《The Survivors of Loktus》 Chapter 0: The Beginning Chapter 0 : The Beginning "Welcome to the 4th Crafter''s Inc. anniversary event. To jump start the event, all members that wish to register for the latest version of [The VRP], please follow the guides to the scanner." One by one, the crowd scanned their ID card, and laid down on the body scanner. Not knowingly, each person had their thoughts analyzed... Harrog''s Perspective Things happened. It was all in the past, the things I could have done and the things I should have done. What you see is a middle age man, your less than average social worker. I left home at 15. My parents were getting a divorce; I didn''t want to change school so I lived by myself. I paid the rent and bills with the part time job I had. Once I saved enough money, I bought myself a car after having received my driver''s licence. I dropped out of college on the third year. They didn''t teach me what I wanted to know; In the two years I worked as an apprentice, I learned more than I ever did in those three years of college. Now, a self-employed technician. From month to month, my income fluctuates severely, with some months higher and others lower. But overall, it is enough to live by. Actually, I''m not living so great. This place is a wasteland. My dog died of cancer because I was taking him outside regularly each week. Apparently there were traces of carcinogen here in the west coast. What a great way to end the year. I also had been engage, but thankfully we broke apart before anything got too serious. I also traveled around the globe, to my sister living in Laos. She was going through a hard time, and needed someone to be there after having a divorce. You would expect that there would be some sort of foreign policy to protect visitors, but there really isn''t. I got attacked "accidentally." There really is no safe place in this world. I want to sue, but the laws here didn''t allow me too. The half-drunken man that rammed his car into me paid for my hospital time, and was exonerated from any charges. No internet here. Did I just heard that correctly? How can there be no internet at a hospital? For three weeks, I had these 3 books that my sister brought to me. Even though I am interested in science fiction, I am bored to death. I could be playing Loktus right now on my laptop and doing dungeons with my guild mates. I tried going to the airport before. They thought I was a crazy man. Do you think I look crazy? Surely I might be cringing in pain yelling furiously at them with white foam coming out my mouth, but do you think I would pose a big threat? Now that three weeks passed, I come back to the states, the good old stinking states. What did I find when I come back? Loktus is no more... Morganna''s Perspective Meh. Another game taken over by Crafter''s Inc. Too bad I really liked Loktus, free to play and all. Now that leaves me with only 6 dollars left in the wallet and there are no Free to Play MMOGs left. Six dollars isn''t even enough for a week''s worth in any of the Crafter''s Inc MMOGs. Stupid Dad. And oh great, Janice is complaining again. I''m 23 already and do not need a stepmother to tell me what to do. I already got enough on my plate, and only took 3 college classes this semester so that I can help out around the house and still have enough time to level some characters. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Ah, the kids. Dad gave me 40 dollars to spend to take the step-grandchildren out for lunch. Janice is such a bitch. She took 20 dollars away, saying that 20 dollars is more than enough. I like to see where in this town you can buy a meal for four. Of course I''m single so they aren''t my kids but my step brother''s. I''m in the bleh moment right now. My character is needs 51million exp tnl (till next level). Probably will chill and grind mobs then. Ked and his alts (alternate character) must be soloing dungeons right now. If only I weren''t feeling this "bleh," I would be motivated to grind with him. Ked''s Perspective In game, I may be OP, multiboxing with max level character, several alts all at high level, and wearing rare equips. However, In real life, I''m only a high school student. Even at my best I score with a mediocre grade. I realized last semester, the first semester of my third year, that life is a cheat. I used to think that those students that raised their hands wanted to say something, but I learned: they just wanted a higher grade. It makes them look good and us look bad. It is always the same people, I realized. It didn''t dawn to me until that day, when the truth was laid before me. A computer in right in front of us, the substitute teacher handing out the test, and teacher absent again for the 4th week because of surgery; what a perfect environment for promoting academic