《Star Dragon》


 Chapter 1: The Star Clan

    (Author: Decided to write this story now that my experimental stories are on hold as The Necromancer King will resume soon out of hiatus. The heat wave hit me hard and I was on the couch feeling dead yesterday. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story. I meant to release it sooner but I wanted t0 experiment some plotlines and made stories I don''t care much about while my main story was on hiatus for personal reasons. Enjoy.)


    -------Chapter 1: The Star Clan---------------


    A little boy with glowing cerulean eyes and black hair felt relaxed as he sat within a pool inside his mountain home. The little boy was member of the main branch of the Star Clan. He was the fourth child of the current lord of the Star Clan. He heard from his mother that the Star Clan was descended from the legendary Star Dragon that became one of the first Sovereigns in existence. The First Sovereigns were the reason the Creators made the Immortal Realm so that they would not terrorize the weak.


    They were just stories to the young boy and he just endured the history lessons from his mother to relax in the hot springs within the mountain. They lived in Star Point Mountain, a mountain deep in the north with nothing but snow for thousands of miles. The land was abundant with frost essence and the reason the Star Clan lived in seclusion. Most members of the Star Clan were ice shamans.


    Shamans were people who are able to use essence from nature and use it to perform feats no ordinary people could. The feats were generalized in a universal term everyone in the planet could understand: magic. The little boy would often see three elder siblings meditate and practice using magic on dummies or during a sparring session with his father.


    His name was Regis Star and the fourth child of Remus Star. He had the same eyes as his father, but had the hair color of his mother, Isabelle. On the night of the full moon, he would have his affinities tested and begin his training. Regis didn''t want to train as he liked a relaxing life and enjoyed playing around and exploring the caverns inside the mountain. The Star Clan had no choice but to train as they were not completely human.


    Members of the Star Clan had dominant genes in their blood from their ancestor. No matter who or what they married, they always had the upper body of a human and had a snake body instead of human legs. Only when they absorbed enough essence to evolve, were they able to gain legs and walk among human without them knowing what they are.


    Humans were biased on "non-pure" humans and legalized the sale of people, like the Star Clan, as slaves. It was another reason many members constantly meditated and to grow stronger as some did not want to live in the mountains forever. Regis did not know the dangers of the outside world as a member of the prestigious main branch of the family that were allowed to live inside the mountain while the branch families lived on the foot of the mountain.


    Little Regis got up from the hot springs, water dripping from his trunks and body as he stood up. He left the springs and dried his body with his towel before heading off to explore a tunnel he discovered on one of his journeys. He quickly changed into an azure robe with silver seams, silver cuffs, and a silver collar. He went to the back of his house nearby and entered and entered the caverns.


    No one ever ventured into the caverns as they had been empty since the Sovereign ancestor of legend left with most of the clan. Still, Regis dreamed on ancient treasures hidden within and spent many years exploring it since he was seven. He was ten now and it might be his last time exploring before the full moon in five nights. He would be too busy being supervised by his mother as he would begin learning about magic.


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    His robe was made of a material from a snow monster so Regis felt nice and warm as he ventured into the tunnels. He carried a small candle lamp as he made his way down the dark tunnel, his every breath resonating and sounding louder in the tunnel. Three years ago, he was too scared when he first entered the tunnel, but now he wasn''t. The tunnel floor and walls were cool to the touch as he went deeper and deeper until he found the new tunnel he discovered recently.


    He put the lamp down and put his hand on a white spatial ring on his left hand to pull out a meat bun. Picking up the lamp, he began eating the meat bun as he continued to slither until he saw a light. Curious, Regis quickly finished eating his meat bun and hiccupped thrice before he exited the tunnel.


    His abyssal black and white under-belly scales glistened as he entered a strange cavern. Inside was a giant ball of ice that seemed out of place with a strange fire burning it, yet the ice did not melt. The fire was a dark purple that seemed abundant with energy. Overcome with curiosity, Regis slithered up to the burning ball of ice and put his hand on it.


    The little boy screamed in pain as the ice began to shrink, as if he was absorbing it into his body. As the ice shrunk, cracks of purple energy appeared all over the boy''s body and he felt as if he was burning. He kept tugging and tugging, but his hand wouldn''t move. His legs constantly trembled on the floor as the pain got worse and Regis was overcome by nervousness, pain, and fear.


    His vision blurred as the ice disappeared and the cracks of purple energy on his body also vanished without a trace. His glowing cerulean eyes turned into a glowing dark purple like the fire as Regis collapsed onto the floor. His breathing was ragged as if he had slithered inside the mountain for days without rest.


    Regis''s skin felt itchy and he began scratching his skin before he realized he was shedding. He was stuck inside the cavern for three days as he kept shedding his skin, his body shivering from the tingling sensation where the skin shed. Regis also became bald with no eyebrows which slowly grew back quickly and until it became normal. It was strange, but Regis didn''t know much about his own body to begin with.


    Regis also sprouted two crimson wings on his back, the sign that he was indeed a son of the main branch as his family also had wings. Regis realized the ball of ice was a comet, but didn''t know what it did as he was already going to shed and grow wings. His wings slowly disappeared into his body as was customary and Regis pushed himself upright.


    He took out a small mirror to admire the changes and saw nothing except that his snake body was longer with even tougher scales than before and that his human body also got taller with lean muscles. The only difference was that his eyes now glowed a dark purple. This was not normal.


    "I wonder what my mom will think?" Regis said aloud as he picked up his lamp he set aside and lit it with a spark stone before heading back home. "I probably shouldn''t say anything. Mom never liked me exploring on my own. I''ll just distract her with my new wings. I''m the only one who looks like her and she''ll be even happier knowing I have crimson wings and abyssal black scales like her instead of azure scales and golden wings like dad, Isaac, Caius, and Beatrice."


    Excited, Regis slithered on home to tell his mother the good news and prepare for the affinity test. For now the effects of the comet were minimal. Regis didn''t know it but the comet would affect his life as the effects became more prominent in the future. One such example was his affinity test which would change Regis''s life forever. In two night''s time, Regis would learn that the Fates had other plans for him.

 Chapter 2: The Moon Spirits

    (Author: Hello! As I can''t preview the first submission, I didn''t expect the first chapter to be so short. Multiple chapter release today! Oh well. Regis finds an ancient comet burning with a strange dark purple fire. He absorbs it and sheds his skin and develops his crimson wings early, but it was expected to happen sooner or later. The only other affect he notices is that his glowing cerulean eyes glow the same color as comet fire. By the time he returns, there is only one night left before the night of his application test. Just what is the application test? What must he prepare himself to do? Enjoy.)


    -------Chapter 2: The Moon Spirits----------


    Regis quickly slithered back home, knowing his mother would be very angry this time as he didn''t come back before sunset. Not that he could tell time below the tunnels, but it was irrefutable that he was gone too long. As expected, Regis found his mother staring at him at the exit, mad with rage.


    While Regis had a snake body three feet long, his mother had a snake body as long as thirty feet. However, she prefers using her human form of a human tongue and two legs as she ventures out the mountain to trade with some of the villages many miles to the south away from the cold region they lived in. She stared at him in a mix of relief, anger, and surprise as Regis sprouted his crimson wings upon leaving the tunnel.


    "Hi mom! Sorry I''m late. I was shedding my skin while I was in the tunnels. I didn''t expect it to happen so soon," Regis smiled, telling only half the truth as he concealed the fact about the comet and the dark purple fire. It wasn''t that he wanted to hide it out of distrust, but because he would be in even more trouble for doing something stupid like touching it.


    "Regis," his mother said. "I''m glad you''re alright. In light of coming back late, there is no denying that shedding your skin would take days and there is the ritual to prepare for. I know not why your eyes changed color, but I am glad you finally have your wings. You''re one step closer to becoming a dragon and ascending. Your scales are still only black on the top. The pattern should be appearing soon. You might undergo more changes, but you won''t grow any longer or taller as that is the immediate effect of shedding."


    "What is Elder Sister Beatrice up to?" he asked.


    "Your sister is still in isolation for leaving the mountain and killing some humans," Isabelle answered. "Ever since Caius left after reaching advanced level spirit energy cultivation and developing human legs, no one is there to look after your sister. Your eldest brother, Isaac, is always out fighting with the demon army against the humans to the west, your  father is busy contending with the matters of the main and sub branch families of the clan, and I am busy in charge of anonymous trading with human caravans and towns to the south. I''m glad you''re not as uncontrollable as she is."


    "I''ve always heard that being a shaman is powerful, but what exactly is a shaman?" Regis asked.


    "Tomorrow night is the ritual. You will learn about what it means to be a shaman there. For now, you must rest. Your scales should change color soon. Just because you shed your skin, doesn''t mean the body has finished adjusting. It is forbidden to tell you more. What I can tell you is that your life will change. You will live amongst others now. Your temperament will also change. There are people who will be jealous of you as you are a member of the main branch, my son and the grandson of the pillar of the clan no less. Your sister''s punishment should end tomorrow morning. You''ll see her then. Good night Regis," his mother said and left him to handle clan affairs.


    "Finally home," Regis said as he slithered onto a stone block with half of it covered in soft cloths for his human half of his body. His snake half curled while he laid on the bed. It did not take long before he fell asleep. As he lay asleep, his abyssal black scales changed color, forming a crescent moon shaped pattern atop the abyssal black scales with two tiny dots on either end of the point of the crescent moon. The pattern was the color of gold, but the snake body did not elongate as it did when Regis shed his skin.


    Meanwhile, the energy of the comet was changing him. A frost colored energy swirled inside Regis. The bones of his body began transforming and became as transparent as ice, yet indestructible. On the lower half of his arms sprouted three blades the color of jade. They were curve shaped blades with the point of the blade facing back towards the elbow with the middle blade being the longest and thickest of the three blades on each arm.


    His black hair elongated past his shoulders and his body became leaner. He had developed blades on his arms as his grandfather did, a trait rarely found among the descendants of the Star Dragon. His wings also changed color to gold as if matching the colors of his patterned scales. When Regis awoke, he found that his clothes had been shredded and was shocked at his transformation.


    "Little Regis? Is that you?" a feminine voice asked as a blonde haired girl with the lower body of a snake with azure scales and golden wings on her back arrived in the house. "You! You look different than mother described! What happened?"


