken the young lady away?¡± Philip questioned. ¡°Right away sir!¡± ¡°Alright Mr. Rye, we¡¯re going to need to take away your wife. All of the kingdom¡¯s best priests went north, please understand.¡± Philip said. ¡°Can she be saved?¡± Frederick asked. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Philip said. ¡°It¡¯ll suck away her mana and when that runs out, her life force. Then she dies. Its really the first time this has popped up in let¡¯s say¡­ forever?¡± Frederick was commentless. ¡°By forever, I mean like in 5 years.¡± Philip continued. ¡°Now where¡¯s the third lady that was supposed to be in your mansion?¡± Frederick looked down, ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Work related death, I assume?¡± Philip said. Frederick nodded. ¡°That simplifies things. Alright, soldiers 1 through 20, take everything in this room as evidence. When you¡¯re done, report back to HQ. Soldier 12, you take Mrs. Rye to HQ. Gently. Disperse!¡± Philip shouted. He left through the same hole in the wall he made where the door previously sat. Following him, the soldier named Alan carried Eireen¡¯s limp body. ¡°Father, where are they taking mother?¡± Riona interrogated. ¡°Riona, be strong. You¡¯re mother will be going away for a while,¡± Frederick stood up and walked over to where Riona was. ¡°Is mother hurt? The man said something about a poison. You¡¯re the best alchemist in the kingdom, right father? You can heal her!¡± Riona cried. ¡°No Riona, alchemists can¡¯t heal curses,¡± Frederick sighed. ¡°Riona, my daughter, may I ask a favour from you?¡± ¡°Yes, you may.¡± Riona wiped away her tears and looked at Frederick with her trembling eyes. ¡°My child, don¡¯t rush in your aptitude. Take it one step at a time.¡± Frederick stated. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t understand,¡± Riona said. ¡°You¡¯re perfect the way you are, Riona.¡± Frederick patted her head. ¡°So don¡¯t be stupid like me.¡± The record ended. *** Mel left the Rye mansion as soon as Kazu completed the activation for the spell. She didn¡¯t know why she left, but she felt woozy. Was it from the tea? She asked herself, then shook her head at the thought. Whenever she drank alcohol of the highest concentrations, she would never get drunk, let alone from tea. Although she thought that, she found herself at the 4th floor of the Ephermal Labyrinth Dungeon in what seemed like an instant. Previously she¡¯d just been outside the Rye mansion and now she was here. No matter how she struggled to think, she couldn¡¯t remember how she¡¯d traversed the distance. Oddly enough, she thought the dungeon would be sucking her energy away, but it didn¡¯t. A single thought passed through her mind, and she knew why¡ªthe dungeon was dying. A dungeon would only die a year after its heart is destroyed or removed. Somehow, she felt grateful. From the knowledge she accumulated during her thousands of years alive, she realized the heart of the dungeon was what had summoned Kazu into this world and held him in a stasis to be fed on, as the source of its energy to survive. Still, she couldn¡¯t muster any hatred for the dungeon, it was quite possible that if not for this dungeon, she might not have been able to meet Kazu again. Mel took a stroll through the dungeon. None of the ogres, ghouls, trolls, or the monsters that lived in the dungeon went near her during her casual walk. The natural noises they made would stop as she came near their shanty-like homes. She ended her stroll in the grand hall where the paintings above portrayed a light being engulfed by darkness, or maybe it was the other way around. A fleeting chill came up from behind her, signaling the arrival of someone she knew, bothersome even. ¡°Melcross, I see you are still alive. Are you doing well?¡± The ghastly voice crept up from behind Mel. It was a lich, similar to the one she killed in the academy, but different and more like a ghost. ¡°Don¡¯t ask if you don¡¯t care, Frius,¡± Mel mocked, ¡°Oh, would that be General Frius now? You¡¯re becoming more of a joke as time passes, I see, especially with that weak curse on the dagger.¡± ¡°Snarky as ever,¡± Frius said, ¡°Yet you decide to side with the humans.