dishonesty. I''m such a loser, I reflected. I knew I did not study..enough... but why did I have to stick with my pride and listen to what all those teachers tried to enforce. It was obvious 1 week later. My result: 64 overall on a 100 multiple choice test. The Class Average: 97. Two months later, for another subject, this time my AP class, the teacher told us she was going to "make" the test. I studied, read the text book, went over some review packets she given out. I can''t believe I scored only an 80! At least it is higher than the 70s from the tests before, but still, the same students scored 90s. Finally I did what I never thought I would do: look up the questions online. Then smacked right in my face was the test. The choices were not arranged in the same order but the questions and answer choices were word for word. I give up. There were winners, and then there were losers like me with no friends and connections. I have all this extra time now that I given up trying to study. Clearly I do not have the "good study habits" that some people possess, and with that time I commited myself to Loktus. I haven''t seen Morg or Harrog and several of the other guild members, including the Guild Leader, around the last couple of days before Loktus closed And now I have nothing left to show for myself with the whole database gone. What do I have left now? Grades? Awards? Prizes? Friends? Family? End Of Chapter 0: The Beginning Chapter 1 : That Morning Chapter 1: That Morning Ked hated cutscenes,especially those long ones at the beginning that you couldn''t skip. They may seem cool and appealing, but overall each of them were the same. Introductions to the game. He hated those beginner''s walkthrough and tutorials since they were so troublesome for multiboxers such as he. This year, he received hundreds of mails from colleges. They weren''t acceptance letters but mere advertisements. He knew that he had 0 chance of getting into any of the elite colleges that many of his classmates were applying to. On that morning, the mail arrived again. "12 dollars left on my bank account," Ked muttered. It costed him almost all his New Years and birthday savings to afford the most popular game based on its predecessor, Loktus. He would not have been able to afford a year''s worth if he hadn''t been given a discounted at the convention. He still felt disdain toward Crafter''s Inc for taking over Loktus, using its database to create a VR version. It forced people like him to pay more than necessary for this proxy version called [The VRP]. Dressed in his sweats and shorts, he logged into the VR machine for the first time. Of course the thing he hated most about games was the character customization. Selecting looks was awfully time-consuming, yet oftentimes you cannot change appearance again later. "Give me the default look!" he said. Ked looked at himself. Slight changes on the body to allow better movement but there were no big changes. His hair was trimmed and styled and he no longer needed his glasses. HIs sweat shirt was now the typical dress shirt, and he wore a slim fit jean. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Change the clothing," Ked ordered. He never liked dressing in these types of clothing. He was more comfortable with sweat pants, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. A message appeared: "Please accept the available matches. We provide the best customization and aesthetic choices, each pool unique to match individual tastes." Ked wanted to curse out at the system. He wanted to play the game already so he quickly confirmed the rest of the default accessories and facial details. Who the hell knows what''s the perfect jaw size, he thought. "You are now entering the the world," Ked heard as the background shifts into a bedroom. Immediately he skipped the cutscene and landed straight on top of a plain single sized bed. The room wasn''t big and there was only one staircase leading downward. Ten steps down the staircase and he walked out the house. Thousands of players crowded right outside. Everyone had the same starting point and given the same task! "Speak to the old man? Where is the old man? With this many people here, it is impossible to make out where he is." In the midst of the crowd, the recuperating Harrog pushed the players out of the way. He wore a business suit similar to what he wears as a self-employed technician. End of Chapter 1: That Morning Chapter 2 Acquiring Water Chapter 2 Acquiring Water "How will I multibox now?" Ked asked to himself. Ked only had one capsule. Even if he could somehow afford another capsule for 12 dollars, he doesn''t possess two bodies. Ked couldn''t stand the masses of people flooding the server so he decided to wait for the congestion to stop. He knew out of the millions of people, only