    "I don''t know, but I feel great," Regis said, scratching the stone walls with the blades on the dorsal side of his forearm. "Whoa! Did I do that?"


    "You have dual bladed forearms like grandpa!" Beatrice gasped. "Uh oh! Learning weapons will be hard with those on your arms. Are you ready for the ritual?"


    "Mom didn''t tell me anything about it that seemed important," Regis sighed.


    "Well I can tell you a secret," Beatrice grinned. "Think about what shamans are. They cultivate spiritual energy right? The ritual awakens the spiritual energy within you. Our clan is special as we immediately make a contract with a spirit when we awaken our spiritual energy. People struggle for who knows to what length to become a member of the branch family. Even they get a chance to contract with a spirit. Be wary of branch members. Most protect the main branch and are satisfied with all the benefits, but some believe themselves superior and might challenge you. Also, be careful of some of the mutant branch members."


    "Mutant branch members?" Regis asked. "Is that some kind of mutation like mine?"


    "Yes and no. Yours is a rare but valued mutation in the main branch. The mutant branch members I''m talking about are different. You know that all members of the main branch of the Star Clan have a human upper half and snake lower half no matter what they marry right? The branch do not have as high a purity as ours. Sometimes, they inherit the physical traits of the outsider who married into the clan. Sometimes, it is an amazing mutation that could land them great opportunities from the main branch. They are called variant branch members. However, there are some too monstrous or unnatural. Only the known is safe. Their mutations are dangerous. Be careful of them Regis. They usually resent and blame our Star Dragon lineage for their monstrous transformation. What can you do?" Beatrice sighed. "Mom already has me engaged to one of the more powerful variants from the branch family and he is pretty awesome and not a total dick. He even beat Caius in a one-on-one duel, something I could never hope to do. Caius was pissed enough to travel the world and get stronger."


    "Awesome! He beat Caius. I thought he was invincible," Regis praised.


    "Dad and grandfather are the invincible ones. My fianc¨¦ couldn''t beat Isaac though. They''re both fighting on the frontlines with the demon army against the humans to the west. I could have joined them if I didn''t kill some human travelers who ventured nearby. Mom has to deal with any possible connections those humans might have had and send our elite forces to secretly put them down," Beatrice said.


    "Makes sense. Kill them all before they become a problem for the clan," Regis said. "Being merciful shows weakness. Weakness gets a snake killed. You can never hope to be a dragon if you act like a snake in front of an eagle."


    "One of the many famous phrases of the clan," Beatrice laughed as she rolled her eyes. "I don''t know if you''re cold blooded like a snake or cold hearted as the clan wants us to be. Anyway, the ritual is very important as it will reveal your elemental affinities. Our ancestor was actually gifted in seven elements! SEVEN! Even grandfather and Isaac are gifted with only five and that already makes them a genius among geniuses! We, of the main branch, are born geniuses with three elemental affinities. It''s also another reason the branch is jealous of us, but we don''t choose our parents you know. Take a bath and try to wear a white robe......uh....good luck with those blades on your arms. I believe they are retractable too but will be painful when they come out. At least our wings are like a bird and not a demon or dragon. I''d keep them out all them time if they were. Dad will be pleased with the gold wings. As for mom, at least your scales are mostly abyssal black like hers."


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    Regis felt shivers down his arm as the blades sunk into his body. Like the wings, he had no idea how they could fit in his body or where they went. His forked tongue smacked his lips as he went to the dining hall a few yards away and ate his breakfast. Regis then took a bath and changed into a white robe before slithering to the Inner Sanctum of the main branch where his grandfather lived. Many of the guards addressed him as Ancestor as they were members of the branch family.


    While the main branch struggled to have children, the same could not be said for the branch families. Countless generations passed before Isabelle, his mother, was born. No one knew how old the pillar of the clan was save that he was the youngest of nine sons of the Star Dragon himself. He was also the only one of his brothers who chose not to go to the Immortal Realms. It was a choice, but only nine star magical beasts or above to a total of eleven could choose to ascend. They were classified by stars instead of ranks by humans countless ages ago through what humans called, adventurer guilds. They classified magical beasts by stars and rated missions from F to A backwards, alphabetically, with the exception of S, SS, and SSS which were above rank a missions.


    None of the main or sub branch families knew what star rating the pillar had save for that he could blow up an entire mountain with a flick of his wrist. Many nations, empires, and kingdoms, never dared to take over the land of the Star Clan or its territories because of the pillar. No one outside of the main branch knew what he looked like and only heard his voice as focused on his training instead of Mortal Affairs. Only Beatrice, Regis, Isaac, Caius, and their mother, Isabelle, were allowed to visit him in person as they were his direct descendants. The sub branch were descendants of the pillar''s cousins, uncles, and aunts.


    Everyone called the pillar of the clan Vizog the Undying as he had no equal on their planet. Only the main branch were permitted to use his name as everyone else would call him Undying One. Even though the sub branches of the clans might harbor some resentment to the main branch they never harbored such feelings to Vizog the Undying as his presence alone kept their people from becoming persecuted or enslaved like other demi-human and monster races. They also respected Isabelle as she was the member of the main branch who interacted with them the most.


    The guards were all in their true, half-snake, forms and clad in golden armor with jade runes as they saluted Regis. Regis was the one descendant that didn''t fear Vizog and often told his grandfather about his travels in the tunnels. Regis wanted to visit his grandfather and ask for some hints about the ritual. They smiled as Regis waved at them as he slithered into a massive black stone door and seemed to phase through it by magic. Regis grimaced in pain as he sprouted the blades on his forearms and wings on his back, making several holes in his robe in the process.


    The entire Inner Sanctum was empty save for a hundred feet long body of black and jade scales as thick as fifteen feet coiled against the walls with an elderly looking man sleeping in the center of the room with his human half resting against part of his snake body. It seemed as if he was sleeping, but a faint red glow emanated from his body that reeked of pure power. He had snow white hair, a muscular build with golden wings and gold colored blades similar to Regis save for being even larger than his. Vizog the Undying opened his eyes and the energy seemed to disappear as he looked down on his visitor, his snake body transforming into human legs. The pure white robe he wore was open like a jacket and white silk pants appeared out of thin air to cover the lower half of his body as he appeared in a sitting position with his legs crossed.


    "Regis? You! You''re....like me," Vizog laughed as he saw Regis''s dual bladed forearms. "The color is different but you have dual blades, three blades on each side of the dorsal forearm! HAHAHA! Fantastic! You are my grandson. I will call you Little Freak as my older brothers called me that too long ago. HAHAHA! Come and give grandpa a hug."


    "Grandpa!" Regis laughed and hugged his muscular grandpa before he sat down ten feet in front of him. "I entered the tunnel I told you about. I encountered a ball of ice, a comet, like the stories. It was covered in a dark purple fire. I touched it and I absorbed all of it. It made me shed earlier than I expected."


    "It must also have stimulated your genes," Vizog noted. "There used to be countless comets long ago. My ancestors used them to evolve sooner. I also developed blades like you did. You will also be...different in many ways. The effects of the comet are different, but one of your elements will be ice and darkness. The first darkness of the main branch since me. Your mother''s younger siblings, their descendants, and the descendants outside the main branch do not have the darkness affinity like you or I. You will also have...light affinity! Impossible! An Abominable Soul? Conflicting elements!"


    "Is that bad? How do you know?" Regis asked, afraid.


    "Abominable Souls are creatures whose souls had mutated and could wield conflicting elements. Light and darkness....well. It should to be most amusing. Most humans consider humans who use the light element as heroes. It should serve you well in the future. Is it perhaps the dark purple fire? Could it have been heavenly flames? Then why did the comet not melt? Why did you not burn upon touching it, or the mountain for that matter?" Vizog said. "I will teach you personally after the ritual and preside over it myself. No one can know of this. Do you understand Regis?"


    "Yes grandpa," Regis said, nodding his head vigorously. "Speaking of which, I came to ask about the ritual. What is it? How do I prepare for it?"


    "You will contract with a Moon Spirit. It will enter your Spirit Realm and guide you as you walk the path of the shaman to immortality. We have immortal lifespans, but not the prowess of one. Well, the rest of you anyway. People will believe that you will have two elements, light and ice. Only you, me, and your spirit will know otherwise. When you evolve and develop human legs, never use your wings or dual blades. Don''t even use your true form in front of others. I will only train you in ice and darkness as they are my own elements of the five I wield. When you evolve, you will look like a fifteen year old human. Once you do, I will send you far away to one of the holy knight academies. There, you will learn their ways. I will also give you a transmission bead. With it, you and I can talk. Holy knights are the greatest threats to demons who are our allies. You will be our spy there. Again, you may use only your ice and light magic among humans in your human form."


    "I, I understand," Regis said nervously.


    "It''s okay my Little Freak," Vizog smiled. "You will become like me: a survivor. You have the biggest chance to live among humans. Our race is unique as no one, or magical artifact or spell, could the monster blood inside us. That is how your mother and the sub branch can live on the foot of the mountain and explore and trade in the human lands. It is a lot to take in. I know, but this is your future now. Once your mother becomes ten star magical beasts like your father, and you attain a human form; I will finally ascend and search for my father and brothers at last. Little Freak, before you leave when you evolve, I will give you your inheritance as it will be the last time we meet. I will make you strong. I will make you heartless to your enemies and kind to others. Go now, to the mountain where the ritual will take place. You will wear a gold mask and keep your hood on. Sub branch members wear black robes with silver masks. You will live alone now with me. Only your mother and sister will see you without your mask as your brothers and father will be too busy with their own affairs. No one must know your face when you attain a human form. The world is not as pure as you think. Nor are the people as kind and trustworthy as they are now. When you leave, the outside world will persecute you and you will never be safe there. Go now. I will be there soon."


    "Yes grandpa. Thank you," Regis said and hugged his grandfather before donning a gold mask on his face. He realized his dual bladed-forearms were special and hid them and his wings before he left the Inner Sanctum.


    As he left, Vizog the Undying stared at the ceiling and said, "Father. My brothers. How I miss you so. Soon, I will find you. Soon, I will be with you once more and be called Little Freak once again. Do you know, one of my grandsons is also a Little Freak. HAHAHA! I''ll tell you all about him when we meet as well as my precious daughter and other grandchildren. I wonder what stories you''ll tell me and all the experiences you''ve been through past these few million years. I''m a million years magical beast."