¡± ¡°One thing you should already know about me, Frius, is that I don¡¯t side with anyone.¡± Mel answered. ¡°Oh, I see, you don¡¯t. That should be the reason why you killed my pupil who I spent so much of my precious time dearly training,¡± Frius showed his irritation. ¡°Do I take it that you are now also an enemy?¡± ¡°Oh boohoo, are you going to cry because of your apprentice¡¯s death?¡± Mel retorted. ¡°And do you think I actually care if you think I¡¯m your enemy?¡± ¡°But yes, you should,¡± Frius replied. ¡°We have someone even you should not meddle with. Someone brought back from the dead¡ªin a new life. Even you, Melcross, might not even be able to stop him. At least, not with your current condition. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stupidly twist your words,¡± Mel snapped. She knew who he was referring to, and it was obviously the King Charles. If he reincarnated, with his mind alone, he can conquer the whole world. He wasn¡¯t able to in the past, not with the limited life span of a human. With a demonic body that could live for hundreds of years, maybe he could do it. But since he reincarnated, he was away from his most prized possession which was the secret to his impossible feats. Still, Mel smirked, ¡°You¡¯re missing one key ingredient in your perfect Demon Lord, Frius.¡± ¡°Tricks won¡¯t do any good, Melcross,¡± Frius countered. ¡°The master¡¯s plan is already set. I¡¯ve seen your interactions with a particular human, and I see you hold him very dearly. It would be a pity if something were to happen to him.¡± Mel clenched her fist. Although Charles wouldn¡¯t be able to beat her in sheer strength, he would be able to take away all of the things she held dear, just as he did with others who crossed paths with him. ¡°Thanks for the warning, and I commend you for your timing. Had we met tomorrow, I would¡¯ve killed you on spot just for saying that.¡± ¡°Till we meet again, Melcross.¡± Frius¡¯ voice faded. The spectre lich, Frius, faded away from Mel¡¯s view. She would¡¯ve loved to jump on him to kill him with her bare fist, but that would¡¯ve done no good, what with Frius being a ghost. She could only release the irritation on the already bruised and beaten columns of the grand hall. After breaking the column in a single punch, she teleported herself out of the dungeon into the cool breeze of air just a few meters away from the front door of Brett¡¯s house, the house Kazu calls ¡°Home.¡± *** Kazu left a few minutes ago, and Sage sat completely still at the coffee table, replaying the scenes of what he showed her. It didn¡¯t make sense that Riona was targeted. Nothing in her past linked her to the incident other than her parents. Philip beside her also looked like he was concentrating on something, most likely the same as her. Sage looked towards the future, in the millions of intertwined strings, searching for a reason as to why Riona became involved. But the future gave her no answer and confused her even more. The whole future and it¡¯s myriad of possibilities changed, completely different from the way it looked yesterday. Everything seems misplaced as if something or someone was missing. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, causing her mind to linger. Her gaze shifted towards the bookshelf where one offending item lay in plain view. The book titled ¡°History of Dragonweild: King Charles¡± sat in almost pristine condition on the shelf, as if mocking the other dusty and worn articles fitted on either side. Beside the bookshelf, a glass chess set with the black king checkmated. From the look of the match, the white side won with only minor pieces, sacrificing many pieces for the win. It seemed to have fooled the black side into thinking that it had the advantage up until the end. Then, something hit Sage. ¡°I see¡­ I see! Hahahaha!¡± Sage laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you see it Philip Nemean? We¡¯ve been fooled by the Demon Lord!¡± ¡°But we saved Riona. We should have succeeded defending against his schemes.¡± Philip muttered. ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m not done talking. Riona was a false target, don¡¯t you see?