the ones that went to the conventions were allowed to purchase the game. Several conventions were held worldwide, but the locations weren''t announced until the last minute. He felt as if he was walking through circles in this metropolitan area. Another school day was over, the commute home to the suburban part of the city would take 1 hour of transportation. But today was different. He was jealous of his classmates because they have gone to so many parts of the city while he had spent everyday on Loktus. The sky was already dark at 5 PM because the days were nearing toward winter solstice. A slim, tall, fit-looking guy in a black silky suit walked past him. His dress shoes were polished and had a nice black sheen. Ked decided to follow him because what''s more fun than stalking... er... following a stranger? The man suddenly crossed the sidewalk and opened the door of his car. "It''s now or never," Ked told himself, "I probably will never meet him again." Ked began running up to the man. When he tried to plead, he kept stuttering and could not come up with a lie. The man said, "Go away kid." Ked sniffed a little. It smelled like drugs, slightly different from those pharmaceutical kinds with a stronger stench. Ked was scared. He recognized that this man was dangerous, but there was a thrill in him to find out more. It was an exhilaration he rarely felt. "I will call the cops," Ked said. "Do you want to die?" the man shouted. Ked reaching into his bookbag as if he actually had a phone inside, once more said, "I will call the police that you are selling illegal drugs. I memorized the license plate too and I know what you look like too!" The man lost his cool right after Ked said those words. Ked''s guess was right on the dot. "Get inside." The man grabbed Ked''s arm and held a knife toward him. "You will come inside." Obediently, Ked followed what the man said. Maybe I gone too far, he thought. He was scared of sharp objects especially knives. He hated getting hurt and coud not stand the sight of blood. The man began to drive and threatened that if Ked tried anything funny, he will not hesitate to kill on the spot. The man continued driving while Ked remained silent. He felt a slight bump on the cushion and decided to look under. On the bottom of the seat, there was a glass container the size of an eraser labeled [Water]. "Inside must be a drug. I''ll just take a small sniff." The scent was so irresistibly addicting that Ked gulped the whole container, making no sound and licked it clean. "What do I do now?" Ked thought. Quickly off the top of his head, he uncapped his bottle of water and pour the same amount back inside. He placed the container back undear the seat where it once belonged. The drug slowly started to take effect, and Ked felt a numbing sensation. "Will I die?" he asked himself, but now he no longer cared. He would let this euphoria overtake him as he drift into unconsciousness. The man driving the car drove on the highway choosing the shortest routes. Not once in a while he would turn around to keep watch. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. This time, he notice Ked had passed out. "It''s not possible right? He couldn''t have noticed it. He must have passed out from fright. I must report this brat to my boss. He knows how to handle these types of issues. At least the money and that thing is tucked away nicely." ************************************************************************** Ked awoke with this painful throdding in his head. He heard a gruffy but young voice saying, "Look, he''s awake now. What will you do with him?" Another voice of an older man replied, "We will keep him here and it will depend on how much he knows and how the heck he even found out about us. We will have the money deposited in the bank and make sure you send that "thing" to THE BOSS''. I heard rumors that he is giving it to his son. "I heard his son was addicted to gaming, but the boss always had to step in to ''help'' out." Ked was feeling nauseated and his groans were getting louder. "It was a prank", he cried out. The older man said sternly, "You were fooled?" "No. I heard from my very own ears what the boy said," the young man retorted. "Did he have any proof?" "Ye..." The young man began to said, but once again he was unsure. "You idiot!" "I didn''t know!" "Now what do we do with this boy?" "Kill him." the young man suggested. "You said he had a phone remember? All phones have GPS now. Throw all his clothes into the sea." "Why his clothes?" the young man replied back. "Just do what I say and get out your smallest sized suit. We will test ''that machine'' today." "Stop, what are you doing," Ked said. The young man began to take off all of Ked''s clothes, starting from his t-shirt then onto removing the pants and shoes. Ked wanted to