 Chapter 3: Meeting Relatives

    (Author: Hello. Second chapter of a 5 chapter spam release. Now you know why I haven''t released any in a while. It is a side project because it is so long (to me). Well, enjoy the chapter.)


    -------------Chapter 3: Meeting Relatives------------


    Regis began the long travel to the base of the tallest mountain. No one was allowed inside the mountain until it was time for the ritual. If one looked closely from afar, the mountain peak was shaped like a volcano as it was broken and looked as if the mountain was hollow. Regis was constantly stared at by a lot of people from the sub branch as they saw a member of the main branch wearing a pure white, hooded robe with a gold mask covering his face.


    They also saw his incredibly shiny and seeming indestructible scales. They admired his abyssal black scales and the unique gold crescent and star patterns on either side of every crescent moon image on his body. This was, no doubt, a member of the main branch. Twenty two other people were participating in the ritual, most of them wearing pure black robes and silver masks save for two others. Most of the participants had the lower body of a snake and upper body of a human, but some looked entirely different. One had human legs, another had stag horns, and another even had the lower body of an octopus and had the lower half of his body in a water tank.


    After an hour of waiting, rumors and gossip increased. The shamans presiding over the ritual said the Undying One, himself, was personally going to oversee the ritual. They knew immediately that the reason he was is because the main branch member before them was the only male descendant who hadn''t yet become a shaman: Regis Star. They all knew that only Isabelle and her children were able to see the Undying One in person and without his golden mask and pure white robe.


    He always appeared in human form before them during formal events and the last time he made a public appearance was thirteen years ago when he destroyed five empires to the east which threatened to conquer their territory. The east had become a barren wasteland for thousands of miles. When the humans found out, they declared Star Mountain and its territories as off limits and didn''t dare travel into it. The only ones who did were the ignorant and greedy with both suffering a slow, painful death.


    "That''s Regis Star! He must be why the Undying One is coming!" one whispered.


    "The Undying One....how long has it been since he last left the Inner Sanctum?" another asked.


    "Not since the empires to the east were annihilated. Not only that, the Undying One actually sunk the empire closest to us into the see, severing the land and making a new continent comprising of, what used to be, the remaining four empires," one said in awe.


    "The power of the Undying One is the greatest in the planet," one agreed.


    "Of course he is! He''s an eleven star magical beast!" one laughed. "Those humans dare not threaten one of our own."


    The twenty two other participants stared at Regis with mixed feelings. He was the grandson of the Undying One himself. No doubt, his abilities would be terrifying as well. Some were members of the higher echelons of the sub branch and knew that Regis was the favorite, but he was not arrogant or prideful like Caius. They knew Caius left in order to redeem himself for losing against a sub branch clan member.


    "Hello," one of them greeted Regis, bowing his head while the others watched to see how he would react.


    "Hello," Regis said, nodding his head in acknowledgement and stared at the boy. "Hmm. Stag horns? You must be a variant of the sub branch. I heard highly of you guys from the guards and my sister."


    "Ah, yes. Thank you. I got them from my mom. My name is Theo Star. As you can guess by the color of my robe and mask, I''m a member of the sub branches of the clan," the boy grinned behind his silver mask. "My mom also has horns like me but she''s not a descendant of the clan. She''s a beast kin from the south east. You know, you''re as kind and humble as my elders said."


    "Oh, a member of the echelons of the sub branch?" Regis asked and saw the boy nod. "You must have a lot of expectations then."


    "Yeah. They want me to become a guardian knight of the main branch like my dad. He''s not a variant, but he is a seven star magical beast," Theo said with pride. "I hope to be as strong as him someday. Not all variants inherit beneficial traits from their parents. Like that guy with the octopus power half over there."


    They walked over to him while Theo continued, "This guy''s like also a variant. Luckily no mutated clan members are here this year. Unfortunately, he has limited prospects as he has to remain in water all the time until he gains a human form upon being a two star magical beast like the rest of us."


    "Hello Lord Regis. My name is Javi Octane. My mother is a member of the sub branches of the clan," the masked boy bowed, the water in his tank splashing a little.


    "That looks so cool!" Regis said as he stared at the tentacles. "Can you breathe underwater too? I know I can''t unless I''m a four star magical beast."


    "Yes. It is one of the reasons I am not labeled as a mutated variant and was allowed to attend the ritual," Javi answered. "They would have to wait for the next full moon and perform the ritual under heavy guard."


    The rest of the participants did not approach them as they had feelings of jealousy, anger, envy, and pride. Javi and Theo were excited to talk to a member of the main branch and the three relatives began talking for a while until they hear a loud rumble from Star Mountain, the mountain where the main branch and the Undying One lived among their mountain range territory. Everyone save for Regis, the rest of the main branch members, and the guards bowed their heads deeply in reverence.


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    Regis noticed that two other members wearing white robes and mask were among the ones participating as they also did not bow. He had learned from Javi and Theo that they were the children of his mother''s younger siblings. He did not know his mother even had siblings. As the rumbling got louder, they whispered to him that the Undying One''s wife died upon giving birth to female triplets. Unlike his mother, they did not hatch from an egg so their births were much more painful as the Undying One''s wife had to remain in her weaker, human, form. The only reason they remained as members of the main branch was because his wife begged him not to cast them away as she breathed her last.


    "What a sad story," Regis muttered. "No wonder he never talked about grandma when I asked him. He must have loved her  very much."


    "It would seem that there are quite a few people this year. Has the reproduction rate gone down since the last decade?" the Undying One asked in his abyssal black robe with silver stars and a gold moon embroidered on his back and over his robes. He also wore a mask of pure mithril, a white metal that was seeming indestructible beneath adamant metal, dragon bones and scales, and immortal rank  holy metals.


    Most people on the planet never saw mithril in their life unless they were of dwarf nobility. Fewer people saw adamant metal as only the most ancient of races guarded the secret location of the metals, such as the high elves. However, they were metals normally found in the Mortal Realm and useless against immortal rank holy metal. This was why humans owned most of the planet. Holy metal was just too powerful and allowed the weaker species to thrive, but it was rare and rarely used outside the capital of their kingdoms and empires.


    "The Undying One will now speak! All will hear and obey!" one of the shamans announced and everyone remained silent.


    "I am Vizog the Undying, pillar of our beloved Star Clan and have no equal in this realm," an ancient voice said, yet his voice boomed loudly in their heads. "Today I have come because my grandson, my direct bloodline has finally become of age. I see that there are three others who are here from my bloodline. They too, will come with Regis and I into the heart of the mountain. The rest of you will undergo the ritual in the hollow region of the mountain as is tradition."


    "Know this, their ritual risks death itself. I do not expect less than a single death," Vizog continued. "If their hearts are weak and their minds, fragile; they will die and not even ashes will remain. This ritual is the sacred Ritual of the Moon Goddess. We can become immortal, but we can never become a god. Only gods have blood the color of gold. Only gods are created from nothing. They just are and appear as they are. Who are we to claim ourselves as gods? You will contract with a spirit who serves Her. She, whose name cannot be uttered by creatures of the Mortal, will bestow on you power to rival the gods themselves!"


    "We all know that only humans, dragons, and humanoid creatures can use spirit energy. We are monster born! We were made to exist before them! We were the primal creatures that ruled this world before Man and other races took over! We are not meant to become mages, so we will become shamans! We, who contract with spirits, will attain the power of the gods as humans do! They will know not to look down upon you. They will know not to underestimate you. They will know to FEAR YOU!" Vizog boomed.


    "The Moon Goddess is our patron. She is an entity of the Divine Realm. Not even Men and other creatures can communicate to the Divine Realm, but WE CAN! We are abnormalities of creation. Look around you. We are combinations of several species. We have dragon blood, the blood of the most holy of creatures made by the gods, running in our veins!" Vizog continued, stimulating their hearts. "We are judged as monsters and even we have used their star classifications to determine our own power. We are not cattle to be slain when we number more than they desire. We are not fiends to be slain or materials for their horrible alchemy! We are Star Clan! WE ARE INVINCIBLE!"


    "YES, UNDYING ONE! WE ARE INVINCIBLE!" the shamans cried and soon everyone in the area began repeating what the shamans said like a chant.


    "Come, members of the main branch. It is time for you to undergo the ritual and be judged as worthy or worthless in the eyes of the Moon Goddess," Vizog said as the chant died down. "I wish you all luck in succeeding with the rituals. :et it be said, that shamans are the prosperity of our clans and guardians of our lives. You will become one of them and the pride of your families and respective branches. Make them proud."


    Regis and the three other members in pure white robes and golden masks quickly followed Vizog into a separate tunnel on the far side of the mountain, opposite of the main entrance where the crowd was gathered. Soon, they will undergo the ritual and determine their paths as shamans.

 Chapter 4: The Ritual Begins

    (Author: Hello. Third chapter of five chapter release. Also experimenting with color changes to highlight important stuff. Easier to see than italics, my opinion. Side projects are fun. I can write them more leisurely and just spam a whole bunch at once. Regis and three others enter the heart of the mountain with Vizog the Undying. The ritual will now begin. Warning: mature content has arrived. Some choices made by the MC are too difficult for some people to make. Enjoy.)


    --------Chapter 4: The Ritual Begins------------


    The four participants followed the pillar of the clan down a series of dark tunnels. The only sounds they heard were the shuffling of their feet and the loud heart beat increasing as they ventured further and further underground. The ominous dark purple fire spooked the other three members of the main branch, but fascinated Regis as he recognized those flames as similar to the comet.


    Regis traveled behind his grandfather as he was wary of them. He noticed their stares as his grandfather mentioned him by name earlier. Finally, they arrived in a large clearing with a huge body of water in the center of the clearing. Strange crystals emitted light and lit the underground lake clearing. The lake seemed sacred as the hearts of the participants seemed to calm as they stared at the serene water.


    "We have arrived," Vizog said. "Now, there are some things that must be said to you all. You will enter a comatose state upon diving into the lake. You will enter a dream. In the dream, you will appear as a soldier in a large army of monsters and demons. The choices you make will determine the results. Upon entering the dream, you will realize your elements. You will use your new powers in combat against the human army and their allies."