¡± Sage snapped. ¡°Now tell me, there should be two students amongst the 6 dead who are involved in the hidden war. Who are they?¡± ¡°Cristen Butcher¡­¡± Philip paused before stating the second name, ¡°And Lawrie Flay.¡± Sage slammed the coffee table, ¡°Lawrie Flay was the man to succeed and surpass me. Cristen Butcher was his sword.¡± ¡°Surpass you? Is it even possible to surpass you as a clairvoyant?¡± Philip asked. ¡°No, not as a clairvoyant. As a mastermind, strategist, schemer, trickster, or whatever you may call the position of being the kingdom¡¯s Sage. His ways in the arts of strategy and trickery would have rivaled King Charles himself,¡±Sage declared. ¡°Maybe it is why he had to die early. A pity.¡± ¡°Sounds like a shady fellow,¡± Philip commented. ¡°He¡¯s more idealistic than me,¡± Sage added, ¡°Come, Philip Nemean. We must make preparations.¡± *** 3 months passed. Yuli, Frederick, Riona, and Kazu as well as Mel stood around Eireen¡¯s bed in the Rye Mansion. She had her eyes closed patiently waiting for the treatment. ¡°Mel, would you?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Something like this, too easy.¡± Mel said with a confident smirk. A luminous blue light swirled around Eireen¡¯s body. Then, the vortex disappeared just as fast as it appeared. Eireen¡¯s body began to relax its subconscious tension as the spell finished running its course. She even opened her eyes showing her audience as the glitter of life stirred within her red irises. ¡°Did it work? Eireen, answer! Did it work?¡± Yuli said. ¡°Yes, brother, I can hear you,¡± Eireen whispered, just enough for everyone to hear. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle. It¡¯s really a miracle!¡± Yuli shouted. ¡°Hehe, nothing is too hard for me, Melcross!¡± Mel pounded on her chest. ¡°That¡¯s coming from a cursed sword, how ironic. But that doesn¡¯t matter! How can I ever repay you, Melcross and Kazu?¡± Yuli grabbed Kazu by his shoulder. ¡°What about 15 plates per meal for Mel for the rest of our academic life?¡± Kazu suggested. ¡°15 plates? Only 15? Heck, you can have as many plates per meal as you want!¡± Yuli yelled. ¡°Now, now brother. Calm down and stop shouting. You¡¯re hurting my ears.¡± Eireen smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly fully recovered yet, you know?¡± ¡°Right, right! Still recovering. We should leave you be, to rest.¡± Yuli added. ¡°No, no, I just want you to stop shouting. I still want the company,¡± Eireen said. ¡°Your name is Kazu Tomoe, is that right?¡± Kazu nodded. ¡°And this one is Melcross, although you probably already know her.¡± ¡°Yes, in fact, we all do. It is an honour to meet such a legendary figure,¡± Eireen said. ¡°Legendary? All this woman does is eat, eat, eat. I don¡¯t really see how she¡¯s so legendary,¡± Kazu joked. ¡°Are you really alright with all this noise, Eireen? Rest is best for your condition... ¡± Yuli said timidly. ¡°Oh hush, brother. My illness wasn¡¯t all that bad, and I didn¡¯t let it stop my research one bit.¡± Eireen chuckled. ¡°In fact, the curse let me delve deeper into the secrets of the aptitude.¡± She continued, ¡°You see, everyone has a crystal as tiny as a little bead inside of them. Aptitude, simply put, is the purity of this bead, and that very same bead gives us our magic. The research possibilities of this are endless!¡± ¡°I¡¯m with your brother on this one. Stop with your research for now and let your body catch up.¡± Frederick added. ¡°But my research!¡± Eireen insisted. ¡°Mother, I missed you.¡± Riona blurted out as she blushed, interrupting the whole scene. ¡°Riona, come here,¡± Eireen requested, stretching out her arms, ¡°give your mother a big hug.¡± Riona came to the side of her bed and did as she was told, a genuine look of contentment filling her small smile. Eireen whispered into her ear, ¡°Did you apologize to your father yet?¡± ¡°No¡­ not yet.¡± Riona muttered. ¡°Oh come on. You two are really alike. Come here, both of you.¡± Eireen ordered. Frederick and Riona stood side by side. Eireen in front of them nodded as if to signal them to say something to the other. ¡°Father, I¡¯m¡­¡± Riona paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Riona.