struggle but his muscles were numb and the man forcefully removed the remaining articles of clothing. Finally Ked collapsed from exhausting all his energy. His glasses fell off and the man had accidently crushed it under his foot. The young man carried Ked''s body and heaved it onto the machine. ****************************************** When Ked woke up, he was back on the bench by his school. He wore this blue crisp suit he never seen before. All his muscle ache and his skin felt as if it been burnt. "What happened yesterday? Did I sleep outside the whole night?" He tried to recall but his memory was a mess. School''s about to begin. I look so ridiculous in this outfit. It feels so uncomfortable too. Once inside, he went inside the school bathroom to look in the mirror. "My hair! Why is it so ... nicely cut, trimmed and styled? It feels like someone messed with it and tried to fix it again." "Something else is off too. Why am I wearing contacts?" Ked didn''t know what happened to him. For that entire day, his classmate and teachers saw a new image of Ked. He didn''t notice that people were focusing in on him for he just wanted the day to be over. End of Chapter 2: Acquiring Water Chapter 3: The Apothecary Chapter 3: The Apothecary All Ked wanted to do when he got back home was to play. To have some distraction. Who wants to do work after spending 8-10 hours in school working? "I''m still dressed like this. It is so embarrassing but I have no clothes to change into," Ked thought. Immediately when he came home and walked up the stairs to the second floor, his grandmother was in the kitchen with the stove still on. The bathroom was right across the front door so right after he unlocked the door, he burst into the bathroom, taking in his large bookbag. "I''ll shower first and luckily I always keep my towel in the bathroom. It won''t seem suspicious if I come out with in my bathrobe and towel." Ked quickly stuffed that suit and dress shoe into his bag before stepping into the tub. Approximately 10 minutes later, his plan succeeded and he was in a fresh clean t-shirt and shorts. "Eat before you start playing," his grandmother called. She expected him to arrive home at this time and made some dim sum. Ked gulped down the food with a cup of milk. Noticing that Ked was in a new set of clothes, she figured that her grandson must have thrown the dirty clothes into the laundry bin. At last, Ked logged on to play the game. "The laundry bin is empty," his grandmother inquired, "He must have thrown it somewhere on the floor again." ___ There was no longer a crowd of people outside the starter''s ground. Instead the buzzing from the streets a few blocks ahead could be heard like loud murmurs . Only the old man was there, and his impatience was getting the better of him. Before Ked had the chance to walk up to him, the old man was in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t have anymore bread,¡± said the old man. ¡°Take this instead.¡± The old man gave him his gift, wrapped in a coarse cloth. Inside there were three pieces of wrapped candy bars. ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± Ked replied. His stomach growled and he felt his satiety dropping. He swiped the three candy bars from the old man, peeled the wrapper off and chewed on the nutty caramel conglomeration. It tasted sweet and delicious too. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. There''s a nice lady over there on the very edge of town, on the other side of the famous Magic Institute. If you want more Kid, she makes the best treat.¡± The old man pointed off in the direction of the hubbub of the madding crowd and resumed his position again on the platform, having completed his duty. It was only the second day, and there were still several institutions recruiting to train new members. The Liberal Arts institutions attracted many newcomers with their sonorous speeches, singing, appealing music, expressive poems, paintings and solemn sculptures. Ked had no artistic skills and gave up any hope to excel in the arts. Then there was the military. Most of recruits were compelled by the glory of war and battle, following the codes of chivalry, honor, loyalty, and brotherhood. There was the Magic Institute that attracted a particular large group. In a small section, on the outskirt of the Magic District, in a dilapidated house, a woman in her forties resided for many years. Her cures are as ancient as the passing of traditions, but she lived in the Magic District isolated from the other mages. Her house used to be the place to treat ailing patients, treating myriads of illnesses, her herbal medicine miraculously effective. She was not an NPC however, but the mother of a developer. She given birth to a genius at a young age, and volunteered to be a beta tester years ago. She was alone often in real life while her son worked on his programming, so she often spent time treating other beta players. She understood the game fairly well, but she never left the city. Nevertheless, her accomplishments cannot be looked down upon for she contributed greatly to the recipes and crafts. Without her, a whole section worth of knowledge in the field of magic; even the magic pots and glass bottles would have taken a complete different form if she didn¡¯t set the standards. She heard a few knocks at the door, and a boy¡¯s voice calling out, ¡°Is someone there?