    "I thought we were going to be judged by the Moon Goddess Undying One?" one of the three said respectfully as he dipped his head low.


    "She will be watching. Every decision you make, She will know. You will receive the blessing of contracting with one of the moon spirits if you survive the dream. Before you become the soldier in the dream, you will encounter five scenes. These scenes will define you and reveal to you your true nature. Upon becoming a soldier in the dream, you will receive something that is both a curse and a blessing. If you survive and successfully contract with a moon spirit, you can choose to keep Her blessing or curse," Vizog explained. "Know this, there is no next time. Failure is death. Choices are final. The moon spirits who choose you will appear after the battle. The spirit you choose to contract with is final. It becomes your power and will reside in you always. It will be your guide as it lives in your Spirit Realm. Good luck. Dive in when you are ready. Regis, you will enter last."


    "Undying One, thank you for gracing us with your presence," the three others chanted and dived into the lake immediately.


    "Regis. There is something you should know," Vizog warned. "Your dream will be different than theirs as you have already absorbed the powers of the gods. Your transformation is not natural. I believe you know this already. When you awaken, you will attain a human form already. When in human form, no creature or artifact can tell whether you are human or not. One of the Moon Goddess''s many blessings. I will train you in ice and dark magic as I''ve said before. When you become a soldier in the dream, you will realize the power you absorbed from the comet. It will be beyond anything you have ever known. You must learn to fight with your dual blades, the six  curved blades on the dorsal side of both forearms. Life and death is the fastest and most efficient way to learn to use them. One mistake, and you will suffer. Humans use a sword and I will give you one to use when you awaken. Remember, the humans you will fight are not real, but you must learn to let go of the guilt and compassion."


    ''Is it because I will live among them as your spy?" Regis asked.


    "Yes, Little Freak. You might learn to trust them, but you must always remember one thing: you are NOT one of them," Vizog warned. "They want to kill us all. Only my existence prevents them. Even if I don''t choose to go to the Immortal Realms, I will forcefully ascend by the will of the Heavens one day. Our clan will depend on your intelligence should they plan to strike at our home. This is a heavy burden to bear and I am truly sorry, but you are the only among your sister and two brothers who has affinity for light magic. The sub branches will not know why you disappeared and believe that you are dead. Only your parents will know that you still live. Not even your brothers or sister will know. This is all for your sake and the sake of the clan. One day, I hope you forgive me as you realize how daunting this task I set before you truly is. Go now. They now sleep. The lake is sacred as it contains the tears of the Moon Goddess herself. Embrace it and do not resist its pull to make you slumber. Close your eyes and relax your mind. I believe in you Regis. I know that you will live."


    "I will do my best not to let you down grandpa," Regis said as he puffed his chest and slithered toward the lake.


    Vizog watched as his grandson slithered into the lake. He watched the water soak his robe and his abyssal black emerge as his hood fell back.  Regis traveled to the center of the lake before he noticed a strange presence wash over him. He didn''t resist as his eyes felt heavy under a foreign influence and fell asleep. He was surprised as he could breathe normally in the strange water and relaxed as he knew he would not drown while he was in the dream.


    Regis''s vision went dark as he felt a soothing pressure on his body. Suddenly, he saw a flash of white as he entered an unknown place within the Spirit Realm. The place he was in was entirely white save for bright blue sky with clouds here and there. Around him were strange columns and ruins, as if he had appeared in the ruins of a sacred temple. Before him a bright light took the shape of a woman. It emanated pure power and Regis instinctively cowered before it.


    "Greetings child of the Star Clan," the light said. "I am a fragment of the Moon Goddess. I will judge whether or not you are worthy of her blessing and curse. You have affinities for three elements. They are ice, light, and darkness. If you were a human mage, you would be normal, but you are not human. Monsters should not be able to have both light and darkness affinities. Furthermore, your affinity for darkness is at the peak. You are a Scion of Darkness, yet you have exceptional affinity for the light. There is also something you must know, ice and water are the very same element. The only difference is that one is more solid and less versatile than the other. Different states of the same element."


    "I can use water magic?" Regis asked.


    "Yes. Your elements are water, light, and darkness. You just have enough affinity for water to use ice. Do not believe whoever told you the difference between ice and water. They do not have access to human knowledge. All humans know that there is no such thing as a difference between ice and water. It all depends on ones mastery. Now then, Regis Star, it is time for your judgment. Five scenarios there will be before you. The results will dictate your future," the lady of light began. "You do not know this but right now, your spirit is no longer in your body. It is still anchored, but your spirit is on a journey of enlightenment."


    "Then....the battle of the army will be real?" Regis asked, horrified.


    "Yes. Your spirit will give life to a statue built by members of your clan. You will experience what your true potential will be like. All under you will obey your commands as you undergo the ritual. The statue will come to life and glow with an aura of light the color of the moon. You will fight as my champion in the battle. Others will also participate, but their statues will not be like those of your main branch," the fragment continued. "The ritual will now begin. We will meet again once you survive the battle of the armies. Choose wisely during the ten scenarios. Once it is made, a choice is irreversible. Only the most worthy in every ritual will personally contract with a spirit of the Moon Goddess. To you, it is a dream, but it is someone else''s reality. Once a choice is made, you will experience the result first hand. If a choice involves death, you may very well experience the death of someone you condemned. This is the price of the main branch who undergo the ritual. Ten scenarios there will be and you act as a god and decide the outcome. Their fates lie in your hands.."


    The room flashed and Regis appeared in a throne room. He saw a human threatening a noble girl with a knife. The human thief was cloaked in worn rags and held a silver knife in his hand. The noble girl was a red head with pig tails. She wore a revealing pink dress and covered her breasts as she stared, horrified, at the thief.


    "The first scenario: the Lady and the Thief," the voice of the fragment of the Moon Goddess said. "Choosing to save the princess results in the thief''s death. The thief has come to impregnate her and steal her gold. Letting him do so spares the kingdom from letting a spoiled human ascend the throne. This choice is not between good or evil. This choice is made to determine which you think is the lesser evil. Choose now."


    "Save a woman or save a kingdom...I don''t know the woman. The choice is obvious: ignore her," Regis said.


    "The choice is made. Now the result will commence," the voice said.


    Regis cried out as his spirit suddenly entered the thief''s body. He had no control of the body and watched, in first person, the thief grab the woman and push her on the bed. He felt everything the thief did, including the pleasure. Once the thief was satisfied, he took her gold as she stared at the sky with lifeless eyes.


    "This is my justice. Did you know, that worthless daughter you had killed was my daughter. Killing you would be too lenient. I am a thief and I have stolen something that could never be retrieved. My seed is within you and I made sure there was enough. Farewell b*tch. We''ll not see each other again," the thief said and Regis was expelled from the body as he saw another flash of white.


    Before Regis was another scene. Thirty knights of some demon army were staring down at a cowering squadron of soldiers of a dwarf kingdom. The armor of the dwarves had several dents and holes and their blood spilled onto the floor. The demon knights were laughing as they stared down at the dwarves in their black armor. Each of them had stone grey skin, black scaled tails, and bright crimson horns on their heads.


    "This is the second scenario: Blood Debt," the voice said. "This story is about a squadron of dwarven warriors. They slaughtered demon after demon until they encountered demons far too powerful for them to fight. Many dwarves perished and the last remain before you. Most of the demons were innocent and never held a blade or took a life before. This choice is a judgment of life. Are dwarves in the wrong for not being demons and killing demons, innocent or otherwise? Should the demon knights slay the dwarves and settle their blood debt? Choose now."


    "Death to the dwarves," Regis said. "The demons are the allies of my Star Clan and the innocent were slaughtered for nothing. Such scum deserve death."


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    "The choice is made. Now the result will commence," the voice said and Regis stared in shock as he became one of the dwarves.


    "Mercy! Mercy!" one of the dwarves cried.


    "We didn''t know they was your kin. Honest" another dwarf begged.


    "At least spare me brother," the leader said as he gestured at the dwarf Regis was in. "He ain''t killed a demon yet."


    "None of you deserve to live!" the demon leader roared and the dwarves cried in pain as they were ripped apart like animals. Regis felt unbelievable pain as he was skewered by a spear. As the dwarf died, another flash of light appeared.


    Regis was shivering as the room was changing. He had experienced the pleasure of a woman and the pain of death. He had experienced adrenaline and fear. It felt so real because he was in their bodies after a choice was made. He felt a mixture of happiness and guilt from the first scenario and felt true fear and helplessness in the second scenario. The next scenario appeared and Regis saw a young disciple of an ancient mage kneeling. The boy looked like he was about to be awarded something.


    "This is the third scenario: Mage''s Legacy," the voice said. "The disciple completed an age long task set by the masters of his academy. He has been given the choice to receive an item. There are three choices to choose from. One is an ancient sword hilt that creates a white blade with azure energy. It enables the wielder to use spirit sword techniques without worrying about destroying the blade as it is made of an indestructible, mid-grade immortal wood. The second is an all-powerful staff that halves the mana cost and allows the wielder to perform even more powerful spells. The last is a necklace said to have a barrier enchantment like no other with a storage ability. Whoever wears the necklace is invincible in the Mortal Realm. This choice is about sacrifice. Both you and the disciple will get one of the three as one will mysteriously disappear under my power. You must choose two of the three first. Then you must make a final choice. Will you give the one you desire most to the disciple or claim both as yours. Choose now."


    "The one I want most is that necklace. I am no mage as I will become a holy knight and become my clan''s spy. The necklace will do wonders as it has incredible defensive capabilities based on what you said. The second thing I desire is the ancient sword. Most knights use a sword and a blade made out of immortal rank wood that is indestructible seems pretty cool," Regis said. "I.....choose to give the necklace to the disciple. I don''t want to, but the disciple is the one who earned it. A mage needs that necklace more than a warrior would. I have my pride. If I want something, I''ll earn it or take it myself."


    "The choice is made and the result will commence," the voice said. "The sword will be in your spatial ring when you awaken. When you wield the sword, the blade will emerge."


    "Master, I choose the necklace. Mages prioritize in fighting from a distance. I''ll be able to escape unharmed if I wore that necklace," the disciple grinned.