¡± Frederick patted her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Eireen sighed. ¡°Both of you are really short worded.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine?¡± Kazu interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m sure they understand each other well enough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Kazu, thank you for everything.¡± Riona smiled. Her smile radiated the same warmth directed towards her mother, she had regained her flame, similar to the smile Kazu and the rest had seen in the record. He could not help but feel the bliss from helping someone change for the better. It was a nostalgic feeling, something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, since his previous life with the many kinds of classmates he¡¯d been with. Though they were but a memory now, he clung to them as a precious experience that would help him help those in the future. He also took in the warmth of Riona¡¯s family, each one of them had different ways of expressing their love. Although Frederick and Riona were more withdrawn, Kazu could still see their love for each other. Yuli became more docile when he was with his younger sister, Eireen. Kazu left the Rye mansion with Mel in her claymore form. The warmth continued to ooze from his heart as the scene of the reunited family lingered in his mind. As he entered the city from the south walls, he headed straight to a run down workshop named ¡°Grouch¡¯s Leatherworks.¡± ¡°Old Grouch, I want a scabbard that can fit this thing on my back.¡± Kazu ordered. ¡°20 gold if you provide the material. 50 if you don¡¯t. Pay up bud.¡± Grouch said. ¡°20 gold.¡± Kazu laid down 20 gold coins on the counter top. ¡°Make it with this fire lizard leather.¡± Kazu took out the fire lizard in his inventory. The carcass filled the remaining space in the room. ¡°Keep the extra leather or whatever you get from this fire lizard.¡± ¡°Hmph, being generous now are ya, Kazu?¡± Grouch retorted. ¡°Alright, expect it to be done in a week.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Kazu said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back then. Later old Grouch.¡± Kazu¡¯s footsteps marred the newly formed snow as he trod the path home. The season was still winter and snow still fell continuously, but over the months the snow fell more gently. The softness of the snow was the complete opposite of reality¡¯s rigidness he had experienced 3 months ago. Kazu couldn¡¯t help but ask himself whether the worse was over. The answer was obvious though: of course it wasn¡¯t, as many cliches go, it was just beginning. ¡°Mel.¡± Kazu called out. Mel: Yeah? ¡°Strength saves people, right?¡± Kazu asked. Mel: It does. Do you want more? ¡°Yeah.¡± Kazu looked up towards the cloud covered sky. ¡°If I can save those I love, then it¡¯s all worth it.¡± Mel let out into her spectral form. She hovered eye level with him, a smirk on her lips. ¡°Then let¡¯s start the real training.¡± Kazu arrived home. He saw Sage on the sofa beside Philip. Brett and Sene sat opposite of them. ¡°Kazu Tomoe.¡± Sage announced. ¡°Do you know the face of war?¡± ¡°Get on with your point, Sage. I¡¯m not in the mood,¡± Kazu stated. ¡°In all history of the human realm, Asteria and Dragonweild, the faces, scars, and wounds of war are many. They linger in the hearts of the people. Thousands of lives are lost and some emerge as heroes,¡± Sage said, ¡°But do you know the face of this war, Kazu Tomoe?¡± Kazu shook his head. ¡°No heroes will emerge and a whole kingdom is at stake just as how King Charles fought his wars. There are only two beings in this world that should not be angered. One of them is in your hands, the other is King Charles of Dragonweild.¡± Sage declared. ¡°So what does this have to do with me?¡± Kazu asked. ¡°Kazu Tomoe, this is a war where hundreds of thousands of lives are stake. So I ask you, would you like to slay a Demon Lord?¡± Sage proclaimed. ########################### Epilogue chapter. Thanks for reading. This concludes book 2. Thanks to Silentcomfort who helps a great deal in editing these chapters!