¡± It was the voice of Ked, who happened be wandering and pondering around. He strayed away from the crowds of people who were using magic and swords to slaughter the small animals. He was rather shy and hated competitive people. Swords and spells were not his forte. After seeing an innocent bunny murdered by the stab of a sword up into its stomach, the bodies of birds exploding in flames, he was mortifyingly disgusted. He couldn¡¯t tolerate such scene and the atmosphere that smelled of competition suffocated him. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He was never good physically with swords and mentally with memorizing spells, nor was he ever excellent in creativity with the crafts. There people training their stats like hardcore professionals made him feel ashamed, the pressure so overwhelming. He stumbled upon what looks like a store, the sign above read, ¡°The Apothecary.¡± It didn¡¯t look occupied and NPCs were usually easy to deal wit, he thought, their speech and dialogues were all programmed mechanically. Ailit heard a few knocks at the door and a boy¡¯s voice calling out, ¡°Is someone there?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± She replied. ¡°I like to learn your profession,¡± Ked said. This boy in front of Ailit was interested in learning from her, a first for her. The knowledge to craft the strongest elixirs wouldn¡¯t die with her. She felt this determination wash over her, a commitment to make this boy share her love and skills of her magic. A post appeared: "Would you like to learn under Ailit?" Her real name was Tilia but for the sake of anonymity, she reversed the spelling. If he accepts then the contract is sealed. I will show him the advantages of the Apothecary, a class wiped away since none of the magic instructors besides her could teach it. She had all these priceless herbs, to an ordinary person, they were pungent roots and leaves, but for her, she could distinguish each and everyone of their values. ¡°Would you like some hot ginger tea?¡± She asked Ked. She never had an use for this ginger root she gathered from the lost depths of the Fungo Swamp, but now was the perfect opportunity. It enhanced cognitive development, twice the rate of the average learning rate for small children. Ked accepted the cup of brewed ginger tea with the heartening fragrance clasping him in warmth, as if he felt the deep sincerity of Ailit¡¯s kindness and care. Even though at his age, he was already in the late teens, he could not help but feel at ease by her friendly ambiance as if she was a real person. Ailit started by introducing some basic herbs: dendrons, nettlez, flax, basically any plant whether common or rare that she laid eyes upon. By analyzing each property, they can be used to treat injuries directly or indirectly through concoctions. She was going slowly and letting Ked play with the herbs. "This boy is like my own son. If I had the chance to change how I raised him, I would do so if I could. But this boy, for him, I see so much he has in common with my own son. This time I have learned." When her son was still a child, he was curious about everything. Often times he would reach out and grab some of her indoor plants, plucking leaves off of them. The very first time, it was a Dracaena fragrans massangeana. It had two leaves shooting off from a stem, but not anymore after her son had tweaked these two leaves, thinking that these leaves were like the leaves on outdoor deciduous trees. He didnt know better at that time that these leaves were of aesthetic value and received a long scold. Thankfully, as Ked scanned each one, not only did he memorized several of them, his wisdom stat also increased from reading their descriptions, and his intelligence and mana pool augmented several folds. Ked watched as Ailit started brewing an average potion. "Child, this is a firewhisp flute." She would not repeat the same mistake again. She often gave gifts to her son, buying him everything he would always want. But in return, her son became rebellious, wanting freedom and independence- to show that his respect could not be bought so easily. Ailit sealed its identification with her spell. Only when Ked has refined his skill may he discover the