    "HAHAHA! Well said. Well said indeed. This is the Necklace of Grizorla, the necklace of a mage of ancient times whose defense magical capabilities were so mighty, kings all over the world would give her anything she desired to have her aid their armies. She could be said to have ruled our planet at some point," the mage laughed and handed the boy the necklace.


    The bladeless sword flashed and disappeared. Regis saw, through the disciple''s eyes, the mage look back in fear and shock as he saw the sword disappear. A flash of light blinded Regis''s vision and he knew he was entering the fourth scenario. This time really shocked Regis and made his heart waver. He saw a group of his own clansmen looking down on a regiment of human soldiers and civilians below. His brother was the lieutenant general and the man in charge with his golden and azure armor. The rest of his clansmen were in azure armor and looked conflicted as they discussed with the dark elves. It would appear that the human city surrendered and were cornered below a courtyard with his brother''s forces above them. They pleaded for food and water as agreed for the peaceful surrender. His brother told his men to wait for a sign of the Moon Goddess before he made his decision.


    "This is the fourth scenario: Dire Circumstances," the voice said. "In war, tough decisions have to be made. This is one such scenario. The humans of this city surrendered as they had run out of food and water and did not wish to die. However, the supplies of your brother''s forces are low and they will suffer if they shared their supplies and can no longer advance. This is a choice of resolve. If you were in your brother''s place, would you commit to your agreement and provide them with supplies or end their suffering to save your own men from starvation and prevent traitors and a munity? Choose now."


    "I, I don''t want this," Regis said. All those people will die," Regis cried.


    "The dwarves died. A princess was raped. How is this any different?" the voice asked.


    "The dwarves were murderers of the innocent and the princess was a threat to the kingdom," Regis answered. "This...this has to do with a man''s honor! He agreed to share supplies, but if he does, the army will suffer. I don''t want to make this decision for my brother."


    "Your brother will die as a result of giving them supplies. Your brother''s forces will be too exhausted from starvation and infighting as well as the loss of some forces due to betrayal. They will be slaughtered once another force of the humans or their allies arrives. Would you let them die for the sake of honor? Would you let the army of your clan and allies suffer for an agreement with humans?" the voice asked. "Is this your choice? You were warned about the scenarios. Once a choice is made, there is no going back."


    "But so many people will die!" Regis cried.


    "People will die regardless of your choice. You are ten years old, the age of a young man and the age were you become a shaman. If you survive the battle among the armies, you will awaken with a human form of a fifteen year old human and change into it as you wish. You are no longer a child. Life is full of choices and you must live with the consequences of those choices. To ignore or not act at all is also a choice. Everything you do is a choice. So, what do you choose: honor or survival?" the voice argued.


    "I don''t want my brother to die," Regis cried, tears going down his eyes. "I choose not to honor the agreement. My clansmen and brother can''t die. Please forgive me big brother."


    "The choice is made and the result will commence," the voice said and Regis entered his brother''s body and saw through his eyes.


    "Please! We surrendered as promised. Think of the children," the mayor begged.


    "Lieutenant Isaac?" one of the dark elves asked. "Your orders?"


    "The Moon Goddess has spoken. Aim at the humans," Isaac said indifferently.


    "NOOO!" mothers cried as they held their children. The little boys and girls began crying and whimpering as they held their mothers. The men were cursing and throwing sand at the wall to no avail as the enemy were too high. The mayor fell to his knees and his hands slammed on the ground.


    "What have I done? I condemned us all," the mayor gasped. "I thought we would be spared. I thought that maybe, just maybe, they had caring hearts to us. Is this what war has done to our planet? Dividing us as races and choosing sides and continuing the cycle of hatred, blood, and anguish? Oh, what have I done?"


    "Aim!" Isaac ordered and his clansmen and dark elves complied, some of them not able to look at such a pitiful sight.


    "Sir, could we not do this?" one of them asked.


    Isaac roared and cut of the soldier''s head with his sword and yelled, "AIM! Aim because we are powerless. Aim because if you don''t they will die a slow painful death. We kill them not because we want to but because this damned war forces us to. They are our enemies and we are theirs. They would do the same if our situations were reversed. Aim and fire. Fire for the man next to you. Fire for your homes, your wives, your children. Fire so that our people are safe and survived this gods forsaken war of ancient grudges. Kill now and harden your hearts. This might not be the only time you commit such an act. This is war and in war, there are some things you just can''t avoid."


    Regis was forced to watch as his brother looked down. Arrows flew and blood gushed like a fountain. A lake of blood, tears, and corpses grew until the last man, woman, child, elderly and newborn were dead. A huge pain tore in Regis''s heart, but he didn''t know if it was his pain or his brother''s as he was in Isaac''s body. Isaac turned away and ordered his men to retrieve the arrows and burn the body. A flash of light appeared and Regis appeared in the in area surrounded by ruins that he was when he entered the dream.


    He fell to his knees and wept. He experienced so many things, even death. It was all too much for his innocent, young mind to bear. Pleasure, excitement, vengeance, guilt, justice, death, power, responsibility, and it was all experienced first hand. Just four little scenarios changed him. Four scenarios that occurred in reality but were determined by his choice.


    "You have done well," the woman-shaped light said. "As a member of the main branch, you have made choices more serious than those of the sub branches according to the agreement with your ancestors and the Moon Goddess. To become a shaman is to defy the will of the Divine Realm. This is the final scenario: Defying Fate. Now you must make a choice: kill me and gain your power or accept yourself as a monster and never become a shaman. This is a choice of destiny. Defy the will of the Divine Realm and become more than what you were created to be or become the insignificant life form they expected you to be. Choose now."


    "I, I came here to be a shaman. I came here under the expectations of my grandfather, my siblings, and my mother. My grandfather gave me an important mission. He means more to me than anyone else. I am sorry to have to take your life. I cannot be what the Creators made me to be," Regis said.


    "It''s okay child," the woman said as she embraced Regis. "You made the right choice. I am not the Moon Goddess. I am but a fragment of her power. With you, I can finally rest. Your life will be difficult. Humans and monsters alike will fear you. When you awaken, you will discover your inner spirit that has contracted to you. It is your own spirit energy manifested in visible form. When you enter the battlefield, you will experience what your true potential is. Fight with your true form and don''t use light or ice magic. Let the humans and their allies see that their enemy has a Scion of Darkness among them. Show them that it is right for them to fear you. Good luck little Regis and thank you for laying me to rest."


    Regis stared up at the woman and she dissolved as he crushed her in his embrace. The weird light, the color of the moon, empowered him and the environment around him tore as tears in space appeared around him. Then, a final flash of light blinded him before he left to become an Avatar of the Moon Goddess on the battlefield.

 Chapter 5: Scion of Darkness

    (Author: Hello! Hope the color change helped. As you can tell, I am writing this story to quickly reach the point where Regis can enter the human world and begin learning the way of the knight. At last, my first battle scene for this story. Fear the Scion of Darkness! Hope it goes well. Enjoy.)


    -------Chapter 5: Scion of Darkness-----------------


    Two armies were currently engaged in a bloody battle. To the west were the allied forces of humans, beast kin, dwarves, and elves. To the east were monsters, members of the Star Clan, dark elves, and demons. The human forces and their allies originated from the south and headed north west, conquering some of the demon and monster territories. Answering the call to aid, the dark elves and the powerful Star Clan rushed to assist their own allies and prevent them from spreading east into their own territories.


    The humans and their allies were at a stalemate until the other army suddenly stopped attacking and stayed on the defense. Confused, it became a war of attrition as they were wary of the sudden change in strategy. Then, they saw several lights descend on the forces of the Star Clan that were on the side of the demon army. Only the elves and dwarves knew what those lights represented and paled and trembled. Four of them were exceptionally powerful and were the color of the moon itself.


    Within the Star Clan territory, members of the Star Clan smiled as they saw the light descend on the statues of the moon. Each statue of the moon was fifteen feet in diameter and were made entirely of stone. However, once the light of the moon descended on them during the ritual, they became the guardians of the Star Clan. The situation was so dire that it was the first time in four hundred years that the statues were made and taken outside their territory instead of staying in the mountains and in a silent vigil.


    To anyone else watching, they were just pillars of light. To members of the Star Clan, they knew it was the members of their clan who were undergoing the Ritual of the Moon Goddess. They waited as the moon statues began to crack like eggs. Over twenty statues were lit until one pillar of light remained. As the moon statue cracked, wisps of darkness emerged from the statue, instilling fear to anyone in the vicinity. Slowly a member of their main branch emerged from the statue. The sight shocked the dark elves, demons, and other monster races as they saw the others, but this one scared them the most.


    It emerged from the statue as it were in a cocoon and not an egg. A fifteen foot long snake body with abyssal black scales and gold crescent moon pattern, with gold stars at each point, coiled from the statue. Then, an upper body wearing luxurious gold armor and mask emerged with pitch black hair, gold wings, and dark purple eyes. What scared them the most were the three jade blades on each dorsal side of his forearm and the black aura the Star Clan member emitted. It felt dark and cold as if all the warmth in the world was being drained into it.


    "Behold, a Scion of Darkness descends," one of the elder members of the sub branch announced as he bowed upon recognizing such power. "This one is surely the most powerful that has undergone the ritual this year."


    Immediately, everyone knelt in front of him. Any Scion the Elements was powerful beyond compare. The statues that appeared lifelike were nearly indestructible but not many were very powerful. Regis stared around, but could not talk to them to ask them why they kneeled before him. He didn''t want them to stop as it felt good. They didn''t kneel before him because of his grandfather. They knelt for him at first because he was a Scion of Darkness.


    "Oh Powerful One, the elder bowed, the humans and their allies are camped to the west. Please aid us and punish them for invading our lands."


    Regis stared at the elder and realized the elder did not want outsiders to know the truth about the statues. Regis did a slight nod as he was brimming with power. This was what it was like to be a shaman. To control the elements like the gods themselves. When he awakens in his real body, he couldn''t wait to find out which spirit he contracted and how good it would feel to control ice and light magic in secret with his grandfather.


    It would have to wait as all he could use was his darkness, his absolute most powerful element. What was a Scion of Darkness? It was someone whose affinity for darkness was ninety, but this one seemed as if he was a demi-god and he was barely a hatchling in their eyes. His affinity for darkness was sure to be over a hundred! Only they could freely manipulate darkness like the gods.


    Now was the only time he could manipulate darkness on such a grand scale. When he makes his mysterious disappearance and becomes a spy, he would be forbidden to use his darkness element and could only rely on light and water magic to survive. Ice too as his affinity for water was exceptionally high. He rubbed his hands together and teleported into the heart of the human army. He didn''t know how he could do it, but it was as if he was the darkness itself and it was begging him to. In his statue body, he was exhibiting his true potential. Once he mastered his power, he could do in the future what he did just now.


    --------------------------------


    PoV of an Elven Princess


    My name is Princess Irene of the Forest Kingdom of Izlancar. It has been thirteen long years since my father has marched his forces to conquer the demon lands under our agreed alliance with the humans. I don''t understand why we fight, but he took me and my elder sister along to see the battle first hand. Two years ago, my sister, Qing, turned fifteen and left to study in the allied lands to the south. I finally turned fourteen and would join her in a year. We age as humans did until our twenty eighth year and remain the same for eternity. We only look older after doing very powerful rituals


    I would witness one final battle with the enemy before leaving to study for one final year under my mother before departing at age fifteen to study in the allied lands like my sister. We were supposed to engage at dawn when we all saw giant pillars of beautiful moon light descend on the enemy army. My people were terrified and were muttering among themselves.


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    "Father," I began as I looked at him. "What''s going on? Why are they frightened."


    "The Guardians of the Star Clan are descending. They only descend once a year and are nearly invincible as they represent the true power of their race. Most are half snake and half human but there are some variations. Don''t worry, they''re not much of a...." the king smiled until he suddenly trembled and I felt a dark energy appear in a flash at the center of the army.


    I finally saw what my people were afraid of. It really was a half snake and half man but had beautiful golden wings. However, it felt so terrifying as it emitted dark energy that seemed so cold, it was as if all the warmth in the world was being drained. I looked back and heard my father mutter three words that horrified him: Scion of Darkness.


    -------------------------------------


    Regis PoV


    The humans trembled before him. He didn''t care as he wanted to experiment his new power. The innocent boy that traveled in tunnels was gone. He stared silently at the chests of the female humans before he began to kill. Was that wrong? Not if they looked beautiful anyway. He covered the dual blades on his arms in darkness and began swinging his arms, slicing through human steel like butter. It was weird at first, but he gradually got used to it.


    He created a pillar of darkness here, threw a few daggers of darkness there. It was pretty fun. It was as if he was playing a game on how to kill ants on a anthill in a variety of ways. None of the humans posed a threat to him, not even the dwarves. As he fought, he noticed the other members who underwent the ritual take advantage and safely arrive to fight the army. He nodded as he saw to Star Clan members with stag horns and octopus tentacles. He chuckled a little as some of the women were killed as the tentacle suckers ripped their armor, exposing themselves. He would have to keep himself in check.


    He grunted as he felt a massive impact on his back, cracking some of his scales. He stared back in anger and saw the elven forces. Yelling in fury, he hacked and slashed at them, cloaking his body in darkness and seemed like an indestructible battering ram with blades as all the elves were cut to pieces in front of him or crushed under his snake body. He saw a trembling elven princess in mithril armor and a mithril crown on her head jump up and cut at him with her sword. He didn''t bother to block it and headed for the king. However, the blade did something impossible and managed to pierce both his darkness and his scales. Not even mithril could hurt him as he killed the royal guards, but the little princess''s sword hurt him? Preposterous! It was impossible!


    "S, stay back! Don''t hurt my father! I have a sword made of adamantine," Irene hesitated as she pointed her sword at him.


    Regis muttered a curse word and flickered his tail, knocking it from her grasp. He wasn''t used to dual blades, but he knew his snake body well. The girl paled as he sword was knocked from her grasp and clutched her hands to her chest as her wrists were bruised in the process. He glared at the king and wrapped his snake body around the princess before the king would move.


    "Father!" the elven princess cried while the king''s face grew grim as Regis put a hand on her throat.


    He was about to rip her throat when he noticed the moon shine and a voice said, "It is not your place to kill a member of royalty. Attack the humans. They are your priority."


    He grimaced in disgust and flung the princess into her father''s arms.  He picked up the adamantine sword and experimented with his darkness upon it. It cracked as he focused his power upon it and then shattered, shocking the king. He swung his left arm and watched as blades of darkness elongated from the dual blades and kill some more members of the elven royal guard. He spat on the ground before teleporting away to kill more humans.


    It was because of them that his brother and Regis had to kill innocent humans. The human army must be punished. They could not live. Those thoughts repeated in Regis''s mind as he joined Javi and Theo and killed humans while protecting each other. He paused as he saw a member of the branch clan who took the ritual stare at him. Regis was shocked as his cousin was a Scion of Fire. He became angry as his cousin flung a ball of fire from his hands at him. Enraged, the two cousins began fighting, shocking the human forces as they watched the scene while the beast kin, dwarves, and elves wisely stayed away from the humans while the others attacked them.


    His cousin threw fireball after fireball and even sent a wave of fire at him. It was all in vain as a small black hole would appear in front of Regis and absorb the fireballs as if they were nothing. Regis wrapped his dual blades in darkness and charged at his cousin. He cut him repeatedly as his cousin kept burning him. As the fire was too intense, Regis took advantage and covertly covered his body in a layer of concentrated water. The water would evaporate and the water was constantly replaced.


    Finally, Regis coiled his body and began crushing the lower, snake, body of his cousin. His cousin howled in pain as Regis''s harder, thicker scales crushed his own and finally burst in blood. The cousin coughed blood and Regis coiled his upper half on the human body of his cousin. Unable to scream, the cousin could only watch, wide-eyed, as his vision was soon blocked by black and gold scales before his chest, arms, and head burst into a puddle of blood. As the cousin died, every part of his body, flesh, blood, and scales became fragments of stone. Regis pulsed a thin darkness from his body as the stones on his scales shattered. He looked like he was laughing as he extended on arm while another hand was on his face as he mouth seemed to move as if he was laughing hysterically.


    None of the armies wanted to linger any longer and scattered, abandoning their posts and fleeing for their lives. Regis and the others were unable to give chase as they succeeded their mission. They crumbled into rocks and pieces once the last of the enemy forces vanished from sight, pillars of light ascending to the sky from their bodies. Only nine survived the dream when the fighting ended and Regis was one of them.

 Chapter 6: Emperors Blade

    (Author: Hello! The ritual is finally complete. Now, Regis finally awakens and begins his one year of preparation to infiltrate the human and human-allied lands. Just what is his inner spirit? How will he prepare? What is the consequence of his rampage during the ritual? By the way, a two star magical beast ( for his clan) develops a human form. This is the last of the five chapter spam release.  Back to The Necromancer King. This is a side project so expect another delay before another chapter spam release. Enjoy.)


    ----------Chapter 6: Emperor''s Blade---------------


    Regis awoke with a start as his soul returned to his body. The water swirled around him and he could see molted skin and a vile, smelly black liquid around his body. He tried to swim out, but only succeeded in moving his arms. Shocked, he thought something was wrong with him and looked down to see two human legs and other human lower body parts exposed beneath the short white robe.


    He looked around and saw that two girls hastily sat down on the ground as they awoke. He realized that in succeeding the ritual, they had become two star magical beasts and attained human form. The other one was nowhere to be seen. It made sense though as Regis killed him or her as he was attacked. When someone''s trying to kill you, you hardly have the time to care who they are. The third one didn''t seem to be their brother or sister as they did not glare at him at all.


    They left first as they crawled to shore from the bottom of the lake as the strange water allowed them to breathe normally. After they left, Regis discarded his robe and mask and admired himself. He really did look human. He knew he could bring out his dual blades and wings, but didn''t dare to do so. Right now, he had a problem he must deal with: learning how to walk on legs.


    As he was underwater, it was easier to get to his feet by waving his arms. He first practiced how to swim. He knew that moving his arms allowed him twist and turn and the humans used their legs to empower the velocity and speed in the power. After a few minutes of practice, Regis was able to swim naturally. As for walking and running, the water pressure was heavier so he instinctively focuses his strength on his legs. He moved them as if he was swimming without moving his arms. After about an hour, he could walk and run.


    He jumped out of the lake by pressing down on the ground and pushing his legs like a spring. He put on spare clothes as he let himself dry and sat down, staring at the crystal lighting the ceiling of the heart of the mountain. He had done it. All his life, he watched his siblings practice and got bored. Now he would be cultivating and improving his own power too


    He stood up and closed his eyes. He could feel a weird energy circulate in his body. It was different than the energy he absorbed from the comet, but contained pieces of it. He knew he didn''t have the power he had on the battlefield and closed his eyes and entered his Spirit Realm. Inside, he saw an ice white wolf with a slight blue hue the size of an tiger howling at the moon as it stood in the middle of a plain of snow. It had strange golden marks on above its legs and back and turned as it noticed him.


    "So you are the one deemed the most worthy by the Moon Goddess," the wolf said as it stared at him. "I am the Slaughtering Saint Wolf, one of the Guardians of the Moon. It would seem that another of your clan has been given one of Her guardians. I will tell you now: I know not any knowledge of how to wield darkness. I am a spirit with affinities of light and water. I am more than powerful enough to bestow upon you the ability to use the element of ice. Your power over darkness was granted to you by the comet. I can feel its energy inside you. It has changed your bones, empowered your flesh and changed your eyes. You are worthy to learn my techniques of light and ice."


    "So how does this all work?" Regis asked. "How will I learn from you?"


    "As you sleep, you venture here, in your Spirit Realm. As your real body rests, I train you to master your new profound power. I cannot teach you how to fight as your true form as it is extremely rare to see a monster contract with a spirit instead of a human. When you die, could be hundreds of years, your Spirit Realm releases me and I return to guard the Moon Goddess. The more powerful you are before you die, the more powerful I become when you die. Think of this as the training method of spirits. We are not beings of flesh like you. We are not born, we just...are. Some don''t find a purpose and become malignant. Demons and life forms with nefarious motives often contract with those spirits." the wolf answered. "I see that you have an ancient, bladeless sword in your spatial ring. It was the first immortal rank sword made on this planet in the Mortal Realm and belonged to the first human to ascend. It is indestructible and was once known as Emperor''s Blade. When man first existed, he was the first to be considered a monarch and ruled over all the humans. The very first human emperor of this world and the only human acknowledged by your ancestor, The Star Dragon, under its former name and lineage with a snake and human body like your before ascension."