hidden properties of this ancient relic, carved from the heart of this game''s yggdrasil. "Thafi, be good." She whispered into the flute. Each day with Ked was another precious moment. "This child carries an emotional burden that he has never expressed." Her game character was the last beta character. Her son can only extend a beta character''s account for so long with his position as a developer. It was inevitable when this immunity would wear off. End of Chapter 3: The Apothecary Chapter 4 The Purge (1) Chapter 4: The Purge (1) It is said that in the Magic Institute, the ground seems to be on fire, and that it burns like a cooking stove as the weak becomes food for the strong. On the day of the final exam, its flame flickered and consumed the souls of many individuals and howled for several hours across long distances. Then as if satisfied by the meals, it became silent. Or so it seemed to Morganna. As another wave of pressure emitted toward her, she calmly repositioned herself and readjusted her magic stance. A sudden movement to her right caught her attention so she dashed to the right as one of the remaining contestants in tattered clothes staggered towards her and collapsed on the ground. Morganna offered her hand, but the contestant discontinued his fight. He clambered to his feet to join the rest of the unsuccessful students. Sweating, Morganna peered over around her shoulders. Only one other magician was also left standing; his mouth curled into a taunt of his egotistic dominance-- like a snigger deliberately aimed at her. His gazed focused solely on her. Without even shifting his head, he muttered a short incantation that knocked his attacking golem down. He is going to run out of mana with all those exhaustive spells, she thought. Some ideas of how he was able to maintain all that energy pricked her thoughts, but none of these exceptions were very likely. She returned an insincere glance, but when she did, the golem she was fighting took the opportunity to land a critical hit. She loathed this abhorrent jerk. Her heart screamed with fiery passion, Curse Him, letting out her rage in the form of a firestorm and defeating the golem. In the shadow of the aisles, the headmaster stepped out to present their reward and next task. Morganna went ahead to dress in her new robe, examining her image against the magic mirrors. A thin sharp face. Long brown hair. No one had ever called her cute before but she could still look decent if she wanted to. Not as if she cared what others think. Her father said she looked as cute as a dog, but Morganna suspected he was teasing. Morganna curved her body to her reflection and thought, perhaps if I looked this pretty in real life¡­ Oh don¡¯t bother. She couldn¡¯t be distracted by such fantasy and stiffens at the thought of it being reality. With an aloof expression on her face, she turned away from the gaze of spectators. ---- ¡°You cheated somehow,¡± Morganna said to the obnoxious boy. He paused and replied, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°You are lying and the headmaster is also lying,¡± she told him. ¡°He wants us to capture an innocent woman.¡± He scoffed with greater rudeness. ¡°And why should I believe you?¡± ¡°I know her,¡± she replied, annoyed at his arrogance. The boy grabbed her arm and considered for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s pay a dear visit to see if she remembers you then.¡± Her heart sank as she realized his motives and then muttered another curse. ¡°You will take me to her,¡± he compelled, ¡°Tell me her name and where she is. The headmaster knows I will not disappoint him.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Morganna ignored him. She tried to twist her arm free, but the boy was too strong. Not only did he augment his magical powers but also his strength! He pulled her into the side of the streets, where no pedestrians would notice. ¡°Listen to me. My name is Guhine. You know the things I can do and the things I am capable of.¡± Morganna looked up and her blood froze as the boy blew a cold breath up her neck. He shouted, ¡°Over here guys!¡± Morganna gasped, finding herself surrounded by a group of enemies. They turn towards Morganna and an unpleasant scent filled her nose: it was the smell of blood and death. One of them sent a gust of red fire powder that caused her eyes to tear with pain. A steam of teardrops streaked down her face as she tried to rub off it off. ¡°Now!