    "I must learn how to use dark magic from my grandfather. I will also learn how to live like a human," Regis bowed. "At night, I will learn from you. Can other people sense you?"


    "Whenever you wield my power, they can sense it. However, they will believe that I am a different spirit. They will believe me to be a Frost Light Wolf as it is a spirit that also grants light and ice. However, humans would not dare to mess with you anyway. Humans value their nobles highly, based on my previous encounters with them before I became a guardian. Only humans and other life forms more powerful than you will dare to disrespect you," the wolf said. "You look human in that form and humans call people who contract with spirits: sages. Sages have more spirit energy than humans without a spirit. Sages are feared and respected as it is very difficult to contract with a spirit."


    "The Ritual of the Moon Goddess that I did right? It was...too real. The choices were hard to make and I think a part of me was born while another part died," Regis shuddered.


    "That is correct. Those who contract with spirits are reborn mentally and physically. Hence, you attained the power of a two star magical beast and gained a human form. It is fitting for you to wield the Emperor''s Blade as the human I first contract with was the owner of that sword. I suppose that is the reason I was chosen among Her guardians to be your spirit. I look forward to your development," the wolf said and watched Regis leave his Spirit Realm and return to reality.


    "Had a nice chat with your spirit?" Vizog asked as Regis awoke.


    "Grandpa! You''re here!" Regis cried and jumped into his arms. "It was so hard. I experienced so many things."


    "I know," he replied softly and held his grandson tightly. "I''m sorry your experience was so hard. Your blood is purer than others so it would be the hardest for you, but we must press forward. The humans and their allies have been driven back this time as we used the Moon Statues outside for the first time. I must train you to use your dual blades, human etiquette, background story, and teach you how to use dark magic. You hardly see your father so I decided not to tell him about your appearance. Your mother will be here shortly. She will greet you for the last time and pretend to be in mourning, saying that even though you succeeded the ritual; your spirit rejected you. The two girls from earlier will prove her alibi as they, no doubt, saw you. Say your goodbyes and we will begin your training in the Forbidden Grounds of the Star Clan. We only have a year before you enlist. The sooner you enlist, the sooner you can send information through the voice transfer bead I gave you. I''m sorry I can''t give you more time, but I have reached the peak of an eleven star magical beast. Once I break past it, I ascend. I won''t be given the choice to choose to or not and must decide which Immortal Realm I will go. Your mom will also break through soon, as I said earlier. She will receive your reports and when I am gone, but she cannot talk to you. These can be tracked and, to make it undetectable, I modified it so that the voice transfer only works one way. I''m sorry, but I can''t risk your safety. One day, you might be able to return."


    A little while later, his mother appeared and hugged Regis, tears flowing down her face. Regis was unable to say anything and just cried as he held his mother for one last time. They both knew how dangerous his task was and how vital secrecy was. The less people who knew, the better. However, it could also mean that he might be forced to kill some of his clansmen who would believe him to be human when they saw him.


    "Oh, Regis. I''m so sorry. If only our clan were strong enough without depending on father, I..." she began but her voice broke as she held him tighter. "I''m a failure as a mother."


    "Father wasn''t around much to begin with," Regis shrugged. "Even though you are a Scion of Darkness, you cannot live the life of greatness you could have as you need to leave because of your affinity to use light. It is obviously weaker than your darkness and you''re not even allowed to use your real form."


    Mother," Regis said softly as he pushed her away. "I''ve seen horrible things and made difficult choices. Our clan needs me to do this, so I will. Who knows? I might even enjoy living among them and never have my identity unmasked."


    "It''s possible," Vizog agreed and began to whistle and look at the ceiling as he was glared at by his daughter.


    "Sometimes,, I wish your grandfather had slaughtered them all and be done with it, but there are rules in the Mortal Realm. They are absolute and eleven star magical beasts are not allowed to destroy kingdoms or kill the reigning monarch," she sniffed and turned away, no longer able to bear the pain. "I''ll always be waiting for your reports. Know that I love you and....I....."


    Regis watched his mother run out of the heart of the mountain, a trail of tears behind her. He sighed as his grandfather sighed about his daughter being too soft for her age. He looked down at his grandson and his grandson looked up at him. There were no signs of grief and sadness left. They only had a year to train Regis. The family spies, before they were annihilated, said something about many powerful recruits being enlisted.


    Every day  Regis would spend the day from dawn to dusk learning from his grandfather. As he was magical beast, he didn''t need to work out his body so long as he ate meat. He wasn''t human anyway and spent most of his time learning about darkness and reading ancient scrolls containing descriptions of several techniques that his grandfather witnessed in his life from dark magic to all the other elemental magic spells or warrior techniques. He couldn''t do them, but it was wise to study familiarize oneself with them in order to know how to counter them.


    The world began in darkness and Darkness was the Void. When the sun went down, one could see the darkness in the sky and realize that the world was mostly all darkness. No matter where one went, there was darkness. Blind or not, one would see darkness if their eyes were closed. If there was light, darkness would always shadow it. Darkness was not the most powerful element, but it was the most versatile. It could be shaped into any image one could imagine. It was nowhere and everywhere. In the end, even planets were swallowed by the Void.


    From dusk to dawn, he slept. While he slept, his body naturally absorbed spirit energy as he was a monster. His mind would be in the Spirit Realm. There, he would learn how to fight barehanded and with a sword. He also learned more about light and ice and realized that he was also a Scion of Water because his spirit was one of the powerful Guardians of the Moon. The spirit said to keep that fact an absolute secret as there are many people who would kill a Scion of the Elements out of jealousy.


    His affinities were simple.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Water</td><td width="25%">Light</td><td width="25%">Darkness </td></tr><tr><td width="25%">93%</td><td width="25%">77%</td><td width="25%">102%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    It made sense for his light to be a little over average as it was a miracle he could use it in the first place. As light magic was valued more, Regis decided primarily learn ice  and water sword techniques besides the usual barehanded techniques. As a spy, his goal was not to stand out. He would learn only the bare minimum of light techniques and focus more on learning defensive spells and healing magic when it came to using the element of light.


    The wolf spirit agreed it was the best choice as learning less techniques and spells would enable him to have more time to master the few he did learn. Learning a lot of techniques and spells was good, but it was useless if you could not use it effectively and efficiently. Regis studied hard under both veterans and the year passed by as quick as it had come. News of his demise only caused grief for a month before the clan returned to normal and focused on increasing the defenses of their borders for a future invasion.


    No one noticed two people teleport from the mountain and appear in the middle of a forest in the south just a mile away from the city gates. There, a rank 3 magical beast and a rank 11 magical beast said their goodbyes. Shortly, a young, fifteen year old teenager appeared from the forest. He had abyssal black hair and dark purple eyes. He had a lean, muscular body and wore a grey cloak that covered his body and a hood that partially covered his face. He wore a black spatial ring on his left hand and had an ancient sword hilt hidden under his cloak. Once wielded, a blade of white wood with azure energy would emerge from the sword hilt.


    He was Regis Empyrean, a fallen noble and refuge from the war a year ago when the invasion failed. He had chosen the  city where his brother slaughtered all the innocent people during his ritual. The city was known as Lovar and while it was not one of the major cities, it was secluded enough that no one would be able to realize the truth of his alibi. He had received his inheritance from his father before he left: one hundred thousand gold coins, one million mithril coins, and one hundred adamantine coins! 100 copper--> 1 silver. 100 silver--> 1 gold. 1 gold--> 1 mithril. 1000 mithril--> 1 adamantine coin. What was money to a monster? Nothing. However, the humans highly valued money and his grandfather was ascending anyway.


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    Regis wished he received magical items and armor instead, but he only got two things. One was the grey cloak which was a mid-grade holy item. It would shield him from almost any attack in the Mortal Realm, even better than the necklace in the dream! The second was ademonic core of a seven star magical beast dragon! Although the ranking was not high, demonic cores are absolutely essential for anyone who used spirit energy.


    It was the sole reason monsters were hunted. Regis and the Star Clan were able to cultivate spirit energy and contract with a spirit because their bodies were incapable of creating monster cores. It was why their young were closely guarded and never allowed to leave their territory as they were one star magical beasts until they completed the ritual and were even weaker than other monsters before it. Dragon cores were exceptionally valued for their profound ability to not be absorbed upon being swallowed.


    Within his Spirit Realm, Regis had a small, black and crimson demonic core resting on a small pile of snow with the wolf spirit resting next to it. This demonic core belonged to a Venomous Sky Wyrm, a rare breed of dragons able to breathe poison. Not only did it make Regis immune to poison, he could create a small black energy made of the poison on his left hand that had a powerful corrosive effect. It was a useful trump card. He was also given a sea green metal ring to wear on his right hand. It had the image of three eyes in the shape of a triangle. His grandfather said that it had a certain history according to one of the humans he ate during his younger days. Regis didn''t care and simply wore it as it was a token of his grandfather.


    If Regis had one fatal flaw, it was the Curse of the Moon Goddess. On the back of the left side of his neck, black veins surrounded five different colored spots on his skin. It granted Regis the ability to extract someone''s soul from their body. The thing was, he no longer needed to eat or drink. The only sustenance he needed as substitute was souls. He had gained the same curse as his grandfather. The stronger the soul he devoured, the longer his hunger would be sated. Thus, Regis decided that if he needed to kill someone, he would take not just their life, but their soul too. If there was an after life, his victims wouldn''t be there to see it.


    Among humans, it was possible to extract someone''s soul sphere. Slave traders were usually people who had those abilities. They would take out the soul of the slave and bind it using mysterious methods. Slavery was permitted in some kingdoms as it was necessary due to the lack of manpower. However, they couldn''t devour souls like he did. Nor did they have a need to. In Regis''s spatial ring, he had a variety of soul spheres given to him by his grandfather. If he ran out, it would be up to him to collect more.


    Regis was walking down a dirt road in the forest to the city for twenty minutes when he finally saw the city gates. He was not Regis Star anymore. He was Regis Empyrean. He was only a spy if he uncovered vital information. If not, he was to enjoy his new life, free from the worries of his clan. Regis tilted his head a little as he went over basic human interactions. He walked up to the city gates and waited in line as the guards inspected the people entering the city. When it was finally his turn, Regis tried his best to greet as a human would.


    "Halt," the guard said. "State your business here."


    "Uh, I...I am a refugee from Lovar, the city along the border to the demon lands. My entire house was k, killed. I heard about the knights and other occupations here and wanted to join," Regis said, feigning sadness in his voice while looking at the ground. "I, I can still pay the toll fee."


    "5 gold. Our fair city is the main headquarters of all the most powerful academies in the land. Pay and get inside," the guard said softly. "Don''t worry. You''re safe here. I suggest heading to one of the inns here. If you tip one of the keepers there, they''ll tell you a lot more about the city. Try not to cause any trouble okay kid?"


    "Thank you," Regis said with a smile and tipped the guard with an extra gold for his kindness, but didn''t need to go to the inn as his grandfather told him everything he needed to know.


    Regis was kind to those who treated him well. If they didn''t, they would end up on his personal vendetta list for souls. Of course, he was in the territory of humans and their allies so he could not kill them openly. They had something called laws so he couldn''t just kill, torture, devour, or leave his foe for dead. He would go to something called jail and would have to kill a lot more people to escape. Doing so would blow his cover if not, disallow him from entering the echelons of their forces. He could live the life he wanted, but still had to make reports.


    He walked into the city and was amazed at all the things he saw. So many humans and humanoid creatures, like elves and dwarves, roamed the streets. All kinds of goods were being sold. Regis was tempted to go and buy some, but did not want to reveal how much money he had despite his appearance. He didn''t know it but he had a lot more money than many minor kingdoms. He only knew about mithril coins and didn''t learn about the value of adamantine coins. His grandfather just said not to use them at all as they could be melted and made into adamantine items for enchantments.


    As he walked by, he passed by a large crowd who were staring at a podium. Above it, people in dirt rags and lifeless faces wore collars on their necks as they were being sold. He realized that he was staring at a slave auction. His face hardened as he saw a member of the sub branch of his clan being sold. Every cell in his body screamed to slaughter them all, but he had a mission and couldn''t risk it for some weakling who got enslaved. It might even have been a traitor who ran away from the battlefield. He could see many fat, rich humanoids staring at some of the female slaves. Sometimes, even humans were more of a beast than an actual beast.


    He would have also bought one of the fine beauties, but he wanted to become a knight and it was unbefitting of a knight to have a slave. In the city, there were five academies, each specializing in an occupation. They were knight, marksman, mage, assassin, and cleric. Each occupation had its advantage and disadvantage with the most popular one being the mage, and the most luxurious being the cleric.


    Knights were primarily warriors who wielded their blades in the name of honor. They were the elite fighting force on the front lines and were more powerful than other warriors. They could wield spirit energy in battle and fight the demons and monsters on equal grounds. Having a slave would not bode well for Regis in the future. Mages were the main offense force of any army with their long range spells which were highly destructive and could attack a wide area at once. Clerics specialized in barrier and healing magic, making them the defensive pillars of the army. So long as an army of clerics were present, it would be hard to defeat them.


    The two other occupations were both unorthodox. Assassins specialized in killing a foe quickly and efficiently. They learned how to make traps, stealth magic, poisons, nets, crossbows, and any other method they deemed fit to be useful to become a better, stronger killer. Marksman were mostly archers, but some very rare marksman got their hands on something called a spirit cannon. They were portable cannons that shot giant spheres or rays of spirit energy, the element, power, and speed of the projectile dependent on the marksman in question. Spirit cannons were extremely rare and the simplest one was worth at least a hundred mithril coins. That''s 10,000 gold! It was because each part was made from mithril and their manufacturing methods were the most closely guarded secret among dwarves and dark elves. Marksman usually had slaves to protect them in battle as they fought.


    The city he was in was actually fifty miles in diameter. The city consisted of three rings. The Outer Ring was where the commoners, guards, and merchants lived and did their business. The Middle Ring was somewhat larger but had the least population as only the nobility lived there. The Inner Ring was thirty miles in diameter and almost half of the entire city comprised of it. Even though they were called rings, it was more like a crescent, or half circle, formation in an oval shaped city.


    This was the location of the five academies: the Knight Temple, Mage Palace, Assassin Tomb, Marksman Hall, and Cleric Sanctuary. Members of all races gathered in hopes of joining those great academies. In the entire southern continent of Marzul, they were the best out of six other rival cities with their own academies within. Marzul was the largest continent and over a third of the world comprised of it. Even though people claimed they were five separate academies, they were all under the same alliance known as the Radiant Alliance, the name coming as a comparison as being as bright as the sun and outshining all others.


    Regis gathered along with many other youths who were waiting outside the Inner Ring. Many guards were watching them as they were not residents of the Middle Ring and did not want any stragglers to have any funny ideas or cause mischief. The guards mentioned something about an attribute and spirit test and Regis sighed. His grandfather said his darkness attribute could not be detected as he could not use it in his human form. Humans had no darkness attribute without a spirit anyway and his wolf spirit was not of darkness, but of water and light. He was warned to avoid attribute test, but Regis realized that it would be quite obvious for an academy to have an attribute test.


    "They will know that you are a Scion of Water, but that can be considered a blessing. You will receive higher treatment and have a much better chance to learn of vital secrets for your clan," the wolf spirit said. "Remember what I said about lying and calling me a Frost Light Wolf. You''ll be fine Regis."


    "Right," Regis said as he breathed deeply and waited with the other applicants.


    A large man in a bright crimson robe appeared and said, "Greetings to all the applicants. On behalf of the Radiant Alliance, welcome to Radiant City! The application is simple. You must pay fifteen gold in advance. Whether or not you pass, no refunds. Second, you must choose one of the five academies and take the attribute test. There is also a spirit test for those who qualify. Those who have elemental affinities below forty should not even consider being here. I know, that elemental affinities of forty is a high requirement, but our Radiant Alliance is the best in all of Marzul! Only the best of the best are admitted here and even the best are considered trash as you will soon realize how wide the world really is. You think you are talented? HA! There will always be someone more talented and powerful than you! Unless you''re a Scion, don''t even consider yourself a true elite."


    "That''s crazy! No lower than forty affinity?" someone cried.


    "No refunds? You know how hard it is to even make fifteen gold?" an obvious commoner cried.


    "Shut up peasant! There''s no tuition fees so you should be grateful they prioritize the talented over the rich!" a noble snapped.


    "Alright. Settle down," the man said. "Once you have your elemental affinities tested, you will then have your spirit energy level tested. If you contracted with a spirit, the requirement will be higher as we expect more from you. Unlike monsters, we do not have an extra star, or tier, in order to ascend to the immortal realm. We have ten stages of spirit energy cultivation. The requirement to enter the academy without a spirit is to be at the first stage of cultivation. It may be the lowest, but there are many who are not even at the first stage of spirit cultivation! For those with spirits, the requirement is to be at the second stage. Furthermore, the final requirement is that you must be under the age of eighteen upon entering the academy. We need talented youths here. Line up and be ready to be tested!"


    A few applicants grumbled and were led away from the Middle Ring as they knew they didn''t qualify. Regis''s eyes widened as he recognized the girl in front of him in line. It was that elven princess that stabbed him with the adamantine sword. He sighed at how funny his situation had become. His former enemy was now in front of him and they weren''t even killing each other. He chuckled while some of her guards stared back at him, wary. All they saw was a handsome youth who was tall and with lean muscles. He wore a grey cloak, but they could detect various runes enchanting the cloak. This was no ordinary youth and they remained on guard while they stayed by their princess.


    "Okay. Next fail-, I mean applicant, come up please," the man laughed and lazily pointed to a glass sphere on a pedestal to his right. "Oh? This lass has got some elven guards. Well, go on then. Put your hand on the crystal and state your name, age, and spirit if you have one."


    "I am Princess Irene of the Forest Kingdom of Izlancar. Age fifteen and I have a spirit. It is a Bright Wooden Stag," the elven princess said as she put her hand on the crystal. "I want to join the Knight Temple like my sister, Qing."


    "Oh, f*ck! A Scion of Light as affinity 94%? Wood affinity is also 89%! Talent! Pure talent!" the man said, steeping back in shock as he evaluated her more highly. "Seems to be at mid-stage of the second rank. Brilliant. You pass! Welcome to the Radiant Alliance. Someone will lead you to your assigned room and tonight is the General Assembly. Be sure to remember to attend."


    "Thank you," Irene said and walked into the Inner Ring with her guards. Many people stared at her with looks of jealousy, envy, adoration, and worship. The man kept staring at her in shock as one of her guards gave him the money before leaving.


    "Ah, f*ck me. I need to remind myself not to underestimate those brats of royalty," the man cursed in a low voice before beaming and staring at the crowd. "Okay, next person. Chop, chop."


    "My name is Regis Empyrean, age fifteen, and my spirit is the Frost Light Wolf. I wish to become a knight and avenge my house in Lovar," Regis said, reciting his alibi, and placed his hand on the crystal.


    "This one seems to be just a rich brat with a spirit. He shouldn''t be....WHAT! He''s a f*cking Scion of Water with 93% affinity and 77% affinity for light! The hell is this? Everyone is a Scion Day?" the man cried aloud as he stared at Regis in shock as he was given the money. "Who are you?"


    "Regis Empyrean?" he answered, shocked at the man''s stupidity. He began to think: are all humans like this?


    "I bloody know that! I meant how did someone like you have so much affinity?" the man said. "Lovar''s just some isolated city near the border. Hardly anyone ever leaves that place for who knows which idiotic reason."


    Regis snarled as he thought the man was blowing his cover and quickly grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him in the hair. The man chocked as Regis held him and everyone saw the man''s feet dangle frantically in the air. Regis let the man go and he coughed hard as he fell on the ground.


    "Never insult my house. If you dishonor me again, I''ll challenge you to a death duel," Regis said coldly and left the man and the other applicants staring back at him in shock.