¡± Guhine bellowed. At once, his companions lunged forward. In the corner of her eye, Morganna saw the abrupt combined assail, and turned to see an arm swinging forward launching a small boulder in her direction. Despite knowing what would happen, she pulled out her fire cards and sent wind dice, calling upon the Breath of Luck. The dice smacked against something hard and invisible and dropped to the ground. She let out another breath as she threw the remaining dice on the floor, sending a burst of air that knocked them down. A few of them looked up to watch the incoming dice soaring in the air and falling flat against their shield. They regarded her attack briefly and then rushed into combat, without any preparation, tactic and strategy. Clearly they were far weaker than Morganna. Morganna watched as her dice fell on the ground, all of the damage deflected or curtailed by a magician¡¯s barrier. She could see nothing, and hypothesized it was probably an air field barrier. Guhine was standing there motionless, enjoying himself as he plans to humiliate her. She veered towards the corner, unconsciously approaching the Apothecary¡¯s shop. She heard the low chuckle of the insidious voice, seeing the wide grin now exposed. ¡°Let her run. She will lead us where to go.¡± His sense of magic were heightened to its peak. ¡°You showed her,¡± a brown hair warrior snickered as they head back to the Magic Institute. --- Beyond the block was the faint smell of herbs. Something ached all over her body and her mouth was agape with unspeakable pain. Cold rushed through her body as she began to feel more sensitive to the environment. She followed the smell of medicine, that almost seems to soothe her sores and aches. They must be looking for me, she thought suddenly. A normal player passed by her with curious eyes. She froze in terror, but his eyes slid away and became mingled in the background. ¡°They don¡¯t know where I am.¡± She sighed in relief. By the time she was at the shop¡¯s threshold, she turned around to check if anyone was following her. The door opened and a pair of hands extended and grabbed her. She felt all her energy inside her body let loose, unable to resist the need to rest. She fell backwards on the two supporting hands , but found herself staring at a pair of mysterious black eyes of a boy younger than her before she passed out. Chapter 5: The Purge (2) Chapter 5 Purge (2) A fire blazed in the hearth, warm and comforting. The shop¡¯s fragrance was a tonic that can soothe any illness and its scent wafted to the little corner where Morganna was sleeping. She woke up on a plain white bed. She finally recovered from her exhaustion. Ailit looked her top to bottom, smiling, ¡°You been very fortunate. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re still not fully healed. ¡° Morganna looked at her robe, embarrassed that she was so careless with her beautiful new dress. ¡°You can have my plain tunic,¡± Ailit offered. She studied Morganna¡¯s body. ¡°Though it might be a little bigger than your size, I guess.¡± Like most magicians, Morganna owned a minimum of two or three outfits in case any of her apparels lose durability. ¡°Those won¡¯t fit,¡± she proclaimed and took out her own enchanted robe that had been catered by professional tailors. ¡°Where are my weapons? Give them to me,¡± she commanded to a boy a few years younger than her; he looked around 17 years old. She extended her arm, and for a moment Ked was afraid that she might intend to blast him with magic. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t harm you if you give my weapons back to me,¡± she said, seeing that was Ked panicking and wasting her time. Morganna tugged the bag of weapon and then ducked into a separate room to change clothes. She stripped off the burnt robe and linen shoes and pulled on her new robe with almost the same quality enchantments and boosts. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± Her voice was full of arrogance, and her eyes aimed at the flowing spring of water. Without saying anything, her condescending attitude and body signals commanded: you will bring me water. At last, Ked¡¯s patience was all fed up. There was no need to be afraid of a bully. ¡°Fetch me some water,¡± she repeated. ¡°You fetch yourself water,¡± he retorted. ¡°Use your own hands and feet. I am tired and have to sleep.¡± Ked pulled the last of his ingredients to create the last recipe of the day. ¡°Cockamamie,¡± she called him. ¡°I don¡¯t know where it is. And you should respect your superiors.¡± Ailit was interfering now, a bowl of honey water in her hands, trying to please her visitor. Ked flipped a couple of pages in the recipe book, staring blankly at the pictures. ¡°Strong is subjective. Don¡¯t let anyone ever tell you that you are not strong because you share my gift. My powers are also your powers, and it¡¯s all that matters. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ked whispered. Ailit could not help but reverting back into her old habits. She told herself that she would change, never to assert her dominance and voice. Pain shot through her throat after she said, ¡°Good.¡± With one gulp, Morganna quenched her thirst and had two steps out of her bed before she heard shouts outside. Thoughts flowed back in her head. She yelped, ¡°Stop! We must leave this instant. Now before everything becomes destroyed.¡± The three of them stood near each other, only two rooms away from the front entrance. The candles lighting up the room flickered, and then waned. ¡°Leave through the back door,¡± Ailit suggested, pushing Ked towards its direction. ¡°If it is through the back door, didn¡¯t you say not to go there because some of the herbs are poisonous?¡± Ked asked, his head jutting from the agape backdoor where the wooden steps outside lead into gray wilderness. ¡°So you knew this would come eventually,¡± said Morganna, ¡°You should have told him.¡± Ked was already out the door. ¡°We should go,¡± Ked said. ¡°I always want to see where it leads.¡± ¡°The path might be faded though. But hurry and go. Call upon Thafi if you go astray.¡± Ailit was impatient because their safety was in danger. If Thafi recognize Ked as a fitting master, then my dear apprentice will attain great power. But the chances were slim, and it was only for last resort. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. In two swift movements, Ked and Morganna had slipped out the backdoor with both of their boots and backpacks prepared. In Ked¡¯s backpack, a special wooden flute was secretly stuffed, branded in Ailit¡¯s personal handwriting: ¡°Thafi.¡± ¡°Ha. There¡¯s absolutely nothing dangerous here,¡± Morganna said. ¡°Stick close to the paths. Some of these plants seem different from the normal ones I encountered. Tread carefully or else you will get injured.¡± I can always heal myself with magic, Morganna thought and continued her wild pace. Ked badly wanted to catch up to Morganna to check the road ahead but Morganna was too fast with her enhancements, so she led the way, blocking Ked¡¯s view. --- Oracular magic of the clovers swirled in the airtight room and formed the words of destiny. A seventeen-year old boy will begin a dark journey that will change his life forever. His companions will fall ill, and no healer will be able to cure them. Unwilling to give up, the boy will recruit help from formidable allies and foes on a dangerous mission for the ingredients to create the forbidden elixir. Only he has the capabilities, but impossible odds, hazardous alchemy, and bitter jealousy threatens their journey at every stop. He will not fail, but the outcome depends on his will- to push the borders of magic, emotions, and rules- and great sacrifices. Dried flowers, leaves, and dyes added to the rainbow colors and smothering texture as all the patterns circulated before the bowl. The sweet scent of kelp breezed through the door¡¯s crevice. Twisting the jar¡¯s lid, Alit dipped out fine crystalline white powder with a long spoon. Careful not to leave one ash behind, she held another spoon containing purple liquid that weighed as much as the depths of ocean. Only her magical forces could counter the strain and lethality of her greatest creation. ¡°Spirit from the Great Two Seas, Ancient King of Sufokia. Arise from your remains to serve my last wish.¡± A giant electric eel in the midst of the room twitched with liveliness as if reborn from the graveyard of defeated boss and slowly took form of its human shape. He was handsome under the bruises that remained unhealed. Through his blue sapphire hair lied the golden crown that lingered gloriously. Ailit resisted her urge to reach out to caress the beauty that she once fell in love with. A being created by the game years ago when she was a teen: when her father and his father were experimenting with ideas. ¡°Would he remember?¡± Ailit wondered. It was a nostalgic sensation of a love that never could be. Could she trust her instinct ¨CDid he really let go of her for her safety? He hadn¡¯t harmed her yet, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t. The King of Sufokia spread his cloak, and let loose his overcoat. His mind connected with Ailit¡¯s, in complete synchronization of two spirits. He knew the past was the past, and now they would be together for the last time. Moisture rose to the air, sucking the leaves and potions dry of its contents. Fumes hurled into the clouds like invisible petals drifting upwards. The clouds grew dark as if the change in weather was natural. The front door finally couldn¡¯t hold, and intruders encroached on to the second room. Ailit sacrificed her health, converting all but a remaining 1% to spiritual power. At her will, the King of the Two Seas let out a twist in his monster form, rippling the sky in Lightning Gales. The wood easily flammable from its lack of moisture streaked with fire. In seconds, her shop was a blazing inferno and her existence had vanished from the game forever. End of Chapter 5 The Purge (2)